Samsung spent a year adding stereo sound to the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Until a few years ago, smartphone speakers could almost universally be described as dreadful. If you wanted to watch YouTube or Netflix you were faced with two options: Use headphones or settle for a sub-par audio experience via your smartphone speaker.

But a few years ago, things started to change. Stereo sound began making its way to many flagship smartphones. Samsung however, was a bit slow to hop on the bandwagon, waiting until the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus to release its first flagships with stereo sound.

That’s not to say Samsung is not passionate about high-end audio though. In 2017 Samsung acquired Harman and its associated brands. Within months of the acquisition, Samsung had partnered with AKG to create AKG-tuned earbuds for the release of the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. While it wasn’t the stereo speaker setup many Galaxy owners hoped for, it was a step in the right direction.

Samsung

When Samsung announced the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus in February, users were elated to see that the phones finally included stereo sound. Samsung executives told Digital Trends the decision to add stereo sound to the Galaxy S9 came from its own internal research. “We  saw consumer usage of Bluetooth speakers/headphones was similar to usage of built-in speakers. We also listened to our customers and heard they wanted improved audio to match the immersive Infinity Display.”

The audio on the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus isn’t your run-of-the-mill stereo setup, however: Samsung worked closely with AKG and Dolby Atmos to create an immersive audio experience that it believes is unmatched by any other smartphone. In the company’s upcoming blog post, it describes the work that went behind bringing an awesome audio experience to the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus.

Figuring out how to bring stereo sound to the Galaxy S9 was a bit of an uphill battle. Since its previous Galaxy flagships (and many smartphones in general) only have a single bottom-firing speaker, Samsung had to figure out how to add an additional dynamic speaker to the phone.

Samsung

Sure, adding another speaker sounds fairly simple, but it’s actually a complex process. In addition to figuring out how to add another speaker without making the Galaxy S9 / S9 Plus larger or more bulky, the company also had to figure out how to increase the size of its existing bottom-firing speaker and make sure there was no interference from the phones’ other components.

There was also the issue of the placement of its bottom-firing speaker. While other phones like the Pixel two have incorporated both of its speaks into the front of the phone, Samsung’s bottom-firing speaker actually sits on the bottom of the phone next to the headphone jack.

Samsung

When we asked executives at Samsung why they didn’t just move the bottom-firing speaker to the front of the phone, they explained that the decision was practical. “The  reason for the speaker placement is due to the way smartphones are used today – in many cases, people place their smartphones horizontally when they watch videos.” In other words, Samsung opted to leave the speaker in the bottom of the phone as opposed to the front because you would be less likely to block the speaker with your hand while holding the phone.

While leaving the speaker in the bottom of the phone may be better for practical reasons, it created a new problem; the speakers faced in two different directions. To overcome its final obstacle, Samsung partnered with AKG to tune the output level of each speaker to account for their placement.

After over a year of hard work, the results on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus are pretty impressive. The Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus feature spectacular stereo sound that’s 1.4 times louder than their predecessors. And to top off the overall experience, Samsung partnered with Dolby Atmos on the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus to create stunning three-dimensional sound.

While Samsung may have taken its time to bring stereo sound to its Galaxy flagships, it was time well spent. The amazingly rich audio experience on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus actually makes streaming on your phone a pleasure.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Samsung Galaxy S9 review
• Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus review
• Guard your Galaxy with the best Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus screen protectors
• The Samsung Galaxy S9 has finally arrived — here’s everything you need to know
• Check out our favorite Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus accessories

Facebook brings AR features to ‘Ready Player One,’ ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ posters

Facebook

Over the past year, Facebook has been invested heavily in augmented reality technology. In 2017, the company released its Augmented Reality Camera Effects platform and the AR Studio tool at F8, followed by AR features in its Messenger app in December.

On Wednesday, April 4, the company announced users can get the first glimpse of one its AR features called AR Target Tracker. The feature, still in closed beta, “makes it possible for brands, publishers, artists, and developers to create content that’s contextually tied to images, logos, signs, and pictures in the real world,” according to the company’s blog post.

Although the feature is in closed beta Facebook found a novel way to show off the feature to its users: It collaborated with two major films to show off just what it can do. Starting Thursday, April 5, exclusive interactive content is available on posters for Ready Player One and A Wrinkle in Time.

This isn’t a totally new idea. Both Lifeprint and Prynt have both created consumer photo printers that allow you to add augmented reality features to your photos. Facebook’s feature, however, brings the idea to scale and allows major companies to provide interactive content that is associated with their brands.

There is another feature that makes Facebook’s AR Target Tracker pretty unique as well. Facebook’s AR experiences a persistent, meaning they are “experiences that are connected to and persist relative to places or things in the real world.”

While AR features are becoming more common on high-end smartphones, many of the apps and features simply do not work with older or budget phones. Facebook, however, says its features should work on most smartphones around the world since it has heavily optimized its tracking algorithm. The company states the feature will be compatible with many phones including most Android devices produced after 2012 and all iPhones from the iPhone SE to the iPhone X.

Right now the feature is only available on movie posters for Ready Player One and A Wrinkle in Time. To see the AR content, simply open the camera on the Facebook app for iOS or Android and point the lens toward the poster. You will see interactive content for each of the films.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple AR glasses: News and rumors about ‘Project Mirrorshades’
• ‘Annihilation’ review
• ‘Overwatch’ review
• ‘Sea of Thieves’ review
• ‘SOS’ hands-on preview

Nokia 7 Plus initial impressions: Ticking all the right boxes

The Nokia 7 Plus marries Nokia’s industrial design with the simplicity of Android One.

HMD Global revived the Nokia brand last year, initially focusing on the budget segment with the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, and the Nokia 6. While the manufacturer rolled out the Nokia 8 to cater to the premium category, it wasn’t quite as good as the OnePlus 5T or the Mi Mix 2.

For its 2018 portfolio, HMD is introducing several phones aimed at different price points in one go — there’s the Android Go-based Nokia 1 for the entry-level segment, the Nokia 6 2018 for the budget category, the Nokia 7 Plus at the mid-range segment, and the Nokia 8 Sirocco is the company’s flagship.

The Nokia 7 Plus is the most interesting device of the lot, as it is the first Nokia-branded phone to feature an 18:9 form factor. The 6-inch FHD+ (2160×1080) IPS LCD panel has vivid colors and decent saturation levels, and it gets sufficiently bright that I didn’t face any issues trying to read the contents of the screen under harsh sunlight.

Design is another area where the Nokia 7 Plus stands out. The phone is constructed out of series 6000 aluminum, and the six-layer ceramic coating at the back gives it a delightful matte texture. It feels great to hold in-hand, and the copper accents around the fingerprint sensor, camera module, and the Nokia logo at the back contrast the black color scheme very well.

The bezels up front are akin to what you’d find on the Pixel 2 XL, and although the device is on the larger side, the grippy back makes it comfortable to hold. I’ve been using the phone for just over a day now, and I like the overall design and the in-hand feel.

This is Nokia’s industrial design at its best.

The mid-frame is also finished with a lustrous copper hue, and it adds a nice visual flair to the device. This is classic Nokia industrial design, and my wife says it’s the right amount of bling for a phone. And being a Nokia-branded phone, you can be assured that it’s built like a tank — the phone has the right amount of heft, and the overall build quality is top-notch.

The Nokia 7 Plus has a lot to offer on the hardware front as well — it is the first phone to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset in India. The chipset launched last year, and the OPPO R11 was the first phone to be powered by it. Xiaomi’s Mi Note 3 also had the same chipset, as did Vivo’s X20. All of these devices were limited to the Chinese market, so it’s great to see a phone powered by the Snapdragon 660 make its way to India.

As for why the Snapdragon 660 is a big deal, it is the first chipset to feature Qualcomm’s Kryo cores in the mid-range category. The chipset features eight semi-custom Kryo 260 cores split into two clusters — four cores clocked at 2.2GHz that are designed to handle performance-intensive tasks, and four energy-efficient cores clocked at 1.8GHz.

The Snapdragon 660 in the Nokia 7 Plus is a performance monster.

Essentially, you’re getting performance that’s equivalent to the Snapdragon 821, but in the mid-range segment. As for the rest of the specs, the Nokia 7 Plus comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC 5.1 internal storage, a microSD slot that can accommodate 256GB SD cards, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, LTE Cat 6 modem, and three microphones.

Another highlight of the Nokia 7 Plus is the dual camera at the back — a 12MP primary camera with f/1.75 lens, 1.4 micron pixels and Dual Pixel autofocus, and a secondary 13MP shooter with f/2.6 lens and 1 micron pixels that offers 2x lossless zoom. Both cameras feature Zeiss optics, and Nokia is bringing back the pro mode, a mainstay on its phones during the Lumia days.

I haven’t had a chance to test out the camera extensively yet, but here’s a preview of what you can expect from the Nokia 7 Plus on this front:

The Nokia 7 Plus excels at daylight shots, and the camera is quick to dial in on a subject. The interface itself looks dated, but it has all the options laid out in an easy-to-understand format. As for low-light photography, here’s how the Nokia 7 Plus matches up against the OnePlus 5T:

Nokia 7 Plus on the left, OnePlus 5T on the right.

The Nokia 7 Plus preserves the overall detail, and has significantly less noise than the OnePlus 5T. Colors don’t look washed out, and it managed to do a great job in this scenario. I’ll go into much more detail on what the Nokia 7 Plus’ camera is capable of next week, so stay tuned.

HMD announced earlier this year that all of its phones will be based on the Android One platform going forward, which means they’ll be one of the first to receive platform and security updates. The company did a magnificent job in terms of rolling out updates over the course of the last 12 months, and thankfully that’s not going to change this year.

My Nokia 7 Plus unit is running Android 8.0 Oreo with the February 1, 2018 security patch, and it’s likely HMD will roll out an update before the phone goes on sale with the latest security patch and the Android 8.1 Oreo update. The software experience is one of the best you’ll find in this segment, and the unadulterated interface coupled with the beefy Snapdragon 660 makes the Nokia 7 Plus breeze through everyday tasks.

The Nokia 7 Plus will go up for pre-order in India starting April 20 for ₹25,999, with sales set to kick off from April 30. It is true that the pricing is slightly on the higher side (a 22K price point would’ve been the sweet spot), but Nokia phones always commanded a premium, and the Nokia 7 Plus is worth it just because of the Snapdragon 660 and that evocative design.

I’ll have much more to share about the Nokia 7 Plus in the coming weeks, so keep it locked to Android Central for more. In the meantime, let me know what you think of Nokia’s latest mid-ranger in the comments below.

Teaser shows off Xiaomi’s upcoming gaming-focused Black Shark phone

Xiaomi could be going after the Razer Phone with its upcoming Black Shark device.

Xiaomi is getting ready to launch a gaming-oriented phone, similar to what we’ve seen with the Razer Phone. The phone is slated for an official unveil next Friday, April 13, and a new teaser out of Weibo (via Gear) gives us a glimpse at the design language. There isn’t much to see, but at least we can look forward to a phone with rounded corners on all sides.

Unlike previous Xiaomi phones, the upcoming device will feature the Black Shark branding and not the Mi label, suggesting this could be the first phone in a new gaming-focused sub-brand.

Little is known about the device itself, other than the fact that it will be powered by the Snapdragon 845. Being a gaming-oriented device, it’ll be interesting if the phone offers a similar 120Hz refresh rate as the Razer Phone.

We should also see up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, and it’s likely the phone will feature a similar stereo speaker configuration as the Mi mix 2S.

With the launch set for next Friday, we should know all about Xiaomi’s upcoming Black Shark phone in a week’s time. In the meantime, what would you like to see from the device? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Snapchat’s iPhone X-exclusive Lenses look more realistic than usual

Snapchat has discovered a way to leverage the power of iPhone X’s TrueDepth camera — and that means you’ll have access to exclusive Lenses if you use Apple’s all-screen mobile device. Starting today, you’ll see TrueDepth-enabled Lenses appear periodically within the Snapchat carousel on iPhone X. They’re AR masks that follow your face around like the app’s many other Lenses, but due to the way TrueDepth works, they can look more realistic and just all around better.

See, Apple’s TrueDepth technology for the X’s selfie camera projects 30,000 infrared dots onto your face. It powers the device’s secure facial recognition system and makes it possible to turn your facial expressions into Animojis. Snap says TrueDepth allows even the smallest details and 3D objects in the Lenses to follow your face’s movements, making masks look more realistic than they usually are. Those 3D objects can also reflect and react to ambient lighting, producing shadows and highlights that follow the contours of your face and the surroundings. Finally, Apple’s technology gives the Lenses more accurate depth detection, which leads to better background blurs, among other style elements.

This isn’t the first time the ephemeral messaging app is using a phone’s capabilities to its advantage. Late last year, it allowed users with ARKit-enabled devices to superimpose Jeff Koons’ giant balloon installations onto specific places in the real world. We’ll probably see more Lenses like these in the future, as Snap works to recapture any user it might have lost due to its pretty unpopular redesign.

Bloomberg: Samsung’s chip biz is still its top earner in Q1 2018

Samsung took over Intel’s throne as the biggest chipmaker by revenue in the last quarter of 2017, and it isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The Korean conglomerate has released its earnings guidance for Q1 2018, and while the figures include Galaxy S9 sales, Bloomberg says it’s mostly thanks to its chip business that its profit is expected to be higher than projected. Samsung’s chip division is reportedly responsible for the largest portion of its profit from January to March. It estimates its profit to be around 15.6 trillion Korean won (US$14.7 billion), up a few hundred million from Q4 2017.

The company also estimates its sales to reach approximately 60 trillion Korean won (US$1.42 billion), which is lower than the previous quarter’s 66 trillion won, but higher than Q1 2017’s 50.55 trillion. In all, Samsung seems to have done well in the first three months of the year. According to Bloomberg, the continuous demand for Samsung’s memory chips used in phones and servers outweigh concerns that its display division is performing poorly because the iPhone X isn’t selling as well as expected. (If you’ll recall, Samsung manufactures the displays used for Apple’s all-screen device.)

However, not everybody’s impressed with its chip division’s stellar growth: the tech giant’s shares fell after analysts predicted a similar or lower profit for the second quarter of 2018. They believe Samsung’s growth will be hampered by memory chips’ price increases, which won’t be as steep as last year’s, and Galaxy S9’s rising marketing costs. Samsung hasn’t revealed how well the Galaxy S9 itself is doing yet, but we’ll learn more about it along with other details on the company’s performance for Q1 2018 by the end of April.

Source: Bloomberg, Samsung

Apple plans to release a radically redesigned Mac Pro in 2019

After teasing that a new Mac Pro was in the works back in 2017, Apple convened another reporter roundtable to clear up any misconceptions people might have had about the Mac Pro timeline, and illustrate just what we should expect from the new and improved Mac Pro. First off, it’s not coming in 2018. Speaking with TechCrunch, Apple was quick to point out that the Mac Pro is a 2019 product.

To wait or not to wait

“We know that there’s a lot of customers today that are making purchase decisions on the iMac Pro and whether or not they should wait for the Mac Pro,” said Apple’s Tom Boger, speaking with TechCrunch. “We want to be transparent and communicate openly with our pro community so we want them to know that the Mac Pro is a 2019 product.”

The reason Apple cites for coming clean about the timeline is a simple one, the iMac Pro just came out and its professional customers are no doubt eyeballing the powerful — if expensive — all-in-one as a replacement for aging Mac Pro hardware. This year’s roundtable discussion of the upcoming Mac Pro was all about assuaging fears Apple’s professional customers might have about the product, and about its future.

“We recognize that they want to hear more from us. And so we want to communicate better with them. We want them to understand the importance they have for us,” Apple’s Phil Schiller said. “We want them to understand that we’re investing in new Macs — not only new MacBook Pros and iMacs but Mac Pros for them, we want them to know we are going to work on a display for a modular system.”

Creative control

As the TechCrunch reporting goes on to discuss, the new Mac Pro is built around the needs of its users. Apple reportedly paid close attention to how people actually used the Mac Pro in order to develop the next generation of the high-end computer. In fact, Apple even went as far as hiring a number of creative professionals in order to watch how they interact with Apple hardware.

“Apple decided to go a step further and just begin hiring these creatives directly into Apple. Some of them on a contract basis but many full-time as well. These are award-winning artists and technicians that are brought in to shoot real projects,” TechCrunch reported.

This level of attention to detail is what Mac users expect from Apple and it’s refreshing to see the company devote massive amounts of time and energy toward understanding how its customers use its pro-grade products, in order to tailor them to user demands.

Editors’ Recommendations

• We finally know when Apple will show off its latest software innovations at WWDC
• Apple is ‘listening,’ but won’t release a major MacBook Pro upgrade this year
• Apple may launch three new Macs with Apple hardware inside in 2018
• Support for external graphics on MacOS finally arrives, but on select devices
• SteelSeries Arctis Pro gaming headset review

Huawei MateBook X Pro vs. Dell XPS 13

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The Dell XPS 13 has been a trend-setting laptop and one of our favorites for many years. The latest 2018 version is no different and is typically the laptop we’d recommend for just about anyone, so as long as they aren’t a gamer. The Huawei MateBook X Pro however, is a beast of very similar capabilities and comes with a dedicated graphics chip to boot. It’s versatile, powerful, and looks fantastic.

In this head-to-head where we pit the Huawei MateBook X Pro vs. Dell XPS 13, which comes out on top? They’re both trim, stylish laptops targeting the mid-range, but which is truly the best?

For a look at more of our favorite laptops, here’s our guide to the best ones available today.

Specifications

Huawei MateBook X Pro

Dell XPS 13

Dimensions
12 x 8.5 x 0.57 inches (0.19 at thinnest)
11.9 x 7.8 x 0.46 inches (0.3 at thinnest)

Weight
2.93 pounds
 2.67 pounds

Processor
8th Generation Intel Core i5, i7
8th Generation Intel Core i5, i7

RAM
8GB or 16GB
4GB, 8GB or 16GB

Graphics
Nvidia MX150 with 2GB GDDR5
Intel HD 620

Display
13.9-inch FullView
13.3-inch InfinityEdge

Resolution
3,000 x 2,000
1080p or 4K

Storage
256GB, 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD
256GB, 512GB, 1TB SSD (PCIe optional)

Networking
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1
802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2

Ports
USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, USB-A, Headset
USB-C, 2 x Thunderbolt 3, Headset, microSD

Webcam
720p webcam
720p webcam

Operating System
Windows 10
Windows 10

Battery
57.4 watt-hours
52 watt-hours

Price
1500 euros (US price unknown)
$1,000+

Availability
Unknown
Now

Review
Full review: 7/10
Full review: 9/10

Design

Both the Dell XPS 13 and Huawei MateBook X Pro have been disruptive in their own way. Where the Dell laptop has repeatedly redefined what it means to be a good-looking, mid-range laptop, the X Pro and its predecessors have brought MacBook-like styling to a fully fledged Windows system and it’s been an effective strategy.

Both continue to be visual trendsetters in their latest guises and look fantastic for it. Both are thin and compact, with clever weight distribution. The XPS 13 is slightly trimmer across the board, with a slight weight reduction, but the X Pro has a thinner profile in places and a larger display to factor in. Both surround their own panels with extremely trim bezels though, bringing an edge-less look to the compact laptop scene.

In terms of connectivity, the Huawei laptop has a slight edge, offering both USB-C and USB-A ports for better legacy support, though it does lack the microSD card slot of the Dell alternative. Their webcams are more comparable. They are both 720p resolution and are mounted below the monitor, so give a slightly odd viewing angle. Although neither are great, the X Pro’s is hidden away underneath a faux F-key like a pop-up car headlamp and we found it extremely unflattering.

It’s hard to pick an outright winner in this category as both laptops look great, are lightweight and slim, and have comparable connectivity. With a slightly different look and feel to them though, your personal preference will be the most important deciding factor here.

Winner: Draw

Performance

One of the hallmarks of the mid-range in the laptop market is that it makes major leaps in power over entry level models that are priced well below $1,000. Both laptops in this head to head have stellar hardware offerings that are much the same. Although the XPS 13 comes in one guise with 4GB of memory at the low-end, both systems offer 8th-generation Intel Core i5 8250U CPUs for lower-cost models and Core i7 8550U CPUs at the higher-end. 8GB of memory is standard throughout both ranges, though 16GB options are also available.

Storage-wise, both have 256GB and 512GB high-speed SSD options, though the XPS 13 can be upgraded to a terabyte of storage space using the PCIexpress solution. That NVMe-style drive is standard in the X Pro.

The comparable specifications means that both systems offer comparable general computing performance, but where the X Pro really pulls ahead is in 3D rendering. It includes a dedicated graphics chip: an Nvidia MX150. Although we did note in our review that this MX150 does seem to underperform compared to some of its contemporaries, it still far outstrips the capabilities of the XPS 13’s on board Intel HD graphics core and is enough to give the X Pro the nudge in this competitive category.

Winner: MateBook X Pro

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Display

The Huawei MateBook X Pro’s display very much takes after the Surface Book 2, in that it offers an uncommon 3,000 x 2,000 resolution in a 3:2 aspect ratio. That means that you’ll see more of a website when browsing online, but it also means that watching movies results in larger black bars on screen.

In contrast the Dell XPS 13 has a more traditional 1080p or 4K panel which we thought looked nice in our testing, but didn’t exactly blow us away. While it’s aspect ratio is more commonly supported, it really falls behind the Huawei X Pro in terms of brightness and contrast.

The Dell laptop does have a little more choice when it comes to display — which gives it a little more pricing flexibility — but touch support doesn’t come as standard. With only one display ‘option,’ the MateBook X Pro has multi-touch support whether you’re interested in it or not.

While we’d still suggest Apple’s MacBook Pro 13 is the class leader in this space, in this head to head, the MateBook X Pro comes out on top.

Winner: MateBook X Pro

Portability

One of the most welcome changes to the new Dell XPS 13 was in its redesigned structure. That weight redistribution makes it easy to carry and hold and is more noticeable than the slight weight reduction it went through in the generational change. While that did result in a slightly smaller battery with slightly less life overall, it still lasted well over 13 hours in our 1080p video loop test. That result isn’t quite as strong with the 4K panel, but suffice to say it can give you a full day of work and then some on a single charge.

In comparison, the Huawei MateBook X Pro is similarly portable and similarly powered. It’s a little bit heavier and a little bit thicker — though thinner at its thinnest point — than the XPS 13, but still extremely portable. Its battery technically has more juice in it, but it doesn’t last as long as the XPS 13, offering just 10 hours in the 1080p video loop test and an hour less in the web-browsing test too.

That’s not to say it’s battery life is bad. Indeed it will also give you a full eight-hour work day and a little more, but it’s just not quite as portable as the Dell alternative.

Winner: XPS 13

Pricing and availability

Although the XPS 13 is available from $1,000, that version comes with just 4GB of RAM. A fairer comparison with the MateBook X Pro would be the $1,200 version, which packs a Core i5 CPU and 8GB of RAM. You can spend up to $1,850 at the currently discounted price if you want the 4K version with 16GB of RAM and at least 512GB of storage, but whichever version you opt for, they are all available to buy right now.

The last-generation XPS 13 is also worth considering, as it starts at a more affordable $800, though comes in a last-generation form-factor and with last-generation hardware.

In comparison, the MateBook X Pro has yet to be officially released. Likewise, we haven’t been given an official U.S. price tag for the system either. A direct conversion of the 1,500 euro starting price would work out to around $1,850, while our review unit was 1,700 euros, or $2,090. While we would expect the MateBook Pro X to be a little pricier than the XPS 13 due to its on board GPU and slightly larger display, until we have more concrete pricing information or a launch date, it’s hard to judge it in this category.

For now, the XPS 13 is the more affordable and only option available.

Winner: XPS 13

The Dell XPS 13 is still the king

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

With such a tight race between these two laptops, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we crowned a new favorite. However, while the XPS 13 might lack the graphical performance of the MateBook Pro X, it still takes the top spot in this head to head by being a more affordable and general-purpose machine.

The MateBook Pro X is a great laptop and if it has favorable pricing when it launches in the U.S., could be a firm competitor for other laptops that sport a dedicated graphics chip. However, if it can’t undercut them, it may struggle due to the MX150’s weaker than average performance.

The XPS 13 on the other hand, can match it where it counts and beats it on battery life and pricing, which in the mid-range of the market are two of the most important factors. It’s still our favorite.

Overall winner: XPS 13

Editors’ Recommendations

• Huawei MateBook X Pro review
• Is the MateBook X Pro’s hidden webcam innovative or just unnecessary?
• Asus ZenBook 13 vs. Dell XPS 13
• Huawei’s Matebook X Pro is everything right with modern laptop design
• Dell XPS 13 vs. Dell XPS 15 2-in-1

Are laptop webcams doomed or is there a way to move forward?

Fast, attractive, and boasting a beautiful display, Huawei’s new MateBook X Pro is a good laptop. Yet it has a problem, one that you won’t notice until you need to make a video call – and then, there’s no way you’ll miss the issue.

The webcam is in the keyboard. Yes, in the keyboard. Have a look for yourself.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bizarre as this may seem, it’s not without precedent or reason. Dell’s XPS 13 was first to take an, ahem, alternative approach to webcam placement in its otherwise excellent 2015 redesign, placing the camera below and to the side of the display instead of at the top, as usual. It was needed because Dell wanted to minimize the display bezels, so there simply wasn’t room for a webcam in the usual place.

Huawei dials that up to 11, reducing bezel size on all parts of the display, including the bottom. The result is a gorgeous 13.9-inch, edge-to-edge panel that commands your attention from the moment you open the laptop. The small bezels also make the laptop smaller overall. Though its display is nearly 14 inches diagonally, the Huawei MateBook Pro X is as small, or smaller, than many competitors with 13-inch displays.

That leaves no room for the camera, however, which leads to its hilarious, secretive position. It’s a fun trick that’s sure to earn a laugh from anyone you show it to, but if you need to use it, well… it’s a problem. The camera is so low that your knuckles take up a large percentage of the screen when you type.

It’s tempting to call Huawei’s decision stupid, but that would be short-sighted. The benefits of a thin-bezel display are obvious. Laptops and 2-in-1s will embrace it; in a few years, it’ll probably be the industry standard. Does that mean you’re doomed to web calls displaying your poorly maintained nostril hair?

Perhaps not. What if your webcam could be inside your display?

It’s an idea that’s simple in concept, yet difficult in implementation. The display is transparent, obviously, so it’s not a bad place to put a camera. In fact, it’s great place – your eyes will be centered on the camera, so your attention will appear to be on the person you’re conversing with, instead of somewhere off-screen. The problem is equally obvious. There’s a display there already, so putting a camera sensor in the screen isn’t easy.

Researchers have been working on that problem for a very long time. Microsoft published a video showing a proof of concept in 2009, and Apple patented a similar idea that same year. More recent rumors point to Samsung joining the competition.

I’ve had chance to see more recent versions of prototypes from various companies, and they seem close to ready for use. They’re smaller than before, and image quality is no longer a downgrade from a conventional webcam. Shrinking display bezels means this innovation isn’t a novelty, but required to build the designs major companies want to debut – not only in the PC space but also in mobile, where the Apple iPhone X’s infamous notch has made the problem with webcams obvious to millions of owners.

A webcam mounted behind a laptop or 2-in-1 display will happen. The only question now is who will make it a reality first. That’s impossible to say with certainty, but I’m sure we’ll know the winner of that race within the next few years.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Huawei MateBook X Pro review
• Is the MateBook X Pro’s hidden webcam innovative or just unnecessary?
• Dell’s new ultrathin displays bring HDR to your PC without emptying your wallet
• You should buy the Dell XPS 13 — just not with the 4K display
• Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 vs. Surface Book 2 15

Apple ProRes RAW promises faster RAW video workflows for Final Cut Pro X

Apple released a new version of its ProRes video format this week as the company continues to regain ground in the world of professional video editing. Called ProRes RAW, Apple claims the new filetype combines the flexibility of a RAW video file with the performance advantages of ProRes, all with a file size that is actually smaller than ProRes 4444 (the previous top-of-the-line version of the format).

As with RAW still photos, RAW video offers more latitude for making adjustments in post-production, capturing greater dynamic range and bit more depth than consumer formats like MP4. Unlike other RAW formats, ProRes RAW uses compression to keep storage requirements minimal. It supports multiple resolutions in 12-bit color and a data rate of 80 to 140 megabytes per second. 4K video can be recorded up to 120 frames per second, and can record 2K up to 240 fps.

DJI is one of the first companies to license the new format and will bring it soon to its Zenmuse X7 aerial camera that can be mounted to the Inspire 2 drone . The Zenmuse X7 uses a Super35 sensor (equivalent to APS-C) which produces excellent image quality, and while it already offered RAW recording via Adobe’s CinemaDNG standard, ProRes RAW should offer improved, real-time editing performance in Final Cut Pro X.

Select cinema cameras from Canon, Sony, and Panasonic will also be able to take advantage of the new format thanks to their ability to output RAW data over HDMI. That’s because Atomos, maker of external HDMI video recorders, will soon be integrating ProRes RAW into its Shogun Inferno and Sumo 19 recorders via free firmware updates. Not only will such a recorder capture the full color and dynamic range of a camera’s sensor, it will even save metadata like shutter speed, f-stop, and ISO.

Of course, the question that’s bound to come up is, can this be used to record RAW video from a mirrorless camera or DSLR? We reached out to Atomos for clarification on this, and the answer is a pretty hard no — at least, for now. While using an external recorder is a good way to bypass some of the limitations of your camera’s internal video processing, no mirrorless camera or DSLR currently outputs RAW data over HDMI. Even the video-focused Panasonic GH5S only outputs a 10-bit 4:2:2 feed; many other cameras offer just 8-bit color, and some don’t output a clean HDMI feed at all. Furthermore, these cameras “bake in” a color profile to their HDMI feeds, which may be a flat log profile, but is not actual RAW data.

Still, the existence of the ProRes RAW format is good news for the future of DSLR and mirrorless video. Should a manufacturer choose to allow its cameras to output RAW HDMI feeds, small cameras could truly compete, quality-wise, with much larger and more expensive cinema cameras. And while a RAW video workflow certainly isn’t for everyone, ProRes RAW may make it more approachable to a broader range of videographers, at least those working in MacOS and Final Cut Pro X.

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