Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: In-ear all-rounder

9

How often do you update your tech, and is it worth it? For those who can afford it, a new mobile phone every year is a thing. Some people update their car after three years. Then there is the rest of us.

I have used the same primary pair of wireless earbuds for about four years and am still very happy with them. Yes, I have reviewed other pairs, but these have always worked the best. When I got the chance to review the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 earbuds, I jumped at it, as I wondered what has been improved on these top-end headphones.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 features

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 are positioned as a high-quality set of earbuds with advanced noise reduction for calls and playback. In the box, you will find the earbuds in their charging case, a USB-C cable, a tool to help replace the battery and four different-size silicone ear tips. The Momentums are available in five colours: Graphite, Cream, Copper, Denim and Lavender.

Box contents. Image: Angus Jones.

Sennheiser’s earbuds last up to 12 hours without the charging case, and up to 40 hours with it. Charging takes approximately 1.5 hrs for a full charge. Usefully, after eight minutes of charging, you will get one hour of music playtime. You can charge the case via USB cable, with the option of wireless charging.

Connection to your devices is via Bluetooth 6.0, and for maximum fidelity, the earbuds support a lossless codec delivered through a 7mm dynamic speaker. This means a reliable connection and fantastic sound. Audiophiles will appreciate support for SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX Adaptive/Lossless codecs.

IP54 weather resistance means the earbuds can handle a light rain shower and limited dust. So, you can use these buds in most situations, but avoid getting them too wet.

Automatic wind noise reduction and AI-powered voice isolation ensure clear calls for the other party, while adaptive noise cancellation combined with an ear canal-sealing silicone ear tip ensures the user has peace when required. A transparency mode lets you hear conversations with the earbuds still in place. This feature, along with play/pause, skip, volume, etc., is controlled by tapping the side of the bud.

Image: Angus Jones.

This product is the pinnacle of current earbud tech, and a couple of features will help it last longer. The first is ‘Find Headphones’, which is a tracking technology that will help you find an earbud if you misplace it. Second, these earbuds have user-replaceable, rechargeable batteries that extend the buds’ lifespan. A special tool comes with the headphones to enable this replacement, so keep it somewhere safe.

The Momentum True Wireless 5 works with iPhones, Android phones, tablets, and PCs. You can also control the earbuds via the app, where you can personalise the sound. This includes tuning the sound for voice or different music styles. The earbuds can even automatically adjust settings as you go from work to the gym to home.

A feature I like is a test routine in the app that checks whether you are using the right-sized silicone ear tips to maximise the earbuds’ effectiveness.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 specifications

Speaker frequency range	5 Hz to 21 kHz
Battery life	Up to 40 hours of playtime
Supported playback codecs	SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive/Lossless
Dimensions	Charging case: 7 cm x 5 cm x 2.5 cm Earbuds and charging case: 62 g Each earbud: 7 g
Price (RRP)	$499
Website	Sennheiser Australia
Warranty	One year

Using the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5

I do want to point out that I can compare these earbuds to others to hear the difference in the sound quality. You are unlikely to have this privilege, and you’re unlikely to be able to listen to earbuds in a retail store (due to hygiene).

Even though the Momentum True Wireless 5’s have such small-sized speakers compared to over-ear headphones, I am pleased to report that the sound quality is excellent. The sound’s richness and bass quality were a step up from the old top-end earbuds I have been using.

Image: Sennheiser.

While I’m talking sound, these earbuds also have Dolby Atmos spatial audio. I really want to like this feature, which can move the sound as you move your head, but I don’t. It works well, and if you are listening to a podcast, the voice comes from the same direction as you move your head, but I also feel this feature degrades the voice.

Every week I phone my mother as I walk the streets near my home. I find this to be the best real-world test of phone calls on the go via headphones. I have cars, trucks, lawnmowers, etc as well as wind. These headphones are the first to provide a proper noise-isolation effect for my mother to hear me clearly. They are so good that she could still hear me when I walked past a garbage truck, where it was so loud I could not hear her even with ANC active.

Noise cancellation didn’t block the garbage truck completely, but a combination of the form-fitting silicone ear tips and the ANC (active noise cancellation) smarts blocks most noise. On a recent international flight, they did a great job, to the point that I probably will not travel with full-size headphones again, as the size makes it so much easier.  I did have a connection issue that caused some clicking when connecting to the seat-back entertainment, but I believe that was a Qantas issue, as I had no such issue when I connected to my smartphone on that same flight.

The noise transparency can be set at different levels, essentially letting you detune the background noise around you. One setting actually amplifies outside noise louder than your own hearing, which is a bit like a bionic ear and helps you hear more.

If there was a feature I would change, I’d like a dedicated button on the buds to interact with them. I find the tap a bit hit-or-miss, which you do get better at over time, but I’d still prefer that reassuring click. In fairness, the Sennheiser engraved logo is the place you need to tap.

Who is the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 for?

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 are at the top rung of earbud headphones, and you would compare them to the Sony WF-1000XM6. With replaceable batteries and codec support, the Sennheisers will give you a longer life for your money. This may seem like a lot to spend on earbuds, but if you listen a lot, they are a great investment.

The phone call quality is excellent, and in my experience, these earbuds deliver what others have promised for years but failed to deliver around hearing and being heard. I have found my new earbud replacements.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5

With superb sound quality, great noise cancellation and an excellent microphone, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 is a true all-around set of earbuds.

Features

9

Value for money

9

Performance

9

Ease of use

9

Design

9

Positives

In-call noise isolation is spectacular

Replaceable batteries

Audiophile codec support

Negatives

No physical buttons for on-device controls

9

The post Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: In-ear all-rounder appeared first on GadgetGuy.

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Win a Ring Battery Video Doorbell 4K Pro worth $399

Whether you’re expecting a parcel, stuck at work or away on holiday, a video doorbell lets you see and speak to whoever turns up at your front door, straight from your phone. Now you can add one to your home for free, because GadgetGuy has teamed up with Ring to give away a Ring Battery Video Doorbell 4K Pro (2nd Gen) valued at $399.

Ring’s first battery-powered doorbell to record in 4K, it features Retinal 4K imaging and up to 10x Enhanced Zoom to let you take a closer look at who, or what, is on your doorstep. There’s also 140-degree head-to-toe field of view for capturing visitors from top to bottom, along with any parcels left at their feet.

Because it runs on a rechargeable Quick Release Ultra Battery Pack, there’s no wiring required. Ring says the average DIY installation takes about 10 minutes, and when the battery needs a top-up, it pops out for charging via USB-C. You can also connect it to existing doorbell wiring, or pair it with Ring’s optional Doorbell Solar Panel to help keep it charged.

Other features include 3D Motion Detection with customisable motion zones, colour night vision in low light, two-way talk with Audio+ echo cancellation and dual-band Wi-Fi 6. It’s IP55 rated for weather resistance and works with Amazon Echo smart speakers and displays. Add a Ring Protect subscription and you also get video history, smart alerts for people, packages and vehicles, and AI-powered video descriptions on selected plans. GadgetGuy’s Adam Turner gave it 8.9 out of 10 in his Ring Battery Video Doorbell Pro (2nd Gen) review, praising its sharp 4K picture.

How to win a Ring Battery Video Doorbell 4K Pro

To enter, simply complete the entry form below. You can also earn extra entries through our social media channels, and the more entry methods you complete, the better your chances of winning!

Australian residents aged 18 and above can enter now until 4:00pm AEDT on Tuesday 27 October 2026. One lucky winner will receive a Ring Battery Video Doorbell 4K Pro (2nd Gen) valued at $399. Full terms and conditions are available on the entry form.

GadgetGuy & Ring Battery Video Doorbell 4K Pro giveaway

If the entry form doesn’t load, you can enter here. Know someone who would love to see who’s knocking? Share this page with them so they can enter too. Good luck!

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How the LG G6 OLED improves an already-great TV

There are so many TVs to choose from these days. If you want an incredible, cinematic experience at home, you want the best TV possible. LG’s flagship OLED evo G6 4K TV fits the bill.

Last year’s LG G5 was fantastic, building on the brand’s high-quality OLED technology, but the evo G6 brings some big improvements, making it an even better TV.

Image quality enhancements

There are so many different types of TV technology: OLED produces one of the best-looking pictures, and there’s a clear reason why.

Using self-lit pixels instead of a backlight like LCD TVs, OLED delivers perfect blacks, incredible contrast, wide viewing angles and near-instant response times. It’s perfect for watching richly coloured, dark and moody movies, kicking back with friends for the big game, or smashing your top score in competitive gaming.

In addition, the G6’s “Hyper Radiant Colour Technology” is designed to improve picture performance in several key ways.

First, it boosts brightness levels, providing up to 3.9x higher peak brightness than conventional LG OLED models. This is thanks to a new light-boosting algorithm and enhanced light control architecture.

It also improves black levels and colour vibrancy through the use of an advanced new anti-reflective coating. Some anti-reflective coatings can reduce black levels, which makes dark scenes look grey and washed out. They can also muddy up the colours in a scene, so getting these types of coatings right is quite a challenge. 

LG’s Reflection Free Premium technology on 55-83″ G6 models is certified by Intertek to reflect less than 0.5% of natural and ambient light, but what really matters is that blacks stay deep and pure, and colours look vibrant and accurate, regardless of the light shining on it. 

And with fewer reflections on the screen, pictures appear crisp and easy to see, even in super-bright Australian living rooms. 

Also, some TVs use a matte coating, which can make the screen look grey. Conversely, the G6 retains a premium glossy look, while cutting reflections and keeping its deep blacks and colours vibrant, even during the day.

It all starts with the chip

The power behind all this visual goodness, and the controller of more than 8.3 million self-lit pixels across the G6 screen, is LG’s alpha 11 AI Processor Gen3 — now with a Dual AI Engine. 

This can run parallel deep-learning algorithms to evaluate what’s on screen, scene by scene, and refine sharpness, texture and image quality in real time. As a result, 4K images look more natural, especially lower-quality or standard definition footage, thanks to AI Super Upscaling.

Sound also gets some help thanks to the Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen3. This includes AI Sound Pro, with adaptive acoustic tuning and adaptive sound control. The first calibrates the TV to your room’s physical layout, and then it uses AI to analyse the content you’re watching, alters the EQ to suit the genre, and up-mixes it to a virtual 11.1.2 channel surround format. 

The result is better audio clarity for a documentary or news broadcast, or bigger bass effects for an action-packed movie.

Fit for a gallery

This TV has a sleek, minimal, and elegant look, with slim metallic borders and a sturdy centralised stand. There’s also a Slim Wall Mount that can be purchased separately, letting you mount the TV flush to the wall, leaving virtually no gap.

The stand raises the G6’s screen up high enough for a soundbar, and there’s also support for LG’s clever Sound Suite system, which is the world’s first soundbar audio system powered by Dolby Atmos FlexConnect.

It means that you can create your own wireless sound setup using compatible speakers like LG’s M5 and M7, even without a soundbar. The system uses digital signal processing and acoustic mapping to calibrate and redistribute audio channels to your speakers. Put simply, it means you experience Dolby Atmos 3D spatial sound regardless of how many speakers you have, or where you put your speakers in the room.

The flush-fit gallery design really lends itself to the G6’s Gallery+ features, where you can use your TV as a digital canvas or a photo frame when not being watched. 

Opening the Gallery+ app lets you choose from more than 5,000 works of art, including cinematic moments, gaming-inspired scenes, watercolours, photography and more. One hundred are included free, or you can subscribe to the full catalogue for $7.70 AUD a month. There’s even a Gallery Curation feature that chooses art styles based on your tastes.

Sleek software

The evo G6 gets the latest, award-winning webOS 26 menu. With the included AI Magic Remote, you can navigate menus by pointing at the screen, or you can fall back to the directional buttons if you prefer.

Everything, including your streaming apps and content recommendations, is easy to find, and you can access key picture modes and sound settings at the touch of a button. The quick launch streaming buttons are a nice touch too.

LG Channels are included too — with over 150 free channels to stream via your internet connection. There’s something to suit all tastes, from news and sports to lifestyle, pop culture, music and more.

AI smarts

From the setup, the LG G6 uses AI to tailor the TV to your personal tastes. By walking through the AI Picture & Sound Wizard, you can easily find the picture and audio settings you like the most, and it will automatically apply the settings to your chosen content.

LG’s AI features make it easier to find and adjust settings, too. You can literally say “the video looks too dark”, and a built-in AI chatbot helps you tweak the picture without wading through menus.

Google Gemini is also on standby to let you find information while on your TV. Just by asking “what was the name of that Tom Cruise movie with the aliens?”, you can find what you want, without needing a separate device.

LG’s AI integrations also include receiving personalised content recommendations, which is handy when you don’t know what to watch. Plus, you can register your voice, so the G6 knows whose account to use.

Movies, sports, and games

So how does all of this tech enhance the things you like to watch, like movies, sports, and playing games? 

With movies, LG’s 4K OLED evo panel can display 100% colour gamut to DCI-P3, which is the main colour standard used by the film industry. The G6 also leverages high peak brightness, HDR and Dolby Vision for amazing realism, plus FILMMAKER Mode to help provide a true rendition of the director and colourist’s intentions.

For Sport, like soccer, golf, tennis, F1, footy and more, the G6’s near-instant response time is perfect for displaying fast-moving objects like balls, cars and pucks without blurring. Plus, there’s TrueMotion for reducing frame judder, and even sports alerts.

Gaming is truly at home on the G6. The panel supports up to 165Hz (55-83″ sizes), which is well above today’s consoles and perfect for high-frame-rate PC gaming. The evo G6 panel’s incredibly fast sub-millisecond pixel response and super-low latency Boost Mode are core to ultra-competitive first-person shooters, and there are four ultra-fast HDMI 2.1 ports.

The variable refresh rate (VRR) and support for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium keep the action buttery smooth (and no frame tearing).

LG’s Game Mode can also adapt to your gaming preferences, tuning response times, audio balance, brightness, smoothness and more, for optimised play.

A premium TV made for your living room

For added peace of mind, you get LG’s five-year panel parts warranty with OLED Care+. This is not just a guarantee, but a suite of technologies and automated maintenance routines that help maximise the life of the panel and maintain picture quality over many years.  

You also get five years of webOS upgrades to future-proof your TV.

Benefiting from generations of OLED panel development, the G6 is packed with cutting-edge technology, an attractive flush-fit design and AI-driven features that unlock a truly extraordinary viewing experience. 

Best of all, thanks to Hyper Radiant Colour tech, the G6 is now a bright-room performer, and the new anti-reflective film means you can enjoy rich colours, incredible blacks and contrast without losing detail in sunny environments. Underneath it all, LG’s third-generation alpha 11 AI Processor provides next-level AI picture and sound optimisation, and personal tuning.

It’s a fantastic OLED TV, one that brings a premium viewing experience to your home.

The post How the LG G6 OLED improves an already-great TV appeared first on GadgetGuy.

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Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen) review: Clear all-day vision

8.4

A friend asked me which security camera I should buy, and I realised that after five minutes I had been rambling and not really answering. My advice for a first camera is to choose one that is wireless, easy to use, and has a built-in light. From there, you can learn about cameras, decide what your camera lacks (if anything), and look at other functionality that may improve your surveillance needs. Remember, a wireless camera is also highly portable, so you can move it.

So, with this in mind, is the Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen) the perfect first security camera?

Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen) features

The 2nd Gen Ring Spotlight Camera 2K is a wireless battery-powered outdoor security camera with a built-in spotlight. In the box, you will find the camera, a quick-release battery pack, a USB-C to USB-C cable, a security sticker, and mounting hardware, including screws. The camera is available in black or white.

Image: Ring.

The camera supports 2K resolution, slightly higher than what you’d see on free-to-air TV. In the app, you can digitally zoom up to six times to reveal additional details, such as a number plate. Horizontally, the camera’s field of view is 140 degrees.

LED lights along the sides of this camera switch on if the camera is triggered by movement or manually. The brightness is 550 lumens, which is equivalent to an old-style 40W bulb.

To power the camera, fully charge the included battery. Battery life depends on how many triggers occur and how often it’s used at night, since the light uses more power. Typically, you should expect around three months of average use.

A neat feature is that the camera can support two batteries (but only one is included). This not only allows longer runtime, but also lets the camera keep working while one battery charges. A quick-release mechanism makes this fairly simple, but you will most likely need to climb a ladder. To avoid this, you can power the camera with an optional solar panel or a USB-C cable and mains charger.

Quick-release battery. Image: Ring.

Connectivity occurs via your home Wi-Fi network, but this Ring camera only supports the 2.4GHz network band via Wi-Fi 4, quite an old technology by today’s standards. If you are too far away from a router and don’t have coverage, the camera will not work. You can install it on a horizontal or vertical surface, and it should take only 10 minutes.

Once the camera is connected to the internet, you’ll use the Ring app on your smartphone to interact with it. There is no option for local storage, and all recordings are stored on the cloud. Because nothing is stored locally, no one can access your footage if the camera is stolen. With a subscription, Ring keeps footage for up to 180 days, and you can download it anytime for permanent storage. The footage is encrypted, and there is no data limit to the amount stored.

For a single camera, a Ring subscription starts at $49.95 a year or $4.95 per month. If you have multiple cameras, this increases to $149.95 a year ($14.95/mth). Both these plans include alerts for people, vehicles and packages. For intelligent alerts with descriptions and the ability to search videos by text query, the price increases to $299.95 a year ($29.95 monthly).

Amazon Echo with Ring view. Image: Angus Jones.

Two-way talk and a siren let you deter or communicate with anyone near the camera. If you have an Amazon Echo product, you can also view images directly from the camera and use it for two-way talk.

Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen) specifications

Resolution	2K
Field of view	140 degrees horizontal
Networking	Wi-Fi 4 2.4Ghz
Dimensions	12 cm x 8 cm x 8 cm
Price (RRP)	$279
Website	Ring Australia
Warranty	One year

Using the Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen)

I have the Spotlight Cam mounted on my front porch. The camera activates when anyone comes up the front stairs or leaves from the front door. There are two advantages: first, it acts as a sensor light to help friends enter and leave the house at night. Second, it provides a security alert and records anyone who comes to our front door.

Ring recommends a minimum broadband speed of 5Mbps for optimal performance. As a new camera, I would have liked to see support for a higher Wi-Fi version, such as Wi-Fi 5 or 6. However, with it using Wi-Fi 4, I haven’t had any connectivity issues.

App setup screen (left), and home screen (right). Screenshots: Angus Jones.

My experience with Amazon products, whether eero routers or Ring cameras, is that they’re easy to set up. Amazon understands that not everyone is a gadget guy, so they make the process intuitive and easy to follow, using everyday language to explain each feature. A Ring differentiator in the setup process is helping you fine-tune the camera so you don’t get too many false alerts, while also protecting your neighbour’s privacy. If you are still having issues, Amazon run an Australian telephone support team that can provide further assistance.

Once you get alerts on your phone, an image of the alert appears on your phone and even your smartwatch, if you allow it. In playback, you can play back any alert, as well as any live view you started, using a simple slider bar. If you have received many alerts, you can use the search function to help you find images, for example, with a parcel or someone wearing a green shirt. In manual mode, you can also activate smart alerts so the system learns and recognises your family’s movements, and you don’t get alerts for things like you coming home from work every day at 6 pm.

Being able to choose between all activity or alerts for people and vehicles is a great way to minimise false alerts. If you monitor everything, a bush moving can trigger an alert. If your camera faces a street, excluding vehicles stops every car from triggering an alert. You can also exclude areas within the viewable picture from triggering alerts. You can also decide not to have an alert but still record an event, or receive an alert but not record.

Night view is pretty good on this camera but really irrelevant with the light, which gives a much better full-colour image. Ring does offer cheaper cameras without a light, but you always get a better result with one, even if you will have to recharge the battery more often. Two-way audio also works well.

Who is the Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen) for?

If you’re thinking about a security camera and aren’t sure where to start, or you’re not overly technical, the Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen) is an excellent place to begin. You may evolve to other products in the Ring range for different functionality, but this camera is easily movable and, with its spotlight, will find its ideal home.

I really like the Ring ecosystem, with cloud support that, through the subscription, enhances the simplicity of the security solution.

Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen)

Clear footage and a built-in camera makes the 2nd Gen Ring Spotlight Camera 2K a great first smart home security camera.

Features

8

Value for money

7

Performance

9

Ease of use

10

Design

8

Positives

Simple assisted setup

Great motion settings to avoid false triggers

Best app in the category

Negatives

Would have liked to see Wi-Fi 5 or above

Only Wi-Fi 4

8.4

The post Ring Spotlight Camera 2K (2nd Gen) review: Clear all-day vision appeared first on GadgetGuy.

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Asus Zenbook 14 (UX3480QA) review: Lightweight contender

8.2

Swapping Intel for Qualcomm silicon, the latest Snapdragon-equipped Asus Zenbook 14 joins the desktop AI fray.

The latest wave of AI-optimised Windows ‘Copilot+ PCs’ offer the option of running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon ARM processors rather than traditional Intel or AMD x86 chips.

Pound for pound, these Snapdragon chips are actually more powerful than their Intel/AMD rivals. Particularly when it comes to AI tasks that are handed across to the dedicated onboard Neural Processing Unit (NPU).

The trade-off is that these Snapdragon-powered machines run a special ARM-based version of Windows 11. It supports the Microsoft Office suite and Edge browser along with many, but not all, third-party Windows applications.

Thankfully, a lot of work has gone into supporting more third-party Windows software. Emulation to run apps that aren’t ARM-compatible has also improved.

This makes the new Snapdragon-powered Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480QA an interesting proposition, starting at $2,099 — $400 less than what you’d pay for a similarly specced Asus Zenbook 14 running on Intel.

Asus Zenbook 14 Snapdragon first impressions

The Asus Zenbook 14 looks rather utilitarian compared to something like the slender 14-inch Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, which also runs on Snapdragon silicon.

It’s interesting how much the style of a notebook impacts what you expect it to weigh. The 1.1kg Zenbook 14 feels ridiculously light when you pick it up, because it looks like it should weigh more. It’s only a fraction lighter than the 1.17kg Yoga Slim 7x, but it actually feels a tad heavier than it looks because it’s so slim.

Asus describes the Zenbook 14 as having a “premium stone-like finish”. It’s actually Asus’ proprietary ‘Ceraluminum’, which fuses lightweight aluminium with durable ceramic. The matte finish doesn’t look or feel as premium as aluminium to my eye. It wouldn’t look out of place in the classroom or the boardroom, but it doesn’t scream executive material.

The matte Ceraluminum body looks and feels a bit pedestrian. Image: Adam Turner.

It’s a shame the supplied 68W USB-C AC power adapter weighs an extra 330g, meaning it will weigh down your travel bag.

The upside of a slightly thicker notebook is that it leaves room for a range of traditional ports, not just super-slim USB-C. You get two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports (not 4.0), HDMI 2.1 and an audio combo jack on the left, accompanied by a lone USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port on the right.

The Asus Zenbook 14 Snapdragon leaves room for more than USB-C ports. Image: Adam Turner.

Like the Yoga, the Zenbook just misses the mark when it comes to offering the ideal amount of resistance from the hinge when you push the screen open with one thumb. The screen lifts most of the way up, with a notch to help you get some purchase, but you need to hold the keyboard down with your other hand to push the screen back.

Fire up the Asus Zenbook 14, and you’re faced with a gorgeous 14-inch OLED non-touchscreen display that’s blessed with a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut. The 300-nits brightness is fine for day-to-day activities, but a bit low to make the most of High Dynamic Range video.

Some notebooks treat the keyboard and trackpad as an afterthought, but Asus offers well-spaced backlit keys with plenty of travel. The trackpad also offers a surprising amount of travel with a satisfying click.

As is the style these days, the right Control button has been repurposed as a Copilot button for summoning Microsoft’s AI-powered smart assistant.

Touch typists will appreciate full-sized Shift keys and half-sized arrow keys, rather than a half-sized right Shift key.

Unfortunately, the keyboard is let down by the fact it’s a little spongy when you press the keys in the middle. Not enough to be a deal-breaker, but perhaps enough to bother those used to typing on something sturdy which doesn’t have any give.

The Asus Zenbook 14 keyboard makes the grade. Image: Adam Turner.

Asus Zenbook 14 UX3480QA specifications and price

Display size	14-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio
Display resolution	1920×1200-pixel
Display technology	OLED 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio 300-nits brightness 60Hz refresh rate 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut TÜV Rheinland certified lower blue light
Chipset	8-core 2.96GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon X X126100 45 TOPS Hexagon NPU
GPU	Adreno X1-45
Speakers	Dual speakers, supports Dolby Atmos and Snapdragon Sound support
Front camera	1920×1080 FHD IR
RAM	16 GB 8533MT/s LPDDR5X
Onboard storage	512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
Ports	2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (DisplayPort 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1 x HDMI 2.1 (TMDS) 1 x audio combo jack
Charging	USB-C Supplied 68W USB-C adapter
Battery	50Wh battery
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 6E tri-band
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3
Operating system	Windows 11 Home (supports Windows 11 Pro)
Ruggedness	MIL-STD-819
Dimensions	311.12×215.89×13.90–16.99mm
Weight	1.1kg
Colours	Arctic Blue, Komodo Coral
Price	from $2099 RRP with Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
Warranty	1 year
Official website	Asus Australia

Features

Under the bonnet, the Asus Zenbook 14 packs an entry-level, first-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon X (X126100) processor, rather than opting for a new second-generation Snapdragon X2.

It’s a surprising choice, considering for a similar price you’ll get the Snapdragon X2 Plus in something like the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x or a 13-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop (2nd Edition).

That Zenbook 14’s Snapdragon X processor is accompanied by Adreno graphics, 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a 512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD.

Snapdragon inside. Image: Adam Turner.

It’s worth repeating that Snapdragon ARM chips can’t natively run some third-party Windows desktop software. Compatibility has improved, but it’s still important to check the compatibility of all your important software and plug-ins before you take the plunge.

If you get stuck, the Prism emulator runs automatically in the background to support x86 and x64 apps. This comes with a performance hit, which is concerning when you’re relying on an old Snapdragon X chip rather than a new X2.

The good news is that ARM-based Windows machines offer energy efficiency benefits compared to Intel/AMD. The Asus Zenbook 14 packs a 3-cell Li-ion 50Wh battery which should get you through a day, with fast charging getting you up to around 50% in 30 minutes. That said, at these prices you might hope for a 4-cell Li-ion 70Wh battery.

Quality

Geekbench runs natively on ARM-based Windows, so benchmarks aren’t throttled by reliance on Prism emulation.

The Asus Zenbook 14 returns Geekbench 7 results of 1,876 single-core CPU, 11,418 multi-core CPU, and 9,023 OpenCL GPU. Switching back to Geekbench 6 sees 2,149 single-core, 10,499 multi-core and 9,645 OpenCL.

That’s underwhelming, although enough for day-to-day computing. Keep in mind it’s the previous generation’s entry-level Snapdragon. On top of this, you’ll see an extra hit if you’re relying on emulation.

That kind of performance falls short of what you’ll get in the Intel/AMD world for around the same price. It also falls short of other similarly priced Snapdragon laptops running new second-gen Snapdragon X2 chips.

For example, the $2,169 Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x packs a Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P42100. While Geekbench 7 results vary, under Geekbench 6 it returns around 3,300 single-core, 12,400 multi-core and 19,000 OpenCL. That’s a big step up from the Snapdragon X in the Asus Zenbook 14.

To earn Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC badge, a PC requires an NPU capable of at least 40 TOPS (trillion operations per second) for on-device AI workloads. The Asus Zenbook 14 Snapdragon just makes the grade at 45 TOPS, while the Snapdragon X2 Plus X2P42100 delivers 80 TOPS. 

Who is the Asus Zenbook 14 Snapdragon for?

If you’re confident that ARM-powered Windows can meet all your needs, then the Snapdragon-equipped Asus Zenbook 14 might make your shortlist. It’s a lightweight laptop with a great display and plenty of features, but it’s let down by an entry-level previous-generation Qualcomm processor.

Performance is the main reason why you’d opt for Qualcomm silicon rather than play it safe with Intel or AMD.

It’s hard to get excited about the Snapdragon X silicon when you’ll find an X2 elsewhere that delivers much more grunt at a similar price. Opting for the Snapdragon X would be more forgivable if the Asus Zenbook 14 Snapdragon was more affordable.

Asus Zenbook 14 (UX3480QA)

Packing a Qualcomm chip and wrapped in Ceraluminum, the Asus Zenbook 14 Snapdragon is optimised for AI.

Features

8.5

Value for money

7.5

Performance

7.5

Ease of use

9

Design

8.5

Positives

Thin and light

Great OLED display

Plenty of ports

Energy efficient

Negatives

Old Snapdragon X processor

Requires ARM-compatible Windows applications for best performance

Only 300-nits brightness

USB3.2 rather than 4

8.2

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Latest Asus ProArt range debuts Nvidia chip with 128GB of memory

Nvidia made waves at Computex earlier this year when it debuted its long-awaited PC system-on-a-chip (SoC), RTX Spark. Designed to compete with processors from Intel, AMD, and Snapdragon, the Arm-based RTX Spark targets efficiency and power in a small form factor. And now people can assess Nvidia’s lofty claims for themselves, with Asus launching the new ProArt range of creator laptops using the RTX Spark N1X chip.

Included in both the 14-inch ProArt P14 and 16-inch P16 laptops, the RTX Spark SoC includes up to 20 CPU cores and 128GB of LPDDR5X unified memory. Aimed at high-level creative professionals, Asus’ new laptops use Nvidia’s latest hardware to render complex 3D scenes and run local AI models efficiently. According to Asus and Nvidia, these PCs can run large language models as big as 120 billion parameters (an indication of AI model complexity) without needing the cloud.

Both laptops sport 3K-resolution OLED displays, supporting 120Hz refresh rates. All models ship with a 1TB SSD by default.

As a more pro-level device, the ProArt range sits on the pricier end of the scale. In Australia, the cheapest variant starts at $5,999 for the base-spec ProArt P16 (H7607BA-SR272W). This specific model includes 24GB of RAM, an 18-core CPU, and a 5,120-core GPU. Meanwhile, the most expensive model costs $10,999, including a 20-core CPU, a 6,144-core GPU, and 128GB of RAM.

There’s also wide peripheral support, with three USB-C ports, a USB-A port, an HDMI 2.1 slot, an SD card reader, and a built-in headphone jack.

Pre-orders for the RTX Spark-equipped ProArt are live now via Asus’ online store. Some models ship this month, while the rest of the configurations are due to launch across November and December. Asus also recently launched its latest Zenbook 14 laptops, claiming up to 33 hours of battery life.

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Tonies upgrades range for bigger kids, including Minecraft

One of the biggest criticisms of the Toniebox (which now includes Pokémon and Bluey variants) is that for a long time it just didn’t have enough content for older kids. There was plenty for preschool-aged kids, but then it started to peter out after that. With the latest lineup of Book Tonies, it would be difficult to make that argument now.

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks really enjoying listening to this brand new selection of audiobooks, and here’s what’s new.

Animal and science-themed Tonies

Animal World: Record Breakers Audio Pocket Tonie Set: $44.95

Image: Tonieplay.

These are a huge hit in my household. Animal World is a great educational series that teaches kids about different animals in language they can connect with. Our favourite from this new four-pack is the whale, which talks all about really big and very small animals.

Science Museum: Discovery Crew Pocket Tonies: $44.95

This science-themed four-pack is another fantastic educational range, teaching kids all about the concepts of science, medicine and space. Perfect for parents who want to instil a love of STEAM early.

Turning screen time into audiobooks

With three new Minecraft Tonies, kids have another way of engaging with their favourite game world without having extra screen time. It’s a good compromise for both kids and adults.

Image: Tonieplay.

Here’s what’s new:

• Minecraft: The Island Book Tonie – $19.95
• Minecraft: The Mountain Book Tonie – $19.95
• Minecraft: The Village Book Tonie – $19.95

Beloved book series get the Tonies treatment

Lottie Brooks Tonies

Also available as part of a discounted three-pack, the new Lottie Brooks Tonies are great for kids, particularly girls, on the precipice of puberty. It stars a relatable 11-year-old girl trying to deal with unpopularity, flat-chestedness and the stress of growing up.

Image: Tonieplay.

• The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks Book Tonie: $19.95
• The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks Book Tonie: $19.95
• The Mega-Complicated Crushes of Lottie Brooks Book Tonie: $19.95

Roald Dahl: Fantastic Mr Fox Book Tonie: $19.95

Image: Tonieplay.

An absolute classic book, with a solid narrator.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Book Tonie: $19.95

Image: Tonieplay.

This is the full unabridged story of the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia, and what a classic. At a run time of 262 minutes, this is recommended for kids aged 9+.

Enid Blyton – The Famous Five: A Short Story Collection Tonie: $29.95

Image: Tonieplay.

Unlike the other book Tonies, this is a traditional figurine Tonie, with an excellent collection of Enid Blyton’s classic stories. Super cute, and the story is also fully voice-acted, which makes it come alive.

All the Tonies above are available now.

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