Samsung just finished its first Unpacked event of 2021. The headline announcements were the three new phones in its S21 lineup, but the company also announced new true wireless headphones, an item tracker, and a few other things.
We’ve rounded up all of the biggest announcements from the event right here.
Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge
The Galaxy S21 and S21 Plus will launch on January 29th
Samsung announced the $799 Galaxy S21 and $999 S21 Plus, which are available for preorder today ahead of availability on January 29th. They’re largely the same phones, except for their physical size. And their camera module takes up an entire corner of the phones, giving them a whole new look.
Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge
Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra is compatible with the S Pen
Samsung announced the $1,199 Galaxy S21 Ultra, its newest top-of-the-line flagship smartphone. It has a bigger screen and more cameras than the S21 and S21 Plus, and, in a first for Samsung’s S line of smartphones, support for the S Pen stylus. It’s also available for preorder today and will launch on January 29th. Samsung is also working on an S Pen Pro with Bluetooth, which is coming later this year.
The Galaxy S21 Plus box.Image: Samsung
Samsung’s S21 lineup won’t include a charger in the box
Samsung is following Apple in not including a charging brick in the box with its newest phones. The phones will come with a USB-C to USB-C cable, but you’ll need to own a compatible charging brick or buy a new one if you want to plug your brand-new phone into a wall. The S21 lineup also won’t include headphones in the box.
Image: Samsung
The Galaxy Buds Pro are Samsung’s most premium wireless earbuds yet
Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Pro true wireless earbuds have improved active noise cancellation, a refined ambient sound mode, an IPX7 rating for water resistance, and more. They cost $199, are available for preorder today, and you’ll be able to buy them in stores on Friday.
Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge
Samsung announced the SmartTag and SmartTag Plus Tile-like item trackers
Samsung announced a Tile tracker competitor called the SmartTag. It’s a small Bluetooth Low Energy dongle that you can attach to things, and you can pair it with Samsung’s SmartThings app. The SmartTag only works with Galaxy devices, though. The SmartTag will be available on January 29th and it will cost $29.99. Samsung also announced the Galaxy SmartTag Plus, which uses ultra wideband for more precise tracking. The SmartTag Plus is launching later this year, and you’ll be able to buy one for $39.99.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Pro are aimed right at Apple’s AirPods Pro wireless earbuds in terms of features. They feature active noise cancellation, and Samsung claims that they’ll offer the deepest sound out of its lineup of truly wireless earbuds. My colleague Chris Welch has more details on the Galaxy Buds Pro, but I’m here to tell you how you can buy them.
They’re available for pre-purchase now for $199.99 — just $30 above the retail cost of the bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live (though those have been selling at $130 for some time). They’ll start shipping January 15th. Samsung has released the Galaxy Buds Pro in three colors: phantom black, phantom silver, and phantom violet, but that last one’s region-specific.
We expect several more retailers to sell the Galaxy Buds Pro, but so far it’s just Amazon, Samsung and Best Buy offering them currently. AT&T is selling them online and in stores, as is Verizon.
Samsung is announcing the $199.99 Galaxy Buds Pro today, its most premium set of true wireless earbuds yet. They feature an in-ear design similar to the Galaxy Buds Plus but are aesthetically inspired by the Galaxy Buds Live. The Buds Pro aren’t bean-shaped, but they’ve got the same metallic-looking style and a similar charging case. The tweaked design “reduces the contact area between your ear and the bud, improving comfort and minimizing any clogged-up feeling,” according to Samsung.
More important is that Samsung says they deliver the “best audio experience yet” of any of the company’s earbuds thanks to an 11mm woofer and 6.5mm tweeter. The active noise cancellation should also be much improved since these earbuds now create a full seal with your ear. Samsung has also refined its ambient sound mode, which now lets you amplify surrounding noise by up to 20 decibels. The Galaxy Buds Pro are able to detect when you’ve started speaking, and they can automatically switch into ambient sound mode and lower music volume when you do. We’ve seen this convenient trick on headphones like the Sony 1000XM4, but it’s still relatively rare in earbuds.
Image: Samsung
Samsung says the Galaxy Buds Pro also offer the best microphone performance yet from the earbuds lineup; they’ve got three built-in microphones and a voice pickup unit to help you come through clearly on phone and video calls. “One of the outer microphones also has a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) rating, further eliminating background noises,” the company said in its press release. “In addition, Samsung has integrated its new Wind Shield technology into the Galaxy Buds Pro. While a less protrusive shape minimizes the wind contact area, specially designed chamber with mesh filters out wind interference.”
The Galaxy Buds Pro offer excellent IPX7 water resistance.Image: Samsung
Some features of the Galaxy Buds Pro seem to take after Apple’s AirPods Pro: there’s 360 audio “featuring Dolby Head Tracking technology” when watching videos on a Samsung phone or tablet — a clear answer to Apple’s spatial audio. And the Buds Pro will also switch between Samsung mobile devices automatically.
Battery life is about on par with other premium ANC earbuds: Samsung says you can expect up to five hours of continuous playback with noise canceling enabled (eight if it’s off), and enough juice in the case for an additional 13 hours (20 hours with ANC off) of listening time. The Galaxy Buds Pro are rated IPX7 for water and sweat resistance, so they should be able to handle even your sweatiest workouts.
The Galaxy Buds Pro will come in black, silver, and purple colors to match the new Galaxy S21 lineup. You can preorder today, and they’ll be available from retailers as soon as tomorrow, January 15th.
Samsung’s new Galaxy S21 Ultra supports the company’s S Pen stylus. Support for the accessory has been a staple of Samsung’s Galaxy Note smartphones for years, but this is the first time it’s been supported in the company’s Galaxy S-series. The new S Pen will be available as an optional $39.99 accessory, and Samsung says the S21 Ultra will also work with S Pens from other Galaxy Note or Galaxy Tab devices.
As for what you can use the stylus to do on the S21 Ultra, Samsung has outlined a range of familiar use cases. These include drawing, note-taking, photo editing, and signing documents. Physically, the new S Pen stylus is a little bigger than previous Galaxy Note S Pens, but it retains the side button. Samsung is also releasing a bigger S Pen Pro later this year, which comes equipped with Bluetooth and support for air gestures.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra with its stylus.Photo by Chaim Gartenberg / The Verge
Unlike Galaxy Note phones, the Galaxy S21 Ultra doesn’t have a built-in slot for storing the stylus. Instead, Samsung is selling cases with S Pen carrying slots, which cost $69.99 when bundled with the stylus. Having to use a case to carry the accessory doesn’t sound as convenient as being able to slot it in the phone directly, but it’s a compromise given there’ll be plenty of Galaxy S21 Ultra owners who won’t bother with the optional accessory.
In the new lineup, stylus support is exclusive to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. You won’t be able to use an S Pen with either the Galaxy S21 or S21 Plus.
Rumors of the Galaxy S21 Ultra’s stylus support have been around since last year, and the feature was essentially confirmed in an FCC filing at the end of December. Now that the Galaxy S series is inheriting one of the Note series’s biggest features, there are rumors that the latter could be discontinued. However, this has reportedly been disputed by one Samsung official.
Update January 14th, 11:02AM ET: Added details of Samsung’s S Pen Pro.
Razer claims to have made the world’s smartest mask: its new reusable N95 respirator called Project Hazel. It’s a concept design with a glossy outside shell made of waterproof and scratch-resistant recycled plastic, which is transparent to allow for lip-reading and seeing facial cues when you chat with people.
Currently, there isn’t a price or release date attached. Razer refers to Project Hazel as a surgical N95, but it hasn’t yet earned any of the necessary approvals and certifications from the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In a statement to The Verge, Razer said it is working with a team of medical experts and scientists who are helping to develop the mask.
The main features of this mask lie within its two circular zones that flank your mouth. They’re used for ventilation, giving the device an almost futuristic gas mask look. Razer claims Project Hazel will use active disc-type ventilators, filtering air that’s breathed in, as well as the CO2 that’s being exhaled. The company adds that it will be certified to filter 95 percent of airborne particles, including the COVID-19 virus and other common pathogens.
These ventilators are detachable and rechargeable, though Razer is still hammering out the details on two very important factors: how long they’ll be effective and how Razer will alert the user when it’s time for a new one. A spokesperson told The Verge that the ventilators’ longevity is still being tested, and when the filters need to be changed, Razer envisions users being notified via a mobile companion app.
Microphones and amplifiers embedded in the ventilators will project your voice through the mask, so you won’t have to worry about sounding muffled. We haven’t seen this in action yet or had the chance to try it out ourselves. Razer told us that it’s working with THX sound engineers to find a balance in terms of how loud the speakers should be for accessibility purposes.
Razer asserts that Project Hazel is comfortable despite all of the tech inside. The mask makes a seal around your nose and chin with a silicon guard, and it uses adjustable ear loops so that most people should be able to find the right fit (though it is likely quite a bit heavier than your average mask).
Of course, this wouldn’t be a modern Razer product if it didn’t support Chroma RGB LEDs. Each of the respirator-meets-amplifier rings can glow in the color of your choosing. And when it gets dark, a set of LEDs activate automatically to shine light on your mouth so others can still see you talk. It’s tough to tell just how effective these LEDs will be in fully illuminating your mouth, but they may be helpful nevertheless.
The LEDs automatically switch on inside of the mask once it’s dark out.Image: Razer
Razer envisions that each Project Hazel mask will include a large charging case that sterilizes the mask with UV light when it’s not in use, although this is still in the concept stage.
Most of us already have countless masks, but there’s certainly a place for Project Hazel in the world — if it ever comes out.
The rollout OLED is a great idea, but it’s just an idea for now.Image: Razer
Razer has one more announcement for CES 2021, and it’s purely conceptual. It’s called Project Brooklyn, and (since you can’t tell from the name) it’s a high-end gaming chair with built-in haptics and a rollout curved OLED screen. Theoretically, it supports inputs from all of your gaming sources, making it the ultimate game station. But without an in-person CES, it seems like Razer didn’t feel the need to churn out a physical mockup of Project Brooklyn. We’ll see if some aspects of this idea make it into future products; the rumbling haptics seem like the most practical components.
In these minutes, ASUS is broadcasting its ROG live stream to the digital CES 2021 out. Above all, new gamer notebooks are expected, which with a view to the new processors from AMD and Intel, but also to the graphics chips of the GeForce RTX – 30 – family should be updated. In the run-up to the presentation, ASUS spoke to a number of selected journalists about the sometimes far-reaching detail improvements that will be made this year, for example in the cooling or software.
More powerful Displays with more functions
One of the most important changes in the new line-up of ROG notebooks can be found in the displays. Like many other manufacturers, ASUS will offer its new player notebooks with new display options. So you don’t just get fast 360 – Offer Hz screens with full HD resolution at 3 ms, but also QHD panels with 165 Hz, which has not yet existed in this resolution. But that’s not all: In the 4K area, too, one will in the future be a 120 – Hz -Offer an option, which underlines how much you trust your hardware in terms of performance, because 4K is the supreme discipline even for the fastest graphics cards – it is not uncommon for current graphics crackers to fail on the magical 60 – FPS brand, not to mention 120 frames per second.
On top of that, ASUS will place increasing emphasis on color-calibrated screens in its ROG devices in order to make even the most demanding creative workers happy. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus family in particular is predestined for this thanks to its compact dimensions.
For many Devices used to be like this: either you did without adaptive sync or the automatic switchover from the dedicated to the integrated graphics solution. The advantages of both worlds could not be used so far. With the help of a new GPU switch, ASUS wants to make both possible in the future: The use of Adaptive Sync and the automatic changeover of the active graphics solution in order to save electricity and waste heat and thus battery power when idling.
In addition, ASUS will only use high-quality and efficient VRMs in its ROG devices in the future, which should also increase efficiency and ultimately increase performance, because theoretically higher clock rates are possible with the same power consumption and waste heat. In the future, liquid metal will be used between the heat sink and the chip in order to dissipate the waste heat from the graphics card and the processor even faster.
Adjustments to the power supply and cooling
ASUS has also revised the cell design of its batteries and will in future even include a second power supply unit on the W eg, which is much more compact than the main power supply. So you can go about your office work on the go without having to worry about the running times. ASUS has also revised the main power supply and designed it to be mostly more compact despite a higher output. In the future it will be instead of the usual 0235 – W power supplies on 240 – W model, the volume of which is almost a third less and its weight of about 650 g to only round 575 g drops . ASUS will also offer a quick charge function. Using Type-C, corresponding devices should in future be able to reach a charge level of around 50%.
The trend in recent years was clear: gaming notebooks in particular have become steadily more compact, but also more powerful. ASUS therefore had to constantly adapt and improve the cooling. You also want great progress 2021 do it again. The new fans now offer up to 84 fan blades that move much closer together with a distance of only 0.1 mm and thus require a lower overall height. Nevertheless, ASUS wants the air throughput by a proud 13%. The sound level should be a good 3 dB (A) lower. For comparison: 2014 ASUS was still on average at 53 Blades spaced 0, 53 mm.
There are also techniques, like Self Cleaning 2.0 or the anti-resonance design, which should improve the service life and efficiency of the fans. They also want to give the user more cooling options in the future. The new ROG devices now have different power modes in which the cooling acts differently, which of course has an influence on the temperatures and the volume. In the future there will even be a complete passive mode for several devices – up to now this was only possible with the most expensive offshoots.
For hardcore users, as ASUS describes them in the presentation, there will also be an extensive, manual mode with many configurable parameters. There are also acoustic improvements in the speakers. In order to increase immersion when playing, ROG devices will in future increasingly be using Dolby Atmos or two-way noise cancellation with AI in order to be able to automatically filter out annoying background noise in Teamspeak or on Discord servers.
What else?
The first devices with these new detail improvements will be the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G 15 and G14, the TUF Gaming A 15 / A 17 and brand new also the ASUS TUF Gaming Dash, but also the Strix family with the Scar 15 and 17 and the G 15 and G17 will. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 with a double display is getting software improvements. With a new UI and closer cooperation with third-party providers, such as Adobe for Photoshop and Premiere Pro, the use of the second display directly above the keyboard should become even more intuitive. We will examine more details on this in the coming days.
Depending on the product series it is also on the housings give some changes. These include highlights such as mechanical switches on the keyboard, extended RGB lighting, new color variations and patterns, but also completely customizable design elements. With so-called armor caps, the area behind the screen can be removed and replaced with another element. The scope of delivery includes, for example, different color variants for the ROG logo attached there. Using a 3D printer, you should be able to easily print such elements yourself and use them to completely customize your gaming notebook.
And of course don’t forget: ASUS will convert all of its ROG devices to the new hardware components and thus not only the upcoming H 45 – processors on Tiger- Use Lake-H base, but also the Ryzen processors of the 2021 generation and the GeForce RTX – 30 – Graphics cards from NVIDIA, some of which are only available in these few minutes as part of the digital CES 2021 will be announced. Corresponding individual messages with technical data on the new devices will therefore follow shortly. ASUS has big plans.
Anker’s Soundcore brand is deepening its commitment to the wireless earbuds market by introducing its first noise-cancelling pair. The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro have plenty going for them on paper – audio personalisation, battery life up to 34 hours, multiple active noise cancellation modes and a pretty attractive price tag.
While noise-cancelling technology can detrimentally affect sound quality if not correctly implemented, Soundcore engineers have worked hard to ensure the Liberty Air 2 Pro perform well both when it’s in use and turned off. They have developed what the company is calling ‘PureNote’ driver technology, which uses ten hardened nano layers to make up the 11mm driver in each earbud, and audio tuning has been performed with the functionality on and off.
Three active noise-cancelling modes – Transport, Outdoor and Indoor – offer varying intensities to suit different environments and situations. Two levels of Transparency mode provide either total transparency so that the user can hear their surroundings, or a vocal boost to make it easier to have a conversation while wearing them.
CES 2021: all the news and highlights from the first all-digital CES
(Image credit: Anker)
A personalised audio experience is on the menu, courtesy of HearID 2.0 software. Via the Soundcore companion app, the earbuds conduct a simple hearing test, before tuning themselves according to the wearer’s hearing.
The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro’s battery doesn’t let the feature set down: the promise is seven hours with ANC off (or six with it on), and 26 hours from the Qi wireless charging case with ANC off (or 21 with it on). The increasingly popular fast charging feature is correct and present, too, offering two hours of playtime from a 10-minute charge.
The water-resistant (IPX4-rated) Liberty Air 2 Pro are available now in Onyx Black, Titanium White, Sapphire Blue and Crystal Pink, priced £130 – or £100 if you buy from Amazon now until Thursday (14th January) using the code ASLA2PUK.
MORE:
Best Apple AirPods alternatives 2021: budget to premium
Best wireless earbuds 2021
The best of CES 2021: 9 product and technology highlights
The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 earbuds are one of our best options in the budget category, and now the Anker brand has returned with a more advanced model. The Liberty Air 2 Pro buds are focused on sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC), and like the larger Liberty 2 Pro feature 11mm drivers.
The new model has improved ANC with modes designed to fit various situations — the transport mode blocks out lower frequencies, for example, while the indoor mode is better at reducing mid-range sounds like voices in an office. There’s also a transparency mode with two levels of ambient sound enhancement, and Anker is touting “premium call quality” thanks to six-mic noise reduction tech.
Anker says the Liberty Air 2 Pro should get seven hours of battery life with ANC off, or six with it on. With the case fully charged, Anker is quoting 26 total hours of endurance with ANC off and 21 with it on, so you’re probably looking at getting three to four full recharges from the case depending on your usage. The case can be charged over USB-C or wirelessly with Qi.
The Liberty Air 2 Pro will be available in four colors (black, white, blue, and pink) and will go on sale today for $129.99.
Acer’s Aspire 5 often receives high praise as one of the best budget laptops you can buy. But reviews were split this year — people liked the AMD model more than the Intel one. So I’m thrilled that the company is refreshing two Aspire models to feature AMD’s brand-new Ryzen 5000 Series mobile processors.
The Aspire 7 pairs the Ryzen chip with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU. That doesn’t make the Aspire a gaming laptop by any means, but it will allow for some light gaming and media work on the go. It weighs 4.73 pounds (2.15 kg) and can come with up to 32GB of DDR4 memory and 1TB of PCIe SSD storage. And it supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).
Acer also provides software to improve the viewing experience on the Aspire 7’s 15.6-inch FHD display. Per the company, Acer Color Intelligence and Acer ExaColor adjust gamma and saturation in real time to “deliver highly accurate visuals.”
I wish I enjoyed using anything as much as this person appears to enjoy using their Acer Aspire 7.Image: Acer
The Aspire 5 is even more solidly in the budget range; Acer says it’s targeted at amateur bloggers, photographers, and students.
The Aspire 5 swaps out the Nvidia chip for AMD’s entry-level Radeon RX 640 GPUs (also not recommended for tasks beyond basic gaming). You can also get up to 24GB of memory and 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD NVMe storage and / or a 2TB HDD. The 15.6-inch FHD IPS display includes Acer’s BlueLightShield technology, which is meant to reduce eye strain. Like its midrange sibling, this device also offers “superfast data transfer” (though Acer didn’t provide a specific speed) and supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).
With a large screen and affordable price, the Aspire 5 can be a good choice for kids and families.Image: Acer
Both models also offer multiple cooling modes, meaning you can customize fan performance depending on the task you’re doing and how much sound you want to hear. This is a common feature of higher-end gaming and content-creation laptops. It means you can crank up the cooling when you’re doing your most demanding work without needing to hear the fans blasting 24/7.
Both Aspire models are coming to North America in March. The Aspire 7 starts at $749.99, and the Aspire 5 starts at $549.99. Both will also be available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in February, while the Aspire 5 is coming to China this month.
In addition to the blade Base model and the blade 15 Advanced model, Razer also has the Blade Pro in the evening 17 refreshed. There are also new hardware components and higher-quality display variants.
Under the hood of the 19, 9 mm high and CNC-milled unibody case works exclusively with an Intel Core i7 – 10875 H of the Comet Lake H family. It offers eight cores with up to 5.1 GHz. Depending on your budget, Razer can choose to install an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, RTX 3070 or GeForce RTX 3080 and set to at least 16 or 32 GB of RAM. Up to 16 GB of video memory is now available, which is a real novelty for a consumer model, because until now there was only so much VRAM with the expensive professional cards of the Quadro series. Depending on the model, there is also 512 or 1. 024 GB NVMe memory .
The display always measures 16, 3 inches in its diagonal, but differs each time according to the model in terms of resolution, response speed and other features. While in the cheapest and middle version of the Razer Blade Pro 16 between a Full HD panel with 165 or 360 Hz can be selected, the top model is optionally available with 120 – Hz-UHD touch panel or a 360 – Hz-FDH model without touch. On the connection side, three USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A interfaces, HDMI 2.1, 2.5 Gbit / s Ethernet, Thunderbolt 3 and an integrated card reader are offered. A 3.5 mm jack socket for connecting a headset is also included. Communication takes place wirelessly via AX-Wifi and Bluetooth.
The black anodized full metal housing made of CNC-milled aluminum is available as well as the poison green color elements in the USB ports or the RGB-backlit chroma -Keyboard. The sound is output via THX-certified stereo speakers. The 17 – Zöller is charged via USB Type-C.
The Razer Blade Pro 17 should be able to be pre-ordered later this month. In terms of price, you will have to calculate at least 2 599 euros.
(Pocket-lint) – The whole pitch of the Acer Nitro 5 is that it can deliver gaming goodness without costing a fortune. When we reviewed the laptop back in June 2020 we said much the same: “[It’s] a pleasing piece of kit for the money, proof that good gaming performance doesn’t necessarily need to cost a fortune”.
For 2021 Acer’s take on the Nitro 5 is to shake up the specification options, introducing AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors – Intel Core i5 or i7 is still an option – along with optional bumps in screen resolution and refresh rate.
So how does the 2021 Acer Nitro 5 refresh stack up? We’ve had our paws on the 17.3-inch mega model to preview what to expect…
Design & Display
17.3-inch IPS LCD, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 360Hz refresh rate
(15.6in & 17.3in at 144Hz or QHD at 165Hz also available)
Dimensions (17-inch): 403.5 x 280 x 24.9mm / Weight: 2.7kgs
Ports: 3x USB-A, 1x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm
1x Ethernet port (E2600), Wi-Fi 6 connectivity
4-zone RGB keyboard
DTS X: Ultra Audio
The Nitro 5 comes in two size options: the 17.3-inch model, as seen here; or the 15.6-inch option (not shown). Both offers specifications that are much the same, it’s down to how large a screen you want and how much you want to customise the internals (and, by virtue of that, the overall asking price).
The screen can be decent staple gaming quality – with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) panel shown here with 144Hz refresh rate – or the company has really pushed the options list with up to a QHD resolution 165Hz refresh rate available or a Full HD with 360Hz refresh rate. You’ll obviously need all the power you can get to try and keep frame rates to match the refresh, though, so we suspect the 144Hz option will be the most popular of the lot (and the more affordable).
In terms of design not a massive amount has changed generation to generation though. It’s still fairly obvious that the Nitro 5 is a budget laptop – not just because of the asing price, but based on other features too. The screen bezels, for example, aren’t as thin as those on other more premium gaming laptops that we’ve tested. The screen also wobbles a bit if you type to aggressively.
There are some tweaks though: the charging port has gone from the side of the laptop and is now slap bang in the centre of the rear, which ought to help tidy up those desk-bound gaming sessions. Otherwise there’s no lack of ports overall: three full-size USB meet just one USB-C (we’d have liked two – oh, and there’s no Display Port options either), along with both Killer Ethernet E2600 and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity options.
Best laptop 2021: Top general and premium notebooks for working from home and more
Being a gaming laptop, the Nitro 5 comes with a backlit keyboard – but one with some pleasant highlights around the WASD keys and directional arrows. The trackpad no longer has the mean-looking red accent around its outside, but we can take that. The keyboard offers single-press access to Acer’s NitroSense software. From there you can see an at-a-glance view of temperature and load on CPU and GPU, as well as access various power plan modes including power saving, balance and high performance. It’s a really handy button to have.
Hardware & Performance
AMD Ryzen 5000 series processor
(Intel Core i5/i7 option)
16GB RAM (upgradable to 32GB)
Next-gen Nvidia GeForce GPU
GTX 1650 w/ Intel option
Acer CoolBoost cooling
Quad exhaust system
256GB/512GB SSD
On the inside the Nitro 5 sports the dual-fan cooling system of its predecessor, called CoolBoost technology, which intelligently adjusts cooling to keep you playing at decent frame rates. Those fans will kick in under little pressure, adding some sound as a result, but that’s typical of such a laptop.
The big change is the AMD Ryzen 5000 processor under the hood, paired with the up-to-the-minute Nvidia GTX GPU. Whether that will be enough to stop the Nitro 5 heating up quite as much as its predecessor we’re yet to see. But it should result in better still performance thanks to the chipset’s architecture.
It’s also worth considering the overall spec when you purchase. The base model comes with a 256GB SSD – sure, it’s fast, but when games these days are over 100GB a piece you’ll fill it up in a matter of moments. Certainly consider the 512GB option as a minimum.
First Impressions
Overall the 2021 Acer Nitro 5 is a more powerful and customisable offering than its predecessor.
It’s an affordable gaming laptop – well, at its entry point – that should still manage to perform under pressure thanks to up-to-date AMD and Nvidia on board, while delivering a great display experience (depending on which of the Full HD/QHD 144Hz/165Hz/360Hz options you pick/can afford!).
Whether the ongoing questions of the series from before – light bleed, excess fan noise, limited battery life – continue here we’ll need to do some more thorough testing. But at this price such foibles are forgivable for all the potential gaming joy the Nitro 5 can bring.
We’ve had Sony’s Airpeak drone, Samsung’s butler robot for your washing-up needs, tuneable glasses that let you adjust lens strength, and pretty much a health-checking app for everything. Indeed, while CES 2021 has been a markedly different affair due to its online-only format, the consumer electronics show has kept up its tradition of being a stage on which the latest, greatest and craziest technological innovations are introduced.
But while it’s a soapbox for future, far-out concepts, it’s also a reliable launchpad for the next-generation technology coming to our homes. As has become par for the course, TVs have hogged most of the CES 2021 spotlight, with LG, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and TCL all revealing brand new TV technologies and models.
No CES is complete without a slew of new audio products, though, and doing two-channel proud has been the likes of JBL and Sony – even if high-end hi-fi remains something of a distant memory for the Vegas trade show.
The first-ever virtual CES may have been a frustratingly hands-off affair, but we can’t complain about the quality of new products that have been revealed. From rollable phones and TVs, to wireless earbuds and next-gen OLED panels, here’s our round-up of the most exciting consumer electronics products and technologies; the best of CES 2021.
LG ‘OLED evo’ TV panel
(Image credit: LG)
LG is sticking to its OLED guns for (at least) another year, but the arguably necessary shake-up comes in the form of a brand-new OLED panel it’s calling ‘evo’. The OLED overlord says it brings such advancements that it represents the ‘Second Evolution’ of OLED (with the first having been the move to 4K HDR in 2015), and is no doubt the company’s response to critics who say OLED panel technology has reached its technical limitations.
By featuring a new luminous element to the panel structure, evo supposedly produces brighter, punchier and more detailed images than the OLED panels LG has previously produced for itself and other TV brands. While the majority of LG’s OLED TV line-ups in recent years have shared the same panel, this will, however, introduce more disparity in the 2021 LG OLED range – only the 4K G1 OLEDs (and presumably the higher-ranging 8K models) are set to get it, with the lower-ranging 4K A1, B1 and C1 series missing out.
LG 2021 TV lineup: everything you need to know
LG unveils G1, C1 and B1 4K OLED TV ranges
Sony 360 Reality Audio expansion
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony’s expansion of its 360-degree spatial sound technology is two-fold: it’s introducing two new 360 Reality Audio-supporting wireless speakers, and pairing the format with video streaming for the first time in an attempt to emulate an immersive live gig experience.
The Sony SRS-RA5000 (£500, €599) and SRS-RA3000 (£280, €359) are hi-res, wi-fi and Bluetooth speakers with omni-directional drivers that have not only been designed to make the most of the formatted tracks (which are currently available on Tidal and Amazon Music HD), but also to upscale stereo tracks, courtesy of Sony’s Immersive Audio Enhancement technology.
During its CES 2021 press conference on Monday, Sony showcased its 360 Reality Audio and video pairing with a Zara Larsson concert clip – an experience that could, to some extent at least, fill the gaping hole in gig-going caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sony is currently in talks with music labels and service providers to begin launching streaming video content later this year, so watch this space.
Sony launches 360 Reality Audio wireless speakers and video streaming service
LG Rollable phone
Roll up, roll up! Or, in the case of LG’s new rollable phone, roll sideways, roll sideways. LG already makes rollable TVs, of course (and has a new one to show off, at that), but, perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s now working on developing a rollable phone. We’ve known this since September, however CES 2021 has provided our first look at the concept handset in action.
During the firm’s press conference, the LG Rollable was demoed expanding sideways to create a tablet-like device. As you can see in this clip and the one above, its screen smoothly expands into a larger one by rolling out from the opposite edge. Details are slim on the ground, but LG’s message to the phone industry (and perhaps specifically its Korean rival, Samsung) was clear: the future is rollable, not foldable.
Groundbreaking LG Rollable phone turns into a tablet in CES 2021 teaser
Samsung Neo QLED TV
(Image credit: Samsung)
The fact that Samsung is finally launching consumer-friendly versions of its MicroLED TVs this year is fantastic news… for the mega rich. Indeed, while the giant, modular displays the firm has dazzled eyes with for years are going to be offered in more living room-friendly packages and without quite the eye-watering price tags, they’re still going to be prohibitively expensive for most of us. A more accessible Samsung offering? Its equally exciting, all-new Neo QLED TVs (pictured above and top).
These premium TVs essentially pair QLED (quantum dot) technology with Mini LED backlighting. Our Samsung 2021 TV lineup offers a detailed lowdown on the technology, but in short the Neo QLEDs use extremely tiny ‘New LED’ backlights that, instead of having protective packaging and light-guiding lenses like traditional LEDs, use a new ‘micro layer’ that guides the light through the quantum dots (which provide the set’s colours).
The promise: no light leakage or blooming. Because the New LEDs’ diminutive size means significantly more of them can be packed in, we can expect even better contrast control than last year’s already impressive QLED TVs. Fingers crossed.
Samsung 2021 TV lineup: everything you need to know
Samsung announces 2021 ‘Neo QLED’ TVs with Mini LED backlight tech
Sony Bravia CORE video streaming service
(Image credit: Sony)
Sony has introduced its own movie streaming service, and while it’s not going to be a replacement for Netflix, it could well set a new standard for streaming picture quality.
The Bravia CORE catalogue offers “hundreds of the latest releases and classic blockbuster movies” (including the “largest IMAX Enhanced collection”), available to stream in 4K HDR on compatible* Sony Bravia TVs in up to 80Mbps quality – that’s almost four times the quality of Netflix’s 4K HDR streams.
Of course, that means you’ll need huge internet capabilities: a minimum internet speed of 115Mbps for 80Mbps quality (or 43Mbps for 30Mbps quality), according to Sony. If you’ve got the bandwidth you should have picture quality that more or less matches Ultra HD Blu-rays. That’d be a first for movie streaming.
*Sony lists eligible new TVs at the bottom of this page and also specifies how many free ‘credits’ (i.e. films) a TV purchase gets you.
Sony’s Bravia CORE streaming service goes big on IMAX Enhanced movies
JBL 75th anniversary hi-fi
(Image credit: JBL)
Hi-fi launches at CES have been dwindling in recent years. This isn’t hugely surprising considering, a) the increasing headline-stealing dominance of TVs, and b) the quality of the international Munich High End Show further in the calendar year. But there’s often a gem or two to be found – last year they were the JBL L82 Classic and NAD Masters M33 – and this year’s no different. JBL has kicked off its 75th anniversary on the front foot, using the world stage to introduce two new celebratory products.
The limited-edition JBL L100 Classic 75 floorstanders ($5500), of which there are only 750 pairs, are acoustically and aesthetically tweaked versions of the 2018-released (and well reviewed) L100 Classic, complete with special edition badges and commemorative plaques.
The second member in the inarguably classy combo is the JBL SA750 Class G streaming amplifier ($3000, pictured), which marries old with new by packaging streaming-savvy features into a retro casing made of milled aluminium and teak wood veneer.
JBL kicks off 75th anniversary celebrations with L100 Classic speakers
JBL SA750 is a modern-retro Class G amplifier with streaming
Google TV gaining momentum
(Image credit: Google )
Google’s Android TV has been the smart platform for Sony and Philips sets in recent years but now the search giant has a new software platform: Google TV. Already inside the latest Google Chromecast stick, we’re now seeing the first TVs that will run it.
At CES 2021, both Sony and TCL announced new models that embrace Google TV. Sony’s 2021 Bravia XR TVs – the Master Series Z9J, A90J, A80J, X95J, X90J, X85J and X81J – all support it. TCL has been less forthcoming about specific models, simply stating it plans to roll out a series of Google TV-toting sets in the US first, before expanding to other regions later in the year.
Google TV offers over 6500 apps and supports more than 30 streaming services. It’s slick, highly usable and has one of the best recommendation engines we’ve ever tested, so it should make for an excellent addition to forthcoming TVs.
More Technics true wireless earbuds
(Image credit: Technics)
At CES 2020, Technics announced it was joining the true wireless earbuds revolution with the EAH-AZ70W, which proved themselves fine performers. Twelve months later and we have a promise (albeit very little else) of the firm’s next pair, due “later this year”.
We don’t know whether this new model will be a successor to, or a sibling of, the EAH-AZ70W, but there was a hint that they could be cheaper: “Now, for the first time, that legendary audio experience is available to everyone,” announced the speaker during the Panasonic press conference.
Noise-cancelling was also mentioned, so hopefully we’ll have a nicely priced pair around the £150 ($150) mark to rival the Sony WF-1000XM3 and AirPods Pro and help stamp the brand’s authority on the market.
Technics teases cheaper wireless earbuds to rival AirPods Pro
OLED TV is going smaller (again)
(Image credit: LG / The Boys, Amazon Prime)
Just a few years ago, OLED TVs were limited to 55 inch and 65 inch sizes. Fast forward to 2021 and we have a choice of seven screen sizes. That’s in part due to the rising popularity of much bigger screens, especially in the US, but also recently due to the availability of smaller OLED screens too.
Last year, LG introduced the 48 inch size – the Sony KD-48A9 (which used LG’s 48in OLED panel) was our TV of the year, no less, and LG’s own OLED48CX (pictured above) also proved impressive, demonstrating that the panel technology could flourish in smaller screens too.
And 2021 could be the year we see a 42-inch OLED TV on shop shelves. LG Display has shared key specs on the displays it’ll be offering to TV manufacturers this year, and they include a 42-inch option. However, no TV brand has yet announced plans for a 42-inch model – so it’s one for the future.
Whenever it arrives, one thing looks certain: OLED isn’t done yet and will undoubtedly hit more homes, and maybe even more rooms in homes, if sizes and prices continue southwards.
LG Display announces its smallest OLED TV panel to date
Dolby Atmos Music is coming to the car. At CES 2021, Panasonic and Klipsch have joined forces to show off a proof-of-concept in-car system capable of playing Dolby’s immersive audio format.
The in-car system is made by Panasonic, in collaboration with Klipsch and Dolby. As it’s just a proof-of-concept for now, there’s no consumer product as such – not yet, at least. According to Panasonic, though, the result is “an impressive listening experience that features an immersive soundscape for the automotive cabin.”
As well it should. Dolby Atmos Music is 360 surround sound technology for, you guessed it, music. By adding height and being able to position sound in 360 degrees around the listener, it adds a completely new angle to your listening experience, similar to Sony’s 360 Reality Audio.
Sadly, there’s no word on which cars or systems will get the tech, but hopefully, it’s only a matter of time before we get to experience it…
MORE:
Find out Dolby Atmos Music: everything you need to know
And Sony 360 Reality Audio: everything you need to know
Return of the Mac: McIntosh’s first in-car audio system in two decades is a Jeep
Less than six months after introducing its RTX 3000 series GPUs for desktop PCs, Nvidia is bringing the RTX 3060, RTX 3070, and RTX 3080 to gaming laptops. Nvidia is promising big energy efficiency gains here, thanks to its new Ampere architecture, alongside the obvious performance improvements over the previous RTX 2000 series laptops.
More than 70 gaming laptops will be available with the new RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 mobile GPUs on January 26th, with the RTX 3060 laptops to follow on February 2nd. Prices start aat $999 for the RTX 3060 models.
RTX 3060 laptops, which Nvidia says are 1.3 times faster than the PS5, start at $999. RTX 3070 laptops will start at $1,299, and Nvidia says they’re up to 1.5 times faster than previous RTX 2070 systems, and they deliver 90fps at 1440p.
RTX 3080 laptops begin at $1,999 and can include up to 16GB of GDDR6 memory — more than what’s available on the RTX 3080 desktop GPU side. Nvidia claims these laptops will deliver over 100fps at 1440p.
These laptops are using the third generation of Nvidia’s Max-Q. Designed for thinner and lighter gaming laptops, the Max-Q variants are engineered to squeeze most of the GPU power from an RTX 3000-series card into a more thermally constrained chassis. Nvidia and laptop manufacturers tweak drivers and thermal and electrical components to make this a reality.
Nvidia says this latest generation of Max-Q laptops will deliver twice the performance of the previous generation. Nvidia is using a new Dynamic Boost 2.0 technology in these laptops that utilizes artificial intelligence to balance power between the CPU, GPU, and GPU memory. It works on a per-frame basis, meaning a laptop can balance its power needs in real time.
Nvidia is also introducing WhisperMode 2.0 with these RTX 3000 series laptops. You’ll be able to choose different acoustic levels, and AI will manage the fan speeds and game settings to stay at a desired sound level.
We expect to hear a lot more from manufacturers shortly about new updates to gaming laptops at CES 2021. Stay tuned to The Verge for all the latest gaming laptop announcements.
Sony has taken its VISION-S concept, presented for the first time at last year’s CES. New videos show some of the details of this interesting project
by Rosario Grasso published 12 January 2021 , at 16: 31 in the Technology channel Sony
Sony spoke again about VISION-S , the concept of “intelligent” electric car initially presented at the last CES. The new presentation, inevitably digital, focuses on a series of videos, which provide information on car design and engineering, include comments from Sony’s partners and reveal that the Vehicle testing on public roads started near the engineering center in Graz, Austria.
VISION-S, the Japanese technology brand debuts in the automotive sector
There hasn’t been much talk about VISION-S in the last year, so Sony wanted to catch up with some high-impact videos. Vehicle equips 40 sensors for the management of autonomous driving technologies and great attention is paid to the solutions of infotainment . Sony claims that with this project it wants to benefit from its software experience, which culminate in a large panoramic display covering the entire dashboard. At a certain point in the video you can see a controller PlayStation connected to the screen, highlighting how it is possible to ‘large display for playing Little Big Planet .
Sony partners talked about ‘ importance of communications and the cloud for modern vehicles . Sony’s electric concept human-machine interface includes facial, voice and gesture recognition . The video also shows how the technologies built into Sony cameras can handle advanced thermal imaging solutions. English subtitles are available .
For the moment Sony is not unbalanced on the timing of development and the start of production of the vehicle. However, one of the videos shows the VISION-S on the road, with the body camouflaged. Among other things, note that the drone AirPeak was used for the making of this video.
As revealed last year, Sony VISION-S has a dual motor from 200 kW with the possibility of accelerating from 0 to 100 Km / h in just 4.8 seconds at a maximum speed of 238 Km / h . The vehicle is then equipped with CMOS image sensors and ToF sensors , to detect and recognize objects and people inside and outside the vehicle itself and offer highly advanced driving support. The ?? 360 Sony’s Reality Audio ?? guarantees a deep and immersive audio experience, through the speakers built into each parking space, so as to envelop passengers in sound .
Follow us on our Instagram channel, lots of news coming soon !
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
