Popcorn Computer has announced its new “pocket computer” called Pocket. It is a small device equipped with a FullHD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution) of panel UP 4, 95 “with its own built-in keyboard that runs Linux, specifically it comes with Debian 10, and that it has a removable battery to work completely autonomously.
Specifications and price of the Pocket PC
Inside this small device we have, under the screen of 4, 95 “IPS Full HD, an ARM Cortex-A processor 53 1.2 GHz and 4 cores with 2 GB of DDR3 memory and 32 GB of internal memory eMMC expandable with cards micro SD.
It has WiFi connectivity, although only 2.4 GHz, in addition to Bluetooth 4.2 . Physical connectivity relies on four USB-C ports that serve for power or data. It is powered by a 3. 200 mAh removable and has its own built-in keyboard that connects internally via USB, this keyboard has 20 RGB LEDs and a Cortex M3 processor.
1.2 GHz Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A 53 CPU
2GB DDR3 RAM
53 GB eMMC Memory
4. 95 “Full HD 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD
Internal microSD Card Connector
3200 mAh Removable Battery
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi / Bluetooth 4.0
Infi neon OPTIGA TRUST M Secure Element
Built-in Programmable USB Keyboard w / Backlight:
STM 32F103 C8T6 ARM Cortex-M3 MCU
25 x RGB APA 102 – 2020 LEDs
59 x Silicone Buttons
4x USB-C Connectors:
1x Device Port w / Power Delivery (PD)
2x Host Port (1x w / PD, 1x w / o PD)
During the reservation period the Popcorn Computer Pocket PC can be purchased by 199 Dollars, then the price will increase up to 249 Dollars.
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Antonio Delgado
Computer Engineer training, hardware editor and analyst at Geeknetic from 2011. I love gutting everything that comes my way, especially the latest hardware that we get here for reviews. In my spare time I fiddle with 3d printers, drones and other gadgets. For anything here you have me.
How big are the batteries in Apple’s latest smartphone generation? The group traditionally does not reveal this, only provides practical information from its own tests. This is also the case with iPhone 12, 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max again the case. Now, details have been leaked from regulatory databases listing mAh levels.
The Battery of the iPhone 12 The information comes from Brazil. The iPhone 12 with its 6.1 inch screen should have a 2815 mAh battery, as stated in documents from the communications authority ANATEL. That would be surprisingly a little less than the iPhone , the direct predecessor model. There were still 3110 mAh.
However, there are important technical differences between the two devices. The iPhone 12 comes with a new 5 nm chip, the A 14 – SoC. And it has an OLED display instead of an LCD screen. Both could help save electricity. However, the iPhone 12 also offers 5G cellular reception, one of the central new features – and the same is considered an energy guzzler.
iPhone 12 mini with more battery than SE 2020 The battery capacity of the iPhone was also known 12 mini, a new compact smartphone from Apple with a 5.4-inch display. In the version intended for Brazil, it should have a capacity of 2227 mAh. That would be quite decent for its size. For comparison: The iPhone SE from 2020 comes with not quite 20 Percent less capacity (1821 mAh).
Apple had stated that the iPhone Streaming one hour less and even 14 hours less for audio playback –
ZTE became the first company in the world to launch a smartphone with an under-display camera, but hasn’t done much else of note this year. In fact it’s only now about to introduce the first 2020 member of its affordable Blade family.
This is suggested by the new ZTE phone with midrange specs that popped up on TENAA. The timing suggests a launch in time for the November 11 sales event, better known in China as the Singles’ Day that sees a lot of phone launches and promos.
ZTE Z8012N
The ZTE 8012N phone comes with an LCD screen and a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera. Sadly, the diagonal and the resolution are not mentioned, but the front-facing shooter is confirmed to have an 8MP sensor.
There is a triple camera setup on the back – an 48MP main unit, an 8MP snapper (likely ultrawide cam) and a 2MP auxiliary unit. The camera setup on the back, arranged in a black rectangle, has a fingerprint scanner next to it for the company.
The eight-core CPU of this ZTE phone will run at up to 2.0 GHz but will support 5G connectivity which is a must nowadays on the Chinese market. There are two RAM options – 4GB or 6GB, and two storage choices – 64GB or 128GB. The battery capacity is 3,900mAh, but charging speeds aren’t mentioned.
Apple’s new ‘Ceramic Shield’ front glass on the iPhone 12 series is heralded as being 4 times harder to break than the glass on the iPhone 11. But should you break it, Apple will charge you the same $279 to replace it as it did the iPhone 11 Pro’s glass.
The iPhone 12’s new OLED display also costs $279, which is $80 more expensive to replace than last year’s iPhone 11’s LCD panel.
Apple has listed the repair cost of the new 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and 12 Pro and will detail the same for the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max when those go on pre-order next month.
Typically the largest iPhone commands a higher cost of repair, $329 for the iPhone XS Max and last year’s 11 Pro Max, so we expect the 12 Pro Max to cost the same to fix. Whether Apple charges less for the 12 mini remains to be seen.
The cost to repair other damage (such as liquid damage) has remained $549 from the iPhone 11 Pro to the 12 Pro, but has grown from $399 on the iPhone 11 to $449 on the
HTC is still in the smartphone business and the Desire 20+ is the latest proof. It’s a Snapdragon 720G-powered midranger with four rear cameras, an HD+ display and 5,000 mAh battery.
HTC Desire 20+
The 6.5-inch LCD comes with a waterdrop notch for the 16MP selfie cam and a resolution of 720×1,600 pixels. The phone features a textured back design with ridges extending diagonally across the back panel. There’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Around the back we find the quad camera setup with a 48MP primary shooter alongside a 5MP ultrawide lens. The two auxiliary sensors are a 5MP depth helper and a 2MP macro cam.
The Desire 20+ comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage which is expandable via microSD. It also boasts a headphone jack and a 5,000mAh battery. The software side is handled by Android 10.
The phone is available in orange and black colors for TWD 8,490 ($295) with first shipments expected to take place on October 22. There’s no word of an international release for now.
As we get closer to the RTX 3070 launch on October 29th, Gigabyte has begun to reveal its custom RTX 3070 SKUs, including the Aorus Master, Gaming, Eagle, and the new Vision series.
The RTX 3070 will be Nvidia’s first true mid-range GPU for the Ampere generation, featuring 5888 CUDA cores and 8GB of GDDR6 (non-X) on a 256-bit bus. The most intriguing feature of the 3070 is its significantly lower TDP of 220W, similar to that of the RTX 20 series cards, which should make cooling this GPU much easier. We think the RTX 3070 will be roughly 40% slower than the RTX 3080, according to the specifications. However, that’s just an educated guess. Be sure to check our review of the RTX 3070 next week for full performance results.
The Aorus Master is Gigabyte’s ‘luxury’ series of graphics cards, equipped with more bells and whistles over the Gigabyte branded cards. The Aorus master RTX 3070 features an almost quadruple-slot sized heatsink, with a triple-fan cooler design. The inner fan spins in the opposite direction of the outer fans to help boost airflow. The inner fan is also recessed inwards, with the two outer fans on top overlapping the inner fan’s blades. This is another technique Gigabyte uses to improve airflow efficiency.
Aesthetically, the Aorus Master is one of the prettiest cards to date, featuring a black shroud with dark aluminum accents and dashes of RGB on the top and bottom of the card. Perhaps the most intriguing feature of the Master is the LCD display on the card’s edge. The LCD can display a multitude of things, including temperature data from the CPU and GPU, custom text, or a custom image/GIF.
We don’t know anything about the card’s internals, like power delivery, but typically Aorus-branded cards do have an upgraded power delivery system over Gigabyte’s cheaper lineups, so expect good overclocking performance out of this card.
Gigabyte’s Vision series is a new sub-brand aimed towards content creators and professionals instead of the traditional gaming markets. The RTX 3070 Vision features a beautiful white and silver finish. There’s almost nothing ‘gamery’ about this card — which is a good thing.
The RTX 3070 Vision sports a triple-fan cooler design, similar to the Windforce coolers featured in the Eagle and Gaming lineups. The cooler has four copper heat pipes running down both lengths of the card, connected to an aluminum heatsink. The five heatpipes, plus an additional heatpipe to the side of the cooler, all meet up at the GPU die to cool it. The surrounding VRM and memory units are cooled by a metal baseplate.
Aesthetically, this is another gorgeous card; the front is shaded in metal and complemented by a white shroud around the sides. The backplate is all metal as well and features a cutout at the end to push air through the heatsink, which is typical of Ampere graphics cards. The card is equipped with an 8-pin and a 6-pin connector for supplementary power from the PSU.
Of course, this card is perfectly capable of gaming as well as content creation. The aesthetic should fit in gaming builds aiming for a more mature look.
The Gigabyte RTX 3070 Gaming and Eagle cards are similar to the existing RTX 3080 variants, but feature a smaller form factor in terms of height. The 3070 Eagle is roughly 10mm shorter and the Gaming, 5mm shorter than the equivalent RTX 3080 SKUs.
The Gaming features the same heatsink and heatpipe design as the RTX 3080 vision, but the Eagle takes that down a notch to five heat pipes instead of six.
Due to the shorter height, both cards look more uniform, with no jagged edges to be seen. Besides that, the design language remains the same for both cards. The gaming has a black should, complemented by silver accents to the top right and bottom left of the cooler. The Eagle has a more generic design, where the shroud is a greyish black complemented by a blue Eagle logo.
Both cards are equipped with an 8-pin and 6-pin power connectors, which seems to be the common configuration for the RTX 3070.
Apple has announced how much it’ll charge to repair the new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. For the iPhone 12 Pro, the $279 screen repair price is unchanged compared to the iPhone 11 Pro last year, despite using new ceramic-hardened glass. However the $279 cost of repairing the base iPhone 12’s display has increased by $80 compared to the iPhone 11, and the cost of repairing “other damage” has increased by $50 to $449. Repair prices for the iPhone 12 Pro Max and 12 mini are yet to be announced.
For the base iPhone 12, that’s a substantial price increase compared to the $199 you’d pay to repair the iPhone 11’s screen, likely because it now has an OLED rather than an LCD display. However for the 12 Pro this $279 price is the same as what Apple’s charged for screen repairs since 2017’s iPhone X. The price of screen repairs covered by AppleCare Plus insurance plans is unchanged at $29.
Apple’s site gives a comparison of screen repair costs across its lineup.Screenshot: Apple.com
The new ceramic-hardened displays used in the iPhone 12 series, which Apple says is “tougher than any smartphone glass” with four times greater resistance to damage from drops, doesn’t appear to have caused a price increase for buyers, despite potentially cutting into Apple’s profit margins.
It’s a similar story when it comes to what Apple is charging to repair “other damage” like that resulting from liquid, for example. The cost to repair the iPhone 12 Pro is $549, which is unchanged from the iPhone 11 Pro. However, the iPhone 12 now costs $449, compared to $399 to repair the iPhone 11. The price of other repairs covered by AppleCare Plus remains at $99.
All told, repair costs are unchanged for prospective iPhone 12 Pro owners, though it’s a shame to see the new baseline iPhone facing more expensive repairs. Here’s hoping that Ceramic Shield cover protecting the displays is tough enough to prevent repairs in the first place.
(Pocket-lint) – The long-standing Fujifilm X-T series has in the past set the benchmark for being the mirrorless camera to beat all others. Indeed, the X-T3 won Best Camera in the 2019 Pocket-lint Awards.
Now there’s a new kid in town: the Fujifilm X-T4. But does this latest camera add enough extra to warrant its purchase? We got to play with a pre-production camera ahead of its official announcement, followed by using the final camera on some car shoots. Here’s what we make of it.
X-T4 vs X-T3: What’s new?
X-T4 adds:
New in-body stabilisation unit (IBIS)
New shutter unit (15fps mechanical)
Dedicated movie mode
New battery system
At a glance the X-T4 looks a lot like its X-T3 younger brother. But there are some clear differences. The newer camera is a little larger and heavier, on account of a new battery system that’s designed to last longer.
Pocket-lint
Some weight has been shed elsewhere, to avoid it getting altogether too heavy, by introducing a newer, smaller in-body stabilisation system, which is said to be capable up to 6.5 stops (up from the 5 stops of the X-H1, where in-body was first introduced by Fujifilm).
In tandem with the stabilisation system is a new shutter mechanism, capable of up to 15 frames per second (15fps) burst shooting. It’s also tested to 300,000 shutter cycles, doubling the durability over the X-T3.
Other little tweaks should make a big difference for movie users: a dedicated movie mode, with its own Q Menu on-screen settings (useful for silent adjustment), and even a removable SD card door, should you be shooting from a rig. The rear LCD screen is also a little higher in resolution than before (1.62m-dot compared to 1.04m-dot).
Elsewhere the specification is built around the same core as the X-T3. This means the X-T4 has the same sensor and processor combination, same on-sensor autofocus capabilities (albeit with some algorithm tweaks to improve tracking and face/eye-detection). So if you’re looking for higher resolution or advances in quality in that area, then the two cameras don’t differ.
How does the X-T4 perform?
New magnesium alloy body footprint: 134.6mm x 92.8mm x 63.8mm / 607g
The X-T4 is made primarily from magnesium alloy, which gives it a robust feeling in the hand. It’s also weather-resistant, so paired with a suitable lens you needn’t worry about splashes and rain. We’ve been using the lovely 16-55mm f/2.8 for the majority of this test.
Pocket-lint
The X-T4 is larger than the X-T3 given its new battery system, but that extra little bit of bulk and 10 per cent weight increase is worth it on account of longevity. The new battery is 2,200mAh in capacity, which is a big increase over the 1,260mAh of the X-T3’s cell. Despite having two batteries on hand and shooting across multiple days, we didn’t even drain the first one to zero – meaning the 500 shots per charge quote seems on point.
There’s also a new vertical grip, which can house two additional batteries, and comes with a dedicated switch to flick between normal, boost and economy performance modes. The X-T3 grip won’t fit onto the X-T4 due to the new battery system and different camera footprint.
Recharging takes place via USB-C, much like an Android phone, but you’ll need to use a 15W charger at the wall for the fastest possible recharge times. It’ll take about three hours to recharge the one cell, which isn’t especially quick, but use a low power USB port and it’ll take three or four times longer than that!
The X-T4 has the now staple rear LCD and OLED viewfinder setup. The vari-angle touchscreen is easy to use, benefits from that added resolution, while the OLED finder is the exact same as found in the X-T3. That means it’s got all the resolution you’ll need, complete with a high refresh-rate, deep contrast, and a massive 0.75x equivalent magnification size – which makes for a formidable finder scale to this eye.
If you’re familiar with the X-T3’s autofocus – which we found did a great job at the Goodwood Revival motor show – then it’s much the same with the X-T4. The camera uses a massive 2.16-million phase-detection pixels embedded across its sensor’s surface, designed to cover the full width from edge to edge. That means you can focus anywhere in the field of view, as far vertically or horizontally as you wish, and still acquire the same focus ability as you would in the centre.
The autofocus system is pared down to 425 areas maximum, which can be further reduced to simplify operation as you wish. The AF point can be adjusted between a variety of point sizes, too, by using the rear thumbwheel. There’s still no Panasonic-style Pinpoint mode, however, which we always miss when using other brands’ mirrorless cameras.
Pocket-lint
With a decent lens on the front and the X-T4 is a formidable shooting machine. From its 15fps burst, to the various custom settings (much like you’ll find in a pro DSLR, in a scenario-appropriate format), mirrorless system cameras don’t really get any better than this.
What’s the X-T4’s image quality like?
26-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor
ISO 160-12,800 (80-51,200 ext)
New: Eterna Beach Bypass filter
Just like the X-T3, the X-T4 features Fujifilm’s fourth-generation X-Trans CMOS sensor. This sensor is backside illuminated, with the copper wiring placement beneath the photo diodes in the sensor, in order to create a cleaner signal path.
1/20Pocket-lint
That all worked a treat in the X-T3 and it’s much the same here: image quality is exemplary. Although, as we always say, a lot of that comes down to the lens on the front of the camera. And Fujifilm’s range of optics means there’s something for more or less every situation.
The 18-55mm we’ve used for this review is fine, but not the hottest ticket, we’ve found the 40-150mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/2.0 to impress us much more – especially those wider aperture lenses.
We’ve shot with the X-T4 in and around Fujifilm’s House of Photography in central London, where there’s a variety of light sources and situations. That’s given a broad scope to test out the baseline ISO 160 sensitivity, right through to the higher ISO 12,800 setting when shooting a vase of flowers in the dim-lit (off public limits) basement at the property.
Low-light will show some grain, of course, but it’s not overwhelming by any measure and even the four-figure ISO settings are really clean looking. But daylight is where things really shine, those lower settings giving real clarity.
We’ve always praised Fujifilm for its image quality prowess, a trend that the X-T4 continues. It’s done our various car shoots a treat in terms of exposure, colour balance, scale and detail.
No, it’s not more resolute or more advanced than the X-T3, which some will see as a downer, but as that camera was already accomplished you’re really looking to buy this newer model for its better battery, faster burst rate and improved image stabilisation (although it’s a marginal improvement in that regard).
The X-T4’s new video capabilities
Dedicated movie mode, via physical switch dial
Dedicated Q Menu with silent mode selection
4K 60fps maximum, 1080p 240fps slow-mo
Can fix crop to 1.29x for all modes
The X-T4 has also clearly been engineered with the videographer in mind. Not only on account of the better battery and removable SD card door, but also the dedicated movie mode, which is activated via a physical switch beneath the shutter speed dial atop the camera.
Moving this switch over to ‘Movie’ means you get a dedicated Q Menu, which is accessible during shooting and means silent adjustment of modes is possible using the touchscreen. The physical dials will also work, but if you want to avoid the physical motion and clicking sounds then this is one way around it.
Pocket-lint
The frame-rate possibility has also increased, with Full HD (1080p) now available at up to 240fps. Some would call that slow-motion to one eighth the speed of a normal 30fps capture. The X-T4 is also 4K capable, offering 60fps in this Ultra-HD mode (just like the X-T3).
Best mirrorless cameras 2020: The best interchangeable lens cameras available to buy today
All this adds up to a much more accomplished and movie-focused device, in an attempt to outsmart the Panasonic and Sony options on the market. That said, with the likes of the Panasonic Lumix S5 now available, we think the competition has a slight edge.
Verdict
The Fujifilm X-T4 might rely on the same sensor as the X-T3 before it, with an autofocus system that’s much the same, but its variety of feature boosts make it an altogether more considered camera.
The addition of a faster burst mode, better battery life and improved image stabilisation make for a more rounded camera. Plus its dedicated movie mode sees a boost that could lure in a wider audience – although Sony does have that market largely wrapped up.
Stand the X-T4 up against any camera of its type in the same price bracket and it’ll more than hold its own. Whether for stills or video, this is Fujifilm showing it can still set the benchmark in this category.
Also consider
Fujifilm X-T3
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What is the Pocket-lint daily and how do you get it for free?
If you’re looking for a stills camera and can pick up the predecessor model then you’re not sacrificing any image quality potential, which might make this a veritable bargain.
Read our review
Panasonic Lumix S5
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If you want a small-scale but full-frame image sensor to step things up a notch, Panasonic’s fairly priced entry in this space is rather special.
With the XS 10 Fujifilm lays the foundation stone for a new series of cameras within its X family of mirrorless system cameras. This now knows six variants: XA, XE, XH, XT, X-Pro and now XS
The XS 10 slightly more compact than the top model X-T4 and slightly larger than the mid-range camera XT 30. Larger than the latter, it is mainly due to the built-in image stabilizer and the sweeping handle. It should ensure that the little one is still comfortable to hold when a larger lens is screwed on.
The Fujifilm XS 10 is significantly smaller than the current flagship, the X- T4, but offers a similarly high level technically.
(Image: Fujifilm)
Technically the XS is oriented 10 stronger on the X-T4, for example it has the X-Trans-Sensor (BSI) of the fourth generation with a resolution of 26, 1 megapixels and the fast X processor 4. Both help the camera to achieve a fast autofocus (reaction time 0, 02 s) with face and eye recognition and a high series image rate of eight images per second with mechanical shutter (18 Raw or 105 JPEG in a row). With an electronic lock it comes up to 30 Frames per second – but also with crop factor 1, 25.
Bright autofocus system The autofocus should focus reliably even in the dark up to -7 EV. For comparison: The new mirrorless full-frame camera Canon EOS R6 comes to -6.5 EV, which is impressive. The sensitivity of the XS 10 – sensors range from ISO 160 to ISO 12. 800. The image stabilizer is a new development. It should be lighter than the model of the X-T4 and a bit more powerful than the first generation built into the X-H1.
But there are also some points where the new one compared to the current flagship X- T4 can’t keep up. It has a sturdy magnesium housing, but it is not particularly sealed against dust and splash water. There is only one card slot for standard SD cards and a weaker battery (NP-W 126 S). That should be enough for 325 recordings. The shortest exposure time is 1 / 4000 instead of 1 / 8000 second and the OLED viewfinder only solves 2, 36 Megapixels (0, 62 x, to 100 fps). As with the X-T4, the LCD touch monitor can be rotated and swiveled and can be adjusted to 180 Fold a degree forward, which makes sense for vloggers.
New / old operating concept A novelty in X cameras with X-Trans sensors is the operating concept of the XS 10. There are no separate dials for ISO value, exposure time and exposure correction, which each lead directly to the corresponding exposure parameter, but a “classic” PASM mode dial for fully and semi-automatic functions, which the manufacturer has already used in a similar form for entry-level cameras XA series has installed. It is supported by three configurable setting wheels – one on the front of the shutter release, one on the rear right and one on the top left. The camera is thus based on the typical camera operation of Canon, Nikon and Co. Presumably Fujifilm would like to win newcomers from other systems for itself.
Mirrorless system camera Fujifilm XS 10 (10 Pictures) The Fujifilm XS 10 is comparatively compact and offers a powerful X-Trans -Sensor with 26 , 1 megapixel resolution.
(Image: Fujifilm) Are new In this context also an all-round carefree automatic with motif recognition, a filter mode and a scene mode. In addition, photographers can set their own configuration to one of the four custom modes – for example one for snapshots, one for portraits, one for landscapes.
The developers have also focused on video properties. The XS 10 takes movies in 4K / 30 p (X-T4 4K / 60 p) optionally with 8 bit and 4: 2: 0 color scanning on SD card or outputs it with 10 bit and 4: 2: 2 color scanning via the micro-HDMI connection (type D). With Full HD the camera supports slow motion with up to 180 frames per second (10-subject). The video recording can also be started while taking a picture using the separate record button.
A few days ago we received a copy of Oculus Quest 2 and we have tried some of the features. We were overall very satisfied with this new headset, which represents the improvement of both the first Quest and the Rift S, while the VR remains critical in some aspects
by Rosario Grasso published on 16 October 2020 in the Peripherals channel Oculus
Who has followed the latest announcements of Oculus , already knows that Quest 2 is not just the viewer which updates and improves the first Quest, but is also the next step compared to Rift and Rift S . In other words, it is both a stand-alone solution and the viewer to be connected to the PC for the more detailed experiences and the highest polygonal density. The latter feature is available through the Oculus Link technology , which we will discuss in detail during the review but which we anticipate is a USB connection between the viewer and the PC that processes the images.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OCULUS QUEST 2
Oculus Insight
Oculus Touch
Positional Audio
Oculus Quest fit and comfort 2
Social experiences
Oculus Link
Smartphone App
Roomscale, Standing and Setting
Passthrough +
Star Wars Squadrons tested with Oculus Quest 2
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners tested with Oculus Quest 2
Conclusions
Oculus Quest 2: Technical Specifications
Basically if Oculus Quest was born as a VR experience with polygonal density games “from smartphone” , with Oculus Link you enable the experience “from PC” . Like its predecessor, Quest 2 has a very specific purpose, from the initial program of Facebook : to make VR within everyone’s reach, both in terms of ease of installation and use and from the point of view of the methods of interaction. The potential of VR, although from a commercial point of view, as is well known, encounters difficulties, it is endless, not only in playful terms, but also in therapeutic, professional and other terms. As always when it comes to VR, it is very difficult to convey all this in words, and direct experience must necessarily be recommended.
Compared to the first Quest, the new version offers a display with the 50% more pixels compared to the previous model and, after launch, it will also support i 90 Hz (currently 72 Hz ). Equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 processor, Quest 2 is capable of handling a resolution of 1832 x 1920 pixels per eye thanks to the Fast-switch type LCD , fast switching. Let’s say right away that one of the main features of this Oculus / Facebook offer is the field of vision , for which moreover, the precise specification is not communicated. It always remains very contained, to the point of having the sensation of observing the game scenes as inside a binocular or, worse still, a funnel. The tech specs just say the Quest’s FOV is the same as the original Oculus Rift, while the Rift S and Go boast a “slightly higher” field of view. Spannometrically, therefore, we find ourselves on 110 ° approx.
Oculus Insight
Compared to the first Quest (the was introduced after the launch of the viewer), however, one of the main improvements concerns the tracking of the hands and fingers via Oculus Insight . It turns out to be very precise and manages to reproduce the movements of the fingers with great naturalness in virtuality. You can interact with your fingers to play, to surf the web, to “scroll” a page and for all the functions available in Virtual Reality (except for specific games that require more complex interfacing). By bringing your thumb close to your index finger and moving the cursor over a button you will click on it, while keeping the two fingers close for a few moments will center the screen in the direction you are looking at. Like its predecessor, the new viewer also supports 6 degrees of freedom of head tracking.
Oculus Touch
Oculus has completely redesigned the Touch controller for improved ergonomics (inspired by the design of Rift controllers), with intuitive controls that transport gestures directly into VR for an even deeper sense of hand presence. The new Touch are great, comfortable to use and responsive. Thanks to the constellation of sensors inside them, they can be traced by the viewer and reproduced polygonally in order to allow the user, who wears the viewer, to find them immediately in the real environment. Moreover, unlike in the past, just hold them and they are activated automatically, without having to press any buttons. Furthermore, when not in use, they turn off automatically, thus extending the autonomy of the battery (type AA, not rechargeable).
Positional Audio
One of the technologies that most amazed us with the first Quest, moreover, is that relating to the positional audio . Quest, in fact, uses a spatial audio technology to direct the sound towards the user’s ears through speakers that are placed in two plastic arms that are located near the panel. It is a system that, in the face of a slight loss in terms of sound quality, adapts the emission of noises according to the movements of the head, guaranteeing an absolutely credible auditory immersion. However, it remains possible to use traditional headphones via the jack connection on the body of the device.
The algorithm that manages the audio positions the source of the sounds within a virtual sphere a 360 degrees. Moving your head in reality does not interact with this sphere, so you can continue to hear the sound and perceive its original position faithfully, regardless of the movements that occur in reality.
Oculus Quest 2 fit and comfort
Regarding fit and comfort , Oculus Quest 2 starts from the good assumptions of the previous viewers, and takes further steps forward. First of all, is aesthetically pleasing and is well suited to any type of furniture. Being a Facebook product, aimed at the widest possible audience, a careful study has been done in this regard, and the results are good. A band allows you to adjust the fit according to the head. Slightly change the mechanism of adjustment of the interpupillary distance , now you have to physically move the housing of the lenses, bringing them closer or moving them away according to the level of sharpness with which the images in VR are perceived.
Social experiences
Oculus and Facebook have prepared various types of social experiences in the form of apps available on the store. For example, you can experience the feeling of being in the front row during live concerts, innovative films and exclusive events. An ever-growing list of social experiences that allows you to connect with friends in VR, no matter where you are.
This feature matches the name of Oculus Venues , an app that must be downloaded from the store. It is accessed with your avatar , obviously customizable down to the smallest aspects, and allows you to follow events, live or register, along with friends’ avatars. For example, you can attend a concert, a football match or a film, interacting and exchanging impressions with friends.
All the Facebook’s social features are also integrated into the Oculus Quest 2 home. There is the possibility to send friend requests, chat and invite friends to events. And then there is the highly appreciated Party mode, which can be accessed together with friends, who they will be catapulted into our home, seeing it as we have decided to customize it. They will appear as Avatar, i.e. half-length, while it will be possible to interact together.
Oculus Link
Then there is the whole chapter Oculus Link , essential for those who want to exploit the computing power of the PC. Thanks to this type of connection (unfortunately still available in Beta – the name Link refers to both the software support and the physical cable), players can access all the games for Rift and its features, including its Home . This means that you cannot play Quest 2 games originally designed for Rift such as Edge of Nowhere and Stormland and also with titles belonging to different platforms than Oculus Store such as Steam VR or Star Wars Squad rons for Origin .
Unfortunately, inside the package there is no cable capable of connecting the viewer to the PC. Oculus suggests the purchase of Oculus Link, a 5 meter high speed fiber optic cable which is sold at 99 EUR. From official specifications, this is a USB 3.2 GEN 1 TYPE-C cable . Obviously, it’s not the only way to connect Oculus Quest 2 to the PC: for example, on Amazon there is this other cable that essentially equalizes the performance of Oculus Link. But that’s not all, because actually any cable, even USB 2.0, will do. The only difficulty probably consists in finding a USB-C adapter (the only type of connection available on the viewer) to USB-A: but, if you have the adapter, you can use a very common USB-A cable like the one that allows you to recharge your smartphone.
The only real limitation is the cable size. Of course, having made Quest stand-alone has important positive implications precisely for having limited the size and complications that arose from the presence of a cable that came out of the viewer to connect to the PC. As anyone who has tried Rift knows, very often, due to the continuous and sudden movements that Virtual Reality requires, it happened to get literally entangled in the cable. Due to the current technological limitations in the transmission of large volumes of data wirelessly, however, the cable is still essential if you want to benefit from the polygonal complexity available thanks to the processing of the most powerful GPUs. On the other hand, you need a very long cable (at least 5 meters) to be able to play in an acceptable way (without prejudice to the point that, as we will see, the standing game mode is not the only one possible with Quest 2). To make Oculus Link work, you need to download the relative software for Windows 10 . This allows you to access all content for Rift and Quest, purchase it or browse the catalog of free experiences. All the social features found in VR in the Oculus Home and settings are available, as well as the performance test of the aforementioned PC connection.
Smartphone App
A similar app must also be installed on the smartphone , and is available for both Android and iOS . The pairing between the viewer and the smartphone takes place via the Bluetooth connection . The Oculus app guides you step by step in configuring the headset and, in addition to providing the app functionality for the PC, enables streaming of everything you see in the viewer towards the smartphone. Functionality that is very useful to allow other people who are with us to share the experience we are living in Virtual Reality. Casting currently supports all generations of Google Chromecast, Google Home Hub, Nvidia Shield, and most Chromecast-enabled smart TVs. Chromecast Ultra is recommended for better casting quality.
Roomscale, Standing and Setting
Depending on how the VR app is designed, it may require a type of interaction such as Roomscale, Standing and Setting . When you buy an app in the store, this detail is expressed very clearly. Roomscale : these apps must be used in a 2×2 meter area with a defined Roomscale perimeter. Standing : you can interact with all the elements of the game by standing, crouching, turning, reaching virtual objects or with stationary boundaries than with roomscale. Sitting : the whole experience is playable while seated. This type of app can be used with both stationary borders and Roomscale.
Passthrough +
The configuration part of the viewer has not undergone changes compared to the first Quest, and benefits enormously from the Passthrough + functionality , which allows you to see the real environment around us without having to remove the viewer. Passthrough + uses proprietary technology to minimize depth disparity. Passthrough + view appears by default when the head crosses the border of the Guardian , so you can easily see where you are in and return to the game space. It can also be accessed at any time by double-tapping the side of the viewer.
The game space must obviously be configured at the first start-up of Quest 2 and then remains fixed for every time you use the viewer. You need a minimum space of 2×2 meters to play in Roomscale or a free space of about 1, 13 meters in diameter. During installation you must first set the floor level, then select either stationary mode or draw, by holding the trigger of the controller, the boundary of the game area to play in Roomscale. The Guardian configuration software can memorize the boundaries of multiple rooms so you don’t have to reset it every time you use the headset in an already used location. Also, the headset works best when playing in a well-lit area (due to its tracking systems), while outdoor use is not recommended.
On board the Oculus Quest 2 there are four cameras, which are used for tracking the user’s body, his hands and Oculus Touch controllers. As for the battery life, it stands between 2-3 hours based on the type of content used on Quest 2; closer to 2 hours if playing games and closer to 3 hours if watching videos. At any time, you can check the headset’s battery status in the Oculus app settings or in VR via Oculus Home. Charging time with the supplied USB-C power adapter is approximately two and a half hours.
Star Wars Squadrons tested with Oculus Quest 2
The VR game of the moment is undoubtedly Star Wars Squadrons , developed by EA Motive starting from some technologies already introduced by previous games Electronic Arts . At the same time, it is much more than the extrapolation of the piloting component of the Star Wars Battlefront II aircraft, because the flight model is much more rigorous, while remaining simplistic than an Elite Dangerous, as are the opportunities for interaction. available to players.
Star Wars Squadrons, which works with Oculus Quest 2 via Oculus Link or any other compatible USB cable, offers both single player and multiplayer game modes. The story, which scrupulously follows the precepts of the Star Wars Canon, is set after the events of Return of the Jedi, when the New Republic finds itself having to disperse the remaining forces of the Empire. The campaign, which lasts about 5 hours, represents a sort of tutorial to be able to master the TIE fighter and the Ala X in order to be competitive in multiplayer: in fact, it is necessary to acquire a certain sensitivity, as well as knowing the functionality of the ships available, in order to represent a threat in multiplayer.
In the campaign the player follows an alternation of missions that now see him among the forces of the New Repubblica, where he plays the pilot Vanguard 5, now among the Imperials as Titan 3. He will come across some well-known faces of the Canon, among them the Captain Rae Sloane and the General Hera Syndulla , characters much loved by fans of Star Wars that never before had appeared in a photorealistic key.
But the star Wars Squadrons highlight is definitely the multiplayer. Players must learn to adjust the speed of the aircraft using the appropriate throttle and manage the energy control system. They can redirect onboard energy to engines, weapons and shields, depending on the current strategy. Although it is possible to play with the joystick, the gamepad is the most accessible control system for players: with the left stick you act on the roll while with the right one on the turn. A few minutes of gameplay are enough to acquire sensitivity and familiarize yourself with these controls.
Obviously the real added value of this gaming experience is the Oculus Quest 2 viewer because it increases the level of involvement simply impossible with traditional methods. When you board the X-wing for the first time it is a unique emotion: we turn to give the okay to our astromech droid, we check all the ship’s equipment and take a close look at the instrumentation, when the upper bulkhead closes we are alone with our aircraft. During the battle, then, you can turn around to follow the maneuvers of the opposing fighters and thus have precise control and 360 degrees of action around us. Star Wars Squadrons is fully optimized for this type of experience and you live completely from the first person perspective, both when on the ground and, of course, when in flight.
The main game mode is the so-called “Fleet Battles , which involves 5 pilots per squadron. even the flagships, small star cruisers and support ships to be used as a siege tower in offensives. Crucial for the outcome of the battle is “morale”: your squadron acquires it as you take out the opposing pilots (which can be other players or managed by the AI), while it is reduced when there are too many losses. With high morale you can attack the enemy flagship, while otherwise you have to retrace your steps and defend.
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners provat or with Oculus Quest 2
The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a very different game from Star Wars Squadrons, because it was designed from the ground up for Oculus Quest 2 and its interfacing system, then the Oculus Touch. It is an open-world role-playing game in a survival context, which in some ways resembles Zombies U. The movement mechanics are similar to those of shooters or first-person games for VR: you move with the lever of the left Oculus Touch and change direction with that of the Oculus Touch held with the right hand.
The player must move the left hand towards the left hip, press the dorsal of the ‘Oculus Touch corresponding, to grab the flashlight, and then the trigger to turn it on. By placing the right arm next to the right hip and pressing the dorsal of the other Oculus Touch, however, you grab the weapon, which can be a blunt weapon such as a screwdriver or a knife or a firearm. To reload, take the ammunition from the corresponding pouch on the front and bring the magazine close to the butt of the weapon, then release the safety with your right hand.
The player can also grab an ax with both hands and to knock out walkers must perform sweeping movements bringing the weapons to the skull of the walkers. Once the weapons are stuck in their skulls, you have to pull them out with quick movements. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is a horror game that includes a lot of fear in the player, accentuated by VR. Wandering around a graveyard full of walkers, while you hear the murmur of one of them, aching and hungry, but can’t pinpoint its location, is truly heart pounding.
Completely innovative gameplay aspects for the traditional gamer, not yet accustomed to VR. Which add up, however, to more traditional aspects: players can crouch down, by pressing a button, and silently approach threats to knock them out without consuming resources. Bringing the arm to the back, on the other hand, allows you to take the backpack, or the inventory with all the resources needed for survival and the crafting of new objects, which takes place through the special classic workbenches. Wrapping the left hand around the injured right hand also applies the bandages, essential for recovering vital resources after an unfortunate encounter with a walker.
Although The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners relies only on the hardware of Quest 2, and therefore has a “mobile game” graphics, it turns out to be an innovative and absolutely engaging product, fun to play for its open world RPG mechanics similar to those of a title desktop. As always happens when in VR you move with the lever, and not with your legs, however, it produces not a little motion sickness.
Conclusions
Oculus Quest 2 is finally a complete and affordable product, a real milestone for VR which, as is known, has had a rather long and troubled gestation phase. It is evident that behind the o
Best Samsung TVs Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s guide to the best Samsung TVs you can buy in 2020.
Obviously it makes sense to shop around when buying a new TV. But if you’ve previously owned a Samsung and want to stick with what you know, there are some impressive screens out there.
From monster sets to more moderately-sized models, from very affordable to very expensive, Samsung has TVs to suit all tastes, spaces and budgets.
Before you lay down your cash, there are a few things to consider. 4K and HDR will improve the picture quality drastically, but only when fed compatible content, so check your source. And do remember that no Samsung sets support Dolby Vision – instead they feature Samsung’s own rival format, HDR10+.
Samsung was also the first to sell 8K sets in the UK. While there’s still no 8K content currently available, they do upscale 4K content using Samsung’s processing tech, and generally do it very well.
Then there’s which size to go for. Measure where you’ll put it and see which size set will suit you best. Bigger isn’t always better – if it towers over your sofa, you might need to reconsider.
You should also check the small print for things such as the number of HDMI and USB sockets. While these details might seem relatively minor, they make all the difference when it comes to getting set up.
Finally, consider whether you want a brand new 2020 set or an outgoing 2019 model. It might be obvious that you’d want a new model, but you’ll likely make a big saving if you go for a discounted 2019 TV. Here’s how you distinguish one from the other: Samsung’s 2019 models are from the ‘R’ range, so look for an ‘R’ at the end of the model number if it’s a QLED or an ‘RU’ in the middle if it’s an LCD. 2020 TVs have a ‘T’ instead.
QLED TV: Samsung’s next-gen TV tech explained
Which 2020 Samsung QLED TV should you buy?
(Image credit: Samsung / Truth Seekers, Amazon Prime)
1. Samsung QE55Q90T
Samsung’s top 4K model for 2020 is punchy, feature-packed and good value.
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 55in (also available in 65in, 75in) | Type: QLED | Backlight: direct LED | Resolution: 4K | HDR formats supported: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ | Operating system: Tizen | HDMI inputs: 4 | ARC/eARC: eARC | Optical output: Yes | Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 71 x 123 x 3.5cm
Reasons to Buy
Brilliantly bright and punchy
Superb operating system
Improved motion and sound
Reasons to Avoid
Slightly exaggerated colours
OLEDs offer better blacks
The Samsung Q90T is a slightly tricky proposition. It’s the top 4K TV in Samsung’s 2020 TV range, but as a result of the company’s increased focus on 8K models, it’s also less of a flagship model than last year’s Q90R.
Whether you consider the Q90T to be the true successor to the Q90R or not, it is a better TV overall. It has a more natural balance, significantly better motion and a much-improved sound system. It’s true that it doesn’t go quite as bright or quite as black but, in fairness to Samsung, the Q90T is also more aggressively priced.
More important than how it fares against its discontinued sibling, though, is how it fares against similarly priced 2020 TVs such as the LG OLED55CX and Philips 55OLED805. These sets go blacker and, in the case of the LG, produce brighter highlights in otherwise dark images, but the Samsung is vastly punchier with almost everything you watch and images pop from the screen in a way that OLEDs still can’t match. It also has the best, most app-packed operating system by quite a margin, and a feature set that will keep it relevant for years to come.
There’s no doubt that the Samsung Q90T is an excellent TV, and you certainly shouldn’t discount it for not being an OLED or not having as many dimming zones as its ‘predecessor’.
Read the full Samsung QE55Q90T review
(Image credit: Samsung / Fear The Walking Dead, Amazon Prime )
2. Samsung UE43TU7100
A strikingly good performance-per-pound proposition.
This is one of the cheapest 4K TVs that Samsung currently offers. But fear not, it still boasts Samsung’s core performance and feature set, at a smaller size and a lower price. In short, it’s pretty much the best cheap TV you can buy.
Most 43in TVs offer about a tenth of the features of a bigger set, but not this one. The Tizen operating system is identical to that found on pricier sets, with the same winning UI and stacked app selection. It’s 4K, naturally, HDR formats are well catered for (with the exception of Dolby Vision, which no Samsung sets support), and it supports Auto Low Latency Mode, which switches the TV to game mode when it detects a gaming signal. That’s a feature missing from many much pricier sets, such as the 48in Sony in the top spot on this list.
The contrast ratio isn’t as impressive as an OLED or QLED TV, of course, but that’s to be expected. The blacks are actually surprisingly deep for a TV this affordable, and there’s a hefty amount of punch. The TU7100 is a sharp and detailed performer, too, and it handles motion with a good balance of smoothing and authenticity. It’s an excellent picture performance for a TV of this size, and you’d have to spend a fair bit more to get a significant improvement.
Read the full Samsung UE43TU7100 review
(Image credit: Future / How to build a girl, Amazon Prime)
3. Samsung UE55TU8000
The new TU8000 represents exceptional value for money.
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 55in (also available in 43in, 50in, 65in, 75in and 82in) | Type: LCD | Backlight: edge LED | Resolution: 4K | HDR formats supported: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ | Operating system: Tizen | HDMI inputs: 4 | ARC/eARC: eARC | Optical output: Yes | Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 71 x 123 x 6cm
Reasons to Buy
Brilliant HDR picture
Bags of tonal detail
Punchy colours
Reasons to Avoid
Not particularly bright
Uninspiring sound
Samsung’s 8-series has traditionally been positioned just below the company’s glamorous range-topping QLEDs. In the past, it has proven to be the sweet spot where picture quality and price intersect to maximum effect. And so it proves once more.
The TU8000 is astonishingly good value. For comparatively very little money you’re getting a 55-inch TV that performs brilliantly, particularly with HDR content, and boasts the best, most app-laden operating system available at any price.
It’s sound is only so-so and it’s lacking the outright brightness and next-gen HDMI features of its premium siblings, but it’s still undeniably brilliant for the money.
Read the full Samsung UE55TU8000 review
(Image credit: Samsung / Truth Seekers, Amazon Prime)
4. Samsung UE50TU8500
A great 4K TV for those on a tight budget.
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 50in (also available in 43in, 55in and 65in) | Type: LCD | Backlight: edge LED | Resolution: 4K | HDR formats supported: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ | Operating system: Tizen | HDMI inputs: 3 | ARC/eARC: eARC | Optical output: Yes | Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 64 x 112 x 5.7cm
Reasons to Buy
Deep, detailed blacks
Solid 4K
Exhaustive app selection
Reasons to Avoid
Slightly red colour balance
This is the price where TVs tip over from budget to mid range. And this set is the new best in class.
The feature set is very impressive, with ALLM, eARC, 4K and three formats of HDR supported. There’s no VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), but at this price, that’s hardly surprising. The Tizen OS is the same as seen on Samsung’s flagship TVs, which means a slick user interface and apps galore.
It comes with Samsung’s standard remote, plus its One Remote, which is more ergonomic and has a stripped-back selection of buttons that cover all of the bases. Voice controls are handled by Amazon’s Alexa or Samsung’s Bixby personal assistants, with Google Assistant due to land soon via a firmware update.
Picture-wise, it blows most of the similarly priced competition out of the water, with deeper blacks and bright white highlights. On the motion side of things, it displays a satisfyingly natural degree of smoothing, and manages to dig up plenty of detail. At this price, there really is no competition.
Read the full Samsung UE50TU8500 review
(Image credit: Samsung)
5. Samsung QE75Q950TS
Makes the most compelling case for 8K TV yet.
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 75in (also available in 65in and 85in) | Type: QLED | Backlight: not applicable | Resolution: 8K | HDR formats supported: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ | Operating system: Tizen | HDMI inputs: 4 | ARC/eARC: eARC | Optical output: Yes | Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 81 x 143 x 1.5cm
Reasons to Buy
Brilliantly sharp, detailed 4K
Bright, punchy and vibrant
Near-flawless feature set
Reasons to Avoid
No Dolby Vision
Local dimming peculiarities
Only one HDMI 2.1 socket
We’ll just come out and say it: you don’t need an 8K TV. 8K content is thin on the ground, so for the most part, you’ll be paying for something you don’t use. On the other hand, if you’re happy to spend the money, an 8K set could be a sound investment – it’ll also play 4K content, after all, and if you don’t want to buy another TV when 8K takes off, paying once could be the smart option.
The Samsung QE75Q950TS is not only a wise investment for 8K, it also manages to improve on 4K content.
That’s thanks to Samsung’s Quantum Processor 8K and its 8K AI Upscaling feature, which succeed in making non-8K content look better than ever: watching a 4K Blu-ray, we can’t recall a sharper 4K picture, with nothing looking artificially enhanced or exaggerated – it simply pops from the screen more than we’ve previously seen.
Blacks are deep and insightful, while motion is handled with aplomb. Away from the picture, the TV itself is stylish, super slim, and the bezels are amazingly thin. It sounds pretty great, too. Ticks all the boxes, then.
Read the full Samsung QE75Q950TS review
(Image credit: Samsung / The Last Narc, Amazon Prime)
6. Samsung QE55Q80T
This 2020 TV is an excellent performance-per-pound proposition
SPECIFICATIONS
Screen size: 55in (also available in 49in, 65in, 75in, 85in) | Type: QLED | Backlight: direct LED | Resolution: 4K | HDR formats supported: HDR10, HLG, HDR10+ | Operating system: Tizen | HDMI inputs: 4 | ARC/eARC: eARC | Optical output: Yes | Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 71 x 123 x 5.4cm
Reasons to Buy
Excellent contrast and colours
Three-dimensional and detailed
Solid, spacious sound
Reasons to Avoid
Occasionally overcooks colours
Slightly exaggerates film grain
This new Samsung QLED sets a formidable benchmark for mid-range TVs in 2020, offering a high-end performance at a fairly mid-range price.
The Q80T looks much like any other Samsung QLED, although it is a little bit chunkier than the Q90T. There’s nothing wrong with the specs of the connections, either: the four HDMI inputs support the key features of HDMI 2.1, such as eARC, VRR and HFR.
4K HDR streaming is available via the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+. In fact, the app support is superb, with pretty much every video and music streaming site you can think of on offer here.
A simple TV to set-up when it comes to getting the best possible picture, the Q80T ultimately delivers a brilliantly dynamic image with deep black levels, excellent contrast and neutral but vibrant colours. While there are rare occasions when watching HDR that a skin tone seems slightly overcooked, the colour balance is a great strength overall, while motion is handled confidently and smoothly throughout our testing. And while we’d recommend a soundbar or some speakers, Samsung’s Object Tracking Sound technology provides open, engaging audio.
This is the first mid-range 55-inch TV we’ve seen in 2020, but the Samsung QE55Q80T sets a formidable benchmark thanks to its dynamic and solid picture, substantial sound and thorough feature set.
Read the full Samsung QE55Q80T review
(Image credit: Future / El Corazón de Sergio Ramos, Amazon Prime )
7. Samsung QE65Q95T
It’s perhaps not the flagship TV we were expecting, but the Q95T is still a cracking set
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: QLED | Backlight: Direct LED | Resolution: 4K | Operating system: Tizen | HDR support: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG | HDMI inputs: 4 | USBs: 3 | Optical output: Yes | Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 83 x 145 x 3.5cm
Reasons to Buy
Rich, solid, natural picture
Very good motion
Improved sound
Reasons to Avoid
‘Predecessor’ was punchier
Brand new for 2020, the Q95T shares the top spot in Samsung’s 2020 4K TV range with the Q90T. The only differences between the two are that the Q95T gets a more stylish, metal remote and the One Connect system, which sees all connections (including power) routed through a separate box that can be easily hidden away.
Somewhat disappointingly, the Q95T and Q90T have fewer dimming zones and go less bright than the Q90R, but they’re otherwise better in every meaningful way. They deliver a richer, more solid and more natural picture, as well as better sound.
The Tizen operating system is largely unchanged, and that’s no bad thing. No other operating system has as much content or more quickly gets you to what you want to watch.
If you’re after Samsung’s top 4K model, the sensible money would be spend on the Q90T, but if you like the idea of extremely clever and neat One Connect solution, there’s nothing wrong with spending the extra money on the Q95T.
Read the full Samsung QE65Q95T review
(Image credit: Future / Expanse, Amazon Prime )
8. Samsung UE43RU7020
If the price is right, then this strong budget TV has to be considered.
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: LCD with edge LED backlight | Resolution: 4K | Operating system: Tizen | HDR support: HDR10, HDR10+, HLG | HDMI inputs: 3 | USB inputs: 2 | Optical output: Yes | Dimensions (hwd, without stand): 56 x 97 x 5.8cm
Reasons to Buy
Good HDR handling
Excellent smart platform
Strong detail and scaling
Reasons to Avoid
Unimpressive audio
Slight colour inconsistency
The Samsung UE43RU7020 is the smallest size of the cheapest range of Samsung’s 2019 current TVs. If you are strapped for cash but still want to buy an excellent, small(ish) screen, this is the one.
Black levels and detail are very good for a TV at this price – we’re not talking OLED standards, but this is no hazy production – and there’s good control of lighting. The 4K detail is good, too, and colours are natural if not quite of the richness Samsung is capable further up the food chain.
As a small, budget TV, the UE43RU7020 deserves to be taken seriously.
Read the full Samsung UE43RU7020 review
MORE:
Samsung 2020 TV line-up: everything you need to know
Huawei has launched the nova 7 SE 5G Youth Edition smartphone in China and it comes with the MediaTek Dimensity SoC 800 U instead of their own Kirin.
The Huawei nova are smartphones with medium-high performance which are usually around 300 Euros. These devices, until now, made use of Huawei’s own processors , the Kirin. As we saw last year, the nova 6 5G came with the powerful Kirin 990, while the nova 7 SE, launched this year in April, came with the Kirin 820. The continuous restrictions on Huawei by the US are taking a toll and the manufacturer had to stop the production of its Kirin Due to the ban imposed by the US government on TSMC to stop manufacturing SoCs for Huawei, so now the manufacturer is looking for other alternatives such as direct purchase of SoCs from MediaTek .
Trade war restrictions make Huawei opt for third-party SoCs instead of its own Kirin on the nova 7 SE 5G Youth Edition smartphone
In this way, the Huawei nova 7 SE 5G Youth Edition incorporates the Dimensity 800 U instead of their own Kirin, and is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB internal without microSD slot. The screen is 6.5 “LCD and FHD + resolution and has a notch that houses a front camera of 16 MP. At the rear we find 4 additional cameras in configuration 64 + 8 + 2 + 2 MP . Fingerprint sensor is located on the side and the integrated battery reaches 4000 mAh with fast charge of 40 W by USB-C.
He Huawei nova 7 SE 5G Youth Edition has gone on sale in China for the equivalent of 290 Euros.
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Pablo López
With 15 to Years ago I started overclocking my PC to get every extra FPS I could in games and scratch a few milliseconds in SuperPi, while I was constantly posting about hardware on the Geeknetic forum as a user and reader. They were probably so fed up with continually reading me on the forum that I became part of the writing team, where I continue to report on the latest in technology. Astrophysics and PC games are the hobbies that, after hardware, cover most of my free time.
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Paradoxically, but it would only take 5 years for the first prototype of a high-refresh LCD display (120 Hz) appeared at the Nvidia Nvision event 2008 and another year until the final product reached retail. And as expected, the first implementations did not enjoy commercial success, this being the case of any technology at the beginning of the road, and professional gamers still prefer CRT monitors, due to the advantages offered by the mature technology incorporated in them.
It took another 3 years from that moment until the appearance of the first monitors with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, in 2012, one year until the appearance of the first monitor with a refresh rate of 240 Hz, in 2013, respectively 7 years until the first monitors with a refresh rate of 360 Hz were announced at CES 2020.
And as in the case of each field, respectively each emerging technology, the first implementations always had shortcomings, from the exclusive use of TN panels in the first years, to the availability only in formats small size (22, . 5, 24 ″) and until the mediocre reproduction of the colors, the users being often put in the situation of choose between a display with a high refresh rate for gaming and a display equipped with a quality IPS panel for other tasks.
Technological progress has made its presence felt in this field as well, so in recent years we have seen good quality IPS panels with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, and last year displays appeared with a refresh rate of 240 Hz, equipped
The novelty collection consists of four models according to leaks – iPhone mini , iPhone 11 iPhone, Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Apple has unexpectedly unveiled the new iPhone at its launch today collection. The new smartphone series brings with it a revamped, more angular design, the Apple A 14 system circuit and 5G connections. Released phones confirm the leak reported last week as true. In addition to the phones, Apple also unveiled the HomePod Mini smartphone speaker, which was also predicted in the aforementioned year.
All telephones are connected by an A which you can read more about in the news about it a month ago. In short, however, the circuit is the mobile system’s first 5nm-wide system circuit, which is also Apple’s first circuit to support 5G connections. Apple promises the circuit to be up to 30 faster than other mobile system circuits so CPU as well as the GPU.
5G support was one of the main themes of Apple’s launch event. With 5G support, the manufacturer promised a collection of iPhone 14 reach transmission speeds of up to 4 Gb / s at its fastest, but unfortunately mmWave support, which offers the toughest speeds, remains a U.S. treat. To improve the higher power consumption observed on other mobile devices on 5G networks, Apple has developed a mode called Smart Mode, which in practice means that the phone only uses 5G when it detects higher-speed usage on the phone. In this case, the phone spends most of its time on 4G networks.
Another novelty that unites all iPhone is MagSafe -charge. A term familiar from the magnetic chargers on Apple’s older MacBook laptops is borrowed from the iPhone world to describe the magnetic circle found on the back of the phone, which allows you to use both accessories and a wireless charger that resembles an Apple Watch charger. At the launch, Apple promoted MagSafe magnets with, among other things, a snap-on card case and a MagSafe charger, both of which are available directly through Apple’s website 68 and at euro guide prices
In addition to the redesigned design, Apple has also introduced a new glass structure using the Ceramic Shield marketing term for all phones, which, according to the manufacturer, offers up to four times the drop resistance of previously used glass. All new iPhone – a rating that promises the phone to last 30 immersion in water to a depth of 6 meters
There has also been a change in the delivery content, as Apple no longer has new iPhone 12 models provide power directly to the phone, but only a Lightning-connected cable with a USB Type-C connector on the other end for attachment to the consumer’s own charger.
At the bottom of the collection to replace last year’s iPhone 12 Apple released new iPhone and more affordable iPhone mini, both of which will rank earlier this year above the released iPhone SE. The phones are almost identical in features, but they are distinguished by screen sizes and, as is typical of Apple, also different resolutions due to the screen size. iPhone 11 screen size is familiar from last year 6.1 inches, but the screen with the Super Retina XDR name has an even higher resolution 2532 x 1170, which provides 460 pixel density of ppi. iPhone 12 mini display is significantly smaller 5, 4 inches and resolution 2340 x 476, which provides 476 ppi pixel density. Compared to the previous year, the Super Retina XDR screen also differs in technology, as Apple has moved to the iPhone 11 from the LCD panel found on the OLED display. iPhone 11 and 11 The mini displays naturally also support HDR material and offer up to 1200 the maximum brightness. However, the typical maximum brightness is familiar from the iPhone 12 650 staples
For the camera range 12 and mini offer 11) is a wide-angle camera that serves as the main camera and 120 an ultra-wide-angle camera with a degree angle of view. However, the camera system has not remained the same in other respects, but development has taken place. The aperture ratio of the main camera has increased to f1.6, in addition to which the number of elements in its lens has increased from six to seven. Also on the software side, the phone has been promised development with more advanced HDR mode and Dolby Vision support for video recording, among other things. In addition, image stabilization for video recording has been developed according to the manufacturer. In other respects, video recording supports the already familiar 4K Flevel video, both front and back also with rear cameras
iPhone 11 Pro and Max Max, in turn, will replace last year’s iPhone according to its names 10 Pro and 10 Pro Max models. As the clearest innovation in addition to the redesigned design of the phones 12 series – Pro models have increased the size of their screens. iPhone ‘s Pro’s screen is 6.1 ”And iPhone 10 The Pro Max display is 6, 7 ”, while on the last generation Pro models they were 5.8 ″ and 6.5 ″. In addition, the amount of storage space for price-from-models has been increased from last year’s 52 gigabyte 120 gigabyte.
From the basic models, the Pro models differ in their camera features, although there are also differences between the Pro models. Both Pro models offer three cameras – an ultra-wide-angle camera, a wide-angle camera that serves as the main camera, and a telephoto camera – in addition to the LiDAR sensor familiar from the iPad Pro. iPhone 11 The Pro’s ultra-wide angle camera is on paper 11 and 12 familiar from the mini, as well as the main camera, although the pixel size of the main camera is defined by Apple 11 Prolle 1.4 um when 12 and 12 for which the size is not mentioned. For the camera of the iPhone Pro offers 30 Focal length, i.e. traditional 2x zoom, 6-element lens, optical image stabilization and quite bright f2.0 aperture ratio.
iPhone 10 The Max Max, on the other hand, offers the ultra-wide-angle camera familiar from the smaller Pro. , but differs for the main camera and the TV camera. 10 The pixel size of the Pro Max main camera is a notch larger than 1, 7 μm, in addition to which, in support of the optical image stabilization of the lens, it also offers an optical image stabilizer that moves the entire cell, which has previously been seen mainly in advanced SLR camera stabilizers. For the camera, the iPhone Max Max offers a notch higher zoom mm pol
João Silva 1 day ago Featured Announcement, Monitors
AOC and Porsche Design have partnered up using both the sophistication and functionality of Porsche Design and AOC’s display technology to create new high-performance gaming monitors with sleek aesthetics.
Porsche Design has been known for creating exceptional designs for unique lifestyle products. The company’s design core idea is to “optimise form and function by discovering new and innovative solutions”. On the other hand, we have AOC, a subsidiary of the world’s largest LCD monitor manufacturer, which focus on delivering high-performance gaming monitors through its AOC Gaming and AGON product lines.
With this partnership, both companies will have the chance to apply their strongest points to create new gaming monitors, with the first one coming in autumn 2020. The gaming monitor market (+144Hz) had a 76% YoY at the end of 2019. Given this increase in popularity, Porsche Design will be able to provide “exclusive lifestyle-brand access” to more gamers. Using their experience in motorsports, monitors will be perfect for the company’s transition from sports to esports.
Jan Becker, CEO of Porsche Design, stated the company already has an “exclusive range of consumer electronic products” and with the growth of the gaming market, gaming monitors were the best fit into Porsche Design’s product lineup.
Nico Vernieuwe, SVP branded business at TPV Technology (AOC parent company), claimed that Porsche Design “heritage goes perfectly with AOC’s state-of-the-art display technology”, allowing both companies to provide gamers with a unique gaming experience through stylish and high-performance monitors.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru says: What do you think of this partnership? Will you keep your eyes on AOC/Porsche Design’s upcoming gaming monitors?
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