ScalaHosting is a very respectable email hosting provider, especially if your are looking to scale fast. Growing businesses, in particular, are likely to [refer the fact that ScalaHosting’s plans let you set up multiple email accounts for the same fee, rather than charging per account. 

There’s also a real variety of plans on offer - something to cater for companies of all sizes depending on how big your businesses is currently. Security and support are also both robust, so you hopefully won’t encounter any issues with ScalaHosting, but if you do, someone should be able to assist

ScalaHosting: Plans and pricing

With ScalaHosting you have the choice of signing up to four email hosting plans, each on either 12-month or 36-month contracts. These plans are StartUp, SmallBiz, Medium, and Cloud. With the StartUp plan, you get 10 email accounts for $6.95 a month on the 12-month contract or $4.95 for a 36-month plan. 

If you choose a SmallBiz contract, this will cost $9.95 per month for 50 email accounts on a 12-month plan or $6.95 on a 36-month one. The Medium plan costs $14.95 per month for 100 email accounts if you sign up for 12 months and $9.95 per month if you choose 36 months. The Cloud plan is the most premium on offer and lets customers set up an unlimited number of email accounts. It will cost you, however. The Cloud plan costs $19.95 per month for a 12-month plan and $14.95 per month for a 36-month contract. This is also the only pricing tier where you can sign up for just a single month - but this costs a whopping $34.95.

It’s notable that ScalaHosting’s email pricing comes with multiple email accounts even with the most basic pricing plan. In this sense, it’s somewhat similar to IceWarp, which can only be signed up with a minimum of 10 users. It contrasts with a lot of other email hosting providers that offer prices per mailbox, such as DreamHost. Overall, ScalaHosting’s email plans are pretty affordable, but if you don’t need the 10 email accounts that come with the StartUp plan, there are cheaper alternatives out there.

Features

One of the most useful features that comes with every SalaHosting email plan is daily offsite backups. With businesses facing a huge number of cyberattack threats every day - and email representing a popular attack vector - disaster recovery is crucial to ensure businesses don’t face financial or reputational damage as a result of a compromised email account.

Other features that come with a ScalaHosting email hosting plan include a range of email accounts, domains, and web-based email. On the other hand, if you sign up for the more expensive Cloud plan, you get a number of premium features, such as improved inbox delivery. This provides your outbound email with a dedicated IP address, which significantly reduces the likelihood of your emails going straight into the spam box of your customers.

And as one of the main reasons why businesses choose a dedicated email hosting plan is to improve the credibility of their brand, the inclusion of additional branding and whitelabelling as a premium feature could also come in handy. With this feature, you can set your company name and upload your logo to the control panel so your email account has a more professional look and feel.

Support

ScalaHosting’s support is impressive, although only really goes up a notch when if your subscribe to the Cloud plan. You’ll need to be a customer at this tier if you want access to premium support, which means your requests are looked into before any other standard support requests.

However, ScalaHosting’s standard support remains impressive. It consists of a 24/7 professional technical support team that can be contacted either via live chat for an instant response or via support ticket, with the latter still promising an impressive 15-minute response time. This support is available for anything hosting-related, whether it concerns your email plan or not.

ScalaHosting also has a bespoke client area, a technical support email contact, and an extensive Knowledge Base. The Knowledge Base is easy to search and has a range of resources that relate specifically to email hosting, like tips for when your emails are being classified as spam, ways to add an email signature, and account management issues.

Security

Standard security is offered across ScalaHosting’s StartUp, SmallBiz, and Medium plans, with High security coming as part of the Cloud plan. One of the most fundamental security features of any business email hosting plan is anti-spam protection. With ScalaHosting, this correctly filters 99.98% of the spam messages you receive.

As the spam filtering success rate shows, it’s impossible to prevent 100% of malicious exploits targeting your email accounts. That’s why it’s important to have a good disaster recovery plan in place should you suffer something like a data breach or ransomware attack. The good news is that ScalaHosting’s email hosting plans are backed up offsite daily in a server located on a different continent. This means you can recover any file or email with a simple click, regardless of what happened to the original. 

The competition

In terms of pricing, ScalaHosting’s introductory offer represents good value, especially if you consider that all plans come with multiple email accounts. While some email hosting plan, like A2 Hosting and IONOS charge per account, even ScalaHosting’s cheapest plan, designed for startups allows you to create up to 10 email accounts. 

Aside from price, ScalaHosting offers generous amounts of cloud storage - maybe not as much  as you get with IceWarp - but still an amount that should be enough. In other areas, ScalaHosting holds up well too. Its support and security credentials are a match for most of the other email hosting providers out there.

ScalaHosting: Final verdict

ScalaHosting offers great business email hosting plans. It is reliable, secure and comes with all the features you need to add credibility to your brand. It’s also pretty affordable, especially if you’re a business that expects to need multiple accounts. A good choice, particularly for companies with ambitious expansion plans.

We've also featured the best email hosting services.

It’s easy to see why A2 Hosting is one of the best email hosting services out there - it’s a very good all-rounder. It’s also affordable. You may want a shorter subscription but the terms on offer suggest that A2 is committed to its customers too. A contract works both ways. In terms of reliability and speed, A2 performs well and its support options are extensive. So, if you do need to get in direct contact with the company, it shouldn’t be a problem.

A2 Hosting: Plans and pricing

Standing apart from other business email hosting providers, A2 Hosting keeps things simple by offering just two different pricing tiers: Professional and Pro Plus. The Professional plan is available for $1.59 per account per month on a 36-month plan, while the Pro Plus plan costs $2.59 per account per month, again for a 36-month plan. In addition, it’s also possible to purchase email hosting as an add-on to an A2 Hosting web hosting plan, with prices for email hosting add-ons starting from $1.99 per month.

While there are free email hosting plans available, these are unlikely to be suitable for even the smallest businesses. This is because using a generic Gmail or Outlook account name isn’t necessarily the best image in terms of your company’s seriousness and professionalism. In addition, opting for a paid email hosting plan like those offered by A2 Hosting, provides you with a range of additional features, as well as additional security and uptime guarantees. 

A2’s email hosting plans are competitively priced in any case and come with a money-back guarantee so there’s limited risk in going with this service. For instance, you can request a full refund within the first 30 days of you signing up and a prorated refund for any unused service if you choose to cancel after this, rounded up to the next full month of service. 

Features

Starting with the Professional plan, features include 10 GB of cloud storage per account, integrated email, calendar and contacts, and multi-email account administration tools. There’s also support for webmail and native apps for Android and iOS. This is especially important given the rise of hybrid work. For many employees, it’s no longer the case that they are chained to their desks during the traditional 9-5, so it’s essential they can check their emails remotely.

Other important features included within the Pro plans are email importing and email filtering. Email importing from a different email account on a remote server is straightforward with either the Professional or Pro Plus plans and A2 provides a helpful guide to speed things along. Filtering functionality is also a plus and allows you to take more control of your inbox. This means you can better organize and prioritize your emails, including the ability to set custom filter rules tailored to your preferences.

At the Pro Plus pricing tier, there’s quite a lot of additional functionality and it’s nice to see that you are getting something for the higher price tag. For instance, customers at this price range get everything that comes with the Professional plan, plus read receipts, follow-up reminders, send later and send as alias features. You’ll find that many of the features that come with the Pro Plus plans are all about saving you time - and they are pretty successful at it. For example, the email templates and signature builder features save you from repetitive tasks when sending the same (or very similar) messages frequently. 

It’s also worth noting that you can access A2’s email hosting services, including the features we’ve mentioned, for free when you sign up to some of its other hosting services. Although some of its premium functionality is saved for its dedicated email hosting plans, you can still receive a customized email address and “moderate” features if you choose to go with any of A2’s shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated hosting plans. 

Support

Support is one of the strengths of A2 Hosting’s email hosting service. The company has a customer service team that it calls “The Guru Crew” available to contact 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. This can be via telephone, email, or live chat too, so there are multiple ways of getting a response to your query. 

You can also submit a support ticket if you’d rather get in touch with A2 Hosting that way and there’s a pretty extensive knowledgebase to help you resolve any issues you may have yourself. The latter includes resources on account management, importing contacts, set up and more. There’s also an even larger knowledgebase covering some of A2 Hosting’s other services. Should you have an issue with any of these, whether it's web hosting, WordPress hosting or anything else, it probably won’t be hard to find a solution.

Overall, it’s the sheer number of different support options available to A2Hosting email hosting customers that makes this service stand out. While some providers are relatively limited in how you are able to get in touch with them, A2 Hosting leaves the decision firmly in the customer’s hands.

Security

On the surface, at least, A2 Hosting’s email hosting plans offer some decent safeguards. Two-factor authentication can be easily enabled for both the  Professional and Pro Plus email hosting plans, there’s support for the SSL, POP3, and IMAP protocols to add encryption around your communications, and spam and malware protection come as standard. We did read some complaints online that A2 deleted a customer’s entire email account without warning because their subscriptions had expired, but we didn’t have any concerns.

The competition

A2 Hosting’s email hosting plan comes with a handy comparison guide that goes someway to revealing who the company sees as its main rivals. These include Google Workspace, Zoho Mail, Microsoft 365, Rackspace, and IceWarp.  

Compared to the competition, A2 Hosting really stands out as a great all-rounder. There aren’t really any other email hosting services that offer such a wide range of support options, as well as cloud storage and security features.

A2 Hosting: Final verdict

As with its other hosting services, A2 Hosting’s email hosting stands up very well. Some customers may have reservations about the pricing plans available or A2’s security credentials, but we thought both would be ideal for a wide range of businesses. 

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Bluehost is one of those hosting providers that doesn’t only offer email hosting services. As such, there’s a plethora of other hosting services on other, from shared hosting to dedicated and VPS hosting.

Looking at its email hosting specifically, however, the simplicity of its two pricing tiers makes a nice change from some providers that make your head spin with a raft of different numbers. Either tier provides a reliable, secure service - even if you might find more affordable options out there.

Bluehost: Plans and pricing

Bluehost’s email hosting is available across two pricing plans: Professional Email and Professional Email Plus. The Professional Email plan costs $14.99 for the first year, rising to $24.99 a year per account upon renewal. The Professional Email Plus plan, meanwhile, is nearly twice as expensive, costing $24.99 for the first year and $44.99 per account per year following renewal. 

You’ll notice that Bluehost’s email hosting isn’t the cheapest and there’s no option for paying monthly, so you do have to commit yourself financially somewhat. If budget is a major concern for your email hosting needs, you might be better off going with Hostinger or Neo.

You should also keep in mind that Bluehost offers many other hosting services besides email hosting. As such, we’d advise that you take your time during the checkout process. We’ve found that when purchasing a service from the company, many other solutions are automatically added to your basket. You might not notice these at first, because often they are added as an initial free trial. However, when they automatically renew, you could find yourself facing an unexpected bill for a feature that you never use. 

Of course, you may find the added level of professionalism that comes with a Bluehost email account is worth the cost. The advance features may also make it worth the expenditure for your business, especially when you examine the functionality on offer with Professional Email Plus. It remains true, however, that if your budget is tight, then there are probably other email hosting providers that are better suited to your needs. 

Features

The main difference you see with the features that Bluehost provides across its pricing tiers is in terms of storage and the number of email aliases you are allowed. With the Professional Email plan, for example, you receive 25GB of cloud storage and can create up to 25 email aliases. If you’re a subscriber to the Professional Email Plus plan, on the other hand, you’ll see your storage limit increase to 80GB and you are then able to create up to 50 email aliases. 

Features that come with both plans include unlimited mail filters, email forwarding, the ability to sync across devices, and the ability to share your calendar, contacts, and tasks for easier collaboration. For businesses that want their email hosting to come with productivity tools, Bluehost also fits the bill and comes with an integrated suite of tools like text-creation solutions, spreadsheets and presentation functionality. Overall, Bluehost comes with a good range of features across its two pricing tiers, with most functionality given to both sets of customers.

Support

Interestingly, Bluehost’s email hosting represents an example of a provider that doesn’t give customers a support ticket option. Instead, the provider offers 24/7 support via its website, live chat, and telephone channels. This is a lot more support channels that you receive with some email hosting providers, but the absence of a support ticket can be frustrating - especially if you have a recurring issue that can’t be completely resolved in one go. For instance, we spent approximately six hours trying to fix an issue across seven support sessions and some of that time was wasted simply explaining our problem over and over again. 

Admittedly, Bluehost does have a pretty extensive knowledgebase, which includes resources about its email features, as well as its many other hosting services, such as shared hosting, WordPress hosting, as well as its website builder service. We also found that when telephone or live chat support was needed, agents were responsive, helpful and knowledgeable. 

Security

Both Bluehost’s email hosting plans - Professional and Professional Plus - come with essential spam filter and antivirus functionality. Research has shown that companies waste more than $20.5 billion annually on spam emails, so the inclusion of this functionality as standard with all Bluehost email hosting plans is a welcome addition. Similarly, the antivirus functionality should also help CISOs sleep a little easier regarding this email provider.

If businesses want enhanced security, however, they’ll probably want to plump for the Professional Plus plan, as this is the only one that comes with one-click email and file encryption. This is likely to prove essential for larger teams or enterprises handling sensitive information.

The competition

Although you could decide to go with Bluehost’s email hosting and none of the other services the company offers, it’s easier to compare Bluehost against other hosting providers that deliver a multitude of services. The likes of Hostinger, Dreamhost, and Neo, for instance, all offer email hosting alongside other services. Bluehost stands up well against these rivals, with faster, more reliable and better quality hosting than you can find with many other providers.

Drilling down into its email hosting, however, you may start to find a couple of disappointments. As we mentioned, Bluehost’s pricing isn’t the cheapest and works a little differently from its competitors in that it doesn’t let you pay monthly. For smaller businesses then, this may not prove to be the most attractive provider on the market as they may not be able to commit themselves financially for an entire year. For larger businesses where this is less likely to be an issue, the increased price tag you’re offered after renewal still might sting a little though.

Bluehost: Final verdict

Bluehost’s email hosting represents a good option if you want to increase the professionalism of your brand. Smaller businesses may find the pricing tiers a little on the steep side but if you have the budget, this is a secure, reliable, feature-rich hosting provider with good support.

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Fastmail is a pretty decent business email hosting provider but you will find cheaper alternatives on the market. There’s some worthwhile features on show here, from third-party integrations to sizeable storage options, but notbhing that could be considered particularly ground-breaking.

The support is also only okay really - there’s no live chat support, for example - and while Fastmail has some good security credentials - is that really enough to justify its price tag? Although Fastmail claims to offer three apps in one - calendar and contacts, as well as email hosting - many other providers provide similar functionality. 

Keep reading to find out why, if budgets are tights, you might be better off looking elsewhere for your business email hosting solution.

Fastmail: Plans and pricing

One of the first things you’ll notice about Fastmail is its price tag - it’s one of the more expensive email hosting services out there. There are three pricing tiers, Basic, Standard, or Professional and for each one you can opt to pay monthly or choose to sign up for an annual, 24-month, or 36-month contract. 

The Basic plan will set you back $4 per use per month based on monthly billing, dropping to $3 if you pay yearly, $2.85 on a two-year contract, and $2.80 on a three-year plan. The Standard plan, meanwhile, is $6 per user per month when paid monthly, $5 annually, $4.75 with a two-year subscription and $4.67 if you commit for three years. The Professional plan, ideal for larger businesses with the highest resource needs, is $10 per use per month (for monthly billing), falling to $9, $8.55, and $8.40 per user per month for annual, two-year, and three-year contracts respectively. 

Businesses are able to keep costs down somewhat by opting to mix and match plans for their employees. For example, while some staff members may need the Professional plan, for others, the Standard offering may be more than enough. If that’s the case, the flexibility of purchasing different plans for each employee could lead to a substantial saving. 

Features

Fastmail advertises itself as providing three apps in one - email, calendar, and contacts. However, this really does Fastmail a disservice as customers will find that they get a lot more than that. For instance, even with the Basic plan, you get 6GB total cloud storage per user (made up of 5GB of mail, contact, and calendar storage, and 1GB of file storage), multiple customizable addresses per account, masked email for greater anonymity, various themes, and several administration tools. 

Moving up the payscale, with a Standard plan, you receive all that plus, some additional storage, and more advanced features like email scheduling, integration with third-party apps like Dropbox, 1Password, various productivity tools, and the ability to mute threads you don’t want to see in your inbox. If you are considering opting for the Professional plan, you’ll also receive a whopping 150 GB total storage per user and an email retention archive for legal compliance. 

Overall, the features that come with a business Fastmail plan will help you to build a more professional identity - one of the core reasons why most companies sign up for business email hosting. However, it is slightly disappointing that more advanced functionality can’t be found. For instance, you won’t find any AI tools here. Fastmail even makes something of a big deal about offering Standard and Professional users the ability to schedule send messages - but this is something that is available to everyday Gmail users, so is unlikely to be that will amaze business customers.

Support

Fastmail’s customer support is primarily provided by support ticket. There’s an online portal that is easy to fill in with your required details and it’s equally straightforward to monitor the status of your ticket. At the bottom of the ticket creation page, there’s also the option of email support, but this definitely feels like a secondary option. It’s also good to keep in mind that there’s no live chat option, which is disappointing if you don’t need to speak with a human support agent. 

As usual, there are plenty of resources to hel you resolve any issue you may have yourself. There are quite a few how-to guides online, for example, including tips on how migrate your email account from other brands, such as Microsoft Outlook or Proton Mail. There’s also advice on looking out for spam and managing your account. 

Overall, unless you can resolve your particular issue yourself, the lack of live chat support means we found it common to be waiting several hours for an issue to be fixed. Although that may not seem like much, for a business this could be a costly wait - depending on the particular issue. 

Security

Security is one of Fastmail’s strengths, with the hosting provider taking your privacy very seriously. Robus encryption is used for all your data, whether in transit or at rest, and there’s full support for two-factor authentication. And there’s a Fastmail Bug Bounty Program to incentivize white-hat hackers to find vulnerabitliies so they can be resolved before any malicious actors can exploit them.

Unlike with some email hosting providers, there’s no difference in the level of security you receive if you sign up to the cheapest plan or the most expensive. Anti-spam filtering is included at all three pricing tiers. 

The competition

You can’t really compare Fastmail to other business email hosting providers without talking about cost. As mentioned, Fastmail isn’t the most affordable option currently on the market. For example, if storage is your priority, IceWarp’s Business tier comes with 200GB of email storage and an additional 1TB of file storage for $3.50 per user per month, which is only slightly more expensive than Basic Fastmail plan, even if you pay yearly. 

Of course, storage isn’t everything. But even if you want more advanced features, you might want to look at Neo, with its AI Smart Write tool, or something like Google Workspace, with its suite of office productivity and collaboration tools. 

Fastmail: Final verdict

Fastmail does a lot of what you want a business email service to provide - including decent storage and security features - but, for the privilege, you are paying a higher rate that you might expect. An okay service with costs you might expect to come with more advanced functionality. 

We've also featured the best email hosting services.

We've reviewed the best rugged phones for those who need reliable, durable devices for working (or adventuring) out in the field. So, we were curious what Unihertz's update to the popular Tank phone was really like. Could the Tank2 become the next favorite for outdoor professionals? 

Unihertz Tank 2: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? Starting from $599
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from Unihertz Website

The Tank 2 is available for purchase through the Unihertz website and selected retailers. Priced competitively for a rugged phone, it offers good value considering its extensive feature set and durability. Availability may vary by region, so check with local distributors for exact pricing and availability.

• Value: 4 / 5

Unihertz Tank 2: Specifications

Unihertz Tank 2: Design

The Tank 2 is aptly named, boasting a design that prioritizes durability and functionality and still manages to look great. Its dimensions (179.3 × 85.9 × 31 mm) and weight (694g) make it significantly bulkier than standard smartphones, dwarfing the likes of the iPhone 15 Pro. This heft is a testament to its rugged build, designed to withstand harsh environments. The device is IP68 rated, ensuring water and dust resistance, and is shockproof, capable of surviving drops and extreme temperatures. The Panda Glass-protected 6.79-inch LCD screen offers a refresh rate of 120Hz, providing a smooth visual experience even in bright sunlight

Looking over the phone, it is instantly apparent that the feature set of this smartphone is all tuned for outdoor use. The solid build, waterproofing, dustproofing, drop resilience, and bright screen make it ideal for practical use in the field. These features can be seen in most sunlight conditions, but then you also have features that go beyond most other tough phones, such as the dual LED lights on the back. These lights can be used as a powerful flashlight or to signal for help with red and blue warning lights, activated through the built-in software toolbox.

Another standout feature of the build is the built-in laser projector positioned at the top edge of the phone. This highlights just how thick this phone is, again, something very uncommon for such a device. While the projector is a great feature, there's no built-in stand for added convenience. On the side of the phone is a small focus wheel for the projector. This is a little fiddly to use, but it does the job.

Staying with the side of the phone, there's the dual sim slot that enables you to link to two networks; for this test, that was Vodafone and EE with a MicroSD card slot in the same carrier to expand the phone's internal storage by up to 1TB. Next is the volume up and down buttons, and below these are programmable buttons that can be set up through the phone's settings. On the base of the phone is the USB Type-C port and a standard 3.5mm audio port. Finally, on the opposite side is the power button with a built-in fingerprint reader.

While the Tank 2 is not small—being over double or even triple the size of a standard iPhone 15 Pro—it comes with a completely different set of features. The projector allows you to project videos or presentations, making it a great option for anyone travelling off the beaten track who wants to take some of the luxuries of life with them, such as sitting out in the evening whilst camping and enjoying a movie.

• Design: 4 / 5

Unihertz Tank 2: Features

• 108MP Camera 
• Android 14

Running through the features of the Tank 2, which are extensive, however at its heart, is a rugged smartphone. Its standout feature is the built-in laser projector. This makes it an ideal phone for outdoor exploration, activities, emergency services, or anyone who needs a tough phone to withstand more than most. Our review sample is the 8849, which is only 4G, although there is a 5G Tank 3 available. This iteration has the Helio G99 CPU and Mali-G57 MC2 GPU powering it. This combination is impressive for a phone of this price and feature set.

Along with the projector, the Tank 2 has an impressive trio of cameras: a 108MP main camera, a 64MP night vision camera, and a 16MP wide-angle lens. These cameras allow you to capture high-resolution images in various conditions. The 15,500mAh battery is another major feature. Despite its huge capacity, the phone supports 66W fast charging, allowing you to top up the battery quickly. On a full charge, you can listen to music for about 320 hours, make calls for 110 hours, or watch videos for about 35 hours. It takes about 110 minutes to charge fully using the 66W charger.

The Tank 2 has a rugged design, perfect for extreme conditions or camping in the UK. Its IP68 waterproof rating ensures it can withstand rain, and it can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. The phone is also dust-resistant and can withstand extreme temperatures, ranging from -55°C to 70°C, making it suitable for various conditions.

Looking at the big features, the laser projector allows you to project the phone's screen onto a wall or projection screen. It also enables you to stream from Netflix, YouTube, or other services. The projection is impressive at 40 lumens with a 1.2:1 ratio, 1280x720 resolution, and an 80,000:1 contrast ratio.

The Tank 2 also has an impressive camping light with two large LED panels on the back. These can be adjusted from cold to warm colour temperatures and offer a range of lighting effects, including an SOS feature. The lights can flash between red and blue, and various options can be quickly accessed using the pre-installed software toolbox. This feature is perfect for attracting attention or alerting others in emergencies.

The camera system provides plenty of options for capturing photos, whether for scenery or site visits. The 108MP main camera delivers high-resolution images, and in low-light conditions, you can use the 64MP night vision camera.

Additional features include face recognition and a side fingerprint sensor for quick and secure access. The phone supports dual nano SIM cards and can take a microSD card for expanded storage. The screen is reinforced with Panda Glass to avoid scratches and breakages. The 6.79-inch LCD has a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2460x1080.

• Features: 5 / 5

Unihertz Tank 2: Performance

• Will survive in most enviroments
• Good storage options

The Tank 2 is powered by the Helio G99 CPU and Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, providing decent enough power for everyday tasks, such as browsing the internet, using Google Docs, and streaming videos. However, its performance needs to catch up to that of more modern devices when it comes to demanding applications and gaming. The benchmarks reflect this, with the device scoring moderately in GeekBench tests (single-core: 742, multi-core: 2047, GPU: 1330) and 3DMark tests (Steel Nomad Light: 134, Wildlife: 1128, Slingshot: 2597).

Despite this, the Android 14 OS runs smoothly, and the phone's RAM (12GB) ensures that multitasking, such as having the browser and several apps open at once, works reasonably well. In general, the phone works well, and apps respond quickly. The biggest benefit is the strength of the mobile connection compared with some other phones. 

The 15,500mAh battery for anyone venturing off the beaten track will be a major feature. A good point to note here is that due to the huge capacity, the phone supports 66W fast charging, allowing you to top up the battery relatively quickly - charging on a standard charger can be painfully slow due to the pure size of this battery. The full capacity only starts to become evident when you see what you can do on a full charge, for example, listening to music for about 320 hours, the phone was left playing music on a loop for three days and was still at over 50% charge. More practically, you can make calls for 110 hours or watch videos for about 35 hours. It takes about 110 minutes to fully charge using the 66W charger, and as mentioned, using a traditional wall USB phone charger can be extremely slow. Essentially, in most situations, the battery can last up to a week on a single charge.

The Tank 2's rugged design is perfect for extreme conditions or camping in the UK. Its IP68 waterproof rating ensures it can withstand as much rain as you can stand and can be submerged in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes. The phone is also dust-resistant and can withstand extreme temperatures, ranging from -55°C to 70°C, making it suitable for various conditions. Being used in 15ºC heat and the pouring rain of the British summer proved no issue for the phone.

Looking at the big features, the laser projector allows you to project the phone's screen onto a wall or projection screen. The quality of the projection is surprisingly good. Although it does need to be relatively dark for the best quality of the projection, dusk is dark enough to get a decent picture with the 3.5 audio port on the base, enabling you to link up to an external speaker. Another nice feature is the ability to adjust the focus with the small wheel on the side. When it comes to keystones, there's just about enough flexibility in the auto adjustment to get things square when the projector is positioned. When it comes to the overall brightness and clarity, considering the small size of the device, this is really impressive. Again, that battery just helps to ensure that the projector will run happily through the full length of several movies before a charge is needed. One obvious side effect of the projector is going to be heat, and sure enough, the Tank 2 does get warm as as the projection goes on. You can hear the faint sound of the small internal fans keeping things cool. 

Another nice feature of video projection is that you can opt to have the video automatically rotate to landscape orientation when on full screen.

Moving onto some of the other features, the Tank 2 also has an impressive camping light with two large LED panels on the back. These can be adjusted from cold to warm colour temperatures and offer a range of lighting effects, including an SOS feature. The lights can flash between red and blue, and various options can be quickly accessed using the pre-installed software toolbox. Accessing this feature and many other unique features of this phone is through the software toolbox. Once the app is open, you can easily select the option and start and stop the lights and audio; it's all very easy. Likewise, if you just want to use the camping flood lights, then again, you access the app, and this gives you the ability to change the colour temperature and brightness, and these lights are bright! 

The camera system is another major part of this phone, and while it may not be branded, it does sport some impressive specifications with plenty of options for capturing photos, whether for scenery or site visits. The 108MP main camera delivers high-resolution images, and checking over the quality of the images, these are impressive with plenty of tone and detail. While you may need to improve the quality of some lower-resolution cameras, such as that of the iPhone 15 Pro, there's plenty to like about the quality. In low-light conditions, the 64MP night vision camera does well, enabling you to capture images in conditions that would usually result in noisy, dull images. The 16MP wide-angle lens has a far lower resolution than the other two cameras but, again, produces decent images.

The features of the Tank 2 are vast and quite unique when it comes to Smartphones. Essentially, if you work off the beaten track or go on an adventure and want a phone that will survive and provide you with plenty of battery life, then the performance of the Tank 2 will meet those demands. Just be aware that it is slightly larger and heavier than most.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Unihertz Tank 2: Final verdict

The Tank 2 Rugged Smartphone is a specialized device that excels in durability, battery life, and unique features such as the projector and light system. It is an excellent choice for outdoor enthusiasts, professionals in demanding environments, and anyone who needs a phone that can withstand extreme conditions. However, its bulk and moderate performance may only suit some, especially those looking for a sleek and high-performing smartphone, but then again, there are plenty of those.

Obviously, the big selling point here is the projector, and if you can cope with the weight and bulk, then this is definitely the phone for you.

Should you buy the Unihertz Tank 2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more durable devices, we reviewed the best rugged tablets, the best rugged laptops, and the best rugged hard drives

Satechi make many accessories for avid tech lovers like myself, and I've learned to pay attention to the company's lineup. 

I was a heavy user of Satechi's early rendition of a Thunderbolt 4 Slim dock and have had that on a setup at my home office for quite some time. It might not be the best laptop docking station  for everyone, but it's simple, slim, and reliable. So, when Satechi released the 2.0, Big Brother version of the dock I knew and loved, I would get it and tell you all about it. 

Satechi's newest Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display Docking Station is one of the best jack-of-all-trades Thunderbolt docks available, and it's super slim.

Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display Docking Station: Unboxing & first impressions

The docking station comes neatly packaged, featuring the Thunderbolt 4 docking station, a 180W power supply, a 0.8m Thunderbolt 4 cable, and a user manual. Unboxing this dock was easy. The dock was secured with the wires tucked around it for safekeeping. Right away, I loved seeing just how clean the aluminum finish looked, and I was thrilled to know that it was only marginally bigger than the docking station I had come to love and had used for quite some time up until now.

Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display Docking Station: Design & build quality

The build quality is top-notch, with a durable aluminum chassis that provides both a premium look and a robust build. This dock feels like it will last as long as I want, not like I need to baby it or be overly cautious in fear of it breaking. Despite its small size, the dock houses 12 powerful ports, which are well-placed for easy access and promote a clean and organized workspace.

One thing regarding port layout that I did not expect to like so much is that the Thunderbolt port for my computer is on the right-hand side of this dock. For my setup, this is perfect and could not have been designed better as I was able to add my right angle adapter and point the cable backward for when my desk setup is being used for my MacBook Pro. 

Still, if I wanted to use this with my iPad or a different laptop, I could quickly run the cable out to the right and directly to the front of my desk. No matter how my desk setup morphs and changes in the coming... hours (or weeks), I can be sure that this dock setup will work beautifully. I also greatly appreciate that this dock is flat on top, making it super easy to adhere to my Grovemade desk shelf, Balolo desk shelf, or the desk itself. I've had some docks that follow a more angular design language, making mounting like this awkward at best. But Satechi kept this dock clean and straightforward, improving my mounting experience exponentially.

Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display Docking Station: In use

In my everyday use, the docking station excels in providing seamless connectivity for multiple devices. It supports up to 8K/60Hz on a single monitor and 4K/60Hz on four extended monitors. The data transfer speed is impressive, with 40Gbps through Thunderbolt 4 ports, allowing for quick file transfers and fast charging. I have recently reworked my home office, summarizing a four-desk setup to a single desk and then a quick top-down shot area for product shots. 

That said, instead of having a desk dedicated to monitoring testing, I do everything on one desk. I can now plug into a monitor with Thunderbolt, USB-C, or HDMI in one docking station without reworking what I have set up. Plus, speaking to the longevity and usability of this dock, knowing that if (and, let's face it, probably when) I choose to build back up to multiple monitors, I know that this dock can handle up to four without any issues thanks to the built-in DisplayLink and two HDMI ports.

The built-in DisplayLink may be a small value-add for PC users, as most PCs I have tested recently support MST. However, this is a game changer for Mac users, especially newer ones with an Apple Silicon chip. Most M-series chips only allow for a single monitor, sometimes two if the laptop is in clamshell mode or if you have an M3 MacBook Pro. Since my main workhorse is an M2 MacBook Pro (Maxed out, but still), I can only power a single monitor natively. 

With DisplayLink, however, I can power multiple displays with the help of this software on my MacBook and the DisplayLink additive to whatever docking station I am using. So, adding this dock has expanded my laptop beyond its limits through display output potential and ports -- Thanks, Satechi. Speaking of ports, I love that there is an SD Card reader, headphone jack, and two USB-A ports right up front. These ports make it super easy to plug in accessories and adapters, pull footage from a camera (or write .gcode files for any of the best 3D printers, for example). 

On the back, I love that the Thunderbolt 4 Ports all favor one side of the dock while the Ethernet port, dual HDMI ports, and the power input are tucked to the other side. This keeps things super clean and tidy, and it is easy to feel what I need when this is tucked behind my desk (or under a monitor shelf).

There are a few concerns or drawbacks to this docking station. Firstly, I was concerned about the potential for overheating. However, I have not noticed any excessive heat, which has caused no issues. Secondly, I am sure some people swear by DisplayPort for their monitors. This docking station has no DisplayPort. So, you can either use Thunderbolt 4 to display port adapters or cables or use a different dock. 

Lastly, I was concerned about this not being strong enough to power my MacBook, push it out to my monitors, charge my iPad Pro 11", and do it all without overheating. I am thrilled to report that while, yes, it does slightly warm up when in heavy use, it is nowhere near as warm as several other docking stations I have used that get to the point of being too hot to touch. I have no real concerns or downsides to this dock if you only need Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI.

Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display Docking Station: Final verdict

The Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Multi-Display Docking Station stands out as a premium option for users needing extensive connectivity and multiple monitor support. Its combination of high-speed data transfer, comprehensive port selection, and sleek design makes it a valuable addition to any professional’s workspace. While it comes at a high price and generates some heat, its performance and build quality justify the investment for those seeking top-tier docking solutions.