C 2018
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Oct 18
The specs of the alleged Black Shark 2 are awfully similar to those found on the first version. (Source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Black Shark 2 pops up in Geekbench

Immediately after Xiaomi teased the release date for the Black Shark 2 gaming phone, the model allegedly got tested in Geekbench. As far as hardware specs go, the alleged Black Shark 2 appears to feature the same configuration as ...
Notebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones (≤5-inch)

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones (≤5-inch)

October 2018 Update. Here's a list of the best compact smartphones - with screen sizes of 5-inches or less - we've reviewed in the last few months. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchase decisions.
Notebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones

October 2018 Update. Here you will find the latest smartphones reviewed by Notebookcheck. Our Top 10 list is regularly updated, maintained and commented on by our editors. This page is intended to help our readers decide which product to purchase.
Lenovo Tablet 10 (Celeron N4100, eMMC, LTE, WUXGA) Tablet Review
Lenovo Tablet 10 (Celeron N4100, eMMC, LTE, WUXGA) Tablet Review
Huawei Mate 20 Pro Smartphone Review
Huawei Mate 20 Pro Live Review
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Xeon E-2176M, Quadro P2000 Max-Q) Workstation Review
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Xeon E-2176M, Quadro P2000 Max-Q) Workstation Review
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB (i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD) Convertible Review
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB (i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD) Convertible Review
The Google Pixel 3 models feature the custom Titan M embeded security chip. (Source: Google)

Google details Titan M custom security chip in Pixel 3

Google has detailed what is so special about the new Titan M custom silicon it has baked into the Pixel 3 to help secure the device. In its latest blog post since the official launch of the device, Google has identified four key a...
best business laptops

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Premium Office/Business Laptops

October 2018 update. Here you will find the best office laptops and business notebooks reviewed by Notebookcheck in the last few months. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchasing decisions.
Top 10 Tablets

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Tablets

October 2018 Update. Here you will find the current best tablets reviewed by Notebookcheck in the last few months. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchasing decisions.
Notebookcheck's Top 10 Tablets under 250 Euros

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Tablets under 250 Euros

Q4 2018 Update. Here you will find the best tablets under 250 USD/Euros reviewed by Notebookcheck. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchasing decisions.
Lenovo Tablet 10 (Celeron N4100, eMMC, LTE, WUXGA) Tablet Review

84% Lenovo Tablet 10 (Celeron N4100, eMMC, LTE, WUXGA) Tablet Review

Thinkpad incognito. Lenovo's 10.1-inch Windows tablet offers a fairly decent hardware: 128 GB storage, LTE modem, IPS panel, keyboard dock, and an active stylus. However, it comes at a price: Lenovo wants to see $600 plus tax in exchange for this particular model.
Intel Celeron N4100 | Intel UHD Graphics 600 | 10.1" | 664 g
Oct 17
Asus ZenFone Lite (L1) and ZenFone Max (M1) are now official. (Source: Asus)

Asus launches the Snapdragon 430-powered ZenFone Lite (L1) and the ZenFone Max (M1) budget smartphones

Asus has announced two new smartphones in the ZenFone lineup — the ZenFone Lite (L1) and the ZenFone Max (M1). Both these phones are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC and target budget smartphone buyers. In India, these p...
The Essential Phone was released in August 2017. (Source: Essential)

Essential lays off almost a third of its staff

A report from Bloomberg has stated that Essential Products has cut its workforce by about 30%. An email received by the media outlet from the Palo Alto-based technology company mentioned that regardless of the cutbacks, the firm s...
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 Android handset coming soon

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 with 10 GB of memory coming next week

Although not all the features have been revealed yet, Xiaomi has just confirmed that the Mi Mix 3 will be the first handset from a major brand to hit the market with 10 GB of memory and 5G connectivity. Based on the specs of its p...
Intel are reportedly re-thinking the way they handle manufacturing. (Source: YouTube)

Intel to re-structure its manufacturing arm into 3 new divisions

Intel is splitting its manufacturing segment into 3 new categories, each of which will be managed by a different staff member. These new divisions will handle various aspects of the chip-making side of the Intel business. They wil...
Zadak Double Height Double Capacity DDR4 RAM. (Source: Anandtech)

Intel 9th Generation Core processors can support up to 128 GB DDR4 RAM

The new Intel 9th generation Core processors will support up to 128 GB DDR4 RAM as revealed by a footnote in one of HP's announcements, which was later confirmed by Anandtech. This is made possible due to the availability of doubl...
The RTX 2070. (Source: NVIDIA)

Gigabyte dismisses 'AORUS RTX 2070 Ti' rumor as "a typo"

Gigabyte had released a promotional Halloween-season banner including the words "AORUS RTX 2070 Ti/2070 Graphics card". This was enough for some to run with the rumor that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 was getting its own Ti variant...
OEMs who ship to the EEA may now have to pay for Google Play Store licenses for their devices. (Source: unity.com)

Google will stop auto-bundling Chrome and Search with the Play Store on Android in the EEA

Google has lost out in an anti-trust hearing conducted by the European Commission. As a result, the company have been fined US$5 billion, although it is currently appealing this decision. In the meantime, the requirements for Andr...
Nokia 7.1 Plus/Nokia X7 Android handset with Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor hits China

Mid-range Nokia X7 rolls out in China with Android Pie onboard

Expected to reach the rest of the world as the Nokia 7.1 Plus, the mid-range Nokia X7 is now ready to hit the Chinese market. This Qualcomm Snapdragon 710-powered handset runs Android 9.0 Pie out of the box and will soon go on sal...
Zhilabs corporate logo, Samsung acquires Zhilabs mid-October 2018

Samsung acquires Zhilabs to enhance its 5G capabilities

Samsung continues its quest for supremacy in the AI and 5G fields with the acquisition of Zhilabs, a company known for its expertise in the field of AI-based network and service analytics. After the deal gets the needed approvals,...
The Pixel 3 XL. (Source: Tom's Guide)

The Pixel 3 XL features a Samsung display after all

Long before the Pixel 3 devices were launched, rumors had it that the 3 XL would sport an OLED display made by LG. The device was released last week and reviews of its display have been extremely positive, all of which now makes s...
The ZTE Axon 7. (Source: Digital Trends)

The ZTE Axon 7 finally receives Android Oreo but it's a mess

ZTE, a few days ago, finally released Android Oreo for the Axon 7. The update is an Android 8.0 one that also doubles up as the July security patch, both of which are only the first in a long line of things wrong with the OS updat...
The Xiaomi Black Shark gaming phone. (Source: Fast Tech)

First live video of the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 gaming phone surfaces as launch looms

Over the past few weeks, word of Xiaomi's rumored Black Shark 2 gaming phone has made its way across the internet. A live video and a poster teasing the device's launch has surfaced, and we may be closer to a release than ever.
The RED Hydrogen One. (Source: CNET)

Most detailed RED Hydrogen One leak confirms 3.5mm jack and more

The RED Hydrogen One is the high-end camera company's first attempt at a smartphone. A spec-rich infographic of the phone has leaked, indicating the majority of its ports and components. However, the release date is not among thes...
Google Android Pie statue at Googleplex, OnePlus delays Android Pie for OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 5

OnePlus delays the Android Pie update for the 3 and 5 series

While the reason is — and will probably remain — unknown, it has been officially confirmed that the Android Pie update for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 3 handsets will not arrive as soon as expected. Although an official launch date ...
Huawei Mate 20 Pro Smartphone Review

Huawei Mate 20 Pro Smartphone Review

Live test: First impressions The Huawei Mate 20 Pro’s spec sheet is littered with flagship level hardware including the new Kirin 980 SoC, the currently fastest LTE modem in a consumer smartphone, reverse wireless charging and a fingerprint sensor underneath its display. This review will be putting all this new hardware and more through its paces to determine whether the Mate 20 Pro’s technical prowess translates into real-world performance.
HiSilicon Kirin 980 | ARM Mali-G76 MP10 | 6.3" | 189 g
Google is using onboard AI for its latest software innovations. (Source: Google)

Pixel 3 uses onboard AI processing to preserve privacy and deliver new features

Google has posted a blog explaining the way AI, or machine learning, tasks are processed on the new Pixel 3 models. Instead of sending user data to its servers for processing, most tasks are now processed by the device itself, pre...
The ThinkPad X1 Extreme with the matte 1080p screen.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme 4K vs. FHD

We already reviewed Lenovo's new ThinkPad X1 Extreme with the optional 4K HDR screen. It is a good screen, but there are some drawbacks as well, so we were eager to find out how the standard 1080p display of the entry-level SKU performs. We already have a test unit and want to compare the basic measurements of the two models ahead of the complete review.
Intel Core i5-8300H | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Max-Q | 15.6" | 1.7 kg
best laptops under 300 usd/euros

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Laptops under 300 Euros

October 2018 Update. Here you will find the best notebooks under 300 USD/Euros as reviewed by Notebookcheck. Our Top 10 list is regularly updated, maintained and commented on by our editors. This page is intended to help our readers decide which product to purchase.
Notebookcheck's Top 10 Phablets

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Phablets (>90cm²)

October 2018 Update. Here is a list of the best XL-sized smartphones - with screen surface areas above 90 cm² - we have reviewed in the last few months. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchase decisions.
Google Chrome logo, Chrome 70 now available

Chrome 70 now available with the ability to control browser sign-in

The latest Google Chrome browser comes with a new setting that allows its users to have a better control over the sign-in and sync features, the AV1 video streaming codec, as well as a rather large number of minor tweaks, fixes, a...
Top 10 Camera Smartphones

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Camera Smartphones

October 2018 Update. Smile please! Here you will find the best smartphones for digital photography including a big picture comparison. Our list of the best camera smartphones is regularly updated, maintained, and commented on and should assist in purchasing decisions.
Top 10 Smartphones under 160 Euros

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones under 160 Euros

October 2018 Update. Here you will find the best smartphones under 160 USD/Euros reviewed by Notebookcheck over the last few months. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchasing decisions.
Winamp 2 default interface, Winamp 6 coming in 2019

Winamp is rising from the dead, version 6 coming in 2019

If everything works as planned, Winamp 5.8 will arrive tomorrow with a bunch of fixes in tow and — the best part of it all — without the paid options previously reserved to the users of the Pro version. However, this iconic piece ...
Top 10 Smartphones under 300 Euros

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones under 300 Euros

October 2018 update. Here you will find the best smartphones under 300 USD/Euros reviewed by Notebookcheck over the last few months. Our list of top models is regularly updated, maintained and commented on and should assist in purchasing decisions.
Top 10 Smartphones under 500 Euros

Notebookcheck's Top 10 Smartphones under 500 Euros

October 2018 Update. Upper class. Up until a few years ago, high-end smartphones were usually in the price range of between 500 and 600 USD/Euros, but this segment is now occupied by upper class models and older high-end smartphones. The latter might not be new anymore, but are still good alternatives.
Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Xeon E-2176M, Quadro P2000 Max-Q) Workstation Review

88% Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Xeon E-2176M, Quadro P2000 Max-Q) Workstation Review

Extremely... professional? Today, we turn our sights to the workstation sibling of the critically acclaimed ThinkPad X1 Extreme. Our decked-out $4,220 configuration features a Xeon E-2176M CPU, Quadro P2000 Max-Q GPU, 2 TB NVMe SSD, and 32 GB of RAM. How does it handle our comprehensive array of tests?
Intel Xeon E-2176M | NVIDIA Quadro P2000 Max-Q | 15.6" | 1.8 kg
Oct 16
Latest Core i7-8706G Kaby Lake-G processor is almost as fast as the Core i5-8300H (Image source: Intel)

Rare Intel Core i7-8706G Kaby Lake-G processor is almost as fast as the Core i5-8300H

CineBench benchmarks show the quad-core Core i7-8706G to be just 9 percent behind the Core i5-8300H in the latest XPS 15 9570. This processor is currently not available on any mass market consumer laptop and can only be found on t...
The two color SKUs of the Huawei Mate 20 X. (Source: Huawei)

The Mate 20 X: Huawei's own 'one more thing' is a massive game-focused phone

The Huawei Mate 20 X is another variant of the Chinese OEM's late-2018 flagship device. Like the Mate 20 and 20 Pro, it runs the Kirin 980 chipset and rocks the Leica-branded triple camera. However, it pushes even the definition o...
If you're a bit short of cash, consider the regular-sized XS for US$74,995. (Source: Brikk)

Own a solid gold Apple iPhone XS Max for just under US$100,000

A luxury customization company called Brikk has created a solid gold Apple iPhone XS Max that costs US$94,995. The device features 313 g (11.08 oz) of 22K gold and is appropriately part of the firm's Ingot Collection. Brikk has al...
Samsung foldable display concept

LG and Lenovo allegedly working on 13-inch foldable slate

It is no secret that the race for the foldable phone is on, and now it seems that LG and Lenovo are working together to take the whole deal to the next level: the foldable tablet. However, the source of the news is not official, s...
The all-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is IPX8-rated for waterproofing. (Source: Amazon)

Amazon announces all-new waterproof Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon has revealed the full details of the all-new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, which offers IPX8-rated waterproof protection. According to the promotional text for the device, it can manage up to 60 minutes of being submerged in ...
The RTX 2070 factory overclocked models are indeed faster than the GTX 1080, but the price difference is not really worth it. (Source: HardOCP)

Nvidia RTX 2070 complete review leaks before NDA lift

HardOCP released the RTX 2070 review 2 full days before the NDA lift and it looks like last week's leaks are now confirmed. The factory overclocked RTX 2070 models are slightly faster than the GTX 1080, with the stock RTX 2070 mos...
QNAP TS-351 home NAS (Source: QNAP Systems)

QNAP intros the TS-351 home NAS with dual NVMe M.2 slots

Powered by the Intel Celeron J1800 processor, the QNAP TS-351 NAS targets home users with features like media streaming and real-time transcoding, two M.2 slots with support for M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs with the 2280 form factor, 2 or 4...
The i5-9600K looks like a good alternative for AMD's Ryzen 5 2600X, even though it lacks 6 threads. (Source: Intel)

Intel Core i5-9600K pushed to 5.2 GHz on air with benchmarks

Thanks to the new STIM material, the i5-9600K offers excellent overclocking potential, reaching 5.2 GHz on all cores using a high-end air cooler. The temperatures were a bit over 90C, so a water-cooling solution might be more appr...
The new Corsair Force Series™ MP510 SSD.

Corsair's newest NVMe SSD breaks 3GB read-speed barrier for under US$70

The Force Series™ MP510 is Corsair's latest NVMe M.2 SSD with 3rd-generation x4 PCIe. Even its lowest storage configuration achieves over 3,000 MB in sequential read. Its 960GB model also has this level of write speed. The MP150 l...
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 are now shipping (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 are now shipping

Get ready to pony up at least $900 or $1000 USD for the latest Surface portables. Both the Surface Laptop 2 and Surface Pro 6 are launching in four different colors with many of them being exclusive to higher-end configurations. U...
Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB (i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD) Convertible Review

84% Lenovo Yoga 530-14IKB (i5-8250U, 8 GB, 256 GB SSD) Convertible Review

Office acrobat. Lenovo’s new 530 series is aimed at price-conscious users and companies that see the benefits of convertible devices. The Yoga 530-14IKB is priced competitively, but there are some compromises associated with this low cost, including the device being comparatively heavy for a convertible. Find out in our detailed review what strengths and weaknesses befall this otherwise successful debutant.
Intel Core i5-8250U | Intel UHD Graphics 620 | 14" | 1.6 kg
Mate 20 Pro (left) vs. Mate 10 Pro (right)

The Mate 20 Pro is Huawei's answer to the iPhone XS Max

The Mate 20 Pro will compete directly with the iPhone XS Max and it's checking all the right boxes thus far. We run through all the major changes from the last generation model to see how it stacks up against Apple's flagship alternative. Can Huawei's latest stand toe-to-toe with the best from Apple and Samsung this Holiday season?
Huawei Honor 8X Android phablet now available in India mid-October 2018

India finally gets the Honor 8X

The HiSilicon 710-powered Honor 8X is now ready to take on the Indian market, where those interested will be able to get it for the equivalent of US$203 (4/64 GB variant), US$231 (6/64 GB version), or US$258 (6/128 GB). Amazon.in ...
Google Pixel 3 XL Android phablet leading the DisplayMate ratings

DisplayMate finally welcomes a non-Samsung king, namely the Google Pixel 3 XL

After many Samsung Galaxy flagships succeeded in grabbing the top rating on DisplayMate, a welcome and unexpected change arrived. The new leader of DisplayMate's leaderboard is the Google Pixel 3 XL, which stands out thanks to its...
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Android phablet hits 1 million units sold in South Korea (Source: Samsung)

Samsung has sold one million Galaxy Note 9 units in South Korea in less than two months

Although it took longer than its predecessor needed — 54 days instead of just 48 — the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has managed to reach the one million units sold milestone in its home market. However, this is better than the performanc...
Samsung's new Auto brands (Source: Samsung Global Newsroom)

Samsung introduces the Exynos Auto and ISOCELL Auto brands for automotive applications

Although Samsung has been providing solutions for the automotive industry for a while, it had no dedicated brand for this market. The new Exynos Auto and ISOCELL Auto come to fill in the gap and "to bring cutting-edge application ...

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