Reviews

Skylake on the march. Nexoc joins together the tried-and-true Nvidia GeForce GTX 960M and brand new Skylake Intel Core i7-6700HQ CPU. The combo promises both high performance and reduced energy consumption. Nexoc's new device meets these expectations -- but what is a mediocre display doing in a computer in this price range?

Desktop-name, desktop-power. Although we do not appreciate the name of the mobile GTX 980 because it can be easily confused, Nvidia's new gaming flagship performs impressively. Our test covers the performance in Full HD and 4K resolution.

Revival. Nexoc breathes new life into their M512 Barebone with a brand new Skylake Core i3 and a fast M.2 SSD. Can a chassis released in 2013 still compete at the end of 2015?

Ghost in a shell. The portable 15.6-inch GS60 gets Skylake, DDR4, NVMe SSD, and USB 3.1 Super Port for its latest refresh. Essentially, pretty much everything but the GTX 970M has been updated. Has gaming performance improved in any way?

Rarity. The conventional hard drive in the dock makes Acer unique in the market. However, other features are disappointing, and thus, a list of controversial pros and cons evolve. Is it a master of its category or leading a lost battle?

Hot flushes. The ThinkPad 10 2nd Gen is Lenovo’s second attempt to establish a mainstream business tablet. Besides the convenient features of the old model, once again, there are big issues in terms of performance.

New wine - old wineskin? Nexoc takes a tried-and-true Clevo barebone and packs top-of-the-line hardware into a familiar chassis. What could go wrong?

Resurrected: Scene one, take two. It seems this 15-inch computer offers everything a gamer could wish for, including a sizeable SSD alongside a terabyte of hard drive space. Read on to find out why our reviewer still wasn't satisfied with the device.

Better thanks to Skylake. Although the new Skylake processor in Schenker's XMG A706 only results in a marginal performance increase compared with the XMG A705, the laptop comes with lower power consumption and longer battery runtimes owing to it improved energy efficiency.

More than mediocre? The less expensive devices from Lenovo in particular often got a very mediocre rating in the recent past; the author was obviously disappointed by the B50-80. So does the "bigger sibling" B70-80 perform better? The situation seems to be better with a powerful i5 CPU and dedicated Nvidia GPU.

Price-performance smasher? HP promises that its exceptional multimedia laptop, Pavilion 15, can boast among others, with a Full HD screen and plenty of storage for a price less than 500 Euros (~$568). However, closer inspection shows shortcomings in the 15-inch device.

Middle-class convertible. The predecessors' displays didn't exactly impress because of their low resolution and subpar brightness. Asus improved the Transformer Book Flip somewhat in that regard, but the new convertible is still decidedly average. We'll explain why in the following review.

Windows 10 netbook. Lenovo proves that you don't need to have fancy convertibles or detachables to make a good netbook. While a healthy number of features had to be cut, the super-light Ideapad 100S is a bargain for just under $200.

Low-cost all-rounder. Although HP's 350 G2 does not excel in any category, it is not disappointing, either. All in all, it is a basic 15.6-inch all-rounder at a good price-performance ratio that should satisfy the needs of most users.

Hardware update. 2015 is the year of Intel’s brand-new Skylake generation, which not only offers a better performance but also improved power efficiency. The XMG P506 from Schenker Technologies is a surprisingly thin gaming notebook that utilizes all advantages of the modern technology.

Dockable ecosystem. The HP Pro Tablet 608 G1 is targeted at professional markets but might suit consumers looking for a particular type of ultramobile PC solution. There's an extensive set of specifications and a wide range of accessories.

More than meets the eye? Asus has leveraged the criticism of their T100 Chi to concoct a completely refined successor which corrects nearly all of its issues. Plus, just for kicks, it’s 25% less expensive, too! Is this the Chromebook killer Windows needs?

Stay-at-home. Acer's Aspire E17 E5-752G-W7TY sports one of the newest AMD CPUs from the Carrizo generation. This report discloses how the three-month-old A10-8700P scores, and whether an HD+ screen in a 17-inch device is still compelling.

Gentle evolution. Schenker sends its new XMG P706 into the race with efficient Skylake processors, modern DDR 4 memory and other minor modifications. Otherwise, compared with its precursor, the slim 17-inch device has hardly changed - and that is a good thing.

Do you have enough force? The new Battlefront game uses your computer screen to encompass you in epic battles between the Empire and the Rebels -- that is, provided your computer is up to the task. What kind of hardware will enable your machine to render the game fluidly? Read our article to find out.

King of Features. MSI refreshes its gaming laptops with new hardware and exciting features within the framework of the release of Intel's Skylake generation. Read here how the GT72S top model fares against its high-end rivals.

Routine Kick. Few games have the mass appeal of the FIFA football series. We took a look at its various aspects and our benchmark results will tell you what hardware you need to run FIFA 16 well. Is an entry-level system powerful enough to run the game fluidly?

Worthy budget 2-in-1. Asus' new version of their 11.6-inch Transformer Book ticks all the important checkmarks for budget convertibles. True, the storage could be larger and the performance better - but from a price-to-value ratio, the little machine is a tough act to follow.

4G for cheap. 4G is becoming more accessible than ever as Bluboo now offers it for just under $90 USD with the 5-inch Xfire. Is there a catch to this Dual-SIM smartphone?

Flexible all-rounder. Lenovo's multi-mode, 15.6-inch Flex 2 Pro 15 does not exhibit any severe shortcomings and presents itself as a well-rounded, versatile device. However, its decent configuration (SSD, 16 GB RAM) forces up the price to almost 1000 Euros (~$1135).

Shrinkage. Samsung’s new 8-inch tablet looks just like its larger sibling, the Galaxy Tab 9.7. The internals are very similar as well, but can the device offer the same amount of performance despite the reduced dimensions?

Sink Ships! In the Free 2 Play game “World of Warships”, Navy enthusiasts will engage in short and action-packed sea battles. Despite good graphics, the engine is very conservative and is capable of running decently, even on older laptops. In this review, we will present our findings from our various benchmarks.

Recycling. You have a déjà-vu experience when you open the box of the Galaxy J5, because Samsung uses the old chassis design. Although the components are fairly standard, the manufacturer has integrated a flash at the front for selfie fans.

Well done, Asus. Until recently, Asus has been using Core M processors in their Zenbook UX305 models. However, the manufacturer now has greater aspirations. By adding new Core i7 processors to the series, Asus hopes to compete with the MacBook Air 13. Even with its stronger CPU, the Zenbook's battery life has improved. It just goes to show that in the wrestling ring of the computer world, sometimes it is not a disadvantage for a battery to put on some weight.

Quiet demeanor. Toshiba has refreshed its affordable Tecra A50 lineup with the thinner and sleeker A50-C series. Unfortunately, the manufacturer has a long way to go to catch up to the likes of Dell, HP, or Lenovo in the business space.

Insanely slim. With a more compact chassis and a different screen ratio, the new Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 aims to outdo its predecessor. Our in-depth review will show whether this is a success despite – or because – of the shrunken dimensions.

Mixed feelings. Lenovo's newcomer wants to qualify for the multimedia division with its mid-range graphics card but blunders in terms of screen and sound. The keyboard might disappoint users who value good office qualities. However, most other traits, and primarily the performance, are very compelling.

Platform update. Slightly delayed, but they are here. As September draws to an end, the first notebooks based on Intel's Skylake architecture are arriving on the scene. Our first test device equipped with the new technology is the Schenker XMG U506, which has a bona fide desktop processor at its command. Is it time for the old CPUs to disappear?

Bigger and better. Sounds disrespectful, but it is just a pun. The latest Apple iPhone 6S Plus is all about the touch as part of the new handling concept called 3D Touch. The latest S model is obviously faster, and you also get better cameras as well as faster communication modules. You also get more weight compared to the predecessor. The new iPhone is still a great smartphone.

The 3D Midas touch. No disrespect intended for the Apple iPhone 6S, but rather to point out the new control concept 3D Touch, which is one of the most important new features of the current smartphones from Cupertino. Just like every other generation, the 6S models are once again faster, but the design did not change. One thing that was increased is the weight.

Superfluous. Despite a frugal CPU, Lenovo's 15.6-inch notebook only manages poor battery runtimes. With a price tag of around 400 Euros (~ $446), it cannot really be called a bargain either.

No compromises. Desktop CPUs, G-Sync support, NVMe SSDs: Schenker's new 17-inch XMG U706 machine features almost everything that the heart of a gaming enthusiast desires. Will it be enough for our Top Ten Chart?

Unconvincing. Lenovo throws a new 15.6-inch office laptop on the market with its IdeaPad 305-15. The computer presents solid processing performance and is well-equipped. However, it has clear shortcomings in battery life and keyboard.

Mirror, mirror in my hand … The Mate S is definitely one of the most beautiful smartphones that are currently available on the market. Whether it is all only beautiful illusion or the new style-icon from China has more to offer can be discovered in our report.

Hardly faster, but much more efficient. The wait is over: Intel's new Skylake architecture is finally available for notebooks and replaces the predecessors Haswell and Broadwell. We review the two quad-core models Core i7-6700HQ and i7-6820HK.

Advantage wanted. Toshiba launches a new office laptop powered by the latest AMD APU on the market. It presented an overall decent performance in the test. However, the question arises: Why should buyers not opt for an almost equally priced, stronger Intel alternative?

Crossover. Shortly after the release of the new Windows 10, Apple released new Boot Camp drivers for the latest operating system from Redmond. We tested it.

For playing games on the job. If you want a business notebook that's more about games than actual work, then look no further.

Touch me harder! This is what the new iPhones are about – the touch. At least in terms of the handling with 3D Touch. The new Apple smartphones are obviously faster, heavier, and thicker. On the other hand, the battery is smaller and the cameras are supposed to be much better. First, a quick check.

Speed up! USB 3.1 is waiting in the wings to succeed USB 3.0 as standard interface. New features, double the performance and relatively cheap hardware make migrating attractive. We checked what you should consider and who will benefit from migrating now.

There’s life in the old dog yet. It has been very quiet around the small iPad lately. Some people even claimed that the Mini could be cancelled. Phil Schiller from Apple only mentioned the iPad Mini 4 with two sentences during the keynote. With that in mind, the new iPad Mini performs better than expected in our review, but there is still a respectable distance to the iPad Air 2.

Universal tool? 2-in-1 convertibles want to be the Swiss Army Knife in the Laptop World. Lenovo has an interesting configuration that should satisfy office workers, casual gamers, and media consumers alike in its line for 800 Euros (~$892).

Jack-of-all-trades? AR-coated, Full HD, powerful Intel SoC, and an AMD graphics. The mix that dreams are made of? However, we are disappointed - and you?

Braswell upgrade. Acer's 13.3-incher delivers long battery runtimes, a decent keyboard, and a matte display. It is priced at about 380 Euros (~$424). However, the computer also showed weaknesses.

Family duel. Alongside the GT, GS and GE series of gaming notebooks, MSI has also released their GP62 and GP72 entry-level models. We just reviewed the 15-inch version -- now we turn our attention to the 17-inch model. We have recorded our impressions here.

From an unloved stepchild to a Shining Star? According to some rumors, Apple would discontinue its iPad Mini entirely. There was hardly any mention of the Mini at the last keynote event. There was not even a news item. Nevertheless: The iPad Mini 4 has arrived - and more effort has been put into it than expected. It is even allowed to bear the iOS 9 banner.

Problem child. The Envy 15 is wrapped in an elegant case and equipped with an up-to-date Nvidia GTX 950M. While the specs of the Envy 15 are impressive, throttling has been a prominent problem of our test model.

5-inch smartphone for $90 USD. Smartphones are getting bigger, but that doesn't mean prices have to follow. The Doogee Nova Y100X is one of the cheapest 5-inch phones currently available with decent hardware in tow. What corners were cut along the way?

Average fare. No maintenance hatch, fixed battery, clattery keyboard, dark display, weak GPU - the Lenovo Z51 does not really provide rays of hope.

A fresh take. Dell’s Inspiron 15 7558 continues the manufacturer’s expansion of the Inspiron line into more premium territory, this time with a 2-in-1 convertible design (similar to Lenovo’s smaller Yoga machines). Can it inspire us with its rebalanced priorities?

Slowed down. Anyone thinking about buying HP's new, unusual 15-inch convertible will need patience. The sluggish hard drive slows down the system unnecessarily. A high-quality screen should not be on the priority list, either. Fortunately, there are also positive aspects to report.

Mingling in the mid-range. Motorola has pitched its mid-range Moto X Play phone to compete against price-performance whoppers such as OnePlus' One. The buyer gets a gigantic battery, plenty of performance and a high-resolution camera for under 400 Euros (~$454). Find out whether this is the new mid-range champion.

Brilliant. It has been four months since the Hollywood blockbuster was released and now its time for the video game. Unlike many other movie-to-game ports, Mad Max is impressive. Let us take a look at what it has to offer.

Colors everywhere. Thermal images allow a vivid visualization of the heat development on mobile devices – we explain the theoretical basics and show current smartphone solutions. We start with Therm-App from Opgal Optronic as well as the Seek Thermal Compact.

Yet another sibling. The current G4 family from LG already got a new member with the G4c. Now we get the next sibling. The LG G4s sits right between the top model and the compact version in terms of size and features. Still, the G4s cannot convince us completely, despite the good genes.

Shark attack. Eurocom's fourth generation Shark gets an updated chassis with GTX 960M graphics. Is this mainstream-level gaming notebook a better deal than more well-known competitors?

Wise man's tablet. Zen means to live life to the fullest - a high claim. Asus also expects much from its latest tablet. The ZenPad S 8.0 is supposed to be the slimmest of its kind and features a big RAM capacity of 4 GB. Asus mentions beauty, strength, and luxury - for a fair price.

No more Aluminum! The predecessor had an aluminum lid, while the new Dell Inspiron 17-5758 is now mainly made of plastic. On the other hand, it features up-to-date Broadwell CPUs and a dedicated graphics card. Is this sufficient to make up for the poor connectivity?

Versatile and affordable… The Pavilion x2 10-n013dx is the latest in HP’s rather crowded convertible line, sporting a familiar detachable design and a power-sipping Intel chipset intended to handle the basics. But with its multimode design and reasonable components, it’s an enticing candidate for the price tag.

Box of Curiosities. After a longer hiatus, Metal Gear Series 2014 with Revengeance and Ground Zeroes once again returns to the PC platform. The newest offshoot, called "The Phantom Pain" is - in line with the previous installment - a rather unusual title. We check out the new stealth game and look at how it performs on notebooks.

Cute top-seller. Acer's little 11-inch convertible features a new Braswell CPU and a 360-degree hinge. However, contrary to the manufacturer's touting, the Aspire R11 is not a jack of all trades.

Excellent? The in-house tablet from the online shop one.de is now available with Windows 10. We looked closer at the 10.1-inch device.

Wise man's tablet. Zen means to live life to the fullest - a high claim. Asus also expects much from its latest tablet. The ZenPad S 8.0 is supposed to be the slimmest of its kind and features a big RAM capacity of 4 GB. Asus mentions beauty, strength, and luxury. Here is a first short review.

An edge in need of sharpening. Released almost half a year after the original S6 Edge, the S6 Edge+ brings a larger display and... unfortunately not much else. How does the new Edge compare against the Galaxy Note 5 and its siblings?

Limited performance. HP advertises its new business detachable as: "The one device you need...". In fact, the Elite x2 is a versatile multi-talent, but it ultimately misses a better rating due to minor flaws in details.

Business made affordable. Among professional users, Lenovo have built up a good reputation with their solid ThinkPad-line. The E-series consists of affordable business notebooks, but lacks the premium name. Is the series truly an affordable alternative?

Workhorse for rough jobs. The CAT S40 is a ruggedized smartphone that combines a very bright IPS screen and long battery life in a robust exterior. However, the hardware could have been more powerful. It is powered by a Qualcomm entry-level quad-band SoC and 16 GB of storage. Nevertheless, the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system and penta-band LTE are on board.

Fine tuning. The second smartphone from the still young Chinese company is once again a strong package. There are many small improvements, but the design evolved as well. A current Snapdragon and even a new operating system are also included, but it is still not a flagship killer.

Honorable mention. Shortly after the launch of the Huawei P8, the manufacturer offers another device with similar specifications, now under the label of its subsidiary Honor. Unlike the P8, the Honor 7 is not focused on a slim construction, but tries to attract customers with a higher battery capacity. Our review reveals if this is a success.

The price-performance elephant. A smartphone with Full HD, LTE, fingerprint scanner and metal casing for not quite 200 Euros (~$226)? That sounds too good to be true! But the Elephone P8000 features just that, and we will uncover whether there is a catch somewhere.

The modern pen and paper. Who needs college-ruled paper and lead pencil when the Galaxy Note 5 does it all? The Note 5 may be a great successor to the Note 4, but don't throw away that classic notepad just yet.

Sounds good. Lenovo's 10-inch TAB 2 A10-70 Tablet offers very decent performance for the price. The Android-based slate comes with a fairly basic no-frills design, but boasts a Full-HD IPS display and above-average sound quality.

A tiny companion. Small, light, affordable: pretty much all old-school netbooks fit the bill in that regard. To make them truly usable, they also need to be equipped with good input devices, a decent display and feature a long battery life. Despite the fact that Asus' netbook offers a good price-to-value ratio, the user has to deal with a few drawbacks as well.

Hot head. The Acer Aspire E5-473G is an inexpensive multimedia notebook with current components. Thanks to the dedicated Nvidia GeForce 940M GPU, even gaming sessions are possible. The cooling solution, however, reaches its limit pretty quickly and the display is pretty low-cost as well.

Inexhaustible. Panasonic shows just what it takes to survive an industrial workday with its Toughpad FZ-B2. It impressed us with its casing and performance. However, weaknesses were found, primarily in the screen and cameras.

Sturdy aluminum blade. ZTE’s new mainstream smartphone, Blade V6, attracts attention mainly due to its well-built and slim aluminum chassis. However, is this enough to compete with the similarly equipped rivals?

Larger than life. Where else can you find an 18.4-inch notebook with integrated mechanical Cherry keys? We revisit the GT80 with upgraded Broadwell specifications.

Cunning. Intel's NUC5iRYK configured with a Broadwell Core i3 is a mini-PC based on laptop hardware. It hardly exhibited any weaknesses in the test, but gaming is not one of its strengths.

Extortionate price? Toshiba charges a steep price for a simple 15-incher which does not even feature a dedicated graphics card. What are the advantages of the C55D? Does Carrizo-L change things in favor of the AMD APU?

Great display.HP’s 17.3-inch device, equipped with the necessary features is supposed to replace your desktop PC at home. However, the highlight is the great IPS display, which can cover the sRGB color space by 97%.

Gaming with limits. The Asus slogan for the new 15-inch ROG device is "Gaming Without Limits", which is unfortunately not the case because of the GeForce GTX 950M. If the limited performance is sufficient for you, you get a well-balanced multimedia notebook with an SSD, great input devices and a convincing display for 1,200 Euros (~$1354), which is, however, not without some flaws.

Luxury for less than $300. The C100PA Chromebook Flip is the latest model to borrow the 360-degree hinge design from Lenovo’s Yoga series. But with sleek aluminum construction, a comfortable keyboard, and a remarkably affordable price point, there’s a lot more to this story.

"G" as in good. Motorola gives the third generation of its Moto G a refined face lift and delivers a superb money-performance bundle: A decent camera, long battery life, and up-to-date operating system. What's more, the device is now waterproof.

Gaming on a tight budget. The MSI GE series is already the manufacturer's entry-level gaming series. Now, the GP series is taking that extra step to make gaming even more affordable. What exactly has been cut along the way?

Limited. Amazon's newest iteration of the HD 6 tablet was designed with kids 3 years and up in mind. It is shipped with both a thick foam bumper and accidental damage protection. Our review will clarify how this child-friendly tablet is targeting its demographic.

Ups and downs. Toshiba's Satellite P50 might convince with its good screen and decent system performance. However, inconsistencies are noticed in the build and particularly in temperature development. Nevertheless, the stylish all-rounder is a worthy player in the multimedia category.

A new perspective. It is not long since we had the US model of the Asus UX501JW in our hands and we were impressed by the overall concept including the 4K display. Now, the ZenBook is available in Germany with a matte display. Unfortunately, not everything has turned out for the better.

Hot rainbow. The Wiko Rainbow Lite competes as an affordable 5-inch smartphones. As a result of its low price, the phone doesn't support LTE. We also discovered a rather "hot" issue during our review.

Successful follow-up. A bright IPS screen in Full HD resolution, over 7 hours of battery life and a noiseless device starting at less than 400 Euros (~$444) is here for the taking. However, Toshiba's new lineup totters in terms of stability and configuration options.

On the right path. For just 600 Euros (~$667), the HP Pavilion 17-g054ng offers a modern quad-core APU including Crossfire graphics, a lot of storage as well as a great Full HD display. But how does the AMD platform perform compared to the Intel competition?

Flexible piece of gold. The new Toshiba Satellite Radius 15 is one of the few convertibles with a large 15.6-inch display. Thanks to the special hinges, you can use different operating modes, but do they make any sense for such a big device?

Wiiiiiiidescreen. Widescreen monitors are the latest trend. With a resolution of 3440x1440 pixels and an aspect ratio of 21:9, Dell aims to be in the forefront with the U3415W, which attracts both, multimedia enthusiasts and office users alike. We take the opportunity and apply our extended display tests for the first time.

Keep it simple ...was apparently the motto for LG's new Joy. The 4-inch phone costs approximately 100 Euros (~$111) and provides the essential equipment apart from a front-facing camera and LED flash. Affordable and solid, it is intended to be a joy to use.

Inexpensive Lollipop. This is one of the more attractive budget smartphones for less than $130. Its curved glass front and metallic back cover are great, but can it perform as well as it looks?

Strayed.After testing hundreds of laptops, we venture a look outside the box and test a Desktop PC. The XMG Prime from Schenker Technologies aims to attract gaming fans not least with its compact build and water cooling.