With the Galaxy Note 20 launch just a week away, all eyes will be on what upgrades Samsung brings to the table. While the chipset might remain unchanged, there might be a silver lining. While Samsung flagship like the Note series and the S series are powered by Snapdragon chipsets in the US and European markets, they come with Exynos chipset in Asian markets such as India. It often tends to lose out on the performance front against Qualcomm Snapdragon counterparts. However, a new leak suggests some good news in this regard. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 release date, price, news and leaks Upcoming smartphones in India: Specs, launch date, price (Image credit: Samsung/WinFuture) According to a tweet by Anthony, a Youtuber, Samsung Galaxy Note 20 will continue to be powered by the Exynos 990 chipset, but with major improvements in terms of the performance and efficiency. These optimizations should bring it closer to the Snapdragon 865 series. He even suggested that it is almost li...
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OnePlus 6T release date, price, news and leaks
Update: OnePlus has exclusively confirmed to TechRadar that its next handset (rumored to be the OnePlus 6T) will not have a headphone jack, but will feature improved battery life.
The OnePlus 6T launch is probably not too far off – assuming the Chinese firm continues to follow its half-yearly release schedule for its affordable flagship smartphones.
The OnePlus 6 was another successful phone in the range, managing to match handsets almost twice its price. It was an exciting phone, so can you blame us for being excited about what’s coming next?
There aren't too many OnePlus 6T leaks or rumors about at the moment, but we'll be constantly updating this page whenever we hear something new.
In the meantime, here's what we know, what we think we know, and what we'd like to see from the new OnePlus phone.
Cut to the chase What is it? The next T-variant flagship from OnePlusWhen is it out? Likely November 2018What will it cost? Probably at least $529 / £469 (around AU$840) OnePlus 6T release date and priceThe OnePlus 6T release date is likely to be around November 2018, as that's when the OnePlus 5T arrived last year, and the OnePlus 3T in 2016.
It would be the firm's third 'T' variant device, as it looks to bridge the gap between its new-number launches in June.
The OnePlus 6T may arrive a month earlier though, with a separate report claiming that the handset will launch in October.
However, there's a suggestion that the OnePlus 6T may not launch at all this year, due to a lack of new, cutting -edge features being available to make it worthwhile.
We'd say that's pretty unlikely as the company has found a nice rhythm in its six monthly cycle, and with no OnePlus 6T launch in November it doesn't give the firm much to talk about and keep itself relevant - which can be difficult when you have just one handset to market.
That said, OnePlus has posted a teaser suggesting that something will be announced on January 15, so it's possible that this will be the OnePlus 6T, but we'd still say it's unlikely.
There’s no word currently on the OnePlus 6T price, but the OnePlus 6 started at $529 / £469 (around AU$840) and prices have been gradually creeping up since the range began, so we expect the OnePlus 6T will cost at least that much, if not slightly more.
In the US you may be able to buy the OnePlus 6T from a carrier, as OnePlus has said it's looking into it, and a more recent rumor suggests the Chinese firm will open up a partnership with T-Mobile US.
OnePlus 6T design and displayThe OnePlus 6T might not be official yet but some features are, as OnePlus has confirmed that the phone will have an in-screen scanner called Screen Unlock.
OnePlus has revealed that as a result of the OnePlus 6T boasting an in-display fingerprint scanner, it will be 0.45mm thicker than the OnePlus 6, presumably making it 8.25mm thick overall.
Apparently the phone will also have a more unibody design than its predecessor.
The company didn't say anything else about the design, but we have seen several photos seemingly showing the retail box, which handily also includes a sketch of the OnePlus 6T.
That sketch shows a small waterdrop-like notch at the top housing a single-lens camera, a slim bezel below the screen and a fingerprint icon on the display, hinting at the now-confirmed in-screen scanner.
The images, which you can see below, don't show the back of the OnePlus 6T, but that design is more or less identical to the Oppo R17 and Oppo R17 Pro, and there's reason to believe that the OnePlus 6T could share several of the features found on the Oppo R17.
That's because previous OnePlus handsets have bore more than a passing resemblance to Oppo phones (both manufacturers are owned by the same firm), so the link here isn't all that hard to fathom.
That might mean that the OnePlus 6T has a 6.4-inch Full HD+ screen, 8GB of RAM, a 25MP front-facing camera and either a 16MP/5MP dual-lens rear camera or - more likely - a triple-lens one, like the setup found on the R17 Pro.
That phone has a 12MP variable aperture lens which can switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 apertures, a 20MP f/2.6 lens and a ToF (time-of-flight) 3D stereo lens. That last one can measure depth, making it useful for both the ever-popular bokeh/portrait mode and augmented reality.
Other than those rumors, we can guess that the phone may well have a glass back, since OnePlus only recently switched to glass with the OnePlus 6.
It’s likely to also have an alert slider, as previous handsets in the range do.
OnePlus 6T power and performanceThe OnePlus 6T is sure to have the best Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset available at the time along with masses of RAM (the OnePlus 6 came with a choice of 6GB or 8GB).
Don’t expect a microSD card slot though, based on past form, while the screen resolution is very much a question mark – OnePlus has consistently stuck with Full HD resolutions, but that’s feeling ever more dated, so sooner or later we’d expect a jump to QHD or higher.
OnePlus 6T headphone jackIt won't have one. OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has exclusively confirmed to TechRadar that its next handset will drop the headphone jack.
OnePlus believes now is the right time to remove the jack, and it's allowing it to bring new technology to the handset (such as the leaked in-display fingerprint scanner) as well improved battery life.
OnePlus 6T batteryOnePlus has confirmed to TechRadar that the OnePlus 6T will feature improved battery, but it's not clear how the improvement will be achieved.
It could be the use of more efficient chips, a change in screen technology, an increase in battery size, or a mixture of things - but OnePlus wouldn't be drawn into giving us any more information about it at this point.
OnePlus 6T: what we want to seeWe don’t know anything much about the OnePlus 6T yet, but based on the OnePlus 6 and what’s going on in the rest of the phone world we know what we want from it.
1. A QHD and/or HDR screenOne of the most obvious ways OnePlus manages to keep the costs of its handsets down is with the screen. Every OnePlus flagship to date has come with a Full HD resolution display, but that's no longer the norm at the top of the mobile market.
QHD (2K) resolutions now adorn many of the top Android smartphones, and with the increasing screen size of recent OnePlus handsets a higher resolution would mean an even sharper screen.
There is an argument that the difference between Full HD and QHD isn't all that obvious, and for many that's true – so here's a different suggestion for the OnePlus 6T: HDR (high dynamic range).
If the OnePlus 6T screen features HDR support it would make movies and gaming look even better, with enhanced light and dark areas providing added depth and immersion.
2. A whopping 512GB of storageThis wouldn't be a cheap option, but it's one that will likely please the hardcore OnePlus fans, as the company appears to be dead-set against including an expandable storage option on its devices.
We've already seen 512GB teased for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, so it wouldn't be the first to offer this storage size, and it means we could go crazy with the 4K video recording and Netflix downloads.
3. Keeping the headphone jackOnePlus has been very vocal over the past year or so about the fact that it's kept the 3.5mm headphone port on its smartphones while others ditch it from their devices.
We want the port to remain on the OnePlus 6T, providing users with the flexibility of being able to plug in their favorite set of headphones which also keeping the USB-C port available, just in case you need to charge the phone as well.
4. Stereo speakersThe OnePlus 6 has just a single speaker, and its placement at the base of the phone makes it easy to muffle, so we’d like to see it ideally moved and definitely doubled up for the OnePlus 7, with a second speaker allowing for loud stereo sound.
Sure, you’ll probably mostly use headphones anyway, but having a quality speaker setup can make all the difference when you just want to watch a YouTube video or listen to a podcast without plugging in.
5. No notchThe OnePlus 6 is one of many recent phones to get a notch, and while it can be hidden if you prefer, what we’d really prefer for the OnePlus 6T is no notch at all.
But we don’t want a return to big bezels either. We’re starting to see phones like the Vivo Nex and Oppo Find X which have almost no bezel at all, and we’d like the OnePlus 6T to join them – which isn’t out of the question, given the aforementioned Oppo/OnePlus connection.
6. Wireless chargingDespite having a glass back, the OnePlus 6 doesn’t support wireless charging, which seems like a major omission for a flagship phone.
This is probably a cost-cutting measure – and in a sense it seems reasonable, since we doubt wireless charging is a heavily used feature – but it would be nice to have.
7. An in-screen fingerprint scannerAlong with an all-screen design we’d like the OnePlus 6T to have an in-screen fingerprint scanner. That way the phone could still have a scanner without it having to be awkwardly placed on the back.
And in-screen scanners are currently a high-tech novelty, and having one could help the OnePlus 6T stand out from the crowd – or at least match up to it, depending on how many phones have them by the time the OnePlus 6T launches.
The good news is that since we added this to our wish list OnePlus has now confirmed that the 6T will have one.
We also expect to see the Google Pixel 3 before the year is out
The iPhone XS will make eSIM a mainstream mobile technology
The launch of a new iPhone is always a significant time of year for mobile operators. In an era when consumers are holding to their devices for longer, it’s a nervous wait to see whether manufacturers are able to offer a compelling reason to upgrade.
And with iPhone owners, the issue is even more acute. Whereas manufacturers in the Android market compete on features and price, most iPhone users will only ditch their current device for another iPhone.
The iPhone XS, XS Max and XR hope to appeal to those seeking a premium device, while price reductions for the iPhone 7 and 8 will look to attract more price-conscious buyers. For operators struggling with the shift to SIM-Only tariffs and SIM-free handsets, it’s an opportunity to sell more contracts.
But it’s still too early to assess the impact of the most significant addition to the new devices – eSIM technology.
5 things you may have missed during the iPhone XS and iPhone XR launch The rise of eSIMIn addition to a physical Nano SIM card, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max include support for a software-powered electronic SIM card. Embedded SIM cards have been included in a number of Android-powered devices, while they are an essential component of cellular-powered Internet of things (IoT) devices.
Apple itself has been a supporter of the technology, including its Apple SIM standard in the iPad Air 2, and using an embedded SIM for the LTE variants of the Apple Watch.
As has been the case with so many smartphone innovations in the past, such as Near Field Communication (NFC) or wireless charging, Android manufacturers have been first in terms of adoption, but Apple’s union of hardware and software means it has been the one to take them mainstream.
This is why eSIM support in the iPhone XS and XS Max is so significant.
Operator business models“Introducing dual SIMs in all markets is a bold move by Apple and something that will give mobile operators a lot to think about. Having pioneered the technology on the iPad and Watch, it was only a matter of time before Apple brought it to the iPhone,” says Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight.
“The potential for new business models is limited while Apple continues to offer a physical SIM card slot alongside the e-SIM capability, but if it eventually decides to get rid of the physical SIM it will have significant implications for how customers buy airtime in the future.”
Operators might greet embedded SIMs with trepidation. After all, the requirement to physically change a SIM card is one of the greatest barriers to switching networks if a customer is unsatisfied.
The ability to change networks with the tap of a phone will allow users to pick from a wider range of services. Many operators offer customers the ability to change their mobile package if their data needs change, but eSIM would allow them to pick from tariffs from multiple suppliers.
Similarly, someone might want to move to a different network for a short period because their coverage is superior in a certain area.
However, with Ofcom making it easier for consumers to leave their operator by simply sending a text message, it might be wiser for operators embrace the change as eSIMs can open up new service types and revenue streams.
Roaming is the most obvious area that can be transformed. An iPhone user might have a physical SIM card for their home network but will be able to take out a short-term deal with a local operator if they are on holiday.
“Dual-SIM support is another feature international markets will appreciate,” add analysts from IHS Markit. “It is especially important in markets in Asia and other regions where carriers do not have as much control over users, as they do in the US.
“This feature also provides an incentive to upgrade to the new devices, for users who might have just upgraded last year, but have been waiting for Dual-SIM support for their personal and business lines for some time. Apple has been successful with this type of delayed technology roll-out before: when Apple made iPhones water resistant, it had a significant effect on the position of the company in Japan, as Dual-SIM is another key feature for Japanese users.
“Dual-SIM support has the potential to do the same in many other markets – perhaps providing a significant push to upgrade faster than anticipated.”
Hands on: iPhone XS Max review Increasing costsThe launch of the new iPhones also validates two other industry trends. The first is that the average smartphone screen size is increasing, while the second is that increasing prices can offset shrinking growth.
Although Apple’s iPhone sales are largely flat, the iPhone X has been hugely popular despite the large price tag. The iPhone XS and XS are even more expensive, while having a higher launch cost gives Apple greater scope for discounts later in the device’s lifespan.
“Apple is having to make a careful trade-off with these new products,” adds Wood. “It's acutely aware that customers are holding onto their iPhones longer than ever, but by increasing prices and selling services such as Apple Music, apps and iCloud storage the company can keep revenue flowing in during the lifetime of a device.
“With this launch Apple is offering its widest portfolio of iPhones to date. The iPhone X S and X S Max will appeal to long-time iPhone owners looking to upgrade, while the iPhone X R offers most of the features of the top-of-the-range devices at a much lower price, albeit with a less capable camera and screen. With the iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8 and 8 Plus all staying in the market, Apple has marshalled a line-up that will daunt its competitors.”
Here are the best iPhone deals for September 2018
Best smartwatch 2018: the top choices you can buy
Update: The Apple Watch 4 is now official, and while we don't yet know whether it'll enter the ranking below we'd expect it to sit in a similar place to the Apple Watch 3. Keep your eyes peeled for TechRadar's upcoming full review.
The smartwatch is the ultimate smartphone accessory. It can tell the time, of course, but it can also beam important notifications straight to your wrist and run native apps too.
What's more impressive is that many of today's best models can also perform a ton of tricks, such as enabling you to search the internet with your voice, tracking your exercise with GPS and letting you pay at the grocery store without reaching for your wallet.
Oh – and they look absolutely stunning to boot. If you're thinking that a smartwatch is a pointlessly geeky accessory... think again. These choices are well-made, powerful and can genuinely make you fitter through some smart nudges.
Below is our full list of the best smart wristwear you can buy right now including options from the Apple Watch to Fitbit, Garmin to Tizen. Plus there are quite a few watches running Wear OS (previously known as Android Wear) which is Google's own smartwatch operating system.
Looking for something active? Check out our list of the best fitness trackersHave an iPhone? We have a specific guide for the best smartwatches for iPhoneKnow you like Wear OS? Check our selection of the best Wear OS watchesWant a smartwatch to look traditional? Our guide on the best hybrid smartwatchOur best smartwatch you can buy right now is from Samsung, and instead of opting for the expected Gear S4 name it's called the Galaxy Watch. Following on from the Gear S3 series and the Gear Sport in 2017, the Galaxy Watch is much improved.
We've tested out the larger 46mm version of the watch and it comes with a phenomenal four day battery life even when you're using it extensively. That's impressive considering a lot of other watches on this list last a day or so from a single charge.
The rotating bezel remains a highlight of navigating around the Tizen OS on the watch, and the interface is one of the easiest to pick up that we've seen on a smartwatch.
Apps available on the watch are more limited than Wear OS or watchOS 4 - two rival smartwatch operating systems - but it still offers the core basics and Samsung had provided a watch that's good at fitness as well as sporting a great design and lots more functionality too.
Read the full Samsung Galaxy Watch review
The Apple Watch 3 (or Apple Watch Series 3, if you're picky) was the best smartwatch but has recently been bumped off the top spot by Samsung's latest. The Apple Watch 3 is essentially just the Apple Watch 2 frame with some new innards... but they make a big difference.
The LTE connection is the headline event, although that's not really as useful as some might hope - plus it costs a lot more to use, and drains the battery.
What we like is the non-LTE version, which is a lot cheaper, and offers all the smarts of the Watch 2 but with a longer battery life and faster speeds when flicking through apps. This is the right kind of upgrade on the best smartwatch in the world.
It's still water-resistant so you can swim with it and you won't have to worry about getting it wet in the rain when you're out for a jog. There's GPS onboard to make running that little bit easier plus it comes running the latest watchOS 4 software and will be updated to watchOS 5 later in the year.
Read the full Apple Watch 3 review
What's next? The Apple Watch 4 was announced on September 12 sporting two new sizes, a larger screen than the Watch 3 and new internal tech. It's also the first watch that can carry out an ECG, too. Be sure to read our hands on Apple Watch 4 review, and expect to hear whether it places in this list in the next few weeks.
Our favorite Wear OS watch is the Ticwatch Pro, which you can use with either an iPhone or with your Android phone. You may not have heard of Ticwatch before, but the latest from the company it a top-end watch with a unique dual-screen feature.
There are two displays on this watch - one layered on top of the other. On the top is a transparent LCD display that can display the time, your heart rate and more when the battery is low.
Below that is a bright and bold full color OLED screen that will give you all of the benefits of Wear OS. That means you can have a normal smartwatch, which we found would last around two days, and then have the time and some other features still available when your battery is running low.
Mobvoi claims the Ticwatch Pro can last for 30 days in the low power mode, but we haven't yet been able to test out that claim properly. We did find it lasted for just under a week when in low power mode though.
In terms of smartwatch features there's GPS, NFC for Google Pay, Bluetooth for listening to music and the top Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset in here running the watch as well.
Then there's the price, and with the launch price set at $249.99 / £219.99 / AU$369.99 it's hard to be disappointed with the Ticwatch Pro.
Read the full Ticwatch Pro review
Fitbit is one of the biggest names in fitness tracking tech, but until late in 2017 the company hadn't gone anywhere near smartwatches.
The company has now released two smartwatches, and both feature on this list but first we're starting with our favorite that was announced in March 2018 and will be ready to buy in mid-April.
That favorite from Fitbit is the Versa that is a touch smaller than the other one (that's the Ionic) but it comes with Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, 2.5GB of storage for music and battery life that'll last around three days.
It doesn't have GPS for tracking your runs and the design doesn't feel as premium as some of the other watches on this list, but we really like the Fitbit Versa and it's one of the more affordable choices on this list.
Read the full Fitbit Versa review
What's next? Don't want for a follow-up to the Fitbit Versa, the watch is relatively new so we don't expect to see a sequel anytime soon. We have put together a list of what we'd like to see from the Fitbit Versa 2, though.
You may not have ever heard of Ticwatch, and that's because it's a relatively small and new brand to the smartwatch world. This is one of the cheapest watches on this list, and it's well worth your attention.
That's mostly because of the low price and the fact everything works really well. We also love the Ticwatch E for its built-in GPS, accurate heart rate sensor and great design.
All of the fitness features you'd expect are here; you can even use it without having to take your phone out while you exercise, but you won't be able to receive phone calls like on the Apple Watch 3. The design is premium, but it won't be for everyone so be sure to properly study the photos above and in our review to work out if it's built for you.
The true highlight here is the low price considering it's generally around half the price of a lot of the other devices you'll find on this list.
Read the full Ticwatch E review
The Fitbit Ionic was always going to be a tough move for the brand, trying to enter the world of smartwatches from fitness bands.
The effort succeeds in some places: namely fitness, as you might imagine, where you can track all manner of things, from running to weight lifting to swimming. There's also dedicated bodyweight coaching sessions in there, and you can pay for items on the go using Fitbit Pay.
When it first launched, the price was super high and it was a bit too expensive to wholeheartedly recommend. The good news is the price seems to have dropped in recent months so you can get it for at least $70/£70 cheaper than the RRP.
If you're a Fitbit fan looking to do more than you get on an average band, this is a nice option.
Read the full Fitbit Ionic review
What's next? Rumors about a new Ionic are few and far between, but we've put together a guide on what we want to be improved if it releases a Fitbit Ionic 2.
Misfit's first ever fully-fledged smartwatch comes in sixth position in our ranking, and a part of that is down to its low price - we've seen the price drop down even further since it launched too.
The Misfit Vapor has a super clear and bright 1.3-inch AMOLED display, a premium design - if it is a little thick - as well as Wear OS software as well.
It's not the perfect watch as the Misfit Activity app is quite limited and there's no Android Pay, but mostly this will suit you if you're looking for an attractive watch with basic fitness and notification features.
Read the full Misfit Vapor review
What's next? There are currently no rumors of a Misfit Vapor 2, so don't hold your breath if you're waiting for an updated version of the brand's smartwatch soon.
Ticwatch is back again for our seventh entry. This time it's the Ticwatch S, which is remarkably similar to the Ticwatch E we've mentioned above.
The differences are limited, but this watch is a tiny bit heavier and a little larger because it comes with a thicker bezel around the sides to show you the exact time.
There's also a different strap on this version that comes with the GPS sensor inside. The makers of the Ticwatch claim this is more accurate than when it's inside the watch casing, but we didn't see any major differences.
It does mean you can't swap out the band on the Ticwatch S, like you can on the Ticwatch E, and that's a big shame.
It's a touch more expensive than the Ticwatch E too, but if you prefer the design you may want to go for this as it's still much more affordable than a lot of our other favorite smartwatches on sale right now.
Read the full Ticwatch S review
The LG Watch Style (built in collaboration with Google) offers everything that's to love from the best Wear OS smartwatches, ditches the dreaded flat tire, then fills in the gap with cool, useful features and a whole lot of… style.
Roll that all up and you're left with an extremely alluring presentation that makes a mighty strong argument for Google's wearable platform. But there are some familiar wrinkles here including the sub par battery life.
That said, it’s easy to express why the Style is one of the smartwatches we want to put on our wrists.
For a recently-lowered price, it offers just as much utility as prior smartwatch attempts, but ups the ante with a slim, dashing design and several welcome features, like the voice-activated Google Assistant and a refreshed user interface that's full of clever tweaks.
Read the full LG Watch Style review
What's next? We've heard lots of rumors about an LG watch being showed off behind closed doors at MWC in February 2018, but we've yet to officially see what's codenamed as the LG Watch Timepiece.
The Huawei Watch was one of our favorite Android Wear watches back in 2016, and while the follow-up was originally quite expensive the pricing has now dropped to make it one of our top recommendations for your wrist.
Huawei has packed in lots to the Watch 2 including GPS, NFC and there's also a 4G model if you're looking to have a connection while you're on the move and without your phone.
The design isn't to everyone's taste but it's a well built watch with Wear OS software ready and waiting on board. All that wrapped up with some of the best features you'd want from a smartwatch, the Huawei Watch 2 may be right for you.
Read the full Huawei Watch 2 review
What's next? CEO Richard Yu confirmed to TechRadar that his company was working on the Huawei Watch 3, but we don't yet know when we'll see it launch.
£100 prepaid Mastercard and free activation are back on BT's best broadband deal
With the likes of Vodafone reducing its broadband deals to incredible lows, BT is responding this week with its own perks to try and get you to sign up to one of the provider's broadband packages.
Most notably, it's given a boost to its so-called Reward Card - a prepaid Mastercard that you can spend anywhere online or in store where they're accepted. It's back up to £100 when you take out BT's best value broadband plan, and up to £110 if you go for the supercharged Superfast Fibre 2.
What's more, BT is eliminating its activation fee on fibre broadband as well. So the only thing you now have to pay upfront is £9.99 to cover delivery of the router. It's these kinds of offers -together with BT's famous reputation - that keep making BT the most popular broadband provider in the UK.
There's more details about the current crop of BT broadband deals below, but it's worth noting that the company says this offer will come to an end on Monday, September 24. So you won't want to think about it for too long.
Check your internet speed with TechRadar's broadband speed test
The OnePlus 6T won't have a headphone jack, but battery life will be improved
It's confirmed: the OnePlus 6T won't have a headphone jack. We'll let that sink in for a moment.
That's right, the next OnePlus handset will be missing one of the most divisive features on modern smartphones, and TechRadar sat down exclusively with OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei to find out why now is the right time to sack the jack.
We should note that Pei didn't mention the OnePlus 6T by name, merely referring to the "next OnePlus handset", but thanks to the rumors swirling around this phone we expect it to be called the OnePlus 6T when it does arrive.
The whyOur first line of questioning was obvious. Why? Why ditch the jack? Why ditch it now? For Pei, it's about timing, and creating the best smartphone experience.
"When we started OnePlus, we set out to make the best possible smartphone, but making a great phone doesn't mean putting every component available into the device," he said.
"You've got to make decisions that optimize the user experience, and understand that at times things that provide user value can also add friction.
"We also had to think about the negative side [of removing the headphone jack] for our users. We found 59% of our community already owned wireless headphones earlier this year - and that was before we launched our Bullets Wireless headphones.
"If we were to do that [remove the jack] two years ago, the percentage [of wireless headphones owners] would have been much lower and it would have caused a lot of friction for our users."
"We're not doing it for the sake of doing it and because everyone else is"
Carl Pei, OnePlus co-founderPei expects that 59% figure to now be higher thanks to the introduction of the well-received Bullets Wireless headphones - they garnered an impressive 4.5 star TechRadar review - but even over the four months since their introduction users have become a little more accepting of a world without the jack.
It's not a decision OnePlus took lightly either, as Pei explained.
"It [removing the headphone jack] was a very controversial decision. We're not doing it for the sake of doing it and because everyone else is. We believe now is the right time, as it'll benefit the majority of our users while keeping the downside low.
"We knew this was an option for a very long time, we were just waiting for the right time."
The benefitsPei went on to explain that there are user benefits to the removal of the port, which should bring some comfort to OnePlus fans already pouring one out for the headphone jack.
"By removing the jack we've freed up more space, allowing us to put more new technology into the product," he said. "One of the big things is something our users have asked us for, improved battery life."
Pei wouldn't be drawn on what the "new technology" will be, but we already know the OnePlus 6T will feature an in-display fingerprint scanner, which will eat up some of the space left by the exiting jack.
Equally, we were unable to glean from Pei how battery life will be improved – although OnePlus 6T rumors suggest a bigger power pack will be squeezed inside the handset – but Pei did reveal the difference would be "substantial enough for users to realize."
OnePlus is aware that some will feel inconvenienced by the removal of the headphone jack, but Pei was keen to stress that it's addressing these fears in a couple of ways.
"We're adding an adapter to the box, allowing you to use your 3.5mm headphones normally," he explained. "We're also making a new version of our Bullets V2 wired headphones, which will have a USB-C connector."
It's still unknown whether OnePlus will include any headphones at all in the box with the OnePlus 6T – wired or wireless – but it's worth noting that the firm has never bundled headphones in the box, and we don't expect things to change.
The backlash?OnePlus' reasoning makes sense, but it's not guaranteed to stop the naysayers and jack-lovers who may feel a little betrayed by the firm.
There will be those who will miss its convenience, not to mention the ability to charge the handset while having headphones plugged in - something that's not possible with the single-port approach. But things could run a little deeper.
The headphone jack has been a prominent marketing tool for OnePlus ever since the OnePlus 3, a phone which launched three months before the iPhone 7 showed up without the port, but rumors were already rife that Apple was about to ditch it.
It made sense for OnePlus to pick up on the paranoia of smartphone users regarding the rumors, and highlight the fact its latest handset came with the all-important (at the time) port.
That marketing strategy didn't stop with the OnePlus 3 though, and the headphone jack has cropped up numerous times since 2016, as the tweet below, from November 2017, shows.
Here, playing on the fact that it's included the feature in the newly announced OnePlus 5T, OnePlus is actively asking its community what it’s using the headphone jack for.
Then, in the build-up to the OnePlus 6 launch earlier this year, Pei tweeted the results of the annual headphone jack poll he runs on Twitter, which found that support for the port – at least in Pei's echo chamber – was still strong.
We wouldn't be surprised if some of the OnePlus faithful expect the firm to continue providing the feature on its smartphones, and the news that the OnePlus 6T will drop the headphone jack may come as a bit of a bombshell (although it had been rumored for a while).
The futureWe asked Pei about the company's approach to publicizing the headphone jack on previous devices, and about users possibly feeling confused about its latest decision.
"Before it wasn't the right time, now we have data to back up that it is the right time," was his simple answer.
"We're adding more technology, improving battery life and reducing as much friction as possible"
Carl Pei, OnePlus co-founderOnePlus is also expected by its community to continually push the boundaries of design and technology, so there's hope that fans will be more forgiving when they see the bigger picture.
All in all Pei is confident the pluses outweigh the negatives, saying "we're adding more technology, improving battery life and reducing as much friction as possible by including an adapter and launching a new version of the Bullets V2."
Whether that's enough to satisfy its faithful fanbase, and attract more consumers, remains to be seen, but while the dropping of the headphone jack may be a big talking point at launch we think things will die down pretty quickly.
It's worth recalling the fuss made (by both the press and the public) over screen notch designs towards the end of 2017 and during the first half of 2018. Initially the feature received a mixed reaction, but several months on and consumers appear to have accepted the notch and moved on.
So maybe now is indeed the right time. Time we accept our loss and move on.
Everything we know so far about the OnePlus 6T
What is 5G? Everything you need to know
What is 5G?
5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.
Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.
The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world.
With development well underway, 5G networks are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are.
12/09 - NETWORKS - T-Mobile signs $3.5bn 5G network deal with Ericsson - T-Mobile secures second major 5G equipment deal...
11/09 - NETWORKS - EE could launch the UK's first 5G network in 2019 - EE reallocates 3G spectrum ahead of 2019 5G launch...
11/09 - NETWORKS - European mobile operators bring forward 5G plans - Global 5G connections to reach 340m by 2021 as European optimism increases forecasts...
11/09 - GAMING - Nvidia shows how GeForce Now 5G streaming could make high-end gaming hardware irrelevant - Hitting 60 fps in Full HD resolution with no need for a beefy gaming laptop...
10/09 - NETWORKS - CityFibre SDN rollout to speed up 5G deployments and enable 10Gbps - CityFibre agrees deal with Calix to smarten its network..
10/09 - NETWORKS - Ericsson radio updates and transport partnerships to accelerate 5G deployments - Ericsson says a series of developments will make it easier and quicker to deploy 5G...
08/09 - NETWORKS - How 5G will make our streaming dreams come true - Zero buffering, no waiting. Will 5G lead the way?
07/09 - FEATURE - Inside the 5G factory: How Nokia's research aids its own production - Nokia's Oulu facility has been involved in every generation of mobile technology...
05/09 - NETWORKS - San Marino will have Europe's first 5G network - Microstate will be a testbed for TIM...
05/09 - NETWORKS - China considers merging two major mobile operators in 5G push - Merger would create world's second largest mobile operator...
04/09 - PRODUCTS - UK''s 'first' large-scale 5G hub to test digital health apps in 2019 - West Midlands will become UK's first 5G hub...
31/08 - ANALYSIS - Golf's digital ambitions make it an unlikely 5G pioneer - Golf looks to new technologies - including 5G...
31/08 - NETWORKS - German operators will have no rural obligation for 5G - 5G spectrum auction will take place in 2019...
30/08 - DEVICES - Larger screens and 5G to drive smartphone growth through to 2022 - Smartphone market 'generally healthy' despite recent dip...
28/08 - NETWORKS - German regulator calls for fourth operator for 5G - Competition chief believes new entrant will kickstart German 5G...
28/08 - NETWORKS - Nokia secures €500m EU loan for 5G research - New funding will accelerate 5G technology R&D...
23/08 - NETWORKS - Major 5G trends become more apparent as first network launch nears - The past seven days have been a long time in the world of 5G...
23/08 - ANALYSIS - Huawei & ZTE banned from Australia 5G networks - Australian government says 5G architecture makes it too risky...
22/08 - PRODUCTS - Qualcomm to start shipping its 5G modems - However chipmaker says it doesn't expect 5G phones to launch this year...
22/08 - NETWORKS - Speed takes centre stage as operators ramp up 5G testing - Report suggests 82 per cent of mobile operators worldwide are testing 5G...
22/08 - DEVICES - Nokia expects to make €3 from every 5G smartphone - Finnish giant sets rate for its essential 5G patents...
20/08 - NETWORKS - Government to test 5G on UK railways - DCMS invites participants for pilot to see how 5G can improve transport sector...
20/08 - NETWORKS - Verizon and Nokia test 5G with a moving vehicle - Partners make progress in mobile broadband and connected car apps...
17/08 - NETWORKS - 5G network slicing could be worth £51bn to mobile operators - Researchers say efforts by operators and vendors could bear fruit...
16/08 - NETWORKS - Cisco posts healthy revenues ahead of 5G push - Cisco is happy with innovation roadmap as it prepares for next generation networks...
16/08 - NETWORKS - Telstra switches on 5G for the Gold Coast, but wider availability remains murky - Australian telcos Optus and Vodafone say there’s a long road ahead...
15/08 - NETWORKS - O2 tests light-based wireless transmission ahead of 5G tests - Li-Fi is pitched as a Wi-Fi alternative...
15/08 - DEVICES - LG to launch 'first 5G smartphone' in 2019 - LG and Sprint will release a 5G-ready device in the US next year...
13/08 - NETWORKS - Ericsson hopes US 5G investments will speed up deployments - Ericsson makes investments in 5G R&D...
08/08 - NETWORKS - Samsung invests billions in 5G and AI - Samsung's £17bn investment programme looks to guard against smartphone slowdown...
07/08 - NETWORKS - US set to lose out to China in 5G race - Deloitte report urges policymakers to promote investment...
02/08 - DEVICES - Moto Z3 is the world's first 5G-upgradable smartphone, say Motorola and Verizon - The first 5G-almost-ready smartphone...
02/08 - OPERATORS - Three focuses on 5G after revenue and customer rises - Three now boasts 10.1m customers across the UK...
31/07 - DEVICES - Lenovo says it'll be the first to launch a 5G smartphone - Could be here before the end of the year...
30/07 - NETWORKS - Nokia and T-Mobile ink $3.5bn 5G network deal - US operator presses ahead with 5G rollout plans...
27/07 - OPERATORS - Mobile helps BT Q1 results ahead of 5G trials - Consumer division continues to offset BT business decline...
26/07 - OPERATORS - O2 invites FTSE 500 to trial its 5G - O2 presses ahead with 5G tests as it adds more customers...
26/07 - OPERATORS - Nokia looks to 5G after sales slowdown - Nokia says drop is to be expected but is confident for second half of 2018...
26/07 - OPERATORS - Sky Mobile extends O2 MVNO agreement to cover 5G - Sky Mobile now has 500,000 customers across the UK...
23/07 - REGULATION - UK Government promises new regulations and investment for full fibre and 5G - Government report outlines plans to deliver fibre to entire UK by 2033...
23/07 - PRODUCTS - Qualcomm's mmWave antennas pave way for first 5G smartphones - The first 5G smartphones should arrive in 2019...
20/07 - NETWORKS - Barriers to 5G could stop UK being a global leader - BSG report identifies issues and resolutions...
18/07 - NETWORKS - South Korea plans 2019 5G launch - "Korea 5G Day" will see new networks introduced a year ahead of schedule...
10/07 - NETWORKS - China Mobile, Intel and Huawei complete 5G interoperability testing - Tests pave way for China Mobile 5G launch next year...
09/07 - NETWORKS - SSE Enterprise Telecoms unbundles BT exchanges to boost broadband and Three 5G - SSE Enterprise Telecoms doubles its reach...
03/07 - NETWORKS - Samsung, Cisco and Orange hold multi-vendor 5G FWA trial - FWA will deliver a fixed-like broadband experience when 5G launches...
29/06 - DEVICES - OnePlus 7 could support 5G and be sold by US carriers - But don't expect it for a while...
28/06 - NETWORKS - "World's first" 5G network launches - Finnish operator Elisa claims global first in launching a commercial 5G network...
27/06 - ANALYSIS - The World Cup and 5G: the trials you need to know about - 5G will change how you watch football forever...
25/06 - NETWORKS - UK 'needs shared spectrum' for 5G - Ofcom urged to rethink 5G spectrum auction to ensure fairer rollout...
20/06 - NETWORKS - Vodafone launches 5G trials in seven UK cities - Vodafone to hold trials later this year with plans for a 2020 5G launch...
19/06 - NETWORKS - Mobile signal woes 'strengthens' business case for 5G - Only half of mobile users in the UK are happy with their speeds, but willing to pay more for faster service...
15/06 - NETWORKS - First standalone 5G network standard approved - 3GPP finalizes 'Release 15' of 5G after three years of work, meaning networks are on the way this year...
14/06 - ANALYSIS - Three CEO: 5G capacity is a 'big opportunity' to lead UK market - Dave Dyson says Three's spectrum holdings mean it could be the UK's 5G leader...
13/06 - NETWORKS - Vodafone: 5G smartphone uncertainty means focus on core network and IoT - Vodafone UK CTO says 5G will be a gamechanger, but smartphone innovation in the 4G era won't be matched...
12/06 - NETWORKS - 5G networks still set to arrive this year - Ericsson report suggests Europe will fall behind US and Asia on 5G adoption...
11/06 - NETWORKS - 'First ever' UK 5G report paints rosy picture - UK's 5G ambitions rely heavily on startup and research community...
06/06 - ANALYSIS - EU telecoms rule changes will hinder rather than help 5G, claim industry - Telecoms groups label the new EU code a "missed opportunity"...
06/06 - NETWORKS - EE to switch on 'UK's first' 5G trial in London - Residents and businesses in Tech City will get chance to try out 5G...
05/06 - PRODUCTS - 5G PCs coming from Intel and Sprint next year - US telecoms giant Sprint has joined the race to bring 5G to the masses, announcing at Computex 2018 to start shipping Intel-powered 5G computers next year...
01/06 - ANALYSIS - 5G UK - How far away are we really? - 5G will deliver immediate benefits in 2019, but the true mobile revolution will take time...
25/05 - POLICY - Mobile industry 'shouldn't wait' for 5G to roll out small cells - Small cells will be essential for delivering the 5G vision but industry warns there is no time too wait...
25/05 - POLICY - Nordic Prime Ministers reach agreement to support 5G - Joint agreement is welcomed by Nokia, Ericsson and regional operators...
22/05 - NETWORKS - Qualcomm details 5G small cell platform - Qualcomm wants to help operators and network equipment manufacturers densify 5G networks...
18/05 - NETWORKS - Verizon to bring 5G to Los Angeles in 2018 - Verizon says America's second largest city will be its next 5G location...
16/05 - NETWORKS - Mobile IoT networks to be a 'core component' of 5G - GSMA says NB-IoT and LTE-M deployments are paving the way for massive IoT powered by 5G...
14/05 - NETWORKS - 5G and network convergence drives growth of carrier-grade Wi-Fi market - Fixed and mobile operators look to densify network infrastructure...
08/05 - PRODUCTS - Why self-driving vehicles could be the biggest winner in a 5G world - Telefónica tells us why autonomous vehicles are set to be a key 5G use case...
08/05 - NETWORKS - Verizon and Samsung get 5G regulatory boost - Verizon and Samsung make major headway towards 5G...
03/05 - NETWORKS - Deutsche Telekom holds live 5G NR trial in Berlin - German operator says test will see how 5G NR behaves in real world...
02/05 - ANALYSIS - Why T-Mobile and Sprint merger would give the US a 5G lead - A truly national 5G network could ensure the US retains its advantage...
01/05 - NETWORKS - Three futureproofs backend infrastructure for 5G - Three and SSE Enterprise Telecoms deal with start with data centre connectivity...
30/04 - NETWORKS - T-Mobile and Sprint merger promises 5G progress in the US - America's third and fourth largest mobile operators are to merge...
18/04 - NETWORKS - Huawei dampens 5G expectations - Huawei CEO says consumer might not notice the differences...
17/04 - NETWORKS - China has narrow lead over US in 5G race - Government support and industry momentum gives China slight advantage, report says...
16/04 - DEVICES - 5G anticipation set to slow smartphone sales - Manufacturers hope for 5G boost as worldwide smartphone demand slows...
13/04 - NETWORKS - What does the Ofcom 5G auction mean for the UK mobile industry? - The long-awaited auction is over, paving the way for 5G...so what next?
12/04 - NETWORKS - Vodafone hits major UK 5G milestone - Vodafone is first UK operator to test 3.4GHz spectrum in preparation for 5G...
09/04 - NETWORKS - Europe set be left behind in 5G race - US and Asia will lead the way in 5G development, claims report...
05/04 - NETWORKS - Mobile networks fork out £1.4bn for 5G spectrum - Ofcom publishes the results of its 5G spectrum auction, revealing that the UK's biggest mobile network operators spent almost £1.4 billion...
28/03 - NETWORKS - 'World's first' 5G public trial switched on in Australia - Australian telco Telstra flips the switch on the world's first public trial of 5G at the Gold Coast...
28/03 - NETWORKS - 5G RuralFirst looks at smart farming, spectrum sharing and broadcasting - Government funded project will use Cisco tech to help transform rural lives...
28/03 - POLICY - UK5G group makes bid for global 5G leadership - Government and industry backed UK5G looks to establish UK 5G community...
27/03 - NETWORKS - GSMA: 5G will be dominant mobile tech in USA by 2025 - Mobile industry body report shows US will be a 5G leader...
27/03 - NETWORKS - Telefonica tests tech that could boost 5G broadband - Telefonica spectral efficiency trials hope to pave the way for better fixed wireless access (FWA)...
23/03 - NETWORKS - 5G networks are now just a year away - Korea Telecom plans commercial 5G launch next March...
20/03 - NETWORKS - UK 5G spectrum auction gets underway - Five bidders will battle it out for more of the UK's airwaves...
19/03 - NETWORKS - UK university makes major 5G breakthrough - University of Kent-based iCIRRUS consortium says Ethernet equipment can help deliver 5G networks...
16/03 - NETWORKS - O2 kickstarts the UK's 5G charm offensive to consumers - 5G hypetrain moves from industry into the mainstream...
15/03 - NETWORKS - Digital minister pledges to eliminate barriers to 5G deployment - Margot James says she wants to work with mobile operators and local government on 5G...
14/03 - NETWORKS - O2: 5G will save local councils and households £6bn a year - Report details how smart technologies powered by 5G can improve society...
12/03 - NETWORKS - Ofcom 5G spectrum auction will start next week - Ofcom confirms that bidding for 5G frequencies will begin on 20 March...
12/03 - NETWORKS - Government reveals £25m prize fund for UK 5G - £25m competition will see 5G testbeds located across the UK...
11/03 - DEVICES - 5G a key factor to seamless VR experience, says Lenovo EMEA President - Lenovo wants to create memorable experiences for its customers, but is that enough?
09/03 - NETWORKS - Ofcom plans new rural coverage obligations for 700MHz spectrum - Ofcom says 700MHz is an important opportunity to improve rural coverage as it plans for 5G future...
05/03 - NETWORKS - EU Parliament and US Congress take steps to accelerate 5G legislation - EU chambers reach provisional agreement while US Congress to vote on spectrum auction...
05/03 - DEVICES - HTC CEO: 5G will turn any VR device into the most powerful in the world - Cher Wang says the smartphone still has a role to play in VR...
03/03 - NETWORKS - Qualcomm hopes 5G vision will stand out from the hype - Qualcomm's influence in the industry is significant, so its 5G roadmap is worth listening too...
02/03 - NETWORKS - BT CEO: EE convergence even more important ahead of 5G - Gavin Patterson says BT never really left mobile and is preparing for converged network era...
28/02 - NETWORKS - Intel and NTT DoCoMo prepare 5G plans for Tokyo 2020 Olympics - After success at PyeongChang 2018, Intel is stepping up plans for next Olympics...
27/02 - NETWORKS - Satellite-supported UK 5G testbed will trial mission critical apps - Juniper Networks and Satellite Applications Catapult say satellite cannot be ignored...
27/02 - MOBILE - Qualcomm looks to make it easier to make 5G phones - Launch will help OEMs build 5G connectivity into more devices...
27/02 - NETWORKS - Ofcom confirms six bidders for 5G spectrum - All four mobile operators have been approved, with small cell operator and Hull fixed wireless firm joining...
27/02 - NETWORKS - Ericsson tells operators: 5G is ready - Ericsson has agreements with 38 operators around the world as 5G moves from idea to reality...
27/02 - PRODUCTS - Get ready for a 5G Internet of the Sky - Drones like the Ehang 184 will usher in a 5G-powered autonomous airspace...
26/02 - NETWORKS - Telstra plans to ramp up 4G speeds in the lead up to its full 5G rollout - Major cities in Australia to get increased bandwidth...
26/02 - NETWORKS - Cisco targets mobile operators with '5G Now' - Cisco wants to help operators prepare for the next era of networks...
25/02 - MOBILE - Huawei reveals 5G-ready modem - Test beds for 5G networks will be launched this year, Huawei reveals...
23/02 - NETWORKS - Why PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics are a 5G milestone - Athletes are making history at the Winter Olympics, but it's an important event for 5G networks too...
22/02 - NETWORKS - O2 reveals UK 5G test bed - Operator will test 5G applications at iconic London venue later this year...
19/02 - NETWORKS - Vodafone and Huawei successfully test IP Microwave backhaul for 5G - Vodafone and Huawei achieve 2Gbps on IP microwave link, claiming it shows the tech is viable for 5G...
16/02 - NETWORKS - Why startups and research can make the UK a 5G leader - Does the UK really need to be first to the mark or be an industry powerhouse to be a 5G leader?
16/02 - OPINION - No time to waste now 5G legal challenges are over - For an industry keen to avoid a repeat of the 3G and 4G auctions, Three's failed appeal removes a barrier to 5G...
14/02 - MOBILE - Fiber-like internet and a glimpse of our 5G future are coming to smartphones in 2019 - Qualcomm's new mobile modem offering speeds of up to 2Gbps...
14/02 - NETWORKS - 5G spectrum auction to go ahead after Three's legal challenge fails - Three's bid to decrease an overall spectrum cap falls on deaf ears and prevents further delay...
12/02 - NETWORKS - China Mobile plans 5G launch in 2019 - China Mobile joins a select few number of operators planning to beat original 2020 target...
08/02 - MOBILE - The first 5G smartphones are coming in 2019 - But you won't see 5G service everywhere by next year...
07/02 - MOBILE - 5G set to push mobile data use sky-high - Giffgaff research estimates customers will use nearly 100GB of mobile data a month by 2025...
05/-2 - NETWORKS - Telstra joins Optus on 5G bandwagon, also aiming for 2019 rollout - Australian carrier Telstra will trial new tech during Commonwealth Games...
05/01 - NETWORKS - AT&T set to run 5G trials - Company to adopt new 3GPP guidelines as it continues push for next-generation networks...
04/01 - NETWORKS - Samsung teams up with Verizon on 5G - New service to be launched in Sacramento later this year...
02/02 - NETWORKS - Optus 5G network rollout set to begin in early 2019 - Australian telco Optus announces its plans for 5G rollout...
It’s still not exactly known how much faster 5G will be than 4G, as much of the technology is still under development.
That being said, the networks should provide a significant upgrade to current download and upload speeds - with the GSMA proposing minimum download speeds of around 1GBps.
Most estimates expect the average speed of 5G networks to reach 10Gb/s, and some even think transfer rates could reach a whopping 800Gb/s.
This would mean that users could download a full-length HD quality film in a matter of seconds, and that downloading and installing software upgrades would be completed much faster than today.
Existing smartphones, tablet or other devices that were released when 4G networks were the standard may not be able to connect to 5G to begin with, or may incur extra costs to do so.
However following the 2020 deadline for the initial rollout, we should soon see devices coming with 5G connection as default.
Don't worry though - although 5G should represent a major step up from current 4G and 3G networks, the new technology won’t immediately replace its predecessor - at least, not to begin with.
Instead, 5G should link in with existing networks to ensure users never lose connection, with the older networks acting as back-up in areas not covered by the new 5G coverage.
So-called “4.5G” networks (also known as LTE-A) are set to fill the gap for the time being, offering connections that are faster than current 4G networks, although only certain countries such as South Korea can benefit from them right now.
Once launched however, implementing 5G may be a slower process. Much like the gradual takeover of 4G networks from the previous generation, existing network infrastructure may need to be upgraded or even replaced in order to deal with the new technology, and homes and businesses may also need to get new services installed.
It’s not yet known how 5G networks will take over from existing networks, but again, much like the rollout of 4G, you may not be able to immediately connect to the new networks without upgrading your technology.
The GSMA has outlined eight criteria for 5G networks, with a connection needing meet a majority of these in order to qualify as 5G:
1-10Gbps connections to end points in the field (i.e. not theoretical maximum)1 millisecond end-to-end round trip delay (latency) 1000x bandwidth per unit area10-100x number of connected devices (Perception of) 99.999 per cent availability (Perception of) 100 per cent coverage90 per cent reduction in network energy usage Up to 10 year battery life for low power, machine-type devices Check out the best mobile deals for April 2018
Apple tvOS 12 lands September 17 to make entering passwords a joy
There may have been little love for the Apple TV at the iPhone XS reveal, but it wasn't left completely off the agenda. Its latest software update, the tvOS 12 revision, recieved a release date, and is set to land on September 17.
First revealed back at WWDC 2018 earlier in the year, its headline features bring Dolby Atmos overhead surround sound to the platform, in addition to the Dolby Vision HDR standard.
It'll also add a new zero sign-on feature, which means that, so long as your TV provider supports the service, simply connecting your Apple TV to your home Wi-Fi network will see all required passwords entered automatically on your behalf.
A trickle of improvementsSo far it's a US-only feature, with only the Charter Spectrum provider supporting the zero sign-on tool. But Apple promises further support is on the way.
Other features of tvOS 12 include a password auto-fill feature, a batch of new screensavers and the inclusion of the software Apple TV remote inside control center for iOS 12 as standard.
Some solid quality of life improvements then, but we're still waiting for the day that Apple really knocks it out of the park with Apple TV, and proves its serious about its ongoing TV hardware and original content strategy.
Apple TV 4K review: does Apple deserve a place in your living room?
Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro seemingly certified in China
Huawei has already confirmed that it will be announcing its Mate 20 range on October 16, but if you needed more evidence that we'll get both a Huawei Mate 20 and a Huawei Mate 20 Pro – and that both are coming soon – they've seemingly been certified in China.
Two Huawei devices have been spotted on TENAA (China’s telecommunication authority) by MySmartPrice, bearing the model numbers HMA-AL00 and HMA-TL00.
No other useful details are provided, but this close to the confirmed launch of the Huawei Mate 20 that’s probably what one of them is, with the other likely being the Huawei Mate 20 Pro.
Not a matchThat said, the model numbers don’t match those spotted a few weeks ago on an EEC (Eurasian Economic Commission) listing, which was also attached to the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro. There the phones were listed as the LYA-L29 and HMA-L29.
So it’s not clear if these are actually four different handsets that we’re looking at or just perhaps regional variants of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro.
We should know soon, and the announcement could be worth waiting for, as rumors suggest the Huawei Mate 20 Pro will have an in-screen fingerprint scanner, a QHD+ AMOLED screen, minimal bezel, a powerful Kirin 980 chipset and a big battery.
This could be an early look at the Mate 20 Pro
Key camera features of the iPhone XS explained
Smartphones may now be capable of capturing magazine covers, exhibition-worthy enlargements and more, but that hasn't stopped companies like Apple from continuing to push the technology for the benefit of the everyday user.
Heralding "a new era for photography", Apple's latest iPhone XS and XS Max handsets build on many photographic features we first saw in last year's iPhone X.
While the separation between the two generations isn't quite as pronounced as it has been before, the changes do appear to make the newer model more adept at handling a range of situations, from backlit portraits and high-contrast landscapes through to underwater captures.
Here, we take a look at the big changes on the new devices for the photographer.
1. New dual-camera system with better flash
While the iPhone XS and XS Max appear to use the same camera hardware as the iPhone X, Apple had made a number of changes to the setup to make it more capable.
Once again, we get a 12MP camera with a six-element, wide-angle f/1.8 lens and another with an f/2.4 telephoto optic in front of it, but the former is built around a new, larger sensor, and with it, larger and deeper pixels.
Whereas the pixels on the iPhone X's equivalent camera sensor measured 1.22µm, Apple has been able to broaden these to 1.4µm here. This should help to capture more light for a better signal-to-noise ratio, which in turn should mean that images captured in sub-optimum conditions end up with less noise than they otherwise would.
The True Tone flash that joins these cameras on the rear has also been revised for better performance, and optical stabilisation is once again on hand on both cameras.
2. New front camera sensor
The front TrueDepth camera has also been revised, with a fresh 7MP sensor that's twice as fast as before, and an f/2.2 lens in front of it. Once again, this is joined by a dot projector and an IR-sensitive camera, the former emitting IR light towards the user's face and the latter recognising where this hits to get a better idea of the user's face – and this what lies beneath some of that technology discussed below.
3. New neural engine and ISP
The new A12 Bionic chip inside the iPhone XS and XS Max partners with the image signal processor (ISP) to work all kinds of magic on images, with the ability to power through a trillion operations per photo. Among other things, it helps to detect faces for better segmentation masks – more on that in a second – and can even banish red-eye reduction automatically.
4. Smart HDR
While previous iPhones were capable of capturing HDR images, the iPhone XS debuts a fresh Smart HDR option.
A feature that's made possible through the combination of the new A12 chip and ISP, this process captures a four-frame buffer when a moving subject is detected, with zero shutter lag to make sure you get the critical moment. This is complemented with subsequent captures for highlight details and a long exposure for shadow detail, before everything is fused together for a single composite file with detail retained in all areas.
HDR images can often suffer from slight blur, a result of the subject (or photographer) moving between the capture of each individual image, but Apple appears confident that the feature will be able to capture even fast-moving subjects – very impressive if this turns out to be the case.
5. Depth Control feature
The ability to shift the point of best sharpness in an image may be something we're now used to, but the new A12 chip now allows you to adjust depth of field for the image as a whole, post capture.
You can adjust the aperture from f/1.4 to f/16 to bring backgrounds back in focus or to render them as a blur, depending on what you captured in the first place.
This isn't the first time we've seen this feature on a phone, but this will no doubt be welcomed by photographers shooting anything more creative than casual snaps – or those who, for whatever reason, didn't quite manage to nail the result the first time round.
6. Advanced Portrait mode with better bokeh
The Portrait Lighting feature was one of the more significant image-related additions in the previous iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, and this has been bolstered on the new XS and XS Max models.
Thanks to improved depth sensing, the iPhone XS uses machine learning to identify faces and develop a precise depth map so that the subject is separated from the background better than before. This better separation also means that the quality of out-of-focus areas (known as bokeh) can also be improved, and it also allows you to adjust Portrait Lighting with greater precision.
Capturing selfies? You can still access Depth Control when using the Portrait mode with the front camera, so you can tweak those Tinder shots to perfection.
7. Displays with wider dynamic range
A great image won't necessarily look that way if your smartphone's screen isn't showing things faithfully, but the Super Retina OLED HDR screens on both the iPhone XS and larger XS Max models now boast a 60% improvement in dynamic range over the previous iPhone X – great for looking at those Smart HDR captures.
Otherwise, the iPhone XS's screen has the same basic specs as the iPhone X, with 2.7million pixels in total (2436 x 1125) spread across a 5.8-inch area to give a 458ppi density. The extra 0.6million pixels on the XS Max are swallowed up by the larger 6.5-inch display, so the pixel density is the same.
8. IP68 protectionFancy a swim with your phone? The IP67 protection of the previous iPhone already meant that it could be safely submerged 1.5m underwater for up to 30 minutes, but the IP68 rating of the new models – the '8' relating to water resistance – increases this to a depth of 2 metres for the same length of time.
This now matches rival handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9. Not that anyone's expecting you to hold your breath for that long underwater, of course, but it's good to know if you accidentally drop your phone around water and you don't manage to retrieve it immediately.
9. Up to 512GB storage
Apple made its previous iPhone X available in only two capacities, namely 64GB and 256GB options, but the new flagship will arrive with a new 512GB option on top of this, whether you grab it in the Space Grey, Silver or new Gold finish.
What does that mean for the photographer? The ability to store staggering 200,000 images. Just make sure you have a copy in iCloud or somewhere else, as that's a painful amount of images to lose in one go.
10. Longer battery lifeWith the iPhone XS offering up to 30 extra minutes of battery life over the iPhone X, and the XS Max boasting a maximum one-and-a-half hours of extra juice over the same model, the new phones appear less likely to let you down when you're out in the middle of nowhere playing at being Ansel Adams.
5 things you may have missed during the iPhone XS and iPhone XR launch
Huawei Mate 20 release date, price, news and leaks
Update: LG has confirmed that the V40 ThinQ will be announced on October 4, as well as hinting that the handset will have a triple-lens camera. Plus, new renders give us another look at the likely design of the phone.
We now know that the LG V40 ThinQ will launch in early October, and it's likely to bring flagship specs and a slightly more innovative approach than the 'safer' LG G7 ThinQ from May.
The V series now feels like LG's core flagship offering, and with the G series falling flat the past couple of years our focus is now shifting to the South Korean firm's second half of the year launch.
What LG needs to do first though, is sort out what its long-term plan is for the V and G lines. After introducing us to the LG V30 at the end of August 2017, it rebooted the handset with slightly improved specs as the LG V35 ThinQ in May 2018.
Its arrival was very close to the flagship G7 ThinQ, and blurred the lines between the two ranges, making it difficult to distinguish which handset is the pinnacle of the range.
So what do we want to see from the LG V40 ThinQ? Some clarification would be a good start.
Cut to the chase What is it? Huawei's next flagship phablet lineWhen is it out? Announced October 16 2018, probably out soon afterWhat will it cost? Probably over £799 (about $1,110, AU$1,450) Huawei Mate 20 release dateThe Huawei Mate 20 launch date is October 16, after the Chinese firm confirmed it is hosting an event in London on that date to announce its new Mate 20 series. Things don't come clearer than that, folks.
We don't know the exact timing yet for the event just yet, but we expect to hear about the Mate 20 and the Huawei Mate 20 Pro at the launch.
Huawei typically starts selling new entries in the Mate range in November, most recently with the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro in November 2017, though those two were announced in October.
That may mean the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro release date is sometime later in October, rather than November.
If you're in the US we wouldn't count on being able to buy it, as Huawei's recent handsets haven't hit the States.
And if there was any doubt that we'd get a Mate 20 Pro alongside the Huawei Mate 20, the fact that two Huawei handsets have been certified in China should help put your mind at ease. Phones are typically certified shortly before launch, so we'd expect to see at least two handsets on October 16.
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is sure to be an expensive phone
There aren't any Huawei Mate 20 price rumors just yet, but the Mate 10 Pro launched at £699 / AU$1,099 / $799, so we'd expect the Mate 20 Pro will cost at least that much.
In fact it will probably be more, given that the Huawei P20 Pro costs £799 (about $1,110, AU$1,450) and the Mate 20 Pro is likely to be more powerful than that phone.
Huawei Mate 20 or Mate 11?Considering Huawei's last phablet was called the Mate 10, you'd be forgiven for expecting the Huawei Mate 11 to come next. The company is switching it up and calling this next device the Mate 20.
We know that thanks to the Mate 20 Lite already being announced, plus the company has referred to it as the Mate 20 throughout a lot of its teasers like the one you can see below. It also sounds like next year the name might jump to Mate 30 rather than Mate 21.
Huawei Mate 20 display and designOne early rumor pointed to the standard Mate 20 featuring an in-display fingerprint scanner, and if the Mate 20 has one the Mate 20 Pro should do too.
Leaked firmware details from FunkyHuawei and published by XDA Developers shows there is likely to be an in-display fingerprint scanner in the Pro version of the phone too.
Industry sources claim the phone will use a Qualcomm ultrasonic scanner, which can work when greasy or wet. It's a believable claim too, given that the super-premium Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design had an in-screen scanner.
The claim of an in-screen scanner has emerged again recently, accompanied by images of the front panel, showing off a curvy design and a large notch which apparently houses a 3D-sensing camera for facial recognition.
This could be the front of the Mate 20 or Mate 20 Pro. Credit: digi.tech.qq / Weibo
We've since seen another set of images reportedly showing the front of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and they match up with the ones above, as well as giving us a look at the settings screen, which suggests the phone will have 128GB of storage.
Of course, there may be other sizes available as well. The images (which you can see below), also show that the phone has NFC - though we'd be surprised if it didn't.
This could be another look at the Mate 20 Pro. Credit: Weibo
We've also heard that the Huawei Mate 20 Pro might have a 6.9-inch OLED screen, as the company is apparently in the process of sampling screens of that size from Samsung Display, for use in a smartphone. That could make the Mate 20 Pro the biggest mainstream phone yet.
A big firmware leak published by XDA Developers claims the standard Huawei Mate 20 will come with a smaller 6.3-inch AMOLED screen.
We've seen the 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch screen rumors surface for a second time after code relating to the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro was found on Huawei's website, which also revealed the Huawei Mate 20 would have a Full HD+ resolution and the Mate 20 Pro would come with a QHD+ resolution.
One leak shows a similar design to the Mate 20 Lite for the Mate 20 as well. Leaked renders shared on XDA Developers shows how the phone has a notch that's being refered to as a 'teardrop' down to its size.
The photos below also show some hint at the design such as the existence of a headphone jack at the top edge of the phone.
We've also seen some more leaked images claiming to show what appear to be the front panels of both the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro.
The panel for the Mate 20 seems to sport a teardrop-shaped display cutout, as shown above, while the Mate 20 Pro panel features Samsung Galaxy Note 9-style curved edges and a more distinct iPhone X-inspired notch that will reportedly house a 3D facial scanner, matching the leaked images above.
We're expecting both of these phones to have a glass back - which should allow for wireless charging - but apart from that we don't know much about the size, materials or colors Huawei will choose.
Huawei Mate 20 specs and performance
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
The Huawei Mate 20 (and presumably the Mate 20 Pro as well) will pack the new Kirin 980 chipset. Huawei has confirmed this in a press release, announcing the 980 will be the world's first 7nm silicon and boast an octa-core setup.
Huawei claims that the Kirin 980 chip will deliver 20% better performance and 40% better battery efficiency over its predecessor that's found in the P20, P20 Pro, Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro.
The Mate 20 is also expected to feature 6GB of RAM alongside 128GB of storage, but we don't know if there will be other variants of the device or if there will be microSD support.
We'd expect this newer chipset to feature in both the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20.
It's expected all three of these devices will launch with Android Pie software on board as, for one thing, the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro have both been certified by the Eurasian Economic Commission and the listing mentions Android 9 Pie.
But even without that evidence we'd expect them to run it as it's out now and a flagship is unlikely to use old software. That said, the phones will probably have Emotion UI 9.0 on top - an overlay which is designed specifically by Huawei for its devices.
Huawei Mate 20 battery
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
According to the firmware files found by FunkyHuawei, the Mate 20 will come with a 4,200mAh battery inside. We'd expect a slightly bigger one inside the Mate 20 Pro, but we don't have any evidence for that.
If this is true, that'd make it bigger than the batteries inside the Mate 10 and P20 Pro, so hopefully that'll translate as longer battery life.
The teaser sent to TechRadar
A teaser sent directly to TechRadar suggested it'd be a bigger battery than the previous generations of handsets.
There's no clear sign of how big the battery will be, but as you can see in the diagram above the company is making it clear it'll be larger than 4000mAh.
For charging, it's rumored the Mate 20 will have wireless charging onboard too and by that logic we'd hope to see the feature on the Mate 20 Pro as well.
What we want to seeAs we wait for more news about the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro to come in, we've come up with the wish list below for what we want from the firm's next phablets.
1. An in-screen fingerprint scanner
Having an in-screen fingerprint scanner would give the Mate 20 Pro a standout feature
The Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design has a fingerprint scanner built into the screen, but the phone is beyond expensive, so we're hopeful that Huawei will bring the tech to a more mainstream phone before long.
Sticking it in the Mate 20 Pro would help the phablet stand out from other late 2018 flagships like the iPhone XI and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (which is rumored to have an in-screen scanner of its own).
2. A QHD displayThe Huawei Mate 10 Pro has just a 1080p screen, which was especially odd as the standard Mate 10 has a QHD one.
Huawei seems in no hurry to make QHD its flagship standard, but as such many of its phones feel a bit lacking compared to Android rivals, at least when it comes to resolution, so we really hope the Mate 20 Pro will up the resolution to QHD.
It could make a significant difference on the 6-inch+ screen that we’re likely to get.
3. A headphone jack
We'd like to be able to plug headphones into the Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Huawei has ditched headphone jacks on its flagship phones, but we'd like to see them make a return so we can use wired headphones without an adaptor.
We're not optimistic that this will happen since Huawei might see it as a backwards step, but we live in hope.
4. Wireless chargingWhile the Mate 10 Pro has a big battery and fast charging, one thing it can't do is charge wirelessly, which many modern flagships – and even some mid-rangers – can, so we'd like Huawei to add the feature to the Mate 20 Pro.
There's hope that the company might, as the Mate RS Porsche Design has recently launched with wireless charging, so it's possible that the tech will trickle down to other Huawei phones soon.
5. A new chipsetThe P20 and P20 Pro are powerful phones overall, but they launched with last year's chipset, specifically the Kirin 970 which first appeared in the Huawei Mate 10 range. If Huawei uses that chip again in the Mate 20 Pro we'll be really unimpressed.
But this is one wish that we think will come true, as Huawei often sticks new chipsets in the Mate series, so we're expecting to see the Kirin 980 (or whatever Huawei ends up calling it) in the Mate 20 Pro.
6. A gradient finish
Huawei's new gradient finish is too good not to use on more phones
One of the more eye-catching features of the P20 and P20 Pro is the 'gradient finish' that you get with certain shades of the phones.
This essentially melds several different colors, with different ones visible depending on the lighting and what angle you look at the phone.
It's a good look and one we'd like to see offered on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro.
7. A bezel-free designThe Mate 10 and P20 ranges are already fairly light on bezel, but we want to see even less from the Mate 20 Pro.
One slight issue with that is the fingerprint scanner, as we're not huge fans of rear-facing ones and putting a scanner on the front tends to mean a large bottom bezel, but if Huawei does build the scanner into the screen as we've wished for above then there's no need for that.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is coming August 9
The best Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals in September 2018: where to buy the 4K Xbox
4K-hungry gamers looking for the most powerful console ever made have have been keen to pick up Xbox One X bundles since release. Prices have been quite high if you're not sure where to look though. That's where we come in as our dedicated team of Deal Hunters cut through the chaff to bring you only the very best Xbox One X deals.
In this article you'll find a comparison chart with the lowest prices on where to buy the 4K HDR Xbox One X console from a wide range of the best retailers. After the comparison chart we've put together a collection of the latest bundles in the States and UK. These Xbox One X bundles will save you money over buying the items separately. There's not always a massive choice (especially in the US), but we're all set to pounce on any new Xbox One X deals when they come online, so feel free to bookmark us if nothing takes your fancy today.
If you're after information on the latest Australian deals, head over to our Australian page.
The best Xbox One X prices Xbox One X bundles (USA)US Xbox One X bundles are not particularly fantastic right now. Sure there are some 'bundles' out there, but we're going to avoid showing you ones where they cost more than buying the games separately on their own.
Xbox Box One X bundles (UK) What is the Xbox One X price?You might want to sit down for this one. The Xbox One X costs $499 in the US. UK gamers can expect to get their currency converters in a twist again, as you're paying £449 instead of the direct conversion of around £390. Naturally, these prices don't include any games, unless a retailer is feeling generous.
Why should I buy an Xbox One X?Just to be clear, this is not what you'd call a 'next-gen' console. Instead it's a powerful upgrade over the current Xbox One lineup. To simplify things, it's akin to Sony's PS4 Pro. Both consoles are aimed at gamers with a 4K HDR TV who want the best graphical performance possible on their favored console. There will be modest performance boosts on non-4K TVs too, but you're kind of missing the point without a 4K HDR TV.
As things stand the Xbox One X will play all Xbox One games and we're not expecting to see any games released exclusively for the Xbox One X (or so we've been told), so there's certainly no reason to throw away your Xbox One S yet.
The Xbox One X is the most powerful console ever made though, even outshining some of the specs of the PS4 Pro. But given the huge asking price, you'd hope as much. The Xbox One X is making bold claims about true native 4K gaming though with its upcoming titles and if you have a 4K TV with High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, the Xbox One X is ready to seriously impress with the likes of Forza Motorsport 7, Metro: Exodus and Anthem set to be true jaw-droppers in the graphics department.
Where can I buy an Xbox One X?Most of the usual big name retailers are stocking the Xbox One X. Prices this close to launch are all very similar for now, but as we move forwards, we'll start to see stores chipping away at the price to try to get an edge over the competition.
Keep an eye on the highlighted Xbox One X bundles above and our comparison chart, which we'll keep up to date on the latest prices for the Xbox One X on its own. So feel free to bookmark us and check in again soon to see if we've found the deal that's right for you. Fingers crossed the bundles get better soon, especially in the US where we're not seeing massive software discounts so far.
What is the Xbox One X release date?It's here now! The Xbox One X came out on November 7 2017. That was a worldwide release date too. It's a solid time of year to cash in on the Christmas shopping season.
Will there be Xbox One X deals are Christmas?We wouldn't expect many (if any) discounts on the hardware to be honest. At best you might get a game or two thrown in for free or cheaper than buying them separately.
If the Xbox One X is in short supply though, don't expect retailers to want to discount anything. It's more likely they'll add multiple games to a bundle and sell it at full RRP. Don't believe us? Have you tried to find a decent Nintendo Switch deal lately? If you're after a massive bargain, we expect Sony to be tearing the price of the PS4 Pro deals to shreds to tempt gamers over to the blue team of 4K gaming.
What if I don't care about 4K or want to save money?The standard Xbox One S is a fantastic games console and you'll easily be able to get one with a few games for around $250/£250 or less. There are cheap deals all year round on our Xbox One deals and PS4 deals pages.
Only kidding. I want 4K HDR in my face right now.4K TVs with HDR are nowhere near as expensive as you'd think. The prices have come down much faster than the original HD TVs, so you can get a decent model for a low price. Hell we've seen some nice ones for less than the price of the Xbox One X itself (what a ridiculous world we live in). For the best of the best, take a look at our best TV article. UK gamers, we've also rounded up the best cheap 4K TV deals too.
How big is the hard drive in the Xbox One X?For now, the only option available is the 1TB option, that's 1000GB of storage. There are no official plans for larger versions, but we wouldn't be surprised to see these come along in 2018.
With some 4K-friendly update patches to games coming in at over 100GB, we certainly wouldn't hold out for a cheaper 500GB Xbox One X, as it'd be a bit pointless to be honest.
We think gamers are going to fill up the 1TB Xbox One pretty soon. Thankfully the Xbox One X is compatible with external hard drives using USB 3.0. So if you need some extra storage, check out our list of the best external hard drives.
LG V40 ThinQ: what we want to see
Update: LG has confirmed that the V40 ThinQ will be announced on October 4, as well as hinting that the handset will have a triple-lens camera. Plus, new renders give us another look at the likely design of the phone.
We now know that the LG V40 ThinQ will launch in early October, and it's likely to bring flagship specs and a slightly more innovative approach than the 'safer' LG G7 ThinQ from May.
The V series now feels like LG's core flagship offering, and with the G series falling flat the past couple of years our focus is now shifting to the South Korean firm's second half of the year launch.
What LG needs to do first though, is sort out what its long-term plan is for the V and G lines. After introducing us to the LG V30 at the end of August 2017, it rebooted the handset with slightly improved specs as the LG V35 ThinQ in May 2018.
Its arrival was very close to the flagship G7 ThinQ, and blurred the lines between the two ranges, making it difficult to distinguish which handset is the pinnacle of the range.
So what do we want to see from the LG V40 ThinQ? Some clarification would be a good start.
Cut to the chase What is it? LG's next flagship V series smartphoneWhen is it out? October 4What will it cost? It will carry a premium price tag LG V40 ThinQ release date and price Confirmed: the LG V40 ThinQ is being announced on October 4LG has now confirmed that the LG V40 ThinQ will be announced on October 4 in South Korea.
The date was revealed in a teaser video (below), in which the company also hints that the handset will have a triple-lens rear camera on the back, as has been heavily rumored.
As for the price, there's no news on that yet, but as a flagship phone we'd expect it to be towards the top-end of smartphone pricing.
LG V40 news and leaksWe've now had a good look at the likely design of the LG V40 ThinQ thanks to some leaked renders, showing it from all sides.
Pictured below, you can see from them that the V40 ThinQ has five cameras, with three on the back and two on the front. You'll also note the notch, which can be hidden with black bars, the edge-to-edge screen and the rear-facing fingerprint scanner.
Other notable details include a 3.5mm headphone port and an extra button, which we'd guess might launch Google Assistant. The branding on the images also refers to the phone as the LG V40 ThinQ, so that's probably what it will be called.
Since then we've seen other clear renders which match the design above, complete with five cameras.
You can see these additional renders below. At this point we're fairly confident that this will be the design of the LG V40 ThinQ.
This isn't the first time we've heard that the LG V40 ThinQ might have five cameras. In fact, an earlier rumor sheds some light on their specs, with claims that the rear lenses will include a 20MP primary one, a 16MP wide-angle and a 13MP telephoto. The front cameras meanwhile will apparently allow for 3D facial recognition.
The same source claims the screen will cover around 90% of the front of the phone, which seems believable based on the image above.
Another LG V40 ThinQ rumor that's doing the rounds also claims the handset will boast five cameras. So that's now looking very likely.
The same report also says that the LG V40 ThinQ will feature a screen notch that you'll be able to 'hide', a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner (both of which we've now seen in the images above) and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 chipset - the latter being no surprise as it will still be the leading chip come September/October.
Elsewhere, Twitter leaker @evleaks posted the message "LG V40 is codenamed Storm."
That's not exactly a huge amount to go on, but @evleaks has an excellent track record when it comes to these sort of things so it adds significant fuel to the LG V40 fire.
LG V40 ThinQ: what we want to seeAs we wait for more information on the LG V40 ThinQ to roll in, we've had a think about what we'd like to see from the flagship handset when it finally launches.
1. A marked step forwardOkay, so this is quite a loose one to kick us off, but we'd love to see LG break the mold once again. It's put buttons on the back of phones, made flexible phones and even leather-covered phones in the past, but recently things have become rather samey.
The LG V40 ThinQ is an opportunity for the South Korean firm to express its zany side again, with something to make it stand out and for people to sit up and take notice. It'll need to be careful though and try and avoid gimmicks. We've probably had enough AR Emoji action for the time being.
Next up we've got a classic triple-threat, an old-school 3-in-1 'want' for the LG V40 ThinQ.
LG jumped on the screen-notch bandwagon with the G7 ThinQ, but we'd love to see it take the leap to the all-screen, no notch aesthetic that we've seen on the Vivo Nex and Oppo Find X.
That would mean pushing the bezels as far back as possible to maximize screen real estate - we're thinking a 93% screen-to-body ratio minimum - while also finding an innovative way of integrating the sensors, front-facing camera and earpiece into the design.
The pop-up cameras on the Vivo and Oppo handsets are certainly fun, but we'd love to see LG come up with a new workaround here.
3. The latest Android softwareThe next version of Google's mobile operating system is already in its public beta phase, and we want to see the LG V40 ThinQ be one of the first - if not the first - to launch with the final version of Android P.
How to download the Android P beta right now
One of our core negatives against the LG V30 was its performance when it came to low-light photography, with the handset failing to hit the same heights as rivals.
This time around we want to see LG work on its low-light shooting and equip the V40 with a top-notch camera that will laugh in the face of darkness.
It may be time for LG to switch up how it utilizes the dual-camera setup on the rear of its phones, swapping the secondary wide-angle lens with one tasked with sucking in additional light for your photos.
5. Faster wireless chargingThe LG V30 was one of the few phones to arrive with wireless charging capabilities in 2017, so a big tick for it in that respect, but we did find the top-up speeds to be a little sluggish.
For the LG V40 ThinQ we want to see a step up in the wireless charging, with faster top-ups making the tech all the more convenient. Oh, and if LG could include a wireless charging pad in the box as well, that would be ideal.
6. Global availabilityWhile the LG V30 was available pretty much worldwide, the updated V35 ThinQ was restricted to just a few countries.
We're therefore calling on LG to make sure you'll be able to buy the LG V40 ThinQ in all major markets around the world. If you make a great phone, make sure people can buy it, LG!
7. A fresh new lookTake a look at the LG V20, V30 and V35 and all three handsets are very similar, with a safe, slightly bland design.
In 2018 we've seen the Huawei P20 Pro and Honor 10 show off snazzy rears that pop with color, so some eye-catching colors coupled with a redesigned body is high on our list of wants for the LG V40 ThinQ.
Looking ahead: what we want from the OnePlus 7 and Honor 11
The best Linux training providers and online courses 2018
Linux is no longer an obscure operating system only installed on email servers and tech boffin’s laptops – rather it has become a flexible and powerful alternative to paid-for operating systems like Windows and macOS.
Even IT professionals who routinely use Microsoft and Apple products in the workplace can benefit from a basic knowledge of Linux commands, given its prevalence on servers and the fact it's available to download free of charge.
In this article, we’re going to list 10 of the best courses offered by various training providers, all of which are designed to familiarise you with Linux. Some of these are self-guided and can be completed in a few days whereas others can only be undertaken in a classroom, or over a period of weeks.
Wherever possible, we have tried to find courses which are suitable for newcomers to Linux and offer the best possible value-for-money. So forge on and take a look at the various options here – you’ll almost certainly find something suitable which meets your needs in terms of an introduction to Linux.
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Udemy is an online learning platform for those willing to develop their professional skills. And what better way to do this than with Jason Cannon's Linux for Beginners course.
As the course is offered on the Udemy platform, you benefit from a detailed course overview and can find out a little bit more about your instructor.
The only course requirements are basic IT literacy and a willingness to learn. Linux for Beginners also covers setting up Linux in a virtual machine, so you can experiment without interfering with your current system setup.
The course is delivered via a series of self-paced online videos which take around six hours to complete. Linux for Beginners covers all the basics and another major boon is that it’s a highly inexpensive option.
The course is usually £95 - but only £10.99 when you click through from this article!
You can sign up for Linux for Beginners here
The Linux Academy is an online platform offering access to dozens of Linux-related courses. Registration requires a valid credit card and will give you a free 7-day trial to take any Linux Academy course including Linux Essentials. After this your card is billed $449 (£347) per year.
That’s very expensive if you only want to take this course, although as Linux Essentials can be completed in around six hours, you could undertake it during the 7-day trial period, then cancel your subscription.
The course is authored and delivered by systems engineer Kenny Armstrong who narrates the 66 videos over five main topic areas. The stated aim is to give you a basic knowledge of Linux-compatible hardware, the concepts behind open source, as well as looking at how to navigate the Linux desktop and command line.
You can even connect to the Linux Academy's servers to do practice exercises, although this may be tricky for someone with no experience of networking.
You can sign up for Linux Essentials here
The Lynda.com platform, which is owned by business networking website LinkedIn, hosts dozens of Linux-related courses including this one, which has the full title of Linux Foundation Certified System: Essential Commands (Ubuntu).
The course focuses on mastery of the basic commands involving administration of the Ubuntu OS, one of the most popular flavours of Linux. Essential Commands (Ubuntu) is authored by Scott Simpson, who has also designed a number of Linux-related courses.
To access this course, you must first subscribe to Lynda. There's a basic and premium price plan – premium subscribers can store course materials offline, as well as download practice materials. Whichever option you choose, there's a 30-day free trial.
The course focuses specifically on Ubuntu, which is wise as it's one of the most popular distributions for beginners, and this focus allows for a greater level of detail than the more generic courses we've looked at. This said, some of the instructions are a little vague in places, such as the part dedicated to setting up Ubuntu in a virtual machine.
You can sign up for Linux Essential Commands (Ubuntu) here
The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) provides accredited certification for IT professionals who want to master Linux. The LPIC-1 course is the first step to proving you can administer Linux systems.
Firebrand’s course is different in that unlike other Linux training, you pay to stay at an exam centre for an intense six day period, at the end of which you’ll take the exam. Learning is classroom-based with a dedicated instructor and lessons which last 12 hours a day.
Your accommodation, meals, tuition, study materials and certificates are included in the fee, which explains why it's so high. Firebrand also offers a chance to resit the course free of charge if you fail the first time round, though you need to cover accommodation and other expenses.
Although the Firebrand website doesn't detail the exact LPIC-1 syllabus, you can find details of this on the LPI website. The course itself is divided into three parts, covering system architecture, the Linux boot process, and finally booting to the console.
You can sign up for LPIC-1 Junior Level Linux Certification here
CBT Nuggets is an online learning platform hosting dozens of training courses from big players like Cisco. Payment of a monthly fee gives you access to all CBT courses – plus there's also a free 7-day trial to give the system a whirl.
There are no prerequisites for tackling the Ubuntu Linux course, although if you're entirely unfamiliar with Linux, you're probably best off doing the Linux Essentials course which can also be accessed on the CBT platform.
Unlike other training providers CBT also allows you to watch training videos on its mobile app, which is available for Apple, Amazon and Android devices.
Topic areas include initial setup, some basic Linux commands, and a look at networking. There's even a dedicated section on securing Linux.
The instructor has a wonderful flair for making boring concepts entertaining. On one occasion he uses his video lecture tool to draw a picture of a puppy as he launches into a detailed diatribe on software repositories.
If you are willing to pay the subscription fee for CBT Nuggets, there are further training courses you can take for Linux and other platforms.
You can sign up for Ubuntu Linux here
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (often shortened to RHEL) is a commercially developed version of Linux mainly used in big businesses. Red Hat offers comprehensive training courses for those interested in becoming a Red Hat Certified Systems Administrator.
Red Hat System Administration part one is the initial step in this journey and is designed for those who may be familiar with Linux, but haven't used it in depth. Unlike other training providers, Red Hat offers a variety of ways to undertake the course at different costs.
For instance, you can opt to take it online over 90 days for £1,862 ($2,143). Alternatively you can train via a remote classroom for £2,190 ($2,838). These prices include VAT. Red Hat even hosts on-site training over five days if you're near one of its centres.
The training is regularly punctuated with practical exercises which test your knowledge. Each exercise will tell you whether to access your 'server' or 'desktop' virtual machine, both of which are set up for you, so you can start training right away.
This training course has been devised by the very same company that developed Red Hat Enterprise Linux, an obvious strong point because it means that all course materials come straight from the horse's mouth.
You can sign up for Red Hat System Administration I here
The Linux Foundation offers a number of online courses via the edX platform including this Introduction to Linux. One very attractive feature of these courses is that they are free to take, although there is an additional fee of $99 (£76) if you want a formal 'certificate of completion'.
Introduction to Linux has been prepared by Jerry Cooperstein, the Training Program Director for the Linux Foundation, and there's even a short welcome message from the creator of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds himself; so it's safe to say you're in good hands.
The course is designed as a series of learning videos to help people who have basic IT skills to become familiar with Linux, both using a graphical interface and the command line.
Introduction to Linux is more than just text and videos, however. There are a number of ‘try it yourself’ activities, too, which allow you to perform tasks such as working with files.
Although the images and diagrams used in the videos are rather simplistic, this course is very popular on edX (being rated at 4/5 stars) and is an excellent way to familiarise yourself with the essentials of Linux.
You can sign up for Introduction to Linux (Linux Foundation) here
QA has been around for 30 years and offers a tremendous amount of courses for professionals to gain certification and new skills. Its website includes eight Linux courses, including Linux System Fundamentals, which is aimed at IT pros with little or no experience of the OS.
All training is guided by an instructor at one of the QA training centres around the UK, or alternatively you can remotely attend a course. After contacting QA for clarification, we found the course fee is the same, regardless of which method you choose. At the time of writing, however, the 'Attend from Anywhere' option is currently unavailable for this course.
Linux System Fundamentals lives up to its name in that the course focuses strongly on helping you master the Linux command line. The desktop environment and graphical editors are discussed towards the end of the training, however. This means it's truly cross-platform, as you can use whichever Linux distribution you prefer to train with.
You can sign up for Linux System Fundamentals here
Reed.co.uk is best known as a recruitment website, but it also hosts a number of online courses including Ubuntu Linux for Beginners. These are in fact designed by third parties, as is the case with this course which comes from the good people at Skill Success.
Ubuntu Linux for Beginners is available as a series of video lectures, allowing you to learn at your own pace. The training itself is divided into 11 topics, covering areas such as installing Ubuntu on a virtual machine, getting started with the Ubuntu desktop and command line, setting up your own web server, basic programming and connecting via SSH.
Some of the sections are overly detailed and not really suitable for beginners to Linux, but you can always skip past these and return to them at a later date. The course currently offers excellent value-for-money, although note that the heavy discount seen at the time of writing isn’t always available (although the good news is it seems to be a recurring affair).
You can sign up for Ubuntu Linux for Beginners here
VTC is an online learning platform specifically geared to help trainees improve their software skills. The Introduction to Linux course is designed to welcome newcomers to Linux and provide them with some basic knowledge of the operating system.
Unlike many of the other courses we’ve looked at, this one offers the first three chapters free of charge to visitors. This represents an excellent sneak preview and allows you to become accustomed to navigating the course outline.
After the third chapter, you can choose to pay a one-time fee of $39 (£29) to access the rest of the course online, or for an additional $39, you can download the entire course for offline viewing.
Introduction to Linux covers basic knowledge such as using the command line, hardware, networking and the X Window manager.
The course overview itself is easy to navigate and you can go back and replay videos as you wish. There's no section provided on the web page for taking notes, though, so you'll need your own text editor for this.
You can sign up for Introduction to Linux (VTC) here Install Linux on the excellent Dell XPS 13 today
Polar Vantage V and Vantage M pack lots of cutting-edge fitness features
Polar has just announced two new multi-sport watches dubbed the Polar Vantage V and the Polar Vantage M, and each includes some impressive-sounding features.
The Polar Vantage V (pictured above) is the most high-end of the two and is apparently aimed at elite athletes. The highlight is probably its ability to track your running power from your wrist, with a measurement in watts. That means you don’t need a separate sensor, and the Vantage V is the first watch to offer this.
Another highlight of the Vantage V is its ‘Precision Prime’ heart rate monitor, which incorporates nine optical channels, a 3D accelerometer and four electrode sensors. It’s apparently the only heart rate technology that uses three sensor types and the result of this should be higher accuracy and better reliability than other wrist-based monitors.
The Polar Vantage M
Track your trainingThe Vantage V also offers ‘Training Load Pro’, which can inform you of whether you’re training enough, too little or too much, and ‘Recovery Pro’, which measures daily and long-term recovery. There’s also ‘Polar Flow Coach’, which is designed to let coaches create training calendars.
On top of that, the Polar Vantage V can track things like GPS, sleep, swimming and a score of your running performance, all of which is visible on its color touchscreen.
The Polar Vantage M has many of the same features but lacks the ability to track running power. It also doesn’t have the Recovery Pro feature, and its battery lasts up to 30 hours of training time (including GPS and heart rate monitor use), while the Vantage V lasts up to 40 hours.
As such the Polar Vantage M is also a fair bit cheaper, coming in at $279.95 (around £215/AU$390), while the Polar Vantage V is $499.90 (roughly £385/AU$700).
These are the best running watches
EE slashes the price of its mobile broadband deals - save up to £240
EE is well known for offering superfast 4G speeds to mobiles and very competitive broadband deals, but did you know it offers fast Wi-Fi to mobile devices, too? This week comes news that EE is offering a massive discount code on its best mobile broadband plans, with savings of up to £240.
Mobile broadband lets you create a Wi-Fi network from a 4GEE WiFi device which can be connected to like your broadband router at home. That means for phones, tablets and even cars and beyond, Wi-Fi is available no matter where you go.
The 4GEE WiFi deals come in two forms which both offer 4G speeds over the air:
- 30GB Max Plan: 30GB of data for 24 months for £28 £20 (£192 total saving)
- 50GB Max Plan: 50GB of data for 24 months for £40 £30 (£240 total saving)
Both EE Max plans include a free dongle as well. To get the discount, you have to use a discount code code at the checkout. Now if you use the links above, that code should automatically be applied when you go through to choose your delivery options, but if not the codes are AW4GWIFI8 and AW4GWIFI10 respectively.
Both offers expire on October 10, so be quick if you want to grab a deal.
See today's best SIM only deals on all the networks
What is the IoT? Everything you need to know
What is the IoT?
The world around us is getting smarter and more connected as technology becomes a common sight in many areas.
Digital devices are not just in our pockets or our offices, but increasingly in our homes, buildings, and many places and cities. Helping collect, analyse and monitor data and information about their surroundings, these devices are able to communicate with each other through the ‘Internet of Things’.
Often shortened to the IoT, this worldwide, interconnected network allows devices to talk to each other and to us, delivering reams of data through smarter processes that will greatly increase the quality of life around the world.
The Internet of Things is predicted to revolutionise the way in which we live our lives, with many industry experts tipping it to have the biggest technological impact since cloud computing, as more data than ever before can be collected, stored and analysed.
Many consumers are already enjoying the benefits of the IoT, as popular products such as the Amazon Echo smart speaker and the Nest thermostat from Google becoming common sights in homes around the world.
But the wider world can also benefit from the IoT, with businesses being able to streamline previously complex and data-hungry processes through improved automation, freeing up employees for other tasks.
Public sector organisations such as hospitals can also use sensors to monitor patients more effectively, and local governments can monitor pollution, traffic levels, weather data, and much much more.
The IoT is growing fast, and is set to affect more and more areas of our lives in the years to come, resulting in a smart world that previously was only imaginable in science fiction.
06/08 - Why IBM is pushing to be the driving force in the IoT - The IoT and IBM could prove to be a match made in heaven...
03/08 - Qualcomm reveals major IoT push - Chipmaker unveils its plans to help power the global IoT..
18/07 - Vodafone expands IoT range for businesses - New surveillance and energy management tools bring IoT to more companies across the UK...
17/07 - Microsoft and GE team up for major IoT launch - Partnership will see major expansion of Industrial IoT from Azure and GE Digital...
13/06 - Vodafone: 5G smartphone uncertainty means focus on core network and IoT - Vodafone UK CTO says 5G will be a gamechanger, but smartphone innovation in the 4G era won't be matched...
04/06 - Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom test NB-IoT roaming - Two operators claim trial is massive step forward for cross-border IoT...
01/06 - LPWAN is the final piece in the mobile IoT puzzle - Vodafone's IoT business is focusing on services and partnerships rather than technology...
31/05 - GSMA: Mobile operators must change to grab $1.1tn IoT market - GSMA warns that just 5 per cent of IoT revenue will be found in connectivity, so mobile operators need to evolve...
17/05 - Mobile IoT networks to be a 'core component' of 5G - GSMA says NB-IoT and LTE-M deployments are paving the way for massive IoT powered by 5G...
08/05 - Nokia snaps up SpaceTime Insights to boost IoT drive - SpaceTime Insights acquisition allows Nokia to expand IoT work...
24/04 - Telcos exploring mixed approaches to IoT - Communications providers see the potential in IoT but are taking multiple paths, Ericsson report says...
23/03 - Operator partnerships could be the key to IoT success - O2 says it wants to do more than just dish out SIMs and connectivity...
22/03 - IoT security spend to reach £1bn in 2018 - Gartner figures suggests increased awareness of threats is boosting spend...
07/03 - New internet of things security code aims to stamp out Mirai and other threats - The government is taking action on IoT security...
22/12 - Why 2018 could be a decisive year for IoT - Major report highlights struggle between competing technologies over the next year...
Apple Watch 4 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch: battle of the great new smartwatches
Apple has just revealed its new Watch Series 4 alongside a trio of iPhones at a media event in California. The new smartwatch features a larger display, updated operating system and a suite of advanced health features.
The new Apple Watch launches just weeks after Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch, which we recently named as TechRadar’s best smartwatch in the world.
With Google opting to remain on the sidelines for a while longer, derailing our hopes of a Pixel Watch launching imminently, the battle for smartwatch supremacy returns to a two horse race.
To help you decide if your next wearable should come from Apple or Samsung, here’s how the new Watch Series 4 measures up against the Galaxy Watch.
Design and displaySamsung and Apple take two markedly different approaches to smartwatch design with the respective wearables. The Samsung Galaxy Watch has a circular touch screen display with a rotating bezel for scrolling through the operating system; size options for the Samsung are 42mm and 46mm, referring to the diameter of the case.
The Apple Watch, meanwhile, has a more rectangular design and a touch screen to match. It does not have a rotating bezel, but instead employs the rotating Digital Crown to aid with navigation through its watchOS interface. New for the Watch Series 4 is a crown with haptic feedback, clicking subtly beneath your fingertips as you scroll through lists.
Apple continues to offer two sizes of Watch for 2018, but where all previous generations included cases of 38mm and 42mm, the Series 4 stretches this slightly to 40mm and 44mm. This growth is down to the new wearable having a larger display, which is 30% larger than the Series 3 and accommodates more complex faces showing the wearer more information at once.
These size options make the Apple Watch 4 the slimmer of the two and more suited to those with smaller wrists - or just consumers who prefer a more compact timepiece. Meanwhile, the Samsung is more suited to those who want a larger smartwatch.
Apple Watch 4
As for color options, Samsung sells the 42mm Galaxy Watch in black and rose gold, while the larger 46mm is only offered in silver.
Things are a little more complicated with the Apple Watch Series 4. The GPS model, which has Wi-Fi but no LTE, comes only with an aluminium case, while the GPS + Cellular model can be bought in stainless steel or aluminium.
All models are offered in silver, grey or gold. On top of this, there is the Nike+ version in silver and space gray aluminium, and the Hermes collection in polished stainless steel with a range of luxury leather straps.
The AMOLED display of the Samsung Galaxy Watch measures 1.2 inches across on the 42mm model and 1.3 inches on the 46mm, and both have a resolution of 360 x 360.
The Series 4 Apple Watch has a resolution of 368 x 448 on the 44mm model, and 324 x 394 on the 40mm version.
The Apple Watch’s square-sided display is better for reading text and interacting with most apps than the round screen of the Samsung, which tends to cut off the corners as you scroll. But then the Samsung feels more watch-like, with its digital faces resembling actual watches instead of the mini-computer-on-your-wrist look of the Apple Watch.
Fitness and features
Both Samsung and Apple have included heart rate monitors on these smartwatches, and accelerometers mean they can track your daily steps and exercise, too. The Galaxy Watch uses its heart rate monitor to keep an eye on your stress levels, giving you a nudge to chill for a minute and breathe if it sees a spike which can’t be attributed to exercise.
The Galaxy Watch’s included fitness app automatically recognises and tracks six different exercise activities, but if you jump into the app and set things up yourself, it can log forty different sports and exercises, like running, cycling, weight-lifting, yoga and much more. Water resistance to 5 ATM means the Galaxy Watch can track your swimming too - a stat matched by the Apple Watch Series 4.
Meanwhile, new for the Apple Watch Series 4 is the ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG), a medical test used to check your heart’s rhythm and electrical activity. This marks the first time than an over-the-counter device can do this, and it has earned certification from the US Food and Drug Administration.
Apple Watch 4's ECG feature
The ECG (also known as an EKG) is taken by opening an app and placing the index finger of your hand not wearing the watch onto its Digital Crown. The Watch Series 4 then records your heart rhythm classification and saves the data, ready to be presented to your doctor as a PDF on your iPhone.
Also new for the Series 4 (and unique among today’s smartwatches) is the ability to alert you to an abnormal heartbeat which may be a sign of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib).
However, both of these new heart monitoring features will be US-only when they launch later in 2018. It is hoped that Apple will gain certification in other countries, include the UK and Europe, soon.
What is available at launch, is a feature where the Watch Series 4 detects when you fall over, and can be set to automatically call the emergency services.
OS and powerA key difference between the smartwatches of Samsung and Apple is that only the former works with both Android and iOS, whereas the Apple Watch works exclusively with iPhones, leaving Android owners out in the cold.
That said, the Galaxy Watch’s support of iOS is limited compared to how it works with Android and specifically Samsung smartphones.
As ever, the Galaxy Watch runs Samsung’s own Tizen operating system, while the Watch 4 comes with Apple’s watchOS 5. For us, Apple’s software has a narrow lead over Samsung’s, with more apps being produced by a larger network of developers. We’re also fans of the Watch’s Taptic Engine, which alerts you to notifications with a firm tap to the wrist, rather than a mere vibration.
Apple Watch 4
Inside, the Apple Watch 4 is powered by the company’s own S4 system on a chip, which boasts a 64-bit dual-core processor, while the Galaxy Watch runs on the Exynos 9110 dual-core 1.15GHz chipset.
As for RAM, the smaller 42mm Galaxy Watch has 768MB and the 46mm model is packed with 1.5GB. Apple isn’t one to immediately reveal the RAM of its watches, so we’ll have to wait until the Watch 4 goes on sale to find out the exact figure.
It’ll be a similar story with battery capacity. We know the Samsung Galaxy Watch has a 472mAh cell, far larger than the 279mAh battery of the year-old Apple Watch Series 3, but the Watch 4’s bigger screen and body should mean a small increase here.
Apple is yet to reveal the exact size of the battery, but says the Series 4 can achieve the same 18 hours of battery as the Series 3, which is considerably less than Samsung’s claims of up to four days on the 42mm Galaxy Watch and up to seven days for the 46mm model. However, our testing found the larger model lasted around four days.
Storage for the Galaxy Watch is 4GB, while the Apple Watch Series 4 has 16GB.
Price
Samsung Galaxy Watch
The Samsung Galaxy Watch is priced at £279 / $329 for the 42mm model, and the larger 46mm version costs £299 / $349.
On the other hand (or wrist), the pricier Apple Watch 4 costs from £399 / $399 / AU$599 for the 40mm model with a rubber sports strap and GPS. Up the case size to 44mm and the price jumps to £429 / $429, while the LTE versions of each size starts at £499 / $499 / AU$749 and £529 / $529 respectively.
As ever, Apple offers a large range of Watch models, with prices heading to £1,000 / $1,000 for Hermes examples, and reaching £1,499 / $1,499 for the flagship. All that said, the basic functionality of each Apple Watch 4 is identical regardless of what you pay (LTE inclusion notwithstanding).
TakeawayThe winner ultimately comes down to which smartphone camp you currently sit in - iOS or Android - and what you value most from your smartwatch.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch has a far superior battery life, meaning nightly sleep tracking and less bothersome recharging, while the Apple Watch is available in more variants to help match your personal style, and Apple’s work with ECG and health monitoring sets it apart.
The Watch 4 is also more likely to suit slimmer wrists, or will be preferred by those who are put off by the Galaxy Watch’s bulkier design. Although, having said that, larger timepieces are all the range in the traditional watch industry, so being chunkier doesn’t mean the Samsung won’t have its fair share of adoring fans.
As for which is best - and if Apple can regain the top step from Samsung - we’ll have to reserve judgement until we get hold of the Apple Watch Series 4 for ourselves.
LG V40 ThinQ confirmed for October 4 launch and triple rear cameras teased
With the iPhone XS launch out of the way attention is already turning back to other manufacturers and their upcoming phones, including the LG V40 ThinQ, which we now know is launching on October 4.
LG has confirmed that the announcement will happen on that date in South Korea, so at the time of writing there is only three weeks to wait.
But as well as confirming the date, LG has also teased one of the main features of the phone in a brief video, namely the presence of a triple-lens rear camera.
The company doesn’t outright confirm that the LG V40 ThinQ will have three lenses, but the teaser video shows photos being taken of a subject from three different distances, with three dots at the bottom of the viewfinder, likely representing the three different camera lenses.
Three cameras looks likelyThis also isn’t the first time we’ve heard talk of a triple-lens camera, with an earlier rumor suggesting the LG V40 ThinQ would have a 20MP primary lens, a 16MP wide-angle one and a 13MP telephoto one.
While those specifics are just a rumor for now, the perspectives each shot was taken from in the teaser video would more or less match up with that.
Other rumors about the LG V40 ThinQ include that it will have a roughly 90% screen-to-body-ratio, a notch, the Snapdragon 845 chipset, a fingerprint scanner on the back and potentially two front-facing cameras, allowing for 3D facial recognition.
With the phone coming soon we won’t have to wait long to find out how true those rumors are.
We've also seen leaked renders of the LG V40 ThinQVia Phone Arena
The best business productivity gadgets
Laptops have overtaken desktop PCs as the preferred workhorse machines for most companies, regardless of the size, and it is easy to see why.
The performance, feature, and price gap between the two have shrunk considerably, so much so that other than for niche use cases that require a fixed workstation, a laptop is generally preferable to a desktop computer.
But while laptops are mobile computers, they do rely, sometimes, on accessories to boost their capabilities.
We've rounded up some of these clever extras, from an ultra-secure USB drives, through a tiny docking station, to one of the weirdest gadgets ever to land on Techradar Pro, courtesy of a Kickstarter campaign.
Want to make sure you've also got the best of the basics? Check out: Best gadgets 2017: the top tech you can buy right now
Ensuring your device is powered up on the go is a daily worry for many of us, and there's nothing worse than running out of battery at a crucial time. Linedock thinks it has the answer with its slim and stylish power bank to keep your Macbook charged up when you need it the most.
At just 9mm across, the device slips in neatly under your laptop and packs in a massive 20,000mAh rechargeable battery that should keep you powered up on the move.
Linedock has nine ports in all, including three USB-C ports, three USB 3.0 ports equipped with Qualcomm QuickCharge 3, an SD card and a DisplayPort hub, and multiple devices can be connected at once.
But that's not all - as Linedock can also act as a spare SSD for your device, with the option of adding 256GB or 1TB of storage as an extra bonus to make this a true mobile work hub.
Lindeock has been designed for 13in MacBook Pro devices, but the company says that it is compatible with any laptop powered by USB-C, meaning PixelBook owners are in luck. At $299, this is simply a must-have for Mac users that work on the go, offering style, power and flexibility.
With conference calls becoming an increasingly common part of modern business life, the need for reliable hardware to support this is greater than ever. The OfficeCore M2 is the latest release from Chinese firm EMeet, and looks to provide a smart and stylish way to make sure your calls go off without a hitch.
The OfficeCore M2 offers 360-degree voice recognition thanks to a number of embedded microphones, supporting a range of up to 26 feet away, with the company adding that should support calls with up to 12 people without interference. The device can also link to mobile smart assistants to facilitate greater communication, with Siri, Cortana and Google Now all supported via Bluetooth, although our tests found that this was often patchy to set up.
The major selling point of the OfficeCore M2 is its portability. Equipped with a 2500mAh battery that should easily last through even the longest conference calls, the device can quickly be picked up and carried around in a shoulder bag or rucksack. At $189, it's not the cheapest speakerphone on the market today, but if you're in the market for a device that can easily be taken on the go, this could be the one for you.
Staying online when working on the go has become an incredibly important issue for all mobile workers, as an unreliable connection can be a disaster.
Netgear is looking to solve these worries with its new Nighthawk M1 mobile router, which it says is the company's fastest yet. Capable of supporting Gigabit LTE speeds, the Nighthawk M1 uses four-band carrier aggregation and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X16 LTE modem to support mobile downloads of up to 1000MBps, as well as uploads of up to 150MBps. Our time with the device found the actual speeds to be fractionally lower, however streaming and uploading were both fast and reliable, both at home and out and about.
The Nighthawk M1 is slim and lightweight, meaning it can be easily carried around in a rucksack or messenger bag. Netgear says that the battery life of the can last 24 hours, and our tests found it comfortably survived a full working day. Set-up is a quick plug-in process, with no external software needed, and the device can even use its USB connectors to charge your mobile device.
In the UK, the Nighthawk M1 can be purchased from Amazon for £299, or via pay-monthly contract with BT or EE. Both options are fairly pricey, with EE offering the device for £29 a month for 24 months after a £99 upfront payment, but if you're looking for fast and reliable connections, this device is ideal.
Offices can often be noisy places to work, so if you are looking to cut yourself off from the world around you, Jabra's latest Bluetooth headset could be the answer.
The Jabra Evolve 75e is the company's latest attempt to help boost the productivity of office workers everywhere with a comfortable headset that offers long battery life and stylish design.
Jabra says that the Evolve 75e are the world’s first professional UC-certified wireless earbuds, making the device ideal for carrying out external or conference calls wherever you are without the need for tangled phone wires or complicated UC set-ups.
Set-up is simple, as the headset connects to your smartphone, laptop or desktop via Bluetooth and a USB plug-in. There's no need to download any extra apps or services, meaning you can jump on calls right away. The sound quality was excellent, with the buds cancelling out the noise of an active workplace, and the in-built microphone able to deliver a clear input.
The only issue we had with the Evolve 75e is that Bluetooth connectivity would occasionally drop for no apparent reason, but with the compact design and long battery life (Jabra promises up to 14 hours) provided, this seems like a minor hiccup.
As more and more consumers ditch cash for contactless and digital payments, businesses of all sizes also need to adapt. Square has long been one of the most exciting payments companies around today, and has now finally brought its Reader product to the UK for the first time.
The product acts as a mobile POS, allowing customers to quickly pay for their items using a contactless card, mobile or wearable device. Targeted predominatly at small businesses or traders, the Square Reader is slim and compact, easily fitting in the palm of your hand.
The £39 reader weighs in at just 56g, meaning it can be handheld, or tethered to a till or counter using an additional £19 dock, allowing for a truly mobile steup. Anyone signing up to Square's service can get approval to start using the system within the hour, taking much of the headache out of setting up a new payments platform, with Square’s own software system offering a POS service as well as in-depth analytics.
The tool seems like an invaluable asset to any small business looking to grow or expand, or any company looking for a more mobile setup. Perhaps our only gripe would be that the device is potentially too compact, and could be lost - but asides from that, a Square Reader could be the key to taking your business to the big time.
Another option for workers constantly on the go, the TP-Link M4750 offers download speeds of up to 300Mbps, and 50Mbps. That's not enough to reliably stream high-quality media or teleconferencing, but if you need to work on documents or other files, the LTE Cat 6 network connection should be ideal.
Our tests found that the device was reliable in reaching these speeds, even in central London, and more than enough to enjoy reliable connections whilst on the move. The battery life for the device was excellent, lasting a full working day with ease, as TP-Link says that the M4750 can offer up to 15 hours of juice, and recharging the huge 3000mAh battery is also quick and easy using the microUSB port.
The M4750 is also light and portable, being small enough to fit inside a jacket pocket, and its rubber build will help protect from any accidental drops or bumps. Set up is remarkably easy, requiring you to just insert the SIM card and turn on, making this much more straightforward than other similar devices.
The device can also work as a wireless hotspot, supporting up to 32 devices at once, across 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, meaning you can set up multiple connections around the home, or even in a small office if needs be - although speeds will drop if you do so.
However buying the device in the UK is a bit tricky, as you'll have to go through a reseller to get your hands on one - with prices varying among stores, so stay on the lookout for the best deal.
Many of us know the pain of conference calls being ruined by poor connection or call quality, and with many businesses today choosing to embrace mobile working ideas and services, the need to stay flexible yet connected is paramount.
Sennheiser is looking to solve these woes with its ultra-mobile TeamConnect Wireless - in essence a portable conference room, which can be packed up and carried around for workers on the go. Made up of four speakers, all carried around in a stylish case which doubles as a charging hub, the system can be connected to any laptop, smart device or VC system via Bluetooth, USB or 3.5mm jack.
Set-up is quick and easy, allowing users to get up and running in a matter of minutes, with Sennheiser saying the kit can support up to 24 participants at once. Our tests showed the audio quality to be very effective, even with multiple participants on different lines, with no connectivity issues.
The ultra-portable design of the TeamConnect Wireless is the major selling point here, as the stylish case is able to charge up the speakers to ensure you're never caught short, and takes up less space than a rucksack.
However this stylish product doesn't come cheap, costing £3,940, meaning it may be out of the price range for some SMBs. For those that can splash out though, this is an eye-catching piece of kit that allows you to stay connected and conversant with your team or customers wherever you are.
If you're someone who travels for work a lot, staying powered up on the move may often prove a challenge. Although power banks for mobile devices have been popular for some time, anyone looking for a laptop equivalent could be caught short. However Orico's new SC28 offering provides a huge capacity that should be perfect for staying charged up on a trip. With a capacity of 28,800mAh, the SC28 provides easily enough juice for even the thirstiest laptops, which can be quickly recharged via USB or power socket.
The latter features a number of adaptors for different markets, meaning you should never be caught short, with Orico promising five hours of life for a 13in laptop. The SC28 can charge up to three devices at once, meaning you can power your laptop, phone and router all at once for the ideal mobile working solution. The device itself looks stylish, with a sleek aluminium alloy body that weighs in at just under 1kg, but should still easily slip into a rucksack or laptop bag.
More and more industries are now choosing to use mobile devices in day-to-day operations out in the field thanks to their portability.
The FLIR ONE Pro offers a compact and powerful thermal imaging camera than can show up in-depth information about the world around you.
Attaching via USB-C, the device clips onto the bottom of your phone, acting as an extension to your normal camera, and displaying heat information on the world around you, with hotter objects showing up in brighter colours (see below).
The technology could prove incredibly useful for a number of industries, such as home inspectors looking to find insulation leaks, or electricians aiming to identify an over-heating connection.
You’ll need to download and register with the free FLIR ONE app in order to start using the device, which is an unneeded extra step for many, but does grant you access to the company’s helplines, galleries and app store.
The actual app was often slow to recognise when we had the device plugged in and turned on, however, and sometimes failed to detect it at all, which was slightly annoying for us, but for a worker in the field could be a major hindrance to getting your work done.
Once you do get it up and running, however, the FLIR ONE Pro’s VividIR imaging system reveals a wealth of information on the world around you, and the compact build and design means it’s easy to carry around (although could also make it easier to lose in a crowded toolbox as well….)
Battery life is also not very long, with our tests only finding the device lasting just over an hour, although re-charging was a speedy process. If you’re out working in the field with a cable though, this could be a major downside.
The FLIR ONE Pro also doesn't come cheap, costing £349.95 in the UK, but it could prove invaluable for workers in such specialised areas, and is definitely worth your consideration.
TP-Link says that the M7650 is the fastest Wi-Fi router it has ever made, offering speeds of up to 600MBps, which is easily enough to stream video to your laptop or tablet whilst on the move, as well as high-quality VoLTE audio through your phone - useful if you don't want to miss that conference call.
Our tests found that the device often reached speeds of over 500MBps, which is impressive for central London, and more than enough to enjoy reliable connections whilst on the move.
The M7650 can support up to 32 devices at once, meaning you can set up multiple connections around the home, or even in a small office if needs be - although speeds will drop if you do so. Set up is remarkably easy, requiring you to just insert the SIM card and turn on, making this much more straightforward than other similar devices.
Battery life for the device was excellent, lasting a full working day with ease, as TP-Link says that the M7650 can offer up to 15 hours of juice, and recharging the huge 3000mAh battery is also quick and easy using the microUSB port.
The M7650 is also light and portable, being small enough to fit inside a jacket pocket, and its rubber build will help protect from any accidental drops or bumps.
However buying the device in the UK is a bit tricky, as you'll have to go through a reseller. This means you'll also need to be on the lookout for differing price options, but if you get the right deal, the M7650 is a must-have.
We love our smartphones so much so that we carry them all the time even at our work, prompting businesses to consider shedding regular landlines and simply embrace the BYOD (bring your own device) paradigm.
Which is why it is so surprising that few companies have come up with a product like the Invoxia NVX200. In a nutshell, this £209 device converts/transforms your smartphone into a desk phone with a Bluetooth speaker and a charging dock thrown in. It comes with a bunch of connectors and adaptors to connect most smartphones.
Most Apple devices (including the iPod, iPad and iPhone) are supported, as are the latest Android smartphones, thanks to a USB Type-C port. A clever adjustable stand means that any device will sit snuggly on the NVX200. Connect the device via Bluetooth to the latter, put your smartphone in place and you’re ready to go.
Hold down the voicemail key bring up the settings and you will be able to configure the device to your taste, down to the ringtones. Outwardly, it looks just like a normal desk phone, with lots of curves, a soft surface and a handset with a cable that’s sufficiently long for the user to stand up. Setting it up is straight forward: connect the device to a power socket, dock your smartphone, connect it to the NVX200 via Bluetooth and you’re ready to go. We did encounter some issues though.
The test smartphone, a Sony Xperia Z3, has a micro USB port located on the side rather than at the bottom of the device. To make matters worse, it is not anywhere near the middle which makes it impossible to dock in landscape mode. Things got a bit more complicated when you factor in the casing used to protect it.
Altogether a wireless solution, which integrates no-wires charging, might have been a better solution but would have restricted its appeal. We couldn’t get the speaker to play music wirelessly but it did somehow play music via the micro USB connector but only, and only if Bluetooth is disconnected.
Fed up with losing your connectivity when out and about? Then check out the Multivox Multisim. It is a service that allows access to multiple UK mobile networks from a single SIM card.
No need to swap tiny pieces of PCB or opt for a sub-optimal dual-SIM smartphone to eliminate the issues associated with poor connectivity, especially when you are out and about. The technology works on almost any recent smartphones and feature phones and doesn’t need a dedicated app.
If there is no coverage on the primary access network, then your phone will search for another available UK mobile network and if there is one available, it will connect to it. If there are multiple networks available, then it will pick up and run on the network with the strongest signal.
The Multisim works without having to manually select a different network to switch to and you get to keep your phone number regardless of the network. The only caveat is that a call will drop when the network being used loses coverage altogether; there is no “incall” switching.
You get unlimited UK calls to mobiles and landlines as well as unlimited texts, all courtesy of EE’s network. Four data packages are available, ranging from 2GB (£29.40) to 10GB (£41.90) excluding VAT. The packages can be configured at Immervox.
There are a fair few solutions available for digitally-savvy globetrotters looking who whiz across the globe for leisure or pleasure. We might have uncovered one of the best ones yet.
From Knowroaming comes a global hotspot that uses a Novatel Wireless Mi-fi, the 6630, and can connect you up in more than 140 countries with 92 of them offering unlimited data for a flat fee of $7.99 per day (about £6.40), a price that even include free, unlimited Whatsapp.
We tried it during a recent trip to Japan where the cost of connectivity is prohibitive and international data roaming is a no-no unless you want to spend hundreds. The Mi-fi device comes in a nice pouch with a few accessories; we just took it out and used it for a few days. It is sturdy enough to withstand a few knocks.
The 6630 is about the size of a Tic-tac box and its user interface is intuitive with only three buttons and a small screen on its front. On top is the power button as well as two USB ports, one for charging up and the other to provide power to external devices.
Inside the 6630 is a 4,000mAh battery that can power the device for up to 20 hours. It is compatible with Cat4 LTE although KnowRoaming only supported 3G for now and an LTE offer is in the pipeline. In use, the service was as seamless as it could be.
Switch it on and connect to it using the provided login details. Note that you can’t change these from the device itself; that can only be done by accessing the device via a browser. Various options exist on the Mi-fi device including the ability to set a number of restrictions, the ability to view your consumption, the number of devices connected at any time and the battery life left. The 6630 supports dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi but no 802.11ac.
Since this is primarily marketed as a business device, it comes with a number of security features including VPN pass-through, NAT firewall, security hardened web interface, Anti-CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) and session timeouts. Sadly though you won’t be able to buy a consumer version of that yet. Instead, the device is only being sold to corporates for $199 (about £160) with discounts being offered for multiple purchases.
As it stands, the service is meant to be managed centrally by an administrator or IT manager with an entire backend, cloud-based infrastructure provided by KnowRoaming. Suggested improvement to the Mi-fi device would include a thinner, more pocketable model, support for 802.11ac, the inclusion of a microSD card reader and having a smartphone app to allow you to access admin essential information from your smartphone, rather than through a browser.
Find out more at Knowroaming
If you've ever been stuck for mobile signal when travelling to a new country, then the NUU Konnect i1 could be the gadget for you.
Able to provide 4G connections in over 100 countries, the i1 looks to offer a simple, portable way to get online wherever you are in the world.
Most current mobile hotspots are only able to connect to 3G networks, so the Konnect i1 already has an advantage there, thanks to its LTE Cat 6 Qualcomm modem.
The device supports VPNs and Wi-Fi calling, and is equipped with LTE bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/17/20/39/40/41, meaning there's a wide range of possible connections.
NUU Mobile says that it is trying to target frequent travellers with the Konnect i1. The device itself is small enough and light enough to easily slip into your pocket, and is able to power up using its microUSB port.
Setting up is easy enough, with the capacity to connect up to five devices at any one time.
What's more, you'll only play a flat rate of $10 a day to use the device as much as you want, with no contract or sign-up fees.
However, after the first 500MB of data, you'll be dialled back to HSPA+ networks for the next 500MB you use, and then down again to just 128Kbps speeds for anything more than that, unless you spend more for further LTE usage.
For the moment, you can only get hold of the Konnect i1 if you backed the product on Kickstarter, with news of a wider release not available just yet.
If you're in the market for something a bit more heavyweight when it comes to your 4G roaming needs, then you may be interested in the YRoam YR4.
YRoam's services are available in over 100 countries worldwide, including popular business travel destinations such as the USA, Singapore and France.
Simply select one of the company's price plans, starting at 5.9p per MB when you buy a 2GB worldwide package.
If you're only travelling to one location, YRoam also offers a UK, US or EU specific package, lasting for 30 days.
Any data usage you purchase can be used either on a PAYG basis, or the ability to top up later.
YRoam also offers discounted rates for connections in your home country, say if you're out in a remote locations not served by your current provider, starting at just 3p per MB.
You can connect up to five devices at any time, meaning you could have a laptop, phone, tablet and more all online at once.
The device features a huge 6,000mAh battery, although this does mean that you're stuck with a fairly heavyweight build.
However this means that the device doubles up as a power bank to recharge your devices in case of an emergency, with a USB and microUSB port to connect up.
Overall though this is a sturdy hotspot that should serve you well wherever you are in the world.
TheBestVPNFor.Me
If you've just started your own business, or need to work from home often, having a flexible and reliable technology set-up should be one of your top priorities.
In order to keep you from wasting time setting up complex systems, teleconferencing experts GoToMeeting have you covered with an all-in-one box of tools that should allow you to get up and running quickly.
The pack contains an Asus Chromebox PC, Logitech wireless keyboard, Logitech 1080p HD webcam and a FLX UC 500 conference phone from Revo labs - pretty much everything you need to get started.
The products have all been specially selected to work seamlessly together, meaning most of the usual set-up process can be sped through quickly and easily - even if you're not particularly tech-savvy.
Setting up your new kit can be done in a matter of minutes - all you need is a monitor to hook the PC and webcam up to, with all the rest of the hardware able to just plug and play.
The tiny Chromebox PC is incredibly powerful for something so small (at just 12.4cm wide and 4.2cm tall), coming with a powerful 1.7Ghz processor, 4GB of RAM and 16GB storage, making it a great choice if you are strapped for space in your office. The PC also features 4 USB ports alongside DP, HDMI and LAN connectors, offering everything you should need to get started.
Space saving is also helped by the Logitech wireless keyboard, which connects to the Chromebox via USB tracker, and also includes a trackpad in place of a mouse. If you do prefer using a physical mouse, you'll have to splash out on a separate piece.
All the devices work together quickly and easily, meaning you'll be able to start working, calling and even videoconferencing in no time. The webcam is once again surprisingly powerful for its size, offering a smooth video experience, although we did see some slowdown in some cases.
The only minor downside is the need to buy the entire package, meaning that if you only need a conference phone, or a compact PC, you may be better off buying these separately.
At the time of writing, the kit is only available to buy in the USA, costing $999, with a subscription fee of $99 a month, making it a fairly pricey proposition - however if you're already an existing GoToMeeting customer, it can be built into your current subscription.
In modern busy offices, it can be tricky to get some quiet - particularly if you’re trying to carry out a conference call or video meeting from your desk. Sennheiser, which is perhaps better known for its consumer headphone line, is looking to address this with a new headset targeted at business customers.
The MB 660 may resemble normal ‘cans’ style headphones, but in fact can act as a Bluetooth-enabled wireless headset, allowing you to use them as a meeting accessory in today’s UC-dominated workplace.
As you would expect from a brand such as Sennheiser, the audio quality is excellent, whether that’s with a voice call, watching video or even listening to music. This is complimented by the noise-cancelling ability of the headset, which comes with three separate settings that allow you to select your level of isolation. This high-standard audio quality does come at a price, but if you value your calls and media, it may be worth shelling out.
The headset comes with its own stylish and compact carry case, which also house the charging cables and USB connector. Battery life was excellent, with the headset not needing a recharge during our week-long test - and when we did plug it in, recharging was quick and effective.
If you're looking for a slim and stylish accessory to help guide you through your presentations, then Logitech may have just the tool for you. The company has released a new edition of its Spotlight presentation remote, promising "a whole new standard" in presentation control.
The new product offers a stylish minimalist design made out of polished metal, weighing in at just 49g, with the slim build meaning it sits nicely in the palm of your hand. Three programmable buttons on the front giving you the opportunity to control your presentation however you like. The remote is able to highlight and magnify certain areas on screen, allowing you to focus on specific items or points, and has a range of up to 30 metres for those grander presenting occasions, connecting via Bluetooth to your Windows, Mac OS, Chrome OS or Android device.
It even comes with a timer, which can show how long you've been speaking for and vibrate to tell you if you're about to run over your allotted presentation time. Battery life is substantial enough to last you through a working day, and is quickly recharged.
The only downside is the price - at £119.95, it is quite an expensive option, but if you're looking for an effective and stylish presentation helper, this is the tool for you.
If you thought that the era of writing stuff down using pen and paper was dead, then Moleskine is here to prove you wrong.
The iconic notebook provider, well-known for its leather-bound pages, is embracing the technology world with its new Smart Writing Set, which it says combines the pleasure of writing with pen and paper with the ease and speed of editing offered by modern word processing software.
The kit consists of a smart Pen+ tool, which, when used to write on the accompanying 'Paper Tablet', will also display what you are writing on an accompanying phone or tablet device. Connected via Bluetooth, your device, boosted by the Moleskine Notes App, then allows you to record and edit your scribblings, meaning you can add extra colour, highlights and more.
The app, which is available on iOS and Android devices, stores all the writing done in your Paper Tablet, meaning you can delete or move pages across devices, and even sync using your Google Drive or Evernote account.
As for the kit itself, it resembles your traditional writing tools, with the Pen+ taking after a standard fountain pen - albeit with a hidden camera by the nib which traces and digitises everything you write. The Paper Tablet is slightly thicker than a usual Moleskine, but features NCode technology embedded in every page to allow the Pen+ to pick up your writing or drawing.
All in all, the device works well - once you're registered on the app, using the Pen+ is smooth, and the data transfer is effective, even if like us, you aren't particularly artistically-minded. But whilst this is clearly a clever product (and at £199, a premium one too...) there remains a slight nagging question about what it's trying to achieve.
Those of us used to writing with a pen and pad will find some advantages, most notably the chance to edit and remove notes, but with tablet devices and lightweight laptops so commonplace today, it still seems like an odd choice of platform for Moleskine.
The idea behind the F3 is a simple one: provide with a stand that simplifies and organises a desk while maintaining a clean, functional style, without an expensive price tag.
Satechi achieves it with this product which packs some interesting features on top. It has two, rather than one, preset height options thanks to a pair of sturdy aluminium legs with rubber pads.
Physically, it is a fairly big slap of plastic (550 x 231mm) available either in white or anthracite. Plastic usually infers flimsiness but there wasn’t any in sight. This is proper solid stuff. The aluminium legs slot in within seconds after the shorter, permanent ones are deployed.
There’s plenty of connectivity as well; four front facing USB 3.0 ports plus headphone/microphone ports with long cables to connect to your PC or laptop.
It doesn’t require power as the ports are essentially passive ones. The F3 took the weight of a 27-inch monitor without flinching and there are reports of customers using it with a 34-inch behemoth.
You will be able to put items weighing up to 11Kg on top. There’s enough clearance (about 30mm) underneath the actual plastic stand to slot in a keyboard.
Adding the aluminium feet adds another 50mm. A few more USB ports or a smartphone stand might have been useful together with a couple of extra height options. There’s also the fact that a more premium material like glass or aluminium might have been a better, albeit more expensive, option.
A few vendors (Acer, Lenovo) have tried to deliver laptops with dual displays but these proved to be niche products with high prices and they were commercial failures.
Enter PackedPixels (£149 each, about $194, AU$252), a deceptively straightforward product from Dovetail Technology that brings multiple displays to laptops with one big caveat.
Your laptop will need to be equipped with a DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 1 or 2 ports. Newer Thunderbolt 3 ports won't work even with an adaptor, and obviously older ones like HDMI, DVI or VGA are out of the picture.
Note that you can use a USB 3.0 to DisplayPort converter according to the manufacturer. That is what you will have to do on non-Apple laptops.
If you have a DP or a TB1/2 port (Dell XPS 13 first generation, MacBook Pro etc) then using the bundled universal adaptor, you will be able to connect either one or two displays, each of them 9.7-inch in size and with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels.
That's a 4:3 aspect ratio, something that works well in cramped spaces and is actually the same screen as the iPad Retina Display.
The designers made the right decision to hide the connecting ports (DisplayPort and USB) where the stand is supposed to slot.
Bear in mind that using two extra screens will eat up your battery faster, although, as Dovetail technologies suggests, you might also use a mobile phone adapter or an emergency power bank (like the Aukey 30Ah) to help out.
Given the connector, you won't need any additional driver installation for any operating system. The screens are automatically adjustable and can be used in portrait or landscape mode.
Jackery is a little known company that focuses - like so many out there - on producing portable laptop and smartphone chargers. Its flagship product is the massive PowerPro, a 500Whr/140Ah Portable Power station rechargeable battery pack, The Jackery Titan S is a portable battery (72.4Whr) that can not only charge your mobile or tablet but also, according to its manufacturer, the popular Apple MacBook laptop.
We didn’t have one at hand to test that claim sadly; note that it is also available in orange which for some reason has a lower capacity. Its black metal aluminium casing ensures that it will survive more than a few drops and it does feel very solid. Shame though about the sharper-than-usual edges on both sides and we’re not fans of the curvy profile of the Titan S as this caused it to slip a few times.
This is a portable charger/battery pack so don’t expect too much innovation; it doesn’t switch off automatically but does identify the connected device by itself, charging it at the maximum permitted power.
Other than a big power button and a 4-led battery status indicators which means you will never really know when the item will be fully charged when you reach four blue dots or discharged when it shows one blue dot.
There are two full size USB ports - a 15W one (5V, 3A) and an 18W one (supporting variable voltages thanks to Quick Charge, up to 3.4A) - and a USB Type-C one that can deliver 15W power (5V, 3A); the latter can also be used to charge the battery.
At 155 x 80 x 22mm for a weight of 435g, it is a tad smaller (volume wise) and lighter than the Aukey Powerbank although the latter has a far superior capacity (30Ah compared to 20.1Ah). The Jackery Titan comes with a micro USB charging cable and a two-year warranty but no carry case. The item is out of stock in the UK at the time of writing.
This printer is not for everyone. It is slow, expensive to buy and to maintain, and it is not even wireless! But then not all printers can list on their spec sheet that they're the world's lightest all-in-one printer, one that can not only print (obviously) but also scan and copy.
The Primera Trio uses only a normal microUSB cable to charge and to connect to the host computer, and unlike most of the competition, it is truly portable (as in it has a battery inside) and boasts a smaller footprint than most laptops.
Outside of this nifty gadget, you'll be hard pressed to find a compact device that you can take with you to print important documents that need immediate signatures (or at least draft copy). The scanning capability is not a big deal – you can always take pictures instead – although with the Trio, you will be able to do copies fairly easily.
Home working can often be a battle for space within a fairly cramped environment, so wireless accessories have become more and more popular in the past few years.
The Gyration Air Mouse Voice looks to take wireless mouse technology one step further, offering flexible use cases from the desk to the boardroom and beyond thanks to the power of voice.
The device, which costs $99, is able to act as a typical desktop mouse, connecting via Bluetooth, but thanks to in-built microphones, can also double up as an in-air meeting pointer, where it can work with voice recognition to skip through slides.
The voice commands can also be used to zoom in on specific details in a slide, and even open up your web browser - all activated just with a push of a button.
Asides from the voice control, the device can also be used as an in-air mouse, allowing to to navigate around a companion PC or laptop whilst in use, which could be super handy for launching new documents or finding specific details.
Set-up is quick and easy, with no special drivers needed, and each of the three device buttons able to be programmed to specific commands via a desktop app. The Air Mouse voice has a wireless range of 70 metres, meaning it’s ideal for both the boardroom and the conference hall, and works with both Windows and OSX software.
The mouse itself may not feel particularly premium, with a rather fragile-looking plastic finish, but if you need to give presentations on a regular basis, this could be an ideal product to take your work to the next level.
Your daily meetings might be about to get even more interactive thanks to the GoTouch pen from Anyractive.
Comprised of a wireless pen and camera unit, the device is in theory able to turn any wall, table or even floor into a display that can be written on. The GoTouch works by connecting to a smartphone or Windows PC connected to an external display, which is then broadcast to your surface of choice.
Unfortunately setting up the device is quite fiddly, requiring a separate app download before you can start projecting. Linking to your Android or iOS device is then done by Bluetooth, which is rather spotty, and means connecting your display and smartphone to the app, which can take some time - not ideal if you quickly need to start a presentation.
Once we did get the GoTouch operational, the pen was largely successful when writing, but did cut out several times. As a pocket-sized projector, however, the GoTouch camera was rather more successful.
Battery life was good, with the camera staying operational for several hours of broadcast, and recharging speedily via USB, however the pen is powered by physical batteries, meaning it might need keeping an eye on in case of embarrassing power failures during a presentation.
Ordering the GoTouch may also be a bit tricky unless you are fluent in Korean, with the company’s online store not offering an English-language version just yet. This also means we have no idea how much it actually costs, as although Anyractive’s Kickstarter page (which says the GoTouch costs $89) smashed its initial $300,000 target, the device is yet to start shipping.
Overall, the GoTouch is a great idea, but one let down hugely by setup problems.
Monoprice's latest 27in monitor looks to offer a premium display without the high price, and for the most part, it succeeds.
The Monoprice 18545 comes with a 27in LED backlit IPS display sporting a 16:9 2560x1440 maximum resolution - equating to 1440p. This does mean it isn't 4K-equipped, however our tests showed the display to perform well with HD video content as well as regular day-to-day use.
The device comes with 178° viewing angles and the company's Pixel Perfect guarantee, which promotes the wide range of colours. Thanks to a flexible rear hinge, the device can also be angled for your viewing preference, with a tilt range from +15 to -5 degrees, which can be useful if you sit near a window.
The monitor comes with an incredibly slim build which is just 2.1in thick, meaning that the screen should easily fit into most workplace desktop environments - and the metal base is pleasingly solid, meaning you shouldn't be able to accidentally knock it over.
The polished grey metal design of the Monoprice 18545 should help blend in to your home or office, but be warned though, the corners of the aluminium build can be remarkably sharp if you catch it unexpectedly. The rear of the display was also quick to warm up quite alarmingly on several occasions, although this did not appear to impact performance.
Given that it isn't 4K-ready, the $279 price tag for the Monoprice 18545 is certainly reasonable, however if you are looking for a truly top-of-the-range offering, it might be worth spending a little more money elsewhere.
Keeping workplace data safe is a major consideration for many workers, and the Aegis Secure Key 3Z features one of the toughest alternatives around.
Primarily targeting those workers who are out and about a lot, and also want to keep their valuable information secure, the device is equipped with a physical keypad to protect what's inside.
Despite only being the size of a regular USB stick, the Aegis Secure Key 3Z is one tough cookie, able to stand up to almost any work environments. The rubber exterior, which is IP58 protective against dust and water, safeguards a rugged aluminium build inside and out, meaning that there is no easy way to break into this device.
The Aegis Secure Key 3Z also features top-of-the-range encryption that meets government standards alongside the onboard keyboard to enter a custom PIN and access the data within. Despite all this protection, setting up and using the device is fairly straightforward, not requiring any extra software or complex processes, with all the protection contained within.
In fact, the only downside appears to be the high price - at $79 for the 8GB model we reviewed, this is a far pricier alternative than other devices around today. But if security is your number one concern, then this is the storage device for you.
With data security becoming paramount for many of us these days, the diskAshur Pro looks to offer a comprehensive security offering to ensure your important data stays intact.
The key selling point of the diskAshur Pro is its obvious physical security - the device comes with a keypad that will only grant access to the data stored within upon entering a PIN number. Far from your usual ATM PIN number though, the device requires an identifier between seven and 15 digits, offering far tougher security, with the number able to be quickly personalised and changed, in order to keep your data safe.
Asides from the physical security (which extends to IP56 water and dust resistance and even a self-destruct feature), the diskAshur Pro also comes with some enviable encryption, sporting XTS-AES 256-bit real-time full disk hardware encryption and EDGE technology to offer even more levels of safety.
This version of the drive offers 500GB of storage, which should easily be enough to store all your vital documents, media and more, and connects to your PC or laptop via a standard USB 3.1 port.
The diskAshur Pro works across all major operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux, and requires no extra additional software to be installed, meaning using the device is incredibly easy.
Getting hold of the product may be the main issue with the diskAshur Pro, with the company manufacturing and selling many other models of the device on its site. We found this particular model for sale on Amazon for £211.96, and on iStorage's own site for £209.
If you are able to get one, however, the diskAshur Pro is unparalleled in both its physical and internal protection, and the compact build and hard-wearing design make this a must-have for the security-conscious.
The Apricorn Aegis Secure Key cuts a familiar figure; it does look a lot like the iStorage one but has 60x more capacity while costing about five times more. Comparing it to other secure USB drives, it does come across as being a bit of a bargain if you want to store massive amounts of data although it costs around three times the cheapest 512GB USB drive.
The USB drive itself incorporates a full 10-key alphanumeric keypad with two function keys plus three status lights. It then slots into a hardened epoxy-potted rugged aluminum enclosure which makes it dust and waterproof; the device is also certified IP-58 and at 46g and 93mm long is fairly chunky, putting a bigger strain on a device’s USB port than most USB drives.
As expected, it comes with built-in hardware encryption (256-bit AES) which means that it is totally independent from the host client and OS-agnostic. No keyloggers and no BadUSB vulnerability. It can be used where no keyboards are present and doesn’t require any drivers or software. It also means that it is powered by a battery which, unfortunately, adds another potential point of failure, especially as it runs rather hot in use.
The Aegis Secure Key has also received a FIPS 140-2 level 3 accreditation from NIST, the US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology, which oversees US government IT and computer security. Setting the drive up is the hardest part of the process. There is no factory default PIN so you need to create your own PIN (at last 7 numbers up to 16) to use it.
The drive can be configured with an admin PIN and a user PIN, both of which are independent and is a particularly useful option in a corporate setup when multiple units are deployed.
The presence of an on-device keyboard makes brute-force attempts difficult and after 20 incorrect PIN entry attempts, the drive automatically deletes the encryption key, rendering the data unreadable. What’s more, it auto-locks when it is disconnected from the host PC or after a set period. Note that it may not work with a USB-hub because of higher power requirements.
There is also a read-only mode that prevents the user from tampering with data on the drive. Add in a rated data transfer rate of up to 190MBps/160MBps (read/write speeds) and a three-year warranty and you get a very solid product. As always, bear in mind that such a device – especially of this size- doesn’t remove the need to have a secure backup; drives – even those with high MTBF - do fail, get damaged or lost.
Plug in the Kingston Ironkey D300 (IKD300/8GB) in your computer and the first thing you will notice is that the drive shows up as a CD Drive with a 14.4MB capacity. Surely some mistake! Well, you actually need to initialise the drive before using it for the first on any computer.
Note that Kingston strongly advises not to use the drive via a USB hub. Launching the application will request that you create a password (between eight and 16 characters) and will go on to format the drive.
You will confusingly end up with two “drives”, one with the initialisation software and the other one being the actual empty drive. Insert it in another computer (Linux, Mac or Windows) and you will be prompted to enter the right password.
Otherwise, as for other similar solutions on the market, enter the password wrong 10 times in a row and your content will be erased. As for the drive itself, it is an 8GB model with a zinc casing – which also doubles as a heatsink as the D300 heats up a fair bit under use - and tamper-evident epoxy seal for physical security.
With its cap on, it is waterproof (up to 4ft) and dustproof and at 51g, feels solid. More importantly though, the more compelling protection happens inside the device itself. It is a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified device with 256-bit AES hardware encryption.
There is a hardware cryptographic module inside the device itself which means that the encryption and decryption is done on the drive rather than on the host PC, with digitally signed firmware which makes the D300 immune to the notorious BadUSB exploit.
The D300, which comes with a five-year warranty, also offers a read-only option which allows any user, once authenticated, to open and view content on the drive but not change, update or erase the content.
There’s also a managed version of the drive which, as its name implies, allows the drive to be deployed en masse across an organisation but requires Ironkey EMS by Datalocker which allows for the drives to be centrally managed. This allows for drive-specific policies and allows administrators to disable lost or stolen drives remotely and more.
The drives are available in capacities ranging from 4GB to 128GB. The rated transfer rates of the drive vary between 80MBps to 250MBps (read) and 12MBps to 85MBps (write) depending on the capacity. Rule of thumb is the lower the capacity, the slower it will be.
The 8GB model performed better than expected with CrystalDiskMark benchmark results hitting 237.6MBps and 58.69MBps on Read and Write respectively.
The trend for thinner, lighter and more aesthetically pleasing laptop designs gave us the Apple Macbook, a stunningly beautiful device with only one connector, a lonely USB Type-C port.
There's a plethora of accessories - adapters and docking stations - on the market to solve that problem though, especially as more and more laptops are following Apple's lead and cutting the number of connectors to a minimum.
The Satechi Slim Aluminum Type-C Multi-Port Adapter is one of them. Available in four Apple-friendly colours, this device quadruples the amount of ports of the aforementioned MacBook.
There's a pass-through USB Type-C as well as two USB Type-A ports and an HDMI connector capable of supporting 4K video content, albeit at 30Hz - we'd certainly have preferred a DisplayPort.
Physically, the device is about 105mm long and comes with a 150mm USB Type-C cable. The enclosure is made entirely of aluminium which has a propensity to get scratched and marked when flung around too often.Compared to other products on the market, having a cable is preferable to avoid accidental damage to your laptop's port.
Note that each USB port on the Slim Type-C hub can provide 5V/1A (or 5W) and that Satechi advises that the maximum power load on the hub shouldn't exceed 10W, which excludes using it for heavy duty activities (e.g. charging two tablets).
The product comes with a one-year warranty.
Sandberg's Powerbank is neither the cheapest or the most powerful around. However, it does come with a couple of features that make it a rather enticing option.
It outputs to a number of voltages (12V, 16V, 19V and 20V), automatically choosing the right one depending on the device connected to it.
There are also two USB ports and these are obviously hardwired to output 5V on both. There are also 12 different charge tips but none would fit my Dell XPS 13, and they won't be useful for USB Type-C models like the Dell XPS 13 2016 edition.
There are a couple of things that differentiate this from most of its rivals on the market: it uses a brushed, premium, aluminium finish, with bright blue LED status lights that clearly indicate the amount of juice left or how close the battery is to being charged.
Speaking of charging, Sandberg decided to equip the Powerbank with a dedicated input port which allows the device to be charged in record time thanks to a 36W (18V/2A) power supply unit.
In comparison, the Aukey 30Ah we reviewed recently could only be charged using a 12W USB port which makes charging a lengthy process, often an overnight affair. It also means that you don't rely on your laptop or mobile charger to get the battery replenished.
Sandberg has equipped the Powerbank with an automatic 'switch on and switch off' mechanism to save power. It can deliver up to a total of 85W meaning that it can accommodate a massive 70W on its laptop/DC Out port. Note that the device comes with an industry-leading five-year warranty.
Quite a lot of Ultrabooks (and even a fair few graphics cards) now come with Mini DisplayPort connection as standard in lieu of the traditional D-Sub or HDMI ports; which can prove to be a pain if you're planning to deliver a presentation at a client's office and they only have a HDMI projector.
In theory, Mini DisplayPort – which is popular with Apple - has enough bandwidth to drive 4K monitors at 60Hz (HDMI can only do it at 30Hz) which results in a smoother end-user experience. However, today's product doesn't achieve this (it does reach 4K at 30Hz though).
What it does is merely converting the Mini DisplayPort to a HDMI port, all for just over £23 (about $35, AU$45), more specifically from DP m1.2 to HDMI 1.4 without the need for drivers or external power source.
Unlike other passive video adaptors, this one offers active signal conversion which means that it doesn't require a multi-mode DisplayPort source signal (like AMD's Eyefinity) which greatly expands its compatibility option. In addition, mDP supports 5.1 Surround Sound out of the box and is compatible with most Intel Thunderbolt devices. You will still need to have a HDMI cable at the other end though.
From a distance, it looks like a standard USB cable with a microUSB connector on one end and a bigger-than-average one on the other.
But look closer and you will see that it is a mirroring and KM (keyboard and mouse) sharing accessory. The KMC6105 allows you to view and interact with your Android device regardless of the brand and platform (i.e. tablet, Chromecast, smartphone) as well as sharing your keyboard and mouse.
Perhaps more importantly, it charges your Android device while in use, something that the previous generation model did not offer. Unlike that one, it allows you to use your smartphone as an additional screen. It also offers copy/cut and paste as well as drag and drop across the platform.
You will need to install a small executable file that is located on the device itself. Otherwise it will only behave like a standard (expensive) cable. You will need to enable Developer Options in newer smartphones by clicking seven times on the "build number" menu.
Subsequently, you will need to allow USB debugging which is how the KMC6105 works its magic. The installation process will also download the device's driver where necessary. Note that the device carries a standard two-year warranty and is USB 2.0 only.
The Android OS Mirroring and KM sharing cable is on sale at Lindy for £24.96.
Audio has historically never been a forte for laptops and that hasn't changed for Ultrabooks especially for those at the lower end of the spectrum (one might even say that it became worse).
Which is why something like an external sound card comes in quite handy. USB devices in general usually carry a performance penalty mostly because they use the host's processing power.
They also have a small impact on the battery life. However, given how powerful the recent crop of Intel-based processors has been, that shouldn't be an issue.
The ICUSBAUDIOMH External USB Card lets you add an S/PDIF digital audio output or a standard 3.5mm analog audio connection to your system through USB and essentially adds a 5.1 sound card.
The device, which is about the size of a lighter, has two 3.5-inch jacks for headphone and microphone (some Ultrabooks like the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro only have one port).
Startech's external card comes at the end of a rather long USB cable, uses a Via VT1630A chipset and is capable of sampling audio at up to 96kHz.
Available in black or white, it does support Sony's PlayStation 3 gaming console and comes with a two-year warranty.
This USB Stereo Audio Adapter External Sound Card is available for sale at Startech.
Skylum introduces AI-powered Quantum HDR Engine to Aurora HDR 2019
Skylum's popular Aurora HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo-editing software has now had its fourth major update.
Aurora HDR 2019 features Skylum’s Quantum HDR Engine, an AI-powered tone mapping technology and something Skylum has been working on for the past three years.
When producing an HDR image using multiple bracketed shots, Aurora HDR 2019 takes advantage of the Quantum HDR Engine to meticulously analyze the photos. From the information gathered, the software can then intelligently merge the images together according to Skylum, with the software producing images that have an expanded dynamic range yet are natural-looking.
Whether you’re working with bracketed shots or a single image, the Quantum HDR Engine is designed to reduce burned colors, loss of contrast, and noise, as well as mitigating unnatural lighting caused by halos and unstable deghosting.
Other standout updates include new LUT mapping integration, which allows for instant previews and utilizing the same tools used in motion pictures, meaning you can now stylize your images through color grading.
There's also Aurora HDR Looks, which replaces Presets and offers more selective aesthetic choices and more refined toning, and which also includes textures and masks. Finally, renowned photographers have created signature Aurora HDR Look packs that you can apply to your own images.
Aurora HDR 2019 is available for pre-order now priced at $89, with current users of Aurora HDR able to upgrade for a limited time for $49. UK and Australian pricing is to be confirmed.
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