Hands-on with the world’s first foldable smartphone

Hype surrounding flexible displays has been growing steadily for years now. Despite their ability to enable unprecedented form factors like foldable smartphones, flexible displays have long been nothing more than something to show off at electronics shows. However, that’s about to change.

Samsung is gearing up to reveal its first foldable device later this week, with LG and Huawei set to follow in 2019. While everyone was expecting Samsung would get the “world’s first” bragging rights, that honor went to a tiny company not many people may have heard of. I recently went hands-on with the Royole FlexPai, the world’s first foldable smartphone. Here are my thoughts.

Thoughts on the foldable display

In its extended position, the FlexPai is more similar to a tablet than a smartphone. It features a 7.8-inch 1440p AMOLED display. The display itself is bright and offers saturated colors; I didn’t notice any difference in quality compared to standard AMOLED panels in traditional smartphones on the market today.

As you may have noticed, the display is sized at a 4:3 aspect ratio, presumably so the device can better function like a traditional phone when folded.

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The folding mechanism is supported by a hinge composed of over 100 unique components. The hinge seems very sturdy, but obviously the real technical achievement comes in the form of the flexible display. In addition to the underlying flexible display panel, Royole is using a type of flexible plastic material instead of the familiar cover glass.

While the plastic does not feel nearly as premium as glass, it’s probably the best material available for the task. As an added benefit, it effectively makes the FlexPai shatterproof.

Taking the Royole FlexPai from tablet to phone mode is pretty straightforward. It’s just a matter of taking both sides and folding it down the middle. The hinge supports pretty much every angle, so you can fold and use it in any position you wish. Royole claims the FlexPai can be folded at least 200,000 times, which should be enough for several years of normal use.

I couldn’t help but feel nervous when folding and unfolding the FlexPai during my time with it. Even when I placed my hands at the center of each side, the amount of force required to get the device to fold all the way down made me worry that I might break it. This is something that could be addressed with an improved hinge design in the future.

A device for developers

Royole is already taking pre-orders for the FlexPai and will begin shipping units worldwide around the end of this year. In the United States, the FlexPai is priced at $1,318 for the 6GB RAM/128GB storage model and $1,469 for the 8GB RAM/256GB storage model. Those prices may seem high to an everyday consumer, but it’s important to keep in mind that the FlexPai is intended for developers and enthusiasts. That audience will understandably have an easier time justifying the high cost.

Don’t miss: Display showdown: AMOLED vs LCD vs Retina vs Infinity display

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The other device specifications are pretty standard for a high-end device. When it ships, the FlexPai will have Qualcomm’s latest 8-series chipset, dual-SIM and microSD expansion support, dual-cameras, and a 3,800mAh battery. Royole also says that you’ll be able to charge the battery up to 70 percent within thirty minutes — just like the Mate 20 Pro.

Royole will ship a customized version on Android 9.0 with the FlexPai. I went hands-on with a pre-production unit, so the software was extremely buggy when I used the device, For example, the FlexPai’s software didn’t keep up with folds and unfolds well as UI elements would sometimes distort, the screen wouldn’t correctly rotate, and apps would crash… sometimes the entire device, too.

Royole assured me that they were working on the software issues and would have them addressed before the release in six to eight weeks. It’s likely that what they were showing me was somewhat rushed which would explain why the experience left something to be desired.

Why this is still significant

Make no mistake: The Royole FlexPai firmly asserts its position as a first-generation product. The pre-production unit I tested was very impressive, but ultimately felt like a half-baked product. Even if you aren’t going to buy a FlexPai, however, the commercial release of such a product may end up being a major milestone for the tech industry as a whole.

Arguably, the main reason why it’s taken so long for flexible displays to arrive in consumer products is general disinterest in production among suppliers. Therefore, Royole’s major investments in production facilities ($1.2B) in order to make this tech more readily available is admirable. It may be a tiny company, but it’s managed to grab the “first” tag before the larger manufacturers.

All things considered, I think it’s best to treat the Royole FlexPai as a signal to the industry rather than a product you might actually buy as a general consumer. As suppliers compete with each other, we can expect prices to implement this tech to go down and the pace of innovation to go up.

Learn more about the Royole FlexPai

How to install Dolby Atmos ceiling speakers

Dolby Atmos is the latest and greatest surround sound format for the home. If you’re reading this, and you’re currently contemplating installing ceiling speakers, we probably don’t need to tell you much about Atmos — you’re ready to get going, so go ahead and skip to “Are you sure about ceiling speakers?”

For those of you who need the low-down, you can check the links at the left for a comprehensive catch-up.

Are you sure about ceiling speakers?

Before we begin in earnest, let’s just double-check something. Are you sure ceiling speakers are the right choice for your Dolby Atmos home theater setup? Installing ceiling speakers can be tricky. If you’re not careful, you could end up with a messed up ceiling, wires hanging all over the place, a partner who now sees you as the person who ruined their favorite room, and … no Atmos.

Don’t forget, there are other alternatives, like Dolby Atmos soundbars, and Dolby Atmos module speakers that are no more difficult to install than your original 5.1 or 7.1 speakers. Now that we’ve done our due diligence, let’s get at it.

Plan, plan, plan

The key to any successful installation is having a well thought out plan. You may need to deviate from that plan if unexpected things happen, but always start with a plan. In this case, your plan needs to include:

Tools:

• Stud finder
• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Drywall
• Saw
• Screwdriver or power driver
• Fishing tape
• Cable fishing rod

How many speakers do you want?

Some Atmos receivers support up to four “height” (ceiling) speakers, but you can also choose to do just two. If so, you need to decide if they’re going to be placed near the sitting/viewing area, which is optimal, or, near the front/screen. Perhaps you want to install four speakers in case you want to add more later, even though your receiver can only support two? Decide now.

Speaker placement

Dolby Labs has a series of PDF brochures you can use to figure out the best spot for each ceiling speaker, relative to where you’ll be sitting, and to your existing surround speakers. Keep in mind, depending on the location of your ceiling joists, you may have to alter the final placement, but you should know before you start whether or not things like recessed lighting, or HVAC/plumbing bulkheads are going to make this a non-starter.

Your wiring path

How are you going to connect these new ceiling speakers back to the receiver? If you’re fortunate enough to be working with an unfinished ceiling, or your room is below your attic, this will be a lot easier to figure out. If your ceiling is finished, you’ll have to make some educated guesses, with the help of a few tricks we’ll discuss below.

Your comfort level

This might be the most important part of the plan. Are you comfortable taking on all aspects of the job? If you’re installing speakers in a finished ceiling, with finished walls, you’ll be cutting drywall, running wire through cavities that may have obstructions, and using tools like fish tape. There’s a good chance you’ll need to drill holes in wooden obstacles like fire-blocks. If you end up making an “oops,” you may need to do a small drywall repair, then prime and paint.

You don’t need to be a licensed contractor to do this, but if you’re not the patient sort, or don’t think your handiwork will impress, now’s the time to decide where your limits are.

Select your speakers

Before the cutting, wiring (and cursing) begins, you should have all of your materials on-hand. This includes the speakers themselves. Although your ceiling speakers should be an acoustic match for the rest of your home theater speakers, this isn’t critical. You also don’t need to worry about finding a set with a ton of low-end bass: Your subwoofer will take care of that. What you should look for is a model that features wide sound dispersion. As Dave Napoleone of Toronto-based Cloud 9 AV said, “ … the idea is to create a ‘dome’ of sound above you.” Ceiling speakers that are highly directional may not be as effective at this.

How much you spend on these speakers will be a function of your budget as well as your existing gear. If your home theater receiver and/or your amp is a budget model, there’s little to be gained from buying expensive ceiling speakers. If you’ve got high-end equipment, however, you’ll just be cheating yourself by installing cheap speakers.

Size matters

Your ceiling speakers will be anywhere from 6 to 12-inches in diameter, which likely won’t be a problem given that most ceiling joists are 16 inches apart (on center), with a 14-inch gap between them. The height/depth of the speakers, on the other hand, could present a problem. In really old homes, builders used massive wooden joists that are nine inches tall or more. Modern homes will have decidedly less space to play with. Before you settle on a ceiling speaker, make sure your ceiling can accommodate it. Most will only need three to four inches of clearance, but there are some that need eight or nine.

If you’ve got an open attic above your drywall, you’ve got no worries. If you’re working in a finished basement, check to see if there are any unfinished areas where you can look up and see the exposed joists. If all else fails, make a tiny hole in your ceiling, and, using an unfolded wire coat hanger, see how far you can push it into the cavity. Mark the spot on the hanger, and measure once you pull it back out.

Find a spot

Figuring out your final speaker placement will be a combination of following Dolby’s recommendations, and working within the constraints of your ceiling. Your joists will be the biggest obstacle, literally, so you’ll have to figure out where they’re located. Most of the time, a stud finder will do the trick, but be warned: Unlike walls, ceiling drywall is often not in direct contact with the joists.

This creates two challenges. First, a stud sensor won’t always read the changes in material density that tell it a joist is present. Second, the metal straps that do connect directly to the ceiling in this case are very thin, making them unlikely to register either.

Fortunately, there’s a very reliable hack: Get a set of rare earth fridge magnets, and glide one across the surface of the ceiling in a growing spiral pattern, starting at the center of where you want to put a speaker. Go slow, and keep gentle yet constant pressure on the magnet. Eventually, you’ll feel it tug — that’s the head of a drywall screw, and it’s a reliable indicator of the presence of a joist or a metal strap. Leave it in place and do the same thing with a few more magnets. Usually, joists run across the width of house, so you’ll find the next screw by slowly moving across the ceiling in a straight line toward a wall. You should now have a line of magnets that show you where one joist is.

To find the next joist, measure perpendicularly from your magnet line, approximately 16 inches. Start your next magnet sweep here, this time keeping your path parallel to the first line of magnets. If you’re lucky, the drywaller will have put screws in roughly the same spots.

A stack of rare-earth fridge magnets made out of neodymium

Now that you’ve got a good idea where the joists are, confirm your speaker placements. Your speaker hopefully came with a circular template, that will let you trace the precise size of the opening you need to cut. If not, got to the manufacturer’s website and see if there’s one you can download and print, making sure you’re set to “100 percent” ratio for the size.

With some double sided tape, tack the templates to your ceiling. Measuring carefully, double check distances to make sure the templates are placed symmetrically, and in accordance with Dolby’s recommendations (or as close as you can get). You’ll want to give yourself at least an inch or two of breathing room between the template’s edge, and the nearest joist; the speaker needs room for the locking tabs that swing out further than the circle. If you’re too close to a joist, those tabs won’t be able to engage.

Choosing speaker cable

Rather than standard speaker wire, a ceiling installation requires fire-rated in-wall speaker cable, which adds a heavy duty layer of insulation around both wires. Running any kind of wiring through a wall or ceiling can put the wire in contact with splintered wood, exposed metal strapping and other hazards that can damage the protective wrapping of standard speaker cable, causing a short, or worse.

More on Dolby Atmos

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Average home speaker cable comes in 16AWG or 14AWG gauge, which determines the thickness of the two copper wires. The smaller the number, the thicker the wire. “A thicker speaker wire will carry the full frequency and current better,” said Napoleone, “but this is only a factor for long runs or high-power/high-current applications.”

Napoleone uses 16 gauge for most of Cloud9’s installs, saying that “for small in-ceiling speakers, I don’t believe you will hear a difference.” If you’re dealing with a really long cable run, or if you’ve got a premium home theater receiver paired to a set of premium speakers, 14 gauge cable could make sense.

How much cable?

Professional AV installers avoid this question altogether, by using large spools of speaker cable — much more than they could conceivably need. If you don’t mind buying your speaker cable in bulk, this is a good way to go. If not, you’ll have to measure carefully, as you don’t want to run short — splicing speaker cable is not recommended, especially if that splice ends up in the ceiling or wall, where it could get damaged.

If you’re confident that you’ll be able to pass the speaker cable in a direct line from your speaker and receiver — maybe you’ve got open ceilings and walls — measure that distance by running your tape measure as if it were the actual speaker cable. If the cable will need to pass around a bulkhead, your tape measure needs to do the same. Take your final measurement, and add 10 feet. You may not need this extra length, but if you do, you’ll be super happy it’s there. If you don’t have the luxury of an open ceiling, assume the worst, and measure the longest possible route, again adding 10 feet.

Make your holes

Once you’re feeling good about where they’re located, take a pencil and trace the template’s circle, then remove the template. Using a drywall knife, plunge the blade into the middle of the circle, and make a cut out to the perimeter. Try to stay as close to the circle’s line as possible. You can always make the circle bigger, but you can’t make it smaller. Before removing the entire piece of drywall, you may want to remove one quarter — this should be enough to stick your hand, or your coat hanger, into the cavity to double check that you haven’t accidentally ended up too close to a joist or other obstacle. If everything’s good, finish your cut. If you run into a metal strap, you’ll have to cut this too, using a small hacksaw. If you hit a joist, you’ll have to reposition your template and begin a new hole. A drywall repair is way easier than trying to cut away part of a joist — not to mention it weakens the joist!

Grab one of your speakers (without the grille), and try it out for size by lifting it into the hole. It should slide in with little or no resistance, and you shouldn’t have any visible gaps between the edge of your hole and the leading edge of the speaker. If it won’t go in all the way, gradually enlarge the hole by running the drywall knife along the perimeter, removing small amounts of material as you go. It’s important to do this evenly. Eventually, your speaker should fit perfectly.

Run those cables

Before you begin fishing cable through, mark each cable according to the speaker it will be connected to (e.g., “Atmos Right,” or “Ceiling Right”). If possible, write on the actual cable itself, instead of using an adhesive label, which could get ripped off when you run the cable.

Because there are almost as many installation techniques as there are home theaters, we can’t offer you step-by-step instructions for your specific room.

What we can do is point you to some excellent resources on the web, that cover a wide variety of room types, and installation techniques.

Wayne Pflughaupt over at Home Theater Shack, has assembled a five-part guide to in-wall wiring that’s as useful for general wiring as it is for speaker cables. He covers several scenarios, including open-attic ceilings, drilling through fire blocks and top plates, and has some excellent tips for the first-timer, like how to use a pull-chain and a magnet to make your life way easier.

As good as Wayne’s guide is, it doesn’t have any video. Sometimes you just need to see exactly how this stuff is done. Here are a few helpful videos, including How To Fish Cables Through The Wall, a ceiling speaker install walk-through, a video using an ingenious tool called a Magnepull, and how to deal with tricky insulated walls, and walls with fire blocks.

We’re also going to discuss two specific tools that we think are essential to running cable in walls and ceilings: Fish tape, and a fishing rod.

Fish tape

Fish tape is a flexible, but very strong spool of spring steel. It’s perfect for pulling cables through conduits, or walls, or any other location that is fully enclosed, but with few or no obstacles. It’s rigid enough that you can guide it simply by pushing it, yet flexible enough to get around gentle bends or very narrow openings. As long as nothing blocks its path, you can push a fish tape very long distances. To use fish tape, you start from your destination.

For instance, if you’re running cable from the top of a wall to the bottom of a wall, you insert the fish tape at the bottom of the wall and run it up, so that the end of the fish tape emerges at the top. Once you’ve got some length exposed, securely attach your cable to the end of the fish tape with electrical tape.

Start by wrapping the tape around the fish tape, and then around the cable too, so that you’ve created a sock of tape around the end of the cable — this will prevent it from snagging on the drywall or any other objects. Wrap the tape as tightly as possible; you want the cable securely connected to the fish tape, but you also want to minimize the thickness created by the cable.

Once secured, gently guide the cable an inch or two back into the hole at the top of the wall, until the taped portion is no longer visible. Now you can return to the bottom of the wall and start pulling the fish tape out. Make sure there is nothing preventing your cable from freely feeding into the top hole; you may want to ask someone to help with that task. If you encounter anything more than gentle resistance while pulling, stop. Push the fish tape back a few inches and try again. You may need to do this several times, and combine it with a twisting motion. Be patient, and don’t give up — if the fish tape made the first journey, it should be able to make it back.

Cable fishing rod

A few different cable fishing rods

Cable fishing rods are actually quite similar to regular fishing rods, in that they’re designed to be straight, rigid poles, that have enough flex that you can guide them from an angle. They come in a variety of lengths, and you can usually connect multiple rods to achieve virtually any total length. Most offer a few screw-on accessories like hooks and eyes. Unlike fish tape, which will naturally curl, a fishing rod stays straight. When running cable through a ceiling, you need to stay above hazards like recessed lighting, and drywall strapping. A fish tape spool makes this very difficult as gravity will constantly pull the tape down, usually right into the obstacles you want to avoid. A fishing rod can be guided to the very top of your ceiling cavity, and as long as you maintain upward pressure on the rod, it will stay there, easily clearing the objects closer to the drywall. For enclosed ceilings, a fishing rod is a must.

Another benefit to a cable fishing rod is you can push as well as pull the cable. You’ll need to decide based on your specific circumstances which technique will work best but here’s a helpful tip: If you decide to push your cable through a cavity and you get stuck, you’ll probably need to pull back on the rod. If there’s any slack on the cable, it could get looped around an obstacle making it impossible to retrieve. We suggest spinning the rod as you push, causing the cable to wrap tightly around it, keeping slack to a minimum.

Installing the speakers

Assuming everything worked out with your cable runs, this is the easy part. Strip the ends of your two copper wires by ¾ of an inch. For each wire, twist the copper strands until they form a tight, single bunch. Making sure you respect the positive and negative wires, connect them to the appropriate terminals on the speaker. Some speaker wires are red and black, while others can be white and black. Always connect the black wire to the negative terminal, so that you don’t get confused on either the speaker or receiver ends.

Gently lift the speaker into the hole, while taking care to keep your excess speaker wire from sitting on top of the speaker housing — this could cause unwanted vibrations. Using a screwdriver, slowly turn the screws for the locking tabs. You’ll hear a click as the tabs swing out from their home position and begin to descend their guide rails. Keep turning until you encounter resistance, and repeat for all four tabs. For your last step, apply some very gentle pressure to each tab screw to make sure the tab is well seated against the drywall. Do not over-tighten these tabs… there’s no need to do so, and if you accidentally snap them they’ll be useless.

Grab your speaker grille and, depending on the kind, either snap it into place or let the built-in magnets do the work for you. Congrats, you’re all done!

Configuring your system

Don’t forget, now that you’ve installed and connected your new Atmos height speakers, you’ll need to tell your home theater receiver that they’re there. Using the settings menu, find the appropriate section for speaker configuration, and follow the on-screen instructions. You may need to repeat the automatic leveling procedure if your receiver came equipped with a room mic. If your receiver lets you set crossover frequencies for each channel, you’ll want to make sure the new Atmos speakers are set according to the manufacturer’s suggestions.

Add the Atmos

Of course, the final step is auditioning your new Atmos speakers with a really good Atmos-enabled movie. You’ll need an Ultra-HD Blu-ray player for this, and a selection of the best Atmos movies. Now, let it rip!

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Amazon one-day sale cuts up to 50 percent off Logitech mice, other accessories

Amazon might already be holding a set of early Black Friday deals, but it also is currently running a sale on Logitech accessories. For today only, you can save on popular mice, keyboards, speakers, and other gadgets that pair up nicely with your PC.

One of the leading deals in the Amazon sale includes a 54-percent savings on the Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB Tunable Gaming Mouse. The highly popular mouse is now two years old, but the sale cuts the initial price of $85 to a modest $39. For that price, it features one of Logitech’s most accurate and responsive optical sensors, tunable weight and balance, and RGB customizable lighting.

Also part of the sale is the Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse, which is currently 40 percent off at $60 instead of $100. The easy-to-use mouse features a unique thumb wheel for horizontal navigation and advanced gestures, and it can be used seamlessly with up to three Windows 10 PCs with the touch of a button. It also tracks on any surface and can hold 40 days of power on a single charge, with no downtime while recharging.

Elsewhere, sales also include 61 percent off a Logitech HD 310 webcam, 51 percent off the MK750 wireless solar keyboard, and 50 percent off the Z506 surround sound home theater speaker system. Respectively, these accessories come in at $19, $45, and $50 in price, down from $50, $100, and $100.

Another interesting deal offers 55-percent savings on the Logitech K400 Plus Wireless Keyboard, which includes a mini touchpad on board. Now priced at $18 instead of $40, it is the ideal solution for media centers and other devices where space might be tight.

The holiday shopping season is now just a few weeks away, and there are plenty of savings to enjoy across the web. Amazon recently changed its shipping policies to allow everyone to receive items for free across the website, and Target and Walmart have similar promotions.

Target is offering sales on the Xbox and other gaming systems for the holidays, and Best Buy is also likely to hold similar sales.  Looking for more information about the best deals? Find more from our Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals pages.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and choose what we cover carefully and independently. If you find a better price for a product listed here, or want to suggest one of your own, email us at dealsteam@digitaltrends.com.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

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Cigar-shaped comet may actually be an alien probe, scientists suggest

An artist’s rendition of the first interstellar comet, Oumuamua, which some scientists now think may be an alien probe.

Last November, astronomers detected an outer-space object unlike anything detected before. The visitor, dubbed Oumuamua (pronounced “oh-MOO-ah-MOO-ah”), arrived from interstellar space, beyond the bubble-like region that demarcates the sun’s domain. Its unusual origin story wasn’t the only thing that set Oumuamua apart from other comets and asteroids — it was also strange in shape; highly elongated, like a cosmic cigar.

Well, this week, the story of Oumuamua got a little bit weirder. According to researchers from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the outer-space object may not be an comet after all. In a paper set to be published next week in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, astrophysicists Avi Loeb and Shmuel Bilay claim Oumuamua could be, “a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity by an alien civilization.”

Yes, really.

“Oumuamua deviates from a trajectory that is solely dictated by the Sun’s gravity,” Loeb tells Digital Trends. “This could have been the result of cometary outgassing, but there is no evidence for a cometary tail around it. Moreover, comets change the period of their spin and no such change was detected for Oumuamua. The excess acceleration of Oumuamua was detected at multiple times, ruling out an impulsive kick due to a break up of the object. The only other explanation that comes to mind is the extra force exerted on Oumuamua by sunlight. In order for it to be effective, Oumuamua needs to be less than a millimeter in thickness, like a sail. This led us to suggest that it may be a light-sail produced by an alien civilization.”

“I welcome other proposals,” Loeb added, “but I cannot think of another explanation for the peculiar acceleration of Oumuamua.”

Let’s break this down. Loeb is saying that the Oumuamua doesn’t exhibit the type of characteristics seen in other comets and asteroids. Not only is it the first-ever interstellar asteroid or comet detected by astronomers while passing through the solar system, its shape is strange, its acceleration is unexpected, and a cometary tail — the signature trail of particles seen behind shooting stars — is conspicuous in its absence.

The light-sail Loeb thinks may power Oumuamua is not unlike technology being developed currently here on Earth. In fact, Loeb is an adviser on Breakthrough Starshot, an ambitious mission to develop and deploy this technology. So, if the idea seems far-fetched, it’s not unthinkable.

If nothing else, Loeb hopes this story serves as a vehicle to make the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Institute (SETI) more mainstream through evidence-based science.

“Looking ahead, we should search for other interstellar objects in the sky,” Loeb said. “Such a search would resemble my favorite activity with my daughters when we vacation on a beach, namely, examining shells swept ashore from the ocean. Not all shells are the same, and similarly only a fraction of the interstellar objects might be technological debris of alien civilizations. But we should examine anything that enters the solar system from interstellar space in order to infer the true nature of Oumuamua or other objects of its mysterious population.”

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Dell Ultrasharp 49 vs. Samsung CHG90

If you’re the kind of person who looks at the best ultrawide monitors in the world and says, “I still need something wider,” there are some monitors out there for you. Two of the best come from Dell and Samsung, offering 49-inches of display a piece in a ludicrously broad form factor.

In a battle for the best of the ultra, ultrawides, we pitted the Dell Ultrasharp 49 versus the Samsung CHG90 to see which makes the best use of its 49 inches of screen real estate.

Frame design

Riley Young/Digital Trends

While image quality is paramount, the overall look, feel, and customizability of the frame the monitor is attached to is important too. Both monitors offer good-looking solutions in that regard, but their footprint and design are drastically different.

The Samsung CHG90 has a stand that, although trim, is almost as large as the monitor itself. It gives the frame some minor tilt and swivel control, though since this is a curved display, you’re going to want to sit right in front of it if you can, to take full advantage of its wraparound effect.

The overall design weighs in at 33 pounds with the stand, so is not the most maneuverable of monitors, but its size is by far the biggest determining factor there.

The Ultrasharp has a much thinner, but deeper stand. It leaves much more desk space underneath the display itself and offers a greater range of motion for the monitor that sits atop it. You can tilt the display through 21 degrees and swivel it almost entirely around. We would caution doing so too quickly as 49-inches of monitor is a lot to be swinging around, but it’s an impressive feat nonetheless. The stand is also height adjustable through 3.5-inches, so you can make minor adjustments to set it at a comfortable height.

The whole package is exceedingly heavy though, weighing 58.27 pounds, so we wouldn’t recommend moving it without an extra pair of steady hands.

Display quality

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

If you’re buying a screen that could rival the average living room television in terms of physical footprint, you want the display to be of high quality. Fortunately, both Dell and Samsung oblige in this case, offering both enormous and stunning displays to choose from — though there are some marked differences between them.

For its $1,000 price tag, the Samsung CHG90 offers a 3,840 x 1,080 resolution screen with a curvature of 1,800R. It uses the VA panel type, which helps give it the great color accuracy and wide color support we saw in our testing. It even manages a 1ms response time, which isn’t a common feature of that panel type and has a great contrast ratio (we clocked it at 1,160:1). It does support HDR, but it wouldn’t meet the new VESA specifications, as its brightness peaked at 286 nits in our review.

Its gaming-centric specifications are pretty stellar though. Alongside the fast response time, the refresh rate of the CHG90 is 144Hz and if you can’t hold such frame rates at a steady clip in the latest AAA-games, FreeSync 2 support should help prevent screen tearing and stuttering.

In comparison, the Dell Ultrasharp 49 (U4919DW) comes in at a much higher cost of $1,700, but you do get some extras for your money — notably a lot more pixels. Its resolution is an intense 5,120 x 1,440 pixels which offers a lot more screen real estate and much higher detail levels in games. Think of it like two 1440p screens side by side without the bezel, where the CHG90 is more like two 1080p screens side by side.

The Ultrasharp uses an IPS panel so should have slightly richer colors. By the specifications, it has the same wide, 178-degree viewing angle as the Samsung display, as well as support for 1.07 billion colors.

Where it doesn’t offer quite so much is in the gaming department. The response time of the Ultrasharp 49 is 8ms, which is certainly usable in games, but it’s not ideal and those with the quickest of eyes may be able to tell a difference in faster-paced titles. It is brighter than the Samsung alternative, but it only offers a refresh rate of 60Hz, so doesn’t support high frame rates in the same way. It also doesn’t have any frame-syncing technologies, so gamers who want that functionality will have to rely on V-Sync.

Connectivity

Dan Baker/Digital Trends

Although at these sorts of monitor resolutions you’re going to want to use specific ports rather than others, having a good selection of options for versatility and connecting other peripherals is useful. The Samsung CHG90 comes with the choice of DisplayPort, mini-DisplayPort, two HDMI ports, a couple of USB-A connectors, a dedicated headphone jack, and a pair of microphone in/out jacks.

Notably absent on the Samsung monitor is a USB-C connection, which the Dell Ultrasharp 49 adds. Alongside that single reversible USB port, it also has a pair of HDMI 2.0 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 connector, five USB-A 3.0 downstream ports, and a pair of USB-A 3.0 upstream ports.

Versatile savings

Riley Young/Digital Trends

As much as the Dell Ultrasharp’s higher-resolution, impressive frame, and connectivity options make it an arguably better display in some cases, the Samsung CHG90 is the more versatile of the two displays — it’s also a lot cheaper.

For $700 less than the Dell alternative, the CHG90 gives you the same physical screen space to play with, a higher refresh rate, better response time, comparable colors, and support for FreeSync and HDR. The Ultrasharp might have some advantages, but at $1,700, it’s a hard sell when the Samsung is just so good.

While we’d like to see Samsung release a second-generation of its ultra, ultrawide display with USB-C and a higher resolution, for now there isn’t a screen like it, especially at that impressive $1,000 price point.

Overall winner: Samsung CHG90

Editors’ Recommendations

• Dell Ultrasharp 49 review
• Dell Ultrasharp U3818DW review
• World’s first 49-inch, dual QHD curved monitor tops Dell’s new line of displays
• The best ultrawide monitors of 2018
• Samsung CHG90 ultrawide monitor review

The new sleek, light, and powerful Asus Zenbooks are now available

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Asus revealed the availability of its series of new Zenbook devices that were originally announced at IFA 2018. The 13-inch, 14-inch, and 15-inch laptops all pack slim bezel displays and come configured with Intel’s eighth-generation Whiskey Lake processors under the hood.

Leading the lineup are 13-inch and 14-inch Zenbooks, starting at $850 and $1,000 in pricing. The 13-inch model will be coming later toward the end of November and the 14-inch model is set to go on sale on Amazon on November 14. Both models include Asus’ NanoEdge FHD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution displays for a slim design and a 95 percent screen-to-body ratio. Also, the two laptops have a unique numeric LED illuminated keypad in the touchpad which is activated with a touch of an icon.

As for the processors, the 13-inch model is configured with an Intel Core i5-8265U chipset and the 14-inch model the slightly more powerful Intel Core i7-8565U chipset. With storage, the 13-inch Zenbook comes with a modest 512 GB PCIe 3.0 x2 SSD as standard, and the 14-inch model a much larger 1TB SSD. A total of 16 GB of maximum RAM is common across both models, as is the ports and connectivity.

Ports include a mix of classic and modern, including USB C, classic USB A, USB 2.0, HDMI, MicroSD, and audio combo jack. Also included as standard on all the models are a Windows Hello camera and the Alexa virtual assistant for more seamless logins and a truly personal virtual assistant.

Capping the lineup is the $1,400 15.6 inch Asus ZenBook, which is set to become available later this month on Amazon. This leading Asus laptop comes with the Intel Core i7-8565U processor as standard, but also Nvidia GeForce MX150 or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q dedicated graphics cards are available as options for gaming or more processor heavy tasks. A physical number pad is even included onboard the keyboard, and the ports and connectivity are the same as the 13-inch and 14-inch models. Storage starts at 1TB, with RAM coming in at 16GB.

These Windows 10 devices all look to be great, but Asus is making its NanoEdge slim bezel displays a common experience across its lineup. On October 24, it also introduced three new Chromebook models, all of which feature narrow bezels, Intel quad-core CPUs and similar premium design.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Asus claims ‘world’s thinnest’ title with its new Zephyrus S gaming laptop
• Asus gets ‘tough’ on gamers using two TUF Gaming FX laptops built for abuse
• The new thin-bezeled Chromebooks from Asus won’t empty your wallet
• Alienware 17 R5 review
• Apple MacBook 12-inch review

Review: LaCie’s New Portable SSD is Pocket-Sized With Up to 2TB Storage and Fast Transfer Speeds

LaCie, Seagate’s premium brand, today announced the launch of the new LaCie Portable SSD, a palm-sized storage device with up to 2TB of storage space.

The new Portable SSD is one of LaCie’s smallest and lightest SSD options, with the 1TB model measuring in at about three and a half inches long and just under three inches wide. It’s pocketable at about 1/4 of an inch thick, and it easily fits into a bag or backpack without taking up much space.

LaCie says this drive is suitable for on-the-go use with drop resistance of up to two meters. We dropped it a few times from a two-meter height onto wood flooring to test LaCie’s claim, and the SSD suffered no harm.

The SSD is made from a black plastic material with a red-rimmed black metal plate at the top that catches the light and looks quite attractive. There’s unobtrusive LaCie branding at the top of the drive and a white LED at the front that comes on when it’s plugged into a computer. The LED is a bit too bright in a dimmer room, but it’s not a dealbreaker.

LaCie offers the Portable SSD drive in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, so there are a total of three models at three price points. 500GB of storage costs $130, 1TB of storage costs $290, and 2TB of storage costs $580.

LaCie says that the Portable SSD features USB 3.1 Gen 2 with maximum read/write speeds up to 540/500MB/s, which wasn’t too far off of the speeds that we saw in our testing of the 1TB review unit that LaCie sent for evaluation ahead of the product’s launch.

Using a Blackmagic Disk Speed Test with a 2016 MacBook Pro, read speeds for us maxed out at about 524MB/s, while write speeds maxed out at 485MB/s. We didn’t quite see LaCie’s maximum speeds with the 1TB model, but it was still quick.

Transferring 45GB of photos from the MacBook Pro to the LaCie drive took just about four minutes, and LaCie says that you can transfer one hour of 4K 30fps footage (aka 30GBs) to the drive in about a minute. We didn’t see transfer speeds quite that fast, but on the 1TB model, but it wasn’t far off.

Transfer speeds will, of course, differ based on what other peripherals you might have plugged into your Mac and your Mac’s overall workload. During testing, the Portable SSD stayed cool, getting only the slightest bit warm when transferring a large number of files.

LaCie ships the Portable SSD with both a USB-C to USB-C cable for connecting USB-C accessories to one of Apple’s Macs with a USB-C port and a USB-C to USB-A port to connect it a Mac with a USB-A port, so it’s compatible with both. You won’t get USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds with a USB-A port though, so be aware of that.

The drive comes formatted in exFAT, so it is compatible with both Mac and Windows machines, but it can be reformatted using the Disk Utility feature in macOS. It comes equipped with a link for registration and to download the LaCie Toolkit software for managing the device.

LaCie’s software is designed to sync files between mirrored folders on your computer and the Portable SSD and it is not required.

LaCie’s drive features a three-year warranty and a three-year Seagate Rescue Data Recovery Plan that offers data recovery should the drive fail.

Bottom Line

If you need ultraportable storage for uploading and saving content while on the go, LaCie’s new Portable SSD is worth checking out thanks to its small size, durability, and fast transfer speeds. It is pricier than some other options that you might find on Amazon, but it does come with a three-year warranty, which is worth taking into account.

How to Buy

The LaCie Portable SSD can be purchased starting this month from third-party resellers like Best Buy, Adorama, B&H Photo, and more. 500GB of storage is available for $130, 1TB of storage is available for $290, and 2TB of storage is available for $580.

Note: LaCie provided MacRumors with a 1TB Portable SSD for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tags: LaCie, Seagate
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First iPad Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini Orders Begin Arriving to Customers in Australia and New Zealand

Apple customers in Australia and New Zealand are always the first to get their hands on new devices on launch day because of time zone differences, and the Apple’s newest devices are no exception.

It’s morning time in Australia and New Zealand and customers who pre-ordered one a new iPad Pro, MacBook Air, or Mac mini are beginning to receive their shipments and have started sharing arrival news on Twitter, Instagram, and the MacRumors forums.

There are no Apple Stores in New Zealand, so customers in Australia are the first to be able to purchase one of Apple’s new devices from an Apple retail location. Apple should have iPad Pro models available for walk-in purchases along with base models of the MacBook Air and Mac mini.

iPad Pro pre-orders sold out quickly after the new tablet was announced, so how much stock will be available for walk-in purchases is unknown.

Following New Zealand and Australia, iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini sales sales will kick off in Asia, Europe, and finally, North America. Apple Stores globally are opening up at 8:00 a.m. local time to allow customers to pick up reserved devices and make walk-in purchases.

In the United States, the first new device deliveries and sales will take place on the East Coast starting at 8:00 a.m.

Aside from Apple, other retailers including carriers and big box stores should also be stocking the new devices.

We’ll be sharing first impressions of the new device from actual Apple customers in Australia and New Zealand, so make sure to stay tuned to MacRumors and if you’ve received a new MacBook Air, Mac mini, or iPad Pro, let us know what you think.

Related Roundups: iPad Pro, Mac mini, MacBook AirBuyer’s Guide: 11″ iPad Pro (Buy Now), Mac Mini (Buy Now), MacBook Air (Buy Now), 12.9″ iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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Apple Releases Updated Version of Shortcuts App With iPad Pro Support

Apple today updated its dedicated Shortcuts app for iOS 12 devices to version 2.1.1, introducing support for the new iPad Pro models that are set to be released tomorrow.

Apple’s 11 and 12.9-inch 2018 iPad Pro models are the latest Apple devices that will work with the Shortcuts app, which is designed to let you create multi-step shortcuts and automations using first and third-party apps that can then be activated with Siri commands.

With Shortcuts, for example, you can create an automation to do something like turn on the thermostat at home using the Nest app, text your roommate that you’re on the way with Messages, and open up the Maps app with directions home all with a single “I’m going home” Siri command spoken when leaving work.

Shortcuts are deeply customizable, with Apple’s Shortcuts app providing a gallery of Shortcut suggestions along with the tools to create your own.

In addition to support for the new iPad Pro models, the 2.1.1 update introduces a long list of bug fixes, as outlined in Apple’s Shortcuts support document.

• Fixed an issue where some actions (including Send Email, Dictate Text, Run Home Scene, and Vibrate Device) may not work when invoked from Siri
• Fixed an issue where the Set Flashlight action caused an error message to appear
• Fixed an issue where the Call action wasn’t able to dial phone numbers with special characters (such as * or #)
• Fixed an issue where entered decimal numbers may not be recognized properly in locales that use a comma as the decimal separator
• Fixed an issue where the selected photo album in the Save to Photo Album action may be reset to “All Photos”
• Fixed an issue where the Toggle Alarm action wouldn’t disable alarms until the “Enable” switch was turned on and back off
• Fixed an issue where the Speak Text action spoke using lower-quality voices

Shortcuts can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Deals: Black Friday Prep Begins, New Anker Discounts, Targus Sitewide Sale, and More

We’re just over two weeks away from Black Friday 2018, and in preparation we have begun compiling sales that we know are coming in our dedicated Black Friday Roundup. This Roundup includes sales on Apple devices and other tech-related items that have been shared early ahead of the shopping holiday, or in some cases have leaked online.

So far, we know that Target will have sales on iPhone, Apple Watch, and iPad mini 4. Apple Watch Series 3 will be marked down by $80 (as low as $199 for the 38mm GPS only model), and the iPad mini 4 will be available for $249.99, a $150 discount from the regular price of $399.99. Macy’s is matching Target’s sale on Apple Watch Series 3, and Costco will have its on sale on the 32GB 9.7-inch iPad from Early 2018, priced at $249.99, down from $319.99.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

So far, other major retailers with Black Friday deals we know about include Belk, Kohl’s, JCPenney, and Dell, so we’re still waiting on other companies like Best Buy, Walmart, The Home Depot, GameStop, and more. The shopping tracker site BestBlackFriday.com is keeping track of all these ad scans, deals, and more. For specific discounts, offers, store times, and more related to Black Friday, be sure to keep an eye on our Black Friday Roundup as we’ll continuously update it leading up to November 23.

Ahead of Black Friday, Anker has outlined its promo codes for the month of November, this time including a few USB-C cables and accessories that will pair well with the new 2018 iPad Pro. The full list of Anker’s new Amazon sale can be found below, and be sure to pay attention to the expiration dates and place your order before the codes are discontinued.

• PowerPort Wireless Qi-Certified Charging Stand – $16.99 with code ANKER253, down from $19.99 (exp. 11/8)

• Soundcore Spirit Pro IP68 Headphones – $39.99 with code SDCREPRO, down from $49.99 (exp. 11/18)

• Roav VIVA 2-Port USB Car Charger – $33.99 with code ROAVFF44, down from $59.99 (exp. 11/30)

• Powerline II USB-C to USB-C 2.0 (6ft) – $8.39 with code ANKE8482, down from $11.99 (exp. 11/30)

• Powerline+ USB-C to USB-A Cable (Gray and Red; 2-Pack; 6ft) – $9.99 with code CABLE266, down from $12.99 (exp. 11/30)

• Powerline+ USB-C to USB-A Cable (Gray and Red; 2-Pack; 3ft) – $7.99 with code CABLE265, down from $9.99 (exp. 11/30)

• Powerline+ 10ft Lightning Cable (All Colors) – $13.49 with code ANKERPLN, down from $17.99 (exp. 11/30)

• PowerLine II USB-C to C 2.0 Cable (3ft) – $6.99 with code ANKE8481, down from $9.99

Mobile accessory company Targus recently began a new 15 percent off sitewide sale that will last until the end of 2018, timing that will be perfect for both early and late holiday shoppers. Targus is known for its laptop bags and cases, luggage, iPad cases, and the company also makes multiple docking stations that support USB-C/Thunderbolt 3. You can get 15 percent off your order using the promo code TARGUS15SAS, which includes items on the Targus sale page.

Additionally, Targus is offering free shipping with no minimum using promo code FREESHIPPINGSAS. These codes can’t be used within the same order, however, so you’ll have to choose which works best with your purchase. For all orders, Targus offers free shipping when your cart exceeds $35. Head to Targus to start browsing, and you have until December 31 to place your order and take advantage of the sitewide and free shipping promo codes.

Over on iTunes, this week Apple introduced an “Iconic Moments” movie sale, offering a group of films at a reduced price of $7.99 with new pieces of cover art that reference memorable moments within each film. Check out all of the movies in the list below, and if you’re interested be sure to pick up the movies before next Tuesday, when the iTunes Movies store will refresh again.

$7.99 Iconic Moments

• The Polar Express

• Beetlejuice

• The Mask

• The Goonies

• Citizen Kane

• Mars Attacks!

• Ben-Hur

• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

• The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

• The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

• Singin’ in the Rain

• Ocean’s 11

• Crazy Stupid Love

• A Clockwork Orange

• Gravity

• A Nightmare on Elm Street

• A Star is Born (1954)

• Gran Torino

• Bullitt

• Empire of the Sun

• The Bodyguard

• The Exorcist

• Point Break

• The Bridges of Madison County

• Rebel Without a Cause

• Risky Business

• The Lost Boys

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

• Bonnie and Clyde

• Lethal Weapon

If you’re on the hunt for more sales as holiday shopping begins, be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup, which today includes a flash sale on the official Apple Leather Case in Taupe for iPhone X and iPhone 7 Plus/8 Plus, priced at $22.99 on Best Buy.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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