Nothing ear (1) TWS Earbuds Review: Clearly gets the basics right

When Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus announced his exit from the company last year, a lot of people were excited to know about his next venture. Since OnePlus was a brand that catered to enthusiasts, the expectations from whatever was to follow were quite high. Earlier this year, Carl revealed that his new undertaking would be called Nothing, with a focus on integrating tech seamlessly into people’s lives. What followed over the course of the next few months was constant hype on social media with the company posting teasers every now and then, quite reminiscent of the OnePlus hype machine. We finally now have the brand’s first finished product with us — the Nothing ear (1).

Nothing’s first launch is a pair of truly wireless earbuds that stand out from the mundane, ubiquitous pairs of generic wireless earphones. Upon first look, they’re nothing like what you would imagine a pair of TWS earphones would look like. A transparent case, partially see-through housing for the earbuds, and the brand’s core philosophy of integrating tech with everyday life are what constitutes the Nothing ear (1)’s key selling points.

The important question to ask here though is whether the Nothing ear (1) delivers on its main intended purpose — does it even sound good? After all, that’s what you’re buying a pair of earphones for. We’ve used the Nothing ear (1) for a while now, and here’s what we think about it.

About this review: Nothing sent us a pair of the ear (1)’s for review. This review was written after using them for more than a week. The brand did not have any input into the contents of this review.

Nothing ear (1): Specifications

Specification	Nothing ear (1)
Dimensions & Weight	Earbuds 28.9mm x 21.5mm x 23.5mm 4.7g per earbuds Charging Case 58.6mm x 58.6mm x 23.7mm 57.4g
Speaker	11.6mm Dynamic driver 0.34CC Chamber
ANC	Up to -40dB Two modes: Light and Max Transparency Mode
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.2 AAC SBC
Gestures	Auto-pause on removal Tap gestures Slide gestures for volume control
Battery and Charging	Earbuds 31mAh each 4 hours with ANC 5.7 hours without ANC Charging Case 570mAh 24 hours additional playback (ANC) 34 hours (without ANC)
Compatibility	Android 5.1 and above iOS 11 and above
Water resistance	IPX4
Price	$99 €99 £99 ₹5,999

Build and Design

The Nothing ear (1)’s case is built completely out of clear plastic. While it surely makes the case stand out from typical TWS earbuds, it’s a scratch magnet. Most cases for TWS earbuds are made up of plastic and therefore easy to scratch. However, since most cases also have a paint job either in black on white, the scratches wouldn’t be as visible as they are on the Nothing ear (1). However, there’s no denying the earphones look very pretty inside the transparent casing.

It’s not just the case of the earbuds that stands out. The earbuds themselves have a unique, half-transparent design on the stem that shows off the internal circuitry. The overall theme of the Nothing ear (1) seems pretty clear — a distinct design that’s recognizable from afar. The earbuds also have colored indicators that are also present in the case. These indicate which earbud goes where inside the case. Again, a simple but helpful touch.

The outer lid of the case has a dimple that serves two purposes — one, it holds the earphones in place inside the case, and two, it acts as a perfect groove to rest your thumb in and use the case as a makeshift fidget spinner. The overall footprint of the case is larger than what you would get with most other TWS earphones. As a result, the Nothing ear (1) isn’t the most comfortable pair of earphones to carry in your jeans pocket.

Comfort

What is comfortable though, is the fit of the earbuds. Nothing is using liquid silicone ear tips on the ear (1) which is soft and easily fits into the ear canal. Personally, I’m not a big fan of in-ear-style earphones. It’s difficult to find the right size of tips that fit and stay inside my ear and even once they’re in, I can’t wear them for an extended period as they start to feel uncomfortable. Surprisingly, I didn’t encounter any of these issues with the Nothing ear (1).

The Nothing ear (1) is one of the most comfortable pairs of earbuds that I've tried.

I swapped out the default medium-sized tips for the small ones provided in the box (you also get a set of bigger ones) and the earbuds stayed inside my ear even during rigorous workouts. Speaking of workouts, the ear (1) is IPX4 rated, so sweat shouldn’t cause any issues. I’m not sure if it’s the liquid silicone making the difference here or the shape of the earbuds, but the bottom line is the Nothing ear (1) is one of the most comfortable pairs of earbuds that I’ve tried.

Nothing ear (1): Sound Quality

The Nothing ear (1) heavily relies upon its unique design to turn heads towards it. Will it make you groove and move your head though? The short answer is yes. Nothing has partnered with Teenage Engineering to build the ear (1) and they’ve done a pretty good job. There’s nothing extraordinary about the sound produced by the ear (1), but the sound signature is such that it’s going to please most people.

The sound is balanced with an emphasis on both bass and treble. It didn’t feel like some frequencies were overpowering the others. Vocals are clear and the instrument separation is also great. Now, let me make it clear these are not meant to compete against the big guns like Sony’s WF-1000 XM4 or even the XM3 for that matter, or Apple’s AirPods Pro. The Nothing ear (1) sells at a different price point and for the price, you’re getting a pair of earphones that sound good.

The sound signature is going to please most people.

Depending on which part of the world you’re in and how much more you’re willing to spend, there could be other options better than the Nothing ear (1) in terms of audio quality. The newly-announced Samsung Galaxy Buds 2, for example, is about $50 more in the US and is very similar to the Galaxy Buds Pro, one of our top recommendations for the best TWS earphones. If you’re in India, there aren’t a lot of options around the ₹6k mark that sound better than the Nothing ear (1).

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

As for the Active Noise Cancellation, the Nothing ear (1) does a fairly good job at cutting out constant noise like the sound from a ceiling fan or a moving train. Again, don’t expect it to perform like the premium offerings from Sony or Apple. The sound of traffic outside your house or a baby crying for example is what the ANC on the ear (1) will struggle with. There are two levels of ANC that you can choose from – light and maximum. There’s also a transparency mode.

If you take a lot of calls, the Nothing ear (1) will serve the purpose, but it’s not the best out there when it comes to canceling out background noise. At times, the opposite party even complained about slightly muffled voice quality when on a call. We also experienced some sort of static noise during online meetings that can get quite annoying. A firmware update has improved the usability but the static can still be heard at times.

App and Gesture Controls

The different modes of ANC we mentioned can be controlled via the ear (1) app that’s available on both Android and iOS. The app has a simple UI and also offers some equalizer presets. You can also update the firmware on the earbuds using the app. Apart from this, the Nothing ear (1) has support for gesture controls that can also be modified via the app.

You can choose custom operations for triple-tap and tap-and-hold. The earbuds also have auto-pause functionality when you remove them from your ear but this was slightly finicky during our usage. The other gestures worked accurately for the most part thanks to a flat stem that makes it easier to perform the tap gestures. You can also slide your finger over the stem to increase or decrease the volume level which is quite handy.

Battery Life

Throughout our usage, we were able to get about three-and-a-half to four hours of listening time via the earbuds at about 75% volume and ANC turned on. If you’re going to make or attend a lot of calls or meetings, the battery life will drop slightly. With ANC turned off, we were able to stretch the battery to a little over five hours. The case can top-up the earbuds about five times if you use the buds with ANC and about six times if you don’t.

When you run out of juice on the earbuds, placing them inside the case for 10 minutes can give you up to an hour of playback time. Charging the case itself for ten minutes via the USB-C port will give you about six hours of playback time with ANC and eight hours without. The Nothing ear (1) also supports Qi Wireless charging. The numbers aren’t great since we’ve seen several TWS earbuds offering upwards of six hours of battery life. The lower capacity is probably a by-product of the unique design choices made by Nothing.

Verdict: Should you buy the Nothing ear (1)?

If you’re looking for a pair of TWS earphones that are comfortable, look different, sound decent, and have ANC, the Nothing ear (1) fits the bill perfectly. However, the same question we asked earlier is relevant once again — which part of the world are you in and how much are you willing to spend on a pair of wireless earbuds?

If you’re in India, the Nothing ear (1) is a no-brainer at ₹5,999. There’s no other real contender at that price point other than the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ but those lack ANC and will likely be discontinued in favor of the Buds 2 when that launches in the country.

It doesn't do anything extraordinary nor is it particularly bad at anything. It just works, and frankly, that's what most people want.

If you’re in the US though, there are several options around the $100 mark you can consider and if you’re willing to spend more, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 at $149 seems like a better option. Samsung generally has a few offers going on and if you buy a new phone like the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or the Galaxy Z Flip 3 from their website, you can also get store credits which you can use to pick up the Buds 2 effectively for free. If your budget is strictly limited to $99, you won’t regret picking up the Nothing ear (1).

Nothing ear (1)

The Nothing ear (1) is a pair of Truly Wireless Earphones with ANC that comes with a distinct design.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

Buy Now

The Nothing ear (1) gets most of the basics right. It doesn’t do anything extraordinary nor is it particularly bad at anything. It just works, and frankly, that’s what most people want, which is exactly what makes it a sound choice for consumers.

The post Nothing ear (1) TWS Earbuds Review: Clearly gets the basics right appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3kj1sgh
via IFTTT

WhatsApp prepares to expand multi-device support to iPad and Android tablets

WhatsApp is preparing to add multi-device support to iPad and Android tablets, expanding on the multi-device support beta that began to roll out for select users last month. Multi-device support means that it’s possible to run WhatsApp on multiple devices simultaneously. You can have the same WhatsApp account up and running on up to four non-phone devices. What this means is that you still can’t use the same WhatsApp account on more than one phone, but you’ll be able to use the same account on WhatsApp for Web, Desktop, and Portal at the same time. Now the company is preparing to add support for iPad and Android tablets, too.

NEWS: WhatsApp is finally working on multi-device 2.0, and you can use iPad as new linked device
Android tablets are also planned to support multi-device on WhatsApp for Android!

It’s under development and it will be released in a future update. Follow me to discover more pic.twitter.com/rND4xQfBDj

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) August 20, 2021

This upcoming feature was spotted by WABetaInfo. Previously, the only way to access WhatsApp on your PC was by having your phone be connected to the internet at all times, after being linked up by scanning a QR code. This meant that if you turned off mobile data or ran out of battery, you would lose access to WhatsApp on PC.

How multi-device compatibility works is that your companion device will connect to your WhatsApp account independently. The company says they have developed a new architecture to ensure end-to-end encryption is not compromised while syncing chats, contact names, chat archives, starred messages, and all other information across devices.

Companion devices are linked by scanning a QR code, and on compatible devices, WhatsApp will also enforce biometric authentication as an extra layer of security. Users can see all their companion devices that are paired through the app, and they can also see when they were last used. They can log out remotely, too. For more information, check out WhatsApp’s FAQ page about the multi-device feature.

Given that Android tablets aren’t too far removed from Android smartphones, it’s possible that the company may slowly be moving towards introducing multi-device support across multiple phones. There currently is no way to log in on multiple smartphones at once through WhatsApp, though it may finally be on the way in the future.

The post WhatsApp prepares to expand multi-device support to iPad and Android tablets appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3gpBFlo
via IFTTT

Surface Pro X 2: Release date, what we know, and what we’re hoping for

Microsoft’s Surface Pro X is the company’s endorsement of its Windows on ARM efforts. It uses modified Qualcomm processors for a fanless design that’s thinner than the Intel-powered Surface, and in many ways, it’s ahead of the curve.

The Surface Pro X has narrower bezels than the Surface Pro 7, and it’s the first Surface to fit a pen garage into the attachable keyboard. In fact, Microsoft spent a lot of time rethinking what the new Surface device would be like; being so thin, the team couldn’t stick with the traditional Surface features, like magnetically attaching the pen to the side. The keyboard connector was redesigned, USB Type-A was ditched, and more.

Since we’re already talking about the Surface Pro 8 that should launch alongside Windows 11, it’s time to talk about the Surface Pro X 2.

Surface Pro X 2: Pricing, branding, and release date

To be clear, Microsoft hasn’t announced this product, and there really aren’t any solid rumors around it. We don’t even know for sure that it will be called the Surface Pro X 2; that’s just an assumption. Back when Microsoft announced the fifth-generation Surface Pro, it went back to numerical names with the Surface Pro 6, saying it was easier for customers. Unless Microsoft changes up branding on the Surface Pro X entirely, Surface Pro X 2 is the likely bet.

As for the release date, my guess would be we won’t see this product until next spring. There’s simply no new silicon for Microsoft to use. The custom Microsoft SQ1 and SQ2 processors in use now are just tweaked versions of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx, which hasn’t been refreshed in a meaningful way since it first launched.

I do expect pricing to come down though. When the Surface Pro X first launched, it started at $999.99, although you can get it for $150 less these days. That got you an SQ1 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. For an incredible $300 more, you could upgrade to the same configuration but with 256GB of storage.

Prices on these types of things just tend to come down over time. The Surface Pro X was a first-gen product, so it was expensive. The Surface Pro X 2 should be less expensive, although by how much is anyone’s guess.

Surface Pro X 2: What to expect

A spec bump

First of all, second-generation Surface products have historically been spec bumps. This was the case with the Surface Pro 2, Surface Book 2, and Surface Laptop 2. Exceptions include the Surface Go 2 — which had a larger screen — and even the Surface 2, which had a better screen than the infamous Surface RT. I would expect the Surface Pro X 2 to look and feel exactly the same as the Surface Pro X, just with a faster processor.

You might recall the Surface Pro X was actually refreshed last fall with the Microsoft SQ2 processor. It wasn’t rebranded to the Surface Pro X 2 though, even though it also came in a new Platinum color. Even the spec bump from the SQ1 to the SQ2 was that minor. In my testing, Geekbench single-core scores jumped from 766 to 794, and multi-core scores jumped from 2,946 to 3,036.

The Microsoft SQ3 will be a much bigger difference. But like I said earlier, there’s simply nothing to base an SQ3 on, which is why I don’t anticipate seeing this product this year. For a Microsoft SQ3, we’ll need Qualcomm to release the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chipset, something that isn’t going to happen until the Snapdragon Technology Summit this December.

The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 was a difference of 150MHz clock speed over the original, and that’s it. Qualcomm said the reason for such a minor refresh was because it was trying to shorten the time between when a chipset is announced, and when it lands in products you can buy. Indeed, the Snapdragon 8cx was originally announced in December 2018, but the Samsung Galaxy Book S — the first laptop to use it — didn’t ship until the beginning of 2020. The Surface Pro X, which used the modified 8cx known as the SQ1, shipped a bit earlier in November 2019.

Because of that shift in strategy, we can assume we won’t have to wait as long between when the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is announced and when it begins to ship. Of course, that means less time between when it’s announced and when it’s modified into the Microsoft SQ3. Of course, it’s also possible Microsoft could announce the SQ3 before Qualcomm announces the 8cx Gen 3, since these two companies work so closely together on both products.

Qualcomm actually has a pretty exciting roadmap. Following the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, it should start sampling completely custom chips using technology from its Nuvia acquisition in late 2022. After that, it’s going to be aiming to compete with Apple Silicon, something the San Diego firm is struggling to do right now.

5G

I’m almost hesitant to say this, given Microsoft’s reluctance to adopt modern technologies, but we should expect 5G in the Surface Pro X 2. One of the value indicators with Windows on ARM was supposed to be integrated cellular connectivity, even if many companies are opting to build Wi-Fi-only models instead. But the Surface Pro X comes with 4G LTE, no matter which one you get, and that’s a good thing.

The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, unlike the first and second generations of the SoC, should have an integrated 5G modem. That should translate to 5G in the Microsoft SQ3. Whether it supports mmWave or only sub-6GHz bands is anyone’s guess though.

Surface Pro X 2: What we want

Thunderbolt

I can make you all sorts of wish lists around the Surface Pro X. It’s my favorite Microsoft PC. But there’s only one thing I really want — Thunderbolt.

We all know Microsoft is the only PC OEM that sells premium Intel-powered PCs without Thunderbolt. And yes, it’s time. It was time for that years ago. But we’re talking about an ARM-powered PC right now. There’s never been a Qualcomm-powered PC with Thunderbolt, and if there’s an AMD-powered one, I haven’t seen it. The only non-Intel products I’ve ever seen that have Thunderbolt come from one company — Apple.

I understand that this year’s Surface Pro X still isn’t going to compete with Apple’s totally custom silicon. That’s OK. Let’s see Thunderbolt though. USB 4.0 allows for 40Gbps data transfer speeds. You’ll be able to use it to connect dual 4K monitors or one 8K monitor, depending on the limitation of the chipset (Apple supports one external monitor, up to 6K). External GPU support is unlikely without native drivers, but you’d have access to the wide array of Thunderbolt peripherals on the market.

But the benefits of Thunderbolt aside, Apple does it. For years now, I’ve been watching as Macs were ahead of Surface on USB Type-C, Thunderbolt, and some other things. Let’s stop watching from the sidelines while Apple goes the extra mile.

A high refresh rate display

Apple’s iPad offers a 120Hz ProMotion display, and it’s pretty great. Let’s put something similar on the Surface Pro X 2. To go a bit deeper on that, I’d really like the Windows ecosystem to drop some of the stark differences between PC and mobile. A big example is how any premium smartphone has a high refresh rate display, but in the PC world, that’s seen as a gaming feature, and those high refresh rates will make sacrifices for better gaming performance.

This isn’t just a change for the Surface Pro X 2. This is something we need across the board, just like better webcams. The Surface Pro X already has a 5MP front camera for 1080p video though. Most of Microsoft’s lineup offers FHD webcams, although still, you can buy a $300 phone that has a higher-resolution front camera.

Different colors

When Microsoft announced the original Surface Pro X, it came in Black, rather than the more traditional Platinum color that Surface is known for. The Platinum model came later, but one thing worth noting is the Surface Pro X is made out of aluminum, while the Intel-powered model is made out of magnesium. That’s why the Pro X is thinner but still the same weight; aluminum is a heavier material.

Aluminum is also easier to anodize, so it can be more easily produced in different colors. The best example is obviously the Surface Laptop. While the Surface Laptop 4 comes in more subtle colors today, it was originally introduced in bold, beautiful colors like Cobalt Blue and Burgundy (we can pretend Graphite Gold didn’t happen). With newer models, we got Black, Sandstone, and Ice Blue.

I’d love to see some of these colors in the Surface Pro X 2. I know I’m not a designer; I don’t know if the right choice is the bolder colors that looked so beautiful on the Surface Laptop, or the more subtle colors that might look better on a Windows tablet. I also don’t want to once again fall back on “Apple is doing it”, but seriously, Apple is doing it.

---

I actually planned to only include Thunderbolt on my wish list, since it’s really just one of those things that stands out. But the higher refresh rate and the different colors snuck in there. I’d also love to see a quieter keyboard and touchpad, and while this may seem minor, my hope is this will launch with Android app support, something that’s coming in Windows 11, but not at launch.

This is all we know about the Surface Pro X 2 for now. We’ll update this page as we learn more. As we get closer to launch, there should be no shortage of leaks and rumors.

The post Surface Pro X 2: Release date, what we know, and what we’re hoping for appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3y6ghrh
via IFTTT

Lenovo Legion Slim 7 review: Performance and portability in a stunning package

Obviously, I’ve reviewed a lot of gaming PCs in my life, including laptops and towers. In fact, I’ve probably reviewed every single Lenovo Legion laptop since the brand was introduced, plus a few desktops. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 is something else though, and it’s a product I’ve become quite smitten with.

First of all, this is a gaming laptop with a powerful AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16GB of fast DDR4-3200 memory, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics. But it’s just not as big, thick, bulky, and heavy as a traditional gaming laptop. At less than three quarters of an inch thick and just over four pounds, it earns the name Slim.

But this laptop isn’t just about being slim. It’s a lot more than that.

Navigate this review:

• Design: The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 can do both
• Display: The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has a 165Hz Dolby Vision screen
• Keyboard: The TrueStrike gaming keyboard
• Performance: AMD Ryzen 5000 and RTZ 3060
• Conclusion: Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Slim 7?

Lenovo Legion Slim 7 Specs

Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 5800H
Graphics	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6, TGP 100W
Body	14.02×9.92×0.63-0.74″ (356x252x15.9-18.9mm), 4.19lbs (1.9kg)
Display	15.6″ FHD (1920×1080) IPS, 300nits, 165Hz, 100% sRGB, Dolby Vision
RAM	16GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200
Storage	512GB SSD M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe
Ports	(2) USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (1 Always on) (2) Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 (1) 4-in-1 Card reader (1) Headphone / microphone jack 3.5mm (1) Power Connector
Battery	71Wh, Rapid Charge Express
Audio	2 x 2W Harman speakers, Nahimic Audio
Connectivity	Up to Intel Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 2×2 + Bluetooth 5.1
Security	Power button fingerprint reader, Webcam privacy shutter
Keyboard	Backlit, Optional RGB lighting with Corsair iCUE
Color	Shadow Black / Slate Grey
Material	Aluminum
OS	Windows 10 Home
Price	$1,499.99

Design: The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 can do both

Made out of aluminum, the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 weighs in at 4.19 pounds, and this thing is sexy. Most gaming laptops are a lot heavier than this; in fact, just a couple of years ago I’d see some that were over 10 pounds. This is lighter than some models of the Dell XPS 15. It’s really impressive.

This slim design unlocks a new dimension for the gaming laptop, because it’s more than that now. As far as powerful PCs go, this is ultra-portable. That means it’s also a great PC for creativity and productivity.

It’s also got a sleek design, coming in Shadow Black. The design language itself isn’t all that different from the Lenovo Legion laptops we’ve seen in the past, with the flat top on top of a larger base that sticks out the back a bit. A bit of the RGB lighting we’ve seen in the Legion 7 series is removed though, and it kind of works.

The Legion Slim 7 is sleek and sexy, with performance for gaming

It’s really hard to photograph, but the Legion logo that’s stamped in the lid has subtle colors in its reflections, changing depending on how the light hits it. The rear area behind the hinge has this effect as well. It’s a nice touch, and there’s a lot of stuff like this that makes the Lenovo Legion Slim 7 feel sexy, but in a more subtle way. That’s key to how I would position this product. It’s something you can take to work with you, but still feel good about gaming on it later.

Obviously, the first thing that’s going to come to mind is thermals, something that’s critical in any gaming laptop and especially in one as thin as this one. It uses Lenovo’s ColdFront 3.0 technology, including a dual-burn feature that allows the PC to push the CPU and the GPU at the same time.

There’s also a dual-fan system that brings air in and pushes it out through the four vents in the corners. By putting the fans in the corners and having four vents instead of two, the Legion Slim 7 can push out twice as much air. There’s also a feature called Q Control 4.0, which lets users adjust power profiles from performance to quiet mode.

Now, let’s talk ports. On the right side, you’ve got dual USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports. Obviously, there’s no Thunderbolt since it’s an AMD-powered laptop. I’m not sure what you’d need Thunderbolt for on a machine like this though. They do both support DisplayPort, so you can connect to external displays.

On the left side, there’s a full-sized SD card reader and a combo audio jack. I feel like full-size SD card readers are rare in laptops these days, and it’s nice to see one. It just fits into how I look at this machine, as something that’s for things like video editing just as much as gaming.

There are also ports in the back, something Lenovo has done in its gaming laptops for a few years now. While they look the same at first glance, one of them is for power while the other two are USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A. In other words, you’re never going to plug power into the right port on the first try.

Also, while I love rear ports for cable management, it feels like Lenovo made some odd choices here. The ports on the side should be for quick access; for example, if I want to pop an SD card in there, that’s the perfect spot. But I’m a lot more likely to plug in a USB Type-A headset, mouse, or something else, than I am to plug in a USB Type-C peripheral. What I’m saying is I wish Lenovo put one of the USB Type-A ports on the side.

Display: The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has a 165Hz Dolby Vision screen

I have some good news and some bad news about the screen on the Lenovo Legion Slim 7. The good news is that it’s 165Hz, and the bad news is that it’s just 300 nits. It’s not that you’d use a gaming laptop outdoors or anything, but if you wanted to, you’d have an issue.

The Legion Slim 7 looks cool enough for gaming, but subtle enough for work.

The resolution is 1920×1080, so you’re not getting the 16:10 aspect ratio you’d get from the Legion 5 Pro, and you’re not getting the QHD resolution we’re seeing from other gaming laptops. It’s all about FHD at that higher refresh rate.

The screen actually looks really nice though, supporting Dolby Vision whether you get this model or the 4K 60Hz one. In my testing, it supports 100% sRGB, 72% NTSC, 77% Adobe RGB, and 78% P3.

I really love that it has narrow bezels on three sides, making for a more immersive experience. Unfortunately, the webcam is still 720p. In 2021, 1080p webcams are still pretty rare, but that doesn’t make them any less necessary.

There’s also no Windows Hello facial recognition on this machine, which is unfortunately common for a gaming laptop. But you won’t find any IR camera in the top bezel.

Above the keyboard are the dual 2W speakers. They actually get to be pretty powerful, more so than I’d expect. I don’t think they’re designed for listening to music, not that it’s a problem. These are optimized for gameplay though.

Keyboard: The TrueStrike gaming keyboard

The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 has what the company calls a TrueStrike Gaming Keyboard, which has full per-key RGB lighting using Corsair iCUE software. It has a new soft-landing switch that has an improved force curve over a rubber dome keyboard. It’s meant to not only be more responsive, but more comfortable.

The touchpad is bigger too, and it’s still clickable. Lenovo also pointed out that by using aluminum in the build, it reduces wear on the palm rest and on the chassis.

One thing that was a bit strange is the keyboard lighting is buggy. Sometimes I’d boot up the laptop and it would come on, sometimes it would come on in blue rather than how I set it, and sometimes it wouldn’t come on at all. You can turn it on with the keyboard shortcut, or you can use the iCUE app.

Right in the center is the power button, which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. It scans your fingerprint sensor when you press it, so you shouldn’t have to touch it again when the PC boots up.

Performance: AMD Ryzen 5000 and RTZ 3060

The Legion Slim 7 that Lenovo sent me includes an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor, 16GB DDR4-3200 memory, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics. It’s pretty great.

You should know that if you’re looking for the best in gaming, this isn’t it. This isn’t supposed to be it; that’s not what it’s designed for. In fact, it maxes out at the RTX 3060, so you can’t get anything higher than that.

As I mentioned earlier, there’s something called Q Control that lets you control performance by hitting Fn + Q. For the most part, it changes the power slider. If you put it on quiet mode, it seems to just turn on battery saver in Windows. Of course, there’s also performance mode, which maxes everything out.

Gears 5 benchmark

One of the games I played was Gears 5, and I like to play that because it’s something I’m very familiar with, so I can easily feel when there are performance issues, or when something is particularly good or bad. That’s why I also play games like Forza Horizon 4 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. I ran the Gears 5 benchmark you can see above, and it pretty much speaks for itself. This laptop is great for gaming, but it’s still no RTX 3080.

For other benchmarks, I used my usuals, which include PCMark 8, PCMark 10, 3DMark, VRMark, Geekbench, and Cinebench.

	Lenovo Legion Slim 7 Ryzen 7 5800H, RTX 3060	Dell XPS 17 9710 Core i7-11800H, RTX 3060	Legion 5 Pro Ryzen 7 5800H, RTX 3070
PCMark 8: Home	5,322	4,037	5,291
PCMark 8: Creative	6,223	6,100	6,199
PCMark 8: Work	4,504	3,564	4,102
PCMark 10	6,428	6,379	6,800
3DMark: Time Spy	8,316	7,158	9,963
Geekbench	1,446 / 7,335	1,561 / 8,775	1,475 / 7,377
Cinebench	1,415 / 11,833	1,515 / 11,652	1,423 / 11,729

I picked two machines to compare it to with one matching part. The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro has the same processor and a more powerful GPU, while the Dell XPS 17 has the same GPU and a different processor.

Battery life isn’t great, as you can probably guess. With the screen on about 75% brightness and the power slider at one notch above battery saver, I got about four hours at best. At worst, I got under two hours. You’re going to want to carry around the 230W charger it comes with.

Conclusion: Should you buy the Lenovo Legion Slim 7?

This is one of those machines I just fell in love with. It’s super powerful for real-world stuff, and it’s got a sleek and sexy design. My personal use case varies. Sometimes I’m editing photos or videos, sometimes I’m writing articles and typing away, and sometimes I just want to play some games. All I want is the best laptop for what’s actually a wide array of use cases. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 seems to check the right boxes.

It’s not perfect though, as no laptop truly is. It’s still got a 720p webcam, so that’s something to take note of if you’re into streaming, and frankly, the display is too dim. You get 500 nits with the 4K model, but that means you have to choose between 4K 60Hz at decent brightness or 1080p 165Hz at 300 nits with nothing in-between.

If you’re just looking for a powerful laptop, this is it. For photo and video editing, it’s fantastic. It has a beautiful design that looks cool for gaming, but it’s subtle enough to take into work. It’s also light enough to carry in a backpack at over four pounds. And frankly, if you need more than what’s offered by the Legion 7 Slim, you probably know it already.

At the time of this writing, the product is actually $150 off at Best Buy.

Lenovo Legion Slim 7

The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 comes in at just over four pounds, but it's powerful with an AMD Ryzen 45W processor and RTX 3060 graphics.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

See at Best Buy

The post Lenovo Legion Slim 7 review: Performance and portability in a stunning package appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3mnrkdd
via IFTTT

This Week in Tech: Use your face to control your phone, Windows 11 Paint app, Intel Arc, and more

A lot happened in the tech world this past week. Google launched the Pixel 5a, we spotted a cool new accessibility feature in Android, Samsung executives addressed the ads situation in One UI, Microsoft showed off the new Paint app for Windows 11, and much more. In case you missed any of our coverage, here’s a brief overview of all the significant developments in the tech world from this week.

Google Pixel 5a pre-orders are now open

Google quietly launched the mid-range Pixel 5a on Tuesday. The latest Pixel phone brings some minor improvements over the Pixel 4a 5G from last year, including a marginally bigger display, a substantially bigger 4,680mAh battery, a more premium metal unibody construction, an IP67 rating, a lower price, and a new “Mostly Black” colorway.

The device is already available for pre-order in the U.S. for $449, $50 cheaper than its predecessor. In case you wish to get your hands on one, you can follow this link to the Google Store and pre-order it right away, or you can wait until it goes on sale on August 26th.

If you’re looking to buy the Pixel 4a 5G or Pixel 5, then act fast, because Google has discontinued both models right after launching the Pixel 5a. They’ll continue to be sold until the stock runs out, after which Google won’t manufacture any more of them.

Control your Android phone with your face

The latest update for the Android Accessibility Suite app introduced a new feature, called “Camera Switches,” that lets you control your device using facial expressions. The feature is currently available on the beta channel, and it lets you set up a handful of gestures for a couple of controls, like open mouth to scroll forward, raise eyebrows to open Quick Settings, and more.

If you wish to try it out, you can head over to our original article by clicking the link above and follow the instructions given in the post. Do note that while the feature came with an app update preloaded on the latest Android 12 beta, you can sideload the APK on a device running Android 11 to give it a whirl.

Android Auto for phone screens won’t work on Android 12

This week, a few Android Auto for phone screen users spotted a warning that the phone experience is going away. The warning stated: “Android Auto is now only available for car screens. On your phone, try Google Assistant driving mode instead.” Shortly after we reported the warning, Google released a statement confirming that it planned to kill off the Android Auto for phone screens experience on Android 12.

Google is deprecating Android Auto for phone screens in favor of the Google Assistant driving mode, which offers users a similar Android Auto experience on their phones. The feature is already available for users and it will completely replace the Android Auto for phone screens experience starting with Android 12.

Samsung will get rid of ads in One UI soon

Samsung’s One UI has an ad problem, with several of its stock apps displaying banner ads, even on flagship devices. The company also sends out push notifications on One UI, asking users to buy other Samsung products. This has been a point of concern for many Samsung users, and the company plans on addressing it soon.

Ads in One UI stock apps

At a recent town hall meeting with employees, senior Samsung officials revealed that the company will remove ads in future builds of Samsung Pay, Samsung Themes, Samsung Weather, and more. The company later released a statement confirming its decision, noting that it will remove ads from stock One UI apps later this year. Samsung hasn’t released an exact timeline for this change.

Microsoft showcases new Paint app for Windows 11

Over the last few weeks, Microsoft has been sharing sneak peeks at the new apps for Windows 11. This week, the company showcased the new Paint app, which brings dark mode support, several new UI elements from the Windows 11 design language, and updated icons.

The new Paint app also features a couple of revamped menus, a list layout for the brush menu, and more. You can read more about the new Paint app by following the link above.

Epic Games lawsuit shed light on Google’s actions to maintain Play Store dominance

The court documents from the ongoing Epic Games vs Google lawsuit were recently unredacted, revealing juicy details on just how far Google was willing to go to maintain its Play Store dominance. The documents highlighted Project Hug — a program Google founded to quietly pay off game developers to keep their games on the Play Store; Project Banyan — Google’s first attempt to buy out Samsung’s app store; and the Premier Device Program — which gave Android phone makers a greater share of search revenue if they agreed to not ship devices with third-party app stores.

The documents also revealed that Google executives considered teaming up with Tencent to purchase Epic Games and the company even mulled preventing sideloading on Android altogether. There are a ton of juicy details here, so make sure you check out our full post on the lawsuit.

Facebook is under renewed scrutiny by the FTC

Raise your hand if you’ve heard this one before: Facebook is a monopoly. Many people — and it seems the U.S. Government — aren’t happy with how Facebook conducts its business, especially with how it goes around buying up companies that could remotely be seen as a future threat. This week, the FTC refiled its lawsuit against Facebook, and it’ll be interesting to see if this case is the one that takes down the behemoth.

Hackers breach T-Mobile servers

T-Mobile has suffered another data breach, and this one is massive. Personal data on tens of millions of customers has been leaked, and some of that data is quite sensitive. The full scope of the hack has yet to be understood, but it’s clear that T-Mobile has a big problem on its hands. If you’re a T-Mobile customer, we recommend changing your PIN and getting a credit freeze ASAP.

Intel Arc announcement

On Monday, Intel announced the branding for its new dedicated graphics cards — Intel Arc. For the unaware, Intel Arc graphics cards will be based on the Iris Xe HPG architecture, and they will be aimed at gamers. The GPUs will compete with NVIDIA and AMD’s offerings for a piece of the PC gaming pie.

The first-gen Intel Arc cards will offer real-time ray tracing support and AI-based supersampling, and they’re set to arrive in the first quarter of 2022. The GPUs will be available for both laptops and desktops.

Alongside the Intel Arc announcement, the company also shared details on its upcoming Alder Lake chips launching this later this fall.

---

Along with these major developments, we learned about the following this past week:

• Samsung Pay can now store your coronavirus vaccine card
• Fossil’s next-gen WearOS smartwatches leaked on Amazon
• OnePlus plans to launch the OnePlus 9 RT with OxygenOS 12 based on Android 12 in October
• Android 12 will let you open multiple windows of Google Chrome like on desktop

Additionally, we published the second part of our Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Google Pixel 5a review, our Galaxy Watch 4 Classic and Wear OS 3 review, a hands-on of the Mi MIX 4, and more. You can check those out by following the links below:

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Review (Part 2): Redefining the $1,000 smartphone
• Google Pixel 5a Review (Part 2): This camera is hot
• Xiaomi Mix 4 Hands-on: The original Mi Mix vision, finally realized to perfection
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic Review: The best Wear OS watch yet
• This is what Wear OS 3 with One UI Watch is like on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
• Hands-on with the Google Pixel 5a: Still tons of value at a low price
• Motorola Edge (2021) First Impressions: A great-looking mid-range phone loaded with features

The post This Week in Tech: Use your face to control your phone, Windows 11 Paint app, Intel Arc, and more appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3sBJbyb
via IFTTT

Nintendo will release a new Switch Lite with Dialga and Palkia line art

Nintendo has revealed it’s making a special version of the Nintendo Switch Lite to accompany the release of its latest mainline Pokémon games, Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl. This special version of the console will be released on November 5, two weeks before the games are released on November 19, and it’ll cost $200. It’s supposedly available for pre-order in the UK, though not in the US.

#NintendoSwitchLite Dialga & Palkia Edition system, commemorating the launch of #PokemonBrilliantDiamond and #PokemonShiningPearl, is coming 11/5!

The metallic gray console features silver & gold-colored designs on the back spotlighting Dialga & Palkia.https://t.co/ZA2wXewwzk pic.twitter.com/0NQB8FGbDe

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 18, 2021

The new Switch is a beautiful dark grey, with line drawings of legendary Pokémon Dialga and Palkia on the back. The color is a throwback to the Nintendo DS Lite Onyx, which was released at the same time as the original Diamond and Pearl. It’s also a nice contrast to the limited-edition Switch that was released with Pokémon Sword and Shield, which was light grey and had Zacian and Zamazenta on the back.

There is one major drawback to the beautiful console, however: It won’t include a copy of either Pokémon Brilliant Diamond or Shining Pearl, as it specifies on the Nintendo Store site. Players will have to purchase them separately, as was the case with the Sword and Shield Switch Lite.

The Pokémon Company revealed the new Switch at its latest Pokémon Presents livestream event. It also revealed more details about Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl and its other upcoming title: Pokémon Legends: Arceus. While BD and SP are going to be mostly faithful remakes of the originals, which were released for the Nintendo DS in 2006, Pokémon Legends: Arceus is going to be an open-world action RPG, kind of a hybrid of Breath of the Wild and Monster Hunter.

The Dialga and Palkia Switch Lite isn’t the only Switch model that’s going up for sale later this year. The Nintendo Switch OLED model is releasing on October 8. While it’s not quite the “Switch Pro” many were hoping it would be, it is going to feature a bigger and better screen for handheld gamers, as well as more storage — probably useful if you’re planning to play both of the upcoming Pokémon titles.

The post Nintendo will release a new Switch Lite with Dialga and Palkia line art appeared first on xda-developers.

from xda-developers https://ift.tt/3ghWHCg
via IFTTT