Home/Peripheral/Mouse/Sharkoon launches Light² 180 gaming mouse weighing just 63g
Matthew Wilson 4 days ago Mouse
Last year, we reviewed the Sharkoon Light² 200, which won our ‘Worth Buying’ award. Today, a new mouse joins the Light² family – the Sharkoon Light² 180.
The latest mouse from Sharkoon weighs in at just 63g, making it one of the lightest gaming mice on the market. To achieve this low weight, a honeycomb structure is used for the mouse cover. Under the hood, you will find a PMW3360 sensor, capable of up to 12,000 DPI. Using Sharkoon’s software, you can set seven DPI levels, which can be toggled between at the press of a button. Speaking of buttons, there are six in total on the Light² 180, all of which can be configured for different uses – the two main mouse clickers also use Omron switches for longer life-span.
While out of the box, the Light² 180 has a honeycomb shell, this can be swapped out for a completely closed shell instead. The mouse also uses a symmetrical design, so it can be used right or left-handed. The mouse also comes with three PTFE feet to ensure a smooth glide on most surfaces. As you would expect from a modern gaming mouse, the Light² 180 does have RGB lighting, which can also be customised through Sharkoon’s software.
The Sharkoon Light² 180 will be available at retail starting this week, with an MSRP of €39.99.
KitGuru Says: Are you a fan of ultra-lightweight mice? What are your thoughts on the Light² 180 gaming mouse?
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Staying informed is always a challenge and definitely takes time, but what if we could automate our news consumption on a semi-regular basis? Before you say, “Get me out of here!” check out this awesome news-playing Raspberry Pi fridge magnet project created by Reddit user Frakman1.
Using a PIR motion sensor, the Pi automatically plays recent news clips when a person walks by. The best Raspberry Pi projects are the ones you can modify, and there’s no reason you couldn’t adjust this project to play any audio file you want! What’s fun about this design is how accessible it is as a fridge magnet and its mobility.
Frakman1 chose to build the project with a Raspberry Pi Zero to keep the form factor small, and this model is also lighter on power consumption. A Speaker pHAT is used to play the audio and features an LED strip for real-time audio visualization. It’s powered by a battery pack that, according to Frakman1, can last up to 12.5 hours.
The news clips are downloaded regularly using an app called Youtube-DL, an open-source download manager designed to extract both audio and video from streaming platforms like YouTube. When the PIR sensor detects a person, one of the recent news clips will play.
If you want to read more about this project and see it in action, visit the original project thread at Reddit.
(Pocket-lint) – Oppo has enjoyed some successes recently; with some players faltering, such as Huawei, it’s clear that Oppo is attempting to step into the vacuum that’s been left behind.
The Oppo Find X3 Pro received rave reviews as a flagship. It’s also flanked by a couple of devices that share its name: the Find X3 Neo is, basically, built on the previous year’s flagship hardware, while the cheapest of the bunch is this, the Find X3 Lite.
Despite the ‘Lite’ name, however, good performance continues, with plenty that’s enjoy in this mid-range phone.
Design & Build
Dimensions: 159.1 x 73.4 x 7.9mm / Weight: 172g
3.5mm headphone socket
If you’re a follower of Oppo phones, you might get caught off guard but the shuffle in naming convention. The Find X3 Lite effectively rivals much of what the Find X2 Neo offered, but does make a couple of sacrifices to achieve its price point.
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One area that doesn’t seem to have been sacrificed, however, is the build. The Find X3 Lite is a quality device, with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and rear to help protect against scratches, and an aluminium frame holding everything together. There’s a clear case in the box too, to keep things looking fresh.
As is often the case on affordable devices there’s a 3.5mm headphone socket. However, there’s no stereo speaker offering: it’s a mono affair, with the speaker on the bottom of the phone providing the power – and it’s easily blocked when holding the phone in landscape orientation, such as when playing games.
The Oppo Find X3 family have differing designs, so there’s no sculpted bump on the rear for the Lite’s cameras, it’s a lot more conventional – but we like the looks, especially on this Starry Black version where it’s slightly less prominent than some.
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In line with the Lite name there’s no waterproofing on this model, as you’ll find elsewhere in the range.
Display
6.4-inch AMOLED panel, 2400 x 1080 resolution, 90Hz refresh
There’s a flat display on the Find X3 Lite, with minimal bezels for a smart look. A punch-hole sits in the top left-hand corner for the front camera, a convenient position for those playing games in landscape, as this corner generally is covered by your left hand, so you don’t have a hole getting in the way of your game.
It’s an AMOLED display, measuring 6.4-inches on the diagonal, with a Full HD+ resolution That’s become the average for this size and type of device, with many flagships now sticking to similar resolution for the sake of battery life.
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There’s a 90Hz refresh rate, helping to smooth out some of your scrolling content, with the option to switch back to 60Hz if you prefer – although this is fairly buried within the settings so we doubt that anyone will bother to make that change. Again, it’s a typical setting for this level of device, with an increasing number of devices over the past 12 months offering a faster refresh.
You’ll note that the touch sampling rate is 180Hz, slower than many of the top devices, and while this doesn’t matter to a lot of people, it’s one area where Oppo is keeping a tight check on things to deliver at this price point.
The display is vibrant, delivering a great palette of colours, looking great whether you’re browsing online, gaming or watching movies. It’s not the brightest display around, so it struggles a little in brighter outdoor conditions and you may have to bump the brightness up or down a little to suit the conditions you’re in.
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There’s a fingerprint scanner under the display too, which provides fast unlocking and has proven generally reliable, although it only takes a little dust or water to disturb it.
Hardware and performance
Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 5G, 8GB RAM
4,300mAh battery, 65W fast-charging
128GB storage
The hardware loadout fits with those great mid-range devices from 2020. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G found here is good solid hardware that’s delivered many great phones in the recent past. Technically, that’s now been replaced with the Snapdragon 780G, but the Find X3 Lite was launched before that hardware was available.
That’s not a huge loss: while there might be some incremental improvements to performance, you’re still getting a great device for the asking price. Indeed, the Motorola Moto G100 uses that newer hardware, but is quite a bit more expensive than the X3 Lite.
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Performance wise, there’s little to complain about. We’ve been playing a full run of games on the Find X3 Lite and they play perfectly smoothly, while everything else is slick and fast. There’s not really anything in performance terms that fits with the Lite name – it’s a great experience.
There’s no microSD card support, however, so you’re looking at 128GB storage being your all.
Where Oppo is adding some excitement is with 65W charging. That’s thanks to the SuperVOOC 2.0 technology and the chunky charger that you’ll find in the box. What this means is you’ll be able to recharge the phone’s battery at blistering speed – from zero to full in around 35 minutes.
There is battery management software that will attempt to control the charging speeds to preserve battery health though, so that short time-frame isn’t always feasible. This software monitors your usage patterns and will charge the battery slowly as applicable, if you’re in the habit of charging overnight, to ensure it’ll last longer over an extended period of ownership.
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However, this can be irritating at times – especially if you only have time for a short charge overnight, because the automatic system doesn’t seem to recognise the difference between you plugging it on at the normal time, or 6 hours later, meaning you can wake up with a phone that’s not charged if you don’t have the, for example, full 8 hours on the charger that you’d normally get.
We also found that this setting had a habit of turning itself back on, even when we’d turned it off. The best solution, in reality, is a short quick charge during the day and leaving your phone off the charger at night. That should work out for most people, because the battery life of the Find X3 Lite is good, easily lasting through the day, including a few hours of gaming.
Motorola’s new Moto G9 Plus is a stunner of a phone – find out why, right here
By Pocket-lint Promotion
·
Cameras
Quad rear camera system:
Main: 64-megapixel, f/1.7 aperture
Ultra-wide: 8MP, f/2.4
Macro: 2MP, f/2.4
Mono: 2MP, f/2.4
Front: 32MP, f/2.4
Oppo plays the typical 2021 mid-range phone game, plastering the rear of the camera with sensors so it can claim it’s a “quad camera”. There’s the appearance of the low-resolution macro sensor – which isn’t anything to get excited about – and there’s also a 2-megapixel “mono camera”.
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This mono lens notionally feeds data into the portrait system to improve its performance. Portrait is offered on the front camera from a single lens, suggesting to us that it’s simply an unnecessary feature.
The portrait performance isn’t especially good anyway, with the edge detection a little crude. The bokeh effect needs to be set at the time of taking the photo because you can’t adjust it once the picture is taken. Yes, there are options to increase the blur, but unlike the options from Samsung or Google Pixel, for example, you can’t reduce the level of the blur if you find the effect too strong.
The Lite’s front camera is reasonable: we can’t fathom why it’s a 32-megapixel sensor as that doesn’t really deliver any benefits. There’s no pixel binning, as it pumps out 32-megapixel images which just take up more storage and need more data to share. It will give you a decent shot in good conditions, but you’ll need to use the night mode in low-light as it gets noisy rather quickly in less than perfect situations.
The rear camera sees a headline 64-megapixel main, which is par for the course. This is very much about appearing to keep up with rivals than actually delivering better images – but again, it’s typical for this level of phone.
Here there is some pixel binning, with 16-megapixel images as a result by default. If you want to shoot at full 64-megapixel resolution you have the option to turn that on in normal photo mode; there’s also an Extra HD mode which oversamples to give a 108-megapixel image.
Visually, those images basically look the same (the Extra HD mode loses the AI scene optimisation), but greater resolution gives the potential to zoom and crop – although the detail is rather mushy and we can’t see anyone really wanting to do this.
With all that said, the main camera puts in a decent performance for this price of phone and you’ll get decent photos from it in most conditions. There’s no zoom, however, which is a slight limitation, only offering digital zoom.
The ultra-wide camera puts in an average performance, although we like the options this introduces from a usability perspective. However, there is a colour shift between this and the main camera, as well as blurring as you move out of the centre of the frame.
As with many phones in this price category, the Lite will probably do everything you want it to do – as well as a whole load of stuff you don’t want it to do. Just don’t fall for the “quad camera” system marketing and stick to main lens and there’s a perfectly usable single camera on the rear.
Software
Google Android 11 OS
Oppo ColorOS 11
Like many brands, Oppo goes to town customising Google’s Android operating system with its own ColorOS setup. ColorOS has seen great improvements over recent years to make it a lot more usable and approachable – and the offering on the Find X3 Lite isn’t too bad.
There isn’t too much bloat or duplication – except for photos, music, and an app to help you relax you’ll likely never use – but with Google Messages, Gboard and Chrome all in place, there’s not too much messing around needed to get to the services you want. Access to Google Discover from the home screen is welcomed too.
Pocket-lint
But beneath this, ColorOS changes the look and feel of many areas of Android 11. It gives you plenty of options for customisation, but some things fall down the cracks too.
Notifications seem to be particularly irksome: some applications have failed to deliver notifications consistently, we’ve also found that “bedtime mode” – part of the digital wellbeing suite – took about a week to figure out how to run to the schedule we gave it.
Some of these might just be teething troubles, but the experience doesn’t feel quite as slick as the software on the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, which is a close rival to this phone.
At the same time, we’ve not found the software to get in the way: once you’re in your favourite app or game things run very much as they should.
Verdict
There’s a lot that’s interesting about the Oppo Find X3 Lite: the core hardware is solid, the display is good, and fast battery charging is a real benefit.
The niggles are also fairly minor: the over-sell on the cameras, the single speaker that’s easily blocked, and some software quirks that seem to block notifications. Despite this running on year-old hardware, it’s still a capable phone, and the Lite naming is perhaps an undersell considering how much you get for your money.
But over the past 12 months, this has emerged as the most competitive smartphone segment: there are better camera performers on this hardware (Pixel 4a 5G), there are better displays in this position (Samsung Galaxy A52 5G) and lots of options besides.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy A52 5G
Samsung’s budget offering sits a little lower in the hardware stakes, but offers waterproofing – which is rare at this level – as well as a great 120Hz display.
Read our full review
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Pocket-lint
Redmi Note 10 Pro
Redmi offers blistering value for money, although this is a 4G model only and on slightly lower hardware – but you still get a lot of phone for your money.
Samsung’s new clamshell will have many new features, including a larger cover display and a sturdy frame. Read all about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 here!
As the introduction of Samsung’s new foldable smartphones gets closer, more and more is becoming known about the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Earlier this week, official promotional material from Samsung leaked, unveiling the design of both devices. The new Fold will be the world’s first foldable phone with an under-screen camera. In this publication, however, we will limit ourselves to the new Flip which gets a new two-tone design.
Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will be a clamshell phone with a horizontal folding line. The dual camera and cover screen is covered in black, the rest of the housing is given a different color. This time Samsung seems to make a whole range of colors available.
The leaked photos show that at least a gray, beige, green and purple model will be released. In addition, there is talk about a black, white, blue and pink model. The available color variants will differ per region. Samsung will probably also offer some exclusive colors via their site.
Based on all the new information, graphic designer Giuseppe Spinelli has created a series of highly realistic product renders for LetsGoDigital, in which the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is shown in all expected colors.
What is expected of the Samsung Z Flip 3?
The dual camera setup seems to remain unchanged in terms of resolution, it contains a 12 megapixel wide angle and a 12 megapixel ultra wide angle camera. The cover screen will be larger, the original Z Flip was equipped with a 1.1” display, the new model will likely feature a 1.83” cover display meaning some more content can be displayed – handy for incoming messages or when taking a selfie.
The 6.7” flexible screen will probably remain the same in size. What is new, the Samsung Z Flip 3 will support the 120Hz refresh rate. The centrally placed punch-hole camera will stay, presumably the same 10 megapixel image sensor will also be retained. As far as the camera is concerned, only software improvements are expected, the sensors and lenses of all cameras seem to remain unchanged – just as with the Galaxy S21.
For the first time Samsung will provide both the front and back of the clamshell with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, to make the foldable extra scratch and drop resistant. In addition, the frame also seems to be adjusted, the new “Armor Frame” will be stronger than before. The screen will also be extra reinforced by “Pro-Shield” technology – presumably a kind of counterpart to Apple’s Ceramic Shield.
This time Samsung seems to invest extra in the sturdiness and durability of its foldables. Not only does this result in a stronger frame and a more scratch-resistant display, the South Korean manufacturer also seems to provide the Galaxy Z Flip 3 with an IP rating for the first time. The folding phone is not expected to be completely dust and waterproof, but it will be splash-proof – which would of course be a step in the right direction.
Naturally, the hardware and software will also be renewed. Supposedly, the Samsung Z Flip 3 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, which will guarantee extremely fast and stable performance. This 5nm chipset comes with an integrated 5G modem. In addition to a 256GB model, a 128GB model is also expected this time. This enables Samsung to lower the starting price. The device will run on the Android 11 OS, in combination with the One UI 3.3 user interface. It is a renewed interface compared to the UI that can be found on the Galaxy S21 models.
Will the Galaxy Z Flip 3 offer S Pen support?
Samsung seems to be working on S Pen support for its foldable devices. It’s almost certain that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be compatible with Samsung’s famous stylus pen. Some believe that this will also apply to the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Samsung recently registered a trademark for “Z Flip“, which made mention of a stylus pen. Nevertheless, that is no guarantee that the Z Flip 3 will actually offer S Pen support. I personally do not expect that the upcoming clamshell from Samsung will be made compatible with the S Pen. For this we will probably have to be patient until the Galaxy Z Flip 4. But who knows…
Regarding the battery and fast charging options, unfortunately no changes seem to be made. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G, like its predecessor, will be equipped with a dual battery with a total capacity of 3,300 mAh. A recent 3C quality certification has shown that the 15W fast charging function will also remain the same.
This seems to become the weakest part of Samsung’s new clamshell. After all, the battery life of the Z Flip was rated as “poor” in many expert reviews, the new model does not seem to change that. The maximum charging power of 15 Watt is of course also very minimal for a high-end device in the year 2021. It was expected that the fast charging functionality would be increased to a minimum of 25 Watt, some even hoped for 65 Watt. However, this does not seem to be the case; the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will only support 15 Watt wired / wireless charging.
Then the question remains: which accessories will be available for the new Flip? Last year a Leather Cover was released, which consisted of two parts. Samsung may have found a solution to also manufacture covers from one piece, so that the hinge is optimally protected. The South Korean manufacturer was recently awarded a patent for such a protective cover.
Price & Release date of the Galaxy Z Flip 3
Samsung will host a Galaxy Unpacked event around July, where both the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be presented. A month later, another event is expected to be set up for the Galaxy S21 FE, this will be the cheapest model in the S21 line-up.
Last year, both the Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy Z Flip 5G -the latter was introduced five months later- carried a suggested retail price of € 1,500. If we are to believe the rumors, Samsung is doing everything it can to market the new model cheaper. This may also be the reason why the battery, fast charging functionality and the cameras will not be upgraded.
On the other hand, the South Korean manufacturer seems to be extra committed to the sturdiness and durability of its new foldable device. The larger cover screen and the many color variants should also make the Z Flip 3 extra attractive to buy. Moreover, Samsung seems to add an extra cheap 128GB model. This may result in a starting price of approx € 1,350 – € 1,400.
It will probably be possible to place a preorder order immediately after the official introduction. The actual release will then take place about two weeks later. Customers who purchase the Galaxy Z Flip 3 are expected to receive a set of Galaxy Buds 2 earbuds during the pre-order period. The new earbuds will probably be introduced simultaneously.
In terms of design, the Buds 2 are expected to be very similar to the Buds+, which was introduced at the beginning of 2020. It will a cheaper model than the Buds Pro, which was released at the beginning of this year at the time of the S21.
By the way, if you’re wondering what happened to the Galaxy Z Flip 2, don’t worry, you haven’t missed anything. Samsung will introduce their next Z Fold and Z Flip devices simultaneously, therefore the company seems to have decided to align the model names this year. Meaning there will be no Z Flip 2, instead there will be a Z Flip 3.
Note to editors :The 8K and 4K renders in this publication are created by in-house graphic designer Giuseppe Spinelli (aka Snoreyn). The images are copyright protected. Feel free to use our pictures on your own website, but please be so respectful to include a source link into your publication.
The Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Pro AX is a full-featured Z590 motherboard that includes robust power delivery, premium audio, four M.2 sockets, and 13 USB ports on the rear IO. This $290 board is a good value, especially for those who would like lots of M.2 and USB ports.
For
+ 13 rear USB ports. including Type-C Gen 2×2
+ Robust 90A, 12-Phase VRM
+ Four M.2 sockets
+ Latest-gen audio solution
Against
– Integrated Wi-Fi lacks 6E capability
Features and Specifications
The Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Pro AX positions itself as a mid-range SKU with a modest (for recent motherboard generations) price of $289.99. For that price, you get the most USB ports — thirteen, including USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port — we’ve seen on any motherboard in quite a while. Additionally, the board includes the latest audio codec, extreme overclocking-capable power delivery and four M.2 sockets. This, coupled with a reasonable price tag, yields a great option fory new Intel-based builds.
Gigabyte’s current Z590 product stack consists of 13 models. There are familiar SKUs and a couple of new ones. Starting with the Aorus line, we have the Aorus Xtreme (and potentially a Waterforce version), Aorus Master, Aorus Ultra, and the Aorus Elite. Gigabyte brings back the Vision boards (for creators) and their familiar white shrouds. The Z590 Gaming X and a couple of boards from the budget Ultra Durable (UD) series are also listed. New for Z590 is the Pro AX board, which looks to slot somewhere in the middle. Gigabyte also released the Z590 Aorus Tachyon (review coming soon), an overbuilt motherboard designed for extreme overclocking.
Overall, performance on the Aorus Pro AX was inconsistent in our testing. Some results were below the average, while others were right there or faster than the pack. For example, the 3D/game testing showed above-average results, while some synthetic tests were slower than others. This board is performant out of the box, with settings that go beyond Intel specifications.
The mid-priced Aorus Pro AX brings users premium features, including 90A MOSFETs, Realtek 4000 series audio, a staggering four M.2 sockets and a slew of USB ports. Gigabyte updated the appearance from the last generation as well. So between the modern appearance and updated hardware, there’s a lot to take in. We’ll cover those and other features in more detail Below. But right out of the gate this looks like a strong contender for our best motherboards list. First, let’s take a look at the full specs list from Gigabyte.
Specifications – Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Pro AX
Socket
LGA 1200
Chipset
Z590
Form Factor
ATX
Voltage Regulator
12 Phase (12+1+1+2, 90A MOSFETs)
Video Ports
(1) DisplayPort
USB Ports
(1) USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, Type-C (20 Gbps)
(4) USB 3.2 Gen 2, Type-A (10 Gbps)
(4) USB 3.2 Gen 1, Type-A (5 Gbps)
(4) USB 2.0 (480 Mbps)
Network Jacks
(1) 2.5 GbE
Audio Jacks
(5) Analog + SPDIF
Legacy Ports/Jacks
✗
Other Ports/Jack
✗
PCIe x16
(1) v4.0 x16
(2) v3.0 x4
PCIe x8
✗
PCIe x4
✗
PCIe x1
✗
CrossFire/SLI
AMD Quad-GPU Crossfire and 2-Way AMD Crossfire
DIMM slots
(4) DDR4 5400(OC), 128GB Capacity
M.2 slots
(1) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 80mm)
(2) PCIe 4.0 x4 / PCIe (up to 110mm)
(1) PCIe 3.0 x4 / PCIe and SATA (up to 110mm)
U.2 Ports
✗
SATA Ports
(6) SATA3 6 Gbps (RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10)
USB Headers
(1) USB v3.2 Gen 2 (Front Panel Type-C)
(1) USB v3.2 Gen 1
(2) USB v2.0
(2) Thunderbolt AIC headers
Fan/Pump Headers
(8) 4-Pin
RGB Headers
(2) aRGB Gen 2 (3-pin)
(2) Aura RGB (4-pin)
Legacy Interfaces
✗
Other Interfaces
FP-Audio, TPM
Diagnostics Panel
4-LED ‘Status LED’ display
Internal Button/Switch
✗
SATA Controllers
✗
Ethernet Controller(s)
(1) Intel I225-V (2.5 GbE)
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
Intel WiFi AX200 (802.11ax, 160 Hz, BT 5.1)
USB Controllers
Realtek RTS5411E
HD Audio Codec
SupremeFX ALC4080
DDL/DTS Connect
✗ / ✗
Warranty
3 Years
Inside the box along with the motherboard are a slew of accessories. While certainly not the most inclusive we’ve seen, the SATA cables, Wi-Fi Antenna, screws and more, are plenty to get your system build moving along. Here’s everything that Gigabyte includes in the box.
User’s Manual / Installation Guide
Q-connector
Aorus sticker
Graphics card holder
Wi-Fi Antenna
(4) SATA cables
(3) Screw packages for M.2 sockets
(1) RGB extension cable
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(Image credit: Gigabyte)
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(Image credit: Gigabyte)
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(Image credit: Gigabyte)
Once we removed the Pro AX from the box, we noticed a few design changes from the Z490 version. The first,the direction of the lines and brushed-aluminum finish on the M.2 and the chipset heatsinks go the other way. Outside of that, the rear IO cover with its single RGB LED strip, VRM heatsinks, matte-black PCB and reinforced slots are familiar carryovers. The audio shroud illuminates the “Amp Up Audio” branding towards the bottom with RGB LED. Those looking for an RGB light show will have to add their own to the internal headers, but what’s here does give off a nice saturated glow, even if it isn’t a disco.
Overall, this board looks good for the price and should fit in with most build themes. The brushed-aluminum accents give this board a more premium appearance than others around the same price point.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
Starting in the upper left, we get a closer look at the shroud with the Aorus branding, along with the “Team Up, Fight On” motto. Between this is a plastic diffuser to thin the light out from the RGB LEDs below. If that shroud looks familiar, it’s because it’s a carryover from the Z490 Pro AX. Moving to the right, we see an 8-pin EPS connector (required) with an optional 4-pin next to it. Also located in this area, curiously, is the first of eight 4-pin fan headers.
The VRM heatsink is the same as Z490, using a large metal sink on the top bank and a finned heatsink over the left bank. As you’ll see later on, this solution does a good job cooling the chips below. Just to the right, above the DRAM slots, are two more fan headers (CPU_OPT and CPU_FAN). All fan headers on this board support both 3-pin and 4-pin fans. Each header outputs up to 2A/24W, which should be plenty for piggybacking a couple of fans, as well as supporting most water pumps.
Just below these headers are the four DRAM slots. Gigabyte reinforces the slots with its Ultra Durable Memory Armor, which improves the appearance, but in general isn’t all that useful — on any motherboard. The board supports up to 128 GB of RAM with speeds listed up to DDR4 5400, some of the fastest we’ve seen. As always, your mileage may vary as you’ll need the right CPU and memory kit to reach those speeds.
To the right of the DRAM slots are the first set of 3-pin ARGB and 4-pin RGB headers. A little higher up the board than usual is the 24-pin ATX connector for primary power. Below this is a system fan header, a USB 3.2 Gen 1 header and a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C header.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Pro AX uses a 12+1(+1+2) configuration for the Vcore and System Agent. The EPS connector sends power to a Renesas ISL69269 12-channel (X+Y+Z=12) controller. It’s then fed directly (no phase doublers or teaming here!) to 12 Renesas ISL99390 90A Smart Power Stages. This setup yields 1080A available for the CPU. In short, you’ll be limited by the CPU cooling well before the power delivery lets you down here.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
As we move to the bottom half of the board, we’re greeted by plastic shrouds and heatsinks covering most of the PCB. On the left side is a plastic shroud that covers a majority of the audio bits. On top is the second and final RGB LED location that lights up the Amp Up Audio branding. Hidden below is the latest generation Realtek ALC4080 codec, along with WIMA audio capacitors for the rear outputs (Gigabyte says 120dB SNR for that output). Also visible are several yellow Nichicon audio capacitors and the audio separation line from the rest of the board. Most users will find this audio solution satisfactory.
In the middle of the board resides the four M.2 sockets and three PCIe slots. To prevent shearing and EMI protection (for what it’s worth), Gigabyte reinforced the top PCIe slot. The top slot is wired directly to the CPU and runs at PCIe 4.0 x16. The two other slots are sourced from the chipset and run at PCIe 3.0 x4 speeds. This configuration supports AMD Quad-GPU Crossfire and 2-Way AMD Crossfire. Since no other slots run at x8 speeds, NVIDIA SLI is not possible. I would like to have seen an additional x1 slot for additional peripherals, but the two full-length slots should be enough for most people.
Laced between and above the PCIe slots are all four M.2 sockets. The top three M.2 sockets are connected via the CPU. The top, M2A_CPU, supports up to 80mm PCIe devices at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds. The following two sockets, M2B_CPU and M2C_CPU, support up to 110mm PCIe modules at PCIe x4 speeds. The bottom M.2 socket, M2P_SB, is attached to the chipset and runs both SATA and PCIe modules (PCIe 3.0 x4). On this board, SATA port 1 gets disabled when a SATA-based M.2 drive is installed. Not too much to worry about there. The worst case is that you can have four M.2 modules and five or six SATA ports available (depending on what type of module is installed in M2P_SB). That’s a lot of storage without much lane sharing.
To the right of the PCIe/M.2 area is the chipset heatsink with the Aorus falcon on top. To the right of it are six horizontally affixed SATA ports. This board supports RAID0, 1, 5 and 10 modes. Last but not least, just below that next to the CMOS battery are the Thunderbolt 4 AIC headers.
Across the board’s bottom are several headers, including fan and USB, a QFlash button and more. The Aorus Pro AX also has a temperature header on the bottom and includes a sensor for it. This is a good value add for users who would like to ramp up/down fan speeds based on internal chassis temperature. Additionally, in the right-hand corner is the Dr.Debug display. This 4-LED area lights up during the POST process and displays the current stage (Boot, CPU, DRAM and VGA). If there is a problem during this process, the corresponding LED stays lit. Below is the full list of headers and buttons, from left to right:
Front-panel audio
RGB and ARGB headers
TPM header
(2) USB 2.0 headers
2-pin Temperature header
Q-Flash button
(3) System fan headers
Clear CMOS jumper
Front panel header
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
The rear IO area is dominated by a menagerie of USB ports. From USB 2.0 to USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, you’ll find it here on one of the 13 ports. The IO plate itself comes preinstalled, and its black background and Aorus branding match the rest of the board. There’s a total of four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, four USB 2.0 ports and finally, The 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port. If you run out of USB ports on this board, you may want to reevaluate your life/peripheral choices–or you could just plug into one of the two previously mentioned USB-C front-panel headers. Video output (when using the integrated graphics on the CPU) comes from a single DisplayPort Port. In addition to the 2.5 GbE port are Wi-Fi antenna connections, and finally, the 5-plug plus SPDIF audio stack.
The Blade 11 Prime offers a 6.5-inch screen and Qi wireless charging in a well-priced budget device.
If you’re already invested in a wireless charging lifestyle, the Blade 11 Prime is a budget phone to match it
The ZTE Blade 11 Prime offers one standout feature in a field of largely similar sub-$200 phones: wireless charging.
In the smartphone trickle-down economy, wireless charging is basically guaranteed on any flagship-level phone, but it’s still hit-and-miss among midrange phones and all but absent from the budget class. You’re much more likely to find a really big battery on a sub-$200 phone than wireless charging.
Outside of that feature, the $192 Blade 11 Prime’s specs are much the same as competing models like the Galaxy A12 and Moto G Play. Like those models, it offers a 6.5-inch 720p LCD, though it includes a little more RAM (4GB compared to 3GB) and a little less battery capacity (4,000mAh compared to 5,000mAh).
Choosing a phone that’s priced under $500 means you need to pick your priorities carefully, and that’s even more true of a $200 phone. If wireless charging is your chosen priority, then I have good news: the ZTE Blade 11 Prime is the budget-priced phone for you. If it’s not a major priority and more of a nice-to-have item, then I’d suggest looking elsewhere. You won’t do a lot better on any individual feature, like a better screen or camera, but you can do a little better.
The Blade 11 Prime supports the Qi wireless charging standard at 5W.
ZTE Blade 11 Prime screen, battery, and performance
The Blade 11 Prime is on the bigger side with a 6.5-inch display. Its 720p resolution is stretched a little thin here, and you’ll notice certain images looking a little pixelated if you look closely. The screen gets nice and bright, but its auto-brightness setting kept bringing the level down a little too dim for my liking. I also noticed faint repeating vertical lines on dark parts of the screen indicative of a low-quality panel — not a huge distraction but visible.
It doesn’t have the biggest battery in its class, but the Blade 11’s battery performance is generally good anyway. I got about two days of light, mostly Wi-Fi use on a single charge. Spending a full day out and about on LTE would drain the battery faster, but most people could expect to get through at least a full day of heavy use before needing to charge up again.
The Blade 11 Prime’s marquee feature, wireless charging, works well if a little slowly; the phone supports Qi charging at 5W. Taking it from 50 percent to a full charge took almost exactly two hours, during which the phone got warm but not worryingly so. As long as you don’t expect incredible speeds, wireless charging is a convenient option on the Blade 11 Prime, particularly if you’re the type of person who charges your phone overnight.
We don’t expect dazzling processing speed from a $200 phone, but the ZTE Blade 11 Prime falls a little short even considering its price. It uses a MediaTek MT6762 Helio P22 chipset with a relatively healthy 4GB of RAM, but this combination struggles with even light tasks like scrolling through Instagram or Twitter.
Apps open quickly enough, but there was significant stuttering and hesitation just browsing my usual social media timelines or scrolling through the home screen app drawer. Some slowness is expected in this price bracket, but I didn’t see as much consistent stuttering using the Motorola Moto G Play recently.
The ZTE Blade 11 Prime ships with Android 11, which is nice — some of its slightly less recent competitors are still on 10 waiting for an update. ZTE says there’s no plan to offer any additional Android OS upgrades, only that it will offer security patches as needed. That’s not too surprising given the phone’s price point; the Blade 11 Prime just isn’t built for longevity past a couple of years of use. There’s also 64GB of built-in storage, which isn’t a lot. If you don’t download too many apps or store too many photos on your device, you’ll be able to get by, otherwise adding a microSD card for additional storage to your purchase is a good idea.
Camera hardware is modest: on the rear panel, you’ll find a 16-megapixel main and 8-megapixel ultrawide camera.
ZTE Blade 11 Prime camera
The rear camera system on the Blade 11 Prime includes a 16-megapixel main camera and an 8-megapixel ultrawide, plus a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It’s a basic setup, and it does fine in good lighting conditions. It’s a little more prone to clipping very bright spots in photos than other systems I’ve used recently, but it does a nice job overall with exposures of high-contrast scenes. In moderate indoor lighting, some detail-smoothing noise reduction is visible, and low-light photos look smeary even at the reduced image sizes used for social sharing.
Taken with ultrawide
Taken with ultrawide
Taken with ultrawide
As for the other cameras, they’re just fine. The ultrawide doesn’t handle high-contrast scenes as well as the main camera, with some noticeable noise appearing in shadows. There’s also a short delay after pressing the shutter button before you can take another photo that isn’t present when using the main camera. The selfie camera thankfully avoids over-smoothing faces, and photos look good as long as there’s plenty of available light.
If you aren’t already a wireless charging devotee, it would be best to look elsewhere in the budget phone class.
If your budget is strict and wireless charging is a must-have, then the ZTE Blade 11 Prime is the right phone for you. But if you can make do without wireless charging, I’d strongly encourage you to look elsewhere. Iffy performance with basic tasks will be more of an inconvenience in the long run than having to plug in your phone every night to charge it.
This year’s Motorola Moto G Power would be a worthwhile alternative if you can spend a little more; you’ll get a faster processor and better battery life, though you should definitely plan on buying a microSD card to supplement its meager 32GB of storage. The G Play is a good alternative, too, even with a processor that’s a bit slower than the G Power’s.
(Pocket-lint) – Samsung is expected to be working on the Galaxy S21 FE, which is due to be released in this summer. The device should succeed the Galaxy S20 FE and sit below the Galaxy S21 in terms of price, whilst offering many of the same features.
We’ve compared how the Galaxy S21 FE and the Galaxy S20 FE are expected to differ in a separate feature, but here we are focusing on how the Galaxy S21 FE could stack up against the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+, based on the speculation so far.
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Design
S21 FE: 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm
S21: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm, 172g
S21+:161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8mm, 202g
Based on the leaked renders, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will feature a similar design to the Galaxy S21 and S21+. It’s expected to sit in between the Galaxy S21 and S21+ in terms of size, and it is expected to feature a plastic back, like the S21 and S21+.
It looks like the Galaxy S21 FE’s camera housing on the rear will be the same colour as the chassis, while the Galaxy S21 and S21+ both have different colour camera housings – apart from in the black models.
The S21 FE is expected to have a flat display and a centralised punch hole camera like the S21 and S21+ and it is also expected to be IP68 water and dust resistant.
Display
S21 FE: 6.4-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz
S21: 6.2-inch, Full HD+, 48-120Hz
S21+: 6.7-inch, Full HD+, 48-120Hz
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is said to be coming with a 6.4-inch display. Rumours haven’t detailed specifics as yet, but it is likely the S21 FE will have a Full HD+ resolution and a Super AMOLED panel, like its predecessor.
The Galaxy S21 has a 6.2-inch display, while the Galaxy S21+ has a 6.7-inch display, which would mean the S21 FE will sit in the middle of the two devices if the rumours are accurate.
Both the S21 and S21+ have a Full HD+ resolution at 2400 x 1080 pixels, and they both have Super AMOLED panels. The two devices also have a variable refresh rate between 48-120Hz. It is not yet clear if the S21 FE will also offer this, but it is expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate, even if not variable.
S21: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100, 8GB, 128/256GB, 4000mAh
S21+: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or Exynos 2100, 8GB, 128/256GB, 4800mAh
Rumours have yet to detail what processor will be running the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, but it is likely to be the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 or the Exynos 2100, depending on the region. This is the same as the Galaxy S21 and S21+.
It’s been claimed the S21 FE will come in 128GB and 256GB storage options, but so far, there is no word on whether microSD support will be included. The Galaxy S21 and S21+ both come in the same storage options as what is reported for the S21 FE, but neither have microSD support.
RAM and battery capacity haven’t been mentioned in leaks for the S21 FE yet. The Galaxy S21 and S21+ both come with 8GB of RAM and the S21 has a 4000mAh battery, while the S21+ has a 4800mAh battery. We’d expect the S21 FE to offer at least 6GB of RAM and likely a battery capacity somewhere between the S21 and S21+.
Cameras
S21 FE: Triple rear expected
S21: Triple rear (12MP + 12MP + 64MP), 10MP front camera
S21+: Triple rear (12MP + 12MP + 64MP), 10MP front camera
The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is expected to have a triple rear camera and we’d expect the same main camera as the Galaxy S21 and S21+, though rumours are a little thin on the ground in terms of camera specifications at the moment.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21+ both come with a triple rear camera made up of a 12-megapixel main sensor with 1.8µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture and optical stabilisation (OIS), a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with 1.4µm and f/2.2, and a 64-megapixel telephoto sensor with 0.8µm, f/2.0 and OIS.
There’s a 10-megapixel, 1.22µm, f/2.2 front camera on both the S21 and S21+. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see the S21 FE up the front camera resolution, but drop the resolution of the telephoto sensor, like the S20 FE did.
Price
It’s likely the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will be cheaper than the Galaxy S21 and therefore the S21+. The Galaxy S20 FE starts at £599 in the UK for the 5G model and $699 in the US, so we would expect similar for the S21 FE.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 starts at £769 in the UK and $799 in the US, while the S21+ starts at £949 in the UK and $999 in the US.
Conclusion
Based on the rumours, it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could be another great device like the S20 FE, hitting the sweet spot between price and features.
It is likely to offer a slightly downgraded camera system compared to the S21 and S21+, and it might not have a variable refresh rate, whilst also probably having a little less RAM.
It will no doubt be cheaper than the Galaxy S21 though, and with what looks like many of the same features at the moment, it’s certainly one to keep an eye on. You can read all the rumours in full in our separate S21 FE feature.
(Pocket-lint) – When the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra touched down at Pocket-lint HQ it made for a moment of genuine excitement. This flagship, which has more features than, well, any other handset we’ve seen in recent times, is one of those rare moments of a company trying to be different; to standout for the right reasons.
Not only does the Mi 11 Ultra have one of the boldest screens on the market, it has a second screen on its rear too. It’s one of those unusual double-screen devices – we’ve seen other different implementations before, from the Vivo NEX Dual Display to the Meizu Pro 7 and beyond – with the Xiaomi’s smaller touchscreen integrated into the camera unit to act as a notification and control centre. You can see why the tech nerd in us got all excited, right?
Except, having used the Mi 11 Ultra for two full weeks as our own device, it’s stood out for too many of the wrong reasons. The camera bump is huge, the second screen adds nothing of genuine use (and sometimes actively gets in the way), the screen’s touch-responsiveness is unacceptably bad, and the MIUI software continues to deliver irks that, at this high-end level, simply don’t add up to the ‘Ultra’ experience we were expecting.
Design
Dimensions: 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.4mm / Weight: 234g
IP68 dust- and water-resistant (1.5m for 30 mins)
Finish options: Cosmic White, Cosmic Black
Build: Ceramic back in aluminium frame
Under-display fingerprint scanner
Upon pulling the Mi 11 Ultra from its box, it was impossible to not continually stare at the rear camera unit. That protruding bump is huge – the biggest we can ever recall seeing on a phone. At least it’s wide enough that the device doesn’t rock around when laid flat (well, flat-ish) on a desk.
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The build quality is second to none, though, especially standout if you’re seeking high-end details such as a ceramic rear, aluminium frame, water-protection, and curved screen edges. It’s every bit the flagship in such regards.
Odd, then, that the included transparent case does an assured job of undoing much of that high-end look. It’s an essential for protection, though, so we’ve had it wrapped around the phone’s body the majority of the time. But it’s just a budget translucent bit of plastic.
The reason it’s ultra-light plastic is likely to avoid adding too much additional weight to the Mi 11 Ultra’s already hefty frame. We thought the Poco X3 Pro, at 215g, was one chunky monkey. The Xiaomi tops that, at 234g. It’s not as though it’s going to hurt your wrist during use or anything, but it’s an undoubtedly heavy phone to be carting around and using day to day.
In addition to offering face unlock sign-in, the Mi 11 Ultra also has an under-display fingerprint scanner – which we’ve found generally ok, but occasionally to falter. We actually prefer the Mi 11 Lite 5G’s side-positioned one.
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Thinking about it, we actually prefer the Lite model for its overall lightweight design and eye-catching colour finish. Which really isn’t the position this Ultra should be in – being somewhat usurped by the baby in the Mi 11 range.
Rear (within camera unit): 1.1-inch AMOLED, 126 x 294 resolution
The Mi 11 Ultra’s 6.81-inch AMOLED display has some truly flagship specifications. It’s got a WQHD+ resolution, for starters, which means more pixels are packed onto its surface than you’ll find in many competitors these days. There’s also a 120Hz refresh rate to up the smoothness, which is particularly noticeable when scrolling or in some faster moving games.
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There are other headline features here, too, such as Dolby Vision for HDR (high dynamic range) playback and a peak 1700 nits brightness – meaning the maximum punch this screen can output is really, very bright. But you’re not likely to have it cranked up to the max much of the time and, actually, when it’s in lower-light conditions and the brightness falls it begins to crush black levels – a problem others, such as the Oppo Find X3, can also suffer. It’s subtle, but it’s there, and can affect those Netflix sessions.
The screen is also curved, which might look nice to the eyes, because it helps diminish the appearance of edge bezel, but in the case of the Mi 11 Ultra is an often fatal flaw. Why? Because the screen’s touch responsiveness is terrible. By this we don’t mean touch sampling rate, rather the simple fact that the software will often think the screen in being accidentally touched and ignore your input. Even really prominent input, such as when scrolling through pages, often stutters or ignores input.
There’s a software section to choose between the degree of accidental edge touch that’s permissible, or even custom adjust it, but whatever we’ve done it’s been an ongoing issue. Furthermore the screen seems to time-out – such as when watching an advert in a game, for example – and isn’t actively ready for input immediately afterwards. It can take two, three or more taps to get the device to re-engage. And that’s nothing to do with the standard 15/30/60-second auto-timeout. No, this is different. And it goes a good way in breaking the Mi 11 Ultra’s potential.
Accidental touch is something that also affects that rear display. So often we’ll have Spotify running and pick the phone up, only to accidentally skip back to the beginning of the current track. We get that having such controls available for a quick tap could be useful, but most of the time it’s just been a hindrance. And quite often the notifications, owed to poor servicing from the MIUI software, will say things like “checking for messages” from WhatsApp, for example, without delivering anything of actual use.
We’ve already said the tech nerd in us was excited about the prospect of this small second screen to the rear, as it seemed like a smart way of getting quick notifications that you could then pay further attention to. In reality, however, that’s what a full-size always-on display can do already – which the Mi 11 Ultra offers.
Plus, as we’ve come to learn when trying to watch shows in near black-out darkness, having this second screen means you don’t get to “hide” your phone from alerting you and lighting the room in one way or another – unless, of course, you turn the feature off entirely.
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Oh, but what about selfies, surely that’s where this screen comes into its own? Well, you’d think so. But to use the main cameras to shoot you’ll need to select the ‘Rear display preview’ from within the camera app, which will show you all selfie ready in that small display, but then there’s no logical way to shoot the shot. Fumble too much and you’ll likely end up clicking out of the main camera app with your fingers touching around the phone anyway. So, no, it just adds layers of confusion that needn’t be there.
Overall, then, this second screen has served as little more than a because-it-can gimmick.
Performance
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 platform, 12GB RAM
67W fast-charging (wired and Qi wireless)
5,000mAh battery capacity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e
24-bit/192kHz audio
5G connectivity
Being a true flagship, Xiaomi has gone all-out when it comes to top-tier specification. The Mi 11 Ultra is kitted out with the Snapdragon 888 platform and 12GB RAM, so no current app is going to be a bother to run.
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What is a bother, however, is as we’ve highlighted above: the screen’s response. Load up a game like South Park: Phone Destroyer and because the screen will often not register touch input, you’re left with the frequent possibility of losing during play as a direct result of this hardware/software combination. PUBG Mobile? Forget about it.
So while the Mi 11 Ultra has the capacity to deliver these games at their very best – the smoothest frame-rates and so forth – it’s irrelevant. It’s not a gamers’ phone by any means as a result.
The battery capacity, at 5,000mAh, is relatively large. Depending on how you approach using this phone that can mean decent longevity. However, given all the available features – WQHD+ resolution at 120Hz – there’s greater likelihood that it’ll be a stretch to get through the day. We’ve been just about managing it, but often with 20 per cent left after around 13 hours of use.
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Using the phone in this way will see the software suggest doing a large number of things that dumb the features down. Resolution drop. Refresh rate drop. Dark mode activation. Quicker screen auto-off. Always-on display deactivation. Disallowing apps to auto-start. The kind of things that you would otherwise want to always keep operational for that true flagship feel in use. So, in many ways, it’s as though the Mi 11 Ultra’s software is keen to hamper its performance potential.
We’ve seen Xiaomi’s MIUI software in numerous iterations and it’s often varied in its success – sometimes for no apparent reason. In the Mi 11 Lite 5G, which is our favourite in this series, we had no issues with receiving app notifications. In the Mi 11 Ultra, however, it can be temperamental. As we’ve said in many other Xiaomi/Poco/Redmi reviews (multiple brands under one roof) you’ll need to dig into the software and tinker with whether an app has no restrictions to ‘Battery Saver’ – otherwise it may not always be readily available.
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One clear positive we can highlight about the Mi 11 Ultra is the fast-charging. It’s got a 67W charger, which is among the fastest you’ll find anywhere, and makes for rapid top-ups. It’s the same for wireless charging apparently – although we haven’t been able to test and verify this. Good job, really, as that quick-to-deplete battery has a way to help keep it juiced up in little time.
Given the prominence of place given to the camera unit on the rear of the Mi 11 Ultra, it’s safe to say that it’s the most prominent feature of this flagship. It’s here that the Xiaomi often pulls its (considerable) weight, delivering images that are high quality and frequently outclass the competition.
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As a quick summary, the rear unit houses three cameras: the main wide-angle, a 24mm equivalent wide-angle with 50-megapixel resolution; a 0.5x ultra-wide with 48-megapixel resolution; and a periscope zoom, also 48-megapixel, that delivers 5x optical zoom (so a 120mm equivalent).
There’s no gimmicky lenses, no useless macro or dedicated mono sensor, just the core of what you’re really likely to want. Now, the 5x zoom is quite a ‘steep’ jump from the main sensor, but it is possible to pinch-zoom between the two with results of varying quality. You can even do this when live-recording video, which is pretty impressive in result.
As we’ve seen from pretty much every maker with multi-faceted cameras, there’s a slight disparity between the colour balance and quality from each lens though. There’s also a delay when ‘jumping’ between the available lenses – select between the main optic and 5x, for example, and you’ll first see a digital zoom from that main sensor before it suddenly updates with a different fill from the true optical zoom sensor. Not a major drama, but it’s not 100 per cent immediate when selecting between the lenses.
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: Main cameraMain camera
The Mi 11 Ultra’s ultra-wide lens is also a bit toowide-angle – we think it should be 0.6x to avoid some of the more considerable barrel distortion really. But, unlike typical 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensors, this one is capable of delivering decent quality at 12-megapixels (using four-in-one processing technology, as the Mi 11 Ultra does on all its shots).
It has to be said that the Mi 11 Ultra’s 5x optical zoom delivers crisp and clear shots. It’s particularly apparent here, because so many competitors use digital or hybrid zooms and talk them up to such an extent that you almost believe the results will be good – but nothing can beat a true optical zoom as Xiaomi has graced the Mi 11 Ultra with here.
Epic v Apple, future of projectors and more – Pocket-lint Podcast 102
By Rik Henderson
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The main sensor is equipped with on-sensor phase detection autofocus, there’s laser autofocus too, and optical image stabilisation to keep everything smooth and sharp. It’s a well equipped sensor that delivers fine results indeed – whether in daylight, low-light, backlit or really any given set of conditions.
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: Main cameraMain camera
In short: the Ultra’s forte really is found in its photography prowess. Whether it’s worth having such a giant hunk of a camera unit to the rear for the sake of that, however, is another question.
Verdict
The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra does a really good job of shouting “shiny, shiny!” from the rooftops and being undoubtedly alluring for all the bells, whistles, and other embellishments that make it an altogether different and standout device. It wants you to look at it and think “that’s more exciting than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra” – because, from a pure features and spec point of view, it really is.
But once you brush away what are frankly excess features – some of which, such as the second rear screen, are nothing but gimmicky – you’re left with a device that fails to get many of the basics right. The screen response is unacceptably bad. The camera bump is huge – and not really worth it for the sake of that second rear screen. The MIUI software has various moments of failing to send notifications too.
The Mi 11 Ultra is a rare moment from Xiaomi. One that’s excited us more than any other phone of late. Yet, when it comes to the crunch, it’s the one Mi 11 device that’s left us ultra disappointed. The promise is huge, but it just hasn’t lived up to the potential.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
A neater camera integration, better software, and fewer irks make the Samsung the phone that Xiaomi should have beaten – but failed to do so.
Read our review
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Pocket-lint
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G
This, our favourite of the whole Mi 11 range, is everything the Ultra isn’t: it’s lightweight, its colour finish is more eye-catching, its battery lasts longer (despite being less capacious), and, for whatever reason, the software implementation here hasn’t been problematic. You don’t get outstanding cameras by comparison, of course, but you do save two-thirds on the Ultra’s asking price. And you still get 5G connectivity!
(Pocket-lint) – Samsung’s 2020 flagship phones came in the form of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, Galaxy S20+ and the Galaxy S20 – now succeeded by the Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra.
The Galaxy S20+ sits in the sweet spot of the three 2020 devices, offering a big display, lovely design and some great specifications but how does it compare to its predecessor?
This is the Samsung Galaxy S20+ against 2019’s Galaxy S10+ to help you work out what the differences are. You can also find out how the Galaxy S21 devices compare to the Galaxy S20 devices in our separate feature.
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Design
S20+: 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8mm, 186g
S10+: 157.6 x 74.1 x 7.8mm, 175g
It is clear the Samsung Galaxy S20+ and the Galaxy S10+ are part of the same family, both offering premium, solid finishes made up of a combination of metal and glass. The Galaxy S20+ offers a refreshed design compared to the S10 though, opting for a vertical rectangular camera housing in the top left of its rear over the horizontal rectangular housing found in the centre of the S10+’s rear.
On the front, the punch hole cameras positioned in the top right corner of the S10+’s display have been replaced with a centralised singular punch hole camera on the S20+, resulting in a much neater and more symmetrical design. It takes up less screen space so it’s a nicer effect.
The Galaxy S20+ adjusts the aspect ratio slightly too compared to the S10+, meaning a slightly narrower, taller device. Both are IP68 water and dust resistant and both have an under display fingerprint sensor on board, which is very much the same in terms of performance.
The S20+ also loses the “Bixby button” on the side.
Display
S20+: 6.7-inch, Infinity-O, 120Hz
S10+: 6.4-inch, Infinity-O, 60Hz
Despite offering only a slight increase in height, the Samsung Galaxy S20+ has a 0.3-inch larger display than its predecessor – which is a result of the slightly adjusted aspect ratio we mentioned and a further reduction in bezels.
Both the S20+ and the S10+ have Quad HD resolutions, which Samsung has been offering on its flagship devices for some time now. The Infinity-O display on both devices offers virtually bezel-free edges and a punch hole camera cut out. Thanks to the repositioning and switch to one camera on the S20+ though, this cut out is much less intrusive compared to the S10+.
The S20+ and S10+ both have Super AMOLED screens, offering plenty of vibrancy and deep blacks and both support HDR10+. The S20+ offers a 120Hz refresh rate at Full HD+ however – though not variable like the S21 – while the S10+ operates at 60Hz. That means the S20+ will give you smoother animations around the device, although you might not actually notice much difference in practice unless you have the devices side-by-side.
The Samsung Galaxy S20+ is a powerful device, offering 2020’s Exynos 990 processor in the UK and Europe, or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor in the US and elsewhere. Supporting these chipsets is 12GB of RAM as standard, coupled with 128GB or 512GB of storage, both of which offer microSD support for storage expansion.
The Galaxy S10+ also comes with a powerful processor in 2019’s Exynos 9820 or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855, depending on the region, but it offers 8GB of RAM as standard. To get the 12GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, you’d have to opt for the ceramic model. The S10+ is also only 4G compatible, while the S20+ is 5G enabled.
Both the Galaxy S20+ and the Galaxy S10+ offer fast charging, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. The S20+ has a 400mAh larger battery capacity though, which should mean it lasts a little longer than the S10+, although in practise we don’t think there’s much of a difference.
S10+: 16MP ultra wide, 12MP main, 12MP telephoto, 3D Depth; 10MP + 3D Depth front
The Samsung Galaxy S20+ changed things up quite a bit in the camera department compared to its predecessor. Both offer quad rear cameras, but the S20+ has a new 12-megapixel main camera that features larger pixels and a fixed aperture, while the S10+ had Dual Aperture.
The S20+’s ultra wide camera also gets a 12-megapixel sensor, but with smaller pixels and a narrower aperture, while on the telephoto lens, Samsung goes for resolution in the S20+, with a 64-megapixel sensor compared to the S10+’s 12-megapixel offering. The zoom is a little more complicated on the S20+ than the S10+, with what Samsung calls “Hybrid Optic Zoom” out to 3x optical and Super Resolution Zoom taking you out to 30x. This latter option is basically zoom with AI to try and clean things up.
On the front things change too. The S10+ offers a dual front camera, while the S20+ only has one single camera.
There are several new features with the S20 device though, including Single Take that allows you to capture from all cameras at once, as well as 8K video capture capabilities – which the S20+ uses that 64-megapixel sensor for. The S10+ meanwhile, also has a number of great features, but only 4K video capture.
Price
S20+: From £999 (5G)
S10+: From £899 (4G)
The Samsung Galaxy S20+ started at £100 more than the S10+ when it first arrived as it was only available as a 5G handset in the UK.
The Samsung Galaxy S10+ started at £899 when it arrived in March 2019.
Both models should be available cheaper now though given they have been succeeded by the Galaxy S21 series.
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Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S20+ not only offers a nicer design than the Galaxy S10+, but it offers numerous improvements, including a larger and faster display, more camera capabilities and better hardware, such as more RAM as standard and a larger battery capacity.
The Galaxy S10+ is still a great phone however, and is quite a bit cheaper following the availability of the S20+ and S21+, which might make it a better choice for those on a budget. For those wondering whether to upgrade, the S20+ has some great potential, but it’s still pretty close in experience to the Galaxy S10+ so you might want to consider the S21+ instead.
YouTuber Unbox Therapy has got hold of an iPhone 13 Pro Max dummy unit, which seems to have been put together based on leaked schematics. The unofficial (but well-made) model shows how the biggest iPhone 13 could look with a smaller notch and new camera module.
The video, which has racked up 1.4m views since it was posted on 4th May, compares the iPhone 13 Pro Max to the current iPhone 12 Pro Max. The two flagship phones look similar but the 13 Pro Max is thought to be 3mm thicker to accommodate its rumoured 120Hz display.
As for the cameras, the iPhone 13 is expected to sport Apple’s best-ever telephoto zoom lenses, which is why the dummy unit sports a larger camera module. Larger lenses should theoretically capture more light, meaning better-quality photos.
On the front, the iPhone 13’s notch is set to shrink, although it’s not expected to disappear until the launch of the iPhone 14 in 2022. As you can see from the dummy model in the video, the notch could be much less intrusive, freeing up extra space for the status bar.
The notch is almost certain to hold FaceID but there’s also talk of Apple adding a TouchID sensor under the iPhone 13 display. We could even see LiDAR depth-sensing tech rollout to the whole iPhone 13 range (it’s currently only available on the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max).
The iPhone 13 is expected to launch in September 2021, but we wouldn’t count on a foldable iPhone making an appearance. Apple is said to be working on several prototypes, but these are only due out in 2023 according to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
MORE:
iPhone 14 to boast 8K video, 5.4-inch model to get the chop
Cowboy, maker of some of our favorite pedal-assisted electric bikes, is back with two new models for 2021. The Cowboy 4 is a complete overhaul to last year’s Cowboy 3 while the Cowboy 4 ST features the company’s first step-through frame. Both bikes benefit from a new powertrain with 50 percent more torque than last year’s C3 as well as a new integrated “cockpit” with Quadlock mount that wirelessly charges your phone as you ride. But that’s just a start to the bevy of tweaks both big and small that Cowboy hopes will justify a price tag of €2,490 / £2,290 (about $3,000 USD) when the bikes ship in September.
I had a chance to ride near final pre-production versions of the Cowboy 4 and Cowboy 4 ST alongside Adrien Roose, co-founder and CEO of Brussels-based Cowboy. While the two bikes share the same specs, the rides couldn’t be anymore different.
“We’ve stayed true to our initial vision of providing a better alternative to the car — in form and function — and with the Cowboy 4 it’s a shift we will accelerate and lead,” said Roose in a press statement.
The fourth-generation C4 maintains the same sporty riding position and ultra-responsive steering as every Cowboy before it. But this year’s model has a redesigned 250W rear-hub motor that remains silent as it assists riders up to a max speed of 25km/h (15.5mph), even though it’s smaller and produces noticeably more torque. The bump from 30Nm to 45Nm of torque is apparent on the first downstroke, with the lightest of touches propelling the slightly heavier 18.9kg / 41.67-pound e-bike forward with enough gusto to help smooth out hills.
The C4 ST has a lower saddle and higher grips that put the rider into a more upright position. That coupled with a lower gear ratio (2.71 on the C4 ST vs. 2.85 on the C4) makes the ride feel more relaxed despite having the same motor and Gates Carbon belt drive as its brother. The C4 ST is the model you buy for long, lazy commutes with a laptop bag, or for anyone who won’t fit the C4’s taller frame.
The C4 e-bikes, like their predecessors, offer only a single power setting with no throttle and no extra gears. They rely on a torque sensor to adjust the power delivery as needed, which has traditionally resulted in one of the most intuitive pedal-assisted rides on the road.
Cowboy refers to the Quadlock mount with integrated wireless charging unit as the “cockpit.” It can charge your phone at up to 15W from the e-bike’s removable 360Wh battery, but requires a Quadlock-compatible case that must be purchased separately for about €29 / £29. Although the cockpit is bulky enough to fit another battery, the space is mostly empty I’m told, providing a wide base for the wireless coils and access to the frame to run brake cables through.
The Cowboy apps for iOS and Android have also been totally redesigned with an emphasis on health and fitness in addition to navigation, with many new features rooted in game design theory. “What we’re trying to achieve is some weird mix between Strava, Peloton, and Pokémon Go,” said Roose, “simply to encourage people to bike more.”
The fourth-generation Cowboy 4 also improves upon the Cowboy 3 in a number of other ways:
The C4 is redesigned down to the component level, making one of the best looking e-bikes look even more cohesive and sleek. Cowboy says the C4 now features “200 custom-made parts” assembled by Flex in Hungry, including the motor and tires. The Selle Royal saddle, SunRace hydraulic brakes, and Gates drive are the notable outliers.
The €89 Cowboy mudguards are finally standard, which partially explains the added weight and price of the new e-bikes.
The C4 and C4 ST still don’t come with kickstands, but at least Cowboy now makes its own as a €29 / £29 add-on. It’s also making an optional rear rack priced at €99 / £99.
Cowboy doesn’t currently sell e-bikes in the US, but that will change next year, according to Roose, who’s particularly bullish after hearing President Biden’s plans to cut CO2 emissions. “Our growth, and the growth of the US e-bike market, is making a move for us quite appealing and we want to jump,” said Roose. “We’re talking the next 12 months.”
For Europeans, the €2,490 / £2,290 purchase price for a Cowboy 4 / 4 ST includes theft and crash detection, and free on-demand mobile repairs available nationwide in Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Luxembourg, the UK, and in select cities in Spain and Italy. Cowboy also touts its 94.4 percent customer satisfaction rate, noting that owners get replies to support requests within six minutes, on average. A little poke at e-bike rival VanMoof, perhaps, which struggled to support buyers of its S3 and X3 e-bikes as sales ramped up during the pandemic.
The C4 and C4 ST are available in three colors: black, khaki (greenish), and sand (off-whiteish). Test rides will begin in July before the bikes start shipping in September to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. Preorders begin today after a €100 / £100 deposit.
The Cowboy 3 is also being reduced to €2,190 today and now comes standard with mudguards. That’s a price drop of €189 compared to the same e-bike purchased last year.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy Quantum 2 smartphone in South Korea, and we expect it to hit the global market under the name Galaxy A82 5G. While the company hasn’t said anything official about such a device, it has already listed it as an eligible phone for quarterly security updates.
Samsung models eligible for updates
The Quantum 2/ Galaxy A82 5G comes with a 6.7” Dynamic AMOLED screen with 1440p resolution and three cameras on the back – 64MP main, 12MP ultrawide and 5MP macro. The selfie camera has a 10MP sensor and there’s a 4,500mAh battery inside.
The Galaxy Quantum 2/Galaxy A82 5G comes with a Snapdragon 855+ chipset which was the 2020 flagship and provides 5G connectivity and plenty of performance. The South Korean version derives its name from the unique QRNG security chip but we’re yet to see whether this feature will be available overseas.
While it’s definitely nowhere near close to some of its competitors when it comes to confusing naming for its products, Samsung has been playing that game too with the F series and M series and A series, and the differences between them (or sometimes, lack thereof).
Now it’s being reported that the company is busy working on a new device, the Galaxy F22. This is highly likely to be based on the Galaxy A22, pictured below in its 5G-capable iteration courtesy of a recent leak.
That’s not an official image because neither the Galaxy A22 nor the Galaxy A22 5G have been unveiled yet, despite being rumored for many weeks on end.
Anyway, the F series is at least heavily inspired from the A series in Samsung’s roster, that is, when it doesn’t outright rebrand models. So if you’re wondering what to expect from the F22, that’s probably a very similar device to the A22. What remains to be seen is whether it will use the 4G or 5G versions of that as its inspiration. The latter is likely to use MediaTek’s Dimensity 700 SoC, paired with 6GB of RAM.
Furthermore, the A22 (and thus, the F22) is expected to sport a triple rear camera system, with a 48 MP main module, an 8 MP ultrawide, and a 2 MP sensor for decoration. On the front will be a 13 MP selfie snapper, housed in that waterdrop notch.
The A22 is expected to finally become official next month, and the F22 may get a simultaneous launch in India. Only time will tell.
The Anker PowerConf C300 is a consistent strong performer across lighting conditions, with a bevy of genuinely useful features that help make up for some stumbles in presentation.
For
+ Consistent image quality
+ Bonus features work well
+ Lots of value
Against
– Detachable camera shutter feels cheap
– Laggy Software
Anker’s new $130 PowerConf C300 webcam is part of a new initiative from the charger company to break into productivity gear. Labeled under the Anker Work brand, this camera is clearly aimed at professionals looking to buy the best webcams for video conferences. That means it packs a detailed 1080p sensor with multiple field of view options including 78 degrees, 90 degrees and 115 degrees, plus plenty of advanced features like AI framing, HDR and 60 FPS recording.
That’s a level of customizability that’s usually reserved for more expensive, enthusiast shooters like the Razer Kiyo Pro. But while the Anker’s visual fidelity didn’t quite live up to those $200 Kiyo Pro’s, probably because it doesn’t have the Kiyo’s powerful sensor, its strong suite of features still make a strong argument for spending slightly more on it than you would on a more casual but proven camera like the Logitech C920.
Regarding those features, the Anker PowerConf C300 comes with 4 shooting modes, including Personal, Meeting, Streaming and Custom. Personal and Meeting modes both use a “flexible angle” that adjusts the field of view and image framing based on your head movement and placement, although the former tends to be more zoomed-in while the latter is more zoomed out. Streaming mode, meanwhile, locks the camera at a 90-degree field of view and turns on 60 fps recording, while custom mode lets you set your own field of view and frame rate combinations in addition to getting the option to toggle on the HDR and Anti-Flicker settings.
In practical use, I found that most Streaming mode and Meeting mode photos tended to look identical, so for the below tests, I stuck to taking photos in Personal and Meeting modes. I did not include Custom mode in my tests, as I do not have an HDR monitor to test with.
Well-Lit Room
Anker PowerConf C300 Personal Mode
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Anker PowerConf C300 Meeting Mode
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Logitech C920
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In terms of image fidelity, the Anker PowerConf C300 was roughly on par in a well-lit room with the Logitech C920, which is our leading mid-range 1080p webcam. However, perhaps reflecting its slightly higher price and more extended feature set, the Anker PowerConf C300 was much more accurate when it came to colors.
While the Logitech tends to give me a cooler color temperature than in real life, color in photos taken with the Anker came across as far more neutral and natural. This also extended to background elements, which tend to get washed out when using the Logitech.
Low-Light Room
Anker PowerConf C300 Personal Mode
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Anker PowerConf C300 Meeting Mode
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Logitech C920
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
When I drew my curtain and turned off all light sources in my office except for my computer monitor, I found that the difference between the Anker and Logitech webcams was, well, night and day. While the Anker now portrayed me with a cooler but still accurate color tone, its fidelity remained largely unchanged.
Meanwhile, the Logitech C920 introduced significant grain to its photos, especially on background elements. The Logitech’s color temperature also got even cooler than before, which made me look sickly.
Overexposed Room
Anker PowerConf C300 Personal Mode
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Anker PowerConf C300 Meeting Mode
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Logitech C920
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
I also took shots with the Anker PowerConf C300 and Logitech C920 pointing towards my window, to test how they work in an overexposed environment. While this is an over exaggeration of most user setups, it can help shed light on how a webcam might work under heavy light saturation.
The Logitech was, unfortunately, mostly unusable. While it did catch a glimpse of the buildings outside my window, which is impressive given that many webcams instead render windows as pure sheets of white, my face is bathed in too much shadow for me to want to call anyone under these conditions.
The Anker, however, again retained most of its fidelity in these conditions. The edges of my head were tinged by light in shots I took with it, but none of my face was hidden by excessive shadow. And while photos did suffer from a “white sheet” effect, putting the emphasis on the face is the right choice here. Even background elements appeared without issue, arguably looking better than in more neutrally lit shots.
Build Quality of the Anker PowerConf C300
Build quality is where it feels like the Anker PowerConf C300 stumbles most, although its emphasis on versatility extends to its build as well. That means you can tilt it forward 180 degrees, plus swivel it a full 360 degrees. For placement, the monitor mount fits snugly and has the typical hole for connecting a tripod on the bottom. It also connects using a detachable USB-C cable and has an optional privacy cover, but it’s here that the camera starts to show its weaknesses.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The first, and less egregious, problem is that the webcam only includes a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. If you want to connect over USB Type-A, you have to use a small adapter that you’re likely to lose. It’s a small price to pay for USB-C functionality and can be easily resolved with your own USB-C to USB-A cable, but small and easily lost parts are still worth bringing up. Which takes us to the removable privacy slider.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The privacy slider is a detachable and purely physical switch, which means there’s no hardware level shut-off here, and you get two in the box. While that sounds like a nice gesture, it’s a testament to how easy it is to make one of these unusable. That’s because the slider attaches using glue. This introduced a few problems, the most dramatic one being that you probably won’t want to take the slider on and off a lot. Doing so can weaken the adhesive, and it’s not like it’s easy to find a place to store the slider in the meantime without leaving the glue open to the air. While this doesn’t present a major issue if you plan to use it all the time, I personally think the slider’s kind of ugly, and wouldn’t want it on at all times. Additionally, if we’re not meant to remove it frequently, why make it detachable instead of building it into the device?
There’s also the question of whether the glue will leave residue on your device, although I haven’t found this to be the case with my unit. It can be tricky to pry the slider off, though, which I suppose makes me happy that I have long fingernails.
As for the slider itself, it does its job well when attached securely, although its thin plastic has me worried about the slide rail’s durability over time. I’m also worried that the glue could break down over time, although this didn’t happen to me in the few days I used this camera while writing this review.
There’s also no guiding marks for where the slider should go on the webcam, so it’s easy to make a mistake when installing it, and adjusting it could weaken the glue.
The Anker PowerConf C300’s cord measured a little over 59 inches when pulled fully taut, which was long enough to easily reach all of my desktop’s USB ports.Logitech says the C920 has having a nearly-identical 60-inch cord, but as you can see in the picture above, its cord is noticeably longer than the PowerConf C300’s. When I pulled it taut and measured it with some measuring tape, it hit 70 inches, making it nearly a foot longer.
The PowerConf C300 also has built-in dual microphones that produce loud audio but also tended to give my voice a somewhat warbly effect that hurt clarity.
Special Features on the Anker PowerConf C300
The Anker PowerConf C300’s guide gives you instructions for downloading the free AnkerWork app, which is how you’ll access the camera’s different preset recording modes, adjust settings like brightness and saturation and set up a custom recording mode with HDR, anti-flicker, and/or 60FPS support.
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The user interface is simple and light, although it’s a bit annoying to me that I need to scroll down a long list to see all the different ways a recording preset will affect my shot. I would have preferred a layout that puts as much information on my screen at once as possible. But the biggest problem here is lag, which makes the image setting section (where you can adjust photo settings like brightness or sharpness) near unusable.
Every time you press a button or move a slider in the AnkerWork app, you’re going to need to wait at least a second while it applies your changes to the camera. This is obnoxious but not insurmountable when turning HDR or Anti-Flicker on or off. But for image settings, it makes it difficult for you to select a specific number, move by small increments, or test out different settings. That’s because the lag starts as soon as you click on the slider and move your mouse, and can last as long as 5 seconds. You won’t get to see where your slider ended up until after the lag ends. There’s buttons to move the slider by increments of 1 for fine tuning, which helps with this somewhat, but using them takes agonizingly long thanks to each button press triggering even more lag.
Compare this to the user interface and snappy response times for the software for the Razer Kiyo Pro, which also supports HDR and 60fps shots, and it’s easy to see there’s a lot of room for improvement here. A large firmware update and software pitch did hit as I was finishing this review, which helped reduce lag times in most instances, but they are still present and still make the image menu almost intolerable to use.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
As for the HDR and Anti-Flicker support, turning them on is as simple as flipping a toggle (and waiting for the lag), although the former is only available when recording at 30 fps. I wasn’t able to test HDR as I don’t have an HDR monitor, but turning it on even on my non-HDR setup still made images appear slightly brighter and richer.
As for 60 fps recording, it works smoothly once you click the toggle on. A 20 second video recorded at 60 fps also only took up 45.5 MB on my hard drive, which was only 0.5 MB larger than a 30 fps video of the same length. You can also stream at 60 fps, which I had no issue doing on a private YouTube stream.
Anker’s auto frame and solo frame options can be a little trickier to see the benefits of. While they automatically zoom in to put the focus on your face as soon as you turn them on, you really have to move a lot to see the frame actually adjust to follow you.
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Anker PowerConf C300 has consistent fidelity and enough premium features to more than justify its $130 price tag, even if the implementation for those features needs some work. Regardless of lighting conditions, it always had color accurate shots with no visible artifacting in my testing. And on top of that, its multiple fields of view and auto framing options made taking those shots in the best conditions possible easy.
60 FPS and HDR recording are also boons at this price point, as they’d usually require you to upgrade to something like the $199 Razer Kiyo Pro. They work well here, although the PowerConf C300’s picture quality doesn’t match those premium webcams and the software for accessing those features can frequently be unbearably laggy.
Still, if you want a webcam that can do more than your typical casual shooter but don’t need to go full premium, the Anker PowerConf C300 is an easy choice.
Established in 2003, Sharkoon is a hardware and peripherals company based in Germany. With the ambidextrous Light² 180, Sharkoon further expands their Light² series. Based on the Zowie S2 shape, the Light² 180 comes with PixArt’s PMW3360 sensor capable of 12,000 CPI, Omron switches for the main buttons, and a soft, braided cable. By default, a honeycomb back cover is installed, but can be swapped for a solid one. Aside from the back cover, the Light² 180 doesn’t have any visible holes, yet weighs just 66 g. A replacement set for the high-quality PTFE feet is included in the box. Lastly, full RGB lighting and software customizability are on board as well. Variants in matte black or white are available.
Specifications
Sharkoon Light² 180
Size:
120 mm x 63,5 mm x 39 mm
Size (inches):
4.72″ x 2.50″ x 1.54″
Ambidextrous:
Yes
Weight:
66 g
Number of Buttons:
6 (including wheel click)
Main Switches:
Omron D2FC-F-7N (20M) (OF)
Wheel Encoder:
Mechanical
Sensor:
PixArt PMW3360
Resolution:
100–12,000 CPI
Polling Rate:
125/500/1000 Hz
Cable:
1.80 m, braided
Software:
Yes
Price:
$39.99
Warranty:
2 years (EU)
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