The Galaxy S24 FE is now out, and it looks a lot like the Galaxy S24+ this year. And if it is as great as the Plus model, then is it worth paying extra for the flagship model, or better get the cheaper FE one? Let's find out!
At around €580, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE seems like a tempting offer right now, more so than the €780 Samsung Galaxy S24+. Then again the flagship Plus model has some nice tricks that are not available to the FE – faster charging, better zoom and selfie cameras, UWB support, among others.
Let's put the two phones against each other.
Table of Contents:
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The Galaxy S24 FE is now out, and it looks a lot like the Galaxy S24+ this year. And if it is as great as the Plus model, then is it worth paying extra for the flagship model, or better get the cheaper FE one? Let's find out!
At around €580, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE seems like a tempting offer right now, more so than the €780 Samsung Galaxy S24+. Then again the flagship Plus model has some nice tricks that are not available to the FE – faster charging, better zoom and selfie cameras, UWB support, among others.
Let's put the two phones against each other.
Table of Contents:
...
It's a great day for owners of the international version of vivo's X Fold3 Pro smartphone. The company has started rolling out the update to Android 15, with its FuntouchOS 15 skin on top. It arrives over-the-air as a 2.47GB download, so make sure you grab it over a fast enough network.
After installing the update, you'll be on software version PD2337F_EX_A_15.1.8.21.W30. The changelog is vast (see screenshots below), but we'll mention that there's a new scheduling algorithm that differentiates the priority level and computing power requirements of various apps and tasks to accurately...
Last month, Apple released iOS 18.1 with the first Apple Intelligence features, but there are still many more to come - iOS 18.1 only includes a small subset of everything Apple announced back in June.
The next batch of AI features will arrive with iOS 18.2 in early December, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. With that release you will get ChatGPT integration, the Image Playground app, as well as Genmoji.
Genmoji
The update is currently scheduled to drop the week of December 2, so very early indeed. iOS 18.2 will offer AI features in varieties of English beyond the American...
Lenovo's ThinkPad lineup continues to impress, particularly with the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 featuring Snapdragon. I have been a fan of the ThinkPad series for years, and appreciation won't fade soon. The ThinkPad T14s is part of the T series, positioning it as a business ultrabook with enterprise features geared more towards professionals than casual users or entry-level business laptops.
We're big fans of the AMD-powered Gen 4 (see out Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 business laptop review). But how does the Gen 6 Snapdragon stack up against some of the best Lenovo ThinkPad laptops? Well, this model boasts excellent ports, outstanding battery life, a fanless design, and a strong balance of power, weight, and battery performance. Additionally, it offers a decent display for business purposes. This laptop is excellent for what it's meant to be great for, and that's a good thing.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Snapdragon: Price & availability
The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 with Snapdragon starts around $1,700 for base configurations and climbs with additional RAM and storage options. This laptop is available in North America and Europe, though there are some limitations with connectivity options for the European models. You can buy these laptops at most retail stores that sell ThinkBooks. However, another great place to look would be Lenovo's website.
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Snapdragon: Unboxing & first impressions
Unboxing this laptop was a straightforward process typical for most ThinkBooks. Inside the box, I found the computer, a 65W USB-C charger, and the standard documentation accompanying nearly every laptop. Lenovo does an excellent job with minimalist packaging, and although I cannot confirm it, they claim to use eco-friendly and recyclable materials, which aligns with their sustainability goals.
My ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 features a sleek matte black finish, a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic lid, and a magnesium alloy body. It exhibits the classic ThinkPad design, showcasing how timeless this aesthetic is. The design has endured for years, much like that of the MacBook. When a company finds a design language that works, they tend to stick with it.
The materials used are smooth to the touch yet durable enough to withstand heavy daily use. It boasts sturdy hinges and solid keys and is both lightweight and robust.
As you'd expect from any of the best business laptops, from the first boot-up, the computer starts quickly, runs smoothly, and operates effortlessly.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Snapdragon: Design & build quality
Specs
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E78100, 12 cores RAM: 32GB LPDDR5X (onboard) Storage: 1TB SSD (non-upgradable) Display: 14-inch, FHD (1920 x 1200) IPS, 452 nits brightness Connectivity: 2 USB-C, 2 USB-A, HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio jack OS: Windows 11 Pro for ARM
As mentioned, the laptop is made from recycled magnesium alloy and carbon fiber. This is the classic combo that Lenovo has used for the ThinkPad lineup for quite some time. It's great, it's pretty durable, it's soft to the touch, and it's premium in look and feel. In parallel to the premium feel, this laptop is light. It weighs around 2.7 pounds, which is not the lightest laptop; even the ThinkPad X1 Carbon came under 2.5lb. However, it weighs nearly the same as the popular Apple MacBook Air.
The T14s Gen 6 also has the signature ThinkPad keyboard, TrackPoint, and Trackpad. For additional privacy, there is a physical slider to cover the camera and a dedicated key in the function row to mute the onboard microphone.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Snapdragon: In use
I've had the opportunity to use this laptop in my rotation for the last few weeks, and it has been one of my favorite laptops to grab. It tackles my day-to-day work easily and is a nice break from some heavier laptops I rotate. I'm convinced, much like many seem to be these days, that the 14-inch 16:9 screen is perfect on a computer. My personal daily driver is an M2 MacBook Pro, but it has a 13-inch screen because it was released just before Apple jumped to 14- and 16-inch displays. That extra inch adds so much screen real estate without adding a lot more to carry, making it an excellent no-brainer.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
The ThinkPad T14s has been more than suitable for productivity tasks. However, I wouldn't use this computer for video editing, partially because of the power this laptop has, the graphics, and the screen resolution. However, as a business laptop, as it is designed to be, this laptop excels. I can run my heavy workloads (I push my computers hard for long days, 6.5 days a week) without missing a beat; I can render file compression and run heavy project management boards, heavy Excel files, and nearly 50 Chrome tabs, all processing efficiently. I can have Jira, Notion, Excel, Basecamp, Slack, Chrome, Spotify, Asana, and more all up and running without needing to close things down, as I would potentially have to do on less powerful laptops.
My day-to-day work ranges from working at a desk at a coffee shop to roaming around hot desks and traveling. So far, I've been thrilled with this battery life. While I may not get a total of 21 hours because I run these laptops hard, as I mentioned, and usually with pretty high brightness, I quickly achieve an average and extended day of work. I can consistently get through a 12-hour day, even a 16-hour day, without needing to grab a charger. I've worked an 18-hour day and only grabbed a charger towards the end of the day so that I could start my next day topped off.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
I recently upgraded my home office Wi-Fi to Wi-Fi 6E thanks to the TP-Link XE75 Pro [review coming soon]. Though the ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 can utilize up to Wi-Fi 7, getting it to work seamlessly with my Wi-Fi 6 channel has been great. Things download and upload quickly, meetings are transparent, buffering or skipping is avoided, and it's been great. Further, the fanless design, like that of a MacBook Air, is excellent. It's quiet yet keeps a stable temperature, not getting too hot even at my peak productivity.
Overall, the keyboard performed as expected. It features a compact function row at the top, which includes some additional function keys that are an excellent addition. The Trackpad is solid, although nothing compares to the Apple Trackpad. It's also important to note that this device does not have a touchscreen.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 Snapdragon: Final verdict
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 with Snapdragon excels with its stellar battery life, reliable design, and lightweight build, making it ideal for users who prioritize mobility and connectivity. This computer is worth checking out for the average and even prosumer in the business world. It's a great combination of features and design that would be a great fit.
The Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus is, so far, the largest of the new Ender-3 line, which has already impressed with the standard version. Print quality for the Creality Ender-3 V3 was impressive, and despite the increase in scale, the printer promises to offer that same performance. While the Creality Ender series has long been a favourite among hobbyists, the enhanced design of the latest range, with the full die-cast aluminium frame, touchscreen interface, and CoreXY kinematics, makes this a far more serious proposition. The impressive 300 x 300 x 330 mm build volume makes this one of the larger printers in this price range, and despite the quality, it's still aimed at the entry end of the market.
As such, one of the standard features we've become used to, a camera, is missing from the model; however, one is available at minimal cost. This makes it a great option for anyone just getting into 3D printing or looking to upgrade from an older or smaller machine. Although, if you work in an office or education setting, the open frame design, while refined, might not be ideal, however, with the remote printing, scale and price, this is definitely going to appeal to businesses wanting to print at scale on a budget.
For those looking for the best 3D printer, the Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus is well-suited to those who want to work on larger prints without splitting designs into multiple pieces. The fact that this scale is backed by the impressive CoreXY design, which enables print speeds of up to 600 mm/s, puts it in competition with far more expensive machines.
While the additional noise from fans and the high-speed motors could be seen as an issue, along with the larger footprint, the Ender-3 V3 Plus is an impressive machine if you're looking to scale up your 3D printing projects without a huge outlay.
Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus: Design
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The Ender-3 V3 Plus is sold as a large-scale printer with CoreXY kinematics and a solid die-cast aluminium frame that sets it apart from the previous Ender-3 ranges. Sure enough, that new frame feels far higher quality than those previous iterations and reflects the smaller Ender-3 V3, just with a couple of braces to further increase the strength of the vertical section of the printer.
At 410 x 455 x 577 mm, the V3 Plus is by no means a small machine, but for the most part, Creality has streamlined the design to minimize its actual footprint. Although, as a bed-slinger, it still requires a little more room than other configurations that we more commonly see for CoreXY setups. A nice touch for a first print in the box is the top-mounted spool holder, which again helps to reduce the machine's footprint, although a little reconfiguration is needed for the filament runout sensor, and of course, quite a bit more headroom is required.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Matching the quality of the user interface we've seen with the other Ender-3 V3 machines and the K1 series, the 4.3-inch colour touchscreen offers easy access to the printer settings, starting print jobs, and monitoring progress. This progress can also be followed using the Creality Print Software. If you prefer a more manual approach to sending your files to print, then you can transfer items from the software to the printer by means of the supplied USB stick.
Design: 4.5/5
Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus: Features
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
The key feature change for the Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus, compared with its predecessors, is the CoreXZ kinematics system. As with the Ender-3 V3, this is cleverly built into the bed-slinger design but enables a huge boost in the speed and accuracy. The big speed increase sees the V3 Plus able to reach print speeds of up to 600 mm/s, coupled with 20,000 mm/s² acceleration, which, considering the price point, is impressive.
The auto bed levelling system is a common and essential feature of most modern 3D printers. It is one of a few built-in features that help to circumnavigate common 3D print issues, including power loss, with the power-loss recovery function. On a small printer, losing power mid-print is annoying; on a printer of this size, losing a print after 15 hours due to a disconnection or power outage would be infuriating.
Taking a look at the tool head, and the printer is equipped with a tri-metal nozzle and a 60W hotend capable of heating up to 300°C. This enables it to support a decent variety of filaments, including PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU, giving you plenty of options for different projects. A feature of the nozzel that's worth highlighting is that it has a modular design, making it easy to swap out or upgrade. The hot end also features an improved heat break compared to previous versions, with a dual-fan cooling system designed to prevent clogs.
As we've seen with other Creality printers, the Ender-3 V3 Plus is compatible with Creality Slicer, Cura, Repetier-Host, and Simplify3D, providing plenty of options that should fit in with your workflow. The standard option is Creality Print, which is based on PRUSA Slicer, offering a huge amount of flexibility over print quality and speed. It also makes it easy to connect to wireless networks, enabling remote control, print monitoring, file uploads, and real-time print progress. As the printer doesn't ship with a camera, you can't get a live view of the print being created; however, the Nebula camera is fully compatible and easy to fit.
Another feature, the removable magnetic build plate, is a standard addition. It allows for easy print removal and reduces the risk of damaging completed prints during removal.
The V3 Plus is packed with features that will enable anyone, from home enthusiasts to small businesses, to produce larger-scale prints. It might not have some of the features you'd expect to see on more expensive machines, like an AI camera or enclosure, but if these are important to you, both can be purchased for a small additional cost.
Specs
Print Technology: FDM Build Area: 300 x 300 x 330 mm Minimum Layer Resolution: 0.1 mm Maximum Layer Resolution: 0.4 mm Dimensions: 410 x 445 x 557mm Weight: 11.5 kg Bed: Heated Print Surface: Removable magnetic build plate Software: Creality Slicer, Cura, Repetier-Host, Simplify3D Materials: PLA, ABS, PETG, TPU Print Speed: Up to 600 mm/s
The Creality Ender-3 V3 incorporates an all-metal hot end designed for high temperatures and supports materials like PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU. It heats rapidly, reaching up to 300°C in around a minute, ensuring consistent temperatures for long prints and the ability to adapt to the different flows of material. The improved nozzle design also allows for precise extrusion, while the dual-fan cooling system prevents clogging and enhances print quality. A new heat break helps to reduce heat creep, maintaining stable temperature control. This hot end is also modular, meaning the assembly is easy to upgrade and maintain.
As is now standard across almost all printers, the magnetic build plate generally makes model removal easy and reduces the risk of damaging prints. The heated bed supports a variety of materials, including PLA, ABS, PETG, and TPU, expanding the versatility of the printer.
In terms of software, the Ender-3 V3 is compatible with Creality Slicer, Cura, Repetier-Host, and Simplify3D, giving you plenty of options for slicing and preparing models.
Features: 4.5/5
Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus: Performance
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Setting up the machine is a relatively fast process, with the printer coming in the usual self-assembly flat-pack packaging. As is now common, rather than assembling every component, most of the machine is pre-assembled, and it's just the last few screws that need to be inserted and tightened. From the box to switch on should take no more than 10 minutes, and the design is such that everything smoothly fits in place, with labels clearly indicating what goes where and what needs to be tightened.
One small issue that becomes apparent the more that you use the machine is the filament feed runout sensor attached to the frame. It's in an odd position, which can make it a little fiddly to initially insert and feed the filament through, especially if you have larger hands. As you use the printer, there were a couple of occasions where, as the horizontal bar raised and then lowered, the excess filament from the reel became tangled. This is easy to sort out if you're near the machine and spot it, but not so if you've wandered off.
Staying with the filament, when the printer runs out, it stops so that you can insert another reel. However, when you tap the buttons to retract the filament to extract it from the printer, it pulls in a short length to clear the nozzle before retracting. Unfortunately, the design of the extruder and feed doesn't quite give you enough filament to pull it cleanly out, meaning you either have to unclip the tube from the filament runout sensor and pull it out from there or from the top of the extruder. In both cases, there's a small extruder release switch on top of the tool head.
While this doesn't affect the print quality, it is annoying.
Moving on to print quality, the results are superb, even at scale. Despite its size, the machine is robust and rigid, and as the tool head powers around the build platform, the quality and speed of prints are excellent. During testing, we ran through four reels of filament, printed models both small and large, and filled the height of the build area to see how it would cope. Everything we threw at the printer was handled with ease, and throughout the test, there was only a single failed print, which was due to a filament change at the start of the test.
When it came to filament variety, the machine handled everything from PLA to PETG successfully, with the hotend proving to be of high enough quality and temperature to cope with more than standard materials.
Ultimately, considering the price, this printer's capabilities are impressive, and this was reflected in the benchmarking tests.
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Staying with the filament, when the printer runs out, it stops so that you can insert another reel. However, when you tap the buttons to retract the filament to extract it from the printer, it pulls in a short length to clear the nozzle before retracting. Unfortunately, the design of the extruder and feed doesn't quite give you enough filament to pull it cleanly out, meaning you either have to unclip the tube from the filament runout sensor and pull it out from there or from the top of the extruder. In both cases, there's a small extruder release switch on top of the tool head.
While this doesn't affect the print quality, it is annoying.
Moving on to print quality, the results are superb, even at scale. Despite its size, the machine is robust and rigid, and as the tool head powers around the build platform, the quality and speed of prints are excellent. During testing, we ran through four reels of filament, printed models both small and large, and filled the height of the build area to see how it would cope. Everything we threw at the printer was handled with ease, and throughout the test, there was only a single failed print, which was due to a filament change at the start of the test.
When it came to filament variety, the machine handled everything from PLA to PETG successfully, with the hotend proving to be of high enough quality and temperature to cope with more than standard materials.
Ultimately, considering the price, this printer's capabilities are impressive, and this was reflected in the benchmarking tests.
Performance: 4.5 / 5
Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus: Final verdict
(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)
Anyway, you look at it, the Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus is an impressive machine, both in stature and performance. The initial assembly for a machine of this size is fast and straightforward, and one person can easily assemble it without much difficulty. The side braces add to the rigidity of the machine, helping to avoid some of the flexibility that is common with larger models.
The one small issue is with the filament feed, which is slightly annoyingly positioned and can be time-consuming when swapping filaments. It's not a major issue, and the position of the filament reel, along with the runout sensor, can be moved to the top of the machine, although some issues still exist. At this size, excess filament as the tool head raises and lowers is always going to be an issue without some type of filament retraction system.
In use, the Ender-3 V3 Plus is as easy to use as its smaller sibling, with remote connectivity to the Creality Slicer software enabling you to upload and monitor the progress of your prints. The fact that you can add a camera for visual monitoring at a small additional cost further boosts its usefulness for businesses that may want the printer in a separate location from the main workspace. To that end, despite the fast CoreXY kinematics and bed-slinger design, the actual noise produced by the printer is well balanced—audible, especially the fans, but not so much that it's distracting.
For a printer of this size, and more importantly for the size of prints it enables you to produce, the Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus is an impressive machine, and for the price, it offers the best value out there.
Should you buy the Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus?
The Creality Ender-3 V3 Plus is a great choice as a 3D printer for any business or individucal looking to print large and offers a balance between affordability and performance, with features usually found on more expensive machines.
Global Xiaomi 14 users are reporting that the company has started seeding the stable version of Android 15. Although it's still unlear about which phones from the series are getting the treatment, we assume it's just the Xiaomi 14 for now, with the 14 Ultra likely to follow suit in the coming days or weeks.
The update is designated for global units. And it's important to note that it's based on the company's HyperOS 1.1 overlay and not HyperOS 2.0. The OS1.1.4.0.VNCEUXM build is for the European owners, while the OS1.1.3.0.VNCMIXM number is for other global markets.
Meanwhile,...
Samsung's Galaxy S25 family is due to be unveiled in January, and we're starting to get more and more leaks about these devices as we get closer. Today, third-party silicone cases for the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra have been leaked.
These show off the phones' general shapes, and there's still an obvious difference between the S25 and S25+ on one hand, and the S25 Ultra on the other. That said, as has been rumored countless times before, the Ultra does have rounded corners, giving up on the palm-denting corners of its predecessor.
Leaked cases: Samsung Galaxy S25 (left),...
Anker has quickly become a company that I trust a lot of my gear with. Currently, Anker cleans my house, protects my home with security cameras, and powers my house -- quite literally. I have a handful of Anker Power Stations and many of the best portable power stations from Bluetti, EcoFlow, Jackery, and others. What's remarkable is that Anker has two prominent positions in my home that I rely on daily.
First up, Anker runs my whole home backup thanks to the Anker Solix Home Power Panel and Automatic Transfer Switch, along with a pair of F3800s. In the event of a power outage, I can run my entire home -- including my regular lights and outlets, fridge, laundry, dishwasher, Wi-Fi and more -- off of battery backup. Pretty cool! Additionally, I have a few other backups for heavy-use zones, such as my primary workstation. This is where the Solix C1000 comes into play - but more on that later.
Anker Solix C1000: Price and Availability
The Anker Solic C1000 usually costs around $1000; however, when writing this, I saw a deal for $579 on Anker's website. Occasionally, deals work for the power stations if you want to wait and snag a significant discount.
Anker Solix C1000: Unboxing and First Impressions
Unboxing the Solix C1000 was exciting because I was shocked at how small the entire unit was. Overall, I am impressed with how clean and compact this unit is for the power delivery it can give.
I could snag an extended battery for my C1000, so I grabbed the C1000 and attached the external battery with a single cable, adding another 1056Wh to my workstation in the backup, bringing the total to 2112Wh.
Anker includes all the cables for the power station, including the AC charging cable I use for this particular setup.
The pairing process with the Anker App was super easy as well. Plus, a huge bonus is that I can connect to this power station over Wi-Fi and control it from anywhere in the world or via Bluetooth if there is no Wi-Fi.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Anker Solix C1000: Design and Build Quality
Specs
Capacity: 1056Wh Output: 1800W (AC) Ports: Multiple AC, USB-A, USB-C, and DC ports Charging: AC, solar, and car charging compatible
The Anker Solix C1000 offers excellent ports on the front of the power station, just under where there is an integrated light bar. Under the screen lives the USB ports, two USB-A and two USB-C, one of which can reach 100w output. Additionally, there are six AC outlets on the front that I can plug gear into. The last thing worth mentioning in this section is the built-in handles. Yes, power stations can be heavy, but this one has two carry handles built into the frame of the top outside edges of the C1000 Portable Power Station.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Anker Solix C1000: In use
As mentioned above, my Anker Solix C1000 is the power station and UPS I have entrusted to run my primary workstation in my home office. And, unlike some home offices, mine is far from simple and minimal, thus drawing considerable amounts of power. Right now, my main desk supports a hot-swappable monitor (currently, my BenQ MA320U), two Thunderbolt Docks (both from Satechi), Multiple Satechi USB-C power supplies (one on either side of my desk), Three or four AC Plug power Strips mounted under my desk, My MacBook Pro, My iPad Pro, a handful of desktops I am in testing with, a handful of laptops I am testing as well, a BenQ Monitor light bar, a Govee light strip, A Govee Glide Hexa Pro on my wall, a lamp, a Google Home Hub, an Apple HomePod Original, a TP-Link Deco Wi-Fi Point, a network switch, a Mac Mini running a media server, a Synology BeeStation, a space heater, an Apple TV and ways to MagSafe Charge my iPhone 16 Pro, wireless charge my AirPods, and my Apple Watch. All of this gear (mostly) is sitting on a FlexiSpot E7 Pro Standing Desk.
It's a lot. But what's even crazier is that 95% of all of that gear is running through my desk, which, as a standing desk, I didn't want to bog down with cables hanging, so there is only one cable hanging down, which gets plugged directly into my C1000. I've tested a power outage many times, and so far, the C1000 can handle that super desk's worth of gear without even breaking a sweat.
Before this portable power station found its home inside my office at the foot of my desk powering my workstation, I was able to take this thing outside to run a pressure washer, recharge some drill batteries, power my living room lamps during an outage before I had my whole home backed up, and much more.
(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)
Anker Solix C1000: Final verdict
All around, the Anker Solix C1000 has been a lovely little Portable Power Station that I can't imagine not having in my workflow at this point. It's powerful, has a great port offering, is super easy to use in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-only environments, is expandable, and so much more. If you're looking for a portable power station, check out the Solix C1000 as a baseline at a minimum of what you should be looking for.
If you want a compact robotic vacuum cleaner, the pint-sized SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro could be just what you're looking for. Don't be put off by the diminutive design – this robot vacuum is packed with tech, from intelligent room-mapping and app control, to self-emptying and some of the quickest navigation we've ever seen.
It squeezes with confidence – and often at speed – between furniture legs, cleaning carpet inaccessible by larger robots, and the equally compact dock will appeal to those with small apartments, too. It also taps into SwitchBot’s existing smart home ecosystem, and can be controlled by voice via Alexa or Google Assistant.
However, this small robot's suction power isn't a match for bigger, pricier rivals, and the mopping function – which merely drags a disposable wet wipe across the floor – failed to impress. As with many robot vacuums, you need to watch out for high doorway thresholds, as anything over 20 mm will be a struggle for the K10+ Pro to clear consistently (although some of today's best robot vacuums don't have such an issue with this, thanks to some new and innovative engineering solutions) .
Those factors aside, this compact vacuum is still a good option for smaller, mostly carpeted homes, or for focusing on specific zones of larger properties. Install it upstairs, away from the tougher challenges of the kitchen and hallway, and your guest bedrooms will be spotless, while giving up precious little space for the robot and its dock.
That's the short version; read on for my full SwitchBot K10+ Mini Robot Vacuum review.
(Image credit: Future)
SwitchBot K10+ Pro review: price & availability
List price: $599.99 / £599.99
Launched: August 2024
Available: US / UK
The $599.99 / £599.99 K10+ Pro sits above the regular $399.99 / £399.99 K10+ in SwitchBot's lineup of mini robotic vacuum cleaners, but some way below the flagship S10, which costs $1,199.99 / £1,099.99.
It looks almost identical to the K10+ but the Pro model gains a set of useful extra features, including a PSD distance sensor for more accurate navigation, a silicon anti-tangle brush, and a 3,000Pa suction system (20 percent more powerful than the K10+). It also benefits from an antibacterial dustbag, which the regular K10+ lacks.
A price difference of $200 / £200 is fairly significant at this end of the robotic vacuum market, especially when the two robots look almost exactly the same. But pet-owners will surely be drawn to the anti-tangle brush of the Pro, along with the extra suction power.
The K10+ Pro’s price puts it roughly on par with other mid-range robotic vacuum like the Roomba Combo J5 Combo from iRobot. That model also works as a mop, but it too requires the user to manually swap the mopping attachment in and out to switch between the vacuum and mop functions. Unlike the SwitchBot and its disposable wet wipes, the Roomba has a washable and reusable (then eventually replaceable) mopping cloth.
The SwitchBot’s price falls between the Eufy Clean X8 Pro (which acts only as a vacuum with self-emptying bin), and the pricier Eufy X10 Pro Omni, which has a rotating and self-cleaning mop.
While not uncomfortably expensive, the SwitchBot K10+ Pro feels like it charges a premium for its compact size. Instead of being a smaller and therefore cheaper model, it sells its dimensions as a benefit rather than a byproduct. That’s mostly fine, but this price point causes the SwitchBot to fall between two categories of robot – ones that only vacuum, and ones that also mop. At 3,000Pa, the suction is fine but a little below what other models at this kind of price point offer.
Buyers will need to decide if they value the compact size above all else. Or, if they would rather spend less and lose the mop, or pay more for a robot that puts a greater emphasis on mopping.
Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5
SwitchBot K10+ Pro specs
SwitchBot K10+ Pro review: design
Shallow and compact design
Self-empties dust into the (also compact) dock
Unusually, the mop relies on disposable wet wipes
Based on photos alone, you might think the K10+ Pro looks like any other robotic vacuum, but when you see it in person you realize just how compact it really is. It's a circular robot with a diameter of just 9.76 in (24.8cm) – compared to 13.39 in (34cm) for the SwitchBot S1 Plus – and a height, including the top-mounted radar, of 3.62 in (9.2cm). These diminutive dimensions help the SwitchBot drive between and under furniture in ways larger robots cannot.
(Image credit: Future)
The docking station and dust bin is also smaller than most of its rivals. It's so compact, SwitchBot suggests you could even tuck it under a chair. The all-round diminutive size makes the K10+ Pro ideal for smaller homes, or even as a second robotic vacuum tasked with cleaning lesser-used parts of a larger home, such as the spare bedrooms or office.
The robot itself has a radar on top, plus sensors on its front and side, and a cliff sensor underneath, to help navigate without crashing, getting stuck or falling down the stairs. There are just two buttons on the robot, for powering it on or off and telling it to go back to its charger. Every other function is controlled by the SwitchBot smartphone app, which is free for iOS and Android.
(Image credit: Future)
The top cover is secured by magnets, and when removed reveals a power switch that's only needed during the initial setup process, and the dust bin. The bin's filter is easy to remove and clean, and handily the smartphone app notifies you when the bin has been removed or replaced.
Turn the K10+ Pro over and you'll find a spinning side brush for flicking dust and dirt out from corners of the room, and a rotating anti-tangle brush made from rubber. During my month of testing the brush didn't once get tangled up, although a fair bit of hair collected at either side. Thankfully this doesn't restrict its movement, and is easy to extricate by removing the roller and snipping at the hair with some scissors.
The robot comes with a mopping attachment, which is fitted manually to its underside and, rather unusually, uses wet wipes instead of a washable pad or cloth. SwitchBot says this is an improvement over robotic vacuum cleaners that use washable towels for their mops, since it employs a clean wipe every time. I can see the logic here, but fitting a new disposal wipe after every mop seems wasteful.
Either way, the K10+ Pro won’t give your hard floors a particularly deep clean, since the wipes are simply dragged over the surface with no real pressure behind them. If you need a mopping robot, I'd recommend upping your budget if possible and going for a model with a mechanical spinning mop, like the Eufy X10 Pro Omni or Eufy Omni S1 Pro.
(Image credit: Future)
Back to the K10+ Pro, and the compact charge station houses a generous 4-liter dust bag that should last for months before it needs taking out and replacing. The robot automatically empties into the dustbag when its own bin gets full (at a brief but rather loud 83dB), but there's no water supply for the mop, since it uses wet wipes instead.
Although compact, the top-opening charge dock is plenty large enough to house a spare dust bag and filter, plus a pack of wet wipes and a brush for detangling the robot – all of which is included in the box. It makes for a handy way of storing everything associated with the K10+ Pro, instead of inevitably losing its various components in a cupboard elsewhere.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
SwitchBot K10+ Pro review: performance
Quiet, with moderate suction power
Mop function is not worth the effort
Good but not infallible navigation
Before I conducted a set of controlled tests with the K10+ Pro, I set it up and simply used it as my vacuum cleaner. The setup process is quick and easy. Just download the SwitchBot app, follow the instructions to connect the robot to your Wi-Fi network (this step failed at first, then worked fine when I tried again), and let it map your home.
I used the app to name each room and adjust the room boundaries slightly. The robot did a decent job of working out where room thresholds were, but got a bit confused by a hallway connecting the kitchen, bathroom, lounge and bedroom. A couple of minutes of tinkering in the app, and the map was perfect.
I was particularly impressed by how it confidently drove under a bathroom cupboard with less than 0.4 in (1cm) of clearance without even a moment of hesitation. I also liked how it could drive itself between the three legs of a table I have next to my sofa. Other, larger robots can't fit through here, or between the legs of my office chair, so the floor between the legs is always missed. Not so with the smaller SwitchBot.
However, while its navigation is mostly very good – and it really is capable of getting to places larger vacuums can't – it repeatedly drove at full speed into a fireplace hearth. This made me question the SwitchBot's intelligence, but I saw no other collisions during the mapping and cleaning process.
(Image credit: Future)
The K10+ Pro is quite good at driving over high thresholds, which have been a problem for much more expensive robotic vacuums in the past, like the Eufy S1 Pro. The SwitchBot sometimes had to back up and try a different angle, but it very rarely failed to clamber over what is a rather high threshold between my hallway and kitchen.
The same gung-ho approach couldn't be replicated in the lounge, however, where it repeatedly got stuck in a thick rug. I had to mark this area as a no-go zone in the app, which was disappointing but hardly a surprise. Only one robot that I've tested, the Eufy X10 Pro, has so far managed to successfully wade through the rug without calling for help.
As with other robotic vacuums, the K10+ Pro can be configured to clean each area once or twice, and there are four suction modes to pick from, called Quiet, Standard, Strong and Max. Via the app you can create a room-by-room cleaning plan, with the ability to set a suction strength and cleaning time (once or twice) for each room, before you set the robot on its merry way. It automatically increases suction power when driving from a hard floor to carpet, but doesn’t ramp up the power specifically when there’s more debris to tackle, as some more advanced robovacs can.
For everyday cleaning the K10+ Pro performed well. The app is easy to use and it takes just a couple of taps to tell the robot to clean a specific area, a certain room or the entire floor. It's also easy to create a schedule, which is where robots like these work best. Configure it to clean high-traffic rooms frequently, and this little-and-often approach will keep your floors looking their best. Alternatively, I can see a compact robot like this being perfect for giving your spare bedrooms a weekly clean, or even taking charge of the entire upstairs, while you use a conventional vacuum in the kitchen, hallway and lounge.
Time for the more specific tests. This involves using a mix of oats and flour on hard floors and carpet, then seeing how the robot performs as we cycle through all of suction strengths and cleaning modes.
(Image credit: Future)
Quiet mode is fine for a light, frequently vacuum of low-traffic areas, and at just 64 dB it is remarkably quiet. It'll pick up larger debris like oats, but as with other robotic vacuums the K10+ Pro tends to flick everything around on its first pass, rather than pick it all up. You really need to set the vacuum to pass every area twice. That way debris gets flicked around a bit initially, but is mostly collected on the second pass.
Cranking the power setting up to Max increases the volume to 70 dB, and there's a noticeable difference in suction power. More debris is picked up on the first pass, then almost everything else is picked up the second time around. That said, the K10+ Pro still isn't as powerful as some pricier rivals, since it offers just 3,000 Pa of suction, compared to 5,000 Pa or even 8,000 Pa for more expensive options from the likes of iRobot and Eufy. Even on maximum power it failed to suck up flour from the shallow grooves between floorboards, and had a habit of leaving arcs of flour on the floor every time it turned around.
It performed similarly on carpet, where maximum strength wasn't quite enough to pull every bit of flour out of the floor. During this test I also found it failed to clear a circa-2cm threshold between the exposed floorboards of the hallway and the bedroom carpet. This is a common stumbling point for robotic cleaners of all prices, and despite trying for several minutes, the SwitchBot eventually failed to climb onto the carpet and called for help via the app. You'll need to bear this in mind if you're shopping for a robot vacuum, since very few manage this journey from floorboards to carpet reliably.
(Image credit: Future)
The K10+ Pro is one of the quickest robotic vacuums I've ever reviewed, driving faster than most others when it has the space to do so. I reckon it would easily clear the challenging thresholds if it gave itself a run-up, but SwitchBot doesn't seem to have programmed it to do so. One for a future software update, perhaps – just so long as it can reliably distinguish between a tricky threshold and a staircase.
Generally, and thresholds aside, the K10+ Pro does a decent job of navigating between rooms. However it will occasionally drive straight into objects, like chair legs and door frames, and do so repeatedly, as if feeling instead of seeing its way around, until a clear path is discovered. Its behavior sometimes reminded me of older, less intelligent robotic vacuums. It's unlikely to damage anything, but this headbutting approach makes the robot seem less smarter than it claims to be.
As is often the case with robotic vacuums, the K10+ Pro is good at light, frequent cleaning, but struggles to pick up absolutely everything when tasked with fixing a specific problem, like the spilled cup of oats and flour used in our tests. The debris left behind was completely removed by a regular handheld vacuum in a matter of seconds.
(Image credit: Future)
Moving to the mopping function, and this is really more of a quick wipe than a thorough scrub. More expensive robots have motorized mops that spin and push down onto the floor with real force, but here it's just a case of fitting an included wet wipe and telling the robot to get to work. I like how the wipe holder stores neatly inside the charging dock, but fitting a fresh wipe each time is a bit of a pain.
Attaching the mop switches the robot from vacuum to mopping mode, but this is very much a manual process. You have to fit the mopping attachment (which covers the rotating rubber brush) and tell it to go mop a specific room or area, then detach it to turn the robot back into a vacuum cleaner. The rotating side brush operates in both modes.
While handy for a quick wipe, the mop isn't capable of lifting any serious stains. In fact, it failed to fully remove some freshly split hot sauce from the kitchen floor, despite passing twice over the liquid. The wipe became dirty, so it had clearly done something, but this is really no more than a very light clean. A pack of 30 wipes is included in the box, each with a couple of holes for fixing to the mop attachment, but I can't see many owners buying another pack when they run out.
Performance score: 3.5 out of 5
SwitchBot K10+ Pro review: app
Easy to use
Lots of functionality
Apple Home requires additional hub
This robot uses the same app as other devices made by SwitchBot, which is handy if you want to build out your smart home with the company's devices, like door locks, motorized window blinds, security cameras and the Bot from which the firm gets its name.
You'll need to buy a SwitchBot Hub for some of these, but the vacuum works fine on its own – although you will need that hub if you intend to control it from Apple Home via the Matter wireless standard. Incidentally, voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant works without the hub.
The setup process is quick and easy, with the robot mapping your home on its first exploratory outing. You can then use the app to split the map into rooms and name them accordingly. With that set, you can ask the robot to go clean a specific room, or create a cleaning plan where a different suction setting is used for each room. It's also possible to draw no-go zones (such as a thick rug that the robot will get stuck in), or draw a specific area you want cleaning.
These are all common features across various robotic vacuums. There's nothing that really makes the SwitchBot app stand out from the crowd, but it's nice to see how the ‘Mini' name doesn't mean it's lacking in features.
App score: 4 out of 5
Should you buy the SwitchBot K10+ Pro?
Buy it if...
You're tight for space
This robot is much smaller than many of its rivals. This means it can be tucked away more neatly, but also that it can drive into tight spaces inaccessible by others, producing a more thorough clean – especially between furniture legs.
You plan to buy more SwitchBot devices
SwitchBot makes a wide range of smart home devices, all of which can be controlled from the same app as the robotic vacuum. You'll need the company's hub to get the most out of it, but the products can create a nice little home automation system.
You're happy to mop manually
This robot's mopping function is perfunctory at best, so only consider it if your priority is vacuuming.
Don't buy it if...
You need a good mop
The mopping function of this robot is little more than a wet wipe. You're best doing the mopping yourself, or picking a robot better-suited to the job, like one with powered rotating mops.
You want massive suction power
This robot is great for light, frequent cleans, but it lacks the suction power of larger rivals. We found it struggled to lift flour out from a wooden floor, so if it's outright power you need, we suggest you look elsewhere (and possibly also up your budget).View Deal
You have high doorway thresholds
Like some other robotic vacuums, the K10+ Pro struggles to clamber up from a hallway with exposed floorboards to the higher carpet of the next room. It just can't climb over doorway thresholds with confidence, so if you have lots of those we suggest you give this model a pass.
How I tested the SwitchBot Mini Robot Vacuum K10+ Pro
I set up the K10+ Pro and used it as my only vacuum for a couple of weeks before starting the review. I then carried out a range of specific cleaning tasks to assess its mapping, navigation, suction and mopping abilities.
