As we inch closer to Christmas, it can be more difficult to find good deals. Take it from me, the person that stares at deals every day. But, there are always deal to be had, especially when Best Buy puts items on sale for those last-second shoppers. There are many audio items on sale with the Last Second Savings Event too, which will make wonderful gifts for your stepmom’s second cousin that you forgot about. For example, The Jabra Elite 75t earbuds are on sale for just $100.
With an MSRP of $180, this current deal on the Elite 75t headphones is one of the better discounts I’ve seen on these. You aren’t skimping on quality with these, either, as these earbuds are well-loved among XDA staff. When Jabra announced the Elite 85t headphones, they also announced that the 75ts would be getting an upgrade with active noise-canceling technology, so you know these will be able to block out the noise around you. The earbuds also have a 20Hz – 20kHz headset frequency response, which I’m told is very nice! My apologies for not knowing a lot about audio metrics, but you can always read all the specs on the Best Buy store page!
In fact, even $180 is a pretty good deal on that sort of advanced active noise-canceling, 24 hours of battery life, and Bluetooth 5.0. But they’re $100, so if you need a new pair of earbuds, the Black Jabra Elite 75ts are perfect! If you want the Gold Beige or Titanium Black, though, you would have to pay a bit more of a premium at $120. Regardless, whether you get them delivered to your door or pick them up from your local store, Best Buy has you covered.
Do you want some great noise-canceling earbuds without spending an arm and a leg? Grab the Elite 75t earbuds for $100 at Best Buy, and enjoy all the perks of high-quality headphones without the price tag.
Like many deals this week, this discount is a part of Best Buy’s Last Second Savings event, which lasts until Thursday. Check the sales landing page for even more great deals!
As we barrel toward Samsung’s rumored Unpacked event on January 14, it seems like we average a new leak every few days. There have been persistent reports about Samsung unveiling the Galaxy S21 series and more powerful Galaxy Buds Pro. The company will also apparently release a new color variant of the Galaxy Watch Active 2.
According to Evan Blass, the wearable will reportedly be released in an elegant rose gold color over a year after it debuted. There’s no arguing the Galaxy Watch Active 2 looks pretty in rose gold, we’re just not sure why it’s not getting a more robust update outside of a new finish. Perhaps Samsung doesn’t want a new wearable to outshine its recently-released Galaxy Watch 3.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 was initially announced in August 2019, and launched with robust fitness features, a touch-sensitive capacitive ring around the screen, and an affordable price. It’s one of the prettiest smartwatches on the market, and rather than releasing a full-on sequel, Samsung is apparently content to introduce a new color. That doesn’t mean there won’t ever be a Galaxy Watch Active 3, but it doesn’t appear to be in the cards anytime soon.
Notably, the leaked image displays the date January 14, which lines up with when we’re expecting Samsung to hold its Unpacked event. That means we’re just a few weeks away from seeing what Samsung has to offer, which will reportedly include new smartphones, wireless earbuds, and the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in rose gold.
Over the past few months, Samsung’s fitness-centric wearable has received several helpful updates, including voice guidance when exercising and ECG monitoring in the U.S. With lockdown restrictions prompting some people to put a greater priority on their fitness, a new color could be an excellent way to attract people to the Galaxy Watch Active 2, even if it is on the older side.
OnePlus offers a robust portfolio that includes smartphones, home entertainment devices, and numerous accessories. Beginning next year, you can add a OnePlus watch to that list.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau on Tuesday said the company is readying a OnePlus watch that will be released early next year. Lau confirmed the device after asking OnePlus fans what they wanted to see the company make.
“Many of you said you wanted a watch, and as you might have heard over the weekend—we’re making one, to be released early next year,” Lau said on Twitter.
Many of you said you wanted a watch, and as you might have heard over the weekend—we're making one, to be released early next year. Wishes do come true.https://t.co/H1Fqv9srXj
While few details are known about the wearable, we do know that OnePlus is working closely with Google on improving Wear OS. Whether that means the OnePlus watch will run Google’s platform is unclear. Recently, there have been conflicting reports about OnePlus developing its own wearable platform.
Wear OS certainly seems like the likeliest scenario, but in a recent interview, Lau opined about the floundering state of the platform, saying it “definitely has room to improve.”
“What we’re trying to do is work with Google to try to improve connectivity between the Wear OS ecosystem, Android TV, and Android smartphones to create this ability for better device interoperability across the ecosystems.,” Lau said.
The OnePlus watch is reportedly a project that’s been years in the making, and we’re really intrigued to see how it takes shape. There are a number of smartwatch options on the market, which is handily dominated by the Apple Watch. We’d love to see OnePlus’ device shake up the status quo—something it did many years ago with the OnePlus One. That means a compelling device with unique features at an affordable pricepoint.
OnePlus is rumored to release the OnePlus 9 in early 2021, so perhaps we’ll see the company’s wearable announced at the same event.
For a lot of people, Google Assistant has become a critical part of their everyday life, a helpful tool that makes things easier. Google’s technology can control smart home devices, provide information, and so much more. But what happens when Google Assistant stops working?
That’s apparently what’s going on for some users—at least as of this writing. The technology has seemingly gone on vacation ahead of the holidays, with some users reporting that they cannot reach the assistant. Reports claim that users attempting to launch Google Assistant are receiving errors, including “Can’t reach Google at the moment” and “Something went wrong.”
Android Police notes that the errors persist “even after trying regular fixes such as rebooting the phone, clearing cache/data, updating the app, or switching between mobile data and WiFi.” The errors appear to be at the Google Account level, so it doesn’t matter if you’re on Android or iOS. And it doesn’t matter if you’re trying to reach Google Assistant on a smartphone, smart display, or smart speaker. There doesn’t appear to be a rhyme or reason as to why the problem is affecting some users.
You might have luck by signing in to a different Google Account, but for now, those who are affected by the problem seemingly have no way of remedying the situation.
Google has experienced a series of outages in recent days, including an outage to the Google account authentication system. This could be related to that, which means those affected just have to wait it out, which isn’t ideal heading into the holidays.
People have taken to Reddit to voice concerns about the issue, with reports coming in from around the world. It’s unclear when the problem will be fixed, but we’ll be sure to update this post when Google addresses the issue.
The ASUS Zenfone 6 (sold as the ASUS 6Z in India) was one of the beefy flagship phones of 2019. It has a 6.4-inch FHD+ display without notch, a unique flip camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC, a massive 5,000mAh battery, and a headphone jack. The latest update to the phone should bring a cheer for its users in the US, as the ZenFone 6 can now make use of VoLTE on T-Mobile’s network. This is an important functionality as more carriers move towards adopting VoLTE on their network.
Tagged as software version 17.1810.2011.183, the update for the ASUS ZenFone 6 is based on the stable Android 10 branch. The incremental OTA weighs in at just 65MB and brings with it the November 2020 security patches. Although VoLTE support for T-Mobile is meant for the US variant of the phone, the same build is rolling out for other regional models as well.
Thanks to ZenTalk Community member ramdanrivanto for the screenshot!
To recall, the ASUS ZenFone 5Z, ZenFone 7, ROG Phone II, and ROG Phone 3 have already received VoLTE support on T-Mobile. It was early-October when a limited Android 11 beta build for the ZenFone 6 initially brought T-Mobile VoLTE support. Now that ASUS has finally delivered the long-anticipated functionality via stable channel, it means that users no longer need to tinker with the internal diagnostic interface of the modem and set the correct parameters in order to enable advanced cellular services such as VoLTE and VoWiFi on their ZenFone 6 units.
Since this is a phased rollout, it will likely take some time for the update to reach all devices across the globe. If you haven’t received the OTA notification on your ZenFone 6 yet, you can go to Settings > System and tap on the “System Updates” button to see if there’s any new firmware available for your phone.
Yes, you can use your smartphone as a GPS device. But, how many times have you used Google Maps or Waze and it’s sent you to the wrong place? Or your lost cell signal a few minutes before you needed to turn off an exit? Or you have problems with your smartphone battery and can’t have a GPS running for hours on end? The best solution is to get a dedicated GPS device, and today Amazon has a sale on Garmin GPS navigators!
Regardless of the type of GPS device you’re looking for, Garmin has the navigator for you. Most people will be looking into the Garmin DriveSmart 55 & Traffic, which is the standard Garmin GPS. The DriveSmart 55 will easily map out your route and offers alternate routes if traffic jams or accidents are affecting your normal route. This is currently on sale for $150, which takes $80 off the MSRP.
If you have an RV, though, you’ll want a Garmin GPS that takes your vehicle’s size and weight into account. The Garmin RV 785 & Traffic does just that, plotting out the routes you’ll need to take and helping you avoid streets that are too narrow for your RV. There’s also a built-in dash cam to help with parking! This GPS navigator is $100 off right now, so you can pick it up for just $400.
Those with motorcycles aren’t left out in the cold with this sale, either. The Garmin zūmo XT is made for motorcycles and includes an ultra-bright, rain-resistance display. You can use this GPS device in portrait or landscape mode, so you can find what works best between the handlebars. The Garmin zūmo XT is on sale for $450.
No matter what you’re looking for GPS wise, Garmin has it. Check their sales page below to see everything that’s discounted, including some smartwatches!
Never get lost again with a Garmin GPS! A variety of navigators are on sale at Amazon, so no matter what you're looking for, you'll be sure to find a GPS that works for you.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from testing foldable devices over the past couple of years, it’s that the gen-two version is always much better than the original — so much so that the gen-one version immediately looks clunky and outdated. This was the case with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, the Motorola Razr 5G, and the Royole FlexPai 2. Knowing that makes me very, very excited for the next Lenovo foldable PC because this pioneering first one I’ve been testing for the past couple of days — namely the ThinkPad X1 Fold — is already making me feel a sense of awe and excitement that I, as someone who reviews gadgets for a living, rarely feel anymore.
Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is also crazy expensive compared to similarly-powered machines on the market, and as usual, and there are some software shortcomings that, even if they’re mostly Microsoft’s fault, likely aren’t going away in this generation. And so this makes the ThinkPad X1 Fold a device that few, if any, average consumers should actually buy.
But I am so glad this thing exists, and I can’t wait for the gen-two model which will either bring a significant performance boost or perhaps a lower starting price.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold Specifications
Specification
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
Dimensions & Weight
11.8 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches (unfolded)
9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches (folded)
2.2lbs
Display
13.3-inch OLED (2048 x 1536)
4:3 aspect ratio
Touchscreen
287 nits
Processor
Intel Lakefield Core i5 processor with Intel Hybrid Technology
GPU
Integrated GPU
RAM & Storage
8GB LPDDR4X 4267MHz
1TB PCIe-NVMe M.2 2242 SSD
Battery & Charging
50Wh
65W fast charging
I/O
2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps)
Nano SIM slot (optional)
Connectivity
WiFi 6 802.11 AX
Bluetooth 5.1
OS
Windows 10 Home Edition
Other Features
Stylus (optional purchase)
Keyboard (optional purchase)
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is more than a 2-in-1
The term 2-in-1 is often used to describe “convertible” laptops that can double as a tablet. Well, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is at least a 3-in-1, perhaps a 4-in-1 if you’re being generous. In its core form, the device is a large tablet with a flexible 13.3-inch OLED screen that can be folded in half. With a body constructed from a combination of carbon fiber and magnesium alloy, and covered with black leather, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is a bit hefty, measuring half an inch thick (when unfolded) and weighing 2.2 pounds. But it’s completely serviceable as a tablet once you’re used to the weight. The touchscreen is responsive, and the display pumps out gorgeous colors, so doing anything in this form — reading news articles or e-books, playing games, or trawling Instagram — is an immersive experience.
Pair the ThinkPad X1 Fold with a Bluetooth keyboard (Lenovo sells one just for the ThinkPad X1 Fold, but any Bluetooth keyboard will work), and pull the kickstand out that’s hidden inside the leather flap, and the device becomes a fully functional all-in-one computer, with Intel’s Lakefield Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM handling Windows 10 without issues. The 13.3-inch screen has a 4:3 aspect ratio, so it’s more square-ish than the usual rectangular laptop screens, which gives the screen valuable real estate. In fact, I wrote most of this article at a coffee shop with the X1 Fold.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold can be paired with a stylus (another optional purchase), and while its latency is nowhere close to the excellent Apple Pencil, I can sketch and annotate documents on this tablet without issues. Palm rejection works well, and the stylus is roughly the same size as a “normal” pencil, so it’s easier to hold than, say, the tiny S-Pen in Galaxy Note phones.
But as I mentioned, the screen folds. So bend the screen slightly, and the software automatically offers you the option to go into the split-screen mode, which treats the folding point as an invisible divider. This way, you can do two things side-by-side with clear boundaries between the two. Because of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold’s premium leather back cover, holding it feels like holding a Moleskine journal — albeit a thick one. Anytime I get a chance to sit down, either at home or out and about, I use the device like this, with Twitter on one side and email or Instagram on the other.
That’s not all, though. You know that official Lenovo wireless keyboard I mentioned earlier? It can snap onto the bottom half of the tablet. It clips on magnetically, and once attached, you can fold the screen at a 90-ish degree angle and have yourself a small clamshell laptop. This is ideal for tight spaces like airplane tray tables, small coffee shop tables, or on a lap.
When you’re done working, you don’t have to remove the keyboard, as you can just fold the ThinkPad X1 Fold shut with the keyboard sandwiched in between the folded screen. Yes, this sounds scary considering the much-covered, supposed fragility of folding screens, but Lenovo’s design is ingenious: The keyboard’s base doesn’t quite touch the screen thanks to the elevated bumper. Plus, the ThinkPad X1 Fold impressively is rated MIL-STD-810H, meaning it’s passed a standardized rugged test.
The whole device may feel a bit bulky, but I find the design clever. In one package that is roughly the size of a hardcover tome, I have a mini laptop, a tablet, a notepad, and a desk computer.
The hinge: Samsung should take note
Let’s talk about the hinge, since it is arguably the most important part of a folding device. Lenovo has knocked it out of the park here. The hinge is sturdy, allows the screen to stay in place at any angle, and best of all, it leaves almost no crease thanks to clever engineering that has the screen sliding slightly when folded so the bend is not as sharp.
In terms of ports, the ThinkPad X1 Fold has two USB-C ports to account for the fact that the device can be used in various forms or orientations. Both ports can top up the 50Wh battery and transfer data. Disappointingly, there is no headphone jack.
Performance
The Lakefield i5 processor is a hybrid processor meant for ultrabooks, so it’s not the most powerful processor, but it’s been fine for my writing work. Opening a half dozen Chrome apps didn’t slow it down, and playing some graphically intensive first-person shooters like Modern Combat 5 ran without issues too. But the machine struggled when editing 4K videos with Power Director; scrubbing through the timeline resulted in stutters.
The 50Wh battery is just okay. For my normal workday usage, which includes mostly writing in WordPress, chatting on Slack and WhatsApp Web, scrolling through Twitter, and streaming Spotify, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold lasted me about seven hours. If I am streaming NetFlix with max brightness and high volume, a two-hour movie will have drained about 40% of the battery already.
Earlier, I mentioned that the device is just “serviceable” as a tablet; the reason it doesn’t score higher is no fault of Lenovo, but Microsoft’s. Windows 10 is just not well-optimized for tablets. Maybe it’s because I’m used to an iPad, but everything from animations when switching the orientation to the touch gestures on the ThinkPad X1 Fold leave a lot to be desired. Even in the dedicated “tablet mode,” some buttons are still tiny, as if Microsoft can’t tell that a grown adult fingertip is thicker than a mouse arrow.
I've been convinced foldables are the future, and The ThinkPad X1 Fold further cements that belief
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is expensive, but I love its versatility
Priced at a whopping $2,499 for just the tablet and nearly $2,800 for the full package, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is really expensive, considering devices running Lakefield are usually less than half the price. But then again, none of those devices have the versatility of the ThinkPad X1 Fold.
I’ve been carrying it with me everywhere I go, and to be able to switch between reading a digital comic, sketching, and writing a full article in one seat is such an impressive, unique experience.
As I said, history suggests the next version of this foldable PC — whether it’s from Lenovo or another company — will likely make the ThinkPad X1 Fold look chunky and clumsy, so I’m trying to convince myself to hold off splurging and wait until the next one. But I got to admit, the gadget geek in me who loves to impulse buy is really tempted to buy the ThinkPad X1 Fold for myself after this loan unit is returned to Lenovo.
No matter what, I’ve been convinced that foldables are the future, and my experience with Lenovo’s foldable PC further cements my belief. Imagine a few years from now when we can pull out an iPhone that doubles as an iPad — and a MacBook?
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold is the first PC with a foldable display, and while its price-performance ratio is quite high, it provides a fantastic experience that solidifies my belief that foldables are the future.
