Grab the AMD Ryzen 7 2700 with Wraith Spire LED cooler for $265

In the world of computer processing units, two names have reigned supreme for decades: Intel and AMD. Although Intel has commanded the lion’s share of the CPU market, this rivalry has only heated up in recent years, with AMD’s new Ryzen processors rising to challenge Intel’s dominance. Rumor has it that Sony may even be using an AMD Ryzen processor for the company’s next console.

Although the Intel i-series processors remain more popular in laptop and desktop PCs, AMD CPUs are often seen in gaming consoles owing to their excellent price-to-performance ratio. Nonetheless, AMD processors typically lag slightly behind Intel’s offerings. That’s changing: The new second-gen AMD Ryzen units are quickly closing this gap, making these CPUs a very attractive choice for PC builders (who are, understandably, a fairly picky lot).

The AMD Ryzen 7 7200 processor is a second-generation replacement for the Ryzen 7 1700, and boasts similar specs with some speed improvements. It’s an eight-core CPU – more than ideal for modern systems – with a 20MB cache. The 3.2GHz clock speed out of the box can also be boosted to 4.1GHz when you need some more juice for gaming and other demanding tasks.

Along with the Ryzen 5 2600, the 7 2700 is one of the more power-efficient members of the Ryzen lineup, drawing 65 watts of power (the same power draw as the first-gen 7 1700 despite the 2700’s boosted speed and snappier performance). The AMD Ryzen 7 2700 also comes bundled with the Wraith Spire LED cooling fan. This model of the Spire has an RGB LED ring around the fan housing, which you can control with the companion app from CoolerMaster – the perfect way to give your desktop tower a bit of custom style.

The AMD Ryzen 7 2700 and Wraith Spire LED cooler bundle typically goes for $300, but a $35 discount lets you score this great CPU and fan from Amazon for just $265 today only. If you’re assembling your own custom PC, or if you’re just upgrading the CPU, then this is one of the best current-gen processors for any desktop build.

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Looking for more Amazon deals? Find laptop deals, and more from our curated Black Friday deals page.

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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.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Updated Intel processor benchmarks still beat AMD Ryzen competitor, but by less
• AMD vs. Intel
• AMD’s new 32-core Ryzen Threadripper desktop CPU rips into wallets at $1,800
• AMD Ryzen 2500X and 2300X expand quad-core options for new CPUs
• Ryzen shine! AMD’s next CPUs could beat Intel at gaming in 2019

ASUS Zenfone 5Q review

Research Center:

ASUS Zenfone 5Q

The Asus Zenfone 5Q was originally introduced at Mobile World Congress 2018, as part of the company’s Zenfone 5 series. It’s not the flagship model out of the bunch – that honor goes to the Asus Zenfone 5Z – but at $300, the Zenfone 5Q is significantly cheaper and still boasts the same beautiful design.

Of course, there are compromises to account for the $200 price difference — the camera is mediocre, and this phone most likely won’t receive the latest version of Android. While it has impressive battery life and a vibrant display, we’re not convinced the features on the Zenfone 5Q justify the price tag.

Sleek design, vivid display

Our favorite part of the Zenfone 5Q is its design — for a budget device, the smartphone looks more expensive than $300. With rather slim bezels and a glass body, it not only looks incredibly sleek but feels nice too. In fact, we didn’t mind swapping our iPhone XS to tote around the Zenfone 5Q when it comes to aesthetics. While our review unit is listed as “Midnight Black,” it looks more like a dark navy blue at first glance, especially when the light hits it.

At the top are two front-facing cameras, with an LED light and speaker sandwiched in between. A volume rocker is situated on the right side, with the power button underneath it. On the left is where you’ll find the dual SIM tray.

A feature that’s becoming more and more uncommon is the headphone jack, which the Zenfone 5Q houses at the top of the device. At the bottom, there’s unfortunately a Micro USB charging port instead of USB-C — which is more universal and convenient when it comes to charging. This is also where you’ll find the single speaker.

When it comes to sound quality, the Zenfone 5Q gets loud enough to hear both indoors and out and the quality is fairly decent. But we can’t ignore how muffled it sounds at loud volumes — while it’s not terrible, we’d advise a Bluetooth speaker if you want to crank the volume up.

The smartphone looks more expensive than $300.

While the phone is large in size, the rounded edges help with grip and it’s slim and lightweight enough that it’s comfortable to hold. On the back, there’s a stacked dual-lens camera module at the top that’s slightly raised — and the flash sits right next to it. Below it is an indented fingerprint sensor with the ASUS logo at the bottom of the device.

We do wish the fingerprint sensor was placed a bit lower than the spot it’s currently in, but it’s still comfortable to access and use. It’s also extremely responsive, but we relied more on face unlock, which worked quickly in most settings.

Brenda Stolyar/Digital Trends

The 6-inch LCD display on the front has a 18:19 aspect ratio and 2,160 x 1,080-pixel resolution. We love how vibrant and bright content looks on the screen. With such a large and stunning display, we particularly enjoyed watching Netflix on it — the high resolution made the video quality look sharp and we didn’t run into any issues.

Outdoors we didn’t have trouble viewing anything on the display and didn’t have to tinker with brightness the way we’ve had to with other smartphones in the past. However, taking photos was a different matter and we found it was tough to see exactly what we were pointing the camera at even in broad daylight.

ASUS Zenfone 5Q Compared To

Sony Xperia XZ3

Moto Z3

Moto Z3 Play

Moto E5 Plus

Nokia 7 Plus

Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS

Alcatel 3V

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra

Google Pixel 2 XL

ZTE Max XL

Meizu M3 Max

Blu Pure XL

Huawei Mate 8

ZTE Grand X Max+

LG G Flex

When it comes to durability, there’s no IP rating for the Zenfone 5Q so you won’t want to jump in the pool with it. We haven’t dropped the phone yet either, but with a glass back we definitely recommend grabbing a case for it. It made us a bit nervous to text one-handed, afraid that a drop without a case would completely shatter the glass.

Smooth performance

The Asus Zenfone 5Q is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 630, which was released last year. We found that apps opened quickly and there was no stutter or lag when scrolling in apps like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. It also comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage — and if that’s not enough, there’s a MicroSD card slot that supports up to 2TB.

When it comes to gaming, we didn’t run into any issues playing The Sims Mobile. Content looked great on the large display and the graphics ran smoothly. Here are the benchmark results:

• AnTuTu 3DBench: 87,898
• Geekbench CPU: single core 858; multi-core 4153
• 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 831

The Zenfone 5Q offers more powerful performance than competitors like the Honor 7X (which had an AnTuTu score of 63,311), but it didn’t beat out the Nokia 6.1 or Moto G6 Plus — which had scores of 88,595 and 90,483, respectively. While the Nokia 6.1 is cheaper by $30, the Moto G6 Plus has the highest score of all the phones mentioned and only costs $50 more than the Zenfone 5Q.

Mediocre camera

With the Zenfone 5Q, Asus takes pride in the four cameras featured on the smartphone. On the back is a dual camera — the primary sensor comes in at 16-megapixels with an f/2.2 aperture, while the secondary sensor features a 120-degree wide-angle lens. Meanwhile, the front facing camera also has a dual-lens setup — its primary sensor is 20-megapixels with an f/2.0 aperture and there’s a 120-degree wide-angle lens.

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Those seem like impressive specs on paper, but we weren’t impressed with the results. Overall, we found our photos were both blurry and noisy. Without HDR we were left with photos that were either over exposed or under exposed in specific areas — like the trees surrounding landscape shots. With HDR turned on, the photos were decent in the daylight, but low light performance was poor. In wide angle shots, parts of the image always came out blurry.On the other hand, the 20-megapixel front-facing camera takes impressive selfies that capture a lot of detail. In the photos that we took, we could see the minor breakouts on our forehead, fly-aways when looking at our hair, and our skin color looks extremely accurate as well. If you’re the type who likes to edit their selfies, But when we switched to wide-angle selfies, we found that each snapshot came out blurry. Asus conveniently packed in a “Selfie Master” app which lets you apply a beauty filter in real-time before you take the selfie. There’s also the option to edit it within the app afterwards.

We found our photos were both blurry and noisy.

While it can take some good photos, it requires staying super still and having the best lighting conditions possible. Other than that, though, there’s nothing noteworthy about the Zenfone 5Q’s camera capabilities. If the camera is really important to you, we think you might be better off with a different phone.

No Android Pie, or even Oreo

The Zenfone 5Q runs Android 7.0 Nougat — specifically 7.1.1 which was the second to last update to come to the 2017 operating system. It’s disappointing that the phone launches without the latest version of Android, or even the one before that, especially with a smartphone that costs as much as $300. But the device should be receiving Android 8.0 Oreo soon.

The company’s ZenUI skin is not our favorite and there are some questionable features that are probably best ignored — but it’s better than before. You do at least have your standard suite of Google apps pre-installed — you can swipe right from the home screen to access the Google Feed, or to activate Google Assistant, press and hold the home button.

Long-lasting battery

With a 3,300mAh battery powering the ASUS Zenfone 5Q, we were able to get a substantial amount of juice out of it for long periods of time. Before switching to it as our primary phone, we left it on overnight and still had 81 percent at 9 a.m. (that’s with all of our social media notifications coming in).

Alternatives

Nokia 6.1

Honor 7X

Honor 8X

Moto G6

By 12:25 p.m., after having used Google Maps, Spotify, and taking a bunch of photos, it was at about 66 percent. We then took it through some benchmark testing at which point the battery only dropped to about 51 percent by 2:30 p.m. Towards the end of our work day, which included text messaging and scrolling through social media, we were at 48 percent and by 11:30 p.m, we were at 37 percent.

Of course, the longevity of the battery varies depending on how much you use it but either way, you can easily get an entire day’s worth (and then some) out of the Zenfone 5Q.

Unfortunately, the Micro USB charging is slow and there’s no support for wireless charging here.

Warranty information

The 64GB Asus Zenfone 5Q costs $300 and can be purchased unlocked directly from Asus or from Amazon and Best Buy. But it’s only compatible with GSM networks like AT&T and Verizon — those with Sprint and Verizon are out of luck. As for colorways, you’ll be able to choose between black or white.

Asus offers a standard one-year warranty on the Asus Zenfone 5Q that protects against manufacturing defects.

Our Take

The Asus Zenfone 5Q is a beautiful smartphone on the outside, but once you peek under the hood you start to realize it’s not as impressive — especially for $300. There are plenty of other midrange smartphones on the market with the same processor, but better cameras, and more recent software.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. We recommend the Nokia 6.1 which costs $270 — saving you $30. It comes with the same Snapdragon 630 processor, and the same 16-megapixel rear camera as the Zenfone 5Q. While it isn’t as sleek, it still has an attractive design, and with an all-metal build you won’t have to worry about shattering it. You may also consider spending a little more to snag the Nokia 7.1.

There’s also the Honor 7X which will set you back $200, or its successor, the Honor 8X. The standard Moto G6 is another option, but for those in the U.K. we recommend the Moto G6 Plus. For even more options, you can learn more in our best cheap phones guide.

How long will it last?

The Zenfone 5Q should last you around two years — if you’re careful with it. Since it’s made of glass, you might want to get a protective case to keep it from shattering.

It might receive a few security updates but running Android 7.0 Nougat it’s not guaranteed you’ll be able to upgrade to a more recent operating system.

Should you buy it?

No, there are many other choices on the market if you’re looking for a budget phone. While you might have to spend a little bit more, shelling out extra cash will provide you with a more up to date smartphone that packs an even better processor and camera.

Following the Portal, augmented reality glasses may be Facebook’s next step

Facebook recently told TechCrunch that it is working on its own augmented reality glasses. Following the launch of its Portal smart display, the move signals Facebook could be challenging both Apple and Google to perhaps further rise up in the hardware scene.

Coming roughly a year after CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook had no technology and five or seven years needed to build AR glasses, a major change is now brewing. Likely driven by competition from Microsoft’s HoloLens, Magic Leap, and Thalmic Labs, Facebook’s head of augmented reality Ficus Kirkpatrick believes that its AR glasses are something that should come into reality.

“Of course we’re working on it, I think we’ve talked about this publicly at Oculus Connect. We’re doing a lot of research on this stuff, I think the glasses that we dream of are quite a ways away. We have no product to announce right now, but we have a lot of very talented people doing really completing cutting-edge research that we hope plays a part of the future headset,” Kirkpatrick told TechCrunch.

Fresh off the heels of its first hardware launch, Facebook's Fiscus Kirkpatrick says the company is also working on an AR headset https://t.co/AS8IMIO56b #TCARVR pic.twitter.com/eWW6JX22yc

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) October 24, 2018

The comments confirm hints and patents from the earlier this year which indicated that a Facebook designed AR headset was in the works. Part of those rumors initially involved job postings and “breakthrough work in computer vision, machine learning, mixed reality, graphics, displays, sensors, and new ways to map the human body.” It also hinted at Facebook was looking to control the entire process of any would be AR headset, down to the chip layer.

Facebook has faced many privacy and security scandals in the past few years, but given the data collection concerns with its first piece of hardware, it still remains interesting to see how the public will take such an AR headset.

The social media giant now also has its own hardware lab and considering Facebook’s ownership of Oculus, there could be some lessons and maybe some cooperation on the software side of the headset. The headset is obviously quite a ways off from now and there is still a lot of development before any real product hits the streets.

Consumers might not even be ready for it, as Google last attempted AR smart glasses in 2013, but things fell flat due to the lack of proper software.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple AR glasses: News and rumors about ‘Project Mirrorshades’
• Facebook’s reported Rift 2 cancellation caused a rift with Oculus executive
• Facebook appears set on crafting custom silicon for augmented reality devices
• Magic Leap One: Everything you need to know
• The best augmented-reality apps for Android and iOS

Following the Portal, augmented reality glasses may be Facebook’s next step

Facebook recently told TechCrunch that it is working on its own augmented reality glasses. Following the launch of its Portal smart display, the move signals Facebook could be challenging both Apple and Google to perhaps further rise up in the hardware scene.

Coming roughly a year after CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook had no technology and five or seven years needed to build AR glasses, a major change is now brewing. Likely driven by competition from Microsoft’s HoloLens, Magic Leap, and Thalmic Labs, Facebook’s head of augmented reality Ficus Kirkpatrick believes that its AR glasses are something that should come into reality.

“Of course we’re working on it, I think we’ve talked about this publicly at Oculus Connect. We’re doing a lot of research on this stuff, I think the glasses that we dream of are quite a ways away. We have no product to announce right now, but we have a lot of very talented people doing really completing cutting-edge research that we hope plays a part of the future headset,” Kirkpatrick told TechCrunch.

Fresh off the heels of its first hardware launch, Facebook's Fiscus Kirkpatrick says the company is also working on an AR headset https://t.co/AS8IMIO56b #TCARVR pic.twitter.com/eWW6JX22yc

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) October 24, 2018

The comments confirm hints and patents from the earlier this year which indicated that a Facebook designed AR headset was in the works. Part of those rumors initially involved job postings and “breakthrough work in computer vision, machine learning, mixed reality, graphics, displays, sensors, and new ways to map the human body.” It also hinted at Facebook was looking to control the entire process of any would be AR headset, down to the chip layer.

Facebook has faced many privacy and security scandals in the past few years, but given the data collection concerns with its first piece of hardware, it still remains interesting to see how the public will take such an AR headset.

The social media giant now also has its own hardware lab and considering Facebook’s ownership of Oculus, there could be some lessons and maybe some cooperation on the software side of the headset. The headset is obviously quite a ways off from now and there is still a lot of development before any real product hits the streets.

Consumers might not even be ready for it, as Google last attempted AR smart glasses in 2013, but things fell flat due to the lack of proper software.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Apple AR glasses: News and rumors about ‘Project Mirrorshades’
• Facebook’s reported Rift 2 cancellation caused a rift with Oculus executive
• Facebook appears set on crafting custom silicon for augmented reality devices
• Magic Leap One: Everything you need to know
• The best augmented-reality apps for Android and iOS

Should A.I cars put passengers before pedestrians? Here’s what 2.3 million people said

Anyone who has watched the excellent TV comedy The Good Place will be familiar with the “trolley problem.” In short, imagine you spot a runaway trolley headed toward five incapacitated people in its direct path. You have the power to redirect the trolley onto a side track, thereby saving the lives of the five people. The only problem? There is a single person lying on this side track and, by making the decision to redirect the trolley, you’re consciously sentencing them to death.

Philosophers have been wrestling with similarly thorny ethical dilemmas for centuries, but the arrival of self-driving cars suddenly brings them into real-world focus. That’s because decisions like the trolley problem become practical realities when you’re deciding on how an autonomous vehicle should respond to, for instance, a situation in which damage is going to be done to either pedestrians or passengers depending on how a car acts.

These are unsurprisingly sprawling, complex questions — but the findings of a large-scale survey sheds light on how populations at large view the moral principles which should guide machines. Drawing on the responses of 2.3 million people from around the globe, the study laid out 13 scenarios in which one person’s death was inevitable. Respondents were then asked who they would choose to spare given a wide range of variables — such as age, wealth, and numbers of people.

Some answers were universal constants: Humans were saved instead of pets and large numbers of people instead of individuals. But there was disagreement, too, such as the fact that people in certain countries were more likely to elect to hit people crossing roads illegally than those in others. Religious factors also seemingly played a role in differences, as did issues like economic inequality.

“I think the most surprising [results for me was] the degree to which respondents favored sparing characters of higher status,” Iyad Rahwan, an associate professor of Media Arts and Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, who worked on the project, told Digital Trends. “I find it especially concerning that this factor had a strong effect compared to other factors. It is important to be aware of such type of bias and quantify it.”

Ultimately, the researchers aren’t convinced that such findings should necessarily be used to directly crowdsource future laws, however. “We think that these findings are meant to inform experts who are working on normative guidelines,” Edmond Awad, a postdoctoral associate at MIT, told us. “We don’t suggest that experts cater to the public’s preferences, especially when they find these preferences concerning. But they need to be at least aware of such preferences and their magnitude to anticipate public reaction.”

A paper describing the research was published in Nature.

Editors’ Recommendations

• 88 percent of the $800-plus smartphones sold last quarter were iPhones
• The secret to robots with good balance? Shakira-level gyrating hips
• What is a blockchain?
• We got naked with the Naked Labs 3D Body Scanner. Here’s how it went
• JLab’s sweatproof wireless headphones are perfect for earbud-hating gym rats

HomePod Launches in Spain and Mexico

Apple’s HomePod Siri-enabled smart speaker expanded to an additional two countries today, with the device now available for purchase in Spain and Mexico.

In Spain the HomePod is priced at 349 euros, and in Mexico, it can be purchased for 7,999 pesos. The HomePod is more expensive in Mexico and Spain than in the U.S. due to value added taxes in both countries.

With the HomePod’s expansion to Spain and Mexico, the speaker is now available in a total of eight countries. When HomePod first launched in February, it was available in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia before expanding to Canada, France, and Germany in June.

Rumors suggest the HomePod could expand to Italy in the near future, with Apple employees testing an Italian language version of the device.

Related Roundup: HomePodBuyer’s Guide: HomePod (Neutral)
Discuss this article in our forums

Blizzard Launches New Apple TV App for Streaming Video During BlizzCon 2018

Blizzard this week introduced an all-new Apple TV app that will allow fans to stream content from BlizzCon 2018 on their 4th or 5th generation Apple TV. For those who can’t make it to the Anaheim, California event in person, Blizzard has always provided numerous ways for users to watch panels and videos live (on mobile and BlizzCon.com), but this marks the first year the company has built an app specifically for Apple TV.

While the app and some of its content are free, to get the most out of BlizzCon TV [Direct Link] you’ll need to purchase a $49.99 “Virtual Ticket” from Blizzard. This allows you to unlock all of the content to stream on BlizzCon TV, including original BlizzCon video content, a Community Night, the BlizzCon 2017 video archive, and live panel coverage. The Virtual Ticket also unlocks access to in-game items for Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, StarCraft II, StarCraft: Remastered, Heroes of the Storm, and Diablo III.

The BlizzCon TV home screen on Apple TV shows upcoming events, live and on-demand videos, content broken down by various Blizzard games, and more. There’s a dedicated e-sports tab, which has already kicked off with content for Heroes of the Storm and StarCraft II, and will see World of Warcraft and Overwatch tournaments begin next week. Blizzard has the full BlizzCon 2018 schedule on its website, and viewers can prepare for opening ceremony events to kick off on Friday, November 2.

Besides the introduction of an Apple TV app, Blizzard is supporting AirPlay and Chromecast streaming from the BlizzCon mobile app to compatible devices for the first time in 2018. Fans will also be able to watch portions of the show live through the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app, so they can chat with friends as the event happens. There’s also a BlizzCon TV app for Amazon Fire TV users.

This marks the first Apple TV app developed by Blizzard. The company has created plenty of iOS apps, including a port for Hearthstone, a companion app for World of Warcraft, and an app for the Overwatch League. In 2017, there were numerous rumors surrounding the potential launch of Overwatch on macOS, but they were tenuous and it’s now been nearly a year since one of Blizzard’s engineers said there are “no plans” for the launch.

You can download BlizzCon TV for Apple TV today by searching for the app on the tvOS App Store, or using the Siri Remote.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 12Tag: BlizzardBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

AT&T and WarnerMedia Announce Closure of Classic Movie Streaming Service ‘FilmStruck’

It’s now been just over four months since AT&T completed its acquisition of Time Warner, and today AT&T has made a move to streamline WarnerMedia assets with the discontinuation of classic film streaming service FilmStruck. The service is now warning visitors to its website that it will be shutting down on November 29, 2018, and as of today is no longer enrolling new subscribers (via Variety).

FilmStruck was available on iOS and tvOS, but it appears that the app has been removed from both App Stores. On iOS, a search for “FilmStruck” guides users to TCM’s new streaming app Watch TCM.

All current FilmStruck subscribers will receive an email with more details, including potential refunds, and the company put together a list of FAQs for more information. FilmStruck will remain in operation for the next month, and in a tweet the company said, “It has been our pleasure bringing FilmStruck to you and we thank you for your support.”

FilmStruck debuted in November 2016, offering a lineup of nearly 2,000 classic, indie, foreign, and cult films, as well as acting as the streaming home to the Criterion Collection. Subscribers paid $6.99/month for the service, or $10.99/month for the service with access to the Criterion Collection. Films available on FilmStruck include the original “A Star is Born”, “Casablanca”, “The Music Man,” and many more.

According to a statement provided by Turner and WB Digital Networks, FilmStruck remained a niche service for its entire lifetime, leading to the discontinuation.

“We’re incredibly proud of the creativity and innovations produced by the talented and dedicated teams who worked on FilmStruck over the past two years. While FilmStruck has a very loyal fanbase, it remains largely a niche service. We plan to take key learnings from FilmStruck to help shape future business decisions in the direct-to-consumer space and redirect this investment back into our collective portfolios.”

A few other WarnerMedia digital services have been shut down following the AT&T acquisition, including the Korean drama-focused DramaFever and digital content TV studio Super Deluxe. According to a source familiar with AT&T’s strategy, “They felt Time Warner overall had too many initiatives,” leading to the pruning of services that lack broad appeal.

Turner Classic Movies offers an alternative for Apple TV owners with the recently launched “Watch TCM” tvOS app. Unlike FilmStruck’s separate monthly streaming service cost, Watch TCM is an app that users can connect to their cable subscriptions to watch “nearly every title playing on TCM.”

Before FilmStruck goes away for good, the Criterion Collection promises that it will keep subscribers informed about the programming they can watch on the service before it shuts down in late November. Looking forward, the company will be trying to find ways to “bring our library and original content back to the digital space as soon as possible.”

Tags: AT&T, Time Warner
Discuss this article in our forums

HP Envy x2 review

Research Center:

HP Envy x2

When Microsoft released Windows 8, it hoped to launch a new class of computer capable of serving both as a laptop and a tablet. The company even went so far as to hire an engineering team and develop its own products. There’s just one problem: many of these new devices aren’t good. Windows RT was barely breathing on arrival and just 400,000 Surface Pros sold in the first month, which sounds like a lot until you hear that Apple sells 1.7 million iPads every week.

The problem is the product. Consumers say they’d like a tablet/laptop combo, but no computer has been good enough to fulfill this desire so far. HP’s ElitePad 900 seemed like the solution, yet a botched keyboard dock made it hard to recommend as a laptop replacement.

Surprisingly, HP itself has devised the answer: the $599 Envy x2. Unlike the 900, which focuses on durability (hence the bulky keyboard), this device is sleeker, more refined, and ships with a keyboard dock that’s bundled rather than an added-cost extra. Let’s see if this device is a true jack-of-all-trades.

Featherweight

At first glance, the Envy x2 seems identical to its enterprise cousin. HP altered the look a bit – this device prefers masses of silver metal to the 900’s more diverse black-on-silver design – but the basic elements are similar: both have a silver frame around a black glossy display bezel, both use silver metal along the rear of the display, and both have rounded corners which make holding the tablet comfortable.

There is a significant difference, however: aspect ratio. While the 900 has a 16:10 screen measuring 10 inches, the Envy x2 offers the more common 16:9 format. This expands diagonal screen size to 11.6 inches and changes the tablet’s proportions for the worse. There’s no problem when using the device as a laptop, but the x2 feels a bit narrow and awkward to browse the Web when used as a tablet. Most 16:9 Android tablets suffer from the same issue.

Changing the screen hasn’t added bulk, however, so the device remains remarkably easy to handle when used as either a laptop or tablet. An iPad feels heavier in hand because, though slightly lighter, it’s denser. Most users will have no problem holding the x2 for long periods of time.

The tablet’s ergonomics are further enhanced by clever power/volume button design. Instead of protruding, the buttons are inlaid into the chassis, which makes accidental activation unlikely. However, the same can’t be said for the Windows button, which is less of a button and more of a touch-sensitive area on the tablet’s bezel. We accidentally triggered it multiple times during our evaluation.

HP Envy x2 Compared To

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

Microsoft Surface Book 2 15-inch

HP Spectre x360 15 (2018)

Lenovo Miix 630

Asus ZenBook UX305

Samsung ATIV Book 9 12.2-inch

Toshiba Kirabook (2014)

Asus Zenbook UX301LA

Dell XPS 13

Dell XPS 12

Sony Vaio S Premium 13.3-inch

Asus U36Jc

Lenovo IdeaPad U110

Sharp M4000

Toshiba Dynabook SX

Permission to dock

The difference in quality between the ElitePad 900’s keyboard dock and the Envy x2’s couldn’t be wider, creating a rare case where the consumer wins over enterprise customers. This dock is everything the 900’s dock is not: light, thin, attractive, and pleasing to use.

In fact, this might be the best keyboard dock on the market today. The keyboard uses almost every centimeter of available width to offer a spacious typing surface. Good key feel is just the cherry on top. The hinge, which inclines the keyboard and limits the tilt angle of the display, is the only problem. Some people prefer an inclined keyboard, while others don’t; and those in the latter group may find the Envy x2 uncomfortable.

The touchpad also emulates a traditional laptop with impeccable accuracy. The surface is large, responsive, and offers clearly defined borders. Even the physical left/right buttons integrated into the surface have some tactile feel. Multi-touch gestures work nearly as well on the touchpad as they do on the touchscreen.

Slapping on the keyboard adds ports as well. The keyboard is a much-needed addition since the tablet has nothing but a MicroSD card reader. The keyboard dock adds two USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI port, and a combo headphone/microphone jack. Not a bad selection for a tablet/laptop hybrid, though not exceptional either.

Too many pixels stretched too thin

Though light and well-built, the Envy x2 is relatively affordable. One gift HP handed over (we’re assuming begrudgingly) to the Gods of Value is the display’s meager 1366 x 768 resolution.

A 1366 x 768 resolution is fine for an 11.6-inch laptop, but not great for an 11.6-inch tablet; and visible pixilation is the result. Web pages and fine text lack the crisp, sharp look users have come to expect from using smartphones and tablets.

Chalk this up as another reason we think hybrids will eventually threaten stand-alone tablets.

Otherwise, the display is distinctly average. Color gamut testing pegged the display at 68 percent of sRGB, and black level benchmarks returned middling results. Maximum brightness registered at just over 300 nits, which is enough to make the glossy display usable even in a sunlit room. Viewing angles are also good.

Unfortunately, audio is a low point. The speakers are muffled by the keyboard dock, making laptop audio quiet even at maximum volume. Removing the tablet from the dock will pump up the jam, but doesn’t improve quality.

Audiophiles aren’t completely out of luck, however, as the Envy x2 ships with Beats audio. This allows some customization of the audio experience not normally found on a Windows device, but you’ll need to plug in a pair of headphones to enjoy it.

One for the road

As thin as this device is, HP somehow still found room to cram modest batteries into both the tablet and the keyboard dock. This, combined with the power-sipping Atom processor, makes for good battery life.

How good? With the dock attached, we got almost seven hours of endurance from our Web-browsing test, and the figure was boosted to 12 hours during our light-load reading test (which doesn’t use Wi-Fi). Even our Battery Eater load test needed six hours to chew through both batteries.

Detaching the tablet from the dock reduces Web browsing time to about five hours, which sets no records but is average for a Windows tablet. The Envy x2 probably won’t outlast an iPad or a Nexus 10 (though it theoretically could, in certain situations), but it will easily last you through a cross-country flight.

Atomic performance

Our review unit arrived with an Atom Z2760 dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB solid-state drive. These specifications are typical for current Windows tablet/laptop hybrids but result in uninspiring performance. SiSoft Sandra’s Processor Arithmetic benchmark reported a score of 8.26 GOPS, and 7-Zip returned a result of 2,719 MIPS. These figures are three to four times below current Core i5 dual-core processors.

PCMark, a general test that benchmarks the processor, hard drive, and graphics card simultaneously, returned an abysmally low score of 1,431. If not for the ElitePad 900, which scored even lower, this would be the worst result we’ve recorded.

There’s no good news from graphics either. The standard version of 3DMark we use to test other recent systems wouldn’t work because the Atom’s integrated graphics processor doesn’t support some required features. We, instead, used 3DMark 06, a benchmark that’s now eight years old and reported a score of 454. This is, once again, among the worst results we’ve recorded.

Storage is also a problem. A 64GB solid-state drive is standard, and an optional 128GB drive available, but that’s not a lot of space for a Windows device. HP pointed out that the MicroSD card slot could also be used, which is fair; but memory cards are slower than solid-state hard drives, and aren’t the ideal solution.

All of this adds up to a system that’s slow, yet also usable. We had no problem watching video on YouTube and editing documents in a browser. Performance only becomes a drawback when more demanding work is required. In some tasks, such as converting a video from one format to another, the Atom processor can be over five times slower than a Core i5 dual-core.

Nary a word

Users will never have to worry about fan noise because this device has no fan. That’s one of Atom’s advantages: it can be passively cooled. A lack of fan and mechanical hard drive guarantees silence.

And think again if you’re worried that ditching the fan will result in unpleasant heat. Temperatures at idle hover just above average room temperature, and load only pushes heat to just over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s the lowest load temperature we’ve seen from a tablet.

Conclusion

Current technology just doesn’t allow for a powerful Windows PC at an affordable price in a slim chassis. What separates today’s best and worst hybrid PCs is the way they manage their inevitable flaws and compensate for them in other areas.

The Envy x2 is the best balancing act we’ve seen thus far. Unlike most competitors, this device is truly useful as a laptop (we wrote most of this review on the Envy x2 without any complaint or discomfort). And as if that wasn’t enough, the tablet experience is also good. The tablet alone weighs just 1.5 pounds and the Atom processor, though slow, is more than capable of tackling Web-browsing and 720p video.

And here’s the kicker: HP has priced this device at $599 with the dock. You can buy this computer, with dock and a 64GB drive, for the same price as a 32GB iPad. Chalk this up as another reason we think hybrids will eventually threaten stand-alone tablets. Who’s going to buy a tablet when one comes with your laptop?

But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. The Envy x2 isn’t perfect, and there’s no doubt an iPad or Nexus 10 is a better tablet. This device only offers a good compromise rather than the best of both worlds.

Highs:

• Attractive design
• Thin and light
• Great keyboard dock
• Average battery life as tablet; excellent life with dock
• Good value

Lows:

• Low display resolution
• Poor performance

Key settings you need to change on your brand-new iPhone XR

Julian Chokkattu./Digital Trends

If you managed to get your hands on the iPhone XR, you’ll want to get the most out of it. That’s why we’ve rounded up a variety of settings we think you should turn on or change that will allow you to use your new iPhone to the best of its abilities.

For in-depth impressions of Apple’s latest release, be sure to check out our iPhone XR review, and to make sure it stays gorgeous, snag yourself one of the best iPhone XR cases.

Schedule night shift

Night shift automatically changes the color of your display to a warmer tone in order to filter out blue light. This can help to put less of a strain on your eyes while staring at your screen, especially before bed time. You can schedule it to turn on either from sunrise to sunset, or customize it to turn on and off between whichever times you’d like. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Night Shift. From there, you can toggle on Scheduled and then choose when you’d like it set for.

Back up memories with iCloud Photos

Since the iPhone XR comes with some new camera features, you probably don’t want to risk losing any of your photos. To prevent this, go to Settings > Photos and toggle on iCloud Photo Library. That way, all of your memories will be stored in the cloud and you’ll be able to view them from any of your devices.

Set up Auto-Lock

To help preserve the battery on your iPhone, be sure to adjust the Auto-Lock as low as possible. It’s set to one minute by default, but you can set it to lock after as little as 30 seconds or even never. To adjust it, go to Settings > Display & brightness and tap on Auto-Lock. From there you can choose from the options provided.

Customize control center

To access the Control Center on the iPhone XR, you have to swipe down on the right-hand side of the notch. While it provides you with shortcuts like the ability to toggle Airplane mode, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi on and off, you can also customize additional ones you’d like to add. Go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls and choose which ones you’d like to add by tapping the green plus sign icon. In addition, you can also customize the order you’d like them to appear in the Control Center by dragging each tile wherever you’d like using the icon to the right of the shortcut.

Schedule Do Not Disturb

With iOS 12, Do Not Disturb received an overhaul — you now have the ability to schedule when you’d like the feature to be turned on and off, rather than having to do it manually. Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb > Scheduled and choose which times you’d like to set it for.

There’s also a Bedtime mode that you can toggle on and set times for instead. That way, from night to morning all of your notifications will be silenced. The screen will dim and only display the date and time — it will also let you know that it’s set to that mode.

Turn on reachability

With the iPhone XR’s 6.1-inch display, it might be harder for those with smaller hands to reach certain apps or parts of the display — especially one-handed. With the reachability feature turned on, all of your content can be brought down on the display whenever you’d like. To turn it on, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reachability and toggle it on. Swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen to bring the top into reach. To set everything back into its place, swipe back up about an inch above the bar or tap anywhere on the display.

Turn off keyboard clicks

Let’s be honest, no one can actually stand the sound of the keyboard clicks when typing on the iPhone. The clicks automatically begin to work whenever you turn your ringer on. But since it’s on by default, you’ll have to turn the setting off manually. Go to Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Keyboard Clicks and scroll towards the bottom to toggle Keyboard Clicks off.

Set up Face ID

Aside from a physical passcode, Face ID is the safest form of security you’ll get on your iPhone. When you first set up your iPhone, be sure not to skip over this process. If you do, you can always go into Settings > Face ID & Passcode and tap Set up Face ID. You’ll then be taken through the process of capturing your features with the iPhone’s camera. You can also set up a second Face ID by tapping on Set Up an Alternate Appearance.

Adjust 3D Touch Sensitivity

Using 3D Touch allows you to long press on the screen in order to see additional options for a specific app or to access shortcuts. To make sure it’s at a comfortable level of pressure, you can choose between Light, Medium, and Firm. Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > 3D Touch — to make it easier, there’s also the option to test out each level of sensitivity on the image provided.

Create your email signature

When sending emails on your iPhone, the default signature on every email is “Sent from my iPhone.” If you want to change it, go to Settings > Mail > Signature, erase the phrase and type in whatever you’d like, or choose to not have a signature at all. You can also create one signature for all your accounts or create separate ones for each email address.

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