Did you buy a cheap GPS tracker for your kid? There’s a good chance that you’re not the only one who’s watching your kid.

Last week, a story in Wired revealed that security researchers were able to hack into a platform used by dozens, if not hundreds, of GPS kids watches, which allowed them to not only track a child’s location, but also remotely control a camera on the watch, and leaving them vulnerable to changing things like the emergency contact, or being able to silently eavesdrop on the child.

The researchers’ findings, which they presented at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference, looked at more than 70 GPS watches and car accessories, and found a sizable number used the same backend software and servers.

“The two researchers found that tens of millions of GPS tracker gadgets came from just three supply chains,” the Wired article reads. “All three, the researchers found in their analysis, had significant security flaws.”

If you go on Amazon and search for “GPS tracker for kids,” you’ll be presented with page after page of watches, dongles and chips, all for less than $50, purporting to make it easy to keep tabs on your kid.

Some even have screens and video calling — that seems like a real bargain compared to the best smartwatches, like the $249 Apple Watch SE 3, which cost a lot more. And, there’s a good chance that they have a lot of positive reviews, too.

Click through to the product listing for that cheap watch, and you’ll most likely see that the company’s name — one you’ve probably never heard of — is a seemingly random group of letters.

Don’t buy it.

It’s not just limited to GPS trackers. There are thousands of cheap security cameras, video doorbells, and baby monitors produced by no-name companies that are equally vulnerable to being hacked. A Consumer Reports study two years ago revealed that they could easily hack into several video doorbells, all of which were sold by different companies, but had the same underlying technology.

Earlier this year, The Verge wrote about a company that made the tech behind millions of baby monitors whose security was so lax that a hacker was able to see into people’s homes and even view images saved on the company’s servers.

Even some of the best security cameras aren’t immune to this — Wyze, for example, has suffered several security breaches over the years — but at least they, and other larger companies, have better systems in place for you (or security experts) to report any issues and to fix the problem in a timely manner.

With all that in mind, I’ve put together a list of a few dos and don’ts when shopping for any kind of device that can track your kid or take photos or videos of them or your house.

DO:

• Make sure your home Wi-Fi network is secured with a strong password and is always updated with the latest firmware
• Look for reviews of products on reputable sites

Don't:

• Rely solely on reviews posted on Amazon, Walmart, or other retail sites
• Buy a product that’s not from a brand you’ve never heard of

While these rules can’t completely insulate you from any sort of hacking, they can go a long way into making it harder for someone to break into your devices and see what they shouldn’t.

If you need to keep tabs on your kid, devices like the $29 Apple AirTag, the $149 Fitbit Ace, and the $149 Garmin Bounce are a little more expensive, but they’re made by companies with established reputations. What’s worth more: saving a few bucks, or the security of knowing some weirdo can’t spy on your kid?

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As someone who reviews the best mini PCs for a living, I keep coming back to Apple’s Mac mini M4. With its all-aluminum chassis, perfectly rounded corners, and — for the first time on a Mac mini — handy front ports, it’s the redesign and power boost we’d been waiting for. It’s certainly not the only game in town, but it’s easily the prettiest.

At least, I thought so until Lenovo unveiled its Yoga Mini at CES earlier this year. While other mini PCs stick to the same tried-and-true square or rectangular box, this one is completely round — so much so that you could easily mistake it for a smart speaker or a screenless smart thermostat.

Even though there aren’t any front ports next to the Yoga logo — just two small pinholes for the built-in microphone array — this is the kind of mini PC designed to sit front and center on your desk. Just like the MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG, I wouldn’t dream of mounting the Yoga Mini behind a monitor. Lenovo clearly agrees, as you won't find any VESA mounting holes on its underside. Instead, you get 360-degree ventilation, a built-in speaker, and the cherry on top: customizable RGB underglow.

I was immediately impressed during my initial hands-on with the Yoga Mini. Now, after spending two weeks using it as my daily driver, I’m even more taken with how Lenovo has managed to turn traditional mini PC expectations on their head. Or rather, on their side.

Here’s what it’s been like living with this Panther Lake-powered, puck-shaped mini PC on my desk — and why, given the choice, it wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

360 degrees of usability

Even with its compact 5.12 x 5.12 x 1.91-inch footprint, I was a bit surprised by how few extras Lenovo included in the box with my Yoga Mini review unit. Alongside the device itself, there was only a 100W power brick — which, as it turns out, you don’t strictly need to use, but more on that shortly.

If you pick one up at retail, Lenovo's site notes that you’ll get a bundled wireless mouse and keyboard. Still, with no video cable listed, this mini PC will pair quite well with one of the best monitors equipped with a USB-C port capable of power delivery.

Around back, you get a nice selection of ports given the Yoga Mini’s very compact size. There’s a Thunderbolt 4 port, two USB-C ports which both come equipped with DisplayPort functionality (one even features power delivery), an HDMI 2.1 port, a high-speed USB-A port and a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port.

Though there aren’t any proper front ports, Lenovo didn’t let the sides of the Yoga Mini go to waste. On the left, there’s another Thunderbolt 4 port also equipped with power delivery with a 3.5mm headphone jack next to it. Then on the right side, there’s a power button with a built-in fingerprint scanner for secure logins.

At 1.32 pounds, Lenovo’s Yoga Mini is just slightly lighter than the Mac mini M4 at 1.5 pounds. While I doubt you’ll be holding it like this as often as I have, its aluminum finish feels great on your fingers and the whole mini PC fits neatly in the palm of your hand. Thanks to a few extras Lenovo worked into its design, the Yoga Mini is the kind of mini PC you can travel with too if you prefer using an external mouse and keyboard over your laptop’s keyboard and trackpad.

Hiding this mini PC isn’t an option

Back when I first laid eyes on the Yoga Mini at CES, I imagined it sitting front and center on my desk. After using it for two weeks that way, I can easily see it becoming a permanent fixture. Sure, it is small enough to tuck under a monitor stand, but that would defeat the point. This is a mini PC that’s meant to be seen — and it sees you, too.

The Yoga Mini comes equipped with Intel’s Wi-Fi sensing tech, allowing you to use Windows’ settings menu to wake up your monitor when you enter the room or put it to sleep when you leave. As someone who often leaves several desktop computers running simultaneously, walking into my office to see a blank display for once was a welcome change. But that’s not the only trick up the Yoga Mini’s rounded sleeves.

Within the Lenovo AI Turbo Engine app, you can customize the default lighting and change how the RGB underglow responds to different scenarios. Although I set the default lighting to teal to match the accent keys on my Keychron Q11 Ultra keyboard, I really liked the soft violet hue it was set to out of the box. I decided to keep that shade to greet me when I sit down at my desk, paired with a bouncy ball lighting effect to boot.

There’s more you can do with the underglow, too. While testing the built-in speaker, I forgot I had Sound Lighting enabled. As a 21:9 music video played on the Innocn 401CU ultrawide monitor above it, Lenovo’s mini PC treated me to a miniature light show that I enjoyed more than I’d like to admit. You can also enable lighting effects for notifications, though I typically keep those off in Windows since my phone buzzes enough as it is.

One detail I particularly like in mini PCs designed for the center of a desk is a built-in fingerprint scanner, like the ones on MSI’s Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG or the Mind Graphics 2 eGPU dock I use with the Khadas Mind 2S. The one on the Yoga Mini’s right side works quite well and makes logging into Windows a breeze — especially when paired with presence detection to re-authenticate after stepping away.

If the fingerprint scanner, RGB underglow, and built-in microphone array aren’t enough to convince you to make the Yoga Mini your desk's centerpiece, Lenovo included one more trick.

Just like a smartphone, this mini PC features a built-in accelerometer under the hood, allowing you to use the top of its case like a large touch-sensitive button. In the Lenovo AI Turbo Engine app, you can enable tap interactions: by default, a single tap toggles the adaptive lighting on or off, while a double tap activates voice chat mode. You can also remap either gesture to launch any program installed on your PC.

Since my review unit arrived early, Lenovo is still ironing out the software kinks for gesture remapping. While tapping to toggle the RGB underglow worked fine, I couldn’t get it to launch Chrome with a single tap or Steam with a double tap (more on that in a bit). This will be addressed in an upcoming software update though.

Since there’s only one USB-A port on the back of the Yoga Mini, I initially relied on my monitor’s built-in KVM switch for the 2.4GHz dongles for my keyboard and trackball mouse. That worked well until I needed to offload photos from my camera’s SD card, leading me to an unexpected discovery.

Although you get one USB-A port with the Yoga Mini, you don’t get any with the Mac mini M4. That’s why the first accessory I tried out with Apple’s redesigned mini PC was Satechi’s Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub. Alongside three USB-A ports, it also has an SD card reader on the front. I had tried using it with a few other Windows-based mini PCs in the past and while everything worked, it was far from a perfect fit. Since the circular base at the bottom of the Yoga Mini has more or less the same dimensions as the one on the Mac mini M4, the two look like they were made for each other — especially with that same anodized aluminum finish.

While I’ve spent most of my time using the Yoga Mini for work in my office, I decided to give another setup a try to put the graphical power of its Panther Lake chip to the test.

Power-brick optional

If there’s one thing I hate seeing on the back of a mini PC, it’s a barrel connector for power. That usually means you're stuck using the bulky included adapter to power the device. Fortunately, with the Yoga Mini, that’s not the case.

The included adapter uses a USB-C connector, which means as long as you match the wattage, you can swap it for a compact GaN charger instead. I did just that in my office for a cleaner look with braided cables. However, I also wanted to see if a monitor with USB-C power delivery could do the same thing

I brought the Yoga Mini to my game room and plugged it into the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G monitor I recently reviewed. At first, the mini PC refused to turn on. Then I remembered this MSI display has two USB-C ports: one capped at 15W and another that provides 98W of power delivery. After a quick cable swap, I hit the power button again and we were in business.

I’d previously tried this with that Innocn ultrawide monitor and while it worked, I kept the Yoga Mini plugged into a power outlet there just to be safe. The main reason I moved it to the game room setup was to see how well I could game on its integrated Intel Graphics. On the 5K2K ultrawide, I could manage windowed gaming, but full screen was asking too much.

While a native 1080p display would have been better suited for testing than a 4K monitor, playing my go-to game — the fast-paced skateboarding sim Session — was a pleasant surprise. The visuals were a tad soft rendered at 1080p on a 4K panel, but the framerate stayed solid and the game was completely playable.

Intel’s integrated graphics performance has come a long way over the years — something I first noticed when I built a triple-monitor setup with the original Khadas Mind. Panther Lake takes those built-in graphical capabilities even further. While you won't be running demanding AAA titles on the Yoga Mini, it has plenty of power for older or lighter titles when you need a gaming fix.

I’m definitely going to try out a few more games ahead of my full review, but for a productivity-focused device, I’m thoroughly impressed with what this round mini PC is capable of.

Circle gets the square

Now don’t get me wrong, the Mac mini M4 is one of the best Macs Apple has ever made — both in terms of design and performance — and I can’t wait to see what Cupertino does with the next generation. Still, while it’s one of the most recognizable mini PCs, it’s far from your only option. And let’s face it, not everyone can or wants to daily drive macOS.

I’ve tried out plenty of mini PCs with a similar footprint and performance to the Mac mini M4, like the Geekom A9 Max. However, while Geekom has continued to improve upon its designs with each new mini PC it releases, the Yoga Mini is an entirely new form factor for Lenovo and one that works surprisingly well.

After testing this mini PC for two weeks, I hope the puck-shaped Yoga Mini becomes a mainstay of Lenovo’s lineup going forward. Given the company has "Intel" in parentheses next to its name, who knows? Maybe we’ll see an AMD version or even one equipped with Nvidia’s upcoming RTX Spark chip sooner rather than later, too.

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The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN is one of the loveliest gaming monitors I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. Not only does it look great on a desk, but its curved OLED panel makes games feel more immersive. Though it’s pricey at $1,299, it’s a worthwhile investment that’ll enhance your gaming experiences for years to come.

Like the equally awesome Alienware AW3426DW, Asus’ monitor features an ultrawide 21:9 aspect ratio, which is great for expanding your gaming POV and letting you comfortably have more open windows on the screen. The 800R curvature isn’t too extreme but still does a nice job of enveloping you. The sharp 3440 x 1440 resolution and vivid OLED panel also keep you immersed. It can also get surprisingly bright for a gaming monitor.

Performance is smooth and responsive, thanks to the fast 360Hz refresh rate and low 0.03ms response time (respectively). Whether you’re playing fast-paced first-person shooters or enjoying a more cinematic experience, the ROG Swift OLED has you covered.

Aside from its high price compared to similar monitors, the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN is easily one of the best gaming monitors you can buy. Find out why in my full review.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Asus ROG Swift OLED is a curved gaming monitor.
• Who is it for? Gamers who need a monitor with a high refresh rate for fast-paced competitive gaming.
• What does it cost? Asus ROG Swift OLED (PG34WCDM) costs $1,299 on Newegg.
• What do we like? We like the sleek design, immersive curved panel, vivid image quality, and smooth performance.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like that it costs more than similar gaming monitors.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN review: Specs

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN review: The ups

The Asus ROG Swift OLED impresses thanks to its eye-catching design, vibrant image quality, and blazing-fast performance.

Sleek design

You won’t mistake the ROG Swift OLED for anything other than a gaming monitor, thanks to its dark chassis, sharp angles, and standard red lighting. It’s a pretty aggressive design, but that’s what makes it so striking.

While certainly not as gargantuan as the 49-inch Samsung Odyssey OLED G9, you’ll still need a relatively large table for this monitor. Its tripod-like stand is just a few inches shorter than the 30.9 x 21.6 x 11.5-inch panel. Though wide, the legs are elevated high enough to let you keep peripherals under them if you’re running out of space.

There’s a cutaway on the stand’s shaft that makes management simple. It’s also easy to raise or lower the monitor to your desired height, tilt it backward by 5 degrees or forward by 20 degrees, and swivel the screen 15 degrees left or right.

You’ll find plenty of ports on the back. This includes one DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, three USB-A ports, one USB-C port, a headphone jack, and a USB-C port. Given the monitor’s size, you’ll need to either go around it or rotate it to access the ports, as you can’t easily connect cables by feel alone.

This wouldn’t be a proper gaming monitor without RGB lighting. On the back, there’s a large ROG logo you can customize with different colors and lighting effects via the menu. My favorite lighting feature is a red ROG logo projected under the stand and onto your table. The lighting here isn’t intrusive and nicely complements the monitor’s overall aesthetic.

Vivid display

The OLED panel delivers bright, colorful images that make every game you play look its best. The contrast between dark and light elements is fantastic and enhances the already oversaturated hues. The 21:9 aspect ratio and 800R curvature also draw you in. Even if you’re not getting a 4K image, 3440 x 1440 is still very sharp.

A game like Cyberpunk 2077 shines on the Swift OLED. The neon-drenched streets and holograms come alive thanks to the monitor’s oversaturated color reproduction. On the 21:9 panel, I can see more of the surroundings than I would on a standard 16:9 display. The sharp resolution and overall brightness also ensure everything comes through clearly.

And what do our lab tests have to say? In its default User mode, the ROG Swift OLED produces oversaturated hues in both the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts, as both are well above the 100% target. As you can see in the table above, the panel on Asus’ monitor is more colorful than the one on the Alienware AW3426DW in its standard mode.

One major win here is brightness. In dedicated HDR modes, the ROG Swift OLED reaches nearly 500 nits at 10% of the display and about 280 nits across the entire screen. Dim HDR brightness has been my chief complaint with the gaming monitors I’ve reviewed, so it’s great to see Asus (and Alienware) bucking this trend.

Speaking of dedicated display modes, you get a total of nine here. This includes standard fare like FPS, RTS, and Sports modes, each tuned for its respective gaming genre. The modes differ only slightly from one another, depending on their functions.

Blazing fast performance

The ROG Swift OLED delivers professional-grade gaming performance thanks to its 360Hz refresh rate and super-low 0.03ms response time. Compatibility with Nvidia G-Sync also helps deliver smooth gaming performance. While it doesn’t match the LG UltraGear 27GX790B-B’s insane 540Hz and 720Hz modes, you won’t complain about this monitor’s performance.

To test the ROG Swift OLED, I connected it to the Alienware 16 Area-51, a powerful gaming laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, an Nvidia RTX 5080 GPU, and 32GB of RAM. You’ll want a sufficiently powerful rig like this to take advantage of this monitor’s stellar performance.

Cyberpunk 2077 ran smoothly thanks to the high refresh rate and low latency. I couldn’t get the frame rate anywhere near the 320Hz refresh rate, but the extra headroom meant I didn’t experience choppiness. And unless you’re a hardcore competitive gamer, you probably won’t notice much, if any, input lag—I certainly didn’t.

Clean UI

The ROG Swift OLED has a clean UI that you can easily access by clicking the OSD joystick. This is where you'll see all the display modes and make fine adjustments to brightness, RGB lighting, and other features. Everything is organized into clear sections, and it’s easy to navigate.

The OSD joystick rests behind the ROG logo at the bottom center and is easy to reach. The stick is relatively rigid but still has enough give when you move it. It also sticks out enough to not feel like a nub.

Though the menu is a bit more complex than on other gaming monitors, it doesn’t overwhelm either.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN review: The downs

There’s no denying that the Asus ROG Swift OLED is a fantastic gaming monitor that checks all the right boxes. That said, it has one major drawback.

Pricey

To be fair, the Asus ROG Swift OLED isn’t the most expensive gaming monitor I’ve reviewed. It’s fairly priced for what it offers. However, unless you’re a hardcore competitive gamer who needs an ultra-fast refresh rate, there are other, more affordable options.

The main example that comes to mind is the Alienware AW3426DW, which also has a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 3440 x 1440 resolution. While it has a “lower” 280Hz refresh rate and a less curved panel, you get most of the Swift OLED’s key features for just $799. Because of that, you’ll have to ask yourself whether the extra $500 for a higher refresh rate and flashier RGB lighting is worth it.

Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDN review: Verdict

Gaming monitors designed for high-level competitive play usually sacrifice picture quality for faster performance. The Asus ROG Swift OLED doesn't, proving that you can have the best of both worlds. Yes, it’s designed for fast-paced online gaming, but it also delivers stunning overall picture quality.

If the $1299 asking price is too steep, then check out the $799 Alienware AW3426DW I mentioned above. But if Asus’ monitor fits your needs as a competitive gamer, then I promise you won’t be disappointed. Right now, it’s one of the finest gaming monitors you can buy.

You're going to want to update your Mac to address a serious Screen Sharing vulnerability that could letter a malicious actor initiate screen sharing without authentic credentials.

This week Apple released macOS Sonoma 14.8.9, macOS Sequoia 15.7.9, and macOS Tahoe 26.6.1 with release notes. Notably, all three releases claim that Apple made "important security fixes" and recommended the updates for everyone.

"Impact: An attacker on the network may be able to authenticate to Screen Sharing without valid credentials

Description: An authentication issue was addressed with improved state management."

That message is the same across all three versions of macOS.

It doesn't appear that the bug has been exploited in the wild, but if you haven't updated your Mac recently, now is the time to do so. Based on Apple's description, it appears that a bad actor could bypass Screen Sharing authentication checks, which would give them remote access to your computer.

Potentially, this would allow them to view the screen, open apps or files or perform other actions on the computer.

You may not use screen sharing, but it's still a good idea to install this update. Apple clearly deemed the flaw serious enough to patch three different versions of macOS before the next round of major OS updates.

Keep your Mac safe

To keep your Mac safe you may want to ensure that updates are automatically applied. Understandably if you're cautious about updates before they're settled you may wait. So you'll want to track updates and make sure you get the security-focused ones to protect your computer.

For screen sharing specifically, this vulnerability may have been able to sneak around you. But if you do any screen sharing, make sure it's with a trusted partner that you know to protect your computer. Additionally, keep any sensitive information closed before passing permissions just as a way to introduce a little bit of a block.

At the end of your session, double-check that screen sharing is turned off.

Beyond that, Apple does have Gatekeeper built-in which can block or warn you before you install unverified apps from the web. Still, you might want to consider using one of the best Mac antivirus software along side Apple's built-in ones.

Again, these macOS updates are available right now, so make sure you've installed them.

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For anyone running a business, the ideal laptop has to do two things at once: adapt to whatever the day throws at it, and never let you down. HP's EliteBook X G2i is a premium laptop designed for demanding work wherever the day leads.

It’s easy to take to meetings in conference rooms and coffee shops, while offering forward-thinking options like 5G connectivity, a touch screen, and a very capable neural processing unit and processor combo.

Here’s why it’s a Copilot+ PC designed for modern enterprise work.

The HP EliteBook X G2i at a glance:

• Intel Core Ultra 7 processor
• 14-inch display with touch capabilities
• Configurable with up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of SSD storage
• Lightweight and ultra-portable

Serious performance

We truly are in the AI age, and HP EliteBook X G2i is proof of its benefits. Its slick Intel Core Ultra processor options dovetail with an Intel AI Boost NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for AI-centric tasks.

That NPU can run up to 50 trillion operations per second (50 TOPs), which means the HP EliteBook X G2i lineup earns the Copilot+ badge for running AI features in Windows 11.

That means you can use the on-device power to supercharge your day in genuinely useful ways, like asking for additional insights on a document, rewording an email, or generating graphs for an important presentation in seconds, helping to streamline supported productivity and AI tasks.

HP has its own AI-based noise reduction technology and voice levelling—alongside a Studio Mode—to help you sound your best on calls, which works perfectly with Copilot+’s ability to softly blur your webcam’s background and apply portrait lighting to ensure you look great, too.

The HP EliteBook X G2i can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM for even smoother multitasking and to face more daunting workloads, like editing big design files or even video projects. Of course, it’s just as useful for diving in and out of Microsoft Office, emails, and the dozens of browser tabs you’ll invariably open each day.

Seriously portable

All of this is packed into a compact footprint that still manages to incorporate a comfortable keyboard, trackpad, and that 14-inch display.

While the power in the HP EliteBook X G2i would once have required a desktop PC to keep you productive, that’s simply not the case in today’s world of hybrid working and businesses being constantly on the move.

In fact, the combination of a remarkably efficient processor with close ties to the NPU, and an optional 5G connection means you can work wherever you want, and for a whole working day without needing to hunt for a power outlet.

For you, that means replying to emails without relying on unreliable public Wi-Fi, and for you, that means your employees are able to get what they need done without needing to be at the office or at their desk at home.

HP has also built in additional features that keep your business secure, even while you’re working out and about. The privacy-focused Sure View screen means only the user can see what’s on screen, while HP Wolf Security provides firmware safeguards against the quantum computing threats of the future.

Whether you're buried in a complex workbook, pulling together a last-minute presentation miles from the nearest Wi-Fi, or simply clearing your inbox at the end of a long day, the HP EliteBook X G2i is built to keep pace with the way you work.

If you're searching for a new laptop to buy for school or college and are on a tight budget to help you save throughout the school year ahead, I'm here to help.

Laptops have become incredibly expensive purchases, with the RAM crisis marking up the cost of the latest devices on the market that would otherwise be perfect for students. That doesn't mean you should settle for a cheap laptop that will barely let you write an essay while you do research online, though. You need a value-worthy machine that will get you through the academic year, and then some.

In every laptop my computing team and I have tested, we've made value the priority — now more than ever. The good news? We've found just the laptops that deliver reliable performance for working on multiple school projects (and watching shows on the side) at once, long battery life that will survive a full day of classes, and thin, lightweight designs that are easy to slip into your backpack.

So, I've put together a list of the best student laptops that won't cost you more than $700/£700. Whether you're a fan of Windows or want to get started in macOS, let's dive into the laptops for students I'd buy right now.

The quick list

Apple MacBook Neo

The MacBook Neo continues to be an absolute bargain for students, bringing many of the best parts of a MacBook and making it affordable for most. That's especially true for students, as you can buy this for $599/£599 and save yourself a huge chunk of money with Apple's Education Savings Pricing program.

The sleek, premium-built 13-inch laptop delivers a sturdy aluminum design at just 2.7 pounds, plus a tested 13 hours and 28 minutes of battery life. On the inside, you get Apple's A18 Pro chip, which kept things pleasantly responsive in our daily multitasking tests. We had no trouble hopping between multiple browser tabs and open apps, and the 13-inch 2408 x 1506 Liquid Retina display looked sharp for both research and video streaming during our hands-on time with it.

But how does it stack up to other student laptops? The Neo definitely feels more premium in hand than the budget-focused Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x, though you do give up a few hours of battery life (the Lenovo pushes past 16 hours, while the Neo lands at over 13 hours).

Against the much pricier MacBook Air M5, the Neo can't quite match the performance or stamina, but you're saving several hundred dollars for a machine that's still more than capable for schoolwork and downtime.

Downsides? You won't get features like a backlit keyboard or Thunderbolt support. Still, if you want a reliable, good-looking MacBook for everyday college life, and don't mind trading a little speed and battery for a friendlier price, the Neo is the best overall pick for most students.

Dell XPS 13 (2026)

For students who want a premium Windows experience in a compact, affordable package, the Dell XPS 13 (2026) is the one to beat. Even at this price (down to $599 for students), it feels anything but budget, thanks to its sturdy aluminum chassis and razor-sharp 2.5K touchscreen that rivals more expensive models.

Performance is rock solid for everyday student life. With its Intel Core 5 320 Wildcat Lake chip and 8GB of RAM as tested, the XPS 13 easily kept pace with our typical workflow — think 15 Chrome tabs open, YouTube playing in the background, and class apps running without a hiccup. Plus, Windows compatibility for classes is a non-issue, so you can run the software your campus demands with no workarounds or headaches.

What really sets it apart for campus life is stamina and practicality. In our testing, the XPS 13 lasted an impressive 14 hours and 26 minutes. That’s real all-day battery, meaning you can leave the charger at home without worry. The touchscreen isn’t just for show, either. We found the 13.4-inch 2.5K (2560 x 1600) touchscreen just as responsive as the touchpad, making tap-and-swipe navigation useful for quick notes or media.

While the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x edges ahead on battery (16+ hours), the XPS 13 offers a more premium chassis and sharper display. If you’re eyeing the Dell XPS 14 (2026) for creative work, know that the XPS 13 can’t match its performance for video editing or heavy multitasking. It's also not designed for gaming, unlike the MacBook Neo, which can actually hold its own for PC games at the right settings.

But if you want an ultra-portable, premium-feeling Windows laptop that nails the balance of portability, battery and screen quality for real student workloads, it's hard to go wrong here.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x

If you're looking to keep value as your highest priority, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x delivers exactly what you need. The headline feature is battery life, at a crazy-long 16 hours and 29 minutes in our battery test. That's one of the best laptops for battery life, and means you can leave your charger behind for a full day. Add in a responsive keyboard with a full number pad, and you’ve got a solid setup for note-taking and late-night essays.

Performance is quietly impressive for the price. The Arm-based Snapdragon X CPU keeps things moving along for research, video calls and the usual multitasking. In practice, we had a good experience using it for writing, streaming Netflix and juggling emails. The keyboard, in particular, stands out for this price, as it's snappy and comfortable to type on for hours on end.

When it comes to value, the IdeaPad Slim 3x outlasts pricier competition. It beats the MacBook Neo on battery life (16:29 vs 13:28), though the Neo’s A18 Pro chip is stronger for heavier multitasking and casual gaming. The Dell XPS 13 (2026) steps up with a sharper display and more premium build, but it can’t keep up with the IdeaPad’s stamina or price. Even the MacBook Air M5, for all its performance and vivid display, can’t match the all-day runtime here.

That said, don’t expect perfection. The display can look dim in dark scenes, and we noticed the speakers aren't as loud as they should be. Of course, it’s also not built for gaming or demanding creative work, but if you want a budget-friendly Windows laptop that’ll last through marathon days and handle your coursework without stalling, the IdeaPad Slim 3x is easily one of the best values around.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested the new Dell XPS 13 for two weeks — here's 3 things I love (and 1 I hate)
• Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Which $699 laptop is right for you?
• I’m a PC hardware reviewer — here are the 3 best ways to get into PC gaming in 2026 without spending a fortune

Are you looking for your next NBN plan? Let me help you!

By way of introduction, I'm Tom's Guide's resident broadband expert, and every month I collate and analyse NBN plans from over 30 providers to find the best NBN deals. IHMO, there's a lot to consider when shopping for a suitable NBN plan, but one common factor that gets overlooked is speed.

The conversation around what NBN speed tier you have at home can be a difficult one to navigate. Finding a suitable plan means being realistic about what speeds you'll actually use, over what you’d ideally like to pay. You may find you have too many internet-connected devices (or humans) living in your household and your current plan isn't cutting it, or conversely, you may be overpaying for a fast plan that you actually don’t need.

Regardless of where your household fits in the NBN speed pie chart, there's no denying that Aussies have been embracing faster and faster internet speeds over the last few years. As per the ACCC's data, there are now over 3 million active connections for plans offering 100Mbps download speeds and faster. That number has actually quadrupled in the past 14 months, largely due to NBN Co's wholesale speed boost in September 2025.

Those speed upgrades came in the form of three new speed tiers — NBN 500, NBN 750 and NBN 2000 — which have helped turbocharge Australia's average internet download speeds to 162.34Mbps. A big contributor to that increase was the fact that two of the new tiers, NBN 500 and NBN 750, were wholesale increases to the existing NBN 100 and NBN 250 tiers. What that means is that customers on full-fibre connections at home — either FTTP or HFC — should have been automatically migrated to these faster speeds for free by their NBN provider. And in most cases, these new tiers cost the same (or only fractionally more) than the slower counterparts they’ve replaced.

If you’re currently shopping around for a new NBN provider or plan and your home has a fibre connection, in my opinion the sweet spot when comparing plan value is NBN 500, which, as the name suggests, offers maximum speeds of 500Mbps — a massive speed boost over the next tier down (NBN 50), and more than enough bandwidth for most Aussie homes.

Not only does it provide 10x faster speeds than NBN 50, on average it costs just AU$6.74 more per month and equates to just AU$0.20 per megabit. (Comparatively, while the cost per megabit does continue to decrease as you move up to faster tiers; the drop between NBN 50 and NBN 500 is the biggest one — and for most Aussie homes, the extra cost of NBN 750, 1000 or 2000 is hard to justify when it comes to practical benefits).

500Mbps is more than enough bandwidth to accommodate multiple users and devices at the same time with few interruptions, even for homes with moderately demanding internet use. It’s enough speed to allow for 4K streaming on multiple screens, online gaming and large game downloads, and conducting video calls when working from home — all simultaneously. Having that extra wiggle room means that even with numerous people doing data-intensive activities shouldn't noticeably impact regular everyday use, like social media, web browsing, or streaming YouTube.

If your household includes devoted gamers, opting for an NBN 500 plan can be especially transformative, ensuring that downloading new games or large patches completes significantly faster than on slower speeds. I've put together the table below based on three popular online games with varying download sizes so you can see how radically NBN 500 changes things.

As you can see, while NBN 500 might fall in the middle of this range, it can be the difference between minutes and hours when downloading larger titles. I think that all those practical improvements and minimal cost increase over slower plans add up to make NBN 500 the undeniable sweet spot when it comes to Australian internet in 2026.

If you’re considering switching, I've found three of the best NBN 500 plans available right now below.

Best NBN 500 deals right now

A couple of years ago when we took a look at the original Viture Pro XR glasses, there was a lot to praise, but a high price point put them squarely in the premium range where competition has gotten stiffer and better. Yet, those glasses were a top pick among the best smart glasses for quite some time.

Now though, Viture is back with an updated version, the Viture Pro 2, which prioritizes comfort over improved specs, and that focus has made for a better pair of glasses. Plus, the company nearly halved the price, making these glasses even more enticing than they were two years ago.

How did Viture improve on an already great design? By making the Pro 2s lighter, adding more adjustment options for comfort and vision and equipping them with improved micro-OLED tech.

Of course, to get the full experience you still need the Pro Mobile Dock and a controller, but compared to the $549 price of the original, your wallet won’t be hurting as much. Plus, Viture still offers its SpaceWalker software for spatial computing that unlocks some of the same features as the Apple Vision Pro for significantly less. Read on to see if these more comfortable AR glasses are the right fit for you.

Viture Pro 2: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? They are a pair of AR glasses. Viture refers to them as XR, though that’s only really possible via extra software. They’re a sequel to the original Viture Pro XR glasses.
• Who is it for? Viture is pushing these glasses for gamers, but people who frequently travel will get the most out of them. Still, I’ve enjoyed gaming on the couch at home using them as well.
• What does it cost? The Viture Pro 2 glasses cost $299, but to use them for console gaming (including Nintendo Switch 2 compatibility), you’ll need to pair them with either the $129 Viture Pro Mobile Dock or the unreleased $99 Mobile Dock Mini. Viture typically sells these accessories in a bundle with the glasses for less, but you can see how things quickly add up.
• What do we like? The premium build, the 146-inch virtual screen and adjustability make these glasses a joy to use. They’re quite comfortable too and their bright, colorful display makes gaming and watching content a treat.
• What don’t we like? I didn’t find these great for work or reading, which isn’t ideal for something you might hook up to your laptop. The audio from the built-in speakers is still fairly quiet and a bit tinny.

Viture Pro 2: Specs

Viture Pro 2: The ups

Right out of the box, if you’ve seen the original Viture Pro glasses, the new Pro 2 spectacles look much the same, save a few shaved-off centimeters. Where you’ll feel the difference is in the weight and adjustable options you have to make the glasses fit your face and vision. I was expecting a minimal upgrade, but from the start I may have found my new favorite smart glasses.

Lighter, thinner design

AR glasses in general aren’t VR headset cumbersome, but many of them look chunky with a thin excuse for pleasing aesthetics. Now, the Viture Pro 2 won’t sneak by you like the new X by Xreal a01+ which do look like sunglasses. However, they are lighter and thinner than their predecessor by about 20% across the board.

The original Pro specs weighed 2.8 ounces, while the Pro 2s are a slightly more svelte 2.2 ounces. The lenses are thinner but still hold all the display tech and prisms. Overall, these are slick shades with a similar soft-touch finish as the originals.

The new glasses also have a more standardized USB-C connection compared to the magnetized, somewhat proprietary version of the original Pro glasses. My colleague Jason England really liked the magnetically attached cable, but I prefer the USB-C connection because I can find more cables if something gets broken, or in the case of one of my cats, chewed through.

If I could make one change, it would be having the connection on both arms of the glasses and not just the right side. When possible, I tend to place devices to my left, which makes connecting the cable a bit more cumbersome even if it is a decent length. Viture does sell extension cables though.

Eye Comfort is the point

Normally, I’d put some of these comfort features in the design section above, but Viture did such an interesting job that I think it’s worth expounding on them more. According to the company, this update to the Pro glasses is comfort-focused, and not about updating their specs.

I think the company nailed it.

For one, the Pro 2s come with three different-sized sets of nose pads (one less than the Viture Pro) but seven different position adjustments, which makes positioning them on your face even easier.

My favorite comfort adjustment is in the arms, which have three levels of adjustment at the temples where the hinge is located. You can push each arm up or down independently to make things more comfortable. Doing so can also adjust the display if you’re not seeing it properly.

Like the originals, it does come with two diopter adjusters for each lens that go from 0 to -5.00. This lets you adjust the focus, though you can also get a set of prescription clip-in lenses.

Beautiful display

Although Viture is pushing its comfort-over-specs narrative, the Pro 2s aren’t without some upgrades. The displays are better than the ones in the Viture Pro.

The Sony micro-OLED displays feature something Viture calls UltraClarity 3.0 that smooths the focus, keeps the images sharp, and is color-tuned in the micro-OLEDs themselves.

The field of view expanded from 46 degrees to 50, a more standard size today, which improves on what was a somewhat limiting display in the originals. The virtual display is also expanded to roughly 146 inches with a smooth and impressive vividness that is much brighter at 1,600 nits compared to 1,000 in the originals. The brightness can be adjusted up to nine levels, and there are some filters, including blue light, cinematic, and bright.

The glasses do come with a lens shade, but I only used it once to try it out. Otherwise, I found everything past the prisms pretty well blacked out, and I liked being able to peek around me if needed.

Nearly half-off

In the year 2026, the most surprising thing any company could do is cut prices. Everything is more expensive, sometimes by hundreds of dollars compared to previous iterations.

The original Viture Pro glasses started at $549. I don’t know how they pulled it off, but Viture cut the price nearly in half for the Pro 2, which starts at $299 for just the glasses. What?!

That puts these glasses more in line with other budget-friendly options like the aforementioned Xreal a01+ or the RayNeo Air 4 Pro. Compared to those, the Viture Pro 2 feels a bit more premium and with the adjustability options, makes them easier to recommend.

Viture Pro 2: The downs

Admittedly, I’m nitpicking a bit here, but audio continues to be a flaw for the Viture Pro specs. Additionally, one area where I did find things unworkable was when I tried using the glasses for work or reading, though that may be a personal problem rather than a Viture issue.

Work, work, work…no.

When it comes to watching shows or playing games, I have no qualms with the Viture Pro 2. However, I spent a few days trying to work with the glasses, and despite adjusting the diopter wheels, I couldn’t make the experience comfortable for me.

I found the corners of the display blurry, especially the upper left one. My hesitancy to totally condemn stems from knowing that my left eye is weaker than my right. I’m not sure if a set of prescription lenses would help, but also the biggest flaw of AR glasses is that normal glasses wearers still can’t really wear them without shelling out for extra prescription lenses.

For work, I was able to increase the scale display on my computer, which helped a bit, but I still found the corners annoying.

Again, this might be something with my eyesight. But it’s something you should note if your eyes might be a bit off.

Tin can sound

Personally, if I could buy AR glasses without speakers, I would. I don’t care how good the audio siloing is; I want to wear headphones with these devices, especially if I’m on a plane or train. Or most often for me, sitting next to my wife consuming something I’m interested in while she plays her own games or the latest season of Love Island.

Still, speakers are here, and as far as I can tell, the speakers on the Viture Pro 2 are the same as the ones in the Viture Pro. They’re still tiny speakers with all of the tinniness that implies.

It remains annoying that because it's a display, the glasses override whatever audio source you’re already using. It’s simple to swap audio on the connected device, but still. I’d rather not have to.

Viture Pro 2: Verdict

Viture makes some of the best smart glasses already, but the original Viture Pros are outclassed by its Beast and Luma glasses. The Viture Pro 2 brings the price down, making them serious contenders in the realm of “budget-friendly” AR glasses.

At $299, Viture has superior display tech with comfort and adjustability built-in, making them more viable for more people.

Now, if you’re looking to use these for more than gaming and watching movies, they might not be the best glasses for you. However, if you’re a traveler and you want something to plug into your Steam Deck (or Switch 2 via the extra dock), these glasses will do the job and then some.

Storing everything in the cloud and streaming movies online is certainly convenient, but subscription costs just keep climbing. That’s why a lot of us — myself included — are ditching the monthly fees in favor of local storage and physical media backed up on a home NAS. However, when you take your data into your own hands there’s a real catch: one sudden power loss can wipe out everything before you even know what happened.

I’ve always been interested in Network Attached Storage (NAS), but it wasn’t until last year that I finally added one to my home network. Being able to access my files from anywhere — just like I did through the cloud, but without a monthly subscription — has been a real game changer for my workflow. Likewise, instead of bouncing between streaming services, I can watch all my favorite movies right from my home network.

Overall, this whole setup has worked out so well that even the rest of my family now knows how to access the NAS and stream content right from the TV. There’s just one problem: local grid work means constant power outages, forcing me to manually boot the NAS back up. At home, this is a minor inconvenience, but over time, it’s become a real hassle — especially when the power goes out at least once a week.

Power outages don’t just interrupt movie night, either. With every sudden drop, I worry about corrupted data — or worse, a full mechanical failure on the drives inside. For this reason, I decided to pair an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) with my NAS. While these backup batteries can be expensive, if you have a Ugreen NAS like I do, you’re in luck as the company now makes an affordable one that’s a cinch to set up.

Power bank-sized peace of mind

After looking into getting a UPS a few years back and seeing them on sale at Costco more recently, I was completely surprised by just how small Ugreen’s US3000 one is. At 5.7 x 5.3 x 1.7 inches, it’s more of a mini UPS that’s not much larger than one of the best power banks. This makes sense though — the US3000 is designed to power a single device as opposed to your whole desk setup in case of an outage.

In the box, you get the device itself, a vertical stand, and a USB-C to USB-A cable — but more on that later. Despite its small size, the US3000 packs a 12,000 mAh battery and can power a four-bay Ugreen NAS like the DH4300 Plus I’m using in my living room or the more powerful DXP4800 for about 8–10 minutes.

You won't be streaming movies or running large backup jobs off its battery during a prolonged blackout. Instead, the US3000 acts as a bridge — giving you enough time to gracefully power down your system, or to safely ride out split-second power dips where the lights flicker and instantly come back on.

The US3000 is a surprisingly simple device too, with only a single USB-C port, a barrel-shaped power port, and a hardwired power-out port. If you prefer completely silent operation, there’s also a small pinhole that — instead of resetting the device — mutes the internal alarm that beeps whenever you switch to battery power.

One thing I have to give Ugreen credit for is the fact that the US3000 doesn’t come with a separate power adapter. Instead, you take the power adapter from your NAS, plug it into this UPS, and then plug that hardwired cable into your NAS. Personally, this made setup a whole lot easier since I didn’t have to redo my NAS’ cable management to add a backup battery to it.

Plug and play protection

Just like I mentioned above, getting the US3000 set up and connected to my NAS was an absolute breeze. I safely powered down my NAS, plugged its power adapter into the back of the US3000, and then inserted that hardwired cable into the back of my NAS. In fact, I was so eager to get this mini UPS set up that I initially forgot the most important part.

Sure, the US3000 will serve as a basic battery backup this way, but you’re missing out on its best features. Remember that USB-C to USB-A cable in the box? When you connect the US3000 directly to your NAS with it, the two can actually talk to each other. Without that data link, your NAS has no idea the power is out — it will simply drain the battery to zero and crash anyway during a long outage. Plugging in the cable is what unlocks intelligent features like automatic status detection and safe system standbys.

After realizing the error of my ways, I connected the two devices via USB and powered my NAS back on. From there, I pulled up the Ugreen desktop app on my computer — though I could have also done so from my phone or tablet — and opened the Control Panel within UGOS. I navigated to Hardware & Power, clicked the UPS tab, and the US3000 was instantly recognized.

Hitting the Connect button gives you access to a quick suite of tailored options. For instance, you can choose between Standby mode and Auto Shutdown. Standby mode unmounts your storage volumes and halts read-write activity to protect your drive pool from corruption while keeping the CPU powered at minimal draw — allowing the NAS to resume instantly once your power returns. Auto Shutdown, on the other hand, fully powers off the hardware, which is ideal for prolonged blackouts but requires a full boot later on.

Just like with the rest of UGOS, there’s plenty to tinker with. However, everything is presented clearly enough that even NAS newbies can get the US3000 configured to their exact liking in under a minute.

Physical insurance for your NAS

Although Ugreen’s NAS devices have made Network Attached Storage more accessible for the average user, they became widely available during one of the worst possible times: RAMaggedon.

Just a few years ago, buying several 3.5-inch or even 2.5-inch hard drives with a lot of capacity wouldn’t have set you back all that much. Now though, thanks to the current AI-fueled memory and storage crisis, outfitting your NAS with terabytes of storage space isn’t nearly as cost-effective as it used to be.

Whether you’re ditching cloud storage or streaming services, adding a NAS to your home network and outfitting it with the necessary storage is certainly an investment. Adding a US3000 mini UPS between your Ugreen NAS and the nearest power outlet does add to that initial investment too, but at $129, I’d say it’s well worth it.

You never know when a power outage, blackout, or in my case, power dips can strike. Best-case scenario, you just have to reboot your NAS, but worst-case scenario, you suddenly find yourself dealing with data loss and hardware failure. Storing your files securely at home is one of the main reasons to get a NAS in the first place, but with a strong enough surge, you might end up losing them and having to replace multiple hard drives. That’s why investing in the US3000 or even a larger, more powerful UPS is an absolute must.

For me, I can rest easy knowing that my files are safe when the lights flicker and that I won’t have to manually reboot my NAS just so my family can watch a movie when they come back on.

More from Tom's Guide

• I thought my first NAS was enough, but then I touched the future
• Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: How much NAS do you really need when replacing your costly cloud storage?
• I built a hidden network hub to declutter my home office but it can do so much more

I’ve been a tech journalist for nearly a decade, reviewing Windows 11 when it launched, testing countless Windows Insider builds, and giving my thoughts to readers on the best laptops for multiple publications.

But two and a half years ago, I became dissatisfied with Windows. It felt stagnant; updates were all about AI, search was annoying, the Start Menu felt incomplete, and there seemed to be little change on the horizon.

Craving a bigger change and ready to replace my aging Surface Laptop Studio, I traded my Surface in for a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Max chip—completely flipping the script and turning me into an Apple fan.

But in all the time I’ve been gone, Windows has matured, and my own priorities changed too. Last week, when I started using the Dell XPS 13 (2026), I was drawn right back by the hardware.

As a former Windows superuser and Microsoft fan, I have to admit that even with 8GB of RAM, the XPS 13 is one of the best Windows laptops for productivity needs. It won me back to the PC side, and it could keep you there, too.

The XPS 13 is beautiful hardware

My daily laptop is a 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 Max chip. As powerful as it is, it sometimes feels like overkill. After switching to macOS, I appreciated the long-lasting battery life, the power of Apple’s M-series chip, and iMovie’s video-editing capabilities. However, my life has evolved a bit, and the XPS 13 fits what I need from a computer right now.

While test-driving the XPS 13 at work, I noticed that a 16-inch laptop was cumbersome to work with. While a big screen is nice, the compact XPS 13 was better suited for bringing to and from work. Unlike my 4.8-pound MacBook, this 2.2-pound, 0.5-inch-thin laptop fit perfectly in my over-the-shoulder leather bag. I barely noticed it, and I didn't feel it.

Even at home, when putting together a custom Lego set, the XPS 13 slotted perfectly on my table, and the touchscreen made swiping through directions easier. And, outside of that, the touchscreen made playing games on Xbox Game Pass fun!

At one point, I borrowed a 13-inch MacBook Air from our labs to see if it was better than the XPS, but it still wasn’t as portable. The MacBook Air changed what many expected from a thin-and-light laptop, but the XPS is still better.

It has a sleeker profile and a lighter build, a soft and comfortable keyboard, and a touchscreen. It even has Windows Hello, which makes logins easy and much more convenient than touching the power button on my Mac for Touch ID at every login.

Why I didn’t miss 36GB of RAM

Now, let’s talk about performance. My MacBook Pro has 36GB of RAM. At one point, it was a killer machine for editing video podcasts and vacation videos in iMovie. But now, as a lab tester at Future (Tom’s Guide’s parent company), much of my work is online and web-based on Google Cloud. Modern browsers have also become dramatically better at memory management.

As long as you’re using a modern web browser and don’t plan to do video editing, a laptop like the XPS 13 with 8GB of RAM will get the job done. For the way I actually work now with Chrome, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, Google Docs, and some light photo editing, I rarely felt limited by 8GB. I could barely tell the difference from when I was working on my Mac.

Here’s the secret. Both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge — the two browsers I use most — have memory-saving features that automatically put tabs to sleep when not in use. This significantly improves performance and reduces strain on the laptop’s RAM.

And for all the multitasking I do, the battery life is better than I expected. After taking the XPS 13 through a full workday with the screen at a comfortable 32% brightness, I had about 44% battery left when I got home. I finished the day watching YouTube, shopping on Amazon for Lego sets, and more, all on a single charge. It still is not close to my MacBook with the beefier battery, which I charge only twice a week, but it is good enough for a full workday.

Windows has changed since I quit

After using the XPS 13 for a week, I realized that Windows isn’t the same operating system I left behind.

Microsoft has made many changes to better optimize its flagship operating system, shifting the focus from adding AI features to addressing the complaints users like me have had. None of these changes would have convinced me to switch back on their own. But used together on the XPS 13, they make Windows feel noticeably more polished than the version I left behind.

For example, the Start Menu is now much more customizable. I can now see a full list of apps on my PC, sorted by list or category, making it much easier to find the app I want without relying on Search. And, much like I am used to with the iOS and iPhone integration in macOS, the Start Menu now has a nifty Phone Link area for keeping tabs on text messages and other things from my iPhone. Before, it was just a dedicated app, and now it feels a little less buried for an iPhone user like me.

Though it’s currently in beta, Microsoft also made it possible to move the Taskbar location, something I am familiar with from Windows 7. They also added options to remove the unnecessary MSN integrations with widgets, for a cleaner experience for checking the weather and sports scores.

A clean Windows is exactly what I always wanted, and beyond those big changes, there are plenty of smaller things I have noticed every day. File Explorer is much faster, Windows Updates are smaller and install more quickly, and searches are much more natural and accurate.

The XPS reminded me why I liked Windows in the first place. Once the hardware got out of the way, I started noticing how much Microsoft had quietly fixed over the past two years.

Windows has called me back

Had I tried Windows 11 again on another laptop, I might not have noticed these changes so quickly. The XPS 13's portability, performance, and refined design made me want to reach for it every day. That’s how Windows won me back.

So, if you’re like me and have felt frustrated with Windows, or have quit the platform and want to return, the Dell XPS 13 could be the laptop to help you do that. It proves that, with the right hardware, the platform is finally worth returning to.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested the new Dell XPS 13 for two weeks — here's what I love (and hate)
• Here's how the Razer Seiren V3 Pro stacks up to my Elgato Wave 3
• This is how I get better performance without plugging them in

Shopping for a new laptop can be expensive. Although the $699 MacBook Neo and XPS 13 try to make a premium-feeling laptop more accessible, Lenovo’s IdeaPad lineup does the same. It bridges the gap between the best budget laptops and those that aren't — especially if you’re looking for a no-frills computer for school or office work.

The new entry in the family, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026), continues that tradition. It is a great laptop with a spacious 15-inch touchscreen, solid everyday productivity performance from Intel’s new “Wildcat Lake” processor, and decent battery life to get you through the day.

I loved this IdeaPad, as it comes at a tough time, when laptop prices are always on the rise. At the sale price of $799, that makes it even more of a great laptop. But at the full price of $1,299, it isn’t a chart-topper among similar competitors when it comes to the design and its keyboard. It will, however, help you get your job or assignments done if you need a new dependable laptop.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026): Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026) is a laptop for everyday productivity.
• Who is it for? Students or office workers.
• What does it cost? Lenovo lists this configuration for $1,299 at Best Buy, but it is regularly discounted to around $799 during back-to-school sales and to $999 on Lenovo’s own website. At the time of writing, it’s on sale for $799 at Best Buy.
• What do we like? The IdeaPad Slim 3i has a bright and big screen, as well as solid performance and decent battery life.
• What don’t we like? While it is lightweight, portable, and durable, the plastic chassis doesn't make this laptop feel great, and the included barrel charger is an inconvenience.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026): Specs

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026): The ups

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026) has a lot going for it, including a vivid 15-inch display, excellent performance, and long battery life.

A big and bright 15-inch touchscreen

The top reason I love the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026) is its large 15-inch 1920x1200 display. As a lab tester, I am constantly digging through spreadsheets, so this laptop really made my job easier. I can stack multiple windows side by side, including Slack and my Google Chrome browser. I didn’t have to connect to the portable monitor on my desk in our test lab, as I usually do. This helped free up my desk space for the multiple devices I tend to test on a day-to-day basis.

Switching through all of my work was smooth, thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate and the ability to touch and scroll the screen with just a few clicks. This 120hz touchscreen is something the MacBook Neo doesn’t have.

While the MacBook Neo and the XPS 13 might be cheaper than the IdeaPad Slim 3i, they also have smaller screens. On those systems, you’ll likely need to adjust scaling in Windows 11 or macOS to get a good view. That makes everything look smaller, so it is nice not to have to deal with that on this big-screen IdeaPad.

The screen gets pretty bright, too, reaching 408 nits in our lab testing. It also covers 116% of the sRGB color gamut and 82.2% of the DCI-P3 volume. That puts it 50 nits below the MacBook Neo, ahead of the XPS 13, but behind the MacBook Air in terms of brightness.

As someone who has used and personally tested all those laptops, it’s not something you’ll likely notice in everyday use. The screen still shines bright. When I watched a replay of one of my favorite cartoons, Disney’s Hailey's on It!, the brown in her face looked really rich, and the colors in this animated universe really popped and came to life. It might not be OLED, but this display is still a real treat.

Productivity performance from Intel Wildcat Lake

Intel's new Wildcat Lake processor delivers exactly the level of performance most students and office workers need. You can already find it in the cheaper XPS 13, but the IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 is one of the first 15-inch laptops we’ve tested with the higher-end Core 7 version of this chip. For productivity, the Intel Core 7 350 delivers with a 2,669 single-core score and a 7,827 multi-core score in Geekbench 6.

Even though our lab’s benchmarks might show this IdeaPad trailing just slightly behind the Windows-powered competitors, it is still good enough for $799, since most people who don’t want a laptop for raw performance at this price. The IdeaPad had no issue juggling media-rich tabs like Reddit, YouTube, and the Tom’s Guide and Tom’s Hardware homepages. Even with around 20 browser tabs spread across Edge and Chrome, the system remained responsive.

I even enjoyed playing some Microsoft Store games like Solitaire in the background during my lunch break. I also played Shadow of the Tomb Raider at 1080p, with a few settings tuned down. This game is pretty old, but it is known to stress the CPU — so it’s surprising to see this kind of performance from a laptop that isn’t meant for gaming.

You’ll still have to keep expectations in check, though, as this is not a laptop for video editing and gaming, as the 9:22-minute result our lab got when encoding a video in Handbrake shows. For that, the MacBook Air 15-inch, which is priced the same as this laptop when not on sale, might be a better buy if you can switch to MacOS. For something cheaper, you also might want to consider Lenovo’s own IdeaPad Slim 5x, which has higher multi-core performance for more demanding tasks beyond everyday productivity.

Strong battery life

Having used the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 for work, I found the battery life good enough for my needs. Thanks to the power-efficient Wildcat Lake chip inside this laptop, I was able to get through my full workday on a single charge with the screen at a comfortable 44% brightness. I even had about 40% of battery life left when I came home to finish off the day streaming YouTube videos and browsing through my social media apps.

With a result of 10 hours and 33 minutes on our lab’s web-browsing battery test, this laptop falls behind its competitors and comes nowhere near the 15 and a half hours achieved by the MacBook Air. It also isn’t quite up to the Arm-powered IdeaPad Slim 5x sibling. However, 10 hours and 33 minutes is still a decent result, considering the large 15-inch screen and the 120Hz refresh rate, which consumes extra power.

Our lab's synthetic battery test is also fairly demanding on the laptop, since the screen is set to 150 nits and the laptop auto-browses through websites, streams video, and runs OpenGL tests until the battery is exhausted. In the real world, you shouldn’t have a problem living away from your charger.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026): The downs

While there's a lot to like about the IdeaPad Slim 3i, it's not perfect

Plastic chassis

For $799, this laptop will have some compromises that many budget Windows laptops in this range that predate the aluminum XPS 13 and MacBook Neo frequently carry. One of those is the plastic chassis.

There’s a good reason this laptop has a plastic frame: it helps make it lightweight and durable. Lenovo also has this IdeaPad with a MIL-STD-810H certification. That is a huge plus, and it means it can withstand lots of drops and survive the beating a notebook for school or work might take.

Plastic also means the laptop is pretty lightweight for its class. Coming in at 3.51 pounds, it’s heavier than the 2.5-pound MacBook Air, but lighter than my 4.7-pound 16-inch MacBook Pro, which I frequently bring to work.

Lenovo says that the IdeaPad Slim 3i offers plenty of customization options in case material and color. There are five color options, as well as a polycarbonate or aluminum chassis. I would suggest the aluminum option if you can find it.

Outdated barreled charger

The port selection on this laptop is great, with three USB-A ports, a full-size SD card reader, USB-C, and a headphone jack. Unfortunately, to charge it when this laptop runs out of juice, you’ll likely need to use a barrel charger.

A USB-C port onboard the laptop allows for USB-C charging, but doing that means you lose access to the port. USB-C became standard for a reason: to avoid carrying around extra chargers. Nothing annoys me more than proprietary chargers like this one.

No back-lit keyboard

I often look back at my work late into the evening, and while typing part of this review in bed with the lights off, I found myself relying on the display's backlight to find the right keys. It wasn't impossible to type, but a backlit keyboard would have made the experience far more comfortable.

To Lenovo's credit, the keyboard itself is pleasant to use. The keycaps have a lighter gray finish than the rest of the chassis and a slightly textured coating that makes them easy to distinguish by both sight and touch. That contrast helped me orient my hands in dim lighting, but it still isn't a substitute for proper keyboard backlighting on a laptop at this price.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026): Verdict

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 (2026) isn’t a bad laptop. It’s a dependable machine for $799. It checks three big boxes for what I look for: a bright screen, solid performance for productivity, and battery life to get me through a day’s work. For the students and office workers this laptop is designed for, there won’t be much to complain about.

The main issue is a few small compromises, such as the lack of a backlit keyboard and an outdated barrel charger. It isn’t Lenovo’s fault, though, as the ongoing RAM crisis likely led to cutting corners to keep the price down, which is why this laptop would normally be $1,299.

The MacBook Neo and XPS 13 are easily worth your money at around the same price. But if you ever see the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15 for sale between $850 and $999, rather than at its full price of $1,300, it might be worth considering for its bigger screen.

Remember when devices were trying to get rid of buttons, and now more and more companies are working to add AI-centric ones? Step forward, Aina, a company offering something a little unique.

Its new keypad, Dune, is essentially a small macro pad you can throw in a bag to take on the go with your MacBook. And while I wasn’t sure I needed a context-specific series of buttons attached to my Mac, I couldn’t believe how intuitive it was.

Get work Dune

Dune is a small three-key keypad that plugs into your MacBook’s USB-C port on the left-hand side, with three colored, metal buttons, a solid shell that feels built to last, and a very welcome rubberized base to avoid scratching desks and tables.

Above the buttons is a window showing an LED inside, and my only gripe is that being able to look inside and see some of the circuitry feels like it goes against the rest of the design inspiration here - everything is so clean and fine-tuned that it feels as though the light that goes on when you press a button was a little bit of an afterthought.

Still, that’s genuinely my only nitpick here with the design. I have the Midnight MacBook Air (still rocking an M3 chip), and the paint chips like nobody’s business. As a result, I was worried about having an additional metal chassis potentially locked alongside it, but the Dune sits beautifully, with no wiggle from the USB-C port.

So what does Dune do?

Here’s the fun part: Dune basically does anything you need it to. During the setup process, you can flag some key apps you use day-to-day. For my sins, mine include Teams, and Dune instantly offered some useful shortcuts attached to the hardware buttons, all displayed in the bottom-left corner.

Muting my mic, turning off the camera with a single touch, or simply bringing the meeting to the front of my active windows are all things I have to do regularly, so having the option to hit a clearly defined button for that is ideal.

Hitting a button to bring up a fresh Claude chat and using the other two buttons to instantly “yay” or “nay” its responses speeds things up by a few seconds each day, which soon adds up across a week, a month, or a year.

Dune also cycles its context-specific commands depending on your active window, so pressing the buttons becomes muscle memory.

At present, the in-app marketplace is still being populated, but there are some solid options already. Being able to open your Mac’s clipboard, or instantly send a screenshot to Claude or update a Slack status are very useful, and I’m excited to see how things pan out from the perspective of power users getting their hands on Dune.

Sticking with Claude, however, it’s clear this is where Dune’s real appeal lies. In fact, you can build your own workflows for Dune using Claude, be those scripts, app-specific contextual actions, and more. Will you get the same joy from another AI app? It’s hard to say, but if you already have Claude, this is a genuinely intuitive way to build a better Mac.

A curio, or a must-have?

There are some considerations, of course. For one, if your Mac is docked while you work, then a more traditional macro pad is likely to be more useful. For another, you’ll need a USB-C port free to be able to use Dune.

And yet, I can see myself packing it for every trip where I’m just taking the laptop and don’t need to plug into a variety of other peripherals.

For something that must’ve required plenty of thought, it somehow feels so simple to use. Muting meetings, triggering agentic AI, or just having a place to run a shortcut without trying to remember the keyboard combo I set up years ago is genuinely useful.

Now that I’ve used Dune, I’m very keen to see where it goes from here and how it evolves. As someone who uses a Stream Deck but doesn’t take it on the go, I’m happy to have an alternative that’s much more portable, and that leans nicely into agentic AI.

More from Tom's Guide

• I just learned your Claude AI chats could show up in Google — here's how to check yours
• I stopped using ChatGPT for everything — here are 5 prompts I only run in Claude
• I use Gemini Spark daily — here are 7 prompts that show what it can really do

Storing your files in the cloud is convenient until it isn’t. That’s why more and more people are turning to Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices to keep their data local instead.

Whether it’s family photos and videos, a massive library of ripped DVDs and Blu-rays, or critical work files, keeping your data at home has serious perks. Plus, just like with the best cloud storage, you can still access your personal files from anywhere with an internet connection.

While NAS devices used to feel intimidating to set up and configure, Ugreen has done an impressive job of making them accessible to everyday users. Even if you aren't particularly tech-savvy, backing up your files locally and accessing them across your computer and smartphone is very straightforward.

After trying out Ugreen’s consumer-friendly DH4300 Plus and its flagship iDX6011 Pro — which is capable of running local AI models — the company sent over two of its latest enthusiast-focused devices: the DXP2800 GT and DXP4800 GT. If you’re trying to decide between the two, here is everything you need to know to pick the right enclosure for your storage needs and workflow.

Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: Specs

Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: Pricing

The two-bay Ugreen DXP2800 GT costs $509 while the four-bay Ugreen DXP4800 GT costs $699. Keep in mind that these are both diskless enclosures — the 64GB of built-in flash memory is strictly reserved for the UGOS Pro operating system, so you will need to budget separately for hard drives or SSDs.

Additionally, both models are compatible with Ugreen’s US3000 mini UPS. This uninterruptible power supply provides protection for your NAS in the event of a power outage or surge via a battery backup that gives you enough time to safely power down your system.

Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: Design

At 9.1 x 4.3 x 7 inches, Ugreen’s DXP2800 GT is the smaller of its two new AMD-powered NAS devices. Given its smaller, two-bay form factor, this NAS is much more compact and can be used on your desk or tucked away on a shelf near your router.

By comparison, the DXP4800 GT is slightly larger at 10.1 x 7 x 7 inches. Its extra width accommodates two additional drive bays, bringing the total to four. At the same time, you also get an SD card reader on the front.

Unlike Ugreen’s first globally available NAS devices — the DXP2800 and DXP4800 — which were powered by Intel chips and featured a dark aluminum finish with matte black accents, the company has switched things up with the GT series. These new models are black with rose gold accents, which, in my opinion, gives them a more premium look overall. They stand out a bit more too, but in a good way.

Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: Ports and networking

Regardless of which device you choose, you’re getting a high-speed 10Gbps USB-C port and a 10Gbps USB-A port on the front panel. You can use these to quickly offload data from flash drives and external hard drives directly onto your NAS — and on the DXP4800 GT, you can do so via an SD card reader, too.

Next to those front ports, status LEDs keep you informed on drive activity alongside a LAN indicator to show network connectivity. Below these sits the power button, complete with its own central LED light.

Around back is where things get a bit more interesting. Both the DXP2800 GT and DXP4800 GT feature an HDMI 2.0 port, a high-speed USB 3.2 Type-A port, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, a reset button, and a barrel DC power connector. With the DXP4800 GT, however, you get an additional 10 GbE port — bringing total networking up to dual 10GbE.

Having that second 10 GbE port gives you a lot more flexibility when it comes to setting up and using the DXP4800 GT. You can combine both ports through link aggregation to double your potential bandwidth to 20 Gbps. This can be particularly useful if you have multiple people using this NAS at the same time to do things like edit 4K video.

Alternatively, you can use it to connect the DXP4800 GT to your main PC for blazing-fast file transfers while keeping the second port connected to one of the best Wi-Fi routers so you can access the NAS from the rest of your home network.

Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: Storage

With two drive bays, you can load up the DXP2800 GT with up to two 32TB hard drives (HDDs). Both standard 3.5-inch SATA HDDs and 2.5-inch SATA HDDs or SSDs are compatible with both models. On the DXP4800 GT, which features four bays instead of two, you can install up to four 32TB HDDs.

When using standard hard drives, these bays are completely toolless. To install a drive, you press down on the release tab, insert your drive, and snap the side retention rails into place. The whole process is simple, making initial setup or hot-swapping drives effortless.

If you’re using 2.5-inch HDDs or SSDs, these drives secure to the bottom of the tray using the included mounting screws. I installed several drives this way when I set up the Ugreen DH4300 Plus, and while it took slightly longer, the whole process was fairly simple.

Underneath both NAS units, an access panel provides access to internal upgrades. Both models come with 8GB of DDR4 RAM pre-installed and feature two SO-DIMM slots, allowing you to expand their memory up to 64GB.

For basic file storage and media streaming, the stock 8GB of RAM is more than enough. However, if you plan to run multiple Docker containers, host virtual machines, or manage a large media library with heavy indexing, upgrading their memory becomes essential. You can leave the original stick in place and add a second 8GB module to reach 16GB, or swap out the pre-installed memory for two 16GB modules (32GB total) or use dual 32GB modules to max out the hardware at 64GB.

When it comes to high-speed solid-state storage, both units feature two M.2 NVMe slots supporting up to 8TB per drive (16TB total via M.2). On the DXP4800 GT, these slots sit directly next to the RAM under the bottom panel for easy access. On the DXP2800 GT, the M.2 slots are mounted on the inner left wall inside the chassis, requiring you to pull out the main drive bays to access them.

With all front drive bays and both M.2 slots populated at max capacity, the DXP2800 GT tops out at 80TB of total raw storage, while the DXP4800 GT reaches a massive 144TB.

Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: RAID

How you configure your NAS’s storage in UGOS Pro depends heavily on which enclosure you choose, as your available RAID options and fault tolerance are dictated entirely by drive bay count.

With the two-bay DXP2800 GT, you can choose between Basic, JBOD, RAID 0, and RAID 1:

• RAID 1 (Recommended): Mirrors your data across both drives. If one drive fails, your data remains completely intact. The trade-off is usable capacity, as mirroring cuts your total storage in half.
• RAID 0 / JBOD: Combines both drives into a single volume for maximum available capacity and speed. However, neither mode offers data redundancy; if a single drive fails, you lose all your data.

Thanks to its four-bay design, the DXP4800 GT unlocks additional RAID options, including RAID 5, RAID 6, and RAID 10:

• RAID 5: Yields the full usable capacity of three drives while allowing your data to survive a single drive failure — offering the best sweet spot between storage efficiency, protection, and performance.
• RAID 6: Uses double-parity across all four drives, allowing your array to survive two simultaneous drive failures.
• RAID 10: Combines striping and mirroring across four drives. You lose 50% of your total usable capacity, but gain top-tier read/write speeds and significantly faster array rebuild times.

If all these technical configurations feel overwhelming, don't worry. During initial setup, UGOS Pro walks you through each option with clear visual explanations and recommends the best setup based on your specific storage needs and workflow.

Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: Power and noise

Although NAS energy consumption depends heavily on drive access and workload, Ugreen rates the two-bay DXP2800 GT at around 16.4W during active drive access, dropping down to 4.2W when its drives are hibernating. Meanwhile, the four-bay DXP4800 GT draws roughly 35.2W under active use and 15.4W while idle.

When it comes to noise levels, I used a dedicated sound level meter to see just how loud the two enclosures were. With both sitting idle, the DXP2800 GT operated at a whisper-quiet 32.3 dB while the DXP4800 GT was slightly louder at 39.0 dB.

To put this into context, the DXP2800 GT is about as quiet as a bedroom at night or leaves rustling in a light breeze. It’s barely noticeable in a room on its own or even sitting directly on your desk — operating at a noise floor similar to a Mac mini M4.

The DXP4800 GT sounds closer to a low refrigerator hum in the background. It’s slightly more noticeable, but with its front-facing SD card reader, creative professionals will likely want it within arm's reach anyway for quick photo and video offloads from their camera.

Ugreen DXP2800 GT vs DXP4800 GT: Which should you buy?

Whether Ugreen’s DXP2800 GT or DXP4800 GT is right for you comes down to your workflow, where you plan to set up either device, and how much storage you really need. At the end of the day, both deliver an impressive step up for power users with AMD Ryzen Embedded horsepower, dual M.2 NVMe slots, and ultra-fast 10 Gigabit networking.

With its smaller footprint and lower noise floor, the DXP2800 GT is an excellent “desk companion” NAS. It works just as well tucked away on a shelf or sitting right next to your monitor in a home office or bedroom. With support for up to 80TB of raw capacity, it provides more than enough storage for a solo editor working with large video files or managing heavy local backups. However, with only two drive bays, your RAID options are inherently limited — especially if you want to maintain disk redundancy without sacrificing half your raw capacity to drive mirroring.

The DXP4800 GT offers greater overall storage capacity, additional connectivity, and — thanks to its four-bay design — much more flexible RAID configurations like RAID 5 or RAID 6. The front-facing SD card reader is a huge quality-of-life upgrade for photographers and videographers, while the dual 10GbE ports let you connect directly to an editing workstation and your local network simultaneously. Alternatively, you can aggregate both Ethernet ports for even higher multi-user bandwidth. On top of supporting up to 144TB of raw capacity, its bottom panel makes accessing and upgrading its M.2 NVMe slots significantly easier.

If you want an ultra-quiet, compact enclosure that delivers 10GbE performance on a single desk, the DXP2800 GT is one of the best two-bay NAS units you can buy. But if you need room for massive storage expansion, advanced RAID protection, dual 10GbE networking, and the convenience of a built-in SD card reader, spending the extra money for the DXP4800 GT is the way to go.

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Framework’s new Laptop 13 Pro is a “complete ground-up redesign” of the company’s original Framework Laptop 13 that debuted back in 2021. Originally, when I saw the laptop this past spring, it was pitched for power users and developers, especially with the ability to install Ubuntu Linux out of the box. I was ready to crown it one of the best laptops then and there.

At the time, CEO Nirav Patel was promising not to gouge customers over RAM pricing and making apocalyptic predictions on the future of personal computing. Unfortunately, while my Laptop 13 Pro review unit was still in the mail, Framework announced increased RAM pricing that basically doubled the price for certain tiers.

The laptop features a sturdier design with a new matte black color scheme (though certain parts can be swapped out to a more N64-esque transparent plastic). The aluminum chassis feels stronger than the one in the older Framework Laptop 13 too and operates smoothly.

The new 13.5-inch touchscreen display is brighter with a decent 30 - 120Hz refresh rate. Plus, it comes with a larger 74 WHr battery that promises 20 hours of use.

The Framework Laptop 13 Pro might be the best version of the company’s system to date, but pricing and availability make it hard to recommend right now. Find out why this is a tough decision in my full review!

Framework Laptop 13 Pro: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Framework Laptop 13 Pro is a modular, repairable laptop with an aluminum chassis, bright touchscreen display, and lots of customization options on both the hardware and software sides.
• Who is it for? Power users, developers, and those who want to upgrade or repair their laptop easily.
• What does it cost? The Framework Laptop 13 Pro starts at $1,199 for the DIY edition (before you pick parts) and $1,599 for the pre-built version.
• What do we like? The premium build, modular design, bright display, and excellent battery life.
• What don’t we like? The price is high, and it's not exactly available. Plus, the webcam isn’t great.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro: Specs

Framework Laptop 13 Pro: The ups

The Framework Laptop 13 Pro impresses with its sturdy design, modular system, and excellent battery life.

Sturdy, premium-feeling design

On the surface, the Laptop 13 Pro will look familiar to fans of the Laptop 13 as it shares a similar size and overall design. However, the new matte black finish feels more premium than the older silver hue. Likewise, the hinge on its aluminum chassis feels smoother than the older one.

It’s the parts where you can feel the difference, including the “purpose-built” 13.5-inch display that comes with a 700-nit screen and 2880x1920 resolution. Yes, the plastic bezel, which comes in a variety of colors, feels flimsy and attaches with magnets, but I found it a fun bit of flair, especially with the transparent orange version I tested.

The keyboard deck feels solid too, and Framework put some thought into replacing it (more on that below). I found the keys large and spaced well for typing.

Measuring 11.67 x 9 x 0.62 inches and weighing just over 3 lbs, it’s not as light as the budget-friendly Dell XPS 13, but it will fit comfortably in your backpack for travel.

The modular choice is yours

Framework promises you can upgrade older laptops with new parts and promises easy repairability. That continues with the Framework Laptop 13 Pro. In fact, if you have a Laptop 13, you could buy the necessary parts to turn it into a 13 Pro (though some components like the bottom panel would need to be swapped to accommodate the new, larger battery).

I reviewed the DIY edition of the Laptop 13 Pro, which meant installing the Framework-supplied SSD, RAM, and display bezel. The only tool you need is the Torx T5 screwdriver, which comes with the laptop. Everything was easy to slot in, and Framework provides guides so you don’t break anything or need a little help along the way.

One of my favorite small additions in the 13 Pro is a new little pop-up nodule under the keyboard deck. It makes separating the laptop for repairs easier once you’ve unscrewed the bottom panel screws. The older 13 doesn’t have this nodule, which means you have to do a little more prying to get into the laptop.

Outside of that, you can replace everything else on the laptop, and Framework sells parts from new displays and batteries to bezels and expansion cards that let you swap out a USB-C port for an Ethernet jack or an HDMI port. My configuration came with 2 USB-C expansion cards and 2 USB-A ones.

MacBook levels of battery life

These days, the best laptops for battery life promise well north of 14 hours of use. Framework claims the 13 Pro can last up to 20 hours, which would put it in line with the MacBook Pro M5 Pro and its 21 hours of use.

In our lab tests, we achieved nearly 17 hours of screen on time, averaging 16 hours and 48 minutes of battery life. Even running Windows 11, this new battery is no joke. Our battery test browses websites, streams videos, and runs light OpenGL tests, meaning this beats even most other Windows-based laptops.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro: The downs

Overall, the Framework Laptop 13 Pro is a pretty good laptop. However, as of this writing, the biggest flaw has nothing to do with the technology itself but rather the exploding price. This also means that the adequate performance isn’t quite enough for the money you’re going to pay.

Additionally, availability is a concern, as most new parts and the laptop itself aren’t available for at least another six months.

From hobbyist to premium

There are other flaws, but the price and availability of the Framework Laptop 13 Pro are the biggest drawbacks. As of this writing, every iteration of the 13 Pro is up for pre-order and won’t ship until November. Additionally, if you have the Laptop 13 and want to upgrade, the necessary parts are listed as “Registered Interest” or “Coming Soon” in Framework’s shop.

As for price, when I put in our preferences for the version we wanted to test, it still had a high but reasonable price for the laptop. Since receiving the laptop, the prices have nearly doubled thanks to the ongoing RAM crisis. Prices for individual LPCAMM2 modules now reach $800 and $1,600 for the 32GB and 64GB, respectively.

Currently, on the Framework website, the configuration I tested is $2,915. The prebuilt version of the laptop we tested now goes for $2,899, up from $2,099 at launch. That said, the 16GB version only saw a $100 increase to $1,599, so if you’re not hogging too much RAM, that might work for you.

Look, everything is more expensive. The Dell XPS 14, our current pick for the best Windows laptop, in a similar configuration as what I tested, will set you back $2,579. The question is whether upgradeability is worth an extra $400 to you.

Performance is okay for the price

I specifically tested the mid-level Framework Laptop 13 Pro because, at the time, it had a friendlier price point and improved performance over the entry model. I also tested the laptop with Windows 11 for an easier comparison to other laptops we’ve tested.

On Geekbench 6.7, the Laptop 13 Pro managed a single-core score of 2836 and a multicore score of 14,715. I’ll note that the Intel CPU is only cooled by one fan, and while I didn’t notice any heating issues during my testing, this isn’t a laptop you’re going to want to redline.

The Dell XPS 14 is much higher, but again I wonder if cooling could improve the performance. The Framework does have comparable single-core performance.

I’ve put this in the downs section, but honestly it’s mostly because of the price. For what you’re paying, I believe you’d want a little more oomph. At its previous cost, I could recommend the 13 Pro and say that it’ll get the job done and you’d have enough juice for some light gaming as long as you turn the settings down and don’t mind playing at 1080p. But at the current price, I’m not sure it’s enough.

Finally, this is a bit of a nitpick, but if your job requires you to be on a lot of Zoom calls, the webcam turns on. I found it a bit grainy no matter the quality of my internet speed or lighting. Plus, for those who use it, the laptop doesn’t have an infrared camera for Windows Hello.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro: Verdict

I really want to recommend the Framework Laptop 13 Pro. I believe in what they’re doing wholeheartedly, and I’ve been quite impressed with the upgradeable and repairable system the company has developed. It’s fun to put together, easy to use, and there are a ton of configuration options to choose from. Plus, Framework has leaned into letting you put whatever OS you want on this laptop, from Windows to Linux and everything in between.

And it's not their fault by any means, but RAM prices have truly made what is already a niche product in the PC world a harder sell. If the prices were still around what they were when it was first unveiled, I’d easily recommend giving the 13 Pro a shot. It’s a great little laptop you’ll be able to use, repair, and even upgrade for years to come. But at nearly $3K, I’m just not sure. Especially with limited availability and a shipping timetable that won’t get you a computer until November?

If you can support an interesting company doing interesting things, then go for it, but if you actually need a laptop right now, this might not be the one for you.

When I look at a premium consumer laptop with branding like “Pro” or “Ultra,” I expect a bit more than the average laptop experience. I don’t just want decent performance, a usable display, and at least 8-hours of battery life.

I expect a sleek aluminum chassis packed with high-performance components, more than all-day battery life, a powerful audio system, vivid OLED display panel, a keyboard that feels good to use, and enough ports to handle a variety of accessories.

I also expect to see a high price tag attached, because you don’t get an Ultra laptop for bargain prices. But once a laptop hits the $2,000 mark, it becomes hard to justify a device that's using only an integrated GPU.

But do the OmniBook Ultra’s cons outweigh its strengths enough to keep it off our best laptops list?

HP OmniBook Ultra 14: Cheat sheet

• What is it?: The HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is a premium consumer laptop designed for users who want powerful performance, great battery life, and a slim, portable device.
• Who is it for?: The OmniBook Ultra is designed for power users and working professionals who demand a combination of extreme performance, fantastic power efficiency, and the ultimate in portability.
• What does it cost?: The starting price of the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 Snapdragon X2 edition is $1,899 while our top-of-the-line review model costs a cool $3,599.
• What do we like?: The new HP OmniBook Ultra chassis has a sleek modern design with chrome detailing, stellar performance, and a bright, vivid display.
• What don’t we like?: The OmniBook Ultra does leave a lot to be desired in terms of connection ports, and while its performance and power efficiency are fantastic, those come at a steep price.

HP OmniBook Ultra 14: Specs

HP OmniBook Ultra 14: The ups

HP’s revamped Omnibook Ultra does quite a lot right. It looks and feels like a premium laptop with a sleek chassis, chrome detailing, a crisp keyboard, powerful speaker system, OLED display, combined with impressive performance and an all-day battery life.

Sleek modern design

The OmniBook Ultra has a new look this year with extra chrome detailing along the sides and back of the chassis along with a debossed brushed chrome logo on the top cover panel.

While this isn’t a huge break from the previous OmniBook Ultra design, it does feel just a bit more polished than previous generations.

This notebook also comes in two different colorways, a cool Stone Blue or dark Eclipse Gray for the aluminum body. Both colorways come with the same chrome detailing, so it pops a bit more on the darker Eclipse Gray but adds a great, subtle premium touch to either color.

HP kept portability in mind while crafting the 14-inch Ultra chassis, with a Z-height of just 0.42 inches and a total weight of just 2.83 pounds.

It’s not the lightest laptop on the market, but it is incredibly lightweight and thin, which makes it easy to carry to the office, the coffee shop, or on a plane. And you won’t even have to worry about back strain or whether the 14-inch ultrabook can fit in your bag.

Stellar general performance

Qualcomm has made a lot of performance claims about the X2 Elite CPU, and we’ve verified quite a few. Though that can change between laptop to laptop based on how the OEM configures the chipset for their thermal design.

So some variation will always be seen depending on the specific laptop in question. That said, I was still pretty impressed with the overall performance of the Snapdragon X2 Elite on the OmniBook, which put up quite a lot of multicore performance despite its ultra-slim design.

Whether it was photo editing, video calls, or just doing some light word processing, I ran into no slowdowns with the OmniBook, even when running 15+ Chrome tabs at a time with a few other programs like Spotify running in the background. And that’s backed up by our lab test results as well.

In terms of general CPU performance, the OmniBook Ultra 14 had more Geekbench 6 multicore horsepower than many of its competitors, including the Apple MacBook Air M5, Dell XPS 14 with Intel’s Panther Lake X7 CPU, and even the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x with the previous Snapdragon X Elite chipset.

The OmniBook Ultra even outpaced the Apple MacBook Pro M5 in both the Geekbench 6 multicore benchmark and Handbrake video encoding test, though the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air both outperformed the OmniBook on single-core performance. Though the Snapdragon X2 Elite CPU has closed that singlecore performance gap to just a few hundred points.

On the BlackMagic Disk Speed test, the OmniBook clocked 6922 write and 5607 read speed. That’s pretty similar performance to both Apple M5 laptops in terms of write speed, though it is a bit behind on reading speed. It also leaves the Dell XPS 14 in the dust.

While I wouldn’t use the OmniBook Ultra as a daily gaming laptop, it can handle some basic gaming on Medium graphics settings at 1080p.

And that’s a significant upgrade over the previous generation Snapdragon laptops which failed to even scrape past 20 fps on most games. I personally booted up Baldur’s Gate III and Final Fantasy XIV as both are well-optimized games that should play nicely on integrated graphics cards compared to some more GPU-heavy games like Black Myth: Wukong or Monster Hunter Wilds.

Baldur’s Gate III performed well on Medium to High settings at 1080p or 1200p settings, though the game really struggled with the graphics and computational load when run at the OmniBook’s native 1800p resolution.

Final Fantasy XIV was a bit more of a struggle on Laptop (High) and 1080p settings with frequent frame drops from 70fps to 50fps. Even when dropped down to Laptop (Standard) graphics settings, the OmniBook struggled with occasional frame drops, though they were less frequent.

It wasn’t enough to make the game unplayable but it was certainly frequent enough to be annoying. And FFXIV boots with AMD FSR on by default so serious frame drops shouldn’t be too common. Unfortunately, I can only assume this is due to the game putting a heavy load on Microsoft’s Prism emulation layer since FFXIV does not currently have a native client for Windows on Arm.

However, even with the frame drops on Final Fantasy XIV, the fact the Snapdragon X2 Elite could run both games at over 60fps for even some of the time is a massive improvement over the previous generation. And that’s more than playable enough for some casual gaming while on a business trip or vacation.

Bright, vivid HDR display

The viewing experience of the OmniBook Ultra is pretty top-notch, with a powerful quad-speaker array featuring HP’s PolyStudio tuning and a bright, HDR-capable OLED display.

In terms of raw numbers, the OmniBook Ultra’s OLED panel covers 87% of the DCI-P3 color gamut with an average max brightness of 414 nits with an HDR peak brightness of 847 nits.

This makes it both bright and vivid enough to be a great option for your next streaming binge. Combined with the powerful quad-speaker system that can easily fill a room, and the OmniBook is a proper entertainment machine.

That vivid OLED display and powerful audio also make it a great option for any photo or video editing you may need to do. Whether that’s adjusting images and video for work or tweaking your vacation photos to look their best on Instagram, the OmniBook has the audio-visual fidelity to tackle some serious editing.

Long-lasting battery life

Snapdragon laptops tend to have some impressive battery life, and the OmniBook Ultra isn’t much of an exception. However, it does trend to the lower-end as far as Snapdragon power efficiency goes. In our lab, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 lasted a respectable 13 hours and 27 minutes on our web-surfing battery test.

While that isn’t the longest record we’ve ever seen, it is more than enough to last for even a demanding work day.However, the OmniBook Ultra’s competition really does blow it away on this one.

The Apple MacBook Air M5 lasted 15 hours and 37 minutes on the same battery test, while the MacBook Pro 14 M5 lasted 18 hours on the same test. Even the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x with the previous generation Snapdragon X Elite chipset lasted longer, with a battery life of 14 hours and 14 minutes.

Only the Intel-powered Dell XPS 14 under-performed compared to the OmniBook Ultra with a battery life of 12 hours and 23 minutes. Though, both the XPS and OmniBook have upgraded integrated GPUs which can help account for some of the increased power consumption on both laptops.

HP OmniBook Ultra 14: The downs

While the OmniBook Ultra deserves its name due to its usability and battery life, all those premium components come at a high price. Add on a sub-par port selection and some Microsoft Prism Emulation pitfalls, and the OmniBook’s faults start to weigh a bit heavy.

Port selection leaves a lot to be desired

While the OmniBook Ultra 14’s sleek design gives it a proper premium air with chrome detailing and a carry weight that’s beyond easy to carry, some sacrifices were made in the design phase. The biggest sacrifice made for the OmniBook Ultra’s sleek new chassis is its port array.

There are just three USB-C ports and one headphone jack on the 2026 OmniBook Ultra. That’s less than what you get on an Apple MacBook Pro, though it is one extra USB-C port compared to the MacBook Air.

However, with the price of the OmniBook Ultra, I’d expect it to compete more with a higher-end Mac chassis in terms of features. And while the OmniBook Ultra does win on the OLED front, the port selection is just a little too short.

Sure, you can fix the port array by getting a dock or using Bluetooth accessories. But on a high-powered premium laptop, I’d at least like to get an SD or MicroSD card reader to truly take advantage of the X2 Elite’s powerful CPU and GPU combo to do some light photo or video editing without needing to use a clunky dongle that’ll slow down large file transfer speeds to a crawl. But ultimately, this isn’t even the worst of the OmniBook’s problems.

Microsoft Prism emulation doesn’t solve everything

My biggest issue with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon laptops has always been the app support issue. And Qualcomm has essentially tried to pretend there isn’t an app support issue while relying on Microsoft’s Prism emulator to close most of the app support gaps between Windows on ARM and Windows on X86 computers.

To Qualcomm and Microsoft’s credit, most of the common applications are native on ARM now, and most others can be run through Prism’s emulation layer.

The problem is all the niche cases. While your average laptop user will have no major problems with Windows on ARM, there are still sizeable software gaps becomes a problem when it's time to outfit an entire business or school with laptops.

That's because some highly-specific software suites like much of the AutoDesk suite, either cannot run on ARM-based systems at all. Or require heavy use of Prism, which causes a severe slowdown due to the computational load of such intensive programs.

While you might expect most AutoDesk users to utilize dedicated workstations, the workstation and premium PC market now have some serious overlap.

Intel and AMD have been closing the gap between entry-level discrete graphics and their integrated GPU solutions to the point that some lightweight workstations eschew discrete GPUs entirely.

So while your average OmniBook Ultra customer won’t have much issue with Prism emulation vs Arm-native applications, anyone with any kind of fringe application in their daily rotation should take a hard look at the list of Arm-native applications before deciding on a Snapdragon PC.

All that performance comes at a high price

Any piece of tech that requires DDR5 RAM is currently significantly more expensive than it would have been a year ago, and the OmniBook Ultra is no exception. However, the OmniBook Ultra 14 (2026) has a starting price of $1,899 while our review unit costs $3,599.

While the starting $1,899 price tag is a bit high compared to last year’s OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 ($1,499) is a bit high, it falls in line with the standard RAM shortage price hike and is somewhat forgivable in that light.

The upgrade cost for our review unit is prohibitive. Even with the sale HP has going on the OmniBook Ultra right now, the price only comes down to $2,959 which is still egregious for a 14-inch ultrabook.

For $3,599, I could get a Razer Blade 16 (2026) model with an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070Ti with 32GB of DDR5 RAM and an OLED display and still have $100 left over.

Or I could save even more and get an M5 Pro Apple MacBook Pro 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU with 24GB RAM, and 1TB of storage for about $2,699. Both options would have better raw performance, more graphics horsepower, and more ports for less than the cost of the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 with the Snapdragon X2 Elite CPU.

Verdict

As far as premium laptops go, the OmniBook Ultra 14 does most things right. It’s got a sleek new chassis in a crisp Stone Blue or sleek Eclipse Gray colorway with premium chrome detailing on the edges and debossed modern HP logo.

It’s got more than enough horsepower to crunch through demanding workloads, though the app support gap can still be a bit of an issue for certain users, and it’s got enough battery life to make it through a full work day without needing a charge.

But the OmniBook Ultra isn’t a perfect laptop. Even for those with the budget to afford either the pricey base model or the exorbitant amount for our over-specced review unit, there are a couple of major downsides.

While over 13-hours of battery life is great for an average laptop, it’s a bit below the average for a Snapdragon laptop and there are plenty of laptops on the market with significantly better battery life. Including laptops by Qualcomm’s main competitors: Intel and AMD.

However, the real detriment is the port selection. A premium portable laptop that needs a dock to be fully functional is never going to be as Ultra as the name suggests. If you never need to move the OmniBook Ultra, that’s fine.

But if you want it to be your portable work and play powerhouse, having just a handful of USB-C ports and an audio jack isn’t sufficient. Having at least an onboard SD or microSD card reader would at least put it in MacBook Pro competitor territory.

I’ve been podcasting for the better part of 14 years, and the one piece of gear I’ve invested in more than anything else is one of the best microphones. After all, people will forgive so-so or even boring visuals as long as the audio is solid. I ran a Samson C01U Pro for years before switching to my current Elgato Wave 3, and I’m still happy with it. That said, I’ve been testing a pretty strong rival lately — the Razer Seiren V3 Pro.

Razer’s latest Seiren is a studio-leaning dynamic mic aimed squarely at podcasters and creators who want cleaner sound without a ton of extra gear. It has a solid, Shure-inspired look and comes packed with built-in processing tools that actually help you sound better right out of the box. At $249, it’s not cheap, but you’re getting dual USB-C and XLR connectivity, a 30 mm capsule, and some useful onboard features for the money.

So, will I ditch my beloved Wave 3 for the Seiren V3 Pro? Read on for what this mic is all about and how it held up after a week of real use.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro: What is it?

Before I dig into my experience with the Seiren V3 Pro, here’s a quick look at the features so you know what you’re dealing with.

The Seiren V3 Pro is built to deliver the warm, broadcast-style sound many podcasters and streamers are after. Its cardioid pickup pattern means you speak into the top of the mic, which focuses on your voice while rejecting noise from the sides and rear. That’s especially useful if you’re recording in a regular room rather than a treated studio. It also includes a built-in shock absorber and a removable pop filter to minimize noise and plosives before they reach your recording.

One of the standout features is the dual connectivity. You get USB-C for simple plug-and-play use, plus a full XLR connection when you want to run it through a proper audio interface or mixer. That flexibility means the same mic can sit on a basic streaming desk one day and move into a more serious recording setup the next — no need to buy two different mics!

On the software side, Razer includes onboard DSP tools such as a compressor, expander, limiter, and an AI noise remover. There’s also 32-bit float support in the Razer Synapse app, which gives you more headroom and less chance of clipping when you get loud.

Between the processing and the extra dynamic range, much of the cleanup happens before the audio even reaches your computer. A physical gain dial sits right on the mic for quick adjustments, and the Chroma RGB ring serves as both a status indicator (mute, levels, etc.) and a bit of customizable flair.

Overall, the Seiren V3 Pro feels like the best of both worlds: easy enough for more casual users like me to set up and start using, but with enough depth and customization to keep the more serious audio folks happy.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro: My experience

I was impressed the second I pulled the Razer Seiren V3 Pro out of the box. It’s a slick-looking piece of kit. Objectively, it doesn’t look all that different from other cardioid mics, but it’s a design style I’ve always liked and rarely had the chance to use. Inside the box, you get the mic, its stand, and a long USB cable. One end is USB-A, and Razer includes a USB-A-to-USB-C adapter, a thoughtful little touch.

Once you plug it into your PC and open the Razer Synapse app, it guides you through a quick setup. You speak into the mic at a normal volume, record a bit of ambient noise, tell it what you’re using it for (podcasting, in my case), and how far the mic is from you. That’s it. The whole process takes less than five minutes and does much of the heavy lifting for you.

I’m generally happy with the recording quality. My voice comes through full, and there’s almost no background noise. The only real issue is specific to my setup: the mic sits about two feet away from me, and because I live in a pretty bare studio apartment, it can pick up a bit of that empty-room sound. I don’t have that problem with my Elgato Wave 3 since it’s on an arm and I can pull it right up to my mouth. I can’t do that as easily with the Razer, but even at a less-than-ideal distance, the audio still sounds solid.

I’m not an audiophile, and I don’t like fussing with settings, so the preset options in Synapse work perfectly fine for me. You can dig in and tweak everything if you want, and I’m sure I could squeeze out even better results with some fine-tuning. For most people, though, the out-of-the-box presets are more than good enough.

The one real annoyance I encountered is how easy it is to accidentally mute yourself while adjusting the mic. The mute “button” is a large, sensitive target area, and it’s almost impossible not to graze it when repositioning the mic. A proper physical button that requires a bit of force to press would have solved this easily.

Razer Seiren V3 Pro: Bottom line

This is my first time using a Razer microphone, and I have to say that I’m pretty impressed. Between the clean design and the solid set of features, the Seiren V3 Pro feels like a real step up for anyone looking to take their podcasting or content creation more seriously. Yeah, $249 is a chunk of money, and there are cheaper options out there. But if you decide to spend it, I don’t think you’ll walk away disappointed.

So, back to the question I asked at the start: will I switch from my Elgato Wave 3 to the Razer Seiren V3 Pro? Right now, no. I’d get a lot more out of this mic if I had it on a proper arm so I could keep it closer to my mouth. That said, it’s compact enough that I’ll definitely be tossing it in my bag for podcasting on the road. It’s a fantastic microphone that can make you sound like a pro, and at the end of the day, that’s exactly what I’m after.

More from Tom's Guide

• Yes, your TV probably has a microphone in it — here's how to turn it off
• The best cheap headphones: big sound for less
• Shure SM4 review: This musician’s microphone is perfect for beginners

You can watch this article as a video on The Privacy Lab's YouTube channel.

Five billion dollars. That's how much Google agreed to pay after being caught tracking millions of users who thought they were browsing privately with Incognito mode. During the lawsuit, quotes from Google’s own employees emerged, calling Incognito "effectively a lie" and a "confusing mess."

Even Google's Chief Marketing Officer warned the CEO that they had to use "fuzzy, hedging language" because, in her own words, "it's not truly private."

I think Incognito mode is one of the most successful illusions in tech history. So, I'm going to strip it back to look at what Google Chrome actually does to protect your data, what Incognito mode completely fails to do, and the steps you can take to stay genuinely safe online.

Credit where it's due

It's important to be fair to Google here, even though it might feel a bit wrong: Chrome is actually a fairly secure web browser when it comes to keeping you safe from hackers and malware.

Importantly, it makes sure you use HTTPS, which encrypts the data that passes between your device and the websites you visit. This means that even if you connect to a dodgy Wi-Fi hotspot and someone is monitoring the connection, they can't steal your passwords or read your traffic. Plus, it warns you if you click on unencrypted HTTP links. Because Chrome and most other modern browsers do this, the classic "man in the middle" attack is very rare nowadays.

Chrome also features Secure DNS, as well as tab sandboxing. The latter isolates every browser tab so a malicious site can't jump to another and steal data. But the problem isn't Chrome's security. The problem is what happens when you click on Incognito.

What Incognito mode is good for

Incognito mode is not built for network stealth – it just keeps your browser tidy. When you open an Incognito tab, your browser stops recording some data. It doesn't save your activity in history, doesn't save auto-fills, and blocks third-party cookies

For example, if you're shopping for a birthday present or visiting… certain sites you'd rather not have saved in your history, Incognito mode works perfectly. It stops someone else who uses the same device from seeing what sites you've visited. However, this is exactly where its power ends.

Where Incognito fails

Everything falls apart the moment your data leaves your device – Incognito mode does nothing to hide your identity from the outside world. Your internet provider can still log the domain names you connect to, and if you're browsing on a work or school network, they can see every single site you visit.

Most worryingly, the websites you visit can still track you. They can record your real IP address, and if they use something like Google Analytics, they can instantly tie your "private" session to your existing digital profile.

In fact, following that massive lawsuit I mentioned earlier, Google had to change the official warning page in Chrome to explicitly admit this. It now reads: "This won't change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google."

Essentially, they had to confess on-screen that the data collection doesn't stop.

Is Incognito mode still worth using?

Whether you should use Incognito boils down to what you expect from it. If you care about what other people using your device can see, it's perfect. It's also great for logging into different email accounts, getting around article limits on news sites, or stopping your YouTube algorithm from being ruined because you wanted to watch one weird video.

However, Incognito does not give you any kind of meaningful digital privacy. For any entity that has control over your connection – notably your ISP, school, or workplace – there's no difference at all between using Incognito and rawdogging it with a logged-in Chrome tab.

It's the same story for the sites you visit. Your IP and any device identifiers are still available to see, so it's very easy to link this activity with anything else you've done online. At the end of the day, Incognito only hides your tracks from the person sitting next to you – not the rest of the world.

For genuine privacy, I recommend using tools that actually secure your connection. Use one of the best VPNs to hide your activity from your ISP and change your IP address, and consider switching to a browser like Brave or Firefox that blocks tracking by default. Ad and tracker blockers are also good – there are plenty available for free – and finally, keep everything updated, including Chrome. New releases address the most recent issues, so it's good to stay on top of this.

In short, it's certainly not in Google's best interest to provide you with a tool that strips away the possibility of data collection. There are still eyes behind the famous fedora and sunglasses – and they're always watching.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Students have long been forced to pick between expensive machines and budget laptops, when really they fall into the ‘prosumer’ user group and need power, portability, and battery life to get work done day in, day out.

Thankfully, the HP Omnibook 3 offers all of that and then some, bringing AI-powered productivity, responsive performance, and multi-day battery life to students with busy schedules.

The HP Omnibook 3 keeps pace with student life

While the idea of an “AI laptop” feels like a nebulous term, the technology contained within includes huge benefits for users, particularly students.

The HP OmniBook 3, powered by the Snapdragon^® X processor, and paired with a Qualcomm^® Hexagon^™ Neural Processing Unit (NPU), is capable of up to 45 TOPS (Trillions of Operations per Second). That means many tasks in varying complexity can be handed off to the Snapdragon X processor, including a dedicated AI NPU (Neural Processing Unit) capable of up to 45 TOPS. This specialized AI hardware helps accelerate AI-powered experiences while keeping everyday productivity, creativity, and multitasking running smoothly.

Not only does that make the Omnibook 3 more responsive, whether you’re opening a dozen browser tabs or juggling multiple other apps, but it also means battery life is drastically improved over prior generations of laptops. That means you get peace of mind that you can work through the day, then keep going after hours on your way back to your dorm. And, with no performance dip when moving to battery power, you won’t have to worry about saving your most demanding work for when there’s a power outlet nearby. Plus, there’s up to 41 hours of battery life from a single charge.

The NPU also means that the Omnibook 3 meets the threshold for earning the Copilot+ PC branding. While AI can often feel like a buzzword, here its implementation is genuinely useful.

Features like Live Captions in Windows 11 leverage the NPU to put together your lecture notes with ease, while advanced machine learning techniques cancel exterior noise and blur your background on calls so you sound clear and look great.

That’s on top of Click to Do, a feature that turns what’s on your screen into instant to-do list items, so you never forget to reply to an email again.

Speaking of the display, the OmniBook 3 is available with a vibrant 14-inch 2K OLED display and up to 32GB of RAM, giving students plenty of room to multitask across research, coursework, collaboration tools, and creative projects without sacrificing portability.

Need more power for creative projects?

Looking for even more power at your fingertips? The HP OmniBook Ultra, powered by Snapdragon X2 Elite processor, builds on the foundations of the OmniBook 3 but takes things to the next level for creative students who need more power without sacrificing portability.

To that end, the OmniBook remains slim and light, while offering an OLED display model for excellent contrast and stunning colors, as well as the Snapdragon X2 Elite processor for even more power under the hood and an NPU capable of 85 TOPs.

All of this power used to require a chunky laptop, or even a desktop, but the HP Omnibook Ultra remains under 2.86lbs and just 10.7mm thin.

Whether you're balancing classes and study sessions or tackling more demanding creative projects, the HP OmniBook lineup offers AI-powered productivity, reliable performance, and the flexibility to work wherever inspiration strikes.

Learn more about the HP OmniBook 3 and HP OmniBook Ultra to find the configuration that best fits your workflow.

Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

The $699 Dell XPS 13 (2026) is the best budget Windows laptop ever and a serious rival to the similarly priced MacBook Neo. Dell’s machine packs in many premium features and proves that the best budget laptops don’t have to feel cheap or have poor performance and battery life.

I’ve tested the entry-level model featuring an Intel Core 5 “Wildcat Lake” CPU, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. Like other configurations of this laptop, my test unit has a sturdy aluminum chassis and a vivid 2.5K display. It’s also the lightest XPS laptop ever, even lighter than the MacBook Air M5! As I said in my Dell XPS 13 (2026) review, it proves you don’t have to sacrifice quality for an affordable notebook.

Now that I’ve spent two weeks with the Dell XPS 13, I wanted to dig deeper into what I like (and what I don’t) about Dell’s affordable laptop. Here's what I think!

Dell XPS 13 (2026): What I like

Ultraportable design

I travel a lot for work, so I prefer having the lightest laptop possible when I'm out and about. The 13-inch MacBook Air has long been my go-to when attending events like CES since it’s so thin and light. Now, after taking the Dell XPS 13 back and forth between my apartment and the office, I’ve found another ultraportable laptop that I barely feel in my backpack.

The MacBook Neo proved that a budget laptop can still look and feel premium, and the XPS 13 is following suit. The CNC aluminum chassis is a feature that can’t be overstated, as similarly priced laptops usually have cheap plastic builds that are offensive to the eyes and hands. The XPS 13 feels as sturdy and looks as good as a MacBook Air, which is definitely a huge compliment.

I also like that this lower-end XPS has design features that more expensive Dell XPS 14 and Dell XPS 16 lack. The first is that there’s a lip on the laptop lid. That might not sound like a big deal, but if you’ve ever struggled to open an XPS laptop, you’re going to sing with joy. Secondly, the keyboard deck has a traditional design, with evenly spaced keys rather than the cramped, lattice-less layout of the aforementioned XPS models. These touches make an already great laptop design even better.

While there is one design aspect I’m not enamored with (more on that soon), the XPS 13 is overall a lovely-looking laptop that’s tailor-made for travel.

Lovely display

You don’t often get quality displays on budget laptops, but Dell bucks that trend with the bright, colorful panel on the XPS 13. And for good measure, it has touchscreen support, which is something the MacBook Neo lacks entirely. Though I’ve seen better laptop screens, this is one of the best notebook panels in this price range.

Naturally, you’ll get a better image from an OLED panel, but the XPS 13’s display still delivers lifelike colors and solid HDR brightness. I watched a lot of YouTube videos on this laptop, and I was never disappointed by how anything looked. The 2560 x 1600 resolution on the 13.4-inch panel ensures everything appears sharp and clear. Websites are also very readable thanks to the resolution.

Now, to touch on the touch panel (no pun intended, I swear!), this is something I appreciate even if it’s not a feature I normally use. Don’t get me wrong, having a touchscreen laptop can make you more productive because you’re not limited to just the keyboard and touchpad. However, since I’m so used to non-touchscreen laptops, I often forget whether that feature is available. Still, it’s a nice bonus, especially for this price.

Strong performance and battery life

To be clear, the XPS 13 is a productivity laptop and isn’t designed for heavy workloads. If you want to edit 4K videos or play graphically demanding games, this isn't the laptop for you. However, if you just want an ultraportable machine for surfing the web, watching videos, and simple word processing, you won’t be disappointed.

As I mentioned in my review, the XPS 13 handled my typical workload, which usually includes 10-15 open Chrome tabs and the occasional YouTube video, without an issue. Pages started loading slower when I had 20-25 Chrome tabs, but that is admittedly more than usual even for me. Still, this is impressive performance given the XPS 13’s 8GB of RAM and Wildcat Lake chip.

Then there’s battery life, which averaged 14 hours and 26 minutes in our battery test. During my time with the laptop, it always lasted a full 8-hour workday and still had some juice left (around 30-35% battery life) for me to wind down with some YouTube videos. Your mileage will vary depending on your workload, but it’s safe to say you’ll get more than all-day battery life here.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): What I don't like

In my review, I noted that the XPS 13’s webcam was my least favorite thing about the laptop. While I’m still not a fan of it, the webcam does a decent enough job for web calls, so long as you don’t expect to look your best.

After spending more time with the XPS 13, another thing that I only briefly touched on has become a larger, though not game-breaking, issue—the lack of a headphone jack.

I didn’t realize how much I needed a 3.5mm headphone jack until I was forced to go without one. At home, this isn’t a problem since I live by myself, but in the office, I don’t want to disrupt my colleagues if I have to watch a video or engage in a call. I’ve gotten used to using one of the best wireless headsets when using the XPS 13, but I do miss that 3.5mm headphone jack.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Two weeks later

I’m not being hyperbolic when I say the Dell XPS 13 (2026) is the best budget Windows laptop right now. Along with the MacBook Neo, I’ve already begun recommending it to folks looking for a lightweight and durable everyday work laptop that delivers excellent performance and battery life. The fact that it starts at $699 just makes that recommendation easier.

Dell delivered a true winner with the new XPS 13. Unless you’re married to the Apple ecosystem and would prefer a MacBook Neo, Dell’s laptop is seriously worth considering and comes with my highest recommendation.

More from Tom's Guide

• I test gaming laptops and this is how I get better performance without plugging them in
• I’m a PC hardware reviewer — here are the 3 best ways to get into PC gaming in 2026 without spending a fortune
• Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Which $699 laptop is right for you?

Apple held its third-quarter earnings call today, where the tech giant reported "record" $109 billion earnings, largely driven by a 22% increase in iPhone sales. Despite that, Apple's stock fell 8% based on missed revenue estimates in China and the company's services arm.

Outgoing CEO Tim Cook, in his swan song earnings call, was also questioned by investors about the impact of the ongoing memory crisis on Apple supply and future forecasts.

"We reluctantly raised prices," Cook said, referring to last month's price increases that affected every Apple device except the iPhone.

"We did it because we’re in what I’d categorize as a 100-year flood on memory pricing," Cook continued, repeating an analogy he made a month ago.

What Apple is saying about the memory crunch

During the call, Cook admitted that Apple is facing supply constrains that are affecting iPhone, Macs and iPads, primarily on Macs. Cook asserted several times that this issue was largely driven by surprising amounts of demand.

Both Cook and Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh noted that the supply chain has become less "flexible" which was blamed on nodes for advanced SoCs and that they expected continued high levels of demand.

"We expect the impact from supply chain constraints to increase significantly [in September]," Cook said. In response to an investor Cook said that Apple expects to pay even more for memory through the next quarter.

Investors were only allowed two questions but nearly everyone who spoke used at least one to ask about memory and pricing. Cook repeatedly claimed that the cause of Apple supply constraints is "not a regular supply issue" and instead said it was a demand forecast issue where iPhones and Macs performed "remarkably better than we thought they would."

However, "we’ve got a quarter that we’re going to be scrambling on supply side," Cook told one investor.

The upcoming fourth quarter will tell us a lot about how Apple is dealing with the memory crisis. Price increases might defray rising component costs, and the new Apple Upgrade Program could help the company keep a more constant source of revenue.

Apple still has the iPhone 18 series, new Macs and iPads to release and potentially more. But we're already bracing for a potential $200 price increase for the iPhone 18 Pro models. And a possible $2,500 iPhone Ultra.

More from Tom's Guide

• Is the Apple Upgrade program a good deal or a rip-off? I asked ChatGPT to crunch the numbers and here's the verdict
• New iPhone 20 video reveals the 8 biggest upgrades to expect from the 20th anniversary iPhone
• I knew better than to carry around a naked phone — then my iPhone 17 Pro Max met the asphalt

Satellite-based internet is nothing new, but the idea of getting satellite internet on your phone is something that has eluded us for a while. A number of smartphones now offer satellite connectivity of some kind, but that's mostly reserved for emergency situations, but the real question is, when will we be able to ditch cellular service and beam our mobile data from space?

Big tech has already been mulling over this idea for a while now. Elon Musk has talked about making Starlink a direct-to-cell service. And just this week Semafor reported that SpaceX (the parent company of Starlink) may be looking to acquire spectrum at government auction to compete directly with AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Or it may decide to acquire another wireless carrier altogether.

Meanwhile, Amazon has filed an application to launch its own satellite-based internet service. Fortunately, we don't have to wait for the to get their act together, because carriers around the world have started offering satellite services to their customers.

Being the curious type, I decided to give one a go and see whether it was actually worth signing up for full time.

How satellite 4G works

Those reading this from the U.S. may be aware that T-Mobile offers a satellite service powered by Starlink. I live in the U.K., and naturally don't have access to T-Mobile, but the carrier O2 offers a similar service as an optional extra. This extra is also powered by Starlink, costs £3/$4 a month, and gives you access to satellite-based 4G should you find yourself without a cell signal or Wi-Fi connection.

That lack of additional connectivity is crucial to the whole process, because of the way modern smartphones connect to satellites. If there is another form of data connection, be it cellular or Wi-Fi, then the phone will refuse to look for a satellite. The satellite is essentially a last port of call to get your device connected.

This has led to some amusing instances of my phone looking for a satellite when there's zero chance of making a connection — such as when I was traveling several feet underground on the London Underground's Central Line. That's because I disconnected from cell service for more than a few seconds.

Finding the right spot

Surprisingly, the connectivity aspect actually caused a problem for me, because O2's outdoor 4G coverage is surprisingly good in my part of the country. There are plenty of areas in the U.K. that don't get any 4G cell signal, let alone 5G, but the official coverage map shows they're mainly in very rural areas — notably mountainous regions of Wales, Scotland and Northern England.

I live in the South East, roughly around 40 miles from central London. Anyone from different parts of England will be well aware that this is the region where most of the money goes. So, even though I live in a village in a fairly rural area, the cell signal is remarkably robust when you're using an O2 SIM card.

That's not to say 4G connectivity is universally available. There are various dead spots scattered around the place, according to both O2's own coverage checked and the independent map from mobile regulator Ofcom.

I just had to find one that intersected with a road, ideally one that had ample space to pull over and let me play on my phone. If you've had any experience with British country roads, you'll know that they're often too narrow to do this safely.

Thankfully, I found a spot roughly 30 minutes away by car. Not only is it a good-size deadspot, it also contains a pub with a sizable parking lot. There are certainly worse places to stop and test some new phone features.

The actual connection is easy and automatic

It took a couple of minutes to drive through the deadspot and park my car, by which point my Galaxy S26 Ultra had already connected to Starlink's satellites. That was rather surprising, considering that satellite connectivity typically needs a direct view of the sky to actually make the connection.

And no, before anyone asks, my car does not have a sun roof. It's totally solid, though I'm unsure of what materials were actually involved in its construction.

Admittedly, the signal wasn't particularly strong inside the car, illustrated as one bar out of three in the S26 Ultra's status bar. This doesn't change the fact that my phone was connected to the satellite through the car roof, and was receiving data from some Starlink satellite in space.

My next move was to stick the phone out of my window and raise it up towards the sky. It took about a minute for the S26 Ultra to register that circumstances had changed, and there were no obstacles in the way — at which point the signal jumped up to two bars.

It never hit three bars, though, despite the fact I was in an open area with relatively clear skies. I should also note that moving inside the pub, a 350-year old building with a thatched roof, cut off all access to the satellite. So while the signal may be able to penetrate my car, it isn't magic.

Accessing Google Maps from inside my car was a slightly drawn out affair. The app warned me that it was connected to the satellite, with lower loading times, and it took between 30 and 60 seconds for the actual map interface to load up fully. Shifting things outside and the load times were significantly reduced, though nowhere near as quick as they are with a 4G connection, let alone 5G.

So you're not going to be tapping your feet staring at your phone waiting for an all-important app to load over the course of several minutes. But your speeds aren't going to be as instantaneous as they might be with full bars of cell signal.

This isn't unrestricted 4G like you're used to

It was a surprisingly effective system, though the main drawback is that there are limitations on the apps you're able to use. These limitations seem to have been coded in at a system level by your phone rather than by the carrier. My personal guess is that this is due to modern phones treating satellite connectivity as an emergency feature, rather than a stable source of data.

This means that you will only be able to use the bare minimum of apps you need to communicate, navigate and potentially allow yourself to be found in an emergency. We're talking about things like Google Maps, Google Find Hub, Messages and the weather.

The latter may seem like an odd choice, but if you're out in the sticks by yourself with no vehicle or shelter, being able to keep tabs on the weather is essential. It could be the difference between you being stuck in a freak storm and finding somewhere to hunker down and ride it out in relative safety.

Your more frivolous apps, like social media and web browsers, are all disconnected and behave as though you don't have any active data connection. So don't expect to be sitting on a mountain somewhere catching up on your favorite Netflix series. That's not what this system is for, and the app straight up won't work if you try it.

Likewise, any third-party apps that could prove useful in precarious situations, such as mapping apps, still behave as though they are offline. The good news for wilderness-enthusiasts is that you can still get GPS with no data, but if assets haven't loaded, or are hilariously out of date, then the lack of data to update could end up being a problem.

A fantastic backup tool, but it's not replacing cell service yet

If you live out in a deadspot, or regularly find yourself in one, then gaining satellite access through your carrier is not going to make up for the fact there's no cell signal. The limitations in what the satellite connection can or can't do means that it's not a true replacement for cell service in the way a full Starlink setup would be for home internet.

But this sure as heck beats being stuck with zero access to the internet. Carrier-supplied 4G may not be able to give you access to web browsers and streaming, but it keeps you hooked into the apps that you might actually need in a pinch. In short, it means that you will always be able to reach the outside world in the event that you desperately need to.

Some may not like the fact that it's getting harder and harder to disconnect, but this means that you won't be stuck in the middle of nowhere without support. The fact that satellite access still worked in my car, and loaded up Google Maps, will easily be a major boon for navigating areas with little to no cell service. Which isn't a bad deal for $4 a month (or $10 a month with T-Mobile).

More from Tom's Guide

• I turned my iPhone screen completely gray for two weeks — here's how making it boring helped me get my brain back
• I shot the same 25 photos with a $329 budget phone and $1,199 flagship — here's the results
• I got sick of buying cases for my phones, so I decided to 3D print them at home — here's what happened

Following the success of Meta’s Ray-Bans and with Google's Intelligent Eyewear right around the corner, smart glasses suddenly feel inevitable. However, growing privacy concerns around these so-called ‘pervert glasses’ make the glassholes of yesteryear feel like a welcome throwback.

If it wasn’t for the tech industry's obsession with slapping AI onto everything from electric toothbrushes to bird feeders, maybe there wouldn’t be such a push to add cameras to smart glasses. Now that big tech firms have seen what they’re capable of, though, of course we need two or even three cameras strapped to our faces at all times.

Unfortunately for myself and others, the best smart glasses aren’t the only high-tech eyewear in town. Unlike a pair of Oakley Meta Vanguards or Rokid Glasses that can capture the world around you in crystal clear video, the specs I prefer are designed to do just the opposite. Instead of recording video, these devices — often marketed as AR or XR glasses — act as a massive private display that sits inches from your face.

From your favorite shows and movies to video games or browser tabs from your work laptop, these wearable displays are a game changer for both entertainment and productivity. However, as backlash continues to grow around camera-equipped smart glasses, I’m worried that wearing any high-tech frames in public won't be met with the same enthusiastic reactions I’ve received in the past.

That’s a real shame, because I don’t leave home without my Xreal One or Viture Luma Pro glasses when traveling, and they’re just as useful around the house.

A truly private workspace

Back when I first tested out the original Khadas Mind mini PC, I couldn’t get over the fact that you could power it via USB-C as opposed to using a bulky power adapter. That got me thinking: could I turn it into a portable workstation I could take with me anywhere? Sure, I could’ve just plugged in a portable monitor and called it a day—but where’s the fun in that?

I’m always looking for new devices to test out, so with the help of my colleague Jason England and Xreal’s legendary Ralph, I soon had a pair of AR glasses in hand to complete my vision. I’d tried VR headsets in the past with limited success, but once I donned a pair of Xreal One glasses, it was a perfect fit — both for my face and my workflow.

Armed with a massive power bank, that pocketable mini PC, and my AR glasses, I was able to take my portable workstation everywhere. And I did. After working at a coffee shop near my house and on a plane to and from New York for the unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2, I did the unthinkable: I left my laptop at home and relied on this novel setup for an entire week at Computex in Taiwan.

Doing so made on-the-ground reporting slightly more difficult, but I didn’t regret my decision one bit. In fact, while working in the press room at the conference, a Taiwanese TV crew actually came up and asked to interview me about them. It was a completely different reaction than the side-eyes you’d get with a pair of camera-equipped smart glasses.

The secret to the setup's simplicity is USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode. A single cable delivers both video and power to these wearable displays, keeping them remarkably lightweight since they don't need internal batteries or constant charging. You just plug them into a compatible device and you’re instantly greeted with a massive screen that’s far larger than what you’d get on any portable monitor or laptop.

These glasses have another trick up their sleeve, too. Thanks to electrochromic dimming, the push of a button lets you switch from an immersive, blacked-out background to a completely transparent lens. Transparent displays have always seemed like a piece of science fiction we’d eventually get in our homes. Now, not only did I have one, but I could wear it on my face. It’s like VR passthrough, except instead of a camera feed replacing reality, you're looking right through the glass at the world around you.

Big-screen on the go

Keeping yourself busy or entertained on a long flight has always been a struggle. Sure, you can poke around for something to watch on the in-flight entertainment system or pull out your laptop, but both come with downsides. Constant announcements from the flight crew interrupt your movie right when it gets good, and with a laptop, you’ve always got a neighbor peeking over your shoulder at your screen.

With a pair of wearable displays, only you can see what’s on screen. They come equipped with built-in speakers, though on a plane, I usually route my device's audio through a pair of Bluetooth earbuds instead. At home, though, it’s a whole different story.

After unboxing those Xreal glasses, the very first thing I did was plug them into an iPad mini. Even though Apple doesn’t make specs like these, it just worked. Suddenly, I was watching YouTube videos blown up to massive proportions without having to configure or adjust a single setting. All I had to do was plug them in to get a full home theater experience strapped to my face.

That’s another massive perk of wearable displays: they’re platform agnostic. Whether you’re running one of the best MacBooks, a Windows laptop, or an Android tablet, you’re good to go as long as the device has a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode. In an increasingly overcomplicated tech landscape, dealing with a truly plug-and-play device feels like a breath of fresh air.

The same plug-and-play simplicity applies to handheld gaming on devices like the Steam Deck or Asus ROG Xbox Ally too. Plug the glasses in, and it instantly feels like you're playing on a massive TV while using the handheld as a controller. You can't do that natively with a PS5 or Xbox, but companies like Xreal and Viture have come up with clever dock-like workarounds.

Returning to that Switch 2 reveal — while I loved most of the upgrades Nintendo made to its new handheld, one design choice left me scratching my head. Having an extra USB-C port on top of the device for charging is great, but that secondary port isn’t capable of standalone video output.

That’s where Viture’s Pro Mobile Dock comes in. Pair it with a set of AR glasses, and I was able to play Mario Kart World on a virtual 135-inch display while sitting poolside on vacation. When the day wound down, everyone else gathered around the hotel TV while I kept that same big-screen setup going indoors. Electrochromic dimming came in clutch here, too — a quick push of a button let me check my surroundings without ever having to pause the game.

Smarter isn’t always better

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand both the appeal and the privacy concerns of smart glasses. Having a mobile device that can see and help you interact with the world around you also sounded like science fiction just a few years ago. Now, it’s a reality whether or not we’re prepared to meet it.

From traveling to just documenting your day to day life from a first-person perspective, there are definitely people who can really benefit from a pair of smart glasses. Right now though, they’re still very much in their adolescent period. Google Glass stumbled so that the Meta Ray-Bans and Intelligent Eyewear could run. However, while you may very much like your new smart glasses and everything they can do, others around you definitely might not.

In a world where everyone is glued to their smartphones and recording tons of videos at concerts they’ll never watch again, smart glasses could help bring a bit more reality to our digital lives. The problem is that, as we’ve seen, safeguards like recording LEDs can easily be bypassed. Meta and even Samsung are working on ways to address this but like we saw with Apple’s iPhone and now with AI, there will always be a jailbreak.

Personally, I’m holding out for smart contact lenses because by that point, all of the kinks and stigma of wearing smart glasses will hopefully be worked out. In the meantime, I love that I can just plug in a cable and have one large 16:9 or even an ultrawide screen anywhere I go.

Saved by a wire (for now)

Ironically enough, at a time when every gadget in my desk setup is wireless, the wire that connects my display glasses to whatever device I’m using is actually their saving grace. While people might have qualms about others wearing a pair of smart glasses out in public or even around their house, that visible relic is a telltale sign that I’m not recording what they thought was a private interaction.

Given that Xreal, Viture, and others have been making display-equipped glasses like this for some time now, I don’t think they’re going to drastically mix up the formula anytime soon. It’s just a shame that such a useful productivity and entertainment accessory is now mixed up in this whole camera-equipped smart glasses debate over a naming convention.

When you’re watching a film in your glasses or playing a game, you’re not really extending reality. Instead, you’re escaping it for a few minutes here and there — so "XR glasses" doesn’t really work. Likewise, you’re not augmenting it either, which is why "AR glasses" falls short too. I get that companies wanted that instant name recognition you’d get from associating their product with VR, but I still wish there was another name for these particular kinds of glasses. Display glasses is the most accurate, but that doesn’t roll off the tongue either.

For now though, I’m going to keep wearing mine in public because that’s where I find them the most useful. I’ll just continue to do so with their cord clearly visible.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I wore Ray-Ban Meta Display smart glasses to watch the Super Bowl halftime show — and understood Bad Bunny in real time
• I found a free Mac app that solves the worst thing about USB-C cables
• Tested: Xreal Aura DOES work with Nintendo Switch over USB-C — but they won’t tell me how they did it

You can watch this article as a video on The Privacy Lab's YouTube channel.

In October 2020, Google launched a virtual private network. Of course, this seemed out of character – one of the most data-hungry companies in the world whipping up a product to help people protect that exact commodity. But, on paper, Google VPN looked pretty good. It had a huge server network and because it came bundled with premium Google Drive plans, for many it was effectively "free." There were murmurings that it could even dethrone the big names that populate our guide to the best VPNs overall.

However, in April 2024, it was announced that the VPN was destined for the Google graveyard. By June, it was dead and buried.

As ZDNet reported, Google stated: "We're refocusing our efforts to support more in-demand features with Google One. To keep our subscription service fresh, we're discontinuing the VPN feature." In short, Google's reasoning was that people simply weren't using it.

But that was just a cover story.

A clash of philosophies

To understand Google VPN's issues, you have to look at the business model first. Effectively, Google is a data and advertising company. It makes money by tracking your searches, mapping your locations, and ultimately building a very specific profile around you to sell targeted ads.

However, VPNs are designed to stop exactly that. By encrypting your data, VPNs allow you to hide what you're doing from your internet provider, government, and any hackers on dodgy networks. By changing your IP address, they make it harder to build a profile from your activity. Naturally, people were skeptical of Google developing such a product.

To build trust, Google published white papers, open-sourced the apps, and even commissioned independent audits. For example, in its official technical white paper, Google laid out how hard it worked to protect your data, writing:

"By employing a cryptographic blind signing step between user authentication and connecting to the VPN, we give users a stronger guarantee that their network activity can't be tied back to their identity."

Cybersecurity firm NCC Group agreed, writing in its public report that it found the system to have "a robust implementation and a strong technical security posture."

The truth is that Google's VPN was very secure. But even with these stamps of approval, most of us struggled to look past the irony of asking an advertising giant to secure your web traffic. The audience looking for privacy didn't trust Google, and the audience that trusted Google didn't care about privacy.

A VPN limited by design

Perhaps more people trusted Google than I'm giving them credit for. But those that did use Google VPN found it was no match for established names like NordVPN, Proton VPN, or Mullvad. It couldn't compete because it only did half the job.

Most people want their VPN to change their virtual location. That might be to access regional sites like BBC iPlayer and watch more shows on Netflix, or maybe to avoid content restrictions in countries like Russia and China. Either way, it's a core feature of any good VPN.

However, even on its paid plan, Google VPN did not let you choose a country to connect to. Instead, when it was first launched, it only allocated you an IP address in your "broad" location. In reality, that often meant connecting to a server several states away. This ended up messing with things like weather reports and proved very annoying – especially for people who didn't really understand how VPNs work.

In 2023, Google addressed this by allowing you to use a "local" IP address nearer your real location, but there was still no true location choice. This decision was an absolute dealbreaker for millions of potential customers.

What's more, the app was seriously underpowered. It lacked things like protocol switching, dedicated IPs, port forwarding, obfuscation, or split tunneling. Plus, if you didn't have a Pixel phone, Google VPN didn’t even have a kill switch to block internet traffic if it crashed.

In short, it was half-baked. Anyone actively looking to buy a VPN realised pretty quickly that there were so many better options out there.

The fragmented ecosystem

You might have noticed that there are more than a few similarities between Google's VPN and another well-known privacy tool from a Big Tech company: Apple Private Relay. Really, they are – or were – exactly the same thing: a limited VPN bundled with cloud storage.

But there are a few key reasons why Google VPN failed spectacularly, and why Private Relay is still going strong. Buckle up – Google made all of this quite confusing.

There were in fact three different versions of Google VPN: Google One VPN (RIP), Google Fi Wireless VPN, and VPN by Google. The latter two still exist, both now called VPN by Google, but in reality they're two different bits of software. Notably, though, the now-dead Google One VPN was the only one available for anyone to buy. The others require Google hardware to use them.

Coverage at the time shows the disconnect. Initially, Google stated that it was shuttering the VPN because "people weren't using it." However, it was also announced that the VPN would live on in the form of the Pixel VPN. And that's not to mention Google Fi.

Confusing, right? Well, it doesn't stop there. If we consider each product separately, they all appear to have different purposes and different goals – and none seem properly integrated. Let's quickly have a look at these:

• Google One VPN: This is the one that died, the one I covered the most here at Tom's Guide, and probably the most-used version at the time. It was used as an incentive to convince users to buy more cloud storage, and the only version available without the purchase of a Google hardware product.
• Google Fi Wireless VPN: This VPN's purpose was to convince customers to switch their phone lines over to Google's cellular network, and was available with a Google Fi subscription.
• Pixel VPN: The Pixel VPN's goal was to increase physical phone sales. Essentially, Google wanted to offer perks to compete with the iPhone. This version was only available with the purchase of a Pixel 7 or newer phone.

Although there's no definitive proof, it appears that each team responsible for these three products was totally separate from the other. The three VPNs may even have run on completely different infrastructures.

Here's a clue that points that way: Google claims it shut down Google One VPN due to low usage – but this was arguably the most-used version of the three. If all three VPNs shared the same servers, why kill the most popular one for being underused, while Fi and Pixel carried on unaffected? It suggests, at the very least, that Google One VPN was built and run with little coordination with Google's other VPN ventures.

Even if we avoid conjecture entirely, the fact remains that in early 2024 you could own a Pixel phone, run it on Google Fi, and pay for a Google One cloud storage – meaning you'd have three different Google-branded VPNs competing for control over the exact same traffic.

Suffice to say, it seems Google wasn't quite as organised as you might expect one of the richest companies in the world to be.

The pivot to AI

Running a VPN is expensive. Thousands of servers in dozens of countries, tip-top security, and routing huge amounts of data takes a lot of cash.

For a company like NordVPN or ExpressVPN, these costs are justified because it's their entire business. For Google, it was a expense that wasn’t generating any revenue. No one was subscribing to Google One just for the VPN – it was just a "perk" that came with their cloud storage, which they probably didn't use.

Then, in early 2024, Google changed tack. AI was here. Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, celebrated a massive milestone on X, but his words betrayed the future of Google:

The writing was on the wall. The future of Google's subscription business didn't include tools like a VPN. It was going to be driven by artificial intelligence – and there was no reason to maintain an unpopular product that didn't line the coffers.

Bottom line

Ultimately, the collapse of Google VPN proves that privacy can't be treated as an afterthought. A successful VPN needs more than solid engineering – it demands an overall philosophy that isn’t compromised by a business model based around advertising and data collection. Google didn't fail because it lacked the technology. It failed because it lacked the trust.

Then, when the AI boom hit, the VPN was first on the chopping block. Google could no longer justify maintaining an expensive and underused infrastructure that actively protected your data – the commodity most valued by the tech giant. By killing the VPN, it cleared the path for Gemini and showed us exactly where Big Tech’s priorities lie.

But, for us, this was a win. Consumers sent a message that they refused to compromise on trust just for the convenience of a cheap bundle. You voted with your wallets, and Google had to listen.

We have contacted Google for comment. We await their reply.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

At a glance

• The Crisis: A late-night, long-distance phone call with my wife almost ended in disaster — until my Even Realities G2 smart glasses fed me a live summary of her argument like a teleprompter.
• The Friction: Outsourcing our active listening to an AI raises massive ethical red flags about cognitive atrophy. Are we losing our ability to pay attention to the people we love?
• The Defense: Even Realities CEO Will Wang argues that "ambient computing" is actually the cure for our digital distraction, forcing us to keep our heads up and stay present in the physical world.

It was 1AM, and I was staring down the barrel of every married man’s worst nightmare.

My wife lives in New York and I’m in the U.K., which means our daily catch-ups cross a brutal multi-time-zone divide. Late one night, as my brain-fogged exhaustion finally peaked, my focus slipped for just a few seconds. Then came the dreaded, fatal question:

“What was the last thing I said?”

Normally, failing this question means a one-way ticket to guilt trips and emotional exile. But as I’ve written about before, my Even Realities G2 came to my rescue with the Conversate feature passively transcribing the call and summarizing key points into its HUD overlay.

Now, as you may remember, when this happened a deeply uncomfortable thought washed over me: when relying on smart glasses, who’s actually in a relationship with my wife? Me, or my smart glasses? That’s a question I put directly to Even Realities Founder & CEO, Will Wang.

The cognitive hangover

It’s one of those big questions that makes so many of us skeptical of the AI hardware boom. We’re being asked to strap always-on micro-computers to our faces to make life completely frictionless. But what happens when that friction is the thing that makes us human?

This isn’t just some philosophical late-night hangover; it’s a genuine scientific concern. Recent studies coming out of places like Harvard have warned that an over-reliance on AI tools can lead to brain fry — actively diminishing our critical thinking, memory retention and ability to focus.

If we outsource our active listening to an LLM, we are essentially training our brains that it is OK to zone out. We are turning human connection into a highly optimized, automated task.

In my conversation with Will Wang, I asked him this question point blank, and he didn’t flinch.

“This question arises at every major technological turning point because it challenges the status quo and changes how we interact,” Wang told me. “Before smartphones, we had the exact same concern: while phones empowered us, they drew our attention to digital information and made us feel less connected to families.”

Fair point, but I feel this misses out on a crucial detail — the phone is pocketable, whereas the glasses are permanently worn. One is inherently more invasive than the other.

The "undisturbed connection"

Wang’s argument is that the cognitive damage has already been done by the smartphone. We are already ignoring our spouses to stare at glowing rectangles in our hands. The smart glasses, he argues, are actually the cure.

“First of all, as a company, we must build our products with a core philosophy of helping people build human connection,” Wang explained. “A display in your field of vision can be highly disruptive, but if designed with the right ethos, it can actually be the only way to show information while keeping you focused on the physical world. Otherwise you would look down at a phone screen.”

This is the central thesis behind Even Realities glasses. There are no cameras, and no obtrusive apps demanding your attention. It’s a design language the team calls “ambient computing” or “undisturbed connection.”

“When you align with this ethos, it completely changes your UI/US and product design decisions,” Wang noted. “An internal term we use frequently is ‘undisturbed connection’ — keeping you connected with digital services while remaining undisturbed.”

It’s Wang’s mission to make “design choices” that “always put the user in the driver’s seat,” like picking and choosing when you need AI cues like you see in Conversate. A very far cry from what you see other glasses doing.

The verdict: a digital crutch, or a cure?

Wang is right about one thing: when a new technology is introduced, we tend to get overly excited (or overly terrified) before we figure out how to coexist with it in harmony.

Did my smart glasses enable my bad behavior by letting me zone out during a conversation with my wife? Yes, absolutely. But they also kept my marriage in one piece, keeping me verbally present rather than going vague in my non-listening state..

We are potentially entering an era where AI is going to mediate almost every aspect of our digital lives. We are going to have to rely on digital crutches to manage the overwhelming flood of information. But if I have to choose a crutch, I’d rather have one that occasionally feeds me the right words to say to my wife, rather than one that distracts me from her entirely.

Let me know what you think in the comments below, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

More from Tom's Guide

• Exclusive: Even Realities CEO slams Meta Ray-Bans — we 'don’t thrive on selling data’
• 'It’s going to be that shift from phones to glasses': Snap Specs chief on design, target audience and that $2,200 price tag
• I praised Meta’s smart glasses privacy update yesterday — today, its ‘super sensing’ glasses proved me completely wrong

It's quite important to keep your phone in a protective case. I recently found this out the hard way after letting my iPhone 17 Pro Max fall onto the asphalt and pick up some chips and dents it really didn't need. Buying phone cases is a rather tedious experience, though, and the sheer scale of the phone accessories market means there are countless options at a variety of different price points. Which one do you choose?

This got me wondering whether you actually needed to make a choice at all. I actually purchased a 3D printer at the start of the year, and immediately started looking for ways to justify that purchase to my wife. I've had limited success so far, mostly making plastic trinkets that break far too easily, but what if I used it to print my own cases from scratch?

That way I could get myself a new phone case in a single afternoon, without having to spend money or wait for it to be delivered. Not to mention the fact that if I can do this regularly, I may end up slightly reducing the environmental impact of getting future cases sent out to me.

Getting the right materials

I'm still fairly new to 3D printing, so everything I've done has involved me learning as I go, making many, many mistakes in the process. Thankfully one of those mistakes was not just 3D printing a case without thinking, using the basic PLA (polylactic acid) filament I purchased with my printer. While useful for a lot of things, this is rigid and fairly brittle plastic.

Not only would this offer very poor shock protection, the lack of flexibility means you're not actually going to be able to get your phone into the case itself. You would have to utilize an elaborate multi-part design that locks together around your phone.

And don't even think about printing a case around your phone. The material coming out of the nozzle is molten plastic, and PLA is heated to over 300 degrees Fahrenheit during the printing process. That's definitely not something you want near your pricey smartphone.

Much of the consensus online was that TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) was the best option for home case printing. TPU is flexible thanks to some rubber-like qualities, and that means the final print is not locked into a rigid position like PLA.

That means it has better resistance to impact, tearing, and other damage your phone might suffer throughout its life. Plus it's a relatively cheap filament, and you can stretch it around your device without suffering any ill effects.

There are downsides to TPU, though, like the fact the material has a habit of absorbing moisture from the air. Too much moisture affects the quality of the filament, and while fixable it's not ideal for anyone that lives in a humid area like I do. I should also note that TPU is not suitable for all case designs, since they need some rigidity to function properly.

There are other issues to be aware of, but I'll get to those later, since I experienced them first hand.

Which cases do I print?

Unless you're a dab hand with CAD software, or have access to a 3D scanner, you're going to have to source the printing files from one of the many 3D printing repositories on the net. That's certainly the easiest option for the 3D printing noobs like myself, and depending on where you look you should be able to find something suitable for your phone.

I went to Thingiverse and picked out cases for the iPhone 17 Pro Max (by Moridith) and Galaxy Z Fold 7 (by rstarin) — both of which are available under a Creative Commons license.

Both of these cases are very different, and the creators have advice on what kind of filament you should use. Moridith's iPhone case recommends using TPU, while rstarin notes that the Z Fold 7's half-case was designed with PLA in mind.

While I did listen to this advice, I ended up printing both cases in TPU and PLA. That way I could see for myself just how different the two materials are, and why it's important to make sure you have the right filament.

PLA's hardness can be a blessing and a curse

The first print was making the iPhone 17 Pro Max case out of PLA, just to see how it would fare if I did try to put an iPhone 17 Pro Max into it. The print itself came out rather well, which is a little annoying considering this case was never intended to be used.

There are some printing errors in various places, including the base of the sides and some unwanted stringing around the top lip. In hindsight I should have added some supports to the design before attempting to print — but considering this was intended as an experiment that would have just wasted extra filament.

Needless to say the iPhone 17 Pro Max does not fit into this case. There isn't even a way to force it in, because the hard plastic lip is in the way. If that wasn't bad enough, the buttons are rock solid, and totally unusable. Even if you could squeeze the 17 Pro Max into here, those buttons would need to be cut out first.

The case was stronger than I anticipated, though. I'd printed it with a gyroid infill, which is known for its relative strength, and decided I'd see how easy it was to break the PLA case. It ended up being harder than I thought, on account of the case's thickness, and while I was able to break it with my bare hands it took a fair bit of repeated effort to do so.

The Z Fold 7 case, on the other hand, is an open design that's designed to clip into the back of the phone — rather than wrap around it. You see a lot of foldable cases like this, since the dual-sided design doesn't really fit well with a lot of other more protective case designs.

Snap on it did, and while the design only covers half of the phone it shows that you can still print out your own hard plastic cases and make full use of them. I will caveat by saying that attempting to take it off was tricky, and I ended up snapping the thinner material around the mic hole.

The minimal thickness of the design and rigidity of the plastic suggests to me that this design will not offer much meaningful drop protection. But that's also true of any thin phone case, regardless of how it came into this world.

TPU was a better all-rounder — with some drawbacks

Printing a Z Fold 7 case made out of the flexible TPU turned out to be a total waste of time. The design is too thin and the flexibility means it just flops around like a fish out of water. That lack of sturdiness and friction also means that this case is not going to stay attached to your phone for very long.

That said, for a more encompassing case, TPU proved to be a better option for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. I will admit that I did make a bunch of rookie mistakes in the process of printing my first one, though.

The most obvious mistake I made is that I totally forgot to change the filament type in my 3D printer's companion software. This meant that my printer thought it was working with PLA instead of TPU. The consequence of this was that the printer was working much faster than it should have, and left countless web-like strings of filament all over the case.

I also forgot to add support to the print, which means that various attributes like buttons and the lip around the edge of the case's front didn't come out as neatly as they could have done. Thankfully, all of these issues were cosmetic, and didn't actually detract from the functionality of the case itself.

Cosmetic is putting it lightly though, and my initial description of this case was "ugly as sin." Thankfully, this doesn't change the fact the flexible material allows the case to wrap around my iPhone 17 Pro Max. It feels soft and cushioned compared to PLA, and is capable of returning to its original form after being squashed and twisted around in my hands.

But herein lies the problem of printing with TPU: printing it properly is an exceedingly slow process. To put it into perspective, the PLA version of the iPhone case was finished in under two and a half hours. In the same amount of time, printing the final version of the TPU was just past the halfway point.

Overall, the TPU print took 4 hours 37 minutes, and was so long that the timelapse footage I shot was nearly 10 minutes in length.

Slow printing is an issue for two reasons. The first is that you have to physically wait longer, which is no good if you're an impatient type. Likewise the longer a print takes, the more opportunity there is for something to go catastrophically wrong. It can and does happen, and nothing is worse than getting close to the end of a multi-hour print and finding yourself having to repeat the whole thing.

Thankfully, printing out slowly seems to have (mostly) fixed the webbing issue. There are still some stray strands of filament that need cutting, but the majority of them are totally gone. Likewise, the case itself does look a lot better thanks to the slow printing keeping the look a lot neater.

It wasn't error free, especially where the support connects to the case, but for the most part it looks like a very good (albeit bulky) phone case. That may not be to everyone's tastes, but I personally couldn't care less — especially given the size of the 17 Pro Max.

Just be aware that you need some good pliers to rip out all the internal supports. it's fiddly, and you'll end up with little strands of used filament all over the place if you're not careful.

How much did it cost me to print both cases?

Ignoring the fact that I had to pay for the 3D printer in the first place, just how much did I end up paying for these cases? Both rolls of filament were 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) each, with PLA costing me £18/$24 and the TPU costing £12/$16.

This means the actual cost of PLA was £1.80 per 100g of filament or £0.018 per gram. Meanwhile TPU cost £1.20 per 100g, or £0.012 per gram.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 case wasn't very large, and used up roughly 13.75 of filament. The iPhone 17 Pro Max case was obviously a lot larger, and used 54.35 grams of filament. With this information I can calculate that the two cases used up a respective £0.25 and £0.65 worth of their respective filament.

I printed off multiple versions of these cases, each with slight variations in the amount of filament they used. But even if you add them all together, the total cost of the filament pales in comparison to the cost of buying a case. Especially if you're looking at ultra premium options, like Apple's $59 TechWoven case for iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Obviously, it's a little more complicated than just the raw material costs. I needed to pay for electricity to power the 3D printer, as well as the 3D printer itself. I should mention that the model I have, the Creality Ender 3 V3 SE, is a pretty cheap option, and is currently on sale for $186 at Amazon — or $197 with four rolls of PLA filament.

Final thoughts: The problem with 3D printing phone cases

If you have a lot of phones lying around and need a way to protect them all quickly and cheaply, then 3D printing isn't such a bad option — so long as you have a printer handy. But that isn't the case for most of the people reading this, since you will only have one phone.

Unless you have a super-old or super obscure phone, you're spoiled for choice when it comes to picking a case. If you're looking for practicality, fashionable designs, or the absolute bare minimum of protection to keep your phone safe from stray falls, there is something out there for you. Odds are it isn't going to cost you much money either.

Unless you are a skilled and experienced 3D printer, then making your own cases at home comes with some obvious pitfalls. The main one being that 3D printed cases look like they've been 3D printed, and stylishness is not going to be high on your list of priorities. You also need to find the right type of case files for your phone, and the equipment needed to produce it.

The more experienced 3D printers among you will likely be able to make a bunch of elaborate and fanciful designs. Using multiple colors, adding magnets, tweaking the design so you can't see the print lines as easily and things of that nature. But those people are certainly in the minority, and presumably have been in the 3D-printed case game for a long time.

This process works for me and the many phones I have to utilize as part of my job as a Phones Editor. But I'm not saying you should go out and buy a 3D printer just so you can save money on making your own phone cases. That said, if you have a 3D printer or were already interested in picking one up soon, then you might as well give this a go.

Who knows, you might even prefer things this way.

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A core reason you’d want one of the best gaming laptops is to play your favorite PC games on the go. However, your experience with AAA games won’t be great on battery power. Not only will you generally get less than two hours of gameplay, but you'll suffer severe drops in frames per second (FPS). This is why most users keep their gaming laptops plugged in during use.

But what if you’re itching to play a game and there’s no wall outlet in sight? Are you stuck playing for just a couple of hours at 30 frames per second or lower? Not necessarily, so long as you make various adjustments to the laptop and game. Though the results won't always match what you'd get when plugged in, you’ll have a smoother gaming experience.

If you want to squeeze as much performance as possible from a gaming laptop running on battery, I’ll show you how!

On battery vs plugged in

Generally, a battery provides around 40 to 90 watts of power, whereas a wall charger can provide 100 to 200+ watts. That extra power allows laptop components like the GPU and CPU to run more efficiently, delivering smoother gaming performance. However, on battery power, operating systems automatically switch to low-power or balanced profiles, which lowers frame rates and screen refresh rates.

There are also safety reasons. Drawing too much power too quickly from a battery can generate excessive heat and damage the cells. Laptops also slow the CPU and GPU on battery power to prevent overheating. When you connect a laptop to a wall outlet, your computer knows it has an endless energy supply and removes all the speed caps.

I ran Cyberpunk 2077 on the Alienware 16 (2026) on both battery power and while plugged in to show you the difference. At default graphical settings and native 2560x1600 resolution, the game ran at around 110-120 fps while I was on foot and around 90-100 fps when I drove through the city center. Unplugged, Cyberpunk 2077’s frame rate dropped to the 70s on foot and to around 55 on the highway.

To be clear, the Alienware 16 is an extremely powerful gaming laptop, which accounts for its high fps even when unplugged. Still, a 30 frames-per-second drop isn’t small and illustrates the difference between playing plugged in and unplugged.

How to get better performance on battery

I’ll now detail how to get battery gaming laptop performance while on battery. Keep in mind that the battery can’t output enough wattage for full gaming speeds, so performance will always be limited compared to when you’re plugged in. With that out of the way, let’s get into it.

On your laptop, click the battery icon on the taskbar and set the power mode to Best Performance. If your laptop has an Nvidia RTX GPU, you can disable BatteryBoost or raise the frame rate cap in the GeForce Experience app (or the Nvidia app).

Similarly, open your laptop manufacturer’s custom app (such as Asus Armoury Crate, Razer Synapse, or Lenovo Vantage) and switch the operating mode from Eco/Silent to a manual or performance profile. You can also set a custom frame limiter in the Nvidia Control Panel to limit CPU and GPU usage as needed.

To improve battery life, you can lower the refresh rate from a high rate like 144Hz to 60Hz. You can also reduce the display’s brightness to around 50% or lower and turn off RGB lighting if your laptop uses it. Unplugging unnecessary peripherals also helps improve battery life. And of course, shut down any apps you’re not currently using.

On the game side, you can do things like lower the game’s resolution, shadow quality, and graphical settings to reduce the workload on your laptop. Similarly, you can cap your maximum FPS in the game settings to keep stable performance.

Bottom line

I will always advise folks to keep their gaming laptops plugged in while playing for the best possible performance. However, if there’s nowhere to connect, the tips above should help you get better performance on battery life. It’s not as optimal as when you’re plugged in, but you’ll have a smoother overall experience.

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• While PC gamers fight for 16GB of VRAM, AMD just unveiled a rack with 31,000 Gigabytes

Today Apple announced its new leasing program, Apple Upgrade which is undergirded by Klarna for iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad.

The program lets customers sign up for a plan, similar to how you would lease a car, for fixed 12-, 24- and 36-month terms depending on the device. There are options to upgrade to a new device early or return it at the end of the lease.

Apple called the new plan a "more flexible way to pay for products."

It's possible this does offer some flexibility from paying an upfront lump sum or tying yourself to an onerous contract via a network carrier like Verizon or T-Mobile.

However, experts I spoke with think the Upgrade plan is meant to cover rising component costs.

"By shifting the focus to lower monthly payments, it helps mask the effect of rising hardware costs and makes premium devices feel more affordable and attainable for a broader range of consumers," Jitesh Ubrani, a director at IDC, said.

They added that it could entice people who don't want to pay the higher upfront costs, as even Apple has hiked prices recently. It also gives Apple a "steady stream of trade-ins" that the company can resell to expand its customer base.

"Many people are effectively leasing their phones already through carrier plans; leasing a watch or a Mac -- when you know that these are also devices that have upgrade cycles -- can make sense," Techsponential's Avi Greengart told Tom's Guide. "it's still a lease, so you won't be able to use it until it dies unless you buy out the lease, and it may not be the absolute most economical approach."

Beyond upfront prices, is Apple Upgrade better for you? Let's take a look at how the program works.

How Apple Upgrade works

Apple Upgrade offers 12- or 24-month lease terms for eligible iPhones and Apple Watches. For those seeking a Mac or iPad, there are 24- or 36-month options.

Prices start as low as $11.99 per month for the Apple Watch and iPad, depending on size and storage capacity. iPhones start at $17.99, while Macs can be leased starting at $24.99 a month.

You can sign up online or at an Apple Store, where you will be approved by Klarna, which does require a soft credit check that should not impact your credit score.

At the end of the lease term, you can return the device or upgrade to a newer generation or purchase it with a one-time payment.

Compared to the outgoing iPhone Upgrade program, the Apple Upgrade Program does not include AppleCare, which is a separate subscription price and varies in price depending on your device.

Per MacRumors, if you miss a payment, it will be rolled into the next month's payment with no late fees. However, if you miss three consecutive payments, the lease will end, and you will have to pay the full outstanding balance, minus the value of the device when returned. If Klarna can't collect, a debt collection agency will be sent your information.

Apple Upgrade prices

Apple is offering the entire iPhone 17 lineup, plus the iPhone Air, both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 and three iPad options, including the iPad Air, iPad Pro and iPad mini.

For Macs, you can lease the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Studio.

Apple defaults to the 24-month leasing option, so we'll share that. The other options can lower or raise your price. Additionally, higher storage capacity or chip versions will also increase the monthly price.

Finally, the price does not include taxes and fees.

Here's how much the base model of each device will cost you.

We've separated the iPads and Macs out because these devices can have the longer 36-month term. Again, the prices below are for the base model of each device and the 24-month term.

No leasing entry-level devices

You may have noticed several Apple devices aren't eligible for the upgrade program. It includes the vanilla iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, as well as the entry-level models of almost every device category.

Here's the full list of Apple products you can't lease:

• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• Apple Watch SE
• MacBook Neo
• Mac mini
• iPad (A16)
• Studio Display

Availability

Apple Upgrade is available now for all of the listed devices. Apple says that a security deposit is not required and that a trade-in device could reduce monthly payments.

I will note that if you end a lease early, you could see termination fees. Also, if you don't do anything at the end of the lease, you'll be charged the purchase fee.

Lastly, hidden in the fine print, upgrading a device could increase your monthly payments, which is true for both higher-capacity versions of devices and more expensive models when new generations launch in the coming years.

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• iOS 27 finally fixes the most annoying iPhone workaround we all use
• New iPhone 20 video reveals the 8 biggest upgrades to expect from the 20th anniversary iPhone

As a computing writer for Tom’s Guide, part of my job is helping readers save money on PCs and components. That has become much harder thanks to RAMageddon, which has driven up the cost of memory and, by extension, most electronics. PC gaming has been hit especially hard. It was already a relatively expensive hobby, and price increases have made the barrier to entry even higher.

That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get into PC gaming in 2026. You’ll almost certainly pay more for machines and components than you would have a year ago. But if you know what to look for (and what to avoid), you can still find a capable setup that fits your needs and lasts for years.

In this guide, I’ll walk through the three main ways people start PC gaming right now: a gaming handheld, a pre-built desktop, and building your own PC. I’ll break down the pros and cons of each, then explain which path makes the most sense depending on your budget, space, and priorities.

Gaming handhelds

The price of the best handheld gaming consoles has climbed sharply this year. Where the Steam Deck OLED once topped out at $649, the 512GB model now starts at $789. Other notable handhelds have seen similar increases, though entry-level options like the Asus ROG Xbox Ally (around $600) remain relatively more accessible than the higher-end Legion Go 2.

Even with the higher prices, gaming handhelds are still one of the strongest low-friction ways to start PC gaming right now — especially while discrete GPUs, RAM, and other components stay expensive. These self-contained systems run the best PC games from Steam (and other libraries), either on SteamOS or Windows.

The advantages are clear. Portability means you can play almost anywhere. Setup is relatively simple, particularly on SteamOS devices, where you can get into games with less tinkering than a full Windows 11 machine. Most models also support docking to a TV or monitor, which often improves performance once the handheld is powered and no longer thermally limited. While they’re no longer the bargains they once were, several capable options still sit under $1,000.

They do come with real trade-offs, though. The biggest is the performance ceiling: most current AAA titles run at 720p–1080p on low-to-medium settings, typically in the 30–60 fps range. Battery life often drops to one or two hours during demanding games (longer on lighter titles), and Windows handhelds can introduce additional UI friction and software overhead. Storage also fills up quickly on 512GB models.

Despite those compromises, the combination of portability, access to a PC library, and a relatively contained total cost still makes handhelds a solid option for many newcomers—especially anyone who wants to start playing without committing to a full desktop setup.

Pre-built gaming PCs

If you’d rather own one of the best gaming PCs but don’t want to build one from scratch, a pre-built PC is your best bet. Some gamers still look down on them, but after reviewing dozens of these machines, I can tell you this route is often a smart choice right now. Because manufacturers buy components in bulk, pre-builts can match or even beat the cost of a comparable DIY build in the current market.

The advantages are straightforward. There’s virtually no assembly required, and you only have to deal with one company if something goes wrong. You also get professional cable management and properly seated components out of the box. Thanks to that bulk purchasing power, solid 1080p systems with an RTX 5060-class GPU and 32GB of RAM currently sit in the $1,000–$1,200 range and often deliver stronger immediate value than piecing the same parts together yourself.

As Techsponential’s Avi Greengart told me via email, in this environment “buying pre-built is usually less expensive than building your own.” Looking for systems with last-generation CPUs that were priced before the worst of RAMageddon can stretch the budget even further.

There are real trade-offs, though. You won’t always get to choose every part, which can leave you with a louder cooler or a lower-tier power supply. Some cases use proprietary front panels, offer limited GPU clearance, or have tight PSU spacing that restricts future upgrades. And even when the overall price is competitive, you’re still paying something for the convenience.

If you go this route, prioritize GPU performance and RAM capacity (32GB is pretty valuable right now) over chasing a particular CPU brand. Read recent reviews of the specific model you’re considering (including ours!) to get a real sense of thermals, noise, and build quality. Stick with more established names such as Lenovo, iBuyPower, ABS, or CyberPower when possible. Factor in the full cost of a monitor, keyboard, and mouse if you don’t already own them, and move quickly when you find a good configuration — popular models can sell out fast.

Pre-builts shine when you value convenience, want a working system quickly, or feel intimidated by the current component market. They’re a legitimate entry point into PC gaming during RAMageddon, even if they offer less long-term flexibility and control than building your own system.

Custom-built PCs

Even with elevated component prices, building your own PC remains the strongest long-term option for many people getting into PC gaming. The current memory shortage has made it less of an automatic money-saver than it was a couple of years ago, but the advantages in quality, knowledge, and future flexibility still hold for those willing to put in the work.

The biggest advantage is full control over every part. You choose the exact GPU, cooler, power supply, and case you want. And when the time comes to upgrade, you can swap individual components instead of replacing the whole system. Building also teaches you how everything fits together, which makes future upgrades and troubleshooting much easier. You can optimize the machine for your specific needs — whether that’s a quiet system, maximum airflow, or a particular mix of CPU, GPU, and RAM suited to the games you actually play.

Securing solid last-generation components (especially AM4 and DDR4) or taking advantage of motherboard/CPU/memory bundles from places like Micro Center can still deliver meaningful savings, particularly on RAM.

Of course, the DIY route requires more research, compatibility checks, assembly, and initial troubleshooting. Pricing remains a hurdle. A decent 32GB DDR5 kit can cost $350–$470, and GPUs and SSDs are similarly priced. You’ll also face multiple individual warranties instead of a single system-wide warranty, plus the small but real risk of assembly mistakes or dead-on-arrival parts. And unless you already own them, you’ll still need to buy a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals.

Building your own PC is still the path that delivers the most ownership, flexibility, and long-term satisfaction. It demands more effort and research than a pre-built or handheld, especially with today’s component pricing. However, the reward is a system that better matches what you actually want and can grow with you for years.

Bottom line

So which of these three paths is the best way to get into PC gaming in 2026? It depends on your needs.

If you just want to start playing games with as little hassle as possible, a solid pre-built is a smart move. If space is tight or you’re not yet sure how deep you want to go into PC gaming, a handheld is a strong starting point. And if you care about control, upgradeability, or simply enjoying the process of putting a machine together, building your own PC is still a fantastic option.

You’re almost certainly going to spend more than you would have a year ago. But with a clearer sense of the trade-offs, you can make a smarter choice and still get into PC gaming without overspending or ending up with a setup that doesn’t fit your lifestyle.

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At a glance

• The Conflict: Even Realities CEO Will Wang is calling out Meta and Google for forcing cameras onto smart glasses just to collect training data for future AI models.
• The Counter-Strategy: Even Realities' G1 and G2 smart glasses intentionally omit cameras and speakers, focusing instead on a text-based ambient HUD that prioritizes privacy, weight, and battery life.
• The Escalation: Even Realities has scaled its engineering team from 20 to nearly 400 people, gearing up to challenge Big Tech’s wearable AI dominance directly with its upcoming G3 hardware.

While Silicon Valley races to strap cameras, speakers and multimodal surveillance tools onto our faces, one smart glasses maker is picking a fight direct with Big Tech’s entire playbook.

Meta, Google and Snap want you to believe that a front-facing camera is essential for the future of AI wearables. Apple’s even rumored to be jumping in on this too. But according to Will Wang, Founder and CEO of Even Realities, their camera obsession isn’t about giving you a better device today — it’s about harvesting your personal life to train their future AI models.

Following a major $1 billion valuation round, I sat down with Wang to talk about the design choices behind the Even Realities G2 smart glasses. His message to the tech giants was loud, clear and strikingly defiant.

Editor's note: This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

The ‘endgame’ trap

If you ask Meta why the Ray-Ban Meta glasses feature an ultra-wide camera, they will point to visual AI — the ability for your glasses to see what you see and help in real-time.

Wang sees this differently. In his view, companies like Meta and Google are letting their long-term corporate ambitions spoil their current hardware.

"When you look at the strategies of Snap, Google, or Meta, their long-term vision often overly influences their current generation of products," Wang explained. "For Google and Meta, they include a camera because they believe visual data will be crucial for AI in the future, and to reach that endgame, they need to enable visual capabilities and start gathering data now."

The result? Heavy, power-hungry devices designed for future data gathering rather than present-day wearability.

"I feel these larger companies let their endgame thinking dictate their current products instead of focusing on making the perfect product for the present moment," Wang noted. "For a hardware company, it is crucial that each generation does not sell a dream or an expectation, but sells the product as it is."

‘We thrive on making good products, not selling data’

Even Realities took the opposite path with its glasses — completely stripping away cameras and speakers, and opting for a discreet heads-up display that delivers notifications, teleprompting, navigation and live conversation summaries in your field of view.

When I asked Wang if a camera prototype was ever on the table during internal testing, he shut the idea down immediately.

"From day one, even with the first-generation G1, we never had a camera," Wang said. "We feel that, at the current moment with the capability of AI, adding a camera onto a pair of glasses definitely introduces many more downsides than upsides."

Beyond the obvious hardware penalties (added weight, larger size and worse battery life), Wang pointed directly to the ethical and regulatory landmines that Big Tech seems content to ignore.

"The guardrails and regulations around how to properly use visual data with smart glasses have not been established," Wang pointed out. "So, we feel it's too early, too risky, and has too little upside for a company like ours that does not thrive on selling data. We thrive on making good products and making a profit from those products, so a camera was never in the discussion."

Instead of overpromising an invasive sci-fi feature set, Even Realities focused on what actually works today: crisp, text-based ambient computing that keeps you present in the real world without creeping out the people around you.

David vs. Goliath: the battle for G3

It’s easy to dismiss a startup taking anti-camera ideological stances against multi-trillion-dollar titans. But Even Realities is no longer just a niche player catering to early adopters.

While the original G1 was built by a scrappy skeleton crew, the company’s massive recent funding round has allowed them to quietly build a massive engineering war machine to prepare for their next generation of hardware: the Even Realities G3.

"To give you some context, when we built G1, our team was only 20 to 30 people," Wang revealed. "For G2, we had about 70 to 80 people... Now, for G3, we have 300 to 400 people globally working laser-focused on this single product line."

That headcount puts Even Realities on a similar dedicated engineering scale to the smart glasses divisions that Apple, Meta or Google have — but with one massive structural advantage. While Big Tech giants split their resources across dozens of spatial computing projects, AR headsets and ad platforms, Wang’s team is focused solely on perfecting one lightweight, ambient device.

"We are on the radar of a lot of these bigger players; they are already buying our products and trying to analyze our roadmap," Wang said with a smile. "We really need to accelerate faster than before, and this round of fundraising actually gives us that. We are very confident."

The war is on

The smart glasses war is dividing into two distinct camps. On one side, Meta and Google want to turn your face into a sensor array to fuel their AI algorithms. On the other, Even Realities wants to give you a clean, distraction-free HUD that respects your privacy and actually looks like a normal pair of glasses.

If Will Wang has his way with the upcoming G3, the winner of the smart glasses revolution won’t be the company that records the most video of your daily life — it will be the one that lets you look the world in the eye without a camera watching back.

More from Tom's Guide

• '136 grams is not for all-day wearing' — Even Realities CTO sounds off on Snap Specs, and gives details on the future roadmap
• 'It’s going to be that shift from phones to glasses': Snap Specs chief on design, target audience and that $2,200 price tag
• I praised Meta’s smart glasses privacy update yesterday — today, its ‘super sensing’ glasses proved me completely wrong

When packing for a trip — or even worse, a family trip — there are quite a few things you need to remember to bring, especially if you’re going somewhere more remote. Fortunately for the rest of my family, I always remember to bring a charger — several, in fact.

From towels to pool noodles and everything in between, our car was absolutely packed when we finally pulled out of my driveway. While everyone else made sure to have their beach gear and plenty of extra clothes, I was in charge of electronics per usual.

Now, we don’t let our four-year-old use a tablet at home, but with a six-hour drive ahead of us, I had no problem making an exception to that rule. So I charged and loaded the TCL NXTPAPER 14 with all of his favorite movies. Even though I consider it one of the best tablets, it doesn’t have a headphone jack, which meant this would be his first time using Bluetooth headphones instead of wired ones.

With my son squared away, it was time to pack my own tech bag. After packing my Nintendo Switch 2 and a pair of the best smart glasses so I could get the big-screen experience on the go, charging was next. While I always bring a plug-in GaN charger to quickly top off all my devices, this time around, I decided to do things a bit differently.

You see, as I had Satechi’s new ChargeView 140W Desktop Charger waiting on my desk, I threw it in my bag at the last minute — and I’m glad I did. While it’s designed for your desk, it ended up being the perfect charger for our trip. Here’s why.

From the wall to your desk

At 3 x 3 x 1.5 inches, Satechi’s new ChargeView Desktop Charger is quite compact. Still, it packs a punch with a total power output of 140W. In the box, you get the charger itself, a power cord, and a stand. Even though it’s meant to be stationary, it’s small enough that you can easily slip it — along with the power cable and stand — into your bag.

One of my favorite things about this particular charger is that it uses a standard, figure-8-style power cord. This means it’s easy to replace, and I guarantee you have more than a few of these lying around your house. In fact, the PS5, Xbox Series X, and even the Mac mini M4 all use this same cord.

In addition to giving the charger plenty of room to breathe, the included stand has a neat trick up its sleeve. While you can use it with the charger lying flat on its side like I did, you can also set it up vertically. So whether you have horizontal or vertical space to spare on your desk, you’ll be able to find a place for the Satechi ChargeView. Likewise, you won’t struggle to plug it in, since it uses a standard wall plug as opposed to a bulky power adapter that takes up multiple outlets.

Now back to our family trip, where it proved to be as useful for me as it was for everyone else at our rental property.

Enough watts for the whole family

Now, this wasn’t my first time staying at this particular Airbnb, as we had actually stayed in the upstairs unit last year. As such, I knew the layout like the back of my hand before we even set off. The living room is right next to the front door as you walk in, and I remembered there were two fairly large end tables on either side of the couch. I figured this would be the perfect place to set up the Satechi ChargeView, since I knew we’d be running back and forth from the beach pretty frequently.

I plugged the Satechi ChargeView in behind the couch and set it up horizontally toward the back of the end table. Then I grabbed a handful of USB-C to USB-C cables of varying lengths and plugged those in, too. Although I like to plug in my phone and wait until it’s fully charged before picking it up again, I know my wife’s cousin is the type to use his while it’s charging. He is a Zoomer, after all. This is why I plugged a longer cable into the port closest to the couch.

On the front of the device, there’s a bright display that gives you plenty of charging info at a glance. On the main screen, you can see the total output power and which ports are currently in use. However, pressing the button on top of the Satechi ChargeView lets you drill down for more details. You can see how many watts each connected device is currently pulling and whether the charger is running cool or if its active cooling is currently engaged.

Now, I’m sure the Satechi ChargeView will be even more useful at my desk back home, but with four people charging everything from phones to tablets to AirPods, it was interesting to see which devices had fast charging and which ones topped off at a trickle. The stand and overall design worked great here, too, since I never had to worry about it coming unplugged. At the same time, this is a charger nobody can borrow and forget to put back — which I know happens quite often on big trips with a lot of people.

Your charger, their outlet

Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore my plug-in GaN chargers, and even with the Satechi ChargeView set up in the living room on our trip, I still had one tucked away in my bag. The problem with these types of chargers isn’t the devices themselves. Instead, it’s where you plug them in, since no two power outlets are the same.

For instance, the Ugreen Nexode 65W on the right in the photo above has a retractable plug. This is great as it makes the whole device more compact, but I’ve definitely been in situations where I just couldn’t get it to stay put in an outlet. Alternatively, the Ugreen Uno 100W on the left is a beefier plug-in GaN charger with more wattage and ports. As such, it’s on the heftier side, which has led to a similar situation where I just couldn’t keep it securely plugged into older outlets that have loosened over time.

Now with the Satechi ChargeView on my recent family trip, I didn’t have to worry about this kind of thing at all. Its long power cord made reaching the nearest outlet a breeze, and its desktop-style design meant I didn’t need to bring extra-long charging cables with me. The display on the front made the whole charging experience a bit more fun, too, since we could all see how fast our devices actually charged.

After a successful family trip, I’m now tempted to bring the Satechi ChargeView on my next work trip, too — and for good reason. I can unplug it from my desk and grab a spare power cord to quickly throw it in my suitcase. Then once I’ve checked into my hotel, I won’t have to worry about where the outlets are or whether or not they’ll be a good fit for my plug-in GaN chargers. I never meant to bring this desktop-style charger with me, but now that I have, it just might be my new go-to travel charger.

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Which $699 laptop should you buy: the new Dell XPS 13 (2026) or the MacBook Neo? That’s the big question right now, as Dell’s affordable XPS is a true rival to Apple’s popular laptop. This might have been an easier choice before Apple’s price hikes pushed the Neo’s price up by $100, but now you really have to weigh your options more carefully.

These notebooks are designed for budget-conscious folks who need a reliable machine for everyday work. Their ultraportable designs are also ideal for anyone who works on the go. Additionally, they have better displays and sturdier builds than most laptops in this price range.

While you won’t go wrong with either the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Neo, one could be better for you than the other. Below, I’ll detail everything you need to know about these laptops to help you decide which is worth your money.

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Specs

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Design

One of the standout features of these laptops is their respective designs. Instead of being bulky and plasticky like typical budget laptops, the XPS 13 and MacBook Neo are thin and light machines with sturdy aluminum casings. They might be affordable, but they definitely look as elegant as their more premium counterparts.

The XPS 13 is the lighter of the two, weighing 2.2 pounds compared to the MacBook Neo’s 2.7 pounds. Neither laptop will be a burden to travel with, but the XPS 13 is easier to take on the road or around your home. Both are also easy to open with one hand, thanks to the lips on their respective lids.

One design area where the Neo wins is with its wider choice of colors. While the XPS 13 comes in Sky and Storm colors, the Neo comes in more vibrant hues: Silver, Indigo, Blush, and Citrus. Dell’s notebook is all business, while Apple’s Neo knows how to have some fun.

Both laptops have sturdy and roomy keyboard decks, with satisfying spacing between the keys for a comfortable typing experience. The MacBook Neo has slightly larger and thicker keycaps than the XPS 13, and they’re color-coded to the laptop. Their respective touchpads are roughly the same size, and each is very smooth and responsive. The main difference here is that the XPS 13 has a backlit keyboard, whereas the Neo doesn’t.

The laptops each have a pair of USB-C ports, but while both of the XPS 13’s ports are USB 3.2 Gen 2, the Neo has only one such port — with the other being a slower USB 2 port. So when it comes to faster charging and data speeds, the XPS 13 has the edge. But unlike Dell’s notebook, the Neo has a 3.5mm jack.

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Display

The XPS 13 and MacBook Neo each have excellent displays for this price point, since budget laptops usually have dim, dull panels. You won’t have a bad viewing experience with either, but each has its strengths and weaknesses.

For starters, the MacBook Neo has a 13-inch 2408 x 1506 Liquid Retina display, while the XPS 13 has a 13.4-inch 2560 x 1600 InfinityEdge touch screen. The panel on Dell’s laptop is larger, with a higher resolution and touch screen support. The XPS 13 has some strengths here, but as we’ll see next, the Neo has its own advantages.

As you can see from our lab tests, the XPS 13 has good color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) and color accuracy (Delta-E). The MacBook Neo delivers slightly oversaturated hues compared to the XPS 13, and its display can get much brighter with both SDR and HDR content.

Overall, the MacBook Neo delivers a more vibrant image compared to the XPS 13, despite the latter having a larger display and higher resolution. Unless you’re a fan of touchscreens, the MacBook Neo’s display takes the lead here, though the XPS 13 isn’t far behind.

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Performance

Given their $699 asking price, neither the XPS 13 nor MacBook Neo is designed to be a powerful workstation. Instead, they’re built for everyday work, web browsing, and video streaming. That said, one offers stronger overall performance than the other.

On the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, the MacBook Neo scored higher in both the single- and multi-core testing. This is impressive considering how the MacBook Neo’s A18 Pro processor was originally an iPhone chip, whereas the Intel Wildcat Lake processor is made for laptops, albeit budget machines.

Moving over to the Handbrake test, which involves transcoding a 4K video to 1080p, the XPS 13 took ten minutes and 38 seconds to complete the task, which is 40 seconds slower than the MacBook Neo. However, on the Blackmagic SSD test, the XPS completely outperformed the Neo with faster write/read speeds.

In the 3DMark Wildlife test, which measures a machine’s graphical performance, the XPS 13 scored 2455 and averaged 14 frames per second. The MacBook Neo did better, with a 3661 score and 21 fps.

Using its built-in benchmark tool, Borderlands 3 ran at an unplayable 8.7 fps at 1080p, just one frame lower than the MacBook Neo’s 9.6 fps. In short, neither is suited for high-end gaming.

The XPS 13 handles the basics without a problem, but if you need more performance, the MacBook Neo is the clear winner.

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Battery life

The XPS 13 and MacBook Neo both have stellar, more-than-all-day battery life. While you won’t have to worry too much about either dying on you at an inopportune time, one will last longer than the other.

In our battery life test, which involves continuous Wi-Fi web surfing with the display set to 150 nits, the Dell XPS 13 lasted 14 hours and 26 minutes.

Conversely, the MacBook Neo lasted for 13 hours and 26 minutes on the same test. That’s still great, but the XPS 13 can last for an hour longer.

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Webcam

Lastly, let’s discuss the webcam quality of these laptops. Here, we’re comparing the MacBook Neo’s 1080p FaceTime HD camera to the Dell XPS 13’s 1080p webcam.

The photo above is from the XPS 13’s camera. Although my background and I are clearly visible, the image is somewhat blurry despite the relatively good lighting.

This next photo is from the MacBook Neo. Here, the image has a more natural color tone and is decidedly sharper.

Though you won’t look horrible in video calls with either webcam, the MacBook Neo does a better job of capturing images.

Dell XPS 13 vs. MacBook Neo: Bottom line

If you’re already married to macOS or Windows 11, then choose the laptop for that ecosystem. However, if you’re platform-agnostic, one laptop might be better for you than the other.

The Dell XPS 13 is perfect for anyone who wants an extremely lightweight laptop with touchscreen support and faster USB-C ports. It also has stellar battery life. Conversely, the MacBook Neo has more fun color options, stronger performance, a more vivid display, and a sharper webcam.

Personal preferences aside, the Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Neo are easily the best $699 laptops you can buy right now, so don’t hesitate to buy either, as it will be money well spent if you’re on a budget and in need of an upgrade.

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The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is a 4K QD-OLED monitor designed with creative professionals in mind — specifically those who prefer Mac over Windows. Despite its Mac-centric design, it manages to pack in many of MSI’s best gaming features to make it an ideal display for both work and play.

I remember when I first saw the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G back at CES, as it left an immediate impression on me. Unlike the Studio Display or Studio Display XDR, you won’t find any of Apple’s usual limitations here. Instead, this is a full-featured QD-OLED monitor with all the ports you could ever need — and then some.

After using the Pro Max 271UPXW12G as my daily driver for the past month across both macOS and Windows, I’m just as impressed as I was when I first laid eyes on it. From its sleek, minimalist design to its packed array of ports and, of course, its 4th-Gen QD-OLED panel, this display has served me well both on and off the clock. Still, while I appreciate that it has built-in speakers, they do leave a bit to be desired.

My MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G review will help you decide if this is the best monitor for your Mac (and even your gaming PC or PS5) — or if it’s worth paying the Apple Tax for a Studio Display instead.

MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A 27-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor designed for Mac that you can also game on.
• Who is it for? Creative professionals who need full color accuracy on Mac or Windows and don’t want to deal with the limitations and higher price of Apple’s Studio Display.
• What does it cost? The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G costs $999, but now you can find this monitor for $710 in white or $650 in black and often for even less when it’s on sale.
• What do we like? Its sleek design, the vibrancy and detail of its 4th-Gen QD-OLED panel, the integrated Mac controls, its 120 Hz refresh rate, the full-featured ports and its built-in KVM switch.
• What don’t we like? That the monitor auto-mounts a drive on both Mac and Windows and that the built-in speakers leave something to be desired.

MSI MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: Specs

MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: The Ups

The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is an incredibly capable professional monitor in a sleek and stylish package. You’d be hard-pressed to find a similar port array on even more expensive displays — and beyond creative work, it manages to hold its own against top-tier gaming monitors even if that isn’t its primary focus.

As clean as can be

Just like with MSI’s MPG 321URXW gaming monitor I reviewed last year, the Pro Max 271UPXW12G is incredibly thin thanks to its QD-OLED panel. On the top and sides, the display is razor-thin at four to five millimeters (0.16 to 0.2 inches) — with its internal components and built-in power supply housed in the center.

Underneath the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s display, you’ll find an AI Care Sensor that houses a CMOS camera/sensor and an NPU used for features like presence detection and adaptive brightness. This monitor also comes with MSI’s OLED Care 3.0 tech to protect its panel from burn-in.

Around back, there’s a joystick and two buttons for navigating the monitor’s OSD menu to adjust its settings. While the Pro Max 271UPXW12G has a circular cutout for the included monitor stand, MSI includes a standard 100 x 100 VESA mount adapter if you want to use this display with one of the best monitor arms. There’s also a square plate in the box in case you want to mount a mini PC like the MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG or the updated 3MG behind your monitor.

Speaking of the monitor stand, it’s made entirely from metal — and to date, it’s one of the highest-quality included stands I’ve seen yet. I typically use a monitor arm, but with the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, I didn’t even consider it.

I also really appreciated that MSI includes every cable you need right in the box — from DisplayPort to USB-C. The ones that came with my review unit were color-matched to the white version of the Pro Max 271UPXW12G I tested, blending in seamlessly with the rest of my setup too.

A multi-workstation hub

Although MSI designed the Pro Max 271UPXW12G with Apple’s Macs in mind, you wouldn’t want to limit yourself to one operating system (or device) with this monitor. While other displays have built-in KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switches to let you use the same peripherals seamlessly across two computers, this one actually supports three.

As such, the Pro Max 271UPXW12G is outfitted with an impressive selection of ports. For video, you get dual HDMI 2.1 connections, DisplayPort 1.4a, and two USB-C inputs with power delivery. While one is limited to 15W, the other delivers 98W of power so you can use and charge one of the best laptops simultaneously. For the KVM switch, there’s a USB-B port alongside four USB-A ports.

Since I switch between computers quite often while reviewing the best mini PCs, I like to use my mouse and keyboard’s 2.4 GHz USB dongles instead of Bluetooth. Even with a webcam connected too, I still had one free USB port — which was really impressive.

Another detail I really like about the Pro Max 271UPXW12G is its internal power supply instead of a bulky power brick. This made cable management under my desk a lot easier — and if you ever need to replace this monitor’s power cable, it uses the same standard one as a desktop PC.

Sure, you could plug in one of the best MacBooks or even a Mac mini M4 into the Pro Max 271UPXW12G and call it a day. However, by doing so, you’d be wasting one of its best features: the built-in KVM switch. With a Mac on one side of my desk and a PC on the other, switching between the two and using the same keyboard and mouse was almost instant. Likewise, it worked like a charm over both USB-C and with the included USB-B cable.

Crisp, colorful and Mac-friendly

In the past, it was often difficult using a third-party monitor with a Mac due to how macOS handles pixel density. This causes text fringing, where the words on your screen look fuzzy or blurry. Fortunately, MSI considered this when developing the Pro Max 271UPXW12G and gave it a higher pixel density of 166 PPI.

One of the best things about the Studio Display and the Studio Display XDR I reviewed is being able to use your keyboard to adjust things like brightness and volume — which you can’t do on a lot of third-party displays. To address this, MSI created a dedicated Mac app called M-Mate. After installing it from the App Store, not only can you control this monitor using the keys on your MacBook, but you can also match the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s color profile with your Apple laptop or even your iPad.

If Apple’s color profile isn’t the one you use for photo or video editing, no worries — this monitor comes with a ton of other popular ones too. With a few clicks on the joystick around back, you can switch between sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, and several other color spaces depending on the task at hand. Though not for everyone, creative professionals will really appreciate this feature.

During my time testing out the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, I started with my Mac mini M4 on one side and the Khadas Mind 2S mini PC — equipped with Khadas’ Mind Graphics 2 eGPU — on the other. From there, I swapped out the Mac mini for a 16-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro, which let me take full advantage of that USB-C port with 98W of power delivery. Everything worked and looked great on MSI’s Studio Display alternative, but I wasn’t done there….

Made for more than work

Having used both the Studio Display and Studio Display XDR, I’m still a bit baffled by how both monitors only come equipped with Thunderbolt ports. I’d love to hook up a gaming PC or a console to one of Apple’s monitors alongside a Mac, but unfortunately, I don’t know if that will ever be possible.

Fortunately, with the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, you can actually do this — and at higher frame rates too, since its QD-OLED panel has a refresh rate of 120Hz. Now, I know that isn’t as high as what you’ll find on dedicated gaming displays, but this is a monitor designed around productivity after all.

To put the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s gaming capabilities — and aesthetics — to the test, I hooked it up to the Minisforum G1 Pro mini PC, which features a desktop-grade Nvidia RTX 5060 GPU. In addition to finishing Death Stranding 2 on PC this way, I also played through a bit of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. Both games looked incredible on the Pro Max 271UPXW12G, with a bit of help from Nvidia’s DLSS tech. However, I wasn’t done there.

As I simultaneously reviewed the Pro Max 271UPXW12G alongside Splatoon Raiders, I hooked up my Nintendo Switch 2 to MSI’s monitor as well. The colorful hues from the game’s ink-filled battles looked amazing on the panel, and just like with Death Stranding 2, I actually ended up beating the game while using MSI’s display.

There are definitely higher-refresh options out there if you're looking for one of the best gaming monitors. However, this is the only productivity-focused monitor for creatives I know of that lets you jump straight into gaming without severe limitations.

MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: The Downs

The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G sets itself apart as a third-party Mac monitor with some solid gaming chops to boot. However, it’s not without a few slight downsides — one of which I’m still thoroughly confused by.

An auto-mounting annoyance

Following the recent controversy with LG’s monitors auto-installing software, imagine my surprise when I saw an auto-mounted drive from MSI on both my Mac and PC after connecting the Pro Max 271UPXW12G. Fortunately, we’re dealing with a different beast entirely here.

You see, instead of auto-installing software, the monitor’s onboard microcontroller automatically mounts the contents of a tiny flash storage chip whenever a device is connected via USB-C or through the USB-B cable for its KVM switch.

This drive doesn’t force-install anything, but it does give you a direct download link for MSI Productivity Intelligence on Mac or MSI Gaming OSD on Windows.

The software itself lets you adjust settings like brightness and contrast with your mouse and keyboard so you don’t have to reach for the physical joystick around back. In theory, this is meant to be a convenient shortcut for end users so they don’t have to hunt down extra software on MSI’s support page. In practice, however, I found it fairly annoying — especially on Mac.

Due to how macOS operates, any connected volume automatically mounts directly onto your desktop. While you can turn this off by going to Finder > Settings > General and unchecking External disks under “Show these items on the desktop”, this is still a minor nuisance. Alternatively, you could skip connecting your computer via USB-C or avoid using the included USB-B cable for the KVM switch altogether, but that defeats the entire point of buying a feature-packed, productivity-focused monitor like the Pro Max 271UPXW12G.

Good but not great built-in speakers

Unlike with MSI’s gaming monitors, its business and productivity-focused ones often come with built-in speakers. This is a feature that’s always nice to have in a pinch since you can test your audio easily, and if they’re good enough, you don’t have to bother cluttering up your desk with extra hardware.

The Pro Max 271UPXW12G has dual 2.5W speakers, and for attending meetings or other less demanding tasks, I found they worked well enough. Since their wattage is on the lower side, they do sound a bit tinny, though.

I relied on the Pro Max 271UPXW12G’s built-in speakers for the most part during my testing. However, when it was time to put its gaming capabilities to the test, I opted for a pair of Kanto Ora 4 bookshelf speakers, which made a massive difference.

Now, if you’re the type who wears headphones while working or gaming, this won’t be a problem. The built-in speakers are good enough, but if you want more volume or bass, I’d recommend going a similar route with a pair of the best computer speakers.

MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G: Verdict

The MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is a breath of fresh air when it comes to Mac-focused monitors. Not only can you control its brightness and audio with your MacBook’s keyboard, but you can also match the display’s color profile directly with your Apple laptop. All of those full-featured ports and the built-in KVM switch also make the Pro Max 271UPXW12G a productivity powerhouse for anyone who relies on multiple operating systems and devices for work.

The 4th-Gen QD-OLED panel is another major highlight thanks to its vibrant colors, deep contrast, and anti-glare, low-reflection finish. Similarly, MSI deserves credit for including every cable you could ever need alongside plenty of extra accessories right in the box.

Still, I do wish you could permanently disable the auto-mounting drive on the monitor itself, and the built-in speakers leave some room for improvement. Overall though, if you want a more affordable Studio Display alternative that doubles as a high-performance gaming monitor, the MSI Pro Max 271UPXW12G is an excellent choice — especially given its more competitive pricing post-launch.

The new Dell XPS 13 ($699) is the best budget Windows laptop right now and a true competitor to the equally priced MacBook Neo. Unlike other laptops in this price range, Dell’s laptop doesn’t skimp on features you’d only see on higher-end machines—proving you don’t have to sacrifice quality for an affordable notebook.

Instead of cheap plastic, the XPS 13 has a sturdy CNC aluminum chassis that both looks and feels high-grade. It’s also the thinnest XPS laptop ever, and even slimmer and lighter than the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air M5. This is one of the best laptops for people who are always on the go, as you’ll barely feel it in your backpack.

The 13.4-inch display is also extremely impressive for a $699 laptop, thanks to its sharp 2.5K resolution and vivid image quality. This is certainly a departure from the dull, dim panels found on most budget laptops. The fact that it’s also a touchscreen adds even more value and functionality.

Inside, the XPS 13 features the new Intel “Wildcat Lake” CPU. Though a lower-end chip compared with other Intel Core Series 3 chips, it has more than enough power to handle everyday workloads. You also get exceptional battery life, lasting 14 and a half hours in our testing.

Though its webcam isn’t the best, there’s not much to dislike about the new Dell XPS 13. If I were looking to buy a new productivity laptop, I’d certainly consider buying it. Find out why the XPS 13 is one of the best Windows laptops in my full review!

Dell XPS 13 (2026) review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Dell XPS 13 (2026) is a budget laptop packing premium-grade features like an aluminum chassis, bright touchscreen display, and an ultraportable design.
• Who is it for? For budget-conscious folks who still want a quality laptop for everyday work.
• What does it cost? The new Dell XPS 13 starts at $699 for a model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, though that will raise the price. You can buy it now from Dell.
• What do we like? We like the premium, thin and light design, vivid display, fast performance, and long battery life.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like the poor webcam quality.

Dell XPS 13 (2026) review: Specs

Dell XPS 13 (2026) review: The ups

The new Dell XPS 13 impresses thanks to its elegant build, fast performance, vivid touchscreen display, and epic battery life.

Thin and light design

Dell didn’t skimp on the XPS 13’s design. Yes, it’s a budget laptop, but it doesn’t look or feel like one, thanks to its CNC aluminum chassis and sleek overall design. Though it's the company’s thinnest XPS laptop and lighter and slimmer than the MacBook Neo and MacBook Air, its sturdy frame doesn’t flex easily.

Measuring 11.69 x 7.90 x 0.50 inches and weighing just 2.2 pounds, it’s the perfect travel laptop. If you’re carrying many things in your backpack, the XPS 13 won’t add much burden. Taking it around your office or home is also easy.

Speaking of size, the keyboard deck gives you just enough space to type comfortably. One interesting thing is that, unlike the current XPS laptops, this 13-inch model swaps the lattice-less keyboard for a more traditional keyboard deck. I don’t mind typing on the Dell XPS 14 and Dell XPS 16’s keyboards, but I must admit that the XPS 13’s key spacing and key caps feel more natural to type on.

Opening the laptop is seamless thanks to the handy lip on the lid. I've often complained about the lack of this design element in other XPS laptops, so it's great to see a lip on the budget model. Thank you, Dell!

Connectivity-wise, the XPS 13 has only two USB-C ports. While that’s a bummer, they’re both USB 3.2 Gen 2 compared to the Neo’s single USB 3.2 Gen 2 and older USB 2.0. There isn’t a 3.5mm headphone jack either, which is disappointing.

Regarding audio, the quad-speaker audio setup with 8W total peak output is generally good, especially for podcast-type content. However, the middling bass isn’t ideal for music. Still, for a laptop at this price, you get surprisingly decent sound.

Vivid display

On its own, the XPS 13’s display is fairly standard. However, compared to similarly priced budget laptops, the panel here is very impressive.

Static images, videos, text, and everything else look sharp on the 13.4-inch screen thanks to the 2.5K resolution. Both SDR and HDR content appear bright and colorful, as I experienced firsthand while watching a video featuring colorful animals and scenery. And thanks to the 30-120Hz variable refresh rate, everything moves smoothly.

Our lab tests align with my experience. The XPS 13 delivers good color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) and color accuracy (Delta-E). The MacBook Neo delivers slightly oversaturated hues compared to the XPS 13, and its display can get much brighter with both SDR and HDR content.

Again, I want to stress how impressive it is to see these values on budget machines, as you’d usually get duller displays at this price point.

Lastly, there’s the XPS 13’s touchscreen. Touch support on laptops is a feature I don’t often use but always appreciate if it’s there. This is also a big feature that the MacBook Neo lacks. I find touch controls as responsive as the touchpad’s, with the screen never failing to register my gestures. If you’d prefer using touch controls with certain apps, you have that option here.

Strong performance

All configurations of the XPS 13 include the new Intel Core 5 320 “Wildcat Lake” CPU, which is the company’s lower-end processor for budget laptops. You can configure the XPS 13 with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. We reviewed the $699 entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

The XPS 13 handled my average workflow without issue, which usually includes up to 15 open Chrome tabs and the occasional YouTube video running in the background. It also didn’t get too hot under that workload. While tasks like video editing or gaming are too demanding for this laptop, it’s more than capable for everyday work and video streaming.

Dell’s laptop performed well in our lab tests. On Geekbench 6, which measures overall CPU performance, the XPS 13 scored 2684 in single-core and 7952 in multi-core. Those aren’t mind-blowing numbers, but given this laptop’s specs and price, they’re solid. However, the MacBook Neo has better overall CPU performance.

On the Handbrake test, the XPS 13 took 10 minutes and 38 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. It performed this task about 40 seconds slower than the MacBook Neo. On the Blackmagic SSD test, Dell's laptop completely outperformed the Neo.

The Dell XPS 13 isn’t designed for high-end gaming. In the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme test, which measures a machine’s graphical performance, the XPS 13 scored 2455, averaging 14 frames per second. The MacBook Neo did better, with a 3661 score and 21 fps. Using its built-in benchmark tool, Borderlands 3 ran at an unplayable 8.7 fps at 1080p, just one frame lower than the MacBook Neo’s 9.6 frames per second.

Long-lasting battery life

In our battery life test, which involves continuous Wi-Fi web surfing with the display set to 150 nits, the Dell XPS 13 lasted an impressive 14 hours and 26 minutes. While that’s short of the advertised 17 hours, 14 and a half hours of endurance from a Windows laptop is still no joke.

In comparison, the MacBook Neo lasted for 13 hours and 26 minutes on the same test. That’s also impressive, but it’s still an hour shorter. Thanks to its endurance, you won’t have to worry if you accidentally leave the XPS 13’s 65W charger at home.

Dell XPS 13 (2026) review: The downs

While the XPS 13 has a lot going for it, it falls short in one main area.

So-so webcam

The good news is that the XPS 13 doesn’t have a cheap 720p webcam that budget laptops have been known for. However, while its 1080p webcam isn’t the worst, don’t expect it to make you look your best during video calls.

As you can see above, the image quality is generally blurry and a little washed out. I'm pale, but I have some color on my skin! You can always connect one of the best webcams for better results, but out of the box, you’ll get so-so quality at best.

Dell XPS 13 (2026) review: Verdict

If I haven't already made it clear, I'll say it again: The Dell XPS 13 (2026) is the best budget Windows laptop right now. I know someone will eventually come to challenge the MacBook Neo, but I didn't expect it to happen this fast or this well.

By bringing the finest aspects of the XPS laptop line to an affordable laptop, Dell has delivered a winner. For $699, this is a laptop that's hard to deny.

The new Asus Zenbook Duo has a lot going for it. The Duo sports a dramatic redesign that can enclose the keyboard inside the two displays for extra portability, a strong sturdy hinge to support the dual OLED panels, the powerful Intel X9 chipset with best-in-class Arc B390 integrated graphics, and fantastic ergonomics.

But it is pricey. While anyone can pick up the Zenbook Duo, the laptop is intended for creators and editors who need the extra screen-space of a dual-panel setup. Which begs the question: are two panels really better than one?

To see if a dual screen laptop is really that much better than a standard clamshell laptop, I replaced my Apple MacBook Pro M1 Pro for a week with the Zenbook Duo (2026).

The OLED difference

While my MacBook Pro was cutting edge when I bought it, the M1 Pro is now five years old, compared to the Zenbook Duo’s brand new Intel processor.

However, I don’t often need to edit enough video to really stress out the M1 Pro even after five years of daily usage. So while the Zenbook Duo is perhaps a bit faster than my MacBook, it’s a pretty close comparison in terms of general multitasking performance.

Instead, the Zenbook’s major upgrade over my Mac is its dual OLED touch displays. For all of Apple’s claims, the Liquid Retina display on my MacBook Pro just doesn’t have the same vibrancy and near-infinite contrast as an OLED display.

Both laptops have displays that look fantastic for streaming purposes, complete with HDR capabilities. So you can finally figure out what happened during the Battle of Winterfell in Game of Thrones’ final season a decade later.

But the real difference between the OLED and Liquid Retina displays is most essential when doing photo and video color grading. The color accuracy and high contrast of the Zenbook Duo’s OLED panels makes it a better choice for subtle color tweaks compared to my aging MacBook Pro.

Dual panel editing is unbeatable

For years I’ve used a split-screen setup on my desktop’s 27-inch monitor, or rocked a dual monitor/dual device setup for work purposes. Because having extra screen space is never a bad thing.

But that always leaves me with the struggle of frantically switching tabs or relying on tiny multi-window setups on my laptops when travelling or commuting. It’s workable but it’s not ideal.

Enter the Zenbook Duo. While setting up with my two screens, detached keyboard, and stylus at the local coffee shop is a little aggressive for a quick cafe work session, the Duo’s redesign really makes it much easier to take a dual-screen laptop on the go and get all the functionality you need.

And having the second display makes writing, editing, email and calendar management a treat. But the real benefit is when I broke out some video editing I’d been putting off doing on my MacBook.

Not only did the Zenbook Duo have no issue splicing together two massive files in CapCut, running some color correction, adding some on-screen text, being able to reference my script notes while doing the edit pass provided an almost desktop-like experience. Despite being on a laptop in a cafe.

It was exactly the kind of experience upgrade that makes doing highly complicated tasks on a laptop feel so much easier. Add in the touchscreen controls for extra-fine tuning in photo and video editing, and the Zenbook Duo is a nearly unmatched creator laptop.

Traditional single screen laptops just can’t compare

For most users, a dual screen laptop is just bragging rights. It's cool to have but not the most essential item. So paying $2,099 (or $2,299 for our review spec), is a bit of a hard sell when a single-screen clamshell laptop is more than sufficient for their day to day uses.

But for content creators in need of a new laptop, the Zenbook Duo is almost essential. It’s easily portable, has two beautiful OLED displays, and despite lacking a discrete GPU, the Zenbook Duo is a graphics powerhouse on gaming, photo, and video editing tasks.

The only downfall of the Zenbook Duo is its high price-tag, but considering all the utility and performance you get with the Duo, the price isn’t as bad as it could be.

And for creators looking at high-end Macs or windows laptops with discrete GPUs, $2,299 isn’t out of the question. While a MacBook Pro M5 Max or content creator laptop with an Nvidia GPU may have a bit more raw horsepower to work with, the Zenbook Duo isn’t far behind in performance.

Of course, if you’re in need of some extra graphics power, the ROG Zephyrus Duo may be the better option. But unless you’re doing a lot of 3D design, the Zenbook Duo is powerful enough, and far more affordable. But any single-screen laptop just can’t compare when it comes to ease of editing on a dual-screen device like the Duo.

More from Tom's Guide

• These are the 7 best student computers we tested to find the ultimate PCs for school
• The best laptops for engineering students in 2026: Built for CAD and 3D modeling
• I can't believe an RTX 5080 gaming laptop just lasted 14 hours on the battery: My full Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 review

Choosing a college is stressful, so picking a laptop that will last the next four years and beyond with you shouldn’t be. Every back-to-school season, I hear people making the same sizing mistake. They opt for a tiny 13-inch ultraportable to avoid weighing down their bag, only to endlessly squint at PDFs and scroll, or they opt for a 16-inch desktop replacement that will end up compressing their spine hauling it around campus.

The extremes are a trap. The Goldilocks principle applies to finding the right size for your school laptop, and 14 inches is that “just right” sweet spot. This is the only form factor that makes sense for the vast majority of students. Here’s why a 14-inch laptop is the clear choice for students and how recent hardware shifts have helped cement this reality.

The golden ratio

I used a 15-inch laptop in college, and trying to fit that behemoth on the often microscopic fold-out desks in a crowded lecture hall was a study in futility.

While modern classrooms have largely solved this problem, that large laptop is still a menace to take in and out of your bag repeatedly during the day, and it just weighs you down unnecessarily.

This just isn’t necessary anymore. The Asus Zenbook S14 is the perfect poster child for the ascendancy of the 14-inch laptop for students. You have all of the benefits of those larger laptops thanks to its 3K OLED panel and its 16:10 aspect ratio, while it weighs only 2.6 pounds and measures less than half an inch thick.

By shifting to a taller 16:10 layout, you gain crucial vertical real estate on your screen. It’s the difference between reading a syllabus or viewing an entire spreadsheet and having to scroll constantly.

It also enables proper multitasking by giving you the room to snap your browser to one side and a doc to the other so you can research or watch a lecture and write without everything turning into unreadable mush. Trying that same workflow on a 13-inch laptop could be endlessly frustrating.

Battery life 101

Another reason to avoid a smaller laptop in the past was that you would be left hunting for a wall outlet in a crowded library or an ancient lecture hall. Your diminutive laptop with a power-hungry x86 chip wasn’t going to make it more than a few hours before it would call it quits for the day.

That compromise is also dead. And while ARM-based chips have dominated much of the battery life discussion in the past few years, Intel’s newest Panther Lake architecture has clawed its way back into the conversation with outstanding efficiency.

Even the more powerful options like the Intel Core Ultra 9 386H inside the Asus Zenbook S14 show better battery life than power-sipping chips from previous generations.

Intel’s tile-based design, which includes dedicated “Low Power Island” efficiency cores, ensures that when you are doing simple tasks — juggling Chrome tabs, streaming Spotify, or typing a paper — you stay on those low-power cores. This goes hand-in-hand with the benefits of the NPU, which handles local AI tasks without touching the CPU or GPU.

The result is a 14-inch laptop that can deliver all-day battery life for typical student needs, so you can leave your charger at home. You also get to skip the worries about emulation that come from ARM-based laptops, which can be a headache with some older, niche academic software.

Built for campus life

Large laptops can also counterintuitively be less durable, as a thicker metal slab is more likely to dent or scratch if dropped or just accidentally bumped against a hard library table.

The Asus Zenbook S14 enjoys a unique advantage here as it is made from Asus’ proprietary “Ceraluminum” finish, which is a mix of ceramic and aluminum.

This gives it the sturdy toughness of an aluminum frame, but superior scratch resistance from the ceramic. So your laptop won’t look like it’s already had to survive four years of college after the first semester.

Unless you specifically need a massive laptop for video editing or running demanding games in your downtime, there is no reason to carry the extra bulk.

On the flip side, you simply aren’t saving that much weight, and you are giving up valuable screen real estate and keyboard comfort by opting for a 13-inch or smaller laptop. The 14-inch laptop isn’t a compromise between large and small; it’s leveraging today's technology to enjoy the benefits of both without sacrificing anything.

More from Tom's Guide

• These are the 7 best student computers we tested to find the ultimate PCs for school
• The best laptops for engineering students in 2026: Built for CAD and 3D modeling
• I can't believe an RTX 5080 gaming laptop just lasted 14 hours on the battery: My full Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 review

It’s getting harder to ignore the widening silicon inequality gap in the tech world right now thanks to RAMageddon. On one side, you have consumer PC gamers dealing with overpriced PC components, wondering if a standard 8-core CPU and 16GB of VRAM is enough to handle modern AAA games. On the other side, you have enterprise AI machines operating in a whole other universe of compute.

During its Advancing AI 2026 event, AMD announced an enormous 256-core CPU alongside the AMD Helios Rackscale solution — a single server cabinet packing a staggering 31 terabytes of high-bandwidth VRAM. No, these numbers are not typos!

Naturally, you can’t walk into your local Micro Center and buy one of these. Don’t get me wrong, the numbers are cool, but in a time where I might have to donate a kidney to afford a decent amount of RAM, it leaves a bad taste to see 31,000 gigabytes of it being (potentially) used to generate low-quality AI videos.

Here's what you need to know about AMD's enterprise CPU and server rack, along with how they stack up against a popular consumer GPU.

The 256-Core CPU

To put things into perspective, let’s consider the best gaming PCs. A high-end gaming CPU like the Ryzen 9 9950X tops out at 16 cores, which is plenty for running Cyberpunk 2077 or editing 4K videos.

Conversely, AMD’s new 6th Gen EPYC 9006 Series (SP7) server processor packs up to 256 cores and 512 threads onto a single chip, with high-frequency variants like the EPYC 9006X pushing boost speeds up to 5.15GHz. That’s 16 times the core count of a flagship desktop processor. EPYC would be an entire LAN party on one chip.

So, what’s the need to have 256 cores on a single die? AMD built these chips specifically to handle the massive overhead of agentic AI. Modern AI agents have to run code in isolated sandboxes, manage huge system memory states, and coordinate heavy feeds. This all takes a massive amount of computing power and is a far cry from our gaming PCs having to render ray-traced shadows.

Helios Rackscale

If you thought the CPU numbers sound wild, the RAM numbers are even more mind-blowing. The centerpiece of AMD’s announcement is the Helios Rackscale solution, which is an open-architecture AI system.

Inside a single server rack sit 18 compute trays holding a total of 72 AMD Instinct MI455X GPUs. Combined, this single cabinet delivers 31 terabytes (31,000 GB) of HBM4 VRAM with a whopping 1.7 petabytes per second of memory bandwidth.

For context, 31TB of VRAM is equivalent to roughly 1,937 Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards chained together!

These are insane numbers when compared to what a typical gaming GPU is packing. It’s definitely impressive, but at the same time, that’s offset by the knowledge that a good chunk of the world’s RAM is going to server racks like this.

Helios Rack vs. RTX 5070 Ti

To give you an understanding of how monstrous a single Helios rack is, let’s compare its raw specs against one of the most popular upper-midrange consumer GPUs out now: The Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti (16GB GDDR7).

Looking at it through this lens, a single server rack packs the raw memory bandwidth of nearly 1,900 desktop PCs working in unison! This is a whole other level of computing, my friends.

Bottom line

AMD is certainly flexing its tech muscles with this announcement. However, there’s a sobering reality behind these staggering numbers. Seeing a single server rack hog 31 terabytes of high-bandwidth memory shows exactly where the global supply chain is funneling its resources. Namely, it’s all being swallowed by the AI boom (or bubble — however you see it). As a lifelong gamer, it hurts being pushed to the side.

Even if it stings, we can’t fault AMD for choosing to invest in more lucrative enterprise projects like this rather than in the average consumer. So, the next time you find yourself debating whether to pay a premium for a 16GB graphics card over an 8GB model, or wondering why PC component prices keep climbing, you now have a better idea of why.

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• SK Hynix warns 2027 will be 'worst year' for RAM prices — right as a damning report reveals something that will add fuel to the price-fixing lawsuit
• OpenAI just made its biggest move against Nvidia — and it could make ChatGPT cheaper to run
• Apple seeks RAM from blacklisted Chinese company as memory shortage impacts everything — but it may not be enough

Apple’s Mac lineup will get a major overhaul starting later this year. That’s according to Bloomberg reporter and Apple tipster Mark Gurman, whose sources gave him a rundown of the upcoming Macs.

Things will kick off with a refreshed entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro featuring the new M6 chip, along with a new iMac that will also sport the yet-to-be-announced processor. Development of these Macs is reportedly complete, but they aren’t likely to ship until the fall.

The next biggest release should be higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks with OLED panels and a new design. These brand-new editions to the MacBook line will have M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Apple will reportedly release these MacBooks in late 2026 or early 2027.

New MacBook Air models are expected early in 2027. These 13- and 15-inch laptops will apparently resemble the current models, though Apple is reportedly developing an OLED model for 2028. There will be another MacBook Pro with a new design and packing an M7 chip sometime in 2027.

Additionally, Apple is working on a refreshed MacBook Neo. This model reportedly runs on the updated A19 Pro chip and more RAM. The report doesn’t say anything about pricing or when this laptop will launch.

Gurman’s report also says that a new iMac with an OLED screen is in the works, but won’t be released until later. Apple is also planning new Mac mini and Mac Studio models with refreshed chips. This includes the M5 Pro and M6 for the Mac mini, and the M5 Max and M5 Ultra for the Mac Studio.

Outlook

As always, take this report with a grain of salt, as Apple hasn’t made any official announcements about these Mac models. There’s certainly a lot to look forward to if all of this is accurate, though with the ongoing RAM crisis, it’s anyone’s guess when these computers will actually release and how much they’ll cost. As always, stay tuned for more as we hear further reports.

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To say that people weren’t impressed when Nvidia DLSS 5 was announced would be an understatement. Gamers and critics alike expressed concerns over heavy-handed “beauty filters” smoothing out character faces and AI overwriting developer art direction. The initial requirement of a second GPU for rendering also didn’t go over well.

At SIGGRAPH, Nvidia held a follow-up keynote that was practically built to address the concerns folks have with DLSS 5. Instead of focusing on how photo-realistic DLSS 5 could make graphics appear, the keynote centered around the amount of control artists will have over the technology.

Here’s a breakdown of what Nvidia discussed at SIGGRAPH and how DLSS 5 might not be as bad as we feared.

Granular control

As you might recall, the biggest complaint with DLSS 5 is how the graphics appeared to have an Instagram/TikTok filter slapped over them. A less charitable description would be an “AI slop” filter. Nvidia addressed this concern directly, saying that game artists would have full control over a game’s graphics.

Developers won’t be forced into all-or-nothing with AI. They’ll be able to mask out individual characters, faces, props, or background elements so DLSS 5 either ignores them or processes them with tailored settings. Structural and Tone Intensity sliders will give devs fine control over how things appear. There will also be three distinct AI models for developers to assign.

No AI overwrites

Another concern is that the AI would hallucinate on low-poly geometry or rewrite hand-crafted visuals. DLSS 5 isn’t generating a game scene from scratch but relies strictly on internal game engine buffers to preserve the artist’s original intent.

Nvidia emphasized that traditional rasterization and ray tracing still build the entire frame first, defining geometry, lighting anchors, motion vectors, and surface normals. Nvidia framed DLSS 5 as a third category of AI rendering alongside upscaling reconstruction and frame generation. The engine creates the world while the model enriches complex lighting elements.

Latency

Generative video models usually process frames in batches, which can introduce input lag. That’s obviously a non-starter for fast-paced games like CSGO 2.

Nvidia says that DLSS 5 processes the current frame using the game’s engine’s native motion vectors without looking ahead to future frames. By avoiding multi-frame batch processing, Nvidia’s goal is to eliminate both generative latency and temporal shimmering artifacts.

One GPU needed, not two

When Nvidia first demoed DLSS 5, the computational overhead was so heavy that it reportedly required dual high-end GPUs just to run smoothly. Naturally, this isn’t feasible for most players, but Nvidia says you’ll be able to run DLSS 5 on a single GPU.

To that end, Nvidia revealed that they have distilled the massive generative model into a much smaller, single-step diffusion model. The updated implementation has been engineered to run on a single RTX GPU with efficient VRAM allocation instead of requiring multi-GPU rigs that only hardcore users own.

Outlook

I’ve championed Nvidia DLSS for years, but I was one of the folks who wasn’t enamored with that initial DLSS 5 reveal. Now, after SIGGRAPH, I'm less worried about this fall's upcoming update.

We’ll have to wait to see how the final version functions, but I’m glad that Nvidia has addressed all the major concerns. If we can get richer game graphics without the infamous AI look, then we’ll all be winners.

More from Tom's Guide

• What is Nvidia DLSS? Explaining the AI tech transforming PC gaming — and why it’s getting controversial
• Nvidia's 'GPT moment' for graphics rejected by gamers; CEO Jensen Huang rushes to defend DLSS 5
• DLSS 4.5 is now live — I tested Nvidia’s upscaler to see which model you should actually use

GIGABYTE had some serious firepower to show off at Computex 2026. Itʼs offering a range of monitors, laptops, and external GPU enclosures to upgrade your setup for work and play alike. GIGABYTE went beyond just the hardware, though, including additional AI smarts to level up the experience on its devices. Hereʼs a closer look at the stunning new hardware and how the AI integration only raises the bar.

A new generation of gaming monitors

The new lineup of AORUS ELITE monitors has truly stunning specifications. From 1,500-nit brightness levels and 4K inky OLED black levels on the AORUS ELITE FO32U24GP to QHD 540Hz speeds on the FO27Q54G, these monitors are designed to dazzle. With qualities like that, it's no wonder they all include HDMI eARC, since you might be tempted to use them in place of TVs and pair them with a hi-fi audio system.

All that is just the raw hardware, though. GIGABYTE further integrates AI to step up its capabilities as well. The monitors can automatically optimize the display settings on SDR content with AI Picture Mode, so you donʼt have to manually switch between SDR and HDR modes all the time. Meanwhile, the AORUS ELITE series can deliver brighter visuals by applying HyperNits Mode for HDR and high-APL scenes. Combined with GIGABYTE’s intuitive Tactical features, the displays also automatically change the color of the crosshair to offer red or green contrast for games, and the new Tactical HUD lets you mirror key on-screen elements like the mini map to your preferred position and adjust transparency as needed. Monitors with dual-resolution modes like the FO32U24GP and FO27Q54G get a Tactical Switch to make jumping to a lower resolution and higher refresh rate as simple as pressing a button.

The AI integration also improves the devices' quality of life. Smart OLED Protection can refresh the pixels intelligently without disruptions, helping the panel age more slowly. The monitors also have sensors that can adjust brightness based on ambient lighting and automatically turn off the screen when you step away to conserve power and panel longevity.

Laptops with an AI-optimized agent

GIGABYTEʼs new laptop lineup is stacked. The AORUS MASTER 16 GEN 2 pairs a high-wattage AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D CPU with a up to 175W TGP for extreme performance in an ultra-slim 19mm chassis. It even provides an HDR 1,000-nit, 240Hz OLED display and the new RGB music mode that enables lighting to react in real time with gameplay or cinematic content. The GIGABYTE AERO X16; Copilot+ PC offers a lightweight, high-performance solution for gaming and content creation, with up to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 400 Series processor and RTX 5070 with 12GB VRAM that deliver plenty of performance for work and play, as well as on-device large language model use. Meanwhile, the GIGABYTE GAMINGA16, A16 Pro, A18 and A18 Pro offer golden curve keyboard design, 180-degree hinge and performance profiles for all sorts of user needs.

Beyond their powerful hardware, all these laptops come with GIGABYTE’s AI agent, GiMATE, which is at the heart of its laptops' capabilities. GiMATE is designed to help with everything from tuning performance — tweaking the display for optimal visuals and adjusting settings for longer battery life — to managing generative AI tasks like image creation and coding. Through the “press and speak” functionality, controlling GiMATE is as simple as asking it to do something and letting it take action on your behalf. GIGABYTE also applied AI visual technology to selected models with OLED displays, offering cinema, e-paper, racing, and FPS modes for an optimal visual experience across different scenarios.

AI BOX turning ultrabooks into AI powerhouses

Ultrabooks are excellent for their portability, and even the slimmest models can bring serious CPU performance. But there are some tasks and activities where a discrete, desktop GPU is simply required. GIGABYTE has the answer with its AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5060 Ti AI BOX. These units pack desktop graphics into enclosures that conveniently pair with ultrabooks using Thunderbolt 5, sending 80Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth and 100W power delivery directly to the laptop.

The AORUS GeForce RTX 5090 AI BOX brings a desktop RTX 5090 in all its glory with 32GB of VRAM and over 3,000 AI TOPS of performance and pairs it with an icy cool AORUS WATERFORCE 240mm liquid cooling loop for silent operation. The AORUS GeForce RTX 5060Ti AI BOX offers a portable solution for professionals and gamers on the move, packing a desktop RTX 5060 Ti 16GB and WINDFORCE cooling system with patented Hawk Fans and server-grade conductive thermal gel into an enclosure that can slip into a backpack.

With an AORUS AI BOX, you can use your ultrabook as a workstation or a gaming desktop. While some hybrid setups that include an internal and an external GPU can struggle to properly assign workloads to the ideal GPU, leaving one GPU idle while overloading another, GIGABYTE's proprietary GPU Selector is an intelligent graphics management tool designed to unleash the full power of multi-GPU systems—such as laptops paired with an AI BOX. By effectively distributing heavy workloads like gaming, AI computing, and content creation across multiple GPUs, it eliminates performance bottlenecks. The Smart Assign Mode dynamically optimizes resource allocation on the fly for a seamless, automatic experience, while the intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows you to instantly assign apps to designated GPUs without complex setups.

Between GIGABYTEʼs monitors, laptops, and AI BOXes, it offers a host of ways for you to put AI to work for you. Whether you need enhanced visuals, easy operation, or a massive AI performance upgrade, GIGABYTE has a little something for you in the latest launches.

Can Samsung make smart glasses you’ll actually want to wear? I just got my first up-close look at the designs coming this fall in collaboration with Google, Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.

These glasses are shockingly light given all the tech stuffed inside, and Samsung promises longer battery life than the Meta Ray-Ban glasses and instant access to Google’s robust app ecosystem. Plus, Samsung seems to be taking user privacy seriously.

Light enough for ‘all-day’ wear

The first thing I noticed about this Intelligent Eyewear is how light they are. Yes, the Warby Parker model looks bulkier than my everyday reading glasses from the same brand, but I was surprised how easy they were to pick up.

The right side houses a button for firing up Gemini and capturing content, and there’s a power switch on the inside of the left arm. There’s a camera on the right, LED sensor on the left and dual stereo speakers on the arms.

The Gentle Monster glasses come in a couple of different styles, including fashionable oval specs and more traditional-looking frames that offer clear or tinted lenses.

There appears to be a touchpad on the left and right arms for controlling volume, but Samsung was not able to confirm this detail.

Durability: Dropped, stretched and sunscreened

According to James Choi, who heads Samsung's XR R&D, the company subjected these glasses to drop tests, water tests, high temperatures and sweat. In fact, the company invented 20 different tests to evaluate the durability of its glasses.

This includes using robots to force the arms outward to see how long they last under stress. Samsung even devised a sunscreen test, injecting it near the speakers. So these specs should be able to stand up to the wear and tear of your daily schedule.

Gemini AI on your face

These AI glasses are all about having Gemini always available, letting you check notifications, get answers to your questions, directions and more on the go. For Samsung, it’s not about replacing your phone, but using it less.

With Gemini Live on board, you can leverage the cameras, microphones and open ear stereo speakers to have conversations on the fly with the AI assistant. You can get real-time guidance on everything from cooking to putting together an outfit or assembling furniture.

And because the glasses instantly understand the world from your perspective, the eyewear can be more contextual and there’s much less you need to explain.

And, unlike Meta, you’ll have access to a bevy of popular Google apps from day one, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Maps, as well as Samsung apps like Notes and Interpreter.

Very good (promised) battery life

Samsung promises nine hours of battery life on a charge with mixed usage. This includes Gemini Live conversations, voice calls, notifications and more.

I got to handle the charging case for the Gentle Monster glasses, and it was quite light as well. It promises several charges on the go.

What about privacy?

We don’t know the specs of the camera yet for the Samsung glasses, but you'll be able to capture photos and videos, as well as let Gemini see what you see for Gemini Live interactions.

But how will Samsung protect privacy and prevent a horde of creeps from surveilling everyone around them? Samsung told us that they’re building AI glasses you can trust.

For starters, any blocking of the LED on the glasses also blocks recording. But Samsung knows that certain individuals will resort to trying to hack the glasses or — as in the case of Meta — perhaps seek black market options for tampering with their device.

“At Samsung, privacy is not an afterthought,” Samsung’s Choi said. “For this category to be more widely adopted, we understand that the user and the people around them need to trust both the technology and its privacy protection."

Choi told us that simple destruction of the LED can be detected but Samsung also has engineers who are focused on further protections and reverse engineering what bad actors might accomplish on the black market.

Outlook

There’s still a fair amount we don’t know about the Samsung AI glasses year, like the weight, specs and especially price. But it’s clear that Samsung is focusing on everyday wearability and durability for these first-generation glasses.

Assuming the prices are affordable enough, I’d say Samsung and its partners have some key advantages over Meta, including high-profile partnerships with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, longer battery life, a better ecosystem of apps and a smarter AI assistant in Gemini.

Display glasses will come later. Samsung is actively developing this category but is also in no rush to launch. The company doesn’t want to make any major sacrifices to wearability.

“We want better quality than what’s in the market,” Choi said. We want to make it natural with the display. We’re working on it.”

But tell me what you think. Are you leaning towards Samsung or Meta, waiting for Apple to join the smart glasses race, or are you just fully anti AI-camera glasses no matter who makes them? Sound off in the comments.

If you’re looking for a laptop for school, you need something reliable that’ll get you through classes without needing to ask your professor where the closest outlet is. You need a laptop that is both sturdy and light, so you don’t feel like you’re lugging around a bag of bricks. Some of these textbooks are heavy enough as it is.

As long as you know what you’re looking for, you can suss out the perfect laptop out of a crowd. Don’t worry, I’m going to help guide you along through the key features you need to keep an eye out for when shopping just before the semester starts.

A great example is the Asus Vivobook 16. It encompasses all of the qualities that you want out of a school laptop.

Here’s what you should be looking for.

Portability

You’re going to be zipping around from class to class, so you want a laptop that is light to carry and won’t shatter to pieces if you drop it.

Larger laptops are more likely to be heavy, so usually I’d recommend something around or under 4 pounds. The Vivobook 16 does ride that line, at 4.14 pounds, but it is a 16-inch laptop, so you’re getting a lot of real estate in exchange. And it still manages to stay relatively thin, at 0.78 inches. Any laptops within this range should be able to slip into your pack with ease, and hopefully you remember it’s there before you toss your bag to the floor when you get home.

However, if you do hurl your bag across the room, a proper school laptop will be fine. With regard to durability, the key feature you’ll want to look for on any laptop is that US MIL-STD 810H badge. It’s proof that the laptop underwent 12 military-grade tests, which include pitting the laptop against drops, vibrations, extreme temperatures, sand and dust, humidity, and more. The Asus Vivobook 16 underwent these tests, and you can see them in greater detail here.

With the external portability aspects covered, the next thing you should worry about is battery life. Being able to carry a laptop anywhere with ease is great and all, but if it dies before your first class ends, then what’s the point? I recommend looking for laptops with at least over 10 hours of battery life. That should be enough to get you through a school day.

Comfortability

If I’m interacting with a laptop for a full day between classes and homework, it sure better be comfortable. But what does comfort for a laptop entail? Well, it comes down to the keyboard, touchpad, and even the display. Your key points of interaction with a laptop will define your entire experience with it.

With a keyboard, you want something that’s well-spaced, distinguishably-shaped, and offers decently high key-travel. It’s tough to get an idea of these features from afar when shopping online. However, manufacturers will list things like key travel. For example, the Asus Vivobook 16 offers 1.4mm of key travel, which is enough depth that it should provide some solid feedback. I do recommend hitting up your local laptop seller and testing out a few keyboards.

I could say the same about touchpads. It comes down to the experience, but you can get an idea of what a touchpad might feel like depending on the materials listed on a product’s website. If you find something with a glass touchpad, you’re in for a silky smooth surface. Plastic can be hit or miss, and Mylar is generally smooth but not as much as glass.

Then there’s the display, which you’re going to be staring at all day long. It’s ideal if you can find a gorgeous OLED display to watch all your favorite shows after class. However, eye-strain is real, so I would look into finding a laptop, like the Vivobook 16, with a TÜV Rheinland-certified display. These screens are tested to ensure there are low blue-light emissions and that they’re flicker-free. Both of which can reduce eye-strain and the potential headaches that come with staring at a screen for an ungodly amount of time.

Value

The last thing you need is to spend thousands of dollars on a laptop that offers more power than you can possibly need. What you do need is a laptop with an excellent price-to-performance ratio. In other words, we’re looking for good value. But what constitutes a good value? This is where we get a little crunchy and look at specs.

For example, the Vivobook 16 is currently on sale for $549 and is outfitted with an Intel Core i7-13620H processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. Most budget laptops around this price would’ve already taken you down to 8GB of RAM and a Core i5 CPU. The storage is just about right, but there are cheap laptops that do drop down to 256GB.

Want to make sure you’ll survive school with no performance hiccups? Look for an Intel Core i7, an AMD Ryzen 7, or a Snapdragon X2 CPU with 16GB of RAM. Storage is up in the air unless you think you’re going to be hoarding gigabytes worth of essays, so use your own judgement. As far as the overall price goes, keep it under $800. There are plenty of great laptops out there that’ll manage school work just fine under that price. You can go even lower if you think you’ll be carrying a light load.

Overall, the Asus Vivobook 16 is a great example of a school laptop and should be worth considering if you’re looking for a solid performer in a portable package with a large screen and high-travel keyboard.

From ultra-portable laptops and beefy gaming PCs to the essential accessories that make your daily setup faster and easier, we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to computing today.

That’s why Tom’s Guide is officially opening nominations for our Computing & Gaming Awards 2026. This year, we're putting the spotlight on the most innovative devices and technologies on the market — from premium flagships to unmatched value picks. If you think your product has what it takes to outshine the competition, now is the time to submit it to our team for consideration. In fact, we've extended the deadline until August 6th, so get your last-minute entries in now.

We’ll be crowning winners across nine distinct categories, ranging from everyday laptops and gaming rigs to mice, displays and peripherals. Winners will be selected based on our extensive testing and hands-on experience. Plus, with multiple award opportunities within each category, there’s more than one chance to win.

Read on for a breakdown of each category to learn what our editors are looking for and to find out how to submit your entry.

Award categories

We’re currently seeking entries across nine major categories including laptops, gaming laptops, gaming PCs, mini PCs, monitors, keyboard, mice, webcams and value picks. We reserve the right to modify these categories based on the submissions — especially if we see a number of similar entries in one category or not enough in another.

Laptops

From ultra-portable Copilot+ PCs and sleek 2-in-1s to high-refresh gaming rigs packed with heavy-duty GPUs, today's notebooks are pushing boundaries on every front. Whether designed for all-day battery life, sleek portability or high-frame-rate gaming on the go, this category honors the laptops that get the balance right without compromise.

Gaming PCs

From high-end prebuilt rigs to smartly designed desktop systems, this category is for PCs that deliver the speed, graphics and uncompromised performance gamers expect. Whether pushing 4K frame rates or handling heavy live streaming, these are the desktops that set the standard for power.

Monitors

Whether built for high-refresh competitive gaming, ultra-color-accurate creative work or massive multitasking across an ultrawide canvas, we're looking for screens that make everything look and feel better. This category highlights the displays setting new benchmarks in panel tech, ergonomics and visual clarity.

Peripherals

From mechanical favorites and ergonomic mice to high-def webcams, this category celebrates the gear that makes typing, gaming, navigating and video calling feel smoother, sharper and more precise. We want to highlight the everyday desk heroes, comfort-first devices and streaming cameras people don't want to replace.

Value picks

Great tech doesn't always need a flagship price tag. This category is dedicated to the budget-friendly standout products that manage to deliver premium features, reliable performance and exceptional quality without breaking the bank.

How to enter

Brands can submit products via our online entry form by selecting the appropriate category and following the “Enter Now” buttons on the awards site.

Entry fee: $250 per product, per category

No limit on submissions and products can be entered into multiple categories (additional $250 per category).

Deadline: August 6th, 2026

Category winners will be announced in late August.

Are smart glasses too ... smart? Rather than creating a jack-of-all trades pair of specs, the new Halliday G2 smart glasses are aimed at one thing: Making your meetings more focused and productive.

To that end, these glasses don't have a camera, but instead a set of mics and an AI that can act as your assistant to look up data, create action items, and help keep people accountable.

I went hands-on with the Halliday G2 a few weeks back and here's everything they can do, as well as my initial impressions on how they compare to the best smart glasses.

Price and availability

The Halliday G2 will cost $599 (the same price as the Even Realities G2, but $200 less than the Meta Ray-Ban Display), and is expected to ship in September. Preorders begin today (July 21) at www.hallidayglobal.com; those who secure a preorder with a $10 deposit will get $100 off the regular price of the glasses.

The G2s will be available with prescription lenses.

Design and display

While the Halliday G2 has a display, it feels a lot more stripped-down than the Meta Ray-Ban Displays or the Snap Specs, but that's by design.

For one thing, there's no camera. In addition to making the glasses simpler, it was also done to put others at ease, company reps told me. (They can record audio, but still.)

While the G2 has a built-in display, it's much more basic than what you'll find on the Meta Displays, and more like that on the Even Realities G2 or Rokid Glasses: a green, monochrome readout.

Unlike the first-gen Halliday, the G2's display is brighter and clearer, and appears virtually in front of both your eyes, rather than on just the right side. The image appears to hover a few feet in front of you, which made it much more natural to look at when holding a conversation with others.

The G2's feature dual micro-LED projectors with a resolution of 600 x 300 in each eye, and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits.

I wore the G2's for a few minutes during a hands-on session, and found them to be as comfortable as the Ray-Ban Metas, as well as my regular non-smart glasses. The G2's weigh under 50 grams, which put them in the same tier as the Ray-Ban Meta (51 grams), the Rokid Glasses (48 grams), but heavier than the Even Realities G2, which weigh just 35 grams.

A touchpad on the right temple lets you navigate the G2's interface with swipes and taps; it'll take some practice to get the hang of things.

Similar to most smart glasses, the Halliday G2s can also deliver notifications, phone calls, play music, and let you use the Halliday AI Assistant.

Made for meetings

The biggest differentiator between the Halliday G2 and other smart glasses is its focus on making meetings more productive. To that end, its biggest feature is called Meeting Flow, which has several facets:

• Understanding the conversation (literally): The glasses support real-time translation in over 45 languages, and can pick up voices using its 4-mic array, which work in up to a 2-meter radius.
• Quick Summary: If you lose focus or get distracted, the glasses can catch you up on what was just said.
• Quick Research: If you need to look up a fact or information, Meeting Flow can dig up relevant information based on the conversation taking place at the time of your query.
• Thread Tracker: Often, conversations can drift off on tangents; this feature tracks how things evolved, so you can get back to the original subject.
• Decision Confirmation: This helps make sure that if something was decided, it gets remembered, and also prompts the G2 wearer if something was left open-ended.
• Commitment Check: If someone in the meeting says they're going to do something, this feature will prompt the wearer to not only confirm that, but also give the person the information they need to complete the task.
• Open-item tracker: If things are left unresolved, this feature will make note of them, and put them in a checklist.
• Summary and transcript: Like all other AI assistants, Meeting Flow will create a summary and transcript of the meeting.

Outlook

At a time when there's a lot of concern around privacy and smart glasses — just look at the issues around Meta's smart glasses — the idea of having a camera-free set of specs will no doubt be appealing to many.

The idea of having a set of smart glasses hyper-focused around a particular activity could appeal to those who spend a lot of time in meetings, and need a smart way to not only make them more productive, both during and after the fact.

However, I have no doubt that many will look to the broader appeal of the upcoming Samsung smart glasses (and other Android XR devices), which could cost around the same, but offer more functionality.

We'll reserve our final judgment until September, when the Halliday G2 glasses — and Meeting Flow — rolls out.

• I've reviewed all of Meta's smart glasses, and this is the pair I'd actually buy
• Exclusive: Inside Google’s plan to win over your face with AI glasses — and avoid Meta's privacy missteps
• I’ve traveled over 50,000 miles testing smart glasses in 2026 — here are my 3 favorites that have launched this year so far

Watch out, MacBook Neo! The new Dell XPS 13 is here, and it could arguably be the best budget laptop available. With a starting price of $699, it packs many of the features you’d find in higher-end XPS laptops. Given the ongoing RAM crisis, this notebook is seriously worth considering for what it offers.

Unlike most budget Windows laptops, the XPS 13 has a CNC aluminum chassis built to the same standards as its more expensive XPS counterparts. Not only does it look great, but it’s also the thinnest XPS laptop ever. Toss in other features, such as a vivid 2.5K touch display, a backlit keyboard, and fast performance, and you have a winner.

I’ve spent 48 hours with the Dell XPS 13 and find that it lives up to the hype. To be clear, I tested the model with 16GB of RAM, which retails for $899. I’ll review the model with 8GB of RAM soon, but for now, here’s what I think of the new Dell XPS 13.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Specs

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Design

“Wow, that’s light,” was the first thing I said when I picked up the XPS 13. And that wasn’t just my brain playing tricks on me. At 2.2 pounds, this laptop is lighter than the 2.7-pound 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Neo. This is exactly the kind of laptop I want to travel with since it’s so light — a fact that was very clear when I barely felt it in my backpack when I brought the XPS 13 from the office to my apartment.

The smooth aluminum chassis also ensures that the XPS 13 is plenty sturdy, as it doesn’t easily bend or flex. This is a far cry from the plastic laptops I’m used to in this price range. I’m glad that Dell didn’t sacrifice build quality to drop the price, as the aluminum casing is an important selling point here.

Another big selling point for anyone deciding between the XPS 13 and the MacBook Neo is the former’s backlit keyboard. This is something some folks don’t think about, since many laptops have backlit keyboards, but if you work at night or just need help seeing the keys, it’s a crucial feature.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Display

The Dell XPS 13 has a 13.4-inch 2.5K-resolution touchscreen display. Though it’s not an OLED panel, everything looks bright and colorful to me. When running a video featuring colorful animals, I was impressed by the color representation and accuracy. Naturally, text-heavy websites are very clear.

As you can see from our display benchmarks, the XPS 13 delivers solid color representation (sRGB and DCI-P3) and color accuracy (Delta-E). While Dell’s notebook has higher resolution and touch support, the MacBook Neo matches the XPS 13 in color representation and accuracy. However, the Neo's display is overall brighter, especially with SDR content.

While the 13-inch MacBook Air has a slightly taller display at 13.6 inches, everything is still clear on the XPS 13’s display. This is a big win, especially since laptops in this price range tend to have duller displays.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Performance

The XPS 13 features the new Wildcat Lake CPU and gives me my first chance to test a laptop with Intel’s lower-end Series 3 processor. Our review unit also has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. While these specs aren’t mind-blowing, they get the job done.

Even with 15 Microsoft Edge tabs open and a YouTube video running in the background, the XPS 13 didn’t noticeably slow down. My experience aligns with our CPU benchmarks, which show solid single- and multi-core scores.

Even with its 8GB of RAM, the MacBook Neo has a slight edge in CPU performance, underscoring the incredible efficiency of Apple’s affordable laptop. As for the Handbrake video transcoding test, the MacBook Neo performed the task about 10 seconds faster.

We haven't run our battery life test yet, but Dell claims up to 17 hours of streaming battery life for the XPS 13. We’ll see if the XPS 13 can match the Neo’s 13.5-hour endurance in our lab tests. If Dell can match or exceed that, it would be another big reason to buy.

Dell XPS 13 (2026): Outlook

For what it offers, the Dell XPS 13 is an excellent budget Windows laptop. It’s extremely rare to find such a solid notebook at this price point. I’ll have a full review for you soon, but based on my experience so far, I’m very impressed with what Dell has delivered.

As for the MacBook Neo comparisons, they’re even more relevant now, given Apple’s price hikes, which have put the Neo at the same starting price as the XPS 13. If you’re married to a specific platform (macOS or Windows 11), the decision should be easy. However, if you just want the best value, you now have two strong options.

Stay tuned for my full XPS 13 review, along with a deeper face-off between Dell’s laptop and the MacBook Neo to help you decide which one is best for your needs.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours — and I'm shocked
• We benchmarked the MacBook Neo vs budget Windows laptops
• How to maximize your MacBook Neo for peak performance

If you've ever looked at Google Maps while you're driving and thought to yourself, "why can't this app track my speed too?" then you're in luck. It seems Google is now starting to roll out live speedometer support to Google Maps for Android Auto, and I have to admit that it's about time too.

Part of me is surprised that it's taken Google Maps so long to implement this feature on Android Auto. After all, the app is constantly following your vehicle for its navigation, and I can't imagine being able to monitor and display a rough speed estimate would be too much extra work.

What's even weirder is that Google Maps added a speedometer on its CarPlay app back in 2024, and it's been available on Waze for as long as I can remember. You'd have thought Google would prioritize its own primary platform, right? But that clearly wasn't the case.

I distinctly remember this feature was widely available on a multitude of pre-smartphone GPS units, and it was always interesting to see how much of a difference there was. The GPS typically had my speed a few miles per hour slower than the car itself, though in the interest of not being bombarded with enough tickets to lose my license I generally stuck with what the car had to say.

Then again, you need to remember that Google Maps took years to roll out support for speed limits and speed camera alerts — which happened back in 2019. So it's no surprise that some of these smaller features, like a GPS speedometer, haven't been top of the list of priorities.

Still reports suggest that it is rolling out, even if it hasn't reached my devices in the UK— which are running beta versions of Google Maps and Android Auto. Users on Reddit have reported seeing the speedometer in their vehicles, with screenshots from Canada and India.

The Canadian user is specifically running version 26.29.02.946673643 of the Google Maps beta. That's the same version as me, though I am sadly missing this particular feature.

Do you see the speedometer in Android Auto yet? Let us know in the comments.

More from Tom's Guide

• Massive Samsung leak reveals official Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, and Flip 8 images ahead of Unpacked
• I tried Google Maps hidden time machine feature — here's how to do it yourself
• I tested Google's new Gemini update for Android Auto and it finally fixes everything that made the old Google Assistant so frustrating to use while driving

“It’s been a while since I properly sat down and read a book.” A sentence I said, and probably many of you have uttered in the age of short-form content. With the $419 Boox Go 10.3 Gen II and 25,000 miles worth of flights in two weeks, I’ve got the chance to lose myself in many good reads.

Did this e-reader hold up to the Kindle Scribe? Kind of — it depends on what your priorities are. If it’s a high-quality reading experience, Boox is the way to go.

The screen has fantastic sharpness and contrast that makes the text pop off the screen; the soft, evenly spread backlighting makes it easier on the eyes for late-night reading.

But more than that, this tablet runs Android 15, which, beyond the Play Store’s selection of reading apps, makes it far more open to different eBook file formats. Way more open than you’d find on any Kindle! Throw in stellar battery life, and you’re onto a winner.

However, if you really want to take advantage of all that note-taking capability, that’s where the Kindle wins out. Not to say the Boox doesn’t allow you to doodle — there’s a stylus and a touchscreen, after all. But the supplied pen tip feels a little awkward to drag across the screen, and the slight latency, paired with ghosting when taking notes, can create a disconnect between your hand and the paper that your brain takes a beat to process.

So it very much depends on what your goals are with an e-reader like this. For me, someone who leans more toward reading with a casual side order of jotting things down, the Boox is more than enough and a global daily driver I was happy to have in my daily carry.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: Cheat sheet

• What is it? This is an e-reader/notetaking tablet hybrid.
• Who is it for? This one's for the bookworms and daily jotters/doodlers.
• What does it cost? The standard model without a backlight costs $419, and you'll pay an extra $30 for the Lumi model with illuminated screen.
• What do we like? This is a featherweight, premium-feeling ereader in the hand with a great battery life, super sharp display with even backlighting, and Android 15 gives you a far more open experience than you'd find on a Kindle.
• What don't we like? The writing experience isn't quite as good as you'd find on the Scribe, and that internal power can be a little slow to open apps and books.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: Specs

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: The ups

The first leg was a big one — Heathrow to Taipei. Keeping yourself entertained with a short attention span is tricky, but popping open a good book on the Boox seemed to be the key to watching the hours fly by.

A good-looking read

Let’s start with the hardware, which feels great in the hand thanks to its metallic construction and that nicely textured fabric case. At around 360g and 4.6mm thin, it’s a featherweight with evenly distributed weight across its body. And yet, it still feels durable enough to be stashed in an airplane seatback pocket or chucked into your backpack.

Throw in the longevity of that 3,700 mAh cell giving me a full week of use easily, and it’s a worry-free device from most angles.

Display looks like a page of a book

Now for the display. That 10.3-inch monochrome panel sports 300 pixels-per-inch, which really brings out the crispness of text in whatever you’re reading. Throw in a decently deep contrast ratio, too, and that brings real definition to each character on that page or image in a web article.

And when the refresh rate needs to be upped for things like web browsing or drawing, it does so at a respectable rate. It may not be LCD or OLED levels of fluid, but it's fluid enough for the essentials.

Quality-wise, this is up there with what the Kindle Scribe can provide — especially when you loop in that nice even Lumi backlighting. It sucks that you’ve got to pay an additional $50 for this feature, but for those bookworm night owls or those on long-haul flights, that glow is just right.

Android 15 opens the door

Let’s be real — books aren’t the only thing you want to read on an e-reader. There are also textbooks, short stories, PDFs, web articles, and more. On top of that, all of these different types of reading can come in all sorts of file formats.

On a Kindle, you can absolutely find backdoors to force files onto it, but in general, you’re locked down to Kindle books for reading and a few very specific avenues. However, the Boox is running Android 15 in all its glory.

That means the Play Store for different reading/content consumption apps. But most importantly, that means compatibility with pretty much every file format for text and image. The Boox software is a cinch to use, so you can easily upload a file to your reader via a desktop browser.

It was a dream scenario to upload all of my press releases ahead of Computex 2026 and circle the key points with my pencil — all on the same device I could tuck into Lord of the Rings or read the latest longform reporting or biographies too.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: The downs

Juicing it back up to full, it was time for my next two big flights — one over the Pacific to LAX, and a final hop back to London. Reflecting on my time doodling notes, reading away and browsing Android on this slate, I did remind myself of a couple of key frustrations.

A bit sluggish

Inside, you’ve got an octa-core CPU running at 2.4GHz with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is just enough to avoid too many problems.

However, it can be slow on startup, and if you try to stretch it to app downloads (thanks to Android 15), you may run into some issues and slowdowns. Especially on startup, rendering the book or opening anything takes a short while, and it seems to chug into gear.

Once it's all warmed up, responsiveness does come back, but in the clutch moments where you’re trying to get something up fast, it can get frustrating.

Penmanship is lacking

Then let’s turn our attention to the note-taking experience, which I’d consider just about fine for my uses. If you’re just a casual jotter, what I’m about to talk about won’t be a massive issue. But if you want to use this more than casually, you’ll feel the pain points here.

The surface of the screen causes friction with this wider pen tip that, at best, can feel like you’re dragging the pen more than writing with it, and at worst, the sound is mildly like nails on a chalkboard.

And there’s a small bit of latency. Not game-breaking in and of itself, but paired with some ghosting of the lines you lay down, it can create a disconnect between your brain and the page, making writing things down a start-and-stop experience.

Boox Go 10.3 Gen II: Bottom line

And as I finally touched down at London Heathrow, I felt more enlightened after my time with the Boox Go 10.3 Gen II. I could’ve gone down a content wormhole that would’ve strained my attention span, or I could’ve read a book. Ultimately, I made a good decision for my mind with a damn good device.

Obviously, there are considerations based on how you will use this. If you want a better balance between a reader and a note-taking workhorse, the Kindle Scribe is definitely better on the notation side, with more responsive performance.

However, if you only need to jot things down casually and want a better, more open reading experience for uploading all your content, this is a well-built, long-lasting way to go.

The World Cup final. One match, one night, and then a four-year wait until the next one. Whatever can go wrong with your stream, tonight is not the night for it.

The threats are real and they're varied. If you're watching from abroad, geo-restrictions could lock you out of the coverage you'd get at home. If you're on public Wi-Fi – at a bar, a hotel, a fan zone – your connection is shared, unsecured, and unpredictable. And if you're at home on your own broadband, your ISP can see exactly what you're doing – and has every incentive to throttle a 4K stream on one of the busiest nights of the streaming year.

Using one of the best VPNs solves all three at once, routing your traffic through an encrypted tunnel that sidesteps geo-blocks, secures public connections, and hides your activity from your ISP.

Norton VPN currently tops our best streaming VPN rankings, and with a deal running right now that brings it to $3.33 per month, there's no better time to get it sorted before kickoff.

How does Norton VPN compare to other top VPNs?

Surfshark is our pick for the best cheap VPN, and at $2.49 per month it's a very affordable option – with the added bonus of unlimited device connections that Norton doesn't offer. The gap is streaming consistency. Norton has been the more reliable performer across every major platform in our testing, and for a final that comes around once every four years, that's the gap that matters.

NordVPN is our top-ranked VPN overall, and earns it – 9,000+ servers across 148 countries, speeds of over 1,000 Mbps, and a near-flawless unblocking record. At $3.49 per month it costs more than Norton's current deal, though, and its 30-day guarantee is half the safety net Norton gives you for a night this important.

It's also worth remembering that the World Cup final isn't a game you can quietly catch up on tomorrow. The result will be everywhere before you've even found a replay link – on your phone, in your group chats, across every headline. Whatever VPN you go with tonight, just make sure it's one you've actually tested before kickoff.

For a night with no replay, no second viewing, and a four-year wait for the next one, Norton makes the strongest case.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

There comes a time when doing things easier and faster becomes your sole motivation and the driving force behind learning new things on your computer.

Whether that’s doing complex Photoshop edits in fewer clicks or mastering even the most obscure keyboard shortcuts, once you fall down that rabbit hole, it seems like you’ll never reach the bottom.

Like with most people, this started small for me. A keyboard shortcut here and a keyboard shortcut there, until I was outright remapping them to buttons on my mouse. Then I took things a step further and did so with a tiny controller from 8BitDo and even a foot pedal connected to my PC. However, there was an easier way: macropads.

Designed to work alongside your keyboard and mouse, macropads are fully customizable accessories where you can map whatever you want to each key. From simple things like copy and paste to full-on commands, the possibilities are truly endless. However, what if you only had a single, comically large key to work with?

Well, that’s exactly the position I found myself in when I decided to add Keychron’s Q0 Mini 8K Action Key to my desk setup. While a traditional macropad certainly would have been more useful, reaching over to slam this one down throughout my workday has been a whole lot more fun.

Not your typical Keychron keyboard

From a super budget-friendly wired board to a split ergonomic one, I’ve tried out a lot of Keychron’s keyboards over the past few years. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that the company makes some of the best mechanical keyboards you can get today without breaking the bank. Keychron’s Q0 Mini 8K Action Key may only have a single key switch, but unboxing it still gave me the familiar experience I’ve come to expect from the brand.

In the box, you get the Q0 Mini 8K Action Key itself along with a braided USB-C cable, and just in case you don’t have any free USB-C ports, you also get a USB-A adapter. For a device that could have easily been an April Fools' joke, everything feels a whole lot more premium than it has any right to be.

The first thing that stuck out to me about the Q0 — besides the fact that it’s massive at 3.65 x 3.25 x 3.25 inches — is its heft. This thing isn’t going anywhere on your desk thanks to its machined aluminum base. Even with its oversized keycap, the Q0 weighs nearly a pound on its own.

On the backside, there’s a single, recessed USB-C port and that’s all you get. While I would have loved for it to have Bluetooth or wireless 2.4 GHz connectivity, Keychron went overboard with its wired connection. A single key like this doesn’t need to be that fast, but the company went ahead and gave it a polling rate of 8,000 Hz anyway, which I consider overkill in the best possible way.

I have to admit, I didn’t read the instructions as I was just too excited to try out this single-key macropad for giants. But before I took it over to my desk and plugged it in, there was one more thing I wanted to try, and boy am I glad I did.

One key to rule them all

Unlike those cheap membrane keyboards you find in offices or libraries, one of my favorite things about mechanical keyboards is that they’re just as easy to clean as they are to customize. And that all comes down to the fact that with a bit of back and forth, their keycaps pop right off.

Now if the Q0’s keycap had been permanently attached to the switch underneath it, I wouldn’t have knocked Keychron for it in the slightest. Much to my surprise though, when I gave its double-shot PBT keycap — with a rocket ship emblazoned on top — a bit of a wiggle, it popped right off. Oh, and if you don’t like rockets, Keychron has the switch and keycap spec drawing on its site so you can make your own with one of the best 3D printers.

Not only did this let me see the inner workings of this extra-large 3 x 2.5-inch keycap, but I also got a closer look at the mechanical key switch underneath it. By working closely with Outemu, Keychron created a scaled-up version of a traditional key switch that’s actually 64 times larger. It has your standard MX-style cross stem and a south-facing LED for the RGB goodness often associated with mechanical keyboards.

I’ve been using a mechanical keyboard for over a decade now, but I wish there was something like this when I first got into the hobby. It’s one thing to see a diagram of how all the various types of mechanical key switches work and it’s another thing to hold an oversized one in your hands.

With my curiosity piqued, it was time to plug the Q0 in and see if a massive macropad was as fun to use as it was to hold in my hands. Spoiler alert: it definitely is.

Bottoming out never felt this good

Next to the mechanical keyboard on my desk, the Q0 looks almost absurd. It’s about the size of a coaster, and unlike the rest of the peripherals in my current desk setup, it’s the only wired one.

Still, being able to reach over and slam it down to pull off pretty much anything I can think of is absolutely worth it. And for the keen-eyed among you, yes, the keyboard I’m currently using — the Keychron Q11 Ultra — already has five programmable macro keys.

With the Q0 plugged into the Geekom A9 Max mini PC under my monitor, I pressed it and ... nothing happened. Yeah, I was a little surprised at first, too. I figured the Q0’s massive key would be mapped to Esc or Enter out of the box, but that wasn’t the case. This is a device for tinkerers and mechanical keyboard enthusiasts after all, which is why Keychron likely decided to ship it unmapped.

Just like with the rest of Keychron’s more recent keyboards and mice, complete customization is just a browser tab away. So I loaded up the Keychron Launcher in Chrome and the Q0 was instantly recognized. Normally in this browser-based launcher, you’re treated to a whole keyboard’s worth of keys you can tweak and customize to your liking. Here though, as you’d expect, there’s only one key to work with.

Sure, you could program it to Esc, Enter, or even the Windows key, but where’s the fun in that? Likewise, since it’s compatible with Mac (and Linux), you could have it work as a giant Command key too. However, I immediately went to the Special Keys option in the Keychron Launcher and saw what was available for each platform.

If I wanted to lose my work every time my 4-year-old came to my desk, I could have easily programmed the Q0 to shut down my computer, but I’m not a glutton for punishment. Alternatively, it would also work quite well as a massive mute/unmute button for video calls.

Remember what I said before about fewer clicks? Well, opening File Explorer on Windows is something I do quite often, and who wants to mouse down to their taskbar or open the Start Menu? After trying out a few different customizations with the Q0, I settled on having it open a new File Explorer window.

At the same time, you can take things even further by recording your own macros — think complex multi-key commands — and programming them to the Q0. I wanted to keep things simple though, so I’ve mainly stuck to File Explorer for now. Still, it’s great knowing that when I do think of a unique new use case or come up with a clever macro, reprogramming the Q0 is dead simple.

Besides remapping the Q0’s single key, you can also customize its RGB lighting in the Keychron Launcher. There are several colors and lighting effects to pick from, but I ended up going with something as close to turquoise as I could find to match my keyboard’s Esc and Enter accent keys.

During the time I’ve had the Q0 on my desk, slamming down its extra-large key has helped break up the monotonous parts of my day.

For instance, when I’m moving photos off my camera and need an extra File Explorer window to drag the keepers to, I just press it down and one appears instantly. Likewise, if one of my coworkers needs a file like a deal badge or even a Photoshop template I previously downloaded, the Q0 has made quickly pulling those up a lot more fun.

From micro to a macro macropad

Even though I had known about macropads for years, I actually built my first one. You see, back then, I had a lot more time on my hands and had previously built my own custom mechanical keyboard. This was back before hot-swappable switches were a thing, so I had to solder each switch individually. While that took a bit of work, I learned a lot going through the process.

When I saw a two-key macropad kit with a hot-swappable PCB pop up online, I figured it was worth trying out, even if I didn’t have a dedicated use case for it in mind at the time.

At first, I thought about taking the easy way out and mapping one key to copy and the other to paste. However, since I work with large blocks of text while writing and editing every day, I already had Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V mapped to my trusty trackball mouse. There was one thing my PC — or should I say my monitor’s built-in speakers — didn’t have at the time: a volume knob. So that’s what I used my tiny, two-key macropad for.

Besides their excellent build quality and value, one of my favorite things about Keychron’s keyboards is that many come with a built-in volume knob as standard. I’ve been using a keyboard with one such knob for the past few years, so my old macropad has gone to the box of decommissioned gadgets in my closet.

Going from two keys to one might seem like a downgrade at first. However, thanks to Keychron’s excellent launcher and everything I’ve learned in the years since, it’s been surprisingly useful having it on my desk.

Is it unnecessary though? Sure, but that defeats the purpose. A fun little — or should I say big — gadget like the Q0 was just what my desk setup was missing. Instead of being utilitarian like the rest of my accessories, it adds a touch of personal flair, while slamming it down brings a bit of fun my workspace was sorely lacking.

Now, I don’t know yet if the Q0 will remain a permanent fixture on my desk, but for now, I’ll gladly slam it down every time I’m looking for a local file.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I tested the Keychron Q1 Ultra 8K and this full-metal body mechanical keyboard is a game changer for my workflow
• I finally tried a vertical mouse and it was the ergonomic upgrade my desk setup was missing
• I tried this mechanical keyboard with a built-in pointing stick and it almost convinced me to ditch my mouse

The best Kindles have been my primary way to read books for the better part of a decade. Thanks to Amazon’s e-reader, I’ve read more books in the past seven years than in the nearly four decades prior. Not only is the device easy to hold and read on, but its integration with the Kindle app and store gives me more books than I could read in a single lifetime.

Though I adore my Kindles, I don’t read comic books on them. Even after the introduction of the Kindle Colorsoft, which finally let me read comics in color, I still can’t bring myself to read comics full-time on Amazon's hardware. Why? Because, as a lifelong comic book fan, I get a much better experience on the best iPads. Here’s why.

Display size

Digital comic apps like Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe Infinite offer a guided view mode that zooms in on individual panels and text. This can be immersive, especially for those new to the medium. While guided mode works as advertised, I prefer seeing an entire comic page rather than breaking it up piece by piece.

On the base Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite, you almost have to use guided mode because of their small screens. For comics, I prefer reading on the iPad Pro. The 13-inch model’s screen is slightly larger than a physical comic book page. Not only do single pages look fantastic, but double-page spreads look incredible when you rotate the tablet to landscape orientation.

Another problem with using guided view or pinch-to-zoom on Kindles is the device’s low refresh rate. This causes the e-reader to lag and flash to clear previous image artifacts (ghosting). While this has improved with the latest Kindle models, the refresh rate is still sluggish compared to iPads, which handle panning and zooming instantly and smoothly.

Returning to screen size, the Kindle Scribe features a roomier 10.2-inch display. While that’s still smaller than the 11-inch iPad Pro and iPad Air models, it’s a good size for reading full comic book pages. There’s a specific reason I don’t use the Scribe for traditional color comics (which I’ll cover next), but for black-and-white manga, it’s legitimately great. However, since I don’t read much manga, that point is mostly moot for me.

When it comes to reading single pages and double-page spreads of a traditional American comic book, the iPad is simply the way to go.

Colorsoft is still too muted

The Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe Colorsoft are arguably the best color e-readers out there right now. If you mainly read traditional novels, having full-color book covers, maps, and other design elements is a nice perk. Naturally, comics are in color on these devices, but there is one major drawback—the hues are decidedly muted.

In fairness, muted colors can sometimes be preferable. For instance, if you’re reading older comics printed before the late ‘90s, the e-reader screen delivers an experience closer to reading them on original newsprint, which is much duller than the glossy paper used today. If you’re a comic purist who doesn’t like how vibrant classic comics look on modern paper or on an iPad, you might actually prefer the Colorsoft's presentation.

With all that said, I want my comics, classic and modern, to look as bright and bold as possible, which is why I prefer the iPad's display. Again, the color Kindles do a decent job, but the presentation is far too washed out for my tastes.

Ecosystems and storage

iPads give you access to excellent dedicated comic reader apps like Panels and Chunky, along with major subscription platforms like Marvel Unlimited, DC Universe Infinite, and Shonen Jump. Conversely, Kindles mostly confine you to Amazon’s storefront, Comixology, and Kindle Unlimited. Sideloading your own files can also be a chore.

On that note, if you have a large library of digital comic files (.CBR, .CBZ, and high-res PDFs), you’re going to hit a storage cap much faster on a Kindle than on an iPad. Apple’s tablets offer storage tiers up to 1TB and can easily connect to cloud storage like Google Drive or iCloud to offload your libraries. Kindles top out at 64GB of storage on the Scribe and don’t natively support common comic book formats without converting the files first.

Bottom line

Don't get me wrong — Kindles still hold the crown for battery life and portability. Throwing a lightweight Paperwhite into a bag for a week-long trip without needing to pack a charger is fantastic, and it remains my go-to choice for novels.

But while Kindles are perfectly serviceable for most everyday reading, I get a much richer experience reading comics on the iPad. With a larger display for viewing full layouts, bolder colors, and seamless performance, I'll choose Apple's tablet for my graphic novels every single time.

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