If you’ve read the review of the NETGEAR Orbi LTE router, you might have guessed that this review was on its way. Indeed, this was the very first product I received for review in the UK, with testing done in a hotel while I was sorting out more permanent accommodations, as the next few pages will no doubt indicate. However, circumstances were such that I received two units accidentally, had to return the first one, and test the second unit, which meant the Orbi review was finished first. Regardless, here we are and thanks again to NETGEAR for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!
The Nighthawk MR2100, also referred to as the Nighthawk M2, is an interesting product in more ways than one. It is obviously a mobile hotspot router, as shown by the way of the form factor and company image above. A few years ago, NETGEAR made waves with their MR1100, a truly all-in-one portable LTE router that worked with just about any carrier worldwide, but had poor battery life and a lower maximum throughput. They aimed to change that with the release of the MR2100 with a better battery and double the WiFi throughput, but somehow managed to create a product that never had a retail launch in the US. Sure, there were some ways to get it through certain carriers, but it is missing some LTE bands that a few specific carriers in the US and some European countries utilize. With the recent launch of their brand-new 5G WiFi 6 mobile router, does it still merit a place in 2021? We aim to address this question in this review that begins with a look at the specifications in the table below.
Chip maker Qualcomm has introduced a new reference design for augmented reality glasses: an AR “smart viewer” you can tether to a phone or PC via USB-C. Called the XR1 Smart Viewer, the system is meant to be lightweight and look (sort of) like sunglasses, while also enabling features like hand tracking and spatial awareness. The first glasses based on its design are set for release in mid-2021.
The XR1 is designed as a consumer-focused “must-have accessory” for phones and computers, rather than a self-contained product. It uses two 1920 x 1080 OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate, plus an array of cameras, to add a virtual overlay to the real world. The camera array can also support hand tracking as a control scheme, and it can detect planes in the environment, so you can do things like pin a virtual window to a wall for multiple PC displays — or place a virtual object on a table and interact with it through gesture controls. Like most AR glasses, however, they have a relatively limited field of view of 45 degrees, which is roughly similar to the Microsoft HoloLens 2.
Qualcomm
Lenovo already announced a product based on the XR1 Smart Viewer reference design: the ThinkReality A3 glasses, which it unveiled at CES earlier this year. ThinkReality A3 glasses are set for release in mid-2021 at a currently unlisted price, following up on Lenovo’s A6 business-focused headset from 2019.
The XR1 Smart Viewer is distinct from the Snapdragon XR1 or XR2 platforms — a pair of chipsets that are optimized for virtual and augmented reality glasses, including last year’s XR2-based Oculus Quest 2. It’s designed to perform some tasks using built-in electronics, but it offloads other tasks to an external computing device, allowing for a more lightweight design.
Qualcomm has spent the last couple of years pushing for AR glasses adoption, which it thinks could stimulate the nascent 5G cellular market by popularizing high-bandwidth mixed-reality apps. It’s previously partnered with Chinese company Nreal on the Nreal Light, one of the only consumer-focused AR viewers — which plugs into a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855- or 865-powered phone. The Nreal Light launched late last year in Korea and Japan, and yesterday, Nreal announced that it will arrive in the European Union and the US later this year.
So far, AR glasses have struggled to reach the mainstream. However, the ThinkReality A3 and any other XR1 Smart Viewer-based products may end up competing with a couple of major companies. Facebook announced its impending entry into AR hardware last year, and it’s planning to release a set of Ray-Ban smart glasses with limited AR-like features later in 2021. Apple is also rumored to be making a high-end AR / VR headset aimed at building a developer ecosystem.
Dish Network co-founder and chairman Charlie Ergen underscored the company’s commitment to building a 5G wireless network on today’s Q4 2020 earnings call. He restated the intention to bring 5G online in its first major cities by the end of Q3 2021 — that’s the period running from July through September — and was bullish on Dish’s ability to boost the US’s somewhat dismal global position in terms of wireless network offerings.
Ergen spent several minutes on today’s call recapping what the company has done so far in its network-building effort. With its acquisition of Boost Mobile last year, it’s currently offering prepaid service as an MVNO on T-Mobile’s network, but it has also been accumulating its own spectrum to make the move to a full-fledged carrier. That’s a good sign for wireless competition in the US; with Sprint no longer available as a choice, Dish is positioned to step up as a fourth major carrier option. And it kind of has to in order to satisfy the conditions of the T-Mobile-Sprint merger.
To that end, Dish made low-, mid-, and high-band spectrum purchases last year, and it’s estimated to have spent $2 billion in the recent C-band auction. With access to these different kinds of spectrum, Dish has the pieces of the so-called 5G “layer cake” that will help it establish fast service with wide coverage.
“This isn’t our first rodeo,” Ergen said, stressing his confidence in the company’s ability to execute, despite the considerable risks. He didn’t stop there either; Ergen believes Dish can “help the United States actually start leading again in wireless.”
Maybe he’s right. There’s a big challenge ahead of Dish, but the company doesn’t face one of the challenges plaguing the major carriers right now: keeping 4G data flowing while adding 5G. This has led Verizon and AT&T, in particular, to turn to a technology called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, or DSS, with poor results. Sadly, the bar is quite low at the moment for US networks, which might help Dish get a running start.
Samsung has announced that it’ll be extending the amount of time that its Galaxy smartphones and tablets will be getting security updates. Now, devices released from 2019 and onward will receove at least four years of security updates.
Previously, Samsung offered either monthly or quarterly security updates for at least the first two years of a device’s life span, the frequency of which is determined by the device itself. More premium phones like the Galaxy Note or Galaxy S lines get monthly updates, while budget-friendly models like 2020’s Galaxy A71 5G get quarterly updates. Samsung also drops some of its higher-end devices down to quarterly updates after a certain point in time, like the Galaxy S8 lineup.
It’s important to note that Samsung is only promising four years of “regular security updates,” which is actually Samsung’s lowest tier of update frequency, reserved for devices that it still supports but without the promise of a monthly or quarterly cadence. Still, the new announcement does mean that Samsung is working to extend the usable life span of dozens of its devices, including some of its cheaper entry-level phones that might not ordinarily see that kind of long-term support.
To put that commitment in perspective, Google itself only promises “at least three years” of security updates for its Pixel phones. And there are far fewer models of Pixel hardware to support than the 40-plus phones and tablets for which Samsung is promising security updates.
The other important caveat here is that Samsung is promising security updates for at least four years, not Android OS updates. Samsung did guarantee support for at least three “generations” of Android OS updates in 2020, but only for some of its phones.
Today’s news from Samsung is also not the same commitment that Google and Qualcomm made in December to ensure that phones with new Qualcomm chips will support both four Android OS updates and four years of security updates. While similar in overall goals, that announcement only applied to devices starting with this year’s Snapdragon 888 and on, whereas Samsung is retroactively making its commitment for devices as old as 2019.
T-Mobile has just announced a new monthly phone plan called Magenta Max that the company says is designed for the era of 5G. According to this press release, T-Mobile claims Magenta Max is “the first and only 5G consumer smartphone plan that can’t slow you down based on how much data you use.” That makes it sound like the carrier is doing away with what’s known as deprioritization, where your speeds are subject to slowdown after you exceed a certain amount of data in a billing cycle.
“T-Mobile has lit up the highest-capacity 5G network available — a network so powerful it can start unleashing the power of 5G to deliver unlimited premium data,” the company said. Magenta Max promises “unlimited 4K UHD” video streaming compared to the DVD-quality (or 1080p at best) limit that comes with many unlimited plans. T-Mobile is also extending the company’s “Netflix on Us” promotion to single-line customers.
Magenta Max takes the place of the previous Magenta Plus plan and will be available starting on February 24th. It includes 40GB of high-speed tethering data, plus the usual T-Mobile perks like free in-flight Wi-Fi from Gogo, extensive international coverage, and Scam Shield protection.
T-Mobile says pricing is “$57 per line per month for three lines with autopay and monthly taxes and fees included.” For a limited time, that’s dropped to $47 per line per month for three lines. Single-line customers will have to pay more at $85 per month with autopay.
A lot of this has a “too good to be true” sound to it, so I’m also on the lookout for any asterisks or limits that T-Mobile isn’t talking about on the surface.
Alongside Magenta Max, T-Mobile is also making changes to the core Magenta plan. It’s bumping up the monthly deprioritization ceiling to 100GB from the 50GB it’s at currently. Customers will also get more high-speed tethering data: it’s now 5GB compared to 3GB before.
(Pocket-lint) – Huawei’s second generation of its foldable smartphone comes in the form of the Mate X2.
The Chinese company changed the format of the folding device from its predecessor – the Mate X and Xs- moving from a foldable display on the outside, to an inward folding display, like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series.
If you’re in the market for a vertically folding smartphone, here is how the Huawei Mate X2 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 compare.
Design
Mate X2: 161.8 x 145.8 x 4.4-8.2mm unfolded / 161.8 x 74.6 x 13.6-14.7mm / 295g
Z Fold 2: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9mm unfolded / 159.2 x 68 x 16.8mm folded / 282g
The Huawei Mate X2 features a vertical folding display, in a book-style design. It has a glass rear with a prominent rectangular camera housing in the top left corner, a metal frame and a full display with dual cut-out cameras on the front when folded.
When unfolded, the premium device has a large 8-inch screen. The hinge is multi-dimensional according to Huawei, creating a water dropped-shaped cavity for the display when the phone is folded, allowing for no gap at all when shut. There’s also a wedge-like design that is just 4.4mm at the slimmest point. It comes in White, Black, Crystal Blue and Crystal Pink colours.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a similar form to the Mate X2 in that it offers a vertical fold in a book-style design. It too has a glass rear, with a rectangular camera housing in the top left corner, as well as a metal frame and a single, centralised punch hole camera on the front when folded.
When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a slightly smaller 7.6-inch display. It’s hinge allows for multiple viewing angles but there is a slight gap at the fold of the device when folded. It comes in Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black colours.
The Huawei Mate X2 has a 6.45-inch OLED display with resolution of 2700 x 1160 and a pixel density of 456ppi on the front when folded. It features a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate.
As mentioned above, it has dual punch-hole front cameras in the top left of the display and there are very minimal bezels. When unfolded, the Mate X2 has an 8-inch OLED display with a 2480 x 2200 resolution, which results in a pixel density of 413ppi. The unfolded display has a ratio of 8:7.1. It too has a 90Hz refresh rate.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a 6.23-inch external display, making it only slightly smaller than the Mate X2. It too is an AMOLED panel and it offers a resolution of 2260 x 816 pixels and an aspect ratio of 25:9.
When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has an internal display of 7.6-inches. It’s Dynamic AMOLED and it has a 2208 x 1768 pixel resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 372ppi. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+.
Cameras
Mate X2: Quad rear camera (50MP+16MP+12MP+8MP), 16MP front
Z Fold 2: Triple rear (12MP+12MP+12MP), 10MP front
The Huawei Mate X2 has a quad camera on the rear, which features Leica technology, like Huawei’s other flagship smartphones. The camera setup includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, 16-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor, 12-megapixel telephoto sensor, and an 8-megapixel SuperZoom sensor.
The main sensor has a f/1.9 aperture and OIS, the Ultra-wide sensor has a f/2.2 aperture, the telephoto sensor has a f/2.4 aperture and OIS with 3x optical zoom, while the SuperZoom sensor has a f/4.4 aperture, OIS and 10x optical zoom. The front camera is 16-megapixels wide angle with a f/2.2 aperture.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a triple rear camera, comprised of a 12-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel telephoto sensor and 12-megapixel Ultra-wide sensor.
The main camera has an f/1.6 aperture, dual pixel phase-detection autofocus and OIS, the telephoto lens has an aperture of f/2.4 and OIS and the ultra-wide sensor has an aperture of f/2.2. There is also a 10-megapixel front camera.
Hardware and specs
Mate X2: Kirin 9000, 5G, 8GB RAM, 256/512GB storage, 4500mAh
The Huawei Mate X2 runs on Huawei’s own 5nm Kirin 9000 platform, making it a 5G device. It is supported by 8GB of RAM and it comes in 256GB and 512GB storage variants.
It has a 4500mAh battery under the hood that supports Huawei’s 25W SuperCharge. Huawei’s own Harmony OS can be installed over the company’s usual EMUI interface running on top of Android.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, supported by 12GB of RAM and it comes in 256GB and 512GB storage options.
There’s a 4500mAh battery running the Fold 2, which supports 25W wired charging, 11W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. It runs Android with Samsung’s One UI over the top and there are some great multi-tasking features that make great use of the screen when unfolded.
Price
Mate X2: Equivalent of £1985/$2785, China
Z Fold 2: £1799, $1999
The Huawei Mate X2 costs RMB 17,999 or 18,999, starting at the equivalent of $2785 or £1985. It is available in China only for now from 25 February.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 costs £1799 in the UK and $1999 in the US.
SQUIRREL_339457
Conclusion
The Huawei Mate X2 is only available in the Chinese market at the moment, and it is a little more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. On a spec-by-spec comparison though, these two devices are very similar with both tipping the scales in certain areas.
The Mate X2 has slightly larger displays both interior and exterior, arguably a more streamlined design, an extra camera on the rear and a wide-angle front camera.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has more RAM, a higher refresh rate on the internal display and it supports Google services. It has less cameras than Huawei but the triple rear camera does offer great results.
Both devices offer the same storage options and the same battery capacities. The Samsung is more widely available though so while the Mate X2 might win on some specification areas, you’ll need to live in China to get your hands on one for now. It’s also worth remembering the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is tipped for a July 2021 launch.
In the US, 5G remains a work in progress, despite carriers waving “5G Mission Accomplished” banners for yearsIllustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
The fourth industrial revolution will not be televised
After an introduction from Consumer Technology Association president Gary Shapiro, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg takes the stage. He wears a simple black T-shirt with an unmistakable red check and begins delivering his keynote speech. The topic at hand is 5G, something Vestberg speaks about enthusiastically. The keynote covers the eight “currencies” of 5G, features a professional athlete, and highlights how 5G will transform the drone industry.
That was CES 2019. It was also CES 2021. Verizon hasn’t been alone in fueling the 5G hype machine; AT&T and T-Mobile have been talking up their 5G networks for years. Now, it’s showtime. With major flagship phones and a lot more budget devices supporting it, this is the year when a critical mass of phone buyers will finally see for themselves what all this talk is about.
Here’s the bad news: if they’ve been listening to the hype, they’re going to be disappointed. We’ve been promised a fourth industrial revolution with fantastical things like remote surgery and driverless cars. Instead, what we have now is widespread 5G that’s more or less the same speed as (or even slower than) 4G and super-fast mmWave 5G in some parts of some major cities with highly limited range. So where is this 5G future we’ve been promised? The truth is that it’s coming along, but it will materialize more slowly and in less obvious ways than what we’ve been led to believe.
Spectrum wars
To understand the complicated 5G situation in the US right now, you first need to know that there are low-, mid-, and high-band frequencies that carriers can use. Low-band is slower but offers widespread coverage. High-band, often called mmWave, is very fast but extremely limited in range. Mid-band sits in a sweet spot between the two, with good range and better-than-LTE speeds.
If you were building a 5G network from scratch, you’d probably want a bunch of mid-band spectrum, right? The trouble is, spectrum is a limited resource. Sascha Segan, lead mobile analyst at PCMag and a wealth of 5G knowledge, sums up part of the spectrum problem.
“Our government did not make the right channels available to the carriers,” he says. “Verizon and AT&T have basically just been using leftover odds and ends of their 4G spectrum… putting the 5G encoding on these leftover bits and bobs so they can pop a 5G icon on the screen. And the performance is meaningless.”
The technology Verizon and AT&T are using to get nationwide 5G coverage is called Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), which allows 4G and 5G to coexist on the same spectrum. That helps carriers make the transition from one technology to the other, but it comes at a cost. Michael Thelander, president and founder of wireless industry research firm Signals Research Group, sums it up this way: “It’s kind of like having that super fast sports car and you’re stuck on the Santa Monica freeway. You can’t experience the full capabilities.”
T-Mobile, on the other hand, doesn’t need to rely on spectrum sharing as much as the other two, thanks to its acquisition of Sprint and its mid-band spectrum. That has given it an edge in its 5G offerings thus far.
By early 2022, though, we will likely see Verizon and AT&T catching up. A swath of mid-band spectrum known as C-band went up for auction in late 2020. And while we don’t know which companies won which blocks of spectrum, we know those two carriers, in particular, spent big; bidding topped out at over $80 billion.
What happens next?
The networks might not be firing on all cylinders yet, but more and more mobile devices are ready for them. In fact, by the end of the year, it may be harder to find a non-5G phone than one that supports the technology. Not only do Apple and Samsung’s flagship phones support 5G across their lineups, but it’s also making its way into more midrange and budget devices, thanks to new 5G-ready low-end processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480.
More people than ever will buy a 5G phone this year — likely not because they really wanted 5G, but because the phone they were going to get anyway supports it. The good news is that there really isn’t a downside to buying a 5G phone now if it’s time to upgrade. The “5G tax” that put a higher price tag on 5G phones over the past couple of years seems to be disappearing, and we haven’t noticed any other drawbacks like excessive battery drain in our testing.
The iPhone 12 series includes 5G connectivity across the lineup.Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
So what’s the reaction like so far from, say, someone who bought an iPhone 12 — not for 5G, but because it’s the new iPhone? “They’re frustrated and angry,” says Segan. “With both Verizon and AT&T, because of what I’ll call technical difficulties, their nationwide 5G is often slower than their 4G. So people are getting these iPhones and they’re finding that frequently they have worse performance than they had before 5G.” The “technical difficulties” he refers to include DSS in Verizon’s case and the limitations of the narrow 5MHz band that AT&T often uses for its 5G.
That’s not great. But a couple of factors will make a difference over the next year. First, that C-band spectrum will start coming online around the end of the year. If you’re one of the frustrated owners of an iPhone 12 or Galaxy S21, there’s good news: your phone is already approved to use C-band, so if you’re on Verizon or AT&T, you should see speed improvements when that happens.
Not all 5G phones support C-band, though. Those that don’t will need a software update to use it, and there’s no guarantee that your phone’s manufacturer will offer one. Inexpensive 5G models, in particular, may not see a C-band update, even if they have the hardware to support it. Phone makers need to apply for Federal Communications Commission approval to enable it and may be less likely to bother with the cost of this step for phones with a shorter lifespan.
The other factor is something that will likely happen sooner than C-band becoming available: large gatherings. That’s when Segan thinks Verizon’s Ultra Wideband could really shine. “When we’re all vaccinated, I think people are going to be desperate… for all of these dense, crowded, communal experiences that we will have been missing for a year and a half. And so Verizon should be working on applications and experiences right now like the thing they did at the Super Bowl, or what they’ve talked about doing at Disney World, that you can only do on Ultra Wideband.”
Again, that will depend on your 5G phone supporting the right kind of 5G — not every 5G phone supports mmWave. The aforementioned iPhone and Samsung flagships do, and other Verizon models that support are denoted as “UW.”
Where are our jetpacks?
And what about the stuff of CES keynotes like remote surgery and self-driving cars? That’s on the way, too, but it’ll take longer. Thelander explains: “The first focus of 5G was really a feature called ‘enhanced mobile broadband’ and that’s just getting fast data speeds to the consumer on their smartphone. Things like factory automation and the functionality behind that, that was really developed afterwards, so it lags, from a standardization perspective.”
The first focus of 5G has been to boost mobile data speeds for consumers.Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge
Getting the technology piece sorted out is only half of the equation. “Once you’ve got a certain feature or functionality defined in a standard, now a vendor has to go out and build that functionality, then you have to test it, and then you have to have the industry adopt it,” Thelander says. “The technology may be there, the standard may be there, it may work fine, but it has to be implemented and rolled out. And you have to have the business case for it. How do you make money off of it? All those types of things… it just takes time.”
Despite networks constantly waving their “5G Mission Accomplished” banners in TV commercials over the past year, 5G is very much still a work in progress. It’s going to get better, but how soon that happens for you depends on a lot of factors: which phone you have and what bands it supports, which network you’re on, where you are, and what you’re doing. It seems clear now that there never really was a “Race to 5G” — just technological progress as usual, which is often slow, confusing, and uneven. That’s a little bit harder to sell in a keynote or a commercial.
The high-end Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 router brings oodles of highly configurable features to your network. But in our testing, the performance wasn’t quite in line with the high price.
For
Tri-band router
Trend Micro security included
High-end hardware specs
WTFast
Against
Manual firmware upgrade bug
Only five Ethernet ports
Expensive
For those who live their life by the “these go to eleven” philosophy, Asus has a high-end router for you. The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 ($450) includes nearly every feature you could reasonably ask for, then and adds in even more features for, as Nigel Tufnel would say “…that extra push over the cliff.” If you’re after a router that gives you lots of software tweaks and gaming-friendly options to prioritize your gaming traffic, it’s a solid choice. But don’t buy it for performance alone, because despite all those antennae, we’ve seen similar speeds on routers that cost much less—some of them from Asus’ own product stack.
Design
(Image credit: Asus)
If you’re after an unobtrusive router that can sit inconspicuously on a shelf, this is the polar opposite. The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 is a horizontal router with no less than eight antennas deployed circumferentially around its chunky, square body, two to each side. Even its 3.8-pound weight will preclude it from some shelves, and it is quite visually loud. Adorned with orange accents, it would look more at home on the spaceship set of an Avengers sequel than in most living rooms, so plan your placement accordingly. To complete the look, the ROG logo in the center of the router is lit by Aura RGB, which thankfully can be turned off for those times when, for some reason, you don’t want to draw attention to the large techno-crab-looking beast at the heart of your wireless world.
Specifications
Processor
1.8GHz quad-core processor
Memory
256MB NAND flash and 1GB DDR3 SDRAM
Ports
RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x 4, Multi-Gig Ethernet port 2.5G/1G x1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 x 2
Encryption
Open system, WPA/WPA2-Personal, WPA/WPA2-Enterprise
Wi-Fi Technology
IPv6
Universal beamforming
2.4GHz x3, 5GHz-1 x3, 5GHz2 x3
Dimensions
11.3 x 4.74 x 14.86 inches
Weight
4.1 pounds
Price
$449.99
The specs for the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 are undoubtedly impressive. At the heart is a quad-core 1.8 GHz CPU, with access to 256MB of NAND and 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM. The connections include a WAN port, along with four 1 GB Ethernet ports, and a 2.5 GB Ethernet port. If we want to nitpick, that does leave a total of five Ethernet ports, aside from the WAN, and we would have liked to have seen a few more. There are also a pair of USB 3.1 ports for adding networked storage. Physical buttons are as follows:
WPS Button
Reset Button
Power Button
Wireless on/off Button
Boost Key
Wireless specs here also aim to impress, with the ability to send out three simultaneous signals, better known as tri-band, that supports the Wi-Fi 6 standard (also designated as 802.11ax). For the older 2.4 GHz frequency that is up to 1148Mbps, and for the 5 GHz, each frequency is up to 4804Mbps. Peak theoretical throughput is achieved via use of 160 MHz-wide data lanes, and OFDMA with Beamforming.
Setup
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Setup of the GT-AX11000 starts with manually screwing in the eight antennas for the router. After attaching and plugging in the requisite wires, we next fired up our computer’s browser and followed the prompts for initial setup, including setting a wireless password.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
A glitch we initially encountered was that the shipping firmware on the router out of the box was not able to be updated, even when we purposefully triggered an update. We just got a message that the router could not connect with the server. Thankfully, the workaround to manually search for and download the firmware code from the Asus website and then manually upload it to the router was successful. After that, the router could then connect to the Asus server automatically for further updates.
Features
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The GT-AX11000 has bucketloads of features, and is sure to cover the needs of just about every reasonable use case for a gaming router. This includes integrated VPN, the ability to work with other Asus routers to create a mesh network, and a traffic analyzer.
Focusing on the gaming features, the GT-AX11000 starts with tri-band frequencies, with the recommendation of Asus to designate one of the two 5 GHz bands only for gaming to avoid congestion altogether.
Then there is Triple Level Acceleration, with prioritization of the Gaming Port; Game First V which is client-side traffic shaping; Game Boost, Asus’ name for gaming priority adaptive Quality of Service; and WTFast, a gamer’s private network. Yes, that’s four, and perhaps should be renamed Quadruple Level Acceleration.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Finally, there is Game Radar, which can measure ping times to various servers of different worldwide locations. In the above screenshot, we are looking at latency to several Overwatch servers to choose the best one to minimize lag.
Security
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The GT-AX11000 has integrated security from Trend Micro, which supplies AiProtection Pro to the router for full network protection. Various functions are provided, which include a router security assessment to locate vulnerabilities and blocking of infected devices.
Performance
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Using our Netperf software for throughput testing showed some solid results between this Asus GT-AX11000 router and our Wi-Fi 6 client. The near test gets run at 8 feet away with a direct line of sight, and far is 36 feet away on a different floor with ductwork intervening. This also demonstrates the significantly faster speeds on the 5 GHz frequency.
2.4 GHz near
2.4 GHz far
5 GHz near
5 GHz far
Bandwidth (Mbps)
396.46
143.3
1296.48
937.21
Using our Netperf software for throughput testing showed some solid results between this Asus GT-AX11000 router, and the Wi-Fi 6 client. The near test gets run at 8 feet away with a direct line of sight, and far is 36 feet away on a different floor with ductwork intervening. It also demonstrates the significantly faster speeds on the 5 GHz frequency.
Testing Configuration
QoS
FRAPS avg
min
max
8K dropped frames
Pingplotter spikes
Ethernet
No
111.761
98
139
n/a
0
Ethernet + 10 8k videos
No
110.549
96
137
38.54%
1
Ethernet + 10 8k videos
adaptive, gaming priority
106.933
94
137
35.80%
1
Ethernet, 2.5G port
No
110.883
95
137
n/a
0
Ethernet, 2.5G port, 10 8k videos
No
24.283
9
41
62.20%
10
Ethernet, 2.5G port, 10 8k videos
adaptive, gaming priority
101.717
56
133
13.40%
6
5 GHz
No
105.683
92
132
n/a
0
5 GHz + 10 8k videos
No
109.067
92
134
57.90%
0
5 GHz + 10 8k videos
adaptive, gaming priority
111.467
97
138
3.30%
1
2.4 GHz + 10 8k videos
adaptive, game priority
109.7
94
127
27.80%
4
Next, we look at the network congestion testing of the GT-AX11000. It’s not that the results were not plenty solid—they were—but rather that the bar was set so high in our minds for such a top-end gaming router.
For example, the 5 GHz gaming test with the ten 8k videos playing and QoS set to adaptive/game priority shows us how well that staggering amount of network congestion is handled. Our Overwatch game played at 111.467 FPS, a rate that closely matches the same game on a wired connection, yet the dropped frame rate on our 8k video was low at 3.3%, much lower than the 35.8% rate that was seen when the same test was run on Ethernet.
The tests run on the 2.5G Ethernet port show no improvement compared to the 1G Ethernet. Given that our test laptop (an Asus G512LW-WS74) doesn’t have a 2.5GbE port, that’s not exactly surprising. But oddly, the 2.5G test with the ten 8k video streams had the highest of the dropped frames on the video with QoS disabled at a sky-high 62.2%, worse than the 1G Ethernet port. The reasons for this aren’t entirely clear, but could be some combination of hardware and software issues with the 2.5Gb port. Without a faster 2.5Gb device to test with, it’s hard to say. But if your laptop or desktop doesn’t have a 2.5Gb Ethernet port, the safe bet is to stick with one of the 1GbE port alternatives.
We also found that compared to the Asus RT-AX82U midrange router (which costs more than $200 less than its big brother) the scores are pretty similar, making it hard to justify the price difference, at least from performance alone.
Pricing
At a list price of $449, the Asus GT-AX11000 is clearly priced for the high-end market. The problem whenever you compare the top end of any product, such as a CPU, GPU or this router, is that you often bump up against the law of diminishing returns, with the price increasing substantially at the top end, while the features and performance are only a little better than the lower products beneath it. When analyzed from a pure value proposition, it is hard to argue in favor of the Asus GT-AX11000. But for those who want every possible bell and whistle in their wireless setup, then this Asus option makes a case for its crab-like self.
Bottom Line
Overall, while the Asus GT-AX11000 doesn’t offer the best bang for the buck, it does still provide a solid piece of gear for those that can afford this higher price point. The pros include the integrated gaming features such as WTFast, adaptive QoS, and Game Radar. We also appreciate the included security to protect the network. Some shortcomings are the automatic firmware upgrade issue we encountered, the benchmark results in our testing that did not significantly best Asus’ own midrange alternative and only five Ethernet ports. But for those who like its looks, and who want their router to go to eleven, this Asus GT-AX11000 is a feature-packed, aggressive-looking option.
Just note the one cutting-edge feature this model lacks is 6E Wi-Fi, which makes use of the newly uncluttered 6GHz spectrum. For that, you’ll need to pay $100 or so more, at least on the Asus side, and opt for the ROG Rapture GT-AXE1100. You may have to wait a bit to find that model in stock, however, as availability when we wrote this was pretty spotty, not unlike some of the best graphics cards or best CPUs.
(Pocket-lint) – The mobile gaming community continues to grow, with hot new titles hitting download stores and an ever-expanding fanbase of dedicated players. Manufacturers have noticed this, too, creating handsets specifically tailored for players.
Best smartphones: The top mobile phones available to buy today
It’s not a brand new concept, but with a number of brands now into the production of their second- or third-generation devices, we run down what’s out there in the gaming phone market that’s worth considering, alongside which special features might make it worth buying one device over another.
Pocket-lint
Lenovo Legion Phone Duel
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The best gaming phone out there right now is Lenovo’s absolute beast, which has more than enough power to get you superb performance in even the most taxing of mobile adventures.
You get a massive display and also really impressive sound quality (which many competitors cannot boast), with a 144Hz refresh rate to make sure your gameplay is smooth and frictionless.
It’s a little unwieldy for normal use, but that’s true of most of these phones, and with 5G on board it’s ready for a few years’ use.
Lenovo Legion Phone Duel review: A god among gaming phones?
Pocket-lint
Nubia RedMagic 5S
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Nubia has made a few absolutely tiny changes to the RedMagic 5G and the 5S is the result, a small iteration on an already really impressive phone.
That means you’ve still got a great 144Hz display to game on, with brilliant smoothness, and a superb processor from Qualcomm at its heart to keep things moving, the SD865.
Battery life is solid for the category, while extra built-in buttons are great for added control. It’s a real contender, and is priced sensibly too.
RedMagic 5S review: Gaming great, but an everyday average
Pocket-lint
Black Shark 3
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This phone manages a seriously impressive feat by bringing superb responsiveness and gaming performance to the table alongside really reasonable pricing.
It’s practically mid-range cost-wise, but you’ll find that it creams through any mobile game out there right now. Plus, you get 5G connectivity to make sure that you can stream and play online at the best speeds.
Use Black Shark’s additional physical controller clip-ons to really upgrade your gaming on the go.
Black Shark 3: The big boss of gaming?
Asus
Asus ROG Phone 3
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Perhaps the most outward looking ‘gaming phone’ aesthetic of them all comes from Asus. It’s so powerful that it can feel a bit like a mini console that’s a veritable gaming feast.
On the downside its design makes it about as far from a day-to-day handset as you could want, with overall thickness and limited battery life when you’re actually using it to game notching it down a few pegs. However, with a higher refresh-rate than many there’s clear appeal.
Pocket-lint
Razer Phone 2
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Razer is no stranger to gaming, as one of the most fluent gaming laptop makers on the market. It’s a company especially well-known for producing hardcore spec machines without the all-out exoticness of some rivals. The Razer Phone 2 follows that same mantra: it’s a subtle-looking handset that’s super powerful, but its brick-like looks won’t appeal to all.
The main spec that really sells it beyond its competition is its screen’s 120Hz refresh rate (most devices are half of this, at 60Hz). This is royalty in the gaming sphere, allowing for sync with faster frame-rate games, delivering silky smooth motion in everything it does. No, not all games can output at such a refresh nor high frame-rate, but a handful of titles can, giving the Razer a unique selling point beyond any of its competitors.
Unlike the Black Shark 3 (see above), however, there’s no adept add-on controller system and the physical proportions of this device as a day-to-day product let it down when you’re not in gaming mode.
Razer Phone 2 review: Gaming glory brings its share of compromise
Writing by Mike Lowe. Editing by Max Freeman-Mills.
Images of the unannounced Oppo Find X3 Neo have leaked again, this time giving us our best look yet at the third phone in Oppo’s upcoming Find X3 phone lineup, NieuweMobiel.nl reports. As tipster Evan Blass has subsequently pointed out, the handset appears to be a rebranded version of Oppo’s Reno5 Pro Plus 5G. The phone is expected to be announced next month alongside the Find X3 Pro and Find X3 Lite.
Since the Find X3 Neo is based on an existing phone, we already have a pretty good idea of what its specs might be. These include a Snapdragon 865 processor, 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging, and a 6.55-inch 90Hz OLED display. Around back there are four cameras: a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 13-megapixel telephoto, a 16-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel macro.
The Find X3 Pro, meanwhile, appears to be an all-new device. Blass detailed many of its features in a post on Voice last December, noting that it’ll be powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor and will have a 6.7-inch 1440p display with a dynamic refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz. It also has a 4,500mAh battery with support for 65W fast charging, but it’ll also be able to wirelessly charge at up to 30W.
The Find X3 Pro’s cameras are particularly interesting. It’s reportedly got a pair of 50-megapixel sensors — one wide-angle and one ultrawide — as well as a 13-megapixel camera with a 2x optical zoom and a 3-megapixel macro camera. According to Blass, this macro camera could offer a 25x zoom, allowing it to work like a microscope. Check out more images of the upcoming phone over on Voice.
The Oppo Find X3 Lite.Image: Evan Blass / Voice
Finally there’s the Find X3 Lite, which Blass notes appears to be a rebranded Oppo Reno5 5G. That means it’s likely to have a 6.43-inch 90Hz OLED display and four rear cameras: a 64-megapixel wide camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, a 2-megapixel macro, and a 2-megapixel depth camera. Internally, it’ll be powered by a Snapdragon 765G, and there’s a 4,300mAh battery that’s also capable of 65W fast charging.
All three phones are expected to be announced soon, with a release in April.
Some owners of previous-generation Pixel phones are having serious trouble with their cameras. Android Police has noticed a recent increase in one-star Play Store reviews for the camera app used by the Pixel, with frustrated owners saying the camera often crashes upon opening or no longer works at all. A thread in Google’s Pixel support forum features similar complaints. The Pixel 2 XL seems to be cited most often for experiencing the problem, but some posters say they’re having trouble with devices as recent as the 3 or 4A.
It’s not an entirely new problem. Android Police has been tracking camera issues that have plagued Pixel 2 phones primarily over the last year, and it notes more devices seem to be affected now. Owners say that Google’s suggested fixes don’t remedy the problem and that they experience the same problem when using third-party camera apps. The Pixel 2 series recently got its last security update, but there’s no logical reason why the camera should stop functioning as a result.
It’s an unfortunate bug, especially considering that many folks chose a Pixel phone because of its high-quality camera. While Pixel image quality has fallen behind other flagship competition recently, budget devices like the 4A and 4A 5G offer some of the best cameras in their class. But the best camera is the one that keeps functioning when you need it, so we hope to see Google address these user concerns. We’ve reached out to Google asking for confirmation of the issue and if a fix is on the way and will update this article with any information we get.
Update February 18th, 2:10PM ET: Google released the first of its Android 12 developer previews, so we’ve updated the info in this post to be relevant if you want to install it on your phone. The instructional photos might include a mention of Android 11, but we’ve ensured the steps are still accurate.
You can try out the Android 12 developer preview software right now if you have a Pixel 3 or later, but it’s understandable if the idea of flashing your device to install the OS is intimidating. It can be a tricky process, and the steps differ slightly depending on what phone you have and what kind of computer you’re going to use to download the software. But Google itself makes this process much more streamlined.
Google’s Android Flash Tool is a web application that handles most of the steps of flashing for you. There are a few steps that you’ll need to do yourself before the new software can be installed, which we’ll walk you through below, but Google’s tool basically eliminates most of the hassle and complexity that makes it easy to mess up.
There are a few important notes to make up here at the top. First, once you flash your phone with the developer preview, your device will get all future developer preview and beta updates over the air. In other words, you won’t need to flash your phone again when new builds of Android 12 are released. Just head to your system settings and fetch an update.
The second note is just your standard disclaimer that you do this at your own risk. This is unfinished software, and installing it could lead to malfunctions with your device or to software that you usually use. And depending on settings that you adjust in the Android Flash Tool, you might have to wipe all of the data from your phone. So proceed with caution.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Is my phone compatible with Android 12?
The Android 12 developer preview is compatible with the Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3A, Pixel 3A XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4A, Pixel 4A 5G, and the Pixel 5. It’s possible that Google will broaden the list of devices supported by Android 12 in the upcoming beta, but for now, you’ll need one of those phones to get the software.
What browser do I need to use to flash my phone?
Google says that you can use any browser that supports the WebUSB API, which is supported by Chrome as well as Microsoft Edge version 79 and later. The Android Flash Tool works with all the major operating systems, including Linux, macOS, Chrome OS, and Windows 10, though browser compatibility may vary depending on your OS.
Step 1: Activate these three settings on your Android phone
Enable the Developer Options menu in your phone. First, open the Settings app. For phones running Android 8 (Oreo), click System. Otherwise, if your phone has Android 7 (Nougat) or later, scroll down to About Phone, then find Build Number. Tap Build Number seven times to enable Developer Options.
Turn on USB debugging (this lets your phone and computer communicate via USB) within the Developer Options menu. To do this, head to Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options. You’ll find USB debugging with just a little scrolling down.
Enable OEM unlocking. This option is also part of the Developer Options menu, further up the page than where you found USB debugging. If that option isn’t available for you to enable, that might be because it’s already enabled.
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Step 2: Connect your phone to your computer and get started
If you use Windows 10, you’ll need to install this driver first for your phone to be recognized. People using macOS or Linux don’t need a driver.
Connect your phone to your computer with a USB cable. Then visit this page to proceed.
The Android Flash Tool will ask for permission to access ADB keys in a pop-up window, which is necessary to install software on your phone. You’ll need to tap “OK” to proceed with this process.
You’ll need to hit OK to proceed with the installation.
Click “Select device.” Your device should appear in a pop-up window on your computer, so go ahead and click it.
Once you do that, you should now see a request on your phone that says “Allow USB debugging?” You’ll also see a long string of numbers and letters that should match up with what your PC shows if you click the gear icon on the Android Flash Tool page. On your phone, check the box next to “Always allow from this computer,” then tap Allow.
After that, your device should show up on the Android Flash Tool as being connected. Click on the box with the name of your device to proceed.
Once your device shows up as being connected, click into it.
You’ll want to pay attention to what appears in the “Selected build” section of the Flash Tool (see below). It should say “Android 12 Developer Preview 1.” Before you hit the blue “Install” button at the bottom of the page, I recommend tapping the pencil icon next to “Selected build” and checking the “Lock Bootloader” box. This will lock the bootloader after this process is complete, leaving you with a more secure device than if it remained unlocked.
Select the “Lock Bootloader” option, which will lock your bootloader after the software installation is complete.
The next window basically tells you to stop interacting with your phone during the rest of this process unless asked to do so and to not unplug your device. If you’re in a position to proceed, go ahead.
Make sure your data is backed up before you proceed.
One more prompt before getting started: a license agreement. You need to agree to the terms of the Android Software Development Kit License Agreement, which you can find here.
After you hit “I accept,” your phone will reboot into its bootloader screen. If nothing happens for a few seconds, don’t worry. You may also see a window pop up on your computer that says “Reselect your device.” In that case, leave your phone alone and select “Reselect device” on the computer. According to Google, your phone might be renamed “Android,” though it might just be identified with the model name (e.g., Pixel 3).
If you haven’t flashed software before, Google will probably need to unlock your bootloader to proceed with the installation. Keep in mind that doing this will trigger a factory reset on your phone. If you haven’t backed up your data, you’ll lose everything. Once you agree, you’ll need to allow the bootloader to unlock on your phone. To do this, use the volume keys to navigate to the option that says “Unlock the bootloader,” then hit the power button once to confirm.
After that, the Android Flash Tool will begin to download and install the software. You can continue to watch along, but don’t touch your phone at this point, even though it will restart several times. Just keep an eye on the progress using the Android Flash Tool page on your computer.
At this point, you can just sit and wait for the Android Flash Tool to wrap things up.
Once you’re all done, the phone will reboot one last time, and over on your PC, you’ll be met with a celebratory screen. You’re all done! And thankfully, you won’t have to go through this process again for the next Android 12 update — easy as this was. You’ll automatically receive updates to the developer preview over the air.
Google is releasing a developer preview for the next version of Android, Android 12, for Pixel devices today. As is the norm for Google, the very first previews of Android are full of a lot of developer-facing changes. Android 12 has updates to how the OS handles images, video, and future security updates.
It’s also the norm for Google to hold some of the major UI changes in reserve for its Google I/O conference, typically held in May. Although this developer preview does include some changes to the UI for notifications, until we install it we won’t know how closely it will map to the leak we saw earlier this month.
It’s available for Pixel 3 and newer phones but needs to be manually installed by flashing your device. It’s likely nowhere near ready for day-to-day use, but Google is promising that it will continue its beta program for regular users later this year.
Although the point of this first preview is to give developers a jump-start on getting their apps ready for the new version of Android, there are still features that should make a tangible difference to users. Specifically, Android is going to become more adept at handling different types of media.
Google did not provide images of Android 12’s user interface ahead of time. We will update this post with more details and images as soon as we are able.
New media formats in Android 12
There will be a new transcoding layer that will automatically make the HEVC video format work in apps that don’t natively support them. Currently, choosing to shoot in HEVC on an Android phone may mean that third-party apps won’t be able to natively use that video. The new transcoding layer for those apps should let users make the switch with more confidence.
Android 12 will support spatial audio, support MPEG-H, and be optimized for up to 24 channels of audio (up from eight before). It will also make it easier for developers to tie rumble effects to audio.
Google appears to be throwing its weight behind the AV1 Image File Format — otherwise known as AVIF. AVIF is meant to replace JPGs as the de facto image format, offering much better and cleaner compression with fewer artifacts. Netflix in particular has been a big proponent of the format. If AV1 sounds familiar, that’s because it’s an offshoot of the AV1 video format that major tech companies proposed some years back and both Netflix and Google have partially adopted. AVIF also isn’t to be confused with the similar HEIF, which Apple’s cameras have been shooting for some time.
Google says that it does not intend to make AVIF the default image format for the camera app, so this is still just a first step.
Sticking with multimedia, Android 12 will simply do a better job moving different kinds of media between apps. It’s creating a new “Rich content insertion” API that will let you cut and paste or drag and drop multiple kinds of content, including “plain and styled text to markup, images, videos, audio files, and more.”
A leaked look at Android 12. As of publication we don’t know precisely how accurate this is, but it lines up with Google’s description in its blog post.Image: XDA-Developers
Android 12 interface changes
We will need to install the developer preview ourselves to get a closer look at the changes Google is introducing right now. Its blog post describes what’s new in somewhat general terms. It’s a safe bet that what Google is showing today will be a hint to larger changes due later in the year. Whether those changes really will match up with the leaked screenshots you see above remains to be seen.
Here’s how Google describes the changes it is making to notifications:
We’re refreshing notification designs to make them more modern, easier to use, and more functional. In this first preview you’ll notice changes from the drawer and controls to the templates themselves. We’re also optimizing transitions and animations across the system to make them more smooth. As part of the updates, for apps targeting Android 12 we’re decorating notifications with custom content with icon and expand affordances to match all other notifications.
The app icons do line up with the leaked screenshot above, though, again, that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what the final version will look like. The “expand affordances” also line up — the downward-pointing caret you can see in the screenshot above would be easier to tap than the current system. Google also notes that it is asking developers to use an API that makes apps open up more quickly in the right spot when a user taps a notification.
Finally, Google says that it is changing how Android 12 will behave when you’re in a full-screen app like a video, a Kindle book, or a video game. Currently, it often takes two gestures to exit out of those apps — one to bring up the UI, another to actually exit out. With Android 12, Google says that it is “changing the default to allow users to navigate their phone with one swipe.”
Changes under the hood
In 2019, Google started updating certain components deep inside the Android OS directly, rather than waiting for carriers to push through a major update. Dubbed “Project Mainline,” it meant Google could issue security updates for critical parts of Android using the Google Play infrastructure. Ever since, it’s been adding more pieces of Android to the Mainline system. Android 12’s big addition to this system is the Android Runtime (ART), a fundamental subsystem for making Android apps run. The aforementioned media transcoder will also become a Mainline module.
Android 12 will have a few privacy and security updates, but they won’t be as prominently visible to users. The WebView engine that third-party apps use will adopt one of Chrome’s more recent cookie settings called “SameSite,” which could help mitigate some tracking. Google says that “more privacy and security features [will be] coming in later preview releases.”
Android recently began requiring apps to pop a notification when it needs to run a background activity — which turns out to be really distracting. In Android 12, Google says it “will be blocking foreground service starts from the background,” redirecting developers to a new API. If one of these background activities can finish up in less than 10 seconds, it may not need to display a notification at all.
Google is also releasing an Android 12 preview for Android TV right away, including giving developers the chance to test their apps on Google’s own Google TV platform.
What’s next for Android 12
Google is releasing the developer preview today, but again, it requires that you flash your device’s system image, so really it’s meant for developers only right now. Google says it will work on a “Pixel 3 / 3 XL, Pixel 3a / 3a XL, Pixel 4 / 4 XL, Pixel 4a / 4a 5G, or Pixel 5 device” or developers can simply run it inside the Android emulator.
There will be a public beta at some point, but expect it to take a few months. And if Google follows its past habits, there will be a more comprehensive look at what’s coming in Android 12 in May (or possibly June).
Last year, Android’s “platform stability” release came in early July, but this year Google is targeting August — the official release usually comes shortly thereafter. That could mean that Android 12 will arrive just a little later in the year than usual.
In the meantime, we and others will be digging in to the developer preview to see what other details we can find. More often than not there are enough hints scattered throughout the code to give us a good idea of Google’s final plans for Android.
Google Fi is adding three new Motorola phones: the One 5G Ace, Moto G Power (2021), and Moto G Play (2021). The devices are available for sale directly through the MVNO with the Ace priced at $279, the Moto G Power for $199, and the Moto G Play for $99. You’ll also find last year’s versions of the Power and Play for sale.
The One 5G Ace has the highest specs of the three, offering a big 6.7-inch 1080p screen, 5,000mAh battery, a capable Snapdragon 750G chipset, and of course, 5G. Google Fi is selling the less expensive version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
The G Power model at Fi is the more expensive variant, and that’s a good thing: it includes 64GB of storage rather than the 32GB offered by the base model, which is just not enough for a modern phone. This year’s G Power includes a 5,000mAh battery that provides multiple days of use on a single charge. The G Play is the budget-friendliest option, but you’ll want to add a microSD card for additional storage, since 32GB is your only choice there.
The One 5G Ace and G Power are two takes on a budget device: the Ace aims to do a little bit of everything, while the G Power goes all-in on battery life. We think the Ace is a fine device if you can live with some of its shortcomings, like a so-so camera. The G Power is tougher to recommend — if excellent battery life is a major priority, then it will get the job done, but ultimately it sacrifices a lot in the name of, well, power.
Some new data reported by PCMag indicates that the iPhone 12 Pro Max, 12 Pro, and 12 are already the three top-selling 5G phones in the US. That the phones are just four months old speaks to the continued popularity of the iPhone in the US and just how big of a role it will play in driving 5G adoption in this country.
These reports come from research firm M Science’s sales data and information gathered from Ookla Speedtest users. M Science tracks cumulative sales of 5G phones in the US. This data set includes sales as of the week of January 23rd and notably does not include Galaxy S21-series phones, which hadn’t started shipping at that point. These are third-party reports, so they should be taken with a grain of salt, but M Science’s findings line up with previous reports of strong 12 Pro Max sales out of the gate and less-good 12 mini sales.
Apple, as it is wont to do, took its time adding 5G to its phones. Samsung started in 2019 with the Galaxy S10 5G and added 5G across its S20 series in 2020. Outside of those two manufacturers, 5G has trickled down from a once-premium feature into the budget phone class more recently. Despite this growing range of options, adoption has been slow. Since Apple is responsible for a bit less than half of all mobile phone shipments in the US, it makes sense that a 5G iPhone would give adoption rates a nudge. So far, that seems to be the case.
In the US, 5G’s slow start certainly hasn’t been helped by a less-than-stellar product. While each major carrier offers nationwide 5G coverage, performance is often about the same as 4G — and sometimes even worse. That’ll change when more spectrum becomes available to the carriers later this year and into next, but not before a lot of new iPhone 12 owners (unfortunately?) experience 5G for themselves.
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