Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News

The Huawei Mate 30 5G variants. (Source: Huawei)

Huawei insists it did better in the 5G phone market than Samsung in 2019

Huawei has released its performance for 2019 to the Chinese media. It claims it shipped approximately 240 million units in total that year, 6.9 million of which had 5G. For context, Samsung has announced that it shipped about 6.7 ...

Deirdre O Donnell, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 20:28:00 +0100

The Pocophone F1, an ignored flagship killer? (Image source: Xiaomi)

Rumor | The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 may get Android 10 "by February"

The wait goes on for the Pocophone F1. The device is the last in Xiaomi's Snapdragon 845 arsenal to receive Android 10 builds of MIUI 11, and the company has been cagey about when the device will see Google's latest OS too. Howeve...

Alex Alderson, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 19:36:00 +0100

AMD will apparently debut the RX 6000 series this summer. (Image source: RedGamingTech)

AMD RDNA 2: New rumors allege 50% better performance than RDNA 1 with no added power consumption

If you thought that 2019 was good for graphics cards and gamers, then think again. 2020 is already shaping up to be even better than last year, with not only new consoles and RTX 3000 around the corner, but also RDNA 2. AMD's next...

Alex Alderson, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 19:21:00 +0100

A Mi Mix Alpha-inspired fan render of the Mi 10. (Image source: Unknown - via @Piunikaweb & @xiaomishka)

Nope, this is another fake Xiaomi Mi 10 leak

The latest "leak" doing the rounds about the Xiaomi Mi 10 certainly paints the picture of an exquisite-looking device, but is it real? Despite calls to the contrary, one respected leaker of Xiaomi hardware says no. We are digging ...

Alex Alderson, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 18:48:00 +0100

Our best look at a Google Pixel 4a so far. (Image source: @OnLeaks & @91Mobiles)

Do not discount the Pixel 4a XL yet: Probable new Pixel codenames appear in AOSP repository

A Pixel 4a XL may still be in the works, according to XDA Developers. The website claims to have spotted three new codenames in an AOSP repository, which may point to two new devices and potentially a development board.

Alex Alderson, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 18:19:00 +0100

Evan Blass's renders clearly reveal a penta-sensor setup on the back. (Image Source: Evan Blass)

Latest Huawei P40 Pro renders reveal rear penta-cam setup and dual-selfie cams

Thanks to Evan Blass's latest P40 Pro renders, we can now see that the back of the device features a penta-cam setup, and it looks like there will also be a 10x periscope lens (the rectangular one). The renders also reveal a ceram...

Bogdan Solca, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 18:03:00 +0100

Cyberpunk 2077 delayed to September, multiplayer delayed until after 2021

After announcing that Cyberpunk 2077 would be delayed until September, CD Projekt Red later disclosed on an investment call that the multiplayer component of the game likely won't be ready until after 2021. While the wait is disap...

Sam Medley, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 16:07:00 +0100

Xiaomi-owned Poco is now an independent brand in India

Xiaomi India head Manu Kumar Jain just announced that the company's sub-brand Poco is now an independent entity. The Poco F1 made quite the impact on the market back in 2018, and that's why Xiaomi is confident that it can operate ...

Anil Satyanarayana, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 14:13:00 +0100

The RTX 2060 Founders Edition now costs US$299. (Image source: NVIDIA)

NVIDIA responds to the RX 5600 XT; price cuts imcoming

Is NVIDIA worried about AMD's RX product stack? Well, its latest round of price cuts would suggest so. The company has unexpectedly dropped the RTX 2060 Founders Edition from US$349, conveniently just ahead of the release of the R...

Alex Alderson, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 12:12:00 +0100

Alphabet joins Apple, Amazon and Microsoft with a US$1 trillion market cap. (Source: Alphabet)

Alphabet crests US$1 trillion market cap thanks to Google

Alphabet has become the US fourth company to crest the US$1 trillion market cap. This puts it up there with Apple, Amazon and Microsoft which are the only other companies to achieve the milestone.

Sanjiv Sathiah, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 10:34:00 +0100

Three generations of 14 nm: Core i7-10510U offers just 20 percent faster multi-thread performance than the average Core i7-8550U

If you're in the market for a new laptop, you won't be missing all that much by going with an older Whiskey Lake-U model. The hexa-core Core i7-10710U looks to be the only Comet Lake-U SKU to offer a significant gen-to-gen raw per...

Allen Ngo, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 10:00:00 +0100

Horizon: Zero Dawn will come to PC sometime in 2020

Horizon: Zero Dawn reportedly coming to Steam and Epic Games Store sometime this year

PlayStation 4 exclusive Horizon: Zero Dawn is reportedly coming to PC sometime in 2020, according to a report by Kotaku. The title will be available on Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Anil Satyanarayana, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 03:57:00 +0100

Rumor | Latest PlayStation 5 release date and price rumors for worldwide markets

There has been no shortage of speculation in regard to the actual release date of the PlayStation 5 and its final recommended retail price. The latest suggestion has come up with a slightly earlier date than many believe, while th...

Daniel R Deakin, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 03:11:00 +0100

Alleged PS5 consumer model patent designs. (Image source: 4channel via CCN)

Alleged PlayStation 5 consumer model designs and supposed first real-world image of the next-gen console appear on imageboard

A couple of so-called patent designs for the consumer model of the PlayStation 5 have been shared on the well-known imageboard 4channel. Along with those, an even more unlikely image, claiming to be a real-world shot of the PS5, h...

Daniel R Deakin, Fri, 17 Jan 2020 01:57:00 +0100

Google Stadia will get over 120 games in 2020

Google Stadia to get over 120 new games in 2020, 10 of which will be exclusives

A Google Stadia spokesperson stated that the platform will be getting over 120 games in 2020, of which 10 will be exclusives. The company also promised some QoL upgrades such as 4K gaming on the web, better Google Assistant functi...

Anil Satyanarayana, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 23:16:00 +0100

Meizu's New Year gift box. (Source: MyDrivers)

Meizu uses the New Year to tease its upcoming flagship phone

Meizu is a smartphone OEM that posted a "New Year gift box" at the start of 2020. It consists of rather unique desk organizers and accessories, including a clock. On closer inspection, this object may be present to hint at an upco...

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 21:15:00 +0100

Blu-ray is in decline as a medium. (Source: Wikipedia)

Blu-ray disc shipments are now projected to fall by over 150 million units over the next 5 years

Once, long ago, Blu-ray was touted as the gold standard in media playback. Now, however, it has sunk into obscurity among a world's worth of streaming services compatible with high-res displays. The format's market value is now th...

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 20:32:00 +0100

The MediaTek Helio P70-powered OPPO F15 is launched in India

OPPO has released the F15 to the Indian market. It is technically a new device, although it ships with an older chipset: the MediaTek Helio P70. It costs the equivalent of US$280 and will ship from January 28, 2020.

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 19:47:00 +0100

The LG G9 ThinQ, or is it? (Image source: @OnLeaks)

LG repudiates G9 ThinQ renders

Few OEMs get involved in the work of leakers, but then LG is not just any Android OEM. The company that seems perennially behind the curve has also denounced the work on OnLeaks, specifically, his recent LG G9 ThinQ renders. This ...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 19:04:00 +0100

The GameCube Joy-Cons provide the ultimate Super Smash Bros. experience. (Image source: Shank Mods)

A modder has crossed Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons and a GameCube WaveBird controller with amazing results

Ever fancied a wireless and a detachable set of GameCube controllers for the Nintendo Switch? Well, one modder did and they have posted their results online. An incredible amount of attention to detail has been paid to creating th...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 18:59:00 +0100

Apple introduced Face ID in 2017 with the iPhone X. (Image source: Apple)

Apple iPhone 12: 2020 iPhones to feature overhauled Face ID, ToF cameras and 6 GB of RAM

Rumours are currently floating about that Apple plans to upgrade several areas of this year's iPhones. Apparently, the iPhone 12 series will feature revamped a TrueDepth system for improved Face ID, a ToF camera and 6 GB of RAM. A...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 18:53:00 +0100

Twilight Orange joins seven other colours that Xiaomi offers for the Redmi Note 8 Pro. (Image source: Xiaomi)

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro in Twilight Orange appears online, as does a dismaying update

Xiaomi only announced last week that it would be releasing a new colour variant of the Redmi Note 8 Pro, but people have already started posting hands-on pictures of their new devices. Twilight Orange comes with 128 GB of storage ...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 18:49:00 +0100

Mobius Final Fantasy will terminate service on June 30

Mobius Final Fantasy, a popular mobile spin-off of the Final Fantasy franchise, will end services in the United States on June 30. The game garnered fairly positive reviews over its 4-year tenure on iOS, Android, and Steam.

Sam Medley, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 17:56:00 +0100

The new Microsoft Edge is now available for download. (Image via Microsoft)

Life on the Edge: Microsoft's new Chromium-based version of the Edge browser is here

The new, Chromium-based version of Microsoft's Edge browser is now available for download. While the browser is similar to other Chromium browsers, there are a few sync features that are missing. Microsoft plans to update Windows ...

Sam Medley, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 17:16:00 +0100

AMD has a new Radeon driver update. (Source: AMD)

The latest Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 update brings support for the newest Dragon Ball Z title

AMD has just announced the release of the latest version of Radeon Software Adrenalin 2020 Edition (20.1.2). It confers support for Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, as well as Vulkan 1.2. It also fixes a problem for some UE4-based games in...

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 17:10:00 +0100

Verizon will sell rugged Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro in the United States, removable battery and all

Samsung's ruggedized Galaxy XCover Pro smartphone will be coming to the United States after all. Verizon will start selling the phone, which boasts an IP68 rating and a removable battery, for $500 in the latter half of 2020.

Sam Medley, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 16:49:00 +0100

The Amazfit X may be available to purchase soon. (Source: Huami)

The Amazfit X, a new curved-display smartwatch, is about to launch on Indiegogo

Amazfit unveiled the X, a wearable with a 92-degree curve in its screen, as a concept device in 2019. Now, however, it is ready to make this watch a reality. It will be offered as a reward on the OEM's upcoming Indiegogo campaign.

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 16:21:00 +0100

PC shipments are up, but only by a small percentage. (Image Source: BusinessKorea)

2019 PC shipments were surprisingly up for the first time in 7 years

PC shipments increased by a small percentage in 2019 and this is mostly due to Microsoft discontinuing support for the venerable Windows 7 OS. 261 to 267 million PC system shipping throughout 2019 are nothing to scoff at, but thes...

Bogdan Solca, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 16:09:00 +0100

The Huawei P40 Pro in all its glory. (Image source: 91mobiles)

Rumor | Huawei P40 Pro comes into view with latest renders

The P40 Pro is set to arrive in March, and possibly in five colours. The device will sport a quad-curved display, six cameras and probably 5G connectivity too. A 52 MP main rear-facing camera has been touted among other camera har...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 15:51:00 +0100

Xiaomi equipped the Black Shark 2 with a 60 Hz and 1080p panel. (Image source: Xiaomi)

Rumor | The Xiaomi Black Shark 3 looks set to receive a next-generation display too

So, the Xiaomi Black Shark 3 will not only have 5G capabilities and 16 GB of RAM, but also a 120 Hz and 2K display? Well, that is the latest rumor about the Chinese company's next gaming smartphone, at any rate. Would 120 Hz and 2...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 15:46:00 +0100

The Galaxy S20 lineup will still feature a triple-cam setup on the back, but the sensor sizes will vary among the three variants. (Image Source: PhoneArena)

Samsung's Galaxy S20 5G handheld with 12 GB RAM and Snapdragon 865 SoC spotted on Geekbench

The Galaxy S20 5G model that just hit Geekbench appears to be the most affordable variant with a smaller 6.2-inch screen, 4,00o mAh battery and 12 GB RAM. It is still powered by the Snapdragon 865 SoC, so the results may be releva...

Bogdan Solca, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 15:43:00 +0100

HP ProBook x360 435 G7 coming this May with AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, Ryzen 5 4500U, and Ryzen 7 4700U options (Image source: HP)

HP ProBook x360 435 G7 coming this Summer with AMD Ryzen 3 4300U, Ryzen 5 4500U, and Ryzen 7 4700U options

The mid-range ProBook series will be refreshed with AMD's latest Ryzen 4000 U-series APUs for SMBs. HP is promising BIOS-level security features including Sure Start and Sure Sense to make up for the fact that there are not yet 3r...

Allen Ngo, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 15:00:00 +0100

The Xperia 5 Plus could just be one of the phones that Sony launches at MWC 2020. (Image source: Sony via GSMArena & @OnLeaks)

MWC 2020 | Sony confirms the arrival of new smartphones ahead of next month's conference

2020 could be a pivotal year for Sony's smartphone business, with sales having tanked over the last few years. The company is due to unveil multiple handsets this year and MWC 2020 is when we will see some of its new roster accord...

Alex Alderson, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 14:06:00 +0100

The Samsung Galaxy A51 has what it takes to succeed.

Samsung Galaxy A51: Another success?

One of the most successful Samsung smartphones last year was the Galaxy A50. We tested its successor and tried to find out whether the good results are likely to continue.

Florian Schmitt, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 13:40:00 +0100

Early renders of the Galaxy S20. (Source: OnLeaks)

Revealed details of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra paint an impressive picture

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra will be the big bad wolf of the Galaxy S20 series, as it represents Samsung's attempt at throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the competition. Details of the device have now surfaced.

Ricci Rox, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 10:12:00 +0100

Windows 7 will no longer be supported by Microsoft. (Image Source: ComputerWorld)

Still can't let go of Windows 7? Here's a hack to further extend your eligibility for security updates

Microsoft has ended official support for Windows 7 on January 14, but many home users and businesses still use it as their primary operating system. Enterprise customers can still avail the option of paying for extended support le...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 09:48:00 +0100

Realme teases the new Realme UI based on Android 10, reveals update schedule

Realme has revealed more information about its upcoming update, the Realme UI that is built with user feedback in mind. Realme UI is still based on Oppo's ColorOS 7 and offers features such as Personal Information Protection, Smar...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 08:11:00 +0100

Scalable Intel Xeon Platinum-M series to be depreciated; L-series to take its price-point

Intel has announced a shake-up in its line of Xeon scalable processors. The OEM will cease sales of the M variants of these server-grade SoCs (the Xeon Platinum 8280M, for example) will. However, their L (the Platinum 8280L, and s...

Deirdre O Donnell, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 07:00:00 +0100

Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano IoT: A fanless mini PC that can't take the heat

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M90n-1 Nano IoT is a rugged but silent mini PC suited for IT deployments and enterprise use. Unfortunately, the little desktop's performance suffers under load, primarily because of thermal throttling.

Sam Medley, Thu, 16 Jan 2020 04:48:00 +0100

Apple's Mac Pro can now be purchased in a rack-friendly form factor. (Image via Apple)

Rack-mount Mac Pro now available, starts at US $6500

Apple has started selling the Mac Pro in a server-friendly rack-mountable form factor. While the internals of the new model are the same as the tower Mac Pro, the rack-mount design runs an extra US $500.

Sam Medley, Wed, 15 Jan 2020 22:21:00 +0100

The hands-on video gives us our best look at the S20 Plus yet (Image source: XEETECHCARE)

Galaxy S20 Plus hands-on video leaks

An XDA Developers source leaked a 15-second hands-on video of what is presumably a Galaxy S20 Plus. Apart from the video, the leaker confirmed a number of other rumors about Samsung's upcoming device.

Arjun Krishna Lal, Wed, 15 Jan 2020 20:29:00 +0100

There will be no 3.5mm headphone jack on the Samsung Galaxy S20 phones. (Source: XEETECHCARE)

Opinion | No 3.5mm headphone jack for the Samsung Galaxy S20 phones

Samsung removed the 3.5mm headphone jack on the Galaxy Note 10 phones last year and that decision has carried over to the company's upcoming flagships. Yes, the Samsung Galaxy S20 phones will not feature headphone jacks, but what ...

Ricci Rox, Wed, 15 Jan 2020 19:51:00 +0100

OnePlus continues to support older flagships with regular software updates (Image source: OnePlus)

New OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T Open Beta 4 update announced

OnePlus recently announced the release of OxygenOS Open Beta 4 for the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T. The new beta upgrade offers incremental bug fixes as well as new Reading Mode functionality.

Arjun Krishna Lal, Wed, 15 Jan 2020 19:44:00 +0100

The Fitbit Versa 2. (Source: Notebookcheck)

A new Fitbit software update unlocks blood oxygen tracking on several devices

A number of newer Fibit wearables were shipped with SpO2 (or estimated blood oxygen) sensors, which may not have been activated within their systems. However, the OEM has addressed this in a new update. Therefore, compatible devic...

Deirdre O Donnell, Wed, 15 Jan 2020 19:32:00 +0100

17.01	Lenovo ThinkBook 13s-IWL-20R9005LUS (Laptop Mag)
17.01	HP Elite Dragonfly-8MK81EA (Laptop Mag)
17.01	HP Chromebook 15-de0035cl (CNet)
17.01	HP Omen 17-cb0040nr (PC Mag)
17.01	HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx (CNet)
17.01	HP Elite Dragonfly-8MK81EA (PC Mag)
17.01	Oppo Realme X2 (The Indian Express)
17.01	Lenovo Chromebook C340-11-81TA000GGE (Android Authority)
17.01	HP Spectre x360 13-aw0013dx (PC Mag)
17.01	Oppo Realme X2 (Gogi.in)