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Samsung Galaxy S20 vs Galaxy S10 vs Galaxy S10 Lite: How do they compare?

(Pocket-lint) – Samsung announced the Galaxy S20 alongside the S20+ and S20 Ultra as its flagship devices for 2020 – all three of which have been succeeded by the Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra in 2021. The Galaxy S20 replaces 2019’s Galaxy S10, and shares a similar design to the S10 Lite, but how do they all compare?

We’ve run the Galaxy S20 specs up against the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Lite to help you work out the differences. You can also read our Samsung Galaxy S20 range compared feature for a rundown on how the 2020 devices compare to each other, as well as our S21 vs S20 feature to see how the 2021 models compare to the 2020 models.

Design

S20: 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9mm, 163g
S10: 149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8mm, 157g
S10 Lite: 162.5 x 75.6 x 8.1mm, 186g

The Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Lite all share similar design traits. They all offer a premium metal and glass build, they are all waterproof and they all feature an under display fingerprint scanner.

The Galaxy S20 and S10 Lite take a slightly different design approach to the Galaxy S10 though, placing a heavy focus on the camera arrangement on the rear. The Galaxy S10 has a horizontal rear camera that is centralised, while the S10 Lite and S20 both opt for a camera housing in the top left corner.

On the front, both the S10 Lite and the S20 opt for centralised punch hole cameras for a symmetrical and neater finish, while the S10’s cut out is located in the top right corner.

The Galaxy S10 Lite is the largest and heaviest of the three devices being compared here, while the S10 is the smallest and lightest, putting the latest Galaxy S20 into the sweet spot in the middle.

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Display

S20: 6.2-inch, Infinity-O, 120Hz
S10: 6.1-inch, Infinity-O, 60Hz
S10 Lite: 6.7-inch, Infinity-O, 60Hz

All three devices Super AMOLED displays, offering bright and punchy colours, plenty of vibrancy and deep blacks. They also all offer support for HDR10+ and they all opt for the Infinity-O display, featuring almost bezel-free sides and the cut out for the front camera.

There are a few differences between the displays of the Galaxy S20, S10 and S10 Lite however. Firstly, the S10 Lite is quite a bit larger than the S10 and S20 at 6.7-inches, compared to 6.1 and 6.2-inches, respectively. The S10 Lite also has a flat display, while the S10 and S20 both have curved displays, delivering a slightly more premium look.

The Galaxy S20 also offers a 120Hz refresh rate when in Full HD+ – which it is set to as default – while the S10 and S10 Lite both deliver a 60Hz refresh rate. For those who want smoother animations and graphics, the S20 has the potential to deliver that.

Hardware and specs

S20: Exynos 990 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, 8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4000mAh
S10: Exynos 9820 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 8GB RAM, 128GB/512GB storage, 3400mAh
S10 Lite: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, 6/8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4500mAh

The Samsung Galaxy S20 runs on the Exynos 990 processor in the UK and Europe or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 in the US. These chipsets are supported by 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, with microSD storage expansion up to 1TB.

The Galaxy S10 runs on the Exynos 9820 processor in the UK and Europe or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 in the US. The S10 Lite uses the Snapdragon 855 globally. The S10 comes with 8GB of RAM and storage options of 128GB or 512GB, offering microSD support, while the S10 Lite comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, both of which have 128GB storage. Potentially, the S10 Lite gives you more than the S10 in this regard.

Out of the three models being compared here, only the Galaxy S20 is 5G enabled. The S10 and S10 Lite are both 4G only, although there’s also a 4G version of the S20 if that’s what you want.

The S10 Lite has the largest battery capacity at 4500mAh, while the S20 has a 4000mAh battery which although is smaller than the Lite, it is larger than the S10’s 3400mAh capacity. All models have wireless charging but again the S10 Lite looks favourable here because it’s a larger phone and can fit in a larger battery.

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Cameras

S20: 12MP ultra wide, 12MP wide angle, 64MP telephoto; 10MP front
S10: 16MP ultra wide, 12MP main, 12MP telephoto; 10MP front
S10 Lite: 48MP main, 12MP ultra wide, 5MP macro; 32MP front

The Samsung Galaxy S20 range places a big focus on camera, moving in a different direction to what Samsung offered on the S10. All three devices being compared have a triple rear camera and single front camera, but they offer different features and different make ups.

The S20 moves away from the Dual Aperture offered on the S10 to a fixed aperture and larger pixels. It also increases the resolution on the telephoto lens and offers Hybrid Optic Zoom up to 3x, and Super Resolution Zoom up to 30x – the latter of which uses AI in an attempt to make up the lost detail. The S20 also offers 8K video capture. The S10 offers 2x optical and 10x digital zoom – the S20 offering better performance.

The S10 Lite meanwhile, has a higher resolution main camera, along with a macro camera for close up shots. It also offers a higher resolution front camera than both the S20 and the S10. It’s worth mentioning here though that higher numbers doesn’t necessarily mean better quality – and we’ve seen in some cameras that native resolution can be better than pixel combining. The Galaxy S20 is the strongest option in our experience though.

Price

S20: £799 (4G), £899 (5G)
S10: £799
S10 Lite: £579

The Galaxy S10 cost £799 when it first arrived on shelves in March 2019, although it’s now quite a bit cheaper. The S20 cost £799 for the 4G version when it first arrived in 2020 – effectively the same price as the S10, while the 5G is a little too expensive at £899.

The S10 Lite costs £579; this more affordable phone undercuts both – but compared to the S10, it seems to offer much better value for money.

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Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy S20 might feature a similar design to the S10 Lite, but it offers various improvements, including a smaller and lighter build, faster display, more RAM and a more advanced processor. When compared to the S10, it offers more camera capabilities, a refreshed design, better processor, more RAM and an increased battery capacity – it’s an improvement overall. Bear in mind that it has been replaced by the S21 range though.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is quite a bit cheaper than the S20 however, and the S10 Lite is cheaper than both, with a larger display and bigger battery than the S20. If you want lots of phone for your money, then the S10 Lite could be what you want, but with the S20 having been succeeded, you might find it cheaper than it started at and within budget.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.

OnePlus 8 Pro vs OnePlus 8: What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – They might not be the newest flagships, but the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are still available to buy in a number of global markets and could well be worth grabbing now that they’re cheaper than they used to be. Still, which should you pick?

With its flagship phones, OnePlus prides itself on pushing the boundaries of performance, whether that be gaming speed, UI responsiveness or even fast charging speeds. Despite this, they still generally undercut the big name competition in terms of price.

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Design

OnePlus 8: 160 x 72.9 x 8mm, 180g
8 Pro: 165.3mm x 74.35mm x 8.5mm, 199g
OnePlus 8: Water-resistant, no IP rating
8 Pro: IP68 rated
Both models: Glacial Green, Onyx Black (Blue and Glow in selected markets)

As you’d assume from looking at any smartphone range with a regular model and a ‘Pro’ version, the OnePlus 8 Pro is the bigger of the two phones. It’s slightly taller and wider than the regular OnePlus 8, although it is a tiny bit thicker. There’s not really all that much in it though. While OnePlus touted the OnePlus 8 as its ‘compact’ model, it’s really not all that compact at all.

In the hand, you can still definitely tell the difference between the two. Unsurprisingly, the regular OnePlus 8 is a little more comfortable to hold, and doesn’t require as much stretching.

Apart from that, the two phones look very similar to each other. Unlike the previous 7T range, the camera housing is the same shape on the back, and the two phones both have curved glass on the front and the back with skinny bezels and a selfie camera cutout in the top left corner of the screen.

In fact, the only real difference apart from size is the waterproofing. Both phones are water-resistant, but the OnePlus 8 Pro is the only one with an official IP rating. Specifically: it’s IP68, which means it’s right up there with the likes of Samsung and Apple’s latest flagship in terms of water and dust resistance.

Both devices come in the same colours. In most markets that will just be the glossy Onyx Black and the matte frosted Glacial Green. Other select markets will also get the unicorn coloured Interstellar Glow and Ultramarine Blue variants.

Display

OnePlus 8: 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED panel, 90Hz
8 Pro: 6.7-inch Quad HD+ AMOLED panel, 120Hz
Both models: Curved glass and 4mm hole-punch cutout

While both phones feature the same screen design in terms of shape, looks and camera cutout, the two are different panels with different capabilities.

Of the two, the 6.7-inch display on the Pro model is the most impressive. It features both Quad HD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. That means it’s pin-sharp and super smooth in terms of animation speeds and frame rates.

The regular OnePlus 8 has a slightly smaller, Full HD+ resolution display. It doesn’t have the 120Hz refresh rate, but does feature the 90Hz refresh that both the previous 7T and 7T Pro had. And, by any standard, that’s more than fast enough for every day activities and gaming.

What’s interesting is that when you look at them side-by-side, OnePlush has done a great job of ensuring the two screens have the same colour reproduction, so if you have the callibration set the same on both devices, they look virtually identical in terms of colour.

Even with both set to their respective highest refresh rates of 90Hz and 120Hz respectively, we didn’t notice all that much difference in smoothness or speed between them.

However, with the 8 Pro set to its maximum resolution, the panel definitely looks sharper. You get more densely packed pixels, and so rounded edges and fine text is smoother and crisper than on the regular OnePlus. If you want the best quality panel, this is the one to go for.

Both devices use “Fluid AMOLED” panels, and both boasting the same colour accuracy. We’re unsure on the OnePlus 8’s peak brightness, but the OnePlus 8 Pro can reach as high as 1300 nits, which is pretty exceptional for a smartphone.

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Cameras

OnePlus 8: Regular/wide, ultra-wide, macro cameras
- 48MP main, 16MP 116-degree ultra-wide, 2MP macro
8 Pro: Regular/wide, ultra-wide, 3x telephoto zoom and photochromatic cameras
- 48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 8MP telephoto and 5MP photochromatic

If there’s one area that shows the biggest difference between the two phones, it’s in the camera department. OnePlus has gone all-out with the Pro model, offering an intriguing quad camera system.

The OnePlus 8 Pro has a primary camera alongside an ultra-wide camera, both featuring 48-megapixel Sony sensors, with the primary one using the better quality sensor. As well as that, there’s the 8-megapixel telephoto camera that has 3x optical zoom, and can zoom up to 30x digitally. Then, curiously, there’s a 5-megapixel photochromatic sensor, or colour filter camera.

In contrast, the OnePlus 8 has three cameras, but one of those is just a low resolution 2-megapixel macro sensor to help it focus to objects close up. It uses the same 48-megapixel in its primary camera that the 8 Pro uses in its ultra-wide one. It also has a 16-megapixel ultra-wide sensor.

In our testing, the 8 Pro’s main and ultra-wide cameras were capable of producing great photos with lots of detail and good levels of contrast, dynamic range and colour. The ultra-wide can also be used as a macro camera, to product great close-ups too. A feature we ended up using quite a lot.

Its telephoto zoom isn’t as strong, but it does mean the ability to zoom into scenes, even if they look a bit flatter. While the OnePlus 8’s main camera was decent and produced good results, the other two cameras underwhelmed.

Like the display, if you want the best all-round camera experience, the 8 Pro is the one to opt for.

Both phones feature the same 16-megapixel front facing camera in that tiny punch-hole cutout in the display.

Hardware and Performance

Both models: Snapdragon 865 processor with 5G
Both models: 8GB/128GB or 12GB/256GB RAM/storage options
8 Pro only: LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.0 storage
OnePlus 8: 4,300mAh battery
8 Pro: 4,510mAh battery
Both models: Warp Charge 30T fast wired charging
8 Pro only: 30W wireless Warp Charge

As is often the case, both of the OnePlus phones are based on the same platform: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with X55 5G modem. That essentially means, at their core, it’s the same performance capabilities in terms of brain power and cellular download speeds.

It’s a similar story with storage and RAM. Both regular and Pro models come as 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB variants, so you don’t lose any memory for choosing the regular over the Pro. The 8 Pro has faster, more modern LPDDR5 RAM versus LPDDR4, but it has the same amount of it.

The biggest phone of the two, obviously, has the bigger battery, but there’s not a whole lot in it. It’s 4,510mAh versus 4,300mAh, so you do get a bit of extra capacity on the Pro, but in daily use with a bigger, brighter, sharper and faster display, that may mean the actual battery life is very similar.

How much life you get out of the two obviously depends on how much you use the phone, and what you use it for. In our testing, both phones were very capable of getting through a full, busy work day. We ended each day with around 30 per cent on the OnePlus 8, and somewhere between that and 40 per cent for the Pro.

Both phones are also equipped with Warp Charge 30T capabilities, which is OnePlus’ bespoke fast-charging functionality. It can get from 0-50 per cent in about 23-25 minutes.

The OnePlus 8 Pro, however, is equipped with wireless charging. And not just any wireless charging. It has 30W fast charging too, so, while not quite as speedy as the wired version, it’s not far off.

Conclusion

The OnePlus 8 Pro isn’t just Pro in name, it has a lot of features that the regular OnePlus 8 doesn’t. Whether it’s the IP68 rating against water and dust resistance, wireless charging or faster, sharper and larger display. That’s without mentioning the more versatile camera system.

So if the absolute best is the only thing that matters to you, then the Pro is clearly the way to go. The fact it costs less than the big-name flagships from the likes of Samsung, Huawei and Apple is the cherry on the cake.

What’s more, we think the extra £200 for those additional features and capabilities are more than worth it. You’re not just paying to get a bigger version of the same phones.

With that said, the OnePlus 8 still has a great screen and is very fast. In the daily experience, it will still feel like a proper flagship phone and one that will save you money versus the Pro. It’s also smaller and lighter, which is something worth considering.

Writing by Cam Bunton.

Google Pixel 6 could launch next month, CEO hints

(Image credit: Google)

Google has revealed the full schedule for its I/O tech conference next month, and a Google Pixel 6 announcement could be on the cards. While the handset isn’t mentioned in the event schedule, Google’s CEO has said we’ll see “significant product updates and announcements” at the conference, 9to5Google reports.

Sundar Pichai made the comments to investors during an earnings call.

The Pixel 6 is expected to follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Pixel 5 (pictured), and offer decent specs at a more accessible price. Google usually announces its Pixel handsets in September or October, and according to Pichai, “product releases are returning to a regular cadence” following the disruption caused by the pandemic. So, I/O might actually be a bit early for a full reveal. Nevertheless, Google could always tease the device, or at least confirm its existence.

Google is also rumoured to be working on a foldable phone codenamed Passport, which it could choose to show off at the event.

The Pixel 6 is expected to boast 5G connectivity, a 6in high refresh rate screen (either 90Hz or 120Hz), and facial recognition.

Google I/O takes place online from 18-20th May. It is also expected to include updates on Android 12 and Google TV.

MORE:

Everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 6

These are the best smartphones for music and movies on the move

And here are the best Android smartphones

You can save up to $147 on a preorder for the latest M1 iPad Pro or iMac

Following the official reveal last week of the new model refreshes for the iMac and iPad Pros, all of which are powered by Apple’s own silicon — the M1 chip — preorders began for all three products today.

As spotted first by 9to5Toys, Expercom is offering an incentive if you pre-purchase any of the three new M1 products, with up to $147 in savings available depending on the configuration you select, making this the first time any of these three brand-new products have seen a discount yet.

The base M1 iMac is available for preorder at Expercom for as low as $1,233 ($66 off); this configuration includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. As noted previously, the configurations vary, but there are price reductions for multiple configurations.

The 2021 iPad Pros are the first in Apple’s tablet line to include the M1 processor. The 11-inch iPad Pro is more affordable with a starting price of $799. But Expercom is offering the base model, which includes 128GB of storage with Wi-Fi only, for $750 — $49 off its usual starting price. You can also select the option to get more storage or 5G network support, all of which vary in price depending on which configuration you choose.

Along with the 11-inch iPad Pro, the 12.9-inch model also receives a model refresh, which includes the M1 chip. This flagship tablet has a new Liquid Retina XDR Mini LED screen and starts at $1,099 for the base 128GB storage configuration with Wi-Fi only. But you can get this particular model for $1,032 at Expercom with up to $147 off if you get the highest storage configuration plus Wi-Fi and cellular support.

Mother’s Day is coming up; if you are looking for a good gift to give your mother, an Amazon Echo Show 8 might be a good gadget for consideration. Usually $130, Amazon, Best Buy, and Target have the device on sale for $105. If you’re looking for more Mother’s Day gift ideas, be sure to check out our Mother’s Day 2021 Gift Guide.

Dear wireless carriers: the 5G hype needs to stop

Just stop. Stop telling us why your 5G network is the very best and fastest and most reliable. Stop running commercials about how life-changing your 5G network is. Definitely stop telling us why your 5G network is better than the other guy’s 5G network because can you even imagine building a 5G network the way they have? Please stop with all of this, it’s been a very long year and we’re tired.

It would be one thing to make all of these fantastical claims like you do if any of them reflected any real person’s experience. They don’t. Your 5G networks are just not that good yet. They’ll get better, and that’s nice! But please stop pretending like the 5G train has pulled into the station and all we have to do is get on board to be whisked away to the low-latency, Gigabit future when you’re still building the tracks. And the train station.

We’re tired of false starts. First there was 5G Evolution, which sounds exciting. It rhymes with revolution! But then it turned out to be just another name for LTE, which was a bummer. Then there was mmWave, which you called Ultra Wideband because it sounds cooler. It will drive cars, do surgeries, fly drones, you said. You’ll experience download speeds on your phone so astoundingly fast that your sunglasses will fly off your face just being so close. And sure enough, the speed was impressive, that one time we were on the right street corner trying to download a whole movie. But then the crosswalk signal turned green and we kept walking, and we lost the signal.

Now we learn that Ultra Wideband suddenly means mmWave and C-band, and that C-band will actually change everything and we’ll have to pay more if we want to use it. This is confusing, we’re tired, and now we have to go look for our sunglasses. So please let us know when you’ve settled on whatever frequencies will actually change our lives.

We know you’re excited about how you’re building your 5G network, but please don’t explain to us in detail why your spectrum is the best spectrum and the other guy’s spectrum is garbage. You sound like a kid who wrote a PowerPoint presentation for her parents with a point-by-point argument for why she deserves a later bedtime. We, the general phone-using population, do not care to be dragged into these details. Just build the network and we’ll see for ourselves if it really is great.

You’ve spent a lot of time recently breathlessly telling your shareholders why you won the C-band auction. We’ve been scraping the bottom of the barrel on live sports entertainment over the last year, but last time we checked, a federal spectrum auction is not the Super Bowl! Nobody’s keeping score! Unless you’re playing Calvinball, you can’t declare something to be a sport, run around the field, then put on a referee uniform and say that you won.

This may come as a shock, but we don’t cheer for our wireless carriers as if they were baseball teams. We don’t trash-talk our friends about how our carrier’s 5G network is absolutely crushing their carrier’s 5G network. We don’t ask them how they can live with themselves knowing that their carrier is building their 5G network the wrong way.

We all just want our phone service to work when we need it. We want to tweet our stupid tweets, share our dumb pet photos, follow our actual baseball teams, and do so with as little inconvenience as possible. Sure, we want faster service! But we don’t want to know how the sausage is made. Please stop for now and let us know when you’re ready to serve it.

AT&T is giving its top prepaid hotspot plan a big price cut and more data

AT&T says it will now offer a prepaid 5G data-only plan with up to 100GB of data for $55 per month — a big upgrade from its previous offering of 40GB for $75. The new pricing extends to Cricket Wireless customers as well as AT&T’s direct prepaid subscribers, though those on Cricket won’t be able to access the 5G network. These plans allow customers to buy data for their tablet or mobile hotspot separate from their voice plan.

That 100GB is a lot of data at a lower price than the other major carriers are offering; currently, T-Mobile has a prepaid data-only plan of 50GB for $50 and Verizon has a 30GB plan for $65 per month. It may be no coincidence that Verizon and T-Mobile are also eager to expand their own 5G and LTE-based fixed home wireless products, but AT&T may have a little more room to be aggressive with its mobile hotspot offerings while it remains committed to pushing its fiber home internet service.

The company says that current Cricket customers already enrolled in the 100GB data-only plan — previously $90 per month — will see the new price reflected on their next bill. Likewise, existing AT&T customers will get a data bump and a price decrease automatically. New customers can sign up for the plans starting today.

Apple’s iPhone 12 and Mac sales skyrocket despite ongoing pandemic

Apple’s iPhone 12 lineup maintained enormously strong demand from consumers from January through March, according to the company’s fiscal Q2 earnings posted today. Apple reported record March quarter revenue of $89.6 billion, up 54 percent year over year. The iPhone took in just under $48 billion, jumping up by 66 percent from a year ago.

Sales of Mac and iPad hardware also surged for yet another quarter, up 70 and 78 percent respectively, due in part to continued remote work and schooling necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. That success might slow down as some regions of the world return to a sense of normalcy, so most eyes — as usual — are on the iPhone. It’s been reported that the iPhone 12 mini isn’t doing as well as Apple hoped, but other models are clearly hits with consumers. “This family of devices is popular with both upgrades and new customers alike,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the afternoon earnings call.

These Q2 earnings follow a historic, blowout December quarter for Apple that saw the company surpass $100 billion in revenue for the first time in its history. But now focus has shifted to how Apple will perform in the second half of the year and whether the iPhone 12 devices, Apple’s first to offer 5G data, have indeed sparked the huge upgrade cycle that some analysts had thought was likely.

Just last week, Apple held its first event of 2021 and introduced new products including a purple iPhone 12, a redesigned iMac powered by the M1 chip, updated iPad Pro tablets, a faster Apple TV 4K streaming box, and the long-rumored AirTag item tracker. The iPhone and AirTags go on sale April 30th, which is when Apple will begin taking preorders for its other newly announced hardware. An all-new MacBook Pro is expected to follow in the coming weeks — likely at Apple’s WWDC keynote.

Apple’s fiscal second quarter earnings come with a legal backdrop: the company faces an imminent courtroom battle with Fortnite developer Epic Games. Depositions from both companies have already been filed, and senior executives are expected to provide extensive testimony starting next week.

Even with Apple’s services business — up to $16.9 billion from $13.3 billion in the year-ago quarter — and hardware on such an upward trajectory, investors and consumers continue to await the next major device that will push the company into a new product category. Rumors have long suggested that AR and VR headsets are in Apple’s future; software boss Craig Federighi recently told The Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern that mixed reality tech “deserves exploration.” In an earlier interview with Kara Swisher, CEO Tim Cook described AR as “critically important” to Apple’s future.

And then there are the long-running reports of an eventual Apple-made electric car; back in February, Nissan and Hyundai both downplayed discussions the automakers were rumored to have held with Apple on the subject.

Samsung’s Galaxy Book Pro Laptops Bring AMOLED to Tiger Lake

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung is taking another swing making the

best ultrabooks

with two new Windows laptops: the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro and Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360. Both the clamshell and the convertible options were announced at today’s Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. They are available for pre-order now and will hit retail stores on May 14.

Both the Book Pro and Book Pro 360 will come in 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch versions, all of which will rely on intel’s Core i5 or Core i7 “Tiger Lake” processors and Iris Xe integrated graphics, and they will carry

Intel Evo

branding.

	Samsung Galaxy Book Pro	Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360
CPU	Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7	Up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)	Intel Iris Xe (Integrated)
RAM	Up to 16GB LPDDR4x	Up to 16GB LPDDR4x
Storage	Up to 512GB NVMe SSD	Up to 1TB NVMe SSD on 15.6-inch inch, Up to 512GB on 13.3-inch
Display	13.3 or 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, AMOLED	13.3 or 15.6-inch, 1920 x 1080, Super AMOLED touch
Networking	LTE (only in some countries, not the US, 13-inch), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1	5G (optional, 13-inch), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
Battery	63 Wh (13-inch) / 68 Wh (15-inch)	63 Wh (13-inch) / 68 Wh (15-inch)
Starting Price	13.3-inch: $999, 15.6-inch: $1,099	13.3-inch: $1,199, 15.6-inch: $1,299

There are a number of other similarities between both laptops across the sizes. The whole line is using 1920 x 1080 AMOLED displays (though the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s Super AMOLED also incorporates touch), and they’re made of what Samsung calls 6000-series aluminum. Samsung is also bringing a “secret screen” technology to the laptops, which hampers viewing angles from sides when you are working on private documents. HP has included similar functionality in many of its business laptops for a few years under the name SureView.

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(Image credit: Samsung)

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(Image credit: Samsung)

The biggest differences between the two models are the networking options and ports. The Galaxy Book Pro will offer Wi-Fi 6E and, in the 13.3-inch option, LTE in some territories. But the Galaxy Book Pro 360’s 13.3-inch configuration will have optional 5G. The Book Pro has Thunderbolt 4, USB Type-C, USB Type-A 3.2, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card slot and a SIM card slot, while the Book PRo 360 ditches the USB 3.2 in favor of another Type-C port. Both use 65W gallium nitride (GaN) chargers for fast charging. The 15.6-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 has the largest storage option at 1TB.

There are also differences in color. The Book Pro uses matte colors called mystic blue and mystic silver while the Book Pro 360 opts for a more metallic mystic navy and mystic bronze.

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung is touting how thin the laptops are. The Book Pro is 11.2 mm thin on the 13-incher and 11.7 mm on the 15.6-incher, while the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is slightly thicker at 11.5 mm and 11.9 mm, respectively. The smallest of the line, the Galaxy Book Pro 13, will weigh just 1.92 pounds.

The hardware also includes a redesigned keyboard, with scissor switches and rubber domes with 1 millimeter of travel which Samsung says is nearly silent.

Samsung is also emphasizing the two laptops for their spot in the Galaxy-branded ecosystem. That includes using Samsung Notes and PENUP to sync notes across devices, using Smart Switch to transfer files (a first on Samsung’s PCs) and Quick Share. A Galaxy Tab S7 can be used as a second monitor, and a Link to Windows feature will let you use up to five mobile apps on your laptop.

For those of us working from home, there’s a Studio Mode for improved video calling and intelligent noise cancelling to get rid of ambient sounds. Some of this is already built into other apps, but for those not familiar, these may be a nice touch.

The company is also bringing Samsung Care+ to PCs for the first time, allowing for up to two years of customer service and what it says are discounted repairs.

The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro will start at $999 for the 13-inch version and $1,099 for the 15.6 option. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 will start at $1,199 and $1,299 in the same screen sizes, but with touch support and an S Pen.

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Book laptops deliver OLED, HDR and Dolby Atmos

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung has expanded its Galaxy family with four new Galaxy Book “mobile PCs”, each of which can be used in laptop or tablet form.

The new Galaxy Books – the Galaxy Book, Galaxy Book Pro (pictured, top) and Galaxy Book Pro 360 – aim to be as powerful as a laptop but as portable as a tablet, and with the promise of an all-day battery. Prices start from £699, rising to £1499 (full details below).

Samsung wants these Galaxy Books to be the obvious choice for the millions of people who already own Galaxy devices, whether that be the Galaxy S21 phone or the Galaxy Buds earphones, promising a seamless cross-device experience.

Samsung Galaxy Book (Image credit: Samsung)

But there are reasons to consider them whether you’re part of the Galaxy family already: all three Galaxy Books feature Dolby Atmos support, while the Pro and Pro 360 also have VESA-certified DisplayHDR 500 screens, which bodes well for picture performance.

While the Galaxy Book (pictured, above) makes do with a full HD LCD screen, you can jump to a full HD AMOLED with the Galaxy Book Pro or a full HD Super AMOLED on the Pro 360.

Inside are the 11th-gen Intel Core processors and Intel Iris X garphics, plus USB-C and HDMI connections, and a microSD card slot. An upgraded S Pen stylus, as seen on the Galaxy Note phones, is also included on the Galaxy Book Pro 360 (pictured, below), though there’s no storage integrated inside the laptop, which seems a shame.

Only the Pro 360 includes 5G connectivity, with the Pro settling for LTE. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 are across all three models. All the Galaxy Books use the Windows 10 Home/Pro OS, so expect all the associated Microsoft features including Link to Windows/Microsoft Your Phone mobile connectivity. In fact, Samsung is promising seamless Android and Windows compatibility for something of a world first.

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 (Image credit: Samsung)

The real draw is the form factor, with the most compact model (the 13-inch Galaxy Book Pro) coming in at just 11.2mm – “thin like a phone” – and weighing just 870g. And of course you can fold the laptop on itself for a flat tablet experience or to use as a second screen.

The Pro and Pro 360 are also available in a 15.6-inch screen size, while the Galaxy Book is limited to a 15.6-inch display model.

There’s Samsung’s finger print authentication on each of the laptop-tablet combos, plus support for USB-C 65-watt fast charging.

Built from aluminium, the Galaxy Books continue the ‘Mystic’ colour palette of Samsung’s Galaxy phones, with a choice of mystic navy, silver, blue, pink gold and bronze.

Also launching are a range of accessories, including a neoprene pouch with pen holder (£24.99), a Galaxy Book Leather Sleeve (from £149.99), the Smart Keyboard Trio 500 (£39.99) and the Bluetooth Mouse Slim (£52.99).

Can it beat the best tablets and the best laptops? That remains to be seen.

If you’re already smitten you can pre-order now and you’ll get a free pair of Galaxy Buds Pro true wireless earbuds.

On sale from 14th May, full price details are as follows:

Samsung Galaxy Book

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/ 256GB RAM – RRP £699

• 15.6″ LTE (i5) 8GB/ 256GB RAM – RRP £799

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i7) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP 899

• 15.6″ LTE (i7) 16GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1,099

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro

• 13.3″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1099

• 13.3″ LTE (i5) 8GB/256GB RAM – RRP £1099

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1199

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i7) 16GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1499

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360

• 13.3″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1199

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i5) 8GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1249

• 15.6″ Wi-Fi (i7) 16GB/512GB RAM – RRP £1499

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra review

Introduction

Now that the Pro moniker has gone mainstream, it’s Ultra that has come to represent the cream of the crop, and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra can wear that badge proudly. Limited to its home market last year, the ultimate Mi has gone global this time around, and we’re happy to have it for review today.

We’re torn whether it’s the camera system’s physical appearance that is more striking or the hardware inside. A simply massive raised area on the back looks bolted on, almost after the fact, it’s hard to miss, and it’s a great conversation starter even if it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

But its size is warranted – the main camera packs the largest sensor used on a modern-day smartphone, and next to it – two more modules unmatched in their own fields, in one way or another. Oh, and yes, there’s also a display here – because why not, but also because it can be useful.

There’s a lot more than 1.1 inches of OLED on the front. The 6.81-inch Super AMOLED is all kinds of great – high resolution, high refresh rate, high brightness, HDR, a billion colors, you name it. Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 888 underneath is second to none as chipsets go this year and with 256GB of base storage, should we even mention the lack of expansion capability as a con?

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra specs at a glance:
Body: 164.3×74.6×8.4mm, 234g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back, aluminum frame; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 mins).
Display: 6.81″ AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 900 nits, 1700 nits (peak), 1440x3200px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 515ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm): Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4×1.80 GHz Kryo 680); Adreno 660.
Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 12.5.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/2.0, 24mm, 1/1.12″, 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 48 MP, f/2.2, 12mm, 128˚, 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF; Telephoto: 48 MP, f/4.1, 120mm, 1/2.0″, 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom.
Front camera: 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4″, 0.8µm.
Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+ rec; Front camera: 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, gyro-EIS.
Battery: 5000mAh; Fast charging 67W, 100% in 36 min (advertised), Fast wireless charging 67W, 100% in 39 min (advertised), Reverse wireless charging 10W, Quick Charge 4+, Power Delivery 3.0.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; Infrared port.Xiaomis don’t normally have dust and water protection, but that’s changed this year with the Mi 11s – both the Pro and the Ultra have an IP68 rating, and that’s a most welcome development. Conversely, a staple of the brand’s handsets, both affordable and expensive, the IR emitter remains. Stereo speakers have been making their way to the Xiaomi midrange, so it’s only natural that the high-end models have them, and these have been tuned by Harman/Kardon, that couldn’t hurt.

An increase in battery capacity compared to last year’s model is another upgrade we can appreciate. On the other hand, they did downgrade the charging – instead of the Mi 10 Ultra’s 120W, you only get 67W here. Tsk-tsk.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra unboxing

The packaging has lost the flair of the Mi 10 Ultra’s presentation, and the Mi 11 Ultra showed up in a standard black box with copper lettering (or is it rose gold?). What’s inside that?

Our EU-bound retail bundle includes the 67W charger – that’s not the case in all markets with chargers coming as a free-of-charge option in some places (China, maybe other parts of Asia). It’s a proprietary adapter with a USB-A output, so it won’t please USB PowerDelivery die-hards. There is a USB cable included too.

A headset may be missing, but there is a USB-C-to-3.5mm dongle included so you can use your own. Also inside the box is a transparent soft silicone back cover. While the (free) protection is appreciated, the look and feel of the thing is no match for the phone itself.

Oppo A53s 5G unveiled with Dimensity 700, 5,000mAh battery

The Oppo A53s 5G was teased recently on Flipkart, and today the phone makes its official debut. It comes with a Dimensity 700 chipset, two RAM options, a big battery and three cameras on the back.

The front of the Oppo A53s 5G is a 6.52” screen with HD+ resolution and a waterdrop notch. Since the panel is LCD, the fingerprint scanner made its way on the side, acting as a power key as well. RAM is either 6 GB or 8 GB, with internal storage being 128 gigs in both cases.

Oppo has provided room for a micro SD in a long tray that can host two SIM cards and a memory card up to 2 TB.

The trio of cameras on the back consists of a 13MP main shooter, 2 MP depth sensor for portrait shots and 2MP macro cam. The selfie camera has an 8MP senosr.

The phone runs Android 11, topped with Color OS 11.1. The battery on the inside is 5,000 mAh, but the listing does not say anything about fast-charging.

The specs sheet does give us some insight on connectivity like dual 5G standby (even if India has zero actual working networks) Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0.

Oppo A53s 5G

The Oppo A53s 5G is offered in Crystal Blue or Ink Black colors. Prices are INR14,990 or INR16,990, depending on the memory combination. Flipkart is yet to reveal a date for pre-order or market launch.

Source

Update improves Samsung Galaxy A52’s camera, Galaxy A52 5G gets April security patch

The Samsung Galaxy A52 (the 4G version) is receiving updates in a couple of regions, the 5G model is getting a new firmware too. The contents of said updates differ – the ones in the UK and India focus on the security patch for the most part, the one in Indonesia contains more enhancements.

You can find the changelog for the Indonesian firmware here. The highlight is an update for the camera app, which improves image quality and polishes the overall experience. Also, Portrait mode now gains High-Key mono, Low-Key mono and Backdrop effects, which replace the background. Such modes are featured on premium devices like the Note20 Ultra and the S21 series.

There’s more. The update, A525FXXU1AUD2, also improves call quality and the stability of the touchscreen. And, of course, it includes a new security patch, April 1. This is a fairly small update, just over 400 MB.

New updates for the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G

The update for India contains just the security patch and yet it is over 700 MB in size.

The Galaxy A52 5G is getting an update in the UK. It misses out on the camera and some other improvements, though users should have a more stable experience (in addition to the April 1 security patch).

Via

iOS 14.5 brings Dual SIM 5G support to iPhone 12 series

Yesterday Apple released iOS 14.5 alongside iPadOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 to its users worldwide. One more under the radar feature with the new update for iPhone 12 series users is the ability to have 5G connectivity in Dual SIM mode.

Dual SIM 5G confirmation from Apple

Prior to the update, you would be restricted to 4G LTE when using two SIM cards simultaneously regardless if they were 5G ready. Now, you can only have one line on 5G connectivity and it will only be used for data according to the official changelog released by Apple.

Smart Data Mode can now switch to 4G LTE connectivity when you aren’t using your iPhone to help extend battery life.

Check out all of the new iOS 14.5 additions here.

Source | Via

Oppo A95 5G is official with 6.43″AMOLED display, Dimensity 800U

Oppo A95 5G popped up on China Telecom’s website earlier this month and today, the phone maker made the device official. The Oppo A95 5G has the same chipset and screen as the Oppo Reno 5Z, but one fewer cameras on the back.

Oppo A95 5G

The panel on the front is a 6.43” AMOLED with a punch hole in the upper left corner. The resolution is Full HD+ and the panel has a standard 60Hz refresh rate. The A95 5G is powered by Dimensity 800U chipset by Mediatek and has 8GB RAM to keep it company. The storage is either 128GB or 256GB, with micro SD for up to 2TB more.

The camera setup on the back includes 48MP main, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro modules. The front-facing shooter is 16MP. Oppo did not put anything spectacular where the depth cam was – just a mere “48MP” sign.

The battery has 4,310mAh capacity with 30W fast charging through the USB-C port. The connector is on the bottom, right next to the 3.5mm audio jack. Other highlights include ColorOS 11.1, based on Android 11, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.1 support.

The Oppo A95 5G is offered in Black, White and Dawn Blue on the company website. It is up for pre-order and costs CNY1,999 ($310/€255) or CNY2,299 ($355/€295), depending on the storage choice.

Source (in Chinese)

Samsung Galaxy M42 5G listed on Google Play Console

We’re expecting Samsung to debut its Galaxy M42 5G tomorrow and just before the event the device was spotted in a Google Play Console listing. The new information reveals that the M42 5G is simply a rebranded Galaxy A42 5G with matching Snapdragon 750G chipsets, HD+ screens and even a42xq device codes.

Samsung Galaxy M42 5G Google Play Console listing

The Galaxy M42 will bring 6GB RAM and boot Android 11, presumably with One UI 3.1 on top. We can also expect a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display, 48MP primary camera and 5,000 mAh battery. The Galaxy M42 5G is expected to retail between INR 20,000($270) and INR 25,000($335) in India.

Via