The Wirecutter’s best deals: Save $40 on a Netgear Arlo Q security camera

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, they may earn affiliate commissions that support their work. Read their continuously updated list of deals here.

You may have already seen Engadget posting reviews from our friends at The Wirecutter. Now, from time to time, we’ll also be publishing their recommended deals on some of their top picks. Read on, and strike while the iron is hot — some of these sales could expire mighty soon.

Netgear Arlo Q Security Camera

Street price: $160; MSRP: $200; Deal price: $120

This is a good discount on the Arlo Q security camera at $120, matching our deal from nearly 6 months ago that was only available for a short time. This deal is a great price at around $40 below the typical street price. Shipping is free.

The Netgear Arlo Q is our runner-up pick in our guide to the best Wi-Fi security camera. Stewart Wolpin writes, “If the Logi Circle is sold out or otherwise unavailable, get the Netgear Arlo Q, which offers very good A/V and still-photo quality in bright, dim, and no light, relatively easy setup, smart and welcome geofencing alerts, unique and customizable activity zones that limit where the camera will detect motion, and free seven-day video recording and storage, all of which offset its slightly higher-than-average price.”

Plantronics Voyager Focus UC Wireless Office Headset

Street price: $192; MSRP: $260; Deal price: $167 w/ code ITSELECTRIC25

While we’ve seen the street price of this office headset drop over the past year, sales under $200 have been fairly rare. This drop down to $167 is a new low and a great deal on our top pick wireless headset. Make sure to use code: ITSELECTRIC25 in order to get the deal price of $167. Shipping is free since the order is over $35. It should also be noted that American Express is currently running a promotion offering a $25 statement credit on purchases over $125 from Jet, but your mileage may vary depending on your card.

The Jabra Evolve 65 is our runner-up pick in our guide to the best wireless headset for the office. Marianne Schultz writes, “The Plantronics Voyager Focus UC offers the best all-around performance and comfort of the headsets we tested. Despite being a bit heavier than some other headsets, all of our testers said the Voyager Focus was the most comfortable to wear for long periods, thanks to its plush, memory-foam earpads covered in soft leatherette, its not-too-tight clamping force, and the suspended headband cushion that exerts little pressure on the top of the head.”

Decibullz Contour Custom-Fit Earbuds

Street price: $45; MSRP: $50; Deal price: $30

Here’s a nice deal on the Decibullz Contour wired earbuds and it’s the lowest price we’ve seen for them. All colors are $30, $10 cheaper than the previous low we’ve seen. At this price, they will likely go fast. Shipping is free.

The Decibullz Contour are our affordable custom-fit pick in our Best Wired Workout Headphones guide. Lauren Dragan writes, “The Decibullz Contour model represents a unique idea and is worth checking out if fit is a perpetual issue for you. All of our panelists liked the sound, especially for the price. These headphones have a little extra bass and a little less high end, so if you like the sound of headphones such as the Velodyne vPulse, you’ll like what you hear from this pair, too. What makes the Decibullz Contour unique, however, is the at-home custom-moldable stability cuff (say that five times fast).”

Dragan continues, “Although the cuff is removable and remoldable, we had the panelists test the Contour’s sound with just the standard tips attached. None of us liked the included pinecone-style tips, but Brent swapped them out for another, rounded set and enjoyed the fit more. The headphones have a common-size tip fitting, so you can easily do the same. (Or, Decibullz, if you’re reading this, maybe you guys could start including some rounded tips as well?) Overall, the custom fit feels particularly comfy and really stays in, so if you’re into a little DIY, this pair could be worth your money.”

Samsung 850 Evo 500GB SSD

Street price: $180; MSRP: $200; Deal price: $144 w/ code ITSELECTRIC25

Good sales on SSD have been hard to find these days and the Samsung 850 Evo has only been on sale a handful of times since last year. While this isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen this year, it’s a nice $36 drop from the normal street price and only the third time we’ve seen it on sale worth mentioning. Make sure to use code: ITSELECTRIC25 in order to get the extra $25 off and dropping it down to the deal price. It should also be noted that American Express is currently running a promotion offering a $25 statement credit on purchases over $125 from Jet, but your mileage may vary depending on your card.

The Samsung 850 EVO is the top pick in our guide on the best SSDs. Nathan Edwards writes, “If we were upgrading a laptop or buying the primary drive for a desktop, we’d get the 500 GB Samsung 850 EVO (also available in M.2 and mSATA form factors). The 850 EVO is fast, cheap, and consistent, and it comes from a company that makes its own SSD controllers, firmware, and NAND. That means it gets first dibs on the good stuff, and is able to design the entire SSD to work together from the start. Samsung has made some of the best SSDs for the past five hardware generations, and this one is no exception. The 850 EVO isn’t the cheapest great SSD, but it is the best cheap SSD, even two years after launch. It offers a great combination of price, performance, and capacity, plus ample write endurance, hardware encryption support, and an exceptionally long five-year warranty.”

Because great deals don’t just happen on Thursdays, sign up for our daily deals email and we’ll send you the best deals we find every weekday. Also, deals change all the time, and some of these may have expired. To see an updated list of current deals, please go to The Wirecutter.com.

Jump between a dream and reality in Major Lazer’s new music video

Major Lazer’s latest EP, Know No Better, came out last month, surprising fans two years after the electronic hip-hop group’s previous LP, Peace is the Mission. The original music video for the track — which features Travis Scott, Camila Cabello and Quavo on vocals — has a video game-style first person perspective that shows the unseen protagonist handing out flyers with the title printed on it to various strangers on the street. Now, though, the group has a totally new video for the track. While watching, you can click an icon to switch between two perspectives of a boy’s life. It’s fun to change viewpoints between his ordinary life and his aspirational dreams, and the story the video tells is both emotional and adorable.

Toggling back and forth gives you a sort of directorial command; you can tell the story in many different ways depending on which beats you choose to view as a dream or in reality. Clicking back and forth shows a young man with aspirations to hip-hop stardom. The dream boy has chauffeurs, the latest fashionable clothes, and a couple of live-in backup dancers, while the actual youngster rides to a public school with his mom and has to deal with a sullen sister and bullying classmates. In each version, however, his food choices are the same: pop-tarts for breakfast and a taco joint for lunch.

The video was put together with the help of interactive video company Eko, who worked with the video’s director, Philip Andelman, to mesh the two storylines. “Major Lazer’s creative execution of this parallel story allows audiences to simultaneously step into the shoes of this young dreamer’s reality and his dreams themselves, experiencing his aspirations coming true with him in the moment,” said executive producer Lihu Roter in a statement. “It’s a lean forward experience that’s highly engaging, and indicative of what I believe mainstream storytelling will look like in the years to come.”

Source: Major Lazer

Amazon touts Prime Day results despite slumping profits

This year’s Prime Day was Amazon’s third and largest to date, according the company’s earnings report released on Thursday. The company claims that it was the “the biggest global shopping event ever for Amazon” and that it set an internal record for single-day Prime signups. All told, the sale moved more than 40 million units.

Amazon brand devices were especially hot commodities with the Echo, Fire tablet, and various Kindles all setting sales records. In fact, the company reports that the Dot was the single best-selling product during this year’s Prime Day, though it was nearly matched by the Element 55-inch 4K LED TV, which sold “record units in less than four hours” to become the top-selling television of the day.

Of course, Amazon’s recent success isn’t limited to a single site-wide sale. The company also boasted in its earnings report that its original programming shows like Transparent and Catastrophe, are up for 16 Emmy Awards while its feature-length film, The Big Sick, is rocking a 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. On the AI side, the company also points out that more than 15,000 commands are currently available on the Alexa Skills store.

All told, the company’s second quarter was a fairly successful one. According to the earnings report, operating cash flow increased 37 percent to $17.9 billion while net sales increased 25 percent to $38.0 billion in the second quarter, which (taking into account the company’s financial liabilities) works out to a net income of $197 million. Man, if Amazon keeps on like this, Jeff Bezos could soon become the richest man in the world. Oh, right, he already is. Or is he?

Source: Amazon

Despite stellar reviews, sales disappoint for LG’s G6 smartphone

It seems like LG’s year wasn’t as good as the company might have hoped. While the LG G6 was almost universally well-received, that good reception apparently didn’t translate into great sales — making this just another year in a string of rough years for the company.

As you might recall, last year it was the LG G5 that was blamed for LG’s lackluster sales, but that was a little more expected considering the fact that many reviewers didn’t like the G5 as much. Before that, the G4’s sales also “fell short of expectations.”

Of course, in general LG is doing fine. Smartphones are just one of LG’s businesses, and the company reported in its earnings call that three of its four major business units reported higher revenues this year than last year.

It’s not all that surprising that the G6 had some troubles. LG seems to have timed the release of the phone terribly. Because it released the phone in the first quarter of 2017, it was forced to use Qualcomm’s older chip, the Snapdragon 821 — while other flagships that were launched later this year instead used the Snapdragon 835. The reason for that was that the company was trying to get to market faster the the Snapdragon 835 devices — but by the time the phone was available in the U.S., the Samsung Galaxy S8, with the Snapdragon 835, had already been announced.

Once the Galaxy S8 was launched, we can’t imagine too many people opted instead for the G6. The Galaxy S8 is better than the G6 in almost every way, especially when it comes to power under the hood.

In any case, hopefully LG has finally learned its lesson. It will be very interesting to see what the company comes up with next year, and we can’t forget about the heavily rumored LG V30, which will serve as a follow up to the LG V20 and will be available later this year. The V30 will take advantage of the latest Qualcomm chip, and may be coupled with a hefty 6GB of RAM — which would make it one of the more powerful phones on the market.

AMD makes its A-Series APUs, Athlon X4 CPUs publicly available alongside Ryzen 3

Why it matters to you

System builders now have access to AMD’s seventh-generation A-Series APUs and Athlon X4 CPUs.

Although they were launched nearly a year ago for desktop manufacturers, AMD now provides its seventh-generation “Bristol Ridge” A-Series APUs (with graphics) and its Athlon X4 processors (no graphics) to mainstream markets such as Amazon and Newegg. The announcement was quietly slipped in with AMD’s Ryzen 3 launch on Thursday.

“The introduction of 7th Gen A-series, Athlon X4, and Ryzen 3 processors completes the stable, mature socket AM4 ecosystem, making it the only future-ready platform that scales all the way from entry-level CPUs all the way up to the high-end 8-core/16-thread Ryzen 7 1800X,” AMD said.

Here are the eight publicly available seventh-generation A-Series APUs for the AM4 (PGA 1331) socket:

CPU
Cores
Base
Speed
Max
Speed
GPU
Cores
GPU
Speed
Power
Draw
A12-9800
4
3.8GHz
4.2GHz
8x Radeon R7
1,108MHz
65 watts
A12-9800E
4
3.1GHz
3.8GHz
8x Radeon R7
900MHz
35 watts
A10-9700
4
3.5GHz
3.8GHz
6x Radeon R7
1,026MHz
65 watts
A10-9700E
4
3.0GHz
3.5GHz
6x Radeon R7
847MHz
35 watts
A8-9600
4
3.1GHz
3.4GHz
6x Radeon R7
900MHz
65 watts
A6-9550
2
3.8GHz
4.0GHz
4x Radeon R5
800MHz
35 watts
A6-9500
2
3.5GHz
3.8GHz
6x Radeon R5
1,029MHz
65 watts
A6-9500E
2
3.0GHz
3.4GHz
4x Radeon R5
800MHz
35 watts

As shown above, these all-in-one processors (SoCs) rely on Radeon R7 (mid-range) and R5 (entry-level) graphics cores, which are based on GPU designs prior to 2016’s “Polaris” architecture, and the current “Vega” design now rolling out to the desktop market. Notice that as the graphics cores break the 1,000MHz (1GHz) speed barrier, the parent chip requires more power from the desktop.

Again, all eight APUs (short for Accelerated Processing Unit) slip nicely into AMD’s AM4 socket (seat) on motherboards. They are compatible with the B350 chipset in the mainstream market, the A320 chipset for the entry-level market, and the X300, B300, and A300 chipsets for small form factor PCs.

Note that AMD also provides seventh-generation “Bristol Ridge” APUs for notebooks too although they are exclusive to original equipment manufacturers. These include the A10-9600P, the A10-9630P, the A12-9700P, and ten others. AMD sells “Pro” all-in-one chips as well.

Now here are the three seventh-generation Athlon X4 processors made available on Thursday:

Cores
Threads
Base
Speed
Max
Speed
L2
Cache
Power
Draw
Athlon X4 970
4
4
3.8GHz
4.0GHz
2MB
65 watts
Athlon X4 950
4
4
3.5GHz
3.8GHz
2MB
65 watts
Athlon X4 940
4
4
3.2GHz
3.6GHz
2MB
65 watts

With these graphics-free processors, the 950 and 940 models actually have a power draw between 45 watts and 65 watts. Otherwise, they slip into the same AM4 socket used by AMD’s seventh-generation APUs. They presumably work with the same set of motherboard chipsets, as well.

According to AMD, these three processors provide “true” quad-core power, making them capable of handling popular online games based on DirectX 12 and Vulkan. What would be interesting to see is how they stack up against AMD’s two new Ryzen 3 desktop processors in benchmarks. Ryzen-branded processors are based on the company’s latest “Zen” CPU architecture.

At the time this article went live, the publicly available A-Series APUs and Athlon X4 processors were not listed on Amazon and Newegg, so stay tuned for pricing and actual availability.

A decade later, the U.S. Navy railgun is even bigger and badder

Why it matters to you

The Navy’s long-awaited railgun is stronger and more durable than previous prototypes.

We’ve covered the sluggish progress of the U.S. Navy’s railgun program in the past, but it now looks like we are inching closer to seeing one of the electromagnetic weapons on an actual boat. After years of testing in the laboratory, the gun is finally being tested outdoors. Recent upgrades make the railgun exceptionally more durable and powerful, but when will the weapon actually make it to the high seas?

Unlike traditional propellant-based weapons systems, railguns launch shells at high speeds using a series of electromagnets. We were all teased on the concept in 2012 as footage leaked of the weapon demonstrating its capabilities on land and now it looks like the prototype weapon is receiving some major upgrades to increase its firing capacity. According to the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the goal is for the railgun to be able to launch ten shots per minute at 32 megajoules. (That’s the equivalent force of 32 one-ton cars crashing into a target at 160 miles per hour.)

Needless to say, the ability to accelerate an object via electromagnetism to nearly Mach 6 speeds in a split second is no easy task. The project has been delayed multiple times over the past decade and many of these snags are due to durability and structural concerns. For example, in 2009, it was reported that even a few shots can dislodge internal components including the conducting rails and even the gun barrel itself. With the latest upgrades, the Navy now believes the launcher core could potentially fire more than 400 projectiles before structural failure, and the barrel could last for up to 1,000 rounds.

Eventually, the Navy plans to install the final railgun onboard its Zumwalt-class destroyers. With the ability to generate 78 megawatts of electricity, these ships were specifically designed to one day operate railguns, and are currently the only surface ships capable of doing so. Originally, the Navy had sought to build more than 32 of the Zumwalts, however, that number has been slashed to three.

Currently, these ships utilize 155-millimeter long-range guns as we await the railguns’ final unveiling. The USS Lyndon B. Johnson Zumwalt could be the first of the three ships to be outfitted with the Navy’s final railgun product, however, seeing as the ship is set to be christened in 2018, there is still some waiting involved.

Apple streamlines iPod lineup, says goodbye to the Nano and Shuffle

Why it matters to you

While fans may mourn for the iPod Shuffle and Nano, the iPod Touch is still available, and now includes double the storage of previous models.

After Apple discreetly took down the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle product pages from its website on Thursday, speculation ensued on what the future held for the devices. A spokesperson from Apple confirmed it has said goodbye to the tiny MP3 players and have officially discontinued both models, The Verge reports.

The announcement comes only a few years after Apple discontinued the iPod classic due to a lack of parts available to create the device. But this time around, the decision was more calculated. The company explained that it put an end to the Nano and Shuffle in order to simplify the iPod lineup — by now offering only the iPod Touch.

Loyal iPod users may have already seen the end coming, when it was confirmed neither the Shuffle and Nano were included in the group of devices getting Apple Music back in 2015. If you tried to sync offline tracks from Apple Music’s streaming library, you’d get stuck with an error message that read “Apple Music songs cannot be copied to an iPod.” Therefore, forcing you to stick to the traditional method of buying and downloading songs.

In terms of redesign, the Nano and Shuffle haven’t received any major updates in recent years either, other than Bluetooth support and an array of new colors. Both models were also the last of the iPod lineup to have zero internet connectivity or cell service.

Although you can no longer purchase either of the devices from Apple, there may still be some in stock at electronic stores like Best Buy until the supply runs out. To ease the pain of saying goodbye, two models of the iPod Touch are now available with double the storage. You have the option of purchasing the 32GB for $199 or for more storage capacity, there’s also the 128GB for $299. However, the 16GB and 64GB versions are no longer available for purchase.

The iPod Touch comes in different color options — similar to the Nano and Shuffle — like pink and blue along with muted colors such as space gray or silver. It also includes a 4-inch Retina display, 8-megapixel iSight camera, FaceTime HD camera, and an A8 chip built in making it faster than its predecessor.

Microsoft’s bug bounty system now offers up to $15,000 for finding flaws

Why it matters to you

If you’re a pro at discovering software flaws, Microsoft’s bug bounties now have an unlimited time period and more options for rewards.

Microsoft expanded its existing bug bounty system to include all manner of Windows flaws if they are found within one of its Slow ring Insider builds. Whether you find it in the base operating system itself, or any of its companion software pieces, you may now be able to claim a finder’s fee reward from Microsoft up to $15,000, Ars Technica reports

Bug bounty systems are a tried-and-tested formula for finding bugs before they can see wider exploitation. It turns the practice of discovering flaws into a money-making endeavor, rather than the exploitation of them. Microsoft has seen much success with its own specific bounty systems for software like the Edge browser and exploit-mitigation systems.

Those software-specific bug bounties will remain, but Microsoft is now offering rewards for exploits found in the greater Windows ecosystem. Privilege elevation bugs will see up to a $10,000 payout, while denial of service exploits are worth a more reserved $5,000 to the software giant.

As much as digging for bugs in those areas would be a decent way to earn a living for a number of hackers, regardless of the color hat they wear, Microsoft’s older, more selective bounty systems are still far more lucrative. One key area Microsoft is looking to shore up is its virtual machine Hyper-V system. Find a flaw in that and Microsoft could reward you up to $250,000, whether it is for Windows 10, Server 2012 or a Windows Server Insider preview.

Problems found with the Windows Defender Application Guard come with a $30,000 bounty attached, whereas mitigation bypass bugs could net you as much as $100,000 if discovered.

All of the figures listed are the maximum, however, so most bugs will unlikely earn that much. The smallest payout for any particular category is $500, so don’t expect to retire if you find a singular flaw in a piece of Microsoft software. The potential is there though if your detection skills are strong enough.

You have time to find them too, as most crucially, the new bounties are not time-limited. While in the past the software giant often pushed for bugs to be found within a select time period to help clear up software before launch, with its new bounties it has them all listed as “ongoing,” with no stated plan for finalizing them.

Moto Z2 Force vs. Moto Z Force: Battle of the superpowered modular phones

Last year’s Moto Z Force stuffed a large battery into Lenovo’s top-of-the-line modular smartphone. While it gave the device some added heft, it also made it one of the longest lasting on a charge. Add in the company’s proprietary Shattershield technology and an ever-growing range of Moto Mods, and you had a tank of a flagship built to withstand anything, without skimping on power. So it would seem the new Moto Z2 Force has quite a bit to live up to. How does it compare to its predecessor? Read on to find out as we pit Moto Z2 Force vs. Moto Z Force.

Specs and performance

Lenovo Moto Z2 Force

Lenovo Moto Z Force

Size
155.8 x 76 x 6.1mm (6.13 x 3 x 0.24 in)
155.9 x 75.8 x 6.99mm (6.14 x 2.98 x 0.28 in)
Weight
5.04 ounces (143 grams)
5.75 ounces (163 grams)
Screen
5.5-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED P-OLED touchscreen
5.5-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED P-OLED touchscreen
Resolution
1,440 x 2,560 (538ppi)
1,440 x 2,560 (538ppi)
OS
Android 7.1.1
Android 7.0 Nougat
Storage
64GB (U.S.) 128GB (International)
32GB/64GB
MicroSD card slot
Yes
Yes
NFC support
Yes
Yes
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
RAM
4GB (U.S.) 6GB (International)
4GB
Connectivity
4G LTE, GSM, CDMA, HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
4G LTE, GSM, CDMA, HSPA+, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi
Camera
Dual 12MP rear, 5MP front
21MP rear with OIS, 5MP front
Video
4K
4K
Bluetooth
Yes, version 4.2 (update to Bluetooth 5 coming with Android 8.0)
Yes, version 4.2
Fingerprint sensor
Yes
Yes
Other sensors
Gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light, proximity sensor
Gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light, proximity sensor
Water resistant
Yes (water-repellent nano-coating)
Yes (water-repellent nano-coating)
Battery
2,730mAh
3,500mAh
Ports
USB-C, Moto Mod connector
USB-C, Moto Mod connector
Marketplace
Google Play
Google Play
Color offerings
Super Black, Fine Gold, Lunar Grey (T-Mobile exclusive)
Black with Lunar Grey, Black with Rose Gold, Fine Gold
Availability

Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, Best Buy

Verizon, Best Buy

Carriers
Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, U.S. Cellular
Verizon
Price
Starting at $750
Starting at $720
DT review
Hands-on
3 out of 5 stars

The gap between the Z2 Force and Z Force is a generational one, with the newer phone sporting an improved Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, rather than last year’s Snapdragon 820. In the United States, both feature 4GB of RAM, and both come with 64GB of storage — though the Z Force started with 32GB, and the higher capacity was optional. Outside of the States, 128GB will be available too, and some regions will even see 6GB of RAM.

Qualcomm’s previous high-end chip was fast, but the 835 improves upon it in every dimension. Some benchmarks show performance gains up to 40 percent, while the newer chipset’s 10-nanometer construction translates to better power efficiency. The Snapdragon 820 is no slouch, and 4GB of RAM is plentiful in either application — but all else being equal, the 835 in the Z2 Force makes it the one to have.

Winner: Moto Z2 Force

Design

Motorola Moto Z Droid and Moto Z Force Droid

Not much has changed in terms of the way these phones look and feel, and for good reason. Lenovo had to keep the same design, so that the Moto Mods already on the market would be compatible with the new model. Both devices support the full range of attachments available now, like Hasselblad’s TrueZoom camera mod, JBL’s SoundBoost 2 speaker, as well as the recently-released Moto TurboPower pack.

While the Moto Mod issue has limited any sort of interesting new design touches, the first Moto Z was an attractive device, and so too is this one. The similarities are most apparent from the front, where the only notable change can be observed in the Z2 Force’s roomier, more rounded fingerprint sensor. Around the back, Lenovo has used a slightly different mix of materials — though whatever you see will likely be covered up with a Moto Mod, or at least one of the interchangeable Style Shells.

You’ll also notice the Z2 Force is a bit thinner than its predecessor. Whether the trade-off of a few millimeters justifies the reduction in battery capacity (more on that later) will be a matter of personal preference. But in every other respect, you’d have a difficult time telling these phones apart unless you knew what you were looking for.

Winner: Tie

Display

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

There doesn’t appear to be a significant change in the display department either, with the Z2 Force retaining the 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and 5.5-inch dimensions of the AMOLED panel in last year’s model. The AMOLED technology and proximity sensors on the surface of the device work in tandem to support Moto Display — a feature where you can glimpse at notifications simply by waving your hand above the phone. We were satisfied with the screen on the Z Force, and have no reason to think it will disappoint this time around.

Winner: Tie

Battery life and charging

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Lenovo has made a controversial choice with the Z2 Force, and that’s the decision to slim down the battery from last year’s model. While that phone had a large 3,500mAh battery, the Z2 Force only has room for a 2,730mAh unit. This would be frustrating for most devices — but it especially hurts the Z2 Force, given that longer life was such a huge part of its predecessor’s appeal. The Z2 Force’s battery is barely larger than the 2,600mAh one in the standard Moto Z from 2016. Thankfully, both phones feature TurboPower technology, providing eight hours worth of juice in 15 minutes of charging.

The Z Force managed about two days on a charge when we reviewed it. While the more power efficient processor could help the situation somewhat, we don’t expect the Z2 Force to compare favorably, as it lacks nearly a third of the capacity. It’s possible that Lenovo’s strategy is to convince consumers to justify buying a TurboPower pack. However, given that the company currently sells a $130 phone packing a 5,000mAh battery, it’s difficult not to feel disappointed.

Winner: Moto Z Force

Camera

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

One of the other few areas in which these phones diverge is in the photography department. Lenovo has jumped aboard the dual camera train with the Z2 Force, trading last year’s 21-megapixel single lens for a pair of 12-megapixel ones, each with an f/2.0 aperture. The Z Force had the capability to capture decent shots, but was badly hampered by an app that was incredibly slow to focus and produce photos. In terms of the front-facing cameras, both phones feature 5-megapixel shooters for selfies.

We’re expecting an improvement across the board with the Z2 Force, and the tricks that many phones with dual lenses employ — like depth-of-field for portraits, which we’ve seen in devices like the iPhone 7 Plus or OnePlus 5 — should make the experience a little more interesting. For example, one of the Z2 Force’s cameras shoots exclusively in monochrome, for true black-and-white photography. If Lenovo can deliver better low-light performance and less sluggish focus, the Z2 Force will be much better as a camera compared to its predecessor.

Winner: Moto Z2 Force

Software

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Both the Z2 Force and Z Force run the latest version of Android, version 7.1.1 Nougat. The Moto brand is known for keeping the operating system as close to stock as possible, with no dramatic changes or layers tacked onto the experience.

The Z Force, however, was sold only in the U.S. as the Verizon-exclusive Z Force Droid — and so it inherited all of the carrier’s apps, as well as a heap of bloatware that could not be uninstalled, only disabled. Thankfully, the Z2 Force will arrive on other networks this go-around, meaning there could be fewer unnecessary apps to put up with depending on where you go to buy your phone.

Winner: Moto Z2 Force

Pricing and availability

Jessica Lee Star/Digital Trends

Motorola will make the Z2 Force available for $800. Meanwhile, the carriers are charging a bit less, at least at launch.

Verizon has listed the full price for the Z2 Force at $756. However, customers who enroll in a two-year contract with the carrier will be able to snag one for less, at $15 per month over 24 months. Meanwhile, Sprint’s Z2 Force runs $792, with the option of $33 over 18 months. Finally, T-Mobile is charging $750 outright, or $30 over 24 months. Some carriers are sweetening the deal with a free Instashare projector Moto Mod, which typically runs $300.

Ordinarily, it’s not a bad idea to spring for last year’s model when buying a new phone, to save a little cash. In this case however, the Z Force Droid’s Verizon exclusivity means many customers will have no choice but to buy the newer phone if they’re on a different carrier. Furthermore, at the time of writing, Verizon has not reduced the price of the outgoing device, which sits at $720. Without a discount, there’s really no incentive to pass over the newer flagship.

Winner: Moto Z2 Force

Overall winner

While the Z2 Force doesn’t represent quite the same leap forward for Lenovo that last year’s range did, it features a number of key improvements that will make it the better phone for most people. Though the reduction in battery size is unfortunate, the more powerful, efficient processor, state-of-the-art dual cameras, and expanded availability should make up for it. Real-world testing will offer more definitive details, but in the meantime you can read our hands-on impressions while you wait for the upcoming full review. For now, the Z2 Force wins on paper.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (Gen 2) Review

Research Center:
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2017) 20JF-000BUS

The Lenovo ThinkPad series remains one of the most revered lines of PC laptops. Its fans number among the most intense PC enthusiasts on the planet — and they don’t respond well to change for its own sake. That made it hard for many to accept the gradual splicing of ThinkPad and Yoga DNA, which resulted in products like the ThinkPad Yoga 260. We’ve embarked on this Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga review to see if Lenovo manages to keep ThinkPad purists happy.

Lenovo sought to silence the doubters with its first edition ThinkPad X1 Yoga. The X1 series is the company’s flagship line; in the past, its models have ranked among the best thin-and-light notebooks on the market. The introduction of a Yoga model made an obvious statement. Flash forward to 2017, and Lenovo’s introduction of the second generation of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga brings several welcome updates and demonstrates that the company remains serious about the 2-in-1 form factor.

Our relatively low-end review unit arrived with a seventh-generation Core i5-7200U processor, 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM, a PCIe 256GB solid state drive (SSD), and a 14-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) touchscreen. Lenovo also offers more serious specifications, including a Core i7 CPU, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of SSD storage. There’s even an OLED display option, making Lenovo the only company to have brought OLED technology to the laptop.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

As with all ThinkPads, the X1 Yoga commands a serious price. Base models like our review unit start at $1,682 and going OLED adds another $250. Cranking up the specifications leads to a high-end price of $2,510 for an Intel Core i7-7600U, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and an OLED WQHD (2,560 x 1,440) display. Does the updated X1 Yoga continue to convince skeptics that a ThinkPad can make for a good 2-in-1, and has the ThinkPad name maintained its appeal in the face of increasing competition?

Silver is the new black

Generally speaking, the new ThinkPad X1 Yoga closely resembles its predecessor, with one glaring difference. While past ThinkPads came in whatever color you want as long as it’s black, Lenovo has added in a silver option this time around. The lines remain the same, as does the same carbon fiber hybrid chassis, but the new color option — which adorned our review unit — adds a little pizazz while perhaps belying the ThinkPad’s usual no-nonsense aesthetic.

Past ThinkPads came in any color you wanted as long as it was black, but now there’s a silver option.

Other than the color scheme, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga retains close to the same basic specifications. The OLED version comes in at 0.69 inches thick and weighs 2.99 pounds, while the IPS display version is 0.67 inches thick and weighs 3.13 pounds. Those are up just the slightest bit from the previous generation.

Competitors haven’t stood still since the original version was introduced, and these specifications aren’t quite as class-leading any longer. Other machines are thinner and lighter, for example the ultrathin consumer-oriented 14-inch Acer Spin 7, but the ThinkPad X1 Yoga remains one of the lightest and thinnest 14-inch business machines around.

Since it’s a Yoga, this ThinkPad converts into a tablet by rotating the display backwards 360 degrees. This tactic makes conversion simple, and it doesn’t leave you with a now-useless dock that you must find a place to store as with detachable tablets. But it also means the full weight and size of the device is always a factor. A 14-inch laptop that weighs around three pounds is light, but a 14-inch tablet that weighs the same? Not so much.

Lenovo included two features that make the most of tablet mode, however. First, the lift-and-lock keyboard on the original version lifted the keyboard tray to lie flush with the keys when the device is folded into tablet mode, which makes tablet use feel more natural. That design has been revised for this version. Now, the keys rise above the completely flat keyboard deck when the lid is opened, and they’re pulled down into the chassis when the lid is closed – an action that Lenovo calls its Wave Keyboard mechanism.

Unfortunately, we found that the swiveling action isn’t as smooth as with other 360-degree convertibles. There’s a noticeable and noisy ratcheting action with the new design that takes some getting used to, and that demands two hands to operate.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga retains the rechargeable pen that allows fine-grain use of the touchscreen. As before, unlike all its competitors, this 2-in-1 has a built-in storage slot that fully protects the stylus when it’s not in use, and charges the pen when it’s locked in place. It’s a nice feature, but it does result in a pen that’s rather small, and doesn’t feel as natural as some others.

The pen is handy in tablet mode, but it doesn’t make the X1 Yoga a direct competitor to the Microsoft Surface Pro, Lenovo’s own ThinkPad X1 Tablet, or the Samsung Galaxy Book. This is a 14-inch system, remember, so it’s too large to use easily with one hand in tablet mode, despite its relative lightness. Lenovo designed this system for people who want a notebook first but who also appreciate the flexibility of tablet use when it’s needed.

ThinkPad fans will expect a sturdy product, and despite its 2-in-1 design, the X1 Yoga delivers. It doesn’t feel like a tank — it’s too light for that — but it seems robust when handled. There’s not much flex, and the hinge stays in place wherever it’s positioned. Durability is hard to guess based on a few weeks of use, but the X1 Yoga feels worthy of the ThinkPad name. The only thing that gives us pause is the swivel action that feels like it might not be too robust.

Lots of ports, including the most modern

Competitors haven’t stood still, and the newest ThinkPad X1 Yoga isn’t the class leader it once was.

While the X1 Yoga’s weight is more like a 13-inch system, its larger 14-inch display and corresponding chassis provide room for more ports than usual. Lenovo seriously ramped up connectivity this time around, offering two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support, three USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI connection, a mini-RJ45 port, and a combo headphone/microphone jack.

There’s also a microSD card reader and SIM slot on the back beneath a protective cover. Lenovo dropped the OneLink+ port for use with Lenovo peripherals, which might be a concern for anyone who has an investment in that technology. The company likely sees USB Type-C docks as picking up the slack.

Wireless connectivity is covered by the usual combo of 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Bluetooth 4.1.

A keyboard you’ll (mostly) love

Keyboard quality is a big deal for ThinkPads. The brand has endured controversial changes over the last few years, ditching old-school beveled keys for a more modern, rounded design. We enjoyed typing on the X1 Yoga, as the keys featured significant travel and a firm bottoming action, but we also noticed a fair amount of keyboard flex even with the revised deck design.

Accurate typing was aided by the spacious layout. The keys are large, including those that are sometimes skimped by other laptops, such as the Backspace key. A touch typist should be able to float across them without much learning curve. The only oddity is one brand loyalists will be familiar with. The Function toggle key is to the left of the Control key, while every other laptop has the reverse layout. That can cause a bit of a learning curve for things like copy and paste for anyone who’s used to the usual key placement.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

A backlit keyboard is standard. It provides only two levels of brightness but adds in an automatic mode using an ambient light sensor. The backlight is bright enough to make it useful and there’s not a lot of bleed to distract in dark environments.

Mouse navigation is handled by a reasonably sized touchpad with integrated buttons, or a TrackPoint nubbin in the middle of the keyboard. The touchpad supports the Microsoft Precision Touchpad protocol and is just as responsive and reliable as usual. Those who love the ThinkPad TrackPoint will be happy to know it works as well as ever, and it’s paired with discrete, clickable buttons. Unlike the keyboard, which has changed over the years, the TrackPoint experience is much as we remember it a decade ago.

Finally, Lenovo rounds out the ThinkPad X1 Yoga’s interactivity with a fingerprint scanner supporting Windows 10 Hello. It’s embedded in the keyboard deck to the right of the touchpad and it works well, quickly recognizing registered fingerprints and logging into the system instantly and without fuss.

A veritable smorgasbord of display options

The base X1 Yoga has a 14-inch 1080p IPS touchscreen, which equipped our review unit. We also reviewed the WQHD IPS and OLED displays on the earlier model, giving points of reference for the entry-level screen. The first thing to note is that 1080p is just on the border of being too pixelated when used in a 14-inch display, so pixel-peepers might want to look at the higher-resolution options for this fact alone.

In terms of overall quality, the 1080p IPS display is just a bit below average, based on the objective results generated by our colorimeter. Brightness is acceptable at 312 nits, and contrast is average at 830:1 at full brightness. So far, those results are just okay compared to competitive systems such as the HP EliteBook x360 G2, which is a directly competitive business-oriented 2-in-1.

However, color gamut support is weak at 67 percent of AdobeRGB, where most competitors come in at around 72 percent or higher. The second-generation ThinkPad X1 Yoga’s 90 percent of sRGB color gamut is also low, with 94 percent or higher being the norm. Color accuracy, where a score of 1.0 or less is considered excellent, was also average at 1.93. Finally, gamma was 2.1, close to the optimal score of 2.2 and demonstrating that the screen might be a little brighter than intended.

In the graph above, you can see that the last generation’s WQHD IPS panel is very similar to this version’s Full HD screen in objective measurements, indicating that you need to upgrade to the OLED display if you really want superior contrast, colors, and brightness. Since you also get the higher WQHD resolution with that upgrade, we recommend it if you are someone who values a quality display.

In actual use, however, we found the Full HD display to be just fine despite its average experience with our colorimeter. For typical productivity work and for watching video, the display was plenty bright in most tested environments, and colors were just fine for everything except professional image editing. As mentioned earlier, pixel peepers might notice a pixel or two given the Full HD resolution and the 14-inch screen, but most people won’t notice any problems.

The sound won’t blow you away

A pair of speakers are located in the bottom of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, just as with the previous generation. The audio was fine for the usual Windows sounds and for routine videoconferencing. However, you’ll want to use some headphones for music or video, as there’s very little bass to speak of and the sound distorts a little at high volumes. Get some external speakers if you need to share audio with a crowd.

Average performance from an entry-level CPU

Our review unit came with the seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7200U, a decidedly mid-level processor that’s fine for general productivity work and not much more. You can upgrade all the way to the Intel Core i7-7600U, which is a strong performer, and worth the money for anyone with higher performance needs.

Our benchmark results bear out the entry-level nature of the CPU. In Geekbench 4, which measures the CPU across many processor-intensive tasks, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga scored 3,896 in the single-core test and 7,683 in the multi-core test. Those results are exactly as expected — no more and no less. The Core i7-7600U and even faster Core i7-7660U demonstrate their advantage here, particularly with the Microsoft Surface Pro, that managed to pull out a strong win even as an incredibly thin tablet.

The same held true in our more robust and real-world Handbrake test, where we look at how long it takes a machine to encode a 420GB video to H.265 format. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga’s Core i5-7200U was slower only than the same processor in Lenovo’s consumer 2-in-1, the Yoga 720 13, with the faster Core i7 processors completing the test in significantly less time. Again, the Surface Pro was fastest by a considerable margin.

Nevertheless, if you’re a typical productivity worker who needs to churn through documents and spreadsheets to go along with the usual web surfing and watching video, then the second-generation ThinkPad Yoga X1 performs quickly enough. You won’t want to use it for more processor-intensive tasks like video editing, however, as there are faster quad-core notebooks available for that kind of work.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

We do note that the fans were a bit loud during the most intense testing, given the small vents on the rear of the unit below the display. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga never got particularly hot, but the cooling system did have to work overtime on occasion. Although the fans put out a significant and quite audible volume of air, the pitch wasn’t such that we found it particularly bothersome. If you need to work in completely silent environments, though, the noise level is something to keep in mind.

Middling storage performance

You can choose from a 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD when configuring your ThinkPad X1 Yoga, and they’ll all connect via fast PCIe connections. Our review unit was equipped with a midrange Toshiba SSD that typically promises good but not great performance.

As expected, the ThinkPad Yoga X1 performed decently enough, scoring a 1,132 MB/s read score and 764 MB/s write score in the CrystalDiskMark benchmark. That’s significantly slower than the popular Samsung PM961 SSD that’s used a two of our comparison systems, the Yoga 720 13 and the latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon notebook.

The thing about these storage scores is that even though the Toshiba SSDs were slower, they weren’t slow. Yes, Samsung’s drive is faster in a benchmark like this, but in actual use the majority of users are unlikely to notice the difference. Only someone who works with applications that read and write huge amounts of data, like manipulating massive databases, is likely to benefit from the faster drive.

Forget about gaming

This laptop is built for work, not play, so gaming isn’t a priority and a discrete GPU is not available. Intel integrated graphics is the only option, which promises good enough graphics for normal productivity work and for watching video, but gamers should look elsewhere.

And indeed, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga performed right in line with other machines using Intel’s Graphics HD 620. The 3DMark Fire Strike score of 924 was competitive with other similar systems, and indicates that you’ll be able to play casual Windows 10 games and older desktop gaming titles at lower resolutions. However, don’t have any delusions about running modern titles with any level of detail.

Just for kicks, we fired up Civilization VI and ran it at Full HD at medium settings. It was essentially a slideshow and would require lowering the resolution and turning down the settings to get any kind of meaningful performance. However, the graphics capabilities of the ThinkPad Yoga X1 should be just fine for productivity applications and watching video.

Light, thin, and above average battery life

The 14-inch screen, combined with beefy bezels along the display’s top and bottom edge, make for a sizable system footprint. Even so, at around three pounds the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is extremely light – about the same as Dell’s XPS 13, which is substantially smaller overall. That means the X1 Yoga isn’t dense, and distributes what little weight it carries well.

The second-generation machine includes a slightly larger 56 watt-hour battery compared to the previous version’s 52 watt-hour battery. That’s a decent size for the class of machine, and so promises good to great battery life.

In our testing, our expectations held out. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga scored a strong four hours and 22 minutes in our most aggressive Basemark test, which runs through several aggressive CPU and GPU tests. That compares favorably to the four hours and 48 minutes that the 13.3-inch HP EliteBook x360 G2 could last.

In terms of looping a local video, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga lasted for a solid 11 hours and 36 minutes, right in line with the HP EliteBook’s 11 hours and 56 minutes. The ThinkPad X1 Yoga’s notebook sibling, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, lasted for a ludicrous 14 hours and 30 minutes, demonstrating that Lenovo did some special optimizations with that machine.

Finally, on our midrange test that loops through a series of typical web pages, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga churned through eight hours and 41 minutes of surfing before giving up. That beat out the HP EliteBook’s eight hours and 31 minutes, but again the ThinkPad X1 Carbon was the champ here at 11 hours and 25 minutes.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga (2017) 20JF-000BUS Compared To

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

Acer Spin 7

Dell Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1 (2016)

Acer Switch Alpha 12

HP Spectre x360 13-w023dx

Huawei Matebook

Dell Inspiron 11 (2015)

Toshiba Satellite Radius 14…

Dell Inspiron 13 7000 Special…

Lenovo Yoga 3

Asus Transformer Book T300 Chi

Toshiba Satellite Click 2 Pro

HP EliteBook Revolve

Acer Aspire P3

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge Twist

All in all, these results indicate that the second-generation ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a very solid performer that will likely last most users a full day’s work, and then some. At least, that’s when equipped with the Full HD display, which helps considerably in stretching out the battery, along with the entry-level Core i5-7200U CPU. If you jump up in resolution and grab the OLED display, while opting for a faster processor, then you’ll naturally experience less battery life.

All of this makes the machine both highly portable and able to last a good while away from a charger. There’s something to be said about a machine that has a nicely sized display that’s nevertheless light in the hand and that can go the distance.

Software

Lenovo didn’t pack in too much additional software into the second-generation ThinkPad X1 Yoga. There are the usual Windows 10 games and Microsoft first-person apps, and then a few Lenovo configuration utilities that are unobtrusive and helpful if you like to dig into a machine’s proprietary configuration settings.

Warranty

The usual one-year warranty comes standard with the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga. Several upgrades are available at an added cost.

Our Take

The second-generation ThinkPad X1 Yoga manages to maintain the ThinkPad’s general look and feel and its excellent build quality while squeezing in the versatility of a 360-degree convertible. However, although it’s classified as a business machine, it doesn’t really add in all that many business-oriented features other than the ThinkPad name.

The newest version does use more robust and modern components, including seventh-generation Intel processors and the useful USB Type-C port. The OLED display option is a real differentiator and worth considering for anyone who’s a ThinkPad fan and wants a seriously excellent display. Otherwise, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga offers questionable value for the extra expense that goes along with the ThinkPad name.

Is there a better alternative?

There aren’t that many 14-inch 2-in-1 machines to compare to the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, particularly in the business segment. If you include consumer class machines, then Lenovo’s own Yoga 910 is a solid option to compare with. It uses a metal chassis and sports jazzier looks, but it provides similar performance. It’s also considerably less expensive, currently on sale for $979 with the same Core i5-7200U CPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and Full HD display as our $1,682 review unit.

For a more business-to-business comparison, you can consider the HP EliteBook x360 G2. Although the HP has a 13.3-inch display, it’s also aimed at business users and carries a similar $1,679 price as equipped. Unless you need that little bit of extra screen real estate or an OLED screen, however, the HP EliteBook is a more compelling option. It provides equally robust build quality, better battery life, privacy screen and 4K UHD display options, and a superior keyboard. In addition, HP packed in more business-oriented security and productivity features, making it a better choice for professionals.

If you don’t need a 360-degree convertible 2-in-1 at all and simply love the ThinkPad line, then you could always consider the ThinkPad X1 Carbon notebook. It provides superior battery life, great performance, the same robust ThinkPad build, and it’s priced similarly at $1,669 for the same specifications as our review unit (and it’s on sale right now for $1,418, a relative bargain). You’ll also get the same size display, although you’ll give up the OLED option.

How long will it last?

The second-generation ThinkPad X1 Yoga is built solidly enough that we imagine it will last long into the upcoming zombie apocalypse. It uses the latest components including seventh-generation Intel processors and PCIe SSDs. And, it packs in a veritable plethora of ports, including the increasingly ubiquitous and important USB Type-C with Thunderbolt 3. Therefore, it’s a choice that will last you for quite some time.

Should you buy it?

No. Really, you’re paying a significant premium for the ThinkPad brand and the 14-inch display. Given how well notebooks are being made today by many manufacturers, with consumer-class machines offering the same robust and quality build and excellent performance, the ThinkPad brand just doesn’t stand out the way it once did. If you’re a ThinkPad fan at heart and really want a 360-degree 2-in-1, then by all means buy this one. Otherwise, there are other, better options for the same or significantly less money.