Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations

MateBook D 15: a new variant equipped with Ryzen CPU is coming

Huawei MateBook D 15 (2022): a more powerful version with Ryzen CPU makes its debut

Huawei now offers a particularly powerful version of their MateBook D 15 equipped with Ryzen 5000-series CPU. In Germany, the new laptop can be preordered starting February 27th.

Silvio Werner, 21 Feb 2022 16:40

The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G debuted globally on January 26. (Source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 series set to land sooner than expected

The Redmi Note 11 phones are barely a month old on the global market but Xiaomi already has its sights set on the Redmi Note 12 series. Word from multiple corners indicate that a debut for the Redmi Note 12 series in China isn't as far away as some would expect.

Ricci Rox, 21 Feb 2022 15:48

The NUC 12 Extreme will be available with 65 W desktop processors. (Image source: Intel)

Intel NUC 12 Extreme: Specifications and suspected prices of Alder Lake-powered mini-PCs leak

Details about the NUC 12 Extreme have leaked, Intel’s next flagship mini-PC. The NUC 12 Extreme will include a PCIe x16 Gen 5 slot for next-gen graphics cards, and dual-slot ones to boot. The NUC 12 Extreme will be upgradeable, but it may also be rather expensive.

Alex Alderson, 21 Feb 2022 14:52

Halo The Series will reveal Master Chief's face. (Image Source: Paramount Plus)

Halo TV show will reveal Master Chief's face for the first time in the franchise's 20-year history

Halo The Series will reveal the Master Chief's face for the first time in 20 years of the franchise. The producers said that they are cognizant of the mixed reactions this decision would elicit but reiterate its importance to the story. Halo The Series will premiere on March 24 on Paramount Plus in the US.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 21 Feb 2022 14:49

The Galaxy Book Pro 2 360 will sport a familiar design with a bright colourway. (Image source: @OnLeaks & Giznext)

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 2 360 leaks before MWC 2022 reveal

Images of the Galaxy Book Pro 2 360 have leaked just a few days before Samsung's MWC 2022 event. The 15.6-inch laptop has a 16:9 aspect ratio, multiple ports and a number pad, among other features.

Alex Alderson, 21 Feb 2022 13:31

Xiaomi 12 Pro: Get it while it's hot or wait and see?

The 12 Pro is Xiaomi's 2022 flagship smartphone and not only comes with the latest Snapdragon SoC, but also a highly modern display, long battery life and a triple camera worthy of the name. But is an import model worth it?

Daniel Schmidt, 21 Feb 2022 13:31

Ford accelerates EV battery production launch for its 43GWh Kentucky and Tennessee plants

Buoyed by the generous U.S. government incentives and a growing electric vehicles market in America, Ford's two upcoming U.S. battery factories are now expected to start mass production three months ahead of schedule. Ford's battery partnership with Korea's SK Group - Blue Oval SK - has reportedly already started ordering the Kentucky battery plant equipment.

Daniel Zlatev, 21 Feb 2022 13:10

Intel will eventually offer Arc Alchemist GPUs as a service. (Image source: Intel)

Intel Arc Alchemist is headed for Project Endgame, with over 4 million gaming GPUs shipping this year

Intel has finally commented on how many graphics cards it will ship this year. Supposedly to counteract the GPU shortage, Intel has also announced where its GPU business is headed under Project Endgame.

Alex Alderson, 21 Feb 2022 13:09

This looks to be software-related. (Source: Reddit)

Early Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra units may be having a display problem

The Galaxy S22 Ultra leads Samsung's latest smartphone lineup as a replacement for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Some owners of the flagship in Exynos regions aren't too thrilled, though, as their phones appear to suffer from a weird display issue.

Ricci Rox, 21 Feb 2022 12:58

The Realme Book Prime is set to be launched globally in April 2022 (image via Realme)

Realme Book Enhanced Edition to be launched globally as the Realme Book Prime in late April 2022

Realme is reportedly planning to launch the Realme Book Prime globally soon. It is essentially a Realme Book Enhanced Edition featuring a 14-inch 2K screen, an Intel Core i5-11320H, and a 54 Wh battery. It is expected to hit shelves in late April 2022 for around US$00.

Anil Ganti, 21 Feb 2022 12:28

MIUI 13 updates set to land on the Xiaomi 11T and Poco X3 GT with Android 12 in tow

Xiaomi is set to continue its MIUI 13 rollout with two devices, the Xiaomi 11T and Poco X3 GT. A deep look at Mi code has revealed the existence of Android 12-based MIUI 13 builds for the Global and European models of the Xiaomi 11T after the Mi 11T Pro received an Mi Pilot build days ago.

Ricci Rox, 21 Feb 2022 09:05

The Lenovo Legion Y700 actually has a silver-gray color scheme. (Image source: Yanshan pai - edited)

Optimistic Lenovo Legion Y700 price tag suggested by leaker as upcoming iPad Mini 6 rival's full specs and first review images emerge

The Lenovo Legion Y700 8.8-inch Android tablet has appeared in a multitude of review and unboxing images as the review embargo for the device is lifted in China. One tech blogger has shared the impressive full specs of the Legion Y700, which will sport 12 GB of RAM, while a noted leaker has suggested an attractive price tag for the perceived iPad Mini 6 rival.

Daniel R Deakin, 21 Feb 2022 08:10

Lenovo Vantage presents you with information and useful system settings. (Image source: Lenovo/Author - edited)

4 Lenovo Vantage software features that make it better than bloatware

Lenovo's Vantage software is included from the factory in most of the OEM's laptops nowadays. While it provides the usual warranty and diagnostic information, here are some extra-neat features that may prevent you from uninstalling it immediately.

Julian van der Merwe, 21 Feb 2022 06:34

Capcom officially reveals Street Fighter 6, with more information coming summer 2022. (Image: Capcom)

Capcom announces Street Fighter 6

Capcom has officially announced Street Fighter 6 via a countdown website. A teaser was revealed, showing the iconic Ryu who was being challenged by Luke. More details of Street Fighter 6 are expected to be released during summer 2022.

Aleem Ali, 21 Feb 2022 02:51

PCs with AMD Ryzen 2000 chips won't be able to run Android apps on Windows 11. (Image source: Microsoft)

Android apps are out of the picture for AMD Ryzen 2000-based PCs as Microsoft publishes frustrating Amazon Appstore requirements

Microsoft has listed the Amazon Appstore requirements for running Android apps on Windows 11 and AMD Ryzen 2000 CPUs didn't make the cut. Minimum CPU requirements for Amazon Appstore include an 8th gen Intel Core i3 or above and AMD Ryzen 3000 chips or above.

Fawad Murtaza, 21 Feb 2022 01:08

A hydrogen car racing series, Extreme H, has been revealed. (Image source: Extreme E)

The Extreme H hydrogen car racing championship has been announced for 2024

An off-road hydrogen car racing series, Extreme H, has been announced. The event will accompany the existing Extreme E electric car racing championship from 2024, with a prototype of the racing vehicle expected early next year.

Polly Allcock, 21 Feb 2022 00:04

FlexiSpot E7 standing desk gets 120 Euros discount by the end of February 2022 (Source: FlexiSpot)

Deal | FlexiSpot's E7 standing desk is available with a 120 Euros price cut until the end of the month

With multiple choices that can take its price above the 1,000 Euros threshold, such as cable management accessories or monitor arms, the FlexiSpot E7 standing desk starts at roughly 450 Euros (frame price alone). Until the end of the month, customers from Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria can take advantage of a 120 Euros discount.

Codrut Nistor, 20 Feb 2022 23:48

The Enco X2s are on the way. (Source: OPPO via Weibo)

OPPO teases the next-gen Enco X2 flagship TWS earbuds ahead of their launch

OPPO has been tipped to launch successors to its Dynaudio-tuned top-end Enco X TWS earbuds alongside its upcoming flagship smartphones. Now, the OEM has confirmed that this is the case, and has also decided to go ahead and leak their design in full ahead of this event. The executive Pete Lau also now claims the buds are so good, they are worth ditching wires for.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 20 Feb 2022 23:41

The 8 Gen 1 lacks AV1 support. (Source: Qiualcomm)

Rumor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8-series chipsets will not support the AV1 codec until 2023

AV1 is an emerging video codec increasingly adopted by companies in the content-streaming and entertainment space. They range from Samsung to Broadcom - but not Qualcomm, an OEM that has failed to support this form of decoding even in its top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. Now, the company is touted to fix this - in the processor's successor.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 20 Feb 2022 23:08

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 appears to require active cooling to be at its best.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1: Redmi K50 Gaming versus Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro tests reveal first gaming implementation performance numbers of Qualcomm's chipset

A new series of gaming tests pitting the new Redmi K50 Gaming Edition against the Nubia RedMagic 7 Pro has now shown what Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 performs like in proper gaming-focused implementations.

Ricci Rox, 20 Feb 2022 22:46

AMD Ryzen 7 6800H and Ryzen 5 6600H's RDNA2 iGPUs trounce similarly-specced Intel and Nvidia counterparts in leaked benchmarks

AMD's upcoming Ryzen 6000 series of processors were benchmarked across various games and synthetic benchmarks. Both the Ryzen 5 6600H and Ryzen 6800H easily trounced their 12th-generation Intel Alder Lake counterparts. The former uses an RDNA2-based Radeon 680M iGPU with 12 CUs, and the latter cuts that down to 6 CUs.

Anil Ganti, 20 Feb 2022 20:34

Vivo's "9000 flagship"? (Source: Digital Chat Station via Weibo)

Vivo hints strongly at the imminent release of a Dimensity 9000-powered smartphone

The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 processor may arrive on the market soon as a flagship mobile processor to watch out for in 2022. Now, a representative of the OEM Vivo has indicated that this company is working on its inaugural 9000-powered smartphone. Meanwhile, MediaTek has released a post hinting at what a user may stand to expect from the first device to launch running on the new silicon.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 20 Feb 2022 20:09

Both Nvidia and AMD have next-generation GPUs in the pipeline for late 2022/early 2023. (Image source: Nvidia/AMD - edited)

Nvidia Lovelace and AMD RDNA3 performance rumors leave the next-gen rivals evenly matched as leaker signals imminent GPU price drop

Generational performance improvement estimates for the upcoming Nvidia Lovelace family and AMD RDNA3 next-gen graphics cards have seemingly left the rivals looking evenly matched. Figures were compared to the performance of the GeForce RTX 3090. A noted tipster has also signaled that GPU prices will fall “dramatically” in March.

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Feb 2022 19:54

The Sony Xperia 5 III. (Source: NextPit)

New Xperia 5 IV leak reveals a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus and other details of Sony's next small premium phone

The Sony Xperia 5 IV will succeed the Xperia 5 III as Sony's smaller flagship phone for the year. A new leak has now revealed more details of the device, with one notable takeaway being Sony's apparent intention to equip the phone with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus instead of a regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

Ricci Rox, 20 Feb 2022 19:48

Legion Y90: the phone with its own SSD? (Source: Lenovo via Weibo)

The Lenovo Legion Y90 is touted as a smartphone with a hybrid UFS 3.1 and SSD storage system

The Legion Y90 is Lenovo's upcoming flagship gaming smartphone for 2022. The OEM's latest teaser for this device outlines the specs to come in its updated RGB-enabled chassis. They include the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, LPDDR5 RAM - and "heterogenous" storage that combines an SSD with the more usual UFS 3.1 mobile memory chip.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 20 Feb 2022 19:30

Ford Mustang Mach-E is now the top electric car according to Consumer Reports. (Image source: Ford)

Tesla Model 3 fails to come out on top as Ford Mustang Mach-E becomes the Consumer Reports' top pick for 2022

Ford Mustang Mach-E now occupies the top spot in Consumer Reports' electric car rankings for 2022. Ford's premier EV beat the Tesla Model 3 to come out on top. Compared to Mach-E, Model 3 faltered in self-driving safety and the steering wheel, among other factors.

Fawad Murtaza, 20 Feb 2022 19:27

New Apple Macs should be riding into town soon. (Image source: Apple/Unsplash - edited)

Mac-nificent Seven: Apple analyst reiterates incoming new Mac models for 2022 including M2 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro

Apple is gearing toward launching seven new Mac computers over the coming months, with potential releases occurring in March and either May or June. Highlights include the keenly awaited 2022 MacBook Air with M2 chip and the intriguing MacBook Pro 13 that may or may not carry over the design language of its 14-inch and 16-inch Pro stablemates.

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Feb 2022 17:40

China's digital currency cards used as official payment method at the Olympics

China set digital yuan machines for athletes, Olympics officials or visitors to exchange their dollars or rubles to the local e-CNY digital currency as a way to popularize it. The digital renminbi ATMs took many foreign currencies and issued a hardware wallet with the corresponding amount in Chinese crypto in the form of a plastic debit card that could then be used for payment in shops and restaurants.

Daniel Zlatev, 20 Feb 2022 14:07

The Amazon Echo Show 15 is a smart display for organization, entertainment and smart home controls. (Image source: Amazon)

Amazon's Echo Show 15 smart home display is now available

The Amazon Echo Show 15 smart display is now available to purchase. The device is aimed at families, with widgets that display calendars and to-do lists. The gadget can recognize different household members and personalize the display for them.

Polly Allcock, 20 Feb 2022 11:47

The Poco X4 Pro 5G will debut later this month. (Source: SmartDroid)

Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G launch date revealed in new leak

The Poco X4 Pro 5G leaked in full a few days ago, and a new report has now provided information on when the phone will make its debut on the global market. Launch isn't far off, it appears, and fans will soon have the rebadged Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G available for purchase.

Ricci Rox, 20 Feb 2022 10:05

OmniVision announces the development of the world's smallest pixel for mobile image sensors

OmniVision claims to have broken the world record for pixel size for the CMOS found in smartphone cameras. The new ultra-tiny component is now thus touted to drive ever higher resolution in the field of mobile device imaging, not to mention enhanced technical specs such as quantum efficiency and quad phase-detection autofocus performance, not to mention energy savings.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 19 Feb 2022 23:06

The ridable electric carry-on suitcase is supposed to help with long walks inside airports (Image: Modobag)

Ridable electric suitcase turns into security hazard as woman uses it to flee from airport police

After being denied to board the plane for her flight from Orlando to New York, the apparently intoxicated woman decided to use her US$1,500 motorized suitcase to evade a police officer who was surprised about the speed of the drivable piece of luggage.

Enrico Frahn, 19 Feb 2022 22:49

Apple store workers have reportedly been planning a union movement in secret. (Image source: Apple/Unsplash - edited)

Beware the iPhone: Apple workers plan secret union movement with help from Android smartphones

It has been reported that workers in some Apple stores in the US have been making secret plans to form a union. The main issue is pay, with complainants feeling they deserve more in return from the world’s most valuable company. Those involved in the unionization movement have been putting their iPhones to the side and communicating via Android smartphones.

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Feb 2022 22:23

An opening shot from Park Chan-wook's new short. (Source: Apple via YouTube)

Apple and the director of Oldboy present a short movie shot entirely on the iPhone 13 Pro

Park Chan-wook, director of the modern classic Oldboy, has partnered with Apple to post a 21-minute big-production-value video, albeit apparently shot using nothing more than several units of the iPhone 13 Pro. The project is ostensibly intended to showcase the 2021 flagship's upgraded cameras, previously touted as capable of shooting entire features as in this instance.

Deirdre O'Donnell, 19 Feb 2022 22:07

The Galaxy S22 series was launched in February 2022. (Image source: Samsung)

5 unexpected changes Samsung made with the Galaxy S22 series

The Samsung Galaxy S22 series launched on February 9, 2022 to both cheers and groans. As usual, there are some iterative upgrades and there are some more drastic changes. Let's have a look at some of the more unexpected and controversial changes Samsung made upgrading from the Galaxy S21 series to the S22 lineup.

Julian van der Merwe, 19 Feb 2022 20:57

MIUI 12.5.12 Enhanced Edition on Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro details (Source: Own)

MIUI 12.5.12 Enhanced Edition brings the January 2022 security patch to Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro users

Without any date for the arrival of the Android 12-based MIUI 13 update for their handsets to talk about yet, Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro owners are now receiving a new piece of code based on Android 11. Sadly, MIUI 12.5.12 Enhanced Edition only includes the January 2022 security patch and nothing else.

Codrut Nistor, 19 Feb 2022 20:55

The BMW Mini Cooper SE is among the most affordable EVs on the market. (Image Source: Mini UK)

Affordable Mini Cooper SE earns rave reviews despite low range and no Android Auto, Indian launch on February 24

The BMW Mini Cooper SE has been earning good reviews owing to its affordable price and decent feature set. The main criticisms, however, include the limited range of the car, small battery size, and no Android Auto support. BMW is all-set to launch the Mini Cooper SE in India on February 24, though all of the first 30 units have already been booked.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 19 Feb 2022 17:22

Tesla's Reverse Summon self-parking feature nears release with three options to choose from

Reverse Summon, an upgrade to the Tesla Autopilot's Smart Summon option, is reportedly getting closer to release and the Tesla engineers in charge are working on three smart parking options owners can pick from. One of the Reverse Summon auto-parking choices could be to drop you off close to your building entrance before your Tesla drives off to park itself.

Daniel Zlatev, 19 Feb 2022 17:13

Apple M2 Max could be faster than the Core i9-12900HK in multi-core. (Image Source: Macrumors)

Apple M2 Max performance projections show upcoming Apple Silicon sailing past Core i9-12900HK in multi-core and reaching RTX 3070 levels of performance

CPU and GPU performance projections for the Apple M2 and M2 Max seem to indicate that Apple's upcoming silicon can offer potentially offer decent gains compared to current M1 and M1 Max SoCs. The M2 Max's multi-core performance can beat that of the Alder Lake Core i9-12900HK while its purported 40-core GPU can theoretically come close to the performance of the RTX 3070 Laptop GPU all while consuming just a fraction of the power.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 19 Feb 2022 15:27

The Moto G200 5G is Motorola's newest flagship model of the Moto G series, equipped with the Snapdragon 888+.

Test verdict on the Motorola Moto G200 5G - Mid-range smartphone with amazing performance

The Motorola Moto G200 5G offers a lot of performance. The mid-range smartphone doesn't fail to impress with its 144-Hz panel, a Snapdragon 888+, UFS 3.1 storage and LPDDR5 RAM. In other areas, however, the Moto G flagship is lacking...

Marcus Herbrich, 19 Feb 2022 11:20

Android 13 DP1 implies that Google is testing GS201 in a Pixel 6 series device. (Image source: NotebookCheck)

Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro codenames discovered in Android 13 DP1 alongside a Pixel 6 Pro with a second-generation Tensor chip

Android 13 DP1 has divulged information about the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, over six months before the pair are expected to arrive. Reportedly, a Pixel 6 Pro development device with a second-generation Google Tensor chip has been spotted, too.

Alex Alderson, 19 Feb 2022 10:50

The 5G BlackBerry smartphone is now dead in the water. (Source: Behance)

OnwardMobility announces its closure and the death of the promised BlackBerry 5G smartphone

After reports claiming so surfaced a while ago, BlackBerry license holders OnwardMobility have now announced a complete shutdown. That, of course, means that the promised 5G BlackBerry phone will no longer see the light of day.

Ricci Rox, 19 Feb 2022 10:10

Playstation 5 compatible 1 TB ADATA XPG Gammix S70 Blade PCIe4 SSD now only $119 USD (Source: Amazon)

Deal | Playstation 5 compatible 1 TB ADATA XPG Gammix S70 Blade PCIe4 SSD now only $119 USD with 5-year warranty

PCIe4 drives are finally falling to more affordable price levels even for the higher-end models. The 1 TB XPG Gammix S70 Blade offers read rates of over 7000 MB/s to be faster than a 1 TB Samsung PM9A1.

Allen Ngo, 19 Feb 2022 09:45

Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip in review: 2-in-1 laptop with 5G modem and long battery life

Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip: A 2-in-1 laptop for the business sector

The ExpertBook offers a 5G modem, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 14-inch touchscreen display (1920x1200 pixels) with a 16:10 aspect ratio. You can operate the screen through touch input as well as with the included Asus Pen.

Sascha Mölck, 19 Feb 2022 08:37

Xiaomi 12 Ultra: Official listing and leaks tout existence and expected launch date of Xiaomi's flagship champion

The Xiaomi 12 Ultra is coming. It appears there can be no doubt about that anymore, as the flagship phone has now been spotted on an IMEI database, with two different sources also providing information on possible launch timeframes.

Ricci Rox, 19 Feb 2022 08:30

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra supposedly fails to match the iPhone 13 Pro Max in camera tests

The Galaxy S22 Ultra and its array of incredible camera hardware is widely considered as being able to match the iPhone 13 Pro Max in most shooting conditions. DxOMark disagrees, though, and its review of the Exynos Galaxy S22 Ultra sees it scored well below the Apple flagship, and outside of the top ten.

Ricci Rox, 19 Feb 2022 07:11

08.09	Samsung Galaxy S26 FE hands-on review: I'm not sure if this phone needed to exist
08.09	Vivo iQOO Neo 11 Ultra Overview, Pros and Cons
08.09	Honor Turbo Overview, Pros and Cons
08.09	ZTE nubia Neo 5 Max Overview, Pros and Cons
08.09	Google Pixel 11 Pro XL Overview, Pros and Cons
08.09	‘The most eye-watering thing I’ve seen since the solar eclipse’ — experiencing the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+’s staggering performance honestly blew my mind but I’m afraid I can’t get over that absurd price tag
08.09	Google Pixel 11 review: Lackluster upgrades that cost $100 more
08.09	Fairphone Gen 6 Plus review: The sustainable mobile gets good
08.09	Oppo Reno 16 review: Style & substance
08.09	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra review: Second fiddle