Samsung to bestow the Galaxy S21 series with the Exynos 2100 in Europe and South Korea; 16 GB of RAM headed to the Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung has already confirmed that the Galaxy S21 series is headed to market on January 14, with pre-orders set to follow later that month. There have also been plenty of renders and benchmark sightings of the three devices, along with a few videos of the Galaxy S21. Now, Twitter account @cozyplanes claims to have confirmed specifications of the Galaxy S21 devices, including regional variants.

According to the account, the Exynos 2100 chipset will be making its way into European and South Korean versions of the Galaxy S21 series – a change from the most-recent Galaxy S handset, the Galaxy S20 FE. However, Samsung will release the Galaxy S21 series with chipsets Snapdragon in the USA, a decision that has served US customers well recently.

This time it will be the Snapdragon 888 that graces Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones, although we doubt that this chipset will be exclusive to the USA. Instead, we imagine that Samsung will sell Snapdragon 888-powered Galaxy S21 devices in China, at the very least.

@cozyplanes states that the trio will be available in a variety of memory configurations at launch. Specifically, the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ will both come with 8 GB of RAM, along with 128 GB or 256 GB of storage. Additionally, Samsung will apparently sell the Galaxy S21+ with 12 GB of RAM, which will be the entry-level RAM configuration for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. We already know from Roland Quandt that Samsung will offer the Galaxy S21 Ultra with up to 512 GB of storage, but @cozyplanes adds that there will also be 16 GB of RAM available to the premier Galaxy S series device next year. 

Moreover, the base Galaxy S21 will only have an FHD+ display, while the Galaxy S21+ will have a QHD panel. The latter will be capable of 120 Hz too, unlike the Galaxy S21, albeit only at FHD+. A glass back is also coming to the Galaxy S21+, but Samsung is thought to be using its ‘glasstic’ plastic back on the entry-level model. We imagine that Samsung will equip the Galaxy S21 Ultra with a glass back too. However, @cozyplanes did not elaborate on this.

The Google Pixel 5 Pro is purported to be in development

The Pixel 5 Pro posted on /LEAKS last week may well have been a fake of some sort, but apparently Google has such a device in development. We voiced our doubts about the supposed Pixel 5 Pro pictures here, not least because of the inconsistencies of its purported specifications. However, Ross Young of DSCC has weighed in on the likelihood of there being another flagship Pixel smartphone in the near future.

Replying to a tweet by Max Weinbach, Young asserts that suppliers have been developing such a device. Weinbach does not believe that a Pixel 5 Pro exists, but panel suppliers have apparently informed Young otherwise. Google has already admitted that it plans to release ‘exciting hardware’ next year, although companies do often make vague claims like this.

Sadly, Young insists that Google has put the Pixel 5 Pro on hold. Young has not explained any further, but the device is real. It is unclear at what stage of development said device is at too, although we would be surprised if Google used the Snapdragon 865 considering that Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 888. 

Do not rule out the Pixel 5 because of its Snapdragon 765G chipset, though. As our review of the device has shown, the Pixel 5 is a powerful handset with great cameras and an excellent display. Google has improved battery life from the Pixel 4 series too, arguably making it an upgrade from the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.

Redmi K40 live images show a smartphone that has considerably evolved from the Redmi K30

Supposed Redmi K40 live images have leaked online, likely originally via Chinese social media. The photos show how much the K40 has evolved in comparison with the Redmi K30, and it should excite fans of the series in general. There are rumors that the flagship-killing Redmi K40, which could end up with an SD 888 and AMOLED panel, could be released around the same time as the Xiaomi Mi 11 – towards the end of December.

The leaked live images show the alleged Redmi K40 from the front and back. The Redmi K30 had a dual-camera setup at the front that was situated in the top right-hand corner, but as can be seen in the real-world photos of the Redmi K40 (see below), these have been exchanged for a simple and subtle punch-hole cutout in the top center of the display. This should leave more screen real estate for owners to utilize.

The rear-facing main camera setup of the Redmi K40 has completely evolved from the K30. Whereas the predecessor had a line of four lenses in a central circular housing, the Redmi K40 sports a stadium-shaped housing on the top left-hand side that appears to feature five cameras and the flash. The words “ultra premium” can be seen in the camera bump, too. It certainly seems that Xiaomi has some surprises in store for the end of 2020.

Vivo officially sets a date for the X60 series’ launch; announces new Zeiss collaboration for its cameras

Vivo has finally confirmed that its upcoming X60 flagship series will launch on December 29, 2020. This event may represent some interesting changes for the OEM, not the least in that it is to adopt the Exynos 1080 SoC for these phones rather than Snapdragon silicon as usual.

The devices should also be the OEM’s first premium products to ship with its new Android skin, OriginOS, and may also integrate 120Hz displays across all variants this time. Then again, the Vivo X60s may be similar to their predecessors in that they will have a larger-than-average main shooter in their rear camera array.

Vivo has also let it be known that at least 1 of these phones’ cameras has been designed as a result of a new collaboration with the lens specialist Zeiss. A new official teaser shows this company’s branding on the X60s’ new camera hump, whereas other renders show that the same exhibits text indicating that it has “Vario-Tessar 1.48-3.4/16-125 ASPH” technology from the same firm.

Zeiss and Vivo might offer more details on these indications at their joint press conference on this new collaboration, which will take place ahead of the X60 launch on December 17, 2020. Meanwhile, the former has given no hints as to what this new business move could mean for its existing partnership with Nokia.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G-powered Lenovo Tab P11 Pro tablet hits the market for US$499.99 and up

Tablets might not be such a big thing as they were almost a decade ago, but this sector of the market is not doing that bad, either. Obviously, tablet makers have to thank the ongoing pandemic for homeschooling and work-from-home, not to mention the increased media consumption rate worldwide. The Lenovo Tab P11 Pro is a premium slate that has been unveiled back in August and now is finally up for purchase.

The aforementioned Android tablet uses the same processor as the Google Pixel 4a, namely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G. The 11.5-inch display uses an OLED panel with 2,560 x 1,600 pixels and Dolby Vision, and the slate also features no less than 4 JBL speakers with Dolby Atmos audio. With optional pen and keyboard support, the Tab P11 Pro starts at US$499.99, which is the price for the setup with 4 GB of memory and 128 GB of internal storage space. The advertised autonomy can go all the way up to an impressive 15 hours.

In addition to the above, we should also mention the dual 8 MP front cameras and the 13 MP + 5 MP main camera assembly on the back. The 6/128 GB version costs only US$50 more, which is a great deal. Sadly, there is no keyboard or case included in the retail package for both hardware setups mentioned here. 

The Samsung Galaxy Book Go is a new PC that might be launching soon

Samsung may have a new kind of Galaxy Book in the works. The OEM has just filed a trademarking application with the EU’s Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for the term “Book Go”. It falls into a broad category of electronics that includes VR hardware, smartphones, storage media and display panels; however, based on this new term, it is more likely to be a portable PC of one kind or another.

It, like the Book Flex before it, might also acquire Galaxy branding prior to its launch. Therefore, it is possible that this device is shaping up to be a hybrid of something like that 5G PC and the Microsoft Surface Go. As to its target market, it may now be time that Samsung releases a more affordable member of its possible series.

The “Book Go” has been filed as a trademark on December 11, 2020. Therefore, the hardware behind it just might make a CES 2021 (January 11-14) launch. In this case, it might join the Galaxy S21 series as new potential purchases from this OEM in the same year.

The 16:10 ThinkPad X1 Nano’s European pricing is revealed

Lenovo launched the X1 Nano as a new kind of 13-inch ThinkPad with an ultra-low weight and up to i7 Tiger Lake silicon. It has just appeared via a new sales avenue in Germany: CampusPoint, an online store ostensibly aimed at students.

Nevertheless, its listings might give consumers in other European countries an idea of how much they might have to pay should they want one of these ultrabooks when they arrive on their own markets.

The site has 4 SKUs of the Nano available, all of which have matte 2K IPS displays. Their base model here has the Intel Core i5-1130G7 processor, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD. Their specs rise to encompass the i7-1160G7 CPU, a maximum of 1TB of storage and 4G/LTE support.

They start at €1899 (~US$2300) for the starting i5/512GB SSD model, or €2029 (~$2458) for a version of the same with mobile data. €2149 (~$2603) gets the buyer a non-4G/LTE ThinkPad X1 Nano with the i7, whereas €2249 (~$2725) nets the top-end i7/1TB/SIM card-enabled variant. All of these options also have IR webcams and Windows 10 Pro.

Asus TUF Gaming laptop with tasty combo of AMD Ryzen 7 5800H APU and Nvidia RTX 3060 Mobile GPU appears on German retailer site

Gamers looking for a current mobile Ryzen/GeForce combination can look forward to some SKUs coming from Asus. An Asus TUF Gaming A17 laptop has been listed on Expert.de (spotted by @momomo_us) that features an AMD Ryzen 7 5800H APU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile GPU. None of these parts have been officially announced yet, but they certainly make for an exciting combination.

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800H APU, which is part of the upcoming high-performance mobile Ryzen 5000 range from AMD, has 8 cores and 16 threads with clocks from 3.0 GHz to 4.3 GHz, which as pointed out by VideoCardz, is a very similar range to the Renoir Ryzen 7 4800H (2.9 GHz – 4.2 GHz). The likely Zen 3-based processor has a 16 MB cache according to the retailer listing.

As for the equally intriguing Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile GPU, which comes as a surprise to no-one but will be a welcome addition in a Ryzen 5000-powered laptop, this graphics processor is actually listed as “GN20-E3”. This is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Max-P then, which apparently comes with 6 GB VRAM according to the retailer’s specsheet and a 192-bit memory bus.

A potent combination of Ampere and Cezanne means this Asus TUF Gaming FA706QM-HX011T laptop could end up being on the top of many a mobile gamer’s wishlist over the coming months. Along with a 144 Hz-capable screen, Adaptive-Sync technology, Wi-Fi 6 support, and Optimus graphics-switching technology, the Asus TUF Gaming A17 with Ryzen 7 5800H and GeForce RTX 3060 is a potential head-turner.

AMD Ryzen 7 5700U and Ryzen 5 5500U turn up as the Zen 2 Lucienne processors in upcoming Asus laptops

The AMD Ryzen 5000 series of mobile processors is coming. Another Asus-related leak, also unearthed by momomo_us and sourced from the German retailer Expert.de, has revealed three new laptops sporting two different Lucienne APUs: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700U and the Ryzen 5 5500U. Although these two parts are from the incoming Ryzen 5000 mobile family, they are based on Zen 2 architecture, thus differentiating from the Zen 3 Cezanne chips such as the Ryzen 7 5800U.

The Asus S533UA-BQ048T comes with the Ryzen 7 5700U chip and has 16 GB RAM and a 1 TB SSD in its 15.6-inch form. According to the tech specs listed in the retailer post, the Ryzen 7 5700U has 8 cores (16 threads), 4 MB cache, and it clocks from 1.8 GHz to 4.25 GHz. It’s possible the data here has been printed incorrectly though, as different leaks have stated a boost clock of 4.3 GHz and L3 cache of 8 MB.

The Asus S732UA-AU059T laptop also features the same Lucienne Zen 2 processor and will offer buyers a 17.3-inch Full HD screen, 16 GB RAM, and a 512 GB SSD. Like the above laptop, the S732UA supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connections. It also relies on the integrated graphics unit of the Ryzen 7 5700U for displaying images.

Lastly, there is the Asus TM420UA-EC004T on show here, which seems to be a 2-in-1 model in the VivoBook Flip 14 line. This device sports the slightly less-powerful Ryzen 5 5500U APU, which is detailed in the retailer listing as having 6 cores (12 threads), 3 MB cache, and 2.1-3.95 GHz clocks. This also deviates from previous leaks, which suggest a 4.0 GHz boost and L3 cache of 8 MB for this SKU.

Unfortunately, no prices or availability dates are listed with these Ryzen 5000 laptops from Asus, but they are clearly targeted at thin and light laptop purchasers who need high performance on-the-go. The TDP range for these two Lucienne processors is 10 W to 25 W.

Audeze Mobius Gaming Headset Hands-on

Introduction

In the audiophile world, there is no lack of options for high fidelity (or hi-fi) audio. However, a relatively small company based out of California has made a lot of noise in this market over the past five years.

Audeze is widely considered to be one of the best in the audio business. The company routinely creates some of the best-sounding headphones targeted directly at the audiophile crowd. The Mobius gaming headset is one such device, though it is geared for gaming. The headset offers spectacular sound quality and has several well-designed features, including 3D audio that can be tuned to the shape of the user’s head.

I’ve used the Audeze Mobius for the past three months with my Windows desktop PC. From the moment I put it on and pumped lossless audio through its planar drivers, I fell in love. Here’s why.

Design and Fit

The Audeze Mobius looks similar to most other high-end headphones on the market. I do appreciate the more subdued aesthetic; most gaming headsets have a cyberpunk-esque look, which is garish in my opinion. The Mobius earpieces are black with a honeycomb graphic on the side of each earpiece, so they won’t stand out in public. Audeze also offers the Mobius headphones with a copper-colored trim around the earpieces, adding some smart-looking color.

The Mobius headphones are made from a soft, flexible plastic that can twist and bend comfortably. It feels a bit thin in the hand, but the headband has retained its shape despite some prolonged torsion. The adjustable shafts that extend the earcups feel more rigid. They stay in place when adjusted to secure a good fit.

There is a strip of memory foam along the center of the headband. It’s a bit uncomfortable as it reshapes around the head, but the discomfort fades after about 10-15 seconds. The foam around the earcups is full and soft, creating a good seal around my medium-sized ears. The vinyl coating surrounding the foam holds up to pinching and squishing, so it shouldn’t peel off anytime soon. 

The biggest downside of the Mobius headphones is their weight. These are wireless headphones, so they have a relatively large battery inside them. Without cables, the headphones weigh about 365 grams, and my head feels every one. After using them for a while (roughly 30 minutes), I stop noticing the weight. However, they never sit as comfortably as non-wireless headphones like the Audio Technica M50s, which weigh about 200-250 grams.

Overall, the fit and finish are excellent. There are other headphones made from sturdier and lighter stuff, but the Audeze Mobius headphones are well-made. Considering they target the gaming market, these cans don’t look like traditional gaming gear, which is a plus in my book.

Audio Quality

Sure, the Audeze Mobius headphones look nice, but how do they sound? In a word: stunning. The Mobius headset is one of the only gaming-oriented headsets to use planar magnetic drivers in lieu of the more common dynamic drivers. The result is clean, distortion-free audio. Bass, mids, and highs ring through the earpieces clearly, and the overall quality is excellent.

I ran the Mobius through lots of lossless audio, and everything sparkled. In particular, the Mobius handles subtle touches in music better than most gaming headsets and beats some mid-range studio options. Ghost notes on the snare in jazz pieces, fingers sliding across guitar strings, and even orchestra members inhaling before blowing their horns are all barely audible but present, creating a rich audio experience that is one of the best I’ve enjoyed.

The Audeze Mobius’ drivers are 100 mm in size. They can handle frequencies from 10 Hz to 50 kHz and can be cranked up to 120 dB. I didn’t notice any distortion at max volume when hooked up to my Windows desktop PC via USB or the 3.5 mm headphone jack. 

Microphone Quality

The included microphone offers solid voice quality suitable for streaming, video calls, and even voice recording. It’s about on par with mid-range USB microphones like the Blue Snowball. It is detachable, and there is a dedicated mute switch and volume wheel for the microphone, giving users quite a bit of control over how their voice is captured. A dedicated microphone is still a better option for those reliant on voice recording or streamers that want the best quality voice, but the microphone included with the Audeze Mobius is a step above the ones typically included with gaming headsets.

Software and Features

Another high point of the Audeze Mobius headset is its extensive feature set. Physically, the Mobius headphones have multiple connection options and lots of dials for ease of use. The headphones can connect to an audio source via Bluetooth, a 3.5 mm audio cable, USB-A, or USB-C. I cannot notice any difference between the USB and 3.5 mm connection; the quality of each connection is similar enough that I can’t tell whether one has an advantage over the other. The Bluetooth connection is solid but experiences some pitch and connection issues inherent to all Bluetooth audio devices. The Mobius headphones support SBC, AAC, and LDAC. The range is decent (roughly 8-10 meters from the audio source). The battery lasts about 8-9 hours at 50% volume.

In addition to the USB-C port and 3.5 mm jack used to connect to a device, the left earpiece also holds two volume wheels. One is used for the headphones’ volume, and the other is reserved for the microphone. Clicking and scrolling the headphone and volume wheel will scroll through tracks or EQ presets, respectively. Long pressing the mic wheel will cycle between audio modes (Hi-Res, 2-channel stereo, and 7.1 channel). These shortcuts take some time to learn and use effectively, and there are short pauses as the headphones switch to the next setting, but they can be time savers. 

Lastly, there is a button labeled “3D.” This enables the flagship feature of the Mobius: 3D audio, which uses Waves NX technology. Once 3D audio is enabled, clicking this button anchors the headphones to a point in front of the user. The feature simulates a speaker set up and works very well; as I turn my head to the left, the left earpiece grows quieter and the right earpiece gets louder, similar to what happens with desktop speakers.

This feature also works well in games, particularly first-person shooters that support 3D audio. Characters walking behind the in-game player will sound like they’re coming up behind the player, and spatial audio is handled well. The feature feels a bit gimmicky at times, but it can add to the immersion of some games. It’s also one of the best implementations of spatial audio I’ve experienced with a headset, gaming or otherwise.

The dedicated Audeze app deserves a special mention. The customization options here are overwhelming, but many are quite useful. If users are so inclined, they can measure their head to get precise spatial audio via the 7.1 channel mode and 3D audio setting. I didn’t take the time to change these options for this review, and the spatial audio worked well enough. There are also eight dedicated sound profiles that highlight certain aspects of games, but they only seem to change the audio curve to push highs or emphasize mids and lows.

One improvement I’d like to see is the ability to set a custom sound curve. If that option exists, I haven’t found it in the software yet. Considering these are billed as high-end studio-quality headphones, the lack of full customization of the audio curve is confusing.

Conclusion

The Audeze Mobius headset is one of the absolute best audio purchases gamers can make. The headphones sound excellent out of the box and have lots of customizable options, many of which are targeted straight at gamers. The included microphone is also significantly better than most headset mics and should be adequate for streaming, video calls, and voice recording.

The pièce de résistance of the Mobius is the 3D audio feature, which works very well. It’s not always useful, but it can greatly add to a game’s experience. The excellent audio quality is another plus; it’s hard to find headphones at this price point that sound this good.

There are some downsides, the chief of which is the lack of control of the overall audio curve. It would be nice if users could tune the full audio range to their liking via the app, but this option is strangely absent. The weight also takes some adjustment, and the battery life isn’t as good as other Bluetooth headphones’. Otherwise, the experience is fantastic.