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Forget AirPods Pro 3, these premium buds sound fantastic and look so much classier
12:30 pm | September 27, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Comments: Off

Status Audio Pro X: Two-minute review

American audio company Status Audio was hurt by the curse of poor timing with the release of its next-gen premium earbuds and challengers to our best earbuds buying guide. That’s because less than two months after the firm unveiled the Pro X, Apple finally released its latest buds, the AirPods Pro 3, which slightly undercut the underdogs’ latest release in terms of price.

I don’t think Status needs to worry much about competition from Apple, though, because the product distinguishes itself in a few key areas (and, of course, actually works equally as well for Android users).

For one, the Status Pro X has three audio drivers per bud, one more than the AirPods Pro and two more than most earbuds I test. This trio works together to deliver well-defined and high-quality audio that sounds fantastic, making these some of the best earbuds you can try.

The earbuds also look as good as they sound, with the ellipsoid design language carried between the buds and the case to make them look some of the classiest buds I've seen. It's not all for show either as I found the fit reliable.

Status has nailed more of the basics with solid Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), handy touch controls and wireless charging in the case.

The main let-down for me was the battery life, which basically scraped five hours if you've got ANC turned on. That's pretty poor when you look at averages on the market, even for high-end buds, and rules them out for certain use cases.

In fact, the overall feature set is a little bit anemic, and there are a few common perks that aren't available on the Pro X. It's clear that the emphasis here is on the audio quality and design, not the handy extras that often justify a higher price.

That's the one department where the AirPods Pro 3 cleanly beat the Status Pro X; don't expect any live translation or heart rate tracking here. But Status has Apple beat in the two other main areas, and that's good enough for me.

Status Audio Pro X review: Price and release date

The Status Audio Pro X on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Released in 'batches' every few months from July 2025
  • Costs $299 / £272 / AU$470
  • Pricier than big-name rivals

The first thing to know about the Pro X is that they’re not cheap gadgets; these are pricey buds that bump elbows with some top-notch rivals.

The official retail price for the Status Audio Pro X is $299 / £272 / AU$470, though it’s worth noting that you can pre-order them for $249 / £226 / AU$384. When I say ‘pre-order’, I don’t mean that the buds aren’t out, but (at the time of writing at least) Status is selling them in waves, with one every couple of months. For the purpose of this review I’m taking the RRP as the real price of the buds though.

That price means the buds cost more than the new AirPods Pro 3, which go for $249 / £219 / AU$429 and roughly match the option that tops our best earbuds list, the Technics EAH-AZ100, which go for $299 / £259 / AU$478.

In other words, I went into this review expecting great things.

One more thing: the Pro X's predecessor, the excellent Status Between 3ANC, cost $249 (approx. £249 / AU$399).

Status Audio Pro X review: Specs

Drivers

12mm driver + 2x Knowles balanced armature drivers

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life (ANC off)

8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

Weight

5g (buds) 48g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Waterproofing

IP55

Status Audio Pro X review: Features

The Status Audio Pro X on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Poor battery life
  • Decent noise cancellation
  • Fewer features than rivals

According to Status Audio, the Pro X will last for 8 hours of listening time, with the charging case extending it to 24 hours in total. That figure must be for listening with ANC turned off, because when it was enabled, I got a far shorter listening time: roughly four and a half to five hours. That’s not exactly a competitive stat as it falls below average by a considerable way.

A better feature is the noise cancellation which, while not best-in-class, was solid enough to plaster over annoying background noises. The Ambient mode is one of the better examples of pass-through sound I’ve used, with surrounding sounds fed into your headphones without sounding amplified at all.

You can toggle between these modes using the Status Hub app which also lets you customize the touch controls, choose between one of five equalizer presets (plus a custom mode with an eight-band EQ for the audiophiles), find the buds if you’ve lost them (with location tracking and audio cues), set up multi-point connection and toggle whether your voice is hidden by the ANC when you talk in the phone. Hidden in the app’s settings is a Dynamic EQ mode which boosts bass and treble when the volume is low – it’s turned off by default though.

There are a few features which you may expect at this price point that you’re not getting, including surround-sound audio (see 'spatial audio'), toggle-able wearer detection, fit tests or the ability to change codec or music stream bitrate. The slender feature set is something we’ve knocked past Status buds for and while there are more here (the Between 3ANC didn’t let you change touch controls, for example, and GPS buds tracking is a great tool), I’d still like to see a little more to justify the price.

In terms of connection specs, the Pro X supports SBC, AAC and LDAC, at 24-bit/96 kHz. In my testing I didn’t have any connection issues between the buds and my phone.

  • Features score: 3/5

Status Audio Pro X review: Design

The Status Audio Pro X on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Classy look for bud and case
  • Handy touch controls
  • Case supports wireless charging

The Status Audio Pro X are some of the more refined earbuds I’ve tested this year in terms of design. They’re stem-toting buds, although ‘stem’ feels like an odd choice of word for the ellipsoid pillars standing tall from the earbuds.

Despite the size of the stems, which made me worry about the reliability of the ear fit, the Pro X stayed in my ears without any shifting or issues. The touch controls worked well and were easy to use, thanks to the size of the sensor area so you don’t need any precision to pause or skip your music.

The buds have an IP55 rating against dust ingress and jets of water, so don’t submerge them in puddles or sinks if you want them to keep working.

Now onto the case; it’s a small oblong box that weighs about 48g (according to my kitchen scales, though I couldn’t find an official figure from Status Audio). It’s not too huge a case although I did notice it in my trouser pocket. I like how it shares obvious design DNA with the earbuds, though I do feel Status missed a trick by not copying the buds’ two-tone shading.

In a neat addition, the case supports wireless charging, so you don’t need to rely on its USB-C port if you don’t want to.

Something I need to mention is that, during testing, one of the earbud charging connectors in the case stopped working. I wrote this off as an anomalous error and Status were quick to replace the test unit with another one – which didn’t break – but I feel compelled to mention the issue after I discovered a Reddit post in which people shared stories of the same issue happening, albeit in past Status buds.

  • Design score: 4/5

Status Audio Pro X review: Sound quality

  • 12mm driver + dual balanced armature drivers
  • Equalizer plus loads of presets
  • Max volume should be higher

The Status Audio Pro X on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)

Status is putting all its eggs in the ‘sound quality’ basket with the Pro X. The buds have not one, not two but three drivers: a 12mm dynamic driver and two Knowles balanced armature drivers, with the triumvirate designed to individually hit bass, middle and treble respectively.

This gambit pays off: the Pro X sound fantastic and you won’t find much better on the market in the wireless realm. By default the sound profile is neutral, but the aforementioned app presets let you pull oodles of treble or bass out of your tunes – once you work out what each means, due to the lack of a guide (take a guess which has more bass: Status Signature, Status Audiophile or Knowles Preferred? That’s right, there’s no way of knowing – and that’s the only information you’re given). Whatever your taste, you’ll be able to cater your listening to it.

Treble is distinct and sparkling, while bass is well-defined and mids remain clear and strong. The quality is high, and you can hear the inflection in vocals and the squeak of fingers on a guitar string. There isn’t as defined a soundstage as on some other high-end buds though, beyond the natural separation that you can perceive when the quality of lines is higher.

The Pro X don’t go quite as loud as I would’ve liked either; a few times when I was listening outdoors they didn’t reach the volume or oomph I’d have liked to combat noisy situations, despite the decent noise cancellation.

  • Sound quality: 4.5/5

Status Audio Pro X review: Value

The Status Audio Pro X on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Let's be clear, these are pricey buds
  • …but you can save money with pre-order

It’s always hard to defend the value proposition of top-end buds. After all, premium tech simply doesn’t give you value for money; you can buy decent buds for a third of the price that don’t drop the quality by a third – and the gains sonically here are absolutely worthy if you value them, but they're incremental.

So Status goes a long way to justifying the Pro X’s price with the high-quality audio and premium design, but the question of whether they’re great value for money would be a lot easier to answer if the feature set was more fleshed out.

  • Value: 3.5/5

Should I buy the Status Audio Pro X?

The Status Audio Pro X on a window sill.

(Image credit: Future)
Status Pro X score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

The unimpressive battery life and lack of super features hurts the buds

3/5

Design

These look great and fit into ears well.

4/5

Sound quality

The specs don't lie, and three drivers makes the audio sound fantastic.

4.5/5

Value

Can you expect great value from premium tech? This is pretty good, though the feature set would sway the needle.

3.5/5

Buy them if…

You want top-notch audio
The Status Pro X are audiophile's earbuds, not just for the high quality but for the versatility through the equalizer and presets.

You're an Android user
I can see these being a popular alternative to AirPods Pro 3 for their similar price and fantastic audio chops, and actually working on Android.

You like the style
It's hard to be objective when it comes to looks, but if you like the way the Status Pro X looks, they're a good buy.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

You need long-lasting battery
These buds won't see you through a work day if you listen with noise cancellation.

You're on a budget
If you've set yourself an upper limit to how much you're willing to spend on buds, I'd be surprised if the Pro X fit it.

Status Audio Pro X review: Also consider

Status Pro X

Status Between 3ANC 

AirPods Pro 3

Technics EAH-AZ100

Drivers

12mm driver + 2x Knowles balanced armature drivers

10mm driver + 2x Knowles balanced armature drivers

Custom driver, custom amplifier

10mm driver

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

8 hours (buds) 30 hours (case)

8 hours (buds) 24 hours (case)

12 hours (buds) 17 hours (case)

Weight

5g (buds) 48g (case)

13.6g (buds)

5.5g (buds) 44g (case)

5.9g (buds) 42g (case)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4

Bluetooth 5.2

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 5.3

Waterproofing

IP55

IPX5

IP57

IPX4

AirPods Pro 3
Apple's latest undercut Status in price a little and have a much more impressive feature set, but don't have the same audio hardware (or impressive looks).

Technics EAH-AZ100
These slightly more affordable earbuds sound great and are small and comfortable to wear, even if they don't have the audio specs of the Status.

See our full Technics EAH-AZ100 review

How I tested the Status Audio Pro X

  • Tested for one month
  • Tested at home, in the office and on walks

As I mentioned earlier in this review, I tested two review samples of the Status Pro X due to one breaking, and it means the total testing period for the buds exceeded a month, longer than we usually give buds.

I paired the buds with my Android phone and used apps like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, YouTube and WhatsApp for various types of testing. I listened at home, on various types of public transport and on walks around my neighborhood.

I've been reviewing gadgets at TechRadar since early 2019 and have tested many different earbuds in that time.

  • First reviewed in September 2025
I was surprised by just how well this thin and lightweight gaming laptop, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025), performed – but you’ll have to endure its sizzling temperatures
4:28 pm | September 26, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Gaming Computers Gaming Laptops | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025): Two-minute review

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) is a thin and lightweight gaming laptop with a small design but a large spec, allowing it to perform as well as its bigger rivals.

To look at, it seems more like an everyday machine than a gaming powerhouse. The only giveaway is the diagonal LED strip across the lid, which does little to add interest.

It has an impressively compact form, though, making it a contender for the best gaming laptop that’s practical to carry around. It lacks the bulk usually associated with such devices, being exceptionally thin and light by gaming laptop standards.

The lid is especially lightweight, and it opens easily yet remains stable once in place. Also, the bezel around the display is about as thin as it could possibly be, which helps to maximize screen space.

For such a compact device, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) has a generous selection of ports, even putting much larger gaming laptops to shame. There are two USB-C and two USB-A connections, as well as an HDMI port, a headset jack, and a microSD card reader.

More importantly, though, the performance of the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is also impressive. The 5070 Ti in my review unit provided very high frame rates, even with maximum graphics settings.

The 120Hz OLED display contributed to the smoothness, and also rendered scenes with plenty of vibrancy, brightness, and contrast. What’s more, the 3K resolution offered a super sharp image, which was great for gaming as well as other tasks.

Bird's eye view of closed lid on Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) on a black background

(Image credit: Future)

However, you’ll have to contend with a fair amount of fan noise and blistering heat in the pursuit of this high-end performance. Temperatures around the keyboard are kept to reasonable levels, but the rear and underside of the unit can get uncomfortably hot, even at the slightest provocation.

The keyboard of the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is another highlight. The switches are deep and tactile, offering enough resistance to provide feedback without being onerous to use. The large size of the key caps and their comfortable spacing also makes them good for typing.

The touchpad is similarly excellent, thanks to its large area and smooth surface, although you probably won’t be using this while gaming. What’ll deter you even more is the fact that it can get in the way when using the WASD keys. Thankfully, there’s a shortcut to easily disable its functionality.

Battery life is poor, though. It only managed a little over two and a half hours in our movie playback test, which is short even by gaming laptop standards. The Razer Blade 14 (2025) and the Acer Nitro V 15 can both outlast it by a considerable margin.

At over $2,000, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) doesn’t come cheap. It’s close to more premium models, such as the Razer Blade 14, which is about the best compact gaming laptop we’ve tested. For some – or perhaps many – it may be worth spending that bit more for the Blade, but the Zephyrus G14 (2025) remains a fine pick if you're after a compact and capable gaming machine.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Price & Availability

Close-up of touchpad on Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

(Image credit: Future)
  • Starts from $2,099.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$3,899
  • Available now
  • Premium end of the market

The Zephyrus G14 (2025) starts from $2,099.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$3,899 and is available now. Various models are available with varying Ryzen 9 CPUs and RTX GPUs, from the 5060 to the 5080. RAM and storage capacities alternate between 16GB and 32GB, and 1TB and 2TB, respectively.

It’s cheaper than the Razer Blade 14 (2025), even though both base models get an RTX 5060. However, the price gap isn’t huge, and the Blade 14 is one of the best gaming laptops around right now, impressing us with its incredible performance, design, and display.

If you’re looking for the best budget gaming laptop, the Acer Nitro V 15 is a fine choice. You’ll have to settle for an RTX 5050, but it can still game with aplomb. In fact, when I reviewed the Nitro, I was impressed with its 1080p performance. Like the Zephyrus G14 (2025), it can get quite hot in certain areas, but not to the same degree.

  • Value: 3 / 5

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Specs

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Base Config

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 Review Config

Price

$2,099.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$3,899

$2,499.99 / £2,699.99 / AU$4,999

CPU

AMD Ryzen 9 270 (8 cores, 4.0GHz)

AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (12 cores, 2.0GHz)

GPU

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 8GB

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 12GB

RAM

16GB LPDDR5X

32GB LPDDR5X

Storage

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

Display

14-inch (2880 x 1800) OLED, 16:10, 120Hz, G-Sync / Adaptive-Sync

14-inch (2880 x 1800) OLED, 16:10, 120Hz, G-Sync / Adaptive-Sync

Ports and Connectivity

2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-C (1x 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 4), 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB-C (1x 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB 4), 1x HDMI 2.1 FRL, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

Battery

73Wh

73Wh

Dimensions

12.24 x 8.66 x 0.63 ~ 0.64in (311 x 220 x 15.9 ~ 16.3mm)

12.24 x 8.66 x 0.63 ~ 0.72in (311 x 220 x 15.9 ~ 18.3mm)

Weight

3.31lbs / 1.50kg

3.46lbs / 1.57kg

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Design

Close-up of left-side ports on Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

(Image credit: Future)
  • Non-gaming looks
  • Remarkably small and light
  • Surprising number of ports

One of the most impressive aspects of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) is that it looks like a normal laptop, lacking the bulk and brash aesthetic of those designed for gaming. This is also helped by the light silver colorway of my review unit, which I found to be an uplifting antidote to the dour shades of many of its rivals (although such a finish is available).

What marks the Zephyrus G14 (2025) out as a gaming device is the diagonal LED strip across the lid and the small shiny embossed logo in the corner. Both are relatively subtle, although the strip is quite incongruous.

Not only is the screen size small for a gaming laptop, but so are all of its dimensions. The lid is especially thin, even beating some of the best MacBooks in terms of how sleek it is. The bezel around the display itself is also about as thin as I’ve ever seen in this class of laptop.

However, the chassis is thicker than you’ll find on many other laptops, and there are a few juts and sharp angles, as well as the thick rubber bars underneath, that sully the smooth planes somewhat. But all things considered, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) remains impressively elegant for its class.

Build quality is also quite good. All the materials feel premium and solid, and there’s only a small amount of wobble to the lid. Crucially, it remains stable once set in position.

Close-up of Zephyrus logo on rear of Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025), closed on desk with green background

(Image credit: Future)

Despite its small size, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) has a generous keyboard layout. There are some useful shortcut keys, including those for disabling the touchpad and toggling performance modes, and even four customizable M buttons. However, some peripheral keys are truncated in size, with the arrow keys being the worst casualty in this regard from a gamer’s perspective.

The LED backlighting on the keyboard is a nice touch, although it can be hard to make out at times, especially when certain colors and RGB patterns are displayed. This appears to be caused by the narrow openings of the key markings and a lack of overall brightness.

The touchpad on the Zephyrus G14 (2025) stretches right from the back edge of the space bar to the very end of the chassis, offering a larger surface area than you’ll find on other laptops this size.

Another surprise is just how many ports there are on the Zephyrus G14 (2025), putting many gaming laptops much larger to shame. It features two USB-C ports, which both support Power Delivery and DisplayPort standards each, although only one supports G-Sync/ Adaptive Sync displays. There are also two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a headset jack, and even a microSD reader.

  • Design: 4.5 / 5

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Performance

Close-up of right-side ports on Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

(Image credit: Future)
  • Great gaming at max resolution
  • Fantastic OLED display
  • Gets very hot in places
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) benchmarks

Geekbench 6
(Single Core): 2,939 (Multi Core): 15,680

Cinebench R23
(Single Core): 2,017 (Multi Core): 20,803

Cinebench R24
(Single Core): 117 (Multi Core): 1,192

Crossmark Overall: 1,974

3DMark
Fire Strike: 32,113 Steel Nomad: 3,488 Solar Bay: 71,022 Speed Way: 4,031 Port Royal: 10,119

BlackMagicDisk
Read: 4125MB/s Write: 4015MB/s

25GB Copy Test: 1,729MB/s

Civilization VII
(1080p, Medium): 193fps
(Max Resolution, High): 123fps
(Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, High): 94fps

Shadow of the Tomb Raider
(1080p, Medium): 168fps
(Max Resolution, Highest): 118fps
(Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Highest): 158fps

Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness
(1080p, Medium): 119fps
(Max Resolution, Ultra): 47fps

Cyberpunk 2077
(1080p, Medium): 371fps
(Max Resolution, Ultra): 143fps
(Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Ultra): 133fps

F1 2024
(1080p, Medium): 256fps
(Max Resolution, Max Quality, No RT): 127fps
(Balanced Upscaling, Max Resolution, Max Quality with RT): 93fps

I found the performance of the Zephyrus G14 (2025) to be excellent. My review unit was equipped with an RTX 5070 Ti, and it handled the AAA titles I threw at it very well. When I played Cyberpunk 2077, I got between 200-230 frames per second on average. This was with the Ray Tracing: Ultra preset selected (which the game chose by default for the laptop) and DLSS Auto scaling and Frame Generation enabled.

This was also with the Zephyrus G14 (2025) running in Turbo mode. As you might expect, this causes the fans to produce a fair amount of noise, but it was nothing the best PC gaming headsets couldn’t drown out.

Dropping down to Performance mode didn’t seem to make much difference to frame rates, and only marginally decreased fan noise. Despite the raucous, though, the fans weren’t able to disperse heat as effectively as I would’ve liked.

During my sessions with the Zephyrus G14 (2025), it became very hot in places. The keyboard and front section of the chassis only remained tepid (thankfully, since this is where you’ll be making the most contact), but the area above the keyboard became too hot to handle.

Close-up of keyboard and touchpad on Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

(Image credit: Future)

The same was true of the underside of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025). Despite the aforementioned ground clearance created by the rubber bars, there’s still not enough for optimal cooling it seems; this is certainly a laptop I’d recommend using with one of the best laptop cooling pads if you can.

The OLED display is pleasingly sharp and vibrant, which makes it great for all kinds of tasks, not just gaming. That aforementioned ultra-thin bezel means the 14-inch display projects a bigger image than you might expect, too.

The keys are tactile, thanks to their surprising resistance and deep travel relative to those of other laptops, even ones designed for gaming. This makes them well suited to the task, while still being light and snappy enough for comfortable typing.

The touchpad is great as well. Its impressive size, along with its very smooth surface, makes navigation easier. However, this will likely be irrelevant for most gamers, since it’s still no match for the best gaming mouse.

What’s more, it gets in the way when you’re using the keyboard, even if you stick to the WASD position. This means you’ll likely want to disable it when gaming, but you’ll be more reluctant to do so while typing, given its usefulness for productivity purposes.

  • Performance: 4.5 / 5

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Battery Life

Close-up of M buttons on keyboard of Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

(Image credit: Future)
  • Poor battery life
  • Quick to charge

The battery life of the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is quite poor. When we ran a movie on a continuous loop, its battery lasted just over two and a half hours. This is way down on its key rivals, such as the Blade 14 and the Nitro V 15, both of which manage over twice that duration.

Thankfully, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is quick to charge, taking about 90 minutes to fully replenish via the included power adapter.

  • Battery Life: 2.5 / 5

Should I buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)?

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Zephyrus G14 (2025) is at the higher end of the market, and there are slightly better rivals for not much more.

3 / 5

Design

The Zephyrus G14 (2025) is surprisingly compact and elegant for a gaming laptop. It also seems built to a high standard.

4.5 / 5

Performance

The RTX 5070 Ti in my review unit handled AAA titles brilliantly, and the display rendered them in their full glory. There’s a worrying amount of heat in places, though.

4.5 / 5

Battery Life

Poor even by gaming laptop standards; there are plenty of rivals that can outlast it. At least it’s quick to charge.

2.5 / 5

Total

The form factor, performance, and display are all excellent, but the heat, noise, and steep price mean you’ll have to assess your priorities before determining whether it’s the right gaming laptop for you.

4 / 5

Buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) if...

You want something truly portable
Thanks to its small dimensions and light chassis, the Zephyrus G14 (2025) is easy to carry around, especially compared to other gaming laptops.

You want great performance
Gaming is smooth even with maximum settings, while the 3K OLED display shows them off at their best.

Don't buy it if...

You want something cool and quiet
The Zephyrus G14 (2025) makes a fair amount of noise, and it can get extremely hot in places.

You’re on a budget
The Zephyrus G14 (2025) is expensive, rubbing shoulders with some true icons in the space.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review: Also Consider

Razer Blade 14 (2025)
For not much more than the Zephyrus G14 (2025), you could also have the Blade 14, which we think is one of the best gaming laptops around at the moment. There’s little to fault here, since its performance, design, and display are all exemplary. It can get quite hot and the keyboard isn’t anything special, but in every other regard it’s a brilliant gaming laptop that’s easy to carry around.

Read our full Razer Blade 14 (2025) review.

Acer Nitro V 15 Intel
If you’re looking to spend a lot less on a gaming laptop, the Nitro V 15 is a great budget pick. You’ll have to settle for an RTX 5050, but I found this offered plenty of power for smooth 1080p gaming. It’s certainly not as portable as the Zephyrus G14 (2025), but that’s the sacrifice you make for the saving.

Read our full Acer Nitro V 15 Intel review.

How I tested the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)

  • Tested for a week
  • Used for gaming and other tasks
  • Plentiful gaming laptop experience

I tested the Zephyrus G14 (2025) for a week, using it for gaming, working, and general browsing. I also connected various peripherals to it.

I played AAA titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 with various graphics settings, and conducted our series benchmark tests designed to test multiple facets of gaming laptops. I also ran our battery test, playing a movie continuously until the battery depleted.

I've been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used numerous machines in that time, both desktop and laptop. I've also have plenty of experience reviewing gaming laptops, as well as those made for productivity and everyday use.

  • First reviewed: September 2025
  • Read more about how we test
Name.com review
2:18 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Website Hosting | Comments: Off

Name.com is best known as a domain registrar, but you might not even know that you're using it. If you've used Wix, you'll likely have got your domain through name.com without giving it a second thought.

Without giving it a second thought seems to be the ethos of name.com which is especially useful for developers who want to build quickly and seamlessly or the less technical ones that don't want to mess around with DNS and might require support when things don't quite go to plan.

Of course, this level of support and innovation doesn't come at the cheapest price but buying a domain isn't always about the lowest bottom line.

Of course, name.com is best known as a domain registrar, and for good reason. It offers one of the largest TLD selections of any registrar with over 600 TLDs, so you can rest assured that you’ll find the exact TLD you’re looking for. From popular TLDs like .com and .co.uk to niche and trendy ones like .ai, .lol, and .cool, name.com has everything.

A standard .com domain will cost you $12.99 for the first year (renews at $27.99), plus $4.99/year for name.com’s advanced security tier, which includes WHOIS privacy, SSL certificate, and protection against spam calls and unauthorized transfers or changes.

However, name.com offers some serious first-year discounts if you bundle Titan Email or Google Workspace. This is how it works:

  • If you buy Titan Email (Name.com’s paid email hosting, costs $24 per year), they’ll throw in the domain for free for the first year.
  • If you buy Google Workspace (Google’s email/productivity suite, sold via Name.com, costs $42 per year), you can get the domain for only $0.99 for the first year.
  • If you buy both, the best discount (i.e. the Titan Email one) will be applied, so your domain will still be $0 for the first year.
  • It’s worth noting that both Google Workspace and Titan Email are available at a flat 50% discount with name.com.

An image of name.com's web hosting plans

(Image credit: Future)

Hosting products: web, cloud, and WordPress

Name.com now offers a decent list of hosting products, ranging from simple web hosting to cloud and one-click install WordPress hosting.

The most basic web hosting plan lets you build a single website and set up 100 email accounts for $6 a month on a 1-year subscription. Note that name.com does not offer multi-year subscriptions for its hosting services. The business plan, which is built for scale, is priced at $13 a month on a 1-year subscription and supports unlimited websites, unlimited email accounts, and unlimited storage.

Every account also includes a free SSL certificate, automated backups every 48 hours, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and the industry-standard cPanel for easy management. Even better, you’ll get a free domain name for the first year. For example, if you choose a .com domain that usually costs $12.99, it will be free for the first year and then renew at its usual rate from the second year onward.

That said, keep in mind that the privacy bundle for a domain name (around $4.99) is not included in the free package. You’ll have to pay for that separately.

Cloud hosting is also more than decent. Name.com has partnered with DigitalOcean and offers its basic shared Droplets. For a standard 60 GB Droplet, you’ll have to pay $216 a year, and if that wasn’t expensive enough, backups - which are usually free with other providers - will set you back another $72 a year. This is pretty expensive by industry standards.

That said, there are still some strong points on offer: you get global data centers, one-click deployments, and support for popular platforms like WordPress, Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS. The provider also mentions easy upgrades. However, with cloud hosting, the gold standard is automatic scaling and geo-redundancy. Name.com doesn’t clearly state how many data centers it offers, while other dedicated cloud hosts are more transparent, letting you confirm redundancy before signing up.

Also, this is shared hosting and not managed cloud, so you won’t get managed extras. In fact, the website’s FAQs state directly that you’ll need a base-level understanding of Linux and the command line to take full advantage of this self-managed cloud hosting. So it’s definitely not for everyone.

As for WordPress hosting, name.com offers just a single plan at $29.95 a year. It comes with everything you’d need for a basic website: one-click installation, unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, free daily backups, plugin support, and a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate. However, if you’re looking for more advanced features like staging environments, automatic updates, or optimized caching, you might be better off elsewhere.

All in all, unless you’re looking into name.com’s hosting products to simply get everything (hosting, domain, site builder) in one place, you’ll be better off with a dedicated web host, as you’re likely to get more features there - and at a better price.

Performance & customer support

The last time we tested name.com, it actually cropped up above-par performance, delivering consistent uptime and impressive speeds.

Our latest tests, though, are still ongoing, and we’ll soon update this page to reflect the most recent findings - so stay tuned.

Name.com's hosting is aimed more or less at beginners, and that means the company needs to provide the quality support its target audience requires. The company's knowledgebase is decent enough, with menus and links pointing you to various topics, featured articles highlighting common issues, and there's a search box to help you track down what you need.

We tried a few test searches. The engine regularly reported finding large numbers of articles, but these cover all name.com products, not just web hosting, so we had to scroll through various domain registration and email hosting articles to find what we needed.

The situation picked up once we located more relevant content. There's usually not a lot of detail, but most articles cover the core points, with screenshots to point you in the right direction, and some video tutorials if you prefer.

There's a support team to deal with more complex queries. They're available via telephone and live chat, only for a limited number of hours (7am to 10pm phone and 12pm to 3am Monday to Friday for phone, 2am to 8pm chat), but there's 24/7 ticket support if you need it.

Final verdict

Name.com is a fantastic storefront where you can find everything you need to get an online business underway. It offers excellent and affordable domain registration, along with bundled extras like Google Workspace with Gemini and Titan Email with AI-driven features. On top of that, you also get hosting options, including WordPress hosting.

That said, if your main priority is hosting, you’ll likely be better served by a dedicated web host. While name.com has expanded its hosting range, these services still feel more like strong add-ons that complement its core strength: domain registration.

Vernal Standing Desk review
1:41 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Comments: Off

Whilst many of the best standing desk brands out there often with several models for different sizes and weight capacities etc. Vernal aims to make the customers life simpler by introducing one frame to do it all at a price of £430 (at time of writing).

With a rated load of 120kg, it should be more than enough to lift anything a regular work from home environment can throw at it.

Vernal Standing Desk 2

(Image credit: Future)

Vernal Standing Desk: Unboxing

The desk came as expected in two parts, one large heavy box for the frame and very flat for the desk top.

The frame was well boxed with all parts separated by protective foam, cardboard and plastic. All the assembling accessories were packaged neatly in one box. The screws, tool etc were in a bandolier of plastic, each section marked in size and part number.

All sections of the desk had nice, large and more importantly low tack sticker labels identifying each part. This allowed easy identification of parts and removal of the labels post assembly without leaving that horrible sticky residue.

The desk top was equally well packaged with large rubber like corner protectors. We opted to go with the 120cm x 60cm walnut laminate desk top, the smallest size on offer from Vernal.

You also get a nice, premium feeling beech wood coaster.

Vernal Standing Desk 3

(Image credit: Future)

Vernal Standing Desk: Assembly

Assembly of the desk was equally easy. Vernal provided all the tools necessary, namely an M6 Allen Wrench and Phillips Head Screwdriver, so if you have absolutely no tools, you can still put this desk together. We had power tools at out disposal making assembly significantly quicker.

The manual was incredibly clear and easy to follow being like a large book. We start by putting together both the legs, side and mounting brackets together then the desktop. Vernal’s desk tops already have pre threaded metal inserts showing where the mounting brackets are to be screwed in.

This easily done by mounting one set of legs to one side, then sliding the cross bars in before finally sliding the opposite side legs on and screwing it all down. Vernal has also provided the screws as well for non-Vernal desktops along with separate instructions on how to do this.

I chose to put the control panel on the left side and this is where I noted the first issue. The screws appeared to be short, they are only 15mm long. The control panel bracket is quite thick, I measuring the screw against it, I saw that only the tip, about 5mm of it, would bite into the desk.

As expected, on my first try, the screw tore desktop veneer and failed to grip, same thing with the second screw. With no other provided screws, I had to go and rummage in my tool box to get some longer screws.

Once the control panel fiasco was done, it was matter of attaching the control box, connecting all the cables, tidying the underside up before covering it with the decorative cable cover for a neat install and lastly the cable tray hooks.

Vernal Standing Desk 4

(Image credit: Future)

The feet are last to go one, before the inaugural flip, they can be positioned center or offset back, the choice/preference is yours. I opted to have it central as I am sure that is how most end users would want it. The desk is then flipped the right way up, to add the finishing touches, two hooks and decorative plates, one on each side.

The last part had me a little concerned, most brands supply all metal parts pre molded or bent to shape. However Vernal has chosen to allow the end user to bend the cable tray themselves along a perforated line.

Whilst I found this easy to do, it did crack the paint on the sheet of metal. I’m not sure how confident others would be doing this for fear of breaking or damaging this part. Hooking on the cable tray is the last part of the assembly save for putting the desk where it needs to go.

Vernal Standing Desk 9

(Image credit: Future)

Vernal Standing Desk: In use

Over the past few weeks, the desk was put to the test by me and wife who works exclusively form home. The Vernal standing desk was big upgrade from her smaller Ikea desk, just in terms of real estate.

Vernal claims that this desk should be able to lift 120kgs easily with max load of 160kgs. Sitting all my 100kgs on it I found the desk seem to be slow to raise, and it had to stop a few times under the load of me. However, I did not hold this against the desk as carrying 100kgs is unusual for what is an office desk.

Putting the usual office equipment on it, the Vernal desk had no problem lifting and lowering the load smoothly and quietly.

Vernal Standing Desk 8

(Image credit: Future)

The control panel is simple in form yet provides all the needed functions for going up, down and three memory functions. I like that the buttons had to be pushed physically into actuate them as some other tested desk will activate simply by you brushing against the control panel. The panel can be switched between metric and imperial measurements and other settings based on button presses.

Vernal Standing Desk 4

(Image credit: Future)

The hooks on either side are a nice feature allowing you to hang handphones or other peripherals off the desk rather than crowding it. Each side of the desk has a Vernal magnetic vanity plate on the legs, ostensibly to hide two screw heads. This is a subjective matter but I would have preferred a more subdued such as black engraved rather than the Silver.

I was initially skeptical about the size of the cable tray as it was so large, however this has proved to be a boon for ease of access from all angles of the desk.

What I wasn’t a fan of were the feet of the desk. The feet, whilst planted firmly on the ground has a “decorative” plate on top that extends beyond the actual feet, this plate is thin and more crucially at toe stubbing level as I found to my detriment.

Vernal Standing Desk 4b

(Image credit: Future)

Vernal Standing Desk: Final verdict

Overall, the Vernal Standing Desk is a great desk, for the price and simplicity of only having one model puts them ahead. The assembly, large cable tidy tray, head phone hooks and easy to use control panel make this a breeze to own and use.

However, it is sorely let down by the fact that the screws for the control panel are not adequately long enough, some bending is required by the end user and the most egregiously, the toe stubbing feet of the desk.

We've listed the best office chairs.

The Turtle Beach Racer isn’t a racing wheel for sim heads, but it’s an excellent entry-level choice for casual players
1:29 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Tags: , | Comments: Off

Turtle Beach Racer: One-minute review

The Turtle Beach Racer absolutely has the potential to shake up the entry-level racing wheels market. Sim race enthusiasts need not apply; the Racer is a relatively basic offering that ditches higher-end features like force feedback and on-screen displays - the likes of which we see from the Thrustmaster T248R et al. But for more arcade-adjacent racing games like Tokyo Xtreme Racer and Forza Horizon 5, the Racer is a bit of a cheat code to unlocking even more fun from such titles.

I’ve had a blast testing the Turtle Beach Racer over the past week. Don’t let its relatively low price point fool you; it boasts surprisingly good build quality and is impressively versatile to boot.

While a pair of clamps on the base means you can mount the wheel on a desk, the inclusion of a pair of lap rests allows you to sit back and essentially use the Racer more like a traditional controller if you prefer to play on the couch. That’s driven (hehe) home even more with the addition of wireless connectivity via a 2.4GHz dongle compatible with Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC. No PlayStation-compatible version exists at the time of writing.

Put simply, the Turtle Beach Racer is one of the best Xbox racing wheels I’ve tested in a while. There are some small issues, like the slight bump you’ll feel every time the wheel travels past neutral, and the lack of a pedal set (you’ll instead use the rear paddles for acceleration and braking by default) puts a dampener on immersion. But overall, this is a very impressive package for the price, and makes for a great product for first-time wheel owners or younger players.

Turtle Beach Racer

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Racer: Price and availability

  • $179.99 / £139.99 / AU$299
  • Available to buy now
  • Pricier than some budget models, but comfortably under the mid-range bracket

The Turtle Beach Racer is available to buy now for $179.99 / £139.99 / AU$299. It’s on the higher end of that budget ballpark, but it is comfortably more affordable than mid-range wheels that offer more features like the Thrustmaster T248R and the Logitech G923. It’s also costlier than similar budget wheels like the Hori Racing Wheel Apex ($119.99 / £99.99), though I do prefer what’s on offer here with the Racer at a slightly higher asking price.

Turtle Beach Racer: Specs

Price

$179.99 / £139.99 / AU$299

Weight

7.5lbs / 3.4kg

Dimensions

11.7 x 11.1 x 10.9in x 297 x 282 x 277mm

Rotation

360 degrees

Connection type

Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C)

Compatibility

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC

Battery life

Around 30 hours

Turtle Beach Racer: Design and features

As I mentioned in my initial Turtle Beach Racer preview at Gamescom 2025, it was the product’s build quality that immediately surprised me. It’s not something that many budget-facing wheels are known for, and while the Racer’s build is primarily plastic, it’s of a good quality. Plus, there are a number of flourishes that take the overall build up a notch.

The steering wheel’s rubberized textured grips are extremely welcome, allowing for a slip-free racing experience. The lap rests, meanwhile, are metallic and have a satisfying weight to them. They each have a strip of textured rubber, allowing them to sit firmly in place. The lap rests can be adjusted, too, meaning you won’t necessarily need to squish your thighs together. I preferred to place mine as far out as they could go, and was able to sit comfortably in my Razer Fujin Pro office gaming chair while playing.

On-board buttons aren’t particularly anything to write home about, but they feel good to press and are all within reach of the wheel itself. There’s a good amount here, too. You’re getting a d-pad, face buttons, and three multifunction buttons that you can assign to your preference.

A pair of pressure-sensitive paddles sit on either side of the wheel, and they’re impressively sturdy. That’s important, because you are likely going to use these for acceleration and braking in the absence of a set of pedals. These are the left and right trigger equivalents on the best Xbox controllers, and were assigned as such across all games I tested.

Turtle Beach Racer

(Image credit: Future)

Turtle Beach Racer: Performance

I have very limited desk space at my home office, so I personally think that the inclusion of lap rests with the Turtle Beach Racer is a great, forward-thinking addition to the overall package. What’s important to note here, in relation to performance, is that I felt no loss of control in using the lap rests over the more traditional desk clamps. And having tested both methods for this review, either of them is a fine choice for your racing sessions.

Initially, I did feel as if the default wheel sensitivity was a bit on the low side, across titles like Forza Horizon 5 and Tokyo Xtreme Racer. However, this was quickly remedied with the Turtle Beach Control Center 2 software, which you can download on PC and Xbox consoles. Here, I was able to adjust sensitivity and remap buttons to my liking.

Another issue I had with the wheel is the slightly uncomfortable bump sensation when it returns to neutral. Let go of the wheel, and it snaps back to its default center position almost immediately. This means that while turning left to right, you will feel a bit of a hitch as it passes that neutral zone. I got used to it after an hour or two, but it’s something to keep in mind if you were hoping for an ultra-smooth racing experience.

Besides this hiccup, the Racer is an incredibly enjoyable racing wheel. The pressure-sensitive paddles are a delightful addition and are a decent substitute for pedals if you don’t mind the loss of immersion or tactility. Being able to apply specific amounts of pressure here made several things easier between games, such as drifting in Forza Horizon 5 and long-term tire management in F1 25. If the lap rests are the big winning feature here, then the paddles are certainly the unsung heroes of the package.

I also have to mention the Racer’s wireless performance, and it’s another area the product seriously impressed me. Turtle Beach estimates that the wheel can go up to 30 hours on a full charge. I find this to be accurate, as I didn’t have to charge the device until the tail end of my week of testing.

Turtle Beach Racer

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Turtle Beach Racer?

Buy it if…

You’re after an affordable, value-busting racing wheel experience
While not the absolute cheapest option on the market, the sub-$180 price point is compelling and affords the Racer some nicer materials to boot.

You lack the desk space for a fuller setup
The Turtle Beach Racer’s lap rests are a brilliant, forward-thinking addition that allows the wheel to sit comfortably on your legs, and the snug fit makes for surprisingly comfortable long-term gaming sessions.

Don’t buy it if…

You want immersion above all else
No pedals and no force feedback mean the Racer isn’t aimed at more serious sim racing types. For that, you’ll want to consider pricier options like the Logitech G923 or Thrustmaster T248R.

Also consider...

Not sold on the Turtle Beach Racer? Here are a couple of similarly priced alternatives worthy of your consideration.

Turtle Beach Racer

Hori Racing Wheel Apex

Logitech G920

Price

$179.99 / £139.99 / AU$299

$119.99 / £99.99 (around AU$183)

$299.99 / £349.99 / AU$549.95

Weight

7.5lbs / 3.4kg

3.09lbs / 1.4kg

4.96lbs / 2.25kg

Dimensions

11.7 x 11.1 x 10.9in x 297 x 282 x 277mm

11 x 10.8 x 11.3 / 280 x 275 x 286mm

10.6 x 10.2 x 10.9 / 270 x 260 x 278mm

Rotation

360 degrees

270 degrees

900 degrees

Connection type

Wireless (2.4GHz), Wired (USB-C)

USB-A

USB-A

Compatibility

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC

PS5, PS4, PC

Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC

Hori Racing Wheel Apex
While not quite as impressive as the Turtle Beach Racer, it’s far from a bad budget option and does include a set of pedals. However, the cheap plasticky build and rather listless-feeling pedals put a damper on the overall racing experience.

Read our full Hori Racing Wheel Apex review

Logitech G920
A mid-range Xbox-compatible offering, the Logitech G920 is the Microsoft counterpart to the PlayStation-facing G923. The brake pedal’s a little stiff by default, but Logitech’s superb build quality and detailed force feedback really win through here.

Read our full Logitech G920 review

Turtle Beach Racer

(Image credit: Future)

How I tested the Turtle Beach Racer

  • Tested for one week
  • Tested across Xbox Series X and PC
  • Played a wide variety of racing titles

I tested the Turtle Beach Racer over the course of a week, playing titles on Xbox Series X Digital Edition and my gaming PC. Games I played with the racing wheel include Forza Horizon 5, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Old School Rally, and F1 25.

While lacking the multitude of buttons and immersive features that make it worthwhile for sim racing, I found the Turtle Beach Racer to be ideal for more casual, arcade-like experiences. In that regard, features like the lap rests and pressure-sensitive paddles made for an easy and comfortable testing period, and above all, a very fun one.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September 2025

Nothing Ear (3) earbuds look fantastic next to my phone and the ANC is solid –but I’m not sure the audio quality is good enough for this money
11:35 am |
Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Nothing Ear (3): Two-minute review

Okay, so it's still hard to stop oneself from playing a game of Spot the Difference concerning Nothing's earbuds offering – but what of it? Apple's AirPods lineup is much the same, no? The problem is that this time (unlike Nothing's last major earbuds release, which came in at $50 / £30 cheaper than their older siblings) there's a price hike involved; and simply put, I'm not quite sure the extra perks here do enough to justify the extra outlay.

Sure, I'd say the new Nothing Ear (3) are they still among the best earbuds of the year – but one option in the duo of buds they replace has dropped so low in price that they've actually jumped into our best budget earbuds buying guide. So you see, to build a case for paying quite a bit extra for the new Ear (3), they'd need to be quite a bit better – and that's where I'm struggling.

To put the pricing into context, their closest rivals now would no longer be Sony's class-leading WF-C710N, which sell for around $120 / £100. No, at $179 / £179 / AU$299, the Nothing Ear (3) aren't exactly rubbing shoulders with the likes of the $299 / £299 / AU$450 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), but they have moved up a level – and it's tough company to keep.

There's no head-tracked spatial audio support (the device- and service-agnostic spatial audio option is either 'Static' or 'off') in the Ear (3), and although the ANC is solid and a new 'Super Mic' is fun to play with in calls, it hasn't become the new must-have earbuds feature for me – and if it was going to appeal to anyone, someone who remembers a world of landline phones only was probably the Nothing Ear (3)'s best shot.

My biggest gripe is the battery life, which I'll explain fully later. That said, I experienced no small sense of pride when wearing and showing off the Ear (3), thanks to the new aluminum 'elevated' build quality and finish – along with the return of the fidget-spinner case detail.

Is all of this enough to make the Ear (3) a hit? Perhaps, when you consider that the splendid hearing tests remain, along with advanced EQ tabs and LDAC support – all of which make the sound engaging, if a shade off excellent for dynamic nuance and treble clarity. Oh, and it's worth noting that if you have a Nothing phone, that Super Mic becomes a quick transcription tool, which admittedly makes it much more useful (I don't have a Nothing handset, so I'm typing out this review, dear reader)…

Nothing Ear (3) being tested on a commuter train late at night

(Image credit: Future)

For anyone scratching their heads as to how many Nothing earbuds iterations we're into now (because it certainly isn't three), Nothing fully admits its earbuds naming strategy to date may not have been the smartest. So to explain, the Ear (3) is an update on the flagship Nothing Ear primarily, but also on the Nothing Ear (a), which both launched in April 2024 on the self-same day – with the cheaper pair still sitting happily at the tippy-top of our best budget earbuds guide.

And here's my problem with that: a quick scan of current prices reveals that the aforementioned five-star Nothing Ear (a) are currently available for $89 / £69, which means they're half the price of the new Ear (3). And honestly, that makes the newest set even harder to recommend…

Nothing Ear (3) review: Price & release date

  • Released on September 18, 2025
  • Priced $179 / £179 / AU$299

The Nothing Ear (3) come in black or white finishes (no yellow this time around), and at this pricier level – Nothing's previous flagship Nothing Ear arrived with a list price of $149 / £129 / AU$249 – their closest competition may even be Apple's AirPods Pro 3, which retail for $249 / £219 / AU$429.

Yes, there's still a $70 / £40 difference between Apple's new top-tier AirPods Pro and Nothing's best buds, but if your budget stretches a bit further it does bring Apple's flagship earbuds into the conversation. And given that those AirPods now offer heart-rate monitoring, live translation and better stamina, Nothing is squaring up against some stiff competition.

Nothing Ear (3) being tested on a commuter train late at night

Hello, yellow! (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (3) review: Specs

Drivers

12mm custom driver

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

Buds: 5.5hrs (with ANC; up to 10 hours without) Total with case: 22hrs (ANC on; up to 38 hours without)

Weight

5.2g per earbud

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC, USB-C

Frequency range

20Hz–40 kHz

Waterproofing

IP54 buds

Other features

New Super Mic case, 3 mics per earbud, Nothing X App support, Custom EQ with Advanced options, Static Spatial Audio, Personal Sound (Audiodo)

Nothing Ear (3) screen grab of three app images, showing the personal sound curation software

(Image credit: Nothing)

Nothing Ear (3) review: Features

  • 'Static' spatial audio and Personal Sound curation
  • Total Radiated Power (TRP) up 15%; Total Isotropic Sensitivity (TIS) up 20%
  • 'First of its kind Super Mic' in the charging case

Like many of tech's heavy-hitters (Samsung, Sony, Apple, I'm looking at you), Nothing would love to snag you and embroil you in its ecosystem with the promise of walled garden perks – and here, Nothing really does start to come into its own.

The ace up the collective sleeve of Nothing's earbuds prior to now has been that for owners of the Nothing Phone (3), the Phone (2), Phone (1) and Phone (2a) – because Nothing has been far more sensible concerning the naming of its handsets – Nothing has offered instant access to ChatGPT via a pinch-to-speak motion on the stems. Now, users of a Nothing smartphone can use the Super Mic on Nothing Ear (3)'s case to capture transcription of your voice notes, which will sync to your on-device 'Essential Space' for easy location.

Nothing calls Super Mic a "first of its kind" breakthrough, and although it initially struck me as very similar to the 'record' button on the Viaim RecDot earbuds, there are of course those aforementioned walled-garden perks.

Otherwise, Nothing's Super Mic is quite like those little clip-on wireless mics that content creators like to hold very close to their mouths (does this look a bit silly to anyone else?). Nothing calls Super Mic a "breakthrough dual-microphone system driven by ambient-filtering technology."

In a nutshell, the dual MEMS beamforming mics built into the case are designed to hone in on your voice, cutting through surrounding noise (up to 95dB is the claim) for clearer capture in calls or notes – and in my tests, it worked well. On a very blustery day on the cliffs and beaches of the UK's 'Jurassic coast' in Dorset, I found using the Super Mic over the three-mics-per-bud in the earpieces a welcome aid; "much better" was the general feedback from calls.

Nothing Ear (3) being tested on a commuter train late at night

Voice AI using ChatGPT is coming using Nothing Ear (a) using your Nothing smartphone… (Image credit: Future)

You're also getting Bluetooth v5.4 (the older set used 5.3), and LDAC support for hi-res audio (the Sony-developed codec that lets you stream high-resolution audio up to 32-bit/96kHz over Bluetooth at up to 990kbps), which is a valuable inclusion at any level, but will benefit Android users most since iPhones can't support LDAC natively.

There's now onboard spatial audio wizardry too, irrespective of your phone or the music service you're streaming from – but only the 'static' kind (so you don't get to use your phone as a fixed-point source device) and in my tests, it was a little clunky and not quite as immersive or convincing as similar offerings from Bose, LG or of course Apple.

However, you do get in-ear detection (to pause music when they're out and resume it when they're in), an Auto-Transparency mode to make transparency kick in whenever you're on a phone call, an ear tip Fit Test, Find My earbuds (which issues a trigger sound from whichever earbud you've lost), a Low Lag toggle for gaming, issue-free multipoint to two devices, a Bass Enhancement toggle, an 8-tab EQ graph that lets you adjust both gain and the actual frequency of certain registers (provided you're prepared to switch off the spatial audio augmentation), and Personal Sound.

This last perk is perhaps my favorite, because the tests only take around three minutes – they involve sounds at different frequencies being piped into each ear, getting gradually quieter until you tap the screen to say you hear nothing – but the result (a fully curated personal sound profile) is very good indeed.

Now, the noise cancellation: hit ANC (rather than 'Transparency' or 'Off') and you can pick from High, Mid, Low, and Adaptive profiles. High is not bad at all – and it shouldn't be when the claim is 45dB (effective to 5kHz). The Transparency option is still signified by a woman exhaling, and it's still one of the best prompts in the business (aside from Matt Berry in Cambridge's headphones and earbuds), and it too is perfectly acceptable. But here's the thing: I did not find any of the ANC profiles better than on the Nothing Ear (a), which makes sense because that 45dB claim is the same as the older model.

And when that older model is now half the price of these newer earbuds, you have to be asking yourself if a Super Mic in the case and spatial audio that doesn't offer dynamic head-tracking is worth the extra outlay.

  • Features score: 4.5 / 5

Nothing Ear (3) being tested on a commuter train late at night

The new Ear (a) next to the Ear (2): a fun game of Spot the Difference (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (3) review: Sound quality

  • LDAC adds to the performance (but the spatial audio can be beaten)
  • Forward, full-bodied sound
  • A shade off excellent for dynamic nuance

Occasionally in hi-fi circles, you'll come across the 'integrated hi-fi listen versus fun and exciting' sonic debate concerning portable audio. It boils down to this: do you want a faithfully accurate, neutral representation of a recording with everything as intended, or an energetic, potentially more emotive version of the track?

In the second option, certain frequencies might be augmented just slightly, to give you the 'feels' of a live gig from small drivers fitted into your ear. And the odd thing is that what you may think you want may not actually be what your ear prefers (as mystical and strange as that may sound)…

Anyway, the Nothing Ear (3) sit firmly in the latter camp. What you'll get here is excitement, energy, bass clout and oomph. Those with a Sony smartphone (I'm still using the Sony Xperia 1 IV, because it isn't broken, so why would I fix it?) will find LDAC codec files are delivered with extra expanse and detail over more 'vanilla' Bluetooth streaming, but the tuning is the same regardless – very little has been held back.

Streaming Fontaines D.C.'s Starburster is a head-nodding celebration of the track, where drum fills and Grian Chatten's voice leap two-footed into each ear with all of the bite and impetus the group could possibly want, but there is a downside. Some lesser backing vocals and sloping string elements occasionally get lost just slightly; it's hard to compete when so much emphasis and energy is placed on sounds at the forefront.

Yes, there are plenty of ways to tweak things more to your liking in the Nothing X app and here, the eight-tab EQ graph is the place to go – it does help. What I personally would leave well alone is the Bass Booster. It isn't necessary – this is a meaty listen from the box. Also, I'd tone down the treble; I know my own ear is sensitive to these frequencies, but nevertheless, stream Kate Bush's Army Dreamers and if you're anything like me you'll hear occasional harshness through the treble that can become a little wearying.

  • Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Nothing Ear (3) three screen-grabs from the Nothing X app, showing how to use the new super mic

See how Ear (a) is just slightly bigger than Ear (2), across the board? (Image credit: Nothing)

Nothing Ear (3) review: Design

  • Solid, cool, pocketable case with 'TALK' button
  • IP54 earbuds are secure – but the comfort levels can now be beaten
  • Nothing's design language is even more striking now

After switching out to the smaller ear tips (you get four in total now: an XS, S and L options are supplied in addition to the pre-fitted M set), Nothing's ear tip fit test tells me I've nailed the fit.

I say that if you've got smaller ears I really would encourage you to try before you buy – and my guide to the best earbuds for small ears is worth consulting – because I found the driver housing just that little bit harder to accommodate this time around. It could be because of that larger 12mm driver (and "patterned diaphragm" which Nothing claims gives these buds "a 20% larger radiating area when compared to the previous generation"), or it could be because said earpiece is mounted at a slightly different angle to the stem now – see a close-up of Ear (3) next to the Ear (a) above – but they weren't as comfortable this time.

Nothing Ear (3) on the left, Nothing Ear (a) on the right, on a wooden table in close-up, to show marginal tweaks to the design

(Image credit: Future)

On this, readers might simply remark "Well, they're based on AirPods, can't really knock them for that – Apple did it first" but here's the thing: AirPods are different now! You might not have spotted it because it's all very new (and the heart-rate monitor and live translation perks have hogged headlines), but the AirPods Pro 3's fit has been completely reworked. I'm working on a full review of those too (they keep me chained up in TR HQ you know) but even at this early stage and during my testing, I can tell you that for me, the AirPods Pro 3 are much comfier than the Nothing Ear (3) now.

Nothing's pinch stems still work really well, but again (and at the risk of sounding like a broken record) it's only as good as the older, cheaper Nothing set. You can still customize what the morse code short- and long-press combinations do for each stem – including volume – and they also work with gloves on, unlike a lot of touch-capacitive solutions.

Now, the new case. If you've got a metallic-finish smartphone, the Nothing Ear (3) are going to look glorious beside it. Aesthetics really is one of Nothing's strong suits, and these earbuds are the ace in the pack. 'Elevated' is the word Nothing's team keep repeating on this; and it's true, they look more high-end now. There's a new custom Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) antenna, engineered to just 0.35 mm thick, that now runs along the still-see-through stems of the earbuds to keep connections stronger than ever. It's the same, but refined – it looks like a more expensive version of what was there before.

And if it's elevation we need to be focusing on, the charging nest is the thing that's, er, risen the most. It is now crafted from a block of 100% recycled aluminum and CNC machine finished through 27 processes. Nano injection moulding also "fuses the metal and transparent plastic without glue, achieving tight ±0.03mm tolerances for a seamless, compact body" according to Nothing, so there's no glue anywhere here. And the shiny 'TALK' button is placed directly under a nice snappy magnet where the case opens. Nothing assures me it has been positioned so that you won't cover it with your hand, and the green light-up LED to denote that you're recording is a strong touch.

  • Design score: 4.5 / 5

Nothing Ear (3) earbuds beside a phone with the advanced EQ filter showing

Rarely have I had so many colleagues strike up a conversation with me over a set of earbuds (Image credit: Future)

Nothing Ear (3) review: Value

  • Great-looking earbuds
  • LDAC adds sound-per-pound value
  • …but this is higher-end territory, and the Nothing Ear (a) still exist

The older Nothing earbuds were near-rivals for Sony's cheaper earbuds, but that's no longer the case: Sony's excellent affordable WF-C710N cost $119 / £100 / AU$189, so they're in a different category to the $179 / £179 Nothing Ear (3).

And although there's a lot to enjoy in the Ear (3), unless you have a Nothing handset for transcription features, the Super Mic really is just a better mic for calls and certain voice notes – it doesn't support WhatsApp voice notes (yet), which I explain in more depth in my early Ear (3) experiential.

The personalization is very very good, but the audio has suffered a little for me in this iteration, becoming a little harsher through the treble on occasion, probably due to the slightly bigger driver and tweaked acoustic architecture.

  • Value score: 3 / 5

Should I buy the Nothing Ear (3)?

Section

Notes

Score

Features

Solid spec sheet, but the Super Mic is really only a standout feature if you own a Nothing phone

4.5/5

Sound quality

Zeal and get up and go to a fault? Almost. They're vigorous and exciting, but there's occasional treble harshness

4/5

Design

Beautiful design language, but the earpieces are no longer among the comfiest around

4.5/5

Value

Given the price of older iterations, it's hard to see huge value for money here

3/5

Buy them if...

You're a content creator
The Super Mic could be just what you're looking for to glean better voice capture – and the general aesthetic of the Nothing Ear (3) is more than Instagram-worthy

You have a Sony or Android phone
Does your phone support LDAC? Hurrah! LDAC is also back in the Ear (3), and that means better-quality wireless audio from your device on the go

You prioritize style
Hey, there's nothing wrong with that! I loved wearing these (and using the case) during my testing. Make no mistake, these are good-looking earbuds.

Don't buy them if...

You have small ears
If your concha (aka ear-well) is particularly bijou, you may struggle here. I find them that bit harder to wear compared to the Ear (a), which were already on the slightly larger side. You have been warned!

You want head-tracked spatial audio wizardry
No dice here; you get a static profile it's true, but it's not as immersive or detailed as something like the LG Tone Free T90Q (head-tracked using Dolby Atmos), or Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), an admittedly premium proprietary offering that combines adaptive sound profiles with head tracking.

You're on a tight budget
The thing is this: most of the things I loved in the cheaper Ear (a) are still here in the Ear (3), and when those still exist –and for big discounts – the smart money is arguably still on the 2024 product… View Deal

Nothing Ear (3) review: Also consider

Nothing Ear (3)

Nothing Ear (a)

Sony WF-C710N

Price

$179 / £179 / AU$299

$99 / £99 / approx AU$192

$119 / £100 / AU$189

Drivers

12mm custom

11m custom

5mm

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Quoted battery life

Buds: 5.5hrs (with ANC; up to 10 hours without) Total with case: 22hrs (ANC on; up to 38 hours without)

Buds: 5.5 hrs (9.5 hours without ANC Total with case: 24.5 hrs (42.5 hrs without ANC)

8.5 hrs (ANC ON) / Max. 12 hrs (ANC off); up to 30 hours with the case

Weight

5.2g

4.8g

5.2g per earpiece

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.4 with LDAC, USB-C

Bluetooth 5.3, LDAC, USB-C (no wireless charging)

Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, Sony 360 Reality Audio, AAC, SBC

Frequency range

20kHz-40kHz

5000Hz range

20Hz-20kHz

Waterproofing

Yes, IP54

Yes, IP54 earbuds; IPX2 case

Yes, IPX4

Other features

Static spatial audio, Super Mic case feature, Personal sound profiles, advanced EQ

Sony 360 Reality Audio

Sony WF-C710N
If you want Sony's 360 reality Audio support as well as its LDAC hi-res codec, this money buys you that – and by "this money", I mean "cheaper than the Nothing Ear (3)". The build is plastic and doesn't feel anywhere near as premium as Nothing Ear (3), but then, they are cheaper… 
Read whether it matters, in our full Sony WF-C700N review

Nothing Ear (a)
I'm putting these here because for the money, they're exceptional – and at half the price of Nothing's premium set, I'm struggling to see why you would pay double the price. Is wireless charging support, a Super Mic, static spatial audio and/or a more advanced EQ tab worth the extra outlay? That's up to you, of course, but to me the smart money may still be with the 2024 set – especially since I prefer the slightly more detailed, marginally less full-bodied audio in the Ear (a). View Deal

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)
You'll have to part with a bit more money to get it, but scale that food chain and you can get the QCUE (2nd Gen) and enjoy really, really good ANC and remarkable spatial audio that works in conjunction with those talented spatial sound profiles.
Learn more in our in-depth Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) review

How I tested the Nothing Ear (3)

Nothing Ear (3) three screen-grabs from the Nothing X app, introducing the new super mic

(Image credit: Nothing)
  • Tested for two weeks, listened against AirPods Pro 3, Bose QCUE (2nd Gen) and Technics EAH-AZ100
  • Listened at work (in the office, walking on a beach, on a train) and at home
  • Listened to Tidal, Qobuz, Apple Music and Spotify on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, MacBook Pro and heard LDAC on Sony Xperia 1 IV

The Nothing Ear (3) became my primary musical companions for 13 days – after a thorough 48-hour run-in period.

They accompanied me to London (walking brusquely from St. Pancras Station to Waterloo owing to strike action on the London Underground and my need to get a train back to Dorset in 43 minutes!) and at home – where I actually missed delivery of a review sample owing to the efficacy of Nothing Ear (3)'s ANC.

It goes without saying that to better test the comfort levels (and battery life claims), I followed TechRadar's meticulous methodology testing. I also used TechRadar's reference playlist (spanning everything from hip-hop to folk music) on Apple Music and Tidal, and also my own musical selections and podcasts. I wore the Ear (3) to watch YouTube videos (mostly about the Austrian singer Falco, since you ask) from my MacBook Pro.

I’ve been testing audio products for well over five years. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in another life, sound quality, fit, and user experience have always been imperative for me personally, but having heard how wonderful ANC can be when done well, I know what I'm listening out for here also.

Read more about how we test earbuds at TechRadar

  • First reviewed: September 2025
I’ve been testing one of the tiniest robot vacuums you can buy – and while it might be small, its cleaning power is mighty
9:30 pm | September 25, 2025
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Tags: , | Comments: Off

SwitchBot K11+: two-minute review

The SwitchBot K11+ is a scaled-down robot vacuum that's perfect for cramped homes. It delivers solid vacuuming and navigates with surprising speed and confidence, even if it doesn't always avoid all the obstacles it should. If you have a home with lots of nooks and crannies, it will be compact enough to squeeze into them, although note that while it's small in width, it's about standard height.

The dock is perhaps the smallest auto-empty option I've seen – sitting happily out of the way beneath my bed – and packs a surprisingly generous 4L dust bag. For that reason alone, it's a contender for the best robot vacuum for small homes.

The only major disappointment here is the "mop", which takes the form of a disposable wet-wipe that the bot drags across the floor. For the level of cleaning it delivers, it isn't worth the effort of attaching it. In fact, if you ignore the mopping capabilities altogether and just treat the K11+ as a vacuum-only bot, it becomes a far stronger proposition overall.

It isn't perfect, however. Aside from the dodgy mop, the app has a few weird quirks – and the auto-empty function is rather noisy. Overall, though, there's something very charming and appealing about this little bot. At full price it's clear you're paying a bit of a premium for the small size, but discounts are easy to come by, and if you snag one of these it can be very strong value for money.

That's the short version; read on for my full SwitchBot K11+ review.

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

SwitchBot K11+ review: price & availability

  • List price: $399.99 / £399.99
  • Available: US, UK
  • Launched: September 2025

The SwitchBot K11+ launched in September 2025, and is available to buy direct from SwitchBot, but also via Amazon. At list price it costs $399.99 in the US and £399.99 in the UK. However, at time of writing, there were significant discounts available one both sides of the shore. You're paying a bit of a premium for the dinky size here, although even at full price I think it's decent value for money.

Two of the best cheap robot vacuums on the market, the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 and the Roborock Q7 M5 are both cheaper and offer far more capable mopping than the K11+, but neither come with an auto-empty dock. You'll be able to pick up better-value auto-empty hybrid robot vacuums if you're happy to go for an older model – a good example is the Roborock Q5 Pro+. Note, though, that the dock is much bigger, and is unlikely to fit under your bed.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

SwitchBot K11+ specs

Max suction:

6,000Pa

Robot diameter:

9.8in / 24.8cm

Robot height:

3.6in / 9.2cm

Dock dimensions (W x D x H):

9.4 x 7.1 x 9.8in / 24 x 18 x 25cm

Dust bin volume (base):

4L

Water tank volume:

None

Base type:

Charge, auto-empty

Max threshold clearance:

0.7in / 1.7cm

Smart home compatibility:

Matter (Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home)

SwitchBot K11+ review: design

  • Small (but not short) robot with rubber roller and side brush
  • Mop is a wet-wipe dragged across the floor, then disposed of
  • Compact dock with auto-empty and storage for mop plate

The SwitchBot K11+ is a dinky robot vacuum with an equally compact base. The bot itself measures 9.8in / 24.8cm in diameter, whereas most bots these days are about 13in / 33cm. This means it can clean in narrow spots – although note that at 3.6in / 9.2cm, height-wise it's pretty average, so it won't be sneaking under a low sofa – for example – to clean.

Below you can see it next to the Roborock Saros 10 – while the K11+ is significantly smaller in diameter, its puck makes it taller; the Roborock's puck is retractible.

SwitchBot K11+ next to Roborock Saros 10

The pint-sized K11+ next to the more normally proportioned Roborock Saros 10 (Image credit: Future)

On the top of the K11+ you'll find buttons for On and Return to dock. Lift off the cover (which appears to just sit in place – I'd prefer some magnets to hold it a little more securely – and you'll find the dust cup clipped to the side.

There's a raised LiDAR puck, bumpers around the edge, and a camera at the front. Flip the K11+ over and you'll find a rubber roller. Sensibly, SwitchBot has made this almost the full width of the robot, which means the suction area is actually relatively large. There's also an angled side brush, to avoid hair from becoming tangled around it.

Image 1 of 4

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum

There are a couple of manual buttons, and a raised LiDAR puck (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 4

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum flipped over to show underside

The rubber roller takes up most of the width of the robot (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 4

Bin removed from SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum

The dust cup clips on the side of the bot (Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 4

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum in mopping mode

The mopping setup is just a wet wipe (Image credit: Future)

The K11+'s mopping capabilities appear to have very much been an afterthought. To launch the function, you attach a wet-wipe to a base plate, and clip this to the underside of the bot, on top of the suction area. The wipe is then dragged across the floor, and disposed of afterwards. Note that the wet-wipe isn't biodegradable.

Although you need to attach the mop plate to activate "mopping", it is possible to specify carpet and no-mop zones on the map, to avoid the mop wiping down any areas that should not be wiped. However, you can't set a no-mop zone where the dock sits.

Dock for SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum with lid removed to show dust bag

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of the dock, the K11+'s station is far smaller than those you find accompanying the vast majority of bots nowadays. In fact, it's significantly more compact than the already-small dock that came with this model's predecessor, the SwitchBot K10+ (specifically, 2.9in / 7.3cm shorter and 0.8in / 2.1cm narrower).

SwitchBot K11+ in its dock, under a bed

(Image credit: Future)

This dock has TARDIS-like properties, though: lift the lid and you'll find a far larger than usual 4L dust bag. SwitchBot has also added storage for the mop plate beneath the lid – just one of a number of thoughtful design touches (my other favorite is that the handle on the onboard bin doubles up as a clip to secure it in place).

It's far from the most fully featured dock in town, though. There's no mop pad cleaning or refilling of water tanks (because there is no mop pad, nor is there a tank to fill). However, I'd wager that there are plenty of people who'd prefer a smaller dock with a large dust bag to a gigantic one with tanks included.

  • Design score: 4 out of 5

SwitchBot K11+ review: performance

  • Navigates quickly and confidently, decent obstacle avoidance
  • Good suction performance but bin emptying rather loud
  • Mopping not worth the effort, and dock can't be in a no-mop zone

When I set the SwitchBot K11+ off on its first cleaning run, the first thing that struck me was its speed. This bot powers up and down floors like there's no time to waste.

Despite that, it seems to do a good job at picking up dust and debris – I paused it before it could auto-empty, and the onboard bin had plenty in it, even though the room had been vacuumed the previous day, and I was using the second-weakest suction mode. (You can choose to clean a room once or twice, and there are four suction options: Quiet, Standard, Strong and Max.)

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum

This dinky bot navigates with speed and confidence (Image credit: Future)

As usual, you can request the bot clean a room or a zone. However, the "Spot clean" function – where a robot will clean an area that's about a square meter or so around a chosen position – was still in beta testing at the time of writing, which is a little annoying if you want to clear a spillage.

Although fairly quiet in operation, the auto-empty process is really rather noisy. However, you can set different auto-empty durations via the app, to save at least some unnecessary disruption.

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum driving away from its dock

The auto-empty process is a little noisy (Image credit: Future)

Mopping is a different story. Attaching the wet wipe is fiddly, and ends up with a lot of the wipe on the underside of the base plate. It barely left my bathroom floor damp – imagine trying to clean the entire floor of a room with half a single wet-wipe. It also deposited bits of grime next to every grouting line.

I'll get into the results of the mopping tests in a second, but the short version is that if I owned this bot, I just wouldn't bother with the mopping functionality – in my opinion, it just isn't worth the effort.

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum in mopping mode

The wet-wipe mop setup deposited grime whenever it hit an uneven bit of floor (Image credit: Future)

As a result of its speed, you might assume the K11+ experiences a fair few collisions, but this isn't the case. On test, it skirted its way around furniture and avoided permanent obstacles with impressive accuracy and reliability.

Ad hoc obstacle avoidance was less consistent. During one cleaning run, the K11+ drove into the dog (who, thankfully, remained unbothered) and then went on to push his water bowl across to the other side of the room.

During my set obstacle avoidance tests it hit my shoe, but on encountering the same shoe a second time, the bot carefully skirted around it before continuing. The K11+ also sucked up a red ribbon I'd used in place of a charge cable, but I wound't say that was surprising – I've yet to find a robovac that can successfully avoid cables, whatever the manufacturers may claim.

Image 1 of 2

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum avoiding a candle

The K11+ didn't always avoid obstacles (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 2

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum flipped over to show ribbon wrapped around roller

Definitely tidy away cables before sending it out (Image credit: Future)

Cleaning tests

Next I moved on to TechRadar's official suction tests. For this, I sprinkled dry tea (from a tea bag) and a handful of oats onto the carpet, and monitored how effectively the bot sucked them up.

A single pass in Standard mode took care of most of the oats but only the top layer of tea, and a second in Max sucked up the rest of the oat crumbs and a decent amount of tea. That's a good result – the tea test is purposefully tricky (I used a Dyson V15 Detect to clear it completely).

Image 1 of 3

Tea and oats on carpet, ready for suction tests

Tea and oats on carpet, ready for suction tests (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 3

Remaining tea and oats on carpet, after a single pass with the K11+

This was what remained after a single pass with the K11+... (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 3

Remaining tea and oats on carpet, after two passes with the K11+

... and after two passes (Image credit: Future)

Moving onto the mopping tests. This one felt unfair because it isn't so much a mop as a wet-wipe. Nevertheless, I persevered. I smeared a tiny amount of ketchup on a tiled floor and left it to dry, and also spilled a little soy sauce, to see how the K11+ could clear it.

Predictably, it could not. The soy sauce ended up smeared all over the floor and the ketchup was completely unaffected. I sent my Roborock Saros 10 in to clean up after it.

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum in mopping mode

The K11+'s wet-wipe "mop" did not impress in the mopping tests (Image credit: Future)

If I owned this bot, I wouldn't bother with the mopping function at all. For the level of cleaning it delivers, it isn't worth the effort of attaching the wet-wipe. It also limits where you can position the dock, because it can't live in a no-mop zone.

  • Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

SwitchBot K11+ review: app

  • Pretty well designed and easy enough to use
  • Fine-tuning options are limited
  • Some minor illogical quirks

Since SwitchBot is a brand that makes a number of smart home products, its app is a hub for any SwitchBot gadgets you might own, rather than being dedicated to robovacs only. That means you'll have to click through twice from the homescreen to reach the K11+'s control options.

Image 1 of 2

Screenshots from the SwitchBot app

(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)
Image 2 of 2

Screenshots from the SwitchBot app

(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)

Once you reach the right section, it's much like most other robovac apps I've used. Editing a map is straightforward, and you can easily add no-go zones and merge or split spaces. The control options are more limited than you'll find in other, pricier robot vacuums, but all the main bases are covered.

There are a few niggles, though. I was pleased to find a Boost mode for carpets. However, specifying an area of carpet adds a pattern on top of the map that's so dark you then can't see the robot's cleaning path. Slightly annoyingly, there's an 8-character limit on room names that prevents you from, for example, labelling "Top floor", and bafflingly, there's no "Hall" or "Corridor" type option within the room defaults.

  • App score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the SwitchBot K11+?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Budget / mid-range at full price, but big discounts are common. Paying a bit of a premium for the small size, but still decent value.

4 / 5

Design

Tiny robovac with an equally compact dock. Not exactly feature-packed, and mopping is very basic, but it looks great with some useful design features.

4 / 5

Performance

Vacuuming is solid and navigation is good, but emptying is noisy and mopping isn't worth bothering with.

3.5 / 5

App

Decent app with a few illogical quirks.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You don't have much space for a dock
If you want auto-empty capabilities but don't have room for a massive dock, this bot is perfect – it has perhaps the smallest auto-empty dock I've seen.

You're dealing with lots of dust or hair
Although the dock is small, its internal dust bag is far bigger than you'll find in most auto-empty docs, with space for plenty of dust or pet hair before it needs replacing.

You want a speedy cleaner
The K11+ rattles along at quite a pace, which means despite its small size, it will get your rooms clean quickly.

Don't buy it if...

Your priority is mopping
The mopping here is really very basic, and for most people, not worth the effort.

You don't have lots of dust or hair
If you're dealing with low levels of dust, you could consider not bothering with auto-emptying at all. There are plenty of excellent full-sized bots with very compact, charge-only docks, for less money than you'll shell out for the K11+.

How I tested the SwitchBot K11+

I used the SwitchBot K11+ as my main vacuum for a fortnight, to get a feel for its general cleaning performance and ease of use. I also ran a series of set suction tests to assess this bot's cleaning powers, seeing how effectively it cleared fine (tea leaves) and chunky (oats) spillages. To assess the mopping, I spilled soy sauce and smeared ketchup on a tiled floor. To test obstacle avoidance, I scattered common items you'd usually find around a home across my living room floor to see if it could correctly identify and avoid them.

During my review period, I assessed how easy it was to set up the SwitchBot K11+, how accurately it made its way around my home, and if there were any annoyances with its performance. I compared my experience with other robot vacuums I've tested, both budget and premium models.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

  • First reviewed September 2025
I’ve been testing one of the tiniest robot vacuums you can buy – and while it might be small, its cleaning power is mighty
9:30 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Home Robot Vacuums Smart Home | Tags: , | Comments: Off

SwitchBot K11+: two-minute review

The SwitchBot K11+ is a scaled-down robot vacuum that's perfect for cramped homes. It delivers solid vacuuming and navigates with surprising speed and confidence, even if it doesn't always avoid all the obstacles it should. If you have a home with lots of nooks and crannies, it will be compact enough to squeeze into them, although note that while it's small in width, it's about standard height.

The dock is perhaps the smallest auto-empty option I've seen – sitting happily out of the way beneath my bed – and packs a surprisingly generous 4L dust bag. For that reason alone, it's a contender for the best robot vacuum for small homes.

The only major disappointment here is the "mop", which takes the form of a disposable wet-wipe that the bot drags across the floor. For the level of cleaning it delivers, it isn't worth the effort of attaching it. In fact, if you ignore the mopping capabilities altogether and just treat the K11+ as a vacuum-only bot, it becomes a far stronger proposition overall.

It isn't perfect, however. Aside from the dodgy mop, the app has a few weird quirks – and the auto-empty function is rather noisy. Overall, though, there's something very charming and appealing about this little bot. At full price it's clear you're paying a bit of a premium for the small size, but discounts are easy to come by, and if you snag one of these it can be very strong value for money.

That's the short version; read on for my full SwitchBot K11+ review.

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum

(Image credit: Future)

SwitchBot K11+ review: price & availability

  • List price: $399.99 / £399.99
  • Available: US, UK
  • Launched: September 2025

The SwitchBot K11+ launched in September 2025, and is available to buy direct from SwitchBot, but also via Amazon. At list price it costs $399.99 in the US and £399.99 in the UK. However, at time of writing, there were significant discounts available one both sides of the shore. You're paying a bit of a premium for the dinky size here, although even at full price I think it's decent value for money.

Two of the best cheap robot vacuums on the market, the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 and the Roborock Q7 M5 are both cheaper and offer far more capable mopping than the K11+, but neither come with an auto-empty dock. You'll be able to pick up better-value auto-empty hybrid robot vacuums if you're happy to go for an older model – a good example is the Roborock Q5 Pro+. Note, though, that the dock is much bigger, and is unlikely to fit under your bed.

  • Value for money score: 4 out of 5

SwitchBot K11+ specs

Max suction:

6,000Pa

Robot diameter:

9.8in / 24.8cm

Robot height:

3.6in / 9.2cm

Dock dimensions (W x D x H):

9.4 x 7.1 x 9.8in / 24 x 18 x 25cm

Dust bin volume (base):

4L

Water tank volume:

None

Base type:

Charge, auto-empty

Max threshold clearance:

0.7in / 1.7cm

Smart home compatibility:

Matter (Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home)

SwitchBot K11+ review: design

  • Small (but not short) robot with rubber roller and side brush
  • Mop is a wet-wipe dragged across the floor, then disposed of
  • Compact dock with auto-empty and storage for mop plate

The SwitchBot K11+ is a dinky robot vacuum with an equally compact base. The bot itself measures 9.8in / 24.8cm in diameter, whereas most bots these days are about 13in / 33cm. This means it can clean in narrow spots – although note that at 3.6in / 9.2cm, height-wise it's pretty average, so it won't be sneaking under a low sofa – for example – to clean.

Below you can see it next to the Roborock Saros 10 – while the K11+ is significantly smaller in diameter, its puck makes it taller; the Roborock's puck is retractible.

SwitchBot K11+ next to Roborock Saros 10

The pint-sized K11+ next to the more normally proportioned Roborock Saros 10 (Image credit: Future)

On the top of the K11+ you'll find buttons for On and Return to dock. Lift off the cover (which appears to just sit in place – I'd prefer some magnets to hold it a little more securely – and you'll find the dust cup clipped to the side.

There's a raised LiDAR puck, bumpers around the edge, and a camera at the front. Flip the K11+ over and you'll find a rubber roller. Sensibly, SwitchBot has made this almost the full width of the robot, which means the suction area is actually relatively large. There's also an angled side brush, to avoid hair from becoming tangled around it.

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SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum

There are a couple of manual buttons, and a raised LiDAR puck (Image credit: Future)
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SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum flipped over to show underside

The rubber roller takes up most of the width of the robot (Image credit: Future)
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Bin removed from SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum

The dust cup clips on the side of the bot (Image credit: Future)
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SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum in mopping mode

The mopping setup is just a wet wipe (Image credit: Future)

The K11+'s mopping capabilities appear to have very much been an afterthought. To launch the function, you attach a wet-wipe to a base plate, and clip this to the underside of the bot, on top of the suction area. The wipe is then dragged across the floor, and disposed of afterwards. Note that the wet-wipe isn't biodegradable.

Although you need to attach the mop plate to activate "mopping", it is possible to specify carpet and no-mop zones on the map, to avoid the mop wiping down any areas that should not be wiped. However, you can't set a no-mop zone where the dock sits.

Dock for SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum with lid removed to show dust bag

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of the dock, the K11+'s station is far smaller than those you find accompanying the vast majority of bots nowadays. In fact, it's significantly more compact than the already-small dock that came with this model's predecessor, the SwitchBot K10+ (specifically, 2.9in / 7.3cm shorter and 0.8in / 2.1cm narrower).

SwitchBot K11+ in its dock, under a bed

(Image credit: Future)

This dock has TARDIS-like properties, though: lift the lid and you'll find a far larger than usual 4L dust bag. SwitchBot has also added storage for the mop plate beneath the lid – just one of a number of thoughtful design touches (my other favorite is that the handle on the onboard bin doubles up as a clip to secure it in place).

It's far from the most fully featured dock in town, though. There's no mop pad cleaning or refilling of water tanks (because there is no mop pad, nor is there a tank to fill). However, I'd wager that there are plenty of people who'd prefer a smaller dock with a large dust bag to a gigantic one with tanks included.

  • Design score: 4 out of 5

SwitchBot K11+ review: performance

  • Navigates quickly and confidently, decent obstacle avoidance
  • Good suction performance but bin emptying rather loud
  • Mopping not worth the effort, and dock can't be in a no-mop zone

When I set the SwitchBot K11+ off on its first cleaning run, the first thing that struck me was its speed. This bot powers up and down floors like there's no time to waste.

Despite that, it seems to do a good job at picking up dust and debris – I paused it before it could auto-empty, and the onboard bin had plenty in it, even though the room had been vacuumed the previous day, and I was using the second-weakest suction mode. (You can choose to clean a room once or twice, and there are four suction options: Quiet, Standard, Strong and Max.)

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum

This dinky bot navigates with speed and confidence (Image credit: Future)

As usual, you can request the bot clean a room or a zone. However, the "Spot clean" function – where a robot will clean an area that's about a square meter or so around a chosen position – was still in beta testing at the time of writing, which is a little annoying if you want to clear a spillage.

Although fairly quiet in operation, the auto-empty process is really rather noisy. However, you can set different auto-empty durations via the app, to save at least some unnecessary disruption.

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum driving away from its dock

The auto-empty process is a little noisy (Image credit: Future)

Mopping is a different story. Attaching the wet wipe is fiddly, and ends up with a lot of the wipe on the underside of the base plate. It barely left my bathroom floor damp – imagine trying to clean the entire floor of a room with half a single wet-wipe. It also deposited bits of grime next to every grouting line.

I'll get into the results of the mopping tests in a second, but the short version is that if I owned this bot, I just wouldn't bother with the mopping functionality – in my opinion, it just isn't worth the effort.

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum in mopping mode

The wet-wipe mop setup deposited grime whenever it hit an uneven bit of floor (Image credit: Future)

As a result of its speed, you might assume the K11+ experiences a fair few collisions, but this isn't the case. On test, it skirted its way around furniture and avoided permanent obstacles with impressive accuracy and reliability.

Ad hoc obstacle avoidance was less consistent. During one cleaning run, the K11+ drove into the dog (who, thankfully, remained unbothered) and then went on to push his water bowl across to the other side of the room.

During my set obstacle avoidance tests it hit my shoe, but on encountering the same shoe a second time, the bot carefully skirted around it before continuing. The K11+ also sucked up a red ribbon I'd used in place of a charge cable, but I wound't say that was surprising – I've yet to find a robovac that can successfully avoid cables, whatever the manufacturers may claim.

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SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum avoiding a candle

The K11+ didn't always avoid obstacles (Image credit: Future)
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SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum flipped over to show ribbon wrapped around roller

Definitely tidy away cables before sending it out (Image credit: Future)

Cleaning tests

Next I moved on to TechRadar's official suction tests. For this, I sprinkled dry tea (from a tea bag) and a handful of oats onto the carpet, and monitored how effectively the bot sucked them up.

A single pass in Standard mode took care of most of the oats but only the top layer of tea, and a second in Max sucked up the rest of the oat crumbs and a decent amount of tea. That's a good result – the tea test is purposefully tricky (I used a Dyson V15 Detect to clear it completely).

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Tea and oats on carpet, ready for suction tests

Tea and oats on carpet, ready for suction tests (Image credit: Future)
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Remaining tea and oats on carpet, after a single pass with the K11+

This was what remained after a single pass with the K11+... (Image credit: Future)
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Remaining tea and oats on carpet, after two passes with the K11+

... and after two passes (Image credit: Future)

Moving onto the mopping tests. This one felt unfair because it isn't so much a mop as a wet-wipe. Nevertheless, I persevered. I smeared a tiny amount of ketchup on a tiled floor and left it to dry, and also spilled a little soy sauce, to see how the K11+ could clear it.

Predictably, it could not. The soy sauce ended up smeared all over the floor and the ketchup was completely unaffected. I sent my Roborock Saros 10 in to clean up after it.

SwitchBot K11+ robot vacuum in mopping mode

The K11+'s wet-wipe "mop" did not impress in the mopping tests (Image credit: Future)

If I owned this bot, I wouldn't bother with the mopping function at all. For the level of cleaning it delivers, it isn't worth the effort of attaching the wet-wipe. It also limits where you can position the dock, because it can't live in a no-mop zone.

  • Performance score: 3.5 out of 5

SwitchBot K11+ review: app

  • Pretty well designed and easy enough to use
  • Fine-tuning options are limited
  • Some minor illogical quirks

Since SwitchBot is a brand that makes a number of smart home products, its app is a hub for any SwitchBot gadgets you might own, rather than being dedicated to robovacs only. That means you'll have to click through twice from the homescreen to reach the K11+'s control options.

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Screenshots from the SwitchBot app

(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)
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Screenshots from the SwitchBot app

(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)

Once you reach the right section, it's much like most other robovac apps I've used. Editing a map is straightforward, and you can easily add no-go zones and merge or split spaces. The control options are more limited than you'll find in other, pricier robot vacuums, but all the main bases are covered.

There are a few niggles, though. I was pleased to find a Boost mode for carpets. However, specifying an area of carpet adds a pattern on top of the map that's so dark you then can't see the robot's cleaning path. Slightly annoyingly, there's an 8-character limit on room names that prevents you from, for example, labelling "Top floor", and bafflingly, there's no "Hall" or "Corridor" type option within the room defaults.

  • App score: 3.5 out of 5

Should you buy the SwitchBot K11+?

Attribute

Notes

Rating

Value

Budget / mid-range at full price, but big discounts are common. Paying a bit of a premium for the small size, but still decent value.

4 / 5

Design

Tiny robovac with an equally compact dock. Not exactly feature-packed, and mopping is very basic, but it looks great with some useful design features.

4 / 5

Performance

Vacuuming is solid and navigation is good, but emptying is noisy and mopping isn't worth bothering with.

3.5 / 5

App

Decent app with a few illogical quirks.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if...

You don't have much space for a dock
If you want auto-empty capabilities but don't have room for a massive dock, this bot is perfect – it has perhaps the smallest auto-empty dock I've seen.

You're dealing with lots of dust or hair
Although the dock is small, its internal dust bag is far bigger than you'll find in most auto-empty docs, with space for plenty of dust or pet hair before it needs replacing.

You want a speedy cleaner
The K11+ rattles along at quite a pace, which means despite its small size, it will get your rooms clean quickly.

Don't buy it if...

Your priority is mopping
The mopping here is really very basic, and for most people, not worth the effort.

You don't have lots of dust or hair
If you're dealing with low levels of dust, you could consider not bothering with auto-emptying at all. There are plenty of excellent full-sized bots with very compact, charge-only docks, for less money than you'll shell out for the K11+.

How I tested the SwitchBot K11+

I used the SwitchBot K11+ as my main vacuum for a fortnight, to get a feel for its general cleaning performance and ease of use. I also ran a series of set suction tests to assess this bot's cleaning powers, seeing how effectively it cleared fine (tea leaves) and chunky (oats) spillages. To assess the mopping, I spilled soy sauce and smeared ketchup on a tiled floor. To test obstacle avoidance, I scattered common items you'd usually find around a home across my living room floor to see if it could correctly identify and avoid them.

During my review period, I assessed how easy it was to set up the SwitchBot K11+, how accurately it made its way around my home, and if there were any annoyances with its performance. I compared my experience with other robot vacuums I've tested, both budget and premium models.

Read more about how we test robot vacuum cleaners

  • First reviewed September 2025
The Honor MagicPad 3 would be the iPad Air killer, if it wasn’t for one fatal flaw
4:26 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Tablets | Tags: , , , | Comments: Off

Honor MagicPad 3: One-minute review

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The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
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The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)

The Honor MagicPad 3 is almost the perfect large tablet. With a bright and colorful 13.3 inch 3.2K display, complete with IMAX Enhanced certification, kicking back with a movie or TV show is an absolute joy. Even simply scrolling the home menu or your favorite social media website impresses thanks to a smooth 165Hz refresh rate.

The tablet’s eight speakers perform well, though lack bass overall; especially in comparison to the superior sound systems found on the likes of the cheaper Lenovo Idea Tab Pro. I think you should immediately disable the Honor Spatial Audio option in the settings menu for the best performance though. It’s on by default and gives a solid impression of depth, but makes everything sound artificial, tinny, and a little hollow.

Still, these minor audio quibbles are easy to overlook considering the tablet's impressively slim and lightweight build. At just 5.79mm thick and coming in at 595g, it's thinner and lighter than even the iPad Air. Honor has managed to cram in a truly massive 12,450mAh silicon-carbon battery too, delivering incredible battery life. Seriously, this tablet can power through a full day of rigorous use and then some without breaking a sweat.

I was shocked when half a day editing Google Docs files in a café followed by two hours of 4K video viewing on the train, all at max brightness, ended with the battery barely below 80%. On top of that, the tablet holds charge between uses effortlessly - I often left it on standby stashed down the side of my bed after a night binge-watching Amazon Prime Video and picked it up a few days later to discover that it lost no charge at all in that time.

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)

If you’re the kind of person that likes to leave a tablet around the house to use as needed, you never have to worry about finding it out of electrical juice. Some of this is likely due to the rather aggressive AI Power Management System, which might be worth tweaking if you need certain apps to continually refresh in the background, but it’s hard to complain when the resulting battery performance is this strong.

So what stops the Honor MagicPad 3 from being a best-in-class product? Sure, it's a shame that the gorgeous screen isn't an OLED panel and that there's no fingerprint reader, but above all else it's down to the patchy update support.

When quizzed, Honor told us that it plans “at least one major Android version update” and just “two years of security patches”, which is a depressingly short timeframe. In my eyes, the lack of Android version updates isn’t a dealbreaker, as you’re only really missing out on software features, but the two years of security patches is. You generally should avoid using devices once that timeframe is up, so the tablet effectively has a looming expiration date out of the box.

It’s a shame, especially when you can easily find tablets under $200 / £150 with more years of security update support. The brand did at least note that it will “constantly evaluate” its plans and “deploy software upgrades accordingly” which hopefully means there’s scope for this to change in the future.

Honor MagicPad 3 review: price and availability

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
  • £599 retail price
  • Expect frequent discounts
  • It’s available in the UK, but not the US or Australia

The Honor MagicPad 3 comes in at £599 (around $800) for a model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which is a very fair price for what you get, especially in comparison to the $799 / £799 iPad Air 13-inch that starts with a pitiful 128GB of storage. Sadly, there's no Australian release.

Honor frequently runs promotions that slash that price, however, so expect it to be readily available for at least £100 less. In fact, it has already seen its price fall to £499 in the build up to release. Also be on the lookout for various free gifts, including the excellent Honor MagicPad3 Smart Touch Keyboard, which I tested alongside the tablet for this review, or Honor Magic Pencil 3 stylus. These promotions turn an already good deal into a great one.

The one thing to bear in mind here is that limited update plan. If you’re particularly concerned about getting the latest and greatest version of Android, or worry about using a device that’s no longer receiving security updates, then that otherwise showstopping price tag is a little less tempting.

  • Value score: 4 / 5

Honor MagicPad 3 review: specs

Starting price

£599

Operating system

Android (MagicOS 9.0.1)

Chipset

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Memory (RAM)

16GB

Storage

512GB

Display

13.3 inch 3200 x 2136 (3K) LCD

Cameras

13MP, 2MP rear / 9MP front

Battery

12,450mAh

Connectivity

USB-C 3.2, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4

Weight

595g

Dimensions

293.88mm x 201.38mm x 5.79mm

Honor MagicPad 3 review: Design

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
  • iPad Air-beating slimness
  • Surprisingly lightweight
  • The back cover might be divisive

The Honor MagicPad 3 puts the 13-inch iPad Air to shame with a design that’s both thinner and lighter. It has a 13.3-inch screen with roughly 0.7cm bezels, flanked by a metallic body where you’ll find four large speaker grilles (that’s two along each short edge), a standard volume rocker and power button, a USB Type-C 3.2 port (with support for 66W fast charging) for topping up the battery or connecting an external display, and a small magnetised area where you can affix the compatible Honor Magic Pencil 3 for charging.

The only thing that I would add is a fingerprint reader, which is unfortunately absent. Luckily the face unlocking is quick and responsive and works well even in low light conditions, so it never feels like you’re really missing out on too much.

The back is relatively plain, aside from a camera module with a flash, a 13MP main sensor and a 2MP macro lens, and a row of small electronic contacts for the keyboard case. According to the Honor website, only one colour is available in the UK: a rather basic Grey.

I tested a White model, however, which is available in some other markets, and has an almost bumpy, textured back. It’s certainly a unique feeling, like having a third-party skin applied out of the box, which makes me think that it’s some kind of vinyl sticker.

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)

I'm in two minds about this. On one hand, I really appreciate the added grip that this material brings, making it far easier to hold the tablet one handed. It’s impressively resistant to fingerprints and, if it came down to it, would probably offer a fair amount of protection from scratches.

It also looks great from a distance, helping the Honor MagicPad 3 stand out in a sea of plain slabs. On the other hand, the strange feel initially made me think that the back of the tablet was constructed entirely from plastic; this somewhat dampened my excitement out of the box.

I tested the Honor MagicPad 3 with the Honor MagicPad3 Smart Touch Keyboard and was very impressed with its performance. The case attaches to the back of the tablet magnetically, with the top half folding down to create a very distinct looking stand that shows off that snazzy back design. The keys are stable with plenty of travel and are very satisfying to press. It also has a large and responsive touchpad, with pronounced mechanical clicks and minimal flex.

It’s a really excellent keyboard and a massive upgrade compared to the Bluetooth model for the Honor MagicPad 2. My only possible complaint is that it seems to only be offered in the US English layout, which took a little getting used to and seems odd given the lack of availability in that region.

  • Design score: 4.5 / 5

Honor MagicPad 3 review: Display

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Not an OLED, unlike the MagicPad 2
  • Still bright and vibrant however
  • Impressive 165Hz refresh rate

The Honor MagicPad 3 has an impressive 3.2K (3200 x 2136) IPS LCD screen. With up to 1,000 nits of brightness it's perfect for indoor use and can hold its own outside on a sunny day.

A variety of media looks absolutely gorgeous on it with cheerful and vibrant colors and plenty of fine detail. At 13.3 inches, the tablet might as well be a portable TV and I love using it to catch up on everything from Amazon Prime Video shows to Netflix movies and YouTube videos.

Honor offers two interesting display features too: Super Dynamic Display and Vivid Display. Super Dynamic Display uses AI to ‘enhance HD video brightness and contrast’ while Vivid Display aims to ‘enhance video clarity and colors’ with the same technology. With both of these features enabled, videos look a tad brighter and slightly clearer but lose a little color accuracy.

The tablet’s display is IMAX Enhanced certified too, which is good news if you want to consume compatible content on services like Disney+ or Rakuten TV. Outside of video watching, the 165Hz refresh rate also makes browsing apps, system menus and websites feel especially smooth.

You should note that this isn't an OLED panel though. I don’t think that this is unreasonable given the tablet's cost, but it is significant when its predecessor, the Honor MagicPad 2, did have an OLED display at a similar price point, which had a significantly brighter screen that offered slightly better colors.

  • Design score: 4/5

Honor MagicPad 3 review: Cameras

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Decent front camera
  • Serviceable rear camera
  • Abysmal macro lens

The Honor MagicPad 3 isn’t going to win any prizes for its camera setup, though that's the case for almost any tablet.

The 13MP front camera is crisp and clear enough for an impromptu video meeting, but not something that you're going to want to be taking your Instagram selfies with.

As for the rear, you're getting a 13MP main shooter that suffers from aggressive post processing that smudges over most of the finer details in almost any shot. It's fine for scanning documents or taking a quick snap of something right in front of you, but gets dicey if you're photographing from a distance or with the 2x digital zoom.

There's also a 2MP macro lens that takes images so blurry that it might as well not be there at all.

  • Camera score: 2.5/5

Honor MagicPad 3 review: software

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The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
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The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
  • MagicOS might not be your cup of tea...
  • But it’s easy to use, with lots of features
  • The desktop mode needs work

The Honor MagicPad 3 runs the brand's MagicOS 9.0.1 operating system; a version of Android 15. It has minimal bloat, at least compared to alternatives like Xiaomi HyperOS, and offers a surprising number of genuinely useful features.

As a former iPhone 15 Plus user that now daily drives the Porsche Design Honor Magic 7 RAR, I think its interface is incredibly intuitive. Its overall design is obviously more than a little ‘inspired’ by Apple, which could upset the Android purists out there, but it's smooth, easy to use, and extremely responsive.

I might be a little biased here, as it's my current favorite mobile operating system, but I find that it delivers the perfect balance between the slick aesthetics of iOS and the freedom and customization of Android. There are loads of options to tweak, from app icon shapes and sizes to home screen and charging animations.

A handful of quirky extras give the operating system plenty of its own personality. One of my favorites is the ability to create a humanoid ‘3D Avatar’ for your live wallpaper. When you unlock the device, you're greeted with a short moving scene of the character going for a stroll through a park, chilling in a cafe, petting a fluffy cat, or a plethora of other possible situations.

Videos of new scenarios are automatically generated when the device is charging and, while undeniably a little unsettling at first, I've grown to love seeing what my little homunculus is up to every time I turn the tablet on.

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)

Of course, being 2025 the software of the Honor MagicPad 3 also has a suite of AI features including AI-powered widgets that do a surprisingly good job of recommending installed apps based on your usage habits, real-time AI subtitle generation, AI writing tools that help you polish or rephrase your text, and automatic on-device AI deepfake detection for video calls.

This is on top of the Magic Portal - effectively the brand’s take on Google's Circle to Search feature. As with most Android devices, Gemini assistant is also built in and can be summoned by holding the power button for a few seconds.

The only part of the software that I think needs work is the tablet’s desktop mode equivalent: Floating Window mode. It causes each to run in a little window on your screen that you can drag around like a PC desktop environment, but it’s unfortunately quite unresponsive at times.

Filling the screen with two side-by-side apps is awkward and as far as I can tell there’s no way to have a taskbar on screen at all times. It’s not completely unusable, as I still manage to get work done with some fiddling, but is nowhere near as slick or easy to use as the offerings from market leaders in this field like Samsung and Lenovo.

  • Software score: 4 / 5

Honor MagicPad 3 review: performance

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
  • Robust performance thanks to powerful specs
  • Zero noticeable slowdown in general use
  • More than enough for gaming

Powered by the 2023 flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the Honor MagicPad 3 might not have the very latest chip but it’s certainly plenty powerful.

In general use, be that visiting your favorite websites or watching shows, you’re not going to notice any slowdown at all. Even when switching between multiple apps, the 16GB of RAM keeps everything cached and ready to go.

It supports Wi-Fi 7 for speedy downloads if you have a compatible router, plus Bluetooth 5.4. The 512GB of storage space is generous, especially at this price, so you’ll likely have room for all your favorite apps and plenty of spare space for downloaded videos. I keep multiple full series downloaded on the tablet at a time and haven’t come close to filling it up.

With specs like these, the Honor MagicPad 3 is also a surprisingly capable gaming device. Call of Duty Mobile runs flawlessly on the highest settings. More demanding games like Zenless Zone Zero impress too, with a rock solid 60 frames per second on high settings. With everything cranked up to the max, I found the very top middle portion of the tablet tends to get a little hot to the touch, but it thankfully never overheated or slowed down to a noticeable degree in my testing.

That said, if you intend to use the Honor MagicPad 3 for gaming I would highly recommend investing in a compatible Bluetooth controller as the large size of the tablet makes it very awkward to hold in your hands when you’re using touch controls.

  • Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Honor MagicPad 3 review: battery

The Honor MagicPad 3 placed on a colorful desk mat.

(Image credit: Future)
  • 12,450mAh silicon-carbon battery
  • Incredible battery life, beating all competition
  • Features the Honor E2 power management chip

Truthfully, it’s difficult to fully test the Honor MagicPad 3’s battery life because it almost never runs out of charge. With a gigantic 12,450mAh silicon-carbon battery this thing is practically everlasting, easily powering through a whole week of on and off use without dipping below the 60% mark. We’re talking well above 20 hours of screen on time, absolutely decimating the battery performance of any other tablet that I have ever used.

It offers comfortably double the battery life of the latest iPad Air and is a dream for taking on long trips or flights. You can even use the tablet as an impromptu power bank in a pinch and still have more than enough left over for the rest of your day’s use. It’s incredible frankly, so serious props to Honor here.

In addition to its large size, the battery features Honor’s proprietary E2 power management chip. There’s also an AI power management system built into the OS. How much of a difference does all this tech actually make? It’s hard to say, but the results are impossible to argue with.

  • Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Honor MagicPad 3?

Honor MagicPad 3 report card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The Honor MagicPad 3 is incredible value - if you can overlook the patchy update plan.

4/5

Design

Thin, lightweight, and visually attractive. The unusual rear design might prove divisive though, and it lacks a fingerprint reader.

4.5/5

Display

A bright and colorful display that’s perfect for watching movies or TV. It’s 165Hz, though the fact it’s not OLED is a downgrade compared to the previous MagicPad.

4/5

Cameras

Your average tablet camera setup. It gets the job done, but you should just use your phone instead.

2.5/5

Software

MagicOS isn’t for everyone, but it’s easy to use and brimming with quirky charm.

4/5

Performance

Great performance across the board. This tablet is more than powerful enough for general use, and excels at gaming too.

4.5

Battery

Some of the best battery performance of any tablet, period.

5/5

Buy it if…

You want a tablet with serious battery life
The battery life of the Honor MagicPad 3 is incredible. It offers more than enough juice for well over a week of use and means the tablet can even come in handy as a power bank for your phone in a pinch.

You crave good value
With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage, you’ll struggle to find a better value tablet at this price point. It becomes an even better deal when you factor in the frequent discounts and free goodies too.

You want a tablet that really stands out
The super thin and stylish design of the Honor MagicPad 3 really stands out in a sea of grey slabs. Pick one up if you love the unique look.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re worried about long-term support
Unfortunately, Honor has only confirmed one planned Android upgrade and two years of security patches which is a huge disappointment. Unless this changes, you should avoid this tablet if you’re concerned by the lack of support.

Also consider

Not keen on what the Honor MagicPad 3 brings to the table? Here are two compelling alternatives to consider:

Honor Magic Pad 3

Lenovo Idea Tab Pro

iPad Air 13-inch

Price

£599

$349.99 / £379.99

$799 / £799 / AU$1,299

Weight

595g

1.36lbs / 620g

617g

Size

293.88mm x 201.38mm x 5.79mm

189.1mm x 291.8mm x 6.9mm / 7.44″ x 11.49″ x 0.27”

280.6mm x 214.9mm x 6.1mm

Screen size

13.3 inches

12 inches

13 inches

Processor

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Mediatek Dimensity 8300

M2

Speakers

8 stereo speakers

Quad JBL-tuned speakers

Stereo speakers

Connectivity

USB-C 3.2, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4


USB-C, MicroSD card, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS

USB-C

Battery

12,450mAh

10,200mAh

9,705 mAh

Lenovo Idea Tab Pro
The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro is less powerful than the Honor Magic Pad 3 and a bit heavier, but it’s also compatible with a great keyboard and offers a better desktop mode so it’s a good alternative if you’re after a pure productivity device.

Read our full Lenovo Idea Tab Pro review

iPad Air 13-inch
The iPad Air 13-inch is slightly thicker and heavier than the Honor MagicPad 3, but offers significantly better long-term software support. It has worse battery life and is massively more expensive though, especially for that 512GB version.

Read our full iPad Air 13-inch review

How I tested the Honor MagicPad 3

I tested the Honor MagicPad 3 over the course of multiple weeks in the build up to its announcement and release. It’s become my go-to tablet and has accompanied me on a number of trips.

It’s also seen plenty of use at home, where I’ve been using it for a mix of media consumption and gaming. I tested the tablet in its standard 16GB + 512GB configuration, though in a White colorway that is not currently available.

I used it alongside the compatible Honor MagicPad3 Smart Touch Keyboard which was supplied alongside the tablet. The tablet even replaced my usual work laptop on a handful of occasions, where I evaluated the keyboard’s performance and its overall potential as a productivity device.

First reviewed September 2025

Ghost of Yotei is one of the best games I’ve played this year, with beauty, style, and visceral action running through its veins
4:00 pm |
Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming | Comments: Off

I have caught myself reliving riding my horse across Ghost of Yotei’s landscape of 17th-century Japan almost every time I’ve put the game down since starting it.

From the simplest of jogs between locations, or the longest of horse rides across sweeping lands, through fields, and over rivers, there’s just something truly beautiful about it that has consumed me.

Review info

Platform reviewed: PS5
Available on: PS5
Release date: October 2, 2025

And while the world of Ghost of Yotei is one of the best I’ve played in years, and one of the most spectacular things about the game, it’s only one of a number of highlights in the PS5 exclusive.

The worldbuilding and sense of place the lands offer is supported by an epic tale that twists and turns, an interesting protagonist who develops as the story goes, multi-faceted, immense, and bloody, moreish combat, and a smattering of enjoyable open-world and role-playing game (RPG) staples. Which, even though they can be repetitive sometimes, also bring much value and meat to the experience.

It wears the influence of its predecessor on its sleeve prominently, but Ghost of Yotei has been more than worth the wait.

A screenshot of Atsu and an NPC in Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)

A tale for the ages

Set a few hundred years after Ghost of Tsushima, you are Atsu an outlaw making a return to her homeland of Ezo with revenge on the mind. Be prepared to hear the phrase “The Yotei Six” an awful lot in the first half of the main story in particular, as that is who Atsu is chasing down: six masked-up baddies who inflicted great pain on her and her family when she was a child.

Complemented by intriguing flashbacks that give greater context to that original pain, the story of Atsu chasing after these six almost-mythical enemies is an epic one. It has twists and turns and is deeply cinematic and gripping, and Atsu and the change she experiences along the way make her a compelling protagonist. You can feel the anger and deliberation in her encounters, in her visceral combat actions; and you can see how her relentless pursuit of justice changes her outlook along the way, too.

And while the premise of hunting down the six masked big bads is similar to Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, a linear revenge tale, and checking off an assassination hitlist, this is not. There are more layers to the story and to each of the narratives around the enemies to get stuck into.

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A screenshot of the landscape of Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)
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A screenshot of the landscape of Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)
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A screenshot of the landscape of Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)

Experiencing the beauty of nature

That stylish way that the story is delivered is indicative of the lands that it takes place in, too - as well as how you explore it.

Firstly, the scenery and sense of place in the game’s landscapes and environments are wonderful. From expansive, sweeping fields of grasses and flowers bathed in sunshine, to the icy mountainsides of an arctic, wintry region. And from the spring-like, verdant, and lush fluvial landscapes either side of meandering waterways to the gorgeous and blinding oranges and golds of hundreds of trees in their autumn form, all four seasons are draped over the landscapes of Ghost of Yotei beautifully.

As well as offering sheer beauty, everything seems truly part of the environment; each location does seem purposefully placed, sprouting from the ground or perched on it intentionally.

There’s also a wider use of the landscape to create ‘landscape moments’ as I call them; using the wind for guidance is a sheer joy once again, throwing up thousands of flower petals as you bound across plains is a thrill, and there’s a few moments where your ride across the countryside or along winding tracks is accompanied by wonderful and haunting songs.

A screenshot of Atsu's spyglass view in Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)

Mapping an adventure

Taking the importance of the landscape and environment further is Atsu’s in-game map, the way objectives are presented, and also how exploration and discovery work.

In short, the map is outstanding. Its art style is gorgeous, and the way icons and your travel route appear on it like paintings is great. Additionally, cartographers’ maps can be bought and placed over areas on your own map to reveal locations in an incredibly satisfying way that brings the map to life as opposed to being a static resource. This is echoed by other locations on the map being slightly animated, rather than just quest markers on a static background.

The details are excellent here, too. For example, if it's raining in the world, you’ll see a pitter-patter of raindrops fall on your map. Teaming this map with your spyglass makes for satisfying exploration that nails the ‘see that over there, mark it, and go there’ incentive, which is key to a well-done RPG world.

Additionally, there isn’t a smattering of side quest markers on the map or a list of text in your menu - there’s a superb card system instead, which is stylish and artsy - and you can stumble across simple side encounters naturally through exploration. It’s a world that demands to be explored, and its slowly revealing open zones in the open world are filled with things to see and do, and are more densely filled than massive, open, and empty.

A screenshot of a Atsu in combat in Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)

Put them to the sword

However, it’s not just style and aesthetics and a stacked world; there’s plenty of substance elsewhere in Ghost of Yotei, and at the forefront of that is Atsu’s violent, bloody, and super-slick combat.

With access to five melee weapons when fully kitted out, Atsu can cut through hosts of enemies with ease and grace; it really can be like a dance, almost, and chaining together parries, strikes, weapon swaps, and dodges to seamlessly work between enemies and cut them down is almost poetic.

The violence and bloodshed are incredibly graphic - something that I’ve greatly enjoyed upping the ante on by playing in the game’s Miike mode - but also arty and make for extremely reactive visuals to this dance too.

At the core of the combat is, of course, the weapons and toolset open to Atsu. Yotei does away with the different stances to combat different enemies and weapon types, and instead gives you an arsenal of different weapons to use.

Each will work against anybody, but it pays to know your katana from your Kusarigama and who best to fight with each, for example - however, each weapon is excellent, dynamic, and exciting to use and master. I greatly enjoyed the process of acquiring these weapons through quests, too. Each expert you find for the weapons feels organic and feeds into Atsu's learning and developing skills to be best equipped to fulfill her revenge mission.

The bows in Yotei are once again satisfying to use, and while the rifle is an option, I barely used it - though finishing a stand off with a quick, hip fire shot of the pistol is dead cool. Complementing this are some ranged throwables you can use, such as firebombs to wreak havoc on groups of enemies, and quickfire kunai knives.

Armor always plays a part by offering perks that can be boons to different play styles. You can gain new sets to obtain with mysterious side quests or tasks, and they can be upgraded - but your main Ghost one is upgraded through the main story.

A screenshot of Atsu's in combat in Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)

Style *and* substance

There’s plenty of opportunity to customize Atsu’s gear, too, and there’s clearly an emphasis on this. You can work to find resources for weapon and armor upgrades, and a whole raft of charms - themselves upgradeable through in-game tasks or actions - can give you edges in certain play styles. However, you can also enjoy a whole host of cosmetic upgrades to give Atsu the perfect look.

There are loads of skill trees and options to explore and acquire to enhance Atsu along your journey too. Each weapon has its own tree; there are some skills relating to Atsu’s survivor background (reducing fall damage, etc), and even some that relate to help you can sometimes get from a wolf companion.

You’ll unlock these abilities by bowing in front of altars. These can be found out in the wild on their own, or be tied to clearing camps of badmen. I appreciate the simplicity of this, but to mirror the location-specific skills of those who can teach Atsu skills, it could have added a further layer by tying certain abilities to certain altars or locations to give some geography-based nuance - i.e., certain skills can only be acquired at specific altars, for example.

Putting all of that to practical application is fantastic. Whether you’re absorbing the main quest line, or going off the beaten track to hunt down challenging or intriguing bounties, exploring myths and legends, or simply clearing out bandit camps to rid the land of baddies, utilizing Atsu’s wealth of combat approaches - either stealthily or head-on - is a joy.

A screenshot of Atsu's in combat in Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)

In an incredibly strong field, perhaps my favorite part of Ghost of Yotei that made me smile every time I did it was when dispatching a whole gang of goons while barely receiving a scratch. Changing weapons out seamlessly while knowing when to strike, when to parry, and when to go in for the kill is one of the things that makes Ghost of Yotei’s combat spectacular. I have to add that the map itself could have been my choice here, or indeed the landscapes and how they affect and frame the gameplay.

On the whole, I have found myself preferring head-on combat. There is a good balance between stealth and combat - but I prefer the stealth found in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Charging in and beating goons of all types and sizes, and bosses, with Atsu’s beastly weapons is so moreish.

Either way, whatever you choose, there’s excellence and mileage in both approaches, I’ve found. Utilizing tall grass to sneak around camps and pick off guards with a bow or with distant assassinations with the Kusarigama - a personal favorite - is brilliant. However, nothing quite hits like taking out a few pesky ranged enemies before engaging in a standoff to dispatch a host of guards. Throw in Atsu’s Onryo's Howl skill - a banshee-like scream you can blast toward your enemies, causing them to cower in fear.

A screenshot of a hot spring in Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)

A near-perfect cut

Are there creases in all this bloody brilliance, though? Of course, but only a few that I found that impacted my enjoyment. While I’m always one to sink dozens of hours into an open world, checking activities off a list, I did feel a bit of fatigue when stumbling across a vast number of the same activities such as bamboo cuts, hot springs, and altars.

The number of which also impacted the sense of exploration and discovery that the world is generally so good at. Elsewhere, the conversation options you get don’t seem to make a huge impact on encounters or quests I’ve found, which is a shame, and there are some strange moves later in the story that reintroduce tutorial-like sections that affect pacing.

However, one thing that is a fierce double-edged sword for Yotei is the game that came before it, as it wears the influence of Ghost of Tsushima and all that made that game excellent proudly on its sleeve. As a result, in a similar way to Horizon Forbidden West, there’s a lot of iteration on established features and facets.

Golden birds and foxes are present again, breaking guards in combat with heavy attacks is key again, and acquiring charms from shrines up broken pathways are back, to name a couple of examples. This might disappoint some, but it also offers ‘more of the same’ of one of the most memorable and enjoyable games of the last five years.

This is simply a world worth committing dozens of hours to

Technically, however, Ghost of Yotei does a lot to make itself feel like the PS5 exclusive we’ve been waiting for. The Ray Tracing Pro mode available on the PS5 Pro is superb and has offered a fault-free and technically excellent experience for my entire 55+ hours, but it’s the DualSense integration that is a real highlight.

Those raindrops I mentioned earlier falling on your map? You can feel those on the controller, along with rain on Atsu in the world; the balance of your instrument’s music coming from the main speakers with that of the DualSense’s speaker is a delight, painting sumi-e with flicks across the touchpad is superb, and you can even blow in the microphone to help light your campfires.

If there was any other indication needed to show what I think of Ghost of Yotei, then it’s the fact that I have kept playing the game, long after finishing the story and almost all of the quests, and am committed to going for the platinum trophy.

Yes, those few slight gripes hold it back from true generational greatness, but I’m already planning my way mentally across the map, strategizing weapon swaps and attack combos in my mind, and this is simply a world worth committing dozens of hours to, and I'm going to drink it all up.

Should you play Ghost of Yotei?

Play it if...

You loved Ghost of Tsushima
It’s an obvious one, but this is a sequel done excellently, and if you’ve been waiting for the next instalment in the series, then this will not disappoint. It channels a lot of the features that made Tsushima a superb open-world action-adventure game, and iterates on a few key areas to augment it in places while offering another gripping story.

You want to play one of the most stylish film-like adventures on PS5
There’s style and chic draped over everything Ghost of Yotei does, and even in its ‘base’ style, this is an extraordinary cinematic experience. Throw in the Japanese film-inspired modes, Atsu’s narrative and character growth, and you have an immersive, film-like experience.

You’re after some blistering Samurai combat
With its wide range of weapons and host of cool moves and combos, the combat in Ghost of Yotei is truly excellent. Combine this with the attention to detail in graphics, Atsu’s movement, and the parrying and blocking mechanics, and you have all the ingredients for moreish, excellent, visceral combat.

A game’s world and setting are important to your gaming experience
If you’re always one to appreciate and look out for a wonderful game world to explore and just exist in, then Ghost of Yotei does not disappoint. Using the map to aid you in this never feels like a chore either, and it’s a joyous, detailed thing.

Don't play it if...

You bounced off the first game
For those that didn’t gel with Ghost of Tsushima, you’re likely to have the same broad experience here as, despite the change to combat and the robust story, this is a sequel that wears its predecessor on its sleeve proudly.

You tire of similar activities
If you are one who often tires of repeating open-world activities, then Ghost of Yotei may grate on you with its many hot springs, bamboo cuts, and altars to engage with, which, for the most part, are very similar within this game and to Ghost of Tsushima.

Accessibility

Ghost of Yotei's accessibility features are a little lighter than some of its PS5 first-party contemporaries. There are no colorblind options, which is a shame, for example.

Elsewhere, you do have options for subtitle size and color, you can increase gameplay clues and visibility, and simplify control schemes for things like campfires and forging, and also get some assistance for combat, such as projectile indicators.

A screenshot of a standoff in Ghost of Yotei

(Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Sucker Punch)

How I reviewed Ghost of Yotei

Totalling more than 55 hours of testing, I reviewed Ghost of Yotei on a PS5 Pro teamed with a Samsung Q6F 55-inch 4K QLED TV and Samsung soundbar, and carried out some brief testing on a PS5 Slim combined with an Acer X32QFS gaming monitor and a Yamaha SR-C20A soundbar. On both machines, I used a standard DualSense Wireless controller, and I also spent many hours playing the game on my PlayStation Portal. When using a headset, I used a Drop + EPOS PC38X wired gaming headset combined with a Creative Sound BlasterX G6 on my PS5 Pro, and a SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 wireless gaming headset on the PS5 Slim.

I tested the game thoroughly in all its graphics modes and found its Ray Tracing Pro mode on PS5 Pro to be the best way to play on Sony’s premium console. I also played chunks of the game on several of the difficulty levels to explore and experience the different challenges in the combat, and tried out the different filmic modes too, with my favorite being the Miike mode by far.

First reviewed September 2025

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