Reviews

New edition for the battery champion. The Galaxy A12 Nacho reveals good features in our review, but also some weaknesses. As with the Galaxy A12, the pricing of the Samsung phone is very attractive. Read our review to find out whether the entry-level smartphone is worth buying.

Well-priced and long-lasting. The Aspire 1 comes with an IPS screen, an Office 365 Personal one-year subscription and great battery life. The notebook is based on an ARM chip, which is passively cooled. Read our review to learn what you will get for 273 Euros (~$309).

Modern 11th gen Core i5 performance. Beelink is finally ditching those Celeron and older generation CPUs for the latest 11th gen Tiger Lake options on its newest mini PC. The end result is a system that can stand toe-to-toe with the latest Intel NUCs while costing several hundred dollars less.

Touch display for the road! Uperfect has introduced the X Pro LapDock, a portable 4K touch screen that can also be used autonomously due to the built-in battery. We take a closer look at whether the screen delivers what Uperfect promises.

GPU issues affect the user experience. The fourth generation of Lenovo’s multimedia laptop ThinkPad X1 Extreme introduces vapor chamber cooling to the series and enables more powerful GPUs, but is the GeForce RTX 3080 really worth the premium and is there a noticeable advantage over the RTX 3070? Update: We found the solution for the GPU bug

MediaTek-powered machine. A no-frills convertible Chromebook designed for grade schoolers, travel, or a secondary backup laptop. It's relatively sturdy if you can get past the chunky size.

Something for everyone. We pitted four best camera smartphones against each other. These include the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, the Oppo Find X3 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, and the iPhone 13 Pro. Read on to find out which phone emerges as the winner in our comparison.

The PAMU Z1 ANC earbuds are an affordable pair of wireless buds with a comfortable ergonomic design. While the Z1s lack features and high-end sound quality found on other TWS earphones, they fit comfortably and outclass many options in their price bracket.

Really new? Xiaomi has provided the popular Lite model of its 11 series with a slight upgrade. Read on to find out whether the newer SoC and the new color variants really justify the higher purchase price, and whether the upgrade is even worth it.

With Wi-Fi control and a Touchscreen the Longer RAY5 is almost an unicum among laser engravers. Thus, the CNC laser can impress with a particularly easy handling. Only 5 watts of optical power are enough to produce good results on many materials.

Finally with stable Wi-Fi. Compared to last year, Samsung hasn't changed much in the Galaxy A03s. The very affordable phone at least comes with more stable Wi-Fi, which was one of our biggest points of criticism with the predecessor. Is the Galaxy A03s worth it or is it too expensive for 160 Euros?

Following Huawei's paths. Two years after the introduction of the Redmi Note 8, Xiaomi brings a new version of its bestselling smartphone. However, the Note 8 2021 turns out to be a very modest model update with some technical adjustments that are at times questionable not only on its data sheet.

Strong middle class. A lot of performance, 120 Hz display and a chic design in the style of the Apple iPad Air: The 11-inch Xiaomi Pad 5 offers all that for 400 Euros (~$450) and is thus an interesting alternative to the Apple iPad 2021, which is one of the best tablets in this price range. We will find out whether the Pad 5 can really compete with the Apple rival in our review.

Not cheap, but well-priced. Acer’s 14-inch laptop scores some major points thanks to its great battery life, silent operation, keyboard backlight and matte IPS screen. The quad-core Pentium Silver N6000 performs about as well as a Skylake chip. Windows is not included. The whole package costs 279 Euros (~$315).

Just 1.1 kg with AMOLED display. Samsung's flagship 15.6-inch laptop is several hundred grams lighter than the popular Dell XPS 15, HP Spectre x360 15, and most other laptops of its size class for that matter. Do performance and battery life suffer as a consequence?

Lighter than its competitors and with less than 30 minutes needed to go from completely depleted to fully loaded, the ElecJet Apollo Ultra is a 10,000 mAh power bank that sets the bar very high. Today, we will take a close look at it and see if there's enough in it to justify the US$99 MSRP.

Finally on par with Samsung even without the "Mi". One of the most interesting new features of the 11T lineup is found off the spec sheet - namely in the relatively long software support. That said, the hardware built into the high-end phone also impressed us in the test...

Leopard in attack mode. If you want a proper gaming laptop with an RTX 3080 and Core i7, then this has to be a high-end model, right? Wait, you want it to cost less than 2,000 Euros? So, here we go, the 15-inch Leopard from MSI joins the battle! But can it live up to its potential? We put the budget gamer with high-end hardware through its paces and elicit all its weaknesses, which it should surely have in abundance at this price.

Large laptop with filigree details A 400 cd/m² bright OLED display as well as strong hardware from Nvidia and AMD make the 16-inch Vivobook an attractive laptop together with the valuable aluminum casing. However, the tested pre-production device could only almost show a production-ready performance in the test.

Battery change! The Gigaset GS5 retains an old virtue this year — the removable battery — but adds a newer SoC, more memory, and a more promising camera setup. In return, it is more expensive and the power adapter is removed from the package.

Compact powerhouse! Intel once again raises the bar for performance with the Intel NUC 11 Extreme Compute Element. The new Compute Element is used in the Beast Canyon and, together with a dedicated Nvidia GPU, makes for a powerful and compact gaming system. You can find out how well the system performs against comparable desktop systems in this review.

Due to the ongoing pandemic, solutions like the Coolpo AI Huddle Pana smart conference camera are in high demand. Although its price and feature set make it more of a business-oriented accessory, this piece of hardware can be used in multiple scenarios, including homeschooling and virtual family gatherings.

The return of Master Chief. After years of anticipation, Halo Infinite is finally out. We conducted our performance analysis to determine the system requirements.

Great performance per dollar. The IdeaPad 3 15 is a budget system that doesn't skimp on performance even when compared to a Core i7 in certain conditions. Though it feels fast for the price, the limited color space of the display and lack of some USB-C features can be disappointing.

MAXimum! Acer's Swift 3 series offers decent multimedia laptops. The Swift 3X comes with a dedicated GPU in addition to the iGPU. This provides solid performance for the occasional gaming session as our review of the Acer Swift 3X, which is compelling in many aspects, shows.

The king of cost-cutting. The Galaxy M22 is the updated version of the Galaxy M21. However, some features have been cut and the price has been significantly increased when compared to the predecessor. Is Samsung's bargain-bin smartphone not what it claims to be?

Fangrade. Asus's gaming smartphone got updated once again this year. New devices come with the Snapdragon 888+, and the product line now includes only three models. Read our review to learn about the new features and whether or not the devices are worth buying.

Upgradeable! We rarely get to review inexpensive convertibles that can be tweaked as much as the Dell Inspiron 5410, although the review sample already comes with a good configuration out of the box. However, the display is the main compromise.

It's fewer than 20 days until Christmas Eve, and last-minute shopping will probably be tricky this year as well because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the parts shortages. The Spherebot can help to make some presents. It is a DIY project for less than US$50 that will turn ordinary Christmas tree baubles into personalized ornaments.

Cheap power bar. Motorola's Moto E20 offers good performance and a low weight for less than 100 Euros. On the other hand, you have to make concessions in areas such as battery life. Is the inexpensive smartphone really worth it?

Nvidia RTX A5000 with 155 watts. MSI introduces the WE76, a powerful mobile workstation that is based on the GE76 gaming laptop. Besides a professional RTX GPU from Nvidia, the WE76 also impresses with a very good keyboard and a matte 4K display.

Notch, no thanks. The Mix 4 is the first smartphone from Xiaomi with a front camera under the display. The glass and ceramics clad 6.67-inch smartphone offers additional purchase arguments with its high-end Snapdragon 888+ SoC, up to 12 GB of RAM, an AMOLED panel, and a triple-camera system with 108 MP. In addition, there is also quick charging at 120 watts, recharging the battery in less than 30 minutes.

More power with less power. Qualcomm presented the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 at this year's Snapdragon Tech Summit, its new high-end SoC for smartphones and tablets. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is Qualcomm's first chipset manufactured on a 4 nm process and relies on a completely redesigned GPU from the Adreno 700 series. Still, the youngest dragon does not show improvements in all areas.

High TDP comes at the expense of noise. With the Erazer Deputy P25, Medion offers a relatively low-priced gaming laptop. The 15-incher includes a Ryzen 7 5800H and a GeForce RTX 3060 for just under 1,250 Euros (~$1,414). Read our review to find out whether the overall package delivers a compelling performance.

Consumer. What do you get when you mix a Pentium chip with a crisp OLED panel? A sluggish yet silent tablet with great picture quality for consuming content. The Slate T3300 won't appeal to media creators, but that isn't its goal.

Let the farming begin. After three years of absence the famed farming simulator finally returns to PC. We conducted our performance analysis to determine system requirements.

Designed to take a beating. The Enduro Urban N3 is great for outdoor users who want the portability and performance of a Dell XPS 13 or Intel EVO laptop but are otherwise too worried about scratching up that expensive screen or case during use.

The laptop for designers? Asus launches the ProArt Studiobook W7600, the world's first notebook equipped with a 16-inch 4K OLED HDR display. In addition, it is not only compact and relatively light, but is also supposed to convince with big performance figures. The device also has an additional feature that is supposed to benefit creative workers and designers.

Mobile creative center - that is what Dell would probably like to call this convertible. While the bright 4K touchscreen with stylus support makes for a compelling argument, our measurements have unfortunately uncovered its weaknesses. The Intel Core i7 combined with 16 GB of fast RAM should result in good performance if it were not for the TDP woes.

Good expansion options. With the ThinkPad L15 G2, you can combine the high quality of Lenovo's business laptops with affordable hardware. This results in a powerful and robust device for less than 600 Euros (~$680) that shows what it can do in our test.

Office or Multimedia PC? Minisforum has launched the EliteMiniHM90 mini PC, a fast desktop computer based on an AMD Ryzen 9 4900H. We will talk about the advantages of the small PC and whether it is worth buying in this review.

Neon green upper class. The realme GT NEO 2 surprises with an unusual color option in the test and convinces with a lot of performance and a long runtime for quite little money. Only the camera has some catching up to do...

High-performance work tool. The ThinkPad L14 G2 is Lenovo’s entry-level business laptop with Intel’s Tiger Lake CPUs. The quality of the laptop is on a very high level. To learn more about the business notebook, read our review.

Back on top. With the Pixel 6, Google positions its flagship smartphone in the premium segment again; not only does it provide it with a unique design, but also with a completely redesigned camera setup, the first in-house chipset, and an enormously long update promise.

Fresh start. Battlefield 2042 looks very impressive. However, the launch has been marred by numerous bugs which EA let slip into the final version. We have conducted our performance analysis to determine the system requirements.

Many connections for the home office. With the ExpertBook B1 B1400, Asus presents a 14-inch laptop that is also suitable for mobile work due to its low weight. We will clarify the expected performance and how long the battery will last in our review.

Tablet with Finnish finesse? The Nokia T20 is inexpensive, available with LTE on request, and looks good. Thus, it would be ideal for home schooling, video conferencing or just everyday life at home. But is the first attempt at a Nokia tablet a success? Or should we rather look at more established manufacturers?

3-fan behemoth. MSI dares to fight for the creative crown of the 16-inch superstars. Creatives are supposed to achieve results in the shortest time with high performance. The idea is essentially successful, but the details are slightly lacking, which makes the Z16 miss the mark of Very Good.

Decent Core i3 substitute. Intel's latest 10 nm Celeron CPU is making strides when it comes to overall processor performance. Multi-thread performance in particular rivals the Core i3-1005G1, but the integrated GPU remains disappointing.

Hot iron. Wait a minute, another m15? Yes, after the m15 R5 with a Ryzen processor now comes the m15 R6 with an Intel CPU, which brings the usual advantages and disadvantages (keyword Thunderbolt). Of course, the new Tiger Lake processor is more efficient and also faster than the Comet Lake predecessor in the R4, but Dell applies the emergency brakes in the 3D performance, and the R4 also still has something to say here.

Workstation made to measure! We received a compact 19-inch workstation from Comino, which is equipped with four Nvidia A6000s and an AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 3975WX. In addition, there is liquid cooling, which is supposed to keep both the CPU and the GPUs in check. We took a closer look at the system and explain the pros and cons.

Greatly improved. Samsung has launched the second generation of its Galaxy Buds and has not only given the TWS headphones a new look and new colors, but also Active Noise Canceling. The price of 149 Euros (~$169) is quite attractive. Read our review to find out what else the Galaxy Buds2 have to offer.

Where is the desktop CPU? The predecessor was equipped with a swappable socket CPU for desktops, wiped the floor with the competition in terms of performance, but was clearly too loud. The current Apex 15 uses a normal laptop CPU, but still retains some features from the predecessor. This has advantages and disadvantages, but which ones outweigh the others?

Better than the iPad Pro? Microsoft updates its high-end convertible with new Tiger Lake CPUs from Intel as well as a larger 13-inch screen including 120 Hz, replaceable SSD, and Thunderbolt 4. The optional LTE connectivity is unfortunately still limited to business customers.

Best RTX 3050 performance. For just under 750 Euros (~$848), you can get the G5 GD, a gaming laptop equipped with a Tiger Lake hexa-core processor and a GeForce RTX 3050 laptop GPU. The laptop offers space for up to three storage drives.

AMD Zen 3 with 16:10 touchscreen. Lenovo's IdeaPad family has grown so confusingly large that it's been getting difficult to keep track of how the models are categorized. Even so, the family has its gems including the new IdeaPad 5 Pro 14 which could have easily passed as a Yoga if not for a couple of caveats.

U4 4 U? A processor with a speed of up to 5 GHz combined with 16 GB of RAM promises good performance. Read our review to find out whether the 14-inch compact Gigabyte U4 UD can fulfill these expectations, and how it stacks up in terms of graphics performance, battery life, and the like.

OLED for the rest of us. With the new VivoBook K Series range, Asus aims to bring some of the features normally found in premium ZenBook offerings at more accessible prices. The Asus VivoBook 15 KM513 offers the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U APU and a vibrant Samsung OLED HDR panel at a starting price of ₹62,990 (US$846). While this is surely an enticing proposition, some of the qualms that the VivoBook series is known for continue to remain.

More GPU cores and more RAM. The new MacBook Pro 16 with Apple’s own M1 Max SoC offers plenty of performance and uses a completely new Mini-LED panel with 120 Hz ProMotion technology. We review the high-end model with 32 GPU cores and 64 GB shared memory.

The Acer Chromebook Spin is one of the digital devices that Austria's school-age children will get starting in fall 2021. The laptop is inexpensive and offers a balanced performance. The most pressing question that arises in the test is: Can a laptop with Chrome OS replace a computer with Windows?

While many brands use a software app to compensate for weak hardware or provide above-average hardware to make up for the lack of a customization app, Padmate brings both into the equation. Today, we will see how inspired is this brand's product labeled "Pamu Z1 Pro" and advertised to eliminate up to 40 dB of noise while providing excellent quality audio.

5G for sure. Wide-angle camera, fast mobile Internet, large battery - at first glance, the Nokia G50 seems to have everything a mid-range phone needs today. But is it better than the competition? We want to find out in the test.

Road warrior with Ryzen power. The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 2 already received a very good rating in its version with an Intel CPU. The compact business laptop gets even better with the AMD Ryzen 5000 series. The Cezanne U CPUs make the Lenovo ThinkPad faster while reducing temperatures and fan noise.

Making do without Geforce. After testing the "large" Inspiron 16 Plus 7610 with a GeForce RTX 3050 and i7, we now take a look at the entry-level model. This time, the i7-11800H comes solo without dGPU. Will it be able to counter the complaint about the below-average development of the processor performance?

Iris Xe but with a catch. The Latitude 9520 convertible replaces the 10th gen Comet Lake-U CPU series on last year's model with newer 11th gen Tiger Lake-U options. Users are getting significantly faster graphics as a result, but performance isn't as steady as we had hoped.

With VGA and Thunderbolt 4. Due to its low price, Asus' ExpertBook B1 does not only seem suitable for office and business use, but also for private use. We will clarify whether this impression is true in our review.

Metal back. The Chinese manufacturer launches its first tablet on the market with the realme Pad. It is supposed to offer a Full HD screen and decent power in a light and slim casing for little money. We will take a closer look in the test.

90 Hz monopolist in the low-cost sector? Motorola offers a smartphone under 150 Euros (~$169) with the Moto E40. If you have always wanted a fast screen in your cell phone on a tight budget, you should pay attention. However, savings had to be made elsewhere...

Chic cross-country skier. The Asus ExpertBook B5 Flip B5302FEA is available as a campus model with a price advantage for students, teachers and others. But the convertible with Intel Core i5-1135G7 and enduring battery is also a good choice for the regular, hardly higher price, as our review shows.

Anycubic's new version of the Photon Mono X promises higher resolution and faster processing times. At speeds of up to 80 mm/h, the 3D printer, which retails for 659 USD, is designed to produce replicates from UV resin. The 6K resolution of the masking screen renders details as thin as a single hair.

Powerful X1 in its fourth generation. In a year of numerous ThinkPad redesigns, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 is one of the most significant - after all, it's the very first 16-inch ThinkPad laptop. We are also pleased with the other features of this premium multimedia laptop, although battery life is disappointing.

BIOS updates stabilize the performance. In our first tests, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon G9 still struggled with performance issues. After several BIOS updates, the performance is now stable, but also lower. The optional ePrivacy screen also remains problematic.

In color. The update of the well-known fitness tracker doesn't turn out small. In the Charge 5, Fitbit replaces the outdated monochrome OLED of the predecessor with a color version, removes the button on the side, and expands several functions for health monitoring.
Update: ECG and Daily Readiness Score are available at this point.

The most compelling GPD product thus far. The 8-inch Pocket 3 squeezes in many of the same features found on full-size laptops including an 11th gen Core i7 CPU, Wi-Fi 6E, PCIe4 NVMe SSD, Thunderbolt 4, and support for Windows 11 and even RS-232. We found only a couple of glaring caveats that we hope future revisions can address.

Insider Tip. The Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro is not yet officially available here and can currently only be purchased via import channels. However, this route is worthwhile because the 11-inch tablet is a real alternative to the Apple iPad in terms of looks and performance. However, the Pad 5 Pro costs considerably less and has a 120 Hz display and 67-watt fast charging ahead of the Apple model.

Feast for the eyes. If someone were to claim that Forza Horizon 5 is the prettiest racing game in the world they would not be far from the truth. We benchmarked the gorgeous-looking title to determine the system requirements.

AMD meets Nvidia. The XMG Apex 17 is a 17-inch gaming notebook from Schenker Technologies that relies on a strong Ryzen CPU and a potent GeForce GPU. The biggest highlight is the removable battery, the biggest drawback is the loud noise development.

How does the full version of the M1 Pro perform? We review the new MacBook Pro 16 with Apple’s latest M1 Pro processor in its most powerful version with 16 GPU cores. The Mini-LED panel once again impresses with great pictures just like on the smaller 14-inch model.

1080p OLED is the new sweet spot. The VivoBook 15 K513 offers an amazing bang for the buck with its OLED display, 11th gen Intel CPU, and discrete Nvidia graphics all for under $950 USD. Though solid on paper, a few cut corners prevent it from reaching the same levels of a ZenBook.

Edge without the edges? The second generation of Motorola's high-end mid-range Edge series comes without the curved screen glass of the predecessor. Instead, it features a slim design, a lower price, but also a smaller battery. So the question arises: Is this a step forwards or a step backwards?

Fast charging as the star feature. The Apple Watch 7 is mainly distinguished by a larger display without much of an increase in the watch size. The Californians have also equipped it with a fast charge function, but this is as far as the improvements for the newest Apple smartwatch go. Find out in our test, for whom the changes might still be worthwhile.

Super Vapor. We have already tested the base model of the ThinkPad P1 G4, and now we have the second test: The workstation offshoot of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme G4 achieves a much better CPU performance with a drilled-out cooling system. At the same time, we test the 16-inch WQUXGA LCD in 16:10 format.

Old weaknesses, new strengths. Unlike its predecessors, Call of Duty Vanguard tries to do something new. We conducted our performance analysis to determine the system requirements.

Versatile. Acer's 2-in-1 laptop is equipped for office and Internet operation with a Ryzen 3 APU, 8 GB of working memory in dual-channel mode, and an NVMe SSD. The touchscreen can not only be operated with the fingers but also with an active input pen.

It could hardly be more dynamic and special. Dynabook launches the Portégé X30W, an ultra-light convertible with Intel's 11th processor generation, two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a matte touch display. Find out what else the Portégé can do and what the special warranty is all about in our review.

10 Inch with Android. With a particularly low price, Teclast wants to position the T40 Plus as a tablet for simple daily applications. Thanks to LTE, this is also possible without a domestic WLAN and the installed hardware seems suitable for this. However, we will clarify what is actually offered in our review.

A lot of smartphone for little money. The Xiaomi Redmi 10 starts at less than 200 Euros (~$231), but that doesn't keep it from packing a punch in terms of features: A 90 Hz display is included with the 6.5-incher as well as NFC, a 50 MP camera, a 5,000 mAh battery, and stereo speakers. The MediaTek SoC Helio G88 even ensures good everyday and gaming performance.

No frills HTPC. If Intel isn't your thing, then the AMD-powered SER3 can offer a similar level of performance as an older 8th gen Core-U series while costing a bit less. It also comes with dual storage and RAM options for easy upgrades down the road.

The Xgimi Halo Plus (Halo+) expertly balances portability with power. Despite some minor annoyances, the Halo Plus is an excellent all-around projector for use at home and on the go. Be prepared to shell out quite a bit of cash for the convenience.

600 nits. The Ryzen 9 5900HX APU and the GeForce RTX 3060 laptop GPU bring nearly every computer game smoothly onto the matte 4K screen. The latter scores points with very good color reproduction (Pantone calibration) as well as high brightness. In addition, battery life is excellent.

Many improvements! Starting today, Intel's 12th generation of the Core processors is available for sale, seeking to attract buyers. Find out in this review what you can expect from the new processors and what to know before the purchase.

Does expensive = good? Vaio wants you to pony up Apple levels of money for a Windows PC. While the lower-end Core i5 configuration is decently priced for what you're getting, our high-end Core i7 configuration doesn't offer much more to justify its enormous $700 surcharge.

For a small budget. The Oppo A16s is an inexpensive entry-level smartphone that wants to convince with its 5,000 mAh strong battery, an eye-friendly display and last but not least a triple camera. How the Oppo smartphone performs for less than 180 Euros (~$208) can be read in the review.

A deceptive package? Motorola's Edge 20 Lite is an interesting mid-range phone on paper. The cheapest smartphone in the Edge 20 series has some features from the Edge 20 Pro, but the spec sheet belies some shortcomings.

Four speakers - hallelujah! Despite its low price, the Tab P11 Plus has an impressive set of features. The aluminum tablet from Lenovo has a Dolby Atmos speaker system, a 2K IPS panel, as well as a powerful 7,700 mAh battery. However, the P11 Plus revealed a major weakness in our review, which should be taken into account before buying.

MagSafe, M1 Pro, Mini-LED with 120 Hz and a notch... Apple launched the new MacBook Pro 14 with its own M1 CPUs as well as the new Mini-LED display with 120 Hz. After some rather unsuccessful experiments like the touch bar and the butterfly keyboard, Apple reintroduces other features like the SD-card reader and MagSafe.

Explore the great outdoors. Riders Republic is Ubisoft’s attempt to create a very open sports game with customisable characters and large player counts. We benchmarked Riders Republic to determine its system requirements.

Powerful cooling and 1080p OLED. With the new VivoBook 15 Pro, Asus presents an affordable multimedia laptop that combines a fast Ryzen processor with the GeForce RTX 3050. In addition, the bright 1080p OLED display impresses with luminous and vibrant images.

16:10 format. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13x G1 is supposed to deliver enough performance for a busy office routine and is also a good choice for mobile users. We will find out how well these features have been implemented in our review.