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The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) is still the best ultraportable I’ve ever used — and I wrote this review on it

5:00 pm | March 9, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Computing Gadgets Laptops Macbooks | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5): Two-minute review

It's safe to say the MacBook Air 13-inch M5 is every bit as good as its M4 predecessor, but a little faster. The differences are so few, in fact, that I could simply direct you to my now year-old MacBook Air M4 review, and just note here that the M5 chip makes Apple's latest, and sure to be quite popular, ultraportable both faster and more efficient.However, I'm not that lazy. I've spent considerable time with this attractive, well-built, ready-for-almost-anything (and a solid day of it) ultraportable laptop, and I have some thoughts.The MacBook Air is one of the most popular laptops out there for a reason. Apple has found a winning aluminum slab design that mixes a lightweight (2.7lbs) chassis with a stunning 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display, and 18 hours of battery life (promised for streaming video only). While Apple didn't touch the design, or any external materials and components, it was inevitable that its fastest class of Apple silicon would find its way into the new Air, along with the new N1 chip, which readies the MacBook Air for the growing proliferation of WiFi 7 hubs and brings it up to speed with the latest Bluetooth 6 capabilities.If there is a downside to this update, it's the new starting price. Over the years, the MacBook Air has bounced around the $1,000 mark, dropping just below and then rising up a hundred dollars or so. Now it's back to $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799, but I'm actually okay with this change, because the Air finally starts with a half terabyte of storage (for the record, my test system arrived with 1TB 👀); that's double the 256GB we've been getting, without a huge leap in price. And, as a bonus, the storage speed is faster than on the M4 MacBook Air.So, while having to pay a little more for the best ultraportable you can buy is not good news, the upsides far outweigh the hit to your bank balance.The MacBook Air 13-inch M5 does have several other notable, though not new, features, like the 12MP Center Stage camera, a backlit keyboard that feels wonderful to use, the highly responsive ForceTouch trackpad, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and macOS 26 (a.k.a. Tahoe). I know Liquid Glass divides opinion, but I think it's elegant and I like it. Yes, there's also Apple Intelligence, but I'm still not fully sold on its utility.All in all, while I don't think you need to trade in your M4 Air for this new model, it's a worthwhile upgrade from your clamshell MacBook Air M1; and it will, like its predecessor sit atop our best ultraportables list.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Price and availability

Starts at $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799
Costs more than the M4, but there's hidden value

Apple MacBook Air M5 review — (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Apple unveiled the MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) on March 3, 2025, and the laptop starts shipping on March 11.Those shopping for the latest MacBook Air will likely notice the price hike on this 13-inch model and wonder what gives. Yes, it has an incrementally faster piece of Apple silicon (M5), but I'd attribute the $100 / £100 / AU$100 hike to the new base storage level. The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 starts with 512GB of storage, double the starting SSD of previous models. It's a non-insignificant change and, as I've written, 256GB was simply not enough in what for many users is a workhorse portable.In addition to the option of buying a larger, 15-inch MacBook Air (heavier and more expensive, but with a substantially larger screen), the 13-inch MacBook Air M5 comes in a variety of configurations, including my 10-core GPU test model, up to 32GB of memory, and up to 4TB of storage (the previous limit was 2TB).It’s available in Sky Blue, Midnight, Starlight, and Silver. Sadly, there are no new colors this year, although that may only be an issue if you let the new day-glo Citrus MacBook Neo turn your head.

Price score: 4.5/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Specs

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) comes in three pre-configured options.

	MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) base configuration (reviewed):	MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) mid configuration (reviewed):	MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) top configuration:
Price:	$1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,799	$1,199 / £1,199	$1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,399
CPU:	Apple M5 (10-core)	Apple M5 (10-core)	Apple M5 (10-core)
Graphics:	Integrated 8-core GPU	Integrated 10-core GPU	Integrated 10-core GPU
RAM:	16GB unified memory (up to 32GB)	16GB unified memory (up to 32GB)	24GB unified memory (Up to 32GB)
Screen:	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display (500 nits sustained brightness, wide color P3 gamut, True Tone technology)	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display (500 nits sustained brightness, wide color P3 gamut, True Tone technology)	13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina display (500 nits sustained brightness, wide color P3 gamut, True Tone technology)
Storage:	512GB SSD (up to 4TB)	1TB SDD (up to 4TB)	512GB SDD (Up to 4TB)
Ports:	2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3	2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3	2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3
Wireless:	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6
Camera:	12MP Center Stage Camera 1080p HD video	12MP Center Stage Camera 1080p HD video	12MP Center Stage Camera 1080p HD video
Weight:	2.7lbs / 1.24kg	2.7lbs / 1.24kg	2.7lbs / 1.24kg
Dimensions:	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)	11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Design

No major redesign
Excellent construction, materials, keyboard, and trackpad

You could be forgiven if you had trouble telling the difference between this new 13-inch MacBook Air M5 and the M4 model. They are, for all intents and purposes, identical. Still, this is a winning design. The body is made of recycled aluminum that feels premium and smooth to the touch, but also strong enough to get dumped in your backpack or slapped onto a desktop without suffering any damage. My 1TB review unit arrived in Starlight, which is not my favorite color (I'd have chosen Sky Blue), but then the chassis hue is not the primary reason why you'd buy a MacBook Air.MacBook Airs will never be the cheapest laptop (there's now the Neo to hit that spot), but they all have the same premium design and build. The backlit keyboard is expansive, and with good, satisfying travel. I love typing on it; in fact, I'm using it right now to write this review. Included in the keyboard is the Touch ID sleep button, a useful biometric device for unlocking the laptop, signing into services and apps, and making purchases. It took me just a moment to register my index finger (though I can register more). The Force Touch trackpad offers an expansive, almost 6-inch, canvas for interaction without ever getting in the way. As a haptic device, it doesn't actually move, but it does a remarkable job of fooling you into thinking it does.The ports and speakers are also unchanged from the previous model. On the left side are a pair of Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, which are great for extending the screen to a new Studio Display or other monitor, or for high-speed data transfer (the Pro model gets you Thunderbolt 5 ports).Next to those ports is the MagSafe charger, a magnetic port that makes it almost impossible to accidentally drag the laptop off a desk by kicking the charging cable. Opposite those ports is the 3.5mm audio jack. The four-speaker system sits in the hinge, and provides loud and clear audio that supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos. The 15-inch model ups the speaker count to six.Perhaps the best demonstration of the MacBook Air's elegance and design is how you can open it with just a fingertip. The laptop is so perfectly machined and balanced that all I have to do is place a fingertip under the lip and above the 1.5-inch-wide-carve-out in the base and lift — even without me holding it, the base stays put.

Design score: 5/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Display and Center Stage

Apple MacBook Air M5 — (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Over the years, I've gotten used to the notch at the top of the MacBook Air's lovely 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display. When using most apps, the space, which is used to house the Center Stage Camera, a light sensor, and an LED Indicator, only breaks into the menu system. Streaming content, games, and the majority of apps, are displayed in the rectangular space below it. If you really feel like you're losing a lot of space, you might consider the 15-inch MacBook Air instead.

Apple MacBook Air Review — (Image credit: Future)

Overall, though, this is an excellent LED-backlit, high-resolution (2560 x 1664) display, full of rich colors (a promised one billion, though I can't say that I counted), rich contrast, and 500 nits of brightness. I've used MacBook Air outdoors, and while it might struggle in direct sunlight, using it in shade is no problem at all.The 13.6 -inch display is ample space for one or more apps, and everything from macOS apps to movies and games, which look great on it. Images and text are crisp and clear, blacks are inky, and colors pop. I spend most of my work days looking at this screen, and I'm never disappointed.

Speaking of that notch, it does give you a decent webcam, the 12MP, 1080p Center Stage camera. It's called Center Stage because it can, if you allow, follow you around during your video conference. So if you like to stand up and walk around during your FaceTime calls, this camera is for you. The camera can also recognize gestures, and can launch reactions and emojis during the call.

Unlike many modern Windows 11 ultraportables, and also unlike some more affordable laptops, the MacBook Air screen does not support touch. If you want to use a touchscreen within Apple's ecosystem, but still plan on doing desktop-style computing, I suggest you look at an iPad Air or iPad Pro running iPadOS 26 and paired with a Magic keyboard.

Display score: 4.5/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: macOS and Apple Intelligence

macOS Tahoe is a rich, deep, and well-organized platform
A MacBook take on Liquid Glass
Apple Intelligence is of limited use

macOS Tahoe 26 is not only a rich, well-organized, and deeply thought-out operating system, it's a doorway to Apple's wide and varied ecosystem — the more Apple products you own, the more powerful it becomes. With Liquid Glass, there's a consistent look and feel across everything from the MacBook Air 13 I'm testing to the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPad Pro. However, the glassiness feels somewhat less aggressive on the MacBook Air, likely because it still has to look like a traditional Mac desktop.

The desktop is customizable, easy to manage (stacks are incredibly useful), and I like the widgets, especially the fact that you can keep them black-and-white to reduce distractions.Still, I love how I can mirror my iPhone and get notifications from it on my MacBook Air desktop, and with Universal Control, my trackpad and keyboard easily hop from one Apple screen to another. I found that not only could I control a neighboring iPad with the mouse and keyboard on my 13-inch MacBook Air, but I could do the same with two MacBooks sitting side by side.

MacBook Air M5 — Genmojis are fun, letting you create all kinds of customized emojisFuture

Apple Intelligence does add some useful features, like Writing tools to help you sound, say, more intelligent or friendlier, including in Messages. For those who aren't as confident with their writing, this might be of some use. I can imagine other features like Live Translation might come in handy, especially if you work with global teams.Clean Up in Photos is also a valuable enhancement, especially if you need to remove distractions from photos you want to share, post on social media, or print. Apple Intelligence can't, say, add a lifelike puppy to your photos (or really anything for that matter), but it will do its best to make sure that when you remove something the revealed background still makes sense. One caveat here: this replacement only works if the object you remove isn't too big — it did a pretty good job when I removed a pie and some whipped cream from my photo of a holiday spread.I do not get what the big deal is with Genmojis — basic emojis are still good enough for me. I was similarly disenchanted with Image Playground. Despite providing Image Playground with a good headshot of me, its output does not look much like me (it put hair on my head!). Also, Apple's insistence on sticking with cartoonish content creation seems ridiculous when you consider the image-generation capabilities now found on even the best smartphones.Siri is obviously part of the system, but still lacks the long-promised AI brain transplant. You can get wider answers via the ChatGPT integration, but Siri is still not the master of all things (inside the system and relating to you) that Apple's been promising. I, like many others, await the promised Gemini integration that will likely transform Siri on this MacBook Air and all other Siri-supporting Apple devices.

Software score: 4/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Performance

M5 chip brings the same levels of power showcased in the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 released in October 2025
More and faster storage is a very welcome update
The MacBook Air M5 is truly a workhorse in ultraportable clothing

MacBook Air M5 vs MacBook Air M4 — The MacBook Air M5 on the left and the MacBook Air M4 on the right. Both are running Geekbench (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

Benchmarks

Here’s how the MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

Geekbench 6 Single-Core: 4190; multi-core: 17073
Geekbench Metal score (8-core GPU): 49557
Cinebench 2026 single-core: 729; multi-core: 2921
Cinebench 2026 GPU: 16872
Battery life (web surfing): 15.5 hours

Apple's MacBook Air line now lives between the new A18 Pro MacBook Neo and the high-performance, heavy-workload M5 Pro (or M5 Max) MacBook Pro. It's meant to be the laptop for every student and office worker who prioritizes portability and battery life over raw power.(Note: my test system shipped with the 10-core CPU and 10-core GU, so your GPU performance may vary if you have an 8-core GPU.)

MacBook Air M5 vs MacBook Air M4 with Lightroom — Running light room on the MacBook Air M5 (left) and the MacBook Air M4 (right) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)

However, even in my early performance tests, I found the new 13-inch MacBook Air M5 more than capable of some pretty heavy-duty tasks. I started by opening Lightroom and loading in some raw images. Then I launched Final Cut Pro and imported an 8K 30 fps video, and then made three copies and started editing a video in which all four videos could play at once. Next, I loaded Pixelmater Pro and edited a photo. I also installed Chrome and opened 25 tabs (tuned to TechRadar, of course). After that, I installed and started playing Lies of P. Finally, I installed Steam and downloaded Inzoi, a rich, open-world SIM that sort of overwhelmed me with its choices and scope.

The MacBook Air just kept going. At one point, I got a system message indicating that Inzoi was eating a lot of system processes and battery, and that I should consider switching to low power, but when I exited the game the battery was still near 90%. Overall, I found it difficult to stress the M5 and its 16GB of RAM.

Perhaps more exciting for your day-to-day efforts, the MacBook Air line now starts with 512GB of storage, and faster storage at that. I ran the BlackMagic Disk Speed Test on the new M5 MacBook Air and on the MacBook Air 13-inch with an M4 chip. My M5 test system has a 1TB drive, and the M4 only came with a 256GB SSD; however, I do not believe storage capacity has any bearing on these tests.

Black Magic Disk Speed Test
	Write (MB/s)	Read (MB/s)
MacBook Air M5	6459.2	6701.8
MacBook Air M4	845.2	288.2

As you can see, the differences are stark. The new MacBook Air M5 SSD is faster on both read and write tasks. The payoff should be in system launch, app performance, and other operations.Overall, the M5 chip, ample RAM, and a larger and faster SSD mean this is a powerful and efficient system that will satisfy most users, and may be enough for quite a few pro users, too.Connectivity got an upgrade, as well, with Apple's N1 chip bringing WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support, two moves that help set itup for the foreseeable future of wireless communication.

Performance score: 5/5

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Battery life

15 and a half hours of battery life (web activities)
Effectively lasts all day (mixed use)
Charges to 50% in 30 minutes with the included 40W charger; 100% in just over two hours

The 3-nanometer M5 inside my new 13-inch MacBook Air isn't just faster, it's more efficient, squeezing another hour and a half of battery life out of the system over what the M4 MacBook Air achieved in our Future Labs tests.What's more, in mixed use, I got closer to the promised 18 hours of video streaming that Apple claims. No matter how you slice it, this is an ultraportable that can sip power and let you leave your 'ABC' (Always Be Charging) worries behind.When it was time to charge, I used the included 40W charger and MagSafe cable to charge the Air to almost 50% in 30 minutes. It took about two hours to reach 100%.

Battery score: 5/5

Should you buy the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)?

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4)
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Price	The MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) is a little more expensive than the M4 before it, but with twice the storage it's still a good deal	4.5/5
Design	Close to a perfect laptop design, with quality materials, excellent build and Apple's exquisite attention to detail.	5/5
Display and Center Stage	Excellent screen with great color, brightness and sharpness. We've learned to live with the notch, and Center Stage makes for high-quality video conferencing and calls.	4.5/5
macOS and Apple Intelligence	macOS Tahoe is the complete package, a rich and comprehensive platform that ties in nicely to the Apple ecosystem. I wish Apple Intelligence was more useful, but there's great utility in every other area.	4/5
Performance	The M5 brings the level of performance we've previously seen in the MacBook Pro — I had trouble finding anything the laptop couldn't do. The faster and more substantial storage paired with 16GB of RAM make this a high-performance ultraportable that you'll love using every day.	5/5
Battery life	Mixed battery life improved, and I got closer to the possible 18 hours Apple promises if you only stream video.	5/5

Buy it if...

You want the best ultraportable
The MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it does raise the bar for ultraportable performance.

You demand real portability
At 2.7lbs / 1.24kg, the MacBook Air still lives up to its name.

You need a good blend of power and efficiency
The MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) packs more than enough power for most users, and you can bank on all-day battery life.

Don't buy it if...

You still want a touchscreen
Some think this might be the year of a touchscreen MacBook, but I doubt it. The MacBook Air is a perfect, classic laptop, and for touchscreen lovers there's always the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard.

You want more useful AI
Apple Intelligence is not the kind of integrated AI we expect from our mobile systems, but changes are on the horizon in the form of Siri with Gemini integration.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) review: Also consider

	MacBook Air 15-inch M5 (2026)	Dell XPS 13 Plus
Price:	$1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,199	$1,999.99 / £2,049 / AU$3,998
CPU:	Apple M5 (10-core)	Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 288V
Graphics:	Integrated 10-core GPU	Intel Arc Graphics
RAM:	16GB unified memory	Up to 32GB LPDDR5X
Screen:	15.3-inch, 2880 x 1864 Liquid Retina display, 500 nits brightness, wide color P3 gamut	Up to 13.4-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 60Hz
Storage:	512GB SSD	Up to 2TB SSD
Ports:	2x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C), 3.5mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3	2 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C)
Wireless:	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6	Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Camera:	Center Stage Camera (12MP, 1080p)	720p, 30 FPS HD
Weight:	3.3lbs / 1.51kg	2.70lbs / 1.21kg
Dimensions:	13.40 x 9.35 x 0.45 inches / 34 x 21.2 x 1.56cm	11.6 x 7.8 x 0.58 inches / 29.5 x 19.9 x 1.48cm

If our Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...

Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M5)
The MacBook Air 15-inch (M5) is virtually the same as the 13-inch model in every respect except size (and screen size), but the base model does start with two extra GPU cores.

Dell XPS 13 Plus
The latest Dell XPS 13 brings Intel's Lunar Lake chips to the iconic laptop line, delivering truly all-day battery life and strong performance across the board in a sleek and stylish MacBook-esque design. However, issues with the XPS redesign remain, with its edgeless trackpad and adaptive function bar creating some problems with usability that prevent it from reaching true greatness.

Read more: Dell XPS 13 Plus review

How I tested the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)

I used the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M5) for five days
I worked, played, listened, edited, and wrote this review on it
I usually ran multiple apps at once

The 13-inch Apple MacBook Air M5 was been my constant companion for several days. I worked, played, edited (photos and videos), and gamed on it.I ran a wide variety of benchmarks, installed Steam, and ran heavy-duty games. I watched some streaming video, and did my best to tax the M5 chip. I also spent time comparing its performance to that of the M4 chip on my Sky Blue MacBook Air.I browsed the web, played with Apple Intelligence (it didn't help me write this review), and enjoyed every minute of my time with this splendid machine.I've been reviewing technology for over 30 years, and I've tested everything from DOS-based word processors to Apple's Vision Pro. I've reviewed laptops of all stripes, including traditional clamshells and convertibles. I regularly work on macOS, but also use the Windows platform almost every day — I like to keep my hands in all the ecosystems.Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2026

I tested the iPad Air with M4, and Apple just stretched the value proposition even further

4:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPad Tablets | Comments: Off

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: One-minute review

Apple’s iPad Air has long been the 'pro model for most people,' and the 2026 refresh keeps that reputation intact. There are no real design changes this year, but Apple gives the tablet a fuel injection of performance thanks to the M4 chip under the hood, more RAM, and improved connectivity.

This means the iPad Air keeps pace in terms of having Apple’s latest silicon while still sitting below the iPad Pro in price. In everyday use the 13-inch iPad Air absolutely flies, whether you’re juggling multiple windows in iPadOS 26, editing photos or videos, gaming, or pairing it with the Magic Keyboard to act as a laptop replacement.

The display remains the same excellent Liquid Retina panel that was introduced in 2024, and while it still tops out at 60Hz rather than the iPad Pro’s 120Hz ProMotion, it’s a large, vibrant canvas for work, entertainment, and Apple Pencil note-taking.

If you already own an M3 or even M2 iPad Air, this probably isn’t a must-have upgrade. But for anyone coming from an older iPad, or buying their first Air, the M4 model continues to hit a sweet spot of power, portability, and price.

Simply put, the iPad Air with M4 remains the iPad most people should buy. I just hope Apple continues this trend of squeezing more value out of the device. The consistent silicon upgrades keep the iPad Air feeling fresh for years after release, giving it plenty of headroom for new apps and features. I do wish Apple had take the same approach it did with the iPhone 17e by bumping the starting storage, though.

And bear in mind that — as I note in every iPad review I write — you’ll want to factor in the cost of accessories like the Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard. Both are excellent companions for the iPad Air, but deciding whether to add one or both ultimately comes down to your needs and your budget.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Specs

iPad Air (2026) Specs
	iPad Air 11-inch	iPad Air 13-inch
Starting price	$599 / £599 / AU$999	$799 / £799 / AU$1,299
Operating system	iPadOS 26	iPadOS 26
Chipset	M4	M4
Memory (RAM)	12GB	12GB
Storage	128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB	128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
Display	11-inch LED Backlit (2360 x 1640) IPS LCD	13-inch LED Backlit (2732 x 2048) IPS LCD
Cameras	12MP wide main, 12MP ultrawide front	12MP wide main, 12MP ultrawide front
Battery	28.93Wh	36.59Wh
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. 5G Sub-6Ghz and Gigabit LTE on Cellular models.	Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. 5G Sub-6Ghz and Gigabit LTE on Cellular models.
Weight	460g	617g
Dimensions	247.6mm x 178.5mm x 6.1mm	280.6mm x 214.9mm x 6.1mm

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Price and availability

Apple is continuing a welcome recent trend with the latest iPad Air, upgrading the processor, and some other features, without raising the starting price. The 11-inch iPad Air and 13-inch iPad Air still start with 128GB of storage, but can be configured up to 1TB.

The 11-inch iPad Air starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999, while the 13-inch iPad Air starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,249, both with 128GB of storage and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Design

Apple 13-inch iPad Air with M4 Review — (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

Still a modern, portable design
Same four colors and no major design changes

What's new about Apple’s 2026 iPad Air — aka the iPad Air with M4 or iPad Air (M4) — is mostly a matter of what’s under the hood. With the same four colors available — Blue, Purple, Starlight, or Space Gray — it keeps a nearly identical build and design language to 2025’s iPad Air with M3, and largely the same look introduced with the 2024 iPad Air with M2.

That’s not a bad thing at all — amid a sea of other mid-range tablets, Apple is still opting for a premium aluminum build that feels plenty portable. Even though the iPad Air is no longer the thinnest or lightest iPad in Apple’s lineup — that honor goes to the iPad Pro — the 13-inch variant remains easily portable, and the 11-inch model even more so.

I regularly go back and forth between either an 11-inch Air or Pro and a 13-inch, and I found myself right at home with the 13-inch iPad Air. It’s the same footprint generation-over-generation at 280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1mm and 616 grams (617 grams for cellular), and I absolutely love the Purple shade, although another fresher shade joining the range – maybe a blush pink, as with the iPhone 17e, or citrus yellow like the MacBook Neo, would have been nice.

For the purposes of describing the button layout, we'll talk about using the tablet in landscape mode. The power button with the all-important Touch ID sensor lives on the top left-hand edge, with the volume up and volume down buttons sitting nearby along the top edge. Right beside them are the magnets that easily hold the Apple Pencil Pro or Apple Pencil USB-C.

Everything remains easy to reach in either orientation, and it’s clear Apple feels it's got the ergonomics right here, since the layout hasn’t changed. Touch ID is still fast and reliable for unlocking the iPad Air, or authenticating purchases and other secure actions.

On the rear, the 12-megapixel rear camera remains in the top-left corner on the back, while Apple's Smart connector is along the right edge. This still lets the iPad Air connect to Apple's Magic Keyboard, all without the need for traditional Bluetooth pairing or needing to recharge the accessory.

The Apple logo is centered on the back of the iPad, though it's oriented to be in the proper position when it's held vertical, in landscape it's sideways — either way round it offers some neat reflections and sits flat with the matte aluminum finish.

Ultimately, if you liked the design of the previous iPad Air, or the one before that, you’ll feel right at home here.

Design score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Display

Display is still sharp, vibrant Liquid Retina
Still no 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate

Arguably, the most important part of any iPad is the display, and that's even more the case with the 13-inch iPad Air. There are no changes generation over generation here — in fact, this is the same display Apple introduced when it first introduced a larger 13-inch iPad Air in 2024.

That’s not a bad thing, though, as the 13-inch iPad Air affords you an expansive canvas on which to work. It’s only gotten better since true multitasking landed with iPadOS 26, and it's also excellent for watching films or TV shows (anyone else catching up on Scrubs on Disney+ or Hulu right now?).

The 13-inch Liquid Retina display is excellent (Apple is still rounding up from a 12.9-inch screen measured diagonally). It’s not quite as impressive as the iPad Pro’s Dynamic OLED panel with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, but it goes the full mile for productivity and creative tasks. Whether I was watching a film, editing in Final Cut Pro, overlapping windows to write this review, browsing the web, or gaming, everything looked great here.

Colors are vibrant and punchy, but I especially like writing with the Apple Pencil Pro on the 13-inch iPad Air and seeing the inky black handwriting appear. Of course, you can make that pop even more by changing the color of the pencil in Notes, Notability, or GoodNotes — take your pick of your preferred note-taking app.

Just like the previous two generations, the 13-inch Liquid Retina display offers a 2732 x 2048 resolution at 264 pixels per inch with a maximum brightness of 600 nits. The anti-reflective oleophobic coating is pretty essential here on the 13-inch – and the same goes for the 11-inch Air – helping repel fingerprints and reduce reflections from natural light.

As I wrote in 2025, the main miss here is a higher refresh rate. The 13-inch iPad Air still tops out at 60Hz, while Apple reserves the adaptive 120Hz ProMotion display for the iPad Pro lineup. Then again, if you’re not coming from that device — and I don’t see why you would be — it likely won’t be a major issue, and Apple is clearly adding value elsewhere, as in the jump to the M4 chip.

Display score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Cameras

No changes to the front or rear cameras
Front camera is still in a better spot, and supports Center Stage

If you’re picking up a 13-inch iPad Air for the first time, or upgrading from an older model, you’ll be happy to know the front-facing camera is in a much better spot than on older models. Like the previous 13-inch iPad Air, the 2026 model with M4 keeps the 12-megapixel front camera on the long edge, which makes it far more usable for FaceTime and other video calls when the tablet is docked in a Smart Cover or the Magic Keyboard.

In landscape mode, the camera sits centered along the top edge, which means you’ll appear properly framed on video calls or when recording self-tapes. It also works nicely with Apple’s built-in Center Stage technology, which keeps you in frame as you move around. That’s helpful if you tend to pace during meetings, or if you’re on a FaceTime call while cooking in the kitchen, and moving around to slice and dice ingredients. Image quality here is solid, and you can enable effects such as Portrait mode and Studio Light in iPadOS.

On the back is the same 12-megapixel rear camera as last time. It’s perfectly fine for snapping quick photos or scanning documents, though I’m not that sure many people are bringing a 13-inch iPad Air along specifically to capture the world. Either way, here are a few shots I captured.

Cameras score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review:: Software

iPadOS 26 is still a supercharged experience
Works well with the optional Magic Keyboard or Apple Pencil

iPadOS 26 was a game-changing update for the entire iPad lineup, but you can really feel the difference on a larger 13-inch iPad Air or Pro. I remember buying the original 12.9-inch iPad when it first launched and ditching my MacBook Pro, hoping to use the iPad as my one device while in college — it wasn’t easy back then, but iPadOS 26 makes it a lot more achievable.

And I’ve been pushing iPadOS 26 pretty hard on the iPad Air (M4, 2026). I’ll dive more into performance below, but this thing really does fly. The main feature of iPadOS 26 is proper window multitasking. I can open Safari and resize it from the bottom corner, then pull Messages into a floating window, do the same with Pixelmator Pro, and continue stacking apps however I see fit. It’s not exactly the Mac experience like for like, though the familiar red, yellow, and green window controls appear in the corner and you can enable a top menu bar, but the system still feels purpose-built for the iPad’s more flexible way of working.

That flexibility really shines on the 13-inch display. I can use my finger, the Magic Keyboard’s trackpad, or an Apple Pencil — whichever input works best for what I’m doing. During testing I edited video in Final Cut, wrote and organized this review in Pages, Google Docs via Safari, and Notes, edited photos in Pixelmator Pro as part of Apple Creator Studio, played games like Real Flight Simulator and Disney Dreamlight Valley, took notes during meetings, FaceTimed with friends and family, and watched plenty of videos.

I did a lot of that undocked, but I also spent time using Apple’s Magic Keyboard. For the iPad Air it now comes in black as well as white, and pricing remains at $319 / £299 / AU$499 for the 13-inch model and $269 / £269 / AU$449 for the 11-inch. With the iPad Air attached it starts to feel quite Mac-like — the tablet floats slightly thanks to strong magnets and you get a good range of tilt for adjusting the screen. The keys have great travel, the trackpad is quite large, and you even get an extra USB-C port for charging or connecting accessories.

For most of this review period I actually pushed my Apple MacBook Pro (14‑inch, M5) to the side and used the iPad Air with the Magic Keyboard instead. No, the keyboard isn’t included, and it does add to the price, but it really does unlock a more complete working experience.

Similarly, the Apple Pencil Pro — priced at $129 / £129 / AU$219 — remains one of the accessories that truly makes an iPad feel like an iPad. It’s fantastic for note-taking, sketching, or mapping out ideas, and artists can do a lot with it in apps like Procreate or Pixelmator Pro. Of course, it’s also great for navigating around iPadOS itself.

Apple Intelligence is also supported here. You’ll see Siri’s full-screen edge glow when asking for help with a long press or by saying “Hey Siri,” — the much-anticipated AI-powered Siri is still on the way, but when it does arrive, the iPad Air will support it. In the meantime you can already use Apple’s AI features to clean up unwanted objects in Photos, solve math problems in Notes, and access a growing set of other tools that should expand further over time.

Software score: 4 /5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Performance

M4 chip lets you complete most, if not all, feasible tasks on the iPad Air
Keeps things fast today, with no concerns about the future
Plenty of headroom for even the most complex tasks

As the name suggests, the iPad Air’s performance is where the real changes lie this year. On the cellular model I’ve been testing there are three upgrades, while the Wi-Fi model gets two. Let’s start with the chip under the hood — and credit Apple for sticking with a steady upgrade strategy.

Apple shipped the iPad Air with the M2 chip in 2024, and with the M3 in 2025; and now in 2026 both the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Air move to the M4 chip with 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously. So while this does mean that if you have an M3 iPad Air you likely don’t need to upgrade — and the same goes for the M2 edition — Apple is steadily keeping this iPad up to date with its latest silicon, ultimately making it more appealing, and better value for someone approaching the iPad Air fresh today.

Inside, the M4 chip features an eight-core CPU with three performance cores and five efficiency cores, a nine-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Regardless of size, it’s paired with 12GB of RAM, and hardware-accelerated ray tracing is supported here as well, which can benefit gaming and creative tasks like video editing or 3D rendering. Memory bandwidth also jumps to 120GB/s, up from 100GB/s previously.

As with the previous generation and the M3, Apple’s decision to bring the M4 chip to the iPad Air really raises the question of whether most people need the iPad Pro for performance alone. The Air sits comfortably above the base iPad in this respect, and feels incredibly capable for heavy multitasking, creative work, and gaming.

As I always do, I tried to throw a lot at the 13-inch iPad Air with M4, and I struggled to slow it down. Even when exporting a video in the background while launching a game and running FaceTime in a floating window, the tablet remained smooth and responsive. The iPad Air simply flies — whether you’re using it as a media consumption device or pairing it with the Magic Keyboard as your main computing machine. The M4 chip also runs silently, and stays cool even while handling heavier workloads.

In everyday use, the iPad Air with M4 rarely feels limited by its hardware. Ultimately, the best compliment I can give it is that whatever I threw at the tablet — within the confines of iPadOS 26 on a 13-inch display — it handled it effortlessly.

Apple’s M4 chip also performed well in our benchmark tests. In Geekbench 6, the 13-inch iPad Air with M4 scored 3,745 single-core and 13,342 multi-core. That’s a solid jump over the iPad Air with M3, which scored 3,023 single-core and 11,716 multi-core, and the M2 model’s 2,591 single-core and 10,046 multi-core. The M3 model was already very fast, so you won’t see dramatic gains year over year, but if you’re upgrading from an M1 Air, an entry-level iPad, or even an older iPad Pro, the improvement will be noticeable.

Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) review: Battery and connectivity

Still all-day battery life
Wi-Fi 7 is supported here
C1X Modem makes for speedy 5G speeds, if you opt for cellular

Unlike the iPhone, Apple actually shares the exact battery size inside the iPad Air — and other iPads — along with its estimates for playback and use. The battery sizes remain unchanged generation over generation, with the 13-inch iPad Air packing a 36.59Wh battery and the 11-inch model coming in at 28.93Wh. That’s not a bad thing, as neither M3 model struggled with battery life.

Apple rates the iPad Air for up to 10 hours of web browsing or video playback on Wi-Fi models, and up to nine hours of web use on cellular models. In my daily testing, the 13-inch iPad Air generally made it through most of a workday without issue, though I did occasionally find myself reaching for a charger towards the evening if I wanted to keep using it later into the night.

Apple still ships the iPad Air with a USB-C to USB-C cable and a wall charger in the box.

Complementing the M4 chip is Apple’s N1 chip, which enables support for Wi-Fi 7 alongside Bluetooth 6 and the Thread networking protocol. If you opt for the cellular model, you’ll also get the C1X modem — the same one found in the iPhone Air — for fast connectivity. Like all cellular iPads, the iPad Air is eSIM-only. I’ve been testing the 13-inch iPad Air on Verizon and saw some impressive 5G speeds across New Jersey and New York City.

Battery and Connectivity score: 4 / 5

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026): Should you buy it?

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026) Scorecard
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Value	Apple putting the M4 chip inside makes the iPad Air an easier recommendation as the 'pro' model for most folks.	4.5 / 5
Design	Still a modern, portable tablet, even with no design changes year over year.	4 / 5
Display	Display is still excellent, especially at the 13-inch size.	4 / 5
Cameras	The two cameras on the iPad Air are versatile, with the front-facing camera being excellent for video calls.	4 / 5
Software	iPadOS 26 is loaded with features, and the iPad Air is able to take advantage of all of them, especially multitasking.	4 / 5
Performance	The M4 chip makes the iPad Air very, very fast	4.5 / 5
Battery and Connectivity	Apple continues to deliver on all-day battery life, and the C1X modem ensures fast 5G speeds, if the network is there.	4 /5

Buy it if...

You have an older iPad or tablet

The M4 chip ensures you won’t have any concerns about power or performance, and makes this an especially good upgrade if you have an M1 iPad Air or older, an entry-level iPad, or another older tablet, and are craving more power.View Deal

You don’t want to break the bank

The iPad Air still offers plenty of power in two sizes at a lower price than the iPad Pro.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You want Apple's best display

If having the best visuals possible is your number one deciding factor, opt for the iPad Pro with M4, and its excellent Dynamic OLED display. View Deal

You don’t need M-series power

If you don't need an iPad to replace your laptop or your main device, consider the entry-level iPad — it's excellent for most everyday tasks, and even for some more advanced onesView Deal

Apple iPad Air 13-inch (2026): How I tested

I spent six days testing Apple's 13-inch iPad Air with M4, along with a Smart Folio, Apple Pencil Pro, and a Magic Keyboard. After unboxing it I set up the iPad Air as new, downloading all my essential apps.

After that, I switched to the iPad Air from a 14-inch MacBook Pro as my main device for work and play. I threw many tasks into the mix, from productivity-themed ones like responding to emails, uploading articles to a CMS, writing, editing, editing photos and videos, playing games, plenty of video calls, and multitasking to test the M4 chip inside the iPad Air. I also compared it to the entry-level iPad, the previous-generation M3 and M2 iPad Air, the iPad Mini, and the M4 and M5 iPad Pro.

First reviewed March 9, 2026.

I tested the iPhone 17e, and it’s an even better budget iPhone thanks to more storage, faster performance, and a smarter camera

4:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPhone Phones | Comments: Off

Apple iPhone 17e: Two-Minute Review

The Apple iPhone 17e isn’t a total reinvention of Apple’s budget iPhone — rather, it’s a refinement of the formula introduced by the Apple iPhone 16e. That phone did the heavy lifting by modernizing the design and retiring the Home button that defined the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation); the 17e simply makes the package more compelling.Some of that freshness comes with a new Soft Pink color option alongside Black and White, but the bigger upgrades are under the hood. The iPhone 17e runs on Apple’s A19 chip and feels consistently fast in everyday use, and now starts with 256GB of storage — double the base capacity of its predecessor — while keeping the same $599 / £599 / AU$999 starting price.The camera setup remains simple, with just a single 48-megapixel rear lens, but Apple has improved what it can do. Portrait shots now benefit from smarter depth detection, letting you add the blur effect after taking the photo, and image processing still delivers the natural colors and reliability people expect from an iPhone.There are compromises, though. You won’t get the multiple cameras, high-refresh-rate display, or always-on screen found on pricier iPhones like the Apple iPhone 17 or Apple iPhone 17 Pro. If an ultra-wide camera matters to you, the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 is a better option.But for anyone who simply wants a modern iPhone that doesn’t break the bank, the iPhone 17e delivers exactly that. It’s an especially easy upgrade if you’re coming from an iPhone SE, an iPhone 11, or anything older.

Apple iPhone 17e: Price and availability

$599 / £599 / AU$999 starting price
256GB starting storage

With double the storage, and a couple of headline new features, you might expect that the iPhone 17e would cost more than the iPhone 16e, but Apple has kept the starting price the same. The iPhone 17e starts at $599 / £599 / AU$999 for 256GB of storage, and comes in Black, White, or Soft Pink. In the United States, it's an eSIM-only device, while in the UK or Australia it supports eSIM but also has a physical SIM card slot. Globally, it arrives with a USB-C to USB-C cable. If you need more storage, Apple also sells the iPhone 17e with 512GB of storage.

Apple iPhone 17e: Specs

	iPhone 17e
Dimensions:	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm
Weight:	169g
Display:	6.1-inch OLED
Resolution:	2532 x 1170 pixels
Refresh rate:	60Hz
Chipset:	A19
Software	iOS 26
Rear cameras:	48MP main (26mm, f/1.6)
Front camera:	12MP (f/1.9)
Storage:	256GB, 512GB

Apple iPhone 17e: Design

Apple iPhone 17e Review — (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)

New 'Soft Pink' color is great
Similar design to the iPhone 16e
Finally, MagSafe arrives

Outwardly there's no real difference between the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 16e – it still feels like a modern iPhone, albeit a little more sparse on the back compared to the mainline models with a single camera, but it’s largely crafted with the same premium materials we’ve come to expect.There is a new color option with the iPhone 17e, and you now have three choices, much like we saw with the last-generation iPhone SE. Like the 16e the 17e comes in Black and White, and there's also a Soft Pink option, which is the color of my review unit. Depending on how the light hits it, the ultra-blush nature of the color can be hard to spot, but when it hits just right it’s a lovely and, yes, soft shade of pink, and I especially like how it looks on the aluminum sides all around.The gloss-finished Apple logo centered on the rear can be hard to spot at times, as it can blend right into the matte soft pink finish. All in all it’s a lovely color addition, and it could make the 17e a whole lot more appealing.The other change is hidden underneath the back panel: the iPhone 17e has full MagSafe, meaning the magnetic ring works with a treasure trove of accessories, from the Apple-made FineWoven Wallet and third-party accessories from the likes of PopSockets to Octobuddys, to charging stands from Belkin and Anker. This was a key missing feature on the 16e, and it makes the iPhone 17e feel more like a truly modern iPhone.

Yes, it has a notch in the display and lacks an ultra-wide or telephoto camera, but otherwise it feels very much like a member of the iPhone 17 family. The corners are a bit sharper — the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, and iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are a bit more rounded — but when the display is off, and from the front, you wouldn't notice much of a difference.The iPhone 17e has the same dimensions as the 16e, with both phones measuring 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm, but the addition of MagSafe means the iPhone 17e weighs slightly more, at 169 grams versus the 167 grams of the 16e.There’s a USB-C port on the bottom flanked by speakers and a microphone, the main power button on the right-hand side, and the customizable Action button, as well as volume up and volume down, on the left side. It's essentially the button layout we’ve come to expect on the iPhone, with Camera Control being the only button missing here.The iPhone 17e is still plenty durable, with the same IP68 resistance spec as the 16e. That means it can survive for up to 30 minutes in up to six meters of water, and the display — more on that below — is Ceramic Shield 2 like the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, which Apple says makes it three times more scratch resistant than models without that material.

Design score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Display

6.1-inch Super Retina XDR is great for daily use
More scratch resistant thanks to Ceramic Shield 2
Still has a notch

While the iPhone 17 ushered in a major glow-up for the base iPhone’s display, the Apple iPhone 17e isn’t getting the same treatment. That means there’s no always-on display here, and the refresh rate hasn’t been upgraded to a buttery-smooth 120Hz.That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though. If you’re coming from an iPhone SE (3rd generation) or anything older than the iPhone 11, you’ll still get a pretty sizable display upgrade. The iPhone 17e features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with a 2532 x 1170 resolution at 460 pixels per inch. It towers over the 4.7-inch screen on the SE, and offers a much more immersive view than the iPhone 11, stretching much closer to the bezels.Apple also includes some of its usual display perks here. The panel supports True Tone, which adjusts the color warmth depending on the environment you’re in, alongside Wide Color (P3) support for richer hues. It can also reach up to 1,200 nits of brightness for HDR content.In everyday use colors look punchy, contrast is strong, and it’s excellent for watching videos, scrolling web pages, responding to emails, or hopping on FaceTime calls. If you’re not coming from a device with an always-on display or a high refresh rate, the screen here will still feel plenty modern.Maybe the one oddball feature — or the biggest tell that this is using an older iPhone frame — is the notch. Apple first brought it back with the Apple iPhone 16e, and it returns again on the 17e instead of the Dynamic Island. It still cuts slightly into content, but not in a way that feels particularly intrusive. Inside that notch sits the 12-megapixel front-facing camera, alongside the TrueDepth sensor stack, which powers Face ID for unlocking the phone and securely authenticating purchases, or parts of iOS.

Display score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Software and Apple Intelligence

iOS 26 is on board, complete with Liquid Glass
Standby Mode is excellent

Like the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, the iPhone 17e is running iOS 26 out of the box — specifically iOS 26.3 — and the standout feature of this platform is Liquid Glass, which freshens up the whole experience and adds to the all-round 'modern' feel.Apple even pairs the Soft Pink model with a matching wallpaper that looks excellent, with layered shapes that resemble flower petals, each one appearing like slabs of pink glass blending together. As for Liquid Glass and the layers of iOS, you’ll find that elements of an app and the interface live more cohesively. For instance, Control Center is still very actionable and fully customizable, but it will let you see what’s behind it, though translucency can vary.Alongside the updated user interface, and now nearly seven months out from its launch, many app developers have rolled out their own take on Liquid Glass.As on other iPhones you can customize the Action Button — within Settings select Action Button and then swipe between the options — to tailor the 17e experience a bit. You can quickly open the camera, another favorite app, or even trigger a customized workflow using Shortcuts.iOS 26 also introduced a redesigned Phone app for a more modern look that puts Favorites at the top and Recents right below it — but don’t worry, if you don’t like this change you can switch back.Many top control bars are now positioned at the bottom, making them easier to reach, and Messages got a serious glow-up with the ability to customize the background for any given chat, whether it’s one-on-one or a group message.

Apple Intelligence is fully supported on the iPhone 17e, meaning you can create custom emojis dubbed Genmojis, remove unwanted photobombers or objects in pictures with Clean Up, summarize notifications, and even use Visual Intelligence with screenshots to figure out what something is, or add something to your calendar by snapping a photo of a poster.Apple’s roster of AI features is still growing, but the major AI-powered Siri is still billed as “coming soon.” I wouldn’t buy the iPhone 17e just for that promise, but when Apple is ready to ship it the feature will be supported here, thanks to the A19 chip under the hood — essentially the same processor that powers the iPhone 17, albeit with one fewer GPU core.While you might think of MagSafe as being mainly for accessories or faster wireless charging, it also enables StandBy mode when the iPhone 17e is placed on a MagSafe dock, or plugged in and turned sideways. It works best on a wireless MagSafe stand, and essentially enables the 17e to serve as a mini smart display, with the 6.1-inch screen showing the time in any of several different styles. You can also swipe between widgets like weather or stocks, or even run a slideshow of photos. If it’s sitting on your desk or nightstand, the option to have notifications — like messages or emails — briefly appear on-screen is handy.

Software score: 4 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Camera

Still a single, 48-megapixel main camera
Shoots at 1x or 2x zoom
You can now apply the Portrait effect after a photo is taken

Yes, there’s a considerable price difference — and a major difference in overall design — between the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 17 Air, but the camera setup is actually quite similar. Both of these iPhones have just a single camera on the back, and it’s clear that some of the gains — specifically around Portrait Mode with just one lens — from the Air have trickled down to the 17e.Like the Apple iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17e features a single 48MP Fusion main camera with built-in optical image stabilization. You can shoot at either 1x or 2x, with the latter proving especially useful for portraits of people or pets. It’s a little surprising at this price point to have just one lens, but that’s the approach Apple has taken here. If you want two lenses — specifically the addition of an ultra-wide — you’ll need to spend more for something like the Apple iPhone 17 or even the Apple iPhone 16. And, if you’re willing to step outside the Apple ecosystem, phones like the Google Pixel 9a or Google Pixel 10a offer dual cameras for around the same price or less.All that aside, the 48-megapixel sensor paired with the updated image pipeline powered by the A19 chip performs really well here. The iPhone 17e captures excellent shots with great detail and realistic colors — something we’ve come to expect from modern iPhones. It’s not a night-and-day difference compared to the 16e, but if you’re coming from an older iPhone you’ll notice the improvement when shooting everything from cityscapes to skies, pets, or people.The real improvement here, though, is next-generation Portrait Mode. When you shoot a person, or a pet, using the standard Photo mode, the camera automatically detects depth and lets you add the bokeh effect afterwards. It works really well, and similarly to the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17e is surprisingly capable for single-lens portrait shots — even when it comes down to finer details like hair separation. It’s a welcome addition for Apple’s more affordable iPhone.The front-facing camera remains a 12-megapixel lens, and it doesn’t get the wider field of view found on the iPhone 17 or Air. That means selfies with multiple people can sometimes feel like a bit of a game of Tetris. Still, it captures solid shots for selfies and FaceTime calls — you can see some of the images I shot with the iPhone 17e in the gallery below.It’s not the most flexible camera setup Apple offers, but for everyday shots the iPhone 17e still delivers the kind of results we've come to expect from an iPhone.

Camera score: 4 / 5

Camera samples

Apple iPhone 17e: Performance

A19 chip offers excellent performance
Starting storage is doubled

Probably my favorite upgrade to the iPhone 17e is the chip inside, and the storage paired with it. The 17e is powered by Apple’s A19 chip, which debuted in the iPhone 17, and starting storage has doubled from 128GB to 256GB, and this phone feel like great value, especially as the starting price is unchanged from last year.It’s a slightly different version of the A19 to that found in the iPhone 17. Inside the 17e there's still a 3-nanometer chip made up of a six-core CPU — two performance cores and four efficiency cores, and a four-core GPU with accelerators, and a 16-core Neural Engine. Even with one fewer GPU core than the A19 in the iPhone 17, everything flies on the iPhone 17e. If you’re coming from an older smartphone, you’re going to notice a significant improvement.With double the starting storage, you’ll also have plenty of room for apps, music, video downloads, and photos or videos captured with the 48-megapixel main camera or 12-megapixel selfie camera. In daily use, I found the 17e to be consistently responsive, and quick to deliver on whatever I asked it to do.I was able to edit videos in iMovie, CapCut, or Edits, play games like Mini Metro, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Asphalt 9, and Real Flight Simulator, scroll through videos on TikTok or Instagram, respond to emails in Gmail or Mail, send messages, make calls, and browse the web, all without running into slowdowns. For everyday tasks it felt very similar to using the iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Air.My qualitative experience with the iPhone 17e also closely matched the quantitative tests run by the Future team. The 17e scored 3,606 single-core and 9,292 multi-core on Geekbench 6.5, which is a decent leap over the Apple iPhone 16e, which scored 3,235 single-core and 8,056 multi-core. It’s also pretty close to the standard iPhone 17, which scored 3,701 single-core and 9,460 multi-core.Beyond day-to-day performance, the iPhone 17e also features Apple’s latest modem, the C1X, which first appeared in the iPhone 17 Air. In my testing it worked well for cellular connectivity, and Apple says it’s up to twice as fast as the previous-generation C1 found in the 16e. I’ve been testing the iPhone 17e on AT&T’s network in the US, and I routinely saw full bars with 5G+, with download speeds averaging around 403Mbps and upload speeds averaging about 27.4Mbps up in the New Jersey area.

Performance score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Battery

Excellent all-day battery life
Improved wired charging speeds
MagSafe is here and offers 15-watt wireless charging

With no always-on display functionality, it might come as no surprise that the iPhone 17e easily clears the bar for all-day battery life. In typical Apple fashion, we don’t know the exact battery size inside — Apple just says to expect up to 26 hours of video playback. In my testing I routinely made it through a full day, even on busier days filled with video exports, FaceTime calls, and plenty of texting while on the go. It's fair to say that the A19 chip paired with the C1X modem offers some welcome efficiencies.The addition of MagSafe isn’t just great for accessories and functionality within Apple’s ecosystem — remember, MagSafe first premiered with the Apple iPhone 12 lineup. It also significantly improves wireless charging speeds compared to the Apple iPhone 16e or the Apple iPhone SE (3rd generation). In fact, it finally makes wireless charging feel genuinely usable here.Rather than being limited to 7.5W on a standard wireless charging pad, MagSafe allows the iPhone 17e to charge at up to 15W when paired with a compatible charger, although you will need to pair the MagSafe charger with at least a 20W power adapter to reach those speeds. While the phone can get a bit warm midway through a charge, it cools down soon after. For wired charging, the iPhone 17e ships with a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box worldwide. Pair it with a 20W power adapter and you can reach up to a 50% charge in about 30 minutes. That’s a welcome addition, and considering that this is the more affordable option in the iPhone lineup, it’s nice that you don’t need a more powerful — or more expensive — charger to get those speeds.While it doesn’t arrive with multiple rear cameras or a notch-free display with a higher refresh rate or always-on functionality, the iPhone 17e certainly checks the battery box.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Apple iPhone 17e: Should you buy?

iPhone 17e score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Design	Identical design to the iPhone 16e, with a new Soft Pink color option.	4 / 5
Display	A great display, even with a notch and 60Hz refresh rate.	4 / 5
Camera	While there's just one lens, the 48-megapixel camera is plenty capable for 1x and 2x shots, plus you can add depth effects after the fact.	4 / 5
Software	iOS 26 feels plenty fresh on the iPhone 17e, and the budget iPhone can take full advantage of the software.	4 / 5
Performance	The A19 chip offers stellar performance, and gives us no concerns about longevity.	4.5 / 5
Battery	Still lasts all day, but no improvement here.	5 / 5
Value	Apple's budget iPhone is better than even before, and keeps the same price	5 / 5

Buy it if...

You have an older iPhone
Moving to the 17e means a larger OLED display, much faster performance, better cameras, and significantly improved battery life. It’s an easy upgrade if your current iPhone is a few generations old, like an iPhone SE or a model older than the iPhone 11.View Deal

You're okay with just one camera
The single 48-megapixel camera might not be the most flexible setup Apple offers, but it still captures detailed shots with natural colors, and the improved portrait detection adds some extra versatility.View Deal

Don’t buy it if...

You want the best iPhone possible
If you want the best cameras, performance, or screen, or the most modern design, you'll want to look at the iPhone 17, 17 Pro or 17 Pro Max, or the iPhone Air.View Deal

You want a flexibile, fun camera setup
With just one camera, the iPhone 17e might leave you wanting more. If you want an ultra-wide consider the iPhone 17 or iPhone 16, or for the most complete setup look at the iPhone 17 Pro or 17 Pro MaxView Deal

Apple iPhone 17e: How I tested

I've been testing the Apple iPhone 17e for nearly a week to complete this review, and my unit was Apple’s new budget iPhone in Soft Pink. After unboxing the device, I set it up fresh, signed in with my Apple Account, activated an eSIM, and began downloading my most-used apps — along with several testing apps — to make myself at home.I then customized the iOS 26 experience a bit to get an early feelf or the A19 chip inside, and continued using it throughout the week for a mix of productivity, creative, gaming, and everyday apps to see how the iPhone 17e performed. To gauge battery life, I tracked how long it lasted each day, and I tested different options recharging the phone.To test the cameras — both the main and selfie — I took many photos of varying subjects in different lighting conditions to test the sensor and image processing.I also compared the iPhone 17e with several other phones, including the iPhone SE (3rd generation), iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro Max, Google Pixel 10a, and Google Pixel 9a to better evaluate performance, camera quality, and overall value.

First reviewed March, 9 2026.

I spent a month with the Razer Enki Pro gaming chair, and my butt will eternally thank me

7:00 pm | March 8, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Comments: Off

Razer Enki Pro: One-minute review

The Razer Enki Pro is a premium, high-end gaming chair that provides you with immense comfort, to the point I would consider it one of the most comfortable gaming chairs I have ever sat in.

It offers exceptional lumbar support, even for those who enjoy sitting in weird positions in their chair - myself included. You get 4D armrests, which are a joy if you’re someone who prefers a certain position for typing and then another for gaming.

However, one of the major downsides here is the fact that it will set you back $999 / £999, which is double the cost of even some of the best gaming chairs on the market, like the Secretlab Titan Evo, which comes in at just $500 / £469.

At this hefty price point, you would expect a feature-packed seat with close to perfect ergonomics, but the Razer Enki Pro falls a tad short here. The Herman Miller x Logitech Embody gaming chair is another top-end premium seat, which comes with ergonomics designed to support your entire back and a 12-year warranty in comparison.

Another qualm I’ve got with the Razer Enki Pro, which is almost definitely more of a personal one, is the lack of style on offer from the chair here. It looks like a bog-standard gaming chair when it comes to colour, design and silhouette, which is a bit disappointing coming from Razer - whose products are typically very stylish.

Of course, this will be down to personal preference, but the hardback shell of the seat is just not for me.

The Razer Enki Pro gaming chair in a colorful gaming and office set-up. — (Image credit: Future)

Razer Enki Pro: Price and availability

Costs $999 / £999 / AU$1799
Pricey when compared to similar gaming chairs
Only one colorway available

At just under $1000, the Razer Enki Pro is a pricey chair considering what’s on offer. Chairs that offer a similar feature set include the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 and the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL, which both come in closer to the $500 mark.

You can pick up the Razer Enki Pro in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Stock is limited in other regions thanks to how large and heavy the chair is, which can make shipping difficult.

You can grab a couple of special editions for the Razer Enki Pro, including the Lamborghini, Williams Esports, or Koenigsegg editions, which come in at a higher price point of $1,299 / £1,299, but the base chair only comes in a black and green colourway.

The chair often goes on sale over at the Razer website, where you can typically grab the seat at $100 / £100 off making the value proposition a little better.

Razer Enki Pro: Specs

Max weight of user	299lbs / 136kg
Max height of user	6’ 8” / 204cm
Recline angle	152 degrees with reactive seat tilt
Warranty	3 years limited
Lumbar support	Built-in lumbar arch
Material	Alcantara and EPU synthetic leather

Razer Enki Pro: Design and aesthetics

Extremely heavy
4D armrests
Alcantara seat

One of the first things you’ll notice about the Razer Enki Pro, before even unboxing the chair, is the weight.

At around 30kg, this chair is extremely heavy, to the point that it feels weighty even when just moving it around or swivelling. While the weight does make the chair seem very heavy-duty, it can get annoying to constantly have to work hard to swivel the chair while you’re sitting in it, just because of how heavy it is.

A lot of this weight is likely down to the hard shell exterior of the seat, that isn’t my cup of tea in terms of style. It makes the chair appear bulky rather than sleek and slender, which is what I would prefer.

You have the benefit of 4D armrests, which is almost expected when spending this much on a gaming chair. These allow you to move the armrests completely so they can sit exactly as you like. They can be adjusted up and down, left and right, forwards and backwards, which makes this perfect for those who want their armrests a certain way for gaming and then another way for typing.

The Razer Enki Pro also comes with a 152-degree seat recline, which is pretty common in many gaming chairs. It also has weight-adjusted tilting, meaning you can lean back in the chair and it will adjust accordingly without the need for any manual adjustments.

I didn't use this feature very often because I’m currently trying my best to repair my absolutely awful posture by sitting up exceptionally straight all the time, but when I did decide to sit cross-legged in the seat, it was great to be able to comfortably lean back.

Something that sets the chair apart from alternatives on the market is the Alcantara leather, which feels like suede.

This is much harder wearing and moisture resistant when compared to typical leather, but still doesn’t absorb all of your sweat that some felt or cotton chairs do. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of the feel of the Alcantara, but again, this will be down to personal preference and taste.

In terms of the silhouette, you get 110-degree extended shoulder arches and a 21” base to allow for optimal weight distribution for long-lasting comfort and all-day gaming.

These wider shoulder arches make the chair suited to those who may have a wider frame, but it's worth noting that it has a maximum user weight of 136kg. You get built-in lumbar support - which isn’t adjustable - that encourages you to sit upright.

Razer Enki Pro: Comfort and adjustability

Adjustable headrest
Extremely comfortable
Able to sit for long periods without strain

After constructing the chair, it was very quick and easy for me to determine that the Razer Enki Pro was one of the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in. I typically find myself fidgeting a lot throughout the day, changing positions and trying to sit in weird ways just to feel comfortable, but this was an issue of the past - for the most part - with the Razer Enki Pro.

The lumbar support is pretty good; it would be nice to be able to adjust it to suit my back, but it still feels very comfortable even when I’m sitting at my desk all day long.

I feel content sitting in this chair for long periods of time without any strain. I often find myself getting up and stretching, and walking around every so often in my other chairs just because I feel achy and strained, but I didn’t need to do this in the Razer Enki Pro.

Of course, it's recommended to get up and move around at least once an hour if you’re sitting at a desk for long periods of time.

The one downside when it came to comfort was the headrest. It isn’t as well cushioned as I was expecting, so I ended up just removing it altogether. The headrest is magnetic, meaning that removing it or adjusting it is super simple, so no matter what your preference is, you’re able to get the headrest where you like it.

Razer Enki Pro: Assembly

All tools in the box including a pair of gloves
Very heavy box
I’d recommend two people for assembly

When first unboxing and constructing the chair, I struggled a tad. I’ve built countless gaming chairs in my time, thanks to the never-ending stream of review seats, but the Razer Enki Pro takes the crown for being one of the heaviest chairs I’ve ever built.

However, it was very easy to put together in spite of that, with everything just sliding into place. It only needed eight screws to attach the back to the base of the seat, which was very simple, but lifting the actual base up and trying to slide it onto the guide rail was so difficult to do alone, and I needed to call in some help in order to do this.

While it could be done solo, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Should I buy the Razer Enki Pro?

Buy it if...

You want one of the most comfortable chairs money can buy
The Razer Enki Pro is one of the most comfortable seats I have ever used. It provided me with excellent lumbar support to the point I wasn’t achy or strained even after sitting for long periods of time.

You’re a fan of the ‘typical’ gamer aesthetic
Considering it comes in one black/green colourway and features a hard shell exterior, this chair is very ‘gamer-y’ in style.

Don't buy it if...

You want more features out of your gaming chair
With 4D armrests and weight-adjusted tilting, there isn’t a lot on offer from the Razer Enki Pro. Other chairs at this price point come with footrests, cooling systems and adjustable lumbar support.

Also consider...

If you’re not sold on the Razer Enki Pro or you just want to weigh up some other options then here’s how it compares to two other alternatives that we’ve reviewed.

	Razer Enki Pro	Noblechairs Legend	Andaseat Kaiser 3 XL
Max weight of user	299lbs / 136kg	331lbs / 150kg	395lbs / 180kg
Max height of user	6’ 8” / 204cm	6’ 7” / 200cm	6’8” / 180cm
Recline angle	152 degrees with reactive seat tilt	90 - 125 degrees recline	90 - 165 degrees recline
Warranty	3 years limited	2 years	2 years
Lumbar support	Built-in lumbar arch	Yes	Yes (adjustable)
Material	Alcantara and EPU synthetic leather	High-tech faux leather	PVC leather or linen fabric

Noblechairs Legend
The Noblechairs Legend is a stunning chair that looks like it's been pulled straight out of a classy sports car. It looks and feels immaculate, and the material is plush and breathable. It provides you with amazing comfort even after extended periods of time.

Read our full Noblechairs Legend review

Andaseat Kaiser 3XL
The Andaseat Kaiser 3XL is designed for larger humans. Not only does it provide you with amazing comfort, but it also comes backed with features including adjustable lumbar support. It’s much more budget-friendly when compared to the Razer Enki Pro.

Read our full Andaseat Kaiser 3 XL review

How I tested the Razer Enki Pro

Sat in all day for work and all evening for gaming
Used for a month in total
Compared to other gaming chairs

I spent all day, every day, using the Razer Enki Pro for a month, including working all day and gaming all evening.

I would sit in it for multiple hours at a time, including full working days. I would adjust the armrests and recline often to change seat positions or to relax in the evenings when I was gaming.

I compared my experience to multiple other gaming chairs I have reviewed over the years, right down to the build experience and design, to the features on offer and the comfort.

A slow start, but stellar story

A screenshot of Kratos squaring up to a cyclops in God of War Sons of Sparta — (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio/ShopTo )

Admittedly, Sons of Sparta doesn't make a fantastic first impression. Its action is slow to start, and its early environments sport a muted tone that can come off a bit drab on a large display, like the 65" 4K TV I started my journey on.

The game's combat and world didn't immediately grab me, but its characters and narrative did. A collaboration between Sony Santa Monica Studio, who penned the story, and Mega Cat Studios, Sons of Sparta is cleverly framed as a tale adult Kratos – voiced by the protagonist's first performer, TC Carson – tells his young daughter Calliope.

Narration from the older Kratos, as well as some fun exchanges between him and his little girl, are peppered throughout the lengthy campaign. But the bulk of the storytelling is delivered by young Kratos and his brother Deimos. The siblings, who are enduring the agoge in hopes of becoming Spartan soldiers, are richly realized with top-notch writing and quality voice acting.

In fact, it's the brothers' engaging, evolving dynamic that drew me to revisit the game on my PlayStation Portal after all but abandoning it following a short session on my PS5 Pro. And I'm so glad I returned to it, as Sons of Sparta is not only a perfect fit for the portable platform, but investing more time in it allowed me to appreciate what it had to offer after its subpar start.

Combat that ultimately clicks

A screenshot from God of War Sons of Sparta showing young Kratos holding up a head — (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio/ShopTo )

The game's combat, which feels a bit plodding in the opening hours, really finds its footing a few hours in. Kratos can't do a whole lot with his equipped sword and shield initially, but it's not long before your inventory is brimming with abilities, upgrades, and skills. The franchise's familiar red orbs, as well as other collected resources, can be invested in a variety of offensive and defensive skills, while a number of weapon attachments can be acquired and upgraded.

The gods also get in on the action, gifting Kratos with a number of cool tools – like a fire-spewing tree branch – that can combat baddies, assist with puzzle-solving, and open previously obstructed parts of the map.

Speaking of the game's sprawling navigational interface, viewing and using the tool on the Portal's 8-inch, rectangular display immediately struck me with a satisfying sense of nostalgia. Having spent my youth studying maps in Metroid and Castlevania entries – as well as other classic side-scrollers – on Nintendo's many handhelds and Sony's own PlayStation Portable and Vita, it was a blast witnessing Sons of Sparta's map blossom in all directions on the more diminutive screen.

Playing with PlayStation Portal Power

A screenshot from God of War Sons of Sparta showing young Kratos and Deimos kneeling before an NPC — (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio/ShopTo )

But playing on the Portal did more than recall my favorite map-navigating memories. The prequel's painterly, hand-drawn pixel art style really pops on the portable hardware's 1080p HD display. Where the game felt a bit small and swallowed up by my TV's 65" screen, its varied, vibrant environments arguably presented much better on the smaller LED screen.

Of course, the innate intimacy of playing on a portable platform also deserves credit for putting the game in its best light; I was able to appreciate far more detail playing Sons of Sparta a few inches from my face rather than squinting at it from across my living room.

It also doesn't hurt that the Portal's handgrips deliver the same immersion-ratcheting features as the PS5's DualSense Wireless Controller. From feeling the rhythmic cadence of Kratos readying his Solar Sling – another fun gift from the gods – to the intense, sustained pulse that builds when opening a treasure chest, the handheld's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are easily on par with the standard DualSense controller.

And speaking again to that more intimate portable experience, seeing Sons of Sparta's action unfold directly between those rumbling, vibrating handgrips adds a level of immersion and immediacy that playing on a console just can't match.

Godlike audio

A screenshot from God of War Sons of Sparta showing young Kratos in front of a bonfire save point — (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio/ShopTo )

I further complemented my time behind Kratos' spear and shield by pairing Sony's PlayStation Pulse Elite headset with the Portal. As expected, this allowed me to absorb every detail of the game's dynamic soundscape, from ear-rattling boss encounters to the nuanced echo of water dripping in the game's atmospheric Grand Cistern environment.

Sons of Sparta is undoubtedly a smaller-scale entry in a series known for making big, bold, blood-soaked splashes with each release. But while the stakes of its story are lower, and it lacks some of the epic set pieces, cinema-rivaling effects, and adrenaline-pumping action of its predecessors, it still delivers a solid, albeit quite different, God of War action-adventure.

If you're expecting a 2D take on Kratos' previous god-slaying exploits, Sons of Sparta will likely disappoint. But if you're craving a fresh, canon story supported by a serviceable metroidvania structure, deep combat, and plenty of fan-pleasing call-outs to the larger franchise, this unconventional prequel's got you covered…especially when enjoyed on the PlayStation Portal.

Should you play God of War Sons of Sparta?

Play it if...

You're craving a new canon God of War story
God of War Sons of Sparta has its share of ups and downs in the gameplay department, but its prequel story and characters are consistently good. If you want to learn more about Kratos' young adult years and how they were shaped by his complex relationship with his brother Deimos, this entry is more than worth your time.

You're looking for the perfect game to play on your PlayStation Portal
From its retro art style and side-scrolling action to its platforming-fueled navigation and Castlevania-evoking map, Sons of Sparta looks and feels like the sort of game you might have sunk hours into while clutching a Nintendo handheld or Sony PSP. It's a perfect fit for the PlayStation Portal, one that arguably looks and plays better on the portable platform.

Don't play it if...

You're expecting the full God of War experience in 2D form
Sons of Sparta isn't a traditional God of War game presented as a 2D sidescroller, but rather a brand new direction for the franchise. More a metroidvania puzzle-platformer than gore-soaked action spectacle, the prequel will likely disappoint those expecting to jump in and carve through mythical creatures with Kratos' Leviathan Axe or Blades of Chaos.

Accessibility features

God of War Sons of Sparta includes an impressive suite of accessibility features, from various audio adjustments and visuals assists – including options for customizing color filters, text sizes, and blood and gore effects – to motion reduction aids and gameplay settings for decreasing difficulty.

In addition to including a number of presets for accessibility features, the game also offers plenty of individual selections for a more tailored experience.

A screenshot from God of War Sons of Sparta showing young Kratos running through a village — (Image credit: Sony/PlayStation/Santa Monica Studio/ShopTo )

How I reviewed God of War Sons of Sparta

I played a few hours of God of War Sons of Sparta on my PlayStation 5 Pro, on my 65" 4K display, before fully committing to it – and enjoying it much more – on my PlayStation Portal, streamed from the Pro.

I tested Sons of Sparta's audio with both the PlayStation Pulse Explore earbuds and PlayStation Pulse Elite headset, with the bulk of my 25-hour playtime using the latter. I paid particular attention to how the game looked and played on the portable device versus the console, and noted the various ways it incorporated the handheld's DualSense features.

First reviewed February-March 2026

I’ve been using these cheap headphones for a month, and I’d recommend them to anyone who needs an affordable pair

1:30 am |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Headphones Wireless Headphones | Tags: EQ, LDAC | Comments: Off

Soundpeats Cove Pro: Two-minute review

If you’re here because you’re interested in buying the best cheap headphones, let’s skip to the chase: these are now going to be the go-to pair I recommend for the foreseeable future. They’re not perfect, which is why there’s still over 1,000 words to this Soundpeats Cove Pro review, but for the money they're outstanding.

Soundpeats is constantly impressing me with its great-value audio offerings, like the indelible in-ear Soundpeats H3, or the reliable open Soundpeats Clip1, and so I’m not overly surprised that I’m giving out another glowing review to something from the company. It’s less versed in over-ears than other kinds of headphone, though, so there was always the chance of something going wrong.

The Cove Pro are fantastic headphones for people who just need any old pair of cans that’ll do the job, so you’ve got a way of listening to music when at home or on the go – they nail all of quality-of-life features you’ll want.

For example, the battery life is fantastic: 95 hours, or nearly four days straight. These aren’t going to give up the ghost during a long-haul flight, that’s for sure.

They’re also some of the most comfortable on-ears I’ve used recently, as the padding in the cups and headband is soft, and they’re not too heavy or pinchy over the crown of your noggin. What I'm saying is, you can leave them on your head for long periods of time without getting aches.

Audiophiles (or people who aren't sure of the title but are picky about their sound) might not be as impressed. The ANC is quite light-touch; the Cove Pro reduce sound more than ‘cancel’ it, and the audio isn’t as good as some other budget options I’ve tested. It’s a bit too warm and veers towards muddy, with a lower-end that isn’t as well-defined as on some alternatives. I wasn’t blown away, but bass-heads might still be happy.

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Price and release date

The Soundpeats Cove Pro hanging up, and with the inside of each cup facing outwards. — (Image credit: Future)

Released in January 2025
Sells for $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$140)
Cheap, but not cheap cheap in today's market

Soundpeats announced the Cove Pro in January 2026, following the rush of headphones that followed CES at the beginning of the year.

You can buy the Cove Pro for $69.99 / £69.99 (around AU$140), so they're fairly affordable cans – best suited for people who want decent headphones that'll last a long time, but don't need the highest quality or audio or premium features.

They’re not the very cheapest headphones that are worth considering – I recently tested the OneOdio Focus A1 Pro which sell for $34.99 / £43.99 (about AU$85), and there are a few other super-budget options worth buying like the Sony WH-CH520. But they’re still certainly a budget option compared to the big names on the block.

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Specs

Drivers	40mm
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life (ANC off)	95 hours
Weight	251g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0
Frequency response	20 Hz - 40,000 Hz
Waterproofing	IPX4

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Features

The Soundpeats Cove Pro's array of buttons. — (Image credit: Future)

95-hour battery life
The ANC is very light-touch
Nice perks like Bluetooth 6.0, listening test and LDAC

Possibly the most eye-catching spec of the Soundpeats Cove Pro is the battery life: up to 95 hours of ANC-off listening. Very few headphones crack the 100-hour barrier, and anything close like this deserves props.

The endurance drops quite a bit if you turn ANC on: down to 58 hours. That's quite a sacrifice to remove some sound, though in the grand scheme of things ~60 hours is still decent.

The ANC isn't very powerful here; it'll strip out the worst of background noises rather than remove them in any meaningful way. There's also an ambient mode, but I couldn't hear a difference between this and Normal (ANC off).

The Soundpeats Cove Pro's headband. — (Image credit: Future)

The Soundpeats app is the Cove Pro’s all-but-mandatory smartphone app. It's worth downloading, even though it forces you to create an account, because it offers a few features unusual in lower-cost headphones.

The app offers an equalizer (presets or 10-band custom mode), find my headphones function, spatial audio, bass booster and even a custom listening test which builds you a bespoke EQ mix. It’s clearly in a very early state – the pictures and text refers to earbuds, and one menu was in Mandarin, but it did a decent job of tweaking my audio and wasn’t too hard to use.

Unlike many budget music-blowers, the SoundPeats supports a few higher-res Bluetooth codecs, including LDAC, SBC and AAC. It connects via Bluetooth 6.0, and in my testing it didn't stop out at all – there was one brief stutter, and that was it.

Features score: 4/5

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Design

The Soundpeats Cove Pro's outer shell. — (Image credit: Future)

Light and comfortable to wear
Useful on-cup controls, but no 3.5mm
Bog-standard looks

When I pulled the Soundpeats Cove Pro from the box, I thought they were dead ringers for my old Sony WH-1000XM3s. Sure, there isn't a huge scope for variety in the world of headphone aesthetics, especially the budget market, but the design language is there.

These cans weigh 250g, with an IPX4 rating indicating that they’re splash-roof. The right cup has an ANC button, power button and volume rocker on it, and they're flush enough that I sometimes thought I'd missed pressing them until I got used to the feel of it. The exception is the power button, which has a little indent so you can easily differentiate it by feel.

The one thing I’d like to see is a 3.5mm port. As it stands, you can’t use an AUX cord to connect these to your music player.

I found the Cove Pro surprisingly comfortable; you can't always rely on the budget headphones for a good fit, but these felt great. The soft cups settle gently on the ears, and a large pad on the band keeps them nestled on your cranium. I could listen for long periods without any kind of strain or ache.

The headphones also feel surprisingly premium in terms of build quality. The plastic material feels a little more durable than the squeaky cheap stuff some rivals are made out of, and other traits of budget cans like rattly joins and a hollow-feeling body were all absent.

You can fold the Cove Pro in on itself to make it more portable, and they swivel and extend a fair amount to suit different sized heads.

Design score: 4.5/5

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Sound quality

The Soundpeats Cove Pro on a man's head. — (Image credit: Future)

40mm driver
Messy low-end handling
EQ can fix some issues

Like most budget headphones – actually, most cans at any budget – the Cove Pro have 40mm drivers. Soundpeats' website goes into detail on titanium-coated diaphragms, patterned dome drivers and magnets, all giving the impression of a thoughtful approach to audio – it’s all for naught, though, as they don’t sound any better than your average budget cans

Music is warm, sometimes too much – as I write this I’m listening to Old Ties and Companions by Watchhouse, and the timbre that should be created by the various acoustic instruments feels lacking because of the sound profile. Bass can sometimes blow out other parts of a song, especially with rock music, which can often see the bass guitar override guitars.

It’ll appeal to bass-heads for sure, and people who go to gigs so often that they don’t realize you’re not always supposed to hear and feel the bass above everything else. But I found it a bit too much – and using the Bass Reduction EQ preset sometimes wasn’t even enough.

Get through the bass, and you’ll find fairly detailed audio, though the lack of support for wired listening means these aren’t budget audiophile cans by any means. There’s a pronounced soundstage though, something you can’t always say about options at this price point, giving a little bit of extra sparkle to songs like T-Shirt Weather by Circa Waves and Such Great Heights by the Postal Service, which have bassless introductions so you can enjoy the atmosphere.

Sound quality: 3.5/5

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Value

The Soundpeats Cove Pro in a man's hand. — (Image credit: Future)

At best, exceeds expectations for price
At worst, matches expectations for price

The Soundpeats Cove Pro aren't quite the cheapest headphones on the market – or that have wowed TechRadar’s team recently – but they're not far off. And they offer top value for money.

The build quality here is better than I've come to see expect from budget cans, even if the looks won't win any awards for originality. And the feature set is better than many same-price rivals, with tools that you'd normally find in cans twice as pricey.

In its weaker departments, the Cove Pro still deliver at the level you'd expect for this price; they sound no worse than the average budget headset, and deliver enough ANC to trump rivals which don't offer the feature.

Value: 4/5

Should I buy the Soundpeats Cove Pro?

Fairphone Fairbuds XL (2025) score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	The battery life is great, and there are some solid features, but the ANC isn't anything to write home about.	4/5
Design	They're basic to look at, but lightweight and comfy.	4.5/5
Sound quality	They sound muddy, but there's detail and a reasonably wide soundstage.	3.5/5
Value	Set your expectations for the budget and you won't be disappointed.	4/5

Buy them if…

You need a really solid battery
If you don't get around to charging your headphones often, the 95 hours offered here will be great for you.

You don't want uncomfortable headphones
If you often find over-ear headphones a little uncomfortable, you might find these a bit more tolerable.View Deal

You don't want to spend much money
Don't use your headphones enough to justify an expensive purchase? These will be great alternatives that'll serve you find.View Deal

Don’t buy them if…

Audio quality is your most important factor
The best parts of the Cove Pro are their features and build, and budget audiophiles will find better picks below.

You need top-tier noise cancellation
If you live somewhere noisy and need to find peace, these are fine picks, but there are better buys (see below for these).

Soundpeats Cove Pro review: Also consider

	Soundpeats Cove Pro	OneOdio Focus A6	Earfun Wave Life
Drivers	40mm	40mm	40mm
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life (ANC on)	95 hours	75 hours	60 hours
Weight	251g	240g	264g
Connectivity	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 6.0	Bluetooth 5.4
Waterproofing	IPX4	None	None

OneOdio Focus A6
These top-rated headphones sound great, and undercut the Cove Pro. If audio quality is your main interest, these are the alternatives to consider.
Read our full OneOdio Focus A6 review

Earfun Wave Life
These picks are also more affordable than the Soundpeats, and are also very comfortable to wear (plus we liked the ANC) though the battery life isn't comparable.
Read our full Earfun Wave Life review

How I tested the Soundpeats Cove Pro

Tested for a month
Tested at home, on walks, on public transport and the gym

I used the Soundpeats Cove Pro for just over a month to write this review, immediately following a few of their big rivals.

I used the cans paired alongside my Android phone, listening on a variety of services. This included in a range of indoor and outdoor settings including, most challengingly, on a train ride home after a high-end audio show.

For TechRadar, I've already tested a wide range of budget headphones, including over-ear alternatives and other picks from Soundpeats.

First reviewed in March 2026

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

I haven’t sat in a plusher gaming chair than this one – but this affordable GTPlayer model has one drawback

7:00 pm | March 7, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Gaming Gaming Accessories | Comments: Off

One-minute review

GT player gaming chair — (Image credit: Future)

The GTPlayer LR002 is a budget-friendly gaming chair that hopes to match the comfort levels of costlier competition.

It’s less aggressive in its gamer stylings than many others in this sector. You could even call it smart, and my review unit’s light grey and blue finish helped to showcase the chair’s lighter side.

However, the fabric doesn’t look or feel especially premium, and neither do the solid materials employed throughout the LR002’s construction. It certainly won’t trouble the likes of the Secretlab et al in terms of build quality.

An area where it does compete with the best gaming chairs, though, is cushioning. Not only is the seat soft and plump, but so too are the arm rests and backrest, which makes the LR002 a comfortable chair to sink into. The lumbar and head pillows are less plush, but still provide me with sufficient support in the right areas.

Things take a turn for the worse, though, when it comes to adjustability. The LR002 lacks any form of adjustments for the arm rests, and there’s no rocking function: if you want to lean back, you can recline the backrest to your desired angle, but once there, you’re locked in.

The included footrest also disappoints, owing to its poor design and construction. It consistently failed to slide out smoothly, and even when fully retracted, I found it stopped far too short to be usable, even for someone of my short stature.

Taller gamers are also likely to be disappointed with the seat height range. Although it goes lower to the ground than many (something I often welcome), I imagine those six feet and over would find its maximum elevation too low.

Assembling the LR002 was mostly a straightforward process, thanks to the relatively light seat base and backrest. However, some of the bolts proved difficult to screw in fully, while the angles of some of the holes were awkward to reach.

With its reasonable price, the LR002 makes a compelling case in the budget gaming chair segment. It’s an even more attractive proposition with the huge discounts we’ve seen GTPlayer offer. However, if you’re tall or like plenty of adjustments in your seat, the LR002 is unlikely to satisfy.

GTPlayer LR002 review: Price and availability

$159.99 / £149.99 / AU$703
Available worldwide
Cheap for a gaming chair

The GTPlayer LR002 costs $159.99 / £149.99 / AU$703 and is available now in most territories around the world. It comes in multiple colorways, half of which are monochromatic; two shades of blue, a brown, and an orange finish comprise the rest.

This is a decent price for a gaming chair, putting the LR002 at the budget-end of the spectrum. What’s more, we’ve seen it on sale for less than half price in the UK, making it even more of a bargain. This was direct from GTPlayer's website, although the original price listed here is substantially more than that on Amazon.

It competes with the likes of the Corsair TC100 Relaxed, which commands a similar price to the LR002. We think this is one of the best cheap gaming chairs around, thanks to its comfort levels and adjustability; the LR002 can match the TC100 in the former area, but not the latter.

If you're willing to part with more cash, but still want to steer clear of the most expensive models, the Asus ROG Destrier Core is a solid bet. Not only does this gaming chair offer more adjustments than the LR002, its unique mesh backrest improves breathability and lends a certain style to the unit that sets it apart from many others in the sector.

GTPlayer LR002 review: Specs

	GTPlayer LR002
Price	$159.99 / £149.99 / AU$703
Dimensions	58.9 x 28.3 x 20.5in / 149.5 x 72 x 52cm
Max user weight	299.8lbs / 136kg
Min seat height	18.7in / 47.5cm
Seat width	20in / 51cm
Warranty	1 year

GTPlayer LR002 review: Design and aesthetics

Soft but basic looks
Cheap-feeling materials
Lightweight design

The LR002 takes the typical gaming chair approach in terms of overall form, although it’s softer and more rounded than others. These aspects make it a more inviting chair, in my view.

I was also fond of the light grey finish of my review unit, accented by light blue strips, which helps to make the LR002 look less austere than many others in this sector. Granted, it’s not the most elegant of designs, but it’s inoffensive and understated enough to suit most settings.

The lack of premium materials is perhaps the biggest aesthetic weakness of the LR002. The fabric, while smooth to the touch, looks and feels cheap. It’s more breathable than other gaming chair upholsteries, but I still think it’s too thick to keep me cool on a hot summer day.

The plastics used in the unit’s construction also look and feel like cut-price affairs. In their defense, they’re light, which helps to keep the chair’s weight down. In fact, the LR002 is one of the lightest gaming chairs I’ve come across.

There’s a strange hollowness to the backrest; it’s only partially filled, with what feel like small polystyrene balls. It crackled and popped as I leaned into it (it has plenty of give), which wasn’t something I was expecting or particularly wanting to feel, but fortunately, the effect wasn’t disruptive enough to ruin my time in the chair. The backrest is also very thin, which contributes to the aforementioned lightness of the LR002.

GTPlayer LR002 review: Comfort and adjustability

Cushioned on all contactable surfaces
Lacks fundamental adjustments
Very poor footrest

The soft appearance of the LR002 translates to all-round comfort. It offers more cushioning than your typical gaming chair; this is especially true of the backrest and armrests, which put it ahead of many others, even those costing much more.

The strapped lumbar cushion works well, allowing for easy height adjustments while seated, yet it remains in place once you’ve found the ideal height. It’s smaller than those included with other gaming chairs, but it was sufficient to get the support I needed.

It’s a similar story with the head pillow. It’s less plush than others, but again, it provided just enough support for my head and neck. As you might expect, given the budget nature of the LR002, it doesn’t attach magnetically, but via a humble strap.

While the arms are comfortable, thanks to their generous cushioning, they’re quite narrow, which might pose a problem for some gamers. The bigger issue, though, is their complete lack of adjustability.

This is especially frustrating given that they move when the backrest is reclined — but this is the only scenario in which they do. I was lucky that their height was ideal for my seating position, but I imagine there’ll be many gamers who won’t find them suitable.

Equally disappointing is the LR002’s lack of a tilt function. If you want to lean back, the backrest can recline all the way to 140 degrees — but once it’s set, the unforgiving rigidity prevents any form of rocking. At least the recline mechanism is smooth with no discernible notchiness, and the lever is easy to operate.

A retractable footrest is installed underneath the LR002. However, this has to be one of the most poorly designed examples I’ve come across. Every time I tried to slide it out, it would get stuck partway, requiring a few jiggles to set it free.

What’s more, the cushion itself doesn’t stay upright, requiring constant leg pressure to hold it in place. Worst of all, though, is its short extension. While it managed to support my legs, the front edge of the rest dug uncomfortably into the back of my calves — and I’m only 5”7. Anyone taller than this will find it laughably impractical.

Another issue for taller gamers is the seat height. The minimum setting is quite low to the ground, which is something I often welcome, but the maximum isn’t all that high. And since there’s only one size of the LR002, this could cause a problem for the long-legged.

GTPlayer LR002 review: Assembly

Light base and backrest
Clear instructions
Tight bolts

Assembling the LR002 was mostly an easy process, barring a few minor frustrations. It comes with a hex key that features a grip handle, which, while useful, was a little too short to get the leverage I hoped for when tightening the bolts.

What’s more, none of these bolts or their insert points were greased even slightly, which made them even more difficult to screw into place. Some also proved incredibly resistant to the point that I thought their threads must be misaligned.

Both the backrest and seat base are light relative to those of other gaming chairs. This is always a blessing, since wrangling these into place is nearly always the most laborious aspect of any build.

The instruction manual is largely clear, and aside from some aforementioned bold issues, installing the other elements is easy. This includes the under-seat bracket, which can sometimes be a fiddly process.

However, I found the spokes for the wheel base tough to fix to the central hub, since the bolt holes lie in a somewhat inaccessible position. The manual instructs hitting them with force to get them in place, and it’s not joking: I would take care not to damage your floor during this part of the process.

Should I buy the GTPlayer LR002?

Buy it if...

You want soft cushioning
It’s not just the seat base that’s padded: the arms and backrest are suitably plush, too, which isn’t a given.View Deal

You don’t want to spend the earth
The LR002 is certainly one of the more affordable gaming chairs out there. View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You’re tall
There’s only one size of the LR002, and the seat doesn’t go all that high. Also, the footrest barely extends far enough for those under six feet, let alone those over it.View Deal

You prioritize adjustability
The lack of adjustments is a real weak point of the LR002. There’s no adjustment at all for the arms, and there’s no tilt function for the seat.View Deal

GTPlayer LR002 review: Also consider...

Here are some alternatives to the GTPlayer LR002 if you need more in the way of adjustability or quality:

	GTPlayer LR002	Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair	Corsair TC100 Relaxed
Price	$159.99 / £149.99 / AU$703	$629.99 / £499.99 (about AU$600)	$199 / £199 / AU$399
Dimensions	58.9 x 28.3 x 20.5in / 149.5 x 72 x 52cm	53.1 x 27.8 x 24.1in / 135 x 70.7 x 61.3cm	53.5 x 23.4 x 19.7in / 136 x 59 x 50cm
Max user weight	299.8lbs / 136kg	299.8lbs / 136kg	264lbs / 120kg
Min seat height	18.7in / 47.5cm	18.5in / 47cm	17.7in / 45cm
Seat width	20in / 51cm	20in / 51cm	21.2in / 54cm (incl. bolsters), 14.2in / 36cm (excl. bolsters)
Warranty	1 year	2 years	2 years

Corsair TC100 Relaxed
The Corsair TC100 Relaxed is one of the best budget gaming chairs around, thanks to the levels of comfort and adjustability it provides for the cost. And although the arm rests aren’t 4D, they can be adjusted for both height and width, unlike the LR002’s.

Read our full Corsair TC100 Relaxed review.View Deal

Asus ROG Destrier Core
If you want something that stands out from the crowd, the Asus ROG Destrier Core is a fine choice. Its mesh back not only looks good, but it also makes the chair very breathable. The Destrier Core also has more adjustments than the LR002, including a movable headrest, which isn’t always seen on gaming chairs.

Read our full Asus ROG Destrier Core review.View Deal

How I tested the GTPlayer LR002

Tested for several days
Used for gaming and working
Plentiful gaming chair experience

I tested the GTPlayer LR002 for several days. I sat in it when gaming, working, and general browsing on both desktop and laptop devices. I made sure to try every adjustment and function available.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and experienced many chairs in that time, from office to gaming models. This includes those from high-end brands, such as Steelcase and Secretlab. I’ve also reviewed a number of gaming chairs previously, running the gamut of price points and functionality.

Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) price and availability

List price: $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$429
Released November 2025

The new Echo Studio is the most premium Echo speaker in Amazon’s lineup, offering home-theatre buffs and audiophiles an Alexa-powered alternative to standard speakers. You concede some audio quality, sure, but it’s pretty compact, and the smarts you gain are decent enough.

It’s available in black (graphite) and white (glacier white), and costs $20 / £40 / AU$100 more than the original Studio at $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$429; the price hike is explained, in part, by the rising cost of hardware, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.

It’s also Alexa+ compatible, meaning US Prime subscribers have immediate access to the currently-in-beta service (at the time of writing). Whether or not that’s a positive or a negative, I’ll leave you to decide.

My main issue with the value proposition here is that, at times, the Echo Studio (second-generation) just doesn’t live up to its Studio moniker; and yet, allowing for inflation, it costs the same as the previous generation. Had Amazon skipped some of the smart features and delivered a stronger all-around audio performance, I’d have less of an issue; as it is, and as is the case with almost every new Echo device I’ve reviewed in the past few years, this is one I’d only go for during a sale, and I’d be looking for at least a 40% discount.

Value: 3.5/5

Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) specs
	Echo Studio
Dimensions	6.1 x 5.6 x 5.8 inches / 155 x 142.2 x 147.3mm (W x D x H)
Speakers	1x 3.75-inch high excursion woofer, 3x 2.25-inch full-range drivers
Processor	AZ3 Pro
Connecivity	Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero
Voice assistant	Alexa
Weight	53.5oz / 1.63kg

Echo Studio on a white table with a blue background — (Image credit: Future)

Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) design

New, more premium design and materials
40% smaller than the previous generation
Fewer ports, fewer audio-first design features

Like the Echo Dot Max, which I tested a few months ago, the Echo Studio has a new, more sophisticated look and feel, featuring a chunky knit-fabric exterior, front-facing controls, and a 40% smaller frame than the previous Echo Studio models.

Now, instead of resembling a bucket-shaped medieval knight’s helmet, the Echo Studio is more akin to a rounded spaceship (read: Death Star), and it’s a change I’m quite happy with aesthetically. The base is flat and slightly rubberized, housing a screw-mount for any users who might wish to wall-mount their speaker(s).

The neater look and smaller footprint make it a much more appealing option for around the home, and the new front-facing controls are easily accessible and clear — especially when compared to the original’s small and fiddly buttons. There are volume controls as well as a physical mute button on the plastic control panel. Plus, if you give the Studio a gentle pat on the top, you can stop or start tracks, stop timers and alarms, or end calls and drop-ins.

The iconic illuminated Alexa ring, which glows blue when the speaker is listening to you, now encircles the control panel, and changes colour and brightness for different types of alert (for example, orange for an Amazon marketplace-related notification, or red for connectivity issues).

There’s been a complete hardware refit, too. The new Echo Studio uses the latest AZ3 Pro chip to power Alexa commands and other on-board smarts like ambient sensing and spatial sound. Where the last-generation speakers had three two-inch side-mounted mid-range speakers, a two-inch upward-firing midrange speaker, a 1-inch front-facing tweeter, and a 5.25-inch downward-firing sealed woofer and cutout spaces to allow for airflow to enable powerful and deep bass, the latest model has just three full-range drivers and a single high-excursion woofer. More later on how that impacts performance, but as far as design goes, it does make the focus on the newer model’s aesthetics feel like a big trade-off when you compare the hardware specs.

Connectivity is another area where the new Studio has taken a hit. On the rear, you’ll find a single power port – that’s right, no more 3.5mm combo port for standard audio cable input and Mini-Optical, and no micro-USB port for service/Ethernet adapters. For most, these inputs will be no great loss, but the inflexibility of these speakers will be disappointing to some, and especially to those who know a bit about home theater.

Objectively, I can’t say I dislike the look and feel of the new Echo Studio – it’s more pleasing to the eye, and a lot easier to find a home for at its smaller size. However, many of the concessions made ultimately impact performance and usability — and for a supposedly top-of-the-range speaker I’d always prize those qualities over look and feel.

Design: 4/5

Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) audio quality

Complete hardware refit compared to previous generation
Solid, clear audio across a range of genres
Mid-range performance for home cinema

Sitting at the top end of the Echo speaker lineup, the Echo Studio in principle offers the best audio you can get from an Amazon speaker. However, while that’s indeed the case, not everyone who loved the first-generation Studio will enjoy this newer version.

As mentioned above, the new Echo Studio trades its predecessor’s three two-inch side-mounted mid-range speakers, two-inch upward-firing midrange speaker, 1-inch front-facing tweeter, and 5.25-inch downward-firing sealed woofer for three full-range drivers and a single high-excursion woofer. Plus, under the hood, the new AZ3 Pro chip does a lot of the legwork, working in tandem with onboard far-field microphones to deliver Automatic Room Adaptation, fine-tuning the audio experience based on the room’s acoustics. There’s also spatial audio, Lossless High Definition and Dolby Atmos support.

So, what difference do these hardware changes make in practice? I played a variety of tracks from different genres to test the speaker’s audio quality, as well as trying out the new Amazon Home Theatre feature, to find out.

It’s a tale of trade-offs; on the one hand, the soundstage is well balanced overall, producing beautifully clear layers and expressing texture in tracks well. Hans Zimmer’s Cornfield Chase was rendered with beautiful depth and clarity, especially at louder volumes, as was Jeff Buckley’s Last Goodbye, with the Echo Studio proving amply capable of rendering Buckley’s quivering vocals beautifully while preserving the layered rhythmic guitars and mounting tension. Dynamic songs like Glory Box by Portishead offer well-rounded bass, with every detail of the track, right down to its vinyl crackle, represented with impressive clarity.

However, the Echo Studio lacks the powerful bass and overall volume of older models, and certain tracks suffer as a result: Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush plays much more faithfully than on the Echo Dot Max I tested a few months ago, but the Echo Studio still lacks the pummeling bass I so adore. Similarly, Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain, especially at lower volumes, fails to fully deliver the track’s signature thunderous, driving bass.

With Amazon removing many of the audio-first design features (like the sound-carrying cutouts) and squeezing the device into a far smaller form factor, the new Echo Studio ultimately loses a lot of its oomph. It also now downmixes stereo content to mono, and compresses the mix more aggressively at higher volumes than the original model.

That said, when I was testing this speaker in my apartment, I wasn’t looking to push the volume beyond 70% (mostly for the sake of my neighbours), and the bass was, broadly, suitably present for my living space, this is aided by the Automatic Room Adaptation, which works well to really flood a space with sound.

Of course, the Echo Studio can do more than just play your music. You can connect up to five Echo Dot Max or Echo Studio speakers plus an optional Echo subwoofer to a Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd-gen), Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd-gen), or Fire TV Cube (3rd-gen) to use Amazon’s new Home Theatre feature. I gave this a quick try, albeit with just the one Echo Studio, watching a few scenes from Red Sonja, The Batman and Oppenheimer to put its through its paces. I was pretty happy with how much depth and clarity the Echo Studio provided (it’s all handled over Bluetooth, so I did notice a bit of a delay with lip-synching initially; thankfully, you can adjust this in the settings), and I can imagine with a full set the sound would be really quite impressive.

That said, the dynamic range was pushed to its limit during my testing, and I ultimately found myself toggling the volume fairly often. Plus, its downmixed mono playback makes it a hard sell for a cinephile – of course, you can opt to spend $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$2,000 on a full Amazon Home Theater setup, but for that price I’d wager there are far superior surround sound systems. It’s only if you’re benefitting specifically from the Echo Studio’s place in Amazon’s Fire TV / Prime / Alexa+ ecosystem that I can see this being a viable option.

Audio quality: 3.5/5

Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) features

Smart and accurate sensors
Speedy Alexa commands
Alexa+ compatible

Much like the Echo Dot Max, the Echo Studio is locked and loaded with clever sensors and smarts to help run your smart home, including the same temperature and ultrasound motion sensors as the Echo Dot (4th gen) as well as a new Wi-Fi sensing capability.

I set these up at home for even smarter Alexa Routines; when I enter a room, an automation turns on my smart lights, and when the temperature drops, my electric heater turns on to keep me toasty during the UK winter months. Everything worked as expected on test, and it’s good to see the Echo Studio keeping pace with other smart speakers here.

The new AZ3 Pro chipset delivers super-speedy Alexa responses, though you probably won’t notice the difference unless you’ve been using Alexa-enabled devices from a few years ago. Where you will feel the difference is if you have access to Alexa+, as that’s the real driver behind the additional computing power. I’m testing this speaker in the UK, where we don’t currently have access to Amazon’s full agentic AI platform, but my US-based colleague Lance Ulanoff shared his first impressions of the service overall.

Features: 4/5

Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025) being pressed by a hand — (Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025)?

Buy it if…

You want room-filling audio

The Echo Studio’s room-adapting smarts go a long way to up the value, and it’s delivering a lot of clever optimization to compensate for the admittedly weaker hardware.View Deal

You’re upgrading from an older, regular Echo speaker

More recent Echo smart speakers pack fairly similar specs and performance, but the AZ3 chip brings a marked improvement. View Deal

Don’t buy it if…

You’re an audiophile

While in many ways the Echo Studio does impress, it’s fundamentally incapable of offering a true hi-fi audio experience.View Deal

You own an older Echo Studio

I’m willing to bet that if you love your old Echo Studio, you won’t be a huge fan of this newer model. View Deal

Also consider

	Echo Studio	Echo Dot Max	Echo (4th-gen)
Dimensions	6.1 x 5.6 x 5.8 inches (W x D x H)	4.27 x 4.27 x 3.9 inches	5.7-inch x 5.7-inch x 5.2-inch
Speakers	1x 3.75-inch high excursion woofer, 3x 2.25-inch full-range drivers	0.8-inch tweeter and 2.5-inch woofer	3-inch neodymium woofer and two 0.8-inch front-firing tweeters with Dolby Audio support
Processor	AZ3 Pro	AZ3	AZ1 Neural Edge
Connecivity	Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero	Zigbee, Matter, Thread Border Router, eero, Wi-Fi 6	Zigbee, Matter, Thread border router. Dual-band Wi-Fi, eero, Bluetooth 3.5mm audio line-in/out.
Voice assistant	Alexa	Alexa	Alexa
Weight	53.5oz / 1.63 kg	505.3g	970g

Also consider Echo Dot Max

The new Echo Dot Max offers adaptable and solid audio specs, with much of the same internal hardware as the Echo Studio barring some of the more powerful speakers.

For more information, check out our full Echo Dot (5th-gen) review.

Also consider Echo (4th-gen)

The 4th generation of Amazon’s base model Echo speaker may be getting long in the tooth, its audio performance is admirable, it’s often on sale at bargain prices, and offers a similar performance.

For more information, check out our full Echo (4th-gen) review.

How I tested the Echo Studio (2nd gen, 2025)

I used the Echo Studio as part of my smart home setup
I played lossless audio through Spotify
I used the standard Alexa and other advertised features.

I tried all of the advertised features of the Echo Studio (barring Alexa+ which is not currently available in the UK) to assess its performance and audio quality.

As well as testing Alexa’s ability to follow commands and surface information, I used my Echo Studio as a speaker, streaming lossless tracks via Spotify across a variety of genres and moods to test the speaker’s dynamic range, clarity and volume. I also tried using the new Echo Studio as part of my Amazon Home Theatre setup, listening to various TV shows and movies to see how well the speaker would serve cinephiles.

I’ve had an Alexa-powered smart home for years, having professionally tested smart home devices for over four years. In addition to my at-home Alexa setup, I’ve also used both Google and Apple devices to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular smart home ecosystems.

I enjoyed testing this accomplished active stereo speaker system, until it threw in the towel too easily

2:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Gadgets Hi-Fi Wireless & Bluetooth Speakers | Comments: Off

KEF Coda W: Two-minute review

KEF, it seems, has identified a customer for whom its existing lineup of wireless stereo speaker systems is not absolutely perfect. This customer can live without network streaming, but would like to be able to listen to a turntable. They don’t need their system to work on a desktop, but they would like it to be available in a fairly wide choice of finishes. And so here’s the Coda W.

As well as the network streaming/phono stage trade-off and the ‘regular’ size of the cabinets compared to the dinky dimensions of some predecessors, the Coda W has cutting-edge Bluetooth connectivity (the aptX Lossless codec is supported), an HDMI eARC input and properly hi-res functionality via its digital optical and USB-C inputs. Four discreet modules of Class D amplification power the 12th generation of the company’s Uni-Q driver array – 30 watts goes to each 25mm aluminium dome tweeter, 70 watts to each 130mm magnesium/aluminum mid/bass driver. And if that all sounds a bit tentative, there’s a pre-out for a subwoofer too.

In practice, it works either ‘pretty well’ or ‘very well indeed’, albeit maybe not quite well enough to sit among the best stereo speakers on the market. The phono stage is probably the least effective of the input options, which is a pity, when you consider it’s one of the real differentiators between this system and the slightly more expensive KEF LSX II LT, its most obvious stablemate. If, however, you switch to one of the digital inputs (either wired or wireless) and the Coda W has plenty going for it. There’s detail and drive, plenty of well-behaved low-frequency presence, a really even-handed attitude towards tonality and frequency response, and a level of energy and engagement that’s a match for the best that any even remotely price-comparable rival can muster.

Turn the volume down to the sort of level that conversation can easily be heard over, though, and quite a lot of this attitude is replaced by a more pedestrian, less energetic character that sucks some of the animation out of recordings. Mind you, if you want to listen at low levels in order to engage in conversation, it could be argued that this isn’t all that much of an issue.

Front panel of the KEF Coda W active speakers, showing the drivers. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

KEF Coda W review: Price & release date

$999 / £799 / AU$1449
Released in October 2025

The KEF Coda W wireless active stereo speaker system is on sale now, and in the United States it costs $999. The asking price in the United Kingdom is £799, while in Australia it goes for AU$1449.

There are a few very credible alternatives around, of course, not least from KEF itself in the shape of its slightly smaller, slightly pricier, slightly differently specified LSX II LT wireless stereo speaker system. So does the Coda W have what it takes to, um, undermine its sibling and cannibalize its sales?

Rear panel of the KEF Coda W active speaker system. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

KEF Coda W review: Features

200 watts of Class D power
Wireless and wired connection options
12th-gen Uni-Q driver array

In most respects, the Coda W is specified as extensively as seems reasonable, given the asking price. Then you consider the way its (admittedly more expensive) LSX II LT sibling is specified, and you realize you’re engaged in a game of ‘swings and roundabouts’.

Still, the gain outweighs the pain here more than a little. The Coda W is an active stereo speaker with 200 watts of Class D power available – naturally enough it’s divided half-and-half between the two speakers. Slightly unusually for an active – rather than a powered – system, is that only one speaker requires mains power. This ‘primary’ speaker connects to its ‘secondary’ partner via a supplied length of USB-C-terminated cable which transfers power as well as digital audio information.

The secondary speaker has just a USB-C input on its rear panel – it’s positioned beneath a bass reflex port that vents from higher up. The primary speaker, by way of contrast, is all action. It has a USB-C output for connection to its partner and a matching bass reflex port, of course, but in addition, the rear panel features (in no particular order): a connection for mains power and an ‘on/off’ switch, an HDMI eARC socket, a digital optical input, a USB-C slot for data transfer, a line-level stereo RCA input, a moving magnet phono input (also on stereo RCAs) with a ground post, and a pre-out for a subwoofer. There are also buttons to initiate Bluetooth pairing (the KEF uses Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless codec compatibility) and to reset the whole shebang. There’s a switch to turn the ground lift circuit on or off, too.

What’s missing? Well, there’s no Ethernet socket, and no Wi-Fi connectivity either. So network streaming is unavailable, which puts the Coda W at a disadvantage compared to the LSX II LT, although it hits back with its integrated phono stage. No network capability means no Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect etc, so if you’re using Bluetooth to enjoy some wireless tunes, it means your smartphone (or what-have-you) will be fully occupied.

The input resolution of the USB-C is 24bit/192kHz, while the digital optical is 24bit/96kHz and the HDMI eARC operates at 16bit/44.1kHz – analog signals are digitized on entry to 24bit/96kHz. All these wired sources are (re)sampled to 24bit/96kHz before being decoded to the analog domain the driver arrays can understand.

Unlike the LSX II LT, which features a compact version of the 11th generation of KEF’s instantly recognizable Uni-Q driver arrangement, the Coda W is packing the 12th version. There’s a 25mm aluminum dome tweeter behind an elaborate waveguide and positioned in the throat of a 130mm magnesium/aluminum mid/bass driver. Each tweeter is in receipt of 30 watts of power, while each mid/bass driver gets 70 watts. This arrangement, reckons KEF, is good for a frequency response of 41Hz - 20kHz.

Features score: 4.5 / 5

Closeup of the drivers of the KEF Coda W active speaker system. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

KEF Coda W review: Sound quality

Energetic and confident sound with detail to spare
Loses some animation at low volume levels
Phono stage is nothing special

At its best, the KEF Coda W sounds very, very good indeed. Unlike some of its most obvious rivals, though, getting away from ‘its best’ is not especially difficult to do.

With a genuinely hi-res (24bit/96kHz) FLAC file of Prince’s U Got the Look incoming via the USB-C socket, there’s plenty to enjoy about the way the system performs. It maintains a strictly neutral tonality, adding no discernible heat to any part of the frequency range and not cooling any part of it down either. The top end attacks with crisp determination, but despite what you might have read about metal tweeters, there’s no suggestion of hardness or glassiness to the treble sounds the Coda W delivers.

The transition into the midrange is smooth to the point of inaudibility, and once there the amount of detail the KEF is able to extract and contextualize allows both the voices in the recording to come across with all their attitude (horny, mostly) and character intact. Beneath here, the lowest frequencies hit hard but control their attack well, so the four-square rhythm is expressed confidently. As with the rest of the frequency range, detail levels down here are high, with plenty of subtlety and variation to go along with the straightforward punch available.

The frequency response is even-handed, with no area underplayed or overrepresented, and the soundstage the KEF creates is big and plausible. Like all the best Prince songs, U Got the Look sounds like an expensive demo, with great big spaces and silences playing their part. The Coda W has no problem laying the stage out coherently, and it gives just as much emphasis to the absences as it does the actual occurrences. Dynamic headroom is significant, and the lower-key dynamics of harmonic variation are also paid close attention. The KEF sounds keen to entertain, and it preserves all the energy the recording wants to communicate.

All of this is true, to a lesser or greater extent, when listening to the same song wirelessly via a FiiO digital audio player running the Tidal app or to a CD-borne copy of the song delivered into the system’s digital audio input. The Coda W remains a lively, informative and quite vibrant listen that seems to revel in the vivid and upfront nature of the recording.

It’s possible to move away from this best-case scenario, though, either by turning the volume down to a modest ‘background’ sort of level or by listening to a vinyl copy of the song through the integrated moving magnet phono stage.

The differences are probably less pronounced when playing the record, so I may as well start here. The phono stage fitted to the Coda W just isn’t anything special – for all of the cliches regarding the vinyl format and its facility with rhythm and tempo-management, the song sounds just fractionally lumpy and leaden-footed when heard this way. It’s from the 80s, sure, when every rhythm was mechanical and regimented, but there was always more swing to Price than the Coda W is willing to reveal via its phono stage. The knock-on effect is a minor dialling down of the energy in the recording, and a mild loss of engagement as a result.

Turning down the volume results in a slightly more fundamental shift in emphasis. I know it’s quite easy to argue that ‘background’ levels would tend to imply that not all that much attention is being paid to the music, and certainly no critical listening is likely to be happening, but there are more than enough systems around that don’t change their sonic character at lower volumes to understand that the changes that the Coda W goes through aren’t inevitable or, to a lesser extent, excusable.

Turning the wick down means a lot of the system’s previously vivid and energetic attitude towards music goes astray, replaced by a slightly matter-of-fact and unengaged alternative that’s not especially welcome. Particularly not when you know what the system is capable of if only it were playing a little louder.

Sound quality score: 4 / 5

Rear panel of the KEF Coda W active speakers, with wired connections and cables visible. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

KEF Coda W review: Design

285 x 168 x 268mm (HxWxD)
Choice of five finishes
Optional SQ1 stand

The Coda W may cost less than the LSX II LT, but there’s more of them. At 285 x 168 x 268mm they’re bigger than their siblings in every direction – if you were hoping to position these on a desktop, think again. Unless you have a mahoosive desk, anyway.

A pair of speaker stands is the way to go. Any decent product will do, of course, but KEF will happily sell you a pair of its SQ1 stands that have been developed with the Coda W (and a few other KEF models) in mind.

The standard of build and finish is well up to standard. The Coda W may lack the exciting curves of their LS and LSX stablemates, but they look and feel good. And the choice of five finishes – my review sample's dark titanium, midnight blue, moss green, nickel gray and a vintage burgundy version that’s only available from very select outlets – means there really ought to be something to suit your mood and/or decor here.

Design score: 5

Trio of screenshots showing the KEF app connected to the Coda W active speaker system. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

KEF Coda W review: Usability & setup

Truncated version of the KEF Connect control app
Physical controls on the primary speaker
Small remote control handset

KEF supplies a little remote control handset to operate the Coda W. It deals with ‘power on/off’, ‘volume up/down/mute’, allows you to cycle through the inputs and, if you’re streaming via Bluetooth, to access ‘play/pause’ and ‘skip forwards/backwards’.

The controls, with the exception of the Bluetooth stuff, are duplicated as touch-controls on the top of the primary speaker - although you can only scroll through your inputs in one direction, which is a (very) mild irritation.

There’s also a very brief version of the KEF Connect app available too. It connects via Bluetooth, offers input selection and volume control, allows you to check for updates, and also features a balance control and rudimentary EQ adjustment in the shape of ‘treble cut/boost’ and ‘bass cut/boost’ controls. It’s also where you can let the Coda W know if it has a subwoofer attached.

Usability & setup score: 4.5 / 5

Top panel of the KEF Coda W active speaker system, with back-lit, recessed touch-control buttons for power on/off, volume control and Bluetooth connectivity. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

KEF Coda W review: Value

Very high standard of build and finish
Enjoyable sound quality...
But it's variable depending on the output used

It’s difficult in the extreme to suggest the KEF Coda W is anything other than very decent value for money. It has some real highlights where specification is concerned, is built and finished to a very high standard, and is capable of uncomplicatedly enjoyable sound quality too.

The fact that it lacks some features available in a very similarly priced product from the same manufacturer is, ultimately, less concerning than the fact that its sound is quite variable depending on the input you’re using.

Value score: 4 / 5

Top panel of the KEF Coda W active speaker system, with a remote control resting on top. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Should I buy KEF Coda W?

KEF Coda W scorecard
Attribute	Notes	Score
Features	Pretty well-equipped, with HDMI eARC socket, USB-C connectivity and Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless codec compatibility.	4.5 / 5
Sound quality	Energetic and confident but loses some animation at low volume levels; average phono stage.	4 / 5
Design	Choice of five finishes, and excellent build quality, make it a good fit for any room.	5 / 5
Setup & usability	Limited version of the KEF Connect app; touch controls; small remote control handset	4.5 / 5
Value	Solid value, but hampered by sound issues at low volume levels.	4 / 5

Buy them if…

You want an all-in-one system that can support more than one source
There are plenty of input possibilities here, up to and including the option of including your TV.

You’re sick to death of the ‘black/white/wood veneer’ options that hold sway where speakers are concerned
The Coda W is available is a range of quite sophisticated finishes – and ‘walnut’ is nowhere in sight.

You’re just as likely to listen to vinyl as to a music streaming service
From aptX Lossless Bluetooth to a moving magnet phono stage, this KEF system has you covered.

Don’t buy them if…

You don’t want your smartphone tied up with music playback
There’s no networking functionality here, so wireless streaming means your smartphone won’t be available for anything else.

Your listening is likely to be mostly via vinyl
The moving magnet phono input here is probably the least impressive of the lot.

You have designs on a desktop system
This system is too big for your desktop, so get that idea out of your head.

KEF Coda W review: Also consider

KEF LSX II LT
I don’t wish to labor the point, but I do find it odd that KEF has released the Coda W in what seems like fairly direct competition with its own LSX II LT. No, the LSX II LT doesn’t have a phono stage or top-of-the-shop Bluetooth connectivity, but it’s got network smarts, a smaller form factor and is, in its own way, just as decorative as the Coda W. Oh, and it’s no slouch when it comes to sound quality.
Here's our full KEF LSX II LT review.

Acoustic Energy AE1 Active
You could also break free of the KEF hegemony and consider the Acoustic Energy AE1 Active system. Yes, it’s pricier than either of the KEF pairs, not as interesting to look at, and only supports physical connections, but despite all this it’s prodigious value for money thanks to its absolutely fulminating sound quality.

How I tested the KEF Coda W

KEF Coda W active speakers, either side of an audio system and turntable, on top of a pair of speaker stands. — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

I positioned the speakers on a pair of Custom Design speaker stands, connected them together using the supplied USB-C cable and plugged the primary speaker into the mains.

Then I connected a Technics SL1300G fitted with a Goldring 1042 cartridge to the phono input (and also to the line-level input, having positioned a Cambridge Alva Duo phono stage between the two), and plugged a Rega Apollo CD player into the digital optical input.

I used an Apple iPhone 14 Pro and a FiiO M15S digital audio player as Bluetooth sources, and connected an Apple MacBook Pro (running Colibri software) to the USB-C input. After this, I put the speakers either side of my Philips 48OLED806 TV and connected them via HDMI. Lots of sources, meaning lots of content – and for quite a length of time.

Read TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee
First reviewed: March 2026

I tested the affordable GoPro Lit Hero — and it might be the brand’s most confusing action cam yet

4:00 am |

Author: admin | Category: Action Cameras Cameras Computers Gadgets | Comments: Off

GoPro Lit Hero: two-minute review

GoPro is a name that's synonymous with the action cam market, with the brand having largely been responsible for the explosion in popularity of such cameras over the past two decades. The brand has come a long way since its first Hero camera, a 35mm film-compatible wearable model released in 2004.

Now the likes of the GoPro Hero 13 Black and GoPro MAX 2, are considered amongst the best action cameras available, and largely dominate the market. And despite rumors that the company intends to kill off the Hero Black range, GoPro has dismissed the speculation. In other words, the GoPro family seemingly has a bright future ahead. In fact, as I completed this review, GoPro announced the next generation GP3 processor which will power a new wave of GoPros for 2026 and beyond.

That being said, the direction of the range can sometimes take an odd turn, and one such example is 2025’s GoPro Lit Hero, a sort of replacement for the GoPro Hero (2024), which was itself a weird compromise of price over specification.

You certainly can’t criticize the camera’s portability — it’s one of the smallest and lightest action cameras you can find anywhere, and there’s no danger of it weighing you down whilst out on a cycle ride or when travelling. Before hopping on a plane, there was none of the usual "Should I, shouldn’t I?" dilemma I often experience when choosing what to take on a trip, and it was a simple case of "Why not?" and throwing it into my camera bag.

The GoPro Lit Hero action camera — The Lit Hero is unmistakably a GoPro product, albeit a much stripped-down one (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

There haven’t been many compromises in terms of build quality, and the Lit Hero feels rugged despite its diminutive size.

However, the tiny screen makes changing settings a challenge, while there isn’t a lot of room for camera controls on the body, making the handling experience frustrating at times. The screen itself isn’t always easy to use for image previews and is quite fiddly. It’s not a camera you can use in a hurry, which is a problem given the type of content you’d probably shoot with it.

There's very little in the way of manual controls: if you just want a point-and-shoot camera, you'll be fine, but if you hope to take control over the image-making process, there isn’t much here to satisfy a creative appetite.

Image quality is passable, but not mind-blowing. The camera struggles in low light thanks to its tiny imaging sensor, and despite offering 4K shooting, footage is anything but pro-level. Stills and video are sharp enough, but quickly lose detail as the sensitivity is increased. Meanwhile, colors are quite natural.

Overall, the GoPro Lit Hero is an affordable entry to the action cam market, and is a good take-anywhere choice. It won’t draw too much unwanted attention, or take up room in a bag. The problem is that too much has been stripped away to facilitate the small size. If you were expecting a simplified Hero Black, with similar properties, just smaller, you would probably be disappointed.

I'm not sure who the Lit Hero was designed for, specifically. Yes, it's an entry-level camera, so beginners might benefit. However, the naming convention is confusing, and I'm uncertain as to why such a powerful LED was incorporated. It's also still not that cheap, which I fear is more because of the brand name than any real premium advantages it offers.

As a result, the camera doesn't really hit any target market well. It sounds mean, but it might be best suited for filmmakers who want a camera that they're happy to risk destroying in the pursuit of extreme shooting angles. Otherwise, I can't think of anyone in particular to whom I'd recommend the Lit Hero.

GoPro Lit Hero specs

GoPro Lit Hero specs:
Type:	Action camera
Sensor:	1/2.8-inch CMOS
LCDs:	1x rear 1.76-inch touchscreen
Memory:	Micro SD
Lens:	15mm equivalent, f/2.3
Battery:	Embedded rechargeable 1255mAh Enduro Lithium-Ion
Video:	Up to 4K/60p, 4K/30p (4:3)
Photo:	12MP (4000 x 3000 pixels)
Dimensions:	56.6 x 48.4 x 29.45mm (W x H x D)
Weight:	3.3oz / 93g

GoPro Lit Hero: Price and availability

Released October 21 2025 worldwide
The GoPro Lit Hero retails for $269.99 / £239.99 / AU$419.95
The Starter Bundle includes a Shorty mini tripod, bike mount and case for $344.99 / £304.99/ AU$539.95

The GoPro Lit Hero went on sale from October 21 2025 for a price of $269.99 / £239.99 / AU$419.95, but months later and with the next generation of GoPros set for 2026 it can be purchased for less. The camera is available in kits too, including the Starter Bundle, which includes a bike mount and camera case and retails for $344.99 / £304.99 / AU$539.95.

Other activity-specific bundles are available, such as the Water Activities Bundle ($332.99 / £296.99 / AU$519.95), Bike and Camp Bundle ($349.99 / £399.99 / AU$ 546.95) and a Kid’s Bundle for $359.99 / £322.99 / AU$ 572.95, which supplies a Shorty mini tripod, case and Flexible Grip Mount.

Price score: 3.5/5

GoPro Lit Hero: Design

Small 1.76-inch LCD touchscreen
Waterproof to depths of 16ft / 5m
Super-lightweight at 3.3oz / 93g

The Lit Hero certainly looks the part, and has many of the traditional design markers of a GoPro product. The rear of the camera is dominated by the 1.76-inch LCD screen, with no physical buttons or controls whatsoever. This isn’t unusual for an action camera, and the same is true of a higher-end model like the DJI Osmo Action 6. The difference there is the screen size, which at 2.5 inches is much easier to interact with and operate.

The monitor on the Lit Hero is so small that my fingertips dwarfed some of the icons, making the precise selection of settings tricky when on the move and when outside in winter, digits numb from the cold. The active area of the screen is much smaller than the back of the camera, too, so there really isn’t much control real estate to be working with. If, like me, your hands are on the large side, it’s something to be aware of if the Lit Hero is on your shopping list.

It’s also not the most detailed LCD I’ve ever used, and it’s not ideal for judging the sharpness of captured images and footage. A few times, I thought I’d got the subject in focus, only to find the camera had back-focused upon opening the images and footage on the large screen of my laptop.

The touch function is useful (well, actually essential as it happens), but it isn’t hugely responsive, and it can take a few taps to get the desired menu to open, or multiple swipes with wet or muddy fingers to scroll through previews. Overall, it’s definitely a good idea to download the dedicated GoPro Quik app onto your phone, via which you can more accurately quality-control your footage.

The rest of the body is incredibly simple, which is both a negative and a positive. On one hand, this means you have to rely on the tiny screen to operate most of the camera’s functions, frozen fingers or not, but it also gives the Lit Hero a reassuringly unintimidating layout for beginners. There aren’t so many buttons that you might be worried about accidentally changing a setting you subsequently can’t figure out how to reset.

The Polycarbonate and TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) construction material is easy to grip, with a good amount of texture to provide friction even when the camera is wet. At no point did I worry about it slipping from my hands while using it handheld.

The other inescapable side-effect of such a small body is that when handling it, even just to remove it from a bag, it’s easy to touch the lens and leave behind fingerprints. It’s easily wiped clean, but this can be irritating.

Design score: 4.5/5

GoPro Lit Hero: Performance

Quick startup for rapid shooting
Lack of built-in digital or optical stabilization is frustrating
Super-powerful LED lamp is too intense for most uses

The camera itself is quick to start up, which was something I was concerned about, given the expected shrinking of the processor assembly to allow for the Lit Hero’s tiny dimensions. There’s very little delay between pressing the power button on the top of the camera and it being capture-ready.

Focus is also quick, at least as far as I could tell from my ‘hit rate’, looking back through captured images – looking at the screen, it’s very difficult to see the focusing in action, especially given the wide focal length. This was impressively maintained in low light and I didn’t notice a significant increase in out-of-focus shots in poor ambient lighting.

A big downside for me is the lack of integrated image stabilization. Rather than using an optical or sensor-shift IBIS system, you must first transfer footage to your smartphone using the GoPro Quik app, then apply algorithmic stabilization there. I’m not a fan of digital stabilization anyway, but not having it applied in-camera means you can’t preview how the final footage will actually look at the point of shooting. It’s a laborious extra step that slows things down.

An added frustration is that the connection between my phone and the Lit Hero was fairly unstable. It kept dropping out, meaning that live previews of what the camera could see using my phone screen were so pixelated as to be largely useless. The transfer speeds were also predictably sluggish. Yes, it’s possible this is due to the age of my handset, or even a model-specific compatibility issue, but I’d experienced no such issue when pairing it to the Insta360 X4 Air and Insta360 X5 the day before.

The ‘Lit’ element of the camera’s name stems from the powerful LED torch on the front of the body. It’s really the only instantly noticeable change from the GoPro Hero (2024). I wasn’t sure a camera could ever be defined by its built in flash or continuous light, but oh wow, did this thing get my attention.

It’s inexplicably bright. For the size of the camera, the light output is impressive if not completely overkill. It’s so bright at the maximum setting that I found it impossible to perform a piece to the camera with it shining in my eyes. Of course, it might come in useful in dark conditions, but I found it just looked ugly in most cases. I found it helped when shooting underwater clips in a sediment-filled stream, but the exposure fall-off is very obvious and unsightly.

On a positive note, the battery life is decent, and I could easily get around an hour and a half of continuous use out of it, in chilly outdoor temperatures, before it ran out of juice. Since the battery is integrated and can't be swapped, this is good news.

I found the body warmed up pretty rapidly when shooting longer video clips; not problematic, but a little uncomfortable when using it handheld. I found the more powerful DJI Osmo Action 6 heated up less quickly after prolonged use.

Performance score: 3.5/5

GoPro Lit Hero: Image quality

4K video looks good in brighter light, with natural color rendition
Photo and video quality drop significantly at higher sensitivities
No log mode for later color grading

With such a small (1/2.8-inch) imaging sensor at its heart, the Lit Hero is limited in its light-gathering capacity. As such, noise levels are quite high at every sensitivity. There are very few manual controls, with no true PASM modes that allow the user to manipulate exposure settings, meaning you’re at the mercy of the camera’s own decisions, often resulting in grainy footage.

While it’s easier to hide in fast-moving video, the mushiness of detail is clearly visible in stills. In daylight conditions, results are actually quite sharp, but this isn’t maintained for long as ambient light falls.

The autoexposure system is fairly dependable, and it was able to quickly assess each scene during my testing and correctly adjust the parameters to prevent obvious overexposure. Similarly, the auto white balance does a good job of keeping colors natural, even under mixed lighting. This is all good news since there’s little opportunity to amend these settings yourself.

Images take using the GoPro Lit Hero — The LED creates a strong exposure fall-off in low light situations (Image credit: Peter Fenech)

I’d equate the experience and resulting images to those from a basic smartphone or compact camera – I wouldn’t recommend the Lit Hero for ‘serious’ still photography work, but it’s good enough for off-the-cuff content creation and vacation shots.

There isn’t much latitude for post-processing work either. Shadows can be blocked quickly, probably because the camera seems to be biased towards underexposure to keep the highlights in check, but it’s not a good idea to lift these too far. There is no Log mode so color grading must be applied to the pre-processed video, which can break down the tones if pushed too far.

Image quality score: 3.5/5

GoPro Lit Hero: testing scorecard

GoPro Lit Hero
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Price	As one of the most affordable action cameras available, the Lit Hero won't break the bank, but it's still questionable value for the spec on offer	3.5/5
Design	I have no real complaints about the design. Yes, it's fiddly but that's the trade-off for such a portable size	4.5/5
Performance	The screen isn't particularly responsive, the camera isn't that quick to operate, and it gets warm quite quickly after extended shooting	3/5
Image quality	While not terrible, the small sensor struggles in low light and detail turns mushy. Colors are good though, if not punchy.	3/5

Should I buy the GoPro Lit Hero?

Buy it if...

You're married to GoPro

If you have plenty of existing GoPro accessories and are very familiar with the system, the Lit Hero might make a useful, extra-small addition to your collection. It could also serve as a B-roll camera or backup model in the field.View Deal

You're on a tight budget

If you aren't ready to invest in a high-end action camera such as the GoPro Hero 13 Black, the Lit Hero is an ideal entry point to the GoPro ecosystem. If you need a model for occasional use, or alternatively, a sacrificial camera for extreme punishment that you don't mind being destroyed, the price of the Lit Hero is appealing.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You need top-level quality

There's only so much a 1/2.8-inch sensor can achieve, and if you need footage and stills for a professional project, you'd be better off with a less entry-level specification. Images from the Lit Hero probably won't cut it for anything other than casual, everyday needs.View Deal

You like creative control

There isn't much to the Lit Hero's menu system, indicating a lack of any true manual intervention in the image creation process. There's a limited choice of frame rates and no log mode for later grading. View Deal

Also consider

Insta360 Go 3S

In many ways the Go 3S is the best of both worlds: you get both an incredibly portable, wearable action camera and the benefits of the Action Pod, including easier handling and improved battery life. You get 4K resolution at up to 30p, waterproofing up to 33ft / 10m, and a slow-motion mode in 1080p of 200fps. If you want a truely tiny action cam that is tough enough to withstand some punishment, the Go 3S has no true rival beyond the DJI Osmo Nano (see below).

Read our in-depth Insta360 Go 3S review

DJI Osmo Nano

Proving there's life beyond GoPro, the DJI Osmo Nano offers some brilliantly modular features. Not only does it weigh a mere 52g, but you also get the benefit of some professional features, like the excellent DJI D-Log M mode for advanced color grading possibilities in post-processing. It also provides 4K recording, using a larger 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor – the same one featured DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro. If you want a camera that's light enough to go everywhere with you, without compromising heavily on spec, this is a great choice.

Read our in-depth DJI Osmo Nano review

How I tested the GoPro Lit Hero

I used the GoPro Lit Hero over one week, both indoors and out
I worked in a range of lighting conditions and weather to test the durability of the body and functionality
The camera was submerged to analyze the waterproofing capability

While I always like to subject action cameras to some degree of punishing conditions, I like to use them as I might as part of an average shoot for which it was designed. As such, I don't make a habit of dropping them out of windows or running them over with a Jeep.

Instead, I took the GoPro Lit Hero with me on several outdoor shoots, in a range of weather, from rainy to full sun. I used the camera to capture behind-the-scenes content of my shoots and environmental imagery. This included submerging it in a stream and getting it down and dirty in muddy undergrowth.

I left the camera recording for extended durations to test battery life and heat management. I shot both still photos and video, then processed these in Adobe Lightroom and DaVinci Resolve to see how much detail I could recover from the extreme ends of the tonal range. Images shown here are the unprocessed out-of-camera Jpgs and video (cut together in the case of the latter).

First reviewed February 2026

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