Business Articles

Qualcomm is set to make a sizeable investment in 5G's future. (Source: RTE)

Qualcomm incentivizes 5G development with a new multi-million-dollar fund

Qualcomm's Venture division has announced the implementation of the 5G Ecosystem Fund, a source of investment worth up to US$200 million. As the name suggests, it will help support start-ups involved in new, innovative and potenti...

Deirdre O Donnell, 24 Oct 2019 22:49

The Mate 30 Pro. (Source: Expert Reviews)

Huawei has already beaten its 2018 smartphone sales record

Huawei has faced more than its fair share of troubles this year but the company's sales figures are completely unaffected and have even grown. The Chinese company has now confirmed that it has sold 200 million devices this year, o...

Ricci Rox, 24 Oct 2019 14:43

Realme is set to adopt a stock-ish Android skin

Realme makes good value for money hardware but are usually panned by enthusiasts for their software. The company has identified that flaw, however, and is set to shake things up by adopting a new skin said to be similar to stock A...

Ricci Rox, 24 Oct 2019 14:41

Samsung 12 GB LPDDR4X-based uMCP (Source: Samsung Global Newsroom)

Industry’s first 12 GB LPDDR4X-based uMCP enters mass production, obviously made by Samsung

The new 12 GB low-power double data rate 4X UFS-based multichip package by Samsung combines four 24 Gb LPDDR4X chips and ultra-fast eUFS 3.0 NAND storage into a single package. This new mobile memory solution can hit a transfer ra...

Codrut Nistor, 24 Oct 2019 11:28

Intel's Skylake-X HEDT sales will be stunted by Cascade Lake-X and AMD's Ryzen 3000 family. (Image source: Vortez)

Cheap as chips: Intel could chop 9th Generation Skylake-X CPU prices in half

A new report has claimed that Intel could be preparing to heavily discount its 9th Gen Skylake-X series of high-end desktop (HEDT) CPUs. The 8-core i7-9800X could end up being priced at around €360 (~US$400) while the top-end SKU,...

Daniel R Deakin, 24 Oct 2019 06:31

Qualcomm claims that mmWave 5G can cover an entire football stadium. (Source: Qualcomm)

Qualcomm claims that a new study proves the benefits of 5G over 4G thus far in 2019

Qualcomm has commissioned a Signals Research Group (SRG) study of 5G performance, efficiency and general UX in those countries and cities to which the new radio bands have been rolled out. It reportedly found that 5G can achieve u...

Deirdre O Donnell, 23 Oct 2019 23:55

On the outside, the Hygon C86 is identical to the original AMD EPYC CPUs, but the internals are slightly customized. (Source: Anandtech)

AMD EPYC CPU clone Hygon C86 developed in China is best suited for cryptographic loads

The Hygon C86 is essentially an AMD EPYC Zen 1 chip with an additional cryptographic layer added by the Chinese joint venture company collaborating with AMD. The chip was manufactured by GlobalFoundries as a proof-of-concept, and ...

Bogdan Solca, 23 Oct 2019 18:14

The first Ryzen 3000 processors were launched on July 7, 2019. (Image source: AMD)

AMD's Matisse beasts are far from toothless as Ryzen 3000 helps to gnaw at Intel's Steam survey share

September’s Steam Hardware and Software Survey has seemingly delivered more good news for AMD. The survey has measured data in regard to PC processor usage by manufacturer, which yet again has been thoroughly dominated by Intel. H...

Daniel R Deakin, 22 Oct 2019 08:08

The latest Steam survey results are positive for the red team. (Image source: Newegg)

SUPER appearance for Nvidia in Steam's hardware survey but there's also plenty of love for AMD's Radeon RX 590 series

The Steam Hardware and Software Survey for September 2019 has shown some interesting changes in terms of PC video card usage. Although Nvidia still dominates the overall percentage share with the GeForce RTX 2060 going strong and ...

Daniel R Deakin, 22 Oct 2019 06:49

Best at still photography, lacking at video. (Source: The Verge)

Google explains the rationale behind the Pixel 4's lack of 4K60fps video recording

The Google Pixel 4 phones don't have support for shooting 4K60fps videos even though Android phones have been able to do that for well over a year. Google has now explained the rationale behind the decision but it's woefully uncon...

Ricci Rox, 21 Oct 2019 11:45

The Honor Play brought flagship performance to the mid-range segment. (Source: NDTV)

The Honor Play will not receive Android 10, and that's unfair

The Honor Play was released just over a year ago and has received one major update: Android Pie. That will apparently be the end of the road for the device, which is unfair to owners of the Kirin 970-powered phone. Even worse, tho...

Ricci Rox, 21 Oct 2019 11:45

The new LG U+ app allows the user to shop in AR. (Source: LG)

A major South Korean carrier unveils a service to make the dream of virtual shopping a reality

LG's South Korean telecomms company has announced the debut of its new app, "U+ AR Shopping". It enables users to transform the content of 2 popular TV shopping channels into augmented reality (AR) experiences. Consumers can then ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 20 Oct 2019 19:03

The Google Pixel 4 phones just don't offer enough value. (Source: Google)

Opinion | The Google Pixel 4 still feels like an overly elaborate joke

It's been almost a week since Google unveiled the Pixel 4 phones in New York but it's still baffling just how poor the phones are—the smaller Pixel 4, in particular. In fact, some choices by the company were so off the mark that o...

Ricci Rox, 20 Oct 2019 15:29

Opinion | Most OEMs treat AMD CPUs like second-class citizens when it comes to laptops. Now is the time for change

Microsoft had the cojones to put both AMD and Intel on its flagship Surface series. In contrast, other OEMs offer AMD options only for their lower-end to mid-range product families. The Ryzen 5 3500U and Ryzen 7 3700U are comparab...

Allen Ngo, 20 Oct 2019 10:02

Renders of the Pixel 4 XL. (Source: BGR)

Who made the display on the Google Pixel 4 XL - Samsung or LG?

The Pixel 4 XL's 90 Hz QHD+ AMOLED display has been hailed for its impressive quality, even winning DisplayMate's "Best Smartphone Display" award. That raises a few questions, of course, the most important being: who exactly made ...

Ricci Rox, 19 Oct 2019 15:48

No Snapdragon 730G: New Redmi Note 8T leak will leave expectant fans disappointed

A leak a few weeks ago claimed that Xiaomi was set to release a Snapdragon 730G-powered Redmi Note 8T. A new report counters that, though, and while a Redmi Note 8T may actually be on the way, fans of the company are unlikely to b...

Ricci Rox, 19 Oct 2019 15:44

AMD Zen 5 is already being designed and should launch in 2022, new Zen 2 chips coming soon

Next-next-gen Zen 5 architecture is already in development, confirms AMD

With some Zen 2-based processors still in the pipeline, AMD confirmed that the design of the Zen 3 architecture is complete and the testing/manufacturing stages should soon follow. Even more, Zen 4 and Zen 5 are both being designe...

Codrut Nistor, 18 Oct 2019 22:37

Xiaomi celebrates Redmi Note series sales milestone that shows its dominance in the mid-range segment

Since the launch of the first-gen Redmi Note back in 2014, Xiaomi's Redmi Note series has consistently offered the best value for money in the mid-range segment. The company has announced that it has now sold a hundred million Red...

Ricci Rox, 18 Oct 2019 15:36

AMD vs Intel: Does the new AMD ThinkPad X395 challenge the Intel ThinkPad X390?

We have just released our review of the Lenovo ThinkPad X395, an AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 3300U powered 13.3-inch subnotebook. The Ryzen 3 PRO 3300U integrates a Radeon RX Vega 6 GPU too, which is known to have better graphics performance ...

Alex Alderson, 17 Oct 2019 23:57

US$295 for the 128 GB Pixel 3 XL. (Source: Google)

Opinion | Google's Pixel 4 trade-in program is laughable

If you own a Pixel 3 and were about to use the Pixel 4's trade-in program to get Google's latest device for significantly cheaper, think twice. You see, Google seems to be of the opinion that the 128 GB Pixel 3 XL is worth a measl...

Ricci Rox, 17 Oct 2019 19:51

OnePlus will maintain a steady course for now. (Source: Pocket-lint)

OnePlus has no intention of becoming Huawei or Xiaomi (yet)

OnePlus' chief executive officer, Pete Lau, has given an interview on the company's future in its home market. Its main message was that the company has no plans to diversify into non-premium smartphones at present. Furthermore, n...

Deirdre O Donnell, 16 Oct 2019 19:52

This is why Xiaomi opted for the weak Snapdragon 439 on the Redmi 8

Xiaomi fans may have felt confused when the Redmi 8's spec sheet was released, as the device features a Snapdragon 439—the same SoC on the cheaper Redmi 8A, and a much weaker chipset than the Snapdragon 632 on the Redmi 7. Xiaomi ...

Ricci Rox, 16 Oct 2019 15:55

The Redmi K30 is coming. (Source: Xiaomi)

The Redmi K30 is on the way with a Galaxy S10 Plus-eque punch-hole design

Xiaomi is set to release a successor to the immensely successful Redmi K20 Phones. The Redmi K30 is on the way and it will feature both 5G support and a dual selfie camera setup reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.

Ricci Rox, 16 Oct 2019 10:22

Intel's 10nm plans on the desktop are still some time away from fruition. (Source: ExtremeTech)

Intel refutes rumors of eliminating 10nm from the desktop, but don't expect anything till 2022

Fresh rumors have surfaced indicating that Intel would scrap 10nm on the desktop altogether and instead, directly launch 7nm Meteor Lake chips sometime in 2022 as 10nm has not yet reached the high clocks and yields required for de...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 15 Oct 2019 15:38

The new NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens. (Source: Nikon)

Nikon evokes a 58mm classic with its "fastest NIKKOR lens ever"

Nikon has launched the new and expansive NIKKOR Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct lens. This product name may sound familiar as it has been chosen to honor an iconic lens of the past. The new S-series lens has manual focus and an aperture of u...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Oct 2019 19:54

The X55 modem will move beyond smartphone integration soon. (Source: Qualcomm)

The Snapdragon X55 modem will power 5G fixed broadband equipment for over 30 OEMs

Qualcomm has announced that over 30 manufacturers have taken the Snapdragon X55 modem up in order to produce their 5G fixed wireless broadband consumer-premises hardware. This means the equipment carriers and ISPs will install in ...

Deirdre O Donnell, 14 Oct 2019 18:59

Intel is reportedly planning to offer discounts to counter AMD's rising market share. (Source: Fstoppers)

Intel reportedly planning to unleash its financial might to counter AMD, price cuts for Core and Xeon processors to cost US$3 billion

A leaked internal Intel slide courtesy of AdoredTV talks about Intel's plans to counter AMD's increasing marketshare via price cuts that would cost the company around US$3 billion. Intel hopes that these price cuts would help its ...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 14 Oct 2019 09:02

Renders of the Honor View 30 show it with a Mate 20 Pro-esque camera array. (Source: AndroidSaint)

Details of the Honor View 30 revealed - Two phones, OLED, 5G, and a monstrous 60 MP camera

The Honor View 30—or V30 depending on where you buy it—will be Huawei's next premium phone. A short while ago, the first image of the device leaked. This time out, though, details of the phone have surfaced. Notable takeaways incl...

Ricci Rox, 13 Oct 2019 12:00

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

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 registra...

Deirdre O Donnell, 11 Oct 2019 15:40

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 downloa...

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 ...

Bogdan Solca, 10 Oct 2019 17:47

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, Inte...

Sam Medley, 10 Oct 2019 16:47

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$5...

Deirdre O Donnell, 09 Oct 2019 22:25

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 man...

Benjamin Herzig, 09 Oct 2019 17:00

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 ...

Bogdan Solca, 09 Oct 2019 15:44

New Lenovo ThinkPad E14 & E15 embrace thinner design at the expense of one RAM slot

Lenovo updates its affordable ThinkPad E series with Intel Comet Lake. The new models ThinkPad E14 and ThinkPad E15 are more than simple CPU updates though, as Lenovo has redesigned them compared with their predecessors ThinkPad E...

Benjamin Herzig, 09 Oct 2019 11:27

The 2019 TCL 8-series will be available soon. (Source: TCL)

TCL releases its new 8-series of Roku-enabled TVs through Best Buy

TCL's 2019 8-series of TVs are based on QLED technology and integrate the Roku streaming platform. They are 4K HDR panels that support Dolby Vision and 100% of the DCI-P3 color space. The new TCL 8-series will become available thr...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Oct 2019 23:01

Semiconductors are not going anywhere any time soon. (Source: Flickr)

The semiconductor market will reach US$573 billion by 2024

New research has shown that the market for semiconductors is estimated to grow to US$573 billion in 5 years. This may be driven by a demand for these materials in wireless communications, vehicles and online connectivity. However,...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Oct 2019 21:34

The subscription service trends over the last few years. (Source: Parks Associates)

46% of US households with broadband have multiple streaming subscriptions now

New research has found that nearly 50% of all US households with broadband subscribe to 2 or more subscription-based services in 2019, whereas this figure was 33% in 2017 and only 20% in 2014. The apparent demand has driven the nu...

Deirdre O Donnell, 08 Oct 2019 20:22

The Kaby Lake-G was a good experiment that didn't find many takers. (Source: Intel)

Updated: Intel Kaby Lake-G family goes the way of the dodo

Intel has issued a new Product Change Notification (PCN) document that lists the Kaby Lake-G family as End of Life (EOL) citing market demand for other Intel products. The EOL date is effective from today and OEMs will not be able...

Vaidyanathan Subramaniam, 08 Oct 2019 16:07

HP ZBook 14u G6 laptop review: The mobile workstation has problems with performance

The hardware in the HP ZBook 14u G6 mobile workstation often has to apply the brakes

Hewlett Packard's mobile workstation features good input devices and a great display. This is joined by a docking port, good battery life and a Thunderbolt 3 port. There are problems with performance.

Sascha Mölck, 08 Oct 2019 07:22

The Acer ConceptD series has won some 2019 awards. (Source: AnandTech)

Acer wins Good Design 2019 awards for its ConceptD notebooks

The Acer ConceptD 7 and 9 models have won at this year's Good Design awards. Unsurprisingly, this is due to their innovative, creator-focused form factors. Acer have also won 2 more of these honors for the Swift 7 and TravelMate P...

Deirdre O Donnell, 07 Oct 2019 23:46

Sony unveils the Xperia 8 but it's just so...disappointing

Sony has unveiled another device, the Xperia 8. The Xperia 8 is a mid-range phone that raises more questions over the logic in Sony's naming scheme while simultaneously managing to offer an overwhelmingly disappointing package at ...

Ricci Rox, 07 Oct 2019 11:26

Facebook Libra is shaking - PayPal bails out

Is Facebook Libra doomed to fail? PayPal withdraws from the project

Libra Association, the 28-member nonprofit organization that was formed back in June 2019 to oversee the creation of Facebook's cryptocurrency and its consumer rollout, has just lost one of its supporters. Sadly, the brand that ha...

Codrut Nistor, 07 Oct 2019 10:55