12 Jan
Blog

Tineco Floor One S5 Review: Dual Vacuum Mop With Power Scrub

Tineco-Floor-ONE-S5 wash floor

Tineco Floor One S5

RRP $ 500.00

"Tineco Floor One S5 is a dual-purpose vacuum and mop that can remove any dirt, wet or dry."

benefits

  • Versatile: Dual vacuuming and moping means that no pre-vacuuming is required

  • All debris and liquids picked up when testing

  • Cleans itself after use

  • Pretty calm

  • Ideal for households with pets, children

disadvantage

  • iLoop sensor appears to be intermittent

  • Internal dirt filter is small and can get clogged quickly

  • Only runs for 35 minutes

We're at an interesting point for home automation. All of the futuristic robots that we have been promised for decades are finally coming to fruition, and nowhere is that more true than in robot suction technology. But sometimes you need more than one autonomous robot to fulfill your commandments. Sometimes you need to grab the tools and get done. Enter: The Tineco Floor One S5.

What is different about the Tineco Floor One S5?

Tineco-Floor-ONE-S5 in action when picking up grain on the floor.

The Tineco Floor One S5 is a completely wireless multi-purpose stand. It's a wet and dry vacuum and mop with some unique features that set it apart from other embroidery models. Underneath, Tineco S5 has a soft microfiber roller that draws in dirt and spills and scrubs them away.

This vacuum cleaner and mop does it all: it sucks up dust, dirt and wet dirt and at the same time scrubs the floor surface with its rotating roller.

The S5 comes with a free-standing charging and docking station. Fortunately, there is no app or smartphone connection – it is only switched on and cleaned.

The S5 has a telescopic handle that is quite easy to adjust and the head unit swivels to get into tight spaces.

Use of Tineco Floor One S5

The S5 needs its fresh water tank, which is filled with fresh water. The tank seems a little small, but the fact is that this device doesn't use a lot of water and it doesn't seem to need it.

The Tineco S5 cleans with just water or water plus a cleaning solution and you only need about half an ounce to improve your cleaning. When it's on, the power pulls the machine forward with its scrub rollers to clean more deeply. During my tests, a single pass scrubbed dirt, including things like muddy dog ​​paw prints.

The rotating brushes under the Tineco S5 are able to supply dried mess with rotating roundhouse kicks.

I tried the Tineco Floor One S5 in various real situations at home. I've just used it as a vacuum, and when I check a vacuum I test it on fine particles like flour, splashes like rice or oats, and larger chunks like crackers.

The vacuum breathed everything in, but it left some kind of sticky mess in the recovery tank and the internal scoop-shaped filter charges quickly. Even so, it did a really good job of keeping the mess out of the water.

Tineco Floor ONE S5 filter full.

When it came to the wiping functions, I was able to try it out on muddy paw prints, damp dirt, and even spilled liquids.

Here the Tineco S5 was really a winner; Unlike some robot mopping robots that simply wipe your floor with a damp cloth, the rotating brushes under the Tineco S5 can give rotating roundhouse kicks on dried dirt and inhale spilled milk, wine and coffee.

I tested the S5 on tile and hardwood and it did a good job on both, not leaving the floors too damp or streaky.

In the end, it was pretty impressive how well this wet and dry vacuum and mop worked.

This vacuum cleaner and mop is self cleaning

When you're done cleaning, it's time to pour out the dirty water tank – a surprising barometer of how dirty the floors are, and heavily polluted water has gone straight down the drain! A built-in sieve in the dirty water tank enables quick and easy hair removal.

When the vacuum cleaner has been emptied and the dirty water container has been rinsed, place the Floor One S5 back in its docking station. The device can automatically detect dirt and debris, so a voice may prompt you to start a cleaning cycle by pressing the self-cleaning button. Two minutes later, the entire interior should be fresh again.

This vacuum cleaner and mop also has impressive self-cleaning capabilities.

Tineco Floor One has sensors

The vacuum cleaner uses a so-called iLoop Smart Sensor, which detects where dirt deposits are on the floor. If the LED light on the screen is red, he's seeing more dirt, so you should still do a few more passes. If it's blue, it's not that bad. The Tineco S5 also automatically adjusts the water and detergent flow, giving you more solution to remove major spills. In my tests, I've found this to work intermittently. Once I took out the S5 to treat a dried-on red wine stain, but the lights didn't change at all. Even so, it does a good job of running from the ground.

I got a few lights sometimes in follow-up tests, but it seemed to depend on things like the color of the flooring and the light or shadow that speckled the floor. The bottom line of this feature is that, in my opinion, you don't really have to worry about it as you can see for yourself if there is dirt or spills on the floor and the Floor One S5 will clean itself really well on its own. But it's a nice gimmick, I suppose.

The 2.1-inch LCD screen of the Tineco Floor One S5 shows cleaning information and all warnings as well as the remaining battery level, as well as when your water tanks are empty or need to be refilled – useful information that you have at a glance.

Battery life

Floor One S5 should run for around 35 minutes on a single charge. Since it lives on its charging base, it was always ready for me to use so I can't really tell how long it will take to fully charge.

Our opinion

Overall, I am very happy with the performance of this floor cleaner. It removes dried-on dirt from my tile and wooden floors. I love the versatility of wet-dry performance here as it eliminates the need to worry about vacuuming and then mopping.

Disadvantage? It's not quite as manoeuvrable as some of the other stick vacuums and mops I've tried, and the internal dirt filter is small, making it difficult to get rid of larger, lumpy spills. Even so, it works very well and we like to use it as it cleans the floors in our twin pet home well and thoroughly.

Is there a better alternative?

There are several wet and dry vacuums and mops on the market. Roborock just released their Dyad, which is a similar concept, and Dreames H11 Max is out there too, as are some models from Bissell. For the most part, the features, price, and availability seem to be on par, so be sure to keep an eye out for a sale at this point or find your key features and a comparison shop. There are a lot of great opportunities in this area right now.

How long it will take?

The Tineco Floor One S5 feels pretty sturdy and comes with an additional roll. I expect it will be a permanent addition to my home for the foreseeable future.

Should you buy it?

I can definitely recommend the Tineco Floor One S5 for your hard floors. It's a surprisingly powerful and versatile floor cleaner that makes the job easier.

Editor's recommendations



30 Jul
Blog

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 Review: Dual Screens, If You Need It

Illustration of the ZenBook Pro Duo with a second display.

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED review: Two screens when you need them

RRP $ 3,000.00

"The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED is a fantastic laptop for the creative when you can use its second screen."

advantages

  • Useful dual screen design

  • Excellent workmanship

  • Nice OLED displays

  • Strong performance in creative apps

  • Keyboard action is comfortable

  • Active pen is precise and responsive

disadvantage

  • Clumsy keyboard and touchpad

  • Battery life is awful

  • Expensive

Asus doesn't do without dual screens. The company has some laptops with second screens embedded in the touchpad, but last year it released the more extravagant ZenBook Pro Duo UX581, which positioned a second large display under the primary panel. For such a futuristic idea, the laptop was remarkably well made.

But Asus hasn't rested on its laurels and recently launched the ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 and made several significant changes to this experimental design.

I have a well-stocked configuration of the ZenBook Pro Duo with an Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU of the 10 x 2160) OLED panel and a second OLED screen at 3840 x 1100.

However, this is an expensive $ 3,000 machine. Is the dual display functionality enough to compete with the best laptops for video and photo editing?

design

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo sits on the table.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Close the lid of the ZenBook Pro Duo and it looks like a chunky 15-inch laptop with a light industrial design in a Celestial Blue color scheme and the usual Asus concentric swirl on the lid. The edges are angled for aesthetic and functional reasons, especially the rear edge that houses the new ErgoLift AAS (Active Aerodynamic System) hinge that supports the lower chassis for better airflow and more comfortable typing upwards.

It bears a vague resemblance to gaming laptops due to the aggressive ventilation on each side, but overall the design is more function than form. A look at the ZenBook Pro Duo gives a clear impression that it is a working device. Compare that to the Dell XPS 15, which is far slimmer and adds a touch of elegance, making it a more attractive laptop. Another laptop with a different design, which also presents a pure work aesthetic, is the Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel with its foldable display design – not surprising that this device is also aimed at creative people.

There is nothing slim and light in the ZenBook Pro Duo.

Open the lid of the ZenBook Pro Duo and the second display rises at an angle – the previous version remained flat and less comfortable to use. Since both displays are OLED, there are tons of bright colors and deep blacks to stare at, and at least it looks cool. This angle is not only helpful for use in the east; it also provides additional airflow over the lower chassis for theoretically improved thermal performance.

The main display hinge is pretty tight and it takes some pressure to lift the second display. Despite the heavy weight of the underside, you need two hands to open the laptop, but everything feels sturdy and gives you the certainty that after a lot of opening and closing you won't have any problems with the second display in the long run.

Asus constructed the ZenBook Pro Duo from a mix of aluminum and magnesium-aluminum alloys, so the feeling of durability is carried over to the rest of the laptop. I would rate it with the best laptops for its rigidity without bending, bending, or twisting on the machine. It corresponds to the Dell XPS and Latitude and Lenovo ThinkPad lines, which are some of the toughest laptops built today. This quality is a common characteristic of Asus laptops – we rarely come across one that is not rock solid.

While the ZenBook Pro Duo isn't thin and light, it's not as big as you'd expect given the second screen. It's 0.83 inches thick and weighs 5.16 pounds, compared to the XPS 15 at 0.71 inches and 4.5 pounds. The ZenBook's bezels are larger at the top and bottom, making the case larger overall – not to mention the impact of the second display, but it's by no means a huge laptop. The Acer Concept D 7 Ezel is thicker and heavier at 1.13 inches at its thickest point and 5.6 pounds, and this device feels bigger than the ZenBook Pro Duo.

Right side view of the closed Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 with connectors.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The ZenBook Pro Duo comes with a palm rest extension that slides up on the bottom of the case. That makes up for the fact that there is no palm rest built into the device and typing without the extension is uncomfortable (more on the keyboard later). Adding the extension pushes the laptop back onto your desk, which means it takes up quite a bit of space when fully configured. The extension has a pass-through for the LED on the bottom that shows the battery status, which is a nice touch.

There is no doubt, however, that you will be reconfiguring your desk to make everything fit, and the expansion is another thing to take with you if you want the convenience of using the ZenBook Pro Duo on the go. I would have recommended adding a magnetic link to keep the extension in place; As it is, it slides around while you work and that can be distracting.

Finally, Asus also offers an ErgoLift stand that further supports the back of the ZenBook Duo Pro. You can achieve a 12 degree angle by using the stand that attaches to the bottom of the chassis so you can always have it with you. I found it a bit clunky to use, but then I didn't attach the stand to the test device.

Certainly, it offers a more comfortable angle for both viewing the second screen and typing, with your palms resting more naturally on the desktop in the latter case. In theory, you could also use the palm rest extension, but it doesn't fit properly with the stand attached, and so it seems like one thing or the other. It's also another complication in setting up the laptop as you move from place to place.

ZenBook Pro Duo ErgoLift Stand.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Connectivity is decent for a laptop as thick as the ZenBook Pro Duo. On the left is a proprietary connector for the 240 watt power adapter, a full-size HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the right side there are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support and one USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port. It is noticeable that there is no SD card slot, which would have made sense for the ZenBook Pro Duo in the creative market. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 offer wireless connectivity.

perfomance

My test device was 10th with an Intel Core i9-10980HK eight-core / 16-thread CPU. Asus paid a lot of attention to thermal performance, with lots of airflow, as mentioned above, two 97-blade fans and a whopping six heat pipes, including one for the power supply module. There's also a G-sensor that detects when the display is closed at an angle of less than 80 degrees. At this point the power will be reduced to limit consumption and extend battery life.

Illustration of the ZenBook Pro Duo with a second display.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Asus offers a performance optimization utility that switches between standard and performance modes. I found the utility inconsistent – it raised the Cinebench R23 multi-core score to 9968, making it one of the fastest laptops we tested, but it didn't affect our Handbrake test of a 420MB video in H. converted .265.

It also raised Geekbench 5's multi-core score to 7542, placing it higher in our peer group. In our gaming benchmarks, the utility either had a minimal positive impact or reduced performance; I will discuss this below. The utility had no influence on the PCMark 10 score, which was particularly strong in the area of ​​content creation and is one of the fastest devices.

Overall, the ZenBook Pro Duo was a fast laptop, but maybe not quite as fast as you'd expect given the Core i9 CPU. I can imagine that despite all the efforts Asus put into heat treatment, the CPU still struggled to maintain full speed. The fans would certainly spin up, especially in performance mode, and a lot of heat was blown out of the side ventilation slots. In general, it can do CPU-intensive tasks and has managed to keep up with or outperform the latest Ryzen 7 CPUs – something we haven't seen on a lot of Intel-based laptops.

Given the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070, the ZenBook Pro Duo does well with apps that can use the GPU. It scored 647 in the PugetBench Adobe Premiere Pro benchmark, which is the fastest score we've seen on a laptop. The closest thing is the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro gaming laptop with a Ryzen 7 5800H and an RTX 3070 that managed 622. Anyone using Adobe's suite will be delighted with the performance of the ZenBook Pro.

Geekbench (single / multiple) Handbrake (seconds) Cinbench R23 (single / multiple) PCMark 10
Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED (Core i9-10980HK) 1266/6918 106 1236/8326 5769
Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel
(10875H)		 1301/7949 114 N / A N / A
HP Envy x360 15
(Ryzen7 5700U)		 1198/6790 116 1258/8131 5419
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED
(Ryzen 7 5800U		 1423/6758 124 1171/7824 6034
Dell XPS 15 (Core i7-10875H) 1314/7549 122 N / A N / A
HP Envy 15 (Core i7-10750H) 1274/5542 139 N / A N / A
MacBook Pro 13 (M1) 1707/7337 N / A 1487/7547 N / A

Gaming was a mixed bag, perhaps due to the Nvidia Studio drivers installed on the ZenBook Pro Duo. These are designed to ensure consistent and reliable performance in creative apps rather than hardcore gaming, which appears to have impacted gaming performance. Either that or the GPU had thermal issues at times, as I suspect that happened to the CPU.

Additionally, as I mentioned above, the Asus Performance Utility only increased frame rates by a few or decreased performance. Civilization VI, for example, saw significant frame rate drops in performance mode. 3DMark scores rose, with the ZenBook Pro Duo hitting 8,763 in Time Spy and 17864 in Fire Strike in performance mode, but that increase didn't result in gaming.

The ZenBook Duo Pro did well in Fortnite on Epic graphics at 1080p, Civilization VI on Ultra graphics, and Assassin's Creed Vahalla on Ultra High graphics, but fell behind in Battlefield V on Ultra. The performance decreased disproportionately at 4K, whereby the ZenBook Pro Duo lagged far behind the crowd at this resolution. I haven't been able to test at 1440p, but it's possible you can run games there if you dive into Nvidia settings and enable that resolution.

The bottom line is that while the ZenBook Pro Duo doesn't always live up to its components as a gaming laptop, it is still quite usable for modern 1080p and maybe 1440p titles. You may get better performance if you remove the Studio drivers and install the regular Nvidia drivers, but then you lose the benefit of better creative application performance and reliability. This is likely not something that the laptop target market will go for.

Laptop 3DMark time spy 3DMark fire strike Assassin's Creed Valhalla (1080p Ultra High) Battlefield V (1080p Ultra) Fortnite (1080p Epic) Civilization VI (1080p Ultra)
Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED (RTX 3070) 7998 16932 74 fps 78 fps 102 fps 111 fps
Razer Blade 14 (RTX 3070) 8605 19673 60 fps 96 fps 96 fps 84 fps
Asus ROG Strix G15 (Radeon RX 6800M) 10504 26800 77 fps 109 fps 108 fps 91 fps
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro (RTX 3070) 9175 21033 61 fps 73 fps 101 fps 101 fps
MSI GS66 Stealth (RTX 3080) 9097 19175 70 fps 97 fps 140 fps 140 fps

Primary display

Close-up of the image of the ZenBook Pro Duo display.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The primary display of the ZenBook Pro Duo is a 4K OLED panel with DisplayHDR 500 support that looks just brilliant. OLED excels in that it usually highlights colors without becoming oversaturated and creates blacks that look incredibly deep, and the panel Asus selected for the ZenBook Pro Duo does both.

My colorimeter agreed with my subjective impression. First, the display was quite bright at 369 cd / m², well above our 300 nit threshold. That's less than the OLED display on the HP Specter x360 15, which registered 426 nits, and the Dell XPS 14 4K IPS display, which reached 442 nits, but is still bright enough for most indoor environments. The contrast was typical for OLED displays at 368,610: 1, compared to the Specter x360 15 OLED at 426,180: 1 and the XPS 15 4K at 1480: 1 (good for an IPS display).

The colors were wide at 100% of sRGB and 99% of AdobeRGB, with the Specter x360 15 OLED hitting 100% and 98%, respectively, and the XPS 15 4K hitting 100% of both color gamuts. Accuracy was good with a DeltaE of 1.25 (less than 1.0 is considered excellent) and was close to the 1.21 of the Specter x360 15 OLED, but not as good as the spectacular 0.65 of the XPS 15 4K.

Simply put, the display on the ZenBook Pro Duo was a joy to use. Black text appeared on a white background, the colors were vibrant and beautiful, and Netflix was a dream thanks to the 4K resolution and HDR support. This is a display that everyone will love including the creative professionals who demand wide and accurate colors.

The sound is driven by two downward-facing speakers, which ensure a clear sound and hardly sufficient volume. I want things to get a little louder, but it's good enough for the occasional YouTube video. The mids and highs are fine, but there is no bass. You will need a pair of headphones for Netflix bingeing and music sessions.

Secondary display

Second display of the ZenBook Pro Duo, ScreenPad +.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The second display of the ZenBook Pro Duo, called ScreenPad +, is also OLED and runs at 3840 x 1100. Like the primary display, it is bright and colorful with deep black tones. I couldn't position my colorimeter properly to get a formal reading of its quality, but it seems to be on par with its bigger brother. Speaking of size, the second display is big enough to be useful, though the extreme widescreen format means any maximized apps can look a little funky on it.

This laptop is designed with the creative in mind, and it is these users who will get the most out of the second display.

Asus has packed a lot of functionality into the second display, all of which are accessible via a ScreenXpert Control Center menu that can be pinned or left floating on the left, right, or bottom of the display. The menu provides access to Brightness, an App Navigator utility that makes it easy to move windows from one screen to another, a button to lock or unlock the keyboard, a button to view the ScreenPad + desktop, a button to open the MyAsus App, a button to open the Launcher app that provides access to ScreenPad + apps and setup.

Useful ScreenPad + apps include a Quick Key utility that provides quick access to features like copy and paste, a handwriting app that converts ink to text, a virtual numeric keypad, a Spotify control center, and a Corel Multicam utility. There are also buttons to open an AppDeals app and the MyASUS app, and a button to open the Asus Control Panel app (see below).

There are several ways to use the ScreenPad +. You can turn it into a massive touchpad, which is less useful than it seems as it is positioned above the keyboard and therefore not very comfortable to use. It can host app windows, so it can act as a typical external display. Asus has developed a new Control Panel app that supports Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop and Lightroom Classic, and has several commonly used functions for each app.

The app is fully customizable and is designed to optimize the use of the supported applications. One final way to use the secondary display is to move control windows out of the way in apps like Premiere and Photoshop to make more room to view and edit a video or photo. Note that the Control Panel app can start automatically and take away this functionality.

Close-up of the second display of the ZenBook Pro Duo, ScreenPad +.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Overall, I found the ScreenPad + to be a useful addition, but mainly for certain users who can use the app-specific functions. That's fine, because this laptop was designed for creative people, and it is these users who will get the most out of the second display. Personally, I probably wouldn't use it for much more than dragging down windows that don't clutter my main display or that I want to see separately, like the Netflix app or a YouTube window. That might make the ScreenPad + a niche component, but a useful one nonetheless.

Touchpad and keyboard

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 keyboard with stylus on top.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Close-up of the vertical touchpad on the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Close-up of the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15 keyboard.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

On its own, the ZenBook Pro Duo’s 3-tier, backlit keyboard is a good one. It has a lot of travel and comfortable key spacing, and the switches provide precise action with a nice click. My only complaint is that the ground movement is a little abrupt and therefore has a harrowing effect that can be tiring during long tip sessions. I would rate it a step or two behind the great keyboards of the HP Specter x360 15 and Dell XPS 15. The biggest problem with the keyboard is that there is no palm rest.

When using the laptop alone, your wrists rest on the desktop and your fingers are at an awkward typing angle. As mentioned earlier, Asus offers a palm rest extension that solves this problem, but the ZenBook Pro Duo extends further back on a desktop and it's another piece to take with you. Also, as mentioned above, you can attach the ErgoLift stand and that helps too, but again, it's another piece to play around with.

The touchpad, on the other hand, is just terrible. I hate being this negative, but it's tiny, vertically oriented (which is weird to use), and placed to the right of the keyboard where it's annoying. It includes Asus' virtual LED numeric keypad which is great for those who would use something like this, but that doesn't make up for its size and placement. It's a Microsoft Precision touchpad, so it works well enough. It's just terribly uncomfortable.

Both displays are of course touch-enabled and support the supplied Asus active pen, which can be magnetically attached to the lid. The pen works well and ensures fluid and precise coloring and control on both displays.

Close-up of the webcam of the Asus ZenBook Pro Duo 15.Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Finally, the passwordless login of Windows 10 Hello is supported by an infrared camera and facial recognition. It's quick and accurate, and I had no problems signing in. The webcam is a disappointing 720p as some vendors start configuring 1080p webcams in response to the pandemic-inspired surge in video conferencing.

Battery life

Asus has increased the battery of the ZenBook Pro Duo compared to the previous generation by 29.5% to a capacity of up to 92 Wh. That's a lot of battery, but that's a lot of machine, so I didn't have extremely high expectations.

I was on the right track. The ZenBook Pro Duo doesn't do well in any of our battery benchmarks. In our web browser test, for example, it didn't quite make four hours, a meager score that even gaming laptops tend to outperform. The previous version lasted about 5.5 hours, but that was with the second screen turned off. I ran my tests with the second screen on, assuming that most users would want this feature in battery life as much as when plugged in. According to Asus, the second screen should reduce battery life by about 1.5 hours, which I've seen and which suggests that the updated version doesn't show better longevity, at least in this test, despite the larger battery.

In short, the ZenBook Pro Duo has terrible battery life.

Note that the Dell XPS 15 4K ran for seven hours and the HP Specter x360 15 ran a little over six hours. I realize I've picked a few comparison devices that aren't much better than the ZenBook Pro Duo. The latest laptops last around 10 hours in this test, but of course most of them don't have OLED displays and such powerful components.

In our video looping test, which repeats a Full HD Avengers trailer, the ZenBook Pro Duo reached six hours, compared to the XPS 15 with 20 minutes more and the Specter x360 15 with 6.5 hours. Again, other modern machines last much longer, usually over 13 hours or so. I also ran the PCMark 10 gaming test, where the Asus lasted less than two hours; This isn't all that bad, and the test itself is likely more of a measure of how aggressively a laptop is running on battery life than how long its battery lasts.

In the PCMark 10 application test, which is the best indicator of battery life, the ZenBook Pro Duo achieved 5.5 hours, which is about half of what most other laptops can do. We didn't test the XPS 15 with these benchmarks either, but the Specter x360 15 lasted three minutes less in the gaming test and two minutes less in the applications test.

In short, the ZenBook Pro Duo has terrible battery life. Of course, this is not unexpected in the design of the machine. This means that if you are on the road for a full day at work, you have to carry the powerful 240-watt power brick with you. Add that to the palm rest extension and ErgoLift stand, and your backpack will feel pretty full.

Our opinion

The ZenBook Pro Duo 15 OLED UX582 (www!) Is a great laptop for anyone who really benefits from adding a second display to the device, not to mention a powerful CPU and GPU that can handle demanding tasks. This includes creatives who use their laptops with apps like Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop, which makes sense because that's exactly what Asus is aiming for. In this regard, the company has succeeded in producing a laptop that meets special requirements.

For most other users, however, the ZenBook Pro Duo is too heavy, too complicated and suffers from a short battery life. It's also expensive at $ 3,000 when you can get equally powerful and much more portable laptops for the same or less money.

Are there alternatives?

The Acer ConceptD 7 Ezel is another differently designed laptop tailored for creative types. It's also very fast, very heavy, and has a very short battery life. It's even more expensive, too, but if you're a creator and need its flexibility, the Acer is a great alternative.

The Dell XPS 15 is a cheaper device for developers because it's fast (though not as fast as the ZenBook Pro Duo), has its own great display, and is far more portable. If you don't need the second display, it's a viable option.

Otherwise, the ZenBook Pro Duo is in a class of its own. You won't find any other device with the same type of second screen, and if that matters to you, the Asus is your only option.

How long it will take?

The ZenBook Pro Duo is extremely well built and feels tough enough to withstand years of use. Its components also keep up, so that your investment pays for itself. You will be disappointed with the one year warranty, which is industry standard but not long enough for such an expensive product.

Should you buy it?

Yes. When you need a second display, the ZenBook Pro Duo isn't just your only choice. It's a great choice, period. If you don't, your $ 3,000 will likely be better spent elsewhere.

Editor's recommendations



18 Jan
Blog

Nuvyyo Tablo Dual HDMI OTA DVR review: Staying home

Tablo Dual HDMI DVR above

"A simple, straightforward OTA DVR solution."

  • HDMI for TV connection

  • New remote control

  • Easy adjustment

  • Simple interface

  • Local streaming to televisions and boxes

  • No remote access

  • No streaming to mobile apps and browsers

  • No internal memory

For Nuvyyo, the tablo devices have always been an alternative to expensive cable packages, and the concept has always been an easy sale. Take advantage of free wireless TV channels and either watch them live or record them to watch later. Just stream it to compatible devices and you'll get loads of content that doesn't have a fat monthly bill.

The new Tablo Dual HDMI OTA-DVR sticks to the plan, but differs in execution, mostly due to the limitation of where you can actually place it. In contrast to other tablo devices, this box must be connected to a television. Anyone can appreciate a straightforward approach, but is it right for your cable television freedom?

Out of the box

There isn't much to see when you unpack the Tablo Dual HDMI OTA DVR. What stands out is the new remote control – a first for Nuvyyo. There is also the set-top box as well as a power supply unit, an HDMI cable, an Ethernet cable and a quick start guide.

Ted Kritsonis

Set up

The size and weight of the Tablo Dual HDMI are similar to other Nuvyyo products, but there are two major functional differences that we will discuss later. There is an IR receiver on the front and an HDMI port on the back. For those familiar with Nuvyyo products, the setup of the Tablo Dual HDMI isn't all that different. After you've made all the connections on the back, all you need to do is go to the appropriate HDMI input on your TV and follow the instructions instead of accessing an app on a mobile device.

You will still need to connect the Dual HDMI to your home internet connection via Ethernet or Wi-Fi in order for the latest firmware to be downloaded and installed.

Once that's done just search for channels and let the main screen populate with the shows that you want to be broadcast on the TV Guide shows. Since the device itself has no built-in memory, it needs an external drive to store all recorded shows. Any drive will work except Tablo will format it to work with the box, which will completely erase everything on the box. Just do not use USB sticks as they are not officially supported.

These details aren't new, except that we noticed a few other nuances that are pretty important when considering a possible setup. For starters, the direct HDMI connection means that your TV is already near the optimal location for the antenna to feed in channels. We already had an antenna attached to the TV so it was easy to remove and connect to the dual HDMI.

That made us notice something else. Assuming the antenna has a signal booster that is powered by USB, you may encounter an issue with insufficient backlash. For example, the USB port of the Dual HDMI is only used for external storage and is not a power source. So we had to use it on the TV ourselves. The cable for our Mohu antenna feeds into the coaxial and USB extensions, but each needs to be connected to separate devices – coaxial to the tablo unit, USB to the TV. For a wall-mounted television, this was a cumbersome setup due to the short cable length. We tried using a USB extension cable to make up the difference only to lose the booster performance.

Ted Kritsonis

There's one more potential problem: if you already have a Chromecast, Roku, or Fire Stick that takes up the TV's USB port for power, you'll need a hub to share it and accommodate the antenna booster. If your antenna doesn't have a booster or isn't plugged into a power outlet, you're good. In this case, you may need to bypass this type of connectivity congestion.

Support and features

Despite the connectivity differences, Nuvyyo's support is very intact apart from one major gap. The apps for Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Chromecast and Nvidia Shield are still available. The user interface and layout have changed over time, but we've found that the navigation is pretty much the same.

The main difference at first was running through the TV's interface with a dedicated remote control. It's not particularly fancy but does the job of playing / pausing recorded shows, muting or adjusting the volume, and even switching channels up and down. For anyone who is used to watching TV with a clicker, this is pretty familiar.

There is no remote access.

Given that this is a new opportunity for Nuvyyo, there are casualties along the way, such as the inability to stream on Nuvyyo's mobile or web apps. While it works with the TV and streaming device apps mentioned earlier, we sorely missed the ability to stream to mobile devices. There is also no remote access. You can't stream anything you've recorded when you're not home. This is because this is considered to be a "Tablo DVR with TV Connection" which is not compatible with Tablo Connect, the remote access feature.

Ted Kritsonis

All of this results in streaming to the home, which Nuvyyo says is the intent of the dual HDMI. The direct TV connection, however, limited the openness of the platform.

This leads us to the subscriptions involved here. Nuvyyo offers 30-day trials of its TV Guide and Tablo Premium services and treats them separately once you need to start paying for them. The TV Guide portion starts at $ 5 per month, $ 50 per year, or $ 150 per life, and offers you graphics, metadata, show filtering, a more varied menu, and 14 day guide data. It lets you view movies, shows, and sports that are arranged separately for smoother searching. Without it, everything is a mess and you can only see 24 hours of master data.

Premium refers to the Automatic Commercial Skip feature for recorded shows. As the title suggests, the Tablo Dual HDMI cuts out all the ads during a recorded broadcast and offers you an ad-free viewing experience that is comparable to any other paid streaming app. For that you will see an additional $ 2 per month or $ 20 per year.

performance

The devil is in the details, as we pointed out, but when it comes to actually watching and recording shows on the Dual HDMI, we have little to complain about. With two ATSC tuners we can watch one show while recording another, watch two shows on two devices, or record two at the same time. This has been an important feature on tablo devices for years, and there are quad tuner models that can do this with four programs at the same time.

Of the two subscriptions, the TV guide is more effective. Seeing guidance dates for two weeks makes a big difference so you can get early recordings for shows or movies. The cover also gives the layout a typical appearance of a streaming media platform, which makes navigation easier. Nuvyyo almost makes you submit to how sterile the software looks when the pieces of information are reduced to a dime without a subscription. That way, you can still watch and record shows. It's just a lot less fun.

Skipping commercials is great too, but at least you'll have recourse if you're patient enough. For example, suppose you chose not to subscribe to this feature and a recorded show includes all of the ads: you can use the remote control to manually fast-forward ads if you tend to. Cumulatively, the ads will pile up on your hard drive (keep in mind that for an hour-long drama or reality show there is around 12-16 minutes of that), but we'll assume you won't want to spend the extra money if you can can handle noise.

The video quality is good, but limited to 1080p. You also get passthrough for 5.1 surround sound, but Dolby Atmos is not included. Even so, the encoding was seamless and we had no problems watching TV on a TV with a Sonos Surround setup.

The irony of this device is that it adds a lot of familiarity to previous tablo owners, even if the mobile and remote streaming features we claim don't make the others stand out. Forget about relaxing in bed with a tablet to catch up on a show. Outside of the home, this device is essentially inaccessible, so we realized early on that it is aimed at users who are more comfortable parking on the couch at home (not that this has been an issue lately) and their shows within these devices consume walls.

Warranty information

Nuvyyo offers a one-year manufacturer's warranty for the repair or replacement of the Tablo Dual HDMI OTA DVR. Buy it directly from the Nuvyyo website and you have 30 days to return it after purchase, although you will have to pay the shipping costs. Buy it through a retailer and return policy takes precedence.

Our opinion

At $ 150, the Tablo Dual HDMI is comparable to the other Nuvyyo devices, but it's not the upfront price that matters, it's the additional features that determine what the experience will be like. It is very clear who this device is made for and what type of setup is required. The company eventually fixed a lack of direct-to-TV connectivity, but pulled back some other flagship features to make it happen.

Is there a better alternative?

For streaming absolutely. With the Tablo Dual 128 GB you can put it wherever the signal is optimal and it includes a good internal memory to begin with. It's also the same price or sometimes cheaper than the Dual HDMI. If you have four tuners and want to provide storage, the Tablo Quad 1TB over-the-air device costs $ 240 and doesn't even connect directly to the TV. Both give you mobile streaming and remote access.

There are other excellent OTA receivers worth a look, starting with the TiVo Edge for antenna for direct TV connections with a remote control or the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Connect 4K for preparing ATSC 3.0 OTA broadcasts. The latter is more technically set up and may not work for you if you want to keep things simple.

How long it will take?

As long as networks continue to send wireless channels, nothing will stop the Tablo Dual HDMI from doing its job. Since there is no internal storage, you may need to replace or overwrite your attached drive. However, this is only basic maintenance. Nuvyyo is built on solid foundations and has solid support so you can solve problems at least relatively quickly.

In the future the box will no longer support ATSC 3.0. So if at any point you are looking for 4K shows, they will no longer be available once they are generally available. You can find more information about the rollout in our ATSC 3.0 explainer.

Should you buy it?

Yes, but only if you don't mind mobile streaming and remote access not being available. If you don't want to stream to anything other than your TV and you want a DVR that is easy to use, the Tablo Dual HDMI is for you. If it's more important, remotely or otherwise, consider one of the other Tablo models instead.

Editor's recommendations




14 May
Blog

1More Dual Driver ANC Pro Review In-Progress: Great Sound

1more dual driver and rating 3

1More dual driver ANC Pro test in progress: listen to this

"The 1More dual drivers offer excellent sound quality for the price."

  • 20 hours of battery life

  • Outstanding sound quality

  • Stellar noise cancellation

The sexy new trend in portable audio these days is real wireless earbuds – and for good reason. When done correctly, they offer comfort and quality in a bite-size package.

Still, 1More is living proof that a few wires here and there doesn't have to be a bad thing. The new ANC Pro wireless in-ear headphones with $ 150 worth of two drivers, which can be pre-ordered and officially launched on May 21, may not have the immediate appeal of a true wireless counterpart. But even in the short amount of time I was able to test them, it's obvious that 1More's new, efficient headphones get you where you need to go.

Out of the box

Let me rave about the packaging in which the Dual Driver ANC Pro Wireless arrived for a moment.

Essentially, the headphones sit in a display case that is bound like a book, and on the inside there are artistic sketches of the headphones. Take note of competing companies. This is how you make a good first impression.

1More Dual Driver ANCNick Woodard / Digital Trends

A smorgasbord of accessories is waiting under the headphones. These include three sets of additional earplugs, both a USB-C charging cable and an additional cable, a carrying case for the headphones and various documentation.

After taking the time to find the best tips for your ears, setting up is standard compared to most wireless earbuds. I haven't had these headphones long enough to talk about how well the built-in Bluetooth 5 technology works, but I can say that I still have no problems.

The 1More Music app goes well with the headphones. You don't need the app to connect first, but I would recommend downloading it. The app provides access to firmware updates, control over active noise cancellation and intelligent burn-in options. I'll come to the last part a little later.

design

Before I go any further, it's time to address the elephant in the room … um, ear. From the way the ANC looks with two drivers, it is clear to me that I would classify them as earphones that happen to be attached to a neckband with a pair of wires. 1More, however, the new product is referred to as in-ear headphones. Therefore I will use this terminology in this test.

1More Dual Driver ANCNick Woodard / Digital Trends

The in-ear component of the headphones fits comfortably and securely in my ears and hangs pretty well in it when I decided to audition them while running through the local park. At the other end of the wire is the silicone collar that gently wraps around your neck. The band has buttons for power, volume control, active noise cancellation and wind noise resistance mode, as well as the option to call your preferred voice assistant. They are not noticeable, but I found them to be easy to use.

The back of the buds is magnetic so they can cling together and sit like a high-resolution necklace when not in use. This is a nice design accommodation as the Dual Driver ANC doesn't seem to be the easiest headphone.

Don't get me wrong, the neck strap is flexible and it looks like it could take some strength. The tote bag doesn't give me as much security as, for example, a stiffer bag when mixed with other items in a backpack or suitcase.

This brings me to what I see as an inevitable design flaw in these types of headphones – they simply don't have the portability or ergonomic footprint that so many people enjoy with real wireless earphones. The Dual Driver ANC can offer a lot between its functions, its audio quality and its price. You just have to get by with something more prominent to enjoy these features.

properties

The previous model in this series of 1More headphones, the Dual Driver BT ANC, only offered 7 hours of playback time for calls or music. It was clearly a vulnerability and one can say with certainty that 1More addressed it.

The new Dual Driver ANC offers a battery life of 20 hours without ANC and 15 hours with the function activated, as well as a quick charge function that enables 3 additional hours with only 10 minutes of charging time. I haven't had enough time to fully test 1More's battery life, but if the specs are right, that's a huge improvement.

The Dual Driver ANC has a waterproof IPX5 resistance that protects it from water jets from any direction. I haven't had a chance to deal with them so intensely yet, but the headphones made it through a rain-soaked walk unscathed.

In addition to its active noise cancellation features, the Dual Driver ANC also features the aforementioned wind noise resistance mode, which, according to 1More, is designed to suppress wind-generated microphone noise and keep unwanted distractions out of your listening experience. The weather didn't want to work with me at the time I was testing them up to that point, which means I couldn't use them against strong gusts to see how it worked. However, as soon as I am able, I will report on my results.

Audio quality

With products such as the triple driver and quad driver in-ear headphones and the newer 1More Stylish earphones, 1More has earned a good reputation. In short, this is a company that delivers high quality sound that doesn't cost a fortune.

1More Dual Driver ANCNick Woodard / Digital Trends

The Dual Driver ANC has expectations. To repeat myself for the umpteenth time, I haven't listened to them long enough to completely break up their audio chops. However, the early returns are excellent.

These headphones have the name they have for a reason. They consist of a dynamic 13.6 mm driver with a titanium composite membrane and the symmetrical anchor developed by 1More. It says a lot, but if this isn't the MJ and Scottie of the headphone components, they get pretty darn close.

In other words, name a better duo. I'll wait.

Seriously, the time I spent listening to the Dual Driver ANC was quite an experience. In addition to supporting audio codecs such as SBC, ACC, and LDAC, they skilfully navigate between music genres and look for the vibrating rumble of Lil Nas Xs Panini before looking for a powerful reproduction of Bill Withers & # 39; Lean on Me. As with all of the company's products, the Dual Driver ANC has been optimized by Luca Bignardi, a Grammy Award-winning sound engineer.

If I have a problem with the sound quality, I have to wait until I can hear the best that the Dual Driver ANC has to offer. The headphone app has an intelligent burn-in function that, according to 1More, essentially reproduces sounds and signals via your buds in order to "train" them. For best performance, 1More suggests that it can take a few dozen to hundreds of hours to reach the optimal level. Call me impatient, but that just seems over the top.

Noise cancellation

As I said before, I still have to put the Dual Driver ANC's wind noise resistance mode against worthwhile elements. However, I briefly tested the headphones' active noise canceling function on busy streets and have a couple of takeaways.

1More products use hybrid active noise cancellation, in which a pair of microphones in each bud analyze noise both in the ear and in the outside environment and then block out the unwanted noise using a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP). The headphones have two different noise suppression levels, mild and strong, which can be selected with the neckband button or in the 1More Music app.

My attempts with the ANC functions of these headphones were good overall. White noise with the feature in action was minimal, and they generally dampened most outside noise solidly. However, I would keep expectations realistic. They don't come close to the cancellation skills that solid over-ear cans can offer, and some noise will inevitably get through. This is not really a blow to 1More, but a reminder of the limitations of this product style. They do well within these restrictions.

Conclusion

I have to revisit this review after spending more time listening to these headphones to get a final attitude. But 1More has consistently built great, affordable hearing aids in the past, and so far they are back on track with the Dual Driver ANC Pro Wireless.

Editor's recommendations




27 Mar
Blog

LG V60 ThinQ Dual Screen Review: Flagship Spec, Meh Features

lg-v60-thinq

LG V60 ThinQ 5G Dual Screen Test: Not quite a flagship

"The LG ThinQ V60 5G has a massive battery and a unique dual-screen case, but poor software and mediocre design hold it back."

  • Dual screen case can be useful

  • Excellent performance

  • Long battery life

  • Reasonable price

  • Frustrating software

  • Camera is far from the best

  • Slow fingerprint sensor

The LG V50 ThinQ brought a number of innovations to the company's smartphone line. It was the first LG phone to support standard 5G bands and the first LG phone to join the folding phone trend, albeit with an accessory that added a second display instead of a foldable OLED screen. Now LG wants to repeat the trick.

Just a problem. The phone on which it is built – the LG V50 ThinQ – was average at best.

That doesn't mean that the new LG V60 ThinQ is a bad phone. With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor, 8 GB RAM and Android 10, the device has a lot to offer. However, given the price of $ 800 or $ 900 with the dual-screen accessory, it's hard for him to stand out from the many outstanding flagship phones you can buy today.

Design and ports

The LG V50 offered an iterative design update compared to the 2018 LG V40. So you would expect the newer LG V60 to modernize things a bit. Fortunately, it does.

While the V50 had a notch that was almost as big as that of the iPhone X, the V60 swapped things for a smaller semi-circular section. This makes the huge display look even bigger. While a hole cutout like the Samsung Galaxy S20 series would make the phone look even more modern, the small cutout of the V60 is acceptable.

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

The phone has two design modes depending on whether you are using the dual screen case or not. Without the case, the phone looks and feels relatively slim, especially for a device of this size. The camera module on the back isn't flush like the V50, but it doesn't protrude as far as the latest iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy models.

Below is a USB-C port and a headphone jack. The volume rocker and a special Google Assistant button are on the left. The power switch is on the right.

However, add the display case and it's a completely different ball game. The LG V60 is not small at first and the case is bulky. However, the advantage is the second display and the protection of your phone in the event of a fall.

The phone with a connected dual screen is actually thinner than "real" foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Fold. With the case, the LG V60 sits at 0.59 inches thick, while the Galaxy Fold has a bulky 0.66 inches thick when closed. This is surprising and a point for LG.

Placing the device in your pocket is easy. All you have to do is slide it in from the top and make sure the USB-C connector is inserted into the phone connector. You must then use the supplied magnetic USB-C adapter or wireless charging to charge the phone. On the front of the case you'll see a small monochrome display that shows information such as the time, battery life and notifications. It is a practical addition.

The LG V60 is available in two colors – Classy Blue and Classy White. They both look good, but I'm a fan of Classy White's slightly pearlescent look.

Display quality

While the LG V60 ThinQ 5G has an OLED display, the resolution is 1,080p – a step back from the 1,440p screen of the V50 ThinQ. Combine this with the fact that the refresh rate is only 60 Hz and you have a very mediocre viewing experience, at least compared to other modern flagships.

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

Maybe mediocre is not the right word. The colors on the display were still bright and vivid, and thanks to the fact that it is an OLED display, the black levels were still deep and dark. We could see the display easily even in bright sunlight. It is an excellent representation in many ways. However, the competition has brought the display quality to a new level, so the LG V60 ThinQ feels left behind.

You will also see an optical fingerprint sensor on the display – another slight disappointment. Although the sensor was accurate, it reacted somewhat slowly. I can't help but assume that an ultrasonic sensor would have performed better. This phone has no face recognition. Therefore, a fast fingerprint sensor is important.

The dual screen case

The most interesting feature of the LG V60 ThinQ is of course the dual screen case. It's not a "real" foldable phone like the Galaxy Fold or Motorola Razr. While these phones offer a single foldable display, the dual screen accessory offers a second display of the same size and resolution.

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

The dual screen can be useful, especially when multitasking and playing. With multitasking, the second display makes it easier to watch videos on one side and record them on the other. By using the LG Game Pad with compatible games, mobile gaming becomes even more intense.

On the other hand, the extra bulk is a serious problem. If you are used to a big phone and use your phone for high productivity, the case is absolutely worth the extra batter. But if you see it more as a gimmick, you can safely skip buying a game.

You can also turn the case on and off if you want. It is easy to add or remove the case. You can just keep it at home. Or you can leave it at home for everyday use, but bring it with you for trips of several days. This increases the versatility that a "real" folding phone cannot offer. You also have additional accessories that allow you to keep an overview.

performance

The LG V60 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor as well as 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. There is also a microSD card reader so you can expand the built-in memory if necessary.

In daily use, the V60 ThinQ is relatively fast even with heavy multitasking. This is expected from a Snapdragon 865-equipped phone. It did well in benchmarks, although there aren't many Snapdragon 865 smartphones to compare with. Here are the benchmark results we've achieved.

  • Geekbench 5 CPU: 920 single-core, 3410 multi-core
  • AnTuTu 3DBench: 548.375
  • 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme Volcano: 6,542

The phone continued to perform well during mobile gaming. I played a few rounds of Fortnite and Asphalt 9 on the phone with good results. However, this is what I would expect from any flagship phone, so LG doesn't earn any bonus points here.

software

The LG V60 ThinQ 5G has Android 10 with the LG skin over it. At first glance, the software looks good. But the more I used it, the more bloatware I found, and much of it can't be easily removed.

Part of the bloatware is common for Android skins – like a gallery app when most people are likely to use Google Photos. Other unnecessary software is less common and includes preinstalled games like Modern Combat 5 and Sniper Fury, which are thankfully removed. Some apps are installed by the network operator. McAfee recommended by T-Mobile. It all adds up to too many apps and is frustrating. Even worse, many of the apps can only be "deactivated" so that they still take up space.

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

Other aspects of the software could also use work. It has long been known that LG's skin apps are reordered, and that still happens here. After we decided to sort apps alphabetically, we installed some new apps – and they were placed at the bottom of the list instead of in alphabetical order. Also, the phone kept telling me to learn how to use gestures.

In a word, LG's software can be described as annoying. At a time when even Samsung is trying to downsize its Android skins, LG would do well to follow suit.

Photo and video quality

Christian de Looper / Digital Trends

LG updated the camera array for the V60. The end result is a triple lens system with a 64 megapixel 1: 1.8 main sensor, a 13 megapixel 1: 1.9 ultrawide lens and a 0.3 megapixel time-of-flight lens that captures depth information.

It is somewhat disappointing to see the lack of a telephoto lens. Most flagship phones offer this feature, and some, like Samsung's S20 range, offer zoom features that range from great to class-leading. In defense of LG, the fact that the main sensor has 64 megapixels allows the phone to take lossless pictures with 2x zoom. This is just as easy in the camera app as in phones with telephoto lenses. With the digital zoom, the phone can deliver photos with up to 10 times the resolution.

In general, photos taken in good light are detailed, but the camera struggled with low-light conditions, which will be disappointing in 2020 when iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4 are great for shooting in low-light conditions.

The most interesting thing about the camera of the V60 is the fact that thanks to the Snapdragon 865 chipset it can record 8K videos. However, this takes up space (362 MB per minute). Despite the high resolution, the video did not look as good as the one recorded on the iPhone thanks to the iPhone's improved stabilization and image processing.

The front-facing camera has a size of 10 megapixels and is fine for most applications. The camera struggled again in low light, and in portrait mode it had some problems with edge detection and hair. This is not a big disadvantage, but something to consider when other manufacturers put millions in their camera software.

Great battery life

The best thing about the LG V60 ThinQ is the battery. The device is powered by a huge 5,000 mAh battery. That's a lot of juice, even for a phone with a 1440p 120Hz display. When you consider that the display comes with 1080p and 60 Hz, the phone easily lasts a day of heavy use, with a solid 40 percent remaining.

As expected, the dual display accessories drained the battery considerably, and I found that the phone still contains a lot of petrol even after the second display has been used for a long time.

To really put the battery to the test, I set it up so that a 1080p video is continuously streamed over WiFi, with the display at full brightness. It took almost 13 hours. It is an excellent result.

Price, availability and warranty information

The LG V60 ThinQ costs $ 800 without the dual display accessory or $ 900 with the accessory. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, it was only available from AT&T and T-Mobile, and there is still no word on an unlocked version of the phone.

The V60 comes with a one-year warranty. If you register the device with LG, you will receive a second year free of charge. The limited warranty covers manufacturer defects, so you are unlikely to discover them in the second year of use.

Our opinion

The LG V60 ThinQ is a solid phone that is disappointed by a frustrating software experience and so-so functions. From the camera quality to the design to the display, the LG V60 ThinQ stands short of its competition.

However, if you're just looking for a flagship phone and don't want to pay more than $ 1,000 for the Samsung Galaxy S20, consider the LG V60 ThinQ.

Are there alternatives?

If you want a Snapdragon 865-equipped phone in the price range below $ 800, this is the way to go – but only because it's the only option. If you can wait a bit, it is worth doing so as OnePlus 8 is likely to offer a better viewing and software experience and is likely to support 5G.

If you don't mind spending a little more money, consider the Samsung Galaxy S20, which offers a more modern design and better camera, but still supports 5G.

How long it will take?

If you choose the LG V60 ThinQ 5G, you should expect a lifespan of at least two years, which you can extend to three or four years. The device has a glass facade, so we recommend buying a housing. It also has an IP68 water resistance. Although we don't recommend letting it swim, it should survive accidental falls in the pool or bath.

LG doesn't have the best track record of software updates. Although the phone comes with Android 10, the latest version of Android, you shouldn't expect timely updates in the future. For this reason, the phone may lose relevance earlier than expected.

Should you buy one?

No. We only recommend buying this phone if you like the idea of ​​the dual display case. Otherwise, the features are not convincing enough to warrant the purchase of this device.

Editor's recommendations