Whether you’re a digital nomad or a hybrid worker, not everyone has the time, patience, or interest in meticulously crafting their at-home desk space - and that’s where Logitech Casa comes in.
Logitech makes some of the best mice and best keyboards, but it’s exciting to see something a little different from the brand. This handy little bundle of peripherals is perfectly designed to slip into your bookbag or discretely sit on your bookshelf when you don’t need it, but opens out to reveal a comprehensive mobile workstation. The set is split into three parts; the Casa Book (convertible case/laptop stand), Casa keys, and the Casa touchpad.
It comes in three stylish colorways; forest green and black, lilac and white, and pink, and it’s available in the UK and AU for £179.99 / AU$289.95. At the time of writing, there’s no confirmed US release date, but I’d be surprised if it doesn’t make it stateside at some point.
From the outside, it’s unassuming, masquerading as a simple fabric-covered book with a thick silicone belt to keep the Casa stand securely closed - but inside is where this foldable kit gets interesting.
Open it up and you’ll find the Casa Touchand Keys, as well as a small compartment for holding wires and other desktop necessities. Then, simply press on the bottom of the keyboard and touchpad in their compartments and the peripherals will pop out of the Casa Book’s base, lift the plastic lining from the lid’s underside and connect it to the magnetic strip at the front of your Casa Book, and voila; you’ve got your new mobile workstation in just four steps.
Once the novelty of this admittedly inventive idea is lost, however, some cracks begin to show. There are lots of strengths and many great reasons to buy the Logitech Casa, but it’s grossly overpriced for the quality of the results.
(Image credit: Future)
Logitech Casa review: price and availability
List price: £179.99 / AU$289.95
US launch TBC
Released in August 2023, the Logitech Casa will set you back £179.99 / AU$289.95, and it’s available directly from Logitech or from retailers like John Lewis in the UK.
There are no two ways about it - that’s a lofty price tag for something so simple and, at times, flawed. You could easily get an affordable but good quality portable laptop stand, keyboard, and mouse for less than £75 / AU$125; and you could even kit yourself out with a Logitech K380 keyboard (£44, AU$79) and Logitech Pebble Mouse 2 (£24.99, AU$54.95) if you want Logitech products specifically - and that would still be more affordable than the Logitech Casa.
What you’re really paying for is the convenience of everything being all-in-one, which may just have landed if the Logitech Casa had been released three years earlier during the pandemic. At this point, it’s a gimmick; a useful one, but not something I’d pay much more than £100 / AU$150 for.
Granted, the touchpad also contributes to this price inflation, and it’s difficult to find a standalone trackpad for less than £50 / AU$80. However, there’s not a huge demand for these; I certainly would almost always choose a regular mouse unless I’m using creative software or want to benefit from touch gestures.
Value: 3/5
(Image credit: Future)
Logitech Casa review: design
Not very ergonomic
Clever, albeit flawed convertible design
Slim and lightweight peripherals
Let’s first dive in further to the Casa keys. Minimalist in design and petite at 1.7 x 11.2 x 28mm, this compact and programmable keyboard features a full row of 12 function keys; apart from its square keys, it’s almost identical to the Logitech K380. There’s no kickstand, and only a very slight wedge shape, meaning it’s not great ergonomically - I found my hands got sore within a few hours of using it.
Also featured in the function keys are three customizable hotkeys, which can be adjusted using the Logi Options+ application.
The Casa Touch is pretty simple design-wise; it’s also slightly wedge-shaped, but (again) not ergonomically so. Otherwise, it’s much as you’d expect - a rectangular trackpad measuring 1.4 x 8.8 x 12.5mm.
On the top left of both the keys and trackpad are the power switches, and both devices offer the ability to switch between Bluetooth profiles, so you can connect it to three different devices, and switch between them quickly. On the keyboard, you can switch between these using the F1-3 keys, and on the underside of the trackpad, there’s a button to switch between them.
When in its laptop stand configuration, the Casa Book is fairly robust, though there is some wobbling. Still, through all of my testing, the magnetic strip kept it in its upright position, and I didn’t feel like my laptop was at any peril - Logitech says the Casa can hold devices weighing up to 7.5kg and between 10 and 17 inches in size. Two rubber grips hold the laptop in situ, and a rubber circle in the middle of the plastic backing to the stand keeps the underside of the laptop from slipping - a thoughtful inclusion.
Frustratingly given its price, the Logitech Casa has some pretty fundamental flaws. The fabric Casa covering is easily smudged and dirtied, but not easily cleaned (despite supposedly being wipeable), some of the plastics used in construction feel quite tacky and, despite being an ingenious idea for digital nomads, the entire setup is pretty heavy at 1.2kg / 2.65lbs.
It also irks me that there’s only one viewing angle for the stand, and while it’s undeniably better than using a laptop below eye level, it’s still not particularly high, and can’t be adjusted for different needs.
Design: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Logitech Casa review: performance and features
Programmable keys
Not the most comfortable
Excellent battery life
In use, the Logitech Casa is pretty satisfying for the most part, but once again there are definitely some sacrifices made at the behest of the innovative design.
There are some things I love about the Logitech keys in particular; the programmable keys, the size, and weight all lend themselves to increased productivity even when working in a smaller space. They’re wonderfully quiet to work on, too, which is great for me as someone who regularly works in public spaces.
I also found the three Bluetooth profiles supported across the Casa Keysand touch immeasurably useful; I regularly switch between my drawing tablet, work laptop, and iPad, and being able to seamlessly transition between these devices is super useful. The Casa peripherals are also compatible with phones, PCs, and Apple TV; the latter makes good use of the 10m (33ft) Bluetooth range afforded by the devices, too.
Aside from the lack of ergonomic features in both the stand and peripherals, my greatest bugbear is the trackpad. I just don’t think there’s any good reason not to at least offer the option of a slimline mouse with the Casa, and the fact I experienced some (albeit very mild) lag when scrolling only further sours me on this particular choice by Logitech. As a MacBook user, I do like that you can use Logi Options+ to enable Apple’s gestures, but it’s woefully apparent how subpar the Logitech touch sensitivity and accuracy are versus Apple’s in-built and standalone trackpads.
The peripherals do, however, have incredible battery life - a quality we’ve come to expect from Logitech’s devices. According to Logitech, the battery life of the keyboard will last up to five months, while the Casa Touchlasts for up to three weeks. I used the setup for several months and only very recently had to charge up the touchpad for the first time, and my keyboard still has charge!
Performance: 4/5
Specs table
Should I buy the Logitech Casa?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
How I tested the Logitech Casa
I used the Logitech Casa for several months
I tested it with a variety of compatible devices
I used the Logi Options+ software to customize the devices.
As a very regular PC user and tech reviewer for the last three years, I’ve developed an understanding of what makes a good, well-rounded device. For several months, I used the Logitech Casa for work and play, both at home and while away to see how well the setup performed in different environments. I observed how well the device travelled, how easy it was to set up and use, and how robust all of the components were.
I typed on the keyboard and used the trackpad, comparing them both to my in-built laptop controls, Apple peripherals, and HyperX gaming peripherals, considering everything from how quickly my hands developed symptoms of fatigue to lag and accuracy.
I also used Logitech’s Logi Options+ software to see how easily and successfully the devices could be customised and tested various setups to see how they impacted my user experience.
Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen) from the back (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Wearable technology rides a fine line between utility and aesthetic pleasure. There's no question the small device can accomplish myriad tasks but if it looks bizarre on your body, it's destined for the trash heap. That's probably why I like Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen), the wearable smart glasses that by not trying to do too much don't overwhelm the essential glasses-ness of the frames.
Amazon Echo Frames 3rd generation shows how Amazon's years of effort in crafting and fine-tuning the smart glasses design has paid off. From the front these look almost like regular (maybe slightly oversized) glasses. Even from the side, it's hard to tell that I'm wearing a smart companion on my face.
That, by the way, is what it's like to wear Amazon Echo Frames. They can be standard glasses but Alexa is always waiting in the wings – or beside your ears – ready to jump in with a song, a podcast, the audio from your phone, a notification, an answer to a question, or an action in your smart home. Wearing them is a little like having a secret superpower.
Design-wise, I ended up with the "Superman-style" Black Rectangle, which I believe most resembles my current frames. "Resemble" might be a generous word. They're noticeably larger and my wife couldn't decide if she loved or hated them on me. I wore them while walking across Manhattan and didn't get a single weird stare (or any more than I usually get). I was a little concerned that someone could hear my podcast leaking from the stem-based speakers but I didn't get any dirty looks, either.
One thing I did notice is that if I put a knit cap over my ears, the sound improved dramatically, a clear sign I am losing some audio to the environment.
The frames have a few buttons I can use to, for instance, pause audio and raise and lower volume but I found it was more efficient to ask Alexa to manage these tasks. I tried to not feel too self-conscious when people spotted me speaking to my Echo Frames. At least the microphones are sensitive enough that I can almost speak in sotto-voice to activate an Alexa command (provided I'm in a semi-quiet environment).
The lens I'm wearing will run you $269 (they're only available in the US for now) but there's currently a $75 discount for early adopters bringing the price down to $194.99. Either way. decent eyeglass frames can run you well over $200. If you also need prescription lenses, which these frames can hold, they might cost you another $200. Of course, you could also just opt for the sunglass models which start at $329.99. They also have an introductory price of $254.99
Setup is easy enough and pretty much matches what you'd do for any other Echo device. The Alexa app discovers the glasses, you pair them and then their part of your Alexa ecosystem. The only part of the setup that I did not like was charging up the glasses. Echo Frames ship with a custom charge platform and instead of, say, lining smartglasses charge pads or a port with the base, you fold the glasses and then insert the stems into the gap with the lenses facing up toward you. An indicator light lets you know if you got it right. It's a bit of a tight squeeze and I managed to get it wrong once and, naturally, the frames didn't charge. I worry consumers will make the same mistake.
One caveat about my review. I have not had them long enough to get prescription lenses for my Echo Frames, so I could not wear them as often as I do my regular glasses. But I did my best to work with them, commute with them, and wear them when I didn't need to see where I was going.
Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen): Price and availability
No one in the city seemed to notice I was wearing smart glasses. (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The Amazon Echo Smart Frames (3rd gen) , which Amazon announced in September of 2023, are available in a prescription-ready model, as sunglasses, and in a more expensive blue light filtering model. There are five styles, including Blue Round, Black Rectangle (my review unit), Brown Cat eye, and Gray Rectangle.
While the smart glasses were set to retail for $269.99, Amazon is currently offering a $75 discount, which brings them down to $194.99. Amazon has yet to say when the "introductory period" ends.
Blue light filtering models will start at $299.99 but with the introductory discount will run you $224.99.
The sunglass model is set to retail for $329.99 but comes in at $254.99 with the introductory discount.
If you demand even more style, you can opt for the Carrera Smart Glasses with Alexa, which starts at $314 with the discount. They will eventually retail for a more eye-watering $389.99 (ah, the price of fashion). The Carrera models do not support subscription lenses.
While none of the Echo Frames ship with a power adapter (just the cable), you do get a very chic, collapsible case. The case would be even cooler, though it it could hold a little battery charge.
All of these frames are set to ship on December 7. For now, they're only available in the US.
Value score: 4/5
Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen): Design
Nearly normal eyeglass looks
Lightweight and comfortable
4 hours of battery at max volume
With the Echo Frames (3rd Gen), I think Amazon got the brief: do as much as possible to make these smart glasses look and feel like normal, analog eyeglasses.
I purposely started wearing them without warning my wife who did a double-take and asked me what I was wearing. She quickly gleaned they were smart glasses because, what else would I be wearing, and walked away shaking her head. An hour or so later she looked at me again and seemed to reconsider, telling me that she could no longer decide if she liked them on me or not. I consider this progress.
Sure, the stems, which house the mics, speakers, buttons, processor, and batteries are easily twice as thick as the stems on my traditional glasses, making it nearly impossible to fold them fully flat, but the front of the frames is indistinguishable from dumb glasses. Button placement, which puts a volume rocker on one stem and a pair of pause, play, and skip action buttons on the other is inconspicuous enough. Still, I soon found it more efficient to use Alexa for controlling things going volume, play, pause, etc. Pressing both Action Buttons also powers up the frames and prepares them for pairing
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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Before I could wear and use the Echo Frames, I had to charge them. The smart eyewear ships with a custom USB-C-based charger which is probably the weakest link in this package (Amazon supplies the USB-C cable but does not supply a charge adapter). It requires folding the glasses closed (an act that automatically shuts them down, just as opening them, turns them on) and jamming the stems into a narrow channel with the lenses facing up. There is nothing intuitive about this and I am certain consumers will get it wrong (as I did on one occasion) and end up not charging their Echo Frames. There's an indicator light on the stand that tells you when the frames are fully charged.
The frames charged pretty quickly (once I properly seated them on the charging base). After that, I powered them up and paired the frames with the Alexa App on my iPhone 15 Pro Max (the Echo Frames will work with any Android phone running Android 9.0 or higher and any iPhone running iOS 14.0 or higher).
Beyond a constant connection to your Frames, the Alexa App provides several other features and customizations. If I set location tracking to stay on constantly for the app, I could use it to find my Amazon Echo Frames.
Even without the app, pairing the Echo Frames with my iPhone turned them into the default Bluetooth speakers, which meant whatever I played on my phone would playback through the Echo Frames.
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(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
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Design score: 4/5
Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen): Specs
Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen): Audio
Clear, head-filling audio
No real bass to speak of
No one notices you're listening to something (unless you turn the volume way up)
Environmental sounds overcome audio
There is something nice about having music and podcasts ready to go even if I'm not wearing my best AirPods Pro or some other in-ear audio. By melding high-quality audio with the glasses I'd wear every day, there's one less thing for me to carry and worry about. To Amazon's credit, the stereo audio quality coming from the two micro speakers positioned in the stems and near each temple is clear, warm, and can get quite loud.
I enjoyed listening to tracks selected for me by Amazon Music, podcasts, news reports, TikToks, and Alexa's answers to my numerous queries.
Still, these aren't true over-the-ear speakers which means they'll struggle to produce any kind of bass beat. White Stripes Seven Nation Army sounded particularly hollow. Obviously, if you care about true audio fidelity, these frames are not for you.
For as good as the audio is in relatively quiet environments like my house, the bustling Manhattan streets almost completely overwhelmed the micro speakers and I could not yell loud enough for Alexa to hear me through the far-field microphones.
Despite being smart frames, there isn't much that's smart about the audio. There are no noise cancellation abilities, which I really would not expect here. However, I am bothered that the Echo Frames can't use its quad of far-field microphones to detect when someone is speaking to me or I start speaking and automatically mute.
Finally, I was surprised to see that Echo Frames don't know when they are on or off my face, In other words, I expected that removing the frames from my face would pause the audio. it does not. At least they instantly pause if you fold them closed.
Audio score: 3.5/5
Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen): Battery
4-to-6 hours of battery life
Turns out it was easy to test Amazon Echo Frames' battery life since they will happily continue playing even if you don't keep them on your face. In my test, I pushed the volume to 100% (which eventually got me a warning from Apple that I had exceeded the recommended limit for audio exposure) and just let the Frames play a series of podcasts.
At full volume, I got a solid 4 hours of battery life. They're rated for 6 hours at 80% volume, which tracks with my testing. If you play the less frequently and only talk to Alexa a few times a day, you might get even better battery life.
Even so, this does not compare to your best Bluetooth headphones and if you run out of battery life, you'll have to return the eyeglasses to their charging base, there's no juice-filled case for you to drop them into and charge up for another few hours of playback.
Battery score: 4/5
Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen): AI
Alexa responds quickly to most queries
Alexa's data, which is accessed through my iPhone and the cloud, is generally timely and accurate
I wish it would stop asking me to unlock my iPhone
Having Alexa on my face is cooler than I thought it would be. In my house, I would whisper, "Alexa, turn on First Plug" to light up my Christmas tree, or quietly ask it for the weather or news about George Santos' status as a member of Congress. Sometimes, I'd have Alexa read my latest notifications.
Alexa is also a much more effective way of changing songs and controlling the audio volume than using the physical buttons.
Amazon's digital assistant was up for pretty much anything, except when I wanted something that could only be accessed by me unlocking my phone. That was annoying and defeats to the purpose of a hands-free wearable assistant.
Generally, I was pleased that I could have this quiet little relationship with my wearable Alexa and, for the most part, no one was the wiser, or at least no one felt comfortable calling me out for talking to my eyeglasses.
AI Score: 4/5
Should I buy the Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen)?
Buy them if...
Don’t buy them if...
Also consider
How we test
To test the Amazon Echo Frames (3rd Gen), I wore them as often as I could: at work, at home, during my commute. I spoke to Alexa whenever I could and listened to a lot of music, podcasts, TikTok, and other audio. Due to time constraints, I did not get prescription lenses put in.
I've been testing and writing about technology for over 30 years.
This SpatialLabs variant of the Acer Predator Helios 300 is by far one of the strangest recent additions to Acer’s popular Predator line of high-end gaming hardware.
Taking a good all-round gaming laptop and slapping on an expensive glasses-free 3D SpatialLabs display is certainly one way to make a machine that stands out from the crowd, but it's hard to not wonder whether such a device was really necessary.
This is one of the very first glasses-free 3D gaming laptops on the market, a fact that sadly seems to be the root cause of many of its shortcomings. As is the case with being an early adopter of almost any new tech, you’re paying a prohibitively high price to get in on the action first while it's in its most unpolished state.
(Image credit: Future)
As you’ll see below, the glasses-free 3D is impressive when it works, but there are a raft of obvious teething issues to contend with. This includes a strange matrix of visible dots that spoil an otherwise excellent display in 2D mode, utterly atrocious battery life, and poor gaming performance whenever the 3D is turned on.
These problems will surely be ironed out with future iterations but, for the moment, it's disappointing to see consumers being sold a product that feels a little too much like a prototype.
In spite of this, sharing a lot of characteristics with the design of the regular Acer Predator Helios 300 means that there is still a solid gaming laptop beneath it all. The materials are sturdy and the specs, while unimpressive for the price, are perfectly adequate for playing most modern games in 2D.
Will these strong foundations save the Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition from becoming nothing more than an amusing novelty? If not, what options should you consider instead? Let’s take a look.
How much does it cost? $3,499.99 / £3,299.00 / around AU$4,300
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition is available for $3,499.99 in the US, £3,299.00 in the UK, and roughly AU$4,300 in Australia. These prices, however, seem to vary dramatically between retailers - so it's well worth taking the time to shop around to make sure that you are getting the very best deal.
There appears to be only one configuration on the market which, like our review unit, sports an RTX 3080 and a 12th-gen Intel i9 processor. These specs are enough to comfortably tackle most recent games at 1080p, but do seem rather outdated for the price
Obviously, it's reasonable to expect the unique SpatialLabs display to comprise a fair chunk of the cost here, but these specs sting when you can easily find laptops with the slightly more powerful RTX 4070 and comparable 13th-gen Intel processors being sold for significantly less.
As I mentioned above, the Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition we tested came packing an RTX 3080 and 12th-gen Intel i9 processor. Here’s the lowdown on everything else under the hood:
My first impressions of the Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition were positive, not too unexpected given that it shares a lot in common with the excellent design of the preexisting Acer Predator Helios 300.
Taking it out of the box, I was immediately struck by just how sturdy everything felt. The laptop’s body is constructed with a pleasant matte plastic and the lid has been fitted with a robust metal cover. This cover not only looks suitably premium but should help prevent any unfortunate scratches when the laptop is inevitably chucked in a bag without a case - at least, if you’re anything like me.
The keyboard is a highlight too, with good spacing and bright RGB lighting that can be fully customized with the included PredatorSense software. There is no noticeable flex when typing and I found the smooth travel of each key to be satisfying and efficient. The trackpad, on the other hand, is not quite as strong thanks to its slightly mushy clicks.
(Image credit: Future)
This is by no means the thinnest laptop on the market, but this bulk does allow for a fantastic selection of ports. You have easy access to three USB 3.2 Type-A ports for any gaming peripherals and one additional USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 port on the rear - perfect for hooking the laptop up to an external monitor or dock.
In terms of video output, there’s also an HDMI 2.1 port and a Mini DisplayPort 1.4. The Kensington Lock is also a welcome inclusion at this price, adding some additional physical security should you need it.
The built-in speakers are one area for definite improvement, though, as they lack bass. This can detract from the enjoyment of some games, especially first-person shooters where I found that more powerful weapons like DOOM’s BFG 9000 just didn’t feel quite the same without that added oomph.
(Image credit: Future)
Where things really start to take a turn, however, is with the display. This is a 15.6” IPS 4K UHD screen which, thanks to its 3D features, lacks some expected niceties like a high refresh rate, G-Sync, or HDR.
While the picture is perfectly crisp and its colors very vivid, the entire screen is covered in an array of tiny dots. This is, presumably, something that is necessary to accomplish the 3D effect but it makes the display unpleasant to use for the vast majority of 2D applications. If you spend a lot of time word processing or browsing the internet, you’re probably going to want to plug in an external monitor as soon as possible.
Thankfully these dots become invisible when you enable the 3D mode, your first introduction to which is likely to be the pre-installed 3D model viewer. Although the resolution takes a noticeable hit when you start the program, the results were striking enough to elicit an audible “wow” from me, a handful of colleagues, and several family members.
The full effect is most easily compared to watching a 3D movie at the cinema, with a real sense of depth but without the need for any awkward plastic glasses. Better yet, the full eye-tracking allows the 3D image to convincingly follow your gaze. It can feel a tad uncomfortable, though, straining your eyes over periods of extended use.
The performance of the Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition is best approached in two distinct halves: 2D performance and 3D performance. With the formidable power of the RTX 3080 and i9-12900H, it’s no surprise that the 2D performance is impressive.
Although our 3DMark benchmark results were on the lower end of the expected range, this was likely due to interference from the SpatialLabs software (necessary for the function of the 3D screen) which cannot be disabled easily and runs in the background at all times. Performance was excellent in the games themselves, however, with Cyberpunk 2077 running consistently above 30 fps on its Ultra Raytracing preset at 1080p.
Likewise, Dirt 5 on its Ultra preset could achieve an admirable 50 fps, while the less intensive strategy title Total War: Warhammer III was comfortably in the 90s. With specs this powerful, you’re unlikely to run into any major issues playing most recent games at 1080p and, even when you crank things up to 4K, careful use of Nvidia’s DLSS allows you to achieve very smooth performance.
(Image credit: Future)
While the fans do become loud very quickly, the thermals remain impressively consistent too. A quick tap of the turbo button (located above the keyboard) can also substantially boost your overall performance by overclocking the fans, CPU, and GPU.
In Cyberpunk 2077, I was able to achieve an average 53.2 fps running the same Ultra Raytracing 1080p benchmark with turbo enabled but, as it can only be used while plugged in and raises the already loud fans to such a level that headphones become a necessity, it’s not something that you’re going to want to have switched on all of the time.
(Image credit: Future)
Unfortunately, the performance absolutely tanks once you turn the 3D on. Limited software compatibility is an obvious weakness too and there are just under 100 titles that support 3D at the time of writing. The vast majority of these are older games and, jumping into a fresh playthrough of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, it quickly becomes clear why.
The use of stereoscopic 3D requires two separate 1920 x 2160 images to be rendered simultaneously - a very graphically intensive task. On its medium preset, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood hovered around 50 fps with frequent stutters. 3D performance in the small number of more recent supported games like Forza Horizon 5 is a similar story as that title specifically can barely scrape above 40 fps.
Low-intensity compatible indies like Abzû, a diving exploration game that was greatly enhanced by the charming impression of fish swimming out of the screen, fare much better - but such poor performance in the library’s bigger titles is a huge shame.
The uneven frame rates even seem to exacerbate the existing feelings of discomfort generated by the display. Your mileage may vary, but I was shocked to feel a nasty headache and motion sickness coming on after only 40 minutes of use in such games.
Performance score: 2 / 5
Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition: Battery life
The battery life is just awful
Really heavy power brick
As noted in our review of the 2022 Acer Predator Helios 300, this model already suffered from extremely poor battery life and the addition of a new 3D display only seems to have further exacerbated this issue.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition was unable to clear 3 hours in the 3DMark office battery benchmark - an incredibly poor result. Taking the laptop out and about, I frequently found myself completely running out of juice after just a couple of hours of light browsing. If you throw some 2D gaming into the mix, you’re going to find yourself looking for a power socket considerably sooner.
(Image credit: Future)
Believe it or not, this terrible battery life somehow becomes even worse when you’re doing anything with the 3D enabled. Be prepared to drag the laptop’s hefty power brick around with you at all times.
Battery score: 1/5
Should you buy the Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition: Also consider
This might have been one of the first glasses-free 3D gaming laptop on the market but Acer also offer a handful of machines with SpatialLabs displays geared towards content creation. If you’re solely interested in using the glasses-free 3D features for 3D modelling or video editing consider buying a specialist laptop like the Acer ConceptD 7 SpatialLabs Edition instead.
If you want to game, however, you’re probably better off without the (literal) headache caused by a 3D screen. Here are two strictly 2D alternatives that offer more bang for your buck…
How I tested the Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition:
Replaced my everyday system for two weeks
Used for gaming and document editing
I used the Acer Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition as my main machine for just over two weeks. This included a mix of productivity tasks (including the writing of this review) and some gaming. Given the limited number of supported titles, I predominantly played older games that were compatible with the glasses-free 3D screen. This included a full playthrough of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood (broken up into half hour chunks to avoid discomfort) and the opening hours of Abzû.
I also experimented with a handful of more recent additions to the glasses-free 3D catalogue like Forza Horizon 5. In terms of 2D gaming, I played a game of Total War: Warhammer III and wandered around the open-world of Cyberpunk 2077 to soak in the sights of Night City after the latest update. To test the battery life, I lugged the Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition around with me for a few days and used it in various public settings. The patrons of my local library really didn’t appreciate the loud fans.
To say the Hyte Y70 Touch is the culmination of a major PC building trend we've seen over the past few years feels like it doesn't do this case justice.
Back in ye olden dæges, even the best PC case was just an aluminum box with a panel that would open up to let you dig into the guts of your computer. But like every other kind of electronic device, it was purposefully designed to hide everything on the inside. After all, who wants to look at printed circuit boards, soldered ICs, and maybe a dusty fan mounted onto the CPU that 95% of people never bothered to clean?
We've come a long way since then, and as PC enthusiasts and gamers invest serious money into their builds, the impulse to show it all off became too great to ignore. We've since introduced plastic side panels, then tempered glass, and in the last five or six years, we've started to see cases that resemble the kind of glass housing once reserved for museums so builders could show off their hard work.
What they haven't really done before, however, is have an off-the-shelf case that integrates functionality into this cutaway case design, since glass is glass and it's only really good for looking through and providing a small measure of physical protection.
Hyte, on the other hand, decided to swap out the corner panel of its already excellent Y60 PC case for a 4K interactive touchscreen that has literally stopped several of my coworkers in their tracks this past week so they could gawk at the video wallpaper, clock, and Twitch chat window embedded into the touchscreen along the corner edge of the Y70.
To be fair, they weren't around to watch me stumble through the process of setting up the touchscreen, since it's really just a second Windows display like any one of the best monitors you'll find, though its 1100x3840p resolution makes it a meh-level second display without Hyte's Nexus software.
Once you install and run the software, it will do all the hard work of actually configuring the display to embed widgets, system information like CPU temperature, and even app shortcuts to put your favorite software a quick touch away.
Of course, to get the case's display to work, it needs to be connected to your graphics card via a DisplayPort connection, so you'll need a graphics card capable of multimonitor support as well as a free DisplayPort output. Nearly all of the best graphics cards, and even most of the best cheap graphics cards, will come with at least two DisplayPort connections, but if you're already running a multimonitor setup, you will likely need to do some cable juggling to make sure your graphics card can run the touchpanel.
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As for what you can do with the touch panel, there's actually quite a bit, including adding widgets for quicker access or displaying system information, or possibly taking a break from playing the best PC games to play a Tetris-style brick dropper instead.
And while this might feel a bit gimmicky, the program shortcuts are an absolute lifesaver as someone who has dozens of windows open on my desktop at any given time.
Finding the shortcut to launch Photoshop on my desktop comes in varying degrees of difficulty depending on how much junk I've dropped onto my desktop over the past few weeks. Being able to turn slightly and touch the Hyte Y70 Touch's display to bring up photoshop is the kind of small thing that adds up to minutes and hours of reclaimed time over weeks and months of use.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
The Nexus software is more or less fine, and it comes with a number of presets that you can run as live backgrounds on the display. One thing to note is that you need to use this software to setup the touch display properly, so once you've built the PC and have successfully booted it up, download and install the software before you do anything else and work through Hyte Nexus.
It's through this software as well that you can build up pages of widgets, turning the Hyte Y70's front-corner panel into something with a smartphone-like interface, making it about as intuitive as it gets.
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
When it comes to actual hardware, the case doesn't come with any fans, but it has room to install up to 10 chassis fans, as well as a 360mm long x 125mm thick radiator on the side and another 360mm long x 68mm thick radiator along the top. You have a lot of options for cooling the rig, but definitely focus on intaking air from the bottom and back of the case, as the front and side walls are glass, so you'll have to be conscientious about proper airflow.
Fortunately, as a dual-chamber case, many of the hottest components are separated to allow for easier cooling and air circulation. The biggest and most obvious way this is done is through the vertically mounted GPU thanks to an included riser. It doesn't hurt that it also shows off your GPU.
In terms of rear capacity, there are two internal drive bays that can fit a pair of the best hard drives at 3.5-inches, or up to four 2.5-inch SATA SSDs. The PSU bay is roomy as well, making cable management easier than with a tighter mid-or-full tower case, which can jam even the best PSUs.
There's more than enough room in the front chamber, so whichever of the best graphics cards you install, the Y70's 16.6-inch GPU clearance is more than enough. It is also able to vertically mount up to a four-slot card, so if that Nvidia Titan RTX refresh ever comes along, you just might be able to fit it in here.
This extra capacity also makes cable management a much easier problem to solve, and even though this is a very premium PC case, it's incredibly user-and-newbie friendly. You'll still have to know where and how you should install various case components like fans and lighting, but the easy-open case gives you all the room you need to work, even if you barely know what you're doing.
And while I am going to rave about this case from here to CES and beyond, it's not all lovely touchscreens and roomy interior. If there's one complaint I have with this case, it would be its price. Coming in at $359.99 / £349.99 (about AU$560), this is significantly more expensive than the Hyte Y60 or Lian-Li O11 Vision, which comes in at just $139.
Of course, none of those cases have a 4K touchscreen interface built-in, so the price isn't unreasonable for what you're getting, but this is a premium case nonetheless, so those on a budget might want to shop around for something more in line with their budget.
Hyte Y70 Touch: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $359.99 / £349.99 (about AU$560)
When and where can you get it? Available in US right now, with UK and Australia availability coming in December
The Hyte Y70 Touch is available in the US right now for $359.99, with a December launch planned for the UK and Australia. The UK retail price will be £349.99, and should sell for about AU$560 in Australia.
This is a roughly 80% price increase over the Hyte Y60, though that case does not include a touch display.
Hyte Y70 Touch: Specs
(Image credit: Future / John Loeffler)
Should you buy the Hyte Y70 Touch?
Buy the Hyte Y70 Touch if...
You want an absolute showpiece The Hyte Y70 Touch will draw a crowd if you let it. I know from personal experience.
You want to have a host of functions and apps at your fingertips
The 4K touchscreen on the Y70 makes it easy to pull up apps, track Twitch chat, and monitor system conditions with ease.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a budget
This is a very premium PC case, so if money's tight, forget about the touchscreen and opt for the Hyte Y60 instead.
You have limited desk space
This is a honking big PC case. If your desk looks like the aftermath of Verdun, you might want to go for something with a smaller footprint.
Hyte Y70 Touch: Also consider
If my Hyte Y70 Touch review has you looking for other options, here are two more PC cases to consider...
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
The Seagate FireCuda 540 is one of the first high-profile Gen 5 NVMe SSDs to hit the market for those who are running one of the best processors for gaming and best motherboards that are PCIe 5.0 compatible.
It’s more than just a successor to the widely popular Seagate FireCuda 530 from a couple of years ago, though, it’s a drive that shows you exactly what the next generation is capable of, but at a cost.
The greatest cost will be to your wallet, because this flagship Gen 5 NVMe SSD carries a particularly high MSRP regardless of where you are in the world. That’s because current motherboard support for Gen 5 NVMe SSDs is limited to the most recent AMD CPU generation with socket AM5 and the current crop of Intel LGA 1700 options. You’re paying a pretty penny to be an early adopter without factoring in the cost in, ultimately.
Speaking of cost, the Seagate FireCuda 540 currently retails for $189.99 (around £150 / AU$300) for 1TB and $319.99 (approximately £260 / $AU$500) for 2TB which is far from cheap.
For context, you can currently find Gen 4 alternatives such as the aforementioned FireCuda 530 and the excellent Kingston Fury Renegade SSD for a fraction of the price for around a 30% performance reduction. That’s long been the case with early adoption, however, you’re paying a premium to be on the bleeding edge, and the results do speak for themselves.
That’s because the Seagate FireCuda 540 absolutely lives up to its claims of 10,000 MB/s sequential performance with both its reads and writes when plugged into to a Gen 5 compatible NVMe M.2 port. The question remains of whether you need this level of sequential performance right now, or if you just want to be ready for when some of the best PC games will take advantage.
Considering just how slow the adoption of Gen 4 SSDs were to the mainstream, having launched in 2019 before being adopted in 2020 and 2021 for PC and PS5, we could be waiting a couple of years to really see software push this hardware in any meaningful way. Still, the Seagate FireCuda 540 is undoubtably a top contender for best SSD of 2023, even if it still feels a bit ahead of its time.
(Image credit: Seagate)
Seagate FireCuda 540: Price & availability
How much does it cost? Starting at $189.99 (around £150 / AU$300)
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Seagate FireCuda 540 is currently available in the US, the UK, and Australia with a starting price of $189.99 (around £150 / AU$300) for 1TB and $319.99 (approximately £260 / $AU$500) for 2TB.
For contrast, that’s a similar price that you will expect to pay for Gen 5 offerings such as the Corsair MP700 which carries an MSRP of $179.99 (about £147.99 / AU$280) for 1TB and $284.99 (around £230 / AU$430) for 2TB. Simply put, these Gen 5 drives are by no means cheap and you are paying a premium when getting in on the ground floor.
Seagate FireCuda 540: Specs
Seagate FireCuda 540: Design & features
Things are kept simple in terms of the physical and visual design of the Seagate FireCuda 540, and that’s for the best considering it will live under a motherboard heatsink from the second it’s installed into your PC. A simple sticker covers the controller and the DRAM with the company’s logo and the name of the drive itself on one side and that’s your lot.
More interesting is the choice of controller itself. That’s because the Seagate FireCuda 540 is running the Phison E26 controller, which is significantly faster than the already excellent Phison E18 controller as featured in many of the best M.2 SSDs to hit the market over the last four years. That’s only one side of the story, though, because further adding to the lightning-fast performance here is the 232-Layer Micron TLC flash memory on board coupled with LPDDR4 DRAM cache for short term memory reads, as many top-end drives include.
While this is a Gen 5x4 drive through and through, it’s also backwards compatible with older 4x4 NVMe slots as well and will cap the performance out at around 7,300 MB/s read and write respectively, however, if you don’t own a PCIe 5.0-ready motherboard then you’re burning money buying one of these to serve for this reason. The rated write endurance is also solid and roughly works out blow-for-blow with the capacity itself. Our review unit is rated at 2000TB for 2TB, however, the 1TB variant is good for 1000TB which is pretty decent overall.
(Image credit: Seagate)
Seagate FireCuda 540: Performance
It may cost a pretty penny but there’s no denying that the Seagate FireCuda 540 absolutely excels as at the top-end of what NVMe drives are physically capable of in 2023. In our industry-standard tests, such as with CrystalDiskMark 8, the drive was absolutely able to hit the quoted performance caps by delivering 10,092.67 MB/s read and 10,144.55 MB/s writes respectively which absolutely blows even the leading Gen 4.0 models out of the water.
This is further compounded by the random 4K read and writes as well as the Seagate FireCuda 540 offered up 625.68 and 476 read and write respectively, which is among the best I’ve personally seen from an NVMe SSD in all my years of testing. AnvilPro further highlighted the finesse of this drive with a total overall score of 30,163.68 which I hadn’t personally seen go so high in all my many reviews of NVMe hardware. Generally speaking, a top-end Gen 4 drive would output around 25,000, so that’s a good 20% increase straight out of the gate.
Furthermore, in our in-house 25GB file transfer test, the Seagate FireCuda 540 further shined with a time of just 16 seconds which comprised a total of 3,716 files including documents, videos, photos, and programs. That’s seriously fast, and goes to show the power of the Phison E26 controller in tandem with the 232-Layer Micron TLC flash memory.
In terms of real-world file transfer times, from a Gen 4 NVMe drive over to the Seagate FireCuda 540 is equally impressive. This can be evidenced with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s mammoth file size of 158.78 GB transferring to the Gen 5 model in just 58 seconds. Similarly, smaller titles such as Deathloop with its 30.98 file size made the jump in only 11 seconds which works out to around 3GB/sec. That’s blisteringly fast, and further cements the sequential prowess of this drive in action.
There is a caveat, though, and that’s the fact that no PC games right now are really optimized for blisteringly quick sequential performance on offer right now. That isn’t to say that future releases won’t be able to take advantage, but games don’t even need a Gen 4 yet to run optimally barring a small list of exceptions. What you’re ultimately buying is futureproofing and insurance so that bigger games that benefit from an SSD will run flawlessly for extra overhead instead of being an essential purchase right now.
(Image credit: Seagate)
Should you buy the Seagate FireCuda 540?
Buy the Seagate FireCuda 540 if...
You want a futureproofed machine By purchasing a Seagate FireCuda 540 with a PCIe 5.0 motherboard, you’ve guaranteeing your system will be able to run the future of titles which may need a faster drive than what’s available to most users.
You want leading sequential performance from your NVMe SSD
The Seagate FireCuda 540 is unrivaled in its sequential performance excelling up to 10,000 MB/s read and write respectively which few NVMe drives can boast right now.
You want good value for money While incredibly impressive, the Seagate FireCuda 540 isn’t exactly an essential purchase for anyone on PC right now apart from enthusiasts. No software really needs or benefits from 10,000 MB/s right now, but that could change in the near future.
Lenovo’s first foray into the AR glasses market could easily be one of the best smart glasses, with a great balance between design and functionality. They look similar enough to other AR glasses on the market, all-black, and mostly sleek sunglasses. There is a bulkiness that comes from the built-in lenses, which does make them jut out from your face a bit, and the optional lenses that can be slotted behind the main ones don't help with that either.
Those spare lenses have a purpose, however, as those who wear corrective lenses can have them made out in our prescription. But having to pay for extra lenses on top of shelling out over $300 for the Legion Glasses is a tall order, which is why I appreciate the modified nose guard that allows you to wear your glasses under them.
Lenovo had warned me about them not fitting every pair of glasses and I personally experienced the awkwardness of trying to shift them to stay on properly, which took a bit to master. But once I found the sweet spot, they stayed in place surprisingly well around my large plastic frames. Not the best look, however, so if you care about aesthetics you may want to splurge for the prescription lenses.
Compared to other AR glasses like the Xreal Air AR which only offers the corrective lens option, or the Rokid Max AR which offers the corrective lens option plus myopia adjustment wheels for each eye, the Legion Go offers the simplest yet most effective method out of them.
The build quality of these glasses is quite premium – it has a sturdy yet light form factor with glass lenses and a solid frame. These are glasses clearly built to last. Not to mention that it comes with spare nose guards and a spare pair of anti-slip adapters for when wear and tear happens.
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I also love the buttons in front of the speakers, two on each side, as they activate several useful features depending on whether you short or long-press them. You can increase or decrease brightness, enable Low Blue Light Mode, control volume, and toggle the display off and on.
As for performance, the Lenovo Legion Glasses work exactly as promised, which is to say, quite well. I extensively tested it out with a wide variety of devices that feature USB Type-C ports including videos on the best smartphones, the Lenovo Legion Go, the best gaming laptops, the best gaming PCs, and more.
Even though it only states that the Legion Glasses works with Android, iOS, and Windows, it also works perfectly with the Steam Deck as well. And it works equally well with all of them, though I wish there were more connection types other than Type-C, however, I can understand the rationale behind it.
The picture quality and brightness are superb, living up to its micro-OLED HD visuals and more. My only real complaint in that regard is the image can blur around the edges a bit and obscure any UI, especially if the glasses aren't fitted properly to your head. Sometimes you have to readjust them to hit that sweet spot, and then the visuals are great. Accompanied by excellent visuals are equally excellent built-in speakers, which are so robust that I forgot I wasn’t playing video games on a gaming PC. That also carries over to music and movie streaming, delivering great audio quality on those fronts.
Something that often isn't mentioned with AR and VR tech in general is how they can affect more sensitive people, such as myself. Normally I have sensitivity issues with 3D, VR, and some AR technology ranging from watering and burning eyes, headaches, and nausea to name a few symptoms. But I've found that prolonged use of the Legion Glasses doesn't affect me in the slightest.
Lenovo Legion Glasses: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future)
How much does it cost? Starting at $329.99 / £329 / AU$599
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Lenovo Legion Glasses is a pricey gadget at $329.99 / £329 / AU$599, though it’s still more affordable than some of its competitors like the Xreal Air AR and Rokid Max AR, making it a much better deal by comparison. And if you're investing in a pair of AR glasses, you're most likely already prepared to spend a sizable amount of money so that shouldn't be much of an issue.
It’s also available for shipping in the US, UK, and Australia from the Lenovo storefront, which is great news for those in regions outside the US.
Lenovo Legion Glasses: Specs
Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Glasses?
Buy it if...
You want good-quality AR glasses The build quality is extremely good with a nice weight and sturdy form factor. The lenses being made of thick glass also help.
You want a clear picture quality The display is made of dual micro-OLED HD screens for each eye and the result is a bright and clear picture quality.
Don't buy it if...
You're on a budget Though it should be expected for AR glasses, you're going to be paying quite a bit of money for them.
You want a completely clear image Though it's usually not an issue, sometimes the edges can blur a bit which is exacerbated by misaligned glasses.
Lenovo Legion Glasses: Also consider
How I tested the Lenovo Legion Glasses
I spent about a week testing these AR glasses
I tested it with a wide variety of screens
I used it extensively in different environments with different lighting
I tested the Lenovo Legion Glasses keyboard in a home office environment, seeing how well it functioned in both productivity work and gaming. I also carried it around in various bags to test its portability.
The Lenovo Legion Glasses is a pair of AR glasses that's meant as an alternative screen for a wide variety of devices. I made sure to quality-test it to see if it held up to being able to work on nearly any device with a USB Type-C port.
I've tested a wide range of accessories and these in particular I've tested for well over a year at different stages of completion, becoming familiar with its features and improvements.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
There's no sense beating around the bush; the Yunzii AL71 is exceptional. Whether you’re looking for something to add to your mech keeb collection or just a reliable keyboard, this might be the best mechanical keyboard and the best wireless keyboard available.
That’s saying a lot, considering the sheer number of great mechanical keyboards currently on offer, but the Yunzii AL71 delivers in every way that counts. It’s incredibly robust, delivers a fantastic performance and typing experience, and comes with a slew of features, some of which you’d be hard-pressed to find in other similarly priced models.
In other words, it’s the complete package. No, scratch that, it’s more than the complete package, with Yunzii throwing in thrills like RGB lighting that syncs up to the audio your PC is playing and seven different colorways. So, not only is it incredibly reliable for both typing and gaming, but it’s also loads of fun. It's one of the best keyboards I've ever tested.
(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
The fun starts in the design, of course. While you can get the Yunzii AL71 barebones to mod it the way you want, it also comes in silver, black, red, pink, purple, green, and blue colorways. My purple unit came with a set of purple, lavender, and green keycaps because, honestly, a single-color keycap set is kinda boring these days. You even get an extra set of keycaps beyond the 71 that the keyboard requires so you can mix and match when you feel like it.
That’s right, this keyboard is a compact one. Not so compact that you’re missing out on dedicated arrow keys, but the 68% form factor is compact enough to save considerable space. Unfortunately, due to its full aluminum case, it’s on the heavy side – too heavy to just toss in your backpack and take with you during commutes or when traveling.
(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
The upside to that though is that it is incredibly robust. The CNC aluminum case means it's also corrosion- and oxidation-resistant, so it’ll last you for years to come. And as an added bonus, it will weigh it down and keep it steady on your desk. You don’t have to worry about this keyboard moving around as you’re button-mashing or typing up long documents. I even tried lightly pushing it around and it would not budge.
It also has a garage for the USB dongle so you don't have to worry about losing it. Next to the garage are two switches, one for changing connections and another for switching between Mac and PC, and the USB-C port.
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Adding to its fun element is its RGB lighting, which has several aspects to it. It illuminates through the two windows on either side of the case for some ambient lighting. And while the accompanying keycaps have printed legends and aren’t transparent, Yunzii designed the keyboard so the RGB lighting illuminates between the keycaps, creating a vibrant glowy effect. The result, I think, is a stunner.
There are, of course, multiple – 14 to be exact – RGB lighting effects that you can cycle through on the fly using the pre-set keyboard shortcuts. If you download the Yunzii app from the Yunzii website, you can further customize them, effectively creating your own RGB lighting design.
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Something fun that many keyboards don't have, though, is the ability to synchronize the RGB lighting to your audio. It’s a nice little surprise that lets you set your RGB lighting to one of 10 available light patterns that move based on the audio that’s playing on your computer. I prefer going with one of the regular lighting effects, but this is still a nifty feature, and I found it works pretty well. Each pattern is customizable as well.
You will, however, need to install the app to access this, as well as the ability to program macros.
Even without the app, you’re getting a feature-rich keyboard. It comes with three types of connection: 2.4GHz wireless, Bluetooth, and wired. The cable-free connections are very reliable – impressively fast with no noticeable lags, even when the keyboard is waking. The keyboard also lets you quickly switch between connections on the fly, thanks to its FN shortcuts. And when it’s run out of juice, the convenience of being able to use it while it’s charging is a much-appreciated treat.
What’s more, the AL71 has multi-platform compatibility. You can now only use it with MacOS and Windows devices, but iOS, iPad OS, and Android ones too. So, if you’ve got a multi-device setup, this one’s a no-brainer.
(Image credit: Future / Michelle Rae Uy)
The feature set and design already make it well worth your money, but Yunzii doesn’t stop there. The true test of a mechanical keyboard’s worthiness is in its performance, and I’m happy to say that the Yunzii AL71 passes with flying colors.
In fact, it only really took a day for this keyboard to impress me. Available in Crystal White and Peach V2 switches, both of which are linear and quiet, typing on it is an absolute joy. I got the Crystal White Switch, which isn’t as quiet as the Peach V2, but I do like a little bit of a satisfying clack – one that’s not so loud that it’s distracting everyone else in the room with me. To be very honest, I prefer a thocky keyboard, but a clacky one, which this keyboard is, comes in a close second.
Luckily, this one comes with pre-lubed stabilizers, which help reduce noise as well as enhance the typing feel. That’s made better by the gasket mount inside, which gives it a slightly more cushioned feel. That helps with reducing finger fatigue, especially for someone like me who spends most of her workday tapping away at the keys. There’s a fine line there, I think. I absolutely hate keyboards that have too much cushion, but this one gets it just right.
Due to its fast wireless performance, I have no problem gaming on this keyboard. Testing it with my current favorites, Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Hogwarts Legacy, I found it to be on par with some of the gaming keyboards I’ve tested from top brands. And while Yunzii hasn’t specified some of the important specs for gaming, it does come with N-key rollover, which helps when you have to press several keys almost all at once.
Yunzii AL71: Price & availability
How much does it cost? $159.99 / £129.30 / AU$245.64
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia
The Yunzii AL71 bears the price tag you’d expect for a great-quality keyboard. However, at $159.99 / £129.30 / AU$245.64, I would argue that it's actually more affordable than other keyboards in its class. Or at least, it offers much better value considering the robust feature set on top of its excellent performance and solid design.
The Yunzii AL71 is a fantastic keyboard that delivers on performance, design, and features.
You want the best value for your money
Compared to other keyboards in its class, it's packed with features you won’t find in pricier keyboards.
Don't buy it if...
You are on a tight budget
If your budget is under $100/£100, this might be a little too much for your wallet.
You prefer a clicky keyboard
This is a clacky keyboard so if you personally prefer the clicky sound, you might not like it.
Yunzii AL71: Also consider
How I tested the Yunzii AL71
I tested the Yunzii AL71 for two weeks
I used it for work and gaming
I put its features through their paces
Making the Yunzii AL71 my main keyboard for two weeks, I used it every day for work, writing articles, emails, and more with it. At night, I used it as my gaming keyboard to play Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Hogwarts Legacy. On top of testing its performance, typing feel, and wireless connectivity, I also put its specific features to the test to make sure that they work as expected.
I've been testing gaming keyboards and other PC gaming peripherals for about 10 years. As a keyboard enthusiast, I also have a collection of mechanical keyboards that I've amassed over the years.
We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained. Regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is one of Microsoft’s two Surface device offerings for 2023, which naturally puts a lot of pressure on it. For the most part, it delivers on what it’s known for, which is to say it’s a very light and small laptop with a touch screen and that’s about it. Oh, it’s also about $200 more despite very few changes to specs and no changes to its design.
There are several positives to this portable machine, mainly that it’s ultra-thin, weighs only 2.49 pounds, and is tiny enough to fit into nearly any carry bag with no issues whatsoever. It’s shocking how much smaller it is compared to the M1 Apple MacBook Air, which is already one of the best thin and light laptops and one of the best laptops period that you can find on the market. But if sheer portability is what you’re looking for, the Surface Laptop Go 3 is your best bet.
However, it’s harder to recommend this laptop for much else. It is an improvement over older models of the Laptop Go series, equipped with a 12th-Gen Intel Core i5 CPU running at 2.5Ghz, a huge improvement over the previous 1.75Ghz 11th-Gen CPU. But the fact that this laptop is more expensive and still running a 12th-Gen instead of a 13th-Gen CPU is mind-boggling. It does have better specs elsewhere, up to double the RAM and storage from the Go 2 at 16GB and 256GB, respectively, with an upgrade to SSD for faster memory, as well as a fingerprint scanner built into all models, which is a step up as well.
The performance is also average at best thanks to the outdated CPU, which carries all the laptop’s processes due to the GPU being integrated Iris Xe graphics. Its benchmark scores from productivity to file transferring to CPU-based gaming can’t compete with similarly priced laptops with better specs. Everyday use is just fine if you’re not looking for particularly strenuous work but if you’re looking for more, it’s most likely best to invest in another laptop.
Due to its extremely light weight and size, it’s not particularly strong and I can imagine how disastrous a fall could be. Its design is virtually the same as older models, which to be fair is a solid one so I can understand the rationale behind not wanting to fix what isn’t broken. But in addition to that, there aren’t any new colors added to the roster of Platinum, Ice Blue, Sage, and Sandstone, which combined makes the lack of change more disappointing.
It has a nice display that’s bright and clean, though not a true 1080p due to the size. Both the keyboard and touchpad are sized well and comfortable to use despite the small build, though I wish the keyboard had back lighting. Too bad the camera is only 720p, while most other laptops have already made the upgrade to 1080p.
One feature that has been improved is the battery life, which lasts almost nine hours under normal productivity work and over six hours when using it for more taxing video streaming. This is compared to the original Laptop Go 2 and especially the original Laptop Go’s atrocious battery life.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Price & availability
(Image credit: Future)
How much does it cost? Starting at $799 / £799 incl. VAT / AU$1,429
When is it available? Available now
Where can you get it? Available in the US and UK
Pricing for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 starts at $799 / £799 (incl. VAT) / AU$1,429, with the 16GB RAM / 256GB storage version priced at $999 / £999 (incl. VAT) / AU$1,729. This is a $200 jump from the Laptop Go 2 model.
Given the jump in cost, it doesn’t fully sit in the affordable laptop market, which was its niche in earlier generations. It also means that it’s directly more comparable to other machines like the M1 and M2 Apple MacBook Air, as well as a variety of Chromebook Plus machines like the Acer Chromebook Plus 515.
Its availability is quite good, as you can snag one whether you’re in the US, UK, or Australia.
Price score: 3 / 5
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Specs
(Image credit: Future)
The review unit I received comes with the following configuration: Intel Core i5-1235U CPU, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage.
The base RAM starts at 8GB and is configurable up to 16GB. The base storage has gotten a bump up from the previous model’s 128GB at a solid 256GB. However, the SSD storage can’t be configured to a higher amount.
Specs score: 3 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Design
Still extremely light and compact
Unchanged from older models
Keyboard and touchpad are great
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 keeps its distinctive design from older models, which is both understandable and disappointing. I can imagine that Microsoft doesn’t want to fix what isn’t broken, and it is a very solid design for a portable machine. You can open and close it with one hand, it fits into almost any bag without any impact on weight as you carry it, and the Pixel Sense display makes up for the fact that it’s too small to be 1080p.
The touchpad and keyboard are still rather nice, and easy to use with great feedback despite its small stature. It’s a shame, though, that there’s still no backlighting for the keyboard, which is a standard among laptops and just handy to have on its own merit for late-night typing.
On the other hand, the fact that it’s unchanged from before can be a huge detriment. There aren’t any new colors other than the same offerings of Platinum, Ice Blue, Sage, and Sandstone, and the shape is falling behind laptops like the M2 MacBook Air, which is much more streamlined and sleek.
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That unwillingness to change also extends to its webcam and port selection. The webcam is 720p in a laptop market that adopted 1080p as the baseline standard a long while ago, and it shows in the very average picture quality. Port selection consists of a single USB Type-A port, one USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and the cursed Surface Connect charging port. While I’m happy to still see a Type-A port, having only one Type-C, no ethernet, no HDMI, and no SD slot for its new pricing is rather lackluster.
It does have a shockingly good audio quality, especially for its size. Most likely it's due to the speakers being located above the keyboard, giving it an unobstructed pathway for its sound. Testing it out on classical music and lyric-filled songs, instruments and vocals alike were clear and clean with little lost at higher volumes.
It’s difficult to overstate how portable this laptop is, and I’m always surprised at how easy it is to carry this laptop. Easily one of the lightest I’ve ever reviewed, right up there with the LG Gram Style.
Design score: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Performance
Performance is completely average
Good for office work, not much else
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Benchmarks
Here's how the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Night Raid: 12,991; Fire Strike: 3,883; Time Spy: 1,407 GeekBench 5: 1,543 (single-core); 5,883 (multi-core)
Cinebench: 5,631 (multi-core)
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: 48fps 25GB File Copy: 28.6 Handbrake 1.6: 15:28 CrossMark: Overall: 1,323 Productivity: 1,325 Creativity: 1,379 Responsiveness: 1,161 Web Surfing (Battery Informant): 8:49:14 PCMark 10 Home test: 4,295 TechRadar Movie Battery test: 6 hours and 14 minutes
While the portability of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 is still top-notch, its performance is painfully average. All its benchmark scores are nothing special compared to other laptops, suffering from its 12th-Gen CPU. Since it uses an integrated GPU, the CPU does all the heavy lifting in terms of performance, whether it’s for productivity work or creative and editing projects. And it being an outdated Core i5 processor powering this laptop puts it behind others released this generation with current tech.
Naturally, unless you’re running a CPU-heavy video game like Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm – which still runs at a okay framerate of around 40fps – you won’t be playing anything but low-end PC titles that could also run on a toaster.
Outside of benchmarks, the Laptop Go 3 performs just like most other Windows laptops when it comes to productivity tasks. I’m able to balance conference calls with various work documents and video streaming going on with very little slowdown. But more intensive tasks, like any creative works or editing that requires downloading, rendering, and uploading larger files, can cause noticeable stuttering and slowdown.
This laptop is clearly meant for office workers or the average college student who needs a portable machine that can handle basic tasks. But considering the sharp price increase costs over its main niche (an extremely portable laptop for a nice low MSRP) it’s harder to justify the still middling specs and performance compared to similarly priced laptops in the same market. The MacBook Air laptops and Chromebooks boot up much faster, run faster and more efficiently, and can juggle multiple tasks without any slowdown whatsoever. For the price, it’s not bad at all but there are simply better options available.
Performance score: 3.5 / 5
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Battery
(Image credit: Future)
Pretty solid battery life
Charge time isn't bad either
One aspect of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 that has noticeably improved is its battery life. It’s leagues ahead of the original Laptop Go, which could barely last four hours per change and took half of that time recharging, and even a solid improvement over the Laptop Go 2 which lasts about six hours on productivity work.
The Laptop Go 3 gives you nearly nine hours of productivity work on a single charge and over six hours of heavy video streaming when we tested it out using our TechRadar movie battery test. When I personally tested out the battery to see how long it would last during my work day, it lasted for about eight hours. It’s still a far cry from the promised “up to 15 hours” from Microsoft but it’s still a very solid if not exceptional battery life.
Battery score: 4 / 5
Should you buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3?
Buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 if...
You want an easy-to-carry laptop There are few laptops as portable and lightweight as this one. It doesn't even put a dent in your carry-on of choice.
Don't buy it if...
You want a better webcam The webcam in this is pretty average not to mention only 720p, making it only good for basic conference calls.
Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3: Also consider
If my Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 review has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...
How I tested theMicrosoft Surface Laptop Go 3
I tested this laptop for about two weeks
I tested its overall productivity performance as well
I used a variety of benchmark tests as well as a CPU-heavy PC game to test this laptop.
To test out the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 I used a full suite of benchmarks to rank both CPU and GPU performance, with more emphasis on the former. I also tested out frame rate performance on various settings with the more CPU-focused PC game Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm.
This laptop would primarily be used for productivity work. Due to its GPU and high color gamut, it can also be used for creative and editing projects, and its CPU means that productivity work is a breeze as well.
I’ve tested out many laptops, especially gaming ones, which gives me plenty of experience with properly benchmarking them. I also have extensive knowledge of testing out general performance such as framerate and graphics.
Removing backgrounds from images used to mean manually masking subjects. Adding different backdrops and drop shadows required a deft touch, too. Not with PhotoRoom: harnessing the power of AI, it automates the background removal process and makes it a cinch to place people and products in new settings, complete with accurate shadows.
Available as a mobile app for iOS and Android, as well as a web-based tool, it has the potential to revolutionize promotional imagery for online businesses. With just a few taps, PhotoRoom makes it possible to cut out subjects, place them against virtual backgrounds, and then export them at the perfect size for different social platforms.
(Image credit: Future)
A Pro subscription removes the PhotoRoom logo from high-resolution exports, unlocks powerful batch editing support, and grants access to a catalog of templates covering everything from birthday cards to seasonal sales. You can make mock magazine covers, create studio-style imagery for your online store, or instantly upgrade your marketing graphics – all without expert knowledge of design software. It can even transform self-portraits into headshots that pass for professional.
It’s easy to use, yet the results are broadly believable. While it's not infallible, PhotoRoom is impressively effective at matching backgrounds and shadows to the lighting of your original subject. And though not every virtual backdrop is photorealistic, the majority give the impression of genuine placement within the scene – or at least that the image has been professionally produced. If PhotoRoom’s presets don’t fit the bill, you can generate custom backgrounds using simple text prompts, giving you theoretically infinite possibilities.
(Image credit: Future)
With layered editing, including the option to place and edit text and graphics, PhotoRoom firmly plants its flag as an alternative to Adobe Express – a rival web-based design tool with AI features from the maker of Photoshop. Editing professionals may find some limitations, but for most users, PhotoRoom is slick, quick, and surprisingly powerful.
If you only want to separate subjects from their backgrounds, there are cheaper – and even free – alternatives. Equally, if you want a fully-fledged image editing solution, you should look at our round-up of the best photo editors.
But if you want an accessible toolkit that lets you rapidly generate pro-grade promotional imagery, and seamlessly place your subjects within a vast library of settings – all from your smartphone or web browser – PhotoRoom is well worth the cost of a monthly subscription.
PhotoRoom: Pricing & availability
Weekly prices start at $4.99 / £3.99 / AU$17.99
Many features are available for free, including background removal
Pro subscription removes branding and unlocks full feature set
PhotoRoom is available as a smartphone app for iOS and Android and online via the PhotoRoom website. Many of its features can be accessed without a subscription, including the background and object removal tools. With the free version, you are limited to 250 image exports, all of which will be watermarked with the PhotoRoom logo.
If you plan to use PhotoRoom for your business, you’ll probably want to pay for the additional features included with a Pro subscription. Paying for full access removes the PhotoRoom logo and export cap. It also unlocks batch editing, design resizing, and high-resolution exports, as well as the full collection of instant backgrounds.
Pricing for the Pro plan varies based on the frequency of the renewal period you choose. In the US, the rolling weekly plan costs $4.99, while the annual plan costs $89.99 per year. In the UK, you can subscribe for £3.99 a week or £69.99 a year. In Australia, the weekly cost is AU$17.99, while the yearly price comes in at AU$139.99.
PhotoRoom offers a free trial of the Pro features through its smartphone apps. Be aware that this will auto-renew if not cancelled before the end of the trial.
PhotoRoom can be accessed using the app or via the web
Simple, icon-based interface is easy to use and understand
One-click templates and AI backgrounds can be easily edited
Whether you use PhotoRoom on the web or through the smartphone app, the core user experience is very similar. The icon-based interface is designed to be simple and self-explanatory, even if you’ve never used a photo editor or any kind of graphic design software.
You start by selecting a tool, template, or photo: all options lead to the same destination, only the route is different. With a Pro subscription, you also have the option to edit in batches, applying the same template or background swap to several images at the same time.
Pick an image, and PhotoRoom will automatically run the background removal tool, separating the subject from its surroundings. From there, you can edit the outline of the cutout, either manually – by painting with a brush to adjust the masking – or with AI assistance, which automatically detects the objects you click.
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Once you’re happy with the cutout, your first option is to explore PhotoRoom’s preset templates. Some are purely functional, making the background transparent or resizing the canvas for different social platforms. Others keep it simple and professional, with a drop shadow and a plain backdrop. The most dynamic add everything from text headlines and graphic elements to photorealistic settings and artistic blurring.
A tap or a click is all it takes to apply any of the templates. What’s more, every component in the template can be repositioned, rotated and resized to suit. Each occupies a separate layer, which you can drag to rearrange. You can also tweak each layer using the adjustment toggles and sliders. While PhotoRoom is far from a Photoshop alternative, you can make a range of color tweaks, change the perspective and add creative effects, including several blur and texture options. All of these tools are intuitive to use, and the learning curve is minimal.
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The instant backgrounds tab is where AI really steps into the spotlight. You can browse by background category, spanning all manner of materials, scenes and settings, or pick from suggested backdrops based on the subject detected by PhotoRoom. Pick one, and you’ll get four versions of that theme. If none fit the bill, you can tap to generate four more.
Where backgrounds get really interesting is with custom prompts. Under the assisted tab, you can specify the surface and any background details you’d like. Or you can go full manual and write the entire prompt yourself, together with a negative prompt to exclude specific elements. You can also upload an image as a prompt. All three are straightforward to use and genuinely accessible.
AI is also deployed for the magic retouch tool, which allows you to paint over objects to remove them from an image, and for instant shadows, which can read the object placement within a given composition and introduce soft, hard, or floating shadows accordingly.
PhotoRoom: Cutouts
AI effectively recognizes and cuts out subjects
Manually brushing to edit the mask can feel clumsy
Any background removal tool is only as effective as its subject recognition. Luckily, PhotoRoom is remarkably good at detecting and selecting. From clothes to creatures, it effortlessly traced around countless subjects in our tests. What’s more, because the AI engine tries to understand what it’s looking at, it’s also effective at cutting out elements within an object – such as the spokes of a bicycle.
That’s not to say it’s perfect. It can struggle when presented with busy scenes that feature multiple potential subjects. Outlining can also falter when there is poor contrast, dim lighting or a low resolution, all of which affect the definition of a subject’s edges. But upload a well-lit image in clear focus and PhotoRoom will almost always extract it cleanly from its surroundings.
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This is good, because editing a cutout isn’t the most precise affair. The guided mode is useful if you want to simply remove specific objects from the selection. But when it comes to manually refining the mask, you’ll need fine fingerwork to paint around objects. And while you can change the brush size, there’s no option to adjust its softness. Strangely, there's no undo option: if you accidentally paint to erase part of a selection, you’ll need to repaint it with the Restore brush – or cancel and start again.
So while the option to edit cutouts is necessary, the slight clumsiness means you’re often better trusting in the automated selection and accepting any minor deviations, which usually won’t be visible when viewed at standard screen sizes.
PhotoRoom: Performance
Instant backgrounds can deliver remarkable realism
Post templates require more creative input
Retouch tool is a useful addition for removing objects
A creative eye is still required when it comes to working with templates. Unlike backgrounds, PhotoRoom won’t suggest templates to suit your image, so you’ll need to pick one that works for your subject and purpose.
Realism is rarely the aim here, with many of the presets featuring bold graphics, text, and obviously simulated settings. It’s important to choose one that matches the theme of your subject, otherwise, your cutout can look out of place. Perspective is also important to bear in mind, particularly with product photography: the templates are most useful for subjects shot straight-on.
The best of PhotoRoom’s templates are those that keep things subtle, specifically those that place your subject against a relatively plain background with a soft drop shadow. Even then, you’ll often want to adjust the placement of your subject within the template and consider adding a shadow using the adjustment menu. With the right touch, results can be fun and dynamic.
(Image credit: Future)
The believability factor is far higher with PhotoRoom’s instant backgrounds. That’s not to say that every placement looks like a real photo. You will still encounter AI artifacts, especially with backgrounds generated from prompts. You’ll also need to ensure that the scale appears consistent: many have defocused elements that can throw off the perspective. One background made a bicycle look like a miniature model on a shelf, for example.
On the whole, PhotoRoom is remarkably good at placing subjects in scenes with a high degree of realism, particularly when that subject is an object. Whether you pick from PhotoRoom’s suggested backgrounds or select a theme for yourself, it will incorporate the item contextually – often with breathtaking effectiveness.
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When tasked with placing a camera on a table surrounded by succulents, PhotoRoom generated shadows that looked true to life, weighting the camera in the scene. Swapping the table for a concrete step, it added a subtle reflection in the polished stone below. Equally, when situating a lamp on a bedside table, it cast a glow on the neighboring wall. It’s these details that make PhotoRoom stand out as a tool for product photography.
Not every result appears authentic, but for every four variations generated, at least half could pass for a genuine image from a photoshoot – certainly to the untrained eye on social media. Even those that don’t quite pass for genuine frequently look as if they’ve been manipulated by a professional graphic designer. And it’s worth remembering that these aren’t fixed scenes into which different subjects are substituted: each is generated specifically for the given subject, based on your chosen theme or prompt.
(Image credit: Future)
What’s so impressive is that new versions can be generated with just a click, and every result can be reworked simply by changing a few words in the text prompt. As with many generative tools, prompts won’t always yield the exact visual you had in mind. But the option does put an arsenal of creative possibilities at your fingertips, with no training required. With batch editing available to Pro subscribers, you can achieve a consistent look for up to 50 image subjects at once. This works best with similarly framed shots.
In short, PhotoRoom is a powerful tool for producing virtual photoshoots. If you’re an online seller, it has the potential to eliminate the need for expensive and time-consuming seasonal shoots. From one clear, well-lit set of images, you can produce realistic visuals of your subjects in all manner of scenarios, from minimalist retail stores to kitchens at Christmas. When you compare the relative costs and the quality of its output, PhotoRoom makes a convincing case for itself.
Should I buy PhotoRoom?
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Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
PhotoRoom: Also consider
The closest competitor to PhotoRoom is Adobe Creative Cloud Express. Like PhotoRoom, this is a web- and app-based editing platform that makes it easy to produce professional marketing graphics.
It doesn’t have PhotoRoom’s ability to produce instant AI backgrounds for a given subject, which means PhotoRoom remains the top choice if you want to create realistic virtual product shoots. But Adobe Express does include a free cutout tool, social templates, and AI-powered generative fill, which can be used to add and remove elements within existing images.
If you’re looking for an intuitive online solution for producing polished marketing content in a range of sizes and formats, Adobe Express is arguably the more comprehensive option in terms of templates, font styles, graphic elements, and overall versatility. At $9.99 per month, it’s more affordable on a monthly basis, although the yearly fee of $99.99 makes PhotoRoom the cheaper annual choice.
It’s worth noting that if you have a Creative Cloud subscription, you’ll likely have access to Adobe Express already.
Apple’s October reveal of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) range was both an unexpected, in terms of its timing, and a risky one. We expected that Apple would bring out a successor to the M2-based MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) at some point, but few Apple watchers thought it would happen a mere 10 months later.
It's a risky move for several reasons. For a start, it risks annoying people who bought the last MacBook Pro 16-inch – particularly the maxed-out M2 Max model – and who will have thought they’d have some time before the very expensive laptop they just purchased was superseded. While trying to stay at the cutting edge of computing products is a ridiculous and expensive pastime, and while the reveal of the M3 Pro and M3 Max doesn’t suddenly make the M2 versions redundant, I can see why this might leave a bitter taste in the mouth for a lot of people.
It also risks making the whole M2 generation look like a misfire which Apple is keen to move on from. While the leap from M1 to M2 wasn’t huge, it didn't feel like a misfire – at least not until Apple launched not just the M3 at its October Scary Fast event, but also the M3 Pro and M3 Max, along with replacements for 10-month-old laptops and a new iMac that completely skipped the M2 altogether.
The good news is that with a starting price of $2,499 / £2,599 / AU$4,299, you’re getting the performance upgrades of the M3 series for the same price at the previous generation started at; well, that’s good news for people who held off buying the M2 Pro or M2 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro, although it could be seen as yet another insult to anyone who did buy those laptops, especially if they did so only a few weeks ago.
As with previous models, you can choose a variety of configurations, including M3 Pro or M3 Max chips, and up to 128GB of unified memory – and you’ll want to make sure you nail your options before you buy, as you can’t upgrade the laptops afterwards. Of course, the better specs you go for, the more money this already-expensive laptop is going to cost.
Also, unlike the new 14-inch MacBook Pro, there isn’t a more affordable option with the base M3 chip, so I can only recommend the MacBook Pro 16-inch to people who have the budget and need for such a powerful machine.
If that’s you, then this could be your new favorite laptop. It keeps the same best-in-class screen from previous models, with a stunning 16.2-inch display with a sharp 3456 x 2234 resolution and Liquid Retina XDR tech, offering 1,600 nits of peak brightness for incredible vividness and dynamic contrast. The ProMotion tech also allows for 120Hz refresh rates, which keeps the macOS operating system, and any app you run (or website you scroll through) feeling fast, smooth and responsive.
A great array of ports, including plenty of USB-Cs, a HDMI and memory card reader, gives professionals plenty of flexibility when using the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) when out and about.
Performance-wise, this is an impeccable workstation, with Apple building on the already impressive M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBooks. There wasn’t a task the new 16-inch MacBook Pro couldn’t handle during my testing, even when editing 4K footage with multiple 4K and 8K video files, and it also did an impressive job of running the latest games. That’s right: with the new 16-inch MacBook Pro (and the 14-inch model), Apple might have just come out with the first gaming MacBook. No longer is its ‘Pro’ range of MacBooks all work and no play.
(Image credit: Future)
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) review: Price and availability
The launch may well have set a record (and not a terribly good one) for shortness of lifespan for a new device, as the 16-inch MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips were discontinued as soon as Apple announced the new M3 Pro and M3 Max versions. That’s sure to annoy a lot of people who only bought what was the latest and most powerful MacBook Pros less than a year ago.
You’d also be forgiven for wondering if this new MacBook Pro 16-inch will itself become outdated in just nine months. That seems unlikely, but I’d have said the same in January of this year – there was a gap of 14 months between the M1 Pro and M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pros and the M2 versions). And, while the M2 models, as well as the M1 models, are still supported by Apple, if no longer sold by it, I wouldn’t blame you for being cautious. Always having the latest model of a MacBook is going to be difficult – and expensive – at the best of times, but for a new model to be replaced in just nine months definitely feels a bit cheeky. Would Apple attempt to do that with an iPhone?
At least Apple has kept the starting price of the new MacBook Pro 16-inch the same, at $2,499 / £2,599 / AU$4,299, which gets you a version with the M3 Pro chip, which comes with a 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU, 18GB of unified memory and 512GB SSD.
That means you’re essentially getting a big boost with the M3 Pro, plus more memory (the rather odd 18GB compared to the M2 Pro model’s 16GB), for no additional cost. That’s nice for people who had been weighing up the M2 Pro version up until a few weeks ago, although it could be construed as another slap in the face for people who've bought the M2 Pro.
The good news, however, is that while Apple has stopped selling the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro 16-inch models, other retailers are still selling them, and they will likely be quite keen to clear inventory to make way for the M3 generation. That means you may be able to pick up an M2 Pro or M2 Max model with a big price cut, especially during the upcoming Black Friday deals event – and because those laptops are less than a year old, you could get yourself a still-excellent laptop for a bargain price.
You can also get the 16-inch model with the same M3 Pro chip, 36GB of memory and 512GB SSD for $2,899 / £2,999 / AU$4,899.
The next step up comes with the more powerful M3 Max chip, which features a 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU, 36GB unified memory and 1TB SSD for $3,499 / £3,599 / AU$5,999. Finally, you can get a model with the M3 Max with a 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB Unified Memory and 1TB of storage for $3,999 / $4,099 / AU$6,899.
You can also configure the new 16-inch MacBook Pro to come with 64GB or 128GB of memory, and up to 8TB of SSD storage.
The fully-specced out version will set you back an immense $7,199 / £7,299 / AU$11,699. If you’re one of the few people who can a) afford this and b) need this kind of power, you’ll need to allow for two to three weeks for it to be delivered.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro is certainly a premium workstation laptop with the price tag to prove it, and while this will put many people off, for many others who require seriously strong hardware for work, may see this as a good investment – despite fears that Apple could drop a follow-up nine months later.
Unlike the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3) which launched alongside it, the 16-inch model doesn’t come with a more affordable model with the base M3 chip. This is the first time the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros have differed (apart from their screen sizes).
Value score: 3/5
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Specs
(Image credit: Future)
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Design
Same design as earlier model
New Space Black color option
Still the best screen you can get on a laptop
When it comes to the design of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), Apple has hardly deviated from the previous model – the only change is a new color option, called ‘Space Black’, which Apple claims is made with a “breakthrough chemistry” that reduce the retention of fingerprints by creating am anodisation seal.
Apple sent me a MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) in that color, and it looks great. Black can sometimes not be the most exciting color for tech to come in, but there’s a nice metallic finish to Space Black that gives it a depth that other laptops of a similar hue often lack. It looks serious and professional, which is what you want from a mobile workstation like the 16-inch MacBook Pro. It would be nice to have some more vibrant colors with the next MacBook Air, however. I can also confirm that whatever (space) black magic Apple used to banish fingerprints works a treat – after handling it for days, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) showed not a single fingerprint, whereas other MacBooks would be beginning to look a bit smudged by now.
There is a bit of a design oversight, I feel, as while the braided charging cable comes in black to match the color of the MacBook Pro it came with (much like with the 24-inch iMacs), the power brick that you plug into the wall socket remains white, which looks a bit ugly with the rest of the Black Space-colored MacBook Pro.
I should also point out that while I liked the new Space Black color, a few of my colleagues – especially the ones who usually use MacBooks – weren’t too impressed, noting that it didn’t look like a MacBook, and more like a standard black laptop. One even commented that it looked like a gaming laptop – which is interesting as Apple has been pushing the gaming abilities of its M3 lineup.
Aside from that, things are identical to the model released at the beginning of 2023, which itself was the same as the model from 2021, but to be honest, I don’t mind. I feel Apple nailed the design of the first 16-inch MacBook Pro two years ago – the keyboard is comfortable and responsive (banishing the poor reputation older MacBook Pro keyboards suffered from), the Touch ID button lets you securely sign in and pay for things with a quick tap, and there’s an excellent array of ports (SDXC memory card slot, three Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports, a full-sized HDMI port and headphone jack.
(Image credit: Future)
There was a fashion a few years ago to keep make laptops thinner and lighter, and that often came at the expense of ports. While that’s fine for regular laptops, for workstations where you’re likely going to want to plug in a lot of peripherals, such as hard drives, external monitors or projectors and memory cards, having only two USB-C ports, one of which often gets used to charge the laptop, just isn’t enough.
With the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), you can leave pretty much all of your adapters at home, and plug everything directly in to the laptop – making it a far more convenient device for people who travel a lot. With the quality of the screen (I’ll get to that in a moment), six-speaker sound system, studio quality mics and 1080p FaceTime HD webcam, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) continues what I appreciated so much about the previous versions – that it offered excellent quality with its built in features which meant you didn’t necessarily have to plug in external screens, microphones or speakers, which gives a level of flexibility to creatives working in film, animation, music and photography.
The slimline bezels around the screen still feel nice and modern (just compare it to the older 13-inch MacBook Pro to see what a difference a thin frame around the display can make), and yes, the ‘notch’ around the webcam remains, dipping down into the menu bar at the top of the desktop. The controversy over this was overblown back in 2021 when it debuted with the new 16-inch model, and it remains a non-issue now. macOS Sonoma, like the previous versions of macOS, adapts to it well, moving menu items to either side of the notch, and with the large 16-inch screen, you really don’t notice it, as you get a large, unobscured workspace.
The 16.2-inch screen remains the best display you can get on a laptop, with a sharp 3456 x 2234 resolution and Liquid Retina XDR tech, offering 1,600 nits of peak brightness for incredibly vivid colors and dynamic range, especially with HDR footage. Mini-LEDs and local dimming help make dark scenes look absolutely superb, and the P3 wide color gamut and support for 1 billion colors allows for accurate tones that will be essential for video editors and photographers in particular.
Perhaps my favorite part of the 16-inch MacBook Pro’s screen (which is also found in the 14-inch model), is the ProMotion technology, which supports up to 120Hz refresh rates, and can automatically adjust that rate to match onscreen content. This can be particularly noticeable when scrolling though websites or documents. Text, images and even moving footage all scroll smoothly and remain visible no matter how fast you scroll up and down. TV shows and movies also benefit from this – as well as computer games. Apple has been keen to emphasise the M3 line up’s prowess when it comes to playing graphically-demanding games, and ProMotion is key selling point (high refresh rate screens are increasingly common in premium gaming laptops).
ProMotion also helps extend battery life of the MacBook Pro by reducing the refresh rate when it detects static content.
Finally, there’s a MagSafe 3 port for easily connecting (and safely disconnecting) the power supply. It’s good to have, especially if you forget the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) is plugged in and pull it away, as the charger will disconnect safely without damaging any ports. It also means you don’t lose one of the USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports when it needs to be charged – though you can use one of those ports to top up the battery if you leave your MagSafe 3 cable behind.
So, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) doesn’t do anything new design-wise, but that really isn’t a bad thing. Why tinker with such a great design? Sure, Apple could have added a touchscreen, or even *shudder* resurrect the Touch Bar above the keyboard, and at 1.62kg (3.6lbs), it is a heavy laptop to carry around, but honestly, this would just be tweaking for tweaking’s sake – and could come at a cost (such as dropping some of the ports for a lighter and thinner design). I don’t want Apple getting complacent, but for now, I am perfectly happy that the company has stuck to a tried-and-tested design.
Design score: 5/5
(Image credit: Future)
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Performance
Superb performance
Big leap over M1 Pro and M1 Max
Can play modern games
Apple made some big claims about the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips at its launch event in October, and it sent me the MacBook Pro 16-inch with the high-end M3 Max (with 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU) and 48GB of unified memory, which is the most expensive preconfigured MacBook Pro 16-inch you can buy.
There are less powerful models, and you can also configure the MacBook Pro 16-inch to come with more memory and SSD storage, and I recommend you think carefully about what configuration suits your needs. The model I received will be overkill for a lot of people, unless you’re planning on doing some seriously intensive workloads when it comes to graphics rendering and video, but as this is an Apple device, it’s notoriously impossible to upgrade yourself, which means the specs you choose before you buy are going to be the ones you’ll have to live with.
If you do go for a lower-specced model of the 16-inch MacBook Pro (M3), then you won’t get the exact experience I got with the highest-end model, but even at the lower specs, you’re going to get a very good experience.
According to Apple, the M3 Max inside the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers up to 45% faster CPU performance than the M2 Max, and up to 20% faster graphics performance. That’s not a bad step up in just 9 months, and is probably enough of a gap to make M2 Max owners regret their purchase. However, it’s not enough to justify replacing an M2 Max model with the M3 Max – even if you get a good trade-in price.
Benchmarks
Here’s how the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
Cinebench R24 CPU: Single-Core: 140; Multi-Core: 13,122 Geekbench 6 Single-Core: 3,219; Multi-Core: 21,345 Blender:Monster: 207.7; Junkshop: 125.5; Classroom: 87.8 Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 24 hours and 35 minutes
When it comes to the older M1 Max, the gap is more pronounced, with Apple claiming 80% faster CPU speeds, and 40% faster graphics performance. However, it’s clear that when Apple talks about performance gains, it really wants to address owners of Intel systems (be they older MacBooks or Windows 11 PCs), and here the performance gains are much larger, with Apple claiming the M3 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro is up to 5.3 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro.
That’s an impressive boast, but bear in mind that the last MacBook Pro to come with an Intel chip was back in 2020, but Apple is referring to the 2019 MacBook Pro 16-inch model, which came with a 9th generation Intel Core i9-9980HK in its top configuration.
In our own independent benchmark tests, we definitely saw a good leap between the M3 Max and M1 Max MacBook Pro 16-inches, with a 35% increase in Geekbench 6 in single core CPU performance, and a huge 69% increase in multi-core performance.
Cinebench R24 saw a similar leap, with a 25% gain in single-core performance, and 98.9% increase in multi-core. This tracks, with the M3 having more cores that perform better, so multi-core performance increases as you’d expect.
The GPU performance also brought big increases according to the Cinebench test, with a leap of 188% for the M3 Max. These are all very impressive results.
But what do they mean for real-world use? In our Handbrake encode test, where we take a 4K video and re-encode it at 1080p, the M1 Max completed the task at 61fps (frames per second), while the M3 Max did it at 107fps, an increase in 76.6%, and with the higher fps, the task completed much more quickly – and this is how the new M3 series of chips can impact you, as there’s a noticeable cut in the time it takes to complete workloads, especially graphics-intensive ones.
(Image credit: Future)
In my day-to-day use of the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), I was really impressed with how fast macOS Sonoma ran, allowing me to have a large number of applications open and running at once, plus a Chrome browser full of open tabs. The performance of the MacBook Pro 16-inch with M3 Max makes working on the laptop fast and fluid, and again, it feels like it’s an experience that’s been designed to speed up workflows, especially for creatives. Opening up and editing 4K videos in Premier Pro was incredibly quick, and I was able to add effects and use AI-enabled tools and see the results instantly, rather than having to wait for scenes to render. By speeding up workflows like this, I was able to complete the editing much more quickly, and for professional video editors, this means projects can be completed faster, which could enable you to take on more work. Suddenly, this very expensive laptop looks more like a wise investment.
One of the most exciting developments with the M3 family of chips is Apple’s focus on gaming performance, and I was keen to put this to the test.
Running games such as Shadow of the Tomb Raider, I was able to get 108fps at the highest settings at 1200p resolution (twice what we managed on the M1 Max), and in Total War: Warhammer III, it hit 58.2fps.
I also loaded up Baldurs Gate 3, a turn-based RPG that’s just launched, and is a popular game with a version made for Apple’s M3 lineup. On the M3 Max-powered MacBook Pro 16-inch, the game looked fantastic, with many graphical settings on ‘Ultra’. The ProMotion display also puts in good work, allowing me to cap framerates at 120fps, and while I might not often hit that in a graphically-busy game like Baldurs Gate 3, the ability to reach higher frame rates makes for a much smoother experience. There were a few times when odd graphical glitches appeared, such as strange lines in shadows, but they were only temporary, and it could be down to driver support for the new M3 chips.
I also played Baldurs Gate 3 on the new iMac 24-inch (M3), and while it was nice to play on an iMac, the power difference was clear, as the graphical settings had to be lowered, and there were still hitches in performance.
The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3), then, has the potential to rival many of the best gaming laptops based on this showing – and it even looks the part if you go for the Space Black color option. Impressively, while the fans did kick in, they never got as loud as most gaming laptops get when powering through games, though the part of the chassis just above the keyboard did get noticeably hot to touch while gaming.
Performance score: 5/5
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Battery life
Over 24 hours in benchmark test
Shorter for intensive tasks
Gaming drains it even faster
Since the switch to Apple silicon, the battery lives of all flavor of MacBook have been seriously impressive – especially the 16-inch models, which come with physically larger batteries, along with all the efficiency features of the M3 lineup.
Apple claims that the new MacBook Pro 16-inch ‘delivers that longest battery life ever in a Mac’, with a lithium-polymer battery with 100 watt-hours of capacity, offering up to 22 hours of video playback and 15 hours of web browsing.
In our battery life benchmark, where we ran a looped 1080p video until the MacBook Pro turned off, the battery lasted just over 24 hours – that’s incredibly impressive. Now it’s unlikely you’re going to be using the MacBook Pro 16-inch for just watching a local video file, but it shows how far we’ve come – the fact that such a powerful laptop with a relatively large and bright screen can hit those kind of numbers is a real credit to what Apple has achieved with its M3 lineup.
(Image credit: Future)
When using the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) for more intensive tasks, the battery will deplete faster, but during my time with it, I never felt the need to charge it halfway through a day. The performance also remained consistent whether the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) was plugged into the charger or not – which is definitely nice to see, as some laptops reduce performance when on battery power to lengthen the time before it needs to be charged.
When gaming on the battery, the battery depletes even faster, and if you're playing a graphically-intensive game, you're looking at around three to four hours of battery life. That may sound shocking for a MacBook, but even the best gaming laptops often only last that long.
With the 140W USB-C Power Adapter included in the review sample I received, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) charged up quickly, taking less than an hour to go from empty to 100%.
Battery life score: 5/5
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3): Should you buy it?
