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mercredi 31 août 2022

How to customize notification settings on Windows 11

Notifications can be a hugely important feature on our laptops, just like they are on our smartphones. They let us know when something needs our attention, and if you get distracted easily, that can help you stay on track. However, as we install more and more apps, notifications are constantly competing for our attention, and sometimes you just want to focus. Thankfully, you can customize notification settings in a variety of ways on Windows 11, and we’re here to help.

In this guide, we’re going to take a closer look at the options you have to customize notifications on Windows 11. These can help you make notifications less intrusive and allow you to focus on what’s truly important to you. With that established, let’s get right into it.

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Customize general notification settings

Let’s start with the basics of notification settings. First off, if you want to get to notification settings on Windows 11, there are two ways to do it. The quickest way is to right-click the date and time section in the corner of your taskbar, then choose Notification settings.

Screenshot of the context menu that appears when you right-click the date and time section of the taskbar in Windows 11. The notification settings option is highlighted by a red outline.

Alternatively, you can use the Start menu to open the Settings app, then choose Notifications in the System section (which opens by default).

Here, you’re presented with an overview of your notification settings. You can disable notifications altogether, or click the first option, Notifications, to expand a drop-down menu. This menu has some additional options, such as turning off notification sounds. You can also choose whether you want notifications to show up on the lock screen, including a specific setting for reminders and incoming calls. Below that, there’s Focus assist, the Windows equivalent of Do not disturb. We’ll look at that in a bit.

The top of the Notifications page in the Windows 11 Settings app

You can also enable or disable notifications for each app. The apps shown here are only the ones that have sent you at least one notification, so the list may not show apps you just installed. You can click each app to go into more specific settings for that app, but we’ll explore that later.

At the bottom of the page, you can also find settings for certain notifications from the Windows system itself. For example, you can turn off suggestions on how to use certain features, or whether you want to see the Windows welcome experience after installing a new feature update. This welcome experience can teach you about new features in the update, so it can be useful, but it’s not for everyone.

Screenshott of the bottom of the Notifications page in the Windows 11 Settings app. Notification settings for Windows features are highlighted with a red outline.

Focus assist

Focus assist is the Windows 11 equivalent of Do not disturb, and it can block almost all incoming notifications as long as it’s enabled. When you clock the Focus assist option in the page shown above, you can customize various settings related to that feature. For starters, you can choose to leave it off, or use the Priority or Alarm settings. Priority mode lets you choose certain notifications that can break through Focus assist, while Alarm mode only lets alarms through.

There’s also an option here to let you see notifications you missed while Focus assist was on. With this enabled, when you disable Focus assist, you’ll see a notification with a summary of everything you missed.

Screenshot of the Windows 11 Focus assist settings page

Below these options, you a section for automatic rules, which are certain situations where Focus assist will kick in automatically. There are options to enable it during a specific time of the day, along with more special rules, such as when you’re duplicating your display or while running a full-screen app. These can be useful so you don’t get awkward notifications while you’re presenting your screen, or if you don’t want to get interrupted while playing a game. Oddly enough, there’s also a rule to disable notifications for the first hour after installing a feature update, and it’s enabled by default.

If you click any of these rules, you can choose whether you want Focus assist to turn on in Priority mode or Alarm mode, and you can also choose whether you want to be notified when Focus assist is enabled automatically.

Screenshot of the Windows 11 Settings app displaying the configuration page for the automatic rule that enables focus assist when duplicating the display.

Customizing your priority list

As mentioned above, one of the options Focus assist offers is called Priority, and this allows select apps to still send notifications if you consider them important. If you click Customize priority list, you can choose to allow VoIP calls to come through, as well as reminders. Then, of course, you can choose specific apps you want to add to your priority list, so notifications from those apps are always shown. A few apps are added by default, but you can remove them or add some others.

Screenshot of the Focus assist priority list settings in the Windows 11 Setttings app

There’s also a section on this page to allow notifications from certain people to break through. This is based on the People app, however, which is basically unusable nowadays, and it only includes Outlook contacts. It doesn’t even work with Microsoft Teams contacts, despite the app being built into Windows 11.

Customize per-app notification settings in Windows 11

Finally, let’s talk about notification settings for individual apps. As we mentioned above, the notifications settings page (Settings -> System -> Notifications) lets you turn notifications on or off for each app. However, you can also click an app’s name to see more detailed notification settings for that app.

For example. let’s go with Microsoft Teams, since it’s built into Windows 11. When you open the notification settings for that app, you see a few options. First off, you can choose whether you want notification banners to show up – those are the little pop-ups that show up on the bottom right corner of your screen. You can also choose whether you want those notifications to be visible in the notification center, which you can open by clicking the date and time on your taskbar (or by pressing the Windows key and N on your keyboard).

Notification settings for the Microsoft Teams app on Windows 11

Other options let you hide notification contents on the lock screen, so people can’t see your notifications without entering your password or PIN. You can also turn off notification sounds and choose the priority level of notifications from that app. A higher priority means notifications will be shown at the top of the notification center, and if you receive multiple high-priority notifications, you can also see up to three of them pop up on screen at once, as opposed to just one for normal notifications.

Notification settings in Windows 11 version 22H2

So far, we’ve talked about the notification settings in the original release of Windows 11, but you may already be running Windows 11 version 22H2. This is the first feature update to Windows 11, and it comes with a few important changes to notification settings. In this version, if you go to the notification settings page (Settings  -> System -> Notifications), things look a bit different, but most of the functionality is the same.

For starters, Focus assist has been renamed to Do not disturb, so it aligns with what you probably already know from other platforms. It’s been simplified, too, so it’s either on or off, and you can no longer choose between Priority or Alarms mode. Plus, all the Do not disturb settings are now directly available in the notifications page, without taking you to a separate page entirely.

Sreenshot of notification settings in Windows 11 version 22H2

It’s also worth noting that the page where you customize the priority list has been updated with a new design, and it removes the useless People section we mentioned above.

Priority list settings in Windows 11 version 22H2

Focus

Something new you will notice in the new Notifications page is the Focus option. This is where you can choose options related to focus sessions, a feature that was introduced with Windows 11 as part of the Clock app. In this page, you can start a focus session, choose how long it will last, and hide taskbar notification badges and flashing (when an app on the taskbar turns orange to get your attention).

Focus settings in Windows 11 version 22H2

When you start a focus session, it will enable the settings you choose on this page. You can learn more about the Clock app with focus sessions in our deep dive if you’re interested in that.


And that’s all you need to know about how to customize notification settings on your Windows 11 PC. If you’re keen on learning more about Windows 11, we have a few other guides for you. We have an general guide on how to use Windows 11 as a whole, which is a great starting point for new users.

The post How to customize notification settings on Windows 11 appeared first on XDA.



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Garmin’s upcoming Venu Sq 2 lineup could feature a larger AMOLED display

After announcing the premium Forerunner 955 Solar and Forerunner 255 series this June, Garmin is reportedly gearing up to give its affordable Venu Sq line a refresh. Although the company has not shared any details about the upcoming smartwatches, a new leak has revealed quite a few details about the unannounced Venu Sq 2 and Venu Sq 2 – Music Edition.

According to noted leaker Roland Quandt (via WinFuture), Garmin will switch out the LCD on the previous models with a slightly larger 1.41-inch AMOLED panel with a 360 x 360p resolution. The panel will reportedly be 17 percent brighter than the one on the older models, which should result in better visibility in direct sunlight. The upcoming smartwatches will also offer improved battery life; up to 11 days on a single charge, up from a maximum of six days on the previous models.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 - Music Edition leaked render.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 – Music Edition

In terms of fitness tracking features, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 and Venu Sq 2 -Music Edition will offer heart rate monitoring, step tracking, sleep monitoring with extensive sleep analytics, an SpO2 sensor, and 25 built-in activity modes for various indoor and outdoor sports. The smartwatches will also feature several workouts to help users perform yoga, strength training, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), and Pilates. Users will also get the option to create their own workouts and store them on the watch.

Garmin Venu Sq 2 leaked render.

Garmin Venu Sq 2

In addition, both Garmin Venu Sq 2 models will offer contactless payment support via NFC, integrated GPS tracking, and water resistance up to 5atm. The Music Edition model will also let users store audio content from services like Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music on the smartwatch. As far as the pricing is concerned, Quandt says that the regular Garmin Venu Sq 2 will go on sale for €269 (~$269), while the Music Edition model will be available for €299 (~$299). The leaked renders suggest that both models will be available in three colorways.

Currently, Garmin has not announced a launch date for the Venu Sq 2 lineup. We’ll make sure to let you know as soon as the smartwatches go on sale.


Via: WinFuture

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Does the Google Pixel 6a support wireless and reverse wireless charging?

The Google Pixel 6a is officially here, and it’s essentially a watered-down version of the flagship Pixel 6. For $150 less (you can save even more with amazing deals that often bring it down to below $400), the Pixel 6a offers the same design and flagship Tensor SoC as the Pixel 6. But to arrive at that cheaper price tag, Google had to cut some corners, and as a result, the Pixel 6a doesn’t offer many of the niceties offered by the flagship Pixels. For one, the affordable model drops the higher refresh rate panel and settles for the standard 60Hz display. And instead of cutting-edge camera hardware, the Pixel 6a packs classic cameras. Moreover, Pixel 6a also misses out on wireless charging.

While the Pixel 6a brings several notable upgrades over previous Pixel A phones, wireless charging isn’t one of them. If wireless charging support ranks high on your priority list, you would be better off going with the Pixel 6, which offers 21W fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. The lack of wireless charging support wouldn’t have been a huge deal if the Pixel 6a offered at least faster wired charging speeds. But that’s not the case. The phone tops out at 18W, which is anything but fast. As we noted in our review, the phone takes about two hours to go from 0% to 100%. Not to mention you don’t get a charger inside the box. Thankfully, the Pixel 6a’s 4,410mAh battery is able to provide full-day of usage.

The Pixel 6a not offering wireless charging support isn’t that surprising considering its price. Wireless charging convenience is still a rarity in mid-range phones and is usually only found in more expensive flagship phones.

    Google Pixel 6a
    The Pixel 6a offers a well-rounded hardware package, including a 6.1-inch AMOLED display, Tensor SoC, and capable cameras.

If you can look past the charging limitations, the Pixel 6a has plenty to offer, including a bold design, powerful cameras, a thoughtful software experience, and long software support. If you have just bought the Pixel 6a, be sure to pick up a protective case for it. We have also rounded up the best Pixel 6a accessories, which feature our best picks for chargers, cases, earbuds, and more.

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These are the Best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Deals in 2022

Samsung unleashed the Galaxy Z Fold 4 upon the world during its Unpacked event in August 2022. This foldable smartphone packs plenty of breathtaking technologies that make it such a tempting purchase at $1,799. When you unbox it, you will find a 7.6-inch main screen and a 6.2-inch cover screen — both of which support 120Hz refresh rates. In the camera department, you get a 10MP selfie camera, 4MP under-display camera, and a triple rear camera system. Said system packs a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 50MP wide-angle lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens. It truly is a beast in the display and camera departments. Now, you must be wondering how to get your hands on this precious device. Below is a list of the best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (2022) deals currently available. Don’t forget to protect it with a case, too!

Best Galaxy Z Fold 4 Unlocked deals

Samsung.com

As you might’ve guessed, Samsung is indeed selling this device and it’s now available to purchase for those who are interested. Through Samsung.com, you get to choose between Graygreen, Beige, Phantom Black, and an exclusive Burgundy finish. The pre-order perks are not available for this device anymore, but you can still get some solid trade-in deals with Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T variants purchased from Samsung.com. Just like the Galaxy Z Flip 4, you can also save up to 30-percent on a bundle that includes the new Galaxy Watch 5 series smartwatches and the new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

Those who are conscious of the phone’s durability can also get up to three months of free Samsung Care Plus while opting for a monthly protection plan for the device. Samsung is also known to offer some in-store credits for purchasing products from its website, so we suggest checking Samsung.com before visiting other retailers.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    Samsung is offering good trade-in deals along with some other perks for the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Best Buy

Best Buy is carrying both the unlocked as well as carrier-locked variants of the Galaxy Z Fold 4! The device is available in all three colors and you can even pick the right storage variant for you as they’re all readily available. Best Buy isn’t offering a lot of perks for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 now, but you can still trade in your older device to save some money on your big purchase.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    Through Best Buy, you get to purchase the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and get some of your money back through an eligible trade-in.

Amazon

If Amazon is your retailer of choice, you can now buy the unlocked version of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 through it. This way, you can use the smartphone without committing to a particular carrier.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    Amazon seems to have the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 in stock right now. You can choose between two storage capacities and three finishes.

Walmart

Walmart is selling the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 in different color and storage capacity options. Though, the device will only work with an AT&T plan or a Verizon one — depending on the carrier you choose. On Walmart, you can buy either of the two variants through monthly installments.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    Walmart has the AT&T and Verizon versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The two editions are locked to the respective carriers' networks.

Best Galaxy Z Fold 4 Carrier deals

fold 4

Verizon

Verizon is also selling the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, and it’s offering some perks of its own. For starters, you get to pay through 36 monthly installments of $49 — if you’d rather not pay $1,799 on day one. Additionally, you can get up to $800 in Verizon credit with an eligible trade-in.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    If Verizon is your carrier of choice, it also is offering good trade in deals and installment payment options.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile is also selling the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in all three colors and two storage options. You can pay for it through $50 installments over the period of 36 months, but remember that the remaining balance on the device will become due if/when you cancel wireless service. Additionally, you can also trade in your older device to save more or get the Magenta MAX line to save $1,000 on your purchase.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    If T-Mobile is the carrier you depend on, it also is offering exclusive perks and the option to pay through installments.

AT&T

If AT&T is your go-to carrier, then you can buy the Galaxy Z Fold 4 today, too! You can pay through $50 monthly installments and claim some of your money back through trade-in credit.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    Through AT&T, you also get to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 4, assuming it's your carrier of choice.

Xfinity Mobile

Xfinity Mobile also has the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 up for grabs right now. You can pay in full or over the course of 24 months. Though, it’s only available in two colors

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    Xfinity Mobile is selling the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in two colors and two storage capacities. You can pay through installments or in full.

Spectrum Mobile

Spectrum Mobile is also an option if you want to buy a carrier-locked unit of the Galaxy Z Fold 4. You can get up to $500 back through an eligible trade-in, which is a good way to save some money on your purchase. Similar to other carriers and retailers, you get to choose between three finishes and pay through monthly installments.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    You can get a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 through Spectrum Mobile and save on your purchase through a trade-in.

US Cellular

Similar to other retailers and carriers, US Cellular is offering the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in three colors. There are no trade-in options to be seen but you can choose to pay through monthly installments with an eligible plan if you don’t want to pay the full price upfront.

    Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
    US Cellular is offering the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in all three color options and two storage variants.

We will update the list of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 deals once we spot more listings. If one of the currently-listed deals grabs your attention, claim it before it’s gone. Additionally, if you wait too long, you might face shipping delays — as the supplies start running out.

Will you be buying this foldable smartphone? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below.

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These are the Best Android Phones under $500 in 2022!

The budget smartphone segment has matured quite a bit over the last few years. Now, even the sub-$500 Android phones can provide a great experience, and you don’t need to shell out for a flagship to get decent performance. We’ve seen several excellent affordable smartphones launch this year, and if you’re in the market for a new phone, it’s a great time to get one. We’ve picked the best Android phones under $500 that you can consider in your buying decision.

Here are some of the best cheap phones you can buy right now in the US. We’ll also sneak in some non-US devices that are good enough to actually be worth importing, although we’ll mostly focus on devices that will work in the American market.

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Best Overall: Samsung Galaxy A53

Galaxy A53

If you want the best smartphone that can do it all and will continue to receive software updates for a long time, look no further than the Galaxy A53 5G. The Galaxy A53 5G picks up where the Galaxy A53 left off. It packs a bigger battery, a faster chipset, and a tweaked design. The Galaxy A53 is a minor refresh, so if you are rocking the Galaxy A52, there’s probably no need to upgrade. What makes the Galaxy A53 so great is that it backs up the amazing hardware with equally great software support. Samsung promises up to four years of Android OS updates and five years of security updates, which is not only unheard of in this price range but also beats the best flagships out there, including Google’s own Pixel 6 series.

Launched at $449, the Galaxy A53 has now come down to $349, making it even more attractive. You get a beautiful 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 800 nits brightness. This is one of the best panels you can get for under $500. It gets plenty bright and offers punchy colors.

Under the hood, the Galaxy A53 packs Samsung’s in-house Exynos 1280 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The Galaxy A53 houses the same camera setup as its predecessor, featuring a 64MP primary shooter, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and two 5MP depth and macro shooters. As we noted in our review, the phone delivers excellent photos in good lighting conditions, and it also fares surprisingly well in low light and at night. The phone’s large 5,000mAh battery won’t quit in the middle of the day and supports 25W fast charging.

If you like to hold onto your smartphones for a long period, the Galaxy A53 is an excellent value-for-money option as not only you’re getting the best-in-class hardware but also the best-in-class software support.

    Samsung Galaxy A53
    The Galaxy A53 offers a beautiful AMOLED display, Exynos 1280 chipset, and five years of software support.

Best camera: Pixel 6a

Pixel 6a in hand

The Pixel A series has long offered the best features of flagship Google phones at an affordable price tag. The new Pixel 6a is no different. It’s the best cheap phone from Google yet, bringing several notable improvements over previous phones. While old Pixel A phones featured unassuming designs, the Pixel 6a packs a bold design that stands out from the crowd. The Pixel 6a also packs Google’s in-house Tensor SoC, the same flagship chipset that powers the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

The Pixel 6a was launched at $449, but it has already seen price drops several times, bringing it down to $400. The Pixel 6a’s biggest strength is the flagship Tensor SoC, providing fast performance and enhancing features like voice dictation and Now Playing using on-device machine learning. The camera performance is excellent as always, but it’s sad to see Google not equipping the phone with the same camera sensors as the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. You get the same 12MP primary shooter found on all previous Pixel A phones.

The display is one of the weakest links of the Pixel 6a. While the 6.1-inch OLED panel offers good saturation, deep blacks, and sufficient brightness, it lacks a higher refresh rate. If you’re coming from a phone with a 60Hz display, this is unlikely to notice this difference, but it is nevertheless an odd omission given every phone at this price point at least offers a 90Hz display.

The phone packs a 4,410mAh battery which will easily last you a whole day. However, the 18W charging speed is nothing to write home about, and it also doesn’t help that Google doesn’t include a charger inside the box.

Software is a strong suit of the Pixel 6a. The phone runs a near-stock version of Android 12 with the Material You theme and is guaranteed to receive OS updates at least until Android 15.

    Google Pixel 6a
    The Google 6a packs Tensor SoC and excellent cameras.

Best performance: OnePlus 9

OnePlus 9 in hand showing off Astral Black back color

If flagship-grade performance is what you’re after, the OnePlus 9 5G might just fit the bill. Although more than a year old at this point, OnePlus’ last year’s flagship still packs a powerful punch and can easily hold its own against any Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-powered flagship. But performance is not the only great thing about the OnePlus 9 5G. It also has capable Hasselblad-branded cameras, a bright, beautiful display, and a super-fast charging speed.

Originally launched at $730, the phone is often on sale for $499 on Amazon and OnePlus.com, making it an enticing option for anyone looking for an affordable flagship. You get a 6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1100 nits brightness. On the inside, the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 888 chipset, paired with 8GB/12GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage. The back houses a 48MP primary camera, a 50MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 2MP monochrome lens. You also get a large 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging support. The phone ships with Android 11 out of the box, but you can update it to the latest OxygenOS 12 software based on Android 12.

From design and performance to cameras and charging speed, you’re getting nothing short of a flagship experience here. OnePlus has promised three years of OS updates and four years of security updates, meaning the phone will remain up to date with the latest software innovations.

    OnePlus 9
    The OnePlus 9 is one of the best affordable flagships, packing Snapdragon 888 and capable cameras.

Best bang for the buck: OnePlus 8T

OnePlus 8T Rear Side XDA

The OnePlus 8T launched in 2020, and while it may have been outshined by the OnePlus 8 Pro, it was still an amazing phone in its own right. It has a Snapdragon 865 processor, which is still a very capable mobile processor even though the Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 are already making the rounds. This was one of the phones that showed OnePlus was still able to deliver excellent bang for the buck, with prices for flagship smartphones in a seemingly permanent upward trend. It also enjoys amazing developer support in our forums, making it an amazing deal for enthusiasts.

You get an excellent 6.55-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and DCI-P3 wide color gamut. The phone can be paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 flash storage. Cameras are not flagship-grade, but they’re far better than any similarly priced mid-ranger out there. You get a 48MP primary shooter, a 16MP ultra-wide shooter, a 5MP macro lens, and a 2MP monochrome lens.

The OnePlus 8T packs a sizeable 4,500mAh battery and offers 65W Warp Charge support. It lacks wireless charging, though. On the software front, the phone runs Android 11 out of the box, but an update to Android 12 with OxygenOS 12 is already available for the device.

It was an amazing device then and still an amazing device now for the price, even with the OnePlus 9 series available and the OnePlus 10 right around the corner. It’s available on the OnePlus website and on Amazon right now for $349, making it an excellent deal for a last-gen flagship.

    OnePlus 8T
    At $349, you're getting one of the best devices of 2020, with a Snapdragon 865 processor, up to 12 GB of RAM, and a 120Hz display. The new launches by OnePlus have only made it an even better deal now than ever.

Best Compact: iPhone SE 3 (2022)

iPhone SE 3 2022 setup 28

While the general smartphone trend is towards larger displays and smaller bezels, there are plenty of people who still prefer compact, mini phones. But compact phones often mean sacrificing power and performance. That’s not the case with the iPhone SE (2022). Featuring the flagship A15 Bionic chipset, the iPhone SE packs the same firepower as the iPhone 13 lineup in a compact, one-hand-friendly package.

The iPhone SE 2022 features a ridiculously small 4.7-inch display with chunky top and bottom bezels. And with its iPhone 8-era design, it looks rather outdated. Except for the flagship A15 Bionic chip, the iPhone SE (2022) doesn’t have much going for in the hardware department. It packs a 720p display with a 60Hz refresh rate, DCI-P3 wide color gamut support, and True Tone enhancements.

In a world where multi-setup cameras are all the rage, the iPhone SE 2022 only packs a single 12MP camera. But the powerful A15 chipset, Smart HDR 4, and Deep Fusion compensate for the outdated camera hardware. As Ben noted in his review, the phone produces great shots as long as lighting conditions are favorable, with photos showing above-average dynamic range and on-point colors. However, the camera struggles quite a bit when shooting in tricky lighting conditions, such as low-light settings.

Another area of concern is the battery life, as the iPhone SE’s tiny 2,018mAh battery struggles to last a full day under heavy load. And on top of that, the phone also charges very slowly, with the max charging speed topping out at 18W. Since it’s an iPhone, you have nothing to worry about software support. At the very least, you can expect Apple to provide up to four to five years of software updates.

If you don’t care about the looks and want a solid compact phone under $500 that you can hold onto for years, the iPhone SE 2022 is the best option, without a doubt.

    Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022)
    The iPhone SE 3 (2022) is the best compact phone on the market, packing powerful A15 chipset and a 4.7-inch display.

The iPhone SE 3 can also be considered as a contender for the best performant phone under $500, thanks to its flagship chip. But performance seen in the vacuum of a chip only does not paint a true picture. The smaller low refresh rate display does not lend to the best user experience that would take advantage of all that power under the hood, so you’re better off opting for a more rounded option if you’re looking for performance.

Best Newcomer: TCL 20 Pro 5G

TCL 20 Pro 5G

TCL might not be the first brand you think about when choosing a smartphone, but as it turns out, they’re bigger than you think. They manufactured a lot of devices from BlackBerry quite recently, for example, and they also made the newest Palm ultra-small Android phone. This time, they’re making phones under their own brand. We got to know them last year with the TCL 10L and the TCL 10 Pro, both of which got a state-side release, and while they’ve been out in the market for several months and successors are already on the way, I’m still counting TCL as a “newcomer” because their brand name is still relatively unknown. TCL is now coming back to the market with the TCL 20 Pro 5G.

The TCL 10 Pro comes with a Snapdragon 750G, a very capable mid-range processor, and a marked upgrade over the previous Snapdragon 675 in the previous TCL 10 Pro (and an upgrade that also means the phone supports 5G connectivity), up to 6 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage, making it one of the best cheap phones under $500. The phone is running Android 11 with TCL’s own UI on top, and we expect it to get Android 12 once that’s out as well.

TCL is a rising player in smartphones in the USA, and their latest offering is an amazing proposition for what a lot of people will be using a smartphone for.

    TCL 20 Pro 5G
    The TCL 20 Pro 5G retails for $499 and brings excellent value to the table with a Snapdragon 750G, quad cameras on the back, a stunning display, up to 256 GB of storage, and 5G support. It's a fan favorite on Amazon, and we can see why.

Best Innovation: ZTE Axon 30

Usually, smartphones that cost under $500 play it safe and stick to the tried and tested hardware. That means you don’t often see cool innovations on these mid-range devices. But the ZTE Axon 30 is an exception to that rule. The phone features an under-display camera, which allows it to have an almost seamless display without any cutouts or holes. The Axon 20 was technically the first smartphone to bring an under-display camera to the market. However, it was far from perfect and produced blurry photos. The new Axon 30 addresses many of these issues and represents a big qualitative leap over its predecessor. The second-gen under-display camera is no longer visible to the naked eye. You get a large 6.9-inch seamless display without a notch or cutout.

Beyond the under-display camera and the notchless camera, there’s plenty to like about the Axon 30. It’s powered by Qualcomm’s flagship-grade Snapdragon 870 chipset, paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 flash storage. As far as general performance is concerned, you have nothing to worry about.

As for cameras, the 64MP primary shooter is dependable and capable of producing stellar photos with a wide dynamic range and accurate colors. But ZTE’s claimed improvements and enhancements, the selfie camera is still disappointing, producing blurry images with quite a bit of bloom.

    ZTE Axon 30
    The ZTE Axon 30 packs an under-display selfie camera and Snapdragon 870.

Honorable Mention: OnePlus Nord 2T

OnePlus Nord 2T held in-hand

The OnePlus Nord 2T is an updated version of the highly successful Nord 2. It’s a fantastic mid-range smartphone. The only problem is the phone is restricted to Europe and India, like its predecessor. So instead of being one of our top picks, the phone has been relegated to honorable mentions. Furthermore, if you want the phone in the US, you’ll have to import it, which is a hassle and increases the device’s cost.

From a 6.43-inch AMOLED FHD+ 90Hz display to 65W fast charging support, the Nord 2T comes with all the right things. The new model packs an even faster chipset. It’s powered by MediaTek 1300 SoC, a tiny step up from the MediaTek 1200 on the Nord 2. The camera system is unchanged, with the phone still packing the same 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. While the Nord 2T packs the same 4,500mAh battery, the charging speed has been boosted from 65W to 80W.

The phone’s software, which now includes the elements of Color OS, also doesn’t disappoint and will be appreciated by many people.

    OnePlus Nord 2T
    The OnePlus 2T is an updated version of the well-received Nord 2, offering a more powerful chipset, new design and faster charging speed.

These are the options we can recommend for different needs under the $500 price tag. Do you agree with our choices? What would you choose under the different categories? Let us know in the comments below.

The post These are the Best Android Phones under $500 in 2022! appeared first on XDA.



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Microsoft adds 14 new functions to Excel and more in August

As we’re nearing the end of the month, Microsoft has rounded up the new features it added to Excel during August. These roundups include features for users in the stable channel, as well as Insider channels, and they cover all platforms Excel is available on. One of the highlights this month is the general availability of 14 new functions, mostly focused on text manipulation and dynamic arrays.

Starting with those new functions – which are available across the web, Windows, macOS, and mobile versions of Excel – they’ve been available to Insiders since March, but now they’re rolling out to everyone. Two new functions are TEXTBEFORE and TEXTAFTER, which let you output text from a cell only up to or from a specific point, simplifying the information in them. There’s also a TEXTSPLIT function that lets you split the text in one cell into two or more cells.

Other functions are related to dynamic arrays, which are also a relatively recent feature in Excel. These new functions let you combine, reshape, or resize arrays, so you can organize your data in a way that’s easier to understand.

Aside from this, the bulk of the changes seem to be in Excel for the web. The bigger changes including support for editing spreadsheets with legacy shared workbook features, as well as legacy data connections. Excel for the web also now supports Power Queries for Groups and you can also now create PivotTables that link directly to Power BI datasets. That last feature is also available in Excel for Windows if you’re in the Office Insider Beta channel.

The web version of Excel also now has a multi-line formula bar, and it supports rich text formatting in cells, so you can apply formatting changes only to specific parts of a cell.  Microsoft has also made it easier to delete data series from a chart by simply clicking the data series and pressing the Backspace key on your keyboard.  Finally, you can also now sort rows by color or icon.

On other platforms, most of the changes are exclusive to Office Insiders. If you’re in the Current Channel Preview on Windows, you can also use the new Show changes button, which lets you see the history of changes made to the entire workbook.

A screenshot of an Excel spreadsheet where one cell contains a link to an image file, and another cell uses the IMAGE function to display that image.

On Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, you can now display images directly inside a cell using the new IMAGE function to link to an image resource, as long as you’re in the Beta channel.

And that’s about it for the new Excel features Microsoft added in August. If you’re not an Office Insider, most of these features will likely be available in the next month or two, but we’ll have to wait to know for sure. Of course, as we’ve mentioned, the new features in Excel on the web are available to everyone now.


Source: Microsoft

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mardi 30 août 2022

Instagram will begin testing a potentially powerful content filtering tool

Instagram has been busy as of late, adding lots of new features to its platform. While the company currently does have a way to customize what ends up on the Explore page, it doesn’t have a precise way to refine the images and videos that pop up daily. Thankfully, the firm has announced that it is testing a couple of new ways to hopefully allow users to improve the content on the Explore page in the future.

Instagram Feed options

The new test will allow users to refine their feed further and, hopefully, have recommended content delivered that is more in line with what they are looking for. Users can currently refine their feed by selecting content and marking it as “Not Interested.” While this is a great solution, sometimes it can be slow if several items need to be marked at once. The new test allows users to mark multiple items at once, making it faster and more efficient to filter out content they don’t want to see. Furthermore, Instagram will take things a step further, allowing users to filter out suggested content using words, phrases, or even emoji found in the caption and hashtags. Currently, the more granular filtering option is not live in the test. Instagram did not offer a timeline for when it would become available.

Instagram Feed options

Recently, Instagram has put a lot of focus into creating a safe place for teens. Last week, it updated the Sensitive Content Control, showing less sensitive content by default to teens 16 years and under. The firm has also introduced age verification in the United States, requiring users to provide a valid form of identification when signing up for Instagram. But, being able to filter content will take things to another level. If this kind of filtering goes live, it could become an extremely powerful tool for the platform and its users.


Source: Facebook

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Apple iPhone 14 Pro rumors indicate a better camera, stronger MagSafe, and more

We are a little over a week away from the release of the next iPhone, and more rumors and leaks are starting to roll in. As we count down the days to the “Far Out” event, let’s take a look at some of the more recent rumors that have popped up regarding the Apple iPhone 14 Pro.

While many things will change with the introduction of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro, one of the most important changes rumored so far has been the look of the iPhone 14 Pro. The Pro devices this year will get a facelift, with the display notch being whittled down to a new pill and hole cutout. But, it appears the Pro model will get another improvement in the form of its camera. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the ultra-wide camera on the iPhone 14 Pro will be getting an upgrade to a larger sensor going from the current 1.0µm to 1.4µm. This should allow the upcoming phones to take better images in lower-light scenarios, relying less on computational photography.

Although the new parts will be good for the phones, Kuo does state that the parts are going to be considerably more expensive, with an increase of up to 70 percent. Kuo did not state whether this cost would be passed on to consumers. There have been rumors over the past few months that indicate that the Pro models could see a price increase. When it comes to colors, as expected, for the new Pro models, last year’s Sierra Blue will be retired, and a new color, purple, will be brought in to replace it. Apple will most likely have a better moniker for the color when it debuts at the Apple event. There is also the possibility that a variation of the Alpine Green color will stick around.

In addition to the color change, Naver reports that MagSafe for iPhone could be gaining a small improvement, with Apple using stronger magnets to create improved connections with accessories. This should greatly improve the experience with heavier accessories like the MagSafe Battery Pack and Wallet with MagSafe. The source also discusses a new battery accessory, although specifics of this device were not mentioned. Furthermore, those hoping to get their hands on a titanium model of the iPhone might be disappointed, as it might not come to fruition in this release. Apparently, a prototype was made, but due to cost and the difficulty in manufacturing, it has reportedly been canceled. Last but certainly not least, coming from the same source, the new iPhone Pro models will start at 128GB of storage and will once again top out at 1TB.

While there is certainly a lot of information coming out about the iPhone ahead of its release, it’s important to note that none of these have been confirmed by Apple. Although some of the sources have had good track records, things can always change. With that said, we have a little over a week to go before we hear official news from Apple, so what are some of the things you are looking forward to from the September event?


Source: Ming-Chi Kuo (Twitter), Naver, DuanRui (Twitter)
Via: 9to5Mac

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lundi 29 août 2022

AMD Ryzen 7000 launch date is official, promises to be the best gaming chip

At CES back in January, AMD announced that while Ryzen 6000 laptops were on the way, desktops were going to skip that generation and go right to Ryzen 7000. While various details have been announced along the way, the company announced all of the details today. You’ll be able to buy any of four SKUs on September 27, ranging from $299 to $699.

Starting with some of the highlights, AMD says that it outperformed its goals for Ryzen 7000. It was looking to boost IPC (instructions per clock) by 8-10%, and it actually got to 13% over Zen 3. The firm is also saying that the new Ryzen 9 7950X, which sits at the top of the lineup, offers 57% better content creation performance than an Intel Core i9-12900K.

“The AMD Ryzen 7000 Series brings leadership gaming performance, extraordinary power for content creation, and advanced scalability with the new AMD Socket AM5,” Saeid Moshkelani, senior vice president and general manager, Client business unit, AMD. “With the next generation Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop processors, we are proud to uphold our promise of leadership and continuous innovation, delivering the ultimate PC experience for gamers and creators alike.”

As you’d expect, AMD brought out the benchmarks

That’s not all though. AMD compared its processor gen-over-gen, saying that the Ryzen 9 7950X has a 32% boost in DOTA 2, a 35% boost in Shadow of the Tome Raider performance, a 6% increase in Borderlands 3 performance, and a 13% increase in CS:GO performance over the Ryzen 9 5950X.

AMD Ryzen 7000 family

AMD didn’t just compare its new processors to Intel in content creation. It says that its Zen 4 cores are the best for gaming, a somewhat common claim for new desktop processors that Intel is sure to make when it launches 13th-gen next month. It pointed to Geekbench 5.4 single-thread scores. Where a Core i9-12900K came in at 2,040, a Ryzen 5 7600X came in at 2,175, and the Ryzen 9 7950X came in at 2275.

The company went so far as to say that the Ryzen 5 7600X, on average, offers 5% better gaming performance than a Core i9-12900K.

But what about everything else?

Obviously, speeds and feeds just tell you about, well, speeds and feeds. The Ryzen 9 7950X offers 16 cores with 32 threads, a boost clock of up to 5.7GHz, a total cache of 80MB (the L2 cache has been doubled), and a 170W TDP. Yes, that’s a significant boost in TDP, but AMD is promising a big boost in efficiency.

AMD Ryzen 7000 processor

With the new TSMC 5nm process as part of Zen 4, AMD has shrunken down the Core + L2 area to 3.84 square millimeters, while Intel’s is 7.46 square millimeters on the Intel 7 process (Alder Lake). With that, AMD is promising 1.47 times the performance per watt of Intel, a company promising to have the industry lead in performance per watt by 2025.

Model Cores/Threads Boost / Base Frequency Total Cache PCIe TDP
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X 16C / 32T Up to 5.7 / 4.5GHz 80MB Gen 5 170W
AMD Ryzen 9 7900X 12C / 24T Up to 5.6 / 4.7GHz 76MB Gen 5 170W
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 8C / 16T Up to 5.4 / 4.5GHz 40MB Gen 5 105W
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 6C / 12T Up to 5.3 / 4.7GHz 38MB Gen 5 195W

Other important improvements are support for DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0, both of which are already supported by Intel’s latest generation of chips. One key difference, however, is that Ryzen 7000 only supports DDR5 memory. The company says that after so much time, DDR4 is at the end of its life.

It’s fair to say that the death of DDR4 has been dragged out a bit, thanks to component shortages that kept DDR5 prices high, and the fact that in this early stage of DDR5 evolution, there wasn’t that much of an advantage. The advantage simply wasn’t enough to cover the difference in price.

AMD sees that as changing, so it’s going with DDR5. It’s also announcing Expo memory, which is optimized for AM5 boards and can be overclocked. These are going to arrive from companies like ADATA, Corsair, Kingston, and more in November. There will be more than 15 kits available at launch, coming in at speeds of up to DDR5-6400.

The new AM5 platform, guaranteed to be used through at least 2025

Unlike Intel, which seems to rarely allow a CPU socket to last more than two generations at this point, AMD has boasted future-proofing as one of its value propositions. The AM4 socket has been around for over five years and lasted through five CPU architectures. It actually predates the Zen architecture and the Ryzen brand.

AM5 motherboard with AMD Ryzen processor

It’s time for AM5, which includes a 1718 pin LGA socket, including up to 230W socket power delivery. Most importantly though, it’s meant to be future-proofed, including DDR5 and PCIe 5.0.

PCIe 5.0 offers double the bandwidth of its predecessor. That means faster SSDs, which is great when we’re talking about things like DirectStorage. But along with other things, it can get you faster graphics. AMD has four platforms out of the gate: X670, X670 Extreme, B650, and B650 Extreme. They all offer PCIe 5.0 storage, but the Extreme options also offer PCIe 5.0 graphics.

The AM5 platform does support AM4 coolers, so while you’ll have to swap out your board, you should be able to keep your cooler.

As for how long AMD is planning to use AM5, it should be for at least three more years. The firm is promising to use the new platform until at least 2025.

AMD Ryzen 7000 pricing and availability

You’ll be able to pick up an AMD Ryzen 7000 processor beginning on September 27. There are four SKUs, with the following pricing:

Ryzen 9 7950X Ryzen 9 7900X Ryzen 7 7700X Ryzen 5 7600X
$699 $549 $399 $299

AMD Ryzen 7000 processors with the company’s new 3D V-Cache are going to be available later in 2022, but there’s no specific date yet.

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