08 Sep
Blog

Tales of Arise Review: Another Step Forward for JRPGs

tales of rise review screenshot 3 04212021 1619049970996 160w

Tales of Arise Review: Another Step into the Future of JRPGs

RRP $ 60.00

"Tales of Arise is a big step towards the development of the JRPG and a must for fans of the genre."

advantages

  • Excellent fight

  • Funny characters

  • Strong topics

  • Nice look

  • Funny twists of the genre

2021 has been a great year for the Japanese RPG genre so far, and Tales of Arise only adds to a strong lineup. When I played a demo of it earlier this year, I wanted to learn more about the fight, the characters, and the story. The finished product keeps the promise of the game and a lot more.

Tales of Arise is the latest in Bandai Namco's long-running JRPG franchise known as the "Tales of" franchise. However, Arise is a unique turning point, adopting an entirely new style of fighting and seemingly benefiting from a bigger budget (when it comes to the graphics). This fresh feeling was palpable throughout my playthrough and reminded me of classic blockbuster JRPGs from earlier days. While the story isn't all that groundbreaking, the characters, gameplay, graphics, and themes of race and freedom have put me on a par with the game's standout characters throughout my adventure.

This is one of those JRPGs that entertains from start to finish, and a title no fan of the genre wants to skip.

Weighty issues

Tales of Arise puts players in control of the mysterious Iron Mask, later called Alphen, a member of the Dahnan race who wear an unusual mask on their head and lack pain receptors. He and the rest of his race are enslaved by the technologically advanced Renans, or "Bright Eyes," as the Dahnan lovingly call them. These Renans are ruled by five lords from five regions, each of whom participates in a long-term game to find out who will become the most powerful lord of the lords. Alphen, a group of Dahnan rebels, and Shionne, their enigmatic new ally Renan, team up to defeat these rulers.

Shionne and Alphen become a powerful duo and embark on an adventure that spans all five regions of the world to defeat the Lords one after the other. In usual JRPG fashion, the two encounter more party members, who grow in numbers as they comb the regions.

The party has always been one of the main draws of Tales of Games as the series features "sketches". These are little comic-style cutscenes in which the characters interact with each other in conversations that reveal their quirks. The Tales of Arise party members are so entertaining that I checked out every one of these chats I could.

The history of these races and the environments they share contribute to the spectacular world building in Tales of Arise.

As with other JRPGs, the game delves into political themes. Alphen questions what true freedom really is and wonders what his future will be when he accomplishes his mission to free his enslaved brothers and sisters. These issues, as well as the racial relations between the members of the Dahnan party and the only Renan in the group, really caught my eye because they are so well written. As a black player, the topics are very popular with me. I loved seeing Alphen's range of emotions expressed in the face of his oppressors. For example, he approaches a partner with some discomfort who shares the same blood with his oppressors, but is also ready to show them forgiveness. He's a protagonist that I can stand behind.

The history of these races and the world they share contributes to the spectacular world building in Tales of Arise. I enjoyed how much the history of this world is a driving force as the adventure progresses. Despite these great parts, I still found the game a bit generic in terms of the storyline. It follows the usual beats that a lot of JRPGs make and instead is carried by great characters and gameplay. The story is still fun, it just offers nothing too groundbreaking aside from its strong thematic undertones.

One step beyond Final Fantasy

The Tales of series has always been known for its struggles. Players are constantly looking for new combinations and techniques to use in the game, and I'm here to say that Tales of Arise won't disappoint, whether you're a casual gamer or a die-hard gamer like me.

The new Linear Motion Battle System is more or less what we got in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake with additional bells and whistles. Combos are even more important in this system as they give players a few more gimmicks to play around with. For example, there are healing points, or CP, which limit how many healing spells players can use before resting in an inn or campsite, or before using an item to refill them.

The battles are close to FF7R's hack-and-slash style, featuring launcher, juggling, and more classic stories of the staples fans will love to see again. Artes or spells and special attacks also reappear in Tales of Arise with an additional rule. The more often they are used in a combination, the less effective they are. That, along with their need to regenerate after spending Artes Gauge (AG) points to use them, adds an extra strategy to the fight, which is a welcome challenge.

There are some super attacks that will be unlocked as the game progresses. including team attacks that can be used to inflict a ton of damage on an enemy and everyone around them once players hit a certain combo threshold. Boost attacks, which players can use as soon as a character's boost meter fills up, can counter enemy shields and spells directly. You can also extend combos with additional damage and fill up the Artes gauge. And there are solo vengeance super attacks that can be unleashed once a character takes a certain amount of damage without being knocked out.

This fight is so addicting that the usual RPG grind is not an issue. During my grind sessions, I experimented with how deep the combo system could go. During combat, players can perform character switch combos and fierce laser cannon juggling, use the menu to switch their move list, or immediately launch an attack in the middle of the combo. I love the variety of options available. And yes, like the older Tales of games, players can get their allies to do nothing, giving them full control over the group's actions.

The visuals bring it all together

If the weighty story and complex battles don't attract casual gamers, Tales of Arise's graphics will. The game is absolutely great, to the point that it's one of the first games in a long time that makes me think it's totally worth playing on a next-gen console (should you afford one or find one). I've played on a PlayStation so I can definitely say that with both generations you will still get the most of it.

On my travels through this fantasy world, I got lost in the surroundings or even looked a little at the character models after changing their outfits. When you reach the water-filled caves and meadows in particular, you will see exactly what I mean. It's a game that looks like a beautiful painting at times.

All of these visuals are complemented by an amazingly orchestrated soundtrack that builds on every moment, whether the party is storming a castle to take on the next lord or taking a breather by the campfire.

Our opinion

Tales of Arise is a game I would recommend to anyone looking for the "future" of the JRPG genre. This game could easily be Bandai Namco's Final Fantasy 7. It feels like it was tailor-made for the era and pushes the boundaries of RPGs thanks to complex battles, weighty stories, and beautiful graphics.

How long it will take?

Tales of Arise lasts around 60 hours, depending on how much a completer and combat addict you are. I'm both so there is a good meaty game for you here.

Is there an alternative?

Scarlet Nexus and Final Fantasy 7 Remake are powerful action RPGs for anyone looking for alternatives. Both games feature similar solid battles, but stronger stories.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. If you are looking for another JRPG to add to your collection or are curious about the series and need an entry point, it is highly recommended that you jump in.

Editor's recommendations



08 Sep
Blog

Klipsch T5 II ANC Review: Stylish Buds Now Quieter, Smarter

Klipsch T5 II ANC true wireless earbuds.

Klipsch T5 II ANC test: super-stylish buds are now quieter and smarter

RRP $ 299.00

"Smarts, great sound and a stylish design have put the T5 II ANC on our wish list."

advantages

  • Chic design and materials

  • Smart and helpful features

  • good sound

  • Excellent controls

  • Wireless charging

disadvantage

  • Mediocre ANC

  • Bad battery life

  • Inconsistent call quality

Klipsch's T5 true wireless earbuds have been our favorites since their introduction in 2019. The $ 199 T5 II from 2020 added transparency mode and better water resistance. Now, in 2021, the iconic American speaker brand is back with a new T5 – the T5 II ANC for $ 299 – the company's first set of active noise cancellation (ANC) earbuds. But instead of just adding ANC to the existing design, Klipsch went all out by incorporating advanced software-driven features like head gestures for control, the ability to automatically block loud noises, and some algorithmic magic that the company claims does Sound can greatly improve quality.

These improvements have to be more than just gimmicks: At $ 299, the T5 II ANC is in direct competition with four of the best true wireless earbuds on the market, namely the Sony WF-1000XM4 for $ 280, the Master & Dynamic MW08 for $ 299, the Bose QuietComfort earbuds for $ 279, and the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 for $ 300.

Can Klipsch prevail? Let's take a look.

What's in the box?

Scope of delivery Klipsch T5 II ANC.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Klipsch's boxes are as stylish as their earplugs, but in this case – with a lot of glued and coated cardboard and a large piece of protective foam inside – it's not exactly a good thing when it comes to disposal. Inside you will find the earbuds, their charging case, silicone earbuds in six sizes, a braided USB-C to USB-C charging cable, a USB-C to USB-A adapter and some paper documentation including a quick start manual .

draft

Klipsch T5 II ANC true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The T5 II ANC is in a dead heat with the Master & Dynamic MW08 for the nicest earbuds you can buy.

The original T5, with its hinged charging case made of brushed metal, offered comparisons with the iconic Zippo lighter – and that is clearly a formula for success. The T5 II ANC takes the same classic shape and adds a touch of luxury with three highly polished metal options: gunmetal, silver and copper. The earbuds and cases are color matched, and the combination puts the T5 II ANC with the Master & Dynamic MW08 in a dead heat for the nicest earbuds you can buy.

The case is compact but heavy: at just over a tenth of a pound, it could do serious damage if you hurled it, but you're more likely to damage the case itself by simply dropping it. Still, that weight and nicely contoured corners make the case a joy to hold in your hand.

Klipsch is also selling a McLaren edition of the T5 II ANC for $ 50 more. It comes with its own wireless charging mat and the charging case is made of significantly lighter materials, but in every other way the two versions are identical.

Despite the metal cladding, the rubberized bottom of the charging case offers a firm stand when placed on a surface and at the same time enables wireless charging – another first for Klipsch. The lid of the case is easy to open and close (although this takes some practice with one Zippo-style hand) and the earbuds are very easy to insert and remove. The magnets of the charging socket are quite weak, but not a problem given the tightness of the lid when closed.

A row of three tiny LEDs peek through the seam between the lid and the case to inform you of the case's battery and charging status, while individual color-coded LEDs on the earbuds perform the same function. When buying the McLaren edition, be aware that the case's LEDs are much harder to see if you don't look at them closely.

The only downside to this beautifully polished metal case is that it is both a fingerprint and a scratch magnet. Trying to take smudge-free photos of our test unit made of gunmetal turned out to be difficult, and tiny scratches appeared in the first few hours after plugging in and using it.

The earbuds use physical buttons I much prefer to touch, and their location in the center of the earbuds oval body means you'll have to try really hard to accidentally press one. Unfortunately, Klipsch was unable to maintain the T5 II's excellent IP67 water and dust protection. The T5 II ANC still have an IPX4 rating, which is good enough to protect them from heavy sweat or rain, but you should definitely be careful when cleaning – avoid running water. To be fair, most true wireless earbuds don't offer much better protection at this price point.

Comfort, controls and connections

Klipsch T5 II ANC true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

With the oval earplugs from Klipsch in six sizes, you should have a good chance of a good fit. I found the pre-installed medium tips pleasant, but not particularly secure. Switching to the big ones helped a lot, and they also improved the bass response (this is why it is worth trying every size of earbuds – there may be many comfortable sizes, but the goal is to get the best possible seal and at the same time To maintain your comfort).

Go from immersive music to fully conscious conversations with one click. More true wireless earbuds should have this feature.

Many true wireless earbuds now come with a leak test built into the mobile app, but this is one of the few technical tricks Klipsch left out, so use your best judgment. The earbuds stayed tight during a trip to the gym, but I'm not that into high-impact activities like running. They may not be able to withstand strong bumps, as well as models with earhooks or stabilizer fins.

When properly seated, I found the T5 II ANC very comfortable, but I can see that some people don't like it. The small stem that connects the main body of the earphone to the earplug is shaped like a tube, with a surprisingly sharp edge at its tip where it meets the body. When you twist the earbuds to secure them in place, this edge may come into contact with the inner part of the clamshell. If it stays there it can hurt. For me, of course, the earphones are in a comfortable position.

Head gestures work well; I had no problem getting all three of them to respond to my head movements.

The controls are excellent. A single multi-function button on each earbud gives you precise control over every function imaginable, including volume, playback, ANC, calling and access to voice assistants. Aside from the tactile click, there is also a tiny audio chirp to confirm that you pressed the button correctly. In the Klipsch app, you can control what the left button does for single, double, and triple presses, but the right button always follows the factory defaults. The app has an impressive array of settings to play with, but it tends to be a bit delayed as it routinely polls the earbuds for their status, which can take a second or two.

But this is where things get interesting. Using software from Bragi – one of the first companies to develop and sell true wireless earbuds – the T5 II ANC can respond to head gestures like nodding and shaking and performing up to three functions: answer a call, reject a call, and jump to the next lane. They work fine; I had no problem getting all three of them to respond to my head movements. How useful they are depends on how often you find both hands busy when a call comes in. They're also handy when a Spotify playlist is trying to ruin your groove with an awkward track.

Oddly enough, the head shake to skip feature only works within the first 10 seconds of a song and may not work if the earbuds are used with computers.

Bragi software also introduces "sidekicks" – a series of intelligent, automated activities. At the moment there are only two sidekicks: turn on ANC automatically when playing music (and switch to transparency mode when you pause) and automatically turn on transparency mode when you are on the phone. These can be toggled on or off from within the app, but I recommend leaving both on. Since Klipsch did not provide the T5 II ANC with any in-ear sensors, your music tracks are not automatically paused when you remove an earphone. But the automatic ANC / Transparency sidekick is probably better anyway. There's no need to remove an earbud to hear what's going on, as it takes you from fully immersive music to fully conscious conversation with one click. More true wireless earbuds should have this feature.

They add shine to vocal performances and instruments like trumpets while avoiding harshness and sibilance.

You can use each earbud individually if you want, and the app lets you decide if you want the left earbud to take over the commands of the right earbud when used alone.

The T5 II ANC pairs and connects quickly. They're missing Google's fast pair option, but since most of us only have to pair once, I think that's fine. Bluetooth range is good, around 25 to 30 feet indoors and about twice as much as outdoors. As long as you keep these distances, the connection remains very stable. Klipsch leaves me saying I want bluetooth multipoint to connect two devices at the same time, but since Jabra seems to be the only company doing this, it's hard to beat the T5s for that.

Sound quality

Close up of a man wearing Klipsch T5 II ANC true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Klipsch proudly states that the T5 II ANC are the first true wireless earbuds with integrated Dirac HD sound. According to the marketing materials, it is "a state-of-the-art digital audio performance enhancement technology," which is designed to optimize the sound signature of the earbuds, resulting in improved staging, clarity, vocal sharpness and bass fidelity.

The reality is very different. Turning on Dirac HD definitely changes the T5's sound signature, but I don't see it as an improvement. It actually narrows the soundstage and causes really nasty compression on parts of the midrange so it sounds like some of the music is being pushed through a cardboard tube. Yes, the vocals become more pronounced, almost as if the singers are at the top of a triangle pointing towards you, while the rest of the instrumentation sits further back.

Rather than beating your eardrum with bass, Klipsch's sound signature takes a far more neutral approach.

But here's the good news: Not only can you just disable Dirac HD if you're like me, but you can also use it to hear the factory tuning of the T5, which in my opinion doesn't need any additional digital signal processing help at all.

As with previous generations of the T5, Klipsch delivers impressive clarity across the entire frequency range, but is particularly lively in the upper mids and highs. This adds shine to vocal performances and instruments like trumpets while avoiding harshness and sibilance. There's a ton of bass response too, but instead of beating your eardrums relentlessly, Klipsch's sound signature takes a far more neutral approach that keeps that low-end boom from coloring tracks it should never convey.

Depending on your taste, this balance can come across a bit brighter, especially if you are used to headphones with stronger bass emphasis. But if that's the case, the app offers an adjustable six-band EQ with multiple presets and custom options, giving you plenty of leeway to tweak the frequencies to your liking.

I tested the T5 against our current king of music quality, the M&D MW08, and was pleasantly surprised. I still prefer the wider soundstage and warmer tonality of the MW08, but the T5 offers an undeniable energy that makes it really enjoyable. Up and down the volume control there is no trace of distortion.

There is a small caveat, however. If you like it loud, the T5 can disappoint. I usually find that I cannot exceed 75% of the volume on an earbud without serious discomfort. But I was able to push the Klipsch to its maximum setting without flinching. On the plus side, this should save you from the worst of the effects of noise-induced hearing loss. However, there are times when these earbuds just don't get as loud as you'd like.

Noise cancellation and transparency

Klipsch T5 II ANC charging with a wireless charger.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

This is the company's first attempt at ANC, and Klipsch gets it right most of the time. An adjustable slider in the app lets you choose how much noise you want to block. When set to the maximum, the earbuds attenuate both low and high frequency sounds well, but as with almost all ANC systems, it is the low frequency rejection that you notice the most. However, you need to keep your expectations modest. For better or for worse, the T5 II ANC does an excellent job of passive noise isolation. This means that if you don't use ANC or transparency, very little external noise will get into your ear. So when you activate ANC, you won't fully experience that magical moment of instant silence. It's more subtle than that.

The big aha moment happens when you step into transparency mode. Like ANC, you can control how much sound to let in, and when set to the max, the earbuds actually amplify the outside world a bit. The first time I did it, I was surprised to hear the crunch of my shoes on gravel – I didn't even know I was making that sound while walking.

When amplifying outside noises, there is a risk that loud noises will become significantly – perhaps even dangerously – louder. But Klipsch has a solution: Noise Shield monitors these noises in transparency mode and when it detects particularly loud noises (like the Harley that raced past me on the street), it temporarily switches to ANC. There doesn't seem to be a way to turn this off in the app, but it's so effective that I would be inclined to leave it on anyway.

Switching between modes is quick and easy – just click on the left earbud. On the other hand, Klipsch didn't give us the option to skip the in-between-transparency-off mode so we can go straight from ANC to transparency. I was told this was by design because the Auto ANC / Transparency sidekick does essentially the same thing, but I'm not sold. Often times I am not listening to music and want to quickly switch between transparency and ANC. Hopefully Klipsch will take this feedback and consider giving users the option to customize this feature.

Call quality

Man wearing Klipsch T5 II ANC true wireless earbuds.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Despite the packing of six microphones, the T5 II ANC is only suitable for phone calls to a limited extent. Your callers can hear you even if there is significant background noise such as traffic noise. But despite all these microphones, your voice will still sound a little thin. It lacks some of the resonances that make a human voice sound full and natural.

You can manually switch to transparency mode during a call or use the Bragi sidekick to do it automatically. Either way, you will have no problem hearing yourself clearly during a call.

Battery life

Klipsch claims the T5 II ANC gets five hours per charge in the earbuds and an additional 15 hours in the charging case when you use ANC. This increases to seven or 21 hours if you turn off ANC (and transparency mode). As far as I can tell, these numbers are overly optimistic. After just four hours of listening with the ANC on and at 50% volume, the earbuds were completely empty.

What's unfortunate is that while the non-ANC numbers are good (a total of 28 hours is more than enough for a full day of use), the ANC numbers are behind most high-end earbuds with the exception of the Bose QuietComfort. Earbuds are left behind.

Our opinion

Through the use of software, Klipsch's T5 II ANC expands the possibilities of using a set of true wireless earbuds with some really smart features like head gestures, sidekicks and noise shield. Add in Klipsch's signature sound quality and wireless charging and you have a worthy successor to previous T5 models. But their high price, mediocre noise cancellation, lackluster call quality, and short ANC battery life keep them from receiving our highest rating.

Is there a better alternative?

It is stylistically T5 II ANC are in a class of their own – they look as good as they sound. And we've never seen the kind of intelligence Klipsch built into other buds. However, since they can't quite keep up with their closest competitors in areas like ANC, call quality, and battery life, there may be better options:

The $ 280 Sony WF-1000XM4 have better ANC and battery life, and some will prefer their sound, especially given the LDAC codec support on Android devices (the T5 only offers SBC and AAC).

The $ 299 Bose QuietComfort earbuds have the best ANC and transparency you can get, but they're pretty bulky – the buds and their charging case are huge compared to the T5 – and their battery life is the shortest of any similarly priced models.

Master & Dynamics $ 299 MW08 have great battery life, great controls, and warmer, richer sound, but lack wireless charging. If that's what you want, you'll have to spend $ 50 more on the MW08 Sport.

How long will they last?

In terms of build quality, the T5 II should hold up really well as long as you keep an eye on the IPX4 rating and don't expose it to too much water. Battery life is more of a problem. As batteries age, they lose capacity, and since the T5 appears to give up after four hours with the ANC on, this could shrink to three or even two hours after two years of use. On the other hand, Klipsch offers an excellent two year warranty on these earphones. So, if you find that the battery life has dropped significantly during this time, you may be able to get a replacement kit.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. While Klipsch is expensive, Klipsch put some pretty awesome features on the T5 II ANC that, when combined with its great sound quality and overall design, make it a good, if not perfect, alternative to the best true wireless earbuds you can buy.

Editor's recommendations



07 Sep
Blog

Complete Guide To Collagen In Skin Care

It's no secret that collagen in skin care is the key to a youthful looking complexion. This structural protein provides the much needed support and stability to keep the skin firm, plump and elastic. Unfortunately, the body's collagen supply decreases rapidly with age. Read on to learn what collagen does for skin, the different types of collagen, as well as the benefits of collagen, and how it makes the skin look ageless.

What is collagen

Collagen is a smaller form of protein that helps build our tissues and organs, including our bones, muscles, skin, and even teeth. This structural protein takes its name from the Greek word "kolla", which means glue (a helpful reference to the role it plays in the body). Collagen is what holds our cells and tissues together and helps them maintain their shape, elasticity and strength.

Most of the collagen is found and produced in the dermis (the second layer of the skin). Here, fibroblasts synthesize strands of collagen that look like long braids or ropes. SELF says: “Individual amino acids combine to form long chains that are bundled together to form thicker strands. These strands then twist and wrap around each other to form triple helices. Eventually, these helices join end to end and stack on top of each other to form clusters called fibrils. ”These fibrils form a collagen network that gives the skin its underlying structure and support.

Collagen structure graphic

3 types of collagen

There are 28 types of collagen in the body, but Types I, II, and III are the most abundant. These three types account for up to 90 percent of the body's total collagen supply. Here's a breakdown of how they differ:

Type I collagen

Type I is the most common type of collagen and provides structural support for our bones, organs, and connective tissues (including the skin). It's incredibly elastic and can stretch significantly without breaking. In fact, an MIT study found that Type I collagen fibrils are five to ten times stronger than steel.

Type II collagen

Type II collagen is the building block of cartilage. Unlike Type I collagen, which is neatly arranged, Type II is more of a mess. This arrangement gives the cartilage its flexible, resilient property, which allows it to easily compress and dampen our joints.

Type III collagen

Type III collagen is most concentrated in the bone marrow and lymphoid tissue. Its narrow fibers are arranged in branches that support specialized cells that are involved in the formation of blood cells. It is often found in the skin with type I collagen and plays a key role in wound healing.

What does collagen do for the skin?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the skin, and for good reason. This structural protein provides strength, support and elasticity to keep the skin firm, plump and youthful. Here's a closer look at how collagen benefits the skin.

Provides support and structure

Collagen fibers connect the tissue to one another. With their strong, plait-like composition, they function similarly to stable pillars that hold and support the top layer of skin. When you are young, these pillars provide the stability and rigidity that will tighten and lift your skin. This powerful foundation will keep the youthful shape of your skin intact. Sagging skin is a natural part of the aging process as the skin loses elasticity and collagen production.

Watch this In The Mix video to learn what products you can use to tighten, tone, and tone sagging skin.

(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7zdiZx5sjE (/ embed)

Keeps the skin firm and plump

Together with elastin and hyaluronic acid, collagen is found in the dermis, the middle layer of the skin, which gives it volume, density and bounce. Together, these materials form a tight, flexible collagen network that keeps the skin firm, plump and supple. When abundant, collagen prevents skin from sagging and prevents wrinkles and wrinkles that contribute to fine lines and wrinkles.

Improves elasticity

Do you see this spring and spring in youthful skin? Credit the collagen. Collagen not only ensures a firm and plump complexion, but also improves the flexibility and elasticity of the skin. This not only prevents wrinkles from forming, but also reduces the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite.

Why do we lose collagen?

The skin contains an abundance of collagen at a young age, but it begins to decline as it ages. Dr. Hooman Khorasani, a triple board certified, scholarship trained cosmetic and skin cancer surgeon based in New York, tells us, “Our skin has a fine balance between collagen production and collagen breakdown. It can take up to six months for collagen to be synthesized in our body. As we get older, corticosteroids tend to stop the production of new collagen and accelerate the breakdown of new collagen. ”Exposure to environmental stressors accelerates this process even further. Unhealthy lifestyle habits (such as smoking and high sugar consumption) as well as stress, pollution and blue light UV rays cause free radical damage, which accelerates collagen breakdown. When we turn 20, we lose about 1 percent of collagen every year.

Collagen breakdown infographic

The result: visible signs of age

When we lose more collagen than we produce, the visible signs of aging quickly appear. Weakened collagen cannot provide much-needed structural support and when collagen levels drop, our skin thins, begins to sag, and develop fine lines and wrinkles.

As SHAPE explains, “When collagen is strong, your skin recovers instantly. However, when the collagen is weak, repeated movements cause permanent wrinkles. The skin doesn't have enough collagen to fill the furrow, so even if you don't squint or furrow, you can see a line, and it's not the same density to withstand gravity. "

Ingredients that stimulate collagen production

With collagen's numerous skin benefits, it's no wonder it's a hyped ingredient showing up in skincare. However, collagen in skin care isn't quite as simple as sticking to an ingredient list. Read on to find out why.

The problem with the size

The biggest (pun intended) problem with collagen is its size. Dr. Joshua Drawer told The Zoe Report: "Pure collagen molecules are too large to be absorbed by the body as they are." Because of their size, these beneficial proteins cannot penetrate the skin. Instead, skin care experts recommend using topical treatments that contain ingredients like peptides, retinol, and vitamin C that stimulate and protect your skin's natural collagen production.

Peptides

To circumvent the size problem, many topical treatments contain collagen peptides. These smaller chains of amino acids are more easily absorbed by the skin as they can pass through the outer layer of the skin. When they reach the dermis, peptides supply the skin's fibroblasts with the building blocks they need to produce new collagen. By applying peptides through skin care products, we can actually get the skin to make more of this essential protein.

Retinol

Retinol is another topical ingredient that stimulates collagen synthesis in the skin. According to SHAPE, “both retinoic acid and retinol turn on genes and cells that are involved in collagen production. They also help organize new and existing collagen. "

vitamin C

Antioxidants like vitamin C do a dual job of stimulating collagen production and protecting it from future breakdown. Vitamin C not only activates the skin's fibroblasts to produce new collagen, it also stabilizes the collagen that is already there and helps the skin stay firm, plump and youthful-looking for longer. Look for peptide sera that combine well with antioxidants including vitamin E and ferulic acid. Research shows that these nutrients increase the effectiveness of vitamin C by eight times!

Ready to explore the benefits of collagen skin care in products like the Marine Flower Peptide Collection? Read more about peptide skin care products and schedule a consultation with a licensed beautician at an Eminence Organics spa partner near you.

This article was originally written by Alisha Whitley in October 2019.

06 Sep
Blog

Motorola Moto Edge 20 Pro Review: Very Good at Being Average

Moto Edge 20 Pro on a desk.

Motorola Moto Edge 20 Pro review: a phone that is very good on average

RRP $ 900.00

"The Motorola Moto Edge 20 Pro does not make the most of its specification, so it is clearly average, and without a flashy design, the reliable software and good battery life are simply not enough to get it past this point."

advantages

  • Easy to use, reliable software

  • Good battery life

  • High refresh rate screen

  • Periscope zoom on the camera

disadvantage

  • No wireless charging

  • Inconsistent camera

  • Mono speakers

I remember checking out the Moto Edge in mid-2020 and really liked the design and screen, which excited me to try out the new Moto Edge 20 Pro. However, it seems that Motorola has decided to move away from almost everything that made the previous model a winner and hit the average street instead. It then set the price for a good measure. In other words, there is a lot to be done to impress.

Before we get into too much detail, it's worth talking about Motorola's naming and marketing of the latest Moto Edge series. In the US, you can only buy the Moto Edge (2021), which is known everywhere else as the Moto Edge 20. The Moto Edge 20 Pro we are reviewing here is a higher-end version of this phone that is currently available in the UK

With that resolved, let's talk about the Moto Edge 20 Pro.

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The Motorola Moto Edge 20 Pro may be the highest spec model in the new Edge range, but don't think that it will automatically turn heads when it comes to design. It shares the same working-day, functional, but uninspired ethos seen on the company's affordable phones without you falling for the phone in any way. I feel nothing for the Moto Edge 20 Pro when I look at it, which won't be a problem for some, but for others it will push them into the waiting arms of OnePlus, Realme or Samsung.

Moto Edge 20 Pro hand-held, viewed from behind.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Its chassis is made of an aluminum alloy and Gorilla Glass 5 covers the screen and back so it has the correct references, but the flat panel display makes it look old and the platter sides make it uncomfortable to grip. Worse, they give the Moto Edge 20 Pro an impressive trick that feels thicker than the 8mm case suggests. It's also not nice to put a square camera lens over two round ones.

There are a couple of weird design choices too. The fast fingerprint sensor is housed in the power button rather than under the display, which will likely lower the overall cost, but it's placed quite high on the body and may not naturally fall under your thumb if you have small hands. On the opposite side, but at the very top of the case, is a Google Assistant button. That said, I didn't accidentally push it, but since I never pushed it on purpose either, I wonder why it's there in the first place.

Fingerprint sensor of the Moto Edge 20 Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

On the positive side, the Moto Edge 20 Pro is light at 185 grams, and in addition to the Midnight Blue version seen in our photos, a vegan leather model is available, which may give the phone more personality. Otherwise, there isn't much here that inspires me to grab the Moto Edge 20 Pro, especially when beauties like the OnePlus Nord 2 and the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G exist.

Screen and audio

Motorola has spared nothing when it comes to the specification of the screen. It's a 6.7-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, a refresh rate of 144 Hz and HDR10 + support. The 19.5: 9 aspect ratio makes it wider than the 20: 9 aspect ratio of the 6.7-inch OnePlus 9 Pro. It spends most of the time at maximum brightness, but I could still easily see it outside on bright days.

Moto Edge 20 Pro screen.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

When watching videos on the phone, it turned out that the sound is too quiet for my personal taste. It's not as vivid or as full of life and color as the OnePlus Nord 2's screen, and observing the cloudy and wet weather conditions in Carfection's Ferrari Roma test highlights its slightly dull quality. There is no setting to change the performance of the screen other than a normal or saturated color mode.

Google Assistant button on Moto Edge 20 Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's certainly not bad, and the warmer tone benefits the skin, for example, but it's just not as flashy a performer as some of the competition. It will be more disappointed with a mono speaker that, while powerful, does not deliver the sound, bass, or enjoyment that a good stereo setup does, as is common with other similarly priced smartphones. The screen responsiveness is also a bit strange as the screen sometimes senses swiping up and down as a left to right swipe, which is annoying when using the phone with one hand. The 144 Hz refresh rate is very welcome, but I don't see any difference from a 120 Hz screen.

camera

All of the Motorola Moto Edge phones launched this year – the Edge (2021) / Edge 20, Edge 20 Lite, and Edge 20 Pro – have 108-megapixel main cameras, but here on the Pro it is supported by a 16- MP wide-angle camera and an 8MP periscope telephoto camera with a 5x optical zoom. This makes the Edge 20 Pro quite unusual, as periscope zoom cameras are rarely used outside of very high-end phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The camera module of the Moto Edge 20 Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The photos taken are inconsistent, and every few good photos will result in pretty bad photos, especially in low light. There is a significant difference in color balance and dynamic range between the main and wide-angle cameras. Pictures taken with 5x zoom use optical image stabilization, and the results are better than with 5x digital zoom in that it shows more details and better dynamic range, but it doesn't come close to the Galaxy S21 Ultra. Motorola is promoting a 50x super zoom mode, but it really shouldn't have because there is no stabilization at all and the image in the viewfinder is constantly moving. When you take a photo, you get a nice, pixelated approach to the subject.

Low light is surprisingly bad, as even in early morning shady conditions the 108MP camera with an aperture of f / 1.9 caused blurring that most other cameras would have no problem with. There's a fixed focus macro mode that can make it difficult to take a decent photo, 8K video recording at 24 frames per second, and a dual capture mode that uses both the front and rear cameras to capture video at the same time . The 32-megapixel selfie camera takes pleasant photos with natural skin tones even when the beauty mode is switched on.

The camera of the Moto Edge 20 Pro is typically Motorola. It has many features and some desirable technologies, but the execution isn't good enough to get the most out of them.

Software and performance

The Moto Edge 20 Pro uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor, which is a warmed-up version of the older Snapdragon 865 processor and is more efficient. The Snapdragon 870 might not be the best Snapdragon 888, but you probably won't notice a huge difference from day to day. I've played Asphalt 9: Legends with no issues, it's very fluid and fast, and I've multitasked as always, which undoubtedly helped by the 12GB of RAM inside.

Asphalt 9: Legends played on the Moto Edge 20 Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Android 11 is installed and like most of their phones, Motorola doesn't add too much, which means that it is similar to Android on a Google Pixel phone. There are some gesture controls like shaking the phone to activate the flashlight. Peek Display replaces the usual and preferred always-on screen with a tap-to-wake system. I like the way you can see more details from notifications by tapping and holding icons, but I would prefer that the basic information be shown all the time. Apps worked without errors, notifications are delivered as expected, and the phone has worked normally for all of my time.

Motorola is also pushing its desktop mode, which it calls Ready For, on the Moto Edge 20 Pro to include the required USB Type-C to HDMI cable to use it in the box. It's a nice touch. Ready For also works wirelessly if you have a compatible screen. It works similarly to Samsung DeX in that it displays a Windows-like start screen that is designed to increase productivity. Also, like DeX, it may not work with all smart TVs (it didn't connect to my Sony Android TV, for example) and to take full advantage you will need a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, as well as a controller if you want to play games to play.

The standby mode of the Moto Edge 20 Pro.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Moto app options of the Moto Edge 20 Pro.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Browser displayed on Moto Edge 20 Pro.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Apps screen on the Moto Edge 20 Pro.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Calls on the Moto Edge 20 Pro are decent, but I didn't find the speaker very good. The voices weren't as clear as I expected, and background noise on the caller's side seemed more disturbing than normal. This is a 5G phone if you have coverage near you, with two 5G SIM slots plus Wi-Fi 6 on board and NFC for Google Pay. Small things aside, the Moto Edge 20 Pro gives you everything you could want in a high-end phone – cleanly designed, reliable software, and lots of power – with features like Ready For that may be helpful to some.

battery

The 4,500 mAh battery is a bit smaller than we've come to expect from smartphones lately, but if you don't squeeze the phone very hard, it just gulps power. On a few days with very little use, it stretched to three days for me, which very few other phones do. Play games and watch videos and this becomes two days of usage that are still good.

Charging port on the Moto Edge 20 Pro.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Motorola's 30W TurboPower charger is included, and while a 10-minute zack apparently provides nine hours of operation, according to Motorola, it doesn't get 100% as fast as the quick chargers that came with the OnePlus Nord 2 or that Realme GT. The Moto Edge 20 Pro doesn't have wireless charging, which is unfortunate.

Price and availability

The Motorola Moto Edge 20 Pro is priced at £ 650, or around $ 900. It is available now in the UK through Motorola's online store. You'd have to import one to own it in the US and there doesn't seem to be any immediate plans for Motorola to officially launch it.

Our opinion

There's nothing wrong with being clearly average, which is a good thing because that's what sets the Moto Edge 20 Pro apart. It has a design that won't hurt your eyes or arouse your senses, a decent camera that takes photos that you'll never say wow, and a pretty screen that just can't quite keep up with the competition. Good battery life and reliable software aren't enough to go beyond that.

I haven't had any major issues with the phone at all, but the little annoyances add up without much to make worth the effort. Why Motorola abandoned the cool design and cascading screen of the Moto Edge (2020) is a mystery. This may be Motorola's top smartphone released so far this year, but it hasn't really been covered on the red carpet, and this is an issue as Motorola hasn't price-tagged it in the average range. Phones that don't seem average at all are yours for a little less than it costs to pick up the Moto Edge 20 Pro. At a time when competition is incredibly fierce in all areas of the phone world, the average is quickly forgotten.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes, and for less money. If you're in the UK, the OnePlus Nord costs £ 2,400, or around $ 550, has a visually nicer screen, more attractive design, powerful camera and quick charge. You're missing out on the periscope zoom, but it's not worth the significant extra cost you pay for it. The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G is priced at $ 500 and is officially available in the US and the UK and is similarly excellent.

Alternatively, the Realme GT is worth a look at £ 450 or around $ 620 and has a Snapdragon 888 chip, fast charging, and a decent screen and camera. The $ 450 Google Pixel 5a has its perks too, with a good camera, IP67 rating, and great software. It misses the high refresh rate screen but is much cheaper.

The OnePlus 9 Pro costs a little more, $ 969 or £ 829, and if you can afford it, it's a better buy. The Hasselblad camera has received software updates since its inception which have greatly improved it, it has the latest Qualcomm processor, great software with extended support and a well-engineered design.

How long it will take?

Motorola intends to provide two major Android software updates and bimonthly security updates for the Moto Edge 20 Pro for two years. The phone has a splash rating of IP52, which means it's fine in the rain, but not so much if you drop it in the bathtub. It comes with a basic translucent TPU case in the box for extra drop protection. You can safely buy the Moto Edge 20 Pro and expect it to last two years.

Should you buy one?

No. It can't quite deliver on the promise of its specification, and there are better alternatives for less money.

Editor's recommendations



04 Sep
Blog

Dell XPS 15 9510 OLED Review: The Best Keeps Getting Better

Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop sits on a small table.

Dell XPS 15 OLED 2021

RRP $ 2,400.00

"The Dell XPS 15 is everything you could want in a powerful 15-inch laptop."

advantages

  • Superior build quality

  • Nice aesthetics

  • Excellent creative and productive performance

  • Good keyboard and touchpad

  • Beautiful OLED display

What are you doing to make the best 15 inch laptop even better? Well, you don't change what is outwardly. It already has a killer design and an excellent OLED screen.

Instead, you change what's inside instead. That is exactly what Dell did with the update of the XPS 15 in 2021, the CPUs of the 11th generation.

I tested the XPS 15 with a Core i7-11800H CPU and the RTX 3050 Ti, which costs a cool $ 2,400. This is not a cheap laptop. But as we'll see, with the XPS 15, you get what you pay for – a laptop that does what it has to do to hang on the crown.

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Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop sits on a small table. Look at the back.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

My wife, who rarely comments on the laptops I have tested, called the XPS 15 “beautiful”. That is kudos, and it is well deserved for this remarkably designed laptop. It's hard to point out simplicity, but that's exactly what Dell did. The XPS 15 does not have the extravagant gemstone-cut aesthetics of the HP Specter x360 15, for example with contrasting colors and large bevelled and angled edges.

Instead, the XPS 15 has sparkling clean lines, a silver aluminum lid and case base with a black soft-touch carbon fiber or white fiberglass keyboard deck, and double anodized chrome edges that resist scratches and pull the design together. The tiny display bezels offer a true screen-to-body ratio of 92.9% (no big chin tucked under the back of the keyboard deck), which makes the larger 16:10 screen seem to float in mid-air. In short, the XPS 15 has a uniform look that is unmatched among 15-inch laptops.

And the XPS 15 doesn't just look good. It's also rock-solid without bending, bending, or twisting in the lid, keyboard deck, or case. The machined aluminum combined with the carbon or fiberglass gives the XPS 15 a feeling of durability that you won't find in many other laptops. The Specter x360 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 are just as stiff, but I can't think of any other 15-inch laptop that feels this solid. Even the hinge on the XPS 15 works better than most, making the laptop easy to open with one hand and still keeping the display firmly in place. These are all traits shared with other XPS laptops like the XPS 13 and XPS 17, and it is evident that Dell has paid a lot of attention to making laptops that exude quality.

If the XPS 15 has one weakness in design, it's connectivity.

The XPS 15 is also a remarkably small laptop for such a powerful device that is narrower than the Specter x360 15 and ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3. Thanks to the larger 16:10 display, it's a little deeper than the Specter and it always is even thinner than the ThinkPad, even if you take into account the traditional 16: 9 panel of this laptop. The XPS 15 is 0.71 inches thick compared to the ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 at 0.72 inches and the Specter x360 15 at 0.79 inches.

Finally, the XPS 15 with the OLED display and 86 watt-hour battery weighs 4.31 pounds, compared to the Specter at 4.23 pounds and the ThinkPad at 3.75 pounds. Overall, that makes the XPS 15 a smaller laptop that is a bit heavier and feels tighter in the hand, which isn't a bad thing with these weights – none of these laptops are particularly heavy for larger machines.

Left side view of the Dell XPS 15 OLED notebook. Two micro USB ports.

Right side view of the Dell XPS 15 OLED notebook. Micro USB port and SD card reader.

If the XPS 15 has one weakness in design, it's connectivity. You'll only find three USB-C ports, two with Thunderbolt 4 support, a full-size SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack. Dell includes a USB-C to HDMI and USB-A adapter, which is a plus, but it's unfortunate to need dongles at all. However, the SD card reader will be welcome to developers compared to the microSD card readers you typically find on modern laptops. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 provide wireless connectivity through the Killer AX1650 chipset.

power

You can configure the XPS 15 with a range of Intel 11th Generation H-Series processors, from the Core i5-11400H to the Core i9-11900H. My test device was equipped with the Core i7-11800H, a fast 8-core CPU with 16 threads that has proven itself well in other devices, along with 16 GB of RAM (up to a whopping 64 GB can be configured) and a 512- GB PCIe solid state drive (SSD and up to 4 TB can be ordered). Two SSD slots mean you can install two 4TB SSDs for a total of 8TB of storage.

You'll also find a discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU inside, which lives on the lower end of the RTX line but still beats the integrated graphics many times over. You would expect this combination to work well for demanding tasks like video editing and others that appeal to both developers and productive users.

The XPS 15 performed admirably in our benchmarks. We didn't do all of the testing with the 2020 XPS 15, but where we overlap, the new model is faster. That is to be expected. The new XPS 15 does not dominate our comparison group, but it is right at the front. It does particularly well against the XPS 17, which benefits from a larger case and even better thermal than the very well constructed XPS 15.

Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop sits on a small table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

If you look at the CPU-intensive benchmarks, our handbrake test, which encodes a 420 MB video in H.265 and Cinebench R23, the XPS 15 competes strongly with the XPS 17 and the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro with AMD Ryzen 7 5800H. The Ryzen chips are fast on CPU-intensive tasks, and so the XPS 15's score here is impressive. When you get to the Core i9 model, you will likely outperform the Ryzen 7. The XPS 15 also scores well in the PCMark 10 Complete Benchmark, scores in the upper range of the laptops we tested and scores particularly well in the content creation part of the test.

In the Pugetbench test, which uses Adobe Premiere Pro for several brutal tasks, the XPS 15 got a score of 507. Dell equipped the XPS 15 with its power supply to optimize the CPU for less heat and fan noise while the performance limited or running at full speed in performance mode. In all of our other tests, the utility made no difference in performance, but in Pugetbench, the performance mode increased the score to 590. That's well below the 692 on the XPS 17 (with the faster RTX 3060) but closer to the 622 on the Legion 5 Pro makes the XPS 15, which benefits from both a fast CPU and a discrete GPU that can speed up some tasks in Adobe apps, a strong performer for Adobe developers – if not the most powerful we've ever seen.

Overall, the update to the XPS 15 has increased its performance enough to be worth the effort, and it's one of the faster 15-inch laptops you'll find – especially for such a thin and light device. Of course, it flies through productivity tasks and won't slow down no matter what you throw at it. As mentioned earlier, it works for both mobile developers and productive users.

Laptop 3DMark time spy Cinebench R23 Underdog bench 5 Handbrake
(Seconds)		 PCMark 10 Fourteen days
(1080p epic)		 Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Dell XPS 15 OLED 2021 (Core i7-11800H) 4540 1513/9979 1544/8299 101 6024 50 fps 73 fps
Dell XPS 15 (Core i7-10875H) 3860 n / A 1314/7549 122 n / A 60 fps 53 fps
Dell XPS 17 (Core i7-11800H) 7039 1525/10145 1568/8801 n / A 6209 78 fps 104 fps
LG gram 16 (Core i7-1165G7) 1390 1394/4137 1573/5454 213 4827 13 fps n / A
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (Ryzen7 5800H) 9175 1430/11195 1460/7227 99 n / A 101 fps 114 fps

The RTX 3050 Ti installed by Dell in the XPS 15 is limited to 45 watts, although it is technically designed for 80 watts. Hence, it's not the fastest iteration of the chip you'll find. In theory, this limits performance, especially when gaming. In our tests, however, the XPS 15 did well and achieved 4540 points in the 3DMark Time Spy test. That's a solid result for laptops with the RTX 3050 Ti.

It managed 73 frames per second (fps) in Civilization VI at 1080p and ultra graphics, beating the Acer Swift X with the same GPU and a Ryzen 7 5800U at 66 fps and the 2020 XPS 15 at 53 fps. Eventually, the XPS 15 managed 50 fps at 1200p and epic graphics in Fortnite, oddly behind the 2020 XPS 15 but within a few fps of other RTX 3050 Ti laptops. Despite the slower clocked GPU, the XPS 15 is a good entry-level gaming laptop.

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Dell XPS 15 OLED screen.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Dell offers several 15.6-inch 16:10 displays for the XPS 15. You can choose between a Full HD + (1,920 x 1,200) non-touch display, a 3.5K (3,456 x 2,160) OLED touch display and a UHD + (3,840 x 2,400.) IPS touch display. The latter two support Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR) for excellent Netflix binging (though, read on). My test device was equipped with the 3.5K OLED display and it is stunning. Colors pop, black is ink, and it's bright enough to be used outside (though maybe not in direct southern California sunlight). I'm not sure why Dell went for the 3.5K resolution versus true 4K as the latter would be great for watching 4K HDR media, but the display is sharp enough for everything else you do want to use it. Subjectively, this is a great ad.

This is an excellent display that, with the performance of the XPS 15, does well for creators.

My colorimeter agreed. The colors were extensive with 99% AdobeRGB and 100% sRGB and also spectacularly accurate with a DeltaE of 0.49 (1.0 or less is considered excellent). At 381, the brightness wasn't as high as some OLED displays, but that's nothing to complain about. The contrast was a gaudy 381.130: 1, which is what makes the inky black colors. Compare that to the AMOLED display on the HP Specter x360 15 and you'll find similarly wide colors and high contrast, though the Specter was a bit brighter at 405 nits and not as accurate at 1.29.

The 2020 XPS 15's 4K IPS display was just as colorful and almost as accurate at 0.65 and much brighter at 442 nits. The contrast was 1480: 1, high for an IPS display, but not as unearthly as the OLED panel on the XPS 15.

Subjectively or objectively, this is an excellent display that goes well with the performance of the XPS 15 for developers. It's also a nice display for the productivity worker who appreciates the rich colors and black text that contrasts against white backgrounds.

The sound of the XPS 15 is also impressive. Four speakers – two facing up flanking the keyboard and two facing down and to the sides – pump tons of volume without distortion. There's more bass than usual, and the mids and highs are clear and comfortable. This is the best set of Windows 10 laptop speakers I've personally tested, with only the MacBook Pro's speakers doing better. You don't have to worry about carrying headphones around unless you want your privacy – this audio system will be more than enough for your Netflix Bing and music listening needs.

Close up of the correct size speaker on the Dell XPS 15 OLED laptop.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Keyboard and touchpad

The keyboard of the XPS 15 is spacious with large keycaps and light gray lettering. There's a lot of travel and a light touch that's consistent across the keyboard, though I found the punch-through action less snappy than I remembered it on the last XPS laptop I used, the XPS 13. There's a reason for this – the XPS 13 keyboard has less travel, so Dell tuned the mechanism in no time.

The XPS 15 has a comfortable feel that helps long typing sessions without fatigue, but I missed the XPS 13's precise responsiveness, but it's also faster and offers more feedback for each key press. Lots of people will love the XPS 15's keyboard, so I won't fault it, but it's not my personal favorite.

Image of the keyboard and trackpad of the Dell XPS 15 OLED.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The XPS 15's touchpad is huge by Windows 10 standards, thanks to the ample palm rest offered by the taller display and Dell's decision to fill most of it with touchable surface. It's fun to use, with soft-click buttons and a smooth glass surface that feels incredibly large. Of course, the touchpad supports Microsoft's Precision drivers, so Windows 10's multi-touch gestures are reliable and responsive. It's the best touchpad you'll find on a Windows 10 laptop (alongside the XPS 17). Additionally, the OLED display is touch sensitive, and I appreciated that as I tapped the on-screen buttons with my thumb and scrolled long web pages.

Passwordless login under Windows 10 Hello is provided by a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button and an infrared camera for facial recognition. Both worked perfectly, logging me in the minute I hit the power button if I walked that route or as soon as I woke up the laptop if I turned on face recognition.

Dell does not offer a webcam privacy option. That's a shame because the feature has become standard on premium laptops.

Battery life

Close-up shots of the bezels and screen of the Dell XPS 15 OLED.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Dell has reduced the maximum battery capacity on the new XPS 15 design from 97 watt hours to 86 watt hours, but the usable battery life has even improved in some areas. In our web browser test, the XPS 15 lasted over nine hours, while the 2020 XPS 15 only lasted seven hours in this test and was equipped with a 4K IPS display. With its 4K OLED display and 82 watt-hour battery, the Specter x360 15 only manages six hours. Yes, the display on the XPS 15 isn't quite 4K, but it's close enough that we shouldn't expect 50% more battery life. In the video test, which repeats a local Full HD Avengers trailer, the XPS 15 reached 11.15 hours. Many laptops exceed 14 hours on this test, but they don't have energy-hungry high-resolution OLED displays. And the 2020 XPS 15 managed just seven hours in the test, which means that the results of the new version are significantly better in comparison.

I also tested the PCMark 10 Applications Battery Benchmark, the best test for typical productivity battery life. The XPS 15 only survived this test for eight hours, less than what I expected given the results when surfing the Internet. We didn't test the 2020 XPS 15 with the benchmark and the Specter x360 15 got 6.5 hours. We don't have many other relevant comparisons, so 15-inch laptops with H-series CPUs and OLED displays, but to get an idea of ​​what's possible, the LG Gram 16 with a Core i7-1165G7 and WQXGA (2560 x 1,600) IPS display lasted a spectacular 17.8 hours in the test. In the PCMark 10 gaming battery test, which drives the CPU and GPU, the XPS 15 managed around 1.5 hours. This is typical of the more powerful laptops that we tested and showed that the XPS 15 kept up speed on battery power.

Overall, these results are pretty good for a machine the size of the XPS 15. It is quite possible to last a whole working day on a single charge, which I did not expect. Obviously, you'll need to have your charger handy whenever you're doing something intense, but for general productivity work, the XPS 15 is a surprisingly durable laptop.

Our opinion

The Dell XPS 15 is the best 15-inch notebook you can buy. In addition, it is one of the best laptops available today. It's beautiful, has a sense of quality the moment you touch it, and works extremely well. You will probably love the keyboard, you will definitely love the touchpad, and the 3.5K OLED display is great.

You could complain about the price, but that would be silly. Yes, the XPS 15 is expensive, but Dell obviously put a lot of engineering into making this luxurious, high-performance laptop – and it's well worth the money.

Are there alternatives?

In all honesty, there aren't many 15-inch laptops that I would recommend as serious alternatives. The HP Specter x360 15 performs well and has its own gorgeous OLED display if you want the flexibility of a 2-in-1 convertible, and it's less expensive. So there is a possibility.

You could step up to the XPS 17 and get even better performance, the same build quality, and a display that – while not an OLED – offers great colors, brightness, and contrast. It's expensive too, so keep that in mind when choosing.

If you really want to save money, you can also consider the HP Envy 15. It's also fast, with an even faster GPU and an AMOLED display that is just as good as Dell's OLED version.

How long it will take?

Forever. No, seriously, the XPS 15 will last you for as long as you want to use it, with a build that can withstand abuse and a configuration that will keep Windows 10 buzzing for years. If the configured 16 GB in our test device is not enough for you, you can upgrade the RAM to 64 GB and add a second SSD to expand the memory.

The one-year warranty is disappointing for such an expensive notebook, but it still offers on-site service.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. If you're looking for a 15-inch laptop that's as beautiful as it is powerful, you've come to the right place.

Editor's recommendations



03 Sep
Blog

The Ultimate Go-to Exercise For Better Pecs

It's difficult to find exercises that target your pecs, deltoids, and triceps primarily while performing other vital functions. It takes a lot of brainstorming and hard work to find the most appropriate exercise for getting your upper body muscles working properly. Fortunately, we've found the perfect exercise to meet your quick torso build criteria – dumbbell chest press.

The king of all pectoral exercises

This workout is one of the most important and is mainly recommended by trainers and doctors if you want to strengthen your chest muscles. This tremendous workout is also known to develop the triceps, biceps, pecs, and deltoids. Building muscle tissue and strength are some of the key benefits. Performing this exercise regularly can be of great help if you want to build your upper body muscles without trying numerous workouts. It can also be called "all in one" as it enriches you with the benefits that you get from doing several exercises together.

Different handle positions for trying out dumbbell chest presses with:

A handful of variations of different hand grip positions on this chest press workout have been introduced to improve its performance. Each grip position has its own character, so it can be practiced alternatively.

#1. Neutral grip

This type of grip involves lifting the dumbbells in a "side grip" position. To do the neutral grip, all you need to do is make sure your palms are facing the medial plane of your body.

# 2. Pronounced handle

This grip refers to lifting the barbell in an "overhand" position. To perform the pronated grip, your palms should be facing away from your body towards your feet.

# 3. Twist grip

This type of grip refers to starting each rep with a neutral grip position and ending each rep with a pronated grip position.

Increase dumbbell chest press performance with simple steps:

It's easy to do this exercise once you get the hang of it. To make it easier, we've provided all of the information necessary to complete this exercise. This may take a back seat to all of your top boy fitness related issues.

1. First, start by sitting at the end of the bench while holding the dumbbells in a neutral position and resting them on your thighs.

2. Then, as you lie down, transform your neutral grip position on either side to a pronated grip position. Keep your arms a little wider than shoulder width apart.

3. Now stretch your arms just above your chest as you lift your weights. It would be helpful if you position your dumbbells a short distance apart.

4. Finally, steadily bend your elbows to return to the starting position.

Repeat.

Common mistakes to avoid:

When doing chest presses with dumbbells, people often make mistakes that can negatively affect the exercise.

1. You should never attempt to lift weights heavier than you can as this could result in serious injury or strain. This will also prevent you from maintaining proper shape and severely limit your freedom of movement.

2. Arching the back is another common mistake people usually make. This can limit your range of motion, making the exercise less effective.

3. Total neglect of the rotator cuff can be one of the biggest problems in performing the exercise. This will reduce your freedom of movement and prevent you from maintaining proper shape. This will be the main cause of the decreased effectiveness of the exercise.

Advantages of the dumbbell chest press that you won't want to miss:

The exercise offers a ton of additional benefits that will motivate you to build your chest muscles.

1. This exercise is not only responsible for building your chest muscles, but also promoting better upper body strength.

2. By practicing this workout regularly, you will be able to perform daily and sports activities with ease and comfort.

3. This excellent workout also enables you to burn lots of calories while increasing muscle strength.

4. Eventually, it will be very useful in improving your well-being and self-confidence, thereby promoting better thinking and peace of mind.

Some Zingy Variations of Dumbbell Chest Press to Try:

You should definitely try some zesty and twisted variations of this chest press if you are completely comfortable with the traditional version of t.

1. Incline bench press with dumbbells

This version of the classic chest press allows you to work the upper fibers of your pectoral muscles. It's also responsible for working and strengthening your upper chest. The only difference between an incline dumbbell bench press and a flat bench dumbbell chest press is that it is performed at 45 degrees.

2. Refuse chest press with dumbbells

The Decline dumbbell chest press is responsible for working the lower fibers of your pectoral muscle. While it isn't as helpful in building muscle as the inclined version, it's still pretty important. By including all three versions of this exercise – flat bench, incline, and incline – you can get the maximum benefits of this exercise at a much more desirable speed.

3. Dumbbell chest press on the mat

Practicing this chest press on a mat is very beneficial in many ways. First, it allows you to improve your lower back muscles. It also puts a strain on your chest muscles, thus amplifying the benefits. This variant should be performed with a pronated or neutral grip.

Frequently asked Questions:

1. Which muscles does the dumbbell chest press mainly train?

This workout mainly works your pecs, triceps, biceps, and deltoids.

2. How many dumbbell chest presses should I do?

For maximum benefit, you will need to aim for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions of this exercise.

3. What tips should you keep in mind when doing chest presses with dumbbells?

Some things to keep in mind while pressing a dumbbell are:

A. Remember to keep your back flat during this exercise.

B. Head, shoulders and buttocks should be aligned on the bench at all times.

C. Your wrists should be kept in a neutral position to avoid bending.

03 Sep
Blog

Best Peptide Skin Care Products & Treatments

Wrinkles, fine lines, dry skin. Noticing changes in your skin can be worrying or even alarming, but peptide skin care products might be just the answer. Peptides are more than just a buzzword in skin care – they reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for visibly smoother, plumper and more youthful-looking skin. Let's examine the effects of these ingredients, their benefits, as well as spa treatments with similar collagen boosting effects.

What are peptides?

Peptides are a vital ingredient in skin care products that make the skin look plump and youthful. When applied to the face, peptides activate the production of proteins (such as collagen) in the skin. Collagen is important when it comes to improving the look of our skin. It acts as a building block for skin, bones, joints, teeth, muscles, joints and connective tissue and gives our skin firmness and elasticity. Unfortunately, collagen production decreases with age, which makes the skin look less youthful. By including peptides in your skin care regimen, you can dramatically improve the appearance of the tone and texture of your skin.

Curious about the effectiveness of these ingredients? Let's take a closer look at the product options and spa treatments below.

The best peptide skin care products for smooth skin

Now that you are familiar with the benefits of peptides and collagen, it is time to explore skin care products that will help your skin look healthy and strong. Here are some of our time-tested favorites to help improve and protect your skin.

The Marine Flower Peptide Collection

Botanical peptides and algae extracts from our Marine Flower Peptide Collection have been developed to give the skin a firm and elastic appearance. The Marine Flower Peptide Serum and Marine Flower Peptide Eye Cream can be added to any skin care routine for significantly smoother skin that looks truly timeless. This eye cream can be applied in the morning and in the evening and not only combats fine lines but also dark circles. According to Lead Skin Care Trainer Natalie Pergarwho have favourited Marine Flower Peptide Eye Cream and Marine Flower Peptide Serum "refine pores and smooth the complexion."

The Marine Flower Peptide Concentrate, a newcomer to this luxurious collection, supports the benefits of the Marine Flower Peptide Serum by making the skin look even firmer and fighting the visible signs of aging. This luxurious, lightweight gel gives your skin a revitalizing boost for smoother skin.

Turn to the lip area and choose Marine Flower Peptide Lip Serum, which is designed to keep your lips plump and smooth. This silky serum with marine flowers and botanical hyaluronic acid improves the appearance of lines around the lips and the surrounding area. It can be spread over the day or applied under lip balm or lipstick.

If you want your skin care to work for you overnight, Marine Flower Peptide Night Cream is a velvety formula with two unique plant peptide technologies. Like overnight, this rejuvenating cream retains moisture and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for fresh, hydrated, and firmer looking skin.

Arctic Berry Peel & Peptide Illuminating System

The Arctic Berry Peel & Peptide Illuminating System comprises three products, all of which contain our Peptide Illuminating Complex, which uses botanical peptides from hibiscus seeds. Remove dead skin cells with our Arctic Berry Enzyme Exfoliant and Arctic Berry Advanced Peel Activator MA10 and lock in moisture with our Arctic Berry Peptide Radiance Cream. This blend of antioxidants and plant-based peptides minimizes the appearance of aging and gives the skin a firmer and smoother look.

Applying a thin layer of our Marine Flower Peptide Serum before our Arctic Berry Peptide Radiance Cream every night is a powerful combination for smooth and healthy skin. Eminence Organics Product Support Representative Josie Barton says this serum "also helps treat redness caused by dry skin and improves the appearance of skin tone and texture as a whole."

While the scrub should only be used once or twice a week, the peptide cream can be used daily during morning and evening skin care routine. The Arctic Berry Peptide Radiance Cream is also available individually and can be used by all skin types, including sensitive skin, to help combat the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

You can also get the professional Arctic Berry treatment by visiting your nearest Eminence Organics Spa. This professional peptide treatment leaves your skin looking smooth and radiant. The Pro Treatment is an upgraded version of the home care system and "has multiple acids to exfoliate the skin so you can get the maximum benefit from a unique botanical peptide complex."

Citrus lip balm

If vertical lip lines are one of your top skin care concerns, then why not try our Citrus Lip Balm, which contains botanical peptides made from hibiscus seeds, as well as shea butter and sunflower seed wax for deep hydration. When used daily for four weeks, lip lines appear minimized and the lips look smooth and full.

Check out Natalie in this In The Mix video to learn more about peptide skin care products.

(embed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-Pq2ZkceqQ (/ embed)

Spa treatments for smooth skin

Peptide skin care products aren't the only solution to strong, supple looking skin. Support your skin with collagen-boosting spa treatments; You can contact an Authorized Eminence Organics Spa in your area to see what services they offer.

Microneedling

Microneedling (or collagen induction therapy) is said to stimulate collagen production. This treatment creates thousands of microscopic punctures in the skin to induce wound healing. These micro-injuries trigger the skin's fibroblasts to synthesize new collagen and elastin. Stefanie Williams MD told Get The Gloss: “Medical needling gives the skin a gentle nudge to remind it to keep producing fresh collagen. It is a very natural regenerative treatment that helps the skin to help itself. "

Laser treatments

Fractional lasers are another point of contact. These work in a similar way to microneedling in that they cause tiny, controlled injuries that trigger the formation of new collagen. In this case, instead of medical needles, the skin care professional will use resurfacing lasers to stimulate collagen production. Dr. Drawer told Harper’s Bazaar: "Lasers work by punching microscopic holes in the skin, creating a controlled burn, and using the skin's ability to heal itself after wounds."

Microcurrent therapy

If your skin is in the early stages of the aging process, microcurrent treatments can be beneficial. This type of spa treatment is best for skin that is showing the earliest signs of aging as it conditions the skin's fibroblasts to function optimally and continue to produce healthy, high quality collagen. In microcurrent therapy, two metal rods that conduct weak electricity are pulled across the surface of the skin to stimulate and energize the facial muscles.

Have you ever received any of these collagen boosting treatments or used peptide products in your skin care routine? Let us know in the comments below or on social media!

03 Sep
Blog

Using Natural Ingredients As Your Preferred Health Supplement

It is never too late to change your life, for the better, and the fastest and easiest way to do this is through diet. When you eat better, you feel better, and the chemicals we know make up the foods we buy are not made to help our bodies, but they can have serious negative long-term effects.

You want to improve the quality of your life and, as with all new projects, that starts with careful research.

First looking at the foods you eat that you particularly enjoy and would die without, and then tweaking the ingredients and replacing them with healthier alternatives is a quick way to get started on your new health adventure.

Keeping an eye on health.

So which ingredients are considered healthier than others, aside from the obvious chocolate cake versus vegetables scenario. There are foods that are considered healthy by society and are part of your 5 daily staples, but they add to your struggles with weight loss and physical ailments. Ingredients like fruit may seem good for you, but what most people don't know or don't even think about is the fructose content that each fruit has to offer.

You may think that an orange is high in vitamin C, and a small amount, let's face it, but the sugar content far outweighs anything the vitamin can do. Instead of finding vitamins and minerals in fruits and even some high-sugar vegetables, opt for organic, natural products that come straight from nature.

Companies like Cheefbotanicals, which pride themselves on natural, organic, and chemical-free products, are a great starting point for you to browse the range of products available in the market and get you started right away.

You want to be sure that the ingredients you are buying and planning to include in your diet are not filled with preservatives or artificial flavors. If you can't pronounce the name or have never heard of it, this should be a red flag and you are better off looking elsewhere or better yet, growing your own produce. But more on that on another day.

Available options.

Now you have committed to going to the gym more regularly and making big diet changes and finding the right organic ingredient took some research, but CBD is your product of choice. And a good one too. But if you can eat normal food without feeling like an outsider cooking at home, the answer is a wonderful yes.

In addition to the CBD oil, which can be easily added to virtually any dish you prepare, there are also cannabidiol-infused treats and snacks that make lunch breaks and tea breaks much more interesting. CBD-infused cookies dipped in a cannabidiol cup of tea are like the best of both worlds. You get the benefits of a naturally grown plant while being warmed by a steaming cup of tea.

Biscuits and baked goods can easily be packed in a lunch box and with the new flavors of gummy bears and sweets there is something for everyone at any time of the day.

Be healthy.

Do we have to go through the endless spin cycle courses or the long hours in the gym to stay fit? And to top it off, health experts tell us that we need to drink small glasses of freshly cut grass (see here https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/g20455456/i-took-wheatgrass-shots- every-morning- for-two-weeks / for more info on this), but it's not for everyone.

It may be so extreme to some, but there are other methods that are not as intense but still help reap the rewards of a healthier, more active lifestyle.

There are many positive aspects to taking care of yourself, thinking about the foods you are putting into your body, and making better choices. Let's take a quick look at the top three reasons people start making changes. Why they decided it was time.

  • mood. Surprisingly, this was one of the top three factors why people started a fitness program. They knew it made them feel great after a good workout, and it prepared them for a great day too. And if you had this feeling, and your work went well, why should you want anything else?
  • Prevention. Increased blood flow to vital organs helps them be stronger and less prone to problems across the board. They fight and eliminate the risk of obesity and high cholesterol, and your joints are more flexible, something we could all use as we age gracefully, right?
  • To trust. When we don't look or feel good about ourselves, it is easy to get depressed, and if we don't get treated or recognized early on, the consequences can be serious. Getting fit is fun, especially when all the girls are taking a Taibo class together, and the plus is that you look great.

Even supermodels need to work on confidence, believe it or not, to keep you motivated and click here for some inspirational messages and sayings that will get you to embrace whatever day it has to throw at you. And we all know that life is too short to be unhappy when you feel confident about yourself looking confident.

02 Sep
Blog

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED Review: The Performance You Need

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED sits on a tabletop.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X

RRP $ 1,099.00

“The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X offers everything a content creator needs in a laptop. And the price is right. "

advantages

  • Incredible battery life

  • Gorgeous OLED screen

  • Powerhouse performance

  • Great value

  • A decent slot machine

disadvantage

  • Boring design

  • DialPad feels tricky

Asus has set itself the task of making OLED laptops accessible to the masses. The ZenBook 13 was the cheapest 1080p OLED panel we'd seen earlier this year, and now the Vivobook Pro 16X does the same for 4K OLED.

The high-resolution screen is available in a basic configuration starting at $ 1,100. In a world where OLED is typically reserved for laptops over $ 2,000, the Vivobook Pro 16X is a big step in the right direction.

Paired with a Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and an RTX 3050 Ti graphics card, the ingredients for an excellent content creation machine are available at an affordable price. As it turns out, it is just that – and so much more.

draft

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop bezels.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

The design of the VivoBook Pro 16X is not its strong point. This shows the laptop's low price. It's not an unattractive laptop in and of itself, just a very simple one. The dark gray case is not noticeable and the rather large plastic bezels ensure that it does not feel up-to-date. The few design flourishes that it has, such as the orange Esc key and the name tag on the front with the words "#BeExplorers", seem a little weird.

The design just doesn't have the premium look of some of its competitors, like the Dell XPS 15, MacBook Pro 16-inch, or even the HP Envy 15. But this, too, is significantly cheaper than many of these other options. Ultimately, the Vivobook Pro 16X is intended for those who prefer a cheaper laptop without sacrificing performance. Design is not in the foreground.

Fortunately, that doesn't mean the Vivobook Pro 16X is a poorly built device. It's a lot durable. The only weak point is in the middle of the lid along the hinge, but that's typical. It's an otherwise sturdy laptop that can be used and moved around.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED sits on a tabletop.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Asus has also made no compromises in terms of portability. Despite being a very large laptop, the chassis is 0.74 inches thick and 4.3 pounds – slightly thicker than the XPS 15 but half a pound lighter than the HP Envy 15. The Razer Blade remains one of the thinnest Options for laptops of this size and performance level.

A similarity between the Vivobook Pro 16X and the Razer Blade is that both are absolute fingerprint magnets. The lid, in particular, was quickly covered with hard-to-remove fingerprints.

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The Vivobook Pro 16X has a super-glossy OLED display, which is still relatively rare on laptops. You can find it as an option on the most expensive Creator-based laptops, such as the Dell XPS 15. This laptop lets you configure an OLED screen at the cheapest cost for $ 2,300. HP can get you one for its Specter x360 15 for $ 1,580. But $ 1,100? It's unheard of, and yet that's exactly what the Vivobook Pro 16X does.

If you've seen one of the OLED screens on these laptops, you know what you're getting with the Vivobook Pro 16X: jet black, insane contrasts and a warm hue. Reds and oranges are turned up, but not unrealistic. With the “Vivid” color mode in the MyAsus application, you can make the colors stand out even more. You can also adjust the color temperature, either cooler or warmer. I always found these Samsung OLED panels a little too warm for my taste, so being able to cool them down a bit is perfect. This software also comes with some OLED care tips, including pixel shifting, pixel updating, and the ability to automatically hide the taskbar. In theory, these should prevent any possible burn-in that you might experience.

I used a Spyder colorimeter to measure color saturation, brightness, gamma, and color accuracy – and I was impressed across the board. Again, this is almost identical to what you'll find in other OLED laptops like the HP Specter x360 15 or Dell XPS 15, and that's a good thing. In the P3, AdobeRGB, and sRGB color spaces, it is near perfect, and the color error is small enough for more precise color correction. It may be the best laptop screen I've ever tested – especially at this price point.

In addition, the Vivobook Pro 16X is the first laptop with a larger 16:10, 16-inch screen with OLED functionality.

Ports

Connectivity on the right side of the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop. Headphone connection, micro SD slot, micro USB connection, HDMI connection, USB

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Connectivity on the right side of the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop. Headphone connection, micro SD slot, micro USB connection, HDMI connection, USB

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Connectivity on the left side of the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop: Two USB ports.

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Asus keeps the port selection pretty simple, although it's decidedly old school. That means you get three USB-A ports, HDMI, a barrel connector and only one USB-C port. Although the USB-C port can supply power, Asus unfortunately decided to place it on the same side as the standard power connector.

The Vivobook Pro 16X also has a microSD card slot instead of a full-size slot. This is a little less convenient when uploading content directly from a camera, which seems to be one of the main uses for a laptop like this one. That's too bad.

The take-up of the barrel plug is also not optimal. Laptops like the XPS 15 rely solely on USB-C power, and that seems to give the entire laptop enough juice overall without sacrificing performance. Not only is USB-C more convenient, it also allows full charging on both sides of the laptop.

Keyboard and touchpad

Asus did a good job with the palm deflector, but accidental clicks do occur every now and then.

Asus has adopted the same keyboard from its higher-end ZenBook range. The keystrokes feel snappy and the keycaps don't wobble too much. There isn't a lot of travel here but I found it to be a pretty enjoyable typing experience.

Close up on the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED keyboard

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

Orange keycap on the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED keyboard.

Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

In addition to the orange keycap, the keyboard also has a racing stripe on the Enter key and some color differences in between. The keyboard includes a number pad, which makes sense for a laptop of this size. Laptops with a number pad often off-center the touchpad as you type to match the position of your wrists as you type, but the Vivobook Pro keeps it centered. It's visually nice, but it means that your right hand rests on the touchpad while typing. Asus did a good job with the palm deflector, but accidental clicks do occur every now and then.

Asus has experimented with new touchpad functions in recent years – be it with the integration of a calculator or with the installation of a second screen. There's something new on the Vivobook Pro called the DialPad. When you swipe over the small icon in the upper right corner of the touchpad, a small digital clock face will appear on the left side of the touchpad. As soon as you slide your finger over the watch face, a screen dial is triggered, with which you can control various system-wide and app-specific settings. The default controls are just volume and screen brightness, but there are a few more options in the ProArt software that can be added. None of these were particularly useful, and certainly no more convenient than just using the keyboard.

However, its actual use is to set certain controls in applications such as the Adobe Creative Suite. It's all based on the same dialing system developed for the Surface Dial that Microsoft introduced for the Surface Studio All-in-One. The new premium creative laptops from Asus in the StudioBook range make much more use of the dial with physical controls and accessories. I could see someone using the DialPad for the occasional control change, but the combination of the swipe to trigger and the digital watch face makes for a clunky experience that would require considerable habit formation to use effectively.

I didn't find the DialPad particularly useful, but it never got in the way either. Since it requires a swipe, I've never had accidental starts.

Close-up on the dialpad of the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

power

The Vivobook Pro 16X deserves its "Pro" designation with two components. First the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX. This is a 45 watt 8 core processor with lots of power, especially for multithreaded tasks. It's the same CPU we've seen in a number of excellent gaming laptops in 2021 and been a winner across the board. Cinebench R23 multi-core results are impressive, stomping on Intel's 11th generation H-series laptops like the Dell XPS 15. Single-core performance is still a bit higher in Dell's XPS laptop, but the Vivobook Pro is not far behind there either.

The Vivobook Pro also beats the XPS 15 in all PCMark 10 benchmarks, which include testing basic tasks like web browsing and video conferencing, as well as more difficult workflows like multitasking and photo editing. It's only 4% ahead overall – but keep in mind that this is a much cheaper laptop we're talking about. The Vivobook Pro is fast and nimble whether you're doing basic administrative tasks, playing games, or rendering a video timeline.

Laptop 3DMark time spy Cinebench R23 Underdog bench 5 PCMark 10 Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Asus Vivobook Pro 16X (RTX 3050 Ti) 4601 1486/11478 1544/8299 6287 57 fps 68 fps
Acer Swift X (RTX 3050 Ti) 4073 1437/10135 1287/6663 6247 43 fps 66 fps
Dell XPS 15 (RTX 3050 Ti) 4540 1513/9979 1556/7692 6024 50 fps 73 fps
Dell XPS 17 (RTX 3060) 7039 1525/10145 1568/8801 6209 78 fps 104 fps

Even ultra-thin 16-inch laptops like the LG Gram 16 don't do well because they use a weaker 25-watt processor and integrated graphics. Gaming laptops like the Ryzen-powered Razer Blade 14 or Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, although often far more expensive, have a similar performance range. The significantly larger XPS 17 is also a better one-to-one comparison in PCMark 10 with its RTX 3060 graphics.

For a similarly expensive competitor, the Acer Swift X achieves the performance of the Vivobook Pro in these benchmarks with a smaller 14-inch size. The Acer Swift X also has a Ryzen 5000 processor and the RTX 3050 Ti for graphics.

Seeing all of this in real applications is of course the most important thing. And the Vivobook Pro didn't disappoint. The great multi-core performance of AMD's Ryzen 5000 chips enables really fast video rendering, which makes the Vivobook Pro super fast in applications like Handbrake and Adobe Premiere Pro. How fast? Well, according to its own tests, the Vivobook Pro 16X has set a new record for laptops when rendering in Handbrake.

These tests were all run with the system's default "Standard" fan profile, which means you can likely see improvements with the built-in "Performance" mode in the Asus software.

The only exception I saw was timeline playback in Adobe Premiere Pro. This is one area where Intel’s optimization has an advantage over AMD. That means a laptop like the XPS 17 will do better overall in Premiere Pro. You'll also see a slightly better overall Premiere Pro experience with a gaming laptop like the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, which has more powerful GPU performance with its RTX 3070.

But these are not fair comparisons either. When was the last time you heard of a $ 1,100 laptop that can handle 4K video edits like a breeze? This is the Vivobook Pro for you.

Gaming performance

Of course, you can't try out some games with an Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti. And the Vivobook Pro 16X does better than you might think. The Vivobook Pro 16X does much more with the RTX 3050 Ti than some other laptops with this graphics card. In games, it achieves significantly better frame rates than smaller laptops with the same GPU as the Acer Swift X and the Asus ROG Flow X13.

You shouldn't buy this laptop just for gaming, but it's certainly powerful enough to handle modern games on the side.

In Fortnite, for example, the Vivobook Pro 16X is 25% faster than the Acer Swift X, averaging 57 frames per second (fps) in 1080p at epic settings. This even exceeds the 50 fps that the Dell XPS 15 gets, even with the RTX 3050 Ti. This is not bad, especially since the screen only has a refresh rate of 60 Hz.

The XPS 15 got the upper hand in Civilization VI, the other game I tested on the Vivobook Pro. While the Dell system can play the game in 4K Ultra with a smooth 55 fps, the Vivobook Pro 16X got stuck with a choppy 39 fps. This advantage is less obvious in 1080p, where both systems easily landed at over 60 fps.

That makes the Vivobook Pro 16X a decent gaming machine, but of course not as good as an RTX 3060 laptop like the Dell XPS 17. You shouldn't buy this laptop just for gaming, but it's certainly powerful enough to run on the side cope with modern games.

Loudspeaker and webcam

Close-up of the bezels and webcam on the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED laptop.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

There are two main locations for speakers in laptops – either towards the top right of the keyboard deck or along the edges facing the surface below. However, Asus chose a unique position for the Vivobook Pro 16X – right on the front. If you sit back while watching a movie or video, you will get decent quality sound from these speakers. It's not the richest, most full-bodied audio I've ever heard, but it's not bad.

Oddly enough, if you hear something while typing or using the laptop, your arms are undoubtedly blocking the sound. An odd choice no doubt, but they'll get the job done during a video conference. Asus even offers some "AI-supported" noise-canceling for the microphones.

Speaking of video conferencing, the webcam here is only 720p, so don't expect the crisper image quality of any of the rare 1080p laptop webcams out there. I have to say, however, that the Vivobook Pro's imaging isn't as bad as many of the other 720p webcams I've tested. This is an example where the larger top bezel can accommodate a higher quality sensor than laptops with a thin bezel like the Dell XPS 15.

Battery life

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how long it was taking.

A 16-inch laptop with an RTX graphics card and a 4K screen with amazing battery life? Yes that's it. The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X achieves an incredible battery life, although all of these factors work against it.

Asus didn't go into the details, but this new OLED panel in the Vivobook Pro uses different materials when it comes to power consumption. The battery life improvements from using AMD's Ryzen 5000 platform probably won't hurt either. Whatever the secret sauce is – it works.

Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED sits on a tabletop.Luke Larsen / Digital Trends

In our light web browsing test, the Vivobook Pro 16X lasted over 16 hours on a single charge. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw how long it was taking. It revolves around laptops like the Dell XPS 15, which was dead after just five hours in the same test. It even beats the lightweight LG Gram 16, which was previously a battery life champion in this test.

In our lightest test, which repeats a local video file, the Vivobook Pro 16X even earned 30 minutes more.

Don't necessarily expect two full days of work with the Vivobook Pro, especially if your typical workload is using the discrete GPU. But you will have a hard time finding many laptops, especially none with that much power, that can outlast the Vivobook Pro 16X on a single charge.

Our opinion

The Asus Vivobook Pro 16X OLED occupies a wonderful niche in the laptop market. It's boldly said that powerhouses and high-end displays don't have to be reserved for people with deep pockets. There are still elements that set this "midrange" laptop apart from the more expensive options, but none that will slow your workflow or make you regret your purchase.

Are there alternatives?

There are a variety of larger laptops sold to a "content creation" audience. The HP Envy 15 is most similar in price and performance, although it is not as powerful and a bit more expensive.

The 14-inch Acer Swift X is a good alternative. Although smaller, it offers similar performance for almost the same price. Of course, the huge OLED screen is missing.

After all, if you have the money, the XPS 15 or XPS 17 won't let you down – they only cost you an arm and a leg.

How long it will take?

The Vivobook Pro 16X OLED should be a solid laptop for five or six years, although you can't get a warranty for that long. However, the components inside are high-end and should be able to adequately supply workloads, games and applications for many years to come.

Should you buy it?

Yes sir. It's a laptop with high-end components at an amazingly affordable price.

Editor's recommendations



02 Sep
Blog

How To Get Rid Of Lip Lines In 3 Easy Steps

Do you wrestle with lip lines? As you age, vertical lines can appear around your lip area that add years to an otherwise youthful complexion. Here's a breakdown of what causes lip wrinkles and how you can minimize their appearance.

What causes lip lines?

Vertical lip lines are caused by a number of factors, including aging, environmental stress, everyday facial expressions, and lifestyle choices:

aging

The skin around your lips is thinner and more delicate than the rest of your face. Because of this, it is more prone to the harmful effects of environmental stress and tends to show the visible signs of aging more quickly. In fact, as early as 20 vertical lines can appear above your upper lip, after which you produce 1% less collagen per year. Over time, as elastin and hyaluronic acid are also broken down, your skin becomes more fragile and less resilient. As your lips lose strength and volume, thin vertical lines can deepen into more prominent wrinkles.

Vertical lines can appear above your upper lip as early as 20, after which they produce 1% less collagen per year.

UV exposure

The aging process is accelerated by exposure to the sun, which further depletes the collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid stores in your skin. Because the lip area is often unprotected, it is at an even greater risk of UV exposure than the rest of your face. UVA rays in particular expose this sensitive area to harmful free radicals, which actively break down and weaken healthy skin cells. This speeds up the aging process and leads to fine lines and wrinkles around the lips.

what causes lip wrinkles infographic

Repetitive movements

Lip lines develop in a similar way to other "dynamic" lines (think frown lines and smile lines). Repetitive activities like speaking, smiling, and tipping your lips cause the muscles around your mouth to contract, creating permanent lines and wrinkles. As Amanda Doyle, MD told Yahoo beauty: “The analogy we like to tell our patients is: remember to fold the corner of a piece of paper and what happens when you unfold and flatten it. You can still see a kink that was left behind. Likewise, a constant feeling of the tip of the lips leads to tiny wrinkles over time. "

smoking

Another culprit for vertical lip lines: smoking. No wonder that prominent wrinkles are also known as "smoker's wrinkles". The repetitive motion of puffing a cigarette, combined with the oxidative stress caused by inhaling smoke, can accelerate the development of fine lines around the lip area. The accumulated damage deepens wrinkles and dries out the skin, leaving the lips looking pinched and puckered.

How to get rid of lip lines

Proper lip care should be an addition to your daily skin care routine. Follow these steps to keep your lips soft, plump, and youthful looking:

1. Peeling

Dry skin can worsen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and make lip wrinkles appear deeper and more prominent. Refine your lip area with the Citrus Enzyme Lip Exfoliator from our Lip Trio. This lip scrub is formulated with citrus and pineapple enzymes to smooth out dry lips and minimize the appearance of lip wrinkles.

2. Treat

Marine Flower Peptide Lip Serum is a luxurious cream serum that plumps up the appearance of the lips and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in the area. It is specially formulated to support the appearance of elasticity in the lip area, with immediate and long-term plump.

Follow the step of the lip serum with the instant results of the Hibiscus Instant Line Filler. Avoid lip injections and fillers in favor of these natural ones Advanced instant fX treatment which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in just two minutes.

3. Moisturize

Keep your lips soft and plump with a petroleum-free lip balm that reduces the visible signs of aging and locks in moisture. Our Citrus Lip Balm contains botanical peptides from hibiscus to smooth out wrinkles and plump lips.

Out and about in the open? Sun exposure speeds up the visible signs of aging, including the vertical lines around your lips. Protect your lip area with our Rosehip & Lemongrass Lip Balm SPF 15. This moisturizing balm contains zinc oxide, rosehip oil, and lavender to provide natural SPF protection and soothe dryness.

How do you care for your lip area? Visit a Eminence Organics Spa partners near you for personalized recommendations from a licensed esthetician.

This article was originally written by Alisha Whitley in January 2018.

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