Reviews

Disappointing screen. HP demands almost 800 Euros (~$893) for its Pavilion 15. The buyer gets a 1 TB hard drive and a matte screen among other things. However, the latter is absolutely unsatisfactory.

Kaveri done right. Faster, more frugal, and versatile – AMD's Carrizo APU is supposed to deliver what we already expected from the predecessor. We evaluate whether the new generation can compete against Intel's Broadwell architecture.

SLI and G-SYNC. Aorus may be less than a couple years old, but the manufacturer already has some of the thinnest gaming notebooks with the latest hardware and features in the market. Are the GTX 965M SLI GPUs and 2880 x 1620 resolution G-SYNC screen the perfect match?

Typewriter with a DVD drive. There are many inexpensive entry-level notebooks with a 15.6-inch display, but 14-inch models are pretty rare. Acer now offers an inexpensive alternative to professional compact devices; however, our review shows that it is not really a success.

Inconsistent office turbo. The LifeBook A514 wants to stand out from the typical budget office notebooks with an i3 CPU as well as an SSD. This works pretty well in terms of general performance, but other areas – starting with the display up to the temperature development – leave mixed impressions: Some results are great, some reveal serious drawbacks.

Double pack. The dual-colored HTC Desire 626G Dual SIM has two SIM slots and a high performance octa-core SoC from Mediatek that clocks at 1.7 GHz. The street price of approximately 230 Euros (~$250) also includes a bright 5-inch HD screen, UMTS, and a high-resolution camera module. 8 GB of internal storage and 1 GB of RAM rounds off the bundle.

Are two better than one? The key feature of the Honor 6+ is the dual-camera of the smartphone. HTC tried this in the past as well and failed miserably, but the Chinese do a better job. The 6+ also convinces with a good set of features as well as great battery runtimes.

Gaming acrobat. Despite the thin chassis and the versatile 360-degree hinge, the Lenovo Yoga 3 14 is also available with a dedicated GeForce 940M GPU. The following review shows how the device compares with the previously reviewed IGP version and why it is still not completely convincing, despite the good requisites.

Enduring. Dell's small Chromebook attracts attention with its long battery life and decent input devices. The robust casing makes up for the odd shortcoming.

Good stuff. Acer has equipped its brand new 17-inch laptop, with a striking fabric-like texture, a gaming-suitable engine, an SSD and decent input devices. Our test reveals whether the other components, as well as thermals and noise justify the very high price of the multimedia laptop that is most suitable as a desktop replacement.

I'd love to be a flagship. LG shrinks its LG G4 to 5-inches and an RRP of 279 Euros (~$306). The new G4c model sports a quad-core SoC from Qualcomm, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB internal storage, NFC, and LTE Cat. 4. Android 5.0.2 Lollipop is preloaded. The downgrade results in a good smartphone that will, however, always be in its big brother's shade.

Silent. With the Zenbook UX305FA, Asus offers a slim, light, silent 13.3-inch subnotebook with very good battery life. A price of just under 800 Euros (~$875) also makes it affordable.

An armored shell. It's not everyday that we run into a 14-inch Ultrabook with support for up to 32 GB of RAM. Can this this thin 14-inch Clevo replace your existing notebook for home and office use?

Different approach. By switching to economic ULV processors, the new LifeBook A555 loses some of its computing power - and gains longer battery runtimes and lower emissions. The greatest criticism is reserved for the disappointing screen.

Familiar hardware. Old hat or still recommendable? This is the question for the Quadro GPUs K1100M, K3100M and K5100M, which are still not based on the current Maxwell architecture. Right before the launch of the successor, we once again put these three chips through our benchmarks.

Fast ultrabook. As thin and light as an ultrabook, and yet it's not an ultrabook. It lacks a touchscreen and a bit more battery power, but a GeForce graphics card is inside. How does Lenovo's new subnotebook fare compared with other thin graphics machines?

Selfie smartphone. One highlight of the new LG Magna is the 5 MP camera at the front. In addition, the design as well as the functions of the mainstream smartphone have similarities with the more expensive premium products. A full success? Not quite.

All-rounder.Acer treats its brand new all-rounder to a powerful mid-range CPU and a gaming-suitable GPU. The battery life is basically satisfactory, but was better in the previous model.

Lite-product? Shortly after the flagship device from Huawei, the P8, we now get the smaller sibling with the addition "lite," which sounds like a slimmed-down version. Not only is the price reduced but also the battery runtime. The device could, however, even be the better choice for some customers thanks to the decent features and the good quality.

Hot diver. Sony refreshes its waterproof and dust-resistant smartphone series Xperia M Aqua. The Xperia M4 Aqua can convince us in many respects, including the bright 5-inch IPS display with the HD resolution, a fast octa-core SoC from Qualcomm as well as 2 GB RAM. However, there are also some issues.

Tight is not always right. Acer's new all-rounder catches the attention with its good connectivity, fast SSD, and an IPS screen. The battery life, however, is only average because Acer has slimmed down the battery significantly compared with that of the preceding laptop.

Under observation - the final. HP's ZBook 15 G2 has been in our long-term test for some weeks now, and it has to show whether it can keep what it promises in the long run after passing through our regular test procedures. Besides our experiences with the review sample, we will also deal with the topic of two external batteries to increase the runtimes. The following article discloses the experiences we have made until now.

2-in-1 entry point. Acer have had a good run with their 10-inch Switch series. Good value was always at the heart of the offering so it's difficult to see how the new Switch 10E fits in to the pricing and value equation. We take a deep and detailed look in the full Acer Aspire Switch 10E review below.

Braswell upgrade. Acer's little 11.6-inch laptop attracts attention with noiseless operation and a long battery life. That makes life difficult for Chromebooks.

Follow-up. The 13-inch laptop is an old acquaintance. We tested the GeForce 840M model only a few months ago. Now we are taking a quick look at the new 940M version. Has the racer turned into a rocket?

Facelift with small flaws. The successor of the Sony Xperia Z2 Tablet, the thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet, has the designation...Z4 Tablet - logical. Just as logical are the updated internals, the slightly reworked chassis and the improved display. This sums it up pretty nicely. But: The Snapdragon 810 (also) causes some problems in the latest Sony flagship device.

Meltdown. The Sony Xperia Z3+ appears to be a small update of its predecessor. You might think that this should not be a big challenge, but the temperature development is a real problem and can also limit the usability of the smartphone in some cases.

Mobile workplace. The HP Omen Pro is a very exclusive workstation with a serious premium claim. While the design and the mobility leave a good impression right away, you only get old hardware components. We checked if the combination is convincing nonetheless.

New, new, new. Fresh Android, new Intel SoC, better cameras - Acer's Iconia Tab 10 aims to be better than former models. We tested the 10.1-inch tablet and now reveal whether it is worth purchasing.

E as in Entry-level. Have 14-inch devices come back into fashion? The manufacturer offers a bundle including a dedicated graphics card, Full HD, an SSD, and a Broadwell Core i5 for an aggressive price. Is it a companion for university work and games alike?

Professional Slate. HP launches its Pro Slate 8 tablet for business customers. It has a high-resolution screen and security features alongside a stylus. But is it worth the demanded 600 Euros (~$668)?

Entry-level Galaxy. The small Galaxy smartphone has a 4.3-inch display and therefore does not follow the current trend towards bigger displays. But Samsung is not very generous with the rest of the components, either. Can the Galaxy J1 beat the strong competition?

Netbook 2.0 Current tablets with docking solutions could be what netbooks were a few years ago: compact companions with long battery runtimes that can be used for multimedia contents as well as productive tasks. Toshiba relies on a very small size, two batteries, a high resolution and a dock with a USB type A port. A recipe for success?

Multimedia elite? According to MSI, the notebooks from the new Prestige-series are devices for very demanding lifestyle and business users. But can the 17.3-inch PE70 fulfill these high promises?

A much needed refresh. Gigabyte's newest redesign throws Broadwell into the mix for some impressive results. Find out why the P55 is one of our favorite notebooks to come from Gigabyte thus far.

Synchronization complete. Nvidia's G-Sync technology promises a smooth gaming experience without annoying screen tearing. We could examine this feature for the first time in Asus' G751JY. Has the venerable V-Sync completed its service?

Black or White. Sony launches its new Xperia E4g in black or white on the market. The 4.7-inch smartphone features an IPS screen, LTE Cat.4, NFC, a Mediatek quad-core SoC and dual-band Wi-Fi. The smartphone is priced at approximately 130 Euros (~$144) and convinces with decent performance.

PC debacle. Even high-end notebooks hit their limit with Batman: Arkham Knight. We've checked the performance of the game with its open-world structure on several different systems.

Liquid Jade. Acer's Liquid Jade Z is a very lightweight dual-SIM smartphone with many curves. This report reveals whether the device is convincing overall.

All-rounder with minor drawbacks. The new, relatively low-priced desktop replacement laptop from the AsusPro series does not have any really striking features. It is not a specialized device, but rather a solid multimedia all-rounder with some business qualities, which is also suitable for gaming and does everything quite decently, but nothing exceptionally well.

Lenovo created a balanced bundle. Recently, the Y50-70 proved to be a good entry into the mobile gaming world. Now, the manufacturer put even more performance into the slim case and improved the bundle. The most important change: Lenovo replaced the predecessor's poor TN display with a good IPS panel with 1080p resolution and matte surface.

Dark screen. Dell sends a 15.6-inch all-rounder into the fight for buyers' favor with its Inspiron 15-5558. The laptop pleases with an IPS screen that, however, has a much too low brightness. Dell could have been a bit less tightfisted with the GPU.

High-quality entertainment. The latest edition of Asus' paragon multimedia laptop promises more power in all sectors. The whole thing has only one catch: The buyer has to dig deeper into their pocket.

Top-notch. Since our last update article on the MSI 17-inch gaming laptop, the manufacturer has modified certain features. Although our test model, the GT72-2QE16SR21BW, lacks Nvidia G-Sync technology, the Wide-View display entices us to take a closer look.

Great screen for cheap. The 5-inch phone retails for just around $100 and it already sports an 8-core MediaTek processor. What other surprises does this model carry?

Underdeveloped. The spec sheet of Sony's new premium-range phone has quite a bit to offer. However, it exhibits some shortcomings in practice. For example, our review sample struggled with multiple small and big peculiarities that we did not expect.

A good "Start". A good "Start". Acer's entry-level office laptop with the somewhat bulky name Aspire E15 Start ES1-512-P1SM can score with a long battery life and useful keyboard among other things. However, is that enough to prevail over the multitude of equally low-priced competitors?

Elvis. Great voice, appealing performance and best entertainment value. The Prestige series aims to impress consumers and business users alike with its luxury features. Will it manage to do that with the standard tools? The manufacturer has eliminated the classic MSI vulnerable "keyboard", a wise decision that makes us happy.

Not enough pixels! Toshiba's Z30-B-100 is a lightweight Subnotebook that aims to signalize mobility. That is largely achieved, but is a TN screen with a standard HD resolution still up-to-date in 2015?

Slim gamer. Recently, we reviewed Asus' new member of the ROG series, the high-end US model. Our current model for the German market is about 600 Euros (~$672) cheaper but makes compromises in features. Nevertheless, it even performs partly better than the more expensive model we reviewed.

Maintenance-friendly. Schenker's 14-inch Ultrabook stands out with its very individual configurability. However, its noise and temperature development could be better.

Model upgrade. Despite its slim build, there is plenty of computing power in Lenovo's gaming laptop. The combination of powerful hardware, 4K screen, and decent connectivity is to make potential buyers curious.

Android 5.0 for cheap. The Tab 2 A8 promises extensive multimedia features for an affordable price of $129. Is this a worthy successor to last year's 8-inch Tab A8?

Last-gen still competes. The latest model in the Dell Venue 11 Pro 5130 range includes a high-end Atom (Baytrail-M) processor and combines it with 4GB of RAM and a full HD screen which showcases what can be done with Atom, at a time when the next-gen processors are feeding-in and quickly ageing this tablet.

Enduring. The Dell Vostro 3558 is a low-cost office notebook that is primarily designed as a working device. This claim is supported by good battery runtimes and decent input devices. It is unfortunate that Dell did not equip the device with a digital-video output.

Crackerjack. MSI's GT70 workstation managed seventh place in our workstation ranking. Now we have the successor, MSI's WT72, with a new casing, better screen and optimized performance to test. The following report shows just how well the powerhouse scores overall.

And yet another One... Acer's Iconia One 8 tablet is inexpensive, easy to handle and comes with Android 5. Read in this report to find out whether the tablet has been made with bargain hunters in mind or if it will also be suitable for more demanding buyers.

Comeback. The mobile high-end market is dominated by Intel and Nvidia. Alienware is one of the few manufacturers who offer GPUs from AMD as well. We ordered the 15-inch version of the notebook with the GTX 970M rival Radeon R9 M295X to check out the performance.

A good first step. The TV maker makes a good first effort in its foray into the notebook market. Find out what we liked and didn't like about this early Ultrabook from the fast-growing electronics company.

Four eyes see 3D. Amazon's Fire Phone aims to offer innovative features for a small price, but the online retailer has not got a lot of praise so far. Our review shows why we are not convinced, either.

Broadwell upgrade. The EliteBook 820 G2 is a 12.5-inch business notebook. Overall, it left a good impression and does not need to hide from the competition. However, it also is not exactly affordable with a price of just under 2000 Euros (~$2253).

Fire and Origami. Once again, the fourth generation of the Fire HDX 8.9 is a tablet with great multimedia capabilities. However, the software limitations are still significant. So is it a tablet only for Amazon fans?

Little dinosaur. A 4.5-inch IPS screen with 854x480 pixels, a weak MediaTek SoC, only 4 GB of flash memory - what sounded good in the former Y530 now seems to be a relic of the beginnings of smartphones, and everything but up-to-date. Huawei demands 100 Euros (~$111, RRP) for not more than a decent entry-level device.

Premium desktop replacement. The Asus N751JX lends oneself as a replacement for the home desktop PC. Overall, it performs well. However, with a price tag of about 1200 Euros (~$1351), it is not a bargain.

Not just a good looker. LG now offers genuine leather back covers for its premium smartphone, and uses a lightly curved design for this model. The manufacturer preserves the old virtues and optimizes the device in important areas. However, it has not quite managed to eliminate all the flaws of the precursor.

Two GPUs. Schenker’s 17-inch Workstation is available with two Nvidia graphics cards in an SLI configuration. Read the review to find out whether the quality and the performance of the W724 can keep up with other dual-GPU laptops such as the Aorus X7 Pro or the MSI GT80.

Low-cost Office. With the 350 G1, HP offers a simple Office notebook with Haswell Pentium. You only need to put 290 Euros (~$320) on the table to own this 15.6-inch model.

Expensive pleasure. More performance, a new Force Touch TrackPad as well as longer battery runtimes are supposed to make the reworked MacBook Pro 15 even more appealing – and therefore justify a retail price far in excess of the 2000 Euros (~$2252) mark. Is this enough to compete with the improved rivals?

Successful all-rounder. The F751LB boasts good connectivity and low emissions. Furthermore, the TN panel offers 99% coverage of the sRGB color spectrum.

Now with the latest Broadwell-H CPU. Eurocom is one of the first resellers to incorporate the recently released Intel Core i7-5775C CPU into its product line. How does this desktop 65 W processor compare to the current mobile Broadwell champions?

New inner values. Apple's new MacBook Air 13 is even faster than previous models. But, not only the performance is a positive aspect. However, the flaws of the previous generations were, unfortunately, hardly improved.

All hat and no cattle? Dell's heavyweight 17-inch machine with a classy aluminum casing looks good and provokes envious glances on the desk. However, Dell is restrained in terms of hardware. Nevertheless, will the luxury Inspiron prove to be a rounded bundle?

Fast Forward. New CPU and GPU generations - Asus updates their series of affordable 15.6-inch all-rounder notebooks in two ways. The new hardware increases performance significantly while consuming less power in the process. The result is an increase in the battery life.

Enduring beauty. I want a light 13-inch notebook, a tablet, a high-quality as well as great-looking chassis, and really long battery runtimes. But those are 4 wishes at once, that's really not possible! Yes it is. The big surprise in our in-depth review.

Indestructible. The ToughPad FZ-E1 is a member of Panasonic's first Rugged 5-inch Handhelds. The device has been developed primarily for enterprise and industrial use. In addition to its exceptional outdoor qualities and battery life, it has a really high performance.

Short blade. ZTE's Blade S6 is located in the upper mid-range. The 5-inch smartphone wants to attract buyers with plenty of RAM, a high-resolution camera, and decent performance. Find out in our review why the phone from China is not very enduring.

Multi-mode. Handy as a subnotebook, thin and light as a tablet. The compact form factor could currently represent the optimum between mobility and productivity. The Core M ensures long battery runtimes and the IPS panel a good picture impression. Read our review to find out why the package still cannot really convince us.

Long, cool, and quiet. Compared to last year's model, the Samsung Chromebook 2 is largely the same in terms of features and appearance. However, the manufacturer has improved upon one key aspect that propels this updated model near the top of the Chromebook list.

Purist. In the past few years, Codemasters has developed an arcade-oriented, racing game. Now with “Dirt Rally”, they have decided to return to the old Colin McRae roots. We ran the "Early-Access" game to check its hardware requirements.

Upgraded. The TalkBand B1 is already more than your usual fitness tracker, including as it does a Bluetooth headset. With this new model, Huawei offers a similar design and also tries to break into the premium line. With materials such as leather, glass, and aluminum, this is generally a success. Apart from that, the Smartband delivers good battery runtimes.

Lithe and lissome. The British manufacturer Kazam holds a record: The Kazam Tornado 348 is the thinnest smartphone in the world. Our review will check the other qualities of the smartphone.

Boldly priced. Actually, HP has almost done everything right in the refresh of its premium model and presents a throughout well-designed, very slim and swift business ultrabook with an IPS touchscreen and extensive security features. However, incomprehension evolves when comparing the price-performance ratio with the competition.

Quiet. Without making a big fuss, Asus has included a mobile 15-inch workstation in its product line. The PU551JH is already available for less than 1,000 Euros (~$1098) and might be a genuine price-cutter thanks to its matte Full HD display and Nvidia Quadro K1100M. We have tested it extensively to see if this is the case.

Successful. The MSI GE72 is a 17.3-inch gaming notebook with great performance and a strong panel with 94% sRGB coverage. Overall, MSI offers a good package for gamers.

Sharp as a knife. Slim, elegant and streamlined - the looks of the S7 will stop everyone from simply passing by Acer's premium range. Will the pricey first-rate configuration of WQHD screen and SSD Raid ultimately be convincing? We examined that in this in-depth test report.

Understatement. With a screen resolution of 1024x768 pixels in a 4:3 format, Samsung's 9.7-inch Galaxy Tab A presents itself as an ideal e-book reader, web-browsing device, and email machine. However, our test proves that the quad-core android has a lot more to offer.

Heavyweight. The third part of the fantasy saga based on the sorcerer Geralt is now in front of us. The story and graphics of the game promises to eclipse the RPG competition. However, we are more interested in the game performance on notebooks. What system is needed for what settings?

The art of omission. Sometimes less is more, which is what Apple probably thought when they designed the ultramobile MacBook 12. Besides unnecessary weight, they also removed (almost) all the ports. A radical concept that won't suit everybody – and inspire some.

Power Spike. Dell offers updated components for the Alienware 13. Let us find out if the Core i7-5500U and the GeForce GTX 960M are worth the investment.

Say "cheese!" LG has once and for all completely dedicated itself to photography with its new flagship. A higher resolution, bigger lenses, a higher luminosity, and an improved image stabilizer... it almost lets us forget that the G4 is a superb smartphone - optionally available in leather. Unfortunately, it also has some old weaknesses.

Update with a catch. Dell updated its 13.3-inch convertible with the latest technology. Besides the new Broadwell processor you still get a 360-degree hinge as well as a touchscreen. The most noticeable change, however, is the louder fan.

4 GB of RAM! We all knew it was inevitable, but it's finally here -- the first major consumer smartphone with 4 GB dual-channel DDR3 RAM. Not only that, but it can also be had for just $300. Is this 5.5-inch monster enough to lure users away from popular Chinese brands like the OnePlus One?

Featherweight. The updated version of the Toshiba KIRA weighs 200 grams less without the touchscreen and is therefore one of the lightest 13.3-inch devices on the market. The new Broadwell hardware ensures sufficient performance and long battery runtimes, but is the high price justified?

Chromebook rival. If users do not find the color of the Stream 13 appealing, they will at least find the inner values attractive. Its silent operation, long battery life, and low price make HP's laptop interesting. A one-year license for MS Office 365 Personal is also included.

17.3-inch all-rounder. With its Pavilion 17, HP offers a gaming suitable 17.3-inch all-rounder priced at just under 600 Euros (~$660). However, we discovered some shortcomings.

Solid gamer. The MSI GE60 is a powerful, yet affordable, gaming notebook. The laptop performs well but suffers from high noise and temperature emissions.

Gigantic with drawbacks. As expected from MSI's GT lineup, we meet uncompromising readiness to perform. The update of the GT70 is faster and in some cases even cheaper. However, the weaknesses found in the old tests, unfortunately, have not been eliminated.

Big meets affordable. Honor, Huawei's subsidiary, launches a device in the growing phablet sector with its new Honor 4X. The austerely designed casing contains a lot for approximately 200 Euros (~$220): LTE Cat4, a sufficiently fast octa-core SoC, dual-SIM functionality, and a bright IPS screen. A well-rounded package.

Turbo SSD. Decent gaming performance is expected from a gaming laptop. Asus' GL771JW fulfills this, and the laptop even pleases/surprises with a super-fast SSD (PCI Express x4). It also features a screen that offers 90% sRGB coverage.

Let the games begin! Equipped with an Nvidia GeForce 940M, the ThinkPad T450s can cope with 3D applications and games - and that for a relatively low extra charge. Thanks to a 96 Wh battery capacity, record-breaking runtimes should be possible.