Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations

ZTE Nubia Red Magic Mars Conqueror edition now available for US$549

ZTE Nubia Red Magic Mars Conqueror now available for just US$549

Unleashed worldwide almost two months ago in two versions — Essential and Superior — the ZTE Nubia Red Magic Mars gaming handset is now available with more memory, storage, and a camo design. This variant with 10 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage goes by as "Conqueror" and can be acquired for US$549.

Codrut Nistor, 02 Apr 2019 18:55

A new possible promo image for the OPPO Reno. (Source: GizmoChina)

New leak claims that the upcoming OPPO Reno will have a DC dimming function

DC dimming is often used to modulate LED brightness in professional or business environments. It involves switching a DC input from between 0 and 10 volts. OPPO claims to have integrated it into the display panel of the upcoming Reno range of phones, although it may be more software-based than the typical implementation.

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 Apr 2019 17:56

The Nebra AnyBeam projector. (Source: Nebra)

The "world's first pocket laser projector" goes on Kickstarter

A start-up called Nebra has included its AnyBeam portable projector as a reward on its current Kickstarted campaign. It claims that, as this product uses lasers rather than bulbs, it avoids many of the drawbacks of other similar projectors. This new product comes either in a housing or as a Raspberry Pi-mountable module.

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 Apr 2019 17:28

An up-to-date render for the Galaxy Note 10. (Source: DBSDesigning)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 could have a compact variant

Samsung produced a smaller-screen version of its S-line flagships this year. Now, a Korean news outlet claims that its sources have said the OEM will do the same with the Note series. However, this version may be exclusive to the European market.

Deirdre O Donnell, 02 Apr 2019 16:51

Toshiba is coming back to the laptop business under the new Dynabook name

Effective immediately, the Toshiba America Client Solutions group (TACS) will become Dynabook Americas. The company will continue to develop and produce the familiar Portege, Tecra, and DynaEdge PCs for the U.S. market under the Sharp Corporation.

Allen Ngo, 02 Apr 2019 14:00

AMD could launch Ryzen 3000 at Computex 2019. (Source: TheINQUIRER)

AMD could unveil Navi GPUs on May 27 with possible Ryzen 3000 launch on the same day

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) has announced that AMD’s CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, will be delivering the opening keynote at Computex 2019. The keynote has been scheduled for May 27, and it seems like this could be the ideal setting for Su to show off AMD’s anticipated Radeon Navi GPU series. It’s also been speculated that she could launch the Ryzen 3000 series at the same time.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2019 12:35

A processor based on Zen 2 microarchitecture seems to have turned up on SiSoftware's website. (Source: eteknix)

SiSoftware Sandra benchmark entry for MSI X570 motherboard features possible AMD Zen 2 processor

A record in SiSoftware’s Sandra benchmark database has offered up two new pieces of information in regard to AMD’s upcoming Zen 2-based products. Firstly, the entry shows that MSI is developing hardware in the form of an X570 motherboard to support the expected Ryzen desktop processors, and secondly a mysterious AMD processor was involved in the test.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2019 11:14

Halo: The Master Chief Collection coming soon (Source: Microsoft)

Halo Reach test flights to kick off later this month

Halo Reach is ready for its return to the latest Xbox consoles and it will also reach the Windows PC realm for the first time. This title that will be a part of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection is expected to enter the public testing stage later this month, confirmed 343 Industries' community director — formerly with Bungie — Brian Jarrard.

Codrut Nistor, 02 Apr 2019 10:40

Gigabyte's X399 Aorus Xtreme is compatible with AMD's older Ryzen Threadrippers. (Source: Amazon)

Gigabyte preparing X499 motherboards for 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadrippers

The names of three new Gigabyte motherboards have been revealed bearing the “X499” designation. It’s believed at least one of the boards will be capable of offering 10 GbE network data rates. AMD is expected to introduce the X499 chipset specifically for the 3rd Gen HEDT Ryzen Threadripper processors.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2019 09:25

30 percent of 47 Basecamp staff with MacBooks are experiencing keyboard issues. (Source: DHH)

A workplace study shows MacBook keyboard failure rate of 30 percent

Another scathing article has been penned by a well-respected member of the Apple community on Apple's malfunctioning keyboards. David Heinemeier Hansson, a software developer, claims that the failure rate of Apple's butterfly mechanism based keyboards is much higher than Apple is willing to admit or may even be aware.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 02 Apr 2019 09:03

The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are now officially out of stock

Eighteen months after Google launched the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, the company has now pulled the old flagships off from its store shelves. Both devices saw massive discounts over the past three months, but it would appear that Google is getting set for its upcoming releases, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL.

Ricci Rox, 02 Apr 2019 08:48

Xiaomi shipped 1.5 million Mi 9 devices in just one month

Chinese OEM Xiaomi released the Mi 9 and MI 9 SE about a month ago. Since then, the company has shipped a million units of the Mi 9 worldwide, and half-a-million units of the Mi 9 SE—a device that's currently exclusive to the Chinese market.

Ricci Rox, 02 Apr 2019 08:43

The Meizu 16s is expected to cost around US$475 in China. (Source: Gizmochina)

Purported Meizu 16s achieves amazing score on AnTuTu

Another alleged test score for the Meizu 16s has been shared online, this time with the renowned Chinese benchmarking utility AnTuTu. The upcoming smartphone apparently managed to amass a total of 357,975 points, which puts it way ahead of some big name devices, such as the Xiaomi Mi 8 and OnePlus 6.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2019 08:12

OLED panels could be heading to Dell XPS 15 laptops very soon. (Source: Dell)

Alienware m15 now available with OLED display but Dell XPS 15 still waiting for delayed panel option

The product page for Dell’s Alienware m15 laptop range has been updated to show the new OLED display option for potential purchasers. The planned integration of OLED technology in Alienware m15, Dell XPS 15, and Dell G7 15 laptops was originally announced by the manufacturer in January and was expected to start rolling out in March.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2019 04:16

Gigabyte currently offers slim pickings for the X470 chipset. (Source: Gigabyte)

Gigabyte’s X570 motherboards for upcoming Zen 2 Ryzen 3000-series desktop processors leaked

A list of X570 motherboards from Gigabyte has been leaked thanks to data published online by the Eurasian Economic Committee (EEC). Various OEMs are gearing up for the upcoming release of AMD’s 3rd Generation of Ryzen desktop processors, which are based on the power-efficient Zen 2 microarchitecture.

Daniel R Deakin, 02 Apr 2019 02:18

Our first GeForce MX250 benchmarks are in and results are slower than some MX150 laptops

Different name, same game. Laptops equipped with the GeForce MX250 are now beginning to ship to succeed the last generation MX150. However, you're better off with an MX150 laptop instead if performance-per-dollar is a major factor. Our preliminary tests show a 3 to 10 percent boost in performance on average.

Allen Ngo, 01 Apr 2019 19:14

Over 60% of consumers surveyed said they had damaged their smartphone's display. (Source: Pixabay)

64% of smartphone owners have cracked their screens: new survey

Ting Mobile, a North American mobile service provider, recently conducted a survey of just over 1.400 smartphone users. It found that 64% of these respondents reported cracks in their screens, most of which (62%) did so through dropping their devices. The survey also found that only 11% repaired their own phones, whereas 64% would be interested in a DIY repair kit to help them do so.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Apr 2019 18:55

The Hyper "UUH" hub is designed to have 15 USB ports on one side. (Source: Hyper)

Hyper "announces" a USB type C hub with a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive

The MacBook accessory company Hyper has posted a page on its website for something it calls the "mother of all USB hubs". It has a total of 18 USB ports, 4 SD card slots, a range of legacy monitor ports and, best of all, a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive. If this method of expanding on limited ports in your ultrabook sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Deirdre O Donnell, 01 Apr 2019 18:23

The Sega Genesis Mini/Mega Drive Mini console comes with an HDMI cable. (Source: Sega)

The Sega Genesis Mini/Mega Drive Mini console finally gets an official release date

The Sega Genesis Mini (Mega Drive Mini) has finally received an official launch date: September 19. The Mini console has been in the works for some time but apparently got stuck in development as Sega changed its plans in regard to production and global availability. It will cost US$79.99/£69.99/€79.99/ AU$139.95.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 Apr 2019 11:36

LG V50 ThinQ 5G with Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (Source: ZDNet)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855-powered LG V50 ThinQ 5G coming on April 19

Two weeks after the announced release date of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, LG will unleash its first 5G flagship upon the South Korean market. The LG V50 ThinQ 5G is expected to come with a free dual-screen flip cover, an improved cooling system for the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, a 6.4-inch OLED display, and a 4,000 mAh battery.

Codrut Nistor, 01 Apr 2019 10:20

Prepare for some under-chin shots with this Xiaomi concept. (Source: LetsGoDigital)

Xiaomi gets creative with dual selfie camera placement

A fantastic render has been published showing what Xiaomi could be planning in regard to smartphone front-facing camera placement. The render is based on a patent made by the Chinese smartphone company, which of course, may never go further than the drawing board. But it does at least highlight how important innovation is for Xiaomi.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 Apr 2019 10:12

Some variants of the Microsoft Surface Book 2 can even be configured with a dGPU from Nvidia. (Source: Microsoft)

Entry-level Microsoft Surface Book 2 now comes with 8th Gen Intel Core i5 option

The base model of the Microsoft Surface Book 2 has just received an additional choice among its configuration options. Microsoft has given potential purchasers the opportunity to have the device fitted with a quad-core 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor. Previously, shoppers had to make do with the dual-core i5-7300U CPU.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 Apr 2019 09:08

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G coming to South Korea this week (Source: Samsung Global Newsroom)

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G confirmed to hit South Korea this Friday

Sporting a total of six cameras and a generous 6.7-inch Curved Dynamic AMOLED display, the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G promises to deliver speeds up to 20 times faster than existing 4G handsets. South Korea will get it in Majestic Black, Royal Gold, and Crown Silver starting on April 5, with more markets to follow soon.

Codrut Nistor, 01 Apr 2019 08:59

An MSI RTX 2060 laptop is 20 to 25 percent slower than an MSI RTX 2060 desktop graphics card

It may be called the GeForce RTX 2060, but it may as well be the GeForce GTX 1070 in the laptop world. We compare the desktop RTX 2060, RTX 2070, and RTX 2080 to their laptop counterparts to find surprisingly wide performance differences between them.

Allen Ngo, 01 Apr 2019 08:24

Exclusive | Wánxiào invents FOS Rapid Alloy that will revolutionize the global smartphone market by providing instant physical handset upgrades

Please note this was a joke article posted on April Fools' Day in 2019.
In an incredible leak, it has been discovered that a secretive Chinese technology startup called Wánxiào has invented a product called FOS Rapid Alloy that according to some industry insiders will turn the worldwide smartphone market upside down. Full-Organic-Surface (FOS) technology could make its way into the construction of the upcoming Samsung Neat 10, Huawei Mute 30, or even the rumored Apple fitness band iPhat.

Daniel R Deakin, 01 Apr 2019 00:01

OnePlus WarpTen: seasonal joke or actual thing? (Source: OnePlus)

Update | OnePlus teases #WarpTen, which will accompany an April 1, 2019 announcement

OnePlus has hinted at something called WarpTen on its Weibo page. Given the term's similarity to the OEM's latest charging standard, it may have something to do with improved charging for the upcoming 7 flagship. However, the post's proximity to April 1, 2019 may cast doubt on this prospect.

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 Mar 2019 18:14

The UMIDIGI F1 Play is now available for sale. (Source: AliExpress)

UMIDIGI F1 sees refresh with a new, even cheaper variant

UMIDIGI unveiled the F1 in December 2018. This phone shook up the US$200-300 bracket with a 5000mAh battery and other decent specs such as an FHD display and 4GB RAM. Now, a new version of the same adds a 48MP camera sensor, even more battery and a new, even lower price.

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 Mar 2019 17:13

Is the P30 Pro's camera really better than that of the S10+? (Source: Android Authority)

Huawei does not rule DxOMark rankings outright: Samsung

Huawei broke records in terms of DxOMark camera ratings when it released the P30 Pro. The OEM has been touting it as a major point of the phone's appeal ever since. Its rival Samsung has pointed out that this situation is not the whole picture.

Deirdre O Donnell, 31 Mar 2019 16:36

The text on the screen reads "Follow the white rabbit". (Source: Twitter/Ray Sekiro)

"Leaked" PlayStation 5 devkit and DualShock controller images fuel speculation

There’s a great deal of anticipation in the gaming community for the PlayStation 5, or whatever name Sony gives its next-generation console. It seems that some can’t wait for the real thing though, and an increasing number of “leaks” of PlayStation-related hardware are starting to appear on social media.

Daniel R Deakin, 31 Mar 2019 11:11

The EK Vector RTX Titan water block has a larger surface area for heat transfer than regular water blocks. (Source: EK)

Gold-plated water block adds bling to your RTX Titan or Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti graphics card

The liquid cooling specialist EK Water Blocks has revealed a new product for owners of Nvidia Titan RTX graphics cards. The EK Vector RTX Titan is a special edition water block that features an acetal top cover, RGB lighting compatibility, and gold-plated screws. For the pièce de résistance, the EK Vector RTX Titan brandishes a gold-plated cold plate.

Daniel R Deakin, 31 Mar 2019 09:42

The Meizu 16s is expected to offer flagship components at an upper midrange price. (Source: GSMArena)

Meizu 16s will come with a Snapdragon 855 according to alleged Geekbench listing

A device under the name “alps m1971” has turned up in a Geekbench test, and this could be the upcoming Meizu 16s. The smartphone was already rumored to be loaded with a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, and if the Geekbench listing is genuine, then this rumor seems to be confirmed.

Daniel R Deakin, 31 Mar 2019 08:35

The Mi 9X will likely share some design features with the Mi 9 flagship. (Source: Xiaomi)

Details of the purported Xiaomi Mi A3 surface - 32 MP selfie camera, Snapdragon 675, triple rear cameras

Xiaomi launched the Mi A2 last year and could be set to follow it with this year's iteration, the Mi A3. The Mi A3, an Android One device, is expected to be based on a regular MIUI phone, and details of that device have now surfaced.

Ricci Rox, 31 Mar 2019 08:08

The AirPower has been cancelled some 18 months after being officially introduced by Apple. (Source: Apple)

The prevailing theory about why AirPower failed

The ultimate demise of the AirPower charging mat appears to have been foretold by Apple insider Sonny Dickson several months ago. In the absence of any official word from Apple, other than it cancelled AirPower because it couldn’t “achieve our high standards,” it appears that Dickson’s is the most plausible explanation of what went wrong.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 31 Mar 2019 06:16

The Apple A12 Bionic smokes its main competition including the Snapdragon 855, Exynos 9820 and Kirin 980. (Source: Apple)

In yet another blow, Apple loses its lead A-series chip engineer

Gerard Williams III, the lead designer of Apple’s industry-leading custom A-series ARM-based chips has left the company according to a CNET report. The departure couldn’t have come at a worse time for Apple which has been reeling from negative publicity surrounding the termination of the high-profile AirPower charging mat device and an admission that its third-generation butterfly-mechanism based keyboards are also susceptible to failing.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 31 Mar 2019 04:12

Royole has won 2 Red Dot Design Awards for 2019. (Source: Royole)

The Royole FlexPai wins a 2019 Red Dot Design Award

The FlexPai by the start-up Royole can be thought of as the first flexible phone. This achievement has been rewarded by a Design Award from Red Dot. The company has also won a second such prize for another of its products: a flexible, portable keyboard.

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 Mar 2019 19:44

A stat from the 2018 Android Security Report. (Source: Google)

Google releases its 2018 Android Security Report

Android is now coming up on 10 years of use as a mobile device OS. Google claims that 2018 was one of its most secure yet. Its report on this subject attributes decreasing rates of potentially harmful apps to the implementation of Play Protect.

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 Mar 2019 19:10

The OPPO Reno and its rumored selfie-camera adaptation. (Source: The Verge)

OPPO Reno Lite also allegedly leaks via TENAA

Reno is a new line of OPPO smartphones set to launch later this year. At least one of its devices has reportedly leaked due to its submission to international certifiers such as TENAA recently. Now, a SlashLeaks contributor claims that a possible Lite variant of the same has also passed through this body's doors.

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 Mar 2019 18:04

The Black Shark 2 is now available in the EU. (Source: Xiaomi)

Xiaomi now sells the Black Shark 2 in Europe

Xiaomi's Black Shark 2 is powered by the Snapdragon 855 SoC and comes with up to 12GB of RAM. It was released earlier this month, albeit to the Chinese market only. Now, however, the OEM has released it for sale on its EU sales site.

Deirdre O Donnell, 30 Mar 2019 17:14

World of Tanks 0.7.0 is now live once again, to go down on April 3

April Fools' Day 2019: World of Tanks 0.7.0 goes live once again

Released back in late 2011, World of Tanks 0.7.0 only had three tech trees, different physics and spotting mechanics, there was no arty cap, no stun, and more. Those who were not around to play it back then and those who would like to travel back in time can play it until April 3 as World of Tanks Classic.

Codrut Nistor, 30 Mar 2019 15:16

The Samsung Galaxy S10+ vs. the Apple iPhone XS Max. (Source: YouTube/PhoneBuff)

Samsung Galaxy S10+ beaten by iPhone XS Max in PhoneBuff's drop test; barely scrapes into top 10 rankings

A new video posted by YouTube channel PhoneBuff has pitted the Samsung Galaxy S10+ against the iPhone XS Max in a series of brutal drop tests. Although the flagship from the South Korean manufacturer is wrapped in Corning’s Gorilla Glass 6, it loses to the subjectively better durability performance of its iPhone rival.

Daniel R Deakin, 30 Mar 2019 09:12

The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti was released before the non-Ti model. (Source: TechnoSports)

New rumored release date for Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650; 1650 Ti variant expected soon

A new rumored release date for the upcoming Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 desktop graphics card has been offered: April 22. A previous report had suggested a launch date of April 30 for the latest entry to the GeForce 16 series, but apparently the new date has been provided by AIBs. A Ti variant of the GTX 1650 is also expected at some point.

Daniel R Deakin, 30 Mar 2019 07:27

Google leaked its apparently upcoming Nest Hub Max device. (Source: Android Police/Google)

Google leaks its Nest Hub Max smart home device

Google has accidentally leaked a new product in its Google Home range. The Nest Hub Max, which was spotted by Android Police, was featured in the Connected Home section of the tech giant’s website. The information about the Nest Hub Max has now been taken down, but not before it was shared online.

Daniel R Deakin, 30 Mar 2019 06:51

AAEON's UP Xtreme can be configured with up to an i7-8565U CPU. (Source: AAEON/UP)

AAEON reveals the UP Xtreme single-board computer with Whiskey Lake processors

AAEON has added a new single-board computer (SBC) to the UP product family: the UP Xtreme. As is befitting the hyperbolic name, the board can operate with a CPU from Intel’s 8th Generation Whiskey Lake series. The board also has the UHD 620 iGPU solution at its disposal and can be fitted with up to 16 GB RAM.

Daniel R Deakin, 30 Mar 2019 04:46

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