Expert reviews and news on laptops, smartphones and tech innovations

Looks like Microsoft is ready to finally present a consumer-friendly version of its mixed reality HoloLens headset in 2019. (Source: VOA News)

Next gen Microsoft HoloLens could launch in 2019

Since VR is already quite a mature technology, Microsoft intends to make its mixed reality headset more affordable for the masses. The next gen HoloLens should debut in early 2019, with improved holographic displays, a lighter frame and most likely featuring Qualcomm's latest XR1 chip. MSRP should go down below US$1,000.

Bogdan Solca, 18 Jun 2018 20:22

Apple iPhone SE will no longer get a successor, claim recent rumors mid-June 2018

Apple allegedly killed the iPhone SE 2

Despite all the leaks and rumors about the successor of the iPhone SE, it seems that Apple has recently decided to stop its development. Insiders familiar with the inner workings of the Cupertino giant mention that three other handsets are in the making, all featuring large screens (between 5.8 and 6.5 inches in size).

Codrut Nistor, 18 Jun 2018 19:10

Chuwi HiGame mini PC has proven successful on Indiegogo, on track for an August launch (Source: Chuwi)

Chuwi HiGame mini PC has proven to be successful on Indiegogo, on track for a $1299 USD launch

The Intel Hades Canyon NUC is finally getting a direct competitor in the form of the Chuwi HiGame. The manufacturer has gathered enough backers over the last few months to finally commit to an August launch window. Backers will be able to buy the Core i5-8305G SKU for $900 USD or a full $400 off the final retail price.

Allen Ngo, 17 Jun 2018 23:55

Unihertz Atom will be the world's smallest rugged 4G smartphone

The 2.45-inch Android smartphone will carry all the mainstream features of a modern smartphone including NFC, Gorilla Glass, USB Type-C, FM radio, IP68 certification, 4G LTE, Android 8.1 Oreo, Bluetooth 4.2, and even a fingerprint sensor for just $160 USD. The design suggests it to be a spiritual successor to the Unihertz Jelly series.

Allen Ngo, 17 Jun 2018 23:04

Dell XPS 15 9570 business notebook with Intel Coffee Lake processors (Source: Dell)

Frank Azor confirms: The Dell XPS 15 9570 is coming to India next week

While the US market remains stuck at only four configurations directly available from Dell.com for this popular Cofee Lake-powered premium laptop, India is scheduled to receive the XPS 15 9570 next Tuesday. However, Frank Azor has not confirmed yet how many hardware setups will be available on launch.

Codrut Nistor, 17 Jun 2018 16:07

The Samsung Chromebook Plus (V2) still sports a premium design. (Source: Samsung)

Samsung downgrades Chromebook Plus display in V2 update

Samsung has updated its Chromebook Plus to Version 2.0. While it picks up some new features, its display gets a notable downgrade from a QHD resolution to FHD.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 17 Jun 2018 12:46

What appears to be a thumbnail of the video that was taken down. (Source: /u/WhyCry_)

Hands-on | Android One Mi A2 spotted online, Snapdragon 660 in tow

The Mi 5X was rebranded to become the Android One Mi A1 last year and, with the launch of the Mi 6X two months ago, most have come to expect the existence of a Mi A2, a direct successor to the Mi A1. Those dreams may become reality soon, as such a device has been spotted.

Ricci Rox, 16 Jun 2018 17:06

Update | Security vulnerability discovered in the new OnePlus 6

A fatal vulnerability has been discovered on the new OnePlus 6, one that allows the flashing of unsigned boot images on the device even when the bootloader is locked.

Ricci Rox, 16 Jun 2018 16:55

LG's new Q7 devices go on sale in Korea as the quintessential overpriced midrangers

LG has finally begun sales of its new mid-range devices, the Q7 and Q7+. While not particularly underwhelming smartphones, both devices come with less than enticing price tags.

Ricci Rox, 16 Jun 2018 16:51

The Last of Us has sold 17 million copies worldwide

Sony’s first-party studio, Naughty Dog, has announced that its game, The Last of US, has sold 17 million copies, making it one of the best-selling games of all time. The game was released back in July 2013 and a sequel is in the works.

Ricci Rox, 16 Jun 2018 16:49

Samsung Headquarters. (Source: Social Barrel)

Samsung still biggest smartphone company in the world as Xiaomi goes after Huawei's place

A comprehensive report has shown Samsung’s dominance over the global smartphone market in Q1 2018, Xiaomi’s almost palpable growth, and the extreme competition in the Asian smartphone market.

Ricci Rox, 16 Jun 2018 16:46

The OPPO R11 was released a while ago. (Source: OPPO)

Details of the OPPO Find X revealed

A document detailing OPPO’s next flagship, the OPPO Find X, has surfaced. The device will be powered by a Snapdragon 845, and will come with most of the features you’d expect to find on a current-gen mainstream flagship.

Ricci Rox, 16 Jun 2018 16:43

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8. (Source: Pocket Lint)

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to get huge battery upgrade

According to new information, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will see a massive bump in battery capacity this year. Of course, nothing is official at the moment, but it’d be surprising to not see something of the sort when the device is unveiled in a few months.

Ricci Rox, 16 Jun 2018 12:21

The upcoming Mate 20 could sport a gigantic 6.9-inch AMOLED display

According to new reports, Huawei has sourced AMOLED panels from Samsung for the Mate 20. Of more surprise is the fact that these panels are apparently 6.9-inch ones, which likely means a size hike for the next Huawei flagship, bringing it eerily close to tablet territory.

Ricci Rox, 16 Jun 2018 12:19

AMD Ryzen 5 2500X benchmark results and technical details (Source: Geekbench)

AMD Ryzen 5 2500X and Ryzen 3 2300X hit Geekbench with up to 4 GHz boost and impressive performance

Expected to cost around US$160, the AMD Ryzen 5 2500X is almost as fast as the Intel Core i7-7700, while the cheaper (around US$130) Ryzen 3 2300X delivers about the same performance as the Intel Core i5-7600K. Both chips are manufactured using a 12 nm process and have a maximum clock speed of 4 GHz.

Codrut Nistor, 16 Jun 2018 10:15

ThinkPad Thunderbolt Workstation Dock: The new docking solution for the Lenovo ThinkPad P52

With the announcement of the ThinkPad P52 a few days ago, Lenovo also announced a crucial accessory, a new dock. But the company didn't release too many details about this dock, besides is name. Thanks to the ThinkPad P52 manuals, we can now take a closer look at this new dock and its specifications.

Benjamin Herzig, 15 Jun 2018 23:07

SwiftKey for Windows 10 (Source: Windows Experience Blog)

Virtual keyboard SwiftKey coming to Windows 10

Available for Android and iOS until now, SwiftKey is ready for Windows 10. Windows Insiders in the Fast ring and those who opted in to Skip Ahead can use this popular virtual keyboard app in Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17692. The list of languages supported includes English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portugues, and Russian.

Codrut Nistor, 15 Jun 2018 23:03

The new LPDDR5 chips should bring a 10% performance boost over the current standard. (Source: Flickr)

Samsung will begin LPDDR5 and UFS 3.0 production in 2H 2018

Judging by the latest leaks, Samsung is most likely preparing major overhauls for next year's Galaxy S10 / Note 10 high-end devices. Apparently, Samsung is planning to begin production on the LPDDR5 and UFS 3.0 chips later this summer and this could significantly boost the overall performance for the 2019 models. Moreover, it looks like the Galaxy S10 could finally get 4K video recording.

Bogdan Solca, 15 Jun 2018 19:43

Looks like Nvidia wants to make the upcoming GPUs more VR-friendly. (Source: Nvidia)

Nvidia GTX 1180 to get high speed output, new price details unveiled

New leaks reveal that Nvidia's GTX 1180 will support higher refresh rates through one VR-friendly connection, making it possible to render 4K@120 Hz content for each eye, and this would also apply to the TV-sized G-Sync 4K monitors. Price-wise, the GTX 1180 will not match the original launch MSRP of the GTX 1080, as there will be two versions and the most affordable one is supposed to cost US$999.

Bogdan Solca, 15 Jun 2018 19:14

Quake Champions freely available until June 18

Quake Champions is free until Monday, get it now and keep it forever

The first new entry in the Quake family of first-person shooters since Quake 4 — which arrived back in 2005 — Quake Champions can be downloaded via Steam as a free-to-play trial and those who sign up until June 18 can keep playing after the official launch as well. Early access has been available for US$30 since August 2017.

Codrut Nistor, 15 Jun 2018 19:05

Sony Playstation 5 getting thrown under the bus for poorly-received Radeon RX Vega series

AMD's semi-custom chipset technologies for Microsoft, Sony, and even Intel may be becoming too lucrative to ignore. If rumors are true, then the AMD Navi series will not be competing in the flagship space against the impending Nvidia Turing GTX 1180 or 2080 due to development commitments with Sony.

Allen Ngo, 15 Jun 2018 18:50

The OnePlus 6 sold more than one million phones in its first 22 days on the market

The OnePlus 6 is now the most commercially successful device released by OnePlus. The phone hit one million uints sold within the first 22 days of its release, in spite of its higher price tag and OnePlus's continued "underground" approach to marketing and retail.

Sam Medley, 15 Jun 2018 18:06

Mysterious Honor V12 checks in for certification

A device with the Honor V12 moniker has appeared on the FCC and TENAA websites for certification. One would expect it to be a successor to last year’s Honor V10 flagship but the listed specifications and renders give us other ideas.

Ricci Rox, 15 Jun 2018 14:02

Xiaomi launches the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A in China

Xiaomi has announced the launch of its two new entry-level smartphones, the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A. The previous offerings in the series were best-sellers, so these new ones have rather large boots to fill. Of course, there’s the pesky little issue of the devices featuring MediaTek processors.

Ricci Rox, 15 Jun 2018 13:53

The Samsung Galaxy S7 finally receives Android Oreo

Earlier this week, Android Oreo for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge finally made its way to users on AT&T and Verizon. This will be the last major update the devices receive, with support set to end completely in Q1 2019.

Ricci Rox, 15 Jun 2018 13:48

10 nm Intel Cannon Lake processor die (Source: Wccftech)

First 10 nm Intel Cannon Lake processor die spotted in the wild

Although Intel is very quiet with the details, independent sources confirmed that the new 10 nm processor is based on a 71 mm Cannon Lake die. Its die includes a 45 x 24 mm CPU area and a 47 mm chipset. Unfortunately, due to the troublesome manufacturing process, Intel will not be able to mass produce the new chip before the end of the year.

Codrut Nistor, 15 Jun 2018 12:59

Verizon unveils a third unlimited data plan that's more unlimited than its other two unlimited plans

Verizon is rolling out a third "unlimited" data plan that offers 75 GB of premium 4G LTE data for $95/month. After that 75 GB allotment is up, data can be subject to throttling during "high-traffic times" in order to relieve congestion. The rollout of this data plan still doesn't answer consumer demand for a truly unlimited plan on America's largest network provider.

Sam Medley, 15 Jun 2018 00:08

The new Pulse 15 is Maingear's slimmest and lightest gaming laptop yet. (Source: Maingear)

Maingear announces Pulse 15 customizable gaming laptop

The new Pulse 15 customizable gaming PC from Maingear gets updated with all the current trendy options: thin bezels, 15.6-inch screen squeezed in a 14-inch chassis, six-core CPU, mechanical RGB keyboard, plus a generous 2 TB NVMe SSD. Users can also choose to customize the model with automotive paints and MARC II finishes.

Bogdan Solca, 14 Jun 2018 21:31

The new Galaxy Tab S4 will be getting a 10.5-inch 16:10 screen. (Source: Teltarif)

New Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 model to include iris scanner and thinner bezels

The upcoming Galaxy Tab S4 is supposed to compete with Apple's new iPad Pro model. According to the latest Chinese leaks, the Tab S4 will get a larger 10.5-inch screen with 16:10 ratio and thin bezels, plus an iris scanner and extended DeX support that can turn the tablet into a desktop computer together with a new Book Cover Keyboard.

Bogdan Solca, 14 Jun 2018 20:22

Google looks like it is chasing official Windows 10 certification for the Pixelbook. (Source: Google)

PixelBook could be in line for official Windows 10 certification

There is mounting evidence that Google is working on allowing its Pixelbooks to natively support Windows 10. What's more, it seems that Google could also be chasing official certification from Microsoft meaning that the Pixelbook could even ship with Windows 10 pre-installed.

Sanjiv Sathiah, 14 Jun 2018 12:52

The Alcatel 5 has a dual front camera setup with one being a 120-degree wide angle lens. (Source: Alcatel)

The selfie stick alternative: Alcatel 5 now available in some markets

The Alcatel 5 has an advanced selfie setup with dual front facing cameras, automatic field of view switching based on the number of people detected in the shot, and quick launch options to get into social media applications. It remains to be seen whether the additional camera smarts can compete with more expensive phones.

Craig Ward, 14 Jun 2018 09:48

First Fortnite World Cup planned for late 2019, will offer $100 million in prizes

Epic Games has announced that Fortnite's first World Cup will be held late next year. The tournament, which will be open to any and all gamers that want to participate, will offer $100 million in prizes, spread across various events and victors.

Sam Medley, 14 Jun 2018 00:00

Nokia handset with notched display concept render Nokia X 2018

Kill the notch: The Samsung Galaxy S10 and the LG G8 rumored to be notch-free

All those Samsung and LG fans who can't live with an ugly notched display might have a reason to celebrate once the next generation flagships come out. The reason is that these two brands are supposedly ready to use "sound-emitting displays" that eliminate the need for a front-facing earpiece.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Jun 2018 23:04

Tesla is flushing cash down the drain, and its workers are paying the price. (Image: self)

Tesla cuts 9% of staff in an effort to bandage its cash hemorrhage

In a memo to his car manufacturing company, Elon Musk said that Tesla would be laying off 9% of its workforce, which equates to about 3,000 jobs. This is the latest move by the electric car manufacturer to stem its outward cash flow, which has only grown since the delivery of its first vehicle six years ago.

Sam Medley, 13 Jun 2018 22:58

The new Zbox Q series is essentially getting an upgraded 6-core CPU and a dual 10 GbE NIC. (Source: Anandtech)

Zotac announces i7-8700T six-core workstation mini PC

Apparently, the Zbox Q workstation mini PCs were quite the hit and Zotac now intends to release an updated version by the end of 2018. Zotac will only add a newer i7-8700T six-core CPU (plus a new motherboard) and a faster 10 GbE NIC to the already powerful specs that include Nvidia's Quadro P5000 16 GB VRAM GPU, NVMe + SATA storage combos and up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM.

Bogdan Solca, 13 Jun 2018 21:55

The 8-core Coffee Lake-X CPUs will provide competition for AMD's Ryzen 7 2700X. (Source: HotHardware)

Intel's 8-core Coffee Lake-S mainstream CPUs to launch in September on the Z390 platform

PCWatch reported that the first mainstream desktop 8-core Coffee Lake-S CPUs should be launched in September along with the Z390 platform. These chips should cost more than US$400 and will come in 80/95 W SKUs. Intel will also launch refreshed 22-core Skylake-X HEDT processors and ultra-premium Cascade Lake-X chips by the end of the year.

Bogdan Solca, 13 Jun 2018 19:56

Lightning connector on iPhone 7 smartphone

Next year's iPhones might ditch the Lightning connector

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Apple is currently redesigning the chargers and the charging interface for its next-gen iPhones and iPads. The iPhones expected to arrive next year will probably drop the existing Lightning connector and replace it with USB Type-C, but — unsurprisingly — Apple still has to confirm this.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Jun 2018 14:52

A shot of the action from the G.Skill booth. Toppc is the gentleman on the far left wearing glasses. (Source: G.Skill).

Computex 2018 | Overclocked G.Skill Trident Z RGB memory claims the first and second place for world's fastest RAM

G.Skill's overclocking event during Computex 2018 saw 13 overclocking records set, among them were the fastest RAM frequencies ever recorded.

Craig Ward, 13 Jun 2018 12:27

Nokia 3.1 Android One handset up for pre-order in the US June 13(Source: HMD Global)

You can already pre-order the Nokia 3.1 in the US for US$159, launch scheduled for July 2

The new Nokia 3.1 is a 5.2-inch affordable handset with a MediaTek MT6750 processor, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage, as well as a polycarbonate back combined with an aluminum frame. Scheduled to launch in the US on July 2, this Android One smartphone can be already pre-ordered from Amazon for US$159.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Jun 2018 12:15

Alienware AW988 Wireless Gaming Headset now up for sale mid-June 2018 (Source: Dell United States)

The Alienware Wireless Gaming Headset (AW988) hits the market

The first such accessory by Alienware in almost a decade, the AW988 is a wireless 7.1 surround gaming headset with LED lights, active noise canceling, and a frequency response range of 20 to 20,000 Hz. Covered by a two-year manufacturer warranty, the Alienware Wireless Gaming Headset AW988 can be acquired directly from Dell for US$229.99.

Codrut Nistor, 13 Jun 2018 10:38

ThinkPad P52: Lenovo unveils its new 15-inch workstation with the GeForce GTX 1060 based Quadro P3200

Lenovo launches the first model of its well-known ThinkPad-line of laptops with the new Intel Coffee-Lake hexa-core processors. The new ThinkPad P52 is not only the first ThinkPad workstation with those new CPUs, its also Lenovo's first VR-ready mobile workstation in the more compact 15.6-inch size with the new Nvidia Quadro P3200.

Benjamin Herzig, 13 Jun 2018 07:00

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