Astell & Kern’s digital expertise comes good in this entertaining USB-C cable DAC
For
Notable improvement to audio
Clean, precise character
Nicely made
Against
No iOS device compatibility
No MQA support
For a relatively simple product, Astell & Kern’s first portable DAC has a rather convoluted moniker. ‘Astell & Kern AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable’ isn’t something you’d want to say out loud (or type) often but, to the company’s credit, it sums up the product perfectly: it’s a USB-C cable with two DACs inside.
Thankfully, the name doesn’t attempt to further explain its purpose, so let us fill in the gaps.
Features
(Image credit: Astell & Kern)
Portable DACs – compact DACs that don’t rely on mains power – have arrived in force in recent years with the mission of conveniently improving the sound quality between your phone or computer and wired headphones. That’s because the digital-to-analogue converters and analogue output stages of these do-all devices are generally pretty poor.
Though wireless headphones connected to a device may be the portable audio preference of many nowadays, a wired set-up generally still offers the best performance-per-pound value, particularly if you want to play hi-res audio.
Astell & Kern AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable tech specs
(Image credit: Astell & Kern)
Input USB-C
Output 3.5mm
Hi-res audio PCM 32-bit/384kHz, DSD256
Weight 27g
While there are a number of traditional box or USB stick portable DACs in existence, the AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable is one of an increasingly common group of DACs designed to enhance on-the-go or desktop sound quality in cable form. This Astell & Kern, like the Zorloo Ztella and THX Onyx, is essentially an extension of your headphones cable; the discreet middleman between them and your source device.
At one end is a 3.5mm output, and at the other is a USB-C connection for plugging into any device with that output, such as an Android phone, Windows 10 PC, tablet or MacOS computer. For the bulk of our testing, we use it with a Samsung Galaxy S21 and Apple MacBook Pro.
Some portable DACs, such as the multi-Award-winning Audioquest DragonFly Red, have a USB-A connection instead, but now that USB-C is becoming more prevalent it makes sense for a portable DAC like this one to adopt it. You can always buy a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter to cater for devices with such ports.
Portable DACs can often be used with Apple’s camera adapter to make them compatible with iPhones and iPads, but Astell & Kern says that isn’t the case here “due to the dual DAC incompatibility and power restrictions of iOS devices”. So iPhone users will have to look elsewhere.
The dual DACs (specifically, two Cirrus Logic CS43198 MasterHIFi chips) support native high-resolution audio playback of PCM files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256. However, due to the AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable’s lack of MQA file support, Tidal HiFi subscribers won’t be able to benefit from the (MQA-encoded) hi-res Tidal Masters that are part of the tier’s offering. It’s also worth noting that the DAC has been built for sound output only, so it won’t work with headphones with an in-line remote.
A portable cable DAC is new territory for Astell & Kern – the company is most renowned for its portable music players but also makes headphones and desktop audio systems. But digital-to-analogue conversion technology is something the company is well versed in. And that shows.
For the AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable, Astell & Kern says it developed a circuit chip on a six-layer PCB just 14 x 41mm in size, featuring bespoke capacitors found in its music players, and optimised to prevent power fluctuations. The analogue amplifier (with a 2Vrms output level), meanwhile, is designed to drive even power-hungry and high-impedance headphones.
Sound
(Image credit: Astell & Kern)
We use a range of headphones, from high-end Grados to more modest Beyerdynamic on-ears and Sennheiser Momentum earbuds – and the Astell & Kern doesn’t struggle to power any of them. However, we would be wary of your playback device’s volume output level when you first connect the DAC and plug in your headphones (especially if you’re using more than one pair) to avoid getting an unexpected earful. It’s something Astell & Kern advises in the manual, too.
Adding the AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable between these headphones and our source devices (which provide power to the DAC) makes the world of difference. As the likes of the Zorloo Ztella and Audioquest DragonFly Black have shown, even a modest outlay can make a significant improvement to your portable sound.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is by no means the worst-sounding smartphone out there, and yet the Astell & Kern makes music come through our wired headphones much clearer, cleaner and punchier than with just a standard USB-C-to-3.5mm dongle. This little DAC doesn’t just do the basics by amplifying the sound and beefing up its tone, it also goes the extra mile to open up music and let you in on more of its detail.
Considering the increasing competition in the portable DAC market, you could say it’s a necessary mile. One of our favourite portable DACs, the Audioquest DragonFly Red, proves to be a notably more insightful and rhythmically entertaining performer – but then it is significantly pricier at £169 ($200, AU$280). For this modest amount of money, the AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable is a very attractive proposition indeed.
We play Lesley by Dave ft Ruelle and the rapper’s poignant storytelling is all the more compelling for the boost in clarity and vocal insight delivered by the DAC. The melodious synth chords, which twinkle with clarity against the contrasting backdrop, are planted with precision on either side.
It’s a similar story as we plug the Astell & Kern into our MacBook Pro and settle into Big Thief’s Shoulder, the presentation pleasantly opened up and generously populated with definition aplenty around Adrianne Lenker’s pleading vocal delivery and the warm textures of the band’s hallmark folksy guitar licks.
Build
(Image credit: Astell & Kern)
So, it sounds good. But what’s it like to live with? After all, this is an everyday device that’s likely to sit in your pocket or on your desktop during the 9 to 5. Perhaps most crucially for a device of this nature, the AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable is compact, lightweight (27g) and well made – to the extent that we feel comfortable tossing it in a bag or shoving it down trouser pockets before long.
The twisted cable between the USB-C output and main body – made up of Technora aramid fibre at its core, wrapped by copper layers and finished with shielding treatment – makes it easy to manipulate the device into a jeans pocket when connected to a phone, and feels built to last. It also helps absorb the shock of accidental knocks, unlike USB stick designs.
While we would expect a device like this to last years, in the weeks we spend in its company we feel confident of its durability. Even when we accidentally yank the device out of our playback source with the cable a number of times, it proves hardy enough to withstand it.
While made to fit nicely into a pocket, some consideration has also clearly been taken to make the AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable look nice when it’s not hidden away – when it’s on a desktop, for example.
The metal casing at the end of the cable – comparable with one of the more compact USB sticks in our collection – has a polished finish and angled surface that resonate with the aesthetic of the company’s premium music players. Design niceties on products like these are only ever going to be the small touches, but they’re here at least.
Verdict
Before Astell & Kern announced its AK USB-C Dual DAC Cable, it wouldn’t have been a stretch to imagine the company making such a product. It has been in the portable digital audio game for years and enjoyed much success.
That know-how has been put to good use in offering USB-C device owners an affordable, practical way to soup up their smartphone or desktop sound through wired headphones. It’s such an appealing option that we can almost forgive the unwieldy name.
Apple is working on a new pair of Beats true wireless earbuds, according to images found in the latest tvOS and iOS beta codes by MacRumours and 9to5Mac.
Referenced as ‘Beats Studio Buds’ in the tvOS 14.6 and iOS 14.6 codes, they will reportedly feature noise cancellation and, courtesy of an Apple chip, “Hey, Siri” voice control.
As suggested by a MacRumours mock-up image (above) and an animation of the earbuds tweeted by the publication’s Steve Moser (below), they embrace the more familiar rounded form as adopted by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Pro Buds, Google Pixel Buds and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, without the fitness-friendly ear hooks of the Beats Powerbeats Pro. We can expect them to stick with silicone eartips and come in a choice of black, white and red finishes.
Animations of Beats Studio Buds: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/XYVvYP7ez3May 17, 2021
See more
Rumours have been circling the launch of the AirPods 3 is imminent. That may still be the case, however Apple has already dropped a bombshell this week by announcing it is adding lossless audio and Dolby Atmos-powered Spatial Audio tracks to Apple Music for free next month.
Could the Beats Studio Buds be released before the next-generation AirPods? Considering that iOS 14.6 is expected to arrive in the coming weeks alongside the new Apple Music features, we should expect the launch of the new wireless earbuds to coincide with, or shortly follow, that.
MORE:
All the AirPods 3 leaks: release date, price, design and news
The lowdown on the heavily rumoured Google Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds
Check out our pick of the best true wireless earbuds you can buy
Apple Music Dolby Atmos will work with all headphones
This year has seen no shortage of rollable display demos from manufacturers, and now Samsung Display is the latest company to show off new concepts for folding and sliding screens. SamMobile spotted the concepts being showcased as part of a virtual Display Week exhibition (if you forgot to mail out your Happy Display Week cards, there’s still time since it runs through Friday) including a “multi-foldable” mobile display and a large 17-inch folding screen.
The company calls its first concept S-foldable, with a bi-fold design that opens up to a maximum screen size of 7.2 inches. It’s similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 except, well, plus one fold. There’s also a sliding mobile display similar to the ill-fated rollable concept LG showed off earlier this year before leaving the smartphone space altogether.
Slidable OLED concept.
Image: Samsung Display
17-inch foldable OLED.
Image: Samsung Display
OLED with UPC (Under Panel Camera).
Image: Samsung Display
Samsung Display is also showing two concepts for bigger panels, including a 17-inch foldable OLED that’s tablet-sized when folded and can function as a monitor when unfolded. Finally, there’s a more traditional-looking laptop display; it doesn’t fold or flex, but it does include an under-display camera — hopefully it’s better than the last one we used.
Samsung Display is a division of Samsung Electronics, and it produces OLED panels for use by Samsung and other consumer tech manufacturers. So while these concepts may end up in future Samsung products, it’s certainly not guaranteed. The company as a whole hasn’t been shy about embracing foldable technology, getting into the foldable device market early. It may have more company soon; display OEM TCL has shown off its own concepts and says it will bring one to market this year. Until then, we’ll be watching and filling out our foldable concept bingo cards.
Google patent describes in detail how the search engine giant wants to implement an under-screen camera in future Google Pixel smartphones.
Smartphone manufacturers have invested heavily in reducing the bezels in recent years, in order to create a beautiful edge-to-edge display. However, this poses some challenges, in particular because there is too little space left to integrate the front camera and sensors in the bezel. Currently, a punch-hole camera system is widely used, a small hole is made in the screen to accommodate the selfie camera.
The next step is the under-screen camera, as ZTE has already implemented with the Axon 20. It is expected that several phone manufacturers will release their first smartphone with a under-screen camera this year, including Samsung, Xiaomi and Oppo. Nevertheless, this new technology is not so easy to apply, without compromising image quality. Google has come up with an ingeniously solution, according to a new patent.
Google smartphone with under-display selfie camera
In mid-September 2020, Google LLC filed for a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The 23-page documentation entitled “Full-screen display with sub-display camera” was released on May 6, 2021 and describes a Google Pixel smartphone with a front camera embedded under the screen.
The documentation makes mention of a Google phone with an OLED display panel. The front camera is placed under the screen. To make this possible, an extra display panel is integrated, an OLED panel with the same pixel density will be used for this.
It is not the first time that we report on the integration of a sub-display to support the under-screen camera technology. At the beginning of this year, Samsung filed a similar patent. However, Google wants to integrate this auxiliary display in a different way.
The camera sensor and lens are placed under the screen. The second screen is placed directly opposite the camera, it is located under the main screen. A prism or mirror is placed between the camera and the auxiliary display – as illustrated in the patent image above.
When the camera is not in use, the content displayed on the second screen is reflected through the prism on the main display. As soon as the camera is activated, the prism rotates in such a way that incoming light can reach the camera, enabling the user to take high-quality photo and video recordings. The optical module is shielded by a window that is about 2 to 3 mm in size, according to the documentation.
The small auxiliary display also contains three sensors. The type of sensor can be further determined, such as an ambient sensor, a proximity sensor and / or an IR sensor. The latter can be used to enable 3D face detection.
With the Google Pixel 5, Face Unlock was omitted to make way for a fingerprint sensor. Nevertheless, it was indicated at the time that Face Unlock may return in future models.
Google Pixel 7 may be first model to feature a camera under the screen
For the time being, it remains unclear when the first Google smartphone with an under-display camera will be announced. It was briefly assumed that the Google Pixel 6 (Pro), which is expected in the second half of 2021, will have such a new type of selfie camera.
Recently, however, the first product renders of this device appeared online, showing a punch-hole camera system. This may mean that we have to be patient until 2022 when the Google Pixel 7 series will be introduced.
However, there is another option. In December last year, display analyst Ross Young reported via Twitter that Google will present its first foldable smartphone in the second half of 2021. Details about this device are still very scarce, but Google may see an opportunity to equip its folding phone with this new camera technology. Just as it is expected that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 will also have an under-display camera, this foldable phone is expected around August 2021. In any case, it doesn’t seem to be the question as to whether Google will launch an under-screen camera smartphone, but when …
Here you can take a look at the documentation of the Google smartphone with under-screen camera.
Ilse is a Dutch journalist and joined LetsGoDigital more than 15 years ago. She is highly educated and speaks four languages. Ilse is a true tech-girl and loves to write about the future of consumer electronics. She has a special interest for smartphones, digital cameras, gaming and VR.
A new batch of leaked images shows what could become Samsung’s least expensive 5G phone yet: the Galaxy A22 5G. The Galaxy A32 5G currently holds that title at an already low $279. The images come from 91mobiles and match up with previous leaks hinting that the phone might be on its way with a 200,000 KRW price (~$180), though it may be only destined for India and parts of Asia in the immediate future.
The leaked images show two variants — 5G and 4G versions — with two slightly varied sets of specs. The 5G model will allegedly have a 6.4-inch LCD and a rear triple-camera array (probably a 48-megapixel main / macro / depth sensor combo). A MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset looks likely, thanks to a previous Geekbench leak, plus a substantial 6GB of RAM. The 4G model includes one additional rear camera and an OLED rather than LCD. They’re both expected to offer large 5,000mAh batteries.
Leaks suggest that the A22 5G will offer a 6.4-inch LCD, rear triple-camera array, and 5,000mAh battery.Image: 91mobiles
There are a few other budget phones between the $200 and $300 mark offering 5G, including the Realme 8 5G for €199 (~$240) and the OnePlus Nord N10 5G for $300, but the A22 5G stands to become one of the first in the sub-$200 range, depending on how things shake out. In the US, 5G is still in a sorry state, but wireless carriers are racing to improve their networks and may be eager to stock their shelves with more aggressively priced 5G devices like the A22 5G soon.
Samsung has released a number of Galaxy Books in the last few years. Despite generally being good devices with a recognizable brand name, most of them have remained Samsung-enthusiast purchases; none have truly entered the mainstream conversation.
So it seems fitting that the Galaxy Book Pro 360 isn’t a direct sequel to any preexisting Galaxy Books. Instead, it’s an attempt to combine the best features of Samsung’s previous PCs and create a device that Samsung knows it can do really well.
It worked. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 is targeting a fairly specific audience, but in two areas — its OLED screen and its three-pound weight — it’s a groundbreaking device that has little significant competition across the market. But what’s really exceptional is that you don’t have to sacrifice much to get those standout features. It’s solid in the other areas that matter, it comes with some neat software and has few significant problems. If there’s a device that could bring the Galaxy Book out of the territory of Samsung super-fans and into the mainstream market, this is it.
The 15-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 starts at $1,299. For the base price, you get a Core i7-1165G7, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. For $200 you can upgrade to the model I’m reviewing, which has 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. The only other difference between these configurations is that the base only comes in “mystic navy” (the color of the unit I have), while the pricier one also comes in “mystic bronze.” There’s also a 13-inch model, starting at $1,399.99, that will support 5G at some point (though it doesn’t yet).
That’s competitive pricing. The Galaxy Book Flex, Samsung’s most recent ultraportable touchscreen convertible, has an MSRP of $1,399 for an 8GB / 512GB model (though it’s often on sale now). Comparable Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Pro 7 Plus models start at $1,499 at the lowest. All Galaxy Book Pro 360 models also ship with an S Pen, which is just like the S Pen on the Galaxy Book Flex except that it’s 2.5 times thicker. As I noted in my initial look at the Book 360, it really does feel like a real pen (especially compared to the S Pens that you get with Galaxy Note phones, which feel like toys in comparison), though I wish there were somewhere in the chassis to store it.
The quad-core Core i7-1165G7 is the same processor that powers a number of the best consumer laptops on the market. The Pro 360 was just fine for the large load of Chrome tabs and apps that I pushed it through during each day of testing. Performance was snappy, and I rarely heard the fans spin up (though I occasionally heard coil whine from the processor). Note that there’s no discrete GPU option, but Iris Xe graphics can lend a hand in some lightweight gaming and graphic work.
Then, there are a number of customization features that you can tweak in the Samsung Settings app. You can swap between cooling profiles, including a “no fan” mode if you want total silence. You can toggle “Studio Mode,” which is supposed to enhance your video quality on calls — while it wasn’t night and day, I did find that this made me look a bit better in low-light settings. One feature I didn’t love was Secret Screen, which purports to be a privacy screen but really just makes the app you’re using either translucent or darker (and it doesn’t work with every app). Maybe this makes it slightly harder to snoop, but it also makes work an odd experience, and you could achieve a similar effect by just dimming your screen. I’d invest in a laptop with a real privacy shield (such as HP’s Elite Dragonfly) if you’ll be viewing highly sensitive material.
And then there are some bonuses for folks who are already Samsung devotees: you can expand your display onto a Galaxy Tab S7 or S7 Plus and quickly move files between Galaxy devices with Samsung’s Quick Share function. And the Pro 360 comes preloaded with some Samsung software, including Samsung Notes (which can sync between devices) and SmartThings.
Most of my (very few) quibbles with the device come from the outside. For one, the blue chassis is a fingerprint magnet (the lid was all smudged up after half a day of use). I also experienced some occasional palm-rejection issues with the touchpad, which improved but didn’t disappear when I bumped it down to the lowest sensitivity. And I know some people like flat keyboards, but this one is too flat for my taste, with just 1mm of travel.
But there are a couple reasons why the Galaxy Book Pro 360 really stands out, and they easily make up for those quibbles. The first is the screen. The 13-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 will be one of very few 13-inch OLED laptops on the market. OLED is more common in the 15-inch tier, but it’s unusual to see outside of creator-focused workstations with discrete GPUs. The most obvious use for this 15.6-inch OLED panel is likely entertainment, rather than on-the-go creative work. (That’s especially true because it’s just 1920 x 1080 resolution, not 4K.)
The screen is quite sharp, with vibrant colors. (It maxed out our colorimeter, covering 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut). As we’d expect from an OLED panel, it delivers bright whites and unparalleled blacks. If you’re looking for a 15.6-inch laptop with an OLED display, you’re unlikely to find one at a lower price.
That said, there are a few things to note. First, it doesn’t get super bright, maxing out at just 276 nits in my testing. It kicked back some glare outdoors, though I was still able to use it. Second, it’s 16:9, which is an aspect ratio I’ve sworn off forever because it’s cramped for multitasking. And third, there’s some wobble when you type or use the touchscreen. It’s not the worst wobble I’ve ever seen, but it’s there.
Tent mode.
Pretty darn thin.
The touchscreen is glossy, but bright enough.
It’s responsive and generally smooth.
Another standout feature: the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is really darn portable. It’s just a few millimeters thicker than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra (0.46 inches). And at three pounds, it’s easily one of the lightest 15-inch laptops you can buy. The 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 and Galaxy Book Flex, both of which are also known for their lightweight builds, are almost half a pound heavier. I’ve never considered buying a 15-inch laptop myself, due to how much they tend to weigh; this is the first 15-incher I’ve reviewed that I can actually see myself carrying around all day.
The third benefit is one I wasn’t expecting: battery life. This laptop has a 68Wh battery, which isn’t huge for 15-inchers (though it’s bigger than you often see for a 15W processor with integrated graphics). It also has a display that could be a battery suck. Samsung’s last attempt at an OLED laptop had disappointing battery results. So I was pleasantly surprised by how long the Galaxy Book Pro 360 lasted. I averaged 10 hours and 23 minutes to a charge during my testing, which included using around a dozen Chrome tabs and some apps on the side with the screen around 200 nits of brightness. If you’re just using this for entertainment, and not as a primary work driver, you’ll likely get even more.
I’m a fan of the 15-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360, though I do think its audience is fairly specific. This is a laptop worth considering if you’re looking for an excellent big-screen entertainment experience while you’re out and about, and maybe also need to take notes for class or make artwork in your spare time. Bonus points if you’re already plugged into the Samsung ecosystem. Not everyone needs that kind of laptop — but if you do, this is a good one to look at.
The device’s weight is a huge benefit, but what’s even more impressive is that you’re not sacrificing a lot to achieve that weight. You also get a premium build, a capable processor with plenty of RAM and storage, a decent port selection, a nice screen with stylus support, and all-day battery life, all for a competitive price. What ultimately makes this laptop worth its price is that the lightweight chassis is icing on the cake — it’s not a feature you have to compromise on a ton of other things to get.
If you’re a Samsung fan who hasn’t been sold on the Galaxy Book lineup so far, I’d say this is the one to get. I wish the hinge were sturdier, I wish the keyboard wasn’t quite so flat, and I wish the screen got a tad bit brighter. But I don’t see any of those things significantly hindering the overall experience. For once, Samsung has made a tough 2-in-1 to beat.
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Amazon’s new second-generation Echo Buds are the company’s second crack at true wireless earbuds. They’re smaller, lighter, and more comfortable than before, and now have more effective noise cancellation. The first time around, Amazon borrowed some of Bose’s tech to help the original Echo Buds block outside noise, but version two was built completely in-house. Hands-free Alexa voice commands still get top billing, but the most compelling thing about the Echo Buds is still their aggressive price — and the solid mix of features you get in exchange.
The Echo Buds cost $99.99 or $119.99 (with wireless charging case) for a limited time, after which the prices will rise to $119 and $139.99, respectively. Not only is Amazon undercutting premium noise-canceling buds from Apple, Bose, Sony, and others, but it’s also seemingly trying to obliterate mid-range options like the Anker Liberty Air 2 Pros.
The revamped Echo Buds are 20 percent smaller in footprint and have a shortened nozzle, so they protrude from the ears a bit less. They ditch the glossy outer touchpad for a matte design (though the side facing your ear is glossy) The Amazon “smile” logo is present on both earbuds, but it’s not as obnoxious as I assumed it’d be. It’s matte and printed onto the buds instead of being embossed or given a different texture to stand out, so the logo doesn’t really call attention. Still, I’d have preferred it not to be there at all. The charging case is far more understated; there, the smile logo is on the underside — where most people are never even going to see it.
Amazon’s blatant logo is unfortunate, but doesn’t call much attention.
That case has also been downsized and is roughly 40 percent smaller than the last gen, but still carries enough juice to provide the earbuds with two full recharges. The Echo Buds last for five hours with ANC enabled, which is extremely par for the course in 2021. This stretches to 6.5 hours if you disable noise canceling and hands-free Alexa. Oh, and the case does charging LEDs right: you get separate indicators for the case’s charge and both earbuds also have their own.
Amazon includes a plethora of ear tips and wing tips to help you get a perfect fit.
Amazon has included everything but the kitchen sink to help guarantee a good seal and snug fit. There are four sizes of silicone tips in the box — S, M, L, XL — and three different pairs of optional wing tips. The ear tips are color coded, which makes it much easier to tell the different sizes apart without having to squint at them. The wing tips might prove useful if you’re going to use the Echo Buds for intense workouts, but they weren’t necessary for everyday use or outdoor runs in my ears; the reduced size of the earbuds was enough to keep them locked in place for me.
The new Echo Buds now feature a vented design to cut down on ear pressure, similar to Apple’s AirPods Pro and recent Samsung Galaxy Buds models. But the flipside of this change means if you turn off ANC in the Alexa app (or with a voice command), you’re going to hear a fair mix of ambient noise. If you want to hear more, Amazon gets credit for its passthrough mode, which nearly matches the AirPods Pro and Bose in how natural sound it sounds. If you crank it up all the way, it almost feels like superpower hearing — but there’s a very noticeable hiss at max passthrough.
Amazon claims that the second-gen Echo Buds cancel out “twice as much noise” as the original pair, and the improvements are most concentrated in lower sound frequencies — exactly what you’d want for flights or bothersome hums around the house or office. But remember that the original Echo Buds utilized Bose’s noise reduction technology, which isn’t the same as full-blown active noise cancellation. (Even at the time, Bose said it could do better.) So while Amazon is advertising significant gains over the prior model, you won’t hear any claims that it’s outperforming earbuds from Apple, Bose, Jabra, or other companies. Those are different goalposts.
And the Echo Buds objectively aren’t as effective as the AirPods Pro or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds at turning down the volume knob on the outside world. You might assume that it’s because of the vented design — but the AirPods Pro have that design trait too — so it’s really just that Amazon’s proprietary noise cancellation tech doesn’t yet measure up to the best out there. Occasionally when holding the Echo Buds in my hands, I’d hear a high-pitched whine or squeal coming out of them. This has happened with other earbuds, and Amazon tells me it’s due to an ANC-related feedback loop. Amusingly, I’m also told there’s a “squeal detection algorithm” that’s meant to suppress this. The noise is never really a bother when they’re in your ears, thankfully, but it does pop up from time to time.
The new Echo Buds are 20 percent smaller than Amazon’s first-gen earbuds.Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Passable ANC aside, the Echo Buds do sound good. They handily beat out the AirPods Pro at bass, which is becoming a regular occurrence at this point. Amazon says the 5.7mm drivers are “optimized for increased fidelity in bass and treble,” and they make for easy listening when you’re playing spoken word content like podcasts, audiobooks, or watching videos. All of this proves out as true when using them. The bass has ample kick and the treble is well contained and never gets earsplitting. Tracks like Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” or Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now” are perfect demonstration of what the Echo Buds are good at. I get the impression that Amazon has tuned these with modern hits in mind.
But they do lack a layer of depth and texture that you’ll find in the higher price tiers of true wireless earbuds. Acoustic-heavy tunes aren’t as warm as they could be, and tracks like Phoebe Bridgers’ “Graceland Too” don’t have as wide of a soundstage. The powerful bottom end can make up for that somewhat on songs like “Chinatown” by Bleachers, where the bassline never gets lost to the synths, vocals, and guitars.
The earbuds have a vented design to reduce ear pressure.
So even before you get to the Alexa part of the equation, the Echo Buds establish themselves as worthy contenders at a hard-to-resist price. They also offer IPX4 water and sweat resistance, and voice call quality has improved some over the first-gen buds. Audio automatically pauses when either bud is removed, and each side can be used independently. Like most earbuds (save for those from Jabra), the Echo Buds lack multipoint Bluetooth pairing. Both AAC and SBC codecs are supported. Connection stability has been rock solid in my review period so far with only the rarest blip or dropout.
But how does Amazon’s voice assistant fare? Alexa can aptly handle music requests (“play my Release Radar on Spotify”), weather checks, smart home commands, and other activities that are normally smooth sailing on Echo speakers. Amazon says “later this year” the Echo Buds will get the same VIP Filter as its Echo Frames, which lets you pick which notifications you want to hear.
But on the whole, Alexa noticeably lags behind Siri and Google Assistant at more on-the-go requests. If you ask for directions, Alexa responds that you must tap a notification on your iPhone for those directions to actually open up in Apple Maps. It’s not a huge inconvenience, and some of this — like SMS messaging being limited to Android — boils down to platform restrictions, but there are often middle steps that don’t exist if you’re making the same ask of Siri or Google Assistant. (You also must grant the Alexa app full-time location access for directions to work.) It’s nice that I can ask these earbuds where the nearest COVID-19 vaccine site is or inquire about the status of a given subway line, but these are the kind of things that I’m always going to use my phone for. Getting people to change that default behavior is no small hurdle.
There were also bugs where I didn’t expect them. When I would say, “Alexa, turn on noise canceling,” it would often respond “sorry, what device?” Apparently “noise cancellation” is the term you’ve got to use, but it seems obvious that both should get you there. This was never an issue with voice commands asking to enable or switch off passthrough mode, which worked every time.
Amazon says it has built in a number of privacy-minded features to limit how often the microphones are listening for the “Alexa” wake word. At least one of the earbuds needs to actually be in your ear for the mics to function — they’re automatically muted when both are removed — and there must be an active Bluetooth connection to your phone. You can also manually mute the mics with the Alexa app or by customizing a long-press to do that.
The Echo Buds package together a lot of good for less.
Though Amazon promotes hands-free Alexa as a flagship feature of the Echo Buds, I think it’ll be a negligible value add for some buyers: the price, comfort, and sound are still enough to make these earbuds quite enticing. You’ve also got the choice of using your phone’s native assistant instead of Alexa, which is another option for the long-press command on the outside of a bud. So at least Amazon isn’t forcing anything on you.
If you don’t have an inherent resistance towards Amazon products (and some people certainly do), the 2021 Echo Buds strike a balance of features that’s downright impressive at their selling price. They’re a considerable upgrade from the first-gen earbuds in comfort with improved noise cancellation to boot — even if it’s not close to best in class. You can do better if you’re willing to spend upwards of $50 to $70 more. If you don’t want to go that high, the Echo Buds won’t disappoint.
(Pocket-lint) – Gaming phones have become something of a fixture in the Android space; while many flagship devices push their gaming prowess, for a select few, gaming is their raison d’être, their everything.
The ROG Phone is one such device, pushing Asus’ Republic of Gamers brand and weaving into that the experience Asus has gained from its regular phones. And in the fourth-generation of this phone Asus is more ambitious than ever.
Here’s why the Asus ROG Phone 5 is not only a great gaming phone, it’s a great phone outside of that too.
Design & Build
Dimensions: 173 x 77 x 9.9mm / Weight: 239g
Under-display optical fingerprint scanner
3.5mm headphone jack
ROG Vision rear display
Gaming phones often show their colours when it comes to the design. Aside from being large – which the ROG Phone 5 definitely is – you’ll often find more overt graphics and emotive finishes rather than just being a safe black or grey.
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The ROG Phone 5 doesn’t go to an extreme though: from the front it just looks like a normal phone. Flip it over and you’re treated to subtle design touches etched into the rear glass, which also gives some indicator of where the touch points are for the AirTriggers (which Asus describes as “ultrasonic sensor zones that can be customised to perform different functions, such as reproducing actions in specific games and launching specific apps”. We touch upon these in more detail in the last section of this review).
The thing that gives the game away is the ROG Vision display on the rear of the phone. There are two different versions of the display, with a dot display on the regular ROG Phone models and a slightly smaller but more sophisticated display panel on the Pro and Ultimate models – the Pro is shown in this review.
ROG Phone 5 comes in regular, Pro and Ultimate editions
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That blows the subtlety out of the water, allowing you to have RBG illumination on the back of the phone – with the Pro and Ultimate models offering a wider range of graphics and animations – all of which can be controlled through the Armoury Crate app on the phone, just like Asus PC components.
That control includes turning the Vision display off if you don’t want it – but you’ll soon forget it’s there until people mention it. It’s on the back of the phone and it’s rare to be looking at the back of the phone when you’re doing something, so let’s not dwell on it.
There are a couple of other quirks around the body: The USB-C on the base of the phone is offset to one side rather than central (and we don’t know exactly why), while there’s a secondary USB-C on the side of the phone. This secondary USB sits alongside the contact point to power the AeroActive Cooler 5 – the clip-on fan – and both have a rubber seal that presses into the side to keep out dust.
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This cover is probably the worst piece of design implementation on the ROG Phone 5. The fact that there are a couple of spares in the box tell you everything you need to know: you’re going to lose this cover, because it’s a separate piece of rubber.
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We’ve found it flapping off when pulling the phone from a pocket, and just when handling the device. We’re constantly pushing it back into place and a couple of times we’ve found it missing and then located it in the bottom of a pocket.
An out of box experience all phones can learn from
One of the great things about gaming phones is what you get for your money. There are a whole range of phones on offer and none are really expensive compared to flagships from brands like Samsung and Apple. The ROG Phone 5 starts at £799 in the UK – and that’s for a 12GB RAM model with 256GB storage, not the bottom of the range loadout.
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But it’s not just about the core device, it’s about the rest of the experience. Lavishly packaged, opening the ROG Phone 5 is an event. From the cool comic book graphics of inside of the box, that flow through into the startup process for the phone, there’s a sense of theatre. It’s a reward for your custom and it’s so much better than just sliding a phone out of a box.
You also get more in the box: the 65W charger that will deliver a fast charge; the case that brings some grip to what is, admittedly, a slippery phone given its massive size; and the clip-on AeroActive Cooler 5 fan, which integrates a kickstand, two physical buttons, and another RGB logo.
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Some might baulk at this as more landfill, but some companies will make you pay for the charger – and here you’re getting a powerful charger you can use with your other devices too.
Display
6.78-inch AMOLED panel
Up to 144Hz refresh rate
2448 x 1080 resolution
There’s a 6.78-inch display in the ROG Phone 5. It’s big by any standard, with Asus hanging onto the bezels top and bottom. The top bezel integrates the front-facing camera, so there’s no need for a notch or punch-hole.
It’s also a flat display, all practical design decisions made to give you the best gaming experience, ensuring that you get as much visual space as possible. Given how problematic we found the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra’s display, we’re just fine with the ROG Phone 5 going flat.
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The ROG Phone 5 models all stick to a Full HD resolution and while devices like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra can technically produce finer detail, generally speaking that makes little difference. We can’t fault the ROG Phone’s display for detail.
It also offers refresh rates up to 144Hz (if you have any games that support that, there’s a full list on the ROG website), with options to select 60 or 120Hz – or Auto, which will pick the refresh rate based on the content.
HDR 10+ is supported to bring pop to the visuals for high dynamic range content, while that AMOLED panel provides rich colour visuals, with the option to tune that to your preferences.
It’s a great display and about the only thing that separates it from the best displays on the market is the peak brightness. It offers 800 nits, which is still bright enough for most, but Samsung’s top-end offerings will outshine this model – most notable when outside in sunny conditions.
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Flanking the display top and bottom are dual stereo speakers, while there’s also a 3.5mm headphone socket for those wanting to go wired. The speaker performance is stellar, amongst the best you’ll find on a smartphone. It’s rich and immersive, with substantial bass and volume that means you don’t need headphones to get the most from your content.
Hardware & Performance
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 platform
8GB-18GB RAM, 128GB-512GB storage
6000mAh battery, dual USB-C 65W wired charging
The fact the ROG Phone 5 houses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 platform makes it especially good value for money – as you’re getting the latest flagship hardware that will embarrass some other phones.
Of course it comes in at different price points, with RAM and storage leveraging the price, although not all models will be available in all regions. We actually tested the 16GB/512GB model (the ROG Phone 5 Pro – a model that isn’t planned for the UK; although there’s a 16GB/512GB version of the standard ROG Phone 5, the only difference being the type of display you get on the back of the phone).
The performance is also exemplary. There are a number of elements to this. It’s got that great hardware and, as a result, we’ve found the gaming performance to be outstanding.
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This is a phone that eats hours of Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG Mobile, giving solid gameplay, combined with those design elements and some software enhancements that feel like they give you edge, or at least give you the opportunity to establish new preferences thanks to the bespoke gaming options offered.
We also didn’t find the ROG Phone 5 to get excessively hot under load, despite the option of the clip-on fan.
But the important point about performance is that the ROG Phone 5 also runs fast and smooth outside of gaming. We’ve seen gaming phones that drop the ball when it comes to simple tasks, because of poor software. The ROG Phone 5 is stable, which makes for a great experience.
There’s a huge 6000mAh battery, which is fitting for a phone of this size, again with Asus splitting the battery and enabling 65W wired charging. That makes for really fast charging, with the option to bypass charging – and just have the power used for the system rather than recharging the battery.
Again, this is an option for gamers, so you’re not charging (which produces heat) and loading the system (which produces heat) and could potentially lead to a drop in performance.
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A big battery means big battery life. In regular use the ROG Phone 5 will easily see you through the day and into the next. It’s not a charge every night type of phone. Even with a couple of hours of gaming thrown in – at top brightness and max settings – battery life isn’t a worry. That’s a great position not just for a gaming phone, but any smartphone.
There are power modes available, with X Mode firing up full power to let things rip, and a Dynamic Mode to keep things balanced. You can customise the power modes to suit your preferences with things like network, display, performance, and other controls all selectable.
There’s an under-display fingerprint scanner that’s fast to unlock, while calls comes through loud and clear too – with no detected problems with Wi-Fi or 5G connectivity.
The camera on any gaming phone is often something of an afterthought. The focus is on the experience of gaming – so the camera is seen as less of a focus. Despite that, Asus is pushing the ROG Phone 5 as having a triple camera system.
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The main camera is a 64-megapixel sensor, using pixel combining to produce a 16-megapixel image as standard. You can shoot in full resolution, but you have to dig into the menu to find that option, which no one is ever going to do.
There’s an ultra-wide lens, giving the equivalent of 0.6x, although the quality isn’t great, with visible blurring around the edges if there’s any detail there – but fine for open shots of expansive landscapes.
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1.0X MAIN CAMERA
The final camera is a macro camera, which we’re generally non-plussed about. As on other devices, macro cameras seem to be thrown in to make up the numbers – and that’s what it feels like here too.
So back the main camera and the performance is reasonable, producing naturally balanced pictures, although perhaps not getting the most out of scenes and not showing as much pop as other cameras we’ve seen can offer.
Low-light shooting offers that slow exposure so you can watch the image get lighter, which we like – and it will take those shots automatically in low light, which means people will actually use it.
There’s a portrait mode for blurring the background that works well enough, although it seems to soften the background with over-exposure which makes results look a little clumsy.
Portrait works on the front and back cameras and we generally prefer the results without portrait mode – and you can’t adjust the levels of blur after the fact, so it’s worth taking a few photos and figuring out what gives you pleasing results so you can change the settings before you take the picture. The selfie camera is generally good, although images quickly get softer in lower light conditions and aren’t good when it gets dark.
There’s no optical zoom on offer here, although you can pinch-to-zoom from the main camera out to 8x. It’s not an especially elegant system and the results are typical of digital zoom, with quality dropping as you increase the “magnification”.
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One of the reasons for the high-resolution sensor – apart from for the benefit of the spec sheet – is to allow 8K video capture, on top of the 4K 60fps option.
The important thing about the camera is that it gets the job done: while other phones will sell themselves on camera features above all else, that’s not really the ethos behind the ROG Phone 5. This phone is all about the power and the gaming experience. So, yes, there are more engaging cameras elsewhere, but at the same time, this Asus will give you perfectly good results in most situations.
Software and custom gaming options
Android 11
Armoury Crate
Custom gaming controls
As we’ve said previously, the software on the ROG Phone 5 runs smooth and fast. We’ve experienced no problems with the tweaks and changes that Asus has made over Google’s Android operating system, and it’s easy to swing in with Google versions of apps rather than supplied alternatives.
It’s running Android 11 too, so the latest version of Google’s OS – although Asus doesn’t quite have the update record that a company like Samsung now offers, so there’s no telling how long it would be before it moves to Android 12 once that’s released later down the line.
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What’s more relevant here is the gaming software and the options that controls. We’ve mentioned Armoury Crate, which will let you control things like the ROG Vision display on the back of the phone, and act as a launch pad for your games.
Within each game you can see how long you’ve spent playing that game, but more usefully you have a record of profiles for that game. You can, for example, restrict background CPU usage when playing a particular game, change the touch performance, turn off background network syncing – all designed to ensure you have the optimal gaming experience.
That you can customise this to each game is great. For something like a shooter where connection and touch matters more, you might want to restrict everything else. For something casual like Pokemon Go, you might be happy to have everything else on your phone happening. It’s freedom to choose, rather than one gaming mode fits all.
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Within games you have access to the Game Genie dashboard too, allowing you to perform essential things, like tweak the brightness, turn off alerts or calls, speed up your phone – and block navigation gestures so you don’t accidentally exit the game.
There’s the option to have stats always showing – CPU and GPU usage, battery, temperature, fps – and you can drag these to anywhere on the screen so they are out of the way.
But it’s the AirTriggers that are the biggest differentiator from other phones, giving you a range of touch zones around the body of the phone that you can customise. That also includes two physical buttons on the AeroActive Cooler accessory too – which might convince some people to use it, as those buttons feel more positive than the touch areas of the phone’s casing.
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The Cooler buttons are great for things like dropshotting in shooters, because you can hit the deck while still firing, and get back to your feet, all without having to touch anything on the screen – which is a real advantage during games.
There are two ultrasonic buttons on the top of the phone, like shoulder buttons, with haptic feedback. These can offer a full range of programmable options – taps, swipes, slides – and they can be divided into two buttons each side, or you can programme and assign a macro to that button for a sequence you might use in a game.
Then there’s motion support, which you can assign to controls in the game – like forward tilt to reload, or whatever you like.
There’s also (on the Pro and Ultimate models only) rear touch zones you can use for slide input for your fingers on the rear of the phone.
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The challenge is how you incorporate all these tools to make things easier for you during games – although setting them up is easy enough and each setup is unique to each game.
Even if you just find one thing that’s useful, then you’re a step ahead. That might be using an additional AirTrigger for an on-screen control you find hard to hit – or that you can then remove from the display so you have less UI in the way of the game.
Verdict
The thing that really hits home about the Asus ROG Phone 5 is that it’s not just a great gaming phone: it’s a great phone full stop.
Yes, you can’t avoid the fact that the majority of phones are now based around the camera experience – and that’s one area that the ROG Phone 5 doesn’t really go to town on. But with huge battery and display, this is a great media phone in addition to a gaming delight.
For keen gamers, there’s a market of phone choices out there – and the ROG Phone 5 should definitely be high up your shortlist. For everyone else, if you can accept that this Asus is designed for gamers first, it’s still an awful lot of phone for the money.
Also consider
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Nubia Red Magic 6
This gaming phone attempts to steal the show with a 165Hz display. Despite being a powerful device that’s good value for money, it does oversell the cameras and also brings with it some software quirks you’ll need to work around.
One of the things that Samsung’s spring refresh of Galaxy Book laptops did not bring was its highly anticipated notebook powered by its own Exynos 2200 system-on-chip. Industry sources now claim that the first laptop with Exynos inside is due in the second half of the year, and the same sources say Samsung is considering using the SoC in smartphones too.
Samsung’s Exynos 2200 system-on-chip will be the company’s first SoC to use a custom GPU based on AMD’s RDNA architecture. The Exynos 2200 will be made using Samsung’s 5LPE (5nm) fabrication process and will likely rely on numerous technologies already used for the Exynos 2100. Since the Exynos 2100 uses one Cortex-X1, three Cortex-A78, and four Cortex-A55 cores, its designed-for-notebooks counterpart should feature higher general-purpose performance. That will likely come by integrating more X1 cores, or just clocking existing cores higher, as well as some other enhancements.
“The new Exynos will offer improved functions, including extraordinary computing power and battery efficiency, by utilizing a 5-nanometer processing technology,” an industrial source told The Korea Economic Daily. “It’s good for both laptops and smartphones.”
Installing a high-performance laptop-grade SoC into a smartphone has its rationale if one wants to offer ultimate performance in a handset and beat all gaming handsets available on the market today. But this is going to come at a cost and may not bring the desired result.
The Exynos 2200 is optimized for performance, so it’s expected to be considerably larger than the Exynos 2100. That means higher costs and higher power consumption. A larger die size and higher power consumption will make it harder to fit into smartphones, as it will require a more complicated power delivery, which enlarges PCB footprint. Higher power consumption also means less battery life, for the same size battery.
SoCs for notebooks are optimized for burst performance. They typically run at very high clocks for relatively short periods of time, getting the ‘heavy work’ done as quickly as possible, and then go back to sleep. Such ‘bursty’ behavior is possible because notebooks can cool their CPUs down with their relatively powerful cooling systems. By contrast, smartphones have different thermals, so running an SoC at extreme clocks isn’t possible, which to a large degree negates their advantages.
Samsung has not confirmed specifications of its upcoming Exynos 2200 or its plans for the SoC, so take all this unofficial information with a grain of salt.
Samsung is never exactly a quiet company when it comes to launching smartphones, but even by its standards, August is looking like a particularly busy month. The firm is plotting three major phone launches that month, according to sources, possibly alongside the Galaxy Buds 2 true wireless earbuds.
The phones in question are the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, Yonhap News Agency reports.
The last two are folding phones, as the names suggest, while the S21 FE is a tweaked version of Samsung’s current range topper, the Galaxy S21. FE stands for Fan Edition – last year’s S20 FE was a more affordable take on the Galaxy S20, but still retained many of the S20’s key features, including a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, a triple-lens rear camera and the same chipset.
The Z Fold 3 is said to be Samsung’s first folding phone with a front-facing camera built under the screen. This design would negate the need for a notch, meaning more screen and an uninterrupted view of whatever you’re watching. It’s also thought to support the S Pen stylus for writing and drawing on screen.
The Z Flip 3 will be a clamshell design, with bigger screens and a lower price than its predecessor.
An August launch would be sooner than expected. Last year, the S20 FE launched in October, and the Z Flip (Samsung is thought to be skipping the Z Flip 2) and Z Fold 2 in September. It’s thought an August launch is to plug the gap left by the lack of a new Galaxy Note handset this year.
Samsung also has a new pair of true wireless earbuds in the works, the Galaxy Buds 2. These are said to be launching in July or August, possibly alongside these phones. So August could be a very busy month for Samsung.
MORE:
Read all our Samsung Galaxy reviews
Our guide to the best smartphones
Apple or Android? Samsung Galaxy S21 vs iPhone 12: which should you buy?
Nvidia’s RTX 30-series lineup of mobile graphics chips has two new members joining today: the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti and 3050. They sit beneath the GeForce RTX 3060 in terms of specs and performance, with less video memory (4GB) and fewer dedicated Tensor AI and RT cores available to perform ray tracing and handle AI-enhanced effects like DLSS.
Despite this, Nvidia says that the RTX 3050 Ti is capable of going beyond 60fps in games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Outriders, Control, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Minecraft — all with ray tracing settings on. That’s pretty good, considering it’ll show up in gaming laptop starting at $849. The RTX 3050 will appear in laptops starting at $799. We already know that Samsung’s new Galaxy Book Odyssey will feature these graphics chips, starting at $1,399.
There are caveats. To begin with, Nvidia’s benchmark measured this level of performance with graphics set to medium, with medium ray tracing settings enabled, and with DLSS on and set to quality mode. It’s entirely possible that many games set to high graphics settings (and minimal or no ray tracing) might also perform well with the RTX 3050 Ti, but this graphics chip seems best suited for people who don’t mind knocking down some quality settings to get smooth gameplay.
According to Nvidia, the 3050 Ti can run Call of Duty: Warzone at well above 60 frames per second if DLSS is on. Image: Activision
The RTX 3050 Ti serves as yet another flex of Nvidia’s DLSS feature that, with the help of its AI cores, is able to run games faster than the hardware normally could. It does this in supported games by turning down the resolution, then using a trained AI model to enhance the picture quality on the fly without a perceptible (in most cases) difference in how the game looks. It promises big gains in performance with little in the way of disadvantages, unless you’re really dissecting pixels.
Again, this is a great argument in favor of these two GPUs, but it only works if your games have been patched to support DLSS. Control, for example, supports DLSS, but its performance without the feature turned on takes almost a 50 percent hit, running at about 35 frames per second at medium settings, according to Nvidia’s testing. That’s playable, but not particularly fluid, and it may be indicative of the kind of experience you might have when playing graphically intensive games that don’t support DLSS.
The performance charts that Nvidia shared with us only showed data on the RTX 3050 Ti’s performance, not the RTX 3050’s. Given that the RTX 3050 is a notch below the RTX 3050 Ti in terms of specs, you can probably expect performance to reflect that. Still, it should deliver good performance for the expected $799 starting price of laptops into which it will be built.
Here’s the performance breakdown of the 3050 Ti in some games.Nvidia
It’s also important to remember that, like with all other RTX 30-series mobile graphics chips, OEMs are free to tweak the total graphics power (TGP) of each RTX 3050 or RTX 3050 Ti in terms of wattage and clock speed to align with their design goals. The TGP range for these chips can be anywhere between 35W and 80W.
Finally, it’s fair to expect less powerful variants in thinner laptops. Conversely, thicker models often allow graphics cards to reach their highest possible power levels. As a result, you may want to keep that in mind when you’re shopping for a gaming laptop equipped with one of these new chips.
Sony’s WF1000-XM4 are possibly the most eagerly awaited wireless earbuds of the year, and now we’ve got a good look at their new design. Leaked photos posted by The Walkman Blog show the new earbuds and charging case from multiple angles, giving us plenty to dig into – as well as a possible release date.
(Image credit: The Walkman Blog)
The buds pictured are only prototypes, which explains their slightly shabby look, but they give a good idea of the final design. Which, as you can see, is quite different to the WF-1000XM3.
They look smaller than their predecessors with a much rounder design. That’s a new look for Sony’s XM range, but it is reminiscent of countless other true wireless earbuds, like the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro and Panasonic RZ-S500W, to name but three.
The Sony logo now sits on the edge, whereas the XM3 had it on the side.
Obviously, a new design means a new charging case and it’s thought the new version will also support wireless charging. Its charging output has also supposedly increased, so it should charge them quicker when plugged in.
What is consistent with the XM3 is the black and copper/rose gold colour scheme.
The Walkman Blog got its info from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which approves consumer gadgets before they go on sale. The FCC’s confidentiality request expires on 9th June, so we could be looking at a launch date shortly before then, most likely sometime in early June. Exciting.
The WF-1000XM3 are still the best true wireless earbuds available, with an unparalleled mix of superb sound quality, brilliant noise cancelling and all-day comfort. About all they lacked was wireless charging and water/sweat resistance. It looks like Sony has rectified the former, but will it fix the latter too? We’ll hopefully find out in a month or so.
MORE:
These are the best true wireless earbuds available
See what all the fuss is about: Sony WF-1000XM4: release date, price, leaks
Better than Apple? Apple AirPods Pro vs Sony WF-1000XM3: which are better?
Laptops like the recent Samsung Galaxy Book Go run Windows 10 on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. However, according to reports Samsung will introduce a new Exynos chipset in the second half of this year that will be used to power future laptops.
This chip – tentatively named Exynos 2200 – will feature an AMD Radeon GPU, which will deliver a PC-class graphics performance. The chip will be fabbed at Samsung’s 5nm foundries.
The €450 Galaxy Book Go runs Windows 10 on a Snapdragon 7c chipset
Interestingly, when Samsung and AMD officially announced their collaboration, there was supposed to be no overlap between products using the new Exynos chip and AMD chips. And AMD sure does make laptops. An additional agreement may have been made since then.
Anyway, after making its debut in a laptop, the Exynos 2200 may find its way into Galaxy tablets as well (perhaps even phones). It should support Android as well as Windows.
The Exynos will rival the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2, which Qualcomm unveiled in September, and (of course) Apple’s M1 product line-up, which recently added iPad Pro tablet into the mix. While the Qualcomm chip uses the same Kryo 495 CPU cores as the original 8cx from 2019, the Exynos should benefit from more current ARM Cortex designs.
A few days ago Check Point Research disclosed a vulnerability in Qualcomm modems that could allow attackers to listen in on your calls, read your texts and more. Today Samsung announced that it is aware of the vulnerability and that it has already patched a number of its devices.
Samsung has been rolling out patches to some of its Qualcomm-powered Galaxy devices since January (but the company doesn’t specify which ones). Most other Galaxy devices will be secure once you install the May 1 2021 patch.
The vulnerability in question is known as CVE-2020-11292. It is not mentioned in AOSP’s Android Security Bulletin for May, but it is part of Samsung’s security update for May (with an asterisk for the devices that got it earlier).
Samsung has some more true wireless earbuds in the works: the Galaxy Buds 2.
The Samsung wireless earbuds range already includes the Galaxy Buds, Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy Buds Live and Galaxy Buds Pro, and they will soon be joined by the Galaxy Buds 2.
As the name suggests, they should be a proper sequel to the original Buds, with all that entails. So what’s the news so far on them? What’s the expected launch date? Do we have an idea on price? And will they trouble our list of best wireless earbuds? Read on for everything we know so far…
Galaxy Buds 2: release date
(Image credit: Samsung)
According to SamMobile, the Galaxy Buds 2 launch date is set to be this summer, most likely around July or August.
Samsung has previously released two pairs of true wireless earbuds around that time: the original Galaxy Buds (in August 2019) and the Galaxy Buds Live (in August 2020). See below for the previous Galaxy Buds release dates.
Samsung Galaxy Buds: August 2019
Samsung Galaxy Buds+: May 2020
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: August 2020
Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: January 2021
So there’s plenty to support a July or August launch this year.
The end of August or beginning of September plays host to the IFA tech conference in Berlin, too (this year it takes place from 3rd-7th September).
Samsung usually launches new products at IFA, most notably its latest Galaxy Note smartphone. But this year, it’s rumoured to be skipping the Note. Could the Galaxy Buds 2 step up and take centre stage at Samsung’s launch event? Or will they launch as a complementary product to a more ‘wow’ device like the rumoured Galaxy Fold 3? Hopefully we’ll find out before long.
Galaxy Buds 2: price
At £139 ($129), the original Galaxy Buds were priced somewhere around the middle of the true wireless earbuds market. But with a thin sound that lacked detail, we thought there were better options for the money.
Samsung is undoubtedly hoping to change that with the sequel. If it can deliver a much improved sound and modernised feature set, it could well be justified in asking a little more for the Buds 2 – the second-gen AirPods cost £159 ($159), after all, and Samsung sees itself as a real competitor to Apple when it comes to mobile devices and accessories.
As such, SamMobile reckons Samsung will ask for $170 for the Buds 2, positioning them slightly below the more premium Galaxy Buds Pro (which cost £219, $199). If so, Samsung will have an uphill battle on its hands. Not only will they be more expensive than the AirPods (or even the AirPods 3, which should launch in the coming months), they will cost a lot more than the new breed of budget alternatives, some of which, like the Earfun Air Pro, offer noise cancellation.
Can Samsung justify this relatively high price while omitting such killer features? It’ll be interesting to find out…
Galaxy Buds 2: design
(Image credit: Evan Blass / Samsung)
So far, no pictures have leaked of the Galaxy Buds 2. We haven’t even had a render showing what to expect. But still, we have a pretty good idea how they will look.
That’s because of their model number. As Dutch website Galaxy Club reports, the Galaxy Buds 2 have the model number SM-R177, which is in keeping with others in the Galaxy Buds line (all of which follow the SM-R17x naming convention).
Admittedly the Galaxy Buds Live (pictured above) fall into this category too, and looks-wise, they are quite a departure, shaped as they are like a pair of jelly beans. But the Galaxy Buds 2 are likely to be far more conventional, and look very similar to the original Galaxy Buds. Think pretty standard-looking true wireless buds, complete with wing tips for keeping them in your ears and a carry case that doubles as a portable charger.
Nothing radical there, then. But as long as they’re comfortable and perform well, we’ll have no complaints.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: features
(Image credit: Samsung)
The original Galaxy Buds launched in 2019. We’re expecting a very similar skillset from its successor, but hopefully with improvements across the board. Because while 2019 might not seem that long ago, the true wireless earbuds market has come a long way since then.
Take battery life. The original Galaxy Buds managed a total run time of 13 hours (six hours from the buds, plus another seven from the case). A couple of years ago, that was passable, but today it just won’t cut the mustard. Since then, we’ve seen the introduction of the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1, which manage a total run time of a staggering 45 hours. And for cheaper than the original Galaxy Buds.
The original Galaxy Buds couldn’t connect to iPhones, as they were Android-only. This was rectified with the Galaxy Buds+, and we would expect the Buds 2 to work with Apple devices, too.
We wouldn’t expect the Buds 2 to have noise cancellation as that will likely be reserved for the Galaxy Buds Live and Pro.
In all, we’re not expecting any surprises on the features front. Think touch controls, Bluetooth 5.0, compatibility with voice assistants, and support for the major streaming services. All of which are pretty standard on true wireless earbuds.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2: early verdict
It’s early days yet – we haven’t seen leaked specs or any images of the Galaxy Buds 2. But going on past form, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect.
To say Samsung has its work cut out would be an understatement. There’s currently a huge choice of true wireless earbuds to suit all needs, at all budgets, be it the wallet-friendly Earfun Air or premium Sony WF-1000XM3. And more are in the pipeline, including the Apple AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM4 and Google Pixel Buds A-Series.
If Samsung is hoping it can survive on brand name alone, it might be in for a surprise.
But let’s not judge the Galaxy Buds 2 before they launch. True, Samsung’s true wireless earbuds haven’t scored more than three stars in our reviews, but they have improved over the years. Fingers crossed Samsung can take the lessons of the past and put them to good use in the future.
MORE:
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A true wireless game changer? Sony WF-1000XM4: release date, price, leaks
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