As a Formula 1 engine ripped through the center channel of the new Sonos Beam Ultra, I decided I simply was not audibly immersed enough. I picked up two Sonos Play speakers from a side shelf and set them down on a long table behind the couch.

Without touching a phone or digging through a settings menu, the Sonos system registered a subtle, satisfying "boop." The accelerometers inside the portables recognized they’d been placed down, fired off an imperceptible ultrasonic chirp to locate the soundbar and instantly reconfigured themselves into active rear surround channels.

But remembering I was in a public setting and should probably respect everyone else’s ears, I double-tapped the physical action button on the earcup of the new Ace Ultra headphones. The roar of the race track instantly lifted off the soundbar and dropped straight into my ears.

No Bluetooth pairing screen, no app lag — just an instantaneous network handoff.

After two years of software headaches, this seamless handoff felt like the turning point Sonos has so desperately needed.

Earning back trust with Sonos 27

It’s no secret that Sonos software has faced intense scrutiny from its most passionate users, primarily via Reddit, over the last two years or so.

But rather than dancing around the past, Sonos is framing its new operating system, Sonos 27, as a direct answer to that feedback. In fact, surveying the room, I learned that members of the Sonos Reddit community were actively participating in demos right alongside the media.

"We’ve been listening to customers all along, but especially in the last two years... we've learned a ton about what customers actually want," explained Andrew Sutherland, Sonos Senior Director of Product Management during an interview with me following the event.

"Internally, the way we're thinking about testing and releasing things has really been bolstered,” said Sutherland. “A really good example is the app redesign with tabs in the last three months, which has actually been behind a test that users can opt into and try out."

Beyond core stability and opt-in testing, Sonos 27 introduces open platform AI control via Model Context Protocol (MCP), letting users connect outside assistants like ChatGPT alongside Sonos' own voice engine or custom agents.

"It always comes back to choice and being an open platform for control," Sutherland said. "We don't really have skin in the game to say one intelligence should be used over the other."

Ecosystem-first hardware design

While competitors like Sony and Bose dominate commuter noise cancellation, Sonos is carving out a hybrid category with the $449 Ace Ultra: high-end cans designed to act as an instant extension of your living room system.

"These headphones are definitely the best headphones you can use at home, no doubt. But they're also the best headphones you can use away from the home," Brandon Holley, Sonos Interim Hardware Lead, clarified to me when I asked about Ace Ultra’s competition.

"We worked incredibly hard to make them light, but also extremely comfortable. So when you walk in the front door, it's an amazing experience that you don't need to leave at the front door."

Under the hood, bringing Wi-Fi system-linking directly into a wearable via Headphone Engine 2 required a complete internal redesign.

"You have to get into the radio. That means making sure you have space for the antennas, the radio, and moving electronics so the thermal design works," Holley said.

Acoustically, the Ace Ultra upgrades its predecessor's hardware for a custom-engineered 40mm driver optimized for sheer dynamic range.

"When you're creating sound, you're trying to transfer mechanical energy into movement of air. Power-to-weight ratio—if you want to think about it in terms of automobiles—that is king," Holley emphasized. "You want as much power as you can with as light of a diaphragm as you can make."

Meanwhile, on the Beam Ultra front, Holley revealed that fitting nine custom drivers (including two dedicated up-firing speakers) into the mid-size Beam Ultra meant engineering every component completely from scratch to solve cabinet displacement constraints.

The unseen magic of Sonos Fabric

The thread binding this new hardware generation together is Sonos Fabric, the underlying software capability that lets devices sense each other in physical space. Whether it's enabling portable speakers to act as instant, dynamic rear surrounds or letting headphones pull sound straight off a soundbar, Sonos’s goal is to eliminate manual configuration entirely.

"Fabric is the set of technologies that allows us to be able to do that," said Sutherland. "You shouldn't have to go into an app to set those things up or change them. It should just feel natural in your home. You almost don't want anyone to actually talk about Fabric, you just want it to happen."

When the roar of an F1 engine can jump from a soundbar, route through two self-configuring rear surrounds, and land straight in your headphones with a single tap (all without looking at a phone screen) I’m able to recognize what Sonos is actually fighting for at this moment in the company’s 20-plus-year history.

For loyalists who felt burned by Sonos' recent software missteps, Sonos 27 and this new hardware push send a clear message: Sonos is dedicated to making its ecosystem feel effortless again.

When the sound follows you from the soundbar to your headset without a single glance at your phone, you don't care how complex the underlying tech is. You're just glad it finally gets out of your way.

More from Tom's Guide

• Sonos is ready to steal back the soundbar crown with the new Beam Ultra
• I just set up the ultimate Sonos surround system
• Change these Sonos soundbar settings immediately

John Ternus has finally taken over as CEO of Apple, and his term could kickstart a wave of new and redefined Apple devices. It all starts next week with the "Surprise and Shine" iPhone event.

However, that's just the beginning, and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman just released a massive report that highlights 41 devices that could be released in the next three years and beyond.

That includes new devices like the foldable iPhone Ultra and Apple's first foray into smart glasses.

Later 2026 and Early 2027

Most every device meant to launch in the next six months should arrive during one of two events: the September 9 iPhone soiree and an announcement in October or early November.

Mostly, the difference here is that new MacBooks are usually announced in mid-fall, usually with a new chipset.

The key devices to be aware of in the next few months include Apple's first foldable iPhone Ultra and the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models, all of which are expected to launch next week. There's also the first iPad mini with an OLED screen and the rumored HomePad with a screen, which should be Apple's next steps into smart home devices.

There's also the rumored MacBook Ultra, a high-end version of Apple's Pro laptop with a touch display and OLED panel. Personally, I'm interested in the refreshed Apple TV 4K with a faster chip and more Siri features. Though that has been rumored for years now and has yet to actually be released.

• iPhone Ultra
• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
• Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
• AirPods 5
• Apple TV 4K set-top box
• HomePod mini
• HomePad
• iPad mini with OLED screen
• M6 iMac refresh
• M6 14-inch MacBook Pro refresh
• MacBook Ultra

In development for 2027

Next year is when we could start seeing some truly updated designs for Apple's products from the all-glass iPhone 20 to redesigned Apple Watches and even more smart home products.

Some devices will be a simple chip refresh, like the M6 MacBook Air or the A19 Pro MacBook Neo, which proved so popular the first go-round that Apple couldn't keep it in stock.

A slew of iPads, from a refreshed iPad 12 to an iPad Air OLED are also expected next year.

iPhones will get weird next year starting in the spring where Apple splits the launch of the iPhone 18 series. We should see the vanilla iPhone 18, alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2.

In the back half of the year, the 20th anniversary iPhone could feature one of the largest design changes in years. The biggest is a curvy all-glass wraparound design that seamlessly covers the entire phone. An analyst claimed this design was canceled in August, but Mark Gurman pushed back, saying that it's still on track. There are more potential changes, but the glass look will be immediately noticeable.

We were expecting to see camera-laden AirPods this year after leaked code and videos appeared, but Gurman claims these have been delayed until 2027. The cameras would enable Siri AI to "see" the world around you and respond to queries. People are voicing privacy concerns already, but presumably the cameras would not record photos or video.

Finally, Tim Cook was allegedly obsessed with Apple Glasses, but it's not clear if Ternus shares that same excitement. Apple's take on the form should arrive next year and be similar to the Meta Ray-Ban allowing you to take calls, pictures and videos but lacking a display. Rumors had slated the glasses for 2028 but a summer report claimed Apple was rethinking its roadmap after Vision head Paul Meade left for OpenAI.

• M6 MacBook Air
• A19 Pro MacBook Neo
• Entry-level iPad refresh
• iPad Air OLED
• iPad Pro
• New Apple Pencils.
• iPhone 18 and 18e
• iPhone Air 2
• M7 14-inch MacBook Pro
• AirPods with cameras
• In-home security sensor and system.
• Apple Glasses
• iPhone 20 (XX)
• iPhone Ultra 2
• Redesigned Apple Watches
• M7 Pro and M7 Max MacBooks

2028, 2029 and beyond

The next batch of potential Apple devices could be released any time between 2028 and 2030. Some are chip and OLED updates, but a couple are new devices that we haven't seen from Apple before.

The HomePod on a robot arm was rumored two years ago and apparently will actually debut in the next couple of years. Per Gurman, this version will have a 9-inch display and advanced AI features.

Before the rumor mill settled on the foldable iPhone, Apple's first foldable device was actually supposed to be a giant foldable 18-inch iPad or MacBook. Apparently, this is still in the works and could launch in 2028. Gurman claims manufacturing issues pushed a potential launch back.

Apple allegedly wants to release its own AR glasses à la the Meta Ray-Ban Display. The glasses would superimpose data on your real-world view. There's no specific release year for these, but they could arrive before 2030.

Apple is apparently working on an AI pendant as well. The Apple version would work with your iPhone and use AI and the camera for tasks.

• HomePad with a robot arm
• M7 Max and M7 Ultra Mac Studio
• Apple Vision Pro revamp
• AI Pendant
• Larger foldable iPhone
• Foldable iPad
• MacBook Air OLED
• Higher-end iMac OLED
• Augmented reality glasses

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple HomePad rumored release date, price and all the latest leaks
• iPhone Ultra price rumors — here's how much you can expect to pay for Apple’s first foldable
• Nvidia’s RTX Spark N1X launches this October: My price predictions for the potential MacBook Pro killer

At Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event, we're expected to see the new iPhone 18 lineup — including a foldable iPhone — new AirPods, a new Apple Watch, and potentially, the long-awaited Apple HomePad, a new smart home device that combines a smart speaker and display in one.

Rumors of this device have been circulating for years, but it could finally be unveiled this week. Here's everything we know about the HomePad in advance.

What's this thing going to be called?

One thing's for sure: No one quite knows what Apple is going to call this new device. It could be the HomePad, a portmanteau of HomePod and iPad, it could be called the HomeHub, or — and this would be the most boring option — HomePod Display.

Rumored release date and price

Apple's HomePad has been rumored to launch for several years now — Bloomberg's Marc Gurman originally reported that we were going to see a wall-mounted device back in 2025 — but issues with Siri pushed things back.

However, now that Apple Intelligence has finally rolled out — and there's a new and improved Siri AI — Apple's new smart home device could actually come to pass this year.

Some reports have thrown around a price of $350 for the HomePad, which seems low, given that the HomePod 2 itself is $349; it used to cost $299, but component prices have driven it up by $50 since it launched.

If I had to guess, I would expect a tablet-like device to cost somewhere around $499.

Design

Apple's new smart home device will have a screen attached to some sort of speaker base.

My best guess is that it'll look something like the Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd gen), which not only had an articulating screen, but could also turn to follow you around the room. However, with the advent of digital face tracking — something we've seen for years with Apple's Center Stage feature on its iPads and Macbooks — it's unlikely that the company would needlessly complicate things with something that moves mechanically.

Still, separate rumors from two years ago point to a tabletop robot that can do just that. Whether that's still on Apple's roadmap remains to be seen, as both Amazon's Echo Show 10 and the Facebook (Meta) Portal, which had a similar feature, have both been discontinued.

Apple could also be working on two variants of the HomePad: a tabletop version and a wall-mounted model, similar to the Amazon Echo Show 15 and 21. According to MacRumors, the tabletop version could have a squarish 7-inch display, along with a front-facing camera.

Interface

While the HomePad may have a tablet as its face, it might function more like an Apple Watch than an iPad. That's at least according to one rumor reported by Engadget, which found code references in OS Tahoe with Watch-like "faces," which will act like the wearable, rather than apps on the tablet.

Users will be able to pick apps from a Face Gallery, and the widgets could change throughout the day, to reflect different conditions both in and around your house. Additionally, the device will be able to recognize who's looking at it, and then tailor the display to that person's preferences.

Outlook

The Apple HomePad has been a long time coming, but is it too late? Amazon has its array of smart displays, but abandoned the form factor that Apple looks to be adopting.

Google, too, has also given up on a smart home display. The Google Pixel Tablet was meant to be not just an Android slate, but also a de facto smart home hub when connected to its dock. However, a year after it launched, Google no longer bundled the dock with the tablet, and a year after that, it discontinued the tablet entirely.

So, if Apple does launch a new smart home display, I will be very curious to see how it can differentiate itself from what's come before — and make a compelling argument for why it belongs in my house.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple Sept. 9 event — all 9 new products we're expecting to see
• iPhone Ultra rumored release date, price, colors and all the latest leaks
• iPhone 18 Pro Max rumors and leaks: Everything we know so far

I am a crafty girl at heart — and with that comes a slew of half-baked ideas, a pile of scraps and unfinished projects... but I think I've met my match.

Last year, I had the opportunity to review the Cricut Maker 4, which was my first entry into the die-cutting cult. I had seen Cricut-made projects pop up on my socials, across a million Etsy sellers and in real life, so I knew what the machines could do. For me, it was an investment I had been debating, as I didn't know how much use I'd get out of a Cricut.

However, after using the Maker 4 for a few months, I was utterly impressed. Not only did I continue to use it near daily, but I was always thinking of potential projects and became a regular at my local craft store. Then came the opportunity to try the Cricut Joy 2, which also impressed me tenfold.

Better yet, in March this year, Cricut introduced material and tool bundles alongside the Joy 2 and Explore 5 machines. This meant new users could purchase the machine and all the tools, vinyl, cardstock and more at once, without needing to spend extra to get started.

At the time of the Joy 2's launch, there was no word of the new flagship. But thankfully, the crafting gods heard my call and have officially launched the Cricut Maker 5. The newest generation brings together expanded material capabilities, specialized tools, and an intuitive guided design experience with the accompanying Design Space app. The machine also touts a new lidless design, similar to the Explore 5, and is 30% more compact than the Maker 4.

It goes without saying that I skipped into this review very eager to take it on. After all, the Cricuts of my past hadn't disappointed me so far... but still the question remained — is the Cricut Maker 5 worth the $349 / £349.99 / AU$699 price tag? Let's find out together, shall we?

Cricut Maker 5 review: Price and availability

As with most Cricut machines, the Cricut Maker 5 can be found at craft stores and major retailers globally. In the U.S., crafters can buy the machine directly from Cricut US for $349 by itself, or with the Essentials Bundle for $399 (more on that below). Similarly, crafters in the U.K. can buy the Cricut Maker 5 directly from the brand's website for £349.99 by itself, or for £399.99 with the Essentials Bundle.

In Australia, the machine retails for AU$699 and comes with the Essentials Bundle as standard. You can buy it from retailers such as Harvey Norman, Spotlight or Officeworks.

As the new flagship, the Maker 5 is the most feature-packed device, and its new improvements are pretty notable. For starters, you can create custom projects with over 300 compatible materials, and you can also cut and engrave materials up to 3mm thick — which is a 25% increase in clearance compared to the previous generation's 2.4mm limit.

At launch (September 9, 2026), the Cricut Maker 5 comes in one colorway: Slate Blue. Design-wise, it takes on a similar, compact footprint as seen in the Explore 5 and loses its lid in favor of a flat surface where you can rest your tools mid-make. The machine also has two buttons on the front — a power switch and a pause/play button — both of which will illuminate when the machine is on or in use.

With 13 compatible tools, the Cricut Maker 5 cuts, writes, draws, foils, scores, debosses, embosses, engraves and more, so your project options are truly endless. You can create projects of any size, with the Maker 5 capable of cutting materials up to 12ft / 3.6m long in one go. When using the machine mat, you can cut up to 11.5 x 23.75 in / 29.2 cm x 60.3 cm, as per the mat's width. If using Cricut's matless Smart Materials, you can cut up to 12 in x 12 ft / 30.5 cm x 3.6 m.

When it comes to Cricut bundles, there are a few to choose from, depending on country availability. As mentioned, Australian machines come with an Essentials Bundle, whereas other markets can opt to include the Essentials, Ultimate or Ultimate Plus bundle at varying price points. For the most part, the Essentials Bundle has everything you need to get crafting straight out of the box, with up to 65 projects worth of materials.

The Maker 5's Essentials bundle includes tools and ready-to-craft items such as value cardstock, Cricut-branded Smart Vinyl, transfer tape, iron-on sheets, insert card sets, printable vinyl and a portable trimmer. As for machine blades, the bundle has a standard cutting tool, a scoring tool, and an engraving tool (both typically sold separately). The bundle also features a light grip machine mat and a card mat.

If you opt for a non-bundle package or quickly run out of your materials, Cricut sells branded materials, such as cardstock, vinyl and sticker sheets, along with accessories like additional cutting blades, fine-point pens and markers and activity-specific mats (like a fabric mat).

Additional vinyl or material rolls typically cost around $8.99 / £7.49 / AU$15 for a 4ft / 1.2m roll in black. If you need to replace a blade, you could be forking out anywhere from $37.99 / £39.99 / AU$50 for a Fine Point Blade from previous generations, as the blades are backwards-compatible. You can easily find off-brand dupes; however, Cricut always recommends using materials and tools directly from the brand.

Cricut Maker 5 review: Specifications

Cricut Maker 5 review: Performance

As mentioned, you can customize and create almost anything with a Cricut cutting machine, let alone the Maker 5. For this review, I really wanted to focus on what was included in the Essentials Bundle, as it provides so many projects to start off with. I was also keen on using the engraving tool, as I hadn't done that previously. So to keep it all concise, I focused on two key projects: vinyl cutting and stickers.

And with all Cricut machines, the Maker 5 operates wholly within the Design Space app. You'll need to complete your design and hit the "Make" prompt before the machine will cut it. You'll also need to be connected to Wi-Fi and have at least 3 in / 10 cm clearance behind the machine to allow the mat to glide in and out while cutting.

Vinyl Cutting

Vinyl cutting is as synonymous with Cricut machines as it gets. The Maker 5 comes with a 12 in x 12 in / 30 cm x 30 cm adhesive mat, which makes all materials that cling to it immovable. As with most Cricut machines, you'll need to practice with a test cut, and the app will walk you through how to do it.

This wasn't my first rodeo after all, so I cut my test piece and moved pretty quickly onto the actual design I wanted to make. This time around, I decided to rifle through my old hoodies and cut an iron-on vinyl design to give it new life.

I am a Coke Zero enthusiast, so it made sense to exclaim my love for the drink with a hoodie. After designing and picking out my text, I was ready to cut.

Using the Design Space app, you can create your own designs or use SVG files made by other creators within the Cricut community. For this review, I was supplied with a complimentary premium subscription to Cricut Access — a paid service that provides unlimited access to a library of images, fonts and projects within the Design Space app.

After finishing up my design, I loaded the white iron-on vinyl onto the mat provided and let the app guide me through the process. From cutting to "weeding" (removing the cut vinyl from the mat) and ironing, I had step-by-step instructions, so I really couldn't get any part wrong. Once loaded into the machine, all I had to do was hit the "play" button and the machine took off, cutting my design in a matter of seconds. It was so speedy!

Iron-on vinyls have the additional step of ironing onto your preferred fabric, so I used baking paper on top of my design and let the iron do its job. After a few minutes, I was presented with my final design, and I was quite pleased with it.

Engraving

Look, I won't lie here: I had some human error come into play, but I still think engraving with the Cricut Maker 5 is the easiest thing ever.

I was super keen to engrave with the new machine, so much so that I promised my sister that I would gift her my first creation — an engraved portrait of her dog, Soda. As it was my first time engraving, I watched Cricut's YouTube tutorial, which was super helpful and cracked on with my design.

After finishing up with the design process, I eagerly stuck down the aluminum sheet I was going to use, without thinking twice about its placement. One of the biggest downfalls that any newbie Cricut user can have is not lining up the material correctly on the mat — and I knew better.

Before hitting "Make", Design Space will mockup where your design will lie on the mat. It's totally moveable, and you can change the placement to suit your material. I will claim rookie error here, as I didn't refer back to my laptop screen before letting the machine do its thing and it resulted in my design being a little off-center.

It's not the end of the world — most Cricut crafts need some trial and error before you get the hang of it — but it's something to keep in mind. My design didn't turn out exactly as expected; however, with a few fixes, it would have been excellent.

In terms of the cut, the Maker 5 exceeded all expectations, without surprise. I loved watching how seamless and quiet it was as it sliced through the material. I will definitely be engraving again and taking my own advice next time.

Cricut Maker 5 review: App features

The Cricut Design Space app is truly where all projects begin, and over the last 12 months, my experience with the software has gotten so much better. It started off as a buggy, not-very-helpful app, but now it has seamless automations, helpful prompts and tutorials for most projects.

You'll need to set it up on your preferred devices before getting started with the Maker 5 and you'll find QR codes on the box and in the instruction manuals for the App Store and Google Play Store. Design Space is also available for PC and Mac.

I use the app on my personal MacBook Neo and my iPhone and have had very few issues with it this year. Of course, that's largely due in part to the improvements that were introduced during the Joy 2 and Explore 5 launch in March.

At the time, Cricut introduced "Guided Flows", which was designed to understand what the user wants to make and provide step-by-step instructions from start to finish. Guided Flows show users only what's needed at each stage of the design process and help them understand exactly which materials and tools are required for their chosen project. Plus, you can now preview your design on the canvas by clicking the preview button, and you can find templates for most projects, just in case you need some inspiration.

Alongside this, Cricut welcomed a "Create AI" feature for paid Design Space subscribers, which allows you to generate custom single-layer AI designs. Having said that, this tool might not be the most essential, given the community offers plenty of designs you can use, but it can provide powerful niche customization.

Guided Flows are really a lifesaver for me when starting new projects, and is arguably the most useful feature in the app. If you're completely new to the world of Cricut cutting machines, Design Space takes away a lot of the crafting instruction hassle. If you're a seasoned Cricut veteran, you'll appreciate that the automations take away some manual processes — i.e. Auto Loading and selecting your material.

Designing in the app is very similar to Canva and Photoshop, and you can use templates to help you during your process. You can adjust the size of your canvas to fit a specific dimension — e.g., a water bottle decal or a children's t-shirt — and create your design to fit within that shape. I found the app very intuitive and easy to use, as I am a frequent user of the Adobe Creative Suite. However, a step-by-step tutorial is available in the app for anyone not as familiar with design programs.

There's a wealth of fonts, shapes, images and everything you need in between to help create the perfect design within the app, and there are plenty of options for every user, including those not on a paid subscription. For those interested in the paid subscription, Cricut Access starts at $9.99 / £7.49 / AU$13.99 per month and gives you access to the entire Design Space library.

Cricut Maker 5 review: Verdict

I feel bad saying this in front of my Maker 4, but I adore the Cricut Maker 5. I am beyond impressed. From the included material bundle to the new design and speedy cutting, this machine will be my new favorite obsession.

That said, it is very similar in functionality to its predecessor. If you already own the older model, you're not missing out on much. However, if you're considering the Maker 5 as your first machine or an upgrade from a Maker 3 or below, this is definitely worth it.

Again, the rather hefty price tag is quite the investment for anyone, let alone a heavy-duty crafter or small business owner. However, when you include the Essentials bundle and the fact that you can start creating straight out of the box, the value is pretty exceptional.

Keep in mind, though, that after the bundle materials run out, purchasing Cricut-branded materials can add up.

Be honest: Even with the advent of Alexa+ and Gemini, how often do you use those voice assistants in your home for something other than turning on the lights and listening to music?

UGreen is launching its own smart voice assistant as part of a new smart home ecosystem that could help alleviate two emerging concerns of consumers: ever-increasing subscription prices and cloud-based AI that knows too much about you.

Called the UGreen HomeAgent, the system is centered around a local hub, which not only acts as a traditional NAS drive, but also serves as the brains of your home, helping to analyze security camera footage, photos and videos you’ve backed up from your phone. It can also listen for and react to things happening in and around your house, and then automatically activate smart home devices based on the situation. And, it can even create highlight reels of videos and photos it captures of you and your family around the house.

Tying it all together is its assistant “Uliya,” which will let you control everything using nothing but your voice.

I had a chance to check out UGreen’s new HomeAgent at a preview event on September 1. Here’s a rundown of all the components, and what they can do — and the eye-watering price of its top-end devices.

A smarter NAS hub

At the core of everything is the hub, which is essentially a NAS drive with AI. UGreen will offer three versions, the HA100, HA100 Pro and the MasterAgent MA100, each with greater capabilities — and prices.

At the starting end is the HA100, which will provide the basics, such as storage, smart security, and basic smart home control and object identification. Stepping up to the HA100 Pro gives you more advanced AI capabilities, so it will not only be able to identify more objects and things, but also be able to discern what they’re doing. In addition, users will be able to create smart home automations through natural language requests, similar to what you can now do with Alexa+ and Gemini for Home.

The MA100 will blow past the HA100 models with far greater capabilities, such as the ability to run larger models, provide much deeper understanding about the events happening in your home, and developers will be able to create additional skills to augment the hub.

UGreen's AI HomeAgent and smart speaker

The company’s local AI, called HomeAgent, will be able to recognize people, vehicles, pets, and packages, surfaces alerts for unusual activity, summarizes events, and enables keyword search across recorded footage.

The sophistication of the AI you get is dependent on the hub you purchase. For example, if you get the base model HA100, it can recognize dogs and cats as pets, but it can’t distinguish them as either a canine or feline. It also can’t recognize if someone is running, walking, or jumping, only if they enter, leave, or linger.

Beyond that, it will also create highlight reels from events it records on your local cameras, but also be able to respond to such commands as “Show last year’s ski trip on the TV,” “Where’s the dog?” and "What happened at the front door?"

You'll be able to interact with UGreen's AI through the company's smart speaker, by saying "Hey, Uliya" (pronounced YOU-lee-yah). The speaker, which is about the size of the Amazon Echo Show 5, will cost $99, but can be preordered for $69.

Security cameras

UGreen is launching three security cameras: two outdoor cameras and one indoor camera — that will record video locally to the home hub.

The SynCare Indoor Cam ID500 Pro ($149; preorder for $89) is a 4K pan/tilt camera not unlike what you'll find from TP-Link or Wyze. It can rotate 360 degrees and tilt 111 degrees, can automatically follow people across the room, and has Wi-Fi 6.

UGreen's two outdoor cameras — the $159 SynCare PoE Cam OD600 Pro, and $199 SynCare Battery Cam OD800 Pro — both have a single 4K camera and dual 3K cameras, with a wide-angle lens and then a pan/tilt camera below. The PoE camera has Motion-Activated & Starlight Night Vision, while the Battery Camera has PIR & Radar Detection, as well as a solar panel to help keep its battery charged.

Digital Photo Frame

Once UGreen has backed up all your photos, how best to display them all? The UGreen Gallery digital picture frame uses a 13.3-inch eInk Spectra 6 display with a resolution of 1600 x 1200 — the same as used on the Aura Ink, one of the best digital photo frames. It connects via Wi-Fi, but can also be outfitted with a 512GB microSD card, so you could presumably load more photos onto the device. However, it’s not meant to rapidly cycle through images. The photo frame will cost $299 in preorder, and $439 later on; that's similar to other E-Ink photo frames.

Smart Home functionality

UGreen’s hub is Matter-compatible, which means that homeowners will be able to integrate other smart home devices, and then create automations and routines, which can be activated automatically or via voice command.

At launch, HomeAgent will work with a number of Aqara devices, such as the Aqara Camera Hub G5 Pro, Aqara Doorbell Camera Hub G410, Eve motion sensors and dimmer switches, and GE Cync LED light strips.

Outlook

UGreen’s home-based AI means that any processing of personal information, such as videos and photos, is done locally, rather than in the cloud. That means that the images of you and your kids won’t be exposed to any training models, or risk being compromised.

And, because it’s done locally, you also won’t have to pay recurring subscription fees to save video in the cloud — a requirement of many of the best home security cameras and video doorbells. Likewise, as the hub can also act as a backup for your phone, you can ditch cloud subscriptions to Google, Samsung, and Apple if you want to save all your precious memories.

UGreen is not alone in this approach. Earlier today, Anker announced the MindBase, a similar central hub with a built-in local AI that will be able to analyze security camera footage and control your smart home devices.

Of course, the time it takes to recoup those costs will be years, once you add in the price of not just the UGreen hub, but also the hard drives and other accessories. Even the least expensive hub costs $899, and that's before you equip it with any storage, which itself is rocketing in price. Given the rising costs of subscriptions, though, that break-even point may come sooner rather than later.

Having to pull out your phone just to see the time or check the weather can get distracting real fast, especially with all those unread notifications waiting for your attention. That’s why I’ve been using one of the best smart displays to get quick info at a glance while working at my desk for the past few years. However, those screens can bring their own distractions if you’re not careful.

Adding a smart display underneath my monitor was a real game changer for my productivity early on. Not only was I putting wasted desk space to good use, but I also had full control over my smart home right in front of me, whether I used a tap on the screen or my voice.

After swapping between Google’s Nest Hub Max and Amazon’s Echo Show 8, though, I realized these more powerful screens might be overcomplicating things. Instead of another standard smart display, I recently switched to one that’s part digital photo frame and part retro desk screen. The coolest thing about Divoom’s Times Frame ($169, Amazon) is its transparent display — and the way its backlight illuminates the space around it.

Here’s what it’s been like spending the past week ditching a traditional smart display for one that mixes analog controls with deep customization.

Trading touch for knobs and buttons

Divoom sent over a Times Frame for me to check out in black, but it’s also available in white or pink to match the rest of your desk setup. In the box, you get the device itself, a power cable, and a cleaning cloth — since its clear 10.1-inch IPS display can be a bit of a fingerprint magnet. Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about smudges too much since you don’t actually touch the screen to interact with it.

Unlike a traditional lightbox that projects light outward behind an opaque sheet, the Times Frame flips this design on its head. Up front, you have a transparent display, while the back of the frame shines light outward. Given that this ambient glow may be too bright for some, Divoom includes an optional paper cutout to place behind the screen. Personally, I love the way it lights up the wall behind my desk, so I chose to leave the device as is.

There’s also a strip of RGB lighting wrapped around the left side of the frame. You can customize its colors, apply several dynamic lighting effects, or even set it to react to music. If you find this a bit too distracting, though, you can easily disable it in the companion app.

On the right side, there are two large knobs that can be pushed in to serve as buttons. The top dial controls screen brightness, while the bottom one cycles through clock faces — including custom ones added through the app. Below the dials, a dedicated settings button pulls up a radial menu to switch between clock faces, a Pomodoro timer, and other tools, with a physical back button next to it.

Powering the device is just as straightforward. It runs on a single USB-C cable, and I really appreciate that Divoom placed the port on the bottom-right rear corner. That placement made running a power cable up from under my desk clean and completely hassle-free.

A portrait-style desk companion

Compared to the other smart displays I’ve used at my desk, what immediately stood out to me about the Times Frame is its portrait orientation. While you can’t put it under your monitor, it serves as a conversation piece that fits quite well on the side of your desk. With the Framework Desktop on the right and my 40-inch ultrawide monitor in the middle, the Times Frame ended up being the perfect size and fit for this particular desk setup.

Its 10.1-inch display gives you quite a lot of screen space to work with and some of the pre-made clock faces make full use of all of it. While I tried out quite a few during my time testing the Times Frame, the one that stuck out to me most — Memphis — features bright colored shapes along with the current time and temperature.

Switching between the device’s various clock faces couldn’t be simpler. You just give the lower dial a twist, find the one you want and push in to select it. From the current MLB Rankings to stock and crypto prices and cartoonish takes on popular works of modern art, there are plenty of clock faces to pick from right out the gate.

Although you can technically set up the Times Frame and use it without the app, downloading it lets you connect the device to Wi-Fi, tweak its settings further, download new clock faces from the community gallery and make your own too.

From twisting to tapping

Once you download the Divoom app for Android or iOS and connect the Times Frame, a massive list of customization features opens up. Right out of the gate, you can remotely toggle the device on or off, adjust screen brightness, or configure the RGB lightstrip along the side.

The app’s main hub features a grid of icons covering everything from photo albums to a tomato-themed Pomodoro timer. Along the bottom, you can manage your active clock faces, while the Community tab lets you browse and download new designs made by other users

While the Aura RGB lightstrip doesn’t quite fit the cleaner look of my workspace, I appreciate just how deep the settings go. The app makes it easy to preview different lighting effects, and the EQ Rhythm mode can even bounce the lights to whatever music or game audio is playing in your room.

If you just want to stay on top of your schedule, though, you can sync the Times Frame directly with Google Calendar or Microsoft Calendar. Once I linked my account, I really loved how the transparent background makes color-coded events pop. That way, your upcoming meetings are almost impossible to miss.

From there, I dug deeper into the rest of the feature set. The Tomato Clock offers surprising depth, letting you tweak work intervals alongside short and long break durations to match your exact workflow. You can even use the frame as a digital scoreboard if you're playing mini-hoops at your desk. Divoom has been building pixel art displays for years, and that heritage shines through in the app’s drawing suite, which lets you design custom animations or static art from scratch.

Overall, the software offers far more utility than you'd expect from a device that looks like a simple desk clock at first glance.

All the info without the wake word

Now don’t get me wrong — I still love my smart displays from Google and Amazon. However, they’re often far better suited for the kitchen counter or a bedside table. The Divoom Times Frame delivers the perfect amount of quick, glanceable info without feeling overwhelming. Since you can’t stream YouTube or launch Fire TV on it, it’s also much less distracting — especially once you disable that Aura RGB lightstrip.

While the Times Frame was on the pricier side at $200 when it first launched, it has since come down in price, and you can often find the standard 64GB model on sale. Divoom also recently introduced a lower-capacity 32GB version for $159, making it a bit easier on your wallet.

Even with the higher price tag, what really sold me on the Times Frame is its intentional focus. It might be a simpler smart display on paper, but it functions as a versatile, multi-use tool — acting as a customizable clock, a color-coded calendar, or a high-tech Pomodoro timer for your desk. After spending a week with it, I don’t see myself swapping it back out for a traditional smart display anytime soon. It’s earned its spot on my desk.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested Amazon’s new Echo Show 8 with Alexa+ — here’s how it stacks up to its predecessor
• I put 3 stacked monitor setups to the test and this is the one I’m sticking with
• I screenmaxxed my desk setup by going from three to five displays — but they aren’t all monitors

The promise of many smart home devices is that they can free your time up to do other things, but how often is that reflected in reality?

We could finally be there with robot lawnmowers. I’ve been using the Segway Navimow i215 in my yard for the last few months, and a few exceptions aside, I haven’t thought about mowing my lawn for a long time. But is the Navimow i215 the best robot lawnmower for your yard? It depends on a lot of factors, such as the size and slope of your grass, but there are a few universal takeaways I found from testing this, as well as several other robot lawnmowers.

Read on to see how well the Navimow i215 performed for me, and if I’d pick it over other models.

Picking the right size

When I first talked with Segway about reviewing one of its lawnmowers, I initially requested the Navimow X4, the company’s top-end device that costs $2,500, can tackle just about any terrain, and has independent wheels that allow it to make zero-degree turns. It’s a truly impressive mower — and it proved to be too much for my yard.

The main reason I requested the X4 is that my front yard, despite being very small, is on a bit of a hill that in the past proved too daunting for some robot lawnmowers. However, after running the X4 for a while, I noticed that it would repeatedly skip over certain sections. Confused, I talked with Segway, which said that because my lawn was so small — we’re talking less than 500 square feet — it had trouble taking care of it properly.

Segway then sent me the Navimow i215, which costs about $1,000 less, and is more suited for mid-size to smaller yards.

Price and availability

The i215 is the newest of Segway’s mid-tier robot lawnmowers. It came on the market in 2026, costs $1,599, can cover up to 0.37 acres, and uses both LiDAR and vision systems to map and navigate your yard.

It’s a bit more sophisticated than the i210 AWD ($1,299, 0.25 acres) and the i206 AWD ($999, 0.15 acres), both of which have obstacle avoidance, but lack LiDAR.

An easy — but not trouble-free —setup

Like most new robot lawnmowers, the Navimow i215 has everything it needs built right into the mower, so there’s no need to install a tower or a boundary wire around your property. I simply set up the base station where the robot docks to recharge, and then followed the instructions in the Navimow app to connect it to my home Wi-Fi network.

As part of the setup process, you can send the mower out to automatically map your yard, or you can perform this task manually by driving the bot around the perimeter.

Even after creating the map, it still required some tweaking, as the i215 kept nose diving off one corner of my lawn; I would have hoped its Lidar would have recognized the dropoff. However, all I had to do was go into the app and re-draw the map to shave off a few inches. After those adjustments, I rarely encountered an issue with it going astray.

Obstacle avoidance and mowing performance

The Navimow did a good job at avoiding objects. It successfully navigated around a small soccer ball, as well as a plastic child’s toy, but ran right over an orange ball the size of a baseball; perhaps it felt it was small enough that it wouldn’t be a problem.

However, unlike the Sunseeker X3, which I tested last year, Segway’s mower and app doesn’t mark on its map that it encountered an obstruction. The only indication I got was that the app showed a spot of the lawn that was unmowed.

After scanning your yard, Segway’s mower will also plot the ideal direction to mow your lawn most efficiently. In my case, it was a diagonal line along the long axis. Taking this route also meant it was able to avoid driving directly up the steepest part of my lawn. I still worried about it creating divots in my lawn; more than once, I saw it spin its wheels in place on some of the steeper sections, which tore up the grass a bit.

Within the Segway Navimow app, you can adjust the direction of the mowing, but unlike most other robot lawnmowers we’ve tested, Segway’s app doesn’t let you mow patterns, such as a crosshatch or diamond. Some companies’ mowers will even let you mow shapes, like hearts. While I think that’s a little frivolous, I do wish Segway would offer a little something more in terms of letting you control how the mower cuts your grass.

Smart home and security features

Even the least expensive robot lawnmower will cost upwards of $500, so some sort of security feature is warranted, so that someone doesn’t simply walk away with your mower as it’s making its rounds.

Segway built two protections into the Navimow to keep would-be thieves from absconding with your stuff. Within the Segway app, you can set a geofence boundary around your property, so that if the bot is moved beyond a certain radius, it will sound an alarm. You can set it anywhere from a 33-foot to up to a 164-foot radius; obviously, if your yard is larger than that, you might want to disable this feature.

Should the alarm not be enough of a deterrent, the Navimow i215 is also equipped with Apple FindMy, so you can locate the mower if it goes missing.

Finally, the i215 also works with Alexa and Google Assistant, so you can use your smart speaker of choice to command the mower to start working, or connect it to your other smart home devices and routines.

Bottom line

I was initially skeptical that the Segway Navimow i215 would be able to negotiate my front yard, but the little machine defied my expectations. While it’s not quite as smart as I hoped — it drove itself right off one of my retaining walls — it ultimately performed well over the long run.

I also liked the i215’s security features, but there are still a couple of things I wish were included. For example, the Worx Landroid has an edge-mowing feature, and the Sunseeker S4 will show in the app any objects it encounters in your yard. And, both of those models — which cost less than the Navimow — also let you mow your yard in specific patterns.

So, while Segway has made a very capable robot lawnmower, there are still others that are a cut above.

Over the years, my cats have tested a number of smart robotic litter boxes. They’ve been a tremendous help in saving me from having to scoop litter at the end of the night, but the Petlibro Luma is one of the most advanced models around for a number of reasons.

After having my two cats test this open-top litter box for several months, I can tell you it does far more than clean up after them each time. It uses an integrated camera and leans on AI to not only identify each cat, but to also flag subtle changes in their daily habits.

It’s honestly one of the best robotic litter boxes they’ve tested — and for a limited time, it’s $100 off on Amazon.

Open-air design makes it inviting

For the past six months, my cats were accustomed to Whisker’s Litter-Robot 5 tucked in the corner of our living room. But after I swapped it for the Petlibro Luma and placed the Litter-Robot 5 nearby three months ago, I quickly noticed that my cats were choosing the Luma far more often.

I think the primary reason is its spacious, open-air design, which feels much more inviting than the capsule-like drum of the Litter-Robot 5. Thoughtful touches like a removable step and a generously deep basin also make it effortless for them to hop in and out.

From a maintenance standpoint, it’s significantly easier to detach the litter box container from the base for regular cleaning — a welcome change compared to scrubbing out the fully enclosed globe of the Litter-Robot 5.

Built-in camera and tracking habits

With a built-in camera and the companion Petlibro app, the Luma does more than log my cats’ visits — it lets me keep close tabs on their health. This is what sets it apart from other robotic litter boxes I’ve tested: it actually identifies each cat individually and logs their weight after every visit. It’s so smart that when my cat Andy stopped using it for a week, the app sent an alert to notify me.

The camera isn't just there to tell my black cats apart or provide a live video feed, it also tracks their behavior, recognizing whether they're doing a #1 or a #2.

If you subscribe to Petlibro’s AI Standard plan ($9.99/month), you unlock in-depth AI waste analysis along with seven days of cloud video history. When using an ordinary litter box where waste is hidden or quickly scooped, subtle health changes can easily go unnoticed — making that proactive monitoring surprisingly valuable.

Air-purifier cleans up the smell

Another standout feature is odor control: it’s the only smart litter box I’ve tested that includes an integrated air purifier to actively neutralize smells after every visit. Small details like this go a long way, promoting continuous use rather than turning my cats away with lingering odors.

The air purification system kicks on right as the unit prepares for a cleaning cycle, doing an impressive job of keeping the surrounding room fresh. However, the compact design comes with a trade-off: the waste drawer is noticeably shallow. In a multi-cat household, I find myself emptying the bin more frequently than I would with larger models like the Litter-Robot 5.

Even so, my cats continue to use it daily. And with the current $100 off promotion, its discounted $499 price point is far more attractive than the $799 you’d spend on a Litter-Robot 5.

Apple's annual iPhone event has been officially confirmed to take place on September 9, and it could easily be the biggest Apple event in years. We're expecting a slew of new devices to be unveiled as John Ternus takes the reins as Apple's new CEO.

And all of that is before we discuss the launch of the long-rumored, much-hyped foldable iPhone Ultra — Apple's first attempt at a foldable phone. It's not clear when the device will actually launch, but at the very least, its reveal is almost certainly right around the corner.

In all, Apple is expected to launch up to eight different devices, from the expected new iPhones and upgraded Apple Watches to several new smart home-focused products.

Here's what we expect to see at Apple's 'Surprise and shine' September event, and when it's kicking off

When is the iPhone 18 event?

Apple has officially confirmed its "Surprise and shine" event will be held on Wednesday, September 9 at Apple Park. Although Apple normally holds its events on a Tuesday, the Labor Day weekend means it's being moved forward to Wednesday.

This has happened in the past, and the reasoning is that Apple doesn't want to ask attendees to travel on a holiday weekend. For example, the iPhone 14 launched on Wednesday, September 7, following Labor Day on Monday 5, and that'll likely be the case this year too.

The event is set to take place at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST and will livestreamed on various social media platforms as well as Apple's own site.

iPhones usually go up for pre-order the Friday following the Apple event, but this year that's September 11. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that pre-orders will be pushed to Saturday, September 12.

This year's edition will be hosted by incoming CEO John Ternus, and it looks like his tenure will start with a bang.

New iPhones

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

This year, Apple is expected to launch only its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. The entry-level iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Plus reportedly won't debut until next spring alongside the iPhone 18e model.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are both tipped to feature Apple's new 2nm A20 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island and Apple's new C2 modem. And both phones should get larger batteries.

However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might have some exclusive upgrades, including a variable aperture camera and longer zoom. For more see our iPhone 18 Pro vs Pro Max comparison.

Unforutnately, analysts have predicted that the new iPhone 18 Pros could cost between $200 and $350 higher than the iPhone 17 Pro family.

iPhone Ultra

The biggest announcement of the Apple event is sure to be the debut of the foldable iPhone Ultra.

Leaks have suggested that it will have more of a wider shape, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, with a 7.8-inch foldable display and a 5.5-inch cover screen. It could measure between 4.5 and 4.8mm when unfolded, making it one of the thinnest iPhones ever.

It's rumored to sport a 4,883 mAh battery, the A20 Pro chipset, Apple's in-house C2 modem, and a Touch ID fingerprint scanner in the power button. The rear is expected to come with a pair of 48MP cameras, horizontally positioned like the back of the iPhone Air, alongside two separate 24MP selfie cameras — one for each screen.

Apple reportedly delayed releasing a folding iPhone until it could eliminate the crease in the display, but whether it's accomplished this remains to be seen. Even Samsung and Oppo, despite their long lead time, have only had moderate success.

One downside is that the iPhone Ultra could be very expensive, costing anywhere from $2,000 to 2,500. And a recent leak suggests that iPhone Ultra may not be immediately available, with only "extremely limited" availability.

Just keep in mind that the iPhone Ultra could have a number of trade-offs versus the iPhone 18 Pro, including the lack of a telephoto zoom.

AirPods Ultra

These ones are a little surprising as based on a previous Gurman report, we weren't expecting the AirPods Ultra until 2027 at the earliest. However, rumor aggregator AppleTrack just reported this week that the Ultra version of AirPods will launch at the iPhone event.

The big change with these headphones is they will allegedly feature a camera that will feed into Siri to allow it to "see" the world.

It would utilize a version of Visual Intelligence to let you ask Siri questions about your surroundings or get turn-by-turn directions from the more powerful AI Siri releasing this fall.

The AirPods Ultra has also just appeared in a leaked video buried within the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, and it shows how they'll help you identify objects in the real world.

Apple Watch 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4

Unlike the iPhones, we know a bit less about the next Apple Watches. We are expecting two new models in the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

The leaks have been sparse, but Apple is reportedly not bringing many upgrades this year. The biggest change might be a new kind of band attachment. This does mean that your old bands might not be compatible with the new watches.

Reportedly, Apple could offer a ceramic case option for the first time in years. It should also sport new health and fitness-related upgrades. We already know that watchOS 27 will bring new AI features, an updated Workout Buddy and more useful data tracking. Plus, it should feature better integration with the upgraded Siri AI which we've already seen in the iOS 27 beta.

Smart Home

Apple's smart home ambitions and the rumors surrounding them need to be taken with a massive grain of salt. Leaks have suggested Apple is planning on introducing a suite of smart home devices starting with a revamped HomePod and an AI-powered Apple TV 4K streaming device.

Those rumors have existed for more than two years and largely feed into the company's promises around the AI-powered Siri.

However, this year with iOS 27, Apple may finally have the chatbot that was promised. If it actually releases and works as pitched, this year could actually be the start of Apple Home.

HomePod Home hub

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, long a reporter of the rumored HomePod updates, believes that a new HomePod mini could launch this September alongside the rumored HomePod Home hub.

Several different iterations of this device have been rumored, including one with a $1,000 robot arm. The most common version involves a wall-mounted touchpad or a HomePod speaker with a touch display about the size of an iPad mini.

This device would have a FaceTime camera for video calls and presence sensors to initiate smart home routines.

HomePod mini 2

A new HomePod mini might also debut, but it might not be as big of an upgrade as the Hub. Most rumors suggest that it will feature a new chip and audio improvements.

To be clear, this one feels even more far-fetched than the Hub; the HomePod mini 2 has been on our rumor radar since at least 2023. The current version debuted in 2020, and like the next device, is long overdue for an update.

Apple TV 4K 2026

Like the HomePod series, Apple hasn't released a new version of the Apple TV 4K since 2022. We're long overdue for an upgrade — even if it's only a more powerful chip for stronger performance.

Previously, it was suggested that a new Apple TV could feature the A17 Pro chip, but it's more likely it'll get the new A20 or, to save some money, last year's A19. The device should also get the rumored N2 chip for better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Outside of chips, the big upgrade would be Siri AI, which could let you connect the Apple TV as a hub for smart devices. One rumor suggested that Apple might release a set-top box with a camera, which would allow for FaceTime calls and gesture-based controls.

Will you be tuning in to Apple's event next month? Let me know which device you're most hyped for in the comments.

What we don't expect to see

Even with a huge event like this, there are still going to be devices that won't make an appearance. Due to staggered release schedules and supply-chain timing, Apple is spreading its hardware roadmap across multiple release windows over the next year. As a result, the following devices are unlikely to make any sort of appearance at the event.

• iPhone 18: Apple is reportedly holding back the base model until early 2027 to drive early demand toward the Pro models.
• AirPods Ultra: Rumored AirPods with cameras for Siri AI context are reportedly delayed until 2027 due to software and supply-chain bottlenecks.
• New Macs: Upgraded M6 MacBooks and touchscreen models are typically saved for dedicated computing announcements in October or later.
• OLED iPad mini: The next refresh of the compact tablet is slated for an October arrival rather than competing for stage time with the new iPhones.
• Apple Watch SE (4th gen): The entry-level wearable update will sit out this event, with Apple likely to focus on the Series 12 and Ultra 4 instead.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra leakers reveal new details around release and 'extremely limited' availability
• The 5 accessories that transformed my iPhone 17 Pro Max for under $50
• Ultimate back to school guide 2026: Laptops, Chromebooks, headphones and more

There was a time when the prospect of 2K resolution in a security camera would move it to the top of our rankings. Now, it’s the bare minimum, given that many of the best home security cameras record in 4K.

Ring’s newest outdoor camera, the Ring Spotlight Cam (2nd gen) updates its design and sports a new, higher resolution 2K camera that not only delivers a crisper image, but also lets you zoom in closer (somewhat) to view details. It also has improved low-light performance, brighter spotlights, and can accommodate a larger battery than its predecessor.

So is this the best home security camera for those in the Ring ecosystem looking for a spotlight? Yes, but as I found out while testing the Ring Spotlight Cam, there are a few caveats.

Price and availability

The second-generation Spotlight Cam was released on June 3, 2026 for $169. It’s available as either a battery-powered or plug-in model, with solar and wired versions coming soon. Like other Ring cameras, this one also comes in white and black.

Ring launched its second-gen Floodlight Cam ($199) too, which also has a Retinal 2K camera; this model only comes in a wired version for now, but it has two 2000-lumen floods.

What I liked

Design

The 2nd-gen Spotlight Cam looks similar to the first, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s more or less a cylinder, the face of which has a black cutout running the length for the camera, IR sensors, and microphone. Flanking this are two LED light strips.

The bottom of the camera twists off to reveal the battery compartment. The camera ships with one battery, but there’s a compartment for a second. An extra battery costs $50. Each compartment is spring-loaded, and each battery has a metal tab to lock it in place. It’s a neat mechanism, but feels a little over-designed. A single screw secures the battery compartment cover; it’s a traditional Philips head, though.

The rear has two slots to attach the included mounting bracket; below that is a small recess with a USB-C port, which you can use to either recharge the camera, or connect a solar panel.

In all, it’s a sensible-looking camera. It’s perhaps not as sleek as Google’s Nest outdoor camera, but not as ungainly as other devices from, say TP-Link or Eufy, which have multiple, bulbous lenses protruding from their cameras.

Good — but not great — video

The Spotlight Cam’s daytime video was colorful and detailed enough so that I could make out some features of individuals (such as me) walking across my lawn from a distance of about 20 feet away. However, if my face was in shadow — like on a bright day — it was very hard to make out some facial features.

While the Spotlight Cam can record detailed video, it’s not as good as that of Ring’s Floodlight Cam. For example, in a sample video of my backyard and house, I could make out individual roof shingles in the Floodlight cam’s video; in the Spotlight cam’s video, the roof was an undistinguished gray.

Initially, I had both cameras set up near my garage, and about equidistant from my router (a Netgear Orbi). The Floodlight Cam did receive a marginally better signal — rssi -50, as opposed to -59 for the Spotlight Cam (numbers closer to 0 are better).

Ring sent me a second Spotlight Cam to test, but I saw similar results. I also moved the Spotlight Cam much closer to my house (and the router) to see if that would have an effect, but while the video was fine, it wasn’t as crisp as I thought it would be.

The Spotlight Cam only shoots infrared video at night, which to be fair, was of generally good quality, but was lacking the detail you’d get from color night vision. Then again, you can also program the Spotlight Cam to turn on its lights when it detects movement, which illuminates the scene. In my testing, it was able to add color back to objects as far away as 15 feet.

AI descriptions are neat, but not perfect

If you’re willing to pay up, Ring’s AI does have some pretty neat tricks. For starters, it provides detailed descriptions of any movement it sees. For example, I would get notifications such as “a child riding a bike in the driveway”,“a squirrel hopping across the yard,” or “a raccoon walking across the grass.”

Sometimes, it would miscategorize things to hilarious effect. Once, for example, it thought my dog was a goat wandering around my patio, and misidentified my cat as a bobcat. He's big, but not that big.

And, you can also use natural language search to look for specific events. I could just type in “raccoon,” for instance, and every video of a trash panda would appear. What’s more, this isn’t limited to Ring’s newer cameras; it works across all its devices.

However, this feature doesn’t come cheap, as you’ll see in the next section.

What I didn’t

You need a subscription

Like all of Ring’s cameras, the Spotlight Cam requires a subscription if you want to use most of its features, including the most basic, saving video. Ring’s subscriptions start at $5 a month for a single camera, and $10/month for unlimited cameras at one location. With that, you get, among other things, 180 days of video history, which is the most generous among security camera companies. However, there are plenty of equally capable security cameras that don’t require a subscription to save video.

If you want all the fun AI features — such as being able to see descriptions like “child riding a bike in the yard” or “raccoon walking on the driveway” you’ll need to drop $20 per month on Ring’s premium plan. That’s a lot to ask.

To be fair, it’s the same amount that Google charges for its AI features on Nest cams, but there are plenty of other AI-enabled security cameras that charge less.

MicroUSB and Wi-Fi 4? In 2026?

Confoundingly, the batteries still use a micro USB connector, rather than the newer USB-C. This is a small annoyance, to be sure — you can easily recharge the batteries using the USB-C port on the camera itself, and Ring also ships a USB to microUSB cable with the device.

It's also a bit surprising that the Spotlight Cam is still using Wi-Fi 4, and can only operate on the slower 2.4GHz band. The 4K Spotlight Cam Pro uses Wi-Fi 6 and both the 2.4 and 5GHz bands.

How the Spotlight Cam (2nd gen) compares to Ring's outdoor cameras

With the launch of the Spotlight Cam (2nd gen), Ring now has 11 outdoor cameras from which you can choose — including some that have the same name — though I suspect the older models will be slowly discontinued.

Even I, as someone who reviews these things for a living, was a bit confused, so here’s a cheat sheet. I’ve included the list price, though you can often find the older models at a significant discount. To keep things simple, I’ve only listed the spotlight cameras.

Bottom line

There aren’t a lot of outdoor security cameras with spotlights as powerful as Ring’s; most other companies either have much smaller lights, or much bigger floodlight cameras. The Wyze Battery Cam Pro is one of the few exceptions. It too has a 2K camera and supports local storage, but has a smaller field of view, a less powerful spotlight, and only one battery compartment.

The Ring Spotlight Cam (2nd gen) is a clear upgrade over the previous model, in that it offers a higher resolution camera and a wider field of view. But it’s not a huge upgrade over the first-gen Spotlight Cam Pro, which has a 2K camera, dual-band Wi-Fi, 3D motion detection (the newer Spotlight Cam only has customizable motion detection), and two-way talk with audio+.

However, the newer camera has better low-light performance, brighter spotlights, and can use the higher-capacity quick-release battery, so you can go longer between recharges — unless you buy the solar panel.

Ring often offers discounts on both models, especially during holidays and other events. It’s only a matter of time before the 1st gen Spotlight Cam Pro is discontinued, so it might be worth seeing which is on sale for the lower price before you buy.

A couple of years ago, I reviewed the Schlage Encode Plus, a smart lock where all you had to do was tap your iPhone to unlock the door. Well, Schlage is back with a smarter smart lock where you have to do even less.

The Schlage Sense Pro uses Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology to detect when you’re actually walking up to your door, and unlocks it automatically — no tapping, pin codes, or fingerprints needed. But is this the new best smart lock for iPhone owners? I tested it out for over two months on my door to find out.

Price and availability

The Schlage Sense Pro went on sale in June 2026, and costs $399. It comes in two finishes: Matte Black or Satin Nickel. The company sells the lock alone, or with a matching lever starting at $449.

Design

There’s nothing overly radical about the look of the Sense Pro. Both halves are rectangular boxes with rounded edges. The exterior portion of the lock measures 2.7 inches wide by 4 inches tall, and is about an inch thick — about the same dimensions as the Yale Assure 2. The Sense Pro only comes in black or silver, and only one design; Schlage’s other smart locks all come in a variety of trims.

The Sense Pro’s number pad sits on the top quarter of the front panel in two rows of five. While it’s easy to use, it feels odd that Schlage didn’t use the whole face to make the numbers even larger, similar to something like the Yale lock.

Inside, it’s also standard fare: A large rectangle with a throw to unlock the door, and a removable panel at the top for the batteries. I like that the batteries are housed in a separate, removable cartridge, which made them easy to install and replace.

Installation

Installing the lock was similar to other smart deadbolts. You have to remove both sides, as well as the bolt itself, and replace it with the one provided by Schlage. One minor difference is that you have to connect two, rather than one wire between the two halves of the lock.

You can connect the lock directly to your smart home system of choice — I used Apple Home — but you’ll also want to download the Schlage app and register the lock there as well, so you can get such things as firmware updates.

You can create access codes using either the Schlage app of the smart home app of your choice, but codes created in one app can’t be managed in the other. For example, I created a code in the Apple Home app, which was visible in the Schlage app, but I couldn’t delete or change it there. Conversely, the codes I created in the Schlage app did not appear in Apple Home.

In the Apple Home app, you can specify whether the Sense Pro should unlock itself if it senses you approaching from the left, right, or center.

Performance and battery life

It’s like magic. With my iPhone in hand (or pocket), I simply walked towards my front door and the Sense Pro unlocked itself when I came within a foot or so. The lock was also smart enough not to unlock if I was merely loitering around the front.

The Sense Pro’s keypad was also responsive, I also liked that, after entering a code, I didn’t need to then press another button for the door to unlock.

While the Sense Pro should last up to six months on a charge, I found its batteries had drained to 51% after just a couple of weeks of use. I then switched my Apple Home hub from an Apple TV that I have in my attic office to an Apple HomePod mini, which was just one room away from the lock, but the battery continued to drain at a precipitous rate.

As it turns out, I had the lock connected to both Apple Home (via Thread) and to the Schlage app (via Wi-Fi), which the company says is not recommended — when you’re setting up the lock, you should pick one or the other. However, if you go the Schlage app route, you can then connect it to your Apple Home system within Schlage’s app.

After resetting the lock and having it connect solely through Thread, the battery drain was much less, and in line with what the company would expect.

The company also recommends against using Lithium and rechargeable batteries, so stick with alkalines. Should you ignore the warnings and the lock runs out of power, there’s a USB-C port on the underside of the exterior part of the lock; plug in a portable charger to give the lock some temporary juice to get it to unlock.

Smart home compatibility

The Schlage Sense Pro is Matter-compatible, so it can be connected to Apple Home, Alexa, and Google Home. Additionally, it will also work with AirBnB and Ring.

At the moment, the UWB-door-unlocking feature only works with iPhones. However, the Schlage Sense Pro is Aliro compatible and, once certified, is expected to support Aliro digital keys in Samsung Wallet and Google Wallet later this year, according to the company.

That means that if you own a Samsung or Google device enabled with UWB, you’ll be able to use hands-free unlock; if you have an NFC-enabled device, you’ll be able to use tap to unlock. However, a specific timeframe for the rollout of these features has not been announced.

Verdict

As the Aliro standard — which will let you use any smartphone to unlock a door just by walking up to it — becomes more common in the coming years, I suspect we’ll see more locks with the same capabilities as the Schlage Sense Pro.

However, even now, the Sense Pro has some competition in the form of the Aqara U400, which also lets you unlock your door via UWB and an iPhone. This Matter-compatible lock worked well in our testing and, in addition to a keypad, it has a fingerprint reader, giving you an extra option to unlock the door — all for $100 less than the Sense Pro.

If you've been watching the news, you may have seen the Trump administration's recent robotic ban. In a move by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the ban targets any new foreign-made humanoid robot imports to the U.S. The thinking is that these products may cause "unacceptable risks" to U.S. security.

But humanoid robots aren't the only robots at risk. It turns out the ban spreads much further than you might think. Far enough to spell trouble for the kind of 'bots you may be using in your own home.

Delve a little deeper into the FCC's definition, and you're looking at a much larger coverage of robots that fall under the term "advanced robotic devices".

If they're "capable of locomotion, obstacle avoidance, navigation, or movement on the ground" then they're targeted under the new ban. Sounds a lot like robotic lawnmowers, the best robot vacuums or even your friendly neighborhood delivery robot, right? Exactly.

No more Roombas?

Now, it's worth delving into exactly what this means for home and delivery robots that fall under the FCC's definition.

Importantly, any existing robots previously authorised to be sold in the U.S. are safe. Equally, any robots that have already been imported from outside of the U.S., are currently being sold, or have been approved are also safe.

But any new "advanced robotic devices" being imported, which essentially means any robots being manufactured outside of the U.S., are banned.

This includes robots where "the combined weight of the device and, if applicable, ground station or docking station is over 4.4 lbs", as well as any with "software running either locally or remotely, including firmware and AI or machine-learning model weights" and "a sensor capable of perceiving its environment" or "a component that is capable of providing network connectivity (wired or wireless, including Bluetooth/Wi-Fi, cellular, or satellite)".

Why? Well, as the FCC has said, they consider these robots to pose a national security risk, stating: "foreign-produced advanced robotic devices could be weaponized to directly harm U.S. national security and U.S. persons".

But what's really interesting is what it's demanding companies do instead.

Safety concerns?

A lot of companies like Roomba, Ecovacs, Dreame, Roborock and more source manufacturing from China. Moving forward, they'll need to acquire waivers to continue to manufacture and sell these advanced robotic devices in the US. But, The Verge revealed the FCC doesn't want to ask any questions about actual security.

Instead, the site reports: "The FCC only wants to know where they're designed and made and assembled and tested and influenced, and get a specific commitment to start manufacturing them in the U.S. instead."

So, for now, existing robots in the U.S. are safe. You won't have to hand over your much-loved robot vacuum to security. But it's a huge deal for the companies making them. Any new models will need a waiver to be manufactured elsewhere, and if they can't get the waiver, then they won't be getting sold in the U.S.

If you were on the fence about picking up one of the best robot vacuums or a robotic lawnmower, you might want to act sooner rather than later.

CTA responds

The Consumer Technology Association, the organization behind CES, also issued a measured response on X in a series of posts.

"At CES 2026, robotics took center stage. Innovation in this space is accelerating fast, and the U.S. must lead the world in developing and deploying these technologies."

"CTA supports efforts to protect our national security and strengthen technology supply chains. But those policies should be targeted, transparent and focused on genuine security risks, not unnecessary costs or supply chain disruption."

"The global race in robotics is on. CTA looks forward to working with the Administration to ensure America leads the world in robotics and the next generation of emerging technologies."

"We encourage continued engagement between industry and government to ensure policies advance trusted supply chains while preserving innovation, competition and consumer access to new technologies."

Companies respond

We reached out to a number of companies following the FCC's announcement. Here's what they had to say.

Anker Innovations

"We are aware of the FCC’s recent update. Based on our current understanding, the new rule does not affect the continued availability, use or support of products we currently sell in the United States. Those products remain available and will continue to receive updates and customer support.

"Like others across the industry, we are seeking further clarity on how the rule will be applied to future products, and we will keep our customers informed. We remain committed to complying with all regulatory requirements in every market where we operate."

Dreame

"We are currently reviewing and assessing the details of the recent announcement," a spokesperson said. "Dreame has always been committed to strict compliance with all local laws and regulatory requirements in every market where we operate globally."

iRobot (makers of Roomba)

"We are aware of the FCC's recent action and are working with them to better understand its implementation and potential impact. We remain committed to serving our customers and will share updates as more information becomes available."

Segway Navimow

"We are aware of the FCC’s announcement regarding restrictions to advanced robotic devices. There is no immediate impact to existing Navimow customers, as all Navimow models currently sold in the US have already received FCC equipment authorization. The ban does not affect the sales, service, or continued use of existing products. We are closely monitoring policy developments and evaluating compliance pathways for future products, including the Department of Defense's "Conditional Approval" process."

SharkNinja

“Our Shark robot vacuums currently sold in the U.S. will continue to be available for sale, use and support," a SharkNinja spokesperson said. "Regarding future models, we are evaluating our best options, but as a U.S.-based company we believe we are well positioned to navigate the process to continue to launch new models at competitive prices as we always have. We are closely monitoring developments and evaluating next steps as more information becomes available. We remain committed to serving our consumers and keeping them informed.”

What do you think of the ban? Let us know in the comments.

More from Tom's Guide

• Here’s the one robot vacuum I wish was coming to the US (and what to buy instead)
• The 4 best cheap robot vacuums you can buy in 2026
• I’m a robot vacuum expert, and after seeing this vacuum that can climb over obstacles, it’s the only feature I care about

Arlo has long been a major player in the world of smart security cameras and for good reason. Its cameras have always offered high-quality footage, sleek designs, and advanced features. But over the past few years, we’ve seen more and more low-cost models with similar advanced features — something that has led to the Arlo Essential line, including the Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K.

The new model is part of the third generation of Arlo Essential cameras, and offers pan/tilt functionality, a 2K resolution, AI descriptions, and more, at a pretty reasonable price. Is Arlo successfully taking on the budget players, or should you stick with something else?

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K Review: Price and availability

The regular price for the Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor 2K camera is $49, but it's frequently on sale. For example, at the time of this writing, it was discounted to $34.99 at Arlo.com. The camera can be widely found at most online retailers.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K Review: Design and installation

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera doesn’t break any boundaries when it comes to design, but it still looks nice enough. Like most of Arlo’s lineup, it has a white matte plastic body, with a black face. It’s not the most premium-looking camera, and it doesn’t feel as durable as Arlo’s higher-end models, but it still looks and feels perfectly fine.

Its design is kind of split into two parts. There’s a base, which can rotate around as needed for panning. Above that, there’s a bracket holding the camera itself in place – and on the bracket, the camera can tilt up or down. On the back of the base of the camera can be found a USB-C port, which is how the camera is powered. There’s no battery in the camera – you’ll have to keep it plugged in at all times.

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera is designed to be easy to set up. You can place it on a table or another surface, but it also comes with a bracket to mount the camera to a ceiling. I opted to simply place the camera on a flat surface.

Once you’ve positioned the camera how you want, all you have to do is plug it in and it should turn on. Then, download the app and sign in to your account or create a new one. When you go to add the camera, it should detect it automatically and allow you to connect it to your Wi-Fi network. The setup process took around five minutes, including installing a firmware update that was available.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K Review: Image and audio performance

Generally speaking, footage captured by the camera looks quite good. For starters, it’s decently crisp and detailed. The 2K resolution genuinely helps. I have tested plenty of 1080p cameras and could notice the difference between this camera and those models.

The wide field-of-view, which sits in at 130 degrees, allows the camera to capture most of a room. Theoretically, it can capture most of a backyard when pointed out of a window, however it’s not really built for this purpose (the company makes the Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Outdoor camera for that), and the infrared lights will reflect on the glass in low-light environments, making for footage that doesn’t really show anything beyond the window itself.

The camera has subject-tracking, and it seemed to work well during testing. Decent subject-tracking is one of the biggest advantages to cameras with pan/tilt functionality, as it means that you’ll still be able to track suspicious activity even when a subject would otherwise be out of view.

One of the trade-offs you get by buying this camera over some of the others is the lack of HDR, which can have an impact depending on how you use the camera. For example, it struggled to capture both darker indoor environments and brighter scenes through the window on a bright day, at the same time.

Another trade-off is the lack of a spotlight. This means that you’re stuck with infrared-based night recording, rather than color night footage of any kind. I did find that night footage was reasonably crisp, but without a spotlight to illuminate a scene you will miss out on some details that could be important. That said, depending on the power of a spotlight, infrared is often better at capturing far-away details.

The camera supports two-way audio, and it worked pretty well. Arlo says that the camera has “noise-canceling 2-way audio,” which supposedly lets it detect and play audio more cleanly. In a two-way audio setup, I was able to hear someone in front of the camera, through my phone, quite well, and while I did have to ask them to speak up, the camera’s microphones and audio processing made for a sightly better audio experience than the Wyze Cam Pan v4 that I tested at the same time.

That said, the speaker built into the camera wasn’t as good, and made my voice sound tinier. That’s not a huge deal though – my voice was still easy to hear through the camera’s speaker.

Overall, the Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K offers crisp and detailed video. Only one problem – the Wyze Cam Pan v4 exists, and it costs only $10 extra. I happened to be reviewing the two at the same time, and found that while there are areas in which Arlo does slightly better, like in picking up audio and having a wider lens, the Wyze Cam Pan v4 generally captured far better footage, both in resolution (it’s a 4K camera), and in color accuracy. That’s not to mention the fact that the Wyze camera has a spotlight for color night recording.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K Review: App and smart home support

The Arlo app is generally well-designed and easy to use, and if you use multiple Arlo cameras, you’ll be able to manage them all easily. The app is split up into five different tabs. The main screen is the Dashboard tab, which shows thumbnails for all of your Arlo cameras and lets you arm and disarm your security system as a whole (or at least all the Arlo products in your system).

The other tabs include the Feed (which shows footage in chronological order), an Emergency tab (for getting in touch with emergency services and activating sirens), a Devices tab (to manage your devices), and a Routines tab (to set up automations).

From the Dashboard and Devices tabs, you can tap on a camera to access a live feed of what the camera sees and tweak its settings. This is where you can do things like enter two-way audio mode and control the pan/tilt settings of the camera.

Controlling the positioning of the camera is relatively easy, and you can set a “home” point, which is where the camera will return to after it either automatically tracks a subject, or you manually move its position. You can also set additional positions, which will allow you to set the camera’s position easily without having to manually move the camera.

AI features

Some of the smart features included in the subscription worked well too. You’ll get what are now common features, like person detection, animal detection, package detection, and so on. Obviously, you’re unlikely to use a camera like this for package detection, but the camera did a pretty good job at telling me that a person was detected instead of just that “motion” was detected.

The object-recognition tech goes a step further too – using generative AI to provide a short text summary of what was captured alongside events. I was pleasantly surprised with how well this worked. Here’s an example of the kinds of summaries it produced:

“A person is holding a camera and walking towards the camera. The person is wearing a blue shirt. The scene is a backyard with a wooden fence, a lawn, and some patio furniture. There are also some toys on a table in the foreground, including a pineapple-shaped container and a purple bottle.”

For reference, in the clip recorded I was carrying my camera in my backyard as I was taking photos of a speaker for a review. The other details were almost entirely correct – with the only incorrect detail being that the pineapple “container” (a small kids bubble machine) and purple bottle were actually on a Traeger smoker, instead of a table – but there was no way for the camera to possibly know this, as the smoker was directly in front of the window the camera was pointed out of, and only the top of it, with its cover on, was visible.

And, after all, objects were placed on top of it as if it were a table. When I moved the camera to the driveway instead of the backyard, the camera even identified my car make and model correctly in some descriptions.

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K works with Alexa, Google Home, IFTTT, and Samsung SmartThings. The main smart home ecosystem it doesn’t support is HomeKit – so if you’re looking for a HomeKit camera, you’ll need to keep looking.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K Review: Video storage and subscriptions

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K doesn’t have local recording, and unfortunately, it doesn’t work with any of Arlo’s base stations or hubs, so you can’t record locally at all. Instead, you’ll need to subscribe to one of Arlo’s cloud storage plans, called Arlo Secure.

Arlo Secure gets you a 60-day video history, but it also offers other features. Notably, you can’t access features like the person recognition, or the audio recognition features, without it. If you go for the highest-tier subscription, you’ll also get 24/7 emergency response and professional monitoring.

Here’s a rundown of pricing for Arlo Secure. Arlo Secure Plus costs $9.99 per month or $95.88 per year for one camera, or $19.99 per month or $215.88 per year for unlimited cameras. Arlo Secure Premium (which includes professional monitoring) costs $29.99 per month or $299.88 per year, and supports unlimited cameras. There’s no single-camera Arlo Secure Premium option.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K Review: Verdict

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K is an excellent pan/tilt camera, with a solid app, at a great price. It represents a continuation by Arlo to offer affordable alternatives to its higher-end models – and if you’re in the Arlo ecosystem already, then it’s easily worth considering for those who want an indoor pan/tilt camera. That’s especially true for those who have an Arlo Secure subscription.

But if you’re not already in the ecosystem, then another option might be better for your needs. The Wyze Cam Pan v4 in particular is a better option than the Arlo model, at least when it comes to the basics. It costs only $10 extra, has a 4K camera instead of a 2K one, has similar AI-powered object recognition and tracking features, and even has a microSD card slot for local recording.

The higher resolution genuinely makes a difference, and in general, you’ll get more detailed and accurate images from the Wyze model. The only thing to consider is the fact that while the Wyze model has AI-generated descriptions, they’re locked behind Wyze’s most expensive subscription, which costs $19.99 per month, while Arlo offers it in its Plus plan for $9.99 per month.

Similarly, the Eufy Cam S350 is another pan-and-tilt camera that delivers 4K video, local storage, and even better, gives you AI summaries for free.

Ultimately, if you already have Arlo cameras, then the Essential Pan Tilt Indoor Camera 2K is a good complement to your system. Otherwise, it's worth looking elsewhere.

Arlo has long been known for making some of the best home security cameras — albeit at a premium — but recently it has been expanding into budget territory. The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt is aimed at bringing that Arlo quality to a lower price point, with 360-degree pan capabilities and a 2K video resolution.

The company has both an indoor and an outdoor version of this camera; in this review, I'm taking the outdoor-compatible model for a spin. While the two share most features, the outdoor model is, of course, designed to be mounted and used in a variety of weather conditions, but still at a very reasonable price. It also faces tough competition from the likes of Wyze and other budget models. Is it worth buying over the others?

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt outdoor camera review: Price and availability

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt camera came out in 2025, costs $59.99 — but can often be found for much less — and comes with an outdoor power adapter. It’s only available in white, and is can be purchased at Amazon, Arlo, and other online retailers.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt outdoor camera review: Design and setup

The design of the Arlo Essential Pan Tilt is perfectly fine but not necessarily all that premium. It's noticeably lighter and less durable-feeling than Arlo's higher-end models, though it thankfully doesn’t stray into feeling cheap. The overall aesthetic follows typical Arlo design language, with a white body and black face that should blend reasonably well with most home exteriors. The weather-resistant build handles outdoor conditions without issue.

The camera was easy to set up, too. The package includes mounting hardware, and installation involves screwing the base plate to your desired location, then mounting the camera to that base plate.There's no battery option, so the camera has to be plugged in to work, and you’ll need to place it within reach of a power outlet. Arlo includes a long 16-foot power cable in the box.

The entire physical installation took under 10 minutes. The software setup through the Arlo Secure app was equally simple, with clear instructions for connecting to Wi-Fi and positioning the camera.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt outdoor camera review: Video and audio quality

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt camera is able to capture video at a 2K resolution, and it has a 130-degree field of view, which is wide enough to see a good amount of even a wide backyard, with the right positioning — plus, of course, it can pan for a full 360-degree view, though not all at once.

For night vision, the camera includes a spotlight for color video in darkness. The spotlight isn't particularly powerful and mainly illuminates the immediate area, but it's fine for identifying people and objects nearby. For far-away subjects, you’ll want to rely more on infrared night vision.

The lack of HDR causes some issues with mixed lighting conditions. In my setup, the camera faced direct sunlight in the afternoon, which could blow out portions of the image. This wasn't a major issue for me since my house blocked the sun as it got lower in the afternoon, but if that wasn't the case, it would have made it difficult to see activity in those areas. The same problem appeared in low light situations — if part of the scene was brightly illuminated by the spotlight at night while other areas remained dark, subjects could appear as dark shadows, lacking detail.

Motion detection performance was fine but not great. The camera started recording immediately when I walked away from just out of view. However, when testing from the opposite direction, I was halfway across my backyard walking toward the camera before recording kicked in and the spotlight turned on. This delay could mean missing the beginning of important events.

Two-way audio worked reasonably well. I could hear others clearly through my phone, though I sometimes had to ask them to speak up for better clarity. The microphones performed slightly better than those on the Wyze Cam Pan v4, picking up voices decently well. However, the speaker quality was worse — my voice sounded tiny and compressed, though it was still understandable enough for basic communication.

Overall video quality was good for the price point, though the Wyze Cam Pan v4 delivered better video with higher resolution, better color reproduction, and a more powerful spotlight.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt outdoor camera review: App and smart home support

The camera is controlled using the Arlo Secure app, which feels polished, clean, and mostly easy to navigate. The pan and tilt controls are intuitive to use, and it was easy to set a "home" position along with other preset positions for quick repositioning.

As you would expect in 2025, the camera supports a range of AI-based features. For example, there’s a generative AI summary feature for those with paid plans, and they were detailed and accurate, like most competitors. This is perhaps one of the best AI features for security camera so far, and it can definitely help cut down on how many clips you actually look at, versus just read the description for.

The camera also supports "Custom Detection," which uses AI to detect user-defined events. I tested this by setting up detection for "toys left on the grass" that might interfere with my robotic lawn mower. Setup involved taking snapshots of what I wanted to detect versus what I didn't want detected, along with writing a short description. While the feature worked, it triggered incorrectly fairly often, though usually because something else was on the grass rather than complete false positives. It's largely designed for things like leaving a garage door open or a gate open.

Everything else about the app is pretty straightforward. You can set motion detection zones, spotlight settings, and so on. AI-powered alerts for people, animals, and packages require an Arlo Secure subscription -- and without it, you'll only receive generic motion notifications.

The camera can work with Alexa or Google Home, but it doesn't support HomeKit. Within Google Home and Alexa, you'll be able to see feeds from your cameras alongside your other devices, but you'll still need the Arlo app for things like setting the camera up and tweaking settings.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt outdoor camera review: Storage and subscription plans

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt doesn't have any form of local storage — there's no microSD card slot, and it can't use Arlo's SmartHub devices for local recording. This means cloud storage via an Arlo Secure subscription is mandatory for any video history beyond live viewing. A subscription is also required to unlock advanced features like smart object recognition, cloud video history, and person detection.

The subscription pricing isn't bad, but it's also not incredible. Arlo Secure Plus costs $9.99 per month for one camera or $19.99 per month for unlimited cameras, dropping to $7.99 and $17.99 respectively when billed annually. The Premium tier runs $29.99 monthly for unlimited cameras, or $24.99 when billed annually. You'll get AI features and cloud storage with the Plus tier, and you only really need to upgrade to Premium if you want things like professional monitoring.

Arlo Essential Pan Tilt outdoor camera review: Verdict

The Arlo Essential Pan Tilt delivers excellent coverage with its pan-tilt functionality and sharp 2K video at a very solid $59.99 price point. The camera does a good job at monitoring large areas that would typically require multiple cameras, and the motion tracking works quite well. It's not perfect — there's no local storage and you'll really have to get a subscription to get the most out of it. But, that's often expected these days anyway.

Or it is for the most part. The biggest competitor right now comes in the form of the Wyze Cam Pan v4, which offers a better video quality, a spotlight, local recording, and AI features, for the same price. For those new to home security, the Wyze Cam Pan v4 is a better option overall — but if you're in the Arlo ecosystem and want something to add to your setup, you're still getting a great product with the Arlo Essential Pan-Tilt.

As summer temperatures soar, we aren’t the only ones suffering — your best smart home devices are feeling the heat, too.

This is especially the case when they are exposed to extreme temperatures for long periods of time. While many assume it’s just our door/security cameras affected, you’d be mistaken.

According to a tech expert, many of our common smart home gadgets are prone to overheating in the summer.

From smart hubs, plugs, and indoor cameras, these can all affect their overall performance, and you might even notice things are running significantly slower or not at all!

Luckily, there are a few simple things we can do to minimize the risk of overheating and get the most out of our smart home gadgets this summer.

1. Keep smart devices out of direct sunlight

If any of your devices are placed near windows, be sure to move them out of direct sunlight.

“Devices placed near windows or in direct sunlight are most at risk, as glass can intensify heat significantly indoors,” advises Michael Fernandes, tech expert at Tapo.

“Similarly, hubs and plugs positioned in warm spots, like near radiators or in the kitchen, can struggle in the summer months even without direct sun.”

In addition, use window treatments such as blinds/curtains during peak sunlight to reduce excessive heat and maintain a cooler space.

2. Make sure you have adequate ventilation

Another top tip is to avoid tucking your tech into cramped or small spaces — without proper airflow, heat builds up quickly as it has nowhere to ventilate and spread.

What’s more, this will likely cause your smart device to overheat quickly and start to malfunction.

“When a device overheats, you might notice reduced performance like running slower, disconnecting from Wi-Fi, or restarting unexpectedly,” adds Fernandes. “As well as affecting performance, heat can also accelerate battery degradation and can shorten their overall lifespan.”

For more top tips, be sure to check out these 6 easy ways to create a smart home.

3. Always switch off and unplug when not in use

While it’s quite common for us to leave our electronic devices on Standby, you should always switch them off and unplug during a heatwave.

Not only will this prevent overheating, but it can also preserve battery life as it puts less strain on the device.

“Smart home devices are built to handle a reasonable range of temperatures, but a little extra care during a heatwave, like keeping devices shaded and in well-ventilated spaces, can help reduce the risk of performance issues and support their long-term reliability,” adds Fernandez.

“We also recommend checking the specified operating-temperature range for your particular device.”

So if you want to ensure your smart gadgets are on top form during the summer heatwave, follow these 3 expert steps right now.

More from Tom's Guide

• 7 smart home gadgets under $50 that will make your life easier
• The best smart plugs in 2025
• The best smart lights

We're now into July, which means we've done six full months of testing here at Tom's Guide in 2026. From coffee machines, through to vacuums, gaming handhelds, laptops and phones — not only is it our job to put tech through its paces, it's what our journalists, editors and contributors love to do.

I'm Pete, Senior Reviews Editor here at Tom's Guide, and I head up our reviews coverage on site. My team of dedicated reviews writers alone have lab tested and reviewed hundreds of products already this year, with the wider Tom's Guide editorial team having testing dozens more. If you've not had your finger precisely on the pulse of the latest tech this year, well, I don't blame you — it's hard to keep tabs on everything. That's why we exist.

To help, I've gathered the Tom's Guide team's favorite products from 2026 so far. Obviously, I can't fit everything into a single article, so I asked our subject experts across the site to give me their top picks, too. I've also curated the top five highest scorers, which stand above the rest. Every product on here has been tested by us, hands-on, as part of a full, extensive review.

Read on to see the tech Tom's Guide loved in the first half of 2026.

Tom's Guide's Top 5

Every product on this list has scored at least four stars, earning our TG Recommended or Editor's Choice badges. But there are five products on this list that scored our full five stars after testing. These are the best of the best so far this year. To save you some time, here are the links to our reviews.

• DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review ★★★★★
• 007 First Light review ★★★★★
• KitchenAid Artisan Plus review ★★★★★
• Gozney Dome XL Gen 2 review ★★★★★
• Samsung S95H OLED review ★★★★★

Keep reading to see the rest of our top tested picks for 2026.

AI

Rokid Glasses

After 5,000 miles in the Rokids, we were seriously impressed
Score: ★★★★☆

The best smart glasses without a display are cool and all, but their features are usually rather limited to just asking questions about what you see. The Rokid Glasses proved to me that adding a screen turns that superpower into an ambient computing platform — offering features only when you need them and disappearing into the background in some stylish specs.

With that display, you get real-time conversation translation with text subtitles so you’re not having to try to listen to your smart glasses talk over the person in front of you. And the multi-modality unlocked by asking a question and just getting answers you can see makes them much more subtle. Not to say they’re perfect — the camera quality for snapping pictures suffers in low light and some features are very China-specific (like Alipay). But arm these with Google Gemini in setup, and they’re a genuinely helpful companion on your face for a decent price.

Jason England, Managing Editor, Core Tech
Read Jason's full Rokid Glasses review

Cameras & drones

GoPro Mission 1 Pro

GoPro's return to form in the action camera game
Score: ★★★★½

After years essentially re-releasing the same Hero cameras with minor tweaks, GoPro has finally pushed itself. The Mission 1 Pro is pricey, but it’s the first GoPro I’ve been excited about in a while. It seriously impressed me with its powerful and versatile video credentials in testing, namely open gate 8K and a wealth of shooting features that make it ideal for its target market: professionals. Thanks to revised processor architecture and a shiny new battery, I managed to extract unparalleled battery life and thermals versus other action cameras in my standardized battery tests. GoPro is back!

Pete Wolinski, Senior Reviews & Cameras Editor
Read Pete’s full GoPro Mission 1 Pro review

DJI Osmo Pocket 4

The best all-around tool for content creation
Score: ★★★★★

I awarded the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 our full five stars in my review, and that’s because I literally couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Aside from the fact that it’s not available in America (yet?) due to tariffs and DJI’s ongoing feud with the U.S. government. The Osmo Pocket 4 improved on its predecessor in every single way that mattered: video, stabilization, storage, thermals, battery life, and more. If you’re after a single tool for professional-looking content creation, I really can’t think of anything better to recommend.

Pete Wolinski, Senior Reviews & Cameras Editor
Read Pete’s full DJI Osmo Pocket 4 review

DJI Avata 360

Although a little late to the 360 party, DJI absolutely smashed it
Score: ★★★★½

The DJI Avata 360 does exactly what you want a drone to do: make flying fun. It stakes its claim as the best 360° drone around (granted, there are only two at the time of writing, but still!) and its twin lenses capture every single angle in 8K at 60fps. 120MP hi-res stills, user-friendly editing software, and exceptional build quality make it the drone to buy today. It also undercuts its main competitor, the Antigravity A1, and with dual ways to fly (FPV and with a standard controller), the Avata 360 is versatile and oh-so-powerful. Every day I still think about it — and as someone who’s tested many, many quadcopters, that’s saying a lot.

Nikita Achanta, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Nikita’s full DJI Avata 360 review

Computing & gaming

MacBook Neo

Our favorite budget laptop, literally ever
Score: ★★★★½

Value for money in laptops has become a bit of a running joke this year (thanks, RAMageddon). But of all the companies building notebooks, I didn’t anticipate it would be Apple to deliver the goods and give you an honest-to-god well-priced system. Yes, there’s been a $100 increase recently, but even with that, the premium aluminum build quality, great display, tactile keyboard and zippy performance of that A18 Pro makes for a great system for the day-to-day essentials.

I must admit, to see Apple actually having fun with colors in its MacBooks is a refreshing change from the blacks and silvers of its more expensive lineage. All of this comes together into a laptop that has terrified the budget Windows laptop market, and the best ultra portable we’ve tested this year.

Jason England, Managing Editor, Core Tech
Read our full MacBook Neo review

Asus Zenbook Duo (2026)

Dual OLED panels = chef's kiss
Score: ★★★★½

Yes, this is a dual-screen OLED beauty of a premium laptop; Asus has really paid attention to the design and ergonomics of a system like this. But the real superpower is what lies inside that shell. Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (codenamed Panther Lake) has been a truly generational moment for Team Blue in its Windows laptops, and it comes down to huge updates to both the performance and power efficiency.

Those new CPU cores and efficiency architecture they’re built onto gives this a gargantuan battery life that would make a MacBook blush, while the superpowered GPU (alongside XeSS 3) gives this some serious gaming laptop chops too. Usually, you had to be considerate of just what you wanted to do with your Windows laptop and decide on the strengths and compromises around that. With anything that sports an X9 chip like this, though, that’s no longer a compromise you have to make.

Jason England, Managing Editor, Core Tech
Read Jason's full Asus Zenbook Duo (2026) review

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

A true next-gen gaming handheld
Score: ★★★★☆

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ delivers the performance jump I’ve been waiting years for. With Intel’s new Arc G3 Extreme chip, games are pulling a 20 to 30+ FPS advantage over AMD Z2 Extreme handhelds. Battery life gets a big boost too. I could hit the same performance as the Z2 Extreme at half the power consumption. Combine that with its major redesign bringing more Xbox-like controls, better haptics, and its large 8-inch 16:10 display, and you’re getting, in my opinion, one of the best handheld gaming consoles of 2026.

Paul Antill, Video Producer
Read our full MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ review

007 First Light

Forget GoldenEye: this is the best Bond game ever
Score: ★★★★★

Gamers are being treated to a licensed games renaissance right now. The days of cheap cash-ins launched to coincide with a new blockbuster movie are over. But even in this golden era for video games based on popular media franchises, 007 First Light surpasses expectations.

Forget GoldenEye, First Light is the best James Bond game ever. With its ludicrously cinematic gameplay, compelling narrative that focuses on a younger Bond (played by Patrick Gibson), and deep commitment to authenticity, 007 First Light is easily the best thing to come out of this long-running spy series in 20 years, movies included. There’s a reason it was only the second video game I’ve given the full five stars. Whether you’re a longtime Bond fan or a newcomer, 007 First Light is quite simply unmissable.

Rory Mellon, Senior Entertainment Editor
Read Rory's full 007 First Light review

Epomaker Glyph

Nikita's dream keyboard
Score: ★★★★½

I’ve tested close to 100 keyboards in my time as a reviews writer, and it isn’t often that I get to proclaim, “I’ve found my dream keyboard.” Ever since I tested the Epomaker Glyph, it hasn’t left my desk, and it’s my daily driver when I’m at the office. Typewriter-like aesthetics, a return lever that acts as an Enter or Backspace key, beautiful RGB lighting, a creamy sound profile, and a typing experience that’s nothing short of stunning — all of these characteristics come together to deliver what’s probably the best mechanical keyboard I’ve used for typing. I’m a speed demon when I’m bashing out 109 words per minute of this thing.

Nikita Achanta, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Nikita’s full Epomaker Glyph review

(A note from Nikita's editor, Pete: "I can confirm, the Glyph genuinely hasn't left her desk!")

MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36

Pro performance for under $1,000
Score: ★★★★½

It’s no secret that MSI knows how to make a great gaming monitor, and its MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 is one of the most beautiful displays I’ve ever tested. Blistering 360Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time for buttery smooth gameplay? Check. Ridiculously accurate colors and wide color coverage? Yep. AI sleep and wake features that are actually useful and not just a gimmick? Oh yeah. And all of this is packed into a sleek design with plenty of ports. Not much to complain about here, really.

Nikita Achanta, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Nikita’s full MSI MPG 341CQR QD-OLED X36 review

Viture Beast AR glasses

Beast by name, beast by nature
Score: ★★★★½

I’ve traveled the world testing all of this year’s biggest AR glasses releases, and Viture Beast stands head and shoulders above the pack as the best I’ve used this year (so far). There’s three reasons why: picture quality, comfort and features. Viture’s color science and fidelity really shines in those micro-OLED displays with a massive 58-degree field of view. There’s a little edge fringing on the sides, but given the massive vision field, it’s unlikely you’ll notice it. And this is packed into a nice-feeling pair of glasses with a soft-touch coating that sits gently on your ears with optimal weight balance. Cap it all off with plenty of customization built in, plus the SpaceWalker app for multi-monitor home office setups, and the Beast are…well…pretty beastly for work and play.

Jason England, Managing Editor, Core Tech
Read Jason's full Viture Beast review

Fitness

Fitbit Air

The best Whoop alternative, and subscription-free
Score: ★★★★☆

The Fitbit Air is my fitness tracker of the year so far. Discreet and distraction-free (no screen), this is a fitness tracker that's easy to use, lightweight, and oh-so-comfortable. Just $99 and subscription-free for core features, it offers a week of battery life and covers all the holistic metrics you'd expect from a modern device, like heart health, sleep quality, daily movement, and workouts. For most people, this is the best screen-free fitness tracker you can buy, and the new Google Health companion app makes viewing all your health data a dream.

Jane McGuire, Managing Editor, Fitness
Read our full Fitbit Air review

Salomon XT-6

Hike, shop or relax in comfort and style
Score: ★★★★½

The Salomon XT-6 shoes have become a staple in my closet. Whether I’m heading to the store or hitting up a challenging trail on the weekend, I know I’ll be supported. I wore these hiking sneakers on a city break, where I clocked over 93,000 steps and didn’t have a single complaint. Not only that, the multidirectional lugs kept me stable on even the trickiest terrain, as I hiked in mud, over rocks, and through water.

On top of their technical ability, the XT-6s are a fashion statement, worn all over New York by fashion-forward celebs; these shoes have earned a coveted spot in my daily rotation — although you’ll find me cleaning the mud off them after each adventure.

Ashley Thieme, Staff Writer
Read Ashley’s full Salomon XT-6 review

Homes

Dyson V16 Piston Animal Cordless

A powerful cordless Dyson that's perfect for pet owners
Score: ★★★★☆

I’ve tested my fair share of Dyson vacuum cleaners in my time, but I must say that the V16 combines all of my favorite features in one cleaner. First, its upgraded ‘Fluffy Cones’ head is designed to be used on both carpets and hard flooring without the need to swap over attachments. This is a great time-saver, and lets me quickly zip around my home without pausing. Perhaps my favorite feature is the dust-detecting green light which reveals those hidden dustballs lurking underneath furniture and in corners. Plus, it’s lightweight and easy to store, which is why it’s now my go-to for daily maintenance, and why I awarded our Editor’s Choice badge.

Cynthia Lawrence, Homes Editor
Read Cynthia’s full Dyson V16 Piston Animal Cordless review

KitchenAid Artisan Plus

The latest version of KitchenAid's legendary mixer, and the best one yet
Score: ★★★★★

I got to test KitchenAid’s newest stand mixer, the Artisan Plus, and it’s even better than I imagined. I’d been happily using KitchenAid’s Artisan stand mixer as my go-to appliance for a good few years, and I really didn’t see how it could be improved, but it has. It may only seem like a few tweaks, but they have made a big difference. From the sliding speed control that just glides, to the in-bowl light, which illuminates the mix — and let's not forget the double-edge flex beater that cleans the bowl as it sweeps past— I loved it so much during testing that I gave it a 5-star rating.

Camilla Sharman, Staff Writer
Read Camilla’s full KitchenAid Artisan Plus review

Gozney Dome XL (Gen 2)

The undisputed king of pizza ovens
Score: ★★★★★

If you’re a dedicated — and I mean dedicated — at-home pizza maker, the Gozney Dome XL (Gen 2) is the closest you’ll come to actually building a pizza oven from scratch. It can run on either gas, wood, or charcoal, has dual temperature probes, and is big enough to fit a 16-inch pie with room to spare. I loved its easy-to-ready displays, and the design of the oven is just gorgeous, too. Yes, it’s huge and it’s expensive (I’ve made equally good pizzas in much cheaper ovens), but this is the oven that’ll signal you’re the real pizzaiolo in your neighborhood.

Mike Prospero, U.S. Editor-in-chief
Read Mike’s full Gozney Dome XL (Gen 2) review

Fellow Espresso Series 1

Beginners or pros, coffee snobs or otherwise — this one is for everyone
Score: ★★★★½

When Fellow designed the Espresso Series 1, it looked at the other espresso machines out there and thought, “I’m going to do something different.” And different the Espresso Series 1 is. When I tested this machine, I loved that it provided coffee-snob-approved features while still being usable for complete beginners. On top of having a litany of customization options on the machine itself, I loved having the app, which walked me through how to make every type of coffee ever invented. You may think this is too ambitious, but for me, the Espresso Series 1 hits all its marks and comes out victorious.

Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Erin’s full Fellow Espresso Series 1 review

Phones

Apple iPhone 17

A surprisingly solid update over the previous generation
Score: ★★★★½

Apple launched more new phones than in any previous year, but the iPhone 17 remains my favorite for several reasons. One thing that makes it stand out is that it finally got a long-overdue upgrade to a 120Hz refresh rate, making its screen look even more fluid than before in testing. On top of that, I really love how it didn’t get a price hike and still managed to get double the starting storage.

John Velasco, Senior Phones Editor
Read John's full iPhone 17 review

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The phone that'll get better over time
Score: ★★★★½

When it comes to Android phones, nothing caught my eye more than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung’s flagship received all the iterative updates it deserved, but one particular new feature stood out most: the Privacy Display. It works like magic, making the screen look dark when someone tries to peek at it from the side. You can even customize it to block out specific parts of the display — like when you’re messaging someone. This exclusive feature is what sets it apart from everything else.

John Velasco, Senior Phones Editor
Read our full Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

Sleep

Saatva Zenhaven Mattress

What you should be sleeping on in 2026
Score: ★★★★½

The Saatva Zenhaven latex mattress blew our socks off during testing, thanks to its naturally cooling and supportive sleep feel for eco-conscious shoppers. Handcrafted in the US from (mostly) organic materials, the Zenhaven boasts a flippable design with a different tension on each side: Luxury Plush and Gentle Firm. We appreciated how one side boasted more cushioning for side sleepers, while the unyielding feel of the firmer side best-suited back and stomach sleepers. At $3,549 at full MSRP it’s a splurge, but cheaper during Saatva mattress sales. However, it’s worth noting that latex mattresses can last up to 20 years, so we think it’s worth the investment.

Nicola Appleton, Sleep Editor
Read our full Saatva Zenhaven Mattress review

Fitnexa SomniPods 3

If you struggle sleeping, these earbuds are for you
Score: ★★★★☆

The Fitnexa SomniPods 3 are compact sleep earbuds that helped me sleep better in even the most disruptive environments (like my neighbor's son playing basketball at unsociable hours). Fitted with built-in white noise, excellent active noise cancelation, plus sleep tracking features, they’re an easy recommendation for any troubled sleepers. But the real stand-out feature for me is the Fitnexa app. Here, your own AI coach waits for you, ready to provide personalized advice based on your sleep tracking data, activity logs and food diaries. The info isn’t quite on par with a qualified sleep professional but thanks to the wealth of data to draw from, it was pretty spot on in testing, helping take the SomniPods from sleep earbud to all-round sleep enhancer.

Ruth Jones, Senior Sleep Writer
Read Ruth's full Fitnexa SomniPods 3 review

Smart home & security

Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+

A fantastic way to improve security on a budget
Score: ★★★★☆

Blink has long been one of our favorite budget smart home brands, and its newest battery-powered video doorbell furthers its reputation as a value leader. The Battery Doorbell 2K+ delivered very good 2K video in our testing — not the tops, but for a sub-$100 device it was more than acceptable. And, while it runs on AA batteries, they’ll last up to two years on a charge. You can also use this video doorbell without a subscription (you’ll need to purchase a separate adapter), but Blink’s subscription price is relatively affordable.

Mike Prospero, U.S. Editor-in-chief
Read our full Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ review

TV & Audio

Samsung S95H OLED

Supreme picture quality, even in bright rooms
Score: ★★★★★

I’ve tested countless TVs, but the Samsung S95H is the first unit in several years that truly surpassed all my expectations. It completely shatters the familiar rules of OLED, obliterating ambient glare and delivering an unprecedented, jaw-dropping brightness in the self-emissive category. Even the floating metal bezel (a design choice I fully assumed I'd hate) adds a striking, premium presence I grew to love. Between its breathtaking performance and how seamlessly it transitions into a decor piece via Samsung Art Store support, this is a flagship that stands as a definitive standard-bearer.

Kate Kozuch, Managing Editor
Read Kate's full Samsung S95H OLED review

AirPods Max 2

Everything is dialed up to 11
Score: ★★★★½

It’s impossible to be a tech lover and not have strong opinions about Apple’s new AirPods Max 2. Some people love them, some people hate them, but I’m firmly in the first camp. The AirPods Max 2 are headphones that know what they’re about, and they’re not apologizing for it. With gorgeous anodized aluminum ear cups and an all-metal headband, they’re not the lightest cans in the world, but the sound more than makes up for it.

Every detail is clear, mids are melodic and vivacious, and the bass is balanced, rich, and warm. Of course, you’ve also got industry-leading smart tech features like Live Translation and integrated Siri, but Apple users looking for the best headphones need look no further than Apple’s own.

Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Erin’s full Apple AirPods Max 2 review

Beyerdynamic Amiron ZERO

Open earbuds that make no sacrifices
Score: ★★★★½

The Beyerdynamic Amiron ZERO have completely changed the way I think about open-earbuds (and I’ve tested a lot). Up until testing the ZEROs, I’d accepted that if I wanted ambient awareness, comfort and stability while working out, I’d need to sacrifice sound quality — but they prove that’s not the case. They provided me with the detailed listening experience I love from Beyerdynamic’s other headphones, without compromising bass performance, delivering perfectly balanced sound. I wear them when I’m working, running, or hiking in the rain (thanks to IP54 durability). They’re the only open earbuds I’ve tested with no compromises.

Ashley Thieme, Staff Writer
Read Ashley’s full Beyerdynamic Amiron ZERO review

JBL Xtreme 5

The party speaker for summer 2026
Score: ★★★★½

The JBL Xtreme 5 came, it saw, and it conquered. JBL really understood the assignment with the surprise follow-up to 2024’s Xtreme 4. Everything about the Xtreme 5 oozes confidence: the deft, controlled bass that’ll have your floorboards shaking and your bones quaking; the literally unbeatable IP68 rating that protects it against rain, sand, and drops; the gorpcore, utilitarian design; and of course the rugged 24-hour battery life. This is the party speaker of 2026. I’ve tested hundreds of audio products and Bluetooth speakers, but the Xtreme 5 is a special one.

Erin Bashford, Senior Reviews Writer
Read Erin’s full JBL Xtreme 5 review

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This summer has been hot, with record-breaking temperatures all across the globe. Europe was baking with 100-plus-degree heat, while back here in the U.S., we weren't doing much better. At least we have air conditioning!

Unless we're suddenly plunged into another ice age, summers are only going to get hotter — and our bills will continue to rise — so we need to find better, and more efficient ways of keeping our homes cool without emptying our 401(k)s.

Over the past few years, I've tested a number of smart air conditioners, smart thermostats, and fans, so I've found a few things that really help to keeping myself, my family, and my house at a comfortable temperature.

In the house

Keeping cool for the summer

My house doesn't have central air, so we rely on window air conditioners to keep things cool during the summer. It offers me an excellent opportunity to test the best smart air conditioners; I've been using the LG Dual Inverter window air conditioner for about seven years now, and it's shown no signs of stopping.

Even though I don't have central air, I do have an Ecobee Premium smart thermostat, which controls the heat in the winter. However, during the summer months, I can still put it — and its remote sensors — to use, by creating a smart home routine to activate my window air conditioners if things get too hot.

For example, my attic doubles as my office, so there's a lot of electronics up there. If I'm not around, I want to make sure things don't overheat, but I don't want to use a ton of energy cooling it to what I would consider comfortable. So, I created a smart home routine that will cool my attic to around 85 degrees F, but only if no one is up there.

Of course, you can use lots of different devices to act as remote temperature sensors, such as the Amazon Echo Dot. My colleague, Anthony Spadafora, has even used one to monitor the temperature in his garage to keep it cool.

You can also use a less expensive sensor, like the $9 IKEA Timmerflotte. The latter is even Matter-compatible, and while others have had difficulty in connecting IKEA's new smart home devices, I was able to add them pretty easily to my Apple Home setup. I tried all of IKEA's smart home devices, and two really stood out to me.

Wife check

The biggest issue with the LG air conditioner? It's super-heavy (around 90 pounds), so I need my wife's help to put it in the window, and then take it out in the fall. To ease her (and my) burden), I decided to test the Dreo 740S portable air conditioner — the first portable model I've tested.

I've had it installed since early June, and it's seen us through a couple of heat waves, where the outside temperature was in the upper 90s. But while I've been pleased with its performance (and the fact that I can simply wheel it around), my wife pointed out that its hoses not only take up a ton of space, but they don't really look great, either.

Yes, it's far easier to install, and it's one of the most efficient portable air conditioners, but aesthetics do matter. It's not something I might have noticed on my own, which is why it's been great to have a second opinion.

Making your yard work

What about staying cool outdoors? Last summer, I put two smart coolers to the test, and the Anker Solix Everfrost 2.0 came out on top for its rollable design and much longer battery life.

I'm still using it this summer; I recently hosted an outdoor watch party for a World Cup soccer match, and filled the cooler with beer and other beverages for my neighbors. Just make sure not to leave it out in the rain; I did that once, and messed up one of the charging ports. Fortunately, the rest of the cooler was unaffected, but I do wish it was a little more weather resistant, given its price.

Kid-tested

My kid doesn't always like her air conditioner on — she says it makes too much noise — but what she does like is a small portable fan right by her bed. She's been using the Switchbot Circulator fan, which is surprisingly silent, even at its maximum speed. The fan can oscillate and tilt, be set on a timer, and even has a nightlight.

The fan can be plugged in or run on battery power depending on the model that you get, and can be controlled either by pressing buttons on the fan's base, using the remote, or via Switchbot's app (she's already lost the remote).

And, because it's a connected device, I can also use it in smart home routines to turn on automatically if the temperature in a room gets too hot. Just note that to use the smart features, you also have to buy a Switchbot hub, which will run you an extra $50.

Pet corner

Keeping the pets cool

As the owners of 2.75 pets — two cats and a dog with a missing leg — we like to find ways to keep them happy and healthy, while making less work for us.

I've been using the Petsafe Drinkwell water fountain now for six years, and it's mostly held up. Both the cats and the dogs have been using it with no complaints, though I have had to make some modifications to it over the years.

Inside the fountain, there's a pump at the bottom which connects to a filter, and then to a pipe which pumps the water up to the top of the fountain. After a few years, the connection between the filter and the pipe loosened a bit, which meant that water did not flow upwards as easily.

As a result, the water did not flow out the top of the fountain with as much force, so the waterfall was more like a dribble, and when it landed below, it didn't hit the diffuser. Instead, it hit the water in the basin, which makes a ton of noise — it's like when your kid leaves the faucet running.

I tried a few things to fix this. First, I hot-glued the connection between the pipe and the filter, but that only worked temporarily. I ultimately just cut a piece of a plastic milk carton and taped it to the top of the fountain, so that the water would hit the right spot. It's not pretty, but it works.

Petsafe no longer makes the fountain I tested, but the Petsafe Oasys looks to be the closest successor. It comes in multiple sizes; the 2-gallon model works for both cats and dogs.

Have your say

Do you have any questions about what devices you should get, or how to best use them in your home? Are there any topics you'd like to see me cover? Let me know by dropping me a line.

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The best smart locks have long been a useful tool, but one of the biggest issues hampering their adoption has been battery life. Unlike most other smart home devices, smart locks have to operate without being plugged in, which means you have to change or recharge their batteries on a regular basis.

Now it seems that issue is being solved. I recently tested two smart locks that have solar panels built right into them. That means you never have to worry about your lock running out of juice and having to find an external power bank or the physical keys in order to do something as simple as get inside your own home.

The Desloc V150 Plus and Lockin Veno Solar offer some similar features, but actually vary more than you might expect. Here's a look at both of them, and what makes one better than the other.

Desloc V150 Plus vs. Lockin Veno Solar: Price and availability

The first major difference between these two locks is their price, and it's a pretty dramatic difference. While the Desloc V150 Plus has a Kickstarter price starting at $169. Its retail price is as high as $399.99. It will be available through retail channels starting in August, so if you want one it may be worth seeing if it's still available at a discount through Kickstarter.

The Lockin Veno Solar, by contrast, is available now, and it's dramatically cheaper when it comes to the retail price. There are actually two models available: one which has a face scanner and the other a palm vein scanner. I tested the face scanner, which put it on a more level playing field with the Desloc V150 Plus. Both models, however, cost $199 or around half the retail price of the Desloc. There's also a bundle with a door handle for $259.99.

Winner: Lockin Veno Solar

Specs

Desloc V150 Plus vs. Lockin Veno Solar: Design and setup

While the two locks don't look exactly the same, I wouldn't necessarily say that one of them looks much better than the other. Both of them definitely look like smart home gadgets, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but is worth noting for those who might want something more that leans more towards luxury.

The exterior portion of both of these blocks is a relatively bulky black rectangle made of metal and plastic. The Desloc V150 Plus has a large rectangular solar panel which sits in between the face scanner and a fingerprint scanner. It does not have a PIN pad.

By contrast, the Lockin Veno Solar does have a PIN pad, but there is no fingerprint scanner. Both locks have an interior portion that houses the battery and has a thumb latch for manual locking and unlocking.

The build quality is pretty similar, but the Desloc does feel slightly more durable. It has an IP65 rating for weather resistance, which is better than the IP53 rating offered by the Lockin Veno Solar. I suspect both of them will be able to withstand most weather events, but if you're worried about damage, then the Desloc is probably the more durable option. They both have BHMA Grade 3 deadbolt certification.

Installation of the two locks is pretty similar. Both of them require that you completely remove your existing deadbolt and locking mechanism. Once that's done, you'll install the included deadbolt, then thread the exterior portion of the lock through the deadbolt and attach it to a base plate. Finally, you'll screw the interior portion of the lock into the base plate. Then you'll download the lock's respective apps, create an account, and add the lock to your account.

Winner: Desloc V150 Plus

Desloc V150 Plus vs. Lockin Veno Solar: App and smart home

Software support is another area in which the two locks diverge. The V150 Plus runs on Desloc's existing app and connects to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without needing a hub. I found the app decently easy to use. Adding fingerprints and faces was straightforward, I could remotely lock and unlock the door, and I got real-time access logs and battery information, including a chart showing how much battery the device has gained through solar power. Hopefully, of course, you won't need to worry much about battery at all.

The Lockin Smart app, similarly, covers the basics well. You can generate one-time PINs, enroll new faces and codes, configure auto-lock, and so on. I would have liked an overview of how much battery the lock gains over time, the way Desloc offers, but its absence isn't a big deal. With the Desloc, I found that I checked the battery gain once or twice over the first few days, then mostly forgot about it.

The big area where the Lockin Veno Solar pulls ahead is in smart home support. The Desloc V150 Plus supports Google Home and Amazon Alexa, but Lockin goes much further with Matter support. That essentially means that you can add the Veno Solar to any modern smart home ecosystem, including Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and more.

Sure, for those who use Google Home or Alexa, that difference may not be a very big deal. But what if you want to change ecosystems down the line? Or what if your partner uses an iPhone while you use an Android device? Matter support solves all of these issues, and it's kind of becoming table stakes for smart home devices, at least when the Matter spec supports them like it does locks.

Winner: Lockin Veno Solar

Desloc V150 Plus vs. Lockin Veno Solar: Performance

When it comes to speed and reliability of unlocking, neither of these smart locks is incredibly impressive. However, each has one feature that the other doesn't. The Desloc V150 Plus doesn't have a PIN pad, which is kind of a major omission, and means that you can't easily assign guest codes. What it does have is a fingerprint sensor, and that can come in handy given the fact that the face scanner is pretty slow. Much of the time I found that it was faster to scan my fingerprint to unlock the door than wait the few seconds for the lock to scan my face.

The Lockin Veno Solar doesn't have a fingerprint scanner but does have a PIN pad. It was actually faster to just wait for the lock to scan my face, even though it did take a few seconds. I'm not sure either of these two locks was faster at face scanning than the other. That's not a good thing; they were both slow. If you're deciding between these two locks, you'll have to determine whether you prefer to have a PIN pad or a fingerprint scanner.

It's also worth quickly noting that the Lockin Veno Solar had much more reliable Wi-Fi connectivity. Both of these locks were installed on a garden shed in my backyard, which can sometimes have spotty reception. The Desloc V150 Plus struggled a fair bit to retain a Wi-Fi connection, but the Lockin Veno Solar had no such issue. That will really only be an issue for you if you plan on putting your smart lock in an area where Wi-Fi reception isn't all that good. For most people who install the lock on their front door, both locks will retain connectivity perfectly fine.

Winner: Lockin Veno Solar

Desloc V150 Plus vs. Lockin Veno Solar: Battery life and recharging

Given the fact that these are both solar-powered locks, perhaps one of the more important questions is whether or not you'll need to worry about battery and charging. Thankfully, they both charged perfectly fine, and while they don't charge very quickly, that doesn't really matter. Basically, you'll never have to worry about whether or not your lock is charged up.

Again, don't expect them to fully charge overnight. When I first installed the Desloc V150 Plus, it had around 12% battery. A week later, it had 34%. When I installed the Lockin Veno Solar, it arrived with around 83%, and a week later, it had 90%. The actual charging speed, of course, doesn't really matter all that much. What matters is that they're not losing power over time. And if you fully charge your lock when you first get it, I expect both of these locks will remain around 100% at all times.

Winner: Tie

Desloc V150 Plus vs. Lockin Veno Solar: Verdict

For now, if you're looking for a smart lock with a solar charger, it's probably worth buying the Lockin Veno Solar. It may not have a fingerprint reader, but it does have a pin pad, plus it's around half the price of the Desloc V150 Plus.

That said, if a fingerprint reader really is important to you and you find a solar panel important, then you'll still like what's offered by the Desloc V150 Plus. You'll just have to stomach the additional cost or try to snag one from the Kickstarter campaign.

The alternative, of course, is to wait a little for solar panels to become more common on smart locks. The first few smart locks with solar panels feel a bit more like proofs-of-concept rather than the complete package.

I would have liked to see a lock with both a fingerprint scanner and a pin pad. That's not to mention support for Matter and even tech like Apple's Home Key and Ultra Wideband. I expect eventually we'll get these features in solar-powered locks, but for now, we'll have to wait.

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Of all the annual chores I have to perform around my house, one of my least favorite is installing window AC units in the early summer, and taking them out in the fall. While most of the ones in my house are fairly small, the one we use to cool the first floor — the LG Dual Inverter window air conditioner — is a monster. I always feel like I’m going to either throw my back out or somehow drop the entire unit out the window.

That’s why Dreo’s new 740S Portable Air Conditioner looked so intriguing to me — I wasn’t going to risk a herniated disc trying to keep my house cool. And, because this unit uses inverter technology, it’s a lot more efficient than older portable ACs.

So, I set up the Dreo 740S in my house to see how it compared to the best smart air conditioners, and if it could genuinely replace my trusted — but heavy — window unit.

Price and availability

Dreo has six portable air conditioners in its lineup; The 740S, which went on sale in the late spring of 2026, costs $699, and is the most expensive model. However, some of the other models in Dreo’s lineup are more powerful, have many of the same features, yet cost less. So why is that?

It’s because the 740S uses an inverter to cool air, whereas all of Dreo’s other models use older compressor technology. As a result, the 740S is far more efficient than Dreo’s other portable air conditioners.

While the 740S isn’t as efficient as, say, the Midea U or the LG Dual Inverter (15 and 14.7 EER, respectively), it’s pretty close.

Design

The Dreo 740S air conditioner itself looks rather sleek. It’s about the size of a mini fridge and has curved edges that taper gently towards the top which has two louvers. The front of the AC is clean, except for a large circular display and some touch controls beneath. The controls were easy to read and use, as was the display.

Even more clever: On the top of the unit, just behind the louvers, is a small flat surface that’s magnetized; here, you can place the Dreo’s remote, which will remain securely in place.

As someone who’s heaved their share of air conditioners in and out of windows, I really appreciated the casters on the bottom of the Dreo, which let me roll it wherever I wanted, as well as the handles on the side of the unit.

It’s around the back of the Dreo where things get a little messy. There are two large circular vents — one for exhaust air intake, and one to expel the hot air. To these vents, you connect large accordion-style hoses, which attach to a plastic insert that goes in your window. The insert can expand or retract to fit windows from 20 to 53 inches wide, and can be mounted either vertically or horizontally. Each hose is about six inches in diameter.

If I lived in a modern house with windows that extended all the way to the floor, it would be easy to conceal these hoses and have the AC sit closer to the window. However, because my window sits about two feet above the floor, I have to extend the hoses up and out. Not only is it far less attractive, but it also means that the air conditioner sits about two feet into the room.

Of course, this is a problem endemic to all portable air conditioners, so perhaps I might be knocking Dreo a bit too hard, but it's still a major consideration if you're choosing

By comparison, the window unit I’ve used for the past few years extends less than a foot into the room, making it far less obtrusive.

Like most air conditioners, the Dreo also needs to expel condensation; it has a built-in evaporator, so it should be able to handle most water on its own, but it does have two drain plugs on the back: one at the bottom, and one in the middle of the unit. The company includes a small drain hose, so if you’re in a high humidity environment, you can let the Dreo drain itself.

However, as with the vent hoses, I had no easy way to route the drain hose outside of my house. Fortunately, even though I live in a pretty humid area, I have yet to need to drain the air conditioner myself.

Performance

The 740S did nearly as good a job cooling the bottom floor of my house as the 14,000-BTU LG Dual Inverter air conditioner that I’ve been using for nearly eight years. It was able to bring the temperature down on the ground level of my house in a relatively short amount of time, and keep it there. It took slightly longer than the LG unit, but that's to be expected given its smaller capacity.

At full power, I recorded a noise level of 54 dB from 10 feet away from the air conditioner; the ambient room noise was 33 dB. That’s a bit louder than I’d like, but once the temperature hit the right level, the AC ramped down, and was much quieter.

On one of the hotter days of the year, when the temperature reached the upper 90s, the Dreo kept the temperature on the ground floor of my house (a few hundred square feet) at around 79 degrees F. Over the course of seven and a half hours, it used 3.54 kWh of electricity, according to the Dreo app.

I also like that you can adjust the angle of the Dreo’s louvers (using either the app or the remote control) so you can better direct airflow throughout your room.

Smart Home and app

Dreo’s app is well-designed and easy to use. Devices are grouped by rooms, which gives you a quick overview of its status; a tap then brings you into the settings for that device. For example, tapping on the AC’s temperature opens a screen where you can adjust its temperature, cooling mode, fan speed, and more.

I also like that Dreo lets you turn off the AC’s display and sounds, so that it’s not distracting if you’re using it in the same room as the one in which you’re sleeping.

The Dreo works with both Alexa and Google Home, but surprisingly, is not Matter-compatible, which was a bit of a disappointment, considering some of Dreo’s other smart home devices use this new universal standard. Still, I was able to easily create a smart home routine that turned the Dreo on to a set temperature if another sensor noted that things were getting too hot.

Verdict

As far as portable air conditioners go, the Dreo does a good job at keeping things cool. I also liked that I could easily roll it around, and didn’t have to worry about draining it. However, the aesthetics of having two large tubes extending out your window isn’t great, nor is the fact that it takes up a lot more space than a window air conditioner.

And while it’s far more efficient than other portable air conditioners, you’ll pay for the privilege. A comparable LG 10,000 BTU dual-inverter window AC unit (with a higher SEER rating of 15) costs $499 at Amazon. Yes, it weighs 62 pounds, but my spouse is game to help me.

If you happen to have a window whose openings are closer to the floor, then you can better hide the Dreo’s large exhaust vents, and make the whole thing look more aesthetically pleasing — and take up less space in the process. Until I can remodel my house, though, I’ll have to remember to lift with my legs.

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

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

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

Price and availability

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

Design and setup

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

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

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

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

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

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

App and smart home

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance and battery life

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

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

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

Verdict

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunseeker S4 review: Price and availability

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

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

Sunseeker S4 review: Design

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

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

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

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

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

Sunseeker S4 review: Installation and mapping

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunseeker S4 review: Performance

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunseeker S4 review: Storage & maintenance

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunseeker S4 review: Verdict

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lockin Veno Solar review: Price and availability

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

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

Design and setup

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performance

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

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

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

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

App and smart home

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

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

Verdict

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

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

Introducing the winners of the Tom’s Guide Smart Home Awards 2026. From robot vacuum (and pool) cleaners and air purifiers to security cameras and large home appliances, these are the gadgets, tools and accessories worth celebrating for making our homes the best they can be.

Whether it’s a smarter outdoor product to make yard maintenance easier or an appliance that automates a daily chore, these awards represent the best in smart living because they are practical, powerful, and ready to use right now.

The winners of the Tom’s Guide Smart Home Awards 2026 are the tools and devices that solve real problems, from the kitchen to the bedroom and beyond. Some help you save time without adding complexity, while others offer ingenuity that makes them stand out from the rest. Most importantly, they’re ready to fit into your daily routine right now.

Smart home

BLUETTI FridgePower Ultra-Slim Battery Backup for Refrigerators

Even in 2026, a power outage can occur at any moment, and if you do suddenly find yourself in a blackout, you’ll be infinitely glad to have the BLUETTI FridgePower in your home. This sleek and simple device is an easy-to-install battery system that keeps appliances like your fridge running via two standard AC outlets.

Thanks to the ultra-slim 75mm (2.95-inch) profile, you can place it vertically or horizontally for discreet installation behind refrigerators or anywhere within your kitchen. The system delivers 2,016Wh capacity — expandable up to 8,064Wh — paired with a low 4W idle drain to maximize efficiency during extended outages.

The system features a 10ms UPS switchover for near-instant protection of perishables and medicine. What we love so much about the BLUETTI FridgePower is how it solves a single, simple problem very well with the minimum of fuss.

Lockin Veno Solar smart lock

Smart locks can be power-hungry additions to your home, but the Lockin Veno Solar smart lock rewrites the script somewhat with an integrated solar panel. This means it can harvest ambient light even in heavily shaded entryways and eliminate the hassle of battery swaps and recharges. .

Beyond its eco-friendly aspirations, the Veno Solar can unlock your door using either your palm, face recognition, a pin code, or a traditional manual key. We also like the fact that it's Matter-compatible, so it'll work with pretty much any smart home system.

Best of all, this lock costs less than $200, making it not only functional, but affordable, too.

Zafro Auro Dual Window Air Conditioner

Summer heat is no joke without an A/C unit and the Zafro Auro Dual Window Air Conditioner is both an efficient and feature-rich way of cooling down your house. It’s a cinch to install as well as doubling up as a heat pump in the wintertime.

Instead of a traditional window air conditioner design that hangs the heavy compressor and condenser outside the window frame and risks falling during the installation or afterwards, Zafro’s Auro AC is balanced on the windowsill, in an inverted U-shape.

This design keeps the unit’s center of gravity firmly on the sill with less chance of it falling. You can power it via its remote control, its app or just with your voice thanks to Alexa and Google Home integration.

Tapo C675D Kit

TP-Link’s latest home security camera, the Tapo C675D Kit, includes not one but two 4K cameras in a single housing. One lens is stationary while the other can rotate a full 360 degrees. There's also a spotlight, a microSD card slot for local storage, and local AI for basic object detection, all of which are powered by the included solar panel. The C675D includes a 10,000 mAh battery that should last up to three months on a charge

This kit checks nearly every box of what you could want in a modern outdoor security system. It boasts 4K video, two independent cameras in a single housing, local AI combined with local storage, bright spotlights and night vision.

Video quality is superb, the lights are bright, and the motion detection range will make sure nothing gets past it undetected.

Dreame Aero Ultra Steam

Cleaning up after pets or kids usually requires an entire closet full of vacuums, mops, and chemical sprays. The Dreame Aero Ultra Steam solves that chaos by combining everything into one incredibly powerful machine.

We’ve seen plenty of wet-dry vacs, but Dreame takes it to a new level by blasting stuck-on grime with 200°C steam and 90°C hot water mopping, eliminating the need for harsh chemicals. It also packs a massive 30kPa of suction power and TangleCut 2.0 tech to prevent annoying hair wraps, while a front-facing foam spray neutralizes pet odors at the source.

What impresses us most is the smart sensor array, which automatically adjusts suction based on the mess it detects, alongside an ultra-slim lie-flat design that easily slides under low furniture. Add in an epic 80-minute cordless runtime and a self-cleaning base, and your chore list just got a lot shorter. The Dreame Aero Ultra Steam is set to launch on July 15, 2026.

Eufy Omni S2

Eufy's latest flagship robot vacuum passes the smell test — literally. Not only is it a strong cleaner, but it can also make your house smell better in the process. That's because the Omni S2 has a built-in aromatherapy system, which diffuses pleasant scents as it cleans via a cartridge that lasts up to 120 hours. It left our house smelling fresh and pleasant.

The Omni S2 proved to be a capable cleaner in our tests, thanks to 30,000 pa of suction power, and its mopping system also kept our hardwood floors shiny. Its 3D vision system, which can detect over 200 objects, successfully avoided obstacles, too.

After a built-in scent diffuser, who nose what will come next?

Home appliances

GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro

Whether you’re hosting a party or simply want unlimited ice (without the long wait) in your household, GoveeLife's portable Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro is a great option. What’s more, this countertop ice maker can be remotely controlled via the app — even when away from home.

The machine can produce up to 60 pounds of nugget ice per day — enough to get the party started and keep it going well into the night. It also features a dual water tank system that can hold up to 15.6 pounds of ice in a single session, which caters to around 60 drinks (impressive). It also comes with a handy app and voice activation, which is smart enough to notify you and stop making ice once the basket is full or out of water.

Beyond its high-quality performance, this gadget operates whisper-quietly and boasts impressive energy efficiency — making it perfect for frequent daily use and the ideal summer gadget.

Hisense TopLift Smart Dehumidifier

Having one of the top dehumidifiers is essential if you want to instantly reduce moisture in the air — but one major gripe is emptying (and carrying it without spillage) the collected water in the tank. This is why the smart Hisense TopLift stands out by solving a common problem with its more ergonomic design.

Designed with an internal pump, it quickly extracts collected water upward into an 18-pint top-mounted cartridge, which can be easily removed and carried around the home fuss-free. This eliminates the typical mess and heavy lifting associated with traditional tanks.

This is convenient, especially since it can remove up to 50-pints of moisture a day with a coverage of 4,500 sq ft — making it ideal for any room. Additionally, we know the perils of having a noisy dehumidifier, but the Hisense top-lift comes in at a low 46 dB, which is quiet enough to watch your favorite Netflix show in peace.

What’s more, connect via Hisense's ConnectLife app to monitor real-time humidity levels, adjust settings and schedules, and receive alerts from anywhere. It's also fully Matter-certified and compatible with Apple HomeKit, Google Home and Alexa.

Cosori Iconic Stainless Steel 6.5-Quart Smart Air Fryer

The Cosori Iconic is one of our favorite air fryers right now, mainly for its quick results at cooking up tasty treats, ease of use, and eye-catching design.

Alongside its impressive power, it comes with six cooking modes, five fan speeds, and temperature settings ranging from 90 degrees to 450 degrees. It also has a decent capacity of 6.5 quarts (serves 3-5 people), which is ideal for a family. Perhaps its winning feature is the stainless steel exterior and tempered top glass, which gives it that premium look. Plus, all the touch-sensitive controls live beneath that glass.

You can also control the Iconic using Cosori’s VeSync app, which is very easy to use. For instance, you can send the cooking time, temperature, and settings straight to the unit and monitor cooking progress from your phone.

LG Signature Smart Induction Slide-In Range

Whether you’re a pro cook, enjoy cooking up feasts, or run a large family, you’ll want the best range that can do it all. And if you want to monitor how well your food is cooking in real-time, without leaving your seat, this smart LG Signature Induction range is impressive.

Built with an AI Gourmet camera inside, it allows you to take pictures of your tasty treats that you can even show off to your family or friends via the app. What’s more, the app provides a host of recipes that are tailored to your specific ingredients at home to help you decide what to cook for dinner.

Besides its impressive tech, the range comes with a ceramic induction cooktop for faster and more responsive heating, and its Dynamic ProBake Convection, which allows for evenly cooked and tasty food. It also comes with an air fry, sous vide and pizza mode — to suit everyone’s tastes.

Plus, with its sleek 6.8-inch LCD color touch display and premium Flex Control knobs, it certainly looks the part and will bring premium style to any kitchen.

Blueair CoolDrift Air Circulator Fan

Typically, powerful fans are noisy, especially when cranked up during a heatwave. But this Blueair CoolDrift circulator fan offers an ‘ultra-quiet’ operation, designed to help you sleep peacefully.

Despite its compact size, the CoolDrift does exactly what it says — its powerful whole-room circulation can quickly cool down a space and maintain a consistent temperature. This is thanks to its wide horizontal and vertical oscillation, which reduces hot and cold spots.

It also features a smart Night Mode with auto-dimming that adjusts to the temperature over an 8-hour cycle to keep you cool and comfortable throughout the night. This is also ideal for a home office or even a nursery room where comfort is key. Plus, we like that you can customize your settings and schedules through the handy app, anywhere in the home — to tailor to everyone’s needs.

Home Office

LiberNovo Omni

Spending time at your desk feels more like taking control of a starfighter when you're sitting on the LiberNovo Omni, thanks to its sleek, sci-fi styling and extremely comfy cushioning. While other chairs have adjustable lumbar depth mechanisms, the Omni’s is motorized and will change position with just the press of the button inside the left armrest. What’s more, it leans back to a full 160 degrees.

But what makes this truly stand out is the OmniStretch feature that uses the motorized actuator to slowly lift and lower your spine repeatedly for five minutes. It helps relieve tension and straightens things just like you’d expect from a trip to the chiropractor.

Secretlab MAGNUS Pro

The Secretlab Magnus Pro may be a gamer-focused piece of furniture, but even if you’ve not picked up a controller since high school, you should be consider this for your office. It’s got a sturdy steel build with an integrated power supply column and full-length cable management tray.

What’s more, there’s a robust set of accessories available to help you get even more from this desk, including a bespoke mat that protects the entirety of the Magnus Pro’s surface. You can also pick up a magnetic cable anchors to keep loose wires in position. Whether or not you’re a gamer, this is one of the best electric standing desks you can get.

Simple Furniture Height Adjustable Desk

As you might have guessed from the name, the Simple Furniture Height Adjustable Desk is all about nailing the basics and not charging you a premium for it. This electric sit-stand desk marries minimalist aesthetics with solid durability with a scratch-resistant, UV-stable Thermally Fused Laminate top. It won’t be defeated by an early morning coffee spill.

The intuitive LED handset features four programmable memory presets that make switching postures effortless and you’ve also got integrated cable management and a 5-year warranty. If it’s a clutter-free powerhouse built for lasting productivity.

Satechi ChargeView 140W Desktop Charger

Considering the myriad of devices we always need to keep charged up these days, every home office needs an integrated charging solution and they don’t come much sleeker than the Satechi ChargeView 140W Desktop Charger.

You can position it either horizontally or vertically to fit with your desk setup and the live per-port digital LCD display shows real-time power distribution across all four of its USB-C ports. Powered by advanced GaN technology and supporting USB PD 3.2 AVS for the fastest iPhone charging, it’s an efficient, clutter-free solution built to keep your entire workspace fully charged.

UPLIFT V3 Standing Desk

The Uplift V3 is a further refinement of what made its predecessor such a great standing desk. The assembly is more straightforward and the cable management tray is wider and even more adjustable. This desk’s real value also lies in its ecosystem You have the option to start with the base model first and upgrade it later on piece by piece (like adding different power grommets), turning it into a truly long-term investment.

If you're looking for a smooth, stable, and highly customizable standing desk you can use reliably for years to come, look no further. Its ability to grow and change with your setup makes it a true long-term investment and a worthy prize winner this year.

Garden and Outdoor

Yarbo Y Series

What we love about the Yarbo Y Series is that it combines lawn mowing with clearing leaves and snow, making it our first snow-removing robot. This all-season robot lawn mower is designed for large yards and challenging terrain. In fact, it can operate on slopes up to a 70% grade.

The gearbox-free design also reduces mechanical noise, lowering operating sound from ≤75 dB to ≤60 dB, making the Y Series better suited for early-morning or late-night yard care without disturbing the neighborhood.

Yarbo's latest offering has also undergone a core upgrade and now features a dual-hub-motor drive system, improving mobility, torque, speed and acoustic performance. What’s more, its maximum travel speed has increased, enabling faster, smoother operation across larger sites.

Aiper Scuba V3 Ultra pool cleaner

Aiper’s Scuba V3 Ultra lets you get the most out of your swimming pool without getting your hands dirty. What we love is that it’s an all-in-one system with six functions that covers your pool's maintenance.

Designed with homeowners in mind, it cleans the floor, walls, waterline, surface and shallow sun shelves, while dispensing chlorine to keep it hygienic without manual intervention. Using cognitive AI and a dual-camera system alongside ultrasonic sensors it can identify over 20 types of debris, and use learned behavior, weather patterns, and pool conditions to optimize when and how it cleans.

It delivers up to 8,500 GPH suction and a multi-layer MicroMesh system that filters particles down to 3 microns without clogging. It also employs BioClaw robotic arms to guide floating debris, such as leaves and insects, into the intake, and WaveLine™ technology to ensure the waterline is scrubbed clean. Battery life stands at up to 4 hours of floor cleaning and 8 hours for surface cleaning.

Induction Hardware 36" Outdoor Built-In Induction Griddle

Induction Hardware has introduced the first outdoor induction griddle, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of precision cooking outdoors. It delivers the performance chefs expect from induction, while eliminating the fire hazards of cooking with a traditional gas griddle outside.

Apart from looking sleek, the 36” grill features a removable carbon-steel griddle that unlocks four oversized square induction coils, while offering single-zone, dual-zone, and bridge functions for even, full-surface heating.

We’re impressed by its functionality and by the fact that, once the griddle is removed, it reveals a full induction cooktop. It’s not designed for your everyday budget BBQ, but we’re impressed with how it could take center stage in a modern outdoor kitchen and deliver anything from seared steaks to hearty pasta.

Thermacell LIV 2.0 On-Demand Mosquito+ Repellent System

The LIV is a mosquito-repellent system that emits a vapor mosquitoes hate, and it’s controlled by a Smart Hub that communicates with up to 10 satellite-based repellers. It works by creating a large, scent-free zone of protection against mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and biting midges, covering up to 3,000 sq ft.

The user can activate, schedule and monitor the system through app control, while it’s also compatible with voice control via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. It’s not a cheap setup and will need to be installed, but the technology provides on-demand protection season after season, offering a smart outdoor living solution for pest control.

Birdfy Feeder Metal 2 4K

If you love watching birds in your yard, the Birdfy Feeder Metal 2 4K AI-powered smart bird feeder is designed to bring them within range without disturbing them. The sharp camera brings the birds to life, capturing their fine details and subtle movements often missed by the naked eye. What’s more, the AI tech identifies each species and offers you real-time alerts through the app. It’s a real plus for those not quite sure of the feathered creatures that come to visit and want to track all visits without being present.

We’re impressed by how the bird feeder invites nature into your backyard and wildlife into your home. And during testing, we appreciated its durability, the multiple ways it can be installed, and how easy it is to fill.

Bedroom and sleep

Amerisleep AS3

The popular Amerisleep AS3 is available as either a hybrid or all-foam mattress and is a great option for both side sleepers and light-average weight back sleepers, too. The Bio-Pur memory foam molded to the body better than you might expect and offers good support at the same time.

The edge support and motion isolation on this mattress are also excellent. If you share your bed with a restless partner or are a light sleeper, you're unlikely to be disturbed by the AS3 as the Bio-Pur foam absorbs motion successfully. It also does a great job of temperature regulation throughout the year.

Blueair Mini Restful Sunrise Alarm Clock Air Purifier

BlueAir’s Mini Restful Sunrise Clock Air Purifier can lay claim to being your ultimate bedside companion by marrying air filtration with routine-enabling sleep tech. It comes in a soothing Coastal Beige colorway and boats a compact footprint that won't clutter your nightstand.

We especially love how it reinvents the morning routine by eschewing jarring alarms for customizable sunrise lighting and gentle sounds to wake you naturally. All while Blueair’s signature HEPASilent filtration works away under the hood to clears 99.97% of dust, dander, and allergens from a 140-square-foot room in just 12.5 minutes.

You can manage the Mini Restful Sunrise Clock Air Purifier through a companion app for custom schedules to personalize this all-in-one sleep sanctuary.

ComfortNext Lux

If you’re looking to level up your mattress game, then the ComfortNext Lux is the way to do it. This is one of five new smart mattresses from Sleep Number and promises better pressure relief, cooling and support. There are 100 different firmness levels controlled by the internal air chamber that you can select from the accompanying app.

The thick top layer of foam makes this a soft mattress but, providing you have an adjustable base, you can enjoy a range of motion from the bed’s top and bottom sections. And finally, you’ll get personalized sleep insights delivered to your phone every morning. This is the future of sleep.

RENPHO x Headspace Eyeris Zen Eye Massager

The RENPHO x Headspace Eyeris Zen Eye Massager is a calming way to shut the world out and get a few moments of valuable relaxation time. Wrapped in an exclusive soft-matte purple finish, its feather-light build won’t weigh you down while you unwind. We especially love its phone-free approach to relaxation: right out of the box, it comes pre-loaded with nine guided Headspace meditations targeting sleep, anxiety, and daily mindfulness, allowing you to completely disconnect from digital noise.

Under the hood, the newly engineered ZenTech motor operates at a near-silent 40 dB, ensuring your tranquility remains entirely undisturbed. It delivers highly customizable comfort, offering three dynamic compression modes and three soothing heat levels to melt away screen fatigue and temple tension.

If you're planning to take a vacation this summer, you want to make sure your house is protected against any eventuality, but some of the best smart home devices can get a little pricey, especially if you buy them all together.

Fortunately, Prime Day is a good opportunity to stock up on these devices, as many are on sale, often for a good discount. I've tested dozens of smart home gadgets, and have edited reviews of dozens more, so I've scoured Amazon, Best Buy, and other retailers for the best deals on products that actually work. So, before you pack your bags, make sure that you have these smart home devices looking after things while you're gone.

Security cameras

You'll find plenty of deals on Amazon for all sorts of security cameras and video doorbells, but I'd recommend a camera that doesn't require a subscription, so you don't have to pay a monthly or annual fee just to see the video it recorded.

Smart locks

If you're leaving pets at home or need someone to water your plants, then one of the best smart locks will let you monitor and manage who gets into your house. Smart locks can be programmed with specific codes for specific people, so you'll know when someone types in a code into the keypad.

Water leak detectors

There's nothing worse than coming home to a flooded basement. There's the massive cleanup expense, you'll have to throw out thousands of dollars of waterlogged items you stored in the basement, and there's a potentially huge water bill, too.

At the very least, the best water leak detectors can alert you when something's amiss; these sensors are relatively cheap, so you can place them all around the home, under every sink or anywhere else. Other, more expensive models can automatically shut off your water, saving you even more hassle. Better yet: they may even decrease your insurance bill.

Electricity monitor

Power surges and outages are also something you'll want to keep tabs on. If there's a blackout, you'll want to know if all the food in your fridge will need to be tossed. Or, if there's a power surge, you'll also want to get an alert.

The Ting is a small plug-in device that monitors all the circuits in your home, and measures the voltage and current running through your house. If anything is out of the norm, it will send you a message to your phone. It can also let you know if anything you've plugged into an outlet has faulty wiring.

Smart light, plug or switch

How to you make it look like someone's home when you're not? With a smart light, smart light switch, or a smart plug. They all work pretty much the same these days, but look for ones with specific "vacation modes." This setting will have your lights turn on and off randomly during specific times, to give the appearance that your house is occupied.

If you have floor lamps, a smart plug or smart light will do the trick; if you have a lot of ceiling lights, a smart light switch might be the better choice.

Smart thermostat

Did you know the best temperature to set your AC during the summer is 78º F? Yeah, that may seem a bit high, but whatever your preference, one of the best smart thermostats can manage your home's climate more efficiently, so you're using less energy while still keeping your house cool.

The best smart thermostats can take into account not just the temperature inside your house, but also look at weather reports and other data to recommend proactively cooling your home, so you're using less energy during peak hours.

And, as they're linked to your phone, you can program them so that you're not cooling your house excessively while you're away, but you can still return home to a comfortable environment.

Even better: Many utility companies offer some excellent rebates on smart thermostats, so you can often find them for very little money.

More from Tom's Guide

• I always put a coin in my freezer before I go on vacation — here's why
• I’m a frequent traveler and these are the 15 Amazon travel essentials I swear by — starting at just $6
• 5 tech travel hacks I learned after 2 months backpacking in Asia — don't make the same mistakes as me

Some of the most popular Prime Day deals are smart home devices, such as security cameras, video doorbells, and smart speakers. But while you'll often see deep discounts on a lot of these gadgets — upwards of 40% off — many come with a hidden fee: subscriptions.

You see, these companies realized that they can create a recurring revenue stream by charging you a monthly fee for something as simple as being able to record and save video from your security cameras.

Don't be lured into these cheap deals, only to realize later that it wasn't the bargain it seemed. To help you, I've put together a list of deals on the best security cameras and video doorbells from companies that don't charge a subscription. That way, your mind — and your wallet — can rest easy.

Quick links

• Blink Mini 2K+: was $39 now $17 @ Amazon
• Blink Outdoor 2K+: was $89 now $30 @ Amazon
• Tapo 4K 8MP Wired Pan/Tilt Outdoor Security Camera: was $99 now $79 @ Amazon
• Eufy SoloCam E42: was $179 now $113 @ Amazon
• Wyze Duo Cam Pan: was $69 now $53 @ Amazon
• Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+: was $69 now $34 @ Amazon
• Wyze Wireless Duo Cam Video Doorbell: was $119 now $94 @ Amazon
• Eufy E340 Video Doorbell: was $149 now $99 @ Amazon
• Tapo 2K Wireless Smart Video Doorbell: was $49 now $34 @ Amazon

Security cameras

Video doorbells

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

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

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

Google Home Speaker review: Price and availability

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

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

Google Home Speaker review: Design

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

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

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

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

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

Google Home Speaker review: Sustainability

As with most companies’ claims, Google throws out some numbers which are ultimately a little vague. Google says the speaker and its adapter is “Made with at least 37% recycled materials based on product weight.” Whether that means the metal or plastic parts is unclear.

By comparison, Amazon says the Echo Dot Max is made from 23% recycled materials; the fabric parts are made from 98% post-consumer recycled fabric, while the plastic is made from 41% post consumer recycled plastic.

The Apple HomePod mini uses 99% recycled rare earth elements, and 35% or more recycled plastic in multiple components.

Google Home Speaker review: Audio performance

Where the Nest Audio had a 75mm woofer and a 19mm tweeter, the Google Home Speaker has a single 58mm driver. I didn’t have the older Nest to compare the two side-by-side, but the tl;dr is that the Google Home Speaker performs well for its size.

I played a variety of tracks on the Google Home Speaker, as well as the HomePod mini and Echo Dot Max, and though there were some subtle differences between them, they weren’t all that disparate.

I might give a slight edge to the Echo Dot Max; it’s the only device that has two speakers (an 0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer) which helped midtones stand out a bit more than the Google Home and the HomePod mini, which has a single 2-inch driver

Mids sounded a bit compressed, such as Billy Joel’s voice in “Movin’ Out.” Joel’s voice sounded better and warmer on the Echo Dot Max, and there was also better bass. However, the HomePod mini sounded the best of the three.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drop Dead” sounded best on the Echo Dot Max, as it was able to better separate the mids and highs; the Google Home Speaker and HomePod mini mushed things a bit.

Not surprisingly, bass was just ok, I threw on some old-school Snoop Dog “Who am I (What’s My Name)?” and the groove was much better on the Echo Dot Max and the HomePod than Google’s speaker.

Google Home Speaker review: Google Gemini

The hardware may be new, but the bigger upgrade inside the Google Play Speaker is Gemini, which is far more capable and powerful than Google Assistant.

Gemini for Home works with all of Google’s smart speakers and displays, but only the newer ones — Nest Audio, Nest mini (2nd Gen), Nest Hub Max and Nest Hub (2nd Gen) — will support the full Gemini for Home experience, as well as Gemini Live, where you can have a more natural, free-flowing conversation.

To test out Gemini on the Google Home Speaker, I asked it a series of questions, which it answered correctly, and was much more engaging than the old Assistant. For example, when I asked “Hey Google, what’s a good recipe for chicken wings?”, Gemini responded with a wide range of options, as well as certain things that it thought were popular.

I then asked Gemini to save the recipe, and it told me it created a note, but not where it was saved. I was able to find it in my Google Keep folder.

I also tested Gemini on sports, and here, it was a bit slower on the uptake. I asked ““Hey Google, did France win today?” and received the response “No, France did not play today,” although they had just defeated Iraq in the World Cup.

I then followed up with “Are you sure France didn’t play today?” and Gemini quickly corrected itself, gave me a summary of the game, and told me that Les Bleus secured a spot in the round of 32.

Google Home Speaker review: Subscription costs

You get Gemini for Home for free with the Google Home Speaker, but to make the most out of Gemini (and the speaker), you’ll need to sign up for a Google Home Premium subscription. Otherwise, you won’t get conversational Gemini, among other things.

If you sign up for Google Home Premium Standard ($10/month or $100/year), you get the following:

• Gemini Live (Get expert help, brainstorm ideas, and learn new topics)
• Help me create (lets you describe to Gemini the smart home routine you want to create)
• Sound detection (Smoke/carbon monoxide alarm and Glass breaking)
• 30 days of video event history

If you sign up for Google Home Premium Advanced ($20/month, $200/year), you get those features as well as these:

• Search video history - Quickly search your camera history by just asking
• Daily summaries - Ask about what you missed when you were away
• 60 days of video history
• 10 days of 24/7 video history
• Descriptive notifications
• Event descriptions

If you’re more invested in Gemini, you can also get the Standard plan as part of a Google AI Pro subscription ($20/month), and the Advanced plan with Google AI Ultra ($99/month).

Google Home Speaker review: Home theater features

Similar to its rival smart speakers, the Google Home Speaker works well with the Google TV Streamer to create a home theater experience. You can pair either a single speaker or two to the streaming device; if you pair two, you can also set up spatial audio. Dolby Atmos is supported, and the Google TV Streamer can also convert HD audio into a proprietary spatial audio format.

Amazon takes things a step further with its Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio speakers, as you can create a full surround sound experience with up to five speakers.

Google Home Speaker review: Smart Home functionality

As a smart home device, the Google Home Speaker is less capable than its Apple and Amazon rivals. For example, the HomePod mini has temperature and humidity sensors; the Amazon Echo Dot Max can act as an eero mesh router extender and has ambient light and temperature sensors, as well as presence detection.

Those other sensors make the other smart speakers far more functional. For example, you can create an Apple Home or Alexa routine to turn on your air conditioner if the temperature as measured by a speaker rises above a certain level, or if it senses someone entering the room.

Google Home Speaker review: Bottom line

Smart speakers aren’t quite the commodity they once were; Like Amazon, Google has gone from releasing a new model every year to waiting more than half a decade between the Nest Audio and the Google Home Speaker.

And that’s fine. There’s only so much you can do, though both Amazon and Apple have done more with their smart speakers than Google in terms of embedding additional sensors to make their devices more integral to a smart home ecosystem.

As smart home assistants, both Alexa and Google are very capable, especially now that they’ve gained extra AI abilities. If you’ve already started using either smart assistant, it’s unlikely that you’re going to switch your smart home from Alexa to Google or vice versa.

At this point, a smart speaker is more or less a delivery mechanism for the smart assistant of your choice. If you already own a Google smart speaker and it’s working well, there’s no real reason to upgrade, unless you want to create a Google-centric home theater system.