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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Speedier Fire TV Stick 4K launches with new tactile remote

It’s Amazon device update season, with a 2026 Fire TV Stick 4K model joining the recently redesigned suite of Kindles.

Like Amazon’s latest HD streaming stick, the 2026 4K model no longer needs an external power adapter. Instead, it draws power from a TV’s USB port, cutting back on the mess of cables behind most people’s TV cabinets.

An updated version of 2025’s Fire TV Stick 4K Select, the new $129 model (sans the ‘Select’ name) returns some of the more modern touches the previous model lacked. Namely, the 2026 Fire TV Stick 4K uses Wi-Fi 6 technology (up from Wi-Fi 5), while Amazon claims the latest streaming device provides faster performance than last year’s Select model, which only had 1GB of memory.

Included with the 4K streaming stick is Amazon’s new Fire TV Remote, which is meant to be more “tactile”. According to Amazon, the remote is more comfortable to hold, and it’s easier to identify buttons without looking away from the TV.

Available by itself for existing Fire TV Stick owners, the new remote costs $24.95 as a standalone device. It also houses a programmable star button that you can assign a favourite app or a shortcut to specific settings, like enabling subtitles.

Amazon’s latest Fire TV Stick ships with an early access version of Alexa+, the company’s new AI-based software platform. It powers cross-app search functionality in addition to content recommendations using conversational language.

The 2026 Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is now available to order via Amazon, while pre-orders for the new remote are open, ready to launch on 22 October.

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Kindle gets rid of bulky border with 2026 redesign

Amazon routinely updates its Kindle e-readers, and the latest edition might be one of the most substantial changes to the brand’s entry-level model.

Among the updates are the usual suspects: smoother digital page-turning performance and a battery life that lasts well beyond a month. But it’s the form factor that claims the biggest change.

While retaining the six-inch screen size of its predecessor, the 2026 Kindle is thinner and more compact overall. Amazon’s new Kindles also sport what the company calls a “front-flush display”, where the border no longer sits slightly above the screen. Now, it sits flat alongside the screen, trimming some of the device’s thickness in the process.

At the cheapest end of the scale, the 16GB base Kindle costs $279. For $299, the Kindle bumps up the storage to 32GB and comes with an aluminium back, a first for the entry-level model.

This new flush display design also comes to the latest versions of the Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Colorsoft e-readers. Lasting up to 12 weeks on a single charge, the seven-inch Kindle Paperwhite shares a similar variety of models to the entry-level model. $369 gets you 16GB of storage, while the $399 Signature Edition comes with 32GB and an aluminium housing.

Image: Amazon.

Similarly, the 2026 Kindle Colorsoft uses the new edge-to-edge screen design, with the option of displaying colour. It starts at $449 for the 16GB model, and the 32GB aluminium-backed model costs $499.

Image: Amazon.

Rounding out the updates, Amazon launched a new suite of accessories designed for the latest Kindle range. Among them is the $49.95 Kindle Click, a small Bluetooth remote that can, like the Kobo Remote, turn pages without needing to hold the device. The new range is available to order from Amazon today.

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Apple AirPods 5 review: Fit for purpose

9.1

Improved sound quality and noise cancellation are welcome, but your opinion of the Apple AirPods 5 will depend on how well they fit your ears.

It’s been 10 years since the first iconic AirPods were released, followed three years later by the AirPods Pro sporting noise cancellation. As is Apple’s way, Pro features gradually trickle down to the standard variants.

This time round, Apple has released two new models: the $219 ‘AirPods 5’ and $249 ‘AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case’. Both cases have a built-in battery to recharge the earbuds. As the name suggests, the main difference is that the latter’s carry case supports wireless charging – but there are other key improvements which make it worth spending the extra 30 bucks.

Technically, this is a review of the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, but to keep things simple I’ll just call them the AirPods 5.

Apple AirPods 5 first impressions

At first glance, the Apple AirPods 5 look the same as their predecessors. They stick with the AirPods Pro-style stout stems introduced with the AirPods 3, as well as the smaller earbuds introduced with the AirPods 4 to fit smaller ears.

Sticking with the AirPods 4’s smaller earbuds also allows the AirPods 5 to stick with the AirPods 4’s more compact charging case. It’s a fraction taller than the Pro case, but only three-quarters the width.

Whether you consider smaller AirPods earbuds an improvement depends on the size of your ears.

I found the old AirPods 3 to be a comfortable fit, but my wife and daughter found their bulk uncomfortable. Now, I find that the smaller AirPods 4/5 earbuds feel strange because they are too small to fit firmly in my ears.

Part of the problem is that the standard AirPods lack the silicone tips used by the Pro models.

The AirPods Pro 3 come with a choice of five foam-infused silicone ear tips. Not only does this help you find a comfortable fit, but it ensures they reach further into your ear to ensure a better seal, which improve their noise cancelling abilities by passively blocking more outside sound. 

To be fair, some people find silicone tips awkward and would consider the AirPods 5 more comfortable to wear for extended periods.

The AirPods 5’s one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work for me. I could get used to the fact they feel loose in my ears, and perhaps even to the fact I can sometimes hear the wind blowing through them because they’re not snug. But I can’t get past the amount of outside noise which bleeds through – despite the active noise cancellation – simply because they’re not a tight fit. 

The AirPods 5 lack silicone tips, which will please some people and frustrate others. Image: Adam Turner.

Like their immediate predecessors, the AirPods 5 are available in two models, but what separates them has changed.

The $299 ‘AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation’ were Apple’s first non-Pro earbuds to introduce noise cancellation, although they also lacked the silicone tips used by the Pro models to help block outside noise.

Meanwhile, the basic $219 AirPods 4 missed out on active noise cancellation. Their carry case also lacked wireless charging and a speaker for Find My, so they couldn’t beep to help you find them when they fell down the back of the couch.

This time, both new AirPods models feature active noise cancellation. Compared to the basic $219 AirPods 5, the $249 AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case still adds wireless charging and a Find My speaker to the carry case. As before, the Qi‑certified wireless charging works with an Apple Watch charger but not a wireless MagSafe charger.

Both models carry over the force sensor on the stems to manage playback and calls, but the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case also inherits volume swipe on the stem from the Pro models. Disappointingly for some, the heart rate sensor for workouts still hasn’t trickled down from the Pro models.

Perhaps the most significant difference between the two new models is that AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case earbuds offer five hours of ANC playback and seven hours without, which is an hour longer than the basic AirPods 5.

This alone might be worth the extra $30 if you struggle to make it between recharges. The standard AirPods 5 battery life is underwhelming compared to other noise-cancelling earbuds.

The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case adds a speaker to the case so it’s easier to find using Apple’s Find My. Image: Adam Turner.

Apple AirPods 5 specifications and price

Processor	H2 headphone chip
Sensors	Dual beamforming microphones Inward-facing microphone Optical in-ear sensor Motion-detecting accelerometer Speech-detecting accelerometer Force sensor AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case: Force sensor with volume swipe
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3
Codecs	AAC, AAC-ELD and SBC
Features	Active Noise Cancellation Adaptive Audio Transparency mode Conversation Awareness Voice Isolation Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking Adaptive EQ AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case: Find My speaker
Ruggedness	Dust, sweat, and water resistant (IP57)
Charging	AirPods 5: USB-C AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case: USB‑C, Apple Watch charger or Qi‑certified charger 5 minutes in the case provides around 1 hour of battery life
Battery	AirPods 5: Earbuds: Up to 4 hours with ANC, 6 hours without Plus charge case: up to 20 hours with ANC AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case: Earbuds: Up to 5 hours with ANC, 7 hours without Plus charge case: up to 22 hours with ANC
Dimensions	Each bud: 30.2 x 18.3 x 18.1 mm Charge case: 46.2 x 50.1 x 21.2 mm
Weight	Each bud: 4.3 gm Charging case: 32.3 gm Wireless charging case: 34.7 gm
Price	$219 RRP AirPods 5 $249 RRP AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case
Warranty	1 year
Official website	Apple Australia

Features

The Apple AirPods 5 retain the same H2 processing chip as the AirPods 4, but Apple has still managed to improve the audio quality and throw in extra usability features.

Head tracking still works with spatial audio, but now it also allows you to interact with Siri with a simple nod or shake of your head – useful for answering or dismissing calls, as well as engaging with notifications.

This could be particularly helpful as Siri gets smarter, with the more capable Siri AI rolling out in beta in iOS 27. Plus, you’ve got support for Live Translation introduced with iOS 26.

The AirPods 5 are also tougher, stepping up from IP54 to inherit the AirPods Pro’s IP57 ruggedness. Whereas before they were splashproof, now the AirPods 5 and their case are designed to survive at a maximum depth of one metre for up to 30 minutes. They’re considered water-resistant rather than fully waterproof, so still treat them with care.

Other improvements come down to a new acoustic design and improved audio processing, with Apple claiming “the industry’s best Active Noise Cancellation in an open-ear design”.

By open-ear, Apple means earbuds without a silicone tip to seal the ear canal and help block external noise. It’s worth noting that the AirPods Pro 3 come with five pairs of ear tips in the box, which makes a big difference when it comes to getting a good fit and improving the noise cancellation.

Apple says the AirPods 5’s improved active noise cancellation removes up to 50 per cent more external noise compared to AirPods 4, while helping Transparency Mode sound more natural. Like the Pro models, Adaptive Transparency intelligently adjusts the volume of different noises.

You’ve still got Conversation Awareness to automatically lower the volume and boost voices when you start speaking, so you can talk to people without removing an earbud. You’ll soon switch it off if you tend to talk to yourself all day. 

You still miss out on the Pro’s Conversation Boost, which makes it easier to make out voices in a noisy environment like the pub

In terms of design, the AirPods 5 rely on an all-new multiport acoustic architecture “inspired by AirPods Pro 3” to deliver richer bass, clearer vocals and better separation of instruments. There’s also the benefit of Adaptive EQ, which adjusts the tuning based on how the earbuds fit in your ear.

Quality

When it comes to active noise cancellation, your mileage will vary considerably depending on how snugly the AirPods 5 fit in your ears. 

Active noise cancellation works best when dealing with consistent background sounds. For example, the constant white noise of a loud kitchen exhaust fan or outside rain.

It struggles more with individual sounds. While dulling an exhaust fan, but struggles with other kitchen noises like clattering glassware. Similarly, it blocks the steady white noise of outside rain but still lets through the loud, inconsistent sound of individual raindrops hitting the window or water dripping from the gutters.

That’s why active noise cancellation works best in conjunction with a snug-fitting silicone tip, which passively muffles those inconsistent sounds that the audio processing fails to block.

This difference is very clear when switching between the AirPods 5 and old AirPods Pro 2 (although, to be fair, the Pros 2 also have better noise cancellation).

Standing next to the white noise of a loud exhaust fan, the AirPods 5 come close to matching the AirPods Pro 2’s noise cancellation, although the AirPods 5 let through a bit more high-end hiss. (In a quiet room, you notice they actually produce more hiss than the Pros).

It’s a very different story during a heavy rain or when you’re cooking up a storm. Wearing the AirPods Pro 2, you’d barely realise it was raining, or anything else was happening in the kitchen. Switching to the AirPods 5 still deals well with the white noise, but suddenly all those inconsistent sounds are a lot more noticeable.

It’s a similar story in a noisy cafe, where you’re dealing with a chaotic mix of constant and inconsistent sounds. It dulls noise but isn’t great if you’re looking to reduce distractions.

Well, at least I can hear all those other noises clearly, because the AirPods 5 are too small for my ears to offer that important passive noise muffling. Things should improve if they fit perfectly in your ears, but you’ll never get the same results as with earbuds that feature silicone tips.

When it comes to music playback, the Apple AirPods 5 perform admirably, delivering full-bodied sound with clearer highs and decent bass, which isn’t too heavy and doesn’t get murky when someone drops a fat beat.

You’ve also got the advantage of user-adjustable EQ, although only three bands, which has also been added to earlier models thanks to a software update.

Who is the Apple AirPods 5 for?

If you would rather not cough up $429 for the AirPods Pro 3, the Apple AirPods 5 offer great wireless audio and reasonable noise cancellation, with the added advantage of tight Apple integration, including access to Siri.

They’re an improvement on the AirPods 4, but if great noise cancellation is your primary concern, then you’ll want to look to earbuds that come with a selection of silicone tips.

Apple AirPods 5

The Apple AirPods 5 are a decent upgrade but 'open-ear' noise cancellation without silicone ear tips is still underwhelming.

Features

8.5

Value for money

9

Performance

8.5

Ease of use

10

Design

9.5

Positives

Improved active noise cancellation and sound quality

Improved Siri support

IP57 water resistance

Good fit for small ears

Negatives

Lack of silicone tips limits noise cancellation

Too small to fit snugly in larger ears

Battery life not as good as some competitors

9.1

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Snapmaker U1 four-toolhead 3D printer launches in Australia

Snapmaker has launched the Snapmaker U1 3D printer in Australia, bringing four-toolhead, multi-colour and multi-material printing to JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman. Pre-orders are open now at A$1,299, ahead of the printer going on sale on 15 October with an RRP of A$1,399.

The U1 follows a Kickstarter campaign that raised US$20.6 million from 20,680 backers, which Snapmaker says makes it the most funded 3D printer ever.

Four toolheads instead of one

Most multi-colour 3D printers feed every filament through one shared nozzle, unloading, reloading and purging each time the colour changes. It is slow, and it wastes a lot of filament.

The U1’s SnapSwap system holds four independent toolheads and swaps between them in about five seconds. Source: Snapmaker

The U1’s SnapSwap system uses four independent toolheads instead, each loaded with its own colour or material. The printer swaps the whole toolhead in about five seconds, and because the materials stay hot, there is no purging. As long as you load the materials first, no intervention is required.

You can also mix materials in one print, from soft, flexible and even fabric-like filaments to rigid ones, plus water-soluble supports. An optional top cover unlocks high-temperature materials such as ASA. The build volume is 270 x 270 x 270mm.

Flexible, fabric-like materials are among the U1’s options. Source: Valens Quinn

Shiny filaments and multiple colours combine in this doughnut printed on the U1. Source: Valens Quinn

Designed for beginners

Snapmaker is pitching the U1 at mainstream home users, not just professional makers. It calibrates itself, reads RFID tags on filament spools, and uses failure detection to stop a print if something falls on the bed or the print turns to spaghetti.

Setup guides come printed and in the Snapmaker app, which also handles remote monitoring and has tutorials built in. The open-source Snapmaker Orca slicer covers models from other sources.

There’s a handy timelapse mode too for creating videos of your creations to watch back later.

Less waste, less waiting

Snapmaker says the U1 produced up to 85 per cent less filament waste than shared-nozzle systems in its own tests.

At the launch, it showed us. The same multi-coloured blue-tongue lizard was printed on a conventional multi-colour printer and on the U1. The first left a plate piled high with purged filament. The U1 left a few small scraps.

Filament wasted printing this lizard on a conventional multi-colour printer. Source: Valens Quinn

The waste from printing the same lizard on the Snapmaker U1 – a huge difference! Source: Valens Quinn

Almost any colour from four spools

Full-spectrum colour mixing stacks very thin layers of translucent filament to create new colours, so you can mix your own and assign them to a model. Prints take longer, but the results speak for themselves.

This parrot was printed on the Snapmaker U1 using full-spectrum colour mixing. Source: Valens Quinn

Translucent PETG is on the way, alongside wood-look PLAs.

Who is Snapmaker?

Founded in 2016, Snapmaker makes 3D printers, laser engravers and CNC machines, and has more than 100,000 users worldwide. It handles R&D, software and manufacturing in-house.

“We designed the U1 to make multi-colour and multi-material printing faster, cleaner, and easier to use,” said Sheila She, Head of Global Go-to-Market at Snapmaker.

Price and availability

The Snapmaker U1 is available for pre-order now at JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman for A$1,299, with JB Hi-Fi adding bonus filament to pre-orders. It goes on sale on 15 October 2026 at an RRP of A$1,399 and comes with a one-year warranty.

For more information, visit the Snapmaker U1 website.

We will be putting the U1 through its paces soon, so watch this space for our full GadgetGuy review.

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