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After years of success in China, and slow but steady progress in Europe and the rest of Asia, chipset manufacturer MediaTek has clearly set its sights on the US smartphone market with its first ever mmWave 5G chipset: the Dimensity 1050. While MediaTek already offers several 5G chipsets to smartphone manufacturers, all so far have been limited to sub-6GHz frequencies. The Dimensity 1050 breaks that trend by supporting sub6 along with mmWave, a different frequency band that’s currently only widely used in the US....

The Surface Book line continues to break new territory when it comes to Microsoft computers, with the Book 3 the most powerful laptop the company has ever made. While the lightweight Surface Laptop 4 is perhaps targeted towards everyday consumers, the Book line is unashamedly aimed towards power users. High-end internals, a detachable screen with its own battery and two size options offer the flexibility that so many creators are looking for....

In late October 2020, it was revealed that Microsoft Teams had jumped to 115 daily active users. That’s up from 75 million six months earlier, and represents a sustained period of growth for the collaboration software. What is Microsoft Teams? Teams is Microsoft’s communication and collaboration software. It covers messaging, calls, meetings and real-time collaboration, while you can also share files and connect external apps. However, despite initially being reserved for business users, the April 2020 rebranding of Office 365 to Microsoft 365 saw Teams take on much more of a consumer-focus....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The Moto G8 Plus delivers in principal areas like imaging, performance and battery life. It also brings a premium-looking design, a clean user experience and some smart modifications on top the Android experience to the table. The 48MP main camera offers a greatly-improved photography experience, while the Action Cam, with its ultrawide angle lens, grants the phone some impressive cinematography skills too. Add to that a big battery with fast charging and decent mid-range performance, all for less than its predecessor and the G8 Plus is a tempting offering indeed....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Elegant design and high build quality Generous storage Stereo speakers Large, fast-charging battery Cons Slightly faded screen Questionable wide-angle camera Choppy haptics Our Verdict The Moto G23 gives you high quality on the essentials, with a few exceptions. An overambitious camera and vibration motor that is so annoying I switched it off are two examples. But the important stuff, such as functional performance, battery life, charging, connectivity, screen and sound, you get here at a good price....

Motorola has officially announced the Edge 60 Fusion, its classy mid-range smartphone rival to the Samsung Galaxy A36. Motorola India has confirmed that the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion will be launching on April 2, just over a week from today. It’s also tipped its hand with regard to some of the phone’s key features and specifications. Count us deeply impressed. Motorola Edge 60 Fusion: Bright colours guaranteed In a summary of five top reasons to get the Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, the company leads with its bright and sharp curved display....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Netgear was one of the first companies to launch a draft 802.11ac wireless router in 2012, with the well-regarded R6300. Almost two years later, the fledgling Wi-Fi technology has only inched along but Netgear’s statement in noir seems to make good use of available components from its Broadcom supplier. Faster routers are available for 802.11n, but from every 802.11ac wireless router we’ve tested to date, the Netgear sets the benchmark of what is currently possible with the draft technology....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Powerline adapters are brilliant for making fast and simple home networks, and the Netgear Powerline 1200 models passed our speed and set up tests with ease. Of the two models we think paying extra for the PLP1200 with PassThrough sockets is worth the additional expense compared to the cheaper PL1200. Sadly both are rather limited by their no-frills features, though: one Ethernet port per adapter and lack of wireless mean these are relatively basic but will still make a huge difference to your home network and PC/entertainment download speeds....

At a Glance Our Verdict The PadFone mini is actually a great innovation that allows people to purchase a reasonable tablet and smartphone without breaking the bank. We were impressed with the design and feel of the device and the overall functionality of the PadFone mini was surprisingly good too. Weather people want a device that is a tablet and smartphone rolled into one remains to be seen. Best Prices Today: Asus PadFone mini The Asus PadFone (not to be confused with the PhonePad) first burst onto the scene in April 2012, the latest mini version has seen some significant spec chances....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Space-saving design Enough space to feed a small family Easy controls Excellent results Cons No shake alert No viewing window Max Crisp mode takes some experimenting Our Verdict The Ninja Max Pro will tick the boxes for what you’re looking for in an air fryer. It’s powerful, has a reasonably compact design and produces tasty, crispy, well-cooked food. Most importantly, it won’t break the bank....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Pros Big display Night mode camera 2-day battery Cons Slow performance Unreliable camera Micro-USB Our Verdict Performance is too inConsistent for me to sing the Nokia 2.4’s praises, but if you’re willing to be patient it will get the job done, and you could do a lot worse for £99. Best Prices Today: Nokia 2.4 There are budget phones and then there are budget phones, and at a mere £99/$139 the Nokia 2....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Pros Lightweight High-resolution display Cheap Cons Oculus Insight isn’t perfect Preset IPD settings No dedicated headphones Our Verdict The Oculus Quest 2 is a game-changer, offering high-quality standalone capabilities and the option to turn into a PC VR headset when necessary, and to top it off, it’s cheaper than practically every other headset available right now. Best Prices Today: Meta Quest 2 The Oculus Quest was a game-changer when it was released in 2019, but like with any first-generation product, it had its flaws....

In summary Samsung hasn’t included a Plus model with its latest tablet range Only Galaxy Tab S11 and S11 Ultra on offer Marks a change from last year’s Tab S10 family Samsung just announced its new flagship tablet series, and there’s been a big change to the roster: we won’t be getting a Samsung Galaxy Tab S11+. Around this time last year we wrote a very similar piece to this, revealing that Samsung had decided not to include a normal-sized, entry-level Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 in its then-new tablet line-up....

At a Glance Our Verdict OnePlus has smashed it out the park with the 7 Pro if you ask us, with an incredible combination of design and specs. This comparison is a very close call though as although the 7 Pro is amazing for the price, the Galaxy S10 has a few features that might convince you to spend the extra cash. Best Prices Today: OnePlus 7 Pro OnePlus has always competed in the mid-range of the smartphone market, at least in terms of price....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The OnePlus 7T Pro boasts an excellent 90Hz display, a powerful chipset capable of a high-end gaming experience and a great triple-camera setup that performs well in most conditions. But, with such a similar offering to the cheaper OnePlus 7T, the 7T Pro is amongst the best smartphones that we can’t wholeheartedly recommend. Best Prices Today: OnePlus 7T Pro The OnePlus 7T Pro was revealed at an event in London in October, and while it might not look like much has changed, the 7T Pro offers a range of enhancements that elevate the already impressive experience on offer from the 7 Pro earlier this year....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Pros 90Hz AMOLED display Fantastic main camera Oxygen OS software Cons Poor macro lens Plastic frame No wireless charging Our Verdict The OnePlus Nord gets its priorities right, delivering flagship fundamentals without the fluff – all at an astonishing price. Best Prices Today: OnePlus Nord OnePlus made its name undercutting flagship phones, but over time the brand slowly became exactly what it had originally set its stall against....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The Onkyo H500M on-ear headphone provides a stylish design and a removable cable, useful for longevity. The overall sound signature has a good presentation, but is severely let down by its closed soundstage, making the headphones sound clustered. Its on-ear design also limits the isolation and comfort of the headphones, making it hard to recommend for busy commutes. Best Prices Today: Onkyo H500M Onkyo H500M review: Price and competition The Onkyo H500M can be found in either black or white for £129....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Decent performance Excellent battery life 90Hz display Cons Lacklustre cameras Built-in bloatware Plasticky body Our Verdict The A78 5G is a cheap but commendable phone with some strong qualities, but the compromises Oppo has made on software and build quality means it won’t be a guaranteed hit with everyone. Best Prices Today: Oppo A78 5G Oppo, along with its sister company OnePlus, is known for making impressive, budget devices and the A78 is another addition to that family....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict The Kinetic VR Gaming PC is one of the least expensive VR-ready PCs you can buy. It doesn’t have a lot of power, but delivers performance where it’s really needed in order to provide a good VR experience at a low price. It’s also one of the few gaming PCs which could be Considered portable. Best Prices Today: Overclockers UK Kinetic VR Gaming PC The compact dimensions of the Kinetic VR immediately sets it apart from the competition....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Ultimately, the Panasonic TX­50AX802 is a thunderously fine UHD flatscreen, capable of outstanding 4K picture quality. Detail, dynamics and colour depth are all first­class. The set also looks great with full­HD and upscales Blu­ray content with Considerable finesse. While the lack of Netflix 4K support is a disappointment, the inclusion of Freetime remains a trump card. Overall Smart functionality is fine. Best Prices Today: Panasonic TX­50AX802 Panasonic’s 50-inch TX-50AX802 TV combines Ultra HD 4K resolution and advanced picture processing with Freetime, arguably the most seductive catch-up TV service yet....