The importance of connectivity is such a given these days, it's normally hard for a monitor to stand out by that metric. But the new 34-inch ultrawide HP Series 7 Pro 734pm meets that challenge handily thanks to one of the most comprehensive features sets around, putting it immediately in the running among the best business monitors we’ve tested.
Highlights include Thunderbolt 4 in and out, an additional USB-C input, a multi-port USB hub, ethernet and more. Along with the explicit connectivity of physical ports, this monitor's 5MP pop-up webcam further adds to its connected functionality by enabling a great video conferencing experience.
The 34-inch widescreen form factor also makes for a great basic productivity proposition and the use of LG's IPS Black panel technology puts it at the cutting edge of LCD technology when it comes to inherent contrast and colour performance.
All that said, this is a very expensive display, especially for a 34-inch ultrawide model. That makes the relatively low 3,440 by 1,440 resolution and mediocre pixel density that comes with that a little hard to stomach. Likewise, the limited HDR support included is that much more conspicuous at this price point.
HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Design & features
(Image credit: HP)
Nicely engineered
Fantastic connectivity
Strong productivity package
Specs
Panel size: 34-inch
Panel type: IPS Black
Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440
Brightness: 400 cd/m2
Contrast: 2,000:1
Pixel response: 5ms GtG
Refresh rate: 120Hz
Colour coverage: 98% DCI-P3
HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 400
Vesa: 100mm x 100mm (bracket included)
Inputs: DisplayPort 1.4 x1 in, DisplayPort 1.4 x1 out, HDMI 2.0 x1, Thunderbolt 4 in with 100W PD, Thunderbolt 4 out with 15W PD, USB-C with 65W PD
HP's latest ultrawide productivity monitor, the HP Series 7 Pro 734pm, is very nicely put together. The stand base and vertical support are both made from robust alloy and the rest of the chassis is plastic but fairly high quality. Of course, that's the least you'd expect at this elevated price point.
With slim bezels on three sides and a mix of black and silver surface finishes, it's a tidy, reasonably slick device even if you probably wouldn't pick it purely on looks. More likely to swing it in your favour is the outstanding array of connectivity. For starters, you get both Thunderbolt 4 in and out, the former with fully 100W of power delivery for keeping a laptop charged.
There's also a further USB-C input with 65W of power delivery, plus a KVM switch, multiport USB hub and ethernet. That means you could actually share this monitor across two different laptops, keeping both charged and connecting them to a range of peripherals like keyboard, mouse and external storage, all hooked up to the display.
(Image credit: HP)
Oh, and you can also use those inputs to run two PCs fully in parallel thanks to split-screen capability, which includes HP's Device Bridge 2.0 for secure file sharing. For the record, HP Device Bridge 2.0 supports both PC and Mac.
Notably, all the ports including the power connector are located within easy reach on the rear of the chassis. You don't have to reach or peer under the lower bezel to connect any cables and the manner in which they all exit perpendicular to the rear of the chassis helps with cable management, too.
To that you can add a 5MP AI webcam. It pops out of the top bezel, which ensures full physical security and offers built-in AI functionality including face tracking and lighting adaptation.
As for the 34-inch LCD panel itself, it's the latest IPS Black technology from LG with enhanced contrast. However, it offers a pedestrian if conventional 3,440 by 1,440 native resolution, which makes for unimpressive pixel density.
It also only meets VESA's DisplayHDR 400 standard, which means that it's not a true HDR display and doesn't support local dimming. Still, there's decent colour coverage at 98% of DCI-P3 gamut.
HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Performance
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Punchy IPS panel
Great webcam
Low pixel density
The HP Series 7 Pro 734pm sports LG's cutting-edge IPS Black panel tech. On paper it offers much higher inherent contrast than competing IPS screens at 2,000:1. Anything from 1,000:1 up to 1,300:1 is more typical for IPS.
In practice, however, it's hard to see the difference in subjective terms. If you want really good inherent LCD contrast, VA panel tech offers up to 4,000:1 and a more noticeable upgrade in terms of black levels. Of course, OLED and its per-pixel lighting is the ultimate in contrast performance, but that's a whole different type of display.
Either way, IPS Black does make for very accurate colours, something which HP has capitalised on with a very nice factory calibration setup in sRGB mode. You can also choose from DCI-P3 and a range of other gamut presets or go with a user-defined solution.
Strictly speaking, this isn't a professional grade content creation monitor. But it is Pantone Validated and well enough set up for mainstream image and video editing workflows. The HDR 400 certification means there's no local dimming and indeed limited actual HDR support. But it does ensure 400 nits peak brightness and a very punchy over experience. This is a vibrant, pleasant display to use day-to-day.
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The exception to that is the mediocre pixel density. The 3,440 by 1,440 native resolution stretched over the gently curved, 21:9 aspect, 34-inch LCD panel makes for a pixel density of just 109DPI. For context, a 32-inch 4K monitor comes in at about 140DPI, a 27-inch 4K screen at 165DPI.
The result of that lower pixel density includes slightly rough looking fonts and a very slightly pixelated look and feel compared to higher density displays. This is far from unique to the HP Series 7 Pro 734pm, it's the norm for most 34-inch ultrawide panels. But given the four-figure price tag in both the US and UK, that's a little hard to swallow.
Still, the 120Hz refresh and reasonably zippy pixel response, the latter adjustable via four levels of pixel overdrive, certainly make for a versatile display. This isn't a gaming monitor, for instance, but it will turn its hand to that task very well, indeed.
Another highlight is the 5MP AI-powered webcam. It's certainly a cut above the norm for integrated webcams. It offers sharp, clear image quality and good colours. The AI face tracking also works reasonably well, even if it's a little laggy.
Less impressive are the integrated speakers. They put out plenty of volume, but it's a pretty thin, unpleasant din and not even a decent substitute to good laptop speakers, let alone a full desktop audio solution.
HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Final verdict
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HP is asking a lot of money for this 34-inch ultrawide display. In return you get fantastic connectivity and productivity features. There's Thunderbolt 4 in and out, support for two laptops attached and charging at the same time, KVM functionality, split screen, file sharing, ethernet, the works.
The 34-inch widescreen form factor is also great for multi-tasking and generally getting things done, while the IPS Black panel technology makes for a great viewing experience in terms of colours and vibrancy, even if the heightened contrast compared with "conventional" IPS technology isn't exactly obvious.
The 5MP AI webcam also performs better than most integrated webcams and adds to the overall utility and connectedness of this monitor. The one really obvious shortcoming is the 3,440 by 1,440 resolution and resulting low pixel density.
That's very much the most common resolution for a 34-inch ultrawide panel. But at this price point, the low pixel density is pretty conspicuous, something an upgrade to the 5K2K resolution of 5,120 by 2,160 pixels would fix.
Normally, 5K2K wouldn't be in the mix, it's a fairly rare and premium option. But with a price tag into four figures in both the US and UK, you'd be justified to expect a premium experience. As it is, if you're OK with the pixel density, this is otherwise a really excellent productivity display and an exceptional feature set.
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro (officially Nothing Phone (3a) Pro but I’m not typing that many parentheses) is the most interesting phone you can buy for less than $500 / £500 / AU$850, and if you’ve been craving something different than the cheerful bubblegum styling of cheap Android phones, you should consider the Nothing Phone 3a Pro no matter your price range.
For a full $140 / £150 / AU$150 less than the cheapest iPhone, the iPhone 16e, you can get the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which has a larger screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a bigger battery and faster charging, plus more storage and more RAM.
You also get a camera with 3x optical zoom, a feature unheard of at this price range. Most cheap phones give you wide, ultra-wide, and macro cameras, not a real zoom lens.
And all of that comes before I get to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s unique design (unique except for the nearly-identical Nothing Phone 3a), which takes a stripped-down approach so far that you can literally see into the back of the phone as if you have x-ray vision.
This see-through look a signature of Nothing Phone devices, along with the cool Glyph LED lights, though the Nothing Phone 3a Pro looks a bit more restrained and polished than previous models. It looks more like a circuitry subway map than an accidental phone autopsy.
The Nothing Phone LED lights are here, in a simple ring rather than an enigmatic ‘Glyph’ arrangement like I saw on the first two Nothing Phone devices. The Glyph system is more than just decorative, it’s actually quite functional and a bit nostalgic.
I remember when the LED lights were a key selling point for cell phones and I’d spend time customizing my friends’ light cues along with their designated ringtone. Nothing Phone 3a Pro let me do that again, assigning light patterns to my friends and family. I even had fun banging out my own patterns on the glyph-maker software.
I give Nothing a lot of credit – there are few phones with a feature like the glyph that is this fun. Most phones are just a slab of glass with cameras on the back. Samsung might give you a pen, but you pay a lot for it. With the Nothing Phone 3a Pro (and Nothing Phone 3a), you get the unique glyph feature that's entertaining on its own and adds unique flair to your calls and alerts.
That said, this is still a decidedly bargain phone, with a less-powerful chipset inside and limited support for US networks. I saw plenty of lag and stuttering performance on this phone, more than I’ve see on slightly more expensive and powerful phones like the OnePlus 12R or even the Google Pixel 8a.
I had no problem using my Nothing Phone 3a Pro on AT&T’s network in the New York area. Nothing says some users might have to call AT&T or Verizon to have their phone’s IMEI (a network identifier) whitelisted, or approved, by the carrier. T-Mobile fans should have no problem at all.
Performance issues aside, it’s almost sad that Nothing hasn’t created an even more premium device above the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, because it’s clear that plenty of work went into the interface and design, and phone fans who normally shun cheap phones might enjoy the minimalist and unique NothingOS. Don't knock it until you've seen it.
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro feels special. This isn’t a pared back phone like the Galaxy A56, which is like a Diet Galaxy S25. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro improves on previous Nothing Phones with a more durable design, a better display, versatile cameras, and faster performance all around. This is the best Nothing Phone ever, and this is one bargain phone you shouldn’t ignore.
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: price and availability
$459 / £449 / AU$849 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage
Available in the US through Nothing Beta program
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro will be available worldwide in one configuration for $459 / £449 / AU$849. You can choose a white or shiny grey exterior and get 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage inside. That’s a respectable amount of storage and RAM for the price – much more than the 8GB/128GB you'll get on the Samsung Galaxy A56.
While not quite this cheap, for a bit more you can buy the Google Pixel 8a or OnePlus 12R. Both of those phones get discounted frequently to match the Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s price, but those phones were both new in 2024. Samsung’s new Galaxy A56 will cost about the same as the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, but that phone won’t hit the US until much later this year.
Most of the world can simply order the Nothing Phone 3a Pro through Nothing.tech or a retail partner, but in the US there are a couple of hoops to jump through. Nothing saves money by cheaping out on radio bands, so the Nothing Phone 3a Pro doesn’t support every single band on the three major US carriers.
If you use T-Mobile in the US, you’re in luck with the most supported bands, but AT&T support lags a bit, and Verizon users will be missing enough bands that it might make sense to look elsewhere if you need the best cell service possible.
For this reason, Nothing sells the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro in the US under a ‘Beta’ program so that users will be aware of what they are missing. I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro in the New York area on AT&T. I got a text message from AT&T right away that my phone wasn’t supported. I ignored the message and used the phone normally for the rest of the week and I had no noticeable issues. Network speeds were good.
Value score: 5/5
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: specs
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, which is a fairly new platform from Qualcomm, so it can support all of the latest software as well as upcoming AI features, should Nothing decide to add more machine learning.
The most outstanding spec is the 3x optical zoom camera, which is unique in this price range. Nothing uses periscopic lens technology, like you’ll find on the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 5X zoom lens, to add reach.
Otherwise, the large display is noteworthy for its high refresh rate and brightness, both of which top Apple’s latest supposed-bargain iPhone 16e. Across the board, you won’t find much better specs on a smartphone without spending hundreds more, and Nothing also gives you the unique Glyph lights around back.
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: design
Totally unique transparent design with LED Glyph lights
A bit thick and heavy, but not too much
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro stands out, even in the muted grey and white color options available. At first glance, friends who saw the transparent back, with its roadmap of flat ribbon cables and antenna lines, asked what was going on with my phone.
Folks who caught a glimpse when the Glyph lights flared always wanted to know what phone I was using.
The design is decidedly tech-forward, and the Glyph light patterns, with their matching sound cues, and the minimalist NothingOS interface only reinforce this feeling. Most phones try to disappear behind the display and the content, but the Nothing Phone 3a Pro begs to be seen from every angle. I was looking for opportunities to place this phone face down so I could watch it ring.
The design is so unusual that you won’t notice it feels a bit cheap. The seams are not as perfectly aligned as the edges on a Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16. The phone is thick – at 8.4mm, it’s thicker than an iPhone 16e or Galaxy A56.
The transparent back is glass: a Chinese knock-off of Gorilla Glass called ‘Panda Glass’ instead of plastic like previous Nothing Phone devices. The camera bump is huge and unapologetic, with textured lines that draw a circle around the frame. The Glyph lights ring the cameras, and can also act like a ring light when you’re shooting.
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro features a new Essential Key, which is a button that will take a screenshot or record a voice memo. It won’t just store these entries, it feeds them into an Essential Space app that analyzes your notes with AI to give you summaries and answers. In practice… it needs work. I hope the Essential Key gets repurposed in a future NothingOS update so that it can do a bit more.
Design score: 3/5
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: display
Big, bright display with a fast refresh rate
Not as bright in our tests as Nothing claims
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro features a huge, 6.77-inch AMOLED display that can refresh at a variable rate up to 120Hz. It looked bright, colorful, and smooth in my time reviewing the Phone 3a Pro. There was some stuttering, but I suspect the slower chipset was to blame, as the display could handle whatever video content or fast-scrolling lists I threw its way.
I wonder if this display is overkill for Nothing Phone 3a Pro. NothingOS is nearly monochromatic, and in fact there is a monochrome mode if you want to eliminate all colorful distraction from your phone. Maybe Nothing should have developed a unique display to play into those strengths, instead of competing on color and brightness with Samsung and Google.
Nothing claims the Nothing Phone 3a Pro can hit 3,000 nits at peak brightness, but in our Future Labs tests we couldn’t manage half that brightness level. We still saw peak brightness well over 1,000 nits, which is great, but not what Nothing claims.
Display score: 3/5
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: software
NothingOS offers a unique look and plenty of widgets
Nothing Phone 3a Pro gets 3 years more Android, 6 years more security
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro uses NothingOS on top of Android 15, and NothingOS could really be considered a Theme and Widget combo pack. It doesn’t add a whole lot of useful features to Android, but instead it succeeds by taking away distractions.
By distractions, I mean color and shapes. The look of NothingOS can best be described as a monochrome, low-resolution, dot matrix theme. There's an actual monochrome mode you can enable, but the basic NothingOS theme is mostly black and white, with graphics that reduce iconography, like clouds and the sun in the weather app, to a series of large dots.
It kind of works, if you like this style. Nothing even includes an AI wallpaper generator, a feature very en vogue with the smartphone elite, though in this case the choices are much more limited than you’ll find on a Galaxy or Pixel phone.
On my Galaxy I might create a ‘lamp of flowers in pink and purple,’ with thousands of possible combinations of nouns and colors. On my Nothing Phone 3a Pro I can choose ‘flora’ and ‘iridescent’, and up to 30 total combos. What you get ends up looking like a wallpaper that Nothing might have included with its phone anyway.
If you press the new Essential Key twice, you open a new Essential Space app, where you can find the screenshots that you took and the voice memos you saved. Only the screenshots that you capture using the Essential Key end up here. If you press the power button and volume down, you get a screenshot in your Gallery, but not in the Essential Space. Weird.
Honestly, I didn’t have any use for the Essential Key or Essential Space during my time with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and I didn’t feel I was missing anything except a better use for the new button. I rarely take screenshots or record voice memos, and I’m not going to change my behavior for this phone, so if you’re like me, you won’t see the benefit. Hopefully Nothing will add more to make this useful for more people.
Software score: 3/5
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: cameras
Good cameras (but not as good as Nothing's bragging)
A 3x optical zoom lens is unique at this price
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The people have spoken, and people say they want three cameras, so most cheap Android phones come with three cameras, but none of them give you optical zoom like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has a clever, versatile array of cameras, making it a solid pick if you need a real zoom lens.
Most phones at this price give you a fine wide-angle camera, a mediocre ultra-wide, and a terrible, low resolution macro camera. The Galaxy A55 and the Motorola Edge 2024 offer that camera setup, for instance. Nothing gives you a lot more camera bang for your buck.
You get a real 3x optical zoom with a periscope lens, which just means it’s more compact than a normal zoom lens. You also get a big 50MP sensor on that zoom lens, in addition to the 50MP main sensor. The ultra-wide sensor is only 8MP, but who cares when you have all that zoom.
The selfie camera is a 50MP sensor as well, which is too much for selfies. I ended up with a file that is six times as large as an iPhone 16 Pro selfie, even though it doesn’t have as much detail or clarity.
The image quality from the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is fine, but not incredible. The Pixel 8a will give you better images in this price range, at least with its main camera, though it only shoots up to 12MP. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro can shoot 50MP images, but you have to dig through settings to make that happen, otherwise you get a standard 12MP file.
It’s clear from the image samples that there is a lot of AI processing going on with the Nothing photos. On the zoom photos, I could get a pretty good shot overall, but if I look closely the image takes on an oil paint quality that makes it clear a computer filled in a lot of gaps and erased all the noise.
Before this phone launched, Nothing teased us by claiming that its new cameras would be as good as an iPhone. It’s not even close, but the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is not a bad camera. It takes much better photos than any Motorola phone I’ve used, and it has more versatility than comparable Samsung Galaxy A-series phones. It’s a solid camera setup for the price.
Camera score: 4/5
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: camera samples
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Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: performance
Performance is good enough to get by
There are more powerful phones with less style
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Nothing took a step up with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip inside both the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro, but the platform still isn’t quite fast enough to keep up with the demands of Android 15 and NothingOS. I encountered plenty of lag in my time with the phone, often bad enough that the screen would stop responding to taps and then would catch up all at once. It was frustrating, but it didn’t happen too often, not every day.
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro isn’t going to be the best phone for hardcore games like Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG, but it will do fine with casual games like Balatro and Marvel Snap. Vampire Survivors choked the phone when the screen filled with enemies, but it recovered quickly enough that I didn’t lose the round.
Frankly, the competition at this price doesn’t offer much better performance – the Pixel 8a isn’t winning any benchmark crowns. If you want a fast phone for less, the OnePlus 12R is your best bet, otherwise you’ll just need to spend more if you want a serious mobile gaming machine.
Performance score: 2/5
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: battery
Great battery life and excellent charging speeds
No wireless charging
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Battery life on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro was excellent, and the phone had no trouble lasting me a full day on a single charge with battery to spare. The phone also charges very quickly, though Nothing skimps by not offering any charger in the box, fast or otherwise.
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro can charge up to 50 watts, and I tested it with my own variable charger that can charge up to 50W or more. The Phone 3a Pro charged very quickly, and I got to 100% in just over 50 minutes, which is even faster than Nothing claims. That’s faster than the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16.
With a 5,000mAh battery inside (and a very dark, black interface), the Nothing Phone 3a Pro conserves power nicely. In our Future Labs tests, the Phone 3a Pro lasted just under 15 and a half hours, almost the same amount of time as the Samsung Galaxy S25. In my real world tests, I had no trouble taking photos and working through a full day on a single charge.
Battery score: 5/5
Should you buy the Nothing Phone 3a Pro ?
Buy it if...
You like the look You won’t find anything that comes close to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro design, with its unique transparent back glass and minimal interface.
You like the lights It’s surprising no other phone maker is using LED lights for notification, but Nothing gives you lights, sounds, and a composer to make your own rings.
You love the price For everything you get – the versatile cameras, unique design, great battery and charging – this phone is a steal, and worth a look over phones that cost much more.
Don't buy it if...
You play a lot of mobile games This is not a powerhouse phone; its Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor could sputter at times. Skip it if you need real smartphone power.
You don’t like the look or the lights There’s not much else going for the Nothing Phone 3a Pro that is unique, besides the design and the low price. But that’s enough for many folks.
You plan on keeping your phone for years The Nothing Phone 3a Pro will get three years of Android updates, but after that this phone will be far behind even mid-range performers and you may have problems.
Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: also consider
Google Pixel 8a The Pixel a-series phones are a great value, offering many of the features you’ll find on the flagship Pixel phones, with very similar camera image quality as well. Read our full review of the Google Pixel 8a
Samsung Galaxy A56 The brand-new Galaxy A56 gives you tons of Samsung AI features and great specs for a price that is comparable to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. Read our hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy A56
How I tested the Nothing Phone 3a Pro
I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro for a week before this review was published. In that time, I tested the phone extensively, alongside the Nothing Phone 3a, using the same work and personal apps and accounts on each.
I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro for taking photos, communicating with work colleagues using messages and Slack, and conducting video conference calls. I played games, and edited photos from my Google Photos library.
I connected the Nothing Phone 3a Pro to a Pixel Watch 3 and Nothing Buds. I also connected an Xbox wireless controller to play games. I connected the Phone 3a Pro to my car for multimedia and to other Bluetooth speakers for audio.
I tested the Nothing Phone 3a Pro on my personal AT&T Wireless account in the New York City area, including Connecticut, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, with no trouble.
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This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
Jabra’s PanaCast 50 video bar ensures that no-one feels left out, with its triple 13MP 4K camera turret presenting a full 180° horizontal field of view (FoV). What’s more, lurking inside this 650mm wide cylinder is an 8-microphone beamforming array teamed up with pairs of 50mm woofers and 20mm tweeters.
Speaker tracking is a cut above the rest, too, as the PanaCast 50 incorporates no fewer than nine Edge processors, including two Edge AI chips. These allow it to provide integral video analytics, apply always-on people counting and use Jabra’s Virtual Director technology to focus on the active speaker and zero in on them with its automatic 6x digital zoom.
The camera provides a USB-C port for BYOD meetings or connection to a permanent room computer. Jabra also offers two-room system solutions where one partners the camera with its Android-powered touchscreen tablet while another comes with Lenovo’s ThinkSmart Core + Controller devices.
The kit includes a wall-mounting bracket, with the optional aluminum table stand costing £63. We also checked out Jabra’s Bluetooth remote pad (£39), which provides camera and audio controls plus direct access to whiteboard sharing.
We reviewed the model with a grey fabric cover, but Jabra also offers a black version for the same price. Whichever model you choose, you’ll find integral Wi-Fi 5 services plus a 10/100 Ethernet port at the back for remote management using Jabra’s free Xpress web portal.
BYOD installation is easy: you simply connect the camera to a USB port on a Windows or macOS host computer and wait for the drivers to load. It will work happily with any UVC-compliant VC app, but don’t forget to download Jabra’s Direct app otherwise you’ll miss out on a wealth of features.
The app’s camera controller window allows you to play with the image quality, set a zoom level, move the camera view and save two presets that can be accessed from the remote. From the general settings tab, you can control people counting, enable the Virtual Director and turn on the new dynamic composition feature, which puts the four most recent speakers in a split screen.
The PanaCast 50 can be remotely managed and delivers superb video quality(Image credit: Future)
A large monitor is recommended, since the highest resolution is a very wide 3,840 x 1,080 pixels. The PanaCast’s army of Edge CPUs come into play here as they apply Jabra’s patented video-stitching technology to produce a single image from the three camera feeds.
This works perfectly as we couldn’t see any joins and the cameras deliver a pin-sharp image with great color balance and contrast. Speaker tracking is very responsive, too: we could walk around our meeting room and, even without speaking, the camera followed us while we were moving.
Jabra’s microphone expertise shines through. Remote participants could hear us clearly at a five-metre distance, and the quad speaker combo was just as impressive. Jabra won’t beat Biamp’s 2023 Excellence award-winning Parle VBC 2500 as the PanaCast 50 lacks a little in the bass department, but it delivers a clean and clear sound quality with a 65% volume level quite sufficient for our 24m2meeting room.
Remote monitoring and management are good, with the Xpress portal providing analytics on camera and room usage. “Packages” group camera settings together and, when you install the local Jabra Direct app, just copy a package URL to it.
You can remotely apply settings that override the local app. During room creation, you add a device serial number and apply maximum and safety participant capacities. The camera uses its people-counting skills to provide room usage details and will warn you if the room is over capacity.
This sleek cylinder delivers great video and audio quality, fast speaker tracking and a wealth of advanced features. Jabra’s Xpress web portal offers smart remote management services, and the super-wide view helps make the PanaCast 50 ideal for all-inclusive meetings.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
Fedora Linux is refreshed every six months, with version 39 shipping in November 2023, 20 years (and one day) since the first iteration’s debut. It was originally a spin-off of Red Hat Linux, but the tables have been turned and it now forms the basis of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and CentOS Stream.
Of the five versions on offer, we reviewed the desktop build, which sits alongside server, cloud, containerized and IoT editions. Each release receives support for 13 months, with version 40 scheduled to appear in April 2024, and build 39 reaching end of life in November 2024.
Fedora has a free-to-download media creation tool, much like Microsoft’s equivalent for Windows, and the Raspberry Pi imager for the single-board computers. This writes the latest build to a bootable thumb drive. Use this to start up, and you’ll encounter one of the best installers we’ve come across. It’s simple, straightforward and painless.
System requirements are 4GB of memory and a 40GB SSD, although Fedora Project notes that it’s possible to run the OS on less than this.
Our installation featured a slim selection of pre-installed applications, including Firefox 119, Rhythmbox Music Player, Boxes virtual machine environment and the latest edition of LibreOffice – release 7.6. However, we needed to install our own email client, as well as common creativity tools such as GIMP and Inkscape. You can do this through the integrated software tool, where we found 61 updates waiting to be processed on first launch. This isn’t as drastic as it sounds, as many of them were fonts and codecs.
The Flatpak package manager is enabled and, if you prefer to update manually, Fedora uses the DNF package manager for RPM.
Where some distributions are just now managing the transition from the X11 display server technology to Wayland, Fedora began that process several releases back, and release 39 marks the 14th edition since it completed the transition. Wayland’s frequently touted benefits, not just by Fedora but in general, include greater security and better performance.
The selection of pre-installed apps includes the latest edition of LibreOffice(Image credit: Future)
The default desktop environment is Gnome 45, which isn’t a huge step up from 44. There are some welcome touches, though, such as subtly redesigned window elements, where two-tone colorways and full-height sidebars tidy things up. There’s also an improved workspace indicator in the top left corner. Click it once and you get an overview of your open windows, some of which might otherwise be hidden, alongside a quick way to switch between desktops. It’s useful, but you can achieve the same result by pressing the Super key.
There’s also a new Image Viewer, which Fedora notes has also been rewritten for high performance, while Gnome search has also been reworked with a focus on speed. The improvements don’t only apply in the Files app, but across several core Gnome tools, such as Software and Characters.
If you don’t get on with Gnome, there are several alternative builds – Spins in Fedora parlance – running the lightweight XFCE desktop, KDE Plasma or Cinnamon, among others. Cinnamon, as used by Linux Mint, is often touted by advocates of Windows-to-Linux switching as a reason to choose that distro.
There’s also a handful of immutable deployments, which keep OS code and apps separate, as with Nitrix. By making the core of the OS read-only, it can’t be hijacked by malicious actors or corrupted by a bad or incomplete update. The result is a more secure environment, for use in sensitive workplaces such as finance and government.
Fedora scored 1,105 in our Geekbench single-core test and 3,053 in the multicore section. These figures were broadly similar to what we saw in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux-based Rocky Linux, which, while slightly lagging in the single-core tests, was around 1.8% faster on the multicore tests. In neither case should it make any noticeable difference in day-to-day use.
With one of the best thought-out installers and a wide choice of desktop environments, there’s much to like about Fedora, which is why it’s our runner-up to Ubuntu. The default installation was minimal, but many will appreciate this, and all the tools you could possibly need are waiting in the software manager.
That Fedora is a primary source for Red Hat Enterprise Linux should fill you with confidence, and the fact it’s available with a variety of desktops will make it immediately familiar, whether switching from Windows or a Debian-based rival.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
Many distributions are available in full-fat and light editions. Zorin and Linux Mint are good examples, each giving a choice of Gnome- or Xfce-based ISOs. Debian with Raspberry Desktop, which closely resembles Raspberry Pi OS, is different. Available for PCs after a decade as the default OS for the eponymous single-board computer, it uses neither Gnome nor Xfce, but PIXEL, the Pi Improved Xwindows Environment, Lightweight, which itself is based on the lightweight LDXE desktop manager.
Don’t let the “lightweight” moniker put you off. PIXEL sports many features familiar from rival environments, including a menu bar, application menu, desktop icons and context menus. It does lack some frills, though. There are no widgets, as there are in Mint, you can’t snap windows to the edges of the screen for easy arrangement, and it lacks Zorin’s visual flair.
However, it does boot extremely quickly, it has every feature you’re likely to need, and its options and settings are as easy to find as they are to understand.
The operating system’s original name – Raspbian – hint at its Debian roots. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking you were installing stock Debian when working your way through the installer, as there’s no mention of Raspberry Pi to be found.
It’s built on Bullseye (Debian 11) and the Linux 5.10 kernel, both of which are starting to show their age. Debian is currently at 12.2 (Bookworm), on which the regular Raspberry Pi OS for single-board computers is based, and it supports the 6.1 kernel.
Where Raspberry Pi has produced its own imager for setting up Raspberry Pi OS, which also handles user creation, configuring SSH, establishing Wi-Fi credentials and so on, the process for installing Debian with Raspberry Pi Desktop is much like that for most other distributions. Download the ISO, write it to a bootable USB drive, and boot the installer from there. Around ten minutes later, we were sitting in front of the desktop, with a full complement of essential applications ready to be used.
The pre-installed office suite is LibreOffice 7.0.4 (the latest is 7.6), Claws is installed to manage mail, and the default web browser is Chromium. Other applications can be installed via the Add/Remove Software tool, or using APT through the Terminal. We opted for the latter to install Firefox and Thunderbird, and in each case it set up version 115. This is particularly welcome where Thunderbird is concerned, as 115 marked a significant interface refresh, which makes the suite a more pleasant environment in which to spend the working day.
The Add/ Remove Software tool isn’t as friendly as some others(Image credit: Future)
Elsewhere, the list of pre-installed apps is a reminder that Raspberry Pi is popular in STEM environments, coding and automation. Both Geany Programmer’s Editor and the excellent Thonny IDE are in evidence, alongside Scratch and Mu. So is the SmartSim circuit designer.
VLC and an image viewer are both pre-installed, but GIMP (for bitmap graphics), Inkscape (vectors) and Shotwell (photos) all need to be installed manually – if you use them. Again, this can be done through the Add/Remove Software utility, but this isn’t as friendly as the equivalent installers in Ubuntu, Mint and co, presenting sometimes extensive lists of options in response to a search, each accompanied by the same default icon. You might occasionally find yourself scratching your head, wondering which you need.
PIXEL includes a Recommended Software tool, which does allow you to sidestep both the software installer and APT for a handful of common applications, but the three mentioned in the previous paragraph are absent. We’d like to see them included in the next refresh.
While we’ve griped about a few aspects of Debian with Raspberry Pi Desktop, there’s much to recommend it. It’s extremely fast to boot, the PIXEL interface is refreshingly distraction-free, and it’s compact enough to be a reasonable option for running full-time from a USB thumb drive.
Yes, it’s starting to look outdated in places (note that it was released in July 2022), but Raspberry Pi tells us an update is planned, which is expected, although not guaranteed, to arrive before Easter. In the meantime, if you’re looking to recycle some older hardware as a no-frills workhorse, or want to use the same environment on your single-board computer and desktop, this distro could be just what you’re after.
This review first appeared in issue 354 of PC Pro.
AI seems to be everywhere lately, and that includes the world of home networking: D-Link’s latest “smart router” proudly wears its AI credentials on its sleeve. As we’ll see, this is definitely a case where the buzzword oversells the reality, but if the R32 is short on smarts it makes up for that in value. As we went to press, it cost only £73 inc. VAT on Amazon, making it one of the cheapest Wi-Fi 6 routers around.
The Eagle Pro AI R32 is the successor to last year’s Eagle Pro AI R15, which was similarly cheap and looked almost identical. The main difference between the two is what you might guess from the name: the new model is just over twice as fast as the old one, in terms of wireless bandwidth. It supports connections of up to 800Mbits/sec on the 2.4GHz band, while the 5GHz radio goes up to a maximum speed of 2.4Gbits/sec. There’s also more wired bandwidth available, as the R32 gains an extra Ethernet socket at the back, to make up a full quartet of gigabit LAN ports.
Aside from those sockets there’s not much to see: no USB, no multi-gig connectors and only four LEDs on the front to show you the status of your power, internet and Wi-Fi. But that’s fine – do you really need more?
Four LEDs on the front show power, internet and Wi-Fi statuses(Image credit: Future)
Getting set up is delightfully simple, via either D-Link’s Eagle Pro AI mobile app or the router’s built-in web management interface. There isn’t a huge amount to configure, but D-Link builds in more features than you might expect from such a cheap device. For example, a basic quality-of-service tool lets you assign different priority levels to individual clients, and you can also enforce internet access schedules and time limits for kids’ devices.
For added security, you can flick a switch to replace your ISP’s default DNS with secure DNS from Google or Cloudflare, offering protection from hijacking attacks. There’s a basic configurable firewall, too, and an unexpected treat is an incoming VPN server, plus integrations with no-ip. com and dyndns.com to provide easy external access to your home network.
If you want to use the R32 as a Wi-Fi extender for an existing network you can alternatively switch it into bridge mode – or use mesh mode to connect two or more units together and spread your wireless signal over a wider area. Remember, though, that beaming mesh traffic back and forth between wireless stations eats into the bandwidth available for your devices, so you’re trading off performance for range.
Finally, let’s not forget the R32’s promised “AI” capabilities. In practice, this simply means the router periodically checks its Wi-Fi channels and tunes its beamforming settings to get the best connection to your clients. These are welcome features, to be sure, but it’s a pretty egregious overreach of the term AI.
Never mind; you’re probably not buying a £73 router in the expectation of a world-class feature suite. The real question is, how does the thing perform? And the answer is very well – at close range. I tested the R32 by hooking up a NAS drive to one of its Ethernet ports, then hawking a laptop around my home and measuring upload and download speeds as I copied a set of 100MB test files to and from the NAS.
(Image credit: Future)
Initial findings were very positive. I was delighted to see an average download speed of 85.5MB/sec in the same room as the router, and when I moved downstairs to the living-room I still got a speedy 72.9MB/sec.
Unfortunately, the R32’s four little antennas aren’t beefy enough to keep up that sort of performance all through my home. Speeds fell to 25.8MB/sec in the kitchen and 21.1MB/sec in the bedroom; that’s still ample bandwidth for typical internet tasks – a 4K HDR video stream requires about 4MB/sec – but it’s still a pretty precipitous drop.
Unsurprisingly, the R32 fared worst in the bathroom at the back of the house. Here I could clearly see my file transfers momentarily hang and resume several times during my tests, so while the eventual average download speed of 5.5MB/sec might sound fine for web browsing or cloud syncing, it’s patchy: I’d rather not rely on it for video calls or online gaming.
Does this mean you should steer clear of the R32? It really depends on what you want from a router. Those who need reliable wide-area coverage should consider spending the extra £50 on the Asus RT-AX59U: as well as more stable long-range coverage, it will give you a broader range of software features. However, if you just want basic connectivity across a few rooms, the R32 will fit the bill very nicely – there’s no need to pay more.
If ever there were a tale of two halves, it's the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025). This dual-screen laptop-megatablet offers some of the most impressive mobile hardware currently available. It absolutely holds its ground with any of the very best laptops you can buy in 2025 in that regard.
That starts with its cutting-edge Intel Arrow Lake CPU, but just like last year's 2024 model, this revised-for-2025 device really centers on its beautifully built chassis containing dual 14-inch OLED touchscreens, plus a clever wireless clip-on keyboard and a kickstand that adds an additional ergonomic flourish.
Yes, there are compromises in terms of the pure hardware. The otherwise similar best touchscreen laptops in 2025 offer a slimmer and lighter form factor, plus better battery life and outright performance. There are thermal limitations with this kind of design. But Asus has clearly put in some serious engineering legwork to realize this remarkable machine.
Then there's the software side of the equation. For starters, Windows 11 has never been well optimized for touch input and a system like this only serves to highlight that shortcoming. Then there's Asus' own suite of touch optimized apps and features, all designed to make the most of the extraordinary dual-screen hardware.
You can see what Asus is trying to do, including a highly modular and user configurable touch control interface that in theory can be set up to suit almost any preference. You even get ready-made configurations for specific apps, be that content creation or media consumption.
However, in practice the learning curve is extremely steep, and even once you've scaled that peak, the results are a little patchy and a touch buggy. A slick, fully polished touch experience this ultimately is not. There's a slight vibe of concept hardware or a design study going on here despite this 2025 model being a second generation product.
Some of that is thanks to Windows itself as ever being half baked, some of it is surely down to Asus. In the end, the reasons don't matter, the result is at least occasional frustration. That doesn't make the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) unbuyable, but especially for a machine this expensive it does make for some significant caveats.
If you're willing to put up with some pain, there are rewards to be had. This system can do things that a conventional laptop can't dream of. But in return you'll have to accept aspects that feel clunky and unfinished to enjoy them.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
How much does it cost? $1,699 (with 1TB SSD) / £2,099 (with 2TB SSD)/ AU$TBC
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK
At $1,699 in the US, the latest 2025 revision of the Asus Zenbook Duo is actually remarkable value when you consider that you're getting dual OLED and a high-end version of Intel's latest Arrow Lake laptop CPU, plus 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
It's definitely a lot of mobile machine for the money. The £2,099 price in the UK looks like conspicuously poor value by comparison. That works out to $2,650, or thereabouts. Admittedly, the UK price includes 20% sales tax and you're also getting the 2TB SSD on the UK version as reviewed here as opposed to the 1TB of the cheaper US model. But there's still around $500 that's gone missing in the translation from US to UK pricing.
All of which means that in the US the Zenbook Duo 2025 compares well with the likes of a high-spec conventional laptop like a Dell XPS 13 with the options maxed out, which is impressive, while in the UK you're paying a very notable premium for the two-screen experience, more's the pity.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Specs
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) currently comes in one configuration in the US and one in the UK. Further configurations should follow soon.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Design
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
Without question, the design and features of the Asus Zenbook Duo OLED (2025) really stand out. But, actually, it's those dual OLED panels that really shine.
The screens are identical 14-inch OLED panels with 2,880 x 1,800 pixels each, a peak HDR brightness of 500 nits and simply eye-popping visuals. They also run at up to 120Hz, which is important not just for things like scrolling around web pages and documents, but also for ensuring that the touch input with the bundled Asus Zenpen 2 is responsive, precise and lag free.
Along with the main chassis you also get a clip-in wireless keyboard. Snapped into place, the Asus Zenbook Duo 2025 looks like a pretty conventional laptop, albeit a slightly portly machine compared to your usual thin-and-light machine. At over 1.6kg (3.5 lbs), it's also heavier than many 15-inch systems, such as a MacBook Air 15.
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
Still, the key strokes feel much better than you'd expect for a clip-in board and it works wirelessly when you detach it, enabling all manner of intriguing ergonomic setups when combined with the dual screens.
Anyway, the basic form factor does come with some compromises. But it's also beautifully put together with a lush alloy chassis, a very sturdy feeling hinge, plus a kickstand on the bottom slice that allows you to prop both screens up vertically.
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
That's absolutely fabulous for some use cases, for instance running collaboration software, such as Slack or Teams or whatever video conferencing platform you use on the top screen and your documents and apps on the bottom screen. Going back to a single-screen laptop once you get used to the Zenbook Duo feels awfully constraining, that's for sure.
Asus has also located a Thunderbolt port on both sides of the chassis, which is a welcome change from the otherwise physically pretty similar 2024 model that placed both ports on the same side. You also get a full-sized HDMI port and a headphone jack. This 2025 model has also been upgraded to Wi-Fi 7, so the lack of an ethernet socket is even less of an issue than before.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Performance
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
Cramming the latest Intel Arrow Lake CPU under an OLED screen was never going to be a recipe for absolutely peak performance. But it's not just any Arrow Lake chip in this case, but the top spec Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU with 16 cores. Overall, this is a very powerful processor, though as an Arrow Lake model as opposed to Lunar Lake, it has a relatively weak NPU that doesn't qualify for Windows Copilot+ AI assistant functionality, which is a bit of a frustration.
Indeed, there is a very strong case for this laptop being better suited all round to that Lunar Lake chip with its lower power footprint. The Zenbook Duo (2025) gets pretty toasty even under very light load and the fans are frequently audible. That said, with all cores ignited, this is a powerful portable with plenty of grunt for all but the most demanding tasks. Just expect some thermal throttling if you really lean on those CPU cores for long periods.
Asus Zenbook Duo (2025): Benchmarks - Laptops only
Here's how the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 30787; Fire Strike: 8004; Time Spy: 3800
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: 15.951ms average frame time
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 8 hours and 29 minutes
The Intel Arc 140T graphics is also pretty speedy for an integrated GPU. Don't expect desktop-class gaming performance. But you can get a reasonable experience in most games at 1080p, albeit you'll typically have to turn down a fair few settings.
The two OLED panels are also pretty much impeccable and offer a fabulous viewing experience, with good pixel density and fantastic colors and response. Rated at 400 nits, both screens are essentially identical and run at up to 120Hz for responsive touch input. In hardware terms, those screens are stunning.
The problems come with the software and interface ergonomics. Windows 11 simply isn't well optimized for touch and while the Asus ScreenXpert software is absolutely crammed with features, tools and widgets for every possible need, there's a steep initial learning curve getting used to both the various gestures for doing things like expanding windows across the two screen, bringing up items like the the various virtual keyboards and trackpads, and then getting app-specific toolbars setup and optimized.
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
Even when you have got a setup that you're happy with, it can feel a little flaky as various items, for instance, can occasionally be obscured by the taskbar, touch controls can be unresponsive and some elements are well thought through. You'll also notice little oddities, like the top screen only dimming slightly for a while before both screens shut down to save power.
After the initial delight of using a five finger gesture to expand a webpage across two screens fades, then, you're left with an interface that can feel slightly like quite hard work. Moreover, the core dual-screen experience using the lower screen as a keyboard and trackpad is no substitute for physical input devices. You're going to want to take that clip-on keyboard with you. The upsides, of course, involve a wealth of ergonomic options no normal laptop can match.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Battery life
Battery life can be a concern with any single-screen OLED laptop, but with two screens? Yikes. Actually, the Zenbook Duo (2025) probably outperforms expectations.
In PCMark 10's web test with the screens set to half brightness at the full 120Hz, the Zenbook soldiered on for eight and a half hours. Set the screens to 60Hz and merely watch some video and you may well see the Zenbook sail past the 10 hour mark.
For sure, conventional laptops can last longer. But that's still a very good result and makes for usable near-enough all day battery life.
Should I buy the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025)?
Buy it if...
You love that dual-screen setup
The dual OLED screens allow for use cases that make it very hard to go back to a conventional single-screen laptop.
You like touch input
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) two OLED panels are both touch enabled and 120Hz, making for an unbeatable touch experience.
You like quality engineering
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) is beautifully put together and very nicely designed. The clip-in keyboard is a delight, too.
Don't buy it if...
You want a thin-and-light laptop
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) isn't a brick. But there are certainly much thinner and lighter laptops with similar performance available for less money.
You're expecting a fully polished experience
Windows 11 itself isn't terribly well optimized for touch and the extras Asus has added including gestures and tools can be a bit hit and miss.
You want maximum battery life
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) isn't a disaster when it comes to battery life. But if that's a high priority, there are laptops available for less that last longer.
Also Consider
If our Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...
Dell XPS 13 2025
The latest Dell XPS 13 (2025) brings Intel's Lunar Lake chips to the iconic laptop line, delivering truly all-day battery life and strong performance across the board in a sleek and stylish MacBook-esque design.
With the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8, Lenovo has nailed it thanks to its elevated design, speedy performance, and wonderful elements like a stunning OLED screen and a stylus included – all for a very competitive price.
I used the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) as my at-home and on-the-go machine for doing almost everything for a week. That means everything from basic web browsing to watching brain-rot content on YouTube and the usual collab' tools and video conferencing. Oh, and getting more serious work done including image editing.
The latter was particularly interesting given the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025)'s dual touch screens and funky interface tools. That said, it was actually more mundane tasks, namely video conferencing and general work collaboration where the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) really shines. Once you've got used to having a spare screen to have those tools running while retaining a primary display for your other actual work, you won't want to go back to a single-screen laptop.
I essay that having been a laptop geek for about 20 years and assessing them professionally for about 15. Most laptops don't move the game on or make you think that you might actually need it in your life. The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) is far from perfect, but it's novel enough to do just that.
If ever there were a tale of two halves, it's the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025). This dual-screen laptop-megatablet offers some of the most impressive mobile hardware currently available. It absolutely holds its ground with any of the very best laptops you can buy in 2025 in that regard.
That starts with its cutting-edge Intel Arrow Lake CPU, but just like last year's 2024 model, this revised-for-2025 device really centers on its beautifully built chassis containing dual 14-inch OLED touchscreens, plus a clever wireless clip-on keyboard and a kickstand that adds an additional ergonomic flourish.
Yes, there are compromises in terms of the pure hardware. The otherwise similar best touchscreen laptops in 2025 offer a slimmer and lighter form factor, plus better battery life and outright performance. There are thermal limitations with this kind of design. But Asus has clearly put in some serious engineering legwork to realize this remarkable machine.
Then there's the software side of the equation. For starters, Windows 11 has never been well optimized for touch input and a system like this only serves to highlight that shortcoming. Then there's Asus' own suite of touch optimized apps and features, all designed to make the most of the extraordinary dual-screen hardware.
You can see what Asus is trying to do, including a highly modular and user configurable touch control interface that in theory can be set up to suit almost any preference. You even get ready-made configurations for specific apps, be that content creation or media consumption.
However, in practice the learning curve is extremely steep, and even once you've scaled that peak, the results are a little patchy and a touch buggy. A slick, fully polished touch experience this ultimately is not. There's a slight vibe of concept hardware or a design study going on here despite this 2025 model being a second generation product.
Some of that is thanks to Windows itself as ever being half baked, some of it is surely down to Asus. In the end, the reasons don't matter, the result is at least occasional frustration. That doesn't make the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) unbuyable, but especially for a machine this expensive it does make for some significant caveats.
If you're willing to put up with some pain, there are rewards to be had. This system can do things that a conventional laptop can't dream of. But in return you'll have to accept aspects that feel clunky and unfinished to enjoy them.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
How much does it cost? $1,699 (with 1TB SSD) / £2,099 (with 2TB SSD)/ AU$TBC
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK
At $1,699 in the US, the latest 2025 revision of the Asus Zenbook Duo is actually remarkable value when you consider that you're getting dual OLED and a high-end version of Intel's latest Arrow Lake laptop CPU, plus 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
It's definitely a lot of mobile machine for the money. The £2,099 price in the UK looks like conspicuously poor value by comparison. That works out to $2,650, or thereabouts. Admittedly, the UK price includes 20% sales tax and you're also getting the 2TB SSD on the UK version as reviewed here as opposed to the 1TB of the cheaper US model. But there's still around $500 that's gone missing in the translation from US to UK pricing.
All of which means that in the US the Zenbook Duo 2025 compares well with the likes of a high-spec conventional laptop like a Dell XPS 13 with the options maxed out, which is impressive, while in the UK you're paying a very notable premium for the two-screen experience, more's the pity.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Specs
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) currently comes in one configuration in the US and one in the UK. Further configurations should follow soon.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Design
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
Without question, the design and features of the Asus Zenbook Duo OLED (2025) really stand out. But, actually, it's those dual OLED panels that really shine.
The screens are identical 14-inch OLED panels with 2,880 x 1,800 pixels each, a peak HDR brightness of 500 nits and simply eye-popping visuals. They also run at up to 120Hz, which is important not just for things like scrolling around web pages and documents, but also for ensuring that the touch input with the bundled Asus Zenpen 2 is responsive, precise and lag free.
Along with the main chassis you also get a clip-in wireless keyboard. Snapped into place, the Asus Zenbook Duo 2025 looks like a pretty conventional laptop, albeit a slightly portly machine compared to your usual thin-and-light machine. At over 1.6kg (3.5 lbs), it's also heavier than many 15-inch systems, such as a MacBook Air 15.
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
Still, the key strokes feel much better than you'd expect for a clip-in board and it works wirelessly when you detach it, enabling all manner of intriguing ergonomic setups when combined with the dual screens.
Anyway, the basic form factor does come with some compromises. But it's also beautifully put together with a lush alloy chassis, a very sturdy feeling hinge, plus a kickstand on the bottom slice that allows you to prop both screens up vertically.
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
That's absolutely fabulous for some use cases, for instance running collaboration software, such as Slack or Teams or whatever video conferencing platform you use on the top screen and your documents and apps on the bottom screen. Going back to a single-screen laptop once you get used to the Zenbook Duo feels awfully constraining, that's for sure.
Asus has also located a Thunderbolt port on both sides of the chassis, which is a welcome change from the otherwise physically pretty similar 2024 model that placed both ports on the same side. You also get a full-sized HDMI port and a headphone jack. This 2025 model has also been upgraded to Wi-Fi 7, so the lack of an ethernet socket is even less of an issue than before.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Performance
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
Cramming the latest Intel Arrow Lake CPU under an OLED screen was never going to be a recipe for absolutely peak performance. But it's not just any Arrow Lake chip in this case, but the top spec Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU with 16 cores. Overall, this is a very powerful processor, though as an Arrow Lake model as opposed to Lunar Lake, it has a relatively weak NPU that doesn't qualify for Windows Copilot+ AI assistant functionality, which is a bit of a frustration.
Indeed, there is a very strong case for this laptop being better suited all round to that Lunar Lake chip with its lower power footprint. The Zenbook Duo (2025) gets pretty toasty even under very light load and the fans are frequently audible. That said, with all cores ignited, this is a powerful portable with plenty of grunt for all but the most demanding tasks. Just expect some thermal throttling if you really lean on those CPU cores for long periods.
Asus Zenbook Duo (2025): Benchmarks - Laptops only
Here's how the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 30787; Fire Strike: 8004; Time Spy: 3800
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: 15.951ms average frame time
PCMark 10 Battery Life: 8 hours and 29 minutes
The Intel Arc 140T graphics is also pretty speedy for an integrated GPU. Don't expect desktop-class gaming performance. But you can get a reasonable experience in most games at 1080p, albeit you'll typically have to turn down a fair few settings.
The two OLED panels are also pretty much impeccable and offer a fabulous viewing experience, with good pixel density and fantastic colors and response. Rated at 400 nits, both screens are essentially identical and run at up to 120Hz for responsive touch input. In hardware terms, those screens are stunning.
The problems come with the software and interface ergonomics. Windows 11 simply isn't well optimized for touch and while the Asus ScreenXpert software is absolutely crammed with features, tools and widgets for every possible need, there's a steep initial learning curve getting used to both the various gestures for doing things like expanding windows across the two screen, bringing up items like the the various virtual keyboards and trackpads, and then getting app-specific toolbars setup and optimized.
(Image credit: Future / Jeremy Laird)
Even when you have got a setup that you're happy with, it can feel a little flaky as various items, for instance, can occasionally be obscured by the taskbar, touch controls can be unresponsive and some elements are well thought through. You'll also notice little oddities, like the top screen only dimming slightly for a while before both screens shut down to save power.
After the initial delight of using a five finger gesture to expand a webpage across two screens fades, then, you're left with an interface that can feel slightly like quite hard work. Moreover, the core dual-screen experience using the lower screen as a keyboard and trackpad is no substitute for physical input devices. You're going to want to take that clip-on keyboard with you. The upsides, of course, involve a wealth of ergonomic options no normal laptop can match.
Asus Zenbook Duo 2025: Battery life
Battery life can be a concern with any single-screen OLED laptop, but with two screens? Yikes. Actually, the Zenbook Duo (2025) probably outperforms expectations.
In PCMark 10's web test with the screens set to half brightness at the full 120Hz, the Zenbook soldiered on for eight and a half hours. Set the screens to 60Hz and merely watch some video and you may well see the Zenbook sail past the 10 hour mark.
For sure, conventional laptops can last longer. But that's still a very good result and makes for usable near-enough all day battery life.
Should I buy the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025)?
Buy it if...
You love that dual-screen setup
The dual OLED screens allow for use cases that make it very hard to go back to a conventional single-screen laptop.
You like touch input
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) two OLED panels are both touch enabled and 120Hz, making for an unbeatable touch experience.
You like quality engineering
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) is beautifully put together and very nicely designed. The clip-in keyboard is a delight, too.
Don't buy it if...
You want a thin-and-light laptop
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) isn't a brick. But there are certainly much thinner and lighter laptops with similar performance available for less money.
You're expecting a fully polished experience
Windows 11 itself isn't terribly well optimized for touch and the extras Asus has added including gestures and tools can be a bit hit and miss.
You want maximum battery life
The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) isn't a disaster when it comes to battery life. But if that's a high priority, there are laptops available for less that last longer.
Also Consider
If our Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) review has you considering other options, here are two laptops to consider...
Dell XPS 13 2025
The latest Dell XPS 13 (2025) brings Intel's Lunar Lake chips to the iconic laptop line, delivering truly all-day battery life and strong performance across the board in a sleek and stylish MacBook-esque design.
With the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8, Lenovo has nailed it thanks to its elevated design, speedy performance, and wonderful elements like a stunning OLED screen and a stylus included – all for a very competitive price.
I used the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) as my at-home and on-the-go machine for doing almost everything for a week. That means everything from basic web browsing to watching brain-rot content on YouTube and the usual collab' tools and video conferencing. Oh, and getting more serious work done including image editing.
The latter was particularly interesting given the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025)'s dual touch screens and funky interface tools. That said, it was actually more mundane tasks, namely video conferencing and general work collaboration where the Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) really shines. Once you've got used to having a spare screen to have those tools running while retaining a primary display for your other actual work, you won't want to go back to a single-screen laptop.
I essay that having been a laptop geek for about 20 years and assessing them professionally for about 15. Most laptops don't move the game on or make you think that you might actually need it in your life. The Asus Zenbook Duo (2025) is far from perfect, but it's novel enough to do just that.
When I got the chance to try the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0, I was ecstatic. It looked plush and had a rocker design, known to alleviate pain and stress in feet and ankles. This sounded like a shoe I needed to test: two years ago, I was dealing with constant pain in my toes, upper foot, and hips when I ran, so often that I had to stop running for weeks at a time. Finally, I found the HOKA Stinson 7, a trail running shoe that was plusher and relieved my pain when nothing else (stretching, doctor visits, etc.) would. That said, most of the time I run on the road, and that trail running shoe was heavier and bulkier than I liked. HOKA may have started out with a trail running shoe, but since then, they’ve been putting out impressive road running shoes year after year and regularly feature in our best running shoes roundup. The HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 launched in February 2025, the second iteration of the Cielo X1 which launched a year before in February 2024. The Cielo X1 2.0 has a more breathable upper made of engineered jacquard mesh – so breathable and clear that I could see my socked toes and feel the wind and some light rain when I ran on a drizzly day.
HOKA also enhanced the forefoot cushioning and improved the outsole traction. During my testing period, it was particularly rainy in Texas and so I had to run on light rain days or after the rain had stopped. I always felt secure and never slipped, not even when I had to run over slick brick roads in my city’s historic downtown.
(Image credit: Future)
The biggest improvement to the Cielo X1 2.0 has to be in the weight and more aggressive rocker profile. Where the Cielo X1 is 9.3 ounces, the Cielo X1 2.0 has dropped to 8.10 ounces. For those who race, an extra 1.2 ounces can go a long way. To achieve the weight reduction, HOKA utilized significant cutouts on the bottom of the shoe.
Perhaps the most noticeable change is the more pronounced rocker design. Running shoes used to be flat with a slight uptilt near the toe, but rocker shoes changed the game when they came on the scene. They get their name from the pronounced curve on the underside of the shoe, which looks like a rocking chair base. The idea behind the design is that once the runner’s foot hits the ground, they’ll naturally and effortlessly rock forward, resulting in more speed. They’re not only designed to make you run faster and without your feet or legs having to do much work, but rocker shoes may alleviate toe, forefoot, and Achilles heel pain, and reduce stress on your ankles and calves.
I had never tried a rocker shoe before, so I felt like a newborn wobbly colt the first time I stood while wearing the Hoka Cielo X1 2.0. That wobbly feeling disappears when you start to run in the shoes.
I initially found the shoe to be springy and quite plush. HOKA notes that this shoe has a “low profile cushion bed that keeps your foot closer to the ground,” but I have to disagree. It doesn’t feel low profile, especially considering that the thickest part of the footbed is two inches; this shoe is lower in profile compared to HOKA’s other – notoriously – thick shoes.
My feet are not narrow by any means but they’re not quite ‘wide-wide’ either. I was able to comfortably run in these shoes, but I can see the toebox being a problem for wide-footed runners who might feel more comfortable with more space.
From the very first run, I really enjoyed the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0. The instability I felt when I first put them on almost immediately disappeared when I started to run. Right away, I felt stable and confident, and I noticed that I was moving faster than normal but without the usual strain or heavy weight of my previous running shoes. I didn’t have to put much effort into running faster, because my ankle and foot worked seamlessly with the rocker profile to propel me forward. There’s a bounce and springiness to the shoe that felt nice on my stride.
(Image credit: Future)
To be fair, my ankles felt a bit shaky during the first few runs. I think this had to do with the cutouts on the bottom of the shoe and how I naturally pronate with one foot and supinate with the other. I’ve rolled my ankles so many times in my life that I’ve lost count, so I don’t have the strongest ankles to begin with, but because the cutouts near the arch are prominent, I could feel my ankles trying to prevent my foot from pronating too much and the other from supinating. It was awkward at first, but after each run, I noticed that my ankles felt stronger, and my feet were pronating and supinating far less than before.
The way I ran also shifted during testing. I realized that with my previous running shoe, I had been effectively “clomping,” and striking with my midfoot and forefoot as I ran. With the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0, more often than not, I struck with my heel or midfoot and then rocked forward on my toes. This new running style felt more natural and resulted in less strain on my feet and legs. If you naturally strike with your forefoot, you can absolutely run in these shoes, but I think you might be missing out on the benefits of the rocker design.
This is definitely a shoe for long-distance runners who run a variety of distances (especially those training for marathons), as it offers a low-effort and speedy running experience. Sure, there may be an adjustment period with the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0, but it’s well worth it in the long run (pun not intended).
HOKA Cielo X1 2.0: price & availability
(Image credit: Future)
$275/£250/AU$399
Available in Frost/Black
The Hoka Cielo X1 2.0 is not cheap by any means. At $275/£250/AU$399, they’re on the pricier end for rocker running shoes, though this isn’t surprising for a brand like HOKA that aims to provide the best type of running shoe for marathon runners. Currently, the Cielo X1 2.0 is only available in a single color option – Frost/Black – and is sold through HOKA and running stores like Road Runner Sports, Marathon Sports, and Paragon Sports. HOKA offers free delivery and free 30-day returns.
HOKA Cielo X1 2.0: specifications
HOKA Cielo X1 2.0: scorecard
Should I buy the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy if it...
You’re a road racer looking for speed.
Combine the lightweight nature of the shoe with the rocker design, and you’ll notice an increase in your running speed.
You prefer a super cushioned running shoe.
HOKA notes that the Cielo X1 2.0 has a low profile (maybe in comparison to their other shoes), but at its thickest point, the cushion bed is two inches thick. During a run, your joints will benefit from the thicker sole, just ask the science.
You suffer from plantar heel, toe, and Achilles pain or ankle and calf injuries.
Studies have found that rocker running shoes can decrease the load on ankles, feet, and calves, minimizing a host of pains or injuries. View Deal
Don't buy it if...
You have no interest in adjusting your run
There is a bit of a learning curve to running with the Cielo X1 2.0, and because of its considerable rocker design, it could adjust the way you run.
You’re looking for a multi-purpose running and workout shoe
Due to the prominent rocker design, it’s only suitable for roads and paved trails. It would feel awkward to lift weights or go to the store in these shoes.
You’re on a budget
The HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 is $275. Unless you consistently run or are training for a marathon, you could find a great pair of running shoes at a more affordable price. View Deal
Also consider
(Image credit: Future)
Altra FWD VIA
The Altra FWD VIA has a smaller drop of 4 mm and a wider toe box.
I tested the Cielo X1 2.0 over the course of a week and a half, by running a variety of distances on the road, paved trails, and on an indoor track. During the testing period, I was able to gauge the shoe’s effectiveness in various weather conditions – sunny, dry days, and during light rain – and how well they did in terms of comfort and foot and joint relief. Everything from the shoe’s weight to the materials and design were considered during testing.
Just over a year ago, I reviewed the Anker Solix F3800 Portable Power Station, which is great; the only issue was that it was huge and heavy. So, while technically portable, it was not pleasant to move around. Since then, I have doubled my usage of the F3800, got another one, and had an electrician install the Smart Home Power Panel from Anker, plus a sub-panel that Anker offers to create a fully backed-up home/studio.
The F3800 is now offered in a package with just that, two F3800s with a smart home panel, and you can add on the sub panel depending on your use case. This package is designed to meet the rising demand and plea for electrical backup and sustainable power in this digital world.
Not only is this a residential power backup solution, but it also acts as the inverter and does all the heavy lifting if I want to add solar panels and cut back on my grid usage. All around, the F3800 was impressive, and one of the best portable power stations I've reviewed. Where it lacked is mitigated when you add another and the home power panel and shove this in your storage area behind your office, granting peace of mind for your home in case of severe weather or power outage, plus the opportunity to throw solar panels on your roof to collect some extra power from none other than the sun.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Anker Solix F3800 Home Power System: Price and Availability
This package from Anker is typically priced just north of $9,000. However, they are currently discounted to $5,599 with the code WSTDQR0929. There are options for installment payments through several different providers through Anker's website if needed, which is lovely as these are offered exclusively via Anker's website and have limited-time promotions.
Anker Solix F3800 Home Power System: Unboxing & first impressions
Since I already had one F3800, I was familiar with what it would be like to receive another. Nothing was different; the only new part was getting the power panel and the sub-panel. The Smart Power Panel was smaller than I expected, but I'm not upset because it fits better than I thought on the wall I picked.
Right now, I only have two F3800s. However, in the future, I will probably expand my battery capacity by adding a BP3800, which is just a battery unit that one of the F3800s could utilize. I could add up to 12 (6 per F3800) BP3800 batteries, each at 3840Wh capacity, totaling a whopping 53.8kWh battery capacity stored for my home.
Another thing I will add is solar panels. This time around, I did not grab any. However, I will probably add these in the future, especially since all I need are the panels and the cable to get down to my basement since I already have the inverter and batteries installed.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
The setup process was straightforward; I called an electrician. In all seriousness, though, the electrician also had a pretty straightforward setup. He located my breaker in my basement, tailed off of that to connect to the Smart Home panel, and then integrated a sub-panel as well, so if I do have to power my home via these batteries, I can designate where that power is even able to go, prioritizing the essentials, and not having to worry about if there is something in my home that was left on that is not essential that would be a waste of battery.
After installing these, I could plug the cables from the power panel down to the F3800s, tuck them away, and then set them up through the app. I added my home, connected the unit to Wi-Fi, and then it registered that the F3800s were connected. From that point, I could see what I was pulling off the grid and set how much capacity I wanted the batteries to fill to (I chose a standard of 90%, with the ability to trigger "storm guard" that will quickly fill the batteries to 100% when I get an alert that there is a storm coming and then go back to my standard after that storm has passed) and the ability to set up other safety and battery preservation settings.
Anker Solix F3800 Home Power System: Design & build quality
Specs
Output: 12kW (dual system) with 120V/240V split-phase support. Capacity: 7.68kWh per unit, expandable to 53.8kWh with additional batteries. Solar Input: Up to 2,400W, compatible with MC4-based solar panels. Battery: LFP with an expected lifespan of 10+ years. Charging: AC (1,800W) and solar (80% in 1.5 hours).
The overall design of this setup is quite sleek. I've seen some significant and cumbersome setups, and they always need to be placed outside because they have exhaust systems from gas generators.
The reasonably sized power panel can be mounted to the wall with two simple brackets. Lastly, the sub-panel can be mounted on identical cross beams to the power panel, making installation easy.
Anker Solix F3800 Home Power System: In use
So far, having my entire home backed up with battery power has been fantastic. It's freeing to know that, with my three kids and my wife, we can ensure that our house and what we need for the children are okay in a power outage. Any sound machines, heaters, fans, night lights, monitors for their rooms, security alarms, and so forth are all backed up in an emergency, storm that knocks out power, or grid outages.
Previously, in the "prepare for the worst" mindset that I have and my unique situation where I have a multitude of power stations on hand at any given time, I would have power stations set up around the house at key areas ready for a power outage as a UPS, or I knew that if I ever needed to, I could run down to my office and drag one of the big ones up to plug in the fridge, a heater, or whatever else I needed in the moment. Now, however, I don't have to do any of that. Granted, I still have the Solix C1000 running my main desk in my office, but that's simply because I chose not to include the finished part of the basement in my sub-panel so I could focus the battery on more important things that I don't already have a solution for such as the heat, stage one of my AC, fridges, kids rooms, primary bedroom, and the microwave. I also chose to have my living room backed up, knowing that my central unit for my mesh router system (review coming soon) and the modem is there.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Because of the draw of my stage one AC unit for my house, I opted for two F3800s to get the 12kW, as opposed to the 6kW that I could get with just one F3800.
Another great feature is that I can output at 120V or 240V, depending on the demand of the equipment. This means that if I wanted to, I could run my electric dryer, charge my not-so-real-but-maybe-in-the-future Tesla, or even run another stage on my HVAC.
All of this "preparing for the worst" is great, but what might be the coolest part of this setup is something that I haven't even mentioned yet. It's the fact that I could throw some solar panels on my roof or even in my yard if I wanted to, and I could harvest the sun to not only refill my batteries but help run my house in a power outage or even offset my grid usage. I could set this up to where, in peak hours (if I lived in an area with peak hours for electrical), I could pull from solar and battery power and then recharge in the lower hours, utilizing solar when I can and then pulling from the grid last, saving money on electricity. All of this could be set automatically, meaning that without even thinking about it or changing anything I am doing, I could save real money on electricity with this Anker SOLIX Smart Home Power Kit.
Anker Solix F3800 Home Power System: Final verdict
The Anker Solix F3800 Smart Home Power Kit offers a near-perfect blend of performance, scalability, and sustainability. While its steep upfront cost may give potential buyers pause, its ability to be both a backup solution and a solar powerhouse, saving you money on electricity every day, makes this an incredible two-birds-one-stone solution.
