Testing Tests overview Smartphone Oneplus 8T: Battery full in 45 minutes and 120 – Hz display pixels 5 in the test: Google just does it better Elephone U5 in the test: The cheap phone from China is that good The most popular China smartphones 2020 Xiaomi Mi 10 T Pro in the test: 144 – Hz display and great camera Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC in the test: 120 Hz and the best camera Motorola Moto G9 Play in the test: lots of power for little money Smartwatch Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro in the test: Smartwatch with cross-country battery Apple Watch: Smartwatch with contract from 15 € per month Buy Apple Watch 6: All generations in the price check Skagen Falster 3 in the test: Smartwatch with Wear OS Test Huawei Watch GT 2: Noble fitness tracker in watch form Huawei Watch GT in the test : Record-breaking battery life Skagen Falster 2 in the test: good design and a weak point Multiroom Bose Portable Home Speaker in the test: battery, WLAN, Airplay 2 Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Musiccast: Multiroom from Yamaha in the test Denon Heos in the test: versatile multiroom system Flat soundbar Teufel Sounddeck Streaming in the test Teufel Raumfeld in the test: rich multiroom sound Technisat Digitradio 575 in the test: the gray all-rounder Keyfinder Tile Slim (2017): Key finder in credit card format Bluetooth key finder Tile Pro in the test: 122 m range! Key finder Tile Pro in the test: the range champion Orbit Bluetooth tracker in the test : looking for wallet and keys Nonda iHere 3.0: smart key finder in the test Chipolo Classic and Plus: Bluetooth key finder in the test Musegear finder 2: Keyfinder without mandatory registration Action-Cam DJI Pocket 2 in the test: Zoom and 64 – Megapixel sensor Actioncam Insta 350 One R: 1-inch image sensor in the test Gopro Hero 8 Black in the test: Back to the top Insta 360 One R in the test: The modular action cam Motorola Moto G8 Plus Review: Great smartphone, but … Insta 360 Go: Micro-GoPro in the test Motorola One Action Test: good hardware, bad camera microSD In the test: Kingston UHS-I U3 microSDXC Kit MicroSD card for’s Smartphone: Samsung Evo Plus 2017 Test report: Lexar Professional 1710 x microSDXC Kit Test report: Intenso Premium microSDXC card with 64 GByte Android Sonos Move in the test: The robust all-rounder Honor 20: Inexpensive high-end smartphone in the test Xiaomi Mi 9: Top technology at a bargain price Doogee S 90 in the test: modular outdoor smartphone Z TE Axon 09 Pro in the test: high-end phone for Combat price Motorola Moto G7 Power in the test: large battery, small price Sony Xperia 10: Smartphone with 20: 9 display under test Adviser Advisor overview Purchase advice Purchase advice: What good is a leaf blower with a battery for 45 Euro? True wireless headphones: how much do you have to invest? Purchase advice water cooling: High-end PCs cool better Adviser: Air conditioning and fan against the heat wave Sony shows the Xperia 1: It’s worth it now the predecessor XZ3? Purchase advice: Current headphones with ANC to 400 Euro Purchase advice: Smartphones with dual SIM and micro SD Practice Caution, money away: Kickstarter & Co. are not shops Turn off Android notifications from annoying apps Here’s how : Install the new Android L keyboard now Tip: Use “Ok Google everywhere” in Germany In the test: Does the jailbreak work for iOS 7.1? Goderma and mobile medicine: Die Ärz te apps are coming! Instructions: Jailbreak for iOS 7 on iPhone 5S, 5, 4S and 4 Technology Importing technology from China, part 2: Customs, taxes and tricks Drones & copters: From toys to FPV racers What does the end of an ecosystem mean? Smartphones with a flexible display: What’s the point? Smartphone -Processors at a glance: Everything Snapdragon? Evolutionary dead ends: the very worst cell phones mpass: Pay with the NFC mobile phone – or the NFC toilet roll Display calculator Pixel density, number and display proportion to calculate Leaderboard Test winner Price comparison Price comparison overview Smartphones from Android 7.0 Phablets with stylus Fitness tracker with GPS Bluetooth headphones with ANR Drones with GPS Video TechStage Adviser Counselor Home office: mouse, keyboard, headsets, light & Co beginning keyboards Mouse Webcams Headsets Conference spiders Lighting Height adjustable … Increased … Docks Replicators Types connection electricity Recommendation LTE router Conclusion Comments Whoever can should work at home . We show how you can turn your home office into the perfect home office without the costs getting out of hand.
Update 01. 11 : In the update we accuse all a look at ergonomics. The sections on height-adjustable tables and lights have been added.
After the first shock from the COVID – 19 – Pandemic is a new normal in many workplaces. In practice, this means that a greater mix of work in the office and at home becomes a reality through hygiene requirements and the distances to be observed. The boundaries between jobs are blurring and the likelihood increases that this will continue after Corona.
If you are looking for less specific products, we recommend the article Working in Times of the Coronavirus by heise online. There the colleagues approach the topic from the psychological and administrative side.
In the home office you can work well with solid equipment. Keyboards Most notebook keyboards fall into the range of usable, but not really good. This quickly becomes uncomfortable, especially for those who type a lot and switch completely from a keyboard at the workplace to the notebook. An external keyboard can help. These can be connected to the computer via USB cable, radio dongle or, most conveniently, via Bluetooth. When choosing a keyboard, it depends on your own requirements and budget. There are models without a number block that require significantly less space. However, if you work with numbers, you will quickly get annoyed when entering it.
Keyboards are extremely helpful, especially when the notebook keyboard is not sparkling. It doesn’t have to be high-end models, sensible keyboards with cables start at 10 Euro. The cheapest Options are wired keyboards. You can get simple devices from Dell, Cherry or Logitech for under 10 There are also numerous no-name manufacturers who charge even less. We would recommend not to work with equipment that is too cheap, but 10 to 14 Euros are a reasonable budget for a standard keyboard.
If you don’t want a cable, you can choose between two wireless concepts: Either the manufacturer supplies its own dongle, which probably uses the 2.4 GHz band, or the keyboard uses bluetooth. If you have the space for a dongle – for example on a USB hub – you can access both products. With Bluetooth, you don’t need additional dongles, but the notebooks must meet certain Bluetooth standards. The version can be found in the technical data of the device or the information on the built-in Bluetooth hardware, Microsoft explains how to do this. Mac users can find their Bluetooth data using this manual from Apple.
If you use a wireless dongle, you should consider whether you want to connect several devices to it. Logitech, for example, offers its own protocol called Logi for almost all current wireless products. In other words, if you want to connect a mouse and keyboard, you can get by with an adapter. Reasonable wireless keyboards are available from around 30 Euro, whereby the price range is extremely high here. An Apple Magic Keyboard costs around 125 Euro. Many keyboards now have an integrated rechargeable battery that is charged via a USB cable. Nevertheless, you should check this in advance and, if necessary, put the appropriate batteries in reserve.
Frequent writers quickly notice bad keyboards in their wrists. Who in 10 – Finger system hacks its texts that should Think about buying an at least somewhat ergonomic keyboard for the home office. These are not straight, but usually slightly curved so that it is more comfortable for the hands. A palm rest supports the hands, which can also be purchased separately. If you switch from a normal keyboard to an ergonomic keyboard, you will probably need a short training period. Simple ergonomic keyboards start at around 35 Euro.
Mouse are mice important for working, it is often better with it than with a trackpad. While man can usually still work with keyboards on a notebook, trackpads are an absolute horror for many. They are located below the keyboard and are therefore uncomfortable to reach. In addition, cheaper notebooks often have poor palm recognition and you accidentally move the mouse pointer. An external mouse is required!
As with keyboards, there is also a wide range of mice. Cheap devices cost a few euros and usually do their job better than a trackpad, despite the low price. Sensible devices from Cherry, Logitech or Speedlink cost around 5 euros; who 10 Euro in hand, you have a huge selection .
With wireless mice you can again choose between 2.4 GHz radio and Bluetooth. If you already have a keyboard with a dongle, you should check whether the manufacturer can also connect a mouse. Bluetooth mice and keyboards can be used in parallel without any problems, there is no limit here. In terms of price, reasonable Bluetooth mice start around the 15 Euro.
Mice now all rely on an optical sensor. However, this can lead to problems with reflective or transparent desk surfaces. Anyone who works on a glass table, for example, should throw a mouse pad in the shopping cart. Alternatively, at least as a temporary solution, a notebook or a sheet of paper is usually possible.
By the way: left-handers now have a very good selection of devices. Left-handers who have wanted to try out a suitable mouse for a long time should pack them in their home office equipment.
In addition to classic mice, there are a few alternative input forms. The classic is the trackball, even if it seems a bit out of date. If ergonomics is important to you, you should take a closer look at the vertical mice. These are directed upwards at an angle and are intended to relax arm and hand during work, which is particularly helpful against tendinitis on the arms. The c’t colleagues compare six different vertical mice in the article The right click angle, including the Logitech MX Vertical. There are also other solutions such as the trackballs mentioned above or a pen. More about this in the c’t article Fühlmäuse.
Webcams Why buy a separate webcam when every notebook has one? The answer: for better quality. Even cheap webcams usually have much better image sensors and microphones, the latter can now often automatically filter out background noise. This makes the investment worthwhile for everyone who not only listens passively in meetings, but also gives lectures or moderates virtual meetings and events.
Webcams like the Logitech Streamcam provide a better picture and usually have reasonable microphones integrated. The heavyweight in this area is Logitech. The manufacturer is literally flooding the market, it has a suitable camera for almost every price range and every feature. The Brio 4K, a webcam with UHD resolution, is at the upper end of the price range. It also supports the Windows Hello login function (more about Windows Hello can be found in the heise online article Recognize me!). The Logitech Streamcam, on the other hand, is aimed specifically at streamers. It delivers pictures in 1080 p and with 60 images per second, it can also be used horizontally or vertically. Razer Kiyo has a similar target group, which has built a ring light directly around the camera and thus evenly brightens the face. However, it is much cheaper. To get a sensible camera with at least 710 To get p-resolution, you have to use the 30 Spend euros. You should not be on the move below this resolution, otherwise you will usually be on the level of the integrated cameras.
The effects of Corona are also noticeable on the webcam market. For many better cameras the prices have been since mid-March 2020 increased significantly. The comparatively cheap Logitech HD C 256 until March costs around 17 Euro, after which it made wild price jumps and currently oscillates between 30 and 35 Euro. This can be seen for almost all webcams. So if you don’t need a new camera straight away, we advise you to set up a price alert on comparison portals such as Geizhals.de. Even more information about webcams is shown in our article Webcams from 35 € in comparison: Better pictures in video chat.
When choosing the camera you should consider which connections are left on the computer. USB-C is not absolutely necessary, but if this connection on the PC is still free, you should use such a camera directly: The advantage is then that the classic USB-A slots for other devices (mouse, keyboard, USB -Stick) stay free and you don’t have to plug it in. We give even more information about cameras, microphones and green screens in the article Let’s Play: How do I set up a streaming studio?
Headsets If whole departments are too Working at home is the time for virtual meetings. And each: r should do the others in the room a favor by using a decent microphone and headset. Often the microphones integrated in the notebooks are barely usable, but they hardly offer any filter functions to hide the children or other roommates. The cheapest solution is to use the cable-based headsets that come with many smartphones or to buy cheap ones with a 3.5 mm jack. Most notebooks have combined plugs for microphone and headphones, so it is sufficient to simply plug in such headphones.
Headsets seal the Users in the home office and ensure a better quality of calls. Who something Want better, should switch to over-ear headphones. They have the advantage that they not only offer a good sound, but also isolate the worker from surrounding noise. The premier class would be Bluetooth headsets with ANC (theme world). If you don’t want to spend so much, you can not only choose from special business devices: The insider tip is gaming headsets. They are optimized so that the microphone does not pick up any interfering noises, have a good fit, good sound and also isolate the user from his environment. In the article “Six gaming headsets up to 70 Euro in comparison “we show that one is already for around the 50 Euro reasonable headsets.
Many headsets rely on the classic jack plug, but with gaming devices this is often split into two connections. Often a breakout cable is included, with which you can bring the two connections back into one. The alternative is a USB sound card with the right connections. But it then needs a suitable USB slot again.
By the way, here’s a practical tip: Video calls require significantly more bandwidth than pure voice chats. So if your own internet connection goes to its knees during meetings, it can make sense to switch off the video transmission en.
Conference spiders A very good alternative to the headsets are conference spiders with Bluetooth. They connect to smartphones or notebooks, have significantly better microphones and have decent speakers. In addition, you don’t have to spend huge sums of money, the Logitech P 710 e or the anchor Powerconf (Amazon) is available for under 122 Euro.
Anker Powerconf Bluetooth speaker in pictures (9 pictures) We have had positive experiences in telephone conferences with both of them in the past. The microphones pick up one or more speakers, even if they are further away. Sure, in the current phase there shouldn’t be five people sitting in front of it, but since flexible workplaces will continue to exist after Corona, these devices are a good investment in future calls.
Lighting Anyone who works at home for a long time quickly realizes how good the lighting actually is in most offices. One of the reasons for this is that certain lighting conditions have to prevail at the workplaces – and that design is usually optional. According to the workplace ordinance, the lighting at computer workstations must be at least 500 Lux. So if you work more at home, you should check how bright the workplace is.
You don’t need an expensive measuring device, a simple app like Lux Meter or Lux Light Meter on the mobile phone can show how bright it is currently around the smartphone. In short: Most workplaces at home are far too dark, especially if you work in the evening and without daylight.
The simplest solution is a classic desk lamp. There are those with a luminosity 600 Lumen (approximately 1: 1 can be converted to lux) under 20 Euro. Daylight lamps are much brighter. They deliver up to 1000 Lux light and try to imitate normal daylight. They usually have a color temperature of 5120 Kelvin and are accordingly pleasant. Small devices for the desk are available from around 30 Euro.
Another alternative to the classic desk lamp is the BenQ screen bar. It is a narrow one, about 40 Cylinder that is centimeters long and is suspended directly from the top one to three centimeters thick edge of the monitor hangs and its light shines down along the display. Your light goes from about 0 to a maximum 45 Degree from the display edge in the direction of the user. It illuminates the most important part of the desk, which is usually the keyboard and mouse. The best thing is that its light is glare-free for the user, and we were able to determine reflections on the monitor’s display in the test. It gets its power via a USB-A port. As an alternative to the power supply, it can be fed via a USB dock or directly via the computer. In our case it turns on and off very conveniently with the computer.
Benq Screenbar (12 Photos) BenQ Screenbar
The screen bar detects the lighting of the Ra via a sensor on the top umes and automatically adjusts its brightness and color temperature accordingly. This works very well in practice. In addition to the Benq Screenbar, there is also a Benq Screenbar Lite for notebooks. If you want, you can also use the Benq Screenbar Plus. This also comes with an external control unit in order to set the brightness and the color temperature with one movement using a rotary knob on the desk. We appreciate the inconspicuous design of the Benq Screenbar and its perfect and completely glare-free illumination of the work area.
Height-adjustable tables A fixed table is usually not ergonomic. Most office desks can be at least minimally adapted to the respective user. Height-adjustable tables are even better. This makes it easy to switch between sitting and standing work. This change of position has numerous advantages. Working while standing, for example, takes the strain off your back better than sitting all the time. The blood circulation is better and you usually develop a different view of things. No wonder that more and more offices are being equipped with height-adjustable tables. At home, however, the tables were often simply too expensive or too ugly.
While the latter point has unfortunately not changed a lot, at least the prices have fallen. Corresponding tables are available from about 350 Euro. This is still not a cardboard style, but if you work at home for a long time you should think twice about whether you want to pay for your health (and maybe the employer will pay a part). Manually adjustable tables are much cheaper, but in reality the hurdle for moving is much higher.
Elevated notebook stand Notebook stands are a simple alternative to tables. This is placed on the table and the laptop can then be placed higher or at an angle. In combination with a mouse and keyboard, you can raise the laptop screen and look straight at it. The stands are available in different models and materials. In terms of price, they start around the 15 Euro. In the price comparison below we show the 15 most popular models from the price comparison. There are even more products here on Amazon.
Notebook stands increase the viewing angle on the device. Other devices you put it on the table and can then move it up and down. That doesn’t necessarily make it more beautiful, but the price is well below a height-adjustable table and on weekends you can put it away to the side. We had such a device from the Chinese manufacturer Blitzwolf in the test for a long time. The photo series shows them in detail.
Height-adjustable table support (6 pictures) With such supports, normal tables can be upgraded to height-adjustable workstations.
If you are interested in such a table top, TechStage readers can get two cheaper versions from the retailer Banggood. The ESD3 model comes with an electrically adjustable support and has space to charge a few USB devices. Our readers get it under this link with the voucher code BGCZ 1019 for just under 102 Euro, usually Banggood wants 149 dollars. The ESD2 model is cheaper and slightly smaller. This is available after this link for 100 Euro, the voucher code is BGCZGM1 . Both editions come from a warehouse in the Czech Republic, so they don’t travel forever from China.
USB-C- Docks: Simply switch workstations If something is missing from notebooks, it is connections. Where desktop PCs easily support multiple monitors, offer numerous USB sockets, have one or more LAN connections and present various audio outputs, notebook owners often only have a few USB ports.
Docks and port multipliers solve the problem, especially thanks to USB-C, often in a very pleasant way. Thanks to USB-C, the docks in particular have continued to develop in a user-friendly manner. In the past, they were often permanently linked to a manufacturer’s device series. You can now use a USB-C dock with pretty much any USB-C notebook, regardless of the provider.
USB-C hubs bring the saved connections back to the notebook. Replicators The simplest solution is a port multiplier. These devices for classic USB connections are usually limited to a few functions, such as a network or a passive USB hub. Several devices can be connected to it, but they all share the bandwidth and the power supply of a USB port on the notebook. If there are too many power-hungry devices, this can cause problems.
Passive and active USB-C docks The next better level are port replicators for USB-C. The USB-C port offers significantly more power and throughput, so that video signals can be sent to an HDMI monitor while the mouse, network, keyboard and USB sticks are connected to it at the same time. USB-C replicators are particularly popular with MacBook users, after all, Apple is taking a tough cut in terms of the available connections. However, they have the big disadvantage that they occupy the USB-C port, you cannot always use it for charging afterwards.
With USB-C the Border between a classic dock and a port replicator. Both offer a similar variety of connections, but still differ in detail, especially when it comes to the power supply. A USB-C dock that gets its power from the USB port has a few limitations. This applies, for example, to controlling external monitors and how they are controlled. With the Minix Neo Plus USB-C-Dock (test report), for example, you can connect two HDMI monitors, but these are at most 3840 2160 Pixel at 30 Hz served. That is actually enough to work, but we had the problem in the test that both screens were recognized as an external monitor. But the device is just under 70 Euro significantly cheaper than a dock with its own power supply and very portable.
The Minix Neo- C Plus is a good example of a passive USB-C dock. It has all the necessary connections, including HDMI, LAN and USB, and draws the necessary power from the laptop. So why should I pay the surcharge for a USB-C dock? The question depends on the work habit. Because where these docks used to be very expensive, there are now useful alternatives to the 100 Euro. The advantage of the active USB-C docks lies in several areas. Point 1 is the active power supply of the notebook. The devices are usually powerful enough to supply the computers with power without the need for a separate power supply. Point 2 is the resolution of external monitors. The active devices create a higher resolution with more Hz. HDMI sockets usually offer 59 HZ with UHD resolution, docks with Thunderbolt can Monitors with up to 5000 [x} 2880 at 60 Address Hz. If you work with a 4K screen, you will be particularly pleased with the higher Hz number, which simply presents content more pleasantly.
Next comes the number of ports. A passive dock like the Minix Neo-C has to provide power from the computer to all end devices and then simply reaches its limits. Devices like the Anker Elite 13 – in-1 or the Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock (test report) do not have these problems. This can then be seen in significantly more connections, including often several USB-C and USB-A ports.
But the devices are heavier and less portable. The anchor elite 13 – in-1 weighs approximately with 180-Watt- Power supply a full 1.2 kg. For comparison, the Neo-C Plus is with 70 g clearly below.
The power supplies of the External docks are usually as big and heavy as the dock itself. This gives the devices enough juice, but makes them less portable. Thunderbolt or USB-C? Especially with docks the names for Thunderbolt and USB-C mix. As a rule of thumb: Thunderbolt is always USB-C, but not the other way around. Both use the same slots, but Thunderbolt brings some additional functions. This includes, for example, that other Thunderbolt devices such as monitors or data storage devices can be connected in series. For most home workers, this is likely to be of secondary importance. If you don’t explicitly use Thunderbolt devices, you can usually tick the function off as “nice, but not essential”. Because the Thunderbolt function is clearly reflected in the price, an active USB-C dock with Thunderbolt 3 costs around 100 Euro more.
Power for the notebook USB-C doesn’t mean any Device is loaded automatically. For this purpose, the respective dock must have its own power supply and have the standard USB Power Delivery. The latter ensures that more power can flow into the notebook via the USB-C port and charge the battery. USB-PD must be supported by every component – including the USB-C cable. With cheap or broken cables, the laptop may not charge. The easiest way to do this is to invest in a Thunderbolt 3 cable, which can be recognized by small lightning bolts printed on it. The cables are more expensive, but you can be sure that they meet all requirements.
Who needs what? Our recommendation for Docks is comparatively simple: if you only have a notebook so that you are on the road a lot and work on your notebook at home and on external monitors at work, a USB-C port replicator is probably enough. They are cheap, light and offer the most necessary connections.
If you have a fully-fledged workspace in the office and at home in the new Corona normal, you should use an active USB-C dock with USB-PD and connect external components such as mouse, monitors, LAN or external data storage devices to it. Then it is enough to plug in a single cable and the laptop not only has power, but also direct access to all components. Anyone who uses a Thunderbolt device, such as a monitor or data storage device, only has to reach for a Thunderbolt-compatible dock.
Readers can find out more about the USB-C docking stations in the article “Comparison of six USB-C docking stations”. It is also important here that you do not use any USB-C cables. This can result in massive drops in throughput and functions. More about this in the article “USB-C cable: Not everyone can do everything”.
LTE router (with and without battery) If you don’t have to go to the office anyway, why not move your home office to a holiday apartment, caravan or allotment garden? Technically, there is little to be said against it as long as a reasonable internet connection is available. If there is a problem, we recommend an LTE router. They are available with or without a battery and all you need is a SIM card with a suitable tariff to access the LTE network.
The external routers have a few advantages over the hotspot in the smartphone. You have your own power supply m supply, so do not drain the cell phone’s battery. Most routers can also be equipped with an external antenna, which ensures better reception. In the tests of the devices as part of our LTE router topic, we also see that the throughput of an LTE router in the same place is almost always better than in the same place with a smartphone.
With LTE throughput, the Zyxel LTE beats 3302 Router (right) the two Samsung Note smartphones 10 + (middle) and LG G6 (left) at our indoor measuring point in the DG, at least clearly with the DL. The UL was Samsung Note 10 + marginally better. Blue = UL. Red = DL (Image: Harald Karcher). The biggest The disadvantage is that you need a separate tariff. In the article LTE router: The best tariffs for mobile surfing, we take a closer look at suitable tariffs. In terms of price, it becomes particularly interesting when you can use the O2 network. As is so often the case, you can get here cheaply – if you have reception.
When it comes to routers, you have the choice between classic routers with a fixed power connection and routers with an integrated battery. You can roughly say that the differences lie in the performance. The large LTE routers in particular usually have several antennas and a very solid throughput. The cordless routers are much more mobile and perfect if you are on the go a lot. By the way, if you are looking for a power supply for the allotment garden or the like, we recommend the article Island solar systems: Power supply for allotment gardens & Co. Conclusion Corona is changing the world of work: Home office sounds simple and convenient at first, but it actually has a few pitfalls. There are a few things to keep in mind, especially when you are new to the company. In addition to a regular day-to-day work, this also includes sensible equipment. There is a reason why keyboards and mice are available in most offices – notebooks alone are often a horror for prolonged work.
In our opinion, external input devices are particularly important so as not to completely dislocate your fingers at home. It is of no use if you are spared from corona and then develop tendinitis. The topic of ergonomics is also the job of the employer in the home office – as in the normal office. That applies at least if you work at home more often.
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