Chromebook Plus models typically dominate our best Chromebook recommendations, and some of the features of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 make it easy to understand why. It boasts a durable Lenovo chassis, a bright 15.3-inch touchscreen display, and a superb 5MP webcam. But is that enough for me to recommend it?

While your basic computing needs could be met by a cheaper Chromebook like the sub-$300 Asus Chromebook CX15, there are many quality-of-life improvements when moving up to this mid-tier range. The hardware feels more sturdy, the display is better, and you get better overall performance. However, at $579, it lands in an increasingly competitive segment of the laptop market, with options like the MacBook Neo and the Dell XPS 13 announced at Computex 2026 that are a little more expensive but offer considerably more capabilities.

But more capabilities come with tradeoffs; part of the appeal of ChromeOS is the simplicity and ease of use. Chromebooks offer more features than they once did while remaining the simplest laptops to maintain from a software standpoint. However, even among Chromebooks, the Lenovo Chromebook Plus faces stiff competition for just a bit more, like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 or the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus.

I’ve spent the last two weeks using the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 daily to get a good feel for its advantages and its limitations. Read on to see if this relatively affordable Chromebook might be the right choice for you.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 is a mid-range Chromebook.
• Who is it for? People who want the simplicity of Chrome OS in an affordable package without sacrificing hardware quality.
• What does it cost? The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 starts at $579 but is often on sale for less.
• What do we like? We like the durable build quality, the bright display, and the solid performance.
• What don’t we like? Battery life comes up short at just over eight hours, the keyboard isn’t up to typical Lenovo standards, and the lack of an NPU hurts in the AI era.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: Specs

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: The ups

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 hits a few high points for a budget laptop with a bright touchscreen display, a sturdy build, an outstanding 5MP webcam, and every port you could ask for.

Built to last

While a plastic chassis doesn’t scream premium, it’s not a surprise at this price, but what is surprising is how sturdy and well-built it feels. Picking it up to toss it in my bag or just move to another table at the coffee shop, there is no noticeable flex in the chassis.

The hinge is also remarkably stiff, holding perfectly in place during even my most aggressive typing sessions and my occasional taps on the touchscreen.

At 14.05 x 9.76 x 0.61 inches and weighing 3.44 pounds it isn’t challenging for any thin-and-light awards. However, that isn’t really the goal for this laptop, which is primarily targeting the education market. It isn’t exceedingly heavy, and it will hold up well to the drops and bumps.

A display to brighten your day

The display on the Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 is the biggest upgrade you are getting by opting to upgrade from a true budget Chromebook. It hit 379 of brightness in our testing, which is more than 100 nits brighter than the likes of the Asus Chromebook CX15 or Acer Chromebook Plus 515.

It even slightly outshines the pricier Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus on brightness, and while it can’t hold up to Samsung’s color, it again destroys the budget competition at roughly double the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamut.

The display easily handled adverse lighting conditions in the coffee shop, even when I had to sit right next to a bright window I was able to view everything on the screen. Avoid direct sunlight, but otherwise you will be absolutely fine in any conditions.

I watched the trailer for The Odyssey and everything looked crisp and vibrant. In a close-up on Matt Damon’s face a small trail of sweat was visible on his brow and you could count every hair in the small section of his bristly beard that was in focus.

A plethora of ports

Given the education focus for the Lenovo Chromebooks Plus 15I TN10, it perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise that it offers so many ports, but regardless I love to see them.

Most critically have two USB-C ports supporting up to 65W charging and DP 1.4 along with two USB-A ports. Then you also get an HDMI port, a combo 3.5mm headphone/mic jack, a microSD card reader, and finally a Kensington Nano Security Slot.

This is an embarrassment of riches for any laptop, let alone one at this price point.

Keyboard is good, but not great

Lenovo is a victim of its own reputation here as I just expect a stellar keyboard every time. This is a very solid keyboard for a budget laptop. I was able to maintain about 86 words per minute on it, which is just a bit off my normal speeds of 92 words per minute.

However, I had more errors than normal and the keys don’t have sufficient bounce back, so I came away more fatigued from typing after a full day. Overall, it is a good keyboard and particularly if you have to do any data entry you’ll love having the number pad as well.

Ready for your close-up

Whether you are using this for education, work, or personal use, it’s a safe bet that you will have an occasional video chat. This is another area where budget laptops typically skimp and you either need to buy one of the best external webcams or look like a blurry mess to everyone on the call.

The Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 doesn’t fall victim to this trend with a 5MP webcam that looked excellent in my testing. The colors and details in my office were captured perfectly and it handled the overhead lighting well. And for those that have privacy concerns, there is a physical shutter to slide over the camera whenever it isn’t in use.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: The downs

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 punches above its weight in several areas, but a few key features let me down, which may prove to be dealbreakers for you.

Don’t leave your charger at home

Over the last few years I’ve seen battery life dramatically improve on most laptops, so my expectations have changed.

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 lasted just over 8 hours in our testing, which involves web-surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness. That would have been a middling result a few years ago, in 2026 it is bordering on completely unacceptable.

The more powerful (and admittedly more expensive) Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus pushed past 11 hours in the same test and Lenovo’s own Chromebook Plus 14 even managed to last 13 hours and 19 minutes.

Again just thinking of the intended users for this laptop, in an educational setting you do not always have access to an outlet and if you are using the screen closer to full brightness, you won’t get close to making it through a full day on a single charge. If however you are picking this up for use around your house, the battery life is far less of a concern.

Even Chromebooks need better performance than this

I tested the highest configuration of the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10, which offers an Intel Core 3 N355 CPU and 8GB of RAM. I concede that I am accustomed to using much more powerful laptops, but even with that in mind I found the performance to be disappointing.

I didn’t try to push it with my typical workload of dozens of Chrome tabs, and yet even with just a handful of tabs I found things slowing down and the fans running, particularly when running a YouTube video in one of them.

I adjusted to it, but there’s just a slight delay to navigating around the operating system that feels like it shouldn’t be there even on this level of hardware. Our benchmark testing supports this with the Lenovo Chromebook Plus falling well behind the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, but more importantly the Acer Chromebook Plus 515. The latter uses a much older 12th Gen Intel CPU and of course is much cheaper at under $400.

While again I was able to adjust to the slower performance after spending some time with the laptop, it falls short of what I would expect in this price range.

Bring your headphones

The bottom-firing speakers on the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 are only worth using if you are trying to watch something with a friend briefly. Otherwise you should invest in one of the best wireless headphones or best bluetooth speakers rather than listen to the tinny and muted audio coming out of the laptop.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 review: Verdict

The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 15I TN10 offers a lot of hope when you take it out of the box. It feels so solid and I was thrilled at all of the ports available on it. Then you power it up for the first time and that bright, vivid image pops off the screen at you. But unfortunately things start to fall down from there.

Eight hours of battery life just isn’t cutting it in 2026 for all but the cheapest laptops, and the performance also feels like a Chromebook from a previous era. While the overall package is otherwise solid, these are two absolutely crucial features for any laptop, so it spoils the entire experience.

As I mentioned in the intro, this is just a tough segment of the market right now, so Lenovo could not afford to miss on any fronts to keep up with the competition. You would be better off spending up just a bit for either one of the best Chromebook alternatives in the $600 to $800 range or taking a look at the MacBook Neo or Dell XPS 13 if ChromeOS isn’t a must. Or if you are on a budget, look to some of the sub-$400 Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, where the price excuses some of the trade-offs.

The Grado SR80 are some interesting headphones. Retro tech is making a comeback, and these open-back, on-ear headphones definitely look (and sound) the part. Are they the best headphones if you value clarity and detail above all else? No. But are they fun, unique, and ideal for vintage lovers? Yes, totally.

The open-back design brought enviable expansiveness to my music, and electronic and acoustic genres sounded particularly good. While the headphones struggled with heavier, layered genres — like hard rock or gritty shoegaze — for the most part, a lot of this texture felt artistic. No, they’re not hi-fi cans, but that’s fine. They’re retro in every sense of the word.

Could the Grado SR80 be the perfect wired headphones for you? If you’re the kind of person who can’t get enough of the vinyl crackle, then, yes, without a doubt. To find out more, though, keep reading this Grado SR80 review.

Grado SR80 review: Specs

Grado SR80 review: Price & availability

The Grado SR80 are $175 from Amazon U.S. and £175 from Amazon U.K. I think this is a pretty steep price for what are essentially very plasticky headphones with raw foam earcups. Sure, they're supposedly handmade in the U.S., but When you can get the FiiO JT7 for $119 and the FiiO JT3 for $69, I’m a little confused why Grado is charging so much for the SR80.

There’s no major difference between these headphones. I would actually say both the FiiO options have superior build and sound quality.

If you want to spend a little more and get some grat mid-range open-back headphones, I’d recommend the Sennheiser HD 599, which are usually around $239.

Grado SR80 review: Design

The Grado SR80 are extremely eye-catching. They’re retro, cool, and right on trend. The open-back design brings a utilitarian vibe and the foam pads make them look like they’d fallen straight out of the ‘80s. I can see why this design might be quite divisive, but personally, I love it. Retro tech is headline news, baby, and the SR80 are on the front page.

Although they look super cool (to me), I will say that the SR80 don’t feel like $175 headphones. They look and feel like they should cost well under $100, which is a major con. Of course, you don’t buy headphones so people around you know how much money you have (unless you do…) but if I’m spending almost $200 on headphones, I want them to look like they cost $200. Not $80.

Comfort

The Grado SR80 are extremely uncomfortable. This is their main major drawback and the only thing preventing me from recommending them widely. Grado claims the steel spring brand allows users to customize the inward pressure, but it made no difference to the comfort when I wore them. The headphones clamped onto my head and squashed my ears, and I could only wear them for around thirty minutes before needing to take them off.

This design is a double-edged sword, though — the drivers are super close to your ear to give an immersive sonic experience; however, the drivers are super close to your ear — meaning they hurt. I’d like to see Grado provide a deeper foam pad or cushioned driver cover to help mitigate this issue.

I wore the FiiO JT7 and FiiO JT3 for hours before needing to remove them, so I was quite disappointed when I had to keep removing the SR80. I wanted to keep listening!

Controls

As the Grado SR80 are analog, wired headphones, there are no controls like you might expect on Bluetooth headphones. You’ll need to control music playback via your input device.

Connectivity

Again, as these are analog, wired headphones, there’s no Bluetooth or microphone. You’ll need to plug the headphones into a DAC (if required) or directly into your device. They have a low impedance of 38 ohms and an SPL of 98dB at 1mW, so they're easy to drive straight from a device. I listened on using my MacBook Air M2 and had no issues at all.

Grado SR80 review: Sound quality

To test sound quality, I listened to a variety of genres on Qobuz, our best streaming service for audiophiles, using the Campfire Audio Relay DAC.

I played “Fame is a Gun” by Addison Rae, a synth-led pop track with breathy, high-pitched female vocals. The vocals were clear, the rotating synth motif floated pleasantly at the back of the track, and the percussion kept everything lively. As these are open-back headphones, they’re naturally more expansive than closed-backs, and it really came through. If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine the singer was behind me.

After, I switched genre to “Yor Zarad” by Angine de Poitrine. This experimental instrumental track is built from just a guitar, bass, and drums, all of which came through clearly on the SR80. I would have liked a little more clarity in the frantic guitars, as some of the faster notes bled into one another, and when the bass came in, some detail was lost, but I still enjoyed listening.

Last, I played the indie track “Bad Habit” by Cherry Glazerr. This song has synth notes and guitars layered underneath a processed female vocal. This was the murkiest of all the tracks I listened to, but I’m not entirely displeased by it. The synths were clear, and the drum machine claps weren’t overly sibilant; however, the choruses were a little too textured. I would have liked more clarity and accuracy, but, again, this is a stylistic choice some listeners might lap up.

The Grado SR80 don’t have the same clarity you might expect from ‘audiophile’ headphones like the Sennheiser HD 599 or the FiiO JT7. Although expansive, there’s a textured patina suckered to the top of the soundscape. It reminds me of the sonic equivalent of watching a movie shot on 35mm film. It’s not as clear as, say, IMAX, but it’s not murky or low-quality. It’s artistic. While some people might not like it, there’s a point.

I will say that heavy rock genres sounded quite disappointing — harder Cherry Glazerr tracks, some newer Muse songs, and nu-metal in particular — but if you’re predominantly an electronic or acoustic listener, you might love the SR80. On the whole, I did really like the SR80 sound, hence the overall positive 3.5-star rating.

Grado SR80 review: Verdict

The Grado SR80 are not perfect headphones, but they are entertaining. While the 3.5-star rating might appear like a “bad” score, it’s not at all. 3.5 stars means the headphones are “very good” by the Tom's Guide scoring criteria. But there are better options for less. If you’re serious about embarking on your audiophile journey, I’d recommend the $70 FiiO JT3 or the $130 FiiO JT7. Both of these headphones are much comfier and cheaper.

That’s not to say the SR80 won’t be great for the right user, though. If you’re more interested in the retro vibe, which includes a vinyl-like texture on your music itself, and you’re not the kind of person who finds on-ear headphones uncomfortable, I don’t think you’d be disappointed by the SR80.

While they’re not high-clarity, high-detail headphones, the Grado SR80 have a great personality and will definitely make a retro music lover happy.

Unlocking your smart lock from your phone is cool, but the real challenge now is ironing out the practical issues that come with making your lock smart — like having to keep it powered when you never had to worry about that before. A few newer locks are trying to solve this, and the Desloc V150 Plus might be the most interesting attempt.

The V150 Plus has a solar panel built right into it, designed to charge the lock so you never have to think about whether it has enough juice to let you in. It doesn't skimp on other features either -- you get fingerprint and facial recognition unlocking, so it's easy to get through your door without pulling out your phone.

So how well does that solar panel actually perform, and is this one of the best smart locks outside of that? I've been using the Desloc V150 to find out.

Price and availability

The Desloc V150 Plus is now available through a Kickstarter campaign, and Desloc says that it will be available from retailers starting in August. The Kickstarter lists the lock as being around $169 though, so if you know you want it, it may be worth buying through the Kickstarter.

Design and setup

For the most part, the Desloc V150 Plus looks much like other smart locks — until you look a little closer. Like other smart locks, the exterior portion is rectangular and made of a combination of black metal and plastic. But unlike many other smart locks, when you approach it, a pin pad won't illuminate for you to punch in a code. That's because the surface on the front of the lock isn't a pin pad at all — it's a solar panel that charges the built-in battery.

Apart from the 4.8-inch solar panel, the lock also has a fingerprint sensor towards the bottom and two cameras towards the top that are used for facial recognition. In other words, while there's no pin pad, there are still multiple ways to unlock the door.

The interior portion looks even more like other smart locks. There's a thumb latch to manually lock and unlock the door, along with a cover for the main battery, which hopefully you'll never have to actually open.

The lock should be able to survive most weather with its IP65 rating. Plus, it has BHMA Grade 3 certification for deadbolt strength.

This is a full deadbolt replacement, not a retrofit overlay. You'll remove your door's original deadbolt, align the new tailpiece with the latch, and mount the exterior and interior assemblies. Once it's powered, the lock runs a calibration routine to learn the bolt travel and ensure smooth locking, after which you can test the interior thumb-turn. None of that is unusual, and Desloc's installation process on previous locks has been straightforward enough.

Once you've physically set up the lock, you'll download the Desloc app and create an account, or sign in if you don't already have one. From there, you'll be able to add your face for facial recognition and add your fingerprint for the fingerprint scanner.

App and smart home

The V150 Plus runs on Desloc's existing app, and it connects to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without the need for additional hubs.

For the most part, I found the app easy to use. I was able to add fingerprints and faces without issue. Plus, I could remotely lock or unlock the door with it. You'll also get real-time access logs and battery information, which, again, hopefully you'll never really need to see.

Another thing that the app shows, which is only really interesting for a solar-powered model like this, is how much power it gets each day. The app also includes a "Landlord mode" for rental scheduling and access-profile management, built around a calendar-style interface for organizing tenant codes and monitoring usage.

Combined with the self-charging design, that could make the V150 Plus genuinely appealing to small landlords, since the solar system would cut down on site visits just to swap batteries — though of course that might introduce complications around accounts and unlocking methods; since there's no keypad, each new tenant would have to register either their fingerprints or face.

Auto-lock, meanwhile, ties into a door-closure sensor so the lock only engages once the door is fully latched -- a subtle detail, but an important one, because it prevents the false sense of security you get from a lock that fires before the door has actually closed.

On the smart-home side, the lock integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Home for voice control, but that's it, which is pretty disappointing. Unlike cameras, locks have been supported in the Matter spec for some time now. And at this point, there's really no good excuse for smart locks not to support Matter. Without Matter support, you won't be able to use the Desloc V150 Plus with Apple HomeKit or other smart home standards beyond Alexa and Google Home.

Performance and battery life

Perhaps the most important aspect of this lock, of course, is how its battery and charging system works. I found it to work perfectly well. When I first set up the lock, I skipped the instructions to fully charge the battery, and the app reported that the battery had 12% left.

After around a week, it was at 34%. In other words, it doesn't charge all that quickly, but if I had fully charged the battery when I first set up the lock, I would never really need to worry about the lock running out of juice, and would expect that it would retain near 100% of its battery at all times. I had the lock set up in a location that doesn't get tons of direct sunlight, but it does get a few hours per day. It also has a USB-C port for emergency power if, for example, the battery stops working.

I did find, unfortunately, that the fingerprint scanner and face scanner were somewhat slow, but they did work the majority of the time. It usually took a few seconds for the face scanner to recognize me, and I actually found that it was faster to use the fingerprint scanner. What that means is that while the face scanner is a nice feature, it's perhaps likely to be treated as a backup for when you're carrying something, rather than as the primary way to unlock the door.

Verdict

The Desloc V150 Plus is a perfectly fine lock, but needs a bit of refinement before it can compete with the best smart locks. Obviously, the fact that you'll never have to manually replace the batteries or charge it is a nice feature. But without Matter support, it's limited in the smart home ecosystems that it works in.

Plus, it unlocks relatively slowly, especially compared to plenty of other smart locks out there. Again, it's not a bad product. For the right person, it might be the way to go, especially for those in the Google or Amazon ecosystems, or who don't mind using the dedicated app.

If you're looking for a lock with a built-in solar panel, the Lockin Veno Solar is Matter-compatible, comes with either face or palm unlocking, and has both a keypad and a physical key slot, making it feel like a more complete product.

When I reviewed 2025’s mid-budget Samsung S85F OLED, I said that it transformed me from a Samsung skeptic into a genuine fan. Its successor, the S85H, is really only an incremental upgrade — similar to the differences between LG’s C5 and C6 OLEDs — but I still think it’s worth adding to your 2026 shortlist based on our lab tests and living with this set.

Like the S85F, the S85H brings stunning visuals, speedy performance, and an excellent gaming mode to the table. New additions include a better-performing OS, expanded AI features, and a 48-inch option for those who want a more compact TV. To see how the S85H stacked up against the S85F, I put the newly released OLED through its paces using our in-depth testing process (which you can read about more below in the “How we test TVs” section), and I came away pleased with my experience.

While you could safely buy an S85F at a deep discount and get a similar overall experience, you should still consider the S85H if you want to stay on the cutting edge of Samsung’s current OLED offerings. It’s not a monumental improvement in terms of picture quality and gaming features, but its updated processor will get you sharper streaming content and a bevy of AI optimization features that the S85F doesn’t. It’s a strong candidate to be one of the best OLED TVs of the year.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Price and release date

The Samsung S85H is part of Samsung’s 2026 OLED TV lineup. It launched in April 2026 for $1,999. We reviewed the 65-inch model, but it comes in four other sizes for you to choose from. Here’s a breakdown of your options:

• Samsung S85H OLED (48-inch): $1,099
• Samsung S85H OLED (55-inch): $1,299
• Samsung S85H OLED (65-inch): $1,699
• Samsung S85H OLED (77-inch): $2,399
• Samsung S85H OLED (83-inch): $3,999

These prices are in line with what the Samsung S85F launched at, but one notable change is the addition of a 48-inch model for 2026, which should fit nicely in smaller spaces like a bedroom or home office.

If you don’t want to pay full price for the 55-,65-,75-, or 83-inch models, you could always pick up last year’s S85F OLED. You’ll get a similar experience to the S85H (minus some features), and the 65-inch model is currently sitting at a $1,000 discount on Samsung’s website.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Design

The S85H, like the S85F, has an ultra-thin profile that looks super sleek at just 1.3 inches deep. Setting the TV up felt a little bit precarious — the S85H’s frame felt like it could snap in half if you held it the wrong way — but as long as you’re careful and have a second set of hands to help, it shouldn’t be an issue.

The TV utilizes the same stand setup that the S85F did, and while I generally prefer a central pedestal stand, Samsung’s dual legs work just fine. That’s because they can be placed in more than one configuration, one of them being pretty close to the center of the TV, which makes it compatible with a wider range of furniture.

The downside is that the legs don’t feel that sturdy, which isn’t great at this price point, but I didn’t notice any issues after getting them in place. If you want to avoid that altogether, you can always mount the S85H on the wall using a 300 x 200 mm VESA wall mount.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Ports

Besides a switch from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6E, the Samsung S85H has a nearly identical set of connectivity options to the S85F, which is good considering that the latter came with four HDMI 2.1 ports and was eARC-compatible in case you want to connect one of the best soundbars.

In addition to the HDMI ports, you’ll also find two USB-A ports, as well as an Ethernet port, antenna input, and 3.5mm jack. Unless you’re looking for an ATSC 3.0 tuner, which isn’t present on the S85H, it’s a pretty all-encompassing suite of ports … even if it’s mostly copy/pasted from last year’s model.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’s Calman TV calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining whether it’s one of the best gaming TVs.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer, but usually feature anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV.

For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Performance

To test out the S85H, I watched various films, shows, and YouTube content. I also spent some time playing games on the OLED using a base PlayStation 5 console.

I started with Netflix hits “Beef” Season 2 and “Cyberpunk: Edgerunners”. Both looked wonderful and detailed, boasting a deep range of colors and blacks. Switching over to 4K Ultra Blu-Ray copies of “Blade Runner 2049” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” yielded even better results at much greater detail. “Spider-Man” looked particularly good on the S85H, with its spectacular color palette and animation style popping off the screen in every scene.

The S85H has a wide breadth of picture modes for you to toy around with, including Standard, Eco, Vivid, Filmmaker, and more. Filmmaker is my preferred mode to watch most content in, which gives everything a warmer and cinematic tone that looks its best in a dark room, and is supposedly the closest to how a given piece of media was intended to look.

New for 2026 is an AI Soccer Mode, which optimizes the colors of team jerseys and the pitch, and amplifies both crowd and commentator voices — perfect for the FIFA World Cup. There’s also an option that completely cuts out commentary and prioritizes the ambient sounds of the stadium for a more immersive experience.

In practice, I thought this mode worked pretty well, but it oversaturates the screen in my opinion, especially when watching in a dark room. Still, the brightening of the field made it way easier to follow the action, and the audio adjustments did up the immersion factor a bit. I’m not sure I would use it to watch every game due to the overly vivid color saturation, but it’s a worthwhile feature that soccer fans should definitely check out.

Like the S85F, the S85H’s Game Mode is a huge highlight. Turning it on significantly reduces input lag and allows you to turn on helpful features like VRR, mini map zooming, aim reticles, and more. Playing through Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and 007 First Light was a treat — both were shown in stunning detail and color thanks to the S85H’s capabilities, and the former was even able to hit a buttery smooth 120 frames per second.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Test results

Similarly-priced TVs

The Samsung S85H is a high performer amongst its competition in just about every category. While our test results show that it’s actually not as bright as its predecessor, the S85F, in either SDR or HDR brightness, it still beats the LG B6 OLED and gets very close to the SDR brightness of Samsung’s higher-tier S90F.

When we measured the TV’s color accuracy (Delta-E) we saw that the S85H is a decent step up from the S85F. (Remember, the lower the number, the more accurate it is.) While not as accurate as the LG B6 (1.04) and Samsung S90F (1.1), the S85H is on par with both, and the difference between them shouldn’t be noticeable to the naked eye.

The S85H is also great for gaming thanks to its 9.2ms of input latency, which stacks up well against similarly-priced competition (the lower the result, the less lag-time there is between controller inputs and their on-screen responses). Combined with its SDR/HDR brightness, the S85H is a very balanced OLED that lends itself nicely to both gaming and watching content. However, if you do want to upgrade to the Samsung S90F OLED, you’ll get some clear gains in performance, including a class-leading 1,231 nits in peak HDR brightness, better color accuracy, and slightly better input latency performance.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Audio

I didn’t really notice any difference between the audio performance of the S85F and S85H. Unfortunately, neither is great. This is a common issue with stock TV speakers, which is why I always recommend picking up one of the best soundbars to balance out your setup, and if you get a Samsung soundbar, you can use the brand’s Q-Symphony feature that synchronizes your TV’s audio with the soundbar, making for a more immersive experience.

The S85H’s speakers aren’t terrible, but they do sound muffled in general. I had to crank up the volume pretty high to hear anything clearly, but I didn’t notice any crackling or buzzing within the speakers themselves. So, I think you can safely jack the volume up on this TV without doing damage (still, soundbars are the way to go).

The TV does have an AI Amplify mode for audio, which is meant to make spoken dialogue sound clearer. It worked okay in some instances, but in others, it sounded tinny and washed out all other sounds within a given scene. Your mileage may vary, however, so if you’re watching something with subpar sound mixing, you should give it a try.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Interface and apps

Samsung’s Tizen OS has never been my favorite — I prefer the simplicity of Roku’s interface — but the S85H’s interface has received a welcome upgrade in the form of One UI Tizen 2026. It doesn’t perform noticeably faster, but the home screen is more polished and organized, and more AI features have been integrated into the UI, like better personalized content recommendations. Samsung is now promising up to seven years of OS upgrades as well, which is a nice change.

The issues I had with the S85F are improved upon here, thanks to the more intuitive menu navigation pathing. Changing picture modes and swapping between apps feels more natural and less confusing. All in all, One UI Tizen 2026 feels more like “Tizen 2025.5” than a massive upgrade, but I’m happy with the quality-of-life updates that are here.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Remote

The S85H’s remote remains unchanged from the S85F, and I’m totally okay with that. I’m a big fan of Samsung’s streamlined, solar-powered remotes, and there’s not much that needs changing, in my opinion. It has everything you need to navigate the TV’s updated Tizen OS, including dedicated buttons for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Samsung TV Plus, and picture settings.

The only downside is that it’s pretty small, so you’ll have to take care not to lose it between your couch cushions. Maybe in the next iteration, Samsung can include a remote finder — otherwise, not having to swap in fresh batteries all the time remains an awesome perk.

Samsung S85H OLED TV review: Verdict

The S85H delivers great performance, picture quality, and an excellent gaming mode for the price. Its minimalist design will appeal to many, and the new AI Soccer Mode will be a massive asset to soccer … sorry, football fans everywhere. You could save a nice chunk of change by getting last year’s model, but if you want the best that Samsung currently has to offer at this price, the S85H is the way to go.

If you’re looking for an alternative pick, the closest match that we’ve tested is the LG B6 OLED. The S85H beats it in both SDR and HDR brightness, but the B6 is more color accurate, and in my opinion, has a more full-featured gaming mode. If you want to splurge on an upgrade pick, the Samsung S90H would be a great choice, offering way better HDR brightness performance and overall color accuracy. You could really shell out and go for the flagship model, the S95H, if money is no object.

All in all, if you’re in the market for a new OLED but want to maintain a modest budget, the Samsung S85H is a strong choice even with its few shortcomings.

As a general rule, whenever a brand goes big on the changes made to the upper of a new running shoe, you can be pretty sure it’s going to be very similar to the previous model.

The Brooks Ghost 18’s key updates are an enhanced upper with a new tongue and air mesh fabric, and it does indeed feel a lot like the Ghost 17 on the run.

It’s a shoe that prides itself on reliability and durability, so sticking to the familiar feel of past models isn’t a bad thing, but for me, the ride feels a little outdated compared to livelier, lighter daily trainers like the Asics Novablast 6, and if you are a committed Ghost fan, the Ghost 17 offers better value in sales.

Brooks Ghost 18 review: Price and availability

The Brooks Ghost 18 launched in June 2026 and costs $150 in the U.S. and £135 in the U.K., the same price as its predecessor, though the Ghost 17 is now widely available for $109 in sales.

It’s a good value shoe, but that price puts it up against some of the best running shoes on the market, including the Novablast 6, Puma Deviate Pure Nitro and Saucony Endorphin Azura.

Brooks Ghost 18 review: Design and fit

The Brooks Ghost 18 is currently available in 11 colors and two widths. It fits me well in my normal running shoe size, the same size I’ve used on all the past models of the Ghost I’ve tested.

It’s a relatively low-stack and high-drop shoe by modern standards, standing 36mm tall at the heel and 26mm at the forefoot for a 10mm drop. Most cushioned daily trainers now have 40mm of foam at the heel, at least, and a 6-8mm drop.

At 10.7oz in my US men’s size 10, it’s a fairly heavy shoe, too, though that’s partly down to the fact it has a thicker rubber outsole than most shoes, which will help with durability.

Upper

The Ghost 18 has a new two-color air mesh upper with a flat knit tongue that has pillowy chunks of padding.

It’s a comfortable upper designed to improve the fit compared with the Ghost 17, lessening the risk of heel slippage, though I had no trouble with the upper on the Ghost 17 myself.

Midsole

The midsole of the Ghost 18 is made from Brooks’ DNA Loft v3 foam, which is a nitrogen-infused EVA material.

It’s a well-balanced foam that provides comfort without being too soft or unstable, but it’s not very responsive at faster paces, and the DNA Tuned foam used in Brooks’ Glycerin shoes is an upgrade for comfort and energy return.

Outsole

The Ghost 18 has an extensive outsole with a thick layer of RoadTack rubber covering most of the bottom of the shoe.

It’s a great outsole for grip and durability, though the thickness of the rubber does dull the feel of the midsole foam and adds weight to the shoe.

Brooks Ghost 18 review: Running performance

I tested the Ghost 18 with a variety of training runs, including a 90-minute run covering around 12.5 miles, plus some shorter easy, steady runs.

Having run in the past few models of the Ghost, the Ghost 18 delivered a very familiar feeling on the run. It’s cushioned at the heel, with a snappy ride owing to the fact it’s not very rockered, and it’s naturally stable thanks to the firm-ish midsole foam.

I found the shoe performed best at easy paces, though it’s not as bouncy and cushioned as some daily trainers like the Nike Vomero Plus.

When I pushed to faster paces, the Ghost 18 felt heavy and a bit clunky. It doesn’t really support fast running all that well, and I’d pair it with a faster shoe in a rotation. It’s not as versatile as many livelier daily trainers available around the same price.

The Ghost 18 is a very good walking shoe, though, and comfortable to have on your feet all day, which isn’t always the case with softer, more rockered running shoes, and it works well for gym workouts, too.

Should you buy the Brooks Ghost 18?

The Ghost 18 delivers the usual positive attributes you expect from the line, being comfortable, durable and stable, but doesn’t really improve on the Ghost 17, which I would get instead if you are keen to stick with the Ghost line.

If you’re willing to shop around, then I’d get the Asics Novablast 6 ahead of the Ghost 18. It’s more cushioned, lighter and I found it more fun to run in at any pace.

For those who don’t want a max-cushioned shoe, the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro and Hoka Mach 7 are versatile, lightweight options that I love using for a variety of runs.

It seems that Brooks does know that a lighter, more exciting Ghost is needed to compete with these shoes, and the new Brooks Ghost Amp could be that shoe, but I’d have liked to see the updated foam introduced on the Amp brought to the mainline Ghost 18, which is not a standout option in 2026.

There are a lot of fancy outdoor solar lights to brighten up your backyard, but few will be around for more than a season. So, when I tested Govee’s smart solar string lights, I was pleasantly surprised by the unshakeable feeling that these will last.

OK, they do come with a premium price tag, and it’s this factor that might make you stall before making a purchase, but you won’t find anything quite like these dazzling string lights on the market.

And as Govee steps into the smart lighting market for the first time, I can say it's done so with great success. For someone reluctant to add yet another app to her phone, I was actually excited to try out all the wizardry from a connected set of lights. In fact, I’ve given a set to my tech-loving dad for his 90th birthday.

Govee Outdoor Solar String Lights: Price and availability

I tested a set of Govee Outdoor Solar String Lights, with eight dimmable LEDs, available at Amazon for $99. They are also available at Walmart for $99, but are currently reduced to $79 at Govee.

They cost substantially more than Brightech’s Ambience Pro Solar String Lights, which are $21 at Amazon, for 12 lights, and recommended as the best overall solar lights in our buying guide. But as the Govee lights are smart, it’s not a fair comparison.

Govee Outdoor Solar String Lights: Design

The biggest advantage of these lights is that they're solar-powered, so you don’t need to rely on an external socket. What’s more, you won't fret if the weather turns cloudy; a built-in option lets you go old school and manually charge the battery. It’s these extras that make it a premium product.

So, what’s in the box? The solar lights come impressively packed and include a string of eight LED bulbs, with a large solar module, which can either be wall-mounted or staked into the soil. Each individual bulb features a convenient top loop, making it easy to hang from a hook or secure using the included ties.

And you don’t just get standard RGB bulbs; these RGBICW lights offer the flexibility to display more than just red, green and blue. You get the added extra of cold white, which, according to Govee, provides incredible brightness, more so than RGB and RGBIC lighting.

On the reverse side of the solar module, you’ll notice a USB-C charging port, an on/off button, and the cable connector. It’s also where the ground stake and mounting support are attached. The entire set-up feels solid and well-built. In fact, measuring 8.5 x 8.5 inches, it’s the largest solar module I’ve come across while reviewing solar lights.

However, if you have a small space, you may find these string lights awkward to hang, as the spacing between bulbs is a massive 62 inches. To capture them in one photo, I strung the lights around an arbor seat, which required some creative double-backing with the cable.

On the bright side, there is a generous gap between the last bulb and the solar module. If you want to place your lights in a shady area, you’ll likely have enough cable length to mount the solar panel in a spot that catches the sun.

Govee Outdoor Solar String Lights: Set-up

If you’re planning an outdoor party, don’t wait until five minutes before the first guest arrives to set these up. They are not difficult to assemble, but you will need a little time to install the app and get used to its customization features.

I started by manually charging the solar module, as recommended in the instruction manual. You can rely on the sun hereafter, if there’s enough of it. Next, I placed the lights around my garden arbor, using nails to keep the wires secure. You can also hang each bulb by its integrated top loop using the included cable ties — and thankfully, you get plenty.

When testing solar lights, I prefer to stake the solar module into the ground, and the stake supplied felt reliably sturdy — much more so than the stake supplied with the T-Sun LED spotlights, featured as the best budget option in our buying guide. If your soil is hard, give it a light watering before inserting the stake. However, you can mount the panel on a wall or fence to make the most of the sun. Adjusting the angle of the solar module to catch the best light is straightforward.

Once the lights and module were both in place, I connected them, then pressed and held down the on/off button on the back of the panel to power on the lights.

Setting up the app

To unlock the full functionality of these smart lights, you’ll need to download the Govee Home App. Fortunately, I’d already completed this step, from a previous review of the GoveeLife smart meat thermometer. From here, I turned on my Bluetooth, opened the app and searched for ‘H3001’. I was then able to complete the pairing with my phone located close to the solar module.

Now everything really does get started. Besides being bamboozled initially by what seemed like an infinite number of options, I quickly found my way around the app.

Govee Outdoor Solar String Lights: Functionality and performance

First off, you can set the brightness of the lights in the app, choosing 50%, 80%, or 100%. Right beside the brightness level is a timer — if you’re organized and want to set it to run on a schedule.

Although there are many color options, you can still stick to traditional white because sometimes a simple look is all you need. But if you really want to get the party started, there’s a whole lot more to keep you entertained.

Below the timer and brightness options, you'll see a row of options including Color, Scene, AI, Music, Share Space, DIY and More.

I was more interested in experimenting with color options, so I started adjusting the color temperature using a slider. One of the best parts of the app controls is that you can see the lighting change instantly, everything is in real time, there's no delay.

You have the option to pick from a basic color or play around with multi-tone color wheels. It brings a whole new dimension to scrolling on your phone. You can also save your preferred color choices.

I expected the color options to be the most mesmerizing part of the controls, but wait until you move on to other options. Beyond steady colors, you can select from an extensive array of multi-color changing patterns — there truly is a setting for every vibe.

Selecting ‘Starry Sky’ under the ‘Natural’ effects menu offers a gentle, soothing blend of colors, or ‘Bonfire’ gives you a bit more flash. There’s even a ‘Festival’ section to create a lighting display for Thanksgiving or Mother’s Day, and a whole lot more besides.

I really can’t overstate the sheer extent of options available.

You can even ask AI to design a custom lighting effect for you, or sync the lights to music to follow the rhythm. Govee hasn’t missed a trick. In fact, I used the AI tool to create a disco vibe from the 70s, and it took me right back to my youth.

Govee Outdoor Solar String Lights: Verdict

If you frequently spend time in your backyard and love entertaining outside, these Govee Outdoor String Lights will instantly elevate the mood and get your guests talking. Just keep in mind that if you want to string them across a wide expanse, you’ll need more than one box. Yes, they are the most expensive solar lights I’ve ever put to the test — but they are absolutely worth it. If you want the ultimate all-singing, all-dancing way to add a sparkle to your summer nights, Govee has you sorted.

Mowing my yard is one chore I never look forward to. Well, at least not as I get older. I used to love mowing the grass for the workout, but now it does nothing but trigger my allergies.

I've experimented with robot lawnmowers in the past. I've paid $175 a month — even during the winter, when they weren't in use — to rent a couple of Husqvarna mowers from a landscaping company. Eventually, I realized it wasn't a wise investment, so I canceled the contract. Later on, I tested the EcoFlow Blade for a while, but its wheels loved to dig holes in my yard with each and every turn, so eventually I stopped using it.

For the last month, I've been testing the Sunseeker S4, a robot lawnmower that leverages AI and LiDAR for mapping and navigation. I don't want to spoil the review, but I'm smitten.

Sunseeker S4 review: Price and availability

The Sunseeker S4 is currently available directly from Sunseeker with a regular price of $1,799 but a sale price of $1,299, but Amazon has it on sale right now for just $984. That includes the robot lawnmower, a docking station, extra blades, and a cleaning brush for the LiDAR sensor.

If you're reading this and the S4 has returned to its normal price, I'd wait for a sale.

Sunseeker S4 review: Design

The S4 doesn't break the mold when it comes to the robot lawnmower's overall design. It's compact, measuring 25.12 x 16.61 x 10.79 inches, and weighs 26 pounds. In the event the robot gets stuck somewhere and you need to lift it, there's a handle built into the rear of the housing that makes it a breeze to pick up.

On the front of the S4 is a monocular camera with a 360-degree LiDAR sensor on top. It's tucked into a bumper that slightly moves in when the lawnmower presses against a hard object, The sensor is easy to spot due to its black bubble-like housing.

Behind the LiDAR bubble is a flip-up cover that hides an LCD display and a few buttons you can use to interact with the S4 — although I rarely had a need to do so — and a manual dial you use to adjust the cutting height, which ranges from 1.6 to 3.2 inches. There's a giant red STOP button that you can press to immediately stop the S4 in case of an emergency.

Underneath the stop button is the handle I previously mentioned. The S4 is rear-wheel driven with two trolley wheels that spin and move wherever the two rear wheels push the robot. Sunseeker's specs put the max gradient at 22 degrees — a stat that didn't apply to my mostly flat backyard. However, there's a slight slope to my front yard (I've never measured it), but the S4 didn't have any issues with slipping, even if the grass was wet.

When you flip the S4 over, you'll see six blades attached to a disc. It always amazes me when I test a robot lawnmower how small the blades are; they often look like razor blades you'd find in a box cutter.

Sunseeker S4 review: Installation and mapping

Setting up the S4 was a breeze. You'll first need to decide where you want to — and can — install the charging station. It measures 30 x 19 x 14.5 inches and can be placed at the edge of your yard, or even outside of it if you'd rather. You'll need a weatherproof electrical outlet nearby.

I already had a section of my yard that'd been killed by previous robot lawnmower docks, so it was an easy choice for me. I swapped out the old broken station and replaced it with the Sunseeker S4 in about 10 minutes. After sliding the S4 into the charging station, I created an account in the Sunseeker app, connected the S4 to my account and waited for the battery to fully charge.

The app walked me through the initial mapping of my yard, which required me to drive the S4 to a starting point along the edge of my grass. At that point, I could either continue to use my phone as a Bluetooth remote control and manually map my yard, or I could let the S4 automatically roam around the edge and create a map on its own. I stood by, ready to take over if needed, but the S4 slowly and judiciously creeped along the edge of my grass.

The S4 is the first robot lawnmower I've used that maps on its own, and I was impressed. There were a few areas I had to go back and manually drive the S4 over, adding to the existing map, but it was a much easier and streamlined process than I'd experienced with the EcoFlow Blade.

After mapping my backyard, I created a second zone, consisting of my front yard and let the S4 work its magic with mapping. There are a couple of trees in that yard, along with more corners and angled sections — unlike my backyard that has three flat edges. The S4 needed a little more help with correcting the front yard's map, but overall the process was simple.

So simple, in fact, I deleted both maps in the app and went through the process multiple times with similar results. You can save maps in the Sunseeker app and easily switch between them, which is also a nice touch.

My favorite part of mapping my yard, however, wasn't how easy it was, but instead it was the 3D map the LiDAR sensor created that I could view in the app.

It's one thing to read that a device has LiDAR and assume it'll help with object identification, navigation and mapping — but it's another to actually see what the S4 sees, down to the batting cage in the back corner of my yard along with the power and cable lines that run above my yard.

As far as object detection and avoidance goes, the S4 routinely routed itself around objects as big as my English Bulldog who walks in front of it daily, or as small as a Wiffle ball my kids leave in the yard. I didn’t expect it to see the latter at all and run it over instead, but once it gets within a few inches, it stops, slightly turns and goes around it.

Sunseeker S4 review: Performance

With two zones created, I used the Sunseeker app to create a path between them. I then set a schedule for Zone 1, the backyard, to be mowed Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. There's a gate between my yards, so I couldn't set a schedule for Zone 2 as I have to manually open and close the gate when the robot needs to get through.

According to the Sunseeker app, Zone 1 is 3,184.96 square feet and Zone 2 is 2,690 square feet, for a total of 5,874.96 square feet between the two.

The initial pass over my backyard with grass — which was longer than I'd like to admit — required a couple of trips to the charging station. The S4 ran for around 90 minutes each time, and then took a couple of hours to charge before heading back out to complete the task.

The same can be said about mowing the front yard, which I asked it to do the following day. That process was tedious, only because I had to monitor the battery status in the app to let the S4 into the backyard so it could charge, and then let it back out once the battery was full. In total, it was two trips back and forth.

However, after that initial cut, the S4's cut time has dropped significantly. The backyard does require a return trip to charge for a little over an hour, then it heads back out for 20 minutes to finish the job. In total, it takes just under 2 hours of cutting time to mow the backyard — or just over 3 hours if you include charging time.

If I'm paying attention, I can catch it right after it finishes the backyard and manually redirect it to the front yard. From there, it tackles the rest of the lawn and returns to the dock on its own, completely finished in roughly an hour and forty-five minutes.

As for how good of a job it does at cutting grass, for the first few sessions it'd leave little rows of grass between each pass with the default cutting direction setting. However, after switching the cutting direction to traceless, which means each time the S4 cuts it changes direction, those missed rows have disappeared. If you’d prefer to have patterns cut in your yard, you can set the S4 to create items like a heart, a trophy, a star, or a soccer ball. It can also cut a pattern to represent numbers.

My lone complaint about the cutting performance of the S4 can be said about any of the robot lawnmowers I've owned — none of them can cut the edge of the yard. For the S4, it has a cutting width of 7 inches, but there's 4.3 inches between the edge of the lawnmower's housing and the blades. So, no matter how close you get the map to the edge of your grass, there's always going to be a small section of grass it just can't cut.

It's a fair trade, I guess. Instead of having to bribe my son to mow the yard maybe once every two weeks, my yards are mowed multiple times a week.

Sunseeker S4 review: Storage & maintenance

The S4's charging station serves as the main storage area for the robot when not in use. Along with charging it, there's an overhang to protect the top of the S4, complete with a brush to keep the LiDAR bubble clean. If you want more protection, Sunseeker sells a Sunproof Garage that extends the protection to the entire lawnmower.

During the winter months — and for that matter if you're expecting a lot of rain — I'd recommend removing the S4 from the dock and moving it indoors. During my testing, I had a rainstorm come through that dumped two inches of rain on us in an hour. It took me a couple of days to notice the S4 hadn't run on its set schedule, and upon further inspection I realized it wasn't even turning on.

I turned it upside down, removed the battery and let it dry out for a day, after which it came back to life. I have no idea how high the water got in my yard, but I do know there was standing water most of the night.

It's a good reminder that even though the S4 has an IPX6 waterproof rating, it's still susceptible to the elements.

As for routine maintenance on the S4, the Sunseeker app has a device maintenance menu that tracks when you should replace the blades (after 120 hours of use) and when you should wash the cutting disc (after 60 hours of use).

Otherwise, keeping the front camera and the LiDAR bubble clean are the only things you need to worry about.

Sunseeker S4 review: Verdict

This was my first time using a Sunseeker robot lawnmower, and it did not disappoint. My yard hasn't consistently looked this good in years. The Sunseeker S4 was easy to set up, forgoing the need to install a dedicated GPS antenna like the EcoFlow Blade, or bury a guide wire like previous Husqvarna mowers I've used.

Battery life is good enough for its 0.25-acre limit, and after fine-tuning the settings you'll get a clean cut every time.

Well, except for the edges. Make sure to keep a trimmer handy.

Ride1Up’s Vorsa Lite sits in the middle of a new three-bike Vorsa lineup. The Vorsa Original features all the commuting accessories you’ll want, like racks front and rear. The Vorsa Fat is for adventuring on and off road. And right in the middle, the Vorsa Lite is for the minimalist commuter.

It shaves almost 10 pounds off the Vorsa Original, according to Ride1Up, by ditching the racks and fenders, and using narrower tires. But Lite is perhaps a misnomer, as the bike still weighs 60 pounds.

That weight is why I’m a little confused by this bike. It’s a super solid, fun ride, and absolutely worth the investment for everyday commuters, but it’s not really light at all. It’s a good choice for city dwellers who just want a basic, A-to-B transportation option. But don’t expect to heft it up to your apartment without some real effort.

Ride1Up Vorsa Lite review:

The Vorsa Lite costs $1,495 and is available for purchase now on Ride1Up’s website. It comes with a 1-year warranty and a 30-day return window, and the bike ships free. You can finance your purchase at checkout using Affirm.

Ride1Up Vorsa Lite review: Design

The Vorsa Lite is designed with agility in mind, according to Ride1Up. That applies not only to the ride quality but also the bike’s ability to change its personality based on your commuting needs. While the bike comes stripped down — no fenders or racks here — you can still customize the Vorsa Lite later on if you decide you want to add those features and much more. All told, Ride1Up says that eliminating those features saves 10 pounds over the Vorsa Original. The Vorsa Lite weighs 61 pounds.

At the heart of the bike’s build is a 750-watt AKM rear hub motor. It offers 95Nm of torque and pairs with a 15Ah Reention battery with Samsung 50GB cells. That battery is IPX6 water-resistant, which means you can ride the Vorsa Lite in any conditions with peace of mind. The battery is both lockable and removable.

The motor works in conjunction with Ride1Up’s Intui-Drive pedal assist system. The company says its proprietary PAS eliminates assist lag and gives you natural assistance instantly. The bike uses both a torque and a cadence sensor, so your assist is measured based not only on how quickly you’re pedaling, but also on how much power you’re pushing against the pedals. You can choose between the two to truly tailor exactly how the bike feels.

The Vorsa Lite also features narrower tires than the Vorsa Original. They measure 2.2 inches wide, and they’re mounted to 27.5-inch wheels. This combo gives you plenty of cushion and stability, but also steering agility.

With all that power, Ride1Up wisely includes dual-piston hydraulic brakes to slow you down in a pinch. If you’ve never ridden with hydraulic disc brakes before, you’re going to want to give them a bit of a test drive before you do any serious commuting; they can stop you too quickly if you’re not careful.

While the Vorsa Lite doesn’t come with any racks, it’s still rack-ready with a 350-pound total payload capacity (that includes the rider’s weight). So you can change your setup to include racks, panniers, and much more if your commuting needs change over time.

The frame comes in two different configurations: standard and step-thru. Choose the latter if you’re a shorter rider, or if you want an easier way to mount and dismount the bike. There’s a suspension fork up front with 100mm of travel to buff out bumps and ruts, and an adjustable stem so you can tailor your riding position perfectly.

The color display is mounted to the handlebars and gives you all the information you’ll need on your ride at a quick glance. It even has a USB-C charging port, so you can charge your phone as you ride. There’s integrated AirTag tracking too, so you always know where your bike is when you’re not watching it.

Next to the display, you’ll find a throttle lever. You can use this to easily get started from a dead stop, or if you just need a break from pedaling altogether. You can change the max assist speed of the bike, all the way up to Class 3, which gives assist up to a zippy 28mph.

Ride1Up Vorsa Lite review: Riding the Vorsa Lite

I rode the Vorsa Lite around my neighborhood and further afield around town here in Arvada, Colorado. We have a mix of bike paths and surface streets, hilly terrain, and the occasional bit of gravel interspersed.

The motor and pedal assist systems work as flawlessly as I have come to expect from Ride1Up’s bikes. It’s more than powerful enough even for sustained hills. Getting started from a dead stop on a steep hill was easy using both the throttle and the pedal-assist features, provided I was in the lowest gear in the drivetrain.

It’s a stable and fun ride, and the handling is responsive enough; it hits a good balance between responsive and stable, accommodating a wide variety of riders who want fun but also predictability.

The tires do in fact appear narrower than the Vorsa Original, though they’re still plenty wide for pavement riding and light gravel surfaces. You would probably want something wider for off-road adventures, but then again, you’d probably choose a different bike entirely for that kind of riding anyway.

The wheels are 27.5 inches, which is something of an in-between choice for wheel sizes. Most bikes with tires this wide have moved to 29 inches, while pavement-oriented commuters with skinnier tires often come with 700c wheels. There’s nothing wrong with 27.5-inch wheels, but you’ll be more limited when it comes time to buy new tires, since 27.5-inch wheels are not as popular as other sizes.

The battery life is great and matches up well with the advertised ranges. I used this bike mostly on the highest PAS setting, with long stretches pushing the throttle all the way down to get to max speed. After about ten miles, I still had more than three-quarters of a charge left.

As I’ve often pointed out in other e-bike reviews, bikes like the Vorsa Lite that are intended for pavement commuting really don’t need front suspension forks. This one works just fine, but it adds price, weight, and complexity that’s better off on a different style of bike. You can still get plenty of cushion by simply lowering your tire pressure slightly.

I did very much like the color display on the Vorsa Lite. It’s a nifty upgrade from previous-year’s models, and the inclusion of a USB-C charging port is a smart, commuter-first feature.

All told, the Vorsa Lite is a solid bike. But it’s not light, so apartment dwellers will still have to buff up those muscles to get this bike up the stairs. If I owned this bike myself, I’d likely just add the racks and fenders back on. Since the bike already weighs 61 pounds, I’ll take a few more pounds for the added versatility.

Ride1Up Vorsa Lite review: Accessories

Ride1Up has been in the commuting game for quite a while now, and as such, they offer a ton of cool accessories that complement the Vorsa Lite very well. The most useful seem to be the front rack and basket ($100), Front Platform Rack ($100), Insulated Cooler ($50), and Side-Mounted Panniers ($60). You can add these accessories and many more at checkout on the Ride1Up website.

Ride1Up Vorsa Lite review: Competition

The fat tire commuter category is a crowded one, and Ride1Up offers several options in this category should the Vorsa Lite not be right up your alley. Other brands that make similar bikes include Velotric, with its Discover 3 e-bike. The Discover 3 costs $500 more, but it also includes more accessories like fenders, racks, and even a suspension seatpost. With all that, it matches the Vorsa Lite’s weight at 61 pounds, and offers a higher payload capacity at 440 pounds.

Ride1Up Vorsa Lite review: Verdict

Like all Ride1Up bikes I have tested, the Vorsa Lite is a well-constructed, fast, and fun bike to ride. It’s well-spec’d with a good battery, great motor, and excellent pedal assist features. There’s really not much to complain about here.

I just wonder if it wouldn’t be a better bike by adding back in the accessories, like the rack and fenders, since the weight savings still don’t make this a ‘light’ bike at all. You can add these after the fact, of course, but I think the Vorsa Lite would be a better bike out of the box with those accessories ready to use.

It’s a minimalist’s commuter bike, one that will likely stand up to lots of miles, lots of foul weather, and lots of fun around town. If Ride1Up really wants to position this as a light bike, however, it needs to be much lighter.

The Cambridge Audio L/R S are some of the best speakers I’ve tested. At just 7 inches tall and 9 inches deep, these are relatively compact — but boy, do they sound larger than their measurements might suggest.

And just look at them. Aren’t they gorgeous? Not only do they look a treat, with the copper-colored tweeter and the smooth, almost tactile exterior, but they feel incredibly well-made too. Although quite pricey at $549/£399, here you’re investing in sound, functionality, and appearance.

Sound is by far the most important thing when it comes to speakers, so you’ll be pleased to know that the L/R S sound divine. For me, they were missing a smidge of vivaciousness, but I still had a ball listening to them, and I’m sure 99.999% of you would, too. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Cambridge Audio L/R S review.

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Specs

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Price & availability

The Cambridge L/R S are premium home speakers with a premium price. A pair will set you back $549 from Amazon U.S. and £399 from Amazon U.K. Obviously, this is a much better deal in the U.K. — hi-fi just is inherently more expensive in the U.S., even without tariffs.

Cambridge Audio also makes the L/R M (£1,199), which work with Cambridge’s StreamMagic app and have built-in streaming capabilities. If you’ve got even more to spend, you could check out the L/R X (£1,799, releasing in July 2026), which are the L/R S on steroids. These are the aspirational older siblings of the L/R S, with dual woofers and proprietary tweeters.

If you want a similar performance for a little less, I’d recommend checking out the Edifier S880DB MKII ($449). Alternatively, you could look at the Edifier R1280T (my personal turntable speakers, $149), which don’t have Bluetooth but more than make up for it in affordability. Edifier does make a Bluetooth version — R1280DB ($199), who’d have thought — for all those wireless lovers.

For those short on space, I’d go for the Kanto UKI ($269) or the Edifier M60 ($199), both of which are compact speakers and sound great for their size.

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Design

The Cambridge Audio L/R S are beautiful, beautiful speakers. They look uber modern, with no mesh grille covering and two visible drivers. The 21-mm aluminium tweeter is a gorgeous, rich copper color, and the 3-inch woofer meshes well with the speaker body. Whatever color you choose — white, black, navy, or wood — I bet it will look great in your home.

The speakers not only look great, but they feel well-made, too. The exterior is smooth, almost tactile, and the switches on the master speaker are high-quality. I have no issues with the design at all: everything is sleek and feels intentional.

Connectivity

As active speakers, you don’t need an amp or a phono if you’re using the speakers with a laptop or TV or phone. However, if you want to listen on your turntable, if it doesn’t have a phono pre-amp, you’ll need a separate one.

The L/R S have a huge array of connectivity types: Bluetooth aptX HD, RCA aux, optical, and USB-C playback. I mostly used USB-C and Bluetooth, both of which sounded excellent.

The speakers don’t come with a USB-C cable, an RCA cable, or an optical cable, so if you want to utilize these connectivity methods, you’ll have to supply them independently.

Controls

There are controls on the back of the master speaker and a high-quality remote. Rather than taking inspiration from Edifier’s slightly gimmicky circular touch remote, Cambridge Audio has (thankfully) gone back to basics with the L/R S’s remote. It’s a standard long remote with an equally standard layout. You’ve got play/pause, volume controls, EQ controls, and playback controls.

All very simple — but that’s what the L/R S are all about. They’re designed to let their quality speak for itself.

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Audio quality

To test the Cambridge Audio L/R S, I listened to a range of genres on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. I tested over both USB-C and Bluetooth.

I listened to “Getaway” by Fcukers, an electronic trip-hop-inspired track built over a cello riff, twinkling piano notes, and breathy female vocals. The tambourine shimmered gently at the back of the soundscape, allowing the string motifs to take centre stage without overpowering them. The bassline was controlled, tight, and balanced, and the space-gun sound effects tied everything together nicely. This song sounded great.

Next, I played “The Sickness in You and I” by Muse. This heavier rock track boasts crunchy nostalgic riffs and some fantastic stereo imaging. This song was an immersive marvel; when the percussion comes in on the left speaker with the guitars teeming across the soundscape, I wanted to replay it over and over. Despite being compact speakers, the stereo imaging of the L/R S is utterly excellent. If you listen to a lot of music mastered for stereo, these speakers will definitely get the best from your tunes.

Last, I played “Never Get Enough” by Lianne La Havas, a track with acoustic verses and intense choruses. The speakers handled the change in bass well; the clarity of the acoustic guitar and La Havas’s voice was a standout in the verse, while the insistent bass came through well in the chorus.

Although most genres sounded excellent, I did wish for something more. The treble is clear, and there’s a surprising amount of bass for such small speakers. However, the mids aren’t as energetic as I personally like in speakers. Tracks sound balanced and clean, but they’re missing some vivaciousness and propulsiveness in the lower midrange. Don’t get me wrong — they still sound good, and you should still seriously consider them if you want immersive speakers with fantastic spatial imaging. But they didn’t pull at my heartstrings like other speakers have done in the past.

Cambridge Audio L/R S review: Verdict

The Cambridge Audio L/R S are fantastic speakers. If you want a pair of home speakers that’ll make your music sound delectable, clear, and balanced, look no further. Even better if you value immersive spatial imaging above all else — these speakers will seriously impress you in that area.

The only thing holding the speakers back is a lack of oomph in the lower mids. For compact speakers, you can’t really expect perfection, though, and the L/R S still sound charming. If you need reliable, balanced speakers for your desk, turntable, TV, or anything in between, they’ll do you proud.

At $549/£399, they’re not exactly the cheapest speakers on the market, so I’d recommend only getting them if you’re serious about leveling up your home listening experience. But what a listening experience it would be.

Good becomes great, great becomes outstanding: this seems to be the trajectory Potensic is currently on. The Potensic Atom 3 retains its predecessor’s lightweight body but is built better and feels more robust. The Atom 2 is now capable of recording 4K video at 60fps and outputting RAW 50MP stills, all the while ensuring everything remains smooth and stable, thanks to its three-axis gimbal.

Accompanied by great AI subject tracking and class-leading flight time of up to 50 minutes, the Atom 3 feels like a competent and powerful content creation tool. The new RC PTD2 controller makes flying a walk in the park, too. But it isn’t perfect. It doesn’t feature any obstacle avoidance, and low-light performance in AI Night Mode can be described as mediocre at best.

To find out if this is the best drone for you, read my full Potensic Atom 3 review.

Potensic Atom 3 review: Specs

Potensic Atom 3 review: Price & availability

The Potensic Atom 3 is the fourth drone to join the Chinese brand’s growing lineup of quadcopters. Announced in June 2026, it succeeds the Potensic Atom 2 and receives a $100 price bump, retailing for $429 / £339 at Amazon.

Unfortunately, the Atom 3 is the latest victim of the ongoing ban on foreign-made drones in the U.S. It isn’t available to purchase officially through Potensic’s website, and, at the time of writing, there’s no news on whether it will receive F.C.C. clearance. You can, however, buy it through Amazon and other third-party sellers. We’ve also seen this happen with DJI’s latest drones, like the DJI Neo 2 ($319) which can’t be bought officially through the manufacturer but can be through third-party retailers.

But because Potensic hasn’t been cleared to support the Atom 3 in the U.S., you can’t get aftercare packages or repairs should your drone get damaged. I’ve reached out to Potensic’s marketing team to find out about U.S. availability and will update this review as and when I know more.

The Atom 3 is a strong alternative to the DJI Lito X1 (£369) as it boasts similar specs packaged into a sub-249g body. Other competitors include the DJI Flip ($439) which also features a 1/1.3-inch sensor, and the DJI Mini 4K ($299) but this drone is over two years old, making the Atom 3 the more up-to-date option.

Potensic Atom 3 review: Design

If you put the Potensic Atom 3 and the Potensic Atom 2 side-by-side, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the two — at first glance, that is. Look closer and the differences become obvious. The Atom 3 is slightly bigger, measuring 9.29 x 6.61 x 2.48 inches when unfolded and without propellers, and it’s ever-so slightly heavier too. The Atom 3 weighs 8.78oz as opposed to its predecessor weighing 8.64oz. Its light weight means you don’t necessarily need to register it with F.C.C. in the U.S. or the C.A.A. in the U.K.

Potensic has made some small but substantial improvements to the design too. The Atom 3 feels more robust and like it’s built much better than the Atom 2. It doesn’t feel too plasticky, and it’s noticeably nicer to touch. In addition to that, the Atom 3’s propellers are larger than the Atom 2’s, which means the drone can push more air, resulting in more efficient operation.

The ports on the Atom 3 also feel more accessible. On the Atom 2, the battery eject button, annoyingly, covered the microSD card slot, so you had to remove the battery to then remove the microSD card. Not anymore. On the Atom 3, the USB-C port for charging and data transfer, and the microSD card slot sit side-by-side, unobstructed, giving you easy access to both.

Potensic Atom 3 review: Controls

The Potensic Atom 3 hosts just one button on its body: the power button, and it’s much better than the one on the Atom 2. The Atom 2 needed to be powered on and off by pressing the button on the drone’s underside. This meant that you needed to turn it on and then set it on the takeoff surface. On the Atom 3, the button is now located on the top which saves you a few seconds.

Alongside the Atom 3, Potensic has also unveiled its new controller: the RC PTD2. While you can still get the old controller which requires you to slot in your smartphone and use said phone as the controller’s screen, I’d recommend grabbing the RC PTD2 controller instead.

The RC PTD2 is sturdier and better built, and its 5.5-inch FHD touchscreen with 900 nits of brightness make flying more immersive and much easier. I’ve found the touchscreen extremely responsive in my testing, and I also like how bright it gets. I haven’t had any issues viewing it in direct sunlight and low-light environments.

Potensic Atom 3 review: Features

The Potensic Atom 3 has received meaningful updates to its sensor, making it one of the best beginner drones you can buy today. The drone has a maximum flight distance of 9.94 miles — up from 6.21 miles on the Atom 2. It also has a maximum takeoff altitude of 5,000m which is up from 4,000m on the Atom 2.

It’s important to note, though, that the Atom 3 doesn’t feature any built-in storage, just like its predecessor. This is disappointing given that the DJI Lito X1 boasts 42GB of internal storage, acting as a safety net if you forget to carry a microSD card with you. Potensic recommends using a V30 (or higher) microSD card with the Atom 3, like the Lexar E-Series 128GB (two for $64).

Sensor

One of the key differences between the Atom 3 and the Atom 2 is the sensor. The Atom 3 features a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor, as opposed to the Atom 2’s 1/2-inch CMOS sensor. It’s the same sensor you’ll find on the DJI Flip. It’s smaller than the 1-inch sensor on the DJI Mini 5 Pro (£689) but this drone also costs a lot more.

The aperture, however, has narrowed from f/1.8 on the Atom 2 to f/2.8 on the Atom 3 which, in theory, could mean a detrimental impact on low-light performance, and I’ll discuss this in detail shortly.

Improvements have been made to the maximum shutter speed, as the Atom 3 can be manually adjusted to shoot at 1/25,000s, as opposed to just 1/6,400s on the Atom 2. You can now capture blur-free footage when tracking fast-moving subjects, like cars or motorbikes.

Wind resistance

The Atom 3 retains its predecessor’s three-axis brushless gimbal design which helps the drone capture stable and smooth footage, even in mildly windy conditions. A three-axis gimbal is better than a two-axis one (like on the DJI Neo 2) and far more stable than a single-axis one (like on the OG DJI Neo).

Wind resistance remains the same across Potensic’s Atom lineup. The Atom 3 can withstand winds up to 10.7 m/s or 23.9mph (level 5). This is common in this price range, as it’s the same wind resistance you’ll find on the DJI Flip and the DJI Mini 4 Pro. If you want even better resistance, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is rated at 12 m/s or 26.84mph.

I mostly filmed on windless days as the U.K., where I’m based, was experiencing a heatwave during testing, but I was greeted to a few strong gusts every now and then. The Atom 3 remained stable throughout, and I even noticed that its heftier weight made it more resistant to getting knocked about.

Obstacle avoidance

Potensic still hasn’t fixed my biggest grievance with the Atom 2: the lack of obstacle avoidance. The Atom 3 doesn’t feature any form of collision avoidance which means you have to rely on your eyes and the controller’s screen to ensure the drone doesn’t run into anything.

While this wasn’t abnormal for the Atom 2’s price range, it’s disappointing given that the Atom 3 costs more. Even though the DJI Flip doesn’t feature omnidirectional obstacle avoidance, it at least features forward-facing avoidance, giving you some reassurance. The DJI Lito X1 takes things further with omnidirectional obstacle sensing. Heck, even the cheaper DJI Neo 2 has omnidirectional avoidance! What gives, Potensic?

Potensic Atom 3 review: Video quality

The Potensic Atom 3 doesn’t give you much to complain about when it comes to video work. It's capable of recording 4K video at 60fps (up from 30fps on the Atom 2). You also have the option to shoot in FHD at 60fps or 2.7K video (at 60fps again) in the 9x16 format for social media. In the video above, you can see a compilation of clips shot in 4K at 60fps. The movement is smooth and stable, even when I’m panning, and the colors look lovely. Greens are vivid while the blue sky appears rich.

Similar to the Atom 2, the Atom 3 can shoot in P-Log too, which preserves flat, raw footage for increased dynamic range, although you’ll need to grade the footage in post.. You can see what the unedited footage looks like in the video above.

The Atom 3 utilizes AI Tracking 2.0 to power its QuickShot short-form modes, such as follow, rocket, spiral, parallel tracking, and more. These modes use AI subject detection to lock onto a subject, and they work very well. They’re especially fun when you’re with a group of friends, and they’re great for creating content quickly for sharing on social media.

You can see a few examples of the QuickShot modes in the video above. To track a subject, all you need to do is draw a box around the building or person using the controller’s screen, and you’re good to go.

For getting close to subjects without physically moving your drone, the Atom 3 features a 2x digital zoom at 4K resolution, 3x digital zoom at 2.7K, and 4x at 1080P. Above, you can see what the 2x digital zoom looks like. The quality isn’t the best, as there’s a significant drop in the building’s sharpness. This is a limitation posed by the DJI Flip too, which features the same sensor size, so it isn’t a rare occurrence in this price range.

It’s important to note that the vertical video Atom 3 shoots isn’t true vertical — like on the DJI Mini 5 Pro where the gimbal rotates at a 90° angle. The Atom 3 captures standard horizontal footage and then digitally crops it to achieve a 9x16 aspect ratio. That’s no bad thing, though, and vertical footage looks nice and detailed enough for viewing on smartphones.

While the Atom 3 is capable of producing lovely footage during daytime, especially in sunny conditions, it falters in unfavorable lighting conditions — especially at night. The Atom 3 has a narrow f/2.8 aperture but a large 1/1.3-inch sensor. It’s also got an AI Night Mode which uses AI image processing to enhance visuals “without overexposure.”

There are a couple of reasons why I wouldn’t recommend flying the Atom 3 at night. Firstly, the low-light performance is quite poor. Watch the video above. The first clip was shot in normal mode while the second was captured with AI Night Mode active. I personally prefer the first clip as it looks more natural and the motion while panning or when cars are zooming past doesn’t appear jarring.

The AI Night Mode, on the other hand, makes the video look a little fake as it has added a strange blue hue to the sky by essentially increasing the exposure. There’s a lot of noise and grain in the dark areas, and while panning, you can see a fair amount of motion blur. That’s also because the Atom 3 drops the 4K frame rate down to just 25fps in AI Night Mode from 60fps in regular mode.

Secondly, because the Atom 3 doesn’t feature any form of obstacle avoidance, it’s difficult to fly the drone at night when you can’t always see it. For those two reasons, if you plan on using a drone for low-light videography, I’d recommend the DJI Flip with its f/1.7 aperture and life-like low-light capabilities. Even better is the DJI Mini 5 Pro, which is worth the extra spend for its large 1-inch f/1.8 sensor alone.

Potensic Atom 3 review: Image quality

The Potensic Atom 3 is capable of capturing 12MP images with its 1/1.3-inch sensor. For the first time on a Potensic drone, the Atom 3 can capture RAW photos too for more freedom in post-production. The photos in the gallery above are straight-out-of-camera JPEGs and as you can see, color reproduction is faithful and true to life. I especially love how the sunlight falls on the landscape in the first two slides.

If you want to capture more high-res images, the Atom 3 can take 50MP stills with a resolution of 8192 x 6144 in what Potensic calls it the drone’s 8K mode. The images in the gallery above were taken in the 8K mode and as you can see, they’re packed with detail. The colors are nothing short of stunning, and the buildings in the first shot especially are sharp and in focus.

Just like you do when shooting video, you get access to a 2x digital zoom when capturing 12MP stills. But similar to the zoomed-in video earlier, the Atom 3 struggles to reproduce sharp stills when the drone is zoomed in to its limits. The photo above was taken with the 2x digital zoom active and as you can see, the building looks fuzzy and low-res. 12MP doesn’t provide a ton of wiggle room either, and no digital zoom is available in the aforementioned 8K mode.

The Atom 3’s low-light performance when taking stills in dimly lit environments is decent too, as you can see in the gallery above. No AI Night Mode here, and I like that the images are fairly noise-free. I love the look of the sunlight peeking through the clouds as the sun sets over Bristol, U.K.

Potensic Atom 3 review: App

The Potensic Atom 3 is accompanied by the Potensic Eve app, available for free on iOS and Android. I thoroughly enjoyed using the app when it was first introduced with the Atom 2, so I’m happy to see it make a return. It sports a similar interface to the excellent DJI Fly app, so if you’re familiar with it or even if this is your first time using a drone app, you’ll have no issues getting to grips with it.

If you’re using the standard mobile controller with the Atom 3, you’ll be heavily relying on Potensic Eve. In addition to acting as your eyes, the app allows you to see low-res previews of videos and stills you’ve captured, update the drone’s firmware, view flight logs, and access Potensic Academy for tutorials and how-tos.

Potensic Atom 3 review: Battery life

The Potensic Atom 2’s flight time was already respectable, and the Potensic Atom 3 one-ups it with longer battery life. Using the standard Smart Battery, the Atom 3 is rated for 40 minutes, and this jumps up to 50 minutes with the Smart Battery Plus. Based on these figures alone, the Atom 3 trumps its competitors. For instance, the DJI Lito X1 is rated for 36 minutes while the DJI Flip can last just 31 minutes between charges or battery swaps.

Your mileage will naturally depend on the shooting settings and flying conditions. Flying in mostly windy conditions, I was able to squeeze 35 minutes out of the Atom 3’s Smart Battery — but I was also switching between modes, viewing the gallery, etc. between shots. It’s worth investing in one of the Fly More combos — either the RC PTD2 bundle ($679) or the standard Fly More bundle ($549) — if you want two additional batteries.

Unlike the Atom 2 whose charging hub used a proprietary cable for charging, the Atom 3’s hub sports a USB-C hub — now that’s more like it! The parallel charging hub charges all three batteries simultaneously in just under 90 minutes. If you’re using Smart Battery Plus, these require 135 minutes to go from zero to 100%.

Potensic Atom 3 review: Verdict

If you’re taking your first steps into the world of aerial photography, or are stepping up from a budget drone, the Potensic Atom 3 is an excellent choice. Easy to fly thanks to the new RC PTD2 controller, the Atom 3 is compact and lightweight, making it great for travel too. It captures 50MP stills in JPEG and RAW, giving you more freedom in post-production.

4K/60fps video is stunning and stable, thanks to the drone’s three-axis gimbal. AI subject tracking works excellently too, and the Atom 3’s QuickShot modes work well and are superb for creating short-form content for quick sharing to social media. However, the Atom 3 doesn’t feature any collision avoidance sensors and its low-light performance is far from best, so I wouldn’t recommend getting the drone solely for shooting at nighttime. Those drawbacks alone make the DJI Flip and the DJI Lito X1 more enticing.

For everything else, though? It’s almost perfect. The Atom 3 improves on its predecessor to deliver one of the best beginner drones yet.

The Ooni Karu 2 is a compact outdoor pizza oven, capable of cooking up to 12-inch pizzas and using three different types of fuel. Formerly named the 12G, the Karu 2 is one step up from the entry-level Karu 12. It gives newbies and intermediate pizza makers everything they need, wrapped up in a compact, foldable design and with the versatility of multiple fueling types.

It isn’t the cheapest, but its premium build makes up for that; and when using charcoal or wood the temps can get a little variable, although nothing that a few pizza’s worth of experience won’t let you handle.

Is this the best pizza oven for you? Find out in my full Ooni Karu 2 review.

Ooni Karu 2 review: Specs

Ooni Karu 2 review: Price & availability

The Ooni Karu 2 costs $449 at Amazon and Ooni, while in the U.K. it costs £349 at Amazon. This model (the 2026 variant) just dropped to $349 during Amazon’s Prime Day sales in June 2026, so I’d recommend holding out for sales to scoop up a discount.

The MSRP and feature set make the Karu 2 an mid-range pizza oven, although it’s very similar to the entry-level Karu 12 ($349), which doesn’t feature a glass door and burns fuel a little quicker (otherwise, the specs are virtually the same). The Karu 2 kinda straddles that border between (pricey) entry-level and mid-range.

The Karu 2 is priced similarly to the Gozney Roccbox ($499), which is also a multi-fuel oven, although the Gozney can't technically use charcoal.

There are more affordable alternatives, like the Big Horn 12-inch Multi-Fuel pizza oven ($169). But the Big Horn lacks that premium polish of Ooni and Gozney ovens — you’re paying big-name prices for the Karu 2, but getting a premium product in return.

Note that you’ll need some accessories, especially if this is your first time cooking pizza. This will add to your overall spend and I’ll cover it more in the Accessories section below.

Ooni Karu 2 review: Design

Before you can do anything with the Karu 2, you gotta build it. There’s usually some assembly required with pizza ovens, although the Gozney Arc and Tread are mostly just a case of sliding in the stone and doing a pre-cook burn.

The Karu 2 is a little more in-depth, but not complicated. It comes half built: you basically just install the door and add the chimney. There are instructions included, which I found clear and easy to follow. There’s a video walkthrough online, although it’s a little misleading and caused some owners to damage their ovens. I just followed the included instructions and didn’t go wrong. After building, you get it up to temperature for 30 minutes to burn off any residual coatings from manufacturing.

I love that the hex key you use to build the oven stows under the rear leg once you’ve finished assembly, simultaneously locking the leg into place for safety. Very handy.

Assembled, the Karu 2 feels like a premium product. I love the matte black housing and brushed metal trim, and the whole product feels generally high quality and built to last. The pizza stone itself is reassuringly thick and engraved with the Ooni logo, plus there’s a glass door — both adding to the premium feel.

The Karu 2 measures 30 x 16 x 28 inches, making it a fairly compact oven when compared to beasts like the Gozney Dome XL Gen 2 ($2,799).

At 33lbs, I found the Karu 2 relatively easy to carry around, too, although it’s not exactly ‘lightweight’. Thankfully, the legs fold down and the chimney is easy to remove, which stops it being an awkward shape to transport. Theoretically the Karu 2 is designed to be suitable for taking out on the road, but if it’s sheer portability you’re after, I’d recommend the smaller and lighter Gozney Tread ($499)

Fuel

The Karu 2 is an outdoor oven, running on either gas, wood or charcoal. This makes it highly versatile: if you’re out of gas, just head down to the store and pick up some lumpwood charcoal or (cook safe) wood kindling. The Gozney Roccbox is multi-fuel, but isn’t technically capable of using charcoal, making it a little more restrictive. The larger Ooni Karu 16 ($799) is more versatile, though, as it can also use pellets.

Controls

There are no complicated controls on the Karu 2, only an ambient temperature gauge on the right-hand side and a chimney dial to change air flow and bring flames over the top of the pizza. As such, it’s very simple to use. Just add fuel to the fuel tray via the hatch at the back, light it up and go.

Ooni Karu 2 review: Accessories

As I mentioned above, if you’re new to pizza ovens or pizza-making in general, you’re gonna need some accessories. The basic accessory you need is a pizza peel, to assemble on and then “launch” your pizza into the oven. These come in metal or wood, but for beginners I’d recommend wood peels as they’re easier to launch from.

I tested Ooni’s 12-inch Bamboo peel ($40); the Ooni Turning Peel ($65) for turning the pizza while cooking and removing it; and the Ooni Infrared Thermometer Gun ($65) for measuring the stone temperature (the Karu 2’s temperature gauge only measures ambient temperature, which doesn’t tell you when the stone is ready to cook). These are all high quality, although as you can see, they’ll cost ya. If you want to use the Karu 2 with propane, you’ll need to drop another $112 into the gas adapter.

I also tested Ooni’s folding metal table ($249), which is fantastic. It‘s designed to have the oven on top, but with its smooth stainless steel surface, I preferred using it for prep and dough stretching — as an ex chef, working on it was like being back in a commercial kitchen. It also has three hooks that can be fitted to either side for hanging accessories. I put the oven on a folding camping table instead, which was possible thanks to the Karu 2’s relatively low weight.

Ooni offers various bundles, which are also often on sale, so keep an eye out for those. Of course, you can grab way more affordable alternatives to all these accessories online.

Ooni Karu 2 review: Performance

I’m very impressed with the Karu 2’s performance. It isn’t perfect, but this thing will still give any newcomers the pizza bug. It’ll also give more experienced pizza makers like me everything they need. It’s extremely versatile and capable of producing fantastic pizza. The only major limitation is its fueling, which leads to some variable results. I’ll cover this below.

With a full tray of fuel, the Karu 2 took around 10-12 minutes for the stone to get up to 750F/400C, which was the temperature I needed for neapolitan style pizza. I used a combination of lumpwood charcoal and beech pizza logs to cook, and this combo seemed to get things really hot, really fast. The Gozney Arc Lite ($399), meanwhile, took 15-20 minutes to heat up on gas.

The charcoal I used provided a constant and lasting base of intense heat. By adding chunks of wood before each pie went in, I created intense spikes of heat and a flame over the top to cook toppings. This is easy: just open the rear hatch and drop fuel in as needed. For 5 pizzas, I needed 2-3 handfuls of lumpwood charcoal and 5-6 small logs — not much, but this will add up over time (although fuel is always something you have to factor in).

Because you’re adding fuel by eye and need to top up constantly as you cook, heat levels are variable in a way you won’t see from a gas-fed oven like the Ooni Koda 16 ($599) or Gozney Arc Lite. This means you’ll experience variations in temperature. This could be between cooks, meaning one pizza takes longer than another; but it can also be intra-cook, as fuel runs out and temperatures drop, leading to one side of your pizza crust rising more than another. Of course, you can simply buy the gas adapter to fix this.

This was my only major issue with the Karu 2, though, and wasn’t a big deal in use. I just had to keep a close eye on my pizzas as they cooked and adjust fuel accordingly. Sure, I got a couple of oddly risen pizzas and a few burnt crusts, but it’s all part of the fun. (Anyway, I kinda like a burnt crust.)

I primarily cooked Neapolitan style pizzas on my Karu 2, and whatever I made came out super tasty. Some highlights were an Ndjua pizza which I then added a whole burrata to after cooking (this went so fast I didn’t get a chance to take photos); fennel sausage and red onion; and an artichoke and roasted red pepper pizza for my wife, who is vegetarian. I also made the typical slew of old favorites: margherita, ham and mushroom, marinara, etc.

When cooking for a group of friends, I was able to deliver five pizzas in a row and keep everyone happy. For larger groups, though, I’d look at an oven capable of cooking multiple pizzas at once (like the Gozney Dome XL) or larger 16-inch pizzas (like the Ooni Koda 16 or Gozney Arc XL).

When cooking for a group, I used the oven’s dropping temperature to pitch towards low’n’slow style pizzas, like New York style, cooking margheritas at lower heats for longer, to get that properly browned mozzarella on top. Delicious.

I also used the oven to cook side dishes, like charred red pepper and tenderstem broccoli. So it proved to be a great all-in-one solution for group meals outdoors (although, I spent all the time manning the oven, rather than sitting with my friends).

Ooni Karu 2 review: Storage & maintenance

While the Karu 2 is mostly rainproof, you can’t leave it outside exposed to the elements, as temperature changes can cause the stone to crack. At the very least, remove the stone if you’re going to do that. But ideally use a cover (Ooni sells one for $50), move it under shelter or stow in a garage/shed.

As I mentioned earlier, the Karu 2 is fairly easy to move, so I had no issues returning it to my garage after each use. A full cooldown takes around 60-90 minutes once you’ve removed the fuel tray, at which point you can clean and move the oven.

The Karu 2’s cook heat is high enough that it’s effectively self-cleaning. Just wipe down the stone with a dry cloth after use to remove loose debris, and wipe the soot from the inside of the case once cooled. For any tougher burnt remnants on the stone, simply fire up the oven to max temperature and burn everything off. Never get your stone wet while its hot, and avoid wetting it altogether otherwise.

Ooni Karu 2 review: Verdict

If you want a versatile little pizza oven, perhaps as your first upgrade from using your kitchen oven, look no further than the Karu 2. It isn’t the cheapest on the market, and its fueling can lead to unstable temperatures.

However, it heats up fast and makes excellent pizza, while the temperature variations can be managed easily through experience or by adapting the oven to gas). It’s a premium product that feels built to last, is easy to maintain and fairly easy to store, too. It’s just the ideal oven for first-timers, and I’m kinda sad my time testing it has now come to an end.

One of the biggest drawbacks of smart locks is that, unlike traditional locks, they’ll eventually run out of power, which means replacing or recharging their batteries at least once a year.

The best smart locks try to lengthen this time as much as possible, but the Lockin Veno Solar could eliminate that inconvenience entirely. It has a solar panel on the exterior portion that very slowly charges up the lock's battery, so that you never have to worry about recharging it or replacing the batteries.

The Lockin Veno Solar is actually available in two variants -- one has a facial unlock feature, and the other has a palm vein unlocking feature. I’ve been testing the Face model to find out if it does enough beyond simply taking care of power for you to be worth buying.

Lockin Veno Solar review: Price and availability

The Veno Solar series went on sale in mid- 2026, with both the Palm and Face models starting at $199 (you can pay $259.99 for a model that bundles a door handle). I'm reviewing the Face variant.

You can get the Lockin Veno Solar series for yourself straight from the Lockin website or from Amazon.

Design and setup

Installing the Lockin Veno Solar is very similar to installing any other smart lock that replaces your deadbolt. This is not a retrofit lock, so you will need to replace the interior thumb latch, the deadbolt in the door, and the exterior portion of the lock.

Essentially, you'll unscrew your existing lock and deadbolt, then fit the included lock and deadbolt and thread the exterior portion of the lock through to the inside. Then screw the base plate into that exterior part of the lock and fit the thumb latch portion onto the base plate. The whole process should only take 15 to 20 minutes.

After you're done physically installing the lock, you'll need to add it to the Lockin app. I also found this process to be quite easy. You'll download the app, then either sign in to your account or create a new one if you don't have one already. Then simply follow the on-screen instructions to add a new lock. I found it was recognized immediately. In this process, you'll be walked through the face scan.

On the outside of your door, there's a keypad with either the palm vein scanner or the face scanner, depending on the model you go for. There's no fingerprint sensor on either of them, but there is a solar panel on the bottom third or so, and you might not be able to tell that's what it is if you didn't already know. The lock also has a physical key slot, which can come in handy if something stops working or a guest needs to enter.

On the inside, there's a thumb latch along with a button to mechanically lock or unlock the door. There's also a cover for the battery compartment which, hopefully, you'll never have to open after you install it.

The lock seems to be durable enough, but it's not quite as weather resistant as some other smart locks. It has an IP53 rating, which is fine for some water spray. It held up during my testing, but to be fair, the weather has been pretty nice where I live. The lock also has an ANSI Grade 3 certification.

Performance

The Face model that I reviewed captures depth-sensing 3D face recognition that Lockin rates at under one second. In practice it was generally fast enough, though I wouldn't call it instant -- and it didn't feel like it was under one second. It usually took a second or two for the lock to realize there was someone outside the door and start scanning in the first place. Once the scanning started, it took less than a second, but there was still that initial lag.

This isn't a dealbreaker, and to be clear, face scanning is still convenient — but it would be even more convenient if the lock supported a feature like Ultra Wide Band (UWB) or Aliro, which allows the lock to sense your phone or watch, and unlock based on that signal.

I did find that the lock's Wi-Fi connectivity was quite good. I placed the lock on the door to my garden shed, which has historically had limited reception -- plenty of other smart locks I've tested struggle to hold a connection out there. This one stayed reliably online throughout.

As for the solar charging, it's slow. The lock arrived at 83% out of the box, and a week later it had crept up to 90%. That sounds underwhelming, but it's worth remembering what the point isn't fast charging — it's that the battery doesn't drain over time. And it didn't. It slowly gained power instead of losing it, which is exactly the behavior you want from a solar lock.

App and smart home

The Lockin Smart app is how you'll control the lock's settings and features. You can create one-time PINs, enroll new faces and PIN codes, set up auto-lock settings, and so on. One thing I would have liked to see is an overview of how much battery the device gets over time, but not having it isn't a huge deal.

Unlike the Desloc V150 Plus, which is the other solar-powered smart lock that I've reviewed recently, the Lockin Veno Solar supports Matter, which means you can integrate it into a variety of smart home ecosystems. You have to set the lock up in the Lockin app, but you don't have to control it there. Instead, you can control it through apps like Google Home or Apple Home and integrate it into automations and other cross-product systems. Matter support is kind of table stakes for smart locks these days, so it's nice to see it here.

Verdict

The Lockin Veno Solar is a solid smart lock, and for what it offers, it's perhaps the best option. That's to say, the lock has solar charging, so you never have to worry about manually charging or replacing the batteries. But it goes beyond that with a decently convenient unlocking method and, perhaps even more importantly, Matter support, so it'll work with a wide array of modern smart home ecosystems.

There are some limitations. For example, if you routinely get torrential rain, you might be slightly concerned about the IP53 water resistance. And it's worth keeping in mind that it's going to take a second or two to unlock your door if you rely on the face scanner. But, if you like the idea of not having to worry about charging your lock, for now, this one is the way to go.

I'm a Certified Sleep Coach but early motherhood means I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in nearly four years. Most mornings I battle with sleep inertia — that dense, groggy feeling when your brain refuses to reboot. I’ve been relying on caffeine for an energy boost, but it’s interfering with my sleep (caffeine has a half-life of up three to seven hours in adults).

To break the cycle, I decided to stop propping up my morning brain with caffeine and start biohacking it instead. That’s how I ended up testing the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses (from $249/£249 at Ayo)—lightweight phototherapy frames that use blue-enriched light to fine-tune my circadian rhythm.

NASA’s Fatigue Countermeasures Lab team, led by Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, is doing some interesting research into blue light as a way to reduce sleep inertia, so I was curious to see how effective AYO’s blue light glasses were. Here’s my experience after testing them for three months…

At a glance: Key takeaways

• The AYO+ glasses effectively reduce sleep inertia: The 470nm blue-turquoise light effectively flushes out deep, heavy brain fog after waking.
• They help stave off afternoon slumps: In my case, implementing a 20-minute ‘blue light boost’ session after lunch stopped me from crashing later that afternoon.
• Total freedom of movement: Unlike traditional 10,000-lux light boxes, you can go about your morning routine, get dressed, and pack lunches when wearing the AYO+ glasses.
• AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are not an overnight miracle: It took around three weeks of consistent daily use for me to feel a noticeable biological shift.
• Some people need to exercise caution: Light therapy glasses aren’t suitable for everyone. People with cataracts, bipolar disorder, or lupus should speak to their doctor first.

What are AYO+ Light Therapy glasses?

• 10,000-lux equivalent: Because they sit in close proximity to your eyes, the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses produce the same powerful wake-up signals as a clinical grade light therapy box.
• Targeted blue-turquoise light: The AYO+ emit a 470nm wavelength, which studies show as the sweet spot for stimulating your internal body clock and boosting daytime energy.
• Eye-safe: These narrow-band LEDs are free of harmful UV rays and infrared rays, making them safe for daily wear.
• Optimized light strength: They deliver a peak irradiance (light intensity) of 250 µW/cm² – that’s an effective clinical dose of phototherapy without causing glare or eye strain.

AYO+ are the next-gen version of the original AYO Light Therapy Glasses, which began life as a Kickstarter in 2019. They’re often pitted against rival phototherapy glasses such as Luminette, and are fall into the circadian tech bracket – a branch of sleep tech designed to regulate, fine-tune and strengthen your circadian health.

The AYO+ glasses emit a blue-turquoise light at around 470nm (nanometer), with a ‘light strength’ (irradiance) of 250 µW/cm² (250 microwatts of light energy per square centimeter).

This targeted 470nm wavelength works by stimulating specialized receptors in our eyes called ipRGCs. Neuroscientists at Harvard discovered these receptors are uniquely tuned to blue-turquoise light for regulating sleep and alertness.

I wear contact lenses and prescription glasses and the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses work well with both.

On an eye health note, I haven’t experience any side effects since using the glasses, but on its website AYO lists possible side effects while your body adjusts to the glasses. These include headaches, eye strain and dizziness.

The glasses themselves are incredibly lightweight and can easily be worn over prescription eye glasses, emitting light downwards into your eyes via four light-emitting diodes.

The glasses turn on as soon as you open up the arms, kick-starting a 20-minute light therapy session. In the app you can change the duration of your session from 5 minutes (minimum) up to 90 minutes.

The light intensity can also be customized – choose from low, medium or high (most effective), or a custom intensity from 10% to 100%.

You also have the option of finishing your blue light therapy session with three minutes of red light.

There’s lots to dig into with narrowband red light, but in a nutshell it can stimulate the "powerhouses" of your cells (the mitochondria) to produce more energy. In terms of eye health, narrowband red light can help lower inflammation and give retinal cells a boost.

The root cause of my sleep and energy issues

There are two pain points in my day: feeling like a zombie when I wake-up, and hitting the wall, energy-wise, around 2.30 p.m. most afternoons.

In my defence, my sleep hygiene is excellent. I keep a consistent sleep schedule, follow the same bedtime routine, and go device-free and switch to circadian lighting an hour before bed. I drink water and eat soon after waking to give my body those wakeful cues, and I start moving my body.

None of that is a match for my wakeful three-year-old.

Sleeping has always been hard for him, for various health reasons. So I’m awake multiple times a night with my son, and that’s without my daytime caffeine habit fuelling more overnight chaos.

I can easily get through four or more cups of tea or coffee by 3pm. If I had to guess, I’ve probably been consuming around 400mg of caffeine in an eight-hour period (7am to 3pm) most days.

Caffeine can stay in your system for up to seven hours, which can make falling asleep within a decent time frame (20 minutes is average) quite tricky.

And according to the National Institutes of Health, even if you can fall asleep after a day on the caffeine train, high doses can reduce the amount of deep sleep you get. They can also trigger overnight awakenings.

Trading caffeine for circadian-optimized shots of blue light

I’ve tested many traditional light therapy boxes throughout my career working across Tom’s Guide, T3, TechRadar, and Top Ten Reviews, and while these S.A.D. lamps are highly effective, they require you to sit still.

The AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are my first long-term experience using wearable phototherapy — and they’ve been a revelation.

Instead of being stuck at my kitchen table for 20 minutes each morning sat near a lightbox, I simply pop the AYO+ glasses soon after waking and get on with my morning routine.

From a productivity perspective alone, being able to move around the house while getting my daily dose of light therapy is convenient. And honestly? I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a stationary light therapy box.

But convenience wasn’t my main motive for testing the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses. Instead I was desperate to tackle three major, interconnected issues:

• Intense grogginess upon waking – that heavy, stubborn sleep inertia that makes me feel like a zombie.
• Regular afternoon slumps – the ones that left me reaching for caffeine long past the recommended midday cut-off.
• Frequent overnight wake-ups – which I strongly suspect my caffeine habit was worsening.

To break the cycle, for three months I used the AYO+ glasses for 20 minutes soon after waking every morning. I wanted to see if they could reduce my morning fatigue and help me gain day-long energy without hammering the caffeine.

Here’s what happened…

My 90-day testing experience with the AYO+ Light Therapy glasses

When you’re rolling a huge sleep debt and feel so tired each morning that you want to crawl back into bed, setting up fiddly tech is a hard no. Luckily, the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are easy to use.

I keep mine next to my bed, nestled in the pill-shaped hard travel case they come in. My routine is simple: wake up, get out of bed, put on the AYO+ glasses, and go about my morning.

Here’s how effective, or not, the glasses were against each of my three big interconnected energy and sleep issues…

Sleep inertia

The AYO+ glasses were shipped to me during deep winter with its pitch black mornings. I’d given my Lumie light therapy box to a friend who was struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.), so I’d been without a light therapy device for weeks at that point and I was really feeling it.

The AYO+ glasses came packed in a white reinforced cardboard box with the brand’s logo on the outside. Inside was a hard travel case, housing the glasses, a white charging cable, and a small dust bag / soft travel pouch.

After charging the glasses (a full charge takes around three hours and lasts for around nine 20-minute sessions), I placed them on my nightstand ready for the morning.

I chose my normal wake-up time of 7 a.m. as the approximate start time for each daily session, as numerous studies have shown that light therapy is most effective within an hour of waking.

On my first day of testing I used the pre-set 20-minute session. While the glasses were a novelty – they look quite ‘Tron-esque’ when switched on – I didn’t feel any benefit.

I was still yawning after taking them off, and by mid morning I was flagging and hitting the caffeine. At 2.30 p.m., despite staying hydrated, eating a good lunch and going for a brisk walk, I was firing up the kettle.

AYO states that it can take a few days to a few weeks (or longer, depending on the individual, severity of symptoms, and lifestyle habits) to see any improvement.

So I persevered for a week to see if repeated daily use would nudge my body into easing off the melatonin and ramping up the cortisol and other wakeful hormones soon after waking. But it didn’t.

Come week two, however, I was beginning to feel less groggy in the mornings.

I usually need a cup of coffee before leaving the house for work or nursery drop-off. On the morning of day eight I didn’t. Instead, I had my first cup of tea at around 11 a.m. However, I was flagging again in the afternoon.

This became my pattern for another week. During my third week of testing, my morning grogginess had vastly reduced. In fact, I was waking up a few minutes before my alarm and feeling energised to boot.

And from a caffeine perspective, I was down to one cup at 11 a.m. These were huge wins for me compared to even a month before when I would be finishing my third cup by 10 a.m.

The afternoon slumps were still hell though, so I went back to the biohack drawing board. That was when I decided to introduce what I now call my ‘2 p.m. blue light boost.’

It was a game-changer…

Goodbye, afternoon slumps

Ever heard of anticipatory anxiety? It’s a phenomenon where you have a feeling of dread or worry about something that hasn’t happened yet.

Mine would start creeping in soon after lunch, when I’d begin worrying about the inevitable energy slump waiting to ambush my afternoon.

I’d panic about not having enough fuel in the tank to get through my work-load, or to keep up with my busy bee of a son for another five hours.

So after three weeks of single-dosing with light therapy I started double-dosing. I wasn’t expecting it to work so fast, but it did; like a gentle bubbling up of fresh energy that carried me through the afternoon.

Was it as instantly powerful as a cup of coffee? No. But it also didn’t give me jitters, heart palpitations or interfere with my sleep at night.

This post-lunch, 20-minute blue light boost has become a reset button for my afternoons. And I no longer have a physical need to consume caffeine after midday.

I always finish my second dose of phototherapy by 2 p.m. too, as blue light exposure can affect sleep in some people when used later in the day.

Why the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses didn’t stop my overnight wake-ups

The AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are an excellent tool for strengthening your natural circadian rhythm and for understanding the best times of your day to eat, exercise, be productive, sleep, and wake up.

When your body clock is properly anchored, your brain naturally learns exactly when to produce the right hormones at the right time — whether that’s cortisol to keep you energized during the most productive parts of the day, or melatonin to help you wind down for sleep at night.

Biologically, this predictable rhythm should help you settle down, fall asleep faster and boost your chances of sleeping through the night.

So why am I still waking up at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m. and on? I mentioned him earlier: my three-year-old who wakes regularly due to ongoing health issues. As effective as the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are, they can’t help me there.

What I can say is this: when I do wake at night now, I fall back asleep fast. When I was necking loads of caffeine in the day, it took me an age to fall back asleep each time at night, even after practising techniques like 4 7 8 breathing or cognitive shuffling.

Energy levels rising, caffeine reliance dropping: Three months on

After three months of testing, the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses have become a daily essential for me.

I love putting them on each morning and seeing that slim band of turquoise-blue sitting above my eyes. It feels summery, tropical and mood-boosting, even on dark winter mornings.

Having spent years reviewing traditional 10,000-lux S.A.D. lamps across Tom’s Guide, T3, and TechRadar, the freedom of wearable phototherapy has been a revelation and one I wish I’d embraced sooner.

The AYO+ didn't solve my interrupted nights — no piece of wearable tech can reprogram a wakeful three-year-old. But by using clinical-grade blue-turquoise light to anchor my circadian rhythm and reduce my morning grogginess and afternoon slumps, it did something much better: it gave me my days back.

I no longer feel like a zombie in the mornings, I don’t hit the wall at 2 p.m., and I no longer have to chug several coffees just to survive the day.

My reliance on caffeine has plummeted from around 400mg a day to just one solitary, late-morning cup of tea – and some days I even skip that.

Is light therapy suitable for everyone? No. According to AYO, people with bipolar disorder, those with eye conditions such as cataracts, people on photosensitizing medications, and those with skin sensitivities such as lupus should be cautious when considering light therapy glasses.

I’d recommend speaking to your doctor or healthcare professional first.

My verdict

If you’re looking for a magic wand that instantly guarantees seven+ hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, the AYO+ glasses aren't it.

As a Certified Sleep Science Coach, my recommendations there are choosing a few good sleep hygiene tips and sticking to them, keeping a consistent wake-up time, investing in the best mattress you can afford, and not stressing too much about ‘perfect sleep’ (orthosomnia).

But if you are a parent, a shift worker, or someone drowning in sleep debt and looking to break free from a vicious cycle of morning fatigue and afternoon caffeine crashes, the AYO+ Light Therapy Glasses are worth it.

I test many of the best printers here at Tom’s Guide, and I’ve never seen one like the Inkwon Tag. Touted as the ‘world’s first 4-in-1 portable color inkjet printer,’ the Tag is a pocketable printer that can create temporary tattoos, photo prints, heat transfers for creating custom t-shirts, and stickers. It’s a lovely little printer for crafting, small print makers, and anyone who wants to be the life of the party by distributing temporary tattoos.

Priced at $229, the Tag is a little expensive, but the good news is that running costs aren’t that high. It boasts good battery life of up to 90 minutes, and its user-friendly companion app makes creating and printing a walk in the park. All isn’t perfect though, as the printer can’t create borderless prints and paper needs to be inserted one at a time.

Should you still buy it? Read my full Inkwon Tag review to find out.

Inkwon Tag review: Specs

Inkwon Tag review: Price & availability

The Inkwon Tag is the brand’s fourth-ever printer, and it’s truly one of a kind. It’s a 4-in-1 pocket printer that can print temporary tattoos, stickers, photos, and heat transfers for creating custom t-shirts.

Funded through Kickstarter, the Tag has a retail price of $299 for the basic pack which includes 60 sheets and one ink cartridge. If you’re willing to spend $349, you can grab the Mega Pack bundle which includes two cartridges, 120 sheets, a photo frame, a tote bag, and a plain white t-shirt.

The Tag is a little pricier than most other pocket printers on the market today. For instance, the Canon Ivy 2 Mini costs $119 and the Canon SELPHY QX20 retails for $189. You’ve also got printers from Fujifilm, like the Instax mini Link 3 which costs $113. As you can see, the Tag is a fair bit more expensive than all of them — but none of them are advertised as sticker or heat transfer capable, so if you want a 4-in-1 pocket printer, the Tag is it (get it? ‘Tag, you’re it?’ No? Okay).

Inkwon Tag review: Design

The Inkwon Tag is a tiny and cute printer. It’s small enough to fit into already-full backpacks, and you can slip it into your pocket too. It measures just 4.13 x 3.82 x 1.77 inches, so it’s smaller than my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. It doesn’t weigh much either — just 8.29oz without any paper inserted. I’ve had no problem carrying it around in my pocket.

Located along one of the square printer’s edges is the paper feeding slot. All you need to do is insert the paper ever-so slightly and the printer will automatically pull it in. Frustratingly, paper needs to be inserted one at a time, as there’s no paper tray to store additional sheets. It’s not a huge problem, but it can get a little annoying when you want to create multiple prints back to back.

Inkwon Tag review: Setup & app

Setting up and using the Inkwon Tag couldn’t be easier. To get started, all you need to do is open the printer’s top cover and pop the cartridge in. It uses magnets so it instantly snaps into place — no fiddly mechanisms involved.

Once you’ve done that, you need to hit the triangular power button which automatically puts the Tag into Bluetooth pairing mode.

To get printing, you’ll need to download the AiYin app, which is available for free on Android and iOS. You’ll be using the app a lot for all your editing and printing needs, and thankfully, it doesn’t take up much space on your phone — just 110MB on my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL. The app asks you to sign up but you don’t have to if you don’t want to; you can simply choose to use a guest account. This makes it easy for your friends and family to use the printer too, as they can simply download the app and start printing.

Et voilà! You’re ready to print. The app itself is very easy and intuitive to use. You can print either your own designs and saved images, or choose from hundreds of pre-made designs. Once you’ve selected what you’d like to print, you can make adjustments to the images, such as brightness, saturation, contrast, and more, and then hit the print icon. It couldn’t be easier, really.

Inkwon Tag review: Print speeds

As is the case with most printers, the Inkwon Tag’s print speeds depend on the complexity of the images, and the number of colors involved. Keep in mind that this is a very small printer, so you won’t get rapid print speeds akin to those of, say, the Canon PIXMA Pro-200S ($647).

To kick things off, I used the included sticker paper to print a few images. It took the Tag one minute and 56 seconds to create a color sticker, and one minute and 45 seconds to create a black and white print. The included sticker paper is slightly thicker than the other types that Inkwon sent me for testing, so it isn’t surprising that the sticker printing times were the longest.

The next thing I did was print on the included light fabric heat transfer paper, which is used for transferring images onto t-shirts. A color print took one minute and 28 seconds while a black and white heat transfer took a minute and 27. Not too bad. I had a lot of fun transferring the designs on to the included white t-shirt too, and I’ll discuss that in the next section.

Last but not least, I printed a few of the pre-made designs onto the tattoo transparent transfer paper — something I was very excited for, as someone who has nearly 20 tattoos (the permanent kind). In my testing, the Tag took one minute and 20 seconds to print a color design, and a minute and 15 seconds to print a monochrome design.

If you aren’t in a rush and are using the Tag for printing temporary tattoos at a party, or creating stickers for your scrapbook, the aforementioned speeds shouldn’t give you much to complain about. I also found that the app was quick to tell the printer to start printing, and I didn’t notice any lag.

Inkwon Tag review: Print quality

I’ll preface this section with this: the Inkwon Tag is a small printer and you shouldn’t expect it to be able to create award-winning prints. It’s aimed at casual users. As an inkjet printer, it utilizes a CMY three dye-based ink system, and it has a print resolution of 600 dpi — which is suited to small-sized prints.

Because the Tag uses a CMY three ink system, it doesn’t have a dedicated black ink, so it mixes black using the other three. This results in prints that are low on contrast — and I’ll discuss this in detail below.

That said, print quality is surprisingly good. The photos in the gallery above were printed on sticker paper, and they can be peeled and stuck on most surfaces. Even though there isn’t a lot of real estate on the 3.5 x 2.12-inch paper, I appreciate how much detail the Tag has been able to print. For instance, the tattoo on my partner’s shoulder looks detailed and you can make out the individual tree leaves in the design.

The other images look great too, but as you can see in the sixth slide, the image of the pigeon, captured on the 44MP Leica SL3-P, looks fuzzy and has lost a fair bit of detail. This is a complex image, though, with lots of different elements and details, so I’m not surprised the Tag has struggled to accurately reproduce it.

As I mentioned earlier, the Tag uses CMY ink, and so doesn’t have a dedicated black ink (the 'K' in CMYK). This means blacks don’t appear as sharp or deep as on a CMYK printer. That’s what’s happened with the black and white print of my partner above. Having taken the image myself on the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, I know that the blacks are inky and deep — they don’t appear so in the print. They appear more gray than black, which is a little disappointing. The small CMY ink cartridges are a sacrifice you make for the size and convenience of the printer.

I also have an issue with the sticker paper — you can’t create borderless prints, so you have empty space at the bottom of each sheet. As such, the prints end up looking like they were printed out on one of the best instant cameras, à la Fujifilm Instax. It’s not necessarily a bad thing as it gives you space to scribble with a pen, but it’s still frustrating that you can’t utilize the entire space if you want to.

Images and designs printed on the light fabric heat transfer paper turn out well, though, as you can see in the gallery above. You need to peel the backing paper, put the print on a t-shirt (or any other fabric), put the included transfer paper on top of it, and use a hot iron to transfer the design. It’s quick and easy and I’ve really enjoyed doing it.

I printed out some pre-made seashells as well as a design my partner (who’s an artist) made, and they look lovely on both the t-shirt and the tote bag. The prints look high quality and even after being applied on the fabric, they haven’t lost their resolution, and the colors haven’t bled during the process either.

I was impressed with the quality of the temporary tattoos too. I printed out a pre-made design featuring sharks, as you can see in the gallery above, and then applied it to my skin using water. Not only do the shades of blue look deep and rich, the tattoo has retained the same vibrancy even on my skin. Being able to print temporary tattoos is not just fun for kids and at parties, but it can help adults, such as myself, determine the placement of a permanent tattoo before getting in touch with a tattoo artist.

Overall, I’ve been pleased with the Tag’s print quality, and I intended to use the printer for scrapbooking.

Inkwon Tag review: Ink cost & yield

The Inkwon Tag starter pack comes with one CMY 3-color dye-based inkjet cartridge, and it yields 60 prints. Extra ink cartridges are available as packs of three for $59, which means you’re spending approximately 33 cents — which isn’t exuberant, in the grand scheme of things.

Paper refills are available in packs of three too, ranging from $19 to $25 depending on the type of paper you’re buying (temporary tattoos, heat transfers, etc.). In comparison, 60 sheets of the Canon XC-60L Ink/Paper Set that the SELPHY QX20 uses costs $46. Meanwhile, 20 sheets of the Instax mini Film used by the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3 retails for $32, making the Tag’s running costs feel more reasonable (and affordable).

Inkwon Tag review: Battery life

If you’re looking for a pocket printer that lasts a respectable amount of time between charges, the Inkwon Tag is a great choice. The Tag is rated for 90 minutes, and in my testing, it took just under 85 minutes for it to run out of charge. I was able to create around 65 prints before I had to charge the Tag, which is good.

In comparison, the Fujifilm Instax mini Link 3 is rated for 100 prints per charge, and both the Canon Ivy Mini 2 and the Canon SELPHY QX20 are rated for a measly 20 prints per charge each. These figures alone make it feel like you’re getting bang for your buck with the Tag.

Inkwon Tag review: Verdict

If you want a portable printer that enables you to print temporary stickers, create personalized t-shirts, and stickers for scrapbooking, the Inkwon Tag is a fantastic choice. It’s extremely portable and easy to use, and the print quality is surprisingly good. Running costs aren’t that high either, even though the printer itself is.

I’ve had a lot of fun testing the Tag, but I can’t overlook its shortcomings. While the companion app is user-friendly, it doesn’t allow you to create borderless prints. Paper also needs to be inserted one at a time which can be time-consuming if you want to create back-to-back prints.

As long as you don’t mind those drawbacks, you’ll be pleased with the Tag and its performance. It’s fun, quirky, and it’s a sure-shot way to be the life of the party.

The Sabre-R are a set of mid-range bookshelf speakers from family-owned British manufacturer Ruark Audio. In time-honored British fashion, Ruark started life in a leafy English suburb, with a middle-aged man (in this case, Brian O’Rourke) hand-making his own speakers in a shed.

Now owned by Brian’s son, Alan, the ethos at Ruark is (as it has been since the shed days) to make audio gear that the staff would want to use and own themselves. Products have to sound and look the part.

And that sums up the Sabre-R speakers perfectly. They combine excellent fidelity with Ruark’s typical understated elegance. There’s one major shortcoming, which is a lack of raw bass power in the very low range. But if you’re after a compact set of high-end speakers for your lounge, kitchen, turntable or whatever, these are worth serious consideration.

Find out more in my full Ruark Audio Sabre-R review.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Specs

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Price & availability

The Ruark Sabre-R desktop speakers are available in charcoal or walnut colors and cost $999 direct from Ruark, as well as from specialist hi-fi retailers across the country. Ruark is still working on distributing its products more widely in the U.S., although you can find some of its range (not these) at Nordstrom.

In the U.K., where the brand is better established, the Sabre-R are much easier to find. You can snag a pair at Richer Sounds, Sevenoaks, John Lewis, or from Ruark itself for £699.

This obviously makes the Sabre-R a considered purchase, rather than an impulse one. They’re pricey, but premium hi-fi gear always is. And besides, in the wider context of high-end audio gear, which can happily reach into five- and six-digit price tags, $999 is still a fairly tame price.

If you’re on a tight budget, though, check out the Edifier R1280T, which pack decent performance for under $200. For a little more, the $499 Edifier S880DB MKII offer ‘premium-brand-worthy’ sound; while the Kanto Ora Ren cost $699 and offer plentiful bass performance.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Design

The Sabre-R are, in my opinion, absolutely stunning. As you can imagine given my job, I bring home a lot of tech. While my house is generally cluttered with all kinds of gizmos and gadgets, very little passes the bar to get into our lounge. But the Sabre-R sailed straight through, with a gleeful “what are those?!” from my wife.

That’s down to the Sabre-R’s typical Ruark elegance. Clean lines, high-quality materials, dark wood finishes. It’s timeless. These are speakers you want in your home — an accessory to any grown-up’s decor. They’re available in either walnut or charcoal variants. I have the charcoal model, which I prefer — they look a little sleeker and more understated, yet you still get a dash of that premium-feeling wood finish on the lower cabinet frontage.

As bookshelf speakers, the Sabre-Rs are fairly compact, measuring 11.4 x 6.9 x 8.5 inches. However, you obviously need to factor in an amplifier (ideally the Ruark R610 music console, which the Sabre-Rs are intended to be paired with) and its power cables, plus speaker cables. The result of all that was everything looking a little messy on my actual bookshelf. Instead, I first stuck them on my lounge TV stand, before moving them to my kitchen/dining room sideboard — I tend to spend more time in the kitchen, and that’s where we tend to host people, so this was the ideal spot for maximum usage.

Connectivity

There isn’t much to say about the Sabre-R connectivity-wise. These are passive speakers so it’s fairly straightforward. You’ve got a set of binding posts on each speaker, with sockets for single-wire connection and removable bridges for bi-wire.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Sound quality

The Ruark Sabre-R’s sound quality is, for the most part, excellent. During testing, I streamed some music at CD quality via AirPlay using my Denon AVR-X4800H. However, I mostly streamed in hi-res via the Ruark R610 music console and Qobuz Connect.

The Sabre-R offer a typically warm, hi-fi profile, with deftly controlled bass — it’s everywhere you want it, nowhere you don’t. In electronica, where one wants lots of bass, it’s there: the dense, pulsating bassline of Burn Water’s Ikigai sounded gloriously thick, with plenty of power and no distortion. Yet the live-recorded basslines in folk, blues, rock etc, never felt overwhelming or boomy — Odetta’s Hit or Miss being a prime example.

The only issue I had in the low end was a lack of extension in the sub-bass region, as the Sabre-R's frequency response bottoms out at 45Hz. It’s not a problem for most songs, but makes a difference in those tracks where you’re supposed to feel something as well as hear it. Through the right speakers, for instance, the last 20 seconds of SOHN’s Antigravity are experienced more in the solar plexus than through the ear canals. I had to crank the Sabre-Rs up nearly to their max to get anywhere close, but that came with a shedload of distortion.

I’ve read that the Sabre-R’s very low end response improves over time as the drivers wear in. However, if you want that raw low down oomph straight outta the box, I’d be looking to the Cambridge Audio L/R X instead, which cover down to 35Hz and have a downfiring second woofer for plenty of addictive subbiness.

But anyway, back to the good stuff. Mids are energetic and textured on the Sabre-Rs, while treble is expansive and clean. The result is especially lively, immediate-sounding vocals, whatever the genre, whatever the timbre. Even in busier productions, like The Who’s Eminence Front, or with softer, breathier voices like Phoebe Bridgers’ in Kyoto, vocals were given the space and prominence they needed. Obviously, this is a boon for powerful voices too: John Fogerty’s righteous (and essentially shouted) indignance in CCR’s Fortunate Son; Phil Collins’ gleeful post-breakup gloating in I Don’t Wanna Know; Chris Stapleton’s reverbed, melancholic wails in Death Row. I’m not usually a vocals man, but I damn well became one with the Sabre-Rs.

Guitars sound fantastic, too, and there’s plenty of instrument separation, again thanks to that well-defined mid range. Melvins’ Honey Bucket and Metallica’s Seek & Destroy both use simultaneous distorted riffs, which I could tell apart from one another with ease. Detail never feels lost, either, thanks to that expansive treble. I could hear the softest percussion in Mk.Gee’s Dream Police, and the gentle, ethereal backing vocals in Burn Water's Ikigai.

Ruark Audio Sabre-R review: Verdict

All in all, if you’re looking for a set of speakers that’ll do everything, from detailed high fidelity listening through to room-filling bass at parties, the Sabre-Rs probably ain’t it — they just lack that pure sub-bass power. Again, I’d spend a little more on the Cambridge L/R X, or drop similar money into the Kanto TUK + Sub 6V — both will get that raw, room-filling subbiness that vibrates up through your body.

The Sabre-Rs aren’t really supposed to be that, though. They’re a little more refined than that — a little more mature, if I may be so bold. If you don’t care about shaking windows and just want a set of speakers for relaxed detail listening, with that smooth hi-fi sound but no overpowering low end, well, these are for you. They’re perfect for kicking back in your lounge chair on a Sunday afternoon to some laidback vinyl playback, or soundtracking small gatherings with audio-appreciative friends. And man, they’re pretty.

I first saw the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro under embargo at The Running Event in Texas in late 2025 and immediately marked it down as a shoe to look out for in 2026.

That’s because it has similar characteristics to some of the best running shoes I've tested. It’s lightweight, highly versatile, and available for a reasonable price, all of which reminds me of shoes like the Adidas Adizero Evo SL, Hoka Mach 7 and Asics Novablast 6.

When I finally got my hands on the Deviate Pure to test, it lived up to my high expectations — it’s light, comfortable, stable and fairly speedy, and it impressed me on long runs in particular.

In my Puma Deviate Pure Nitro review, I’ll cover the pros and cons of the shoe and compare it to rivals in its price bracket, like the Adidas Evo SL.

Puma Deviate Pure Nitro review: Price and availability

The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro launched in June 2026 and costs $150 in the U.S. and £130 in the U.K., a price that puts it among a cluster of excellent running shoes, like the Evo SL and Asics Novablast 6.

Puma Deviate Pure Nitro review: Design and fit

The Deviate Pure is currently available in five colors, including the white and red design I tested.

As someone who is generally between two sizes, I usually get the best fit by going for the smaller one with Puma shoes, and that was the case with the Deviate Pure. It’s quite a long and narrow shoe.

The shoe has a stack height of 38mm at the heel and 30mm at the forefoot for an 8mm drop, which means it’s not as maxed out as many daily trainers with stacks over 40mm.

It’s still well-cushioned, though, and impressively lightweight at just 7.7oz in my US men’s size 9.5, which is considerably lighter than Puma’s other trainers like the Velocity Nitro 4 and Deviate Nitro 4.

Upper

The Deviate Pure has a mesh upper with plentiful padding around the collar at the back of the shoe, and some on the tongue as well.

It’s an impressively comfortable upper for such a lightweight shoe, though not quite as breathable as some shoes with more open materials, especially around the toebox.

Midsole

The Deviate Pure has a midsole entirely made from Puma’s NitroFoam. In this case, it’s the nitrogen-infused PEBA version of the foam, as opposed to the nitrogen-infused ATPU version, which is found in shoes like the Velocity Nitro 4.

It’s a lightweight foam with a soft feel and some bounce, though not as lively and responsive as the ATPU version of NitroFoam in my view.

Outsole

Puma shoes always offer good grip thanks to the brand’s PumaGrip rubber, which is used generously to cover most of the bottom of the Deviate Pure.

The shoe gripped well for me on both roads and light trails, and despite the fact the Deviate Pure is built to be a very light shoe, the layer of rubber used on the outsole is pretty thick and should prove durable.

Puma Deviate Pure Nitro review: Running performance

I racked up a lot of miles in the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro over a three-day period that included an easy-to-steady progression run, a double workout day with one session doing long reps and the other shorter sprints, and a 12-mile recovery run the day after.

Versatility is the key strength of the Deviate Pure, and that’s what I was aiming to test with this variety of runs.

However, some runs were better than others. The shoe was perfect for the easy-to-steady run, offering comfort, stability and easy paces, and then plenty of pop for the steady section; I also loved it for the long recovery run I did — it’s more comfortable and supportive than most similarly lightweight shoes.

I was less impressed with its performance in the workout where I did longer reps, aiming to hold my half-marathon pace. The midsole foam isn’t as responsive as some, and the Pure isn’t very rockered or stiff, so it doesn’t push you forward and off your toes as well as plated trainers or a shoe like the Adidas Evo SL.

During that workout, I actually swapped to the Evo SL halfway through and found it a better shoe for holding a fast pace over the intervals.

Later that day, the Pure impressed me more during a workout, running short intervals of 60 seconds, because it’s such a light shoe, it supports those kinds of sprints.

Despite mild shortcomings at speed, the Deviate Pure impressed me greatly during my runs, and I think it’s a versatile trainer that will suit a wide range of runners well.

Should you buy the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro?

The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro is a great jack-of-all-trades running shoe; it handles most types of runs well, though I’d personally pair it with a faster option in a running shoe rotation to handle workouts and races.

If you’re someone who likes to have a few shoes on the go that excel for different runs, you’ll probably have a shoe that does each run better than the Deviate Pure, but as an all-rounder, it’s up there with the best available.

It’s not as fast as a shoe like the Adidas Evo SL, but it is more comfortable and stable, and it’s not as cushioned as a shoe like the Asics Novablast 6, but it is lighter and speedier.

The trio is great as all-rounders, and which you should opt for depends on what your priority is, but for the Deviate Pure to be competitive in such illustrious company shows what a great shoe it is.

The Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX hiking shoes try their best to make it into the big leagues of the best hiking boots, but unfortunately, don’t quite make it. They tick all the right boxes on paper, but with confusing sizing, a narrow toe box, and minimal arch support, it’s hard to feel comfortable. The lack of breakability and flexibility also makes them tricky to recommend.

What they do offer is sturdy construction and effective waterproofing, which could be ideal for harsher elements. The 4mm lugs offer good traction, and maintenance is easy too.

To find out more about my thoughts on the shoes, you can keep reading this full Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX review.

Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX review: Specs

Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX review: Price & availability

The Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX hiking shoes are available for purchase in the U.S. from Hoka’s online store or REI for $220, and in the U.K. directly from the Hoka online store for £175. I tested the women’s version of the shoe, which comes in seven colorways, but it's also available in a men’s style with six colorways.

These shoes run particularly small, as I’ll talk more about later, but luckily, they come in half sizes to make the sizing-up process easier. I’d recommend sizing up 1.5 sizes based on my experience. The shoes are available in Women’s U.S size 5 - 11 and U.K. sizes 4 - 8.5. The Men’s style is available in U.S. size 7 - 15 and U.K. size 7 - 13.5.

Other low-cut hiking shoes include the Merrell Moab 3 for $160, which are all-terrain shoes with a little more flex in the upper than the Hokas, and the same supportive Vibram sole. Alternatively, if you want something that feels like a sneaker but gives effective support on any terrain, the Salomon XT-6 ($185) are my go-to when I need my feet to withstand hours of walking on uneven tracks.

If waterproofing is your biggest concern and high-cut boots like the Keen Targhee IV ($169) or the Keen Targhee Apex Mid ($190) just aren’t your style, then the Icebug Rover RB9X GTX ($199) are a great choice. They’re Gore-Tex wonders with an easy lace-up system and deep lugs to take on any terrain, and not to mention, they’re a lot more comfortable than the Kaha 3 Low GTX.

Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX review: Design & construction

The Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX hiking shoes look good. I tested the Droplet colorway, but if I were to repurchase, I would get a more neutral color to blend in more on the trail and better match my own style.

Hoka is best known for spongy running shoes, and it has managed to take that streamlined design and put it into a hiking shoe — just with a lot more traction and a lot less cushioning. When looking at the Kaha 3, you can see how sturdy they are. They also have the curved sole shape Hoka is known for, which makes rocking back and forth effortless — but that’s not always what you want in a hiking shoe.

Construction

The Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX is a well-built shoe. The upper is constructed from nubuck leather, which has a brushed finish. This is clad in Gore-Tex to shield your feet from whatever the elements throw at you, and meant I could trapse through puddles without taking on water.

The rubber toe cap at the front of the shoe is a feature I’m familiar with since testing the Keen Targhee Apex Mid hiking boots, so I appreciate having it on the Kaha 3s. This reinforcement on the toes makes moving downhill a whole lot easier, and also protects the fabric at the front of the shoes from damage.

Inside, the walls of the shoe are padded, so I didn’t experience any rubbing against the firm leather outer. The midsole is made from dual-density sugarcane, which is supportive to combat foot fatigue, although the arch support is minimal.

I was mostly impressed with the Vibram MegaGrip outsole of the shoe, which has 4mm lugs (the grooves that act like tire treads for your feet) for traction, but since the sole is rounded, it can feel unstable on terrain such as sand.

Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX review: Break-in & comfort

I’m usually a size five, but I had to send the Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX shoes back to get a bigger size. They run incredibly small. I sized up a whole size to a six, but honestly, I could have used a 6.5 when wearing thick hiking boot socks.

The fit of the shoes is also very narrow, so if you have wide feet, I would recommend grabbing a pair of boots from Keen instead, like the Targhee IV, which have plenty of room in the toe box and won’t restrict your movement.

With that said, once I had the right size, the shoes were mostly comfortable, but the small toe box caused me problems. I had no issues with blistering at all. Straight out of the box, I wore them on a 7.5km hike, and the only thing I noticed was some hot spots on the soles of my feet, but these didn’t blister.

Comfort

Although Hoka is known for bouncy soles on their running shoes, don’t expect any fluffy clouds here. In fact, the Kaha 3s are very stiff. And while generally comfortable, I missed being able to flex my foot in the shoe. Because of how thick the rubber soles are, on hard terrain, each step was becoming more and more fatiguing. However, they’re great on softer surfaces like mud or clay.

As mentioned, the toe box is also very small. I don’t have particularly wide feet, but my toes were aching after hiking for a couple of hours each time I wore them.

Breathability

Don’t expect ventilation. My feet got warm. This was disappointing since, as we move into summer, I want a shoe that keeps my feet dry but also allows them to breathe. The Kaha 3s weren’t overly uncomfortable, but they certainly made me miss my Salomon XT-6 sneakers, which can cope with temperatures soaring up to 86ºF.

I’d recommend the Kaha 3s for the autumn season, or the entry into spring — they’re far too hot for the peak summer months.

Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX review: Performance

The Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX hiking shoes tick all the right boxes on paper. They have ample grip, decent support, enough flexibility up top, and effective waterproofing. But do I think all of these elements are executed well? Not even close.

Grip

The grip of the Kaha 3s is probably the best part. I felt stable with every step across most terrain, and didn’t slip once on any boggy, muddy areas. The 4mm lugs worked great here.

However, because of the rounded edges on the soles of the shoes, I had a hard time walking along loose terrain like sand, as my stance didn’t feel entirely stable. They took a lot more concentration when walking on mixed-terrain trails.

Support

The shoes are decently supportive, but as someone with high arches, I wasn’t getting enough support and felt my feet turning in at times. The back of the shoe comes up to cover the Achilles and is cushioned, so when I was moving downhill, I felt confident in every step. I appreciated this added stability.

Flex

There’s hardly any flex in the Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX hiking shoes. This is good at times, as a stiff pair of shoes can offer stability on rocky terrain, but in the Hokas, it just left me feeling flat-footed. The hard, stiff soles combined with the tight fit of the shoe made me feel restricted, and it was a blessing to get back to the car and rip them off my feet.

Waterproofing

Although we’re moving into warmer weather, the waterproof Gore-Tex on the Kaha 3s still came in handy. When moving through puddles, my feet stayed completely dry. Since the outer of the shoe is a brushed leather, this gets wet and takes a while to dry off completely, but this is purely cosmetic and doesn't affect the shoe at all.

Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX review: Maintenance

The Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX hiking shoes are very easy to maintain as long as you commit to cleaning them up after every hike. To keep the Gore-Tex working as it should, it’s important to let the shoe dry completely before brushing off any dirt that may be sitting on the leather.

Then, before you put the shoes away between hikes, double-check they’re completely dry, as not doing so could lead to the shoes becoming a little smelly, which nobody wants.

Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX review: Verdict

The Hoka Kaha 3 Low GTX hiking shoes aren’t for me. The sizing was the first hurdle, but the lack of breathability and flex from the shoe made me question if these were a good choice for the trail. The answer I landed on was a quick ‘no’. The minimal arch support and narrow toe box also meant that after my walk, my feet were feeling pretty sore for a short while.

But the Kaha 3s come with some perks. They’re very well-made shoes, and the waterproofing is effective if you find yourself taking on puddles or very shallow running streams. They also have good traction from the 4mm lugs on most terrain, and the maintenance of the shoe is easy.

But when these shoes cost $220 and a much more comfortable shoe like the Salomon XT-6 is only $185, I can’t help but wonder what I’m paying for.

Windows laptops are having a field day in 2026, parading around with powerful Intel Panther Lake chips and impressive upgrades that are worth raising a glass to. Now, the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ is joining the party, but maybe it shouldn't be celebrating too hard.

Delivering a complete refresh over its predecessor, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, the revamped Prestige 16 AI+ now boasts a slimmer, compact design with a swish, signature-like "MSI" logo, the might of an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 chipset, the wonderful switch from IPS to glorious OLED and a tricked-out Action Touchpad to control the laptop with just a swipe. As a laptop geared towards professionals, this already hits all the right marks.

But key features somehow got lost in translation. As a laptop made for business and creative work, it would have been ideal to keep the SD card reader. However, the real kicker is having less battery life and lower performance than its older model, even though this Prestige 16 AI+ comes at a much higher launch price. And boy, does this get hot when under pressure.

Much of this has to do with the Core Ultra 7 355 CPU inside, but you'll have a much better time with the Intel X7 variant available in the U.S. Even with it, though, does the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ have the right stuff to join the crowd as one of the best Windows laptops? Let's get into it.

MSI Prestige 16 AI+ review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A slim, lightweight 16-inch laptop made for productivity with an innovative touchpad and the latest Intel Panther Lake chip.
• Who is it for? Built for on-the-go professionals after a sizeable yet compact notebook for getting everyday tasks done. Or "business elites," as MSI put it.
• What does it cost? Quite a lot, depending on where you are! The MSI Prestige 16 AI+ is available from $1,799 (with a better Intel Core Ultra X7 chip) or $2,149 (the Flip version with the same specs as our review unit) in the U.S., or £1,279 in the U.K. (a much more welcome price).
• What do we like? The thinner, more attractive design refresh, the stunning 16-inch 2.8K OLED display (with multiple display modes), the multi-talented Action Touchpad and Intel Panther Lake performance.
• What don’t we like? The loss of useful ports (like an SD card reader), battery life getting a downgrade, getting piping hot under pressure and its price being all over the place.

MSI Prestige 16 AI+ review: Specs

MSI Prestige 16 AI+ review: The ups

MSI has clearly done its homework by delivering an extremely attractive refresh, one that's slimmer and more fit for the office (and the road) than ever before. And additions like the Action Touchpad are just the cherry on top.

Trimming where it counts

I've known MSI to make some of the thinnest and lightest laptops around (just like the Prestige 13 AI+), and now it's finally given the same treatment to the Prestige 16 AI+. Even for a 16-inch laptop, it's wonderfully slim and lightweight, making it an immediate boon for me when working on the move.

Coming in at 14 x 10 x 0.46~0.54 inches (the handy rubberized feet give it an extra few millimeters) and weighing just 3.5 pounds, that slightly undercuts the likes of the Dell XPS 16 and Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro — all while keeping a premium, modernized look. The gray aluminium alloy chassis keeps its appeal subtle, and it feels good to the touch.

The bigger star of the show here is the massive Action Touchpad. Now, I would have said it's a tad too big, but every corner of this touchpad has a handy function. For example, double-tapping the upper-left corner opens up the Calculator app, swiping up and down on the left side adjusts the volume, sliding left or right at the top scrubs through video and more.

It took a while to get used to, but once it clicked, I was controlling settings straight on the touchpad. That's a clever and helpful feature for productivity, and better yet, it can be customized to your liking (like opening the Xbox Game Bar or taking a screenshot).

Sure, I would have liked the keyboard's keycaps to feel less squishy to type on, but overall, the Prestige 16 AI+ delivers an impressive revamp to the series.

Welcome to OLED!

Was Intel Panther Lake supposed to be the big upgrade? Sorry, I was too busy goggling at the 16-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED display that's finally found its way onto the Prestige 16 AI+. No more IPS screen here, just a gorgeous panel with rich colors and striking detail.

With its buttery smooth variable 120Hz refresh rate and excellent color coverage (100% DCI-P3), you're getting a visual treat no matter what you throw at it — from scrolling through long spreadsheets to binging your way through blockbusters.

Speaking of, I put it to the test by checking out the latest trailer for "Supergirl," and it got me amped for the striking, red laser beam-filled action Kara (Milly Alcock) will be dishing out across the galaxy. And I wouldn't mind watching it all on this screen, with deep blacks stretching across space and great contrasts when Supergirl heats up her laser eyes.

MSI decided to take full advantage of its OLED introduction with different display modes, too. That includes Ture Color Display P3, sRGB, low blue light and more, which makes it an ideal pick for photo or video editing work (well, less demanding creative work, but more on this later).

I'm glad the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ got the display upgrade it deserves, as OLED very much suits the laptop.

Intel Panther Lake strikes again

Coming equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 355 CPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, this is a recipe for seamless productivity and multitasking for on-the-move work. And that's exactly what the Prestige 16 AI+ delivers.

For my day-to-day workload, it could handle the demands I required without a hiccup. That includes opening up 30 Chrome tabs, listening to music on the side, doing some light photo editing work and watching a show in the background. That's more than enough for everyday tasks.

Even better, while this chip isn't made for graphically demanding tasks (that's left for the Intel Core Ultra X7 lineup), I was able to pull off some light gaming. But I mean light, as I could play the likes of Hollow Knight: Silksong at a steady 60 frames per second (FPS), but not something like Overwatch — even at its lowest settings and resolution.

For getting the job done, though, Intel Panther Lake has made another good case in the Prestige 16 AI+. That said, especially when compared to its 16-inch competitors, the performance on offer doesn't quite match the price.

MSI Prestige 16 AI+ review: The downs

As much as the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ hits its stride with its refresh, it dropped the ball in a few key areas that made this laptop a solid pick for workers in the first place. When you're not reaching the heights of a predecessor in terms of performance, battery life and ports, it's hard to be an "upgrade."

Upgrade to "X"

Firstly, I will say the MSI Prestige 16 AI+ is the more affordable option against its peers, especially at its starting price. That includes the Dell XPS 16 (starting at $1,749, but that's with a lesser Intel Core Ultra 5 325 CPU and IPS display), Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro ($2,199) and Lenovo Yoga Pro 7i Gen 11 ($2,149).

However, seeing the difference in performance is a real eye-opener. Not only does it struggle to keep up with laptops in the same price bracket, but the Prestige 16 AI+ actually falls behind its last-gen edition, the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo. And the starting price for that machine? A much more affordable $1,399.

Check out the results for yourself:

Yes, the ongoing RAM crisis is making prices on the latest machines skyrocket, but it's still a punch in the gut when an all-new, redesigned Prestige 16 AI+ can't beat its older counterpart at an even higher price.

For U.K. buyers, the Prestige 16 AI+ with a Core Ultra 7 355 at least has a more fitting £1,279 price tag. In the U.S., though, you're getting a bad deal, as the 2-in-1 "Flip" model with the exact same specs as our review unit is priced at $2,149. However, for those in the U.S., I also found that you can grab the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H model for $2,229 at Best Buy, and this is the "Flip" 2-in-1 version. So, for $80 more, you get a more powerful chipset. That seems like the far better deal here (even though it's pricier).

That's why it's worth finding the Prestige 16 AI+ with an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H CPU instead, as our testing has shown just how much of a gain in performance you're getting (especially when it comes to graphics power, thanks to the integrated Intel Arc B390 iGPU). Luckily, you can find one for $1,799 at Costco.

That said, with its limited 65W power adapter, you can't expect to push the limit with this laptop, either (don't expect to increase clock speeds with Turbo Boost).

You're missing some ports

MSI has made the Prestige 16 AI+ for "business elites," and even offers multiple display modes with photo- and video-editing in mind. That's a great shout for creative work, so it's puzzling to see it decided to leave the SD card reader behind during its refresh.

Don't get me wrong; having two Thunderbolt 4 ports with Power Delivery (PD) and DisplayPort input, along with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 and an HDMI 2.1 slot, is great to have. It gives you enough ports to plug in PC peripherals (like one of the best keyboards or best mice) and connect to an external display, but for photographers and the like, the lack of an SD card slot is a shame.

With a slimmer design, it makes sense for MSI to save space, but for the users it's catering towards, the Prestige 16 AI+ would have benefited from taking a page (or slot) from its last-gen sibling.

Piping hot

When a laptop gets so hot that it becomes risky to touch, you know that it really can't handle complex or demanding tasks. That's the case with the Prestige 16 AI+, especially just above the keyboard deck.

During basic daily tasks, the 16 AI+ could keep cool under pressure (as you'd expect from a laptop at this price). However, as I was testing the machine by playing Overwatch, the laptop felt like it was on the verge of melting, as it was too hot to the touch.

Now, the laptop clearly isn't made to play games, but I experienced this just by booting up the main menu of the game at its lowest settings. This doesn't bode well for graphically intensive work, so I'd suggest staying clear of complex video edits and, yes, demanding games.

MSI Prestige 16 AI+ review: Verdict

The MSI Prestige 16 AI+ may not be the life of the party that the best Windows laptops are throwing in 2026, but that doesn't take away from its upgraded party tricks. With its lovely 16-inch 2.8K OLED display offering crisp details and rich colors (with its different color modes), amazingly slim design and a touchpad that does way more than just move a cursor, this is a refresh worth cheering to.

But it can't throw a rager quite like its older sibling. By that, I mean dropping its SD card reader (a downer for creatives), bringing shorter battery life and, most importantly, delivering lower performance despite having a higher launch price than the Prestige 16 AI Evo. And that last one shows by getting way too hot under the hood.

Ergo, if this laptop does pique your interest, I wouldn't recommend getting the base Intel Core Ultra 7 355 model, as you'll not only be losing out on actual performance upgrades the X7 chipset delivers, as the Dell XPS 16 and Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro have shown us, but you'll also have to put up with thermal issues (but even the X7 model has to deal with a limited 65W AC adapter).

At its price, especially in the U.S., the Prestige 16 AI+ becomes harder to recommend despite the impressive lengths MSI has gone to deliver an otherwise worthwhile upgrade. Still, for a sleek, portable machine to breeze through work on a premium OLED display, this is a solid business machine.

My two cents? For beefier performance in a design that's fairly similar, I'd point you towards the MSI Stealth 16 AI+ (2026), which also got a glow-up backed by an even better Intel Panther Lake chip.

I've always loved Roku's straightforward, deliberately simple interface as an alternative to the ever-more-cluttered experiences on other TVs. It’s helped previous models in its TV lineup like the Roku Plus Series to become one of the best budget TVs.

But competition has heated up in this price range, and I don't think the Select Series is keeping up. Poor brightness is the dealbreaker for this TV, with dark and even some light scenes looking muddy or faded. Color is often quite good, and the audio is better than expected, but they can't make up for the often-dim screen.

For around $400, it’s a cheap TV that has a few merits, but if you want a screen with better brightness and color performance for around the same price, check out the TCL QM6K, Hisense QD7 or Vizio Mini-LED Quantum 4K TV instead.

Roku Select Series review: Pricing and availability

Priced at $379 at Best Buy (regularly $449), the 65-inch Roku Select Series 4K QLED (65R5D5) is the upper-middle tier of Roku's three-series TV lineup for 2026. Within the Select Series itself, the 43-inch model uses standard LED rather than QLED (incorporating quantum-dot color technology), while the 50-, 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-inch sets all upgrade to QLED panels.

Stepping up from Select, Roku's Plus Series ($649 for a 65-inch screen) adds Mini-LED backlighting, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for more faithful video and audio play, Wi-Fi 6 (the latest standard), and an enhanced voice remote. Plus models from 2025 have fallen considerably, with last year's 65-inch Plus model selling for under $500 on Amazon. The flagship Pro Series is the only Roku-made line with a 120Hz refresh rate, currently around $899 in 65-inch trim.

Roku Select Series review: Design and ports

At 3.3 inches deep, the 65" Roku Select TV is a bit chunky. It has the standard design of all budget TVs: two plastic feet bear the ends of the panel and thin black bezel with minimal branding (a smallish silver "Roku" at the bottom-middle). On the back are VESA-standard screwholes in a 400 x 300 mm pattern for attaching to a wall mount.

When viewed from behind, the TV's power cord plugs in at the right, and all input and output ports are grouped in a column on the left. They include four HDMI ports (one with eARC, which can supply digital audio output to a soundbar or speaker system). They support only the 2.0 standard, which doesn't support capabilities such as 120Hz video input, though that might not matter much as the screen’s native refresh rate is limited to 60Hz.

The Select Series also features a SPDIF optical digital audio port and a single USB-A port that could load photos or videos from a USB stick. An ethernet port is on hand, as is a Cable/Antenna input that feeds an ATSC 1.0 tuner. The latter is limited to 1080p, standard dynamic range broadcasts, but that only matters if you use an antenna, rather than onboard streaming apps or a cable box that connects over HDMI.

How we test TVs at Tom’s Guide

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom's Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subjective tests designed to rate the set's performance. For our technical tests, we set the TV to Filmmaker mode (usually the most accurate out of the box) and take measurements using a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays's Calman TV-calibration software. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Video Signal Lag Tester for determining the TV's gaming prowess.

Subjective tests vary based on the reviewer but usually include anecdotes from a diverse selection of movies, TV shows, and other content reflecting the types of things you may actually want to watch on the TV. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our "How we test TVs" page.

Roku Select Series review: Performance

The 65-inch Roku Select shows pleasing, rather-accurate color in HD/SDR; but it's simply not bright enough to show a lot of content clearly — especially not in HDR. That’s a problem because HDR is no longer exotic: It's become standard on top streaming services and on Blu-ray discs. A TV that can't display HDR well, like this one, is hard to recommend.

To put it through its paces, I used Netflix's Strangers Things, Season 5, Episode 8 as it’s full of dark, forbidding scenes. They looked a bit muddy and grayish on this screen. Selecting the HDR+ Bright setting lightened up the shadows, but at the expense of black levels.

Chapter 4 of the "Spider-Man: No Way Home" Blu-ray fared better, but it’s still not up to par with some of its rivals. In some scenes, characters were lit well, such as the firelight illuminating the faces of Peter Parker and Dr. Strange, but in other scenes that wasn’t the case.

"Bridgerton" was especially disappointing. Season 1, Ep 3 (17:00-19:00 minutes in) displays complex indoor scenes/outdoor scenes, candlelight/sunlight, warm skin tones/pale complexions — and none of them looked especially good. One character's mop of blond hair nearly disappears in a sunny afternoon shot. There is a pallor over the colorful pastel dresses of four women in the same scene.

Indoor party scenes were also rather shadowy. Here toggling between the Standard, Bright, and Dark HDR+ settings made little difference. It's worth noting that this set does not support Dolby Vision, which includes extra metadata in content to help a TV display it more faithfully.

The Roku Select is fine for standard HD content, however. I found the YouTube edition of the gorgeous Bruno Mars video "Risk It All" to be an enjoyable watch. It begins with an outdoor scene and then transitions to a sunlit church interior. There aren't those challenging shadows where lower luminance can obscure detail, though. The Select also displayed motion smoothly, such as a difficult shot when the camera moves towards Mars, then rotates 90 degrees to show him from the side while backing away.

A few photos I shot while reviewing cameras for Tom's Guide also looked nice — including one with women of different skin tones by a fountain and another of a woman sitting on a bench. These were all outdoor shots by bright to very-bright light, however.

There's minimal difference between all other modes. With photos, Sports made images a tad warmer, sometimes livening skintones; and Vivid made them a bit cooler, deepening green foliage. (It also improved black levels, for instance in a photo of a blue neon sign at night.) The differences come down to a matter of personal taste.

Roku Select Series review: Test Results

*As measured in Filmmaker mode

Using its out-of-the-box Standard mode, we measured peak luminance (on a square covering 10% of the screen) at 397.6 nits, vs. an average of 927.0 for 65-inch TVs from 2025 and 2026. (They range from 228.7 to 2,908 nits.)

This Roku has several other picture modes, including Movie, Vivid, and Sports. Movie is the most color-accurate, by far. Similar modes on other TVs tend to be dimmer, but this TV was really dim. We measured 334.6 nits, vs. an average for rivals of 438.2.

To my eye, Standard beat Movie mode with Fellini's 1963 black-and-white surrealist film "8½." Standard gave light shades the hint of yellow you would expect in a black and white film shot over half a century ago, without overdoing it. The film looked quite yellow in Movie mode.

Color fidelity in Standard mode is better than average. We determine that with Delta-E, a measurement of how far colors on the screen vary from the signal we send to the TV. The lower the number, the more accurate the TV. We measured this Roku at 10.2. That's way higher than its value in Movie mode (2.45) but beats the average 11.9 for comparable TVs in Standard mode from the past couple years. Movie Mode color is also a skosh better than average — a Delta-E of 2.45 vs. 2.9 — but both numbers are firmly in the "too small to notice” range.

In practice, Movie Mode handled that aforementioned photo of the woman on the bench very well. She has a mid-tone complexion that could easily go wrong with bad color performance, as well as a wine-colored felt hat that could have gotten exaggerated.

Still, things are gloomy for fans of 4K/HDR content. In lab tests in Movie Mode, the TV's HDR brightness gave us a new all-time low against similar TVs: 334.6 nits vs the average of 1533.1 and max of 3685.4. This TV is in the lower half among peers for covering the Rec. 2020 gamut (72.36%) — though this will matter more when content actually is mastered in Rec. 2020. Right now, high coverage is more for bragging rights than anything else.

Roku Select Series review: Audio

The Roku Select offers pleasant audio, especially for a basic built-in system with minimal specs. The TV packs two speakers with the industry-minimum 10 watts each. It features basic Dolby audio technology, but not the richer Dolby Atmos standard (a feature of the step-up Plus Series).

The Bruno Mars "Risk It All" video sounded crisp and clear — from bright trumpets to the resonant guitar notes and his soulful voice. I recommend switching from Standard to Movie sound mode for all content for a more expansive experience.

A music video isn't too tough for a low-power speaker system. But I was especially impressed with the sound of Stranger Things, especially the crisp voices against the roaring background noise. Explosions had a booming sound without much distortion.

This is all graded on a curve, of course. For home theater sound, you can connect to a soundbar or speaker system over the eArc HDMI port or the SPDIF digital audio output. We have a list of the best soundbars if you’re not sure where to start.

Roku Select Series review: Interface and remote

I've been a fan of Roku's minimalist interface (on TVs, streaming sticks and streaming boxes) from early days. It's my interface of choice at home.

Popular apps are pre-installed and featured at the top of the app grid. You can easily move or delete them or add apps from a list of thousands (called Channels) that are supported. My one complaint is that the interface is a bit sluggish on this model.

The remote is streamlined without being too sparse. It features shortcuts to Netflix, Disney+, AppleTV+, and Amazon Prime Video, as well as a handy enhanced voice remote for easy searches. Roku's mobile app is equally handy should you misplace the clicker.

The ad-supported Roku Channel is shown discretely at the right side of the screen, instead of in-your-face as for other TV companies' video services (looking at you, Vizio). It doesn't have the latest blockbusters, but I have found noteworthy TV shows and movies such as "Frasier," "Longmire," "The Heat," and "Silence of the Lambs."

But make no mistake: Roku is a data and advertising company that may collect a lot of personal information. Like Vizio, Roku has found itself involved in several lawsuits over privacy. (The most recent of which is happening in Florida where the Florida Attorney General is currently suing the company, alleging that it "collected, sold, and enabled reidentification of sensitive personal data — including viewing habits, voice recordings, and other information from children — without authorization or meaningful notice to Florida families.")

No matter which smart platform you choose, however, you’re going to have to deal with a company that wants your viewing information. Roku is not substantially different in this regard, but I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention Roku’s robust data collection policy.

Roku Select Series review: Verdict

I’m a huge fan of Roku TVs (as well as the brand’s streaming-device add-ons), but this model line won't make our list of recommendations. At under $400 for a 65-inch QLED, the Select Series competes most directly with the Vizio Mini-LED Quantum 4K Smart TV (also $398) and the Samsung Q6F ($449). The Hisense QD7 (currently $599 at the 65-inch size but found as low as $435) is a small step up in price but is one of my favorite models in this range.

If you’re dead-set on a Roku TV for the lowest absolute price, I wouldn’t fault you for choosing the Select Series — there are some redeeming qualities. Roku TV is set to get its biggest overhaul in years, and the Roku Channel offers some free streaming options if you don’t mind dealing with ads every few minutes.

Would this be the TV I’d pick out for a home theater or a living room that gets a lot of afternoon sun? Probably not, but you could certainly do worse.

I thought the Steam Machine was going to be that perfect middle ground between console and PC — giving you your entire Steam library and the versatility of Linux alongside that pick-up-and-play goodness of something like a PS5 Pro.

But I’m just going to get straight to the point. With a starting price of $1,049/£879, it feels less like finding the middle ground and more like being lost in no man’s land. I can’t deny it does the thing I wanted it to do, but the smaller bang for a giant buck is a tough pill to swallow.

There is a lot to like here — I love the small 6-inch cube form factor with the swappable face plates (shout-out to the whisper quiet thermal management), Steam OS is a stellar big screen console UI rivaling the simplicity of PlayStation or Xbox, and it nails the console niceties that a PC can’t do without extra fiddling.

I'm talking about things like HDMI CEC to control your TV with your controller, or even turning on your system with the Steam Controller to begin with, or that customizable LED light bar upfront, all while also packing Linux to be a semi-decent mini PC.

However, when you put it in the context of that large RAMageddon-induced price, performance is underwhelming compared to similarly-priced PCs, and you’ll find yourself tinkering with settings a lot to get things just right (unlike a console). With AAA titles over the past couple of years struggling here — especially when you put ray tracing on — it feels like this is underpowered right out of the gate.

Still, I can’t help but admit I’m slightly enamored by the Steam Machine after the hours I’ve sunk into it. Once you put on some older or Indie titles (Steam’s bread and butter), it all starts to click. I particularly enjoyed dipping back into old classics like Portal 2 or getting back into my indie obsessions like Hades II!

Valve is onto something here, and it would’ve been a breakthrough at $6-700. But it’s not, and it becomes hard to recommend to anyone other than “Console PC” aesthetic purists and the die-hard Steam devotees.

Steam Machine: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a console/PC hybrid gaming system.
• Who is it for? This is for those who want that couch console gaming experience without the limitations of a console OS.
• What does it cost? Brace yourself. Starting price is $1049/£879 for the 512GB version, and goes up to $1,349/£1,149 for the 2TB model. These are without a controller, which you’d need to bundle up for an additional $69/£69.
• What do we like? The Steam Machine does exactly what I wanted it to do on paper — it takes something as vast and complicated as PC gaming and stuffs it into a slick console UI, which is housed inside a beautifully monolithic cube that challenges the beefier aesthetics of the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
• What don’t we like? At $1,049, this is expensive for what you get. Nice to have the console-esque experience, but underpowered parts mean you’re getting a rather limited gaming experience in any more graphically challenging titles. And don’t even think about running ray traced gameplay on this thing!

Steam Machine: Specs

Steam Machine: The ups

And so, I took it all out of the (fully) recyclable packaging, picked my front plate (love the orange fabric one — reminds me of The Orange Box on my Xbox 360 back in the day), and got into playing on the Steam Machine. FYI, these additional faceplates are part of the 2TB model + controller bundle only.

Small and stylish

I must admit that I felt a little lovestruck when I pulled the GabeCube out for the first time. This almost-6-inch cube is a premium-feeling piece of kit that will proudly take its minimalist pride of place next to any TV or on any desk.

The port array is minimal compared to your average PC, but you’ve got everything you need for peripherals and a wired internet connection too. And compared to the behemoths that are the PS5 and Xbox Series X, it really is no competition in terms of design. This fades into the background rather than making a statement, and I love it for that.

Also, shoutout to the thermal management going on here. Air is pulled in through the front via a gap created behind that faceplate, through a gigantic heatsink (literally about 75% of that internal cube space is heatsink) and out the back via a single giant 120mm fan. The end result is near-silent operation even at high loads. My PS5 could never!

SteamOS delivers the goods

I love it on my Steam Deck, and it ports well to the big screen — Steam OS is a fantastic console gaming UI for getting straight into your titles or discovering more. Pair it with a Steam Controller, and it gets much better too with the touchpads making it zippier to get around a keyboard or work your way around the desktop mode (though that’s a rarity).

That’s not to say it’s all the way there yet. There’s a weird thing with having to set the resolution for each game — if you get a Steam Machine and are confused as to why it’s only showing 1080p, go into game properties and change resolution from the confusingly named “Default” to “4K.”

Valve has confirmed to other reviewers that they’re looking to make this simpler/clearer in a future update.

When it all comes together, it’s a console beater

I know it may sound like I’m digging for any kind of positive with that subheadline, but let me explain. The whole is bigger than the sum of its parts and when it all starts to sing in harmony together, you can make some sweet hypothetical music.

The little touches are what grabbed me at first — HDMI CEC meaning that when I turn on the Steam Machine with my controller, it turns on the TV too. That’s something my PC with the long HDMI cable connected could ever do (without serious dongle help). That LED status bar on the box itself is customizable, and it fills up as you’re downloading a game file.

And then as you enter your gaming flow state with something a little less challenging to the internals like an indie title, older game or emulation (btw, emulation works like a dream on this thing), Steam OS becomes your canvas to jump in and out of your games, and it shows Valve can perfectly capture that couch play experience while giving you openness unlike any of those consoles.

It shows the company’s got the right idea here, and I applaud them for that.

Steam Machine: The downs

One of these downsides has been the talk on social media, so I don’t need to dwell too much on it. But with it, that does expose some other issues in a far more negative light.

Performance can be lacking

Now, I've built a bunch of PCs and tested a bunch of GPUs in my lifetime, so I’ve become accustomed to where systems land on my internal scale relative to the price you pay for it. I get that the Steam Machine is a different kind of beast — half console/half mini gaming PC — but when asking for this kind of money, it has to go on the scale.

And while the Steam Machine does do well in less challenging games, the moment you try to throw something AAA at it, things start to fall apart.

For reference, to my eye, the PS5 Pro runs at a mixture of medium-high settings on Black Myth: Wukong, while upscaling to 4K from a far higher resolution. With FSR and settings tweaks, you can make 4K work at 60 FPS, but by that point you lose the detail.

Cyberpunk 2077 is the ultimate proof that ray tracing is this machine’s kryptonite, as it simply did not run in 4K. That’s a problem given we’re rapidly closing in on the moment where ray tracing becomes a requirement in some games.

Basically, your two problems here are the lower amount of power being pumped through the parts, and 8GB of video memory is simply not enough for the raw rasterized performance. But If you are dipping into AAA games, here are my three common rules:

• This is not a 4K gaming machine, this a 1080p system with some QHD on the side
• Turn settings down to medium if the game’s come out in the last two years
• FSR is an absolute necessity

Then if I want to use this as a Linux mini PC, the OS offers a lot to do, but don’t expect to be doing too much of it, as that laptop-suited chip is a little limited on the performance.

Interpreting these numbers into real-world use means you’re going to be able to attack your casual daily workload, web browsing with a few tabs, and maybe a little bit of photo editing. Anything more intense and you start to feel it chug.

$1,049 is crazy

Like I said, you’ve probably seen the memes and roasts already. You all dunked hard on this in the comments of the unboxing TikTok I did a few days ago, so let’s talk about it!

Just over $1,000 puts it out of reach of competing with consoles and into the budget gaming PC territory, which is a whole different ballgame. I know people have been using PC Part Picker and showing what you can get for the budget, but I want to go down the road of pre-builts too.

Take the Stormcraft Sirius with RTX 5060 for example and a 1TB SSD — currently $899. Granted, this is a sale price and you’re not getting the tiny cube premium build. But the original price is $1,099, which even though its fifty bucks more, gives you more bang for your buck as you see in the numbers above.

Realistically, what you’re getting in the Steam Machine performance and visual-wise (having to use FSR to do some heavy lifting) hangs somewhere between the standard PS5 and PS5 Pro. That would be fine if it was priced more similarly to one, but at over a thousand dollars, it becomes a tough sell.

Steam Machine: Verdict

I really wanted to love the Steam Machine, but it’s complicated. On one hand, it’s that intersection between gaming PC and console that I love with my Steam Deck — taking all of its complexities and simplifying the pick up and play nature of it all.

But on the other hand, it’s $1,049, which exposes the underpowered internals that much more, and makes the ever-rising prices of other consoles feel kind of reasonable in comparison.

Rather than being the middle ground, it’s in no man’s land. If you want console gaming, grab a PS5 Pro. If you want PC gaming, grab a PC. Until this price comes down to something like $700, it’s a “close, but no cigar” situation.

The Best Buy Essentials Amplified Ultra-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna exists for those who like the idea of live TV, but who don't want to spend money on cable or an advanced antenna. It's cheap, simply-designed, and very easy to install.

This is actually the top model in Best Buy's house-brand Essentials antenna line, sitting above a 35-mile unamplified version and a more compact 30-mile multidirectional model. It's marketed with a 50-mile maximum range and supports both VHF and UHF.

The question, of course, is whether you're losing much by going for a Best Buy Essentials model, or if you should upgrade to a more expensive antenna. I've been using the Best Buy Essentials Ultra-Thin Amplified HDTV Antenna to find out how it ranks among the best TV antennas.

Best Buy Essentials Ultra-Thin Amplified HDTV Antenna review: Price and availability

One of the biggest advantages of this antenna, of course, is its price. At just $25, it's cheaper than the majority of other antennas out there, including those from companies like Channel Master.

That said, it's not quite as available as other models, since it's Best Buy's in-house brand that makes it. You'll only really be able to get it from Best Buy itself, so don't waste your time looking for it at Walmart or Amazon.

Best Buy Essentials Ultra-Thin Amplified HDTV Antenna review: Design and setup

There was once a time when these ultra-thin antennas were somewhat of a novelty, but that has changed over the years, and they're now much more common. So common, apparently, that you can get one for as low as $25.

The antenna can be mounted to a window or placed on a stand, which is included in the box. As for the mounting pins to attach it to a surface, you'll actually get two small pins that can be inserted into a wall, along with adhesive to attach the antenna to a window. Basically, no matter how you want to set it up, you should have everything you need in the box.

You can also decide whether you want it to blend into your wall or not. There's a white side and a black side. So if you want it to blend into white paint, you can leave the white side of the antenna exposed.

The antenna comes with a permanently attached 8-foot coaxial cable, along with the amplifier, which looks kind of like an adapter, and an AC power adapter that you plug into the amplifier. Again, it's everything you'll need to get started. That said, if you need more than 8 feet of cable, you'll need to buy a coaxial extension cable, as again, this one is permanently attached to the antenna.

Setting up the antenna is very simple. Either mount it to a wall or attach it to the included base. Then connect the antenna's cable to the amplifier, the amplifier to your TV, and the power adapter to the amplifier. The whole process will only take a few minutes, unless, like me, your TV is mounted to the wall and you have to figure out how to access the antenna input port.

Best Buy Essentials Ultra-Thin Amplified HDTV Antenna review: Performance and reception

The antenna can receive both VHF-high and UHF broadcasts, and the amplifier is rated for 16dB of gain. What that means is that, in decent conditions, you should be able to reach broadcast towers up to 25 miles or so — though don't necessarily expect that if you live in a more mountainous or dense environment. Best Buy markets the antenna as supporting a range of up to 50 miles, but it's unlikely you'll hit a range quite that high unless you luck out with the conditions around you.

That said, the amplifier can strengthen low or moderate strength signals to allow you to get more usable stations in your area. This can actually be a double-edged sword, though. While it amplifies signal, it also amplifies noise — so it might appear that you have access to lots of channels when you first scan for them, but in reality, many of them will be too noisy to actually watch. When I first scanned on my TV, I was told that the TV had found 50 channels. But I'd estimate that maybe 20 of those were actually watchable.

You can, of course, try scanning for channels without the amplifier connected. In fact, it's definitely worth trying to do this. Without the amplifier, I found that I only got 16 channels, and again, only around half of them were actually watchable in terms of quality. That's compared to the 50 channels I got with the amplifier.

It's worth noting that I got a much better signal and more channels with only slightly more expensive antenna models. The Channel Master FLATenna 35 picked up 83 channels with noticeably better signal quality. That's not to mention the fact that the FLATenna comes with a longer detachable cable, which makes it easier to position the antenna for better reception. That said, when I added an extension to the Best Buy model, I got similar results, so positioning isn’t everything.

The fact is that this is a budget antenna, and its flat design can limit some of the kinds of broadcasts that it can receive. That's not unexpected. There's a reason some people buy more expensive antennas that mount to a roof instead of using one of these. But if you're simply looking for something that's easy to set up so that you can see what kinds of channels you have decently close to you, this antenna will work perfectly fine. Just don't expect it to work miracles.

Best Buy Essentials Ultra-Thin Amplified HDTV Antenna review: Verdict

If you're 15 to 20 miles from your local towers and have somewhere to mount it near a window, you'll probably be happy with the Best Buy Essentials Amplified Ultra-Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna .

That said, it is really worth checking how close you are to local towers before you decide whether to buy this one or something more powerful. You can do that at a website like this one. It’s also worth considering upgrading to a slightly more expensive model, like the Channel Master FLATenna 35, which I also tested recently and found to pick up many more channels at a much higher quality.

If you are in a rural location, you are probably better served by something slightly more advanced. But if you live close enough to broadcast towers and watch something basic and easy to use, this one should do the job.

The Samsung S95H OLED TV might be my favorite flagship from the brand to date. It’s been designed to dominate both light-controlled home theaters and bright living rooms alike, defying the historic limitation that even the best OLED TVs can't handle high ambient light.

Samsung has delivered the brightest OLED TV we’ve ever tested. After hours of watching and gaming on the S95H, I’m confident you can comfortably watch this panel in any environment without worrying about a washed-out image. The combination of raw luminance and an incredibly effective glare-free display keeps the screen looking pristine, no matter the genre.

Alongside the premium picture tech, this set gets integration with Samsung's popular Art Store, allowing the TV to double as a high-end gallery piece when it's not in use. Then there’s a the controversial metal bezel bordering the screen, a feature I thought I’d despise but somehow grew on me — no, really.

While there are a few caveats I’ll note in my following Samsung S95H OLED TV review, overall, I think this set is a striking reminder at just how dominant modern OLED technology can be.

Samsung S95H OLED TV: Price and sizes

The Samsung S95H is positioned as a premium flagship set, and its pricing reflects its status at the top of the brand’s OLED lineup. While official launch pricing varies by size, it commands a top-tier premium:

• 55-inch Samsung S95H OLED (QN55S95HAFXZA): $2,499
• 65-inch Samsung S95H OLED (QN65S95HAFXZA): $3,399
• 77-inch Samsung S95H OLED (QN77S95HAFXZA): $4,499
• 83-inch Samsung S95H OLED (QN55S95HAFXZA): $6,499

I’ll remind you that OLED TVs come in fewer sizes than Mini-LED TVs. That said, if you want Samsung OLED at a lower price and with smaller screen sizes, the Samsung S90H is a compelling alternative. You will lose Art Store access as well as see some shortcomings in performance, detailed in charts further below.

Samsung S95H OLED TV review: Design, ports and connectivity

Samsung has made an… interesting design choice with this TV. It features a non-optional metal bezel that sits behind the screen, making the uniform chassis look like it’s floating off the wall when mounted. That said, you do get a set of sturdy metal feet included, which I used for the sake of this review.

I really thought I would hate the bezel, but I fear it’s grown on me. I can understand it might deter some shoppers but I think it ended up making this TV look as elevated as the picture ultimately proves.

It helps that Samsung no longer requires an external One Connect box by default for its flagship OLED now, too. Instead, the primary inputs are fully integrated directly into the back of the TV. You get 4x HDMI 2.1 inputs built right in with one supporting eARC. (You do have the option to add an external One Connect box separately, which grants an additional 4x HDMI 2.1 inputs on top of the integrated ones.)

Note that there isn’t an ATSC 3.0 tuner to support 4K over-the-air broadcasts. I’d recommend the Sony Bravia 8 II as an alternative OLED with the technology should that be a deal-breaker for you.

How we test TVs

We follow a standard testing protocol for every TV we review at Tom’s Guide. Our benchmarks include a series of technical and subject tests designed to rate the set’s performance.

For our technical tests, we use a Jeti spectraval 1501-HiRes spectroradiometer, a Klein K10-A colorimeter, a Murideo 8K-SIX-G Metal pattern generator, and Portrait Displays’s Calman calibration software to take measurements. We also use a Leo Bodnar 4K Input Lag Tester for determining whether it’s one of the best gaming TVs. For a more detailed look at what we do and how we do it, check out our “How we test TVs” page.

Samsung S95H OLED TV review: Performance

The primary storyline of the S95H is its outstanding overall picture quality, fueled by class-leading brightness. Testing scenes from “Top Gun: Maverick,” the sun-drenched nostalgia of the cinematography looked absolutely spectacular. Colors were highly accurate right out of the box, offering a deeply cinematic feel.

That said, Samsung's ongoing refusal to support Dolby Vision remains a point of contention. I always have to add a caveat here, especially when evaluating premium sets: Without Dolby Vision, you lose out on HDR highlights having that extra little bit of "pop" and dynamic refinement. Fortunately, the S95H's native panel brightness is so immense that I almost didn't miss it, but it's still a frustrating omission for purists.

When it comes to gaming, the performance is nothing short of immersive. Diving into Marvel's Spider-Man on PS5, the web-slinger has honestly never looked better. Fast-paced motion was handled brilliantly. Spinning helicopter blades remained perfectly clear, and the contrast and environmental reflections off city skyscrapers looked amazing. I noticed some very slight artifacting during intense, chaotic sequences, but generally, the motion was incredibly smooth. Watching sand flying around during heavy action scenes showed off a spectacular level of graphical pop that bursts right off the screen.

Samsung S95H OLED TV review: Test results

While our objective lab testing confirms that this is the brightest OLED we have ever put through our benchmarking pipeline, the final metrics tell a compelling story against its nearest premium competition.

The most remarkable takeaway from the bench tests is the S95H's staggering HDR brightness, clocking in at 2,721 nits. This draws a definitive line between where the S95H vs. S90H stand in Samsung’s OLED lineup, while also improving on the previous generation S95F's brightness by nearly 30%.

Combined with a blistering 9.7ms input lag and some of the best coverage you’ll find of both the Rec. 709 and BT. 2020 color gamuts, expect to see the S95H used as a point of comparison in many of our TV reviews going forward.

Samsung S95H OLED TV review: Audio

The audio system built into the S95H is pretty good for day-to-day viewing, though it naturally hits a physical limitation. Because the ultra-thin chassis isn’t as spacious as a bookshelf speaker’s, the audio leaves you wanting more when it comes to deep bass performance.

On the plus side, vocal clarity is rock-solid, meaning you won’t struggle to hear dialogue during quiet scenes. That said, to match a picture this elite, I highly recommend adding one of the best soundbars. Staying in-brand with the 2026 Samsung HW-Q990H to access Samsung's Q-Symphony feature makes a lot of sense here, as it allows the TV's integrated drivers to work in tandem with a compatible Samsung soundbar for a wider soundstage, but be prepared to pay a premium for Samsung’s top soundbar.

Samsung S95H OLED TV review: Interface

The S95H runs on the Samsung One UI TV interface, which feels more refined and highly functional than ever. A standout improvement is the navigation bar positioned right up at the top of the screen, which makes it significantly easier to find your apps, inputs, and settings without getting lost in endless menus.

For art lovers, the built-in Art Store is a major perk. It gives you access to a massive library of pieces to display when the TV is idle, turning a giant black rectangle into a focal point for your room. You do need a membership to enjoy it properly, though you can also sync the TV to the SmartThings app and upload your own photos to view.

Otherwise, navigation across the OS feels snappy, and downloading all the best streaming services is quick and painless. I do wish Samsung’s free content platform (Samsung TV Plus) didn’t autoplay with volume on start up, but it does offer a lengthy lineup of ad-supported shows and movies that, again, are totally free.

Samsung S95H OLED TV review: Remote

If I found one glaring flaw in the premium presentation of the S95H, it’s the included remote. For a flagship TV of this price tier, this rechargeable remote feels surprisingly cheap and plasticky in the hand.

Worse yet, it completely lacks a backlight. Finding buttons during a late-night movie session in a dark room becomes a guessing game. While it gets the job done and features standard shortcut options, it feels like an afterthought compared to the highly premium build of the TV itself.

Samsung S95H OLED TV review: Verdict

If your priority is securing unparalleled OLED picture quality that can thrive even in a sun-soaked living room, the Samsung S95H OLED TV is an absolute triumph. It has some noteworthy rivals like the LG G6 OLED, but for most folks, this will be the best TV you can buy in 2026.

Its best-in-class brightness levels and superb “Glare Free” panel make it a versatile beast for movies and gaming alike. You will have to live with a subpar remote and the lack of Dolby Vision support, but if you can look past those complaints, the pure visual horsepower on display here makes it one of the absolute best televisions I believe money can buy.

The Channel Master FLATenna 35 has long been one of the go-to options among the best TV antennas, and it's easy to see why. It's very thin, has a decently impressive 35-mile radius, and comes at a pretty low price.

There are, of course, quite a few inexpensive flat antenna models that have come out over the past few years, and you might assume that they're all more or less created equal. That, however, isn't quite the case. Signal quality and the number of channels that you can pick up can vary widely, depending on the design of the antenna, even if they look the same at a glance.

So, at this price how well does the Channel Master FLATenna actually perform? I've been testing it, and a few others of this style of antenna, to find out.

Channel Master FLATenna 35 review: Price and availability

The FLATenna 35 costs $35 when purchased directly from Channel Master, but it's also available from a series of other retailers like Amazon, where you might be able to find it at a discount.

It only comes in one colorway, but it's reversible, so you can choose the black or white side depending on the aesthetics you're going for.

If you want amplification, there's the FLATenna+ bundle, which pairs the same antenna with an amplifier and retails for around $59. It is definitely a fair bit more expensive than the base model that doesn't come with an amplifier, but some might find it worth the extra cost.

Channel Master FLATenna 35 review: Design and setup

The FLATenna is a classic flat-sheet antenna. It's ultra-thin, flexible, and meant to stick to a wall or window for maximum signal.

It measures roughly 13.5 x 10.75 inches, about 16 inches diagonally, and it's light enough to hang with adhesive strips, thumbtacks, or push pins through the four pre-punched corner holes. It has a black side and a white side, so you should be able to make it blend in at least a little.

Unlike some cheaper flat antennas, the Channel Master FLATenna comes with a detachable, high-quality 12-foot coaxial cable. Not only is that pretty long, but the quality of the cable is definitely more than you would expect from an antenna in this price range. The trade-off to the included antenna is that it's not that flexible, so it can be harder to hide. Of course, given the fact that it's detachable, you don't have to use the cable that comes in the box if you don't want to.

I found this long, detachable cable to be quite helpful in setting up the antenna. When testing a Best Buy Essentials model with a fixed 10-foot cable, I was unable to reach a nearby window — which likely impacted the signal quality I was able to get from the antenna, given the placement of the TV in the room I was testing in.

With the Channel Master FLATenna I was able to reach all the way to the window and place it pretty high up on that window. And while there were likely other factors to the number of channels and signal quality that I got, that placement surely had some impact.

Set up is very simple. You'll attach the cable to your TV and to the antenna, and place the antenna as high and as close to a window as you can. Then, on your TV, scan for any local channels. That's really all there is to it.

Channel Master FLATenna 35 review: Performance and reception

I was pleasantly surprised with the reception that I was able to get with the Channel Master FLATenna 35. With the passive Channel Master FLATenna, I got 83 channels right off the bat, and a much larger portion of them offered high enough quality to be able to watch without too much distraction.

By comparison, the Best Buy Essentials antenna picked up 16 channels unamplified and 50 channels amplified, but a large portion of them were unwatchable. The ANT-CS8268 which I also tested technically picked up more channels (90), but fewer of them had a good-enough signal to actually watch than the FLATenna.

The big caveat, as with every indoor antenna, is that performance is location-dependent in ways no spec sheet captures. RF at VHF and UHF is heavily affected by line-of-sight and multipath, so the signal path from tower to living-room wall runs through a gauntlet of diffraction, reflection, and absorption. Because of that, you probably shouldn't necessarily expect to actually reach radio towers that are more than 20 miles away, especially if you live in an area with mountains and other rougher terrain.

Channel Master FLATenna 35 review: Verdict

The Channel Master FLATenna 35 is an easy recommendation for those looking for local broadcasts without upgrading to a roof antenna or something heavier duty. It performed dramatically better than other flat antennas that I've tested recently, making its slightly higher price easily worth paying.

If you're interested in stepping into the world of free-to-air TV on a budget and looking for solid performance that's a step up from what the ultra-budget models will get you, then the Channel Master FLATenna 35 is easily the way to go.

You'll have to deal with things like an inflexible cable, and some might find that it's worth upgrading to the amplified model. But for most, the FLATenna is absolutely worth buying.

Leica continues to refine its SL-System of full frame mirrorless cameras and has now delivered its most comprehensive shooter yet. The Leica SL3-P joins the SL3 and the SL3-S, and it introduces handy upgrades that make it a capable hybrid camera. Its 44MP sensor captures beautiful images with plenty of detail, so you can easily create extreme crops. A new hybrid autofocus system and 40fps drive (fastest on a Leica camera yet) make the SL3-P great for wildlife and sports photography, too.

And that’s not all. For the first time, a Leica camera features 8K/30fps Open Gate video, and alongside that, you get up to 5-stops of IBIS, as well as strong dynamic range performance. If you can afford it, the SL3-P is one of the best mirrorless cameras you can buy.

To find out how I got on with the camera, read my full Leica SL3-P review.

Leica SL3-P review: Specs

Leica SL3-P review: Price & availability

Leica’s SL-System of full frame mirrorless cameras welcomed a new family member in June 2026. The Leica SL3-P joins the hybrid SL3 ($7,485) and the video-first SL3-S ($5,665). Though it carries a premium price tag, the SL3-P sits between both cameras with a retail price of $6,690 / £5,150.

As is the nature of Leica cameras and glass, you’ll need to splurge to get a functioning kit. For example, I tested the Vario-Elmarit-SL 28-70 f/2.8 ASPH lens which costs $2,190 at Adorama / £1,750 at Clifton Cameras. There are more expensive lenses available, but the 28-70 is a good starting point, as it’s priced similarly to many of the professional standard zoom lenses from Canon and Sony.

The SL3-P is a hybrid camera that can capture 44MP stills as well as 8K Open Gate video, so on specs alone, it competes with the likes of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II ($4,299) and the Canon EOS R6 Mark III ($2,799). You’ve also got other full frame wonders like the 50MP Sony A1 II ($6,499) which can also shoot 8K/30fps video. Price is a different matter, as the SL3-P is priced like a medium-format shooter, like the Hasselblad X2D II 100C ($7,400) or the Fujifilm GFX100RF ($4,899).

Leica SL3-P review: Design

All three Leica SL3 bodies share similar designed philosophies. The SL3-P, just like its siblings, is covered in a faux leather-like material that makes it look premium and like you’ve spent a lot of money on it (which you will have). Leica forgoes the classic red dot on the SL3-P, though, and the only branding you get is the brand’s name in big bold lettering above the sensor.

What the SL3-P does retain, though, is the ginormous sculpted grip which is spacious enough for you to wrap your fingers around. This makes the camera a joy to handle, whether you’re using it one-handed or with both.

The SL3-P’s body is slightly bigger than the base SL3 as it now measures 5.96 x 4.25 x 3.33 inches, but still weighs 1.69lbs (without cards and battery). The overall handling will naturally depend on the lens you use. The Vario-Elmarit-SL 28-70 lens I tested weighs 1.26lbs, so I didn’t find the kit too heavy or unwieldy to use.

Viewfinder

Another similarity between the SL3 and the SL3-P is the OLED EVF with a resolution of approximately 5.76 million dots. In my testing, I found it easy and reliable to look through and frame my subjects. You get a refresh rate of either 60Hz or 120Hz which can be changed via the camera’s menu system. 120Hz is more than sufficient for most kinds of photography, including tracking fast-moving subjects like birds or sportspersons — it will naturally have a detrimental effect on the battery life, though.

But I have the same complaint I had with the SL3: I wish the SL3-P’s viewfinder had a higher resolution, especially for the price. The SL3-P’s EVF resolution is the same as that of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, the Hasselblad X2D II 100C, and the Fujifilm GFX100RF. However, the Sony A1 II and A7R VI have 9.44-million dot EVFs, which are phenomenal, and help make the most of their high-res sensors when focus checking.

The SL3-P is, essentially, another version of the SL3, so I can understand why Leica has kept the same viewfinder — perhaps we’ll see a better one on the next standalone camera, as and when it comes. SL4th time’s the charm?

Even though Leica has added 40fps burst shooting to the SL3-P — up from 15fps on the SL3 and 30fps on the SL3-S — the EVF isn’t blackout-free. This means that, when viewing and photographing subjects through the EVF, you get short black screens between shots. When you’re shooting at a blistering 40fps, you won’t always notice them, but this will certainly be an issue for professional wildlife and sports photographers. If you’re one of those people, you may want to grab the Sony A1 II or the Sony A7R VI ($4,499), both of which boast blackout-free sequential shooting.

Monitor / Displays

The SL3-P sports dual displays. You get a 3.2-inch backlit LED touchscreen monitor on the back, with a resolution of 2.33 million dots — almost as much as the Hasselblad X2D II 100C (2.36M dots) and higher than the Canon EOS R6 Mark III (1.6M dots). In most lighting conditions, I’ve found it plenty bright and easy to read, even in direct sunlight. Similar to the SL3, the SL3-P’s monitor features an anti-fingerprint and anti-scratch coating — reassuring given how much this camera costs.

Similar to the Hasselblad X2D II 100C’s monitor, the SL3-P’s rear display can be tilted up and down by 90°, enabling you to shoot at awkward angles, such as with the camera at your hip — great for street photography when you want to capture candid moments without drawing attention to yourself.

Then you’ve got a 1.28-inch top display, located next to the dials on the top plate’s right-hand corner. This screen shows your active settings: shutter speed, ISO, aperture, AF mode, and so on and so forth. Its trans-reflective monochrome design makes the display easy to read, especially outdoors. You’ll find a similar display on the Hasselblad X2D II 100C, too.

Ports

There are barely any differences, if any at all, between the ports on the SL3-P, SL3 and SL3-S. Located on the camera’s left edge, you’ll find HDMI 2.1 Type-A, USB-C for charging and data transfer, and 3.5mm audio output and input ports. All of these do their job as intended.

On the left edge, you’ll find slots for SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II/UHS-I as well as CFExpress Type-B cards. I shot on the Lexar 128GB Gold Series ($198) which boasts up to 1750MB/s read and 1500MB/s write speeds. CFExpress support is welcome, as these cards ensure faster read and write speeds versus SD cards, which is needed for the 44MP files as well as sustaining the 40fps drive. You can essentially shoot for longer before filling buffers.

Weather-sealing

Just like the SL3 and the SL3-S, the SL3-P is IP54-rated, which means it’s protected against dust, moisture and light rain. That’s thanks to an entirely sealed full-metal housing. This is similar weather-sealing you’ll find on the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and the Sony A1 II. Meanwhile, the Hasselblad X2D II 100C isn’t fully weather-sealed, so the SL3-P has the upper hand here.

Obviously, you'll need to ensure you're using a weather-sealed lens for any of that to matter. The Vario-Elmarit-SL 28-70 f/2.8 ASPH I tested is, in that regard, weatherproof.

Leica SL3-P review: Controls

The Leica SL3-P is basically the SL3 but more refined and well-rounded, and it sports practically the same control scheme you’ll find on the base model. By that I mean it’s stripped-back, keeping in line with Leica’s minimalist ethos.

I’ve loved using the SL3-P as much as I did the SL3. The buttons and dials feel well-placed and within easy reach, and they add to the sublime user experience. I’m happy to see the rubber-covered joystick make an appearance on the SL3-P too, as it feels comfortable to use for long periods of time. I’ve found it more enjoyable to use than the textured joysticks on the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and the Sony A1 II.

Leica’s menu system deserves a shoutout too, as it’s uncomplicated and effortless to navigate. The eight settings tiles can be customized to complement six customizable physical buttons, which makes the camera highly personalizable. And it doesn’t stop there. The SL3-P features six customizable profiles for photo and another six for video, making the camera ideal for hybrid shooters.

Leica SL3-P review: Autofocus

One of the biggest upgrades to the Leica SL3-P comes in the form of a new autofocus system. In addition to utilizing a combination of phase-detection for speed and contrast-detection for accuracy, like the SL3, the SL3-P also uses depth mapping. It borrows depth mapping from the Leica Q3 43 ($7,380), and it basically builds a 3D digital map of subjects to instantly lock onto them, regardless of unpredictable movements.

The result is an intelligent AF system that quickly detects and locks onto birds, animals, and humans. You can choose from Single AF (AFs), Continuous AF (AFc) and Manual Focus, or you can select Intelligent AF where the camera will decide whether to use AFc or AFs — handy for when you’re photographing sports or wildlife, or when you know your subject’s movements can be unpredictable.

The SL3-P’s autofocus worked extremely well in my testing, regardless of the subject I was photographing or the lighting conditions. When subject detection is set to Human Eye/Body, the camera cycles through the subject’s different body parts. If it can’t find eyes, for instance, it’ll look for the face, then the whole body, in a similar way to AF systems from other manufacturers. It worked effectively when I photographed my friends at a birthday party. In the photos in the gallery above, the SL3-P was quick to lock onto their eyes and faces, and the resulting images are crisp and sharp.

Animal/bird detection works just as well, too, making the SL3-P a formidable wildlife camera. Whether I was capturing birds in flight, while they were diving, or when they were stationary, the camera never let me down. In the first photo in the gallery above, even though the moorhens were slightly obscured by the grass, the SL3-P quickly locked onto them.

The second photo of the duck was taken in burst mode (more on that shortly) and I’d been tracking it as it dove underwater and then broke the surface, and the SL3-P locked onto it as soon as it came back out. I was also impressed by the SL3-P locking onto the heron’s wing in the third slide, and I was able to capture an in-focus shot of the park’s resident elusive bird.

I found the SL3-P’s focus joystick extremely responsive in my testing too. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s comfortable, and it promptly registers your commands. I’ve used it plenty of times to reset focus points, or focus on particular subjects — like the second pigeon flapping its wings in the photo above.

Leica SL3-P review: Stabilization

The Leica SL3-P retains the SL3’s 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS) and offers up to 5-stops, enabling you to capture images at slow shutter speeds and in low-light environments. The Vario-Elmarit-SL 28-70 lens I tested doesn’t feature stabilization so I had to rely on the camera’s IBIS when taking photos at slow shutter speeds.

In the gallery above, the first image was captured at 1s and it’s sharp and stable, with no blurry edges. Any slower than that, such as at 1.5s in the second slide, and the images came out blurry, impacted by camera shake. I’ve been satisfied with this performance. For a frame of reference, on a camera with up to 8.5-stops of IBIS, like the Canon EOS R6 Mark III, I’ve been able to shoot at speeds as slow as 4s.

Leica SL3-P review: Image quality

I can’t remember the last time I complained about a Leica’s imaging prowess — that’s because I’ve never done so. It’s really difficult to fault it, and the Leica SL3-P is no different. The camera packs a 44MP BSI CMOS full frame sensor. That’s down from 60.3MP on the SL3 (and up from 24.6MP on the SL3-S) but remember, the SL3-P introduces features like 8K Open Gate as a trade-off, which I’ll discuss in detail shortly.

Working in conjunction with the Leica Maestro IV processor, the photos the SL3-P captures are nothing short of spectacular. Colors are vibrant and bright without appearing oversaturated or too heavy in contrast, and they appear true to life. I love how much detail the SL3-P’s sensor captures, especially when you’re using a sharp lens like the Vario-Elmarit-SL 28-70 f/2.8 ASPH. with it. The water droplets on the swan’s head and the individual feathers in the first image, for instance, appear extremely sharp, adding depth and texture to the image.

The SL3-P’s 44MP sensor provides plenty of resolution, especially for making tight crops. In the gallery above, the first image is an extreme crop of the second, and the third of the fourth. As you can see, I’ve been able to crop in a lot without losing much detail. The pigeon’s feathers and face still look sharp, and the clock’s features and the bricks surrounding it appear detailed.

Similar to many other Leica cameras, the SL3-P features a few Leica Looks or color profiles, including Natural, Vivid, Monochrome, and Monochrome High Contrast. Monochrome High Contrast is my favorite, and I like it almost as much as Fujifilm’s Acros black-and-white film simulation. The first two photos in the gallery above were captured in this filter, and I love how cinematic the photos look with deep blacks. It’s the perfect color profile for portraits.

The third photo was captured in the Monochrome profile, and it appears more flat and balanced, making it great for architecture and street photography. The final photo of the fern leaves was shot in Vivid, and it made the greens look more saturated and high on contrast, and that’s given the image a three-dimensional effect.

Just like on the SL3-S, you get access to Multishot Mode on the SL3-P too. The camera uses pixel-shift technology to produce an image that’s four times larger than the sensor. Basically, it takes eight to 16 individual frames and stacks them to create a 176MP image. If you’re taking photos with the SL3-P mounted on a tripod, this is a fantastic feature to have, especially for portraits and product photography. Naturally, these files are massive, with a JPEG around 230MB, and due to website limitations, I unfortunately can’t show you how detailed they look.

High-speed drive

40fps high-speed drive is one of the SL3-P’s headline features, and as I mentioned earlier, it’s up from just 15fps on the SL3 and 30fps on the SL3-S. The 40fps sequential images are captured in 12-bit color depth, which means they comprise over 68 billion shades. If you want 14-bit color depth, you’ll need to drop the frame rate to 25fps.

Being able to capture 40 frames per second is enough for photographing most wildlife and sports, at least at an amateur or hobbyist level. Obviously, though, pros may need more than that, like the 120fps drive offered by the Sony A1 II or OM System OM-1 Mark II ($2,399). I found 40fps more than sufficient in my testing. The electronic shutter with its faster shutter speed of 1/16,000s gave me plenty of wiggle room too.

Thanks to 40fps sequential shooting and the reliable autofocus, I was able to capture many photos of birds in action, like the two photos of the seagulls fighting over a piece of bread. The camera was quick to focus and lock onto them. As the seagull on the right started to fly away, I started tracking it and the SL3-P, again, kept focused on the bird.

It’s important to note that unlike professional wildlife or sports cameras like the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, Sony A7R VI or the Sony A1 II, the SL3-P doesn’t feature pre-burst capture, where the camera starts buffering images when you half-press the shutter button. If you’re a professional, you may want to consider either of those cameras. For hobbyists, though, the SL3-P should suffice.

ISO performance

The SL3-P has an ISO range of 50 to 200,000, and the top-end of that range is double that of the SL3’s (100,000). Instead of capturing RAW files, the SL3-P captures DNGs alongside JPEGs, and these files are 15-20% smaller than RAW files. The difference is hardly noticeable though.

Images are as noise-free as you’d expect at ISO6400, so let’s talk about high ISO values instead. The images in the gallery above were shot at ISO12,500: the first is a JPEG export of the DNG file while the second is the straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEG. As you can see, the DNG file is fairly noisy but the SL3-P has done a good job of reducing the grain, and there’s very little loss in sharpness either.

I then increased the ISO to 25,000 and the camera still did a decent job of smoothening out the noise in the SOOC JPEG (second slide). But you start to lose a little sharpness here, as can be seen in the bobblehead’s chin and the sculpted creases in its trousers. It’s still a usable image, though.

I wouldn’t really recommend pushing past ISO32,000 on the SL3-P. The images above were shot at ISO32,000, and as you can see in the SOOC JPEG (second slide), the edges of the bobblehead’s hair don’t look as sharp anymore. The book in the background is quite noisy too. This is similar to the Sony A1 II’s and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II’s high ISO performance.

Dynamic range

One of the things I was most impressed by when testing the SL3 was the camera’s dynamic range performance, and the SL3-P hasn’t let me down either. Offering up to 14+ stops at base ISO50, the SL3-P enables you to make extensive adjustments in post-production.

The first photo in the gallery above is the unedited version of the second. It was an extremely bright day and the flowers were backlit by the sun. I brought the highlights all the way down and lifted the shadows in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, and as you can see in the second slide, the camera’s done a great job of retaining highlight detail. The clouds in the sky don’t appear blown out and reducing the highlights has revealed a spot of blue sky. I like that the flowers still look lovely and pink, even in the edited image.

The SL3-P keeps shadows noise-free too, as you can see in the gallery above. When I boosted the shadows and reduced the highlights, it revealed many details, such as the shrubs and bushes down the path, and leaves and branches in the tree closest to the camera.

Leica SL3-P review: Video

Striking a balance between the SL3 and the video-first SL3-S, the Leica SL3-P packs impressive video capabilities. You can shoot 8.1K/25fps Open Gate video in 3:2 format, HDMI RAW 8K Open Gate, and 8K/30fps using the full size of the sensor. There’s also 6K/60fps for smooth motion as well as 4K/120fps for slow-mo footage.

All of these resolutions and frame rates are recorded in 4:2:2 10-bit (in MOV) which means the camera can capture 1.07 billion individual hues. Leica has also added two new in-camera LUTs, Leica Pure and Leica Cinema, for the L-Log color space, giving you lots of freedom in post-production and color grading. An important distinction between the SL3-S and the SL3-P is that the former can shoot ProRes RAW, making it a strong choice for professional video work.

The compilation of clips above was shot in 4K at 60fps, and it looks beautiful. The colors look great; all the subjects are in focus thanks to the SL3-P’s excellent autofocus; and the video looks smooth throughout. I also like that even though the wind was blowing, there’s no noticeable buffeting, and the SL3-P’s built-in mic has done well to record the birds chirping or squawking.

I was also impressed with the SL3-P’s cooling system. I didn’t experience any severe overheating while recording at 4K/60fps outdoors. 8K Open Gate takes a toll on recording times, though, and Leica says the SL3-P can record for approximately 20 minutes at 77°F / 25°C. You may want to consider the Leica SL3-S instead if you’re a videographer, as it can typically expect 45 to 60 minutes of continuous 6K recording.

Leica SL3-P review: Battery life

Leica has made improvements to its SL-System’s battery life as the SL3-P is now CIPA-rated for 383 shots — up from 260 shots on the SL3. When using Leica’s adapted shooting cycle, the German manufacturer claims the camera’s BP-SCL6 battery pack can yield 1,431 stills.

In my testing, I was able to capture over 2,000 photos (including burst shots) and a few minutes of 4K/60fps video before needing to charge the camera. Your mileage will, of course, depend on your shooting settings, so it’s best to take the CIPA rating as the baseline.

The SL3-P’s CIPA-rated battery life puts it on a level playing field with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II (340 shots). The Sony A1 II and the Sony A7 V can still last longer, with 420 and 630 CIPA-rated batteries respectively. Meanwhile, the Hasselblad X2D II 100C is CIPA-rated for 466 frames, and we managed 246 shots (RAW + JPEG) from around 55% of battery in our testing.

Leica SL3-P review: Verdict

The Leica SL3-P is the most complete SL-System camera Leica has produced to date, and it successfully blends high-resolution photography with advanced video capabilities. Its 44MP full frame sensor captures stunning images while retaining plenty of detail, and there’s enough resolution for aggressive cropping, too. The new hybrid autofocus system and 40fps burst shooting make it more than capable for wildlife, sports and action photography.

In addition to all this, the SL3-P delivers strong dynamic range performance, dependable in-body image stabilization, and videographers will appreciate the 8K Open Gate capabilities. The premium build quality, intuitive controls, and the refined shooting experience reinforce the SL3-P’s appeal.

As is the nature of Leica cameras, the SL3-P doesn’t come cheap, but it’s priced similarly to pro snappers from Canon and Sony. Professional photographers may be put off by the lack of a blackout-free EVF, too. But if these are compromises you’re willing to make, the SL3-P’s strengths are far too many to be overlooked. It’s an exceptional camera and it finally puts Leica on a level playing field with Canon and Sony.

I've been reviewing the best grills for six years, and even though I've tested countless models in that time, the Weber Spirit line is the one I've recommended to the most people. Dependable, consistent and at a price that makes sense, this stalwart of the grill game is hard to beat. So when Weber released a smart version of its iconic Spirit grills in 2026, I was keen to see if it lived up to its predecessors.

The new Spirit EX-325 (and its sister model. the larger EX-425) features that signature Weber quality, and adds in some smarts. Weber's new WeberWorks modular accessory system allows you to customize your grill, and an in-built smart thermometer display can be paired to your grill for remote monitoring or tailored guidance.

I put the Spirit EX-325 to the test with a group of friends, and we all remarked at how easy it was to use and the quality finish and build quality. If you're looking for a great grill at a price that makes sense, it's a worthy contender.

Weber Spirit EX-325 review: Price and availability

Retailing for $599, the Weber Spirit EX-325 doesn't depart from the older Spirit line in price. The Spirit II E-310, which I reviewed back in 2024, cost the same at full price and lacked a number of the EX-325's new features. In my book, that's a win.

The grill is available direct at Weber, as well as retailers like Amazon. And if you want to buy its four-burner counterpart, the EX-425, it'll cost you $749 at Weber.

Weber Spirit EX-325 review: Design

The reimagined Spirit line features upgraded smart features and Weber's SearZone, which allows you to boost the temperature on two of the three burners to hit that signature seared grill lines on burgers and chicken.

It's also got a new thermometer. Instead of sitting on top of the grill lid, it now sits to the side and shows the real-time temperature of your grill. If you pair this WiFi-enabled thermometer to the Weber app, you can monitor your grill's temperature remotely. And if you plug in the included meat probe, it will display the temperature of your meat both on your app and on the thermometer display.

Smaller touches include the four accessory hooks on each corner of the grill's side arms. The left arm folds down for easy storage, and the right features a modular WeberWorks insert, which can be removed to allow you to slot in meal prep trays or condiment containers, both of which Weber sent over for us to try. While it's a shame that you get the modular design regardless of whether you want to spend the extra money on the accessories, I was pleased with the quality of the ones we tried and would personally spend the $40 for the convenience they offer.

I've tested grills with side burners, and while I wouldn't expect a grill at this price to feature one, I do think they're a meaningful update for outdoor hosting. Weber's Genesis series is worth considering if this is something you like the sound of, but it'll come at a premium price.

I've assembled a handful of Weber grills before, and the Spirit line is the easiest of its gas models to build. If you've built flatpack furniture, you can build the Spirit EX-325. It took two of us around two hours to set the grill up, a significant portion of which was spent simply updating the software on the grill when pairing to the app.

As with all Weber products I've tried, the manual was incredibly thorough and also gave a range of tips for setup and first use. And once built, the grill felt solid and well-constructed — a good sign for the durability of the grill. Speaking of which, the EX-325's cookbox is backed by a 10-year warranty, the grates for five, and all remaining parts, two.

Weber Spirit EX-325 review: Grilling performance

The Weber Spirit EX-325 has three stainless steel burners, two of which feature SearZone modes for an added boost of power — up to 31,000 BTU (an increase on the Spirit II E-310's 26,500 BTU). As laid out in the manual, you could fire up the two external burners and place food in the center of the grill plates for indirect cooking, or use each burner individually to cook for smaller groups. We were cooking for six people, and with the 360 square inches of cooking space plus the 90-inch warming rack, we had no trouble keeping everyone well-fed.

Low-heat cooking

The first thing we cooked was some plant-based sausages and burgers for my vegan friends. I've cooked vegan sausages on a grill before, and the trick is to keep temperatures consistent and controlled. Because of the lower fat content, these meat alternatives don't sizzle — they just burn.

After pre-heating the grill for 15 minutes, we turned the temperature to a medium level and closed the lid. I was struck by how well the porcelain-enameled grates retained heat, and the fact that all of the sausages cooked at the same speed regardless of how central they sat in the grill was an indication of quality insulation and even heat distribution.

Our plant-based food came out crisped, and crucially, not burnt. Next up, it was time to fire up the SearZone burners and cook up some beef burgers.

Our plant-based food came out crisped, and crucially, not burnt. Next up, it was time to fire up the SearZone burners and cook up some beef burgers.

High heat cooking

We let the grill come up to heat for another five minutes, which was super easy thanks to the remote temperature display on the app, and the onboard dial. Our burgers were sizzling away for three minutes before we flipped them to reveal the signature grill lines everyone wants from a barbecue. Three of us wanted our burgers cooked to medium, and one wanted theirs well done. We inserted the temperature probe and watched the dial until it hit 135°F, placing the burgers on the warming rack while the fourth continued to cook for another couple of minutes.

While there were a couple of flare-ups as the fat dripped down from the grates, the burner shields prevented this from happening enough to cause burning or uneven cooking. According to Weber, its Flavorizer bars catch and vaporize dripped juices and add flavor to your food while channelling grease from burners into an easily removed drip tray below. After testing, this made cleanup super easy. And it also resulted in a tasty finish — our burgers were crisp but juicy and had a nice smoky flavor, albeit nothing that could rival a classic charcoal grill.

Smart thermometer and app

To test the Weber app and meat thermometer, as well as its indirect cooking capabilities, we cooked some peri-peri chicken breasts on the third, non-SearZone burner. Using the meat thermometer, we set the app to boneless, skinless chicken breast and started Weber's recommended recipe.

The app first told us to pre-heat our grill and then set the chicken to cook for six minutes (complete with timer). You could also set your app to graph mode, which will allow you to track the temperature of your meat rising. This would be more useful for slow-cooked cuts of meat, where you want to ensure they're not cooking too fast, but it's great that the app has this feature built-in.

The app didn't notify us when the six minute timer finished. I'd grilled chicken the weekend before testing the Weber Spirit EX-325 and it cooked in under ten minutes. It was a little dry, and charred around the outside, so I appreciated Weber's advice to cook a little slower and lower than you might think on a conventional grill. Patience was required, but it did pay off. The chicken was juicy and flavorful without any burning or surface-level toughness. A sign that the EX-325 can handle indirect heat, as well as searing.

I've tested a number of smart appliances that won't work without an app before. I like that the Weber Spirit EX-325 isn't one of them. While the app offers some handy enhancements, the onboard temperature display and meat thermometer readings mean you don't need to use the app to get a great experience.

Weber Spirit EX-325 review: Verdict

For the average buyer, the Weber Spirit EX-325 is a great option. Weber's latest slate of updates bringe the Spirit range in line with modern releases from Kamado Joe and Brisk It. But I love that this doesn't come at an added price, and that you don't sacrifice build quality in the place of these smart features.

I was impressed at how well the Spirit EX-325 maintained heat on account of its porcelain-enameled grates. Its SearZone delivered juicy burgers, complete with the grill pattern you're used to seeing on commercials, and the smart thermometer adds value and utility, without any gimmicky or complex quirks. And while I think the app is useful, I like that you don't need it to get a great performance from your grill.

Sure, I wish it had a side burner, and the meat probe required a heatproof glove to add and remove to meats, but these small downsides are easy to overlook if you value solid build quality and value for money. For the average buyer, it's a top choice.

At long last, Google has refreshed its smart speaker lineup with the new Google Home Speaker; first announced in the fall of 2025, it took nearly nine months for the device to come to market, and replaces the six-year-old Google Nest Audio as the top-shelf smart speaker in the company’s portfolio.

Things have changed a lot since Google last released a smart speaker. During that time, AI got real big, so now the assistant powering the Google Home speaker can do a lot more than just turn on your lights.

So how does the Google Home Speaker stack up against the best smart speakers? I’ve used it for a few days and compared it against its main rivals, the Apple HomePod mini and the Amazon Echo Dot Max, to find out.

Google Home Speaker review: Price and availability

The Google Home Speaker went on sale on June 24, 2026 for $99. You can get it in one of four colors: Jade (green), Berry (red), Porcelain (white) and Hazel (grayish black). However, the Jade and Berry colors are exclusive to the U.S.

The Google Home Speaker replaces the Google Nest Audio, and, for the moment, the Google Nest Mini, both of which are no longer for sale at Google’s online store.

Google Home Speaker review: Design

The Google Home Speaker looks a bit like someone took the Apple HomePod mini and smushed it a little

There are two touch-sensitive buttons on the top of the speaker to control the volume. You can’t see the buttons, as they’re hidden by the fabric, but if you tap the top of the speaker, two LEDs turn on to show you their location. You can’t tell which is volume up or volume down by sight; you’ll have to tap them to find out which is which. Tapping the top of the speaker will also play/pause your music.

Google had similar hidden touch-sensitive buttons on its previous smart speakers with an equally mixed reception; the Mini’s buttons had to be deactivated because of their finicky nature. I just find it annoying that you have to give the speaker an extra tap.

Similar to the Echo Dot Max, the Google Home Speaker has a circular ring of LEDs which changes color based on the circumstance; for example, it turns white when Gemini is listening, multiple colors when it’s thinking, and orange when the microphone is off.

Also on the base of the speaker is a physical switch to disable its microphones, which is a commendable feature. Less so is the nonremovable power cord; break it, and you’ll have to replace the whole device.

Google Home Speaker review: Sustainability

As with most companies’ claims, Google throws out some numbers which are ultimately a little vague. Google says the speaker and its adapter is “Made with at least 37% recycled materials based on product weight.” Whether that means the metal or plastic parts is unclear.

By comparison, Amazon says the Echo Dot Max is made from 23% recycled materials; the fabric parts are made from 98% post-consumer recycled fabric, while the plastic is made from 41% post consumer recycled plastic.

The Apple HomePod mini uses 99% recycled rare earth elements, and 35% or more recycled plastic in multiple components.

Google Home Speaker review: Audio performance

Where the Nest Audio had a 75mm woofer and a 19mm tweeter, the Google Home Speaker has a single 58mm driver. I didn’t have the older Nest to compare the two side-by-side, but the tl;dr is that the Google Home Speaker performs well for its size.

I played a variety of tracks on the Google Home Speaker, as well as the HomePod mini and Echo Dot Max, and though there were some subtle differences between them, they weren’t all that disparate.

I might give a slight edge to the Echo Dot Max; it’s the only device that has two speakers (an 0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer) which helped midtones stand out a bit more than the Google Home and the HomePod mini, which has a single 2-inch driver

Mids sounded a bit compressed, such as Billy Joel’s voice in “Movin’ Out.” Joel’s voice sounded better and warmer on the Echo Dot Max, and there was also better bass. However, the HomePod mini sounded the best of the three.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drop Dead” sounded best on the Echo Dot Max, as it was able to better separate the mids and highs; the Google Home Speaker and HomePod mini mushed things a bit.

Not surprisingly, bass was just ok, I threw on some old-school Snoop Dog “Who am I (What’s My Name)?” and the groove was much better on the Echo Dot Max and the HomePod than Google’s speaker.

Google Home Speaker review: Google Gemini

The hardware may be new, but the bigger upgrade inside the Google Play Speaker is Gemini, which is far more capable and powerful than Google Assistant.

Gemini for Home works with all of Google’s smart speakers and displays, but only the newer ones — Nest Audio, Nest mini (2nd Gen), Nest Hub Max and Nest Hub (2nd Gen) — will support the full Gemini for Home experience, as well as Gemini Live, where you can have a more natural, free-flowing conversation.

To test out Gemini on the Google Home Speaker, I asked it a series of questions, which it answered correctly, and was much more engaging than the old Assistant. For example, when I asked “Hey Google, what’s a good recipe for chicken wings?”, Gemini responded with a wide range of options, as well as certain things that it thought were popular.

I then asked Gemini to save the recipe, and it told me it created a note, but not where it was saved. I was able to find it in my Google Keep folder.

I also tested Gemini on sports, and here, it was a bit slower on the uptake. I asked ““Hey Google, did France win today?” and received the response “No, France did not play today,” although they had just defeated Iraq in the World Cup.

I then followed up with “Are you sure France didn’t play today?” and Gemini quickly corrected itself, gave me a summary of the game, and told me that Les Bleus secured a spot in the round of 32.

Google Home Speaker review: Subscription costs

You get Gemini for Home for free with the Google Home Speaker, but to make the most out of Gemini (and the speaker), you’ll need to sign up for a Google Home Premium subscription. Otherwise, you won’t get conversational Gemini, among other things.

If you sign up for Google Home Premium Standard ($10/month or $100/year), you get the following:

• Gemini Live (Get expert help, brainstorm ideas, and learn new topics)
• Help me create (lets you describe to Gemini the smart home routine you want to create)
• Sound detection (Smoke/carbon monoxide alarm and Glass breaking)
• 30 days of video event history

If you sign up for Google Home Premium Advanced ($20/month, $200/year), you get those features as well as these:

• Search video history - Quickly search your camera history by just asking
• Daily summaries - Ask about what you missed when you were away
• 60 days of video history
• 10 days of 24/7 video history
• Descriptive notifications
• Event descriptions

If you’re more invested in Gemini, you can also get the Standard plan as part of a Google AI Pro subscription ($20/month), and the Advanced plan with Google AI Ultra ($99/month).

Google Home Speaker review: Home theater features

Similar to its rival smart speakers, the Google Home Speaker works well with the Google TV Streamer to create a home theater experience. You can pair either a single speaker or two to the streaming device; if you pair two, you can also set up spatial audio. Dolby Atmos is supported, and the Google TV Streamer can also convert HD audio into a proprietary spatial audio format.

Amazon takes things a step further with its Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio speakers, as you can create a full surround sound experience with up to five speakers.

Google Home Speaker review: Smart Home functionality

As a smart home device, the Google Home Speaker is less capable than its Apple and Amazon rivals. For example, the HomePod mini has temperature and humidity sensors; the Amazon Echo Dot Max can act as an eero mesh router extender and has ambient light and temperature sensors, as well as presence detection.

Those other sensors make the other smart speakers far more functional. For example, you can create an Apple Home or Alexa routine to turn on your air conditioner if the temperature as measured by a speaker rises above a certain level, or if it senses someone entering the room.

Google Home Speaker review: Bottom line

Smart speakers aren’t quite the commodity they once were; Like Amazon, Google has gone from releasing a new model every year to waiting more than half a decade between the Nest Audio and the Google Home Speaker.

And that’s fine. There’s only so much you can do, though both Amazon and Apple have done more with their smart speakers than Google in terms of embedding additional sensors to make their devices more integral to a smart home ecosystem.

As smart home assistants, both Alexa and Google are very capable, especially now that they’ve gained extra AI abilities. If you’ve already started using either smart assistant, it’s unlikely that you’re going to switch your smart home from Alexa to Google or vice versa.

At this point, a smart speaker is more or less a delivery mechanism for the smart assistant of your choice. If you already own a Google smart speaker and it’s working well, there’s no real reason to upgrade, unless you want to create a Google-centric home theater system.

Star Fox for the Nintendo Switch 2 is the rare remake that managed to exceed my expectations while feeling instantly familiar. While the original formula remains intact, Nintendo, alongside developer Velan Studios have modernized every aspect of this classic game from the visuals down to the controls.

Fox McCloud and the rest of the Star Fox crew look better than ever, as do all of the 15 different stages. Of course, due to the game’s branching paths, you will have to complete multiple playthroughs if you want to see them all. You definitely will, though, thanks to the new, more cinematic cutscenes between each stage.

Controlling your Arwing felt great in the original, but on the Switch 2, it’s even more satisfying. The controls are snappy and responsive when playing in handheld mode or with a Switch 2 Pro Controller. However, you can also detach your Joy-Cons to play in Mouse Mode, which shifts your perspective from third to first-person, making gameplay feel even more immersive.

If this is your first time saving the Lylat system, you’re in for a treat. For seasoned Star Fox players, though, the game and its stages play out almost exactly as you remember them, for better or worse. While there is a new multiplayer mode, it doesn’t feel extensive enough to justify picking up this remake for it alone.

Star Fox for the Switch 2 is still the best way to experience this classic starfighter. Read on for my full Star Fox review.

Star Fox: The Basics

• What is it? Star Fox is a sci-fi rail-shooter and space combat game with high-speed aerial dogfights and branching paths where you fight to protect the Lylat system.
• Who is it for? Star Fox fans who want to re-experience Star Fox 64 on the Switch 2’s more powerful hardware with improved controls and visuals.
• What's the price? Star Fox costs $49 if you buy it digitally or $59 if you buy a physical copy.
• What other games has the developer made? Star Fox for the Switch 2 was developed by Velan Studios alongside Nintendo. They previously worked together on the mixed-reality racer Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, but the studio also created the dodgeball brawler Knockout City.
• What games is it similar to? Given it’s a modern remake, Star Fox feels a lot like Star Fox 64 as well as other space combat and flying games such as Star Wars: Squadrons and Ace Combat.

Seeing the Lylat system with new eyes

I still remember popping the rumble pack into the back of my N64 controller and booting up Star Fox 64 for the first time. While the original set the bar quite high, this reimagining of Nintendo’s classic space opera immediately hooked me once I saw how stunning it looked on the Switch 2.

From the menus to the cutscenes to the levels themselves, Star Fox shines in a crisp and buttery smooth 4K resolution at 60fps on Switch 2. Gone are the blocky and low-polygon structures of the original as they’ve been replaced with top-tier graphics you’d expect to see on the PS5 or Xbox Series X.

By upgrading and optimizing its proprietary Viper Engine, Velan Studios has managed to deliver impressive visuals and a locked framerate of 60 fps. The HDR implementation is another big highlight here as laser fire and bombs shot from your Arwing stand out brilliantly against the deep blacks of outer space.

Whether I was flying alongside the water outside Corneria, navigating through space debris in Sector X or submerged in the Blue-Marine in Aquas, all of the various environments in Star Fox had my eyes glued to the screen. In fact, I took different paths throughout several playthroughs just to see them all.

Fantastic Mr. Star Fox

From the opening scene after the updated tutorial, when the crew takes off their VR headsets, it’s clear we’re dealing with a familiar yet entirely different Star Fox. Instead of the dated character models of the original, we’re now met with ones that feel more like the cast of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox film. I like them personally, but they have divided the series’ loyal fanbase somewhat.

You’ll be seeing a lot more of Fox, Slippy, Peppy and Falco, too, as there are now beautifully rendered cinematics in between missions. They help fill out the story and show the inner workings of the Star Fox crew in ways I could only imagine when playing the original.

There are changes during the missions themselves, too, when it comes to the story and especially dialogue. While some fan favorite sayings like “Do a barrel roll” remain, the lines delivered by the crew mid-combat feel more intentional and add an extra layer of depth to the overall story.

For instance, during the first level, you’re tasked with saving Falco as he’s having trouble with his ship’s G-Diffuser. In the original, after you helped him out, that was that. Now, though, in the Switch 2 version of Star Fox, Slippy chimes in saying that’s why you don’t want to rush a systems check.

There are little extra bits of dialogue here and there throughout the story, and alongside the new cinematics, I felt more immersed in the world of Star Fox than ever before.

By air, land and sea

Even though the levels themselves are on-rails, your journey to take on Andross is more flexible thanks to Star Fox’s branching paths. Depending on which teammates you save, how many hits you deal out to enemies and a few other conditions, new paths and different levels become available.

This adds some much-needed variety to the core game while also giving you a reason to replay its campaign. While you pilot Star Fox’s iconic Arwing craft for a majority of the game, it’s not the only vehicle.

For instance, if you take the easy path to Venom, there’s a level where you take command of the Landmaster tank. The tank features the same controls as your Arwing, but since you’re on the ground instead of in the air, it’s a welcome change from flying.

Alternatively, if you take the hard path to Venom, there’s an underwater level where you pilot the Blue-Marine submarine. Built by Slippy from spare parts, the submarine works just like your Arwing, too. Having missed this section as a kid, it was a nice surprise, and the enemies and environment of Aquas were absolutely worth another run of the campaign.

Although Star Fox’s campaign only takes about an hour and a half to finish, revisiting levels to look for secret paths does add a bit more to the game. Still, I wish there were more new levels besides the prologue to really round out this upgraded package.

From tactical to all-range

If you’ve booted up Nintendo Switch Online and tried to play through Star Fox 64 recently, you’re in for a welcome surprise on Switch 2 as Velan Studios has modernized the game’s controls. Instead of using a single analog stick and the C-button, Star Fox now features dual-stick flight.

The left stick handles your Arwing’s positioning while the right stick controls your reticle. This separation gives you far greater precision when aiming your lasers.

Alternatively, you can take things a step further by detaching your Joy-Cons and playing in Mouse Mode. Though I found the first-person perspective does take some getting used to.

In addition to this new control scheme, there’s an overall snapiness when it comes to pressing buttons to boost, brake and deploy bombs, as well as when you’re using the triggers to shoot or the bumpers to barrel roll. Suffice it to say, piloting an Arwing has never felt this good.

Star Fox: Verdict

Star Fox on the Switch 2 marks the triumphant return of Fox McCloud, though it’s also an excellent showcase of what Nintendo’s latest console is capable of. The upgraded graphics and improved visual fidelity make this the best way to experience this classic adventure, while the snappier and more modern controls make piloting your Arwing just as satisfying.

Although I wish we could play the full campaign together with a friend in co-op mode with our own ships, at least Nintendo does give you a way to do so as pilot and gunner. Likewise, there are a lot of great ideas in the new multiplayer modes, but let’s face it, we’re here for the single-player campaign. Whether you’re just saving the Lylat system for the first time or you’re a seasoned mercenary who knows all the hidden paths, this is the best Star Fox has ever looked and played.

What do you get when you mix top Wi-Fi 7 speeds and range with 10Gbps wired ports and low latency technology? You get TP-Link’s Archer BE770, one of the best high-performing traditional routers on the planet. At $400, it blows the doors off other routers selling for hundreds more, making it the one to beat for those who demand top Wi-Fi speed.

My TP-Link Archer BE770 review will help you decide if this is the best Wi-Fi 7 router for your home network or if it’s worth considering one of the best mesh Wi-Fi systems instead.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Pricing and availability

With a list price of $400, the Archer BE770 is priced at $350 on Amazon at the moment. It’s a good bargain compared to Netgear’s $600 Nighthawk RS700S, which matches the BE770 just about spec for spec.

New and in demand, one online store is selling the BE770 at nearly double its list price.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Design

At 11.7 x 10.4 x 4.1 inches, the gray and black Archer BE770 stands in contrast to the company’s Darth Vader inspired Archer GE650. The roughly rectangular router is cinched in the middle and nearly two-thirds larger than the NetgearRS700S. It should still fit on a bookshelf though.

Its central LED diverges from the pixelated display on the Archer BE800 for showing LAN access, the time, weather or just some frivolous (but addictive) animations. I prefer its demure central status LED to the assault on the senses.

Inside, the BE770’s 10 internal antennas give it a tidy look compared to high-performance routers that have external antennas pointing every which way. Arranged in a staggered vertical array, it produces roughly spherical reception and has an antenna to tap into Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) zero wait technology, lowering the router’s latency.

An offshoot of the Archer BE700 design, the triband BE770 covers the Wi-Fi 7 bases with a Broadcom BCM67263 radio chip, 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 256MB of storage space. Able to move a theoretical 18Gbps, it’s rated at a maximum of 688 Mbps over the 2.4GHz band as well as 5.764Gbps and 11.529 over the 5.0 and 6.0GHz bands.

As flexible as networking gets these days, the BE770 can operate as a traditional router, a wired access point or as an EasyMesh wireless node. It pushes throughput with everything from Multi-Link Operations (MLO) to 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) to its ultrawide 6GHz 320 MHz data channels. The router’s 10 independent data streams can accommodate up to 150 Wi-Fi devices and should satisfy those with multi-gig data plans.

While high-performance all the way, the BE770 lacks amenities that TP-Link reserves for the best gaming routers. These include pre-configured port forwarding options for gaming consoles and access to the WTFast links for the GPN (Gamers Private Network).

Still, it has a top-shelf port selection. It starts with 10Gbps ports for WAN input and very hot downstream links and extends to four 1 Gbps connections for more mundane clients, like printers or surveillance cameras. It lacks the Archer BE800’s SPF+ fiber optic port, but few will miss it.

The two USB 3.0 ports can add cross network data access. Around back, the router’s on/off button is complemented by its Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) and LED light switch. It has a recessed reset switch.

With hackers hiding in plain sight, the BE770 can shield data as a VPN server or client and includes TP-Link’s HomeShield base security subscription. Its defenses include preventing personal data leaking out, filtering out the worst the web has, and blocking dangerous apps. It can catch the major malware exploits of the day and is continually updated.

A little more paranoid online? Who isn’t. TP-Link’s Security+ plan costs $6 a month or $55 a year and ups the protection with isolation for IoT devices and extra parental controls. The first month is free.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Performance

Druing testing using an HP Envy X360 notebook and Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark, the Archer BE770 excelled with top throughput and range. In my 3,500 square foot home, it left a few dead zones in the basement.

Set to simulate 10 data-hungry users, IxChariot results start with the BE770’s ability to move 2.574Gbps using 15-feet of Ethernet cabling. It’s Meh compared to the TP-Link siblings: the Archer GE800 (at 4.449 Gbps) and the Archer GE650 (3.849 Gbps). Later, with the router and test system next to each other, the BE770 moved 2.574 Gbps wirelessly, slightly off the pace set by the Asus RT-BE96U at 2.685 Gbps.

In real world testing, the BE770 blew away Wi-Fi 7 routers costing hundreds of dollars more with 2.181 Gbps available at 15 feet. That’s eight percent more data flowing than the Archer GE650 and clearly ready for the multi-gig world. Although the BE770 often started off slowly, it gathered speed on subsequent runs. For instance, it took three initial runs at about 400 Mbps before getting to its peak performance. My patience was rewarded with throughput over 2 Gbps.

At 50 feet, the BE770 sprinted ahead of the Wi-Fi 7 crowd at 1.239 Gbps. That’s easily twice the data flow of the Archer GE650 or the Asus RT-BE96U. The closest to it was the Nighthawk RS700S’s 691.8 Mbps.

When I set up the test machine 75 feet from the router, I got 772.1 Mbps of throughput – roughly double the results of the Asus RT-BE96U. At 90 feet, the performance fell back to earth, but still outran the others at 70.9 Mbps, well ahead of the GE650, RT-BE86U or the RS700S.

The BE770 is the rare router with range to match at 130 feet. It easily outdistanced the RT-BE96U’s 105-foot range.

When I set the test machine up in an adjacent room 25 feet away from the BE770, it delivered 1.967 Gbps. That’s twice the bandwidth of the GE650 and even bested the RT-BE96U’s 1.810 Gbps. In other words, the BE770 doesn’t care if you live in a ranch, townhouse or McMansion, it can fill the building with data.

Over my two weeks with the BE770 of playing games, listening to music and streaming 4K video, I encountered some inconsistent results but no major problems. On the other hand, the BE770 is power hungry at 23.4 watts while working hard moving data around my home. Running 24/7, it should cost $35.88 in electricity bills if you pay the national average of 17.5 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity. The BE800 costs something closer to $41 per year.

The BE770 has two Eco Mode settings: Power Saving Mode and Ultra Power-Saving Mode, both of which reduce power use by lowering transmission range and throughput. This can be scheduled to only come into play at night.

Passively cooled, room air comes in through the bottom and warm air out the top vent. It hit a peak of 104 degrees Fahrenheit during testing.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Setup

After plugging everything in, I used my HP Envy X360 notebook and Chrome browser to run through the BE770’s setup routine. Starting at http://tplinkwifi.net, I needed to give each LAN a name and password. It worked on the first try, taking all of 6 minutes.

Finally, I switched to TP-Link’s MLO (Multi-Link Operation) to get to a single network name and password. The Tether app is more visual but offers much the same process.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Configuration

Using the Tether app, I started at the main page full of helpful things like the number of clients and current down- and upload rates.

Below, the tabs for Security, Family and the More catch-all category. I was able to see and change anything from blacklisted devices to the Internet connection details. The router’s Network Optimization can streamline access and reduce interference.

Meanwhile using a connected browser allowed fine-tuning the MLO connection, DNS servers and using DHCP auto IP addressing. It’s where I activated a flash drive connected to the router’s USB port.

The router’s two-year warranty and lifetime support blow Netgear’s one-year coverage and 90-days of included support away. The TP-Link support site has everything from firmware downloads to setup videos. Its manual, however, is only available online in HTML.

TP-Link Archer BE770 review: Verdict

If you’re on a budget, you don’t have to settle for slow Wi-Fi anymore because TP-Link’s Archer BE770 is the best of the best with equal parts peak throughput and extended range. It lacks the visual appeal of routers with info-screens, but for the easily distracted, like me, that’s a good thing.

Regardless of whether it’s streaming 8K video, global gaming or running the latest AI model locally, the BE770 is the one to get for those who demand top speed and range. Getting it at $350 is the icing on the networking cake.

Taiwan, Shanghai, Shenzen, Long Beach, London. It’s been a busy three weeks for me, as I traveled around the world in 20 days (suck it, Phileas Fogg). With that comes a lot of long haul air flights, but with the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ in hand, I was never worried about being bored.

As you saw back at Computex, I tested it and saw the first true glimpse of a next generation handheld — thanks to that Intel Arc G3 Extreme superpower. Throw in real attention to the ergonomics; a bright, vibrant display, and a real PS5 Dualsense-esque upgrade to the haptics, and you’ve got a phenomenal handheld.

On the road (and in the air), real-world testing shows just how massive of an uplift this system can provide over any handhelds with AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme packed into it. It’s really comfortable in the hands with tactile buttons and a massive uplift in battery life. Docking it into hotel room TVs was a real showcase of how XeSS 3 can unlock that Nintendo Switch experience of great gaming both on-the-go and at home.

Plus, the CPU side of it is strong enough that I was able to handle my work in China easily with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse attached. Throw in Xbox mode that does a much better job of tying things together into a console UI (not all the way there yet), and this is a dream start.

There’s just one thing, though… $1,799. Yep, you read that right. I was ready for a big price given what MSI told me (they were “targeting $1,500”). But as I told the boys on the 128kb podcast, the word “targeting” doesn’t mean “is,” and was doing a lot of heavy lifting to cover a drastic price increase.

RAMageddon has sent prices spiraling out of control, and it leaves a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth — conflicted that this handheld is so good, but also so expensive. It makes it a tough one to recommend to anyone other than the handheld pros and enthusiasts with deep pockets.

But to those of you who fit these criteria, make no bones about it: you’re getting the best gaming handheld I’ve ever tested.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a PC gaming handheld, and one of the most powerful you can buy right now.
• Who is it for? This is for the gaming enthusiasts who are always on-the-go.
• What does it cost? Brace yourself — it’s $1,799.
• What do we like? Intel Arc G3 Extreme delivers as the most powerful handheld gaming chip, which is packed into a real nice-feeling handheld shell with a great display and impressive button ergonomics.
• What don’t we like? XeSS 3 game support is limited (though the raw horsepower of that GPU can overcome those obstacles), and charging $1,799 for a handheld is crazy.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Specs

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: The ups

I picked up the Claw 8 EX AI+ from MSI and my first full two days involved flying from Taipei to Shanghai, and then to Shenzen. It’s a hectic schedule, but the Claw kept up with all of it.

The chinniest handheld feels great

Now, I know that chances are the very first thing you noticed is its Crimson Chin-looking aesthetic — that is a big protrusion from the bottom to house that 8-inch display. But as I found out from talking to MSI, that’s by design as a year of iterative design inspired by the ergonomics of the Xbox controller brought them here.

In the real world, those contours fit into my average-sized hands almost perfectly. I can see how small hands may have a struggle with this, but for most of you, those grips feel great with a grooved texture and the buttons are really well-placed.

Not only that, but there's two drastic improvements you won’t be able to see in these photo: the button feel and the haptics. The triggers have a supple smoothness to them in their travel, and the D-pad and face buttons have such a nicer tactility to them thanks to that metal plating beneath them.

As for the vibrations, they always felt a little weak and almost vague in other MSI handhelds. Now with that new haptic motor in here, vibrations are snappy, specific and add a real immersion level to each game you play. It’s a night and day difference.

Also, shoutout to that bright, vibrant IPS panel with variable refresh rate — would’ve loved OLED but this is more than good enough here alongside some crispy, clear speakers that may be tinny but don’t distort at max volume.

Intel’s eating AMD for breakfast

Arc G3 Extreme is quite the mighty chip on paper — taking that 12 Xe3 core GPU I fell in love with on Panther Lake laptops, trimming the CPU fat and shifting the focus to graphics. The end result? A monster of a performant and power efficient chip with some AI tricks in its back pocket to take on AMD’s stranglehold on gaming handhelds.

Team Blue made some mighty claims: 44% higher frame rates than AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme at the same wattage, and the same FPS as the Z2 Extreme when at half the power consumption. Putting it to the test, I’m honestly floored.

Without any of the XeSS 3 features turned on, you can see Intel’s claims backed up (and then some) but then you turn on the resolution scaling and multi-frame generation and you realize this is what PC handheld gaming has been missing.

Making sure you start with a stable base rate (as you should always do with AI tricks like this), the latency is not noticeable when on a controller like this. I saw as much in the games I’ve been playing on my travels, and also at MSI’s HQ when testing this thing.

F1 25 feels buttery smooth when connected to the TV upscaling to 4K, Battlefield 6 doesn’t miss a step, and on a smaller 8-inch display like this, some of that telltale ghosting of frame generation is hard to spot.

And for those moments when you're plugged into the big screen and flipped to desktop mode with a keyboard and mouse, its productivity chops are admirable. With the reduced core count, you’re getting similar speeds to the Ryzen Z2 Extreme, which means you’d be surprised at just how much work you could get done on this thing.

Of course, the 32GB of DDR5 RAM helps with the multitasking chops here for sure (and in this economy, that comes at a steep cost…but more on that later), but being able to use the Claw for both portable play and as a mini PC of sorts for work is a real value unlocker.

Stamina champ

So you’ve seen the goings on when it comes to the raw power efficiency of the Arc G3 Extreme. How does that translate to actual battery life? Well by the rudimentary test we do to compare, it’s head and shoulders above.

But that’s only half the story. Lab results are good and all, but my lived experience gives you much more context. Looking back at the notes I rapidly took on my phone shows that this big number above is just a slither, because that CPU wattage can be taken all the way down to 8 watts.

Doing so while playing Dispatch (given it’s cartoon-animated, you don’t need anything more than that), 1.5 hours of use while travelling to the first hotel in Shanghai took me down to 89%. Then I put it on standby while I went to sleep — usually disastrous for an x86 CPU like Intel’s chip. But the smart hibernation here means I woke up to just a 4% loss in stamina.

Then came my next flight to Shenzen, and I was keen to finish Dispatch (it’s a great game if you’re into Telltale Games-style choose-your-own adventures), and 3 hours on that endurance mode shaved another 29% off. Now we’re down to 56%.

Once I checked into the next hotel, I fired up Forza Horizon 6 and got acquainted with the manual power controls. I turned it down to 720p at low to medium fidelity settings, and the TDP of that chipset was set to 8-15 watts. Framerate-wise, I was getting about 50 FPS without any XeSS on top, and after an hour, the battery went down to 44% before going to sleep.

This kind of longevity is extraordinary while still giving you a strong gameplay experience is extraordinary. You’ll see a lot of people talking about the performance uplift, but the stamina is the real talking point here.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: The downs

As we closed in on the launch (and many fellow nerds on these flights stared at this new hardware with glee in their eyes — sorry for leaking it a little early, MSI!), I’d been hearing rumors about what the final price would be. Once it was revealed, it turned out the rumors were right and my hopes were dashed.

$1,799 is crazy

Let’s talk about it. I remember over a year ago when I said a thousand bucks was pushing it for the ROG Xbox Ally X… Now we’ve fully closed in on 1,800 smackeroonies and that’s a damning statement on the side effects of this AI boom (or bubble if you’re nasty).

I can’t deny that this is the best PC handheld I’ve ever used, and looking at the other Intel Arc G3 Extreme handhelds, this isn’t the worst-priced either. But are those generational improvements over what’s come before worth that drastic uplift in price? It’s touch to say.

If you’re a PC gaming enthusiast and you need an ultraportable to take your library with you at the best fidelity, provided you’ve got the deep pockets for it, this is the one to go for.

If you already have a handheld, hold onto it — wait for that AI bubble to pop to drag down the price of RAM.

For the rest of you, I’d wait for a sale to see how far this price can come down.

XeSS 3 compatibility isn’t all the way there

Now I know this is something that is on the up and up — Intel’s XeSS 3 supported games list is growing gradually. But at around 50 titles, you can’t ignore that the list is pretty small.

Luckily, there’s enough under the hood of that GPU to brute force some smooth frame rates across games, and with AMD’s FSR being technically open source, you could use this with the Arc G3 Extreme on-board to fill in some gaps.

However, I always felt a little sad when I opened a game and there was no XeSS option in sight. Hopefully as this platform alongside Panther Lake in laptops and future chips grow in user base, more developers get on board.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+: Verdict

And that’s the story of the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — easily the best PC gaming handheld I’ve ever tested, but I’m conflicted by that price.

It’s a tall order at $1,800, but it’s also the generational leap I was hoping for. So really it’s going to come down to that price. To be honest with you, I’d wait for a sale price on this to make the most of your investment.

Because this is a mighty system as both a beastly gaming handheld and a mini PC to get stuff done on.

Not content with popping out some of the best electric scooters, Segway has recently expanded into the world of electric bikes. In 2026, it debuted two models, the Myon and the Muxi, the latter of which really stands out for its unique design.

The Muxi is sort of a mini cargo bike; while you can carry a second passenger on the rear, it’s best for those who need a bike with a little extra capacity for picking up groceries or toting some bags.

I rode the Muxi for nearly 100 miles over the course of two months, and found it to be a really fun ebike. That said, there are a few things that I wish it had from some of the best electric bikes we’ve tested. Read on to find out what I liked — and didn’t — about the Muxi.

Segway Muxi review: Price and accessories

The Muxi on its own costs $1,699, and comes in two finishes: Dusty Sage or Olive Rush. I personally think the Sage better contrasts with the beige handlebars, seat, and sidewalls. You can only order the bike through a Segway dealer, which you can find by going through Segway’s site.

Accessories include a middle basket ($129), fender set ($79), rear passenger seat and wheel guards ($119), a front basket ($99), and rearview radar ($99). My test bike came with everything, which brought the total cost to $2,224.

Design

This is definitely the funkiest-looking ebike I’ve tested, and the one that’s received the most comments — all positive — from onlookers. While Segway calls the Muxi a cargo bike, its styling and attitude feel closer to that of a beach cruiser.

The Muxi’s downtube goes all the way down before making a hard turn, heads straight to the back wheel, then curves upward to where it meets the seat tube. The midsection of the bike houses its large removable battery; it’s a step-through design, though not as extreme as Segway’s other new ebike, the Myon.

I tested the bike with the light green finish (Segway calls it Dusty Sage) with tan handlebars and seat. It’s definitely the more fetching look. It’s especially set off if you add the optional tan passenger seat ($119) and middle basket ($129); both come with transparent brown polycarbonate panels, which really complements the green of the bike.

In the center of the handlebars is a good-sized display, which shows your speed and other data. If your phone is connected to the Muxi via Bluetooth, one of the screens will even show you the name of the song playing on your phone. I just wish you could use the Muxi’s controls to change tracks.

On the left handlebar is the Muxi’s control panel. A large nub in the middle is used to navigate the display; below that is a rocker, which lets you adjust the assist level. On the top corner of the panel is a button for the Muxi’s electronic horn, which is plenty loud — and you can change its sound in the Segway app.

I do wish the Muxi came with turn signals. Considering Segway’s other ebike, the Myon has them — as well as many of Segway’s scooters — it’s a curious omission.

Accessories

The Muxi I tested came with the full complement of accessories, some of which were more useful than others. I would definitely recommend the middle basket, as it was incredibly convenient for storing things such as my bike lock and other small items. The only caveat is that it makes it harder to swing your leg over the middle of the bike. It’s made of transparent polycarbonate that’s about a quarter of an inch thick, so it seems pretty durable, but I wouldn’t want to smack it against something hard.

The rear passenger seat does make the bike look more fetching, but considering there’s no backrest or side bars, it’s not the most convenient, nor the safest. If you’re planning to get an ebike to carry someone, go for a larger cargo bike.

The Muxi’s fenders are nice, and though they’re just $79, I wish they were included.

If you’re planning to use the bike along busy roads, I recommend the rear radar. It connects to the bike’s electronics system; when a car is approaching from the rear, a small amber light turns on next to the control panel. If the radar senses a car coming at you from the rear really fast, it flashes an alert on the Muxi’s display and makes a beeping sound.

The Muxi also comes with a cupholder that holds your bottle nearly upright, rather than at an angle — great if you’re using it to carry a full cup of coffee, and don’t want it to spill.

Performance and ride

I rode the Muxi for about two months and put about 100 miles on the bike. Most of the rides were around my town, going to the train station and back to my house, into town to pick up groceries, or simply going for a jaunt.

While the Muxi has nice, fat 20 x 3-inch tires, its lack of suspension meant I felt every pothole a lot more than on bikes so equipped. Maybe I’m just getting soft in my old age, but I prefer a bit more cushioning. That said, the Muxi’s seat was super comfortable.

The Muxi only has one gear, which made things more interesting for me when going up and down hills. Honestly, after a while, I didn’t miss having extra gears, even on steeper hills. Instead, I found myself using the assist levels as an ad hoc gearing system to give me more of a boost when going up steeper inclines.

And, if I got real lazy, I simply pressed the throttle. The Muxi has smooth, but fast acceleration, which was very handy when getting going from a stop on hills. It was peppy enough that there was no lag, but smooth enough so that I wasn’t jerked forward. The throttle was also sensitive enough so that a light press would inch the bike along if I was stuck behind slow riders.

Security features

If you try and move the Muxi without entering the unlock code, its alarm starts blaring a loud and obnoxious BONNK BONNK BONNK sound, flashing the lights, and locking the wheels. More than once I’ve forgotten to unlock the bike, only to be rudely reminded.

If that doesn’t deter thieves enough, the Muxi also comes with Apple FindMy for both the bike and the battery, as well as Bluetooth proximity locking. The bike also comes with GPS locating services, which are free for the first year, but then require a subscription.

Battery

Segway says the Muxi’s 717Wh battery is good for up to 80 miles, but I found in my use — assist set to about 75% — I would average around 40 miles on a charge. My riding was carried out on a somewhat hilly area, though I went downhill as much as I went up.

The Muxi's battery is removable, so you can charge it away from the bike. Helpfully, the battery has a strap at the top, which makes it easier to carry.

Bottom line

The Segway Muxi is a fun little ride for those who need an ebike to haul things around, but don’t require a full-sized cargo bike. In some ways, its closest competition is the $2,299 Rad Power Rad Runner — once one of our favorite ebikes — which has a similar payload capacity, a higher top speed of 28 MPH, front suspension, but a shorter range of around 60 miles. (We should note that Rad Power filed for bankruptcy in December 2025, and was acquired by Life Electric Vehicles in March 2026.)

About the only thing I really wish the Muxi had was a front suspension, or at least a seatpost suspension like the Aventon Abound LR. Otherwise, this is a uniquely designed bike that’s sure to bring a smile, both to you and those who see it.

In 2026, when nearly every phone out there has the ability to share its internet connectivity, it does make me wonder if dedicated mobile hotspots are still worth it. That’s why I put the Simo Solis Lite hotspot to the test to find out.

With its iPhone 17 Pro-esque orange color, this puck-shaped gadget is unconventional for a hotspot. Honestly, it looks innocuous at first glance because it doesn’t have a screen or buttons on it — but it strips away the complexity of traditional networking gear, offering a plug-and-play experience that just works.

Is it a worth best mobile hotspot contender? I'll tell you if it is, or isn't.

Simo Solis Lite Hotspot review: Specifications

Simo Solis Lite Hotspot review: What I like

Ultra-compact size

I already carry a ton of stuff with me on my daily commute, so I really love that the Simo Solis Lite doesn’t take up a lot of room. Its compact size lets me easily stow it in one of my backpack pockets, and in the event I actually need to carry it on me, I can still slip it into my jeans pocket.

Unlike the boxy and boring designs of other mobile hotspots, its puck-shaped design in combination with its bright orange color makes it stand out. Even when it’s banging up against other gear in my backpack, its soft-touch exterior keeps it looking clean. And since it doesn’t have a screen, that’s one less thing to worry about accidentally breaking.

Hassle-free setup

I’m tech-savvy, so setting up new gear is rarely an issue for me. But for anyone else, like my father, I really appreciate the dead-simple setup it offers.

Soon after activating the Simo Solis Lite, I can tell it’s ready to go once the network status light on the unit remains steady. There’s nothing more I need to do on my part other than physically turning it on and waiting for it to get connected, which takes about a minute. And with the SSID and Wi-Fi password located on the sticker on the back, getting online is a breeze.

Affordable upfront cost

The Simo Solis Lite is one of the most affordable mobile hotspots I’ve come across, easily beating the upfront cost I see with other models sold as postpaid devices on traditional wireless carriers. While it carries a $99.99 MSRP directly from Solis, the $169 cost from Amazon includes 1GB of data per month for the life of the unit.

I know power users would eat up that data quickly, but you can always add on another data plan. Still, for emergency situations, having that baseline 1GB of monthly data can certainly help in a pinch.

Simo Solis Lite Hotspot review: What I don't like

Tops out at 4G LTE

If you need to download massive files with minimal wait time, the Simo Solis Lite will require some patience. That’s because it lacks 5G support, topping out at slower 4G LTE speeds.

For me, it suffices for everyday tasks like surfing the web, checking emails, and downloading smaller files. In fact, I didn’t have to wait long to upload a batch of 10 RAW photos that were about 18MB apiece. During my testing, the fastest download and upload speeds I saw with a single connected device were 26.5 Mbps and 18.2 Mbps, respectively.

Compared to 5G Ultra Wideband, these speeds are pretty slow — an issue that is only compounded as you connect more devices. I wouldn’t lean on it as an office workhorse, but it’s still more than enough for a single person.

10-device limit

The other restricting factor here is the 10-device limit, which is far lower than what many competing hotspots support. Granted, that is more than enough for me when I’m on the go — but it's hardly suitable for handling a bustling workspace.

At home, I easily connected my laptop, three phones, and my Apple Watch, but this device is really not meant to replace a traditional Wi-Fi router. While I’ve used higher-end hotspots to connect data-hungry devices like a smart TV for streaming or a Nintendo Switch, I wouldn’t recommend trying the same with the Simo Solis Lite.

Simo Solis Lite Hotspot review: Bottom line

This puck-shaped mobile hotspot isn't built for heavy-duty power users who need millimeter-wave 5G speeds or want to hook up an entire office of devices.

Instead, it nails its true purpose: providing a highly portable and affordable bridge to the internet whenever you're away from home. The added bonus of having 1GB of data per month for the life of the unit is a huge incentive to get one, simply to fall back on when you're in a pinch.

While not a dramatic overhaul from the original Fold 1, the new Fold 2 is an even more practical folding E-bike thanks to its refined design and new optional accessories, including an E-throttle and battery pack, which doubles this bike's range.

While this bike still has a few quirks carried over from its predecessor, after testing this for nearly 3 months now, I find that its balance of size and performance makes the Fold 2 one of the best electric bikes you can get today.

Urtopia Carbon Fold 2 review: Specifications

Urtopia Carbon Fold 2 review: Price and availability

The Urtopia Carbon Fold 2 is priced at $1,899, though it's frequently on sale for $100 off. While slightly more expensive than the $1599 price at which its predecessor was typically found, the Fold 2 continues to undercut many premium folding e-bikes while offering better range and weighing considerably less.

The Fold 2 comes in three colors: Urtopia Orange, Glacier Blue, and Creme. I got the orange, and I think it's easily the boldest and most adventurous of the three. If you want something that turns heads, this is the one.

Urtopia Carbon Fold 1 review: Assembly and Warranty

Urtopia has always packaged their bikes well and made setup easy. Getting the Fold 2 ready took me about 10 minutes. Lift it out of the shipping box, remove the padding, install the fenders and pedals, adjust the handlebars, connect the battery, and you're done. If you get any of the other accessories, like the E-throttle, rear rack, and secondary battery, those too only took a few extra minutes to install.

The Fold 2 comes with a 2-year warranty, a 14-day open-box return policy, and 1,000+ authorized service partners worldwide should you need any repairs.

Urtopia Carbon Fold 2 review: Improved Portability but Increased Weight

The Fold 2 carries over the core design philosophy of the Fold 1, including a carbon fiber frame, folding pedals, and compact footprint, while adding a few welcome practical touches. The most immediately noticeable of these is the built-in carry handle on the frame. It makes picking the bike up and moving it around much easier. The handlebars fold down, the bike folds in half, and the pedals fold in, making the bike incredibly compact at just 19" thick.

The folding mechanism has been upgraded and feels a bit sturdier than before, but to my disappointment, though, the magnetic retention system that is supposed to keep the bike folded shut when you're carrying or moving it is still not as strong as I'd like. I managed to accidentally unfold the bike a few times while rolling it around and lifting it, which can be pretty frustrating, especially when it happens unexpectedly while walking up a staircase. I found myself still having to squeeze the rear tires together to keep everything locked in place. Stronger magnets or some kind of locking latch would go a long way here.

Interestingly, the Fold 2 is actually heavier than its predecessor. It comes in at 35 lbs without accessories, compared to 29 lbs on the Fold 1. Nothing dramatic, but it is noticeable when picking each up. My best guess is that most of that added weight comes from the switch to an aluminum handlebar (the Fold 1 used carbon fiber, which it bragged about in its specs), though in fairness, those new bars now offer height adjustment and rotation, which does make riding more comfortable. It's a reasonable trade, but if absolute minimum weight is your priority, the Fold 1 remains king. Even with its weight increase, compared to other folding e-bikes in this price range, the Carbon Fold 2 is still roughly 3 to 5 pounds lighter and offers roughly 10 miles more range.

The removable seat post battery remains one of my favorite design elements here. Pulling the battery means the bike gets lighter, easier to carry, and also acts as a natural theft deterrent. No battery, no seat, no ride (at least I hope). This design, however, carries over the same concern I brought up with the Fold 1. The battery connectors sit on the bottom of the post and are somewhat exposed to the elements. While I haven't had issues with my Fold 1, I would try to avoid riding through puddles. Similarly, the post can drop all the way down and touch the ground. While shorter riders will instinctively want to lower the seat post as much as possible, it is very easy to hit the bottom while riding over curbs if you lower it too much. Again, with this housing the battery, this is something riders should pay careful attention to.

While the overall design has remained largely unchanged, Urtopia has made a few other updates. The taillights have been moved to the top of the seat tube for better visibility, especially when riding at night. Underneath the seat is a new AirTag mount. It's not as seamlessly integrated as bikes with Apple Find My built in, but it does add an extra level of security.

They've also switched up the display. Rather than being built into the center of the handlebars, it's now clip-mounted on the left side, which allows it to rotate for angle adjustability. It also adds a Type-C charging port for your phone, which is handy on longer rides. That said, I still prefer the look of the fully-integrated original display from the Fold 1.

Do you need a folding bike?

Before committing to the Fold 2, it's worth being honest with yourself about whether the folding design is actually solving a problem you have. If you're storing this bike in a tight spot like a small apartment hallway, under a desk, or in a car trunk, the folding design could be the difference between being able to own an E-bike or not.

But... if you're picturing folding it up to take on a bus or subway or carry easily up staircases, I'd push back a little. While the Fold 2's improved carry handle helps, it doesn't solve everything. At 35 lbs with that folded shape that doesn't hold together too well, it's still an awkward carry. In my experience, a non-folding e-bike with a similar weight is actually easier to manage through tight spaces.

Urtopia Carbon Fold 1 review: Performance

The Fold 2 keeps the same peak 500W hub motor and 20 mph top speed as the Fold 1, and the performance feels identical. The motor accelerates quickly and holds speed well, even on mild inclines, and the five assist modes (Eco, Tour, Smart, Boost, and Walk Assist) give you real range in how you want to ride. Smart mode remains my go-to, adjusting assistance based on your pedaling load so the bike feels more natural and intuitive, with motor assistance smoothly increasing when you need.

Riding across a mix of smooth pavement, rougher bike paths, and, of course, the classic pot hole-filled NYC streets, the Fold 2 was surprisingly slightly more comfortable to ride. Where the Fold 1 struggled most was with its lack of suspension, which made larger bumps very fatiguing to ride over. Still no suspension on the Fold 2 to keep size and weight down, but I think, thanks to the Fold 2's new saddle, it absorbs impact better and makes riding longer distances more comfortable. I was concerned that the switch from 20" wheels to 18" would equate to a less smooth ride, but the Fold 2 actually felt a bit more nimble and responsive.

The new optional thumb throttle is one of the Fold 2's biggest additions. It's installed on the right handlebar and lets you accelerate without pedaling up to 20 mph. I use it mostly for speedy launches from stops, especially when riding through traffic. My one frustration? You have to double-press before the motor engages. I understand the safety logic, but I'd love the option to disable that for experienced riders.

Urtopia Carbon Fold 2 review: Battery life and range

The Fold 2 actually has a slightly smaller battery than the Fold 1: 244.8Wh compared to 252Wh, yet Urtopia rates it for more range: 45 miles versus 40. In my testing, with the rear rack and fenders installed and my own weight of around 160 lbs, I got right around 43 miles in Eco mode on a mixed route of flat and hilly terrain and occasionally using the E-throttle.

Charging takes about 3 hours with the included 2A charger, which is unchanged from the Fold 1, and the ability to remove the seat post battery and charge it indoors while the bike stays outside is still one of the most practical design features in this class.

If you need more range, though, the Fold 2 introduces an optional extended battery for $349 that brackets behind the seat post and can push total range up to 95 miles. Few folding e-bikes at this size can come close to that figure.

That said, I'm not fully convinced the target audience for this bike really needs it. The Fold 2's whole appeal is being lightweight, compact, and easy to throw in a car or store in a small space. Strapping on a second chunky battery runs counter to that. That said, since it is removable, you can add it for a longer weekend ride and take it off when portability matters again. If you love everything about this bike but want the option to nearly double your range when you need it, then the extended battery is a no-brainer add-on. Just know what you're trading off in weight when it's on.

Urtopia Carbon Fold 2 review: Verdict

Urtopia has never tried to make the biggest or most feature-packed e-bike on the market, and that's not what the Fold 2 is. What it is is their most practical bike yet. While it doesn't fix everything about its predecessor, that's easy to forgive when you're getting one of the best mixes of range, comfort, and portability I've tested in a lightweight folding e-bike.

If I had to pick between a flip-style phone and a book-style foldable, I’d go with the former for the simple fact that it’s way more compact. That’s why the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 appeals to me so much, especially for how it packs a sizable 4-inch external display, dual 50MP cameras that are perfect for vlogging, and a higher-capacity 5,000 mAh battery.

Really, it’s packing heavyweight power in a middleweight division, but there’s just one problem: it comes at a cost. What surprises me most is the phone’s substantial price increase to $1,499, up from its predecessor’s $1,299. This raises the question: are the upgrades worth the extra cash?

In my Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 review, I’ll break down whether it’s really worth spending that much and if it's a worthy best foldable phone contender.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 review: Specifications

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 review: What I like

Obscenely long battery life

Part of the reason the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 is able to retain its svelte frame and lightweight package is the new silicon-carbon battery it’s packing this time. Motorola managed to increase the capacity to a 5,000 mAh cell, which in turn delivers significantly longer battery life. It averaged 16 hours and 20 minutes on Tom's Guide's battery drain test.

That average earns the title of the longest-lasting battery in a foldable phone, beating out its predecessor and book-style foldables like the larger Razr Fold. It’s more than sufficient to get me through an entire workday with ease, leaving enough gas in the tank if I happen to forget to charge it overnight.

Improved low light camera performance

What really shocked me about the Razr Ultra 2025 was its poor low-light performance. Thankfully, that’s not the case this time around because Moto appears to have remedied the issue with the dedicated Night Vision mode in the Razr Ultra 2026. Compared to the other new Razrs, the Ultra is undoubtedly better equipped to handle the challenges of low light — as you can see in the gallery below.

Its 50MP main shooter is also more than capable of capturing stunning outdoor scenes and selfies. Still, I can’t overstate how useful it is to close the phone and use the outer screen to frame yourself for vlogs and video recordings. Believe me, doing it on this form factor is way easier than on a book-style foldable like the Razr Fold.

Extraordinarily bright main display

Although the specs on paper don’t indicate any major changes, I can tell you that the main screen is substantially brighter. It pumps out a peak brightness of 2,322 nits, which is a massive leap considering the previous model topped out at 1,835 nits.

This ensures everything on the 7-inch Extreme AMOLED display remains perfectly visible, even when I’m outdoors trying to watch the new Supergirl movie trailer. Quite frankly, there’s no trouble making out fine details on either of its displays, thanks to their vibrant colors and wide viewing angles.

Premium, durable design

Motorola didn’t change a whole lot with the design this year, but it didn’t need to. The phone still carries a sleek, premium look that doubles as a genuine fashion statement. The Pantone Orient Blue finish of my review unit is eye-catching not only because of its striking color, but also because of a textured back that provides a secure grip most other phones lack.

On top of that, the Razr Ultra 2026 retains its IP48 rating, offering peace of mind against water exposure. The overall build never feels flimsy or fragile, thanks in large part to the new titanium-reinforced hinge that holds up perfectly, even when I flip the phone open or snap it closed abruptly.

Free accessories with the purchase

Part of the reason I'm frustrated with this year’s model is the steep $200 price hike. That jump hurts, especially because it pushes the phone closer to book-style foldable territory, which usually requires spending an extra $300 to $500. However, the saving grace for me is that Motorola is throwing in a couple of premium freebies with retail purchases: the Moto Buds Loop and the Moto Watch.

This is exactly the kind of move that helps offset the price increase, especially since both accessories naturally complement the phone. On their own, the Moto Buds Loop retail for $249, while the Moto Watch comes in at $149. Combined, their value easily outpaces the phone's $200 premium, making the sting of that retail price a lot easier to swallow.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 review: What I don't like

Sticking with the same processor

Despite this being Motorola's top-of-the-line foldable, the company chose to equip the Razr Ultra 2026 with the exact same chipset as last year’s model. Compared to its contemporaries, the Snapdragon 8 Elite under the hood is now two generations behind.

Even though benchmark scores prove it’s still the most powerful flip-style phone I’ve tested, it can't match the sheer raw performance found in today's best phones — which are largely powered by the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

The Razr Ultra 2026 admittedly still feels fast and responsive during everyday tasks, but there's no denying that a current-gen chip would have offered superior processing power and potentially even greater battery efficiency.

Software experience is mostly unchanged

I really like how Motorola’s Android skin remains very close to a vanilla experience, but there aren’t any major new Moto AI features to speak of this time around. Instead, you get the same familiar suite — like Catch Me Up, Pay Attention, and Remember This. Given the price increase, I was definitely hoping for more expansion here.

I’m mostly looking forward to the eventual Android 17 update to see the new system-level tools and interface overhauls it brings to the table. And coming later, Gemini Intelligence will likely add a welcome layer of extra utility down the line.

The price is still steep(er)

There's no telling how long Motorola is going to maintain its free wireless earbuds and smartwatch promotion. If that bundle gets the axe, you're still on the hook for the full $1,499 — a hefty sum that severely hurts the phone's overall value proposition.

That's because top-tier flagships like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S26 Ultra, and OnePlus 15 all cost significantly less while offering triple-camera systems and the absolute latest chipsets. Granted, Motorola does give you a generous 512GB of storage out of the box, but the retail price is still far too rich for what I'd want to pay for a flip-style foldable.

Motorola Razr Ultra 2026 review: Bottom line

There’s a valuable lesson to learn here with the Motorola Razr Ultra 2026: design and utility can only carry a phone so far. As much as I love the stylish look and how perfectly suited it is for video content creators like myself, the decision to stick with the exact same two-generation-old chipset without adding any major new features — all while demanding $200 more — makes it an incredibly tough sell.

Quite frankly, I have a hard time overlooking a $1,499 price tag for what is essentially a recycled phone. What makes the pill even harder to swallow are the massive discounts hitting the previous generation right now, with Motorola itself cutting the 2025 Ultra down to $799 to clear out inventory.

That's a massive price gap, and it makes last year's model a far better option for anyone looking to minimize their out-of-pocket expenses.

More from Tom's Guide

• I pitted iOS 27 Clean Up vs Galaxy AI in a 7-round eraser showdown — Apple makes it close, but here's where it stumbles
• I just tested the phone everybody thinks is a preview of the iPhone Fold — God, I hope they’re wrong
• Siri AI will shoot down any attempts to try and date it — but other chatbots aren't always so forthright

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is a curious automatic espresso machine. It can make a huge variety of drinks, including espresso, drip coffee, cold brew, and both hot and cold milk. So is this enough to make it one of the best espresso machines?

Hm… not really. The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is an ambitious machine, but I think it’s got its fingers in too many pies. It can’t decide what it wants to be. Does it want to be a drip machine or an espresso machine? Or a rapid cold brew machine? (The cold brew comes out warm…)

Even so, I gave this machine 3 stars for a reason — it’s unbelievably easy to use, perfect for the home barista who wants to click a button and get fresh coffee instantly, and is relatively cheaper than other automatic machines. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Ninja AutoBarista Pro review.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Specs

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Price & availability

The Ninja AutoBarista Pro is $949 from Best Buy and £899 direct from SharkNinja. I hate that I’m writing this, but $950 isn’t actually that expensive for a fully automatic espresso machine.

I’ve also tested the $1,499 De’Longhi Rivelia, the $2,699 Jura E8, the coffee-only (yes, no milk) $999 Jura ENA 4, and the $1,999 KitchenAid KF8.

So, in comparison, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro is pretty well-priced. Although it doesn’t have totally hands-free milk — you still have to pour the milk into the jug and then pour it into your espresso — it does froth the milk for you.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Design

I was surprised when I unboxed the AutoBarista Pro — it’s not as visually appealing as I’d expected. Ninja seems to always hit design out of the park, especially with the Crispi and the Creami, and even the Luxe Cafe.

But not the AutoBarista Pro. I’m not sure what about it rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps the sharp lines, the somewhat dim screen? The chrome buttons? It just looks like something that would have come out about ten years ago, not now.

The machine is almost entirely plastic, too: the water tank is relatively flimsy, the exterior is a shiny plastic, and the drip tray is mostly plastic. This is a shame, but, then again, you can’t expect perfection from a (relatively) affordable automatic machine.

The screen is nowhere near as clear as the Breville Oracle Dual Boiler ($3,000), but is, thankfully, easy to use and perfect for beginners. There are little graphics of all the different types of coffee, and then you can adjust details like coffee intensity, milk texture, heat, as much as you like. I suppose, though, it’s unfair to compare a $950 machine and a $3K machine — you would expect the quality to be different.

One thing I love is the steam wand. It looks almost identical to the Oracle Dual Boiler — it’s wider than most at-home steam wands, and has a single powerful spout rather than holes — and is incredibly powerful. I’ll talk about it more below, but this is one of my favorite aspects of the Ninja.

Don’t get me wrong, the AutoBarista Pro isn’t hideous or a plastic hunk of garbage — not at all. It just doesn’t look as premium as I would like. Even though it’s cheaper than other automatic machines, almost $1,000 is still a huge amount of money. As a result, I’d like it to look a little more premium.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Espresso

In terms of ease of use, the AutoBarista Pro wins all the awards. It’s supremely easy to control. You don’t have to do any prep at all. You do have to wait, though — each drink took at least a minute to make. This was noticeably longer than the De’Longhi Rivelia and De’Longhi Magnifica Evo ($899).

When I first installed the hopper and poured in my beans, I used GrindIQ to adjust the grind. This took about six minutes and used a decent amount of coffee, so I’d only recommend using this if you tend to use the same beans over and over. I would hate to waste that much coffee for every 200g bag of specialty beans, for example.

Thankfully, like the De’Longhi Rivelia, you get two bean hoppers, so you don’t have to empty out the hopper if you want to switch beans.

But after the machine calibrated itself, it was beyond easy to use. I simply adjusted the intensity using the screen, adjusted the ratio (you can do anything from 1:2 to 1:6), and pressed go.

On medium intensity, the espresso is really weak, so I found I had to use the strongest level to get a normal-tasting espresso. Even the most intense mode isn’t as flavorful as a manual espresso machine — so I wouldn’t recommend this machine if you’re an espresso evangelist. I think most of these issues lie within the grinder, which you can't manually control.

Here’s a photo of an espresso made using Ninja’s default settings (so 1:2, medium intensity, double shot).

As you can see, the color is quite light. This was using artisan beans with notes of almond, fudge, and cherry.

The shot tasted a little juicy, a little nutty, but didn’t have the rich mouthfeel you might expect from a manual espresso machine. Again, this is a fine trade-off if you seriously value ease of use and can’t be bothered with grinding, tamping, and dosing at 7am, but coffee nerds might want to look elsewhere.

My colleagues reported that the coffee generally tasted quite weak, but was still drinkable, even on the most intense setting.

I would also advise against using this machine for cold brew. Take a look at this...

This tasted incredibly weak (if you couldn't guess that from the photo) — there was maybe a whisper of flavor. I honestly had to throw this away. I was impressed to see the machine automatically adjusted the grind for cold brew (it needs coarser than espresso), but the result was still poor and it didn't taste good.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Milk

Even though the espresso functionality left me longing for more, I do really like the steam wand function on the AutoBarista Pro. It’s not as hands-off as other automatic machines like the Jura E8 or the KitchenAid KF8. You have to pour the milk into the pitcher and then pour it into your mug. You also have to clean and purge the steam wand as you would on a manual espresso machine.

As a barista who loves the ritual of making coffee and getting her hands dirty, this is much more my style than the fully automatic machines I’ve tested in the past.

You don’t get any control over the actual steaming, though, which is perfect for hands-off baristas who want consistently technically perfect coffees, but not ideal for someone like me.

You can adjust the milk texture settings from wet, to melted ice cream flat white texture, to cappuccino texture. You can even cold foam milk, which was super fun. Here’s a photo of a standard flat white using all of Ninja’s default settings.

As you can see, the texture is pretty good, but it’s not as soft or velvety as a human barista. Even so, my colleagues reported that the milk texture was “yummy” (direct quote), with a soft mouthfeel and a nice creaminess.

You can also toggle the “dairy milk” and “plant-based milk” setting. I’m not sure what difference this actually makes, as I forgot to turn it to plant-based milk when I was frothing oat milk and it turned out the same.

However, I would not recommend this for cold foam.

As you can see, the texture is a bit strange. It’s much too bubbly, not really stiff peaks like you’d expect from cold foam. And if you swipe to the second picture, you’ll see how it looked after a few seconds. Yep… that’s basically just an iced latte.

So, the long and short of it is: hot drinks, yes, cold drinks… no.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Storage & maintenance

As you might expect from an automatic espresso machine, the Ninja AutoBarista Pro is pretty large. It’s 17.8 x 10.7 x 15.8, and took up a decent amount of space in my kitchen. Not a con, just something to be mindful of!

Now, a con: you will be refilling the water tank after about four drinks. And if you’re making cold brew, one drink.

No, that’s not an exaggeration, and yes, I’m quite sure. I had to refill the AutoBarista Pro after four drinks, every single time. I’m not sure where all the water goes, but it goes somewhere. It’s thirstier than an AI data center.

Alright, so now you know what to expect, we can move on. Cleaning the AutoBarista Pro is straightforward: Ninja provides you with a few months’ worth of cleaning tablets and a water filter (mandatory if you live in a hard water area). Running a cleaning cycle is as easy as following the instructions on the machine itself. Replacement cleaning products are around $14 from Amazon.

Ninja offers a 2-year warranty, which is the same as Fellow, De’Longhi, and Breville.

Ninja AutoBarista Pro review: Verdict

If you prioritize ease of use over anything else, you’ll be happy with the Ninja AutoBarista Pro. This is one of the easiest coffee machines I’ve ever tested. You literally just have to press a button, and the machine does the hard work for you, in the same way the De’Longhi Rivelia takes all the guesswork out of coffee-making.

However, I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone. It’s considerably bulkier than I expected, and the screen is nowhere near as bright as the aforementioned De’Longhi Rivelia. The coffee tends to be weak, even when extracted on the maximum intensity setting — and I wouldn’t recommend it for cold brew or cold foam at all.

All that being said, if you want a (relatively) affordable espresso machine and you’re the kind of person who drinks flavored lattes away — or you simply want a cold foam maker and you want it right now — then the Ninja AutoBarista Pro will do the job. It’s one of the most “brain off” espresso machines I’ve ever reviewed. I just wish it hit more of its marks.

The Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition improves on last year’s model with an upgraded AMD Ryzen AI 9 processor, though the rest of its components remain identical. However, Geekom also added its more efficient IceBlast 3.0 cooling, which lets this incredibly fast mini PC run at full power with minimal fan noise.

This new version keeps the same all-aluminum case and port selection I loved on the original, too. Just like with the standard Geekom A9 Max, you still get four handy USB-A ports on the front, with enough connectivity around back to drive up to four displays simultaneously. While you can certainly open this mini PC up to add another M.2 SSD, there’s also one of Geekom’s standard SD card readers on the side for quickly expanding your storage capacity.

At $1,799, the Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition is certainly a pricey mini PC. However, you can typically find it for a few hundred dollars off on Geekom’s website, making it only slightly more expensive than its predecessor. That's not bad, given that RAMageddon doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Just like I did with the original, I’ve been using this upgraded mini PC as my daily driver for the past month. During that time, its internal fan never made a peep, and the system hasn’t missed a beat or slowed down at all. However, just like with the first-gen A9 Max, it is a bit trickier to open and upgrade than past Geekom mini PCs I’ve tested.

My Geekom A9 Max review will help you decide if this is the best mini PC for your workflow or if it’s worth picking up last year’s model for slightly less.

Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition review: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? A follow-up to last year’s compact, silver mini PC with desktop-class power under the hood and loads of front and rear ports.
• Who is it for? Those who need a powerful mini PC with desktop-class performance to replace a larger system or their laptop.
• What does it cost? The A9 Max 2026 Edition costs $1,699 on Amazon but it’s currently discounted to $1,485 on Geekom’s website where you can use code TGA9MAX26 to get an additional 8% off.
• What do we like? The upgraded and more powerful Ryzen AI 9 processor, its compact form factor, the ability to power it via USB-C, the highly generous rear and especially front port selection, and its excellent RAM and storage expandability.
• What don’t we like? The more premium price compared to last year’s model, the more difficult-than-usual case opening process for upgrades, and the easily detached internal Wi-Fi antennas.

Geekom A9 Max: Specs

Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition: The ups

The Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition keeps what works about the original with loads of ports at the front and back, an all aluminum case and plenty of opportunities to upgrade it further if you’re so inclined. However, it now features a faster processor and even better cooling.

Sleek, silver and souped-up

At 5.31 x 5.20 x 1.85 inches, the Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition retains the same compact footprint as the original, which is slightly larger — albeit shorter — than Apple’s redesigned Mac mini M4. It won’t take up any noticeable room on your desk, but you do have the option to mount this mini PC behind a monitor thanks to the included VESA mounting plate. However, given those handy front ports and the side-facing SD card reader, I wouldn’t recommend hiding it away.

With a weight of just 1.54 pounds, the A9 Max has a premium heft without being heavy, meaning you can easily slip it into a backpack. While it comes packaged with a traditional power brick that plugs into a rear barrel port, you don't actually have to use it. One of the two USB4 ports around back supports Power Delivery input (marked "PD-in"), allowing you to power the entire system with a compact 100W GaN charger instead — a convenient perk I've also seen on other mini PCs like the MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG.

Design-wise, this new A9 Max is virtually identical to its predecessor on the outside. Under the hood, however, it sports an upgraded AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 processor and Geekom’s new IceBlast 3.0 cooling. While the original was already fast, this refreshed chip pushes the system's total AI capabilities from 80 up to 86 TOPS (trillions of operations per second) of processing power.

If you look at the results from our lab tests, you might be scratching your head as to why last year's original A9 Max actually outperforms this newer model. Fortunately, there’s a simple explanation for this that could be a pro or a con depending on your workflow and technical expertise.

Like the original model, this 2026 Edition features 32GB of DDR5 RAM. However, the original split that memory across two sticks in a dual-channel configuration (2 x 16GB). On this newer model, Geekom ships the system with a single 32GB stick of DDR5 RAM. Running in single-channel mode severely bottlenecks the memory bandwidth, choking the processor during heavy multi-core tasks and synthetic benchmarks.

I spoke with Geekom about this design choice, and they explained their reasoning: it's all about upgrade paths. Since the A9 Max 2026 Edition is highly upgradeable, keeping a single slot open means that if you want to jump to 64GB of RAM down the line, you can simply buy a matching 32GB stick rather than having to throw away two perfectly good 16GB sticks.

The good news is that while using the new A9 Max as my daily driver, I personally didn’t notice any real-world slowdowns or hangups. In fact, I was quite impressed with its day-to-day snappiness, and the integrated Radeon 890M graphics even managed to deliver a very playable experience running Death Stranding 2 on a 1080p monitor.

Ultimately, if you’re the type of user who prefers a "set-it-and-forget-it" machine and has no intention of ever opening up the case, you'll get better out-of-the-box performance value from the original A9 Max. But if you plan on immediately upgrading this mini PC to its limits and can benefit from the long-term potential of the HX 470 processor, the 2026 model makes a lot of sense — provided you don't mind paying extra for it.

The anti-Mac Mini M4

Despite what Apple wants you to think, there are plenty of us that still rely on USB-A ports instead of USB-C ones. Well, if like me, you’re one of those people, then Geekom has the perfect mini PC for you. On the front of the A9 Max, you get four USB-A ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. These easy-to-reach ports are great for plugging in flash drives or 2.4 GHz USB dongles for accessories like mice, keyboards and controllers.

Then around back, you get two more USB-A ports (one is high-speed like the four around front while the other is USB 2.0), two HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB4 ports, dual 2.5 gigabit Ethernet ports and a barrel port power connector. That second 2.5 GbE port is great if you want to connect a NAS device to this mini PC, for instance.

As I mentioned before, with two USB4 ports and two HDMI 2.1 ports, the A9 Max can drive up to four 4K monitors simultaneously. Likewise, you could use the USB4 port on the right for power instead.

Although I adore my Mac mini M4, I’m constantly trying out different stands and hubs to add those missing USB-A ports to it. With the A9 Max, I have more USB-A ports than I ever did on my big old desktop gaming PC.

Faster yet cooler

One problem you often run into with mini PCs is excessive fan noise. This comes with the territory, since you’re dealing with a smaller system overall. For the most part, I haven’t run into this with Geekom’s mini PCs besides with the Intel-powered Geekom IT15 I reviewed last year. However, when the original A9 Max was left running demanding workloads for long periods, its internal fan would get quite noisy.

That’s why with the 2026 Edition of the A9 Max, the company upgraded its cooling system to IceBlast 3.0. While the original has dual-copper heat pipes, this upgraded version features a massive full-copper module that’s paired with a bigger custom turbo fan with larger blades. Since the blades are larger and this new module holds heat better, the single fan is able to move more air at lower, much quieter RPMs. As such, the A9 Max 2026 Edition is able to run at peak power without getting overly hot or loud.

Personally, the original A9 Max never got too loud for me during standard tasks, even with dozens of Chrome tabs open across multiple displays. However, if you plan on pushing this mini PC a lot harder, then this new cooling solution will absolutely make a difference. Before deciding between it and the original, I recommend carefully considering how you’re actually going to be using it on a daily basis.

Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition: The downs

The A9 Max 2026 Edition is a powerful and full-featured mini PC, but it’s not without its downsides. The upgraded processor and cooling are nice to have, but they’re not a must-have upgrade over the original. At the same time, opening this mini PC up to upgrade it still proves somewhat tedious given how easily its Wi-Fi antenna cables come unattached.

Mind those pesky Wi-Fi antennas

For the most part, opening the A9 Max 2026 Edition up to upgrade its RAM or to add extra storage is fairly easy. After flipping it over, you have to remove the four rubber feet at each corner to reveal standard Phillips screws.

With other Geekom mini PCs you can get right to their components, but with this one, you first have to remove its massive heatsink before doing so. It’s fairly easy to take off as you just have to remove a few more screws, but like with the original A9 Max, there is a catch.

The A9 Max’s Wi-Fi antenna cables are taped onto the heatsink, and when you take it off, it’s very easy for them to come unattached. Unfortunately, they’re installed underneath this mini PC’s M.2 SSD, and reattaching them can be quite tedious to do.

With the heatsink removed, you can see the single stick of 32GB of DDR5 memory and the free M.2 slot next to the SSD. While it’s positioned for a much smaller 2230 SSD, it's easily accessible if you want to quickly drop in a short drive to expand your capacity.

Honestly, Geekom’s mini PCs are pretty easy to open and upgrade, and this new A9 Max is no exception. Just be forewarned that you’ll likely have to put up a bit of a fight to get those Wi-Fi antenna cables reconnected after doing so.

Not quite an A10 Max

With the Geekom A5 2025 Edition I reviewed, it had been two years between when the original released and when the upgraded version came out. With the A9 Max 2026 Edition, though, the original A9 Max came out just last year.

As you might have guessed from earlier in this review, the main reason Geekom decided to put out a new version of this mini PC so quickly was to fix the cooling issues of the original. That aggressive thermal throttling and loud fan noise was a deal-breaker for a lot of people, and fortunately, the A9 Max 2026 Edition fixes all of this with its IceBlast 3.0 cooling. Along the way, you also get a slightly faster processor, which is unfortunately a bit handicapped due to the single-channel RAM configuration Geekom went with this time around.

Don’t get me wrong: the original A9 Max was an excellent mini PC, and so too is this one. However, instead of a slight performance upgrade and improved cooling, I wouldn’t have minded seeing Geekom jump straight to a true "A10 Max." Given higher component costs due to RAMageddon, though, maybe it’s for the best that the company waited to take things to their next logical conclusion.

Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition: Verdict

The Geekom A9 Max 2026 Edition is a refined version of the original A9 Max, with some slight upgrades under the hood that make a big difference in day-to-day use. It’s quieter, cooler, and faster, but you are paying a bit more compared to what you would have last year. Still, you’re getting an ultra-fast mini PC with desktop-class performance and more ports than you'll find on most full-sized towers.

Now, I wouldn’t recommend upgrading to the 2026 Edition if you already own the original A9 Max. However, if you want a fast mini PC that you’ll be able to use at full power for years to come, it’s definitely worth the higher price tag.

Is the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 good enough to be one of the best e-readers? Yes, definitely. This is the King of e-readers — and it knows it. With a bright, 7-inch display (1 inch bigger than its nearest rival, the Kobo Clara Color) and up to 8 weeks of battery, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is here to stay.

But because it’s the King of e-readers, it’s priced like it. The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is $90 pricier than the closest Kobo alternative, an increase of 56%, and I’m… not really sure why. Yes, the Kindle library is bigger than Kobo’s, and Kindle Unlimited is better than Kobo’s, but does that justify a price increase of 56%? The initial $250+ cost might put off newcomers.

The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a fantastic e-reader, though — just an expensive one. I thoroughly enjoyed my time testing this device. It’s easy to use, lovely to look at, and has bright color for comic books. Want to find out more? Keep reading this Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review.

All images showing e-books have been blurred for copyright. Screen is sharp and detailed in real life.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Specs

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Price & availability

There are two models of the Kindle Colorsoft 2026: 16GB and 32GB. I tested the 16GB model, which can hold almost 6,000 books (depending on length, images, and the like). The 16GB model is $249 from Amazon U.S. and £239 from Amazon U.K.. The 32GB model is an extra $30/£30, making it $279 in the U.S. and £269 in the U.K..

Kindle also makes the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, which is not this product. If you want the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition, that’s $279 from Amazon U.S. (yes, the same price, annoyingly). The Signature has automatic brightness adjustment and wireless charging.

I recently tested the Kobo Clara Colour, which is $159/£169. Honestly, if you want a great e-reader for as little money as possible, I’d go for the Kobo. Of course, the library isn’t as large — the Kindle Store has a near-incomprehensible 15 million titles, and a much wider self-published selection — but I’ve been able to find every book on my TBR on the Kobo store.

The Kindle Colorsoft Gen 1, 2024, launched at $279/£269, so no price increase there, which I like to see.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: The ups

There are so many things to like about the Kindle Colorsoft 2026, including its speed, screen, and library size.

Processor go Brr!

The Kindle Colorsoft is faster than the Kobo Clara Colour. Not by much — it’s more “blink and you miss it” than countable seconds — but every little helps, right? When I turned both e-readers on at the same time, the Kindle displayed the reading material a touch faster than the Kobo.

Kindle store is a modern-day Library of Alexandria

As much as I loved testing the Kobo — and I think it works much harder than the Kindle — the Kobo store is nowhere near as large as Amazon’s. The Kobo store is still fantastic, don’t get me wrong, with millions of books available for purchase, and a Kobo Unlimited subscription too.

However, it just can’t compete with Kindle’s whopping 15-million-plus titles. This is an incomprehensible number. I couldn’t even imagine 15 million plotlines if I spent the rest of eternity locked in a dark room.

But Kindle has everything, including obscure self-published books penned by Susan who lives down the street. If you’re the kind of reader who absorbs books like they’re going out of fashion, then you might be better off with the Kindle.

With my purchase, I also got 3 months free of Kindle Unlimited and 1 month free of Audible, which is great and something other e-reader brands simply can’t compete with.

Kindle Unlimited is better than Kobo Plus

I’ve tried Kobo Plus and Kindle Unlimited, and what they say is true: Kindle offers a wider range of books, both big-name authors and midlist novels alike. Unlike Kobo’s library, KU isn’t just self-published/thriller type books. You’ve got huge names, like Holly Black, Colleen Hoover, Freida McFadden, and more. Kobo Plus just doesn’t have this range.

Kindle Unlimited is $11.99 for literally unlimited books, magazines, and audio, whereas Kobo Plus is $7.99/$9.99 (for books and audio).

Night mode for those tired eyes

Just like the Kobo Clara Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 has a warm filter. Although any electronic light source can interrupt sleep, research has shown that front-lit e-ink screens with warm filters interfere less than blue light devices (like phones).

You can access the display settings easily by scrolling down on the left margin, much like the Kobo Clara Colour.

Although I don’t have any scientific, quantitative data detailing my improved sleep quality, I can report that my sleep was no more interrupted than normal after reading before bed. I read before bed every single night, e-reader or paper, and didn’t notice any difference.

Direct sunlight? No problem

As the Kindle Colorsoft uses a front-lit e-ink screen, which means the screen is lit from the front rather than the back, it is visible even in direct sunlight. As you can see from the photos throughout this review, the screen looks vibrant under strong sun.

This performance is identical to the Kobo Clara Colour, both of which offer natural, e-ink screens with fantastic visibility.

IPX8 rating for bathtub adventures

Like the Kobo Clara Colour, the Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is IPX8 rated. In real terms, this means it will survive if you accidentally leave it on the hood of your car before going through the car wash. Or something less ridiculous, like accidental dips in the bathtub.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: The downs

Although there’s lots to love about the Kindle Colorsoft 2026, it’s not perfect. It isn't as customizable rivals, and it's much pricier, too.

Not as customizable as Kobo

One of my favorite aspects of the Kobo Clara Colour is that you can change the screen layout. You can also do this on the Kindle, but it’s more restrictive. On the Kindle, you can change orientation and font size, margins, and text alignment, but on Kobo, you can customize the actual layout of the menus.

On Kobo, you can change the ‘home’ button (the area of the screen you tap to bring up the main menu) depending on your preferences. By default, it’s set to: center tap brings up the menu, and then you turn the page forward or back by tapping the edge of the screen. I set mine so I have to click on the bottom of the screen to bring up the menu and 75% of the screen turns to the next page. I think this feels more natural because I’m left-handed and naturally tap to turn the page on the left side of the screen (don’t ask).

On Kindle, you can’t actually do this at all. You’re stuck with tapping on the top of the screen to bring up the menu, and 50% of the screen turns the page in its corresponding direction.

If there is a way to adjust this on Kindle, it’s not in the ‘Settings’ tab or in any of the device options menus, which is a con in and of itself.

Much more expensive than Kobo

Now, this is the biggest con there is. In our current, seemingly endless cost of living crisis, you need to save every penny you can get — or at least, I do.

The Kindle Colorsoft 2026 starts from $249, which is $90 more expensive than the Kobo Clara Colour. I don’t think the benefits justify the price increase.

The Kindle grants you access to Amazon’s huge library, which is a pro, and… that’s it? The other great features (front light, IPX8 rating, color, e-ink screen, long battery life, night mode) are all present on the Kobo. I totally recommend the Kindle, don’t get me wrong, but if you’re serious about saving every dollar you can, then I’d go for the Kobo.

Kindle Colorsoft 2026 review: Verdict

I really enjoyed testing the Kindle Colorsoft 2026. It’s got everything you’d want in an e-reader: a frontlit e-ink screen visible even in direct sunlight, and has night mode for those tired eyes. The battery life matches the Kobo Clara Colour — “up to” 8 weeks, but mine’s at 37% as we speak because I’m always using it — and the IPX8 rating means it’ll survive a dunk in the tub.

The only thing holding it back is the price. $249 is $90 more than Kobo’s competitor, which is an increase of 56%. Sure, the Kindle has a larger screen, but it’s not noticeably brighter. You can make the text on the Kobo as large as you want. The only main thing is the Kindle has a larger library, but whether or not this is a dealbreaker is something only you can decide.

At the end of the day, the new Kindle Colorsoft 2026 is a great e-reader, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed by it at all. I thoroughly enjoyed reading on this device.

If you’re looking for the best budget office chair to get you through your work day, then you can stop your search because the Boulies EP200 has everything you could want. It’s highly adjustable, so it’s guaranteed to suit your posture, and has a breathable mesh back that flexes with your movements. The assembly is straightforward with easy-to-follow instructions, and the price tag also makes it a real crowd-pleaser.

Unfortunately, the upholstered seat isn’t as durable as I would like, showing signs of wear after just a few hours. That said, it wouldn’t stop me recommending this chair to anyone — and certainly doesn’t stop me from using it every day.

To find out more, you can read my full Boulies EP200 review.

Boulies EP200 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A mesh desk chair with adjustable support
• What does it cost? $209 / £189
• What’s good? The mesh back design, the highly adjustable support, the easy assembly and the competitive price tag
• What’s not? The upholstery’s durability is disappointing

Boulies EP200 review: Specs

Boulies EP200 review: The ups

The Boulies EP200 has a competitive price point and offers a whole lot of adjustment to ensure your posture is as good as it can be while sitting at your desk all day. The mesh back design and adjustable lumbar support make this chair a winner for anyone with lower back strain.

Mesh back design

The back of the EP200 is made from a synthetic mesh, just like most of Boulies’ other chairs, including the EP460 ($299). I much prefer this design to the fabric back of a chair like the LiberNovo Omni ($1,099). Fabric becomes quite warm on hot days, whereas the mesh stays breathable.

There’s also not much flex with fully upholstered chairs like the Boulies OP300 ($289), but the mesh back of the EP200 has a lot of flex when you lean back. It feels like it molds to the contours of my body.

Adjustable lumbar support

The Boulies EP200 has adjustable lumbar support. There’s a twistable knob at the back of the chair, which you can turn to relieve the pressure on your lower back, and the mesh back of the chair means it’s easy for the chair to adjust to the shape.

I found this very effective, and I felt the relief almost immediately. The support isn’t as pronounced as you get with the Boulies EP500, but it was enough for me. You also get a lot more adjustment with the EP200 than with the EP500, which is only adjustable by a small amount.

Find your position

The lumbar support was the star of the show for me with the Boulies EP200, but the adjustment doesn’t stop there. It’s extremely customizable for your individual posture and helps to relieve any aches and pains you may experience while sitting at your desk all day.

Firstly, like with most chairs, the height is adjustable. Also, the armrests can swivel and change height, and the seat depth can move forward and backwards. There’s also an adjustable head and neck support, which I found very useful for maintaining an upright posture, although I have to have it on the lowest setting since I’m short (5’4”), and anyone shorter than this may find it redundant.

The chair can also recline to angles of 95º, 113º and 135º. This means you could use it to relax. Not something I personally needed as I just used the chair at the office during my working day.

Easy build process

The Boulies EP200 arrived packaged well, just like every other Boulies chair we’ve tested here at Tom’s Guide. However, the plastic cover for the aluminum base was cracked when it arrived. Luckily, with the purchase of the chair, you get a two-year warranty that covers damage like this. And I think the chair looks a lot more sleek without this cover anyway.

The chair needs to be fully assembled and comes with clear instructions. The package includes a hex key, but it’s quite long, so if you have a shorter key on hand, it’s easier to use that instead. Bolts are packaged separately and given letter codes, making the build simple.

The chair took me around 30 minutes to build, and although I found it more complicated than the Boulies OP300, the process was straightforward enough that most people won’t be troubled by it.

Decent price point

The Boulies EP200 is available to purchase from the Boulies online store for $209 / £189. Given the amount of adjustment and level of comfort you get from the chair, this is a very competitive price point.

For comparison, the Boulies OP180 costs $239 and is a very basic chair, so it doesn’t include the same levels of adjustment. The OP180 also doesn’t have a head and neck rest, which can make working in the chair for long hours a challenge.

You can get a similar chair style from the ProtoArc EC100 for $189, but it doesn’t have the adjustable lumbar you get with the EP200. The Boulies EP500 is an option that provides a more relaxed feel with a built-in foot rest, but that will set you back $389. The EP200 is sufficient for working at your desk all day long.

Boulies EP200 review: The downs

While the Boulies EP200 is very comfortable to sit on all day, the seat isn’t very durable, showing signs of wear, such as the fabric creasing, after just a couple of hours.

Creasing seat

The Boulies EP200 is a very comfortable chair, but after sitting on it for just a couple of hours, I noticed that the upholstery on the seat was pulling and creasing. This was disappointing to see, given that the chair was essentially fresh out of the box.

Granted, sometimes when sitting at my desk for hours, I shift positions — I even cross my legs at times — but this kind of change to the material isn’t something I experienced when testing the OP180. The creasing didn’t affect the functionality of the EP200 in any way, but aesthetically, I’d expect something more robust for the money — especially as office chairs are designed for daily use.

Boulies EP200 review: Verdict

The Boulies EP200 desk chair is one of the better options out there for someone who doesn’t want to spend too much money but still wants effective support for all-day use. The adjustable support meant I could customize the chair to suit my posture, and the breathable mesh back is flexible, so I was never uncomfortable. The assembly of the chair was easy, although it came with a broken piece. But since there’s a two-year warranty included with purchase, this isn’t a big issue if the same happens to you.

My only concern was that after just a few hours of use, there were signs of wear on the upholstered seat of the chair, which I did not expect to see. This was disappointing, but honestly, it wouldn’t stop me from recommending the chair. It’s incredibly comfortable and does the job for the average office worker at a reasonable price.

Sometimes, a small speaker isn’t loud enough to soundtrack an evening with friends or a big party. You need a party speaker for that, and the Soundboks Mix is a solid choice. Soundboks’ portable party speaker is built extremely well and is protected against the elements, thanks to its IP65 rating. The sound? Nearly exquisite. The Mix delivers powerful, Earth-shaking bass, vibrant treble, and precise, balanced mids.

But is it the best Bluetooth speaker for the money? It costs $799 and features some noteworthy flaws, such as wobbly bass at high volumes, Bluetooth 4.2 only, no 360° sound, and more. If those are compromises you’re willing to make, then the Mix could be perfect for you. Trust me, it sounds really, really good.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Soundboks Mix review.

Soundboks Mix review: Specs

Soundboks Mix review: Price & availability

Launched in March 2026, the Soundboks Mix is the Soundboks 4’s smaller sibling, and it effectively replaces the Soundboks Go as the brand’s most portable party speaker — it’s priced as such too. While the 4 costs $999, the Mix retails for $799 / £599 at Amazon. Given how loud it gets, the Mix is a great party speaker for anyone who doesn’t want to spend nearly a grand on the bigger model.

The Mix is Soundboks’ answer to the Marshall Bromley 450 ($799) and the JBL PartyBox 520 ($879). It’s got the specs and sound to go toe-to-toe with the Bromley 450, too, but is it worth buying instead of the Marshall? I've reviewed both, so let’s find out.

Soundboks Mix review: Design

The Soundboks Mix looks very similar to the Soundboks 4 — similar to how the Marshall Bromley 450 and Marshall Bromley 750 ($1,299) share design philosophies. You’re getting bang for your buck here as the Mix feels very well-built, featuring an ABS and polycarbonate cabinet, silicone ball corners to protect it from getting damaged, and a detachable steel grill. All in all, it feels sturdy and durable.

The Mix doesn’t sport any garish LED lighting that makes it look tacky, like on the JBL PartyBox 520 — although I do wish it had some integrated stage lights, like the Bromley 450 does. Branding is fairly minimal too, with the logo sitting in the top left corner. You can buy the speaker in black only, which is no bad thing; the Bromley 450 and PartyBox 520 come in single colors too.

As Soundboks’ most compact party speaker, the Mix doesn’t feel too heavy and doesn’t take up much space either. It measures 18.9 x 13.4 x 10.6 inches and weighs 21.38lbs, so it’s about 5lbs lighter than the Bromley 450. To move it around, you can use the built-in carry handle, which is fine, but because there’s only one located in one corner, the Mix feels a little unwieldy to move around. This problem could have been easily solved by installing a suitcase-style handle smack dab in the middle of its side, à la Bromley 450.

But hey, you can buy a strap to turn the Mix into a backpack… for $59. And it doesn’t come with a charger... which you can also buy separately for $59. The Mix feels to speakers what EA is to gaming: full of microtransactions.

Weatherproofing

If you want a rugged party speaker that you can use outdoors without worrying too much about it getting rained on, the Mix is a great choice. The speaker is IP65-rated which means it’s fully dust-tight and protected against rain and moisture. That’s slightly better than the Marshall Bromley 450 which is IP55-rated. When I was testing the Mix outdoors, it started drizzling and knowing that the speaker was IP65-rated reassured me.

Controls

There isn’t a lot going on in terms of controls on the Mix. All the physical buttons and volume dial are located on the speaker’s right edge, and these include the volume knob, TeamUp button for wirelessly linking up to five Soundboks speakers together, and the power button for, well, turning the speaker on and off. That’s about it. The buttons give good tactile feedback when pressed, and are fairly straightforward to understand.

Connectivity

The Mix utilizes Bluetooth 4.2 to connect wirelessly to your smartphone, laptop or other devices, and it features multipoint connectivity for simultaneously connecting up to two devices. Bluetooth 4.2 is disappointing, though, as it means there’s limited codec support, so you only get the standard SBC codec. No AAC and no LE audio, unfortunately.

This older version also limits the speaker’s maximum operating range to 40m only. Not great for a party speaker. What if you’re soundtracking a big gathering and you’re far away from the speaker, and the connection drops when you move out of range? That’s one way to kill the mood.

In comparison, the Marshall Bromley 450 utilizes the newer Bluetooth 5.3 with support for AAC and LC3, and sports many more connectivity options, such as RCA and two XLR/6.35mm combo jacks for plugging in instruments or microphones. One thing the Mix and Bromley 450 have in common, though, is 3.5mm wired playback. But if you want a versatile party speaker, I’d choose the Bromley 450 any day.

Like I alluded to earlier, there's a TeamUp button on the Mix for wirelessly connecting up to five Soundboks speakers. There's also a Bond button with arrows, located right under the TeamUp button. When it lights up in green, it means the speaker is connected to another speaker it has been linked to in the past. You can also become the "Host" when other speakers are connected to yours, and control them via the smartphone app (more on that shortly).

Soundboks Mix review: Sound quality