A San Francisco-based startup called Framework has just launched an ambitious project: a thin, lightweight productivity laptop that it claims can be “upgraded, customized, and repaired in ways that no other notebook can.”
Framework founder Nirav Patel told The Verge that the company aims to address his long-standing frustrations with consumer technology companies. Patel was one of the original Oculus employees and has worked for Apple as well. During that time, he says he “saw an industry that felt incredibly broken across the board.”
“As a consumer electronics company, your business model effectively depends on churning out constant tons of hardware and pushing it into channels, and into market, and into consumers’ hands, and then sort of dropping it and letting it exist out there,” Patel explains. “It encourages waste and inefficiency, and ultimately environmental damage.”
To that end, Patel sees the Framework Laptop as more than a product — he sees it as an ecosystem.
The Framework comes with a 13.5-inch 2256 x 1504 screen, a 1080p 60fps webcam, a 57Wh battery, and a 2.87-pound aluminum chassis. Inside, you’ll get 11th Gen Intel processors, up to 64GB of DDR4 memory, and “4TB or more” of Gen4 NVMe storage.
As is the case with all kinds of consumer laptops, buyers can swap out and upgrade various internal parts of the Framework, including the RAM, battery, and storage. The company is trying to bring three additional benefits to the table. The first is that you can also customize and upgrade external components of the chassis, including the keyboard, screen, bezels (which are magnetically attached), and ports (via an expansion card system). If you’re someone who hates dongles and docks, you can select four ports from an assortment that includes the usual suspects (USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DisplayPort, microSD, etc).
The second is that Framework will be selling its own modules in a centralized online marketplace, which is also open to third-party sellers and resellers. The idea is that if your screen cracks or you feel like changing your bezels, you can hop onto Framework’s site to find replacements that are custom-made for your laptop rather than having to search around. Framework’s components are printed with QR codes that, when scanned, will bring you straight to a purchase page for their upgrades.
The third is that in addition to a pre-built Framework system, you can purchase a “DIY” kit of your selected parts, which you can then use to assemble the laptop yourself. The DIY Edition provides some operating system flexibility: you can install “your preferred Linux distribution” on it or your pick of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro.
Image: Framework
It’s a cogent plan, to be sure. But Framework won’t be able to achieve its upgradable, sustainable future just by announcing an ecosystem — it has to actually create an ecosystem that will last. And whether Framework will continue to manufacture modules for this specific laptop model far into the future, or whether third-party partners will pick up the slack, is certainly a question mark.
If you’re any kind of PC enthusiast, you probably know that Framework is far from the first company to try a scheme like this. Intel has given modular computers a shot in the past, to little result — its Compute Card was a commercial failure, and its modular Ghost Canyon NUC (which had hardware partners on board at launch) still has yet to receive any new components. Alienware’s original Area-51m also never received its promised future-proof upgradable parts. Phone makers have tried modular devices as well: Google’s Project Ara smartphone, composed of Lego-style bricks that users could rearrange and swap in and out, didn’t go anywhere. The reality is that hardware is hard to build and modular hardware is even more challenging.
Image: Framework
Patel, for his part, believes those OEMs weren’t committed enough. “Other companies, they put it out there, and someone internally decided, ‘Eh, we’re going to focus on something else this year,’ and shut down the project,” says Patel. “This is not something we’re dabbling in. It’s not a side project for us that someone thought was interesting. This is the core of our company.”
“We are releasing new modules, and upgrades, and accessories, and so on to drive the health of the ecosystem, and we’re going to continue doing that for as long as customers want us to,” Patel adds.
Framework will be taking preorders this spring, and the device is expected to ship this summer. Pricing hasn’t yet been announced, though Patel says it will be “comparable to other well-reviewed notebooks.”
Ever since Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville recorded an almost undecipherable version of the French song “Au Clair de la Lune” in the mid-19th century, it’s been clear that the technology that you use to produce and listen to sounds can affect your experience. Even now, about 150 years later, the quality of your gear can mean the difference between a tinny, nearly unrecognizable noise or a fully realized aural experience.
As you can imagine, the people here at The Verge spend a lot of time listening to a variety of digital sounds — whether it’s online meetings, music, podcasts, videos, or sound checks of their own multimedia productions. We asked the staff what their favorite devices were to either listen to, enhance, or produce their digital sounds. Here’s what they talked about.
Plantronics Explorer 500 Bluetooth headset
Plantronics Explorer 500 Photo: Poly
About six years ago, I reviewed a midlevel Bluetooth headset from Plantronics (now Poly) called the Explorer 500. It was a small, nicely built, single-ear headset, and it came with a short USB cable with ends that magnetically snapped together to become a loop. I thought it was a pretty good piece of tech at the time, so I bought one — and I’m still using it. Of course, it’s not great for music (it uses only one ear, after all), but it’s incredibly convenient to have it hanging on a loop in my bag so I can grab it for a quick phone call or if I want to listen to a podcast. And surprisingly, the battery still holds a reasonable charge. One of these days, I’ll have to invest in a fully wireless headset so I can have fully mobile music as well — but until then, my Explorer 500 serves me well. — Barbara Krasnoff, reviews editor
AudioQuest Dragonfly USB DAC
AudioQuest Dragonfly seriesPhoto: AudioQuest
AudioQuest’s Dragonfly portable digital-to-analog converter (DAC) brings higher-quality audio to your devices. Most laptops, tablets, and smartphones don’t have great DACs or don’t natively support hi-res files like FLAC (nor tell you when they don’t), but with the Dragonfly, you’ll be able to listen to uncompressed audio up to 24-bit / 96kHz. There’s also an LED light on the device that changes colors to indicate which sample rate is being supported at the moment. AudioQuest makes three separate models: the basic Dragonfly Black; the Dragonfly Red, which uses a higher-performance DAC chip; and the Dragonfly Cobalt, its highest-end model.
In order to take full advantage of the Dragonfly, you’ll also need an adapter for your phone with a Lightning-to-USB-A adapter for an iPhone or a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter for an Android device. Portability is the biggest feature here — swapping between my phone and my laptop is the reason I’m recommending this for anyone who wants one gadget that will let you listen to hi-res audio on any device. — Andrew Marino, audio engineer
Audio-Technica ATH-M50 headphones
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xPhoto: Audio Technica
Alright, yes, I’m aware that these are pretty much already the internet’s favorite pair of wired, over-ear headphones. But seriously: I’ve had mine for six years now, and they’ve held up great. Sure, the pleather on the headband is starting to flake off, and I had to replace the ear cups a while back, but they sound just as good as the day I got them. I find that music just sounds fun with them — not too analytical, like my DT-770 Pros can sometimes be. The Audio-Technicas are for sure not reference headphones, but that’s probably not what most people are actually looking for.
They were also a great price, especially compared to their Bluetooth counterparts. And honestly, I’ve been falling out of love with wireless headphones for anything other than working out, though that’s probably a problem with me, not them. Either way, the newer version, the ATH-M50x (the ATH-M50 has been discontinued), has a removable cable so you don’t have to worry about being saddled with the ridiculously long cables that sometimes come with fancy headphones. (Another version, the ATH-M50xBT, disposes of the cable entirely.) — Mitchell Clark, news writer
Antlion Audio ModMic USB microphone
Antlion Audio ModMic USB microphone Photo: Antlion Audio
It seems like everyone’s getting big standalone microphones for their desks during the pandemic, but I don’t want to give up any precious real estate. A solution that works better for my needs is Antlion Audio’s ModMic USB microphone. It’s cleverly designed. First, you adhere a small circular base (about the size of a large chocolate chip) to the side of your headphones, then the microphone itself can be magnetically attached and detached at will. I like being able to quickly turn my headphones into a gaming headset, or to get ready for a meeting appearance, then back to regular headphones by detaching the mic. I use one with my Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro open-back headphones and it helps me get more out of the kit I already own.
This particular microphone has two modes you can switch between: omnidirectional (made for broadcasts) or unidirectional, which helps to capture just your voice if you’re in a noisy environment. The sound quality of a voice recording made with the ModMic is very good — far better than most of the gaming headsets I’ve tried. The microphone is compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4, and PS5.
The downside is this model costs about $70. Also, if your headphones are wired, introducing this mic’s wire into the fray can get a little tough to manage. For me, the price is worth the effort. Antlion also makes an all-wireless rechargeable microphone for $120, if you want to go that route, which also has dual mic modes and can stick to your headphones with adhesive. — Cameron Faulkner, writer
AirPods
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
I love my AirPods and I have since my first pair. They’re lightweight, they charge up quickly in their case, and they sound good enough for what I need them for, which is mostly hearing notifications, listening to podcasts, and watching YouTube videos. It helps that I’m an iPhone and a Mac user, as they work really well with both devices.
I think I like the original AirPods more than the Pros, though. While the Pros offer some welcome upgrades like active noise cancellation and water and sweat resistance, they just don’t fit my ears as well. The original AirPods never fell out, but the AirPods Pro will slowly slip out if I’m talking or eating, and sometimes when I’m running. That means I’m constantly readjusting them if I’m doing anything besides sitting completely still. (To be fair, I’m sitting completely still a lot of the time right now.)
Here’s hoping that the next version of the Pros will fit my ears just a little bit better. If they do, they’ll likely become one of my favorite Apple products ever. — Jay Peters, news writer
Rode RodeCaster Pro podcast production
Rode RodeCaster Pro podcast production Photo: Rode
This four-mic input audio interface by Rode makes it significantly easier to set up a full podcasting session with a design that mimics a live mixing board. You can record multitracks onto your computer or internally on a microSD using a USB-C connection.
As someone who mostly mixes podcasts after they’re recorded, this setup is more appealing to me for live streaming on Twitch or YouTube. You also get built-in customizable sound banks, compression and EQ settings, multiple outputs for monitoring, and an intuitive design for traditional live mixing.
Fun tip: it’s also a great way to record phone call interviews by pairing the RodeCaster Pro with your smartphone via Bluetooth. — Andrew Marino
HyperX QuadCast microphone
HyperX QuadCastPhoto: HyperX
I’d been looking to upgrade my microphone for a long time, but I was unsure which product to go with. A few friends recommended the HyperX QuadCast, and that’s what I ended up buying.
Previously, I used a Blue Yeti microphone, but I felt the audio quality was unsatisfactory on my end. I wanted to make sure I was buying a microphone that was not too cheap and not too pricey and, most importantly, had a nice cable lengthy so I did not have to rearrange my desk. Compared to the Blue Yeti, I found the HyperX QuadCast had great clarity and picked up the subtle details from my audio output.
I really enjoy the somewhat unconventional design of the QuadCast; it comes with straightforward controls, a stand, and a shock mount adapter for boom arms if you want to mount the microphone closer to you. I also find it convenient that the mute button is on top of the microphone. It makes it easy to mute myself quickly while on Zoom or Discord. —Taylor Lyles, writer
Sonos Five speaker
Sonos FivePhoto: Sonos
I’ve never found a single smart speaker that sounds better, and I like that there are no microphones inside. Those are the main bullet points for why I’ve had a Sonos Play:5 — recently refreshed as the Sonos Five — on my desk for several years now. For a speaker that doesn’t have a 360-degree design, the Five still produces a very satisfactory soundstage that can fill most rooms. It can kick out ample bass without overpowering the highs and mids of your music. It takes two of most other smart speakers paired together to come anywhere close to what the Sonos Five can deliver. (Granted, it had better sound damn good for $500.)
Pretty much every audio app under the sun is supported through the Sonos app, including hi-fi options like Tidal and Amazon Music HD. The Sonos Five works with Apple AirPlay, and there’s a 3.5-millimeter aux input for wired playback. (You can also use this to get a turntable hooked into your Sonos system.)
No, there’s no built-in voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant included here. But some people will appreciate the absence of always-listening mics. And adding an assistant to the mix after the fact is easy, either via another Sonos speaker like the One or simply by hooking up an Echo Dot or Nest Mini.
It’s just a shame that the white and black combo Play:5 colorway is no more; I think that was the best-looking speaker Sonos ever made. — Chris Welch, news editor
Fractal Design’s Meshify 2 Compact offers an excellent foundation for thermally demanding ATX gaming systems. And although it’s a bit expensive, it’s a very well thought-through chassis that ships with three good fans.
For
Thoughtful interior and classy design
Ships with three quality fans
Great cable management
Excellent thermal performance
Easy filter access for cleaning
Against
Strong competition
Materials could be better
Sticky power button (at least on our sample)
Fans don’t have PWM control
No RGB (a pro, for some)
Specifications and Features
When Fractal Design launched its Meshify 2 chassis, it impressed us so much that we had no choice but to award it a rare five stars. So you can imagine that I was quite excited when the company reached out asking if I wanted to review the new Meshify 2 Compact. In essence, it’s the same case but a little shorter, cutting back on the extreme storage or radiator setup possibilities, but offering the same basic design.
Because of this, the Meshify 2 Compact is arguably the more mainstream case suited to standard ATX setups that don’t need a ton of space – the vast majority of gaming systems. However, priced at $110, it’s not the most budget-friendly option, and it’s competing in a crowded segment. Let’s find out if Fractal Design has what it takes to earn yet another spot on our Best PC Cases list.
Specifications
Type
Mid-Tower ATX
Motherboard Support
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX
Dimensions (HxWxD)
18.7 x 8.3 x 16.8 inches (474 x 210 x 427 mm)
Max GPU Length
14.2 inches (360 mm)
CPU Cooler Height
6.7 inches (169 mm)
Max PSU Length
6.5 inches (165 mm)
External Bays
✗
Internal Bays
2x 3.5-inch
2x 2.5-inch
Expansion Slots
7x
Front I/O
2x USB 3.0, USB-C, 3.5 mm Headphone, 3.5mm Mic
Other
(Removable) Tempered Glass Panel
Front Fans
2x 140mm (Up to 2x 140mm, 3x 120mm)
Rear Fans
1x 120mm (Up to 1x 120mm)
Top Fans
None (Up to 2x 140mm)
Bottom Fans
None (Up to 1x 120mm)
Side Fans
✗
RGB
No
Damping
No
Warranty
1 Year
Features
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
For this review, I asked Fractal Design to send us the gray option as I was curious to see how this color option would turn out. We had already seen the black color on the full-size Meshify 2, and white wasn’t available just yet.
Circling around the case, it’s immediately clear that this is a Fractal Design chassis – if not from the ‘Fractal’ text on the front mesh’s door handle, you can tell from the folds in the mesh and the grille pattern that’s also unique to Fractal Design.
The sheet metal isn’t particularly thick, nor is this a heavy case. If you’re after a tank-type case, perhaps the Lian Li Lancool II Mesh is more up your alley. But the thin sheet metal here is only really noticed when you’re handling the case. Once sat in place, the Meshify 2 Compact looks like a quality piece of kit and the design efforts stand out beautifully.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
That being said, Fractal Design goes out of its way to make the case look good, almost to a fault. At the top IO, you’ll note that the tolerances between the removable top panel and the ports and buttons is extremely tight. This looks great, and for the ports it isn’t an issue, but it’s a little bit problematic on the power button. Our sample had a sticky power button. If you pressed it near the top, the button would get stuck in the down position – and yes, it did shut down our PC when we weren’t paying attention.
We didn’t experience this issue with the bigger Meshify 2, so it’s very possible that it’s something down to our sample. But if you have the same issue, don’t hesitate to ask Fractal Design for a fix . A sticking power button shouldn’t happen with any case, especially not one that costs $110.
Otherwise, top IO comprises discrete headphone and mic jacks, a USB Type-C port, and two USB 3.0 ports – all very complete.
To pull off the side panels, you simply pull them from the rear tab and take them off the case – it’s that easy. With that, we move on to the case’s internals.
Internal Layout
Image 1 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 3
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
When it comes to the interior layout of the Meshify 2 Compact, there’s very little worth mentioning – it’s all very industry standard with a main motherboard compartment with room for GPUs up to 13.4 inches (341 mm) long with the front fans installed (14.2 inches, or 360 mm without), CPU coolers up to 6.7-inches (169 mm) tall, two 3.5-inch drives in the PSU compartment and two 2.5-inch drives behind the motherboard tray.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
What I also appreciate is the cable management system. The case comes with rubber grommets on almost all access points to the main compartment, which goes a long way to making things look tidy on the inside by hiding the clutter behind the motherboard tray.
Cooling
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You can fit up to a 240mm AIO at the top of the case, along with up to a 360mm AIO at the front. The PSU shroud will be in the way of longer radiators on the intake, but it has removable pieces to make space for bigger coolers. Just note that if you do install a large radiator at the front, you’ll have to bump the HDD tray to make space. That said, 280mm radiators will fit fine without this sacrifice.
Of course, the Meshify 2 Compact’s strength is in cooling. The chassis comes from the factory with two 140mm fans on the intake and one 120mm fan at the rear exhaust, which is very complete indeed. That’s more than most cases, but it should be for $110.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Filtration is provided on every possible intake location, including the top exhaust. The front filter is easily removed by swinging the door open, pulling it out of its hinge, and then removing the filter. You can access the top filter by pulling off the top panel from the rear.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Another detail we appreciate is the bottom filter, as it’s removable from the front of the case. If you’re like us and have the back of your PC stuck near a wall, you know how annoying it can be to have to move the entire chassis to get to the PSU’s filter.
Anker has released a new MagSafe-compatible battery pack that can attach directly to your iPhone to offer charging without the need for a cable, 9to5Google reports. The Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank will launch on March 3rd for $39.99, beating Apple’s own rumored MagSafe battery product to market — with one big caveat.
The PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank sports a 5,000mAh battery and Anker’s usual power bank design, including an LED indicator light to let you know how much power is left in the device. The device also features USB-C output for charging with a cable as well. An extra 5,000mAh is a meaningful boost, especially for the smaller iPhone 12 mini, but it’s limited by the device’s lack of MagSafe certification.
Anker’s new PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank looks remarkably similar to its other PowerCore power banks.Image: Anker
Certified devices, like Apple’s own chargers, can charge the iPhone at 15W, while the PowerCore is stuck with slower 5W charging. Its magnets may let it stick where other MagSafe accessories go, but the PowerCore can’t offer the usual MagSafe benefits.
Apple’s been rumored to be developing its own MagSafe battery accessory for iPhones, which would likely be capable of the faster 15W charging times. Apple’s device was initially referenced in the iOS 14.5 beta, but that reference has since been removed. Until that accessory is released (if it ever is), Anker’s new PowerCore seems like a solid option for more convenient wireless charging on the go.
The $39.99 PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank was available for preorder on Amazon but has since gone out of stock. The Verge has reached out to Anker about restocks of the device ahead of its March 3rd launch and will update if we learn more.
(Image credit: German Patent and Trademark Office)
Sonos is developing a pair of wireless, potentially noise-cancelling, over-ear headphones. The company hasn’t confirmed as much, but filed patents and subsequent rumours and reports all point in the same direction.
They could be officially unveiled as soon as next month – Sonos is hosting a product launch on 16th March for, as suggested by the event’s invite, a ‘portable’ product, although behind the curtain could just as likely be a smaller version of the Move Bluetooth speaker (also heavily rumoured). Alternatively, the Sonos headphones could arrive later in the year as the company’s second new product promised for 2021. Wherever they appear on our timeline, Sonos wireless headphones are almost certainly coming. The question is, does the world want them?
In short, we expect it does. The prospect of this inevitable Sonos expansion excites us, anyway. But in a wireless headphones market awash with excellent pairs, Sonos needs a unique selling point or two, not to mention competitive sound quality. Apple recently managed to separate its AirPods Max from Sony, Bose and Sennheiser rivals with Apple-centric features and a significantly higher price tag (which we found to be justified thanks to their superior sound quality).
Does Sonos have what it takes to carve out its own corner of the headphones market and garner mass appeal? Again, we believe so. And here’s how it could do it.
Sonos wireless headphones: release date, rumours, and all of the news
Sonos headphones ‘swap’
Sonos hasn’t become one of the world’s best and most popular audio brands by following the herd. It more or less spawned the multi-room speaker market nearly 20 years ago, and it continues to dominate, despite a wealth of competition. It’s maintained favour through consistent operational seamlessness, unique features and exemplar sound, and it is these strengths of the Sonos ecosystem that will need to translate into the Sonos headphones experience.
Sonos products are all about working together, so it’s impossible to imagine a beatnik Sonos outsider that sits on the edge rather than properly inside the ecosystem. Sonos users will undoubtedly want a Sonos-savvy pair of headphones – otherwise, what’s the point? – and Sonos appears to be on the same wavelength. At least in one aspect, anyway.
In the approved patent is mention of a ‘swap’ feature, which would let owners simply and easily pass the music playing on their Sonos headphones to one (or more) of their Sonos speakers. The patent reads: “For example, if a particular piece of content play is currently playing on the wireless headphone, a swap changes the playback to play that piece of content on one or more other playback devices on the local network.”
It sounds similar to how iPhones can ‘hand-off’ music to a HomePod or HomePod mini (and vice versa) by simply putting the devices close to one another, but this would mark the first implementation of this kind of feature in a pair of headphones. We imagine a similar process would work between a pair of Sonos headphones and Sonos speaker, but perhaps the headphones could even sport a button or touch gesture to initiate this.
Maybe the user could set the headphones to automatically send music to a particular Sonos ‘zone’ when they detect your home network when you step in the door. It would be a neat asset (albeit, alone, not a huge selling point) that would no doubt appeal to existing Sonos users.
Sonos: everything you need to know
Which Sonos speaker should you buy?
Sonos zones and app control
This Sonos system integration brings up the matter of a wi-fi network, which is how the Sonos system connects together. Now, Sonos is hardly going to launch a pair of wireless headphones without Bluetooth connectivity. This is almost essential to connect to your phone, tablet or portable music player while you’re out and about, but including wi-fi connectivity as well could open the gateway to further Sonos-centric functionality.
For one, it’d open up the possibility of including the headphones in a ‘zone’ in your Sonos system. They could be part of your ‘TV’ zone, for example, alongside your Sonos Beam or Arc, to be used simultaneously or as an alternative. Would they have support for surround sound decoding (including Dolby Atmos, as supported by the Arc) or perhaps a proprietary pseudo-surround sound feature comparable to Apple’s spatial audio?
The Sonos S2 app – the puppet-master of the Sonos system – could also step in as a useful means of headphones control. Many headphones come with dedicated apps that allow the owner to personalise their pair, alter EQ and see battery life, but the Sonos app could, if compatible with the headphones, offer wearers access to a slew of streaming services and sources – all aggregated in one place, rather than from a range of apps on their phone – offering a nifty means of control within the home environment.
Sonos S2 update: the lowdown on Sonos’ latest platform
Bluetooth *and* wi-fi: better sound quality?
There’s also the potential of wi-fi offering better sound quality, too. Bluetooth has come a long way to conveniently deliver high-quality, wireless audio, currently peaking with the aptX HD standard (which supports up to 24-bit/48kHz), but if owners could connect their headphones directly to a wi-fi home network, rather than only to a phone over Bluetooth, it could potentially mean longer range a more stable connection and high-resolution audio support.
While we’re only too aware of Sonos’ neglect of the latter to date, the increase in audio bandwidth that comes with Sonos S2 app has left us hopeful for future support of hi-res FLAC and maybe even MQA music.
Again, such network reliance would surely make this feature a home-only experience, but it would perhaps make the Sonos wireless headphones the most convincing best-of-both-worlds solution out there.
Sonos Trueplay for headphones
Sonos Trueplay is an auto-calibration technology that tunes Sonos speakers for the room they live in to deliver the best sound possible. The question here is could Trueplay be adapted to customise your Sonos headphones experience?
Instead of working to ensure a speaker sounds great tucked away in a corner or sandwiched between a stack of books, could Trueplay for headphones automatically adapt their sound to your surroundings in real-time, as ‘adaptive noise-cancellation’ does? Trueplay for headphones could also go down the route of helping create a customised sound profile to match the headphones’ sonics specifically to someone’s hearing system, as headphones like nuraphones do.
Generally, with Sonos speakers, Trueplay works by using the microphones in your iPhone. The exception to this is the Sonos Move, which uses internal mics of its own. As wireless headphones tend to have mics, we think the implementation of such a feature could be a real possibility.
Why I will never own a pair of noise-cancelling headphones
Nailing everything else – including price
Naturally, while the Sonos wireless headphones have plenty of potential to stand out from the crowd, they’ll also want to stand in line with their rivals when it comes to popular features and competitive specs. That includes active noise-cancellation, a 20-to-30-hour battery life with USB-C charging (including fast-charging), and increasingly common functions like auto-pause and ‘transparent hearing’ mode.
And then there’s the price. The Sonos wireless headphones have been tipped by Bloomberg sources to launch at about £220 ($300, AU$400), which would keep them well clear of the Apple AirPods Max; undercut Sony’s range-topping class-leaders, the WH-1000XM4, plus the current crop from Bose and Sennheiser; and put them more or less in the firing line of still-popular, last-generation models like the Sony WH-1000XM3.
Really, Sonos’ experience with driver hardware and audio processing, its near-faultless history of aesthetic and usability design, and of course its nailed-on mass appeal puts it in a great position to not only enter but usefully expand the headphones world. Let’s hope Sonos makes the most of it.
MORE:
Check out the best wireless headphones 2021 you can buy
AirPods Max teardown shows the inner workings of Apple’s headphones
Sonos is working on a compact, portable Bluetooth speaker
The Razer Kiyo Pro trades the original Kiyo’s ring light for HDR, a fancy light sensor and 1080p @ 60 fps recording, but you’ll pay a hefty premium for those features.
For
Light Sensor makes room lighting easier
HDR
1080p @ 60 fps recording
Three different FOVs
Heavily customizable through software
Clear audio on microphone
Against
Costs as much as a 4K webcam
Doesn’t look its best out-of-the-box
Some features locked behind obtuse software
Razer hasn’t released a webcam since the original Razer Kiyo back in 2017, but with the pandemic has come a new demand for productivity tech. That demand has seen Razer veering outside of its typical hardcore gaming device lineup lately, with devices like the Razer Pro Click and Razer Book 13. And now it’s time for webcams to join the family. The Razer Kiyo Pro is the follow-up to the Kiyo, and with a new design that puts the Pro’s specs front and center and ditches the built-in ring light, it’s clear that it’s going for a more mature, less toyetic vibe.
Of course, the Razer Kiyo’s ring light didn’t just give it gamer style. It also gave it genuinely useful lighting to help make your face more visible in low light. But the Kiyo Pro’s approach is to instead use a light sensor, the Sony IMX327 CMOS with Starvis technology, which comes from surveillance cameras. When combined with the Kiyo Pro’s f2.0 aperture size, this sensor supposedly allows the camera to adjust its light capture to make sure your shots are perfectly lit without the need for a ring light.
There’s also plenty of brand new features on the Kiyo Pro, from a digitally adjustable field of view to HDR to the ability to record at 1080p @ 60fps, that make it enticing to game streamers, office professionals and even amateur filmmakers alike. Alongside those features also comes a new $199 price tag, though, which far eclipses both the $99 Razer Kiyo and the $79 Logitech C920 that we currently recommend as the best webcam for most people. Do those features make the new price worth it, or is this a niche luxury?
Out-of-the-Box Image Quality of Razer Kiyo Pro
Much of the Razer Kiyo Pro’s customizability lies buried away in the Razer Synapse software, but Razer told me on a video call that it’s also proud of the device’s plug and play ability. That’s probably because, as the company told me, it’s hoping to attract more than gamers to the Kiyo Pro, and Razer Synapse still has a certain…Mountain Dew and Doritos vibe to it.
So to test Razer’s claims, I compared its out-of-the-box functionality against the best 1080p webcam I have on hand, the Logitech C920. As usual, I took my test shots in standard mid-day lighting conditions, low light conditions and overexposed conditions.
Logitech C920
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Razer Kiyo Pro
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In my room’s usual lighting conditions, the Kiyo Pro’s out-of-the-box shots look significantly warmer than the Logitech’s. While the Logitech renders its shots a little on the cooler end of the spectrum than I’d like, I would say that the way I look on the C920 is probably more true-to-life than the somewhat uncomfortably tanner appearance I have on the Razer Kiyo Pro.
However, shots were also plenty detailed, with the Kiyo Pro capturing arguably more texture information than the C920 and not displaying any noticeable grain. The warmth is also nowhere near as aggressive as I’ve seen on cheaper competitors. The camera’s default wide-angle field of view also showed off more of my background than the Logitech C920’s, although it also warped around the edges like a fish eye lens.
Logitech C920
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Razer Kiyo Pro
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
You could really see the Kiyo Pro’s light sensor at work when I closed my room’s blinds and turned off all light sources except for my main computer monitor. While the Logitech captured my face, almost everything else was bathed in shadow. Meanwhile, the Kiyo Pro brightened up my background to display color information that’s imperceptible in the Logitech’s photos. While both cameras’ shots are on the grainy and harsh end of the spectrum, I wouldn’t believe you if you told me that the Kiyo Pro shot was taken in a lampless room with the curtains drawn. It’s here that the Kiyo Pro makes it clear that losing its ring light doesn’t leave it weaker than its older sibling (although I do wonder what could be done if the light sensor were combined with a ring light).
Logitech C920
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Razer Kiyo Pro
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Finally, I tested the Razer Kiyo Pro in both highly-lit and overexposed conditions, where I pointed the camera directly at or close to my window. Normally, this test is where most cameras show their weaknesses, and while the Kiyo Pro somewhat followed that trend, I was impressed by what I got out of it.
Finding a good angle to take these shots can be difficult, and I often end up just holding the camera and adjusting it in my hand until I find the least blurry position I can. But the Kiyo can be tilted to the side when mounted to a monitor, which gave me such a great 3/4 angle shot of myself that I couldn’t not include it in this review. But even beyond the ease of use, the Kiyo Pro’s light sensor again showed its strengths here. While the handheld shots I took with it suffered the same out-of-focus, blurry issues as my handheld Logitech shots, the Kiyo Pro had no issue depicting what was outside my window rather than the standard sheet of white I’m used to seeing when pointing webcams out of windows.
That’s an impressive feat, and while the Kiyo Pro can still definitely suffer when not lined up perfectly with a naturally lit window, it makes it much more appealing to those working in brightly-lit environments or even considering using the Kiyo Pro to take outdoor shots.
Razer Synapse Software and the Kiyo Pro
While I was impressed by how well the Kiyo Pro handled low-light and heavily lit environments, I still didn’t love the out-of-the-box shots I got of my room in what I would consider normal lighting conditions. They were too warm for me, and the fish-eye effect on the edge of the shots was too distracting. However, this is where the Kiyo Pro’s software comes into play, which is a first for me in my webcam reviews.
Being a Razer product, the Kiyo Pro is fully compatible with Razer Synapse, which rather than adjusting the webcam’s nonexistent RGB lighting, adjusts settings like brightness, contrast, saturation and white balance. You can also use Synapse to toggle between HDR and SDR capture, swap from autofocus to a digital manual focus and select from 3 different fields of view (80 degrees, 90 degrees and 103 degrees, which are dubbed Linear, Medium and Wide).
To get you started, there are four built-in presets (default, cool, vibrant and warm) as well as a custom mode and an advanced settings tab with even more options.
While some of these customization options, like brightness and white balance, will look familiar to anyone who’s used OBS to apply post processing to a webcam image, I found that Razer’s post processing tended to look more natural than what I’ve gotten from other encoders. For instance, the brightness slider in Synapse appears to light up the area behind my back, while the brightness slider in OBS looks evenly applied across the image.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The OBS post processing was also far more aggressive on the Logitech C920 than either the Razer Synapse or OBS post processing was on the Kiyo Pro.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
After toying with the presets enough, I found that the vibrant preset was closer to what I would have liked from the out-of-the-box photos. Here, I struck a good balance between warm and cold colors that looked both realistic and flattering, and when combined with a different field of view option, finally gave me shots that I felt were capable of competing with the Logitech C920.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
While I would have preferred not to dig through software to get these shots, I recognize that photography is subjective and different people will have different tastes and needs. It’s helpful to be able to customize your images to your liking. But this is where I might suggest Razer build its own app for the Kiyo Pro, as only a certain clientele is likely to consider adjusting a webcam in Razer Synapse, and the only indication that so many features are locked behind Synapse is a short sentence at the end of the device’s 2 page instructions.
That’s a shame, because while Synapse support complete with manual focus has come to the original Kiyo since its launch, the Kiyo Pro has additional features beyond post-processing not present on the original device that are locked behind the app, like its HDR toggle and its multiple fields of view. These are big, back-of-the-box selling points, and it strikes me as odd that the camera’s packaging and instructions tone down how I actually access them.
Special Features of The Razer Kiyo Pro
There are a couple of special features on the Kiyo Pro that everyone will get access to right off the bat, like its light sensor and its wide angle lens. But hidden inside its software is the ability to swap to a different field of view (the 80 and 90 degree options eliminate the fish eye effect that you’ll see on out-of-the-box Kiyo Pro photos), enable HDR recording and even swap from autofocus to a manual digital zoom. The Kiyo Pro has yet another special feature, though, which you’ll need to turn on in whatever recording software you use.
That feature is 1080p at 60 fps recording. While not necessary for telecommuting, photography or even most prerecorded video work, this feature hearkens back to Razer’s roots as a gaming peripheral maker. Though not considered necessary, some game streamers prefer to record their facecams at 60 fps to match their gameplay footage. This isn’t to capture high-octane real life stunts, but rather so that their viewers don’t get disoriented from looking at two different frame rates at the same time.
Again, you’ll have to activate this feature in your recording software. I chose OBS, and was able to turn it on by clicking on my “video capture device” tab and changing my fps to 60 in a drop down menu.
It’s important to note that any HDR recording will not work at 60 fps.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The 60 fps recording was plenty noticeable once it was on, and to my eyes, was about as smooth as 60 fps video game footage. I wasn’t able to stream using a live service due to embargo, but I did save several 60 fps recordings to my PC, and the frame rate carried over to them without raising the file size or presenting any noticeable loss in image quality due to file compression.
Speaking of compression, Razer advertises that the Kiyo Pro has “uncompressed 1080p 60fps” video, which we’re assuming means it feeds uncompressed video to your recording software. Otherwise, you’d fill up your hard drive or eat up your internet bandwidth very quickly. This seemed to be the case for me at least, as OBS still prompted me to compress my video footage when saving.
We’ve reached out to Razer to see what exactly the company means by “uncompressed,” and will update this review if we hear back.
Build Quality of the Razer Kiyo Pro
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Razer Kiyo Pro is a solidly built, hefty and modular device that feels pleasant in the hand and looks premium despite the use of hard plastic in its shell as opposed to metal. It also doesn’t have any aggressive Razer branding, aside from the company’s name being emblazoned on the front and an uncolored version of its hydra logo being hidden away on the webcam’s monitor mount. That kind of restraint has been rare from Razer in the past but is becoming more common as it breaks further into the productivity hardware space. That leaves the camera’s usability to shine here, and the Kiyo Pro is a plenty usable device.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The actual webcam component of the Kiyo Pro is connected to its monitor mount through a screw, meaning that you can unscrew it to place it directly onto a tripod or any other mount. That’s convenient for anyone planning not to use the Kiyo Pro on a monitor, but the monitor mount is still impressive in itself. It can swivel completely downward and about 5 degrees upward, plus the screw mount holding the webcam in place makes it easy to twist the camera from side to side. There’s a flathead screw bottom with an optional manual lever for tightening the screw as needed, as well as a tripod hole on the bottom of the monitor mount itself should you want to mount the webcam and tripod together in one piece.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The Kiyo Pro also connects to your device through a removable, 59 inch, braided USB-C cable that gave me plenty of room to work with. There’s also a separate cover that you can place over your webcam when it’s not in use, and an LED turns on at the top of the webcam when you’re recording.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Of note is the Kiyo Pro’s built-in omnidirectional microphone, which while not advertised on the box, was easily on par with the gaming headset boom mic from the Sennheiser Game One that I use as my daily driver.
The ring light from the original Kiyo is gone here, which some users might miss, both for usability and aesthetic purposes. However, that camera’s circular design remains here, and does give the Razer Kiyo Pro a charming and unique silhouette.
Bottom Line
The Razer Kiyo Pro is easily the most advanced webcam I’ve reviewed yet, but that doesn’t make it a great buy for every user. At $200, It’s also the most expensive webcam I’ve reviewed, and its much-touted HDR and 1080p @ 60 fps recording features will likely only appeal to a specific group of content creators.
It also touts a new light sensor that’s genuinely impressive and will probably put you at ease if your recording environment is dark or inconsistently lit, but you’ll still probably need to tune that sensor’s results through post-processing software to be fully satisfied.
For most people, cheaper cameras like the $79 Logitech C920 will do most of what the Razer Kiyo Pro does while cutting away what you don’t need. For amateur streamers, the original Razer Kiyo also has much of the same image quality and uniquely has a ring light that helps offset the loss of the Kiyo Pro’s light sensor by still effectively illuminating the face.
For the addition of $100, I’d hope that the Kiyo Pro would find a way to maintain the ring light Razer offers on the original Kiyo, as I have no doubt that it could work with the light sensor to produce impressive results. As it is, the Kiyo Pro is a strong contender, but unless you need multiple field of view options, heavily customizable post processing, HDR or 60 fps live action footage, you’ll be just fine pairing a cheaper alternative with modest external lighting solutions like well-placed lamps or LEDs.
If you’ve read the review of the NETGEAR Orbi LTE router, you might have guessed that this review was on its way. Indeed, this was the very first product I received for review in the UK, with testing done in a hotel while I was sorting out more permanent accommodations, as the next few pages will no doubt indicate. However, circumstances were such that I received two units accidentally, had to return the first one, and test the second unit, which meant the Orbi review was finished first. Regardless, here we are and thanks again to NETGEAR for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!
The Nighthawk MR2100, also referred to as the Nighthawk M2, is an interesting product in more ways than one. It is obviously a mobile hotspot router, as shown by the way of the form factor and company image above. A few years ago, NETGEAR made waves with their MR1100, a truly all-in-one portable LTE router that worked with just about any carrier worldwide, but had poor battery life and a lower maximum throughput. They aimed to change that with the release of the MR2100 with a better battery and double the WiFi throughput, but somehow managed to create a product that never had a retail launch in the US. Sure, there were some ways to get it through certain carriers, but it is missing some LTE bands that a few specific carriers in the US and some European countries utilize. With the recent launch of their brand-new 5G WiFi 6 mobile router, does it still merit a place in 2021? We aim to address this question in this review that begins with a look at the specifications in the table below.
Rode has released a sequel to its Wireless Go mobile microphone system, the Wireless Go II, which is meant to offer an easy way for video creators to record audio from two people at once.
Like its predecessor, the Go II is a compact wireless microphone pack designed for the creator who wants a lighter gear bag in the field (or is on a budget), while still being able to use a dedicated off-camera audio system. With this next generation, the Go II now offers dual channel recording for two sources, an extended wireless range for a more stable transmission, and on-board recording capabilities as a failsafe alternative.
For dual channel recording, Rode includes two separate clip-on transmitters in the box — both with an on-board omnidirectional condenser microphone or a 3.5mm TRS input for plugging in a separate lavalier microphone — which transmits to a single receiver. That receiver can record both microphone packs in stereo and output the audio via USB-C to a phone or computer, or via 3.5mm analog TRS to a separate recorder or camera input.
Rode Wireless Go II: two transmitters, one receiver.Image: Rode
Since an external lavalier is not included, the built-in microphones on the top of the transmitter are what most users will be relying on. In most practices this is hard to cover up on camera, unless you don’t mind an almost two-inch black square or a one-inch thick clip with a fuzzy windshield on the talent’s lapel.
The Wireless Go II’s on-board recording system can save up to 24 hours of audio internally without the need of an SD card (though the batteries will only last up to seven hours), while keeping the multitrack recording separate for post-production. The new model offers an extended wireless range of up to 200m (656 feet).
With these added features, Rode’s Wireless Go II should help to ease the stress of audio issues that plague the average sound operator — making sure microphones are picking up multiple sources, avoiding any RF interference from uncontrollable environments, and having a backup for any audio data lost.
Chip maker Qualcomm has introduced a new reference design for augmented reality glasses: an AR “smart viewer” you can tether to a phone or PC via USB-C. Called the XR1 Smart Viewer, the system is meant to be lightweight and look (sort of) like sunglasses, while also enabling features like hand tracking and spatial awareness. The first glasses based on its design are set for release in mid-2021.
The XR1 is designed as a consumer-focused “must-have accessory” for phones and computers, rather than a self-contained product. It uses two 1920 x 1080 OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate, plus an array of cameras, to add a virtual overlay to the real world. The camera array can also support hand tracking as a control scheme, and it can detect planes in the environment, so you can do things like pin a virtual window to a wall for multiple PC displays — or place a virtual object on a table and interact with it through gesture controls. Like most AR glasses, however, they have a relatively limited field of view of 45 degrees, which is roughly similar to the Microsoft HoloLens 2.
Qualcomm
Lenovo already announced a product based on the XR1 Smart Viewer reference design: the ThinkReality A3 glasses, which it unveiled at CES earlier this year. ThinkReality A3 glasses are set for release in mid-2021 at a currently unlisted price, following up on Lenovo’s A6 business-focused headset from 2019.
The XR1 Smart Viewer is distinct from the Snapdragon XR1 or XR2 platforms — a pair of chipsets that are optimized for virtual and augmented reality glasses, including last year’s XR2-based Oculus Quest 2. It’s designed to perform some tasks using built-in electronics, but it offloads other tasks to an external computing device, allowing for a more lightweight design.
Qualcomm has spent the last couple of years pushing for AR glasses adoption, which it thinks could stimulate the nascent 5G cellular market by popularizing high-bandwidth mixed-reality apps. It’s previously partnered with Chinese company Nreal on the Nreal Light, one of the only consumer-focused AR viewers — which plugs into a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855- or 865-powered phone. The Nreal Light launched late last year in Korea and Japan, and yesterday, Nreal announced that it will arrive in the European Union and the US later this year.
So far, AR glasses have struggled to reach the mainstream. However, the ThinkReality A3 and any other XR1 Smart Viewer-based products may end up competing with a couple of major companies. Facebook announced its impending entry into AR hardware last year, and it’s planning to release a set of Ray-Ban smart glasses with limited AR-like features later in 2021. Apple is also rumored to be making a high-end AR / VR headset aimed at building a developer ecosystem.
When it comes to sharp image quality, 4K resolution is where it’s at in 2021. Sure, there are 8K screens and even more modest 6K ones. And lower resolutions deliver higher frame rates on even the best graphics cards. . But if we’re being realistic about what our eyes need and can perceive, how big of a screen we can fit, our budget and the media available, 3840 x 2160 sits on the upper echelon of premium viewing experiences, whether you’re gaming, watching a movie, surfing the web or getting work done. And with one of the best budget 4K monitors, you can get there without going broke.
For a while, 4K was a luxury that wasn’t quite reasonable for a PC monitor. But as these high-res screens have become more common and the bleeding edge has turned to higher pixel counts, a market segment of budget 4K monitors now allow you to take the Ultra HD experience to your desktop.
Below are the best budget 4K monitors we’ve tested. All usually go for about $400 or cheaper.se.
When shopping for the best budget 4K monitor, remember the following:
What size do you need? For a budget screen, 32 inches is a good sweet spot, giving you ample space while still being able to fit on your desktop. 28-inch and 27-inch screens are also common in this price range and will be cheaper. They’re good for productivity, but you probably won’t want to share a screen that size.
Decide the monitor’s main purpose. If it’s gaming, higher refresh rates and Adaptive-Sync (AMD FreeSync or Nvidia G-Sync) are priorities, as is a beefy graphics card. You should have a minimum of a GTX 1070 Ti or RX Vega 64 for medium settings or, for high or better settings, an RTX-series or Radeon VII. For general productivity or entertainment, look for high contrast for high image quality. Creatives should strive for accuracy. For more, see How to Buy a PC Monitor and our Best Gaming Monitors page.
Errors under 3 Delta E (dE) are generally invisible to the naked eye. A monitor with a 5dE color error, for example, probably has colors that look visibly off. Accuracy matters more for creative work.
Do you need HDR? A 4K monitor with the right HDR implementation makes 4K/HDR content look significantly better than it would on a regular, or SDR, monitor. While many 4K monitors support HDR, few budget ones do it with noticeable impact. If you want a monitor that makes the HDR upgrade worth it, consider upping your budget to stay in 4K or opting for a lower resolution to save money. See our How to Choose the Best HDR Monitor article for more.
Consider ports and other features. Do you need HDMI 2.1, the latest DisplayPort (1.4)? Are USB Type-A ports important, and do you want USB-C for charging or a single-cable setup? Speakers and the stand’s ability to tilt, swivel or rise are also factors.
The Samsung UR59C is the best budget 4K monitor, offering a 32-inch VA panel with accuracy and curves. Image quality is superb with bold, accurate colors and clear text — after calibration, that is. When we tested in sRGB mode, we recorded a color error of 4.3dE with visible errors, but our calibration (see our recommended settings on page 1 of the review) got it down to 0.9dE. Your web and games should look as intended. The UR59C also offers fantastic contrast, as expected from a VA panel, hitting an impressive 2,590.5:1 after calibration.
Ultrawide screens typically offer more noticeable curves, but despite its 16:9 aspect ratio, the UR59C’s1500R curve is noticeable and beneficial, allowing us to keep more windows in view.
This monitor isn’t fit for serious gaming, but casual players can make it work. The UR59C has a 60 Hz refresh rate, 4ms response time and no FreeSync or G-Sync to fight screen tears. You’d get noticeably better response times and input lag scores from a 75 Hz screen even. But with its high contrast and the pixel density of a 32-inch, 4K screen, games didn’t look bad. If you’re games that aren’t graphically intense or at lower settings and you have a speed enough graphics card that can consistently hit 60 frames per second (fps), you can enjoy blur-free gaming on the UR59C.
You’ll have to pay a hefty price for a monitor that can push 8.3 million pixels at a 144 Hz refresh rate. The best budget 4K gaming monitor, the Asus TUF Gaming VG289Q, is a slower 60 Hz but fights screen tears with FreeSync. Yes, input lag is significantly larger than what you’ll find on a 144 Hz monitor, as is response time. But if you’re working with a budget graphics card and want your games to look detailed and realistic, this is a great option. SDR games looked extra colorful on the VG289Q, and dynamic contrast brought subtle visual benefits, like added dimension. There are screens on this page with better contrast though.
HDR isn’t as fantastic as you’ll find on a monitor with a full-array local dimming (FALD) backlight or even an edge array backlight, but shadows and highlights looked more distinct, and we enjoyed the boost in color.
For more premium high-res gaming screens, check out our Best 4K Gaming Monitors round-up.
If the best budget 4K monitor for you is in the 32-inch range, check out the LG 32UN500-W Contrast is a top consideration when it comes to image quality, and the 32UN500-W’s VA panel didn’t disappoint in our benchmarks, hitting 2,353.9:1 out of the box. The 32UN500-W’s native color gamut is P3, and it covers that color space accurately without any visible errors.
Again, as a budget 4K monitor, the 32UN500-W isn’t winning any HDR prizes. Color lacks the expected pop, and overall the image doesn’t provide a noticeable boost over SDR.
But the 32UN500-W also thoughtfully includes two 5W speakers and even AMD FreeSync to fight screen tears during casual gaming. In general, it delivered popping colors with deep blacks, making it a great fit for your favorite 4K movie and the like.
The Dell S2721QS earns the title of best 27-inch budget 4K monitor with a bright screen, reliably accurate image and useful add-ons. Those bonus add-ons include the ability to connect multiple PCs and view them simultaneously via picture-in-picture or picture-by-picture and an optional app that makes it easy to calibrate the screen or arrange up to 6 windows in various preset layouts. The latter is a productivity boon.
HDR isn’t this monitor’s strong suit. We recorded undersaturated color in this mode, as well as as well as visible grayscale errors. And this monitor doesn’t have the speed or Adaptive-Sync (FreeSync or G-Sync) to make it an appropriate gaming screen.
But in terms of image quality, this is a bright screen, hitting 393 nits in our testing, along with strong contrast for an IPS monitor (1,101:1). You can also expect accurate colors. We recorded just a 2.6dE error with sRGB color
If you’re doing professional work, you should probably opt for a professional monitor. Pro monitors are known for offering exceptional accuracy for a premium price. But with monitors continuously improving, we’re at a point where you can find monitors with pro-level accuracy in key areas, like color, just without the pro-level price tag.
The HP U28 is one such screen and the best budget 4K monitor for creatives. None of the monitors on this page are color slouches, but the U28 stands out with its ability to accurately cover both the sRGB and P3 color spaces with just a switch in the OSD and no calibration. You also get an adjustable stand that allows height and swivel adjustments and the ability to flip into portrait mode, offering plenty of flexibility for creative work.
HP’s U28 comes at a premium though. While not as pricey as professional monitors, the U28 is the most expensive monitor on this list as of this writing.
Still, with a USB-C port letting you charge laptops (or other devices), you may be able to reduce cable clutter, and there are many other ports here too. With that bonus in mind and creative-level accuracy, the U28 is great for feeding your hobby or even career.
By adding noise-cancelling to a budget wireless earbuds winner without compromising on its established sound, Earfun has another hit on its hands
For
Solid, accurate bass weight
Effective noise cancelling
Classy build and finish
Against
Harsh upper midrange
Mention the name Earfun six months ago and you’d probably have been met with quizzical looks or even the odd giggle. But that was before the virtually unknown audio firm released an affordable true wireless headphone proposition that was so good for the money we handed it a What Hi-Fi? Award.
The company is seeking to build on the success of its Earfun Air by cramming even more features into a new ‘Pro’ variant, the main addition being active noise cancellation. (There is now a 10mm driver and three mics per earpiece, too.) But, considering the claims on the spec sheet, the price remains jaw-droppingly low at £70 ($80, AU$120).
Just as bands struggle with the difficult second album, repeating that winning formula in a sophomore effort could be a tough ask. Can Earfun deliver the goods with a follow-up set of affordable in-ears? We can’t wait to see…
Build
(Image credit: Earfun)
The Earfun Air Pro’s cool black plastic case is pocketable, portable and doesn’t collect fingerprint smudges. Unlike its older sibling, it opens like a suitcase, instead of a backpack, and is pebble-shaped as opposed to looking like a premium box of dental-floss. Though it charges via USB-C, it doesn’t support Qi wireless charging.
Earfun Air Pro tech specs
(Image credit: Earfun)
Bluetooth version 5.0
Battery life 7 hours with ANC (earbuds), 18 hours (case)
Charging time 1.5 hours (earbuds), 2 hours (case)
Dimensions (hwd) 6.7 x 5.5 x 3.1cm
Weight 53g
Once the buds are back in it, you have to quickly flip to the back of the case to find the LED battery indicator, which will flash red three times if you have more than 60 per cent battery left, twice for over 30 per cent and once when you’re at five percent and really need to charge.
One of the joys of the Award-winning Earfun Air true wireless earbuds was the simple and reliable pairing experience. We’re happy to report that is still the case here – Earfun consistently manages to do the basics properly. We open the lid, then snap it shut and count to 30. We reopen the case, leave the earpieces inside, go to our phone’s Bluetooth menu, see the Earfun Air Pro as an ‘available device’ and connect. It’s easy. And once they’re paired, the connection is solid.
Although three sets of tips are supplied, we find the pre-fitted medium pair works for us. Also, fitting them in our ears is done without unintentionally altering playback or accessing Siri. This is both refreshing and an improvement on some more expensive models.
Comfort
(Image credit: Earfun)
The buds themselves are well-weighted, comfortable and secure in our ears, with the stems angling slightly forward to follow the line of our cheekbones. The silvery sheen on the angular and stylish new stems completes a premium aesthetic that belies the Earfun Air Pro’s entry-level price point.
It’s worth noting that the 10mm composite dynamic driver in each earpiece is a switch up from the 6mm composite cellulose driver found in each Earfun Air driver housing, too.
The in-ear detection is now infrared, not capacitive, and is handled via an LED rather than an electrical charge. If you’re worried this might make auto-pause a bit hit and miss, don’t – it’s spot on. It will doubtless save on battery, but more than that it’s a great comfort to know that you can simply pluck the buds from their case, put them in your ears and pick up whatever you were last listening to.
There’s no way to alter volume or skip back to the start of a track without accessing your source device, and there’s no app support. These are the only small issues in the Earfun Air Pro’s otherwise admirable feature set – though we shouldn’t perhaps expect the latter at this entry level anyway.
The tap-control functionality is clever here, though: more evidence that Earfun does the basics well. One tap actually serves no purpose – a clever approach given that you can easily alter playback on other buds by inadvertently touching them.
Two taps on the right bud pauses or resumes playback; three skips to the next track. Double tapping the left earpiece accesses Siri on our iPhone and also answers or ends a call. The crucial function you’ll want to practice is a triple-tap of that left earpiece, as this scrolls between the Earfun’s noise-cancelling, ‘normal’ and ‘ambient sound’ modes.
(Image credit: Earfun)
Beyond those three profiles, there’s no scope to tweak the levels of noise-cancelling, and without app support you can’t activate them on your phone. However, once we get the hang of tapping just below the mic at the top of the stem rather than on the mic itself, it’s a solution that works well.
With noise-cancelling deployed, low-level constant noises such as the hum of the washing machine are significantly diminished. Initiating ambient mode dutifully feeds the noise of passing cars and barking dogs into our ears. Both in terms of efficacy and usability, it’s not quite in the same league as the Apple AirPods Pro – but at one-third of the price, to expect that would be unreasonable.
The good level of noise cancelling is thanks in part to the six-mic array (three per bud), which also ensures clear voice calls in our tests. Battery life is good too, with a claimed total of 25 hours with ANC on (seven from the buds plus 18 hours from the case) or 32 hours with it off.
The Earfun Air Pros boast an IPX5 rating for water-resistance, meaning that while you can’t submerge them fully in water, a spell in heavy rain or sweating at the gym shouldn’t do them any harm. All in all, it’s a lot of decent tech and durability for the money.
Sound
(Image credit: Earfun)
Setting the sound profile to normal, we cue up a Tidal Master stream of Missy Elliott’s Get Ur Freak On. The Earfun Air Pro’s presentation really suits the hip-hop track, celebrating the deep bass-heavy intro while still holding down the central riff and the various layered vocals.
It’s a zealous display with energy and attack. Stormzy’s Vossi Bop is similarly agile: the treble is ever-present and, while occasionally a tad harsh through the midrange at higher volumes, alongside a rhythmic grime beat that isn’t afraid to go low, it’s a perfectly acceptable listen.
Fans of the original Earfun Air will have no complaints about the updated model’s sound. Also, both earpieces feel very similar when worn; the driver housing is virtually identical in shape despite the new stems, extra mic and larger drivers inside.
Switch to Words Of A Fool by Barry Gibb and Jason Isbell on Tidal Masters and there’s a pleasing level of separation and clarity between the wurlitzer, piano, textured guitars and Gibb’s soulful vocal. Taylor Swift’s Willow is similarly expansive through the three-dimensional string section and, although there’s that marginal touch of harshness through the midrange, Swift’s central, often ethereal vocal stylings are well-handled.
Listen to the slightly pricier, Award-winning Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 and, in comparison, there’s an extra ounce of detail and finesse over the Earfun Air Pro across the frequencies. But without noise cancelling, USB-C charging or in-ear detection, and taking their higher price tag into account, it’s an altogether different proposition.
During our testing, the sound presentation is well-balanced, relatively transparent, taut and full through the bass, and musically pleasing overall.
Verdict
When considering our minor issues with how this budget proposition sounds, it’s easy to forget that not long ago, you’d have paid upwards of £200 to get something anywhere near as fully-featured. At the time of writing, we haven’t come across anything at this level that does everything these Earfuns do, as well as they do it.
The Earfun Air Pro fit securely, connect easily, have reliable controls and feature basic but effective noise-cancelling profiles – for just a small premium on the Air model. There’s also USB-C charging and wearer detection, plus the sound is pretty decent for the money.
As we said in our review of the Earfun Air, it’s rare that we award five stars to a pair of true wireless headphones at this ultra-low price point, since cheap rarely means good value. Simply put, it does here.
SCORES
Sound 4
Comfort 5
Build 5
MORE:
Read our guide to the best wireless earbuds
Here’s our pick of the best Apple AirPods alternatives
Vaio is known for making laptops that pack a surprising amount of power into unbelievably thin form factors. The Vaio Z may be the company’s most ambitious product yet. It contains up to Intel’s four-core Core i7-11357H — and at a starting weight of 2.11 pounds, it’ll be the lightest laptop ever to house an Intel H-series processor. (Though models you can buy in the US are 2.32 pounds.)
Part of the reason the Vaio Z is so light is that it’s the first laptop ever to be made of “contoured carbon fiber.” You’ll find carbon fiber in some of the nicest lightweight laptops on the market, including the Dell XPS line — it’s a sturdy and lightweight material. But those laptops utilize sheets of carbon fiber that are held together with metal or plastic parts. Vaio has actually contoured the material around the edges of the Z’s chassis, so it’s carbon fiber all around.
Vaio says the device has passed 26 “surface drop” tests, and will deliver up to 13 and a half hours of battery life. In terms of other specs, you can get up to 2TB of storage, 32GB of memory, Iris Xe integrated graphics, and either an FHD or a 4K 14-inch display. There’s a backlit keyboard, a webcam with a physical shutter, a full-size HDMI port, and two USB-C ports as well. The chassis is a clamshell, though you can fold the screen down to 180 degrees.
Of course, this all doesn’t come cheap. The Vaio Z starts at — I’m not joking — $3,579. So it won’t be a practical purchase for most people, but it’s still an impressive achievement and an interesting proof-of-concept. Keep an eye out for our full review in a few days, where we’ll dive into the performance you can expect for that price. You can preorder units now on Vaio’s website.
Provided they fit, Panasonic’s most premium true wireless earbuds prove classy options
For
Expansive detailed presentation
Excellent noise cancelling
Superb touch controls
Against
Fit could be an issue
Panasonic is a name more readily associated with quality TVs and Blu-ray players, but the firm has finally moved into the highly competitive true wireless earbuds market with two pairs. The more expensive of those, the Panasonic RZ-S500W, feature noise-cancelling technology (unlike the other, more affordable RZ-S300W) and are the model we have on test here.
As you might expect from a product by a major consumer electronics brand like Panasonic, the RZ-S500W’s spec sheet is pretty comprehensive. It includes Dual Hybrid Noise Cancelling Technology achieved through use of feedback coupled to analog and digital processing; an Ambient Mode to amplify surrounding noise when the time is right; twin beamforming microphones to increase the clarity of voices and reduce noise during calls; and a total of 19.5 hours of playtime with noise-cancelling activated (6.5 hours from the buds, 13 from the charging case).
The RZ-S500W initially launched at £169 ($199), but already that asking price has been reduced so it now hovers around the £100 ($150) mark. Should the competition be worried? We’re about to find out.
Comfort
(Image credit: Panasonic)
The smooth, matte plastic earpieces and their case resist smudges from our fingerprints well. The case is pocketable and features a premium-feel set of three white LEDs for battery life. The magnets to keep the lid shut are perhaps a little weaker than we’d like, but provided you keep it in your bag or your pocket the earbuds should be fine.
Inside each earpiece is an 8mm Neodymium driver, and the housings feature metallic accents around the circular top surface of each unit. Part of this visual flourish is a blue LED light, which flashes periodically when the headphones are paired and red when the buds are charging. At 21mm across and 31mm long, the housings are on the larger side, protruding a little from the ears when worn. The neck of each is angled ergonomically, but it is also fairly long – a consideration for those who aren’t used to more intrusive in-ears.
Five sizes of good-quality ear tips are supplied and easy to switch. However, even after downsizing from the standard size, the RZ-S500W aren’t the most secure pair of in-ears we’ve come across – even a brusque walk can be enough to knock one of the earpieces loose. Obviously, not getting a good seal will affect the sound presentation for dynamics, bass and detail, too, so it’s worth spending the time to get the fit right.
Build
(Image credit: Panasonic)
We download the Panasonic Audio Connect app, which offers initial prompts to help pair the headphones for the first time. Although the app doesn’t look particularly slick or new, it functions well and never crashes during testing.
On the app’s homepage, you can view your headphones and the battery life remaining in each earpiece. Below this are two tabs labelled ‘Ambient Sound Control’ and ‘Sound Enhancement’. Click on the former and you get two sliding controls to select the noise cancelling and ambient sound levels, plus a toggle to turn them off entirely. The latter pulls up four options: ‘Bass Enhancer’ and ‘Clear Voice’ sound profile presets, an ‘Equaliser’ tab with five sliders to tweak the sound, and an ‘Off’ toggle to listen at neutral.
Along the bottom of the screen, you can see the current listening volume, which is a useful touch, and in the top right is an Alexa icon. Tap it and, provided you’ve downloaded the Alexa app, you can add the RZ-S500W as accessories. Doing this means that long-touching the left bud now offers a direct line to Alexa, rather than the Siri default on our iPhone.
Other neat features include a USB-C quick-charge so that a 15-minute re-juice can deliver 70 minutes of playback, even with noise cancelling deployed. An IPX4 rating means that the earpieces should be able to handle a rainy day, too.
The twin beamforming mics ensure clear calls throughout our tests. The Bluetooth 5.0 connection is solid, though it’s worth noting that the superior aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth codecs aren’t supported.
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Touch capacitive panels on each bud are possibly the most responsive and intuitive we’ve tested within an in-ear design. They never fail to respond to our touch, but they also seem to realise when we’re simply adjusting them in our ears rather than pressing for a response.
Play, pause and volume control are done with the left earpiece; track skipping with the right. Touching the right earpiece for two seconds scrolls between the three main noise cancelling profiles (ambient sound, noise cancelling and off), but these can be further customised in the app depending on the amount of noise-cancelling or background noise you’d prefer. It’s refreshing to find on-device controls as reliable and user-friendly as these.
The noise cancelling is exceptionally good, too – so good in fact that with the noise cancelling slider set to max, we actually feel a little disorientated when standing outside near a busy road. This isn’t a criticism of the RZ-S500W – some people experience low-level balance issues when using noise-cancelling headphones – but it’s a sure sign that consistent external sounds are being largely eliminated, especially at lower frequencies.
We find the ambient sound profile just as effective, and because the touch capacitive controls are so good it is quick to deploy them without reaching for your phone. There’s no auto-off wearer detection, but at this level and with these notable talents, the RZ-S500W look impressive value for money.
Sound
(Image credit: Panasonic)
Setting all sound enhancements to neutral, we stream Eric Clapton’s Cocaine on Tidal. Slowhand’s bassy guitar riffs have ample space to shine within the spacious and cohesive mix. This particular track always makes us think that Clapton didn’t want his vocal to take centre stage, and the RZ-S500W oblige, paying his lyrics just enough attention to resonate without any hint of muddying the guitar. Before You Accuse Me is a greater test of the Panasonics’ treble frequencies and it’s a clear, agile and sparkling performance.
Switching to DJ Snake’s Taki Taki (a Tidal Master), we find agility through the low end and textured vocals across the frequencies. In direct comparison, even the Award-winning Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 suffer marginally for detail. The reggaeton track starts off quietly, almost as if played in a tunnel, and the Panasonics easily match the Cambridge Audios for the nuanced build through the intro.
Our playlist continues to Daddy Yankee and Snow’s Con Calma and the Panasonics continue to time well, with a sensible dollop of energy through the rise and fall of each beat. The sound is refined, clear, agile and never harsh. If we’re really nitpicking, it might err on the side of subtlety over fun – but it never underplays our music’s meatiness and excitement.
We stream Lascia Ch’io Pianga from Handel’s opera Rinaldo, and the piano feels nicely three dimensional beside a clear bass with plenty of depth. When the emotive build of the keys comes in – the kind of musical passage that heightens our emotions – we hear that marginal cautiousness in terms of dynamic build. Again, at this price, it almost feels churlish to mention it.
As we move on to Fractals (Truth 4) by Jessica Moss, the snaking, skulking build of the strings is as impactful through the RZ-S500W as it can be at this level. We sample the same track through the more affordable, also Award-winning Earfun Air, and there is plenty of difference in terms of nuance and detail. The Earfuns present a zealous sound with plenty of snap, but the Panasonics offer an extra ounce of detail and transparency. At this level, spending just a little more can often pay dividends, and that’s certainly the case here.
Verdict
At their original asking price, these Panasonic true wireless earbuds faced plenty of tough competition in the true wireless market. However, with the price having dropped considerably, their noise-cancelling, performance, touch-capacitive controls, in-app features and general build quality are nothing short of superb for the money.
The Panasonic RZ-S500W feel like a far more expensive product, because it is. The bottom line is that the sound here is as detailed, accurate and transparent as this money can currently buy in a true wireless design. Just make sure they suit your ears.
(Pocket-lint) – The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has been around long enough to be considered an evergreen laptop series. It’s an XPS 13 with a full fold-out hinge. You can prop it up in a “tent” position, set it up as an in-bed mini TV, or use it like a laptop.
Big real-world upgrades for 2021 are all about the progress Intel has made. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has one of Intel’s Xe graphics chipsets. It lets you play games that just weren’t in the conversation for integrated graphics a while back, like The Witcher 3.
There are a couple of problems though: the latest XPS 13 2-in-1 costs a small fortune. And it has an extremely shallow keyboard that we don’t find all that comfortable for typing. You’ll have to decide how much these points matter to you, because the XPS 13 2-in-1 is otherwise hard to criticise in other respects.
Design
Dimensions: 297 x 207 x 14.35mm
Weight: 1.32 kg (1.29kg measured)
CNC machined aluminium casing
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is like a regular XPS 13 subjected to several dozen yoga retreats. It has the familiar carbon fibre keyboard rest, an ultra-stiff aluminium lid, and a metal underside. But the hinge folds all the way around until the back of the lid meets the bottom.
These hybrid laptops were more popular years ago. Real hot stuff, y’know. But it’s a good idea to have a think about whether you’ll actually appreciate the flexibility on offer for the added price premium.
Pocket-lint
That hinge obviously doesn’t come for free. But it is decent, avoiding much of the wobble often seen in less well-designed hybrid laptops. There’s also no glaring sign this 2-in-1 is actually a hybrid. The hinge isn’t big or built-up, there’s just a little more clearance around its main bits.
Real talk: we think the standard XPS 13’s minimalist keyboard plate is more attractive, but there’s not much in it.
Best laptop 2021: Top general and premium notebooks for working from home and more
By Dan Grabham
·
You buy an XPS 13 series laptop for its distinctive carbon fibre style and excellent build, not for show-off weight and thickness stats. However, Dell has done its best to minimise the 2-in-1’s footprint. Screen borders on all sides are slim, if not class-leading, and the display has a 16:10 aspect ratio rather than the usual 16:9 – making a laptop that’s less wide per inch of display diagonal.
Screen
13.4-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD screen
500-nit brightens (550 nits measured)
Flexi-hinge touchscreen
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has a 13.4-inch IPS LCD touchscreen, which is available in two resolutions: more affordable versions have a Full HD+ (1920 x 1200 pixel) display; pricier ones have a UHD+ (3840 x 2400) one.
Ours has the lower resolution display. Your Windows 10 home screen icons and document fonts won’t look as sharp as they would on the 4K version, but the choice here isn’t simple as price versus quality.
Pocket-lint
The high-res XPS 13 2-in-1 will last significantly less long between charges. And, resolution aside, the low-res display is a top performer anyway. It is searingly bright – 10 per cent brighter than Dell’s own claim, we found – and about 50 per cent brighter than the average laptop at this price point.
This is great news if you want to work outdoors. And while the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has a glossy screen, it is much less affected by reflection than most as Dell uses a very good anti-reflective layer. This dulls the white block reflections so they are not so distracting.
Colour is excellent, fit for imaging work. Contrast is great – and once again around 10 per cent better than Dell’s own claim of 1500:1.
The XPS 13 2-in-1 may be Dell’s lower-end option with this FHD+ resolution, but this is no low-end screen. It’s a high-end one without the extra pixel density. This is a good excuse for the Dell’s high price.
There are just a couple of caveats to note. This is a 60Hz screen, not the high refresh-rate kind you see in gaming laptops. And despite Dell’s claim of HDR 400 support, Windows 10 recognises it as a standard dynamic range screen. HDR in laptops is only really worthwhile with OLED screens anyway.
Pocket-lint
The XPS 13 2-in-1 also supports a Dell active pen stylus – one with a graphics tablet-like 4096 pressure sensitivity levels – but you don’t get one in the box. Companies like HP and Lenovo tend to bundle their stylii.
Keyboard & Touchpad
MagLev keyboard
Textured glass touchpad
Integrated fingerprint scanner
The keyboard is the part of the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 we like the least. It is very shallow and clicky, lacking the mellow “clonk” key actuation of the best laptop keyboards.
Pocket-lint
There’s very little weight to the XPS 13 2-in-1’s keys, and we enjoy typing on almost all of the non-Dell alternatives more.
HP Envy and Spectre, Acer Swift, Lenovo Yoga and ThinkPad: all have meatier key setups. Apple started this trend for shallow, feather-light keyboards, even it has begun to step back by putting a chunkier mechanism in the MacBook Pro 16.
This isn’t a mistake, of course. Dell deliberately uses this keyboard. And just because it’s thin, high pitch and clicky, it doesn’t mean it’s low-quality hardware. We just don’t like its style much.
The XPS 13 2-in-1 does have a solid two-level key backlight, and a clever fingerprint scanner that’s built into the power button above the backspace key.
Pocket-lint
Dell’s touchpad has little in common with the keyboard. Which is a good thing. Its clicker has a darker character with a nice amount of resistance, and the surface uses exemplary textured glass. The pad is large too, just not MacBook large. So no major complaints here.
Performance
Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU, Intel Xe graphics
16GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x RAM
New Dell XPS models tend to arrive at a rhythm set by Intel’s processor releases. Most of these are not that easy to get excited about. A 12 per cent performance increase year-on-year when the predecessor already had enough power isn’t going to change lives.
For 2021 it’s a bit different, because of two little letters: Xe. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1’s Core i7i1167G7 has an Xe graphics chipset, which is Intel’s response to AMD having soundly beaten its integrated graphics performance for years.
Intel Xe is miles better than the UHD 620 and Iris Plus chipsets seen in older thin and light laptops. It genuinely changes how some might use this 2-in-1.
Pocket-lint
For example, you can comfortably play Euro Truck Simulator 2 at High graphics, with frame rates of around 30-40fps. Skyrim runs fine at Ultra settings. You can even play The Witcher 3, at 1200p, using the Low preset (or head down to 720p resolution for acceptable results at High graphics). Yes, The Witcher 3 hasn’t been a benchmark for gaming performance for some time now. But for a laptop with no dedicated graphics hardware, we think that’s pretty good.
There’s less change in the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1’s 11th Gen CPU side in real terms. It’s not because there is no performance boost compared to the last 10th Gen computers – there is, and quite a big one – but it is not the sort of jump that should make you want to upgrade if you already own a 10th, 9th or 8th Gen Intel-powered laptop. More exciting things are happening over at AMD’s and Apple’s processor labs right now.
Much of the pleasant smoothness of the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is down to its very fast SSD storage, which helps minimise app load times.
Pocket-lint
We’re also pleased by how little noise the laptop makes, even under strain. The XPS 13 2-in-1 has two fans, with a vapour chamber between. And while their tone is pretty high-pitch, which can be distracting, the noise never seems to get remotely loud in decibel terms.
Battery Life & Ports
51Wh battery capacity, 45W charger
2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has a 51Wh battery, a mid-size power source used to balance the size of the laptop with stamina. And it seems to have worked pretty well.
Setting the laptop to stream at YouTube video at 1080p resolution the XPS 13 2-in-1 lasts 12 hours 15 minutes. This is the longest you can reasonably expect it to last in any realistic use scenario, but means there’s plenty of headroom to stay above eight hours of all-day use.
Pocket-lint
However, we can’t ignore that we’ve seen much better results recently from some AMD CPU-powered laptops like the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7. That lasted almost 17 hours in the same test, while Apple’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro last substantially longer, particularly under strain.
Still, if we’re at the point we can half-complain about 12-hour battery life, that’s a good place to be.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 uses a USB-C socket to charge, and the adapter is tiny. That’s a bonus for travel use.
A complete lack of traditional USB ports is not, though, so you may need to pack an adapter. A simple USB-C (the ‘small port) to USB-A (the ‘big’ port) comes in the box. Actual on-board connections are minimal: there’s get a headphone jack, a microSD slot, and two USB-C ports – one of which will be used during charging.
Pocket-lint
However, both of these USB ports are Thunderbolt 4, meaning they are very, very quick. Top specs aren’t too different from the older Thunderbolt 3, but you’re guaranteed to be able to plug in two 4K monitors. Handy for home use.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 also has reasonably good speakers. Their tone is relatively even and they have a small serving of bass, essential for games and movies. We’re not at MacBook level, as the max volume isn’t that great and higher volumes can cause ugly-sounding vibrations inside the chassis, but they do their job well enough.
Verdict
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is a top-quality laptop that makes you ask the question “do you need this upgrade?” in a couple of ways.
First, do you need the high-res UHD+ version? Probably not. The FHD+ resolution – as tested here – has excellent colour, brightness and contrast, and most likely significantly better battery life.
Do you need the flexible hinge? Consider that carefully, because you do pay a bit for it here. If not, the ‘standard’ Dell XPS 13 will suit your needs wonderfully.
Our favourite upgrade for the 2021 Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is Intel’s Xe graphic chipset. It makes this laptop more ready for fun than any XPS convertible to date.
However, we do wish the XPS 13 2-in-1 had a deeper keyboard. This flat and clicky one is no friend to those who spend much of the day typing.
All in all, the XPS 2-in-1 is a well-rounded convertible with some serious plus points.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
Dell XPS 13
squirrel_widget_176985
How about the downgrade to the non 360-degree hinge XPS 13? The main differences are that it’s a bit cheaper and the footprint is less deep – the latter thanks to its use of a standard hinge. It also has deeper key travel, one of the best reasons to choose the non-convertible if you do a lot of typing.
Read our review
Pocket-lint
HP Spectre x360 13
squirrel_widget_2696709
HP’s latest convertible is the 13-inch Spectre x360 (ok, so there’s a newer 14-inch model too). Benefits include a larger battery capacity and a lower starting price. It also includes a smart stylus. However, it is a little thicker and doesn’t have the Dell’s supremo display brightness.
Read our review
Pocket-lint
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 5)
squirrel_widget_265147
Head to Lenovo’s answer to the XPS 13 2-in-1 if you want a convertible with a deeper-dish keyboard. It also comes with a stylus that slots into the laptop body. However, at the time of review you can only get the X1 Yoga Gen 5 with 10th generation processors. And that means worse gaming performance.
The HP Spectre x360 14 is a beautifully constructed 2-in-1 laptop with a vibrant 3:2 OLED touch screen to showcase your work. It has an excellent keyboard and a variety of ports for all of your accessories. Those who prioritize battery life may want to consider a non-OLED configuration, however.
For
Sleek, attractive design
Vivid 3:2 display shows more of your work
Clicky, responsive keyboard
Thunderbolt 4 and USB Type-A ports
Against
OLED model doesn’t last all day
Difficult to upgrade SSD
There’s no need to beat around the bush: the HP Spectre x360 14 ($1,219.99 to start; $1,699.99 as tested) is one of the best ultrabooks we’ve tested in the last several months. It’s exquisitely designed with a 13.5-inch, 3:2 display that showcases more of your work, whether it be words, numbers, or code.
You’ll pay a premium price for it, but it sure feels premium, with a sleek chassis, clicky keyboard and both USB Type-C and Type-A ports, as well as a microSD card reader.
The model we reviewed had an impressive
OLED
screen with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution. It looks great, but if you want all-day battery life, you may consider alternative configurations.
Design of the HP Spectre x360 14
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
HP makes a handsome laptop. The Spectre x360 doesn’t make a ton of changes to what has largely become a tried and true design. It’s an aluminum notebook with solid construction. Ours came in “nightfall black” with copper accents, which I think is a bit showy for my tastes these days, but you can also get in “Poseidon blue” or my likely choice, “natural silver.”
The back two edges near the 360-degree hinge are chopped off, one of which makes room for a Thunderbolt 4 port. It’s a divisive choice, but it’s grown on me. That placement lets you flip from a laptop into a tablet while it’s charging and barely move the cable at all.
When you unfold the laptop for the first time, you’ll notice the big difference with this Spectre: a 13.5-inch, 3:2 display that feels incredibly luxurious compared to the 16:9 screen on the smaller
Spectre x360 13
that we recently reviewed. There’s minimal bezel around it, putting the focus on your work. It also creates a slightly longer profile for the whole device.
Unlike many 2-in-1s, the power button is on the keyboard, rather than the side of the device. As a person using it primarily as a laptop, I prefer this choice, though tablet-heavy users might be annoyed. There’s also a fingerprint reader next to the arrow keys, this, combined with the IR camera, allows for security options beyond a password whether in tablet or laptop mode, which I appreciate. The speaker grilles above the function keys make for a nice accent.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
There aren’t a ton of ports on the Spectre x360 14, but there’s enough for most people’s everyday use. Most of the action is on the right side, where you’ll find two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on the right corner), a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microSD card. On the right, there is one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port. The rest of that side of the notebook is magnetized to fit the included HP Tilt Pen.
At 2.95 pounds with an 11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67-inch footprint, the Spectre is fairly compact. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310 is 2.9 pounds and 11.69 x 8.15 x 0.56 inches — a bit smaller — but also has a 13.4-inch screen in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The MacBook Pro is a 3 pound clamshell and measures 11.95 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches, and the Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 is 2.7 pounds and 12 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches.
HP Spectre x360 14 Specifications
CPU
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory
16GB LPDDR4-3733
Storage
1TB PCIe NVMe SSD with 32GB Intel Optane
Display
13.5-inch, 3000 x 2000 OLED touchscreen
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5
Ports
2x Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, Headphone/microphone jack, microSD card reader
Camera
720p IR
Battery
66 WHr
Power Adapter
65 W
Operating System
Windows 10 Home
Other
HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen
Dimensions(WxDxH)
11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67 inches / 298.45 x 220.22 x 17.02 mm
Weight
2.95 pounds / 1.34 kg
Price (as configured)
$1,699.99
Productivity Performance on the HP Spectre x360 14
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Our HP Spectre x360 14 review unit came with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 1TB PCIe
NVMe SSD
with 32GB of Intel Optane memory. In my use, it could handle plenty of browser tabs and streaming video without an issue.
On the Geekbench 5 overall performance benchmark, the Spectre earned a single-core score of 1,462 and a multi-core score of 4,904. The ZenBook Flip S was in a similar range. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 had a higher score in multi-core performance (5,639). The MacBook Pro, too, had a higher multi-core score when emulated through Rosetta 2 to run the same version of the test (5,925).
The Spectre transferred 25GB of files at a rate of 533.61 MBps, faster than the XPS 13 2-in-1, but slower than the ZenBook Flip S (979.37 MBps).
In our Handbrake test, which transcodes a 4K video to 1080p, the Spectre x360 14 finished the task in 18 minutes and 5 seconds. While this was four minutes faster than the ZenBook, the XPS 13 2-in-1 was speedier and the MacBook Pro led the whole pack, even while emulating x86 instructions.
To stress the Spectre, we ran it through 20 runs of Cinebench R23. It was fairly consistent in the low 4,000’s, though there were some peaks up to around 4,300. The CPU ran at an average of 2.61 GHz and an average temperature of 74.07 degrees Celsius (165.33 degrees Fahrenheit).
Display on the HP Spectre x360 14
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The 13.5-inch touchscreen on the Spectre x360 has a 3:2 aspect ratio, making it taller than it is wide. It’s an opulent amount of space, especially for doing work. You’ll see more text, code, spreadsheet cells or whatever else you’re working on because the screen is taller. It’s a big improvement over 16:9 displays, and makes for a more natural shape as a tablet, as it’s similar in shape to a piece of paper.
Our main review configuration was an OLED model with a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution. It looked incredible, with deep blacks and vibrant colors, as has been the case on most OLED monitors we’ve seen to date. Of course, most videos are still 16:9, so when I watched the trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong, it was letterboxed on the top and bottom. The beginning of the trailer features the titular ape on a barge during a sunset, and its blue and orange hues were beautiful as jets flew overhead.
The OLED screen covers 139.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (the non-OLED, 1920 x 1280 screen covered 74.6%). The next best was the ZenBook Flip S, also with an OLED display, at 113.1%. The MacBook Pro measured 78.3% and the XPS 13 2-in-1 covered 70%.
The Spectre’s display measured an average of 339 nits on our light meter. This never seemed like an issue in regular use, though the ZenBook, XPS 13 2-in-1 and MacBook Pro all got far brighter.
Keyboard, Touchpad and Stylus on the HP Spectre x360 14
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The keyboard on the Spectre takes up as much room as possible, moving from edge to edge of the
chassis
. This gave HP room to include a full keyboard, including an extra column for home, page up, page down and end keys. The tilde key is a little squeezed, but not enough for me to be inconvenienced.
The keys are clicky (they even have a bit of a clicky sound!), and I really enjoyed typing on them. On the 10fastfingers typing test, I reached 105 words per minute with my usual 2% error rate.
There’s a fingerprint reader built into the keyboard on the right side, next to the arrow keys. On the function row, there’s a key to kill the camera. The F1 key is sort of wasted, though, in that it is programmed exclusively to open the browser and search for “how to get help in
Windows 10
.”
HP has equipped the Spectre x360 with a 4.5 x 2.8-inch touchpad. It’s slightly smaller than the MacBook Pro (5.1 x 32 inches), but is still plenty spacious. With Windows 10 precision drivers, it responded immediately to every gesture.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
A rechargeable stylus is included with the laptop, the “HP Rechargeable MPP2.0 Tilt Pen.” (MPP is short for Microsoft Pen Protocol.) It’s round with one flat edge that connects to the left side of the laptop with magnets. That flat side also has two customizable buttons
The Spectre’s palm rejection worked pretty well, and the stylus worked well with both tilting and shading in supported applications. In Paint 3D, using the crayon tool required extra pressure for a deep hue, just like the real thing. I do wish, like some of Microsoft’s styluses, that HP would add an eraser to the end.
HP claims it lasts 30 hours on a charge. When you slide up the top of the stylus, a USB-C port is revealed, which is a neat addition. A ring light on the very top tells you its charging status.
Audio on the HP Spectre x360 14
HP’s collaboration with Bang & Olufsen has produced winning laptop audio for a while now, and the Spectre x360 14 is no exception.
These things get loud — too loud, even. As I listened to Spotify, I turned the volume down as Fall Out Boy’s “Bob Dylan” stormed through my apartment. The drums, vocals and guitars were clear. Bass was a bit quiet. I tried changing that manually in the Bang & Olufsen control center, but to a little effect. There are presets in that app, but I found most of them to be overkill.
Upgrading the HP Spectre x360 14
Unfortunately, HP has made upgrades and repairs to the Spectre x360 14 more difficult for the average person than they need to be.
There are two visible Torx screws on the underside of the laptop, but underneath the rear rubber foot, there are four more Phillips head screws. The feet are applied with adhesive and could rip when you remove them. HP makes extras available to authorized repair shops.
If you did get into the laptop, per
the maintenance manual
, you would find that while the RAM is soldered down, the SSD, WI-Fi module and battery are user replaceable.
Battery Life on the HP Spectre x360 14
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Like most laptops with OLED screens, the Spectre x360 14’s battery life isn’t exceptional. It will last you most of the day, but you’ll want to bring the braided USB Type-C charger with you.
On our test, which continuously has laptops browse the web, run OpenGL tests and stream video over Wi-Fi at 150 nits, the Spectre ran for 7 hours and 14 minutes. A non-OLED version with a 1920 x 1280 screen ran for 12:11, should you value battery life over image quality.
The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 lasted 10:52, while the ZenBook Flip S (also with OLED) ran for 8:11. The MacBook Pro with Apple’s M1 processor lasted the longest at a whopping 16:32.
Heat on the HP Spectre x360 14
We took skin temperature measurements on the 14-inch Spectre x360 while running our Cinebench R23 stress test.
Image 1 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Image 2 of 2
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The center of the keyboard measured 34.8 degrees Celsius (94.64 degrees Fahrenheit), while the touchpad was a cooler 29.4 degrees Celsius (84.92 degrees Fahrenheit).
The hottest point on the bottom was 47.1 degrees Celsius (116.78 degrees Fahrenheit).
Webcam on the HP Spectre x360 14
It’s a shame this beautiful, high-resolution screen wasn’t paired with a beautiful, high-resolution
webcam
. Like most laptop cameras, the Spectre x360’s is still stuck at
720p
.
An image I took at my well-lit desk was color accurate, catching my navy shirt, blue eyes and the mixed shades of brown in my hair and blue. But overall, the picture was grainy, and light coming in from some nearby windows was blown out.
On the bright side, it works with Windows Hello for facial login. While there’s also a fingerprint reader on the keyboard, this is better for logging in when it’s a tablet.
Software and Warranty on the HP Spectre x360 14
While the Spectre x360 is undoubtedly a premium device, it has the kind of bloat you would expect from some budget machines.
HP has a lot of its own software. I wish it would combine more of these disparate programs into the main app, HP Command Center, which lets you make performance adjustments based on temperature and sound and also lets you decide which software gets network priority.
There are separate pieces of software for choosing among different display modes, switching between headphone and speakers, changing HP telemetry settings and adjusting the buttons on the stylus. There’s also HP Quick Drop to move files between your phone and the laptop.
On top of all that, there is MyHP, which gives you your serial number and is otherwise filled in with some fairly vapid tips for using your PC. HP has also added LastPass, ExpressVPN, Netflix, trials of Adobe software and a promotion with Dropbox for new users to get 25GB of free space. There’s also a suite of McAfee software, including McAfee LiveSafe, Personal Security and File Lock.
Amazon Alexa is also preinstalled, which may be divisive. It sure is more useful than Cortana. Either way, it’s not actively listening. Instead, you have to sign in to your Amazon account.
Of course, there’s also some bloatware that’s included in most Windows 10 installs, like Hulu, Roblox and Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure.
HP sells the Spectre x360 14 with a 1-year warranty.
HP Spectre x360 14 Configurations
We tested the Spectre x360 14 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD with 32GB of Intel Optane memory, a 3000 x 2000 OLED display. It comes in black and costs $1,699.99 at Best Buy as of this writing.
HP sells other configurations on its own website, starting at $1,219.99 with an Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD with16GB of Intel Optane memory and a 1920 x 1280 touchscreen. Changing to black or blue adds $10 to the price, and for more money, you can go up to 2TB of storage (up to an extra $320).
Bottom Line
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
The HP Spectre x360 14 is the best 2-in-1 laptop you can get right now. The 3:2 display highlights your work in laptop mode and is more natural than 16:9 or 16:10 screens in tablet mode. It offers solid performance, has a variety of ports, includes a stylus and has an excellent keyboard.
If battery life is your priority, the OLED screen won’t do you any favors, but the 1920 x 1280 model might be more your speed. The
MacBook Pro with M1
, a clamshell alternative, is top of the class in endurance. If you prefer a smaller footprint, the
Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310
is still very good, though it has fewer ports and a 16:10 screen rather than 3:2.
But the Spectre x360 14 largely has it all, making this one easy to recommend if you’re willing to pay a premium price.
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.
