The T6S is a small power bank with an eye-catching appearance. The light pink colorway of my review unit was certainly striking, and the small rainbow stripe adds a nice accent to the overall finish. It also comes in black, white, and light blue finishes.
Quite why it has the design of a digital camera from 20 years ago I’m not sure, but this does lend it a fun, retro charm. The faux camera lens also cleverly doubles as an LED display, which is very bright and clear, although it only displays the battery level of the T6S and nothing else.
The T6S is pleasingly compact for a 10k power bank, being shorter and thinner than some of the best power banks with the same capacity. However, it’s quite thick in terms of depth, so some may struggle to fit this comfortably in their pocket. The weight is perhaps a little too hefty for this style of carry as well, although it still isn’t what I’d call heavy.
It’s free of any kind of interface, save for a very discreet power button hidden away on the rear side, which sits flush with the chassis and finished in the same color, so as not to spoil the contours of the T6S.
There are two USB-C ports and one Lightning port, all of which function as inputs in addition to outputs. However, the Lightning port and the adjacent USB-C port are heavily recessed with an opening that was too small to fit any of my numerous spare cables. Thankfully, the other USB-C port on the opposite side isn’t recessed, so there’s no issue here.
The T6S comes with a USB-C-to-Lightning cable that fits like a glove in these slots. At first, this connection type threw me, as I couldn’t see the point. Then I realised that it’s actually quite versatile, allowing you to charge your USB-C devices by plugging the Lightning end into the bank, or your older Apple devices by plugging in the USB-C end.
What’s more, since these inputs are right next to each other, you can plug both ends of the cable to create a carrying loop, which works thanks to the durable cable material and the secure fit of the ports. The drawback of this cable, though, is its short length, so you’ll need your device right next to the T6S while charging.
All ports are capable of 20W PD charging, and three-way simultaneous charging is possible too. I managed to charge my 4,385mAh Google Pixel 7a from half to full capacity, using the included Lightning-to-USB-C cable, in just over an hour, which is a good performance.
However, the battery of the T6S depleted by 40% in the process, which is less impressive, and doesn’t quite seem to chime with its 10,000mAh capacity; other power banks I’ve tested with the same capacity dipped by about a third instead, and I would’ve expected to get closer to two full charges out of it than I did. Charging the bank itself takes about four hours from empty to full, which is about average for its size.
At just over £20, the T6S represents good value considering its portability, fun looks, and clever cable. Other power banks at this price offer similar features, but not many have the same quirky stylings as the T6S, so if that’s important to you in a power bank, not many can match the T6S on that front.
(Image credit: Future)
VRURC T6S power bank review: price & specs
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the VRURC T6S power bank?
Buy it if…
You want something stylish The T6S doubles as a fashion accessory thanks to its vibrant colorways and retro camera aesthetic.
You want a clever cable It may be short but the included cable is versatile for charging purposes, and doubles as a carrying handle to boot.
Don't buy it if…
You want to use your own cables Not many cables will fit in the two recessed ports. Thankfully, the non-recessed USB-C port has no problem in this regard.
You don’t have older Apple devices Lightning is a defunct connector type, so unless you still have older Apple devices, the port will be surplus to requirements.
VRURC T6S power bank review: also consider
INIU B61 Power Bank 10000mAh Another fun-sized 10k power bank, the Iniu B61 is slightly more expensive than the T6S, but has a little more power at 22.5W. It might not come with a clever cable, but the B61 does have two USB-A ports, which are probably more useful to more users than a Lightning port. If you want a cheaper power bank with the same capacity, there’s the B41, although this has less power (15W). Read our INIU B61 review.
Once the iPhone 16e came out, it was ridiculed by many as it's substantially pricier than its predecessor, the iPhone SE, and the upgrade since 2022 is underwhelming, to say the least. However, according to a Bloomberg report, the iPhone 16e recorded 60% more sales than its spiritual predecessor.
Sure, the iPhone 16e supports Apple Intelligence to some extent, gets a new, more modern design and display, but it's still stuck with one camera, and it costs $170 more than iPhone SE from 2022, which is a lot, even if you account for inflation.
However, users don't seem to care, and there...
Once the iPhone 16e came out, it was ridiculed by many as it's substantially pricier than its predecessor, the iPhone SE, and the upgrade since 2022 is underwhelming, to say the least. However, according to a Bloomberg report, the iPhone 16e recorded 60% more sales than its spiritual predecessor.
Sure, the iPhone 16e supports Apple Intelligence to some extent, gets a new, more modern design and display, but it's still stuck with one camera, and it costs $170 more than iPhone SE from 2022, which is a lot, even if you account for inflation.
However, users don't seem to care, and there...
It’s hard to find good Nintendo Switch controllers at the $30 / £30 price mark. Typically, budget gamepads around this point simply don’t feel all that great to play with and often have a build quality that leaves a lot to be desired. That’s why I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the Horipad Turbo, a budget Switch controller that certainly has some of the hallmarks of a cheap pad, but manages to make up for it in other key areas.
Obviously, some compromises have been made to keep costs low. The Horipad Turbo does feel lightweight and somewhat hollow in the hands. It’s a strictly wired controller and doesn’t offer arguably basic features like gyro aiming, vibration, or remappable rear buttons. I’m also not the biggest fan of its simple, mushy D-pad.
But the Horipad Turbo gets most other things right where it counts. Its thumbsticks and buttons all feel great, and its satisfying-to-press digital triggers are perfectly suited for the best Nintendo Switch games. The titular Turbo function also works very well and is quite robust with three distinct input settings.
Throw in options for officially licensed liveries inspired by Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda series, and it’s clear that a lot of thought and care has gone into making the Horipad Turbo an attractive budget option. If you’re interested in purchasing a new Nintendo Switch controller, then, but don’t have the funds to splash out on the likes of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller or 8BitDo Ultimate, I highly recommend checking out the Horipad Turbo instead.
(Image credit: Future)
Horipad Turbo: Price and availability
$29.99 / £29.99
Available in three colorways
UK availability appears to be very limited
The Horipad Turbo is available to purchase for $29.99 / £29.99. In the US, it’s available on Hori’s own website as well as Amazon. Unfortunately, it’s much more difficult to track down in the UK. Here, Hori’s website doesn’t currently have any stock, and listings at retailers like Amazon are limited (though often come in well under the retail price).
Three distinct colorways are available for the Horipad Turbo. There is a standard black version, as well as fancier liveries for The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario. These don’t cost any extra, either, so you’re free to pick one that best suits your tastes without making a bigger dent in your wallet.
Before you do decide to pull the trigger, though, I would also recommend you check out the GameSir Nova Lite. This controller comes in at $24.99 / £29.99 and is more widely available in both regions. It also has some key upgrades over the Horipad Turbo, including Hall effect sticks and wireless connectivity. It still lacks gyro aiming, however.
Horipad Turbo: Specs
(Image credit: Future)
Horipad Turbo: Design and features
Lightweight build, but certainly not uncomfortable
Standard asymmetrical layout like the Switch Pro Controller
Overly mushy-feeling D-pad
The Horipad Turbo very much comes as advertised (well, apart from one particular thing that I’ll touch on in the performance section below). The box contains the wired controller, an instruction booklet and that’s it. No fancy extras like swappable thumbsticks, carry cases, or all that jazz. But this is to be expected for a gamepad that’s firmly placed in the budget price bracket.
The controller itself certainly has a budget, plastic feel, and it’s extremely lightweight. As a result, it feels almost listless in the hands. However, this isn’t to say holding the controller is unpleasant. While it lacks textured grips a la the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, it’s comfortable enough and easy to keep a firm grip on while you play.
Sticks and face buttons both feel great to use and the bumpers, while a little chunky for my tastes, are still adequate. The digital ZL and ZR triggers are the real stars of the show, with an immediate press that’s perfect for the vast majority of the first-party Nintendo Switch game library.
(Image credit: Future)
The clue’s in the name when it comes to the Horipad Turbo’s key feature. Its Turbo functionality allows for rapid inputs simply by holding down the button it’s assigned to.
To do this, simply hold the Turbo button in the center of the gamepad, followed by your face button of choice. There are options for 5, 10, and 20 inputs per second. So it’s a great fit for simpler, arcade-like titles you might find within the Nintendo Switch Online retro libraries. Prefer being able to quickfire projectiles in games like Blaster Master and Super R-Type? The Turbo button can help shave some of that difficulty off while keeping your thumb thoroughly blister-free.
The controller’s 10ft (3m) cable is industry standard, but as it’s non-braided it did tend to coil up more than I’d like. The D-pad is also a real letdown here. For one, it’s really thin, making diagonal inputs a touch harder than they need to be. It also feels very mushy to press, leading to a pretty unsatisfying gameplay experience. Stick to those analog sticks for movement if you can.
Horipad Turbo: Performance
Perfectly responsive across all fronts
Works on PC as well as Nintendo Switch
Missing features include rumble and gyro aiming
The Horipad Turbo is compatible primarily with the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch OLED models. You won’t get PlayStation or Xbox functionality here, but the controller is compatible with PC. This is not mentioned on Hori’s website or on the box itself, but I was able to hook the controller up to my PC via USB and it worked there without issue.
(Image credit: Future)
That said, I think the Horipad Turbo is a better fit for the Switch, and not just because of those officially licensed liveries. It’s got the Switch’s ‘reversed’ face button layout (with X/Y and A/B swapped from the typical XInput layout) and its digital triggers are perfect for a game library where pressure-sensitive triggers are never really required.
As a result, it’s a great fit for several games that I tested, including Super Mario Odyssey, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - all games where quick trigger presses are utilized regularly. Though when it came to both Zelda and Splatoon 3, I certainly did lament the lack of gyro aiming here. The fact there’s no rumble, while less of a dealbreaker overall, is also a shame.
Should I buy the Horipad Turbo?
Buy it if...
You’re on a tight budget The Horipad Turbo is one of the most affordable Nintendo Switch controller options that, similar to the GameSir Nova Lite, I can actually recommend thanks to its overall strong performance despite some middling build quality.
You prefer more precise trigger presses The Horipad Turbo’s digital triggers are a blessing on Switch, and I much prefer them over the more traditional analog triggers you find on most controllers.
Don't buy it if...
You’re a Splatoon 3 player One of the most unfortunate omissions here is the lack of gyro aiming. You can of course use the analog sticks for aiming in Splatoon 3, but do you really want to do that?
You were hoping for more features Even more recent controllers at a similar price like the GameSir Nova Lite have the Horipad Turbo beat on features, like offering Hall effect sticks and wireless connectivity.View Deal
Also consider...
The Horipad Turbo is a solid controller, but if you’re after a new Nintendo Switch gamepad you may also wish to consider these budget-friendly alternatives.
GameSir Nova Lite My favorite budget Nintendo Switch pad offers drift-resistant Hall effect thumbsticks and wireless connectivity with up to 15 hours of battery life. It’s technically an upgrade when compared to the Horipad Turbo, offering several customization options via its multifunction button. It doesn’t have Turbo functionality, though, on top of missing out on gyro aiming.
8BitDo Ultimate C Another incredibly budget-friendly controller, it carries on the brand’s tradition of having excellent build quality despite the low price.
Compared and contrasted mainly with the GameSir Nova Lite
I tested the Horipad Turbo for this review for roughly a week. During that time I tried the gamepad with a range of top Nintendo Switch games, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, Astral Chain, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. I also put the Turbo button through its paces by playing a variety of fitting retro titles on Nintendo Switch Online. These included Blaster Master, Ninja Gaiden, Mario Party 3, and Super R-Type.
I also spent some time comparing the Horipad Turbo to what I feel is its closest budget equivalent - the GameSir Nova Lite. I do prefer GameSir’s controller, owing to its Hall effect sticks and wireless connectivity options. But the Horipad Turbo isn’t far off, with similar build quality and a nice Turbo button addition. Both controllers lack gyro aiming, though, which is a bit of a shame.
Nothing kicks off its third generation of phones with the more affordable a-series and this time there are two of them out of the gate – a vanilla and a Pro model. The former is on sale as of this week, the latter will arrive in about a week’s time (it can be pre-ordered right now, though).
The Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro share most of their hardware. They use the same 6.77” 1080p+ display (120Hz, 10-bit, HDR10+), the same Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, same 5,000mAh battery with 50W wired-only charging, same IP64 rating (dust-tight, splash resistant) and same Glyph lights on the back....
Nothing kicks off its third generation of phones with the more affordable a-series and this time there are two of them out of the gate – a vanilla and a Pro model. The former is on sale as of this week, the latter will arrive in about a week’s time (it can be pre-ordered right now, though).
The Nothing Phone (3a) and (3a) Pro share most of their hardware. They use the same 6.77” 1080p+ display (120Hz, 10-bit, HDR10+), the same Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chipset, same 5,000mAh battery with 50W wired-only charging, same IP64 rating (dust-tight, splash resistant) and same Glyph lights on the back....
This week, the Nothing Phone (3a) launches as a number of older and not-so-old devices see steep price drops.
The Nothing Phone (3a) is a mid-ranger and is available in two configurations, both under €400. Nothing doesn’t do small phones, so this one is equipped with a 6.77” 1080p+ display (120Hz, 10-bit, HDR10+, 3,000 nits). Instead of a Dimensity chip, the company picked a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 this time around. The battery is a 5,000mAh cell with 50W wired-only charging.
The camera setup includes a 50MP main (1/1.57”, OIS) and now a 50MP 50mm telephoto (2x), plus an 8MP ultra-wide and...
Last week’s poll suggests that Samsung’s new mid-range trio, the Galaxy A56, A36 and A26, are facing two major issues – the hardware is good but not great and the prices are too high.
That could be thought of as a single issue since both concerns plug into the value-for-money equation, but the result is the same – people don’t feel like they are getting their money’s worth with these A-series phones.
Let’s start with the Samsung Galaxy A56. It’s pretty clear that most people want to see a discount before considering this phone. It starts at $500/€480 and you can easily find a Galaxy S24...
Last week’s poll suggests that Samsung’s new mid-range trio, the Galaxy A56, A36 and A26, are facing two major issues – the hardware is good but not great and the prices are too high.
That could be thought of as a single issue since both concerns plug into the value-for-money equation, but the result is the same – people don’t feel like they are getting their money’s worth with these A-series phones.
Let’s start with the Samsung Galaxy A56. It’s pretty clear that most people want to see a discount before considering this phone. It starts at $500/€480 and you can easily find a Galaxy S24...
Reportedly, Apple is preparing to launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year. But we've heard that one before, at least a couple of times. There were rumors right before the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 16 series releases claiming that the Ultra would either replace the Pro Max or sit above it. Now, the very same rumor is back.
According to a report on the Naver blog, the upcoming iPhone 17 Ultra will replace the Pro Max. The claim stems from supply chain market analysis, suggesting that Apple is preparing to launch a phone with new hardware features. For instance, the Ultra will likely adopt a...
