Espresso Lite 15 review: The perfect entry-level portable monitor

8.8

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I have loved Espresso Displays products for many years, having used them for a long time. But, because of the (justifiably) high price tag, they were sometimes difficult to recommend to people who didn’t have specific, high-end needs.

The Espresso Lite 15 changes all that. Now, people who need a second screen on the go have no reason not to try one of this excellent Australian company’s screens.

Table of contents

• First impressions
• Specifications and price
• General use
• Portability
• Software
• Who is the Espresso Lite 15 for?

Espresso Lite 15 Portable Monitor – 15.6” Full HD USB-C Display, Single-Cable Power, Ultra-Light Travel Monitor for Laptop, iPad & USB-C Devices (Black)

Buy on Amazon

First impressions

Taking the Espresso Lite 15 display out of the box, I was struck by how simple the setup was. There’s a super thin screen, a USB-C cable and a magnetic stand, and that’s really all you need.

I also really loved the colour. I strongly debated between orange and purple, and I think I still one day want to get a purple one, but I love the orange so much that I think I made the right choice for now. It’s just nice to have productivity devices with a little personality. Sure, I’m using this to fill out my expenses spreadsheet, but I also enjoy colours. For those who don’t enjoy colours, there are also black and white options.

You might only see it from the back, but the bright colouring is fun. Image: Alice Clarke.

Setting it up was easy. Because I already had the Espresso Flow software installed on my Mac, I plugged in the screen, and that was the whole setup process. The app is easy enough to use, letting you customise the screen and whether you want it to mirror or extend, which apps you want to open automatically on each screen in certain modes, etc. I’ll explain more later on in this review, but the main takeaway is that it was super easy to set up and use.

Espresso Lite 15 specifications and price

Price	$399
Warranty	2 years in addition to your Australian Consumer Law Rights
Official website	Espresso Displays Australia
Size	15.6 inches
Length	364 mm / 14.34 inches
Width	218 mm / 8.58 inches
Thickness	9.5mm / 0.37 inch
Weight	705 g / 1.55 lb
Resolution	1920 x 1080 (1080p)
Touch capable	No
Contrast ratio	1500:1
Response time	9ms typical
Ports	2x USB-C with power passthrough
Brightness	400 nits

The difference between the Lite and my usual $1,100 Pro model is stark, and that really shows the range of this brand. At the higher end, you can get 4K resolution, 550 nits of brightness, an aluminium body (instead of plastic) and touchscreen capability across Mac and PC.

However, at this end of the market, FHD (1080p) is to be expected, and most other options only have either 800:1 or 600:1 contrast ratios, which is suboptimal. Comparing the Espresso Lite 15 to similar-priced portable monitors, like the Lenovo ThinkVision M15, the Espresso comes out on top.

For instance, Lenovo’s display has a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 250 nits of brightness, a significantly less adjustable stand, and a larger, heavier body for the same screen size. The Espresso Lite 15, with a 1500:1 contrast ratio, 400-nit brightness, and a lighter build, obviously wins in that direct comparison.

General use

This is an absolutely solid screen for daily use. I use it as my emails and notes screen, and I have the document I’m working on and whatever research on my main screen. Because my main monitor is 6K, the difference is more stark than I’d like, but FHD is more than enough for most non-gaming and intensive video editing duties.

Watching an old film (D.E.B.S., one of the greatest films of all time) on it, the colours popped, the motion was appropriately smooth, and it generally looked excellent.

Image: Alice Clarke.

Watching a newer, fancier show, like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, I can see that the blacks aren’t fully black, and there is some light bleed. This reinforces that this is an affordable portable screen for productivity and work travel.

You can technically play games on it, but the refresh rate is nothing to write home about, and the 9ms response time is lacklustre.

400 nits of brightness is plenty, so long as you don’t plan on working in full sunlight. I’m generally happy having it at 10 per cent brightness, and can count on one hand the number of times I’ve felt the need to crank the brightness to contend with bright rooms or parks. That said, I do like a dark screen, so your mileage may vary.

Portability

This screen is ridiculously portable. It’s so thin and light that it fits in the laptop section of my backpack with my MacBook Air and room to spare. It’s smaller and easier to transport than an iPad Pro with a keyboard case.

Image: Alice Clarke.

The stand is also quite versatile. I’ve seen people angling their stands to fit in the seat backs of trains to mount a second screen while in transit. While I prefer the Stand+ Pro because it’s able to get in more positions and reach higher while remaining stable, the Stand+ is extra portable and is fine to fit next to or above a laptop screen. It also folds up so small that it’ll fit in basically any bag.

Software

This is where I become less effusive. The software isn’t as intuitive as I’d like, and I have had problems with it in the past (though these bugs were usually fixed relatively soon after I reported them).

Espresso Flow is an essential tool to get the most out of your display, because you can set up Workspaces and use Jot with the touchscreen models, as well as get battery information. But it’s also just clunky. Like, it’s fine. It does the job well enough, and it hasn’t crashed on me in a while. I just look forward to a day when it’s better.

Image: Alice Clarke.

This is a nitpicking issue, and the software isn’t bad per se, it just doesn’t flow in the way my brain does. It’s a personal preference thing. There needs to be more view options, and I shouldn’t have to click so many things to get to the brightness adjustment and picture tone options.

The good news is that once you’ve used Flow to set up the screen how you’d like, you only have to deal with it to adjust brightness.

Who is the Espresso Lite 15 for?

This is an excellent portable screen for productivity. It could be the second screen at your desk, one that you use on the go, or to use in a hot-desking situation. It’s just so easy to take around with you.

It’s a fantastic no frills option — it doesn’t do the fancy stuff like 4K, high refresh rates, OLED or support touch inputs. But what it does do is make spreadsheets, Slack, Google Docs, and emails look good. It also fits in your bag without breaking your back, and it costs (marginally) less than $400. Really, what more could you ask for?

I love the Espresso Lite 15 and strongly recommend it to people who need a basic but good portable screen.

GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.

Espresso Lite 15

The Espresso Lite 15 is the best portable display I’ve tried for under $500, and I have no idea how a small Australian company is making screens that are this good, for this cheap.

Features

8

Value for money

10

Performance

9

Ease of use

8

Design

9

Positives

Ridiculously affordable

Beautiful screen

Comes in fun colours

Negatives

Not good for gaming

Doesn't have the blackest blacks

8.8

Buy on Amazon

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Pet fur and kibble should be a breeze for this robot vacuum

Ecovacs recently launched its latest robot vacuum, the Deebot T90 Pro Omni, which it says is perfectly suited to cleaning up after your pets. But it’s one thing to hear that, it’s another thing to see that level of cleaning in action.

Across both hardwood floors and rugs, the T90 Pro Omni picked up a wide range of dust and large particles, all without my input. A big part of the robot’s efficiency comes from a combination of its 30,000Pa peak suction power and a large air inlet.

Owners of long-haired cats or shaggy dogs will be pleased that this Deebot avoids tangles as a priority. Instead of long strands of hair or fur getting caught on its brushes, the robot sucks up the hair before it has a chance to tangle.

Stay tuned for our full thoughts on this $2,299 robot vacuum in the next couple of weeks.

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DJI teases Avata 360, its potential Antigravity killer

After being beaten to the punch by Insta360’s Antigravity A1 360-degree drone last year, DJI has teased its response. Dubbed the DJI Avata 360, the upcoming device will have an 8K camera system of its own to rival Antigravity’s.

Teased in a short social media video, DJI showed some close-up footage of what looks like the drone’s dome-shaped camera. Accompanied by the “above it all, see it all” tagline, the DJI Avata 360 is scheduled to launch on 26 March.

The drone will be DJI’s first new entry in the first-person view (FPV) drone series since the Avata 2 in 2024. FPV drones let you control the device via a set of goggles that make it look like you’re seeing footage from the drone’s perspective.

Australians need to be careful, however, because there are some strict rules about outdoor FPV drone use.

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Telstra hits back at claims its mobile coverage is under threat

While Australia’s communications regulator determines a new standard for how mobile coverage maps are presented, Telstra has responded to accusations that its network doesn’t cover as wide an area as it claims.

In a blog post authored by Shailin Sehgal, Telstra’s Group Executive of Global Networks and Tech, the telco claims that its competitors want to use the new standard to “downplay the large difference between their network and [Telstra’s].”

Under the proposed standard from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), mobile coverage with a signal strength weaker than -115dBm would be classified as ‘no coverage’. Telstra disputes this cutoff point, claiming many of its users access coverage with a signal below -115dBm.

See Also

10/03/2026Chris Button Telcos

Telstra and TPG Telecom clash over coverage map definitions

“We know that our customers use over 1 million square kilometres of coverage today that sits below the -115dBm threshold,” a Telstra spokesperson told GadgetGuy. “Our concern is that if this coverage were removed from the comparable map, we may need to find a different way to help our customers understand that it exists because we know it works, without an external antenna.”

Telstra also claimed that 1.5 million of its customers use coverage below -115dBM every month, citing internal data.

Telstra responds to TPG Telecom’s claims

As part of TPG Telecom’s submission to the ACMA’s proposed standard, it claimed that its engineers could not make calls using Telstra’s network across 20 locations included on the telco’s “full coverage” map.

Telstra responded by saying that its third-party testing is “vastly more extensive” than TPG’s tests submitted to the ACMA. Furthermore, a Telstra spokesperson explained that “no map, from any provider, can guarantee mobile service at a particular time or exact location”.

“That’s because all our maps are predictions based on extensive modelling and real-world testing.”

In contrast to the ACMA’s proposal to define mobile signal strength weaker than -115dBM as ‘no coverage, the National Audit of Mobile coverage uses a different set of metrics. This audit, commissioned by the Australian Government, refers to signal strength of -122dBm for 4G, and -126dBm for 5G, as ‘modest’. Anything weaker than -122dBm and -126dBm is classified as ‘limited’.

Telstra points to this audit as proof that “usable coverage exists below -115dBm,” the current lower-end threshold proposed by the ACMA.

It raises questions about what the finalised standard, due by 31 March, will look like before it takes effect on 30 June. Telstra supports the ACMA’s goals of simplifying coverage maps for Australians, albeit with tweaks to what data gets included.

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Sonos Play brings the portable speaker to a more affordable price

For some years now, Sonos has built a reputation for making high-quality speakers, albeit with some software missteps along the way. As good as the brand’s speakers are, they err on the pricier side. Today, Sonos announced two new speakers, including one that sits at a more affordable price point.

One is the Sonos Era 100 SL, a $289 microphone-free version of 2023’s brilliant Era 100 speaker. It’s fundamentally the same device but without the option of voice controls. The Era 100 SL is also over $100 cheaper than the original launch price of the base Era 100 (which now retails for $319).

Sonos’ other device is a brand-new speaker: the Sonos Play. Advertised as the brand’s “most versatile speaker”, it’s designed for listening to music at home and on the go. At $499 in Australia, the Sonos Play is significantly more affordable than the $799 Sonos Move 2, a speaker also known for its portable design.

The Sonos Era 100 SL is a cheaper version of the original model. Image: Sonos.

Like the rest of the core Sonos ecosystem, the Play connects to other speakers via Wi-Fi. It means you can connect two speakers to create a stereo setup, and also cast audio using AirPlay 2 and Spotify Connect.

In a new addition for Sonos, the speaker also supports connecting up to four Play or Move 2 speakers together via Bluetooth. If you’re hosting an outdoor party or somewhere without reliable Wi-Fi connectivity, you can still get a pseudo surround sound system up and running.

Inside the Play are three amplifiers, two tweeters, one midwoofer, and dual passive radiators. It’s also more weather-resistant than the Move 2, with an IP67 rating, compared to IP56. Sonos claims the speaker lasts up to 24 hours of nonstop music playback on a single battery charge.

Both new speakers are available to pre-order now via Sonos’ website. They then officially launch on 31 March.

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Telstra and TPG Telecom clash over coverage map definitions

Vodafone’s parent company, TPG Telecom, has hit out at Telstra’s network coverage claims as part of a submission to Australia’s communications regulator that could change the way telcos show coverage information to consumers.

When you look at a phone network coverage map, you might expect it to clearly explain where you will and won’t get a signal. But coverage maps are predictive by nature, and some telcos use different approaches when presenting this information.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) wants to simplify coverage information by making telcos display a standardised set of service categories ranging from “good” service to “none”. It recently closed submissions for the draft Telecommunications (Mobile Network Coverage Maps) Standard 2026, which will help inform the finalised standard scheduled for 31 March.

TPG Telecom’s submission directly questions Telstra’s network coverage map, following TPG’s claim last year that Telstra allegedly misled customers with inflated coverage statistics over a 15-year period. As part of its submission, TPG Telecom alleges that its engineers could not make phone calls in areas covered by Telstra’s “full coverage” map.

What does the ACMA’s draft standard say?

ACMA’s efforts seek to bring parity to Australian network coverage maps. Per its consultation paper, “current industry practices vary significantly”.

“Differences in modelling approaches, underlying assumptions and presentation conventions mean that coverage maps are not directly comparable between operators,” the ACMA’s document said. “This weakens the usefulness of coverage maps for consumers and undermines broader policy goals such as improving transparency and supporting informed choice.”

Limitations with the predictive techniques used in coverage maps are another issue the ACMA wants to tackle. To help consumers understand the likelihood of getting phone coverage in any given area, the regulator proposed four categories of phone signal:

• Good
• Moderate
• Usable
• None

In this example, ‘good’ refers to “reliable” and “high-quality” connections for voice calls, SMS and data. Go down the list, and ‘Usable’ means “reduced reliability and variable performance”.

Under the currently proposed standard, these categories would correspond with signal strength, measured in decibel-milliwatts (dBm). ‘Good’ is used when the signal is greater than -95dBm, while a signal strength between -95dBm and -105dBm fits the ‘Moderate’ category. Based on the ACMA’s current draft, ‘no coverage’ includes signals weaker than -115dBM.

The ACMA acknowledged that signal strength isn’t the only factor impacting whether a phone call will go through. Different phones have different antenna technologies, and being indoors or outdoors also has an impact.

TPG Telecom’s issue with Telstra

Telstra largely agrees with the ACMA’s goal of making information about phone coverage clear and consistent. The telco’s submission expresses agreement with consistent mobile coverage standards designed to help consumers, with some caveats.

Telstra’s biggest issue is with ACMA setting the ‘no coverage’ limit at -115dBM. Via its submission, Telstra claims that “around one million square kilometres of predicted outdoor coverage”, equal to “an area greater than the entire state of NSW”, would no longer be included on its coverage map if -115dBM was used as a cutoff point.

According to Telstra, usable mobile service is still possible on lower signal strengths. It recommended that -122dBM be used as a “lower boundary” instead, claiming it distinguished “basic but usable outdoor service from areas with genuinely no coverage.”

Conversely, TPG Telecom supports -115dBM as the lower end of what it suggested be a two-tiered network coverage system of “good outdoor” and “usable outdoor”. But it stopped short of agreeing that signal strength weaker than -115dBM should be referred to as ‘no coverage’.

Instead, it recommended that mobile network operators display a disclaimer so that consumers know it might still be possible to connect, pending factors like hardware and location.

TPG claimed that its engineers couldn’t connect to Telstra in areas designated as ‘full coverage’ on the telco’s map.

Also included in TPG Telecom’s submission to the ACMA is the claim that its engineers couldn’t reliably connect to Telstra’s network across “over 20 unique locations” included on Telstra’s “full coverage” map.

Telstra splits its coverage map into two distinct views: initial view and full coverage view. Areas depicted on the initial view are deemed sufficient for calls, texts, and video streaming. Telstra classifies full coverage as being “ordinarily sufficient for voice calls, texting and web-browsing, although higher-data activities involving video or high-resolution graphics may be slower or less consistent”.

Telstra’s initial view coverage map (left) vs the full coverage map (right).

Network performance in this latter category is the crux of TPG’s issue with Telstra, while Telstra argues that the ACMA should be more lenient in its coverage definitions.

Once the ACMA confirms the new standard by 31 March, it will be put into practice starting on 30 June.

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Aiper Scuba X1 robot pool cleaner review: Poolside convenience

8.4

Buy on Amazon

As a reviewer, you often gravitate to the best model in a range. However, a review is all about helping you find the best product for doing a job. Robots that help with menial tasks around the home have become the hottest-selling items, whether a vacuum, a lawn mower, or, in this case, a pool cleaner.

I recently looked at the Aiper Scuba X1, the brand’s mid-range pool-cleaning robot, and found some surprising results.

Table of contents

• Features
• Specifications and price
• Using the Aiper Scuba X1
• Who is the Aiper Scuba X1 for?

AIPER Scuba X1 Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner, Upgraded Battery Life and Cross Pattern Smart Navigation, Horizontal Waterline Scrubbing, Ideal for Inground Pools up to 200㎡

Buy on Amazon

Features

The Aiper Scuba X1 is a cordless pool cleaner designed to clean the floor and walls, including the waterline. It is suitable for use in both fresh and saltwater pools.

The X1 uses smart navigation to create a crisscross pattern within your pool to ensure all areas are cleaned. The robot has a range of sensors that can detect obstacles up to 6m away, ensuring it navigates around them. Able to circulate 25,000 litres of water an hour through its suction, sand and pebbles are no issue and get sucked into the 5-litre filter basket. An included micro-mesh basket can be added and removed as needed, and goes one step further by collecting dust and pollen down to 3µm.

Beyond suction power, there are four brushes that not only aid in transporting dirt, but also brush the surfaces of your pool to ensure a better clean. This cleaning also occurs on the pool walls up to 5cm above the water line. With exposure to air, this is the most likely place for algae to grow, and the X1, with its horizontal scrubbing, helps keep it in check.

Horizontal scubbing above the waterline. Image: Angus Jones.

The robot is controlled via buttons on the top of the unit or via the Aiper app. Using the app, you can also set up a schedule. There are four modes: ‘Smart’, which cleans walls and floor, ‘Floor’, ‘Wall’ and ‘Waterline’. If your pool is an irregular shape, like a kidney, you can adapt the cleaning path to better suit the shape and ensure an intelligent clean.

Note that the connection with the app only works when the robot is out of the water, unless you purchase the optional HydroComm Pro ($680), which adds underwater communication, including sending instructions to the surface for retrieval, water-quality analysis, and chemical recommendations.

An optional caddy ($449) is also available, allowing you to wheel the robot away from the pool for storage or to keep it out of sight.

Aiper Scuba X1 specifications and price

Obstacle avoidance	Optical sensors
Battery life	3 hours
Basket capacity	5 Litres with 3μm Fine Filter Mesh
Dimensions	49 x 42 x 24 cm 11kg
Price (RRP)	$1,999
Website	Aiper Australia
Warranty	2 years

Using the Aiper Scuba X1

If you have a 10-metre pool and clean it three times a week in summer over three months, you will save up to 53 hours of manual labour. If you value your time at $50 an hour, then you just saved yourself $2,650. At the time of writing, the Aiper X1 Pro was on special for $1,700. So, the robot essentially paid for itself in two months.

The basket needs regular emptying, and you can remove the fine filter and skip using it on every clean. The basket should also be rinsed with clean tap water after each emptying to remove finer particles that have been collected.

Removable fine filter. Image: Angus Jones.

My friend Bernard’s pool has been cleaned to an inch of its life over the summer, comparing different pool cleaners, including three models from Aiper. His commentary is:

“Having tried a few robot cleaners for our pool, this one has some really great features and is highly effective.”

“A more compact robot than the next level up and much lighter, it’s easy to handle and simple to operate using the Aiper app.”

“Being more compact and lighter means it is really easy to handle and get into the charging dock.”

“The leaf basket is really quite large, which is great for a pool like ours that has lots of large deciduous trees in the back yard and lots of leaf litter.”

“This model also has a really convenient drop-in fine-particle filter for when you need small particles collected and filtered out. This is much better than those cleaners that require installing finer filters by attaching them to the basket.”

“The sensors work really well, systematically moving around the pool to clean all areas.”

“The Scuba X1’s water-edge cleaning mode is quite strong and effective. It has also performed really well on the pool steps, even in the curved areas.”

Cleaning curved areas. Image: Angus Jones.

“We have a lot of leaf litter, and this cleaner has been very effective at clearing it from the pool floor.”

“Combined with the Surfer S2 surface skimmer, the pool is ready to use whenever you’re ready. I haven’t used the leaf rake since we combined these two cleaners.”

“Having the robots has dramatically reduced the number of times I have to clean the cartridge filter as well.”

“The Scuba X1 is a perfect, more compact, lighter cleaner for our smaller-to-mid-sized pool.”

Bernard had previously tested the higher-end Scuba X1 Pro Max, so I asked him which model he would choose. His answer was surprising.

He said the X1, as long as he could also have the Surfer S2 pool skimmer. The Pro Max sells for $3,500, whilst you can purchase the X1 and Surfer for $2,700 (currently on special for $2,280). His reasons are that the X1 is lighter and easier to handle (11kg vs 15kg), the filter box’s fine filter was easier to manage, and the cleaning job was as good. One negative he did mention was the reduced battery life, from five hours to three hours.

Bernard is a busy single parent, and as an observer, the pool has never looked so good, and I am pleased he has got some more time back.

Who is the Aiper Scuba X1 for?

Owning a pool is a big commitment in terms of cost, including ongoing maintenance. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot just jump in anytime you like without a lot of manual labour to keep the pool clean, just like your house.

The Aiper Scuba X1 will suit most Australian backyard pools, incorporating the latest technology and performance without being the Lexus model in the range. It works hard so you don’t have to.

When combined with the Aiper Surfer 2, the duo is formidable, removing leaf litter and insects before they reach the bottom, removing sand and grit from the floor, and scrubbing algae from the sides.

GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.

Aiper Scuba X1

Lighter than the premium pool-cleaning robot, the Aiper Scuba X1 proves you don't always need to spend the most to get good results.

Features

8

Value for money

9

Performance

8

Ease of use

9

Design

8

Positives

Lighter to handle

Waterline wall cleaning

Better filter design

Negatives

Battery life not as good as premium model

8.4

Buy on Amazon

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