Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub P3222QE Review: 4K Docking Perfection

Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor sits on desk next to plant and light.

Dell P3222QE 4K Hub Monitor

RRP $ 899.00

"The Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor is an ideal addition to a home office setup."

advantages

  • Excellent connectivity options

  • Great IPS image quality

  • Robust, modern construction

  • Large 4K panel

  • Super guarantee

disadvantage

  • Expensive

  • Not a wide color space

Choosing the best monitor for yourself is not easy, especially if you are looking for a display that can be connected to your notebook with a single USB-C cable and will handle all of the connectivity. Fortunately, Dell has a new 32-inch 4K offering called the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor, codenamed P3222QE.

The two main highlights of this display are its large 4K IPS panel along with USB-C hub functions, which means that it can charge your laptop, display and audio data to the monitor as well as USB and Ethernet signals via a single cable can send. But this feature set doesn't come cheap: the P3222QE is priced at $ 899. Still, it has the potential to be a great home office centerpiece for those who just want to switch between laptop and desktop modes.

design

Back view of the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

When you unpack the display, you are immediately greeted with the sturdy stand and the solid workmanship of the display. You won't find a fancy metal construction here, but the plastic housing of the P3222QE is of high quality with a slim design and without ugly gaps in the panels. The P3222QE has a clean, professional appearance and fits well in most homes and offices, with its great visual feature being its large size.

The stand has a noticeable weight and has all the essential functions that we expect from Dell stands: height adjustment, tilting, swiveling and rotating into portrait format – this is essential for productivity monitors for an ergonomic, healthy posture.

Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub monitor brightness settings stand close-up.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

The stand also has a cable hole through the middle for neat cable management, although I would have preferred to see this cutout a little higher. At halfway up positions, many of the cables are still visible – but this is not a problem at lower positions.

Ports & controls

View of the connectors and ports on the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor.

View of the connectors and ports on the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor.

As mentioned earlier, connectivity is the P3222QE's strong point with HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C inputs. The hub has four USB 3.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet, although a headphone jack appears to be missing.

Two of the USB ports are located next to the display inputs for connecting other fixed devices such as mice, webcams and keyboards, while two more USB ports are located on the underside of the display in a practical place for connecting USB sticks or short-term connected devices of this type.

Two USB ports within easy reach make the P3222QE a practical desktop companion.

Some other USB-C monitors with abundant connectivity occasionally have a DisplayPort out, as is the case with the P2720DC. The P3222QE, on the other hand, doesn't have this feature, so you're limited to a single monitor if you only want to use a single cable. But there is a good reason for this: the Type-C connection does not have the necessary bandwidth for multiple 4K displays. So it's hardly a point of criticism.

The P3222QE can charge the connected USB-C device with up to 65 W power, which is sufficient for the vast majority of productivity-oriented notebooks. However, more powerful mobile workstations or gaming laptops may require more power. So please check your laptop's power requirements before purchasing this monitor.

The P3222QE's OSD (on-screen display) is simple but has most of the essential features needed for this type of monitor. There are two controls on the back of the monitor: a power switch and a small joystick to control the OSD.

Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub monitor brightness settings power button.

Close up of the brightness settings on the Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub monitor.

The OSD itself is sharp and easy to navigate, although the text is quite small and is placed way down in the lower right corner of the display. Since it's a fairly large display, navigating the OSD is a bit un-ergonomic as you have to bend down to read. But it's just the OSD, and it's not that you're going to be spending much time there anyway.

All the important controls are there, including brightness and contrast settings, various preset color modes and a handful of device settings. For inputs, there is even the option to rename the inputs, which is nice if you want to name the USB-C port in "laptop", DisplayPort in desktop and HDMI in console, for example.

picture quality

With a large, 31.5-inch IPS panel with a 4K resolution of 3840 x 2160, the P3222QE offers a pleasantly sharp image with great color performance. The panel is able to display 1.07 billion colors, with an evaluated color space covering 99% of the sRGB space. As such, this is not a monitor with a wide color gamut and is not supplied with a factory calibration. So we'll see how it does in our tests right now. Dell also promises a static contrast ratio of 1000: 1, which is expected from an IPS panel, and the typical brightness is stated at 350 nits.

One of Dell's strengths in its monitors are the coatings – where they were quite aggressive a decade ago, Dell has honed their coating process to create a very smooth anti-glare coating that is still very effective at reducing glare. The P3222QE also has this soft coating, which makes its image easy on the eyes even at higher brightness levels.

So without further ado, let's toss our Datacolor Spyder X Elite at the P3222QE and see how it performs.

Dell 32 4K USB-C Hub Monitor sits on desk next to plant and light.Niels Broekhuijsen / Digital Trends

All in all, the P3222QE actually delivers a good performance. Its color space is limited to 99% of the sRGB space, which fans of wide-gamut panels will miss, but its color space is easy on the eyes and a very good sRGB panel in terms of quality. Gamma performance is perfect at 2.2 with a deviation of just 0.01, and color accuracy is tested with a Delta-E (difference from reality) of 1.67. This is good enough for photo editing work, which the P3222QE is great for with its large size and high resolution.

Meanwhile, the brightness performance of 350 cd / m² is just right, with the static contrast ratio measured with a peak value of 1100: 1 and exceeding the promised specification. Only the white point was a bit off target at 6900K, which creates a slightly colder image than desired.

After using the Spyder X Elite to calibrate the display and reevaluate its performance, we found we squeezed out 1% more sRGB coverage and improved color accuracy to an impressive Delta-E of just 1.01 . The white point has also been refined so that the overall performance of the P3222QE can be improved even further with a simple calibration. But the picture is more than good enough for most use cases. So if you're not doing professional editing, we'd just leave it as it is.

Our opinion

The P3222QE is an excellent 4K monitor that is particularly suitable for use with notebooks thanks to its integrated hub functions. With up to 65 watts of power output via its USB-C port, four USB 3.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet, the P3222QC has all the connectivity required to set up a (home) office workstation that is connected to the Laptop docks.

And that's not to ignore the picture of the P3222QE: with a large 32-inch 4K panel, you get a lot of sharpness on a large panel, at a DPI that is just comfortable enough for most people to not allow UX scaling to need what offers you a lot of monitor real estate to work. Color performance is also excellent as long as you work in the sRGB color space. For most people, this is not a problem and might even be preferable for eye protection, although professional editors may opt for a high color gamut display if their job calls for it.

All in all, the P3222QE is an excellent large monitor for use with modern laptops that offers an unmatched level of practicality and excellent processing and image quality. The only real catch is the $ 899 price tag, though that's not entirely fancy considering the panel size and quality combined with Dell's connectivity options and excellent warranty program.

Are there alternatives?

If a 4K panel is too big for you and you prefer smaller displays, the Dell P2720DC might be more for you.

Otherwise alternatives are the LG Ergo 32UN880 with similar specifications, or the LG 32UP550 at half the price if you're willing to sacrifice the quality of the IPS panel for a cheaper VA unit.

How long it will take?

Dell covers the P3222QE with a 3-year upfront exchange service guarantee, which means you have a new one delivered to your office or home before you pick the old one up – and in my experience they get you there really quickly, too. This is ideal when you can't be without a monitor for long.

Outside of the warranty period, the P3222QE should also last at least five years, if not longer. LED lighting is not prone to failure and there are no other complexities that could affect its potential lifespan.

Should I buy it?

Yes, if you're looking for a large 4K monitor for your laptop that offers the convenience of a single cable connection, the Dell P3222QE is for you. It's a bit pricey at $ 899, but you get a lot of quality and gear for the money so the price is justified.

Editor's recommendations



Asus ZenBook 13 OLED (UM325) Review: AMD Laptop Perfection?

asus zenbook 13 oled um32 review 1

Asus ZenBook 13 OLED UM325 Review: AMD Laptop Perfection?

"The Asus ZenBook 13 OLED is an indispensable laptop as long as you don't need a headphone jack."

  • Awesome OLED screen

  • Excellent touchpad and keyboard

  • The battery life is spectacular

  • Very thin and light

I may have found the perfect laptop. Or at least something that comes very close.

It's not made by Apple, Microsoft, or even Dell. From the outside, it doesn't even look particularly remarkable. When I pulled the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED out of the box, I fully expected it to be another solid mid-range laptop.

Then I tested the 1080p OLED screen. And benchmarking the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor inside. And then he noticed how long it took on a single charge.

The Asus ZenBook 13 OLED has it all. Nearly. Despite a few flaws, the ZenBook 13 OLED (UM325) is a laptop that all potential buyers should consider when it hits general availability in May.

design

The appearance of the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED is the least noticeable feature. It's by no means a bad looking laptop – but if you've seen a ZenBook, you've seen this one. I'm not a big fan of the concentric circle on the lid or the plastered logo on the front, but it's one of the prettier laptops Asus made recently.

This is especially true when you open the lid and see what the laptop has to offer inside. Everything is beautifully laid out, including the oversized touchpad and new keyboard. The layout and keycaps are reminiscent of HP's Specter laptops – but that's not a bad thing. The extra column of buttons under the power button offers some extra functionality, and the font with the keycap feels modern and clean.

At 0.55 inches and 2.5 pounds thick, the ZenBook 13 OLED is both thinner and lighter than most of its competitors, including the Dell XPS 13, HP Specter x360 13, Surface Laptop 3 13, Razer Book 13, and MacBook Pro 13 in. This makes a very portable laptop that is great for on the go. Even if it just moves from room to room, the small footprint comes in handy.

Despite its size, the chassis is robust. You may feel some flexing when applying extra force, but it's not something you will notice in daily use. The hinge opens with one finger and is lifted off the table when it is opened, creating a slight ramp for comfortable typing. I usually don't like these kind of raised hinges, but Asus pulled them off in a way that isn't distracting or ugly.

The aspect ratio of the screen is the main disadvantage of the ZenBook 13 OLED's design. It uses 16: 9, which went out of style in 2021 in favor of larger, more productive sizes like 16:10 or 3: 2. When you go back to 16: 9, the screen feels stocky. More importantly, the screen has a chubby chin bezel due to the size at the bottom. It's not a thorn in the side, it's just not quite as modern as the Dell XPS 13 or the Razer Book 13.

Asus decided that you don't need a headphone jack on your laptop.

My final complaint with the design of the ZenBook 13 OLED is ports. For some reason, Asus decided that you don't need a headphone jack on your laptop. If Asus were going for a more minimalist setup, that would probably make sense. However, the ZenBook 13 OLED has HDMI and USB-A. Yes, it's an odd choice that is likely to piss people off who didn't realize there wasn't a headphone jack until they needed it.

Fortunately, Asus includes an adapter in the box, but it lets you close either of your two available USB-C ports.

Display and speakers

The Asus ZenBook 13 isn't the first 13-inch notebook with an OLED screen – it was the HP Specter x360. However, this laptop is the first to implement a 13-inch 1080p OLED screen. That's a big deal as OLED panels keep getting cheaper – and hopefully reach more people.

It's not that the ZenBook 13 OLED is super cheap, but compared to the 4K models that OLED is exclusive to. What's the big deal with OLED? Well you will tell the difference when you see it in person. With OLED, pixels are rented out individually, which means that black levels and contrast ratio blow conventional LEDs out of the water. It's not even close, especially on a glossy screen like this one.

The OLED panel feels like the future of laptop displays.

397 nits are bright enough to prevent reflections, but it's the colors that really make this display pop. 100% sRGB and AdobeRGB color spaces are unknown on a 1080p screen, and the color accuracy is among the best I've ever tested with a Delta E of 0.49. Photographers may complain about the lack of a 4K option, but they definitely won't complain about the colors.

The display is non-touchable, as is common with 1080p screens.

When it comes to panels and calibration, the ZenBook 13 OLED is the future of laptop displays.

The same is not true of the speakers. The chintzy audio comes from underneath the laptop and points directly at your table or lap. The sound is messed up, especially when compared to all MacBooks. With speakers in this location, this will always be a problem.

Keyboard and touchpad

I am very happy with the inputs on the ZenBook 13 OLED. I've already mentioned the keyboard's appearance, but it's also very precise and comfortable to type. The layout is comfortable and the 1.4mm key travel feels heavenly compared to many of the 1mm keyboards.

The keyboard does not contain a fingerprint reader. This is an odd feature that a premium device left out.

My only problem was the backlight. There are three levels of backlight brightness, but there are some noticeable uneven spots. It's quite light over the middle zone while others are darker. This is a pity.

The touchpad is similarly successful. It's extra wide, but great for rejecting palms when typing. Tracking is smooth, as are gestures. My only sucker? The click is a little louder than I like. This is especially noticeable if you're coming from a MacBook.

The laptop has a sloppy 720p webcam over the display. It's no surprise how bad it is, but this should be reserved for emergencies only. However, it does include a built-in IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition.

performance

Thanks to the new Ryzen processors from AMD, the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED offers remarkable performance for a laptop of this size. My device came with the Ryzen 7 5800U, an eight-core processor with a base clock of 1.9 GHz. When you add 16 GB of RAM and one TB of SSD storage, you have a pretty powerful little computer.

This is the first laptop I tested with this chip and I was disappointed. This is a significant improvement over last year's Ryzen 4000 processors and a clear head start over what Intel offers. This is especially true of multi-core performance, of course, thanks to the additional cores and threads that AMD's 7nm chips offer.

Geekbench (single / multi) Cinbench R23 (single / multi) PCMark 10 3DMark Time Spy
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED 1423/6758 1171/7824 6034 1342
Dell XPS 13 (Core i7-1185G7) 1549/5431 1399/4585 n / A 1380
HP Specter x360 14 (Core i7-1165G7) 1214/4117 1389/3941 4728 1457
Razor Book 13 (Core i7-1165G7) 1548/5374 1508/4519 4878 1776
MacBook Pro 13 (M1) 1707/7377 1487/7547 n / A n / A
Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 (Core i7-1185G7) 1532/5415 1435/4409 4800 1648

What's the use of this for performance in the real world? All of the laptops listed above are great for everyday work activities such as multitasking, web browsing, office applications, and video conferencing. That is to be assumed.

The reason the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED beats its competitors in PCMark 10 is mainly because of its excellent content creation performance. If you want to run some creative applications like Photoshop or Lightroom on the side, the ZenBook 13 OLED will surprise you how fast it is with these heavier tasks.

The ZenBook 13 OLED remains an undeniable argument for AMD in 2021.

It's even a decent video production machine. It's 41% faster than the Razer Book 13 in H.265 video encoding in Handbrake, which shows the big difference those additional cores make. In Handbrake it is even 7% faster than in the Ryzen 7 4800U from last year when I tested it in the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7.

Now the ZenBook 13 OLED will obviously never again be compared to a 15-inch laptop with a discrete graphics card in real video editing. Even a modest 15-inch laptop like the HP Specter x360 15 (Core i7-10750H / GTX 1650 Ti) was 45% faster in PugetBench's Adobe Premiere Pro benchmark. This is also where the incredible performance of the MacBook Pro M1 exudes, which is just as fast as that of the Specter x360 15 in the same test.

That said, the ZenBook 13 OLED remains an undeniable argument for AMD in 2021, especially if you're not interested in a move to macOS.

Battery life

Battery life is the final trick in the case of the ZenBook 13 OLED. It took an amazing 15 hours and 46 minutes on our web browser test, which is as good as it gets for a laptop of this type. That was true for last year's AMD laptops, and it is true for this year as well. It beat the HP Specter x360 14 by nearly 9 hours and the XPS 13 by 7.5 hours. In fact, it only takes 19 minutes to keep up with the MacBook Pro!

The ZenBook 13 OLED's lower resolution explains some of this, but even when compared to other 1080p laptops, the ZenBook 13 OLED is way ahead of the competition.

Meanwhile, the ZenBook also lasted 15.5 hours while the video was looping. This is another test in which the MacBook Pro M1 dominates and it lasts over 21 hours. But here, too, the ZenBook 13 OLED is at least 3 or 4 hours ahead of many of the best Intel laptops.

Of course, your mileage can vary depending on how hard you push the system. With the ZenBook 13 OLED as my daily driver for almost a full week, I found it easy to get through a work day without a charge, and there was enough juice left to handle a couple of hours the next morning.

Our opinion

The Asus ZenBook 13 OLED is way ahead of the competition in almost every important category. The OLED screen is a standout feature, as is AMD performance and fantastic battery life. Do I wish it had a headphone jack and a 16:10 screen? Naturally. But the strengths more than make up for these mistakes.

The only caveat is pricing, which is still ongoing. Some international prices suggest the base configuration will be around $ 1,000 while our pimped up model is likely to cost a few hundred more.

Any alternatives?

The best choice is the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 chip. It's cheaper, faster, and has a higher resolution screen. Of course, it has neither an OLED screen nor a USB-A and HDMI connection.

However, if you don't want to upgrade to a Mac, the Dell XPS 13, HP Specter x360 14, and Razer Book 13 offer a competitive package. The XPS 13 is still the prettiest of the range and would still be my pick of the four laptops.

How long it will take?

The Asus ZenBook 13 OLED should last at least four or five years. The 16: 9 aspect ratio will continue to be a bit dated going forward, but the chassis and components are all sturdy and future-proof.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It's one of the most exciting laptops of recent times, especially if you're looking for an AMD device in 2021.

Editor's recommendations




Dell XPS 13 9310 Review: Tiger Lake Perfects Perfection

Dell XPS 13 9310 Featured Image

Dell XPS 13 9310 review: Tiger Lake perfects perfection

"The XPS 13 9310 with Tiger Lake isn't so much faster than the Ivy Lake version that you'll be forced to upgrade, but it solidifies the XPS 13 as the best there is."

  • Optimized design

  • Tiny bezels all around

  • 16:10 display increases productivity

  • The keyboard and touchpad are larger and excellent

  • Solid productivity performance

  • Connectivity is limited

  • The battery life has been downgraded

I've checked many laptops for digital trends over the past few years and it has been great. There was a loophole in my experience though – I'd never had the chance to review a Dell XPS laptop, which was pretty disappointing. So imagine my excitement when I was assigned the Tiger Lake upgrade of the Dell XPS 13 for review.

I got a fairly high-quality configuration of the XPS 13 9310 for $ 1,550 – the base price is $ 1,150 – with an 11th generation quad-core Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe -Solid-state drive (SSD) and a 13.4-inch full HD display in the new 16:10 aspect ratio from Dell. I know that my editor Luke Larsen loves the XPS 13 and has consistently rated it as the best notebook on the market. I asked myself: would I feel the same way?

design

Dell XPS 13 9310 designMark Coppock / Digital Trends

OK, after spending some time with the new XPS 13, I get it. The latest versions are really well designed laptops. I say this because I haven't had a chance to spend much time with one until my test unit arrived, and while I trust Luke to do a thorough and accurate review, it's the rare laptop I believe will earned the perfect score he assigned the last version.

From a design point of view, it's perfectly proportioned and just enough aesthetic elements are mixed in to enhance the otherwise simple design. Compared to the HP Specter x360 13 (in my opinion the strongest competitor of the XPS 13) with its gem-carved design and outstanding color schemes, the XPS 13 looks serious. While I love the HP and actually consider it one of my favorites, I can appreciate what Dell has done with the XPS 13 as well. There is no unnecessary line or angle on the case of the laptop – it just looks right. My test device is the arctic white model with a woven fiberglass palm rest that is not only comfortable but also looks good. The new aluminum strips on the sides add a little flair, and the tiny bezels that wrap around the display thanks to the 16:10 aspect ratio are as modern as possible.

And yes, the build quality is excellent. The laptop feels just like a premium laptop – although it's made from different materials like glass, metal, and fiberglass, it's all somehow fused into one cohesive whole. There's nowhere to bend, twist, or bend. Other laptops, like the Specter x360 13 and competitive Asus laptops, can boast the same thing, but there's no doubt that the XPS 13 is firmly anchored among the best of the group. That includes you, MacBook Pro.

Dell has also gone to some extra effort to ensure durability, such as: B. by double dipping the aluminum on the side during anodizing so that you don't scratch the surface every time you connect a peripheral device. The hinge can be easily opened with one hand and then tightened at the right moment to hold the display firmly in place.

Compared to the previous XPS 13 (not the last version, but the previous one), the laptop is 0.58 "thinner than 0.62", which is significantly thinner than the 0.67 "of the Specter x360 13. It comes with 2.8 pounds versus 2.7 pounds the smallest bit heavier than the previous generation, and the Specter x360 13 outperforms both at 2.88 pounds. To be honest, these are tiny differences. If you hold the XPS 13 next to the Specter x360 13, you'll find that it's only the smallest bit deeper and the smallest bit less wide. In practice, they are essentially the same in how small they feel when you carry them around and use them on your lap.

I'm going to criticize the XPS 13 a bit for its connectivity, which only includes two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support (in the Tiger Lake manifestation) and a microSD card reader. The Specter x360 13 also offers you two Thunderbolt 4 ports (in the latest version) and a USB-A 3.1 port for your older devices. Make sure you carry around the included USB-C to USB-A dongle, which Dell throws in the box. Of course, there is also Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 to make sure your wireless connection is as up-to-date as possible.

performance

Dell XPS 13 9310 performanceMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Will Tiger Lake Make the XPS 13 a Faster Laptop? The answer is of course yes. How much faster? That is the more important question.

Starting with Geekbench 5, the XPS 13 equipped with a Core i7-1165G7 achieved 1,540 points in the single-core test and 5,432 points in the multi-core test. This is comparable to the Ivy Lake Core i7-1065G7 version with 1,329 and 4,862. So this is a significant leap. The Specter x360 13 with its Core i7-1065G7 only managed 1,164 and 3,981 and was therefore significantly slower. Note that you can use the HP Command Center utility to enable performance mode. This affects the performance of the Specter x360 13. HP has been a bit conservative in tuning the thermals to ensure the 2-in-1 stays cool and quiet.

It took the Tiger Lake XPS 13 a little over three minutes to complete the test with the older version of the handbrake that we used to test the Ivy Lake XPS 13, which only required one test another eight seconds. Switch to Dell's performance mode and you'll save 10 seconds less than Tiger Lake. The Specter x360 13 took a full 5.86 minutes in normal mode and 3.9 minutes in performance mode. If we examine the results of the Tiger Lake XPS 13 on the newer version of Handbrake, it's faster than 10th generation CPUs.

While the XPS 13 in this version took 3.35 minutes to complete the process in this version, the Surface Book 3 13 with the Core i7-1065G7 took almost four minutes. The XPS 13 also beat some other Tiger Lake laptops, like the Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA, which took four minutes longer in normal mode and 30 seconds longer in performance mode than the XPS 13 in performance mode, which took a little over three minutes to complete. The Acer Swift 5 was only three seconds slower in normal mode than the XPS 13 in performance mode (the Acer utility's performance mode actually made things slower). In summary: The Tiger Lake XPS 13 was fast in our handbrake test, but not the fastest and not much faster than the Ivy Lake version.

I also ran Cinebench 20 on the Tiger Lake XPS 13, which we didn't run in the previous version. Here it scored 518 in single-core mode and 1,921 in multi-core mode (the increase was marginal in performance mode). This is a bit behind the Acer Swift 5, which manages 542 and 2,091, and just behind the faster Intel reference laptop we tested with the higher-clocked Core i7-1185G7. However, the XPS 13 was much faster than the ZenBook 14 UX425EA, which reached 498 and 1766 in performance mode – despite the ZenBook's thicker case and theoretically better thermals.

In short, the Tiger Lake XPS 13 is an absolute performance upgrade, if not enough to upgrade if you are happy with the performance of your Ivy Lake XPS 13. If you choose among the current Tiger Lake laptops, however, the XPS 13's performance is so good that you don't have to sacrifice speed just to get the fantastic design of the laptop.

display

Dell XPS 13 9310 displayMark Coppock / Digital Trends

One of the biggest changes to this iteration of the XPS 13, both the Ivy Lake and Tiger Lake versions, was the transition to a 16:10 aspect ratio from the usual 16: 9. The value of such movement is triple. First, you get a bigger display that shows more information with less scrolling, albeit with the trade-off between a little bit of letterboxing in the video. Second, you can fill an entire ad with actual screen real estate, leaving little or no chin under. Third, if you get it right, you can increase the amount of palm rest, which is always good.

In the case of the XPS 13, all of these things are true. The way I used it, I liked the larger display just as much as I did when I used Microsoft's Surface devices with an even larger 3: 2 aspect ratio. Is it a deal breaker for me? Not really – the difference isn't that big. The XPS 13 certainly has the smallest bezels you'll find, and that includes the chin, which is just as small as the other three sides. Third, the XPS 13 has larger palm rests and a slightly larger touchpad, both of which are very welcome changes.

My test device was equipped with a Full HD + display (1,920 x 1,200), which was a bit of a disappointment for me given my preference for high resolutions. I've also found that most Full HD displays (or something like that) are of significantly lower quality than the 4K displays that companies like Dell build into their laptops. So I wasn't expecting the best news from my colorimeter.

As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised. First of all, the display is very bright at 458 nits and approaches the display's 500 nits rating. The contrast ratio is also high at 1350: 1. That's a lot better than most of the Full HD displays you'll find, like the Acer Swift 5's 14-inch, 327-nit, 950: 1 contrast ratio, Full HD display. I won't go with that Compare the Specter x360 13, because the version we tested used an OLED display that blows the Dell display out of the water.

The color support was average for a premium Full HD display. The panel covered 98% of sRGB and 75% of AdobeRGB. Both are great results, but don't come close to any of the better 4K displays you can buy. For example, choose the XPS 13 4K display and you will likely get a little north of 90% AdobeRGB, which makes creatives happy. The color accuracy was good with a DeltaE of 1.36 – less than 1.0 cannot be differentiated with the human eye and is the standard for professional displays.

In real use, the display was a pleasure. The brightness and contrast made black text pop off the page, which is incredibly important to me as a writer. I found the colors natural and more than vivid enough, but then again, I don't edit photos and videos. If you do, the 4K display will make you happier. Finally, watching Netflix was a great experience thanks to the support of Dolby Vision which continues to provide the best HDR experience in a laptop.

Audio was a nice surprise too, with lots of volume coming from the down-facing speakers and no distortion. The mids and highs were fine, and there was even a hint of bass. You won't be using the internal speakers to share Netflix with friends, but that's enough for solo sessions.

Keyboard and touchpad

Dell XPS 13 9310 keyboard and touchpadMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Dell has integrated a keyboard with larger keycaps and better spacing between the keys in the new XPS 13 and has retained the same travel as the older keyboard. For these reasons alone, I liked it better. But I also liked the switches, which provided a snappy feel and comfortable floor movement. Finally, another Windows 10 keyboard catches up with the HP Specter keyboard as my favorite – it's a virtual connection. Only Apple's Magic Keyboard on the latest MacBooks is better.

The touchpad is also slightly larger and has a convenient glass cover. The buttons click quieter than before and, like all Microsoft Precision touchpads, are responsive and precise. There's also a touch display, which like all touch panels today, works well and made me happy (I hate non-touch displays after getting used to tapping and swiping over the display).

Windows 10 Hello support is provided in two ways. First, a fingerprint reader is built into the (strangely unlabeled) power button on the top right of the keyboard. It was quick and responsive, and I prefer fingerprint readers built into the power button. Second, a very slim infrared camera is built into the tiny bezel above the display, which detects my face with absolute reliability.

Battery life

Dell XPS 13 9310 battery lifeMark Coppock / Digital Trends

There is one area where the Tiger Lake XPS 13 lags behind its Ivy Lake predecessor: battery life. I can't explain why – I didn't conclude that Tiger Lake had poor battery life, but then again, our database of 11th generation machines remains quite small. Although the XPS 13 9310 has the same battery capacity as the 9300, namely 52 watt hours, the 9310 fell significantly behind in the tests we were able to run.

As with every other Tiger Lake laptop I've tested, the XPS 13 wouldn't complete the Basemark web benchmark test, which is our biggest claim. Instead, I ran PCMark 10's gaming battery test, which put a strain on the CPU and GPU, and found it lasted almost four hours. The Acer Swift 5, the other Tiger Lake machine I tested with PCMark, lasted just under two hours. The XPS 13 beats at least one Tiger Lake rival when stressed.

The Tiger Lake XPS 13 lasted 8.5 hours and has now moved on to our web benchmark, which serves as the best estimate of battery life productivity. This corresponds to Intel's Evo certification requirement of nine hours of battery life in practice. With the right mix of tasks, you might be in the right place. The Ivy Lake XPS 13 lasted 11.5 hours and the Acer Swift 5 fell 35 minutes behind the XPS 13 9310.

Next, I ran the XPS 13 through our video loop test, which played a Full HD Avengers trailer until the battery ran out. It took 12 hours, well behind the 14.3 hours of the Ivy Lake XPS 13 and ahead of the 11.5 hours of the Swift 5. I won't bother including the Specter x360 13 in this comparison – the OLED display is incredible hungry for performance and cannot keep up with these Full HD laptops.

Ultimately, the XPS 13 9310 will likely get you through a full day of work and it is close to meeting Intel's nine-hour Evo certification requirements. As always, when you squeeze the CPU and / or GPU you get less, but for general productivity tasks, I rate the battery life as good, not great.

Our opinion

The Dell XPS 13 9310 with Tiger Lake remains the best laptop you can buy, despite the shorter battery life. It's just as good as its predecessor in terms of design, input options, and general usability, while also being a bit faster.

It's not the cheapest laptop, and as we found in the XPS 13 9300 review, you can find some great alternatives if you're on less than $ 1,000. However, if you are looking for a 13-inch clamshell laptop, the XPS 13 9310 is your best bet.

Are there alternatives?

The HP Specter x360 13 remains a strong competitor to the XPS 13 and is now available in the same tiny and eye-catching package with Tiger Lake. You'll also save hundreds of dollars over the equivalent XPS 13. You can also consider the Specter x360 14, which uses an even more productivity-friendly 3: 2 aspect ratio for its display and outfits Tiger Lake components for roughly the same price as the one XPS 13.

We recommended the MacBook Air as an alternative, but that's now made more difficult by Apple's migration to its own Apple Silicon M1 CPU, which completely changes the game. We'll check that out soon. So hold on to see if it's a viable alternative to the XPS 13.

Finally, Microsoft's Surface Laptop 3 is a laptop to consider because of its similar price, weight, and thickness. It uses the 3: 2 aspect ratio, making it more productive. And it's a great looking laptop to boot into.

How long it will take?

The XPS 13 9310 has an impressive build quality that inspires confidence in years of reliable service. The components are up to date and should be able to keep up the hum. The one-year warranty is industry standard and, as usual, is disappointing. However, you can always purchase an extended warranty if you are concerned about long term coverage.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The XPS 13 9310 is still the best laptop out there.

Editor's recommendations




Apple Watch Series 5 Review: Very Close to Perfection

"The Apple Watch Series 5 is near perfect and the best smartwatch you can wear right now."

  • Stylistic look

  • Comprehensive fitness functions

  • Really helpful health traits

  • Useful always-on display

  • The cellular model can replace your phone for a short time

  • No significant changes compared to Series 4

  • No native sleep tracking

The only product I gave a perfect rating for is the Apple Watch. The Series 4 Apple Watch for 2018, to be precise, as not only was it Apple's best product of the year, but it was also the best smartwatch you could buy. Apple has updated the watch to that Series 5and brings a handful of new features while maintaining the same design.

Does that mean it is no longer excellent? Do not be absurd. It is still miles ahead of the competition.

Same iconic design

The Apple Watch Series 5 is visually unchanged from the Series 4. It is available in either a 44mm case or a slightly smaller 40mm size for those with slimmer wrists. The case is still a slim 10.7mm and the 44mm model I'm wearing in the pictures weighs only 36 grams. It is hardly noticeable on the wrist, never gets stuck under a shirt cuff and the curvy cover is wonderfully ergonomic.

Sounds like it was designed by someone who knows watches right? Yes it was and it really shows. The days of being upset about the Apple Watch not being round are long gone. It has become an iconic watch design, and Apple's improvements to the Series 4, which increased the viewable area of ​​the screen without enlarging the body, made it really attractive. I'm not saying I don't want to see a circular Apple Watch (I'd love to see the company approach one), but I definitely don't think we need one. This design has become a classic.

Then there is the build quality and the presentation. It comes in an elongated box that can be opened. The watch case is wrapped in a tiny, soft protective bag. The strap is separate and if you get the Sport Band version it even has medium and long options in the box. The watch case is delicate but durable, and even the cheapest aluminum model feels exceptionally high quality. The matt, room-gray housing, which was combined with the white sports band above, is simple, stylish and wonderfully finished. It is as high quality as mobile products.

The design of the Apple Watch Series 5 hasn't changed because it's simply not required.

Would you like to opt for the Apple Watch made of stainless steel, titanium or ceramic? Sure, go for it, but there's no noticeable difference in texture or build. Yes, they are more durable and you get extra "Boasters" points, but that's about it. Nobody will know if you don't tell them. So stick with aluminum (it's 100% recycled, so it's better for the environment anyway) and spend the money saved building a collection of alternative tapes instead.

The design of the Apple Watch Series 5 hasn't changed because it's simply not required. The only place you can go from here, if technology allows, is to make the case even slimmer and the bezels smaller. Until then, it's fabulous.

A display that is always available

Here is the big change for the Series 5 compared to the Series 4: It has a display that is always on, meaning it always shows the time. It sounds a bit silly, but this has never been an option on the Apple Watch before. It wasn't a huge issue as the Apple Watch was quick to react when you raised your wrist, but it cures the pain of not being able to glimpse the time. A not-so-subtle increase in the wrist to see the time wasn't always appropriate, after all.

This also applies to fitness tracking: if you want to do push-ups and look at the watch to see your data without stopping, it was previously impossible. Workouts are now shown on the always-on display so you can easily check your progress.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends

The Series 5's always-on display is more than just a skeleton-style environmental mode. Pick the right watch face and it's an almost identical copy of the usual version. Apple had to overcome battery life considerations to make it work.

Speaking of watch faces, there's a selection of new ones out there. While almost all of them are customizable, there are several standout winners. The Californian dial is attractive, but the Numerals Duo’s bold simplicity is my favorite. It's easy to match the color of the numbers with your watch's strap for a really put together look.

WatchOS 6, which is installed on the Series 5 and is also available for previous generations, has some fun novelties to offer. I like the little tap on your wrist to mark the hour. It's a wonderful recall to the hourly "beep beep" sound of a digital clock from my childhood, without the hassle that such a function would cause today.

I've set up every Apple Watch since Series 0 and it worked the first time every time.

The Noise app is an interesting continuation of Apple's commitment to health. It warns you when you are in a noisy environment and how continued exposure to the sound can damage your hearing. The app measures around 74 decibels in a busy pub and issues a warning when the sound level reaches 100 dB. This is one of those features that isn't immediately helpful, but it does add extra awareness of your surroundings.

The Apple Watch and WatchOS 6 work so well together that they put all other portable platforms to shame with great performance and a simple, quick-to-learn user experience. It's fun to use too. I like the haptic feedback that is impressively tactile against your wrist or finger, and using the digital crown to zoom in and out on the app screen still looks great after all this time. It's all so cohesive and smart.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends

It's not without its problems, however. When the watch face sleeps over a displayed notification or app like the new compass, the background will blur and the time will appear in the top right corner. It's not attractive. Waking up the clock and performing your first task takes a little patience as you have to pause for a second before interacting with the screen after tapping the display. This is the only time the software is slow.

These are just small handles, not real problems. Even the setup process is flawless. After scanning the first screen of the watch with your iPhone's camera, the process takes about 10 minutes. It is so easy. There is no messing around during pairing and no graphics are rotated while waiting for updates. I've set up every Apple Watch since Series 0 and it worked the first time every time.

Fitness and health tracking

The Apple Watch is the only fitness and health tracker you'll ever need to wear unless you're focused on a specific sport like marathons or some other form of high-intensity workout that requires specific metrics. It takes care of steps, calories, hourly exercise, relaxation, VO2 max data, hours of standing, and exercise tracking for everything including swimming and cycling, as well as other activities like yoga and elliptical training.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends

All of this is available elsewhere, but where Apple stands out is the comprehensive picture it creates of your health over time and the extra tracking that actually saved lives. All of this is one big reason to keep wearing the Apple Watch, and you can't say that about any other smartwatch. The longer you wear it, the more information will be gathered and the more trends will become apparent so that you can change your lifestyle for the better.

There is a new Trends tab in the Activity app on your iPhone (180 days of activity data is required to view these trends) that provides extensive data on your level of activity over time.

The Series 5 Apple Watch didn't add sleep tracking, a long-rumored new feature. Whether this is seen as a disadvantage depends on the importance you put on it. There are apps that monitor sleep using the Apple Watch. However, this and all future official Apple features require you to wear the watch to bed. This means making alternative plans so as not to charge the watch overnight. Is it a major oversight? In my opinion no, but it would be welcome in the future.

The Series 5 Apple Watch didn't add sleep tracking, a long-rumored new feature.

Data is stored and collected in the activity app on your iPhone. When you find that you have slacked off, it will suggest ways you can improve. There are also many daily motivational tools where "closing the rings" (an indication of achieving your activity goals) is addicting and lacking a goal one day is frustrating. It works because it is simple, but the simplicity doesn't mean you will lose interest or miss out on valuable data.

Introduced in WatchOS 5 and the Apple Watch Series 4, Electrocardiogram (EKG) monitoring is available to most owners around the world after an early launch only in the US. It's easy to use, but only meant to be used when you feel an irregularity in your heart rate. It doesn't resemble the heart rate monitor, which is useful for both fitness tracking and medical purposes, and instead falls into the same category as the watch's fall detection mode: you may not know you need it until you do. With it there, you can have peace of mind if you have an irregular heartbeat concern as a notification will be sent when one is detected.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends

The data from the Apple Watch makes the activity and health app on your iPhone easier to use. The information displayed is easy to understand, there is a wealth of statistical and information about your daily activity. Even after just a few days of wearing the watch, you will find out where improvements can be made.

Everything is easy to use, the menus are large and clear, and the apps on the iPhone are both informative and attractive. There is no other fitness tracking system that is so well presented, instantly accessible, properly motivating, and durable.

Battery and performance

Has the screen always on ruined battery life? No. It is possible to get a full day (around 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.) and then half of the following day out of a single load. It takes about an hour to charge and a midday charge would easily take the remainder of the second day of use.

Your own usage will vary, and it is expected that battery life will decrease if you use the calling features of an Apple Watch or if you do extended periods of fitness tracking with GPS and heart rate monitoring. Even then, a day should still be possible. This also applies to the smaller 40 mm Apple Watch, which we also tested.

It goes without saying that you have to charge a smartwatch every day, and there are new features that put additional strain on the battery in the Series 5. However, it is disappointing that the new model failed to extend the battery to two days with regular use. Such an extension of the useful life would also make the addition of sleep monitoring more likely.

Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends

Early examples of the Apple Watch did not have the required level of performance. That has changed, and the only time the Series 5 suffers badly is when it is subjected to significant stress while using apps that require data. It's smooth, fast, and never frustrating, but the S5 chip inside doesn't offer any performance gains and instead focuses on efficiency.

The nice thing is that you can use apps on the watch if you want. When you set it up, iPhone automatically adds the Watch version of the apps already installed on your phone. You don't need to install the iOS version of an app on your iPhone if you don't want to as the App Store is now available on the watch itself thanks to WatchOS 6.

What else can the Apple Watch do? It works with Apple Pay, you can store music on it locally (or use Spotify / Apple Music), pair bluetooth headphones with it, make calls and leave your cellular phone at home, chat with Siri after long press digital Crown, reply to messages and emails, check the weather, use it as a remote shutter release for the camera, and even practice mindfulness with the Breathe feature. It is no exaggeration to call the Apple Watch the most complete, feature-rich, everyday smartwatch you can wear.

Price and availability

The Apple Watch Series 5 is available now in the Apple Online Store, in retail stores and at partner locations. The aluminum body costs $ 400 for the 42mm and $ 430 for the 44mm. Pricing is $ 500 for the GPS + Cellular 42mm model and $ 530 for the 44mm version. The stainless steel Apple Watch starts at $ 700, the titanium model starts at $ 800, the ceramic starts at $ 1,300, and the Hermés version starts at $ 1,250.

Apple offers a one-year warranty against manufacturing defects. AppleCare + also offers a more comprehensive coverage plan, but it'll cost you $ 50 for two years.

Our opinion

The Apple Watch Series 5 is superb. No other smartwatch offers nearly the same level of fitness tracking, comfort, performance, or portability.

Apple Watch Series 4 owners don't really need to upgrade, but those who didn't buy the last Apple Watch should go for this.

Is there a better alternative?

No. You would only consider another smartwatch if you have an Android phone and want a WearOS device for better integration. There is a problem with that, however. WearOS is light years behind WatchOS.

In 2020, Apple released the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE. The Series 6 should be viewed as the model that needs to be purchased now. However, if you have a Series 5, there isn't a compelling feature update to make an upgrade necessary.

How long it will take?

Three years, if not more. The Apple Watch Series 4 is a year old and strong. If you have an Apple Watch Series 2, it gets the latest software. So there's no reason why the Series 5 shouldn't be happy with your wrist for long.

Should you buy one?

Yes. Absolutely, completely, 100% yes.

Editor's recommendations




Sony A8H 4K HDR OLED TV Review | Cinematic Perfection

Sony A8H OLED

"It is by far the most accurate TV you can buy this year."

  • Beautiful design

  • Exemplary picture quality

  • Snappy user interface

  • Solid sound quality

  • Excellent HDR performance

I took a bold step last year and named Sony's A9G the best TV of 2019. Not everyone agreed that this was the right call, but I stand by it. With the A9G, Sony has been doing what it can do best for decades by making its image processing a star. LG makes the OLED panel, but Sony makes it even more amazing.

Now I have the Sony A8H OLED TV in front of me and I'm thinking about its place in this year's series of very exciting TVs. It's not a replacement for the A9G, which means it's not Sony's new flagship, but it definitely looks like it – anything but priced.

The A8H gets Sony's best image processor, a beautiful design with adjustable feet, and almost all the functions of the A9G – all for less – around $ 400 less for a 55-inch model at $ 1899.00 and $ 500 -Dollar less for a 65-inch model set at $ 2799.00.

Sony A8H OLEDDan Baker / Digital Trends

However, there is something that many might consider a blatant omission: HDMI 2.1 support. The A8H offers eARC through one of its HDMI ports. You won't find a variable refresh rate (VRR) or automatic low latency mode (ALLM), just two of many other valuable features that come with the latest HDMI standard. However, Sony tells me that this is not a problem for the target audience of this TV.

Is the Sony A8H in the running for the best TV of the year? Let's find out.

Out of the box

Sony A8H OLEDDan Baker / Digital Trends

The 65-inch Sony A8H that I received for review contained two surprises: a redesigned remote control and a new two-foot stand system.

The remote control hasn't been overhauled exactly, but is a bit slimmer than the Sony remote control we've seen in the past 5 years. On top of the remote control is a recessed area with a microphone, which is not only used for voice commands and the addressing of the Google Assistant, but also for calibrating the sound system integrated into the TV.

Sony has redesigned the stand, making it much easier and more versatile to set up. There are now two heights available, one that hurls the TV down and one that has enough space to place a soundbar between your feet without obstructing the view of the TV.

No screws are required to attach the legs to the TV. They just snap into the slots at the bottom of the TV and hold on. A bit of work is required to switch the legs to the higher height for the so-called "soundbar mode".

Be sure to have the installation guide ready as it contains valuable instructions for disassembling and then assembling the feet for a larger configuration.

Setup and settings

Sony A8H OLEDDan Baker / Digital Trends

The A8H has the latest version of Android TV and controls most of the on-screen setup process. There are some advantages to Android phones (faster Wi-Fi setup and phone-based control), but I would skip these options and follow the on-screen instructions. Expect to go through a number of terms and conditions and authorization requests. I also urge you to take enough time to review what you allow as multiple levels of data collection are requested, which has an impact on data protection.

Once the bureaucracy is complete, the wizard will ask you to calibrate the TV audio. This is done by sitting in the “sweet spot” of your viewing area and pointing the remote control openly at the TV while the TV is playing a series of tones.

Sony A8H OLEDDan Baker / Digital Trends

I found this calibration useful to balance the sound with the right amount of bass from the built-in "subwoofers" while making the TV sound more spacious by using the reflected sound from the side panels. Surround sound is not, but the calibration has improved.

In the SDR image settings, I waggled between the "Cinema" and "Custom" preferences for a while before choosing "Custom". Turning off Motionflow was the only adjustment I made to this preset before I decided that it was otherwise almost perfect. Yes, it's that good.

When the TV switches to HDR mode, all important settings from the custom preset are retained. When Dolby Vision mode is activated, you can choose between Dolby Vision Bright and Dolby Vision Dark. I chose the former because I preferred the additional brightness (luminance) even in a dark room.

However, here is the problem. Image settings cannot be made globally. So if you want your cable box to get the same picture settings as your Blu-ray player, you have to adjust each HDMI input individually. Likewise for onboard streaming apps like Netflix and Hulu. However, once you select settings while using one of these apps, this applies to all apps.

Properties and design

Sony A8H OLEDDan Baker / Digital Trends

The A8H is possibly the most beautiful television Sony has ever made. Aside from being incredibly thin, the materials used by Sony give the TV a really great appearance. The legs are made of strong metal with a matte black finish, the bezel of the screen is incredibly thin, and the Sony logo has been moved to the front and center to the left, while its gloss has been replaced by a much more stealthy finish. On or off, the A8H is breathtaking.

The user experience benefits greatly from using the same system on a Sony chip (SOC) in the A9G, making Android TV not only bearable but also enjoyable. Gone is the frustrating delay you normally would be waiting for the TV to catch up as you scroll. Apps also load quickly, which shortens the time for the latest episode of Ozark.

On or off, the A8H is breathtaking

HBO Max is also available, which is currently more than for Roku or Amazon Fire TV.

Sony A8H OLEDDan Baker / Digital Trends

However, the most important feature of the A8H is the Sony X1 Ultimate processor. Image processing is everything and it's also Sony's biggest complaint on TV.

Other TV makers have started giving lip service to honoring "The Creator's Purpose," but that's a drum Sony has been beating for several years. When Sony speaks in clever sayings like "From the scene to the screen" and "From the lens to the living room", it bends shamelessly.

Sony makes cameras that are used by Hollywood. The BVM-X300 OLV reference monitor is used to create and master Hollywood movies, and the televisions are designed to fit this reference monitor as closely as possible. When Sony tells me that it makes the most cinematic television there can ever be, I believe them.

Interestingly, Sony uses the same philosophy to explain the A8H's lack of HDMI 2.1 support. As representatives of Sony told me during a briefing call, the A8H is aimed at videophiles and cinephiles – people who need or want Sony doubts use 4K at 120 Hz, VRR and ALLM for games or the always elusive and absolutely not -in-existing 12-bit color.

Instead, Sony has spent its time, money, and hardware resources developing the most accurate television possible. I think Sony has achieved its goal.

performance

Sony A8H OLEDDan Baker / Digital Trends

I have a feeling Sony will launch a new flagship OLED TV later this year – that's where the product release cycle has moved in the past 4 years. If so, it has to do something magical to justify its existence alongside the A8H. This TV is so good.

Whatever you're looking for outside of image quality, the A8H can do it. It has a new black frame insertion feature that smoothes motion without overly darkening the screen. It has a pixel level contrast enhancer to ensure that the tip areas are applied to the right areas of the screen for maximum HDR effect.

Whatever you're looking for outside of image quality, the A8H can do it

The A8H also has a feature that allows you to adjust the TV's tone curve to preserve highlights and shadows, regardless of how light or dark the room is. The out-of-box color is excellent and a professional calibrator only needs to optimize very little. And I've never seen a TV that better eliminates annoying streaks of color in low bit rate streaming content.

All of these features are a feature of Sony's X1 Ultimate processor. The end result is an image so lush that you want to drink it like a fine craft cocktail. I will skip all adjectives and reduce the picture performance of this TV to one word: Excellent.

Sony A8H OLEDDan Baker / Digital Trends

The sound quality is solid for any television, let alone one so thin. Because the screen produces sound itself, you get compelling directional queues. Voices seem to come from the actors' mouths and explosions seem to come from the visual source. Such a good TV deserves a bigger system, but the onboard sound is absolutely respectable.

What is the entry delay? It does not matter. If you're looking for a gaming TV, consider the Sony X900H, which supports HDMI 2.1 and includes an ATSC 3.0 tuner. If you are looking for a premium TV, you can consider a LG CX OLED or Samsung QLED TV for your gaming needs.

If you want to know, the A8H probably has the same input delay as the A8G, which wasn't particularly good – around 31 ms for 4K at 60 Hz and 21 ms for 4K at 120 Hz.

One final thought about image quality is concern about branding and what Sony is doing to combat it. Sony has an automatic brightness limit (ABL) on the A8H, but so far I haven't been able to thoroughly test it to determine how much the image is dimmed and how long it is dimmed. I will update this review with this information soon. Subjectively, however, I have not yet seen any dimming with the content that I have seen so far.

Other efforts, such as pixel shifting, are not apparent, and I contacted Sony to clarify what measures are being taken to avoid burn-in. With that said, I'll repeat what I've said in every OLED TV test over the past two years. Branding is unlikely to affect most viewers.

When a branding occurs, it happens when you watch a specific channel with a static image (like a news ticker on CNN or Fox News) every day for several hours. If you tune the TV to such a station and leave it on for 6 to 8 hours a day, do not buy this TV. Look for an LED / LCD TV. The Samsung Q90T would be an excellent alternative to approach OLED image quality for a little less money.

Our opinion

The A8H OLED is an undeniable premium television with a corresponding premium price, which, however, lags somewhat behind the typical flagship prices of Sony. The investment required will be rewarded with one of the most cinematic televisions we've reviewed. The A8H is an excellent choice for videophiles and cinephiles. However, players should look elsewhere.

Is there a better alternative?

For gamers, we recommend a look at the LG CX OLED or the LG C9 OLED television from last year. For those looking for a little more style, LG's GX Gallery series is also very attractive and player-friendly. For purists who want the best picture quality of an OLED, the A8H is unbeatable.

You can find more options in our best TVs of 2020.

How long it will take?

The TV itself should last for many years, but the lack of HDMI 2.1 means that next-generation console and PC gamers will find it unattractive.

guarantee

Sony grants a one year warranty on its A8H series TVs if you buy the TV from an authorized dealer. The guarantee relates specifically to the storage of product packaging. So look at the fine print.

Should you buy it

Yes. For the best OLED TV picture quality you can find with a truly cinematic experience, the A8H is the first choice.

Editor's recommendations




Fujifilm X-T4 Hands-on Review: Near Photographic Perfection

Fujifilm X-T4

Fujifilm X-T4

"There is still room for improvement, but the X-T4 is the closest to the perfect camera."

  • Great 5-axis stabilization

  • Fully movable screen

  • 600-shot battery

  • Mechanical shutter at 15 frames per second

  • Refined video control

  • RIP headphone jack

  • No high-resolution recording mode

When Fujifilm launched the X-T4 in February, I was concerned that we finally had the perfect camera. It was supposed to fix every problem I've ever addressed with previous X-T flagships by adding image stabilization in the body, a fully moving screen and (finally!) A higher capacity battery. Would I have nothing more to list in the "Disadvantages" section?

Fortunately, from a reviewer's perspective, there is still room for criticism. Fujifilm's inexplicable decision to take a step out of Apple's book and remove the headphone jack isn't the end of the world, but it's a disappointment.

When the capabilities and costs of a product like the X-T4 improve, expectations also change. A missing function that I may have previously ignored is suddenly a point of longing. And when the price of this mark approaches $ 2,000, the inevitable comparison with full-frame cameras becomes part of the conversation.

But don't be upset about Fujifilm fans. The X-T4 may not be perfect, but it is a class-defining camera and one of the most sophisticated and feature-rich cameras at all costs.

Note: I was provided with a pre-production camera for this practical device, which still had some errors and inconsistencies in the fit and finish. I have not included these questions in my judgment.

New functions and improvements

The X-T4 looks like an X-T3 that has been in the gym for a few months. Although the difference is small and difficult to discern without direct comparison, it is physically larger and heavier and more robust in the hand.

This Swol frame supports a 5-axis IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) system, a variable-angle LCD screen that folds forward a full 180 degrees, and a 2200 mAh battery – about 1,000 mAh more than the previous battery.

This is not the first time that we have seen the sensor displacement stabilize in the Fujifilm X series. This loan goes to the larger and more expensive Fujifilm X-H1; A camera that I praised for its video functions, but which was surpassed by the X-T3 in every way (except stabilization).

Fujifilm had to develop a completely new gimbal to integrate IBIS into the smaller X-T body style. In fact, however, it is better than the stabilization of the X-H1 and offers up to 6.5 levels of blur reduction on some lenses and no less than 5 on the others.

Interestingly, the optically stabilized lenses do not offer the best performance. Even the first generation primes, like my 35mm 1: 1.4R and 23mm 1: 1.4R, are suitable for 6.5 stops. In fact, the lowest rated lenses are among the optically stabilized sets, including the 80mm F2.8 OIS macro, which is the only lens that offers only 5 levels of blur reduction.

The X-T4 is not the first camera in the X series to have a fully moving screen. However, the X-T4 is the first flagship with such a screen and a blessing for vloggers and YouTubers who need an easy way to monitor themselves in front of the camera.

An articulated monitor isn't much of an advantage for Fujifilm's core audience of still photographers, but the X-T4 is ready to break out of the brand's niche. Because of the excellent video capabilities, I expect that many customers will use the new monitor.

Both still photographers and videographers will appreciate the larger battery. It is designed for up to 600 exposures in economy mode, 500 in normal mode and 480 in boost mode. For occasional use, there's nothing wrong with keeping the camera in economy mode, but I haven't found any reason to worry about battery life in boost mode either, which improves autofocus speed and LCD / EVF frame rates. This is the most comfortable way to use the camera.

design

Aside from major new features, a few small design improvements solidify the X-T4's position as a focal point for professionals.

The new shutter mechanism is designed for 300,000 exposures during its lifetime, twice as much as the X-T3. It can also shoot at 15 frames per second in continuous mode, an impressive feat for a mechanical shutter that can only be achieved by much more expensive, bespoke sports cameras.

For the inexperienced eye, the control layout looks identical to the X-T3, but a few buttons have been repositioned and a button change made: A switch for the still image / film mode has replaced the measurement mode selector switch nested under the shutter speed. This is a more intuitive way to activate film mode, which was previously just an option on the drive mode dial.

Still and film modes now have different menus, so you can save different settings for each mode. For hybrid shooters, this saves time and ensures that you don't accidentally forget to change a setting when you switch modes.

The video mode is largely the same as the X-T3 and internally records 10-bit 4K at up to 400 megabits per second. However, Full HD videos can now be recorded at 240 frames per second, even if cropped, for up to 10 times slow motion playback. You get better quality at lower frame rates, but it's fun.

However, a small change is an undeniable negative, and that is removing the headphone jack. The X-T3 and the X-T2 both offered this. Fujifilm includes a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter in the box, but is still an additional accessory that you need to carry with you. This is a strange omission for a camera that is otherwise friendly to videographers.

There is also no external charger included, although the camera can be charged via USB-C. Again, it's not a deal-breaker for the average user, but a bit strange for a camera that appeals to enthusiasts and professionals who often need to charge a battery while taking pictures with another. For those who need it, an optional dual battery charger will be available for $ 70.

I can't blame Fujifilm too much. This was probably a step to keep the cost of the camera as low as possible. At $ 1,700, the X-T4 starts at $ 300 less than the X-H1, but is a better camera in every way except that it doesn't have an upper LCD display.

Photo and video quality

The X-T4 uses the same 26-megapixel X-Trans sensor and the same X-processor-4 image processor as the previous model. So there is nothing new to say about RAW image quality. It's very good, although high ISO shots are certainly louder than the best full-frame cameras.

Without a new film simulation, however, this would not be a new Fujifilm camera, and with the X-T4 we get the Eterna Bleach Bypass. This is based on the Eterna simulation that was introduced with the X-H1 (which I liked very much), but mimics the film development technique known as bleaching bypass.

Skipping the bleaching step would leave a color film with the silver layer intact, which would result in a semi-transparent monochromatic image overlaid on a color photo. The result is an image with low saturation and high contrast.

The Eterna Bleach Bypass does not provide a look that everyone likes, but it is a unique in-camera effect that matches some motifs and moods. For this review I took all my pictures with a film simulation exposure series so that I can try out Eterna Bleach Bypass without taking the risk of sticking to it.

The film simulation exposure series applies up to three simulations to the same exposure and thus enables multiple looks (in my case Eterna Bleach Bypass, regular Eterna and Provia). This is not a big deal if you can shoot RAW and change profiles later, but JPEGs in the camera do not have the same flexibility.

However, the biggest contribution to image quality is the IBIS system. This allows you to shoot at slower shutter speeds without worrying about camera shake, which can result in sharper images. In some situations, shooting with a slower shutter will allow a lower ISO, resulting in less noise.

In practice, I am not sure that I have reached the full 6.5 stops with my lenses, but it is important to note that this rating comes from standard CIPA tests that only take pitch and yaw movement into account and vertical and horizontal shifts are ignored.

Nevertheless, I only shot 1/8 of a second with the 35 mm and achieved sharp, usable results. This is good enough for most situations. With the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III, you cannot take handheld night sky shots, but otherwise the stabilization of the X-T4 is excellent.

As with the X-H1, I recommend setting the stabilization to "continuous operation". This keeps IBIS constantly active, which stabilizes the image preview and gives you a perfect frame. Otherwise, IBIS is only activated when you take a picture. This can extend battery life, but it will show a blurry thumbnail.

A function that I would have liked to have seen with the X-T4 is a high-resolution mode, as can be found in many Panasonic and Olympus cameras with sensor shift stabilization. By multiple exposures and shifting the sensor by one pixel each additional resolution and color accuracy can be recorded. I am not an engineer, but I suspect that the complex pixel arrangement of X-Trans sensors would make it difficult to apply the same pixel shifting technique used by cameras with standard Bayer sensors.

The Fujifilm X-T4 is a great camera

With $ 1,700, the X-T4 is pushing into full-screen territory. The excellent Nikon Z 6, which was less than $ 1,850 at the time of writing, offers better image quality in low light and comparable 5-axis stabilization.

Even this camera lacks the speed and video functions of the X-T4 (at least without adding an external recorder). It's also bigger overall, especially if you consider the full-frame lenses.

The Sony A6600 is the closest direct competitor and is currently significantly cheaper thanks to manufacturer discounts that cost just under $ 1,200. That's a lot of camera for the money, even if the X-T4 outperforms it in some ways, from continuous shooting to video quality to shutter speed and EVF resolution.

As a dedicated APS-C system, Fujifilm has the most comprehensive portfolio of format-specific lenses. You don't have the full-screen upgrade path you get with Sony, but for most of us, it just means you don't need it.

It's also worth noting that the X-T3 remains in Fujifilm's product range at a reduced price of $ 1,300. It is still a fantastic camera.

I have no problem calling the Fujifilm X-T4 the best APS-C camera I've ever used. It is a first-class act, elegantly designed for the photography enthusiast, with a love of detail that only Leica competes with. They shoot not only for the results, but also for the joy of the experience.

I can't say that about the competition.

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