Launch

DOOGEE has launched the DG Band, a wearable of the traditional fitness tracker form-factor. It has a 1.05-inch LCD display, which can display data from its sensors for heart-rate, stress and blood-oxygen. It is also rated to track 14 different exercise types, and to last for up to 10 days between charges.

The SOUNDFORM Connect is a new Belkin audio adapter designed to bring any powered speaker with a 3.5mm or optical input into an Apple-heavy smart home set-up. The user can then control it via AirPlay 2 on their iPhone, iPad or TV. Therefore, a traditional speaker can become as responsive to voice-control and automation as shiny new high-tech models.

The Realme Watch 2 Pro is a new smartwatch with a blood-oxygen sensor, 90 sports modes and sleep-tracking - as does its vanilla sibling. However, it has a bigger 1.75-inch display, as well as the in-built GPS the plain Watch 2 lacks. It also has exclusive new watch-faces, as well as a larger battery rated for up to 14 days of use between charges.

Nubia's Z30 Pro is a new Snapdragon 888-powered flagship smartphone with a generous amount of high-end specs, including a 144Hz 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, quad rear cameras and 120W ultra-fast charging. Then again, it has also launched with a punch-hole selfie shooter, rather than the next-gen under-display alternative hinted at in earlier leaks.

CTL, a company that normally caters to the needs of modern offices or schools in its devices, has announced a pair of monitors touted to match up to this reputation. The 24-inch FHD IP2381 has a VA IPS panel, whereas the IP2781 is an ADS QHD 27-inch display. They both have the same new minimalist stand and bezels, however.

HP has upgraded the hardware on its Omen 16 and Omen 17 gaming laptops. One can configure the latter with an Intel Core i9-11900H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, while the former is restricted to an Intel Core 17-11800H/AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX and a GeForce RTX 3070.

HP has announced a new sub-brand of gaming laptops to complement the Omen lineup. Victus by HP 16 will be available in both Intel and AMD options and offers display options up to QHD 165 Hz. Victus by HP 16 is designed to cater to those who want capable hardware without having to splurge too much on a high-end gaming laptop.

Opera asserts that it has been inundated with requests for a mobile version of its gaming-focused browser since launching the PC-compatible original. Now, it has delivered with the launch of GX Mobile. It shares many features with the desktop variant, its customized navigation controls and esthetics included.

Unihertz has announced the Titan Pocket, the OEM's latest in its line of QWERTY smartphones. With a display of just 3.1 inches in diagonal length, it is the most compact member of its series yet. Nevertheless, it runs Android 11, has NFC, Bluetooth, an infrared (IR) port and a campaign on Kickstarter that has already smashed its funding goal.

Apple has outlined plans for new dimensions of accessibility in its mobile devices, including a new SignTime service that allows people who use certain sign languages to better use the OEM's online support system. The updates also include a new way of using the Apple Watch with just one hand.

Google has announced that the first non-development beta of Android 12 is available for Pixel phones, as of the new OS upgrade's introduction at I/O 2021. The OEM has also unveiled various new features now found in its own-brand phones' UI. It is now called Material You, and incorporates new privacy, performance and navigational tweaks.

Google I/O 2021 has kicked off with what the OEM calls "the biggest update to Wear OS" in this software's history. It has collaborated with Samsung and Fitbit to bake the better features of their wearable platforms into this upcoming version. It will be available to the next generations of both OEMs' watches, as well as those of other Android manufacturers.

The Trust GXT 258W Fyru mic has a USB interface, thus making it compatible with PCs, Macs and other devices. However, given its styling, not to mention its LEDs for RGB, it is clearly intended to pair with the PS5, especially its white SKU. Then again, with its 4 choices of recording mode and decent sampling rate, the OEM asserts it is also ideal for streaming or collaboration.

Apple Music subscribers are in for a treat, as the platform will soon support Dolby Atmos, Spatial Audio and lossless music. Existing subscribers will automatically gain access to the entire lossless music catalogue. Apple aims to offer its entire library of 75 million tracks in a lossless format.

Casio's newest watch belongs to its iconic G-SHOCK line-up, combining analog and digital components into one fitness-focused accessory. However, it also has Bluetooth so as to transfer workout progress to a paired smartwatch via the series' Move app. It displays steps, running distance and other metrics tracked by the watch.

The DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5 is now available in two new colourways, Midnight Black and Cosmic Red. Both variants will be available for purchase starting next month.

Framework has announced that it is now taking pre-orders in batches for its modular 13.5-inch laptops based on Intel Tiger Lake-U. The Framework laptop is available in both barebones DIY Edition and pre-configured options. The pre-configured variants start from US$999 and can be pre-ordered now for US$100. They will be available in the US first followed by Canada, Europe, and Asia.

MediaTek's newest Dimensity 900 SoC is now official with an integrated 5G modem that supports sub-6GHz networks, two ARM Cortex-A78 cores, six Cortex-A55 cores, a Mali-G68 MC4 GPU, support for LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

The latest model introduces a slightly smaller curved AMOLED touchscreen than on last year's Axon 20 Ultra, but its faster refresh rate, larger battery, and upgraded cameras aim to outweigh the smaller size.

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 10S and Redmi Watch in the Indian market. The Redmi Note 10S is powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC and is the first Xiaomi device to run MIUI 12.5 out-of-the-box. The Redmi Watch is essentially the Mi Watch Lite but with a brighter display. Unlike the competition, the Redmi Watch lacks an SpO2 sensor citing accuracy reasons.

Asus has refreshed its ROG Zephyrus S17 with new Intel Tiger Lake-H and NVIDIA Ampere RTX 30 Laptop GPU offerings. Unlike the previous generation, the 2021 ROG Zephyrus S17 uses a rising keyboard mechanism for enhanced cooling. Also, the new Zephyrus S17 offers QHD 165 Hz and UHD 120 Hz panel options with no FHD 300 Hz in sight.

Numerous leaks have painted Asus' 2021 camera-centric flagship phone as the first "Mini" variant of its kind, and the Taiwanese OEM has not let these expectations down on its launch. The new device does indeed have an unusually small 5.9-inch 20:9 display. Then again, there is also the ZenFone 8 Flip, a third-gen motor-cam phone.

Asus has announced the ROG Zephyrus M16 with Core i9-11900H and RTX 3070 Laptop GPU internals. The ROG Zephyrus M16 now features a 16:10 WQHD 165 Hz display with 100% DCI-P3 coverage. Asus continues to use liquid metal as the thermal interface and offers a complete fan-stop mode in idle or light workloads.

After recently introducing the Alienware m15 R4 and Ryzen Edition R5, Dell is offering yet another Alienware m15 laptop — the Alienware m15 R6. The Alienware m15 R6 offers several Tiger Lake-H and RTX 30 Ampere GPU options along with displays up to 360 Hz and an optional CherryMX ultra low-profile mechanical keyboard.

The new Asus TUF Gaming F15 and F17 gaming laptops are finally here. One can configure them with up to an Intel Core i9-11900H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB NVMe SSD. Asus will tell us more about their prices and availability later.

MSI has refreshed its professional Creator 17 notebook with some exciting new hardware, such as a mini-LED screen with 1,000 nits peak brightness, an Intel Core i9-11900HK processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, and more.

Lenovo has upgraded the Legion 7i gaming laptop to offer Intel Tiger Lake-H CPU and NVIDIA RTX 30 Ampere Laptop GPU options. This year's Legion 7i is being pegged as the world's first 16-inch QHD gaming laptop with a 165 Hz 16:10 NVIDIA G-SYNC display. The Legion 7i also comes with a Corsair RGB keyboard and the Legion AI Engine to dynamically shift power between the CPU and the GPU.

MSI has launched a new gaming laptop powered by Intel's latest Tiger Lake-H chips. Key MSI Pulse GL66 specs include an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, 15.6-inch screen with 144Hz refresh rate, and more. It will be available for purchase on May 16, starting at US$949.

Lenovo has upgraded its Legion 5i offerings to Intel Tiger Lake-H CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 3050/3050 Ti Laptop GPUs alongside the RTX 3060 and RTX 3070 Laptop GPU options. Like the Legion 7i, the Legion 5i Pro also offers a 16-inch 165 Hz WQXGA panel and comes with Legion AI Engine to dynamically shift power between the CPU and GPU depending on the load.

Lenovo has launched two new variants of its Legion 5i gaming laptops. One comes with a 17.3-inch 144Hz FHD screen, while the other packs a 15.6-inch 165Hz QHD panel. Other Lenovo Legion 5i specs include an Intel Core i7-11800H processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, and more.

Highlights for the 2021 Dell XPS 17 9710 models include the new Tiger Lake-H mobile CPUs up to an i9-11980HK, up to 64 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, up to 4 TB PCIe 4 x4 NVMe SSD storage, Nvidia RTX 3050 / 3060 mobile GPUs, 4x Thunderbolt connectors, and 4K HDR touchscreens with 16:10 aspect ratio.

Lenovo has launched a new gaming monitor alongside its Tiger Lake-H laptops. Key Legion Y25g-30 specs include a 24.5-inch FHD IPS panel with a 360Hz refresh rate, Nvidia G-Sync support, and a hub with three USB Type-A and one USB Type-C port. Lenovo will disclose its price and availability at a later date.

The Dell XPS 15 9510 is now official and offers internal upgrades to Intel Tiger Lake-H CPUs and NVIDIA RTX 3050/3050 Ti Laptop GPU options. Dell hasn't changed many aspects of the design with the only notable changes being the availability of a 3.5K OLED display option and Thunderbolt 4 ports.

AMD continues to be a powerhouse solution for budget to midrange PCs like this latest VivoBook laptop from Asus. If you're looking to maximize CPU performance per dollar, then the Ryzen 7 5700U is looking like a solid option.

TCL's latest press event served to unveil next-gen displays for the TVs, rollables or laptops of the near future. They include new 15.6- and 17.3-inch panels described as ultra-high-res with scope for ultra-thin bezels. The conference also unveiled the OEM's Star Obsidian Screen for 75-inch mini-LED 8K devices, as well as the latest version of its 17-inch scrolling display.

Apple's AirTags might be the latest thing in personal possession-tracking, although customers might find it hard to actually secure said things with the little monolithic smart pucks out of the box. However, Spigen has stepped up to offer new holders with the keyrings and clips necessary to take such a tag anywhere.

It's 2021, and, thus, a great time for Gigabyte to launch world-first pre-builds under its Aorus brand. The new Model X and Model S gaming PCs each have 10GB of GeForce RTX 3080 graphics, with "factory-tuned" Ryzen 5000 or Rocket Lake Core i9 platforms. The OEM claims to have crafted them "meticulously" out of first-party components, and are thus equipped to compete in the performance-focused rig space.

Sony has just added new variants of its Mobile Elevated Standard (ES) audio equipment for cars. They consist of 4 kinds of speaker and 1 subwoofer equipped with the latest generation of the OEM's MRC-reinforced diaphragms, combined with Separated Notch Edge Surround technology for increased clarity and an "audiophile-grade crossover" in certain units. They are available to pre-order from now.

OPPO's latest product event was a bumper update for its device ecosystem in general. Not only did it introduce the new K9 smartphone, but it also revealed the new TVs of the same name. The Enco Air TWS earbuds also debuted at the show, as did the Vitality Edition of the OPPO Band.

Krafton has announced that it will relaunch PUBG Mobile in India. However, it will be called Battlegrounds Mobile India and remain exclusive to the region. The company has also promised to top it up with region-specific in-game content and events.

ROCCAT has announced the Magma and Pyro as its latest gaming keyboard. They both feature their brand's AIMO lighting system, which shines uniquely through the Magma's semi-transparent top plate. That new unit has membrane keys, whereas the Pyro has mechanical switches and an aluminium top plate.

Oppo fans in Europe will be delighted to know that the Oppo A54 5G is now official in the region for EUR 269 (US$324). The smartphone comes with exciting specs, such as a 6.5-inch LCD screen clocked at 90Hz, four rear cameras, and a Snapdragon 480 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery.

The Oppo A74 5G has officially been launched in Europe. Some of its key specifications include a 6.5-inch 90Hz LCD screen, Snapdragon 480 chipset, 6GB RAM, four rear camera modules, and a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. It comes in two colour variants, Fluid Black and Space Silver, and costs EUR 299.

Trust has announced that its latest Taxon webcam has a QHD (2560x1440) sensor. It also features auto-focus for its high-res lens, as well as dual mics and a USB plug-and-play nature. It has been released to Amazon in the UK for £69.99 (~US$97), or £48.99 (~$68) for a limited time.

Samsung has just launched the Galaxy M42 via Amazon in India. It is the first ever M-series phone to support 5G, and also offers quad rear cameras, a 5,000mAh battery and OneUI 3.1 based on Android 11. It will start at ~US$270 on its May 1, 2021 release.

The Samsung Galaxy family is about to get a lot bigger. The new Galaxy Book Pro models will be one of the first Windows laptops to ship with FHD AMOLED screens for superior response times and contrast ratios than most laptops in the market today.

Today (April 27, 2021), Redmi has introduced the long-hyped new member of the flagship K40 series as its Gaming Enhanced Edition. It is equipped with the premium MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC, a thin-bezel FHD+ AMOLED display, retractable shoulder buttons and a 5065mAh battery. It can be pre-ordered for as little as 1999 yuan (~US$308), although its Bruce Lee-themed special edition maxes out at just above $430.

The new Surface-like device from Dell comes with a detachable keyboard + stylus and enterprise-grade features. It is powered by Intel's Tiger Lake-U CPUs with vPro technology coupled with up to 16 GB of LPDDR4x-4266 RAM and up to 1 TB NVMe SSD or 256 NVMe SED storage. It also integrates a 13-inch touchscreen with 3:2 aspect ratio, 1080p resolution and 500 nit brightness.

The newest addition to Honor's Play series of smartphones is a markedly low-end entrant, starting at just 899 yuan (~US$139). That is not the only unusual thing about it, however, as the OEM has settled on a lesser-spotted Unisoc platform to power the device. It runs Android 10 using the Play 20's large 5,000mAh battery.