Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations

PCI-SIG has finalized specifications for PCIe 6.0 . (Source: PCI-SIG)

Life in the fast lane: PCI Express 6.0 to offer 256 GBps speeds on x16, being targeted for a 2021 release

PCI-SIG has announced the specifications for the PCIe 6.0 standard even as PCIe 4.0 devices are yet to become available in the market. PCIe 6.0 will offer double the bandwidth of PCIe 5.0 and uses a PAM-4 signal modulation technique to allow for increased data transfer in the same amount of time. PCIe 6.0 will continue to be backward-compatible with all existing PCIe standards and is expected to land in 2021.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 20 Jun 2019 13:04

Vivo has announced a new 120W ultra fast charging technology. (Source: IndiaShopps)

Vivo announces 120W Super Fast Charge, set to debut on the stunning Vivo APEX 2019 concept

Chinese smartphone maker announced an incredibly powerful 120W fast charging system. Appropriately dubbed the Super Fast Flash Charge, the technology can charge a 4,000 mAh battery in just 13 minutes

Sanjiv Sathiah, 20 Jun 2019 12:30

Samsung Galaxy Watch could get a successor in less than two months, Galaxy Watch 2 codename is Renaissance

Codename: Renaissance — Samsung Galaxy Watch 2 might arrive in early August

According to a source familiar with the inner workings of the South Korean tech giant, Samsung is planning to revive the Galaxy Watch lineup on August 7. The codename of the Galaxy Watch 2 is "Renaissance" but there is no information about its specs and features. However, we can safely assume that a digital bezel is present.

Codrut Nistor, 20 Jun 2019 12:28

Orange and ZTE demo various 5G applications in Spain

Although ZTE is also affected by various bans similar to those imposed by the US on Huawei, this Chinese brand seems to be doing all right in Spain. Yesterday, Orange and its Chinese partner have shown various 5G applications at the Global 5G Event and the European Conference on Networks and Communications (EuCNC) in Valencia.

Codrut Nistor, 20 Jun 2019 10:48

Microsoft Edge on Windows 7 (Source: Microsoft Edge Blog)

Chromium-based Microsoft Edge for Windows 7 and 8.1 now available for download

Although these are only the first preview builds to reach the public, those interested in trying Edge on Windows 7 and 8/8.1 can finally do so. Microsoft Edge now uses a Chromium core, the same that can be found inside Google Chrome, Vivaldi, Brave, and Opera. The downloads are available on the official Microsoft Edge Insider website.

Codrut Nistor, 20 Jun 2019 09:26

MSI giving away motherboards, video cards, and Steam gift cards in celebration of AMD's 50th anniversary (Source: MSI)

MSI giving away AM4 motherboards, Radeon VII graphics cards, and Steam gift cards in celebration of AMD's 50th anniversary

From now until the end of next week, a total of 12 grand prize winners will get an MSI X470 motherboard, Radeon VII graphics card, or 27-inch Optix FreeSync monitor. Users must follow MSI on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to be eligible for the prizes.

Allen Ngo, 20 Jun 2019 09:06

This simple Note 10 design has been attracting many admirers. (Image source: Twitter/Ice universe)

Simple but effective new Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro render will have you falling in love with it again

There has been plenty of contentious news about the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 as of late, some of which may have taken some of the gloss off the phablet before it’s even released. However, a simple concept render of the Pro variant posted by Ice universe and based on recently leaked screen protectors has been met with almost universal approval.

Daniel R Deakin, 20 Jun 2019 01:30

Microsoft now offers a cheaper 15-inch Surface Book 2, but buying one doesn't make sense

Microsoft is now selling a cheaper version of the Surface Book 2 15. The new model swaps the Core i7 CPU for a Core i5 and drops the dedicated GTX 1060 GPU. However, at $2000, the Core i5 Surface Book 2 15 is hardly a bargain considering the Core i7/GTX 1060 model is a mere $200 more.

Sam Medley, 20 Jun 2019 00:08

Does the Sony IMX 586 have new competition? (Source: Sony)

Omnivision releases its own 48MP sensor for smartphones

Omnivision has announced the OV48B, this company's first 48MP image sensor. Like the Sony IMX 586, it has pixels of 0.8 microns in size that can bin the data it captures into a high-resolution 12MP image. The OV48B can also record at 4K, 1080p and 720p at several frame-rates.

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Jun 2019 23:07

The Xiaomi M1904F3BC's front and rear panels. (Source: TENAA)

A new variation on or version of the Xiaomi Mi 9 may be on the way

A new certification for a phone called the Xiaomi M1904F3BC has allegedly been found on the TENAA website. It is depicted as having triple rear cameras in a straight line aligned with a corner of its black rear panel, a waterdrop notch and a possible under-display fingerprint sensor. Therefore, the phone strongly resembles the Mi 9.

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Jun 2019 17:48

The Lenovo L78121 may be the Z6, given a pop-up camera by some unverified rumors. (Source: YouTube)

New 8GB, Snapdragon 730-powered Lenovo phone appears on Geekbench

A Lenovo device with the novel model number L78121 has posted several scores already on the Geekbench website. It is powered by a chipset also found on results for other phones with the Snapdragon 730 SoC. This new mid-ranger's scores measure up respectably against its probable competition.

Deirdre O Donnell, 19 Jun 2019 17:05

Huawei brings DC dimming to the P30 Pro

PWM sensitive people rejoice! You now have one more OLED smartphone to choose from thanks to Huawei bringing DC dimming to the P30 Pro. The feature comes bundled in EMUI 9.1.0.178, which includes a host of other refinements too.

Alex Alderson, 19 Jun 2019 16:32

Intel, Qualcomm and Xilinx are concerned about the considerable profit losses caused by the Huawei bans. (Source: CNN)

Intel and Qualcomm want the Huawei bans lifted

The Huawei bans prove to be source of concern for industry giants like Intel, Qualcomm and Xilinx, as profit predictions signal significant losses. In order to mitigate such dire consequences, these companies reportedly pressed the U.S. government to lift the restrictions imposed on Huawei.

Bogdan Solca, 19 Jun 2019 16:27

Perf-V: An FPGA based RISC-V developer board, which costs US$79

The PerfXLab Perf-V is an FPGA based RISC-V developer board that comes with 256 MB of DDR3 RAM along with 8 MB of FPGA and 8 MB of RISC-V flash storage. The board features a host of connectors and interfaces, while it can be programmed with Vivado and supports an IDE for Windows RISC-V development. The Perf-V will ship worldwide on June 21 from Seeedstudio and costs US$79.

Alex Alderson, 19 Jun 2019 16:11

Trump hoped to sway the outcome of the ongoing trade wars with the Huawei bans, but China is still not backing down. (Source: Investors.com)

Report warns laptop prices could increase 19% due to Trump's tariffs

Trump initially postponed the second wave of tariffs in hopes for an eventual agreement with the Chinese government, then snapped back with 15% increased tariffs and the Huawei ban shortly after, yet China does not seem to be moved. The increased tariffs are now estimated to impact U.S. laptop and tablet sales with 19% raised prices.

Bogdan Solca, 19 Jun 2019 14:12

Motorola One Action hits FCC

Shortly after its full specs surfaced online, the upcoming Motorola One Action was spotted on FCC's website. This listing confirms the specs that became public last week, including the Exynos 9609 processor, up to 4 GB of memory and 128 GB of internal storage space, as well as a 6.3-inch full HD+ display.

Codrut Nistor, 19 Jun 2019 12:55

The Sony Xperia 1 sequel is shaping up as a photography monster. (Source: @Samsung_News)

Sony's hexa-camera smartphone is shaping up as a mobile photography beast

The Sony Xperia 1 is the company's most cohesive flagship smartphone in years. It has got virtually all the right ingredients expected in a flagship smartphone, but it sequel looks set to ramp things up even further in the camera department.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 19 Jun 2019 12:44

Apparently, the 10th generation Core i series will include a mix of architectures. (Image source: Intel)

Intel Core i7-10510U and Core i5-10210U disappoint on Geekbench with lower scores than the Ryzen 7 3700U and Ryzen 5 3500U

Listings for the Core i7-10510U and Core i5-10210U have appeared on Geekbench, although their scores should be no cause of worry for AMD. The chips are outgunned by not only the Ryzen 7 3700U and Ryzen 5 3500U but also the current crop of Intel Core i U series processors. Oddly, these 10th generation CPUs do not appear to be based on Intel's Ice Lake architecture either.

Alex Alderson, 19 Jun 2019 12:11

Oppo June 26 launch event teaser (Source: Indiashopps News)

Oppo's under-display camera smartphone might arrive next week

Showcased last month, Oppo's under-display camera technology seems to be ready for the masses. A recently released poster carries the "not only comprehensive" slogan and suggests that the company's next handset will carry more than just a full-screen design, although it does not reveal exactly what is this all about.

Codrut Nistor, 19 Jun 2019 11:59

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Pro. (Source: OnLeaks/PriceBaba)

Galaxy Note 10 locked in for August 7 Unpacked event in New York

Samsung has locked in August 7 to officially debut its much leaked, discussed and eagerly anticipated Galaxy Note 10. The sequel to the highly-regarded Galaxy Note 9 will launch almost exactly 12 months apart at the same New York venue, according to CNET.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 19 Jun 2019 11:53

HP EliteBook 735 G6 and 745 G6 get 2nd generation Ryzen 7 3700U options (Source: HP)

HP EliteBook 735 G6 and 745 G6 coming with 2nd generation Ryzen 7 Pro 3700U options

The processor upgrade will being the AMD-powered business laptops more in line with their Intel Whiskey Lake-U counterparts in terms of raw performance. Both subnotebooks will begin shipping this month for a starting price of about $1000 USD each.

Allen Ngo, 19 Jun 2019 07:37

The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X reached a clock rate of 4,300 MHz. (Image source: PCGamesN)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X ES confirmed as Geekbench-wrecking record-breaker

It has been confirmed that it was one of AMD’s new Matisse desktop processors that smashed its way through Geekbench’s multi-core test recently; more precisely it was a Ryzen 9 3950X engineering sample (ES). Apparently, the system featured an overclocked CPU utilizing an AIO water cooler and an X470 reference motherboard.

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Jun 2019 02:44

Huawei MateBook D with Ryzen 5 and 256 GB SSD is only $500 right now (Image source: Newegg)

Deal | Huawei MateBook D with Ryzen 5 and 256 GB SSD is only $500 right now

Not turned off by Huawei's turbulent business practices? Many of its products have been getting cheaper and cheaper to attract more eyes. The latest is the entry-level MateBook D Ultrabook now retailing for about half the price of a flagship alternative while offering nearly the same performance.

Allen Ngo, 19 Jun 2019 01:59

Dell's XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 offers a display with 500-nit brightness. (Image source: Dell)

Dell XPS 13 7390 2-in-1 coming in July or August

There has been an update in regard to the release schedule for Dell’s new XPS 13 2-in-1 7390 convertible. It was originally expected to be made available on July 10, but it seems potential purchasers will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on the upgraded device. The XPS 13 7390 should be released in late July or early August.

Daniel R Deakin, 19 Jun 2019 01:52

LG finally rolls out Android Pie to the unlocked V40 ThinQ

Cue terrible baked pastry related puns as LG has released Android 9.0 Pie to the unlocked version of the V40 ThinQ. The company has kept to its promise of delivering the system update within Q2 2019, just. The update is available to download over the air (OTA) or via the LG Bridge now.

Alex Alderson, 19 Jun 2019 00:21

Huawei's teaser for the Nova 5 Pro. (Source: Weibo)

Huawei Nova 5 Pro officially exists, posts impressive Antutu score

The Nova 5 is the subject of Huawei's next smartphone release. It has been rumored to launch alongside a few variants, including a Pro version. The OEM has now issued a teaser for this device, which has also allegedly gained an Antutu benchmark score and several new leaked photos showing its screen, color options and (possible) fast-charging status.

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Jun 2019 23:50

The Navi 10-based Radeon RX 5700 series should be available in July. (Image source: AWX)

Navi 12, 14, 21, and Lite variants of AMD's latest GPU range revealed in Linux driver code; RX 5800 could take on the GeForce RTX 2080

References to Navi 10, 12, 14, and 21 have appeared in lines of Linux driver code. AMD has already revealed the Navi 10-based RX 5700 XT and RX 5700, and it seems that there will be quite a few more GPUs to be released down the road. The same code also makes mention of “Lite” variants of the graphics processing units.

Daniel R Deakin, 18 Jun 2019 22:25

AMD is also expected to launch a 64-core / 128-thread EPYC CPU. (Source: AMD)

AMD 32-core / 64-thread EPYC 7452 7 nm CPU spotted in benchmarks, 2X faster than similarly-priced Intel chips

OpenBenchmarking briefly leaked a set of tests that proves the superiority of AMD's EPYC 7 nm CPUs over Intel's current Xeon Gold models. The comparison may seem unfair since the AMD CPU comes with 32 cores and the Intel one only has 20 cores, but the price point is said to be the same.

Bogdan Solca, 18 Jun 2019 20:09

Part of the Google Pay P2P interface. (Source: 9to5Google)

Google will terminate its UK P2P service later in 2019

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) is one of several functions that were amalgamated under the Google Pay name in 2018. It has still been available in the UK market, however, and allows users to send payments to others using a balance stored in a relevant account. Unfortunately, Google has announced that it is suspending this ability in September 2019.

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Jun 2019 19:56

The new patent comes with a larger unfolded screen and sturdier, more elegant hinges. (Source: Let's Go Digital)

Huawei patents double-folding phone concept

The successor of the already postponed Mate X could come with a larger screen that folds on each side. Huawei's new patent also reveals sturdier hinges with a more elegant look, multiple modes including desk-stand, laptop and tablet, and an in-display camera.

Bogdan Solca, 18 Jun 2019 18:49

There's a new super Sony Xperia flagship on the way

The highly anticipated Sony Xperia 1 only just went on sale last week, so it's a tad surprising that Sony apparently already has another flagship on the way. Launch is billed for July 9, and the device is expected to feature both a triple rear camera setup and a Snapdragon 855.

Ricci Rox, 18 Jun 2019 16:07

Holding strong: Huawei has already shipped a million Honor 20 units

Huawei's sub-brand, Honor, launched the Honor 20 phones in China two weeks ago. Only the regular Honor 20 has been on sale in that market since, though, and the company has confirmed that it has already shipped a million units of the device.

Ricci Rox, 18 Jun 2019 16:06

Renders based on the Samsung dual display phone (Source: LetsGoDigital)

Samsung allegedly patents a selfie-friendly dual-display phone

A patent attributed to the OEM Samsung has been posted online, showing a phone with a truncated display on its rear panel. The front of this device appears to lack cameras of any kind, suggesting that the secondary screen takes over in the event that the user wants a portrait shot. Otherwise, the device looks conventional in the extreme.

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Jun 2019 15:56

The FDA approves Cochlear's Nucleus Profile Plus, a hearing-aid implant that can control an Android phone

The Nucleus Profile Plus is a freshly-approved hearing aid from Cochlear that can connect to an Android phone using Google's new, improved ASHA protocol for this purpose. It allows those with aural impairments to control, stream from and interact with their phone. Unlike others before it with the same, the Profile Plus is an actual implant, and one that can withstand certain MRI scans at that.

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Jun 2019 15:21

ASMedia will be offering B550 and A520 chipsets for the new Ryzen 3000 processors. (Source: Hardware.info)

ASMedia to produce AMD B550 and A520 chipsets based on PCIe 3.0, PCIe 4.0 only in 2020

ASMedia has reportedly landed orders to make AMD B550 and A520 chipsets for the Ryzen 3000 platform and will be supplying the same to motherboard OEMs by Q4 2019. These chipsets will continue to be based on PCIe 3.0 as PCIe 4.0 is currently exclusive to the AMD X570 platform. ASMedia is expected to tape-out PCIe Gen 4 designs by end of this year and will offer AMD chipsets with PCIe 4.0 support some time in 2020.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 18 Jun 2019 15:08

The Honor nX series may be getting a 2019 refresh. (Source: GSMArena)

The 9X Pro could be Honor's first phone to use the new Kirin 810 processor

The Kirin 810 may be introduced with the upcoming Nova 5 phone from Huawei. Now, it appears that Honor also has access to this new, mid-range SoC. This brand is rumored to use it to make a new device, the 9X Pro.

Deirdre O Donnell, 18 Jun 2019 14:34

Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang has announced it is making its GPUs compatible with ARM. (Source: Nvidia)

Nvidia partnering with ARM on exascale supercomputers

Nvidia is once again partnering with ARM, however this time around it plans to further its plans to support the rise of exascale computing. The two companies have partnered on Nvidia's Tegra chips and on the custom processor powering the Nintendo Switch, but this time around it is about bringing to bare Nvidia's GPU's for their parallel processing capabilities.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 18 Jun 2019 13:39

Apple's first 5G iPhone will have to wait until 2020. (Source: Apple)

Ming-Chi Kuo: 2020 iPhones will go all OLED, include 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch 5G models

The usually reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo expects Apple to launch its first 5G iPhone in 2020. He also expects we will see a new smaller 5.4-inch model along with a larger 6.7-inch device both with 5G connectivity. The iPhone XR-style model will get OLED for the first time, but will continue with the 6.1-inch form factor.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 18 Jun 2019 13:07

New Lenovo Legion Y545 offers a more premium construction, button-less trackpad, and RAM options up to 32 GB

Lenovo's PSREF page shows a new Legion Y545 model that is listed as being available in the Western Europe and Russia regions. The Legion Y545 is very much identical to the recently launched Y540 apart from sporting an aluminum construction, button-less trackpad, and RAM options up to 32 GB.

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 18 Jun 2019 08:25

How to correctly set your Razer laptop to High Performance mode — and it's not through Windows

There is a huge CPU performance difference between Balanced and High Performance modes on the Razer Blade Pro 17

Strangely enough, the Razer Blade Pro 17 is set to Balanced mode by default instead of High Performance. The problem is that High Performance mode offers significantly faster CPU clock rates than Balanced mode and it's not entirely self-explanatory on how to set the system to High Performance mode. Users must rely on the Razer Synapse software and not the Windows Power Options menu that we're all already familiar with.

Allen Ngo, 18 Jun 2019 05:47

The majority of the world's population growth is urban, with the UN estimating 68% of the world's population living in cities by 2050. (Source: CC0 Public Domain)

New medical study shows necessity of spending at least 2 hours a week in nature

A part of nature, or apart from it? A new (2019) study from Exeter Medical School suggests that you may want to spend a minimum of 2 hours per week immersed in natural settings to avoid a litany of physical and mental health problems.

Douglas Black, 18 Jun 2019 05:36

Sunny Cove is based on a 10nm manufacturing process. (Image source: PCGamer)

Alleged CPU-Z single-core benchmark scores place Intel Sunny Cove CPUs above more-powerful AMD Matisse processors

An image showing supposedly leaked CPU-Z single-core benchmark scores has been shared online that shows Intel’s Sunny Cove core microarchitecture in a very good light. The processors involved in the purported test also include three members of AMD’s vaunted Matisse Ryzen 3000 series and a Comet Lake ES (Engineering Sample) from Intel.

Daniel R Deakin, 18 Jun 2019 00:54

Ice Lake SoCs feature Gen 11 GPUs. (Image source: Cnet)

Intel's Ice Lake i7-1065G7 CPU briefly pops up on PassMark and outstrips AMD's new Picasso Ryzen 7 3750H APU

It appears Intel’s Ice Lake generation CPU i7-1065G7 has recently been tested on PassMark and has managed to come up with a noteworthy result. Not only did the processor from the blue team zip past AMD’s power-efficient Ryzen 5 3500U APU, the Ice Lake chip even outpaced the more power-hungry Ryzen 7 3750H.

Daniel R Deakin, 17 Jun 2019 22:38

The XPS 15 9570 originally shipped with support for S3 sleep. (Image source: Dell)

Dell doubles down on justifying XPS 15 9570 problems

The company is still burying its heads in the sand over why some XPS 15 9570 laptops are getting hot and experiencing high battery drain when asleep. The company has added having an outdated BIOS and drivers along with wake on Wi-Fi enabled to the reasons that could cause the behaviour but without recognising that forcing people to use Modern Standby could be the cause. Well done, Dell.

Alex Alderson, 17 Jun 2019 20:09

20.09	Google Pixel 11 Pro XL review
20.09	Samsung Galaxy S26 FE review: No longer the Fan Edition?
20.09	Google Pixel 11 Pro review: The Pro to get?
20.09	Sony Xperia 10 VIII review: A mark too far?
20.09	iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max HANDS-ON + Everything Apple Just Announced!
20.09	iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max HANDS-ON + Everything Apple Just Announced!
20.09	iPhone Duo is the Apple Foldable We've Been Waiting For: HANDS-ON and FIRST IMPRESSIONS!
20.09	IFA 2026 is WILD! Xiaomi 18 Fold, Govee, XGIMI, ARZOPA, Cuktech and more!
20.09	iPhone Duo hands-on: Apple's first foldable phone is here
20.09	iPhone 18 Pro All New Colors Hands-on