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The Asus Zenbook S 16 is built from a mysterious new material – but does this space-age laptop live up to the hype?

11:00 am | August 6, 2025

Asus Zenbook S 16: Two-minute review

The Zenbook S 16 photographed on a dark marble surface with potted plants in the background. — (Image credit: Future)

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.

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).

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch review

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.

Read our full Dell XPS 17 review

How I tested the Asus Zenbook S 16

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.

Freakier Friday is far from perfect, but it is a millennial teenage dream

The best things in life are those that are perfectly imperfect, and in an industry that’s striving for AI greatness and motion-blended superhero glory, that’s refreshing. As a Disney movie, Freakier Friday is not trying to be anything else – it’s not trying to compete as a box office smash, and it’s not trying to get a new audience base. Instead, it’s a love letter to its fans from way back when, and in turn, for Lindsay Lohan, too.

For me, the best part of Freakier Friday is seeing a happy, healthy Lohan back where we want her and absolutely loving it. She thrives working with Curtis and Murray, and it’s almost as if no time has passed. Freaky Friday clearly created an environment she felt comfortable in, meaning she could give her whole heart to the sequel when the timing was biologically right (according to Curtis, Disney was approached when Lohan could viably have a teen daughter).

Lohan turns up to our premiere in a nod to the final outfit she wore in Freaky Friday, and the love in the room for what they have created is palpable. It shows in every one of her scenes, effortlessly finding the balance between legendary Disney icon and a comeback kid proving she never lost the acting chops she was once heralded for. Between them, Lohan and Curtis go full throttle back into the 2000s, with plenty of references to their original movie through a stylised narrative structure typically left behind in the noughties (think school food fights, comedic detention scenes and impromptu fashion shows).

If you’re a fellow child of the noughties, Freakier Friday has this wonderfully rare ability to suspend time, leaving the everyday stresses of 2025 life at bay. In this bubble, the biggest worry is seeing whether Pink Slip will play ‘Take Me Away’ (more on that later), and if Anna will make it to her wedding on time. There’s love, laughs, and plenty of Easter eggs, and it’s genuinely the closest we can come to travelling back in time.

New additions hold up just as well, for the most part

Anna and Tess get their palms read — Lindsay Lohan (Anna) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Tess) in *Freakier Friday*. (Image credit: Disney)

However, this doesn’t mean the new elements in Freakier Friday are left out in the cold. There’s a fresh take on modern social stereotypes that doesn’t feel as though someone’s mom has written it – instead the movie comes across as understanding what it means to be a young woman in the 2020s. Nobody is taking themselves or anything around them too seriously, meaning the movie has flexibility to lean into the unhinged storytelling that children’s TV was fixated with 20 years ago.

The only place this doesn’t entirely work is with popular singer Ella (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), who Anna now manages. She struggles to feel like a popstar that would genuinely appeal to the TikTok generation, shoehorned into the plot just so Anna has enough emotional background to make up for her split with Jake.

This brings me to my biggest gripe with the sequel – you cannot continue a well-known 2000s IP and not use Chad Michael Murray properly. He was the biggest onscreen heartthrob of a generation, and I was genuinely overcome with nostalgia by seeing him in the flesh just before watching the movie. I hope he’d still be with Anna (or at the very least be back together by the end), but he’s sparsely seen and is only used to prop up jokes coming from Tess. There’s no explanation for why they’re no longer together, and, without spoilers, there’s certainly a missed opportunity to extend his connection to the movie’s main dilemma.

But enough about Chad (I’ll just rewatch Sullivan’s Crossing for a Murray hit). What about Pink Slip? Yes, the iconic fictional band is back together, and yes, you’ll see the entire back catalog. I recommend watching with your best friend for the full emotional effect of belting the words as the band has their onscreen reunion, albeit you might be a bit thrown off by a jarring edit that goes against the original film’s soundtrack. Still, this is a small price to pay for a cinematic moment of dreams, and boy, seeing Christina Vidal back where she belongs is mine.

Frankly, I’m impressed with Freakier Friday. The minute a sequel comes out decades after the original, it’s set up for a losing streak, but Lohan and Curtis’ effortless embodiment of 2003 means the overall premise works despite the huge chunk of time in between. Cinema buffs will say it’s terrible, and they’re probably right. But Freakier Friday is a worthwhile sequel, and it’s definitely what I – and I imagine other noughties children – want.

Weapons review: the new horror movie’s scariest moment happens in broad daylight and that’s why it’s my favorite film of 2025

5:15 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Entertainment Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

Zach Cregger burst onto the horror scene in 2022 with what looked to be a simple tale about a double booked Airbnb in the movie Barbarian. With the film praised so highly by horror fans, how could he possibly outdo himself?

Enter Weapons, a new movie that I genuinely believe is even better than Barbarian due to its wonderful cocktail of horror, dark comedy and mystery that keeps you guessing throughout.

Weapons has had some of the best viral marketing I’ve ever seen for a horror movie. Indeed, it's not all hype and no substance, as after watching the movie I can report that it lives up to all the scary videos and the real looking website you've seen online.

Weapons follows a shocking mystery that shocks a small town. At 2:17am, all but one child mysteriously vanishes from the same class, leaving a sea of worried parents and baffled police officials behind to pick up the pieces.

Fingers are soon pointed towards Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) after the town realizes that it was only the teacher's class impacted by this terrifying phenomenon. CCTV footage shows the children all running, arms outstretched, their destination unknown, and Gandy becomes ostracized as a result.

Black and white CCTV footage of a child running with their arms outstretched — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

She's just one of the main characters we follow in the movie, though. The others are Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), a worried father, Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich), a police officer, and Andrew Marcus (Benedict Wong), the school principal.

The less I say about this movie, the better because it's good to know as little as possible before watching Weapons. But just know that this mystery leaves the entire community stumped and soon puts them in danger too.

This is a movie that doesn't let up. Often with horror movies we feel safer when there's scenes set in the daytime, but Weapons has you constantly on edge from the ominous intro all the way to the final credits. It's terrifying and anxiety inducing – everything you could want from a Barbarian follow-up.

Cregger told me during an interview that "if you liked Barbarian, this is more – and in a good way" – and he's absolutely right. It does dial the horror up to 100, and left my jaw on the floor for a lot of it. Some of Weapons scariest moments happen when you least expect it as you find yourself absorbed in the investigation.

This is a very character driven movie. As a result, we do spend a lot of time getting to know the members of the town, often when they're alone. There's some excellent scenes that give us insight into how they're feeling while at their homes, or during nightmare sequences.

It's easy to feel sympathy for the characters but also frustration as well. Each character feels very well-rounded. This troubled town is full of very different personalities and they all shine through here.

The town of Maybrook becomes scarier thanks to the eerie score, composed by Cregger alongside his two friends, brothers Ryan and Hays Holladay. This was Cregger's first time composing for one of his own movie's and he's done a brilliant job.

For me, Weapons is a masterpiece but I know some fans might not like the non-linear pacing, as it can feel slow at times when the tension is building. But if you like character-driven horrors that build to a shocking reveal, you're going to love this.

In the trailer, the child narrator teases that “a lot of people die in a lot of weird ways in this story" and that's very true. To find out how, exactly, you'll have to be brave and go and watch it when it arrives in theaters on August 8 in the US and UK, and August 7 in Australia.

I watched the first six episodes of Alien: Earth, and it’s the Peter Pan-inspired sci-fi horror show I didn’t know I needed on Disney+

4:00 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Streaming | Comments: Off

Light spoilers follow for Alien: Earth episodes 1 through 6.

Nearly 50 years have passed since Ridley Scott terrified audiences with 1979's Alien. In the decades since, the sci-fi horror movie has spawned its own film franchise, had crossovers with other big-name properties including Predator, Star Wars, and Marvel, and inspire countless numerous other scary extraterrestrial flicks.

It's only now, though, that the hair-raising property has made the facehugger-style leap to the small screen with Alien: Earth – and the good news is that it's been worth the wait. Armed with a near-perfect blend of nostalgia and contemporary long-form storytelling, Alien: Earth breeds a new kind of monstrous tale that made this Alien fan's chest burst with joy.

Man or machine

Wendy looking at something from behind a pane of glass in Alien: Earth — Wendy, a synthetic being known as a hybrid, is Alien: Earth's lead character (Image credit: FX Networks)

Set in the year 2120, Alien: Earth begins by telling us that the five megacorporations that rule the planet – Weyland-Yutani, Dynamic, Threshold, Lynch, and Prodigy – are in a race to unlock human immortality by any means necessary.

The last of that quintet is closest to achieving that aim. Led by the trillionaire tech wonderkid Boy Kavalier (Samuel Blenkin), Prodigy successfully transfers the consciousness of a child named Marcy into a synthetic body.

The resultant prototype is a Hybrid called Wendy (Sydney Chandler), whose supercomputer-like humanoid body is soon put to the test when the MSCSS Maginot, a deep-space research vessel owned by Weyland-Yutani, crash-lands on Prodigy City. Alongside five other Hybrids and their android mentor Kirsh (Timothy Olyphant), Wendy soon encounters numerous terrifying alien lifeforms who pose a significant threat to everyone on Earth.

Boy Kavalier smiling with his shoe-less feet resting on a table in Alien: Earth — Boy Kavalier, played with nefariously charming intent by Blenkin, is the Alien universe's newest love-to-hate character (Image credit: FX Network/Hulu/Disney+)

Timeline-wise, Alien: Earth takes place just two years before Alien, so it's not a surprise that episode 1's opening minutes capture the essence of the 1979 Scott-directed flick. Okay, it doesn't recreate Alien's own introductory sequence per se. But, whether it's the Maginot crew exiting cryosleep, the subsequent mess-hall scene, use of crossfades, and/or the inclusion of a ginger cat, Alien: Earth is a prequel that disregards other projects set before Alien, including Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, and evokes sentimentality for the original movie.

Alien: Earth evokes the spirit of its movie sibling from the get-go

That said, I found the opening 25 minutes to be quite messy. Sure, its weird pacing, jarring tonality, and artistic flair elicit a sense of suspense and dread, but its atmosphere and rhythm are frustratingly upended by superfluous quick cuts as the FX TV Original tries to find its footing.

Just when you think Alien: Earth is nothing more than nostalgia bait for Alien, though, a narrative switch is flipped that takes it in a completely different direction, and soon helps its story hit its stride.

Joe, Siberian, and Rashidi standing in front of some rubble in Alien: Earth — Wendy joins the search and rescue operation in Prodigy City to find her biological brother Joe (left) (Image credit: FX Network/Hulu/Disney+)

Indeed, while the fearless albeit naive Wendy volunteers herself and her fellow Hybrids, aka The Lost Boys – these aren't the only narrative parallels to Peter Pan in Alien: Earth – to aid the Prodigy City search and rescue operation, she also does so in a bid to track down her biological brother Joe (Alex Lawther). Their familial dynamic is the beating heart of the entire show and, like Rain and Andy's surrogate sibling relationship in Alien: Romulus, it explores the emotional complexities of a bond between an artificial being and someone who's 100% human with aplomb.

I was completely absorbed by tête-à-têtes involving the super-companies

Alien: Earth also examines the uneasy truce between the Alien universe's multinational biotech powerhouses.

Until now, Weyland-Yutani is the only one of these profit-driven institutions we've really seen. Alien: Earth creator Noah Hawley's decision to place Prodigy front and center, then, is designed to place Weyland-Yutani on the back foot as it tries and fails to recover its incredibly dangerous extraterrestrial cargo, and positions them as an underdog to their fellow industry giant.

I was completely absorbed by tête-à-têtes involving the super-companies as the cocksure Kavalier runs rings around his peer at Yutani (Sandra Yi Sencindiver), and such meetings certainly put a novel spin on franchise lore – other parts of the Alien mythos are scrutinized and/or added to, but I won't spoil them here – that suggests Weyland-Yutani wasn't always the number one megacorp in the land.

It's a pity that Threshold, Lynch, and Dynamic are more conspicuous by their absence – although they could show up in this season's final two episodes, which I haven't seen yet. Their time might also come if Alien: Earth is renewed for another season – and if it is, I'd love to see how they stack up against their similarly power-hungry competitors.

Creature feature

A close up of a xenomorph with Earth reflected on its head in the Alien: Earth TV show teaser — Yes, the franchise's iconic Xenomorphs have a big part to play in the first Alien TV series (Image credit: FX Networks/Hulu)

Really, though, we're all here to see the franchise's famed Xenomorphs do what they do best: kill. Unlike Alien, which held back the Xenomorph's grand reveal to build tension, it doesn't take long for the nightmare-inducing endoparasitoid to appear in Alien: Earth, with the first Xenomorph surfacing very early on in its premiere to make light work of the Maginot's unfortunate crew.

Alien: Earth also introduces four new frightening creatures who add their own freakish flavor to proceedings

Alien: Earth also introduces four new frightening creatures – some, such as the highly-intelligent organism referred to as The Eye, get more to do than others – from the far-flung corners of the universe who were first teased in Alien: Earth's official trailer, and who add their own freakish flavor to proceedings.

Indeed, after they're transported from the New Prodigy crash site to Kavalier's secret research center called Neverland (I warned you that the Peter Pan references weren't done) they soon become the focus of Prodigy's immoral founder at the expense of his Hybrid program. In that sense, Alien: Earth reminded me of Jurassic Park – i.e., a reckless CEO and his mostly loyal band of scientists experimenting (read: playing God) on dangerous creatures at a remote location.

A sheep whose left eye socket has been taken over by an eye-based extraterrestrial lifeform in Alien: Earth — The parasitic lifeform known as The Eye, seen in the sheep's left eye socket, is my new favorite bioweapon in the Alien franchise (Image credit: FX Networks)

It's from this point on that the relative stillness of the sci-fi drama that punctuates Wendy's side of the story is slowly and purposefully countered by the increasing sense of dread of the aliens eventually breaking out of confinement. It's a smoldering powder-keg that threatens to explode at any moment, and I was on tenterhooks waiting for things to go horribly wrong. For a property steeped in hyperviolence, Alien: Earth builds up more than enough tension to fill the vastness of space, but it eventually releases the pressure valve in typically – and delightfully – brutal and gory fashion as its huge ensemble becomes canon fodder for the deadly quintet.

Alien: Earth's life-threatening, otherworldly beings aren't the only monsters who populate its story. Whether it's the heinous Kavalier, or the show's android contingent, including Kirsh and Weyland-Yutani cyborg Morrow (Babou Ceesay) who operate in the morally gray, it's full of human characters and artificial creations alike who are as sinister, clever, uncompromising, and/or unsympathetic as the bioweapons they experiment on – or, in Morrow's case, want to recover for his employer.

A carnivorous plant-like organism hanging from a ceiling in Alien: Earth — Some creatures, such as this sundew-esque specimen, are underused in Alien: Earth's first six chapters (Image credit: FX Networks)

It's ethically minded people, such as Prodigy scientist Arthur Sylvia (David Rysdahl), plus Wendy and The Lost Boys – Slightly (Adarsh Gourav), Smee (Jonathan Ajayi), Curly (Erana James), Nibs (Lily Newmark),and Tootles (Kit Young) – who are predictably caught in the crossfire of the series' corporate bureaucracy, morally corrupt individuals, and lethal lifeforms. The slow unraveling of Prodigy's artificially constructed family, which also includes Arthur's fellow researcher and wife Dame Sylvia (Essie Davis), is an engrossing car crash that I couldn't look away from, and I'm desperate to see how things continue to implode in this season's final two episodes.

The slow unraveling of Prodigy's artificially constructed family is an engrossing car crash I couldn't look away from

I hope there are more interactions, albeit belated ones, between Alien: Earth's Hybrids in chapters 7 and 8, and/or in future seasons, too. With so many subplots and specific dynamics to dedicate time to, it doesn't leave much room to explore the relationships between these artificial kidults. Some of Alien: Earth's most nuanced moments involve sequences where their camaraderie and conflicting perspectives are on full view, so I'm keen to see more moving forward – that is, as long as they survive this season's finale.

My verdict

Alien: Earth is a facehugging delight. Like Alien: Romulus, it confidently re-energizes the fan-favorite property with a well-cast and well-crafted dystopian story that pleasingly meters out its mix of sci-fi horror, psychological thriller, action, drama, and even disaster elements without one or more of its genres suffocating the others.

With a reportedly sizeable production budget, it's a stylish slice of prestige television that carves out its own space and identity while staying true to what's come before. I'd even go so far as to suggest that it grants some Alien fans' long-held wishes by combining the best bits of the '79 original and its more action-oriented '86 sequel Aliens, too.

Sure, it's not without its issues. Its narrative occasionally drags around the show's midpoint, and some characters aren't as fully formed as they could be. I'm also going to slightly contradict what I said earlier about Alien: Earth's penchant for nostalgia bait, because its fifth episode – a Morrow-fronted whodunit-style flashback entry that provides context about the Maginot's eventual crash – is arguably my favorite entry of the six I saw.

Overall, though, Alien: Earth fully deserves a spot in our best Hulu shows and best Disney+ shows guides – and I'll scream that from the rooftops so everyone can hear me.

Alien: Earth will launch with a two-episode premiere on Tuesday, August 12 on Hulu (US) and Wednesday, August 13 on Disney+ (internationally). New episodes air weekly.

I tested Tixati, a free torrent client that offers a lot to torrent users

1:47 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Tixati is one of the popular torrent clients to embrace a minimalist design, and it is quite light on system resources as well, which is another plus point here.

Tixati is entirely free, and also advert-free, yet it still boasts several advanced features that should help with getting the best possible download speeds. It is available to download on all popular operating systems, excluding macOS.

Windows 10 is supported, plus Windows 8, 7, Vista, and XP, with users able to install the 32-bit or 64-bit versions directly from the website. Tixati also supports most Linux distros like Fedora, RHEL, Ubuntu, Mint, Mandriva, and more.

The client has been getting regular monthly updates, and the latest version of Tixati (2.73) was released in April 2020. Tixati is not available on any mobile platforms currently.

Features

Tixati lets users manage downloads by allowing them to limit the bandwidth used and even filter the IP addresses. The client offers the ability to schedule tasks and subscribe to the RSS feeds of your favorite websites.

Tixati's user interface may appear to be a little outdated in terms of design. However, Tixati offers tooltips and pop-ups, and the setup process is a breeze.

If you’re switching from any other torrent client, Tixati may feel slightly different initially because its layout is rather distinct. While most torrent clients come with a left-aligned menu, Tixati has all the tabs aligned along the top. Further note that Tixati offers an option to tweak the interface slightly based on your preferences.

The sheer number of customization options that Tixati offers makes it one of the favored clients among pro users. It provides access to a complete set of low-level details regarding swarms, and that is one of the reasons that makes it stand apart from the competition.

The Tixati client provides access to a comprehensive help and support section. This helps users in addressing any issues they may face with the torrent client. There are plenty of troubleshooting tips, help guides, and additional useful hints that can aid in minimizing any downtime.

Additionally, the highly active community forum can help address almost any issue the users may be facing. The community is quite lively and provides real-time support and quick solutions.

Security

Tixati is a closed source platform. While that means it lacks the transparency of open source torrent clients, which can have their code examined by anyone, there’s no particular need to worry about the security of Tixati, at least not going by VirusTotal, which registered zero threats after scanning the installer file (at the time of writing).

Note that Tixati offers increased security for users via support for forced RC4 encryption and a SOCKS5 proxy, and it is always advisable to hide your IP address, which is otherwise broadly visible. We have an exhaustive guide to the best VPN for torrenting and torrents.

Piracy

While torrents allow users to download their favorite content off the internet, and torrent clients make the process easier, remember that there is, of course, copyrighted material online, and downloading that is breaking the law. Of course, TechRadar does not support or endorse piracy or illegal downloads.

Final verdict

While Tixati has a rather different layout and look for its interface, the overall performance of this client is very satisfactory. The high degree of customization available, ad-free interface, and regular updates are a few major plus points that make Tixati a must-try torrent client.

Have a look at the best free torrent client

I tested Transmission, a free and easy to use torrent client with massive compatibility

1:47 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Transmission is one of the most widely-used cross-platform torrent clients. It has numerous features and is compatible with the most popular desktop operating systems.

Transmission is a torrenting app known for its intuitive interface and widespread compatibility. It’s easy to understand even for non-technical users. Its free and open-source nature makes it a popular choice for people seeking to download content.

We’re reviewing Transmission to help you decide whether it’s a good choice. We’ll dive into its features, security, ease of use, and other crucial factors.

Transmission: Version and platforms

Transmission is widely compatible. It can be downloaded on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Unix. It’s also compatible with numerous Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, Mint, OpenSUSE, Raspberry Pi, and CentOS.

The extensive PC compatibility makes Transmission a top choice for geeks running atypical operating systems. If macOS and Windows aren’t your thing, you can still download Transmission on many other operating systems.

The drawback is that Transmission lacks an Android mobile app, unlike many rival tools.

Transmission: Features

Transmission is a torrenting app mainly used to download content. The process is simple: First, you download a torrent from an external source. Then, you launch the torrent on Transmission to begin the download.

There is no built-in search engine for directly finding torrents, which we consider a drawback. Users must download the torrents from external sites before launching them on Transmission.

After downloading a file, you become a “seeder,” uploading it to the torrenting network for other users. Transmission depends on seeders to provide fast download speeds for all users.

You can limit the speed at which you seed (upload) files for other users; this limit helps conserve bandwidth. You can also set a maximum speed for your downloads.

We observed fast download speeds when using Transmission. However, your speed can vary depending on how many seeders are available for the torrent you download. The higher the number of seeders, the faster the download speed. The fewer the seeders, the slower the download speed.

You can monitor your downloads from a user-friendly dashboard. This dashboard shows the progress of current downloads and the list of all previous downloads. You can pause or cancel a download that’s still in progress.

Transmission uses less memory than most torrenting apps we’ve tested. Some torrenting apps are memory hogs, slowing down other programs because of their excessive consumption. In contrast, Transmission has a lightweight structure that keeps your PC at its optimal performance when downloading content. It doesn’t interfere with the performance of other apps.

Transmission has a collection of add-ons that provide complementary features. You can download these add-ons from Transmission’s official website. For instance, you can download add-ons that let you control Transmission remotely from a smartphone.

With a remote control add-on, you can pause, resume or delete torrent downloads from your smartphone. You can filter torrent lists, download new torrents, and receive notifications about completed downloads.

You can also download an add-on to control Transmission from your browser instead of the standalone app. With this add-on, you can manage and monitor all torrents from your browser instead of constantly juggling your browser and the standalone Transmission app.

Being free and open-source are major reasons for choosing Transmission. Users can examine the code and certify that Transmission isn’t engaging in schemes like malware and adware to generate revenue. Transmission is a free tool maintained by a global network of volunteer developers, so there’s no incentive to cut corners to make money.

Some torrenting apps are infamous for bundling flash ads, pop ads, and tracking users to harvest data for money. Transmission doesn’t have these issues. It provides sophisticated torrenting features for free.

Transmission: Interface and in-use

Transmission is more user-friendly than most rival torrenting apps. Notably, the desktop app incorporates unique interfaces for each operating system.

For instance, the macOS app has the sleek, simple interface Apple is known for. The Windows app has a modernized interface that makes using it easy. The Linux apps follow the recommended GNOME human interface guidelines.

Thanks to its extensive developer network, Transmission features customized interfaces for different operating systems. The app incorporates minimalistic design with features neatly arranged at the top and configurations at the bottom. The icons are self-explanatory, making it easy to find different features. Any layperson can quickly get acquainted with Transmission’s interface and download content.

Transmission: Security and privacy

Torrenting clients are generally secure but have risks. For instance, open-source torrenting apps often receive unofficial builds from malicious developers who use them to introduce malware. Transmission has experienced this issue but quickly blocked malicious builds.

Transmission has security features to prevent your torrenting activities from leaking to third-parties. For instance, you can block specific IP addresses from sharing files with your PC, which are usually IPs known for sharing malicious files.

For further security, you should switch on a VPN before downloading torrents. VPNs encrypt your traffic by routing it through remote servers. This encryption prevents third-parties from snooping on your torrenting activities.

Despite Transmission’s advanced security features and the additional use of a VPN, no torrenting app is 100% secure. Motivated actors can exploit flaws to snoop on users’ torrenting activities. Hence, avoid using Transmission for illegal activities. TechRadar doesn’t endorse piracy.

Transmission: Final Verdict

Transmission is an excellent choice if you need a simple yet sophisticated torrenting client. It has some drawbacks, such as a lack of a built-in search engine, but its advanced features, impressive download speeds, and other pros outweigh the cons.

We list the best free torrent client.

I tested these chic sub-$100 true wireless earbuds, but their lacklustre sound is too hard to ignore

12:30 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Audio Computers Earbuds & Airpods Gadgets Headphones | Tags: AAC, ANC, LDAC | Comments: Off

Final Audio ZE3000 SV: Two-minute review

The Final Audio ZE3000 SV arrive in a very competitive sector of the best budget earbud market equipped to compete. A combination of app and touch control, very decent battery life, some swanky new 10mm dynamic drivers (that word in conjunction with a port to keep pressure levels within the earbuds acceptable), and a light, comfortable design all bode very well.

Then you realize the app and the touch controls don’t really do as much as you’d like. And that Final Audio has deliberately tuned the active noise-cancellation to impact as little as possible on sound quality rather than to impact as much as possible on external sounds. As a result, you start to wonder if perhaps spending $99 on a pair of ZE3000 SV might not be as good an idea as spending it on, say, a pair of Sony’s excellent WF-C710N.

Fortunately, the Final Audio reassert themselves, to an extent, when it comes to audio performance. No, the ZE3000 SV aren’t the most exciting listen you’ve ever experienced, and for some people this lack of audio energy will be enough to rule them out of the best earbuds race, irrespective of budget. But they are balanced, detailed, fairly dynamic and very revealing of the minutiae of a recording. Their midrange reproduction, in particular, is naturalistic and convincing, while low-frequency presence is impressive too. Or, at least, it is provided you’ve made sure the earbuds fit just so.

Final Audio ZE3000 SV review: Price and release date

Final Audio ZE3000 SV ANC wireless earbuds on a white surface — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Released on February 27, 2025
Priced $99 / £89 / AU$169

The Final Audio ZE3000 SV have been on sale since the very end of February this year, and in every territory in which they’re on sale, they’re aggressively priced. That’s not the same as saying they have a clear shot, of course – very similar money to this buys well-regarded alternatives from the likes of JBL, Nothing and Sony, to name just three…

Final Audio ZE3000 SV review: Specs

Type	True wireless in-ear
Drivers	10mm ‘F-Core SV’ dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds, ANC on), 28 hours (including charging case)
Weight	4g per bud
Frequency response	20Hz - 20kHz
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3 (SBC, AAC, LDAC)
Waterproofing	IPX4
Control	Touch; app

Final Audio ZE3000 SV review: Features

10mm ‘F-Core’ SV dynamic drivers
Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC, AAC and LDAC codec compatibility
28 hours of battery life (including charging case) with ANC on

The Final Audio ZE3000 SV use Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, and have multipoint connectivity if you need to connect them to two devices at once. They’re compatible with the LDAC codec as well as the bog-standard SBC and AAC alternatives, so an appropriate source player will be able to stream at half-decent quality.

Once audio information is on board, it’s delivered to your ears by a couple of newly developed 10mm ‘F-Core SV’ dynamic drivers. Final Audio is claiming a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz from this new design, and they work in conjunction with ‘F-Link’ port technology in an effort to optimize acoustic pressure within the body of the earbud.

Active noise-cancellation is a four-stage system: ‘off’, ‘on’, ‘wind-cut’ and ‘ambient sound’. With ANC on, you can expect around seven hours of action from the earbuds, and there are a further three full charges stored in the case. Ten minutes charging via the case’s USB-C slot should be good for around an hour's listening.

You can use the capacitive touch surface on the left earbud to toggle between ‘on’ and ‘ambient sound’. The left earbud also takes care of ‘skip backwards’ and ‘volume down’, while the right earbud is in charge of ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards’ and ‘volume up’.

The Final Connect control app is similarly brief – there are no playback controls here, and no ability to embed a streaming service. All you get, in fact, is the ability to check for firmware updates, an indication of remaining battery life, full ANC control, and access to a seven-band equaliser with storage space for one custom setting. You can also switch ‘gaming mode’ on or off. Final reckons latency is down below 60m/s when it’s engaged.

Features score: 4/5

Screenshots of the Final Audio ZE3000 SV in-ear headphones app — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Final Audio ZE3000 SV review: Sound quality

Balanced, detailed and quite direct sound
Decent dynamism and good low-end presence…
Provided you’ve got the fit just right

Some earbuds at the more affordable end of the market like to make things as exciting as possible, a sort of sonic grabbing by the lapels that seems designed to make you ignore their shortcomings in favor of marveling at their vigor. The Final Audio ZE3000 SV are not those earbuds.

They have plenty going for them in terms of sound quality, of course. A listen to Ty Segall’s version of Hot Chocolate’s Every 1’s a Winner reveals them to be a nicely balanced and quite informative listen, able to extract and present even quite fine details buried in the mix. They control their low frequency presence well, so bass sounds hit respectably hard but don’t overstay their welcome or drag at the rhythm. The midrange is open and natural-sounding, so voices get to reveal a lot of their character as well as their tone. And the top of the frequency range is, again, open and detailed, and has just about enough substance to balance out its shine – there’s a reasonable amount of crispness to the way the earbuds attack treble sounds, even if they’re just slightly rolled off in absolute terms.

Frequency integration is smooth, and the tonal balance is quite neutral too. There’s a decent amount of dynamism on display too, both where the big shifts in volume and the more subtle harmonic variations are concerned. And the ZE3000 SV can lay out a soundstage in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, keeping plenty of elbow room between every competing element of a recording but at the same time delivering it as a whole.

Final Audio ZE3000 SV wireless earbuds place on an Apple iPhone 14 Pro — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

All the above depends very much on your achieving a correct fit with the earbuds, though. Every true wireless or wired in-ear monitors require a decent fit in order to sound its best, but the Final Audio ZE3000 SV are more fit-dependent than any other earbuds I’ve heard in a long time. It’s just as well the company provides so many pair of eartips – you're gonna need them.

Still, at least you can take active measures to ensure the ZE3000 SV sound as good as they can. What you can’t do is mitigate their fundamental sonic attitude, which is rather matter-of-fact and undemonstrative. It’s one thing to not be one of those ‘eyes out on stalks’, ‘excitement at all costs’ listens, but it’s quite another to go too far the other way. With a little more energy and animation to their presentation, the ZE3000 SV would be an even more competitive proposition.

Mind you, if their active noise-cancellation got anywhere close to ‘cancellation’ they’d be more attractive, still. Yes, it’s true that Final Audio’s decision to ensure its ANC algorithms don’t impact on sound quality means the ZE3000 SV sound exactly the same whether it’s switched on or off, but it’s so light-touch in its effectiveness that it almost seems worth some sonic disruption for ANC that does what it’s supposed to do.

Sound quality: 4/5

Final Audio ZE3000 SV in-ear headphones on a white surface — Note the stabilizer fins and separate tips (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Final Audio ZE3000 SV review: Design

4g per earbud
‘Shibo’ textured finish
Five sizes of eartip included

What do you want from your true wireless in-ear headphones' design? If you’re anything like me, you want them to be small, light and comfortable, and ideally with a good range of eartip sizes to help with the fit. If that sounds familiar, you’ll be very pleased indeed with the design of the ZE3000 SV.

The little pebble-shaped earbuds themselves are a nicely ergonomic shape, and at 4g each are no kind of burden. A choice of five differently sized pairs of eartips helps to achieve a secure and comfortable fit, and the ‘Shibo’ finish that Final Audio has been so keen on lately not only makes them look mildly distinctive but also helps when taking them out (either of the charging case or of your ears).

The charging case itself is similarly compact, similarly light and, thanks to that aforementioned ‘Shibo’ finish, is less likely to show any marks or scuffs than is usual. A single tiny LED on its front face lets you know what the state of play is.

The standard of build and finish is very acceptable indeed. The ZE3000 SV may be necessarily lightweight, but that doesn’t translate to a feeling of flimsiness. The earbuds’ IPX4 rating lets you know that things have been properly screwed together.

Design score: 5/5

Final Audio ZE3000 SV wireless earbuds in their carry case — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Final Audio ZE3000 SV review: value

Good specification, build and finish
Lots to like in audio terms
Need greater sonic liveliness

‘Nice’ is not automatically faint praise, and the Final Audio ZE3000 SV are a nice product. They're well-made, properly finished, competitively specified, comfortable to wear, and quite pleasant to listen to in any number of ways. Judged against their obvious rivals from the likes of the Sony WF-C710N and Nothing Ear (3), the ZE3000 SV are an interesting option and represent, I suppose, the path less traveled.

Unless you’re easily overstimulated, though, the earbuds’ lack of sonic animation has to count as a negative when you're talking about outright value for money.

Value: 4/5

Bird's-eye view of the carry case for the Final Audio ZE3000 SV wireless earbuds — (Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

Should I buy the Final Audio ZE3000 SV?

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Features	Four ANC options, solid capacitive touch possibilities and good battery life, but limited app functionality	4/5
Sound quality	Balanced and detailed, natural-sounding midrange, but only if the fitting is spot-on	4/5
Design	Comfortable, with excellent standard of build and finish, lots of (necessary) eartips	5/5
Value	A solid product, nicely finished, but lacks sonic liveliness	4/5

Buy them if…

You like a long listening session
The Final Audio ZE3000 SV have the battery life and the comfort to keep you listening for hour after hour.

You have a decently specified source of music
LDAC codec compatibility means access to one of the better forms of Bluetooth streaming.

You value understatement
Between their compact dimensions and the ‘Shibo’ finish, the ZE3000 SV manage to look unusual and subtle at the same time.

Don’t buy them if…

You crave sonic stimulation
‘Grown up’ is a perfectly valid audio attitude, ‘slightly dull’ not so much.

You like full control
Both the touch controls and the app give partial, rather than complete, control over the ZE3000 SV.

Your ears are of peculiar dimensions
The Final Audio rely even more than most earbuds on the fit being exactly right if they’re to sound their best

Final Audio ZE3000 SV review: Also consider

	Final Audio ZE3000 SV	JBL Live Beam 3	Nothing Ear (3)	Sony WF-C710N
Drivers	10mm ‘F-Core SV’ dynamic	10mm dynamic	11mm dynamic	5mm dynamic
Active noise cancellation	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	7 hours (earbuds, ANC on); 28 hours (charging case)	Up to 12 hours (buds), up to 48 hours total	5.2 hours (buds); 24 hours (case)	8.5hrs (ANC on) 12hrs (ANC off); plus 30 hours in the case
Weight	4g per bud	5g per bud	4.62g (buds); 51.9g (case)	5.2g (per bud)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3 (SBC, AAC, LDAC)	Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC, USB-C	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (SBC, AAC)
Waterproofing	IPX4	IP55	IP54	IPX4

JBL Live Beam 3
Solid audio quality and great battery life add to the appeal of the JBL's remote screen control, but the standard of ANC detracts from it more than somewhat.
Read more in our JBL Live Beam 3 review.

Nothing Ear
They score over the Final Audio where low-end heft and excitement are concerned, and they’re attractive lookers in a kind of ‘try hard’ way. Meager battery life is an obvious down-side, though.
Get the full picture in our Nothing Ear review.

Sony WF-C710N
Now routinely available for less than £100, these junior Sonys have the beating of the Final Audio where noise-cancellation and energy of sound are concerned. No LDAC, though, and they’re not as visually sophisticated as the ZE3000 SV, either.
Get the full picture in our Sony WF-C710N review.

How I tested the Final Audio ZE3000 SV

Connected to a FiiO M15S and Apple iPhone 14 Pro
Used indoors and outdoors
With a range of music and of file types

I made the Final Audio ZE3000 SV my default true wireless earbuds for well over a week during the course of this review.

When listening outdoors I almost always used my iPhone 14 Pro as a source (using the AAC codec) – it’s loaded with Presto, Spotify and Tidal apps, so there’s plenty of accessible music.

Indoors, I tended to link it to my FiiO M15S DAP using LDAC. The player has a lot of very hi-res music stored locally, so I was able to listen to everything from DSD128 and 24bit/192kHz FLAC down to 128kbps stuff.

First reviewed in August 2025.

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Learn more specifically about how we test earbuds at TechRadar

uTorrent torrent client review

1:07 pm | August 4, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

uTorrent is one of the most popular torrent clients globally. To many, it’s synonymous with torrenting itself. This platform maintains a stellar reputation because of its performance, speed, and ubiquitous features.

I’m reviewing uTorrent to help you decide whether it’s worth the hype. My review will focus on crucial factors like its features, speed, performance, security, and pricing. Read on to learn the pros and cons of uTorrent in detail.

uTorrent: Pricing

Unlike many torrenting clients, uTorrent offers different tiers of its product. Its basic version is free for anyone to download. However, this free version includes ads on the interface, which can be distracting when downloading content.

The paid tiers of uTorrent include

Ad-Free: For $4.95 per year, you can remove all ads from your interface. This version is also optimized to consume less bandwidth.

Pro: For $19.95 yearly, you can enjoy an ad-free experience and integrated virus scanning when downloading torrents.

Pro + VPN: This tier combines the features of the Pro tier and includes a VPN for secure content downloads. A VPN routes torrenting traffic through secure remote servers to avoid being tracked by third-parties.

uTorrent accepts cryptocurrency and credit/debit card payments. The paid tiers lack a free trial.

uTorrent: Versions

Extensive compatibility is one of uTorrent’s strengths. It has apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It also has an Android but no iOS app, which is typical for torrenting clients. Apple frowns upon torrenting apps appearing on its App Store, so you’ll hardly find any torrenting platform compatible with iOS.

uTorrent: Features

uTorrent is the most feature-rich torrenting client in my opinion, as it offers functionalities I’ve hardly encountered in other rival clients. It has a simple mechanism. You’ll first find a .torrent file from an external website. This file contains the metadata of the content you want to download.

Then, you’ll upload the .torrent file on uTorrent to begin downloading the relevant content. uTorrent notably supports bulk downloads at fast speeds, a feature many torrenting clients lack.

I observed fast download speeds when testing uTorrent. The app auto-adjusts bandwidth usage based on your network connection to provide fast speeds.

Download speeds are determined partly by the number of “seeders,” or uploaders, available on uTorrent’s network. Fortunately, as the most popular torrenting client, there’s hardly a lack of seeders to share files on uTorrent and maintain reliable speeds for everyone on the network.

uTorrent lets you schedule downloads ahead of time. For example, you can upload a .torrent file while at the office and instruct uTorrent to download it several hours later when you connect to your home’s WiFi network.

I was able to control my upload and download speeds to conserve bandwidth when using uTorrent. By default, after downloading a torrent on uTorrent, you automatically become a seeder uploading the files for other users on the network. Capping the data upload speed helped me conserve bandwidth when sharing files.

uTorrent supports remote access, which allows you to manage your torrenting activities from external devices. For example, I was able control downloads on a home computer from my smartphone while at work.

During testing, I enjoyed uTorrent’s light performance despite its many features. It’s not a memory hog that strains your PC’s resources and causes its fans to run at full speed. Instead, it’s a lightweight app with a hardly noticeable impact on your PC’s performance.

With uTorrent, you can download content while seamlessly handling other activities on your web browser or desktop apps.

uTorrent’s Android app is similar to its desktop app. It offers light performance, advanced features, impressive download speeds, and a simple user interface. You can use this Android app to control uTorrent on your PC and other devices.

A drawback I observed with uTorrent is the presence of ads on the basic version. These ads are distracting and, occasionally, users get ads for grey apps flagged by virus scanners. You should exercise caution when interacting with ads on uTorrent.

uTorrent: Interface and in-use

uTorrent has a modern, responsive interface that beats most torrenting clients. Its sleek interface spots a white or dark background (adjustable) with features brightly highlighted with contrasting colors.

The features are neatly arranged on the left, and the main menu is on the right. The buttons to add new torrents and begin downloading are boldly displayed on the main menu, so you can quickly find and switch between different features.

uTorrent is easy for a non-technical person to use. It performs excellently in the user-friendliness criterion, which isn’t the case for some torrenting platforms.

uTorrent: Security

Security is paramount when downloading torrents, as ISPs and other third-parties often seek to identify and block users. uTorrent has many security features to protect users from data leaks and cyber threats.

The Pro version comes with an integrated virus scanner. It scans every .torrent file for viruses and alerts you if any are detected. This feature is crucial because .torrent files are a common vector for introducing malware. It protects your PC from potential damage from viruses.

It’s advisable to turn on a VPN to encrypt your traffic before downloading torrents, which I did. This encrypts your torrenting data from third-parties, like ISPs, that want to snoop on it. The Pro + VPN feature includes an annual subscription to CyberGhost VPN. This VPN offers fast servers across the globe, letting you choose the most convenient location for different use cases.

If you already have a VPN, you can get the Pro version instead of the Pro + VPN version. Any reliable VPN will encrypt your uTorrent activities and prevent prying eyes.

uTorrent: Final Verdict

We can confidently call uTorrent one of the best torrenting clients you can choose. It’s not all rosy, as the basic version includes distracting ads and lacks the integrated virus scanner of the Pro version. However, when you exercise caution, uTorrent is one of the best apps for downloading content at impressive speeds.

We list the best free torrent client.

I tested Vuze – read why it’s one of the best free BitTorrent clients out there

10:53 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

TechRadar is dedicated to helping you choose the best software tools. Hence, I reviewed one of the most popular torrent clients to help you decide if it’s worthwhile.

You might have heard of Vuze, formerly called Azureus. Its name frequently appears when people search for torrenting clients on Google and across the web. I tested the app extensively to judge whether it lives up to its fame. Read on to learn about its features, pricing, security, user-friendliness, and other crucial factors.

Vuze: Pricing

I’ve tested endless torrenting clients, and many of them are completely free. However, Vuze is not. It has a free version that includes ads (which I often found annoying), but an ad-free interface requires paying $3.99 monthly for Vuze Plus.

To be fair, Vuze Plus includes other features like DVD burning and the ability to play media files while they’re still downloading. Yet, I’m not a fan of paying for a torrenting client when many free alternatives are available.

Vuze: Versions

Vuze is available on the three major desktop operating systems: Windows, macOS, and Linux. But, something feels odd about this app. It was officially released in 2017, and development seems to have stalled since then.

Vuze used to have an Android app available on the Play Store, but I checked endlessly for it and found none. The app was removed from the Play Store for unclear reasons, making it only accessible by directly downloading the APK file. I think the APK process is too much work for the average user.

Vuze: Features

Vuze is a feature-rich torrenting client whether you’re using the free or paid version. The free version includes a search bar to find torrents right from the app. This feature is important because many torrenting clients don’t provide help in finding .torrent files to download. Instead, you’ll have to visit an external site to get the files.

The search feature is split into a torrent search and web search. The former encompasses .torrent files stored on Vuze’s database, and the latter helps you find .torrent files across the web. For instance, if you search for Jazz music, you can view torrent files for them across the web or the results directly from Vuze’s database.

If you have the relevant .torrent file already installed on your PC, you can add it to Vuze and begin the download. The .torrent file contains the metadata of the larger file you want to download, and Vuze quickly begins the process.

You can also download torrents via their magnet links, which are hyperlinks containing the metadata of the relevant file. Paste this link into Vuze, and it’ll quickly begin downloading the file.

Likewise, users can download files by providing the torrent hash. I liked that Vuze offers flexible ways to discover and download .torrent files. I encountered variable speeds when downloading content from this app. Some files downloaded much faster than others, likely due to the availability of more seeders for those files.

Seeding in torrenting is the process of uploading a file for other users. When you download any content on Vuze, you automatically become a seeder uploading that same content for other users. That’s how the network maintains enough capacity to offer reliable downloads for users. Uploading content can consume considerable bandwidth, so Vuze lets you cap your upload speed to conserve bandwidth.

Though downloading the APK file for the Android app seemed tedious, I had to do it to provide a rigorous review. After setting it up, I used it to control torrent downloads on my PC. The Android app lets you start, stop, and pause downloads remotely from any location. For instance, you can be at work and control downloads on your home PC.

I enjoyed testing Vuze Plus even if I wish I didn’t have to pay for the extra features. It includes a built-in DVD player that lets users play media directly while downloading. I couldn’t wait to watch my favorite movie when downloading, so I had to press that play button.

Vuze Plus also removes ads, which I mostly found distracting. I’m not a fan of ads, so maybe that’s why I found them annoying. However, I think an average user can easily tolerate and ignore the ads on the free Vuze version.

Vuze has an outstanding feature called Swarm Discoveries. This feature searches for similar content based on what you've previously downloaded on Vuze, akin to an algorithm recommending related content to download. It recommends related content that you may enjoy, helping you discover the best movies, music, and more at no cost.

Vuze: Interface and in-use

I didn’t have issues navigating Vuze’s interface on the desktop and Android apps. It’s a well-designed app with a modern, sleek interface. The features are arranged on the left, and the main dashboard is on the right.

Vuze is a lightweight app that didn’t consume significant computing resources, which I can’t say for many torrenting clients. Some clients I’ve tested hijacked my PC’s resource space and left little room for other apps, but not Vuze.

However, I think Vuze has a steep learning curve for the average person. You’ll likely need some time to get used to its numerous features.

Vuze: Security

Security is paramount when using any torrenting client. ISPs don’t like torrenting and often want to identify users downloading torrents. Hence, you should switch on a VPN before downloading torrents to protect yourself from third-party snooping.

I liked that Vuze Plus has a built-in antivirus scanner (based on Bitdefender). This tool scans all incoming torrents for viruses and alerts you if any are detected. It’s vital, given that torrents are a common vector through which malicious actors spread malware.

Vuze: Final Verdict

I enjoyed Vuze’s feature richness and user-friendliness. I have some complaints, such as the free version including distracting ads, but we don’t always get what we want. Overall, I’ll recommend Vuze as a torrenting solution for everyone.

We've listed the best free torrent client.

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G 5G NR AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 router review

6:42 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro | Tags: VDSL | Comments: Off

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: 2-minute review

DrayTek keeps raising the bar for small-to-medium business networks with powerful routers and cutting-edge features. The Vigor2865Lax-5G is the newest member of the (extended) 2865 family, adding to the multi-WAN flexibility with a built-in dual SIM quad-antenna 5G/4G LTE modem for the fastest possible mobile broadband.

We have previously reviewed the DrayTek Vigor2865ax (with similar specs but no 5G) and found it excellent. The Lax-5G model has a few key feature upgrades, but also retains (almost) everything that we liked about the 2865 series. For a start, you get a VDSL2 modem with 35b Supervectoring and ADSL2+ backward compatibility, so you can still pull up to 300 Mbps from a fiber-to-the-node line.

There’s also a switchable Gigabit Ethernet WAN/LAN port, plus a USB 2.0 socket for extra 4G/3G fallback, a printer, storage or even a temperature sensor.

Of course, where the 2865Lax-5G really stands out is the inclusion of a dual Nano-SIM slot and an integrated Cat 19 5G/LTE modem. You can set it up as a backup with automatic failover or load balancing between other connections, including VDSL and WAN.

Wireless performance remains the same as the 2865ax, with AX3000-class Wi-Fi 6 radios running 2×2 MU-MIMO with dual antennas. That gives you up to 2,402 Mbps on 5 GHz and 574 Mbps on 2.4 GHz. While we would have liked to have seen a Wi-Fi 6GHz 6E or 7 update, we respect the decision to keep it simple and reduce costs. Especially since the router is best networked to an array of Wi-Fi access points, and in fact DrayTek also sells the router as a 2865L-5G model with no Wi-Fi at all.

Under the hood you’ll find hardware acceleration to keep multi-WAN traffic and encrypted tunnels from becoming a bottleneck. Like the 2865ax, IPsec throughput can hit 800 Mbps and SSL VPN sessions manage 130 Mbps. With up to 32 VPN tunnels (including 16 SSL VPN) available, the router makes it easy for remote teams to tap into their company's main network.

This router maintains the series’ robust feature set: support for 16 VLANs and eight LAN subnets, a high-performance firewall with content filtering and QoS, plus zero-touch management of up to 20 DrayTek access points and 10 switches. If you run the VigorACS 3 network management software, you also get SD-WAN orchestration for even smarter traffic routing.

So the spec is good, but how is it to actually use in the real world? Setup was straightforward, and I always enjoy using DrayTek’s plain but robust web interface. As expected, wired performance is rock-solid, and in our tests Wi-Fi throughput peaked at around 578 Mbps at close range, tapering to roughly 377 Mbps at ten meters.

Using the 5G connection we saw maximum downlink speeds of 304 Mbps, with uplink around 121 Mbps – though keep in mind that this is highly dependent on your 5G service provider, cellular bands used, signal strength and the capabilities of the cellular tower you are connected to. While the modem itself is capable of very high speeds in theory, it’s connected into the router via USB 2.0, which limits the maximum throughput to about 400 Mbps.

All told, I was quite impressed with the Vigor2865Lax-5G. Sure, there are little niggles that I expand on further down, but it does manage to combine the 2865 series’ enterprise-grade routing and security with the flexibility of high-performance 5G. So all in all, I think it’s an excellent choice for businesses that need cutting-edge mobile broadband along with a lot of flexibility.

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Price & availability

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G no cellular antennas — The Vigor2865Lax-5G looks like a standard router without the 5G antennas installed (Image credit: Future)

How much does it cost? $799 / £699 / AU$1,250
When is it out? Available now
Where can you get it? Stocked in most major markets including the US, UK and Australia

The DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G isn’t always the easiest to find, but head to your local DrayTek website (or your country's authorized reseller) for more info on local purchase options.

While comparatively easy to find in Australia and the UK, the Vigor2865Lax-5G is harder to buy in the US and at times has been unavailable.

There’s not a huge amount of competition in the 5G-capable VDSL2 modem-router space, but overall the Vigor2865Lax-5G is priced well against similar products.

Value: 4 / 5

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Specifications

Cellular: Rx Cat 19, Tx Cat 18 5G/4G LTE
Antenna: 4 external LTE/5G, 2x external Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi: 802.11ax 2×2 MU-MIMO
Interfaces: 1x GbE WAN/LAN, 4x GbE LAN, 1x RJ-11, 1x USB 2.0
Wireless Speed: 2.4 GHz up to 574 Mbps, 5 GHz up to 2402 Mbps
Dimensions: 241 × 145 × 44 mm
Weight: 650 g

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Design

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G from the front — The Vigor2865Lax-5G puts most of the status LEDs and wired port interfaces on the front (Image credit: Future)

Four external magnetic 5G antennas
Wall and rack mountable
Easy to access front ports

The DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G looks just like the rest of the 2865 series, albeit with a few minor differences and the addition of the cellular antennas. The router puts all the ports and status LEDs on the front, while the antennas, SIM card slot and power are at the rear.

The cellular antennas can be mounted directly to the router, but space is tight, or they can use the included bases with 100 cm cables. The bases are solidly weighted and include a magnet and are easy to spread out and securely attach to metal surfaces.

The SIM card slot has a cover secured by two screws, and once removed, the tray can be pressed to release and it pops out. The SIMs themselves sit on each side of the tray. Note that there is no eSIM support.

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G from the rear — The power connector, Wi-Fi antennas, 5G antenna connections and sim card slot are all on the rear (Image credit: Future)

The 2865Lax-5G is powered by the included 12V, 3A PSU. It can be wall mounted using the attachment points on the underside and includes two screws for this. Alternatively, it can be rack-mounted with the optional DR101 rack-mount bracket.

You also get an RJ11 and RJ45 cable in the box. Other optional accessories include an external USB thermometer for temperature monitoring and alternate Wi-Fi antennas.

Overall, the design is good, with everything easily accessible but not unnecessarily showy for a device that will likely be out of sight.

Design: 4 / 5

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Features

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G interface dashboard — The Vigor2865Lax-5G web interface is comprehensive yet laid out in an easy to use way (Image credit: Future)

Dual SIM cellular modem
VDSL2 modem
Flexible multi-WAN management

The key design goal of the Vigor2865Lax-5G is flexibility, with its combination of 5G connectivity, a VDSL2 modem, fast Wi-Fi and loads of management options. The need for a VDSL modem varies, but for businesses (or remote offices) without fiber, being able to extract the most from a VDSL connection is critical. With 35b Supervectoring, the router can handle up to 300 Mbps over VDSL, making it ideal for those still reliant on fiber-to-the-node or copper-based services. The inclusion of ADSL2+ compatibility is also great, as it gives useful support for legacy connections.

Of course, what sets the Lax-5G apart is its integrated 5G modem and dual Nano-SIM slots, which offer native mobile broadband support without the need for USB dongles. The modem’s 5G connection is rated for a maximum NSA (non-standalone) downlink rate of 3400 Mbps, with an uplink of 550 Mbps. For standalone (SA) 5G, it is rated for 2400 Mbps downlink and 900 Mbps uplink. It uses the 5G bands n1, n20, n28, n3, n38, n40, n5, n7, n77, n78 and n8. Supporting both NSA and SA 5G means the router is relatively future-proof, as it can operate entirely on 5G as needed.

For LTE (4G), you get category 19 for downlinks (up to 1600 Mbps) and Cat 18 for uplinks (up to 200 Mbps). It supports FDD (Frequency Division Duplexing) bands 1 (2100MHz), 20 (800MHz), 28 (700MHz), 3 (1800MHz), 5 (850MHz), 7 (2600MHz), 8 (900MHz), plus TDD (Time Division Duplexing) bands 38 (2600MHz), 40 (2300MHz), as well as WCDMA (3G) bands 1 and 8.

While the cellular modem here is excellent, with the latest technology, it is connected internally in the router via USB 2.0, which will limit throughput to under 400 Mbps. But more on that later. The Vigor2865Lax-5G also supports sending and receiving SMS, using SMS for hotspot verification, as well as sending SMS alerts for status changes, such as loss of WAN or VDSL connection.

While the router accepts dual SIMs, only one can be used at a time, but they can be set to failover. This is ideal as a backup when relying on cellular, as you can have services from two providers. It also allows flexibility if traveling between areas with varying coverage. You can even add an external USB 4G/5G dongle as an entire extra backup mobile connection that can run at the same time as the built-in 5G connection, including using load sharing.

The cellular connections can also be managed alongside the other internet options, so the router can maintain internet access via VDSL, Ethernet WAN or 5G, with automatic failover and load balancing to switch between them as required. These capabilities are backed by robust traffic management tools like bandwidth limiting, QoS prioritization and advanced routing rules. Not to mention, you can still add in an extra USB 4G dongle for a secondary backup mobile connection.

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DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G close up of sim card slot — The rear card slot takes two SIMs (one on each side of the holder) (Image credit: Future)

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DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G cellular antenna — The 5G antennas can can be position at various angles to maximize the connection speed (Image credit: Future)

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DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G antenna magnetic base — The 5G antennas have a weighted magnet base, so can be easily position in a variety of ways (Image credit: Future)

Wi-Fi is handled by an AX3000-spec dual-band radio supporting Wi-Fi 6. While you don’t get access to the 6GHz band, it’s still enough for excellent wireless performance. Plus, the router also supports wireless WAN modes and mesh networking, and is ideally set up to act as a central manager of additional DrayTek access points.

As always, DrayTek’s overall ecosystem approach is a major benefit. The 2865Lax-5G can manage up to 20 Vigor access points and 10 switches, making it an ideal base for expanding small to medium business networks with simplified, centralized control. The USB port also adds further flexibility by supporting external devices such as printers, temperature sensors or storage drives.

To ensure top-notch performance, the Vigor2865Lax-5G incorporates hardware acceleration to maximize routing and VPN throughput. Dual-WAN configurations get the benefit of up to 1.3 Gbps of NAT throughput, and IPsec VPN sessions can hit up to 800 Mbps. The idea here is that even when combining VDSL, 5G, and Ethernet WAN, network traffic won’t hit any major internal bottlenecks.

Like the rest of the 2865 series, the Lax-5G includes a comprehensive array of business-focused features. These range from an advanced captive hotspot portal with custom landing page options, to a full-featured firewall, web content filtering and secure remote access via SSL or IPsec VPNs.

DrayTek Vigor ACS 3 demo — The online Draytek Vigor ACS 3 demo is a good way to see if this management option is the right fit for your business (Image credit: Future)

One of the key features of the Vigor2865Lax-5G for business users is its ability to manage a wider DrayTek-based network. Directly through the router’s interface, you can control up to 20 Vigor access points and 10 Vigor switches, including support for mesh networks with up to seven wireless nodes. This makes it a strong foundation for small to medium-sized deployments that may need to scale over time.

Even before reaching a high number of devices, network management can start to feel complex. While the router supports TR-069 provisioning tools, DrayTek also offers a more advanced option in the form of VigorACS 3. This server-based management platform unlocks SD-WAN features on supported hardware, including the Vigor2865Lax-5G. SD-WAN is a practical choice for businesses with remote staff, offering secure and flexible access to company resources from home or while traveling.

There’s a lot to unpack, but overall the Vigor2865Lax-5G offers a well-rounded mix of modern wireless, fixed-line, and cellular connectivity in a single, business-ready device without jumping to enterprise price tiers.

But don’t take my word for it – the DrayTek website has online demos available that let you poke around the interface and explore the features yourself. I highly recommend you take a look, as I don’t have the space here to cover everything the 2865Lax-5G can do. Check out the 2865 series demo at http://eu.draytek.com:22865/.

DrayTek also makes it easy to give VigorACS a try, and buying a compatible device means you get a free 30-day trial. Or, if you want to take a look right now, there’s also an online demo.

Features: 4.5 / 5

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Performance

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G close up of status lights — The Vigor2865Lax-5G has a variety of easy to read status lights on the front panel (Image credit: Future)

Excellent failover and load balancing
Useful hardware acceleration
Decent performance for the spec

Getting the Vigor2865Lax-5G up and running was straightforward and entirely handled through the web interface. For basic setups it’s quick, but once you start digging into more advanced features, the interface does get dense. That said, DrayTek provides an excellent range of support materials, including detailed manuals, step-by-step guides and a knowledge base that is very helpful if you get stuck.

DrayTek also has an app available, and while I preferred the web interface, it lets you handle most of the setup and control, with some limitations for the more advanced configuration changes, diagnostics and firmware updates.

For hands-on testing, I slotted the 2865Lax-5G into a mixed network that included DrayTek access points, a Vigor switch, a NAS, IP cameras and a wide variety of connected devices. I tested with both 5G as the primary WAN, and as a backup, combined with a connection via the WAN port. The router handled multiple WAN sources without issue and automatic failover and load balancing worked as expected.

Testing in Australia, I used a Telstra data SIM on the 5G network with high signal strength. At peak, downloads reached 304 Mbps and uploads hit 121 Mbps, with latency averaging around 35 ms. I ran the 5G as my primary connection for a week, and had no issues at all, even with sustained high throughput. As mentioned earlier, the cellular modem uses an internal USB 2.0 connection, which limits the maximum bandwidth to no more than about 400 Mbps. Considering the modem is capable of much more, this is a potential bottleneck for the future, but in the real world right now not many setups would sustain more than this anyway. Load balancing across 5G and WAN during this test worked reliably, with the router distributing traffic as needed.

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G close up of wired interface ports — The Vigor2865Lax-5G includes a 1Gbps LAN/WAN port, plus 4x 1 GbE ports and an RJ11 DSL port (Image credit: Future)

Wi-Fi performance was solid overall. Mesh setup with other DrayTek access points was fast using the built-in wizard. Once connected, mesh handover between nodes worked well. At short range on a Wi-Fi 7 laptop, I measured top speeds of 578 Mbps. Two internal walls dropped that down to 404 Mbps, and at a distance of ten meters it managed 377 Mbps.

That’s a respectable result for Wi-Fi 6, though not exceptional, and at longer range, performance was decent but nothing spectacular – likely due to the relatively low-gain stock antennas. For those who want to optimize wireless coverage, DrayTek offers optional higher-gain and directional patch antennas that can help improve the experience in more demanding spaces.

I also tested with large network file transfers, though these were capped by the speed of the Gigabit LAN ports. As the LAN/WAN port is also Gigabit Ethernet, the router won’t suit faster 1Gbps+ internet connections.

Overall, the Vigor2865Lax-5G handled everything I threw at it with aplomb, and there were no failures or even hiccups, to report. Bandwidth allocation, VPN tunnels, VLAN separation and WAN prioritization all worked exactly as described and managing the wider test network of DrayTek devices through the 2865’s interface was straightforward.

Of course, getting the router set up the way you want takes time, but once configured, the Vigor2865Lax-5G is a workhorse, and gives stable multi-WAN connectivity with the added benefit of built-in 5G for backups and in the field connections.

Performance: 4 / 5

DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G: Final verdict

The Vigor2865Lax-5G is a capable and well-rounded router that brings built-in 5G to the already versatile 2865 router series. For businesses without access to fiber, or those needing a reliable backup or mobile WAN option, the combination of VDSL2, Ethernet WAN, 5G and even USB 4G fallback makes it a very flexible option.

While some of the hardware is not cutting-edge, performance is solid overall with no issues encountered during testing. Hardware acceleration gives the router enough throughput to comfortably handle high network usage, VPN connections, load balancing and a range of management and QoS options without choking under pressure. It is limited by its Gigabit-only ports, so it will not suit offices with multi-gigabit fiber plans, but for typical SME use cases, it has more than enough headroom.

It’s important to reiterate that the 2865Lax-5G works best when used as part of a wider DrayTek setup. With support for managing access points, switches and full integration with the VigorACS management platform, it becomes a practical core device for branch offices, mobile sites, or retail networks. SD-WAN functionality, VPN policy control and centralized monitoring all add significant value for those who need a lot of flexibility.

DrayTek continues to deliver strong support and the router is backed by extensive online documentation, setup guides and a responsive help site, which makes it easier to unlock the full range of features. While the web interface and app are not exactly glamorous, both are reliable, easy-to-use interfaces with excellent depth of control.

There are some limits to be aware of, like the lack of multi-gig ports, USB 2.0 connections and old Wi-Fi 6 spec, but these are understandable trade-offs at this price point. So if your business needs dependable, multi-WAN connectivity and 5G as part of its network, the Vigor2865Lax-5G delivers exactly what it promises with very little fuss.

Should you buy the DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G?

Value	Well priced for the fairly unique set of features	4 / 5
Design	Simple yet effective	4 / 5
Features	Loads of business-focused features that give excellent management and internet redundancy options	4.5 / 5
Performance	Some limits due to the hardware chosen but well suited to its target audience.	4 / 5
Overall	A versatile modem-router that will suit small to medium businesses with varied networking needs	4 / 5

Buy it if...

You need a fast primary or backup 5G connection
The dual SIM 5G makes for very cheap yet versatile backups, or enables high-speed connections where there are no wired options.

Your business uses an FTTN or copper-based connection
The built-in modem with 35b Supervectoring support means you can max out the VDSL speeds, while ADSL2+ backward compatibility is still surprisingly important in many regions.

Don't buy it if...

You don’t need the VDSL modem
For those who want the 5G and the other WAN options, but don’t need the built-in DSL modem, consider options like the DrayTek Vigor2927Lax-5G instead.

You don't need a cellular connection
Having built-in 5G backup is fantastic, but if you don’t need it, then the DrayTek Vigor2865ax has all the same features (minus the cellular connection) for half the price.

We tested out the best mesh routers for helping you stay connected.

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