Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair: One-minute review
The Herman Miller Aeron has had a refresh and is now being marketed as a gaming chair. Now made with ocean-bound plastic, it's essentially exactly the same as its office döppelganger, with slightly different pricing. Still, whether I'm pitting it against those on our best office chairs, or best gaming chairs list, it has to do something really special to get my attention at a whopping $1,805 / £1,371.
The Herman Miller Aeron places itself as a premium, office-style gaming chair with ergonomics placed firmly at the forefront, and really makes an effort to deliver the goods. While it's certainly one of the most comfortable gaming chairs going, and brings a highly adjustable edge to a battle for ergonomic perfection, I can't help but expect a little more for my money.
In the premium gaming chair landscape, there are two kinds to look out for – those with headrests and those without. The Aeron sits firmly in the no-headrest classification, meaning as comfortable, ergonomic and adjustable as it might be, there's no way to kick back and have a nap when it all gets too much. The lack of width adjustability on the armrests is a little disappointing, and it's almost offensive to omit a headrest for the price, especially when you can get ergonomic wonders like the highly adjustable Humanscale Freedom chair for less.
Let's be fair, with a Herman Miller chair you're paying for a known variable. A brand name that's synonymous with comfort, and one you can expense to whatever corporate tower you're currently filing papers in. The Aeron really does exemplify Herman Miller's attention to detail and mechanical prowess, and it does so with time-poor gamers with corporate design sensibilities in mind. I just wish there was somewhere to lay my head and lament all that money I just spent.
(Image credit: Future)
Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair: Price and availability
List price: $1,805 / £1,371
Available at the Herman Miller online store
Available in the UK and US
The Herman Miller Aeron Gaming Chair comes in two sizes. Unlike its office counterpart, it isn't as configurable and isn't made to order, but it is cheaper. The Herman Miller Office Aeron with chair tilt, adjustable lumbar support, and 3D armrests costs $1,995/£1,558, but you can opt for less adjustability to push that price down a little. The Aeron Gaming chair, however, doesn't confuse us with configuration options. It's a single price point of £1,371 / $1,805.
There's a Herman Miller premium added to whatever configuration you choose, though I appreciate the fact that both sizes come in at the same price. It's also a bit cheaper than the Herman Miller x Logitech Emobdy gaming chair too ($1,995 / £1,570).
Unfortunately, the Herman Miller Aeron is not available in Australia, but UK and US residents can get hold of it on the Herman Miller online store. There are also more height options in the US.
Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair: Specs
Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair: Design and aesthetics
Highly adjustable
Kinda retro corporate design
Not as configurable as office counterpart
The first thing I noticed getting the Herman Miller Aeron out of the box – fully built might I add – is its retro design. The frame's intense curvature makes it look like it was designed for one of those '60s minimalist mansions. The mesh back and seat mean it could easily blend into a corporate office, but I've never seen mechanisms quite this… liquidious. It's almost like the armrests are melting like a clock in a Dali painting. Still, it's an attractive chair if you're going for that corporate vibe.
There are no colour options, just jet black and that's your lot. There's no option to have bright colour configs like the Herman Miller x Logitech Vantum, for example, but it's a lot more refined and unassuming.
As far as adjustable forward tilt and adjustability for something called PostureFit. It's essentially a fancy word for lumbar support, which has a nifty little roller handle that sits behind your back to push it in. While the mechanisms provide an immense amount of movement, it's missing a couple of things that other, cheaper chairs still manage to deliver. Namely, the lack of armrest width adjustability and an actual headrest.
(Image credit: Future)
Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair: Comfort and Adjustability
Premium feeling mechanisms
Lacking armrest width adjustability
Design forces ergonomics on you
There are a few things you want a gaming chair to do, other than be comfortable. You want the mechanisms to be intuitive and safe, you want it to fit against your desk, and you want it to be sturdy. The Herman Miller Aeron Gaming Chair does all this without any fuss. Sitting in it for a week straight, I can say I've had a blast using it. None of the mechanisms are clunky, and all are relatively intuitive. Their silicon handles give them a nice premium feel, too, and it means they don't slip through your hand while you're using them.
There's a lovely bounce when you sit down in the Aeron that's very satisfying. It's not like the clunk of sitting on your average office chair – there was thought that went into giving it butt suspension. The whole time I've been sitting in it, not once has it felt wobbly or unstable either. There's zero rattle on the arms, which are extremely well-padded and have a fantastic Y-axis rotation. They slide all the way back, too, so you can get right up against the desk. The arms do slide forward without locking which can be a problem for some chairs, but they're nowhere near as easy to trap your fingers with as the Herman Miller Vantum, for example. There's a slow, purposeful step to all the mechanisms that really exemplifies the impressive build quality.
The main problems I've encountered have been with the plastic surrounding the backrest and the bucket-style seat. Due to the lack of a headrest, I've found myself threading my fingers behind my head to make up for it. The issue is that I appear to be just the right height that my shoulder blades then dig into it. It might just be worth checking the exact back height versus where your shoulder blades rest before purchasing – thankfully the chair is the same price whether you choose small, medium, or large.
Similarly, any time I try to tuck my feed up under myself I'm thwarted by the plastic surround on the bucket seat that loops up and around my posterior. Essentially, its ergonomic prowess comes from forcing you to sit in a specific position to keep you from ruining your posture. Clever, though not the best for anyone who sits awkwardly like me.
(Image credit: Future)
Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair: Assembly
The fact the Aeron comes with no assembly necessary is also a blessing, especially if you can't spare the assembly time. For your average gaming chair that could be anything from 30 minutes to an hour. And who has that to spare during a busy day of ergonomic gaming?
Having no assembly necessary bar opening the box and rolling the chair out is convenient but also inspires confidence too: there's no need for you to even attempt at getting bits misaligned or connected wrong, and the experts have done it for you already.
(Image credit: Future)
Should you buy the Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair?
Buy it if...
You stand for impeccable build quality The Herman Miller Aeron is one of the most sturdy and well-built chairs we've tested. While it's missing arm width adjustment, the suspension, and other mechanisms are fantastic.
You haven't got time to assemble The Aeron comes fully assembled, which means you don't have to spend the best part of an hour on the floor with an Allen key putting it together.
Don't buy it...
You're trying to save money Even in its most basic configuration, the Aeron is going to rip your wallet a new one. For less you can get far more adjustable chairs, though you'll forgo the Aeron's superior quality.
You prefer to sit askew The Aeron is highly ergonomic, and forces you to sit with both legs bolted to the floor. It's for people who are serious about ergonomics.
Herman Miller Aeron gaming chair: Also consider
If you're still not sure whether the Herman Miller Aeron is for you, there are a few other options to consider that are more customisable, and might save you money. As far as premium build quality goes, though, the Aeron is very hard to beat.
Also consider the Herman Miller X Logitech Embody While the Herman Miller Embody has even less adjustability on the armrests, it at least comes with a lovely headrest and just as much configuration around the rest of the chair. It's a little more on the expensive side, however.
Steelcase Series 2 Task Chair A highly configurable office chair alternative, and currently the one sitting at the top of our best office chair list is the Steelcase Series 2 Task Chair. In plain, monochrome colouring, you can get this sturdy beast with a headrest for a lot less.
Sitting in the chair several times a week for a couple of weeks, I got a good feel for the mechanics by switching them up a lot and trying to push them beyond their limits on purpose. I sat in a range of positions to see how well it coped with awkward sitters. Above, I made comparisons to cheaper chairs that almost match the level of adjustability and customisability of the Aeron and considered what you would need to sacrifice to get more out of an office chair for less money.
This model has slightly different names and product codes in different territories:
US: Shark Cordless Pro Vacuum IZ562H (Amazon only) UK: Shark Cordless Pro Vacuum IZ562H (Amazon only) AU: Shark Cordless Pro With Clean Sense IQ IR300
For this review, I tested the US version. There may be minor differences between different countries' models.
The Shark Cordless Pro is one of this brand's most affordable cordless stick vacuums, and delivers excellent value for money. While not the most advanced Shark vacuum based on specs or features, it punches above its mid-range price tag with features such as automatic suction adjustment based on dirt levels. At full price it sits in the mid-range price bracket, but it's often heavily discounted in the US, taking it into the budget category.
Shark has an excellent track record when it comes to producing reliable, long-lasting products, and the Cordless Pro is no exception. If you want something fairly simple but effective and budget-friendly, I think this is one the best Shark vacuums you can buy, and perhaps even one of the best cordless vacuums overall.
Considering the Shark Cordless Pro is a budget-friendly cordless vacuum, it still packs in decent suction, cleaning up most debris on hard floors in just one to two passes while in its lowest Eco mode. The automatic suction adjustment worked as promised, and was genuinely useful because rather than only relying on my eyes, this so-called 'Clean Sense IQ technology' would let me know when a spot was clean and I could move on. It helped me tackle fine dust and hair that may not have been otherwise visible.
The Cordless Pro is an ideal vacuum for hard floors and lighter cleaning needs, and did a decent job on carpet too, although if you have lots of carpet you might want to invest in something a little more heavy-duty. During my tests, I found it could struggle with pulling concentrated debris on this type of flooring in my testing, even when in the highest Boost mode.
I found it relatively easy to maneuver with a good rotation range to get into nooks and crannies, but a flexible wand – included with most Shark vacuums – would've been helpful to reach under furniture. As with most cordless stick vacs, it can be converted into a handheld.
I should also give a special shout-out to the anti-hair wrap brushroll. Many brands make big claims about their tangle-busting features, but this actually delivered. It still looks as good as new after two weeks of testing. There are more useful design features too: when it's time to store the Shark Cordless Pro, it slots into a stable notch right on the wand, and the battery is removable for charging anywhere. Just don't expect to get a crazy long runtime out of this vacuum, as it taps out after a maximum of 40 minutes.
Sure, there are more powerful and feature-packed vacuums on the market if you're willing to shell out a bit more. But for your average, everyday cleaning needs, it's hard to beat the compact, solidly built Shark Cordless Pro. Read on for my full review.
(Image credit: Future)
Shark Cordless Pro review: price & availability
List price: $399.99 (regularly discounted) / £334 / AU$499.99
Available: US, UK and Australia
The Shark Cordless Pro has a list price of $399.99. Originally, it was available to buy direct from Shark, but it now seems to only be available via third party retailers like Amazon. Shoppers in the UK can also purchase it via Amazon, but it's an imported model from the US.
In addition to the main vacuum components, the US version I tested comes with two attachments: a Duster Crevice Tool and a Pet Multi-Tool. Additional accessories like replacement Odor Neutralizer cartridges, attachment tools, and wands are available, ranging in price from about $10 to $40.
The Shark Cordless Pro can also be found in Australia, retailing for AU$499.99. Both territories feature similar configurations, though in Australia, the attachment accessories are slightly different, with a Crevice Tool and Dusting Brush on offer.
If purchasing in the US, it’s common to find the Shark Cordless Pro discounted and often steeply. A discount of $100 off is common, and on Amazon it has occasionally dropped as low as $250. That's one of the very cheapest Shark vacuums you can buy, and especially if you want a cordless model – the Shark Stratos Corded Stick vacuum is cheaper at $299.99, but you'll have to put up with being tethered to the wall.
At ticket price, the Shark Cordless Pro sits in the mid-range price bracket, but it regularly dips into the budget category. Given the solid build quality and excellent performance, I think it's good value even at full price. There are also features that I'm surprised to see at this price point – namely, automatic suction adjustment based on dirt levels. If you're willing to pay more, you'll unlock features like longer battery life and higher levels of suction, but the Cordless Pro is excellent value for what it delivers.
Seasonal sales are always a good time to shop for home appliances, and I suspect this model will feature amongst the best Black Friday deals this year. Given that this model is no longer available to buy direct from Shark in the US, I'm not convinced it's going to be sticking around much longer, so if you do spot a deal, snap it up.
Value for money score: 4.5 out of 5
Shark Cordless Pro specs
Shark Cordless Pro review: design
Button-operated, with LEDs to indicate mode and battery level
No flexible wand, as found on most Shark vacuums
Notch to enable it to stand on its own when not in use
The Shark Cordless Pro doesn't revolutionize the design of cordless stick vacuums, keeping a look and size similar to most others with its floorhead, wand, and motor/dustbin – all of which come apart for use as a handheld vacuum. Weighing 8.25 pounds and measuring 11.42 x 10.43 x 51.18 inches, it's easy to handle. During testing, the only time it felt cumbersome was when attempting to clean a ceiling fan. A sleek light blue, white, and black finish helps differentiate the Shark Cordless Pro from the rest of the range, and the solid metal and plastic build held up perfectly over my few weeks of testing.
Setting up the Shark Cordless Pro was a breeze, taking me around 5 minutes; all that's required is to snap the stick vacuum components into each other. The most difficult aspect of the installation was popping in the Odor Neutralizer cartridge; it slots right into the floorhead and is meant to keep your vacuum smelling fresh.
Shark also recommends charging the battery to full before your first use. That battery is removable if you prefer to charge it detached from the vacuum. LED lights will pulse as it charges, indicating the current level of the battery, and shutting off when finished.
(Image credit: Future)
There's no wall mount option, but Shark has added a notch on the front of the wand where the main part of the vacuum can be clipped when not in use. It remains relatively secure in that spot and can even be wheeled around.
The floorhead, referred to as the PowerFins Plus floorhead (this guide to the Shark vacuum technologies is a helpful companion when navigating this brand's various jargon), is ready to work on both hard or carpeted floors and is full of useful features.
On the underside is one plush, microfiber roller that features flexible silicone fins to help pick up various debris sizes including fine dust, while preventing hair wrapping. Should anything get stuck in the roller, it's removable, although it does take a bit of effort to unlock it from the floorhead. Unfortunately, there's no option for the brush to lift or stop spinning on certain flooring.
Around the front of the floorhead, two LED lights help highlight dust and dirt in your path that might otherwise be missed. These are helpful, although nowhere near as bright or effective as the lasers you'll find on the (far pricier) Dyson Gen5detect or Dyson V15. On top of the floorhead is the Clean Sense IQ Clean Indicator LED – part of a highlight feature on the vacuum.
(Image credit: Future)
Clean Sense IQ uses sensors inside the nozzle of the handheld vacuum to automatically boost power in areas with higher levels of dirt and debris. While testing, I could hear and feel the increase in suction, but an indicator light strip on the floorhead will also illuminate to show when the vacuum detects a particularly dusty bit of floor. The highest amount of dirt causes the strip to be fully lit. When the space is clean, the light will recede.
This is a surprising inclusion at the relatively low price point, but pricier Shark vacuums take things a step further on the automation front. The Detect Pro and PowerDetect lines can both adjust suction based on when they move from hard floor to carpet, and around the edges of rooms, for example.
(Image credit: Future)
Cleanse Sense IQ is switched on via the Mode button on the handheld part of the vacuum. The only other button on the vacuum is the power on/off button, so it's all straightforward and easy to navigate.
Beyond Clean Sense IQ, there are two other power modes: Eco to save on battery life and Boost for an extra burst to pick up the messiest of messes. An LED screen on the handheld vacuum will indicate the power mode it's in as well as the battery level.
(Image credit: Future)
The handheld vacuum component also houses the bagless dustbin, which holds 0.72L of dirt. An anti-allergen seal is in place to keep fine dust and dander from releasing back into your space. When the dustbin is ready to be emptied, there's a no-touch release to drop everything in the garbage without getting your hands dirty. However, you may need to reach your hands in the dustbin to remove stuck hair or dust occasionally. More advanced Shark vacuums, such as the Shark Detect Pro, have an optional auto-empty dock, but that's not available here.
The wand that holds the floorhead and handheld vacuum together is solid. The two vacuum components feel secure when slotted into the wand and easily release from the catch when needed. A rigid wand is actually fairly unusual for this brand – many Shark models have so-called 'MultiFlex technology', where you can press a button and the wand will bend forward, enabling you to reach easily under low furniture. I'd have loved it if that had been included here. At least the floorhead offers a wide swivel range for easier access to tight spots.
(Image credit: Future)
Beyond being a stick vacuum, the Shark Cordless Pro is an effective handheld vacuum. The US version has a Duster Crevice Tool and a Pet Multi-Tool, making cleanup even easier. Those tools slot into the handheld vacuum or the wand, providing extra versatility. However, there's nowhere to store them when not in use.
Design score: 4 out of 5
Shark Cordless Pro review: performance
Decent suction, great on hard floors
Clean Sense IQ's automatic power adjustments work commendably
Loud, and struggles to clean larger debris on carpets
The Shark Cordless Pro is an absolute breeze to use and performed admirably in most of my testing. Whether I had it in stick mode on my laminate hard floors with various low-pile rugs or cleaning my window sills and couch cushions as a handheld vacuum, it managed to pick up most of the debris in its path within one to two passes. Sure, it might not have the suction of a corded vacuum but it works great for lighter cleaning needs and is much easier to deal with. (Both the Shark Stratos Cordless and Shark PowerDetect Cordless Stick vacuum pack more power, too, but you will need to stump up more money for those.)
In stick mode, performing regular cleaning tasks, I often left the vacuum in the Clean Sense IQ setting, which allows the vacuum to recognize bigger messes and automatically increase suction. When there were obvious, larger amounts of debris in the floorhead's 10-inch path, the vacuum would increase the suction power.
It was handy that in addition to visibly hearing that change, I could see it represented on the light bar at the top of the floorhead. I knew I was clear to move on from a spot when the light subsided. Sometimes, the vacuum would notice the dirt that wasn't visible to my eye, which was a huge boon, ensuring the cleanest home possible.
(Image credit: Future)
There are two other modes on the vacuum: Eco and Boost. Swapping to those modes involves pressing the mode button near the LED screen on the vacuum, and cycling until the desired mode is reached. Admittedly, I often pressed the power button, mistaking it for the other and vice versa. After becoming more familiar with the vacuum, this became less of a problem.
As for the other two modes, during daily tasks, I found Boost mode was unnecessary most of the time. It worked fine but is only needed for those large concentrated messes. Eco mode also easily cleans up dog hair and dust within one or two passes. Overall, I preferred the convenience of Clean Sense IQ mode automatically increasing the suction where needed, and I was happy to sacrifice battery life for the cause.
One feature I didn't think I'd love as much as I did was the two LED lights at the front of the vacuum. They did an excellent job highlighting fine hair and light dust that I couldn't initially see. It's amazing how much debris gets all over your space daily.
I'd also be remiss not to mention the self-cleaning brushroll. To my shock, no hair has gotten stuck around it yet. It looks almost completely new, with little to no wear after two weeks. If it needs to be removed for cleaning, a coin allows you to unlock and remove the brush. Just note that it does do a good job of sucking up power cords and rug edges, so be aware as you maneuver it around your space.
(Image credit: Future)
Speaking of maneuvering, generally, the Shark Cordless Pro navigates with ease, even making sharp 90-degree turns to fit into corners (it's not quite as maneuverable as a Dyson). It feels almost effortless to use on hard flooring, only getting tripped up on certain rug edges and becoming a little more challenging to push on rugs and carpets. The floorhead is also relatively shallow, allowing it to squeeze under most furniture. Unfortunately, the wand isn't flexible like other Shark models, so it didn't reach completely under my couch or bed.
The bagless 0.72 qt dustbin holds a good amount of dirt. I only had to empty it every once in a while, depending on how often I was vacuuming. It's easy to take the vacuum off the wand and hold it over the garbage, pressing the release to open the bin door. Some hair can get wrapped around certain components, making it necessary to reach in and pull stuck-on gunk on occasion.
As with all vacuums, the filters require semi-regular cleaning (and must also be replaced periodically). Shark provides clear instructions for this: they just need to be rinsed with water. The Clean Sense IQ sensor inside the vacuum will also need to be wiped down occasionally, and an FO error code will flash on the display panel when the sensor is fully blocked.
For some reason, Shark continues to include the pointless (in my opinion) Odor Neutralizer, which releases a clean scent as you vacuum. The smell lasts all of two minutes, so I'd never waste my money replacing it. (Ed's note: other testers have been extremely enthusiastic about this feature, so your mileage may vary!)
Beyond daily vacuuming tasks, I put the Shark Cordless Pro through more vigorous testing to see how it handled fine dust using flour and larger debris with oats on both hard floors and carpet. Even on the lowest setting, Eco, the vacuum easily picked up the flour with just one pass. There was super light sprinkling left, that I had to touch to feel. A second pass picked up everything that was left. Using Clean Sense IQ and Boost mode, the flour was fully cleaned up after one pass. I had similar results on the rug.
(Image credit: Future)
As for the oats test, I was pleasantly surprised that most oats were cleaned in just one pass in Eco mode on the hard floor. However, on carpeting, it was a completely different story. It took multiple passes (around five or six) on Clean Sense IQ and Boost to pick up all of the oats. The vacuum even managed to throw some oats around. That's slightly disappointing, but not all that unusual – typically, I find corded vacuums are the way to go in heavily carpeted homes.
(Image credit: Future)
During testing, I also used a decibel meter to measure noise levels. In Eco mode, the Shark Cordless Pro averaged about 75 dB. It's definitely not quiet and on par with average vacuum cleaner noise levels (i.e. loud enough to disturb others in your space when it's in use). In Boost mode it got even louder, hitting around 80dB. The noise is tolerable but not pleasant. Luckily, I was usually not in this mode for long. The Clean Sense IQ setting tended to shuffle between 75dB and 80dB; usually staying towards the quieter side of the range.
(Image credit: Future)
Of course, this stick vacuum also converts to a handheld, and the attachments it comes with depend on the territory. I'm in the US, so I received the Duster Crevice Tool and Pet Multi-Tool. Both feature brush tops that can be removed. The Duster Crevice Tool gets into tighter spaces like between books on my bookshelf and the window sills, though it didn't always pick up all the dust or dirt.
During testing, I just so happened to start fostering a puppy with fine fur, and the Pet Multi-Tool was a godsend. It got the hair off my couch, duvet, and more with relative ease, though I found the tool tended to perform better without the brush attached. The only problem with the handheld vacuum is it gets a bit heavy at times, especially with the wand attached and reaching for higher spots like ceiling fan blades.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Shark Cordless Pro review: battery life
Runs up to 40 minutes in Eco mode
Takes about three hours to recharge
Battery is removable
The Shark Cordless Pro's battery is located right on the back handle of the device. It can juice up while still attached to the vacuum or snap off to charge – a handy feature if you store the vacuum in an area away from an outlet, and also useful if you want to buy a second battery to hot-swap in.
(Image credit: Future)
On one charge, I found the battery lasted around 35 minutes in Eco mode using the floorhead with the rotating brush. A little more juice can be eked out of the vacuum as a handheld, putting it right at Shark's claim of 40 minutes. Clean Sense IQ and Boost mode will drain the battery quicker. On test, I got about 25 minutes of vacuuming time with Clean Sense IQ, but that time varies depending on how much dirt is detected in a space. Boost mode lasted just under 15 minutes, which isn't surprising given the strong suction power.
That battery performance is average for cordless vacuums. Most will find that's sufficient time to clean up your space. I had no problem hitting almost every inch of the floor in my sizable two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment when in Eco and Clean Sense IQ modes, and there was even enough juice for a quick handheld vacuum of the window sills and furniture. However, if you have a larger home, there are models that offer up to an hour of cleaning on one charge – or occasionally a little more. Those vacuums will cost you more, though.
Shark makes it simple to tell when the battery is running low, as the vacuum's LED screen has three bars to indicate the level of charge, and when the final bar begins blinking, your time is running out – I usually had four more minutes of vacuuming time once that started.
A slightly longer battery life would be nice, as it'd be great not to worry about charging the battery after almost every use. Recharging takes a while, at about three hours. You'll know it's done when the charging light on the actual battery goes out.
Battery life score: 4 out of 5
Should I buy the Shark Cordless Pro?
Buy it if...
You're on a budget
This is one of the cheapest Shark cordless vacuums, and often discounted too. Given the features and build quality, it's excellent value for money.
You want to be sure your floors are clean
This vacuum is able to automatically adjust based on how dirty the floor is, with indicator lights showing when there's no dust left. Dust-illuminating LED headlights also help ensure you don't miss any spots.
You want something simple but effective
This is a straightforward design, and on test I found the process of emptying, and charging the Shark Cordless Pro is as easy as can be. It's even set up for storage without wall mounting.
Don't buy it if...
You need a vacuum that reaches under low furniture
Although the floorhead on this vacuum is relatively shallow, the wand doesn't flex like other stick vacuums, making it hard to reach under deeper sofas, chairs, and beds.
Your home is heavily carpeted
The Shark Cordless Pro performs best on harder surfaces. It does a solid job of picking up finer dirt and dust on carpets and rugs but takes several passes to clean up larger debris.
You have a very large home
At the maximum, this vacuum offers around 40 minutes of cleaning time in Eco mode. That time drops significantly when using Boost mode. It's far from the worst battery life in a stick vacuum, but pricier models will deliver longer cleaning times.View Deal
How I tested the Shark Cordless Pro
I used the Shark Cordless Pro for over two weeks in my two-bedroom, two-bathroom home with hard floors and low-pile rugs. Beyond average, daily cleaning tasks like vacuuming messes in the kitchen in stick mode or using the handheld attachments to get my foster dog's hair off furniture, I did further testing. These tests involved scattering oats and flour on hard and carpeted flooring in a concentrated area, observing how well it picked up debris of varying sizes in each of the vacuum's three modes. I ran the battery fully down in each of the three vacuum modes as well to see how long it could be expected to last.
Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector: Two-minute review
The Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector are spectacularly unspectacular. For a pair of cheap wired earbuds, they do everything you’d expect – nothing more, nothing less: audio that’s average at best, a basic yet decently practical design and a lightweight feel.
So, of course, it’s worth starting with a disclaimer. These earbuds have a very low list price of just $24.99 / £14.99 / AU$29.95. As a result, it’s unreasonable to expect great audio from these buds – even if Belkin itself insists that they offer “superior sound quality” (spoiler alert, they don’t). And perhaps unsurprisingly, the overall listening experience you get from the Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector – which will here-on be known as the Belkin SoundForm USB-C – isn’t a good one.
The key issue here is that audio is often pretty tinny. When I compared them to the Skullcandy Set USB-C – which sit on our list of the best wired earbuds – I found the Belkin buds to offer less clarity and instruments often sounded inauthentic. For instance, when I tuned into Holy, Holy by Geordie Greep with the Belkin buds, bass was quite muddy, the choppy guitar lacked sharpness and the usually theatrical, showstopping vocals couldn’t find their defined, satisfying position in the overall mix. Percussion in the treble frequency range would often sound quite grating at higher volumes too, making for a pretty unimpressive listening experience.
I should say, though, that if you’re not too picky on sound quality and just want cheap buds, these can certainly do the job. There were no horrible technical hiccups like audio cutting out, low volume levels or compatibility issues with devices. Sure, a lack of instrumental separation and narrow soundstage can leave music sounding pretty restricted, but bass has a decent (albeit not booming) kick and treble – although sometimes grating – can be bright when listening to more upbeat tracks.
However, some sonic shortcomings could admittedly be quite frustrating, even if you’re a more casual listener. When listening to Rains again by Solji, the vocalist’s high notes came through in a rather brash manner, which was a little uncomfortable on the ear. On a slightly different note, I found cable noise to be pretty prominent with the SoundForm USB-C. This is accentuated when you’re on the go or moving around a fair bit, making these far from ideal if you need some buds for workouts or walks. In fairness, however, cable noise is pretty typical with wired earbuds and you often have to splash a bit more cash to avoid this – pricier models like the Shure AONIC 3 are pretty competent in tempering the issue.
Other than cable noise, I had very few problems with the Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector’s design. The attached controller, although a little on the chunky side, is responsive, works well and has volume controls, as well as a play/pause button that can also be used to take calls or skip songs. The actual USB-C connector is decent too, didn’t protrude out of the port when using a Samsung Galaxy S24 FE and isn’t too large when holding the device in-hand. To cap that off, these have a pleasingly comfortable in-ear feel. Unlike a lot of cheap buds, I never felt that these were falling out of my ears, even when listening for multiple hours consecutively. Belkin also includes a selection of different sized ear tips, so no matter your ear size you can form a pretty tight seal for use.
On the topic of fit, it’s important to get a strong seal when using the SoundForm USB-C. As wired buds; they’re not going to offer active noise cancellation and instead rely on passive noise isolation for banishing external noise. I used the medium-sized ear tips and found passive noise isolation to be quite good. I could still hear some external noises such as typing with volume at around 60-70%, but this was pretty dulled. For the price you pay, I definitely felt that the quality of noise isolation was above average.
If you’re concerned about the SoundForm USB-C accruing damage when walking in the rain, you can rest assured. These have an IPX5 waterproof rating, meaning they can survive direct contact with water jets – so even if it’s raining cats and dogs you should be good here. Alas, this is where my praise meets its bitter end.
That’s because it’s time to talk about the actual look of these buds. In my view, these aren’t at all easy on the eye. Sure, the rounded shape of the buds is decent and pretty practical, plus the Pink and Blue color options (available in the US and Australia) are quite appealing, but that’s about it. The buds themselves look very plasticky and the glossy exterior only really accentuates that. In addition, the wire is flat, rather than rounded, making for a not-so-elegant appearance. Beyond that, I found the wire to kink pretty easily, so don’t expect peak durability. The “tangle-free” claim is also an exaggeration – I found, like most wired buds, the SoundForm USB-C could get in a twist after pocketing them or placing them into tight spaces.
Finally, a word on the inbuilt mic, which Belkin says can offer “clear” call quality. But it can’t. I tried making a voice recording and I won’t dress it up – the results were poor. My voice sounded pretty tinny and there was an audible hiss present throughout the recording. When making a phone call, my voice was clear enough to hear on the other end of the line, but it wasn’t particularly clean and there was static too. So, if you want an upgrade on your phone’s inbuilt mic, don’t expect to be satisfied by what the SoundForm USB-C have to offer.
So, despite the low price-point of the Belkin SoundForm USB-C are they really worth considering? In my view, no. There are definitely some positives here – noise isolation is pretty good, you get a comfortable fit and the IPX5 waterproof rating is a nice touch. But as always, what matters most is sound and these buds don’t fare well in this department. Overall audio is pretty tinny, narrow and treble can get quite grating too. On top of that, mic quality is disappointing and the buds’ design lacks finesse. Sure, these have an ultra-low price and are totally functional, but you’ll certainly find better quality from competitors in our guide to the best cheap headphones.
(Image credit: Future)
Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector review: Price and release date
$24.99 / £14.99 / AU$29.95
Launched in 2019
The Belkin SoundForm USB-C earbuds released in 2019, so they’re not the freshest on the market, but will work perfectly well with any modern handset or device with USB-C. On Amazon UK they’re only available in Black and White, although Amazon US and Australia have them in more enticing Pink and Blue options.
These wired buds have a list price of $24.99 / £14.99 / AU$29.95, meaning they’re a super-cheap option. This is a pretty competitive space – there are some good options from the likes of Skullcandy and Final, so make sure to assess alternatives before snapping these up.
Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector review: Specs
(Image credit: Future)
Should you buy the Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector?
Buy them if...
You’re searching for decent passive noise isolation at a cheap price For all of their shortcomings, the Belkin SoundForm USB-C do offer pretty solid passive noise isolation. They’re super cheap too, so if you’re not picky about audio quality, these could be an option for you.
You hate charging your wireless earbuds If you’re someone that often forgets to charge wireless buds, then it could be time to re-familiarize yourself with the way of the wire. Of course, you won’t have to charge these, although there are better wired options about.
Don't buy them if...
You’re an audiophile At this point it’s a given, but if you have a keen ear, don’t buy the Belkin SoundForm USB-C. Audio is regularly tinny, there’s a narrow soundstage and treble can come through in a harsh manner.
You want a fancy feature-set If you want exciting features like active noise cancellation or EQ settings, you need to look beyond these wired buds. In fact, the vast majority of wired buds have little in the way of a feature-set, so you may be better off going for a cheap pair of wireless buds, such as the great JLab Go Pop ANC.
Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector review: Also consider
Skullcandy Set USB-C If you’re looking for some better USB-C earbuds than these ones from Belkin, the Skullcandy Set USB-C are a very decent challenger. In honesty, they don’t offer amazing audio, but it is better than the SoundForm USB-C. The sound profile isn’t massively detailed and full-sounding, but grating sound and tinniness is less common with these – even at higher volumes. The main attraction here is the sleek, curved design of the buds, not to mention the diverse set of funk color options to choose from. Read our full Skullcandy Set USB-C review.
SoundMAGIC E80D OK, reader, I’m fully aware that the SoundMAGIC E80D are a fair step up price-wise over Belkin’s buds, but these are still an incredible value pick. For less than $50/£40/AU$70 you get wired earbuds that boast detailed, balanced audio – in part thanks to an inbuilt DAC. You also get impressive noise isolation and a comfortable fit, making these a very strong option overall. Read our full SoundMAGIC E80D review.
Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector review: How I tested
(Image credit: Future)
Tested over the course of multiple weeks
Used in the office, while on walks and at home
Predominantly tested using Tidal on the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
I put the Belkin SoundForm Wired Earbuds with USB-C Connector to the test over the course of multiple weeks. I predominantly used them while listening to music on Tidal with the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, but I also played tunes on Spotify and watched video content via YouTube. I used the buds in an office environment and while out on walks near busy roads to trial their noise isolation capabilities, but also at home for more zoned-in listening sessions.
When listening to tunes I played tracks from the TechRadar testing playlist, which contains tracks from a variety of genres, although I also spent hours blasting bangers from my personal library. When appropriate, I pitted these buds against the similarly priced Skullcandy Set USB-C, to compare audio quality, comfort and design choices, among other things.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is the best of both worlds, sitting between a phone and a laptop. It has perks if you prefer writing text, with its included S Pen stylus, and it aces tasks that take advantage of everything the stylus has to offer. But to the casual consumer, these specialized features would likely be a waste, and I'd instead push you in the direction of the Tab A series.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus has exceptionally rich sound to match its beautiful AMOLED display, and it's comfortable enough to hold for a while in its landscape form factor. It's no surprise that streaming content and listening to music with the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is so satisfying.
Close rivals, particularly from Apple, also do this exceptionally well, and the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus's $999.99 / £999 / AU$1,799 price point puts it in heated competition with Apple’s iPad Pro ($999 / £999 / AU$1,699). Still, with the included S Pen stylus, and some retailers offering the Galaxy Tab keyboard as a bundle bonus , the Tab S10 Plus looks like a better deal all-around.
Samsung still sells the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and its price is now more accessible, even though that tablet is a generation old. But if you want the best, you'll want the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, and if you want a bigger screen, then consider the Tab S10 Ultra, which is the same tablet just bigger.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: price and availability
$999.99 / £999 RRP / AU$1,799 for the 256GB / 12GB RAM model
256GB, 12GB RAM and 512GB, 12GB RAM storage options available
Wi-Fi and 5G options available in Moonstone Gray and Platinum Silver colorways (not all colorways available in all markets)
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
You get what you pay for with the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. The large, 12.4-inch screen surpasses most of its competitors (the similarly-priced iPad Pro is 11-inches), and if that is somehow not big enough, there's also the larger S10 Ultra (14.6-inches) to consider. The processing power – underpinned by a Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ SoC – is more than enough for an all-purpose device, but is especially capable when used to be creative.
If you’re more concerned about price, I would encourage you to consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, as it has received a price drop now that it's not the cream of the crop. If you're a more casual user that doesn't need an art slate, you should consider something far less powerful, such as the Google Pixel Tablet (it’s still my pick of the bunch for my style of tablet use), or the 10th-generation iPad.
The Tab S10 Plus includes an S Pen as well as Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite of features, though these may eventually cost a premium at the end of 2025. Some retailers are including the Book Cover Keyboard attachment as a bundle, which makes the Tab S10 Plus an even more attractive prospect and maybe a laptop replacement. Samsung has offered this bundle with its tablets before and it’s a wonder they don’t just make it a part of every purchase.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is still admittedly expensive. It costs as must as a 13-inch MacBook Air or a Microsoft Surface Pro 11. It's a brilliant device, but casual users should steer clear – it's more powerful (and more expensive) than you need. Professionals, this is for you.
Value: 5/5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: specs
Though Samsung elected to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor in the Galaxy Tab S9 family, the tech giant has surprisingly chosen the Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ for the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. It’s a confusing move that further separates its high-end smartphones from its high-end tablets. This year's tablet still launches at the same price as last year's.
I never noticed performance lacking. Putting quick images together in Canva, editing photos in Google Photos, and trimming and cutting up clips in CapCut never resulted in any hangups. Comparing performance through benchmarks, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor doesn't have a huge advantage. The Mediatek 9300+ chip performed better than, if not equal to, the Snapdragon on every test.
It’s worth noting that the Tab S10 Plus also comes with a MicroSD card slot in case you want to bump up the storage capacity or if you want to quickly transfer photos over from a camera. Additionally, during my testing over two weeks, I only charged the Tab S10 Plus a handful of times and it never felt like I needed to charge it every night. With such a big battery inside, charging speeds weren’t as quick as a smartphone, and 30 minutes was only enough to bump it up from 20% to 54%.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: display
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Huge, bright display with tons of detail
Great space for multitasking
Four strong speakers placed around the device
I can’t fault the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus on its display – it’s brilliant and easily ranks among the best tablets as far as visuals go (though the Tab S10 Ultra takes the Tab S10 Plus’s 12.4-inch screen and bumps it up to 14.6-inches).
The content I watched on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus included various Twitch streams, YouTube videos, Mad Max: Fury Road and Arcane on Netflix, and Avengers Endgame and Light and Magic on Disney+. At no point did anything look bad, blurry or washed out, with the display more than capable of showing enough color and creating enough light to fill an interesting scene.
Outside of simply describing the display, Samsung’s approach to multitasking is second to none. The freedom you’re given to adjust apps running concurrently, side-by-side on the screen, with easily adjustable boundaries, feels like the real laptop-rivaling feature of the Galaxy Tab S series.
To match the strong display, the four speakers located around the device offer powerful, room-filling sound. Every piece of content I viewed felt like it had the audio to match. While cleaning my house, playing Spotify from the tablet sounded equivalent to using a smart speaker with a screen.
Display: 5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: design
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Slightly slimmer than the Tab S9 Plus
S Pen attachment is a bit odd on the back
Feels awkward in portrait orientation
It’s the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus’s bread and butter to be big, with a beautiful display to match and powerful performance for any task. But parts of the design feel… Too big. Big is good for a tablet positioned as a powerful laptop rival and artistic tool, but some elements feel like they’re rubbing up against others.
It’s difficult to use the tablet in portrait mode, which I prefer when reading news articles online and taking notes. The back of the tablet looks nice but it isn't easy to hold in portrait orientation. The charging area for the S Pen, located on the back, feels rough against my fingers whether or not the pen is magnetically attached. Trying to get a better grip from the other end caused my hand to come into contact with the cameras, resulting in a similar hand feeling issue.
The pen charging on the back of the device is another issue. When the pen is attached, the tablet won’t sit flat on its back. Though the pen can magnetically attach to the edge of the display, it will not charge there – but at least it's out of the way.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is meant to be used in landscape orientation, with the selfie camera located in the top middle, which is ideal for video calling. This mode feels perfectly comfortable.
Design: 3/5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: software
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Brilliant tablet performance
Operating system is nicely designed
Not as casual as an iPad or Pixel Tablet
Samsung’s approach to tablets is probably my favorite. Having a persistent app tray at the bottom of the screen just rocks, especially for quickly switching between windows. I could get a lot of work done on the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but it still has quirks here and there that make it a bit less user-friendly than its rivals.
My love for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus’ software mostly stems from multitasking. Being able to have two apps open concurrently, for example, having Spotify open on one side and Canva on the other, is brilliant. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus let me drag windows freely around the screen to be placed wherever I want. I could also connect the tablet to a monitor to enable Samsung DeX, which makes the interface look a bit more like a desktop.
Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite is unimpressive. Circle to Search, which lets me circle something on the screen to instantly search for it with Google is something I use quite a lot, but I can’t think of a single other AI feature that I enjoyed using.
A lot of the features, such as Note Assist and Sketch to Image, are interesting for a moment but are ultimately inconsequential. The AI image generator feels particularly tacked on.
Handwriting Help, exclusive to the Notes app, is a handy feature for character recognition with the S Pen, cleaning up and aligning your pen handwriting and making it easier to read. A simple click in the app and your handwritten notes will convert to text. You can also convert writing to text on the fly, as you write.
As you'd expect, the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus aces its stylus support. It has good palm rejection, so I was more comfortable drawing. Navigating between tools feels simple in Samsung's native drawing and writing apps.
Software: 4/5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: performance
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Galaxy S Pen feels great in-hand
Doesn’t feel slow despite axing the Snapdragon chip
Not once did I have a problem with the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. Capable of smoothly running every application I opened, including Canva, Spotify, Twitter (X), Messenger, Instagram, Samsung Notes, PENUP, Google Photos, Netflix, Disney+ and Crossy Road, the Tab S10 Plus handled everything a power user would want.
That’s a relief, considering Samsung skipped the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, after including the previous Snapdragon in the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus. Instead, this tablet is underpinned by a Mediatek Dimensity 9300+, which doesn’t skip a beat.
Creating and editing images on Canva was an exceptionally fluid experience and the application was responsive and fast the entire time – even with Spotify running in the background. The same can be said for editing pics via Google Photos or writing with Samsung Notes: no hold-ups whatsoever.
Performance: 5/5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: battery
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Gigantic all-day battery
Faster charging would be nice
The mighty 10,090 mAh Li-Po battery in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is so immense that, during my review, I rarely had to charge it.
You’d obviously expect this from a device with such a large battery, but it comes with the obvious drawback of slower charging. From 0%, the tablet took one hour and 50 minutes to return to 100% charge.
In testing the battery against a fairly long movie, Avengers Endgame, the tablet drained to 59% after three hours of watching. Despite a shift to MediaTek, it doesn’t seem the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is more power hungry than previous generations.
Battery: 5/5
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus?
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Buy it if…
You’re a professional in search of a tablet
With brilliant character recognition and optimisation for digital artists, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is an attractive device for a professional.View Deal
You want a big, beautiful screen that’s not too big
The 12.4-inch size feels just right, smaller than the Tab S10 Ultra’s gigantic 14.6-inch display.View Deal
You’re team Samsung
iPadOS is brilliant, but this is one of your best options if you want a tablet outside of the Apple camp.View Deal
Don’t buy it if…
You want the easiest to use OS
Samsung’s OneUI is brilliant, but it’s not as intuitive as iPadOS and Google’s version of Android.View Deal
You’re just going to watch videos
It’s a waste to use the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus for just streaming content, and if this is what you’d be doing, you could get a serviceable tablet for much cheaper.View Deal
You want to save some money
The high price point of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus makes it a tough sell to a casual user or even a professional, especially when differences to the Tab S9 Plus aren’t very dramatic.View Deal
Also consider
Not convinced by the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus? Here are a few other options to consider:
Apple iPad Pro 2024
While the entry-level iPad Pro isn’t as large as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, it is fairly competitive in terms of performance while priced extremely similarly. You’ll just have to buy an Apple Pencil separately.
There are very few differences between the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus and the S10 Plus, so if you want to save some cash, there’s no shame in going for the older model.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
If the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus isn’t big enough for you, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra offers a gigantic 14.6-inch display, which may be a bit cumbersome for some, but would also function as an effective laptop or art tablet replacement for professionals.
How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus
From the moment I received the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, I replaced my second monitor, a small 11-inch touchscreen monitor, with it as my companion screen, using it for Spotify, scrolling social media, and streaming content while I worked at my desk.
My time with the Tab S10 Plus didn’t include all-hours use, but I did find time to edit images with it via Google Photos and Canva. I edited a video with it in CapCut and streamed a lot of movies and TV shows with the device. As far as games went, I mostly played Crossy Road.
I brought the Tab S10 Plus with me on a trip to see my family where it functioned as a good distraction for my niece. On this trip, I touched base with friends on Messenger and Instagram and doomscrolled on social media often.
For battery testing, I avoided charging the tablet as much as I could, and ran my standard Avengers Endgame beginning-to-end test closer to the end of my review period. I’d check in on the tablet’s battery now and then on days where I wasn’t using it much, and kept an eye on it on days where I was. I also depleted the battery in its entirety and timed how long it took to charge to 100%.
Most of my performance relied on real-world use relative to how I use tablets in my day-to-day life.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is the best of both worlds, sitting between a phone and a laptop. It has perks if you prefer writing text, with its included S Pen stylus, and it aces tasks that take advantage of everything the stylus has to offer. But to the casual consumer, these specialized features would likely be a waste, and I'd instead push you in the direction of the Tab A series.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus has exceptionally rich sound to match its beautiful AMOLED display, and it's comfortable enough to hold for a while in its landscape form factor. It's no surprise that streaming content and listening to music with the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is so satisfying.
Close rivals, particularly from Apple, also do this exceptionally well, and the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus's $999.99 / £999 / AU$1,799 price point puts it in heated competition with Apple’s iPad Pro ($999 / £999 / AU$1,699). Still, with the included S Pen stylus, and some retailers offering the Galaxy Tab keyboard as a bundle bonus , the Tab S10 Plus looks like a better deal all-around.
Samsung still sells the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and its price is now more accessible, even though that tablet is a generation old. But if you want the best, you'll want the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, and if you want a bigger screen, then consider the Tab S10 Ultra, which is the same tablet just bigger.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: price and availability
$999.99 / £999 RRP / AU$1,799 for the 256GB / 12GB RAM model
256GB, 12GB RAM and 512GB, 12GB RAM storage options available
Wi-Fi and 5G options available in Moonstone Gray and Platinum Silver colorways (not all colorways available in all markets)
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
You get what you pay for with the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. The large, 12.4-inch screen surpasses most of its competitors (the similarly-priced iPad Pro is 11-inches), and if that is somehow not big enough, there's also the larger S10 Ultra (14.6-inches) to consider. The processing power – underpinned by a Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ SoC – is more than enough for an all-purpose device, but is especially capable when used to be creative.
If you’re more concerned about price, I would encourage you to consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, as it has received a price drop now that it's not the cream of the crop. If you're a more casual user that doesn't need an art slate, you should consider something far less powerful, such as the Google Pixel Tablet (it’s still my pick of the bunch for my style of tablet use), or the 10th-generation iPad.
The Tab S10 Plus includes an S Pen as well as Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite of features, though these may eventually cost a premium at the end of 2025. Some retailers are including the Book Cover Keyboard attachment as a bundle, which makes the Tab S10 Plus an even more attractive prospect and maybe a laptop replacement. Samsung has offered this bundle with its tablets before and it’s a wonder they don’t just make it a part of every purchase.
The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is still admittedly expensive. It costs as must as a 13-inch MacBook Air or a Microsoft Surface Pro 11. It's a brilliant device, but casual users should steer clear – it's more powerful (and more expensive) than you need. Professionals, this is for you.
Value: 5/5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: specs
Though Samsung elected to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor in the Galaxy Tab S9 family, the tech giant has surprisingly chosen the Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ for the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. It’s a confusing move that further separates its high-end smartphones from its high-end tablets. This year's tablet still launches at the same price as last year's.
I never noticed performance lacking. Putting quick images together in Canva, editing photos in Google Photos, and trimming and cutting up clips in CapCut never resulted in any hangups. Comparing performance through benchmarks, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor doesn't have a huge advantage. The Mediatek 9300+ chip performed better than, if not equal to, the Snapdragon on every test.
It’s worth noting that the Tab S10 Plus also comes with a MicroSD card slot in case you want to bump up the storage capacity or if you want to quickly transfer photos over from a camera. Additionally, during my testing over two weeks, I only charged the Tab S10 Plus a handful of times and it never felt like I needed to charge it every night. With such a big battery inside, charging speeds weren’t as quick as a smartphone, and 30 minutes was only enough to bump it up from 20% to 54%.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: display
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Huge, bright display with tons of detail
Great space for multitasking
Four strong speakers placed around the device
I can’t fault the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus on its display – it’s brilliant and easily ranks among the best tablets as far as visuals go (though the Tab S10 Ultra takes the Tab S10 Plus’s 12.4-inch screen and bumps it up to 14.6-inches).
The content I watched on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus included various Twitch streams, YouTube videos, Mad Max: Fury Road and Arcane on Netflix, and Avengers Endgame and Light and Magic on Disney+. At no point did anything look bad, blurry or washed out, with the display more than capable of showing enough color and creating enough light to fill an interesting scene.
Outside of simply describing the display, Samsung’s approach to multitasking is second to none. The freedom you’re given to adjust apps running concurrently, side-by-side on the screen, with easily adjustable boundaries, feels like the real laptop-rivaling feature of the Galaxy Tab S series.
To match the strong display, the four speakers located around the device offer powerful, room-filling sound. Every piece of content I viewed felt like it had the audio to match. While cleaning my house, playing Spotify from the tablet sounded equivalent to using a smart speaker with a screen.
Display: 5 / 5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: design
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Slightly slimmer than the Tab S9 Plus
S Pen attachment is a bit odd on the back
Feels awkward in portrait orientation
It’s the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus’s bread and butter to be big, with a beautiful display to match and powerful performance for any task. But parts of the design feel… Too big. Big is good for a tablet positioned as a powerful laptop rival and artistic tool, but some elements feel like they’re rubbing up against others.
It’s difficult to use the tablet in portrait mode, which I prefer when reading news articles online and taking notes. The back of the tablet looks nice but it isn't easy to hold in portrait orientation. The charging area for the S Pen, located on the back, feels rough against my fingers whether or not the pen is magnetically attached. Trying to get a better grip from the other end caused my hand to come into contact with the cameras, resulting in a similar hand feeling issue.
The pen charging on the back of the device is another issue. When the pen is attached, the tablet won’t sit flat on its back. Though the pen can magnetically attach to the edge of the display, it will not charge there – but at least it's out of the way.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is meant to be used in landscape orientation, with the selfie camera located in the top middle, which is ideal for video calling. This mode feels perfectly comfortable.
Design: 3/5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: software
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Brilliant tablet performance
Operating system is nicely designed
Not as casual as an iPad or Pixel Tablet
Samsung’s approach to tablets is probably my favorite. Having a persistent app tray at the bottom of the screen just rocks, especially for quickly switching between windows. I could get a lot of work done on the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, but it still has quirks here and there that make it a bit less user-friendly than its rivals.
My love for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus’ software mostly stems from multitasking. Being able to have two apps open concurrently, for example, having Spotify open on one side and Canva on the other, is brilliant. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus let me drag windows freely around the screen to be placed wherever I want. I could also connect the tablet to a monitor to enable Samsung DeX, which makes the interface look a bit more like a desktop.
Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite is unimpressive. Circle to Search, which lets me circle something on the screen to instantly search for it with Google is something I use quite a lot, but I can’t think of a single other AI feature that I enjoyed using.
A lot of the features, such as Note Assist and Sketch to Image, are interesting for a moment but are ultimately inconsequential. The AI image generator feels particularly tacked on.
Handwriting Help, exclusive to the Notes app, is a handy feature for character recognition with the S Pen, cleaning up and aligning your pen handwriting and making it easier to read. A simple click in the app and your handwritten notes will convert to text. You can also convert writing to text on the fly, as you write.
As you'd expect, the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus aces its stylus support. It has good palm rejection, so I was more comfortable drawing. Navigating between tools feels simple in Samsung's native drawing and writing apps.
Software: 4/5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: performance
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Galaxy S Pen feels great in-hand
Doesn’t feel slow despite axing the Snapdragon chip
Not once did I have a problem with the performance of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus. Capable of smoothly running every application I opened, including Canva, Spotify, Twitter (X), Messenger, Instagram, Samsung Notes, PENUP, Google Photos, Netflix, Disney+ and Crossy Road, the Tab S10 Plus handled everything a power user would want.
That’s a relief, considering Samsung skipped the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, after including the previous Snapdragon in the Galaxy Tab S9 Plus. Instead, this tablet is underpinned by a Mediatek Dimensity 9300+, which doesn’t skip a beat.
Creating and editing images on Canva was an exceptionally fluid experience and the application was responsive and fast the entire time – even with Spotify running in the background. The same can be said for editing pics via Google Photos or writing with Samsung Notes: no hold-ups whatsoever.
Performance: 5/5
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus: battery
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Gigantic all-day battery
Faster charging would be nice
The mighty 10,090 mAh Li-Po battery in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is so immense that, during my review, I rarely had to charge it.
You’d obviously expect this from a device with such a large battery, but it comes with the obvious drawback of slower charging. From 0%, the tablet took one hour and 50 minutes to return to 100% charge.
In testing the battery against a fairly long movie, Avengers Endgame, the tablet drained to 59% after three hours of watching. Despite a shift to MediaTek, it doesn’t seem the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is more power hungry than previous generations.
Battery: 5/5
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus?
(Image credit: Zachariah Kelly/TechRadar)
Buy it if…
You’re a professional in search of a tablet
With brilliant character recognition and optimisation for digital artists, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus is an attractive device for a professional.View Deal
You want a big, beautiful screen that’s not too big
The 12.4-inch size feels just right, smaller than the Tab S10 Ultra’s gigantic 14.6-inch display.View Deal
You’re team Samsung
iPadOS is brilliant, but this is one of your best options if you want a tablet outside of the Apple camp.View Deal
Don’t buy it if…
You want the easiest to use OS
Samsung’s OneUI is brilliant, but it’s not as intuitive as iPadOS and Google’s version of Android.View Deal
You’re just going to watch videos
It’s a waste to use the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus for just streaming content, and if this is what you’d be doing, you could get a serviceable tablet for much cheaper.View Deal
You want to save some money
The high price point of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus makes it a tough sell to a casual user or even a professional, especially when differences to the Tab S9 Plus aren’t very dramatic.View Deal
Also consider
Not convinced by the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus? Here are a few other options to consider:
Apple iPad Pro 2024
While the entry-level iPad Pro isn’t as large as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, it is fairly competitive in terms of performance while priced extremely similarly. You’ll just have to buy an Apple Pencil separately.
There are very few differences between the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Plus and the S10 Plus, so if you want to save some cash, there’s no shame in going for the older model.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
If the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus isn’t big enough for you, the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra offers a gigantic 14.6-inch display, which may be a bit cumbersome for some, but would also function as an effective laptop or art tablet replacement for professionals.
How I tested the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus
From the moment I received the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, I replaced my second monitor, a small 11-inch touchscreen monitor, with it as my companion screen, using it for Spotify, scrolling social media, and streaming content while I worked at my desk.
My time with the Tab S10 Plus didn’t include all-hours use, but I did find time to edit images with it via Google Photos and Canva. I edited a video with it in CapCut and streamed a lot of movies and TV shows with the device. As far as games went, I mostly played Crossy Road.
I brought the Tab S10 Plus with me on a trip to see my family where it functioned as a good distraction for my niece. On this trip, I touched base with friends on Messenger and Instagram and doomscrolled on social media often.
For battery testing, I avoided charging the tablet as much as I could, and ran my standard Avengers Endgame beginning-to-end test closer to the end of my review period. I’d check in on the tablet’s battery now and then on days where I wasn’t using it much, and kept an eye on it on days where I was. I also depleted the battery in its entirety and timed how long it took to charge to 100%.
Most of my performance relied on real-world use relative to how I use tablets in my day-to-day life.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Graphics: ASUS ProArt RTX 4060Ti RAM: 32GB DDR5 5200 Storage: 2 x 1TB M.2 1 x 4TB IronWolf Rear Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, BIOS Flashback button, USB 3.2 Gen 2, 3 of which are Type-A and 1 Type-C, Display Port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DP, optical S/PDIF out port, 5 x audio jacks, HDMI 2.1a 3 DisplayPort 1.4a and HDCP Support. Top Ports: 3.5mm audio in, 3.5mm audio in-out, 2 x USB A and a USB Type-C Connectivity: Dual Band 1200Mbps, Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet, Realtek 1Gb Ethernet Audio: Realtek 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio Camera: N/A Size: 435 x 215 x 465mm OS installed: Windows 11 Pro Accessories: N/A
Stormforce Gaming is known for making high-end gaming machines. However, they also make some of the most stylish creative machines on the market, including the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601.
This machine is pitched as a workstation for creatives with the hardware and feature set that is perfectly tuned to what designers, illustrators, photographers and even videographers require from a machine. The system is based on an ASUS ProArt B650-Creator motherboard, which is complemented by a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 7700x CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060TI GPU. While this combination sounds incredibly high-end when it comes to power and abilities for a standard desktop, these specifications actually pitch the machine at the entry-level when it comes to professional creative use. I've reviewed plenty of the best video editing computers and best photo editing PCs, and this one of the top machines I've tested.
What's interesting here is that Stormforce has pulled on the company's years of experience with their high-powered gaming machines and adapted them to suit the needs of high-end enthusiasts and professional creatives. As such, this machine strikes a balance between performance and price and offers a core system that will enable you to get up and running with ample power and capacity to handle most jobs.
Then, as your demands on the machine grow for additional storage and other expansions, the machine can grow and adapt as needed. This is a full-sized powered workstation that has been designed to grow and adapt to you.
While the machine itself offers plenty of power from the outset, it's the look and design of the machine that initially stand out. The case from Fractal Design reflects the styling of modern creative spaces. While the casing is larger than your standard desktop machine, the style will make you want this computer on display with the wooden frontage, glass side panels, and matte black finish, not only being functional but also a real statement.
Meanwhile, Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is powerful when it comes to professional workstations that power sit at the entry-level, with the option to upgrade all components easily around the motherboard. However, the CPU and GPU are powerful mid-range models, as are the RAM and internal SSDs, which will be more than enough for most pro users, with upgrades really only required to the system if you need to edit longer-length 4K and 8K RAW video. As it stands, however, this machine is outstanding at a price and for the features and future potential that it offers.
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601: Price & availability
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is available directly from Stormforce Gaming for £1999 - you can check out the full details by clicking here.
Price: 4/5
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601: Design & build
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Like almost all the best workstations tested here, the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is essentially designed for professional use or, at the very least, for high-end enthusiasts. Considering what you get for the price, it's extremely well-balanced. When it comes to the base design, it looks like a standard desktop, just a touch larger, which is due to the fact that it has been designed to house a large CPU and GPU, along with all the additional support that those components require. It also means that there's plenty of room for expansion and additional drives and, more importantly, enables lots of airflow around the machine to keep things cool when under load.
While the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is large, the company has been careful to balance style with functionality, and the choice of the Fractal Design North Mid Tower case is striking. The front of the machine features a wooden slatted design reminiscent of the style that is being adopted by many design studios installing soundproof walling panels.
Otherwise, when it comes to the design and function, the machine is nice and simple, with a few quick access ports along with the power button on the top and the rest of the ports and connectivity at the back.
If you want to gain access to the inside of the machine to install additional hardware or upgrade the existing, then the side panel is held in place by a few hand-tightened bolts, which are easily removed. Once done, the glass side panel that gives you a view of the inner workings can be removed, and the internals can be accessed. Again, the design is stylish and neat. Colourful LEDs are common in gaming machines, and again, here, there are a few lights. Still, it's all nicely understated and gives the machine an altogether more professional and stylish aesthetic.
Design: 5/5
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Workstation is larger than your average desktop, so it is really more likely to be placed on the floor rather than on the desk, where it would dominate the surface. As such, the casing has been designed with a range of sockets on top, such as the 3.5mm audio in and out as separate sockets, two USB A and a USB Type-C, enabling you to plug in hard drives and other accessories easily and these all sit alongside the large gold power button.
On one side there's the glass tinted window so that you can see the layout of the inside of the machine's components; then, around the back, you have the full array of ports, including 2 x USB 2.0, HDMI, BIOS Flashback button, USB 3.2 Gen 2, 3 of which are Type-A and 1 Type-C, Display Port, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DP, optical S/PDIF out port, 5 x audio jacks, these are all from the motherboard. In addition to these ports there's also an HDMI 2.1a 3 DisplayPort 1.4a and HDCP Support which are intergrated into the GPU.
As this is a workstation, everything is easily accessible, so if you want to get into the inner workings to swap the SSDs, RAM or otherwise, all you need to do is unscrew the securing knobs, which can be done by hand, and the panel to access the inside can be removed. In our review sample, the machine arrived with 32GB of DDR5 RAM, which can be upgraded to 192 GB. There's also plenty of storage with 3 x M.2 slots and 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports. As standard, there are 2 x 1TB drives and a 4TB IronWolf Pro, which is an ideal starting point. You then have the option to add more storage in the form of additional SATA drives.
The volume of accessibility options further reinforces the professional level of this machine; there's plenty more to add to the highlights. But at the core its the ASUS ProArt B650-Creator motherboard with AMD Ryzen 7 7700X AMD Wraith Optimised cooling, ASUS ProArt NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060Ti, 32GB DDR5 5200 RAM, 4TB IronWolf Pro SSD alongside two 1TB SSDs that give this machine the power needed for most types of creative use. Essentially, if you put together a no-fuss wish list for a high end entry-level creative machine, then this is it.
Features: 5/5
Stormforce Pro Creator 0601: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Benchmarks
Crystal Disk Read: 3653.70MB/s Crystal Disk Write: 2611.94MB/s GeekBench CPU Single: 2457 GeekBench CPU Multi: 13525 GeekBench Compute: 135702 PC Mark: 8087 CineBench CPU Multi: 17175 CineBench CPU Single: 1616 Fire Strike Overall: 29901 Fire Strike Graphics: 33701 Fire Strike Physics: 30592 Fire Strike Combined: 15909 Time Spy Overall: 13288 Time Spy Graphics: 13464 Time Spy CPU: 12374 Wild Life: 74864 Windows Experience: 8.9
Setup of the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is fast enough, and once unboxed and plugged in, it boots into the standard Windows 11 Pro setup process, and you can fly through the options and settings quickly. The Wi-Fi connection is fast, with the dual band wifi card, enabling fast connection to the local network and enabling the applications required for the test to be downloaded and installed quickly.
Starting a look at the benchmarks and the CrystalDiskMark scores of 3653.70MB/s read and 2611.94MB/s write show a mid-range performance for the SSD, enabling applications to open quickly and for Creative Cloud apps to access and write files to the drive at speed. While the drive is mid-range when it comes to speed, it's more than enough for most tasks, including working with Premiere Pro and reviewing footage prior to editing. Likewise, the speed at which edits are rendered and exported is fast, and for standard 4K and 8K video, the overall performance on this front is impressive.
Checking out the Geekbench scores and the single-core result shows excellent performance, this result is experienced with smooth, fluid brush strokes in Photoshop and scrubbing through footage in Premiere Pro. There are essentially no glitches, and the workflow is smooth and natural. Reinforcing the CrystalDiskMark scores the Multi-Core score from Geekbench again sees the speed of video renders in the timeline and exported from various apps. handled with ease. Finally, looking at the Compute scores from Geekbench and you can see the impact on applications as visual filters and effects are applied to footage, and again, these are handled well. The only time things do start to slow is when RAW footage is used and effects start to get layered, but again, this is just part of the process of waiting for the timeline to render properly.
Again, checking the results for Cinebench and 3D Mark further reinforces just how good this machine is for content creation across the board. Its level pitches it at designers, illustrators, and photographers, and in all those cases, this machine has all the power that you need, with the option to expand on the storage if and when you need. Likewise, videographers and content creators using DSLR and Camcorders to shoot standard 4 and 8K footage will be able to edit short-form video without issue; however, as you start to add effects or switch to RAW footage, you'll start to see the system slow a little as rendering takes place.
When it comes to gaming, Stormforce obviously makes gaming PCs. While this PC is aimed directly at the creative sector, it has the power and ability to handle most games with ease. Through the test, we played Hogwarts Legacy, Cyberpunk 2077 and Red Dead Redemption II, and all played smoothly using the standard settings. Many enabled the options to be pushed to enhance the graphics further.
Looking at the final results from the benchmark tests and the PC Mark and Windows experience scores, we see that the machine takes word processing, spreadsheets, and administrative work in its stride without breaking a sweat.
Performance: 4.5/5
Should you buy the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601?
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 has been designed with creatives in mind, and with this machine, you can run any of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of applications without issue. If you're a designer, illustrator, artist or photographer; you'll be able to get on with your work without issues or slow down from this machine. What Stormforce has done with this machine is perfectly balance quality components with the requirements of the intended user, as such, it doesn't go over the top processing power, graphics, RAM or storage; it just balances it at a point that is slightly above what most people will need and at a great price.
However, this is more than a machine that will just meet your business's demands for today; the ASUS ProArt B650-Creator motherboard is one of the best out there and utilises the latest technologies for speed as well as upgrade potential and expandability. Essentially, for most professionals, this machine will meet your needs directly from the box; if you do need an extra boost of power for higher-end video editing, then the RAM, storage and all other components can essentially be upgraded as far as your budget allows.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Buy it if...
It would help if you had creative power
Featuring the ASUS ProArt motherboard and Ryzen 7 7700X CPU, the Stormforce Pro Creator 0601 is perfect for artists, designers, and photographers needing strong processing and graphic performance with plenty of upgrade options.
Want a stylish design
The Fractal Design North Mid Tower case with the wooden front panel and tinted glass side provides a modern style and aesthetic, making it a perfect workstation choice for a studio or office.
Don't buy it if...
You prefer compact desktops
While it looks like a desktop, it is larger and better suited for floor placement and may feel intrusive on a smaller desk. If you need more workspace or a compact, minimalist setup, a smaller form factor might be a better fit.
You edit RAW video footage
Even then, this is a great starting point. It's just that on occasion, you will need to wait for some footage to render before making the edits and if you're just editing short-form video, It'll be fine; anything longer than five minutes with effects, and you'll want a power boost.
If you’re currently debating whether to pick up the Xbox Series S 1TB or the original Xbox Series S model, then the choice is clear.
If you can afford that extra $50 / £50 / AU$50 for the 1TB edition, then it’s absolutely the version to go for and easily the best gaming console for the price. You get more than double the usable storage capacity (more than 800GB out of the box) for a fraction of the cost of any of the best Xbox Series X hard drives and SSDs, finally addressing what was easily the biggest shortcoming of the launch model for most buyers.
A capable current-generation machine for just $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$549 is nothing to sneeze at and, while the performance is definitely behind the fully-fledged Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, it’s still going to be more than enough for most people. Titles like Microsoft Flight Simulatorand Dead Island 2look absolutely stunning on a 1080p or 1440p display, though those with a 4K TV are much more likely to notice the decreased resolution and lower visual settings.
The lack of a disc drive helps the console maintain such a staggeringly small size, but does restrict your access to physical releases. Still, an Xbox Game Pass subscription will help save a bit of cash if you want to sample some of the best Xbox Series X games for less. Although no additional titles are on the horizon, Xbox’s backwards compatibility efforts are still leagues above those on PlayStation, making this system a great way to experience older games.
I’ve been loving going back to some real Xbox 360 gems like Alice: Madness Returns and Far Cry 2, an experience that is still just impossible to replicate on the far more expensive PS5. Older games can be absolutely breathtaking too, with some boasting enhanced resolutions and frame rates that help them look better than ever.
Some might lament the lack of desirable exclusives, but when it comes to sheer bang for your buck value the Xbox Series S 1TB is the best of the best.
(Image credit: Dashiell Wood / Future)
Xbox Series S 1TB: Price and availability
$349.99 / £299.99 / AU$549
$50 / £50 / AU£$50 more than launch model
Absolutely killer value
The Xbox Series S 1TB is fantastic value overall. For just $50 / £50 / AU£$50 more than the launch model, you’re getting more than double the usable storage space. It also works out significantly cheaper than buying the older console and upgrading the storage via a Seagate Xbox Storage Expansion Card or WD Black C50 expansion card, which comes in at roughly $80 / £85 / AU$140 for just 512GB.
This makes it by far the best option if you're shopping for an Xbox Series S as, realistically, the cheaper model will not offer enough storage for anyone bar casual players looking for a low-cost way to play one or two popular games like Fortnite, EA Sports FC 25, or Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
At its $349.99 / £299.99 / AU$549 price point, the Xbox Series S 1TB still comes in significantly cheaper than any of its major competitors at retail. If you want to get into current-generation gaming on a budget, then this is the way to go.
Xbox Series S 1TB: Specs
Xbox Series S 1TB: Design and features
Compact size is perfect for a desk
Slick black or white color options
No shortage of ports, but lacks disc drive
The Xbox Series S really needs to be seen to be believed, as photos don’t really do its compact size justice. It’s significantly smaller than the Xbox Series X and the original Xbox One, making it ideal if you’re short on space and want a console that won’t struggle to fit on your desk or media center.
The console can be oriented both horizontally and vertically, which makes it easy to incorporate into a wide range of setups too. I have quite a small workspace but still found that it could easily squeeze next to my existing monitor, or on the floor right next to a PS5.
The front of the console is rather plain, with a simple illuminated power button (in the shape of the Xbox logo), a small controller pairing button, and a USB port for any wired accessories. The Xbox Series S 1TB can be found in both black and white colorways, though the latter only became available this year and seems to have since become the dominant model. I tested the black model and really appreciated its slick all-black look, though the white model, which has a few contrasting black elements, definitely has its own charm.
In its horizontal orientation, the top of the console is dominated by a large ventilation grille. The bottom is then completely smooth, bar a small ventilation grille and some tiny text that says both “Xbox” and “hello from Seattle” - a cute reference to the location of Microsoft’s campus. On the back of the console are its main ports. This includes an ethernet port, two USB ports, a HDMI output, a storage expansion port, and a two-pronged connector for the console’s power lead.
It’s a great design overall, but the disc reader is a notable omission. This is a digital-only console, which might be a dealbreaker for some. If you have a sizable collection of physical Xbox games, perhaps Xbox One releases, then this is something to bear in mind before you upgrade.
In the box, you get the console, an HDMI cable, the power lead, and an Xbox Wireless Controller in either Carbon Black or Robot White depending on your choice of console colorway plus two AA batteries to use with it.
Even four years after its introduction, the modern Xbox Wireless Controller remains a fantastic easy-to-use gamepad, with a comfortable shape and brilliant build quality that I find often means that they last substantially longer than your average DualSense Wireless Controller for PS5.
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Xbox Series S 1TB: Performance
Perfect for 1080p gaming
Unbeatable performance for the price
Easy to notice some imperfections
It’s simply impossible to fault the performance of the Xbox Series S 1TB given its more affordable price tag. Performance is the same as the base model, which means that it targets a 1440p resolution with the ability to upscale to 4K on compatible displays. Every title that I tested looked good on a 1080p display, though the differences between the Xbox Series S and the more powerful Xbox Series X do become quite apparent on a larger 4K TV. The console can also support frame rates of up to 120 frames per second (fps), though realistically most modern games are going to fall closer to the 60 fps mark.
The bright and vibrant world of Dead Island 2 maintained a solid 60 fps frame rate with no noticeable drops, even when experimenting with its impressive gore effects. It runs at 1080p, though, which did lead to a slightly blurry-looking picture on my TV. Compared to my playthrough on PS5, there were also some cutbacks when it comes to reflection and shadow quality though this was only really noticeable when comparing them side by side.
The differences were more apparent in my hours with Microsoft Flight Simulator, which still looks incredibly impressive but nowhere near as photo-realistic as on a high-power PC when you view environments up close. The frame rate was also quite unstable, sometimes dropping into the low 20s in particularly built-up cities like Tokyo.
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(Image credit: Microsoft)
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The quality of resolution, characters, and lighting in Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2, another highly demanding game, also takes a hit and can even struggle to consistently maintain its 30 fps frame rate. It’s still perfectly playable, but did detract from the cinematic atmosphere somewhat.
Forza Motorsportoffers two distinct visual modes, Performance and Quality, which target 60 fps at 1080p and 30 fps at 1440p respectively. I chose to prioritize frame rates and was pleased by the smoothness of races on my monitor, which was definitely helped by the smart use of dynamic resolution scaling. This is another case where larger displays will suffer, though, as the 1080p resolution and reduced level of overall detail will be significantly easier to spot. I would therefore recommend sticking to smaller 1440p, or even 1080p, screens for the best experience.
It’s just unfair to deduct any points for this, though, as you couldn’t achieve this kind of performance on a $300 PC. Even systems double or triple the price would struggle to replicate it without extensive settings tweaking and optimizations. If you’re shopping on a tight budget, there’s also quite a strong chance that you don't own a sizable 4K TV, which would stop you from getting the most out of the higher resolutions and greater detail of the PS5 or Xbox Series X anyway.
The roughly 800GB of usable storage will also be more than enough for the vast majority of players, particularly those not splashing out on the newest releases. With an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, I found that it was more than enough to keep a few live-service favorites such as Fortnite and Call of Duty on hand at all times while still having room for a rotating selection of games that I wanted to try.
(Image credit: Dashiell Wood / Future)
Should I buy the Xbox Series S 1TB?
Buy it if...
You’re after the best value Xbox If you’re buying an Xbox right now, then this is the model to choose. The extra storage space is worth the added cost compared to base Xbox Series S and could even save you money compared to buying an expensive Seagate Xbox Storage Expansion Card down the line.
You’re on a budget The Xbox Series S remains unbeatable value almost four years after its original launch. If you want to get into the world of current-gen gaming without breaking the bank, it is by far the best option out there today.
You're content to game in 1080p or 1440p The visual cutbacks on the Xbox Series S are much less noticeable if you play on a smaller display. Many games run at 1080p or 1440p making it a good fit if you haven’t upgraded to 4K quite yet.
Don't buy it if...
You crave the greatest performance The Xbox Series S delivers amazing performance for the price, but is still noticeably behind the more expensive Xbox Series X and PS5. Those are better choices if you want higher frame rates and a 4K resolution.
You have an extensive physical game library The Xbox Series S is still a digital only console. If you have an extensive physical game collection, it will most likely be cheaper to splash out for an Xbox Series X rather than repurchase them all digitally.
Also consider...
If you’re not fully on board with the Xbox Series S 1TB, then consider these two strong alternatives.
Xbox Series X Digital Edition If you’re set on picking up a digital only console but want even greater performance, then the Xbox Series X Digital Edition could be for you. This clean white console comes in a little cheaper than the full-fat model, potentially a worthwhile saving.
Xbox Series X If you want to access your physical library of Xbox games on a current generation machine, then the original Xbox Series X is your only choice right now. It boasts better performance than the Xbox Series S with resolutions up to 4K, though does come in significantly more expensive.
I tested the Xbox Series S 1TB over the course of two weeks, alternating between using it with a Samsung 4K TV and a Lenovo 1080p monitor. Throughout my time with the console, I relied on the included Xbox Wireless Controller, in addition to a few extra peripherals such as a Seagate Game Drive for Xbox external hard drive and the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 headset for audio.
I played a wide range of games on the console, both from my personal library and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. Some of my favorites included Senua’s Saga: Hellblade, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Gears 5, Forza Motorsport, Call of Duty: Warzone, Dead Island 2, Fortnite, Cities Skylines Remastered, Forza Motorsport 7, Starfield, and Minecraft. I also tried plenty of backwards compatible games, such as Alice: Madness Returns, Mirror’s Edge, Skate 3, and Rumble Roses XX.
I constantly compared my experience to my hands-on testing of the original 512GB Xbox Series S, in addition to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.
WatchGuard’s Firebox M390 shows that high-end security appliances don’t always command a high price. Targeting busy SMBs with up to 250 users, this affordable 1U rack model boasts a top raw firewall throughput of 18Gbits/sec, dropping to a respectable 2.4Gbits/sec with all UTM security services enabled.
A simplified licensing scheme makes it easy to manage costs. We’ve shown the price of a Total Security Suite (TSS) subscription, which enables everything WatchGuard has to offer. This includes gateway antivirus, anti-spam, web content filtering, application controls, intrusion prevention services (IPS) and an advanced persistent threat (APT) blocker with cloud sandboxing.
You also get WatchGuard’s reputation enabled defense (RED) cloud-based URL filtering, ThreatSync XDR for collection, correlation and automated responses to threat events, and DNSWatch to monitor client DNS requests and block access to known malicious domains. It has enough power to run the Cylance AI-based IntelligentAV malware scanning engine; the elderly dual-core Celeron in the M370 has been upgraded to an 8-core NXP LS2084A CPU.
There’s room to grow, as the front expansion bay accepts modules with gigabit, 10GbE or 2.5GbE multi-gigabit ports. Note that the PoE+ services on the multi-gig module will be disabled as the M390 doesn’t support the required 54V power supply, which is only available on the M590 and M690 models.
The appliance is easy to deploy. Its web console wizard sorts out the LAN and WAN network interfaces and applies a base set of firewall policies that include blocking common undesirable web categories. We had already registered the appliance’s serial number with our cloud support account so the wizard grabbed our TSS feature key and applied it.
The Firebox M390 offers plenty of features for the price(Image credit: Future)
The M390 can be managed in standalone mode, but businesses with multiple appliances will prefer WatchGuard’s Cloud portal, which is included in both the Basic Security Suite (BSS) and TSS subscriptions. Two choices are available: you can keep local management and set the appliance to send its logs to the cloud for remote monitoring and reporting or move it all into the cloud.
Full cloud management is activated by allocating the appliance from your account inventory and enabling it from the local console. The portal steps through WAN port setup and applying new admin passwords, after which the appliance disables local management.
Cloud configuration is simple as the portal groups all security settings for the appliance in one page. From the content scanning section you activate antivirus scanning, APT blocking, IntelligentAV and anti-spam policies for incoming SMTP, IMAP or POP3 traffic.
The network blocking section covers botnet detection, IPS, port and site blocks and detection of Tor exit points. WatchGuard’s WebBlocker service is accessed in the content filtering section and offers 166 URL categories that can be allowed, blocked or set to display a warning page to users.
The Firebox M390 can be managed locally or remotely(Image credit: Future)
Each content filter action policy manages both web access and application controls. The latter presents nearly 1,300 predefined app and protocol signatures, with Facebook and X activities getting the lion’s share of the social networking category. They’re easy to apply; when creating firewalls rules, you simply choose the action policy you want to assign.
The portal’s monitoring page provides a wealth of information on all activities. Graphs and charts are provided for live activity, traffic, detected malware and botnets, application usage, blocked websites, top clients and much more.
The Firebox M390 will appeal to SMBs with a large user base. It combines strong performance with an incredible range of security measures all at a competitive price. It’s easy to deploy and WatchGuard’s cloud portal delivers excellent remote management and monitoring features.
This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.
TP-Link’s first Wi-Fi 7 business access point (AP) sets a high standard for the rest to follow, as this slimline discus has a mighty BE19000 rating. The EAP783 achieves this with a claimed 1,376Mbits/sec on the 2.4GHz radio, 5,760Mbits/sec on 5GHz and a speedy 11,520Mbits/sec on 6GHz, with the latter enabling the ultrawide Wi-Fi 7 320MHz channels.
It’s also one of the first APs to support the multi-link operation (MLO) feature, which allows devices to connect to the 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz bands simultaneously for increased throughput and reduced latency. The only downside is that very few end-user devices currently support MLO, and Windows users will have to wait until Windows 11 24H2 is fully released.
The EAP783 has other appealing credentials. It provides two 10GbE ports, with the first requiring an 802.3bt PoE++ power source; there’s also an input for TP-Link’s optional 12V adapter. The second 10GbE port is designed to be aggregated with the primary network port for a higher network connection speed.
Despite the AP’s 12 internal aerials, TP-Link has kept the size down to a manageable 280mm diameter and a thickness of 47mm. It’s heavy, though, tipping the scales at 1.4kg – around 15g more than Zyxel’s WBE660S.
The AP comes with two 10GbE ports(Image credit: Future)
The EAP783 supports standalone mode, where the web console’s quick start wizard requests a new username and password, after which it removes the default admin account for extra security. Eight SSIDs per radio can be created, and the wizard asks you to configure the first three and provide new encryption keys.
For our real-world Wi-Fi 7 performance tests we connected the AP to the lab’s Zyxel XS1930-12HP 10GbE PoE++ switch and used a Lenovo desktop client running Windows 11 Pro 24H2 Insider Preview and fitted with a TP-Link Archer TBE550S Wi-Fi 7 PCI-E adapter. With Windows reporting a Wi-Fi 7 connection speed of 5,764Mbits/sec, we saw large file copies between the client and a Windows server on our 10GbE LAN averaging close-range speeds of 323MB/sec, dropping to an equally impressive 280MB/sec with the AP placed ten meters away in an adjoining room.
The web console provides a separate section for MLO where you create a new SSID and decide which of the three radios to assign to it. Performance-wise, we saw no benefits from a triple radio MLO SSID as the Windows 11 client reported the same speed as a standard Wi-Fi 7 connection and our copies were no faster.
TP-Link offers plenty of cloud management choices. You can deploy its hardware or free software controller on-site or use its cloud-hosted controller, which has a yearly fee of £165 for 250 devices. We use TP-Link’s OC300 dual-port controller appliance in the lab as its £130 price enables lifetime cloud management of up to 500 Omada APs, switches and routers.
The EAP783 can be cloud-managed from TP-Link’s Omada platform(Image credit: Future)
All controllers are viewed from the Omada portal home page, and selecting the OC300 transported us to its own console. This presents a ribbon across the top showing all cloud-managed devices, and selecting a site below provides options to create multiple dashboards with a wide range of widgets.
The EAP783 initially appears as “pending” in the portal, and all you do is adopt it and assign it to a site. It only takes a minute, after which the AP disables its local web interface for security reasons, takes all its settings from the controller and broadcasts your preconfigured SSIDs.
It’s easy to add more SSIDs, apply a desired personal or enterprise encryption scheme, set client and SSID rate limits and define schedules to determine when they’re active. For the EAP783, we could enable any of all of its three radios, and we noted the portal has an option to create MLO Wi-Fi 7 SSIDs.
The EAP783 will appeal to businesses looking to make an early transition to Wi-Fi 7. It delivers excellent performance and is MLO-ready, and TP-Link’s Omada cloud platform offers great remote management services.
This review first appeared in issue 360 of PC Pro.
The Meeting Owl products from Owl Labs have consistently been among the best video conferencing (VC) solutions on the market, and the Meeting Owl 4+ comes with even more appeal. Previously, the Owl Pro and Owl 3 offered a comparatively low 1080p resolution, but the Owl 4+ sports a new 64MP fish-eye camera that boosts video output to 4K Ultra HD.
There’s more going on inside, as it gets a faster Snapdragon 8250 SoC – the same as used by the 4K Owl Bar. The extra power has been put to good use by the Owl Intelligence System (OIS) software as businesses can pair multiple Owl devices together to provide total in-room coverage.
The Owl 4+ sports the same array of eight microphones as the Owl 3, which it uses to identify speakers. The smart part is the video feed: the Owl 4+ presents a 360-degree panoramic view across the top of the screen, dynamically splits the main display below to show the three most recent speakers and zeros in on the person currently speaking.
The distinctive Owl 4+ boosts video output to 4K(Image credit: Future)
The internal speaker count has been reduced from three to two, but output quality is undiminished. Comparisons with an Owl Pro found that the Owl 4+ was just as loud at maximum volume but delivered a much cleaner sound quality, with its heavier body producing a warmer bass without the shrillness of the Owl Pro.
Other improvements are an integral K-Lock security slot and an option to turn off the white LED “eyes” if they become a distraction. The Owl 4+ comes with an external power supply that can be replaced with an optional Power over Ethernet (PoE) network adapter, which has the part number ACCMTW405-0006 and costs around £75.
Installation is a breeze. After plugging the Owl 4+ into a Windows 11 Pro desktop PC, it loaded all the required drivers and defaulted to the split-screen mode. Management options abound: the free Owl mobile app connects over Bluetooth and provides tools to register the device and connect it to a wireless network for software updates. You can also enable remote management from the Owl Nest cloud portal, and meeting room analytics.
Using the iOS app on an iPad, we could passcode-protect Bluetooth access, choose the central point for the 360-panoramic view or disable it, set the camera to lock and focus on one person or follow a presenter. You can turn off the video feed and control the volume during meetings and use a whiteboard to present notes and diagrams to attendees, replacing the split screen in their session window.
The Owl 4+ can be managed from the cloud or mobile app(Image credit: Future)
The Owl 4+ supports all popular VC platforms, and we had no problems using Teams, Zoom and Skype. You’ll be impressed when you first use it as the video display is quite remarkable and noticeably sharper than the Owl 3.
During meetings, it maintained the full-room panoramic view at the top and swapped effortlessly between active speakers in the split screen below. It’s fast, too, taking around two seconds to swap from one active speaker to another, with the slide animation placing up to three participants in the main view. During small round-table meetings, we found a 50% volume level was quite sufficient and remote participants could hear us clearly, even when three meters away from the table.
The controls on the device are straightforward(Image credit: Future)
Pairing the Owl 4+ with an Owl Bar is easy, as you place them within two-and-a-half meters of each other with their front logos facing off and use the mobile app to pair them, after which they’ll use their tracking algorithms to choose the best view. No more looking at the back of people’s heads if they turn away from the Owl Bar, as the Owl 4+ takes over so they’re always looking directly at you.
For fully immersive meetings, nobody does it better than Owl Labs. The Owl 4+ delivers excellent video quality plus super-smooth speaker tracking, and pairing it with an Owl Bar covers every meeting room angle.
