Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations

Apple Arcade adds 5 more games to iOS, now boasts 80 titles

Apple's Arcade game subscription service welcomed 5 new titles to iOS and tvOS and 2 new titles to macOS this week. The new games bring the total number of games available in Apple Arcade to 80 for iOS and tvOS and 61 for macOS, steadily fulfilling Apple's promise of 100 games available in the service.

Sam Medley, 12 Oct 2019 00:45

Apple may be rushing to develop its own 5G modem by 2022

A source familiar with the matter claims that Apple is developing an in-house 5G modem for release in 2022, according to a report from Fast Company earlier today. The source says that a 2022 release date is "really pushing it," but it is likely that Apple plans to design and manufacture its own custom 5G modem.

Sam Medley, 12 Oct 2019 00:22

Samsung Galaxy Fold: A high price, but a lot going on. (Image source: Samsung)

Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G: Foldable and not as expensive as an iPhone

The Samsung Galaxy Fold costs around €2,100 (~US$2305) in Europe, for which you will receive the first foldable smartphone to reach the continent. While the device is absurdly expensive, it is no more expensive than some iPhones despite offering more functionality and innovations to boot.

Alex Alderson, 11 Oct 2019 20:54

The 'round-camera' Nokia phone series has its 2nd member. (Source: 9to5Google)

The Nokia 6.2 sneaks onto Amazon.in for about US$250

The Nokia 6.2 has been launched in India, albeit to comparatively little fanfare. It is a 4GB RAM device with 64GB of internal powered by the Snapdragon 636 SoC. It also has a round camera housing with a triple camera.

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Oct 2019 20:22

Intel Xe graphics card concept provided by Cristiano Siqueira.

Update | New Intel Xe GPU info: Gen 12 mobility iGPUs designed to deliver 1080p@60fps gaming, discrete GPUs to get ray-tracing support

At this year's IDC event in Tokyo, Intel disclosed a few more details about the upcoming Xe GPU architecture. Besides the hardware-level ray tracing support on the discrete GPUs launching in mid-2020, Intel also intends to double the performance of the current Ice Lake Iris Plus iGPUs on the Gen 12 Xe GPUs integrated with the Tiger Lake CPUs.

Bogdan Solca, 11 Oct 2019 20:13

Xiaomi could have some advanced screen specs in the works. (Source: GSMArena)

Xiaomi could be the next OEM to the 120Hz display: new rumor

An XDA contributor claims to have found an option to switch a screen's refresh rate from 60 to 120 hertz (Hz) in MIUI 11. This suggests that there is an upcoming Xiaomi phone with this spec in development. This would leap-frog the new industry standard of 90Hz nicely.

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Oct 2019 17:54

Android teases a dark theme for Google Maps. (Source: Instagram)

A dark theme for Google Maps is finally on the way

The Android Instagram page has recently posted a short video that hints at a dark theme for Google Maps in the near future. It appears to cause every aspect of the app, including the map-markings themselves, to conform to a color palette that is much less bright.

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Oct 2019 17:21

The displays do not offer a truly seamless experience like the Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X, but it gets quite close. (Source: LG)

LG launches the V50S ThinQ dual-screen 5G smartphone in South Korea

LG is not ready to experiment with folding displays and decided to stick with a more conventional approach that is not as seamless, yet yields similar results. The 6.4-inch dual-screen setup on the new V50S ThinQ handheld can work as one display or as independent sections and is powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC coupled with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage.

Bogdan Solca, 11 Oct 2019 16:41

The new "iQOO" could also be a 2nd-gen Neo. (Source: BGR

A Vivo "iQOO Lite" variant pops up on Geekbench

A phone calling itself the Vivo V1936A has appeared on Geekbench, rocking what appears to be the Snapdragon 855 processor and 8GB of RAM. This has led to speculation that this device is linked to iQOO, an emerging high-end sub-brand of this OEM. To date, it has produced a more powerful 5G flagship as well as other phones of varying premium status.

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Oct 2019 16:35

The Galago Pro and Darter Pro models with Comet Lake CPUs are among the most compact Linux-based laptops out there. (Source: System76)

System76 releases two new Comet-Lake-powered laptops with Linux Coreboot firmware

Both the 14-inch Galago Pro and the 15.6-inch Darter pro models can be equipped with up to a Comet Lake Core i7-10510U quad-core CPU coupled with up to 32 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of storage (6 TB for the 14-incher). Standard features include a Thunderbolt 3 connector and 1080p matte display.

Bogdan Solca, 11 Oct 2019 16:14

Some new Galaxy A phones may be on track for 2020 launches. (Source: Firstpost)

The Samsung Galaxy A71 and A51 inch towards release with new certification

Some more evidence of the Galaxy A series from Samsung persevering into next year has come to light. It comes in the form of a certification that mentions what may be partial model numbers for the A71 and A51. This Indian registration is not for the phones themselves, however, but for their batteries.

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Oct 2019 15:40

The Pixelbook Go features a more rounded design than the current Pixelbook. (Source: 9to5Google)

Pixelbook Go caught in live photos ahead of launch

Google’s forthcoming Pixelbook Go has been leaked in full ahead of its launch. The device takes on a more rounded design language than previous Pixelbooks but remains very much focused on portability.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 11 Oct 2019 14:00

Dell quietly updates its Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition series with Intel 10th gen CPUs and Thunderbolt 3

The smaller 13.3-inch Inspiron 13 7390 2-in-1 Black Edition has also gotten the same Comet Lake-U treatment albeit with the Core i5-10210U processor instead. The CPU update directly addresses one of the main drawbacks of the Inspiron 2-in-1 series which was its lack of Thunderbolt 3 compatibility.

Allen Ngo, 11 Oct 2019 06:21

The Mara X and Mara Z are the first smartphones manufactured and assembled entirely in Africa

Mara Group, a Rwandan-based smartphone company, unveiled the Mara X and Mara Z smartphones. The phones carry the pride of being the first handsets manufactured and assembled completely in Africa. Mara Group hopes that the phones are merely the beginning of a tech revolution that will boost Rwanda's economy and standing in the region.

Sam Medley, 11 Oct 2019 05:13

The new PlayStation 5 render features plenty of black plastic. (Image source: LetsGoDigital)

Sharp new Sony PlayStation 5 concept renders published as retailer starts taking preorders for the next-gen console

New artistic renders of the PlayStation 5 have been published that are believed to be the most accurate renditions yet. Based on leaked information, the latest images see the console with a surprisingly sharp silver coat but with basically the same design language as previously released renders. A European retailer has started taking preorders for the next-gen console with just a €50 down payment.

Daniel R Deakin, 10 Oct 2019 23:08

This is an upcoming feature on OOS 10. (Source: YouTube)

Android 10 on OnePlus will come with an automatic translation feature

OnePlus held a launch event for its 7T series today (October 10, 2019). The OEM also went over OxygenOS 10 - which is based on Android 10 - a new software update that will ship on these new phones and come to older ones soon. Its developers have also implemented a new instant translation feature for video chats, which will come to this ROM soon.

Deirdre O Donnell, 10 Oct 2019 23:08

The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition is introduced on stage. (Source: YouTube)

OnePlus launches the 7T Pro and its McLaren special edition in London

OnePlus has unveiled its second-gen McLaren Edition phone today (October 10, 2019). It is a 12GB/256GB version of the new 7T Pro (which was also unveiled today) with a signature black-and-orange finish. Other highlights of the OEM's latest show included the 7T and its series' UK pricing.

Deirdre O Donnell, 10 Oct 2019 18:43

Steam's Remote Play Together adds online support for local multiplayer games

According to the Steamworks developer site on Steam, Valve is working on a feature that will automatically add online multiplayer support to local-only multiplayer games. Remote Play Together is expected to launch in beta during the week of October 21. Details like network speed requirements are still unknown at this point.

Sam Medley, 10 Oct 2019 18:34

Call of Duty Mobile hits 100 million downloads in its first week, shattering record

Call of Duty Mobile recently claimed the award for most downloads in the first week after launch for any mobile game in history, surpassing 100 million unique installs after its first week. Sensor Tower estimates peg total downloads at 102.2 million as of October 8th. Total revenue or the free to play title is estimated at just over US $17.7 million.

Sam Medley, 10 Oct 2019 17:59

The first handhelds sporting the new Snapdragon 865 could be showcased this November. (Source: Trusted Reviews)

Chinese leak claims Qualcomm's Snapdragon 865 SoC may launch next month

Pressured by the new Apple and Huawei flagship SoCs, Qualcomm plans to launch the Snapdragon 865 model 1 month in advance, and the first handhelds to sport the new SoC will apparently come from smaller smartphone makers like Oppo and Vivo, plus the usual Huawei competitors like Xiaomi and Samsung.

Bogdan Solca, 10 Oct 2019 17:47

Apple is now selling Microsoft's Xbox Wireless Controller

Apple now sells the Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller through its online store. The move is likely due to Apple's recent push into the gaming market. Considering the latest OS updates for all Apple devices (e.g., iOS 13, iPadOS, and macOS Catalina) include native support for the Xbox Wireless Controller and Sony's DualShock 4 controller, it makes sense for Apple to offer the controller directly to its user base.

Sam Medley, 10 Oct 2019 17:31

The PCIe module is not much bigger than a high-end graphics card. (Source: Anandtech)

Intel demonstrates modular PC concept

Codenamed "the Element," Intel's modular concept is based on PCIe boards that integrate CPU, RAM, SSD and a variety of connectors. These boards use 16 PCIe lanes and can be combined with other accelerators like GPUs, compute units etc. Furthermore, the CPU, RAM and SSD can be upgraded separately, or the entire module can be swapped for an upgraded one.

Bogdan Solca, 10 Oct 2019 17:08

Intel launches new Xeon W-2200 HEDT CPUs based on Cascade Lake-X

Intel announced its new Xeon W-2200 HEDT CPUs earlier this week. The Cascade Lake-X chips offer some upgrades over the current Xeon silicon, including clock speeds up to 4.8 GHz and 18-core/36 thread CPUs. Most interestingly, Intel is pricing the Xeon W-2200 family of processors significantly lower than previous Xeon CPUs.

Sam Medley, 10 Oct 2019 16:47

Update | Xiaomi may launch MIUI 11 Global along with the Redmi Note 8 Pro in India

The Redmi Note 8 Pro is set for an Indian-market release on October 16, 2019. However, it appears that this is not all its parent company Xiaomi has to debut on that date. MIUI, its OS skin, has teased a launch of its own in the same country at the same time.

Deirdre O Donnell, 10 Oct 2019 16:12

The Oppo Reno Ace brings killer specs for under US$500. (Source: Oppo)

Oppo Reno Ace with Snapdragon 855+, 90 Hz display charges in just 30 minutes for under US$500

Oppo has continued with its spate of Reno branded device launches with the official unveiling of the Reno Ace. The new device looks to be positioned in a similar segment of the market to the OnePlus 7T from sister company OnePlus.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 10 Oct 2019 12:39

Dell's cheapest gaming laptop has a few good things going for it

The easy upgradeability of the Dell G3 15 3590 means you can buy the cheapest configuration available and then simply upgrade the storage and RAM yourself to save on costs.

Allen Ngo, 10 Oct 2019 07:08

The small notch differentiates the OnePlus 7T from the OnePlus 7 Pro.

Still normal or already Pro? What we noticed while testing the OnePlus 7T.

The OnePlus 7T has become a very high-quality upper class smartphone that clearly stands out from its predecessor. Many features from the OnePlus 7 Pro have been adopted. Is the possible 7T Pro redundant? You can read here what we discovered in our review.

Florian Schmitt, 10 Oct 2019 06:25

The Motorola One Macro. (Source: Digital Trends)

Motorola launches the One Macro in India

The Motorola One Macro has become official in India, and will sell for a price of INR 9999 (or about US$140). It is a triple-camera phone, one of which takes 2MP photos with a pixel size of 1.75 microns. The OEM claims that this allows it to get 5X closer to a subject than the average phone.

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Oct 2019 22:58

Keeping the Galaxy Fold mint could get expensive. (Source: Samsung)

Breaking a Galaxy Fold's screen more than once could cost as much as a whole premium phone

Samsung has released an updated schedule of repair charges for a number of its newer phones. The recently-released Galaxy Fold is at the top of this list. It shows that an out-of-guarantee repair for its flexible screen costs US$599.

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Oct 2019 22:25

Google may be working on a Pixel 4 with 5G

According to sources cited by the Nikkei Asian Review, Google may be working on a 5G-capable Pixel 4. The handset may be announced at Google's Pixel event on October 15th but likely wouldn't be available for months. However, considering how new and small 5G networks are, a 5G-compatible Pixel 4 seems unlikely.

Sam Medley, 09 Oct 2019 22:11

You can now make and answer phone calls on your PC via Windows 10 Your Phone app

A new feature in the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview build allows Windows to make and receive phone calls when synced with a compatible Android smartphone. The feature, part of Microsoft's Your Phone app, is expected to roll out to the public sometime in the first half of next year.

Sam Medley, 09 Oct 2019 21:45

OPPO Reno A with Snapdragon 710 now available in Japan for JP ¥35,800 (about US $330)

The OPPO Reno A, the Chinese OEM's latest mid-range smartphone, was launched in Japan today. Packing a Snapdragon 710, 6 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage, the handset seems centered around selfies due to its 25 MP front-facing camera. The Reno A is currently available in Japan for ¥35,800, or about US $330.

Sam Medley, 09 Oct 2019 21:20

Quick Game Review | Shadowy Contracts - ambitious stealth-based RPG

Shadowy Contracts is a stealth-based RPG in Steam Early Access. While the game ambitiously tries to mix elements from the Thief and Elder Scrolls series, there's still work to be done before the game could be considered complete.

Sam Medley, 09 Oct 2019 20:46

The Nokia 8.1 has a new software update. (Source: HMD Global)

The Nokia 8.1 gets upgraded to Android 10

HMD Global has announced an OTA update to Android 10 for the Nokia 8.1. It is the first of this brand's phones that were included in the beta program for the OS in question to see the stable version. It upgrades the 8.1 with Dark Mode, navigation gestures and the September 2019 security patch.

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Oct 2019 19:30

To all Dell XPS 15 9575 and Kaby Lake-G owners: You're fine, Intel will continue to support the platform for another few years

Intel may be axing its AMD-powered chipset for good, but that doesn't mean it won't be stopping driver support for any existing Kaby Lake-G PCs already in the market. The blue chipmaker plans to support the platform for another few years even after all shipments have stopped.

Allen Ngo, 09 Oct 2019 19:17

Realme teases the X2 Pro's front panel. (Source: IndiaShopps)

The Realme X2 Pro will come with a 135Hz touch-response rate

Realme has revealed that the X2 Pro's display will come with a touch-sampling rate of 135 hertz (Hz). This means that the upcoming Snapdragon 855 Plus flagship may have enhanced user-input responses to go with its 90-hertz display refresh rate. Its camera prowess has also been teased on Weibo.

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Oct 2019 17:24

HP EliteBook x360 830 G6: HP laptop does not deliver its promised LCD brightness

HP promises a brightness value of 1000 cd/m² for its EliteBooks with SureView screens. The recently reviewed HP EliteBook x260 830 G6 has an extremely bright screen – but it does not manage to hit the brightness value that the manufacturer promises.

Benjamin Herzig, 09 Oct 2019 17:00

The Samsung Galaxy S10 series. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung Korea prepares an Android 10 beta program for the Galaxy S10 series

Samsung has announced that it will start a new beta program for One UI 2.0, its latest software skin based on Android 10. Unfortunately, it may only apply to those who own Galaxy S10-line devices in South Korea to start off with. However, this is a good indication that it will spread worldwide before too long.

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Oct 2019 16:58

Update | The Black Shark 2 Pro launches in Europe on October 9, 2019

Xiaomi's latest gaming phone, the Black Shark 2 Pro, will be released for sale in Europe on October 9, 2019. It will be sold through the brand's regional website for an as-yet undisclosed price. The 2 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC and up to 12GB of RAM.

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Oct 2019 16:33

The Ryzen 9 3900 and Ryzen 5 3500X CPUs are available only for OEMs. (Source: Tom's Hardware)

AMD launches Ryzen 9 3900 and Ryzen 5 3500X CPUs

Both CPUs feature a 65 W TDP and support 24/16 PCIe 4 lanes. The Ryzen 9 3900 comes with 12 cores and 24 threads clocked at 3.1 GHz (4.3 GHz boost) and integrates 70 MB total cache memory, while the Ryzen 5 3500X gets only 6 cores and 6 threads clocked at 3.6 GHz (4.1 GHz boost) plus 35 MB total cache memory.

Bogdan Solca, 09 Oct 2019 16:01

The new 12-layer 3D DRAM packaging will first be integrated in 24 GB HBM2 modules. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung completes development of 12-layer 3D TSV DRAM for high-capacity HBM2 modules

The jump from 8-layer to 12-layer 3D TSV DRAM designs will enable AIB integrators to include as much as 96 GB of HBM2 DRAM on a single board, increasing the memory bus to 4,096-bit. The resulting increase in memory bandwidth will prove beneficial to AI, HPC and FPGA applications.

Bogdan Solca, 09 Oct 2019 15:44

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