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Our Asus ROG Phone 5 video review is out

Asus is no stranger to the gaming phone sector and the ROG line, in particular, has solidified itself as the forerunner in the segment. After the success of last year’s ROG Phone 3, Asus decided to take the series up to 5 with the ROG Phone 5. With our ROG Phone 5 written review in the books, we now bring your attention to our video breakdown with Will guiding you through his impressions of the latest gaming flagship from Asus.

The focus here is on the vanilla ROG Phone 5 instead of the more feature-packed ROG Phone 5 Pro or Ultimate. Despite being the most affordable of the bunch, the vanilla ROG Phone 5 does not disappoint in any area. You get a dual glass design with Gorilla Glass Victus covering the display and Gorilla Glass 3 on the back.

Asus has always tried to differentiate the backs of its ROG Phones and this year brings a DOT matrix LEDs which form the ROG logo. The sides are made from aluminum and the 238-grams heft makes the ROG Phone 5 a two-hand device.

Being a gaming phone, Asus has once again brought its custom pressure-sensitive shoulder triggers giving you an upper hand in supported gaming titles. You also get a second USB-C and accessories port on the side to charge and connect up additional gaming peripherals.

The 6.78-inch AMOLED display with adaptive 144Hz refresh rate and 1080p resolution is major selling point. Colors are vibrant and the panel is uninterrupted by cutouts as Asus tends to do. Touch latency has been improved thanks to the new 300Hz sampling rate. You also get an excellent pair of stereo speakers which achieved great loudness scores in our tests though not on the level of the outgoing ROG Phone 3.

Performance from the Snapdragon 888 is among the best we’ve seen to date thanks to Asus’ optimizations and advanced cooling system. Throttling has been kept to a minimum which is a major factor for prolonged gaming sessions.

The massive 6,000 mAh battery in the ROG Phone 5 delivered a respectable 110-hour endurance rating in our test, though we were expecting more. The bundled 65W charger was among the fastest we’ve tested managing a 0-70% top-up in just 30 minutes.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite review

Introduction

Today, we will be reviewing yet another Xiaomi mid-ranger – we are welcoming the 4G version of the Mi 11 Lite.

We are not sure how Xiaomi can keep uninterrupted production of so many phones with the ongoing global chip shortages. But we are glad things are working well for them so far.

The Mi 11 Lite 5G has already earned our recommendation, and we are hoping its cheaper version to be just as good. The lightweight Mi 11 Lite, just like the Mi 11 Lite 5G, is shaped after the Mi 11 flagship and focuses on similar features – an HRR OLED screen, enjoyable camera quality, long battery life, fast charging, and overall smooth UI experience.

We are glad to see Xiaomi has thoughtfully handpicked the features that matter the most. The 6.55-inch OLED is of great quality with 10-bit color support, HDR10 certification, and a 90Hz refresh rate. There is also 240Hz touch sampling, which is another requirement for a smooth experience.

The triple camera on the back is also reminiscent of the Mi 11’s and the same as on the Mi 11 Lite 5G – there is a high-res 64MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide snapper, and a 5MP telemacro cam. All sorts of shooting modes are supported, including Night Mode, Long Exposure, Pro mode for all cameras, and the Mi 11 series exclusive video modes such as Parallel World, Time Freeze, Night Mode Timelapse, among others.

The Mi 11 Lite relies on the Snapdragon 732G chip – the same one we experienced as part of the Redmi Note 10 Pro. That’s the only notable difference with the Mi 11 Lite 5G – the 5G model uses a more powerful Snapdragon 780G 5G SoC.

The Mi 11 Lite may have undergone an obvious cost-cutting process, but it still gets to enjoy stereo speakers, NFC connectivity, a microSD slot, and even an IR port. And, by looking at its specs sheet, it does seem like a Lite version done right.

Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite specs at a glance:
Body: 160.5×75.7×6.8mm, 157g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, glass back, plastic frame.
Display: 6.55″ AMOLED, 1B colors, HDR10, 90Hz, 240Hz touch sampling, 500 nits (typ), 800 nits, 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi.
Chipset: Qualcomm SM7150 Snapdragon 732G (8 nm): Octa-core (2×2.3 GHz Kryo 470 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 470 Silver); Adreno 618.
Memory: 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot).
OS/Software: Android 11, MIUI 12.
Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/1.97″, 0.7µm, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 119˚, 1/4.0″, 1.12µm; Macro: 5 MP, f/2.4, AF.
Front camera: 16 MP, f/2.5, 25mm (wide), 1/3.06″ 1.0µm.
Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps; gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps.
Battery: 4250mAh; Fast charging 33W.
Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); Infrared port.The most notable omission is splash resistance, obviously. While the similarly priced Poco X3 Pro is IP53-rated, and Samsung is putting an even bigger effort with its most recent IP67-rated Galaxy A phones, Xiaomi isn’t keen on providing any sort of ingress protection for the Mi 11 Lite phones. It’s not a major issue, of course, but it’s already a popular must-have for the competition.

Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite

The Mi 11 Lite bundle is a match to what most of the Redmi and Poco phones recently offered – a 33W power adapter, a 3A-rated USB-C cable, there is also a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter.

There is also a transparent silicone case inside the retail box – a much-appreciated addition across all Xiaomi phones. Xiaomi is also giving away a thin screen protector, but it’s one of those cheap films that turn your screen into a smudge magnet, and we just couldn’t bear all this smear, sorry.

Asus Zenfone 8 Mini passes by Geekebench with SD 888 and 16GB RAM

Asus is expected to bring its Zenfone 8 series soon in no less than three sizes according to the latest rumors. The smallest device of the bunch will be the 5.9-inch Zenfone Mini (ASUS_I006D) and the phone was now spotted in the Geekbench database.

Asus I006D Geekbench scorecard

The Zenfone 8 Mini is powered by the Snapdragon 888 alongside 16GB RAM and managed impressive scores of 1,123 in the single-core department and 3,681 on the multi-core thread. Based on previous rumors, the Zenfone 8 Mini will feature a 64MP Sony IMX686 main cam alongside a new Sony IMX663 module. The phone will also bring 30W charging.

All Zenfone 8 series phones are expected to pack OLED displays 120Hz refresh rates and FHD+ resolution. The Mini will be joined by the Zenfone 8 Pro (ASUS_I004D) as well as Zenfone Flip which could be the only device to retain the signature flip-up camera of the previous Zenfone series.s

Source | Via

Xiaomi sells over 30,000 Mi Mix Fold units in a minute

Xiaomi launched the first flash sale of the Mi Mix Fold, and as expected all available stock was gone in seconds. In a single minute, the company pushed the total batch of devices, recording an income of CNY400 million (that’s about $61.3 million). Simple math reveals this is anywhere between 30,000 and 40,000 units of the foldable phone, or 500 per second.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold has three memory versions 12/256GB went for CNY9,999 (over $1,530), the 12/512GB option is CNY10,999 (north of $1,680), while the mightiest 16GB/512GBstorage units cost CNY12,999 or about $2,000.

All versions come with two HDR10 AMOLED displays, Snapdragon 888 chipset and a 108MP main + 13MP ultrawide + 8MP telephoto camera setup, with the latter having a special liquid lens – a first in the smartphone world.

Source (in Chinese) | Via

Motorola teases Moto G60 and Moto G40 Fusion key features

Motorola has been teasing the Moto G60 and Moto G40 Fusion on its Instagram profile, and today it has finally revealed some of the key specs of the duo.

The two new smartphones share a Snapdragon 732G chipset and a massive 6.8” screen with HDR10 support and 120Hz refresh rate.

The main difference between the Moto G60 and Moto G40 is the sensor behind the main camera – the G60 has a 108MP imager, while its sibling is downgraded to 64MP.

The other two members of the triple-cam setups on the back are identical and so is the selfie camera inside a punch hole at the front.

The screens are likely of the LCD variety because we can see a fingerprint scanner on the back. The volume rocker, Google Assistant and power key are all lined on the right side, while the left hosts the SIM tray.

The full launch of the Moto G60 and Moto G40 Fusion will take place on April 20, and the phones will be sold through Flipkart.

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It’s official: Samsung Galaxy M42 5G is arriving on April 28 with Snapdragon 750G

Earlier this week, a report claimed that Samsung will launch the Galaxy M42 5G in India in April. Today, Amazon.in confirmed the smartphone will be introduced on 28th of this month and set up a promo page on its website for it.

The page also includes a few images which reveal the Galaxy M42 5G’s design and some features. The smartphone will pack a notched display and sport a square-shaped quad camera setup on its back.

We don’t see a fingerprint reader on the Galaxy M42 5G’s rear panel, and neither is it embedded in the power button located on the right-side frame, meaning the smartphone could come with an in-display solution, which means the M42 5G will pack an AMOLED panel.

Under the hood, the Galaxy M42 5G will have a Snapdragon 750G SoC, although the RAM and storage aren’t revealed.

Amazon also tells us that M42 5G will come with Samsung Pay and Knox Security.

Galaxy M42 5G will come with Knox Security and Samsung Pay

While Samsung is yet to detail the M42 5G’s specs sheet, previous rumors and leaks claimed the smartphone will feature a 64MP primary camera, a 6,000 mAh battery, and will cost between INR20,000-25,000 ($270-335).

With the official announcement still over 10 days away, you can expect to learn more about the Galaxy M42 5G in the coming days.

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Oppo A54 and A74 5G launching in India next week

Oppo will launch two smartphones in India next week – the A54 on April 19 and the A74 5G on April 20.

The Oppo A54 is powered by the Helio P35 SoC, runs Android 10-based ColorOS 7.2 out of the box, and has two memory options – 4GB/64GB and 4GB/128GB.

The smartphone’s built around a 6.51″ HD+ LCD with a punch hole in the upper-left corner for the 16MP selfie camera. And around the back, we get a triple camera setup comprising a 13MP primary, 2MP depth, and 2MP macro units.

The A54 also features a side-mounted fingerprint reader and ships with a 5,000 mAh battery charged through a USB-C port at up to 18W.

The Oppo A74 5G, on the other hand, has a Snapdragon 480 chip at the helm with Android 11-based ColorOS 11.1 and 6GB RAM and 128GB storage.

The A74 5G sports a 6.5″ FullHD+ 90Hz LCD and packs a 5,000 mAh battery that draws power via USB-C port at up to 18W.

The camera department includes five shooters – a 16MP selfie unit inside the punch hole with the camera island on the back housing 48MP primary, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth modules.

The Oppo A74 5G also features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and supports dual-mode 5G (SA/NSA) and it will be priced under INR20,000 ($270/€225) in India.

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Nokia 5.4 vs Moto G10: Which should you buy?

(Pocket-lint) – Affordable phones are getting more competitive every single year. As high end phones push new features and boundaries, the more budget-friendly devices tend to pick up on previous gen advancements.

Best budget phone 2021: Cheap phones for $200/£200 or less

Two very active players in this market are Nokia and Motorola, who often battle it out for the same corner of the market. They sell affordable Android phones at varying increments covering pretty much every price point from the lowest cost phones to the mid-range prices.

Two of the most competitively priced models are the 5.4 from Nokia and the Moto G10. So which should you get?

Design

Moto: 165.2 x 75.7 x 9.2mm – 200g
Nokia: 161 x 76 x 8.7 – 181g
Both: Plastic build

When it comes to the shape and size of the two phones, there’s not a lot to separate them. The Nokia is ever so slightly shorter and thinner than the Moto, and is lighter too, but not be a huge amount. Not enough to make a distinct difference.

What does make a bigger difference to the daily experience is the texture of the back. The two phones both use plastic cases, but Moto has gone with a ribbed design which has a grippy texture where those ripples on the case are actually subtly raised to give you a finish that’s easy to grip on to.

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The Nokia by comparison is shiny and a bit more slippery. The Moto also has a bit more of a solid feel to it too. Both the rear panel and the edges of the phone feel sturdier on the Moto than on the Nokia.

From a purely aesthetic point of view there are some nice choices made by Nokia. Firstly, that subtle patterning on the rear plastic and the blue gradient on this model. Plus, the holepunch cutout for the selfie camera looks a little more modern than the notch in the Moto’s display.

Saying that, the camera housing on the Moto does seem to have a more purposeful design about it even if it’s not perfectly centered like the Nokie 5.4.

On a more practical note, Moto’s texturerd power button is a nice touch and makes it easier to find without looking. As for shared features, both have a Google Assistant button and both have a 3.5mm port for headphones. They also both have a Micro SD card slot for expanding the storage.

There are rear-mounted fingerprint sensors on both phones too. Both are reliable, although not especially fast. But that’s to be expected at this end of the market. We rarely had to try twice to unlock, but we can’t say one phone was clearly better than the other in this specific measurement.

Display

Moto: 6.5-inch IPS LCD 20:9 panel
Nokia: 6.39-inch IPS LCD 19.5:9 panel
Moto: 720 x 1600 resolution
Nokia: 720 x 1560 resolution

Again, there are similarities when it comes to displays. Both manufacturers have gone with an IPS LCD display with 720p resolution.

It’s not in resolution where the two differ then because the sharpness is near enough identical on the two. Even colour reproduction is similar. Moto’s looks a tiny bit warmer at times when looking at pale skin tones on video, but for the most part they’re very similar with other colours like blues and greens. What makes the biggest difference to the experience is actually the brightness.

In our testing, with the display cranked up to full brightness, the Nokia is noticeably brighter than the Moto. That’s even more noticeable if you’re looking at it from a little bit of an angle. When your viewing angle changes away from directly head-on the Moto seems to get darker quicker than the Nokia.

Of course, being LCD means neither is fantastic outside in bright daylight, but the brighter panel is definitely helpful here. It just makes that experience less, well, terrible.

Performance and battery life

Moto: Snapdragon 460 processor
Nokia: Snapdragon 662 processor
Both: 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB storage
Both: microSD expansion
Moto: 5000mAh battery
Nokia: 4000mAh battery

What about other areas of performance? Nokia has the upper hand here too. It’s equipped with the Snapdragon 662 processor, while the G10 has the Snapdragon 460. Although, if you do want a slightly more powerful there is the Moto G30, which has a better processor.

What that means in daily use however is that things take a little bit less time on the Nokia. Neither is super speedy though, and both load up Mario Kart Tour – for example – without too much of a struggle, even if you have to wait for it to load for a little longer than you’d like.

One thing we did notice however was that the Wi-Fi performance seems better on the Moto. When we went upstairs, further away from the Wi-Fi router the Nokia lost signal in the bedroom quite a lot, where the Moto stayed strong.

It’s a similar experience with battery. Moto has a 5000mAh capacity where Nokia has 4000mAh. That’s a considerable difference both in spec and in real daily usage. In daily use, that means that with moderate use you can get to the end of a second day with the Moto. For some, maybe even up to three days if you’re a particularly light user.

Cameras

Moto: quad camera
- 48MP primary – 8MP ultrawide
- 2MP depth and macro sensors
Nokia: quad camera
- 48MP primary – 5MP ultrawide
- 2MP depth and macro sensors
Nokia: 4K video
Moto: 1080p video

As affordable phones neither of these two is going to give you stellar photography, but they will offer similar experiences when it comes to the lenses on offer. Both have 48MP primary cameras sitting alongside an ultrawide camera, plus low res macro and depth sensors.

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There’s no real competition in results though. The Nokia produces much more vibrant and colourful shots. The G10 primary sensor often washed things out quite badly and that meant it didn’t match the ultrawide colours at all often.

If you want the better photographs, it’s the Nokia that outpeforms it’s price tag, although we’d still say the macro on both are pretty useless and not worth using.

Price

Moto: Around £130
Nokia: Around £150

There’s no getting around the fact that the Nokia is more expensive than the Moto, but there’s not a huge amount in it and given the better performance in a number of areas, it’s more than worth the outlay.

Conclusion

Motorola has split up its G-series range even more this year, and as long as you’re able to put up with a poorer display and slightly slower performance, it could well be worth saving money and getting the G10 over the 5.4.

However, there’s no denying the better performance and display on the Nokia, which you’d expect from a slightly more expensive phone.

Still, we think in the G-series it’s the G30 that’s the one worth getting this year. It features a more fluid display than either of these two and is still affordable.

Writing by Cam Bunton.

Acer’s Chromebook Spin 513 with a Snapdragon 7c processor starts at $480

We already knew Acer was working on the first two Chrome OS devices powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c chips. And today, the company has released two product listings for its Chromebook Spin 513, but you can’t buy this laptop just yet.

As spotted by AboutChromebooks, the Chromebook Spin 513 with the Snapdragon 7c processor has two configuration listings that have appeared on Acer’s website, with a starting price of $479.99. Acer announced in October that the Chromebook Spin would start at $399.99. Additionally, both laptops also do not show 4G LTE for connectivity, which is something that was noted to be a configuration option.

The key difference between the two is the RAM configuration, which is only a $20 price difference. Although the product listing for both Chromebooks include a “Buy Now” button, it is still not available for purchase yet.

The Snapdragon 7c is an entry-level mobile processor that’s built on an 8nm process. Although it is one of the weaker laptop CPUs, the company claims the biggest benefit for devices powered by this processor is a longer battery life; Acer claims its Chromebook devices powered by the Snapdragon 7c will offer a 14-hour battery life.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Galaxy S20 FE: What’s the rumoured difference?

(Pocket-lint) – Samsung is rumoured to announce the ‘Fan Edition’ – also known as FE – of its Galaxy S21 later this year, succeeding the Galaxy S20 FE.

The Galaxy S20 FE is a fantastic device, offering many of the great features of the Galaxy S20 but for a lower price thanks to a couple of compromises, and there have been several rumours suggesting the S21 FE will follow in those footsteps.

How is the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE expected to compare to the Galaxy S20 FE though? We’ve put the rumoured specifications for the S21 FE up against the S20 FE so you can see.

Design

S21 FE: 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm, TBC
S20 FE: 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4mm, 190g

Rumours suggest the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will look similar to the Galaxy S21, with a centralised punch hole camera at the top of its flat display, a plastic back and an IP65/68 water and dust resistance.

Leaked renders show a triple rear camera with the housing positioned in the top left corner, and flowing into the frame of the device. It’s said to measure 155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9mm.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE meanwhile, takes its design cues from the Galaxy S20. It too offers a centralised punch hole camera at the top of the flat display though, as well as a plastic back and waterproofing.

There’s a triple rear camera on the back, within a housing in the top left corner, but the housing is more of an island, differentiating it from what is expected from the Galaxy S21 FE. It measures 159.8 x 74.5 x 8.4mm and weighs 190g, which means the S21 FE could be shorter and slimmer if the rumours are accurate.

The S21 FE is said to be coming in gray/silver, pink, violet, and white colours. The Galaxy S20 FE comes in blue, red, lavender, mint, white and orange.

Display

Galaxy S21 FE: 6.4-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz, HDR
Galaxy S20 FE: 6.5-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz, HDR

According to reports, the Samsung Galayxy S21 FE will have a 6.4-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution. It’s also expected to have a 120Hz refresh rate, though it is not currently clear if it will offer a variable refresh rate, like the Galaxy S21 range.

As mentioned, the display is expected to be flat and it will no doubt be a Super AMOLED panel with support for HDR, like the S20 FE offers.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE has a slightly larger 6.5-inch display than what is reported for the S21 FE, though it has the same Full HD+ resolution and it also has a 120Hz refresh rate. The refresh rate is not variable on the S20 FE though so if the Galaxy S21 FE offer variable, then this will be one of the differences aside from size.

Hardware and specs

Galaxy S21 FE: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100, 5G, 128/256GB
Galaxy S20 FE: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865/Exynos 990, 4G/5G, 6/8GB RAM, 128GB storage, microSD, 4500mAh

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is expected to run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, or the Exynos 2100, though no rumours have suggested this as yet. Instead, the rumours have claimed the S21 FE will be a 5G device, run on Android 11 and come in 128GB and 256GB storage options.

There’s no word on whether microSD will be supported, but given the S21 range doesn’t offer microSD, it is possible the S21 FE won’t either. Currently, no rumours have detailed RAM or battery capacity for the S21 FE.

The Galaxy S20 FE 5G handset runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, while the 4G model runs on Exynos 990. There is a choice of 6GB or 8GB of RAM on board, both of which have 128GB of storage, as well as support for microSD.

In terms of battery, the Galaxy S20 FE has a 4500mAh capacity so we would expect similar from the Galaxy S21 FE.

Camera

Galaxy S21 FE: Triple rear
Galaxy S20 FE: Triple rear
- Main: 12MP, f/1.8, 1.8µm, OIS
- Tele: 8MP, f/2.4, 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical
- Ultra-wide: 12MP, f/2.2, 1.12µm
- Front: 32MP, f/2.2, 0.8µm, FF

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is rumoured to come with a triple rear camera, though there are currently no specifics on what sensors might be on board. It’s likely we will see the same main camera as the Galaxy S21, along with a telephoto and ultra wide angle lens, but the resolution and pixels could be different on the latter two lenses, like the S20 FE did compared to the S20+.

The Galaxy S20 FE has a triple rear camera, made up of a 12-megapixel main sesnor with an f/1.8 aperture, 1.8µm pixels and optical image stabilisation, which is the same as the S20+ offers. It also has an 8-megapixel telephoto lens that has an f/2.4 aperture, 1.0µm pixels, OIS and 3x optical and there is a 12-megapixel ultra wide sensor with f/2.2 aperture and 1.12µm pixels.

The front camera on the Galaxy S20 FE is a 32-megapixel, f/2.2 aperture, sensor. We’d expect similar on the S21 FE.

Price

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Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE hasn’t been rumoured as yet, though we’d expect it to fall around the same ballpark as the S20 FE and certainly cheaper than the Galaxy S21 range.

The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE starts at £599 in the UK for the 4G model and £699 for the 5G model. The 4G model isn’t available in the US, but the 5G model starts at $699.99 in the US, with the 8GB of RAM model costing $769.99.

Conclusion

Based on the rumours so far, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE will feature a slightly different design to the S20 FE from the rear, keeping in tune with the lastest Galaxy S21 series, though it will look similar from the front.

Speculation suggests the S21 FE will be shorter and slimmer than the S20 FE, pack a slightly smaller display and come with an upgraded processor and possibly some camera upgrades too, even if only in terms of features.

We will update this feature as more rumours appear surrounding the S21 FE, but for now, you can keep track of all the latest in our separate Galaxy S21 FE feature.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.

The ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G is coming to the US with a 144Hz display and a whole lot more

ZTE has unveiled the Axon 30 Ultra alongside two other 30-series devices — the Axon 30 and Axon 30 Pro — though the Ultra has at least one unique feature: it will be sold in the US and Canada. Exact availability and pricing are still TBD, but we do know that the 30 Ultra has all of the trappings of a high-end Android device. It will offer a Snapdragon 888 processor with 8GB or 12GB of RAM, a 6.67-inch 1080p OLED with adaptive refresh rates up to 144Hz, four rear cameras including a 5x zoom, and 66W fast charging.

The 30 Ultra features a prominent camera bump that houses plenty of pixels, starting with a 64-megapixel f/1.6 main camera with optical image stabilization. There’s another 64-megapixel camera — unstabilized with a 35mm-equivalent f/1.9 lens — and an ultrawide with (you guessed it) a 64-megapixel sensor. A periscope-style telephoto lens is coupled with an 8-megapixel sensor and includes optical stabilization. Unlike the Axon 20 5G, it offers a traditional hole-punch 16-megapixel selfie camera around front; no under-screen camera here, which is a good thing in our book. Video recording from the main camera tops out at 8K/30fps.

ZTE calls the phone’s 6.67-inch display a “borderless, curved” OLED panel with a 95% screen-to-body ratio. It’s protected with Gorilla Glass 5 — as is the rear panel — and includes HDR10 support. It offers adaptive refresh rates of 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz, which it uses depending on the application to save battery life.

Rounding out the feature set, the Axon 30 Ultra 5G includes a large 4,600mAh battery that supports fast 66W wired charging. It ships with Android 11 and offers an in-screen fingerprint reader for biometric unlock.

The step-down Axon 30 Pro still includes the Snapdragon 888 chipset, but features a different rear camera configuration, a non-variable 120Hz screen, and less-speedy 55W charging. The Axon 30 base model is the only one to get the next iteration of the in-display selfie camera, as teased by ZTE earlier this year.

For now, the Ultra looks like a whole lot of phone, but it’s hard to judge just how competitive it will be in the US until we have a confirmed price. When it is available, it’ll be sold online unlocked from ZTE.

TCL aims to build a better budget phone with the 20 Pro 5G

TCL has announced the rest of its 20-series lineup, with the 20 Pro 5G leading the way. Along with the 20L and 20L Plus, the phone joins the two devices announced earlier this year at CES, the TCL 20 5G and 20 SE, all of which prominently feature the company’s display technology. TCL says the 20 Pro 5G and 20S (a regional variant of the 20L Plus) will come to the US this summer, though the company hasn’t confirmed prices yet.

The TCL 20 Pro 5G offers the most advanced specs of the bunch, with some refinements over last year’s good-not-great 10 Pro. It offers a 6.67-inch 1080p OLED with HDR10 support and includes the latest generation of TCL’s NXTVISION technology to identify on-screen content and adjust color, contrast, and sharpness accordingly. The 20 Pro 5G uses a Snapdragon 750G chipset — a step up from the 10 Pro’s 600-series processor — with 6GB RAM, ships with Android 11, and offers a 4,500mAh battery. Sub-6GHz 5G is supported, but TCL says it can adapt to include other 5G bands depending on the carrier.

The 20 Pro 5G will come to the US this summer.

Photo: TCL

The phone’s main camera uses a 48-megapixel sensor with a small but important addition: optical image stabilization. It’s a feature that should help reduce blur in lower-light conditions, and it wasn’t offered on any of last year’s 10-series models.

The standard wide camera is accompanied by a 16-megapixel ultrawide, 5-megapixel macro, 2-megapixel depth-sensing chip, and 32-megapixel selfie camera. For biometric unlock, the 20 Pro includes an in-display fingerprint sensor. We’re pleased to report that the 3.5mm headphone jack remains, and a microSD card slot is available for expansion on the 256GB of built-in storage. The 20 Pro 5G goes on sale tomorrow in the UK, Italy, and Portugal for €549 (about $655).

TCL 20L Plus
TCL 20L Plus

The TCL 20L and 20L Plus are more budget-oriented devices. They both offer a 6.67-inch 1080p LCD, a 5,000mAh battery, and a Snapdragon 662 processor. The 20L offers 4GB of RAM in its base model, while the Plus model starts at 6GB.

The 20L Plus also features a 64-megapixel main camera, while the 20L includes a 48-megapixel main sensor; both devices include an 8-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel macro, 2-megapixel depth sensor, and 16-megapixel selfie camera. Both phones also use circular polarization display technology, so that the screen is visible from any angle when viewing it with polarized sunglasses.

The 20L and 20L Plus go on sale tomorrow in the UK, Italy, and Portugal, starting at €229 and €269, respectively.

Sony Xperia 10 III vs Xperia 10 II vs Xperia 10: What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – Sony Mobile refreshed its phone line up in 2021 with the Xperia 10 III, alongside the flagship Xperia 1 III and the Xperia 5 III during an online event on 14 April.

The Xperia 10 III succeeds the Xperia 10 II that arrived in 2020, continuing to offer just one device in the mid range Xperia portfolio rather than two. In 2019, the range began with the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus – both of which are included in this feature for reference.

So which Sony Xperia mid-range device is the best one for you? Here are the Xperia 10 III’s specifications up against the Xperia 10 II and Xperia 10 and 10 Plus to help you decide.

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Design

Xperia 10 III: 154 x 68 x 8.3mm, 169g, IP65/68
Xperia 10 II: 157 x 69 x 8.2mm, 151g, IP65/68
Xperia 10: 156 x 68 x 8.4mm, 162g
Xperia 10 Plus: 167 x 73 x 8.3mm, 180g

The Sony Xperia 10 III, Xperia 10 II, the Xperia 10 and the Xperia 10 Plus all share similar design traits, but the Xperia 10 III and 10 II are more premium, offering a glass rear over the metal backs seen on the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus.

The camera housings on the rear of the Xperia 10 III and 10 II are also positioned in the top left, just like the Xperia 1 III, making for a better design finish than the horizontal housing on the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus. The Xperia 10 III is also slightly shorter, though heavier than the Xperia 10 II.

All four devices have rounded edges and a tall, slender look though and they all feature a 21:9 aspect ratio display. The Xperia 10 III and Xperia 10 II are both IP65/68 water and dust resistant however, like the flagship Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus offer no water resistance.

Sony Xperia 1 III vs 5 III vs 10 III: What’s the difference?

Display

Xperia 10 III: 6-inch, OLED, Full HD+, 21:9, HDR
Xperia 10 II: 6-inch, OLED, Full HD+, 21:9
Xperia 10: 6-inch, LCD, Full HD+, 21:9
Xperia 10 Plus: 6.5-inch, LCD, Full HD+, 21:9

The Sony Xperia 10 II1 and Xperia 10 II come with a 6-inch display, matching the size of the Xperia 10. The Xperia 10 Plus has a slightly larger display at 6.5-inches, though all four models have the same Full HD+ resolution.

The Xperia 10 III and Xperia 10 II differ in terms of panel technology too though. Like the Xperia 1 III, the Xperia 10 III and 10 II have an OLED display for vibrant colours and deep blacks. The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus both have LCD displays. The Xperia 10 III also adds HDR support over its predecessors.

All four devices have a 21:9 aspect ratio display, as mentioned above, and all of them offer a 60Hz refresh rate. It’s worth noting that the Xperia 5 II, Xperia 5 III and the Xperia 1 III all have a 120Hz refresh rate.

Hardware and specs

Xperia 10 III: Qualcomm SD690G, 5G, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4500mAh
Xperia 10 II: Qualcomm SD665, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, 3600mAh
Xperia 10: Qualcomm SD630, 3/4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 2870mAh
Xperia 10 Plus: Qualcomm SD630, 4/6GB RAM, 64GB storage, 3000mAh

As you would expect from a succeeding device, the Xperia 10 III improves on the internals of the Xperia 10 II, as well as – naturally – the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus too. The 2021 device runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 690G platform, supported by 6GB of RAM. That chipset means the Xperia 10 III is a 5G capable device, which is the first for the Xperia 10 range.

The Xperia 10 II runs on the older, but still capable, Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor, supported by 4GB of RAM as standard.

The Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus both run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor with 3GB of RAM as standard for the smaller model and 4GB of RAM as standard for the Plus model. Both come with 64GB of internal storage, while the Xperia 10 II and Xperia 10 III come with 128GB.

The Xperia 10 II, Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus all support microSD for storage expansion but the Xperia 10 II will take cards up to 1TB, while the Xperia 10 and Xperia 10 Plus will only support cards up to 512GB. At the time of writing, it was not confirmed if the Xperia 10 III will also offer microSD support.

In terms of battery capacities, the Xperia 10 III wins here too. It offers a 4500mAh battery, compared to the Xperia 10 II’s 3600mAh battery, Xperia 10’s 2870mAh battery and Xperia 10 Plus’ 3000mAh battery. All models offer Sony technologies like Stamina Mode however and the Xperia 10 III also has Sony’s Battery care feature.

Camera

Xperia 10 III/10 II: Triple rear, 8MP front
Xperia 10: Dual rear, 8MP front
Xperia 10 Plus: Dual rear, 8MP front

The camera department is another area the Xperia 10 III and Xperia 10 II improve over their original predecessors, at least on paper. There’s a triple lens rear camera on the Xperia 10 III and Xperia 10 II, consisting of an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle sensor, a 12-megapixel wide angle and an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor. There’s also a night mode.

The Xperia 10 meanwhile, has a dual camera consisting of a 12-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor, while the Xperia 10 Plus has a 13-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor on the back.

All four devices have an 8-megapixel front camera.

Sony Xperia 5 III vs Xperia 5 II: What’s the difference?

Price

Sony hasn’t announced the Xperia 10 III’s price as yet, though we don’t expect it to stray too far from the Sony Xperia 10 II, which costs £319 in the UK.

When they launched in 2019, the Xperia 10 started at £299, while the Xperia 10 Plus started at £349, but you’ll likely find them cheaper now.

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Conclusion

Sony simplified its mid-range Xperia in 2020, by only offering one device rather than the two offered in 2019 and that was a good thing. It continued this is in 2021, whilst also adding 5G support and some good upgrades.

The Xperia 10 III offers a more advanced processor, 5G capabilities, HDR support and a larger battery than the devices it succeeds. It also has a better camera capabilities (on paper at least) and a nicer design than the original Xperia 10 handsets.

The Xperia 10 III is the device to buy out of these four, assuming Sony doesn’t price it too high and you are happy to wait for it to hit shelves of course. That said, you might consider the Xperia 10 II if you can find it for a good price now, or 5G and HDR don’t bother you too much.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.

Sony Xperia 5 III vs Xperia 5 II: What’s the difference?

(Pocket-lint) – Sony announced the third generation of its compact Sony Xperia 5 smartphone during an online event on 14 April 2021, just six months after the Xperia 5 II came to market.

The Xperia 5 II was revealed alongside the Xperia 1 III and mid-range Xperia 10 III and you can read how it compares to those devices in our separate feature, but here we are looking at how the Xperia 5 III compares to its predecessor – the Xperia 5 II.

Sony Xperia 1 III vs Xperia 5 III vs Xperia 10 III: What’s the difference?

Design

Xperia 5 III: 157 x 68 x 8.2mm, 168g
Xperia 5 II: 158 x 68 x 8mm, 163g

The Sony Xperia 5 III and Xperia 5 II share a very similar design, both offering an OmniBalance body with a metal frame with curved edges and corners sandwiched between a glass front and rear panel.

The Xperia 5 III is slighter shorter and 0.2mm thicker than the Xperia 5 II, as well as 5g heavier, but otherwise, the two devices are almost identical in size and appearance.

They also both offer IP65/68 water and dust resistance, a physical fingerprint sensor built into their power buttons on their right edge and a 3.5mm headphone jack. They also have a Google Assistant button and dedicated camera button, as well as a pill-shaped rear camera housing.

The Xperia 5 III comes in Black, Green and Pink colour options, while the Xperia 5 II comes in Black and Blue options.

Display

Xperia 5 III: 6.1-inch, OLED, Full HD+, HDR, 120Hz
Xperia 5 II: 6.1-inch, OLED, Full HD+, HDR, 120Hz

The Sony Xperia 5 III and Xperia 5 II have the same 6.1-inch OLED 21:9 display, with both offering a Full HD+ resolution at 2520 x 1080 and both delivering the same 449ppi pixel density.

There’s HDR support on both the third and second generation models and they both also offer a 120Hz refresh rate with 240Hz touch sampling.

The two displays are also “powered by CineAlta”, which is designed to deliver the same colour reproduction on the screen as the Master Monitor used for films.

Hardware and specs

Xperia 5 III: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, 8GB RAM, 128GB/256GB storage, 4500mAh
Xperia 5 II: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, 4000mAh

The Sony Xperia 5 III runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, supported by 8GB of RAM and a choice of 128GB or 256GB storage. We would expect it to offer microSD support but that wasn’t confirmed at time of writing.

The Sony Xperia 5 II runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, also supported by 8GB of RAM, though there’s only 128GB as a storage option. MicroSD support is on board. Both the Xperia 5 III and Xperia 5 II are 5G devices.

There’s a bump in battery capacity for the third generation model, with the Xperia 5 III featuring a 4500mAh cell under the hood. It also offers support for 30W fast charging, wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. The Xperia 5 II meanwhile, has a 4000mAh battery with support for fast charging but not wireless, with a a graphene heat dissipation pad instead to keep the device cool.

Camera

Xperia 5 III: Triple rear camera, 8MP front
- 12MP ultra wide, 16mm, 1/1.7in, f/1.7
- 12MP wide, 24mm, 1/2.6in, f/2.2
- 12MP periscope, 70mm-105mm, 1/2.9in, f/2.3-f/2.8
Xperia 5 II: Triple rear camera, 8MP front
- 12MP ultra wide, 16mm
- 12MP wide, 24mm, 1/1.7in 1.8µm pixels, f/1.7
- 12MP telephoto, 70mm

The Sony Xperia 5 III features the same camera as the Xperia 1 III, but without the additional ToF sensor. That means it offers a triple 12-megapixel rear camera, featuring ultra wide, wide and periscope lenses. The periscope lens offers two different telephoto lengths from the single lens, with the ability to switch between 70mm and 105mm and an aim of delivering better results.

The Xperia 5 II meanwhile, also has a triple 12-megapixel rear camera, though its third lens is a standard telephoto lens with 70m focal length. It has some interesting features on board though, like 20fps burst shooting, real-time eye autofocus for people and animals and the ability to capture 120fps 4K HDR slow motion. The Xperia 5 III offers all these too though, plus a few extras.

Price

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Sony hasn’t revealed the price of the Xperia 5 III as yet, with the device not expected to hit shelves until early summer.

The Xperia 5 II costs £799 in the UK and €899 in Europe. We would expect the Xperia 5 II to fall into a similar ballpark, though nothing is confirmed as yet.

Conclusion

The Sony Xperia 5 III makes a couple of adjustments to the second generation model, with a processor upgrade, a camera upgrade, a battery increase and a storage increase. It also adds wireless charging and support for faster wired charging.

For those with the Xperia 5 II, it’s probably not worth the upgrade to the third generation model unless you are really keen on some of those additions given the Xperia 5 II isn’t even a year old yet.

For those choosing between the Xperia 5 III and Xperia 5 II, the third generation model is the model to go for on paper, unless you can find the Xperia 5 II at a good price when the Xperia 5 III hits the shelves.

Writing by Britta O’Boyle.

Sony Xperia 1 III is the world’s first phone with a 120Hz 4K OLED screen

(Image credit: Sony Mobile)

Sony has launched a full refresh of its Xperia phone range, headed up by the Xperia 1 III (the successor to our favourite phone of 2020) and the Xperia 5 III (the follow-up to the five-star Xperia 5 II).

The new third-generation Xperia handsets are virtually identical with almost matching features and specs, but the main difference lies in their screens. The Xperia 1 III sports a 6.5in 4K OLED display – designed for those who like a big screen device – while the 6.1in Full HD+ Xperia 5 III is a little more hand and pocket friendly.

The big draw for both gamers and film fans on-the-go will doubtless be the flagship Xperia 1 III, which according to Sony has the world’s first 120Hz 4K OLED screen. It has a 21:9 aspect ratio for full width cinema and gameplay, and that refresh rate can be set to 60Hz if you want to save on battery life. Plus, there’s even space to throw in extra frames for Sony’s 240Hz motion processing tech which should smooth out any blur.

The OLED on each of these phones is individually factory calibrated with what Sony says is a highly accurate white point to mirror the colour reproduction of the company’s film industry monitors. They also benefit from a mobile version of Sony’s X1 Bravia TV engine for HDR processing.

Sony has continued its commitment to quality sound not only with its support of a 3.5mm headphones socket but also its offering of hi-res audio over wired or wireless headphones. They feature newly optimised audio circuitry aimed at improving loudness by 40 per cent while reducing distortion. Most interesting of all, though, is that it can up-mix your local and streamed two-channel music tracks into 360 Spatial Sound in real-time. That should offer some very interesting insight into Sony’s emerging immerse format.

(Image credit: Sony)

Both handsets are Dolby Atmos-enabled and have front-facing stereo speakers that Sony promises will have enriched bass and a build to reduce vibration. You’ll also be able to appreciate your tracks in 360 Spatial Sound through the speaker as well as headphones.

They are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 chip and boast a 4500mAh battery that Sony says will remain in top health for a minimum of three years. They come with 12GB RAM and the option of either 128GB or 256GB of storage space.

Naturally, the Xperia III family is replete with the kind of Zeiss photography smarts to make most compact cameras blush. Both the Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III come with a 12MP triple lens camera that can handle four focal lengths (16, 24, 70 and 105mm) thanks to what Sony says is the world’s first dual-position telephoto sensor. The company has made advances with its AF tracking, its AI detailing for digital zoom and has added burst shooting of 20fps with autofocus and auto exposure.

Once again there is no support for 8K video shooting, but the phones can capture 4K video at up to 60fps as well as at 120fps for slow motion. There’s also the option of plugging your Xperia into a Sony Alpha camera to use the mobile as a large viewfinder monitor for stills and video.

The Sony Xperia 1 III will come in a choice of Frosted Grey, Frosted Black or Frosted Purple. Included in the box is a new 30W charger which offers a 50 per cent charge for 30 minutes of wall time. The colours for the Xperia 5 III are black, green and pink.

While pricing isn’t currently available, we do know that both phones will launch at the same time in early summer this year along with Sony’s mid-price phone, the Xperia 10 III. It’s a 5G handset, like the others, and it still gets the 4500mAh battery – a considerable improvement on the 3600mAh unit from the previous model.

(Image credit: Sony)

It has a 6in, 21:9, HDR OLED display, coated in Gorilla Glass, and at 154 x 68 x 8.3mm is marginally smaller than the Xperia 10 II. There’s no 360 Spatial Sound but there’s plenty of decent audio specs with support for hi-res audio (wired and wireless), LDAC and a 3.5mm socket.

Under the hood is a slightly lowered powered set-up of the Snapdragon 690 processor, 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage space. It has an 8MP front-facing camera, an 8MP 16mm ultra-wide lens, a 12MP 27mm wide and an 8MP 54mm lens for portraits.

All of the Xperia phones will ship with Android 11.

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