Launch

LG now has a few generations of its TONE FREE AirPod-clones under its belt. Now, it has announced a new one. These buds look much like the old, except that they support active noise-cancelling (ANC) this time. Their series' UVnano self-disinfecting technology is also still here.

OnePlus' two new low-cost smartphones are now up for grabs in Europe. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 SoC, a quad-camera array, a 4,300mAh battery, and will cost €329. At €179, the OnePlus Nord N100 gets you a Snapdragon 460n, three rear cameras, and a 5,000mAh battery.

iQOO has launched the uncharacteristically budget U1x smartphone in China. With its Snapdragon 662 SoC, relatively small HD display and 5000mAh battery, it should get a lot of screen-on time, at least. It has debuted alongside a new RAM/storage option for the more premium Dimensity 1000+-powered Z1.

The Xiaomi Fast LCD 24.5-inch Monitor has been launched in China with a regular price tag of 1,499 yuan (US$224), although it is on sale to early-bird purchasers. The gaming-friendly external Fast LCD Monitor promises 144 Hz refresh rate, Full HD resolution, 2 ms GTG response time, HDR400 display, and Adaptive-Sync for reduced tearing and stuttering.

Huawei has unveiled its Mate 40 line of smartphones and its latest Kirin 9000 and Kirin 9000E chips. The Huawei Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro come with a triple camera array, while the Mate 40 Pro+ and Mate 40 RS comes with four lenses. All four devices are powered by 4,400mAh batteries that support wired charging at 66W. Prices start at €899 (US$1,062) for the Mate 40 and max out at €2,295 (US$2,713) for the Mate 40 RS (Porsche Design).

Huami has launched the Amazfit Pop smartwatch in China for a surprisingly low price: 349 yuan (US$52). The bright and breezy wearable features non-medical grade monitors for blood oxygen saturation, atrial fibrillation, sleep quality, and 24-hour heart-rate monitoring. The Amazfit Pop comes in a choice of three colors and is water resistant.

Acer has teamed with Porsche Design to offer the Porsche Design Acer Book RS with a carbon fiber lid and a premium unibody design. The Acer Book RS is powered by the Intel Tiger Lake Core i7 processor and comes with 16 GB RAM and optional GeForce MX350 graphics. Acer is also making available a Porsche Design premium Travel Pack RS accessory set, which includes a Bluetooth mouse, mouse pad, and an ECCO Palermo XA leather travel bag.

In order to bring the total weight down to 643 grams, Fujitsu had to reduce the number of components, replace the metallic upper cover with carbon fiber and redesign some of the ports and internal circuitry. The UH-X / E3 models are powered by the Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU and includes a small 25 Wh battery, but Fujitsu also offers the slightly heavier UH90 / E3 models with 54 Wh batteries and the UH75 / E3 models powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U APUs that weigh just under 1Kg.

Acer is targeting mobile content creators with the Swift 3x. The Acer Swift 3x is powered by the latest Tiger Lake processors and features the Intel Xe Max dGPU, formerly known as DG1. The Swift 3x also sports a vibrant 14-inch FHD display with a 72% NTSC coverage and will be available from December starting from €899.

The new Travelmate models come in slimmer yet sturdier chassis made of an aluminum-magnesium mix. Upgrades include the latest Tiger Lake CPUs with Xe iGPUs, up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, up to 1 TB NVMe SSD storage, a Thunderbolt 4 connector and a larger battery that can last up to 15 hours.

Acer has redesigned its convertible Acer Swift 3 with a new 16:10 WQXGA (2,560x1,600) touchscreen. It also features Intel's new Tiger Lake processors and comes with an upgraded battery. The notebook will be available for purchase in January 2021 for €999 (US$1,181)

Acer has released an updated version of its Spin 5 convertible notebook with 11th-generation Intel processors. It also comes with a 3:2 screen protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass. Prices start at €1,099 (US$1,300) for the base variant, which will be up for grabs in December 2020.

Today (October 21, 2020), Acer has unveiled its latest gaming monitors. The Predator X34 GS is the likely headline here, as it combines a 34-inch 1900R panel, a UWQHD resolution and a new stand type in one. Then again, the 24.5-inch XB253Q GW is the one with the highest (280Hz) refresh rate here. There is also a new Nitro XV272U KV which offers some attractive specs for a decent price.

The CXI4 is Acer's new Chromebox with up-to-date connectivity, featuring Wi-Fi 6, USB 3.2 Gen 2 and type C ports. Therefore, it may prove an option for the processing needed in retail or learning spaces. It also has the dimensions and VESA mount necessary to hide it behind nearly any screen paired with it in these environments.

Infinix has thrown its hat in the 2020 low- to mid-tier ring with its new Note 8 series. It offers big screens and quad rear cameras. Both the 8 and 8i also have large 5200mAh batteries. Can they really compete with other MediaTek Helio G80-powered devices such as the Redmi 9/Poco M2?

Intel's latest Celeron 6305 and 6305E processors have a number of up-to-date features and specs that may make devices based on them particularly worthy of consideration. There may have a lower base clock here compared to its immediate forebear, but it also supports double the cache, as well as faster memory and graphics. And, of course, Thunderbolt 4 is here in these newer models.

Apple announced the new Homepod Mini, a tiny smart speaker. The device features a single high-range driver and two subwoofers, as well as plenty of software smarts. Key features include Apple's trademark ecosystem integration, including Intercom, a new tool that allows people to send voice messages from the speaker to multiple other Apple devices.

The OPPO A53s is a phone freshly added on Amazon.de. It seems to have the exact same specs as the A53, which is powered by the new Snapdragon 460 SoC and has a 90Hz 6.5-inch HD+ display. It can be pre-ordered with free TWS earbuds from this OEM prior to its release date of October 13, 2020.

The inaugural RazerCon event has just wrapped up, leaving a host of new and updated products from its organizer in its wake. The headliner here is probably the refreshed Blade Stealth, although the only real difference from its predecessors here is its CPU. It now has an 11th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU rather than a 10th-gen as before.

TCL launched its 8-inch 10 TABMID slate during IFA 2020 Special Edition. Now, a variant of this device has launched in the US through the carrier Verizon. It has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, but also has 4G connectivity and its OEM's NXTVISION screen technology. It has been priced at just under US$200 and is available from now.

Samsung has launched the Galaxy F41, which has heretofore been the stuff of rumors concerning a new series of smartphones from this OEM for the Indian market. It has nearly the exact same specs as the Galaxy M31, except for rear cameras that are updated in both configuration and appearance. Flipkart plans to release it in conjunction with a special event it is hosting on October 16, 2020.

AMD has revealed the much anticipated Zen 3 Vermeer lineup today led by the flagship Ryzen 9 5950X. According to AMD, Zen 3 offers 19% IPC increase, 2.8x higher performance-per-watt, and up to 26% higher gaming performance. In Zen 3, core counts remain the same from last generation, but with higher boosts, a US$50 higher price, and no bundled Wraith cooler.

Realme has revealed pricing and availability info for its up-to-date mid-tier series of smartphones in Europe. They offer the MediaTek Helio G95 and Snapdragon 720G processors in the 7 and 7 Pro respectively, as well as up to 65W SuperDart charging (in the Pro variant). The OEM has also announced that it has enhanced its service coverage for the 2 phones in their new market.

Dell has announced a new range of UltraSharp monitors starting with the U2421E. The U2421E is a FHD 60 Hz IPS panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. The U2421E offers a host of connectivity options including data, display, power, and MAC address pass-through through a single USB-C cable to the laptop.

Asus has stealthily unleashed its latest mobile gaming flagship, the ROG Phone 3, onto the US market. It offers top-end specs such as the Snapdragon 865+ processor, a 6000mAh battery and active cooling. This device starts for US$1000 in its new region.

Poco has launched the C3, as promised in earlier teasers, today (October 6, 2020). It is, as expected, an effective rebrand of the Redmi 9c, which is available in other markets. However, this version has different colors, different RAM/storage SKUs and a lower price compared to the original in its new market of India.

Remote-working products reign supreme at present; however, Dell has prepared its new Meeting Space Solutions against the come-back of the real-life boardroom. They are bundles tailored to in-person conference settings of different sizes and conformations, and also adapt to the software preferred by the business client in question: Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

The CPU update will bring Intel Evo to HP's mid-range Envy 13 family of subnotebooks. Physical features of the chassis will otherwise be identical to the 2019 Ice Lake Envy 13 family.

If the HP Spectre x360 13 seems too small and the HP Spectre x360 15 seems too big, then the upcoming HP Spectre x360 14 might be just right. The new model will be introducing both a 3:2 display aspect ratio and Intel Tiger Lake Core U processor options when it launches later this month.

The 14-inch laptop will have a 1000-nit FHD touchscreen, up to 25 hours of battery life, multiple expansion options, up to a GeForce GTX GPU, and plenty of I/O ports.

Oppo has announced the availability of the Reno4 and Reno4 Pro 5G series in Europe and the UK alongside the Reno4 Z. The Reno4 and Reno4 Pro are powered by the Snapdragon 765G 5G SoC and come with improved low light shooting capabilities. Both the Reno4 5G and Reno4 Pro 5G share similar internals with the primary differences between them being with respect to the display and the camera setups.

After months of leaks, Lenovo's new 13 inch flagship is here: The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano takes Dell's XPS 13 9310 head on, with Intel Tiger Lake, a 16:10 aspect-ratio screen and a much more lightweight chassis.

The less expensive Reno4 Z features a MediaTek Dimensity 800 5G SoC coupled with 8 GB LPDDR4x and 128 GB storage, but also comes with dual front cams and a quad-cam rear setup, plus a 6.5-inch LCD display with 120 Hz refresh rate.

Huawei officially presented the two wearables Huawei Watch GT 2 Pro and Watch Fit today at the Huawei Developer Conference. Among other things, wireless charging and the price have been confirmed. We already had some hands-on experience with the noble smartwatch.

Today (September 30, 2020), Google has finally made the 5G Pixels official. They are the flagship 5 and the new version of the 4a, which of course come with Android 11 out of the box. These phones have been joined by the Chromecast with Google TV and Nest Audio products, thereby confirming months' worth of leaks.

The V20 Pro is the Snapdragon 765G-powered flagship for Vivo's latest smartphone series that the OEM now pitches at "various regions". The devices run on Android 10; however, they were also linked to a planned upgrade to its successor. They also all have the same 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, but differ otherwise in terms of specs.

Xiaomi has now launched its newest bang-for-buck mid-range device, the Mi 10T Lite. The Mi 10T Lite offers a slew of features including a quad-camera setup, Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 750G, dual speakers, and LTE support for most of Europe at an affordable price point.

Xiaomi has launched the new Mi 10T onto the market, with the smartphone featuring a decent array of specifications so it can appeal to a wide audience. Chief among its features are the 144 Hz AdaptiveSync display with MEMC technology and a beefy 5,000-mAh battery that can take advantage of 33 W wired fast charging.

The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro is the top-end choice in the new Mi 10T series, and it shows it by having a 108 MP sensor in its main camera system. The Mi 10T Pro also offers configuration options that allow it to have up to 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage, and the 5G smartphone can please gamers with its 144 Hz display and Snapdragon 865 SoC.

Lenovo refreshed the ThinkBook 13s with Intel Tiger Lake processors. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s Gen 2 comes with a 13.3-inch WQXGA IPS panel, up to 8GB of RAM and 1TB of solid-state storage, and a 61Wh battery that can be charged at 65W. It will be available for sale in October 2020, starting at US$829 and US$729 for the Intel and AMD versions.

Lenovo pivots the ThinkBook 15 Gen2 into the 'work from home' market with a novel new feature that significantly improves its versatility as a video conferencing device.

Lenovo is offering processor options up to an i7 Tiger Lake for the Intel models or up to a Ryzen 7 4800U for the AMD models. The Intel models are a bit bulkier as they get the best features including up to 40 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, up to 3 TB of storage, an MX450 dGPU option and a Thunderbolt 4 connector. The AMD models, however, are limited to up to 16 GB LPDDR4x-4266 RAM, up to 1 TB storage, and they do not get a dGPU option, but they also are lighter and slimmer.

The ThinkBook 14s Yoga convertibles are lighter and slimmer than previous versions due to the new anodized aluminum chassis. They also come with the latest Corning Gorilla Glass protective layer for the 360-degree touchscreen. Processor options go up to an Intel gen 11 i7 Tiger Lake, which can be coupled with up to 40 GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, and there is a Thunderbolt 4 connector, as well.

Thunderbolt and good screens were always kept exclusive to the T series among the Lenovo ThinkPad line. This seems to change with the new second gen ThinkPad E14 and E15 with Intel Tiger Lake CPUs, as both are the first E ThinkPads to feature Tiger Lake and at least get optional better screens.

The newly-unveiled ThinkBook 14 Gen 2 can be configured with Intel Tiger Lake and AMD processors. Other features include an FHD IPS/TN display, an Intel Xe/Nvidia MX 450 GPU, Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, and more. The notebooks will be available for purchase in October 2020. Prices start US$569 for the Intel model and US$549 for the AMD variant.

Dell has refreshed the XPS 13 2-in-1 with Intel Tiger Lake SKUs with Xe graphics and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. The new 2020 XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 is also Intel Evo-certified and offers pretty much the same chassis and thermal design as its predecessor including the inability to upgrade RAM, storage, and the Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi 6 card.

Dell has refreshed the clamshell XPS 13 to feature Intel Tiger Lake CPU options, Evo specifications, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. The XPS 13 9310 offers both FHD+ and UHD+ options and also comes in a Developer Edition pre-loaded with Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

Xiaomi has launched two new 82-inch Mi Master Series smart TVs in China. The 4K model is priced at 9,999 yuan (US$1,466) and comes with a 120 Hz refresh rate and MEMC. The 8K “Extreme Anniversary Edition” utilizes a mini-LED panel and delivers double the brightness of the cheaper TV, and it costs a hefty 49,999 yuan (US$7,326).

Intel's Industrial Summit 2020 revealed that the OEM now believes that data and its processing will migrate to the edge in the future. To that end, it has announced 11th-gen Core processor versions aimed at Internet of Things (IoT) applications. They are extra-low-power variants of Tiger Lake CPUs with features such as Deep Learning Boost, although they retain Thunderbolt 4 and PCIe 4.0 support.

The Amazfit GTS 2 from Huami is now official, with the fun but functional smartwatch already on sale in China. The GTS 2 has had a design overhaul from the first generation, with a borderless display and lighter weight included. There’s also a blood oxygen detector, loads of sports modes, and a smart assistant to be found on the new wearable.