Reviews

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.

Transformation. Compact subnotebook or fully fledged desktop replacement: The MSI GS30 wants to be both at the same time. Our review will reveal whether the GamingDock model does so successfully or whether it sits on the fence.

Generation 4K. Notebookcheck tries something new and reviews the high-resolution 28-inch display Asus PB287Q. Read our review to find out whether the Ultra HD model is worth its price.

Curvy. The LG Spirit is a middle-class Smartphone with a stylish, curvy back. However, unlike its back, the front and, by extension, the display is straight. How does the device match up against the competition? Is it all looks?

Size doesn't matter. It may be less than 14-inches, but the Aorus X3 Plus still performs just as well as many larger gaming models currently available. What compromises must buyers make for this 3200 x 1800 QHD+ 13.9-inch notebook with 3x RAID 0 and GTX 970M graphics?

More display, less power. Finally the moment has come: The new Apple MacBook 12 faces our tests. Read all about our first results and get a first taste of our upcoming extensive review.

Average. The HP 15 is a simple office laptop for home use. The laptop does not shine in any area, except the CPU, but it does offer a decent package. Sadly, the manufacturer has left a lot of room for complaint.

More power. The GeForce GTX 970M is significantly more powerful than the previously tested GE62 model (GeForce GTX 965M). Sadly, even this 4K panel does not make the cut.

As quiet as a mouse. They are rare indeed: Multimedia laptops equipped with AMD APUs and a powerful dedicated Radeon core. The overall performance is impressive - provided the price is reasonable.

Quality has its price. HP demands almost 2,000 Euros (~$2289) for its top model of the EliteBook 850 series - in return the customer receives a brilliantly manufactured business laptop with an impressive configuration. Ultimately it is the minor weaknesses that prevent the laptop from ascending the top of its appliance class.

Modular. Fujitsu's 13.3-inch machine offers everything a modern business notebook needs. The module slot allows some customization for the user's own needs.

The Ultimate ZenBook? Sporting nearly identical specifications to the recently-reviewed G501JW, the UX501JW—with a 4K LCD display, discrete graphics, and quad-core CPU—targets an audience who may in fact be a better fit for its choices. Is this truly the ultimate ZenBook?

Needs sharpening. The 17.3-inch Razer Blade Pro has not seen a major revision since its reveal in 2011 and its age is starting to show. Is the attractive razor-thin form factor and unique Switchblade interface enough to convince the hardcore gaming crowd?

Rugged tendency. The Dell Venue 10 Pro is a Windows 8 tablet that appears to have arrived too late to the market but a solid build and good accessory range give it appeal. Travelers, teachers and industrial IT buyers should take notes.

Light artist. The Huawei P8 is the latest flagship device from the Chinese company, which does not only have an elegant design, but also offers a lot inside the aluminum chassis: Build quality, camera and display can meet the highest demands. However, the connectivity and the performance do not leave a high-end impression.

Surprise bag. A quad-core SoC, high-speed LTE Internet alongside an NFC module, Android 5.0 and 8 GB of storage. This bundle, in the form of the 4.5-inch LG Leon LGH340N, is officially available for just 149 Euros (~$170). Our report reveals how well the mid-range smartphone fares in real life.

Even better thanks to Broadwell. The HP EliteBook Revolve 810 G3 can basically be described as a Broadwell upgrade of its predecessor. However, the processor alone suffices to improve the convertible: More power and significantly improved battery runtimes are what the device has to offer.

Desktop midget. Acer's Revo One is a Mini Desktop PC designed primarily for the home user. The PC tries to attract customers with lots of storage, good performance, and an up-to-date arrangement of physical ports. How the review model differs from other offerings in the market is the subject of our review.

"Notebook-Killer" Vol. 3 - After the Surface Pro 3 was released last autumn, Microsoft now also launches the light version called Surface 3. We already have a review unit and will publish our first results. Update 05/07/2015: Application Performance, Emissions and Rating.

LTE on-board. The Asus Transformer Book T100TAL is a long-lasting 10.1-inch convertible. The in-built LTE modem offers users the option of mobile Internet.

Disappointing display. Fujitsu's new 14-inch business Ultrabook, the LifeBook U745, left a good impression overall. However, Fujitsu has made a mistake when selecting the display.

You get what you pay for. HP demands less than 400 Euros (~$446) for the basic configuration of its ProBook 455 G2, which recommends it for entering the world of semi-professional office laptops. Unfortunately, the weak hardware slows down the user far too often.

Nice soundbox. HTC tries to keep old strengths with the One M9 and does not really change the design of its flagship smartphone. The speakers still create a very good sound, but the latest version once again reveals problems in respect of the reworked camera. The battery runtimes could be longer as well.

Broadwell upgrade. Fujitsu does not hold back in its 13.3-inch LifeBook T935: A slim metal casing as well as a hinged display is configured with decent hardware, costing almost 2000 Euros (~$2244). However, the computer exhibits some weaknesses.

All-rounder. With its stylish design, Dell's 15.6-inch Inspiron 15-5548 all-rounder aims to attract the attention of potential buyers. The hardware equipment is satisfactory. However, Dell should have put more effort in terms of GPU and screen.

Testosterone phone. The Kyocera Torque is quite a handful: The ruggedized smartphone does not believe in slim lines but rather in protection in compliance with military standards, innovations and business features. More about that in the report.

A new republic. The thinner ROG is certainly flashier, but cut corners are inevitable. Asus calls it the quietest ultrathin gaming notebook on the market with one of the fastest solid-state drives available. What can go wrong?

Unchanged evergreen. Apple refreshes its MacBook Air-series with current Broadwell processors. This does improve the performance noticeably, but something is missing – innovation.

Middle management. The Lumia 640 improves upon the predecessor in several areas. The middle-class smartphone features swappable covers and very decent software - but is that good enough to beat out the stiff competition?

Wide-view screen. Rumors have been confirmed: MSI presents the PE70, a brand new 17-inch laptop that is not only aimed at the gaming community but also at enthusiastic multimedia fans and professional users. We were able to take a close look at the "True Color Screen" before the official launch.

Pixel junkies. What was impossible a few years back is now slowly becoming reality: gaming at resolutions far above the standard 1920x1080 pixels. We tested multiple notebook GPUs with 3 of the latest games. Are we ready for 4K?

Mini-Windows. For less than 200 Euros (~$223) you can already get an 8-inch tablet with genuine Windows - although it is only the 32-bit version. 169 Euros (~$189) for the Lenovo Miix 3 8 is quite a challenge to the competition. What can be expected for such a price?

Average. Asus' Transformer Book TF300A is a compromise between a tablet and a notebook. Thanks to the integrated Core M processor, the device can be cooled passively.

The mid-range giant. Microsoft's Lumia 640 XL with dual-SIM support is aimed at Windows Phones buyers looking for a low-priced phablet. To see if it stands any chance of success, read this report.

Small and replaceable. This $70 smartphone is a blast from the past with its low specifications and small 4.5-inch display. Is the tiny price of entry worth it for a smartphone running Android KitKat?

Alien lightshow. Alienware, who are very popular among gamers, jumped on the Maxwell bandwagon and presented their first notebook with the new and extremely fast Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M. Numerous manufacturer specific special hardware and software features should fulfill all wishes of gamers. It is just too bad that precisely the core units did not work flawlessly.

Bye-bye, TN. After a long waiting time, the Clevo P771ZM Barebone is finally available with an IPS panel. Reason enough for us to take another look at the One K73-5N. Clear the ring for the Schenker XMG U705.

School's calling. Rigid, ready-to-go and enduring is how Dell presents its new Education lineup. The combination of these key specs quite convinced us in the test, and thus Dell's Latitude 11 is also eligible for the classic office environment.

Not much more powerful. On paper, the powerful hardware upgrade of Acer's Nitro series seems appealing. Although, the performance has not improved in the synthetic benchmarks, gamers might appreciate more fps and a higher display contrast.

Update Lite. Motorola's Moto G2 mid-range smartphone had picked up a good rating in our test, but it did not feature LTE. The manufacturer has eliminated this drawback in its new edition, and has installed the latest, supposedly faster Android Lollipop instead of KitKat. However, there might just be unexpected modifications in the screen and storage.

Fine-tuning. Schenker Technologies relies for the M505 on the simple design of the predecessor. The changes underneath the hood are equally marginal. For instance, the IPS panel is accompanied by a GeForce GTX 950M instead of a GeForce GTX 850M. Find out here how this affects the performance.

Readjusted. Despite its powerful hardware, the GL551JK remains a quiet and unobtrusive notebook. The comparatively long battery life is an added bonus.

A basic solution. The Redmi 2 aims to be a mainstream smartphone for a budget price. Its humble 720p display and Snapdragon 410 SoC aren't trying to break any records, but will instead offer sufficient and reliable performance for everyday use.

Refined model. Slim, sleek, powerful - With the Aspire V15 Nitro series, Acer has launched a well-made series of gaming notebooks. Acer has upgraded the series and replaced the GeForce GTX 860M graphics card with a GeForce GTX 960M GPU. As a result, the graphics performance has increased slightly.

Très chic! We took a first glance at the Chinese manufacturer's flagship. Huawei's P lineup has always been slim, but rarely so classy. The P8 makes a positive first impression with a lot of aluminum and glass. The camera has also been reworked to quite some extent. Find out more in the following report.

Stylishly affordable… The latest Chi convertible from ASUS might not satisfy those with heavy computing needs, but it seems a compelling proposition for those in the market for an inexpensive 2-in-1. Can this lower-end alternative to Microsoft’s Surface line make a splash?

Limited stamina. Asus can compete with the established competitors from Lenovo, Dell, Fujitsu and HP with the 12-inch business subnotebook called BU201LA. It comes with a bright IPS display, an LTE modem and very good input devices. However, the computer's battery life is quite short.

Expensive runtime wonder. Toshiba charges a steep price of 2000 Euros (~$2138) for the top configuration of its latest business convertible – in return the user gets a business device with comprehensive features and enormous battery runtimes. Thanks to the anti-reflective touchscreen, the Portege Z20t can also be used outdoors.

Lightweight. The German manufacturer, TrekStor, offers a very light, yet large smartphone in the WinPhone. The device uses Windows Phone 8.1 and employs a quad-core CPU, an HD display and an 8 MP lens. A great smartphone for a low price?

Better late than never. Barely 1.5 years after the Last-Gen edition, GTA V is finally released for the PC. We tested it on multiple notebooks, to see if the wait was worth it.

Carbon-based evolution. While Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon series laptop has always been an impressive piece of hardware, some design decisions have polarized the audience. The X1 Carbon 3rd Gen answers the criticism with solutions which aim to please all parties. We explore the results in excruciating detail in our full review. Update 04/20/2015: Core i7 and PCIe-SSD in review!

Inexpensive Prime? Inexpensive smartphones are getting more popular in wealthy industrial countries and it does not always have to be a premium device. The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime is supposed to attract customers that spend less than 200 Euros (~$214) but still want LTE. Our review shows if and where the device makes compromises.

Changing of the guards. Lenovo's new Thinkpad L450 now sports ULV processors instead of standard mobile CPUs. Unfortunately, the Thinkpad doesn't benefit that much from the more frugal processor-series.

First business contact. Dell wants to show us what equipment an affordable laptop for business routine needs with its Latitude 3450. The laptop lures with an IPS screen and a good battery life. However, minor shortcomings have to be accepted for a price of 915 Euros (~$981).

3, 5, 7. Samsung's Galaxy A lineup is tailored more for the normal wallet than the wickedly expensive Galaxy S models. Now a small phablet is available in the series called Galaxy A7. We took a closer look at the classy smartphone.

Success. Acer's 14-inch TravelMate P645 does not have any serious weaknesses and besets the business-leaders from Hewlett Packard and Lenovo. It clearly outruns its rivals in terms of battery life.

A new standard. The conventional Galaxy S6 was already very convincing in our review. Samsung now offers a smartphone with two rounded display edges with the Galaxy S6 Edge for the first time, but the additional price is pretty steep. Our review shows if the extra charge is worth it.

Little jack of all trades. The manufacturer describes its new EliteBook as a sturdy travel companion. The build and emissions impress us, but compromises have to be made in performance compared with the competition.

Bananaphone. LG presents the second edition of its curved, high-end smartphone, LG G Flex 2, with improvements: Primarily the higher resolution screen is to silence the critics. We closely examined the slightly smaller phablet in the test.

Well-rounded indeed. The Zenbook doesn't just impress with its looks alone. The subnotebook also delights with good input devices, a long battery life and low emissions.

All-rounder. The HP Envy 17 wants to be your desktop replacement laptop. It has the right hardware, but what about the pricing?

The affordable convertible. For about $500, this Asus is both a decent tablet and notebook. Unfortunately, a lot of important corners had to be cut to bring this transformer to such an inexpensive level.

Yoga goes standard. Will the Yoga concept be successful in a standard 15-inch work device? Can the Yoga reflect the classic virtues and bring new flexibility in equal measure? Disappointment is not far.

Successor to the throne. Samsung wants to claim the smartphone crown with the Galaxy S6. Those are not just marketing slogans; the South Korean high-end Android device really puts up a convincing performance in our review and can secure the top spot in our ranking.

Successful update... ...would be a brief and catchy description of Motorola's Moto E 2nd generation because many points of criticism made on the predecessor have been reworked. A 4.5-inch qHD screen, LTE, 8 GB of storage, and the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop - the revised bundle is appealing.

Slimmed down. The new version of the Inspiron 15 of the 7000-series is much slimmer than the predecessor, and now has a 4K display. However, the restriction is not only limited to the chassis: You also have to live with drawbacks in terms of graphics performance and battery runtimes.

LTE 8.0. You don't like small screens but want the phone functions of a smartphone? Then Huawei's MediaPad T1 8.0 LTE might be your device: make calls and browse on the Internet on an 8-inch tablet.

Cutting the wrong corners? Compromises in the casing, screen and configuration make the ThinkPad T450 a comparatively affordable alternative to the high-end T450s model. However, the buyer should carefully consider whether the money saved really makes up for the drawbacks.

Double X. Microsoft's Lumia 532 is actually the dual-SIM version of the Lumia 435. Buyers looking for a very affordable smartphone and want to use two SIM cards at the same time will find out what restrictions a price of just over 90 Euros (~$97) involve in our report.

GPU Update. Schenker Technologies presents the XMG A305: the successor to the gaming dwarf, the XMG P304. Instead of a GTX 860M, the successor employs a GTX 960M, which promises more performance. In our review, we will check whether the cooling of the 13-inch gaming laptop can handle its new hardware.

All grown up. For the first time, Acer has increased their Chromebook's size and churned out a 15.6-inch device that certainly gave us some pleasant surprises.

Online premium camera. Panasonic's Lumix DMC-CM1 is actually more of a camera with integrated smartphone since the device looks like a compact camera just from its outsides. However, it also has plenty of mobile power with a Full HD screen, LTE, and a Snapdragon 801.

Thin is in. How thin of a laptop can you fit a GTX 980M? The Gigabyte P37 is the thinnest 17.3-inch notebook with the Nvidia GPU and we find out if there are any performance consequences that may entail.

Successful. Schenker's XMG A705 is primarily aimed at gamers and does not disappoint in this regard: It renders all up-to-date games smoothly. Positive: The noise and temperature development are relatively moderate.