Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 was expected to be released in April. (Image source: Lenovo)

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 laptop with AMD Ryzen 7 4800U to finally go on sale on May 16

The sale date for the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 ultrabook featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 4800U APU has been announced. Apparently, public sales will begin on May 16 with a pre-sale starting on May 11. The AMD-based Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 was originally expected to be released in April but was delayed, possibly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Daniel R Deakin, 04 May 2020 11:08

Intel and AMD have two new desktop processors for the budget sector. (Image source: Intel/AMD/edited)

AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and Intel Core i3-10100 clash in benchmark battle of the budget titans with the spoils ultimately shared

Benchmark comparisons between the AMD Ryzen 3 3100 and Intel Core i3-10100 desktop processors have been dug up that show the two budget rivals offering up a fair contest against each other. The chips were tested on 3DMark’s Fire Strike and Time Spy benchmarks, with the AMD part edging the former and the Intel CPU stronger in the latter.

Daniel R Deakin, 04 May 2020 10:01

A DGX A100 trademark entry points to the existence of the first Ampere-based workstation. (Pictured: NVIDIA DGX-2 Source: NVIDIA)

Trademark entry reveals the NVIDIA DGX A100: The first GA100 Ampere-based deep learning workstation

A trademark entry for an NVIDIA deep learning workstation called the DGX A100 has surfaced. The DGX A100 could feature anywhere from eight to 16 of the upcoming GA100 Ampere GPUs with 8,192 CUDA cores. NVIDIA is expected to talk more about Ampere during its rescheduled GTC 2020 keynote on May 14.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 04 May 2020 06:25

The Exynos 990 has been a colossal disappointment. (Source: Samsung)

Exynos 990-powered Galaxy S20+ flops hard in gaming comparison video versus the Redmi Note 8 Pro

The Exynos 990 on the Samsung Galaxy S20 has failed just about every test it's been presented with and that trend continues. In a gaming comparison video versus the MediaTek Helio G90T-powered Redmi Note 8 Pro, the Exynos 990-powered Galaxy S20 proves yet again that it shouldn't be an option for smartphone gamers.

Ricci Rox, 04 May 2020 01:07

The OnePlus 8 series has a new software update. (Source: OnePlus)

OnePlus' new software update for the 8 and 8 Pro may not fix the green tint issue

The latest releases from the smartphone OEM OnePlus, the 8 and 8 Pro, have been issued new versions of their Android skin, OxygenOS. These updates are intended to fix the "green tint" defect reported by some users. They have also been released to enhance some aspects of the phones' cameras.

Deirdre O Donnell, 04 May 2020 00:01

This photo was allegedly taken with the 4a's selfie camera. (Source: TecnoLike Plus)

The Pixel 4a's full camera specs are allegedly detailed in a new leak

The Cuban vlogger TecnoLike Plus has already purported to have reviewed the Google Pixel 4a's cameras well ahead of its launch. Now, the same source has leaked this phone's relevant specs in more detail. It seems the phone has the same Sony IMX shooters as some older Pixels on its front and back.

Deirdre O Donnell, 03 May 2020 22:51

The LG Velvet on display in-store. (Source: Cafe.naver.com)

The LG Velvet appears in hands-on images as a demo unit in South Korea

It seems LG has dropped all pretense of keeping its upcoming premium mid-ranger, the Velvet, under wraps until its May 2020 launch. It has been spotted in one of this OEM's physical stores in South Korea. This new leak may confirm a build quality to match its looks, and also how it looks with its Dual Screen cover.

Deirdre O Donnell, 03 May 2020 22:13

Newer Apple Watches can monitor your heart rate. (Source: Apple)

An Apple Watch is credited with saving yet another user from an acute heart condition

According to a report published in a medical journal, a patient's Apple Watch successfully detected a serious anomaly missed by diagnostic hospital equipment. However, when the individual pointed out ECGs matching the health issue in question generated by her wearable to doctors, it was apparent treatment was in order.

Deirdre O Donnell, 03 May 2020 21:34

Opinion | Haylou GT1 Plus Review: A tad more than you pay for

The Haylou GT1 Plus was one of the first cheap TWS earbuds to be powered by Qualcomm's QC3020 aptX HD-compatible chip. How good exactly is it, though, especially considering its meager US$25 MSRP?

Ricci Rox, 03 May 2020 16:42

The AMD-based Lenovo Yoga Slim with Ryzen 7 4800U APU should be available soon. (Image source: Lenovo)

AMD Ryzen 7 4800U in Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 arms itself with a Fire Strike Physics Score that shoots down the Intel Core i7-1065G7 and targets the Core i7-10750H

An AMD Ryzen 7 4800U inside a Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 device has managed a remarkable Physics Score in 3DMark’s Fire Strike test. The Renoir APU notched up 17,578 points, which puts it far out of reach of the similarly energy efficient Ice Lake Core i7-1065G7 and within shouting distance of the more power-hungry Comet Lake Intel Core i7-10750H.

Daniel R Deakin, 03 May 2020 14:21

The Intel DG1 likely delivers the kind of performance we'll see in 1st gen Xe parts (Image source: Intel)

No "baap of all" this year? Raja Koduri claims Intel is still focused on integrated graphics in the short term, leaving RTX 2080 Ti safe at the top

Intel's Raja Koduri recently tweeted that the company's main focus is on integrated graphics, quashing hopes that high-performance Intel Xe GPUs will compete with the RTX 2080 Ti and second-gen Navi cards this year.

Arjun Krishna Lal, 03 May 2020 13:44

The first Matisse CPUs were released in July 2019. (Image source: AMD)

Matisse paints a beautiful picture for Zen 2 and Ryzen 3000 as AMD claims 91% of Mindfactory's CPU sales for April

Mindfactory’s sales data for March 2019 to April 2020 has been released and the CPU charts make for extremely grim viewing for Intel. In March of last year, Intel had a reasonable 31% of the sales share but that has now plummeted to just 9% by April this year. Clearly, the Zen 2-based Matisse range has been a runaway hit for AMD.

Daniel R Deakin, 03 May 2020 12:28

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 laptop comes with AMD's Ryzen 5 4600HS. (Image source: Asus)

AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS in Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 scores higher than the average Intel Core i7-10750H on UserBenchmark but still gets a lower bench result

An AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS APU sample has been spotted on UserBenchmark as part of an Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 laptop. The new Ryzen 4000 chip racked up some excellent scores on the benchmark that offered a higher overall score than the average overall score of all the Intel Core i7-10750H samples that had been tested…but the Renoir APU received a lower bench result.

Daniel R Deakin, 03 May 2020 10:58

The Xiaomi Mi 7 prototype smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. (Image source: Weibo via Gizmochina)

Updated | Xiaomi Mi 6 Mercury Silver Edition on sale for 19,999 yuan (US$2,831) or bid for a Xiaomi Mi 7 prototype for over 1 million yuan (US$141,597)

A couple of rare Xiaomi smartphones are currently being offered for sale: a Xiaomi Mi 6 Mercury Silver Edition and a Xiaomi Mi 7 prototype sample. The special variant of the Mi 6 can be purchased for 19,999 yuan (US$2,831) but you will need to have very deep pockets if you want to get your hands on the extremely rare Xiaomi Mi 7 device.
Update: Xiaomishka believes the so-called Mi 7 is a disguised Mi 8.

Daniel R Deakin, 03 May 2020 09:20

The SteamVR platform in action. (Source: Valve)

SteamVR canned for Apple's Macs

A blog post on the Steam website has announced the sudden cancellation with immediate effect for SteamVR support on macOS. Instead, Mac users have been directed to use what are now legacy builds of the platform as Steam now switches its full support focus to both Windows and Linux.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 03 May 2020 03:59

32 GB of RAM would be a first for the Surface Book series. (Image source: Microsoft)

Energy Star confirms Core i7-1065G7 and 32 GB of RAM for the Surface Book 3 but no Ryzen 4000 Renoir options; third Surface Go 2 SKU confirmed too

Featuring a Core i7-1065G7 and 32 GB of RAM, the Surface Book 3 SKUs that have flown through Energy Star are sizeable upgrades over their predecessors. It looks increasingly unlikely that there will be any Ryzen 4000 Renoir options, though. Energy Star has confirmed the existence of a third Surface Go 2 SKU, too.

Alex Alderson, 03 May 2020 02:30

The new PowerEgg X. (Source: PowerVision)

PowerVision announces its weather-proof drone, the PowerEgg X

The PowerVision Robot Corporation has launched a new drone. This one sets itself apart with what its maker describes as weatherproof attachments, one of which even allows the PowerEgg X to land on water. It is also rated for 4K/60 frames per second (fps) recording in flight.

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 May 2020 23:25

Realme posted the best year-on-year growth in 1Q2019. (Source: Realme)

Research finds that the global smartphone market shrank by the "fastest ever" rate in 1Q2020

The market for mobile devices contracted by 13% in the first quarter of 2020 (1Q2020), compared to 1Q2019. All of its top brands, with the exception of Realme and Xiaomi, also saw declines in terms of shipments and share. However, they may all see even more adversity in 2Q2020.

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 May 2020 22:49

The Schenker VIA 14 competes well with ThinkPads, EliteBooks & Latitudes thanks to its big battery

The brand Schenker is well known for its Schenker XMG laptops. Office and business laptops are not necessarily associated with it, which Schenker wants to change with the VIA 14 – a pretty successful endeavor.

Benjamin Herzig, 02 May 2020 22:23

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. (Source: Samsung)

DxOMark: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip delivers cameras unworthy of its US$1400 price tag

The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung's contemporary attempt at a clamshell-style foldable phone. The phone starts at just under US$1400, and has now made the trip over to DxOMark where it posted scores akin to two-year-old flagship phones from the competition.

Ricci Rox, 02 May 2020 22:01

OnePlus 8 Pro: OnePlus confirms that the black crush issue is a hardware defect, offers replacements

Some OnePlus 8 Pro units suffer from well-documented green tint and black crush display issues. OnePlus is now acknowledging the latter to be a hardware defect, and is offering to repair, refund, or replace affected units.

Ricci Rox, 02 May 2020 22:00

A possible Galaxy Z Flip successor. (Source: LetsGoDigital)

Some of Samsung's latest patents show a possible next-gen, triple-camera Galaxy Z Flip

Samsung is said to have a true Galaxy Fold 2 in the works - now, it also seems there is a 2nd-gen Galaxy Z Flip as well. This clamshell-style foldable, despite its novelty, may be underwhelming in terms of its dual rear cameras. New patents allegedly filed by its maker shows how it might look with 1 lens more.

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 May 2020 19:34

Excellent Ryzen desktop sales were a major reason behind AMD's Q1 2020 growth (Image source: AMD)

AMD earnings per share grew by 1300 percent since last year, propelled by Ryzen 3000 and Renoir Ryzen 4000 sales

AMD's earnings per share grew by a mammoth 1300 percent since Q1 2019. The growth in share value is largely due to consistently high sales of Ryzen 3000 processors, together with growth in the enterprise segment with EPYC and the recent launch of Ryzen 4000 Renoir APUs.

Arjun Krishna Lal, 02 May 2020 14:50

The alleged Xiaomi Mi Band 5 offers more screen real estate than its predecessor. (Image source: SlashLeaks)

Updated | Alleged Xiaomi Mi Band 5 wearable fitness tracker images leaked

Three supposed images of the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 wearable fitness tracker have been leaked. The images originate from a popular Chinese social networking site and feature the wearable in switched-on and turned-off states. There is a distinctly visible capacitive button taking up a good portion of the narrow-bezel display.
Noted Xiaomi tipster believes the images are fake.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 May 2020 14:02

Apple's premium iPhone X is currently on sale on Amazon, undercutting midrange Android phones (Image source: Amazon)

Deal | The iPhone X is cheaper than the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 today, at just US$445: better offer than the iPhone SE?

The Apple iPhone X is currently selling on Amazon for just US$445. This makes Apple's erstwhile flagship cheaper than the OnePlus 7T and even the midrange Xiaomi Mi Note 10. Budget users put off by the iPhone SE's compromises might find this an excellent alternative.

Arjun Krishna Lal, 02 May 2020 13:49

Flipkart and Amazon will be allowed to operate in some regions

Flipkart and Amazon to resume operations in some districts

E-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart will now be allowed to resume operations in orange and green zones in the Indian subcontinent. People residing in red zones will have to wait till their region is upgraded to green/yellow or until the nationwide lockdown measures are lifted on May 17th.

Anil Satyanarayana, 02 May 2020 13:25

The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet will ship on May 11. (Source: Lenovo)

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet affordable detachable 2-in-1 tablet launch is imminent

Lenovo’s Chrome OS-based IdeaPad Duet captured a lot of interest when it was first unveiled in early January. It has very similar form and functionality to Google’s much more expensive Pixel Slate, but it is priced a lot more attractively – just US$299 including keyboard. If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on it, the wait will soon be over as it is looks set to ship by May 11.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 02 May 2020 12:09

Android 10 for the Redmi Note 8 is under testing.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 is on track to receive the Android 10-based MIUI 12 update soon

Xiaomi has apparently started testing the Android 10-based MIUI 12 ROM for the Redmi Note 8 in China implying a global rollout soon. However, the company has not defined any timeline and whether the rollout will eventually happen or not depends on satisfactory performance of the update during testing

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 02 May 2020 11:09

Assassin's Creed II is available for free until May 5. (Image source: Ubisoft)

Assassin's Creed II is free on the Ubisoft store until May 5 or pre-order the Assassin's Creed Valhalla Collector's Edition for US$199.99

Ubisoft is giving three games away for free until May 5: Assassin’s Creed II, Rayman Legends, and Child of Light. The company’s store also has a number of titles that are free to try as demos, including Tom Clancy’s The Division. Four versions of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can be pre-ordered for the PC, with the Collector’s Edition priced at US$199.99.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 May 2020 10:53

Will the PS5 pack some exclusive tech not seen on the Xbox One Series X? (Source: ConceptCreator)

RDNA 2.5? Rumor says PS5 to include some exclusive RDNA 3 features

The latest hot PS5 rumor suggests that AMD may have given Sony special access to graphics technologies further up the pipeline than it has offered Microsoft. If true, this could result in more efficient graphics performance and rendering than its 10.28 teraflops of rated performance might suggest.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 02 May 2020 08:13

A 28 W Ice Lake-U CPU may not be the only upgrade on the agenda for the next baby MacBook Pro. (Image source: Apple)

3DMark confirms 28 W processor for next MacBook Pro; up to 32 GB of RAM and a 4 TB SSD too, but no Ryzen 4000 Renoir options

Expected to drop before WWDC 2020, the next smaller MacBook Pro has been said to be making the switch to 14-inch displays. Apple's new Magic Keyboard also seems a likely upgrade, and now 3DMark has confirmed that Apple will offer up to 32 GB of RAM and a 4 TB SSD. The MacBook Pro 2020 will have a powerful CPU option too, but not one of those Ryzen 4000 Renoir processors.

Alex Alderson, 02 May 2020 02:47

Sony's new kind of wireless earbud. (Source: JPO via LetsGoDigital)

Sony's strange new TWS earphone design may be intended to cater to helmet-wearers

Sony has reportedly filed a patent for a pair of truly wireless (or TWS) earphones. However, successors to the well-received WF-1000XM3s they are most likely not: they have a more original design that incorporates a large attachment on which physical controls are found.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 May 2020 21:55

The Meizu 17T, according to JD.com. (Source: JD.com)

A dubious leak points to a new phone called the Meizu 17T

Meizu has already confirmed that it will launch a flagship smartphone called the 17 in May 2020. Now, the e-tail site JD.com has posted a relevant listing in advance of this event. However, it is not for the 17, but an unheard-of T-variant.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 May 2020 21:14

The Precision 7550 and Precision 7750 have radically different designs compared to their predecessors. (Image source: Reddit, Vimeo & NotebookReview)

Leaked Dell Precision 7550 and Precision 7750 advert confirms design changes and potential DGFF incompatibility

Successors to the Precision 7540 and Precision 7740 are on their way, and a leaked advert has confirmed that Dell has given them a complete redesign. Predictably called the Precision 7550 and Precision 7750, the two laptops are expected to arrive later this month, but there may be some surprises in store, including no PointStick and possible DGFF incompatibilities with older models.

Alex Alderson, 01 May 2020 20:09

OnePlus Z likelt to come with a Snapdragon 765

OnePlus Z likely to feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765 chip instead of the MediaTek Dimensity 1000

The upcoming OnePlus Z will allegedly ship with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 SoC. Previous leaks hinted that the phone would feature MediaTek's Dimensity 1000 chip. OnePlus may have planned on using a MediaTek chip initially but switched to Qualcomm at the last moment.

Anil Satyanarayana, 01 May 2020 18:19

Apple's second-quarter financial report for 2020 shows its product sales are down

Apple has published a consolidated report of its financial performance in the second quarter of 2020 (2Q2020). It shows an overall increase in revenue of about 1% compared to the same quarter of 2019; however, when these figures are divided into the categories of products and services, one has made a loss.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 May 2020 18:09

The Samsung Galaxy A series is getting a new member. (Source: Samsung)

The Samsung Galaxy A21s is cleared for launch by the Bluetooth SIG, may be destined for several new markets

Samsung has been rumored to have a Galaxy A21s ready for release this year. A new leak confirms this, referring to the phone by its name for the first time. Interestingly, the new device is now associated with 5 slightly different model numbers, suggesting that it will be available in multiple regions.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 May 2020 17:20

Huawei patents a new possible MatePad with an interesting rear panel

Huawei may have filed a new patent for a tablet that is now on the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database. Given its form-factor, it may be easy to assume that it is the upcoming T8 model rumored to launch soon. However, this new design and the budget slate as leaked thus far show slightly confusing variation.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 May 2020 16:38

One UI 2.0 update postponed for several devices in India

Samsung users running Android 9.0 Pie will have to wait a bit longer for the One UI 2.0 update. According to a notification on the Samsung Members app, the rollout will be 'slightly delayed.' This only applies to users based in India, and it is unclear if other regions will also be affected.

Anil Satyanarayana, 01 May 2020 15:47

The Apple iMac made its debut in 1998. (Image source: Apple)

Core i9-10900K in a 27-inch iMac: Intel and Apple could combine to offer the world's fastest gaming processor in a refreshed all-in-one

It has been speculated that Apple could decide to refresh its iMac lineup with Comet Lake-S desktop processors later this year. There have been many rumors about a potential upcoming iMac series redesign, including a new 23-inch variant. It’s possible the 27-inch iMac could be configured with the 5.3 GHz-capable Intel Core i9-10900K.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 May 2020 14:36

The XMG Ultra 17 M20 supports CPU TDPs of up to 125 W and GPU TGPs of up to 200 W. (Image Source: Bestware)

Schenker crams desktop-grade Intel Comet Lake-S Core i9-10900K CPU and Nvidia RTX 2080 Super GPU into XMG Ultra 17 M20 laptops

The new XMG Ultra 17 M20 desktop-replacement systems integrate an advanced cooling system that filters dust particles from heatsinks and allows for CPU TDPs of up to 125 W, with GPU TGPs of up to 200 W. Such processing power requires two 280 W PSUs and at least a 97 Wh battery. Schenker also added 240 Hz displays with 100% sRGB color gamut and a 4K display option with 100% Adobe RGB color gamut.

Bogdan Solca, 01 May 2020 14:02

With PoE: New Raspberry Pi alternative also supports TPM 2.0, RS-232 DB9 and RS-485

A new alternative to the Raspberry Pi is now available. The Banana Pi BPI-F2P also allows the connection of external devices, but it has a different focus than the popular Raspberry Pi.

Alex Alderson, 01 May 2020 13:44

The Xperia 1 II will launch for over €1,000. (Image source: MyNavi)

Xperia 1 II camera samples show low-light improvements and Photography Pro app

Teased ahead of an expected launch later this month, camera samples show the Xperia 1 II offering better low-light performance than its predecessor. The device, which will retail for over €1,000 at launch, will come pre-installed with a new Photography Pro app, too.

Alex Alderson, 01 May 2020 13:36

The PlayStation Store could be getting thoroughly revamped for the PS5. (Image source: Alfa Beta Juega)

Rumor | Tenuous PlayStation 5 rumor claims the new PS Store UI will allow instant demo game-playing on the PS5 console

A new PlayStation 5 rumor has started catching considerable attention on social media. Apparently, PS5 owners would be able to access the overhauled PS Store user interface and playtest games immediately without having to wait for lengthy downloads. The system would give gamers the opportunity to try out titles in a similar way to playing a demo before making a purchase.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 May 2020 12:39

Xiaomi's default web browser allegedly records users' browsing habits

Security researchers have discovered that Xiaomi's default web browser records and transmits user data to remote servers. It includes potentially sensitive information such as search engine queries and browsing history, and the behavior persists even in the supposedly anonymous incognito mode. A Xiaomi spokesperson has denied allegations of wrongdoing and states that this is standard practice.

Anil Satyanarayana, 01 May 2020 12:28

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