23 Jan
Blog

2021 Toyota Sienna Review: It’s the Prius Of Minivans

2021 Toyota Siena rating front three quarters

2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum Review: The Prius of Minivans

"With a standard hybrid drive train and an intelligent interior design, the redesigned Toyota Sienna 2021 is the perfect family haulier."

  • Hybrid powertrain

  • Functional "bridge" console

  • Many devices available

  • Ride quality

  • Overwhelming infotainment

  • Gets expensive with options

Minivans were once a popular choice for families, but have largely been replaced by three-row SUVs. While some automakers upgraded their minivans to win back buyers, Toyota did nothing. Now it makes up for lost time.

The Toyota Sienna 2021 replaces a model that went on sale about a decade ago and offers a major overhaul with an extroverted design and new gadgets like a built-in vacuum cleaner and 120-volt power outlet and a standard hybrid powertrain. This should help the Sienna stand out from the SUV competition as well as fresher minivans like Chrysler Pacifica / Voyager, Honda Odyssey and Kia Sedona.

Prices for the 2021 Toyota Sienna start at $ 35,635 for a front-wheel drive LE model, or $ 2,950 more than the 2020 model. This is in part because Toyota has cut the L trim level that was previously below the LE . Our test car was a four-wheel, platinum, all-wheel drive model with extras like leather seats, electric sliding doors and tailgate, and 20-inch wheels – all for a base price of $ 51,635.

Design and interior

Generally, when Toyota designers try to make a car look exciting, they pile up on as many stylistic elements as possible. Toyota's designers went to great lengths to make the 2021 Sienna look exciting. Given that many car buyers view minivans as chilly, it's hard to blame these designers for giving the Sienna the taillights of a Supra sports car and a massive grille that resembles the mouth of a baleen whale. Despite these diverse elements, the exterior design is remarkably coherent, at least by recent Toyota standards.

It's also a great contrast to the more conventional minivans from Chrysler, Honda, and Kia. The Toyota is pretty close to these competitors in the interior, but has significantly less headroom in the third row. This is still a cavernous vehicle, however, and as with all minivans, the Sienna has a lower entry height and lift height than most SUVs.

As with all three-row vehicles, cargo space is limited with the third row, but the Sienna's 33.5 cubic feet are better than the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica and are right behind the class-leading Kia Sedona. Fold the seats down, however, and the Sienna tells a different story: with 75.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row folded down and 101 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded down, it lags behind the competition. Toyota also doesn't offer a power-folding third row like Chrysler does, but electric sliding doors and an electric tailgate are available.

Toyota's designers went to great lengths to make the 2021 Sienna look exciting.

The Sienna looks more impressive the closer you get to the front. The lower level LE and XLE models come standard in an eight-seat configuration with a second-row bench seat. Higher equipment variants are given captain's chairs in the second row, which reduces the total number of seats to seven. A "Super Long Slide" option allows these chairs to slide back and forth up to 25 inches, and Limited and Platinum models get fold-out airplane-style ottomans. These features make driving in the second row more comfortable, but they have also been available on the Kia Sedona since the 2015 model year.

Up front, the Sienna gets a stylish dashboard with an integrated touchscreen and, as Toyota calls it, the "bridge", a raised center console that holds the gear lever, and a couple of cup holders. Underneath there is a rubberized storage corner that is big enough for a handbag. It's an unusual setup for a minivan, but a good one. The raised console offers two levels of storage, bringing the things you actually need to reach for – the gear stick and cup holders – closer to your handle.

The materials in our Platinum test car were impressive. The leather upholstery felt appropriately chic; rubberized, non-slip material has been strategically placed; and even the plastic paneling Toyota used instead of wood looked good. However, designers could have chosen back the color palette, which includes shades of browns, beiges, and grays that have managed to look boring and clash with one another.

Technology, infotainment and driver assistance

While the exterior and interior design offered some unexpected details, the Sienna's infotainment system is largely the same as on other newer Toyota models.

The standard setup includes a 9.0-inch touchscreen, seven USB ports, an integrated WiFi hotspot and compatibility with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa. A JBL audio system with 12 speakers, a navigation system and an entertainment system in the rear seats are optionally available. The latter contains a single 11.6-inch monitor that, unlike the dual monitors available from Chrysler, can be folded down from the ceiling.

The touchscreen was typical of Toyota, which meant it was easy to use (thanks in part to keyboard shortcuts and a volume control) but with boring graphics. The designers also included plenty of spots for the driver to place their phone, including slots in the "Bridge" console cupholders and a dashboard shelf (which can be fitted with a wireless charging pad), but none of them actually work. The slots that allow a phone to sit upright don't fit into larger phones, while phones can slide around on the dashboard.

The touchscreen was typical of Toyota, which meant it was easy to use, but with boring graphics.

Devices are a hallmark of modern minivans. So Toyota gave the 2021 Sienna a built-in vacuum cleaner, a 1,500-watt inverter (which sends power to a 120-volt socket in the cargo area), a small refrigerator, and a rear-seat intercom (that borrowed from the previous generation model has been). However, the refrigerator and vacuum cleaner are not available at startup due to a supplier issue. Honda and Chrysler have also offered built-in vacuums for years.

The standard driver assistance technology under the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 banner includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning and automatic lane centering of Toyota's lane following assistant.

Since the Sienna is a pretty large vehicle, talking about cameras is also important. Our test car had the optional 360 degree camera system that had good camera angles but a low resolution display. The Sienna is also the latest Toyota model to receive a video rearview mirror that can be switched from a conventional mirror to a video display with the push of a button. This allows the driver to see what is directly behind the car without obstacles such as roof pillars and passenger heads. It was especially useful in the Sienna with its small rear window.

Experience at the wheel

One of the biggest changes to the Sienna for 2021 is under the hood. Toyota replaced the old 3.5-liter V6 engine with a hybrid powertrain based on a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. This is the only powertrain available, making the Sienna one of the few new cars exclusively available as a hybrid. However, you have a choice between front or all-wheel drive.

Toyota specifies a total system output of 245 hp. That's 51 horsepower less than the 2020 Nonhybrid model and less than the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey or Kia Sedona nonhybrid, all of which use fairly large V6 engines. However, it doesn't seem to matter.

If you're worried about underperformance, keep in mind that the Sienna has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds – just like an Odyssey or Sedona. The Pacifica is designed to pull more, but only by 100 pounds. The Sienna also has the same towing capacity as the similarly sized Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which proves you don't always need an SUV to tow.

The Sienna's gasoline consumption knocks the competition away.

Granted, we would have liked a bit more power for overtaking highways where the Sienna felt appropriate but not thrilled. However, this was the only problem with the powertrain. The hybrid system made the Sienna feel like an oversized Toyota Prius – which is good. The interaction of the gasoline engine and the electric motor may seem a little strange to drivers who are used to non-hybrid cars, but tuning the powertrain ultimately promotes smooth and economical driving.

Unlike the Prius, Toyota didn't bother to make the Sienna sporty. That means you only get a comfortable ride, which is probably what most potential minivan buyers are looking for anyway. We noticed a slight shudder over bumps and the steering didn't feel as tight and precise as that of the Chrysler Pacifica.

Fuel economy and safety

The Sienna also emulates the Prius where it counts – mileage. The minivan is rated at 36 mpg combined (36 mpg city, 36 mpg highway) with front-wheel drive and 35 mpg combined (35 mpg city, 36 mpg highway) with all-wheel drive. That knocks out the competition. Chrysler, Honda, and Kia are stuck together below 25 mpg.

Chrysler also offers a plug-in hybrid version of the Pacifica – the Pacifica Hybrid – with a range of 32 miles fully electric. However, in hybrid mode, the Pacifica Hybrid can only manage 30 mpg together and is not available with all-wheel drive.

The Toyota Sienna 2021 was recognized by the Road Safety Insurance Institute (IIHS) as a “Top Safety Pick +” – the organization's highest safety rating. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not published any crash test ratings for the new model.

Toyota offers a three-year base warranty of 36,000 miles and a five-year warranty of 60,000 miles on the powertrain. That's pretty standard for a mainstream car brand, but Kia offers a five-year base 60,000 mile warranty and a 10-year drivetrain warranty of 100,000 miles for the Sedona.

As with other Toyota hybrids, the Sienna comes with a 10-year guarantee on 150,000 miles of battery and an eight-year guarantee of 100,000 miles on other hybrid system components.

How DT would configure this car

Priced at over $ 50,000, our Sienna Platinum test car demonstrated that a minivan can be really luxurious – if you're willing to pay luxury car prices. However, it is possible to bring that price down by losing some of these extras.

We would go a few rungs down the trim ladder to the XSE trim step. It has the same hybrid drive and driver assistance technology as the Platinum (and all other Sienna equipment variants) as well as the seats in the second row "Super Long Slide", the navigation system, the automatic four-zone air conditioning and the heated front seats.

Then we add the XSE Plus package ($ 1,000), which includes cell phone charging and the inverter at 1,500 watts ($ 300). All-wheel drive costs $ 760 on the Sienna XSE and is well worth considering if you live in a snowy climate.

Our opinion

The Toyota Sienna 2021 isn't redefining the minivan, but this overdue redesign brings Toyota up to date with the competition.

The Honda Odyssey offers a bit more passenger space and more cargo space with the seats folded down in the second and third rows, but does not offer the sliding second row car or the optional all-wheel drive of the Toyota. It also can't compete with the hybrid Sienna's fuel economy.

The Chrysler Pacifica is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and “Stow’ n Go ”folding seats. However, these features are not available together, and you also cannot purchase a four-wheel drive Pacifica Hybrid. The Chrysler is also a bit nicer to drive than the Toyota, but has a much worse reputation for reliability. For price-conscious buyers, the Chrysler Voyager is a dissatisfied Pacifica with a much lower base price than the Sienna.

The Kia Sedona is starting to show its age but is still competitive on the interior and is backed by Kia's extended warranty.

Regardless of the brand, minivans remain a great alternative to SUVs for large families. What they lack in sturdy style, they practically make up for it. The Sienna has more passengers than the Toyota Highlander. The lower ride height, the sliding doors and the larger tailgate opening make it easier to load and unload people and objects.

Should you get one

Yes. The Sienna is a great family car.

Editor's recommendations




23 Jan
Blog

Amazon Halo Review: No-Fuss Fitness Band, Privacy Disaster

Amazon Halo Fitness Band

Amazon Halo Review: Affordable but Questionable Fitness Band

"Amazon Halo is a no-frills fitness band, but privacy concerns tarnish an otherwise capable workout companion."

  • Slim, lightweight design

  • Informative sleep rating

  • Accurate body fat scan

  • Laboratory integration

  • Subscription for access to all functions

  • Questionable privacy

Amazon has taken its first steps in the wearable device market with its Halo fitness tracker. Much like its Echo and Alexa devices, the Amazon Halo is designed to blend in with the background and seamlessly track your health and fitness. The $ 99 Halo creates a niche with unique features not found on other fitness wearables. However, some of these features raise serious privacy concerns. We have both good and bad problems so you can decide if you want the Halo to be your next fitness machine.

Forget about simple carrying and design

The Amazon Halo has a simple design with a woven fabric band and a screenless tracker unit reminiscent of the older Fitbits. It has a single button that interacts with the Halo app, two microphones for speech analysis and an LED indicator. On the bottom there is an optical heart rate sensor and a charging area. Its straightforward design allows you to charge the tracker without removing it from the band.

Amazon Halo Fitness BandKelly Hodgkins / Digital Trends

The tracker unit is slim and mounts under the band with the heart rate sensor flush with your skin. The tracker clicks securely into place on the band, but it can be removed quickly and easily if you need to change the bands. The sensor unit is waterproof up to 50 meters, so you can swim and shower while wearing it.

The tape consists of a strong net with a Velcro fastener. The Velcro on the halo is just perfect. I can pull the Velcro as tight as I want without having to struggle with the various settings of a buckle. The mesh fabric is not as silky smooth as silicone straps, but it is pleasant on the skin even when perspiration builds up. If you don't like the web, Amazon sells a sports band with a more rubbery feel.

The Halo lacks a screen to grab your attention and lacks a vibrating motor to keep you buzzing. It's also incredibly slim and light (18 grams). It's so unobtrusive that I barely felt it on my wrist. I like that I could wear the halo and forget about it, but I miss the display, especially when I'm running. I can't check the time, watch my pace, or monitor my heart rate from my wrist like I can with my Garmin or Fitbit.

Activity tracking stays with the basics

The Amazon Halo is a more than powerful activity tracker with a heart rate sensor as well as a gyroscope and an accelerometer for movement tracking. It records all of the standard metrics for a fitness tracker. It counts steps, compiles calories and tracks selected workouts (walking, running, cycling and more) in real time. You can also add an activity manually if you forgot to start your tracker. One blatant omission is GPS. Most fitness bands have built-in GPS or at least connect to your smartphone.

Amazon Halo Fitness BandKelly Hodgkins / Digital Trends

The Halo takes a novel approach to measuring your activity level. You will earn points for every minute you are active. The Halo gives you two points for every minute of intense activity, one point for every minute of moderate exercise, and one point for every 20 minutes of light activity. Not only does Halo give points, but it also takes points away for every hour you are sedentary. You can set your own points goal, but Halo recommends achieving at least 150 points per week, which is in line with World Health Organization guidelines for physical activity.

The Halo's relaxed weekly scoring system has successfully kept me active.

Amazon's scoring system is great for those trying to get fit and need that extra encouragement. Since performance is measured weekly, I didn't feel compelled to exercise every day. I could spread my exercise over a week and mix a workout into my daily life if it fits my schedule. This relaxed approach successfully kept me active and kept me from becoming discouraged if I had to miss a workout.

Sleep tracking stays simple

Amazon's Halo competitor, Fitbit leader when it comes to sleep tracking. At night, the Halo can track movement, heart rate and even body temperature, giving you a detailed insight into what factors can affect the quality of your sleep. All of this data is summarized in a sleep score so that you can assess your sleep at a glance.

The halo accurately recorded my wake times, sleep times and movements during the night. The tracker not only monitored the length of my sleep, but also correctly rated the quality of my sleep. It was spot on with his assessment – when I woke up tired from a restless night, the Halo app knew instantly.

The Halo app goes one step further than simple analysis. It also provides insight into your sleep cycles. When I had a pattern of insomnia, the app gave me guidance on how to improve my rest. If I needed more detailed help, I had the option to sign up for a sleep laboratory. This third-party service offered activities that would improve my sleep, such as: B. Limiting caffeine in the afternoon (one of my bad habits!). The lab helped me implement these suggestions and then analyzed whether they actually helped improve my sleep.

The analysis of the tone voices is convincing and uncomfortable

The most impressive and controversial feature in Halo is tone-voice analysis. When enabled, Tone uses your Halo tracker's audio hardware to hear your voice regularly throughout the day. The idea behind Tone is to make you aware of how you sound to other people. Are you moody or positive? Do you sound tired or optimistic?

Amazon Halo Fitness BandKelly Hodgkins / Digital Trends

In order to protect privacy, Tone does not monitor the words you say, only the tone of your voice. In addition, the recordings are not saved. This eases some privacy concerns, but it limits functionality. Once marked as stubborn, I could think about the entire conversation. I couldn't hear exactly what I was saying.

I found the tone speech analysis compelling, but also creepy. I was checking my sound stats all day to see if I was negative without realizing it. I wish there was a notification that would nudge me if my mood changed. Instead of waiting afterwards, it would be helpful to be able to change my setting in real time. Although Tone recognized my mood for most of the time, I didn't feel comfortable with the device always listening in the background. The battery was also very discharged.

Although for the most part Tone recognized my mood accurately, it was a huge drain on the battery.

What I liked was the "Live" tab which offered on-demand, real-time analytics. I was able to practice a short speech and watch where my voice fell on the positivity and energy chart while speaking. I could then get a full analysis of how I sounded. This feature is incredibly useful for repeating a speech or preparing for an interview.

Body fat tracking with half-naked selfies

Many attached health devices promise to monitor your body fat, but few do exactly that. Most smartphone apps and even smart scales take your height and weight and put that information into a body fat calculator. However, this formula doesn't take into account whether the majority of your weight is fat or muscle. It also doesn't tell you where your fat is concentrated.

Amazon Halo improves body fat measurement by using your height and weight data along with photos of your body. These photos, taken only in your skivvies, can be used to determine if you are limp or fit for your weight. It also helps identify where your fat is located. When you are struggling with your body image, the process can be terribly uncomfortable.

All body scan photos are securely processed by Amazon in the cloud and then automatically deleted. They are only saved when you want to use them to keep track of your progress. This sets a privacy flag. They trust Amazon to handle your half-naked selfies discreetly. Do you feel comfortable with it?

Although uncomfortable and worrying, the body fat estimates can provide some accurate results, especially for those who are building muscle, not just losing weight. With the saved photo scans, you can literally see your body fat melt away. Just like with tone speech analysis, you need to decide whether leaving your comfort zone is worth the information it contains. For me, a one-time scan to test the function was sufficient.

The battery life is as expected

The Halo lasted up to a week with normal use on a single charge. Tone speech analysis was a tremendous burden, reducing battery life to a disappointing two days. Fortunately, the Halo charged consistently in just over an hour. The Halo may have hit Amazon's promised battery life, but we expected more from a tape that doesn't have a screen and only basic sensors. The Fitbit Charge 3 with color display, several sensors and smartwatch functions also lasts six days between charging cycles.

Labs

Like the Apple Watch, Amazon has partnered with third-party services to expand the health and wellness information you can get from your device. Most of these labs will help you develop healthy habits that will improve both your mind and your body. For example, you can receive training content from Sweat and take part in the American Heart Association's lunchtime powerwalks. With its clout and reach in retail, this is an area that Amazon could really develop in the years to come.

Not everyone is willing to forego some privacy for the sake of innovation.

Privacy is a deal breaker for some

We can't review the halo without mentioning privacy. Daily voice recordings and snapshots of your scantily clad body can make many people feel uncomfortable. However, Amazon is quick to point out that these features are optional. You don't have to use them to take advantage of the hands-off fitness tracking offered by the Halo.

subscription

You can use Amazon Halo to track basics like step count, activity level, and sleep. If you want more than just the basics, you can choose an optional subscription service that costs $ 4 per month and offers access to advanced features like sleep scoring and labs. Each Halo comes with a free six-month trial subscription. So give it a try and decide if it's worth the extra money.

Our opinion

The Amazon Halo is a straightforward fitness tracker for those who want to improve their health and fitness without worrying about it. The halo tracks the most important metrics. You don't have to view them every minute of the day. However, privacy concerns cast a long shadow over the device. Not everyone will be happy with their device if they take almost nude photos of them and hear them all day. Where you draw that line will determine whether you should buy the Halo.

Is there a better alternative?

The Amazon Halo brings some unique features to the table, but not everyone is willing to give up their privacy for the sake of innovation. Anyone looking for a fitness tracker with robust health and wellness features should consider the Fitbit Sense. Like the Halo, the Scythe focuses on your health and wellbeing, rather than just cross-threshold workouts.

How long it will take?

The Amazon Halo has a simplified design that interferes with a fabric strap that attaches to the tracker. There is no display and only a single button, which reduces potential problems with the device. As long as you do not abuse it, the halo will be used for many years. If you run into hardware problems, Amazon's Halo comes with a one-year warranty.

Should you buy it?

If you can look beyond the privacy issues, the Halo is ideal for those who prefer a hands-off approach to training. You just need to achieve a weekly goal and you won't be constantly reminded to move every hour. Those who want to track every metric and micromanage of their progress should pass the halo on and choose one of the many alternatives.

Editor's recommendations




22 Jan
Blog

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Review: An excellent 14-inch convertible

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 review featured picture

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 "2-in-1 laptop

"The Yoga 9i 14 is a fast and efficient 2-in-1 convertible that only suffers from a too short 16: 9 display."

  • Very solid build quality

  • Competitive productivity performance

  • Excellent battery life

  • Superior audio quality

  • Pen is included in the scope of delivery and docks comfortably

  • The keyboard remains a bit flat

  • 16: 9 display is yesterday's technology

  • The colors are a bit muted and inaccurate

Lenovo's Yoga 9i 14 – the replacement for the Yoga C940 – is an incredibly innovative 2-in-1 convertible that comes in two different flavors that stand out for much more than just color.

The Shadow Black Leather Edition contains a continuous glass palm rest, a haptic touchpad and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader, which is combined with a leather cover on the lid. The mica-colored model has a traditional palm rest and touchpad, as well as a simple metal lid. And they cost the same. A more direct replacement for the Yoga C940, the Mica version offers a more traditional 2-in-1 experience that begs the question: should you consider the Mica version without the added innovations?

We tried a well-configured Mica device with a top-notch 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake Core i7-1185G7 CPU, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), and a Full HD (1,920) x 1,080) IPS display. This configuration is $ 1,380 at Best buy, Pricing next to the best 2-in-1 laptops, but competitive with similar machines.

design

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 designMark Coppock / Digital Trends

As with most mid-range and better Lenovo laptops, the Yoga 9i 14 feels solidly built. I couldn't get anything bend or bend, including the lid, keyboard deck, and case bottom. Seriously, this laptop is rock hard and in the same class as the HP Specter x360 14, Dell XPS 13, and Apple MacBook Pro 13. The Yoga’s stiff hinge requires two hands, but does a great job of holding the 2-in. 1 in the desired mode, be it clamshell, medium, tent or tablet.

Aesthetically, the Yoga 9i 14 follows Lenovo's recent preference for simple, clear designs without any gloss. The aluminum housing in the color "Mica" (light gray-silver) looks banal apart from two outstanding features: the notch on top of the display for the webcam and the Dolby Atmos soundbar integrated in the hinge (more on this later). Compared to the Specter x360 14 and the XPS 13, the Yoga 9i 14 is not noticeable. However, that's fine as it still looks attractive and I'm sure there are many users out there who prefer a simpler design. Let's call it "reserved elegance" and leave it at that.

The Yoga 9i 14 has small bezels at the top and on each side, but the chin is a bit big – as is often the case with 2-in-1 models that require more complicated hinges. That makes it a smaller 14-inch laptop, but certainly not the smallest you will find. The MSI Prestige 14 Evo, for example, is only slightly smaller in depth and width (although this is a fraction of an inch), but it's also thicker than the Yoga 9i 14 at 0.63 inches versus 0.57-0.61 Inch. The yoga is slightly heavier at 3.02 pounds than it is at 2.84 pounds. Compare that to the HP Specter x360 14, which is available at 0.67 inches and 2.95 pounds.

Connectivity is quite poor for a 14-inch laptop. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB 3.2 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack, all of which are on the left side of the laptop. Many 14-inch laptops have multiple USB-A ports, a full-size HDMI port, and a microSD card reader, but not here. You get Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 so your wireless connection is up to date.

performance

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 performanceMark Coppock / Digital Trends

My test device was equipped with the fastest Tiger Lake CPU, the quad-core Core i7-1185G7, and ran accordingly. All along the line, the Yoga was competitive with our current Tiger Lake laptop database, which also puts it at the top of the list of Intel U-series processors.

In Geekbench 5, the Yoga 9i 14 achieved 1,532 points in the single-core test and 5,415 points in the multi-core test. The Dell XPS 13 9310 and the MSI Prestige 14 Evo with the same CPU scored 1,549 and 5,431 and 1,593 and 5,904 points, respectively. Note that each of these machines is faster than Intel 10th generation laptops, but far behind the AMD Ryzen 4000 series and Apple Silicon M1.

The Yoga 9i 14 performed better in our handbrake test, which encodes a 420MB video as H.265. I've used the Yoga's performance utility, which has battery saving, smart cooling (default), and extreme performance modes, to see how much tuning is available, and switching from smart cooling to performance has made a significant difference. In Standard mode, the Yoga took 3.45 minutes to complete the test compared to 2.85 minutes in Performance mode. That's faster than the Dell XPS 13 in performance mode (the Dell was a few seconds faster in standard mode) but slower than the MSI Prestige 14 Evo, which took 2.7 minutes. These values ​​are also much faster than 10th generation Intel laptops, but slower than AMD Ryzen and Apple M1 when a version of Handbrake optimized for this processor is used.

The Yoga 9i 14 managed 1,441 in single-core mode and 4,988 in multi-core mode in Cinebench R23, both with the performance activated. It again outperformed the XPS 13, but couldn't compete with the MSI Prestige 14 Evo. 10th generation Intel CPUs lagged, while the Apple M1 was significantly faster. We did not test the AMD Ryzen chips with this version of Cinebench.

I ended up running the PCMark 10 Complete benchmark suite and the Yoga 9i 14 got 4,836 points in performance mode (4,800 in smart cooling mode, so not a huge difference). The Dell XPS 13 9310 with Tiger Lake CPUs wouldn't complete the test, and the MSI Prestige 14 Evo came in at just under 4866. The Essentials (web browsing, video conferencing, app launch), productivity (spreadsheet and word processing), and creation (photo editing, video rendering and playback, and video editing) parts of the test were similar, with the Yoga 9i 14 outperforming Intel 10-laptops a fair head start and keeping up with the rest of the Tiger Lake class.

Overall, the Yoga 9i 14 performed solidly in our tests and will meet any productivity requirement. It won't be able to compete with either AMD Ryzen or the Apple M1, especially on content creation tasks, but the performance was above average for everything else.

The gaming was the same: The Yoga 9i 14 scored 1,774 points in the 3DMark Time Spy test in performance mode, compared to the Dell XPS 13 9310 with 1,657 points and the MSI Prestige 14 Evo with a surprisingly low 1,465 points. In Fortnite, both Yoga and MSI hit 40 frames per second (fps) or faster at 1080p and high graphics, with the XPS 13 only managing 29 fps. None of the laptops could exceed 30 fps with Epic Graphics enabled. As with other Tiger Lake laptops with Intel Iris Xe, you can expect performance on par with an entry-level discrete GPU like the Nvidia GeForce MX350, allowing casual gaming at reasonable frame rates, as long as you meet your expectations for resolution and graphical detail.

display

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 displayMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo equipped the Yoga 9i 14 with a Full HD IPS display (1,920 x 1,080) with an increasingly archaic aspect ratio of 16: 9. Many, if not most, of the new machines unveiled today have taller screens (16:10 or 3: 2). The HP Specter x360 14 is an example with its impressive 3: 2 OLED display that is a joy to use. Directly behind the gate is the yoga behind the market.

According to my colorimeter, this is mostly just an average display for a premium laptop. It was pretty bright at 341 nits, above our 300 NIT threshold, but below 458 nits the Dell XPS 13 with its own Full HD display could manage. The MSI Prestige 14 Evo suffered from an exceptionally low brightness of just 228 nits, which made the Yoga 9i 14 significantly better. The contrast exceeded our threshold of 1,000: 1 at 1060: 1. This is a good thing that blew black text on a white background. The XPS 13 Full HD managed 1350: 1, while the MSI fell below our threshold with 940: 1. By these standards, the display of yoga was excellent.

This is probably the best audio system on a Windows 10 laptop.

However, when it came to colors, yoga fell behind. It managed only 71% of AdobeRGB and 95% of sRGB, which is below the averages of 73% and 96%, respectively. The XPS 13 was stronger with 75% by AdobeRGB and 98% by sRGB, while the Prestige Evo 14 scored 73% and 97%. Worst of all, however, was the Yoga’s color accuracy, which was a poor DeltaE of 3.74 compared to 1.36 on the XPS 13 (less than 1.0 is considered excellent) and 1.3 on the MSI.

I found the Yoga display good for productivity work where brightness and contrast were most important, but I wouldn't recommend it for creatives looking for wider gamuts and more accurate colors.

However, the Yoga 9i 14 featured a Dolby Atmos soundbar integrated into the hinge. The two tweeters are located in the soundbar, while the system also uses two subwoofers in the housing for deeper bass. Volume was significant with no distortion, and mids and highs were great with an above average bass touch. This is probably the best audio system on a Windows 10 laptop and is only surpassed by the superior sound on Apple's MacBook Pro computers. You can use the laptop for Netflix bingeing and listening to music without unplugging your headphones – unless you want to keep your audio to yourself.

Keyboard and touchpad

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 keyboard and touchpadMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Lenovo's yoga keyboards traditionally suffer from shallow depth and a squishy feel. The Yoga 9i 14, on the other hand, uses the company's new TrueStrike keyboard, which is as slim as it was before, but slightly faster. It's a much better experience, though it's still not as good as the HP Specter x360 14, Dell XPS 13, and best of all, the Magic Keyboard on the latest MacBooks. The keyboard offers two levels of backlighting that I found consistent and effective under different lighting conditions.

The touchpad is a decent size and has a smooth surface that is easy to slide over. It's a Microsoft Precision touchpad, so Windows 10 multi-touch gestures work as expected. The touch display responds equally and supports the included active pen from Lenovo, which parks and charges in its built-in silo on the back of the case. My only complaint about the pen is its size – it's quite small and doesn't mimic the feel of an ink pen.

A fingerprint reader in the upper right corner of the palm rest provides support for logging in without a Windows 10 Hello password. It worked well and logged me in quickly and efficiently without a lot of errors. The ThinkShutter privacy webcam cover remains a manual affair – you physically slide it over when you want to keep your video to yourself. Compare this to the competing Specter x360 14, whose keyboard has a button that instructs the device to electronically close the shutter.

Battery life

Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 battery lifeMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Yoga 9i 14 has a battery capacity of 60 watt hours, which is not much for a 14-inch laptop. And as far as I can tell, there is no specific technology like a low-power display that will keep it running for a long time with such limited battery power. How did it take so long during my tests?

First, I ran our web browsing test, which iterated over a number of popular (and complex) websites until the battery ran out. In this test, the Yoga 9i 14 lasted just over 10 hours, which leads the Tiger Lake class. The closest competitor is the Asus ZenBook 14 UX425EA with a Core i7-1165G7 that lasted almost 10 hours. The rest of the field averaged nine hours or less, which gave the Yoga 9i an impressive performance.

This is a 2-in-1 convertible that you can work with for a full day.

Next, I ran our video test going through a Full HD Avengers trailer. Here the Yoga 9i 14 lasted 18.25 hours, which is incredibly impressive for a laptop without a power-saving display. That's hours longer than the other Tiger Lake laptops I tested. The closest is the MSI Prestige 14 Evo with the same CPU (and a low-power display) that managed it to last 16.25 hours.

Finally, I ran two PCMark 10 tests. The first, the Gaming Battery Benchmark, emphasizes that the CPU and GPU must mimic demanding tasks while using the battery. The Yoga 9i 14 lasted a little over two hours, which is roughly the average of all the laptops we tested. The XPS 13 9310 Full HD lasted almost four hours and was much more efficient at balancing CPU and GPU usage against battery life, while the MSI Prestige 14 Evo lasted about 30 minutes less than the Yoga. In the PCMark 10 Applications battery test, which mimics a typical productivity load, the Yoga 9i 14 lasted the longest of all the machines we tested at 14.45 hours. The closest machine was the XPS 13, which took just under 11 hours.

The Yoga 9i 14 makes the most of its 60 watt-hour battery life and exceeds the Evo certification requirements of nine hours of typical use. This is a 2-in-1 convertible that you can work with for a full day.

Our opinion

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Mica version is an excellent 2-in-1 convertible with solid productivity performance, great build quality, and great battery life. The keyboard has been improved over previous iterations, and a hand-held pen is parked in the case.

The only weakness is the 16: 9 display which is suddenly old school compared to the newest machines hitting the market today. Most of these are 16:10 or 3: 2 and have more vertical information, less scrolling, and better productivity. Many people are not (yet) interested in the difference, and so the Yoga 9i 14 still has its place. But his time window is closing.

Are there alternatives?

The HP Specter x360 14 is a great alternative with a 13.5-inch 3: 2 OLED display that significantly improves its suitability for productivity work. It's a little more expensive than the Yoga, depending on the configuration, but it's worth it.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 is also a solid competitor, albeit with a smaller display in the productivity-friendly 16:10 aspect ratio. The XPS 13 is equally well built, offers a superior display, and can be configured with more RAM and storage.

How long it will take?

The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 is built like a tank and should last just as long. It comes with the latest components and should meet your computing needs for several years. It is subject to industry standards and a one-year warranty that is too short.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Yoga 9i 14 offers great performance and battery life in a solid and attractive design. However, the 16: 9 display holds it down from its size, and you should seriously consider whether a taller display is better for you before buying it.

Editor's recommendations




22 Jan
Blog

Oppo Enco X Review: Android-Friendly AirPods Pro Killers

Oppo Enco X.

Oppo Enco X review: Android-friendly AirPods Pro killers

"The only thing Oppo didn't copy from the AirPods Pro is the price."

  • Cozy

  • Very good sound quality

  • Excellent ANC and transparency

  • Very good call quality

  • Seamless switching of devices

Oppo, the Chinese electronics company that has produced some of the biggest sleeper hits in categories like Blu-ray players and smartphones, just released its latest true wireless earbuds, the Oppo Enco X, valued at $ 150. Digital Trends got an early look at the earbuds, which won't be available in the US until spring. Yes, they look a lot like Apple's AirPods Pro and have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), just like Apple's Buds. But don't write her off as another copycat hoping to get Apple's coattails at the checkout for a payday. The Enco X are real business, with both words deservedly in the foreground. Let's look at them.

What's in the box?

With the exception of the black plastic inner shell, the Enco X box is a simple cardboard container that should prove to be easily recyclable when you aren't storing it. Inside you will find the earbuds, their charging case, a short USB-C charging cable, two additional sizes of silicone earbuds (small and large to accompany the standard medium) and a quick guide.

If you love the vibe of apple, you will love the look of these buds.

design

Oppo Enco X and AirPods ProOppo Enco X (right) and Apple AirPods Pro Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Enco X doesn't just look a bit like the AirPods Pro – I'd call them as close as possible without incurring the legal ire of Apple. In white in particular (they are also available in black), the bulbous main body, the semi-oval silicone tips, and the downward-pointing stems are direct copies of the Apple design. That said, if you love Apple's mood, you will love the look of those buds.

But oppositional flattery from Jony Ive's aesthetic doesn't end there. The charging case is also a pure AirPods Pro, right down to the perfectly movable hinge and the LED charging indicator on the front. Sure, there are a few differences. Oppo wrapped its case in sleek aluminum tape that gives it a touch of sophistication, and the pairing button sits a little proud of that tape on the side instead of sitting flush on the back like Apple. This button could be accidentally pressed, which wouldn't be ideal, but the real head scratch in Oppos's design is the decision to orient the earbuds so the tips are facing away from each other. This means that every time you take them out of the case – which is easiest if you pinch the silicone tips between your thumb and forefinger – they are pointing the wrong way for your ears.

Why did Oppo do that? Maybe to avoid accusations of a complete Apple copy, or maybe the slightly longer stems of the Enco X made it necessary.

There's one area in the Enco X's design that actually improves Apple's work: The Enco X's are rated IP54, which means they're just as waterproof as the AirPods Pro, but also have some dust resistance.

Convenience, control and connections

Oppo Enco X.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The AirPods Pro are some of the most comfortable true wireless earbuds I've ever tried, and (surprisingly) the Enco Xs offer an equally comfortable fit. There's even a Fit Test in the free HeyMelody app for Android (an iOS version coming soon) and another AirPods Pro feature to add to the list. I had to switch to the large earbuds for a perfect fit, but even the standard media was pretty good. As long as you don't mind having buds in your ear canals, the Enco X is comfortable enough for many hours of continuous use.

The earphones use a touch user interface. I'm usually not a huge fan of touch controls. I find them inaccurate and I don't like the lack of click feedback that physical buttons offer. But the Enco X could turn me into a convert. Tap the registered stems almost every time, and you can adjust the volume by sliding your finger up or down the length of either stalk. This is still not possible with the AirPods Pro.

The HeyMelody app lets you customize these controls, update the firmware, and customize the ANC (more on that later).

The Enco X doesn't support Bluetooth multipoint (which allows two devices to connect to a set of earbuds at the same time), but the pairing feature is so fast that it almost doesn't matter. If you press the pairing button for two seconds, you can quickly connect to a new device or reconnect to a previously assigned device.

Even better, in the HeyMelody app, you can assign a long press command that automatically switches the earbuds back to the last connected device. I've never seen this feature on any set of wireless earbuds. It worked like a charm and let me switch seamlessly between my iPhone and Pixel XL.

Full and rich, with a bass response that is powerful but never overwhelming, they deliver a well-balanced sound signature.

The Enco X's wireless range averages 30 feet outdoors, which is closer to 15 feet indoors. The connection is very reliable within these distances.

Sound quality

I'm not going to by the bush – the Enco X sounds really good. Full and rich, with a bass response that is powerful but never overwhelming, they deliver a well-balanced sound signature. The sound stage strikes a middle ground between intimate and expansive.

Compared to similarly expensive products like that Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro or even the AirPods Pro, the Enco X, can more than hold their own. Only when you compare it to more expensive products like the Jabra Elite 85t or the Sony WF-1000XM3 will you notice limitations. The Enco X can't quite keep up with these earbuds when it comes to clarity and precision, especially at higher frequencies.

When I found that the HeyMelody app didn't offer EQ adjustments, I was a little concerned – I tend to tweak most of the earbuds slightly to get a sound profile that suits me. Now that I've spent some time with these earbuds, I don't miss that lack of EQ control at all, and I'm confident you won't either.

Another observation that surprised me: the Enco X sounded better when used with my Pixel XL test phone than it did with my iPhone 11. This is a mystery. In general, I don't hear much of a difference between iOS and Android, especially when streaming from the exact same source (in this case, Tidal HiFi). And while there is no Bluetooth codec advantage (the Enco X uses AAC when connected to both phones), I found that stereo imaging, clarity, and soundstage were improved when using the Pixel XL.

The Oppo Enco X have the rare distinction of being some of the best noise canceling earbuds you can buy.

Speaking of codecs, the Enco X may sound even better when used with Oppo phones that support LHDC, a high-resolution, low-latency Bluetooth codec that competes directly with Sony's LDAC and aptX HD. The Enco X are some of the first true wireless earbuds on the market to come with LHDC support.

Noise cancellation and transparency

Oppo Enco X.Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Oppo Enco X has the rare distinction of calling the AirPods Pro, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, and Jabra Elite 85t some of the best noise-canceling earbuds you can buy.

Not only do they excellently reduce unwanted noises like traffic, conversation, and the booming hum of machines while listening to music, but they also deliver an impressively quiet cone of silence when there is no music at all.

Transparency mode is equally effective, doing that magical balancing act of amplifying the outside world so far that you can hear it, but not so much that it sounds like you're listening to a recording of the outside world.

It's not perfect: I found that while other people's voices were crisp and clear, my own voice still felt a little muffled. But it makes conversation easy, what matters.

In the HeyMelody app, you can choose which ANC modes are available when you touch and hold an earbud. You can switch between all four modes (Off, Transparency, Regular ANC, and Maximum ANC) or any combination thereof. I found maximum ANC and transparency most useful.

Changes in ANC mode are as quick as the AirPods Pro, but not as quick as the Elite 85t.

Battery life

Oppo Enco X and AirPods ProOppo Enco X (right) and Apple AirPods Pro Simon Cohen / Digital Trends

If there is one area the Enco X could do better, it is battery life. Oppo claims four hours per charge if the volume is 50% and you use the maximum ANC which is 20 hours with the charging case included. By switching off ANC, up to 5.5 or 25 hours are achieved.

As far as I can tell, these numbers are slightly conservative. There were almost 4.5 hours between charges with ANC. Once again, the Enco X seems content to replicate the AirPods Pro – these battery life stats are close to Apple's – although the AirPods Pro offer a slightly better lifespan in this case.

One feature that Oppo should have mimicked is the AirPods Pro's fast charging capability. Five minutes of charging adds an hour to AirPods Pro playtime, but the Enco X cannot be charged quickly. From the empty state, it takes 80 minutes to charge the earbuds in their case. If you charge the Enco X for five minutes, you only have 17 minutes of play time.

Call quality

The Oppo Enco X may not be as crystal clear as the Bose or Jabra earbuds, but it still offers very good call quality. Competing noises, such as car traffic driving past, were very effectively suppressed. My voice wavered and fluttered occasionally, but it was always intelligible.

Our opinion

Oppo made a near-perfect clone of the Apple AirPods Pro that offers better sound quality and a much cheaper price.

Is there a better alternative?

As long as Oppo can keep the Enco X's price tag at around $ 150 or less, these earbuds have no serious competition at all.

You can get better sound quality and more features, but you'll have to spill an additional $ 50 to $ 80 Jabra Elite 85t come to mind. You can certainly spend less and still get ANC – like the Edifier TWS NB2 – but these earbuds don't meet the Enco X's very high bar for ANC and design.

Even iPhone owners should seriously consider the Enco X before buying a set of AirPods Pro. The Enco X does not allow you to speak hands-free with Siri, and Apple spatial audio is not supported. However, this seems like a fair trade to save $ 100.

How long will they last?

The Enco X seems to be very well built, with high quality materials and workmanship. At the time of this review, no US warranty information was available, but I'm assuming these earbuds can be used regularly (or better) than comparable models.

Should you buy it?

Absolutely. If you like the idea of ​​the AirPods Pro, the Enco X are cheaper and outperform Apple's sound quality.

Editor's recommendations




22 Jan
Blog

Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro Review: Affordably Awesome

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro

Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro

"Great sound quality and tons of features make these ANC Buds great value for money."

  • Very convenient

  • Very good sound quality

  • Effective ANC

  • Customizable sound and controls

  • Some functions still require phone access

  • So-so call quality

Much to the surprise of seasoned audio reviewers, Anker Soundcore has evolved from the depths of the Amazon brand basement into a manufacturer of great sounding wireless headphones, bluetooth speakers, and true wireless earbuds. In 2020, Digital Trends reviewed the $ 110 worth of Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro, praising the wide soundstage and overall sound quality, despite some concerns about the overall design of the buds.

Now Soundcore is back with nothing less than its sights on dethroning Apple's AirPods Pro for $ 249 at $ 130 Liberty Air 2 Pro, the company's first true wireless earbuds to offer active noise cancellation (ANC). Can Soundcore deliver the same functionality as Apple for almost $ 120 less? Let's take a look.

What's in the box?

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 ProSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

Anker Soundcore continues to use way too much packaging for its true wireless earbuds. The Liberty Air 2 Pro comes in a glossy, book-style, printed box with the lid closed by magnets. Inside there is a lot of plastic and foam that surrounds the important parts: the earphones, the charging case, a USB-C charging cable, and some documentation. But as much as I dislike all of this unnecessary material, I have to give Soundcore props for nine sets of silicone earplugs. A good fit is critical to comfort, sound quality and noise cancellation. Having a variety of earbud sizes is key to a good fit.

design

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 ProSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Liberty Air 2 Pro, which comes in four colors (black, blue, pink, and white), certainly looks a bit similar to the AirPods Pro. This is mainly due to the elongated stem sticking down from your ear. But they are even more similar to Earfun's $ 80 Air Pro and the $ 100 Edifier TWS NB2. All three use an ergonomically shaped main body that sits in your outer ear, a silicone-tipped horn that goes into your ear canal, and a pronounced stem.

It's the only case design I've tried that can be effortlessly opened and closed with one hand.

Whether or not you like this AirPods-inspired shape is a matter of personal preference, but I think they look pretty good.

What I like most about the Liberty Air 2 Pro's design is the wireless charging case. It's light and relatively compact – albeit nowhere near as small as the AirPods Pro – and has the same sliding lid mechanism as the Liberty 2 Pro. It's the only case design I've tried that can be effortlessly opened and closed with one hand.

The earbuds snap into their charging sockets easily and precisely, and can just as easily be removed – which isn't always the case.

I can't say if the sliding lid is as sturdy as a traditional hinge in the long term, but it immediately feels very sturdy, which is a good sign.

Convenience, control and connections

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 ProSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Liberty Air 2 Pro are very comfortable. I was able to find an earbud size (thanks to the wide choice) that provided a very good seal, which also helped the earbuds sit securely. I've found that stem-style earbuds feel less ear-filling than stem-less designs. This also applies to the Liberty Air 2 Pro.

Soundcore includes a small feedback tone for taps – this should be standard on all touch-based earphones.

However, the stems of these earbuds are longer than those of the AirPods Pro, and to me this meant they made contact with the side of my face. While this wasn't a comfort issue in and of itself, it meant that the act of speaking gradually loosened the fit so I had to adjust it more often.

The Liberty Air 2 Pro uses touch sensors on both earbuds to control key functions. I prefer physical buttons, but I found the sensors were sensitive enough and almost always detected my tapping. I really appreciate that Soundcore includes a little feedback tone to let you know when these taps have been successfully detected – this should be standard practice for all touch-based earphones.

You can customize how the touch controls work using the Soundcore app. However, you need to prioritize which functions are most important as only four commands can be assigned. Double tap and long press control volume, play / pause, track forward / backward, access to voice assistant and ANC mode. However, there aren't enough gestures to use all of them. Fortunately, you can assign one of these options to control switching between ANC and transparency modes without going through the third (normal) mode without ANC, as so many other earbuds require.

Thanks to the built-in wear sensors, the music will automatically pause and resume when you remove and replace an earbud. That worked perfectly.

The Bluetooth connection was also very reliable as both the initial pairing and subsequent repairs went smoothly. Switching from one earbud to both (and vice versa) was also very reliable.

Sound quality

The Liberty Air 2 Pro sounds really good. They offer strong bass response, a well-balanced midrange, and highs that are clear and never sizzling. What's impressive is that the bass isn't just a boom – tracks like Hans Zimmer's Time show both warmth and subtlety while also offering the deep resonance you need to appreciate the complexity in the lower range. Better still, this low end doesn't trample the chant. Billie Eilish's Bad Guy, a song that is a torture chamber for a headphone's ability to separate lows and highs, comes into its own beautifully, with Eilish's whispering ASMR-like tickle while the persistent booming bass beat remains anchored to the floor.

The Soundcore app allows you to tweak the EQ using a variety of genre-based presets and save your own custom EQ settings. The app also offers you the option of activating the HearID hearing profile system, which can be used to compensate for any frequency losses. I didn't find it improved my sound enjoyment so I left it off.

The Liberty Air 2 Pro doesn't just block outside noise.

The Liberty Air 2 Pro have a richer and more punchy sound than the AirPods Pro, but they don't display the same extremely expansive soundstage as the Liberty 2 Pro. Even so, I think most people will really enjoy the Liberty Air 2 Pro sound.

Modes for noise reduction and transparency

Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 ProSimon Cohen / Digital Trends

The Liberty Air 2 Pro's ANC performance is solid. The most intrusive noises outdoors, such as traffic and construction, were effectively canceled out so I could hear podcast voices without having to turn up the volume. Unlike some cheaper ANC earbuds, there's a noticeable difference between ANC on and ANC off, which shows that the Liberty Air 2 Pro can do more than just block outside noise.

In the Soundcore app, you can activate four different ANC modes: Transport, Indoor, Outdoor or Custom – each with its own focus on different frequencies. The transparency setting has two modes: fully transparent and vocal mode.

I like the choices this gives you, but I have a feeling that most people will just choose transport and full transparency as these are the most noticeable differences.

The fully transparent mode lets in a good amount of sound, but isn't quite as clear as on more expensive ANC earbuds like the Jabra Elite 75t or 85t or the AirPods Pro.

When listening to music, the Liberty Air 2 Pro's ANC goes well with the AirPods Pro, but when the music is turned off, you'll find that the Liberty Air 2 Pro has a noticeable noise, unlike the AirPods Pro, which produces almost noticeable noise Noise shows an eerie cone of silence.

Battery life

Soundcore has a battery life of six hours when using ANC and seven hours when the device is switched off. The charging case brings these numbers to 21 or 26 hours. I didn't fully run the Liberty Air 2 Pro during these cycles, but after each listening session I checked the Soundcore app's battery gauge and found these claims to be spot on.

Those numbers are okay, but not exceptional. The AirPods Pro might not last as long on a single charge (4.5 hours with ANC), but their case extends that time to almost 24 hours.

The quick charge is fine, with 15 minutes in the case of an extension of the game time by three hours.

Call quality

The call quality on the Liberty Air 2 Pro is a mixed bag. The noise cancellation of the six microphones is impressive. Passing cars and even noisy trucks were almost completely undetected, and wind noise – often a challenge for earphones – was handled perfectly. However, that same noise cancellation also tends to muffle your voice, especially when those other noises are around.

You can still make your voice heard, but it's rarely a crystal clear experience for your callers.

It's great when you can hear yourself on a call while in transparency mode. However, unlike the AirPods Pro, you need to turn on transparency before you make or receive a call. Once you make a call, you cannot switch.

Our opinion

The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro offers a really compelling alternative to AirPods Pro at a cheaper price.

Is there a better alternative?

If you are looking for a great set of noise canceling true wireless earbuds, the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro is hard to beat at this price point. The two closest models are the $ 80 Earfun Air Pro and the $ 100 edifier TWS NB2.

I think the Liberty Air 2 Pro has better sound quality and ANC than these two models, and the Soundcore app has a ton of customization options for sound, controls, and ANC. They also offer wireless charging, which neither the Earfun nor the Edifier have. That means they have a slightly better battery life and the Earfun Air Pro has a bit more water resistance (IPX5 versus IPX4 for the Liberty Air 2 Pro). I think the Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro definitely justify their higher price.

How long will they last?

The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro comes with an 18-month warranty and lifetime technical support that is above the industry average. They appear to be very well built, so I'm assuming at this price point they can be used just as well as many similar models. The sliding lid on the charging case could be a weak point over time, but so far I haven't seen any complaints about the Liberty 2 Pro using an identical design.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro offers great sound and a very good ANC at a price that is far below that of many comparable products.

Editor's recommendations




22 Jan
Blog

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review: 2021’s Best Galaxy S Phone

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review Hand Shirt

"The only real flagship of the Galaxy S series of 2021 is the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which has exceptional capabilities, especially from the camera, at a lower price than its predecessor."

  • High performance, versatile camera

  • Nice AMOLED screen

  • Elegant new design

  • Long battery life

  • Latest software from Google and Samsung

  • The price is lower than last year

  • Shaky Wi-Fi connectivity

  • Intermittent loading issues

  • The top-heavy design affects the balance

  • No microSD card slot

As cute as the new design is, the Samsung Galaxy S21 and S21 + do not have the technical specifications that we expect from the top S-series phones from Samsung. To get that true S-series experience, you have to buy the Galaxy S21 Ultra, which is fully focused on performance, screen, camera and battery technology to please hardcore fans.

But at $ 1,200 that is Galaxy S21 Ultra This is a sizeable investment, certainly compared to the $ 800 Galaxy S21 already tested. In addition, it faces serious competition both on the outside – for example the iPhone 12 Pro Max – and on the inside (the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 2).

I am one week in the time that I live with the S21 Ultra. So, consider this a very detailed early look rather than our final test at this point, but both myself and mobile editor Andrew Martonik will add our continued thoughts to this article over the phone over the coming weeks as we build our final review out.

But even after seven days, the extraordinary capabilities of the Galaxy S21 Ultra are clear, especially when it comes to the camera. The top Samsung S-series phone may be here earlier than usual, but there's no doubt that it has a lot going for it.

design

Yes, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is a big phone, but the dimensions and weight don't tell the full story. The thickness of 8.9 mm and the weight of 227 grams sound pretty normal for large smartphones these days. Placing them next to the S20 Ultra and the Note 20 Ultra actually takes up less space. This is deceptive, however, because it isn't as good as any of these phones or much of the competition, and it all has to do with the S21 Ultra's standout design feature – that large camera module – and its construction.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Instead of being a separate module on the back of the phone like the S20 Ultra, the S21 Ultra's massive camera array is part of the case itself, molded from metal and separated from the Gorilla Glass back. It's a different approach than most other smartphones and really gives the S21 Ultra a unique style – I especially like the “solid metal” design. It also looks a lot better than the S20 Ultra. However, all of this comes at the expense of balance.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Balance is important. This makes the phone feel natural in our hand and holds it securely in our grip. Since there is a large lump of metal with four camera sensors on one side of the S21 Ultra, the balance is easily disturbed. It's not a lot, but after a while you feel it. The 227g weight gets tiring after being held in portrait orientation for some time, especially with one hand. It's not the end of the world, but when the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra feels thinner, lighter, and more balanced in the hand, you know you are dealing with an animal.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Balance aside, the sides of the S21 Ultra are neatly curved and comfortable to grip, the volume and on / off buttons are well placed, there is no stupid Bixby button in the way, and the matte body is not covered in smudges or fingerprints . On this subject, my test model is in phantom black, a new color Samsung talked about extensively during the launch event. So is it worth the attention or is it just another black phone? The answer is that it is actually judged very well and is one of the best looking black surfaces you will see. With the ceramic black Oppo Find X2 Pro, it's just right for you.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The matte finish is broken up by a glossy Samsung logo and the chiseled polished metal that surrounds the camera module, as well as the reflective glass over each camera lens. I find it elegant and expensive. There are versions in lighter colors too, including some exclusive Samsung colors, but it really is one of the first times I can say that buying the black one is a good choice.

camera

As with the Galaxy S21 Ultra's dimensions, the camera's basic specs don't reflect what they look like in real life. The specification is as follows: A 108 megapixel camera includes a 12MP ultrawide, a 10MP 10x periscope zoom and a 10MP 3x telephoto zoom. Even with laser autofocus, optical image stabilization, 8K video recording, and many other features on paper, this is nothing we haven't seen before. In practice, however, its ability quickly makes it clear that while we've seen the specifications before, we haven't implemented them as effectively as Samsung did here.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Let's talk about the zoom. At 10x and 3x optical zoom levels, the results are often astonishing. The photos contain a variety of details that are not compromised by aggressive software enhancements. This results in crisp, sharp, colorful, and balanced images that you are happy to share. However, there are some problems. If you compare it to the Huawei P40 Pro, with which we received a high-performance 10x hybrid zoom in May 2020, you will find that the Huawei can capture far more realistic colors – and often in greater detail. However, the S21 Ultra is not as underexposed as the Huawei, so it is the more consistent camera at this zoom level.

Use the digital zoom outside of the optical settings and the quality will decrease compared to the optical levels. Compare the 2x optical zoom of the iPhone 12 Pro with the 2x digital zoom of the S21 Ultra. The results are very different. The Samsung phone blurs details and loses realism. Increase the S21 Ultra to 3x optically and compare it to the 2x zoom of the iPhone. They are very similar in detail and tone.

Aside from the 10x optical zoom, the good news is that the photos are mostly usable, and that includes up to 100x. Photos taken with the Galaxy S20 Ultra with a maximum of 100x zoom were ridiculously bad, but the S21 Ultra allows you to photograph a sign and it remains perfectly legible. At 30x, even photos of wild animals look good – divisible good – and it's a welcome surprise. If a business wants to add these relatively niche, long zoom features, they need to be usable and reside on the S21 Ultra.

How about photos in general? While the physical phone struggles with its balance, the photos generated by the camera don't. Gone are the days of Samsung's radioactive greens and constant azure skies being replaced with a more natural color palette and a beautiful HDR system that works hard to bring out masses of detail without ruining the surroundings or subject. It's not always 100% effective, but you actually have to make an effort to get it off track, and there are times when Samsung is typing again and making the skies better.

The S21 Ultra takes photos that are immediately pleasing to the eye, and that wasn't the case with the S20 Ultra. The Note 20 Ultra has improved over the S20, but the S21 Ultra goes way beyond either. I use it to take photos like I did with the iPhone 12 Pro – content where the results are great and I don't feel the need to review and retake the shot because I don't trust it. I've never had this much confidence in a Samsung camera.

I just haven't had enough time to try out all of the camera's functions as there are many. Here are a few that I've tried that can't be seen on other phones. In Pro mode for video there is a new BT Mix audio option that allows the phone to record audio from a Bluetooth source and from the phone itself, delivering natural ambient sound paired with commentary. I've tried this on a pair of Galaxy Buds Live and it's really very effective. I can see it is being welcomed by vloggers. The single take mode, in which the camera captures a variety of content from a short video, offers more choice and more effective artificial intelligence.

The S21 Ultra takes photos that are instantly engaging, and that wasn't the case with the S20 Ultra.

In Director's View, videos are recorded with all cameras at the same time, and you can choose which view is used at what time. It also adds a picture-in-picture view of the selfie camera for reactions and comments. It works well and switching between cameras is smooth and quick. However, I would have liked a full editing suite for this mode that would allow you to capture video from any camera at any time. Without this, you have to edit on the fly, with the end result being created on the go.

What else? Edge detection for portraits has been improved. Samsung dropped the old Live Focus name in favor of the more explanatory portrait name here. The selfie camera has a natural or light setting for better colors and the A.I.-controlled scene recognition works faster, as does the optional instructions for composing best shot scenes. On the other hand, 8K video is still a memory hog and meaningless to most people, despite being technically impressive.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review and Note 20 Camera "Aria-Descriptionby =" Galerie-13-2617164

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review and S20 Camera "Aria-Descriptionby =" Galerie-13-2617165

  • 1.
    Galaxy S21 Ultra with the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
  • 2.
    Galaxy S21 Ultra with the Galaxy S20 Ultra

I haven't done much research on the lowlight features yet. In the dark, the phone introduces noise as it compensates for the lack of light and, in situations with better lighting, often smooths out clouds and the surrounding area. I've been with the S21 Ultra's camera for less than a week and only a few hundred photos, but right now it's well on the way to being the best Samsung camera I've ever used and one of the best cameras out there there is moment.

Screen and performance

The 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen supports a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels at 120 Hz, but can be switched to a lower resolution to extend the battery life. The refresh rate is adaptable and changes to the optimal setting depending on your activities. The screen supports HDR10 + and a whopping 1500 nits of brightness.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Unsurprisingly, it gets incredibly bright so I didn't feel the need to bring it far above half brightness. The high refresh rate is very effective, maybe even more effective than I've seen before. The text remains legible even when scrolling very quickly. I kept the resolution at the highest level for all of my time with the phone. Watching YouTube at 1440p produces very lifelike, extremely attractive content. For example, the Ghost Town Living videos are bright and colorful at this resolution, but it also highlights that the standard vivid screen mode enhances colors too much and switching to the natural setting is easier on the eyes in some situations.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The screen of the S21 Ultra has no pronounced curvature on the sides and is somewhere between the S20 Ultra and the Note 20 Ultra in this regard. It's far less curved than the Huawei P40 Pro. Swiping is convenient, but the phone's top-heavy nature means that swiping from the bottom of the screen really does require two hands to be safe.

Samsung added support for S Pen pens to the S21 Ultra, and I tested it with the pen on a Note 20 Ultra. The rejection of palms is correct, and it is easy and natural to write notes on the screen. However, the phone does not support the Bluetooth function of the S Pen of the Note 20 Ultra, so no additional functions such as the remote shutter button are available. There's also no way to stow the S-pen when it's not in use. So it is questionable how useful this feature will ever be. You can buy an ugly case for the S21 Ultra to hold the S-Pen if you are really set on having it.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I am using a Galaxy S21 Ultra with the Samsung Exynos 2100 processor which is used in the UK, Europe and parts of Asia. In the US, the phone uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. Both have 12GB of RAM if you choose 128GB or 256GB of storage, or 16GB of RAM with 512GB of storage. Unfortunately there is no microSD card slot on the S21 Ultra. So choose it carefully here as this is all of the physical space you will have.

Oddly enough, Asphalt 9: Legends is not compatible with my Galaxy S21 Ultra at the time of writing, which robs me of my usual go-to game. Instead, I played Real Racing 3 and Crazy Taxi and saw no performance issues at all, as you would expect from a phone with this performance. It shook off every other task in the same way, and I'd be surprised if anything most people do on a phone taxed it.

Security and Connectivity

Samsung has finally upgraded the gruesome fingerprint sensor and not used the endlessly unreliable sensor found on the S10, Note 10, S20, and Note 20 phones. The new, larger ultrasonic sensor is an immediate improvement as it actually works when you want it to, and for the most part on the first try. It still needs some tweaking, and a software update has already improved it, but there is fast and reliable facial recognition for those times when things get messy. Unlocking your Samsung phone has never been easier.

Although the S21 Ultra has 5G, I don't have 5G coverage in my area so I couldn't judge its performance. 4G LTE connectivity was similar to other phones, but Wi-Fi wasn't entirely reliable. Both before and after a pre-release software update, the phone did not maintain a strong connection to my home WiFi even when it is near the router.

I ran into connection issues while watching YouTube videos as 1440p versions were constantly being buffered, but switching to 720p fixes the problem. They also occurred while downloading game data that got stuck or accidentally disconnected. I haven't experienced this with any other device, including the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. It's likely a software issue that should be fixed with an update that doesn't affect my colleague's phone. As such, this didn't affect the overall score and we notified Samsung of the problem.

software

My test S21 Ultra has Android 11 with the One UI 3.1 interface from Samsung and the installed Android security update from January 1st. A UI 3.1 is not that different from a UI 2. You still have the same big, bold icons and smooth transitions and the same overall reliability and minor annoyances. Visual changes are hard to spot – the PIN code entry screen has been redesigned with easy-to-use buttons and a blurry background, on-screen notification notifications are smaller and less intrusive, and the volume controls are larger.

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Choosing Samsung's power regulators is still annoying. The side button (according to Samsung no on / off button) activates Bixby and you access the power control via a software button in the notification shadow. Even then, the excellent Android 11 power menu with Google Pay and Smart Home controls won't appear – it's just the usual Samsung power and restart buttons. This is the default, and the functionality of the side button can be changed under Settings if that's what you're looking for.

Samsung Pay and Google Pay live side by side, but Samsung has removed the Magnetic Secure Transaction (MST) feature that was used to fool old payment terminals into stealing a physical card. Only useful in some regions of the world, its removal will surely frustrate some, but NFC – which the S21 Ultra supports for Google Pay – is so commonplace that most people haven't used MST at all.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review screen resolution "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn5.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/galaxy-s21-ultra-screen-resolution- 640x640. jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAAAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

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Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Review refresh rate "class =" m-carousel - image dt-lazy-no "src =" https://icdn7.digitaltrends.com/image/digitaltrends/galaxy-s21-ultra-refresh-rate- 640x640. jpg "srcset =" https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAAAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Samsung Daily, the useless swipe-in ​​panel of news and other nonsense that sits to the left of the home screen, has been replaced with a Samsung Free that apparently only focuses on news from the Upday service. It's terrible too, but can be replaced or turned off entirely with the slightly less terrible Google Discover page. Bixby is also on board. I'll say the speech recognition is very accurate, but I just can't find a reason to use it through the Google Assistant.

battery

The Galaxy S21 Ultra's battery performance assessment is just beginning, but the signs are good that the 5,000mAh cell will easily last a full day, or possibly two business days, with light use. It supports 25W fast charging, 15W wireless charging and reverse charging.

This is how my initial use worked. Starting at 9 a.m. on a full battery, the S21 Ultra handled an hour of podcast streaming, some photos, general social and web usage, an hour of YouTube, some light games, and being connected to a smartwatch. It ended the night with around three and a half hours of screen time and 29% battery remaining. This corresponds to the battery life of a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

There may be some differences in power consumption between the Exynos and Snapdragon S21 Ultra phones. Martonik, DT's mobile editor, uses a Snapdragon S21 Ultra and ended a day on 50% battery life in 15 hours, including two and a half hours of screen time.

The Galaxy S21 does not come with a charger. While I don't think this is a problem in itself, I've had some issues charging with third-party chargers. I charged the phone every night I used it. In three cases it was charged by about 20% and stopped. I only noticed that in the morning. I used a Google Pixel 4 charging block and cable. I will continue to monitor this and experiment with other chargers. Just like the Wi-Fi issue, it doesn't affect the review score and we have informed Samsung. This is likely an isolated issue as it does not affect my colleague's S21 Ultra.

Price and availability

The Galaxy S21 Ultra can now be pre-ordered. The delivery is expected to take place from January 27th. It is available through Samsung's own online store, Amazon and other retailers, as well as most network operators. The 128GB version is $ 1,200, the 256GB version is $ 1,250, and the 512GB version is $ 1,380. In the UK, the S21 Ultra costs £ 1,149 for the 128GB model, £ 1,199 for the 256GB model and £ 1,329 for the 512GB model.

Our opinion

Let's take this step at a time. The Galaxy S21 Ultra isn't the biggest phone out there, but it definitely feels that way. However, the new design and color choices are Samsung's best. The camera is versatile and extremely powerful. The processor offers more power than ever before. There are a few minor issues with software and connectivity, however. Samsung continues to strive to deliver a stunning screen, and the price is significantly lower than its predecessor. Last year, however, it became clear that you don't have to spend more than $ 1,000 to get a really great smartphone. The advantages still definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra really wins when placed alongside the other Galaxy S21 smartphones. It's the only model that really looks and feels like an S-series flagship. Samsung's shift in product range and pricing structure means that the S21 Ultra is the only version for you if you really want to own the latest and greatest in the S series phone, by which we mean the best technology for the most stylish case. The very good news is that when you receive them you will not be disappointed.

Is there a better alternative?

The Galaxy S21 Ultra has two main competitors: the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The iPhone is slightly cheaper, has a great camera, arguably more compact and easy to drill, and the software and long-term ownership experience are excellent.

The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra may have a slightly older processor, but you probably won't notice. The camera is not that powerful, but it still takes great photos. It's slimmer and more balanced, plus it comes with the S Pen pen, and there's a place to keep it too. It's also a lot cheaper than the S21 Ultra.

Both are strongly recommended. If you don't mind spending more money and want to stay with Samsung, then the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is excellent and will really turn heads with its foldable design. If you're looking to save a little money and prioritize the camera's capabilities, take a look at the iPhone 12 or the Google Pixel 5.

How long it will take?

If you get a two-year contract, the S21 Ultra will almost certainly still feel fresh in the end. There's no reason why it won't help you for another year.

If you handle the phone properly, it should be durable too. It is IP68 water and dust resistant, and the screen is covered in Gorilla Glass Victus, which is said to withstand damage from drops of up to six feet. We wouldn't put this to the test, but it does indicate that the screen can handle pocket and bag pulling in and out, and will survive general use without scratches building up.

The software installed at the time of writing is fully up to date with Android 11, OneUI 3.1, and the latest Android security update. Samsung recently committed to deliver three Android updates to various devices, including the S20 series. It is therefore to be expected that the S21 series will offer the same benefit. However, it is unknown when the updates will arrive on your phone after they are posted by Google.

Should you buy it?

Yes. It's the most advanced Android smartphone you can buy right now, and it makes decisive use of the high-level technology it contains.

Editor's recommendations




22 Jan
Blog

Samsung Galaxy S21 Review: Cameras, Battery, and Performance

"The Galaxy S21 makes a wise bet on value with a lower starting price, but feels stuck in 2020. A good phone, but not a particularly exciting one."

  • Smooth and colorful hardware

  • Excellent advertisement

  • Improved fingerprint sensor

  • Lower price translates into great value

  • Plastic back on base S21

  • No 2021 flagship camera experience

  • Galaxy S21 + disappointing value at $ 1,000

When Samsung introduced the Galaxy S21, it took an incredibly rare step in the high-end smartphone space: it cut its prices. The Galaxy S21 series is cheaper across the board for $ 200 than the introductory prices of the Galaxy S20 phones. Given that sales of the Galaxy S20 were significantly lower than the S9 and S10, and that 2021 may not be as economically stable as originally hoped, this seems like the right move.

Samsung isn't taking this move for charity, however – it is cutting the price down hopefully to increase sales and making big bucks on every phone sold regardless of that. The reality of these prices is that the Galaxy S21 and S21 + are not full upgrades from the S20-series phones they've replaced – and that smartphone enthusiasts are scratching their heads.

At first glance, there is no reason for anyone with a Galaxy S20 to consider buying an S21. Samsung knew this for sure, considering the vast majority of people update their phone every two years at the earliest. For this reason. I'm not going to come to terms with how the Galaxy S21 is better than its predecessor – what matters is the assessment of whether the Galaxy S21 can stand on its own as a good phone for the money in 2021.

I have to note that this review focuses on the base Galaxy S21 that I've been using for a week. Much of my experience can also be applied to the Galaxy S21 +, which I've spent less time with but which has the exact same platform and which is simply bigger. Since the Galaxy S21 Ultra has so much going for it that is quite different from the S21 and S21 +, we have a full separate review of this phone.

Hardware, design and display

The design of a modern smartphone is so strongly influenced by the limitations that an incredible number of complex components – processors, a large battery, antennas, speakers and several cameras – fit into one another. This leaves us with phones that look roughly 90% identical on the market. The final 10% includes material choices, camera pod design, color choices, and tiny differences in the details of the surface. The Galaxy S21 looks absolutely different from the Galaxy S20, but honestly if you covered the new rear view camera pod it would look … like an S20 again.

Samsung Galaxy S21 colorsAndrew Martonik / Digital Trends

However, there are still nuances to appreciate here. The shiny metal frame looks and feels great. I like the way the camera pod is integrated into this frame – it's sleek and distinctive. My review unit is particularly impressive in the gold and purple colors, but it's not what I would choose. Thankfully the entire color palette is superb. Interestingly, it's the base S21 that has the widest range of color options, although the S21 + has a nice set of three to choose from.

I wouldn't call the S21 a "compact" phone, but it's refreshingly small compared to the S21 + and S21 Ultra. It's almost identical to the S20 and just a bit bigger than the iPhone 12 and Google Pixel 5. My larger-than-average hands wrap around the S21 with ease, and it's not a burden in my pocket. The story is different with the S21 +: it's a typical modern large phone that's 10mm taller, 4mm wider, and 18% heavier than the S21.

I appreciate the switch from Samsung to a matte back that is finally bringing the shiny (aka greasy and stained) back to rest of the old days. It is controversial that the Galaxy S21 uses a plastic back – yes, on an $ 800 phone. This is the same material we saw on the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 FE, and it's an effective cost-cutting measure. From a distance, it looks identical to matte glass, but with a single touch of a button you know it's plastic.

From a practical point of view, I get it. It's cheaper, more damage-resistant than glass, and makes the phone lighter and easier to use. It's an $ 800 phone from a futile point of view, and it's absurd not to get quality materials. Using a case is likely to have the biggest impact on whether this bothers you – I just don't like how this phone feels without a case.

From a distance, it looks identical to matte glass, but with a single touch of a button you know it's plastic.

If the bigger Galaxy S21 + is faster, then this plastic conversation can be ignored – Samsung put Gorilla Glass Victus glass on the back of the larger model. It feels a lot better, which is around the price – and it should be, as the S21 + is $ 1000.

Although the Galaxy S21 has a smaller display than the Galaxy S21 Ultra (and the Note 20 Ultra) on paper, anyone would be incredibly excited to see it every day. Yes, it's "only" 1080p, but it doesn't matter. What is more important is that it is incredibly bright, clear, colorful, and has great angles. Samsung has also added a variable refresh rate that dynamically switches from 48 Hz to 120 Hz to keep everything as smooth as possible – while conserving battery life. Samsung is once again the king of mobile displays.

The new fingerprint sensor in the display is also remarkable. This is the Qualcomm second generation ultrasound machine. It's significantly bigger and faster than before – though that doesn't say much since the Galaxy S and Note phones have had a bad sensor for the past two years. Even so, we're cutting-edge in terms of the responsiveness of the sensors and unlike previous phones, I didn't get mad at tricky false negatives. How refreshing!

Performance, software and battery life

As is usually the case, a month ago Samsung rolled out the software update for Android 11 + One UI 3 on the Galaxy S and Note phones last year. Nothing has changed here, although I have to say this software is great – as long as you like Samsung's approach to Android. I still prefer the Google version on the Pixels, but I feel at home on a UI too.

This is a neutral, good looking interface with lots of nifty animations and subtle color uses. A UI still requires a significant amount of tweaking and tweaking to get set up the way you want – in terms of the multitude of settings, the default settings that need to be changed, and the duplicate apps that need to be managed. The fact that you can tweak so much is great, but it can be overwhelming at first.

Samsung Galaxy S21Andrew Martonik / Digital Trends

The Galaxy S21 uses the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset (or Samsung's internationally comparable Exynos 2100 chipset) and surprisingly offers exceptional performance. While I "only" had 8GB of RAM, I never had a single hiccup while multitasking or gaming, which shouldn't come as a surprise given the processing and graphics power of the 888.

The Galaxy S21 only has average battery life, but the S21 + should be significantly better.

With an unchanged 4000 mAh battery, it's not surprising that the S21 is just average in the battery life division. I did it every day without a charge but didn't leave a ton behind when I went to bed – between 15% and 25%. My usual day with 3 to 4 hours of on-screen viewing and no heavy use like 8K video recording or gaming got me familiar with the battery – but anything heavier, like a day of travel, probably takes an afternoon. above. This new variable refresh rate display and more efficient chipset save some battery, but don't make a big difference.

The Galaxy S21 + should shine here with its 4800 mAh battery. Given that everything else about the phone's functions is identical to the S21 and only a slightly larger display is available for power supply (with exactly the same resolution and refresh rate), I would expect a direct 20% increase in lifespan here. Based on my experience with the S21 Ultra, which has a 5000 mAh battery and a more power-hungry screen, but has a comparatively long battery life, I expect the S21 + to perform well.

Samsung is clearly happy with the charging speed as things haven't improved from the last generation. Although some models briefly flirt with 45W fast charging, the S21 series opted for 25W cable charging. This is paired with 15W wireless charging (assuming you can find a compatible charger) as well as reverse wireless charging for earbuds and smartwatches. So yeah, it's the same as before – that's enough for what we actually need, but it doesn't get things moving either.

Cameras

What Samsung did, or didn't do in this case, with the Galaxy S21 cameras is drawing the ire of smartphone enthusiasts. The camera system is, in simple terms, the same as the Galaxy S20 phones. Samsung claimed the S20's sensors and lenses had been changed so subtly, but there's no doubt that this setup is almost identical to the previous one. This means that a 12-megapixel main, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 64-megapixel zoom camera are grouped on the back.

Samsung claims that improvements in the ISP (image signal processor) of the new chipset combined with new processing software make better use of the raw data collected by these sensors. In practice I experienced an intense déjà vu – the Galaxy S21 takes photos more or less exactly like the S20, for better and for worse.

In general, the Galaxy S21 takes impressive photos. You get great colors and clarity from shot to shot, and Samsung's processing changes seem to have subtly reduced the overly warm and blown out HDR footage of the S20 series. These are still very punchy and bright shots as you would expect from a Samsung camera, but people generally seem to appreciate that. In good lighting, the S21 produced the shot I was expecting most of the time – and that goes for all three cameras as long as you don't try to zoom in past 3x. All of Samsung's claims about zoom quality in the S21 series lie in the S21 Ultra.

The S21 only shows its age in difficult lighting conditions. When the lights go out, the zoom camera becomes unusable – the phone quickly switches to a digital zoom on the main camera instead. The ultrawide sticks a little longer, but the quality also degrades in low light. With night mode turned on, you get solid, but not spectacular, main camera footage. S21 shots in low light are characterized by mottled, overprocessed grain and soft lines, with the sky being regularly over-brightened in landscape shots. Often times, the subject of your shot will look good, but the darker parts of the picture will be completely washed out. This is a complete step up from what the Google Pixel 5, iPhone 12, and Galaxy S21 Ultra can do in low light.

Where the S21 shows its age most is in the 10MP front camera. This is just … not a great camera right now. It's fine in daylight. Especially if you turn off the face smoothing beauty mode. And Samsung actually offers you the option of choosing between "normal" and "bright" selfies! The detail is seriously lacking, however – and in low light the camera is only useful for creating watercolor images of a scene.

As much as I get into photography, I don't put more than a toe into videography. Even so, I was happy with the video capabilities of the S21, which were mostly shot at 4K 60 and 4K 30, with the video being fluid, stable, and colorful. I also didn't see focus chase or frames dropped which is always a relief. The S21 can shoot 8K at 24 frames per second (fps), but the viewfinder is severely cropped, which is a bit irritating, and 24 fps just doesn't offer the silky smooth look most people want right now.

Most of the camera experience is solid, but at night you will be reminded that this is not a 2021 level camera.

The biggest criticisms of the S20's camera were poor indoor performance and sometimes uncomfortable processing of people's faces. The S21 still struggles with the former – indoor shots quickly become soft and overworked when the lighting isn't optimal, which isn't surprising given the size of the sensors. Samsung specifically pointed out the face processing in its announcement, but I didn't see any dramatic improvement either – even with beauty modes turned off, the excessive smoothing lacks detail in the faces compared to the Pixel 5 and iPhone 12. Once again, the problem is compounded by bad ones Exacerbated lighting conditions in which the overall camera tends to over-smooth textures.

It feels like I'm tough given the price, but it's reasonable to hold one Galaxy S. to a higher standard.

It feels like I'm overly tough with this camera given the S21's lower starting price, but it's reasonable to keep a phone named "Galaxy S" of a high standard. These cameras are good, but not significantly better than those on last year's S20 phones, and that's tough to work with. If not on the $ 800 Galaxy S21, then absolutely on the $ 1000 Galaxy S21 +.

The top-end S21 Ultra model has significant camera changes, but we'll cover those in the full review of this phone. Stay tuned.

Our opinion

The Galaxy S21 is a good phone, it's just not particularly desirable or exciting. You can argue about the decision to use a plastic back or remove the SD card slot, but even with those two choices, there is nothing wrong with the Galaxy S21. The biggest problem with the S21 is that it doesn't move the needle. It doesn't push things. And that's a first for the Galaxy S line.

The redemption is associated with the price. The Galaxy S21, with its name and predisposed idea of ​​what it should offer, is a really good value at $ 799. Aside from plastic, this is a strong bang for the buck. Samsung doesn't skimp on specs, the display is excellent, and the useful functions related to the experience are all here. The performance, software, and even battery life are all good. At this price point, you can even be forgiving of some of the shortcomings that haven't been addressed with the cameras from last year.

The equation changes a bit with the Galaxy S21 +. Obviously, the bigger screen, longer battery life, and glass back are pluses that justify the price hike to $ 999. At this price point, you just can't forgive the camera quality, and it's reasonable to expect more for your money.

How you view the Galaxy S21 and S21 + depends a lot on your current phone and how price conscious you are. Anyone upgrading from a phone two year old or older will see a lot of value here and will be especially happy with the display and speed of the experience. But smartphone fans, special nerds and avid photographers will be absolutely better off with another phone – maybe Samsung's own Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Are there any better alternatives?

If you look at the base Galaxy S21, Samsung's own Galaxy S20 FE is worth considering. For $ 600, it offers the same core experience. The processor isn't as fast and the camera isn't quite as good, but the everyday experience is basically the same – including the plastic back.

The biggest competitor for the larger S21 + is its direct predecessor, the Galaxy S20 +. Samsung sourced the S20 + from Amazon, Best Buy, and its own store, but assuming you can find new / old inventory, there are likely to be deep discounts. Ultimately, it's very similar to the S21 +, although the newer phone has fresh hardware and a nice, variable refresh rate display. Given that, you might not care if the nearly identical S20 + is available at a discount.

The elephant in the room is natural the iPhone 12This corresponds to the price of the S21 and is directly comparable in size, camera and functions. Very few people compare Androids and iPhones in any given upgrade cycle. So this isn't as big a factor as the nerds would lead you to believe. Choose an operating system (and ecosystem) first, then choose the phone – one of them is a good choice.

How long it will take?

You shouldn't have a problem with the Galaxy S21 for three years. This metal frame is sturdy, the plastic back is unlikely to crack like a glass jar, and water resistance means it is unlikely to get fried in an accident. Samsung is also committing to three years of software updates for its high-end phones.

Should you buy it?

Yes, for most people. If you've come from an older phone and are looking for a flagship phone without spending a lot of money, the S21 is a great choice. If you've got a newer phone or are looking for the best that Samsung has to offer, you'll need to upgrade to the S21 Ultra.

Editor's recommendations




21 Jan
Blog

Logitech Circle View Wired Doorbell Review: It’s Very Apple

Circle view doorbell mounted on brick.

Logitech Circle View doorbell

"This is a great video doorbell if you're a die-hard Apple."

  • Neat integration with other smart home devices

  • Good color night vision

  • Light sensor with readable interface

  • face recognition

  • Not at all compatible with Android

  • Additional hardware and subscription requirements

When Apple announced HomeKit Secure Video, manufacturers took the opportunity to deliver hardware for the Apple home ecosystem. We have one of the first video doorbells, the Logitech Circle View Wired Doorbell. This video doorbell was specially developed for Apple. You will immediately notice that it will not connect to Android at all. That has to be the first thing you know about that doorbell.

The second thing you need to know is that you will need additional Apple hardware and a monthly iCloud subscription for the doorbell to work at its fullest. In addition to having an Apple Hub or AppleTV or iPad as a hub, you'll also need to subscribe to Apple's iCloud plan with 200GB or 2TB (for $ 3 / month and $ 10 / month, respectively) so the doorbell does not collect records Counted towards your iCloud storage space.

In short, you need to be all-in with Apple for this doorbell to be of any use to you. If you've read this far, you are probably all there so we can move on. If you are an Android person, this video doorbell won't work for you at all. You can go ahead and stop reading. I'm assuming anyone reading past this point is either a die-hard Apple fan or my editor (hi, boss!).

Appleness extends into the hardware

Once you're beyond that, we can begin examining the doorbell ourselves. The hardware is a study in overengineering. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing to be completely honest. Maybe I'm not pecking here, but even the way Logitech handles the wiring is a bit strange. On the back of the doorbell housing, slide the doorbell wires into slots that "grab" the wires rather than just using screws as you may be used to. When connecting the power converter, Logitech includes clips that you use to connect the power converter to the transformer. Neither of these are bad, in fact it makes for a very clean experience, but it just felt a little over the top. There is nothing wrong with wire nuts and screws. These other methods aren't better or worse, they're just very Apple.

Logitech Circle View Wired doorbell merrily on brickDigital trends / Adam Doud

The video doorbell hardware looks a bit simple. It's a black rectangle on which (from top to bottom) the camera is located, a light for night vision, motion and light sensors, an LED notification light, the doorbell button with a ring of light so people know where to press and finally a little branding. The doorbell is 4.68 cm high and 1.65 cm wide on the larger side. It also comes with an angled bracket if you want to turn the doorbell 15 degrees to the side.

I am particularly impressed with the color night vision capability.

The camera itself has a field of view with a diagonal of 160 degrees and has excellent night vision functions even without the 4,000K LED light strip. The camera does not use IR night vision, but rather a pithy night vision that is grainy but otherwise clear even on a particularly dark night. I set the doorbell on my back door so it didn't even have the luxury of my front yard light to help, and the image was still pretty good, although it wasn't good enough for facial recognition, which we'll investigate further in a little bit .

The camera also has a motion sensor and a light sensor that measures the ambient light in lux. This is really neat as I can tell at a glance at the doorbell if there is enough light outside to take photos or videos. The software doesn't take full advantage of these sensors, however, which we'll explore below.

The wiring is a clean doorbell experience.Adam Doud / Digital Trends

With negatives, the camera suffers from a fish-eye effect on the periphery of the camera. The LED strip on the doorbell has an on and off setting, but no automatic setting. Given the doorbell has a motion sensor and a light sensor, it seems ridiculous that you can't configure the light to turn on when the sensor detects motion and the light is below a certain threshold. However, this is a software glitch, and not the only one.

The software is very Apple

Once you've set up a Home Hub and have an iCloud subscription, open the doorbell features. In particular, you can have the activities for recording the doorbell carried out, e.g. B. Motion detection, doorbell ringing, etc. If you don't have a hub, you're only limited to one live stream. I honestly don't see the need for a home hub to easily capture and store video. If I only had an iPhone, I could still watch motion event videos. This is a blatant platform lock-in and a little gross. Other doorbells require subscriptions to record video, so I'll barely forgive Apple's iCloud request.

It's also noteworthy that if you want to stream video from the camera, every device that acts as a hub must be turned on. Most of the time this isn't a problem, but if you ever need to turn off your iPad, your doorbell will ring. This again supports the argument that using an iPhone I can stream data to it without the need for a device in between. Not cool.

The Logitech Circle View doorbell CAmera uses color night vision.

Other aspects of Apple software are standard on other doorbell interfaces. Scrubbing through events is a little shaky as you can only view events that detect motion or people. However, you have to drag your finger from event to event, and getting to the beginning of an event is a little difficult. However, sharing and saving videos is easy with Apple's share menu.

With Apple, you can also use the sensors in the doorbell to trigger other events in your house. For example, if you want a specific light in your house to turn on when your doorbell senses movement, you can do that. This is a very smart integration that really makes a smart home.

This doorbell is one of the first ones I tested that offers facial recognition that really works. The implementation is not the best. Apple uses your photo library to identify people who ring the doorbell. So, if you've had an iPhone for a long time, you have a lot of people in your photo library. If you're like me and only use Apple products occasionally, this won't work as well. But just the fact that it works at all is very cool. Given the number of doorbells I've tested that I'd love to access Google Photos if they only asked for it, this was a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, my photo library can only accurately identify me and my children. Fortunately, you can add the names of new faces as they appear. This comes in handy the longer you use the doorbell.

Our opinion

Overall, this is a really nice video doorbell – if you're a die-hard Apple fan. If you are not, this is not a good doorbell at all. We already established that by the time you've read this far, it is you. Yes, this is a very nice doorbell that is specially made for you and your existing ecosystem. The field of view is pretty good, although it's not the 180 degrees you get from the Vivint Video Doorbell Pro. Plus, the video quality is good even at night, similar to the HomeHawk window I checked a few months ago. I really like the access Apple gives to the motion and light sensors. Other doorbells have these sensors, but Apple lets you use them, which is pretty neat.

Is there a better alternative?

From a holistic standpoint, this video doorbell is just as good in everything out there. I am particularly impressed with the color night vision capability. While infrared-based night vision can produce brighter and clearer results even on a cheap doorbell like the Wyze video doorbell, I prefer colored night vision because it allows you to better visualize what is actually outside your door. There are also three more doorbells that HomeKit support, including offerings from Netatmo, Robin, and Yobi.

Will it take?

This doorbell is very well built, albeit made of plastic. It's not made from the most durable building materials any doorbell I've tested. That honor likely goes to the Nest Hello doorbell. That being said, I have no concerns about long-term profitability. The doorbell is designed for operation at -20 to 40 degrees Celsius. There is a one year limited warranty.

Should I buy it?

If you've read this far, you're a die-hard Apple. Yes, you should buy it. The integration with the Apple ecosystem is pretty powerful, and using those sensors on the doorbell to trigger other smart home events has really good potential. The $ 199 MSRP is right in the wheelhouse of other doorbells like the Eufy Security Doorbell. After all, the software, Apple's Home Kit, is far more secure than Ring Video Doorbell 3.

Editor's recommendations




20 Jan
Blog

HP Spectre x360 14 Review: The 2-in-1 Convertible, Perfected

HP ghost

"The HP Specter x360 14 is the perfect balance between performance and portability."

  • Spectacular 3: 2 OLED display

  • Pretty fast in performance mode

  • Surprisingly good battery life considering the display

  • Great keyboard and touchpad

  • Elegant and modern look

  • Requires some management to balance performance and fan noise

The HP Specter x360 13 has been my favorite laptop for a while. With its OLED screen and beautiful design, it was everything I wanted from a convertible 2-in-1 laptop.

However, given the tough competition, HP couldn't rest on its laurels. Expectations for performance, portability, and size are constantly changing, and the latest Specter 2-in-1 from HP seeks to drive its design into the future.

The Specter x360 14 uses a larger 13.5-inch display with an aspect ratio of 3: 2, two trends that promise improved productivity. The company sent me a test device with an 11th generation Intel Tiger Lake Core i7-1165G7, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB solid state drive (SSD). It also has a 3,000 x 2,000 resolution OLED display and is priced at $ 1,700 at Best Buy. I've spent some time with the Specter x360 14 now, you know what? HP may have perfected the 2-in-1 convertible.

design

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

HP hasn't dealt with the general design theme of the Specter – and why should it? The gem-cut aesthetic remains the boldest design you'll find outside of gaming laptops, though the Specter is more sleek than ostentatious. The Specter x360 14 is a beautiful laptop without looking over the top, whether in the color Nightfall Black with copper accents, which I received, or in the alternatives Poseidon Blue or Natural Silver.

The Dell XPS 13 is a good looking laptop too, but it's a simpler aesthetic that goes unnoticed. Which is better depends on taste, of course, but I prefer the polite Specter x360 14.

It's also very well built with no need to bend, bend, or twist it anywhere in the lid, case, or keyboard deck. In this respect, the Specter x360 14 fits the XPS 13 and the Apple MacBook Pro 13, which is highly praised. There are few other laptops in the class that can match these three. The XPS 13 scores some points for its two-zone hinge, which can be easily opened with one hand and then held firmly in place, but the Specter x360 14 is not far behind.

The Specter's hinge is almost light enough to open with one hand, and it holds the display in place in any of four modes – clamshell, tent, medium, or tablet. The 3: 2 aspect ratio makes tablet mode much more comfortable, as the panel fits better to an 8.5 x 11 inch piece of paper – thanks to Microsoft here, as its Surface line has had the same aspect ratio for several generations.

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The display changes the dimensions of the Specter x360 14 and is thus slightly deeper (8.67 inches) than the 13-inch model (7.66 inches), but not quite as wide (11.75 inches compared to 12.08 inches) . Compared to the tiny XPS 13 with a width of 11.64 inches and a depth of 7.82 inches, the Specter x360 14 is again deeper, although it has its own small bezels.

It's the larger chin compared to the XPS 13 that makes the Specter x360 14 appear so much larger when opened (beyond the sheer height of the 3: 2 aspect ratio). The 14-inch is the same as the 13-inch, 0.67-inch thick, both of which exceed the XPS 13's 0.58-inch, and the Specter x360 14 is also the heaviest at 2.95 pounds over the 13-inch and the XPS 13, both of which weigh 2.8 pounds.

Since I used the Specter x360 14, I appreciate its extra size. Both the Specter x360 13 and XPS 13 felt small at times, especially in terms of the palm rest and touchpad – both are slightly larger on the Specter x360 14. I find this model to be a solid compromise between the tiny 13-inch laptop and the hefty Specter x360 15.

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

As with the Tiger Lake version of the Specter x360 13, the 14-inch version has two USB Thunderbolt 4 ports on the right, one on the edge and one in the notch under the display. On this side of the case there is also a 3.5 mm audio jack and a miniSD card reader. On the other side is the single USB-A 3.1 port. One difference to the 13-inch model is that the power switch is no longer in the other notch – this time on the keyboard, which is a bummer for anyone using their laptop with an external display closed.

Now you need to open the lid to turn on the laptop. Although some people may prefer to have all of the keys on the keyboard available, this is a regression in my book. Wireless connectivity is modern with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.

software

Before I dive into the performance of the Specter x360 14, let's talk a little about software. Most manufacturers have developed utilities that allow users to adjust the CPU clock and fan speed to adjust the performance versus heat and fan noise. In some cases, these utilities don't do much – run a benchmark in quiet / cool mode and then in performance mode and you will see at most a negligible improvement in speed. And quite often, you can't tell the difference between fan noise and heat.

The HP Command Center differs at least on the 13- and 14-inch models (the utility doesn't help much with the 15-inch Specter). Toggle the "Balanced" mode and the Specter x360 14 is noticeably quieter and cooler, and it's pretty slow too. In this mode, it falls behind other Tiger Lake Core i7 laptops (and some 10th generation laptops), but it runs noiselessly and can be used comfortably on a lap. However, if you toggle the "Performance" mode, the Specter x360 will sprout 14 wings and become quite competitive – and significantly louder and hotter at the same time.

I only mention these utilities in my reviews if they make a significant difference in performance. I mention the HP Command Center specifically because I don't want to make anyone think it's a slow laptop. This is not the case. You just need to use the utility wisely. It can be either a hassle or a blessing, depending on how much attention you want to give to such things. I like Command Center because I don't need super-fast performance most of the time, and I appreciate the cool and quiet performance more – but when I need sheer speed, it's just a click away.

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

I will also notice that HP added some new folds to the Utility Suite. For example, the Command Center itself has a new "Smart Sense" mode that does things automatically based on the application, the location of the laptop, and the battery status. I didn't think it was particularly smart – the "Balanced" mode kept things quieter and the "Performance" mode was faster. HP also added a focus mode that highlights the active application and dwarfs the rest of the display. This is an interesting effect, but so far I've only found it annoying. Next, the system can tell if it's in a bag and prevent you from waking up. I carried it around in my backpack for a while and it was sleeping, but that's not a big test.

Then there are a couple of utilities to control the display. One of them is a standalone display control utility that allows you to set the color profile for your use. In addition, there is a system setting in the display area that allows you to enable Adaptive Color, which adjusts the color profile based on ambient lighting. It's like automatic brightness, only for colors. Whether any of these utilities are of value or add fluff depends on individual taste.

performance

Now let's get down to performance and begin our handbrake test, which encodes a 420MB video as H.265. It took the Specter x360 14 just under four minutes to complete the test in balanced mode and a little over three minutes in performance mode. That's almost a full minute of difference just by flipping the switch. Compared to other Tiger Lake laptops, the balanced mode is slower – for example, the Dell XPS 13 9310 took 30 seconds less in its own quiet mode, while it was three seconds faster than the Specter in both performance modes. The Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 with a Core i5-1135G7 was also about 30 seconds faster in balanced mode, and the Acer Swift 5 matched the results of the Performance mode on the Specter x360 14.

Cinebench R23 was similar. The Specter x360 14 achieved a strong multi-core value of 4,847 in performance mode compared to an anemic 3,941 in balanced mode. In performance mode, only the Porsche Design Acer Book RS (a strangely fast Core i5-1135G7 with 4,973 points) and the MSI Prestige 14 Evo with a Core i7-1185G7 (5,789) achieved higher scores among the Tiger Lake laptops. The Apple MacBooks with the Apple M1 chip were much faster (6,680 or higher), as were machines with 45-watt Intel H-series CPUs.

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

I also ran the PCMark 10 Complete test where, interestingly, Command Center was much less important. The Specter x360 14 scores 4,728 in balanced mode and 4,795 in performance mode, as well as the basics (web browsing, video conferencing, app launch), productivity (spreadsheet and word processing), and creation (photo editing, video playback and playback, and video editing) scores similarly close.

Even so, the Specter was competitive with other Tiger Lake laptops, beating the Porsche Design Acer Book RS and losing just short of the MSI Prestige 14 Evo. The Specter x360 14 performed particularly well in the creation area of ​​this benchmark. Note that the Dell XPS 13 9310 would not complete the test.

In short, the Specter x360 14 is a fast Tiger Lake laptop in performance mode. It will run loud and hot, but it will keep up with most of the field – which, by the way, also tends to run loud and hot when fully tilted. I want to point out here that the fans of the Specter x360 14 have a wonderfully comfortable pitch at full force – the Specter avoids the annoying whining that some laptops do when the fans boot up.

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Can the Specter x360 14 play? Yes, about as good as other Tiger Lake laptops with Intel Iris Xe graphics. The 3DMark Time Spy score of 1,709 in performance mode is higher than any other Tiger Lake laptop we tested, and even the 1,457 score in balanced mode is competitive. Under Fortnite, the Specter x360 14 achieved 36 frames per second (fps) at 1080p and high graphics, which exceeded all but the MSI Prestige 14 Evo with 42 fps. This is of course in performance mode, but here too, even the 26 fps in balanced mode were competitive with the rest of the field.

The same goes for Epic graphics turned on, which makes the Specter x360 14 a decent entry-level slot machine that is on par with computers with discrete low-end graphics like the Nvidia GeForce MX350.

display

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Specter x360 14 features the first OLED display with an aspect ratio of 3: 2 (3,000 x 2,000 resolution) and is a beauty. Like all OLED displays, it offers a spectacular contrast of 374,200: 1 – in comparison, the contrast of the 4K IPS display of the Dell XPS 13 9310 is 1,360: 1, which is well above our threshold of 1,000: 1 and particularly good for is an IPS display. However, the Specter x360 14's display gives you the deepest blacks in contrast to brilliant whites, which really makes black text pop on white backgrounds (which I love as a writer).

The brightness was good at 374 nits, but not great compared to the 420 nits of the XPS 13 and the 405 nits of the OLED display of the Specter x360 13.

This is an excellent display that is a pleasure to use.

The color gamut was also excellent at 100% of sRGB and 96% of AdobeRGB – ideal for creatives who need a lot of color – and the color accuracy was excellent at a DeltaE of 0.69 (anything below 1.0 cannot be differentiated with the human eye and is considered excellent). The XPS 13 managed 100% of sRGB but only 79% of AdobeRGB, placing it in a lower display class.

The XPS 13's color accuracy was 1.21, good, but nowhere near as good as the Specter's. The OLED display on the Specter x360 13 achieved a wider color gamut of 100% sRGB and 98% AdobeRGB, but the color accuracy wasn't as good at 1.29.

I get to the point here and say that this is an excellent display that is a sheer delight in real life. The only display that I like better is the OLED display of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3, which performs similarly to the Specter display, but has a Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR), which the Lenovo does when playing Netflix makes HDR content so much better.

With the HP, you'll want to turn off HDR because Netflix isn't particularly good at handling it. However, this isn't such a terrible thing as the non-HDR OLED display is still better than most IPS displays with HDR (except for those that benefit from Dolby Vision). Also, the Specter x360 cannot manage 14 4K while streaming video. You have to be satisfied with a letterbox of 2,560 x 1,440.

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

In terms of audio, the Specter x360 14 has quad speakers, two under the display on top and two under the case on the bottom. The volume is ample without distortion, and the mids and highs are excellent.

There's not much bass, however, which puts the Specter well below the MacBook Pro models that set the standard for laptop audio. You can certainly enjoy Netflix with a few friends without external speakers, but as always, I recommend good headphones for music.

Keyboard and touchpad

HP's Specter keyboards have long been my favorite on Windows 10 laptops. They offer keys that are the perfect size, wide spacing, and a lightweight but precise mechanism that allows me to type at maximum speed with minimal fatigue.

Dell's latest XPS 13 keyboards come very close, and the Magic keyboard on the latest MacBooks is the only one that can beat it. However, if you're a touch typist who needs accurate feedback when typing, you'll love the Specter x360 14's keyboard. The two-level backlight is also perfectly executed and outlines the letters without causing much, if any, bleeding under the keys.

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Thanks to the 3: 2 aspect ratio display, HP fits into a much larger touchpad on the Specter x360 14 than the 13-inch model and XPS 13. The extra space is appreciated – it's not a MacBook-like giant – but it's big enough that I don't feel cramped anymore. Of course, it supports Microsoft's Precision Touchpad protocol, making it incredibly responsive to all of Windows 10's multi-touch gestures. It feels nice too, with solid but quiet keys.

The touch display responds equally and supports the various active pens from HP. The pen in the box supports tilt and 4,095 pressure sensitivity levels, is charged via USB-C and, in the case of a Specter, is initially attached magnetically to the left side of the case.

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Windows 10 Hello support is provided by both a tiny infrared camera above the display and a fingerprint reader conveniently located next to the arrow keys. Both worked perfectly and signed me up without any fuss. Additional security is provided by a key on the keyboard that slides a cover electronically over the webcam, and a key to turn off the microphone.

Battery life

HP ghostMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Specter x360 14 has a high-resolution OLED display, which usually means reduced battery life. I'm sure my test unit had a worse battery life than the Full HD + version (1,920 x 1,280), but thanks to a 67-watt-hour battery, the life was better than expected.

In our web browser test, the Specter x360 14 lasted almost seven hours, which is not a bad score considering the display. It was about an hour less than some other Tiger Lake laptops with Full HD displays like the Acer Swift 5 and Dell XPS 13 9310, and only 20 minutes less than the MSI Prestige 14 Evo.

In our video test of a Full HD Avengers trailer, the Specter x360 14 lasted a little over 10 hours. Again, this isn't a bad score for an OLED display – it's only 16 minutes less than the Dell XPS 13 9310 with its IPS 4K display and about 90 minutes less than the Acer Swift 5. The XPS 13 9310 with Full HD has two additional minutes lasted hours

The Specter x360 14 is one of the few OLED laptops that can work a full day on a single charge.

I also ran the PCMark 10 application test to see how long the Specter x360 14 could handle a typical productivity load, and it lasted a little over nine hours. It is no coincidence that this is exactly what is required for Intel to become Evo. The XPS 13 9310 4K lasted about 30 minutes less, while the XPS 13 9310 Full HD version lasted about 90 minutes longer.

I then ran the PCMark 10 gaming test, which is a significant workload on both the CPU and GPU, and the Specter x360 14 couldn't quite make it to three hours, which is about 40 minutes less than the XPS 13 9310 4K and more than an hour less than the Full HD version of this laptop. The MSI Prestige Evo 14 was more than an hour behind the Specter.

The large battery capacity pays off here, as the Specter x360 14 is one of the few OLED laptops that can work a full day on a single charge. It's nowhere near our longest-lasting laptops, but it's a strong performance for a machine with such a beautiful and performance-hungry display.

Our opinion

The HP Specter x360 14 may not be the best laptop you can buy. The Dell XPS 13 likely retains this top spot for various reasons. But I'll say this: The Specter is pretty damn close, and if I were forced to choose between the two, I would go for the ultra-flexible and oh-so-beautiful 2-in-1 from HP.

Seriously, this latest Specter is Goldilocks' choice – not too small like the Specter x360 13 and not too big like the 15-inch variant. The 3: 2 aspect ratio makes a real difference when viewing long web pages and documents, the OLED display is fantastic, and the build quality is superb. Yes, you have to be a little fussy to get the highest performance. However, this is offset by the ability to run with almost zero noise and heat. The choice is yours, and the choice is a good thing.

Are there alternatives?

The HP Specter x360 13 is a desirable choice for someone who likes 16: 9 (these folks exist) and a smaller chassis. It can also be purchased with Tiger Lake and an OLED display. It's a little cheaper, and while we haven't tested the Tiger Lake versions, we suspect they perform well.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 is a great alternative if you don't want a 2-in-1 device. It's also incredibly well built and attractive, has a great keyboard, and performs well. You don't get such a high quality display or performance with the XPS 13, but when it comes to overall cohesive design, Dell's offering is unbeatable. You'll spend a little more money climbing the configuration ladder.

Finally, you might consider the MacBook Air M1, which features Apple Silicon’s M1 CPU that is completely changing the ARM and Intel landscape. It's fast, lasts forever, and is built Apple-style. And it's a cheaper laptop to boot into.

How long it will take?

The Specter x360 14 is well built and should provide years of reliable service. It's also fully cutting-edge in its components, including pioneering the move away from 16: 9 aspect ratios. There is only a one year warranty which is industry standard and, as usual, disappointing.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Specter x360 14 is the best Specter you can buy and by far the best convertible notebook out there.

Editor's recommendations




19 Jan
Blog

Hitman 3 Review: A Satisfying Conclusion to the Trilogy

hitman 3 dubai

Hitman 3 Review: A satisfactory end to the trilogy

"A satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy with the best locations in the series"

  • Complicated, structured places

  • Strong gameplay loop

  • New mechanics as an incentive for playback

  • Missing difficulty adjustments

The label "World of Assassination" was the slogan of the current Hitman games, starting with Hitman by IO Interactive in 2016. Hitman 3 is the final piece of this assassination puzzle and offers a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy with its greatest locations to date and the Ability to experience one of the three games.

While Hitman 3 offers some of the most complicated scenarios in the series, it still lacks a few features that prevent it from being the ultimate stealth experience it should be.

Before diving in, I want to make it clear that I first requested a PlayStation code to review the game specifically for its VR component. PlayStation verification codes ultimately weren't made available to the press prior to the verification embargo, and as a result, we couldn't get our hands on the VR edition of Hitman 3. The recent precedent of console codes not being exposed before verification embargoes were lifted due to the disastrous consequences, Digital Trends wants to provide complete transparency to our readers as it is not known how well the PSVR component is performing at startup.

Hitman 3's locations are the star of the show

In the very brief campaign for Hitman 3, the Wolves approach Agent 47 when he and a handful of other employees turn on their former employer, the International Control Agency, which has been attacked by the show's antagonists, Providence. The plot is a standard spy plan that drips into the tropics that define the genre. It's a gripping act, but a familiar one, to be sure.

Hitman 3 skyscraper

None of the story elements are particularly important, however, as they are mainly used to transport Agent 47 from one incredibly structured locale to the next. While playing the game, and as I will mention in other contexts in my review, I discovered that it is the closest analog, the Mission Impossible film franchise, the most direct comparison of which occurs in the opening moments.

Hitman 3 features the most complicated scenarios yet.

Agent 47 HALO jumps out of a plane like Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible: Fallout and lands on the tallest building in the world in Dubai, the key piece in the fourth Mission Impossible film, Ghost Protocol. The opening task sets the stage for what players should expect for the rest of the game – – Immaculately designed playgrounds that offer countless variety in a relatively small space.

The six incredibly varied locations are hands down the best of the series, which it ultimately took Hitman 3 to make this the best entry in the trilogy. They are all of such high quality that it is difficult to pick a favorite despite being part of an underground nightclub in Berlin, which forces the player to be extra vigilant as they are not sure who are in the crowd their goals.

Agent 47

One of the locations in the back half starts out on neon-soaked city streets and transforms into something entirely different as Agent 47 switches from one brand to the next. The levels have to be repeated – Find all the secret passages and hidden objects that are hidden in their darkest corners. Adding unlockable shortcuts further increases the repetition value of the missions, and provides meaningful alternate routes for those who spend the time looking for them.

The game is incredibly fun

The second thing Hitman has in common with Mission Impossible is his sense of humor. While both are incredible action spectacles, they would be nothing without their meta-observations about how absurd their worlds are. The designers and writers at IO Interactive are smart enough to understand how funny some of the moments in its games are, and Hitman 3 plays with that absurdity at every opportunity.

The levels have to be repeated.

Whether his agent 47 throws a sword across a room to impale a security guard who is about to recognize him or the titular killer who dumps an unconscious body into a vat of crushed grapes (an "elimination" indicator indicates that the dazed target will drown in the crushed fruit), every moment of the game has a humorous catch.

Hitman 3 Dartmoor

The more the player accepts that this is an absurd, melodramatic action game that borders on parody, the more fun he will have with it. Often times I would track a target during its movement cycles, making detailed mental notes of where they stop, who they are with, and what they are doing to plan the perfect assassination attempt. Those plans often fell apart the moment I saw an opening with a target's back turned in a remote corner, and I happened to find myself dragging her lifeless body through a room knowing there was armed security in one Matter would patrol the area in seconds, with no containers to stow the corpse in sight. These are the moments that make Hitman 3 shine.

There should be more customizable difficulties

After I realized that the opening mission is too easy in the "normal" setting, I brought it to the difficulty level "Master". This increases security awareness, makes Agent 47 more vulnerable, deactivates mission indicators that lead the player to the next clue, and deactivates automatic saving so that the player can manually save once per mission in order to activate them strategically when the right moment is right holds.

The comedic moments make Hitman 3 shine.

I believe this is the best way to experience Hitman 3, although I don't think it has been pushed far enough. At the start of the second mission in the game, Agent 47 is notified that the target knows it is coming. When I was discovered that a security guard had been incapacitated, I raced through hidden corridors to evade reported security. However, once enough time had passed, like any other game, it became normal business for the non-playable characters and returned to their routine as if nothing had happened.

Hitman 3 target

On a later mission, after remotely executing my target's personal bodyguard, I was glad to see they were taken to a safe, windowless room with armed details to shoot anything that moved. I thought this was the difficulty level I was looking for, but after a few minutes they returned to their cycles with the target resuming its previous movements and now no bodyguard in the way.

One final stage even states in their briefing that Agent 47 needs to take out an additional target because they are too alert not to notice the main target's assassination. After incapacitating the primary brand and stuffing it in a closet, the supposedly incredibly attentive second target was no wiser. I felt a little guilty about having to kill her, even though she clearly wasn't the threat I was told.

A game with the slogan "World of Assassination" that offers detailed customization options for the planning of its missions by selecting different items of equipment, alternate starting locations and contraband within the level. I believe that this level of personalization could increase its difficulty.

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Did you pick someone out that other characters would notice if they were missing? Turn on the guards looking for them and even open closets and hiding spots to hide corpses they wouldn't otherwise open in the current situation. Perhaps the player could activate a timer that starts the moment you are discovered. This counts down an evacuation process for the target and its safety and gives you a limited window to reach your destination. Little customizable A.I. Improvements of this kind would go a long way in expanding the replay value of this game, which is the main focus of the game.

Our opinion

Hitman 3 is a great swan song for a fun trilogy of games that features intricate locations and humorous gameplay. Hopefully future updates will bring some important additions that will add replay value and make it the ultimate stealth game that is close at hand.

Is there a better alternative?

Hitman and Hitman 2 are still great games, but their standards don't touch what Hitman 3 has to offer. I highly recommend owning all three games as Hitman 3 gives you access to all of them and plays any of their locations from one title.

How long it will take?

The campaign can last a few hours to over a dozen hours, depending on how intense the players are. With the replayability of the levels and the variety of scenarios on offer, tens of hours of content are available.

Should you buy it?

Yes. Hitman 3 is a fun sandbox where most players will find something that is fun.

Editor's recommendations




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