Reviews

Cyberpunk meets hardware hunger. “Mankind Divided” has exciting game and story elements, but it needs powerful hardware to run well. Our benchmark test course will determine just how demanding the game is on different notebook and desktop GPUs. Update: now with 27 graphics cards!

Silver companion! Lenovo presents another 14-inch lightweight that is furnished with a ULV processor and Intel Iris graphics. Its attempt to mingle in the premium range is not completely successful. Our in-depth report reveals why Lenovo's subnotebook fails and how the review sample fares in our demanding test course.

Explosive combination. The Note is finally available in Europe again. The launch, however, is overshadowed by technical problems causing a world-wide recall. We still had a look at the Galaxy Note 7.

Fade to white. Acer's entry-level E-series caters to users with more basic needs. The 15.6-inch notebook is a solid everyday performer held back by a less-than-stellar display panel and subpar battery life.

Battery behemoth. The Taiwanese manufacturer, Acer, touts its Liquid Zest Plus as an accessory for travels: A long battery life, and high-quality audio and camera quality are to make the mid-range handset the ideal travel companion. Find out in our test whether this is true.

Successful desktop replacement. Acer delivers a well-equipped, 17.3-inch all-rounder for the home desk in the form of the Aspire E5-774g. The GeForce 940MX alongside a GDDR5 memory renders many games smoothly on the matte Full HD screen. However, the buyer has to fork up almost 1000 Euros (~$1122) for the total package.

The second one features better zooming. The Apple iPhone 7 Plus is showing off with two main cameras and a powerful processor. All of this is sitting inside a water and dust resistant case with two new colors. You also get stereo speakers, but the analog headphone jack has been removed.

Popular design. The CDK07 docking keyboard transforms the Cube i9 into a full-fledged convertible PC. The design of this dock is similar to that of the "Touch" cover from Microsoft. In this review, we will check how the docking keyboard fares in comparison to the Microsoft product and how good the Cube i9 is as a convertible PC.

Cheap Thrills. "Cheaper is always possible", Huawei thought, and it thus reduced the price of the lower mid-range with its Y6 II Compact. Is that enough for a convincing presentation?

Now, it is also waterproof. The case of the new iPhone is now also protected against water and dust. There are also improvements in respect to the camera as well as the display, combined with a lot of performance. A headphone jack is, however, not available anymore. Sound output is now handled by the Lightning port instead.

A souped-up Y700. The higher-end Y900 feels unique with more features and better craftsmanship than its immediately Y700 predecessor. Unfortunately, its chiclet mechanical keyboard, loud pulsating fans, and high starting price leave a lot to be desired.

Keyboard fail. HP sends a 15-inch convertible from its x360 Pavilion lineup into the race. The competition has grown quite a bit in the past months - even if a high-rider is not among them, all opponents are at least relatively good. Can the Pavilion stand its ground with its inner values? Or will it fail thanks to its keyboard?

Well-rounded package. The Lenovo IdeaPad 510S-13ISK is a nice 13.3-inch subnotebook, which offers a Full HD IPS screen, a Skylake processor and a backlit keyboard. However, the battery should last longer.

Gigantic convertible. A 17-inch convertible? Why not? Anyone preferring the stationary use of Windows 10 in tablet mode should be absolutely happy with this somewhat unusual combination. However, the Inspiron also does a good job as a conventional office machine - only the keyboard could have been of a higher quality for this price.

Play with Pascal. Nexoc also upgrades to Nvidia's new Pascal architecture now and incorporates the GeForce GTX 1070 in a 17.3-inch notebook. High performance meets a high-end case and decent input devices. We were only bothered about the fans and the temperature increase.

Challenging the desktop. Desktop PC performance without compromises is what Schenker Technologies wants to achieve with its most expensive gaming notebook the XMG U727. The 17-inch model is equipped with two high-end MXM GPUs as well as a socketed CPU. Nvidia’s brand-new Pascal architecture promises sufficient performance for 4K.

Fort Knox. BlackBerry advertises its 5.2-inch DTEK50 as the most secure Android smartphone in the world. Consequently, the mid-range handset comes with an impressive selection of security features; nevertheless it is just as easy to handle as a standard Android device.

Faster performance, cooler temperatures. If size and weight aren't concerns, then the GT72VR is your best bet with GTX 1060 graphics. Surface temperatures and fan noise are both low for a gaming notebook.

Low-budget flagship smartphone? Low-budget flagship smartphone? The R7 is the first self-titled flagship smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer Blackview – for a local price of around 160 Euros (~$180). We will check how the new flagship performs in our in-depth review.

Surprisingly powerful. Not a new architecture and not a new process – but Intel's gently optimized Kaby Lake generation still manages a significant frequency and performance jump. We tested the new Core i7-7500U. Update 09/12/2016: New benchmarks of the Core i5-7200U.

Designed by Nvidia. The smaller sibling of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Founder's Edition is called Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 Founder's Edition. Powered by a Pascal GPU chip with 8 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, the card is supposed to prevail, especially in the lower high-end range. Learn in this review, whether Nvidia has actually achieved this, and where there might be weaknesses.

The Mighty Giant. Just this May, we reviewed the Predator 17 G9-792 with GTX 980M GPU. Now Acer has released the nearly identical successor, this time equipped with a GTX 1070 graphics card. The behemoth manages to impress once again with special features like an additional FrostCore cooling fan. Is the Predator "cooler" than its competition?

A "pocket" computer? Acer's Jade Primo is a premium-range smartphone based on Windows 10 Mobile that can also be used as a PC thanks to the Continuum function. That also makes it a direct opponent for Microsoft's top models. The handset's wireless connections are particularly convincing, but it could be a bit more enduring.

Middle of the pack. The 15.6-inch Lenovo all-rounder is priced relatively high for the average features that it offers. The case and screen are both weak points that influence the rating.

One step forward. The GE series was previously limited to the GTX 970M, but the introduction of the GTX 1060 now gives it GTX 980M-level graphics power without necessarily raising costs or temperatures.

The heart beats faster. While the majority of notebooks are only equipped with 60 Hz panels, the GT73VR is one of the first systems with a 120 Hz display. MSI does not compromise the other sections, either, and it ships the desktop replacement with numerous features including overclocking. Does the additional price compared to a standard gaming notebook pay off? We will find out.

1080p60 gaming on a 14-incher. Stuff a GTX 1060 into an existing small form factor design and you'll automatically get one of the fastest 14-inch notebooks around. The GS40 series has made the leap to Pascal as the new GS43VR, though fan noise isn't necessarily any quieter.

The finger makes the difference. The U Feel is a new mainstream smartphone from the French manufacturer Wiko. Two highlights are the design and the fingerprint scanner, which can trigger different actions depending on the finger. Read our review to see what the smartphone is capable of.

Fold mode. Despite Surface Pro 4 convertibles with laptop power, manufacturers are throwing 360-degree laptops with standard processors onto the market. With a price tag of price of 1000 Euros (~$1115), they are not exactly cheap. Additional interfaces and maintenance have their price. How does Dell's 13.3-inch model fit into this field of competition?

Desirable. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 (2016) is a compelling package. No other other 10-inch tablet with Android 6, LTE and Full-HD on the market offers more for less. If the performance is up to par as well is the subject of our review.

21 hours. Stylish aluminum dress meets 360-degree hinge. Is the 650 Euro (~$725) model a match for its more expensive rivals? Why does it last 21 hours when idling, but not even 5 hours when browsing on the Internet?

A Pixel Competitor… Premium materials, meticulous design, a high-res screen, and great performance. HP seeks to redefine the Chromebook with the closest thing we’ve seen to a Pixel since Google first introduced it.

Pascal Debut. After many notebooks based on the brand new high-end GeForce GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 GPUs have passed through our hands, we can now take a look at the equally exciting GTX 1060. Is the 16 nm architecture also convincing in this case? The Schenker XMG P507 provides the answers.

Let the games begin. Asus sent us one of the first 15-inch notebooks with the extremely fast Pascal GPU GeForce GTX 1070. The informed reader expects big performance gains and is not disappointed. The manufacturer focuses on continuity for the other aspects of the system, which is usually the correct decision.

Affordable, but not perfect. HP does not even charge 700 Euros (~$790) for its new Windows detachable, which comes with a Core-m processor, a digitizer and a keyboard dock. But how does the device compare with the much more expensive Surface Pro 4 from Microsoft?

Thinnest Pascal yet. This complete chassis overhaul provides GTX 980M-level graphics performance in a smaller, lighter, and cooler package. Fan noise is still a stumbling point for a series that delicately balances between a razer-sharp design philosophy and enthusiast-level GTX GPUs.

Camera expert. LG's latest product line with an "X" in its name combines mid-range smartphones with handpicked features that are normally found in the smartphone premium range. LG's X Cam stands out with a special "x-tra" in the camera section. Find out whether the camera module's quality is also "x-tra" good.

The same, but one size bigger, please. The hardware in Asus' ZenPad 10.0 is largely identical to that of the 8.0-inch version, which convinced us in terms of price-performance. Thus, the total rating will mostly depend on the quality of the main differentiator - namely, the 10-inch display.

Desktop replacement! The latest model of the ROG-series is supposed to be a big leap in terms of performance. Thanks to the brand-new and powerful Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 from the new Pascal lineup, the chances are not bad. This article will find out whether this plan works and if Asus can beat the rivals.

GTX 980 in a mini PC. The ZBox EN980 is one of the first mini PCs to be VR Ready and, surprisingly, it runs relatively cool and quietly thanks to its dense cooling system. Nonetheless, idling fan noise could have been quieter and the system is still missing some key features we find should be common for its $1600 USD price.

Hot handset. Opposing the trend of touch control, Blackberry still incorporates a physical keyboard with slider mechanism in its Priv top model. Our report reveals whether this balancing act between classic and modernity is successful, and what features the smartphone has to offer beyond that.

Practical and affordable? A couple of months ago, we evaluated Lenovo’s entry-level ThinkPad 13, which we found to be a good value overall. Today, we turn our sights to the Chromebook counterpart. Is it a viable alternative to the world of Windows?

Happy without a fan. Despite its passively cooled Core-m processor, the EliteBook 1030 G1 can convince with excellent application performance, great input devices and a bright IPS display. Did HP create the new reference in the subnotebook segment?

Price cutter. At a mere 80 Euros (~$85), the 50e Neon is a cheap Archos smartphone. In the following review, we will check what the low budget device is capable of.

Top dog. Following Nvidia’s launch of its Pascal architecture for desktop systems a few weeks ago, the power-efficient 16 nm technology is now available for notebooks as well. Asus has been one of the first manufacturers to sample the top model GeForce GTX 1080. Stage free for the 18-inch G800VI.

Zen for the masses. Asus takes the opposite approach of the first version that could be categorized in the upper price and performance sector: The manufacturer apparently ordered a brand-name, quality tablet for a budget price. We will find out just how obvious the extreme cutbacks are in the following report.

Pushing its luck? With the ProBook 650 G2, HP debuts a 15.6-inch laptop that aims to achieve decent runtimes thanks to its frugal ULV processor. Our report reveals what customers should consider when buying this device and where the ProBook is situated in terms of performance.

More Middle-Class, Less Elite. HP shows their loyalty to AMD by using an AMD APU in their new subnotebook, the EliteBook 725 G3. Sadly, the price tag of roughly 1,000 Euros (~$1133) does not match the performance of this device. Our test model offered short battery life, a noisy fan and a dark screen with low contrast and poor viewing angles.

Born for 4K. Fans of high-resolution gaming are often faced with performance problems. Even the flagship model from Nvidia’s Maxwell generation, the GTX 980, struggles in 3840 x 2160. The situation is much better with the Pascal successor GTX 1080. This is confirmed by the Asus GX800, which is even powered by an SLI configuration.

Pascal power. The GT72S has been renewed as the GT72VR in time for Nvidia's all-powerful mobile Pascal series. While some new features have been added, a few have also been removed to make room for the higher-end GT73VR.

Clear statement. In line with the notebook launch of Nvidia's Pascal architecture, MSI announces a new high-end system based on the GeForce GTX 1070. The performance of the GT62VR is not only supposed to beat devices with the GTX 970M, but also notebooks equipped with the GTX 980M by quite a margin. Our review will find out if that is the case.

Loud gamer. It's got the looks of a multimedia notebook and the GPU of a gaming machine. While versatile, the system runs much louder than your standard Ultrabook even during low loads.

Polaris 11. The XFX Radeon RX 460 Desktop graphics card utilizes AMD's new Polaris 11 chip, which is produced using a 14 nm FinFet process. Our review with numerous benchmarks and hardware tests shows what performance the new chip and the partner-GPU are capable of.

Golden times? With its Xperia XA, Sony sends a new designer piece into the smartphone mid-range ring. Esthetes in particular should notice the slim lateral display bezel and the plain build right away. But are the inner values enough to keep the rivals at a distance?

Successful reiteration. High-quality input devices, a Full HD panel, long battery life - it seems as if HP has bundled a convincing office package with its ProBook 640 G2. Unfortunately, some weaknesses in details ruin the otherwise good overall impression.

Bad Connection. With the Pavilion 14, HP offers a compact notebook designed for multimedia. Thanks to its Nvidia GPU, it is also gaming capable to some extent. In addition, the price is quite affordable. However, HP did not correct some unfortunate flaws.

360 Degree View. Virtual Reality and 360 degree photography are the hype and Samsung is delivering what the customer wants with a new camera. In this review, we will check to see whether the camera is worth the investment.

Couch potato. HP's 11.6-inch convertible offers a high-contrast IPS screen as well as a lot of storage, but the battery runtimes are too short.

Home office. Acer combines a Braswell processor and a GeForce graphics core from the entry-level range. This will not create a gaming notebook. However, the laptop is indeed able to run some classic games. In addition, the Aspire brings other pros: It works quietly, comes with a decent keyboard and it has a big storage space.

Time for Yoga? Lenovo ups the ante and releases an elegant convertible with ULV processor and dedicated GPU. In our in-depth review, we will take a look to see how well this combination works.

DirectX 12 warfare. Ashes of the Singularity is a resource-intensive DirectX 12 strategy game with large-scale battle sequences, which jumps on the same bandwagon as Supreme Commander. What type of notebook and desktop hardware is necessary to allow stutter-free gameplay?

Bright entry. The Chinese manufacturer TP Link, which is known for network products, debuts on the smartphone market with three new smartphones from the Neffos series. The entry-level Neffos C5 offers a comparatively bright display and flexible usability.

Slimmed-down RX 480. AMD's new Polaris architecture made its debut with the top model Radeon RX 480 about two months ago. We can now review the smaller sibling. Our article is supposed to give an idea of the GPU’s performance classification.

No frills gaming. The Pavilion 15 is a great blend of multimedia and performance gaming in a modest and portable multimedia chassis. Its connectivity options and serviceability, however, leave a lot to be desired.

Colorful entry. Easy & Fun – the French manufacturer Wiko touts its new entry-level devices with this slogan. But just how much smartphone can you get for not even 100 Euros (~$111)? Our test of Wiko's new Jerry provides the answer.

White giant. Thanks to its 18.4-inch screen, the Samsung Galaxy View stands out from the majority of tablets. This does, however, also affect the weight and the size. Where can you use such a tablet and can it convince in terms of technology?

Ambitious. The Sony Xperia X aims to be a top smartphone and a photo artist in one device. Although the 5-inch Android system brings many features and high performance, is cannot fully meet its high, self-imposed claims.

Business device with stamina. Toshiba primarily did a facelift with the Portégé Z20t-C: The C models come with Skylake processors now and bring a Type-C USB port (USB 3.1 Gen 1). Despite a price north of about 2000 Euros (~$2234), the device is not flawless.

The beautiful beast. The Chinese smartphone label UHANS advertises its S1 smartphone model with this teaser. And this teaser is dead-on: Besides attractive looks, the entry-level handset proves to be powerful and exceptionally well equipped for this price range.

Quiet beast. - The MSI GTX 1070 is a unique graphics card thanks to its quiet, yet large cooling system and slight overclocking. In our review, we will test the 8 GB GDDR5 Gaming X graphics card.

A lot of smartphone for little money. With the second generation of the Z series, ZUK continues where the Z1 model left off: Very good technical specifications at a low purchase price. Only a handful of manufacturers manage a Snapdragon 820, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM for 270 Euros (~$302). Find out in our report where Lenovo's subsidiary brand ZUK had to make cutbacks.

Light, but not that mobile. The smartphone-behemoth Huawei releases a Windows convertible - and aims high by targeting business customers in the premium segment. Is the small 2-in-1 a threat to the likes of a Surface Pro 4 or the HP Spectre x2 12?

A more down-to-Earth GX700. Take away the water cooling capabilities of the GX700 and you're left with a lighter and wholly capable system in the form of a G701. While performance is where we expect it to be for a high-end gaming machine, the system still suffers from many of the same drawbacks as its ROG series siblings.

Office acrobat. Dell's Inspiron 13 7000 consumer series has a new member. The most recent convertible in a compact 13-inch size continues the tried casing design and is furnished with the latest Skylake hardware and an SSD. The silver-colored device convinces technically, but its input devices and screen are not completely free of some annoying weaknesses.

Light smartphone heavyweight. The newest flagship model by the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi proves that it has arrived in the premium smartphone sector. High-end specifications, a generous configuration, weight of just 129 grams, and high-quality glass casing: These clearly challenge established companies at a local street price of just below 300 Euros (~$332).

Smaller is better. The m3 version of the Spectre x2 12 offers an LTE modem for 899 Euros (~$990). Does the device offer good performance for the investment or does it throttle the SoC as in the m7 version?

Miixed bag. Lenovo's 10.1-inch IdeaPad Miix 310 is a detachable primarily designed to augment - and not replace - a user's existing Windows system. The performance is perfectly adequate for word processing and web browsing on-the-go - but the screen could be much brighter.

Fusion. With a 15-inch convertible, Dell tries to merge the most important qualities of a laptop and tablet in its new Inspiron. However, some compromises have to be made to achieve this high goal.

Economy project. The mobile workstation Dell Precision 3510 is an inexpensive entry-level model with many positive characteristics, but the review configuration can still not convince us.

Better take the entry-level model with i5. This update will reveal why the expensive i7 model does not pay off for typical buyers. In addition, we will compare the test model to the popular Surface Pro 4, MateBook, Miix 700 and Spectre x2 12 convertibles.

VOYOga. When looking for a bargain in the Windows convertible or 2-in-1 sector, buyers more frequently run into offers from the Far East markets whose dumping prices quickly obliterate any justified concerns regarding service life and possible warranty claims. With VOYO's V3, we are looking at a device that expertly plays around with the name.

A class of its own. Lenovo goes all-in with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga 20FRS1VS00. The icing on the cake is the OLED screen. Our review update will find out how the flagship convertible from Lenovo performs.

On-the-go workstation. Versatility is the name of the game as the P40 Yoga targets light workstation users with touchscreen features and a dedicated Quadrio GPU. For a starting price of $1500 USD, however, we were expecting a bit more in terms of performance and features.

Expensive entry. Samsung launches a 2016 update of its entry-level device Galaxy J1, but the price was increased. Samsung is once again not very generous in terms of features. Can the smartphone justify the additional price, or should you have a look at the rivals?

The 3rd Generation. The Wiko Lenny 3 applies a fresh coat of paint to the budget smartphone series. Wiko hopes the improved screen and cameras will receive good customer reviews. We reviewed the smartphone and here are our findings.

Pascal vs. Polaris. After Nvidia covered the high-end segment with the GeForce GTX 1080 and GTX 1070, we now get the much more affordable mainstream model. The GeForce GTX 1060 is the direct rival to AMD's price-performance champion Radeon RX 480. Which card will win the duel?

Netbook revival? For around 200 Euros (~$220) the customer receives a mini Windows device with a bit of local storage and a poor TN panel. Still, the price is great for a Windows 10 Home device (64-bit).

Interface initiative. A superb diversity of interfaces and ease of upgrading were apparently at the very top of Acer's development list for its latest 15-inch business laptop. The screen and security features are also compelling. But can the important input devices, ergonomics and engine also keep up?

Office worker. Lenovo's E51-80 is situated below the ThinkPad E series. Accordingly, the prices are low - but the E51-80 cannot really be called cheap. The fast SSD and Core i7 processor boost the price. However, this does not compensate for the at most mediocre keyboard and not very convincing battery life.

Prestige object. We are one of the first editorial offices with the chance to have a close look at the upcoming GX800. Compared to the predecessor, Asus not only increases the performance and the dimensions but also equips the device with a 4K display and G-Sync support. Can the cooling system handle the components? Our preview answers initial questions.

Strong and heavy. This 13.3-inch convertible is built tough, but its size and average display brightness make it more of an indoor tablet.

Folding Box? Is it more of a subnotebook than a 360-degree convertible? This small 11.6-inch device offers great performance, workmanship and storage space. However, it lacks a good display and keyboard.

Business notebook with long runtimes. Skylake, DDR4, M.2-SSD – Dell updates its Latitude 15 E5570. You still get a very good keyboard, simple maintenance as well as a docking port, and Dell also managed to improve the battery runtimes.

Power player. All good things come in threes. Probably this is just what the Chinese smartphone manufacturer was thinking when it launched the third generation of the flagship killer: The OnePlus 3. But it is not all roses.

Long-lasting. This 10.1-inch HP convertible is available for around 400 Euros (~$445). The manufacturer provides an Intel Cherry Trail processor and long battery life. A Type-C USB interface is also included.

Play Store apps on Chrome OS... almost. The latest Acer Chromebook convertible will be compatible with Play Store apps upon launch. Our pre-release developer unit, however, has been having some issues. Nonetheless, we can provide our take on the hardware and chassis while Acer continues to patch out bugs.

It's an honor. A superb screen and decent camera wrapped in a metal casing – with a price of under 200 Euros (~$223), the Honor 5C makes a big impression. This review reveals whether the 5.2-inch smartphone is really that great.

Low-cost tracker. A fitness wristband for roughly 20 Euros (~$22) with OLED panel, heart-rate monitor, IP67 certification and a battery life of over 20 days? The Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi makes it possible. We tested Xiaomi's Mi Band 2 and report how it fares in everyday use.

Better with 4K? Once again, we review the mobile workstation from Lenovo. This time, however, the ThinkPad P50 is equipped with a Xeon processor and a 4K screen, but the latter does not make sense for every user.

Is everything better with the Plus? The new P9 Plus from Huawei is not just a bigger version of the standard P9, the display differs completely from the smaller sibling as well. The Press Touch feature is also reserved for the Plus model.