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Acer Predator Triton 500 (2020) review: Sensational gaming powerhouse

(Pocket-lint) – The Acer Predator Triton 500 has been upgraded with some subtle yet awesome enhancements – including a 300Hz screen and serious specs – to help it reach its lofty gaming goals.

When we tried 2019’s Triton 500 we had a lot of good things to say about it. We were fairly sure that if Acer had taken that foundation and built upon it with even better features and specs then the new Triton would be a winner. Sure enough, that’s exactly what the 2020 Triton achieves.

Power and punch in a compact chassis

Intel Core i7-10875H processor, up to 32GB of DDR4-2933 memory
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU with Max-Q design
Killer 2.5G E3100G Gigabit Ethernet, Killer DoubleShot Pro networking
Killer AX1650i Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
1x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 (Thunderbolt 3)
3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports
DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0
DisplayPort over USB-C
Thickness: 17.9mm / Weight: 2.1kg

On the surface, the Acer Predator Triton 500 looks much like the previous version. With a nicely crafted chassis, comfortable backlit keyboard, a mass of ports, and stylish cooling vents.

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Most of the upgrades come under the hood and out of sight. With the latest 10th generation Intel processors and options that include as much as 32GB of RAM and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU with Max-Q design.

The 1080p screen has been upgraded too, where last year’s model offered 144Hz refresh rate, this version now boasts a 300Hz panel. But there’s much more going on under the hood too.

The cooling system now includes Acer’s fourth-generation AeroBlade 3D fan technology, five heat pipes, CoolBoost tech and Vortex Flow too. All this means an apparent 33 per cent improvement in thermal performance compared to the previous model. In practice, that means it runs cooler and more efficiently.

We’re happy to report that it certainly ran cooler and quieter than other gaming laptops we’ve tested recently (we’re looking at you Asus) even when gaming on the lap. That’s great considering the extra powerful specs under the hood.

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Of course, you need that power to make the most of the new screen. When we first heard Acer was adding a 300Hz display to the Triton 500 we wondered whether there was any point. Would any games even run at a frame rate to justify it?

The answer is yes. Even on ultra-high nightmare settings, Doom Eternal topped over 200fps and CS:Go pushed over 300fps in some instances. So the Acer Triton 500 has the power to deliver. Though, obviously, the more visually intense games won’t make the most of this panel unless you lower the graphics settings.

Best PC games to buy: Fantastic games to add to your collection

It’s not just the screen that pleases though. The Triton 500 is lightweight and portable too. It’s packed full of ports and connection options, with HDMI, Thunderbolt, USB-C, DisplayPort and Ethernet all easily accessible. Throw in some KillerNetworking and Wi-Fi 6 comptability and you’ve got a nifty machine.

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We found this compact laptop as pleasing to use for work as it is for gaming. The main downside being the battery life, which manages a fairly paltry (if standard for gaming laptop) three hours of basic use.

The 15.6-inch screen has a much bigger presence than you’d expect for a small device. But if you need more then you can use the combination of DisplayPort, HDMI and Thunderbolt to put out to three other screens and run a total of four from this laptop at once.

Stunning visuals and fast too

15.6-inch IPS 1080p LED-backlit TFT LCD display with Acer ComfyView
Up to 300Hz refresh with 3ms Overdrive and Nvidia G-Sync support
300nit brightness
Ray-tracing capable GPU options
3DMark benchmark scores: Sky Diver, Fire Strike, Time Spy, Timespy Extreme, Port Royal, PC Mark

The display is where the Acer Triton 500 shines. Thin bezels, 300 nits brightness ,and Acer ComfyView technology, all heps makes it easy on the eye for general use. Then in gaming it really gets to come into its own thanks to the 300Hz refresh rate.

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In fast-paced frantic games, like Doom Eternal, the display really shows its value. The already smooth visuals can be enhanced further with Nvidia G-Sync which can be activated in the PredatorSense software to remove screen tearing and make things even more pleasing.

It’s rich and colourful too, with good viewing angles and frankly we found it joyful to play on. It’s easy to forget you’re playing on a laptop screen and just get lost in the game, something that can sometimes be a struggle on smaller gaming laptops.

Of course, the inclusion of the RTX graphics card means you can make the most of ray-tracing if you want. We did just that with Control. Playing with everything maxed out, including the various ray-tracing settings turned on. The result is a gorgeous game that still manages to run smoothly.

Best laptop 2020: Top general and premium notebooks for working from home and more

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Elsewhere on ultra settings Assassin’s Creed Odysessy managed around 60fps and Far Cry: New Dawn registered around 102fps. Performance that shouldn’t be sniffed at.

Software and sound highlights

Predator Sense software
Fan control, monitoring and game sync settings
Turbo and overclocking modes including screen Overdrive and G-Sync

Another area Acer has got right is the software controls. A single press on the keyboard and you can launch the Predator Sense software. From there, you not only have the ability to monitor the performance of your system but also overclock the laptop with a couple of simple clicks. You can adjust fan speed, turn on Cool Boost and more from here too, meaning you can eke out some more performance if you need it.

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We like how user-friendly Predator Sense is. Even for the average user the controls are simple enough to get more power out of it with just a few clicks. There are extra settings you can access via this control panel, including network optimisation with the Killer Control Center or DTS:X Ultra sound.

DTS:X gives the Triton 500 a suprisingly good sound, with convincing positional audio. We enjoyed using the speakers on this laptop, which itself speaks volumes as we usually find ourselves abandoning speakers in favour of headphones or a good gaming headset to block out the inane fan noise. Audio can be tweaked to change between modes too with strategy, RPG and shooter options making nice changes to the sound.

An upgraded keyboard with cool accents

Full-sized keyboard options with 100% anti-ghosting
New design with per key illumination, enlarged spacebar and concave design
Easy access control keys and turbo/Predator Sense keys
See-through WASD and directional keys

We thoroughly enjoyed the keyboard on the previous Triton 500 and now Acer has taken steps to improve it. One upgrade is the addition of per-key RGB illumination. On 2019’s Triton 500 the RGB backlighting could only be controlled in three zones, but now you can change every single key. The lighting modes appear more striking as well, with colourful lights dancing across the keyboard in some of the most satisfying ways we’ve seen.

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Other highlights include see-through WASD and directional keys – which make them stand out at night and generally during the day. This design means it’s easier to keep your hands in the right place while gaming and see with a quick glance where the important buttons are. The Predator Sense button has a similar design logic, making the focus very much gaming centric.

Verdict

The Acer Predator Triton 500 seemingly has it all – if you can stomach the price tag and put up with the average battery life, but of course.

Even so, with its 2020 enhancements we think the Triton 500 is a fantastic gaming machine. Its beefy specs, great connectivity options, snazzy design, and an eye-pleasing screen make it a real winner.

Also consider

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Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15

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The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 has a price tag that’ll make you cry, but it also has a lot going for it. An insane spec, two screens, side slung trackpad and great performance too. It runs a bit hot but it’s a real head-turner.

Read our review

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Gigabyte Aorus 15G

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The Gigabyte Aorus 15G is uncompromising just like the Triton 500. It’s also interesting for a number of reasons, not least of which is a proper mechanical keyboard – an unusual sight on a gaming laptop.

Read our review

Writing by Adrian Willings. Editing by Mike Lowe.

Best 8K TVs 2020: the ultimate 8K resolution televisions

Best 8K TV Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best 8K TVs you can buy in 2020.

One day, 8K TVs will drive 4K TVs into extinction. It won’t be for a while yet, but with the likes of Sony, Samsung and LG already selling 8K TV sets (and others such as Panasonic and Philips set to join them in the coming months), it looks like next-generation TVs with a whole heap more pixels will one day be in living rooms across the land.

They’re expensive (at least right now), but 8K TVs offer four times the pixel density of their 4K TV siblings. That makes for a stunningly lifelike picture that represents a massive step up from 4K.

Sadly, there’s more or less no 8K content available at the moment. In the meantime, 8K TVs make themselves useful by upscaling 4K, HD and even standard-def content. That means you can expect a gloriously cinematic experience right now, even though 8K content is far from mainstream.

So what should you look for when buying an 8K TV? Good upscaling is absolutely critical – you want all of the content you watch now to look great, and that involves the TV doing lots of clever processing. It’s also worth looking for HDMI 2.1 ports, too, as they have baked-in support for higher resolutions and frame rates.

Beyond that, you’re looking for broadly the same qualities you’d seek in a 4K TV: great colours, contrast, sharpness and detail; a user-friendly and app-packed operating system; good sound and a smart design.

Jump straight to our pick of the best 8K TVs

What is 8K?

What we’re talking about here is resolution. This means the number of horizontal and vertical pixels. Pixels equal information, so more pixels should mean a better quality image. That’s the theory, at least.

In the case of 8K, this means a horizontal resolution of 7680 pixels and a vertical resolution of 4320 pixels (7680 x 4320), resulting in a display that consists of just under 33 million pixels.

By comparison, 4K video has half the number of horizontal lines and half the number of vertical lines (3840 x 2160), equating to a total pixel count of around 8.3 million.

So, yes, 8K has four times as many pixels as 4K (and 16 times the number of Full HD, for what it’s worth).

Who is making 8K content?

8K video developments to date have largely been driven by filmmakers and TV broadcasters. From a video-editing point of view, the higher resolution can be useful. While filmmakers may not ultimately deliver an 8K film, shooting in the higher resolution gives editors room to manoeuvre, allowing for cropping and zooming while still retaining a high-resolution image. That said, 6K cameras are currently far more prevalent in Hollywood.

Meanwhile in Japan, broadcasters have been experimenting with 8K TV for some time. Back in 2015 the Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, NHK, ran a series of 8K trials, and in 2016 the company announced it was successfully demoing 8K broadcasts. So successful were the trials, NHK has now launched the world’s first 8K television channel. Since 1st December 2018, it has broadcast 8K TV shows on a daily basis, 12 hours a day, and even broadcast the 2019 Rugby World Cup in 8K. Next up is the Tokyo Olympics, which is now scheduled to take place in the summer of 2021.

The Korean Broadcasting Corporation (KBS) is also researching 8K broadcasts, working with LG on content, possible broadcasts and displays – there was 8K experimentation at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. And if you were in Brazil at the time, you could have watched the 2018 World Cup in 8K.

The likes of Netflix and YouTube were, of course, quick out of the blocks when it came to 4K content, and now streaming site Vimeo has jumped aboard with 8K. A recent update adds support for HDR and 8K resolution videos. Naturally, you will need an 8K screen to take advantage, and you might be hard-pushed to find anything truly worth watching.

Rakuten TV wants to become a true global alternative to Amazon Video and Netflix, and has ambitious plans to help that become a reality. Along with a rapid expansion into new countries, it seems 8K content is also part of the strategy – the company announced plans to have 8K films on its service by the end of 2019, although all has since gone rather quiet on that front.

How do we choose the best 8K TVs?

Here at What Hi-Fi? we review hundreds of products every year – and that includes plenty of TVs. So how do we come to our review verdicts? And why can you trust them?

We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London and Bath, where our team of expert reviewers do all of our testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency.

All products are tested in comparison with rival products in the same price category, and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer, again helping to ensure consistency and avoiding any personal preference.

The What Hi-Fi? team has more than 100 years experience of reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics.

From all of our reviews, we choose the products to feature in our Best Buys. That’s why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended below, or on any other Best Buy page, you can be assured you’re getting a What Hi-Fi? approved product.

The best 8K TVs right now

(Image credit: Samsung)

1. Samsung QE75Q950TS

Makes the most compelling case for 8K TV yet.

SPECIFICATIONS

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: Sony)

2. Sony KD-85ZG9

Sony’s first 8K TV is thrilling – and sets a new TV benchmark.

SPECIFICATIONS

Reasons to Buy

8K is utterly stunning

Punchy, vibrant and natural

Excellent motion and strong sound

Reasons to Avoid

Hugely expensive

Blacks could be deeper

This 85-inch Sony 8K TV, known as the ZG9 in the UK and Z9G in the US, offers an astonishingly-lifelike image and almost no downsides in terms of performance. Convincing blacks, superb motion control, outstanding upscaling – this TV excels in every area.

Sony’s X1 Ultimate chip and 8K X-Reality Pro tech do a superb job of upscaling, adding detail that looks completely natural, ensuring an incredibly immersive performance with HD and 4K content.

Sound is equally spectacular. Four sets of three forward-firing speakers and four woofers help deliver dramatic sound that outshines the average soundbar.

There’s plenty of support for streaming apps, including Netflix and Amazon Video (in 4K and Dolby Vision), and Google Play TV and Movies. Sony’s Android-powered user interface isn’t quite as good as Samsung’s but the ZG9 comes with Google Assistant and is ‘Works with Alexa’-certified, so it’s responsive to voice commands.

You’ll need seriously deep pockets, but for the bleeding edge of 8K TV tech, look no further than the Sony KD-85ZG9 – the finest 8K TV we’ve reviewed.

Read the full Sony KD-85ZG9 8K TV review

5G explained: the network, phones, speeds and more

Fujifilm X-S10 initial review: Big features in a small, simplified package

(Pocket-lint) – The Fujifilm X-S10 has arrived to shake up the Japanese camera maker’s typical dial-heavy design with something altogether simplier. Well, that’s how you might see it if you’re already invested in an X-series camera, such as the X-T4.

But the X-S10 isn’t really for existing Fujifilm users, this is the company’s long-distance wave to prospective Canon and Nikon users in some regard – the ones who, since those companies pushed hard in EOS R and Nikon Z respectively, probably can’t keep up with the expected cash flow of such pricey bodies and new lenses.

Now, the X-S10 isn’t ultra-budget by any means – as in, it’s under four-figures, rather than costing a couple of grand – but as a solid investment it might make sense. It’s got much of the X-T4’s capabilities – the same sensor, the same autofocus system – but at a cut of the cost. So what gives?

X-S10: Design

Body dimensions: 126 x 85.1 x 65.4mm / Weight: 465g
2.36m-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF)
3-inch vari-angle LCD touchscreen
Single main mode dial
Not weather-sealed
New large grip

The principal thing about the X-S10 is that it doesn’t have a series of dials strewn about its body. At least, not in the same way as most Fujifilm X-series cameras – which typically have a shutter dial, exposure compensation dial, ISO sensitivity dial, and aperture ring on the lens (this one doesn’t go away, depending on the lens). The S10 instead opts for a single main mode dial to control between Auto, Custom (four setups), and the Manual (M), Aperture (A), Shutter (S) and Programme Auto (P) modes.

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That doesn’t mean it’ll be a cinch to use for total newbies wondering what the whole “P, S, A, M” letters above are all about. But if you’re used to your camera layout being more menu and button led – a la Canon – then this Fujifilm is likely to make a little more sense.

Conversely, however, we find it more confusing. Because we always use the dedicated exposure compensation dial and the shutter dial, so a quick glance lets us know what fixed setting we’ve selected rather than having to look at the screen or jump into various menus. It’s each to their own viewpoint, we suppose, but we prefer Fujifilm’s unique selling point of multiple dials – as it sets the brand apart from others.

But what about those other dials you can see? They’re thumbwheels, the two top-positioned ones – one of which lapses over the rear tip of the camera – which can be rotated to make quick adjustments to various settings. It’s these that ensure the X-S10 is still easy enough to use and quick to make adjustments. That, after all, is part of the point in buying a dedicated camera these days – you have to have some hands-on physical control, otherwise the phone in your pocket would likely have more appeal.

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In terms of specification the X-S10 doesn’t quite match up to the X-T4 – as you would expect, given the price differences. The S10 is not weather-sealed, for example, but we doubt that’ll affect a huge portion of users (and if it does then there are other, pricier options, within the range). The built-in electronic viewfinder is super, but not quite as high resolution in the S10 either – not that it looks poor to the eye by any means.

The X-S10 is a little smaller than many of Fujifilm’s other X-series cameras, and lighter too, while the design incorporates a large grip – ensuring that, whatever lens you have attached to the front, it should continue to feel balanced.

X-S10: Performance

8fps burst mode (20fps w/ electronic shutter)
5-axis in-body image stabilisation
425 selectable AF areas

We’ve only had the X-S10 for a short period – literally a day – so haven’t been able to take heaps of photos using it, given our other duties. But it’s clearly a performer that avoids the typical “entry-level” stamp.

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The autofocus system, for example, is the same one as you’ll find in the higher spec X-T4. So it’s a corker.

The camera uses a massive 2.16-million phase-detection pixels embedded across its sensor’s surface, with 425 AF areas, designed to cover the full width from edge to edge. That means you can focus anywhere in the field of view. The AF point can be adjusted between a variety of point sizes, too, by using the rear thumbwheel.

If you’re more into automatic shooting or want to use your fingers on the screen then that’s possible too. Press where you want to focus and fire the shutter, which makes using the camera super easy – or you can switch this off and use the rear joystick control for precision instead. We prefer the latter, but the camera caters for all kinds of uses.

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Speed is decent too, with an eight frames per second (8fps) burst mode maximum, or 20fps using an electronic shutter. That’s ideal for capturing fast-moving subjects – and that autofocus system really can keep up. Or it can auto-track faces and eyes in both humans and animals, to help get that perfect shot.

With a decent lens on the front and the X-S10 ought to be a formidable shooting machine. However, it’s not really destined to come boxed up with the very best Fujifilm glass – as the target here is keeping the cost down.

Of the four options on offer – body-only, 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6, 18-55mm f/2.8-4, 16-80mm f/4.0 – we’d suggest getting the 18-55mm for the faster aperture potential, which gives better options for shooting in low light, expanding background blur, and maintaining sharpness at stop-down aperture settings.

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There’s no reason you can’t put any Fujifilm X-series lens on the front of the camera though, and there’s plenty to choose from. So whether it’s zoom, macro, telephoto, wide-angle, or whatever floats your boat, the range of options are here if your wallet can manage it.

X-S10: Image Quality

26-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor
ISO 160-12,800 (80-51,200 ext)
12 Film Simulation modes

So to image quality. Like we say, we’ve only had time to shoot a handful of shots. But there are no surprises – with the same 26.1-megapixel sensor as found in the X-T4, the quality you’ll get from the X-S10 is much the same.

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Indeed, the X-S10 even includes a reworked version of the 5-axis image stabilisation system that you’ll find in the pricier camera. Here the mechanical unit has been made smaller to fit into this smaller body, but that’s seen hardly any reduction in capability – and it’s a really great system to aid handheld shots in staying that extra bit sharp.

As for the actual image quality. What we noticed, having taken shots throughout the ISO sensitivity range, is how clean the images look even at the much higher settings – meaning even low-light shots will look great (like the ISO 12,800 example below). That’s because 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.

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There’s a whole host of Film Simulation modes too – we count 12, although Fujifilm tells us there’s 18, shrug – if you want to emulate classic film stock. That ranges from Sepia, Monochrome, to Pro Neg, Velvia, and more.

Just as we said of the X-T4: the X-S10’s image quality is exemplary. Although, as we said in the section prior to this, a lot of that comes down to the lens on the front of the camera.

X-S10: Video

4K30 video maximum (no crop)
1080p at 240fps possible
3.5mm mic jack
Clean HDMI out

Video is on the rise in buyers’ expectations, so the X-S10 ensures a decent spec in this regard too. It’s possible to capture 4K Ultra-HD quality at up to 30fps (25/24p are also available), with a dedicated mic jack for recording off-camera audio if you so wish.

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The HDMI port will cater for 10-bit if you want a clean 4:2:2 out, too, or it’s 8-bit direct to card. There’s just a single SD slot to the base of the camera, by the battery port. Oh, and there’s USB-C charging of the battery direct into camera, which is great.

First Impressions

The Fujifilm X-S10 is a new proposition in terms of design. It’s attempting to simplify the multi-dial layout of other X-series cameras to appeal to a whole new audience. While it may pare back the dials, though, it doesn’t necessarily pare back the camera knowledge that you’ll need to use it.

While the design is new, the feature set is a familiar proposition: within this small body is a highly capable autofocus system and image sensor – the same as you’ll find in the pricier X-T4 camera. So the smaller body doesn’t mean compromising the core pillars of image quality and capabilities, which is great news.

So how has Fujifilm cut several hundred pounds out of the X-S10 compared to the X-T4? The build is different, it’s not waterproofed, while some of the admittedly excellent features – such as the electronic viewfinder – aren’t as top-end in spec.

Whether you’ll find the absence of multiple dials a perk or a pain is down to your view on what a Fujifilm X-series camera should be all about. But now there’s the option and thus the choice – and with so much focus on much pricier full-frame cameras from Canon and Nikon, and Olympus about to bow out of the Micro Four Thirds game (well, possibly, maybe), we can see why the X-S10 is swooping in to try and make a name for itself.

Dirt 5 on next-gen, Nest Audio review and more – Pocket-lint Podcast 74

Writing by Mike Lowe.

Apple iPhone 12 vs 11 vs iPhone XR comparison: What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – Apple announced the iPhone 12 series at an event in October, with four models to choose from: the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

We’ve compared the four models in a separate feature, but here we are looking at how the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini compare to the iPhone 11 and 2018’s iPhone XR.

Should you upgrade from the iPhone XR, or if you have an older iPhone, should you buy the iPhone XR or the iPhone 11 instead of the iPhone 12 or 12 mini given they are being sold alongside each other?

Note that the iPhone SE is also in Apple’s portfolio, so that’s worth checking out if you’re happy to have the Touch ID Home Button instead of Face ID.

Design

iPhone 12 mini: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4mm, 135g
iPhone 12: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm, 164g
iPhone 11: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm, 194g
iPhone XR: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3mm, 194g

The Apple iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 feature identical designs, differing only in size. They both feature aluminium frames that are squared off rather than rounded, they both come with a notch at the top of their displays and they both have glass backs with a dual rear camera system in the top left corner.

The Apple iPhone 11 and the iPhone XR offer a similar design to the iPhone 12 models in that they both come in a number of colours, offer an aluminium frame and a glass rear. There’s a notch at the top of both their displays too, but they have rounder edges than the iPhone 12 models.

The iPhone 12 mini is the smallest, followed by the iPhone 12. The iPhone 11 and XR are identical in terms of footprint and weight, and both slightly larger and heavier than the iPhone 12.

The iPhone XR is IP67 water-resistant, however, enabling it to be submerged up to one-metre for 30 minutes, while the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini are all IP68 rated.

The iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 all have a dual rear camera, with a camera housing that features frosted glass to differentiate it from the rest of the glossy body. The iPhone XR meanwhile, has a single rear camera.

The colour options also differ between the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 11 and iPhone XR.

Display

iPhone 12 mini: 5.4-inch, OLED, 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution, HDR, 1200nits
iPhone 12: 6.1-inch, OLED, 2532 x 1170 pixel resolution, HDR, 1200nits
iPhone 11: 6.1-inch, LCD, 1792 x 828 pixel resolution, no HDR, 625nits
iPhone XR: 6.1-inch, LCD, 1792 x 828 pixel resolution, no HDR, 625nits

Both the iPhone 12 mini and the iPhone 12 have OLED displays with HDR and a maximum brightness of 1200nits. The iPhone 12 mini has a 5.4-inch display with a 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution for a pixel density of 476ppi, while the iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch display with a 2532 x 1170 pixel resolution for a pixel density of 460ppi.

The iPhone 11 and the iPhone XR both have a 6.1-inch, Liquid Retina LCD display with a 1792 x 828 pixel resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 326ppi so the iPhone 12 models will be sharper and more vibrant.

All four models being compared here have True Tone technology, along with a wide colour gamut, and there is still Haptic Touch over 3D Touch.

Neither the iPhone 11 or iPhone XR have HDR and they aren’t as bright as the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, though you’d likely only notice the lack of HDR if you placed them side-by-side with one of the iPhone 12 devices.

Otherwise, the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR deliver great displays with ample brightness and arguably more realistic colours compared to OLED panels.

Cameras

iPhone 12 mini/iPhone 12: Dual rear camera (12MP wide angle and ultra wide angle), 12MP TrueDepth front camera
iPhone 11: Dual rear camera (12MP wide angle and ultra wide angle), 12MP TrueDepth front camera
iPhone XR: Single rear camera (12MP), 7MP TrueDepth front camera

The Apple iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 both have a dual rear camera, comprised of a 12-megapixel wide angle sensor with a f/1.6 aperture, and an ultra-wide angle sensor with a f/2.4 aperture.

The iPhone 11 also has a dual camera on the rear, comprised of a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor with an aperture of f/2.4 and a wide-angle sensor with a slightly narrower aperture of f/1.8 compared to the iPhone 12 models.

There’s optical image stabilisation, a brighter True Tone flash and Portrait Lighting with six effects, as well as next-generation Smart HDR for photos and Night Mode, all of which the iPhone 12 models offer too.

The iPhone 12 models also have HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 30 fps though.

The iPhone XR meanwhile, has a single 12-megapixel rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilisation and digital zoom up to 5x. It also only offers three effects for Portrait Lighting and first-gen Smart HDR for photos.

The iPhone XR also has a 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera system with an aperture of f/2.2 on the front, allowing for Face ID, among plenty of other features. It offers 1080p video recording at 30fps or 60fps.

The iPhone 12 models and the iPhone 11 meanwhile, have a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front, with an aperture of f/2.2, next-gen Smart HDR for photos and 4K video recording at 24fps, 30fps and 60fps.

Hardware

iPhone 12 mini/iPhone 12: A14 chip, 64/128/256, Dual SIM
iPhone 11: A13 chip, 64/256/512GB storage, Dual SIM
iPhone XR: A12 chip, 64/256/512GB storage, Dual SIM

One of the main differences between the iPhone 12 models and the older iPhone 11 and the iPhone XR is hardware. As you would expect, the iPhone 12 has a bump in hardware, moving from the A13 chip found in the iPhone 11 and the A12 in the iPhone XR to the A14 chip.

All four models come in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options and microSD for storage expansion isn’t available on any model.

All four devices also support dual SIM with a nano-SIM and eSIM and both devices are charged via Lightning. The iPhone 12 models don’t come with a charger in the box though. All models also offer Apple Pay.

Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro review: Specs machine

(Pocket-lint) – What a difference a year makes. The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro follows on from the year-old Mi 9T Pro – which we thought was excellent for its asking price – with the newer device bringing an even higher specification and more flagship aspirations.

It’s a step-change for the series really, with a bigger asking price in tow, adding a certain amount of pressure to expectation. The price is justifiable given the variety of features – the super-fast refresh rate screen, the ultra-resolute camera, and more – but does this jump from one tier to the next actually make sense?

Design & Screen

6.67-inch LCD display, punch-hole camera, 144Hz refresh rate, 1080 x 2400 resolution
Finishes available: Cosmic Black, Lunar Silver, Aurora Blue
Dimensions: 165.1 x 76.4 x 9.3mm / Weight: 218g
Aluminium frame with Gorilla Glass front/rear
Side-positioned fingerprint scanner
No 3.5mm headphone jack

With the Mi 9T Pro the focus was on the screen: it featured no notch, thanks to a fancy pop-up selfie camera, and was an AMOLED panel too. The Mi 10T is a total change from that: it does feature a punch-hole cut-out for the front camera, so no mechanised pop-up to be seen here, while the panel could be seen as a ‘downgrade’ as it’s LCD this time around.

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However, that LCD panel crams in some headline-grabbing features, most prominent being the 144Hz refresh rate. That’s on par with current gaming phones, meaning a refresh of up to 144 times per second, compared to the typical 60 times per second of most phones (although other flagships are pushing 90Hz and 120Hz as big selling points too).

Does 144Hz really matter? Well, it’s a yes and no answer, really. Yes, in the right circumstances, there’s an added degree of smoothness, so scrolling is less taxing on the eyes. Some games, too, will be able to tap into the phone’s raw power and get more out of this kind of refresh – or an aspect of it, at perhaps 90/120Hz instead of the full 144Hz – for a better play experience.

But, no, it doesn’t always matter – because certain sections of software won’t comprehend this faster refresh. Our banking app, as one example, stutters more on the Mi 10T than it does on a ‘standard’ device from the year before. Plus there’s an argument as to when you can really, truly see and feel the benefit of higher refresh – it’s not always obvious, making it a nice-to-have rather than absolute essential.

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Some people’s thinking is also that an OLED panel with lower refresh rate would be preferable to LCD with higher refresh rate. Having lived with this device for a week, however, we really don’t think many people will turn their noses up at this LCD. It’s sharp, it’s bright, it’s colourful without overdoing things, and it’s a flat panel too – meaning no accidental touches and no contrast drop-off towards the edges, as you might find on a curved screen.

All in all, then, the Mi 10T Pro has a great screen. Just don’t read into the 144Hz and the LCD parts too much. It’s the experience that matters. Shame there’s a punch-hole notch – which we’ve sometimes seen ‘leaking’ beyond the main black-out top bar – but that’s now very much the norm for 2020 and hardly a massive distraction that you’ll worry about it. It’s more that the Mi 9T Pro was without such a notch interruption that makes it stand out more here.

In terms of other features, that step change from Mi 9T Pro to Mi 10T Pro is apparent: the 3.5mm headphone jack of the older device is absent in the newer model; the under-screen fingerprint scanner has upped and moved itself to the side on the power button; and the overall size of the design – largely down to the rear protruding cameras unit and increased battery capacity – is much larger in the Mi 10T than its predecessor.

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Many of those points could be seen as downgrades, really, but we’ve found the fingerprint scanner perfectly responsive and well positioned, and the absence of that headphone jack hasn’t been something we’ve missed at all – Bluetooth is king these days, after all.

Performance & Battery

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, 8GB RAM configuration
Google Android 10 OS; Xiaomi MIUI 12 software
5,000mAh battery; 33W USB-C fast-charging

In terms of power, the Mi 10T Pro is a powerhouse, thanks to the top-spec Qualcomm SD865 processor and a decent 8GB RAM. Just as we’ve said of the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and plenty of other devices of late, this chipset brings a lot of positives to gaming and app experiences – and it’s no different in the Mi 10T Pro.

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That Qualcomm platform is more demanding on battery life, though, which we suspect is why Xiaomi has opted to ramp up the battery capacity in this device – at 5,000mAh it’s a good 15-20 per cent more capacious than many flagships on the market – and given enough thickness within the design for everything to breathe and avoid overheating.

Our use over a week has shown the battery to be pretty astonishing too. With the 144Hz screen active at all times – you can adjust this in settings if you wish – we’ve only been cutting though 45 per cent or so in around 15 hours of use. That’s included an hour of Strava tracking and an hour of gaming, too, so it’s not as though we’ve been crossing our fingers for it to last – you could easily stretch to two full days from this battery, even with that top-end chipset on board. That’s impressive.

What’s a little more conflicting, however, is the software. Here it’s Xiaomi’s MIUI 12 over the top of Google’s Android 10 operating system. There’s full access to Google Play Services and the Play Store for apps, but Xiaomi does also have its own store for its own apps. And it has rather a few of its own apps take precedence – even if you’re transferring from another phone and don’t want that to be the case.

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This has been a bit of an issue with some simple things such as the Google Clock not being allowed to sound an audible alarm to override DND or Silent mode. Only the Xiaomi Clock app can do that. The variety of noise/vibration/haptic alerts/feedback and what happens when can be very perplexing in the menu setups too, and will take a lot of tweaking to get how you want it to be – by default ‘Silent’ will buzz and vibrate at just about anything otherwise.

But that’s not all. Xiaomi’s MIUI, nice as it looks, just has rough edges here and there. Close an app and watch the shortcut transform from rounded-off square to circle. Swipe right for the Google dashboard and YouTube will alert to tell you it’s crashed after just a few seconds – and often on repeat. Load up a folder of apps and you’ll have promoted ads in what it wants you to download. We also had trouble with Android Auto not being accepted – “device not supported” – on a test drive, which was frustrating (note: in a second vehicle it wasn’t a problem, so perhaps that’s down to the car’s OS instead).

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All these small issues add up to a more irksome whole. It’s not end of days stuff by any means, it’s just less refined than it ought to be – especially when MIUI looks neat and tidy and allows for a lot of control over your layout, settings, apps, themes and so forth. Spend time with it and it can be crafted into the form you’ll want, but there are hurdles to get there.

Cameras

Rear triple camera system:
- Main (26mm): 108-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture, 0.8µm pixel size, optical stabilisation (OIS)
- Ultra-wide (13mm): 13MP, f/2.4, 1.12µm
- Macro: 5MP, f/2.4
8K video at 30fps, 4K at 60/30fps, 1080p at 120fps
Selfie camera (27mm): 20MP, f/2.2, 0.8µm

The last major component of this device is the triple rear camera setup. The main difference between the standard Mi 10T and this Pro model is the ultra-resolute camera in the latter. At 108-megapixels it’s certainly not mucking around when it comes to grabbing those headline specs.

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Although, really, you don’t need a camera this resolute – and it uses four pixels in one to produce 27MP results as standard anyway. The 64MP unit in the standard Mi 10T model would be fine enough. But we get it, it’s all a bit of a game, with the big boys playing off against one another in which brand can offer ‘most’ – Samsung is at it too, with the S20 Ultra.

Dirt 5 on next-gen, Nest Audio review and more – Pocket-lint Podcast 74

By throwing so much into that main camera unit, however, the other two optics that make up part of the trio – there’s not five, despite it looking like there is! – don’t get quite the same treatment.

There’s an ultra-wide, which is a fun camera to use to cram extra into a scene – although it’s not the sharpest by any means – and is fairly standard on many multi-camera devices these days. And then there’s a macro camera, which is low resolution, used for close-up shooting, and – just as we’ve said of other phones with this extra – is a largely pointless venture.

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The clear omission is any kind of true zoom or telephoto lens. Where’s the 2x or 3x optic to really sell the ‘Pro’ name of this device? It’s been foregone for the sake of that expensive main sensor, we feel. That said, as there’s so much resolution available, a 2x, 5x, 10x, 30x digital zoom is available through the app – which is a nice idea, but the camera app is poor at focusing on anything specific when in this digital zoom. A true optical zoom resolves more detail and with more creative control over focus, so it’s a shame that Xiaomi hasn’t pushed that angle here.

But what about the images? It’s not the first time we’ve seen this 108-megapixel sensor at work – the Mi Note 10 (CC9) was the first Xiaomi phone with it inside. In the newer Mi 10T we think Xiaomi has made better on its actual camera app, which feels quicker and slicker in MIUI 12, while the actual results are generally decent too.

The main sensor delivers shots with plenty of detail and colour (not that there’s much colour in the rain-soaked UK as it enters autumn). So when there’s light available the Mi 10T is able to deliver strong results. Its low-light performance isn’t amazing though, which is a tell-tale sign of this sensor being so high resolution.

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Overall, we feel the Mi 10T’s 108-megapixel is strong – but a bit of an oversell. The standard handset has a lower resolution camera, but we don’t feel you’d be missing much by having that. What’s really absent here is any true optical zoom lens. Can’t have it all, though, eh? And at least the camera app is nice and responsive with lots of features and modes this time around.

Verdict

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is a game of two halves. There are lots of positives at first – the battery longevity, 144Hz fast refresh screen, and heaps of power being the obvious points – but then some of the less positive aspects – the software irks, the absence of a true zoom camera, the bulk of the rear camera unit – begin to creep in.

Take on board, too, that the Mi 10T Pro is a step up in price compared to the Mi 9T Pro and it needs to be considered in a slightly different way. It’s €599 asking price is astonishingly good value for all that’s on offer – keenly undercutting the Samsung Galaxy S20 Fan Edition – but by adding that ultra-resolute camera this device is no longer under than critical €400-500 point.

If you’re looking for a flagship that dares to be a bit different, the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro has plenty of accolades under its spec-heavy belt. It’ll give the OnePlus 8 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE some sleepless nights, that’s for sure.

Also consider

Pocket-lint

OnePlus 8 Pro

If you really want that AMOLED display, a better software experience, and a more versatile camera setup – albeit without the massive resolution – then OnePlus has a whole lot to offer here.

Read our review

Pocket-lint

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE

Yes, it costs more, but it also has a better software experience and a zoom camera thrown into the mix. The screen isn’t as fast on the refresh and the battery less capacious, though, which gives Xiaomi a strong platform to work from.

Best smartphones 2020: The top mobile phones available to buy today

Read our review

Writing by Mike Lowe.

Garmin Venu Sq review: Sporting smarts in a compact watch

(Pocket-lint) – The Venu Sq sees something of a change of direction for Garmin. While most of its watches have a round face – the old entry-level Forerunner 35 now retired – the Venu Sq has a square display, as its name suggests.

It looks, to us, to be a move to offer something that looks a little like the Apple Watch or a little like the Fitbit Versa – something that’s a little more lifestyle and less aggressively sporty.

So in that context how does the Garmin Venu Sq perform?

Design and build

Dimensions: 37 x 40 x 11mm / Weighs: 39g
Polycarbonate body, aluminium bezel
20mm quick release straps
5ATM waterproofing

There may be a new shape to the Venu Sq, but much of the story is similar to other Garmin devices. There’s a polycarbonate (i.e. plastic) body with an aluminium bezel around the display. That display is topped with Gorilla Glass to reduce scratches.

Two buttons sit on the right-hand side for control, used in partnership with the touchscreen, while on the rear is the connection port for charging, along with the raised Elevate heart-rate sensor.

The straps are 20mm wide, featuring a quick release spring clip like many other Garmin devices, so it’s easy to swap the straps around, with Garmin selling a range of different styles, or there’s plenty of third-party options too.

The Sq is a light and compact watch, which is likely to be more popular for those with smaller wrists thanks to the overall dimensions. That brings a lifestyle feeling to things, much less sporty and a little more subtle.

It’s comfortable to wear with enough stretch in the silicone strap to allow for expanding wrists when exercising, but also pretty comfortable to sleep in too – should you wish to track your sleep patterns. It’s not quite as convenient as a fitness band, but certianly less intrusive than some of Garmin’s chunky Forerunner devices if you’re planning to wear it to bed.

There isn’t much resemblance with the original Garmin Venu, despite sharing the name; these watches are different in their approach and their appeal, although the core functions – as is the case for all Garmin devices – is broadly the same. Garmin classes both as smartwatches and there is a sense that this is more about having a connected watch that does great fitness tracking, rather than having a sportswatch that also does smartphone notifications.

Display

1.3-inch colour LCD display
240 x 240 pixels
Square face

Rather than offering a fancy OLED display like the previous Venu, this is an LCD display. What’s perhaps surprising is that it’s a square display set into the rectangular face. There’s been no attempt to fill the entire glass top with usable screen, which is a shame because it doesn’t feel hugely ambitious as far as watches go.

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The bezel area that fills the remaining face of the watch is black and when the display is dimmed you can’t really see the division between screen and bezel, which explains why the user interface is predominantly black – to avoid having a huge white square in the centre of your watch.

As a compact watch the display is on the small side, but Garmin doesn’t try and overwhelm you with information, so we can’t say that’s a problem – when out on a test ride it served up speed, distance and time, it’s not trying to put everything on the screen. That’s a double-edged sword, but if your first thought is that you want more metrics, then this probably isn’t the right device for you.

During activity tracking you can swipe to get to more information, but, for example, heart rate isn’t even on that main display – again reinforcing the slightly more casual fitness approach this device takes, rather than being a full-on training device for athletes.

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The watch faces it offers are pretty basic too, showing the time and not getting too complex with other elements. There’s some customisation, but not a great deal, and this is one area where the Venu Sq is perhaps a little lacking in consumer appeal. You can customise, choosing the background, time style, and then adding complications to the display – such as steps, heart rate or Body Battery – but we suspect that many people would rather just swipe through more options and select what they want.

Visibility of the display is just fine, even in bright conditions. The screen dims when not being used so you have to lift it to see the details, meaning it lacks a little visibility compared to many Garmin devices – but it’s a measure to prolong the battery life, so we suspect many will be happy with that. It means that when you’re exercising, that glance at the time or your stats has to be a little more deliberate.

Garmin says that the battery will last six days when used as a smartwatch – and that figure rings true in our use. That can also include some workouts, but this is a device you can realistically wear through the night and the day for the best part of a week without having to charge. Head out to exercise and you get 14 hours of GPS tracking, so each hour takes about 8 per cent of the battery according to Garmin’s specs – which is close to our experiences wearing the watch out on long bike rides.

Features, functions and performance

Sensors: GPS, heart rate, SpO2
Sleep tracking

As this is a Garmin device, it’s no surprise to find that the mainstay of the Venu Sq’s functions are based around fitness tracking. You’ll get 24/7 monitoring of things like steps and your activity, with heart rate tracking and even the option for things like water intake. Reminders will pop-up to tell you get up and get active – just like many other devices out there – which can get a little irritating throughout every day, but you can turn them off.

Push the Sq’s top button and you’ll be taken through to sports tracking proper, where the GPS will fire up and you’ll be shown stats specific to your sport. You can select the sports you want on your favourites list, so picking cardio, running, cycling, or whatever else, is easy enough. GPS aquisition is then fast and the results are accurate, occasionally drifting off the line a little when under tree cover, but generally speaking, very good. We tested the Venu Sq alongside a handlebar-mounted Edge 830 bike GPS computer, with close results on the GPS trace.

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There’s no altimeter in the Venu Sq and that does mean that it’s not as accurate with elevation change as some of the Forerunner devices are; on one of our workouts the Venu was as much as 80m elevation out, as it’s drawing this information from GPS data rather than a dedcated sensor.

At this price, and positioned as a lifestyle watch, that is of little concern, because you’ll still get accurate speed and distance results from it, which for runners, walkers, riders, or whatever it is you’re doing, is the most important thing.

Sleep tracking is one of the other features that the Venu Sq offers, letting you see how much sleep you got and how that breaks down into different sleep stages. Garmin doens’t just present this data in abstraction, it rolls it into the Body Battery feature which is a lot of fun.

Body Battery takes your sleep data and puts it into the context of your activity and stresses throughout the day. The more active or “stressed” you are, the most sleep you’ll need. But cleverly, because Garmin can assess the quality of your sleep, if you have bad quality sleep, your Body Battery level won’t recover as well as it does when you sleep well.

It’s a really clever system, but it does require wearing the Garmin 24/7 to get an full picture of what’s going on. Once you start seeing how there’s a direct relationship between how well you sleep and how you feel and perform, that might be something you’re happy to do. In the real world, it can help your decision making, avoiding a long run when you’re already drained, for example.

You can also measure your oxygen saturation, or SpO2, a measure that’s hit the headlines recently thanks to its inclusion in the Apple Watch Series 6. In reality, it’s a measurement that doesn’t really mean much in an everyday setting. If you’re an athlete training at altitude and wondering why you don’t feel as strong as normal, then it might reveal that you’re not yet acclimatised, but in general, SpO2 is just a measure that’s likely to drain the watch’s battery faster, so we tend to leave it switched off.

But the sensors on the rear of the watch will also give you 24/7 heart-rate tracking – and we’ve found this to be pretty accurate, quick to respond to changes in pace, and from the workouts we recorded using it, free from phantom dropouts too.

As we said above, the downside is that in the default views you have to swipe to access this data when exercising. Of course, outside exercise, the Venu Sq will keep track of your heart rate, so you’ll get a better idea of your resting heart rate from sleep data, as well as detecting when you have an elevated heart rate when you’re not moving, which the watch recognises as being stressed.

One of the nice features of the Venu Sq is that you don’t have to manually track all your exercise, because it will automatically detect what you’re doing. That means that if you go for a casual bike ride it can be automatically detected as an exercise – if it’s long enough. Sometimes you’ll get a phantom activity – we found some elliptical training that we definitely didn’t do – so it’s something to keep an eye on.

All the data is synced to Garmin Connect on your phone, letting you check your heart rate, speed, maps of your routes, and other essential details, while also working as the app you’ll use to update your device and make that connection with your smartphone.

10 best fitness gifts for Christmas 2020

Smartwatch features

Garmin Pay
Music Edition
Smartphone integration

With Garmin Connect in place, it’s a simple case of searching for your phone, plugging in the code and letting the devices sync. Once that connection is made, you can grant various permissions and control things such as notifications, so that you don’t have to fish your phone out of your pocket every time it buzzes.

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Garmin Connect is also the route to getting music on your Venu Sq Music Edition. It’s only the more expensive model that you’ll get this function, but it’s worth spending the money so that you can listen to music offline with your Bluetooth headphones and leave your phone at home, especially if you like running or working-out with music. The Venu Sq supports Amazon Music, Deezer or Spotify music (you’ll need a separate subsciption) and once you’ve selected the music service you use and are signed in, you can download playlists to your device via Wi-Fi.

You’ll be able to pair your headphones and then listen to your heart’s content. You can have a swipe shortcut to access music controls from the home screen to make things easy. This shortcut is still accessible when you’re in a workout, so you can swipe a couple of times to get to the music control screen.

The Venu IQ supports Connect IQ – Garmin’s system that will allow you to install other apps and services – and this again provides another route to adding customised watch faces if that’s what you really want.

Garmin Pay is also supported, meaning you can pay with a swipe of your wrist, if your bank supports the service. Again, this will need to be setup within Garmin Connect. Support in the UK is not wide, but there’s better coverage from banks in the US.

One thing that’s immeditately apparent, despite the fairly wide range of functions that the Venu Sq offers, is the interface. Compare it side-by-side with the Apple Watch Series 3 (which is close in price) and the Garmin looks pretty basic.

Verdict

The Venu Sq feels and looks quite different to other Garmin devices. What’s attractive is that you get core fitness tracking features that are accurate, like the GPS and heart-rate tracking, in a compact device that will be good for almost a week between charges. Pay a little more and you’ll get music support too, and that might tick all the boxes for those looking for a fitness and lifestyle tracker.

As a smartwatch it has appeal, but it can’t compete with the increased sophistication that you get from the Apple Watch. Arguably, the activity tracking that Garmin offers is better, because it feeds into, and can work with, systems like Body Battery for a holistic view of the body, rather than data in abstract.

At the same time, Garmin’s wider range of products offers more for those who take their exercise a little more seriously and want something larger. With the Garmin Forerunner 45 sitting close in price, Garmin is effectively covering the options so that you can get access to these features, no matter what your style is.

Alternatives to consider

Apple Watch Series 3

What is the Pocket-lint daily and how do you get it for free?

The Apple Watch Series 3 might be getting old, but it offers heart rate and GPS, while benefitting from the latest watchOS software too. While the build quality is superior, the interface more engaging, and the display more advanced, you’ll only get a single day of battery life from it – the Garmin lasts six or so times that.

Read our review

Garmin Forerunner 45

The feature set of the Venu is slighty more expansive than that of the Forerunner 45, but that’s reflected in the price. But if you’re after sportier looks, while still hitting those core features of GPS and heart-rate tracking for your activities, then the Forerunner 45 might fit the bill.

Read our review

Writing by Chris Hall. Editing by Mike Lowe.

Panasonic Lumix S5 review: The full-frame 4K master

(Pocket-lint) – Video-focused mirrorless system cameras have become all the rage in recent years, and the progress in the market showed no sign of slowing down when Panasonic announced its smallest yet full-frame camera: the Lumix S5.

The S5 is a lot like a Lumix GH5 with a bigger and better sensor, or the Lumix S1 with additional video smarts crammed into a smaller body. Indeed, its a potentially mouth-watering prospect that could, to some degree, end the appeal of Micro Four Thirds (MFT). After all if – like the S5 – you can cram in a proper full-frame sensor and high-end capture capabilities into a body that’s smaller than an MFT, why would you want anything else?

We were sent the Lumix S5 to test, complete with the 20-60mm f/3.5 – f/5.6 kit lens, so all of the video samples and photos posted in this review were captured using that combination. And what a combination it is!

Compact design

Body dimensions: 132.6mm x 97.1mm x 81.9mm / Weight: 714g
1,840k-dot vari-angle LCD; 2,360k-dot 0.74x OLED viewfinder
24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor (same as in S1H)
Splash and dust resistant magnesium alloy construction
Dual SD card slot, micro HDMI out
Lens mount: L mount lenses
USB charging

There’s a lot to like about the design approach on the S5. The camera has that attractive angular design that we’ve come to expect from full-frame cameras. It’s noticeably flatter and sharp looking than the comparatively rounded shape of the GH5. Size-wise, it’s not far off being the same as its Micro Four Thirds cousin, but in the hand it does feel similarly lightweight and balanced.

It’s a similar height to the GH5 too, but has a much larger grip on the right side, which makes it easy grab hold of when shooting handheld. Thanks to the position of the red video button up top, it’s super simple to grip it with all four fingers and reach over with a thumb to press record, or even to capture a photo using the shutter key.

Overall build feels solid, despite its relatively lightweight-ness. That’s thanks to its chassis being built from a magnesium alloy. Plus it’s sealed against splashes and dust ingress too, so you know it’s unlikely anything can get inside to destroy the electronics or get on to the sensor.

We love little design touches, such as that bright red movie button, which matches the red-accented ring beneath the burst/photo dial on the left. The textured edges on the dials looks good and makes it easy to jog the dials with a single thumb. All of the click and feedback just the right amount to reassure that you’re using a quality piece of kit. As does the shutter button when you press it in to take a photo.

If you’ve used a Panasonic Lumix camera before, you’ll be more than comfortable switching up to the S5, thanks to a very familiar button and dial layout. There are some differences, but none that tarnish the experience, and it soon becomes second nature. For instance, the shutter button is encircled by a rotating dial for adjusting the aperture in manual mode, rather than as a dial built-in to the top of the grip behind the shutter button (as per the GH5).

Similarly, the shutter speed dial on the back is fully external, rather that built into a slit on the back. It joins the red video capture button on the top, as well as the shooting mode switch and power switch. Then there’s the familiar trio of buttons for white balance, ISO adjustment, and exposure compensation, all positioned behind the shutter button.

On the back, you’ll find a bunch of controls. There’s the usual menu/set button surrounded by a ring dial for controlling the onscreen interface when adjusting settings.

The small dial for switching between AC, AS and manual focus could be better designed. It lives to the right of the viewfinder lens, but we found the protruding tab (for want of a better word) a little small and hard to use. The directional joystick for moving the autofocus target is the opposite – it’s well-positioned and easy to reach with a thumb, even when staring down the barrel.

Then there’s the vari-angle touchscreen, which has been a mainstay on Panasonic’s video-focused cameras for a good few years. This screen flips out and rotates to face the front, which means you can see yourself clearly and use it as monitor when you’re filming bits to camera. Handy for YouTubers and vloggers. It’s sharp and colourful, plus it’s touch-sensitive, so you can tap to focus on various parts of the screen to adjust the autofocus aim.

Speed and accuracy

Contrast-detection autofocus with DFD (Depth from Defocus)
Face, Eye, Head, Body detection – to half the size of previous S series
AF algorithm built from the ground up (will roll out to other S series later in 2020)

Panasonic’s latest autofocus system combines contrast detection with DFD (depth from defocus), with an algorithm it says it has built from the ground up (and will be coming to other cameras later on). What’s interesting is what the autofocus algorithm can do.

It not only recognises faces, eyes and heads automatically, but can even stay focused on the person’s body. That means if you’re recording a video of a person, and their head turns away from the camera, it automatically switches its focus to be on the person’s torso/body and remains locked on.

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Looking at the system do its thing through the viewfinder or on the screen and you can see it generating little rectangles around eyes and faces as you shoot video/stills. It works reliably and consistently.

As we’ve mentioned already, you can use a joystick on the back of the camera if you want to manually select an area of focus. This works well if you’re shooting close-ups of objects if you’re in auto mode, looking through the viewfinder and the automatic focus setting isn’t exactly where you’d like it to be. A quick jiggle of the joystick and a half-press of the shutter is enough to set it where you want it, and quickly too. You’re not left waiting or hunting for focus, even in low light.

When we tested shooting a 10 minute part to the camera, with the focus set to automatic, it was interesting to see how well the focus remained on our face, even with our inevitable movements forward and back while talking and close to the camera lens. The camera never seemed to be focus hunting much, which is great for the resulting footage.

Video capture

Maximum capture: 4K at 60p 10-bit 4:2:0 (write to SD card; 4:2:2 via HDMI)
Anamorphic 4K available: 50/30/25/24p, 1.3/1.33/1.5/1.8/2.0 desqueeze
PAL/NTSC switch, Time Code, Zebra Pattern, Luminance Spot Meter
Maximum recording time: 30min in 10-bit, unlimited in 8-bit
Uses LongGOP (not ALL-INTRA codec), HEVC H.265
3.5mm mic/headphone jack, Wave Form Monitor
V-Log included (no additional cost incurred)
Dual Native ISO (Auto only, not manual)

Panasonic has gained a huge number of fans in the world of YouTubers, creators and videographers, thanks to its selection of relatively affordable and compact 4K cameras. It was arguably the GH4 Micro Four Thirds camera that kicked it all off, but the Lumix S5 feels like a culmination of all that evolution.

We could rattle on for days about all the various shooting codecs, resolution, bitrates and frame rates available, but instead, have a look at this chart instead, which covers all the details:

Full-frame (MOV)	4K (3840 x 2160)	4:2:2 10-bit 150Mbps H.264 HLG	30/25/24p	30min maximum
	4K (3840 x 2160)	4:2:0 8-bit 100Mbps H.264	30/25/24p	No time limit
APS-C crop (MOV)	4K (3840 x 2160)	4:2:0 10-bit 200Mbps HEVC HLG	60/50p	30min maximum
	4K (3840 x 2160)	4:2:2 10-bit 150Mbps H.264 HLG	30/25/24p	30min maximum
	4K (3840 x 2160)	4:2:0 8-bit 100Mbps H.264	30/25/24p	No time limit (30min for 50/60p option)
S35 (MOV)	Anamorphic (3328 x 2496)	4:2:2 10-bit 150Mbps H.264 HLG	30/25/24p	30min maximum
	Anamorphic (3328 x 2496)	4:2:0 10-bit 200Mbps HEVC HLG	50p	30min maximum

What it means you get a lot of flexibility in how you shoot. If you want top-quality 4K video at 60 frames per second, you can have it. Although, there’s a slight caveat here in that it crops into the sensor to get its highest resolution and frame-rate offering. That immediately becomes apparent when you switch between 4K60 and 4K30 within the camera’s menu system. It crops into the image quite a bit – from using the full width of the sensor to a space the size of an APS-C camera sensor.

Still, if you want full-frame video, switch it to 30/25/24p and you’re good to go. Plus, with the HLG/HDR mode switched off, you can record for any length of time without worrying about hitting the 30-minute limit you get on some of the more processor-intensive modes.

To use for shooting products in our office for the Pocket-lint YouTube channel, the S5 has been fantastic. For the most part it’s simply not lacking anything that we’d need. Plus, there’s the advantage that it’s small enough and light enough to carry around and – with the in-body stabilisation enabled – it’s a decent run and gun camera with fast focus and smooth footage.

That flexibility and versatility extends to audio too. You can use the 3.5mm input for microphones or wireless kits, plus there’s an option to adjust the mic settings so that it uses the camera’s power, in case you have a mic that isn’t self-powered. That’s more useful when using the XLR input adapter.

Like the photography mode – which you can read about below – we found it a strong low-light performer, even with the lens added to the front. That’s because of its Dual ISO feature. While you can get up to the heights of ISO 51,200, pushing it that high does lead to some pretty mushy results lacking in detail, but crank it down a notch and the noise suppression is quite strong.

For those who enjoy colour-grading – or need to, if they’re using the Lumix as a ‘B’ camera alongside more expensive professional-grade cinema cameras – you can even shoot in V-Log. Those who aren’t so happy with colour grading will find plenty of other picture profiles available, as well as the ability to create their own. For the most part, we stick with CineD, which offers that natural, well-balanced look without too much contrast.

Photos

5 stops built-in image stabilisation (6.5 stops in combination with lens IS)
24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor
ISO: 100-51,200 (Dual Native ISO Auto)
4K Photo / 6K Photo burst shooting
96MP High-Res Mode

Full-frame cameras are becoming a hit in the mirrorless market – primarily because that larger sensor gives you that bit more quality and greater depth of field. They’re better in low-light conditions and offer great dynamic range, and so as well as being a strong video camera, the S5 takes great photos too.

Shooting in good daylight produced detailed shots with strong colour reproduction. There’s no over-saturation of some colours over others. Greens look vibrant and yet natural, as do blues and yellows.

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As we mentioned at the beginning, all of our photos and video were shot using the 20-60mm kit lens which – for a kit lens – is surprisingly capable and versatile. Shooting at 20mm gives a wide field of view – which is great when you need to grab a bit more of the surrounding scene while shooting something close up, or just grabbing an impressive landscape.

We found at 20mm it was also capable of focusing while very close to a subject – well, when choosing to shoot manual. Plus, we found it was able to create some lovely, soft bokeh background blur, giving that extra depth.

In low-light conditions the S5 is strong. We tested it through sunset/dusk, adjusting the ISO sensitivity and shutter speed to see what the impact would be, all completely handheld. Of course, once the ISO goes a bit higher (over 2500 or so), the image does tend to get a tad noisy. Dark blues in the skies look a bit grainy, but not terribly. It still retains its colour.

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Shooting some light trails with the shutter speed set between 0.25-1 second, we were pleasantly surprised at the camera’s stabilisation capabilities, which killed any blur from our shaky hands.

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Once you really start to crank up the ISO sensitivity, there’s a bit of mushiness evident. Shooting at ISO 25,600 led to some impressively bright shots at night, but at this point you start to see more image noise in the skies, and details within the image start to get a bit l