The CyberPowerPC Gamer XTREME VR is priced at just $719.99 shipped and for that you get an optimized desktop PC for gaming that is marketed as VR ready for the HTC VIVE and Occulus Rift. This Amazon exclusive system uses the Intel 6th Generation Core i5-6402P 2.8GHz quad-core 14nm processor and the AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB ‘Polaris’ video card that just came out one month ago. The system is topped off with an Intel B150 based motherboard, 8GB of DDR4 memory, a large 1TB 7200 RPM hard drive, 24X DVD-RW Optical Drive and a 600 Watt power supply.
CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR GXiVR8020A System Specs:
#System: Intel i5-6402P 2.8GHz Quad-Core | Intel B150 Chipset | 8GB DDR4 | 1TB HDD | WI-FI USB Adapter | Genuine Windows 10 Home 64-bit #Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB Video Card | VR Ready | 1x HDMI | 1x Display Port #Connectivity: 6 x USB 3.0 | 4 x USB 2.0 | 1x RJ-45 Network Ethernet 10/100/1000 | Audio: 7.1 Channel Keyboard and Mouse
The CyberPowerPC Gamer XTREME VR comes with a non-backlit gaming keyboard, ambidextrous gaming mouse, 802.11 AC wireless USB adapter (no Bluetooth support), the power cord, Windows 10 installation disc and supporting user guides and manuals. The only thing ‘missing’ from this gaming PC is the display.
We won’t bore you with a million shots of the PC as the PR images show all the key external features of this case. We did want to take off the front and back panels of the case though and show you the cable management that was done by the employees that assembled this system here in the United States. Yes, this system is proudly assembled right there in the USA. If you look closely at the PR photos you’ll see that there isn’t a 24-pin ATX power supply cable plugged in and the cable routing is different from the retail system that we got.
As you can see from the picture above all the cables are properly routed and secured. Beautiful! The one thing that we quickly noticed about the MSI B150M Bazooka Motherboard used on this build is that it only has one PCIe x1 slot available for add-in any expansion cards. Since it doesn’t have a full sized PCIe x16 slot this means you won’t be able to add another video card for a multi-GPU Crossfire solution. You can easily add more SATA or USB devices though and there are two open DDR4 DIMM slots for additional memory expansion.
This particular motherboard supports up to 64GB of DDR4 memory (16GB x 4), so you can easily upgrade the memory down the road. If you wanted to add an SSD down the road the Cooler Master MasterBox 5 PC case has front and rear mounting points available!
Under the power supply cover resides a High Power HPG-600BR-F12S power supply. This 600W power supply has a single +12V power rail that is rated at 45Amps / 540 Watts and a large 140mm cooling fan. If you were expecting a fully modular name brand power supply at this price point you are out of luck. The good news is that a standard ATX power supply is used, so you easily swap it out down the road if desired.
Galaxy A7 2018 may see a limited release, 6"+ display rumored
Samsung is rumored to skip a step with its midrange Galaxy A line, going directly to an A8 and A8 Plus naming scheme, instead of sticking with A3, A5 or A7 (2018) model titles. This would make sense if the company plans a move to the Infinity Display design for its more affordable portfolio, too, as an eventual A5 will fit in the current A3 body, the A7 in an A5 one, and so on, thus negating the need for the smallest and weakest link in the A-line.
On the other hand, releasing an A8 and A8 Plus models would move Samsung's midrange line in lockstep with the flagship Galaxy S line, simplifying its roster, and leaving users only the choice of size and pricing to pick from. The latest report that Samsung might not even release the A7 2018 (or A8 Plus) in many European markets, only pours water in that rumor mill.
The source claims Galaxy A7 2018 (or A8 Plus), which might land with a 6"+ display, would only have a limited release in three countries in Europe - Russia, Germany and Poland - and the rest will go to markets like Asia, where big-screen phones are more sought after. The eventual A5 2018 (or A8), which could stuff a 5.5" panel in a heretofore 5" housing or so, might prove to be the more popular of the new A-line soldiers in Europe, so such a move makes sense. In any case, this may turn out to be one more piece of evidence for a shift in Samsung's midrange phone strategy, too.
While we are yet to step into 2018, Samsung is apparently all set to continue its domination in the mid-range market segment next year with its Galaxy A7 (2018) offering. The new smartphone has reportedly emerged on the Geekbench browser that confirms the presence of 6GB of RAM, 2GB more than the 4GB RAM on the Galaxy A7 (2017). Some renders of the smartphone have also surfaced online to hint a bezel-less display.
Furthermore, Samsung's Galaxy A7 (2018) appears to have an ARMv8 octa-core processor at a clock speed of 1.5GHz. This would be an Exynos 7885 SoC, accompanied by 6GB RAM. The reported hardware scores 1,478 points in single-core tests and 4,170 points in multi-core tests.
Tipster Steve H, who operates a popular Twitter account with username @OnLeaks, has leaked some renders that are claimed to be the early images of the Galaxy A7 (2018). The images show a display panel with minimal bezels and a metal build featuring a fingerprint scanner on the rear. The leaker also points to the Galaxy A5 (2018) that would be inferior to the Galaxy A7 (2018), but come with a similar bezel-less display.
Samsung can be expected to officially unveil the new Galaxy A series at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January. In the meantime, you can expect some more leaks and rumours.
Huawei has launched its new Nova 2i smartphone in Malaysia. The new Nova-series handset is an addition to the company's already unveiled Huawei Nova 2 and Nova 2 Plus devices. Unfortunately, there's no price tag for the Nova 2i as of now but we can expect it to go on sale soon considering the official retailer has the phone already listed. Notably, the smartphone is identical to the Huawei Maimang 6, which was launched in late September at CNY.
First Impressions
Well, the first impression we got is that Huawei is merging budget and flagship mobile phones, and doing so quite well. The Huawei Nova 2i feels like it costs a lot more than LKR 40,000/-. You’ll see why in a little time. An interesting note we found out about this smartphone is known as the Huawei Nova 2i in Sri Lanka and Malaysia, the Huawei Maimang 6 in China and the Huawei Honor 9i in India. Why Huawei can’t stick to one name still eludes us.
Moving on, in terms of packaging, Huawei sticks to their standard packaging, with the box of the Nova 2i being white and featuring very little text. It seems they want the phone to speak for itself. Once you open the box you will find the Huawei Nova 2i between two other compartments. The compartments contain the standard packaging such as charging dock, cable and earphones. There is also a clear acrylic back cover to keep your brand new Huawei Nova 2i away from bumps and scratches.
The moment you take the phone out of the box, you immediately feel that the phone is worth a lot more (like we said). The first thing you notice when you look at the phone is the large 5.9” display. Now on a normal smartphone, this would simply be just a large display. But on the Huawei Nova 2i, it’s a bit more.
A FullView Display
The 5.9” IPS display has an aspect ratio of 18:9 (essentially 2:1). As such, the resolution of the phone is 2160*1080. Huawei calls this a “FullVIew” display. The 18:9 aspect ratio enables you to get a much wider area to work with. Slimmer bezels also mean you get to view more which actually looks quite nice. TL: DR? The FullView display looks really good.
Huawei tags the Nova 2i as being the first phone to have a quad camera setup. We immediately thought that Huawei had actually packed 4 cameras together. Well, they sort of did. In reality, what they’ve done is paired two cameras in the front and two cameras in the rear. So this essentially means two plus two equals four. Take a look at the back of the Huawei Nova 2i and you’ll see what we’re talking about.
Because of the FullView display, Huawei also moved the fingerprint sensor to the back of the phone. The sensor is located right under the rear dual lens set up and is placed in such a way that you can use the sensor to unlock your device without smudging the camera lens.
The volume rocker and power/sleep button is located on the right side of the device. The 3.5mm audio jack and microUSB port for charging and data transfer is located at the bottom of the Huawei Nova 2i. just above the display, you will find the dual front camera setup along with the ambient light sensor along with a front facing LED flashlight.
The Hardware
Powering the Huawei Nova 2i is the company’s latest midrange processor, the Hsilicon Kirin 659. You get Octa-core performance backed up by 4GB of RAM. So you can multitask all day, every day with no issues. Huawei’s emphasis is on the FullView display and the quad-camera setup and that’s precisely what we’re going to look at.
The display comprises of an IPS panel meaning colors are clear and sharp. Delving a bit more in to the FullView display, if you’ve noticed, this is the latest trend in smartphones. By minimizing the bezels and increasing the screen size, you are essentially able to view a lot more content in a small screen. This means you have a larger viewing area for watching videos, browsing the web and also for playing your favorite games. Hold the phone horizontally and you will see exactly how much more you can see in your movies and games.
In terms of storage, you have 64GB onboard with a MicroSD slot providing upto another 256GB via the SIM 2 slot. THis also means that you will have to choose between having two SIM cards or expanding the storage of the device.
The Software
The Huawei Nova 2i comes out of the box running Android 7.0 Nougat customized by Huawei, packaged as EMUI 5.1. The interface is pretty much the same across all Huawei devices and there’s nothing much that pops out. There are a number of pretty cool customization such as displaying the network speed, a number of gesture based customization.
These include tapping the screen with your knuckles to go into split screen mode, silencing the phone when it is flipped and also a smart cover mode that shows you information such as the time when used with a cover. The device is also expected to be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo soon, but no date has yet been given.
The Camera
With regard to the quad-camera setup, we already explained that it’s a 2+2 setup. For the rear camera this means a 16MP + 2MP camera set up. The 2MP lens is actually a depth sensor for the background blur effects. So while the 16MP camera will snap a picture, the 2MP camera will add depth effects such as blurring out the background and add Bokeh effects as well.
The front camera too makes use of the same methodology where it is a 13MP + 2MP camera setup. In addition, the Huawei Nova 2i also has a front facing LED flash to help it low light situations to make sure your selfies are not too dark.
Huawei have baked quite a number of features into the camera, both in terms of hardware and software. Opening the camera app allows you to just point and shoot photos while swiping to the right will give you a plethora of camera modes such panorama, slow-mo, HDR, and Beauty.
You also get access to full manual controls of the camera where you can adjust parameters such as ISO, shutter speed, and exposure value. Akin to the Huawei P10, the Huawei Nova 2i also has a live ISO meter that adjusts according to lighting conditions and shows you the current ISO value.
Snapping Pics with the Huawei Nova 2i
Swiping left gives you access to the Settings of the camera such as image size and resolution, GPS tagging, face and smile detection and also the ability to save captured imaged in RAW format. You can also enable voice activated photos where by saying a phrase, the camera will snap an image. This is useful if you have your hands full or you’re trying to pose for a photo.
Both the rear camera and front camera have a wide aperture mode that makes use of the secondary lens. Enabling this feature essentially gives you the ability to fit more into your pictures and also allows you to blur certain parts of your pictures to add a Bokeh effect. If you’re not sure on what areas to apply an effect to, you can click first and blur later as well.
In addition, you also have the ability to capture a moving picture. This is akin to a hybrid between a GIF and a boomerang created on Instagram. Enable the feature, capture an image and a few extra frames will be captured as well. The software then merges them together to create a small animation. A bit gimmicky to pull off, but is a fun thing to do.
What sorcery is this?
We played around with the Camera and were immediately convinced that there was some black magic sorcery going on. Even seemingly random photos that we captured just as thought they were captured from a DSLR camera. Close ups of objects coupled with the Wide Aperture mode made the subject stand out whilst blurring out the rest.
Even portraits with friends looked really good. In addition, through the camera software, images that were captured were automatically tweaked by increasing their saturation making colors more vibrant. The same held true for the front camera as well. Our selfies actually looked quite good, for once. For a phone at this price range, we were quite impressed.
The camera is not all hunky dory though. While it takes some amazing shots in daylight, it immediately takes a hit for low light and evening shots. The noise is noticeably visible on screen and the clarity that we’re used to during the day time just vanishes. If you’re thinking of doing a Photoshoot with the Huawei Nova 2i, it’s best if you do so during the day with plenty of ambient light available.
As we said earlier, benchmarks are just about how one device matches up against another device. If all you’re going to be using the phone is to use social media and takes pictures, then this phone will suit you to a Perfect Photographer.
Battery Usage
The Huawei Nova 2i comes with a non-removable 3340 mAh battery. In our findings, we saw that the Huawei Nova 2i can comfortable last the entire day without any issues, even with the higher resolution display. One thing we did note was that the device lacks fast charging. But then again, given the price you’re paying, that’s not really anything to complain about.
With Facebook, constant Instagram Stories, Twitter updates and me playing Pokémon Go throughout the day, I still managed to have around 11% battery remaining from almost 15 hours of work. Quite impressive indeed.
While the iPhone SE looks similar to the iPhone 5S, there is an expectation that the iPhone SE 2 will look more like the iPhone 8, although it is expected to have smaller dimensions.
One thing that is likely to change is the colour options. The iPhone SE is currently available in Silver, Gold, Space Grey and Rose Gold options. The iPhone SE 2 is likely to be available in Silver, Gold, and Space Grey - like the iPhone 8. The Rose Gold and Gold version have kind of merged in the iPhone 8 and it is likely that the new iPhone SE will also offer this new more brassy Gold colour option rather than two gold options.
It may also feature a glass back - allowing for wireless charging, a feature introduced with the iPhone 8 and iPhone X.
There are also theories that the iPhone SE 2 could have an all screen design, like the iPhone X. However, while this is something that could appear in the future, we think it will be some time before the home-button-free design makes its way down to the entry-level iPhone.
That hasn't stopped one illustrator imagining what it could look like. In the YouTube video below you can see what the iPhone SE2 might look like if Apple was to give it an iPhone X-like redesign.
Here's a idea of what we could expect from Concept Creator:
iPhone SE 2 specs:
According to a Tekz24 report (on which the FocusTiawan report mentioned above was based), the new iPhone SE 2 will offer an A10 Fusion chip (as seen in the iPhone 7). It currently offers an A9 chip, as used in the iPhone 6S.
In addition we could see a 7MP FaceTime camera with Retina Flash replace the 5MP FaceTime camera in the current model.
Other than that, it is likely to keep many of the features of the current iPhone SE, such as:
12MP camera: The current SE offers 12-megapixels with an ƒ/2.2 aperture.The iPhone 8 has an ƒ/1.8 aperture.
No bump: One key difference between the iPhone SE and 8 is the lack of camera bump on the bigger model. Hopefully the new iPhone SE camera on the back of the iPhone will also be flat.
2GB RAM: The iPhone SE already offers 2GB RAM and it's unlikely that we'd see any more than that.
32GB or 128GB storage options.
The battery will also have a slightly raised rating from 1640mAh to 1700mAh.
We expect that the iPhone SE 2 will be similarly priced when it launches.
iPhone SE 2 dimensions:
Currently the iPhone SE has a 4in screen (that's 4-inches measured diagonally). The handset itself measures 123.8mm by 58.6mm and it's 7.6mm thick. It weighs 113 grams.
The new iPhone SE dimensions may slim down further. For example, the phone might be as thin as the iPhone 8 at 7.3mm. If Apple was to ditch the iPhone 5S-esk design for the iPhone SE, in favour of mimicking the iPhone 8 design, this could be feasible.
The new iPhone SE could even mimic the iPhone X design, as the YouTube video above suggests. If it was to include a bezel-free display like the iPhone X, the handset itself could be a lot smaller.
We could eventually see an iPhone SE that has similar dimensions to the iPhone 3G, which was 115.5mm tall. However, we don't expect to see a model like that until the autumn of 2018, or even later.
It's also possible that the new iPhone SE - or entry-level iPhone - won't be a smaller handset at all. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a low-cost version of the iPhone that will feature an LCD-TFT screen, fewer pixels, and will cost between $649 and $749. This iPhone screen will measure 6.1in diagonally so the new handset could be even larger than the iPhone 8 is.
iPhone SE 2 screen:
As per KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo's theory, Apple could introduce a 6.1in LCD-TFT screen on its new low-cost iPhone, while the other iPhones will feature OLED screens like the iPhone X does now. Shown below.
There has also been a suggestion that the iPhone SE could have a 4.2in screen rather than the current 4in. The extra .2in being made possible by reducing the size of the bezels. Although unlike the iPhone X, which has a screen that stretches to the base of the phone - and thus no Home Button (read about the iPhone X here) - the Home Button is expected to remain on the iPhone SE 2.
iPhone SE 2 release date:
Originally, we expected an all-new iPhone SE 2 to launch in March 2017, given that the original iPhone SE was announced in March 2016 and Apple usually updates its phone lines once a year. However, while Apple introduced a Product RED iPhone 7 and a brand new iPad back in March 2017, the iPhone SE was only treated to a bump in storage to 32- and 128GB. We were glad to see the back of the 16GB model, but it wasn't the update we were all looking for.
Now it's looking like the iPhone SE will get an update in spring 2018, with March looking like the most likely date.
A FocusTaiwan report in August suggested that the new iPhone SE will launch in the first quarter of 2018. Sources claim this new iPhone will be manufactured in India by Wistron - Wistron puts together the current iPhone SE.
That's if the iPhone SE gets an update at all! China's Huaquang Research analyst Pan Juitang has suggested that there won't be a new iPhone SE at all. He wrote in July that Apple wouldn’t be updating the 4-inch handset ever. Juitang claimed that there isn't enough demand for smaller devices as many consumers opt for larger displays for watching movies, playing games and browsing the web, and that the vast majority are accustomed to 5in (or bigger!) displays.
Even if the SE is updated, it may not launch where you live. Some reports suggest that the new SE handset might not be available everywhere.
According to the Economic Daily, a Chinese-language site, Apple is working on a low-end iPhone codenamed Hangzhou. This low-end, lower-priced model will apparently be launched in an attempt to “seize the low-end market” in China and India.
That report suggests that this low-end model could launch in the second half of 2018.
Another report claims that the SE2 will launch in India prior to launching in other territories. This sounds dubious to us, although it might fit with Apple’s plans to offer a cheaper handset to certain territories (normally Apple does this by offering an older version of the iPhone to certain countries).
The Huawei P10 is a good phone that offers most of what you'd expect from a flagship in an easy to use package, but there's nothing thrilling or innovative about the phone's design or features.
That's why we've put our heads together to come up with a range of improvements we'd like to see included in the Huawei P11 when it inevitably launches.It's a long way off for now, but below you'll find all of the early rumors and news about the Huawei P11, alongside the things we'd most like to see on the upcoming Huawei phone.
Huawei P11 release date
The Huawei P11 is expected to launch at the start of 2018. Huawei's VP of Handsets Product Line, Bruce Lee, told Android Central the company will "probably launch devices at Mobile World Congress" in future.
The company just revealed the new Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro phablets too, which suggests the company is set to stick with its normal schedule and makes us think the P11 will be ready for February 2018.
Huawei P11 price
In terms of price, it's not currently clear what Huawei will do - but we hope to see the price drop for the next version. The Huawei P10 costs around £570 (roughly $710/AU$945), but wasn't released in the US.
Watch the video below to see what has changed on the Huawei P10
Huawei P11 news and rumors
Little is known for certain about the Huawei P11 at the moment, but we have heard a variety of rumors about the device.
Both the
Honor 8 and Huawei P10 had very similar design and features, but it's unlikely the newly launched
Honor 9 with its shiny glass back effect will make Huawei change from the P11's expected metal based design.
Huawei P11: what we expect to see
Although rumors and leaks are thin on the ground at the moment, we've put together a list of the things we'd like to see Huawei improved for the P11. Here's everything we have our fingers crossed to see on the Huawei P11.
1. A voice assistant
The Huawei P10 didn't come with an easy to use voice assistant. Amazon Alexa is available on the Huawei Mate 9 in the US, but not on the P10, and currently Google Assistant isn't available for the Huawei P10 either.
The lack of Google Assistant is a shame, but Huawei is aiming to get Google's helper onto the phone at a later date. We hope Huawei settles on what voice assistant should be used on the Huawei P11, and that it launches with one on day one.
2. Better battery life
One of our main criticisms of the Huawei P10 was the poor battery life.
We found it to be a touch worse than the Huawei P9 that went before it, so we hope that Huawei puts a lot of effort in to increase the battery life on the Huawei P11.
3. A better USP
Perhaps the biggest problem with the Huawei P10 was the lack of a big selling point. There's no particular reason to buy this phone - it's just all round a good handset, and we'd like to see an improved USP ready for the P11.
What exactly that should be, we're not entirely certain. Hopefully Huawei has something up its sleeve to help tackle the big selling features that other companies such as Samsung and Apple offer.
4. Lower price
Huawei has been steadily increasing its prices for the past few years and the P10 is one of the most expensive phones the company has made.
We hope that for the Huawei P11 the company decides to drop the price down a little, to make it a more appetizing buy compared to the other flagship devices on the market.
5. Google Daydream support
The Huawei P10 doesn't work with a virtual reality headset, so we hope the next phone from Huawei will be a part of Google's Daydream program and connect with the Google Daydream View headset.
Huawei has previously confirmed it's working on a virtual reality headset too, but there's been no official announcement so far on where the headset is in production.
6. A US release
That's a pretty simple one, but it's a big shame the Huawei P10 never officially launched in the US and we'd like to see that be a priority for the P11. We know there are many people in the US looking forward to using a Huawei phone, so why not supply the flagship to them?
