Monthly Archives: May 2015

HTC One max Review

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HTC should’ve had a best-seller with the HTC One. The metal-bodied phone was the go-to recommendation for Android fans in the know, and that it didn’t get the attention of Samsung’s Galaxy range is arguably more about marketing than anything else. HTC followed Samsung’s example in distilling the brand for a smaller version, in the shape of the HTC One mini, and has now scaled things up with the HTC One max. A 5.9-inch display, metal body, and UltraPixel camera technology are arguably ingredients for the perfect phablet, but has HTC baked the One max badly? Read on for our full review.

Hardware and Design

The family resemblance is strong, though where there was a relatively small difference in size between the One mini and the One, there’s no disguising the surprise when you see quite how much bigger the One max is. Measuring in at 164.5 x 82.5 x 10.29 mm and 217g, it’s a monster in comparison to the 137 x 68 x 9.3 mm, 143g original One. On the lower edge of the rear are pogopins for an eventual dock and charging case.
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https://www.slashgear.com/htc-one-max-review-14301310/

Nexus 5 Review

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Let’s cut to the chase: at $350 without the ties of a two-year contract, the Google Nexus 5 is an excellent smartphone and a bargain at that. Flushed with the positive response the sub-$300 Nexus 4 received last year, Google and manufacturer LG have again struck a balance between powerful portable computing, and cost. This time around, the LG Nexus 5 creeps up in cost a little, but at the same time buffs away most of the complaints we had about its predecessor, taking on rival flagships from other Android OEMs several hundred dollars more expensive in the process. Does that make it the best Android phone on the market? Read on for the full SlashGear review.

Hardware

Sober, minimalistic, and discrete; that’s the Nexus 5. Two colors are available at launch, with LG producing the phone in black and in white. The black version – the one you see here – has a soft-touch treatment to the black back and sides, making it easy to grip though prone to gathering fingerprints and grease. The white version, meanwhile, is just as robust as the black, but the black sides have a more glossy finish while the back is matte white. Both have a large, embossed “NEXUS” logo on the back, and a pronounced camera lens bulge.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nexus-5-review-08304516/

SURFACE WITH WINDOWS RT REVIEW

Surface with Windows RT Review

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Microsoft is no stranger to tablets, though with Windows RT and Surface the company is hoping to have its first tablet success. Borrowing frugal processors from the mobile industry and a distilled version of Windows 8, and pairing it with distinctive and high-quality hardware, Microsoft certainly appears at first glance to have ticked the right boxes. Still, in a market where tablets are generally scaled-up smartphones, does Microsoft’s pared-back desktop OS do enough to rid its reliance on the keyboard and mouse? Read on for the full SlashGear review.

Hardware

Windows on an ARM processor is new territory for Microsoft. With Windows RT, the field is open for companies like NVIDIA, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and others to push the sort of frugal chipsets that are more commonly found in Android tablets, reaping potential benefits in power frugality and reduced heat output.
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https://www.slashgear.com/surface-with-windows-rt-review-23253115/

iPad mini Review: Apple aims for the everyman

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It’s an iPad, but smaller. Boiling down the iPad mini to its core premise may not tell you everything you need to know about the 7.9-inch tablet, but it does set the scene: Apple’s legendary build quality, iOS and the hundreds of thousands of tablet apps in the App Store, and a guarantee that it’s going to polarize consumers. Steve Jobs memorably dismissed smaller tablets, and yet Apple couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about its mini model at the launch event last week. Read on to find out whether, for a small slate, the iPad mini is actually a big deal.

Hardware

At first glance, the iPad mini’s familial resemblance is obvious. Available in white and black finishes – with matching aluminum rear shells, unlike the full-sized iPad with Retina display, which only changes bezel color – it’s considerably reduced in size, down 23-percent in thickness at 0.28-inches deep, and down 53-percent in weight, at 0.68-pounds for the Wi-Fi-only model.
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https://www.slashgear.com/ipad-mini-review-apple-aims-for-the-everyman-30254875/

iPad Review (4th Gen): Big tablet, Bigger speed

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Apple’s new iPad with Retina display played a bit-role at the iPad mini launch, presenting a familiar face to the crowd and packing a potent new chipset inside. The 9.7-inch tablet has already cornered much of the market, with the late-2012 polish basically pushing the slate to the pinnacle of Apple’s processor development, and outfitting it with a Lightning connector to match the iPhone 5. Read on for our full review.

Hardware

You have to look closely to spot the differences between the third-generation iPad and this new fourth-generation model. In fact, from all angles but the very bottom, it’s the same as before: the only outward difference is that the old, 30-pin Dock Connector has been replaced with the new Lightning port as on the iPhone 5 and latest iPods.
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https://www.slashgear.com/ipad-review-4th-gen-big-tablet-bigger-speed-30254851/

Nexus 10 Review

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Google’s Nexus 7 demonstrated that the search giant should be taken seriously in affordable tablets; now, the Nexus 10 has arrived to prove Android has big-screen star quality. Offering a display that out-Retinas Apple’s iPad and no shortage of top-tier specifications, the Samsung-made Nexus 10 also manages to do all that while undercutting the iPad 4 by $100. Android tablets have always had more of a problem than ticking the spec sheet, though, so does the combination of Jelly Bean 4.2 and the Nexus 10 mark a real turning point? Read on for our full review.

Hardware

While ASUS and Google made some brutal decisions to bring the Nexus 7 down to its sub-$200 price point, the Nexus 10 demands far fewer compromises. In fact, Samsung has delivered a few “firsts” in its new tablet, most notably the 10.1-inch 2560 x 1600 WQXGA display (more on which in a moment). The Nexus 10 also gets a dual-core 1.7GHz Exynos 5250 A15 processor with Mail T604 graphics and 2GB of RAM, and a choice of 16GB or 32GB versions. Like the Nexus 4 smartphone, though, there’s no memory card slot for adding your own storage; Google would rather you opted for its Drive cloud.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nexus-10-review-02255341/

Lenovo IdeaTab S2110A Review

Tablets, , ,

 

Tablets, tablets, tablets. Everybody’s making them these days, but it seems that only a select few are truly worthy of being taken home.Lenovo has a pair of new IdeaTabs on the market, and with them, the company is ready to vie for both your attention and your dollar. We reviewed the IdeaTab A2109 a little while back, but today it’s all about the IdeaTab S2110A. Is it worth the purchase price, or does is leave us feeling a little let down? Read on to find out.

Design and Build Quality

I have to say, the IdeaTab S2110A looks pretty great. It’s really thin – we’re talking 0.34” – and pretty lightweight to boot. With a weight that sits right around 1 pound, 4 ounces, this 10-incher feels pretty good in the hand, if not a little on the delicate side. It doesn’t feel like it can take a lot of abuse, so if you pick one up, be sure to treat it gently, otherwise it may not be long before you’re flushing your investment down the drain.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-ideatab-s2110a-review-02254414/

HUAWEI MEDIAPAD 10 FHD

Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD Review

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If it were ever time for another Android tablet with a thin frame and a 10.1-inch display, it’s now, and it’s Huawei who’s bringing this device into the world. Huawei makes a valiant effort at creating a tablet with the MediaPad 10 FHD, and it does indeed bring on an impressive package, especially for media playback. If you’re looking for the most massively impressive tablet on the market – this isn’t it – but if you do have this device on your radar and wonder if it’s worth the cash, let me give you a spoiler: it’s definitely nice to watch a movie on, but that’s just about where it ends.

Hardware

The 10.1-inch display on this device has 1920 x 1200 pixels and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The tablet is 8.8mm thin and weighs 580g – that’s just a bit heavier than it it seems like it should be given the aesthetics of the device. This just means that the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, which is 20g heavier than the MediaPad, seems light simply because it’s got plastic on the outside, giant-looking speakers on the front, and a pen built-in. The MediaPad 10 FHD on the other hand does too good a job of hiding it all – but the speakers can certainly be heard loud and clear.
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https://www.slashgear.com/huawei-mediapad-10-fhd-review-10254698/

Barnes & Noble Nook HD

Barnes & Noble Nook HD Review

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The popular bookseller Barnes & Noble surely have a great pair of tablets on their hands, but they are rarely mentioned while talking about budget friendly tablets. With a strong focus on e-readers and digital content the Nook HD puts up a great fight against the competition. With the iPad mini selling like crazy, the Nexus 7popular in the Android world, and the Kindle Fire HD does their new Nook HD stand on its own? Read on to find out our thoughts on this impressive 7-inch HD tablet that doubles as the perfect reader.

Barnes & Nobles tablets have always been pretty great for what they are, but it’s their content and ecosystem that still wasn’t quite up to par with the competition. Now that they have even better hardware, millions of books, magazines, newspapers, apps and even a Nook video store it’s time to take another look at the Nook. Their new Nook HD has the highest resolution display of any 7-inch tablet, runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and is designed with readers in mind.
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https://www.slashgear.com/barnes-noble-nook-hd-review-23257958/

Sony XPERIA Tablet S

Sony XPERIA Tablet S Review

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It might be time for you to take another look at one of the oddest tablets released in the year 2012, that being the quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor-packing Sony XPERIA Tablet S. This machine is not the most high-resolution nor the most undeniably powerful tablet machine on the market, but given its connectivity options and its existence in the Sony ecosystem, might it be the perfect tablet for your Sony-loving self? If the connections don’t convince you, the folded-over magazine shape just might.

Hardware

This machine thrives on the unique nature of its shape – there’s really no other device like it when it comes to it’s back, it having the look of a book folded over. Because of this shape you’ve got a couple of pocket-like crevices where a microphone hole, notification light, power, and volume can sit on one side while a headphone jack and full-sized SD card slot can sit on the other. The folded-over portion of the tablet is a hard plastic with a slight dotted 3D pattern on it while the rest of the back of the device is cold metal.
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https://www.slashgear.com/sony-xperia-tablet-s-review-12260425/

Samsung ATIV Smart PC

Samsung ATIV Smart PC Review

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When a mobile carrier like AT&T picks up a device for sale that’s as massive as the Samsung ATIV Smart PC with Windows 8, you’ve got to wonder who would be heading out to the same location they picked up their smartphone to pick up a PC. In this case it’s more of a cross-over situation in which AT&T already carries tablets, and is here easing the public into the idea that they’re going to be holding larger PC machines with a half-and-half beast like the Samsung ATIV Smart PC, itself a convertible tablet that can also be a notebook when you pick up the right docking accessory. At the moment we’re limited to the tablet bit as the two are sold separately and the lower piece isn’t up at AT&T quite yet.

Hardware

The tablet you’re working with here is easily one of the higher-end units Samsung has ever produced – they’ve taken the successes of the Android lineup they’ve cultivated in the Samsung Galaxy Tab lineup and have brought it over to Windows 8 with a lot more boss energy. Here you’ve got a tablet that’s not meant to be as thin or mobile, instead concentrating on the idea that you’re going to be working with a backpack or a large carrying case to get this unit around, noting that it’s a large tablet first, and mobile second.
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https://www.slashgear.com/samsung-ativ-smart-pc-review-18261380/

Microsoft Surface Pro Review

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Microsoft met some resistance with its first Surface tablet, but that isn’t stopping the company from making a second attempt, this time with a full copy of Windows 8. Where the Surface RT left would-be tableteers confused with its partial app support, the Surface Pro is Windows on far more familiar territory: Intel silicon inside, and the full flexibility of a regular PC, simply with a touchscreen up-front. Of course, that also brings with it the same issues that have always plagued Windows-based tablets: battery life, weight, heat, and software usability. Does Microsoft’s own-brand slate finally put those criticisms to rest, and is this the tablet you should have in your bag? Read on for our full review.

Hardware and Design

You could easily mistake the Surface Pro for the ARM-based Surface at first glance, given how aesthetically similar each tablet is. Look a little closer, though, and the key differences become apparent. Microsoft has used the same VaporMg treated magnesium alloy for the casing, and it still feels great in the hand: smooth and easy to hold, but still sturdy and scratch-resistant.
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https://www.slashgear.com/microsoft-surface-pro-review-05268210/

Samsung Series 3 Chromebook (late-2012) Review

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It’s no secret that Google is aiming to create a whole new segment in the world of portable computing with Chrome, and here with the newest Samsung Series 3 Chromebook, especially at its eye-opening $249 price point, it appears that the big G will make that move. If you’ve got a need for an internet machine for school, for fun, or for a present for your mother who doesn’t use her desktop anyway, this device might just be perfect. It’s light, it’s extremely inexpensive, and most important of all: it’s a high quality machine. Samsung and Google have made some fabulous strides forward since September of 2011, of that you can be certain.

Hardware

This piece of Samsung hardware is the most basic Chromebook you can buy right this minute, but it’s not the low-quality piece of hardware the price suggests. Instead you’ve got a machine that Samsung and Google very obviously went through a lot of work to perfect, and they’ve taken all the bits from the machines that have been successful in this arena and stuffed them into a quality package here without a doubt. This rings true especially in the keyboard and the trackpad.
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https://www.slashgear.com/samsung-series-3-chromebook-late-2012-review-20252951/

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Review

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With so many Windows 8 PCs launching in the next couple months, manufacturers are going to have find something to make their machines stand out. Lenovo has taken this idea to extremes with one of its new computers, the IdeaPad Yoga 13. Convertibles are nothing new – we’ve seen plenty of laptops that can “turn into” tablets – but the IdeaPad Yoga 13 features a 360 degree hinge that makes it so much more than just a tablet/laptop convertible. I’ll say this right off the bat: the IdeaPad Yoga 13 is one of the coolest machines I’ve ever seen. But being cool is only one part of the equation, and that 360-degree hinge can’t carry the whole machine if the rest of it is nothing to write home about. Has Lenovo delivered an interesting and unique machine that won’t disappoint when it comes to actual usability, or is the Yoga 13 a dud that will be lost in a sea of Windows 8 machines despite the fact that it has some intriguing features? Read on to find out.

Design

If we were basing this on looks alone, the Yoga 13 wouldn’t do very well. That’s not because the Yoga 13 is a bad looking computer, it’s just that the silver ultrabook look is getting a little old these days. With the Yoga 13, you’ve got a silver chassis on the top on bottom, which is accompanied by black trim along the sides. It looks good, but it’s been done plenty of times before. I would have liked to have seen Lenovo take a chance with some color, but then again I can see why it didn’t – after all, silver is a pretty good neutral color, and the last thing a manufacturer wants is for consumers to be hung up on colors, of all things. If you’re shooting for as many people as possible, neutral colors are better.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-ideapad-yoga-13-review-08256226/

ACER C7 CHROMEBOOK

Acer C7 Chromebook Review

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The Acer C7 Chromebook is the most recent addition to the Chromebook universe and one of Google’s chosen few to be featured on their very own Chomebook portal. This device sits aside the Samsung Series 3 Chromebook as one of three (the other being a slightly higher-powered Samsung Chromebook 550.) This device reduces the baseline price of a Chromebook in general down to $199 and brings with it a slightly thicker and less MacBook Air-looking solution than Samsung’s Series 3 – but where does that extra $50 USD go?

Hardware

Like each of the three hero Chromebooks being shown by Google right this minute, you get 100GB of Google Drive storage for free for 2 years – once it runs out, you simply cannot add any more files to that extra space, but if you want, you can certainly keep your files up there forever (so they say.) Other than this, it’s a whole different ballgame. This machine has an 11.6-inch display that has generally OK viewing angles, but don’t expect to sit anywhere other than directly in front of or to the left or right of it, or you’ll start to see the light.
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https://www.slashgear.com/acer-c7-chromebook-review-22257975/

HP ELITEBOOK FOLIO 9470M ULTRABOOK

HP EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook Review

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What we’ve got here is the HP EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook, a business-oriented notebook made to work in the Windows 8 environment with an amalgamation of hardware that’s precision-tuned to suit your in- and out-of-office needs. At first glance, this machine doesn’t strike one as the most unique piece of machinery on the planet – it’s a silver laptop, after all. But what it lacks in unique aesthetics, it more than makes up for in details that we’d consider suggesting this device to friends for on their own.

Hardware

This machine measures in at 13.3 x 9.09 x 0.75 in (33.8 x 23.1 x 1.89 cm) and works with a lovely 14-inch LED-backlit HD anti-glare 1366 x 768 pixel resolution display and is cased in mostly hard and soft plastic. While the bulk of this machine is metal, its ever-so-slightly soft along the top and the bottom while a ridge of almost rubbery soft plastic runs along the head – above the display, the area that you’ll use to pull the notebook open – very well placed. This notebook is 3.6 pounds – not the lightest Ultrabook in the universe – and is 0.74-inches thick.
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https://www.slashgear.com/hp-elitebook-folio-9470m-ultrabook-review-03263008/

Acer Iconia W510 Review

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This week we’re having a look at the Acer Iconia W500 series, specifically in the model tagged Iconia W510-1422 with full Windows 8 and multiple modes of computing action. This machine works as a tablet, as a notebook with its keyboard dock (in the box with this model), and with 295 degrees of twist in its hinge – a third “presentation” mode, complete with the extra battery power of the dock in-tact. This machine takes full Windows 8 to the tablet universe with a rather solid setup and a base cost of right around $750 USD – if that sounds like a deal to you, make with the tapping.

Hardware

The Acer Iconia W510-1422 is not just a tablet first, notebook second sort of situation like many modern multi-mode machines are. Instead you’ve got full Windows 8 (as opposed to the tablet-centric Windows RT) along with a solid touchscreen display and a keyboard dock thats clearly made to be part of the full package rather than an after-thought. The keyboard here is clearly the bottom half of the unit rather than the piece you leave at home when you’re feeling no need to key.
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https://www.slashgear.com/acer-iconia-w510-review-full-windows-8-intel-atom-tri-mode-tablet-pc-30267486/

HP EliteBook 2570p Review

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Upon first glance, you might think that the EliteBook 2570p came straight out of 2002, and while first opening it up to get a look at it, I thought I had mysteriously jumped through a time warp that took me back ten years and didn’t even know it. However, as much as I’d like to travel back in time, that wasn’t the case. The 2570p is a business laptop from HP that’s meant for the business-minded road warriors who need durability and reliability when it comes to portable computers. It may not have good looks that will turn heads, but it has enough horsepower on the inside to make any suit wearer happy. Let’s have a look at what the 2570p offers and see if it can be considered a must-have in the competitive business laptop market.

Hardware & Design

The 2570p is built to last, and it’s somewhat thick structure gives it some ruggedness so that it’ll withstand more than the usual beating. It has a magnesium alloy shell, which should tell you right away that this thing isn’t messing around. Plus, it’s extremely portable, even with it’s added thickness. It’s got a 12.5-inch display with a 1366×768 resolution. Certainly nothing magical in that case, but considering it’s only a 12.5-inch screen, an HD resolution is a welcomed surprise. The hinges connecting the display to the bottom portion of the laptop are made of aluminum, which means you could open and close the lid as much as you want and the hinges won’t weaken one bit, which is a big plus, especially since I’ve seen my fair share of hinges weaken over time.
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https://www.slashgear.com/hp-elitebook-2570p-review-09268536/

ASUS VivoBook U38N Review

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This week we’re having a look at the real-deal final release iteration of the ASUS VivoBook U38N with full touchscreen capabilities, Windows 8, and AMD innards. This machine is sleek, keeps with the fantastic ASUS style language we’ve been loving since theASUS Transformer Prime stole our hears back in 2011, and provides a rather rare look at this sort of amalgamation of bits with AMD under the hood. It all starts with 5-point capacitive touch on a Full HD 1920 x 1080 panel with a rather nice “frameless” design up front.

Hardware

With an ASUS piece of hardware you know you’re getting a machine whose creators spent some time perfecting its casings, and here we’ve got a design that’s been perfected several times over. This notebook will not look unique to you if you’ve worked with an ASUS laptop in the last few years. It’s certainly thin at between 6-19mm from its thinnest to its fattest, and it’s light enough to fit in your standard backpack at just 1.55Kg.
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https://www.slashgear.com/asus-vivobook-u38n-review-amd-in-a-classic-zenbook-chassis-19270074/

Acer Aspire M Touch Review

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Acer has made quite the name for itself these past few years. What once was a company that many people ignored, is now a company producing quality products, the new Aspire M Touch being one of them. We ended up getting our hands on the new laptop to see what’s so special about the thing, and while it rocks a Core i5 with 4GB of RAM and even an SSD on the inside, there are a few design choices that Acer made to the Aspire M Touch that’s a make-or-break situation for the laptop. Let’s have a deeper look.

Hardware & Design

At first glance, the Aspire M Touch looks like your typical slab of aluminum gadgetry, which it is, but it’s really sleek. Both the lid and the palm rest are made from brushed metal, while the bottom is lined with plastic. It certainly looks like an expensive laptop, but the build quality from just holding it and grabbing onto it isn’t all that great. The lid caves in from very little pressure, as does the palm rest. It’s a little unnerving at first, but babying the laptop — as most people do — shouldn’t cause any problems.
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https://www.slashgear.com/acer-aspire-m-touch-review-04271442/

Nokia Lumia 1520 Review

Phones, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

You’re to blame for the vast Nokia Lumia 1520. “Make a phablet” we kept asking Nokia, “give us a big Windows Phone to compete with the Galaxy Note.” That Nokia – and Microsoft – went off to the drawing board and returned with a hand-dominating 6-inch monster is a juicy sort of irony, then: this is a Lumia that not only comes in larger than just about every other smartphone on the market, it could be considered a small tablet in its own right. Problem is, there’s a difference between a big phone and a great one, so has Nokia done more than enlarge Lumia? Read on for our full review.

Hardware and Design

If you didn’t have a sense of scale – a hand, for instance, or a rival device – you could readily mistake the Lumia 1520 for something from Nokia’s back-catalog. The company continues with its unibody polycarbonate design language, and while it’s still eye-catching and sturdy, after a few generations we’re itching to see a little more premium metal involved.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nokia-lumia-1520-review-21306217/

LG G Flex Review

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Every new niche has to start somewhere, and LG says the G Flex is the start of the flexible smartphone revolution. Why should our phones be flat when everything else around us is curved, so the company’s theory goes, with ambitious dreams of folding handsets and collapsable tablets in the next decade. Today, though, the G Flex is paving the way: a 6-inch phablet with a premium price-tag and a sexy curve to its profile. Question remains, is this a gimmick or a true taste of tech to come? Read on for the SlashGear review.

Display and Design

Your eyes do not deceive you: this is about as close to the modern banana-phone as you can get today. The G Flex actually has a relatively gentle curve to it – the culmination of around 300 prototypes, LG claims, with various different extremes tested out – though the combination of its overall size, with a 6-inch touchscreen, and the unusualness of the form-factor means it’s still eye-catching.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lg-g-flex-review-06307788/

Samsung GALAXY S 4 Mini Review

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The world of Samsung smartphones runs the gamut from one size to another. Want a phone that doubles as a small tablet? There’s a Galaxy for that. Not everyone finds phablet-sized smartphones of adequate size for a tablet, however, and so they opt for a larger dedicated tablet and, conversely, a smaller smartphone to complement it. Others simply want a small easy-to-hold-and-pocket offering. Regardless of your reasons for leaning towards the diminutive end of the spectrum, Samsung aims to have your back, rolling out the svelte GALAXY S 4 Mini — a miniature version of its popular handset by the same name. How does the smartphone hold up to its larger brethren? Read our full SlashGear review to find out.

Hardware

Upon first holding the GALAXY S 4 Mini, you immediately note two things: that it is small, and that it doesn’t feel small. By this I mean, the Mini is rounded and smooth, with relatively small bezels and a layout that makes its easy to operate single-handed. The Super AMOLED display is a moderate 4.3-inches, and coupled with the qHD resolution, it doesn’t feel cramped and difficult to navigate. Any concerns about the Mini feeling too mini can be assuaged, since Samsung’s design accomplishes what its name promises without making a hassle of itself.
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https://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-s-4-mini-review-16308695/

Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition Review

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The Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition is undoubtedly the most unique form factor in Google’s collection of Nexus and Nexus-like devices today. What we’ve gotten out of it so far is just that – if you’re looking for a replacement for a device you’ve got in your pocket already, something that’s just an upgrade from a large smartphone you’ve had in the past, this isn’t it. Instead you’ve got a device that’s massively solid and feels like a whole new generation in in-between greatness.

Hardware

The Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition works with a massive body that’s surprisingly thin and solid. While you’re not going to want to drop this machine on the ground any time soon – it’s got a full glass front and back, after all – it’s certainly made of materials that suggest highest-quality.
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https://www.slashgear.com/sony-z-ultra-google-play-edition-review-03310707/

Nokia Lumia 1320 Review

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Nokia’s Lumia 1520 grabbed the bulk of the headlines at the company’s Abu Dhabi event last October, but it wasn’t the only phablet the company brought along. In addition to the 6-inch flagship there was another, more affordable phone, the Nokia Lumia 1320, trading some of the high-end specs in favor of mass-market appeal. Question is, with a lower resolution display and the sacrifice of PureView, has Nokia trimmed too much to make the Lumia 1320 a hit? Read on for the full review.

Hardware and Design

Compare the two phones, and the similarities are clear. Nokia describes the Lumia 1320 as a “large screen 4G business smartphone” but those who want movies on the move will find appeal here too: the 6-inch screen may only run at 1280 x 720 resolution – rather than the Full HD of the Lumia 1520 – but it still uses Nokia’s ClearBlack IPS LCD technology for solid outdoor visibility and good viewing angles. It’s also a super-sensitive touchscreen, which means you can use it while still wearing gloves.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nokia-lumia-1320-review-20313825/

T-Mobile Sony Xperia Z1S Review

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To say that Sony is participating in the current “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” trend would be an understatement if you’ve been keeping track of their hero Xperia smartphone lineup. In the Xperia Z1S, we’ve got essentially the same build as in the internationally-aimed Xperia Z1, here coming to T-Mobile with the carrier’s Uncarrier plans attached, and just as much power as the original. In other words – if you liked the Xperia Z and were looking forward to the just that-much-better Xperia Z1 “Honami”, this is your winning ticket.

Hardware

The Xperia Z1S works with a 5-inch Full HD (1080p) touchscreen display that looks just as excellent as it did when we first got our hands on this device’s international version back at IFA 2013. Here we’ve got a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor clocked in at 2.2GHz as well, meaning you’re still rolling with the highest in smartphone-based processor powers available today.
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https://www.slashgear.com/t-mobile-sony-xperia-z1s-review-21313736/

Meizu MX3 Review

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With the release of the Meizu MX3, the company once again aims high with their ability to create a high-end device that, at first, looks like it’d be able to compete with the finer solutions by the top manufacturers in the USA. What we’ve got here instead – in this current international edition of the device – is a machine that’ll be able to compete with brands in China and surrounding markets with a look that’s smooth, abilities that are quite nice, and Android 4.2-based Flyme OS 3.0 – read: rather unique.

Hardware

Meizu brins some heat with a 1800 x 1080 pixel 5.1-inch display – entirely unique in the United States’ collection of smartphones today, to be sure. That’s a cool 415PPI (pixels per inch) with LCD technology to light this screen up bright – and with a 2.90mm bezel (that’s incredibly small), it would appear that you’ve got a display in your hands with next to nothing to the left or right of it.
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https://www.slashgear.com/meizu-mx3-review-22314001/

Google Chromebook Pixel Review

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Google certainly put on a spectacle when they announced the all-new Chromebook Pixel, and the display is truly wonderful. Everything about this new Chromebook is top notch. The design is elegant, the screen is crisp and beautiful, but we still have what many would probably agree is a love-hate relationship with theChrome OS. Add in a touchscreen for our smartphone accustomed brains and we could really have something here. However, read on to find out if the $1,299 price is worth the risk.

Google’s Chromebooks have all been budget devices that match perfectly with their web-focused streamlined user interface, but this is different. The Pixel is in a category all by its lonesome self, and shows Google knows how to make some serious hardware that could truly contend with the competition. Well, the hardware can at least.
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https://www.slashgear.com/google-chromebook-pixel-review-05272694/

Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch Review

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With the Samsung Series 5 UltraTouch you’ve got one of the companies most solid deliveries of an Ultrabook-level computer upgraded with Windows 8 and a full 10-point touch display. With this notebook you’re going to be working with 3rd Gen Intel Core i5 processor power under the hood, a lovely 13.3 LED HD screen, and a market cost well under a thousand bucks. Sound like a value proposition you’ll want to add to your already burgeoning Samsung device collection?

Hardware

This notebook, also known as model NP540U3C-A01US, is not the thinnest beast on the block, nor is it the lightest. But it’s no monster, either. Instead what you’re getting is a 12.4 x 8.6 x 0.6-inch notebook made from a mix of aluminum and plastic parts, certainly sturdy enough – and aesthetically pleasing enough on the outside – to be your daily driver in a public place. As an Ultrabook such as this will likely be used by you for doing work first and foremost, it’s important to take a peek at the keyboard right out of the box.
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https://www.slashgear.com/samsung-series-5-ultratouch-review-25275028/

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 Review

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With the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11, we’ve got the smaller cousin of the IdeaPad 13, this 11-inch display-toting machine working with a size that’s not just smaller physically. Inside this device we’ve got the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor paired with Microsoft’s Windows RT and a 5-point multi-touch display. This display exists on a hinge that allows this notebook to fold 360 degrees back and flat.

Hardware

This machine’s screen is an 11.6-inch TFT LCD with 1136 x 768 pixel resolution working with LED Backlit technology and 350 nits of brightness. This display has a 170 degree viewing angle both vertical and horizontal, and its certainly good enough to work long hours worth during the day. If you’re thinking about working with this device in the dark, you might want to take a test-drive in the store first.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lenovo-ideapad-yoga-11-review-10277318/