Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations

F-Droid UI (Image Source: Antony Muchiri)

Google’s new rules could put an end to sideloading and alternative app stores on Android

Google is preparing new developer registration rules that could drastically limit sideloading and end independent Android app stores like F-Droid. By requiring every app to be tied to a verified developer identity, Google would ta...

Antony Muchiri, 29 Sep 2025 09:54

The OnePlus 15 could launch in China on October 27, 2025. Pictured: the back of the phone. (Image source: OnePlus)

OnePlus 15 design showcase hints at launch date for Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagship

The OnePlus 15 was recently showcased in a new batch of teasers, which highlighted the design aspects of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 flagship phone. One of the teaser images may have confirmed the Chinese launch date of the smart...

Abid Ahsan Shanto, 29 Sep 2025 09:43

The BYD Jinan car carrier (Image source: BYD)

BYD now exports over 1 million vehicles annually as 8th car carrier enters service

BYD has officially launched its 8th car transporting vessel. This brings the Chinese EV maker’s total exporting capacity to over one million annually.

David Odejide, 29 Sep 2025 09:15

Artwork from Silent Hill f's bonus content available to buyers of the Deluxe Edition (image source: Notebookcheck)

Konami earns player backlash after it says Silent Hill f Steam free content glitch is 'temporary'

Silent Hill's publisher, Konami, is getting player ire for threatening to remove Deluxe Edition content that was mistakenly given to purchasers of the Standard Edition on Steam.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 29 Sep 2025 09:12

The RedMagic 11 Pro will launch in China on October 17, 2025. Pictured: a promo picture of the gaming phone. (Image source: RedMagic - edited)

RedMagic 11 Pro set for imminent debut with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and water cooling

The RedMagic 11 Pro is expected to be a proper successor to the company's last flagship gaming phone, the 10 Pro. Per the recent official teasers, this upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 smartphone will feature a water cooling setu...

Abid Ahsan Shanto, 29 Sep 2025 09:06

The Garmin inReach Mini 2 satellite communicator provides users with global GPS navigation and SOS messaging. (Image source: Garmin)

Deal | Garmin inReach Mini 2 at its lowest price ever

Amazon has given the Garmin inReach Mini 2 its best price ever after a $150 discount. The satellite communicator offers global GPS navigation and Iridium-powered SOS & text messaging in a rugged, pocket-sized device ideal for adve...

David Chien, 29 Sep 2025 06:02

The OnePlus 15 in Sand Dune colorway. (Image source: OnePlus, edited)

OnePlus 15 confirmed to support 165 fps gameplay in Call of Duty Mobile, Delta Force, and other popular titles

The OnePlus 15 is expected to launch in China this October as the company’s flagship phone, succeeding the OnePlus 13. It will be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and offer a 165Hz display. The company has now re...

Huzefa Baloch, 29 Sep 2025 05:14

Banner with PS5 Slim Digital console (Image source: Sony PlayStation with edits)

Teardown of new PS5 Slim with less storage reveals design changes and tests performance

European buyers are getting a peek at the internals of the revised PS5 Slim. YouTuber Austin Evans’ teardown shows how the console has a slightly different look with a lighter construction. Sony also reshuffled the motherboard lay...

Adam Corsetti, 29 Sep 2025 02:54

OnePlus shows off the OnePlus 15's Sand Dune colorway

The OnePlus 15 is reported to be launching in three colors, but one of them will have a more premium build than the rest. This version is called Sand Dune, and ahead of the phone's official unveiling, OnePlus has released new imag...

Habeeb Onawole, 29 Sep 2025 01:55

A conceptual image of a smartphone capturing a hyperspectral image (Image source: AI-generated)

Camera with 8× more channels promises a new era of mobile photography

A team of researchers at the University of Utah has developed a compact hyperspectral camera that captures 25 channels of color in high-definition video. This breakthrough could bring powerful imaging capabilities to smartphones, ...

Chibuike Okpara, 29 Sep 2025 01:36

GMK NucBox K12 is more difficult to service than most other mini PCs (Image source: GMK)

GMK NucBox K12 design has a small but annoying flaw

The thumb screws on the bottom of the unit are a good idea on paper, but their poor implementation makes them difficult to remove even with tools.

Allen Ngo, 29 Sep 2025 01:06

Amazfit Helio Strap with Zepp Health app (Image source: Amazfit)

Amazfit Helio Strap adds support for tennis in latest update

In a recent update on the Zepp app, tennis lovers can now track their favourite sport with Amazfit Helio Strap. The update includes optimizations for BioCharge energy algorithm, nighttime heart rate measurements, and other bug fix...

Sarfo Ashong-Listowell, 29 Sep 2025 00:24

The FiiO FT13 headphones utilize purpleheart wooden earcups with birch wood drivers. (Image source: FiiO)

FiiO FT13 headphones arrive with purpleheart wooden earcups and birch wood drivers for high-resolution music enthusiasts

FiiO has announced the FT13 closed-back headphones, featuring lacquered purpleheart wooden earcups, and birch wood drivers infused with carbon fiber threads and wool fibers, that (supposedly) allow the finer details of Hi-Res Audi...

David Chien, 29 Sep 2025 00:13

FiiO has launched the Snowsky Tiny, an external USB-C headphone DAC, in three colors and two versions. (Image source: FiiO)

FiiO unveils Snowsky Tiny external USB-C headphone DAC

FiiO has unveiled the Snowsky Tiny, a compact USB-C headphone DAC supporting 32-bit/384 kHz PCM and DSD256 playback with Hi-Res Audio certification. Available in two models with UAC 1.0 and 2.0 support, they are also compatible wi...

David Chien, 28 Sep 2025 23:06

The TASCAM FR-AV4 provides creators with four channels of 32-bit, 192 kHz float audio and accurate timecode generation in a rugged field recorder. (Image source: TASCAM)

TASCAM unveils FR-AV4 audio recorder for filmmakers

TASCAM has introduced the FR-AV4, a rugged 4-channel field recorder with 32-bit float audio and 133 dB dynamic range, without needing gain adjustment to prevent clipping. Designed for filmmakers, it features timecode sync for mult...

David Chien, 28 Sep 2025 22:06

An aggravated Donkey Kong stands behind Switch 2 console (Image source: Nintendo of America with edits)

Nintendo Switch 2 boycott launched by activists over high game prices and Game-Key Cards

A new initiative takes aim at Nintendo for anti-consumer behavior. Gaming Consumer Rights calls the price of its latest handheld and Switch 2 games unreasonable. It also believes that Nintendo uses deceptive marketing practices wh...

Adam Corsetti, 28 Sep 2025 21:42

Oppo has unpacked the Hasselblad teleconverter for the first time for the Oppo Find X9 series and summarized many camera specs. (Image source: Oppo)

Oppo Find X9 Pro: Hasselblad teleconverter lens unboxed and official camera specs revealed

After Vivo unveiled its new generation of Zeiss teleconverters for the Vivo X300 series, it was Oppo's turn this weekend with a special unboxing of the first Hasselblad telephoto lens for the upcoming Find X9 flagship camera gener...

Alexander Fagot, 28 Sep 2025 21:19

A Blood Raven Space Marine Dreadnought fires its weapon at Ork units in Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV’s in-engine trailer. (Image source: Warhammer via YouTube)

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV first in-engine trailer revealed and fans are already asking for one thing

A new in-engine trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV debuted at the PC Gaming Show: Tokyo Direct, showcasing the series’ return to classic RTS gameplay and setting the stage for its 2026 launch.

Anmol Dubey, 28 Sep 2025 21:14

Image showing a lunar eclipse. (Image source: ulrikebohr570 - Pixabay)

NASA wants to blow up this asteroid with a nuclear charge before it reaches the Moon

Faced with the threat posed by asteroid 2024 YR4, NASA wants to blow it up with nuclear charges. But this is a colossal challenge, and space agencies must embark on a race against time.

Alexis Stegmann, 28 Sep 2025 20:31

Anime visual for Hikari ga Shinda Natsu (The Summer Hikaru Died), showing two characters walking along a glowing shoreline at dusk. (Image source: @hikanatsu_anime via X, formerly Twitter)

The Summer Hikaru Died anime gets Season 2, cast shares heartfelt messages

The Summer Hikaru Died anime is officially getting a second season, with a new teaser video and cast comments now available. The announcement comes via the official Twitter account, with further updates on release details promised...

Praneeta, 28 Sep 2025 20:25

The Garmin Fenix E (pictured) meets military standards for shock, thermal, and water resistance. (Image source: Garmin)

Deal | Garmin Fenix E with 16-day battery life gets its biggest-ever Amazon discount

The Garmin Fenix E 47mm AMOLED smartwatch is now priced at $499.99, down from $799.99. It comes equipped with a 16-day battery life, multi-GNSS navigation, health tracking, and smart features, making it a solid value proposition i...

Anubhav Sharma, 28 Sep 2025 19:44

OnePlus 15 is claimed to feature 1.15 mm bezels on all four sides. Pictured: the front of the phone. (Image source: OnePlus)

OnePlus 15 to feature slimmer bezels than Xiaomi 17 and tougher build than iPhone 17 Pro

The OnePlus 15 is set to be among the first batch of flagship phones that are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. Just weeks ahead of the expected launch, the company has highlighted the slim bezels and tough build of its new...

Abid Ahsan Shanto, 28 Sep 2025 19:25

Asus TUF Gaming A16 (image source: Notebookcheck)

Asus equips the new TUF Gaming A16 with an improved 165 Hz display and replaceable RAM

Asus equips its new mainstream gamer TUF Gaming A16 with replaceable RAM as well as a much better 165 Hz display and therefore fixes two big issues we had with the previous model. The performance of the RTX 5070 Laptop is often su...

Andreas Osthoff, 28 Sep 2025 19:10

T-Rex 3: Trying out the smartwatch's new feature. (Image source: Amazfit)

Amazfit T-Rex 3: A closer look at a new feature

Zepp Health recently rolled out a new update for the relatively inexpensive T-Rex 3, which has already been the subject of review at Notebookcheck. We've just tried out the feature and are providing a first look.

Silvio Werner, 28 Sep 2025 19:08

We don't yet know whether Xiaomi will also include the secondary display in the Xiaomi 18 Pro, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 seems to be a given. (Image source: Weibo)

Xiaomi 17 successor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 in Xiaomi 18 and next-gen modems discovered in HyperOS 3

HyperOS 3 offers a glimpse into the future. A code analysis of the latest Xiaomi operating system has uncovered the first clues to the successor to the brand-new Xiaomi 17 and the 2nm Qualcomm hardware it will likely feature.

Alexander Fagot, 28 Sep 2025 19:07

New display glasses now crowdfunding. (Image source: Vision Mini)

Vision Mini: Ultra-light 4K glasses with loudspeakers for immersive entertainment on the go

The Vision Mini is a new display in the form of glasses. It is designed to offer impressive display quality even when on the go and is compatible with a wide range of playback devices. The model can also be used by people with vis...

Silvio Werner, 28 Sep 2025 19:03

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max appears to be a better gaming device than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. (Image Source: AnRan0420 on Weibo)

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 dominates Apple's A19 Pro in gaming tests aboard the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max and Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max are the two most powerful smartphones on the market at the moment. Gaming tests show, however, that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-powered phone holds consistent advantages in gami...

Ricci Rox, 28 Sep 2025 18:27

The Apex 4 is basically already official. (Image source: Coros, via manudi19)

Coros Apex 4: New smartwatch launches with technology no longer used by Garmin

The Coros Apex 4 is a new GPS smartwatch which may give Garmin a run for its money in some aspects and is likely to appeal to demanding athletes. The watch also supports a color display, but uses rather specialized display technol...

Silvio Werner, 28 Sep 2025 18:13

The Dimensity 9500. (Image Source: Vivo)

MediaTek Dimensity 9500 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Early CPU and GPU benchmarks indicate a win for Qualcomm

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Mediatek Dimensity 9500 will power most flagship Android smartphones released over the next twelve months. Both chipsets have now been tested on both CPU and GPU benchmarks.

Ricci Rox, 28 Sep 2025 18:06

A screengrab from Bully: Scholarship Edition (image source: Steam Community)

Rockstar Co-Founder: Bully 2 never happened because of "bandwidth issues"

Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser had a nuanced take on why Bully 2 never became a reality for the prolific game development company.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 28 Sep 2025 17:57

Xiaomi 15T and Xiaomi 17 series camera hardware detailed post-launch

Xiaomi released the 15T and 17 lineups within days of each other. Both lineups are positioned towards the top of the company's model hierarchy, but information on their camera hardware now highlights the difference between them.

Ricci Rox, 28 Sep 2025 17:11

WhatsApp's message translation feature isn't available for Windows and the web. (Image source: WhatsApp)

How to translate WhatsApp messages on Android and iPhone

WhatsApp has begun rolling out its Message Translations feature to Android and iPhone users, allowing in-chat translations in 1:1 chats, groups and channels after updating the app. Translating a message is simple, but supported la...

Habeeb Onawole, 28 Sep 2025 17:00

Capcom's Pragmata: director reveals why the game was 'indefinitely delayed' two years ago

Pragmata's delay may have been due to a mix of experimentation at the development end, as well as an earlier reveal than most of its peers when it was first announced in 2020.

Rahim Amir Noorali, 28 Sep 2025 16:00

A picture of the Silent Hill f steelbook (image source r/gamecollecting)

GameStop accused of 'misleading' Silent Hill f players over botched steelbook pre-orders

Brick-and-mortar video game retailer GameStop might have found itself in a different kind of PR horror story as disgruntled players accuse it of mismanaging the launch of the Silent Hill f steelbooks despite having orders that wer...

Rahim Amir Noorali, 28 Sep 2025 15:48

A screengrab from Dying Light: The Beast (image source: Steam Community)

Techland promises hotfix after Dying Light: The Beast racks up player complaints over forced QTEs

The hotfix was promised amidst growing user frustration about interactions with biters in Dying Light: The Beast, which involved unskippable quick time events (QTEs)

Rahim Amir Noorali, 28 Sep 2025 15:25

The 45W fast charger offers adaptive charging feature for multiple Apple devices. Pictured: a promo picture of the adapter. (Image source: Anker)

Anker details new compact fast charger with digital display and smart charging feature

A new Anker 45W charging adapter was recently teased by the company, and now, the charger has been detailed in a teaser video. As the brand reveals, the fast charger will support adaptive charging, which works for multiple Apple d...

Abid Ahsan Shanto, 28 Sep 2025 13:36

Hacker illustration with malware circuit design (Image source: AI-generated concept art)

Viruses on caffeine: the rise of self-learning malware

Computer viruses have come a long way from floppy-disk pranks to today’s AI-assisted cybercrime. The 2020s have turned malware into a professional industry, complete with ransomware cartels, AI-driven phishing and even research pr...

Jonathan Bester, 28 Sep 2025 12:31

HydroBuckler in action (Image source: the researchers)

New technique lets robots walk on water using heat-powered motions

Drawing inspiration from water-strider insects, researchers at the University of Virginia have developed a novel fabrication method that lets tiny robots form directly on water surfaces and move using heat-powered motions.

Chibuike Okpara, 28 Sep 2025 12:11

Sodium-ion batteries are set to move from microcars like the E10X to mass market EVs. (Image source: JAC)

Sodium-ion batteries set to go mainstream as they hit LFP price and energy density parity

After the world's largest battery maker managed to craft a sodium-ion battery with high energy density ready for mass production, the future of the technology looks bright. Sodium-ion batteries are slated to proliferate as soon as...

Daniel Zlatev, 28 Sep 2025 11:58

The Evolve MVMT (pictured) is designed to be worn on the ankle. (Image source: Evolve)

Evolve's new fitness wearable reaches funding target in just 4 minutes, featuring real-time shock absorption tracking

Evolve MVMT, a new ankle-worn fitness wearable, hit its Kickstarter goal in merely 4 minutes. The MVMT comes with real-time shock absorption, fatigue, and performance tracking for runners.

Anubhav Sharma, 28 Sep 2025 11:55

Image from the game Silent Hill f on Steam. (Image source: Steam)

Silent Hill f: A free mod completely transforms the game

Although Silent Hill f was released on September 25, several mods already exist for this game. And this is particularly true of this one, which completely transforms the game's universe.

Alexis Stegmann, 28 Sep 2025 11:29

The Samsung Galaxy A17 5G comes with a number of features that you might not expect in this price range.

Affordable smartphones: Samsung demonstrates what is possible

Even for under $200, you can now get smartphones that offer enough performance and features for everyday use. We take a closer look at the Samsung Galaxy A17 5G and show you what it can do—and what it can't.

Florian Schmitt, 28 Sep 2025 11:03

The Casio Pro Trek PRJ-B001B-1 (pictured) uses a paracord-style band. (Image source: Casio)

New Casio Pro Trek PRJ-B001B-1 watch goes on sale with rotary guard bezel and Tough Solar

Casio's PRJ-B001B-1 has officially launched with a rotary guard bezel, solar power, Bluetooth syncing, 10-bar water resistance, and a paracord-style band. Case: 50.3 × 46 × 13.6 mm, weight: 37 g. It's priced at ¥25,300 (~$169). ...

Anubhav Sharma, 28 Sep 2025 10:30

This $349 16 GB AI workstation card runs Cyberpunk 2077 at 85 FPS with just 50 W power draw

Intel’s Arc Pro B50 is sold as a workstation GPU, but recent testing explores how it performs in gaming and AI tasks. With its compact design, low power draw, and 16 GB of VRAM, the Intel Arc Pro B50 may hold more potential than e...

Anmol Dubey, 28 Sep 2025 09:07

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