Accessory

Realme is a brand that has built its appeal on affordable mobile and personal audio devices. Initial leaks suggest it is going to keep this going in 2021 with the launch of the C21 smartphone and the Buds Wireless 2 Neo. They are slated to be the successor to the cost-effective C11 and to be neckbuds rather than TWS earbuds respectively.

The Galaxy SmartTag is a new consumer-grade electronic tracker from Samsung. It has a versatile array of use-cases, from potentially protecting bags from theft to finding lost pets. It is rated for up to 6 months of use per charge, and for ultra-wide-band (UWB) technology, which helps with its AR Tracking feature.

Samsung has added Pro variants to its Galaxy Buds series of TWS earbuds. They are rated for upgraded active noise cancellation (ANC), voice-call quality and 360° Audio. They can also switch automatically between different mobile devices from their OEM depending on what the user is doing with either one.

The latest addition to the Sound Blaster Z lineup comes with updated features, new gaming profiles, microphone and headphone EQ presets. The Sound Blaster Z SE has the same audio specs as the regular edition, such as up to 116 dB SnR and 24-bit/192 kHz sound. However, now there is virtual 7.1 support for headphones and 5.1 discrete audio on speakers.

Asus and MSI have released details about their new Z590 motherboards with the LGA 1200 socket that offer support for Comet Lake and Rocket Lake chips from Intel. MSI’s range features 12 boards that are headlined by a revamped MEG Z590 GODLIKE while the 13 boards from Asus are led by the pricey ROG Maximus XIII Extreme Glacial.

Asus has debuted its new Instant Guard facility in the new RT-AX68U Wi-Fi 6 home router. The device also sprouts 3x3 MIMO antennae for speeds of up to 2.7 gigabits per second (Gb/s). It also supports the OEM's AiMesh software, so as to integrate into and proliferate any such network it finds itself in.

Asus announced two new ProArt displays, one of which is a portable 14-inch touchscreen monitor. This little display also has hotkeys and a physical dial for use with Adobe software. Asus also released a 15.6-inch portable monitor for business users.

With a design that had already managed to receive multiple awards, the Asus ZenBeam Latte projector is the first of its kind to offer a fabric exterior that enhances the audio experience and provides a familiar look. It also sports up to three hours of autonomy on a single charge and features a 10 W Harman Kardon speaker.

Amazfit has teased another member of the growing GTR 2 and GTS 2 family in the form of the upcoming Amazfit GTR 2 LTE. This latest addition will bring the total of smartwatches in this range to six SKUs. Fortunately, Amazfit has published a handy graphic to help shoppers choose from the diverse range of “fitness for all” smartwatches.

TCL's new product launches are mainly display-centric; however, it has also announced the expansion of its smart device ecosystem at CES 2021. They include the new Wearable Display, a name the OEM has seen fit to give its first pair of smart glasses. They are joined here by other devices such as the hybrid ANC-enhanced MOVEAUDIO S600 earbuds, the MOVETRACK PetTracker and the LINKHUB 4G/LTE Outdoor CPE.

TCL's latest generation of mini-LED panel is called OD Zero, ostensibly as the OEM claims to have reduced the distance between the backlight and diffuser layers in these panels to "zero millimeters". This could improve on luminance and color-depth for the devices based on it, not to mention their form-factor. TCL has also announced that its 2021 smart TVs will launch with Google's new UI.

The Lenovo Legion Gaming Dock S600 has been launched at CES 2021. It comes with two USB ports and a wireless charging pad that can charge Qi-enabled devices at up to 20W. The gaming dock will be available for purchase in April 2020 and cost US$89.99.

The Lenovo Legion H200 and Legion H600 are Lenovo's newest entry-level gaming headsets. The former is wired, while the latter can connect with devices in wired and wireless modes. Both headphones will hit the shelves in April 2021. The Legion H200 will cost US$49.99, and the Legion H600 US$99.99.

Lenovo has launched two new docking stations at CES 2021. One connects to a notebook via a USB Type-C cable, while the other requires a Thunderbolt 4.0 port. Both docks can power 4K displays and charge peripherals at up to 100W. Their pricing and availability will be revealed at a later date.

The Amazfit GTR 2e and Amazfit GTS 2e smartwatches from Huami have now officially become available to customers in North America. Both watches are priced at US$139.99, with the main differences between them being design and battery life. The Amazfit GTR 2e and Amazfit GTS 2e come with a data sensor for blood-oxygen saturation measurement.

OnePlus has made its budget fitness tracker, the OnePlus Band official. The OnePlus Band uses a 1.1-inch AMOLED display and can continuously monitor heart rate and SpO2 levels. OnePlus says the band can offer a 14-day battery life on a single charge.

HP asserts that its new Elite-series earbuds are an enterprise-grade way of introducing wireless audio into your professional online conferencing set-up. They are rated for both passive and active noise cancellation (PNC and ANC), streamlined device-switching and fast case charging via USB type C.

HP's newly-released 635 Multi-Device Wireless Mouse can connect with up to three devices via the included dongle and two devices via Bluetooth. It is powered by two AAA batteries that can last up to a year with moderate usage. The mouse will be available for purchase in February 2021 for US$ 59.99.

The new HP 280 mouse comes with a battery life of up to 18 months, 90% less noise on the left and right buttons, as well as a reliable connection via the included 2.4 GHz wireless dongle. Only available in black, this accessory is designed to work with both Windows 7 or later and Mac OS 10.1 or higher.

HP announced two new bag options for conservation-minded commuters. The HP Renew Travel Backpack and Renew Travel Bag are made from 72% and 97% recycled material, respectively.

Sony has announced new SRS-series wireless speakers. The RA5000 and RA3000 have been designed with "room-filling sound" in mind, which entails a novel design meant to distribute sound horizontally in all directions, at least. They can also calibrate this output with respect to the room they are placed in and its dimensions.

Lenovo has made an ambitious leap into the business end of AR glasses with the new ThinkReality A3s. Their lenses are 1080p displays for their potential mixed-reality (MR) or heads-up display content. They also have dual RGB cameras to orient this view, and come in smartphone- or laptop-tethered USB type C variants.

According to a report by the Japan-based publication, Apple suppliers in China are already working on a new iPhone SE version, alongside the AirPods Pro 2. While further details about the devices aren’t, we expect to hear more in the months to come.

Sony India has confirmed that it has finally set a release date for the PlayStation 5 (PS5): February 2, 2021, although pre-orders start from January 12 in the country. However, those hoping to reserve a Digital Edition have had their hopes dashed by blogs claiming the company has told them this version is not coming during this early-year launch period.

Those who own current-gen Xbox consoles have reportedly been sent a survey by Microsoft about their experiences with the devices to date. It also contains some pointed questions about how they would like to see it go in the future, hinting at the possible prospect of a new controller with up-to-date features from that for the new PlayStation.

A new app called OnePlus Health has reportedly appeared on the Google Play Store. It has ostensibly been developed to accompany the new fitness band and smartwatch coming soon from this brand. Tech bloggers claiming to have torn its APK down have posted faces and UI snippets for either device.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has announced a raft of Honorees and Best Of winners for its CES 2021 Innovation awards. The first category includes 8 smartphones, of which the LG Wing is a slightly obvious choice. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 5000 series has picked up one of the main prizes.

Acer shared details on three new gaming monitors at CES 2021 today. The Nitro XV282K KV will be one of the first monitors to bring HDMI 2.1 to desktops, as well as 4K 144 Hz. The other monitors also offer high resolutions with high refresh rates, but they cost a pretty penny.

An owner of a Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness tracker has taken to Reddit to report about the gadget exploding while it was being charged. Apparently, it was the global version of the Mi Band 5 wearable and was not a copy or mishandled in any way. Issues likes this have been frequently reported in regard to smartphones, such as the notorious Samsung Galaxy Note 7 episode.

With 100% coverage of both sRGB and Rec 709 color gamuts, the new Asus ProArt Display PA278CV professional monitor features a 27-inch IPS panel with 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, a rich set of connectivity options, Adaptive-Sync (48~75 Hz), as well as an ergonomic design with adjustable tilt, swivel, pivot, and height.

The Galaxy S21 series may be Samsung's next flagship products, but the South Korean company has other exciting devices in the works too. According to several pictures, Samsung plans to announce not only the Galaxy Buds Pro, but the Galaxy SmartTags also.

Apple may very well introduce the much anticipated AirTags and other AR accessories such as an AR headset and/or AR glasses this year, according to Ming-Chi Kuo's latest research note. Kuo also notes that Apple will launch new Apple Silicon-powered MacBook Pros with mini-LED displays. Another report from DigiTimes speculates that all iPhone 13 models this year will be equipped with a LiDAR sensor.

The new 23.8-inch UltraSharp monitors from Dell feature IPS panels with a wide 178-degree viewing angle, wide color coverage (100% sRGB and 85% DCI-P3), multitasking features, as well as a productivity hub (U2422HE only) with RJ45, USB-C, and more. As usual, availability and pricing depend on the market and retailer.

With a generous screen size of 37.5 inches, the new Dell U3821DW curved UltraSharp monitor features 95% DCI-P3, 100% sRGB and 100% Rec 709 color accuracy, dual 9 W speakers, multiple multitasking facilities such as KWM, PIP, PBP, and Easy Arrange, as well as multiple ports grouped in a hub that includes RJ45, USB-C, and more.

The new 27-inch monitors from Dell feature IPS panels with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and a color depth of 1.07 billion colors. The U2722D and U2722DE models are almost identical, but the latter also features a hub with RJ45 and USB-C connectivity that can deliver up to 90 W of power.

Dell's new Premier wireless keyboard and mouse allow users to connect the peripherals to up to three separate devices at once. Dedicated buttons on the peripherals make switching between connected devices simple.

Dell's new 24-inch C2422HE, 27-inch C2722DE, and 34-inch C3422WE monitors are the world's first ones to be certified for Microsoft Teams. Their list of features includes a pop-up 5 MP IR camera, dual 5 W integrated speakers, a noise-canceling microphone, as well as Dell's ComfortView Plus blue light reduction hardware solution.

The new 55-inch and 65-inch 4K interactive touch monitors from Dell, labeled C5522QT and C6522QT, feature built-in 20 W speakers, dual-tip stylus, 20-point touch support, anti-glare and anti-smudge coatings, ComfortView for reduced blue light emissions, 90 W USB-C power delivery, and more.

OnePlus has started officially teasing its upcoming fitness tracker that will feature useful tools such as SpO2 blood saturation monitoring and real-time heart-rate tracker. The alleged OnePlus Band price in India and its launch date have also been leaked along with some key specifications. The OnePlus Band is expected to cost around ₹2,499 (US$34).

The Mi AX6000 router is a powerful new source of home Wi-Fi that Xiaomi will release for the first time on January 8, 2021. The OEM has hyped this cutting-edge product by seeing which device could use its up-to-800Mb/s signal first: an iPhone 12 Pro Max or a brand-new Mi 11.

Some recent leaks point to new TWS earbuds that are to accompany the Samsung Galaxy 21 series at the next Unpacked event. Now, an official webpage has confirmed that they definitely won't be introduced as the Buds Beyond. These Pros are said to have improved ANC at a higher price-tag on their release.

Motorola is now said to have a second-gen Moto G Stylus in the works. All of its previous leaks have pointed to a chassis for this phablet with quad rear cameras in a vertical orientation. A new tip from OnLeaks contradicts this, however, although it leaves its putative updated screen intact.

The USB-C enclosure is as simple as it gets with no screws or external power source to worry about. If you have an old 2.5-inch drive sitting around, then the Baseus will almost certainly come in handy.

According to a slew of recent certifications, Samsung has a new product called the Galaxy Smart Tag in the works. It, as the name suggests, is a Tile- or AirTag-like gadget that can connect to a phone via Bluetooth in order to locate it, or the other way around. It might be ready to debut alongside the OEM's new flagship phones.

The OnePlus Band is seemingly in the works and should soon be ready to challenge the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 in the budget wearable sector. Rumors state that the OnePlus Band will be unleashed with a sub-US$40 price tag and may be launched in the Indian market first, where the Xiaomi Mi Band series has dominated affordable fitness tracker sales.

Lepow is slashing $25 to $30 off almost all of its portable monitors on Amazon. If you're in the market for a handy secondary monitor, then these might be worth a look.

Some users with brand-new affordable Apple Watch and HomePod variants have encountered difficulty in their set-up or configuration while trying to connect them to their personal or home systems. This is thought (somewhat understandably) to a seasonal overload of the OEM's servers, although the timing is still a bit unfortunate.

For $300 USD, you can buy a really good 24-inch or 27-inch display these days with fast refresh rates or accurate colors. However, GMK thinks it can persuade you to spend $300 on a 14-inch monitor instead. Let's find out what makes it so special.

Samsung is slated to launch the Galaxy Buds Pro alongside the S21 series in January 2021. According to their latest leak, they will have improved active noise cancellation (ANC) and ingress-protection compared to the Buds Live. However, they may also be the costliest of their series yet.

The drone-maker DJI is one of the latest companies to be placed on the US Administration's Entity List. The OEM has reacted with a bemused message posted to its official Twitter account, in which it denies doing anything to warrant this action, and to do all it can to limit its effect on its customers, suppliers and other business partners.