Reviews

Striking Update. Samsung's latest reincarnation of its hip mid-range Galaxy A3 smartphone not only features an updated glass and metal unibody design but also significant improvements under the hood, for example increased processing power and improved camera performance. Will this be enough to show its competitors who's the boss?

We reviewed three new Ryzen CPUs and will talk about some rather controversial reviews as well as basics of the new Zen architecture.

3:2 Surface. With its QHD+ display and Kaby Lake 15-watt SOC, Lenovo’s IdeaPad Miix 720 represents formidable competition for the Microsoft Surface. But the unbalanced fans and low-quality microphone spoil the 12-inch model for us.

Office worker. With its Satellite Pro R50-C-16V, Toshiba presents a quiet, 15.6-inch office device that hardly heats up. A Core i3 processor from the Skylake generation provides the necessary computing power. The Windows 10 Pro operating system boosts the laptop's price to almost 500 Euros (~$534).

No stamina. Lenovo's 15.6-inch laptop is available for approximately 350 Euros (~$372). The laptop's highlights are its 1-TB hard drive and 8 GB of working memory. However, buyers will have to accept a low-performance APU and a short battery life.

A tradition of poor angles. HP sent out its updated EliteBooks to fight for the affection of business users and the hearts and minds of big business purchasing managers alike. Our extensive review is going to reveal whether they will be won over by the EliteBook 850 G4 or whether HP has once again cut corners and skimped on that one particular part the way they already did with its predecessor.

A solid office device! With the introduction of the ULV processors into Fujitsu's LifeBooks, they had to suffer some losses in terms of performance. In this short test we have summarized for you whether things are looking up again with the new Kaby Lake processors.

Who has the slimmest one? With a "thickness" of just 10 millimeters (~0.4 in), HP's Spectre is even slimmer than some tablets. After its launch in 2016, the laptop has been updated slightly technically. We have summarized how HP's silver Spectre scores in this report.

A Lenovo for first-time smartphone users. The Lenovo B smartphone is already available for less than 100 Euros (~$108). Its fixed-focus camera or TN display may cause disappointment, but at least there is LTE and a replaceable battery. Whether this is enough to top other low-cost smartphones, we'll clarify in the following test.

Maintenance-friendly.High-performance gaming laptops can be found a dime a dozen. However, many devices are disappointing when it comes to the cleaning and upgrading options under the hood. The XMG U507 by Schenker Technologies aims to do a better job in this respect and allows its customers to tinker in many aspects. We put the 15-inch laptop through our extensive test course.

Pascal Pavilion Premiere… A UHD configuration of the Pavilion 17t-ab200 we reviewed last month has made it through our labs… but are the extra display panel perks enough to put it over the top?

Wooden effect. About five years after the last part of the Mass Effect trilogy, EA risks restarting its jam-packed narrative and extremely successful role-playing game series. As beautiful as the largest part of the graphics may be, the game unfortunately fails in one of the most important atmosphere-giving elements, namely body and face animations. Our benchmark-check primarily focuses on the performance with laptop and desktop GPUs.

MacBook Air clone. Jumper updates its EZBook to the latest Apollo Lake platform with a Celeron N3350 dual-core SoC. A matte Full HD panel, low weight and, above all, its low price promise an interesting total package. Find out what compromises this little laptop has to make in the report.

Disappointing screen. Lenovo's 14-inch convertible carries a price tag of around 500 Euros (~$533). The buyer gets a Stoney Ridge APU with a solid-state drive, and 4 GB of working memory. Lenovo ruins the overall good impression by installing a viewing angle dependent TN panel.

Stealth gamer. The first generation GS60 was infamous for its loud fans and hot temperatures. Now that the second generation GS63VR has been made available with more power efficient Kaby Lake and Pascal options, the super-thin MSI series has been a lot easier to recommend.

New business benchmark? The 2017 ThinkPad X1 Carbon is already the 5th generation of the extremely portable business laptop. Lenovo not only equips its flagship device with modern Kaby Lake processors, but also uses a completely reworked chassis including modern ports. Update: The review is now complete.

The comeback? The U Ultra flagship smartphone is to pave the way for HTC's desperately needed comeback. This might even be successful with an intelligent assistant, high-quality audio technology, and a second screen. However, some test results rouse doubt after all. Find out what we ultimately think in the following report.

Budget-friendly gaming. HP's Pavilion 15 features a no-frills design and comes in many different configurations. Equipped with a quad-core CPU and a dedicated GPU, the multimedia allrounder is more than adequate for casual gaming as well.

Hot stuff! The Asus GL702VS is one of many options for gamers hunting power in a portable package. Equipped with high-end components in a relatively thin and light chassis, the notebook brings high details in modern titles without breaking backs. Can the device keep its cool, or will it melt under pressure?

Dual-OS convertible. After Chuwi's Hi10 Pro has recently passed our test course, we have yet another low-budget tablet with dual-boot functionality from the manufacturer Teclast called Tbook 10s in the test. Find out which of the two has the lead in our report.

Long-lasting. Acer's 10.1-inch convertible Windows laptop carries a price tag of about 360 Euros (~$390). The little device runs silently and offers a long battery life. It is also equipped with a Type C USB port (USB 3.1 Gen 1).

Bristol Ridge business.HP's 12.5-inch EliteBook is powered by an AMD APU. Thus, HP is one of the few manufacturers that still use AMD's APUs in the business sector. The APU is supported by an IPS panel, NVMe SSD, and LTE modem. Unfortunately, the laptop fan emits a subtle whistling sound.

For mouse users, part II. After recently having tested the Lifebook U747, the U757 has found its way into our test labs. Read in our in-depth report whether the U757 receives a purchase recommendation.

Hardly any changes. HP now ships its business notebooks with Kaby Lake processors as well, but the rest is pretty much unchanged. This is also the case for the display, which is quite bright, but it disappoints in all other areas.

A worthy successor? Following Lenovo’s delivery of a good outcome in the business sector with its ThinkPad 13 last year, the manufacturer now sends the successor based on Kaby Lake CPUs into the race. We examined whether Lenovo is successful and has listened to our complaints concerning the predecessor.

Compact gamer. Schenker's 14-inch device runs all games smoothly on the matte IPS display. The features are good as well, with an NVMe SSD and HDD combination, 16 GB of RAM, and a good keyboard on-board. An LTE/UMTS modem can also be installed in the computer if needed.

Photo expert in the low-cost sector? The Chinese manufacturer ZTE advertises its latest entry-level smartphone Blade A510 as the absolutely best choice for price-conscious buyers wanting first-rate photos and videos. Find out just how good the rear-facing, 13-MP camera in the low-cost handset really is in our in-depth review.

360 degrees on a diet. Toshiba saves in terms of weight. The X20W is lighter than every other 360-degree convertible and even lighter than most tablets with a keyboard dock. Do stability and cooling come up short?

Are two always better than one? Dual-camera systems are no longer restricted to high-end smartphones - not in a year as technologically sophisticated as 2017. Now even entry-level models can boast of back cameras with two modules: enter the Shoot 1 model from the Chinese manufacturer Doogee. But is the second camera in the low-budget device really a boon? Our comprehensive review reveals the answer.

Notebook gaming with desktop Kaby Lake. A notebook equipped with a standard LGA 1151 socket may sound super-powerful, but the benefits are minimal compared to the drawbacks that entail.

GTA meets Far Cry. Ubisoft launches the next action highlight right after For Honor. A group of special forces is fighting against a Bolivian drug cartel in Ghost Recon Wildlands. We test how different notebook GPUs can handle the open world title.

It's getting hot! The Acer Predator X is the extremely powerful "luxury edition" of the regular Predator 17. Are the components well-balanced and is the performance sufficient for a spot in our Top 10 ranking?

A tower PC dressed up as a notebook. While most manufacturers’ gaming laptops feature mobile processors and a soldered-on GPU, Schenker Technologies have taken a different route with their 17-inch XMG U727 and equipped the mammoth with a desktop CPU and an MXM graphics card. Whether this approach is successful or not is the subject of our review.

Moto Cheap. The affordable Moto E3 is an entry-level smartphone with a water-resistant finish and relatively large battery. The budget of 130 Euros (~$140, RRP) is quite tight but Lenovo is a specialist in offering a lot of smartphone for little money...

Good and affordable. Although Honor's 6X does not cost much, it is a serious competition for considerably more expensive smartphones in terms of configuration and performance. It is even equipped with a dual-camera. Our review reveals how the Android phone of Huawei's subsidiary Honor fares in our tests.

High-end business. We review the top-tier configuration of the new Lenovo ThinkPad T470s. Besides a healthy amount of memory as well as storage and a new Kaby Lake processor, the Chinese manufacturer also implements a brighter WQHD panel. We are a bit surprised by the weak cooling performance, because the ULV processor cannot utilize its full potential. Update: BIOS 1.07, Verdict, Rating

Pricey budget gamer. Budget gaming notebooks are becoming increasingly popular thanks to GPUs like the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050, and Asus has decided to throw their hat into the budget ring with the GL553VD. The notebook packs modest hardware into a well-built chassis with some nice extras, but are these factors worth the additional cost?

Hard shell – slow core? The 50 Saphir from the French manufacturer Archos is a robust smartphone for harsh environments. The smartphone is not the most powerful of its kind, but it provides a lot of stamina in return.

Smaller and sleeker. Dell’s latest 7000 series ultraportable migrates even further toward high-end consumer-grade luxury, even while maintaining most of what sets a business-grade machine apart from its mass market brethren. Does it remain a top contender?

For mouse users. In the highly competitive business market, Fujitsu aims to convince the purchasing teams of big companies with its new Lifebook U747. Our comprehensive test report reveals whether this succeeds in view of the strong competition.

A beautiful machine! Asus isn't letting their products fall behind the times: the ZenBook series is now available with processors from the new Kaby Lake generation. Read on to find out how much of a performance boost the upgrade provides.

Mid-range workhorse. Dell's business-oriented 14-inch Latitude 5480 is a rather unassuming notebook with a host of security features and configuration options. Its standout feature is without a doubt the stellar battery life, but compared to the predecessor, the display brightness has taken a major hit.

Touch Chromebook. Acer's Chromebook convertible offers an IPS touchscreen, a silent operation, and long battery runtimes. ARM technology is used inside. The whole package costs approximately 400 Euros (~$425).

Inexpensive Titan. Nvidia’s GTX 1080 Ti is the most powerful consumer graphics card and replaces the similar but much more expensive Titan X. We review the Founders Edition with numerous benchmarks as well as noise and consumption measurements.

Massive GPU gains. Moving from the i7-6700HQ to the i7-7700HQ is the tiniest of steps forward. Moving from the GTX 960M to the GTX 1050, however, is a significant graphical leap for the XPS 15 series.

Not without flaws. HP's 14-inch device pleases with long battery life, good input devices, a fast NVMe SSD, and low system noise. Once again, the display deserves criticism: HP has chosen a low-contrast model with narrow viewing angles.

Spinning. All big manufacturers offer devices in the competitive mainstream convertible segment. Acer wants to attract customers with the Acer Spin 5. How does the 360-degree convertible perform?

S like Special? Last year, the Xiaomi Mi 5 smartphone impressed us with its outstanding price-to-value ratio. This time around we'll take a look at the successor Mi 5s, which comes with more flash storage, a sturdy metal chassis and features - at the time of writing - the fastest available Snapdragon SoC.

No-frills gaming. The FX502VM offers nearly everything that comes with the GL502VM without significantly impacting performance. The SKU with the lowest-end TN display, however, should be avoided due to its very poor contrast.

A classy companion! In December of last year, we subjected this laptop's predecessor, the Skylake-based ZenBook, to our extensive series of tests. Now it is the Kaby Lake model's turn to come under our scrutiny. This review reveals how well Asus has harnessed the extra performance power supplied by Intel's new CPU. How much of a performance boost does the Kaby Lake processor provide, precisely?

Quintessential v7. Gigabyte's new gaming machine is aimed at players who want as much power per Euro as possible and are willing to make compromises in the configuration for this. Compared with the predecessor, the P55W v7 can primarily boast with a slightly better total performance, and a somewhat quieter and cooler system.

P as in "potent battery". Lenovo launches a powerful mid-range handset called P2 on the market. The highlight is supposed to be its gigantic battery that is hidden in a relatively compact casing. The battery life is, in fact, top notch but what about the smartphone's other aspects?

Trimmed for performance. For extremely demanding gamers that find the performance of the 17-inch meteor G752 (GeForce GTX 1060 & GTX 1070) insufficient, Asus offers the G701, which is equipped with Nvidia's top-of-the-line model, the GeForce GTX 1080. We put the overclocked high-end notebook through its paces.

With stamina. The latest 12.5-inch EliteBook model comes with a Kaby Lake processor, ensuring a significantly better battery life. We also liked the other features: IPS display, NVMe SSD, 16 GB of RAM, and an LTE modem. However, the device has also some weaknesses.

MOBA Heavyweight. With up to one million players online at any given time, Dota 2 is far and away the most popular game on Valve's Steam platform. This highly competitive game and eSport has come a long way since its origins as a mod for Blizzard's Warcraft III, and now runs as a stand-alone, free-to-play game on Valve's Source 2 Engine. The Source 2 Engine is well-optimized and very scalable, but has a reputation for being more CPU than GPU dependent. Do the resolutions and graphics options have a large impact on performance? What CPU and GPU you need for your notebook to keep framerates steady during even the most hectic late-game battles is the subject of this article.

Office to go. Samsung promises the highest productivity for people on the go with the new Galaxy Book 12. The Windows based tablet is always shipped with Keyboard Cover and S Pen. We had the chance to have a closer look at the convertible at the MWC in Barcelona. Here are our first impressions and benchmarks.

Acer's large smartphone. Acer's Liquid Z6 Plus is a middle-class smartphone with a large Full-HD display, fingerprint sensor and a huge battery. The middle class is highly contested, however - so is the Liquid z6 Plus able to stand out in any way?

Pascal Pavilion… HP has updated their Pavilion 17 with Kaby Lake and Pascal, which should provide better performance, longer battery life, and more thermal headroom. Is the Pavilion 17t-ab200 a budget gaming machine worth considering?

Stylish. With the Vivobook, Asus offers a 15.6-inch all-round device which immediately catches the eyes: The company uses a throughout white chassis. The feature set is alright, too: Core i5 processor, GeForce graphic card, ac Wi-Fi, Type-C USB. The bundle costs less than 500 Euros (~$528).

New revision of the business classic. The ThinkPads from the T-series represent typical business notebooks for many users. Lenovo does not only equip the new T470 with modern processors and ports, but also a completely new chassis. Update: Luminance on battery power

Stylish, slim, enduring. With the ZenBook Flip UX360UAK, Asus delivers a stylish and slim 13.3-inch convertible that can boast with an outstanding battery life. The configuration is also good: SSD, IPS panel, backlit keyboard. The whistling fan is an annoyance. This flaw should not appear in a 1000-Euro ($1061) device.

Trinity. After Rainbow Six Siege and The Division, Ubisoft releases their next Triple-A title, which focuses primarily on riveting multiplayer battlers. Knights, Samurai and Vikings - For Honor actually pits three different factions against each other. Our review focuses primarily on how different GPUs handle the various swinging swords, katanas and axes.

Stingy in features. The ProBook delivers good input devices, long battery runtimes, and a low system noise. The display will not win any prizes: HP incorporated a low-contrast model with narrow viewing angles.

Better yet? HP's 2017 version of the Spectre x360 15-inch convertible features a latest-generation Intel processor alongside a switch to discrete graphics. The updated design incorporates smaller bezels a la Spectre x360 13 and the 4K display - improved over last year's model - is now the sole panel option.

Late luxury. Asus' latest ZenFone 3 Deluxe flagship smartphone will also be available on the European market soon. With Qualcomm's current premium SoC, a high-resolution 23-megapixel camera, and a large 5.7-inch AMOLED panel, the handset features some technological highlights. But how will it fare in the test compared with other equally first-rate competitors?

Priced (too) tightly? Blackview's R6 wants to offer a configuration that is usually only found in much more expensive smartphones for just 130 Euros (~$137): Full HD screen, fingerprint sensor, decent camera. Is this possible in view of the tight budget?

A convertible laptop for home. Acer wants about 250 Euros (~$265) for their new 10.1-inch convertible Windows laptop: the Switch One. The few hundred bucks will get you a silent computer with long battery life - and a surprisingly bright, contrast-rich IPS display.

Second best. The P449-M-7407 is the latest 14" notebook from Acer's TravelMate series. The device is aimed at business professionals looking for a portable and affordable notebook in the highly competitive business market. While it has its shortcomings, the P449 is a well-rounded device. Can this Jack of all trades best the competition, or is it merely the court fool?

Compact gaming miracle. While our test model of the Alienware 15 R3 had some temperature problems, we are impressed by the 13-inch system. Besides the high performance in the small chassis, we are also convinced by the brilliant OLED screen.

Flagship lite 2.0. Huawei's P8 lite was actually the slimmed down version of Huawei's second-last flagship phone. Nevertheless, it has now been reworked with a new design, Full HD panel, and many other improvements. Our report reveals whether the P8 lite (2017) is a good deal.

The perfect balance? We also review the mainstream configuration of the new MacBook Pro 15. The test model is faster than the entry-level spec thanks to the Core i7-6820HQ and the AMD Radeon Pro 455, but is it worth the additional price?

Crackling tension. It is once again time for heart attacks: The latest title from the Resident Evil series focuses on the strengths from the first games and convinces with a thrilling single-player mode. PC gamers will be mainly shocked by the VRAM requirements.

Kaby-Lake upgrade. The Nexoc G734IV is a powerful 17.3-inch gaming notebook that smoothly runs all current games on the matte Full HD display. Users who enjoy upgrading can install additional hardware in the computer.

Workhorse with minor drawbacks. A business device for everyday use: This is where Dell comes in with its Latitude 14 E5470. Security features, strong processor, plenty of working memory, and a solid-state drive are installed. These are good prerequisites for a business laptop. However, not all that glitters is gold, and thus our review sample has to accept some criticism. Read just where these shortcomings are found in our in-depth report.

The aliens are back. We did not have the chance to review the first edition of the Alienware 15 R3 (Skylake + Pascal), but we can finally have a look at the promising gaming notebook with the Kaby Lake update. How does the 15-inch system hold up against the competition?

A balanced gaming laptop. MSI also uses the GeForce GTX 1070 graphic card in the GT62VR 7RE. The processor is new: Kaby Lake is used now. The rest of the features is also alright: IPS display, SSD+HDD, and 16 GB of RAM.

Green with envy. Kaby Lake is trickling down from the expensive Spectre series to the more affordable Envy lineup. While the new Envy 15 is thinner and lighter than its predecessors, it unfortunately shoves touchscreen down our throats with heavy throttling under extreme loads.

Everything will be good?! Dell refreshes its XPS 15 with the latest Kaby Lake processors and a GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card, so the performance takes a big leap forwards. How does this affect the emissions and the battery runtime? Did Dell finally fix the numerous bugs from the predecessors? We have initial results and will finish the review over the next couple of days.

Enduring mobility. Acer's 14-inch laptop pleases with its silent system and very long battery life. This is due to the combination of a Braswell processor and high-capacity battery. With a price of 400 Euros (~$422), it is also an affordable device.

Water-resistant. The Galaxy A5 series now enters the third round and has to keep its ground when fighting in the strong mid-range. More power, bigger storage, and water and dust protection are to help here. The test will show whether this will suffice.

Affordable battery-giant. The Lenovo C2 is an entry-level smartphone that is supposed to attract low-budget customers with a big and removable battery, an HD display, and dual SIM. Since the screen, camera, and battery life are quite good, this could work. But are there also any shortcomings?

Weak cooling. The small Lenovo Yoga 700 is a portable and very versatile companion thanks to its 11.6-inch screen and different operating modes. However, there are problems in terms of input devices and the passive cooling solution, because the processor cannot utilize its full potential.

Entry-level Gaming Laptop. MSI's entry-level model into the gaming world costs about 1050 Euros (~$1117). You will get a well-equipped 15.6-inch notebook for this price. Its main weaknesses are the display, the battery runtimes and the automatic fan control. MSI should at least improve the latter.

Affordable ThinkPad pioneer. After the smaller E470 quite convinced us, we now have Lenovo's ThinkPad E570 as a 15.6-inch Kaby Lake pioneer in the test. Our in-depth report reveals whether the larger model from the E lineup is just as convincing.

Gigaffordable. The GS160 is Gigaset’s cheapest smartphone so far. The manufacturer has even installed a fingerprint scanner for under 150 Euros (~$160). But is the device anything special or just another low-cost smartphone? Find out in the test report.

Focused on the essentials. Gigabyte's newest version of ttheir P55W hasn't really changed that much. While the predecessor used a GeForce GTX 970M, the new model is equipped with a GTX 1060 - and that's a very noticeable difference.

Mobile multimedia. Stylish, compact, light, and versatile. Sounds good, doesn't it? While most subnotebooks live the life of an office machine, the multimedia-suitable 710S refresh allows playing an occasional game. Our test clarifies if the newcomer can tread in the big footsteps of its predecessor.

Well-balanced. At a purchase price of almost 1300 Euros (~$1390), the Omen 17 w100ng is presently the cheapest device within its lineup. This slightly lower-performance model also renders games smoothly on its matte Full HD panel. The Omen offers a very good battery life for a gaming laptop.

Top specification. We have already reviewed the entry-level of the new Apple MacBook Pro 15. Our test sample today is the high-end SKU, and the graphics card AMD Radeon Pro 460 is particularly interesting.

Price cutter. Lenovo's K6 5-inch middle-class smartphone sells for less than 200 Euro (~$215), but its robust hardware features put it in a category normally reserved for much pricier competitors.

Elegant business beginner. The Dell Vostro is an inexpensive 15-inch laptop for smaller companies and covers all the essentials. It is also wrapped up in a nicely designed chassis. You will have to make some compromises, but we cannot find any serious issues.

Not convincing! The multimedia device from Dell convinces with good system performance thanks to Kaby Lake and dedicated GPU. However, the poor display costs important points. We will find out which device gets the best scores in the individual review sections.

AMD office. HP's 17.3-inch device is made for users who are looking for a simple 17.3-inch notebook for home use. Accordingly, the computer comes with plenty of storage space (1 TB) and a more than sufficient amount of RAM (8 GB; dual-channel mode). However, these are all of the laptop's highlights. The list of shortcomings is more extensive.

Finally, a 2-in-1 InfinityEdge. Dell has successfully translated its award-winning XPS 13 notebook into a convertible with many of its original features intact including the design and display. Users will have to sacrifice some performance and features along the way when compared to the latest Ultrabooks.

Marginally improved. Not much has changed since the last Gigabyte P57X we reviewed. But with a newer Kaby Lake CPU, more RAM, and a greatly improved 4K display, is this perhaps the one to own?

Low-cost convertible. Approximately 230 to 250 Euros (~$245 to ~$267) have to be ponied up for Trekstor's 11.6-inch convertible. The buyer gets a device with a Cherry Trail processor and viewing-angle stable Full HD IPS panel. The device shows weaknesses in battery life, though.

17-inch multimedia notebook! Multimedia laptops are very versatile systems. HP offers a solid basis with a Kaby Lake processor and a discrete GPU. How does the package work?

Low-cost office. HP delivers a home-office laptop with the 15-ba077ng. Its quiet system noise, low temperature development, and fast solid-state drive speak for the laptop. However, the laptop has some drawbacks. This was to be expected considering the price of approximately 450 Euros (~$482).

The camera-smartphone? The Kodak Ektra carries a big name and accordingly wants to pocket the prize for the best smartphone camera. Read on to find out if it does, and whether this smartphone could be something for you.

Aspire Nitro on Nitro! The Aspire Nitro is familiar, just like the GeForce GTX 1060. It is the combination of the two components that makes the Acer Aspire Nitro 2016 such an interesting device. The price is supposed to start at around 1,300 Euros, so it could be a game-changer in the entry-level gaming segment.