The Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1 is a wired mechanical keyboard with the simple aim of delivering great gaming performance.
Its sleek appearance is achieved thanks to the low profile keycaps with their prominent indentations, and despite being made from ABS, they look and feel every bit as premium as their PBT counterparts.
What’s more, the very bright RGB lighting looks particularly striking on the white colorway. The metal chassis, however, looks less impressive, coming across a little cheap.
Fortunately, it feels more solid than it appears – as does the whole board for that matter, equaling what the best gaming keyboards have to offer. It’s reasonably heavy as a result, but not onerously so.
The detachable USB cable also feels premium. It’s braided which makes it more flexible, and it’s quite long, too, which makes it easier to route on various setups.
The software that attends the MX 3.1 is quite limited compared to those of other gaming keyboards, containing only a handful of shortcuts rebind options and a basic macro facility – and not much else besides. This will no doubt disappoint gamers after deep customization options.
To game with, the MX2A switches in the MX 3.1 are heavier than you might expect. They feel quite clicky with minimal dampening, which can make them feel a little harsh when hammering away at them.
This aspect isn’t helped by the short travel of the keys. Thankfully, those indentations on the keycaps are comfortable and secure, which makes them ideal for both gaming and typing.
I also appreciated the rounded back edge of the space bar, which softens the impact when you hit it. This is especially useful given the shallow angle of the layout: instead of fold-out feet, the MX 3.1 comes with two sets of screw-in pins with different heights. No matter which set I installed, the layout always seemed too flat for my liking. Combined with the thick body, this means the MX 3.1 can get uncomfortable after long sessions.
It’s priced slightly below what you might expect from a wired mechanical gaming keyboard, but in today’s market there are plenty of great value models offering more features and stronger performance for less.
(Image credit: Future)
Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1 review: price and availability
$129 (about £100 / AU$200)
Available now in three colorways
Slight below-average pricing
The MX 3.1 costs $129 (about £100 / AU$200) and is available now in black, white, and pink colorways, although the latter is currently only available in Asia.
This is a slightly-below average price for a full-size wired mechanical keyboard, but there are plenty of wired and even wireless alternatives that perform just as well, if not better, for less money.
Take the Roccat Magma, for instance, which is our pick as the best gaming keyboard for those on a budget. It may feature membrane rather than mechanical switches and exhibit less-than-stellar build quality, but its performance is sharp and accurate and has a miniscule price tag in comparison to the MX 3.1.
Even the wireless MonsGeek Fun60 Ultra is cheaper than the MX 3.1, albeit not by as much. This board supports both 2.4GHz and Bluetooth connections, and features TMR analog switches that allow for far greater customization. I also found it great to both game and type on.
Value: 3 / 5
Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1 review: specs
Layout
Full size
Switch
Mechanical
Programmable keys
Yes
Dimensions
17.1 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches (435 x 138 x 35mm)
RGB or backlighting
Yes (customizable)
(Image credit: Future)
Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1 review: design and features
Solid and sturdy construction
No folding feet
Limited software
The MX 3.1 has a simple yet sleek design. The speckled metal chassis that frames the entire board features angular contours and sporadic holes, all of which add some interest. However, this frame ultimately looks a little cheap and harks back to a bygone era of gaudy gaming peripherals.
The very bright and vibrant RGB lighting, on the other hand, is striking yet tasteful. It certainly attracts plenty of attention, especially on the white model, which it complements rather well.
Build quality is very good as well, with the whole unit feeling quite sturdy and heavy, more so than perhaps it looks. That metal chassis is solid as you could wish for, and so too are the plastics, which means the MX 3.1 should stand the test of time.
The keycaps look elegant thanks to their low profile and deep indentations. Despite being made from ABS, they feel every bit as premium as PBT varieties. They feel super smoother under the finger tips, too.
(Image credit: Future)
Their overall size is quite small compared to those on other mechanical keyboards, which makes the whole of the MX 3.1 feel more compact. It’s a shame, however, that there’s no volume dial, with F-row shortcuts relied on for this function in its place.
Instead of foldable feet, the MX 3.1 comes with two sets of pins of different lengths that screw into the back end of the board to adjust the angle. While this method arguably offers a more secure footing, it’s a less sophisticated and more time-consuming solution.
What’s more, even the longer pins aren’t tall enough to create an angle I was entirely comfortable with. This issue is exacerbated by the thick chassis – and lack of wrist support – which meant my wrists had to bend upwards more than I would’ve liked.
The MX 3.1 comes with a long, braided USB cable, which makes it amenable to various setups and routing options. The central placement of the USB-C port also helps with these aspects.
The companion software for the MX 3.1, the Cherry Utility Software, is quite sparse compared to rival tools. Every key can be remapped to another, but there are only a handful of system and media shortcuts available to assign, while the macro creator is very basic. Those looking for more performance based tweaks will be disappointed.
Design & features: 3.5 / 5
Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1 review: performance
Switches heavier than expected
Good for typing
Considerate space bar design
The MX2A Silent Red linear switches are quite clicky with little dampening, which makes them feel harsh when hit hard. They’re also quite heavy to press, which is most noticeable when using the WASD keys for in-game movement. This resistance is somewhat surprising, given the short travel of the keys themselves.
This short travel makes the MX 3.1 great for typing on, though, as do the aforementioned keycap indentations, since they provide both security and feedback when touch typing. Their low profile also helps to compensate for the whole unit’s lack of tilt, allowing my fingers to stay relatively flat while dancing around the keys, which I find more comfortable.
Another aspect of the MX 3.1 I appreciated is the soft curve on the back edge of the space bar, as this cushions impacts with the thumb. It’s a shame this curve is confined to the center rather than extending along the entire edge, but I still appreciated its inclusion.
(Image credit: Future)
Performance: 3.5/ 5
Should I buy the Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1?
Gamakay TK75HE V2 Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
It costs less than the average price for a mechanical keyboard, but there are cheaper alternatives with more features.
3 / 5
Design and features
The MX 3.1 is elegant, despite the somewhat dated design of the metal frame. It’s built to a surprisingly high standard, too, although the software is underwhelming.
3.5 / 5
Performance
The switches are heavier than you might expect, but typing is satisfying. The lack of angle can cause some ergonomic issues.
3.5 / 5
Overall
The MX 3.1 doesn’t do anything to set the gaming keyboard world alight. While it’s solid in some regards, it’s too expensive for what it offers.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if…
You want a solid build The metal chassis and plastics are strong. The keycaps feel premium, too, more so than their ABS material might suggest.
You want great keycaps Despite their ABS construction, the keycaps feel great, with their low profile and indentations making for easy typing.
Don’t buy it if…
You want to tinker The companion software for the MX 3.1 is very limited relative to what some other manufacturers offer.
You want to save money The MX 3.1 is reasonable compared to other wired mechanical keyboards, but there are many alternatives that represent better value.
Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1 review: also consider
Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1
MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra
Roccat Magma
Layout
Full size
60%
Full size
Switch
Mechanical
Analog (TMR magnetic)
Membrane
Programmable keys
Yes
Yes
Yes
Dimensions
17.1 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches (435 x 138 x 35mm)
11.5 x 4 x 1.1 inches (293 x 102.5 x 28.5mm)
17.8 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches (452 x 157 x 39mm)
RGB or backlighting
Yes (customizable)
Yes (customizable)
Yes (customizable)
Roccat Magma The Roccat Magma is much cheaper than the MX 3.1, and while the build quality isn’t the strongest, we found its performance worthy of a gaming keyboard. For those just starting out, it’s a good choice since you won’t be spending untold amounts to get one. Read our full Roccat Magma review.
MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra It might not be hugely cheaper than the MX 3.1, but the FUN60 Ultra is better value. It has two wireless modes, TMR analog switches with heaps of customizations, and satisfying gaming performance. It’s also built to a high standard. Read our full MonsGeek FUN60 Ultra review.
How I tested the Cherry XTRFY MX 3.1
Tested for a week
Used for gaming and working
Extensive gaming keyboard experience
I tested the MX 3.1 for about a week, during which time I used it for gaming and working.
I played Counter-strike 2, which is a great test for keyboards given the demands it places on fast and its requirement of precise inputs. I also played games that make greater use of the entire layout, such as Abiotic Factor.
I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and during that time I’ve experienced a vast array of gaming keyboards. I’ve also tested a wide range of them, as well as other Cherry XTRFY products.
There's no doubt that out of the box, the Innocn 40C1U is instantly impressive with its huge 40-inch 21:9 aspect ratio screen that essentially dominates the desk once it's in place. Considering the price, I was quite surprised by just how well built the screen was, and it feels by no means cheap despite coming in at almost half the price of other monitors that are similarly specced and offering 5K resolution, DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB colour spaces.
Getting set up and started was simple enough, although I would highly recommend having at least an extra pair of hands to manoeuvre the monitor into place. It's not overly heavy, but it's more the size that makes it a little difficult to place on your desk, and once situated in your workspace, it does dominate.
However, because the screen itself features a very thin bezel and the metal stand and design is relatively slimline, once it's pushed up against the wall, it blends in very nicely, still enabling plenty of room on a standard-sized desk for keyboard, mouse and other accessories and peripherals.
Getting started is as straightforward as with any monitor, with the option for either HDMI, DisplayPort or, in the case of this review, USB-C connected into either a MacBook Pro M1 Max or an Asus Prime-based PC.
As the monitor flicked to life, I felt that the factory calibration was overly warm, and sure enough, checking it out with Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra and running a quick screen calibration quickly highlighted how off the initial calibration colours were. Once the screen was cooled significantly, the visuals really started to look impressive.
Compared with some of the other monitors that I've looked at that also support DCI-P3 and Adobe RGB, the one thing that was noticeable was the IPS screen lacked some of the depth of tone and colour of those more expensive screens, but if you're using this for pure productivity or media production, then that really isn't going to be an issue.
The other point is that the screen is limited to 100Hz, which to be honest at 5K is still impressive, but if you're looking at gaming and you need full depth of contrast and refresh rates, then this probably isn't the best option for you, and a curved screen of a similar size is going to give you a more immersive experience.
As I went through video editing in DaVinci Resolve and photo enhancement in Adobe Photoshop, the additional real estate definitely helps with the workflow, and I found myself using a large percentage of the screen for creative applications, whilst leaving my email browser open on the right-hand side so that I could quickly check and respond to emails. This is exactly as I would do with my two-monitor setup, but here it feels a lot cleaner with just this one single monitor.
As with any of the best business monitors, there are plenty of options to adjust the screen settings and a quick delve into the onscreen display enabled me to swap from standard RGB to Adobe RGB, so that I could quickly adjust the gamma of the screen, depending on the work I was doing.
As expected, the screen does also include speakers, although firstly these aren't greatly powerful and secondly they're extremely tinny, so if you have another form of speaker, even if that's just your MacBook Pro internal speaker, then this is going to have far better audio quality than the monitor itself.
By the end of the test, I was impressed by the quality of the screen considering the price. Whilst it might not really challenge more expensive Adobe RGB creative monitors from the likes of Eizo, ViewSonic or even Apple, for the price, what's on offer here is exceptionally good and will suit most creators and coders looking for a large-scale monitor with a high-quality, clear screen and decent refresh rate.
innocn 40C1u: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $799
When is it out? Now
Where can you get it? Widely available
The Innocn 40C1U is widely available and can be purchased at $780 directly from the innocn.com website by clicking here. It's also available via online retailers, including Amazon.com where it's currently $750 at time of review.
Value: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
innocn 40C1u: Design
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Specifications
Screen Size : 40" Resolution : 5K UWQHD (5120 x 2160 Pixels) Display Technology : LCD Aspect Ratio : 21:9 Refresh Rate : 100 Hz Panel Type : IPS Connectivity : Type C ; 2xHDMI2.0 ; DP1.4 ; 2xUSB-A ; USB-B Brightness (Typical) : 350cd/㎡ (typ)
The price point is by no means high, considering what you're getting with this 40-inch monitor that supports Adobe RGB and a 100Hz refresh rate. When this monitor arrived, I was expecting it to be a little plasticky and limited in features.
However, from the outset, I was impressed by the overall build quality. The bezel around the outer edges is nice and slim, and when it's all assembled and sits on the desk, it has a modern aesthetic that will suit any design studio or coding office.
The huge 40-inch screen is flat, and actually, this is much better suited than curved screens when it comes to productivity. Those curved screens are better placed for gaming, giving you a more immersive experience, whereas a flat screen is better for laying out screens and for productivity, as there's no distortion of panels or the images you're adjusting.
Likewise, if you're typing, then having a purely flat screen is far easier to use. At 40 inches, it is huge; essentially, it'll give you a similar screen real estate to three 17-inch monitors placed side-by-side, but with no interruption along the horizontal, whilst the vertical is essentially the same as a 32-inch 16:9 monitor.
Considering the size, it's worth noting the pure scale of the monitor. It measures approximately 945mm x 420mm x 55mm in depth, and these measurements don't include the stand. The stand measures 230mm x 200mm for the base that sits on your desk, and the full height can go from as low as 460mm to 580mm, with a subtle tilt upwards and down as well as to the left and right, making it extremely easy to position. The monitor and stand come in at about 12kg.
There is the option for a VESA mount with the 75 x 75 fitting, but with that weight, you might find it a little tricky to mount, although it should fit most heavyweight TV mounts without issue.
When it comes to connectivity, there is a single USB-C (65W) to enable a maximum 100Hz refresh rate, then there are two HDMI 2.0 ports (100Hz max), a DisplayPort 1.4 (100Hz max), and also a few USB ports with two USB-A 3.0 ports and a single USB-B 3.0. It's also worth noting that there are speakers built into the monitor if you want a neat solution.
Design: 5 / 5
innocn 40C1u: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Once the screen is on the desk, the 40-inch 21:9 aspect ratio is instantly impressive, and the fact that it supports a resolution of 5K QHD 5120 x 2160 pixels really does stand out. It's also good to note that it has a refresh rate of 100Hz.
As with the monitor's design, there are several connectivity options, including those highlighted above, but it's worth also noting that the USB-C port I mostly used throughout this test also offers 65W PD passthrough. This means that under general productivity use, when you're not pushing your computer too much, that's enough power to supply a MacBook Pro M1 Max to keep the battery topped up for an entire day. For most other laptops, that 65W is perfect, meaning you just need that single cable to your machine to both power it and supply the monitor with the visual data.
The standout feature aside from its pure 40-inch scale is the ultrawide colour gamut that enables rich, bright colours, especially suited to creative applications such as photography and video editing, but also good for general productivity. The monitor supports sRGB at 99%, DCI-P3 at 97%, and offers 16.7 million colours at 8-bit. It's a shame that there's no REC 709 option. So, for those looking for the best monitor for photo editing or the best monitor for video editing, in my experience this is a solid choice with an ultrawide screen.
The panel type used is IPS (In-Plane Switching), which means that from multiple angles, you get good, vibrant colour and sharp visuals. This makes it an ideal option for anyone working in a studio where several people might need to view the monitor throughout the day as you show work and collaborate.
During this review, I used the innocn 40C1u for video and photo editing as well as general productivity. That screen real estate is ideal for anyone focused on Excel, spreadsheets or word documentation. It means you don't have to quickly switch between applications as you can have them all sat side-by-side on the screen, making it far easier to work.
The 100Hz refresh rate is great to see for a creative-based monitor and will enable you to watch most videos smoothly, whilst also allowing you to play many games, although the 100Hz is a little low for competitive gaming.
Overall, for modern design, creativity and productivity, the features of the innocn 40C1u are well balanced with a good choice of colour gamut depending on the type of work you're doing and a good range of resolutions all the way up to that 5K QHD.
Features: 4 / 5
innocn 40C1u: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
From the outset, the innocn 40C1u was quick and easy to set up despite its large size, and whilst it is heavy, one person should be able to manoeuvre it relatively easily, although an extra set of hands is always helpful with a monitor of this size, especially when mounting it to the stand.
The stand was exceptionally simple to attach, is a really good quality metal build, and offers strong support. One of the issues I was worried about with a monitor of this width was wobble when typing on the keyboard, but thankfully, the stand and base are heavy enough to reduce vibration of the screen when working.
The aesthetics of the monitor are also spot-on, with nice slim bezels and a dark matte black finish that just gives it a really good premium feel despite its relatively low price point.
Starting the monitor up, the first thing I noticed was just how warm the colours looked. Flipping through the onscreen display options, I went from the standard mode to sRGB and then onto Adobe RGB, but still wasn't satisfied that the colours had been calibrated correctly, at least not for the environment I was in.
Everything looked overly warm, which might be fine if you're watching multimedia, but if you're doing colour-critical work, you need accuracy, especially with a monitor sold for creative use. This adjustment could be done directly using the onscreen display, which is relatively easy to navigate with plenty of options. The navigation buttons are under the bottom right-hand side of the screen.
Under the professional settings, the CT settings were set to 'Warm'. This could be quickly adjusted to 'Natural' which gave a much better look, however I found that these colour settings still weren't exactly as I wanted, so I was pleased to see that there was a user-defined mode, and through there I could adjust the RGB just to cool down some of that warmth with the blue slider.
The adjustment was small but made a big difference to the quality of the colours displayed on the screen. To ensure the monitor was completely calibrated, I ran it through the Datacolor Spyder X2 Ultra to fully calibrate it to the ambient colour temperature of my environment. Once done, the colours and tone of the screen instantly became far more balanced and ready for content creation.
As I used the monitor for editing, work documents, browsing the internet, watching YouTube videos (when I should have been working), and editing video in DaVinci Resolve, I was impressed with the overall sharpness of text, detail in images, and superb colour accuracy.
Visually, without hardware analysis, the screen looked superb and really highlighted the strengths of an IPS screen for creative and productivity work. OLED screens might give you more impact for blacks and contrast, which is good for gaming, whereas for pure productivity, an IPS screen is often a better option, with decent coverage of sRGB, Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 colour spaces.
For creative and productivity use, the screen excelled, and I was impressed with most aspects, especially the resolution that enabled so much real estate for applications. It essentially feels like much the same as my three 27-inch monitors side-by-side, but it takes up less space and has no bezels between each section. From a practical point of view, it also means there are fewer cables needing to be plugged into the PC and the power socket.
One area worth highlighting is the built-in speakers, which are tinny and underpowered. They also seem to be mono and biased to the left-hand side of the monitor. They are okay for video calls or the odd YouTube clip, but the audio quality doesn't match the quality of the screen, and I switched to my MacBook Pro's internal speakers or my Fostex 6301B speakers.
During testing, I ran the monitor quality tests in Spyder X2 Ultra to check screen uniformity, colour accuracy and contrast, along with a few other tests. For a monitor of this size, it performed exceptionally well.
The first tests were run in standard mode, and as expected, the overall monitor rating was modest at 3.0. However, after calibration and switching to Adobe RGB, results were far better, with gamma response and contrast both scoring 5/5, and Adobe RGB colour accuracy scoring 4.5/5, making this a solid option for photographers, with an overall score of 4/5.
It's worth noting that luminance uniformity across the screen was fair, with about a 10% variation from the base across different parts of the screen, with the best uniformity in the bottom right and the brightest area in the top left. Visually, you wouldn't really notice the difference.
Performance: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
innocn 40C1u: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
At the end of the test, I was impressed with the quality, from the high-quality build, thin bezels and aesthetic styling, to the fact that this monitor would sit perfectly in any high-end studio without issue. While the monitor comes in at the budget end of the creative monitor market, there's nothing cheap about the look and style, and in fact, it feels more premium than some more expensive monitors, including two high-end models I use in the studio.
When it comes to connectivity, there's a good selection from USB-C, HDMI and DisplayPort, meaning that almost any machine you want to plug in should be catered for. It's worth noting that whilst there is a DP and a USB-C cable in the box, there is no HDMI cable.
In use, that extra real estate and 21:9 aspect ratio are a real benefit, especially for creative work. As I'm presently editing a film at 21:9 using anamorphic lenses, the ability to watch that footage at full resolution and aspect ratio really adds to the cinematic depth of the piece I'm working on.
I also like that once calibrated, the monitor's onscreen colours matched the output on our printers, with a very good match on tone and contrast.
Where this monitor falls short is with gaming and some media playback. While TV programmes and films look fine, the 100Hz refresh and lack of deep blacks you get from OLED will be a limitation for gaming. In all other situations, this monitor is spot-on and an ideal option for content creators and anyone looking for additional real estate for productivity.
Should I buy a innocn 40C1u?
Value
Very good considering the screen size, resolution and build quality
5
Design
A slimline design makes this large monitor seem less dominant in the office
4.5
Features
A good balance of features considering the price, just let down by weak built-in speakers
4
Performance
Generally superb performance with some variation in screen luminosity, but otherwise superb colour tone and vibrancy
4
Overalls
A great all-round monitor for content creators and productivity, but less suited to gaming
4
Buy it if...
You want a single massive screen for creative work
Which da Vinci would solve the open? The fact that everything was clear and easy to see on one huge screen with plenty of real estate to make adjustments just made the workflow that much easier.
You want accurate colours and wide colour gamut coverage
Adjusting images on this large screen was far easier, being able to see the image at 100% and knowing that the Adobe RGB colour space was showing you accurate onscreen colour that will be reproduced elsewhere.
Don't buy it if...
You have a small or shallow desk.
The desk in my main studio is rather small, and the size of this monitor is almost a meter, completely dominating the space.
You want ultra-high refresh rates for competitive gaming
100 Hz is a pretty good refresh rate for creativity, when it comes to gaming, you really do need to push that to at least 144 Hz to get smooth action graphics.
I started this test not overly taken with the colour scheme of this phone, although I did really like the textured surface on the back as well as the overall aesthetic. It was more the brown, gold and black colour scheme; however, I was pleased to see that alongside this colour profile, there is also a pure black version, which looks amazing.
As I looked through the specifications, it came with all the usual rugged credentials, which is great to see, meaning that I could drop and submerge the phone in water as I pleased. Whatever the conditions, I could be sure that the phone would survive, making it a great option for use in the field on photographic projects.
The only issue is that this is the middle of summer, and outside temperatures are topping 30 °C, so there are few puddles to drop the phone into. I did my best to drop the phone, finding what was left of a stream of stream in order to test just how waterproof it was, alongside the usual performance test using various Google applications, media creation and games to test out the full spectrum of uses for the mobile phone.
From the outset, it was apparent that for general use, this phone was perfectly optimised. What I really liked was the large screen, which had a decent brightness up to 900 nits, meaning that even in the abnormally bright conditions we have here in the UK at present, scrolling through documents and reading content online was possible. Whilst the screen is reflective, that brightness just cuts through the reflections enough to easily make out what is on screen.
I also found the 5G connection was good and robust, and whilst most of the test was carried out on a 4G connection, popping up to the local town of Salisbury proved that it could cope with good, fast network connections, providing decent transfer rates and speeds.
Call clarity also seemed good. Even when used out in the New Forest, where there was little to no signal, voice calls came through clearly, and I was impressed by the clarity of the small internal speaker.
That speaker proved to be exceptionally good for watching back media and listening to music, although it isn't quite the quality of a decent consumer smartphone.
One area that suffered slightly was gaming, as highlighted by the benchmarking results. Through all of the 3DMark benchmarks, including Steel Nomad, Wild Life and Sling Shot, frame rates were slightly reduced compared with more expensive models with many of the more intensive games highlighting the mid performance GPU. Need for Speed: Asphalt ran absolutely fine; however, if you want to play Call of Duty, this might not be the best option for you.
For the most part, performance was excellent. One area that really stood out was the cameras, which were lower in megapixels compared with many rugged smartphones that top out at 200 million pixels. Here, the 64 million-pixel Sony-backed camera produced excellent results, far better than I would usually expect. Crossing over to video, the clarity of the visuals was equally impressive.
The audio quality of the video recordings varied greatly depending on whether you were recording with the rear or front camera. Oddly, filming with the rear camera captured far better vocals than when using the front-facing selfie camera.
Overall, after using this phone for a few weeks, I was generally impressed by the overall performance - it's up there with the best rugged phones I've used. As long as you are thinking about using this for work situations where a standard consumer phone would struggle due to the physical demands placed on them, or alternatively it's a great option for adventuring.
I'm also seeing with major online retailers including Amazon.com for $230 at time of review, and £230 on Amazon.co.uk.
Value: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Ulefone Armor X16 Pro: Design
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Specifications
CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 6300 Graphics: Mali-G57 MC2 RAM: Up to 16 GB (plus 8 GB extended virtual) Storage: 256 GB ROM, microSD up to 2 TB Ports: USB-C (33 W), dual-SIM slot, Waterproof-plugged ports for charging/audio Connectivity: 5 G, dual-SIM, IR blaster, NFC & Google Pay Audio: Mono speaker (rugged) + front camera microphone Camera: Rear 64 MP (Sony IMX682, f/1.9), 25 MP night vision (Sony IMX550), 2 MP macro; Front: 16 MP Samsung Size: 173.78 × 83.4 × 17.95 mm Weight: 394.5 g OS: Android 15 with Google Gemini AI assistant, AI Recorder, Widevine L1 Accessories: 33 W charger included, optional rugged case/holster/mounts available
The design of the Ulefone Armor X16 Pro really stands out, with its textured back, brown and gold accents, and an aesthetic that is also available in pure black. It gives a slightly sci-fi-inspired and decidedly rugged look inline many other rugged smartphones on the market.
I have to say, this particular phone feels a lot more comfortable in the hands. Although it’s still quite wide and large, it is a decent proportion for most people’s grip.
The weight is also well balanced considering the size of the internal battery and the robustness of the device, which makes it far more usable than many of its larger alternatives.
In terms of size and weight, measuring 173.78 × 83.4 × 17.95 mm, it can easily slip into a jacket or pocket without adding too much bulk. Considering it weighs 394.5 g, it isn’t overly heavy either.
On the front, the phone is dominated by the large 6.56-inch screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Integrated into the screen is the selfie camera, which offers a 16 million-pixel sensor, perfect for video calls and vlogs.
On the back, the octagon-shaped cluster of cameras features a 64 million-pixel main camera, a 25 million-pixel night camera and a 2 million-pixel macro camera. There’s also a built-in LED flash, which is handy when camping, as well as a standard camera light.
One of the main features of any rugged smartphone is its rugged credentials, and the phone offers IP69K, IP68 and MIL-STD-810H certification, meaning that it is waterproof, dustproof and drop proof, as tested in this review.
It’s also nice to see that outputs such as the 3.5 mm headphone socket and USB-C data/charging port are both covered with secure rubber flaps.
On the left-hand side of the handset, as you look at the screen, there is a TF/SIM card slot with space for two SIMs and a microSD card to expand storage. Below this is a customisable button that you can assign to different apps. Over on the right-hand side are the volume toggle, power button and biometric fingerprint recognition button. That’s all, keeping it nice and simple.
Design: 5 / 5
Ulefone Armor X16 Pro: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Armor X16 Pro sits at the entry level of rugged smartphones, yet despite that, it packs in plenty of features to suit most people looking for a phone that can survive more than a standard consumer unit.
Some of the key features highlighted by Ulefone for this smartphone include a dedicated flashlight, which is great if you’re working outdoors and need a torch to throw a decent spread of light.
Powering the phone is a 10,360 mAh battery that offers 33 W fast charging and 5 W reverse charging, so not only does it power the phone, but it can also give other devices a boost.
Inside there’s a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 eight-core CPU with a 6 nm advanced process and clock speed of up to 2.4 GHz, including Cortex-A76 gaming cores. This is partnered with a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. There’s also up to 16 GB of RAM, 8 GB on board and a further 8 GB accessible through dynamic RAM.
For storage, there’s 256 GB of ROM, which can be expanded up to 2 TB using a separately purchased microSD card.
On the back of the phone is the octagon design cluster of cameras detailed in the Build and Handling section, offering decent quality far beyond most other smartphones of this type.
Dominating the front of the phone is the 6.56-inch IPS display with a 720 × 1612 resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and 910 nits of brightness. This is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, which in testing proved to be exceptionally tough.
Tying all the hardware together is Android 15. The version on this phone is relatively lightweight, so it’s not bogged down by proprietary apps, and also features the latest Google Gemini, so you can use the phone’s AI potential, including the AI Recorder, which is a handy additional feature.
Surprisingly this phone is also Widevine L1 certified, meaning it has full digital rights management certification, enabling you to stream higher quality from major providers such as Disney+ and Netflix. For an entry-level rugged smartphone, the visuals and audio quality are surprisingly good.
Features: 3.5 / 5
Ulefone Armor X16 Pro: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Getting started with the smartphone, the first thing I did was check the reception quality. Putting it side-by-side against an iPhone 15 Pro on the Vodafone network, the Armor X16 Pro actually proved to have better reception with four bars over the iPhone’s three.
When it came to browsing the internet, where the iPhone 15 Pro was slow to respond, page load speed on the Armor X16 Pro was relatively fast.
Using both 4G and 5G networks, the Armor X16 Pro proved to be exceptionally robust. Making voice calls demonstrated how clear the audio quality was, both from my perspective and to my caller, clear and crisp in both directions.
Starting with basic performance tests, I opened Google Docs and reviewed this part written document. It was easy to read through the text on the bright, clear screen. While the resolution is lower than I’ve come to expect from many smartphones, the text was still very clear and readable.
One thing I noted was that as you scroll, the quality of the screen stands out. With plenty of adjustment over brightness, tone and clarity, it offers exceptional viewing for a phone at this level.
Exploring the options and settings, I was impressed with the ease of use and the speed with which the phone navigated Android 15’s menus. The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 CPU provided plenty of performance for general use.
Pushing performance further, I used Lightroom to adjust images I had taken during a work outing. The clarity of the images was impressive, and unlike some phones I’ve used in the past that struggle when applying effects, the Armor X16 Pro handled it with relative ease. The screen clarity also made the adjustments easier.
Using CapCut to quickly edit video content shot with the phone, I was again impressed with the speed. Although CapCut is highly optimised for mobile, some phones still struggle. For basic edits, the phone handled 1080p video without issue. Pushing to 4K and adding graphics, the phone began to slow down, and the limits of its processing power became apparent.
Gaming performance followed a similar pattern. Need for Speed: Asphalt ran perfectly smoothly, but Asphalt 9: Legends, Call of Duty Mobile, and PUBG Mobile all began to drop in graphics quality. This was reflected in the 3DMark scores, Steel Nomad Light: 145, Wild Life: 4,137, and Sling Shot: 3,657.
While these scores aren’t particularly high, they are in line with most rugged smartphones. What gives this phone a slight edge is its exceptionally high read speed of 1,246 MB per second.
Benchmarks
Disk Speed Test Read: 1246 MB/s Disk Speed Test Write: 347 MB/s Geekbench CPU Single: 731 Geekbench CPU Multi: 1975 Geekbench GPU: 1401 3D Mark Steel Nomad Lite: 145 3D Mark Wildlife: 1373 3D Mark Slingshot: 3657
Performance: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Ulefone Armor X16 Pro: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
After using the phone solidly for a few weeks, I’ve been really impressed, firstly by the build quality and the comfort of using this phone. It is far more usable and ergonomic than many other rugged smartphones.
Secondly, the battery life was exceptional for the size and weight. At the start of the test, I charged it to 100%, and after three weeks it had only dropped to 25%, highlighting just how robust that internal battery is, although I wasn’t in full use all the time.
Overall, the battery performance was excellent, and the fact that I could reverse charge my iPhone using the 5 W reverse charging feature was very handy.
The standout features for me were the cameras. I wasn’t expecting the clarity of images that the 64 million-pixel main camera produced. The stills were great, and the video capture was equally impressive. Coupled with some wireless mics, it’s a great option if you need to capture video out in the field, perfectly suitable for most social media platforms.
When editing media using CapCut or Lightroom, I was impressed by the performance of this mobile phone. Considering that it’s at the entry level of the rugged phone market, it performs surprisingly well.
At the end of the test, having submerged the phone in water, dropped it from a height and tested it in the field, I’m surprised at how inexpensive this rugged smartphone is. While graphics performance and for that matter the screen resolution is at the lower end of the scale, for Google Docs and multimedia content, it works absolutely fine.
If you’re looking for a decent rugged smartphone for work and you don’t want to spend too much, then this is a great option. Likewise, if you’re heading off on an adventure, and need a solid phone with good battery life that’s isn't too heavy then again this also an ideal solution.
What really makes it stand out for me is the quality of the camera. While it can’t rival premium smartphones, it’s still decent enough to satisfy most people who want to take great images. The Armor X16 Pro is one of the best-performing budget rugged smartphones out there today.
Should I buy a Ulefone Armor X16 Pro?
Value
Excellent value for money and a great option if you need a simple, rugged smartphone.
4.5
Design
Stylish design with a textured surface that makes this one of the most comfortable rugged smartphones to hold.
4
Features
Decent range of features, with the camera and battery life being the standout.
3.5
Performance
Considering the entry-level price tag, this phone packs a decent amount of power for day-to-day tasks.
4
Overalls
Excellent rugged smartphone that provides power for everyday use, but is limited for higher-end gaming.
4
Buy it if...
You want a great option for working outdoors
The price, build quality, and the fact that it can stand up to all sorts of conditions make this a cheap and well-balanced option for anyone working outdoors.
You want a tough backup phone
The large capacity battery in a relatively small and lightweight form makes this a superb option to take as a main or backup phone if you’re heading off on an adventure.
Don't buy it if...
You need a phone for gaming.
While you can play many games at moderate quality, if you want to play anything that relies heavily on graphics processing, you should consider another option.
You need something small and lightweight.
While in this review I’ve said this is a small and relatively lightweight rugged smartphone, compared with general consumer phones, it is still larger and more bulky.
How does one elevate something already flawless? Razer has answered that question through the latest iteration of their flagship wireless mouse, the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro.
We loved the previous iteration for the otherworldly balance of ergonomics, performance and long lasting battery life, which is why we named it the best mouse for first-person shooters in our best gaming mouse round-up. For the DeathAdder V4 Pro, Razer takes things even further, adding more features that feel like a generational leap.
Starting with the design that feels even more refined in its sleekness and pure functionality. Not only is the gaming mouse lighter than ever but more comfortable for palm and thumb placement as well.
That’s not even counting the redesigned wireless dongle, which now features a sleek dome-shaped design accented by three customizable LED lights that display key info like battery life and polling rate.
Beyond just looking great on any desk, it’s a major upgrade from the previous add-on dongle used with the last DeathAdder Pro. This new version isn’t just more stylish—it delivers a true 8000 Hz polling rate with 37% lower latency, making it significantly more efficient.
(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
Whether you’re browsing the web or diving into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, cursor movement feels noticeably smoother thanks to the upgraded optical sensor, now capable of up to 45,000 DPI, 900 IPS, and 85G acceleration.
It also offers precise, customizable control through the Razer Synapse app, giving users pitch-perfect personalization for any task or playstyle.
Beyond movement smoothness, the smaller yet much improved mouse clicks not only feel even more responsive and crisp but lighter and more durable with a click lifecycle of over 100 million clicks.
(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
The scroll wheel even sees the most interesting improvement thanks to using an optical sensor instead of a traditional mechanical rotary encoder.
This makes scrolling down webpages and weapons while playing shooters feel better than ever. When it comes to competitive gaming at an optimal level, the DeathAdder V4 Pro manages to do the most.
Adding to all of that greatness is a 150-hour battery life, which means players will go a long time between charges.
Though this device excels its job, some potential buyers may have a few problems. For the colorful gamers who like RGB on everything, the DeathAdder V4 Pro continues the line’s black and green colorway without any customizable lighting options.
Meanwhile, the retail price of $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95 makes this slightly more expensive than the previous V3 Pro, though the v3 Pro required a special dongle attachment, which was sold seperately, to reach an 8K Polling rate.
(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
Eventually, Razer would sell a $159 edition V3 Pro that featured both. However, the DeathAdder V4 Pro costing $10 bucks more could rub folks the wrong way.
From my perspective, the price is more than worth it as the added features on the DeathAdder V4 Pro offer a fantastic nice bang for the buck.
That said, it's not the cheapest mouse on the market, so buyers on a budget might want to look elsewhere (like our best cheap mouse guide) as this is a premium product with premium price.
The Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro builds on an already exceptional foundation, delivering meaningful upgrades in precision, comfort and performance that make it a true standout for serious gamers. While its premium price and lack of RGB may give some pause, those seeking top-tier functionality will find this mouse more than earns its place at the top.
Razer DeathAdder v4 Pro: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
How much does it cost? $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia from Razer’s online store and other retailers
The Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro is available now in the US, UK, and Australia for $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95.
Outside of Razer’s online store, it’ll also be available at major retailers including Best Buy, Amazon and the like. While the price may feel a bit extreme, there is value in paying for the best wireless gaming mouse for esports that money can buy.
Most importantly, the mouse and wireless dongle come packed in together, which means that buyers won’t have to pay extra. For anyone who just wants to compete at a high level, the price won’t matter much.
Casual or even aspiring competitive gamers with a limited budget still have options for quality wireless gaming mice. This includes at the lowest, the Cooler Master MM311, which has a 1,000Hz max polling rate and can reach as high as 10,000 DPI.
Those who treat the price point as a drop in the bucket but can’t get past the lack of customizable lighting on the DeathAdder V4 Pro may appreciate the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K. Though it lacks the lightweightness of the DeathAdder, its performance and battery life is admirable when it comes to high-level competitive play.
Should you buy the Razer DeathAdder v4 Pro?
Razer DeathAdder v4 Pro Scorecard
Value
The $169 price point is worth every penny; even if it's slightly more expensive than the previous generation.
5 / 5
Design
Razer’s classic black and green colorway looks better than ever with a lighter chassis and smaller improvements like separated side buttons.
5 / 5
Performance
Everything about the performance of the DeathAdder V4 Pro improves on the previous generation in terms of connection speed, polling rate, DPI, and battery life. That doesn’t even count additions like the optical scroll wheel.
5 / 5
Final score
Some say that it’s hard to improve upon perfection but Razer surely figured it out with the DeathAdder V4 Pro.
5 / 5
Buy the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro if...
You want the best esports-level mouse money can buy If you have the $169 to spend, the Razer DeathAdder V4 improves on ergonomics, performance and battery life while also making significant additions like the optical scroll wheel.
You require a blend of standard-setting ergonomics and performance More comfortable than ever, the gaming mouse is also lighter at 56g and features better-placed side buttons. Meanwhile, wireless performance sees enhancements with a reduction in latency, improved optical sensor allowing 45,000 DPI.
You need a long battery life This high-level performance gaming mouse manages to have excellent battery life that can go up to 150 hours between charges.
Don't buy it if...
You want a little RGB flair Though the Razer DeathAdder V4 has the look and feel of a performance-oriented gaming mouse, more colorful gamers who need RGB lighting are going to be disappointed.
You're on a tight budget The price might be a bit much for the casual gamer looking for a quality gaming mouse.
Also consider
The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K If you want to tone down the high-end esports-level performance a bit for some RGB lighting options, then Razer’s Basilisk V3 Pro may be a fine option.
Corsair M75 Wireless Mouse The Corsair M75 Wireless Mouse is an excellent performer, plus it’s lightweight, and, most importantly for lefties, has an ambidextrous design with buttons on both sides.
I used it to play games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, FBC: Firebreak, Splitgate 2, and Marvel Rivals
Given that the previous generation of the Razer DeathAdder Pro earned our top pick for best FPS mouse in our gaming mouse roundup, I put its successor through the wringer with a heavy dose of first-person shooters.
My test lineup included Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, FBC: Firebreak, Splitgate 2, and Marvel Rivals, offering a solid understanding of speed, precision, and reaction-based capabilities.
Beyond the battlefield, I also assessed how the mouse handled everyday tasks—browsing the web, managing playlists on music streaming platforms, and navigating between applications—to get a full picture of its performance in both gaming and daily use.
How does one elevate something already flawless? Razer has answered that question through the latest iteration of their flagship wireless mouse, the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro.
We loved the previous iteration for the otherworldly balance of ergonomics, performance and long lasting battery life, which is why we named it the best mouse for first-person shooters in our best gaming mouse round-up. For the DeathAdder V4 Pro, Razer takes things even further, adding more features that feel like a generational leap.
Starting with the design that feels even more refined in its sleekness and pure functionality. Not only is the gaming mouse lighter than ever but more comfortable for palm and thumb placement as well.
That’s not even counting the redesigned wireless dongle, which now features a sleek dome-shaped design accented by three customizable LED lights that display key info like battery life and polling rate.
Beyond just looking great on any desk, it’s a major upgrade from the previous add-on dongle used with the last DeathAdder Pro. This new version isn’t just more stylish—it delivers a true 8000 Hz polling rate with 37% lower latency, making it significantly more efficient.
(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
Whether you’re browsing the web or diving into Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, cursor movement feels noticeably smoother thanks to the upgraded optical sensor, now capable of up to 45,000 DPI, 900 IPS, and 85G acceleration.
It also offers precise, customizable control through the Razer Synapse app, giving users pitch-perfect personalization for any task or playstyle.
Beyond movement smoothness, the smaller yet much improved mouse clicks not only feel even more responsive and crisp but lighter and more durable with a click lifecycle of over 100 million clicks.
(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
The scroll wheel even sees the most interesting improvement thanks to using an optical sensor instead of a traditional mechanical rotary encoder.
This makes scrolling down webpages and weapons while playing shooters feel better than ever. When it comes to competitive gaming at an optimal level, the DeathAdder V4 Pro manages to do the most.
Adding to all of that greatness is a 150-hour battery life, which means players will go a long time between charges.
Though this device excels its job, some potential buyers may have a few problems. For the colorful gamers who like RGB on everything, the DeathAdder V4 Pro continues the line’s black and green colorway without any customizable lighting options.
Meanwhile, the retail price of $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95 makes this slightly more expensive than the previous V3 Pro, though the v3 Pro required a special dongle attachment, which was sold seperately, to reach an 8K Polling rate.
(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
Eventually, Razer would sell a $159 edition V3 Pro that featured both. However, the DeathAdder V4 Pro costing $10 bucks more could rub folks the wrong way.
From my perspective, the price is more than worth it as the added features on the DeathAdder V4 Pro offer a fantastic nice bang for the buck.
That said, it's not the cheapest mouse on the market, so buyers on a budget might want to look elsewhere (like our best cheap mouse guide) as this is a premium product with premium price.
The Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro builds on an already exceptional foundation, delivering meaningful upgrades in precision, comfort and performance that make it a true standout for serious gamers. While its premium price and lack of RGB may give some pause, those seeking top-tier functionality will find this mouse more than earns its place at the top.
Razer DeathAdder v4 Pro: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future / Ural Garrett)
How much does it cost? $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia from Razer’s online store and other retailers
The Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro is available now in the US, UK, and Australia for $169.99 / £169.99 / AU$299.95.
Outside of Razer’s online store, it’ll also be available at major retailers including Best Buy, Amazon and the like. While the price may feel a bit extreme, there is value in paying for the best wireless gaming mouse for esports that money can buy.
Most importantly, the mouse and wireless dongle come packed in together, which means that buyers won’t have to pay extra. For anyone who just wants to compete at a high level, the price won’t matter much.
Casual or even aspiring competitive gamers with a limited budget still have options for quality wireless gaming mice. This includes at the lowest, the Cooler Master MM311, which has a 1,000Hz max polling rate and can reach as high as 10,000 DPI.
Those who treat the price point as a drop in the bucket but can’t get past the lack of customizable lighting on the DeathAdder V4 Pro may appreciate the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K. Though it lacks the lightweightness of the DeathAdder, its performance and battery life is admirable when it comes to high-level competitive play.
Should you buy the Razer DeathAdder v4 Pro?
Razer DeathAdder v4 Pro Scorecard
Value
The $169 price point is worth every penny; even if it's slightly more expensive than the previous generation.
5 / 5
Design
Razer’s classic black and green colorway looks better than ever with a lighter chassis and smaller improvements like separated side buttons.
5 / 5
Performance
Everything about the performance of the DeathAdder V4 Pro improves on the previous generation in terms of connection speed, polling rate, DPI, and battery life. That doesn’t even count additions like the optical scroll wheel.
5 / 5
Final score
Some say that it’s hard to improve upon perfection but Razer surely figured it out with the DeathAdder V4 Pro.
5 / 5
Buy the Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro if...
You want the best esports-level mouse money can buy If you have the $169 to spend, the Razer DeathAdder V4 improves on ergonomics, performance and battery life while also making significant additions like the optical scroll wheel.
You require a blend of standard-setting ergonomics and performance More comfortable than ever, the gaming mouse is also lighter at 56g and features better-placed side buttons. Meanwhile, wireless performance sees enhancements with a reduction in latency, improved optical sensor allowing 45,000 DPI.
You need a long battery life This high-level performance gaming mouse manages to have excellent battery life that can go up to 150 hours between charges.
Don't buy it if...
You want a little RGB flair Though the Razer DeathAdder V4 has the look and feel of a performance-oriented gaming mouse, more colorful gamers who need RGB lighting are going to be disappointed.
You're on a tight budget The price might be a bit much for the casual gamer looking for a quality gaming mouse.
Also consider
The Razer Basilisk V3 Pro 35K If you want to tone down the high-end esports-level performance a bit for some RGB lighting options, then Razer’s Basilisk V3 Pro may be a fine option.
Corsair M75 Wireless Mouse The Corsair M75 Wireless Mouse is an excellent performer, plus it’s lightweight, and, most importantly for lefties, has an ambidextrous design with buttons on both sides.
I used it to play games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, FBC: Firebreak, Splitgate 2, and Marvel Rivals
Given that the previous generation of the Razer DeathAdder Pro earned our top pick for best FPS mouse in our gaming mouse roundup, I put its successor through the wringer with a heavy dose of first-person shooters.
My test lineup included Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, FBC: Firebreak, Splitgate 2, and Marvel Rivals, offering a solid understanding of speed, precision, and reaction-based capabilities.
Beyond the battlefield, I also assessed how the mouse handled everyday tasks—browsing the web, managing playlists on music streaming platforms, and navigating between applications—to get a full picture of its performance in both gaming and daily use.
There's no denying that the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is a premium laptop. Everything about it screams 'high-end', from the sleek chassis to the fantastic performance. Is it one of the best ultrabooks? Having spent a week using it for this review, I feel confident saying so.
Of course, such premium design quality means a premium price tag to match, with even the base configuration starting at an eye-watering $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615). That's a high asking price, but the Book5 Pro 360 puts a lot of work into justifying it.
For starters, the overall performance here is strong. The Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor powering this laptop performs admirably across a wide range of workloads, even capable of handling triple-A games with the help of resolution upscaling. The battery life is also truly top-notch.
In terms of build quality, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 feels like it belongs among the best laptops, with a premium feel to the chassis and a sturdy 360-degree display hinge (making it a prime candidate for one of the best 2-in-1 laptops). With a good range of physical ports and a gorgeous AMOLED display to boot, this is one laptop I was seriously reluctant to send back once my testing was complete.
(Image credit: Future)
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Price and availability
Starts at $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615)
Available now in the US and UK
Only one configuration available in the US
Starting at $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615), the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 doesn't have a wealth of configurations to choose from. In fact, US shoppers can only purchase one specific model, which features a 1TB SSD, 16GB of RAM, and an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU.
If you're in the UK, you can pick up that same configuration for £1,799, or a slightly less powerful version with 512GB of storage and a Core Ultra 5 chip for the aforementioned £1,599 price tag.
It's some pretty steep pricing, especially in the UK - although as always, it should be noted that British pricing includes tax, and there's no telling how the current tariff situation will affect the actual retail price in the States. I've seen costlier laptops, and the Book5 Pro 360 lives up to its price tag, but this isn't one for the faint of heart (or slim of wallet).
Sorry to our readers over in Australia, as it seems that Samsung hasn't seen fit to bring any of the Galaxy Book laptop series to the land down under (at least, not according to its own online store). That means you'll be looking at third-party importers if you want to get your hands on a Book5 model.
Price: 3 / 5
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Specs
Here are the specs for the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360:
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 specs
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 (model reviewed)
Starting Price
$1,699 / £1,799 (around AU$2,615)
CPU
Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
GPU
Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics
RAM
16GB
Storage
Up to 1TB SSD
Display
16-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) AMOLED 120Hz touchscreen
Upon first unboxing it, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 immediately feels like a high-end piece of hardware. It's just half an inch thick, and there's not an ounce of wasted space here; the chassis is carefully sculpted around the 16-inch display, with a tiny bezel that also houses the 1080p webcam. The whole thing feels durable and well-constructed.
Despite featuring a full-scale keyboard that features a numpad on the right-hand side, typing on the Book5 Pro 360 never felt cramped in my testing. The individual keys are sufficiently spaced and offer a decent amount of travel for a thin-and-light ultrabook. There's a fingerprint reader for more secure logins, and you can also use Windows Hello to unlock the laptop with facial recognition.
The trackpad is very responsive with a robust click and no noticeable flex in the housing, even with firm presses - although as usual, I'd recommend connecting a third-party mouse instead. I didn't notice any issues with the palm rejection while typing, which is always a relief.
The 360-degree hinge that lets you flip into tablet mode is pleasingly sturdy (no annoying wobbles here), though I'd perhaps say that tablet functionality is the weakest feather in Samsung's cap. The Book5 Pro 360 is simply a bit too large and heavy to really work as a tablet device; don't expect this to beat any of the best tablets in that regard.
(Image credit: Future)
That being said, the touchscreen is fantastic; a 3K AMOLED display with excellent brightness, sharpness, and color reproduction. The Samsung S Pen comes bundled with every Book5 Pro 360, and while I'm no artist, it seems to work very well, which could be a potential boon for digital creatives. It would be nice if the S Pen could be garaged or snap magnetically to the chassis, though.
In terms of physical connectivity, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 features a great selection of ports: two Thunderbolt 4-enabled USB-Cs, one USB-A, HDMI video output for connecting a second screen, headphone jack, and even a microSD card reader - a worthwhile inclusion for photographers. Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, exemplifying the cutting-edge nature of this laptop.
(Image credit: Future)
I also have to discuss the software side of things, since virtually every laptop manufacturer these days is dead set on cramming as many proprietary apps into their laptops as possible. These can range from somewhat useful to borderline malware, and are often among the first things I uninstall on a new device.
Mercifully, Samsung's integrated software is largely unobtrusive, and can be ignored entirely after the initial setup if you're so inclined. The tools on offer are best employed by users who already own another Galaxy device, with the Multi Control feature letting you access your Samsung phone or tablet directly from the laptop. You can even use a Galaxy Tab as a second screen, although I didn't have one on hand to test this myself.
(Image credit: Future)
Design: 4.5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Performance
Strong all-round performance
Intel Core Ultra chip gives local AI functionality
Even capable of triple-A gaming (with some tweaks)
I was seriously impressed with the performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V processor at the core of the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360. Outside of dedicated testing, I found the laptop remarkably fast and responsive, capable of handling multitasking workloads with ease.
Although the lack of a discrete GPU means that it's not best suited for seriously intensive work like video editing or 3D modeling, it can still handle a variety of daily tasks. My usual workload involves keeping a minimum of ten Chrome tabs open at once, usually with Spotify running in the background and the occasional bit of image editing in GIMP, and the Book5 Pro 360 had zero issues with that.
(Image credit: Future)
Samsung Galaxy Book5 360 benchmarks
Here's how the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 performed in our suite of benchmark tests: 3DMark: Night Raid: 17,990; Fire Strike: 8,874; Time Spy: 3,891; Steel Nomad: 1,677 Cinebench R24: Multi-core: 588; Single-core: 124 Geekbench 6.4: Multicore: 10,630; Single-core: 2,635 Geekbench AI: Single Precision Score: 3,165; Half Precision Score: 1,412; Quantized Score: 6,286 PCMark 10: 6,767 Crossmark: Overall: 1,770; Productivity: 1,640; Creativity: 1,996; Responsiveness: 1,558 Sid Meier's Civilization VII: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 34fps; (1080p, High, No Upscaling): 22fps Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Low, No Upscaling): 39fps;(1080p, Ultra, No Upscaling): 23fps Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 20 hours, 3 minutes
Over on the test bench, the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 scored well across the board, with good performance in synthetic rendering and productivity tests. It's not world-beating performance (the best MacBooks will give this laptop a run for its money), but it's certainly on par with comparable Windows laptops.
Gaming performance is seriously impressive considering that it's all running on integrated Intel Arc graphics. Cyberpunk 2077 was just about playable at 1080p with the lowest graphical preset, but turn on upscaling (either via Intel's own XeSS tech or AMD's open-source FSR 3.0) and you can easily get a stable 30+ frames per second even on medium settings.
You might notice above that the recorded scores for Civilization VII - a less demanding title than Cyberpunk - look a bit low. Despite multiple attempts with different settings, I couldn't coax any better performance out of that game, and turning on upscaling actually made the framerate worse. Other games (including Borderlands 3 and Alan Wake 2) ran as expected, so it's possible there was a driver issue or similar obstacle I simply didn't have time to properly diagnose and resolve in my testing.
Lastly, the Book5 Pro 360 features a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) on its Intel Core Ultra 7 chip, designed to handle local AI workloads (like some of the functionality of Microsoft Copilot). The NPU performance is solid, but it's worth noting that for running more intensive AI tasks - like training your own LLM - you'll see better performance on a laptop with a discrete Nvidia GPU.
(Image credit: Future)
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 review: Battery life
Fantastic battery lifespan
Outlasts many competing laptops
Charges quickly
Samsung makes some bold claims about the 76Wh battery of the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360, suggesting that it offers up to 25 hours of continuous use. It didn't quite live up to that figure in my testing, but it still delivered a very respectable 20 hours and 3 minutes of looped video playback.
We run our battery test at 50% brightness with Windows 11's 'best efficiency' power preset enabled, so that 25-hour figure actually sounds pretty achievable if you really tried to squeeze every last drop from the battery with minimum brightness and Energy Saver turned on. Regardless, it's an impressive result that comfortably defeats many competing laptops. The only one to beat it in recent memory is the 2025 Intel Core Ultra Dell XPS 13, but that laptop crucially has a much smaller (and therefore less power-hungry) display.
Charging is also fast, with power delivery via Thunderbolt 4 taking the battery from empty to full in approximately 90 minutes. The only downside is having to sacrifice a USB-C port while charging, but with plenty of other ports available, it's a very minor concern.
Battery: 5 / 5
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Book5 360?
Samsung Galaxy Book5 360: Scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Price
The bundled S Pen is a nice extra, but the price tag is still fairly high - though not entirely unreasonable for a premium ultrabook like this.
3.5 / 5
Design
Although the tablet mode is a bit unwieldy due to the large screen, this is a fantastically designed laptop overall.
4.5 / 5
Performance
Performance is strong across the board, with good gaming capabilities and a discrete NPU for AI workloads.
4.5 / 5
Battery
20 hours of battery life places the Book5 Pro 360 among the best of the best when it comes to laptop longevity.
5 / 5
Overall rating
If you're looking for a premium Windows device that beats out most of the competition, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is a strong choice.
4.25 / 5
Buy it if...
You want premium build quality The Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 feels like an expertly engineered device, with a robust screen hinge and comfortable keyboard.
You want a fast and versatile laptop With strong all-rounder performance and great responsiveness, plus a fantastic touchscreen, this Galaxy Book can handle almost anything you throw at it.
Don't buy it if...
You really want a tablet Although the touchscreen is great, the whole laptop is slightly too large to be practical as a tablet - it's fine for occasional use, but ill-suited as a dedicated tablet device.
You're on a budget There's no avoiding it: the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 is expensive. If you want an affordable system, you'll be better off checking out our best budget laptops guide.
Samsung Galaxy Book5 360: Also consider
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 If you can make do with just a touchscreen, rather than a fully convertible laptop, the Surface 7 is an excellent choice. We found its performance very capable across multiple areas, while its design, battery life, and even sound quality are great as well. It uses an ARM processor, though, so beware of possible incompatibilities. Check out our Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) For those who aren't too concerned about Windows and would be happy to make the switch to macOS, the 16-inch M4 MacBook Pro is the way to go - just bear in mind that it's even more expensive (and even more powerful) than the Galaxy Book5 Pro 360. Check out our MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) review
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4, 2024)
Starting Price
From $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,615)
From $999.99 / £1,049.99 / AU$1,899
From $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999
CPU
Up to Intel Core Ultra 7 256V
Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite
Up to Apple M4 Max (16-core)
GPU
Intel Arc 140V integrated graphics
Qualcomm Adreno GPU
Up to 40-core integrated GPU
RAM
16GB DDR5
Up to 32GB LPDDR5x
Up to 48GB unified memory
Storage
Up to 1TB SSD
Up to 1TB SSD
Up to 1TB SSD
Display
16-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) AMOLED 120Hz touchscreen
As I usually do for any laptop review, I replaced my daily driver (the ever-dependable HP Spectre x360) with the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 for one week, using it for both my regular work and a bit of entertainment outside of the nine-to-five.
My day-to-day workload mostly involves editing spreadsheets and text documents, researching online in Chrome, and some light image editing (usually to produce fun pictures for spicy opinion articles). Beyond that, I also used the Book5 Pro 360 for some gaming, playing Borderlands and Stardew Valley with my partner, as well as finally catching up on Dandadan season 2 on Netflix.
I've got plenty of experience in testing laptops, as I've been professionally reviewing them (along with all other sorts of computer hardware) for more than eight years. I've learned what it takes to make a good laptop, and what potential drawbacks to keep an eye out for.
The Dell 14 Premium is finally here, and it is definitely worth the wait.
The 14 Premium is the latest Dell laptop to launch as part of its rebranding, replacing the fan-favorite Dell XPS lineup of laptops, which ranked among the best laptops year after year for as long as I've been reviewing laptops for TechRadar.
Like the Dell 16 Premium, the Dell 14 Premium essentially carries on the XPS formula with little changed beyond the branding, but that's not a bad thing at all. The Dell XPS 14 (2024) was one of the best Dell laptops I've ever reviewed, and the 14 Premium is even better still.
Starting at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40, the 14 Premium matches the starting price of the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) that it is competing with, though the 14 Premium does max out a bit cheaper than the MacBook Pro 14.
Obviously, you won't get the same kind of performance from the base-spec 14 Premium as you do if you go the discrete graphics, non-OLED route, which starts at $1,999.99 / £1,999 / AU$$3,297.8. Content creators, or those who want one of the best displays you're going to find on a laptop right now, will want to check out the RTX 4050/OLED configurations, which start at $2,199.99 / £2,199 / AU$3,598.10.
The Dell 14 Premium is on sale right now, with configurations starting as low as $1,499.99 in the US, with higher-tier configurations marked down more than $250 at Dell's website.View Deal
If performance is what you're after, the Dell 14 Premium beats out the MacBook Pro 14-inch, overall, in my testing, but it's not a total knockout. Given the performance I've seen from the MacBook Pro 14-inch base-spec, the 14 Premium really can't keep up on the low-end, and those looking to keep things within a tighter budget will likely be better off with a MacBook Pro (as much as it pains me to say it as a diehard Windows user).
If you're looking for high-end performance, however, the MacBook Pro 14-inch's M4 just can't keep up with the 14 Premium's RTX 4050 discrete graphics. It makes a huge difference in some workloads, like 3D modeling, and especially when it comes to gaming.
One other thing the 14 Premium has over the MacBook Pro 14-inch is the option for an OLED display, which looks gorgeous. The rest of the laptop is solid and has a much more premium feel to it than the 14 Plus, but there are some design quirks that keep it from truly laying out its competition on the mat.
While the discrete graphics and OLED upgrades do push the price considerably higher, there's no question that the upgrade is worth it, especially the upgrade to the RTX 4050 GPU, which unlocks a lot of power necessary for high-end applications.
This, of course, considerably impacts the device's battery life, dragging it down below nine hours in my testing. But for a laptop this compact with a high-end display and discrete graphics, it's definitely a worthwhile compromise.
So, bottom line: does the Dell 14 Premium defeat the current MacBook Pro 14-inch with M4? Yes, but it's down to the judges rather than a KO, and so your mileage may vary depending on your needs and budget. If you're going with high-end specs, the Dell 14 Premium is probably the best Windows laptop going right now, but if you're not going to go with the RTX 4050 GPU, the MacBook Pro 14-inch is probably the better bet for those looking to stay on budget.
Dell 14 Premium: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
How much does it cost? Starts at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40
When is it available? It's available now
Where can you get it? You can buy it in the US, UK, and Australia through Dell’s website and other retailers.
The Dell 14 Premium is available now in the US, UK, and Australia, starting at $1,499.99 / £1,499 / AU$2,798.40, respectively.
This puts it in line with the starting price of the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4), and is roughly in line with where the XPS 14 (2024) launched last year, though the 14 Premium is cheaper to start in the UK and Australia than its predecessor.
Given its premium status, this isn't really that bad a price for a laptop like this, and its high-end configurations are cheaper than a comparable MacBook Pro 14-inch, which definitely can't be overlooked. Still, it's expensive, especially in an era where everyone is a bit less free with their spending than they were even a year ago.
Value: 4 / 5
Dell 14 Premium: Specs
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Up to RTX 4050 GPU
Wi-Fi 7
Only Thunderbolt 4
The specs for the Dell 14 Premium are pretty much identical to the Dell XPS 14 that preceded it, with some important differences.
This is not an Intel Lunar Lake laptop; it's an Arrow Lake H laptop, so while the processor model numbers might look very similar, they are two different architectures.
This allows the Intel Core Ultra 255H chip to be paired with an Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, something last year's model wasn't capable of due to the limitations of the Lunar Lake chip design.
The 14 Premium is also configured with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, though it only has Thunderbolt 4 ports rather than the newer Thunderbolt 5 that the top-spec Dell 16 Premium has.
1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1
1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1
1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1
Battery
69.5WHr
69.5WHr
69.5WHr
Wireless
Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4
Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4
Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4
Camera
1080p IR camera
1080p IR camera
1080p IR camera
Weight
3.66 lbs | 1.66kg
3.66 lbs | 1.66kg
3.66 lbs | 1.66kg
Dimensions
12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm
12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm
12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm
The base specs are fairly modest, though you do start out with at least 16GB LPDDR5x RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is necessary if you're planning on using Windows 11's Copilot+ AI features. There's also no difference in starting configuration between the US, UK, and Australia.
1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 5, 1 x microSDXC 7.1
1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1
1 x 3.5mm combo jack, 3 x Thunderbolt 4 Gen 2 (DP 2.1, Power Delivery), 1 x microSDXC 7.1
Battery
69.5WHr
69.5WHr
69.5WHr
Wireless
Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4
Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4
Wi-Fi 7, BT 5.4
Camera
1080p IR camera
1080p IR camera
1080p IR camera
Weight
3.79 lbs | 1.72kg
3.79 lbs | 1.72kg
3.79 lbs | 1.72kg
Dimensions
12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm
12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm
12.6 x 8.5 x 0.71 ins | 320 x 215.97 x 18mm
On the top-end, the Dell 14 Premium configurations are nearly identical, save that in the UK, you can opt for a slightly more powerful Core Ultra 7 265H chip rather than the Core Ultra 7 255H in every other configuration.
For this review, I tested out the top US configuration listed above.
Specs: 4.5 / 5
Dell 14 Premium: Design
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Gorgeous OLED display
Excellent port selection
Trackpad and function key row still controversial
From the outside, the Dell 14 Premium is identical to last year's XPS 14 (save for the new logo on the lid), and that's not a bad thing. The 14 Premium's construction and minimalist aesthetic definitely make it look like it's all business, something you'd expect from a company like Dell, renowned as it is for its business and enterprise market dominance.
That doesn't make it ugly, though. It's a good-looking laptop, somewhat undercut by its two colorways, Graphite and Platinum, which are honestly rather boring at this point.
With the new Surface Laptop 7 coming in a gorgeous Sapphire colorway and even Apple adding a Sky Blue option for this year's MacBook Air models (not to mention my beloved Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch having a Violet option), laptops are starting to finally have more personality than the design deadend that Apple pushed us all into with its MacBook Silver and Space Gray colorways in the 2010s.
In this regard, I hope Dell catches up next year, but one thing at a time, I guess. Dropping the XPS branding and introducing a splash of color in one release might have pushed some Dell fans over the edge, so steady as she goes, design-wise.
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
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(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
I've spilled enough ink over the past couple of years about my mixed feelings when it comes to the borderless trackpad (and loss of the delightful carbon-fibery palm rests), so I'll let that critique go. Finally.
I've yet to fully embrace the solid strip beneath the keyboard, as it does take some getting used to for finding out exactly how to right click on something, but it's easy enough to pick up and soon becomes second nature. It's still an accessibility nightmare, as is the lack of physical function keys along the top of the keydeck. On the plus side, there are top-firing speakers, which isn't always a sure thing on a 14-inch laptop.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The keyboard itself is decent enough, though these aren't my favorite keys to type on. I'm very used to mechanical keyboards, so the travel and tactile responsiveness of the 14 Premium's take getting used to, and I'm not sure I ever will. If this is going to be your only or even just your primary laptop, however, you'll get used to it just fine.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Some are going to complain about the lack of USB Type-A ports on the 14 Premium, but frankly, it's 2025. At some point, older, slower interfaces will be retired, and it's time, honestly. There are plenty of adapters out there to convert USB-A to USB-C, and you can even add the option for a mini-hub dongle with USB-A and HDMI ports that can plug into one of the three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the device. All three provide power delivery and DisplayPort out, with up to 4 monitors supported overall.
You also get a microSD slot, which is great for creative pros who work with SD cards alot, and a dedicated 3.5mm combo jack. All in all, a solid port selection for a device this small.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
One other knock I have to give the 14 Premium though is its webcam. The 1080p IR webcam itself is perfectly good, and gets up to 30 FPS 1080p video, which is great for video calls and meetings. My problem, though, is the lack of a privacy shutter. It's 2025, and this should be the default on a 'premium' laptop.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The overall aesthetics of the 14 Premium are as good as its XPS pedigree, but it could use some freshening up in the next couple of years, in my opinion. It's built solid and won't be embarrassing to whip out in the office in five year's time, but we are kind of coming up against this design's shelf life, and I hope we see something new next year.
Design: 4 / 5
Dell 14 Premium: Performance
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Powerful creative chops
Decent 1080p gaming
Falls a good bit behind Apple's MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) on some benchmarks
So, when it comes down to it, performance really is the most important factor in a laptop like the Dell 14 Premium. It's competing against one of the best MacBooks ever made in the recent MacBook Pro 14-inch, and given its pricing, the 14 Premium has to deliver on something other than cost.
It's a bit of a mixed bag, ultimately. The CPU performance for the M4 chip outperforms the Intel Core Ultra 255H in all tests but Geekbench 6.4 multicore performance, where they are very close, with the Dell 14 Premium in the lead.
That said, the Intel Core Ultra 255H is mostly competitive with the M4 in CPU computing tasks, and the difference is such that you'd be very hard-pressed to notice the M4's faster performance in actual use. The 14 Premium falls behind quite a bit on single-core performance, which is important for running some high-impact creative apps like Adobe Photoshop or Pro Tools, but that's only part of the story.
The very strong single-core performance for the MacBook Pro 14-inch is offset quite a bit by the relatively slow SSD performance I saw in my Blackmagic Disk Speed Test benchmark. The Dell 14 Premium clocked in with an impressive 4,235 MB/s read speed to the MacBook Pro 14-inch's 2,900 MB/s. That's a nearly 50% faster read speed for the 14 Premium, and that translates directly into faster load times for programs and opening files.
The MacBook Pro 14-inch might beat the 14 Premium in single-core performance, but when it comes to system and app startup, downloads, and other file operations, that extra sluggishness on Apple's part will noticeably cut into its advantage here. That doesn't mean the 14 Premium will somehow eek out a win when it comes to video encoding or processing photos in Photoshop. What it does do, however, is help keep the 14 Premium in the hunt when its Intel chip is being outclassed by the M4's processing power (ironically, last year's Dell XPS 14 scored the highest in my storage benchmark tests).
Swing things around to GPU performance, though, and things fall apart for Apple pretty quick. There just isn't a way for an integrated GPU to compete with even a budget discrete Nvidia GPU like the RTX 4050.
There are only a few cross-platform GPU tests that I can use for both the Dell 14 Premium and the MacBook Pro 14-inch, but in all cases, the RTX 4050 just outclasses the M4 10-core GPU, especially in ray-tracing workloads like Solar Bay
Meanwhile, in areas like video and photo editing, the MacBook Pro 14-inch might have an advantage over the 14 Premium, but it's not earth-shattering.
The 14 Premium encoded a 4K video into 1080p about 22% slower than the MacBook Pro 14-inch, which is definitely something for video editors to consider (who are we kidding, we know y'all are just going to buy a MacBook Pro. Your entire industry is built around macOS). In my PugetBench for Creators-Adobe Photoshop tests, the Dell 14 Premium came in about 29% slower. For video and photography pros, this will absolutely be a dealbreaker and push you firmly back into the Apple camp, and that's understandable if that's what you're looking to use your next laptop for.
However, compare those results to the MacBook Pro 14-inch's Blender Benchmark 4.3.0 performance, which is about 60% slower, overall, than the 14 Premium's.
When it comes to machine learning workloads, the situation will be similar, since Pytorch, the software framework that drives pretty much all AI development right now, is deeply tied to Nvidia's tensor core hardware. We don't have any good cross-platform AI benchmarks right now to give quantitative numbers, so giving a percentage of which laptop is better isn't really possible yet (I'm working on it, I promise).
That said, I've spent the better part of a decade studying computer science to earn my Master's degree in the field, and I can tell you that not a single person I know uses anything other than Nvidia hardware for this kind of work, and the Dell 14 Premium will be able to run AI inference and GAN workloads far better than the MacBook Pro 14-inch.
Finally, when it comes to gaming, none of these laptops are making it onto our best gaming laptop list, but the RTX 4050 GPU in the 14 Premium I tested made it much easier to play modern AAA PC games, with reasonable adjustments made to settings.
At 1080p on the highest settings in those games where I can compare results across devices, the Dell 14 Premium averaged about 75% faster FPS on average overall compared to the MacBook Pro 14-inch.
Of course, there's also the issue with whether or not the game you want can run on a Mac, which isn't a guarantee, while Windows is the default for all PC games on major platforms like Steam or GOG. I wouldn't go out of your way to buy the 14 Premium to play games on, but it's nice to know that you can effectively game if you're on the road for work and you're tired of writing up reports or designing work presentations in your hotel room.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Dell 14 Premium: Battery Life
How long does it last on a single charge? 8 hours, 16 minutes
How long does it take to charge from empty to full? It takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge to full with a 100W AC adapter
For battery life, the Dell 14 Premium doesn't have spectacular longevity, especially compared to something like the Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch, which run about 55% longer than the 14 Premium, but there are costs involved in using discrete graphics and more power hungry OLED displays.
Overall, I think the tradeoff is worth it, but if batter life is a major concern for you, sticking with an LCD display and integrated graphics are the way to go here, and should get you a good bit more juice on a single charge.
Battery Life: 3.5 / 5
Should you buy the Dell 14 Premium?
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Dell 14 Premium Scorecard
Category
Notes
Rating
Value
The 14 Premium is not totally out of line price-wise for its market. This is still a premium device, so budget-conscious buyers might be better off looking elsewhere. That said, for the level of performance and portability, it will likely offer a better value than a similarly specced MacBook Pro 14-inch.
4 / 5
Specs
There aren't a whole lot of configuration options available, you do get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and options for an RTX 4050 GPU and a gorgeous OLED display.
4.5 / 5
Design
The 14 Premium is a good looking device that is well-made and portable. Its 'virtual' function keys, borderless trackpad, and lack of webcam privacy shutter knocks some points off though.
4 / 5
Performance
While it doesn't dethrone the MacBook Pro 14-inch as the go-to device for creative pros, it more than holds its own against Apple's popular laptop and even outperforms it in key areas.
4.5 / 5
Battery Life
At just over 8 hours of battery life on a charge, this isn't the longest-lasting laptop going. If batter life is a concern, skip the RTX 4050 GPU and OLED display to reduce strain on the 69.5WHr battery.
3.5 / 5
Final Score
The Dell 14 Premium outperforms the MacBook Pro 14-inch when every score is averaged, but there's enough nuance here that it's not a laptop I can unconditionally recommend to everybody. Most people? Yes; but creatives will still want to look at the MacBook Pro 14-inch.
4.10 / 5
Buy the Dell 14 Premium if...
You want a high-performance 14-inch ultrabook The highly portable form factor belies some seriously powerful hardware inside.
You need an Nvidia GPU for on-the-go work There are some tasks that simply require an Nvidia GPU, and this is one of the most portable laptops you'll find that offers one.
You want to do some moderate PC gaming The RTX 4050 GPU in the 14 Premium has 1080p gaming chops, just keep your graphics settings reasonable.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a tight budget As the name suggests, the 14 Premium doesn't come cheap. You might be better off with the Dell 14 Plus if money's tight.
You plan on doing heavy-duty video editing While the 14 Premium can handle serious video editing tasks, the MacBook Pro 14-inch is simply better suited for that workload.
You need all-day battery life The battery life on the 14 Premium isn't terrible, but you will need to bring a charger with you in you plan on working on it all day.
Also consider
Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) The Dell 14 Premium is directly competing with the MacBook Pro 14-inch, and both are pretty evenly matched in the end.
I ran it through our standard battery of benchmark tests
I spent about two weeks working with the Dell 14 Premium, putting it through my typical battery of benchmark tests, and using it for everyday productivity and creative work.
I used standard benchmarking tools like 3DMark, Geekbench, PugetBench for Creators, and in-game benchmarks for PC gaming performance analysis.
I also used the laptop as my everyday device, including some light gaming in addition to working with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
I've been reviewing laptops for Techradar for more than five years, and I've tested more than a hundred laptops in that time, both for reviews and for investigative testing to support special computing features and content in that time, so I know better than most when a laptop is hitting the mark and when and where it misses.
Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Three-minute review
(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
Having used an OLED ultrawide for years now, specifically the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED (a mouthful, I know), I've been curious about a switch to mini-LED. The idea of higher brightness while gaming is intriguing, to say the least, and in came the Mobile Pixels 34-inch curved mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor.
This monitor left me impressed with its quality while gaming or watching content built for high brightness – so much so that I didn't miss using my main OLED monitor. For the first time ever, I've been able to push brightness very high in games and enjoy fascinating visuals, and most importantly, without too much exposure.
Images don't really do it much justice, as it will mostly seem too bright to view in images below. However, believe me when I say it's a treat to view in person – and it comes down to its HDR1000 VESA certification (allowing 1000 nits of peak brightness), and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio producing incredible deep black levels.
With an 180Hz refresh rate, which is higher than what you might find on some of the best ultrawide gaming monitors, I was able to enjoy my favorite games easily.
(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
It's important to note, though, that it's not all great. Dark level smearing (especially when reading white text against dark backgrounds) and ghosting in games are noticeable, and while that's to be expected for a VA panel, it will be bothersome for those who are accustomed to faster displays.
While it didn't completely spoil my gaming or movie viewing experiences, it was a lot more evident for me when playing fast-paced games, especially when using Frame Generation against darker backgrounds in-game. It gets worse (as expected) when enabling any of the overdrive settings via the monitor OSD menu – which I must add, is very finicky, as it sometimes won't save settings or simply undo them randomly.
The biggest examples for me were using path tracing in Cyberpunk 2077, and notably path tracing mods in Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2, which comes with a lot of ghosting already and lacks a denoiser (but served as an easier way for me to notice the difference). When in lighter backgrounds, ghosting was noticeable, but it wasn't too extreme. When stepping into darker areas, the ghosting and smearing were seriously bad.
Perhaps it's a bit unfair coming from using an OLED to a VA mini-LED, but its price is in the same region as other OLED monitors that don't have this issue. It would have worked in Mobile Pixels' favor to use an IPS panel instead of VA for better response times, but that would potentially be a drawback on the great contrast available here.
Notice the ghosting is worse on the darker background? (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
In terms of blooming, it's kept to a minimum when sitting directly in front of the monitor. Bear in mind, what you're seeing below isn't the best representation of how well the haloing effect is kept to a minimum, due to different lighting conditions.
There's a 'Halo Control' setting in the OSD menu, but I found that adjustments weren't very necessary. I was quite happy with how well this monitor handles bloom. Compared to my mini-LED TV (specifically the TCL 55QM8B), which has 300+ full-array local dimming zones, I'd say the results were fairly similar.
I must reiterate that this is a VA panel, so viewing angles are narrow. Essentially, blooming is significantly worse when viewing from either side, but I've never used my ultrawide monitors when sitting away from my desk (unless it's a 32:9 display).
HDR is enabled here... (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
Lining this up with an OLED display, again, is pretty unfair, since the AW3423DWF is night and day ahead, but it gave me a good impression of how good the deep black levels are on the Mobile Pixels 34-inch ultrawide. If you've been using a regular LED display, mini-LED will still blow you away – and in my eyes, it's the best alternative to OLED.
And the comparison below is proof of that. The OLED's deep black levels are genuinely phenomenal, and while the mini-LED strays far behind due to blooming, it was still great enough for me to enjoy content – and that's even better when you throw in the benefit of very high brightness.
It's also worth noting that there's no worry of burn-in, unlike OLED monitors. It's been a breath of fresh air not to baby my Alienware display with OLED care and pixel refreshes. In some ways, you can almost say that makes mini-LED the better choice, as you're getting the best of the 'brightness world', while still taking some benefits of great contrast – and with an OLED, you're mostly getting the best of the latter.
Yes, multiple OLED monitors like the AW3423DWF can utilize HDR1000, and OLEDs are about to get brighter with True Black HDR1000 VESA certifications. However, my display has a very aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), which kicks in when trying to use HDR1000, and I've not had to deal with that on the Mobile Pixels ultrawide.
It's taught me to respect mini-LED monitors, which I once saw as too low of a step down from OLED, and I'd very much consider using one in a multi-display setup.
Top monitor is OLED, bottom is mini-LED (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
I'm very pleased with Mobile Pixels' decision to place the ports of the monitor directly on its rear, instead of the underside like most monitors do. I get that this is done to avoid strain on cables standing upright and prevent any damage, but it's so easy and convenient to reach if you need to unplug or plug any of them – and it's super beneficial if you have a cramped desktop setup like me.
The 90W USB-C reverse charging port is a welcome addition, and I could use it to charge other devices – and I really saw the benefit of this since I have tons of devices occupying power sockets.
It features 4-array microphones with DNC noise reduction, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't my PC wouldn't recognize this, so I had no luck with testing there.
(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
The RGB lighting is decent enough, but not bright enough to appreciate. I won't knock the monitor down for this, though. Most monitors I've used don't have RGB lighting that stands out, except for the Philips Evnia displays that have a special Ambilight feature to sync content on the screen to its RGB lights.
Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Price & Availability
How much does it cost? $899.99 / around £660 / AU$1,370 without import costs
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia (shipping from the US)
The Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide monitor retails at $899.99 / around £660 / AU$1,730, and while this display's high brightness and contrast ratio have left me impressed, I think it should be much cheaper. Some OLED ultrawide monitors are currently cheaper and don't have issues like dark level smearing or ghosting.
It's not a bad monitor despite some of its issues, but I'd have been more fond of it if it didn't cost this much. Import fees will also bump up the cost if you're outside of the US, which makes its potential total price even more unappealing.
Fortunately, it gets a lot right, specifically within the region of HDR brightness and contrast; there's hardly any loss of detail when looking at bright scenery in movies or games when at maximum brightness, so it's something to consider if you're looking to get your hands on it.
(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Specs
Screen Size
34-inch
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Resolution
3440x1440
Brightness
450 nits (Min) 1000 nits (Max)
Contrast Ratio
1,000,000:1
Refresh Rate
180Hz
Color Accuracy
99% sRGB | 94% DCI-P3 | 99% Adobe RGB
Speakers
2x 5W Midrange, 1x 12W Bass
Microphone
4-array microphones with DSC noise reduction
Weight
18.51 lbs
Wall Mountable (VESA)
100 x 100 mm
FreeSync Premium technology
Yes
Power Consumption
Typ. 65W, Max. 270W
Panel Type
VA
Connections
2 × USB-A 3.0
1 × USB-C 3.1
2 × HDMI 2.0
1 × DP 1.4
1 × 3.5mm Audio out
Should you buy the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Plenty of high brightness to enjoy across movies, TV shows, and games, but could benefit from a slightly cheaper price tag.
3 / 5
Design
Bogged down by the mediocre speakers on the bottom of monitor, but is adequate in other areas.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Besides dark level smearing and ghosting, the high brightness with HDR 1000, significantly enhances visual experiences, standing as a great alternative to OLED.
4 / 5
Features
OSD needs an improvement, but a 180Hz refresh rate and USB-C 90W reverse charging port are a very welcome addition.
4 / 5
Average rating
The Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide would be much better with a lower retail price, repositioning of the speakers, and an IPS panel for less ghosting and smearing, but excels at high brightness for immersion, making it a good option for PC gamers.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You desire an ultrawide with high brightness
The Mobile Pixels mini-LED monitor is ideal for those who crave bright and lively gaming experiences, with HDR1000 blending well with the 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It's best used in titles that are built for HDR.View Deal
You want to avoid burn-in care
While OLED is an easy choice at an affordable price, it's not for everyone, as there's always a risk of burn-in. OLED burn-in care has advanced, but not having to worry about the possibility at all with this mini-LED monitor is a big win.View Deal
You're upgrading from a regular LED monitor
The jump from a regular LED display to Mobile Pixels' mini-LED, is significant, and while it suffers a total loss to OLED deep black levels, it comes close enough while getting the best of brightness. View Deal
Don't buy if...
You're looking for a budget monitor
This monitor's biggest issue is its price, especially compared to OLEDs that are at the same price range or less expensive. It retails at $899.99, which is too high considering the issues it has with ghosting and smearing.View Deal
You prefer the best deep black levels
Like other mini-LED displays, the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor does a great job with contrast, but it doesn't match up to OLED, which remains undefeated at producing the best contrast.View Deal
You find ghosting and smearing frustrating
If you're a competitive gamer or simply happen to notice dark level smearing and ghosting easily, you might want to reconsider purchasing this monitor. It's using a VA panel, so viewing angles and the response time aren't the best.View Deal
Also consider
Acer Predator X32QFS
If dark level smearing and ghosting are a big issue for you, and you don't mind a 4K mini-LED instead of an ultrawide, then the Acer Predator X32QFS should be on your radar. This features a mini-LED IPS panel, which handles ghosting much better, and compatibility for both PS5 and PC with HDMI 2.1.
1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A, 1 x audio jack
Color gamut
99% Adobe RGB, 99% DCI-P3
Display colors
1.07 billion
Warranty
2-years
How I tested the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide
Two weeks of usage on movies, TV shows, and games, notably titles that implement HDR well
Some examples are Assassin's Creed Shadows, Street Fighter 6, Dragon's Dogma 2, Resident Evil 4 remake, and Cyberpunk 2077
Multiple contrast tests and comparisons with Alienware AW3423DWF OLED ultrawide monitor
Throughout my two weeks of testing, especially when gaming, I had plenty of fun with the Mobile Pixels 34-inch monitor, and put my OLED monitor aside as a secondary display. Despite the drawbacks of blooming and ghosting, it was easy to enjoy bright content without losing much detail.
Testing Stellar Blade, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Cyberpunk 2077 first left great initial impressions, specifically in Cyberpunk 2077, where neon lights and vivid streets provide exceptional visuals on any display, but it took things up a notch. The ghosting issues became far more noticeable when using Frame Generation in Cyberpunk 2077 and Dragon's Dogma 2, and even more so in fast-paced FPS games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Placing this next to Dell's Alienware OLED monitor, allowed me to point out the mini-LED monitor's drawbacks more easily. However, in terms of deep black levels, I was impressed with the Mobile Pixels 34-inch display, with just how close it can get to OLED, albeit still quite far off.
I used it for work and multitasking, which proved to be beneficial, in comparison to OLED, which notoriously has readability issues – and the mini-LED was a breeze to use while deep into productivity.
Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Three-minute review
(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
Having used an OLED ultrawide for years now, specifically the Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED (a mouthful, I know), I've been curious about a switch to mini-LED. The idea of higher brightness while gaming is intriguing, to say the least, and in came the Mobile Pixels 34-inch curved mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor.
This monitor left me impressed with its quality while gaming or watching content built for high brightness – so much so that I didn't miss using my main OLED monitor. For the first time ever, I've been able to push brightness very high in games and enjoy fascinating visuals, and most importantly, without too much exposure.
Images don't really do it much justice, as it will mostly seem too bright to view in images below. However, believe me when I say it's a treat to view in person – and it comes down to its HDR1000 VESA certification (allowing 1000 nits of peak brightness), and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio producing incredible deep black levels.
With an 180Hz refresh rate, which is higher than what you might find on some of the best ultrawide gaming monitors, I was able to enjoy my favorite games easily.
(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
It's important to note, though, that it's not all great. Dark level smearing (especially when reading white text against dark backgrounds) and ghosting in games are noticeable, and while that's to be expected for a VA panel, it will be bothersome for those who are accustomed to faster displays.
While it didn't completely spoil my gaming or movie viewing experiences, it was a lot more evident for me when playing fast-paced games, especially when using Frame Generation against darker backgrounds in-game. It gets worse (as expected) when enabling any of the overdrive settings via the monitor OSD menu – which I must add, is very finicky, as it sometimes won't save settings or simply undo them randomly.
The biggest examples for me were using path tracing in Cyberpunk 2077, and notably path tracing mods in Capcom's Dragon's Dogma 2, which comes with a lot of ghosting already and lacks a denoiser (but served as an easier way for me to notice the difference). When in lighter backgrounds, ghosting was noticeable, but it wasn't too extreme. When stepping into darker areas, the ghosting and smearing were seriously bad.
Perhaps it's a bit unfair coming from using an OLED to a VA mini-LED, but its price is in the same region as other OLED monitors that don't have this issue. It would have worked in Mobile Pixels' favor to use an IPS panel instead of VA for better response times, but that would potentially be a drawback on the great contrast available here.
Notice the ghosting is worse on the darker background? (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
In terms of blooming, it's kept to a minimum when sitting directly in front of the monitor. Bear in mind, what you're seeing below isn't the best representation of how well the haloing effect is kept to a minimum, due to different lighting conditions.
There's a 'Halo Control' setting in the OSD menu, but I found that adjustments weren't very necessary. I was quite happy with how well this monitor handles bloom. Compared to my mini-LED TV (specifically the TCL 55QM8B), which has 300+ full-array local dimming zones, I'd say the results were fairly similar.
I must reiterate that this is a VA panel, so viewing angles are narrow. Essentially, blooming is significantly worse when viewing from either side, but I've never used my ultrawide monitors when sitting away from my desk (unless it's a 32:9 display).
HDR is enabled here... (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
Lining this up with an OLED display, again, is pretty unfair, since the AW3423DWF is night and day ahead, but it gave me a good impression of how good the deep black levels are on the Mobile Pixels 34-inch ultrawide. If you've been using a regular LED display, mini-LED will still blow you away – and in my eyes, it's the best alternative to OLED.
And the comparison below is proof of that. The OLED's deep black levels are genuinely phenomenal, and while the mini-LED strays far behind due to blooming, it was still great enough for me to enjoy content – and that's even better when you throw in the benefit of very high brightness.
It's also worth noting that there's no worry of burn-in, unlike OLED monitors. It's been a breath of fresh air not to baby my Alienware display with OLED care and pixel refreshes. In some ways, you can almost say that makes mini-LED the better choice, as you're getting the best of the 'brightness world', while still taking some benefits of great contrast – and with an OLED, you're mostly getting the best of the latter.
Yes, multiple OLED monitors like the AW3423DWF can utilize HDR1000, and OLEDs are about to get brighter with True Black HDR1000 VESA certifications. However, my display has a very aggressive Automatic Brightness Limiter (ABL), which kicks in when trying to use HDR1000, and I've not had to deal with that on the Mobile Pixels ultrawide.
It's taught me to respect mini-LED monitors, which I once saw as too low of a step down from OLED, and I'd very much consider using one in a multi-display setup.
Top monitor is OLED, bottom is mini-LED (Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
I'm very pleased with Mobile Pixels' decision to place the ports of the monitor directly on its rear, instead of the underside like most monitors do. I get that this is done to avoid strain on cables standing upright and prevent any damage, but it's so easy and convenient to reach if you need to unplug or plug any of them – and it's super beneficial if you have a cramped desktop setup like me.
The 90W USB-C reverse charging port is a welcome addition, and I could use it to charge other devices – and I really saw the benefit of this since I have tons of devices occupying power sockets.
It features 4-array microphones with DNC noise reduction, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't my PC wouldn't recognize this, so I had no luck with testing there.
(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
The RGB lighting is decent enough, but not bright enough to appreciate. I won't knock the monitor down for this, though. Most monitors I've used don't have RGB lighting that stands out, except for the Philips Evnia displays that have a special Ambilight feature to sync content on the screen to its RGB lights.
Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Price & Availability
How much does it cost? $899.99 / around £660 / AU$1,370 without import costs
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia (shipping from the US)
The Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide monitor retails at $899.99 / around £660 / AU$1,730, and while this display's high brightness and contrast ratio have left me impressed, I think it should be much cheaper. Some OLED ultrawide monitors are currently cheaper and don't have issues like dark level smearing or ghosting.
It's not a bad monitor despite some of its issues, but I'd have been more fond of it if it didn't cost this much. Import fees will also bump up the cost if you're outside of the US, which makes its potential total price even more unappealing.
Fortunately, it gets a lot right, specifically within the region of HDR brightness and contrast; there's hardly any loss of detail when looking at bright scenery in movies or games when at maximum brightness, so it's something to consider if you're looking to get your hands on it.
(Image credit: Future / Isaiah Williams)
Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor: Specs
Screen Size
34-inch
Aspect Ratio
21:9
Resolution
3440x1440
Brightness
450 nits (Min) 1000 nits (Max)
Contrast Ratio
1,000,000:1
Refresh Rate
180Hz
Color Accuracy
99% sRGB | 94% DCI-P3 | 99% Adobe RGB
Speakers
2x 5W Midrange, 1x 12W Bass
Microphone
4-array microphones with DSC noise reduction
Weight
18.51 lbs
Wall Mountable (VESA)
100 x 100 mm
FreeSync Premium technology
Yes
Power Consumption
Typ. 65W, Max. 270W
Panel Type
VA
Connections
2 × USB-A 3.0
1 × USB-C 3.1
2 × HDMI 2.0
1 × DP 1.4
1 × 3.5mm Audio out
Should you buy the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Plenty of high brightness to enjoy across movies, TV shows, and games, but could benefit from a slightly cheaper price tag.
3 / 5
Design
Bogged down by the mediocre speakers on the bottom of monitor, but is adequate in other areas.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Besides dark level smearing and ghosting, the high brightness with HDR 1000, significantly enhances visual experiences, standing as a great alternative to OLED.
4 / 5
Features
OSD needs an improvement, but a 180Hz refresh rate and USB-C 90W reverse charging port are a very welcome addition.
4 / 5
Average rating
The Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide would be much better with a lower retail price, repositioning of the speakers, and an IPS panel for less ghosting and smearing, but excels at high brightness for immersion, making it a good option for PC gamers.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You desire an ultrawide with high brightness
The Mobile Pixels mini-LED monitor is ideal for those who crave bright and lively gaming experiences, with HDR1000 blending well with the 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It's best used in titles that are built for HDR.View Deal
You want to avoid burn-in care
While OLED is an easy choice at an affordable price, it's not for everyone, as there's always a risk of burn-in. OLED burn-in care has advanced, but not having to worry about the possibility at all with this mini-LED monitor is a big win.View Deal
You're upgrading from a regular LED monitor
The jump from a regular LED display to Mobile Pixels' mini-LED, is significant, and while it suffers a total loss to OLED deep black levels, it comes close enough while getting the best of brightness. View Deal
Don't buy if...
You're looking for a budget monitor
This monitor's biggest issue is its price, especially compared to OLEDs that are at the same price range or less expensive. It retails at $899.99, which is too high considering the issues it has with ghosting and smearing.View Deal
You prefer the best deep black levels
Like other mini-LED displays, the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide gaming monitor does a great job with contrast, but it doesn't match up to OLED, which remains undefeated at producing the best contrast.View Deal
You find ghosting and smearing frustrating
If you're a competitive gamer or simply happen to notice dark level smearing and ghosting easily, you might want to reconsider purchasing this monitor. It's using a VA panel, so viewing angles and the response time aren't the best.View Deal
Also consider
Acer Predator X32QFS
If dark level smearing and ghosting are a big issue for you, and you don't mind a 4K mini-LED instead of an ultrawide, then the Acer Predator X32QFS should be on your radar. This features a mini-LED IPS panel, which handles ghosting much better, and compatibility for both PS5 and PC with HDMI 2.1.
1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x USB-C, 2 x USB-A, 1 x audio jack
Color gamut
99% Adobe RGB, 99% DCI-P3
Display colors
1.07 billion
Warranty
2-years
How I tested the Mobile Pixels 34-inch mini-LED ultrawide
Two weeks of usage on movies, TV shows, and games, notably titles that implement HDR well
Some examples are Assassin's Creed Shadows, Street Fighter 6, Dragon's Dogma 2, Resident Evil 4 remake, and Cyberpunk 2077
Multiple contrast tests and comparisons with Alienware AW3423DWF OLED ultrawide monitor
Throughout my two weeks of testing, especially when gaming, I had plenty of fun with the Mobile Pixels 34-inch monitor, and put my OLED monitor aside as a secondary display. Despite the drawbacks of blooming and ghosting, it was easy to enjoy bright content without losing much detail.
Testing Stellar Blade, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Cyberpunk 2077 first left great initial impressions, specifically in Cyberpunk 2077, where neon lights and vivid streets provide exceptional visuals on any display, but it took things up a notch. The ghosting issues became far more noticeable when using Frame Generation in Cyberpunk 2077 and Dragon's Dogma 2, and even more so in fast-paced FPS games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Placing this next to Dell's Alienware OLED monitor, allowed me to point out the mini-LED monitor's drawbacks more easily. However, in terms of deep black levels, I was impressed with the Mobile Pixels 34-inch display, with just how close it can get to OLED, albeit still quite far off.
I used it for work and multitasking, which proved to be beneficial, in comparison to OLED, which notoriously has readability issues – and the mini-LED was a breeze to use while deep into productivity.
The Asus Zenbook laptop line has long been one of my favorites, sitting among the best ultrabooks alongside rivals like Dell's XPS series and the LG Gram collection. Now, Asus has given its premium laptop lineup a fresh lease on life, thanks to AMD's mighty new Ryzen AI chips and the magic of something called 'ceraluminum'.
I'll get further into that mysterious new material further down in this review, but here's the short version: the lid of the new Asus Zenbook S 16 is made from a futuristic composite of aluminum and ceramic, giving it a soft matte feel while also being more durable, lighter, and fingerprint-resistant than the traditional aluminum and plastic used in the construction of most modern laptops.
Of course, a fancy outer casing doesn't guarantee you're getting a high-quality product. But the Zenbook S 16 delivers a premium experience in other areas too, with great performance across a variety of workloads and a generally very comfortable user experience.
(Image credit: Future)
Although I always spend at least a full workweek using any laptop I review in lieu of my regular daily driver (the ever-faithful HP Spectre x360), I was actually forced to use this laptop for a few days. See, my boiler needed replacing, and unfortunately, it's situated in my home office - meaning that for two days, I was jettisoned from my desktop setup to the breakfast bar downstairs while the installation engineer resolved my lack of hot water.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a creature of habit, and was initially unhappy to be displaced from my usual workstation. But honestly, I'm beginning to wonder if I shouldn't drop Asus a line politely asking (read: begging) to keep this Zenbook. The 16-inch OLED touchscreen is gorgeous, and the large touchpad and keyboard make for a very comfortable user experience. It's perhaps the closest I've felt to using a MacBook Pro while actually on a Windows laptop - and while I'm a known macOS hater, I've always maintained that Apple's Mac products are very well-designed devices.
Starting at $1,599 / £1,499 / AU$2,999, the Zenbook S 16 isn't exactly cheap, but for that price tag, you're getting some pretty impressive performance and a really, really nice piece of physical hardware. I'll dig into the details more in the Price and Availability section, but the key takeaway here is that the value proposition is solid.
There's only one real drawback here, in my opinion: the battery life. It's perfectly serviceable, don't get me wrong, but it's nothing spectacular within the current market space. Still, it'll last you through a full day's work and then some - so as long as you don't mind putting it on charge overnight.
Asus Zenbook S 16: Price and availability
How much does it cost? Starts at $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,999
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
With a price tag starting at $1,599 / £1,499 / AU$2,999, the Asus Zenbook S 16 certainly leans towards the premium end of the market, but you're getting plenty of bang for your buck here.
There are a few different configurations, with the main difference being the Ryzen processor model and the amount of RAM. Every model comes with the same 3K OLED display and 1TB of storage - a 2TB model would've been nice, but at least the SSD is user-upgradable. The base configuration, priced as above, comes with a Ryzen AI 7 350 chip and 24GB of RAM (an unusual amount, but still better than the more commonplace 16GB industry standard).
(Image credit: Future)
My review unit is a higher-end model, featuring a Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor and 32GB of RAM, and it will cost you $1,799 / £1,599 - and at the time of writing, this model unfortunately isn't available in Australia. I say 'unfortunately' here because for my money, that extra $200 / £100 is well worth it for the internal hardware upgrade.
For comparison, a 16-inch MacBook Pro will cost you $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999 - and that's just for the base M4 Pro model. Granted, there's no denying that Apple's pro-grade laptop can offer better performance in many areas than this Zenbook, but the point stands that the Zenbook S 16 is very good value for money.
Price score: 4.5/5
Asus Zenbook S 16: Specs
Asus Zenbook S 16
CPU
Up to AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370
GPU
Up to AMD Radeon 890M
RAM
Up to 32GB LPDDR5X
Display
16-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 120Hz
Storage
Up to 1TB SSD
Ports
2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x SD card reader, 1x 3,5mm combi audio jack
Wireless
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4
Weight
1.5kg / 3.31lbs
Dimension
35.4 x 24.3 x 1.29cm / 13.9 x 9.6 x 0.51 inches
Asus Zenbook S 16: Design
(Image credit: Future)
Super comfortable keyboard and trackpad
Ceraluminum casing is impressive
Surprisingly lightweight
Aesthetically speaking, this is undeniably one gorgeous laptop. With the 'Scandinavian White' colorway, it feels as clean and striking as any of the best laptops. The back of the screen is not only made from Asus's fancy ceraluminum material, but it also has a kintsugi-inspired pattern of sharp lines inlaid in silver, which strikes the perfect balance between eye-catching and minimalist.
A little more about that revolutionary new material, though: you can read about my first time encountering ceraluminum right here, but I'll give you a quick breakdown in case you don't feel like reading a whole different article. It's created by electrochemically bonding aluminum with a ceramic component, producing a strong plated material with a matte surface that feels like unglazed pottery to the touch.
The best thing about this is that it brings the lightweight, durable nature of aluminum - a popular choice among manufacturers when it comes to laptop construction - while also providing a grippier surface that is more resilient against both damage and smudging from fingerprints. I've criticized more than a few laptops over the years for being 'fingerprint magnets', and happily that doesn't apply here. The whole thing feels impressively sturdy despite being very thin and light for a 16-inch laptop.
(Image credit: Future)
Opening up the lid, you're met with a more conventionally constructed aluminum keyboard housing, with a large glass touchpad and nicely spaced keys that make it very comfortable to type on. I also found the touchpad to be sensitive and responsive, with a firm click, although I typically prefer to connect a wireless mouse when using laptops.
Above the keyboard, a wide cooling grille sits with a subtle Asus logo in the corner. The keys are backlit with white LEDs, which can be set to three different brightness levels; it's not often I take much time to comment on keyboard backlighting, but the Zenbook S 16's is particularly vibrant.
Speaking of vibrancy, the display on this laptop is fantastic, offering rich color and sharp contrast thanks to its 3K OLED panel. While the maximum brightness isn't quite as high as I've seen on some other OLED laptops, it's certainly bright enough to use in well-lit environments, and it's also a touchscreen. Somewhat surprisingly, this display has a 120Hz refresh rate, a pleasing upgrade from the 60Hz panels you see on most non-gaming laptops.
In terms of physical connectivity, we've got a good selection of ports here, including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and even an SD card reader - the latter of which may be a boon for photographers when combined with the excellent display. Lastly, the speakers are quite good, providing detailed audio for both music and dialogue - it's perhaps lacking a tiny bit of kick in the bass department compared to some laptops I've seen, but overall I really can't complain about the speaker quality.
Design score: 5/5
Asus Zenbook S 16: Performance
Solid all-rounder performance
NPU provides support for AI features in Windows
Playing games is certainly an option, though it's no gaming laptop
The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a powerful chip backed with 32GB of RAM in my review unit, and I'm pleased to say it performs admirably. General responsiveness is great and everyday tasks run smoothly, to the point where anyone who just wants a laptop for office work could probably consider downgrading to a Ryzen AI 7 model.
When it comes to more demanding workloads, the Zenbook S 16 offers good performance across a variety of areas, including 3D rendering, AI functionality, and gaming. Sure, it's not going to beat out an actual gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU, but the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics are surprisingly competent even in more demanding games, provided you're willing to dial back the graphical settings a bit and turn on AMD's FSR 3.0 resolution upscaling mode.
Asus Zenbook S 16 review: Benchmarks
Here's how the Asus Zenbook S 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370) performed in our suite of benchmark tests: 3DMark: Night Raid: 34,618; Fire Strike: 8,516; Time Spy: 4,407; Steel Nomad: 889 Cinebench R23: Multi-core: 13,441; Single-core: 1,953 Geekbench 6.4: Multicore: 14,102; Single-core: 2,845 Geekbench AI: Single Precision Score: 2,359; Half Precision Score: 1,217; Quantized Score: 4,811 PCMark 10: 6,827 Crossmark: Overall: 1,744; Productivity: 1,637; Creativity: 1,940; Responsiveness: 1,537 Sid Meier's Civilization VII: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 45fps; (1800p, High, No Upscaling): 16fps; (1800p, High, Balanced FSR 3 Upscaling): 22fps Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Medium, No Upscaling): 22fps; (1800p, Ultra, No Upscaling): 6fps; (1800p, Ultra, Balanced FSR 3 Upscaling): 10fps Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 14 hours, 55 minutes
In real-world testing, I had no issues whatsoever with the performance of the Zenbook S 16. Running Spotify in the background while working across 20+ open Chrome tabs didn't cause the slightest bit of slowdown, and image editing in GIMP 3.0 was smooth and effective - a far cry from the rather sluggish experience I get when trying to edit images on my usual laptop.
AI performance is also reasonably good; again, you're ideally going to want to spring for a laptop with a dedicated Nvidia GPU if you want to be running serious AI workloads locally, like producing your own language models, but for running the local aspects of something like Microsoft's Copilot+ AI assistant, the average user will have no problems.
(Image credit: Future)
To dig into that gaming performance a little more (there's overlap here with other 3D rendering and modeling software), I needed to drop the resolution to FHD+ rather than the native 3K and enable AMD's FSR 3 upscaling to make most games playable - this machine isn't coming close to any of the best gaming laptops - but for anyone who just wants to play casual titles or indie games on their off-time, the Zenbook S 16 is more capable than I had expected. I used it for a spot of Stardew Valley after work on multiple occasions, which unsurprisingly ran great.
In Civilization VII, I was easily able to get a decent framerate at 1200p, while the infamously hardware-demanding Cyberpunk 2077 was completely unplayable at native 1800p but produced an fps of 35 at 1200p with Low settings and FSR 3's Performance mode enabled (and frankly, even with those settings, this game still looks bloody fantastic). It's a true testament to the power of AMD's resolution upscaling tech for integrated GPUs; I'm quietly awed by the fact that a game like Cyberpunk is playable at all on an ultrabook like this.
I will note that the fans on the Zenbook S 16 get a tad noisy when you're running more intensive software - it's nothing too onerous, and I found it ran quietly during regular tasks like web browsing, but be aware that you might want headphones to play games on it. It's worth adding that the laptop didn't get uncomfortably hot at any point (aside from directly on the vent above the keyboard), even during stress testing.
(Image credit: Future)
Performance score: 4.5/5
Asus Zenbook S 16: Battery
The battery life on the Zenbook S 16 is pretty good. That's almost all I can really say about it; it's not mind-blowing, beaten out by several competitors, but it's still sufficient for a full day's work (or two) without needing to plug in provided you turn off the keyboard backlight and don't work at maximum brightness.
In our battery life test, which involves running a looped video file at 50% brightness, the Zenbook S 16 ran out of juice just shy of the 15-hour mark, which for a 16-inch OLED laptop is respectable, if unspectacular. In real-world use situations, I was getting between 10 and 12 hours out of it at a time on average, and it holds its charge remarkably well when not in use.
Since it charges via USB-C, you can easily make use of other charging cables, though the supplied 65W adapter provides fast-charging capabilities that provide 50% battery charge in a little over half an hour.
Battery score: 4/5
Should you buy the Asus Zenbook S 16?
Notes
Rating
Value
It's no budget machine, but the price-to-performance ratio here is great.
4.5/5
Design
A stylish and robust design combined with a comfortable user experience makes for a truly premium-feeling laptop.
5/5
Performance
Performance is solid across productivity, creative, and gaming workloads, with good responsiveness and fans that only kick in when you're running demanding programs.
4.5/5
Battery
The battery can comfortably run for more than an 8-hour workday, though it is beaten out by some competing laptops.
4/5
Total
While the pre-installed Asus software is a bit annoying, this is a fantastic laptop that delivers a great aesthetic and strong performance at a sensible price point.
4.5/5
Buy it if...
You want a laptop that looks great Between its sleek shell, excellent display, and pleasantly understated keyboard backlighting, the Zenbook S 16 is certainly an aesthetically pleasing laptop.
You want something thin but powerful Despite its relatively light overall weight (for a 16-inch laptop) and thin chassis, the next-gen Ryzen chip inside this Zenbook is fantastic for productivity workloads and can even handle some light gaming.
You want to use Windows 11's AI features Since this is a 'Copilot+ PC' with a built-in NPU and a dedicated button for summoning Microsoft's AI assistant, it's a solid pick for anyone who wants an AI laptop.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a tight budget The price tag on the Zenbook S 16 is actually very reasonable for the specs, but it's certainly not a cheap laptop.
You want the best in battery life While this Zenbook's battery is alright, there are competitors that do a better job - and if you really want ridiculously good battery life, a smaller laptop is usually the way to go.
Also Consider
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro) Beating the Zenbook S 16 in both performance and battery life, Apple's latest MacBook Pro 16-inch is a staunch competitor - though bear in mind that it'll cost you more, and macOS isn't for everyone.
Dell XPS 17 If you're looking for a similar premium-feeling laptop but with an even larger screen, the Dell XPS 17 is arguably the best 17-inch laptop out there right now.
Replaced my regular laptop with the Zenbook S 16 for several weeks
Used the laptop both for day-to-day work and personal projects
Ran it through our full suite of benchmarks, plus some extra tests
As is typical for my laptop review process, I swapped out my daily driver for the Asus Zenbook S 16 - and actually ended up liking it so much that I kept using it after my usual week or two of real-world testing. Asus, if I could keep this one, that would be great...
This involved all my day-to-day work, which is mostly emailing, word processing, web research, and image editing, plus some work on personal projects and a bit of gaming in my off hours. I also ran our suite of benchmarking and battery tests to provide a clearer image of the Zenbook S 16's overall performance.
