Reviews

A round bundle. A slim aluminum casing plus a Core i7 processor and Full HD screen equal a 14-inch laptop from Dell. The bundle is rounded off with very good battery runtimes. Has Dell created a strong device?

Hurray for three SIMs. Acer's Liquid E700 Trio features a total of three SIM-card slots. A high-performance quad-core SoC, 2 GB of RAM, and a lush 16 GB of flash memory alongside an HD IPS screen are also part of the bundle. A price of 200 Euros (~$256) is demanded for that. A tasty mix in a restrained casing that will not only be interesting for corporate customers.

Low in contrast. Gaming-suitable laptops no longer have to be a costly affair these days. Asus also follows this trend with its X555LN. For 500 Euros (~$646), the buyer gets a 15.6-inch device with a Core i5 processor and GeForce 840M graphics core. The price is even below 500 Euros (~$646) without a Windows operating system.

Let's play again. About a year ago we took a look at the Acer Aspire V3-772G and came away impressed with its performance. This time around, we'll examine the latest model in the series and check to see what else is new besides an updated graphics card.

Affordable all-rounder. HP demands 500 Euros (~$647) for its all-round Pavilion 15 laptop. The buyer gets a Full HD screen alongside a GeForce 840M GPU, and a Core i5 processor. Can you really go wrong with this device at this price?

Jealous? The HP Envy 15-u001ng wants to make other convertible users jealous with its 360-degree hinge and the metal case. Read our review to find out why this is probably not going to happen.

Nexus rival. The Huawei MediaPad X1 7.0 is designed to vie with the Google Nexus 7, and with its in-house processor and high-resolution LTPS display, it seems to be an interesting competitor in the 7-inch segment. The LTE tablet leaves a good impression in many respects; however, it shows some flaws in terms of software.

Robust. The Dell Latitude 12 Rugged Extreme feels at home even in the most adverse environments. The convertible has a robust case, combined with a strong processor and good input devices. But at the price Dell is asking, buyers will certainly have to pay for what they get.

Solid total package. Acer introduces its Aspire E5-571G as an all-round laptop that includes a dedicated Nvidia graphics card and Intel Core i5 processor. However, hardware is not everything in this category - it very much depends on performance and quality. Has Acer created a successful combination for 700 Euros (~$920)? Find out in the following report.

Big brother. Is bigger also better in this case? Our comparison review will uncover this with respect to old problem areas such as the display. The 15.6-inch model achieved consistently strong results in our previous review. We expected the same from this device, when we started the test.

Quiet with stamina. The 11.6-inch Aspire V3-111P notebook delivers a quad-core processor, a very good keyboard and a very long battery life. So, the small computer is ideal as a mobile typewriter that has lots of stamina.

The ThinkPad-Yoga-Chromebook hybrid. What happens when you cross a Chromebook with both a ThinkPad and a Yoga? You get one of the most well-made and practical inexpensive multimode 11-inch Chromebooks in the market. We detail in this review how the ThinkPad Yoga 11e has instantly become one of our favorite Chromebooks as of 2014.

Dual-mode Chromebook… As convertible notebooks continue to pique consumers’ interest, Chromebooks have yet to capitalize on the concept. Lenovo’s N20p flaunts its ability to transform, Yoga- or Flex-style, in pursuit of a piece of the convertible pie. Can it succeed?

Slimmer is better. With 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage the Toshiba Encore 2 WT8 cutting a fine line between tablet and Windows PC. It's targeted as a very low-cost solution for the consumer space and from the outside it looks good. But does it perform well enough for the price?

Character actor. While most notebook companies rely at most on the GeForce GTX 870M for their 15-inch department, Gigabyte uses Nvidia's top model for the P25X v2. Also the other features (Blu-ray burner, mSATA-SSDs...) clearly point to a high-end product. In this review you will see whether the device is worth its 2,000 Euros (~$2627).

Affordable endurance machine. The hunt for a low-priced and, at the same time, long-lasting office machine has come to an end. The Extensa 2510 not only has long battery runtimes to offer but also brings along a good keyboard and matte screen. The bundle is available for just over 400 Euros (~$525).

The agony of choice. After our first review of the FHD version of the new Lenovo Y50 Gaming notebook, we are now focusing on a version with UHD display (3840x2160 pixels) and fast Samsung SSD. Full HD and matte or ultra HD and glossy? That's the question. We compare both displays.

Retina by Fujitsu. The big eye-catcher of the Fujitsu tablet is the high-resolution and razor-sharp display (2560x1600 pixels). Furthermore, you get a stylus pen, security and business features as well as an LTE modem. Is this the perfect business tablet?

Entry-level portable gaming. While Lenovo's Y40 clearly isn't the best choice for hardcore gamers, there's no question that the sleek 14-inch system with its current-generation i7 Haswell CPU, dedicated Radeon GPU and 256 GB SSD has plenty to offer for its $850 asking price, even though the display doesn't quite measure up.

Couch potato. The MediaPad M1 8.0 ships with a fast Kirin 910 CPU, a decent display and great battery runtimes - but while its stamina may be great, both its slightly outdated version of Android and some outdoor usability issues are disappointing. However, for less than 200 Euros (~$263), it is still a good offer.

A good idea? Lenovo want their IdeaPad G50-70 to be a tempting, low-cost notebook with at least basic gaming power. Equipped with a dedicated graphics card, our test device certainly could be just that. But is the Radeon R5 230M the right graphics card for the task? Read on to find out.

Smart business idea? HP is not the first manufacturer to bring a slim 10-inch tablet onto the business market - but never before has this concept been realized that consistently: for around 1,000 Euros (~$1319), the buyer not only get Intel's fastest Atom processor, including 4 GB RAM and 64-bit operating system, but also an integrated LTE module as well as different safety features.

The notebook with Beema. The HP Pavilion 17-f050ng comes with the latest Beema generation of AMD APUs. Read our review to find out why the review sample really surprised us.

David versus Goliath. While most RPGs have more than a 100 people in the development team, Risen 3 is produced by a very small studio. This shows in the gameplay of the game. Find out more about this game with our in-depth benchmarks.

Ambitious. Full HD matte screen, speedy SSD, docking port, light weight, and long battery runtime - has Toshiba strung the perfect office bundle?

Victim of the model policy. Lenovo's new Z50-series offers current and well-implemented mainstream and high-end technology for a small price but also combines it with components that are used in devices for 500 Euros (~$662). Are the display, input devices and case worthy of the 750 Euros (~$993) price tag?

Fanless. Just low 250 Euros have to be shelled out for Acer's new 11.6-inch netbook. The customer gets a matte screen, quad-core processor, and a very decent keyboard for that. Our report shows whether its worth buying.

Enduring. Despite the low price of around 450 Euros (~$597), Acer's 13.3-inch laptop can boast with very good battery runtimes. Read in our report whether that is the only thing the computer has to offer.

Brilliant star. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 relies on an in-house South Korean processor, which is why it slightly lags behind the Note 10.1 in terms of performance. Battery life shows some flaws, which are however still in a very good range. The star of the Tab S is clearly the display, which can entirely convince.

Big is now "Mini". One year ago, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini would have easily been a standard-sized smartphone. But it is smaller than the Galaxy S5 and does not offer all the features, either, so it is called "Mini". Where did the manufacturer save some money? And how does the Galaxy S5 Mini perform compared to other "Mini" devices?

Flexibility on a budget. Lenovo's expansive Flex lineup continues with the updated 15.6-inch model in time for the back-to-school season. We check out both the chassis and performance to see if this inexpensive touchscreen notebook is an improvement over first generation Flex models.

Kaveri goes mobile. The wait is over. The frugal notebook models follow the desktop models, which have already been available for a while. A total of nine APUs should compete with Intel's Haswell platform and especially score points with their superior graphics performance. We analyzed the potential of the new chips. Benchmark update - August 12, 2014!

Classical values. With the P27G v2, Gigabyte does not follow the current trend of designing slimmer and slimmer notebooks, but rather resorts to old virtues like a replaceable battery and comfortable maintenance. Admittedly, the 17-inch notebook is not really a compact gaming notebook, but it convinces with generous equipment and a fair price.

P34G v2 v2. After we already reviewed the Gigabyte P34G v2 a couple of weeks ago, we now have a look at the similar Schenker C404 in this review update. Battery and build quality were drawbacks in the test of the original. Is the C404 better?

Finger friendly. As of now, Toshiba's Portégé Z30-A is also available as a touchscreen version with IPS panel and Full HD resolution. We reveal whether the extra charge is worth paying and which additional features the 13-inch ultrabook has to offer.

Weary business tablet. More than one year ago, we tested a Windows 8 tablet made by Fujitsu, which - among other things thanks to its keyboard dock - was supposed to appeal to business customers. Now, its successor has arrived - but unfortunately, not all changes are for the better.

With great power… comes great compromise? The Z40 is most certainly among the most affordable machines to combine a Core i5 CPU, a discrete GPU, and good battery life into a single package. Surely you’re asking yourself: what’s the catch?

Light-shunning LTE slate. Dell launches a balanced, 7-inch tablet that is based on a current Atom processor from the Merrifield generation and Google's Android 4.4 KitKat, dubbed Venue 7 LTE, on the market. Its brightness and speakers are the biggest points of criticism. However, it does a good job otherwise.

Seven times the charm. The time has come for Acer to update their Iconia One 7 budget tablet with new technology. The new machine once again runs on an Intel Atom processor, and the 7-inch IPS display offers HD resolution. Beyond that, the tablet also houses 8 GB of flash memory, a microSD slot and WLAN b/g/n. At a price of about 100 Euros (~$135), Acer's new Iconia One is a good deal.

Maxwell upgrade. The GeForce GTX 850M graphics core equips the Aspire with considerable gaming performance. At the same time, the good battery life and the slim, elegant casing can be maintained. Whether Acer has designed the optimal all-round notebook will be shown in the following review.

The Transformer with a soft touch. With the Transformer Pad TF303CL, Asus sends the luxury version of its tablet including a keyboard dock to our test lab. Also on board: mobile Internet, a pleasantly soft-touch surface, and high-resolution screen. Read whether the tablet is now a must for every bag.

Nerves of steel. Dell's Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme is a particularly robustly designed work device that can be easily used in technology-unfriendly environments. In addition to the solid casing, it sports high-performance components and modern interfaces. We extensively tested what can be expected from the Rugged Latitude.

Got stamina? The first thing you notice about this flat 13.3-inch notebook is its white case, but its most striking feature lies elsewhere: The Aspire V3-371 provides very good battery life at a moderate price. But is the Aspire a persuasive offer overall? Our review reveals the answer.

Not quite a Yoga. Lenovo's Yoga devices offer four modes, the Lenovo Flex 2 14 just two. So it is the right choice for anybody who is looking for a flexible notebook, but not a tablet. Our review shows why there is an update not even one year after the IdeaPad Flex 14, where the differences are to the Yoga 2 13 and who could be interested in the Flex 2 14.

The power of eight cores. Care for a five-inch HD screen alongside an octa-core SoC for 200 Euros (~$268)? Archos delivers on specs that are anything but common for this price range. Thus, we remain curious as to whether the manufacturer manages to fuse the components to a rounded total package. In that case, it would be a small deal breaker.

Battery Life Balance. ASUS have taken an efficient Intel CPU and coupled it with a large battery in the compact ASUS C200 Chromebook. The result is very impressive battery life but a limited amount of processing power. Is it good value? We take a deep-dive in this long-form review of the ASUS C200.

Seventeen and having fun. The new Inspiron 17-5748 is a member of Dell's lower mid-range, multimedia laptops: Not as elegant as the XPS models, they still feature aluminum on the casing. We explain in this report why it is good for multimedia fans but barely suitable for gamers.

Minimalistic, yet captivating? You'd like to purchase an affordable multimedia laptop with a sleek design and decent gaming capabilities? In that case, Dell might be onto something with its Inspiron 15-5547. Our review will show which quality levels can truly be achieved for less than 600 Euros (~$802).

Better, thanks to Haswell. HP implanted a new heart in their EliteBooks: Instead of Ivy Bridge processors, now the convertibles are outfitted with Haswell CPUs. This was a worthwhile upgrade, as the renovated devices now offer a longer battery life -- and somewhat stronger performance.

Kaveri incoming. AMD braces itself against Intel's smart Haswell entry-level CPUs with its latest iteration of the Bulldozer architecture. Acer packs the brand new A10-7300 quad-core with integrated Radeon R6 graphics in one of its eternally unchanged standard casings, and presents an affordable multimedia machine to the bargain-hunting buyer for just 500 Euros (~$670). Can AMD stand up against Intel this time?

Reshaping the Surface. Microsoft’s latest Surface is thinner, lighter, sexier, and even more versatile than before. Has the world finally met the successor to the modern laptop?

More steam. Visually, the iOcean X7S bears a lot of similarities to its predecessor. But under the hood, things have changed. The new smartphone has an octa-core processor at its command, and the days of its storage space problems are past. Even so, unfortunately, the 5-inch smartphone is not well-rounded: The problem areas have now shifted to its communications modules and battery life.

Thin, bright, and inexpensive. The A10 manages to combine a large 10.1-inch IPS panel with a bright backlight, light weight, mainstream SoC, and a thin bezel with a future update to Android 4.4 KitKat - all for $250. We find out what's the catch to this low-cost, yet attractive consumer tablet from Lenovo.

Dual-SIM giant. Huawei's Ascend G750 boasts with a 5.5-inch screen, two high-resolution cameras, a swift processor, and good battery runtimes. However, its communication interfaces are not completely satisfying, and the other equipment is also lean.

Two are better than one. Although it has not been long since it appeared on the market, the successor is already available: Not even five months after our test, Aorus launched the next model of its slim high-end gamer, the X7. Instead of a pair of GTX 765M in SLI, now two GTX 860M graphics chips deliver a lot of gaming performance.

Good value. Lenovo is asking for around 550 Euros (~$738) for a Windows tablet with a Core i3 processor, Full HD IPS display, a "real" SSD (not eMMC) and a keyboard dock. Is the exceptionally low price Lenovo's declaration of war against the competition, or is it the only way the company could think of to entice potential buyers? Our review reveals the answer.

Everything remains different. Sleeker, faster, better. The Nokia Lumia 930 - the new de-facto Windows Phone 8.1 flagship device - tries to impress on many fronts. Many features are truly inspiring; others are not quite there yet. More about that in our detailed review.

How cheap can a laptop be? Lenovo offers incredible freedom for configuring its B50 product line, and thus provides an extremely affordable entry into the laptop world. We looked at the base configuration for 270 Euros (~$363) in this case and thoroughly examined what can and should be expected from this device.

A little more please! Second round for the Sony middle-class device: The model has gotten bigger and is designed similar to the flagship, the Xperia Z2. However, the manufacturer has removed some of the flaws we pointed out in the predecessor: The quality of the display has improved as has the storage space.

Twist and turn as you like. The screen of Lenovo's Yoga line can be completely folded owing to a clever hinge design. Both the Yoga and Yoga 2 Pro were popular devices, and now Lenovo launches the Yoga 2 13. Our test reveals that not a lot has changed, but some things have been disimproved.

Gaming rocket with shortcomings. Gigabyte wants to offer a laptop for gamers who value performance and style in the form of its P35W v2. Particularly the weight of just 2.44 kg and a thickness of only 2 cm are things that Gigabyte is proud of.

Business tablet reprise… The latest multimode tablet out of Lenovo is the ThinkPad 8’s slightly bigger brother. Can its larger form factor and other design adjustments resolve the limitations of its predecessor?

Hot potato. The LG G3 has received much acclaim and we cannot deny that we looked forward to the first smartphone with a WQHD display. Still, although LG does a lot right, some technical problems with the screen, average battery runtimes and especially heat dissipation issues prevent it from taking the top spot among high-end smartphones. The G Watch is an interesting gadget.

Short-winded. Slim, light, and reasonably affordable - those are the eye-catching specs of Lenovo's new 13.3-inch laptop. Our test reveals whether Lenovo provides a portable companion for tight budgets.

Fresh components. The Memo Pad HD 7 ME176C is the successor of the Memo Pad HD 7. Asus equipped the new version of its 7-inch tablet for 200 Euros (~$269) with a more powerful quad-core SoC as well as the latest Android version. Our review shows if the fine-tuning was successful.

Tablet, transform! The Asus Transformer Book T300LA is a Windows tablet that turns into a classy notebook when connected to its high-quality keyboard dock. The concept is appealing, but it has its drawbacks. Read our comprehensive review to find out why.

Pure versatility... ...or something like that would be a fitting slogan for the GL550JK. Unlike the 750 line, Asus uses a fairly slim chassis that sports a gaming-suitable, mid-range GPU and a high-end IPS screen. Read here how the 15-inch device fares compared with the contenders.

Fit for the office. A good-looker has entered the office dubbed Toshiba Tecra Z50 A-12K. It is slim and always stays cool. Should the bosses give it an open-ended contract as soon as possible? We will clarify that in this review of the business laptop.

Selfie machine. This is pretty much how Huawei advertises the Ascend G6 because its star is for once the front-facing camera with an exceptionally high resolution of 5 megapixels. The other equipment is more from the mid-range, but that keeps the price low. Huawei demands 249 Euros (~$338) for its newest smartphone offshoot.

Entry price, high-end gaming. Lenovo's latest Y Series has the best of both worlds: Sleek, thin looks with exceptional performance for a very fair starting price of $1050. Though the notebook is marketed as an entry-level portable gaming machine, we believe even serious gamers should take a look at what the new Y50 has to offer.

Magnesium for the office. The Toshiba Tecra Z40 is officially not an Ultrabook, but it is still light and thin. Read our review to find out if it offers what you would expect from a high-quality office notebook.

Maxwell or Kepler? Asus offers the high-end notebook G750 in three different variants. After the GTX 870M and the GTX 880M have already proven their capabilities, we dedicate this review to the cheaper version. Does the performance of the GeForce GTX 860M also convince?

The brick. Most laptops have rapidly and sustainably lost a lot of weight during the last few years, making mobile users glad. Still, a small niche remains where only one thing counts: Performance.

Late Switch? Acer has recently replaced its Clovertrail-generation W510 2-in-1 with the new Acer Aspire Switch 10, a Baytrail-T based Windows 8 PC with similar dockable tablet design. The Acer Aspire Switch 10 will compete directly with what is probably the most successful 2-in-1 yet - the Asus Transformer Book T100. Have Acer done enough to attract people away from the Transformer T100?

Transformer - The Return. An Android tablet with a keyboard dock is a handy thing. Asus' Transformer pads were always good representatives of this category until now. Why this remains to be true for the Transformer Pad TF103C-1B072A although some compromises have to be made can be read in this test.

Speedy Gonzales. Small, fast, but without a sombrero: the v2 successor of Gigabyte's P34G little gaming machine wants to win over gamers with the new Nvidia GeForce GTX 860M, but it has not changed much in other respects. The technically well-conceived hardware is installed in the familiar casing that, unfortunately, had a few processing flaws in our sample.

At home on the desk. The G510 isn't one of the slimmer notebooks on the market. Its advantages are the solid performance, ease of maintenance, and the decent input devices. Equipped with a dedicated GPU from AMD, is the Home Office notebook suitable for gaming as well?

Gaming-to-go - Part Two. Lots of power packed into an attractive case - that is one way to describe this Zenbook. An IPS panel and SSD complete the package. Even with its high-performance components, its battery life is good as well. Does the Zenbook have weaknesses too? Keep reading to find out.

More power for business. The small ThinkPad is equipped with high quality components: Core i7 processor, full HD IPS display, fast SSD, 3G modem and GeForce graphics core. A good battery life adds to the list. The ideal device for mobile use?

All quiet on the western front. Apple introduced its reworked 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina last autumn. Although the entry-level price dropped a bit, we still expect a maximum amount of quality and performance for more than 2,000 Euros (~$2722).

Pedal to the metal. In line with the current trend, racing-game expert Codemasters follows up successful games with sequels and releases at least one flagship product every year. The latest addition to the simulator series, GRID Autosport, is intended to be a very comprehensive package which offers a lot of variety. Our review is predominantly aimed at notebook users who would like to know how much horsepower is actually needed to guarantee a smooth gaming experience.

Inexpensive entry. Dell introduces a new entry-level version of its exclusive portfolio of mobile workstations with the Precision M2800. We tested if the concept with updated Latitude cases and AMD FirePro graphics really works.

Deluxe 2.0. Huawei discontinues its elegant Ascend P6 and sends the Ascend P7 into the race for the favor of well-heeled buyers. The Chinese manufacturer demands approximately 450 Euros (~$601) for its updated premium model. The aluminum casing only underwent a minor facelift, but more has been modified inside: The latest quad-core SoC from HiSilicon, 16 GB of flash storage, and a bright 5-inch screen with Full HD resolution.

2 in 1. The Liquid E3 Duo offered by Acer is a middle class smartphone, which has a Dual-SIM function. Customers who absolutely want to have this feature did not have a large selection up to now and they had to accept compromises. Does the manufacturer offer a suitable solution without neglecting other important features?

Slim aluminum. Yet another offshoot of the Asus Zenbook product line is to attract quality-conscious customers who also value high mobility. An energy-saving Haswell CPU alongside its integrated graphics, paired with a high-capacity battery, and an ultra-thin aluminum casing - is that enough for a new record in terms of endurance and battery runtime?

We need bass! The Asus N750-series has convinced us for a while now with an external subwoofer and nice metal cases. Today we review the version with a GeForce GTX 850M and can confirm: Multimedia good, gaming, well...

Haswell update. Fujitsu wants to entice potential buyers with its newest 14-inch laptop from the Lifebook E series. The model features a sturdy case, good input devices, security functions and an LTE modem. In this review, we will find out if the laptop is worth its price.

Successful merge? The Satellite W30t intends to combine the advantages of a tablet with those of a notebook. Therefore, the device is equipped with an efficient Haswell processor and a conventional hard drive. Is it possible to merge tablet and notebook?

Troubled professional. Asus' new Pro laptops are aimed at business professionals - integrating a lot of security features - while also being multimedia powerhouses with a DVD burner and the new GeForce 840M GPU. Unfortunately though, the Taiwanese company has failed to meet its own quality requirements, forcing us to repeat some of the tests with a second Pro B551LG device.

Wickedly hot. Most gaming machines are fast, but also heavy and bulky. MSI thinks that unnecessary, and presents us the thinnest and lightest 17-inch laptop in the world, according to its advertisement. A quick look at the specs nurtures doubts: Has the manufacturer managed to keep temperature and noise development under control?

Kepler update. Eurocom updates the 15.6-inch X3 with the latest Nvidia Kepler offerings. We put the beastly GTX 880M GPU to the test under our usual stressful conditions and games to see if the upgrade is worth a look.

Heart transplant. The new Apple MacBook Air 13 Mid 2014 is once again an evolution instead of a revolution, because there are not many differences compared to the last version. We focus on the inner values. A new Intel Core i5-4260U Haswell CPU clocked at 1.4 GHz in combination with 4 GB RAM and a large 256 GB SSD. Sounds appealing.

Smartphone for giants. Hold a 10.1-inch tablet to your ear and make a call? Strange idea, but Samsung has offered this feature for a couple of years now. Our review shows why the fourth generation of the Galaxy Tab still stands out from the competition.

Absolutely everyday suitable. Fantastic smartphone features, low price - according to HTC, that perfectly describes the 4.5-inch Desire 310. The Android entry-level phone is actually available for an affordable 140 Euros (~$191). Our test reveals whether the Desire 310 also passes the function check.

Portable office. Light, handy, and strong computing power is how Fujitsu's new 13.3-inch laptop for professional users on-the-move can be described. The integrated LTE modem supplies Internet access remote from Wi-Fi. Read in our report whether the Lifebook is compelling in its whole.

Just like daddy?! HTC's One M8 is one of the most interesting premium smartphones on the market. Now, a model with a smaller screen has been launched, dubbed HTC One Mini 2. Read in our report why the mini does a better job than the more expensive bigger model in some test fields.

Does it always have to be expensive? For about 500 Euro (~$680), Acer sells their Aspire E1-771. The 17.3-inch notebook with an Intel Core i-CPU competes as an office machine - but is the system with its killer price a worthwhile investment?

Knock knock, L70 here! LG positions their L70 in the lower-middle class as an entry-level device for those who are new to smartphones. A 4.5-inch display, dual-core SoC from Qualcomm and chic design mingle with 4 GB of internal memory and Android 4.4.2 KitKat. A removable battery completes the package. But the smartphone has its deficits too.

Silent Temptation. The HP Pro X2 410 is not a basic 2-in-1. It’s running a Core i5 CPU, has a fast SSD and is completely fanless. This is a ground-breaking setup, but does it work?