Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News

The Dell XPS 15 series would utterly dominate the market if it had 7 nm AMD Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 options

The Dell XPS 15 would utterly dominate the market if it had 7 nm AMD Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 options

How about an AMD-powered XPS 15? It's already one of the most popular and well-known Ultrabooks in the market, but it can be even better and faster with an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, Ryzen 9 4900HS, or the Ryzen 5 4600H. Fans would eat up...

Column by Allen Ngo, Sat, 06 Jun 2020 00:39:00 +0200

The OPPO Band EVA has a Neon Genesis Evangelion-inspired design. (Image source: Gizmochina)

OPPO Band, OPPO Band Fashion, and OPPO Band EVA: Xiaomi Mi Band 4 and Redmi Band rivals with color-accurate AMOLED screens and affordable prices

OPPO is taking on the smartband market thanks to the introduction of the OPPO Band, OPPO Band Fashion, and OPPO Band EVA. The cheapest of the three, the OPPO Band, is priced at 199 yuan (US$28) and was launched today. The OPPO Ban...

Daniel R Deakin, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 23:43:00 +0200

Android 10 update begins rolling out to the Redmi 7A

While the Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 8 phones remain stuck on Android Pie, Xiaomi is already sending out a stable Android 10 build to owners of the cheaper Redmi 7A in China. The update is a 1.7 GB download and doubles up as the ...

Ricci Rox, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 22:20:00 +0200

The Moto G Fast and E 2020 are now officially on the US market

Motorola has just released the new Moto G Fast to the US market. This Android 10 phone has 3GB of RAM, the Snapdragon 665 SoC and triple rear cameras. It is joined by the latest addition to the Moto E series, which has 2GB of RAM ...

Deirdre O'Donnell, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 21:34:00 +0200

The PS5 might adopt a chunky door wedge design to aid the cooling system. (Image source: Twitter via @jabka_ziizey)

Latest concept PS5 design looks like a thick door wedge but is more realistic than the photoshopped PlayStation 5 shoe box doing the rounds again

A new PS5 design has started appearing on social media that appears to be based on the latest rumors, which include a thick build and a strong resemblance to the PS5 devkit. However, eagerness to know what the console looks like h...

Daniel R Deakin, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 20:52:00 +0200

The Mi Band 5 sports a familiar look. (Image source: XDA Developers via /LEAKS)

Xiaomi Mi Band 5: Leak confirms Global NFC, a larger display and custom DnD functionality for June 11-bound fitness tracker

A new leak has confirmed that Xiaomi will be bringing NFC to all versions of the Mi Band 5. The fitness tracker, which is expected to be launched on June 11, will also feature a larger display than its predecessor among other chan...

Alex Alderson, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 20:43:00 +0200

Meet Xiaomi's take on this form-factor. (Source: Huawei)

Xiaomi allegedly patents what looks like a Mate Xs clone

Xiaomi has reportedly patented a phone with an outward-folding display which leaves its I/O contained within a strip down 1 side of this device. If that concept sounds familiar, it is because this form-factor has already been debu...

Deirdre O'Donnell, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 20:20:00 +0200

The new MacBook Pro 13 is pretty boring, but still very good

Instead of a full redesign, the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro only gets the new keyboard as well as current Ice Lake processor. Did the manufacturer miss an opportu...
Intel Core i5-1038NG7 | Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU) | 13.3" | 1.4 kg

Andreas Osthoff, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 20:00:00 +0200

The Redmi 9 smartphone from Xiaomi could end up being a budget champion. (Image source: Gizmochina)

New Redmi 9 alleged prices are ridiculously cheap for a smartphone with a quad-camera setup and 8-core MediaTek Helio G80 SoC

New supposed prices for the upcoming Redmi 9 smartphone have been published, and they are very affordable. It is claimed that the cheapest Redmi 9, with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage, will cost just US$139.99. That’s for a 6.53-inch ...

Daniel R Deakin, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 19:35:00 +0200

The Exodus ANC headphones. (Source: House of Marley)

Deal | Get 30% off House of Marley's audio products

House of Marley wants to help consumers celebrate Father's Day with a 30% sale off everything in its US online store. They include the brand's Exodus active noise-cancelling (ANC) headphones. This discount is in effect from today ...

Deirdre O'Donnell, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 19:31:00 +0200

Build an Arduino-based VR headset with this cheap project

A new project has demonstrated that it is possible to build a VR headset on the cheap. Utilising an Arduino Micro and a Google Cardboard-compatible headset, the project can bring VR to a PC for under US$80.

Alex Alderson, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 19:19:00 +0200

The Ryzen 7 3800XT can reach 4.8 GHz, but to what benefit? (Image source: AMD)

AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT clocks in at 4.8 GHz in 3DMark Time Spy but offers minimal improvements over even the Ryzen 7 3700X

The AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT has graced 3DMark again, this on Time Spy. The processor has shown that it is capable of reaching 4.8 GHz, 300 MHz above the Ryzen 7 3800X. Improvements over even the Ryzen 7 3700X are negligible, though.

Alex Alderson, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 19:08:00 +0200

OPPO Reno4 and Reno4 Pro launched: Snapdragon 765G, 65W fast-charging, and a 90 Hz OLED display

OPPO has now launched its latest set of sub-premium smartphone: the OPPO Reno4 and Reno4 Pro. The Reno4 starts at just over US$400 and delivers a Snapdragon 765G, five cameras in total, and 65 W charging. The Reno4 Pro is the star...

Ricci Rox, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 16:04:00 +0200

The ASUS ROG Strix X570 lineup is now compatible with 4 generations of Ryzen parts (Image source: ASUS)

New AM4+ compatibility king? ASUS ROG X570 Strix with 256 Mb BIOS will support ALL AM4+ Ryzen processors: from purported Zen 3 Ryzen 7 4700X, to Zen 2, to Zen+, all the way to the venerable Zen 1 Ryzen 3 1200

Asus recently decided to enable support for all four generations of Ryzen processors on its ASUS ROG Strix X570 motherboard. This means that everything from 2017's budget Ryzen 3 1200 to upcoming Ryzen 4000 parts will be compatibl...

Arjun Krishna Lal, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 15:06:00 +0200

Intel CEO Bob Swan feels the industry should move from benchmarking to benefits and impacts. (Image Source: Intel)

Intel CEO says benchmarks are not everything, feels Tiger Lake will cement the company as an "undisputed leader" in mobile computing

Intel CEO Bob Swan suggested moving away from traditional benchmarks to focus more on the benefits and impact of technology. Swan also confirmed the arrival of Cooper Lake in a few weeks time for datacenter and AI applications and...

, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:47:00 +0200

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (11) costs US$229.99. (Image source: Lenovo)

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (11): US$229.99 Chromebook is now shipping

The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 (11") is now shipping for US$229.99. The device, also known as the Chromebook 3 (11"), features a dual-core Gemini Lake Refresh processor, 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64 GB of storage.

Alex Alderson, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:21:00 +0200

NexDock expects to ship the NexDock Touch in late August. (Image source: NexDock)

NexDock Touch launched: A Huawei, Samsung and Raspberry Pi laptop dock for US$249

NexDock has announced its next laptop dock, the NexDock Touch. As its name implies, the NexDock Touch has a touchscreen, which is contained within a 1080p and 14-inch IPS display. The NexDock Touch features a 60 Wh battery, a host...

Alex Alderson, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:07:00 +0200

DxOMark: The OnePlus 8 Pro delivers impressive but not class-leading cameras

The OnePlus 8 Pro has now made the trip over to DxOMark, where it impressed by breaking into the top ten, ahead of the Galaxy S20+ and iPhone 11 Pro Max, but below phones like the Mi 10 Pro and Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Ricci Rox, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:06:00 +0200

The IdeaPad Flex 3i comes with 32 GB or 64 GB of storage. (Image source: Lenovo)

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i: Affordable and convertible Chromebook is now purchasable for US$329.99

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i, also called the Chromebook Flex 3i, is now purchasable for US$329.99. The affordable and convertible Chromebook features an 11.6-inch IPS touchscreen, 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and up to 64 GB of storage.

Alex Alderson, Fri, 05 Jun 2020 13:04:00 +0200

Red Magic announces a charity tie-in for its latest pre-order event. (Source: Red Magic)

Nubia releases a new color SKU of the Red Magic 5G for international pre-orders

When the latest iteration of the Red Magic gaming phone launched globally, there were only 2 of its 3 SKUs available: the 8GB RAM Eclipse Black and 12GB Pulse. Now, they have been joined by the 8GB Hot Rod variant. The brand has a...

Deirdre O'Donnell, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 23:40:00 +0200

The Samsung Galaxy A31 has a new market. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung releases the Galaxy A31 to the Indian market

The 2020 Galaxy A series has turned out to be a collection of interesting and often cost-effective phones thus far. Now, Samsung has launched one of its variants in India. The A31 has quad rear cameras, 6GB of RAM and can be order...

Deirdre O'Donnell, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 23:01:00 +0200

A Desire 20 Pro schematic. (Source: Evan Blass)

The HTC Desire 20 Pro is all but confirmed through new leaks

HTC really is going to launch a phone called the Desire 20 Pro. This is in accordance with a new leak that reportedly comes direct from the Google Play Console. The phone's new page in this database may also confirm many of its sp...

Deirdre O'Donnell, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 22:35:00 +0200

The PS5 final design might resemble the PS5 V-shaped devkit. (Image source: fan-made via NeoGAF)

PS5 devkit cooling system patent puts to bed the final concerns that Sony hasn't taken care of potential PlayStation 5 heating issues

A utility patent file revealing the PS5 devkit’s cooling system has been published by WIPO. The patent shows the devkit has “a plurality of cooling fans” to help it deal with the heat from the AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU. The mul...

Daniel R Deakin, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 19:47:00 +0200

What's next for Poco? (Image source: Poco)

Poco teases new smartphone; is it the Snapdragon 720G powered M2 Pro?

Poco has teased that it plans to release another smartphone. Potentially called the M2 Pro, the device may be another mid-range smartphone from the Indian company. The M2 Pro may have a weaker SoC than the Poco X2, too.

Alex Alderson, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 19:32:00 +0200

Intel Core i7-1165G7 vs AMD Ryzen 7 4800U left mixed results for the former. (Image source: Profesional Review)

Intel Core i7-1165G7 and AMD Ryzen 7 4800U clash on 3DMark 11 with mixed results for the upcoming Tiger Lake-U processor

The Tiger Lake-U Intel Core i7-1165G7 and the Renoir AMD Ryzen 7 4800U have been spotted in an interesting 3DMark 11 comparison. While the Ryzen 4000 processor unsurprisingly dominated in the CPU-based Physics Score, the Tiger Lak...

Daniel R Deakin, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 18:44:00 +0200

A 5G iPad Pro could still well arrive this year, but without a mini-LED display. (Image source: Rahul Chakraborty)

Rumour | 5G Apple iPad Pros with A14X Bionic and mini-LED displays to arrive 1H21

Rumour has it that Apple will announce an iPad Pro refresh in 1H21. Sporting A14X Bionic SoCs, Snapdragon X55 5G modems and mini-LED displays, the next iPad Pro series is still expected to come in 11-inch and 12.9-inch variants.

Alex Alderson, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 18:22:00 +0200

Intel Ice Lake-SP shows up on the SiSoftware database. (Image Source: HotHardware)

Intel Ice Lake-SP 24C/48T processor spotted on SiSoftware database, faces tough competition from AMD in terms of both price and performance

A 24-core 48-thread Intel 10nm Ice Lake-SP processor has shown up on the SiSoftware database belong to the Intel Whitley platform. Intel Ice Lake-SP is expected to cater to the workstation/HEDT segment and will have to face some f...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 16:12:00 +0200

Here's our first look at the Redmi 9 (image via Weibo)

Leaked Redmi 9 image showcases the phone's quad-camera setup; will likely be released on June 25th

More details have emerged about Redmi's upcoming budget Redmi 9 smartphone. The device will feature a quad-camera setup at the rear, a 5,000mAh battery which can be charged at 18W, a MediaTek Helio G80 SoC, and up to 4GB of RAM an...

Anil Satyanarayana, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 15:33:00 +0200

Record label agreements might mean that Apple Music won't immediately become part of an Apple subscription bundle (Image source: Apple)

"Apple Prime" to counter Amazon Prime? iOS 13.5.5 beta code hints at an Apple bundle with Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple Music

Beta code for iOS 13.5.5 seems to indicate that Apple is considering launching a bundle subscription serving integrating different offerings like Apple News, Apple TV+, Apple Music, and possibly Apple Arcade. Can we expect this "A...

Arjun Krishna Lal, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 15:28:00 +0200

AMD's Big Navi graphics cards could be right around the corner (Image source: AMD)

AMD's Big Navi RDNA2 set to hit PC before PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X make it to market: likely beats NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

AMD's CFO David Kumar recently claimed that the company's upcoming RDNA2 graphics cards, including the "halo" "Big Navi" product, will arrive before the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. This means 4K/60 AMD Navi cards could be ava...

Arjun Krishna Lal, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 14:23:00 +0200

2020 MateBook X Pro vs. 2018 MateBook X Pro: Newer model can sometimes perform worse (Image source: Huawei)

2020 MateBook X Pro vs. 2018 MateBook X Pro: When the Core i7-10510U can perform worse than the old Core i7-8550U

Huawei's latest iteration of the MateBook X can still stand toe-to-toe with some of the best Ultrabooks available, but it's such a minor update over previous versions that you may as well buy a 2018 or 2019 model instead.

Allen Ngo, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 13:00:00 +0200

BestBuy released the design of the Sony WH-1000XM4 in April. (Image source: Sony via BestBuy)

Sony WH-1000XM4: Walmart confirms specifications, pricing and improved call quality; same battery life as WH-1000XM3 though

Walmart has confirmed several specifications and the pricing of the Sony WH-1000XM4. Priced at US$348 on Walmart, the over-ear headphones are likely to cost US$349 at other retailers. LDAC returns, but there is no mention of aptX ...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 11:42:00 +0200

Renders of the Galaxy Note 20. (Source: @OnLeaks & @Pigtou_)

The Galaxy Note 20+ may actually be the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra; touted to feature the S20's fingerprint reader

Samsung is set to release two Galaxy Note 20 series phones. The first will be the regular Note 20, while the second will be the more expensive, feature-packed model. That second model has been referred to as the Note 20+ but new i...

Ricci Rox, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 08:43:00 +0200

The Vivo X50 series was allegedly part of a "controlled leak" effort (Image source: Vivo)

Leakgate: Tipster excoriates Vivo for "ghosting" him on a Vivo X50 "controlled leak": are companies in on smartphone leaks and tipoffs?

In a startling Twitter revelation, tipster @evleaks claims that Vivo India planned a "controlled leak" exercise with him, involving the Vivo X50 series, but eventually "ghosted" him instead. This raises serious questions about whe...

Arjun Krishna Lal, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 08:32:00 +0200

The Galaxy Buds+ BTS edition sports a bright purple color scheme (Image source: @evleaks)

New Samsung Galaxy Buds+ renders leak: Purple BTS edition of the TWS buds for K-pop fans, but still no Galaxy Buds X in sight

Tipster @evleaks unveiled leaked renders for Samsung's Galaxy Buds+ BTS edition. The purple TWS earphones are, alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20 BTS edition, targeted squarely at fans of the Korean K-pop group.

Arjun Krishna Lal, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 08:15:00 +0200

The Xiaomi Mi 10 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi 10 smartphone receives official price cut of 300 yuan (US$42)

Xiaomi has posted a cryptic message on Weibo in regard to the Xiaomi Mi 10 smartphone. The message was in the form of a complex-looking equation, which when solved revealed that the flagship device had been reduced by 300 yuan (US...

Daniel R Deakin, Thu, 04 Jun 2020 04:06:00 +0200

AMD has shipped over 500 million GPUs. (Source: AMD)

AMD has shipped over half a billion chipsets since 2013

AMD's GPU shipment volumes are now reported to have exceeded 500 million. This figure, which encompasses discrete and integrated graphics, beat corresponding numbers for Intel and NVIDIA. This success is projected to benefit even ...

Deirdre O'Donnell, Wed, 03 Jun 2020 23:48:00 +0200

The Lenovo Legion phone may look like this. (Source: GizmoChina)

The Lenovo Legion phone may have surfaced on 3C and Geekbench

The first phone from Lenovo's gaming brand Legion may be getting close to launch. A device with what is thought to be its model number has reportedly been certified with the regulator 3C. The same number has also posted results on...

Deirdre O'Donnell, Wed, 03 Jun 2020 22:56:00 +0200

The Motorola Edge Plus. (Source: Motorola)

DxOMark: The Motorola Edge+ fails to outperform the OnePlus 7 Pro and Galaxy S10

Motorola announced its return to the flagship space with the launch of the Motorola Edge+ weeks ago. Priced at US$999, the phone has now made its way over to DxOMark where it failed to outperform flagships from last year like the ...

Ricci Rox, Wed, 03 Jun 2020 22:45:00 +0200

The Eurocom Nightsky ARX15 is classified as a "superlaptop". (Image source: Eurocom)

Eurocom Nightsky ARX15: "The world's most powerful 16C/32T AMD Ryzen 9 based 15.6-inch superlaptop" coming soon with prices from US$1,999 to over US$15,000

Eurocom has announced the Nightsky ARX15 superlaptop that can be fitted with up to a 16-core AMD Ryzen 9 3950X processor. The laptop starts at a price of US$1,999 but a multitude of diverse configuration options can take the price...

Daniel R Deakin, Wed, 03 Jun 2020 22:28:00 +0200

The PS5 official website has recently been updated to show the DualSense controller. (Image source: PlayStation)

PS5 news: Enough AMD chips for a holiday 2020 launch; official website change makes fans jittery; superfast SSD elicits Unreal Engine rewrites

Fears of a delay in the launch of the PS5 have been allayed by a report stating that there is a sufficient supply of the key AMD chips to ensure a holiday 2020 release. A recent change on the official PS5 website had made fans jit...

Daniel R Deakin, Wed, 03 Jun 2020 20:57:00 +0200

The LG 15U40N may not be released outside of South Korea. (Image source: LG)

Geekbench confirms LG 15U40N with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 4700U processor and 16 GB of dual-channel RAM

An AMD Ryzen 4000 Renoir-powered laptop made by LG is coming to market. Featuring up to a Ryzen 7 4700U processor and 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4-3200 RAM, the laptop carries the model number 15U40N.

Alex Alderson, Wed, 03 Jun 2020 19:29:00 +0200

The Xiaomi CAS could end up being part of the Xiaomi Mi CC10 lineup. (Image source: Xiaomishka.ru)

Mysterious Xiaomi CAS smartphone rumored to be packing a 108 MP main camera, 12x optical zoom, 120x digital zoom, and alleged Snapdragon 775G chipset

Details of a mysterious Xiaomi CAS smartphone have started emerging, and it seems the device will be fitted with a 108 MP main camera and offer users the chance to enjoy 12x optical zoom and a whopping 120x digital zoom. It’s been...

Daniel R Deakin, Wed, 03 Jun 2020 19:19:00 +0200

05.06	Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XA-9UK4130SQ (PC Mag)
05.06	Aorus 15G YB-8DE2130MH (PC Mag)
05.06	Aorus 15G WB-8DE2130MD (The Tech Revolutionist)
05.06	MSI Prestige 14 A10RB (KL Gadget Guy)
05.06	Asus Chromebook Flip C436FA, i3-10110U (Tech Switch)
05.06	MSI GE66 10SFS-072 Raider (Trusted Reviews)
05.06	Asus Strix G15 G512LWS-AZ029T (Hitech Century)
05.06	Asus TUF Gaming A17 FA706II-H7356 (Ultrabook Review)
05.06	Asus Strix Scar 17 G732LXS-HG104T (Hitech Century)
05.06	HP ProBook 440 G7-3C084ES (Laptop Media)