Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations

Xiaomi updates the Mi Band 3 and 4 with a laptop-unlocking function

The Mi Bands 3 and 4 have a new firmware update that fixes several UI-related bugs. It also introduces a first-party notebook-unlocking facility to these fitness trackers. They also now support Apple ID logins for the first time.

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 Apr 2020 19:50

Is Google developing a new 2-in-1 Pixelbook? (Image source: Google)

More evidence that Google is developing a new AMD-powered 2-in-1 Pixelbook hits Geekbench

Google threw a curveball with the Pixelbook Go last year, eschewing the 2-in-1 design of the Pixelbook and the Pixel Slate. However, new evidence suggests that it will return to a 2-in-1 design and that it has already put the device into development. Featuring a choice of AMD Ryzen processors, it would be the first Pixel Chromebook to with a 15 W TDP.

Alex Alderson, 02 Apr 2020 19:07

The Mi CC9 Pro was Xiaomi's first widely available high-megapixel smartphone. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi puts a 144 MP camera smartphone into development

Did you think 108 MP was enough for this year? Well think again, as rumour has it that Xiaomi will be using Samsung's upcoming 144 MP camera sensor in a smartphone this year. Possibly the Mi 10S Pro or Mi CC10 Pro, the device would probably top DxOMark, at any rate.

Alex Alderson, 02 Apr 2020 18:54

The updated Triton 500 and Nitro 5 lineups will be available this May. (Image Source: Acer)

Acer announces the refreshed Predator Triton 500 and Nitro 5 gaming laptops with Comet Lake-H CPUs

The new Predator Triton 500 models will be powered by i7 and i9 Comet Lake-H CPUs coupled with up to 32 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of NVMe SSD storage, plus GPU options topping with the RTX 2080 Super Max-Q. The budget-friendly Nitro 5, on the other hand, will be powered by i5/i7 Comet Lake-H CPUs, and will only support GPUs up to the RTX 2060.

Bogdan Solca, 02 Apr 2020 17:49

The new Legion 5i and 7i models will replace the existing Y540 and Y740, respectively. (Image Source: Lenovo)

Lenovo's Legion 5i and 7i gaming laptops include the exclusive Nvidia Advanced Optimus feature for extended battery life

The 7i will most likely be powered by Comet Lake-H Core i7 CPUs and will feature the latest RTX 2000 Super GPUs, while the 5i will pack Comet Lake-H Core i5 CPUs and up to an RTX 2060 GPU. Both variants will get G-Sync displays plus a n exclusive feature developed in collaboration with Nvidia, which allows for a more efficient battery management.

Bogdan Solca, 02 Apr 2020 17:06

The Dell Vostro 15 3590 laptops come with a dedicated numeric keypad. (Image source: Dell)

Deal | Budget business for a bargain: Dell Vostro 15 3590 with i7-10510U and AMD Radeon 610 GPU reduced from US$1,212 to US$699

Dell’s Vostro lineup might be overlooked for better known laptop series such as the Inspiron or XPS, but there are some very attractive deals to be had at the moment, especially if you’re looking for a budget device for a small business. For example, the Vostro 15 3590 with an i5-10210U, 8 GB RAM, and a 256 GB SSD is presently 43% off, cut from US$1,041.43 to US$599.00.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2020 14:59

Raspberry Pi: Add an M.2 2280 NVMe drive to the Raspberry Pi 4 for under US$25

The Raspberry Pi 4 is a powerful SBC, but now you can add an NVMe drive to the Pi Foundation's latest device. Using the Realtek RTL9210 controller, an M.2 NVMe drive can be connected to a Raspberry Pi 4 via one of its USB 3.1 Type-A ports. Better yet, it costs less than US$25 to do.

Alex Alderson, 02 Apr 2020 14:20

Huawei's P40 series has been praised for its excellent cameras. (Image source: Huawei)

Alleged domestic prices for the Huawei P40 series will frustrate buyers of the global variants

The alleged domestic prices for the Huawei P40 smartphones have been leaked online, and they are considerably lower than the prices customers will have to pay for the flagship smartphones in the European and UK markets. It has been estimated that the prices will end up being around 30% cheaper for the Chinese models compared to the global variants.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2020 12:49

The display of the P40 Pro was supplied by BOE and LG. (Source: Huawei)

Who made the display on the Huawei P40 Pro? Not Samsung, apparently

The Huawei P40 Pro sports an impressive quad-curved 90 Hz FHD+ AMOLED display, but which company is responsible for producing that piece of hardware? While last year's Huawei P30's screen was made by Samsung, Huawei appears to have looked elsewhere for the P40 and P40 Pro.

Ricci Rox, 02 Apr 2020 10:27

The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 features a 30-day battery. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi celebrates shipping 100 million wearables with possible hint of upcoming Mi Band 5 launch

Xiaomi has posted some details about the upcoming Mi Fan Festival event that is taking place in China on April 3. The Chinese manufacturer revealed that over 100 million Xiaomi wearables had been shipped between 2014 and 2019 and that new wearables will be unveiled at the Festival. This could be a subtle hint that the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is about to be launched.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2020 10:19

Like Renoir-H, Intel Comet Lake-H will lack an integrated Thunderbolt 3 controller

Intel has detailed its next-gen Core H-series for gaming laptops with SKUs ranging from the quad-core Core i5-10300H to the hexa-core Core i7-10750H and the octa-core Core i9-10980HK. At its heart, however, Comet Lake-H will look familiar to Coffee Lake-H in terms of integrated hardware features.

Allen Ngo, 02 Apr 2020 10:02

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q and 2070 Super Max-Q set to debut on the next Razer Blade 15

As if Nvidia's GeForce RTX lineup couldn't be more convoluted, be prepared for yet another subcategory of GeForce Super GPUs within the existing subcategory of GeForce Max-Q GPUs.

Allen Ngo, 02 Apr 2020 09:02

Asus announces new ROG Keystone 2

Asus announced the new ROG Keystone 2 today. The device, which is a proprietary NFC key, allows users to easily transfer system and game profiles between supported ROG machines. The Keystone 2 also includes a hidden encrypted storage drive, known as a Shadow Drive.

Sam Medley, 02 Apr 2020 09:01

Asus' ROG Boost grants performance bump with the push of a button

Asus' ROG Boost feature pushes more power to a compatible machine's GPU, bumping performance by a small but noticeable amount. In addition to covering this feature, Asus also shared demographic statistics showing how gaming is for everyone.

Sam Medley, 02 Apr 2020 09:01

The Asus Zephyrus Duo 15 borrows the second-screen design from the Zenbook Duo, but with a hinge that provides better viewing angles and improves airflow. (Source: Asus)

The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 (GX550) is the design pinnacle of the ROG line

When Asus launched the ZenBook Pro Duo, reviewers both praised the utility of the second screen and lamented the non-ergonomic positioning. Now Asus has brought this innovation to their ROG Zephyrus line of thin gaming laptops, with the idea that this could change how you game.

Craig Ward, 02 Apr 2020 09:01

The Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 laptop will be ideal for esports fans due to its high refresh rates. (Image source: Asus)

The new Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 laptop will grant a gamer's wishes with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER GPU and Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU

Asus has announced the ROG Strix SCAR 17 laptop that can be configured with either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER or RTX 2080 SUPER mobile GPU and features Intel’s new i9-10980HK processor. The gaming laptop also offers users ROG Boost for additional performance, and it will be configurable with up to a 300 Hz display. Prices start at €1,899 (~US$2,121) in Germany.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2020 09:01

Gigabyte gives AMD the cold shoulder, updates entire Aorus and Aero lineup with Intel 10th gen Core i7/i9 Comet Lake-H (Source: Aorus)

Gigabyte skips AMD, updates entire Aorus and Aero lineup with Intel 10th gen Core i7/i9 Comet Lake-H

Gigabyte will be "Redefining Gaming Notebooks" as one of the first OEMs out of the gate with Core i7-10750H, Core i7-10875H, and unlocked Core i9-10980HK options later this month. Comparisons to the competing AMD Ryzen 4000 series, which will also be shipping out in the coming weeks, should prove to be interesting.

Allen Ngo, 02 Apr 2020 09:00

No, this not an April Fools' Day joke. (Image source: Cnews.cz via Videocardz)

Opinion | Gigabyte releases the most pointless graphics cards of 2020; other AIBs likely to follow its lead

Had your fill of the GTX 16 series yet? Well, Gigabyte has gone and released a GDDR6 version of the GTX 1650. No, that is not a joke. The cards, as there are two of them, feature 4 GB of VRAM running at 12 Gbps. Presumably based on the TU117, the cards support 896 CUDA cores and a 128-bit memory bandwidth. Discovered by @momomo_us, the GDDR6 versions of the GTX 1650 are available to purchase now. Expect other AIBs to follow suit, too.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 23:18

A purported Geekbench listing for the Galaxy Note 20+ 5G has been spotted online

Galaxy Note 20+ 5G flexes its muscles for the first time on Geekbench

The Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G has been spotted on Geekbench for the first time ever. Based on its single and multi-core test results, it appears to be a Snapdragon 865-powered variant of the phone. The device specifications showcased in the listing are bound to change, as the device in question is very likely a pre-production model of Samsung's upcoming flagship.

Anil Satyanarayana, 01 Apr 2020 23:17

The Ultramarine Blue OnePlus 8 Pro looks great, but its price does not. (Image source: WinFuture)

Opinion | OnePlus concedes that the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will abandon the company's affordable roots

Essentially confirming that the OnePlus 8 Pro will be the most expensive OnePlus device to date, CEO Pete Lau has sought to dispel rumours that the OnePlus 8 series will not exceed US$1,000. Such a statement is an admission that OnePlus has abandoned its roots, in our opinion.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 23:11

Sony announces new TWS earphones with EXTRA BASS

Sony has released the WF-XB700 earphones: TWS devices designed to incorporate this OEM's EXTRA BASS technology. They also have an IP4 rating against sweat and water-splashes and ergonomics that may help them stay in the user's ear. These new accessories will become available during April 2020.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Apr 2020 22:20

Galaxy S20 series users can now get 50% of their phone's value back in the United States

Samsung is now promising a guaranteed 50% cashback on every Galaxy S20 phone purchased

Samsung has just announced a buyback program for its Galaxy S20 line of phones. Users can now get at 50% of the phone's value back anytime in the next two years as store credit. The offer is only available for devices purchased in the U.S from Samsung's official website or app.

Anil Satyanarayana, 01 Apr 2020 22:17

IS OPPO preparing the Reno3 Pro 5G for launch again? (Source: OPPO)

OPPO's Reno3 Pro 5G is cleared for launch in the US

OPPO has released 4G variants of its Reno3 series outside of its native China. Now, it seems it is letting the original, 5G versions of these phones out into the wider world too. It has been certified by the Federal Communications Commission for sale in the US, suggesting it will launch in this market soon.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Apr 2020 21:28

Will Xiaomi ever release a new Pocophone? The EEC suggests so. (Image source: AndroidPIT)

Xiaomi has a new Pocophone in development

Buried in the depths of the EEC database is a new registration by Xiaomi using the POCO trademark. Xiaomi controls the POCO branding outside of India, prompting speculation that it has a new Pocophone in development and a true successor to the POCO F1.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 20:50

The new Fitbit Charge 4. (Source: Fitbit)

Fitbit launches the Charge 4 and 4 Special Edition

Fitbit has unleashed its latest Charge 4 and 4 SE band-style wearables. These devices look much like their predecessors, but now pack advanced features such as on-board GPS. The OEM also claims that they are rated for up to 7 days' worth of battery life.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Apr 2020 20:48

Raspberry Pi: Turn the popular single-board computer into a smart doorbell and intercom

A new project transforms the Raspberry Pi a doorbell with video functionality. The doorbell can be used as an intercom too. You can then use your phone to communicate with whoever is at your door.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 20:19

2020 Dell XPS 15 9500 could be the full 16:10 redesign we've been looking for to tackle the MacBook Pro 16

The XPS 15 looked great back in 2016, but there's no question that it has grown a bit stale since then. A 16:10 redesign would help revitalize the series and new leaks appear to confirm just that.

Allen Ngo, 01 Apr 2020 20:15

The iPhone SE 2 will be the spiritual successor to the iPhone SE. (Image source: Apple)

iPhone SE 2: iOS 13.4.5 beta code confirms new TouchID iPhone incoming ahead of possible April 14 or April 15 announcement

Looking forward to the launch of the OnePlus 8 series? Well, Apple may have other plans, as rumour has it that the company is planning to scuttle the release of the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro by announcing the iPhone SE 2 on the same day. Expected to start at US$349 and feature the A13 Bionic SoC, the iPhone SE 2 has possibly been spotted in iOS 13.4.5 beta code, too.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 20:13

Space Thunder now live official teaser (Source: War Thunder)

April Fools' Day 2020: War Thunder goes to space

This year's April 1st special takes Gaijin's game to space, but also come with a special event that can end up with a very rare piece of military hardware, namely the Object 279 heavy tank. Back in 2016 and 2017, these special events involved ships and modern tanks, which were both added to the game since then.

Codrut Nistor, 01 Apr 2020 20:07

Multi-device support will come to a future version of WhatsApp

Future version of WhatsApp could let you run the application on multiple devices

Users will soon be able to use a single WhatsApp account across multiple devices. The feature was first spotted in the beta version of WhatsApp, and is expected to make its way to a stable release in the near future. The chances of cross-platform support, however, look grim.

Anil Satyanarayana, 01 Apr 2020 17:59

Will we see a redesigned XPS 15 this year, or another XPS 15 9550 rehash? (Image source: Dell)

Discussion | The XPS 15 has grown stale, and UserBenchmark listings for the 2020 edition suggest that Dell is happy with it remaining that way

It seems that Dell has forgotten about the XPS 15. While we continue to award the device top marks year on year, Dell has essentially been releasing minor revisions of the same machine since 2015. Now, several UserBenchmark listings have given us an insight into what Dell has planned for this year's XPS 15, the 9500. Hardware-wise at least, it looks like we are in for another year of Dell flogging a dead horse. There is a flicker of a chassis redesign being on the cards, though.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 17:33

Performance figures for a number of Comet Lake S parts were leaked (Image source: Intel)

Hong Kong outlet leaks Comet Lake S performance review: i7-10700, i5-10600K, i5-10500, and i5-10400 go up against AMD Ryzen 3700X, 3600X, and Coffee Lake

HKEPC appears to have gotten their hands on multiple Comet Lake S parts. Their leaked performance review compares the i7-10700, i5-10500, and i5-10400 against the Ryzen competition and current Coffee Lake parts like the i7-9700K. The i5 parts offered disappointing performance relative to the Ryzen 7 3600X, but the i7-10700K held its own against the Ryzen 7 3700X.

Arjun Krishna Lal, 01 Apr 2020 17:14

Huawei has released its earnings report for 2019. (Source: Huawei)

Huawei reports that it made US$123 billion in 2019

Huawei has released its financial performance report for 2019, which outlines its takings worldwide from all its business, consumer electronics included. They show that overall revenues have increased year-on-year (YoY). However, the growth of its profits did not match those of previous years.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Apr 2020 16:56

The Lenovo Tab M10 Plus has relatively thin bezels. (Image source: Lenovo)

Lenovo Tab M10 Plus: Lenovo leans heavily on Apple's iPad design language with its latest sub-€200 tablet

Lenovo has launched the Tab M10 Plus, its latest budget. The Tab M10 Plus comes in at under €200 but includes a large battery, fairly thin display bezels and up to 128 GB of storage. The Tab M10 Plus has an 87% screen to body ratio and is just 8.15 mm thick.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 16:42

The Xiaomi Mi TV 4S 65" will retail for €549. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi Mi TV 4S: 65-inch UHD TV comes to Europe for €549

Xiaomi is bringing the 65-inch version of the Mi TV 4S to Europe. Launching in June, the Mi TV 4S 65" will retail for €549 and features a native 4K resolution, HDR10+ certification. The Android TV also has stereo speakers onboard and offers support for DTS-HD and Dolby Audio.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 16:37

Android 10 is now available for Nokia 7.2 users

Android 10 update for Nokia 7.2 now rolling out globally

HMD Global just announced that the Nokia 7.2 will receive the Android 10 update starting today. You may have to wait a few days to get it, though, as it is a staged rollout. Head over to your devices' Settings app to try and trigger the update manually.

Anil Satyanarayana, 01 Apr 2020 16:35

EMUI 10.1 has already started rolling out to Chinese devices in beta form. (Image source: Huawei)

Updates for all: EMUI 10.1 roadmap published with over 30 eligible devices

Launched alongside the P40 series, Huawei has announced plans to upgrade over 30 devices to EMUI 10.1. While still based on Android 10, EMUI 10.1 refines upon EMUI 10 in many areas, including smoother animations, along with multi-window, multi-device control panel and multi-screen collaboration improvements. EMUI 10.1 introduces MeeTime too, Huawei's answer to FaceTime. Even an AI assistant is onboard, with Celia likely replacing Google Assistant as the default digital assistant.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 16:25

This render based on a PS5 devkit features the now familiar V-shaped design. (Image source: LetsGoDigital)

New video of a PlayStation 5 devkit in action showing the main menu looks great - but sorry, PS5 fans, it's fake

A video clip of a supposed PlayStation 5 devkit in action has been recently uploaded to YouTube. There is a brief glimpse at the hardware and then the camera moves to a large monitor where we get a great look at the main menu and user interface. It’s an impressive show, but unfortunately for PS5 fans this is definitely fake.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 Apr 2020 15:20

Oppo's air-charging system relies on a FreeVOOC coil integrated in the phone rim. (Source: Oppo)

Update | Oppo Reno Ace Infinity to include FreeVOOC air-charging tech that keeps batteries charged forever?

Apparently, Oppo found a way to safely implement "air-charging" into smartphones using a new FreeVOOC coil and an electromagnetic emitter that has a 10-meter range. This allows the batteries to constantly charge at 5-10 W while in the range of said emitter, so the phone supposedly never runs out of juice.

Bogdan Solca, 01 Apr 2020 14:43

Xiaomi Redmi fans in India will soon have to pay more for their mobile phone of choice. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi and POCO announce mobile phone price increases in India due to raised GST

Both Xiaomi and POCO have revealed plans to raise the prices of their smartphone products in India due to the increase in Goods and Service Tax on mobile phones. The rate has gone from 12% to 18% and Xiaomi and POCO will soon be updating their smartphone prices accordingly. POCO has also blamed the value of the rupee and supply problems for the price hike.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 Apr 2020 13:20

Our best guess of what the iPhone SE 2 will look like: (Image source: @OnLeaks & @iGeeksBlog)

iPhone SE 2: Leaked iPhone 4.7" 2020 case sparks rumours of an April 5 launch

While the iPhone SE 2 may start at as low as US$349, Apple is still yet to confirm a launch date of its upcoming "budget" smartphone. Now, it has emerged that case inventory for the device, possibly to be sold as the iPhone 9, has started arriving at retailers like Best Buy ahead of an April 5 launch.

Alex Alderson, 01 Apr 2020 12:08

The AMD Ryzen 7 4800H is targeted at users interested in content creation or gaming. (Image source: AMD)

HP Pavilion 24 All-in-One PC with AMD Ryzen 7 4800H shows multicore strength in Geekbench compared to the new Acer ConceptD 9 Pro with Intel Core i9-9980HK

An HP Pavilion 24 All-in-One PC with an AMD Ryzen 7 4800H APU inside it has been spotted being tested on Geekbench 5.1, where it managed a good single-core result and unsurprisingly a very strong multi-core score. The latter result was higher than what the Intel Core i9-9980HK amassed when we tested it as part of a new Acer ConceptD 9 Pro workstation.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 Apr 2020 10:58

Concept art for Assassin's Creed taking place in the world of Vikings. (Image source: Areajugones)

Alleged Assassin's Creed Valhalla list of achievements leaked online

A list of the supposed unlockable achievements for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has been leaked online. It appears the upcoming title, which was previously believed to be called Assassin’s Creed Ragnarok, will offer gamers the chance to win trophies through completing sequences, indulging in some parkour, and by playing in co-operative mode.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 Apr 2020 09:53

The Redmi Note 8 Pro. (Source: AndroidPit)

Stable global Android 10 update for the Redmi Note 8 Pro removed Netflix HDR support

Xiaomi is still sending out the stable global Android 10 update to the Redmi Note 8 Pro but the update appears to have removed Netflix HDR support. Complaints have also been made over the lack of HD streaming support on Amazon Prime Video in spite of the Android 10 update bringing Widevine DRM L1 certification.

Ricci Rox, 01 Apr 2020 08:55

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