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Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review: Big steps to a bright future

(Pocket-lint) – Yes, it really is only a few months since the last MacBook Air hit the streets. But while this new end-of-2020 model looks and feels the same as the one from earlier in the year, what’s inside is quite different.

That’s because the MacBook Air now runs exclusively on Apple’s own processors, dubbed Apple Silicon. The Apple M1 chip inside shares more in common – actually a lot in common – with Apple’s A-Series iPhone and iPad chips than any Intel processor. It’s the same M1 that’s now available in the Mac mini range as well as the 13-inch MacBook Pro (although there’s still an Intel model available of the latter for now).

Apple Silicon is here: What does the Apple M1 mean for your next Mac?

The transition to Apple Silicon follows on from 15 years of Macs using Intel processors and, while we’re not sure what’s happening at the top-end of the range, it’s safe to say that all low-to-mid-level Macs will be running Apple Silicon by the end of 2021. So what difference does it make and is now the right time to jump in?

Design

Dimensions: 304 x 212mm / 41-161mm thick / Weight: 1.29kg
Ports: 2x USB-C (USB 4) / Thunderbolt 3, 1x 3.5mm jack
Finish options: Gold, Space Grey, Silver

As with the 2019 and early 2020 models, the external design of the first M1 Macbook Air is the same. We’ve remarked elsewhere how surprised we are that Apple didn’t take the opportunity to create a radical new Mac with the change to its own processor design. After all, we could have had a replacement for the old MacBook, which was sort of like a sub-MacBook Air.

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But we didn’t get that and so we move on. Apple is perfectly capable of pushing the envelope on design – just look at the AirPods Max – but clearly with the portable Mac it feels that its distinguished and hardy aluminium unibody is something to stick with. And why not? This is a hugely successful design that remains modern-looking, even though we’re now nearly 13 years on from Steve Jobs pulling the original from an envelope.

Once again there are two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports – which can sometimes limit you a little, but in reality it’s increasingly a rarity. The notable thing here is that they support the new USB 4 standard. The 3.5mm headphone jack remains but it’s surely now on borrowed time on the Mac.

The keyboard is the same again as the early 2020 MacBook Air, but that keyboard brought serious improvement over earlier generations, with the introduction of the Magic Keyboard with an older-style scissor mechanism. It’s very comfortable to type on for long periods and has much better travel than older ‘butterfly’ MacBook Pro keyboards. While many lauded the Magic Keyboard as a revelation, the fact is you should expect a fantastic keyboard to be part of a laptop like this. It’s a minimum requirement.

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Touch ID is in the top right corner of the keyboard, meaning quick and easy login with a fingerprint, but we really hope that Face ID will come to the Mac in 2021. You’ve been able to use your face to log into Windows 10 since 2016, so Apple is trailing behind here – in particular as the technology already exists in its phones.

Display

13.3-inch Retina Display, 2650 x 1600 resolution
Can drive up to one 6K external display
- True Tone support, P3 wide colour

Again you get the well-known 13.3-inch Retina display, giving you the same resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels as the 2019 and early 2020 versions. True Tone ensures the display adapts to your environment, while there’s also support for the P3 wide colour gamut – which is new for the Air this time around.

The Air’s display no longer has a huge bezel, but it does feel like Apple needs to match some of the PC designs coming out with near-borderless displays, which aren’t even that new – the Dell XPS 13 has had a super-thin bezel for half a decade now. We’ve said that bezel design needs to be refined for other Macs, too, particularly the iMac, and perhaps we will see some movement here over the next year or so.

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We found there was no problem driving our external 4K display via USB-C, but you can only connect a single 4K, 5K or 6K display at 60Hz (yes, you can drive Apple’s Pro Display XDR if you really want to – wouldn’t that be a dream?). The recent Intel version was capable of driving two 4K displays, or a single 5K display or a single 6K display over Thunderbolt, so the M1 is a rare and slight downgrade in that regard which will be noticed by some.

When we talked about the changes we wanted to see from Apple Silicon Macs, one of them was the hope that the Mac would support touch. Apple seems very set against touch for the Mac – and is persisting with the Touch Bar on the MacBook Pro – yet tells us that an iPad is a computer and that it can do anything. As a differentiator between product lines, it makes sense.

But there’s now (more than) a generation of kids who are totally used to touch and are pretty bemused they can’t touch a laptop’s screen, especially if they’ve done it with Windows 10, iPads and smartphones. Every time we’re using a Mac, someone in our family tries to touch the screen to flick through pictures or webpages – and that has to say something about what should happen with the Mac. Of course, Apple will have been thinking about this, but our opinion is that a change needs to happen sooner rather than later.

Performance and battery life

Apple M1 processor (3GHz; 8-core – 4 performance and 4 efficiency cores)
7 or 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
256/512GB storage (up to 1TB, 2TB)
8GB RAM (upgradeable to 16GB)
Battery cited at 15 hours

There are two versions of the Air available: one with seven-core graphics (more on that shortly) and a 256GB SSD; another with eight-core graphics and 512GB of storage. You can upgrade the storage in either version to a maximum of 2TB (an eye-watering upgrade in terms of cost though).

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Both versions of the Air have 8GB of RAM as standard (upgradeable to 16GB, which is the limit of what Apple Silicon can currently support, it seems). The two options also house identical CPUs – the eight-core Apple M1 with CPU cores based on the latest ARM design. And they don’t use fans either – so are silent in operation.

The M1 shares a huge amount with Apple’s A-Series processors and, more specifically, the A14 Bionic found in the iPhone 12 and 2020 iPad Air. Like that chip, the M1 is based on TSMC’s 5nm manufacturing process – which means it’s super-efficient. No non-Apple computer yet has a chip based on that process. Intel is still floundering with getting to 7nm, while Qualcomm hasn’t yet announced PC silicon based on 5nm.

The best Chromebook 2020: Our pick of the top Chrome OS laptops for school, college and more

Like the A14 Bionic there are four performance cores and four cores designed for power efficiency. This results in serious performance. Like others, we have been blown away by the raw capability on show here, because everything you expect to take time – like an installation or processing of video – happens so quickly. One negative, however, is that unlike the MacBook Pro with the M1 chip, performance will throttle over time to keep things cool and that’s why pros will still want to go with the Pro.

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We don’t normally do benchmarks on Pocket-lint (unless it’s for a gaming laptop or rig), but as this is the first time a chip has made its way into the wild it makes sense for a quick comparison. Our Geekbench 5 benchmark results show simply steaming performance (1731 single-core, 7475 multi-core score). A simple look at the Mac charts for Geekbench 5 shows you that on single-core performance the M1 is faster than any Mac Pro. And on multi-core performance the new M1 systems fall only behind the Intel Xeon Macs (Mac Pro and iMac Pro) and the 2019/2020 iMacs with Intel’s high-end Core Core i7-10700K and i9-9900K (check out our 2020 iMac review).

Raw performance is certainly not an issue then. And the efficiency of the ARM-based design has another benefit we had expected – longer battery life. Apple cites up to 18 hours video playback and 15 hours using the web. We found you could eke the battery out to last around 11 hours, but 10 is more common for serious use with video calls and lots of apps open and working in the background – which is still a great innings when many Windows machines will score around seven hours.

A note about the graphics. As we mentioned, the 256GB version of the Air has seven-core graphics, while the 512GB version has eight-core. There’s a pretty simple reason for this: with the manufacturing of any silicon, a certain percentage of product won’t come up to snuff, probably through defective cores. Those ‘bad cores’ can then be shut off and the product sold as a different version, hence the seven-core variant.

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There’s support for the latest Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6 standards, while the 720p FaceTime HD camera is now enhanced with some smarts from the image signal processor (ISP) on the M1 platform – it’s clearly better than in previous generations, as skin tones are better, colours are generally improved and the room looks brighter – but we still feel that Apple should upgrade the camera to a Full HD one.

Apple Silicon app support and macOS Big Sur

Support for non-native Apple Silicon apps via Rosetta 2 translator
All Apple apps are Apple Silicon-ready
Affinity, Google Chrome, Microsoft Office and other key apps have support
Others on the way, including full Adobe Creative Cloud compatibility

The key question with the move to Apple Silicon processors is if Apple could avoid the issues it had when it moved from Power PC to Intel processors around 2005. Could apps really work seamlessly on a completely new processor this time? The short answer is yes, Apple has avoided the major issues.

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That’s thanks to Rosetta 2, a code translator, helping non-native apps run on Apple Silicon systems. Bizarrely it isn’t installed as default – presumably if you just use Apple’s own apps you won’t need it. But if you open an app that isn’t ready for Apple Silicon, you’re prompted to install.

For an ever-increasing number of apps from the Mac App Store and Apple’s native apps, everything works fine. But for stuff from other vendors, more work is needed. That work is happening, of course, but if you rely on even a couple of lesser-known apps you may want to wait until you know there is native M1 support.

Zoom, for example, worked absolutely fine on Rosetta 2. Yet the company has been quick to announce an Apple Silicon version. Native Apple Silicon support doesn’t guarantee any problems, however – Google had to work to fix Chrome after the ARM version crashed repeatedly, which was a major pain for us the first few days we used this Mac. Generally though, apps are stable using Rosetta 2.

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Apple Silicon-enabled Affinity apps, including Affinity Photo, run brilliantly, as does Microsoft Office (also now updated for Apple Silicon). But other big-vendor apps are lagging behind. Adobe Creative Cloud has yet to fully move across, even if Lightroom already has support.

Now, if you compare apples with oranges and look at Microsoft’s rambling attempts to cater for ARM-based Windows PCs, the Apple Silicon transition is already a dream. The Windows Store is a car crash in comparison to the Mac App Store and, while you can easily live off apps from the Mac App Store, the same can’t be said of its Windows equivalent.

macOS Big Sur is generally very stable providing you’re using at least the 11.1 version – the 11.0 version wasn’t so hot, with some apps quite slow, a couple of issues with USB-C docks and so on. While the Apple Silicon support is the big story with Big Sur, the design has been overhauled. This isn’t the radical change that Apple first billed, but the design is more like iPadOS than ever.

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That isn’t a bad thing, because the new design elements are largely familiar, while the OS does feel genuinely fresh to use.

Verdict

While there’s a question mark over whether you should jump to Apple Silicon quite yet, there’s little doubt that Apple has seriously powered up the Air with its move to Apple Silicon. So much so that it’s hard to suggest you should plump for the MacBook Pro 13-inch over it – you have to really need the fan for sustained high performance over a longer time.

If you’re looking for an excuse to upgrade and the performance isn’t enough, consider the battery life. Obviously, a lot of us aren’t travelling so much at the moment, but the longevity of this Air really is a fresh experience. And this is a great laptop in many other ways, of course – the screen is super, the design robust, and the keyboard actually works well.

In the ultraportable market there’s little to compete. Of course, there are cheaper PCs, but they all have a compromise versus the Air, either in terms of performance or portability. It’s clear, then, that the M1 chip spells a bright future for Apple.

Also consider

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MacBook Pro (2020)

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The step-up model does cost more and gives you a fan instead for sustained workloads, but it’s mostly identical to the Air. One extra benefit is that it does give you even longer battery life (yes really) and so for some that could be worth the cost alone – it’ll take you up to the thick end of 20 hours.

Read our MacBook Pro review

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Dell XPS 13

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“Dell has once again proven it’s the laptop master” is what we said in our verdict on this laptop. And it’s a serious rival to both the MacBook Air and Pro. But considering the power of the M1, the XPS 13 has a real fight on its hands. But if you’re looking for the closest Windows 10 equivalent to the Air, this is the one. And it’s got a thin bezel, too!

Apple macOS 11 Big Sur: All the key new Mac features explored

Read our Dell XPS 13 review

Writing by Dan Grabham. Editing by Mike Lowe.

Elgato Wave:1 Review

Introduction

Earlier this year, Elgato, currently owned by CORSAIR, released their first two microphones specifically designed for content creators. I already reviewed the excellent Elgato Wave:3 and got the chance to play around with its less expensive albeit visually nearly identical sibling, the Elgato Wave:1.

Coming in at $120/€115, the Elgato Wave:1 is $40/€40 cheaper than the Wave:3. It comes without a capacitive mute button on top of the microphone and has a simpler front dial, which is used for headphone volume and microphone muting. The Wave:1 also technically has a lower quality ADC capable of 24-bit/48 kHz recording (as opposed to 24-bit/96 kHz recording on the Wave:3), so it will be interesting to see how it performs in comparison. In every other sense, Elgato’s two microphones are identical. Meaning, you not only get a nicely made USB microphone with a capable condenser capsule, but also one that offers a built-in digital mixer, as well as Elgato Stream Deck integration. In case you own the Stream Deck, you can easily populate it with Wave:1’s channels and most settings for complete control over the microphone and its digital mixer within arm’s reach.

Specifications

17 mm electret condenser capsule
Polar Pattern: cardioid
Sample Rate/Resolution: 24-bit/48 kHz
Max SPL: 120 dB (140 dB with Clipguard)
Dynamic Range: 95 dB (115 dB with Clipguard)
Frequency Response (specified by the manufacturer): 70–20,000 Hz
1x 3.5-mm headphone out (direct monitoring)
2.5 m USB-C cable
Windows, macOS, Elgato Stream Deck support
Weight: 555 g (microphone + stand) / 245 g (microphone only)

Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro Review: Pretty, Portable OLED

Our Verdict

A stunning AMOLED panel helps the XtendTouch Pro stand out among the portable monitor competition. But a required power hub and a high retail price mean this screen will mostly appeal to professionals.

For

Astounding image quality and brightness
More versatile than competition
Touch controls work well

Against

Expensive, especially at retail price
Requires two cables and a power adapter to function
Could use a metal kickstand

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

As far as productivity-focused portable screens go, the OLED-powered XtendTouch Pro is by far the nicest we’ve seen yet. And compared to professional alternatives, it’s surprisingly affordable — if you grab it from Kickstarter preorder for its starting price of $699 (the company claims retail price will be $1,299). But unless you need the level of color and brightness, that’s still a high price compared to lesser LCD-based 1080p resolutions models — though those don’t look nearly as good.

The XtendTouch Pro also requires two cables and a USB charging hub to function, making it a lot less practically portable than models that work over a single USB-C cable. So while the panel in this screen looks astounding, it will likely make sense solely to professionals and well-off prosumers who don’t want to pay much more for larger OLED alternatives.

Portable monitors have for years been a good option for those looking for increased productivity while on the go. And some, like Lenovo’s ThinkVision M14t, also include touch. But most don’t get very bright and/or don’t deliver the rich color, detail and contrast that professional or prosumer image and video editors need.

Enter the XtendTouch Pro from capsicum-themed peripheral maker Pepper Jobs. It’s a portable 15.6-inch 4K AMOLED, (a type of OLED) monitor with touch control, over 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space and a high rated peak brightness of 650 nits. It’s very portable at under 2 pounds and about 0.5-inch thick with its origami-like cover/stand.

Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro Specs

Panel Type / Backlight	AMOLED
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio	15.6 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate	3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Color Depth	8-bit
Response Time	1ms (typical)
Max Brightness	650 nits
Contrast Ratio	100,000:1 (static)
Power Consumption	30W (peak)
Ports	2x USB Type-C, Mini HDMI, OTG/USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Touch	10-point
Stylus	4,096 pressure levels
Dimensions	14 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches (377 x 224 x 10mm)
Weight	1.87 pounds (0.85kg)

Design of Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The eye-catching deep blacks and high brightness of the AMOLED panel in the XtendTouch Pro will likely be the main thing people notice about this monitor. Note that AMOLED is a variant of OLED developed by Samsung, with an additional active matrix (hence the AM) TFT film for faster, precise pixel control.

But many other aspects of the monitor’s exterior look much like other portable displays. At 14 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches and 1.87 pounds, it’s quite portable. But that statement discounts the necessity of two USB-C cables and an external power bank to deliver the stable power required to run the high-brightness screen and the touch layer — much more on this in the next section.

Bezels around the display are slim, save for the bottom lip, which is typically larger to house necessary components, as well as to lift the screen a bit more than 1 inch above your desk for more comfortable viewing.

There are more ports on the XtendTouch Pro than most portable displays. That’s in part due to the fact that you need a dedicated USB-C/Thunderbolt cable just for power — the company says the screen needs about 30W at peak brightness with the speakers turned up. But there’s some extra versatility provided here as well.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The right edge, near the bottom corner, houses one USB-C port for power, a second for data and a Mini HDMI port. Those with devices with a DisplayPort Alt Mode or Thunderbolt capabilities will want to use the pair of USB-C ports. But for devices that lack this, you can still use the top USB-C plugged into the included powered hub, while using HDMI for video. This is handy for connecting to things like consoles or a Raspberry Pi. But if you connect this way via PC, note that you won’t be able to use the screen’s touch layer.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The XtendTouch Pro also has stereo speakers that fire out of either side of the device (when in landscape orientation). When I listened to the new “Seed EP2” from dirty electronic pioneers Portion Control, the speakers did a decent job of conveying the layered complexity of distorted sounds and samples, and volume was enough to fill my small office (once I realized you need to use the OSD and an on-screen slider to go up past the default 50% volume). But as you might guess about speakers shoved behind a screen in a chassis that’s just 0.4 inches thick, bass was pretty much non-existent. If you want that, use the headphone jack or plug in some external speakers.

Over on the left side is a small rocker wheel/button used to bring up the on-screen display (OSD), a headphone jack and a USB-C On-The-Go (OTG) port for connecting the display to a smartphone or tablet. The monitor even comes with a picture-in-picture mode, so you can display a secondary signal in a small window in a corner of the screen. Given the small size of the resulting image on a display that’s only 15.6 inches diagonal, we suspect this feature will have minimal appeal for most.

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Overall, build quality feels quite solid, as we’d expect given the price. Aside from the glass front, the shell is made of solid-feeling metal. And there’s even a pair of small screw holes on the back for mounting the monitor to a 75mm VESA arm or stand. That’s something we haven’t seen in a portable monitor before and a nod to professionals who may want to use this screen in a more permanent setup.

Accessories for Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro

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The XtendTouch Pro ships with far more accessories than most portable monitors. In some ways, that’s a good thing, but it’s also partially out of necessity. As noted earlier, the monitor needs two cables to work, one of which needs to be plugged into a dedicated power source. The company shipped our unit with a 100W charger for this purpose, which also lets you handily power a few more USB devices at the same time. A company rep told us that there will be another option with a smaller 60W charger that also comes with plugs for multiple countries.

The latter option will likely appeal more to those who travel (whenever we get to a point where we can safely travel again). But knowing that you need to plug into an external power adapter and bring along two cables to plug in your external monitor means the XtendTouch Pro is less travel-friendly and more cumbersome to set up than many portable monitors that can get all the juice they need from a single USB-C cable. But then those options don’t deliver anywhere near the color, brightness and contrast of this AMOLED panel — and most don’t include touch support.

Touch and Pen Support on Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Speaking of touch, the monitor also ships with a premium-feeling pen-like stylus with 4,096 pressure sensitivity layers, powered by a single AAAA battery. It worked well in my limited use (I’m no artist), though as with most styli I’ve tested over the years, there’s noticeable lag when you’re writing or drawing at any speed.

Touch controls worked much as you would expect with a touchscreen laptop. But the thin folding stand cover also isn’t sturdy enough for input with the pen or much more than light taps and swipes. So Pepper Jobs also includes a second metal stand that lets you adjust the screen’s tilt and, to some extent, height. This stand is far-better suited to use with the stylus and general use at a desk because it lifts the screen up as much as 3 inches off the surface for better line of sight. But it’s bulky and weighted at the bottom (to aid stability), which makes it less travel-friendly, though it does fold flat.

Aside from the stand, the cover, the USB Power Delivery power hub, a small stand for the power hub and the stylus, the company includes a few cables and a USB-C to USB-A adapter in the box. All of this is appreciated but will weigh you down if you plan on traveling with it. And final shipping models may ship with a slightly different set of accessories. So make sure you know what’s included before buying (or preordering on Kickstarter).

Image Quality of Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

As you might expect given its AMOLED origins, many aspects of the image quality on the XtendTouch Pro are unrivaled, at least compared to most portable and budget monitors. I watched various 4K resolution videos of Scotland on YouTube (as I await the ability to safely travel there again). And the mixing shades of green, brown and gray looking over the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye were just as endless, complex and vivid on the AMOLED screen as I remember from hiking there in person. Looking at some of my own photos of the nearby Storr in the mist, the deep black of the Jurassic-era cliff faces, ripped down and exposed by the largest landslide in Britain, brought back a sense of timeless foreboding that I hadn’t felt since I last stood there myself, near-stupefied by the magnitude of everything around me.

The glossiness of a touchscreen can often cause viewing angle and reflection issues, as we saw with the ThinkVision M14t. But not so here. Thanks to a combination of the high contrast of AMOLED, (which is lit on a per-pixel basis, leading to the deepest of blacks) and high brightness (Pepper Jobs claims 440 average nits, with a peak of 650) means the image looks great from any angle and lighting condition. I have three 4K displays of various types that I use for testing and photo editing. But even the 49-inch Sony TV that I use as my primary productivity display couldn’t compete anecdotally on image quality, despite being a nice VA panel with some better brightness specs.

Again, OLED looks better than pretty much any kind of LCD display because the pixels provide their own light, rather than relying on any kind zone or edge backlighting. That said, for long-term use, my eyes prefer the (much) larger Sony TV than a 15.6-inch display.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

XtendTouch Pro surpasses any other portable or budget monitor that we’ve looked at recently, with a brightness at default settings of nearly 423 nits, a little shy of the rated 440 average. You should see higher peak brightness if viewing HDR content, but I never felt like I was wanting for more brightness with this screen, even when working in direct sunlight.

According to our colorimeter, the XtendTouch Pro is also easily the most colorful display of the portable monitors we’ve looked at lately, delivering nearly 175% of the sRGB space and 117.8% of the more-demanding DCI-P3. Nothing else we’ve tested in this class comes close, making this a great panel for media editing.

Color Gamut Accuracy of Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro

For details on our color gamut testing and volume calculations, click here.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Our saturation sweep of the DCI-P3 color space turned in a Delta E (dE) result of 3.68, which isn’t good for a monitor aimed at content creators. But the version of the XtendTouch Pro that Pepper Jobs sent us was just an engineering sample ,and early on a company rep told us that professional profiles and firmware were still being worked on.

So given the unfinished nature of this aspect of the screen, we didn’t continue with detailed color, grayscale and gamma testing. Those primarily interested in this aspect of the screen will have to wait for tests from a finalized version of the display. Of course, professionals with calibration tools may also be able to get more accuracy that way, though we hope Pepper Jobs delivers solid accuracy out of the box with its final shipping display.

Settings and OSD on Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro

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One of the nice things about having a touch screen display is when the on-screen display (OSD) is also touch-enabled, as it is with the Xtend Touch Pro. Rather than having to navigate every setting and slider with the jog wheel button on the left side, you mostly just press that to bring up the OSD and switch between screens. Adjusting sliders and selecting options and sub-menus is handled by tapping things that pop up in the lower-right corner of the display.

Most of what’s available in the OSD is expected and self-explanatory. But as noted earlier, to go past the monitor’s default 50% volume on the speakers, you need to open the OSD and tap and slide up the volume meter here. I just set it at 100% then used Windows to adjust the volume further. For those using other devices or operating systems, however, having the volume in the OSD might make more sense.

Bottom Line

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Given that similar portable OLED options, like Asus’ larger 21-inch ProArt PQ22UC OLED monitor cost thousands of dollars, the Pepper Jobs XtendTouch Pro is arguably a bargain for professionals and prosumers who need a colorful second display for working on the go or in small spaces. That’s especially true if you pick it up via Kickstarter for $699 rather than the eventual suggested retail price of $1,299. The good news is that the company estimates Kickstarter orders to ship in January 2021, so you won’t likely have long to wait. Just know that you’ll need to carry around a power hub and extra cables to get the screen working.

But even at the $699 price, the Xtend Touch Pro is too pricey to find much favor outside the creative realm. And we were unable to test final color accuracy, which is a key consideration, even for enthusiast photographers who want to make sure what’s on the screen is an accurate representation of reality.

If you just want an extra screen for productivity, there are lots of alternatives that, while they don’t look as good or get as bright, will let you bang out documents or sort spreadsheets for hundreds less. And while the 1ms rated response time means this screen should suffice for gaming, those spending anything close to this much on a portable monitor for gaming will likely be after a screen that can output more than this panel’s 60 Hz refresh rate. For those users, there’s the Asus ROG Strix XG17AHPE, which does 240 Hz, is larger at 17.3 inches and sells for about $500.

Samsung Galaxy M12 mass production begins, Galaxy F12 support page goes live

We’ve been hearing about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy M12 handset for a while now and it seems the phone has already entered mass production in Samsung’s factory in Noida, India. As a result we are treated to several new images of the phone’s frame.

Samsung Galaxy M12 frame

The first one reveals the touchscreen component of the display inside the M12’s frame which also shows a cutout on the top to accommodate the V-shaped waterdrop cutout for the selfie camera. According to past rumors, the handset is expected to launch with a 6.7-inch Infinity-V AMOLED display and HD+ resolution. The other images reveal M12 markings on the plastic frame as well as the SIM tray placement.

Past spec leaks suggest the phone will be powered by the Exynos 850 chipset and 3GB RAM alongside a 6,000 mAh battery, four rear cameras and Android 11. The device will also house a USB-C port and headphone jack. Past renders give us a solid idea of what to expect from the device’s final design.

Samsung Galaxy M12/F12 body

In the meantime, the support page for the Galaxy F12 bearing the SM-M12FG/DS model number was spotted on Samsung India’s website. The Galaxy F12 is believed to be the global version of the Galaxy M12 which means we should be seeing both handsets go official soon.

Samsung Galaxy F12 support page

Source | Via

Brand new Xiaomi Mi 11 gets torn down on video

The first phone with a Snapdragon 888 chipset is already official with the launch of Xiaomi’s Mi 11 yesterday in China. The brand new Xiaomi flagship has quickly made its way to local tech bloggers and teardown experts Aiao Technology decided to take it apart and show us what it looks like on the inside.

As with all teardowns this one starts by removing the SIM tray located on the bottom near the USB-C port. Then it’s time to pry open the plastic eco-leather back free from all the adhesive and remove a few screws holding the camera sensor cover. The main 108MP sensor is Samsung’s ISOCELL HMX which comes with OIS, it’s paired alongside a 5MP Samsung S5K5E9 while the 13MP ultrawide module is OmniVision’s CMOS OV13B10.

Xiaomi Mi 11 teardown (credit: Aiao Technology)

The motherboard is covered in plenty of copper foil on the front and back and also has several heat sinks for improved thermal performance. After removing the copper bits, we can actually see the brand new Snapdragon 888 chipset alongside the flash memory and both are sealed tight adhesive in case of any exposure to liquids. The 4,600 mAh battery comes courtesy of Sunwoda Electronics Co Ltd.

Via

vivo Y31s 5G with Snapdragon 690 in the pipelines

vivo is expected to launch the X60 series today, but it’s also continuing work on its host of mid-rangers. The latest phone we hear of is called vivo Y31s 5G and appeared on China Telecom’s website with all its specs and photos. It is a more affordable version of the vivo Y52s 5G with downgrades in the chipset and main camera departments.

vivo Y31s listed at China Telecom

The vivo Y31s 5G has a Snapdragon 690 chipset and a single memory tier – 6/128 GB. The screen has a 6.58” diagonal and much like on the Y52s is of the LCD variety.

vivo Y31s 5G

The dual setup on the back sees the Y52’s 48MP sensor reaplaced with a more basic 13MP one, while a 2MP secondary snapper is mostly serving decorative purposes. At the front an 8MP camera is sitting inside a waterdrop notch.

The vivo Y31s 5G is powered by a 5,000 mAh battery with 18W fast charging over a USB-C port. It also sports a 3.5mm audio jack.

The phone is expected to start selling on December 31 at which point we’ll learn if the listed price of CNY1,798 (about $270) is real or just a placeholder.

Via

Xiaomi Mi 11 makes its debut in China. The first smartphone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip shines with a powerful specification

Today the Chinese premiere of the Xiaomi Mi smartphone took place 11, the newest flagship giant from the Middle Kingdom. Successor to the Mi model 10 is also the first smartphone to use the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon chip 888. The global premiere of the flagship will take place next month at the earliest, then we will also know the official prices for Europe and find out in what form Mi 11 will go to Poland. In the meantime, let’s check what exactly the Chinese version of the device offers and whether it is actually as attractive as the leaks suggested. The expectations for the youngest child, Xiaomi, were enormous, but all indications are that the manufacturer managed to meet them all. To the point.

Xiaomi Mi Smartphone 10 has been officially presented in China. The device does not hide any secrets from us. So we know the appearance of the flagship and its full technical specification.

Xiaomi Mi Smartphone Test 10 T Pro: Pro Edition Night Photography

Xiaomi Mi 11, technically speaking, it is the model presented in 2020, while it will not be available for sale until next year. Visually, the device impresses with a fresh design, which is most visible on the back. An interesting texture is broken by a slightly protruding camera module, which differs from most photographic sets in 2020. The back surface is of course glass. The frame is made of metal and reminds me a bit of the element used in OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G. This is nothing bad, because I consider the smartphone to be one of the most stylistically attractive models.

Xiaomi Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2 electric scooter test – This is a scooter at the end of the world! As long as it is no more than 30 km …

At the front we find 6, 81 – inch AMOLED screen with QHD + resolution covered with a layer of chemically tempered Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The image is refreshed with the frequency 120 Hz, and the pixel density is 515 ppi. There was here 10 – bit depth of color and peak brightness level 1500 rivets. There is a fingerprint reader under the display. For the performance of Xiaomi Mi 10 corresponds to the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip 888, Adreno graphics 660 and 8 or 12 GB of LPDDR5 memory. The data will be saved on 128 or 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. The specification also includes USB-C, Harman Kardon stereo speakers and WiFi 6.

We will take the photos with a set of three cameras. Main Camera is 108 MP Wide unit with f / 1 light. 85 and optical image stabilization. It is supported by a wide-angle module 12 MP with f / 2.4 light and 5 MP Markko camera with f / 2.4 light. In the subject of video, we can count on 8K resolution, but this is not a special surprise. Have you counted on fast charging? Yes, it appeared in Xiaomi Mi 10, while we are talking only about power 55 For wired charging, 50 For wireless charging and 10 wireless reverse charging. The battery is a cell with a capacity and 4600 mAh. Xiaomi Mi 11 in the basic version costs 3999 yuan (~ 2250 PLN).

	Xiaomi Mi 11	Xiaomi Mi 10 T
Screen	6, 81 – all AMOLED QHD + 120 Hz	6, 67-whole IPS FHD + 144 Hz
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888	Qualcomm Snapdragon 865
RAM	8 GB / 12 GB	8 GB
Data storage	128 GB / 256 GB UFS 3.1	128 GB UFS 3.1
Main camera	108 Main MP 13 MP ultra wide angle 5 MP macro	64 Main MP 12 MP ultra wide angle 5 MP Macro
Front camera	20 MP	20 MP
Dimensions	164, 3 x 74, 6 x 8, 06 mm	165, 1 x 76, 4 x 9, 33 mm
Weight	196 g	218 g
Colors	Black, Blue	Black, Silver
Other	USB-C, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, IR	USB-C, WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, IR
Battery	4600 mAh 55 In	5000 mAh 33 In
Price	~ 2250 PLN
~ 2500 PLN

Source: Xiaomi

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ specs detailed in a massive leak

Specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra were detailed last week, and now the S21 and S21+ have also got the same treatment, leaving little to the imagination.

The S21 and S21+ will be powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC in the US and have an Exynos 2100 chipset at the helm in Europe. Both smartphones will boot Android 11 with One UI 3.1, have 8GB RAM onboard, and come with two storage options – 128GB and 256GB. But neither of them is likely to come with a microSD card slot for storage expansion.

The vanilla S21 will feature a 6.2″ FullHD+ Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED display, while the Plus model will come with a slightly larger 6.7″ panel of the same resolution. Both screens will be protected by Gorilla Glass Victus and have a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz.

Galaxy S21 (on left) and Galaxy S21+ (on right)

For photography, the S21 and S21+ will sport a 64MP triple camera on the back, with the 10MP selfie shooter placed at the center of the screen.

Keeping the lights on will be a 4,000 mAh battery on the S21, with the Plus model packing a 4,800 mAh cell. But neither phone will come with a charger included in the box. You can check out the table below for the complete specs of the S21 and S21+.

Specs
Galaxy S21
Galaxy S21+
CPU
Exynos 2100 (in Europe), Snapdragon 888 (in US)
RAM
8GB
Operating System
Android 11 with One UI 3.1
Display
6.2″ FullHD+ Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED Always-On Display with Gorilla Glass Victus, 120Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits brightness, 421 ppi pixel density
6.7″ FullHD+ Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED Always-On Display with Gorilla Glass Victus, 120Hz refresh rate, 1300 nits brightness, 394 ppi pixel density
Rear Camera
12MP primary (F/1.8, 79°, 26mm, 1/1.76″, 1.8µm, OIS) + 12MP ultrawide (F/2.2, 120° FOV, 13mm, 1/2.55″, 1.4µm) + 64MP telephoto (F/2.0, 76° FOV, 28mm, 1 / 1.76 “, 0.8 µm, OIS) with 3x hybrid optical zoom, auto-focus, PDAF
Front Camera
10MP (F/2.2, 80° FOV, 25mm, 1/3.24”, 1.22µm)
Video Recording
8K @ 30FPS, 4K @ 30/60FPS, 1080p @ 30/60/120FPS, 720p @ 960FPS
Internal Storage
128/256GB
Connectivity
5G, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, NFC
Battery
4,000 mAh with 25W Charging, Qi Wireless Charging, and Reverse Charging
4,800 mAh with 25W Charging. Qi Wireless Charging, and Reverse Charging
Misc
IP68 rated, Wireless PowerShare, Samsung Knox, Dual SIM + e-SIM, Ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner
Colors
Gray, White, Pink, Purple
Silver, Black, Purple
Dimensions
151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm
161.4 x 75.6 x 7.8mm
Weight
171 grams
202 grams
In addition to revealing the complete specs, the source also corroborated the previously leaked prices of the S21 and S21+.

The regular model will start at €849 in Europe, while the Plus variant will start at €1049 for the 128GB version, and spending €50 extra will get you double storage.

Source (in German)

SilverStone MS12, an external box with USB 3.2 Gen2x2a 20 Gbps connectivity for NVMe SSD

by Antonio Delgado Make 40 minutes …

New from SilverStone is the MS 12 , an external M.2 NVMe SSD enclosure with USB-C type USB 3.2 Gen2x2 connectivity.

USB 3.2 Gen2x2 should be what we would know as USB 3.2 if the USB 3.2 nomenclature had not been perverted into what it is today for marketing reasons. In any case, this standard allows reaching speeds of up to 20 Gbps through the USB port , type C in this case, being able to take advantage of largely the read and write speeds of NVMe SSDs. It is increasingly common to see high-performance units with this connector.

The SilverStone MS 12 is capable of hosting NVMe SSD in M.2 format 2280

The SilverStone MS 12 supports M.2 SSDs up to 2280, that is, 22 mm wide by 80 mm long, but also has support for M.2 format 2260 and M.2 2242 thanks to the placement of a system of holes and screws to fix any of these three sizes of M.2 SSD.

Inside it hides an ASM controller 2364 from ASMedia, with support only for M.2 NVMe 1.3 PCie 3 x4 SSD (M.2 SATA not supported), and with which it is capable of reaching that maximum of 2. 000 Transfer MB / s,

The casing is metallic, specifically aluminum, and has a shape designed to function as a heatsink. In total, your measurements are mm x 15, 3 mm x 33, 3 mm next to a weight of 53 g. A USB cable of 30 cm.

End of Article. Tell us something in the Comments or come to our Forum!

Antonio Delgado

Computer Engineer by training, editor and hardware analyst at Geeknetic since 2011. I love gutting everything that comes my way, especially the latest hardware that we get here for reviews. In my spare time I fiddle with 3d printers, drones and other gadgets. For anything here you have me.

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 + without secrets. The full technical specifications of the upcoming flagship smartphones have leaked

The global debut of Samsung Galaxy S smartphones 21, Galaxy S 21 + and Galaxy S 21 Ultra is coming in big steps. Although the premiere is still ahead of us, we already know quite a lot about the devices. Recently, renders have entered the network that present the appearance of all three variants in detail. Today we can read the full technical specification of Samsung Galaxy S 20 and Galaxy S 21 +. These are not only partial data, but a complete package of information about the hardware. Although these models seem to differ only in size, the specification reveals many more elements characteristic of only one of the new “galaxies”. Without unnecessary extension, let’s get to the point.

The full technical specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S flagship have just leaked to the network 20 and Samsung Galaxy S 21 +. We check the most important differences between the models.

Samsung Galaxy S smartphone test 20 FE – cheaper, not worse

So let’s briefly discuss the fundamental common features of devices and see what makes them different. Both models will receive the Samsung Exynos chip 2100 for Europe and Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 for the USA. In both cases, we can count on 8 GB RAM, Android 11 with One UI 3.1 overlay, Dynamic AMOLED screen with image refresh level 120 Hz and brightness up to 1300 rivets. The main photographic unit consists of 12 MP main camera with f / 1.8 light, 12 MP ultra wide angle with f / 2.2 aperture and 64 MP telephoto lens with f / 2.0 brightness. For the selfie he will answer 10 MP main camera. There will also be 8K video recording at 27 FPS, 5G modem, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and fast charging 25 W and QI wireless charging.

Samsung Galaxy S 21.

Samsung Galaxy S Test 20 +: exemplary smartphone. Is that enough?

Samsung Galaxy S 20, however, will receive a smaller, 6.2-inch screen with a pixel density of 431 ppi, while Galaxy S 21 + will display the image on 6.7- inch screen. The more modest version of the “eska” will be able to boast 4000 mAh battery, the higher variant will receive a cell with a capacity 4800 mAh. Madman S 21 will be available in gray, white, pink and purple color versions, model S 21 + in silver, black and purple options. Weaker, if one can say so about the flagship, the model will weigh 171 grams by dimensions 151, 7 x 71, 2 x 7.9 mm, more expensive variant 202 we play with dimensions 161, 4 75, 6 x 7.8 mm. European price of the base Samsung Galaxy S 20 is the 849 euro , version with Plus 1049 euro.

	Samsung Galaxy S 21	Samsung Galaxy S 21 +
Processor	Samsung Exynos 2100 / Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
RAM	8 GB
System	Android 11 One UI 3.1
Screen	6.2-inch Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED FHD + AOD Gorilla Glass Victus Brightness 1300 rivets 421 ppi 120 Hz	6.7-inch Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED FHD + AOD Gorilla Glass Victus Brightness 1300 rivets 394 ppi 120 Hz
Main camera	12 MP Main f / 1.8 OIS 12 MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle 120 ° 64 MP telephoto f / 2.0 3x optical zoom
The camera for selfie	10 MP f / 2.2
Record video	8K 30 FPS, 4K 60 FPS, HD 960 FPS
Data memory	128 / 256 GB
Connectivity	5G, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB-C
Battery	4000 mAh 25 In Qi Wireless Charging Chargeback	4800 mAh 25 In Qi Wireless Charging Reverse Charge
Colors	Gray, White, Pink, Purple	Silver, Black , purple
Dimensions	151, 7 x 71, 2 x 7.9 mm	161, 4 x 75, 6 x 7.8 mm
Weight	171 g	202 g
Other	IP 68, Samsung Knox, Dual SIM (e-SIM), in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint reader

Samsung Galaxy S 21 +.

Source: GSMArena

31504

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 + and Ultra on the march

When the launch of a new Galaxy S smartphone is pending, the rumor mill is seething. This is the case with the Galaxy S 21, which will probably be presented in mid-January, not different. It just seems as if the entire dish is already ready and on the table. Leaks show all three S 21 – models in full glory.

The top model Galaxy S 21 According to the information from Winfuture, Ultra will be delivered with the new processor Samsung Exynos 2100. The octa-core chip clocks at up to 2.8 GHz and can be set to 12 GByte RAM access. The display of the smartphone measures 6.8 inches diagonally and supports a refresh rate of 120 Hertz, meanwhile the standard in the upper class. According to the current information, the resolution of the OLED panel is 3200 x 1440 Pixel.

The large camera element of the Galaxy S 21 Ultra includes a main camera with 108 – Megapixel sensor, an ultra wide-angle lens and two telephoto lenses with focal lengths of 72 and 240 millimeters in 35mm equivalent. The front camera has a 40 – megapixel sensor and looks through a small hole in the Display.

If the information from Winfuture is correct, the Galaxy S brings 21 Ultra with a battery with 5000 mAh, which can be charged either via USB-C or wirelessly with the Qi standard. Samsung apparently no longer includes a power adapter in its new top smartphones, similar to Apple and Xiaomi.

Galaxy S 21 and S 21 + slightly slimmed down Also with the two model variants Galaxy S 21 and S 21 + Winfuture has already collected a lot of information that is just as plausible as the image material. Accordingly, both smartphones have a slightly smaller camera module than the Ultra and only one 64 – megapixel -Sensor as a spearhead to offer, in the telephoto camera. The main camera takes pictures with 12 megapixels. There is no second zoom lens, the selfie camera on the front has a maximum resolution of 10 megapixels. The two somewhat weaker models of the Galaxy S 21 also have the Exynos 2100 in the stomach, but 8 instead of 12 GByte RAM and 128 or 256 GByte storage space. The capacity of the batteries should be 4000 or 4800 mAh lie. Qi-Charge support both models.

The official prices for the Galaxy-S 21 – Samsung will announce the launch at the launch. It is to be expected that the S 21 Ultra are clearly in the four-digit range and will cost at least 1200 euros. We expect the S 12 + around the thousand euro mark, the S 21 should be between 100 and 200 Euros are lower.

(sht)

Corsair HS70 Bluetooth Review

Introduction

Hang on, didn’t we recently review two gaming headsets from Corsair’s HS product family? Indeed, we did—the HS60 HAPTIC (reviewed here) and HS75 XB Wireless (reviewed here) launched in October. They were quickly followed by the third and final addition to this award-winning gaming headset series: the Corsair HS70 Bluetooth. Coming in at $100/€110, the HS70 Bluetooth is the least expensive and most versatile of the bunch in terms of connectivity, which will make it the most attractive gaming headset in Corsair’s entire HS lineup for many.

As its name implies, the Corsair HS70 Bluetooth offers Bluetooth connectivity, making it wirelessly pairable with smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other Bluetooth-capable devices. Additionally, it has an analogue 3.5-mm jack plug and a USB-C port. The latter isn’t only for charging its built-in battery, but also another way to communicate with your PC if you do want to use analogue or Bluetooth connectivity. Using it via USB makes it fully configurable in iCUE, much like any other Corsair USB gaming headset.

Also worth mentioning is the fact that the HS70 Bluetooth is able to use its Bluetooth, analogue, and USB connections simultaneously. This opens it up to a couple of interesting use cases. For example, you can connect the headset to your PC through USB or your console through the 3.5-mm jack plug while keeping it connected to your phone via Bluetooth in order to be able to answer phone calls without taking the headset off. Perhaps you want to use Discord’s mobile app while gaming? No problem—just open it up on your smartphone, connect to your server of choice, and chat away. Another interesting option is to connect it to your Nintendo Switch through the analogue 3.5-mm interface for the game while utilizing the Bluetooth connection to your phone for voice chat in Switch games that don’t support it natively. Of course, nothing prevents you from exclusively using the HS70 Bluetooth as a Bluetooth headset, but its wired connectivity is just as important a part of the equation.

In every other respect, the Corsair HS70 Bluetooth is nearly identical to the rest of the HS lineup. You probably already know what that means—it’s nicely built, comfortable to wear, and fun to listen to. Let’s dig in!

Specifications

50-mm dynamic drivers (neodymium magnet)
32 Ω impedance
20–20,000 Hz frequency response (specified by the manufacturer)
Closed-back, over-ear design
USB, 3.5-mm, and wireless Bluetooth connectivity
Removable unidirectional noise-canceling microphone
Up to 30 hours of battery life
Supplied braided 1.8-meter USB-C and 1.5-meter 3.5-mm jack audio cable
Platform support: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices
Weight: 378 g

Garmin Edge 1030 Plus cycling computer review: Data by the bucketload

(Pocket-lint) – Many will look at the price of the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus and wonder if a bike is included. Indeed, for many normal folk, an asking price in the several hundreds will seem simply absurd.

But then this product isn’t for casual riders. It’s for hardcore cycling folk and athletes who want to have everything at their fingertips and compatibility with all the cycling accessories you might want to further assess your training. By the time you’ve added those, though, you might need to remortgage your house.

If you can afford the outlay it’ll pay you back with buckets of data. Because the Garmin Edge 1030 is as complete and comprehensive a cycling computer solution as you can get – without any real rivals. That said, if you won’t use all its sensor add-on capabilities or intend to grow into more products in the future then we’d advise you look further down the range.

Design & Display

Display: 3.5-inch colour touchscreen, 282 x 470 resolution
Dimensions: 58 x 114 x 19mm / Weight: 124g
IPX7 weather resistant build
Micro-USB charging

We’re so used to using the latest and greatest smartphones – it comes with the job – that a cycling computer invariably looks a bit “meh” by comparison. The screen isn’t as large – although the Edge Plus is the largest in the cycling computer market – or as bright or as resolute.

Pocket-lint

So what gives? Well, much as having a phone-like device on the front of your bike might sound nice, it’d soon crumple under true pressure; a crash would see it smashed to smithereens. The Garmin? No chance. This thing is hard as nails. We’ve been using it for months. We’ve crashed (thanks rogue tree braches of Kent). We’ve skidded off (thanks surface water). We’ve got soaked to the skin and caked in mud (thanks, er, man upstairs). And the Edge Plus hasn’t even given a little shrug about such bother.

Plus, while that 3.5-inch screen might sound small – it kinda reminds us of the original iPhone’s scale – it’s actually got enough real-estate to display what you need. In legible resolution. And in colour, too, rather than the simple monochrome setups of some cheaper models. A built-in light sensor knows when it’s dark enough to require illumination, to ensure you can always catch what you need at a glance.

Sure, in the future Garmin will no doubt up-size the screen to give an even more comprehensive view, but right now this is as big and as brilliant as you can get. And we’re just fine with that.

Pocket-lint

It’s a similar story with the Micro-USB charging port. We had previously used an Edge 1030 (i.e. not the Plus model) and even five years of use into that – to its point of death, actually, because that USB port was the eventual fail point of the product when it would no longer make a connection – we had been saying all along “why not USB-C?”. We still think the same.

Plus, why not add wireless charging? Chucking this computer on a pad for recharging rather than having to open any ports – bad for water/mud! – would be a far, far more sensible solution (and, frankly, at this price there’s no reason it doesn’t have something as fancy as such technology).

Anyway, those points aside, the Edge Plus utilises a combination of touchscreen and button-based control. The buttons are three fold: an on/off to the upper left; a lap button to the lower left; and a pause/start button to the lower right. You may never need to use the touchscreen during a ride.

Pocket-lint

Oh, and if you’re worried about rain messing things up during a ride, then fret not: rain detection will know it’s not you thumbing around the screens and it’ll ignore the pitter patter of raindrops (a phone, by comparison, would go into meltdown).

Setup & Customisation

Garmin Connect app compatible with Google Android and Apple iOS
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+

The Edge 1030 Plus comes in two forms: standalone; or bundled with a heart-rate monitor (HRM), cadence sensor and speed sensor. If you don’t have those accessories then we would certainly suggest you go with the bundle. It’s not a crazy amount of extra cash and that extra data you can source from such readings will be very insightful.

Pocket-lint

To get everything up and running there’s the Garmin Connect app, available on Apple iOS and Google Android devices. It’s free to download and is the home of all that data. Well, it sort of is: we’ve set it up to automatically push all data to Strava, which it will happily do, among other service options. Garmin doesn’t force you to be locked into the one system.

Connect has improved over time though, as have Edge products. With our older Edge device we had to plug it into a PC to get a firmware update (which even then didn’t work). With the Edge 1030 Plus, however, it’s network connected and will get the latest software over the air as it needs. It’ll even upload data – it does for us the moment we’re within reach of our home Wi-Fi network – which is handy as it’s only possible to connect one mobile device to it (we’d like the option of more, be that a second phone, work phone, partner’s phone, etc).

But you shouldn’t shrug off Connect. It’s got stacks of data within. A ride will show you segments, average speed (incl. moving speed), max speed, time, elevation, calories burned, temperature, and any additional inputs – cadence, heart rate, power, VO2 max, etc – too. You can compare to your age groups, set challenges, join groups, and more.

1/3Pocket-lint

You can even setup an emergency contact, as the Edge 1030 Plus is clever enough to detect what it believes is an incident and reach out to your emergency contact with the details and location. If, like us, you ride out in the sticks then that’s a rather good reassurance. It uses the built-in accelerometer to assess this, so small lumps, bumps and potholes won’t be a bother – it’s looking for bigger, more unusual – i.e. crash – information. Not as useful for MTB, though, we should imagine!

Mapping, Navigation & Features

GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, altimeter, accelerometer, thermometer, ambient light sensor
On-device course created using Garmin cycle map (cycling-specific street map)
Breadcrumb and turn-by-turn navigation

While Connect does a lot, it’s the cycling computer itself that’s of greatest interest. We’ve setup our Edge Plus’ main screen to show six segments – speed, average speed, distance, time, calories, elevation – but you can customise this as you please, even set multiple screens of data to swipe through. We do wish that a more intelligent connection to Connect would allow us to do this via a smart device though.

Pocket-lint

It’s possible to set Road, Indoor, and Mountain profiles in the one device. So if you have multiple bikes for multiple agendas then the Edge knows what you’re doing and can track accordingly.

It’s possible to set courses on the Edge itself, upload given courses, then have it alert you to turn-based instructions. Even if you’re not on a specific course then Garmin’s cycle map – which is a cycling-specific street map – knows the road data and can pre-warn you of sharp bends and such like. When you’re not on turn-based riding and it bleeps at you then it’s a good idea to look, as we’ve found.

The detail of the map, in full colour, is great – and something lesser products might not offer. That’s really one of the things the 1030 Plus adds in to justify its price point.

Tracking is accurate, too, thanks to GPS (with GLONASS and GALILEO) ensuring fast acquisition of location and sensible reads. When you are off the beaten track it’ll say ‘Lost Satellites’, but still be performing a pretty accurate read of all the necessary data as best as possible – with that mapping to fall back on. It doesn’t usually take long to relocate a signal either.

Pocket-lint

In short: the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus offers a clear view of whatever data you might want to see, in a detailed and customisable at-a-glance format, whether that’s map data, numerical data, or graph-based data in real-time. It’s great at giving you what you want to see right in front of your eyes, without ever becoming an unwanted distraction.

Best Fitbit fitness tracker 2020: Which Fitbit is right for you?

Sensor Compatibility & Accessories

Syncs with huge range of sensors: from power meters to Varia rear-radar and lights
Shimano Di2 Synchro Shift integration compatible, ANT+ smart trainer compatible

But one of the biggest reasons to buy the Edge 1030 Plus is because it can do everything. Happen to have Shimano Di2 Synchro Shift – and who wouldn’t want electronic gear-shift? – then it’s compatible with the Edge. Want to know your power output? You can buy power meter Vector pedals and all that data will be accurately conveyed.

Pocket-lint

Which is to say: the Edge 1030 Plus is a professional grade piece of kit. You could hand this to your trainer post ride to get an assessment of how much power you’re outputting over what distances/inclines and work out training programmes to advance that for specific races or sportifs. Heck, you could analyse it yourself and work out how to better yourself.

Because the data becomes rather addictive. You want to be faster, stronger, better. And when you’ve got the knowledge and applications to be able to get there, it all makes a lot of sense. However, buying into a full system where you’re tracking power, cadence, speed, heart-rate, and so forth, will cost you a pretty penny. But you could grow into it – it is a hobby after all.

If you happen to not ride as much when the winter months come in then the ANT+ connection is handy for use with a compatible turbo trainer. You’ll still get all the various assessments for your personal indoor training. So if you’re a Zwift enthusiast then it can cater for all your data, even if Zwift is assigning resistance to the trainer.

Pocket-lint

Beyond those setups, Garmin also sells Varia radar detection systems, which alert to rear-approaching vehicles. We’ve never used one, but can see its worth – especially after being ‘overtaken’ (read: almost murdered) on a country lane blind bend at 30mph by a Toyota Land Cruiser – as wind-in-the-ears downhills make it impossible to know what’s approaching by sound alone.

Verdict

So what’s so special about the Garmin Edge 1030 Plus? Not only is it the largest cycling computer screen on the market – even though that’s not large compared to a smartphone – as the company’s flagship cycling computer it naturally comes with all the bells and whistles too.

Pre-installed mapping is a big reason to buy this product over a step-down model in the range. Mapping is expensive, and here you’re able to get hold of whatever you wish without additional cost.

But, really, just like the other Garmin cycling computers, the Edge 1030 Plus is all about data. Build up a variety of accessory additions – and this computer will connect with anything ANT+, from heart-rate monitors, to turbo trainers, to power pedals, and beyond – and you’ll be able to map out incredibly detailed training data.

All on the largest, longest-lasting and most comprehensive cycling computer around. Yes, it’s absurdly expensive, but it’s absurdly good at its job too.

Best Garmin watch 2020: Fenix, Forerunner and Vivo compared

Also consider

Garmin

Garmin Edge 830

squirrel_widget_3662313

The smaller cousin in the range doesn’t come with the mass of pre-installed mapping, and of course its screen is smaller, but it’s also a couple of hundred less – which will make it widely appealing to many.

Writing by Mike Lowe.

HP Omen Spacer Review: The Mature Wireless TKL

Our Verdict

The HP Omen Spacer is a reliable gaming keyboard for grown-ups. Backlighting is limited to red and white with very few customization options, and the key caps could be more premium. But the keyboard offers comfortable typing and good battery life.

For

Comfy, magnetic wrist rest
Mature look
Long battery life

Against

No media keys
Mediocre keycaps
Limited backlight colors, customization
Brown switches only

If you can live without a numpad, a tenkeyless (TKL) keyboard design is a great balance between functionality and efficiency. You get some extra space to move your mouse around, which is particularly good news for PC gamers, and reclaim some desk space without having to sacrifice basic functions, such as arrow keys, like 60% keyboards have you do. Chop off the cord, and the design gets even more efficient and the desk space even more aplenty. It’s no wonder this keyboard is named the HP Omen Spacer.

The Omen Spacer has an MSRP of $160 but is on sale currently for a more appropriate price of $100. At $160, it’d be competing with the pricier members of our Best Gaming Keyboards and Best Wireless Keyboards lists. That’s despite the Omen Spacer lacking much in the way of premiums, even the all too common per-key RGB. But not everyone needs millions of colors and extra keys built in their mechanical keyboard. The Omen Spacer is a mature keyboard that’s purely about getting to business — whether that business is work or play.

HP Omen Spacer Specs

Switches	Cherry MX Brown
Lighting	White and black backlighting
Onboard Storage	5 macro keys with Fn
Media Keys	With FN
Interface	2.4 GHz USB Type-A dongle or USB Type-A cable
Cable	USB-C to USB-A detachable, braided
Additional Ports	None
Key Caps	Plastic
Construction	ABS plastic
Software	HP Omen Gaming Hub
Dimensions (LxWxH)	Keyboard: 14.5 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches (369.3 x 139.4 x 36.1mm)
	Wrist rest: 14.5 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches (369.3 x 104.1 x 17.8mm)
Weight	Keyboard: 2.1 pounds (952.5g)
	Wrist rest: 0.6 pounds (272.2g)
Extra	Wrist rest, USB extender

Design of HP Omen Spacer

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(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

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With a notable price tag, there’s a lot that has to be done for the Omen Spacer to look like it’s worth the cost. HP makes its attempt without the colorful LEDs available in a countless range of colors. Instead, the Omen Spacer’s backlighting is red and/or white only. In a world where the ability to pick the color of each individual key is commonplace among gaming keyboards, especially expensive ones, this stands out.

If you download HP’s Omen Gaming Hub software (more on that in the Features and Software section), you can choose among premade effects that are mostly white except for the WASD and arrow keys. Other effects, such as MOBA, turn off all the lights except for on certain clusters, like white for 1-6, Shift and Ctrl and red for WASD. The WASD and arrow cluster can only be red, never white. Some will rejoice at this scaled back approach to gaming peripheral lighting, and the Omen Spacer is still a looker. But for others, it’ll be hard to ignore the lack of customization options that similarly priced and cheaper gaming keyboards offer.

The Omen Spacer’s chassis is all plastic — ABS substrate to be exact. It feels solid and sturdy and carries a matte painted finish. In terms of build and look, it’s a decent replacement for something better known for durability, like aluminum. However, for this price an all-plastic keyboard is a little underwhelming.

Indeed, the plastic theme, in a more mundane way, carries over to the key caps. They’re each stamped with a modern font that’s both slender and strong and looks unique whether lit up in backlighting or not. The key caps themselves are built comfortably with comfortable grooves for your fingers, but they also attract fingerprint smudges. Also, I noted a small chip in my Esc key’s black finish after a few weeks of heavy use. It’s possible I scraped it with another piece of hardware, but this does show that it’s possible to chip the paint off the key caps if you’re not careful enough.

A handy battery indicator helps you know when you’ve turned the keyboard on or off (or if the battery’s running low). The power switch on the top edge also shows green when on, and combined with the battery indicator it helps alleviate any confusion when charging the Omen Spacer or pairing it with your PC.

Speaking of, a USB-C port lives next to the power button, allowing you to charge or use the keyboard with its braided USB-C to USB-A cable. HP also includes an extender that you can insert the helpfully Omen-stamped USB Type-A 2.4 GHz dongle into to further reduce potential connection uses.

The Omen Spacer lives up to its name and saves you desk space by skipping dedicated media controls or macro keys. Instead, you get five macro keys (labeled P1-P5) on F1-F5 that you can program and activate by holding the Fn key. Volume and media track control also lives in the FN row. This is better than nothing but not as easy to manipulate as a volume roller, for example, especially since there’s no left Fn key (as is common with TKL keyboards).

At 14.5 x 5.5 x 1.4 inches without its wrist rest, the Omen Spacer is less long and less wide than other TKL keyboards. Take the Logitech G915 TKL, another wireless TKL. It’s 15.2 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches, keeping a short height with its low profile mechanical switches. There are trimmer TKLs though, such as the wired Roccat Vulcan TKL Pro (14.2 x 5.3 x 1.3 inches).

There’s a subtle Omen logo engraved on the keyboard’s bottom edge that you’ll almost never see, especially if you use the included wrist rest. Other than that, superfluous details are at a minimum, keeping the design straightforward and efficient.

Although this wouldn’t have taken up much space, the Omen Spacer also leaves out flip-out feet. I usually keep my keyboards flat in an attempt to help keep my wrists flat, and I found the Omen Spacer’s height comfortable. However, those who like some flexibility or, perhaps, plan on using a thicker wrist rest than the one that comes in the box will be disappointed.

The wrist rest you get magnetically attaches to the bottom of the keyboard and offers a nice, soft faux leather feel and some plush. After a couple weeks of heavy use, I could see the leather starting to wrinkle a little, especially where I keep my left wrist. And it’s easy for debris to crawl into the border around the fake leather. It may start looking a little scraggy down the line, but this wrist rest is still better quality and more comfortable than many that come free with gaming keyboards.

Typing Experience on HP Omen Spacer

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Keeping with its simpler approach to the wireless gaming keyboard, the Omen Spacer is only available with one type of mechanical switch: Cherry MX Browns. These tactile switches have 4mm total travel with a 2mm actuation point, 4mm total travel and require 55g of force to actuate. It’s an excellent option for frequent typists and a good balance for gaming too. But there’s no opportunity for linear switches, which are popular for gaming, or clicky switches, which are popular for making a lot of noise.

We’re happy to see full-size switches from a trusted brand, which will help make for a familiar experience for the many mechanical keyboard fans who’ve tried out tactile brown switches. Logitech’s G915 TKL wireless keyboard uses low profile switches from Logitech, and you’ll find some of the best wireless keyboards opt for Cherry copycats, such as Outemu switches. Another TKL competitor, the Corsair K63 Wireless is only available with linear Cherry MX Red Switches, so HP’s offering is a good alternative for those who like this form factor but prefer to feel a reassuring bump as they press each key.

The Omen Spacer’s key caps don’t offer much resistance. They have comfortable grooves that fit my fingertips nicely, but there’s some mild slipperiness to them that made typing slightly more exhausting. But with the keys’ Cherry MX Brown switches and significant amount of space between them, typing was a delight. On the 10fastfingers.com typing test I hit my average speed but dropped about 2% in accuracy, possibly because I still needed to adjust to the distance between the keys.

There’s a plasticky feel to each press, from the slightly slicked top of the key caps to the more hollow plastic sound of the arrow keys and plastic rackety sound of the spacebar. Despite it being quieter than something with Cherry MX Blue switches or a lot of metallic dinging when bottoming out (that sound is rare on this keyboard), the Omen Spacer is far from silent.

Note that out-of the box, there’s no Scroll Lock button. You have to download the keyboard’s software to change that. Otherwise, Scroll Lock is replaced with a button for bringing up the keyboard’s software with a single button or toggling the backlight brightness (low, medium, brightest or off) with Fn.

Gaming Experience on HP Omen Spacer

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

After a couple of weeks using the Omen Spacer regularly, I didn’t experience any obvious connectivity issues with the 2.4 GHz dongle, and the lack of a cable didn’t obviously impact the keyboard’s responsiveness either. It’d take a very keen eye to notice any lag, and I encountered zero dropped connections. I had no need for an extender, but that’s also an option if your PC is particularly far from the keyboard.

HP says the USB-A dongle uses its bespoke Warp Wireless technology. Even when pairing it with my best gaming headset that also had a 2.4 GHz dongle and a Bluetooth wireless mouse, I had no issues. There’s nothing particularly special about the Omen Spacer’s wireless connection. It’s a reliable dongle connection just like many gaming vendors are offering today. But I can at least confirm that Warp worked well in the HP Omen Vector wireless mouse too (you’ll also find HP Warp branding in the upcoming HP Omen Frequency wireless headset).

HP opted for just one mechanical switch option here, Cherry MX Browns. Many gamers prefer linear switches because hitting keys quickly or repeatedly is easier without having to press through a bump. There’s no linear option here, but Cherry MX Browns may have their own gaming advantage. Some people enjoy them for how easy they are to double-tap, especially compared to stiffer, clicky switches, like Cherry MX Blues. They reset at 2mm, which is just slightly quicker than Cherry MX Red’s reset point (under 2.5mm). But Browns also require more force to actuate (55g versus the Red’s 45g). It’s all about preference, but if you plan on doing a lot of typing in addition to gaming, these switches can be a good fit.

In Overwatch, the amount of space between the keys made it easy for me to keep track of my fingers without having to take eyes off the screen. However, the keys are a little wobbly. That made times when I was resting fingers on a key / move, anticipating the perfect moment to strike, a bit more uncomfortable, as it was harder to keep my finger still and ready. The key caps’ slight slickness didn’t help either but probably won’t be too much an issue, unless your hands get very clammy.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

Outside of its red and white backlighting patterns that cater to different game genres, the Omen Spacer uses other features to appeal to gamers. Handy for gaming (and productivity, depending how you use it) are the keyboard’s five P-keys that you can program to your liking, including macro programming moves or in-game actions or launching programs. You have to download the software to program the keys, and they’re not as seamless as having dedicated macro keys, but those would also take up more space.

The Omen Spacer is also able to read all key inputs, even if you’re pressing every key simultaneously, and it’s easy to disable the Windows key by hitting Fn and Print Screen or opening the keyboard’s software.

Battery Life of HP Omen Spacer

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The longevity of the Omen Spacer’s battery will, of course, depend on how much you blast the backlight (off, 25% brightness, 50% or 100%). You can check the battery status via the Omen Gaming Hub app, and the battery indicator on the keyboard will turn orange once battery life is low.

With all keys lit at 100% brightness, my test unit lasted 17 hours and 20 minutes before it died.

That number, not surprisingly, jumps dramatically with the lighting off, where I had my Omen Spacer on for about 59 hours and 15 minutes with heavy use, and its battery meter still said 60%. (Although, battery life could have been as low as 51%, since the meter only moves in 10% increments, and we can’t guarantee battery life drains at a consistent pace regardless of current battery remaining.)

HP claims up to 75 hours battery life with the Omen Spacer and 6 hours of playtime after 5 minutes of charging. That’s a big jump over the 15 hours peak Corsair claims with the K63 Wireless and Logitech’s 40 hours for the G915 TKL. Given the amount of time we got out of the Omen Spacer without any backlighting, we’d say that 75 hour figure is definitely reasonable if not modest.

Features and Software of HP Omen Spacer

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If you download HP Omen Gaming Hub, you’ll first be met with excessive ads. Once you find the small amount of space actually dedicated to controlling the keyboard, you can access the battery meter, as well as various settings.

The Omen Spacer has one onboard memory profile, allowing you to carry over functions programmed into the five P-keys (F1-F5) across PCs without software. You can carry RGB settings and additional profiles across systems by downloading the software, making a login and turning on cloud sync.

The Omen Gaming Hub’s Lighting section offers control over the backlight’s brightness (0%, 25%, 75% or 100%). You can also choose among different templates, but remember that the WASD and arrow keys will either be red or have no backlight. There are also animated effects — Ripple, Breathing and Left or Right Wave with the option to pick between a speed of “slow,” “medium” or “fast.”

The Key Assignments menu lets you pick what holding down Fn and F1-F5 does. That makes it easy to program moves in games, keyboard shortcuts, app launches and more, but not as easy as being able to do it with one button press instead of two.

You can make different profiles for individual games or apps, but they won’t launch automatically with the game. Omen Gaming Hub lets you assign a picture and name to each profile though.

There’s also an option to turn on Game Mode (disables the Window key) and 128-bit encryption, which is said to be unbreakable by humans (it’d take about 1.02 x 1018 years to crack it, according to security vendor Comodo). The latter, according to HP’s software, “offers more security but may add latency.” This is probably for overkill, especially if you’re using this keyboard for gaming rather than high-security work. But I always had the feature on during gaming and didn’t notice any obvious latency with it activated either.

Bottom Line

When did gaming keyboards (and the rest of gaming peripherals, for that matter) get so gaudy? The HP Omen Spacer proves that not all of them have to be. You can still get a serious looking keyboard with premium mechanical switches and features you want on the battlefield, like a trim build, macro functionality and even an above-average wrist rest freebie.

But the Omen Spacer also leaves somes choices out. It’s only available with tactile switches, no smooth, linear switches or clicky ones. Per-key RGB is also common among rivals but missing here.

Alternative TKL wireless gaming keyboards also come at a price though. The Corsair K63 Wireless has a cheaper MSRP ($110) and uses Cherry MX Red switches and dedicated media keys but has a blue-only backlight. The Logitech G915 TKL, meanwhile, is almost in a different class, from its luxurious dedicated media keys, aluminum accent, low profile design and Bluetooth. Its price tag is much higher ($180-$230), but you also get your choice of tactile, linear or clicky low profile switches.

If you don’t need Cherry switches, there are budget TKL wireless options, including the $85 Keychron K2 or its hot swappable twin. The Redragon K596 Vishnu is $73 at this writing and has media keys.

But the HP Omen Spacer will easily slide into your office or gaming den and encourages carefree playing without taking up too much space or overwhelming you with bling.