Launch

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.

At CES 2021, HP has announced the Envy 14 aimed at mobile content creators. The Envy 14 offers a combination of the Core i5-1135G7 and NVIDIA GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q and comes with a 14-inch IPS touch display that is color-calibrated out of the box.

HP has announced two new Intel Tiger Lake-powered convertibles; the HP EliteBook x360 1030 G8 and HP EliteBook x360 1040 G8. Both notebooks can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM, 2TB of solid-state storage, 4K screens, and a 78Wh battery. HP will tell us more about their prices as its January 2021 approaches.

HP has launched a new 2-in-1 notebook called the HP Elite Folio. Some of its key specifications include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx chipset, 13.5-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1280) IPS LCD panel, up to 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and 5G. It will be up for sale starting February 2021.

HP has announced a new variant of the EliteBook 840 G8, the EliteBook 840 Aero G8. The 840 Aero G8 essentially sports the same specifications as the 840 G8 but weighs half a pound less making it the world's lightest 14-inch business laptop, according to HP.

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.

HP is introducing an upgraded Elite x2 G8 business tablet with up to Core i7 Tiger Lake options. The Elite x2 G8 offers both Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity and integrates Tile to help locate the device when misplaced.

HP's new M24f, M27f, and M32f Full HD monitors are the first Eyesafe certified displays to be made from recycled plastic that would otherwise be in the ocean. Of the 85% recycled material, 5% comes from ocean-bound plastics.

Lenovo has announced an OLED variant of the Yoga Slim 7i Pro that was originally introduced last year. The Yoga Slim 7i Pro's OLED display comes in a 16:10 aspect ratio and offers a 90 Hz refresh rate with 100% DCI-P3 coverage and Dolby Vision HDR support. Powering the Evo-certified Yoga Slim 7i Pro is an Intel Tiger Lake processor and NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics.

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.

The Motorola One 5G Ace, aka the Moto G 5G, has been launched in the United States. It features a 6.7-inch LTPS IPS LCD panel, three rear cameras, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 750G chipset, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery. The device will be available for purchase starting January 14 and retail for US$399.

The Moto G Power (2021) and Moto G Play (2021) are Motorola's newest low-cost offerings. Both phones come with entry-level specs and are priced accordingly. The former costs US$199 for the base variant with 3GM of RAM and 32GB of storage, while the latter will set you back by US$169.

Lenovo and NEC have teamed up to introduce new Tiger Lake devices in the Lavie range. The Lavie Mini is an 8-inch handheld gaming PC that comes with optional gaming controller and gaming dock accessories. The Lavie Pro Mobile is a 13.3-inch ultrabook that combines form and functionality without much compromise on the connectivity front.

Acer has introduced the Chromebook Spin 514 — the first Chromebook to be powered by AMD Ryzen 3000C series of Chromebook APUs. The Chromebook Spin 14 is offered in both consumer and Enterprise variants and sports a durable chassis, adequate port selection, and support for Android apps from the Play Store. The Enterprise version can also be availed as part of Acer's Device-as-a-Service program.

Lenovo has launched the Yoga AIO 7 desktop PC at CES 2021. The Yoga AIO 7, also known as Yoga 27 in China, is powered by AMD Renoir 4000 H-series APUs and the NVIDIA RTX 2060 GPU. The Yoga AIO 7 comes with built-in casting hardware and a future update will enable the AIO to function as a standalone 4K smart TV as well.

Lenovo has introduced the mid-range Tab P11 Android tablet powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC. The Tab P11 comes in several RAM and storage variants and features a 2K display that covers 70% NTSC color gamut. Buyers can also equip the Tab P11 with the optional Keyboard Pack and Precision Pen 2 for enhanced productivity.

Lenovo has brought 5G connectivity to the IdeaPad series with the IdeaPad 5G. The IdeaPad 5G, which is also available in a 4G variant, is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Compute Platform promising always-on connectivity and up to 20 hours battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5G also comes with Alexa Show Mode for hands-free, full screen interaction via voice commands.

Realme has now launched its newest device, the Realme V15 5G, in China. The Realme V15 5G offers an AMOLED display and a MediaTek Dimensity 800U under the hood, with the entire package bearing a resemblance to the Redmi Note 9 5G that was launched last month.

Lenovo has launched the Lenovo L24i and L27e monitors at CES 2021. The former comes with a 23.8-inch FHD panel clocked at 75Hz, while the latter is 27-inches in size. The Lenovo L24i will cost €149 (US$183) and the L27e at €169 (US$207). Both monitors will be available for purchase in March 2021.

While the Intel and AMD models share many of the same features, Lenovo uses the thermal headroom in the 16-inch IdeaPad 5 Pro to pair next-generation Ryzen and RTX chips. Users can switch between 60 Hz or higher 90 Hz (14-inch) and 120 Hz (16-inch) refresh rates on these 16:10 (2560 x 1600) displays.

The high-end aluminum convertible Chromebook will launch before the end of the quarter for $549 USD in both Gray and Red color options. Samsung has yet to outsource its QLED panels to other OEMs.

Dell has unveiled the next step in its unique solution to a key problem of all-in-one PCs: upgradeability. The new Dell OptiPlex 7090 Ultra is an iteration on 2019's OptiPlex7070 ultra, a tiny flat desktop designed to fit into a monitor stand. The new OptiPlex 7090 Ultra brings 11th Gen Intel CPUs, Intel's Iris Xe Graphics, and more to the form factor.

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 has spruced-up its premium Latitude 9000 series lineup with a design refresh and internal upgrades. The Latitude 9420 comes in both 2-in-1 and traditional laptop form factors. Both variants sport 16:10 displays and are powered by Intel 11th gen Tiger Lake processors with vPro configurations. The new Latitude 9420 also offers an automatic SafeShutter for the webcam and AI-powered Dell Optimizer software.

The Dell OptiPlex 3090 Ultra is an ultra-compact zero footprint modular all-in-one PC that can be directly mounted behind a monitor. The OptiPlex 3090 Ultra allows for easy deployment and maintenance while offering a choice of Tiger Lake Core i3, Core i5, and Celeron processor options along with flexible RAM and storage choices.

Dell is introducing a new Latitude 13 7320 Detachable tablet with looks that are reminiscent of a Microsoft Surface Pro X. The Latitude 13 7320 Detachable is powered by Intel 11th gen Tiger Lake vPro processors and offers a 500-nit 3:2 FHD+ display, 4G LTE WWAN connectivity, AI-accelerated Dell Optimizer tuning, and more.

The Dell UltraSharp 40 Curved U4021QW is a monitor that is geared towards ultimate business productivity. The UltraSharp 40 Curved is a 5K IPS panel with 100% sRGB and 98% DCI-P3 coverage with a delta E less than 2. The UltraSharp 40 Curved offers a wide range of ports and can control two PC inputs at once thanks to Dell's Auto KVM feature.

Qualcomm has launched its newest 5G-ready Snapdragon 480 chipset. It features an eight-core Kryo 460 CPU clocked at 2.0GHz, an Adreno 619 GPU, and comes with Qualcomm's X51 5G modem. According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 480 is expected to make its debut in 'early 2021.'

Sony's original plan was to launch the PlayStation 5 on November 19, 2020; however, they fell through with no sign of the console in the country since. It has now at least released details on its re-scheduled launch, as well as the start of pre-orders with channels such as Flipkart.

The PlayStation 5 (or PS5) has not been on the market long, and is not even available everywhere on Earth yet. Nevertheless, a new report claims that it has sold 3.4 million units already, more than any of its predecessors to date. The PS5 is also now projected to sell much more in 2021.

Vivo has made the X60 series official. They are the first phones to rock the Exynos 1080 SoC, and also have up to quad rear cameras with Zeiss branding. They start at ~US$536 for an 8GB RAM/128GB internal storage SKU. However, the OEM has also complicated things with the announcement of an additional Pro+ to debut in 2021.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 is here, and it comes equipped with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 888, a QHD+ 120 Hz AMOLED made by Samsung, and all-around impressive hardware. Better still, it's a hell of a bargain at a starting price point of just over US$600.

OPPO has launched the Reno5 series' flagship, confirming its premium attributes compared to the rest of these smartphones in the process. They include its Snapdragon 865 SoC and new 50MP main camera module in the process. It starts at 3999 yuan (~US$612).

With its Dimensity 1000+ chipset, 120Hz display and 65W charging, Realme's X7 Pro is a potentially compelling choice of 2020 smartphones. Unfortunately, it has never emerged beyond the Chinese market. However, that has changed with its latest debut in Thailand.

The Italian telecomms company Fastweb is one of a number of European firms that are early adopters of 5G mmWave-based fixed wireless access (FWA) as services for customers. It has announced that the consumer premises equipment (CPE) that delivers this new kind of "broadband" will be based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 modem.

The Chinese AIB designer Colorful has announced the new iGame GeForce RTX 3090 Neptune OC graphics card. The powerful board comes with a dual-fan radiator, 26-phase power design, and a one-click overclocked boost rate of 1,755 MHz. Gamers in China will need to be prepared to pay 13,999 yuan (US$2,141) or more to get hold of one though.

The OPPO A53 emerged in 2020 as the first phone to have the Snapdragon 460 SoC. Now, the OEM has announced a new version of this device. It is much like the original, except it exchanges its platform for a 5G-capable MediaTek Dimensity 720. It also starts at the equivalent of US$199 in China.

Intel has introduced new updates to its Optane family of storage solutions. The Optane SSD P5800X is being touted as the world's fastest datacenter SSD with class-leading IOPS performance. The Optane H20 is an upgrade to last year's H20 and will be available in capacities up to 1 TB exclusively for 11th gen Tiger Lake laptops.

Xiaomi has launched the Mi EBook Reader Pro as expected and has revealed the e-reader’s specifications. Naturally, the Mi EBook Reader Pro is a step up from the non-Pro variant, but at a regular price of 1,299 yuan (US$198) the new Xiaomi device also holds up quite well against the more-expensive Kindle Oasis from Amazon.

From a distance it could look like a 25 year old case that includes a 5.25-inch and 3.5-inch floppy drives, along with a turbo button. However, the windowed side panel reveals a modern water-cooled system with RGB lights.

Bomaker is not what could be called a household name in the home-theater projector market; nevertheless, it has made some attention-grabbing claims for its product freshly put up for crowdfunding. They include the ability to throw a 200-inch 4K screen up onto a wall just 31 inches away from this device.

Eight years of hard work developing Cyberpunk 2077 seems to have paid off for the Polish video-game company CD Projekt. Apparently the action RPG clocked up more than eight million preorders, amounting to over US$500 million in revenue. The incredible Cyberpunk 2077: Collector’s Edition features a statue of V in action and a map of Night City.

The new Ruby and Topaz mini PC lineups are practically indistinguishable on the outside, as they both feature the proprietary Universal Chassis. As far as specs go, the Ruby systems can be equipped with up to a Ryzen 7 4800U APU, while the Topaz models can be powered by up to an i7-1165G7 CPU. Both lineups support up to 64 GB of RAM and up to 10 TB of SSD storage.

The new LarkBook is one of those affordable notebooks with dated specs that at least look good. Thanks to a cutting edge aluminum and magnesium chassis that weighs a little under 1 Kg (2.2 lbs) and is 11.9 mm (0.47 inch) thick, the LarkBook could pass as a premium model. However, the specs are so 2017, as it comes equipped with an Intel Celeron 4100 CPU, 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 256 GB SSD.

Apple has launched a new pair of over-the-ear headphones called the AirPods Max. It features active noise cancellation (ANC), 40nm Neodymium drivers, Apple's in-house H1 chip, and provides up to 20 hours of battery life. It is available for pre-order now and will start shipping on December 14 for US$549.

The new Razer 15 Base Edition variant has the same main specs as the previous $1,599.99 models. However, for $100 less, Razer also eliminated features like the Thunderbolt 3 connector, Wi-Fi 6 and Ethernet, and the new model also comes with a slightly smaller battery plus a 120 Hz screen.

HP has refreshed the EliteBook 850 G8 with Intel Tiger Lake CPU options with select configurations designed to meet Intel Evo specifications. HP will also be offering vPro versions of the Intel 11th gen processors next year. The EliteBook 850 G8 can be optionally configured with NVIDIA GeForce MX450 graphics and 5G WWAN connectivity.

HP has upgraded its ZBook Firefly mobile workstation offerings to the Firefly 14 G8 and Firefly 15 G8. The new ZBook Firefly models get Intel Tiger Lake processors and the NVIDIA Quadro T500 GPU, which should offer much improved graphics performance. They also come with support for 5G via the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem. The new HP ZBook Firefly notebooks will be available later this month.