Xiaomi tweeted that it has committed to reducing the plastic used in its packaging by 60%, starting in Europe. And it looks like the Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite is the first phone to make that step.
Note that this the company is referring to just the retail box, not its contents – you will still get all the accessories. That includes the charger, a USB-C cable and even a case. The Mi 10 Lite (no T) got the exact same accessories in its box when it launched earlier this year.
Anyway, if you read between the lines this tweet is a subtle jab at Apple, which just removed the in-box charger and headset citing environmental reasons. But it’s not clear how much plastic is being saved here – the box is mostly cardboard.
And we’ve seen this happen before. Competitors lined up to make jokes about Apple when it removed the 3.5 mm headphone jack, only to do the same themselves the following year. Will history repeat?
We unboxed the #Mi10TLite – Atlantic Blue variant ? You’ll get all the essentials, just with less plastic waste. Starting in Europe, we’ve committed to reducing plastic packaging by about 60%. ? pic.twitter.com/ai1yq3YR92
— Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) October 20, 2020
Probably not, at least for flagships, as it will be harder for Xiaomi to drop the in-box charger. While the 20W USB Power Delivery adapters you need for an iPhone 12 are pretty common, 100W wired and 80W wireless tech is a lot harder to come by. Especially when those will be major selling points for future Mi phones.
By the way, you can still pick up a Mi 10T Lite at €250 if you
Buypower’s Gaming RDY IWBG207 pairs a 10th Gen Core i9 with an RTX 3080 for stunning gaming performance that easily bests previous-gen rigs that cost more. But like the Nvidia card that makes its performance impressive, it’s not easy to find in stock.
For
Stunning gaming performance
Reasonable price for what you get
Lots of expansion options
Three year warranty
Against
Cramped, middling storage
Logo badge can cut you
It’s a strange time to be reviewing high-end PC gaming products. Nvidia’s new Ampere-based RTX 3000 cards perform so well that, at least until AMD’s so-called Big Navi alternatives arrive, you shouldn’t really consider anything else. But due likely to a combination of
bot-equipped scalpers
and
hardware / driver issues
with very early units, it’s nearly impossible to buy an RTX 3080 or 3090 at anything approaching those cards’ MSRPs.
As is often the case soon after graphics card launches, one way to get a card without paying several hundred extra and getting nothing for it, is to buy a pre-built PC with the card inside it. Sure, you’ll pay a lot extra, but at least you get a whole PC in the process.
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iBuypower’s RDY IWBG207
is one of those pre-built rigs, which pairs a top-end Core i9-10900KF CPU with an Nvidia RTX 3080 and wraps the system in an attractive (if boxy) In Win case. In terms of gaming performance, the results are predictively impressive. And at $2,199, the price is quite reasonable — especially considering what you’d likely have to pay to get an RTX 3080 on its own at the moment without getting extremely lucky.
The main downsides with this iBuypower rig are cramped storage that isn’t as speedy as we’d expect given all the other high-end parts, and the fact that this system is also often out of stock. iBuypower (like everyone else these days) is struggling to get enough new Nvidia cards to meet high demand. If you’re after a high-end rig that will serve you well for several years to come, the RDY IWBG207 is well worth considering if you can find it in stock.
Just be careful when cleaning the front panel. Because at least in our review unit, the metal iBuypower case badge on the front of the case had sharp edges that snagged our finger more than once.
Specifications
Processor
Intel Core i9-10900KF
Motherboard
MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Edge WiFi
Memory
16GB Adata Spectrix DDR4 3200 MHz
Graphics
Gigabyte Eagle RTX 3080 (10GB GDDR6X)
Storage
1TB Western Digital Blue SN550 PCIe NVMe SSD
Storage
4TB WD Black HDD
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, Bluetooth 5.1
Front Ports
2x USB 3.0 Type A, 2x USB 2.0 Type A,
Rear Ports
(Motherboard) 2x USB 2.0 Type-A, 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A, 2.5Gb Ethernet, 5x Audio jacks, Optical S/PDIF out
If you’re after high-end gaming performance, it’s hard to argue against iBuypower’s pairing of an Intel Core i9-10900KF and (at least in our review unit) a Gigabyte Eagle RTX 3080 in this RDY IWBG207 system. iBuypower says the specific model of RTX 3080 card you get will vary, due to ongoing supply issues, but this system pairs the best gaming CPU with the best graphics card, for stunning performance. As part of the company’s same-day shipping RDY IWBG207 system, you also get a capable MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Edge Wi-Fi motherboard, a large 360mm AIO cooler to keep CPU temps under control, 16GB of ADATA XPG Spectrix RGB RAM clocked at 3200MHz, and a 1TB WD Blue SN550 SSD. All this is powered by an 800-watt High Power Gold PSU and housed in an attractive In Win 305 case.
There will no-doubt be those who nay-say High Power PSU, but it didn’t present any crashing or other performance / stability issues during our testing and gaming. And if you’re worried about stability long term, the system does come with a three-year standard warranty, which is better than you’ll get with many system builders. Other than that, my primary complaint with this system is the cramped 1TB of local storage. The SN550 drive itself isn’t very high-end for a system this powerful, but it’s good enough. Really, a lack of storage space is the main issue here. After you install a couple of today’s massive games alongside the included Windows 10 OS and some essential non-gaming software, you’re likely going to start yearning for more room for your files and programs.
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It would have been easy enough for the company to toss in a 2TB hard drive and charge a bit more — and that’s what iBuypower should have done here. But it’s also pretty simple to do so yourself — or even better, add a second SATA SSD for games and a roomy hard drive for bulk storage. There’s a second spare M.2 slot on the motherboard and enough empty SATA connectors to add five more drives. The case has mounts for two 2.5-inch drives and two 3.5-inchers, so you could add a total of six drives without running into complications. There are also a few unused expansion slots on the board, but between the bulky three-slot GPU and the fans mounted on the bottom of the case, all that’s really available for use is the second x16 slot. Still, there’s oodles of expansion options in this system.
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External connectivity is also ample with the RDY IWBG207. Aside from the four USB Type-A ports on the front of the In Win case (two 2.0 and two 3.0), the motherboard delivers eight more USB ports: four USB 3.1 Gen 1, two USB 2.0 and two USB 2.2 Gen 2 ports. The latter is 10Gbps for the Type-A port and 20Gbps (2×2) for the Type-C port.
There’s also a PS/2 port at the back, a pair of video ports (which you can’t use since the CPU lacks integrated graphics), 2.5Gb Ethernet and antenna attachments for the internal Wi-Fi 6 module, plus a standard outlay of six audio jacks, including SPDIF. About the only thing absent here that I would like to see is a front-panel USB-C port, but the system uses an off-the-shelf In Win 305 case which lacks that feature.
Gaming and Graphics
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The Core i9-10900KF isn’t new, but it’s still the fastest gaming CPU available (at least until AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 CPUs make it to market). But this is the first desktop we’ve tested with Nvidia’s new (and extremely hard to find at a reasonable price) RTX 3080 graphics card. We know from our testing of a few RTX 3080 cards at this point that its performance is very impressive. And the Gigabyte-branded 3080 in this iBuypower RDY system does not disappoint.
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In Shadow of the Tomb Raider (highest settings), the top-end CPU and cutting-edge graphics card stomped the competition, delivering 22 more frames per second than the 2020 Maingear Vybe (which had the same CPU and a previous-gen flagship 2080 Ti) at 1080p, and approaching a 30% boost over everything else here at 4K.
On Far Cry New Dawn (ultra), the RDY’s edge wasn’t quite as strong, but the system still easily dominated, with a 1080p score of 122 fps, 10 frames ahead of the closest competition (again the Maingear Vybe), and 4K performance nearly reached triple digits.
On the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark (very high settings), the trend continued, with the RDY system delivering a class-leading 156 fps. At 4K things were closer, but the 3080 system still slipped by everything we’ve tested with previous-gen GPUs by at least 6 fps.
We don’t have a full set of test numbers for Red Dead Redemption 2 (medium settings), but compared to the Alienware Aurora and the recent Vybe, the RDY again sailed past the performance of these previous-gen powerful systems, and delivered 30 more performance than the Vybe at 4K. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen this much of a performance boost generation over generation.
We also subjected the iBuypower RDY system to our Metro Exodus gauntlet, in which we run the benchmark at the RTX preset 15 times to simulate roughly half an hour of gaming. On the test, the iBuypower machine ran the game at an average of 108 frames per second (fps), with almost no variation. The system started out the test at 107.84 on the first run and stayed above 108 on every other run, but never going higher than the peak of 108.35 on run seven.
During the Metro Exodus runs, the CPU ran at an average clock speed of 4.86 GHz and an average temperature of 62.9 degrees Celsius (145.2 degrees Fahrenheit). The GPU’s average clock speed was 1.8 GHz, with an average temperature of 64 degrees Celsius (147.2 degrees Fahrenheit).
Productivity Performance
The components in our configuration of the iBuypower RDY make for a powerful productivity machine as well as gaming, though if you can make use of lots of cores, it’s easier to recommend an AMD-based configuration. As we’ll see below, the 12 cores of Ryzen-3950X-based Alienware Aurora R10 ($3,629.99 at time of testing) often push it ahead of the 10-core 10900K-based RDY system.
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On Geekbench 4.3, the iBuypower RDY edged past the Vybe and AMD-based CLX Ra from last year, but the extra cores of the Aurora give it an impressive advantage.
That was also true on our Handbrake video transcoding test, where the iBuypower RDY took 5 minutes and 30 seconds to convert a 4K video to 1080p. That’s just ahead of the Vybe and the HP Omen Obelisk, but the Aurora R10 is nearly two minutes faster.
Lastly, our comments earlier about the speed of the WD SN550 SSD are proven true in our file transfer test. It took the iBuypower RDY 42 seconds to transfer 25GB GB of files, which translates to 632 MBps. That’s faster than a SATA drive, but it’s easily the poorest showing among the competing machines in our group, and HP’s Omen Obelisk delivered almost three times that speed.
Software and Warranty
iBuypower sells the RDY with a three-year standard warranty, and we noticed nothing in the way of extra pre-installed software. Even the usual Windows bloat was kept to a minimum — we only noticed Spotify and Office pre-populated in the Start menu.
Included Peripherals
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On the one hand, it’s nice that iBuypower includes a set of peripherals in the box with the RDY system at all, something that’s increasingly rare with gaming rigs. Many buyers will have a set they may want to carry over from a previous gaming setup. But if you’re a first-time PC gamer, it’s nice to have the input devices to get you up and running. That said, what’s included here isn’t great, despite the RGB lights. The wired Zeus E2 mouse is OK, in that it has a nice ratcheting scroll wheel, an on-the-fly DPI adjustment button up top, side buttons and a shape and feel that doesn’t outwardly offend.
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But the same can’t be said for the Ares M1 RGB keyboard. It has RGB-backlit keys (though the lighting isn’t very bright) and huge chunky media control (and email, search, and calculator) buttons. But this is a membrane keyboard, not a mechanical clacker. The feel of the keys is a bit squishy and the key caps have quite a bit of wobble. The frame is made of cheap-feeling (and looking) plastic that makes it easy to flex the whole keyboard in your hands. And those big, red media and software control buttons above the Function row — oof! They look and feel like something from a kid’s keyboard from some previous decade. Seriously, when’s the last time you saw dedicated search and email buttons?
The keyboard feels more like a toy than something you’d want to use with a $2,000-plus gaming PC. Get yourself something better for your powerful new gaming rig. The best budget mechanical keyboards start as low as $41. No one should be using a 3080 with the Ares M1 RGB. Calling it a Fisher-Price keyboard would be an insult to the toddler-toy maker. The Ares feels more like Fisher Half-Price. At best.
Cost Considerations and Bottom Line
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Given the ongoing scarcity of RTX 3080s and the exorbitant prices people are selling them for on eBay and elsewhere, it’s tough to put a concrete value on the parts that make up the iBuyPower Gaming RDY IWBG207. I’m sure more than a few people have paid over $1,500 for the RTX 3080 alone — not that anyone should. But if you theoretically assume you could find a Gigabyte RTX 3080 for, say, $750, add $600 for the 10900KF (which is itself increasingly hard to find), throw in roughly $125 each for the power supply and case, $100 for the SSD, $180 for the motherboard, plus $220 for the 360mm cooler and 16GB of RGB RAM and you’re about at the $2100 mark. Then there’s the seven included fans (four of which are In Win RGB models) and the peripherals (such as they are). Clearly iBuypower isn’t adding a whole lot for its assembly and warranty service with this system. Given how tough it is to find an RTX 3080 in stock unless you’re willing to spend several hundred dollars over MSRP right now, getting a pre-built system is good option — especially if the rest of your computing platform could also use an upgrade. Heck, even if you don’t need the rest of the system, you’re at least getting lots of perfectly good parts (which you could resell or use to upgrade), rather than paying over $1,000 just for a new graphics card that Nvidia says is supposed to sell for at or around $699.
But clearly many impatient 3080 hunters have also thought along these lines, as the iBuyPower Gaming RDY IWBG207 (and its 3090-equipped counterpart, the $3,149 IWRG205) have mostly been out of stock since launch. A company representative told us they expect their stock of 3080 cards to “stabilize” by the end of October 2020, but it’s unclear whether a stable supply means enough to meet ongoing demand. Perhaps by that time, AMD’s competing RX 6000 cards will offer up enough of an alternative to temper demand for Nvidia’s impressive new cards.
Best tablets Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best tablets you can buy in 2020.
Tablets are bigger than smartphones (just) but less capable than laptops (just). If you’re thinking of buying one, you need to ask yourself a few questions.
What screen size do you want? Bigger-screened tablets make films, photos and TV shows look more impressive and are better suited to gaming, but they’re heavier, less portable and usually more expensive.
Which operating system are you after? Android is more open than iOS, but it’s not quite as slick or simple an ecosystem. Or are you happy with Amazon’s FireOS? Members of Amazon Prime might well be, but if you rarely shop at the retail giant, you’ll likely find it unsuitable and downright irritating.
How much storage do you need? Android devices usually come with slots for memory cards so you can add in extra storage, which could be useful if you’ve an extensive library of films, music and photos.
The best tablet for you will come down to how you want to use it. If you’re gaming, you’ll want one with tons of power and long battery life, while if you’re only sending the occasional email, you can save yourself some money and get yourself a cheaper model.
We’ve rounded up the best 2020 tablet choices so you can find your perfect partner. With models big and small, cheap and pricey, there’s sure to be something that fits your needs.
(Image credit: Apple)
1. Apple iPad (2020)
The 8th generation iPad is much the same, but better than before.
It’s the new iPad! Or is it? Because not only does the new model look identical to its predecessor, it has nigh-on the same specs, too. There’s the same 10.2in retina display, same 8MP rear and 1.2MP front camera array, and more or less the same specifications – 3GB RAM, 32GB and 128GB storage options, and a 10-hour battery life. Even the Silver, Gold and Space Grey finishes carry over.
So what is new? Apple has upgraded the processor – inside you’ll find the A12 Bionic, which is the same chip powering the iPhone XS, 2019 iPad Air and fifth-generation iPad Mini. It’s not the newest Apple chip, but still delivers a 40 per cent speed boost on the previous iPad with twice the graphics performance. Despite that, the new iPad has a cheaper launch price than its predecessor.
The screen isn’t drastically better than the 7th Gen’s, but it doesn’t need to be. It still does a fine job of rendering images, with a punchy yet natural colour palette, sharply defined detail, and sleek smoothness. And the audio is still typically Apple, being neutrally toned, detailed and dynamic, but with a touch more clarity.
Not a huge improvement on the 7th Gen, then, but a nice update to keep the iPad at the top of the tablet pile.
On paper, the iPad Air is a tricky sell: the standard iPad is cheaper, the iPad Mini is smaller and the iPad Pro is higher-specced for professionals. It’s not even the thinnest iPad available. So why should you buy it?
Because it’s one of the best tablets Apple makes, which makes it one of the best tablets on the market. Its screen is better than the entry-level model, it’s bigger than the Mini and cheaper than the Pro. If you want a device for consuming content rather than creating it, and like the big screen/less portable tradeoff, it’s nigh-on the perfect tablet.
The HDR-compatible screen is stunning, and while its pixel density is a little lower than the iPad Mini, the display itself is a lot bigger. It depends on personal preference, but in our view, the Air is the better device for content consumption.
The speakers could be better placed (our hands tended to block one when watching in landscape orientation), but they have plenty of oomph. And when delivered to a quality pair of wireless headphones (which is likely to be the most common usage), the audio sounds superb.
If you want a tablet for movies and music on the go, you’ll struggle to beat this.
Read the full review: iPad Air (2019)
3. Apple iPad Mini (2019)
Under-the-skin improvements make the latest Mini even better than before.
Apple’s dinkiest iPad actually offers the highest pixel-per-inch density of all of its tablets and has a few features that are missing from other models: notably, HDR video.
The iPad Mini’s form makes it the perfect portable cinema. At 7.9in, the screen is significantly more cinematic and immersive than that of even the biggest iPhone, the 12 Pro Max, which measures 6.7in. That 21 per cent increase in display real estate is the equivalent of going from a 55in to a 65in TV. At the same time, the iPad Mini remains lighter and more portable than its bigger siblings.
Inside is the A12 Bionic chip, which you’ll also find in the iPhone XS and XR, and storage options come at 64GB and 256GB, with no other choice. The front-facing camera has been given a big boost but the rear lens stays the same.
Ultimately, this iPad Mini is excellent with video, and the screen looks even more gorgeous than the rest of the iPad range. It’s bright and punchy, with distinctive highlights and plenty of detail in the shadows. The image really pops, making it a joy to watch. The sound is tops too, boasting bags of dynamism and detail.
For a small tablet, it makes a big impression.
Read the full review: Apple iPad Mini (2019)
(Image credit: Amazon)
4. Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019)
The HD 10 is one of the best tablets out there for the money.
Improving on a previous What Hi-Fi? Award-winner was always going to be a tall task, especially without raising the price. But Amazon has cracked it with the latest version of the HD10. So what’s new? There’s a faster processor, a more powerful front camera, USB-C charging (rather than micro-USB), support for higher-capacity microSD cards, and, of course, support for Amazon Alexa.
When it comes to TV and movies, colours are bright, tonally accurate and vibrant, while blacks are inky, dark and detailed. The screen’s 16:10 aspect ratio in landscape mode is remarkably easy to get used to, particularly if you’re accustomed to Apple tablets.
The HD 10’s ‘Dolby Atmos’ integrated dual stereo speakers are somewhat optimistically branded but the sound with music and films is convincing and emotive, with plenty of detail across the frequencies and a pleasing, realistic musical build.
As long as you’re happy to use Amazon’s apps, this remains a bargain buy tablet.
Read the full review: Amazon Fire HD 10 (2019)
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5. Apple iPad 7th Generation
Sacrifices have been made in the name of affordability, but the iPad remains an excellent tablet.
You might have presumed that the iPad Mini would be the most affordable tablet in Apple’s range, however, that honour actually goes to the standard iPad, now in its 7th generation (it’s even cheaper now that it’s been superseded by the 8th gen model). It is missing some tech featured in the Mini but does come with the bonus of the Smart Connector, which allows the 7th Generation iPad to be connected to Apple’s Smart Keyboard (neither the previous model nor the Mini can be connected).
The iPad’s IPS screen has increased in size to 10.2in and resolution has been increased to maintain the pixel density of 264 ppi. It lacks the laminate layer, anti-reflective coating, True Tone (which automatically adjusts colours and brightness to match ambient lighting) and wide colour support of other tablets. And this is the only iPad in the current range that doesn’t support HDR. It’s also the only model that doesn’t have one of Apple’s newer processors. Instead, the A10 Fusion chip of the outgoing model has been carried over.
When it comes to picture and sound, it has the supremely natural colour balance for which Apple devices are renowned. There’s excellent detail and definition, too, and motion is handled exceptionally well. The iPad Mini pips it with a little more punch and deeper blacks but it’s still a good watch. Audio performance is strong. There’s weight, solidity and dynamic variation here that other tablets, including the current iPad Mini, can’t match.
Undoubtedly sacrifices have had to be made to deliver a large screen at a low price. But Apple’s least impressive tablet is still an impressive tablet.
Read the full review: Apple iPad 7th Generation
6. Amazon Fire 7 (2017)
Those on a budget can’t really go wrong with the Fire 7.
If you’re on a tight budget, Amazon’s tablets are always worth a look. And no more so than the Fire 7 – it’s exceptionally good value. As long as you don’t expect mind-blowing AV quality, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Amazon has given this model a warmer colour palette, making for more realistic skin tones, and as long as you don’t go nitpicking for detail and contrast ratios, it’s perfectly watchable (especially for kids’ cartoons, which we suspect will be its main use). The sound is nicely balanced and suitably detailed, too. And because it’s an older model, its already cheap price is now discounted. Buy buy buy!
Read the full review: Amazon Fire 7 (2017)
7. Apple iPad Pro 10.5in
Powerful, great to use, and capable of excellent video.
Content creators will want an iPad Pro – this is a machine made for creating, while the standard iPad is built for consuming. As such, it’s a little over-powered if all you want it for is watching movies and playing the odd game.
Not that you’ll have a bad time – far from it. The screen is ridiculously sharp and bright, and at this size, films are an absolute treat. It sounds pretty great too, balancing dialogue with the soundtrack nicely and automatically adjusting for the best sound depending whether it’s in portrait or landscape mode.
Sure, you probably don’t need one. But if you can afford it, why wouldn’t you?
This tablet was great value at its original price, so now it’s available for less, it’s an absolute steal. Like other Amazon tablets, its bright colour schemes are more cheap and cheerful than sleek and sophisticated, but that’s no bad thing if you just want a tablet for occasional use around the house (or to let the kids run wild with). Its screen has a natural palate and plenty of detail to get your teeth into, while audio playback is pretty decent for casual listening. Another great value tablet from Amazon.
Read the full review: Amazon Fire HD 8 (2018)
9. Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 8in
A few minor bugbears aside, the Yoga Tab 3 is a budget tablet worth considering.
This might be a budget tablet, but it feels much more expensive than it is. The spine is much thicker than the rest of it, with good cause – it houses a rotatable 8MP camera that can be positioned to be rear- or front-facing.
There’s also a metal kickstand to help prop it up in its many poses (it’s not called Yoga for nothing).
The screen might lack a bit of detail, but the sound more than makes up for it, with plenty of expression and balance on offer.
Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 8in
10. Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
This Galaxy Tab is good, but not quite out of this world.
This premium tablet comes with the S Pen, which is Samsung’s stylus. Images on screen look so sharp you could cut yourself on them, while motion is handled with aplomb. The only slight niggle with the screen is colour reproduction, which tends to be more bold than natural. But you get superior sound, which you can tweak to your heart’s content, and played right, you’ll get noticeably more detail and dynamism from music. Dolby Atmos also comes as standard.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
Find out how to get the best picture and sound on your tablet
(Pocket-lint) – The Apple iPhone 12 Pro is here complete with a new design, a tougher screen, new processor, and even 5G. So, is this a huge leap forward, or seemingly like everything else at the moment, an update for update’s sake?
We’ve been using the new iPhone 12 Pro, one of four new iPhones announced, to find out whether this is the iPhone to get.
squirrel_widget_3490155
A new design
New squarer design
146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm, 189g
Four colours: Graphite, Silver, Gold, Pacific Blue
IP68 protection
Wait long enough and things normally come full circle. Remember that favourite item of clothing that was in fashion, then went out of fashion, then came back into fashion? Well, the same could be said for the iPhone 12 Pro design. Gone are the rounded edges we’ve become accustomed to since the launch of the iPhone X and in is a blunter, squarer, design, with an iPhone 4 feel to it.
That translates into an iPhone 12 Pro that looks heavier than it is, even though it’s actually lighter and more robust than the iPhone 11 Pro that it replaces. There’s a hint of retro solidity to it, thanks to those square edges, while the new form factor allows for a reduction in bezel thickness around the edge of the display.
Don’t get too excited, they are still there, and we certainly aren’t talking about reaching a level where you can’t see them like Samsung and others. And yes, the notch is still present.
Pocket-lint
The end result is a larger display in a device that hasn’t grown as much as you might expect, so it’s only a fraction larger than the iPhone 11 Pro that came before it. It was something we were concerned about, but now in our hand, all you notice is that the screen is that bit bigger – it’s gone from 5.8-inches to 6.1-inches – which is going to be a lot more useable day-to-day.
But unlike the iPhone 4 and 5 models from 2013 and 2014, those edges are now highly polished. The Pacific Blue we’ve been using catches the sunlight nicely and isn’t too gaudy – we’re not sure we could say the same about the Gold model.
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On the back, it’s one piece of frosted glass as previously seen on the iPhone 11 Pro to hide fingerprints which rises slightly to house the three cameras, LiDAR scanner, and flash in the top left-hand corner. What’s perhaps also surprising is that those squared edges are still comfortable to hold. The iPhone 12 Pro manages to strike that balance between size and thickness to mean it stays manageable without being uncomfortable.
A larger display
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display
2532 x 1170 pixels, 460ppi
Ceramic Shield protection
When is glass not glass? When it’s made up of nano-ceramic crystals. That’s what the display of the iPhone is now using rather than toughened glass to protect it from scratches. For the most part, you won’t be able to tell the difference day-to-day, although we have noticed that it’s more prone to fingerprint smudging than previous models.
Pocket-lint
Behind that new Ceramic Shield – as Apple calls it – is that new larger display. It’s seen a slight increase in size to 6.1-inches, but as we mentioned, this fits nicely into a handset that’s only a couple of mm taller, but no wider and is indeed thinner.
The display itself remains close to the performance we saw on the iPhone 11 Pro – it’s still OLED and the overall pixel density is basically the same, but there are a few more pixels packed in. What’s important is that you have the same clarity, the same great colour reproduction and the same brightness that will punch through reflections so you can still see as well as bright sunshine as you can in low light.
A new processor and battery life
A14 Bionic processor
5G connectivity
All-day battery life
The big upgrade on the tech specs is 5G and the new A14 Bionic processor to power it all. As with every new iPhone, the device is more powerful than the one before and that allows Apple to offer more things beyond just allowing you to load apps and games faster.
And of course, most of it will be invisible. The iPhone just works when you ask it to do something. Whether that’s getting you to your latest puzzle to solve in a game, or processing Dolby Vision ready HDR 4K footage in-camera as you go. And all at the same time not draining your battery really quickly.
Pocket-lint
It’s worth noting that the iPhone 12 Pro now starts at 128GB storage, double that of the iPhone 11 Pro, which makes the iPhone 12 Pro actually a little better value for money than the previous version, based on launch prices.
On the battery front, the iPhone performs as we would expect. It’s always hard to gauge battery life, especially as the new-normal means we really aren’t travelling as much as we once were. We’ve yet to really see how 5G usage affects performance long term, but a morning using 5G didn’t cause any major concerns. We will update this review over time as we use the iPhone 12 Pro more and in various use cases – especially on 5G – but so far we’ve not seen any indicators that this phone will struggle to make it through the day on a charge.
Apple has still opted to keep the Lightning socket on the bottom of the phone, but it now comes with a Lightning to USB-C (not USB-A) cable in the box. That’s handy if you’ve got a MacBook or iPad Pro (as you can use the wall charger), but if you haven’t, you’ll need to either use your old cable and charger or buy a new wall charger. Why? Because there isn’t one in the box. It will support 20W charging though.
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If that doesn’t sound exciting, then that’s because Apple wants to you charge via MagSafe, a new magnetic charging pad that snaps to the back of the phone to charge it wirelessly. For those who already own an Apple Watch it’s the same approach and not only delivers a faster charge than a standard Qi charging pad (15W vs 7W) but also because of the magnets, locks into place so you don’t come down the next morning with no charge. We’ve also found it means you can still easily use the iPhone while charging wirelessly, because the pad is stuck to the back.
The system works just as you would expect, but you will need to ensure you buy a MagSafe enabled case if you want to use the feature and stay protected. A standard case still works with a wireless charger, but not with the MagSafe charger.
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5G is here
Auto 5G mode means only uses 5G when needed
Works with all 5G networks
Finally, 5G comes to the iPhone and it’s on all of the iPhone 12 models. As default to conserve battery life, 5G isn’t actually on all the time. Instead, Apple has opted for Auto 5G , which turns off 5G when the screen is off, for example, or perhaps when you aren’t doing something that is data demanding. There is a setting to override this, if you find it’s sitting on 4G when you want 5G instead.
But although the iPhone is now ready for 5G, 5G may not be ready for you. We had to drive 35 minutes to test the 5G capabilities of this phone. That will change, of course, and for those users who are in a 5G area, the benefits are certainly noticeable. You just have to be in coverage.
We were able to get download speeds of up to 260Mbps consistently. That’s a 2hr HD movie downloaded (Back to the Future if you’re wondering) in 5 minutes or Call of Duty Mobile (2.4GB) downloaded from the App Store and ready to play in under 2 minutes. Wow.
Of course, coverage will improve over time. The networks will get better, we’ll be happy to venture out again, and when you do find yourself at a stadium, you’ll be pleased that you can use your phone as if there was nobody around because of the power of the 5G network. But today, on day one, probably not so much.
Photography master
Triple rear cameras:
Main: 12MP, f/1.6, OIS
Telephoto: 12MP, f/2.0, OIS, 2x optical
Ultra-wide: 12MP, f/2.4
LiDAR scanner
12MP selfie camera
Dolby Vision video capture
Photography has always been a key focus for Apple and the iPhone 12 Pro range continues that focus with the cameras getting more tech this year. Whereas in previous years some tech would work with some of the cameras, Apple is finally in a position to offer most of image enhancement features to all cameras on the phone.
That means you get night mode and HDR on all rear-facing cameras, with night mode coming to the front-facing camera too. That brings greater diversity to the offering and means that the package is much more complete than previous iPhone models.
The camera system is comprised of three 12-megapixel cameras on the rear, covering off that main camera, with a telephoto and ultra-wide too. It’s essentially the same make-up as the previous Pro model, with that additional telephoto lens bringing 2x optical zoom over and above what the regular iPhone 12 can offer. That also enabled 10x digital zoom for those who want to get a little closer, but be warned that the quality drops off once you start using digital zoom.
As you can see from the test shots below, the results are really impressive with bright vibrant colours, crisp edges, and for the first time, portrait mode seemingly not randomly blurring things that it shouldn’t. The shot with the dark brown cows is on a sunny day into the sun under the shade of a big oak tree, and yet the HDR feature of the iPhone manages not only delivery balanced colours, but also still pick up the warm breath coming from the cow in the centre.
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All that impressiveness might be because of the new LiDAR scanner on the rear that not only helps the cameras understand edges and the like or because there’s more processing power afforded to understanding your photos. The inclusion of the LiDAR scanner also means the iPhone 12 Pro can now focus quicker in low-light and offer you night mode portraits too. Something previously not possible.
The bokeh effect from portrait mode can still be a little severe, but to us the results look better than they do from the iPhone 12.
And for videographers, you get Dolby Vision recording in-camera if that’s your thing, again from all four cameras. The results are incredibly smooth, the stabilisation equally impressive and really sets the iPhone up for many professional videographers to get the maximum quality from the phone.
Apple’s iPhone 12 reveal discussed and more – Pocket-lint Podcast 75
Verdict
The iPhone 12 Pro has continued to evolve with new features added and new software enhancements made. This year’s model doubles down on photography further, bringing tech we’ve already been playing with to all the cameras on the iPhone 12 Pro rather than just a select few.
The iPhone 12 Pro does all it can to warrant that Pro label. The screen is stunning, the camera capability professional, and when you can use it, the download speeds with 5G, fast.
And that means that there are many features here that most users won’t use or need, but that’s okay, this isn’t for the model for them, with the iPhone 12 offering much the same experience in a cheaper package.
For those that do see themselves as a “pro” user, this delivers, delivers more than enough, enough in fact that means you’ll easily get the job you’re doing done.
Best smartphones 2020: The top mobile phones available to buy today
Alternatives to consider
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Apple iPhone 12
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The “regular” iPhone 12 isn’t quite as premium in the materials used for the body work, but offers the same power, performance and display, in a cheaper package. It doesn’t have the full range of cameras, but it will leave a little more cash in your pocket.
(Pocket-lint) – Apple announced four new iPhones in 2020, with the iPhone 12 sitting pretty in the middle as the everyday model, replacing the iPhone 12 all looking to appeal to a wide audience.
By trying to appeal to everyone though, has Apple created a phone that actually doesn’t work for anyone? We’ve been using the new iPhone 12 to find out.
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New shiny design
146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4mm, 164g
Black, white, blue, green, red colours
New squarer design
IP68 protection
This year brings a new design to the Apple iPhone that is more akin to the current iPad Pro and iPad Air design, or if you want to go back further in Apple’s design history, the iPhone 4. The curves have gone and now everything sits within a thin coloured aluminium band with a glass rear and nano-ceramic crystal front covering called Ceramic Shielding. It’s designed to be tougher than previous glass treatments to help fend off the scratches and keep your iPhone looking its best through the years of ownership.
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Unlike the iPhone 4 that only came in black or white, the iPhone 12 gets five colours – black, white, green (which is more a mint green), blue, and (Product) Red. The colours are striking, but certainly not as fun as the iPhone XR or iPhone 11 – there’s no yellow for example. The Blue, which we’ve got for review, is probably best described as a royal blue, but indoors, under regular lights soon looks like a dark blue. Unlike the frosted iPhone 12 Pro rear, it’s also a fingerprint magnet, so it’s going to need regular cleaning unless you plan to put it in a case.
We would have liked the screws to match the colour of the casing, and more colour options, but there’s little to complain about.
Like the iPhone 11, the iPhone 12 still features a 6.1-inch display, now improved, with the usual array of power and volume buttons down the sides. Yes, it’s still got a Lightning connector on the bottom, and you also get wireless charging support too.
The iPhone 12’s design works, it’s comfortable in the hand and the new design looks smart, a welcome progression from previous design we’ve had for a few years. It is essentially the same as the iPhone 12 Pro, but with different materials and finishes.
Tougher OLED display
6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
2532 x 1170-pixel, 460ppi
True Tone
Still has the notch
Along with the new design comes a new display for this level of device, with the iPhone 12 now getting Apple’s Super Retina XDR OLED display over the LCD display found in the iPhone 11.
It’s virtually the same screen tech as found in the iPhone 12 Pro and the shift to OLED over LCD perhaps accounts for the shift in price for this device over the previous generation. Apple has ditched LCD altogether, with even the new iPhone 12 mini getting an OLED display and that’s likely to bring parity across the range both in terms of performance and to support the Dolby Vision certification. The new display is brighter and more impactful than the iPhone 11, so we feel that’s a great move, even if this phone costs more.
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Having used the iPhone 11 Pro over the last 12 months, it’s a great screen both indoors and out that has no problem making everything from iOS 14 to games to movies and more sing. It’s especially good when it comes to viewing your photographs.
And this year it’s protected with a new material that Apple calls Ceramic Shielding. It’s tougher than previous outings, but still prone to fingerprints and scratches.
Superfast 5G
Auto 5G mode means only uses 5G when needed
Works with all 5G networks
This year’s iPhones all come with 5G as standard and that applies to the iPhone 12 too – there isn’t a 4G-only version. However, even if you have 5G coverage, the chances are that the iPhone will try and use 4G whenever possible to try and save battery life, thanks to a feature called Auto 5G. It tries to work out when you need 5G and when you don’t – like when the screen is off – and therefore limit how and when you use it. Purists will be happy to know that you can turn it off if you must have that 5G all the time, although it’s unlikely you’ll ever do that unless you find your phone sticking to 4G when you want it on the faster networks.
When you can find it 5G delivers blisteringly fast speeds. We were able to achieve up to 260Mbps downloads in our tests, although it’s worth noting we had to drive 30 minutes to find a 5G connection. What does that mean in real life? A 400MB file downloaded in 15 seconds. Crystal clear FaceTime calls, and an array of other fast access times to games, movies, or other such things.
It certainly feels like the future and will come into its own over the next couple of years as the networks get better, and we start venturing out into the world again. The catch is that while the networks continue to roll out their 5G efforts, you’ll more than likely be using 4G, possibly still when Apple announces its 2021 models.
Tech specs and battery life
A14 Bionic processor
64GB, 128GB, 256GB storage sizes
Wireless charging support
The iPhone 12 might be junior to the iPhone 12 Pro models, but that doesn’t mean Apple has given it any less of a processor. It gets the A14 Bionic processor, as do all the other iPhone 12 models, which brings more power, greater efficiencies and boosts the performance over older iPhone models.
As you would expect, you get buttery smooth menu swiping and games and apps will load faster than previous iPhone models, but you’ll also get camera features previously unavailable on an iPhone in this position.
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Apple doesn’t declare the capacities of its battery, instead saying that performance on the iPhone 12 will match that of the iPhone 12 Pro and it will get you through the day without any concerns. There are things that will push the battery harder – 5G usage, Dolby Vision movie shooting, or playing the latest hardcore games – but we’ve not found these changes to cause concerning battery drain.
There’s now no charger in the box – just the cable – and you’ll need to plug this into a USB-C charger. That might be a socket on your MacBook, or indeed your MacBook or iPad Pro charger, although the phone itself still carries the Lightning connector, so if you have an old charger, you’ll still be able to use that.
There’s support for fast charging at 20W, although you’ll have to buy the charger for that, as we’ve said.
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The iPhone 12 also supports wireless charging, and you’ll either need a Qi wireless charging pad or a new accessory Apple has launched called MagSafe. It’s a wireless charger with a ring of magnets around it that allows the charger to snap on to the back of the iPhone 12, just as you’d charge the Apple Watch. The centre of the MagSafe charger is padded, so it won’t scratch your phone, and it’s a convenient solution to keeping the phone and the wireless charger together, rather than having to position it in the right place on a pad.
Wireless charging has the obvious advantage of letting you charge your phone while you’re using the Lightning connector for something else, like wired headphones, but obviously, you’ll have to invest in the system. If you want to use a case and MagSafe charging, you’ll have to have a case that’s compatible to make sure the system continues to work.
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Master of photography
Dual cameras system:
Main: 12MP, f/1.6, OIS
Ultra-wide: 12MP, f/2.4
Night mode, Smart HDR 3, Deep Fusion, Portrait mode
The biggest difference between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro is on the photography side of things. The iPhone 12 doesn’t come with the 2x telephoto lens nor the LiDAR scanner to help auto-focusing that the Pro models get. That shouldn’t limit your photography too much, but if you use zoom a lot, you might want to consider the 12 Pro instead. The zoom on the iPhone is limited to 5x digital.
The main camera has a 12-megapixel sensor, with Apple (like Google on the Pixel phones), avoiding the temptation to move to a higher resolution sensor. We feel that’s the right decision because bumping the megapixels doesn’t immediately equate to better images. Here Apple has paired the sensor with an f/1.6 lens, so it’s a slightly wider aperture than the iPhone 11 that camera before it, boosting the potential for low-light performance, while also using optical image stabilisation to reduce handshake.
Apple’s iPhone 12 reveal discussed and more – Pocket-lint Podcast 75
The iPhone 12 pairs this great main camera with a 12-megapixel f/2.4 ultra-wide camera, allowing the fun that comes from having a wider angle, especially good for landscapes where you want to add that sense of expansiveness. There is a 12-megapixel selfie camera on the front of the phone.
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The great thing is that you can take advantage of all the tech from across the camera system on any of the lenses – portrait mode, night mode, HDR, works on the front and rear cameras. The combination of all this tech are pictures that are impressive time and time again. Colours are strong, images crisp, and although the Portrait mode algorithms can still be a little aggressive at times, considerably better than they’ve previously been, although edge detection isn’t the best out there. And switching between the two cameras isn’t noticeable. Everything matches. It’s one seamless experience.
Night Mode, added to Apple’s arsenal in 2019, is like night and day when it comes to low-light photography, and we’re equally impressed with the iPhone 12’s HDR photography capabilities, all the while not really bothering you with dozens of settings to master. Point, shoot, snap, and enjoy seems to be Apple’s mantra here and it works.
The same can be said for recording video. You now get Dolby Vision recording up to 4K 30fps (it’s up to 60fps on 12 Pro) and that means your videos have an almost hyper-real quality to them, popping out of the screen. Apple has been strong on video capture for many generations of iPhone and the addition of HDR, with the fun of that Dolby certification, is going to continue that trend.
Verdict
Like the iPhone 11 before it, the iPhone 12 offers many of the important things that you want from the iPhone: a decent camera, 5G, great screen, fast processor, and leaves out many of the “nice to haves” like 60fps video recording, a telephoto lens, or the LiDAR scanner.
Look closely and there are differences, but for that group of people that want a new iPhone, but just can’t justify the price of the iPhone 12 Pro range, this is a great choice without having to feel like you are settling for second best.
The HyperX new Cloud II Wireless headset is made for people who want simple controls, barely-there comfort, and solid sound quality. This model is just a wire-free version of the company’s $100 flagship Cloud II gaming headset. It uses a 2.4GHz wireless receiver that works with PCs, the PS4 — and likely the PS5, when that is released in November — and the Nintendo Switch (via its dock). I’ve also successfully connected it to a 2019 MacBook Pro through a USB-C to USB-A adapter. The $149.99 headset is available for order through HyperX starting on November 10th.
If you’re shopping around for a headset, sound quality and comfort are among the biggest reasons to spring for the Cloud II. In addition, this model features a USB-C charging port, making it easier to no-look connect it to power than wireless headsets from, say, SteelSeries and Razer, which still use USB-A ports. HyperX promises 30 hours of battery life per charge, and I’ve yet to run out of juice during the review period.
Back to sound quality: the Cloud II delivers a balanced, punchy sound with its 53mm drivers. As someone who primarily listens through Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones, I do enjoy it. It’s not the kind of presentation that is likely to tire the listener, as its bass isn’t overbearing and the mids and highs have a warm, treble-lite quality to them. However, the Cloud II definitely doesn’t stack up when it comes to noise isolation. It’s closed-back, but there are little slits near the top to vent air, and it lets in a bit of sound with it. So, not the kind of isolation you might be looking for if every audio cue counts.
The controls are easy to use. Not counting the volume dial on the right ear cup, there are just two buttons on the left ear cup: power and microphone mute. For ease of use, one is concave and the other is convex in shape. Double-pressing the power button triggers the virtual 7.1 surround sound mode. The Cloud II gets a few bonus points for clever details like having a LED near the microphone to indicate when it’s muted, and being able to turn on mic monitoring to hear yourself when you talk by holding the mute button — a trick that isn’t even in the manual.
The headset has a 3.5mm port where its microphone plugs in, but it doesn’t result in good sound when wired up via a 3.5mm cable to my PC, and it simply didn’t play any sound when it was plugged into my phone. However, the microphone quality is good enough to rely on in meetings or game sessions, with “p” and “s” sounds coming through cleanly.
There are a few things that didn’t make the transition from the wired Cloud II, like buttons for adjusting the mix for chat and game audio (the wireless HyperX Cloud Flight S managed to include them right on the ear cup), or a set of replaceable ear cups. I also wish this one used the type of USB-C wireless receiver that ships with the new SteelSeries Arctis 7X and 7P instead of a standard thumb drive-sized wireless dongle.
Also, while the Cloud II is among the most comfortable headsets I’ve worn yet, it shares that title with Logitech’s colorful G733, a less expensive model I’ve recently used that, at $129.99, costs $20 less. The G733 a
The new generation of Google Chromecast which, however, sees a fundamental change: the introduction of Google TV. We will therefore have a renewed interface, a remote control and an assistant that will allow us to help us search for content. Let’s see how it works.
by Bruno Mucciarelli published 20 October 2020 , at 11: 01 in the Audio Video channel Google
Arrives on the market and displaces a bit? all for how it has changed and above all for how fast it is. Let’s talk about the new Google Chromecast with Google TV which already from the name actually makes us understand the main change in this new generation: the accessory becomes a real alternative to Amazon’s Fire TV Stick also seen the more or less similar price. In this case, therefore, it is no longer a simple and “ poor ” dongle from which to transmit all the images or videos from the smartphone or tablet to the TV.
Here we have a remote control , we always have a small device ready to be joined to the TV via HDMI and we also have the Google Assistant which will help us, as we will see, in the search for content among the various streaming services and beyond. Yes, because the new generation Chromecast allows the installation of Android apps just like with the Google TVs on the market.
Basically we are faced with a real set top box with Google TV in great shape since the interface changes and characterizes that which will be the fulcrum of this device. In this case we have a complete system that we did not have before and which above all allows a more complete interaction with the user. As mentioned there is a new design (even if he will hide behind the TV), three new colors and above all the possibility of reproducing the contents in 4K HDR but also with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos . Potential that for a simple dongle from 21 ?? they are not just and that will allow you to transform a simple TV maybe 4K but from a few years ago into an efficient complete smart TV.
UNBOXING and OFFER
Chromecast with Google TV is offered to the public at a price of 69. 99 ?? and arrives in Italy in three different colors: Ice White, Peach and Sky Blue. E ?? this is the first real difference with the past generation which instead had been made in black without any design prerogative. Here Google has decided to customize it, making it more aesthetically acceptable even if then the dongle in most cases will almost always be placed on the back of the TV.
In the sales box we find everything. We clearly find the Chromecast dongle and we also find the remote control that we will see is very well done especially in size and buttons. They are both placed a small canvas bag which is actually the first time we see for a Google product and beyond. In addition to this we find a fairly long cable with double USB-C output and the classic small wall power supply.
DESIGN: the remote control is super convenient
The aesthetic change of the new Chromecast with Google TV is even if it is not exaggerated. The device flattens even more but above all it finds in the curves a sense of a design that is certainly more graceful than the first generation created by Google. The dimensions in particular are minimum with a slightly circular form factor with a small flattened cable joined directly to the central body. Below the cable has an HDMI port for direct connection with the TV while in the opposite lower part there is a USC-B port for power supply. Flat side and with very minimal thickness where a status LED is present and a reset button in case of problems.
Another novelty of the new Chromecast with Google TV concerns the presence of the remote control which makes the dongle a real TV box. Small and completely in matching polycarbonate with the actual Chromecast. IS?? really well done with a large ring very slippery for the finger and with a central button that allows interactions with the TV. There are also big buttons below the bezel. The one to go back, the one to activate Google Assistant, the one to immediately return to the Home and the one to mute the ??audio. Finally there are other two buttons concerning YouTube and Netflix and which therefore allow you to immediately enter the application of the two streaming services. Finally, at the bottom, smaller, the button for turning the Chromecast on and off and the button for the output ports. There is also a volume rocker on the side of the remote control that allows you to raise or lower the volume during playback.
On a technical level Chromecast with Google TV has a AMLogic S processor 905 X3 which is nothing but a Quad-Core processor that is assisted by 2GB of RAM and with one 8GB internal storage that from the settings we see that we do not have completely available indeed actually without installing non-default apps we are faced with 2.4GB of space remaining. Not much if we are going to install Android apps. The RAM is absolutely sufficient for run the interface quickly and therefore everything that entails without lag, delays or other anomalous situations. Everything moves smoothly and quickly as well as the start of the streaming contents which are replicated as soon as you start.
CONFIGURATION and USE: fast with Google Home
Let’s start first from the configuration of the Chromecast with Google TV which changes compared to the first and past generation. Here Google has concentrated in the last period to direct, rightly, all its devices in the Google Home hub. And here is that once the dongle is powered, it all mentions the need, to activate Chromecast, to go to the Google Home application on the smartphone.
L The installation wizard interface is immediate, simple and intuitive. Once you have opened the application on your smartphone, you will have to scan the QR Code with the relevant verification code, then answer some questions such as scanning the Wi-Fi network, activating the remote control, the volume and the power button. At this point the Chromecast will install the default applications and will turn on once everything is completely done.
You will then find a new graphic interface which somehow resembles that of Amazon’s Fire TV. A panel that sorts all the contents of the various streaming applications and more, because it distinguishes the sections based on movies, TV series or other. At the top we find the bar with the various sections: Search, Home, App and Collection.
Search for: allows users to search all types of multimedia content in the Chromecast with Google TV. Here are suggestions for activating voice search using ad hoc phrases. But there are also some banners that allow you to identify themed films such as romantics, thrillers or documentaries and more.
Home: is the real home of the Chromecast. Here we find everything, from the applications we have decided to install, to the suggestions that Google machine learning will offer us for multimedia content between the various applications. Not only because we will also find more themed suggestions. Here the first sore point because just on the suggestions we find only movies and TV series concerning Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime and Disney +. No other service is offered in the suggestions and therefore we will not find Rai Play or even Infinity content. A shame because it is clear that such a comfortable incomplete function does not allow you to get the most from the Chromecast. It may take some time for Google to implement the other applications as well.
App: is the section that allows you to group all the applications that are available to be installed or that are have already been installed. A kind of Android app drawer which also sees suggestions by type of app or other. Here we really find everything and the assortment is really complete with gaming apps that can be installed (if there is storage space left) and played without problems thanks to the connection via Bluetooth with any controller.
Collection: is the last section of the Chromecast where all the content that has been purchased by the user. They can be easily selected and therefore also easily viewed.
In the Home therefore it is possible to find any type of multimedia content. In this case, among those suggested it is possible to easily see from the preview the streaming service in which the content is present (so if Netflix or other), the percentage of reliability with your tastes and above all whether the content is free or paid. In the event that the content is paid and therefore to be rented or purchased for viewing, a padlock will appear next to the streaming service and by entering the card the cost will be displayed and you can still proceed with the purchase.
Settings are well divided into sections and also very full of options. In this case the user can find:
Network and Internet: where it will have all the information regarding the network and internet connection.
Account and access: will contain all the data regarding the account with which the access was made and here it is also possible to add an additional account.
Privacy: section dedicated to user privacy. There are here the various sections of the geolocation but also the use and diagnostics then the ads and the privacy regarding the Google assistant.
Display and audio: is perhaps the most important section because it allows you to discover that the Chromecast allows advanced display settings with the ability to allow game mode and push content up to 4K in HDR with 60 Hz . Too bad the absence of Google Stadia which could somehow be a very winning weapon. At the audio level it is possible to manually choose the formats with Dolby Atmos in Dolby Digital Plus, AAC and also Dolby Digital or Dolby Digital Plus.
App: complete view of all applications installed with their weight and their permissions.
System: all the information on the Chromecast system with accessibility, Date and Time but also the language, keyboard and memory. Here you can also choose what to replicate during the so-called Ambient Mode, that is, if during standby the Chromecast starts Google Photos with the playback of the uploaded photos, Art Gallery with images of works of art selected by Google or even Experimental with new ones contents.
Remote controls and accessories: And here who knows that Google will not add access to Google Stadia in the future.
The operation of the Chromecast with Google TV is always very fluid in the steps between an application and the Home. We have never had a problem opening applications but we have not had problems with sudden delays or crashes of services either. The processor used obviously allows you to play 4K and HDR without problems, where for HDR it clearly means Dolby Vision and HDR 10. Streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are replicated in 4K Dolby Vision as well as Youtube which comes out in 4K HDR.
You can also use Google As sistant with voice control even if this, at least in this first phase, fails to understand us at 100% always and above all not manages to completely cover the results on all applications present. Normal given that such a machine learning job still requires an important programmatic effort. In fact it is possible to ask Google for everything , from time information to more with a response from the TV. Clearly the most interesting part concerns the requests for films or TV series. You can ask for the title of a movie, the reproduction of a TV series or even by genre such as an action movie or even be suggested by artificial intelligence.
It is also possible to download music applications and therefore with the voice it is also possible to ask to play music of all kinds. And then there is the Google Assistant ecosystem: the Chromecast allows you to set the temperature of a heating or cooling system with this type of support, or turn down or raise the lights of a room or create reminders. Google Assistant will respond to everything as the other devices of the Google Home ecosystem do.
CONCLUSIONS
The Chromecast with Google TV is all of this. It changes considerably from what we have seen up to now. It changes because there is now a remote control and because above all there is Google TV with its own precise graphic interface, in step with the times and capable of making itself useful and comfortable especially as an aggregator of apps and services. There is then the Google Assistant that allows you to have voice control of the commands and that
Popcorn Computer has announced its new “pocket computer” called Pocket. It is a small device equipped with a FullHD screen (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution) of panel UP 4, 95 “with its own built-in keyboard that runs Linux, specifically it comes with Debian 10, and that it has a removable battery to work completely autonomously.
Specifications and price of the Pocket PC
Inside this small device we have, under the screen of 4, 95 “IPS Full HD, an ARM Cortex-A processor 53 1.2 GHz and 4 cores with 2 GB of DDR3 memory and 32 GB of internal memory eMMC expandable with cards micro SD.
It has WiFi connectivity, although only 2.4 GHz, in addition to Bluetooth 4.2 . Physical connectivity relies on four USB-C ports that serve for power or data. It is powered by a 3. 200 mAh removable and has its own built-in keyboard that connects internally via USB, this keyboard has 20 RGB LEDs and a Cortex M3 processor.
1.2 GHz Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A 53 CPU
2GB DDR3 RAM
53 GB eMMC Memory
4. 95 “Full HD 1920 x 1080 px IPS LCD
Internal microSD Card Connector
3200 mAh Removable Battery
2.4 GHz Wi-Fi / Bluetooth 4.0
Infi neon OPTIGA TRUST M Secure Element
Built-in Programmable USB Keyboard w / Backlight:
STM 32F103 C8T6 ARM Cortex-M3 MCU
25 x RGB APA 102 – 2020 LEDs
59 x Silicone Buttons
4x USB-C Connectors:
1x Device Port w / Power Delivery (PD)
2x Host Port (1x w / PD, 1x w / o PD)
During the reservation period the Popcorn Computer Pocket PC can be purchased by 199 Dollars, then the price will increase up to 249 Dollars.
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Antonio Delgado
Computer Engineer training, hardware editor and analyst at Geeknetic from 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.
João Silva 2 hours ago Featured Tech News, Pen Drives
Kingston is adding a new USB drive to its Duo family of plug-and-play drives. The new DataTraveler Duo (DTDE) is a dual-interface USB flash drive with increased versatility and flexibility for “newer and legacy devices”.
Featuring a USB-A and a USB-C interface, the DataTraveler Duo uses a sturdy and stylish dual slider casing with no removable caps. Perfectly suited for use in laptops, desktops, and mobile devices, the USB ports allow you to transfer at USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds (up to 10Gbps) to quickly access your personal files. The DataTraveler Duo is available with both 32GB and 64GB of storage capacity.
Carissa Blegen, flash product manager at Kingston, stated that the new DataTraveler Duo was designed to offer the “much needed functionality” of the increasing number of USB-C devices available. Additionally, Carissa also said that the dual slide casing was designed to “make the drive sturdy and stylish, with no cap to lose”.
The Kingston DataTraveler Duo is available now for €9.90 (32GB) and €14.90 (64GB), and it’s backed by a 5-year warranty and free technical support. You can learn more about it HERE.
KitGuru says: when you’re thinking about buying a USB pen drive, do you just pick one up or choose it carefully based on your needs? Would you fancy yourself a DataTraveler Duo?
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Asus announces the VG259QR and VG279QR gaming monitors
Asus has introduced two new TUF Gaming monitors to its already vast portfolio. Both the …
As a budget professional display, the Acer ConceptD CM3271K is in a class by itself. For about the same cost as a rank-and-file 4K monitor, you get tremendous color saturation with many gamut options and a great picture, although you’ll miss some calibration options.
For
Huge color gamut
Accurate color
Good build quality
Included light-blocking hood
Terrific value
Against
Limited calibration options
60 Hz refresh rate
No overdrive with Adaptive-Sync
Features and Specifications
Creative professionals need a monitor with a wide variety of color modes to ensure compliance with the myriad of standards used by today’s content. From sRGB to Rec.2020 with Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 in between, it’s important to be able to call up the needed gamut when the work demands. 1080p material needs Rec.709, and 4K resolution streams require DCI-P3 and Rec.2020. Photographers, meanwhile, use Adobe RGB to match signals with cameras and other color critical gear.
A monitor that can quickly switch between all these gamuts is something of a rarity and usually comes with a large price tag. This spring, we published our Acer ConceptD CP7271K.The flagship monitor broke several records in our color volume tests, with over 100% coverage of DCI-P3. It also has a $2,300 MSRP, landing it firmly in the high-end category.
Today, we’re looking at a much less expensive alternative, the Acer ConceptD CM3271K ($650 MSRP). It’s also a 27-inch IPS monitor but trades the 1,000-nit FALD backlight spec found in some of the best HDR monitors for a DisplayHDR 400-compliant part while still including multiple color gamut options, 4K resolution and, though it’s not meant to be one of the best 4K gaming monitors, Adaptive-Sync.
Acer ConceptD CM3271K Specifications
Panel Type & Backlight
IPS / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio
27 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate
3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz; FreeSync
Native Color Depth & Gamut
10-bit / Rec.2020; DisplayHDR 400, HDR10
Response Time (GTG)
4ms
Max Brightness
SDR: 350 nits; HDR: 400 nits
Contrast
1,000:1
Speakers
2x 4w
Video Inputs
DisplayPort 1.2a, 2x HDMI 2.0, USB-C
Audio
3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.0
1x up, 4x down
Power Consumption
27.6w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions (WxHxD w/base)
24.7 x 16.6-23.7 x 10.5 inches (627 x 422-602 x 267mm)
Panel Thickness
3.7 inches (95mm)
Bezel Width
Top/sides: 0.6 inch (15mm); Bottom: 0.9 inch (22mm)
Weight
14.4 pounds (6.5kg)
Warranty
3 years
The Acer ConceptD CM3271K starts with an edge-lit IPS panel rated for 400 max brightness nits in HDR mode. It also has a massive native color gamut; nearly 75% of Rec.2020. In Adobe RGB and DCI modes, it’s a hair shy of 100%. There’s also a completely usable sRGB mode that is equally accurate. Native color depth is 10 bits.
Even though it’s not made to compete with the best gaming monitors , this value-oriented ConceptD includes FreeSync is the native tech and our tests show it to be G-Sync compatible though it is not certified by Nvidia (see our How to Run G-Sync on a FreeSync Monitor tutorial). The only thing holding it back from competition status is a 60 Hz max refresh rate. The Acer ConceptD CM3271K will be fine for casual gamers, but those seeking higher frame rates will need to look elsewhere.
Assembly and Accessories of Acer ConceptD CM3271K
At the top of the carton is a rigid light-blocking hood that comes in three pieces. You’ll need a Phillips-head screwdriver to install it with the included hardware. Once fastened, the sides can be hinged out of the way.
The top panel has a little door through which one can drop a meter for calibration. The panel, upright and base are already assembled and just need to be lifted out. Once you’ve made cable connections, a cover snaps over the input panel.
Included cables are HDMI, USB-C and DisplayPort, along with an external power supply.
Product 360
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(Image credit: Acer)
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(Image credit: Acer)
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(Image credit: Acer)
Like all of Acer’s ConceptD displays, build quality is at the premium level with high-end components used throughout.
With the light hood in place on the Acer ConceptD CM3271K , the image looks supremely saturated with excellent depth and pop. The hood is lined with light absorbing material and has a positive effect on picture quality. Though not the most stylish addition to a monitor, a hood like this can improve the quality of any desktop display.
The anti-glare layer is typical of nearly all computer monitors with good light rejection and no visible grain. Only the Acer logo and a tiny power LED are visible on the bezel which is just over 0.5 inch wide.
On the side are two USB ports, which is something we rarely see on new monitors. There are two more underneath along with an upstream port, all version 3.0. Video inputs include two HDMI 2.0 and a DisplayPort 1.2. A second DisplayPort comes in the form of a USB-C jack. It’s listed in the on-screen display (OSD) as DP Alt.
The stand sits on a round base with a woodgrain applique finish. A small hook at the bottom is there to keep cables tidy. The upright is an aluminum tube with a very smooth 7.1-inch height adjustment. The base swivels 360 degrees, and you get 5/35 degrees of tilt. Everything feels high-end with firm movements and no play or wobble.
OSD Features of Acer ConceptD CM3271K
The Acer ConceptD CM3271K’s OSD is controlled by a tiny joystick located in back, along with three control keys. A fourth button serves as the power toggle. The menu is quite extensive and includes many picture and gamut modes.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In the Picture sub-menu, you’ll find luminance sliders, along with Black Boost (shadow detail boost), Blue Light for reading, ACM (dynamic contrast), HDR (off, on or Aato), a toggle for the built-in light sensor and a sharpness option, which adds edge enhancement. The light sensor can alter screen brightness automatically when your room’s lighting changes. It’s unavailable when ACM is engaged.
Though we thought the correct setting for HDR was Auto, it turned out that the Acer ConceptD CM3271K would stay in HDR mode even when an SDR signal was present. You’ll have to manually turn it on and off when switching modes. HDR grays out all image options and cannot be calibrated.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
There’s a catch to the otherwise extensive calibration options. You can only calibrate in the General color gamut, which measures closest to Rec.2020. Choosing another gamut, like Adobe RGB or DCI-P3, locks out the RGB sliders and hue/saturation controls. Fortunately, the various gamut modes are accurate enough not to require calibration, though we noted some grayscale errors that couldn’t be corrected.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
In the Color menu’s second screen, you can choose from 10 picture modes and nine different gamuts, ranging from General (Rec.2020) to SMPTE-C with everything in between. There’s even a DCI mode that sets the green color temp used in cinema-grade digital projection. This will be a boon to creative pros that need exotic color spaces for video post-production. If you want to work in black and white, there’s even a grayscale mode available.
(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)
Here you can see the picture modes. Calibration 1 and 2 can be set to any gamut desired for easy switching. Adobe RGB is included for photography tasks. The other modes are task-specific. User allows for calibration but is limited to the General color gamut, which covers almost 75% of Rec.2020.
Recommended Calibration Settings of Acer ConceptD CM3271K
Though the Acer ConceptD CM3271K has many image and color modes, its calibration options are limited. Only the User mode unlocks all image controls, but it doesn’t allow one to select a color gamut. The only choice is General, which comes closest to Rec.2020, according to our measurements.
Selecting another gamut grays out the color temp and gamma options. For general use, we opted for User so we could dial in grayscale tracking. This made the monitor VERY colorful, so if you like bright saturated hues; this is the mode for you. Try our settings below if that is your preference.
Picture Mode
User
Brightness 200 nits
28
Brightness 120 nits
8
Brightness 100 nits
2 (minimum 93 nits)
Color Space
General
Contrast
48
Gamma
2.2
Color Temp User
Gain – Red 51, Green 52, Blue 47 | Bias – Red 50, Green 50, Blue 50
HDR signals cannot be calibrated, as all image controls, including Brightness, are unavailable.
Hands-on and Gaming With Acer ConceptD CM3271K
Booting up Windows, we couldn’t help but be taken by the tremendous color saturation in the Acer ConceptD CM3271K’s User mode. It uses the monitor’s full native gamut, which is almost 75% of Rec.2020. Though SDR content is quite over-saturated when compared to the sRGB spec, the look is striking. Working in Office apps at Ultra HD resolution is always a pleasure because fonts and small objects are rendered without visible jaggies or pixilation. Contrast was good enough to make black text pop out cleanly against white backgrounds. Photos and videos had good depth and dimension
When greater color accuracy was needed, we employed the various gamut options. Adobe RGB is great to have for photo editing. Most monitors with that color space are much more expensive than the Acer ConceptD CM3271K.
We also appreciated the DCI-P3 mode for streaming movies. That’s where HDR is a benefit. Contrast-wise, the image didn’t look any different from an SDR one, but 4K and extended color add a real impact to 4K Blu-rays and 4K content streamed from services like Netflix.
Gaming was a mixed bag for us. Strictly speaking, the Acer ConceptD CM3271K isn’t a gaming monito, but since it has Adaptive-Sync, a good experience can be had in most first-person shooters. HDR, however, is essentially a non-starter in games because it takes out the option to use Adaptive-Sync. At 60 frames per second (fps), you cannot forego Adaptive-Sync.
HDR mode added nothing to the look of Call of Duty: WWII, and without Adaptive-Sync, there were too many distracting artifacts during intense firefights. HDR is best left to static graphic tasks and movie watching.
Another downside is that overdrive is not available with Adaptive-Sync. If you move the mouse too quickly, or the action pans rapidly, there is visible blur though we never saw a frame tear or stutter.
Tomb Raider was fun to play when exploring, but fast-moving battle scenes had some smearing due to the lack of overdrive. Surface textures were richly detailed and saturated with vivid color. Contrast was good too, especially when we turned on ACM (dynamic contrast). It isn’t too aggressive which means shadow and highlight detail are always visible. We recommend using ACM for gaming and videos but it’s too bright when working in apps like Word and Excel.
As a post-production and workday monitor, the Acer ConceptD CM3271K is well-qualified, thanks to its many color options and superb image quality. If you were hoping to get more bank for your buck and also use it for gaming though, it isn’t as well suited.
If you buy an iPhone in the future, you’re not getting an included charging brick or earbuds. Apple says the reasons are environmental. Giving out fewer “free” accessories with every phone means using less materials, the company claims, and also makes for smaller boxes that can be shipped more efficiently. So going forward, those boxes will just come with a phone and a Lightning to USB-C cable.
I think Apple’s approach is generally a good thing, but it should have gone further by switching away from its proprietary Lightning port entirely and fully embracing USB-C. Right away, that Lightning to USB-C cable would turn into a much more useful USB-C to USB-C cable that could charge basically all of your electronics. Or better still, Apple could remove the cable entirely and just ship the phone by itself, eliminating even more duplicitous waste.
It’s a relatively small change for each person buying an iPhone, but it’s massive when you consider the fact that Apple shipped almost 200 million iPhones over the past year, according to IDC. Chargers might make up a relatively small proportion of total e-waste, as Wired notes, but on a global basis, that’s still tens of thousands of metric tons annually. And as the lack of headphone jacks on 2020’s flagship smartphones shows, Apple’s decisions also have a huge influence on the rest of the industry.
Apple argues no charging brick makes for smaller, more efficient, packaging.Image: Apple
USB-C is already becoming the standard
I’ll be the first to admit that USB-C isn’t a perfect standard. Its naming scheme has been a mess (the current USB standard is called USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 for chrissake), and there are so many bad USB-C cables in the wild that some people have made it their mission to root out the worst of them. To borrow a famous turn of phrase, USB-C is the worst connection standard… except for all the others. But it’s also the best one yet created.
In 2020, USB-C is about as universal as wired connection standards come. It’s used by over-ear headphones, true wireless earbuds, VR headsets, tablets (including some of Apple’s), laptops (including all of Apple’s) and laptop accessories. It’s used by game consoles like the Nintendo Switch, and it’ll be used with both the PS5 and the Xbox Series X’s controllers when those consoles ship next month. USB-C batteries are becoming commonplace and chargers are getting tiny and extremely capable — with up to 100 watts, a powerful battery or a charger the size of a deck of playing cards can sometimes power a laptop, tablet, and phone all at once.
Not only is USB-C used almost everywhere, it’s also hard to name something that Lightning actually does better. Longtime Apple blogger John Gruber has argued in the past that it’s a more elegant and slightly thinner port which… sure, maybe? But is that enough reason to maintain the status quo if Apple cares as much about the environment as it claims?
You probably already have a USB-C charger
Apple’s core argument for taking the charger out of the box is that it avoids piling on accessories that a lot of people already own. During its presentation, Apple estimated that there are 2 billion of its power adapters out in the world, and “billions” of third-party chargers.
But let’s put that into perspective. According to IDC, Apple commanded just 13.9 percent of the global smartphone market in 2019, shipping close to 200 million phones last year. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry combined shipped over a billion phones over the course of just a single year, and most of those devices used USB-C. That’s a lot of people who already have everything they need to charge a hypothetical USB-C iPhone, including both charging bricks and USB-C cables. And it doesn’t include all the people who bought other USB-C devices like headphones, laptops, and tablets, including recent MacBook and iPad Pro devices.
All of that means that if you really want to, you can absolutely sell a USB-C smartphone without any charging accessories at all. That’s what ethical smartphone manufacturer Fairphone does. Inside the box for its most recent phone, the Fairphone 3 Plus, you’ll find no headphones, no USB-C charging cable, and no USB-C charging brick. Instead there’s a small screwdriver, so that when the time comes, you’ll be theoretically able to repair the phone for yourself rather than having to throw it out.
A slightly weird halfway house
There are serious questions to be asked about how positive an environmental impact Apple’s existing plan is actually going to have. A big part of Apple’s pitch is that there are already billions of power adapters out there, but it’s likely that a significant portion of them use the USB-A standard, which is incompatible with the Lightning to USB-C cable Apple now packs into the box for faster charging speeds. Apple only started putting USB-C power adapters in the box last year, and even then it was limited to the Pro models, meaning the vast majority of iPhones sold came with a USB-A brick bundled in.
USB-C charging bricks only started getting bundled with last year’s iPhone 11 Pro. Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
I’m not saying there’ll be no environmental impact. With the iPhone 12, a lot of people will still be able to reuse their existing USB-A to Lightning charging cables and USB-A power bricks, regardless of the new cable they get in the box. But then what’s the point of that Lightning to USB-C cable, particularly if you wind up switching to Apple’s MagSafe wireless chargers instead? If it were a USB-C to USB-C cable, at least you could use it with other gadgets. Apple could have a much bigger environmental impact in the long run by eliminating its proprietary Lightning port entirely.
Apple’s argument
We already know what Apple thinks about potentially switching to USB-C connectors, because it put out a statement on this very topic earlier this year. The statement came in response to EU efforts to mandate a common charger for all smartphones, and Apple argued that a switch to USB-C would actually be worse for the environment overall, by rendering hundreds of millions of Lightning accessories obsolete. Here’s the relevant part of the statement it issued in January (emphasis added):
“More than 1 billion Apple devices have shipped using a Lightning connector in addition to an entire ecosystem of accessory and device manufacturers who use Lightning to serve our collective customers. Legislation would have a direct negative impact by disrupting the hundreds of millions of active devices and accessories used by our European customers and even more Apple customers worldwide, creating an unprecedented volume of electronic waste and greatly inconveniencing users.”
There absolutely are a lot of Lightning accessories out there. But the argument rings hollow given Apple’s own history of obviating all those 30-pin iPod docks and early iPhone peripherals when it switched to Lightning in 2012. Instead of sending them straight to the dump, Apple and others sold 30-pin to Lightning adapters to extend the usefulness of those legacy accessories for years. Apple and its partners can surely now do the same in order to preserve all those Lightning devices. Yes, it would create a one-time glut of adapters that would eventually end up in landfills, but it’s the short-term price to pay for the long-term benefits of convergence.
Same pain, more gain
As someone who has a whole drawer filled with spare power adapters I never use, I’m sympathetic to what Apple is trying to achieve with the iPhone 12. Giving out duplicate accessories with every new phone really isn’t sustainable if we want to try and cut down on the estimated 53.6 million metric tons of
A comfy pair of wireless earbuds with some useful features, but the sound quality could be more competitive
For
Slick volume controls
Comfortable fit
Clever noise-cancelling
Against
Sound lacks detail
Dynamics could be better
Rhythmically unsure
There was a time when it felt like smartphone manufacturers treated headphones as a bit of an afterthought. Just bundle something in that resembles a pair of in-ear headphones and that should keep consumers happy.
But demands and expectations have changed, which is why headphones such as the Huawei FreeBuds Pros now exist. Phone manufacturers have seen the mileage in developing their own high-tech headphones that major on wireless convenience.
To that end there’s no shortage of competition when it comes to Bluetooth noise-cancelling earbuds. Apple has the AirPods Pro, Samsung the Galaxy Buds Live, and Sony the WF-1000XM3. So, how does Huawei’s offering stack up?
Comfort
(Image credit: Huawei)
First impressions are promising. Unbox the FreeBuds Pro and you’re greeted by their charging case. It’s a little on the chunky side, but your pockets should be able to survive the strain. Flip it open and you’ll find the earbuds nestled inside.
Provided you have Huawei’s AI Life app on your smartphone (available for Android, but not iOS at the time of writing), you’ll receive a notification to say the headphones are ready to pair almost as soon as the lid is lifted. If you ever need to reset the earbuds or pair with another device, simply press and hold the button on the side of the case.
There’s a technique to freeing the FreeBuds, which involves pushing a bud up with your thumb and grabbing it in a pincer movement. It can be a bit of a struggle sliding them back in the case, but it does get a little easier over time.
In-hand, the FreeBuds Pros look functional enough with glossy surfaces that are smooth to the touch but feel a little cheap. The finish of our review sample is Carbon Black, but there are also Ceramic White and Silver Frost options.
The earbud enclosures are deliberately curved to help fit the shape of your ear and to help distribute force on the surface of your ear and the silicone tips evenly. This allows the pressure that would normally build up on your ear to balance out for a more comfortable fit. And that’s exactly what you get. The FreeBuds pro feel lightweight and not too intrusive, despite their snug-fitting silicone eartips.
Build
(Image credit: Huawei)
The tips are oval in shape, just like the earbud ports. This means you need to position the silicone eartips a certain way before you put them in your ears. In case you’re unsure, Huawei’s AI Life app includes both a tip-fit test and wear-detection test to help you get up and running.
Each earbud enclosure is attached to an elongated, rectangular stem. These not only help with stability but also act as your main point of contact with the FreeBuds Pros. Each stem hosts a tiny touch-sensitive button that you use to control various aspects of their performance.
Huawei FreeBuds Pro tech specs
(Image credit: Huawei)
Bluetooth version 5.0
Noise-cancelling Yes
Battery life 4.5 hours, 20 hours (with charging case)
Finishes x3
Weight 6.1g (per earbud)
A quick pinch will play/pause your music and answer calls, while sliding your finger up or down the button will change the volume. It might look like you’re trying to scratch your ear when you do shift the volume, but at least it’s effective.
Pinching and holding activates the Awareness mode so you can hear your surroundings and hold a conversation without having to take the earbuds out of your ears. It also cycles through to turn on the built-in noise-cancelling, and this is where Huawei has focused much of its attention in the hope of giving rivals such as the AirPods Pros a serious run for their money.
There are four main noise-cancelling settings within the AI Life app. Cosy is best suited to quiet environments, General is for everyday use when you’re out and about, and Ultra claims to cut out the most noise, designed to be used in noisy places such as on a plane or train. The setting that you’ll probably use most, however, is Dynamic. Here you can leave the earbuds to use their own internal tech to pick the best level of noise-cancelling for your current situation.
The earbuds use twin Digital HD microphones and an algorithm to help achieve the noise-cancellation, and we find the FreeBuds Pros do good job of blocking out the drone of daily life. They’ve also been designed with low-latency in mind, and a few YouTube videos and episodes of The Umbrella Academy later, the Huaweis emerge unflustered.
There are two Bluetooth antennas in each earbud to help provide a more stable connection, and we don’t experience any major dropouts – even when our phone is located in the room next door.
The charging case boasts some impressive stats. A five-minute charge (when connected to mains power) is enough to give you two hours of playback with ANC enabled. It charges via USB-C or can be placed on a compatible wireless charging pad.
Battery life is 4.5 hours with ANC or seven hours without, which is competitive when pitched against the AirPods Pros and Sony WF-1000XM3s. The charging case takes total battery life up to 30 hours (without ANC) or 20 hours (with ANC). LED lights both inside and outside the case change colour depending on how much battery life is left in the case and headphones.
Sound
(Image credit: Huawei)
So far, so promising. And our initial take on the audio that pumps out of the Huawei in-ears is pretty positive too. The FreeBuds Pros deliver a lively and upbeat sound. They’re not the shy and retiring type, lapping up anything with a decent beat.
Play Starboy by The Weeknd and bass notes make an impact, weighty and full-bodied. There’s no element to the sound that really grates, but we get the sense that certain high and low frequencies have been given a slightly artificial boost to lift the mood of these headphones.
When compared with a rival such as the Sony WF-1000XM3s, however, the Huaweis lag behind in a few key areas. Dynamically, they sound quite stunted, especially with noise-cancelling turned on. At the start of The Weeknd track, as the static sound effect becomes more prominent, the Sonys reproduce it with greater clarity and distinction.
As the track gets underway, the Huaweis struggle to uncover the same amount of detail or display the same rhythmic ability. They never really give you the full picture. You can introduce a bit more spaciousness and a slight lift in dynamics by turning noise-cancelling off, but the FreeBuds Pro still come out second-best against rivals.
Play Portals from the Avengers: End Game soundtrack and it’s more of the same. There’s weight to the pounding drum beats that punctuate the opening of the track, but they should pierce the silence more dramatically. Wind instruments need more of a cutting edge to make their presence felt, too. The Huaweis are inoffensive, they simply struggle to uncover the finer details and communicate the subtleties of a track.
Verdict
The Huawei FreeBuds Pros aren’t bad wireless earbuds, but they could be better. On the plus side, they are nice to use, the noise-cancelling is good and they’re both comfortable and lightweight. But sound quality lags behind the competition and you can get more bangs for your buck elsewhere.
SCORES
Sound 3
Comfort 5
Build 4
MORE:
Read our guide to the best wireless in-ear headphones
A moment ago, a fresh one from the Motorola stable fell into my hands. The Moto E7 Plus model, because this particular smartphone is about, is not a flagship, not even an average model. It is a flesh and blood budget that should be assessed through the prism of the price. This one is simply low, and thus my requirements for the device have been adapted to it. Moto E7 Plus is pleasantly surprising in many respects, especially since I found the pluses where I would never expect them. Unfortunately, as is the case in the low price range, there are many compromises here. Some were easy for me to accept, while others caused difficulties when using the smartphone in certain scenarios. Here’s how I rate the smartphone as a whole.
Author: Marcin Karbowiak
The prices of smartphones have soared in recent years and today the view of devices for 5 or 7 thousand zlotys is nothing special. However, you have to be aware of the fact that not everyone needs a well-equipped flagship, the possibilities of which would not be used anyway. For many people, even the average shelf is simply unnecessary. In the circle of my friends, I will find at least a dozen budget smartphone users who say that they do not need anything more than what their smartphones offer them. The Motorola Moto E7 Plus was created for such people. The device costs 599 PLN, which is a very affordable amount. Unfortunately, the low price very often goes hand in hand with poor quality of workmanship, a poor camera and software errors. While I cannot call the Moto E7 Plus the perfect device, it is difficult for me to negate the trifles in this price class.
We tested the inexpensive Motorola Moto E7 Plus smartphone. The equipment surprises with a camera with a resolution of 48 Mpix and a battery with a capacity 5000 mAh. We checked the biggest advantages and disadvantages of the model.
Xiaomi Mi Smartphone Test 10 T Pro: Pro Edition Night Photography
Motorola Moto E7 Plus is a smartphone from the budget segment. I want to emphasize it at the very beginning of the publication, because it is through the prism of a low amount that we should evaluate the capabilities of the device. As you can guess, we cannot count on a display with better parameters than 6.5- inch diagonal, IPS technology or resolution 1600 x 720 pixels. The presence of the economical Qualcomm Snapdragon chip 5000 made in 11 nm technological process, which in 4 GB RAM and Adreno graphics 610 shows clearly that the smartphone will not be doing very well with games and the issue of multitasking. The tests are in line with expectations, although the equipment also has bright sides, which we will go to a bit later. The last irritating issue that I could not deny myself is the lack of a USB-C socket. The design uses only old microUSB. Dear Motorolo, let me remind you that we have 2020 year.
Motorola Moto E7 Plus and Moto E6 Plus smartphone technical specifications:
Motorola Moto E7 Plus
Motorola Moto E6 Plus
Display
6.5 inch IPS 20: 9 60 Hz 1600 x 720 pix
6.1 inch IPS . 5: 9 60 Hz 1560 x 720 pix
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 11 nm
MediaTek MT 6762 12 nm
Data memory
60 GB
RAM
4 GB
Battery / Charging
5000 mAh 10 W
3000 mAh 10 W
Main camera
48 Mpix f / 1.7 wide angle 2 Mpix sensor depth
13 Mpix f / 2.0 wide angle 2 Mpix depth sensor
Front camera
8 Mpix f / 2.2
8 Mpix f / 2.0
System
Android 10
Android 9
Dimensions
165. 2 x 75. 7 x 9.2 mm
155. 6 x 73. 1 x 8.6 mm
Weight
200 g
149 g
Colors
Navy Blue, Amber Bronze
Polished Graphite, Bright Cherry, Dark Red
Price
599 PLN
549 PLN
Motorola Moto E7 Plus is a phone with a very good fit and looking both will know which has been properly balanced. Contrary to appearances, this is an important issue. Some of the more expensive smartphones that I have contact with literally “pull” my hands down. A good example here will be the recently tested Xiaomi Mi 10 T Pro. But let’s go back to Motorola. Moto E7 Plus should be praised for almost pure Android with additions from the manufacturer that are basically invisible. Of course, only if we are not going to use them. We also enjoy the presence of the main wide-angle camera 20 Mpix. It is true that the photos are combined here in 12 Mpix image, however it looks really good. Of course, with the right lighting conditions. How is it at night? The answer is – it depends. We will come back to this in the photography chapter.
Matthew Wilson 24 mins ago Featured Tech News, Mobile
Typically, Samsung announces its Galaxy flagship smartphones in February, followed by a worldwide launch in March. The timing could shift a bit in 2021, as tipsters are anticipating a January announcement for the Galaxy S30.
Given that the device isn’t official yet, we are unsure if this will be the Galaxy S30 or Galaxy S21 series. According to Android Central, its the S21, but others, like OnLeaks, refer to it as the Galaxy S30. Speaking of OnLeaks, he recently shared renders of what the next phone should look like:
Image credit: OnLeaks/Steve Hemmerstoffer
We can expect Samsung’s next Galaxy flagship to come with a 6.2-inch flat display, a triple camera array on the back, USB-C charging and a holepunch front-facing camera in the top centre – just as we saw on the Galaxy S20.
According to Android Central, we’ll be seeing three new Galaxy S models from Samsung in 2021 – a standard model, a Plus model and an ‘Ultra’ model with an S-Pen. The launch should be taking place in January 2021 unless plans change closer to the new year.
KitGuru Says: If January is a target, then perhaps Samsung will be unveiling its new Galaxy S series around CES, which will be held digitally in January. Are any of you planning on upgrading next year?
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Asus rushes ahead and shows the first notebook with Intel’s independent graphics chip DG1 – even before the chip manufacturer even presented the GPU. The VivoBook Flip 14 (TP 470 EZ) is a 14 inch 2-in-1 device with IPS touchscreen (1920 × 802 pixels) and pen support.
Asus combines a Tiger Lake U processor with Intel’s DG1 GPU. On the product page for the upcoming VivoBook Flip 14 the manufacturer only speaks still from “Intel’s first stand-alone GPU”. In an earlier version the brand name Iris Xe Max was noted.
This can also be found in the benchmark database from SiSoftware Sandra, which is attached to the graphics chip 768 attributes to shader cores – as much as the integrated graphics unit from Tiger Lake-U. The separate GPU with its own 4 GB memory, probably faster GDDR6 RAM, could achieve a speed advantage. In the previous VivoBook flip notebooks, Asus dispensed with independent graphics chips and relied solely on Intel processors.
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 (8 pictures) (Image: Asus) Tiger Lake + Thunderbolt 4 In the upcoming VivoBook Flip 14 either a Core i7 – 1165 G7 or Core i5 – 1135 G7. Both use four CPU cores with Hyper-Threading (eight threads) and differ in terms of clock frequencies and the size of the level 3 cache. The CPU accesses either 8 or 16 GByte LPDDR4X – 4266 – RAM back. Asus installs a GB to 1 TB PCI-Express SSD as M.2 Card.
As usual with the Tiger Lake generation, Thunderbolt 4 is available as USB-C Connection included. Two type A ports are available as USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit / s) or USB 2.0 connected. HDMI, audio jack and micro SD card reader round off the connections. The VivoBook Flip 14 transmits via Wi-Fi 6 (WLAN 802. 11 ax) and Bluetooth 5.0. It is 18, 7
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