26 Jun
Blog

Ring Wall Light Solar Review: Sunshine Whenever You Need It

Ring wall lamp solar mounted on the wall

"Powered by sunlight, the Ring Wall Light Solar brings light conveniently anywhere in the house."

  • Effortless installation

  • Bright light output

  • Extended battery life through solar charging

  • More functionality through linking

  • Solar charging is a little slow

Ring's range of products has been largely dominated by its various video doorbells and security cameras, but the home security company doesn't neglect some of the other product categories it deals in LED lightbulbs, path lights, floodlights and more. The newest member of the Smart Lighting family is the Ring Wall Light Solar.

I'm a big fan of almost anything that uses solar energy. The special thing about this particular model is that the solar panel is integrated into the light itself, so you don't have to worry about additional cables or fixings. All of this is a simple and straightforward solution for anyone looking to add a little light outdoors. Are there any disadvantages? Well, let me break it all down.

Installation: ring bridge is required

The installation and setup of the Ring Wall Light Solar is quite simple. In fact, I got it working in about 10 minutes. First of all, you should decide where to place it. I ended up putting it in my garage as it lights up the area around the garage when it detects movement. You only need to install two screws to secure the included mounting plate to a surface. That's all. You can then attach the Ring Wall Light Solar to it.

Ring bridge on the surfaceJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

To complete the setup, you will need the Ring Bridge to connect the solar light to your home's Wi-Fi network. There was an option to use my Amazon Echo Show 10 (3rd generation) as an alternative for a bridge, but that would mean Amazon Sidewalk was enabled for it to work. I decided to stick with the Ring Bridge as many of my existing Ring products already communicate with it.

After making my selection, the Ring Wall Light Solar appeared in the Ring app – where I then added it to a group for quick access. Unlike some Ring doorbells, the Ring Wall Light Solar is so easy to install that anyone can use it.

Output: Bright 800 lumens of white light

What amazes me most about the Wall Light Solar is its strong brightness. Before it was turned on for the first time, I was skeptical of how bright it might get – so you can imagine the amazement I was when I saw it. While it could easily be used as an accent light for houses and apartments, such as above outdoor decorations or house numbers, the 800 lumens white light was powerful enough to cover a large space around my garage.

Ring wall light solar switched onJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

I was genuinely surprised at the range of the light. In the Ring app, you can manually turn the lights on as you wish – perfect for occasions when you know you will be in this area for a while. The longest duration is 15 minutes, the shortest one minute. As a deterrent, the motion sensor turns on at night when the sun goes down to automatically turn on the lights when it detects motion nearby. Of course, I appreciate how well this works as a deterrent to unwanted visitors, but I also like how helpful it is when I walk in and out of the garage.

You can use the app to set the intensity of the light – lower to save the battery, higher for more lighting. The Ring Wall Light Solar offers both strong lighting and wide coverage and is a great addition around the house, including those secluded gaps.

Battery: Integrated solar panel is helpful

Using solar panels in its product is not a new idea for Ring. In fact, his portfolio has built a pretty large selection of solar-powered smart home devices – such as surveillance cameras powered by a solar panel and even a solar powered step light. The remarkable thing about the Wall Light Solar is that it can rely on the power of the sun during the day to recharge its battery when it is not actively used. There is also a setting to completely disable the motion detection sensor during the day.

The Ring Wall Light Solar is so easy to install that anyone could do it

When testing the battery, I am happy to report that it has managed to keep a level of over 50% at the highest brightness level for an entire day of use. It's worth noting, however, that during this time there were a handful of occasions where it stayed on for 15 minutes at a time – while the rest of the one-minute cycles would expire when it detected movement. But here the integrated solar panel comes to the rescue. In my tests, it managed to charge the battery by 2% during a 30-minute interval of intermittent sunshine. Sure, this number might be skimpy, but it's still helpful. Plus, you can easily remove it from the holder at any time for manual charging.

Ring wall lamp solar panel close-upJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

The nice thing about the solar panel is that it charges all day long, which is better in summer when the sun shines longer. Of course, battery life will vary, but having a light source that requires minimal manual charging helps.

Our opinion

If you already own a Ring Bridge, all you need to do is spend $ 60 on the Ring Wall Light Solar. If not, the light and bridge combo costs $ 80. Either way, the Ring Wall Light Solar is a fantastic addition that works great with the Ring ecosystem. Not only do you get a practical outdoor light that charges during the day, but it can also act as a first line of defense for your home thanks to the ability to connect to other Ring devices.

Is there a better alternative?

Not really. There aren't many smart solar lights on the market, especially those that can be plugged into a robust smart device ecosystem. The only other alternatives are Ring's Solar Steplight and Solar Floodlight.

How long it will take?

It is solidly made and has a weatherproof protection class IP66, which makes it possible to work at temperatures between minus 4 ° F and 122 ° F. There is a one-year limited warranty that covers defects.

Should you buy it?

You should definitely buy it as it is easy to install, has strong lighting and is charged with the help of the sun.

Editor's recommendations



25 Jun
Blog

Fitbit Versa 3 Review: Wear-and-Forget Fitness Tracking

Fitbit Versa 3

“The Fitbit Versa 3 is so comfortable and works so well that you forget you're wearing it until you need it. Best of all, it has all the fitness tracking features you could want. "

  • Very convenient

  • Easy to use

  • Comprehensive health tracking

  • Battery lasts a week

  • Side key is awkward to press

I put the Fitbit Versa 3 on more than 10 days ago and pretty much forgot it was on my wrist, which means it stayed there 24 hours a day, silently tracking my movements, sleep and exercise. The way it has slipped into my everyday life testifies to its simplicity and good design, and while it isn't exactly a smartwatch, it is definitely a step above basic fitness trackers. Let's dig deeper into this excellent wearable.

design

The Versa 3 is more of a watch-like fitness tracker than a full smartwatch. My trial version has a simple black strap, made of a material that feels similar to the synthetic rubber used for Apple Watch sports bracelets, attached to the black aluminum case. It's a 40mm case and only 12mm thick, so it can be worn under a cuff without disturbing, and the weight of 42 grams makes it completely inconspicuous.

Fitbit Versa 3Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The straps are easy to remove with a single push of a button and a short or long strap is included. I stayed with the short strap that fits my 6.5 inch wrist, has a hole left over, and minimizes the amount of extra strap to stow it away. This went a long way towards making the Versa 3 so comfortable to wear. It's lightweight and doesn't get particularly hot or sweaty, and I was able to wear it overnight to keep track of sleep.

There is a single button on the side of the case that acts like a rear control, but it's not a physical button, more of a touch-sensitive panel. It's placed low on the case and awkward to find and squeeze, and I still spend a few seconds looking for it. The 1.58-inch AMOLED touchscreen has a resolution of 336 x 336 pixels and is sharp and very bright. The size is just right, it's easy to interact with, and information is clearly displayed and legible in most lighting conditions.

Fitbit Versa 3 from the sideAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Fitbit gets almost everything right with the Versa 3, aside from the overall design. The basic shape and lines are conventionally not attractive and I would not wear them and flaunt them. The sleek look and color choices will put it above a fitness band for some, but since it's in no way overtly stylish, I'd rather go for the black stealth model and keep its existence under the radar.

Fitness tracking

It's hard to imagine what other features most people will need to keep track of their health and activity beyond what the Versa 3 has to offer. It has a heart rate sensor on the back, can monitor blood oxygen levels (SPo2), check skin temperature and more, plus has GPS, is swimproof and offers a variety of workout tracking modes, some with automatic detection. What it doesn't have is an electrocardiogram (EKG), which comes with the more expensive Fitbit Sense wearable.

Fitbit Versa 3 heart rate monitorAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

My selected watch face shows heart rate, steps and calories burned, that's all the data I need at a glance. There are other, more comprehensive watch faces out there as well, though I struggled to find one that I thought looked good. To see more details, either select the Today app or simply swipe up on the screen to see step count, distance traveled, floors climbed, active time and sleep values. If you choose to manually add the calorie intake, water consumption, and even core temperature, these will also be shown. Everything is clear, concise and easy to find.

Tracking workouts is similarly easy and all options are accessible through the workout app. I followed a walk with the Fitbit Versa 3 and the Apple Watch SE, both with GPS. The Versa 3 showed a total distance of 1.58 miles, 243 calories burned, and an average heart rate of 97 beats per minute. The Apple Watch SE recorded 210 total calories burned, a distance of 1.6 miles, and an average heart rate of 99 beats per minute. Both wearables showed the same GPS data, but the Versa 3 lost the signal once. The differences between them are minimal, and at all other times they have remained consistent with each other.

fitbit versa 3 test app training

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

fitbit versa 3 rating app zone

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Check fitbit versa 3 app clock settings

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

fitbit versa 3 review app sleep

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Compared to Apple's fitness app, the Fitbit app is far more comprehensive and offers many details for the more committed exerciser. However, it's also accessible to someone who just wants the basics. For example, the GPS maps show heart rate zones and pace where you've worked the hardest, but it's all under a different tab and not mixed up with general data.

For more detailed information, you'll need to pay for Fitbit Premium, the subscription service for $ 10 per month. For most people, however, this won't be necessary. Watch faces are another area that can be further paid, with many of the watch faces paying a small fee before you can use them.

Software and battery

I've used the Versa 3 connected to the Fitbit app on an iPhone 12 Pro, and it's also available for Android phones. I keep coming back to the fact that Fitbit is so easy to use and that continues with the software. The Versa 3's app and UI itself don't take time to learn, aren't hampered by weird UI options, and are largely reliable too. However, the Versa 3 fell over once and got stuck on the dial. It had to be placed on the charger and held down for it to restart which then fixed the problem. The connection between the Versa 3, the app and my iPhone 12 Pro was great and syncing only takes a few moments.

Fitbit Versa 3 from behindAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

However, it is not a smartwatch. While the Google Assistant will respond to my voice and do what I ask and the Versa 3 will take calls, it is terrible at providing notifications and never really feels like a connected part of my smartphone like the Apple Watch does . Notifications don't interact and even though I've played with the settings several times, it still doesn't properly warn me of all incoming messages.

There are many additional features that add value, including Fitbit Pay, Spotify online only playback and offline Deezer support, a Find My Phone notification, and some short animated “coaching” workouts to follow. Before you check out the community aspect of the Fitbit app, you can challenge friends and join groups based on a common health goal. Perhaps the best part is that all of this is optional and none of the features are endlessly pushed as something you should be doing. Again, it adds to the Fitbit's overall friendliness, and you can get involved as you wish without pressure.

The battery life is better than most smartwatches, but not as good as most fitness bands. The Versa 3 lasted seven days with all-day heart rate monitoring and overnight wear, but without the always-on screen. It takes less than an hour to charge with the included proprietary magnetic charging base.

Price and availability

The Fitbit Versa 3 is priced at $ 230 or £ 200 and is available now at Fitbit, Amazon and other retailers.

Our opinion

The Fitbit Versa 3 is perhaps one of the most comfortable fitness wearables I've ever worn on my wrist. It's a true wear-and-forget device, not just from a hardware perspective, but also from its simple and effective day and night fitness and health tracking tools. As good as that is, it works against the Versa 3 too, because the boring design won't necessarily flaunt you.

Not really noticing the Versa 3 also highlights another of its strengths: comfort. It stays reliably connected to my phone, produces helpful and easy-to-read statistics, and has useful features that I might actually want to use, including the Google Assistant and call assistance. The GPS works fine and is another feature you don't need to “think” about, it only works when you need it.

The Fitbit Versa 3 is hugely appealing, provided you can live with the faceless design, and is really one of the few wearables that you can wear around the clock without any discomfort. The friendly, comprehensive functionality contributes to its attractiveness. However, you can find almost anything the Versa 3 does for a lot less money, or get something much better looking that is a real smartwatch for not much more.

Is there a better alternative?

If you're not worried about the Fitbit Versa 3's smartwatch design but love the fitness tracking aspects including GPS, then the Fitbit Charge 4 for $ 130 would be a cheaper alternative. If you want a smartwatch more than a fitness bracelet, the Apple Watch SE is our recommendation for iPhone owners, while Android owners should take a look at either the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 or the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3.

If the prices of all of these alternatives are too high, the Honor Band 6 and Xiaomi Mi Band 6 can both be found for around $ 50 and offer many of the same features. No, the software isn't as slick as Fitbit's, but you won't mind the price.

How long it will take?

The Fitbit Versa 3 feels very durable from the strong strap to the aluminum housing and is waterproof up to 50 meters. The bracelet is easily interchangeable but uses proprietary fittings. Fitbit has regular software updates, and the latest versions have added new features that probably won't change for a while, which makes the Versa 3 great value for money if you want to use it long term. There's no reason to believe it won't take more than two years.

Should you buy one?

Yes. It's far fetched to call it a smartwatch, and the design is a bit bland, but otherwise this is a brilliant fitness tracking wearable that you'll love to wear and use every day, all day.

Editor's recommendations



16 May
Blog

PowerA Fusion Review: Elite Switch Controller With a Catch

The PowerA Fusion Switch Controller in its housing.

PowerA Fusion for Nintendo Switch Review: The Elite Switch Controller Has Compromises

"The PowerA Fusion is a solid third-party option as long as you can easily swap key features for customization."

  • Robust package

  • Easy customization

  • Robust construction

  • Handy back paddle

  • Expensive

  • Missing main features

  • Reduced battery life

The PowerA Fusion is possibly the closest we can get with an Xbox Elite Series 2 equivalent for the Nintendo Switch. The third-party controller is packed with bells and whistles, making it feel like a predictive redesign of the best Nintendo Switch controllers.

Given that Nintendo is often moving sideways rather than forward with technology, there's a lot to discover here. The PowerA Fusion comes with mappable back paddles, interchangeable joysticks, and other customization options never seen before on an officially licensed Nintendo controller. When it comes to third party equipment, there is always some level of tradeoff. Some lack of basic features provide a level of give and take that players need to weigh before making an expensive commitment.

The whole pack

The PowerA Fusion costs $ 100, which is more expensive than a standard Switch Pro controller. When you look at the whole package, you can easily see why. The box doesn't just contain a wireless controller. There's a paddle backpack, four thumb pins, two interchangeable faceplates, and more – all in one convenient carry bag.

It's hard to imagine Nintendo doing anything with the same type of utility …

Considering the official Pro Controller is retailing for $ 70 without that justifying the extra $ 30. The closest parallel to the PowerA Fusion is the $ 180 Xbox Elite Series 2, a similarly extensive package. They're not exact comparisons, considering the Elite Series 2 is way more advanced technologically, but it's the best we've seen in terms of Switch technology.

The PowerA Fusion Switch Controller with all its parts.

The controller itself (with no rear paddles installed) is completely comfortable and doesn't feel much different from a standard Pro controller. Some of the buttons stick out a little more and the handles feel a bit thick, but it doesn't have the knockoff design of the third-party pads we grew up with.

Removing and replacing parts is literally a breeze. The magnetic front panels can be removed immediately and the thumb pins can be easily replaced. There's even some flexibility with the paddle pack. Each paddle is easily interchangeable, and the pack itself can pop out whenever it's in the way. All moving parts are intuitive and easy to use. It's hard to imagine Nintendo making something with the same type of utility while the Switch was alive.

The joy of the buttons at the back

The back paddles are the main attraction here. When the Pro-Pack is attached, the controller receives four metal paddles that sit between the handles. With just three quick entries, keys can easily be assigned to each paddle.

There are some limits to the assignment. Keyboard shortcuts cannot be assigned to a paddle. I was also hoping to map the cardinal points of the correct club onto the paddles to control the Tetris 99's aiming system, but not dice. The more likely use is for players to map the four main buttons on the back so they never have to remove their thumb from the right joystick.

The back paddles of the PowerA Fusion Switchj controller.

Despite their limitations, the paddles can be incredibly useful. While I couldn't assign my targeting in Tetris 99, I was able to assign my spin buttons to them. It's a simple change, but it meant I never had to switch between aiming and rotation, which could lead to a misfire if I dropped pieces in the fast-paced, late-game game. When testing with New Pokemon Snap, I mapped each paddle to one of the face buttons, which made photography smoother. I never lost full control of the camera and was able to scan or toss fruit without moving a finger.

I found that my hands felt a little cramped at times when I tried to wrap my fingers around the thick controller. Far from being uncomfortable, I would call it a less natural grip. A nice advantage here is that the paddle backpack is completely detachable and the slot it dips into can be closed when it is out. Anyone who feels it is in their way can just remove it.

Despite their limitations, the paddles can be incredibly useful.

I encountered a problem with the two left paddles always associated with the same button. According to PowerA, this is likely due to a defective model. Given that others haven't had this problem, it seems it does. However, it serves as a reminder of a risk you are taking with third-party gaming technology. It's harder to ensure consistency when compared to a first-party product from a company like Microsoft. While Nintendo's official controllers are considered notoriously defective (leading to Joy-Con drift lawsuits), the PowerA isn't really unreliable by comparison.

Give and take

All of these shiny features may sound too good to be true – and they are to some extent. While the Fusion offers all sorts of customizations that Switch gamers have only dreamed of, it also lacks a few basics.

There's a give and take here as players will sacrifice some basics for customization potential.

The most noticeable problem is that the controller has no rumble. I don't mean that the Joy-Cons's HD rumble is missing. it's not shaking at all Despite all of the exciting extras, this could be a deal breaker for some. It also lacks the Amiibo reader functionality that is present in a normal Pro controller. That's much less of a problem considering amiibo support has always been a niche, but devoted fans can be a little put off by its absence here.

The battery life is also a step down. While the Pro controller can last up to 40 hours, the Fusion types out at around 20 hours.

The thumb stick and buttons of the PowerA Fusion.

This is where the $ 100 price tag becomes more of a debate. It's not that PowerA has all of the features of a Pro controller with lots of extras. There's a give and take here as players will sacrifice some basics for customization potential. Whether it's worth it or not ultimately depends on what a gamer appreciates in a switch controller. If you just want something closer to an Xbox controller, you can stick to the Pro controller.

If the priority is customization, there is no comparison as Nintendo offers next to nothing in this department. It can also be plugged in, which is an improvement over some of the standard AA powered wireless switch pads from PowerA.

Our opinion

The PowerA Fusion is a rugged Nintendo Switch Pro controller alternative for gamers who want more control. The back paddles, interchangeable faceplates, and detachable joysticks make this a worthwhile investment. If the PowerA has rumble functionality and amiibo support, this would be an easy upgrade. With these omissions, the $ 100 price tag feels a bit steep for anyone who simply wants a better version of the Pro controller than an impressive, alternate version.

Is there a better alternative?

The official Nintendo Switch Pro controller is tougher and more affordable, although the Fusion is undisputed when it comes to customization.

How long it will take?

The battery lasts up to 20 hours, which is half of the official Pro controller. Compared to other third-party controllers, it feels more stable than the US, even with some plastic buttons.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you're specifically looking for more granular customization of the Switch controls, the Fusion is a pretty robust package. Otherwise stay with the Pro.

Editor's recommendations




14 May
Blog

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 Review: OLED Disappointment?

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 review 04

Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360

"The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 is close to the size, but is insufficient in some key areas."

  • The OLED screen is alive

  • Good performance

  • Excellent battery life

  • Surprisingly thin and light

  • Comfortable keyboard

  • Nice S Pen integration

  • Mediocre build quality

  • Limited to 1080p

  • Large bezels, 16: 9 aspect ratio

Samsung has been preparing for this moment for years. It's finally taking its Windows laptops seriously, and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 crowns this development, ripe for a spot among the best laptops you can buy. At least that's the plan.

It has an AMOLED screen, works hand-in-hand with your Galaxy phone, and is as thin as any laptop you'll ever use.

But is it a laptop that you should buy? I tested the 15-inch model, which comes with an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD, but you don't get a discrete graphics card or 4K screen. Galaxy phone fans will find a lot to like here, but the 15-inch model still lags behind the competition in some key areas.

Video review

Jump to: Design | Display | Ports | Keyboard and touchpad | Webcam and speakers | Performance | Battery life | Our opinion

design

The Samsung Galaxy Book comes in different versions: the entry-level Galaxy Book, the Galaxy Book Pro and the Galaxy Book Pro 360. The model I tested may be the niche of them all – the 15-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360, the convertible 2-in-1 notebook in the line-up. It weighs a little over three pounds so soon you won't be using it as a real tablet anymore.

The 13-inch model is probably better suited for tablet use, but the real advantage of these convertibles is the S-Pen. It's the same thing that interests people about the Galaxy Note smartphones, and it's an important part of the Galaxy brand's DNA. Older Galaxy laptops included a smartphone-sized S-Pen that could be housed in the case. It made sure you never lost the tiny pen, but it wasn't the most enjoyable color experience.

The new S-Pen is bigger and feels a lot more like a real writing implement for this size of device. It's not as beefy as the Surface Pen or the Apple Pencil, but it felt very natural for tasks like taking notes, illustrating, and even navigating. The S-Pen is powered by an AAA battery and can magnetize on the lid.

The device itself is a pretty high quality looking laptop, made from a mix of aluminum alloy in some parts and plastic in other parts (e.g. the bottom panel). My test device was the color Mystic Bronze, a subtle mix of gold and silver. It's not obnoxious if not a little boring. The color Mystic Navy is a bolder color option.

Once you pick up the Galaxy Book Pro 360 and start maneuvering, you may find that it's not quite as well constructed as it looks. There's nothing outrageous here, but the keyboard deck is a bit flexible, especially towards the center. The lid feels nice and firm, although there is a weak point in the middle of the lower bezel between the two hinges. There are also spots along the side walls where it creaks when you press on it.

There were some build quality tradeoffs to get this light.

I also felt that the hinge was too loose for my preference. Many convertibles have screens that are too heavy, resulting in an oddly balanced device. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 has the same problems. It opens with a finger, but closes on its own once it's 75% closed and wobbles too much. This can make the touchscreen uncomfortable to use as you could never accidentally press the screen down.

All of this is pretty common on mid-range Windows laptops, but the Galaxy Book Pro 360's price tag is a bit outside of this category. Of course, Samsung was interested in making the device as thin and light as possible, but there were some trade-offs in the build quality. You can even click the touchpad by lifting the laptop up and pressing on both sides of the palm rests. Not a great look.

display

The screen is the most important feature of the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360. It is not the first laptop to feature an OLED screen. However, there are some special features to consider when implementing.

Most importantly, it is only a 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution. Even the 15-inch model doesn't have a high-resolution screen, which is unusual for a number of reasons. The Asus ZenBook 13 OLED is the only other 1080p OLED notebook you can buy. You'd think Samsung would want to improve the image quality of its OLED screen, but I'm hard pressed to get a 15-inch 1080p display regardless of what type of display technology powers it.

There are two advantages to using 1080p: price and battery life. This will be a cheaper entry point into OLED as it avoids expensive 4K panels. The laptop also has phenomenal battery life, which shows in the results of my tests (see below).

I often found myself squinted and wished it was a sharper screen.

The loss of sharpness is the obvious downside to sticking to 1080p. I'll admit it's been a while since I've spent a long time on a 15-inch 1080p screen, but it's a thorn in my side. As someone staring at small black text on a white background every day, the difference in resolution is palpable. I don't know if the OLED is somehow making it worse, but I blinked and often wished I was working on a sharper screen. It is not for nothing that both the Surface Laptop 4 and the LG Gram 16 have a screen with a higher resolution as standard.

On a 13-inch display, I really don't think it's a problem. However, on a 15-inch device, this is a buzzkill for this laptop's most impressive feature. If you set this next to the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 and wonder which device I would rather work on, I have no question about whether I would pick the surface, the LED screen, and everything.

Even so, you won't notice that much when looking at pictures or videos. This is where OLED really bends. I will not take up the whole argument again, but the OLED image quality is far superior to the standard LED on a technical level. The individually lit pixels create incredible contrast, and even the viewing angles are an improvement.

As announced, the color coverage is almost perfect. It's 100% across the board in both sRGB and AdobeRGB. This is rare in general, but extremely rare on a 1080p screen. The gamma was slightly off, however, which is unsuitable for watching movies – and I really noticed how oversaturated the colors appeared. According to Samsung, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is designed for entertainment. This is why the company stayed at 16: 9, and I suspect that is a major reason why it initially chose OLED.

People certainly use their laptops for entertainment, but a greater percentage of the time is spent on work. And a 16:10 or 3: 2 display would have been the better choice for this. The increased area for vertical screens could also have helped reduce the size of the thick lower bezel. I had a similar complaint about the Galaxy Book Flex, but the effect isn't as noticeable on a 15-inch screen.

The brightness of the screen was a bit overwhelming.

When switching between work and leisure, Samsung offers other color modes in the settings, each of which improves the gamma and delivers more natural colors. The changes are minor. However, I recommend keeping the default photo editing and switching to AdobeRGB mode to watch videos.

However, these additional color modes did not solve the problem of brightness. I tested the screen at a maximum of 285 nits, which is a little overwhelming. It's a pretty glossy screen too, and when combined with the solid black created by the OLED screen, you'll struggle with reflections from time to time.

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 supports HDR500, which means you are promised at least 500 nits of brightness. But as we all know, Windows 10 still doesn't play exactly well with HDR. It looks terrible if you are not watching HDR content. This means you'll have to toggle the setting when you're ready to watch them.

Ports

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 contains a limited number of ports. On the side walls there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two standard USB-C ports, a micro SD card slot and a headphone jack.

This has become standard in the world of premium laptops, but when you see what Samsung did with the clamshell Galaxy Book Pro, you will get jealous. It includes older ports like USB-A and HDMI, though it's even thinner than the Galaxy Book Pro 360. You wonder why Samsung couldn't have incorporated these options into the convertible model.

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 includes Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1. A 5G model may be available, but only in the 13-inch screen size.

Keyboard and touchpad

I really enjoyed my time with this keyboard with springy scissor switches and 1mm of travel. The 15-inch model has a number pad to the right below the power switch and an integrated fingerprint reader. I'm not someone who makes a lot of sense of having a number pad, but it's not a huge distraction and some people will surely appreciate the addition.

The keys have a bright white backlight that looks pleasant and offers three levels of brightness.

The touchpad is also of high quality. It tracks well, registers gestures with multiple fingers with no problem, although it does have some oddities that are widely used for nitpicking. First of all, it's nice and wide, which I would never complain about. That is, unless the palm rejection isn't absolutely perfect. The size of the touchpad means your thumbs will rest on the edges of the touchpad as you type. This often resulted in accidental clicks or movements of the cursor.

This touchpad is pretty loud too. When I was working with others in a quiet room, I didn't want to click. Compared to the quiet touchpad of the Surface Laptop 4 or the quiet, non-mechanical click of the MacBook Pro, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is irritatingly loud.

Webcam and speakers

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 includes a simple 720p webcam, which is a disappointment. It's still the standard definition, but some manufacturers have finally started moving to 1080p. Given that we all rely on our webcams these days, a higher resolution camera has become a major selling point on some laptops.

One feature that is missing is an IR camera. That doesn't mean Windows Hello facial recognition, which has become the standard on high-end Windows laptops. This is a handy feature that Samsung shouldn't have given up.

The speakers included in the Galaxy Book 360 are decent. They will make you watch YouTube videos or background music. However, they are pointing downwards, which means that the sound will be muffled when the device is used as a standard laptop. It improves when you put it in tent mode. Even so, these speakers aren't loud enough to fill a room. They're not even loud or crowded enough when you sit further back, such as when you're watching a movie with someone else.

performance

The 15-inch Galaxy Book Pro 360 has only one processor option: the Intel Core i7-1165G7. It's usually reserved for 13-inch laptops, but it does appear occasionally in ultra-thin 15-inch laptops like the LG Gram or the Surface Laptop 4. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 falls into the same category, so you shouldn't expect it to compete against a fully configured Dell XPS 15 or MacBook Pro 16-inch. This is a 28 watt processor with only four cores and eight threads. And instead of a discrete graphics card, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 is based only on the integrated Xe graphics from Intel.

But I was surprised at how much juice Samsung squeezed out of its components. The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 was one of the best-rated devices in its class in PCMark 10. In the "Essentials" test category, in which basic work functions such as video conferencing, Internet surfing and word processing.

It still lagged behind the newer Ryzen 5000 laptops like the Asus ZenBook 13 OLED, but for a quad-core processor, I was impressed.

Cinebench R23 (single / multi) Geekbench 5 (single / multi) PCMark 10 3DMark Time Spy
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro 360 1308/4062 1554/5603 5159 1800
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 1137/5881 1016/6658 4849 1177
LG gram 16 1394/4137 1573/5454 4827 1390
Asus ZenBook 13 OLED 1171/7824 19175 6034 1342

I was also surprised by the graphics performance. I've tested countless laptops with Intel Xe graphics and the Galaxy Book Pro 360 outperforms them all. They're actually quite a step ahead of the Radeon graphics I tested in the Ryzen 5000 processors. For example, the graphics here are 35% faster than the built-in Ryzen 4000 graphics in the Surface Laptop 4 that I recently reviewed.

This in no way turns the Galaxy Book Pro 360 into a gaming laptop. It struggled with Fortnite, the one game I tested on it. At medium settings, the game averaged 50 frames per second (fps), but the frame rate varied a lot and the game felt choppy. Lighter indie games should work fine, as should 3D games that don't require too much graphical power.

The improved graphics help the Galaxy Book Pro 360 perform well when it comes to video editing. I use PugetBench to test the performance of Adobe Premiere Pro – which includes playback and export of 4K video, plus more – and was surprised at how well this thin little laptop actually worked. Despite fewer processor cores, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 was 32% better than the Surface Laptop 4 in the same test. The M1 MacBook Pro even slightly exceeded the GPU score.

Don't get your hopes up now. Even the fanless M1 MacBook Air, a cheaper and smaller notebook, was an overall 25% faster video editing in this benchmark. The discrepancy between Windows laptops and the M1 MacBooks is still an issue that the Galaxy Book Pro 360 cannot really solve on its own.

Fan noise wasn't too much of a problem, and neither were the surface temperatures. Again, it is an advantage to use a low-performance processor in a large package. However, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 pushed the internal temperatures quite high and was 94 degrees Celsius in runs of 3DMark Time Spy.

Battery life

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 has great battery life. The combination of a large 64-watt-hour battery, a lower-powered processor, and a 1080p screen is a recipe for all-day battery life on a single charge.

In our light web browsing test, which used the iMacros plug-in to repeatedly go through a series of websites until the battery ran out, it took 13 hours and 14 minutes. Your daily workload is likely higher, but I had no problem getting away from a point of sale for a full day with web apps, surfing, streaming music, and office apps.

In an even lighter load, the Galaxy Book Pro 360 can get closer to its claimed 21 hours. The system lasted 17.5 hours of local video playback, repeating a 1080p movie trailer until the battery ran out.

Both the Surface Laptop 4 and LG Gram 16 took a little longer, but all three devices are masters of battery life.

Our opinion

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 doesn't seem to be quite the pinnacle of design that Samsung has been asking for. The build quality is shaky and the screen disappoints. However, I like the 13-inch clamshell Galaxy Book Pro much better than the 15-inch model. It has better port selection, is lighter, and the 1080p resolution bothers me less.

Are there alternatives?

The Surface Laptop 4 is one of the biggest competitors to this laptop. It has a higher resolution 3: 2 screen but is not a convertible. The LG Gram 16 fits into a similar class of laptops. It has a 16:10 display but is also a standard clamshell.

The HP Specter x360 15 is a 15-inch convertible with touchscreen and pen support. Both the Dell XPS 15 and Dell XPS 15 offer slim chassis, although they are not quite as small as the Galaxy Book Pro 360. However, these slightly larger laptops can be configured with more powerful components such as 45-watt processors and discrete GPUs .

How long it will take?

The Galaxy Book Pro 360 should last at least five years. It has the latest components under the hood as well as future-proof connections. However, the build quality isn't the best, which means it can be damaged and damaged over the years.

Samsung offers a standard one year warranty. You can also add an extended two- or three-year warranty through Samsung Care +, which costs up to an additional $ 350.

Should you buy it?

This is a great option for Galaxy ecosystem users, especially if you find using the S-Pen on a bigger screen attractive. However, the 13-inch model is probably the better option for most people.

Editor's recommendations




13 May
Blog

Amazon Echo Buds 2 Review: Better Buds For Alexa Fans

Amazon Echo Buds 2

"They are the perfect companion for those who love Amazon Alexa."

  • Speakerphone Alexa

  • Good sound quality

  • First class call quality

  • Excellent transparency

  • Bad battery life

  • Mediocre ANC

When Amazon launched the original Echo Buds in 2019, they set a new standard for what we can expect from a $ 130 investment in a set of true wireless earbuds. They sounded great, had effective active noise cancellation (ANC), and let you talk to Alexa without tapping any buttons.

They weren't perfect: battery life was just mediocre, they were a bit bulky, there was no wireless charging option, and you couldn't customize the controls very much. But Amazon still managed to set the bar very high, and for a while they were our top pick for the best true wireless earbuds.

But since 2019 there has been an explosion of new options and new brands. ANC, which used to be an exotic and expensive extra, is now showing up on earbuds that cost $ 100 or less. Battery life has improved by leaps and bounds, and decent sound quality is easier and cheaper than ever.

This means that the latest version of Amazon, which I will call " Echo buds 2 ($ 120 or $ 140 depending on whether you want wireless charging or not) must be a real step up from its predecessors to keep up with the market.

Has Amazon succeeded? Let's take a look at the Echo Buds 2.

What's in the box?

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Amazon is a leader in sustainable, recyclable packaging. The Echo Buds 2 are delivered in a small cardboard box in which only a small amount of plastic wrap is used to protect the charging case. There is no foam and no zip ties. Inside, you'll find the earbuds in their pocket, a USB-C charging cable, four sizes of silicone earbuds (including the ones pre-installed on the buds), two sizes of wing tips (with a spare set of the smaller size), and a quick start guide.

design

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The first thing you will notice about the Echo Buds 2, especially if you are familiar with the first generation, is its size. Not only are the earbuds smaller, but the charging case is too. They are not quite as compact as the Apple AirPods Pro, but they compare well with many other models, such as the Jabra Elite 75t or the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.

The earphones are available either in matt black or in an eggshell color, which Amazon calls "glacier white". They are smooth and seamless and have no defined area for the touch-sensitive controls. A discreet Amazon Smile logo is the only decoration.

The charging case is also unadorned. Its rounded corners make it convenient to hold and pocket, but its bottom is still flat enough to stand upright on a desk (or a wireless charging mat if you opt for the $ 20 upgrade ).

Gone is the micro-USB port, which appeared to be out of date as early as 2019. It has been replaced by the current industry standard USB-C. A small LED indicator on the front shows the charging status or battery level of the case, while a series of similar LEDs in the case provide the same information about each earbud.

Conclusion: these are very comfortable buds.

The earbuds are easy to install and remove from the charging jacks, and balanced magnets keep them there when you are not using them. A big improvement over the previous model: Even with the largest wing tips installed, the earbuds make a good connection to their charging contacts – something that didn't always work on the first-generation Echo Buds.

My only criticism is the charging case lid: it's easy to open and close, but the hinge doesn't have a notch to prevent it from accidentally flipping over, which it often does.

Amazon has retained the Echo Buds' IPX4 water resistance, which means they can easily withstand rain and heavy sweat without being damaged. Just don't immerse them in water.

Set up

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

When it comes to true wireless earbuds, there isn't usually much to say when you want to pair them with your phone or tablet. Opening the case or removing the earbuds is enough to put them into pairing mode. At that point select it from the available devices in your bluetooth menu and there you go.

It's a little different with the Echo Buds 2. You'll need to download and install the Amazon Alexa app first, if you don't already have it, and then open the lid of the charging case.

The app will automatically find the earbuds and guide you through the rest of the process. It's quick and hassle-free unless you're using an iPhone with a lot of previously connected devices in your bluetooth menu. In this case, it may take a long time for the Echo Buds 2 to be recognized. It eventually worked for me, but I had to do a factory reset on the earbuds by holding the pairing button on the charging case for 10 seconds.

Convenience, control and connections

Amazon Echo Buds and Echo Buds 2Original Amazon Echo Buds (left) and Echo Buds 2 Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

With a smaller overall shape than the original Echo Buds, the Echo Buds 2 are indeed a little more comfortable, and I imagine people with smaller ears will definitely find them easier to wear. But it's the Echo Buds 2's ventilated design that makes the biggest difference in the "feel" of wearing them.

To explain, many people find it uncomfortable to put earbuds in their ears when their ears are completely blocked by an object. There may also be suction or pressure in your ear canal under certain circumstances. Some people are particularly sensitive.

To mitigate this, some earbuds, like the Jabra Elite 85t, are built with tiny air vents that allow a little air to flow through the earbuds. Venting the Echo Buds 2 really makes a difference, but it also comes with some tradeoffs that I'll get into below.

Conclusion: these are very comfortable buds. You can use the optional wingtips to secure their fit for vigorous activities, but I found they were fine without them.

The Alexa app, which helps you get the most out of the Echo Buds 2, has a fit test tool that can help you determine if you've chosen the right earbuds. It's very convenient. Too often people choose the earbuds they see fit based on their belief in ear size ("I am a medium") rather than the tips that offer the best seal. Given the importance of a good seal to sound quality and the ANC – especially with ventilated earbuds – it's a good idea to do a fit test.

Pro Tip: If you ever find earbuds sounding weak or not having as much bass as you hoped, you are almost certainly using the wrong earbuds. Try a larger size and don't be afraid to use different sizes in each ear – we (and most of us) are not highly symmetrical beings.

The Bluetooth connectivity is absolutely solid and I didn't experience any dropouts.

I still prefer physical buttons for earbud controls, but the Echo Buds 2's touch controls are as good as they come. You get four touch gestures: single tap, double tap, triple tap, and tap and hold. They are the same for every earbud and allow you to control play / pause, answer / end, track jump forward / backward and ANC / transparency modes. By using the same controls for each earbud, you can only use one without losing options. However, there are also very few customization options.

In the Alexa app, you can change the tap and hold feature from ANC / transparency to voice assistant access (Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant), but the other gestures cannot be changed.

As with the first generation Echo Buds, you cannot control volume without using the buttons on your phone. The lack of customization and volume control is a little annoying, especially since the Alexa app has so many other options, but at least Amazon added the single and triple tap options – the original Echo Buds only had two gestures.

The Echo Buds 2 have wear sensors that automatically pause and resume the music when you pull the buds out or put them back in. This works like a charm and reacts instantly to changes.

The Bluetooth connectivity is absolutely solid and I didn't see any dropouts or weirdness between the two earbuds, but their range is limited. I was only able to move about 25 feet from my phone indoors – a much shorter distance than most of the real wireless earbuds I've tested.

Sound quality

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Clear, balanced sound is what you can expect from the Echo buds 2.

Their soundstage isn't particularly wide or deep, but they have a really generous frequency response that can be extensively changed using the EQ settings in the Alexa app.

The sound is ready to use right out of the box – perfect for workouts or listening to a variety of genres, from hip-hop to EDM. However, move the three-band equalizer's sliders and you can adjust it from big and boomy to light and airy.

Unfortunately, with no EQ presets in the app or the ability to create your own presets, you can move these sliders every time you switch the content type from music to podcasts for the best balance.

Like many true wireless earbuds, the Echo Buds 2 have a sweet spot for sound quality when it comes to volume. At around 60%, they deliver a complete, rich performance. However, this balance can drop dramatically as you turn down the volume.

I feel that this is partly due to the ventilated design. They naturally block less external sound than non-ventilated earbuds. So you'll need to turn up the volume to compensate for this – even if you're using ANC.

Noise cancellation and transparency

Amazon Echo Buds app

Amazon Echo Buds app

The first Echo Buds used Bose's Active Noise Reduction (ANR) technology, but the Echo Buds 2 swapped that out for Amazon's ANC technology. Amazon claims this change will result in a significant improvement in performance. "It effectively suppresses twice as much noise," says the expert guide that accompanied our Echo Buds 2 rental devices.

ANC on the Echo Buds 2 is a mixed bag.

I spent about an hour switching back and forth between the two versions to see if I could verify this claim, but I couldn't. Here's the dilemma: While it's true that the Echo Buds 2 suppress more audible sound when using ANC than the ANR on the Echo Buds, the ventilated design of the Echo Buds 2 initially allows for more sound.

The Echo Buds 2's ANC also creates audible background noise when activated. This could be the result of an excessive ANC setting, but unlike the transparency mode which can be adjusted, ANC is either on or off.

The original Echo Buds don't produce as much sound shift when you turn on ANR, but they passively isolate the sound so well that they don't really have to be that aggressive. Also, when turning on ANR, no new noise is introduced.

In short, ANC on the Echo Buds 2 is a mixed bag. You'll likely get the most out of it listening to music while you commute or in a busy space like a Starbucks, but if you're hoping to create a cone of silence for enhanced focus – the kind of magical sound that the AirPods make Extinguishes Pro and Jabra Elite 85t can perform – you may be disappointed.

The most important function of the Echo Buds 2 is hands-free access to Amazon's voice assistant.

The transparency mode, on the other hand, is excellent. You can fine-tune how much external sounds are amplified, and at the very end of that spectrum, the earbuds even offer some hearing enhancement.

What I'm less excited about is the time it takes to switch between ANC and transparency. Up to six seconds have passed from the time you started the tap and hold gesture to the time these modes changed. This may be acceptable if you switch modes when entering or exiting a building. However, if someone tries to talk to you, you'll want to switch as soon as possible – preferably right away.

All about Alexa

Amazon Echo Buds 2Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

It goes without saying that the most important function of the Echo Buds 2 is hands-free access to Amazon's voice assistant. If you own Echo smart speakers, or an Amazon Fire TV device, or one of the many third-party speakers that you can interact with with Alexa, it's fantastic to have them on hand and calling no matter where you are or what you are to do.

I'm not going to go into all of the things Alexa can do – this list is far too long – but it's worth highlighting a few commands that are especially useful when you're on the go:

Music, volume, modes: You can have Alexa control virtually all aspects of your media experience, including changing the volume (which you can't with gestures), answering calls, switching between ANC and transparency, and choosing music from a variety of services like Amazon Music. Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and more. It even reads out the remaining battery life of Echo Buds.

The new Echo Buds deliver crystal clear voice quality.

Alexa Transit: I couldn't test this feature as it isn't yet available outside of the US, but it looks very handy. Alexa can now respond to a series of questions and commands related to getting around, whether you're walking (“Alexa, how do I get to the Empire State Building?”) Or using public transport (“Alexa, what's that Status of? ") The Q-Zug? ”). The answers are context sensitive. So if there is more than one Q move, the one that is closest to you will be chosen. Setting places like home and work in the Alexa app makes these interactions even more useful.

I found that the Echo Buds 2 responded very well to the Alexa wake-up word and that Alexa's response time to various commands was quick and I had to repeat myself far less than with the Echo Buds. If you are dependent on Alexa at home, you will probably quickly wonder how you ever survived without her when you are not home.

Battery life

On the one hand, the Echo Buds 2 gives you the ability to extend your normal playtime from five hours to 6.5 hours by turning off ANC and using Alexa with a wake-up word. On the other hand, her charging case only contains two full charges (the previous version contained three).

When ANC and Alexa are engaged, you will see a maximum of 15 hours of stamina. That's significantly less than any other true wireless earbud for the same price. For example, the $ 130 Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro gets seven hours per charge and 26 hours when you include the charging case.

Get up to two hours of music playback on a 15-minute quick charge.

I haven't had enough opportunity to fully review Amazon's battery claims, but from what I could see they appear to be correct.

Call quality

For most true wireless earbuds, call quality is an afterthought. Many claim to have done a good job, but in my experience few do. The Echo Buds 2 are the exception. They deliver crystal clear voice quality.

I was walking through some very busy intersections with lots of traffic and other competing noises, and somehow it always sounded like I was standing in the middle of an empty room.

You may be able to get slightly better call quality with the Bose QuietComfort earbuds. However, since these cost more than twice as much as the Echo Buds 2, I doubt you'll get more than twice as good results.

Extras

If you enable location services in the Alexa app, you can use them to find your missing Echo Buds 2. The app shows the earbud's last known location and can force the buds to send out a chime as long as they aren't insider their charging case.

If you don't have a Fitbit or Apple Watch, the Echo Buds 2 have a built-in accelerometer that you can use to count basic steps. You can track your walks or runs and the app saves a history of your achievements.

Our opinion

With the Echo Buds 2, Amazon fixed some of the weaknesses of the original Echo Buds while cutting the price by $ 10 if you don't need wireless charging. And while they don't throw it out of the park at every feature (ANC and battery life come to mind), they're still an excellent option for those who want to take Alexa with them everywhere.

Is there a better alternative?

You can find several models of true wireless earbuds that you can use to access Amazon Alexa, but only the Echo Buds 2 (and the original Echo Buds) allow you to speak hands-free with Alexa.

Because of this, they are in a class of their own.

But if you don't mind pressing a button before speaking, I can think of two excellent alternatives, including:

  • $ 130 Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro: Better sound, better ANC, and better battery life.
  • $ 150 Jabra Elite 75t: Better sound, better ANC, better battery life, customizable controls.

What is the guarantee?

Amazon grants a one-year warranty on the Echo Buds 2.

How long will they last?

The Echo Buds 2 seem very well built, as is their charging case. You can replace the earbuds when they are worn out. The biggest concern will be battery life. If this drops significantly under normal use at five hours per charge, you may need to replace these faster than earbuds with a longer starting point.

Should you buy it?

Yes. If you love the idea of ​​taking Alexa with you wherever you go, the Echo Buds 2 are an affordable, comfortable, and great-sounding set of true wireless earbuds.

Editor's recommendations




13 May
Blog

Asus Zenfone Flip Review: The Selfie Master Returns

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip review

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review: The Selfie Master Returns

"The Zenfone 8 Flip's unique motorized camera module makes it the best selfie camera you can buy, but the rest of the phone goes unnoticed because of its sturdy body and recycled design."

  • Motorized camera means amazing selfies

  • Excellent audio

  • Ideal for playing

  • Fast, reliable software

  • No water resistance

  • No wireless charging

  • Big and heavy

If you expect the Zenfone 8 Flip to be a radical departure from the Zenfone 7 Pro, you will be disappointed as the phone is almost identical to the 2020 flagship on the outside. It's also not exactly Asus' big release for 2021, evidenced by the lack of a "Pro" suffix. This honor actually goes to the “compact flagship” Zenfone 8.

So should you even care? Yes, as some important changes have been made internally and the technically very clever motorized camera module means it's still one of the best smartphones you can buy if you really love selfies. Just don't expect the rest of the phone to delight you in the same way.

design

Give or take a few tenths of a millimeter, the Zenfone 8 Flip is exactly the same size and shape as the Zenfone 7 Pro. Asus may have kept the Zenfone 8's body less than 70mm wide to make it easy to use with one hand, but the Zenfone 8 Pro doesn't. It is 77 mm wide, 9.8 mm thick and weighs 230 grams. The back is made of glass, the body is made of metal, and the flip camera module is made of liquid metal for strength and lightness.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The flip camera is the reason you buy the Zenfone 8 Flip because it allows you to use the rear cameras for selfie tasks too. The motor – a wonderful piece of technology on a small scale – quickly flips the camera out and over the top of the phone so that the three cameras are pointed at you. It's a very mechanical experience as you can hear and feel the motors and gears working at the same time, a very unusual tactile feeling on a modern smartphone. It's fast and smooth, and Asus has upgraded the components to improve durability. Now it promises to last at least 300,000 flips compared to 200,000 on the Zenfone 7 Pro.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I like the flip camera. It's unique, works very well, and has features not available on any other smartphone. However, the entire Zenfone 8 Pro package is dated as the design hasn't changed at all from last year's phone, and it arguably isn't much different from the Zenfone 6 Flip either. The Zenfone 8 Flip is big, heavy, thick, and just not nifty or pretty enough compared to phones like the OnePlus 9 Pro, iPhone 12, and Samsung Galaxy S21. This makes the Zenfone 8 Pro more difficult to sell, despite the pull of the flip camera.

screen

The 6.67-inch AMOLED screen on the front of the Zenfone 8 Flip, made by Samsung, is not interrupted by a punch or notch, as the flip camera makes something like that irrelevant. It has a refresh rate of 90 Hz, a touch sampling rate of 200 Hz, a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits and special features such as a DCI-P3 color gamut. Asus claims the bezels are smaller than the Zenfone 7 Pro, but I don't see much of a difference.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's the popular 20: 9 aspect ratio that's shared by phones like the Galaxy S21 and OnePlus 9. As you'd expect, it's great for watching videos and games. It's an FHD + resolution, but I didn't miss the higher resolution that phones like the OnePlus 9 Pro offer under normal circumstances, and it also extends the battery life. It doesn't have an extreme curve on either side, so it's mostly flat, which can be attractive too.

For lengthy viewing sessions, the size and weight made the Zenfone 8 Flip more tiring than lighter and more compact devices, and while the screen is bright and colorful, the lack of a front-facing selfie camera cutout isn't enough to excite me about having it over one of the other really impressive phone screens like the iPhone 12 Pro, OnePlus 9 Pro, and Galaxy S21 +.

camera

The Zenfone 8 Flip has a total of three cameras, all of which are in the same module. The main model is a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 with an aperture of f / 1.8, phase-detection autofocus and 8K video recording with electronic image stabilization. The second is a 12MP Sony IMX363 wide angle camera with f / 2.2 aperture and auto focus, and the third is an 8MP camera with 3x optical zoom.

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review Mirrored CameraAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review Flip Cam BackAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip review cam angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

For a rear camera, the Zenfone 8 Flip's setup is decent but not outstanding, but for a front camera setup, it's about the best you can get. All of the above features, as well as various video modes, are ready for selfies too. That means wide-angle selfies, 3x zoom selfies, and even 8K video selfies if that's what you really want, and absolutely no other phone offers the same functionality in its front-facing camera.

Even the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, with its tiny rear screen, isn't as easy to use as the Zenfone 8 Flip for high-quality selfies, as you're staring at the full 6.67-inch screen as you shoot. The Asus camera app is great too and offers plenty of speed to suit its functionality. The flip module can be set to different angles via a context menu that allows you to take photos from unusual angles. The motorized flip camera has an automatic panorama mode where it moves for you instead of moving the phone and a tracking mode.

All of this is very good, but does the camera take good photos? It's technically very similar to the Zenfone 8's camera, which means the photos are very easy to share due to the strong HDR effect and bright, eye-catching colors. I think they look great, and I prefer this to an underexposed shot that I have to edit before I want to share it. It's not very consistent, however, and the wide-angle camera struggles with difficult lighting. I stuck to using the main camera and 3x optical zoom, which adds to the versatility of the Zenfone 8 Flip's camera.

You can choose different angles for the flip module with the push of a button, but I'm having trouble finding a scenario where this makes a lot of sense. The auto panorama mode is effective and improves sewing because there is no camera shake when panning. The motion tracking also uses the motorized module and keeps up very well, provided the subject isn't moving too fast. While all of these fun little features work well, they are a little tricky and probably won't get used very often.

The Zenfone 8 Flip has a good rear camera that takes photos that you love to share without messing around with a lot of editing and an amazing front camera that takes better selfies than any other phone. It's a strange statement when you know the back and the selfie camera are one and the same. Compared to other phones like this one, the Zenfone 8 Flip's unique camera feature ensures that it stands out from the selfie crowd.

Performance and software

Asus' ZenUI interface is based on Android 11 and roughly corresponds to the experience you get with a Google Pixel phone. It is therefore relatively free of unnecessary apps, functions and functions. It's clean, easy-to-use software with a lot of Android features that I like, including a great dark theme, simple settings menu, standard notifications without changing the notification shade, and an easy turn-off screen when you hold down the power button. It may sound silly, but these make the phone logical and pleasant to live with on a daily basis. It was completely reliable too.

asus zenfone 8 flip review appsAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review AngleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review Refresh RateAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus Zenfone 8 Flip Review Screen HandheldAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

I really enjoyed playing on the Zenfone 8 Flip thanks to a combination of the monster performance of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, the 20: 9 aspect ratio screen, and the superb audio I'm used to from Asus. It's not quite on par with the ROG Phone 5, but it's pretty close with a deep, melodic, and distortion-free sound at almost any volume. I've played Asphalt 9: Legends for more than an hour in one session (shhh, don't tell my editor) on the Zenfone 8 Flip, and this is where the weight and size can give the phone an edge as the weight makes it easy to grip.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The 5,000 mAh battery is much better than the cell in the Zenfone 8. It took up to two days with moderate use with Wi-Fi, and is slightly longer than a day even with some lengthy gaming sessions and WhatsApp video calls. The phone supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 and Asus' 30 W HyperCharge with the included network block. Wireless charging is not possible.

Price and availability

The Asus Zenfone 8 Flip has 8 GB of RAM and either 128 GB or 256 GB of storage space and costs $ 972 from 799 euros. US price and availability have not been confirmed at the time of writing. The Asus Zenfone 7 Pro sold for around $ 800 in the US. So if the Zenfone 8 Flip makes it too, we're assuming it will be somewhere near that cost.

Our opinion

Living with the Zenfone 8 Flip was like going back to early 2020. The design wasn't really a winner before, it's just too heavy, and seeing it again in 2021 is unhappy and makes the phone look and dated feel. The size and weight will put some people off, but I found it works in favor of the phone when gaming, especially when combined with the excellent sound. However, you definitely know you have a 230 gram phone in your pocket.

The Zenfone 8 Flip lives and dies from how badly you want the flip camera. If you take a lot of selfies, the features and specs on paper are second to none, and you'll get great results compared to any phone with a single front camera. However, if you are serious about mobile photography in general, better phone cameras are not available for much more money.

It might be an impressive piece of technology, but the flip module means the Zenfone 8 Flip is not water-resistant, nor can the phone be charged wirelessly. Asus makes a good case for not including wireless charging. It helps control the battery life with wired charging and special modes. Sometimes it helps, and both it and an IP68 rating are generally considered a basic data sheet these days.

Where's the Zenfone 8 Flip? It's typical of Asus: a well-made, well-designed and well-equipped device that serves a niche with a unique function. It's the same offering as the ROG Phone 5 for gamers and the Zenfone 8 with its compact flagship design. You'll know right away if you are going to love the versatility of the Zenfone 8 Flip's flip camera, but if the selfie skills don't excite you, there are better phones for you.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. Based on the Zenfone 8 Flip for around $ 900 (we don't yet know the official US price), the OnePlus 9 Pro for $ 969 or the Apple iPhone 12 Pro for $ 1,000 are our top recommendations. Both have a lot of power to play with, beautiful screens, and very powerful cameras. They're generally better all-rounders than the Zenfone 8 Flip, with helpful everyday features like very fast wired charging, wireless charging, and more attractive, lighter designs.

When you shop for everything to do with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, sometimes it still can be found for around $ 1,000and it's an amazing value for that. Usually it wouldn't be an alternative to a phone that costs less than $ 1,000. If you're looking to spend less than $ 980, both the $ 699 Google Pixel 5 and the $ 830 Apple iPhone 12 are great.

How long it will take?

Asus includes a special case for the Zenfone 8 Flip, which can be used to lock the flip module so that it is not activated unexpectedly. The company says the mechanism is stronger than before and capable of at least 300,000 flips. It is also automatically retracted if a fall is detected. The module makes any kind of water resistance impossible. So you need to be careful if you want the phone to last a long time.

Asus promises two Android system updates as well as 5G on board if you use the fast network now or plan in the future. There are several battery charging modes, including a scheduler, to keep the battery performing for years to come. The only thing preventing the hardware of the Zenfone 8 Flip from feeling fresh in two years is the design, which is already a year old.

Should you buy it?

No. Unless you're really into selfies and can envision a scenario where you might want an 8K video selfie, the Zenfone 8 Flip doesn't have the general appeal of many of its competitors.

Editor's recommendations




12 May
Blog

Asus Zenfone 8 Review: Small Size Isn’t Everything

Asus Zenfone 8 review

Asus Zenfone 8 Review: Size isn't everything, and this tiny phone proves it

"The Asus Zenfone 8 is a well-designed, carefully thought-out compact flagship, but it competes against the competition due to issues with screen sensitivity and battery life."

  • Small and light

  • Great, but pretty simple camera

  • Bad battery life

  • Screen responsiveness issues

  • No wireless charging

toAsus does not want to compete with the Galaxy S21 Ultra or another massive smartphone with the new Zenfone 8. Instead, it targets phones like the iPhone 12, Google Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5 by creating a powerful mobile phone that fits well in your hand and pocket. The Zenfone 8 is a compact flagship and a really well designed one, but the bigger question is, does anyone really want something like this anymore?

The Zenfone 8 has been my main phone for a while now, and if I'm being completely honest, I missed a bigger phone despite its capabilities. However, if you're tired of stretching screen sizes with your thumbs, you will likely feel completely different. However, Asus doesn't have the right basics with the Zenfone 8 and there is a risk of it getting lost in the crowd. Let's go into that in more detail.

design

Asus has set itself some difficult goals with the Zenfone 8. They wanted a phone less than 70mm wide and less than 150mm high because the phone is convenient for one-handed use. It works because the Zenfone 8 is 68mm wide and 148mm high and I can reach most areas of the screen with my average sized hand without stretching or juggling the phone.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a bit longer and wider, but the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12 Pro are much closer to the Zenfone 8 and both are equally manageable with one hand. The iPhone 12 Mini is considerably smaller than any other. The Zenfone 8 may be compact, but it doesn't really fill a niche in the market as Asus seems to believe.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Asus used Gorilla Glass Victus above the screen and 3D frosted glass on the back of the phone to give it a sleek look. The Zenfone 8 is elegant, but also slippery, which makes one-handed operation awkward as it constantly asks for freedom. The 3D curve on the sides makes it comfortable to hold, but the smoothness means you'll end up gripping it pretty tight. However, it comes with a plastic sleeve that has a more grippy texture which will alleviate the problem – provided you don't mind using it.

Google Pixel 5 from left, Asus Zenfone 8 and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

There is another problem with the Zenfone 8. It's a bit boring to look at. The back is plain, the camera module is modest and very ordinary, and the black color of my test device doesn't give it much life either. The only flash of color comes from the electric blue on / off button, but it's not enough to improve the look of the phone beyond the mundane. The Google Pixel 5 is no longer the dullest phone on the table when the Zenfone 8 is around.

screen

The compact size extends to the screen. The Zenfone 8 has a 5.9-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, making it smaller than the 6-inch Pixel 5 and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro. It looks excellent, with 1100 nits of maximum brightness and all of the nice contrasts, colors, and blacks we expect from an AMOLED screen, but Asus has yet to refine it. My review phone is running the final version of the software before it is released. More updates may be released soon after launch to address the following issues.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The first problem concerns touch sensitivity and edge detection. The Zenfone 8 may have small bezels and no dramatic curvature, but it really suffers from phantom touches. I accidentally open endless apps, swipe down the notification shadow or switch between features without wanting to, and find myself handling the phone carefully to avoid these things. Very frustrating.

While not a big phone, Asus added a one-handed mode to the Zenfone 8 that minimizes the display in the lower part of the screen – the exact amount it covers can be adjusted in the settings – to make it easier with use with one hand. It seems like overkill after making a tiny phone, but what's worse is how it activates. You'll need to swipe down on the screen at the bottom. Due to the oversensitivity of the screen, this is likely to be a real problem. Usually the notification shadow or the app taskbar is displayed. When one-handed mode is activated, the slightest breeze will hide it from the screen.

Asus Zenfone 8, from left, Google Pixel 5 and Apple iPhone 12 Pro Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I also haven't finished yet as the fingerprint sensor in the display is slow and unreliable. After annoying yourself about the Galaxy S20's built-in fingerprint sensor, which was fixed on the S21 series, and the lightning-fast fingerprint of the OnePlus 9 Pro, going back to a sensor that doesn't work very well seems unnecessary these days . There is also a face unlock feature, but it doesn't match the speed of other phones. The security of the Zenfone 8 is a cumbersome proposition.

camera

For an Android flagship, it's a surprise that the Zenfone 8 isn't filled with camera lenses. There are only two on the back – a 64-megapixel Sony IMX686 with optical image stabilization and a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 wide-angle camera – and a single 12-megapixel selfie camera in a hole in the screen. All three have autofocus, which is a nice change, but no optical zoom function. It's all shockingly reluctant to Asus when some others may have added a useless macro camera to get a "better" spec sheet.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The results are generally very good, although it is clear that the HDR effect is strong even when set to Auto. Personally, I don't mind the look, but others will find it very stubborn and prefer to turn it off. Adding a "bracketing" series, where three photos are taken with different exposure values, can also be responsible for this look.

There is a tendency that the camera is sometimes underexposed in difficult lighting conditions. You will find that these photos need editing to improve their appearance. The wide-angle camera is particularly sensitive to this and there isn't always much consistency between cameras. The photos taken with the main camera are vivid and vivid, and the scenes have a lot of depth and emotion, which encourages creativity.

It's a shame there isn't an optical zoom, but Asus adds a "lossless" 2x crop to the main camera. This function is somewhat hidden on the busy viewfinder screen as it is not located next to the main / wide-angle switch, but is controlled via a separate button in the corner. Otherwise, the app is very similar to other systems in terms of usage, but is sometimes a little slow with the trigger.

Instead of seeing what Samsung is doing with multiple lenses, Asus took inspiration from Google and gave the Zenfone 8 a pair of powerful cameras that take good photos. However, avid photographers will miss the versatility of an optical zoom.

Performance and software

Asus used the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor for the Zenfone 8, which is definitely a flagship processor. It has up to 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage space. I didn't notice any difference in performance compared to the Galaxy S21 +, OnePlus 9 Pro or Xiaomi Mi 11, which all run on the same chip. It's fast and powerful enough to play Genshin Impact smoothly and complete all of your daily chores with no hassle.

The software is Android 11 with Asus' ZenUI, which looks and works very similar to Android on Google Pixel. Unlike Asus' glitzy, optional sci-fi-style Android user interface on the ROG Phone 5, it's clean and uncluttered here, but still has tons of features. Some of the more useful Inones include the same Game Genie mode as the ROG Phone 5, which improves the phone's performance and operation while gaming, as well as special modes for scheduling battery charging.

Aside from the on-screen frustrations, the Zenfone 8 offers a true flagship phone experience in terms of performance and software in a compact package. The Snapdragon 888 has enormous reserves of energy and ensures that the phone will last for years, even if you play many of the latest games.

Battery and sound

A 4,000 mAh battery and the support of an included 30-watt Asus HyperCharge quick charger and Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 should clearly set the Zenfone 8 apart from the competition in terms of battery life – but this is not the case. In my use, the Zenfone 8 disappointed with a shorter than expected life, especially when used moderately hard.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Although most of my day is connected to Wi-Fi and the phone is used for general calls, emails, social media, and some photos, the day usually ends around 40%. With phones like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, this type of usage usually leaves at least 60%. It gets a lot worse the more you use the phone a little more.

On a day with an hour of play, 30 minutes of video, multiple calls, and an hour-long WhatsApp video call, the battery hit 5% at 9 p.m., which is not good at all when phones like the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G get two days off a similarly sized battery . Go outside to the real world, where the phone was forced to connect to a regular cellular network and the battery drains faster than expected, even with minimal use.

The Zenfone 8 is not a phone that works hard when you want the battery to last a long time. Here, too, there may be updates that change the performance of the battery in the future, although, according to Asus, I am using the final version of the software. Quick Charge 4 took 90 minutes to charge, and the 30W HyperCharge block added 60% in 25 minutes. There's no such thing as wireless charging, a technology Asus prefers not to use to better manage cell life, but it's still a given on a flagship phone today.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

As with the ROG Phone 5, Asus worked with audio experts at Dirac on the Zenfone 8, and its two stereo speakers – powered by a Cirrus Logic CS35L45 amplifier – sound excellent. There's also Hi Res support and Qualcomm's Aqstic codec. There's even a 3.5mm headphone jack, a real rarity these days. All of this together makes the Zenfone 8 one of the best sounding phones you can get.

Price and availability

The Zenfone 8 is launching in the US, but at the time of writing the exact date and price has not been confirmed. In Europe, the Zenfone 8 starts at 539 euros for the 6 GB / 128 GB model, then rises to 599 euros for the 8 GB / 128 GB version and 699 euros for the top 16 GB – / 128 GB phone. Which region gets which model is also unknown, but it is possible that the Zenfone 8 with 8GB / 128GB is the cheapest available in your area.

Our opinion

Do you regret getting a "small" phone today? It really depends on what you want to do with it. The convenience of the Zenfone 8 disappearing into your pocket is great and can be used with one hand provided it's in the case. However, I missed out on a bigger screen, even the slightly larger 6.1-inch screen on the iPhone 12 Pro, while watching videos for an extended period of time.

Many have been complaining about the relative scarcity of compact, high-performance phones for some time, but there is indeed a healthy selection out there and it is an open question whether many people will actually buy them. If you're a firm believer in the compact phone, the Zenfone 8 should be at the top of your shopping list because the shape and size of the phone are mature. Plus, it has the same power and capability as massive phones like the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

However, the Zenfone 8 has major battery life issues, security options are slow, and the camera does not appeal to those who are serious about mobile photography. I like the Zenfone 8 and Asus' dedication to not following the crowd, but the downsides of the Zenfone 8 make it a tough sell over the competition.

Is there a better alternative?

The Zenfone 8 faces serious competition from Google and Samsung, as well as a challenge from Apple when you're ready to spend a little more. The Google Pixel 4a 5G is slightly larger than the Zenfone 8, but at $ 499 and a strong camera, it's a good buy. The Google Pixel 5 is just as compact as the Zenfone. It also has that fantastic camera and guaranteed software updates, but it costs $ 699. The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G has far better battery life, a great screen, and a decent camera for $ 499.

The Apple iPhone 12 Mini is $ 699 and is a true compact phone, while the slightly larger iPhone 12 is $ 799. The iPhone 12 Pro is the model we really recommend, but at $ 999, it's significantly more expensive than the Zenfone 8.

How long it will take?

Asus will be rolling out two major Android software updates for the Zenfone 8, but the timing may not be as immediate as it is with phones like the Google Pixel. The housing is both waterproof and dustproof according to IP56 and IP68. The Gorilla Glass Victus should provide adequate scratch and splinter protection for the screen. In addition, a basic cover is included in the scope of delivery, so that the Zenfone 8 should be very durable. With 5G and the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, it easily lasts two to three years before a replacement needs to be considered.

Should you buy it?

No. If a software update doesn't improve battery life, screen responsiveness, and fingerprint sensor performance, it can't quite keep up with the competition.

Editor's recommendations




12 May
Blog

TCL 85R745 4K HDR TV Review: A Huge Value

TCL 85R745 85-inch 4K HDR TV

"The R745 from TCL beats it."

  • Very high brightness

  • Great black levels

  • Impressive HDR performance

  • Good movement handling

  • Solid gaming performance

  • Wash out of the corner

  • Very broad stance

  • Doesn't clean up noisy videos

TCL has decided to make it big and has now launched its XL collection. You may have heard the news because they did a pretty big deal with it. Let me tell you, however, that "big deal" feels a bit of an understatement.

Welcome to my review of the Roku TCL 85R745 85 inch 4K HDR TV. TCL's XL collection includes three models, so I'll explain where this TV fits in the range. Then we'll go through everything from user experience to performance metrics to see if it's worth spending a few extra bucks to create a seriously big screen in your home.

Video review

Jump to: TCL XL list | Out of the box | Setup | First impression | Image quality | Sound quality | Play | Our opinion

TCL XL list explained

First, let's talk about the new TCL XL collection in general as I think the different models available can be a bit confusing for anyone familiar with TCL's model naming convention.

You may know that TCL has an entry-level 4-series, a slightly improved 5-series, and I think a lot of people are familiar with the 6-series as it has been very popular for a number of years. The XL collection moves a little away from that 4-5-6 range, but it's easy enough to understand the differences between the three models.

The base model of the XL collection has neither local dimming backlighting with full array nor Dolby Vision. The R745 tested here has local dimming with full array and supports Dolby Vision HDR. It also has THX Certified Game Mode. The step-up model of this TV will feature OD Zero technology with mini LED backlighting and will be an 8K model that rounds off the line with something very premium. As the name XL suggests, they are all 85-inch TVs.

Out of the box

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

As big as the 85R745 TV is, the TV box is even bigger. If the retailer you are buying this TV from offers a white glove delivery service with setup, consider adding this option. Not only is it difficult to navigate through the box, but some rooms are not large enough to allow the unboxing process.

This process starts by opening the main box like a giant book, revealing a box in a box surrounded by a large amount of padding – at least the TV is very well protected. Inside the inner box is the TV and its accessories, including two legs, screws, batteries, a Roku TV voice remote, and some product literature.

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

The inner box is designed so that it can be disassembled into parts with the TV standing upright on a cardboard floor. The legs provided can be installed while the TV is in this position. Then the television can be placed in a very wide media cabinet or sideboard.

The 85R745 also weighs a little over 100 pounds, so wall mounting needs to be handled with care. Again, this is likely a job best left for a professional. I encourage those who choose to do a DIY wall installation to anchor a wall mount that is rated for 100 pounds or more in studs. This is no time to trust drywall anchors.

Set up

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

As a Roku TV, the 85R745 goes through a typical Roku setup process that can take up to 10 minutes. Those who don't already have a Roku account will want to create one and have a mobile device or laptop handy to navigate to multiple questions along the way. When all questions are answered, the TV will download any necessary updates and install any requested apps as well as a number of unsolicited apps. From there, I suggest users move their favorite streaming apps to the top of the home screen for easy access. For example, YouTube installed seven lines down after my setup completed

After unpacking, you have a wide range of image settings options. Make sure to turn off power saving mode as it will reduce the brightness of the TV. For the most accurate picture in SDR, you should then select the "Movie" mode. For HDR, I chose "dark HDR". I choose these presets because they offer the most accurate color temperature. However, don't let the "dark" nomenclature fool you. The HDR image is not dark, as I'll explain in a moment. There are actually five settings for the backlight: Darker, Darker, Normal, Lighter, and Lighter – you can adjust the brightness level according to your preference or needs.

First impressions

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Let's go straight to the brutally obvious: this television is huge. And yes, I know it's an 85-inch TV. So it stands to reason that he would be big. For reasons I can't be precise, the TCL 85R745 seems to be kind of bigger than other 85-inch TVs we tested. For example, we just had the Vizio P-Series Quantum X for review – an 85-inch TV too – and somehow the R745 seems bigger. Maybe it's the stand, which is slightly wider than the television and takes up more space in our media cabinet. It's also quite tall due to the height that the legs give. I think that's why it just seems so big in my test room.

But the point is big, right? The idea is to occupy more of your field of view so that you feel like you're in a small theater while watching TV. And this television definitely delivers that thought. Since it's 4K resolution, you can sit pretty close without seeing individual pixels, and when you look at it from the right distance the picture definitely feels cinematic. Now that debut films hit streaming services the same day as theaters, I think the really big screen argument makes more sense than ever.

Image quality and metrics

When it comes to brightness, the 85R745 is extremely powerful. Using the Calman software and a SpectraCal C6 colorimeter On a profile for an X-Rite i1 Pro, I measured 514 nits at the darkest settings in film mode, and that went over 800 when I went to the brightest setting for the backlight. In Dark HDR, the darkest setting for the backlight resulted in almost 900 nits and ran at the highest setting for the backlight up to 2,100 nits. This corresponds to the Hisense U8G and the Samsung QN90A, which I find very impressive.

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

Fortunately, this brightness doesn't come at the expense of the black levels, which are very good on this TV. You see a bit of halo and bloom around bright objects on a black background, but the backlight system manages to minimize that – that is, when you are sitting in the middle of the TV and looking directly at it. Stand up, move around, or turn the TV down when it's against the wall and the backlight will be much more noticeable. This is a given for most LCD-based televisions. Save the most advanced devices like the Samsung QN90A, which uses a slew of panel tricks to get better out-of-angle viewing.

One problem I noticed with the backlight, however, is that if you have a large, bright picture like this one with a moving object, there may be just a little flicker in the areas immediately next to the moving object. An example that I noted was a windmill centered on a bright blue sky. As the windmill turned, I noticed a small flicker in the sky to the left. The effect isn't particularly obvious – in fact, I think most people would miss it – but something I wanted to mention in order to be as comprehensive as possible.

If this TV has a weakness, it's in the processing department.

The color is immediately pretty accurate in Movie and Dark HDR modes as well as Dolby Vision. You'll need to use one of the higher backlight settings to get the highest color volume in HDR, but the TV is perfectly capable of delivering stunning HDR colors. This is what I expected from TCL: quality color performance instantly.

The movement is also very good even with the movement smoothing measures turned off. I've seen less stuttering with this TV than some of the OLED and other QLED TVs I've tested so far this year, although it has decent response time and high brightness (a recipe for picture stuttering). Jerking is not a problem here at all – film cadences with 24 frames per second look, as I had hoped, very similar to a cinema. All around the movement of the 85R745 is very good. However, I wouldn't use the black frame insert feature – it's called LED Motion Clarity – to try to reduce motion blur as it creates significant flicker.

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

If this TV has a weakness, it's in the processing department. I have a feeling the 85R745 is having trouble cleaning up images with shallow bit depth. And that's more important with a large TV like this because when you get a noisy picture it becomes more obvious due to the size of the screen. A fairly loud, compressed video that I use on YouTube to measure how well a TV is at removing noise and preventing color streaks turned out to be a little too much for this TV's processor. As the beach scene darkened from day to night in time-lapse, the night sky turned cobalt blue and I saw a few jumbled black and blue boxes as the TV tried to head or tail what the picture should look like.

Even so, most of the premium streaming apps like Netflix, Disney +, HBO Max, etc. look very clean. It's the more compressed content on YouTube and content in free streaming apps like Pluto that sometimes look a bit noisy. The other thing I noticed was the occasional moiré, but only in tight symmetrical patterns like the grilles in the buildings of a New York flyover shot, which I often use to rate how well televisions handle such patterns. Other areas rich in detail, such as the fine details in bird feathers, remained super clean.

Dan Baker / Digital Trends

The uniformity of the panel on the 85R745 TCL that was sent to me was… OK. Due to the large screen size of the TV, you are more likely to see a dirty screen effect (spots on the screen) if it is there and I observed some on the sample that I received. However, I haven't seen major vertical bands like the ones I've seen on many televisions over the years. So that's encouraging.

I think it's important to point out that screen uniformity will be a matter of what is known as the "panel lottery". So, there is not much you can do to predict what the TV you have bought will look like. All you have to do is take the TV home and out of the box to see with your own eyes. Hopefully TCL keeps quality control strict and the XL collection looks clean overall.

Sound quality

The sound quality on this TV is good – actually better than expected. I'm not particularly keen on the fidelity, but I'll say that the subwoofer on the back of the TV case delivers an excellent amount of bass so the sound is as big as the screen itself. However, if you have such a large screen, I recommend that you go for a soundbar. Even an inexpensive soundbar offers better clarity. And it just happens that way, and TCL does it too.

Play

The TCL 85R745 doesn't support HDMI 2.1, but it's still a great gaming TV. The input delay is low in the device's THX game mode and supports a variable refresh rate (VRR) and 4K resolution at 60 Hertz. However, to get 120Hz, the TV needs to drop down to a resolution of 1440p or 1080p. In addition, the solid movement handling and the powerful brightness of the television set deliver very satisfactory HDR images.

Our opinion

Overall, I think the TCL 85R745 offers excellent value for those looking for a big screen TV. Due to its impressive brightness and solid black levels, this model is, in my opinion, an increase in performance over the 6-series TVs that TCL praises. In this case, it is already impossible for me not to recommend this TV. I think the real bonus will be price as TCL offers pretty significant value given the performance of its televisions. To take the bow, this is the same high quality, high quality experience TCL is known for, only … bigger.

Is there a better alternative?

It will be hard to beat the TCL 85R745's image performance without spending much more. For example, the 85-inch Samsung QN90A is priced at $ 5,000 – that's a $ 2,000 premium over the 85R745's starting price of $ 3,000. The rundown Samsung Q80A is getting closer at $ 3,700 and is likely to offer similar performance, but that's still $ 700 more. Note that the 85R745's price is likely to drop over time as well.

How long it will take?

Given TCL's previous track record of the build quality and feature set of the 85R745, I think this TV should hold up well into the future.

warranty

TCL offers a one-year parts and labor warranty for non-commercial users from the date of purchase.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The TCL 85R745 offers tremendous value in a large screen television with impressive picture quality and a satisfying user experience.

Editor's recommendations




12 May
Blog

Roku Express 4K+ Review: Easy, Affordable 4K Streamer

Roku Express 4K +

"Roku is doing it again with a tiny streamer that's huge in terms of features and value."

  • Attractively priced

  • Simple, intuitive user interface

  • 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos passthrough

  • Voice-enabled wireless remote control

  • Apple AirPlay

  • Limited Dolby Atmos support

  • No Dolby Vision

For Roku fans ready to take the plunge into 4K streaming, there's a new kid in town: the $ 40 Roku Express 4K +, a device that like the $ 30 Roku Express looks, but actually has almost the same features as the $ 50 Roku Streaming Stick +.

But does it make sense to save $ 10 on buying the Express 4K + instead of buying the Streaming Stick +? And how does this new Roku device compare to Amazon's Fire TV family of devices?

You can find all the answers in our full review below.

What's in the box?

Roku Express 4K +Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Roku has everything you need to set up. You will receive the Express 4K +, a certified HDMI high-speed cable, a Roku remote control, a pair of AAA batteries, a micro-USB power cable with a power adapter, a quick start guide and an adhesive strip that you can use to mount the Express 4K + on a variety of surfaces, including the bottom or back of your TV.

design

Roku Express 4K +Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

It's hard to fault the design of the Express 4K +. It is a proven combination of the tiny, curved black box of the Roku Express and the voice remote control of the Streaming Stick +.

It's so small and light that you'll likely need the included tape to keep the HDMI cable from pushing the Express 4K + around.

There are only two ports on the back – a micro USB port for power and an HDMI port. It's not likely that this will be an issue in 2021, but it's worth noting that you won't be able to use the Express 4K + if your TV doesn't have an HDMI input. In fact, none of the current Roku player devices support non-HDMI televisions anymore.

Over the years, Roku has continued to develop its set-up process for new devices and it couldn't be easier.

There's no Ethernet port, but the Express 4K + is compatible with a variety of third-party micro USB Ethernet adapters in case you need one.

When you unpack the box, you will see a sticker on the front of the device that tells you where to point the remote control. If you stick to the included Roku voice remote, then you can ignore it. The remote can communicate wirelessly with the Express 4K + and only uses infrared when it needs to send commands to your TV. It also means you can move the streamer out of sight if you wish – something you won't do with the regular Roku Express or the Express 4K, a $ 35 Walmart variant that doesn't come with WiFi can -enabled Roku voice remote control.

Speaking of the remote control, it has a voice button, a built-in microphone, and dedicated buttons on the side to control the volume and mute a TV.

Wondering what the difference between the Express 4K + and the Streaming Stick + is? Two things: The Streaming Stick + has faster WiFi with greater range and is more portable as it doesn't require an HDMI cable. Yes that's it.

Setup and configuration

Roku Express 4K +Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Over the years, Roku has continued to develop its set-up process for new devices and it couldn't be easier.

Once you've connected the Express 4K + to your TV using the supplied HDMI cable (or one of your own), plug it in and slide the batteries into the remote. That's it – you are done with the hardware part.

From there, the Roku interface will smoothly walk you through connecting to your home WiFi and creating or connecting to an existing Roku account.

Pro tip: If you'd like your phone, tablet, or laptop to be ready as part of the setup process, send a confirmation email that you'll need to open and then click the link provided to complete setup.

I didn't have to adjust any audio or video settings. It just worked out borrowing one of Apple's favorite phrases.

I've set up a lot of streaming devices and the Roku process is second most important after Apple in terms of simplicity.

You will be asked to add some highlighted channels (the name Roku continues to use for streaming apps) but you don't have to do so now. Channels can easily be added later through the Roku interface when the Roku app is activated on your phone or even on the web through the Roku website.

My test model immediately recognized that it was connected to a 4K HDR-enabled TV and that I didn't have to manually adjust the audio or video settings. It just worked out borrowing one of Apple's favorite phrases.

Just before you start using the Express 4K +, Roku will play an introductory video that walks you through the main functions of the device and how to use them. This is the perfect way to get started with the Express 4K +, and I think any streaming device manufacturer should follow Roku's lead. It is a device that plays videos. Why not show people a short how-to video?

The interface is very fast with no noticeable lag.

Another tip: The Express 4K + comes with a power adapter. However, you can plug the micro USB cable into an available USB port on your TV and it should work fine.

Even on my test LG TV, which tends to turn off its USB ports when the TV is not in use, the Express 4K + worked just fine and even responded to the remote's power button when everything was shut down.

Ease of use and performance

Roku Express 4K +Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

Roku gave the Express 4K + 1GB of RAM, an updated processor, and a very fast MIMO Wi-Fi AC – and the results are impressive.

The interface is very fast with no noticeable lag. For the most part, channels start up quickly (some a little faster than others), and jumping from an open channel back to the home screen and then to another channel is a breeze.

Selecting content within channels was just as responsive, and movies and shows were streamed just as quickly as on an Apple TV 4K or Nvidia Shield – and significantly faster than the built-in apps on my LG C7 OLED 4K TV.

Roku's user interface hasn't changed much over the years, and that's mostly a good thing. The simple, straightforward menu options are a breeze, whether you're looking for a favorite channel, adjusting device settings, or looking for new channels in the Roku Channel Store.

Bucking the trend of adding a content curation layer to its main interface, Roku has instead relied on the free Roku Channel app (channel?) As the main method to help you find something to watch .

This may not feel as modern as Google TV, the recently redesigned Fire TV interface, or the Apple TV home screen, but I have to admit that I prefer to choose whether to display a range of content or whether I am would prefer to dive straight into a specific streaming service.

Recently, Roku added Apple AirPlay to select 4K-enabled player devices, and the Express 4K + gave me my first taste of this feature on a Roku.

I am happy to announce that it is working flawlessly. The Express 4K + appeared in my list of available AirPlay devices and I was able to quickly set up an AirPlay session. After that, it didn't matter whether I was playing music from Apple Music or Tidal or streaming from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Disney + – the content was displayed on my TV without buffering or other connection problems. I haven't tested the available integration with Apple HomeKit, but both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant were able to control the Express 4K + without any problems.

Remote control voice commands were equally nifty and satisfying, and I was able to open channels and search for actors and movie titles.

Audio and video

Roku Express 4K + audio optionsSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

There's no question that if you own a Dolby Vision-enabled television, it makes sense to purchase a Dolby Vision-enabled streaming device. However, if you're determined to stick with Roku, you'll have to spend $ 100 to buy the Roku Ultra, which is the only Roku player device that works with Dolby's dynamic HDR format.

The Express 4K + offers excellent image quality with razor-sharp details.

As much as I'm a fan of Dolby Vision, it's hard to argue that this one feature is worth spending an additional $ 60 (150% more) over the price of the Express 4K + to get it – especially if 4K with normal HDR10 looks damn good. It's also worth noting that the Express 4K + supports HDR10 + despite the lack of Dolby Vision. As a dynamic HDR format, it can look just as good as Dolby Vision. Note, however, that your TV needs to support this (not all HDR TVs) and that you need to find HDR10 + content. So far, Amazon Prime Video is the best choice for HDR10 +.

The Express 4K + offers excellent image quality with razor-sharp details. Even when streaming HD content from sources like Amazon Prime Video, I was completely satisfied with the results.

Perhaps more impressive is that the Express can stream 4K + Dolby Atmos content over Dolby Digital Plus over HDMI.

For me, this resulted in great Atmos audio through both my TV's internal speakers and my full home theater 5.1.2 system.

There is one restriction here: Dolby Atmos support via passthrough (as opposed to native Atmos decoding) is app for app (channel by channel?). Currently, Netflix is ​​the only streaming app that delivers Dolby Atmos on the Express 4K +. Could this change over time? Absolutely, but for now the best thing to do is to think of the Express 4K + as a Dolby 5.1 device.

If you're curious about all of the pros and cons of making great Dolby Atmos sound, check out this handy explainer.

There is an app for that

Roku Remote App

No review of any Roku product is complete without at least mentioning the company's excellent mobile app. Not only can you use it as a full-fledged alternative to the remote that came with your product, but you can also allow private listening (watching on your TV while listening on your phone's headphones), and it gives you the option to add and Remove Roku Channels even when your Roku device is turned off.

Better still, it acts as your mobile version of the Roku channel, giving you access to whatever content you would get on your TV.

The Roku app is an impressive extra that no other streaming device company has yet been able to offer.

Our opinion

The Roku Express 4K + is incredibly easy to set up and use, and it exceeds our expectations for the performance of a $ 40 streaming media device.

Is there a better alternative?

At this price point, the Express 4K + has two very good direct competitors: the recently updated Amazon Fire TV Stick and the TiVo Stream 4K.

The Fire TV Stick and Stream 4K both have native Dolby Atmos decoding. This means that a lot more streaming apps should work with this feature. The Stream 4K also has Dolby Vision – a huge plus for those who have compatible TVs.

Neither of these devices support Apple AirPlay or HomeKit, however, and we would argue that the Roku interface is still a more engaging way to navigate a streaming device than the Amazon Fire TV or Android TV (especially since the stream lacks 4K Google TV ).

And none of these devices match the excellent Roku mobile app.

If you don't think the Fire TV Stick or Stream 4K has a feature that you can't do without, you'll be very happy with the Roku Express 4K +.

How long it will take?

Roku player devices are guaranteed for one year. I have had the experience with most streaming devices that they will work for years as long as you don't accidentally damage them. The Express 4K + is just as well built as the other Roku players – that is, very well built – and the remote is sturdy despite its light weight.

Roku also has an excellent track record of keeping their older devices updated with new software over time.

Should you buy it?

Absolutely. If you want to enjoy 4K HDR streaming at the lowest possible price, the Roku Express + gives you that and much more.

Editor's recommendations




08 May
Blog

Wyze Floor Lamp Review: Slick Design, Could Be Smarter

Wyze floor lamp desk

Wyze floor lamp review: Smooth design, could use more smarts

"It's not perfect, but the minimalist design and cost of the Wyze floor lamp make it a consideration."

  • Sleek looking minimalist design

  • Bright light source

  • Very affordable cost

Most companies usually clean up their product launches, but that's not how Wyze does things. In the past year, the company has played a role that is unparalleled in the smart home sector. While it has only been a few months since the Wyze Bulb Color was launched, the company is back with yet another new lighting solution – the Wyze floor lamp.

You may be wondering how Wyze's interpretation of a floor lamp can go beyond the obvious function of connecting. Let me say right away that the company is only charging $ 30 for this. That might be enough to make some people think about buying, but does it fall victim to the age-old adage, "You get what you pay for?"

This nifty, Ikea-like minimalist design

If there is one specific aspect of the Wyze floor lamp that immediately catches my attention, it has to be its minimalist design. Seriously, this thing looks like it was made by Ikea's designers. Setting up is also a breeze, as the three parts of the floor lamp only have to be twisted together after unpacking.

Wyze floor lamp light ton themeJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

By the time it reaches 5 feet (11 inches) in height when fully stretched out, it can easily soar over tables and desks – though it's worth noting that two feet of its length is reserved for its flexible, posable neck. It is still enough to comfortably tower over couches, couches, and even loungers. The base is reinforced with enough weight to prevent it from falling over, but thanks to its 0.5-inch height, it can fit nicely even with small spaces.

This thing seems to have been made by Ikea's designers.

While its design is more compatible with other modern decorations, its minimalism doesn't clash too much with other styles. Well, unless it's in Grandma's living room. Still, I really wish there were other color options besides black.

Semi-smart, needs more options

Speaking of options, technically there is a lightbulb that is supposed to work with it – the included Wyze PARB lightbulb, which the company calls a parabolic aluminized reflector. It's a lightbulb entirely contained in the cone-shaped case that screws into the socket to ensure that the minimalist design is maintained. It has a maximum brightness of 800 lumens, but is set so that it only emits at a color temperature of 4,000 Kelvin. This is wonderful if you always prefer natural daylight, but there are some people who prefer warmer color temperatures which are more ideal for nighttime use.

A special remote control is included in the scope of delivery of the Wyze floor lamp, which is coupled to the PARB lamp via Bluetooth LE 5.0. It has a magnetic base that allows it to be firmly attached to the metal base of the lamp or other surfaces. It's great to be able to control the intensity of the light with the button in addition to the Wyze mobile app. However, since it is powered by Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0, it lacks the real remote control that other smart lights offer. When you are not at home, you cannot turn it on and off. There's a scheduling feature and smart dimming mode via the Wyze app, but none are as useful as the full remote or voice-activated operation that traditional smart lights offer.

As already mentioned, the remote control is only intended to work with the PARB lamp, so that other intelligent LED light bulbs offered by Wyze cannot work with this floor lamp. It's a bummer because it would have given the Wyze floor lamp significant versatility by giving users options for color, true wireless operation, and color temperature control. Hoping for at least one more PARB lightbulb down the street.

Focused lighting

If you are looking for a floor lamp that should focus the light in the smallest of spaces, the Wyze floor lamp is just right for you. There are a total of 15 individual condenser lenses that focus the light at an angle of 23 degrees. This makes it an ideal light to read or illuminate something you might be working on while at your desk. It's a strong light source that is a little harsh because it casts shadows.

Wyze floor lamp LEDsJohn Velasco / Digital Trends

Since it is a focus light, it is not good to illuminate large rooms and spaces. It's just not meant for that, but it works well for highlighting murals and smaller decorative pieces. You could direct the light up to the ceiling, but it doesn't have the same diffusing effect to get full room coverage.

Our opinion

In all fairness, this is not what I would classify as your traditional smart light as it does not have the basic quality of being remotely controlled outside of the home. You still have local operation with the remote or mobile app, but I would prefer to control the voice assistant when I'm just too lazy to get up.

On the other hand, we don't often come across a floor lamp that offers a powerful source of light in a minimalist design like this one. There is certainly room for improvement, but there are some advantages to being a custom light – even more so if it only costs $ 30. That's cheaper than unplugged floor lamps that you can find at Target or Ikea. That alone is worth bragging about.

How long it will take?

I am convinced of the quality of workmanship of the Wyze floor lamp, as the base and the body are made of metal. The only unknowns is how well the joint neck will hold up over the long term, as well as the light bulb, which is designed to last for 25,000 hours. Fortunately, there is a three-year warranty on the lightbulb – while the stand and remote have a one-year limited warranty.

Is there a better alternative?

Not really in the floor lamp room, especially at this price point. There are other decorative smart lights and bulbs to consider, such as the Philips or Hue Iris Mi bedside lampboth of which glow in different colors to match the decor or mood.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It's not often that you find a semi-joined floor lamp at this price point. In some cases, it's cheaper than a traditional floor lamp that you can find at a furniture store or retail store.

Editor's recommendations




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