Fitbit is launching an exclusive wellness program for Fitbit Premium subscribers called Mindful Method. The program is created by alternative medicine specialist Deepak Chopra and builds on the company’s focus on stress management that started with the Sense smartwatch.
Mindful Method encompasses over 30 audio and video sessions on topics like mindfulness, sleep, stress management, wellness, and the mind-body connection, Fitbit says. The program is taught by Chopra, a renowned author and wellness expert, with more sessions from Chopra planned to be released over the coming months.
In a press presentation of the new program, Chopra led attendees through a sample meditation from Mindful Method. Overall, the experience was not that different from what I’ve done in other meditation apps like Calm or Headspace, though Mindful Method aims to differentiate itself by featuring more of Chopra’s philosophy of wellness combined with the data provided by Fitbit’s watches and Premium service.
Fitbit says Premium already features over 100 mindfulness audio tracks, but adding new ones from a recognizable name could make a difference for the Fitbit owner who hasn’t decided to pay $9.99 a month for Premium yet. Mindful Method also builds on Fitbit’s strategy of not just collecting and displaying a variety of data, but making it actionable, what Chopra summarized in his presentation as the move from “biofeedback” to “bioregulation.”
When Brent Rose reviewed the Fitbit Sense for The Verge, he found the device’s electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor to provide a generally accurate view of when he was stressed, displayed in the Fitbit app’s Stress Management Score. The existing meditations in Premium where a good way to see how that score could change with some controlled breathing and mindfulness, but now Mindful Method might provide an even more comprehensive way to learn about why you’re stressed and what to do about it.
The first 10 sessions of Mindful Method with Deepak Chopra are available now for Premium subscribers in Fitbit’s app.
(Pocket-lint) – The Inspire 2 is the cheapest member of the Fitbit family – and effectively replaces the Inspire HR that launched in 2019 – aimed at those wanting to keep to the tracking basics.
The Inspire 2 sticks largely to the same formula as the Inspire HR, making welcome improvements to the design, bolstering battery life to make it last longer than any other Fitbit device, and giving you a tracking experience that just feels very easy to get to grips with.
With the likes of Samsung, Huawei, Amazfit and Xiaomi also making the budget tracker space a more competitive place, does the Fitbit Inspire 2 do enough to pull away from its more affordable rivals?
Design
Large and small wristband options
Water resistant to 50 metres (5ATM)
Finishes: Black, Lunar White, Desert Rose
With the Inspire 2, Fitbit isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel. Put one side-by-side with an Inspire HR and you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two. The colour silicone bands can be removed and come in small and large size options.
Best Fitbit fitness tracker 2021: Which Fitbit is right for you?
By Britta O’Boyle
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The greyscale touchscreen display – which has a slightly curvier edged look – is now 20 per cent brighter than the previous Inspire, which is definitely a positive move. There’s now a dim mode when you don’t need that extra hit of brightness, which can be disabled when you do. It certainly offers an improvement for visibility out in bright outdoor light, but it feels like it might be time to ditch the greyscale OLED screen and go colour like a lot its competitors have done – Xiaomi, Amazfit and Samsung each offer great colour display options for less money.
To give the Inspire 2 a much cleaner look than its predecessor, it’s also removed the physical button for a setup where you can squeeze the sides of the device to do things like turn on the display or get into the band’s settings. Overall, it works well and that button isn’t hugely missed.
Around the back is where you’ll find the PurePulse heart rate sensor, which means you have the ability to continuously monitor heart rate, exercise in personalised heart rate zones, and unlock new features like Active Zone Minutes.
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The big appeal of wearing the Inspire 2 is that it’s a slim, light and comfortable band to wear all the time. As it’s water resistant up to 50 metres, it’s safe to swim and shower with.
Features
24/7 tracking
Connected GPS
Guided breathing
20+ exercise modes
Additional health insights in Fitbit Premium
Fitness tracking is what Fitbit does best – so it’s no surprise that’s where the Inspire 2’s key features lie.
The sensors making that happen haven’t changed from the last Inspire models. There’s an accelerometer to track steps and enable automatic sleep monitoring. You also have that optical heart rate monitor, which unlocks a range of features and is still best suited to daily monitoring as opposed to putting it to work during exercise. You still don’t get an altimeter to track elevation like floor climbs, which you also get on the Fitbit’s flagship Charge 4.
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For daily tracking, you can monitor daily steps, distance covered, calories burned, and get reminders to keep moving during the day. Fitbit has also added additional reminders to wash your hands, get your heart pumping, or to stay hydrated.
When it’s time to go to bed, you’ll be able to capture the duration of sleep and get a breakdown of sleep stages. That includes the all-important REM sleep, which is a window into the type of sleep tied to memory and learning. You’ll also get a Sleep Score to give you a clear idea if you’ve had a good night’s sleep.
When you switch to exercise tracking, there are over 20 goal-based modes with core exercises like walking, running and pool swimming. There’s also Fitbit’s SmartTrack tech to automatically recognise when you start moving and working out.
There’s connected GPS support, which means you can lean on your phone’s GPS signal to more accurately track outdoor activities. That GPS support is also useful for the Workout Intensity Maps feature, which along with monitoring your heart rate can show you where you worked hardest during a session.
With that onboard heart rate monitor you’re getting to continuously monitor and capture resting heart rate – day and night. It’s also going to let you train in heart rate zones and generate a Cardio Fitness Score to give you a better sense of your current state of fitness based on your VO2 Max (blood oxygen). Fitbit is also introducing its new Active Zone Minutes feature, which will buzz you when you hit your personalised target heart rate zones. It’s a move to get users to think more about regularly raising heart rate as well as nailing those big daily step counts.
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For that time outside of getting sweaty, the Inspire 2 will perform some useful more smartwatch-like duties. There’s notification support for both Google Android and Apple iOS devices, letting you see native and third-party app notifications. There’s a dedicated notifications menu where you can find your latest incoming messages. In addition to notifications, there’s also a collection of different watch faces to choose from.
Beyond the basics, there’s also guided breathing exercises, menstrual health tracking, and app-based features like manually tracking your food intake. You also have access to Premium, Fitbit’s subscription service, which you’ll get a year to trial before deciding whether to continue at your own cost.
What is Fitbit Premium, what does it offer and how much does it cost?
Performance and battery life
Continuous heart rate monitoring
Up to 10 days battery life
Sleep tracking
Those core fitness tracking features is what the Inspire 2 does best. Step counts are largely in line with the fitness tracking features on a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro, also offering similar distance covered and calories data. While those inactivity alerts aren’t groundbreaking, it’s a small way to make sure you keep moving during the day.
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When you switch to sleep, the slim, light design of the Inspire 2 makes it a comfortable tracker to take to bed first and foremost. Fitbit offers some of the best sleep tracking features in the business. Compared to the Fitbit Sense and the Withings Sleep Analyzer, we were pretty satisfied with the kind of data Fitbit gave us.
For exercise tracking – as long as you’re not hoping to run for miles on a regular basis and up the intensity in general – the Inspire 2 should just about cut it. The heart rate monitor is better suited to continuous monitoring than it is for strenuous workout time based on our experience. For running, and cardio blasting HIIT sessions on the Fiit home workout app, average readings could be as much as 10bpm out (compared to a Garmin HRM Pro chest strap monitor).
The connected GPS support is also better suited to shorter runs, which brings useful features like those Workout Intensity Maps into the mix.
As for battery life, the Inspire 2 offers the best battery numbers Fitbit has ever offered. It’s promising up to 10 days, which is double that of the Inspire HR. It lives up to that claim, too, as long as you’re not going too bright with that screen and not tracking exercise every day with it. The good news is that things like all-day heart rate monitoring don’t seem to have a tremendous drain, which isn’t the case on all fitness trackers.
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When you do need to charge there’s one of Fitbit’s proprietary charging cables, which clips into the charging points on the back and the top and bottom of the rear case. That ensures it stays put and doesn’t budge when you stick the Inspire 2 onto charge.
Software
Fitbit’s companion app, which is available for Android, iOS and Windows 10 devices, remains one of its key strengths – and a strong reason you’d grab one of its trackers over cheaper alternatives.
It’s easy to use and if you want some added motivation to keep you on top of your goals, that’s available too. The main Today screen will give you a snapshot of your daily data and can be edited to show the data you actually care about.
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Discover is where you’ll find guided programmes, challenges, virtual adventures and workouts to accompany daily and nightly tracking. If you’ve signed up to Fitbit Premium, you’ll have a dedicated tab for that too. You still have all your device settings hidden away whether you need to adjust step goals, heart rate zones or how you keep closer tabs on your nutrition and weight management.
The Inspire 2 experience is similar to owning a Fitbit Versa 3, a Charge 4, or a Sense. Which is key: that consistent feeling across all devices makes it a good place if you know other Fitbit-owning people. You can delve deeper into data if you want to, but for most, what’s there when you first download it and login will be more than enough to get a sense of your progress.
Best Fitbit fitness tracker: Which Fitbit is right for you?
Verdict
The Fitbit Inspire 2 sticks to a known formula, covering tracking basics, while wrapping it up in a design that’s comfortable to wear all of the time.
The screen changes for this model are welcomed – extra brightness, yay – and if you care about steps, sleep and monitoring heart rate during the day and night, it will serve you well.
All that’s supported by an app that’s one of the most user-friendly if you’re starting to think about monitoring your health and fitness for the first time.
The level of smartwatch features are dictated by the slenderness of the device and while you can get more in the way of these features elsewhere for less money, what the Inspire 2 offers should be good enough for most. It’s still not quite the ready-made sportswatch replacement though.
Cheaper fitness trackers are now offering more features, arguably better displays and battery life. But if you’re looking for a fitness tracker that puts your health and tracking front and centre, then Fitbit is still one of the best.
Also consider
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Fitbit Inspire HR
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If you can live without that brighter display and some of the software extras, the Inspire HR will still offer a solid tracking experience for less cash.
Read our review
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Huawei Band 3 Pro
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Huawei’s fitness band offers one big feature you won’t find on the Inspire 2: built-in GPS. If you like the idea of a tracker a bit better built for sports, this is one worth looking at.
(Pocket-lint) – Huawei’s second generation of its foldable smartphone comes in the form of the Mate X2.
The Chinese company changed the format of the folding device from its predecessor – the Mate X and Xs- moving from a foldable display on the outside, to an inward folding display, like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series.
If you’re in the market for a vertically folding smartphone, here is how the Huawei Mate X2 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 compare.
Design
Mate X2: 161.8 x 145.8 x 4.4-8.2mm unfolded / 161.8 x 74.6 x 13.6-14.7mm / 295g
Z Fold 2: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9mm unfolded / 159.2 x 68 x 16.8mm folded / 282g
The Huawei Mate X2 features a vertical folding display, in a book-style design. It has a glass rear with a prominent rectangular camera housing in the top left corner, a metal frame and a full display with dual cut-out cameras on the front when folded.
When unfolded, the premium device has a large 8-inch screen. The hinge is multi-dimensional according to Huawei, creating a water dropped-shaped cavity for the display when the phone is folded, allowing for no gap at all when shut. There’s also a wedge-like design that is just 4.4mm at the slimmest point. It comes in White, Black, Crystal Blue and Crystal Pink colours.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a similar form to the Mate X2 in that it offers a vertical fold in a book-style design. It too has a glass rear, with a rectangular camera housing in the top left corner, as well as a metal frame and a single, centralised punch hole camera on the front when folded.
When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a slightly smaller 7.6-inch display. It’s hinge allows for multiple viewing angles but there is a slight gap at the fold of the device when folded. It comes in Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black colours.
The Huawei Mate X2 has a 6.45-inch OLED display with resolution of 2700 x 1160 and a pixel density of 456ppi on the front when folded. It features a 21:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate.
As mentioned above, it has dual punch-hole front cameras in the top left of the display and there are very minimal bezels. When unfolded, the Mate X2 has an 8-inch OLED display with a 2480 x 2200 resolution, which results in a pixel density of 413ppi. The unfolded display has a ratio of 8:7.1. It too has a 90Hz refresh rate.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a 6.23-inch external display, making it only slightly smaller than the Mate X2. It too is an AMOLED panel and it offers a resolution of 2260 x 816 pixels and an aspect ratio of 25:9.
When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has an internal display of 7.6-inches. It’s Dynamic AMOLED and it has a 2208 x 1768 pixel resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 372ppi. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+.
Cameras
Mate X2: Quad rear camera (50MP+16MP+12MP+8MP), 16MP front
Z Fold 2: Triple rear (12MP+12MP+12MP), 10MP front
The Huawei Mate X2 has a quad camera on the rear, which features Leica technology, like Huawei’s other flagship smartphones. The camera setup includes a 50-megapixel main sensor, 16-megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor, 12-megapixel telephoto sensor, and an 8-megapixel SuperZoom sensor.
The main sensor has a f/1.9 aperture and OIS, the Ultra-wide sensor has a f/2.2 aperture, the telephoto sensor has a f/2.4 aperture and OIS with 3x optical zoom, while the SuperZoom sensor has a f/4.4 aperture, OIS and 10x optical zoom. The front camera is 16-megapixels wide angle with a f/2.2 aperture.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a triple rear camera, comprised of a 12-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel telephoto sensor and 12-megapixel Ultra-wide sensor.
The main camera has an f/1.6 aperture, dual pixel phase-detection autofocus and OIS, the telephoto lens has an aperture of f/2.4 and OIS and the ultra-wide sensor has an aperture of f/2.2. There is also a 10-megapixel front camera.
Hardware and specs
Mate X2: Kirin 9000, 5G, 8GB RAM, 256/512GB storage, 4500mAh
The Huawei Mate X2 runs on Huawei’s own 5nm Kirin 9000 platform, making it a 5G device. It is supported by 8GB of RAM and it comes in 256GB and 512GB storage variants.
It has a 4500mAh battery under the hood that supports Huawei’s 25W SuperCharge. Huawei’s own Harmony OS can be installed over the company’s usual EMUI interface running on top of Android.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, supported by 12GB of RAM and it comes in 256GB and 512GB storage options.
There’s a 4500mAh battery running the Fold 2, which supports 25W wired charging, 11W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. It runs Android with Samsung’s One UI over the top and there are some great multi-tasking features that make great use of the screen when unfolded.
Price
Mate X2: Equivalent of £1985/$2785, China
Z Fold 2: £1799, $1999
The Huawei Mate X2 costs RMB 17,999 or 18,999, starting at the equivalent of $2785 or £1985. It is available in China only for now from 25 February.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 costs £1799 in the UK and $1999 in the US.
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Conclusion
The Huawei Mate X2 is only available in the Chinese market at the moment, and it is a little more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. On a spec-by-spec comparison though, these two devices are very similar with both tipping the scales in certain areas.
The Mate X2 has slightly larger displays both interior and exterior, arguably a more streamlined design, an extra camera on the rear and a wide-angle front camera.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has more RAM, a higher refresh rate on the internal display and it supports Google services. It has less cameras than Huawei but the triple rear camera does offer great results.
Both devices offer the same storage options and the same battery capacities. The Samsung is more widely available though so while the Mate X2 might win on some specification areas, you’ll need to live in China to get your hands on one for now. It’s also worth remembering the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is tipped for a July 2021 launch.
When Pokémon launched 25 years ago, it did so twice simultaneously.
Pokémon Red and Green (later made Blue for its Western release) are almost identical, but each has a few exclusive monsters. The fire puppy Growlithe is only available in Red, for example, while those searching for a Venus flytrap-like Bellsprout will need to pick up Green. Players can also trade with a friend who has the opposing version. What began as a fairly cheap trick to encourage invested fans to purchase the game twice or to pressure their friends into picking it up, has since become a cornerstone of the entire Pokémon franchise: it’s meant to be shared.
Alongside trading, players could also set up battles between the pokémon they caught and trained in their games. These two features transformed the otherwise single-player roleplaying games in ways that would be constantly iterated on as the core games received sequel after sequel. But even before the release of the second set, Pokémon Gold and Silver, spinoffs were increasingly focusing on multiplayer aspects. For example, Pokémon Stadium, released just two years after Red and Green, brought battles to the forefront. It allowed players to “rent” pokémon from an in-game library, letting friends fight friends without having to first catch and train them alone.
Stadium also added a handful of competitive mini-games. Where battling and trading required some understanding of the franchise’s core mechanics, these applied cute and easily recognizable pokémon as a decorative skin for already familiar concepts. Players might have to race Rattata through obstacle courses or play quoit with Ekans, for instance. Released in the same year as Mario Party, Nintendo was beginning to marry its existing properties with something approachable and family-focused, opening them up to much wider audiences.
Alongside this expansion into casual play came other forms of media, and before long, the franchise was getting its hooks into an entire generation. Kids would reenact the anime on the playground, reinforcing its themes of friendship and teamwork (and rivalry). The trading card game was necessarily communal, if in a way that got it banned from numerous schools. Spinoff games continued to cross genres, bringing in different kinds of fans, from the match-3 Pokémon Puzzle League released in 2000 down to the upcoming MOBA Pokémon Unite. A positive feedback loop had begun. Pokémon was meant to be shared — and, increasingly, everyone was someone you could share it with.
Photo by Dani Deahl / The Verge
No matter how much it became a global phenomenon, selling double copies of the core games remained a habit that Nintendo refused to shake. But though this may have begun as a relatively transparent cash grab, as technology improved, it became less important to buy both games or to recruit a friend to get the opposing version. (Having said that, every friendship group that I’ve been in when a new set is announced has had careful discussions about who would get which; it’s an ingrained behavior.) By the franchise’s 10th anniversary, purely online trading was possible. Diamond and Pearl introduced the Global Trade Station, which allowed players to browse, search, and offer exchanges with strangers from across the world. They could also take part in battles, mini-games, and voice chat.
And while initially surely driven by a desire for profit, Red and Green had predicted (or perhaps hoped for) this kind of free and easy bartering. In-universe, it’s always been possible to upload your pokémon to a PC, and from there, send them all over the world. Nonplayable characters encourage trading as a cooperative, collaborative act. And as technology improved, Nintendo followed suit, making it increasingly easy to complete the pokédex or at least get the companions you like most. (Though its online efforts have not always run smoothly, and since 2018, it has also required a paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription.)
Even once easy online trading was established, Nintendo continued to play with the formula. PokémonX and Y brought the Wonder Trade, allowing players to upload a random pokémon and receive one in return. Naturally, a lot of trades are bargain bin Pidgey and Bidoof, but there are always stories of exceptional generosity, with legendary pokémon, battle monsters with perfect stats, and specially colored shinies all making their way to an unsuspecting recipient. Community coordinated events have also seen experienced players releasing waves of pokémon holding expensive items on Christmas Day to surprise kids playing for the first time. The latest entries, Sword and Shield, introduced Max Raid pokémon, giant monsters that required cooperation with others to take down, and campsites that friends could visit to hang out in.
And where Wonder Trade and Max Raid features leaned into the collaboration encouraged from the earliest days of the franchise, Pokémon Go sold it as a core concept. Its original announcement trailer showed families playing together, solo players meeting to trade, and huge group battles. Many of these features weren’t even in the game’s initial release or were so bare-bones as to be nonexistent — but it didn’t matter. Reviews consistently agreed: the game wasn’t objectively especially good, but everyone was having a great time. The mechanics ended up being unnecessary for creating an astounding social experience. Before the pandemic, in-person festivals saw tens or even hundreds of thousands of players coming together to catch and trade.
Over time, it became clear that this was not simply because Pokémon was a phenomenon among an entire generation. The Harry Potter game Wizards Unite, released three years later by the same developers, had the same if not more cultural weight. But it never took off. According to mobile analytics company Sensor Tower, in 2019, it netted just $23 million, compared to Pokémon Go’s almost $900 million in the same year. In fact, this was an increase over Pokémon Go’s launch in 2016, indicating its longevity.
The key thing that Pokémon has that Harry Potter doesn’t is two and a half decades of community building. Harry Potter certainly has a fandom, a group of the most dedicated enthusiasts, but the book and movie formats are solo activities. To engage with Pokémon is to share. From the trading enforced by Red and Green to the family-friendly mini-games of Stadium to the swapping with strangers via Wonder Trade, it has consistently encouraged cooperation and bonding.
Twenty-five years later, that’s still what makes it a phenomenon.
Dolby Vision IQ aims to solve a problem with which we’re probably all familiar. How many times have you watched a TV drama and found it was too dark for you to make out all the details? The Game of Thrones finale was marred for many by being too gloomy for viewers to see what was going on, while Netflix’s Ozark has also come under fire for leaving far too much to the imagination. And they’re not alone.
So why is so much new TV so dark? In part, because filmmakers are making the most of the expanded contrast that HDR (High Dynamic Range) allows, grading content with the dark depth they see fit. However, that grading often assumes that the content is being watched in a pitch black room. Add even a little bit of ambient lighting and a lot of dark detail can get lost. Simply turning up the screen’s brightness may appear to improve things but in reality you condense the contrast and lose dark depth – even on the latest OLED TVs.
Dolby Vision IQ, which launched in 2020 and is steadily becoming more widespread, aims to address this issue for Dolby Vision HDR content.
What is Dolby Vision IQ?
“Beyond HDR” is how we heard Dolby Vision IQ being described when the technology was launched at CES 2020.
It’s essentially an updated version of Dolby Vision, one of a number of HDR formats alongside HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma). It’s designed to optimise Dolby Vision content on your TV according to the brightness of the room.
To do this, Dolby Vision IQ uses the dynamic metadata from Dolby Vision, as well as light sensors inside your TV, to dynamically adjust the HDR picture based on the content and ambient light conditions in your room.
If you switch from bright live sport to a darker TV show, the TV will adjust accordingly for the optimum picture. The idea is that you don’t have to do anything – the picture will simply look correct regardless of how much light is in the room.
Which TVs support Dolby Vision IQ?
(Image credit: LG / Bosch, Amazon Prime)
LG and Panasonic were the first TV manufacturers to board the Dolby Vision IQ train, with Panasonic offering the feature on all of its 2020 OLED models and LG including it with all of its 2020 OLEDs and a number of its Nanocell and LCD models.
Both brands will continue to support Dolby Vision IQ in 2021. Panasonic has confirmed that its flagship JZ2000 model will have it and we’d expect its other 2021 OLEDs to follow suit when they’re announced. LG, meanwhile, has confirmed that Dolby Vision IQ will be available across a large portion of its TV lineup again in 2021.
TCL recently announced its first Dolby Vision IQ TV, too – the C825 Mini-LED model.
Interestingly, while Sony and Philips both support Dolby Vision across many of their TVs, neither brand has so far launched or even announced a Dolby Vision IQ model. Both claim that their own ambient light sensors work with Dolby Vision content to create a similar effect, but we suspect that they will eventually adopt the official format, perhaps on models that launch in the second half of 2021 or start of 2022.
Less surprising is that Samsung doesn’t offer any Dolby Vision IQ TVs because it still doesn’t support even standard Dolby Vision. Instead, the company pushes its own HDR10+ format, which now has a rival to Dolby Vision IQ in the form of HDR10+ Adaptive.
In terms of content, any Dolby Vision movie or TV show can be given the IQ treatment – it’s not a separate format in that regard.
Does Dolby Vision IQ actually work?
(Image credit: Future)
Now, a TV’s light sensor being used to affect picture performance is nothing new. For years TV manufacturers have been using this technique to produce optional ‘eco’ (or similar) modes that work to adjust picture performance according to room conditions. And, in truth, we often recommend turning it off, finding that it detrimentally affects picture quality, usually by dulling the image.
Dolby Vision IQ is an altogether different and better beast, though. Rather than artificially dulling the picture in a dark room, it brightens it in a light room, and it does so while maintaining naturalness.
Playing It on an LG GX in a bright room, much of the detail in the sewers beneath Derry is lost when Dolby Vision IQ is disabled. At one point, as one of the bullies goes looking for Ben, the entire image is more or less black, with just one point of light on the screen. It’s simply impossible to figure out what’s going on. Enable Dolby Vision IQ (which on a 2020 LG OLED involves selecting the Dolby Vision Cinema Home preset and switching on AI Brightness) and the tunnel walls and dirty water are revealed, and it becomes clear that the camera is giving us the bully’s eye view as he peers through the darkness.
Crucially, in a dim or pitch black room, the image isn’t messed about with and you get the standard Dolby Vision picture quality. In short, Dolby Vision IQ delivers on its promise of delivering the correct picture in all lighting conditions, at least when tested on an LG OLED – the core Dolby Vision performance varies from TV to TV more than you might expect, so there’s actually no guarantee that all models from all brands will deliver Dolby Vision IQ in exactly the same way. Of course, this is something that we test as part of our reviewing process.
You might think that this is much more about the TV’s light sensor and adaptive processing than it is about Dolby Vision, but there’s little doubt in our minds that it’s the combination of Dolby Vision and the TV’s own technologies that’s makes Dolby Vision IQ so successful. We wouldn’t recommend using LG’s AI Brightness feature with standard HDR10 content, for example, as it has a tendency to exaggerate brightness and contrast in a way that doesn’t look natural.
In summary, is Dolby Vision IQ any good? Yes, it is, and we’d recommend enabling it if your TV supports it. There’s no downside when viewing in optimal, dark conditions, and a considerable upside when watching movies and TV shows with the lights on or curtains open.
Ease your way into the joys of commuting by electric bike
Aventa is a new electric bike with a secret: its battery is removable despite the clean design.
London-based Furosystems just launched the Aventa series of pedal-assist e-bikes into the European market. A more powerful US model is planned for later this year, or early in 2022 if the double whammy of Covid and Brexit creates undue complications.
Aventa is sold in three variations, with the first deliveries starting in mid-March. Each model is priced to include all the accessories needed for typical urban commuting: mudguards, bell, luggage rack, kickstand, and front and rear lights. The standard Aventa ships with a 10.4Ah 375Wh battery, hydraulic disc brakes, and full-sized LCD display for €1,799. If you want more range, then you can opt for the Aventa Max, which costs €1,999 and has a bigger 14Ah 504Wh battery. The Aventa Pure is the entry-level model. It lowers the specs with mechanical disc brakes, a tiny 7.8Ah 281Wh battery, and a miniature LCD display. That also lowers the price to €1,599, which compares favorably to commuter e-bikes from Cowboy (starting at €2,290) and VanMoof (starting at €1,998), and city bikes like the Muto (starting at €1,799).
It’s the entry-level Aventa Pure model I’ve been testing for the past month in frozen Amsterdam.
First canal freeze in years, so why not?
The Verge is always on the hunt for affordable and attractive electric commuter bikes. But they need to be from reputable companies. After all, if you’re going to spend a couple of grand on an e-bike meant for daily use then it had better be reliable and serviceable for years to come, not sold by some fly-by-night operator on Amazon or Indiegogo that’ll go bust just as soon as you need to make a warranty claim.
Furosystems appears to be a company with staying power. It recently raised £750,000 (about $1 million) from investors ahead of the Aventa launch. That’s pennies compared to the recent funding rounds by Rad Power Bikes ($150 million), VanMoof ($40 million), Cowboy ($26 million), and Super73 ($20 million), but CEO Eliott Wertheimer tells me that the company was already profitable before the November funding round. In addition to the new Aventa e-bikes, Furosystems already sells Fuze scooters and the Furo X folding e-bike.
Last year Furosystems did 60 percent of its sales in the UK, according to Wertheimer, with the remaining 40 percent split across France and Italy. This year the company is planning to grow sales from about 3,000 units to 10,000 by expanding into Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. Aventa e-bikes are being assembled in Portugal with components sourced from around the world. Wertheimer tells me that his ultimate goal is to design and manufacture every part themselves, but to do that now would be too costly.
The Aventa Pure e-bike I’ve been testing is built for European roads. That means a motor with 250W of continuous power (and 500W peak) and a top speed of 25 km/h (15.5 mph). That speed is fine in congested city centers, but too slow for anyone commuting along lonely roads or protected rural bike paths for any great distance. Mind you, that’s criticism of European transportation policy, not the Aventa.
The 25 km/h speed limit can be overridden for markets that allow it.
Furosystems does provide instructions to override the speed limit “to comply with local regulations,” requiring just a few taps on the buttons surrounding the LCD display. With that tweak the Aventa will reach a top speed of between 32 km/h and 36 km/h depending upon the rider’s size, I’m reliably told. But I was a good boy for this review. While I confirmed the speed hack was legit (and thrilling), I stayed within the European limits for my testing now that police are increasingly cracking down on illegally fast e-bikes in cities throughout Europe.
Furosystems says that the Aventa Pure’s 281Wh battery is capable of more than 40 km (25 miles) of range. In my testing, on long stretches of uninterrupted rural roads, I’ve already gone well beyond that estimate since I’m often pedaling at speeds greater than 25 km/h. At those speeds the motor is just idling as it’s not needed to supply power to the pedals. As a result, my battery says it’s still more than 50 percent full after 47 km (29.7 miles) of riding, despite riding at the max of five pedal-assisted levels.
Although the Aventa lacks any kind of throttle or boost button, the sturdy little Bafang motor fitted to the rear wheel hub was able to flatten the steepest hills I could find (which aren’t anywhere close to San Francisco steep) thanks to its ability to generate 500W of peak power.
When riding in stop-and-go traffic, power is provided smoothly and evenly to each downstroke of the pedals despite the lack of any torque sensor like you’ll find on more expensive e-bikes. On flat surfaces, I barely used the nine speeds allowed by the Shimano Altus derailleur. But those gears definitely came in handy when trying to start under heavy loads on inclines or when getting some exercise at top speeds.
The Aventa puts the rider into a somewhat sporty forward lean on a saddle you’ll want to replace if regularly riding long bumpy distances. The ride is almost silent, disrupted only by a thin rattle when riding over some of the bumpiest brick roads I could find. While I wasn’t able to pinpoint the exact source of the rattle, it did go away when I rode without the battery installed.
Removing the battery is an easy, but awkward, procedure as it’s locked into place by a key at the base of the downtube. To extract it the bike has to be laid unceremoniously onto the ground. You can also flip the bike upside down, but at 16.5 kg (36 pounds), the Aventa may be relatively lightweight for a fully loaded e-bike, but it’s definitely not light. Nevertheless, being able to remove the battery for indoor charging is a necessity for many city dwellers who don’t have the space, or strength, to lug a hulking e-bike up narrow stairs to an apartment.
The top image with better cable management is what buyers today will receive in mid-March, compared to the review bike which was sold in December and January.
Now, about the cable management. The Aventa Pure e-bike sent for review has far too many exposed cables and connectors for my liking. Fortunately, that’s being fixed for anyone preordering an Aventa today, as the bikes being manufactured now for delivery starting mid-March will route the cables through the frame. While integrated cabling certainly looks better, the exposed cables and connectors on my review bike make it more modular and therefore easier to service whenever a part needs replacing.
My review unit arrived with a smashed headlight, for example, caused by a clumsy courier. Furosystems sent me a new assembly which I was able to install myself by releasing a pair of screws and unclipping the damaged unit. It took all of two minutes. Ease of repair is an important consideration for a young direct-to-consumer company that lacks a sophisticated global repair network. Shipping a busted e-bike to a foreign country for service is no fun for anyone, least of all the owner. Just ask early adopters of the VanMoof S3.
Wertheimer tells me that Furosystems is constantly iterating and taking on customer feedback, and is willing to switch back to the external cabling if customer surveys suggest a strong preference.
Other notable specs and observations:
Charges in about 4.5 hours, or as long as 7 hours if you buy the Aventa Max with higher-capacity battery.
The aluminum frame can fit riders between 165 cm (5 feet 4 inches) and 195 cm (6 feet 4 inches) and up to 120 kg (265 pounds).
The lighting kit on the Aventa Pure features an integrated front light that can be controlled from the display pad (which also controls the LCD’s backlight). The rear clamp-on lamp has to be operated manually.
The mini LCD display is fine for showing battery level, speed in km/h or mph, and distance traveled.
There isn’t Bluetooth or an app, which is fine by me — the Aventa is powered on via a button below the LCD.
I hate the giant logo printed on the downtube. I get it, the company is young and needs to build recognition, but it comes at the expense of the buyer who’s transformed into a rolling billboard for a brand without any prestige (yet). One bystander asked me if I got it from some bike-sharing startup. Ugh, the humiliation.
The battery can be inserted backward accidentally. It really should be keyed to make insertion idiot-proof (hi, I’m an idiot).
The quick-release front-wheel and saddle stem are convenient but also magnets for thieves. Be careful out there.
The entry-level Aventa Pure is a lot of bike for the price, coming in at €400 less than the VanMoof S3, which has become a benchmark of sorts for commuter e-bikes. The Aventa Pure also has a removable battery unlike the S3, and that might make all the difference for many buyers. True, the Aventa Pure doesn’t have all the gee-whiz features you’ll find on premium e-bikes at €2,000 and above. But expensive features like integrated security, theft recovery, at-home servicing, crash detection, and apps that can recommend the least polluted bike routes are ultimately just nice-to-haves, not critical functions of an electric bike.
The Furosystems Aventa Pure is an attractive, inexpensive, and bare-bones e-bike for commuters. It will get you from A to B and back safely and reliably, and likely well into the future. And honestly, what more do you need?
The Aventa Pure is a great icebreaker for anyone wanting an introduction to e-bike commuting.
Photography by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
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In a tweet from Raspberry Pi co-founder Eben Upton, we see trays of RP2040 ‘Pi Silicon’ chips destined for board partners to build their own models of RP2040 boards. Each of these trays holds 1200 chips, but these latest chips are a little different to those that have come before.
The Raspberry Pi Pico has been with us for nearly a month, and from day one we have been aware of alternative boards from partners such as Arduino, Adafruit, Pimoroni and SparkFun. With Upton’s tweet indicating that these partners will be imminently receiving their stock of RP2040 chips we should shortly see their boards coming to market. The alternative boards are not “clones” of the Raspberry Pi Pico, rather each brings extra features to the table. Notably the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect comes with WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 9-axis IMU sensor and microphone. Boards from Adafruit come in a range of Feather (large) Itsy Bitsy (small) and QT Py (tiny) and all come with an RGB LED and STEMMA QT connections for use with external components.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Future)
These latest RP2040 chips carry a “B1” marking, different to the original RP2040 used on the Raspberry Pi Pico. But what is the difference? We asked Eben Upton “Some more floating point support functions I think. Moving these to ROM frees up a little more RAM in applications that use them. Checking the datasheet, there are no errata fixes in this stepping.” Upton later said that newer Raspberry Pi Picos will ship with the newer B1 chip, and that all partner boards will use the B1 chip. We have already received a Tiny 2040 for review, an RP2040 B1 based board which has four times the storage, fewer GPIO pins in a smaller form factor.
We’re shipping silicon! Although not general availability for yet, sorry. Expect that in Q2. But the chance to get your hands on some #RP2040 boards real soon now. I know I’m looking forward to seeing RP2040-based boards from @Adafruit, @Arduino, @Pimoroni, and @SparkFun. https://t.co/Djb3QoP4Ad pic.twitter.com/g0AiOiTDccFebruary 18, 2021
The news of RP2040 chips shipping to board partners has also been confirmed in a tweet by Alasdair Allan, Technical Documentation Manager at Raspberry Pi Trading and the person responsible for the Raspberry Pi Pico documentation.
Now that board partners are receiving their chips, it is just a matter of time before the community can start to integrate the RP2040 into their own projects, such as Arturo182 who has designed an RP2040 based board which looks remarkably like a Raspberry Pi Zero W.
Motorola has announced two new budget phones coming to European markets: the Moto G30 and the Moto G10, both starting well under €200. The higher-specced G30 includes a fast 90Hz refresh rate screen and a 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging, two features not commonly seen at this price.
The G30’s 6.5-inch display is unfortunately just 720p. Other specs look healthier, though, like IP52 dust and splash resistance, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of built-in storage that is expandable via microSD. The phone includes a 64-megapixel main camera that produces 16-megapixel images, plus an 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro camera, and 2-megapixel depth sensor, with a 13-megapixel selfie camera around front. It’s equipped with a Snapdragon 662 chipset, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and will ship with Android 11. It costs €179.
The Motorola Moto G10 is a little cheaper with a less robust processor.Image: Motorola
The Moto G10 is a little less interesting, with a less powerful Snapdragon 460 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 6.5-inch 720p screen with a standard 60Hz refresh rate. It gets a lower-res 48-megapixel main camera and 8-megapixel selfie cam. Like the G30, it contains a 5,000mAh battery, although it charges a little more slowly at 10W. A version sold in India will include a bigger 6,000mAh battery with 15W charging. The European variant is priced at €149.
Fast refresh rate screens make scrolling and animations appear smoother, and they’re quite common now on flagship phones. It’s not surprising that we’re starting to see the technology pop up in the budget class — the $300 OnePlus Nord N10 5G has a 90Hz screen and the upcoming Galaxy A52 and A72 are rumored to include one, too — but the G30 is one of the least expensive phones we’ve seen to offer one. It seems likely that we’re well on our way to seeing 90Hz screens becoming the new normal at every price point.
The Moto G30 and G10 are currently listed for sale on Motorola’s UK and German sites and will come to other European markets this spring.
Nvidia RTX 2080 Super GPU Exposed (Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
To date, temperature monitoring tools such as HWiNFO have only been able to display the GPU temperature of Nvidia GPUs as an average of its sensors, but that’s about to change. According to Igor Wallossek, who recently got his hands on an unreleased beta of HWiNFO, the temperature and sensor monitoring program’s next beta will come with a feature to monitor the Hotspot temperature of Nvidia GPUs.
What is Hotspot and Why Does it Matter?
(Image credit: Igor’s Lab)
Nvidia’s GPUs currently report the temperature to monitoring programs as a single value — GPU Temp, or whatever your program may call it. In reality though, the GPU doesn’t have just one temperature sensor on it smack in the middle. Instead, the GPU has many sensors spread across its topography, and it averages the results for the reported number.
As you can imagine, the temperature across the sensors can vary wildly depending on the load on the specific area, the flatness of the GPU surface and the cooler, the mating between the two, the thermal grease used — you get the idea. As such, it’s actually quite interesting to know what the peak temperature is that’s recorded on the GPU.
Don’t AMD GPU’s Already Report this Temperature?
That’s correct. AMD’s new RDNA2 GPUs, which include the RX 6800, RX 6800 XT, and RX 6900 XT graphics cards, already report this information to HWiNFO. But contrary to AMD, Nvidia has been very hush-hush about this information.
Given that the data is soon to be public, there is a good chance that Nvidia already uses it in its boost algorithms along with thermal safeties, throttling behavior, and the like. And perhaps Nvidia is being a bit more forthcoming with low-level details.
Will Knowing the Hotspot Temperature Lead to Higher Performance?
Well, not really. At least for most of us. If you buy a GPU off the shelf, install it in your system, and just want to game, chances are you don’t really care about this information — nor will knowing it affect your experience.
But if you’re someone that likes knowing how your hardware performs and overclocks, it can be useful data. It won’t immediately help you get better overclocks, as an unstable overclock is still unstable. However, it can (theoretically, at least) help you figure out whether your cooler is seated properly on the GPU, or whether it would be beneficial to reapply thermal paste.
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(Image credit: Igor’s Lab)
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(Image credit: Igor’s Lab)
There will always be a temperature difference between the average and the hottest spot — that’s a given that no amount of trickery with the cooler can change — but you can attempt reseating and repasting the cooler a few times to try and get the temperature differences between the two to reduce. Potentially, by reducing the difference and somewhat evening out the temperature across the surface of the GPU, you should have a good idea of how well your cooler is seated, potentially allowing better overclocks.
Of course, for this to work we’ll need a lot more data than a single sample. Tons of users will need to submit data for various different GPUs, and with that data you should be able to get a pretty good idea of what a healthy Hotspot temperature looks like vs. one where the cooler is not properly seated — even if the average temperature appears to be in check.
Igor’s tests show, on an MSI RX 6800 XT Gaming X, a temperature delta of 12–20C between the average and the hotspot. Meanwhile, with the new unreleased beta, Igor found a temperature delta of between 11 and 14 degrees on an RTX 3090 Founders Edition. This might lead to the assumption that the Nvidia card has a better cooling solution, but we wouldn’t jump to conclusions — how the average is calculated, the GPU topography, and the locations and quantity of thermal sensors are all bound to be different, so a direct comparison is not possible.
Igor did not specify what Nvidia GPUs will have this information presented, but it’s safe to assume that the older your GPU, the less likely it is to support the Hotspot monitoring in the next beta of HWiNFO. It may be for all Ampere GPUs, or only the GA102 (3080 and 3090) cards, or perhaps it will even work on older Turing GPUs as well. We’ll find out once the public beta gets released.
(Pocket-lint) – The Poco M3 is all about affordability. By dangling that low-price carrot, along with surprisingly well-specified features, a read-through of its spec rundown certainly sounds appealing.
But is it truly appealing in practice? With stiff competition from established players, such as the Moto G series, there’s plenty more to consider if you’re looking for an outright purchase on a budget. Here’s our verdict after living with the Poco M3 as our main device.
Design & Display
Display: 6.53-inch LCD, Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2340), 19.5:9 aspect ratio
Dimensions: 162.3 x 77.3 x 9.6mm / Weight: 198g
Finishes: Cool Blue, Poco Yellow, Power Black
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Poco (or Pocophone as it once was) is an off-shoot of Xiaomi, targeting affordability as its primary focus. As such you’re not going to get ultra-luxe, well, anything. But the balance of build to price found here is fair – ignoring the vibration motor, which is the poorest implementation (complete with accompanying irksome noise) that we’ve seen/heard for some time.
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The M3 certainly wants you to know its a Poco, too. The massive logo emblazoned across the rear camera unit tells you that. We’re not a fan of that look, but each to their own. The rest of the rear is coated in a textured plastic, which looks rather more like a case than it belonging to the phone – sometimes just because of the way lint gets stuck between the camera unit and the main body.
As for the phone itself, it’s fairly large, in part down to the huge battery (it’s a 6,000mAh capacity) tucked away within, in part down to the large-scale display choice. A 6.53-inch panel might not read that massive these days, but it’s actually a smidge wider than you’ll find on many a flagship (the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra being one such example).
But it’s the screen specification where things get rather interesting. For it offers a Full HD+ resolution. And this is a phone that’s on sale for sub-£/€150. That’s rather unusual, because the Moto G9 Power, as one obvious competitive example, has nothing like that degree of resolution.
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Which sets the M3’s screen in pretty good stead. If the software wasn’t so keen to keep it dimmed so frequently then it’d be a solid panel on which to do your day-to-day tasks. The notch isn’t too distracting. Available brightness is more than good enough, once manually adjusted. And the degree of colour from an LCD panel does a fair job too.
Sadly, however, the touch-response of this panel is really poor. Especially towards the edges. It’s often failed to recognise very purposeful touches, which makes interacting and typing frequently just irritating.
Performance & Battery
Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, 4GB RAM
64/128GB storage, microSD expansion, dual SIM
MIUI 12.0.5 software (over Google Android 10)
6,000mAh battery capacity, 18W charging
Even the specification, in context of this price point, reads pretty well. But, somehow, despite 4GB RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 processor, there’s just a certain lack of cohesion in use.
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Which, we suspect, is down to the MIUI software. We’ve already pointed out the excessive auto-dimming. The user interface is also sluggish to respond, hesitating sometimes to the point that we’ve tried hitting the same close button three times over. The poor screen touch-response could compound that, too, of course.
Check out these excellent cases for the Samsung Galaxy S21 series
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At this price point you really need to have a bar of expectation in what you’d like a phone to do. Because while the Poco M3 can certainly run games and apps without too much a bother, it can’t necessarily run them that well. Take our go-to favourtie, South Park: Phone Destroyer, and while it’ll load up fine, there are often stutters in animation and everything feels laggy and slow to the point that it’s taxing to play.
Sure, this is a budget phone, so it’s not going to be a gaming mecca. But with this kind of processor on board – which we’ve seen elsewhere, such as, again, in the Moto G9 Power – we’d actually expect better. Something just isn’t quite communicating quite correctly between hardware and software, delivering a user experience that’s below par.
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But without an ultra-powerful processor, the power drain is rather efficient – again, in part, down to software – and as there’s a massive 6,000mAh cell inside the M3 lasts and lasts. And then some.
If you’re looking for longevity then there’s no fear of this phone powering through a couple of days – we’d achieved over 24 hours with over 50 per cent battery remaining (partly due to being averse to wanting to game or use the device as much we might a more capable device).
As an “office in your pocket”, for calls and emails, then, the Poco M3 will last out for an age and is worthy of consideration on that front alone. So long as you can tinker with the software sufficiently – because there are various irks from the MIUI (v12.0.5) software that you’ll need to dig into various menus to tweak to your liking.
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It’s the software that’s holding things back in our view. There are battery saver per-app limitations, permissions limitations arranged in various parts of the settings that need attention, and so forth. It’s a maze to find and open things up, and even when you think you’ve got everything sussed there might be a delay in notifications from certain apps.
Just as we’ve said of so many MIUI devices in recent months, it’s the biggest hurdle that’s often holding back potential (especially in Xiaomi’s Mi 11 flagship). And with Poco Launcher here, there are additional bothers, such as the system-wide dark mode often making fields illegible by hiding them away.
Ignore the massive Poco emblazoned on the rear and your eyes will no doubt be drawn to the trio of lenses available. “Ohh, a triple camera,” we hear you say. Not so much, however, as the depth sensor and macro sensor are effectively pointless – the macro doesn’t have any way to activate it that we can see, while the depth sensor (utilised in Portrait mode) just isn’t necessary at all. It’s a classic case of overselling the cameras because “more equals better”.
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With that said, however, the main camera unit isn’t too shabby. So think of it as a budget phone with one simple camera – no ultra-wide, no optical zoom – and it does the job well enough.
That main sensor is 48-megapixels, but using a four-in-one processing methodology means the M3 produces 12-megapixel results by default. Such images are still large in scale, and as so much data has been drawn in to process there’s ample detail.
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However, the camera app is a little slow, navigating the features is over-complex, and the focus in shots wasn’t always on point in our testing – there’s no optical image stabilisation or other such fancy features here to help out.
Verdict
In terms of specification the Poco M3 seems unrivalled for a phone at this price point. Impressive features such as a Full HD+ screen and massive 6,000mAh battery lead its charge.
But somewhere along the line there’s a breakdown in communication. For the decent spec may read well, but it doesn’t function quite well enough. Software irks, poor touch-response from the screen, stutters in both interface and apps, mean it doesn’t add up to be the dream budget experience.
If all you want is an outright affordable purchase for calls and emails then the Poco M3 will last an age and could serve you well. But the quality of even lesser-specified devices out there for a similar price – which run even better – simply means it’s not one to recommend.
Also consider
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Moto G9 Power
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There’s less resolution, but a far more fluid user experience is what makes this Moto the obvious choice. It’s a little bit pricier as a result, but worth pulling together that little bit of extra cash for the sake of usability.
Samsung’s Galaxy F62 is a new affordable handset that’s releasing in India on February 22nd. It features a massive 7,000mAh battery and the same Exynos 9825 processor that powered the Galaxy Note 10 back in 2019. It’s available in two variants: one with 6GB of RAM that costs ₹23,999 (around $330), and a second with 8GB of RAM that costs ₹25,999 (around $358).
Around front you’ll find a 6.7-inch 1080p OLED display with a 32-megapixel selfie camera contained within a hole-punch notch, while on the back there’s a quad camera array. Here there’s a 64-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide with a 123-degree field of view, a 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the phone which is available in green, grey, or blue.
Around back there are four cameras.Image: Samsung
Internally, alongside the Exynos 9825 processor, the Galaxy F62 has 128GB of storage, which is expandable by up to 1TB. There’s space for two SIM cards, and the battery can be fast-charged at 25W using the charger that comes in the box. The phone is running Samsung’s OneUI 3.1 software out of the box, and there’s support for the NFC Samsung Pay service, as well as “Single Take,” Samsung’s camera software that automatically assembles a series of photos and videos simultaneously for you to select from after the fact.
From its specs, the Galaxy F62 sees Samsung’s past flagship features trickle down to an affordable handset, accompanied by a huge battery. Samsung says it’ll be available from a variety of retailers including its own online store, Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and My Jio.
The original hatchback Bolt EV is also getting a refresh
The Chevy Bolt is undergoing a growth spurt. General Motors unveiled two new versions of the Bolt on Sunday: an updated Bolt EV hatchback with longer range and new high-tech features, and the brand new Bolt EUV — essentially a compact SUV — with more legroom room and less range than the Bolt EV.
Due out this summer, the refreshed Bolt EV will sell for $31,995 — or about $5,000 less than the current model year Bolt EV. The Bolt EUV (which stands for “electric utility vehicle”) will also be less expensive, costing $33,995. A limited-edition “Launch” version, with unique wheels, special badging, and an illuminated charge port, will be available for $43,495. The Bolt EV and EUV were expected to go into production at the end of 2020 but were delayed until this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
First introduced in 2016, the Chevy Bolt was intended to be General Motors’ first stab at a mass-market, purely battery-electric vehicle with 200-plus miles of range and an affordable price tag. But sales have been anemic since the release of the Tesla Model 3 in 2018, which has come to dominate the EV market in the US and abroad. The Bolt’s compact hatchback size is not what most American car buyers are looking for these days. And a recent recall of 2017-2019 model year Bolts related to a flawed battery certainly hasn’t helped GM’s image problems with the EV.
The automaker hopes to lift the Bolt’s fortunes with these two new versions, but that may be difficult given that the technology that powers the Bolt is quickly becoming obsolete. Both the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV will be built on GM’s BEV2 platform, which is distinct from the new “Ultium” battery pack announced in early 2020. The recently unveiled Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV will be the first vehicles to be built on this new architecture. GM has said that Ultium’s advanced battery chemistry will enable its future electric vehicles to travel further on a single charge and re-charge at a faster rate. But the automaker has no plans to move the Bolt over to the Ultium platform, according to Chevy’s lead engineer.
As a consolation for its approaching irrelevance, both versions of the Bolt will come with Super Cruise, the “hands-free” advanced driver assist system that previously has only been available in Cadillac vehicles. The Bolt EV and EUV are the first non-Cadillac vehicles and first electric vehicles to have Super Cruise.
The price helps make up for the Bolt’s shortcomings. When it was first introduced five years ago, the automaker was still eligible for the federal government’s $7,500 tax credit, which effectively made the Bolt a $30,000 vehicle. But in 2019, GM sold its 200,000th EV in the US, triggering a phase out of the tax credit. No longer eligible for that incentive, GM decided to stick with the reduced price for these latest versions, which is encouraging.
GM claims that the Bolt EV’s 65 kWh battery pack will enable 259 miles of range on a single charge, while the slightly heavier Bolt EUV will have 250 miles of range — basically the same as the current year model. The original 2018 Bolt had 238 miles of range, but typically got less due to cold weather or other external factors. Neither vehicles’ range has yet been certified by US or European regulators.
Chevy is also including an active thermal management system that uses coolant to maintain the battery’s temperature. Late last year, General Motors was forced to recall over 68,000 Chevy Bolts manufactured between 2017-2019 after several battery fires were reported. Federal regulators are investigating and a class action lawsuit was filed alleging that the Bolt’s battery is “prone to burst into flames.”
According to Jesse Ortega, chief engineer at Chevy, the new Bolts utilize a different battery chemistry that will help prevent future incidents, the same chemistry that allowed the automaker to increase the range from 238 miles to 250 miles.
Both versions of the Bolt come with a single-motor drive unit that can deliver 200 horsepower thanks to 150 kW of power, and 266 pound-feet (360 Newton meters) of torque. Like previous models, the new Bolts will have regenerative braking and a one-pedal driving mode that is fairly common among EVs today.
The Bolt EUV and redesigned Bolt EV share an architecture, but their designs are unique. No exterior sheet metal parts are shared between the two vehicles, after some owners complained about lackluster sheet metal in previous versions. The EUV is approximately 6 inches longer and will have about 3 inches of extra rear legroom than the Bolt EV.
The grille has been tweaked, swapping the dual-tone look of the previous Bolt with a more monochromatic fascia. Chevy is keeping small ventilation panel rather than embrace the completely flat front-end of other EVs like the Tesla Model 3.
The Bolt’s interior has always been more practical than inspiring, with hard plastic abound. Now the Bolt EV and EUV’s interior has been redesigned to include more screens and sensors, mostly to help power Super Cruise’s promise of “hands-free” driving. Chevy has even ripped out the Bolt’s oft-criticized seats and replaced them with seats that feature a triangular geometric pattern and contrasting color stitching, which the automaker claims is a “premium design that gives a consistent and upscale atmosphere.” Not words you typically see used to describe a $30,000 vehicle.
The main 10.2-inch infotainment screen is still embedded in the dashboard, but is integrated more seamlessly into the center console than the original Bolt’s design. The physical buttons are smoother and less chunky. And Chevy swapped out the gear shifter for a series of electronic buttons to free up more interior space. There’s also a new one-pedal driving button that keeps the system active between drive cycles.
Other new additions include the light bar in the top of the steering wheel and the infrared sensor on the steering column. These are components of GM’s Super Cruise assisted driving system, which uses cameras, radar, and mapping data to allow users to drive hands-free on divided highways. Super Cruise is not a self-driving system, in that it still requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road and engaged enough to be able to take over at a moment’s notice. Notably, the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV will only come with the standard version of Super Cruise, not the enhanced version that includes automatic lane-changing.
EV charging in the US is a bit of a mess, and while Chevy can’t solve some of the more intractable problems, it is doing what it can to make charging a little less of a headache. A dual-level charge cord is included with the Bolt, which Chevy said will eliminate the need for many people to purchase a separate charger for their home. The changeable plug allows customers to plug into a standard 120-volt three-prong outlet for Level 1 charging and a 240-volt outlet for Level 2 charging up to 7.2 kilowatts. Both vehicles are also capable of 11 kW Level 2 charging, but separate charging equipment is required.
As an added perk, anyone who buys or leases a Bolt EUV or Bolt EV will get free installation of a Level 2 charger in their home through GM’s partnership with Qmerit, a home charger installer. For charging on the go, GM is partnering with public charging station operator EVgo to include over 80,000 public chargers in the My Chevrolet app.
But charging times will still be subject to the power levels of each individual charger. When plugged into a normal 120-volt system (ie, most home outlets), the Bolt EV and EUV will only get four miles of range for every hour of charging. Plugged into a 240-volt outlet will get the Bolt to a full charge in seven hours. And a DC fast charger will add up to 100 miles in 30 minutes for both vehicles.
Affordability has always been the Bolt’s strongest selling point, offering a decent size battery and adequate range for under $35,000. Chevy wanted to ensure the Bolt stayed affordable even as it added new features, like Super Cruise, or leveled up to crossover status, said Steve Majoros, vice president of Chevy marketing. Keeping the price low will help spur EV adoption from its current status of only 2 percent of US sales to upwards of 15-20 percent of the overall car market, he said.
“ICE [internal combustion engine] vehicles will be around a long time,” Majoros said. “But the EV movement is real.”
The Redragon M913 Impact Elite is a great MMO mouse that delivers exactly what’s promised. A must have for serious MMO players.
For
Great features for the price
Versatile and easy to use
Shaped well for different grips
Well-designed software
Against
English localization has some errors
Battery life is only visible through the software
With plenty of extra buttons for easy access to abilities and macros, MMO mice are specifically designed to be multipurpose tools on the virtual battlefields of digital worlds. That’s why the best gaming mouse for MMO players is one with a comfortable, plentiful and easily programmable button layout.
All those extra buttons usually come at a price, which is what makes the Redragon Impact Elite mouse so interesting. At $50, this is an inexpensive MMO mouse that’s made for navigating MMO gameplay, and in our testing, it certainly delivered on that. The price point is below more premium competitors like the Razer Naga Pro, and definitely affordable for those investing in their gaming setup.
Redragon Impact Elite Specs
Sensor Model
PixArt PAW3335
Sensitivity
100-16,000 CPI
Polling Rate
125/250/500/1000 Hz
Programmable Buttons
16 (including the wheel click)
LED Zones
3x RGB zones
Connectivity
USB C
Cable
6 feet (1.8m) braided
Measurements (LxWxH)
4.82″ x 3.62″ x 1.65″
Weight
129 grams
Redragon Impact Elite Design and Comfort
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
With its flat and wide top, the Impact Elite definitely has a unique look. But even though it looks odd, the button placement is fantastic. There’s also RGB on the scroll wheel, Redragon logo and side keypad that adds a bit of typical gamer flair while also allowing you to rock your individual style, and it’s not overwhelming.
I loved setting up the lighting for this mouse. The software was easy to use, and with a little effort I was able to customize my style of lighting perfectly. I love a pop of color at my desk, since I spend so much time there.
Overall, the mouse’s build and button layout worked really well for me, which was surprising since it’s built for more for a palm grip, versus my claw grip. In use, the buttons were easily accessible, which was a shocker for me because I was certain when looking at it that the layout was a touch crowded. But the Redragon Impact Elite was very comfortable to use for an extended period of time.
Gaming Performance
To test the mouse, I played Final Fantasy XIV and used the side buttons for my hotbar. There are 12 of these buttons in total, and they’re well placed for easy reach. The buttons are also angled in a way that makes them easy to reach and hit the button so you don’t make any accidental inputs. In addition to these side buttons, there’s also an extra mouse button to the left of the left mouse button. By default, it’s a triple-click macro, and I changed it to “target enemies” in FFXIV for convenience. This let me use all of my skills without taking my hand off of my mouse, which was great.
The mouse does come with customization software that allows you to customize every button (except for the two DPI adjustment buttons). Any of the 5 dpi slots can be set from 100 to 16,000. You can also adjust your scroll wheel’s scrolling speed.
But perhaps most important for MMO players is the full macro editor, which lets you save recordings of different key combinations to input with the press of a single mouse button. This is nice, plus there’s an option to have macros continue while the button is held or until you press any other a specific number of times.
All of these features make the mouse competitive with other gaming mice even above its price point, but its specs are great too. On top of the max 16,000 DPI, you’ll also get USB-C connectivity, polling rates up to 1000Hz and a 6ft braided cable.
Feature and Software
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I’ve touched on the Redragon Impact Elite’s software a few times already, but it’s still got a few noteworthy features in its color change and keybinding software that I haven’t pointed out yet. There are a few preset color change modes for the ‘steady’ and breathing RGB options that let you pick from the whole color palette. Some people may not care for RGB features, but this is always a huge sell for me as I enjoy my tech being customizable. But if that’s not your thing, there’s also an eco power mode to run the mouse without the rgb lighting effects to conserve power.
You can also push your settings to the mouse wirelessly, which is a really convenient touch that also makes changing your settings easy. The software also allows you to save all of your settings into profiles, which you can export and import as often as you like. Again, this is far from groundbreaking, but it’s nice for the asking price.
Finding both the color changing and keybind software on the website was also very easy thanks to the picture guide on the website’s downloads page.
A minor con is that the software’s English localization has a few errors, so I definitely had to reread and test what some buttons did through trial and error to fully understand some setting options. For example, the extra mouse button that triple clicks by default is called the ‘Fire key’, and the way its key assignment works is via a setting called “Key Combination”, which you still have to use even if you just want to assign a single button to it. It’s nice that you can assign multiple keys to be pressed at once, but it’s not clear off the bat that you don’t have to do that.
A final cool feature about the mouse is that it has a ‘mode’ switch on the bottom. This allows you to quickly swap between two different configurations so you don’t have to reconfigure the mouse in the software if you have two different games you play frequently.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Redragon Impact elite is a powerhouse of an MMO mouse for its price. It’s cool, sleek and comfortable to hold while still staying easy on your wallet. It also looks great, with an angled keypad that adds a modern touch to the classic MMO mouse design.
But ultimately, play is what matters. Playing Final Fantasy XIV with this mouse was awesome, and I definitely felt the hype behind having a mouse built specifically for MMO gameplay. This was the first time a peripheral gave me that feeling. Having so many options for programming this mouse was a bit intimidating, but the gaming payout was worth it.
If you are on the fence about buying a mouse for MMO gameplay, this is a comfortable and easy way to start, since it performs as well as more expensive brands, without costing nearly as much.
Mad Catz is a gaming peripherals company located in Hong Kong and has been around since 1989. Much like many other Mad Catz mice, the R.A.T. Pro X3 Supreme comes with a whole slew of customization options. Aside from the extendable back, both the right and left side panels may be swapped with differently shaped panels. Additionally, either ceramic or regular PTFE feet may be used (and freely swapped). PixArt’s PMW3389 sensor ensures great tracking, and Omron switches rated for 50 million clicks are used for the main buttons. Full software customizability is provided, and the same goes for extensive RGB lighting options.
Samsung may be getting closer to refreshing two popular midrange devices: the Galaxy A52 and A72. Leaked press renders and prices have popped up over the last month, and now SamMobile is reporting that the phones will get higher refresh rate screens. This is a welcome feature that’s trickling down from much pricier flagship devices; faster refresh rates make for a much slicker experience, with smoother animations and scrolling than the typical 60Hz screen offers.
The A52 and A72 are both expected to sell in LTE and 5G versions; the LTE phones will allegedly have 90Hz displays, while the 5G versions get 120Hz panels. (SamMobile only indicates that the A52 5G will have the 120Hz screen, but it seems likely the A72 5G would, too.) A 90Hz panel isn’t unheard of in the A52’s budget / lower-midrange class — the $300 OnePlus Nord N10 5G is equipped with one — but it’s still uncommon.
SamMobile also reports a few more specs for the A52 5G: it will include a Snapdragon 750G chipset, 6.5-inch OLED screen, and a 4,500mAh battery with 25W fast charging. It’s also expected to ship with Android 11. Variants with 6GB of RAM / 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM / 256GB of storage will likely be offered.
On the camera front, it will allegedly include a 64-megapixel main sensor with a 12-megapixel ultrawide, 5-megapixel macro, and a 5-megapixel depth-sensing camera. It’s also reported to include a 32-megapixel selfie camera. It’s expected to cost around €450 (close to $550), while the non-5G model could cost $400.
The Galaxy A51 was one of the bestselling phones worldwide in the first half of 2020, and Samsung looks keen to build on its success with attractive features like the higher refresh rate screen. We liked the A51’s high-quality screen and good build quality but found its processor to be a bit slow loading apps — something Samsung will want to rectify in this follow-up.
The A51’s 4,000mAh battery performance was also so-so. A higher refresh rate screen would likely require even more power, which may be part of the reason why this year’s model will allegedly offer a bigger battery. Capacity is only part of the equation, though, so it’s something we’ll keep an eye on when this device eventually makes its official debut.
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