The big headlines with the Apple Watch Ultra 4 are a new heart rate monitor, a readiness score to help you know when to push and when to rest, two days of battery life for the first time, and new Audio Intelligence features that will come later this year. Physically, it looks the same, but under the hood, this is a smarter watch.

But is it worth the upgrade if you already have the Apple Watch Ultra 3 on your wrist? I’ve been wearing the Apple Watch Ultra 4 for the past week and wore it for a 22-mile run this morning to see how the heart rate monitor compares to a physical chest strap. Read my full Apple Watch Ultra 4 review to find out more.

Apple Watch Ultra 4: Quick facts

• Improved battery life: lasts up to 50 hours per charge compared to 42 hours for the Ultra 3
• New S11 chip: Faster, more efficient processing with support for Siri AI features
• Redesigned holistic sensors: Apple says this is the most accurate heart rate sensor on a wearable; heart rate and HRV are sampled more frequently than before; HRV insights are now more readily displayed in the Health app
• New health metrics: the Ultra 4 supports a new Readiness score and Health Age metric
• Siri AI features: the Ultra 4 ships with support for Siri AI voice assistance; new "Audio Intelligence" features help you better recall life's important details

Apple Watch Ultra 4: Specs

Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: Price and availability

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is available for preorder from September 9, 2026. Units should hit store shelves and your hands starting on September 18.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is $799 / AU$1,349, the same price as the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and prior models.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: Design and display

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 looks physically identical to the Ultra 3, boasting the same dimensions, oversized display with 3,000 nits of max brightness, an all-titanium case, and 100 meters of water resistance. It’s still available in black and natural titanium.

There are slightly more bands to choose from: the Trail Loop is now available in dark umber, sand, and Apple’s color of the year, burgundy. The Alpine Loop comes in desert, dark olive, and also burgundy. Ocean Bands are now made from translucent silicone and come in three new colors: translucent gray, translucent kelp, and translucent black.

The big difference between the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 from a design perspective is when you flip the watch over. The heart rate sensor has been completely redesigned, but more on that below. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 also has a built-in microphone for all of the audio intelligence features coming later this year.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: Health and fitness tracking

The biggest difference, and the reason I think this is the best Apple Watch Ultra yet, is the new heart rate monitor loaded onto the watch. When looking at the two monitors side-by-side, the Ultra 4 and the Apple Watch Series 12 have a “32-petal design,” whereas older watches had a two-petal design. This refers to the spoke-like lines coming out of the electrode.

The green LED lights, which measure your heart rate by shining light into the skin, are bigger and more powerful. Apple says it also makes the heart rate monitor more accurate on certain skin tones, although it might still struggle if you have tattoos on your wrist.

I’ve always found the heart rate monitor on my Apple Watch Ultra 3 to be a little sketchy, and while I often put this down to how it sits on my wrist, I was keen to see how things might have changed on the Ultra 4. It’s worth noting that if, like me, you have petite wrists, you’ll need to ensure the Ultra is really tight against your wrist. I’ve found that if my watch strap isn’t tight enough, the watch just doesn’t give me a heart rate reading.

Heart rate data lies at the heart of a lot of health features on the Apple Watch, including HRV, workouts, and ovulation prediction. With the Apple Watch Ultra 4, the new heart rate monitor, along with the S-11 chip, measures your heart rate every five seconds, all day long. On the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple only allowed continuous heart rate monitoring during a workout, but this is a huge step in the right direction. Inside the Heart Rate app, there's a rolling two-minute chart.

On the Apple Watch Ultra 4, you’ll be able to see your Recovery HRV score, which shows signs of stress and recovery, as well as your overall HRV, which offers insights into your overall health. You can now see from your wrist if your heart rate suddenly spikes, and through the new daytime Vitals app, you're getting a much more immediate picture of what's happening, rather than having to wait till you’re asleep.

I’ve been testing the new heart rate sensor alongside a chest strap and my Oura Ring 5, and have found the Apple Watch Ultra 4 to be pretty much spot on. Here’s a graph from my recent run:

The new sensors also feed into the new daily Readiness score, which is only available on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Readiness provides a single score out of ten with one of four different recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It. Readiness updates throughout the day as new data comes in, and is based on your overnight vitals, sleep score, recent physical activity, and training load.

To get a Readiness score, you need to wear the watch for seven nights and get at least four hours of sleep per night. While I have done that, my Apple Watch got a little confused by moving time zones, so it only registered two hours of sleep as I travelled back to London from Cupertino. I’ll update this review soon when I’ve had a few days of Readiness scores. I’ll also look at how these scores compare to the likes of Body Battery on Garmin, and the Readiness score on the Oura Ring 5.

Later this year, the Health App will see big changes, including a new Health Age score that compares your physical fitness to the average for your age. There will also be a greater emphasis on things like sleep trends, heart data, and other longevity metrics. Again, I’ll be testing these as soon as they drop, but I’m excited to hear about these updates to make the Health app more useful to users.

Of course, it's worth noting that Apple isn’t reinventing the wheel — Garmin has had a Fitness Age score forever, but wearing a Garmin isn’t like having an extension of your iPhone on your wrist. While these little changes might not sound like a lot, a Readiness score can show you at a glance if you’re overtraining and putting yourself at risk of injury. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or training for your seventh marathon, knowing how well you’re coping with your training is imperative, and Apple makes this easier with the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Another minor but exciting update I’ve found during my testing is the Steps watch face. At last, you can see your daily step count from your watch face. Sure, steps aren’t the biggest health metric to keep an eye on, but on rest days, I still like to make sure I’m closing my rings and keeping my legs moving. Unfortunately for folks with an older Apple Watch, this is a hardware thing, as Apple says it relies on the more accurate S-11 chip, so older watches won’t get the updated pedometer.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: Audio Intelligence

Now, to address the parts of the watch that are probably going to get headlines — the Audio Intelligence features. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Audio Intelligence features, but in a nutshell, the two features everyone is talking about are Live Rewind and Siri Recap.

Neither is available for me to test just yet; they are coming later in the year, but essentially, Live Rewind allows you to double-click on the Digital Crown of your Apple Watch Ultra 4 and get a 15-second recap of what was just said around you. The Watch will play an audible chime even if your watch is on silent and puts a microphone indicator on screen, so people around you will know you’re recording.

One example is if you’d missed the specials at a restaurant, or missed a colleague's name, you could read it from your watch. I think there’s a compelling reason here, say, if you have ADHD or struggle with auditory processing.

The trickier sell, for me and most people I’ve spoken to, is Siri Recap. This records ambient audio every 15 minutes to create an itemized CliffsNotes of your day. You can set this to record at certain times or locations, say only at work, or only after 6 pm. Apple put a lot of stress on privacy when demoing this new feature — raw audio isn’t saved, uploaded, or retrievable, and Siri Recap doesn’t identify individual speakers. It’s also designed to exclude sensitive information or hate speech.

Even with these features, there’s still the slightly blurred line around the fact that other people’s snippets of conversation could appear in my Siri Recap, without them knowing they were being recorded. This isn’t a problem Apple faces alone — the same questions can be leveled at the ambient AI, cameras, and microphones in smart glasses and other wearable devices.

Personally, I don’t think I’d ever want my watch to be silently recording in the background, but I’ll reserve judgment until I go hands-on with the features later this year. It’s also worth noting that all of these features you’ll have to opt in to — they are automatically disabled when you unbox the watch.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: Battery life

Even with continuous heart rate monitoring every five seconds, Apple has improved the battery life on the Apple Watch Ultra 4. You’re now getting more than two days of battery life in smartwatch mode, with 50 hours of battery life, up from 42 hours of battery life in the Ultra 3. In low power mode, you’ll get 84 hours of battery life in the Apple Watch Ultra 4, compared to 72 hours in the Ultra 3.

In workout tracking, the battery is better on the Ultra 4 too. You’ll get 25 hours of battery life for tracking workouts with full GPS and heart rate tracking. This is up from 20 hours on the Ultra 3. There’s also a Max Extended Workout mode that allows the Apple Watch Ultra 4 to track outdoor runs, walks, and hikes for up to 45 hours.

I’ve found these numbers to be pretty accurate. I’m easily getting two days of battery life on my Ultra 4. It’s 5 pm right now, and I have worn the watch all day, replying to messages from my wrist and tracking three and a half hours of workouts, and my watch has gone from 82% at 6 am to 61%.

You also get faster charging on the Apple Watch Ultra 4 — 15 minutes of charge will give you up to 18 hours of battery life.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: Should you buy?

This is, without question, the best Apple Watch Ultra yet. Sure, there are still things missing: I’d love a built-in LED flashlight or a second size option for smaller wrists, but the health improvements made to this watch with the continuous heart rate sensing and recovery information help you train smarter. Little things like a Readiness score and Daytime Vitals help me see, at a glance, how much my long run has impacted my body.

Would I upgrade if I had an Apple Watch Ultra 3 on my wrist? I’m not sure, as the heart rate monitoring isn’t bad on the older watch, but if you’re wearing an older Ultra, you want longer battery life, or you’re intrigued by the Audio Intelligence features, this is a watch worth buying.

If you’re on a budget, I’ve also been wearing the Apple Watch Series 12, which is similarly excellent and has all the same sensors and features as the Ultra 4. It’s also smaller, lighter, and more comfortable to wear for 24/7 sleep tracking.

With the Apple Watch Ultra 4, you’re getting Apple’s extreme durability, the best battery life on an Apple Watch, and that all-important Action Button, which really does make using your watch with sweaty fingers better, along with the native recovery metrics long requested by serious athletes. This stands out as Apple’s most competitive endurance wearable to date.

I spend my days writing about how the best prediction of longevity is how healthy your heart is. With a new heart rate sensor, the Apple Watch Series 12 gives you a heart rate reading every five seconds, 60 times more frequent than the Apple Watch Series 11. This supports HRV readings, a new readiness score that gives you deeper insights into when to push and when to recover, and longevity features in the updated Health app.

The downsides? Everyone I talk to hates the fact that the watch has a built-in microphone for new audio intelligence features coming later this year, but I’ll get into that below. I’ve been wearing it for the past week, and I’m impressed — read my full Apple Watch Series 12 review to find out more.

Apple Watch Series 12: Quick facts

• Same 24-hour battery life: Despite the addition of continuous heart rate monitoring, the Apple Watch Series 12 has the same 24-hour battery life as the Series 11
• New S11 chip: Faster, more efficient processing with support for Siri AI features
• Redesigned holistic sensors: Apple says this is the most accurate heart rate sensor on a wearable; heart rate and HRV are sampled more frequently than before; HRV insights are now more readily displayed in the Health app
• New health metrics: Series 12 supports a new Readiness score and Health Age metric
• Siri AI features: The watch ships with support for Siri AI voice assistance; new "Audio Intelligence" features help you better remember life's important details

Apple Watch Series 12: Specs

Apple Watch Series 12 review: Price and availability

The Apple Watch Series 12 is available for preorder starting September 9, with units expected to arrive on September 18. The Series 12 has the same starting cost as the Series 11 — $399.

In addition to the standard aluminum and upgraded titanium case options, the Apple Watch Series 12 is also available in two ceramic finishes: Pearl White and Night Blue.

See a full breakdown of pricing for all the case options and sizes below:

• Apple Watch Series 12, 42mm, GPS (Aluminum): $399
• Apple Watch Series 12, 42mm, GPS+5G (Aluminum): $499
• Apple Watch Series 12, 46mm, GPS (Aluminum): $449
• Apple Watch Series 12, 46mm, GPS+5G (Aluminum): $549

• Apple Watch Series 12, 42mm, GPS+5G (Titanium): $699
• Apple Watch Series 12, 42mm, GPS+5G (Titanium): $749

• Apple Watch Series 12, 42mm, GPS+5G (Ceramic): $899
• Apple Watch Series 12, 42mm, GPS+5 (Ceramic): $949

Apple Watch Series 12 review: Design and display

Design-wise, the Apple Watch Series 12 looks pretty identical to the Apple Watch Series 11: it comes in two different sizes, 42mm and 46mm, but with the newer watch, there are more color and casing options to choose from. The Apple Watch 11 came in rose gold, silver, space gray, and jet black in an aluminum case, and gold, natural, or slate in titanium. You get more choices with the Apple Watch 12, which comes in dark bronze, light gold, black, and space gray in the aluminum case, radiant gold and natural in the titanium case, and pearl white or night blue in the ceramic case.

I’ve been wearing the 42 mm dark bronze aluminum Apple Watch, and I love how lightweight and comfortable it is on the wrist. In real life, the light gold Apple Watch looks like jewelry, and the ceramic cases really are beautiful.

The biggest difference, design-wise, is on the back of the watch — the heart rate sensor has been completely redesigned, but more on that below. The Apple Watch Series 12 also has that built-in microphone I mentioned above for all of the audio intelligence features coming later this year.

Apple Watch Series review: Health and fitness tracking

There’s no doubt about it: as a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch Series 12 is more accurate than its predecessor, and that’s down to the new heart rate sensor. When looking at the two monitors side-by-side, the Series 12 and Ultra 4 have a “32-petal design,” whereas the older watches had a two-petal design. This refers to the spoke-like lines coming out of the electrode. The green LED lights, which measure your heart rate by shining light into the skin, are bigger and more powerful.

If you’ve ever worn an Apple Watch to bed and woken up in the night to a harsh green glow underneath your wrist, you’ll love this update. That glaring light is finally gone — and so is the feeling that you’re about to be abducted by a UFO.

But more than that, heart rate data lies at the heart of a lot of health features on the Apple Watch, including HRV, workouts, and ovulation prediction, so a better heart rate sensor means the watch is doing all of these, well, better. Apple also said the new heart rate monitor works better on certain skin tones, though it will still likely struggle to read heavily tattooed wrists. Your heart-rate complication can update every five seconds, 60 times more frequently than it did on the Apple Watch Series 11. Inside the Heart Rate app, there's a rolling two-minute chart. And HRV, including overnight and recovery data, is much easier to surface directly from the watch.

Previously, Apple only allowed continuous heart rate monitoring during a workout, so this is a huge step in the right direction. On the Apple Watch Series 12, you’ll be able to see your Recovery HRV score, which shows signs of stress and recovery, as well as your overall HRV, which offers insights into your overall health. You can now see from your wrist if your heart rate suddenly spiked, and through the new daytime Vitals app, you're getting a much more immediate picture of what's happening, rather than having to wait till you’re asleep.

I’ve been testing the new heart rate sensor alongside a Garmin chest strap, and have found the Apple Watch Series 12 to be pretty much spot on. Here’s a graph from my recent run:

The new sensors also feed into the new daily Readiness score, which is only available on the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Readiness provides a single score out of ten with one of four different recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It. Readiness updates throughout the day as new data comes in, and is based on your overnight vitals, sleep score, recent physical activity, and training load.

To get a Readiness score, you need to wear the watch for seven nights and get at least four hours of sleep per night. I have done that, but sadly, my Apple Watch 12 got as confused as my internal body clock was on my flight back from Cupertino, and only registered two hours of sleep for my night of travel. I’ll update this review as soon as I get a score.

There are also new changes coming to the Health app later this year, including a new Health Age score that compares your physical fitness to the average for your age range, and a greater emphasis on things like sleep trends, heart data, and longevity metrics. Again, I’ll be testing them as soon as they drop.

One very minor, but exciting update I’ve found during my testing is the Steps watch face compilation you can now get on the Apple Watch 12. Again, Apple isn’t reinventing the wheel, but you can now see your daily step count from your watch face, without the need for any third-party app. Unfortunately for folks with an older Apple Watch, this is a hardware thing, as Apple says it relies on the more accurate S11 chip, so older watches won’t get the updated pedometer.

Apple Watch Series 12 review: Audio Intelligence

Now to address the elephant in the room — the Audio Intelligence features launching on the Series 12 and Ultra 4. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Audio Intelligence features, but in a nutshell, the two features everyone is talking about are Live Rewind and Siri Recap.

Neither are available for me to test just yet; they are coming later in the year, but essentially, Live Rewind allows you to double-click on the Digital Crown of your Apple Watch and get a 15-second recap of what was just said around you. The Watch will play an audible chime even if your watch is on silent and puts a microphone indicator on screen, so people around you will know you’re recording. The example Apple gave was if you’d missed the specials at a restaurant, or missed a colleague's name, you could read it from your watch. I think there’s a compelling reason here, say, if you have ADHD or struggle with auditory processing.

The trickier sell, for me and most people I’ve spoken to, is Siri Recap. This records ambient audio every 15 minutes to create an itemized summary of your day. Yep, you heard that correctly. Apple put a lot of stress on privacy when demoing this new feature — raw audio isn’t saved, uploaded, or retrievable, and Siri Recap doesn’t identify individual speakers. It’s also designed to exclude sensitive information or hate speech.

However, even with these features, there’s still the slightly blurred line around the fact that my conversation could, in theory, appear on someone else’s Siri Recap without my consent to being recorded. Although this isn’t an Apple problem, it’s a living-in-2026 problem, as the same questions are being leveled at the ambient AI, cameras, and microphones in smart glasses and other wearable devices.

Personally, I can’t think of a situation where I’d need a computer to give me a summary of my day, but I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve been able to go hands-on with the features later in the year. I’d also add that these are all features that you have to opt in to — they are automatically disabled when you unbox the watch.

Apple Watch Series 12 review: Battery life

The Apple Watch Series 12 has the same 24 hours of battery life as the Series 11, but Apple has given us faster charging as well as a bunch of new sensors. You can now get up to 80% charge in about 30 minutes, 15 minutes for up to 12 hours of normal use, and 5 minutes for up to 10 hours of sleep tracking.

If, like me, you’re a runner, you will get slightly longer GPS-mode battery life — 10 hours instead of 8 on the Series 11.

I’ve found Apple’s battery life claims to be pretty accurate, and, as someone who frequently forgets to charge her watch before bed, I have definitely noticed how much faster the Series 12 charges.

Apple Watch Series 12 review: Should you buy?

A week later, I can confidently say that it wasn’t just the jet lag making me emotional in the keynote — as someone who writes about health and fitness for a living, this is the best Apple Watch on the market for most people. In fact, it’s the first year since the Ultra launched in 2022 that I’d be torn about which to shop for.

Between the upgraded heart rate sensor, the new Readiness score — because knowing when to rest is just as important as closing your rings — and an actual dedicated step-counting app, this watch completely outclasses the Series 11. I know other brands have been doing all of the above for years, but none of them are also like having an extension of your iPhone on your wrist, and that’s why when Apple does it, it feels different.

Audio Intelligence is the flashy upgrade and Siri Recap is going to generate headlines, but personally, I think it’s the continuous heart-rate sensing and better recovery information that have changed the day-to-day feel of the Apple Watch on my wrist when testing the Series 12. Buy the Ultra 4 if you want 50 hours of battery life, you’re into diving, or you just want to make a statement, but if you’re looking for a smartwatch that’ll help you make actionable changes to your health, the Apple Watch Series 12 is a good place to start.

There’s no hiding the fact that Porsche demands a significantly steeper price tag, putting it into a different league entirely. To justify that hefty premium over exceptional alternatives, it can’t just be competent — it needs to feel special.

After spending a week putting the $149,610 as-tested Macan Turbo Electric through my real-world routine across highways and backroads, as well as charging it at home, I'll tell you whether this electric crossover actually earns its steep asking price or if you're better off keeping your money with the competition.

2026 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric review: Specifications

2026 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric review: Testing summary

I logged a total of 200.8 miles behind the wheel of the 2026 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric, posting an overall average efficiency of 3.28 mi/kWh. That’s remarkably solid and something I didn’t anticipate from a high-performance EV, especially given how consistent it remained across both long-distance highway stretches and quick local errands. When you're paying this much, efficiency rarely tops the priority list, but I'm thrilled to see it overdeliver in an area that matters to me.

Stacking it against the competition highlights very different approaches to electric efficiency. The lightweight Voalvo EX30 Ultra Twin Motor beats it with a 3.61 mi/kWh overall average while proving far more efficient on short trips. Against the Genesis GV60 Performance AWD, however, the Macan Turbo Electric still comes out ahead overall.

Beyond efficiency, Porsche also nails real-world convenience by equipping the Macan with dual charge ports — both rear fenders handle AC charging (Level 1 and Level 2) for flexible home plug-ins, while the left flank integrates the high-speed DC fast-charging port. Its 3.34 mi/hr trickle rate on Level 1 charging easily surpasses both the EX30 and the GV60.

2026 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric review: What I like

Drives unmistakably like a sports car

The moment I planted my foot on the accelerator, the Macan Turbo Electric completely shed its crossover persona. Engaging launch control unleashes its full electric boost, delivering a dose of instant torque that pinned me straight back into the seat and catapulted me up to highway speeds with zero hesitation. It’s hilariously fast and thrilling — the kind of power I never expect from a compact SUV.

What truly elevates this EV into a league of its own, however, is how it attacks corners. It rotates with razor-sharp precision, staying remarkably flat throughout the turn. It doesn’t just feel like an excessively fast EV — it handles and grips like a legitimate sports car.

Ambient lighting doubles as a blind-spot alert

The interior ambient lighting doesn’t just add a layer of cabin dazzle — it also serves as a critical active safety system. While most vehicles rely solely on a tiny indicator icon etched into each side mirror, the Macan Turbo Electric makes adjacent vehicles impossible to miss by illuminating the door’s integrated light strip as an additional visual cue.

It’s an ingenious, highly functional touch. The animated pulse and immediate color shift catches my attention instantly because the strip sits right in my peripheral vision, alerting me right away without forcing my attention to dart from the road ahead. It’s the kind of clever safety design that genuinely boosts highway driving confidence.

Seamless augmented reality head-up display

Another standout tech feature in the Macan EV is the new augmented reality head-up display, which projects graphics as if they're floating directly over the pavement ahead. Rather than forcing me to glance down at a tiny digital readout, its dynamic graphics make following turn-by-turn directions effortless. The system displays crisp directional arrows showing me exactly where to steer or exit, and they grow larger as I approach each maneuver to signal distance.

It’s easily one of the most comprehensive head-up displays I’ve ever tested. By turning the windshield into an intuitive extension of the road, it virtually eliminates the need to pull my eyes away from traffic just to check the center console for upcoming turns.

Whisper-quiet interior with surprisingly usable space

Fitting for a luxury EV, the 2026 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric refuses to compromise on passenger comfort. Rear passengers get ample legroom that easily accommodates adults on longer road trips without feeling cramped. For a crossover classified as a compact SUV, it certainly feels far roomier inside than the badge suggests.

Just as impressive is how thoroughly Porsche isolates the cabin from the outside world. Even while cruising at high highway speeds, road and wind noise are practically non-existent. Without an internal combustion engine to produce harsh vibrations, the Macan glides along like a soundproof studio.

Surprising storage, front and back

I was ready to sacrifice cargo utility for the Macan’s sporty silhouette, but the practical storage space caught me off guard. For starters, the rear hatch opens to reveal a surprisingly deep, wide cargo floor that effortlessly accommodates my electric scooter without forcing me to lay it diagonally. Meanwhile, folding down the rear seats opens up even more room to handle bulkier packages and gear.

Up front, Porsche takes advantage of the dedicated EV architecture by integrating a 2.9-cubic-foot frunk. While it’s nowhere near as sprawling as the front trunks in haulers like the Rivian R1S or Chevrolet Silverado EV, it provides more than enough usable room to stash away my backpack, mobile charging gear, and everyday clutter.

Dedicated passenger display with privacy screen

Unlike the Taycan I previously tested, this Macan brings a third display into the cockpit with an optional 10.9-inch front passenger touchscreen — a great way to keep whoever is riding shotgun engaged. Rather than leaning over to tap the center console, my copilot can use their own screen to punch in upcoming rest stops, queue music, and monitor live performance metrics.

The real magic, however, is the integrated privacy filter that blacks out the display from the driver’s seat whenever video is playing. It completely eliminates distracting visuals on my end while giving my passenger the freedom to stream movies and easily pass the time on long highway stretches.

Smooth adaptive cruise control

Many adaptive cruise control systems feel too jarring for my liking when another driver aggressively cuts into my lane.

The Macan Turbo Electric’s radar and camera suite, however, proves remarkably adept during congested highway commutes. Whenever a vehicle darts in front of me with little warning, the system detects it immediately, applying just enough smooth deceleration to maintain safe spacing without violently stabbing the brakes.

2026 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric review: What I don't like

Paying a premium

You’re paying a premium for the name. Anyone shopping for a Macan shouldn’t be surprised by this, but the $149,610 as-tested price tag is undeniably tough to swallow if you’re just looking for a zippy crossover.

In fact, the comparably sized Volvo EX30 delivers nearly the same punchy acceleration and nimble cornering at a fraction of the cost. Then again, the Volvo doesn’t offer the deep performance tuning and high-end luxury features that the Macan brings to the table.

Auto lane change is too abrupt

For all the finesse the Macan Turbo Electric displays when reacting to sudden cut-ins with adaptive cruise control, its automated lane change assist lacks that same composed touch.

While I appreciate how easily it activates by simply tapping the turn signal stalk, the actual steering input feels unnecessarily aggressive. Rather than easing into the adjacent lane with a smooth, gradual arc, it darts over with an assertive jolt. Thankfully, it always ensures the path is clear and executes the maneuver safely, but that jerky lateral motion can quickly unnerve passengers.

2026 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric review: Bottom line

Between its razor-sharp sports car handling, wickedly fast acceleration, and unflappable highway composure, the 2026 Porsche Macan Turbo Electric delivers driving dynamics that are nothing short of extraordinary. Back that up with an eye-catching silhouette and a high-tech cockpit packed with premium materials, seamless displays, and clever active safety features, and it easily justifies its status as a flagship luxury statement.

Yes, a six-figure price tag is staggering for most buyers, but this is far from an average luxury SUV. While rival crossovers can match its nimbleness, none deliver the deep dynamic refinement and youthful athletic vibe of the Macan Turbo Electric. If you have the budget and demand an electric SUV that refuses to compromise on heritage or thrills, it belongs right at the top of your list.

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Two years after the launch of the original ultra-rugged Samsung Galaxy Watch, the new model adds better battery life, tons of new health and fitness insights, a brighter screen, and improved water resistance, all in a familiar design.

But can the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 actually keep up with the latest Apple Watch Ultra 4 and/or the best Garmin watches when it comes to logging adrenaline-pumping activities like mountain bike rides, hikes, and more? I decided to find out by wearing the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 for two weeks. Here's what I discovered.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Key upgrades

But first, here’s a cheat sheet to all the most notable Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 stats and upgrades.

• Price: At $699, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is $50 more than its predecessor, which launched two years ago, but still $100 less than its nearest competitor, the Apple Watch Ultra 3.
• Design: The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a tiny bit thinner than the original Galaxy Watch Ultra, but you may not notice the difference; the dimensions and weight are nearly identical to the original model
• Screen: Maximum screen brightness has been bumped up from 4,000 nits to 5,000 nits, making it remarkably visible in direct sunlight
• Health features: New 'Vitals' dashboard with key metrics including heart rate, HRV, Sp02, body temp, and breath rate in one place; new 'Heart Health' score
• Fitness features: New Cardio Load insights, new Fitness Index score out of 100 based on factors like daily step count average, V02 Max, average heart rate, BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis), and average workout recovery time
• Battery life: 800 mAh battery is the largest in an Android wearable and a 35% capacity increase over the original Galaxy Watch Ultra; battery life usage averages ~25% drain per day in testing so far

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Versus competition

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 value: 3/5

• At $699, the Ultra 2 is $50 more than its predecessor but still $100 cheaper than the Apple Watch Ultra 4
• The more affordable Galaxy Watch 9 offers most of the same features as the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, starting at $379

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $699, a modest $50 increase over the launch price of its two-year-old predecessor. More notably, it's a hundred bucks cheaper than the latest Apple Watch Ultra 4, its nearest non-Android competitor.

Meanwhile, the latest Galaxy Watch 9 models —which share pretty much all the same features, just in a less beefy package — range from $379 to $459.

The $699 Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is available now in stores and online.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 display: 4.5/5

• The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has one of the largest, brightest displays in any full-featured smartwatch
• Max brightness is 5,000 nits, making the Ultra 2 a breeze to read in direct sunlight

The new Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 sports a sizable 1.52-inch display that maxes out at an impressive 5,000 nits, making it one of the brightest displays in any full-featured wearable, including 2026's best smartwatches.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4, by comparison, also features a large, lovely display, but it only maxes out at 3,000 nits. Real-world translation: the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a lot easier to read in bright sunlight than the newest Apple Watch Ultra.

I also wore both the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and Garmin Instinct 3 — my go-to GPS sports watch — while e-mountain biking and also found the former more legible while on the move.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 design and durability: 4/5

• Unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is now officially scuba dive-certified
• The case is a little slimmer than before, but you might not notice; ultimately, the Galaxy Watch Ultra feels pretty chunky on my 6.5-inch wrist
• The included strap is softer and more flexible than the strap for the original model

The original Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra promises 100 meters of water resistance, but unlike its Apple Watch Ultra counterpart, Samsung's rugged model wasn't intended for use while diving or even snorkeling.

Samsung no doubt caught some flak for this shortcoming. Thankfully, the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is thoroughly dive-ready. In fact, Samsung partnered with the industry-trusted Mares diving app to turn the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 into a fully-fledged dive computer, complete with speed monitoring and safety-stop alerts. The app costs $8.99 a month or $69.99 for the year.

The Ultra 2 is rated for 100 meters of water resistance and is EN13319-certified for scuba diving and IP69K-certified against dust and moisture.

Design-wise, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 looks nearly identical to its predecessor, with close-to-the-same dimensions and weight. That said, Samsung technically shaved 2mm off the case thickness, but I hardly noticed it. The case still feels very large on my 6.5-inch wrist.

There are three physical buttons along one side of the case; the center "Action" button can be customized to perform one of eight actions. I set it up to start a workout.

One less obvious but definitely welcome design change is the inclusion of a softer, more flexible strap. Also, the Ultra 2 uses the same attachment system as its predecessor, so if you prefer the older version, you can easily swap it onto the newer model.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Health tools: 4.5/5

• New Vitals tab in Samsung Health app provides useful insights into long-term health and fitness trends
• Comprehensive sleep tracking reports on par with the best smartwatches
• None of Samsung's holistic features are paywalled, unlike Google and Garmin
• New Heart Health score for monitoring cardiovascular wellness

Similar to the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 9, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 ships fully-loaded with all sorts of new health and fitness insights.

These features include a new Vitals dashboard in the Samsung Health app for viewing your most important up-to-the-minute health stats in one place, a new Cardio Load score to track your heart health, and a new Fitness Index score that compares your overall physical health to averages for your age and gender.

The Vitals tab shows your current heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), blood oxygen saturation percentage (Sp02), body temperature, and breathing rate.

The new Heart Health score ranges from one to 100, with the upper end being better. This metric updates dynamically throughout the day, keeping users appraised of how their everyday decisions may be impacting cardiovascular health for better or worse.

Fitness Index, meanwhile, factors in loads of fitness and wellness metrics to figure out how your overall health compares to your peers in five key categories: strength, cardio, endurance, flexibility, and body composition. You also get a dynamic score from one to 100 (mine is currently 82, or "average").

Samsung's smartwatches deliver some of the most detailed and actionable sleep reports of any smartwatch brand, and even though there aren't any shiny new features, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a mighty fine sleep tracker. That is, assuming you can get over wearing something so chunky to bed.

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is FDA-cleared for sleep apnea detection, something that can't be said for the newest Google Pixel Watch models.

Also, unlike some of the competition — cough, cough, Google and Garmin — Samsung doesn't make you pay a monthly or annual subscription to access the full suite of health insights, including AI-powered personalized training and recovery recommendations.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 fitness tracking: 3/5

• Reliable heart rate tracking
• Nearly as reliable at logging workouts as the best outdoor adventure watches, with one exception...
• The Ultra 2 tends to overinflate the 'Climb' metric when logging walks, runs, bike rides, and hikes
• Lacks tracking modes for some of the more nuanced yet popular outdoor activities like mountain biking and e-biking

The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is rightfully billed as a smartwatch for outdoor enthusiasts and lovers of extreme-style sports. However, I found two shortcomings in my testing.

First, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 sometimes struggles to accurately track elevation gain when logging an outdoor workout, with a tendency to noticeably inflate climb data. I encountered this when testing the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Instinct 3 while city cycling in hilly Seattle, Washington, and again when I went e-mountain biking in Washington State's Cougar Country.

That said, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 performed extremely well in a head-to-head walk test comparison versus the Apple Watch Ultra 3. However, it once again delivered highly inflated elevation data when I hiked the Cascade Mountains with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Instinct 3 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 3.

Elevation tracking aside, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 largely performs as well as the best smartwatches and fitness trackers when it comes to reliably logging both moving and stationary workouts. Ultimately, as long as you wear the device tight enough, heart rate data should also be highly accurate.

My other criticism of the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, which, again, is sold as an outdoor adventure-ready smartwatch, is a lack of tracking modes for popular activities, like mountain biking and e-biking.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 AI features: 3.5/5

• Google's useful Gemini AI voice assistant is built-in and can be launched via a handy, new 'Raise to talk' gesture control

In addition to AI playing a part in some of Samsung's flagship new health features, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 ships with Google's Gemini AI voice assistant built-in. It's the best smartwatch voice assistant I've tested so far, though that may change after I thoroughly test the latest Siri AI on the Apple Watch Series 12.

With access granted to apps like Gmail and Google Calendar, the Gemini assistant is more than capable of answering super-specific questions like, "When did my sister say her flight is landing next week?" as well as more generic ones like "What's the cheapest, easiest way to soften a stiff T-shirt?"

Better yet, you can launch the Gemini assistant using the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 by simply raising your wrist (you will need to first turn it on in the settings menu). Samsung's "Raise to talk" gesture control is remarkably effective, on par with Google's version for the Pixel Watch 4 and 5.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 battery: 4.5/5

• The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 exceeded its 60-hour-per-charge battery life rating in testing, lasting closer to 72 hours per charge with the always-on display enabled
• This makes it one of the longest-lasting full-featured smartwatches for Android in 2026 and longer-lasting than the latest Apple Watch Ultra 4

Not only did Samsung equip the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 with a higher-capacity battery — 590 mAh for the old model vs. 800 mAh for the new one — but the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is also more power-efficient than its predecessor, despite a brighter display.

The original Galaxy Watch Ultra had a battery life rating of 48 hours per charge, a claim we verified in our testing. The new model is rated to last up to 60 hours per charge, but in my testing, it comfortably surpassed that, cruising for closer to 72 hours per charge.

By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 gets 40 hours per charge at best (44mm). Meanwhile, the latest Apple Watch Ultra 4, the nearest competitor to the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, lasts for about 50 hours per charge.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 review: Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a meaningful update to the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. The newer model is even tougher, with legit scuba-diving-ready specs and features, longer-lasting, with up to three days of battery per charge, and ever-so-slightly more comfortable thanks to a thinner case and a softer, more flexible strap.

The screen brightness has also been increased, giving the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 the brightest display in any full-featured smartwatch for Android. Plus, new health and fitness tracking metrics help to bring long-term holistic trends into sharper focus.

As an outdoor adventure watch, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 proved mighty capable, with one exception: faulty elevation data. However, I'm hoping this is just a minor hiccup that will eventually be fixed with future firmware.

Ultimately, the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is a tougher, smarter, longer-lasting take on what was already one of the best Android smartwatches ever made. That, I think, is worth the $50 price increase.

With a new variable aperture main camera, the iPhone 18 Pro lets in more light and gives you more creative freedom than ever before with new Pro controls. And the A20 Pro chip — the first 2nm chip in a phone — delivers record-breaking speed that surpasses all Android flagships. Based on our testing, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max battery life is stellar, too. And with the new Siri AI on board these Pro phones are much more capable personal assistants.

The bad news? The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are noticeably heavier than their predecessors, and the prices are $100 higher for both models. But if you’ve been putting off that upgrade for a while, you'll find that both of these Pros are the best phones you can buy.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Specs

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Performance: Fastest phones ever

The A20 Pro chip isn’t just the world’s first 2nm chip inside a smartphone; it’s the fastest one we’ve ever tested, blowing away the Android competition.

You get a new CPU with two super cores that are up to 20% faster and four efficiency cores, a 7-core GPU that’s up to 40 percent faster (up from 6 cores) and a new dual 16-core Neural Engine for better AI performance. Plus, there’s a wider memory interface that provides up to 50% more internal bandwidth.

It’s all wrapped up in a new package design that seats the memory next to the SoC instead of on top, which results in better heat dissipation. In fact, the vapor chamber itself has 3x the surface area to deliver better sustained performance (aka, less overheating). So how about the results? They’re pretty staggering.

On Geekbench 6, which measures overall performance, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max scored in the 4,700 range in the single core portion. That’s about 25% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro series and also 25% faster than the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip.

In terms of multi-core performance, the A20 Pro once again excelled, offering a 28% boost versus the iPhone 17 Pros. And we’re talking about a 10% advantage over the Galaxy S26 Ultra here.

We also ran the newer Geekbench 7, which has a multi-core benchmark that’s designed to be more real-world and uses more challenging data sets. The iPhone 18 Pro delivered similar performance gains.

The graphics leap is even more impressive from the A20 Pro. On the 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited test, the iPhone 18 Pro turned in a frame rate of 62 fps, which is 33% faster than the 17 Pro. And the iPhone 18 Pro Max scored an even higher 67.9 fps, which is 45% faster than the 17 Pro Max.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra just couldn’t keep up, as the regular iPhone 18 Pro was 25% faster and the iPhone 18 Pro Max was 37% higher.

When playing the game Ungodly, the gameplay remained fluid even while I was slicing through three enemies at once with my sword. And the animations looked just as crisp as console gameplay when I switched characters and rained down fire attacks on my enemies.

So how about Apple’s sustained performance claims? Thanks to the larger vapor chamber and design of the A20 Pro chip, Apple promises up to a 40% improvement. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max did indeed impress when we ran the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, which loops through a graphics test 20 times in a row.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max turned in a stability score of 79.4%, which is 25% better than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That’s also over 47% better than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, we saw only a minor 1.7% gain between the iPhone 17 Pro and 18 Pro.

Last but not least we tested AI performance using the Geekbench AI test. The iPhone 18 Pro turned in a Neural Engine score of 69,245 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max a much higher 71,974. That’s a boost of 41 to 48%, which means on-device AI tasks should run faster.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Battery life and charging

Thanks to the efficiency of the A20 Pro chip and bigger batteries, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated to have the longest battery life ever of any iPhone. And the iPhone 18 Pro is rated for the endurance of last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, which made our best phone battery life list last year.

The good news is that both the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro last longer than their 17 Pro counterparts. But we didn’t see a huge leap in endurance.

On the Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over 5G on 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 18 hours and 41 minutes on its longest run and averaged 18:27. The iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted 17:54.

The iPhone 18 Pro lasted an average of 16:17 on our test, which is nearly an hour longer than the iPhone 17 Pro (15:21).

By comparison, the Galaxy S26 Ultra averaged 16:40 with the display mode set to standard and 16:10 in adaptive mode. So the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasts about 2 hours longer on a charge.

The OnePlus 15 is still the champ with its silicon carbon battery at 25 hours and 13 minutes. It will be interesting to see what happens when (or if) Apple embraces this technology for itself.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max both support 60W charging for the first time, and Apple promises a 30% charge in just 15 minutes. The iPhone 18 Pro hit 53% in 15 minutes and 80% in 30 minutes, but the iPhone 18 Pro Max was a bit behind with 44% and 77%, respectively.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Cameras: What variable aperture can do

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have a first for iPhones, even though the Samsung Galaxy S9 tried it years ago. I’m talking about a variable aperture main camera. There’s six tiny blades inside the wide lens that can expand or contract depending on the conditions.

For example, if you’re taking a portrait, the aperture might open up to f/1.48 to let in more light. And if you want more detail throughout the shot, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might stop down to f/4.0. This gives you more depth of field.

The iPhone 18 Pro’s camera can do this all automatically, but there’s new Pro controls on board that lets you set the exact aperture with four options.

In the above portrait, you can see that the menu in the background is blurred out at f/1.48, but it's clear when I set it to f/4.

When I captured a photo of begonias in Bryant Park, I selected f/1.48 to blur the background and f/4.0 to bring detail to the stage across the park and buildings.

The wider aperture of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max also enables the phones to let in significantly more light overall, which means better low-light images.

Take this American flag photo captured in near darkness. You can make out more detail in the flag pole and the brick in the iPhone 18 Pro image. The Galaxy S26 Ultra shot is downright blurry.

Indoors I’d give a slight edge to the iPhone 18 Pro with this shot of Halloween decorations. The dots of light reflecting off the transparent orb look sharper through the iPhone. But the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s photo has more saturated colors inside the ball and in the fabric.

As you can see in the gallery above, the iPhone 18 Pro takes a better looking shot of produce (the red peppers don’t look right through the Samsung).

When it comes to zoom power, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max hold their own with a 4x telephoto lens and 8x optical quality zoom. The iPhone is neck and neck with Samsung with this 10x zoom shot of a pumpkin.

However, at 40x the iPhone really struggles versus the S26 Ultra. Check out the sign above. I'm sure the Galaxy is doing some AI processing, but the test is definitely sharper in its photo.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Video

My favorite video feature when testing the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max is the ability to add Cinematic mode to your clips after the fact. You no longer have to select the mode before you start shooting.

I had someone capture a video of me walking down a park trail. Afterwards, I toggled the Cinematic mode feature in editing right at the top of the screen. Sure enough, the iPhone 18 Pro added an artful blur to the footage.

Other new features include 4K Timelapse in Dolby Vision HDR, higher-quality low-light video in 1080p resolution and Pro controls for video, such as shutter speed.

To test out the iPhone 18 Pro’s video capabilities I shot this koi pond with a fountain using the new iPhone and Galaxy S26 Ultra at 4K at 30 fps with HDR turned on. I prefer the way the iPhone 18 Pro renders the details in the rocks and its smoother zooming motion; the S26 Ultra takes a second to regain focus. However, the S26 Ultra’s superior zoom shines when I get really close on the fountain wall.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Siri AI and Apple Intelligence

I’m not going to say that Siri AI is smarter than Gemini or ChatGPT yet, but it’s come a long way with iOS 27, and is now a lot more helpful. That’s because Siri now better understands your personal context, and it can let you do multiple things with a single voice prompt.

For example, I asked Siri to look up reviews for a hotel I was thinking of staying at with my brother for a road trip and send them via text in the same prompt. The results seemed okay but didn’t have as much detail as I’d like. So I tried again, asking for best dishes.

I can also control three different apps with the same prompt, such as setting a reminder, starting a timer and looking up photos and adding them to a Note. The new Siri AI is smarter and more powerful, but sometimes it started doing the first thing I asked before I got to the second request, interrupting the flow.

Visual Intelligence also gets an upgrade with iOS 27 and the iPhone 18 Pros. For example, I pointed the iPhone 18 Pro Max at a flyer with a bunch of dates on it, and it automatically recognized the dates and asked if I wanted to add them to my calendar. I especially like that there’s a dedicated Siri mode in the camera app so you don’t have to go to a separate app.

However, Siri AI is not quite as robust as Gemini or ChatGPT Voice. You can’t have a live back-and-forth conversation about what’s live in your camera view. This comes in quite handy for troubleshooting.

Other helpful Apple Intelligence features include contextually relevant cards that pop up when you’re texting. For example, you might get a prompt to add something to your calendar or reminders with a little icon.

Some of the coolest Apple Intelligence upgrades live in the camera app. For example, with Reframe you can change the angle of your photo after the fact. I did this with a photo of my daughter and the iPhone 18 Pro Max basically guessed what the background was of the pier and filled it in.

In addition, you can extend the background of your photos via Apple Intelligence. I tried this with a group shot of me, TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff and Apple’s CEO John Ternus and Joz. It added a plant that wasn’t there and extended Lance’s arm. It’s a bit cool but also kinda creepy. Clean Up also gets a performance boost, making it faster to remove unwanted objects or people from your photos.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Design and colors

Most people would find it challenging to tell the difference between the iPhone 18 Pro series and iPhone 17 Pro phones. But there’s a couple of telltale signs.

First, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have new colors, and Apple has done a better job of color matching the plateau and back glass of these phones. It’s no longer a two-tone look. I tested the Glacier (blue) version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the Burgundy iPhone 18 Pro. I prefer the Glacier, but Burgundy has a sophistication to it. You can also take your pick from Black or Silver.

The other key visual change is a smaller Dynamic Island. Apple moved the infrared sensor for Face ID under the display, allowing for a tinier cutout at the top of the display. Plus, you can now have up to three Live activities running at once inside the Dynamic Island area, such as a timer, Spotify and Uber status.

Perhaps owing to the bigger batteries, variable aperture lens camera and larger vapor chambers, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are heftier than their predecessors despite having the same dimensions as before. At least they fit in the same cases as the 17 Pro series if you're upgrading.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Displays

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max once again offer 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays with 120Hz refresh rates and rated 3,000 nits of maximum brightness. These panels are identical versus the iPhone 17 Pro series, but if you’re coming from an iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max you’ll appreciate the anti-reflective coating.

In our lab tests, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max delivered strong results. Using our Klein K10-A probe combined with the Patterns Mobile iOS app, we measured a maximum brightness of 2,326 nits in a 25% window and 1,762 nits in a 10% window. The iPhone 18 Pro hit a similar 2,314 and 1,627.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max scored 2,324 in a 25% window and 1,882 at 10%, so comparable performance. We have not yet tested the iPhone 17 Pro for comparison.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn’t support the Patterns Mobile app, but we measured HDR brightness in a 10% window with the same equipment. It reached 1,478 nits.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone Duo

If you’re on the fence between the $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max and $1,999 iPhone Duo, here’s a quick cheat sheet. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is the phone to get if you want a telephoto camera for better zooming and the longest possible battery life. Plus, only the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers Face ID; the Duo uses Touch ID.

The iPhone Duo is the phone for you if you want the ability to have a small phone and tablet in the same device. You get a larger 7.6-inch main display, versus 6.9 inches on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, plus the ability to run two apps side by side. It’s the better choice for watching videos and multitasking.

Verdict

My take on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max is that they are obscenely powerful phones inside a quiet redesign. You get the fastest chip ever in a phone with the A20 Pro, a variable aperture camera I find easy to use and overdue Pro controls that give you more creative freedom when shooting photos and videos.

I personally really like the ability to transform your pics and clips after the fact, whether it’s reframing your shots or adding a Cinematic effect to your footage. And while Siri AI is no Gemini killer, Apple has made great strides with its assistant to the point where it’s a lot more helpful in the moment. I can guarantee you’ll wind up using other chatbots less.

Between the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, I’d opt for the Pro Max because of the bigger screen and longer battery life, but the regular 18 Pro is no slouch and an hour better than the 17 Pro based on our testing.

I think the Galaxy S26 Ultra is still the phone to beat when it comes to zooming power and AI features, but it’s not nearly as fast as the iPhone 18 Pros and lasts two hours less on a charge versus the Max.

Sure, Apple is expected to completely reinvent the iPhone with the iPhone XX/iPhone 20 next year with a rumored all-screen design. But if you want the most powerful iPhone ever in a familiar body, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are easily the best non-folding phones money can buy.

I rode the Segway Myon for several months and over 50 miles; here’s why it’s become one of my favorite ebikes for getting around town.

Price and accessories

The Segway Myon went on sale this spring for $1,999, though it’s been on sale for $1,799. The bike comes in two sizes (regular and small) and you can get it in green, silver, or a deep blue; I really dug the blue of my review unit.

One note to New York State residents: Due to the state’s e-bike laws, the company won’t ship the Myon (as well as a few other models) if you live in the state, because the Myon’s top speed of 28 MPH exceeds that of the state limit.

I also really like that the bike comes with front and rear fenders, as well as a rear rack, by default. On so many other e-bikes, these accessories cost extra.

The Myon’s frame is designed as a step-through model, but the company sells a removable top tube for $99; it’s mostly for aesthetics.

The accessory I liked more was the $99 rear radar, which alerts you when traffic is coming up behind. If a car is approaching at a slower pace, an amber light will turn on, either on the left or right control cluster, so you know on which side to look. If a car is approaching at a faster rate of speed, an alert will flash on the Myon’s center display.

The radar is pretty sensitive; even my daughter riding her bike next to mine is enough to set it off. Still, I’d rather have more alerts than fewer.

Turn signals

Similar to some of its electric scooters like the Kickscooter G3 Max, the Myon has turn signals built into the ends of its handlebars. The controls are activated by a rocker switch on the left handlebar; press it, and the signal will turn on for about 10 seconds. Each signal is a bright amber light that can easily be seen at a distance.

About the only thing that would have made them better is if Segway also integrated turn signals into its taillight assembly, a la the Aventon Abound LR. That way, it would be easier for cars coming up from behind to know if you’re planning to turn.

Still, front turn signals are better than nothing.

Electronic gear shifting

The Myon has an electronic gear shifter — there’s no wire going from the front to the back of the bike — which was as fast as any mechanical shifter I’ve used. A small thumb lever on the right side lets you shift into a higher or lower gear. Simply move the switch up or down, and the bike changes gears in a split-second.

Even cooler is that Segway updated the bike’s software to add what’s essentially an automatic transmission. When engaged, the bike will automatically change gears so you can maintain a certain cadence while pedaling. In this mode, when you press the gear shift button, it adjusts your desired cadence, rather than the gearing. So, if you want to cruise along at a slow but steady pace, you can choose a lower cadence; if you want to kick things up a notch, you can simply move it higher.

It took a few minutes for me to get used to this automatic shifter, but I fell in love with it pretty quickly. Is it necessary? Probably not, but it’s certainly cool, and is one less thing you have to think about when riding.

Performance

I rode the Myon for over 50 miles over the course of a few months, and found it effortless. I mainly used it to commute back and forth to my train station (about a mile each way), but I also found myself taking a longer route home just to enjoy my time on the bike.

The geometry of the Myon lets you ride the bike in a fairly upright position — not as much as a beach cruiser, but you won’t be hunching over your handlebars as you ride to work.

I also appreciated the front suspension on the bike; as it has narrowish tires (27.5 x 1.75), the added cushioning definitely helped over potholed roads.

The Myon’s 500W motor (750 peak) was more than enough to power me up some steep hills around town at speeds of up to 15 MPH. However, I did notice that power tapered off the lower the battery got; when it was down to about 20%, the bike could only manage around 10 MPH up the same hill.

The biggest knock against the Myon is its overall weight. At 72 pounds, it’s seriously heavy. I wouldn’t want to have to pedal it uphill if the battery ran out. Fortunately, that never happened. The Myon's battery is rated for up to 80 miles on a charge, and while I didn't hit that figure — I live in a somewhat hilly area — I was able to go a few weeks without having to plug the bike in.

A smart, comprehensive app

Using the Segway app, you can configure the Myon as either a Class 2 (throttle up to 20 MPH), Class 3 (pedal-assist only to 28 MPH), or hybrid e-bike (throttle to 20 mph & pedal assist to 28 mph), though the latter is unavailable in California.

The app also lets you configure other aspects of the Myon’s ride, such as fine-tuning when the gears shift and the sound the electric horn makes.

Here, you can also set up the Myon’s safety and security features, such as Apple FindMy and AirLock. The latter function will automatically lock and unlock your bike when within Bluetooth range of your phone. While it only saved me a few extra seconds — I no longer had to input the security code — it’s a nice convenience.

Bottom line

At $2,000, the Segway Myon is by no means the least expensive e-bike we here at Tom’s Guide like. The Ride1Up Vorsa Lite, for example, is $500 less, has a more powerful motor, greater payload capacity, and will serve most commuters as well as the Myon.

However, for a bit more, you get some great extras with the Myon, which range from the fun (like automatic shifting) to the truly useful, like AppleFindMy and included fenders, not to mention features like fine-tuning the gear shifting.

If you're looking for something a bit more unusual — but equally fun — the Segway Muxi Pro (also $1,999) is an upgraded version of the Segway Muxi, with front suspension, electronic shifting, and turn signals in the handlebars. You'll end up paying a little more for some accessories, though.

As a tech-forward commuter who’s always on the lookout for a fun, yet practical ebike to get me to and from work, the Segway Myon is at the top of my list.

The Aeon Pro features Hall Effect sticks and triggers for longevity and customizability. There are four rear paddles and an OLED display which, among other things, facilitates quick switching between Xbox, PC and Bluetooth. There’s a charging dock and interchangeable batteries with SteelSeries headsets, plus GG app compatibility — as a SteelSeries user already, that makes it a very compelling offer for me.

So, can the Aeon Pro do enough to coax me away from my hitherto ride-or-die, the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro? And should you buy it? Find out in my full SteelSeries Aeon Pro review.

SteelSeries Aeon Pro review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A premium gaming controller from SteelSeries
• Who is it for? Xbox and PC players
• What does it cost? Rather a lot, now you ask: $259 / £229
• What do I like? The triggers, sticks and paddles, the customization, and the battery system
• What don’t I like? The price, the grips and no PS5 variant (although that’s not surprising)

SteelSeries Aeon Pro review: Specs

SteelSeries Aeon Pro review: The ups

The SteelSeries Aeon Pro packs plenty of awesome gaming features, including Hall Effect sticks and triggers, easy multi-platform connectivity, onboard controls and a zero-downtime battery system.

Responsive Hall Effect sticks

Interestingly, SteelSeries has decided to fit the Aeon with Hall Effect sticks. I say “interestingly” because at $259 and with technically unlimited battery life, I kinda expected to see the more accurate (and power hungry) TMR technology, but I’ll get onto that later. The Asus ROG Raikiri II ($189) and Gamesir G7 Pro ($79) both feature TMR sticks, for context.

Nevertheless, the sticks aren’t analog, unlike the ageing Xbox Elite Series 2 ($179, although a lot cheaper these days), which means no stick drift over time, better accuracy and more customization. They’re also fantastic to use, proving responsive and accurate in the FPS games I played — Hell Let Loose and Isonzo.

You can tweak the sensitivity response and deadzones of each stick in the GG app, which I appreciate. I usually use a mouse in FPS games, so I like my sticks super sensitive to replicate the rapid, accurate movement of mice. I say sensitivity “response” as you can only switch between different behaviors including linear (1:1 input to movement), dynamic (moves faster the further out from center you go), and exponential (very slow in the center and fast at the peripheries).

I like dynamic the most for FPS gaming, as I’m a run-and-gun kinda player. However, if you’re a sniper, exponential will be awesome for switching rapidly between fine control in the center when ADS, to faster movements when changing position or responding to a nearby enemy.

Included in the box are replacement sticks. You get one longer and one domed stick if you prefer those for fine control.

Snappy paddles and triggers

The Aeon Pro packs Hall Effect triggers, as well as mechanical hair triggers, just like the Wolverine V3 Pro ($199). In full range mode, they’re completely smooth, but with a decent amount of tension and lots of travel — more so than the Wolverine. I found this gave me slightly more control of and precision with throttling in Forza Horizon 5. You can also set deadzones in GG for each trigger as per your needs, and set custom configs for switching between games (but I’ll cover this later).

Of course, when you need ultra fast action in FPS games, simply flick the switches on the controller’s rear to swap into hair trigger mode, whereby the pad uses mechanical switches with super short travel distance. That means rapid ADS and firing. I really like the feel of the Aeon Pro’s hair trigger switches — I’m a fan of tactile switches in general, and the Aeon’s give a more textured, satisfying and affirmative feel than the linear ones in my Wolverine V3 Pro.

The face buttons are mechanical and have a really nice, clicky feel with no mushiness whatsoever. At the back you’ll find four paddles, also using snappy short-travel mechanical switches. I’m not a huge fan of their placement, but I’ll discuss this more in 'The downs' section below.

Loads of onboard control

SteelSeries loves a USB hub these days, having implemented them on its upper-tier Arctis Nova headsets for a while now. The Aeon Pro features a charging dock with dual USB-C ports at the rear, which means you can be hooked up to your Xbox and PC over 2.4G simultaneously. When you want to switch, it takes a few seconds via the OLED display on the controller itself.

Yes, that does mean you need to have your PC and Xbox in the same place, which undermines the usefulness a little. Your Xbox is probably in your lounge, while your PC probably isn’t. It would’ve been cool to have a secondary 2.4G dongle, keeping one plugged into your PC and one your Xbox.

That OLED display also allows you to customize the controller on the fly — something you can’t do on the Wolverine V3 Pro or Xbox Elite Series 2, although you can on the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra ($200), which also has a screen. On the Aeon Pro, the OLED lets you switch between onboard configs (loaded via GG), plus adjust mapping, haptics and stick circularity. It also gives you a readout of your battery, as well as the battery charging in the dock. And that brings me onto my favorite feature…

Handy battery system

Another thing SteelSeries loves these days is a zero downtime battery system. I’m a huge fan of the Aeon Pro’s, and any existing users of the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Omni ($399), Nova Pro or Nova Elite headsets will be too. That’s because the Aeon Pro uses the same battery as those headsets, meaning you can swap between them.

While the Aeon and my Nova Pro headset each ship with two batteries, meaning I had four on my desk, I realistically now only need three. One in the controller, one in the headset, and one spare on charge in either the Nova USB hub or the Aeon base station. The controller and headset each consume power at different rates meaning one spare is always enough. It’s just super handy for swapping out when the need arises and means zero downtime.

Now, admittedly there are some downsides to the battery dock — indirectly anyway. The Aeon and Nova use separate USB hubs, so Nova Pro/Elite users will now have two base stations on their desk. At the Aeon pre-launch briefing, another journalist asked SteelSeries whether there’d be a universal docking station at some point soon. The answer was no, as that kind of thing rarely sells well as a standalone product, making it financially unviable for SteelSeries. Shame.

Anyway, while the battery nets around 30 hours in a Nova headset, it’ll achieve around 12 hours in the controller. The whole ‘zero downtime’ thing renders per-battery longevity a moot point at your desk, but it’s nice to know you’ve got a healthy amount of playtime if taking the pad to game at a friend’s house. And you can always pack a spare battery if needed.

Personally, I think the replaceable batteries are a big deal, and they’re what sways me towards using the Aeon Pro as my primary pad. Obviously there’s the fact that I use the Arctis Nova Pro Omni as my main headset, so I now have double the batteries and control everything through GG. But that’s not all: although my Wolverine V3 Pro has better per-battery life (20 hours), its cell is built in and takes a while to charge back fully. I’ve had numerous instances of downtime after it’s run out of charge. With the Aeon Pro, that’s no more.

GG compatibility (obviously)

I deal with a lot of companion software in my job. Some terrible (hey Armoury Crate!); some middling (yo Synapse!); and some really good (hiya GG!). Obviously, GG compatibility is a given with all SteelSeries gear these days, but it’s still a major bonus for all users, whether you’ve got one or many compatible products.

I use several SteelSeries products daily, so I’m always on GG. It’s slick, reliable and (most importantly) useful. You can customize virtually every necessary aspect of the Aeon Pro, and I especially love the configs. The controller can store eight configs onboard so you can switch between them via the OLED screen. I ran custom configs for Isonzo and Hell Let Loose, as I needed the rear paddles to behave differently, and could just flick between the two when changing game.

There are eight presets (which are customizable), but you can replace these with whatever custom configs you like. While eight can be stored onboard, you won’t lose the others, and moving them back onboard is simply a case of dragging and dropping.

SteelSeries Aeon Pro review: The downs

My main beef with the Aeon Pro is its price. I also experienced a few issues with the ergonomics, but mileage will vary. Oh, and while this isn’t surprising or that big of a deal, SteelSeries hasn’t announced any PS5 variant.

Fairly unpalatable price

SteelSeries is no stranger to steep pricing these days, with its Arctis Nova Pro Omni headset costing $399 and its Arctis Nova Elite headset costing a whopping $599. Admittedly, while expensive at $259 / £229, the Aeon Pro isn’t wholly beyond the pale. The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro retails at $199, as does the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra, while the ROG Raikiri II costs $189. At MSRP, then, the Aeon Pro is only $60 pricier than the Wolverine and Stealth Ultra — that’s not a ridiculous delta.

The thing is, for all its pros, I’m still not sure this pad justifies $259. The OLED screen, while handy, is kinda blocky and pixelated. TMR thumbsticks have been foregone in favor of cheaper Hall Effect sensors. And there’s not much you can do in the way of hardware customization either, save swapping the sticks — the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded costs $209 and is highly modular, so you can customize the layout to your needs. The Xbox Elite Series 2 also comes with a wide array of spares, and you can remove its back paddles.

Really, the unique selling point of the Aeon Pro is its battery and docking system. And I’m not sure that’s enough to warrant such a premium over rivals.

Ergos a little tiring

I’ll caveat this point by first saying that your mileage will probably vary here. I have large hands, so I didn’t get on too well with the Aeon Pro’s grips. They’re very grippy and covered in a comfortable material, but it’s the shaping I’m not keen on.

My issue is that the grips are quite thin. The large, low-slung paddles forced my middle fingers down more than usual, which meant I had to wrap my pinky more around the grips for support. With the grips being thin, my pinky had to wrap further, putting my hand into a slightly unnatural position that ached a little after a couple of hours. Nothing major, but enough to be annoying.

While stubbier, the grips on my Wolverine V3 Pro are fatter, which puts my pinky in a more comfortable position. The paddles are also much smaller and less invasive on the Razer pad, and you can kinda forget about them. I’d have liked the option to remove the Aeon Pro’s paddles, but no such luck.

No PS5 variant, just FYI

SteelSeries is primarily a PC peripheral manufacturer, so it isn’t surprising that the Aeon Pro is a PC/Xbox exclusive, at least for now. There’s no word on whether that will change for the future.

The brand is no stranger to making PlayStation-compatible gear, having launched PS variants of most of its headsets. The recent Nova Pro Omni headset has all-device compatibility baked into its very ethos, too. So it wouldn’t surprise me if a PS5 Aeon Pro variant came along at some point.

For now, though, nada. So I’d advise checking out the Razer Raiju V3 Pro ($219) or Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded if you need a PlayStation pad.

SteelSeries Aeon Pro review: Verdict

If price is your main concern, the Aeon Pro might not be it. It’s a fantastic controller, but the Wolverine V3 Pro and Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra are cheaper and offer just as much performance (although the Razer lacks a screen). Heck, you can pick up a Gamesir G7 Pro for like a third of the price and probably have no complaints.

If price isn’t your concern, and especially if you’re an existing SteelSeries headset user, the Aeon Pro is an excellent choice. Being able to integrate the Aeon into my existing gear’s ecosystem is a big win. And remember, the Aeon Pro is no slouch: it offers bags of performance and lots of software customization. Sometimes it’s the quality of life features that decide a choice, so for me, it’s going to be the Aeon Pro.

I’ve been using iPadOS 27 since the beta launched over the summer, and have generally had a smooth experience with the latest OS update. Though I’m not a big AI user, the updated Siri can be handy — especially as it can do things on your behalf. And if you have kids, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the new child safety features.

iPadOS 27 isn’t a game-changer, but features like the overhauled Siri AI, the Liquid-Glass slider, and other quality-of-life improvements make using Apple’s tablets feel smoother and more personalized. Here is my full review of iPadOS 27.

iPadOS 27 review: Compatible iPads

Here are all the iPads that support iPadOS 27.

• iPad Pro (M4 and later)
• iPad Pro 12.9‑inch (4th generation and later)
• iPad Pro 11‑inch (2nd generation and later)
• iPad Air 13-inch (M2 and later)
• iPad Air 11-inch (M2, M3, and M4)
• iPad Air 11-inch (4th generation and later)
• iPad (A16)
• iPad (9th generation and later)
• iPad mini (A17 Pro)
• iPad mini (6th generation)

iPadOS 27 review: Biggest features

The new Siri

Apple Intelligence is finally ready for prime time on the company’s devices. Thanks to the new Siri AI app, you can now interact with Apple’s virtual assistant the same way you would with a chatbot like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. Apple Intelligence runs on both servers and your device to offer better image understanding and more.

There is now a dedicated Siri AI app, which looks and functions like a regular chatbot app. In this window, you can ask Siri questions or have it perform tasks for you. For example, I used Siri to send a message to one of my iMessage group chats, and it did so after I approved it. Sure, I could have just done this directly in the group chat, but it’s a good demonstration of what the new Siri can do.

Siri AI also understands what's on your screen. When I had the Tom’s Guide homepage open on Google Chrome, it correctly detailed what was on the screen, including all the articles. It couldn’t open the articles or read them aloud (despite saying it could), but since I’m testing a beta version, I’ll give it an A for effort, even if it failed to complete the task.

Siri is most useful when you’re using Apple’s own apps and programs. It can create calendar events, set reminders, play music, and more. For example, when you’re looking at a schedule, you’ll see an “add to calendar” button pop up. When you right-click certain folders, files, or apps, you’ll see an “Ask Siri” option at the bottom. Selecting this will open a window where you can start texting or talking with Siri.

Though Siri can’t yet interact with many third-party applications (such as those from Google), it’s a huge improvement over the old Siri.

Liquid Glass improvements

Liquid Glass hasn’t gone anywhere, as Apple is leaning more into the UI with its latest operating system updates. However, Apple is now giving you more control over how it looks with a new slider that adjusts opacity. You can’t eliminate the Liquid Glass look, but you can minimize it significantly.

Other improvements include more diffuse, complex background visuals, so text stands out more. You’ll also notice that the edges of icons are more pronounced to help further separate them from the background. The uniform corner radius of all app windows also helps them stand out more.

Even if Liquid Glass hasn’t gone anywhere, even detractors should find the updates tolerable since they do greatly improve overall readability and visibility. The Liquid Glass slider is a nice touch.

I've never had a problem with Liquid Glass because I think it’s an interesting visual effect. That said, I’m glad that folks can now fine-tune it to their liking. The slider is especially neat because it’s easy to use and clearly shows how much of a difference there is when you go from one extreme to the other.

Child safety features

If you’re a parent, you’ll be happy to know that Apple is expanding its parental control features with iPadOS 27. This way, you can let the kiddo use Apple’s tablet without worrying too much about the kind of content they’re watching and for how long they’re using the slate.

These updates include a redesigned, more intuitive Screen Time Dashboard with one-tap controls and expanded safeguards. There are also Time Allowances for app categories, Ask to Browse website approval, Communication Safety that blurs gore or violence, and one-tap access management. You can tailor these features to suit your child.

I don’t have kids, but I did find the child safety features simple enough to use and customize. Given how much kids love iPads, it’s smart for Apple to keep refining these safety features.

iPadOS 27 review: Other features

• Spatial Reframing: As the name suggests, you can now reframe a photo after it’s been taken thanks to this feature. You can also expand your shots with the Extend Tool and remove objects with the Clean Up tool.
• Upgraded Image Playground: Image Playground can now generate higher-quality images. You can also modify and transform existing images by describing what you want.
• Siri in Notes: Siri AI can assist with your handwritten or typed notes in the Notes app by (for example) organizing bullet points into a formatted agenda or turning handwritten lectures into a detailed study guide.
• Safari updates: In Safari, tabs can now be automatically grouped by topic, making related pages easier to find. With Safari Notify Me, you can receive an alert if there’s a price change or a restock for an item you’ve been eyeing.
• Describe Shortcuts: Instead of manually building complex workflows, you can now describe what you need, and Shortcuts connects actions across multiple apps to make it happen. This is useful if you want to set specific routines, such as launching a specific app when you connect a peripheral.

iPadOS 27 review: Verdict

I use an iPad Pro every single day and have largely been pleased with iPadOS 27. Again, it won’t set the world on fire with revolutionary new features, but the upgraded Siri AI and deeper Apple Intelligence integrations help make iPads that support the update more useful. This is especially true if you use Apple’s own apps often.

As I said in my macOS Golden Gate review, iPadOS 27 feels like a holding-pattern update for whatever big OS refresh the folks in Cupertino are cooking. But there’s also nothing wrong with not fixing what isn’t broken, so it’s fine that this isn’t a huge update. If you own a compatible iPad, you should update as soon as you can to test the new features yourself!

I’ve been using the Golden Gate beta since it launched in June, and the latest build is what you’ll find in the final version of macOS Golden Gate. So far, I’ve found it a perfectly reasonable OS update that isn’t a radical departure from last year’s. That said, the new, smarter Siri AI can be handy, and Liquid Glass is less obtrusive now.

Here’s my full review of macOS Golden Gate.

macOS Golden Gate review: Supported devices

The Intel era is over, as macOS Golden Gate doesn’t run on those older machines. Here is a complete list of Macs that support Golden Gate.

• MacBook Neo (2026)
• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio with Apple silicon (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023 and later)

macOS Golden Gate review: New features

Hey, Siri!

A dedicated Siri AI app for macOS Golden Gate now functions like chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. This app is also available on iPadOS 27 and iOS 27, and is arguably the biggest new feature for the Apple devices that support it.

You can access the Siri AI app either by clicking it in the Dock or in the Menu bar. You can also open it from Spotlight. This opens a dedicated chat window where you can ask Siri AI questions or talk to it about whatever’s on your mind. Again, it works like the chatbots you’re already familiar with.

And since Siri AI is now baked into the operating system, it can do more than just chat. For example, if you’re looking at a schedule, you’ll see an “add to calendar” button appear. I’ve even had this happen when I suggest a date/time to meet with friends. When you right-click on folders, files, or apps, you’ll often see an “Ask Siri” option at the very top, where you can begin asking questions about whatever you’re highlighting.

You can even create Shortcuts by typing or speaking what you want instead of building complications manually. While I wouldn’t call this vibe coding, it can feel that way since you’re using natural language.

For those in the Apple ecosystem, Siri AI can be more useful than other chatbots because it’s integrated into the system. However, third-party integrations are still a work in progress, so Siri AI’s usability for you might be limited if you use Google apps like Gmail, since Siri AI doesn’t work with them (yet).

If you’re like me and generally don’t use AI, then the updated Siri won’t make a huge difference with your macOS experience. In fact, you might forget it’s even there! But if you use AI, you can certainly get more done with the new Siri.

Liquid Glass slider

If you’re not a fan of the Liquid Glass UI, you’ll be happy to know there’s now a slider to adjust its opacity. It lets you dial the effect up or down, and I’m surprised it took this long to implement it this way.

Beyond the slider, you’ll notice more complex background visuals appear more diffused, which improves text readability (a big issue for some). The edges of icons are also more pronounced, so they stand out more from the background. All app windows now have a uniform corner radius to help them pop out.

I've never had a problem with Liquid Glass because I think it’s an interesting visual effect. That said, I’m glad that folks can now fine-tune it to their liking. The slider is especially neat because it’s easy to use and clearly shows how much of a difference there is when you go from one extreme to the other.

Spatial Reframing

Spatial Reframing isn’t exclusive to macOS Golden Gate, but since the Reframe tool stole the show at WWDC, it’s a feature worth spotlighting if you take a lot of photos.

As its name suggests, Reframe lets you reframe existing photos and adjust the perspective as you like. This can be especially handy if you need to take photos in a hurry, since you can come back later to fix them.

After you select Reframe in the new Tools option in Photos’ editing mode, Apple Intelligence scans the photo you’ve selected. Then you can swipe your finger across the touchpad to change the perspective. Sliders on the side also give you more precise control over the angle, orientation, or size. When you’re done, the AI shifts things around to fill in any blanks.

This isn’t a feature I use often since I like photos in their original form, even if they’re not perfect. That said, I can’t knock the results, as Reframe does an excellent job of living up to its name. And to be fair, the changes made don’t radically alter the image — you just get a better version of what you’ve already snapped.

macOS 27 Golden Gate review: Verdict

Apple Intelligence wasn’t all it was hyped to be after it was first announced, but it’s now living up to its potential on Macs and the other Apple devices it can run on. If you’re a big AI user already, then macOS Golden Gate could be a huge game-changer for you. Other features such as the more customizable Liquid Glass UI and Spatial Reframing might not be monumental, but they’re nice additions regardless.

Even if macOS Golden Gate feels like a holding-pattern update for Macs, it’s still worthwhile and thankfully doesn’t ruin the great experience we had with Tahoe. If you own a Mac that supports the OS, you should update as soon as you can.

The bright, colorful 12.1-inch 2K display is ideal for watching your favorite videos and movies. The Tab Plus Gen 2 is also great for reading and web browsing. The large speaker can make the tablet uncomfortable to hold for too long, but the handy built-in kickstand balances that out, and you can rotate it for vertical or horizontal viewing.

If you’re looking for a powerful tablet for work, this slate isn’t for you, thanks to its relatively weak MediaTek Dimensity CPU and 8GB of RAM. But if you’re looking for an excellent entertainment machine with the best tablet sound, you should seriously consider the reasonably priced Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2. Find out more in my full review!

Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 is an Android tablet built for entertainment.
• Who is it for? For folks who want a tablet to watch videos and that can deliver stellar, punchy sound.
• What does it cost? The Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 is typically $399 but is often discounted. At the time of writing, it’s on sale for $289 on Lenovo’s website.
• What do we like? We like the giant speaker that pumps out phenomenal sound, the handy kickstand, and the vivid 2.5K display.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like that the tablet can be cumbersome to hold for long periods and that its performance isn’t suitable for productivity.

Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 review: Specs

Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 review: The ups

The Tab Plus Gen 2's giant speaker and rotatable kickstand instantly draw attention, but it also features a sharp, vibrant 12.1-inch display and long-lasting battery life.

Incredible speaker sound

Speaker quality is, at best, a footnote in my tablet reviews, since slates generally produce less-than-stellar sound. With the Tab Plus Gen 2, this is the first thing I want to discuss as it’s the standout feature—so much so that I had already written an entire piece about how the gargantuan speaker on this Android tablet isn’t a gimmick. If you’ll pardon the cliché, the speaker quality is music to your ears.

The JBL 9-Unit Pro speaker system is what makes the magic happen. As its name suggests, there are nine speakers: four tweeters, three woofers, and two passive radiators. Those last two speakers deliver deep bass, while the tweeters handle higher-frequency sounds.

Sound is great out of the box, but to make everything truly sound spectacular, you’ll need to head into the Dolby Atmos sub-menu in sound settings. There are three presets: Dynamic, which identifies the content and automatically adjusts for the best sound; Movie, which provides surround sound and clearer dialogue; and Music, which delivers detailed audio so every note and beat sounds punchy. Music also has presets: Detailed, Balanced, and Warm, plus a manual equalizer.

I’m a hard rock and heavy metal fan, and I’m almost always disappointed by the thin, flat sound from most tablets when listening to these genres. That wasn’t the case here, as everything from death metal bands like Amon Amarth to ‘80s tunes like Stan Bush’s “The Touch” sounded rich, punchy, and loud. Movies and podcasts also sound incredible in Movie Mode, with dialogue coming through clear and crisp.

The presets let you quickly enjoy whatever you’re listening to, but you can also dive into the equalizer settings to truly fine-tune how things sound. Regardless, your ears won’t be disappointed.

Built-in, rotatable kickstand

The other notable design feature is the built-in kickstand. Attached directly to the speaker, the kickstand can rotate 360 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise. This lets you comfortably orient the slate horizontally when watching movies or vertically for reading.

While the rotating kickstand moves smoothly, it firmly stays in place once you’ve set it to your preferred position. And when you’re ready to travel with the slate, the kickstand snaps back into place when you push it inward. This might be a minor thing to some, but rotating the kickstand is also enjoyable since you can feel small bumps along the way.

I enjoy reading digital comics, so I love propping the tablet up on my table in portrait orientation so I don’t have to hold it while I read. The 16:9 aspect ratio is relatively close to a real comic’s trim size, which also helps. Naturally, this is also a great way to read books.

Like the kickstand, the tablet is made of sturdy aluminum that doesn’t bend or flex easily. Even if you won’t hold the tablet very often (more on why shortly), its smooth metal body feels nice against your fingers. I also like how the concave volume and power buttons are on the back and easy to reach when it’s in the horizontal position.

Vivid display

The 12.1-inch (2560 x 1600) display on the Tab Plus Gen 2 might not stand out as much as the huge speaker, but it’s also no slouch. Even without an OLED panel, you get sharp image quality that’s bright and colorful.

When watching the latest trailer for the Street Fighter movie, I was impressed by how good everything looked. The detail and colors on the costumes and super moves pop. And thanks to the smooth 120Hz refresh rate, all the action moved smoothly. For watching movies, TV shows, and other videos, this display gets the job done.

Our lab test confirms what my eyes saw. Color reproduction (sRGB and DCI-P3) is generally oversaturated, which accounts for the vivid colors. Color accuracy (Delta-E) is also on par with other tablets. Those colors truly stand out thanks to the bright SDR and HDR brightness.

As you can see, Lenovo’s tablet quite literally outshines Apple’s iPad 11 and the OnePlus Pad Go 2 in both SDR and HDR brightness with adaptive brightness disabled. In fairness to the iPad, it delivers more natural hues than both Android tablets, since its sRGB and DCI-P3 values are closer to the 100% target.

Epic battery life

If you’re going to spend hours watching videos, then you’ll want a tablet that can last for the long haul. Thankfully, that’s the case here, as the Tab Plus Gen 2 offers astonishing battery life.

In our battery test, which involved continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness, Lenovo’s slate lasted 16 hours at 60Hz and 13 hours and 39 minutes at 120Hz. While the OnePlus Pad Go 2 lasted almost 40 minutes longer, Lenovo’s tablet outlasted the iPad by nearly four and a half hours.

I should note that the Tab Plus Gen 2 takes a while to fully charge. In our testing and in my own experience, it took 30 minutes to charge the tablet to 20%. Though you won’t have to charge the battery very often, just keep in mind that you’ll have to wait a while to fully juice it up.

Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 review: The Downs

While the Tab Plus Gen 2 excels as an entertainment device, it falls short in some key areas.

Awkward to hold

The giant JBL speaker is the Tab Plus Gen 2’s main selling point, but it can also be a hindrance.

Because the speaker adds bulk to the tablet’s bottom, holding the slate like a traditional tablet can be burdensome. While 1.69 pounds doesn’t sound that heavy, the weight distribution makes the tablet feel heavier.

If you rest the tablet on your lap or use the kickstand to prop it up on your desk, then its weight won’t be an issue. However, this isn’t a slate you can easily hold with one hand, let alone two, for long periods.

Basic performance

I don’t consider this a major drawback since this is an entertainment-focused tablet. Still, if you plan to do serious work on the Tab Plus Gen 2, you might not get the smoothest or fastest experience because of its lackluster performance.

The Tab Plus Gen 2 handles basic tasks like scrolling websites in Google Chrome and reading books on Kindle without issue. However, when I opened multiple apps or Chrome tabs, performance suffered. If I wanted to use this for work, where I typically have 20 to 30 Chrome tabs open, I wouldn't have the smoothest experience.

While the Tab Gen 2 matches the OnePlus Pad Go 2 in both CPU performance (Geekbench 6) and gaming performance (3DMark), these MediaTek Dimensity-powered Android tablets still can’t compete with Apple’s entry-level iPad.

Again, you won’t have a sluggish experience when using this tablet for its intended purpose. Just keep your expectations in check if you try to run heavier workloads or graphically demanding video games.

Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 review: Verdict

I’m an iPad Pro user, so an Android tablet truly has to go above and beyond to impress me. And that’s exactly what the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 has done thanks to its amazing sound quality, versatile kickstand, and crisp image quality.

Sure, it’s not powerful for heavy workloads, but if you mostly watch videos or read, this tablet has everything you’d need. The fact that it tops out at $399 is just icing on the proverbial cake. If you’re looking for an iPad alternative for your entertainment needs, don’t ignore the Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2.

However, the past few versions of the Triumph haven’t really hit the spot, lacking the energetic and fun feel of the best running shoes.

A significant update was needed, and that’s what has happened with the Saucony Triumph 24, which uses a new midsole foam called IncrediLUX that creates a much livelier ride than I experienced with the Triumph 22 and 23.

It’s still not as soft and springy as the Nike Vomero Plus or as smoothly-rockered as the Hoka Clifton Pro, but the Triumph 24 is a great cushioned option for daily training, and its balanced, traditional ride will suit a wide variety of runners well.

Saucony Triumph 24 review: Price and availability

The Saucony Triumph 24 launched in June 2026 and costs $170 in the U.S. and £170 in the U.K., which is a $10 price rise over the Triumph 23. Its price is in line with other cushioned favorites, though, like the Asics Gel-Nimbus 28, Hoka Clifton Pro and Nike Vomero Plus.

Saucony Triumph 24 review: Design and fit

The Saucony Triumph 24 is currently available in 10 colors in the men’s shoe and 14 in the women’s. Along with the standard shoe, there’s a wide model and a GTX version with a waterproof upper.

I found that the Triumph 24 fit me well in my normal running shoe size, the same size I’ve used for every version of the shoe I’ve tested.

The Triumph 24 weighs 9.6oz in my US men’s size 10, which is a 0.3oz drop in weight on the Triumph 23 despite the fact that the new shoe has a 6mm higher stack height of 43mm at the heel and 33mm at the forefoot. It sticks to the same 10mm drop.

Upper

The Triumph 24 has a mesh upper with padding on the tongue and collar, and an internal heel counter to add more structure at the back of the shoe.

It’s a pretty standard cushioned shoe upper all round, and I found it comfortable on all my runs, though not the most breathable, particularly under the thick tongue.

Midsole

The big update to the Triumph 24 is in the midsole, which is now made from a supercritical aliphatic TPU foam called IncrediLUX, instead of the PEBA-based PWRRUN PB foam used in the Triumph 22 and Triumph 23.

This new foam is lighter and softer than PWRRUN PB and delivers more energy return as well. It also feels less dense underfoot than PWRRUN PB and improves the ride of the Triumph 24 greatly compared with its predecessor.

Outsole

The Triumph 24 uses Saucony’s XT-900 carbon rubber to cover the forefoot and heel of the shoe, leaving the midfoot exposed.

I had no problems with grip during my testing, and the thick rubber covers the main impact areas on the bottom of the shoe, so it should be durable.

Saucony Triumph 24 review: Running performance

I used the Saucony Triumph 24 for a few weeks during my marathon training, racking up a lot of easy runs in the shoe along with a progression run and a 15-mile long run. I’ve tested the past 10 models of the Triumph, and I think the Triumph 24 is the best yet.

That’s all down to the IncrediLUX midsole, which delivers a great balance of comfort, control and energy return. It’s not as soft and springy as some shoes, but the Triumph 24 cushions landings nicely at the heel, then puts a bit of pep in your step as you roll through to the forefoot.

Although it’s pretty light for a cushioned shoe, it’s not ideal for speedwork — I’d use the Triumph 24 in a running shoe rotation with faster options for workouts. That’s not unusual for a cushioned shoe like this, though, which is primarily built for easy, steady training runs.

I was using the Triumph 24 during relatively high-mileage weeks as I ramped up my marathon training and often turned to it for recovery runs the day after a workout; it’s great for those recovery runs, providing enough comfort for tired legs while still ticking over nicely.

Should you buy the Saucony Triumph 24?

If you’re in the market for a comfortable daily trainer, the Triumph 24 ranks among my top options, especially if you prefer a more traditional, straightforward ride.

Rivals include the Nike Vomero Plus, which has a wilder, bouncier feel that I love on easy runs, and the Hoka Clifton Pro, which is more rockered than the Triumph and very smooth, rolling you from heel to toe.

I’d also consider the Asics Novablast 6 as a lighter, cheaper and more versatile daily trainer that’s also highly cushioned if you’re looking for one shoe to handle all your runs, because the Triumph 24 is a bit sluggish for speed sessions.

If you need more support on the run but like the sound of the Triumph, the Saucony Hurricane 26 is the equivalent stability shoe in the brand’s line-up, and it also uses IncredLUX foam.

Overall, it’s great to see the Triumph return to form, and it manages to bring in a modern-feeling superfoam to its midsole without straying too far from the ride feel that made it so popular in the first place.

It gets doubly problematic when I’m hoping to take part in an endurance sim race, which as you may know, I prefer the VR experience for being able to look into apexes and corner exits more effectively than on a flat screen. It more closely mirrors my real-life racing experience.

But the pain has been well and truly remedied by the Pimax Dream Air. You may have seen that I got to have my mind blown by this headset back at CES. Now, I’ve been using it for the past three months, and can happily say that it is one of the best PC VR headsets I’ve ever used…provided you’ve got the money for it.

This is a pricey system to get. But if you are properly invested into VR gaming, it’s a no-brainer for its stellar picture quality, versatility and pure comfort even in the most intense of movements.

Pimax Dream Air: Cheat sheet

• What is it? This is a premium PC VR headset.
• Who is it for? It's perfect for sim experience perfectionists and serious VR enthusiasts.
• What does it cost? Prices for the Dream Air start at $1,999 with Lighthouse tracking. To get this SLAM version, it'll set you back $2,299.
• What's good about it? That small, lightweight design just can't be beat
• What's not so good? There's no getting around that high price and a couple of odd software quirks

Pimax Dream Air: Specs

Pimax Dream Air: The ups

It’s a VR headset that was actually comfortable to wear for a 12-hour race. The Dream Air transcends the stereotype of enthusiast VR headsets being humongous and unwieldy to become something that is wearable for long periods of time.

Supreme PC VR ergonomics

The visor of the headweight weighs less than 6 ounces, with the total weight fully assembled coming in at 10.6 ounces. Now if you’re aware of the monster enthusiast headsets Pimax has made in the past, you’ll know just how much of a big deal this is — not just to the company but for PC VR gaming as a whole.

It’s a game-changer for comfort and wearability, all while still giving you the same gorgeous display and optics that you get in the bigger headsets (more on that later). Cramming everything into such a small headset feels like unlocking quicker, more human levels of head turning, and a deeper immersion because of it.

And that cushioned front gasket is more than comfortable enough to handle even the longest sessions, such as the aforementioned endurance race or another playthrough of Hitman VR and Half-Life: Alyx.

I’ve seen some of the criticisms — namely about the thinness of the straps and the cabling being fed through the back rather than the side. The first one I can understand, but don’t believe it’s as big of a problem as people say (given the lightweight nature makes it super comfortable).

But the second one I’d disagree with, as having them feed out the back does ensure a nice even weight distribution across the headset, rather than having your head dragged down a little with it.

Gorgeous clarity

But in my mind, while the size is the most visible win, it’s not the main star of the show. That belongs to those gorgeous Sony Micro-OLED panels pushing an 8K picture at a 90Hz refresh rate with a 110-degree field of view.

Whether it’s blazing through the streets of Japan in a VR-modded version of Forza Horizon 6 and witnessing the flash flood of color, or stretching the deep contrast ratio of those panels with the darker, scarier parts of Half-Life: Alyx, these displays are incredible.

Throw in high-quality pancake lenses that ensure no distortion or reflections, alongside the prescription inserts and you’re onto a winner for escaping to faraway places right in your gaming den.

Really smart features

Then there’s the other nice-to-haves that really enrich the experience and make this one of the best ways to play (needed because that price is steep). First is the audio, which these tiny speakers are really impressive with strong bass production and spatial sound adding to the immersion.

The controllers have a nice ergonomic feel to them and I had no problem with tracking them. And shout-out to the gesture tracking, which may not be the best in gaming, but unlocks a more intuitive user interface experience when I was working or just watching videos.

And then, there’s full 120Hz eye tracking — following your line of sight 120 times per second. This enables something called dynamic foveated rendering, which cuts the amount your GPU has to work to render a massive virtual space around you by keeping things in your distant peripheral vision at a lower rendered quality.

In the games that support it, it’s an effect you don’t really see, and it means you can get away with higher resolution settings in these titles too.

Of course with this vast amount of tech inside, the headset visor itself can get hot, as well as the cable box attached to it. Luckily, these are a decent distance away from your face and with the dual integrated fans for active cooling, I never found myself feeling uncomfortable — neither was there any thermal throttling over the entire race.

Pimax Dream Air: The downs

So I hit the checkered flag in my race, played a few more games and started to really think about my experience using it. The rose-tinted spectacles started to come off a little when I remembered two key things.

Janky software at times

Now don’t get me wrong — the Pimax Play app does the job. The issue is it doesn’t do the job all the time.

Some of the UI decisions are a bit weird (such as having two different windows for headset settings from two different locations), and when you do alter particular settings (like stopping the PC from defaulting the audio source to the headset rather than speakers), there’s a 50/50 chance that checkbox actually does the job.

There were some frustrations and moments where I had to close the app through the task manager and reopen it or restart the headset service multiple times. Those kinks are smoothed out eventually, but the persistence requirement of it all did start to bug me.

Very expensive

And then we get to the big one. The Pimax Dream Air starts at $1,999 for the model with Lighthouse tracking (sensors on poles you set up to track around you), and to get this SLAM model (cameras built into the headset tracking from the inside out) that takes the cost up to $2,299.

Make no mistake about it, this one is definitely for the serious enthusiasts. The quality of the experience and the build of the headset itself is going to be really enticing to those who chase that next-level of absorption into their sim games or VR titles.

But if you’re the kind of person who only casually flirts with VR every now and again, the Quest 3 + Link cable is definitely good enough.

Pimax Dream Air: Verdict

I’ve tested my fair share of big, bulky PC VR headsets, and the Dream Air is the breath of fresh…well, air, needed to make this niche enjoyment of mine make sense. Sim racing is a pure joy on something so lightweight, and when you are up and moving around, those dimensions make gaming so much more accessible.

Throw in gorgeous display tech and surprisingly strong audio and things are looking good, but do watch out for the janky software and be prepared to pay a pretty price for it.

But the non-existent bass is a chink in the XSound Go’s armor. There’s no companion app or custom EQ to salvage it either, and the speaker isn’t dustproof. Oh, and it's prone to scratches and fingerprints. Even though it costs just $39, I think it’s worth spending a little extra on a more competent speaker, like the JBL Go 5.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Tribit XSound Go review.

Tribit XSound Go review: Specs

Tribit XSound Go review: Price & availability

The Tribit XSound Go first came out in August 2017, and since then, Tribit has released upgraded versions with internal hardware improvements. The 2026 version features Bluetooth 5.3 and USB-C connectivity. The price has remained the same, and the latest version costs just $39 / £39 at Amazon. We’ve also seen it drop to as low as $24 / £31 in the past.

This makes the XSound Go one of the cheapest Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested. It’s priced similarly to the Tribit StormBox Mini+ ($39) and the Tozo PE1 ($36). It’s also cheaper than the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 ($49), the JBL Go 5 ($54), and the Sodapop ($68). There's also the pricier version of this speaker, the Tribit XSound Plus ($69).

Pound for pound, I’d recommend the JBL Go 5 above all else — yes, including the XSound Go. Let me tell you why.

Tribit XSound Go review: Design

The Tribit XSound Go sports a simple, humble, generic pill-shaped design. The speaker is available in black, blue and beige colors. I tested the black model and it looks… fine. It fits right into most spaces, and doesn’t look out of place on a coffee table. Branding is minimal, with ‘Tribit’ written across the front metal grille in off-white on the black version. If you want a more eye-catching speaker, the 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 takes the cake.

The outer shell features a matte, rubberized coating that gives the XSound Go a soft-touch, grippy feel. Frustratingly, though, this coating is prone to picking up fingerprints, marks and smudges. After unboxing the XSound Go and playing around with it a bit, I noticed my fingerprints were all over it. I put the speaker in my backpack to take it home, and the speaker looked scuffed. Quite annoying. I’d recommend picking up the JBL Go 5 instead if cosmetic wear-and-tear bothers you.

Aesthetics aside, the XSound Go is a highly portable speaker, measuring 6.7 x 2.3 x 2.2 inches and weighing 13.44oz. I’ve had no trouble carrying it in my day bag, and if you’re wearing a winter coat, you should be able to slip it into your pocket, too. The XSound Go is certainly more pocket-friendly than the bulbous Tribit StormBox Mini+.

Weatherproofing

The XSound Go is IPX7-rated which means it’s waterproof and can be submerged in 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. This means that you can use it poolside without any worries. That’s decent waterproofing but the XSound Go isn’t dustproof, so I’d advise against using it on dusty hikes or in the desert.

This is the same waterproofing as the Tribit StormBox Mini+ and the Tribit StormBox 2 ($67). If you want a dustproof speaker that can even withstand tumbles and falls, I’d recommend spending more on the IP68-rated JBL Go 5 or the IP67-rated EarFun UBoom L ($79).

Controls

Controls on the XSound Go are extremely straightforward. The physical buttons are located on the top, and are self-explanatory. You can use these to play/pause music, initiate Bluetooth pairing, swap between input sources, and of course, power the speaker on and off. I found them responsive in my testing, and all my commands were registered instantaneously.

Connectivity

As I mentioned earlier, the XSound Go utilizes Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the SBC codec. There’s no AAC, like on the Tribit StormBox Mini+, or LC3 like on the JBL Go 5. LC3 is a more advanced codec that streams high-quality sound at lower bitrates, making the JBL Go 5 the better choice. You get multipoint connectivity, at the very least, which enables you to connect up to two devices to the XSound Go at the same time.

If you buy two XSound Gos, you can pair them together to create stereo sound. It works exactly as it does on the Tribit StormBox Mini+ and Tribit XSound Plus. If you buy directly from Tribit, you can get two speakers for $71 / £71, saving you $9 / £9.

There’s also a 3.5mm port located around the back and protected by a rubber flap, and this can be used for wired playback.

Tribit XSound Go review: Sound quality

The Tribit XSound Go is fitted with two 40mm drivers and a passive radiator, and it’s got a total power output of 16W. That’s enough for listening in a small room, or at an intimate picnic or dinner party. Treble and mids are the XSound Go’s strong suits, and as I’ll discuss below, bass is severely lacking. To test the speaker, I listened to my favorite testing songs on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for audiophiles.

Good things first. ‘Open Arms’ by Little Simz ft. DEELA proved to be a great track to test the XSound Go’s ability to handle treble. The Afro-tech infused track features fast-moving percussion layers, and the XSound Go handled the sharp snares and claps extremely well. Each element sounded clean, and didn’t muddle together into a hiss. The aggressive hi-hats that maintain the track’s fast-paced energy didn’t sound too harsh, and they didn’t pierce through the rest of the soundstage either. The treble didn’t sound fatiguing at all.

I then listened to ‘Ice In My OJ’ by Hayley Williams, and was impressed with the speaker’s wide dynamic range. Hayley’s vocals sat front and center. Instead of becoming a messy blur with the frantic backing instrumentation, they sounded adequately separated. Her “I’m in a band” screams in the chorus didn’t sound harsh or painfully sibilant either.

Now let’s talk about the area the XSound Go really struggles in — and that’s bass. The speaker has a frequency response range of 80Hz to 20KHz, so it isn’t surprising that it fails to produce deep, rumbling sub-bass. But I felt like the easier bass was non-existent, too, which is disappointing. The distorted alternative R&B electronic bassline in ‘Baby Driver’ by 070 Shake lacked the low-end impact and oomph that drives the song. Through the JBL Go 5, for instance, the bassline sounds powerful and meaty, but I could barely hear or feel it through the XSound Go.

Similarly, the propulsive and consistent bassline in ‘One Inch Punch’ by Yin Yin sounded like it was pushed into the background. It sounded muddy, suppressed and like it was bleeding into the lower-mids, rather than tight and controlled. The otherwise crisp, rhythmic definition was lost, and this made the track lose its agility and groove. It’s surprising that the XSound Go struggles so much, when its sibling, the Tribit StormBox Mini+, doesn’t.

If you want a speaker that doesn’t sacrifice any aspect of the soundstage, I really can’t recommend the JBL Go 5 enough. It breezes past the XSound Go with its overall refined sound.

Listen along to my testing playlist on Qobuz, our favorite music streaming service for audiophiles.

Tribit XSound Go review: App

Though the Tribit app exists on iOS and Android, the XSound Go isn’t compatible with it. This means that you don’t get access to a custom equalizer or EQ presets. If you want a budget-friendly Bluetooth speaker with custom EQ, I’d recommend the Tribit StormBox Mini+, the JBL Go 5 or the Tribit StormBox Micro 3 ($64).

Tribit XSound Go review: Battery life

Tribit says the XSound Go can last up to 24 hours on a single charge and while playing on a “moderate” volume. This is the same as the pricier XSound Plus. Under typical use, the XSound Go should last you between 18 and 20 hours, according to the brand. To test the XSound Go’s battery life, I played music at 50% volume and after about 20 hours, I was prompted to charge it.

The XSound Go, then, trumps its competition when it comes to sheer mileage. In our testing, the JBL Go 5 lasted nine hours; the Tribit StormBox Mini+ died after 13 hours; and the Tozo PE1 netted 15 hours of playback time. The 8BitDo Retro Cube 2 outperforms the XSound Go with its 30-hour battery life, but you’d be sacrificing waterproofing if you went with the 8BitDo.

Tribit XSound Go review: Verdict

The Tribit XSound Go isn’t the worst speaker I’ve tested… but it’s also not the best. Don’t get me wrong: the speaker gets a few things right. The inconspicuous design helps it fit into most spaces, and it packs up to 24 hours of playtime. It doesn’t make treble sound fatiguing, and vocal-heavy tracks are a piece of cake for the XSound Go.

But the XSound Go sacrifices the bass. Lows feel non-existent or like they’ve been pushed into the background. Annoyingly, there’s no custom equalizer (as there’s no companion app) to fix it. The speaker isn’t dustproof either, when many of its competitors are, and it’s a fingerprint magnet.

If you want a better, fuller sound, I’d recommend its sibling, the Tribit StormBox Mini+. If you can swing a few extra dollars, the JBL Go 5 is a no-brainer as it’s better in nearly every aspect.

The Spectre 75 features a built-in LCD screen you can display GIFs on, but frustratingly, its companion software (needed for customizing the screen) is finicky to use. The build and design are nothing to write home about, neither is its limited stock switch choice. But my biggest issue with the Spectre 75 is how it becomes unresponsive after being in sleep mode.

To find out why it isn’t one of the best mechanical keyboards, read my full Tecware Spectre 75 review.

Tecware Spectre 75 review: Specs

Tecware Spectre 75 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 75% layout, hot-swappable mechanical keyboard with either tactile or linear switches
• Who is it for? For hardcore typists and casual gamers
• How much does it cost? The Tecware Spectre 75 costs just $79
• What do we like? The typing experience, LCD screen to display GIFs on, and 1KHz polling for gaming
• What don’t we like? The plasticky build, the lackluster design, janky companion software, and limited stock switch choice

Tecware Spectre 75 review: The ups

The Tecware Spectre 75 is lovely to type on, it sounds good, and it features a built-in LCD screen you can display GIFs on. It’s a decent keyboard for gaming, too, thanks to 1KHz polling.

Lovely to type on

The Tecware Spectre 75 is a fantastic keyboard to type on, so it’s great for hardcore typists (like myself). The keyboard comes fitted with pre-lubed Cocoa Brown (tactile) or Candy Red (linear) mechanical switches. I tested the Candy Reds which require 45g of force to activate. They’re slightly heavier than the 35g Sea Salt linears in the Epomaker RT100 ($115) but even so, I’ve found the Candy Reds non-fatiguing to type on. I wrote this review and another on the Spectre 75!

The Candy Reds feel smooth and responsive to type on. Combined with the double-shot PBT keycaps, the gasket mount, and several layers of foam padding, the Spectre 75 sounds lovely, too. It’s got a deep, creamy sound which isn’t too loud that it disturbs your coworkers, but it isn’t too quiet either, so you can appreciate it.

Speaking of, the double-shot PBT keycaps feel soft to touch. By their nature, the PBT keycaps are more resistant to oil and wear and tear than their ABS counterparts. They don’t get shiny like the ones on the expensive Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 ($149) either.

As soon as I unboxed the Spectre 75, I took a typing test at 10fastfingers.com (as I always do). Straight out of the box, I was able to achieve 93 words per minute with 90% accuracy. Though a little slower than what I’m used to, like 109WPM on the Epomaker Glyph ($139), I’m happy anytime I get over 90WPM, so I’m pleased with the Spectre 75’s performance.

Good gaming performance

The Tecware Spectre 75 is a competent gaming keyboard, packing a 1,000Hz polling rate over a wired connection. Over Bluetooth, this naturally drops to just 125Hz. 1KHz polling is more than plenty for 99% of gamers. I played Counter-Strike 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 on the Alienware 16X Aurora, and I didn’t notice any latency issues or input lag.

Linear switches are usually great for gaming, and the same is true for the Spectre 75’s Candy Reds. I found them extremely responsive in my testing. Tecware doesn’t specify the switches’ pre-travel distance, or how far down the switches need to be pressed to activate them. Even so, I felt they only required light taps to activate.

You also get N-key rollover which ensures consistent and accurate key registration when you’re typing and playing. You can basically hold down several keys at once and all of them will be registered by the keyboard’s hardware and executed on screen. In Cyberpunk 2077, I was able to sprint, jump, reload my weapon and activate my Sandevistan cyberware to slow down time, all at once. This gave me a slight competitive advantage and I was able to run circles around enemies.

For competitive gamers or esports players, I’d recommend a Hall Effect keyboard with adjustable actuation and 8,000Hz polling, like the Epomaker HE68 ($59) or the Epomaker HE65 Mag ($99). If you’re a casual gamer, though, the Spectre 75 should more than suffice.

Customizable LCD screen

If I had a nickel for every keyboard I’ve tested that features a built-in LCD screen, I’d have many. Similar to the likes of the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5, the Epomaker RT100 Pro ($119) and the Corsair Vanguard Air 99 Wireless ($259), the Tecware Spectre 75 features a customizable LCD screen.

Located between the volume knob and Function row, the screen is tiny but bright. By default, it displays a pre-installed GIF, and the knob lets you adjust the volume. If you hold down Fn and the knob, you can enter LCD Menu Navigation mode. Twisting the knob thereafter lets you cycle through the keyboard’s various settings. You can use the screen (and the knob) to adjust the RGB lighting’s effects, speed and brightness, and swap between macOS and Windows layouts.

I found the screen responsive in my testing — it's the Spectre 75’s companion software (that’s needed to upload GIFs) that I have a problem with. More on that later, though.

Low price

One of the best things about the Tecware Spectre 75 is that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. It retails for just $79 at Amazon U.S. which makes it one of the cheapest keyboards I’ve tested so far. It’s cheaper than some of our favorite budget mech decks, like the NuPhy Node75 ($99) and the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K ($114). It’s priced similarly to the Royal Kludge L75 ($79) and the Keychron V1 8K ($74) — though the latter is wired-only.

Tecware Spectre 75 review: The downs

The Tecware Spectre 75 isn’t perfect. Its lackluster design, plasticky build, janky companion software, and limited stock switch choice leave a lot to be desired.

Lackluster design

I’ll preface this by saying that there’s nothing wrong with the Tecware Spectre 75’s design — it’s just very dull and very boring to look at. There’s nothing special about the design. The Spectre 75 comes in either black or white, and they’re… fine? This is a decent-looking keyboard for anyone who prefers something low-key. There’s flashy per-key RGB lighting that adds a splash of color, though.

If you want a keyboard that pops, or utilizes a combination of different colors at the least, I’d recommend the Royal Kludge L75, the GravaStar Mercury K1 Lite ($89) or the MCHOSE K99 V2 ($99). Of those, the Mercury K1 Lite is the polar opposite of the Spectre 75, with a garish, loud design. I’d stick to the Royal Kludge L75 if I were you.

Plasticky build

The Tecware Spectre 75 isn’t the best built keyboard out there. Its body is made entirely of plastic which feels a little too cheap for my liking. It looks like a reskinned Keychron V1 ($94) but without the steel plate. The plastic case feels slightly flimsy, and there’s some flex when you twist the Spectre 75 by its sides. It does feature a metallic knob in the top-right corner which feels premium, though.

Its all-plastic build makes the keyboard fairly light, though, so it’s good to travel with. The Spectre 75 weighs 1.87lbs so it’s lighter than the Keychron V1 8K (2.19lbs). But if you want an even lighter keyboard that also feels premium, I’d recommend the NuPhy Node75 (1.45lbs).

Janky companion software

I’m no stranger to janky companion software, having tested many gadgets with finicky apps, but great snakes is the Tecware Spectre 75’s app infuriating. You’ll need to download the Spectre 75’s dedicated software from the Tecware website, and it’s not available on macOS, even though the keyboard itself is compatible with Apple’s laptops. If you own a MacBook, you won’t be able to customize the LCD screen or upload GIFs to it — it’s worth considering a keyboard like the Epomaker RT75 ($91) instead.

Speaking of GIFs, uploading one to the Spectre 75 feels like an uphill climb, or like Sisyphus pushing a heavy boulder up said hill, only to watch it roll back down. The process seems simple enough at first. Navigate to the GIF tab, click on the + icon, and add your preferred GIF. When I did so, the software told me that the GIF had 61 frames and only 44 were allowed. You can delete specific frames within the software itself, but you can’t do so in bulk. You have to delete each frame individually — and this includes confirming every time that you’re certain you want to delete said frame.

It took some time, but I managed to trim the frames down to 44. I clicked ‘Upload to Keyboard’ and watched the progress bar fill up… and then the software crashed. I booted up the software again and repeated the process, only this time the software didn’t say that the frames were limited to 44 — strange, but at least it saves me a gazillion steps. Again, I clicked ‘Upload to Keyboard’ and this time, it worked (thankfully).

But that isn’t where my troubles stopped. I wanted to test the software’s macro recording feature but for some reason, none of the options in the macro tab were clickable. I reinstalled the software and the issue persisted. I even checked if the Spectre 75 had the latest firmware installed (it did).

The Spectre 75’s LCD screen is capable of displaying CPU and GPU stats, too, but the software needs to be running in the background — again, impossible to do on macOS. Overall, the software left a sour taste in my mouth, and it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Limited stock switch choice

The Tecware Spectre 75 comes with pre-lubed switches that are made in-house. Unfortunately, you’re limited to just two stock switch sets. You can choose either Cocoa Brown tactile or Candy Red linear switches. There are no clicky or silent switches, and you’ll have to buy your preferred ones separately.

Thankfully, the Spectre 75 is hot-swappable and compatible with south-facing 5-pin mechanical switches. It’s nice to see a budget keyboard offering hot-swappability when some pricey keyboards don’t (looking at you, Turtle Beach Command Series KB5). If you want more stock switch choice at checkout, I’d recommend the Keychron V1 8K.

Not the most responsive when waking

The last nail in the Tecware Spectre 75’s coffin is its tendency to not respond when it’s waking from sleep mode. In my testing, over Bluetooth and a wired connection, the keyboard wouldn’t respond after my laptop — and therefore, the Spectre 75 — had been asleep for a while. Though it didn’t happen all the time, I had to reconnect the keyboard a few times to get it working again. I tested this on macOS and Windows machines and had the same issue each time.

I haven’t had this issue with other mechanical keyboards I’ve tested. For that reason, and everything else I’ve mentioned up until now, I’d recommend the Keychron V1 8K or the Royal Kludge L75. I’ve tested both keyboards extensively and neither of them have given me this much grief.

I've reached out to Tecware's representative about this issue, to see whether it's limited to my review unit alone.

Tecware Spectre 75 review: Verdict

The Tecware Spectre 75 is a decent mechanical keyboard for typing and casual gaming, thanks to its responsive linear switches and 1,000Hz polling rate. It features an LCD screen that you can view keyboard and system stats on, or display GIFs on, too.

But there isn’t much else to like about the Spectre 75. The companion software needed to customize the screen is janky and frustrating to use, while the keyboard itself sports a lackluster design and plasticky build. You’re limited to just two stock switch sets, too. I also struggled with the keyboard becoming unresponsive in my testing.

While $79 isn’t a high asking price, you can get better value for your money elsewhere. The Keychron V1 8K and the Royal Kludge L75 are fantastic keyboards under $80, and are much better choices if you want a feature-packed deck.

Is there anything wrong with it? Not particularly. Its 4K panel is neither the brightest nor the dullest in its weight class, and the price tag may make your eye twitch. Neither of these are outright dealbreakers, though. If you’re a professional looking for a monitor that doesn’t skimp on features, this is the one.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Dell UltraSharp U3226Q review.

Dell UltraSharp U3226Q review: Specs

Dell UltraSharp U3226Q review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 32-inch QD-OLED monitor with a 4K UHD resolution
• Who is it for? For professional photographers, editors, creatives and everyone in between
• How much does it cost? It ain’t cheap — the Dell UltraSharp U3226Q costs $2,499 / £2,404
• What do we like? The built-in colorimeter, outstanding color coverage and accuracy, 120Hz refresh rate, and the wide array of ports
• What don’t we like? The eye-watering price tag

Dell UltraSharp U3226Q review: The ups

The question isn’t, “What can the Dell UltraSharp U3226Q do?” It’s what it can’t do. Excellent color coverage and accuracy, a built-in colorimeter, plenty of color modes and ports, 120Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time. It’s got it all.

Pro features for the pros

There’s no doubt that the Dell UltraSharp U3226Q is a pro monitor meant for pros, and one quick glance at its specs sheet tells you as much. Alongside outstanding color coverage and accuracy (more on that shortly), the U3226Q features seven color factory-calibrated modes as well as six customizable ones. The seven modes include DCI-P3, Display P3, sRGB, BT.709, BT.2020, and Adobe RGB (with D50 and D65 white points). These make the U3226Q excellent for digital as well as print editing.

The U3226Q is a self-calibrating monitor, which means that it features a built-in colorimeter that automatically tests and adjusts the display’s color accuracy. You can choose between Express and Comprehensive self-calibration via the U3226Q’s menu. Once you’ve selected it, the U3226Q will calibrate itself to maintain its outstanding performance day in and out. This is very handy for professional editors, and it’s something that isn’t even offered by expensive monitors, like the Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,299).

Other key features for those who plan on staring at the screen for up to eight hours a day include a TÜV 4-star certification for enhanced eye comfort, and low blue light technology which reduces harmful blue light emissions to ≤35%. The 4K UHD panel features an anti-glare coating, too, which ensures clear visuals and consistent colors in any lighting conditions. Having used the monitor for a week, I can confirm that my eyes didn’t feel fatigued at all.

Dell also includes a monitor hood in the box which you can magnetically snap on to the U3226Q’s bezels. It helps minimize glare from overhead lighting, negates visual distractions, and helps improve color accuracy. All in all, the U3226Q is a fantastic package and really doesn’t give you much to complain about.

Outstanding color coverage and accuracy

Now we’re on to the meat of this review. How’s the Dell UltraSharp U3226Q’s color coverage and accuracy? Outstanding, in one word. The U3226Q’s 4K QD-OLED panel has a resolution of 3840 x 2160, and it’s gorgeous to look at. It features 10-bit color depth which means it’s capable of displaying 1.07 billion individual hues.

Dell says that the U3226Q “delivers vibrant visuals and true-to-life colors,” and my lab tests confirmed it. I’ve lab-tested plenty of monitors, and the U3226Q boasts the best color coverage and accuracy. As you can see from the table above, it covers 188.8% of the sRGB space and 133.7% of the wider DCI P3 gamut. It upstages the Apple Studio Display XDR (which doesn’t even cover 100% of the DCI P3 color space), and all of BenQ’s monitors on the list.

Color accuracy is phenomenal, too. The U3226Q achieved a Delta-E score of 0.08 in my lab test. Delta E is a numerical representation of how much two colors differ, and it tells you how close the color relayed on the monitor is to the output from the source or laptop. You ideally want the score to be as close to zero as possible. 0.08 is, then, excellent, as it ascertains that the colors the U3226Q is displaying are extremely accurate. Again, Dell’s offering trumps the pricier Apple Studio Display XDR. The only monitor that beats it is the Dell Pro P3426WEV ($749) with its 0.05 score — but the difference is negligible.

In real-world use, I’ve loved using the U3226Q for work, watching 4K YouTube videos, and playing games. Colors appear bright and vivid. Blues and greens are deep; reds are rich; and blacks are inky and deep. Highlights don’t appear too sharp in 4K videos either, making for an enjoyable and immersive watching experience. I used the monitor to edit some photos for my photography Instagram account, too, and knowing that the colors were as accurate as they could be helped me color-grade confidently.

Ports galore!

Dell hasn’t skimped on the UltraSharp U3226Q’s ports, and you get everything you could ask for and more. Most of the ports are located on the back. There’s obviously a power port and located next to it are two HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort 1.4, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports. One of the Thunderbolts is an upstream, DisplayPort Alt Mode port with 140W of power delivery, while the other is a downstream, daisy-chaining port with 15W of power delivery.

Just like on the Dell Pro P3426WEV, the DisplayPort Alt Mode enables the USB-C port to receive video signals using the DisplayPort protocol. It offers higher data bandwidth, and allows you to daisy-chain multiple monitors from a single port, too. Not only does this help you cut down on cables (who doesn’t love a bit of effective cable management?), it’s also handy if you’re routing graphics through a docking station via USB-C as you can continue accessing DisplayPort’s high resolutions and refresh rates.

In addition to that, two USB-A downstream ports with 10Gbps speeds are also located on the back, as well as an RJ45 Ethernet one. Similar to the P3426WEV, the U3226Q features a pop-out port housing on the monitor’s bottom edge. Pushing it reveals a panel with a downstream USB-A and two USB-C ports (27W power delivery), each with 10Gbps speeds.

Similar to the BenQ Creative Pro PD2732U ($799), the U3226Q packs Smart KVM, too, which enables you to use a single keyboard and mouse with two computers when they’re hooked up to the monitor. It’s great for those who work across multiple computers.

For the casual gamers, too

Though the Dell UltraSharp U3226Q is a monitor for professionals, it’s a competent gaming machine, too. It packs a 120Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time, which is more than sufficient for most casual gamers.

Motion isn’t as silky smooth as on monitors with extremely high refresh rates, like the MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 (360Hz, $949) and the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 (500Hz, $749), but it’s still excellent. I didn’t notice any choppiness while playing Forza Horizon 5 and Counter-Strike 2, and I was comfortably running 100-115fps in the latter. Thanks to the 0.03ms response time — same as on the MSI X36 — I didn’t experience any motion blur or noticeable ghosting either.

Dell UltraSharp U3226Q review: The downs

The Dell UltraSharp U3226Q doesn’t have many flaws. It’s expensive, and the 4K panel’s brightness is neither the best nor the worst.

Middle-of-the-road brightness

The Dell UltraSharp U3226Q is neither the brightest nor the dimmest monitor — it does well against some competitors while not performing that formidably against others. In my lab tests, the U3226Q achieved a peak brightness of 295.4 nits in SDR and 425 nits in HDR (10% window size).

When it comes to both SDR and HDR results, the U3226Q upstages the BenQ PD2732U, the Dell Pro P3426WEV, the BenQ PD2730S ($1,199) and the BenQ PD3226G ($1,099), as you can see in the table below. The P3426WEV doesn’t even support HDR, giving the U3226Q a leg-up.

However, the BenQ MA270S ($999), the Apple Studio Display ($1,499) and the Apple Studio Display XDR outperform the U3226Q when it comes to Standard Dynamic Range. It isn’t surprising that the Apple Studio Display XDR does this (as it’s more expensive) but it’s disappointing that the U3226Q doesn’t get as bright as the MA270S, which is half the U3226Q’s price.

I don’t think this is necessarily a dealbreaker as you shouldn’t have your brightness turned all the way up anyway when editing photos, and this is a professional studio monitor after all. In real-world use, I had no problem using this monitor and clearly seeing what was on screen under bright studio lights. Of course, if you want a monitor with a brighter panel, I can’t recommend the MA270S enough.

Ridonculous price

As you’ve seen so far, the Dell UltraSharp U3226Q is not your average monitor, and it packs pro features that make it suitable for professionals… and it’s got a price tag to match. The U3226Q doesn’t come cheap. It has a retail price of $2,499 at B&H Photo / £2,404 at Dell U.K., making it one of the most expensive monitors I’ve tested so far.

This makes the U3226Q more expensive than some of the other productivity- and photography-focused monitors I’ve tested, like the BenQ MA270S ($999), the BenQ PD2732U ($799), the Dell Pro P3426WEV ($749) and the Alogic Edge 40-inch 5K Ultrawide ($1,499). The U3226Q is slightly cheaper than the Apple Studio Display XDR ($3,499), though, if that’s any consolation.

Dell UltraSharp U3226Q review: Verdict

For professional photographers, colorists and editors, the Dell UltraSharp U3226Q checks nearly every box. Stupendous color accuracy and coverage, self-calibration, a stunning QD-OLED display, and more ports than you could ask for make it a winner. For casual gamers, there’s a 120Hz refresh rate and response time of 0.03ms, too, so what more could you want?

You’re paying a premium for all the pro features, though, and the U3226Q costs $2,500. While it’s a lot, I think the U3226Q does plenty to justify it. The built-in colorimeter for self-calibration ensures color accuracy over time, thereby increasing the monitor’s lifespan. At the end of the day, the U3226Q is the monitor for professionals, and it’s the display I’d personally buy.

But is that enough to be considered one of the best in 2026, when the competition is so fierce? The KB5 is competent but its flaws are difficult to overlook when it costs nearly $150. It’s wired only; it isn’t hot-swappable; and its touchscreen can be sluggish. Of course, if none of those matter to you, and you’ve got the cash, the KB5 is still an okay choice for gaming and productivity.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: Specs

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A full-size mechanical keyboard with a customizable touchscreen
• Who is it for? Gamers and typists alike
• How much does it cost? The Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 is available for $149 / £139
• What do we like? The sturdy build, 8KHz polling for gaming, responsive switches, and customizable touchscreen
• What don’t we like? The wired-only and non-hot-swappable design, sometimes sluggish touchscreen, and hefty price tag

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: The ups

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 is well-built and it’s a joy to type on. 8,000Hz polling and ReacTap make it great for gaming, and the customizable touchscreen lets you make changes on the fly.

Sturdy construction

The KB5 is part of Turtle Beach’s Command Series, so it shares a lot of similarities with the KB7 TKL ($199) — one of them being the sturdy construction. Just like the KB7 TKL, the KB5 is made of an anodized aluminum top plate and a plastic chassis. There’s no flex in the body and no rattling. The aluminum plate gives the keyboard some heft too, as the KB5 weighs 2.43lbs (with the included palm rest). Though a little heavy, the KB5 is nowhere near as gargantuan as some of Keychron’s all-metal keyboards, like the Q65 Max (5.33lbs, $209) and the Q3 Ultra 8K (3.9lbs, $229).

As a full-size 100% keyboard, the KB5 has a large desk footprint too, measuring 18.78 x 10.12 x 1.06 inches (with palm rest), so it’s best suited to staying put at your desk. Given its length, the KB5 didn’t fit into my day bag. The keyboard’s wired-only nature may make you reluctant to travel with it anyway.

Adding to the KB5’s appeal are its double-shot PBT keycaps which are more resistant to oil, wear and tear compared to their ABS counterparts. It’s nice to see Turtle Beach do away with the ABS keycaps its Vulcan II Max ($229) uses — they get very shiny with fingerprints.

I also like the notched clickable volume barrel located right above the first four Function keys. You can use this to adjust the volume and mute playback (or remap it completely in Swarm II). Rolling its barrel is what I’d imagine the thrust lever on an airplane would feel like.

Excellent for typing

Though the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 is primarily a gaming keyboard, it’s a sheer delight to type on. While its clacky, hollow sound profile is nothing to write home about, it still offers an enjoyable typing experience. Its Titan low-profile mechanical switches have a pre-travel distance of 1.2mm (total 3.1mm) which means that they don’t need to be pressed all the way down to activate. This helps you type faster, and even after a full day’s worth of typing, my fingers and hands didn’t feel fatigued.

I put the KB5 through its paces by taking a typing test at 10fastfingers.com as soon as I unboxed the keyboard. I wasn’t expecting to type as fast as I did, because the KB5 isn’t marketed as a productivity deck, and yet, I was able to achieve 108 words per minute with 97% accuracy. The keyboard upstaged all but one deck when it came to sheer speed: the Epomaker Glyph ($139). Color me impressed!

8,000Hz polling and ReacTap

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB5’s biggest selling point is its 8,000Hz polling rate. Though impressive, 8KHz polling is overkill for 99% of gamers, and is an unnecessary drain on system resources. For most gamers, including myself, 1KHz polling is more than sufficient. You won’t notice latency issues or input lag regardless.

Still, I tested the KB5’s 8KHz polling by playing Counter-Strike 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 on the Alienware 16X Aurora. As predicted, there were no latency issues to make a big song and dance about. All of my commands were promptly registered. I found the Titan low-profile linear switches extremely responsive too, and their 1.3mm pre-travel distance meant that I could lightly tap one key after another to execute a series of actions in quick succession.

You can also enable ReacTap by tapping the screen’s left edge and swiping left. ReacTap is Turtle Beach’s term for Last Key Prioritization (LKP), and it’s a type of Simultaneous Opposite Key Detection (SOCD) resolution. As you can probably tell by the name, it prioritizes the last key pressed, and I primarily use it for counter-strafing. Basically, if you hold down A and press D, the LKP resolution overrides A and instantly registers D (or vice versa). Doing so results in an immediate end to movement and therefore accuracy penalties in titles that have inertia in their movement mechanics, like Counter-Strike 2 (where LKP will get you kicked) and Valorant.

The KB5 features five dedicated macro keys too, located on the keyboard’s left-hand side. These can be configured to execute commands with just the tap of a button. You can use these to launch another program, record the last 30 seconds of gameplay, what-have-you. Four different commands can be bound to each key, and these layers can be accessed via key combinations, such as holding down Caps Lock / Easy Shift [+].

These macro keys are useful in both gaming and productivity, and you can assign work- or game-specific commands and save them to five customizable profiles.

Built-in touchscreen for on-the-fly customization

LCD and even OLED screens are becoming more and more common on keyboards. We’ve seen them on the likes of the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro ($189), the Epomaker RT100 Pro ($119), and now the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5. Unlike the large 4.3-inch touchscreen on the Turtle Beach Command Series KB7 TKL, the KB5’s 2.4-inch is much smaller but useful nonetheless.

The KB5’s touchscreen enables you to make adjustments to the keyboard’s settings on the fly and without having to launch Swarm II every time. You can use it to record macros, swap between five profiles, launch apps, manage audio playback, and more. Annoyingly, though, you can’t adjust the polling rate via the screen itself, and this can be done via Swarm II only.

The touchscreen’s layout can be changed, too, and you’ll need to download the user-friendly Swarm II in order to do so. Via the Windows-only software (sorry, macOS users), you can add your preferred widgets to the screen, or select a preset template (productivity- or gaming-focused). If you play a lot of Counter-Strike, you might like the ‘KB5 CS’ preset, which displays stats like equipped weapon, bullets remaining, and total kills.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: The downs

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 isn’t hot-swappable, can’t be used wirelessly, and its touchscreen can be finicky at times, so is it worth the premium? I’m not convinced.

Sluggish touchscreen

While the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5’s touchscreen is useful and behaves well for the most part, I found it sluggish at times. In my testing, I found that the touchscreen would randomly freeze and get stuck on one page, and I also noticed that my commands weren’t always registered. I had to tap a couple of times to get the touchscreen to skip the song I was listening to, for instance. Yes, even after updating the keyboard’s firmware, these issues didn’t magically disappear.

Wired-only

Sadly, the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 is a wired-only keyboard so there’s no Bluetooth wireless connectivity. That also means the keyboard is designed to stay put at your desk. This isn’t necessarily a flaw but it’s disappointing given that so many mechanical keyboards today are wireless. This becomes an even bigger problem when you realize how expensive the KB5 is (more on that in a second).

If you want a wireless mechanical keyboard with 8,000Hz polling, I’d recommend the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K which features high polling over both wired and wireless connections. However, as I said earlier, 8,000Hz polling is overkill for most people anyway.

Not hot-swappable

Okay, so the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 is wired-only. Big deal. But my biggest gripe with the keyboard is that its switches aren’t hot-swappable. I find that surprising in 2026, when most keyboards (especially in this price range) are hot-swappable. Because the KB5 isn’t, you can’t change its switches by simply popping them out — you’ll need to de- and re-solder them to the PCB which is not only time-consuming, but it requires specialist tools and skill, too.

This means that if, say, one switch stops working, you’ll have to take the entire keyboard apart. I also feel like if you’re spending short of $150 on a keyboard, the least you should expect is hot-swappable switches. If this irks you as much as it does me, I’d again recommend the Keychron V1 Ultra 8K, the Keychron C1 Pro 8K ($54) or the Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro (which does enough to justify its $189 price tag).

Expensive for what you get

This brings me to my last argument: the Turtle Beach Command Series KB5’s price tag. The keyboard retails for $149 / £139 at Amazon, which is quite steep given that the keyboard is wired-only and isn’t hot-swappable. Its touchscreen, though useful, can be sluggish and is also heavily reliant on Swarm II, which isn’t available on macOS.

When brands like Epomaker and Keychron continue making powerful keyboards for a fraction of the KB5’s price, Turtle Beach’s offering is a hard sell. The Keychron V1 Ultra 8K, the Keychron C1 Pro 8K, and the Epomaker P65 ($119) are much easier to recommend. Heck, even some outstanding Hall Effect decks, like the Epomaker HE68 ($59), offer exceptional value for money while being cheaper than the KB5.

Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 review: Verdict

The Turtle Beach Command Series KB5 isn’t a bad keyboard — quite the opposite in fact. It boasts strong gaming performance thanks to features like 8,000Hz polling and ReacTap. It’s good for typing, too, and it’s fitted with a responsive touchscreen that lets you make adjustments on the go.

At the end of the day, though, are those features enough to justify the $150 asking price? The KB5, though well-built and capable, isn’t hot-swappable, and when its competitors are offering 8KHz polling over wireless connections, the KB5’s wired-only design leaves a lot to be desired. The sluggish touchscreen is frustrating at this price point, too. You’d be better off with the Keychron V1 8K, if it’s a bang-for-your-buck mechanical deck you’re after.