Asus is no stranger to the gaming phone sector and the ROG line, in particular, has solidified itself as the forerunner in the segment. After the success of last year’s ROG Phone 3, Asus decided to take the series up to 5 with the ROG Phone 5. With our ROG Phone 5 written review in the books, we now bring your attention to our video breakdown with Will guiding you through his impressions of the latest gaming flagship from Asus.
The focus here is on the vanilla ROG Phone 5 instead of the more feature-packed ROG Phone 5 Pro or Ultimate. Despite being the most affordable of the bunch, the vanilla ROG Phone 5 does not disappoint in any area. You get a dual glass design with Gorilla Glass Victus covering the display and Gorilla Glass 3 on the back.
Asus has always tried to differentiate the backs of its ROG Phones and this year brings a DOT matrix LEDs which form the ROG logo. The sides are made from aluminum and the 238-grams heft makes the ROG Phone 5 a two-hand device.
Being a gaming phone, Asus has once again brought its custom pressure-sensitive shoulder triggers giving you an upper hand in supported gaming titles. You also get a second USB-C and accessories port on the side to charge and connect up additional gaming peripherals.
The 6.78-inch AMOLED display with adaptive 144Hz refresh rate and 1080p resolution is major selling point. Colors are vibrant and the panel is uninterrupted by cutouts as Asus tends to do. Touch latency has been improved thanks to the new 300Hz sampling rate. You also get an excellent pair of stereo speakers which achieved great loudness scores in our tests though not on the level of the outgoing ROG Phone 3.
Performance from the Snapdragon 888 is among the best we’ve seen to date thanks to Asus’ optimizations and advanced cooling system. Throttling has been kept to a minimum which is a major factor for prolonged gaming sessions.
The massive 6,000 mAh battery in the ROG Phone 5 delivered a respectable 110-hour endurance rating in our test, though we were expecting more. The bundled 65W charger was among the fastest we’ve tested managing a 0-70% top-up in just 30 minutes.
Today, we will be reviewing yet another Xiaomi mid-ranger – we are welcoming the 4G version of the Mi 11 Lite.
We are not sure how Xiaomi can keep uninterrupted production of so many phones with the ongoing global chip shortages. But we are glad things are working well for them so far.
The Mi 11 Lite 5G has already earned our recommendation, and we are hoping its cheaper version to be just as good. The lightweight Mi 11 Lite, just like the Mi 11 Lite 5G, is shaped after the Mi 11 flagship and focuses on similar features – an HRR OLED screen, enjoyable camera quality, long battery life, fast charging, and overall smooth UI experience.
We are glad to see Xiaomi has thoughtfully handpicked the features that matter the most. The 6.55-inch OLED is of great quality with 10-bit color support, HDR10 certification, and a 90Hz refresh rate. There is also 240Hz touch sampling, which is another requirement for a smooth experience.
The triple camera on the back is also reminiscent of the Mi 11’s and the same as on the Mi 11 Lite 5G – there is a high-res 64MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide snapper, and a 5MP telemacro cam. All sorts of shooting modes are supported, including Night Mode, Long Exposure, Pro mode for all cameras, and the Mi 11 series exclusive video modes such as Parallel World, Time Freeze, Night Mode Timelapse, among others.
The Mi 11 Lite relies on the Snapdragon 732G chip – the same one we experienced as part of the Redmi Note 10 Pro. That’s the only notable difference with the Mi 11 Lite 5G – the 5G model uses a more powerful Snapdragon 780G 5G SoC.
The Mi 11 Lite may have undergone an obvious cost-cutting process, but it still gets to enjoy stereo speakers, NFC connectivity, a microSD slot, and even an IR port. And, by looking at its specs sheet, it does seem like a Lite version done right.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite specs at a glance:
Body: 160.5×75.7×6.8mm, 157g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame.
Display: 6.55″ AMOLED, 1B colors, HDR10, 90Hz, 240Hz touch sampling, 500 nits (typ), 800 nits, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM7150 Snapdragon 732G (8 nm): Octa-core (2×2.3 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver); Adreno 618.
Memory: 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 12.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.97″, 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚, 1/4.0″, 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4, AF.
Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, 25mm (wide), 1/3.06″ 1.0µm.
Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps.
Battery: 4250mAh; Fast charging 33W.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port.The most notable omission is splash resistance, obviously. While the similarly priced Poco X3 Pro is IP53-rated, and Samsung is putting an even bigger effort with its most recent IP67-rated Galaxy A phones, Xiaomi isn’t keen on providing any sort of ingress protection for the Mi 11 Lite phones. It’s not a major issue, of course, but it’s already a popular must-have for the competition.
Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite
The Mi 11 Lite bundle is a match to what most of the Redmi and Poco phones recently offered – a 33W power adapter, a 3A-rated USB-C cable, there is also a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter.
There is also a transparent silicone case inside the retail box – a much-appreciated addition across all Xiaomi phones. Xiaomi is also giving away a thin screen protector, but it’s one of those cheap films that turn your screen into a smudge magnet, and we just couldn’t bear all this smear, sorry.
João Silva 1 day ago Featured Announcement, Graphics
ASRock has released its flagship Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card – the Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula, complete with a 21-phase power design for enhanced overclocking potential.
Based on the RDNA2 architecture, the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula features a Navi 21 GPU with 80 CUs and 16GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit memory bus. The 21-phase power design pushes the GPU even further, delivering more power to the GPU and paving the way for higher overclocks.
The ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula uses a triple-fan configuration with Striped Axial fans to cool the 3-slot extended heatsink. On light loads, the fans do not spin to reduce noise. The backplate protects the PCB and enhances the card’s cooling capabilities with small hexagonal holes that allow air to be pushed through it.
The base clock is set at 2125MHz, but depending on the active BIOS, boost and game clocks vary. There are two BIOS versions to choose from: P BIOS, with a game clock of 2295MHz and a boost clock of 2475MHz, and Q BIOS, which has a game clock of 2165MHz and a boost clock of 2365MHz.
The all-metal shroud features a green band around it and ASRock Polychrome RGB that users can synchronise with other compatible products. Available video interfaces include an HDMI 2.1 port and 3x DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC. The card is powered by 3x 8-pin power connectors.
KitGuru says: Are you still looking for a Radeon RX 6900 XT card for your system? What do you think of the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula graphics card?
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Once a year, we ask you, our readers, to tell us what’s hot and what’s not in our unique KitGuru Reader Survey. This year, Zotac has offered up a stunning prize for one lucky participant to win: a very special ‘barebones’ PC that comes complete with an Intel Core i7-10700 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card!
Asus’ ROG Maximus XIII Hero is a full-featured Z590 motherboard that includes robust power delivery, premium audio with a DAC, four M.2 sockets, dual 2.5 GbE ports and integrated Wi-Fi 6E. Overall, the $499 Hero is a well-rounded premium board for Intel’s Z590 platform.
For
+ High-quality 14-phase 90A VRM
+ 10 USB ports, incl. 2x Thunderbolt 4
+ Dual 2.5 GbE plus Wi-Fi 6E
+ Four M.2 sockets
+ Premium audio
Features and Specifications
Asus’ ROG Maximus XIII Hero hits the motherboard scene offering users an extended features list, premium styling, and a price tag of $499.99. While that’s certainly expensive, it’s no longer flagship motherboard territory in terms of pricing. The latest Hero includes loads of USB ports (including ultra-fast Thunderbolt Type-C), high-quality VRMs and four M.2 sockets. All that, plus a high-end appearance and overall good performance help make this board worth the cost of admission.
Asus’ current Z590 product stack consists of 13 models. Starting from the top, the ROG Maximus XIII Extreme and its water-cooled counterpart, the Extreme Glacial, carve out the flagship SKUs, followed by the ROG Hero and the overclocking focused ROG Apex. There are four other ROG Gaming boards, Z590-E/-F/-A/-I(ITX), along with two TUF Gaming boards and three Prime boards on the budget end. Asus presents a well-rounded product stack with boards and price points for just about everyone from top to bottom.
Overall, performance on our Hero was the best out of the boards we’ve tested so far. Granted, the difference isn’t much between most of the higher-performing boards ( which bypass the Intel specification), but the Hero and its out-of-the-box settings lead the group. Overclocking went without a hitch, easily handling our 5.1 GHz clock speed along with the memory set to DDR4 4000. Of the several boards we’ve looked at, this and the MSI MEG Ace were some of the easier boards to overclock and get the memory to speed with little or no tweaking.
Generation after generation, the Asus ROG Maximus line has delivered (what this reviewer considers to be) devilishly good looks and a long list of features for the high-end segment. The Maximus XIII Hero continues this trend, tweaking the appearance a bit from the last generation and making other changes including adding PCIe 4.0 support for M.2 sockets and PCIe slots, Wi-Fi 6E, dual Thunderbolt USB Type-C ports and more. We’ll take a look at those and other features in detail. Below is the full specifications list from Asus.
Specifications – Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero
Socket
LGA 1200
Chipset
Z590
Form Factor
ATX
Voltage Regulator
16 Phase (14+2, 90A MOSFETs)
Video Ports
(1) HDMI
USB Ports
(2) Thunderbolt 4, Type-C (40 Gbps)
(6) USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type-A (10 Gbps)
(2) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps)
Network Jacks
(2) 2.5 GbE
Audio Jacks
(5) Analog + SPDIF
Legacy Ports/Jacks
✗
Other Ports/Jack
✗
PCIe x16
(2) v4.0 x16, (x16/x0, x8/x8, x8/x4)
(1) v3.0 x4
PCIe x8
✗
PCIe x4
✗
PCIe x1
(1) v3.0 x4
CrossFire/SLI
Nvidia 2-Way SLI
DIMM slots
(4) DDR4 5333(OC), 128GB Capacity
M.2 slots
(1) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 110mm)
(1) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 80mm)
(1) PCIe 3.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 80mm)
(1) PCIe 3.0 x4 / PCIe + SATA (up to 110mm)
U.2 Ports
✗
SATA Ports
(6) SATA3 6 Gbps (RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10)
USB Headers
(1) USB v3.2 Gen 2×2 (Front Panel Type-C)
(2) USB v3.2 Gen 1
(2) USB v2.0
Fan/Pump Headers
(8) 4-Pin
RGB Headers
(3) aRGB Gen 2 (3-pin)
(1) Aura RGB (4-pin)
Legacy Interfaces
✗
Other Interfaces
FP-Audio, TPM
Diagnostics Panel
Yes, 2-character debug LED, and 4-LED ‘Status LED’ display
Along with the motherboard, the box includes several accessories ranging from cables to graphic card holders and a support DVD. For the price, this isn’t the most inclusive accessory stack we’ve come across, but it will get you started (hopefully) without a trip to the store. Below is a complete list of all included accessories.
Support DVD
User’s Manual
Q-connector
ROG stickers / keychain / thank you card
Graphics card holder
Wi-Fi Moving Antenna
(4) SATA cables
(1) Screw package for M.2 sockets
(1) ARGB extension cable
(1) RGB extension cable
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(Image credit: Asus)
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(Image credit: Asus)
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(Image credit: Asus)
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(Image credit: Asus)
Handarbeit
(Image credit: Asus)
Focusing on the top half of the board, we get a better look at the massive heatsinks/shrouds that cover a significant portion of the board. Wedged between the heatpipe-connected VRM heatsink are two reinforced 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) to send power to the CPU. To the right of the socket area and its gunmetal-colored capacitors are four DRAM slots capable of supporting up to 128GB of RAM. Asus lists supported speeds up to DDR4 5333(OC). But as always, your mileage may vary.
Just above the DRAM slots are the first three 4-pin fan/pump headers (of eight total). Six headers (CPU, Chassis, and AIO_Pump, support up to 1A/12W while the W_Pump and H_Amp headers support up to 3A/36W. The AIO and W_Pump headers run at full speed while the rest are Q-Fan controlled.
Continuing right is the 2-character Q-Code debug LED, and just below it are the four Q-LEDs (CPU, DRAM, VGA and Boot) that light up during the boot process. If there is an issue during POST, that specific LED remains lit and tells you, generally, where the problem is. You can use the Q-Code display for more details.
Moving down the right edge, we see the first two (of four) RGB headers. In this area are two 3-pin (ARGB) headers. You’ll find the other two headers, a 4-pin RGB and a third 3-pin ARGB, across the bottom edge. Just below this is a large Start button to power the PC on and a smaller multi-function FlexKey button. By default, this reboots the system, but you can configure this as a quick access feature to activate Safe Boot or turn Aura lighting on/off. Further down the right edge is the 24-pin ATX power connector and below that, a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type-C front-panel header.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Asus went with a 14-phase ‘teamed’ VRM configuration for the XIII Hero. Power is sent to a Renesas ISL69269 controller (7+2+1), where each channel feeds two phases (no doubler inline). After that, it’s on to the 14 Texas Instrument NexFET 90A Smart Power stages. This allows the CPU to use up to 1260A, one of the higher values we’ve seen. While the Hero isn’t the most robust solution at this price point, it will have no issues with ambient and even extreme overclocking. You’ll be limited by CPU thermals long before this VRM gets in the way.
(Image credit: Asus)
Taking a closer look at the bottom half of the board, we’ll start with the audio section on the left side. Underneath the plastic shroud, Asus chose the premium Realtek ALC4082 codec along with Chemicon brand Japanese audio capacitors. The Hero also includes an ESS Sabre9018Q2C DAC/Amp for driving your headphones properly. The onboard audio solution provides more than sufficient quality for an overwhelming majority of users.
In the middle of the board we find the PCIe slots and M.2 sockets. On the PCIe front, the Hero has three full-length PCIe slots and one x1 size slot. The top two PCIe slots are wired to the CPU and support PCIe 4.0 when using an 11th generation Intel processor. These top two slots run at x16/x0, x8/x8 or x8/x4 (lane bifurcation) and support Nvidia 2-Way SLI (AMD Crossfire is not mentioned in the specifications). The bottom full-length slot is fed from the chipset and runs at PCIe 3.0 x4. Out of the box, the bottom slot runs at PCIe 3.0 x2 mode and disables SATA ports 3/4. If you need to run the bottom slot at the full x4 mode, SATA ports 1/2/3/4 get disabled.
The Maximus XIII Hero has four M.2 sockets mixed in with the PCIe slots. The top two sockets are both wired PCIe 4.0 x4. Asus accomplishes this by sharing bandwidth with the CPU-fed PCIe slots. When M.2_2 is enabled, the top PCIe slot runs at x8 and the second slot drops to x4. These sockets support PCIe modules only, with the top slot able to handle 110mm modules and the second slot up to 80mm. The third M.2 socket, connected to the chipset, runs at PCIe 3.0 x4 mode, supporting up to 80mm modules. The bottom socket supports up to 110mm PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA-based M.2 devices. If M.2_4 (bottom right) is populated, SATA ports 5/6 are disabled. There’s a fair amount of lane sharing between the SATA ports, M.2 sockets and PCIe slots. So be sure to check out the manual for details on your specific configuration.
To the right of the PCIe area is the chipset heatsink, with the ROG symbol illuminated with RGB LEDs from underneath. On the right edge is another fan header, six SATA ports and two USB 3.2 Gen1 front panel headers that bookend the SATA ports.
Across the board’s bottom are several headers and buttons, including more USB ports, fan headers and more. If you’re into monitoring your custom water loop, there are headers for temperature and water flow as well. You can keep an eye on your entire cooling system, be it air or water. Below is the full list, from left to right:
Front-panel audio
RGB and ARGB headers
Retry button
Chassis fan and High Amp fan headers
(2) USB 2.0 headers
(2) Chassis fan headers
Temperature sensor, water flow headers
Speaker
Front panel header
(Image credit: Asus)
The Asus ROG Maximus XIII Hero comes with a pre-installed rear IO panel sporting a black background with white writing for all of the ports and buttons. There are a total of 10 USB ports: two USB 2.0 ports, six USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A and two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports for ultra-fast USB storage. Located above the Type-C ports are the two 2.5 GbE ports, while next to those are the two Wi-Fi 6E antenna sockets. A single HDMI port handles video output when using integrated graphics. The audio stack is the full 5-plug analog, plus SPDIF output. Finally, also here are the BIOS flashback button to flash without a CPU and a Clear CMOS button.
ASRock has introduced its fastest air-cooled graphics cards to date, the Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula 16GB. The new board carries factory-overclocked AMD’s top-of-the-range Navi 21 XTX GPU (5120 stream processors) GPU that can boost to almost 2.50 GHz and backed by a sophisticated voltage regulating module (VRM).
The Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula has a 21-phase VRM along with three eight-pin auxiliary PCIe power connectors to deliver up to 450W of ‘clean’ power to the GPU to guarantee stable operation at factory clocks as well as enable some further overclocking potential.
(Image credit: ASRock)
Speaking of clocks, the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula 16GB has a base GPU frequency of 2125 MHz, up from 1825 MHz recommended by AMD. Meanwhile, the board comes with two BIOS modes: the Q mode and the P mode. In Q mode the GPU features game clock of 2165 MHz and a boost clock of 2365 MHz. In P mode, the graphics processor operates at 2295 MHz ~ 2475 MHz, which is considerably higher when compared to frequencies of other factory-overclocked Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics cards introduced so far.
ASRock’s Radeon RX 6900 XT Graphics Cards
Radeon 6900 XT OC Formula
Radeon RX 6900 XT Phantom Gaming D
Radeon RX 6900 XT
Base
2125 MHz
1925 MHz
1825 MHz
Game
2165MHz
2105 MHz
–
Game P Mode
2295 MHz
–
–
Boost
2365 MHz
2340 MHz
2250 MHz
Boost P Mode
2475 MHz
–
–
Being one of the fastest factory-overclocked Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics cards announced to date, the ASRock Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula comes with an extremely large triple-slot OC Formula 3X cooling system featuring two aluminum heatsinks, seven heat pipes, three striped axial fans, and a backplate. To make the cooler look and feel even more attractive, it is equipped with ARGB LEDs and has a metal cover. Since the cooling system is large, the card measures 332 × 137 × 61 mm, so those who plan to use will need to ensure that it fits into their chassis.
(Image credit: ASRock)
ASRock unveiled its Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula board at the same day when PowerColor launched its Red Devil Ultimate and Liquid Devil Ultimate graphics cards that support GPU clocks of up to 2425 MHz and 2525 MHz, respectively. PowerColor officially stated that its graphics boards were based on cherry picked GPUs, but ASRock did not make such a claim. Therefore, it is unclear whether ASRock used hand-picked GPUs to build its Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula or its advanced VRM and cooling system can enable Navi 21 XTX GPUs operate at clocks that are about 10% higher when compared to those recommended by AMD.
(Image credit: ASRock)
ASRock did not say when it plans to start shipments of its flagship Radeon RX 6900 XT OC Formula 16GB nor did it disclose its MSRP. Setting a recommended price on graphics card these days does not make a lot of sense as it will be sold at a price that significantly exceed its MSRP. Nonetheless, it would still be interesting to see — at least on paper — how much ASRock charges for a ~10% performance gain over AMD’s reference design.
With an expected price between $400-$450, the Biostar Z590 Valkyrie is up against stiff competition on Intel’s new Rocket Lake platform. But outside of a lack of integrated Wi-Fi and some teething issues, the Valkyrue ticks all the boxes.
For
+ Robust 90A VRMs
+ Two USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports
+ Three M.2 sockets
Against
– VRM fans loud under heavy load by default
– Poor memory performance
– Style may be polarizing
Features and Specifications
With Intel’s new Rocket Lake CPUs and new chipset hitting the scene, Biostar took the opportunity to step up its game developing new motherboards for Z590, including the Valkyrie that we have on the test bench for review. Expected to be an upper-midrange option, it comes with high-end power delivery, three M.2 sockets, along with several fast USB ports and a price tag somewhere between $400 and $450. A company rep told us US pricing still isn’t final yet.
Biostar’s current Z590 product stack isn’t as robust as most other board partners. Currently, it consists of three boards: the flagship Valkyrie we’re looking at here, the Z590I Valkyrie (ITX), and the more familiar and budget-oriented Z590GTA. In addition to these three, the company also has a B560 board, the B560GTQ, and two H5120 based boards in the H510MH/E 2.0 and H510MX/E 2.0. While Biostar doesn’t have as many SKUs as the competition, the company still provides mid-range, budget, and ITX-size options.
On the performance front, the Valkyrie was generally on the slower side of testing, albeit not by much in many tests. Our DDR4 3600 memory kit defaulted to Gear 2, which increases latency and reduces bandwidth. The latest BIOS at the time of this writing (5.19 according to CPUz) added the ability to switch gears. However, I could not quickly get our board to work at Gear 1 running DDR4 3600, as I could with ,ost other Z590 boards. Hopefully, another BIOS update will address the bandwidth/latency shortcomings and allow the board to get close to the expected memory bandwidth.
Early performance aside, Biostar brought a solid board to the table. From its flagship-class VRMs, three M.2 sockets and premium audio (albeit from the last generation), the Valkyrie is a step up from its Z490 offerings. Curiously, a Wi-Fi antenna is included, but the board does not come with Wi-Fi. You’ll need to add a card (up to 6E capability) or stick to Ethernet. There are plenty of USB ports on the rear IO, with six USB 3.2 Gen 2 or greater. We’ll cover all the features the Valkyrie has to offer below. But first, here are the full specifications from Biostar.
LED on/off, LN2 mode, BIOS switch, Start/Reset, Clear CMOS
SATA Controllers
✗
Ethernet Controller(s)
(1) Realtek RTL8125B (2.5 GbE)
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
✗
USB Controllers
✗
HD Audio Codec
Realtek ALC1220
DDL/DTS Connect
✗ / ✗
Warranty
3 Years
Starting with accessories, Biostar includes what you need to get started and not much else. All that comes in the box along with the motherboard are four SATA cables, a DVD with drivers, a User Manual and Smart Connector.
User’s Manual
Driver DVD
(4) SATA cables
Smart Connector
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(Image credit: Biostar)
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(Image credit: Biostar)
In looking at the Z590 Valkyrie for the first time, the jet black PCB and overall styling give off a mid-range vibe with all the shrouds and neatly organized headers across the bottom. The left side of the socket behind the rear IO is covered by a large shroud reaching over the left VRM heatsink. A small heatsink covers the top set of VRMs, along with two tiny fans that actively cool the power bits underneath. Another pair of fans are hidden under the rear IO shroud as well.
The PCIe area is covered in heatsinks/shrouds, with only the three full-length PCIe slots poking through. There is red highlighting in this area that gives way to gold highlights on the chipset heatsink. A second RGB lighting zone illuminates the chipset heatsink and Valkyrie symbol/branding. Overall the motherboard looks good and has a unique color scheme. For the most part, users should have few issues working this board in with their builds, as the red and gold highlights don’t stick out too much. That said, at the expected price, there are more refined boards available.
(Image credit: Biostar)
Focusing on the top half of the board, we get a close-up look at the louvered shroud covering the rear IO and left VRM bank. The right side uses a piece of acrylic that the RGB lighting shines through brightly. Just above are two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) for the CPU. To the right is the top VRM heatsink. To the right of the heatsink are the first two (of five) four-pin fan headers. CPU_Fan, CPU_OPT and SysFan1/2/3 support both three and four-pin fans. The manual doesn’t mention output, so it’s best to assume each supports 1A/12W.
Continuing right are four unreinforced DRAM slots supporting up to 128 GB of RAM. Biostar lists RAM speed up to DDR4 5000(OC), but as always, your mileage may vary. In our case, this board didn’t like to run our DDR4 3600 memory kit at 1:1 to the memory bus and was using Gear 2. I’m no memory overclocking expert, but if other boards are working 1:1 with DDR4 3600, there are few reasons this one shouldn’t be. We also had trouble running our DDR4 4000 sticks as well. But we’re still early days on this platform, and this board isn’t even available for sale in the US as of this writing, so we’re hopeful an update will improve these compatibility issues.
On the right edge are several items, including all three RGB lighting headers. The Valkyrie comes with two 3-pin ARGB headers and one 4-pin RGB header. Most boards come with four RGB headers (two of each), but I’d imagine few would run into problems with three. Below are three onboard buttons; Power, Reset and Clear CMOS, each backlit with red, orange and blue LEDs, respectively. Next is the 24-pin ATX connector that feeds power to the motherboard. Finally, just below that is the front panel USB 3.2 Gen2x2 header.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
One of the places Biostar upped its game is with power delivery. The Valkyrie sports a 20+1+1 phase (CPU, System Agent, Graphics) VRM designed to run Intel’s flagship CPUs. The two 8-pin connectors feed power to a Renesas ISL69269 multi-phase controller (X+Y=12) through 10 Renesas ISL6617A phase doublers on its way to 20 90A ISL99390B MOSFETs. Some quick math yields 1800A of total power for the CPU. You won’t have any concerns with power delivery when overclocking.
(Image credit: Biostar)
Moving on to the bottom half of the board, we’ll start by looking at the audio section on the left side. Hidden under a plastic shroud is the Realtek ALC1220 codec. While this is a premium audio codec that most find plenty acceptable, it isn’t the latest and greatest (4000 series) that many other Z590 based boards use. Poking through the shroud are four Chemicon brand audio capacitors. We don’t find any fancy opamps or other audio features, but most users should be happy with the sound output by this board.
In the middle of the board, we spot three reinforced full-length PCIe slots mixed in with three M.2 sockets. The top and second slot are both wired to the CPU, yielding a PCIe 4.0 setup on both. The top slot is x16, while the 2nd slot runs at a maximum of x8. When both slots are populated, they run at x8/x8 speeds. Biostar mentions AMD Crossfire support, but not SLI (even though they have the required amount of PCIe lanes). The bottom full-length slot is connected to the chipset with PCIe 3.0 x4 capabilities.
The Biostar Z590 Valkyrie has three M.2 sockets, all of which have heatsinks to help keep the modules underneath running cool. The top socket is CPU-connected, supporting up to PCIe 4.0 x4 drives up to 80mm. The bottom two M.2 sockets support PCIe (3.0 x4) and SATA-based modules up to 110mm. When using a SATA-based M.2 module on the middle socket, SATA_5 is disabled. When using the bottom M.2 socket with a SATA-based M.2 module, SATA_6 is disabled. In short, if you have two SATA-based M.2 modules, that still leaves four SATA ports available and the primary M.2 socket for PCIe-based modules if needed. RAID support for M.2 devices wasn’t listed.
To the right is the chipset heatsink, you’ll see the Valkyrie symbol and additional RGB lighting. On the right edge of the board is a USB 3.2 Gen 1 header, while just below that are the six SATA ports (supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10). Finally, just below that is a BIOS switch that swaps between the dual BIOS – an excellent value add for a board equipped for overclocking.
The bottom edge of the motherboard is usually a mess of headers and ports, and while the Valkyrie has those, all headers (that aren’t fans) have plastic around them, which cleans up the look quite a bit. Below is the complete list of headers and switches, in order from left to right.
Front Panel Audio
(3) System Fan headers
Thunderbolt
COM
(2) USB 2.0 headers
Front Panel
2-character debug LED
LN2 switch
TPM SPI header
(Image credit: Biostar)
On the USB front, there are a total of eight ports — enough for most users. One USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, five USB 3.2 Gen 2, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. Just above the two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports is the Realtek 2.5 GbE port. If you plan on using the integrated graphics, you have a choice between HDMI (2.0) and DisplayPort (1.4) connections. There is a combo keyboard/mouse PS/2 port if you’re still hanging on to PS/2 based peripherals as well. Finally, we see a gold-plated 5-plug plus SPDIF audio stack.
Last but certainly not least, the rear IO area. Biostar uses an integrated IO plate that gives the board a more premium look and feel. It’s black, along with the Valkyrie branding written in gold above the Wi-Fi antenna connections. There are also vents cut out designed to bring cool air through the IO plate and through the fans to cool the left VRM bank. Remember that this board does not include Wi-Fi out of the box, so if you just look at the pictures and not dig down in the specifications, you could easily be misled. In order to get Wi-Fi out of this board, you will need to purchase a Key-E Wi-Fi card.
Sony has premiered a long-awaited sequel to its most affordable native 4K projector. The Sony VPL-VW290ES (known as the Sony VPL-VW325ES in the US) is finally walking the red carpet and hope is for another What Hi-Fi? Award-winning blockbuster.
The glitz and glam of the update, compared to the hugely successful Sony VPL-VW270ES, is the addition of Sony’s X1 for Projectors processor, which is designed to bring a boost to HDR, picture detail and motion processing.
The X1 for Projector brings the frame-by-frame analysis, developed for Sony’s X1-powered Bravia TVs, to the big screen. That means access to dynamic HDR control even though there’s no built-in support for Dolby Vision or HDR10+. Instead, Sony’s own Dynamic HDR Enhancer can optimise the picture on-the-fly.
There’s also an updated Super Resolution Reality Creation process that leverages pixel-level analysis for image upscaling, and both texture and detail enhancement. If it works as well as implemented on the 2020-launched Sony VPL-VW590ES, then results should be very impressive indeed.
The Sony VPL-VW290ES retains the same brightness specs and SXRD projector panel technology as its predecessor. It can offer up to 1500 lumens from its bulb light source and will retail at a slightly more expensive £5499 ($5499/€5499) when it arrives in May in a choice of black or white.
If you’re after something even more serious, Sony has also updated its near-flagship 800-series SXRD machine. The Sony VPL-VW890ES is the name to look out for (VPL-VW1025ES in the States) for those with more cinematic aspirations and deeper pockets. It benefits from the same X1 processor addition but the £24,999 ($39,999) price brings access to a laser light source and the all-glass ARC-F lens.
(Image credit: Sony)
The ARC-F is an 18-element, 15-group, large diameter lens designed for higher resolving power and a better and more consistent control of focus and colour across the whole area of your screen. The prime benefits of the Z-Phosphor laser are its fast operation and warm-up times, and the steady performance across its 20,000-hour lifespan. It operates at 2200 lumens.
Both projectors will now allow for separate picture settings to be applied for SDR and HDR content. You’ll also be able to choose between HDR Reference and HDR10 picture presets as your prime preference when the machine is set to HDR Auto.
The Sony VPL-VW890ES will launch at the same time as the Sony VPL-VW290ES but in black only. We look forward to getting them into the lab.
MORE:
Best projectors 2020: Full HD, 4K, portable, short throw
How to set up your projector and get the best picture
JVC DLA-N5 vs Sony VPL-VW590ES: which 4K projector should you buy?
If I were the Microsoft marketing executive pitching a once-in-a-lifetime giveaway of an incredible custom-built Flight Simulator PC, I would do two things:
1) I would probably make it look like a full jet engine, not half an exposed jet engine, to avoid reminding people how airplanes can rarely (but terrifyingly) fail:
2) I would make sure it has the very best parts on the market, both for wow factor and so my one-of-a-kind Flight Simulator PC can hopefully play the notoriously demanding game at max settings someday.
Weirdly, this PC will come with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (not a 3080 or 3090!), as well as a Core i7-11700K rather than Intel’s new flagship Core i9-11900K. We recently tested that Core i9 with an RTX 3090, and it still wasn’t enough to hit 60fps in Flight Simulator at max settings, though I imagine the Core i7 won’t be far off our results with its very similar specs.
Does this PC still have great specs? Absolutely. Should you question them if you’re the lucky winner of this Microsoft France / Gigabyte Aorus collab? Definitely not. That RTX 3070 is worth upward of $1,200 all by its lonesome. I’m just telling you what I would do.
Oh, and 3) I would absolutely make that giant fan go all the way around and spin, so it can serve as an epic, brag-worthy case fan for the entire PC.
Speaking of epic Microsoft giveaway items, do you remember the Xbox Series X fridge? Not only is Microsoft actually now putting a real Xbox Series X mini-fridge into production, the company’s apparently going to be designing them from scratch. That’s according to Xbox marketing head Aaron Greenberg, who dropped the tidbit in a Clubhouse room yesterday evening where my colleague Taylor Lyles was listening.
Audi is taking wider aim at the growing market for electric vehicles with two new compact EVs: the Q4 E-Tron and the Q4 Sportback E-Tron. Revealed on Wednesday and due out later this year, the two electric SUVs are far more affordable than the flagship E-Tron but also don’t skimp on things like range (up to around 300 miles) and futuristic tech.
The new electric SUVs also represent a strategic shift of sorts because they’re the first models Audi will build on the modular electric vehicle platform designed by parent company Volkswagen. This architecture, which Volkswagen refers to as the MEB platform, is powering everything from the entire VW ID lineup of electric cars and SUVs, to EVs from sub-brands like Škoda and Seat, and even a Europe-focused SUV from Ford that’s part of an alliance the created in 2019.
The new Q4 E-Tron will start at €41,900 and the Q4 Sportback E-Tron at €43,900 when they go on sale in Germany in June, with sales spreading wider into Europe after that and to the US before the end of the year. That timing may just be perfect. The original E-Tron (and its own Sportback variant) were struggling mightily near the end of 2020 in the US, but sales have shot up dramatically despite the higher price tag. President Biden is making a big push to encourage electric vehicles, including potentially extending or expanding the $7,500 federal tax credit.
Audi’s actually spent about two years teasing electric versions of its popular Q-series SUVs, and one of the more remarkable things about the Q4 EVs announced Wednesday is just how much they resemble the concepts the German automaker revealed in 2019 and 2020. They both retained the same large faux front grille and aggressive body work that the concepts featured, which should help them stand apart from competing electric SUVs that are more likely to blend in — like the original E-Tron, the Mercedes-Benz EQC, or even to some extent the VW ID 4.
Audi says the Q4 E-Tron measures 4,588mm (about 15 feet) long, 1,865mm (about 6 feet) wide, and 1,632mm (about 5.4 feet) tall. While the company calls it a “compact SUV,” it has a wheelbase that’s more comparable to a midsize SUV and interior space on par with a full-size SUV, which is thanks to all of the EV tech being moved to the underlying MEB platform. It’s a bit smaller overall than the original E-Tron and the Tesla Model Y.
The base models are built on a 55 kWh version of the MEB battery pack (with 52 kWh of usable energy), and Audi says they’ll get about 341 kilometers (212 miles) and 349 kilometers (217 miles) on a full charge, respectively. While that’s a healthy chunk of range for the size of the battery pack, those estimates are based on the less stringent European WLTP test cycle, meaning their EPA range estimates will likely be a bit lower.
Buyers who want to take their Q4 E-Tron farther (or drive them longer between charges) will have to pony up for one of the more expensive configurations, all of which are built on an 82 kWh battery pack (with 77 kWh of usable energy).
The midrange Q4 E-Tron will travel the farthest, offering 520 kilometers (323 miles) of range. (There is no midrange Sportback.) Then there’s the top-of-the-line Q4 E-Tron and Sportback E-Tron, which can respectively travel 488 kilometers (303 miles) and 497 kilometers (309 miles) on a full charge. The VW ID 4 also uses an 82 kWh battery (and even has the same amount of modules — 12 — in its pack), and it just got rated for 260 miles by the EPA.
Audi didn’t reveal US pricing, and it will be a while before we get official EPA estimates for the range of each model. But it does look like there is more value in the new Q4 EVs as far as range goes when compared to the E-Tron. The original E-Tron starts at $65,900 and currently gets an EPA-rated 222 miles from its 95 kWh battery, though that’s after Audi decided to increase the usable energy from 83.6 kWh to 86.5 kWh for this year’s model. The Q4 is likely to start at a lower price point and at the very least will be around 50–60 percent more efficient with its energy.
One of the reasons the top models don’t get quite as much out of that larger battery pack as the midrange Q4 E-Tron is that they come with all-wheel drive powered by a pair of electric motors, one on each axle. This setup makes these most expensive models the quickest, but that extra weight — the top-line Q4 E-Tron weighs 2,135kg (4,707 pounds), versus 1,890kg (4,167 pounds) for the base model, and the Sportbacks are five kilograms heavier — means they won’t be lightning-quick. They can make the run from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in 6.2 seconds, which is about three seconds faster than the base models but still slower than some of Audi’s competition.
While the starting price is lower, buyers will have to pay extra if they want the most fanciful tech features that Audi is promising in the new Q4 electrics. The headliner is an augmented reality heads-up display system that Audi first showed off in March, which has a larger viewing area and more advanced (and animated) overlays than the typically static options found on many modern cars — including navigation markers that “float” on the road ahead of the Q4.
There’s also an optional 11.6-inch touchscreen, the largest Audi’s ever put in one of its vehicles. The standard screen is the same 10.1-inch version found in Audi’s recent cars, but regardless of which main screen buyers choose, there will be a 10.25-inch driver display behind the steering wheel. Audi is also offering a Sonos sound system as an option — which is a first for the speaker company.
Audi has, for now, abandoned plans to roll out a hands-free driving feature like GM’s Super Cruise or Ford’s BlueCruise, but the Q4 E-Trons will have a suite of optional driver assistance features that leverage three radar sensors (one in front, two in back), eight ultrasonic sensors, and five cameras.
Those who don’t want to pay extra will still get features like a wireless charging pad for their smartphones, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Audi has also revamped the steering wheel in the new Q4s to include backlit touch surfaces and flat buttons for a sleeker look.
Audi found success with the original E-Tron, especially outside of the United States, despite its high price tag and unremarkable range. The company delivered nearly 50,000 E-Trons and Sportback E-Trons in 2020, making it the second-best-selling EV in the larger Volkswagen Group’s stable last year behind the far-cheaper ID 3.
But the Q4 E-Tron and Q4 Sportback E-Tron are the German automaker’s best chance yet at going truly big in the electric vehicle space. By leveraging Volkswagen’s more efficient and more cost-effective MEB platform, Audi is ready to make a far more compelling pitch with these new EVs — one that will look all the more attractive as governments around the world continue to emphasize and incentivize a consumer shift to electric vehicles. It may still be far behind Tesla when it comes to total EV sales, but Audi’s not in bad shape to capitalize on the rise of electric vehicles considering its role at the heart of the Dieselgate scandal just a few short years ago.
TCL is once again teasing a foldable phone concept — and it’s a Frankenstein’s monster of some previously showcased flexible concepts. Called Fold ‘n Roll, it combines the company’s “dragonhinge” technology with an extendable display panel. The result is a 6.87-inch phone that can expand to an 8.85-inch phablet size or fully extend to a 10-inch tablet. Outside of that, the company isn’t offering any other detailed information.
TCL says it’s “still exploring the technical specifications” of this type of device, which doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence that the Fold n’ Roll will hit the market anytime soon. But TCL did say it plans to launch some kind of foldable phone before the end of 2021. The company has offered no shortage of foldable display concepts; most recently, it had several to show off at this year’s virtual CES. But there’s a long distance between creating concepts and turning them into mass-market products.
Still, TCL might be in a good position to address a gap in the rollable market: affordable devices. Flexing, rolling phones are mostly reserved for the high end of the market right now, and TCL may be well-positioned to offer a less costly option. Samsung has hinted at a lower-cost flexible device coming soon, but until then, its current Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold 2 options are still very pricey.
LG’s rollable concept may have been destined for a flagship device, but with the manufacturer’s exit from the smartphone business, we’ll never know if that tech might have trickled down to a midrange device. If it is TCL’s intention to offer something more affordable in the space, then there’s certainly some room to jump in.
(Pocket-lint) – Sony Mobile refreshed its phone line up in 2021 with the Xperia 10 III, alongside the flagship Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III during an online event on 14 April.
The Xperia 10 III succeeds the Xperia 10 II that arrived in 2020, continuing to offer just one device in the mid range Xperia portfolio rather than two. In 2019, the range began with the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus – both of which are included in this feature for reference.
So which Sony Xperia mid-range device is the best one for you? Here are the Xperia 10 III’s specifications up against the Xperia 10 II and Xperia 10 and 10 Plus to help you decide.
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Design
Xperia 10 III: 154 x 68 x 8.3mm, 169g, IP65/68
Xperia 10 II: 157 x 69 x 8.2mm, 151g, IP65/68
Xperia 10: 156 x 68 x 8.4mm, 162g
Xperia 10 Plus: 167 x 73 x 8.3mm, 180g
The Sony Xperia 10 III, Xperia 10 II, the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Plus all share similar design traits, but the Xperia 10 III and 10 II are more premium, offering a glass rear over the metal backs seen on the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus.
The camera housings on the rear of the Xperia 10 III and 10 II are also positioned in the top left, just like the Xperia 1 III, making for a better design finish than the horizontal housing on the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus. The Xperia 10 III is also slightly shorter, though heavier than the Xperia 10 II.
All four devices have rounded edges and a tall, slender look though and they all feature a 21:9 aspect ratio display. The Xperia 10 III and Xperia 10 II are both IP65/68 water and dust resistant however, like the flagship Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus offer no water resistance.
Sony Xperia 1 III vs 5 III vs 10 III: What’s the difference?
Display
Xperia 10 III: 6-inch, OLED, Full HD+, 21:9, HDR
Xperia 10 II: 6-inch, OLED, Full HD+, 21:9
Xperia 10: 6-inch, LCD, Full HD+, 21:9
Xperia 10 Plus: 6.5-inch, LCD, Full HD+, 21:9
The Sony Xperia 10 II1 and Xperia 10 II come with a 6-inch display, matching the size of the Xperia 10. The Xperia 10 Plus has a slightly larger display at 6.5-inches, though all four models have the same Full HD+ resolution.
The Xperia 10 III and Xperia 10 II differ in terms of panel technology too though. Like the Xperia 1 III, the Xperia 10 III and 10 II have an OLED display for vibrant colours and deep blacks. The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus both have LCD displays. The Xperia 10 III also adds HDR support over its predecessors.
All four devices have a 21:9 aspect ratio display, as mentioned above, and all of them offer a 60Hz refresh rate. It’s worth noting that the Xperia 5 II, Xperia 5 III and the Xperia 1 III all have a 120Hz refresh rate.
As you would expect from a succeeding device, the Xperia 10 III improves on the internals of the Xperia 10 II, as well as – naturally – the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus too. The 2021 device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 690G platform, supported by 6GB of RAM. That chipset means the Xperia 10 III is a 5G capable device, which is the first for the Xperia 10 range.
The Xperia 10 II runs on the older, but still capable, Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, supported by 4GB of RAM as standard.
The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus both run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor with 3GB of RAM as standard for the smaller model and 4GB of RAM as standard for the Plus model. Both come with 64GB of internal storage, while the Xperia 10 II and Xperia 10 III come with 128GB.
The Xperia 10 II, Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus all support microSD for storage expansion but the Xperia 10 II will take cards up to 1TB, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus will only support cards up to 512GB. At the time of writing, it was not confirmed if the Xperia 10 III will also offer microSD support.
In terms of battery capacities, the Xperia 10 III wins here too. It offers a 4500mAh battery, compared to the Xperia 10 II’s 3600mAh battery, Xperia 10’s 2870mAh battery and Xperia 10 Plus’ 3000mAh battery. All models offer Sony technologies like Stamina Mode however and the Xperia 10 III also has Sony’s Battery care feature.
Camera
Xperia 10 III/10 II: Triple rear, 8MP front
Xperia 10: Dual rear, 8MP front
Xperia 10 Plus: Dual rear, 8MP front
The camera department is another area the Xperia 10 III and Xperia 10 II improve over their original predecessors, at least on paper. There’s a triple lens rear camera on the Xperia 10 III and Xperia 10 II, consisting of an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle sensor, a 12-megapixel wide angle and an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor. There’s also a night mode.
The Xperia 10 meanwhile, has a dual camera consisting of a 12-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor, while the Xperia 10 Plus has a 13-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor on the back.
All four devices have an 8-megapixel front camera.
Sony Xperia 5 III vs Xperia 5 II: What’s the difference?
Price
Sony hasn’t announced the Xperia 10 III’s price as yet, though we don’t expect it to stray too far from the Sony Xperia 10 II, which costs £319 in the UK.
When they launched in 2019, the Xperia 10 started at £299, while the Xperia 10 Plus started at £349, but you’ll likely find them cheaper now.
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Conclusion
Sony simplified its mid-range Xperia in 2020, by only offering one device rather than the two offered in 2019 and that was a good thing. It continued this is in 2021, whilst also adding 5G support and some good upgrades.
The Xperia 10 III offers a more advanced processor, 5G capabilities, HDR support and a larger battery than the devices it succeeds. It also has a better camera capabilities (on paper at least) and a nicer design than the original Xperia 10 handsets.
The Xperia 10 III is the device to buy out of these four, assuming Sony doesn’t price it too high and you are happy to wait for it to hit shelves of course. That said, you might consider the Xperia 10 II if you can find it for a good price now, or 5G and HDR don’t bother you too much.
Sony has launched a full refresh of its Xperia phone range, headed up by the Xperia 1 III (the successor to our favourite phone of 2020) and the Xperia 5 III (the follow-up to the five-star Xperia 5 II).
The new third-generation Xperia handsets are virtually identical with almost matching features and specs, but the main difference lies in their screens. The Xperia 1 III sports a 6.5in 4K OLED display – designed for those who like a big screen device – while the 6.1in Full HD+ Xperia 5 III is a little more hand and pocket friendly.
The big draw for both gamers and film fans on-the-go will doubtless be the flagship Xperia 1 III, which according to Sony has the world’s first 120Hz 4K OLED screen. It has a 21:9 aspect ratio for full width cinema and gameplay, and that refresh rate can be set to 60Hz if you want to save on battery life. Plus, there’s even space to throw in extra frames for Sony’s 240Hz motion processing tech which should smooth out any blur.
The OLED on each of these phones is individually factory calibrated with what Sony says is a highly accurate white point to mirror the colour reproduction of the company’s film industry monitors. They also benefit from a mobile version of Sony’s X1 Bravia TV engine for HDR processing.
Sony has continued its commitment to quality sound not only with its support of a 3.5mm headphones socket but also its offering of hi-res audio over wired or wireless headphones. They feature newly optimised audio circuitry aimed at improving loudness by 40 per cent while reducing distortion. Most interesting of all, though, is that it can up-mix your local and streamed two-channel music tracks into 360 Spatial Sound in real-time. That should offer some very interesting insight into Sony’s emerging immerse format.
(Image credit: Sony)
Both handsets are Dolby Atmos-enabled and have front-facing stereo speakers that Sony promises will have enriched bass and a build to reduce vibration. You’ll also be able to appreciate your tracks in 360 Spatial Sound through the speaker as well as headphones.
They are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 chip and boast a 4500mAh battery that Sony says will remain in top health for a minimum of three years. They come with 12GB RAM and the option of either 128GB or 256GB of storage space.
Naturally, the Xperia III family is replete with the kind of Zeiss photography smarts to make most compact cameras blush. Both the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III come with a 12MP triple lens camera that can handle four focal lengths (16, 24, 70 and 105mm) thanks to what Sony says is the world’s first dual-position telephoto sensor. The company has made advances with its AF tracking, its AI detailing for digital zoom and has added burst shooting of 20fps with autofocus and auto exposure.
Once again there is no support for 8K video shooting, but the phones can capture 4K video at up to 60fps as well as at 120fps for slow motion. There’s also the option of plugging your Xperia into a Sony Alpha camera to use the mobile as a large viewfinder monitor for stills and video.
The Sony Xperia 1 III will come in a choice of Frosted Grey, Frosted Black or Frosted Purple. Included in the box is a new 30W charger which offers a 50 per cent charge for 30 minutes of wall time. The colours for the Xperia 5 III are black, green and pink.
While pricing isn’t currently available, we do know that both phones will launch at the same time in early summer this year along with Sony’s mid-price phone, the Xperia 10 III. It’s a 5G handset, like the others, and it still gets the 4500mAh battery – a considerable improvement on the 3600mAh unit from the previous model.
(Image credit: Sony)
It has a 6in, 21:9, HDR OLED display, coated in Gorilla Glass, and at 154 x 68 x 8.3mm is marginally smaller than the Xperia 10 II. There’s no 360 Spatial Sound but there’s plenty of decent audio specs with support for hi-res audio (wired and wireless), LDAC and a 3.5mm socket.
Under the hood is a slightly lowered powered set-up of the Snapdragon 690 processor, 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage space. It has an 8MP front-facing camera, an 8MP 16mm ultra-wide lens, a 12MP 27mm wide and an 8MP 54mm lens for portraits.
All of the Xperia phones will ship with Android 11.
MORE:
Take a look at our choice of the best Android phones 2021
And how about a pair of the very best headphones to go with them?
Sony is announcing two new phones today, the Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III. Both are the latest in Sony’s campaign to redefine the Xperia brand as a kind of sibling to its well-regarded Alpha digital cameras. As such, the camera system is once again the main focus, and Sony specifically is touting the “world’s first smartphone with a variable telephoto lens paired with a Dual PD sensor” and improvements to its already fast and accurate autofocus system.
Pricing was not announced, but they should both be available in the US “this summer.”
Each phone has the basic specs you’d expect on a top-flight Android phone: three cameras on the rear, a Snapdragon 888 processor, and support for 5G. Actually, the 5G support is worth noting because these Xperia phones will be able to work on 5G networks in the US, something weirdly lacking on the last models. However, they’ll only work on the regular sub-6 networks on Verizon and T-Mobile, without support for AT&T’s 5G network. As is fairly usual for Sony, these will be sold directly rather than via carriers.
The phone also keep the Xperia design language Sony landed on with the original Xperia 1. They’re tall and narrow, with lots of glossy black and small curves on all the angles, giving them the most monolithic look of a smartphone today. I think they look great, but I’m also aware that they’re likely to cost a lot of money when Sony gets around to announcing the price.
In order to establish the Xperia brand, Sony has also been pushing a lot of other nice specs that are relatively hard to come by on other Android phones. The Xperia 1 III has a 4K OLED screen that now supports a fast (though locked) 120Hz refresh rate. There are dual speakers that are 40 percent louder and will work with Sony’s 360 Reality Audio format.
Sony is also enabling a special mode for the USB-C port that allows you to use a special cable to take an HD-resolution video signal from an SLR camera so you can use it as a monitor – much like the Xperia Pro can do with HDMI. That could also make them an interesting option for live streaming.
They’ll come in both dual-SIM and SIM+microSD variants. And there’s even a good ol’ headphone jack and a shutter button.
The Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
Sony Xperia 1 III
There’s also the more standard fare, like wireless charging and a 4,500mAh battery. When plugged in and gaming the phones can redirect power away from the battery to reduce heat. Both phones will ship with Android 11, but as of right now there’s no clear commitment to future software updates.
If you step down from the Xperia 1 III to the Xperia 5 III, you’ll get a very similar set of specs with a few exceptions. It’ll be smaller, of course. The larger phone has a 6.5-inch 21:9 display while the 5 has a 6.1-inch 21:9 display — at 1080p resolution instead of 4K. But it still has support for the periscope-style variable lens.
But again, the big push is on the cameras and here Sony has done quite a bit to improve the hardware. Sony is using three 12-megapixel sensors on the back, and both the main and telephoto lenses support OIS. (The Xperia 1 III also gets a time-of-flight sensor.)
Sony says it has lenses that are the equivalent to 16mm (f/2.2 ultrawide), 24mm (f/1.7 wide), and 70mm (f/2.3 telephoto), but that the telephoto can also reach to an f/2.8 105mm equivalent. That extra telephoto zoom comes thanks to a folded periscope lens design, and the Xperia is physically moving the lens elements to get different focal lengths.
The idea is that photographers will mostly stick to those focal lengths, but should they want to zoom further or use a zoom level in between the Xperia phones will utilize digital zoom.
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Sony Xperia 5 III
Beyond the fancy hardware, Sony has iterated on its software. Unlike Google, Apple, and even Samsung, Sony is putting its emphasis on technical features rather than computational photography. It is claiming some improved low-light performance in some situations, but really the main emphasis is on features like autofocus and shooting speed.
These phones can take photos at up to 20fps with focus/exposure readings happening at 60fps. They also support 120FPS 4K in HDR. There’s still eye-tracking autofocus, but this year there’s real-time tracking for that autofocus. In a demo, Sony showed a subject turning around and when their eye was visible again, the camera adjusted.
Sony is finally integrating its pro camera app with the main camera app. There’s the “basic” mode like any smartphone, but it’s now quicker to get to the pro mode. Sony’s pro mode really is angled towards people who use Sony’s cameras, too: the interface is very similar.
On paper, all of this sounds really great. We’ll need to review them to see if these specs can translate to great experiences. Previous Sony Xperia phones have also had great camera hardware specs, but for taking quick shots they have often missed the mark. Treating a smartphone camera as a pro SLR-style camera could limit their appeal.
Sony’s tack with the Xperia line is to pack them to the gills with specs and features that will appeal to photographers and even videographers (there’s an excellent workflow-based video app included). In reality, however, Sony has struggled mightily to gain any measurable marketshare in the US. A lot of that has come down to higher prices than is the norm for even flagship Android phones, but some of it also comes down to availability. Without carrier partnerships or massive marketing budgets, these Xperia phones are more likely to appeal to camera enthusiasts than mainstream Android buyers.
Last month Nikon announced the development of its highest-end mirrorless camera to date, and now Canon has responded with the announcement of the EOS R3, which ought to fit in a similar bracket. The R3 is still in development and details are thin, but it’s clear that it’ll be positioned above the EOS R5, which is currently Canon’s flagship mirrorless camera.
Like Nikon’s upcoming Z9, the EOS R3 looks to be a hefty camera with a built-in vertical grip for shooting in portrait and landscape orientations. The body design and control layout is broadly similar to the EOS-1D X Mark III, Canon’s highest-end pro DSLR, and the body features dust and water resistance.
Canon says the EOS R3 will be the first camera to use a new 35mm full-frame stacked CMOS sensor with backside illumination, and its image processor and electronic shutter will allow for 30fps shooting with AF and AE tracking. Canon is touting the EOS R3’s autofocus capabilities, too. It’s the first digital camera from the company with eye-control AF, and a deep-learning algorithm has been used to improve recognition of human subjects from the torso up, which is said to help its performance in challenging situations like sports photography.
That’s about it for details from Canon; the company hasn’t given any detailed specs, let alone a price or a release date. But together with Nikon’s Z9 and Sony’s new A1, the pro mirrorless camera wars are heating up — and the EOS R3’s name implies Canon may have something even higher-end in the pipeline.
Samsung has announced a new Galaxy Unpacked event set for April 28th at 10AM ET, teasing the announcement of “the most powerful Galaxy” device.
The teaser, as is typical for these invitations, isn’t too forthcoming. But given the nature of the announcement and Samsung’s usual release cycle, there are a few hints we can suss out.
First, the description of whatever Samsung is announcing as “the most powerful Galaxy” would seem to rule out a phone, like the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 3. The most generous depiction of a mobile processor — even one as powerful as Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 — still isn’t in the same ballpark as a true laptop processor. And despite recent headlines, Samsung is still rumored to reveal the Z Fold 3 at a July event, potentially a replacement for the Galaxy Note’s high-end summer phone release spot.
Samsung’s Galaxy Book lineup of laptops, on the other hand, would fit the bill for a more powerful Galaxy device — and is long overdue for an update. The current models were announced all the way back in 2019 (although they didn’t hit US stores until May of last year), and they still feature Intel’s long-outdated 10th Gen processors. A Galaxy Book refresh that featured some of Intel’s new 11th Gen Tiger Lake chips — or even Intel’s newer 35W H-series variants — would easily take the crown as the new “most powerful” Galaxy product.
Oh, and Samsung is already rumored to be working on a new Galaxy Book Pro line of laptops, which would feature 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch OLED panels, S-Pen support, and upgraded Intel CPUs. One of the new models — the Galaxy Book Pro 360 — is also said to include 5G compatibility.
Lastly, if you wanted to get really creative, the glowing wedge of light seen in the invitation does sort of resemble an opened laptop (if you’re willing to squint a bit). We’ll find out for sure on April 28th, though — assuming one of Samsung’s characteristic leaks doesn’t arrive first.
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