Alienware has announced the latest revision to its flagship gaming laptop lineup, the 15-inch Alienware M15 R5. It’ll start shipping on April 20th in the US, costing $2,229.99 to start. The company is going big with its messaging that it’ll host AMD’s fast Ryzen 5000 H-series processors (up to the octa-core Ryzen 9 5900HX) and up to Nvidia’s RTX 3070 graphics chip. Dell says this is the first Alienware laptop since 2007 to feature an AMD processor.
In case you haven’t noticed, AMD’s processors have been on a tear in the past year, delivering great performance without compromising on efficiency when you aren’t gaming. This is just the latest company to join along the likes of Asus, Lenovo, and even Dell with its G5 15 SE, to name a few. AMD-touting laptops are already among some of the best gaming laptops you can buy. Yet Alienware is possibly the most well-known gaming brand to go AMD yet.
The base configuration of the M15 R5 has the octa-core Ryzen 7 5800H processor and Nvidia’s RTX 3060. You can upgrade to the Ryzen 9 5900HX octa-core processor and the RTX 3070. Both the RTX 3060 and 3070 have a total graphics power level of 115W with 10W of extra boost available for up to 125W of maximum graphics power. Interestingly, the 3060 has a higher base and boost clock (base: 1,387MHz, boost: 1,702MHz) than the 3070 option does (base: 1,110MHz, boost: 1,560MHz).
Either way, these are some of the highest clock speeds we’ve seen yet in a reasonably thin 2021 gaming laptop. Alienware is pushing the boost clocks nearly all the way to the ceiling, and it’s great that it’s transparent about these power specs, since Nvidia now requires that manufacturers share it.
The Ryzen Edition will ship in this silver configuration.
Speaking of dimensions, the R5 is thicker and heavier than the previous R4 generation. The base configuration weighs 5.34 pounds (up to 5.93 pounds, depending on the components inside). The R4’s base configuration weighed 4.65 pounds, for comparison. The R5 is 19.25mm thick at its front (up to 22.85mm thick near the hinge), 272.5mm deep, and 356mm wide. Each configuration will ship with an 86Wh battery, like what shipped in the M15 R4 and R3.
Screen-wise, the R5 can be configured with a range of high-refresh-rate displays. The base FHD screen has a 3ms response time screen with a 165Hz refresh rate, and your options for upgrading are either a dimmer 300-nit 1080p panel with a faster 360Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and only 100 percent sRGB color coverage, or a brighter 400-nit QHD screen that has a 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut, plus G-Sync, which should deliver the smoothest experience even if your framerate dips.
The M15 R5 looks similar to the previous two generations.
If you want to output to a separate display, the laptop’s HDMI 2.1 port means it can display up to 120 frames per second at 4K resolution if your monitor (or TV) supports it. This laptop also features an 2.5Gbps Ethernet port, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, and a headphone jack. There’s no Thunderbolt port, but that Intel technology might find its way into an Intel-based version later on.
Dell says this is the first Alienware laptop to feature fast 3,200MHz DDR4 RAM, and it’s also user-configurable with two SO-DIMM slots. This is a move in the right direction, as the M15 R3 and R4 both had their RAM soldered onto the board, making it impossible to upgrade after you bought it. There are two M.2 slots inside so you can upgrade storage post-purchase, too.
The company says the laptop’s paint has been engineered for “increased stain-resistance and premium surface feel.” This model can be configured to feature Cherry’s Ultra-Low Profile mechanical switches. Dell announced this keyboard collaboration for the M15 R4, and it’ll be available as a $150 add-on for this new model, too.
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly gaming laptop with a new Ryzen 5000 H-series processor, check out Dell’s $899 G15 that was also just announced.
Leaving a missed call on someone’s phone usually signals that you should call them back — but at one point in India, it was communication in its own right. A new feature by Atul Bhattarai in Rest of World examines the Indian culture that grew up around missed calls — and the startups that took advantage of it.
In basic terms, a “missed call” means dialing a person but hanging up before they can answer. Hanging up without talking let users send a basic message (“I called”) without getting charged for minutes or SMS messages — like paging someone without a pager. Bhattarai focuses on ZipDial, a company that turned missed calls into a robust advertising business and a way to experience some of the features of online life without paying for data.
As Bhattarai writes, using missed calls to communicate came about because of the high cost of cellphone data and limited access to high-speed internet. Calling long enough to connect to someone else’s phone and then hanging up or not picking up on the other end avoided being charged for the call. These missed calls could mean a variety of things, like letting a friend know you’re on your way or a loved one know that you miss them. “The fact that the missed call demanded only basic numeric literacy made them accessible to the third of India’s population that was illiterate,” Bhattarai explains.
ZipDial combined the missed call trend and preexisting SMS services into a kind of a one-stop shop for cellphone owners who wanted basic internet functionality. ZipDial would partner with a brand and set up a hotline that people could call for services like sports scores or celebrity tweets. All it took was “signing up” with a missed call.
Bhattarai also highlights a proto-Spotify algorithmic playlist service called Kan Khajura, which delivered new music in 15-minute calls. “Kan Khajura’s central appeal was that it could be accessed anywhere and anytime, unlike the radio and TV,” Bhattarai writes.
Those businesses became unsustainable as mobile data became cheaper, and ZipDial ceased operations in 2016. But Bhattarai argues the services helped bridge the offline-online gap in a period before internet service providers and physical infrastructure caught up.
You can read the full feature on ZipDial’s missed call empire on Rest of World.
Sony has officially launched Bravia CORE, its 4K lossless video streaming service. The bad news? It’s currently exclusive to those with a Bravia XR TV and a very fast internet connection.
As we reported in January, Bravia CORE uses Pure Stream technology to serve up the latest box office films at bitrates of between 30 Mbps – 80 Mbps, along with immersive DTS sound. In other words, similar or higher quality than that of most 4K Blu-ray discs.
Now, Sony has revealed that the Bravia CORE app will come pre-loaded on all new Bravia XR models including the A90J, Z9J, A80J, X95J and X90J. Lucky owners will get access to over 300 4K lossless titles such as Venom, Ghostbusters, Blade Runner 2049 and Jumanji: The Next Level.
Just how much ‘access’ depends on how much you splurge. Buy a range-topping A90J or Z9J and you’ll get free access to the service for 24 months and 10 credits to spend on lossless CORE titles that are otherwise available on pay-per-view basis. Buy any other Bravia XR model and you’ll get five credits and 12 months free access.
You’ll need a nippy broadband connection, too. While Netflix recommends a 25 Mbps connection for streaming 4K movies, Sony says Bravia CORE “requires a minimum internet speed of 43 Mbps.” In fact, streaming the highest quality lossless movies requires a minimum internet speed of – drumroll, please – 115Mbps. Holy smokes.
The service also claims “the largest IMAX Enhanced movie collection” – over 50 films remastered by IMAX and Sony Pictures to boost the image and sound on Bravia XR TVs. The selection appears to be pretty decent, and includes the likes of Baby Driver, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood and Little Women. Sony has also revealed that CORE will provide users access to a “separate library of movies to stream any time and as many times as they like, in up to 4K HDR quality.”
At this point, you might be wondering what happens when the free 24/12 month subscription expires? Will Bravia CORE continue to be free? That’s yet to be confirmed but according to Sony, “you may watch the movies you have redeemed via Bravia CORE until February 23, 2026”.
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Sony has announced the UK and US pricing of its X90J range of TVs. Pricing is as follows:
50-inch Sony KD-50X90J: £1149, $1300
55-inch Sony KD-55X90J: £1249, $1500
65-inch Sony KD-60X90J: £1499, $1800
75-inch Sony KD-75X90J: £2299, $TBC
The three smaller models will go on sale this month, with the 75-inch variant following “later”.
The X90J LED TVs are part of Sony’s 2021 TV lineup, and replace the midrange (and Award-winning) XH90 from 2020. All models have the Flush Surface Bezel design and higher raised Slim Blade feet with two-position options. There’s already enough height in the design to allow room for a soundbar.
A voice remote comes as standard and, on the performance front, XR Contrast drops down to Contrast Booster 5 (from the XH95’s Contrast Booster 10). There are no X-Wide Angle or anti-reflection benefits either.
Otherwise, Acoustic Multi Audio, Google TV, HDMI 2.1 and IMAX Enhanced certification are present and correct.
The TVs support three formats of HDR (HDR10, Dolby Vision and HLG) and on the audio front, they’re also ready for Dolby Atmos and 3D Surround upscaling.
Will the XJ90 be another Award-winner? You wouldn’t bet against it, but we’ll have to get it in and compare it to its 2021 rivals before making a proclamation on that front. Stay tuned.
MORE:
Check the full range: Sony 2021 TV line-up: models, sizes, specs, everything you need to know
Want better audio? Add one of the best soundbars to your TV
Check the competition:Samsung 2021 TV lineup: everything you need to know
The new Apple TV is said to boast support for 120Hz frame rates – a capability you won’t find on any current Apple TV models. Details are thin on the ground, but the development could herald smoother gaming and a more responsive user interface.
According to 9to5Mac, the beta version of Apple’s upcoming tvOS 14.5 software contains multiple references to ‘120HZ’ and ‘supports 120Hz’ – the current Apple TV 4K set-top box is limited to 4K@60Hz resolution.
There have been rumours of a new Apple TV launching as soon as this month for some time. Recent leaks have tipped Apple’s next set-top box for a redesigned Siri remote control, HDMI 2.1, spatial audio, improved Apple Arcade integration and a speedier A14 Bionic chipset.
This latest development adds weight to the rumour that the new Apple TV will double up as a top-tier games console. In fact, some analysts claim Apple’s next set-top box could give the likes of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X (both of which offer 4K@120Hz support) a run for their money.
Given that most of the best gaming TVs already support 120Hz and HDMI 2.1, it could be that the forthcoming flagship Apple TV is upping its gaming game, so to speak.
The new Apple TV isn’t the only Cupertino-designed device tipped for a higher refresh rate either. The iPhone 13, which is expected to break cover in September, is said to use a range of LTPO displays with 120Hz support.
The Apple TV 4K hasn’t been updated for more than three and a half years, which is an eternity in technology. But 9to5Mac reports that the new tvOS 14.5 beta references support for 120Hz refresh rates — a capability that no currently available Apple TV models have — which could indicate Apple is working on a new version of its set-top box.
While it’s not clear what Apple may use a 120Hz refresh rate for in a new Apple TV, one of the more intriguing possibilities is for smoother gaming, like what’s offered with 120Hz support on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Apple has been showing increased interest in gaming as of late, so it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if the new Apple TV had more gaming-focused features.
For example, Apple just added a bunch of new games to its Apple Arcade gaming subscription service, which lets you play games on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV and carry your progress across platforms. And the iOS 14.5, macOS 11.3, and tvOS 14.5 betas also all include support for the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller and the Xbox Series X controller — presumably, that support will carry over to the final software releases.
The rumored 120Hz support for Apple TV would also line up with a Bloomberg report from December, which said Apple was working on a new Apple TV for sometime this year with a “stronger gaming focus.” (That report also said the new set-top box would have a redesigned remote, which will hopefully be easier to use.) While we don’t know exactly when Apple will announce this rumored device, or if it will announce it at all, if you’re in the market for a new Apple TV, you might want to wait just a bit.
Nintendo has been rumored to be working on a bigger Switch for a while now, which reportedly could show up later in 2021. But YouTuber Michael Pick isn’t waiting around for a new model from Nintendo — he’s gone and built his own bigger Switch.
Much bigger, as it turns out: almost six feet wide, compared to the regular Switch’s 9.4-inch size.
“I really like the Nintendo Switch. It’s small, it’s portable — but it’s really easy to lose. And for me, that was a problem. So, I decided to fix that by making something that was just a little bit larger,” Pick said. That reads as a bit of an understatement when comparing Pick’s supersized model (which he says is the world’s largest) to the original.
The gigantic version of the Switch is less a portable console and more of a fancy wooden frame for a 4K TV screen, with 3D-printed buttons and an actual (regular-sized) Switch hidden inside. To make the buttons work, a smaller Joy-Con controller is stowed inside with several servo motors that translate the presses on the big buttons to the actual hardware on the inside. The joysticks are even simpler: just massive, 3D-printed joysticks centered with rubber bands on top of the smaller Joy-Con joysticks.
Of course, the massive custom Switch does lose out on some of the regular Switch’s portability: at 65 pounds, it’s not something that you’ll be able to carry around easily. And if one wanted to quibble, Pick’s Switch isn’t technically fully functional, lacking both a touchscreen and removable Joy-Con controllers (making it more of a giant Switch Lite in practice than a giant standard Switch.)
Still, the lack of portability shouldn’t be too much of a problem, given that Pick is donating the custom console to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Having announced its new flagship OLED, the JZ2000, at CES back in January, Panasonic has now released the details of the rest of its 2021 TV line-up. It comprises four OLED models and three LCD TVs and includes the brand’s first-ever 48-inch OLEDs – in fact, there are three of them!
The JZ OLED series replaces the mixed success of 2020’s HZ models. We were impressed by the general picture quality and motion handling of the HZ1000, awarding it five stars, but while the HZ2000 proved even more accomplished in the picture department, its expensive speaker system proved a disappointment. Wisely, this year’s JZ2000 has a revamped sound system. What’s more, unlike in 2021, this year you can get Panasonic’s enhanced Professional Edition panel without going right up to the flagship 2000-series TV.
Panasonic has also sought to address the lack of next-gen HDMI features right across the range, which should prick up the ears of gamers who’s been put off Panasonic TVs in the past.
For the LCDs, the JX models replace the successful HX range. At the top is a flagship model that gets the same processing treatment as its OLED sibling, while at the bottom is an entry-level model that utilises the Android TV operating system.
Want to know everything there is to know about Panasonic’s 2021 TV range? Allow us to run down all of the tech highlights before breaking down the individual models in full.
More affordable ‘Professional Edition’ OLED TVs
(Image credit: Panasonic)
In previous years Panasonic’s custom Professional Edition OLED panels have been the preserve of flagship 2000-series models (the HZ2000 in 2020 and GZ2000 in 2019). However, Panasonic is now bringing its best picture quality to the more affordable 1500-series, which is this year called the JZ1500. That’s excellent news for people who already have a sound system and don’t want to fork out for the JZ2000s price-increasing, bulk-adding in-built Atmos speakers.
Only the 65-inch and 55-inch JZ1500 get the upgrade, though; the new 48-inch model (more on which below) has a standard, non-Professional Edition panel.
Compared to standard OLED screens, Panasonic’s Professional Edition OLED panels are brighter, punchier and more vibrant, offering even better HDR performance. Panasonic will also be the only manufacturer in 2021 to use this top tier panel in more than one range, meaning that, depending on price, the JZ1500 could potentially undercut other brands top of the line models.
Additionally, all the 2021 OLEDs benefit from an enhanced colour profile courtesy of Panasonic’s ‘Hollywood’ tuning overseen by Stefan Sonnenfeld, post-production colourist on films including Wonder Woman 1984 and Beauty and the Beast.
Panasonic’s first 48-inch OLEDs
(Image credit: Panasonic)
LG (which manufactures all of the OLED panels currently used by all TV brands) begun manufacturing 48-inch panels in 2020 and shortly thereafter launched its own 48-inch OLED TV, the excellent OLED48CX. Sony and Philips quickly followed with their own 48-inch OLED TVs, but Panasonic has held off until now.
Perhaps keen to make up for lost time, Panasonic is offering not one but three 48-inch OLED models – a JZ1500, JZ1000 and JZ980. While the larger versions of each range will have Pro, Master and standard OLED panels respectively, all three 48-inch TVs will have standard OLED screens.
The other main difference the 48-inch models have compared to their bigger siblings is mounting. Although the bigger versions of the JZ1500 and JZ1000 will have Panasonics popular adjustable swivel stand, the 48-inch JZ1500 has a central, fixed pedestal, while the 48-inch JZ1000 and JZ980 will have a pair of adjustable feet to allow for the addition of a soundbar.
New HCX Pro AI processor
(Image credit: Panasonic)
All of Panasonic’s OLED TVs and the top LCD model have received an upgrade in processing power with the new HCX Pro AI processor. It supports an Auto AI mode that can analyse the type of content being played and adjust the picture accordingly. You’ll still be able to make manual adjustments, but if you leave the TV in its Auto AI mode, it will work to automatically get the best out of everything you watch, from movies to sports and games. The top of the line JZ2000 is the only model that also benefits from Auto AI sound quality adjustments.
The JX850 LCD, meanwhile, has a new HCX AI Processor – note the absence of the word ‘Pro’ – whilst the JX800 gets last year’s standard HCX processor.
Enhanced gaming performance and features
(Image credit: Pansonic)
Gaming has typically been a lower priority for Panasonic than for some other manufacturers, but the company is looking to redress that in 2021. All models with the HCX Pro AI processor support a new low latency input setting called Game Mode Extreme. Panasonic claims input lag will be amongst the “very lowest in the industry”, with their own live demo producing an impressively short lag time of 14.4ms.
The entire range, except the JX850 and JX800, sport four HDMI ports, two of which are HDMI 2.1 (though one of these is also eARC), adding specs such as HFR (aka 4K@120Hz), VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and AMD FreeSync Premium on top of the ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) that Panasonic’s sets already have.
Panasonic has openly stated that at launch, the TVs will only display half the vertical resolution for 4K HFR and 4K@120Hz VRR with a firmware update to arrive later in the year to restore 4K HFR fully. An announcement on an update for 4K@120Hz VRR will be made “in due time”.
Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive
(Image credit: Pansonic)
Panasonic has long supported both Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and it’s adding HDR10+ Adaptive to the 2021 range.
Like Dolby Vision IQ, this new format adjusts HDR10+ picture characteristics in accordance with both the source material metadata and the ambient lighting conditions of the room. All 2021 models will have Dolby Vision and HDR10+ Adaptive, and Dolby IQ will be supported on models down to the JX940. Panasonic is the first manufacturer to produce TVs with both Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive on board.
Panasonic’s unique application of Filmmaker Mode returns to all models in the lineup. Filmmaker Mode overrides the TV’s processing (such as motion smoothing and detail enhancement) to allow content to be displayed at the aspect ratio, colour and frame rate intended by the content’s creator. Panasonic adds an ‘Intelligent Sensing’ component to the feature ’, which dynamically adjusts HDR10+, HDR10, HLG or SDR pictures based on the lighting in your room.
We’ve so far been very unimpressed with the soft and dull performance of Filmmaker Mode on various TVs, so it’ll be interesting to see if Panasonic’s 2021 models can bring us around to the format.
My Home Screen 6.0
(Image credit: pansonic)
All models down to the JZ850 will feature a new version of Panasonic’s own operating system, which promises to be “much more intuitive and much more usable” than before and includes a ‘my Scenery’ feature that lets you display a selection of restful images and videos, or set your own, to match your mood.
Last year Panasonic TVs were missing several key streaming apps at launch, and despite updates, Disney+ still won’t be included in 2021, although Panasonic says it is “in discussions” with Disney to rectify this.
All models down to and including the JX850 support both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built-in, while the JX800 only has Google Assistant.
The JX800 is also Panasonic’s first TV with Android TV OS, which it apparently combines with some of the aspects of Panasonic’s own ‘My Home Screen’ operating system. It’s good to see the company adding Android TV to its lineup. Could this be just a toe in the water ahead of a broader rollout next year?
Panasonic 2021 TV range breakdown
So that’s the overview of the technology and features behind Panasonic’s 2021 TV range, but what about specific models? While pricing is yet to be unannounced, you’ll find all other details below.
Panasonic JZ2000 4K OLED TV
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Panasonic’s flagship OLED for 2021 is the JZ2000, which has the same bright, punchy Master HDR OLED Professional panel as last year’s HZ2000, which we described as having “excellent all-round picture quality”.
New for this year is an upgraded HCX Pro AI processor, which can analyse what type of content is being played and adjust picture settings automatically. While all the OLEDs in the lineup benefit from this AI mode, the JZ2000 is the only model that will also offer AI sound quality adjustments.
As with previous generations of the 2000-series, one of the main features of the JZ2000 is its integrated speaker system with front- and upward-firing drivers as well as a rear-mounted subwoofer. Panasonic has added a pair of side-firing speakers to make the sound even wider and more room-filling.
This setup, which Panasonic calls ‘360° Soundscape Pro’, has once again been developed with Technics and utilises Dolby Atmos. The speaker system is actually less powerful than last year, at 125W compared to 140W, but power isn’t everything and we’ll be curious to see what progress has been made given that we found the sonic performance of the HZ2000 lacked clarity and excitement. The JZ2000 will be available from June 2021.
Panasonic JZ2000 specs:
Display type: Master HDR OLED Professional Edition
The JZ1500 is an exciting proposition. It features the same Professional Edition panel as the JZ2000 but does without the fancy speaker system, potentially making it the perfect high-end TV for someone who already has (or is intending to buy) a proper home cinema system or quality soundbar.
Not only will the JZ1500 come in cheaper than the JZ2000, it’s thinner, too, to the tune of over 5cm.
It’s worth pointing out that the 48-inch version doesn’t get the Professional Edition OLED panel or swivel stand of its bigger brothers, but it does have a central pedestal, unlike Panasonic’s other 2021 48-inch models. The JZ1500 will be available from June 2021.
Panasonic JZ1500 specs:
Display type: Master HDR OLED Professional Edition (65-inch and 55-inch models) Master HDR OLED (48-inch model)
All sizes of the JZ1000 have the same Master HDR OLED Panel as the 48-inch JZ1500 but otherwise, there’s very little to differentiate between the JZ1000 and JZ1500; it has the same HCX Pro AI Processor, Auto AI, Game Mode Pro and raft of format support.
The in-built speaker system is a step down in power, 30W compared to the JZ1500’s 50W, and the JZ1000 series’s 48-inch model will come with adjustable feet to accommodate a soundbar.
The JZ980-series is the entry-level OLED for Panasonic in 2021, but it maintains the same HCX Pro AI processor as the rest of the range, and its 30W in-built speakers pack the same punch as the JZ1000 models.
The panel is a lower grade than the JZ1000, described only as ‘OLED’. It still promises natural colour and high contrast though we expect it to lack some of its more expensive siblings’ visual punch.
The 65-inch and 55-inch models don’t have a swivel stand to let viewers angle the screen freely, featuring a fixed pedestal instead, and the 48-inch has the same adjustable feet as the JZ1000 version. The JZ980 will be available from June 2021.
The JX940 is Panasonic’s premium LCD TV for 2021. Available in 75-inch, 65-inch, 55-inch, 49-inch sizes, it has the same HCX Pro AI Processor as the new OLED models and includes the full complement of HDR adaptive technologies, as well as Auto AI, Game Mode Extreme and VRR support.
The 120Hz HDR Cinema Display Pro panel apparently boasts excellent colour reproduction and contrast as well as wide viewing angles and ‘Intelligent Clear Motion’ to smooth out dynamic action for flicker-free viewing. Of course, whether it delivers on those promises will only become clear once we’ve had the JX940 in for review.
All features are consistent throughout the range except the mountings, the 75-inch has a flexible pedestal, and the smaller models have adjustable feet to allow a soundbar to neatly slot underneath. The JX940 will be available from May 2021.
The processing chip in the JX850 doesn’t have the Pro features of the OLEDs and the JX940, so there’s no Dolby Vision IQ, though HDR10+ Adaptive remains, as well as standard Dolby Vision, HLG, and HDR10.
Game Mode Extreme is replaced by a standard Game Mode, and gamers won’t have the advantages of 4K High Frame Rate (aka 4K@120Hz) or Variable Refresh Rate as there are no HDMI 2.1 sockets. The JX850 will be available from May 2021.
There will also be an alternate model, the JX870B, exclusive to John Lewis & Partners.
Panasonic JX870 prices (exclusive to John Lewis & Partners):
Panasonic TX-40JX870B – £TBC
Panasonic TX-50JX870B – £TBC
Panasonic TX-58JX870B – £TBC
Panasonic TX-65JX850B – £TBC
Panasonic JX800 4K LCD TV
(Image credit: Panasonic)
The JX800 is the most budget-friendly TV in Panasonic’s 2021 line-up and will use, for the first time, the Android TV operating system, which Panasonic says will include ‘a very wide range’ of streaming services. Dolby Atmos and Alexa are dropped for this model, but Google Assistant and Chromecast are on board.
Panasonic has bequeathed its previous generation HCX chip to the JX800. It won’t offer the AI technologies of the other 2021 models, but it still supports the same array of HDR formats and as the JX850, as well as sharing the equivalent HDR Bright Panel Plus.
Hi, it’s Jay, and I’m holding down the fort for Kim today, which means I get to do a trailer roundup. I apparently picked a good week to take this responsibility, as there were a lot of good trailers to pick from — it seems like media companies are gearing up for a big year in movies and TV shows.
Let’s get right into it.
Black Widow
My wife and I spent the first part of this year watching the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and as we got further along, we couldn’t believe that Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow didn’t have her own movie yet. So as you might expect, we’re very excited to see Black Widow, especially after the new trailer that came out on Saturday.
Black Widow will debut on July 9th in theaters and on Disney Plus as a $30 Premiere Access title.
The Suicide Squad
Speaking of superhero films (or in this case, I guess antiheroes), Warner Bros. released a second trailer for The Suicide Squad less than a week after debuting the first one. The film, helmed by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, is packed with an all-star cast, including Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Idris Elba as Bloodsport, and even Sylvester Stallone as a giant CGI shark-man named King Shark.
The Suicide Squad premieres in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6th.
Rick and Morty season 5
I’m just going to be totally honest here: despite Rick and Morty being a constant thing on the internet and also being something that looks totally up my alley, I have never seen a single episode and know basically nothing about it. But if you’ve been looking forward to season five, an official trailer hit this week. The new season premieres on Adult Swim on June 20th.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is a new animated series heading to Disney Plus. “Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army—each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew,” according to Disney. It’s executive produced by Dave Filoni, who also executive produced The Clone Wars, Rebels, and the The Mandalorian.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch debuts May 4th (aka Star Wars Day).
Shadow and Bone
Shadow and Bone is a new Netflix series based on the hit young adult novel trilogy. “Dark forces conspire against orphan mapmaker Alina Starkov when she unleashes an extraordinary power that could change the fate of her war-torn world,” according to a description by Netflix. I actually just got the first book in the series from the library, and I’m looking forward to reading it ahead of Shadow and Bone’s premiere on April 23rd.
Yasuke
Yasuke is a new Neflix anime that’s based on a true story of a Black samurai from the 16th century. The main character is voiced by LaKeith Stanfield (Atlanta, Judas and the Black Messiah) and the show has a soundtrack from Flying Lotus. It debuts on Netflix on April 29th.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
Warner Bros. debuted the first trailer to Space Jam’s long-awaited sequel on Saturday. Space Jam: A New Legacy stars LeBron James and the classic Looney Tunes characters, but will also include appearances from iconic Warner Bros. characters like the Iron Giant, King Kong, and even Fred Flintstone. (Warner Bros. multiverse incoming, I guess.)
Space Jam: A New Legacy premieres in theaters and on HBO Max on July 16th. (And if you were wondering: the old-school 1996 Space Jam website lives on.)
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I’ve read plenty about what it’s like to use, hold, and type on an LG Gram before, but that didn’t take away from the impressive first impression it made when I used the new Gram 17 for the first time — especially this larger model. The Gram 17 has a grandiose 17-inch display, yet it’s only three pounds, which is light enough for me to carry around one-handed. Its keyboard is a joy to type on with a surprising amount of tactility and travel in the keys, and the battery life outlasts a whole day of work, even much of a second one, too. It’s a quiet laptop, and even under pressure, its fans weren’t loud enough for me to hear once.
The Gram communicates its biggest selling points — lightness and longevity — so effectively that it outshines some persisting minor problems. Those include a keyboard layout that can be difficult to adjust to. For instance, the num lock is too easy to press accidentally, being right next to backspace, and the only function key is located too far away from the most essential function row buttons, making it a stretch to adjust the volume one-handed. Lastly, the large trackpad isn’t always good at palm rejection. These are important things for any laptop to get right, let alone one that has a bunch of extra real estate that should be used to avoid flaws like these.
This new model for 2021 is mostly a spec update, not a design overhaul compared to the 2020 version. But it’s a good update, at that. Inside of LG’s sole $1,799 Gram 17 configuration (it’s been available for $1,699 since late March), there’s now an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 quad-core processor that promises — and actually delivers — better performance and longer battery life than the 2020 model my colleague Monica Chin reviewed. Additionally, this model’s faster 4,266MHz LPDDR4X RAM, of which it has 16GB, likely plays a role in that speed boost. It’s not a drastically different computer to use than before, but it can hold its own more reliably this time around.
While running my usual collection of around 10 tabs in Microsoft Edge for work, with Slack and Spotify running in tandem, performance didn’t stutter at all. This is the bare minimum of competency tests for laptops, so for something more demanding, I exported a five-minute, 33-second test file from our Verge video team through Adobe Premiere Pro. Last year’s model took 30 minutes to do this, but this one gets it done in around 11 minutes. That doesn’t hold a candle to laptops that put more of an emphasis on power usually at the expense of heft, but it’s enough of an improvement to make the Gram 17’s price a little easier to justify. Razer’s Book 13 with the same processor fared just about a minute faster with this test, but the Gram is on par with the latest Dell XPS 13 and Asus ZenBook 14.
The battery is also mystifyingly good — and better than before. With that same batch of apps I mentioned earlier, the Gram 17 lasted an entire workday and well into the next, around 12 or so hours later. If you’re looking for a laptop that can go a full day of work without its charger, whether you have video calls or not, this is one for your shortlist. It features the same 80Wh battery as last year’s model, which is still impressive considering the Gram 17’s lightweight profile.
Also similar to the 2020 version is its USB-C charging. LG now includes a 65W USB-C power adapter instead of the 48W charger that shipped with the previous model. It can more quickly recharge with the included brick (which is no bigger than a compact power bank), but it still takes a few hours to refill it completely.
That sums up the biggest changes to this year’s Gram 17. There are a few smaller tweaks I liked, too. The arrangement of ports has been shifted around in a more logical layout. On the left side, there’s a Thunderbolt 4 port (it can be used for charging, data, or connecting to a display), one USB-C 4.0 Gen 3 port, a headphone combo jack, and an HDMI port. Over on the right is where you’ll find two USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports next to a microSD card slot and a Kensington lock.
If you’re shopping around for 17-inch laptops, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything lighter than the Gram. It’s 2.98 pounds, which is just a little heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Air. The Dell XPS 17 is one of LG’s main competitors in this space, yet its baseline model weighs over a pound and a half more. If you get an XPS 17 model like the one we reviewed in July 2020, it’ll weigh almost as much as two Gram 17s at 5.53 pounds. That added weight does bring more power and a dedicated GPU in the Dell, but if you just want a big, portable screen for productivity, the Gram is more than capable.
As my colleague Monica Chin mentioned in her review of the 2020 LG Gram 17, this laptop isn’t a looker. It still doesn’t stack up next to the high-end design of the XPS 17, which features an aluminum chassis. The Gram has a tough magnesium alloy-clad body, but it looks and feels plasticky. That said, there’s technically nothing flawed about its design, and it seems better than most black aluminum laptops I’ve tried at resisting fingerprints. Some people might actually prefer that its design doesn’t stick out much, even when its backlit keyboard is on.
Something minor that I wish LG offered with this model is the option for a matte display. It’s rare for ultrabooks to have them, but I find it hard to stay focused on what’s happening on the screen when I can see a reflection of all my apartment’s happenings staring back at me. Wherever you use this laptop, glare could be a big problem, like it can be with a TV. This doesn’t take away from the Gram 17’s display being sharp and vivid. It’s a WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS non-touch panel from the company’s own display division, and it makes everything look excellent with 99 percent DCI-P3 color gamut coverage. If a touchscreen is important to you, LG’s Gram 2-in-1 laptops feature them. LG was one of the first Windows laptop makers to move to a 16:10 aspect ratio, and the Gram 17 has one, too. It gives you a little more vertical real estate to work with on the screen compared to 16:9 displays. It’s most beneficial for productivity (you see more info at once, so less scrolling is necessary), but you’ll have black letterboxing for most full-screen videos you watch.
The Gram is short on bloatware, which I love to see. It ships with Amazon’s Alexa built-in, though it requires activation before you can use the service. A few other preinstalled apps include McAfee LiveScan and a suite of creator tools from CyberLink. Compared to some other laptops I’ve used recently, like Acer’s Predator Triton 300 SE, the Gram doesn’t shove pop-up notifications in your face seemingly every time you use it.
There are few 17-inch laptops to choose from and even fewer models that are as lightweight as this one. This year’s LG Gram 17 is unique in the sense that it’s more powerful than ever, but it doesn’t give up its portability. Oddly enough, the only competition it faces at the moment comes from within LG. The 16-inch Gram is lighter and less expensive, yet it features the same design, screen size, port selection, battery capacity, and specs (aside from having significantly less storage) for $1,399. You can find one that has the same 1TB storage as the Gram 17 for $1,599. If the Gram 17’s $1,799 price is too expensive, at least you have an alternative that’ll likely deliver the same great results.
But if the price isn’t an issue and you want a surprisingly portable and powerful laptop with an oversized screen, the Gram 17 is in a class of its own.
Disney Plus is getting a big influx of classic Star Wars shows and movies in the newly added “Star Wars Vintage Collection,” which brings retro Star Wars content to streaming.
The most notable addition is the animated short The Story of the Faithful Wookiee — which famously saw the introduction of fan-favorite character Boba Fett as part of the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special, which aired in 1978 and was never released again. The short had previously seen the light of day as an Easter egg on the 2011 Blu-ray box set of the first six Star Wars movies, but the Disney Plus debut marks the broadest release of The Story of the Faithful Wookiee to date.
It’s also the first time any piece of The Star Wars Holiday Special has been broadly released since the original airing in 1978. Fans hoping for the rest shouldn’t get their hopes up, though: the company confirmed to io9 that there are no plans to release more of the widely panned special in the future.
Also newly added on Disney Plus is Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2D animated Clone Wars series, which aired on Cartoon Network in 2003. The stylized series was the first Star Wars show to try to fill in the gaps of the titular conflict between Episode II and Episode III, something that the CGI-animated Clone Wars show would eventually expand on in the future. Unlike the more modern series (which is included in Disney’s current canon storyline, along with its successor spinoffs Rebels and the upcoming Bad Batch),the Tartakovsky show isn’t considered part of the “official” timeline anymore; that said, elements that the show introduced, like the villainous cyborg General Grievous, have been included in other Star Wars media.
Lastly, the collection adds several out-of-print shows and movies from the ‘80s, including the live-action TV movies Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, along with the animated Ewoks cartoon — none of which have been easily available since they were released on VHS. Additionally, the Star Wars: Droids animated series is planned to arrive on Disney Plus later this year.
The full list of newly added shows and movies available to stream today is as follows:
Every Friday, The Verge publishes our flagship podcast, The Vergecast, where co-hosts Nilay Patel and Dieter Bohn discuss the week in tech news with the reporters and editors covering the biggest stories.
This week, Nilay and Dieter talk with Verge deputy editor Dan Seifert about this week’s rumors about the next big Apple product announcements after invites were sent out for the company’s annual WWDC event, which will again be virtual-only. After more AR headset leaks, the crew also discusses whether Apple has the bandwidth to support all of its product categories, especially with the Apple TV left alone for some time.
Later in the show, senior reporter Ashley Carman joins to discuss her coverage of social audio platform Clubhouse. Recently, we’ve seen a rise in potential competition in the social audio space from already-established platforms like LinkedIn, Slack, and Spotify. Ashley analyzes whether there is a winner-takes-all scenario or a more segmented space dedicated to genres of content.
There’s a whole lot more in the show — like Dieter’s explanation of the “cookiepocalypse” brought by Google Chrome’s changes to ad tracking on the browser — so listen to the full discussion here or on your preferred podcast player to hear it all.
Further reading:
Real-world evidence shows that the COVID-19 vaccines work
Biden administration looks to organize ‘vaccine passport’ development
Apple Maps will show COVID-19 travel guidances so you know what to expect at the airport
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine highly effective in adolescents
Amazon gets FDA authorization for an at-home COVID-19 test kit
Errors ruin 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine
Apple WWDC 2021 announced as online-only event
Apple Aiming to Announce Mixed-Reality Headset With In-Person Event in ‘Next Several Months’
Ming-Chi Kuo Says Apple’s AR/VR Headset Will Weigh Less Than 150 Grams
Apple reportedly plans revamped AirPods for as early as next year
New iPad Pros reportedly launching as soon as April, and the 12.9-inch model may have a Mini LED screen
Apple reportedly mulls rugged smartwatch coming as soon as this year
Casio announces first Wear OS smartwatch in iconic G-Shock lineup
Google Chrome FLoC: how it replaces cookies and what it means for privacy
T-Mobile is betting big on Google’s Android services: RCS, YouTube TV, Pixel, and more
T-Mobile is already shutting down its live TV service, partners with YouTube TV and Philo
Apple’s gaming subscription service just got a massive influx of new titles. The headliner is Fantasian — the latest release from the creator of Final Fantasy — which is joined by other titles like new versions of NBA 2K and The Oregon Trail, and World of Demons from PlatinumGames. As part of the update, the service is getting two new categories of games: Apple calls them “Timeless Classics” and “App Store Greats.”
For the greats, Apple is adding a number of high-profile mobile hits to the service, including Threes, Monument Valley, Mini Metro, and a remaster of Cut the Rope. Timeless classics, meanwhile, refers to iconic games like backgammon, solitaire, and Zach Gage’s recent takes on chess and sudoku. While most Arcade games are playable across Apple TV, Mac, and iOS, these new categories will only work on iPhone and iPad. The update adds more than 30 titles to the service, bringing the entire library to more than 180.
Apple Arcade first launched in 2019 as a new option for premium games on a platform that had become dominated by free-to-play experiences. The original pitch was a service full of new, largely exclusive games from developers like Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and a number of indie stalwarts.
However, despite the quality games and relative low price (an Arcade subscription is $4.99 per month), Apple is reportedly not happy with the amount of engagement games are getting, which may be a reason behind this most recent shift in direction.
Fantasian, a new role-playing game from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, is available now for Apple Arcade. The game is playable on iOS, Mac, and Apple TV.
Fantasian is the latest from Sakaguchi’s studio Mistwalker, which he founded in 2004; the developer has since released games such as The Last Story and Blue Dragon. Although Fantasian uses traditional RPG elements like turn-based battles, it’s been designed with handcrafted physical models — more than 150 dioramas in all.
Fantasian features touch controls but, according to Sakaguchi, is intended to deliver a console-like experience on mobile devices. The game follows an amnesiac hero searching for a way to regain his lost memories. In a previous interview with The Verge, Sakaguchi said that replaying Final Fantasy IV made him want to return to his RPG roots.
FANTASIAN was released in JPN. Coincidentally, it was the same birthday as FF6, which inspired me to create this. Happy Birthday!#FANTASIAN pic.twitter.com/HLtwqgdVRB
— 坂口博信 (@auuo) April 1, 2021
The game was released yesterday in Japan. On Twitter, Sakaguchi noted Fantasian has the “same birthday” as one of his other games, Final Fantasy VI — a title that shares similar themes.
Samsung wants you to know its new phone, the Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, is good at capturing photos. Maybe you could outwardly tell from its five image sensors, including four on the back, that the company takes mobile photography seriously. But if not, you now have an entire Hulu series to watch in which the S21 Ultra 5G is the main character.
The company announced today it’s created a branded Hulu show called Exposure where up-and-coming photographers compete in challenges to be crowned “America’s best mobile photographer.” The show will debut on April 26th, and it entirely centers on the S21 Ultra 5G; it’s the only device contestants will use to capture their images. This is Samsung’s best attempt at showing off its phone in less of a commercial format — although, in reality, this show is an extended commercial.
Branded content is nothing new for TV. But typically, these partnerships are more covert. Maybe the device someone uses is a specific phone that they mention aloud, or the hosts of a show drive a specific car that lingers on the screen for a second longer than expected. Exposure is, instead, a full-out admittance from Samsung that it is so invested in making sure people know about its camera technology that it’s willing to spend money on an entire series.
For what it’s worth, Verge reviewer Dieter Bohn said the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G’s cameras did live up to the hype when he reviewed the device in January. “The camera system on the Galaxy S21 Ultra is the best I’ve used on any Android phone and is extremely competitive with the iPhone 12 Pro Max,” he wrote.
These Exposure contestants will likely capture quality images. You just have to be okay with the fact that you’re watching content that Samsung approves and wants you to see.
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