Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Price & availability
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Specifications
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Google Pixel 10 uses Google’s Tensor G5 chipset, just like every other member of the Pixel 10 family. It comes with 12GB of RAM, which was a respectable amount in the days before on-device AI processing, but now is probably only just enough.
The Pixel 10 gains a 10.8MP, 5x zoom camera this year in addition to the 48MP wide camera and the 13MP ultra-wide. That’s not just more zoom than the Galaxy S25, it also comes with a bigger sensor, regardless of the megapixel count.
Oddly enough, the Pixel 10 comes with a slightly larger battery than the Pixel 10 Pro, at 4,970mAh vs 4,870mAh. It charges at 30W, just like the Pixel 10 Pro, with Qi2 wireless charging at up to 15W.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL Specifications
Dimensions:
152.8 x 72.0 x 8.6mm
Weight:
204g
Display:
6.3-inch Actua display
Resolution:
1080 x 2424 pixels
Refresh rate:
60-120Hz
Peak brightness:
3,000 nits
Chipset:
Google Tensor G5
RAM:
12GB
Storage:
128GB / 256GB
OS:
Android 16
Wide camera:
48MP; f/1.7; 0.5-inch sensor
Ultrawide camera:
13MP; f/2.2; 0.33-inch sensor
Telephoto camera:
10.8MP; f/3.1; 0.31-inch sensor
Selfie camera:
10.5MP; f/2.2
Battery:
4,970mAh
Charging:
25W wired; 15W wireless Qi2
Colors:
Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, Obsidian
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Design
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Pixel 10 looks just like last year’s Pixel 9, aside from some minor changes to the color, materials, and finish. That’s not a bad thing at all – the Pixel 9 was one of my favorite new phone designs, and it was the biggest refresh we saw among all the major flagship phones last year. I’m happy the Pixel 10 isn’t a huge departure.
After all, the Pixel 9a was somehow a butt-ugly cheap relation of the Pixel 9, and I was worried that its flat design foreshadowed this year’s flagship phones. Never fear! The Pixel 10 keeps the same pill-shaped camera bump as last year’s model, with the same improved durability. It’s a great phone design, and it even looks good in a case.
There is still room for improvement. Did Google not see the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button? I suspect future Pixel phones might have a matching button in the future. They already got MagSafe, why not go all the way?
Speaking of magnets, the Pixel 10 with Pixelsnap held a very strong connection to all of the accessories I tried. You couldn’t shake the phone off of the wireless charging puck, which is a hidden part of the new wireless charging stand. I’ll be excited to use Google’s new phones with all of my MagSafe accessories, like my wallet and my magnetic photo tripod.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Display
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Google quietly makes the best displays you’ll find on any smartphone, and I’m shocked the company doesn’t spend more time bragging about it. The Actua displays on previous Pixels have always been among the most bright and colorful screens I’ve used, and the Pixel 10 seems like another improvement, if only a subtle one.
The Pixel 10 has a variable refresh rate from 60-120Hz, which means things should look nice and smooth when you’re scrolling through long menus or social feeds. Unfortunately, that also means it won’t get the full-color always-on screen you’ll find on LTPO phones like the Pixel 10 Pro.
I’ll need to spend a lot more time with the Pixel 10 to decide if the screen is as great as it seems. I’m hoping the long-term experience will be just as pleasing.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Software
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Google is, for now, leaving us with more questions than answers when it comes to Pixel software. Gemini works in more places – the onward march of AI progress – but there are many other features that are going to require a deep dive.
I’m very curious about the Magic Cue features available during phone calls. Google says the Pixel 10 will pull up details about your travel plans when somebody mentions AirBnB, for instance. I’m curious how far it will go, and whether this feature will seem like a privacy invasion or a useful sidekick.
There are also new camera features to try, which I’ll discuss below, but Google is moving beyond editing and generating images to offering tips and instructions. I like this direction. I would rather have a phone that can anticipate my needs, and offer helpful suggestions, than a phone that makes nightmare images of copyrighted cartoon characters committing crimes, as past Pixel phones have done.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Cameras
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I’m most excited to try the new camera features on the Pixel 10, because the cameras sees like the biggest improvement on this phone. First of all there’s the new 5x telephoto lens, which is paired with a respectable 0.33-inch image sensor. That’s bigger than the zoom sensor on the Galaxy S25, and is closer to the telephoto camera on the iPhone 16 Pro.
Second, the Tensor G5 chipset has an all-new image signal processor, and that component is often the silent partner in making the best camera phones. A new ISP usually means faster processing – so higher-resolution video recording and better night photography. It could also mean other image enhancements.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Performance
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
How will the Tensor G5 perform? Undoubtedly, it won’t be winning any benchmark races, but that’s never been the point of Google’s Tensor chips. Google builds accelerated chips that work better with its own AI and machine-learning features, like the Magic Editor in Google Photos and the AI transcriptions in the Recorder app.
This time around, Google says the Tensor G5 enables features like the aforementioned live translation that sounds like the person speaking, along with a host of new photography features like the Camera Coach.
The good news is that Google processes more of its machine-learning tricks on the phone than most other phone makers. That means you aren’t burning fossil fuels to feed a server farm for those AI features. It also means you have a better chance of protecting your privacy when it comes to your AI demands.
Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on review: Battery
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
I can almost forgive whatever battery life I get from the Pixel 10 because I’m excited to use the Pixelsnap feature to keep the phone charged. I have MagSafe chargers that I use next to my bed with my iPhone, but Apple’s device will now get the USB-C cord while my Pixel 10 takes over the magnetic stand. It isn’t a fast way to charge, but my phone will be there all night, so I don’t need to hurry.
I’m curious to see if the Tensor G5 chip will offer any battery life improvements. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset has been a powerhouse not only in terms of performance but also efficiency. Every Snapdragon 8 Elite phone has been able to last much longer than the generation before, and I hope I see the same benefits from the Tensor G5 when I conduct a thorough review.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro is the phone I never expected Google to make – a smartphone that is more desirable than the best iPhone. In almost every way, Google’s flagship smartphone takes aim at its biggest competitor (and business partner) and hits the mark. It looks stunning, it takes stellar photos, and it’s a joy to use, with surprising features that make life easier. The Pixel 10 Pro delivers on promises Apple has failed to keep, and iPhone fans should take note – it might be time to consider an Android.
The Pixel 10 is also a nice phone, but the Pixel 10 Pro is a big step up in every way, inside and out. You don’t just get better hardware; even Google’s software is more capable on the Pixel 10 Pro, and the bonus features are ones I use all the time.
I’ve only had the Pixel 10 Pro for a week before this review posted, but I say all the time because I’ve been using the Pixel 9 Pro as my primary work phone for most of the past year. It doesn’t have all of the features or customization you’ll find on a Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus, but it offers the most useful tools I’ve found – and they actually work.
Remember when that used to be the saying for Apple: it just works? Not any more. My Pixel 10 Pro is the phone that makes my life easier. It screens my calls effectively, takes notes on important calls, and even translates my voice into another language seamlessly – in a voice that sounds eerily like my own! It really works – I tried it and it blew me away.
The new Magic Cue tries hard to be helpful. Mention a dinner reservation in a text message and a small, totally unobtrusive bubble will link to your OpenTable email. If somebody asks you for a friend’s phone number, Magic Cue will bring it up from your contact list in a small window, right in Messages.
You might not even notice it’s happening, and that’s the way AI on a phone should be. It should happen in the background and make my life easier. It shouldn’t make silly photos or rewrite my notifications. It should be helpful, but limited. So far, that’s Magic Cue.
I’ve seen more extravagant AI promises from Apple, Samsung, and even Motorola, but Google is delivering the most useful AI to help me get things done with my phone. I’ve talked to Google about how Magic Cue will improve in the months ahead, and I think it might be one of the most useful AI tools you’ll use – even if you won’t always know you’re using it.
The Pixel 10 Pro on Google's Pixelsnap charging stand (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
The Pixel 10 Pro isn’t just a software powerhouse; it delivers on the best Pixel hardware features. I don’t think Google gets enough credit for its amazing phone displays, and the Pixel 10 Pro somehow improves over last year’s Pixel 9 Pro with a display that's brighter and more sharp than any other phone screen you’ll see. It looks great in all conditions, even when I'm taking photos outdoors in bright sunshine.
Those photos will look fantastic as well, and the Pixel 10 Pro (and the Pixel 10 Pro XL, which has the exact same cameras) might be the best camera phone you can buy. I tested the Pixel 10 Pro against the iPhone 16 Pro Max in my review period, and the Pixel took photos that were just as colorful and often more detailed. It handled low-light night photography like it was broad daylight, creating the clearest nighttime photos I’ve ever taken.
I haven’t even gotten to the magnets! I love the magnets in the Pixel 10 Pro, and I used the magnet Pixelsnap features every day during my testing. Google sent along a Pixelsnap charger in addition to the phones, and I used that charger on my desk, but I have plenty of other MagSafe chargers for my iPhone, and the Pixel 10 Pro worked with all of these.
It’s a delight to snap my Pixel 10 Pro onto my fancy Anker MagSafe charging stand, then pull it off and attach my UAG kevlar wallet when I leave. If I run out of battery when I’m out, I can use a MagSafe battery pack – even the original Apple MagSafe battery works with the Pixel 10 family.
It feels like a good time to be a Pixel owner, and the Pixel 10 Pro is definitely a better choice than the base-model Pixel 10. I still think the Pixel 10 Pro XL offers enough extra benefits, with its larger display for great photography work, and its slightly faster charging, that I’d opt for Google’s biggest Pixel if money was no concern. But the Pixel 10 Pro is just as capable in all the ways that count, and it’s the most refined and appealing Pixel phone I’ve ever used.
Google Pixel 10 Pro review: Price & availability
Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL (left to right) (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Starts at $999 / £999 / AU $1,699 for 128GB of storage and 16GB RAM
Available in muted, professional-looking colors
The Pixel 10 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU $1,699 for 128GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. It's avaiable to order immediately. You can get the Pro models with up to 1TB of storage inside, but that capacity is only available on the (boring) black Obsidian model.
While I like the Pixel design very much, I do miss the days when Pixel phones came in unique color combinations, with two-tone options and unique shades. Today’s Pixel 10 Pro comes in a nice Lemongrass green, the color of my review sample, as well as a bunch of muted tones. Googlers seemed to like the Moonstone color best.
Unlike the Pixel 10 Pro XL, the Pro model starts with only 128GB of storage inside, and I’d recommend an upgrade – especially if you shoot a lot of photos and videos. You can get away with 128GB if you mostly use cloud storage and don’t download large gaming apps, but the Pro model should really start at 256GB. The 1TB model would surely be overkill unless you really have a need for that much storage, like video production.
Thankfully the Pixel 10 Pro has 16GB of RAM inside, though I didn’t see a huge performance boost over the 12GB Pixel 10 model. I suspect that RAM will be even more useful down the road, as AI features that bounce between the phone’s chipset and the cloud for computing tend to use a lot more RAM than basic apps.
The Pixel 10 Pro is priced competitively considering it has almost all of Google’s best features (I wish the charging speed was faster). It costs the same as an iPhone 16 Pro, and it’s less expensive than a Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge or Galaxy Z Flip 7.
Google Pixel 10 Pro pricing
Storage
US Price
UK Price
AU Price
128GB
$999
£999
AU $1,699
256GB
$1,099
£1,099
AU $1,849
512GB
$1,219
£1,219
AU $2,049
1TB
$1,449
£1,440
AU $2,399
Value score: 4 / 5
Google Pixel 10 Pro review: Specifications
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
After the Pixel 9 Pro overhauled the Pixel design last year, I didn’t expect a major spec bump this year. Instead, we get minor, meaningful improvements like the Pixelsnap magnetic features, which a great upgrade, even if they don’t make the phone faster.
The camera lenses and sensors have remained unchanged, but Google says the new Tensor G5 chipset features an improved image signal processor, which results in better photos and a better shooting experience.
Compared to other phones at this price, the Pixel 10 Pro holds its own. The iPhone 16 Pro also has three cameras, but it uses smaller sensors on the ultra-wide and telephoto lenses. If you really care about specs, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus gives you a bigger, sharper display, and all the cameras and features you might want – that doesn’t make it a better phone, though.
Nearly identical to the Pixel 10, which is a good thing
Keeps things simple (with one little exception) – also a good thing
The Google Pixel 10 Pro has a polished, solid feeling that exudes a premium quality. With every generation of Pro Pixel phone the edges seem more polished, the gaps between components more tightly aligned.
I’m using the case that Google supplied with the Pixel 10 Pro – a lemongrass case perfectly matched to my green Pixel 10 review sample. The same case fits both phones, and in fact even my older Pixel 9 case fits the Pixel 10 Pro perfectly. It’s a good design, and I’m happy to see it stick around for another year or so.
The Pixel 10 Pro seems unfussy compared to the latest iPhone 16 Pro. There’s a volume rocker button and a main button that activates Google Gemini, or opens the camera with a double-press. There’s no Action Button, no wonky Camera Control. When did the Pixel become the exemplar of ease and simplicity, and the iPhone the epitome of excess?
To be fair, the Pixel 10 Pro still has the temperature sensor, which is one of the most useless bits of hardware on any smartphone today. It does not work properly. I heated a pan in my oven to various temperatures and checked with a cheap infrared thermometer as well as the Pixel 10 Pro. The Pixel 10 Pro never got the temperature right, and the $15 thermometer was always more accurate.
At least I can ignore that sensor, unlike the extra buttons on my iPhone 16 Pro. I hope Google some day adds a real shutter button to its Pixel phones to complement the excellent cameras – I also hope Google does it right, unlike Apple’s overwrought Camera Control.
Design score: 4 / 5
Google Pixel 10 Pro review: Display
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Excellent display is very bright and colorful
Even more sharp than the Pixel 10 Pro XL
I can’t recommend the Pixel 10 Pro display strongly enough – it exceeds expectations and makes the Pixel 10 Pro one of the top phones for screen quality. Whether you’re watching clips, taking photos in bright sunlight, or just scrolling through menus and doom, the Pixel 10 Pro is one of the best displays you’ll use.
I do prefer the Pixel 10 Pro XL overall, because I just want more display on my Pixel, but the Pixel 10 Pro has its advantages. Google has packed more pixels per inch onto the 10 Pro, making the display technically more sharp than the Pro XL's screen. I didn’t really notice the difference, though, and both displays are very crisp.
The Pixel 10 Pro also performed admirably in our Future Labs tests, and roasted the competition with its display power. All phone makers brag about a theoretical peak brightness: Google claims the Pixel 10 Pro can hit 3,300 nits, Samsung claims its phones can peak at 2,600 nits, while Apple says the iPhone 16 Pro can reach 2,000 nits. None of those numbers are real.
Under our most stringent lab conditions, we got the Pixel 10 Pro to blast more than 2,500 nits of brightness from the display. That’s far from the 3,300 claim, but much brighter than the competition. The Galaxy S25 Ultra couldn’t reach 1,900 nits, and Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro was stuck at just above 1,500 nits.
In other words, it wasn’t just my eyes seeing a brighter screen on the Pixel 10 Pro; our tests prove that Google’s Super Actua display is the brightest smartphone screen among all the best phone makers.
Display score: 5 / 5
Google Pixel 10 Pro review: Software
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Useful AI features you won’t find elsewhere (not even on the Pixel 10)
Magic Cue seems useful, or you can just ignore it
The Pixel 10 Pro has a polished interface that complements the thoughtful hardware design. It’s very easy to set up the phone and use every feature. Google continues to enhance and improve its Pixel version of Android in subtle but meaningful ways, like the surprisingly fun AI wallpaper maker, and the dramatic themes that slowly change the colors of your widgets and app icons as the day progresses.
Google’s latest AI feature is Magic Cue, a tool that offers helpful suggestions with information straight from your Google apps. It will read your messages, your email, your calendar, and many other sources you specify. Then, when you need a specific phone number, or you need the address of the restaurant where you have a reservation, Magic Cue will offer a quick button to that info. You can tap the button or ignore it, that’s that.
Magic Cue works directly on your phone, so you don’t have to share anything with Google – it scans your Gmail, and other apps and data, but the AI modeling is handled on your phone. That means it consumes less power and less cellular data, and it keeps your information private.
I wish it all worked as advertised. Unfortunately, a few of the promised Magic Cue features never worked for me – it could never find my hotel reservations for an upcoming trip. Google thinks I might have made those reservations too long ago – Magic Cue only searches the last month or so of your Gmail, not your whole history.
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Is Magic Cue a big feature? I think it’s one of the biggest steps forward for a phone interface that integrates AI, and the best thing about it is that you may never know you’re using it. Unless you long-press on one of its suggestions, you won’t even see the name ‘Magic Cue,’ or have to open a Magic Cue app to make it work. It happens quietly, and it offers useful tools. I think this is the future of smartphone AI, and I’m excited to see where it goes.
In addition to Magic Cue, the Pixel 10 Pro and the Pixel 10 Pro XL get some AI features the Pixel 10 doesn’t have, and I find these invaluable. I've been using a Pixel 9 Pro as my primary work phone this past year, and I let it answer and screen all of the calls from phone numbers I don’t recognize.
The Pixel 10 Pro has the same great call-screening feature, as well as an effective note-taking tool that will transcribe your phone conversations as easily as it transcribes a business meeting. It warns everybody on the call that it’s taking notes, so there are no privacy concerns.
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro is packed with features, but unlike on Samsung’s Galaxy S25 devices these don’t get in the way. While Samsung literally has pop-up windows and slide-in panels that appear from nowhere and take up screen space, I appreciate that you can take or leave most of Google’s latest features, and they won’t bug you too much. Even Apple can get tiresome with its Journal app reminders, while the new Google Journal app didn’t seem to bother me as often.
Software score: 5 / 5
Google Pixel 10 Pro review: Cameras
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Cameras make better images than my iPhone 16 Pro
New AI features are interesting, but have too many drawbacks
The Pixel 10 Pro features some of Google’s best cameras ever on a Pixel phone, which makes this one of the best camera phones you can buy. I tested this phone against my iPhone 16 Pro, and it usually produced images that were just as colorful but more detailed than what the iPhone cameras could manage.
For low-light photos, there was no contest. The Pixel simply blew the iPhone away with more visibility, sharper focus, and better colors at night.
The Pixel 10 Pro has a 5x optical zoom lens, and you can use AI to zoom in much further. If you switch to the 12MP resolution, the Pixel 10 Pro will zoom in to 100x, which is honestly farther than the phone can handle – at that range, there was not enough image stabilization to keep my subject in frame while my hands shook slightly.
The Pixel 10 Pro created zoomed images that looked more clear with less noise than similar shots taken with the iPhone 16 Pro and its 5x lens and 25x digital zoom.
Sometimes the Pixel 10 camera went too far and smoothed textures I would have liked to keep, but the end results were always more pleasing and more impressive for sharing than my iPhone and Galaxy shots, in spite of what was lost.
You can edit in Google photos using natural language thanks to AI (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
There’s a new Camera Coach feature that uses an AI tool to analyze your shot and offer suggestions to make it better. I talk about this in much more detail in my Pixel 10 review, but the upshot is that it’s an interesting teaching assistant that can give you some useful photo framing tips. The usual AI warnings and caveats about stealing human knowledge without attribution still apply.
Google has also improved its editing tools in Google Photos. Instead of editing a photo yourself, you can use natural language to describe to Google’s AI what you want done to your photo. You might say “remove that bystander” or “make the sky more dramatic,” and Google will do its best to match your request. In my experience, it got two-thirds of my edit suggestions right.
The final results are still very good, but if you have any experience with photo editing you can probably perform simple edits and tweaks faster yourself. The delay waiting for the edits was frustrating when the final results weren’t what I wanted.
Camera score: 5 / 5
Google Pixel 10 Pro review: Camera samples
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Google Pixel 10 Pro review: Performance
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Performance lags behind all other phones at this price
It’s not even faster than the Pixel 10? Not so Pro…
Like every Pixel for the past five years or more, the Pixel 10 Pro will disappoint smartphone buyers looking for the fastest phone around. The Tensor G5 chipset inside is frankly a bit slow, and while it doesn’t make a difference in most use cases, there are times when the Pixel 10 Pro suffers.
Browsing the new Material 3 Expressive interface designs, swiping through long menus of apps and lists, and launching my apps were all remarkably fast. I was expecting more delay, but the Pixel 10 Pro navigates its own interface like a race car.
The only real delay I saw was when using the more advanced camera features. Shooting basic photos at 12MP resolution, I had no trouble, but when I upped the resolution to 50MP, or if I added more features like Top Shot or motion photos, there was often a long delay.
After I pressed the shutter button, I couldn’t take another shot for a few seconds, which feels like a lifetime when I’m trying to snap the perfect picture. I definitely missed shots because of this delay.
This isn’t a new thing for Pixel phones. I noticed the same problem on my Pixel 9 Pro last year, though it happened more frequently on last year’s phone. Maybe Google’s performance is improving, but if the Tensor G5 isn’t even fast enough to keep up with the Pixel 10 Pro’s camera, then Google needs to seriously rethink its processor strategy. It’s time to ask Qualcomm for some help, or maybe even MediaTek. Anything would be better than another Tensor chip in a Pixel phone.
The strangest performance anomaly is the Pixel 10 Pro’s benchmark scores compared to the Pixel 10 base model. With less RAM – 12GB instead of the 16GB on the Pro model – the Pixel 10 still beat the Pixel 10 Pro in many benchmark tests.
On CPU tests like Geekbench 6.4, and on graphics tests like the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited test, the Pixel 10 scored higher than the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL. That seems like terrible tuning on Google’s part. There should be no reason why the less expensive phone beats the Pro models with more RAM, faster storage technology, and other supposed benefits.
Performance score: 3 / 5
Google Pixel 10 Pro review: Battery
(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)
Battery life should be much better – I blame the Tensor chips
Magnetic charging helps a lot, but charging is still a problem
The Pixel 10 Pro lasted through a full day of use on most days in my week testing the latest Pixel phones. There were only two days when I needed to charge the phone before bed time, and those were both days with lots of video shooting, such as my day at the Orange County, New York air show – shooting airplane videos drains the battery faster, apparently.
What makes this so frustrating is the Pixel 10 Pro hasn’t improved much over the Pixel 9 Pro. In Future Labs battery tests, the 10 Pro lasted about 15 minutes longer than last year’s Pro model. I expected much more improvement.
Why? Because every other Android phone has improved dramatically this year, if they are packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite inside. Phones like the Galaxy S25 or OnePlus 13 that upgraded to Qualcomm’s latest chip also saw hours of battery life improvements.
Qualcomm changed my expectations for what a new chipset could offer, and if I was already disappointed by the Tensor G5’s performance then the mediocre battery life is just the double whammy that should put the nail in the Tensor coffin. Let’s try something new next year, okay, Google?
Having magnetic charging helps, mostly because I also have an iPhone and I’ve been collecting MagSafe chargers and accessories for a few years. They all work perfectly with the Pixelsnap magnets in the Pixel 10 Pro, so it was easy to keep my phone topped up with power throughout the day. I just popped it onto my desk charger, or connected to my bedside charging stand.
I have these magnetic stands everywhere, and the convenience outweighs the slower charging they offer. Stock up when they go on sale, you’ll be thankful when your phone always seems to have just enough juice.
Battery score: 3 / 5
Should you buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro?
Google Pixel 10 Pro scorecard
Value
A more refined and interesting phone than similar flagships like the iPhone 16 Pro or Galaxy S25 Plus, but there is plenty of scope for Google to offer more (or drop the price for the holidays).
4/5
Design
Excellent design refines the Pixel look even further, with great materials and color options that are classy and durable. No need to change anything here; the Pixel was already a great-looking phone.
4/5
Display
The Pixel 10 Pro’s standout feature. Google’s phone displays are always a knockout, and this screen is brighter and more sharp than any other display I’ve seen (and I’ve seen them all).
5/5
Software
A mix of useful new tools and questionable AI additions. The Pro model is worth the upgrade, thanks to AI features you won’t find on cheaper Pixel phones, but some new features like Magic Cue didn’t work the way Google promised.
5/5
Cameras
Some of the best camera you can buy on a smartphone, with unique AI tools and helpers. The AI goes too far sometimes, but the end results are more impressive than what your friends are shooting.
5/5
Performance
Lackluster performance from the Tensor G5 chip. Most features run fast enough, but I found lag in the camera between shots, and the chipset wasn’t as fast or efficient as any other recent Android flagships.
3/5
Battery
Battery life was fine, but every other Android phone saw major gains with faster chips inside, while the Tensor-powered Pixel was left behind. Pixelsnap and magnetic charging help bridge the gap, and keep the phone charged enough to last you a day.
3/5
Buy it if...
You want to be productive with your Pixel The Pixel 10 lacks some of the best Pixel 10 Pro features, like AI call screening that takes notes and makes sure you don’t miss detailsView Deal
You can’t be seen with a brightly colored phone These days, Pro means subdued, and the Pixel 10 Pro comes in colors that are appealing but not as bright as the Indigo or Lemongrass Pixel 10View Deal
You want the best camera phone… maybe The Pixel 10 Pro took photos that were better than the shots my iPhone 16 Pro took… most of the time. We’ll do a lot more testing before we call this the best, though.View Deal
Don't buy it if...
You don’t plan on buying any magnetic accessories Pixelsnap charges slower, but the convenience makes the Pixel 10 Pro a much better experience, especially considering its poor battery showing.View Deal
You play a lot of mobile games with intense graphics I didn’t have too much trouble with the slow performance of the Tensor G5 chipset, but serious gamers may want a Snapdragon instead.View Deal
You really want the best camera phone The 10 Pro has the same cameras as the Pro XL, but the XL’s larger screen and battery make the bigger phone the better camera pick.View Deal
Also consider...
Pixel 10 Pro XL For a bit more moolah, you get a bigger display and battery, faster charging, and more storage inside. The XL is my first choice for Pixel fun.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Apple has stiff competition, but if all your friends carry iPhones, you’ll miss the iOS-specific features that keep the cult of Apple together.
I tested the Google Pixel 10 Pro for a week, alongside the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro XL. I used the Pixel 10 Pro as a work phone with my high-security work accounts. I loaded the phone with more than a hundred apps, and multiple Google accounts.
I used the Pixel 10 Pro as a camera, testing every camera feature. I used AI features to ask questions and generate sample images. I connected Magic Cue to all of my personal Google account information, and I fed the Pixel 10 Pro a regular diet of screenshots of my personal dealings for the Screenshots app.
I connected the Pixel 10 Pro to my Pixel Watch 3, my Pixel Buds Pro, and many other Bluetooth headsets and devices. I used Android Auto in my Kia and my friends’ Acura and Subaru cars, and connected to Bluetooth in an older BMW.
I've been testing phones for more than 20 years, since the days of BlackBerry and Palm OS smartphones and Samsung flip phones. I've tested hundreds of devices myself, and our Future Labs experts have tested hundreds more.
Future Labs tests phones using a mix of third-party benchmark software and proprietary, real-world tests. We use Geekbench, CrossMark, JetStream, WebXPRT and Mobile XPRT, and 3DMark for performance testing. We test a phone's performance on video editing tasks using Adobe Premiere Rush. We also measure display color output and brightness.
For battery testing, we have proprietary rundown tests that are the same for every phone, which we use to determine how long it takes for the battery to run down.
Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus: One minute review
The Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus is a high-end juicer that tackles a variety of foods and drinks with ease. It definitely compares with some of the top picks on our best juicer guide.
The juicer comes with a hopper extension, so you can make larger batches of juice. There are three different strainers included: juice, smoothie, and blank (for thicker foods like sorbet). These accessories allow you to make so many different kinds of foods and beverages. It also comes with three different cleaning tools, which should give you some idea of what's involved in cleaning the machine after use. None of the parts are dishwasher-safe.
I found using the machine to be pretty easy once I figured out how all the parts go together, and it's even kind of fun watching it do its thing. I enjoying throwing a bunch of whole fruits; peels, seeds, stems, and all into the hopper and having delicious, healthy juice a few minutes later. It's kind of satisfying watching the pulp come out the side as fresh juice pours into your juice cup. Some of the pulps can even be used to make other recipes, which I did when I made oat milk.
Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus: price and availability
List price: $739.99 (about £550 / AU$1130)
The Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus is currently only available on Kuvings' own website, but should be widely available soon. Other models of Kuvings juicers are available at most of the typical big box stores and high-end kitchen chains.
At $739.99 (about £550 / AU$1130) this isn't a cheap juicer. Additionally, I got the citrus attachment, which allows you to make citrus juice without peeling the fruits or putting them in the hopper whole. The citrus attachment, exclusively for the AUTO10 series, sells for $42 (about £30 / AU$60)
Kuvings' Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus is a big boi. It weighs 17.4 pounds (7.9kg) so you won't be sliding it in and out of your cabinet easily. It's also quite tall, at 20 inches (529 mm) and it does not fit under the upper cabinets in my kitchen, even without the hopper extension.
The footprint is 8 inches (209 mm) by 10 inches (256 mm), which is pretty reasonable. Just keep in mind that you'll also need clearance for juicing cups in front of the machine (for juice) and on the side (for the pulp).
Not only will you need adequate counter space for the juicer, but you'll need space to store all of the parts. Some of the parts do nest together, but not all of them, so keep that in mind.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Putting the parts together isn't terribly intuitive, but there are clear instructions in the owner's manual. If that's not enough, Kuvings has a number of instructional videos on their YouTube channel to help you get it all sorted out. Once you have put together the parts a couple of times, muscle memory takes over and it's pretty quick and easy.
The Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus isa low speed compression juicer. The juicer utilizes a juicing screw which nests into one of the three included strainers inside the juicing bowl.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
There is a spigot on the front of the juicer, which you can open and close. Use the large plastic juicing cup which is included to capture your juice/beverage/food, or make your items directly into the container of your choice. Place the smaller included juicing cup on the side, underneath the pulp chute, to capture the pulp that is left over after making juices and plant milks. You can discard the pulp, compost it, or even use it to make recipes.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
I also got the citrus attachment, which is sold separately. This reamer-style attachment lets you make citrus juices without having to spend time peeling.
Lemons and limes can be tossed into the main juicer whole, but orange and grapefruit juices are better without the peels. If you'll be making orange or grapefruit juice regularly, you'll either need to peel them before dropping into the hopper or buy the citrus attachment to avoid this tedious task.
Handles a lot of fruits and veggies fast without removing peels, seeds, or stems
Doesn't mix thicker items well
Cleanup is a hassle
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(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
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(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
I made a delicious green juice from Kuvings' website called Spring Detox Juice. The recipe consisted of kale, grapes, kiwis, pears, and limes. Conveniently, I only had to remove the stems from the grapes. Everything else I just cleaned and then threw in whole, just as they are pictured above. As recommended, I used the juicing strainer, which has a fine mesh that keeps the pulp out of your juice. Even with all the tart and bitter ingredients, the juice was smooth and sweet without any added sugar or sweeteners.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Using the optional citrus attachment (sold separately), I made orange juice with navel oranges. Four small-to-medium oranges yielded just about 6 ounces of juice. I just washed each orange, sliced it in half and then pressed it onto the citrus attachment. The juice was good but a little bit tart. Obviously the oranges that you use will determine how the juice tastes.
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(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
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This juicer lets you make a variety of nut milks and other plant milks. I’d never had oat milk before so I thought I would try making it. I used the recommended juicing strainer. The resulting oat milk did indeed look like milk. I put the oat milk on my cereal; it tasted kind of bland but OK. I also used it in smoothies, chia pudding, and even ranch dressing, and it was totally fine. I had heard that oat milk generally has a slightly slimy mouth feel and I did notice that, but only when drinking it plain.
I used this double recipe from Kuvings' website, Oat Milk & Oat Pulp Cookies. After making the oat milk, I used the pulp to make cookies, which reminded me of healthy cookies that I’ve made before with oats and bananas. They were pretty bland because there was no sweetener in them. If I were making them again, I would definitely add a sweetener or mashed banana. Using the oat pulp instead of whole oats was fine. I also think the oat pulp would be great for making dog treats.
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(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
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(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Next, I wanted to test out the smoothie strainer, which has larger holes than the juicing strainer. Smoothies don't produce any pulp, as everything goes right into your cup. I make Kuvings' Banana Protein Smoothie Recipe, which was just bananas, milk, and nuts. This recipe was pretty disappointing. The taste was fine, since I do like bananas and nuts, but it was a bit liquidy and bland for my taste. I also noticed that the ingredients weren't fully blended together, as they would be if I'd used a blender.
I ended up pouring the results into a blender with some vanilla yogurt and ice to make myself a thicker and more flavorful smoothie.
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(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
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(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
To test out the blank strainer, I made Kuving's Dragon Fruit Sorbet. The recipe calls for just two frozen fruit ingredients, dragon fruit and bananas, but I couldn’t find frozen dragon fruit in the stores I checked, so I used cherries instead.
I’ve made fruit-only sorbets many times with other kitchen appliances. The Kuvings juicer does just as good a job as those other appliances and the sorbet is delicious. If you’d like a sweeter sorbet, you would need to add some kind of sweetener, but I like plain old fruit as is. The juicer does not mix the two fruits together. You have to add the two frozen fruits a little bit at a time, alternating between them. The result is a swirled rather than uniform sorbet.
The Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus does a great job making juices and plant milks, which is probably the primary reason anyone would buy it. Making juice is very easy, since you don't have to peel or cut the ingredients before popping them into the big hopper.
It also does a good job making sorbets, as long as you don't mind that the ingredients are somewhat swirled rather than fully mixed. Smoothies came out all right, but I really wouldn't bother making smoothies in this juicer unless you don't have a regular blender.
The hardest part of using this machine is cleanup, for sure. Not only are there a lot of parts to clean, but there are a lot of nooks and crannies. Three different cleaning tools are included in ensure you can get every part clean. None of it is dishwasher-safe, so you'll need to wash it all by hand.
Not yet widely available, though I expect it will be soon since other Kuvings juicer models are. It's quite pricey.
3/5
Design
It's easy enough to put together once you learn how, but it does take up a lot of space.
4/5
Performance
It makes excellent juices and also makes lots of other foods and beverages. Cleanup is a hassle, though.
4/5
Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus: should you buy it?
Buy it if...
You’re a hard-core juicer
If you're someone who wants to make a lot of juice, this is the juicer for you. With the included hopper extension, it handles large quantities of whole fruits and veggies at once. No pre-cutting, just pop everything in: peels, stems, seeds, and all. You can also buy a separate citrus attachment for juicing citrus without the peels.
You want to make plant milks at home
Not into dairy milk? Make your own nut milk, seed milk, soy milk, oat milk, or hemp milk in this juicer. The fine mesh juicing strainer makes for a smooth and creamy result.
You want to make smoothies and other blended treats
While these aren't the star features of this juicer, you can also make smoothies, sorbet, hummus, soup, sauces, and more using the smoothie and blank strainers.
Don't buy it if...
You’re on a budget
This is a pricey home appliance, there's no question. It's really only worth it if you're serious about juice and/or plant-based milks.
You have a small kitchen
This juicer is a big commitment of counter and storage space. It's both tall and heavy which makes it a challenge to find a good spot to store and use it. Additionally, there are a lot of parts that need to be stored, not all of which nest together.
You’re hate washing dishes
There's no way around it, you'll be doing a lot of sink work here. Use the three included cleaning tools to get into every nook and cranny. None of it is dishwasher-safe, so you'll wash every part by hand.
Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus: also consider
If you want a single appliance that both juices and blends, you might consider this one for roughly half the price of the Kuvings. It's not perfect, but it does the job for a lot less. Read our Sage 3X Bluicer Pro review for more information.View Deal
Kuvings Hands-Free Slow Juicer AUTO10 Plus: How I tested
I made orange juice with the citrus attachment (sold separately). I made a green fruit/veggie juice as well as an oat milk with the juicing strainer. I baked cookies from the oat milk's oat pulp. I made a fruit smoothie with the smoothie strainer. I made a frozen fruit sorbet with the blank strainer.
Dynatrace positions itself as a leader in the competitive network monitoring space, offering a complete observability platform that extends far beyond basic network metrics. While on the hunt for thebest network monitoring tools of 2025, we found it to be particularly strong for enterprise environments with complex and distributed infrastructures.
TechRadar reviewers spend several weeks researching each major IT platform in the market, analyzing everything from core functionality to pricing and customer support quality. When we looked at Dynatrace, we were especially impressed by its AI-powered Davis engine, which automatically detects anomalies and performs root cause analysis across your entire stack.
While our top pick LogicMonitor remains the best overall network monitoring tool of 2025, Dynatrace offers unique strengths for organizations needing comprehensive observability beyond traditional network monitoring. Dynatrace has also been recognized as a leader in G2's Network Monitoring for 2025 and Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Observability Platforms.
Dynatrace: Features
Dynatrace is an exceptionally feature-rich platform that goes well beyond traditional network monitoring to provide observability across applications, infrastructure, and user experience. It's primarily geared toward enterprise organizations with complex environments distributed across multiple cloud and on-premises systems.
Features are generally well-executed, with particular strengths in automated discovery, dependency mapping, and intelligent alerting, though some users note that pure network monitoring capabilities aren't as robust as specialized tools like SolarWinds NPM. While the premium pricing makes it inaccessible for small teams, the feature set justifies the cost for organizations looking for unified observability over point solutions.
Full-stack monitoring
Dynatrace's flagship capability provides end-to-end visibility from user experience down to infrastructure components, automatically discovering and mapping all dependencies across your technology stack. The OneAgent technology deploys with minimal configuration and begins collecting metrics, traces, and logs immediately, supporting automatic instrumentation for hundreds of technologies without manual intervention. This eliminates the blind spots common in traditional monitoring approaches by correlating performance issues across all tiers of your environment.
AI-powered analytics
The Davis AI engine serves as Dynatrace's differentiating factor, continuously analyzing billions of dependencies and metrics to automatically detect anomalies and determine root causes. Rather than simply alerting on threshold breaches, Davis provides context-aware insights that help IT teams understand not just what happened, but why it happened and what should be done about it. It reduces alert noise significantly while ensuring critical issues receive immediate attention with actionable remediation guidance.
Network performance monitoring
While network monitoring isn't Dynatrace's primary strength, the platform provides process-level network visibility that goes beyond traditional host-based monitoring. You can track network performance metrics between specific processes and services, identify connection issues proactively, and understand network topology in dynamic cloud environments. The platform automatically monitors new network interfaces and provides integrated health metrics alongside other key resource indicators.
Real user monitoring
Dynatrace captures actual user interactions across web, mobile, and API channels to provide insights into real-world performance and user experience. It tracks click patterns, page load times, and user journeys while identifying frustration points and performance bottlenecks that impact customer satisfaction. This extends beyond synthetic testing to understand how actual users experience your applications under real-world conditions.
(Image credit: Dynatrace)
Dynatrace: Ease of Use
Dynatrace comes with a modern interface that uses its Smartscape data visualization to help users understand complex environment relationships at a glance. Its automatic discovery capabilities significantly reduce initial setup complexity, with deployment typically completing in minutes without extensive configuration.
However, the sheer breadth of features and data available can create a steep learning curve for new users, particularly those transitioning from simpler monitoring tools. That said, the platform includes helpful features like in-product live chat assistance available directly within the interface, allowing users to get immediate help without leaving their monitoring environment.
Dynatrace has invested heavily in user experience improvements, with recent updates focusing on streamlining workflows and reducing the number of clicks required for common tasks. While the learning curve exists, IT teams find the investment in training worthwhile given the platform's capabilities and the reduction in time-to-resolution it provides for complex issues.
Dynatrace: Pricing
Plan
Starting price (paid annually)
What's included
Infrastructure Monitoring
$0.04 per hour per host
Host monitoring for any server size, with basic dashboards and alerting
Kubernetes Platform Monitoring
$0.002 per hour
Complete observability across all Kubernetes clusters, workloads, pods and more
Synthetic Monitoring
$0.001 per request
High throughput monitoring for browser clickpaths, single pages, and APIs
Full-Stack Monitoring
$0.08 per hour per host
Complete APM and observability, AI-powered insights, OneAgent deployment, OpenTelemetry support
Dynatrace employs a usage-based pricing model that scales with your environment size and monitoring requirements. There's no hidden fees, but you'll be making potentially complex cost calculations for larger deployments.
It works well for organizations with predictable infrastructure sizes, plus volume discounts make it more attractive for enterprise deployments. Compared to competitors, Dynatrace sits at the premium end of the market, which reflects its comprehensive feature set but may price out smaller organizations that need simpler network monitoring solutions.
Dynatrace: Customer Support
Dynatrace offers two tiers of support: Standard Support included with all subscriptions and Enterprise Support for customers requiring enhanced service levels.
Standard Support includes in-product live chat assistance available directly within the Dynatrace interface, allowing users to connect with product experts for configuration questions and basic troubleshooting during business hours. The support team has access to product development experts for complex issues, ensuring customers can reach the right level of expertise when needed.
Enterprise Support provides enhanced response times, dedicated support resources, and expanded coverage hours for mission-critical environments. All customers also have access to comprehensive self-help resources including detailed documentation, the Dynatrace Community forum, and Dynatrace University for training and certification.
While support quality generally receives positive feedback from enterprise customers, some smaller organizations report challenges getting rapid responses during peak periods with Standard Support.
Dynatrace: Alternatives
Dynatrace occupies a unique position in the observability market, serving as both a comprehensive monitoring platform and a specialized network monitoring tool, though its strength lies more in the former. It's best suited for enterprises with distributed environments where the AI-driven insights and visibility justify the premium pricing and complexity.
If you're looking for pure network monitoring tools, you might find better value in specialized tools like SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor or PRTG. But for organizations looking for network monitoring and observability, Dynatrace's main competitors include New Relic and Datadog.
Dynatrace: Final Verdict
Dynatrace delivers exceptional value for enterprise organizations requiring comprehensive observability beyond traditional network monitoring, with its AI-powered Davis engine and full-stack visibility providing capabilities that few competitors can match. It excels in complex, distributed environments where automatic discovery, dependency mapping, and intelligent root cause analysis justify the premium pricing and learning curve investment.
While pure network monitoring isn't Dynatrace's strongest suit compared to specialized tools, its ability to correlate network issues with application and infrastructure performance makes it valuable for organizations seeking unified observability. However, smaller organizations or those with simpler network monitoring needs may find Dynatrace overkill in both complexity and cost, making alternatives like LogicMonitor or PRTG more practical choices.
Dynatrace: FAQs
Is Dynatrace primarily a network monitoring tool?
No, Dynatrace is primarily an observability platform that includes network monitoring as one component of its full-stack approach. While it provides process-level network visibility and can monitor network performance between services, its core strength lies in application performance monitoring, infrastructure monitoring, and AI-driven analytics across the entire technology stack. Those looking for dedicated network monitoring tools might find better value in specialized solutions like LogicMonitor or SolarWinds NPM.
How does Dynatrace pricing work for growing organizations?
Dynatrace uses a usage-based pricing model where costs scale with your monitored infrastructure, measured in host-hours or GiB-hours depending on the plan. The platform offers volume discounts for larger commitments and allows organizations to exceed their minimum annual commitment on an on-demand basis without penalties. While this flexibility helps growing organizations, costs can increase significantly as infrastructure scales, making budget planning important for expansion.
What level of expertise is required to implement Dynatrace?
Dynatrace is designed for enterprise IT teams and requires moderate to advanced expertise to fully leverage its capabilities, though initial deployment is relatively straightforward thanks to OneAgent's automatic discovery.
While the platform can begin collecting data within minutes of deployment, maximizing its AI-driven insights, custom dashboards, and advanced alerting typically requires several weeks of learning and configuration.
Dynatrace provides comprehensive training resources through Dynatrace University and offers in-product support to help teams get up to speed.
Can Dynatrace replace multiple monitoring tools?
Yes, Dynatrace is specifically designed to consolidate multiple monitoring functions into a single platform, covering application performance, infrastructure monitoring, network monitoring, real user monitoring, and synthetic testing.
This eliminates data silos and provides correlated insights across the entire technology stack, which is particularly valuable for complex enterprise environments. However, organizations with specialized needs might still require dedicated tools for specific use cases like detailed network flow analysis or specialized database monitoring.
How does Dynatrace compare to other observability platforms?
Dynatrace differentiates itself primarily through its Davis AI engine, which provides automated root cause analysis and intelligent alerting beyond what competitors like New Relic or Datadog typically offer.
It also excels in automatic discovery and dependency mapping, requiring less manual configuration than many alternatives. However, it comes with premium pricing that may exceed competitors, and some users find its comprehensive feature set more complex than needed for simpler monitoring requirements.
The Aukey Spark Mini 20000 has simple yet elegant looks, with its soft edges helping to make it more sleek. Aside from grey and silver, there’s also a pink colorway if you want something a little more vibrant.
However, the materials don’t look especially premium, and it’s not as solid as some of the best power banks, with considerable flexing in the front panel, which can even trigger the power button if pressed too hard.
Thankfully, the bottom section is much sturdier, as well as looking more refined thanks to its matte finish and slightly soft texture. This is also the thickest and heaviest part of the unit, but thanks to its overall compactness, the Spark Mini 20000 is quite portable – although carrying it in your pocket might prove a little too onerous.
There’s no real interface, aside from a power button and five small LED dots: four to indicate remaining charge and one to indicate that charging is active. This is quite useful, as it allows you to check whether your device is actually charging with a mere glance.
The Spark Mini 20000 features just two charging ports: one USB-C and one USB-A, the latter of which serves as an output as well as an input for charging the bank itself. This limited selection is a little disappointing, as there are many other 20K power banks with three or four ports to choose from.
At least simultaneous charging is supported, and each port provides enough power for fast charging. The USB-C port supports the PD standard, providing 20W of power for charging the best iPhones and other smartphones quickly, while the USB-A port provides 22.5W of power. A USB-C-to-C cable is included in the box, but it’s quite short, so you’ll need your device close to the bank when charging.
The Spark Mini 20000 managed to charge my Google Pixel 7a from empty to full in about two hours, which isn’t a spectacular performance, but is still within the bounds of what you would expect given its power delivery. However, charging the bank itself from empty to full took over five and a half hours, which is pretty slow going, even for a power bank of this capacity.
About average for a power bank with this size, the Spark Mini 20000 costs $35.99 / £26.37 (about AU$55). However, there are power banks with similar prices that offer more features, such as the INIU Carry P51L-E1 Power Bank 22.5W 20000mAh.
This bank has the same 20,000mAh capacity, but includes an integrated USB-C cable in addition to two ports. It also features a digital display and a flashlight, but still manages to be about the same size as the Spark Mini 20000.
(Image credit: Future)
Aukey Spark Mini 20000 review: price & specs
Price
$35.99 / £26.37 (about AU$55)
Capacity
20,000mAh
Total wattage
22.5W
Number of ports
2
USB-C
1
USB-A
1
Wireless charging
No
Weight
11.4oz / 322g
Power-to-weight
62mAh/g
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Aukey Spark Mini 20000?
Buy it if…
You want something simple The Spark Mini 20000 is a simple case of plug and go, and the LED to indicate charging is active is a simple but useful touch.
You want something compact The Spark Mini 20000 makes for a great travel companion thanks to its small dimensions, even if it’s a little thick.
Don't buy it if…
You have more than two devices to charge With only two ports, the Spark Mini 20000 is limited compared to similarly capacious power banks, which can include three or four ports – and even integrated cables.
You want more features With no digital display or integrated cables and the like, the Spark Mini 20000 is about as simple as it gets – and similarly priced rivals offer more.
Aukey Spark Mini 20000 review: Also consider
INIU Carry P51L-E1 Power Bank 22.5W 20000mAh The P51L-E1 has a similar capacity and power output to the Spark Mini 20000, but has an integrated USB-C cable, which also functions as a carrying loop. It also has a flashlight and a digital display, although the latter is a little sparse in the information it provides, but is clear to see. It’s also about the same price as the Spark Mini 20000, so ultimately it makes for better value. Read our full INIU Carry P51L-E1 Power Bank 22.5W 20000mAh review.
The Groov-e Wave Glow is a very affordable portable speaker and one with sound quality to match that price tag. Yes, this is one that will infuriate the ears of audiophiles sounding somewhat tinny at times and slightly lacking any oomph across the course of my listening.
On the other hand, it has some funky looking lights which I found rather endearing, a comfy to grip strap, and some surprising ways to connect it to your music. Besides Bluetooth, you can also plug in a USB flash drive, slot in a TF card (both admittedly with a tight 64GB limit), and there’s an aux port. It’s not often you see these features in a tiny speaker any more. Granted, not everyone will need these but if you do, well, your options are limited making this more tempting.
Of course, don’t count on it rivalling the best Bluetooth speakers. This is a decidedly cheap speaker. It feels a little cheap to the touch and there’s that dodgy sound quality. I say dodgy; it’s reminiscent of buying a cheap radio or speaker years ago, before good speakers were affordable for the masses. It’s not hideous, exactly, but it’s also fairly ‘blah’.
Away from that disappointing audio quality, the Groov-e Wave Glow has some chunky, tactile buttons for play/pause, volume, and adjusting the lights, and the ports are all hidden behind a pull-out protective shell. Then there’s the lights up top and down bottom, and the elastic strap.
The Groov-e Wave Glow is priced at £23.99 and at the moment is only seemingly available in the UK, but that would make it under $35, or around AU$50. For that price, it’d be silly to expect too much, but if you can stretch further, you will find better options – more on those later. If money is that tight, however, or you’re looking for a cheap gift, the Groov-e Wave Glow still has some appeal.
(Image credit: Future)
Groov-e Wave Glow review: price and release date
Released May 2025
£23.99 at launch
Limited availability
The Groov-e Wave Glow was launched in May 2025 and is currently available to buy in the UK. It’s already seen some modest discounts but is generally available for £23.99.
That makes it one of the cheaper speakers around. The recently released Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is close but is still usually priced at £39.99. If you’re able to increase your budget to that, there are a few other options like the JBL Go 4, but few as cheap as this one.
Groov-e Wave Glow review: specs
Weight
645g
Dimensions
13.7 x 8 x 7.5 cm
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3, aux-in, USB-C (charging)
Battery life
8 hours (quoted)
Speaker drivers
10W
Waterproofing
n/a
Groov-e Wave Glow review: features
AUX port, microSD slot, and USB flash drive support
LED lights
8-hour battery life
The Groov-e Wave Glow is a fairly typical looking little Bluetooth speaker but with some surprising features. The highlight is its plethora of connections. Sure, you’ll be mostly using its Bluetooth connection, but it has other options. You can use its aux port to connect to other devices (and the speaker actually comes with a 3.5mm jack), while next to it is a TF (read: microSD) card slot, and the USB connection allows you to plug in a USB flash drive. Admittedly, both microSD and USB have a limitation of 64GB so you might have to search around for a compatible option, but it could be that specific situation that fits you perfectly.
There are no mics for speakerphone duties (although few speakers seem to offer that, these days) and battery life is a very unremarkable 8 hours. I’d have liked to have seen more here, especially as it takes 2 hours for a full recharge. Its Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity works fine and I had no issues using it with my iPhone 14 Pro but there were occasional dropouts on my PC – usually when I moved the speaker around.
Elsewhere, the LED lights are my favorite thing about the Groov-e Wave Glow. They visually bounce away while playing music and look suitably vibrant and exciting. They’re potentially more exciting than the audio quality, but I’ll get to that. It’s a neat touch either way and makes up for the lack of app support and thus in-app customization.
Features score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Groov-e Wave Glow review: sound quality
10W
Tinny sound
Weak bass
I didn’t expect much of the Groov-e Wave Glow but I have to be honest, it actually sounded a little worse than anticipated. It’s functional, of course, but pretty tinny at times. There’s no bass to speak of, but my word, do the lights try to atone for that. You're encouraged to feel like it’s doing its best, happily bouncing along. However, it’s pretty tame stuff.
Listening to spoken word – a podcast or YouTube video, say – is fine, but when you switch over to your favorite music, the limitations are much more noticeable. The volume can go pretty high, but that weakens the experience even more. I went for my cheesy favorite, Robbie William’s Let Me Entertain You to start, knowing exactly how it’s meant to sound and there was no urgency or strength in the mids.
I went bold then and loaded up some Muse and sighed as it sounded somewhat pitiful. The soundstage is weak but more importantly, the bass and general ambience is underwhelming.
Sound quality score: 2/5
(Image credit: Future)
Groov-e Wave Glow review: design
Comfy elasticated strap
Tactile buttons
Well hidden ports
The Groov-e Wave Glow is certainly exactly how you expect a speaker to look, but there are a few highlights. I’m a big fan of its buttons being attractive but tactile too, so anyone with visual impairments can find what they’re wanting to press. There are buttons for play/pause, volume, and for toggling the lights on or off.
There’s a chunky section for the ports too which blends in well and feels suitably snug. On another side is the strap which is elasticated but held in quite tightly. The idea is that you can easily hold it through the strap but also attach it to something like a hook. It feels nice in your hands which is the main thing here.
As with other similar speakers, the Groov-e Wave Glow is pretty lightweight to carry around. Up top and down the bottom is the lighting so you can place the Groov-e Wave Glow sideways as well as upright.
What lets it down in this section – and why not go higher than four stars? Well, any discussion on the design has to include the audio architecture under the hood, and as you'll know if you've read this far, this area is where the Wave Glow struggles. Also, unusually for a speaker in 2025, there's no mention of an IP rating for water or dust ingress – so it won't be joining the ranks of our best waterproof speakers buying guide any time soon.
Design score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Groov-e Wave Glow review: value
Very cheap
Sturdy design
Useful for a specific situation
The Groov-e Wave Glow is certainly cheap but its sound quality demonstrates exactly why it’s so cheap. Having said that, the aux port, USB flash drive support, and TF card slot could make it exactly what you’ve been looking for. For those people, there’s not much else to rival the Groov-e Wave Glow at this price.
However, if you’re looking for good audio, it’s a smart move to spend a little more on the JBL Go range or something from Anker Soundcore. The Groov-e Wave Glow definitely isn’t the best choice for music lovers, but it is super cheap and for many, that's the priority.
Value score: 3/5
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Groov-e Wave Glow?
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
No app, but there are a few notable extras not on other models
4/5
Sound quality
The weakest element by far when considering the Wave Glow: tinny and lacking in low end
2/5
Design
Useful straps, fun lights and tactile buttons
4/5
Value
It's cheap, but given the sound quality, spending less doesn't always mean value
3/5
Buy it if...
You want extra connectivity options Many speakers still retain an aux port but TF and USB flash drive support? That’s what potentially makes the Groov-e Wave Glow your dream option. Only you know what you need most.
You want something for the summer Just need a short term solution? The Groov-e Wave Glow is cheap, easy to get hold of, and does the job. Just about.
You’re on a tight budget If money is very tight and you need a speaker, the Groov-e Wave Glow is an impulse buy kind of price.
Don't buy it if...
You’re an audiophile It’s been a while since I’ve heard something as underwhelming as the Groov-e Wave Glow which is a tragic shame, but true.
You want something to last all day The Groov-e Wave Glow only has 8 hours of battery life which means it won’t last a busy day hiking or out and about. There are other cheap options with better battery life.
You want waterproofing The Groov-e Wave Glow doesn’t confirm its waterproofing and while its ports are neatly hidden away, we wouldn’t trust it immersed in water. Go for something with guaranteed IPX7 waterproofing if you plan on heading to the pool.
Groov-e Wave Glow review: also consider
Groov-e Wave Glow
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus
JBL Clip 5
Price
£23.99; limited availability in other markets
$39.99 / £32 / AU$65 (approx.)
$79.95 / £59.99 / AU$89.95
Weight
645g
545g
285g
Dimensions
13.7 x 8 x 7.5 cm
90.9 x 90.9 x 118.9 mm
86 x 134.5 x 46 mm
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3, aux-in, USB-C (charging)
Bluetooth 5.4 (SBC, AAC codecs), AUX-in, USB-C (charging)
Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (charging)
Battery life
8 hours (quoted)
12 hours (quoted)
Up to 12 hours
Speaker drivers
10W (dimensions not stated)
48mm
Integrated class D digital amplifiers x 1
Waterproofing
n/a
IPX7
IP67
JBL Clip 5 If you can stretch that budget, buy the JBL Clip 5. It’s perfect for outdoor use while also sounding great for the price. There’s plenty of detail and bass here with an adjustable EQ and an ideal strap for carrying. Read our full JBL Clip 5 reviewView Deal
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus A little more expensive but guaranteeing good waterproofing, the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus could still sound better but it’s otherwise a robust option at a very affordable price. Read our full Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review
Groov-e Wave Glow review: how I tested
Tested over 14 days
Used with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Twitch
15 years of audio equipment reviewing experience
I used the Groov-e Wave Glow across 14 days in a wide range of ways. I connected it to my PC initially and listened to Spotify, Apple Music and Twitch using that as a source device, then moved to my iPhone 14 Pro.
That meant a solid mixture of spoken audio and also music. My music taste is fairly varied so it went from Robbie Williams to Muse to Chet Baker to various pieces of classical music. I also checked how good battery life appeared to be and monitored how long it took to recharge.
I have 15 years of experience testing audio equipment, specialising in portable, affordable products just like the Groov-e Wave Glow.
If you’re searching for a network monitoring tool that can keep up with hybrid and cloud-first IT environments, Datadog is likely on your shortlist. We’ve spent weeks researching every major IT platform and Datadog is near the top for its feature-rich approach and impressive integrations. For a broader look at your options, check out our best network monitoring tools list.
Our team at TechRadar has deep experience evaluating IT platforms — using, comparing, and stress-testing them in real-world scenarios. LogicMonitor is our pick for the best network monitoring tool of 2025. Its AI-powered suite automates many day-to-day IT workflows, making it a top choice for organizations wanting proactive, hands-off monitoring.
Still, Datadog’s popularity is no accident. It’s a favorite among IT teams for its real-time visibility, rich analytics, and ability to unify monitoring across multi-cloud, hybrid, and on-premises environments. But is it the right fit for your team? Let’s dive in.
Datadog network monitoring: Features
Datadog is one of the most feature-rich platforms in the network monitoring space. It’s packed with tools for real-time analytics, customizable dashboards, anomaly detection, and integrations with over 850 services and devices.
These features are best suited for IT teams managing complex, hybrid, or cloud-native environments who need granular visibility and automation. Everything comes together pretty well, though some users have asked for easier self-remediation and more transparent pricing, especially as data volumes grow.
At its price point, though, you’re paying for depth and breadth. So, if you need only basic monitoring, there are cheaper options.
Infrastructure monitoring
Datadog’s core component gives you a bird’s eye view of servers, cloud instances, containers, and network devices. It auto-discovers resources and collects data from CPUs, memory, disk, and network performance, all visualized in real time.
Network performance monitoring (NPM)
NPM provides deep visibility into your network traffic, showing you which services are talking to each other, where bottlenecks are, and how traffic flows across your environment. You can drill down to individual connections, monitor bandwidth usage, and set up alerts for unusual activity.
Log management
Datadog automatically ingests, parses, and analyzes logs from across your stack. You can search logs in real time, correlate them with metrics and traces, and set up alerts for error spikes or suspicious activity.
Application performance monitoring (APM)
APM traces requests across distributed systems, helping you spot slowdowns, errors, and performance bottlenecks at the code or service level. It supports major programming languages and frameworks.
Synthetic monitoring
This tool simulates user interactions with your apps and connectors, running tests from locations around the world to measure uptime and performance. It’s useful for catching issues before users notice them.
Real user monitoring (RUM)
RUM tracks the actual experience of your users, measuring load times, errors, and engagement in real time. This is important for teams focused on optimizing user-facing applications.
Security monitoring
Datadog’s security suite includes anomaly detection, threat intelligence, and compliance monitoring, helping you spot vulnerabilities and suspicious behavior as it happens.
Integrations and APIs
With support for 850+ integrations, including AWS, Azure, Kubernetes, Chef, Puppet, and more — Datadog can slot into almost any IT environment, making it easy to unify monitoring across tools and platforms.
(Image credit: Datadog)
Datadog network monitoring: Ease of use
Datadog is generally user-friendly, with a modern, intuitive interface and customizable dashboards that make it easy to visualize the metrics that matter most to you. Many users find setup and configuration straightforward, especially compared to older tools like SolarWinds. You can drag and drop widgets, create custom views, and filter data with just a few clicks.
However, the initial setup can feel overwhelming for newcomers. With so many features and integrations, it’s not always clear where to start, and some users report that onboarding documentation could be more beginner-friendly. Once you’re past the learning curve, though, day-to-day use is smooth and efficient.
Datadog also supports accessibility features and offers a REST API for advanced customization and integration with other tools. While the platform is designed to scale with your needs, we’d love to see more guided onboarding for first-time users.
Datadog network monitoring: Pricing
Plan
Starting price (paid annually)
What’s included
Infrastructure Monitoring
$15 per host/month
Core metrics, dashboards, 850+ integrations
APM
$31 per host/month
Distributed tracing, service maps, code profiling
Log Management
$0.10 per GB ingested
Log ingestion, search, analytics
Network Performance
$5 per host/month
Network traffic analysis, flow monitoring, device health
Synthetic Monitoring
$5 per 10,000 API tests
API and browser tests, uptime checks
Real User Monitoring
$2 per 10,000 sessions
End-user experience metrics, session replay
Security Monitoring
$0.20 per GB analyzed
Threat detection, compliance monitoring
Database Monitoring
$21 per host/month
Database performance, query analytics
Continuous Profiler
$8 per host/month
Code profiling, performance optimization
Incident Management
$15 per user/month
Incident tracking, collaboration tools
CI Visibility
$5 per 25,000 test runs
CI/CD pipeline monitoring, job analytics
Datadog’s pricing is modular and can add up quickly as you layer on more features or monitor more hosts. While the entry price for network monitoring is competitive, costs for log ingestion, APM, and other advanced features can become significant for large environments.
The flexibility to pick and choose modules is great, but budgeting can be tricky. Compared to competitors like LogicMonitor, Datadog is often pricier at scale, though it offers more control over what you pay for.
Datadog network monitoring: Customer support
Datadog’s customer support is generally responsive and knowledgeable, with 24/7 availability for most plans. Users can access support via email, chat, or ticketing, and there’s a robust knowledge base and active community forums. Enterprise customers get priority support, including a dedicated account manager and faster response times.
But, some users have reported mixed experiences, especially with lower-tier plans or complex billing issues. A few customers mention delays in getting detailed technical answers or feeling like their concerns weren’t fully addressed. For mission-critical environments, we recommend opting for enterprise support to ensure the fastest resolution times.
Datadog network monitoring: Alternatives
Datadog is a leader in network monitoring, but it’s not the only option. It’s best suited for mid-sized to large IT teams managing hybrid or cloud-first environments who need deep analytics and extensive integrations. If you’re a smaller business or just need basic monitoring, you might find Datadog’s cost and complexity overkill.
Top competitors include LogicMonitor for its AI-powered automation and intuitive interface, Dynatrace for AI-driven anomaly detection, and Nagios or Zabbix for IT teams who want open-source options. That said, Datadog’s main edge is its unified, cloud-native approach and real-time analytics. But if you value simplicity or lower costs, it’s worth comparing alternatives.
Datadog network monitoring: Final verdict
Datadog brings a powerful, unified approach to network monitoring, with real-time analytics, deep integrations, and customizable dashboards. It’s a top choice for IT teams that need to monitor complex, hybrid, or cloud-native environments and want to correlate network data with logs, traces, and application metrics.
However, cost and complexity can be drawbacks, especially for smaller teams or those new to monitoring platforms. If you need the most advanced features and can invest in setup and training, Datadog is a strong contender. For simpler needs or tighter budgets, other platforms may offer better value.
FAQs
What types of environments can Datadog monitor?
Datadog supports on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, with integrations for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and more. It’s designed to provide unified visibility across all your infrastructure.
Is Datadog suitable for small businesses?
While Datadog can be used by businesses of any size, its pricing and feature set are best suited for mid-sized to large organizations with complex monitoring needs. Smaller teams may find the cost and learning curve steep.
Can Datadog alert me to network issues in real time?
Yes, Datadog provides real-time alerts for network performance issues, outages, and anomalies. You can customize alert thresholds and receive notifications via email, Slack, PagerDuty, and other channels.
Does Datadog offer a free trial?
Datadog typically offers a 14-day free trial for new users, allowing you to test core features and integrations before committing to a paid plan.
How does Datadog compare to LogicMonitor?
LogicMonitor is our top pick for 2025, thanks to its AI-powered automation and revamped UI. Datadog offers more granular analytics and integrations but can be more expensive and complex to set up. Both are excellent, but LogicMonitor is better for teams wanting automation while Datadog excels in analytics and customization.
The Ugreen Nexode Power Bank has 165W of power and a 20000mAh, as well as a few features aimed at improving convenience.
In line with the range in which this power bank sits, the Nexode has a dark grey finish with black accents, making it slightly more interesting to look at than other power banks. The smooth matte finish also adds a hint of elegance, giving the impression that this is a premium product.
However, this belies the actual build quality of the Nexode. Despite its heaviness, some of the panels can flex slightly; they aren’t as solid as those you’ll find on many Anker power banks, for instance, which are some of the best power banks around in terms of construction.
Still, the Nexode should suffice for travel purposes. What’s more of an issue when traveling is just how bulky it is. It might have a relatively short length but it’s quite thick, and personally I would’ve preferred the compromise to be the other way around, as a thinner bank is easier to tuck away into a bag.
However, I did appreciate the rubber feet on the back panel. I haven’t noticed their absence on other power banks before, but seeing them here has made me realize how useful they are for protecting the bank and supporting surfaces from scratches. They also prevent the bank from sliding around.
The Nexode also has a large display, although unfortunately the readout is considerably smaller than the space appears to allow for. It’s also quite dim, which, combined with the reflective screen, can make it even hard to see.
The information it does provide, though, is quite useful. As well as the battery life percentage, there’s also estimated charging times for connected devices or the bank itself, as well as an indicator showing which connections are currently active and their wattage. Pressing the power button takes you to a second screen, where you can view the voltage and amperage of each connection, too.
Perhaps the standout feature of the Nexode, though, is the retractable USB-C cable. This is easy to use, although it does have a tendency to twist around, which can make it awkward to put back in. It’s also quite thin and doesn’t feel particularly hardy, but Ugreen does claim it can endure over 25,000 retractions and over 10,000 bends.
In addition to this cable, you also get two USB ports: one Type-A and one Type-C. Like the retractable cable, the latter port is both an input and an output, while the former is output only. Both USB-C interfaces are capable of receiving and delivering 100W each, although if both are used at the same time, the port will drop to 65W. The USB-A port delivers 33W maximum.
The Nexode also supports three-way charging, but in such cases the two USB ports drop to 10W, while the retractable cable retains its 100W capability. There’s also a trickle charging mode for charging smaller devices with more sensitive batteries, such as wireless earbuds and smartwatches, activated by holding the power button for five seconds.
Using the retractable USB-C cable, I managed to charge my Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4, which has a 57Wh battery, from 5% to 90% in under 90 minutes, before the Nexode depleted completely. This is quite fast, but it’s a shame it ran out before making it to 100%, and means you can’t even get one full charge out of it. Charging the bank itself from empty to full took about one hour and 40 minutes, which again is a respectable time.
The Nexode is expensive for a power bank, even one with this much power, retailing for $99.99 / £79.99 (about AU$150). The Anker Laptop Power Bank is about the same price, but has a greater capacity and two integrated cables. It’s also slightly thinner and better made than the Nexode.
We have seen it around for less than its original price, though, and if you can catch it in a sale, the Nexode might still prove a solid pick for charging your large devices.
(Image credit: Future)
Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W review: price & specs
Price
$99.99 / £79.99 (about AU$150)
Capacity
20,000mAh
Total wattage
165W
Number of ports
3
USB-C
2 (1 x built-in)
Wireless charging
No
Weight
18.9oz / 535g
Power-to-weight
37.4mAh/g
(Image credit: Future)
Should I buy the Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W?
Buy it if…
You want plenty of power Most modern laptops don’t need 165W to charge quickly, and the fast two- and three-way charging times are also welcome.
You want useful charging information Aside from the usual battery percentage, the display on the Nexode also provides wattage, voltage, and amperage figures for each active connection.
Don't buy it if…
You want something thin Personally, I prefer a power bank to be as thin as possible, as this makes it easier to pack away. Unfortunately, though, the Nexode is quite thick.
You want full laptop charges The 20,000mAh capacity doesn’t cut it for multiple charges of large devices – sometimes not even one full charge, in my experience.
Ugreen Nexode Power Bank 20000mAh 165W review: Also consider
Anker Laptop Power Bank If you’re after another high-power, high-capacity power bank, the Anker Laptop Power Bank is a stellar alternative. Not only does it feature a retractable USB-C cable like the Nexode, but it also features another integrated USB-C cable that acts as a carrying loop when not in use. It also has a better display and build quality, as well as being thinner, which I find makes it easier to transport. Read our full Anker Laptop Power Bank review.
Blackview is a thriving technology brand that initially specialised in rugged outdoor phones designed to support rugged lifestyles and survive demanding and challenging environments. Over the years, Blackview has expanded its product range to include mainstream smartphones, smartwatches, earphones, tablets, and laptops.
The Blackview BV7300 is a rugged smartphone designed for outdoor enthusiasts and professionals who need a durable and reliable device. It features a reinforced frame and textured back for a secure grip, making it both tough and stylish. The BV7300 is equipped with dual camping lights and a 20MP night vision camera, ensuring safety and visibility in low-light conditions. Its super-large 15000mAh battery supports 45W fast charging, providing long-lasting power for extended use.
The device runs on Android 14 with DokeOS 4.0, offering a smooth and personalised user experience. With up to 18GB RAM and 256GB ROM, the BV7300 delivers powerful performance for various tasks. Additionally, it boasts IP68 and IP69K ratings for water and dust resistance, as well as MIL-STD-810H certification for durability in extreme environments.
The BV7300's weaknesses include an odd low-resolution screen and a limitation to 4G comms, not 5G. And at 528g, this is a bulky phone to use for everyday use.
It is unlikely to be our top choice for rugged smartphones, but it offers excellent value for those who occasionally venture into challenging environments.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Blackview BV7300: price and availability
How much does it cost? $280/£166
When is it out? Available globally
Where can you get it? Direct from the maker or via an online retailer
Available directly from the maker's own shop, the asking price is £166 in the UK and $279.99 for US customers, making it a substantially better deal in those countries that don’t apply tariffs to Chinese goods.
If bought via Amazon.com and with a coupon applied, it can be had for only $219.99, but the standard price is $249.99. UK customers can get it via Amazon for £170.
For those willing to wait for AliExpress to deliver, it can be found for less than £150 or $195.
Typically, I’d mention another phone that uses the same platform as the BV7300, but alas, it's almost unique to this device. The only other Android device using the G81 SoC is the Oukitel RT3 Pro tablet.
Based on the specification, this is a decent phone for what is the bargain basement end of recent rugged phones
IP68/IP69K water and dust resistance, MIL-STD-810H compliant
Build Materials
Polycarbonate, TPU, Aluminium alloy
Dimensions
186.2 × 85 × 24 mm
Weight
528g
Blackview BV7300: design
Built to last
Large camping light
No headphone jack
Blackview devices often feature sharp lines, reinforced corners, and textured surfaces that evoke a tool-like toughness. They look like they belong in a toolbox as much as a backpack. And, the BV7300 is no exception.
It has metal sides and buttons that, together with the rubberised bumpers, reinforce the rugged identity. These style aspects aren’t just decorative; they are a signal of durability, and this phone was made to operate in harsh environments.
The button layout is by-the-numbers, with the volume rockers and fingerprint-reading power button on the right, and the user-definable function button on the left.
In addition, the left side is also where the SIM tray resides, and it's one where you can use two Nano SIMs or one and a MicroSD card for additional storage.
The rear mounts the two cameras near the top and relatively central, making them easy to aim, but the majority of the back is taken up with a substantial camping LED.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
To diverge for a moment, many phones these days come with a substantial metal label stuck to them. This details the model, spec, IMEI number, serial number and various standards that the maker wishes to acknowledge. Do you leave these on, or do you peel them off?
Until now, I’ve always left them on, as the information might be necessary at some point and locating it could be crucial.
Why am I mentioning this? On the BV7300, the label is slapped over half of the camping LED, and therefore, it needs to be removed if you want to use that feature. I chose to leave it in place for my photographs, but if I were to use this device in anger, it would need to be removed.
The use of the back with the dual-element LED lamp also negates the possibility of wireless charging, but with a battery this big, that probably wasn’t a possibility.
What this design lacks is a headphone jack, although you could use an adapter with the USB-C port if you own one.
As is often the case with Blackview hardware, the BV7300 sells its robust credentials confidently and doesn’t stray away from the feature set that most of its customers expect.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Design score: 4/5
Blackview BV7300: hardware
MediaTek Dimensity 7300
Odd resolution display
15000 mAh battery
The MediaTek Helio G81 is a mid-range SoC introduced in August 2024, designed primarily for budget-friendly Android smartphones with a focus on gaming and multimedia performance.
It has an older brother, the G80, that has basic AI features, and this chip added Enhanced AI (MediaTek NeuroPilot, Android NNAPI support), allegedly. It also sports EIS (electronic image stabilisation), along with support for a 120Hz display. The makers, Mediatek, have also added the Helio G85, which is remarkably similar to the G81 used in this phone.
All the G8X series use dual A75 performance cores combined with six A55 efficiency cores to deliver both power and long battery life. They also all use the Mali-G52 MP2 GPU, which isn’t especially powerful, but is good enough for smooth video playback.
It’s a solid choice for rugged phones and budget gaming handsets, offering a good balance of efficiency and features without pushing into premium territory.
One potential improvement could be that this chip uses a 12nm FinFET (TSMC), whereas the latest Dimensity chips use 6nm and even 4nm. That limits how far its efficiency can go, and it also has a capped bandwidth by using LPDDR4x 1800Mhz memory.
But this chip does support a screen with a 2520 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, but unfortunately, that wasn’t what Blackview gave the BV7300.
The 6.67-inch IPS LCD has the curious resolution of 720 x 1604 pixels, a 90Hz refresh rate and a 700 nits brightness. That means it can’t display 1080p video at its full quality, and that includes the video captured by the primary camera.
If neither the screen nor the SoC are the star of this show, what is? Possibly the battery, which has a capacity of 15000mAh, is mostly responsible for this phone weighing more than 500g.
If you aren’t put off by such a bulky device, that’s plenty of battery capacity, and it can be shared with other devices using reverse charging.
When we get to the benchmarking, it will become evident that those comments are foreshadowing, in many respects.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Hardware score: 4/5
Blackview BV7300: cameras
50MP and 20MP sensors on the rear
32MP on the front
Three cameras in total
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
The Blackview BV7300 has three cameras:
Rear camera: 50MP Samsung JN1 primary, 20MP Sony IMX376 Night Vision Front camera: 32MP Galaxycore GC32E1-WA1XA
I wasn’t expecting much considering the cost of this camera and its inevitably tight production budget. But the 50MP Samsung JN1 primary is a workmanlike sensor that, in good lighting conditions, can deliver some decent quality images.
I’d recommend that, unlike me, you disable the AI and HDR functionality, as it tends to oversaturate the colours to the point of making some captures pop-art.
The JN1 is a decent, if now slightly old, Samsung sensor that uses pixel-binning to create generally good 13MP captures from its 50MP source data.
Its limitation is that it isn’t great in low-light conditions, resulting in blurry and grainy results. Blackview's answer to that was to make the second sensor the 20MP Sony IMX376, which is a specialist Night Vision camera.
What’s mildly confusing is that within the Android camera app, there are ‘Night’ and ‘Night Vision’ modes, with the first being an AI-enhanced EIS mode that uses the Samsung JN1 but longer exposure times.
Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) is a technology used in the context of the MediaTek Helio G81 System on Chip (SoC) to reduce blurriness and shakiness in videos and images. EIS works by using software algorithms to compensate for small movements and vibrations during video recording or photography. This is particularly useful for handheld shooting, where even slight hand movements can cause noticeable shake in the footage.
While EIS helps, it's not the same as optical stabilisation, and the results are a bit mixed. If you truly want to take images in low light, the MX376 is a much better choice as it uses IR flash to bathe even the darkest locations in light that the sensor can see and generate an image from. It’s only B&W, and the images are in 20.2MP resolution.
Using this mode, you should be able to capture nocturnal creatures if you turn the screen brightness down and stay quiet enough that your presence isn’t an issue.
As a camera system, the BV7300 is better than I expected, but it's also worth noting that it is a budget device. So you get a Pro mode, panoramas, time-lapse, document shooting and even AR stickers. But equally, the best video resolution is ‘high’, which translates into 1080p when you’ve recorded something.
When you consider that the Samsung ISOCELL JN1 is capable of 4K at 30fps, that’s an intentional omission.
It's normal at this point in my phone reviews to moan that the makers only support Widevine L3 video encryption, reducing the quality of streaming to only 480P from most of the big streaming brands.
However, since the best resolution this display can support is only 720p, it’s probably not an issue in the greater scheme of things.
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Blackview BV7300 Camera samples
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Camera score: 3.5/5
Blackview BV7300: performance
Not 3D game-friendly GPU
Decent battery performance
Phone
Blackview BV7300
Doogee Fire 6 Power
SoC
Mediaktek Helio G81
Unisoc T606
GPU
Mali-G52 MP2
Mali G57 MP1
Mem
N/A
N/A
NPU
6GB/256GB
8GB/256GB
Weight
528g
430g
Battery
15000
15500
Geekbench
Single
446
391
Multi
1469
1368
OpenCL
218
460
Vulkan
361
461
GFX
Aztec Open Normal
5.5
5.5
Aztec Vulkan Norm.
4.8
4.8
Car Chase
3.2
5.4
Manhattan 3.1
4.9
8.8
PCMark
3.0 Score
7391
7790
Battery
30h 40m
31h 18m
Charge 30
%
16
13
Passmark
Score
6767
6289
CPU
3268
2947
3DMark
Slingshot OGL
789
1479
Slingshot Ex. OGL
490
985
Slingshot Ex. Vulkan
504
976
Wildlife
226
432
Nomad Lite
N/A
49
It wasn’t easy to find a phone I’d reviewed recently that was comparable to the BV7300, because most that use the Helio G99 or one of the Dimensity series MediaTek SoCs are significantly more powerful than the G81 used here.
Eventually, I chose the Doogee Fire 6 Power, and its underwhelming Unisoc T606 SoC to be something to compare.
Performance-wise, these phones are closely matched, both in CPU and GPU speeds, and neither is a phone you would pick to play 3D games on.
What ultimately divides them is that the BV7300 only comes with 6GB of RAM, and the Nomad Lite test refuses to run with less than 8GB. And, I did try RAM expansion mode, and that 3D Mark test wants real memory, not mapped storage.
Where both phones excel is in respect of battery capacity and running time, with the Fire 6 being a little better because it has 500mAh more battery at its disposal. I worked out the running time per mAh, and the Blackview has a tiny advantage, although it’s also nearly 100g heavier for that win.
Overall, this isn’t a phone that anyone wanting high performance would gravitate towards, but if you want a rugged phone that can take reasonable pictures and last at least four working days without a recharge, then the Blackview BV7300 might be for you.
Performance score: 4/5
(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)
Blackview BV7300: Final verdict
Looking for an affordable phone that can withstand some abuse, whether on holiday, a building site, or in the jungle? Then the Blackview BV7300 might fit the bill.
There isn’t much about this phone that stands out, other than perhaps the battery life and the price, but for some, having a phone that can get wet and be dropped and still work is the critical requirement.
The BV7300 ticks that box, even if it makes it less than lightweight, and in a company scenario, you are unlikely to take flak for going over-budget.
Should I buy a Blackview BV7300?
Blackview BV7300 Score Card
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Value
Cheap and chunky
4/5
Design
Heavy, but designed to take abuse
4/5
Hardware
MediaTek Helio G81, odd screen, big battery
4/5
Camera
Two rear sensors but only 1080p video
3.5/5
Performance
Budget phone performance but good battery life
3.5/5
Overall
A practical device if you don't mind the weight
4/5
Buy it if...
You need an outdoor phone The BV7300 is built to handle drops, even into water, as long as it doesn't go too deep or stay submersed too long. Clumsy people need phones like this.
Battery life is critical Being able to run continuously for more than thirty hours suggests that it should take most people through four working days without a recharge. Or, longer if you aren’t always on it.
Don't buy it if...
You travel light At over 500g, this isn’t a lightweight device; ideally, it must be mounted to your belt or a vehicle. If your role involves extended walking, you might regret buying this phone.
You need more memory or performance This is probably the least powerful phone I’ve seen since the Doogee Fire 6 Power, and that one wasn’t impressive. If you use demanding tasks, of 5G, then perhaps this isn’t for you.
Also Consider
Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Pro Another practical, rugged design with an inbuilt camping light, night vision camera and about half the battery capacity of the Blackview BV7300. But it's also much easier to carry, and they make a 20T Pro model with thermal imaging.
Doogee Fire 6 Power A low-power rugged phone with a similar spec to the BV7300, but with 8GB of RAM, and it's 98g lighter. In many other respects, it’s very similar to the Blackview.
Being less heavy, but with a battery almost the same size, hints that it might not be as robust as the BV7300. Although I don't have evidence to support that assertion.
Checking through the specifications of the Chuwi GameBook 9955HX and the CPU and GPU both hint at a high-performance laptop, just without the usual astronomical high price. Checking over the machine highlights the balance Chuwi has struck with the design and quality of the materials. While they might not match the likes of the Asus ProArt P16 and other high-end creative and gaming laptops, it still offers a good overall build quality.
Unlike other gaming laptops, Chuwi has really kept the design aesthetics reserved, so like many of the best business laptops, this machine will look equally at home, in the office, or design studio as it would in a gaming environment. With a sleek, plain top, a good array of ports around the sides and back, and the only hint that this is something different from your standard office laptop being the honeycomb design on the base.
Several key features instantly appeal when you open up the GameBook 9955HX. First and foremost is the large screen and full-size keyboard with a number pad on the right, making it ideal for anyone scouting for the best laptops for photo editing or the best laptops for video editing.
Getting into the use, Windows 11 Pro runs smoothly from the outset, with the CPU and GPU combo alongside the 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD providing all the speed you need for all standard applications, which is proven through the PCMark scores.
Content creation, again using Premiere Pro, Adobe Lightroom, and Photoshop, showed the machine had absolutely no issues with editing 4K and even some 8K video, although expansion storage was needed. With two USB Type-C ports, you get a relatively fast connection to the machine. This is the first highlight where cost has been cut, with USB 3.2 Gen 2 used over the faster USB Type-C interfaces, meaning you only get 10GB/s, considerably lower than the later USB4 that you'd expect to see on a machine with these specifications.
However, the reduction in USB interface generation is one of the only areas where the specifications have been pared back. Internally, there is space for additional RAM and increased storage, including the PCIe 5 M.2 slot and fast connection through Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity options, both of which are tried and tested rather than being the latest generation.
Overall, the test showed the machine put in a great performance, with an easy access turbo power option, when you're connected to AC power, to accelerate the CPU and GPU further, giving a boost when playing games, especially. There is little not to like about the raw performance of this GameBook.
When you consider the price and what's on offer, it's hard not to be impressed with what Chuwi has managed to offer at this price.
Chuwi GameBook 9955HX: Price & availability
How much does it cost? £1804
When is it out? Now
Where can you get it? Widely available
The Chuwi GameBook is available directly through the Chuwi website for £1,804, which, considering the specification including 32GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive, is exceptional value for money.
Value: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Chuwi GameBook 9955HX: Design
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Specifications
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX (16 cores, 32 threads, up to 5.4GHz) Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU (12GB GDDR6) RAM: 32GB DDR5 5600MHz (2 x 16GB, dual channel, upgradable to 64GB) Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD (supports two M.2 2280 slots, one Gen4, one Gen5, upgradable) Left Ports: 2.5G RJ45 LAN, USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (supports 100W PD charging), 3.5mm audio jack Right Ports: USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, Kensington lock slot Rear Ports: HDMI 2.1 Port (Support 4K@120Hz), USB 3.2 Gen 2, Mini DP (DP2.1a, UHBR20 80Gbps) Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 Audio: 2W stereo speakers, Dual microphone array Camera: 1080p IR webcam (supports Windows Hello, with physical privacy cover) Size: 356.7 x 253.8 x 21.4 mm Weight: 2.3kg OS Installed: Windows 11 Pro Accessories: 140W USB-C power adapter
Removing the Chuwi GameBook 9955HX from the box, the first thing that strikes you, especially at this price point, is just how good and robust the laptop feels, with the monitor protected in an aluminium casing, while the main body is made from a similar colour, high-impact plastic. While it doesn't give quite the same premium feel as some other laptops, it is nevertheless of decent quality.
When it comes to size and weight, because this is a gaming-focused PC requiring lots of cooling for the powerful CPU and GPU, the size and weight are slightly heavier than many work-focused laptops. It measures 356.7 x 253.8 x 21.4 mm and weighs in at 2.3kg.
Despite all that processing power and features, it's still a relatively decent-sized machine and more than portable, as I found during the process of this test.
Looking over the body of the laptop, there's a good rubber bar on the base along with two small feet to keep it securely in place on the desktop, and there's a good amount of venting on the bottom and across the back of the machine, ensuring that the powerful CPU/GPU combo stays cool.
On the left-hand side, you have a LAN port with an ingenious flip-down door design that helps partially protect the port and integrates with the design of the case. This network port is joined by a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port that enables 100W of PD power for charging when the laptop is off, and a USB Type-A Gen 1 port, alongside a standard 3.5mm audio jack.
Alongside venting at the back, there's also a USB Type-C port at up to 140W PD power again when the power is off, a mini DP 2.1 and an HDMI 2.1 port enabling 4K at 120Hz, and finally, on the right-hand side, there are two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and a lock slot for securing the laptop if needed.
Opening up the lid reveals the 16-inch, 2.5K (2560 x 1600), IPS, 300Hz refresh rate and up to 500 nits brightness 16:10 screen that offers a clear display for office work, content creation, as well as gaming.
One of the big features for anyone looking at this laptop for work, as well as content creation and gaming, is the full-size keyboard, even down to the four cursor keys, all full-sized with a handy numeric pad, which is slightly reduced in size, giving plenty of control and input options. While the keyboard is of decent quality, it doesn't quite have the same precise actuation that you would find with some of the more premium models.
Still, that's not to say it doesn't feel good to type on, and it is responsive. Likewise, the trackpad is a decent size and supports gesture control, again, of a decent quality, but doesn't quite have the high-end premium feel you might expect with some of the more premium laptops.
One final design feature to point out is across the top bar of the laptop, alongside gaming detailing. There is the power button, and next to this is the turbo button, which gives the laptop a power boost for gaming and other applications that need a little bit more grunt from the CPU and GPU, with an Office, Balanced and Turbo mode.
Design: 4 / 5
Chuwi GameBook 9955HX: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX CPU with 16 cores, 32 threads, 64MB cache and up to 5.4GHz clock speed within Zen 5 architecture, this mobile CPU is an ideal fit if you're looking for a laptop that can handle high-demand applications and games. It's supported by an impressive GPU in the form of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPU, which features 12GB of GDDR7 VRAM, 140W TGP, 1406 AI TOPS, and supports full ray tracing.
Complementing the CPU and GPU is the dual-channel SODIMM RAM, and the standard machine comes equipped with 2×16GB DDR5 5600MHz modules, but you can expand this up to two 32GB sticks if required. Access to the inner workings is through the base with 11 screws needing to be removed before the base of the machine can be lifted away. From there, the layout is extremely neat and easy to work with.
For storage, the machine features two slots and comes pre-installed with a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, placed in the PCIe 5.0 slot. You can also add a second M.2 2280 PCIe SSD card into the secondary slot, which is a PCIe 4.0 slot. Ideally, you buy yourself a PCIe 5.0 M.2 2280 module and insert that into the PCIe 5.0 slot to make the most of that additional speed, and place the operating system onto the PCIe 4.0 slot.
Powering the machine is a 77.77Wh battery that offers 15.4V and 5,050mAh capacity. While this is impressive considering the power draw, used for high-end gaming or content creation, battery life is going to be rather limited.
However, there has to be a balance between the size of the machine and the battery used, with a 140W AC power supply for high-demand applications. It's probably worth swapping over to AC power rather than using the battery. It's also worth noting that while there are two USB-C ports that enable PD power, this is only for use when the machine is off.
Connectivity options are as described previously, with a good range of ports, although the USB Type-C port is an older generation USB3.2 Gen 2 rather than USB4.
As you'd expect, there is a webcam built in, supporting Windows Hello face recognition. One feature I like here is that there's a physical privacy cover. It can be slid across the camera, and once it is down, the camera shows a red cover to highlight the status.
For gaming and content creation, there are two relatively powerful two-watt speakers and a dual mic on the camera. These are all of decent quality, although nowhere near the depth or clarity of sound you would expect from a premium model.
All in all, considering the price point, the features are well balanced, giving you all the power you need for high-demand applications and games, while balancing out some features, such as the USB interfaces, to manage overall cost.
Features: 4.5 / 5
Chuwi GameBook 9955HX: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Benchmarks
CrystalDiskMark Read: 5538.97 CrystalDiskMark Write: 5208.69 Geekbench CPU Multi: 18134 Geekbench CPU Single: 3220 Geekbench GPU: 150671 PCMark Overall: 8367 Cinebench CPU Multi: 32863 Cinebench CPU Single: 2175 Fire Strike Overall: 35793 Fire Strike Graphics: 40250 Fire Strike Physics: 37287 Fire Strike Combined: 18934 Time Spy Overall: 15855 Time Spy Graphics: 16763 Time Spy CPU: 12135 Wild Life Overall: 40003 Steel Nomad Overall: 3743 Windows Experience Overall: 8.1
The Chuwi GameBook 9955HX impresses first and foremost with the speed at which Windows boots up from cold, enabling you to load up apps and get started in a couple of minutes if not less. All Microsoft Office applications run smoothly, and if you prefer Google Docs, the wireless internet connection using Wi-Fi 6 is good and robust, with the option to hardwire into the network if you prefer. From a work perspective, this machine provides a solid foundation for standard administration software.
Through tests for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel, all applications loaded quickly, and with a large 16-inch screen in decent resolution, it's easy to navigate and update multiple documents and presentations with ease.
One of the things that stands out is the full-size keyboard. When you are used to using a MacBook Pro or similar high-end premium laptop with a reduced keyboard, the fact that it has the number pad, full-size cursors, and access to the F keys at the top just makes workflow much easier without having to use key combinations.
Moving on from the base applications and starting to look at content creation options, I loaded up Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop and Lightroom to see how the machine would handle an 8K video shot on a Canon EOS R5C and Sony A7 IV. The performance was superb. However, the one-terabyte SSD quickly filled up, and I was pleased to see that I could quickly pop in a secondary SSD, boosting internal storage up to 3TB.
For ease, this was installed in the secondary PCIe slot, enabling transfer rates of up to 5,000MB/s when benchmarked in CrystalDiskMark.
During the test, I checked the USB-C port transfer rate when connected to an external SSD, using a Lexar Armour 700 USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 drive. The port managed just under 1,000MB/s transfer rate, with a score of 976.27MB/s read and 968.92MB/s write, showing that this is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, while not the fastest, it still delivers decent transfer rates if you need to use an external drive for video or images.
When it came to render speed from Adobe Premiere Pro, the RTX 5070 Ti did the brunt of the processing, reflected in the Cinebench scores with a CPU multi score of 32,863 and single CPU score of 2,175, which are within the range for premium creative and gaming laptops.
As testing continued, I was able to batch edit multiple images shot on the Sony A7 IV within Adobe Bridge and Photoshop, as well as apply quick changes and organise files within Adobe Lightroom. The machine rendered thumbnails and effects quickly. I was impressed with the quality of the screen, which I didn't expect to be quite as good for a laptop that's firstly gaming and secondly at this price.
Checking the quality of the screen with DataColor Spyder X2 Ultra, it was awarded an overall rating of 4.5, which is very good, scoring maximum points on both gamut and contrast, while the white point and colour uniformity both came in at 4.5. While colour accuracy was slightly down, this isn't a creative-focused laptop, but with a colour accuracy of 4, it still displayed sRGB at 100%, Adobe RGB 79%, and P3 at a respectable 81%.
Essentially, for workflow, gaming, and multimedia playback, this monitor is high quality; however, if you are looking to use this machine for critical creative work, you need to be mindful that the colours won't be 100% accurate.
For gaming, this is where it really comes into its own. While it can't compete with a dedicated desktop gaming machine, the performance afforded by the AMD Ryzen 9 HX CPU and GeForce RTX really does make it stand out, with some of the fastest benchmarking results I have seen for a laptop of this type, including a Wild Life overall score of 40,003, Fire Strike at 35,793, and Time Spy at 15,855. These are in line with premium laptops that can cost almost double what you'd pay for the Chuwi GameBook.
When it comes to performance, the display, keyboard and touchpad layout are all well considered, and while the fans do kick in under load, considering the price, that is more than acceptable.
Alongside all the hardware is the Chuwi Easy Care maintenance application, which is an in-depth dashboard for your system. It enables you to monitor the machine, the use of internal memory, and gives you access to easy driver updates, system optimisation, and the health of the system.
There are also three different power modes: Office, Balanced and Turbo, two of which can be activated when on battery power, with the third only accessible when plugged into the AC main power. The first mode is Office, taking the CPU right down to minimum, conserving power, so if you're commuting or working on battery, you can maximise battery life.
Then there's Balance, which balances CPU and fan power but gives a bit more performance, and Turbo, which can only be used when plugged into AC power and boosts overall performance, making it ideal for content creation or gaming. The most significant performance boost is when you push the turbo button, running a side-by-side test with 3D Mark Fire Strike on Office mode, it scored 34,958, switching to Balanced produced a score of 35689, and Turbo mode produced 37,417 at each stage, marking a noticeable change in performance.
What I also like is that you can go into the BIOS and select which power mode to use as default, so if you always game, you can leave it in Turbo mode, though once you're unplugged from AC, it will switch to Balanced. If you mostly work on office documents, select Office mode to maximise battery, and if you do a bit of everything, Balanced would be the one to set as default.
Chuwi has put the work into making this extremely usable, and the BIOS is testament to this. It looks modern and, for once, is easy to navigate with all the options and settings clearly laid out, and if you need to swap boot drives, change default performance modes, or anything else you'd usually do in the BIOS, it's all here and easy to find.
At the end of the test, I am impressed with just how good this laptop is for the price, its performance puts it well within the premium laptop range, yet while it's expensive, it's far cheaper than other laptops with similar specifications, and the fact that it includes some of the latest technology means that it's great for gaming and office work, as well as content creation, although you do need to check the colour accuracy for critical creative work.
Performance: 5 / 5
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Chuwi GameBook 9955HX: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
If you were to write a wish list for a high-performance laptop, the GameBook 9955HX pretty much hits almost every point. It has a large 16-inch screen which is beautifully uniform, with a slightly matte finish making it extremely viewable, and the large keyboard just makes it easy to use for office applications and gaming.
Connectivity options might be a little limited in comparison with premium laptops, for example, downgrading to USB 3.2 Gen 2 rather than USB4, but still, with a 1,000MB/s average transfer rate, it's decent.
The different power modes take it from Balance, Office to Turbo, essentially giving the machine a huge boost in power, making it ideal as you swap from low-to mid-demand applications, across to higher, and the machine just gives you that additional power needed to complete tasks that would otherwise be time-consuming on a slower machine, though there is a sacrifice in battery life.
Across the board, I've been impressed with the build quality, hardware, upgradeability, and performance. Chuwi has also included their own health management software in the form of Chuwi Easy Care to enable you to keep an eye on the overall health of the machine. If you go into the BIOS, there is a comprehensive set of options that look easy to navigate and understand, with a modern design that is a breakaway from what is more ordinarily seen on most other laptops.
As a complete solution, the GameBook is a solid option that's well priced, powerful, and offers enough to satisfy all types of users.
Should I buy a Chuwi GameBook 9955HX?
Value
Exceptional value for money for top-of-the-range CPU/GPU, usually at a much greater price
5
Design
The design is a little mixed, with a high-quality monitor casing, coupled with a plastic main body
4
Features
Has a good range of features that help to balance the cost of components with performance
4.5
Performance
With three easy-to-access power modes, you can adjust how the machine performs to suit your needs
5
Overall
Exceptional value for money with performance you expect from a premium laptop
5
Buy it if...
You want a high-performance machine on a budget.
It's hard to believe you get as much as you do for the price. While it is still an expensive machine compared with rivals, it is considerably less expensive.
You want lots of storage capacity.
There are 2 x M.2 2280 SSD slots in the machine, one of which is a PCIe 5.0, giving flexibility over the internal storage, which is easily upgraded.
Don't buy it if...
You need fast external storage.
While there is USB-C, it is only USB 3.2 Gen 2, offering a maximum of 10GB per second, which might not be fast enough for some working in the creative sector.
You need colour accuracy.
While the monitor is very good when it comes to colour gamut, it is limited and really aimed at games, multimedia and general use rather than critical creative accuracy.
