Reviews

Mid-range meets premium. The Chinese smartphone brand Coolpad has in a way reinvented the mid-range for the Torino S model. Premium features are to primarily define the new "premium mid-range", and the first representative of this product category is Coolpad's Torino S. Find out whether it can keep the promise that its manufacturer makes in our report.

Chinese Surface Pro. Cube aims to challenge Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 with a Skylake Core m3-6Y30 CPU, 12-inch touchscreen, aluminum casing and an M.2 SSD. In this comparison report you will find out what concessions have had to be made.

Dark screen. Lenovo delivers a basic office laptop furnished with a Core i3 processor dubbed B50-50. The manufacturer demands a price of just below 450 Euros (~$506). The laptop is cheaper when Windows 10 is not needed.

Satisfactory. A simple, 15.6-inch laptop based on a Braswell CPU, the F540SA-XX087T can be purchased for just under 280 Euros (~$315). The price includes Windows 10 and a 500 GB hard drive. Asus has also installed a USB Type-C port in the low-cost computer.

Dim display. Thanks to the low system noise and good battery runtimes, the 13.3-inch subnotebook from Asus is appealing. These are coupled with a powerful processor and a solid-state Disk. The new GeForce 920MX makes a successful debut, delivering consistently higher frame rates than its predecessor. Unfortunately, once again, the computer comes with an inadequate display.

Mobile Office. Lenovo's small subnotebook is noteworthy for its very decent keyboard and long battery life. An LTE modem allows access to the Internet while on-the-go. All things considered, the ThinkPad X260 is a solid offering.

All-rounder. The Blade V7 is the newest mid-price product in ZTE's successful Blade lineup. The device offers a decent configuration at a fair price of 250 Euros (~$282, RRP). Read in our report whether the manufacturer has eliminated the former model's drawbacks and improved in the right places.

Thin, but not too thin. Asus seems to have struck a perfect balance in the race for a thinner and thinner gaming notebook while still maintaining case rigidity and enthusiast-level Nvidia GPU options. Inevitably, some important features have been omitted along the way.

Noble companion. Lenovo did a good job with the new aluminum subnotebook in terms of design. A quick look at the specs suggests decent performance but also reveals the meager port variety. What about the input devices, display, emissions and the runtimes?

Power shortage Not a technical ace and always lacking power is how this 10-inch tablet with everything needed for real world use otherwise presents itself to us. First to be mentioned: Two Type-A USB ports and a relatively fast system.

Dull and boring. If you get a 15.6-inch convertible, you want to be ready for every usage scenario. The Yoga 510, however, reveals some limitations: Lenovo uses a dark display and the graphics card is not powerful enough.

Yoga for the office. Lenovo recently launched the new ThinkPad Yoga 460. The 14-inch convertible is primarily aimed at business customers. Find out in our extensive test what Lenovo has to offer, and whether it can fulfill the high demands of the business world.

Surface Potential… Lenovo’s first Surface-style ThinkPad device has a lot of great ideas. Can it translate those into a cohesive, practical product for the everyday business user?

Topsy-turvy house. Overwatch might look like a chaotic action spectacle on speed at first, but Blizzard's multiplayer shooter turns out to be very beginner-friendly in practice. Is this also the case for the system requirements? We tested it with our notebook benchmarks.

Inferior screen. Lenovo has put a price tag of just under 1000 Euros (~$1121) on its IdeaPad. The high price dictates the delivery of an outstanding all-rounder. However, Lenovo cannot serve with this. Once again we found the same issues as those we have recently seen in many Lenovo laptops: Price and performance are not in conformity.

The perfect entry-level ThinkPad? Lenovo's new ThinkPad 13 is primarily targeted at the educational sector. The Ultrabook is supposed to combine a compact chassis with familiar ThinkPad qualities but also stay much more affordable than the business models at the same time. Does it work or did Lenovo save money at the wrong end?

Streaming box. Nvidia's Shield Android TV console is a comprehensive solution for movie streaming and gaming. We'll take a closer look at the powerful set-top box with the updated Android 6.0 OS and its mature content offering.

Conservative in a positive sense. TThe Tecra Z50 keeps up the virtues of classic premium office laptops: An outstanding screen alongside very good input devices, extensive security features and a decent battery life - the system is quite capable of competing with well-known leaders.

Appealing. With the Envy 13, HP delivers a stylish subnotebook. The inner values are also okay: powerful processor, good battery runtimes, fast SSD, and a matte IPS Full HD display.

The perfect workstation? HP's ZBook 17 G3 is a conventional workstation without the desire to be as thin as possible. Instead, it is focused on the performance. But can HP convince the demanding business customers with the new generation?

Product care. Huawei supplements its P9 lineup with the classy mid-range smartphone P9. The 5.2-inch Android handset proved to be a worthy successor of the bestseller P8 Lite in the test.

Devil Worship. Even though - or maybe precisely because - Doom has an old-school vibe, fans of Shooter-games get downright spoiled with an onslaught of action effects. Does the title only push gamers to their limits - or notebooks as well? Our benchmark check has the answer.

Familiar design - new technology? At long last, Lenovo has refreshed the entry-level ThinkPad and equipped the business notebook with an up-to-date Intel processor from the Skylake series. Despite a price of well under 1000 Euros (~$1111), it is supposed to meet the high claim of the ThinkPad series. Our in-depth review will reveal whether Lenovo has managed this.

Typewriter with stamina. Acer's 14-incher only brings a weak processor but offers very long battery runtimes. The price of about 280 Euros (~$310) and the included one-year license for Office 365 Personal might make the notebook attractive for many users.

Entry-level smartphone. The Chinese manufacturer UMi launches an affordable smartphone model dubbed Touch on the market that presents almost "too good" technical specs for this price range. Find out whether there is a catch in our report.

Let the games begin. A subnotebook suitable for gaming, but with Intel Graphics - is that even possible? The Acer Aspire V3-372 puts an end to the question and it does so at an attractive price point. Is that alone enough though for us to recommend they system?

King of battery life.Toshiba's Skylake refresh edition of the Z40 business notebook is particularly convincing us with impressive battery runtimes. In our in-depth review, we check whether the very light and compact, and yet not exactly cheap companion meets the high demands of its target group.

Compact business companion. After recently testing the bigger Dell Latitude 14 E5470 extensively, the smaller scion is next in line. There is a big demand for compact devices that also always have enough computing power. Our test report reveals whether Dell successfully bridges the gap between computing performance and mobility.

Cool system. While the design of the Predator 15 is controversial, the cooling system is beyond any doubt. After the GTX 980M variant had to prove its capabilities at the end of 2015, we have tested the refresh with GeForce GTX 970M this time.

Too ambitious? The HP ZBook Studio G3 is the latest edition of the ZBook-series and follows the trend towards a slimmer device with powerful components. HP delivers a really good device in many aspects; however there are significant limitations in terms of emissions and the battery runtimes in particular.

Reliable Companion. A mobile 13-inch notebook should be highly reliable and also feature solid input devices to make the user's life easier. The E31-70 is Lenovo's affordable offering in this segment. This much we can say beforehand: the notebook meets most of the requirements.

Successful comeback! After the HTC One M9 came up short of expectations last year, HTC has made many improvements and now offers a great premium-range smartphone with a decent camera.

Just for starters. Lenovo's G51 shows just what is needed for first contact with the laptop world. The manufacturer presents a 15.6-inch device that unfortunately had to struggle with some shortcomings in the test.

New contender. EVGA shows the gaming notebook market how it's done with the excellent SC17. If first impressions are everything, then the SC17 is already hitting the ground running at full speed.

Daily companion. Large display, enough performance to handle the various daily tasks on might encounter and an attractive price point: Lenovo's IdeaPad 300 costs 450 Euro (~$500) and targets price-conscious consumers with basic needs.

4K rocket. In 2015, Acer created unique looking gaming notebooks with the Predator series. In order to not fall behind the competition, the manufacturer launches a refresh now, which is better than the old model in many aspects. We have reviewed an especially high configuration of the 17-incher.

LTE at an entry-level price. LG offers an affordable entry-level smartphone with LTE functionality for 119 Euros (~$133), dubbed K4 LTE. That is, however, its only highlight. The review sample makes a rather outdated impression in all other aspects. Have too many cutbacks been made?

Back to business. The latest edition of Dell's Venue 8 Pro presents itself as an extremely strong teammate in our test - thanks to the latest Cherry Trail platform in conjunction with generous dual-channel working memory. However, the colleague is not prepared to work overtime.

XL Size. The Shark 1 from the Chinese manufacturer Leagoo proves to be extra-large in more than one aspect. The decently-equipped middle-class smartphone with its 6-inch display and a weight of 241 grams is larger and heavier than most. In addition, it features a battery with a capacity of 6300 mAh - large by any standard. Among other things, we'll take a look at the battery life to see if it delivers what the capacity promises.

Fighting spirit. A small 10-inch convertible from Acer has high ambitions and turns out to be competitive thanks to a decent display as well as good input devices. Good: The 2-in-1 waives an active cooling solution and is therefore always silent.

The sound of silence. With a frameless InfinityEdge display, Core-m processors and passive cooling, the Latitude 13 7370 is Dell's new interpretation of a classic business notebook. A promising concept – but the execution is not flawless.

Glossy multimedia. The technologies in Asus' new 17-inch desktop replacement are concealed under shiny piano painted surfaces. Since the multimedia laptop is already available for starting at around 770 Euros (~$864), not much is expected from screen and input devices. But we of course just love nice surprises.

Pitch-dark. LG's K10 wants to add style to the lower mid-range. Read why its screen and the camera's gloomy photos stand in its way in this report.

business-class gaming. We take our second look at the PE70 to see how well the Prestige series is branching off from its gaming G series roots. Unfortunately, not much has changed.

Fine tuning. Schenker Technologies have added new gaming models to their Advanced series in May. Thanks to the many new features, the XMG A726 is notably more modern than its 17-inch XMG A716 and XMG A706 siblings. We checked the differences in detail. Is the extra cost worth it?

Mainstream Microsoft. The new Lumia 650 from Microsoft wants to convince users with competitive pricing and obviously the Windows operating system. The manufacturer from Redmond targets business customers in particular. Because of the slow hardware, however, there are some limitations, including the lack of the Windows Continuum feature.

Compact. The particularly handy design bestows Samsung's new tablet from the 7-inch category with almost smartphone-like traits. However, tight 8 GB of storage and an entry-level SoC curb the fun. Our test will reveal whether the Galaxy Tab A7 convinces in real world use anyway.

Mixed feelings. Toshiba adds another model to the already pretty diverse segment of the 17-inch notebook category. The C70 uses standard hardware and lacks any noteworthy features. Can the notebook distinguish itself from the competition?

Modular with big eyes. LG's new G5 comes with some new innovations. The smartphone is now modular and has a dual-camera. As well as the conventional lens, there is an additional wide-angle lens, but unfortunately, the resolution is pretty low. The battery capacity has also reduced.

Part multimedia, gaming, and business. The PE60 6QE is a small update over last year's PE60 2QE based on the GE62 chassis. Unfortunately, MSI will have to do more to distinguish its Prestige series from the rest of its gaming lineup.

Low-reflection. The new entry-level Porto S handset by the Chinese company Coolpad proves to be a serious opponent for the popular smartphones of its price range. In addition to the good total package, Coolpad's Porto S convinces with its bright, low-reflection IPS LC display in our tests.

Superb display. Aluminum casing, IPS-display, QXGA resolution, expandable storage, and quad-core CPU for under 200 Euros (~$228)? The Pad 971 from the Chinese manufacturer Haier offers very good specifications for a comparatively low price. In our review it surprises with a great display, but the storage performance is very bad.

Speedy business notebook. The predecessor, the TravelMate P277-MG, left us with a very favorable impression overall. Now we are taking a look at the successor, the TravelMate P278-MG-76L2. A new ULV Skylake CPU provides the processing power, while a GeForce GPU with 2 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD round out the package.

Slim 'n' Fast. Just introduced and already in our test lab: The brand new Acer Aspire S13 succeeds its predecessors in the segment of ultra slim notebooks (S series) at Acer. We already have a final device available and want to share our first test results in this article. Last update: May-04 14:30

Carbon footprint. We compare our second more affordable Core i5 FHD SKU against the pricier Core i7 WQHD SKU to see if it's worth saving some few bucks for less pixels and performance power.

All play and no work… Known in part for their hulking portable gaming machines, MSI introduced the PX60 Prestige last year, which marked the company’s first foray into the business realm. Can this 2016 refresh correct some of the missteps of the previous model?

Flexible workstation. Lenovo wants to establish the flexibility of the Yoga series in the workstation range with the new ThinkPad P40 Yoga. We basically get a ThinkPad Yoga 460 with a dedicated GPU, but the test model reveals some drawbacks.

New wine in old bottles. Many business customers with enough money to spare have sworn on Lenovo's expensive, but also premium T lineup for several laptop generations. The manufacturer sticks to the tried and tested in its latest 14-inch scion: The input devices and casing are the same as those in the predecessor. Will the screen and technical features once again meet the high expectations?

Do-it-all Mini PC. The latest Core i5 NUC from Intel includes Skylake architecture and Intel Iris Graphics. It's capable of a little bit of everything from home use to digital creativity.

Leica style. Huawei relies entirely on the camera in the P8’s successor, and once again sets up an impressive overall package. The new showcase smartphone is even higher quality and the battery is also larger. However, there is still room for improvement. Update: firmware B391 adds a moments feature to the camera app.

15.6-inch Chromebook. The Chromebook by Acer offers a long battery life and viewing-angle stable Full HD panel. However, the laptop also costs around 500 Euros (~$576).

Pioneering. One of the hotly debated devices from Apple's line-up has been updated: The MacBook 12 omits non-essential features and focuses on highest portability. Fan, many interfaces, a mechanical touchpad, a long key travel: "You don't need that."

Unsatisfactory screen. HP again delivers a decent, upper-range business laptop with its new EliteBook 850 G3. Unfortunately, the company has made a big mistake with the choice of the installed screen, which ruins the otherwise good impression that the device makes.

Enduring. Dell's little netbook adds color to the desk and can offer a very good battery life. At around 250 Euros (~$284), the laptop is on the same price level as its rivals.

Great display, but expensive. The new EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 is the current premium model from HP. This is also the case for the price, but can the test model justify the additional price over the strong rivals?

Ultra-slim model. It should be a well-known fact that nowadays gaming laptops can be very slim. Schenker Technologies take it to extremes and sells a slim 21-millimeter (~0.83 in) premium-range model based on Gigabyte's P35X v5 in the form of the XMG C506. Can the cooling system manage the heat development?

Business Elite. With the Elite x2 1012 G1, HP takes on Microsoft's Surface Pro 4. The convertible offers a keyboard dock, an active stylus and an LTE modem. At almost 1500 Euros (~$1690), the complete package doesn't come cheap, however.

Just missed. With the third generation 840-series EliteBooks, HP has big ambitions aiming to compete with the best lightweight business notebooks. But there is a problem that already has a traditional link with the manufacturer.
Update 04/18/2016: Excellent WQHD panel

One is better than two. The refreshed X5 shows that a single more powerful GPU is the better choice against two weaker GPUs in SLI.

The perfect business slate? Dell's Latitude 11 5175 is a Windows tablet that offers a generous portfolio of extensions for its customers. Is that enough to find buyers? We will clarify just how well Dell's Latitude 11 5175 competes against its rivals and where it is situated technically in our in-depth test. Update 2016/08/05:Post test of the Latitude 11 5179 including keyboard dock!

Power dwarf. The less expensive versions of the iPhone have not been a real success so far. This could change with the iPhone SE, because it is very fast, enduring and fills a niche with its 4-inch screen.

Endurance runner. Acer's 13.3-inch subnotebook shines with an outstanding battery life and a fast SSD. However, the screen is disappointing.

Super AMOLED style. The Samsung Galaxy TabPro S is a smart 12-inch tablet that comes with a usable keyboard good battery life and an impressive screen.

Allrounder. Asus sells their 15.6-inch allrounder-notebook for around 600 Euro (~$680). The F555UB can handle gaming and is capable of very decent battery run times. The display and the keyboard are not nearly as impressive.

Careful update. With the Liquid Z630S, Acer launches an improved version of the Z630 sister model on the market. The "S" in the name stands for more working memory, a stronger processor, and larger internal storage. Find out in our report whether the surcharge is worthwhile.

Let down by the display. The third generation of the HP EliteBook 820 is a compact subnotebook with a 12.5-inch screen, which is designed for business environments. Our review configuration, however, is unbalanced, because besides good performance, you also get a very poor TN screen. Coil whining is a problem for the small notebook as well.

Low cost office all-rounder. HP's 250 G4 is a basic, 15.6-inch office laptop. It offers a decent configuration for a reasonable price. However, we cannot say a lot of good things about the screen.

GTX 965M gaming. Not content with a GTX 960M and is the GTX 970M a bit too much? Then the GTX 965M may be your best bet.

Compact gaming. In the past, high-end notebooks were both large and heavy. Schenker's XMG P506 puts an end to that notion. In our review we'll take a look a the top version with Core i7-6820HK and GeForce GTX 980M.

Small hot-head. Quad-core processor and a discrete GeForce GPU implemented into a compact 14-inch case – the ThinkPad T460p is definitely not your regular business notebook. The good performance does, however, also result in high temperatures.

HDD handbrake. We did not find many reasons for complaint in Toshiba's new 1200 Euro (RRP) subnotebook. The useful dual-core alongside a very satisfying RAM configuration fits perfectly to the office claim, and a decent IPS screen is never wrong.

Smaller, yet powerful! With the smaller 12.9-inch sibling of the big iPad Pro, Apple also offers a strong competitor to the iPad Air 2. We have already reviewed the elegant power tablet with the iPhone camera. Even though it is once again an exemplary product, there is still room for improvements.

Enduring. The Ideapad is a 17.3-inch laptop for the desktop at home. It scores with low operating noise, temperatures, power consumption and a long battery life.

Lightweight. This is premium range business for well-heeled customers: The entire who-is-who of laptop technology is on-board for 2000 Euros (~$2252). Unfortunately, there is also some conservative equipment. A modern USB Type-C? - Not in sight. On the other hand, plenty of security and productivity features like a docking port, LTE modem and TPM are present.

Compact gamer. The thin gaming notebook from Asus can convince with good features as well as measurements. The lack of an Ethernet port is unusual for a gaming notebook, but the device has a Thunderbolt 3 port instead.

Yoga-ized. Lenovo's flagship business Ultrabook - the Thinkpad X1 - gets the Yoga-treatment and joins the company's every-growing stable of 2-in-1 convertibles. How the new offspring with its active stylus compares is the subject of our review.

Multimedia Metal. With the MediaPad M2 10, Huawei has managed to launch a multimedia tablet on the market that has an edge on other devices in this price range, such as high-resolution cameras. We will prove that that is not the tablet's only virtue in this test.

Slimmer is not possible. Already the third generation of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon belonged to the slimmest and lightest 14 inch notebooks on the market. In the fourth generation, Lenovo goes one better and reduces the weight to below 1.2 kg. We have checked how this affects temperatures, system noise, and performance.

Large and inexpensive. Can a 5.5-inch Android smartphone for less than $100 USD really impress? The Alfa 1 provides the bare essentials and performance with a brighter screen than expected.

High-end feeling. With the G8, Huawei has launched a mid-range model on the market that already meets premium-range standards with its very high-quality build. Our report clarifies what compromises have to be made compared with other top models.

4K for on the go. Dell wants to advance the convertible sector by setting new standards with the new 2-in-1 XPS 12 9259. A 4K panel, 512 GB SSD and Core m7 are some technical highlights that Dell offers. The XPS proves to be a real jack-of-all-trades in routine use but has to accept clear deductions when it comes to battery performance. Find out in our in-depth report what the total package has to offer.

Electrifying.Gigaset's new flagship model ME Pro targets for a spot in the high-end market with a powerful Snapdragon 810 SoC, an elegant chassis as well as an extra-large 4000 mAh battery. Our review shows why this is not really a success.

Mid-range from France. Archos' Diamond S is a solid mid-range smartphone that does not present many shortcomings in the test. But is that enough to stand up to the strong competition?

Extremely expensive, extremely good? HP’s mobile workstations are traditionally some of the most expensive devices on the market. This did not change with the new ZBook 15 G3. But can the notebook for 4,000 Euros (~$4558) meet our high expectations?

Resistant? Oukitel advertises it K4000 smartphone lineup as particularly resistant. The manufacturer claims that it will even cope with blows from a hammer or can be used for hitting a nail in wood. Our report reveals whether the quality of the screen in Oukitel's K4000 Pro is also impressive.

Gaming scion. With the P57W, Gigabyte presents a high-end notebook in 17-inch format, which brings various modern features and technologies. Apart from a replaceable drive bay, the manual fan control stands out. Do rivals have to prepare for strong competition?

Asynchronous. The combination of a dedicated Radeon R7 M360 with the integrated GPU of the SoC FX-8800P is a Crossfire unit called Radeon R8 M365DX and could not really convince in our review. The other aspects leave a better impression.

Solid. Dell's 10.1-inch Windows tablet comes with an impressive list of features: 128 GB of flash storage, LTE modem, and an IPS display. At 662 g (1.46 lbs), the Venue 10 Pro isn't exactly a lightweight, however.

New benchmark. A laptop rarely manages such a high score. Can the expensive WQHD version meet the highest expectations? To say it right away, the battery runtimes are a bit disappointing, but the rest of the 14-inch device will be the benchmark for the ultimate business to go.

Performance artist. The fifth edition of Aorus' X7 is one of the strongest and yet slimmest gaming laptops on the market. Find out in our test report whether the manufacturer has this combination well under control or whether the cooling system is pushed to its limits.