Windows 10 | Mobiles365

HONOR MagicBook 14 review (2020)

Posted on October 22, 2020October 22, 2020 by Anton D. Nagy

HUAWEI, and its sub-brand, HONOR, have been present in the laptop landscape for quite some time, but it’s only been the past couple of years that the two companies really started to make waves. HUAWEI offers really high-tier, premium products, as we’ve seen with the occasion of our MateBook X Pro review, and HONOR is doing a great job at bringing premium quality and design, as well as performance, to the more affordable segment.

The HONOR MagicBook 14 hasn’t changed much, if at all, compared to the previous generation, in terms of its design. However, the 2020 model, announced at IFA, brings a serious spec-bump with the addition of AMD’s Ryzen 5 4500U chip, a step up from the previously used 3500U.

In our HONOR MagicBook 14 review (2020), we’re taking a look at whether you get the most bang for your buck if you decide to purchase this laptop.

Hardware

Those familiar with the previous generation will be right at home when it comes to the MagicBook 14. If, however, this is going to be your first time with the computer, you should expect a solid build mostly of aluminum and some plastic.

The laptop is available in Mystic Silver, and Space Gray, the unit we’re currently reviewing. While the case itself is indeed Space Gray, the logo on the top, as well as the chamfers, have a nice blue tone to them, which gives it an extra flashy, but subtle look at the same time.

Taking a look around the MagicBook 14, on the right side you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone port, next to a full-size USB3.2 Gen 1 (Type A). On the left-hand side, you get a USB Type-C, an HDMI, and a full-size USB2.0 (Type A) port.

The bottom features a slightly raised design in order for air to easily find its way underneath the laptop, and inside, through the grill that runs almost the entire width of the device. This is also where the speaker grills reside, one on each side for stereo sound.

Opening up the lid reveals, as its name implies, a 14-inch display with rather small bezels, thanks to HONOR inheriting the webcam approach from HUAWEI. The display has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is FHD, and an aspect ratio of 16:9. Said small bezels result in a screen-to-body ratio of 84%, which is not the largest out there, but it’s definitely nice to look at, granted, hindered only by the fairly large bottom bezel.

The panel is an IPS LCD, and HONOR claims a brightness of 250 nits and an 800:1 contrast ratio. The matte finish of the display ensures no reflections and the colors are nice and punchy. About the only thing we can nitpick on is outdoor visibility which is a tad difficult in bright environments, as well as the viewing angles, which are narrower compared to a higher-end laptops, but definitely not a dealbreaker.

The keyboard is full size, with nice and pleasant key travel. Keys size and spacing ensure comfortable typing and the backlight is nice and even with little to no bleeding, illuminating clearly each key in the dark.

The touchpad offers a great experience as well. Despite being plastic, it doesn’t pose any usability issues. Clicks are firm and gestures work as they should.

On the top right there’s a round power button which also has the fingerprint scanner embedded in it. What’s worth mentioning here is that if you turn on the computer with the finger you enrolled as your fingerprint authentication, Windows will automatically sign you in without the need to authenticate or touch the button again.

Inside you’ll find the new AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor, paired with AMD Radeon Graphics. The chip is a six-core CPU with six threads, built on the 7nm technology, and has an 8MB L3 Cache. Depending on the market, the laptop is available with either 8- or 16GB of memory, and the same goes for storage with 256- and 512GB versions.

…and then the webcam, which is always a polarizing topic when it comes to HONOR and HUAWEI laptops. The dreaded “nosecam” title still remains, but HONOR, just like HUAWEI, stresses on the privacy issue, and they’re right. A camera that’s tucked inside the keyboard will most likely not reveal anything about you even if hacked. Once you pop it open, the only downside is the awkward viewing angle, but you’ll get used to it (or buy a separate webcam if you have to).

Performance and battery life

Our review unit has 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. While it is by no means a powerhouse gaming machine, it gets the job done if you’re ok with playing titles that are not demanding. You might also need to tweak the game’s settings to a lower resolution to be easier on the graphics card.

That being said, all other mundane tasks are being handled without issues. Whether it’s work (documents, spreadsheets, browsing, emails, video calls, etc.) or entertainment (YouTube, Netflix, listening to music, basic photo manipulation), it gets the job done without any issues.

We’re not huge fans of benchmarks here on Pocketnow, but for those of you who are, here are some of the results from the tests we ran:

In terms of battery life, the 56Wh unit inside the MagicBook 14 did a great job. It will last for an entire day if you do lightweight office work. To get a better sense of how much juice you can squeeze out of the battery, it should last you a tad above 11 hours of YouTube videos with the display brightness cranked up to the maximum, and close to 13 hours of constant browsing.

Software and experience

In terms of software, the MagicBook 14 ships with Windows 10 out of the box. After a couple of updates to the operating system, drivers, and firmware, once you’re up to date, the entire experience is smooth. Not much to report here, things are working, behaving, and performing as they should.

A special mention goes to HONOR MagicLink, which is the company’s take on HUAWEI Share. It acts and behaves the same way, allowing you to link up your compatible HONOR or HUAWEI phone to the computer so that you can mirror your display, and do some other tasks.

The sticker on the laptop is basically an NFC tag which, once scanned, will pair your phone to the computer. NFC, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi will have to be enabled on both devices. Once paired, your smartphone’s home screen will appear windowed so that you can take calls, send texts, chat, as well as drag and drop files among the two devices seamlessly. This includes images, texts, documents, and real-world scenarios include dragging a photo from your phone straight into a document or presentation.

There’s also a shared clipboard feature where you can access content copied on one device on the other one. Overall, it’s a great experience, with one caveat: your smartphone has to be HONOR or HUAWEI to access this Multi-Screen Collaboration feature.

The overall experience is top-notch. We absolutely like the display, as well as the sound produced by the speakers. Considering the affordable price tag, we’ve experienced poorer sound quality on more expensive laptops, so props to HONOR for this.

The system doesn’t overheat, thanks mostly to the huge grill vent we talked about in the Design segment. The fans are doing a great job at keeping it from overheating, but you’ll have to get used to them hissing if you’re in Performance mode and you’re undertaking demanding tasks.

For day-to-day lightweight operation, they barely fire up while the system stays nice and cool and stable.

Conclusion

The HONOR MagicBook 14 was already a great choice when it ran the older version of the processor. Now, with the upgraded 4500U chip, the 2020 model not only outperforms other laptops in its class and price range, but it also manages, like an overachiever that it is, to sometimes get closer and bridge the gap to that high-end segment.

But not everything’s roses and rainbows. Our cons category includes the “nosecam”, a rather heavy build at 1.4kg, and I/O could be somewhat better.

However, for (currently on sale) €749,90 or £669.99 respectively, it’s affordable enough to overlook the aforementioned cons. The price is for the model we’ve been using, in an 8GB and 512GB configuration.

Pros

Great design, premium materials;
Really nice display;
Great performance;
Excellent battery life;
Speakers are loud;
Integration with HUAWEI smartphones via HUAWEI Share.

Cons

Not recommended for graphics-intense operations;
Pop-up webcam’s angle is something you’ll have to get used to;
A tad heavy at 1.4kg;
I/O could be better;
If you’re in the U.S. you’ll likely need to import it, which will add to the price.

The post HONOR MagicBook 14 review (2020) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Windows 10 October 2020 update brings a refreshed Start menu

Posted on October 21, 2020October 21, 2020 by Prakhar Khanna

Microsoft is rolling out the Windows 10 October 2020 update. While it’s not a huge update, it still brings some notable changes. For instance, the Start menu is getting a new look. According to the company, the new design has a streamlined design and there’s a more uniform look for tiles, which are also getting a new transparent background. Plus you can add an accent color to the Start menu, taskbar and action center as per your liking. The new look is clean and minimalistic. Further, Microsoft has also updated the notification interface, which adds that app logo to the top left and comes with a ‘X’ mark to dismiss the notification.

With the Windows 10 October 2020 update, Microsoft is also baking in the Edge browser more deeply into the OS. The browser is also an improved version as it offers better performance, faster web page rendering, a new Collections feature, and much more. The company has also changed up how alt-tab window switching works. You’ll now be able to see your recent web pages when switching between programs.

If you have a 2-in-1 machine, Microsoft has included new features in its Windows 10 October 2020 update for you as well. The company has updated the behavior of Windows 10, which will now longer ask you if you want to enter Windows 10’s dedicated tablet mode. Instead, it will automatically enhance the desktop experience with a more touch friendly interface, which includes larger hit boxes in the File Explorer and a more spacious taskbar.

The Windows 10 October 2020 update has several new features including the ability to change your display’s refresh rate in the Windows 10 settings app. Further, new PCs with the update preinstalled will have better customizations for your account when you login for the first time.

To install the new Windows 10 October 2020 update you can go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. You’ll get an option of Feature Update to Windows 10, version 20H2 section, click the Download and install now button.

The post Windows 10 October 2020 update brings a refreshed Start menu appeared first on Pocketnow.

The Samsung Galaxy Book Flex finally made me replace my iPad Pro (video)

Posted on August 3, 2020August 3, 2020 by Anton D. Nagy

I don’t think anyone celebrated the announcement of iPad OS more than I did last year. I’ve been paying top dollar for iPad Pros for years, so the idea of finally having something as simple as a desktop browser or a file manager was all that I thought I needed. The problem is that while the principle is there, meaning Safari does tell websites that it’s a computer and not a phone, the capability is hit or miss because it still behaves like a phone. While we do now have a file explorer, this whole approach to accessing files between apps, or sharing them is this convoluted set of unnecessary steps.

I was hoping that iPad OS 14 would be the solution, but neither of those things was addressed, and just why widgets don’t work on the larger canvas is just ridiculous to me. And I get it, maybe Apple doesn’t want to have its own iPad to compete in certain ways with the Mac, but have you done the math of how much it costs to buy a decent and fully equipped iPad Pro? It’s between 800 to 1000 dollars for the tablet, over 300 dollars for the keyboard, 120 dollars for the pencil. You’re talking 12 to 1500 dollars for a product that still can’t do everything.

And here’s the thing, I’ve spent two years looking a better alternative. A tablet with pro-grade stylus support for some uses, but that could be a full-blown computer without restrictions for others uses where the iPad failed. First I thought the Pixel Slate could solve the problem, but we know that crashed and burned. The Always Connected PC is really close to this ideal, but some app compatibility holds it back. And then while the Surface Pro was good, it’s still not my favorite form factor. I was seriously starting to lose hope until I found something better.

This is the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex, what the company dubs as QLED brilliance in a powerful 2-in-1, and yeah, there’s actually a broader story as to why this product matters. Thing is Josh’s review from a few months ago left me convinced that this was the product I was looking for, and after a few weeks of use, there’s a lot to say.

Now to clarify, my use of the iPad Pro wasn’t really about the product. Actually what I really need is a seamless combination between a tablet, a precise stylus, and Microsoft OneNote. This allows it to become the digital notepad that I bring to meetings for notes, that helps me prepare my shot list, and then helps me get it done as I highlight its completion.

The reason why I’ve been looking for a replacement is that it’s not really a good laptop, even with the keyboard case. It enabled my work process in ways a regular computer couldn’t, but going back to college reminded me of just how limited iPads are. Yeah, I know, COVID-19 made me do some positive things. But see, the problem is that my entire college platform is just not supported by the browser, which means that no matter how versatile Apple wants to tell you this product is, I still can’t recommend it as a full computer replacement.

For such a steep price you simply can’t rely on a product that’s hit or miss, so let me start this video telling you the reasons why I switched.

The first is this new design language. Usually, laptops have these huge palm rests and tall displays, and for some reason, Samsung decided to move things around in order to provide the same experience on a smaller footprint. This is actually a wider-than-average 2-in-1 that brings the keyboard closer to the center, which gives it this very compact feel. Regardless, it still manages to include a full-size keyboard that’s very smooth to the touch, and we have a wider than average trackpad to match, which I’ve found to be very precise. I don’t know about you, but I’m also a fan of this midnight blue color with chromed edges. It makes you stand out in a sea of gray or black computers.

The second is that this is not a watered-down computer. This is actually Samsung’s top of the line powered by an Intel 10th Generation Core i7, and in the US you have the option for 8 or 12 gigs of RAM depending on size configuration and 512 Gigs of storage. You also get Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, microSD storage expansion, a headphone jack and USB-C on one side, and then two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the other in case you want to go hard on gaming with an eGPU.

The third is the approach to the display. If you watched my review of the Samsung Q90R, I’m a huge fan of QLED, and this would be the first time we see it reach a laptop. Quantum Dot technology allows for some of the most vibrant colors I’ve seen, great viewing angles, some really good brightness which you can even boost outdoors with the push of a button. The top and side bezels are nearly nonexistent on this 13-inch panel, and I’ll forgive the 720p resolution on the webcam just because they crammed it where it’s supposed to be somehow. Yeah, I agree a bit more resolution than 1080p would’ve been great, though the display technology makes it really hard to notice, and you’re right, the bottom chin was a missed opportunity for a taller screen. That said, I’m one of the weirdos that prefers a 16:9 aspect ratio for side by side productivity.

Fourth is something I’ve wanted for years. The display includes a WACOM digitizer, and that little extra block on the right side of the computer is the same exact S Pen you get on the Galaxy Note, meaning the silo design charges it while tucked in and also spares you the need to worry about magnets or having it fall off. But then the gravy on top is that this is not just another computer with a stylus, Samsung baked its Galaxy Note software in such a way that this is literally a Galaxy Note on a larger canvas. Extract the Pen to be greeted by the company’s Air Menu at the right, Control your computer with Air Gestures for when you want to give a presentation remotely, and then the full list of Galaxy Note apps is all here if that’s your thing.

For me, it’s the fact that Samsung and Microsoft have been collaborating on Microsoft Office support for years on the Galaxy Note. Sure being able to doodle on your spreadsheet is not new, but added precision of the S Pen matched with the tighter integration and the tighter integration with the S Pen leads to a more natural experience. You can fully place the tablet in tent mode or flip it as a tablet all together and use it as a tall or wide notepad, which I’ve been using to turn in my hand-written statistics home works.

The fifth is the resulting performance. Onboard we have Windows 10 Home Edition, so that typical quick boot and speedy performance to launch and move around apps are here. This is a U Series chip, so you get top of the line clock speeds, and keep in mind that these 10th generation processors got a significant boost in integrated Iris Plus graphics. This means you can run Fortnite at 1080p and do some video editing with what’s onboard, or connect an optional eGPU through Thunderbolt to do some heavier lifting. Yes, there is a very subtle fan for cooling given the added power, but that’ll mostly be off unless you tax it. It’s the same experience I noticed with Battery life. Samsung advertises up to 20 hours of endurance which we know that no company actually achieves. My daily usage gave me more of an 8 to 10-hour average, but I’m one of those people that depend on Chrome. Rule of thumb is if you need it to last longer, switch Chrome off and notice the fans switch off with it.

Sixth is the topic of the ecosystem. In all fairness, you just gotta hand it to Apple for how well they blend their products, while most competitors still struggle to make their phones and computers talk to each other. Samsung by contrast takes the ecosystem idea further. The trackpad is actually a Qi wireless charger for any product that supports it. DeX comes pre-installed in case you want to fully control your Galaxy Phone, and you can use the Your Phone app to control others as well. You can then bring your phone’s gallery or sync your Samsung Notes through your Samsung Account, which comes very handy especially if you use a Galaxy Note.

But alright, you guys know me all too well, and handwriting love letters is not my thing. There is a lot to like about this product, and then a few things I’m mixed about.

I already mentioned the display resolution and the bottom bezel, but then there’s also the hinge, which is probably one of my favorite design aspects as it’s really smooth to prop this computer in whatever position you want. The problem is that if you’re in a windy situation the screen will tend to wobble a bit in laptop mode, and then if you place it in tablet mode, I wish it had magnets to create a tighter seal between the bottom and the top, even if that’s a bit of nitpicking.

The second, yes my brother Flossy Carter is right, the speakers are good, but not great. The software includes a ton of ways to tune them, and I could watch a movie in them but they’re not my favorite. That said, try the DAC on this computer, either on the headphone jack or USB-C. The audio quality is so loud and crisp that I can’t go higher than 60% volume. It’s crazy good.

And the last is a couple of stupid nit pics, like the persistent LED indicator which serves no purpose, the fingerprint scanner on the keyboard which is a nice idea, but makes the right shift key smaller and is cumbersome to reach in tablet mode. And also that I wish the function lock wouldn’t control the cursor keys as I do prefer short cuts over function keys, but it switches the arrow keys to become home, page up or page down.

To conclude, notice that there are things I like and there are a few things I’m mixed about, but nothing really that I can’t say I don’t like. I now understand why Josh gave this an Editor’s Choice in his review, which I can totally back in my second impressions. The Samsung Galaxy Book Flex is the Galaxy Note tablet that I always wanted, which also happens to be a Windows 10 computer without compromise.

I even thought that the idea of replacing the iPad Pro with a computer would be added bulk, but do the math of the iPad Pro with that Magic Keyboard in price, weight, and thickness, and let’s just face the facts. There are just too many limitations for the price. And sure, you can argue with me that you can edit videos on an iPad with Luma Fusion, or that you can do some Photoshop with the new app. Which should be fine for amateurs. On full Windows 10, these are not just stripped-down versions of Photoshop or Premiere Pro, which you can then assist for rendering with the modularity of an eGPU over Thunderbolt 3… stuff an iPad just can’t do. If you think of it, the Galaxy Book Flex is like a 13-inch MacBook Pro with iPad Pro capabilities, for the price of just one of the two products.

I do think it’s time it’s finally time to switch. And listen, no hate on the iPad Pro, it’s still a good product, but these are sadly just powerful tablets on paper if the operating system does not do more than just iPad things. In their current state, I do think Apple needs to tune down the name Pro if it only caters to artists, musicians, and designers. The Galaxy Book Flex on the other hand is able to serve all kinds of Pros, and even in the best economy, people can’t just buy a laptop and a tablet. It’s one of the main reasons why this has quickly become one of my favorite products of 2020.

What about you? What are your thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex?

The post The Samsung Galaxy Book Flex finally made me replace my iPad Pro (video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Microsoft reveals a new Start menu design for Windows 10 with theme-aware tiles

Posted on July 2, 2020July 2, 2020 by Nadeem Sarwar

Microsoft has revealed a new Start menu design for Windows 10 that removes the solid color plates behind logos in the apps list and gives a partially transparent makeover to the active tiles. The new design works both across light and dark themes, and also applies an accent color of users’ choice to the Start frame and tiles (via TheVerge).

Before and After: Windows 10 Start menu in dark theme.

Another major change coming the way of Windows 10 users concerns the Alt+Tab multitasking experience. All tabs that you’ve opened in the Edge browser will now appear in the Alt+Tab tiled view, and not just the tab that is active in a browser window. You can also configure the Alt+Tab view to only show your last three or five tabs, or switch back to the classic layout anytime you want.

All tabs open in Microsoft Edge will start appearing in Alt + TAB!

Additionally, information from the System page in Control Panel is being moved to the About page in Settings (Settings > System > About), and all links for the former will now be redirected to the latter. The aforementioned changes have already started rolling out with the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 20161 for Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel.

Device information is now copyable and security information is streamlined under Settings > System > About.

Source: Windows Blog

The post Microsoft reveals a new Start menu design for Windows 10 with theme-aware tiles appeared first on Pocketnow.

It seems that Google Chrome will reduce RAM usage with the latest Windows 10 updates

Posted on June 19, 2020June 19, 2020 by Samuel Martinez

It is well known that Google Chrome takes up tons of RAM on most computers, even more, if they run on Windows. However, the latest Windows 10 update may have fixed that, or at least it tried to.

“Early internal testing results of devices on the May 2020 Update are showing a memory usage reduction of up to 27% when browsing with Microsoft Edge. Individual device performance will vary based upon configuration and usage, but the lower memory usage is expected to create a better experience.”

The Windows 10 May update introduces memory management improvements as “SegmentHeap,” which overall will reduce memory usage of Win32 apps. When implemented, it showed a memory reduction of up to 27 percent. However, implementing SegmentHeap in Chrome would require Google to build with the Windows 10.0.19041.0 (20-04) SDK, and it is “currently blocked on some mysterious build failures.”

Source 9to5Google

The post It seems that Google Chrome will reduce RAM usage with the latest Windows 10 updates appeared first on Pocketnow.

Microsoft rolls out the new Edge browser with Windows 10 update

Posted on June 3, 2020June 3, 2020 by Lee Kelly

Microsoft’s new Chromium-based Edge browser has been out for a while, but so far, users had to manually download it from the company’s website. Now, the new incarnation of the Edge browser has begun rolling out with the latest Windows 10 update, just as Microsoft promised back in January.

The Windows 10 update (version 1903 and 1909) brings the new Edge browser and it automatically replaces the older version that came pre-installed on your PC. However, you won’t lose any of your data that was stored or linked with the older Edge browser running on your machine.

Microsoft’s support page says start menu pins, tiles, and shortcuts for the older version of Edge browser will migrate to the new one that arrives with the update. Moreover, all passwords, favorites, and even open tabs will be migrated seamlessly to the new Chromium engine-based Edge browser.

The post Microsoft rolls out the new Edge browser with Windows 10 update appeared first on Pocketnow.

Microsoft announces a ton of new accessibility features for Windows 10

Posted on May 21, 2020 by Lee Kelly

It's only fair to share...

Microsoft has announced a ton of accessibility-focused changes and new features coming to Windows 10 with the May 2020 update. Listed below are some of the key changes that are coming to your PC later this month:

The ability to make the cursor wider and add a text cursor indicator, making it look like a dumbbell. Users can also assign custom colors to the text cursor, making it even easier to find.

New Ease of Access settings that make text cursors easier to see and use

By default, the magnifier will accompany the text cursor in the center of the display. It also gets Play, Pause, Next sentence, Previous sentence, and Read buttons for reading text out loud in browsers (Chrome, Edge and Firefox) and apps (Word, Outlook and PowerPoint).

Narrator, Windows 10’s built-in screen reader tool, now sounds more natural and allows users to switch between vocal cues and tunes. Also, while reading a text, Narrator will recognize capital letters and words. It will also start reading web pages automatically and has also landed support for Firefox browser.

Source: Windows Blog

The post Microsoft announces a ton of new accessibility features for Windows 10 appeared first on Pocketnow.

It's only fair to share...

Samsung Galaxy Book Flex review: goes anywhere you can’t (for now) (video)

Posted on May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 by Anton D. Nagy

Samsung updates their laptops with the Galaxy Book line, which includes a slew of different laptops with varying degrees of capability. I’m lucky enough to check out the most premium of the bunch — it might be a pricey ultraportable, but it’s capable of going pretty much anywhere even if I’m not. This is the Samsung Galaxy Book Flex.

Sleek from any angle

One of the main draws of the premium Galaxy Book Flex is right in the name — this thing can flex around to one of many different configurations. The laptop form is really obvious, but it’s easy to forget that the hinge can do all of that movement so a quick lift of the laptop might make the screen shoot down the axis. Just keep that in mind.

That said, I’ve found no reason for the laptop to lie perfectly flat, as most of the convertible fun is found after you get past that 180-degree mark. A tent formation puts the QLED 1080p touchscreen up for easy viewing, while getting all the way around make this basically a tablet. Let’s not forget about the included S-Pen, making this a feature rich little laptop. We’ll get more into the S-Pen a bit later, but a quick hot takes is that the Galaxy Book Flex is like taking the Note 10 experience and blowing it up to computer-sized proportions.

The tablet formation is enjoyable mainly because the laptop is so small and sleek. The screen is 13.3 inches large, making this one of the most portable computing devices I’ve ever used. And all of the edges and sides are quite angular and sharp — if anything, it helps when holding the laptop because a secure grip on this fully aluminum body is important especially when using it as a tablet. I’m constantly impressed at how much is packed into this small body, right down to the compact but comfortably spaced keyboard and the port selections, which include a few surprises.

Productive but likes to have fun

Make no mistake — this laptop is best geared toward work. It’s just work you can do in more places than a desktop or larger laptop. The webcam is nice enough for work meetings and casual calls, but it’s 720p quality is lacking. As a secondary device specifically for journaling and script writing, the Galaxy Book Flex has been a very welcome addition. But the keyboard, while spaced well enough, is not exceptional — it is a good enough typing experience for long sessions but I’m admittedly spoiled by my mechanical keyboards so the shallower feel still leaves a little bit to be desired.

One thing that I’m a little peeved by is the positioning of the fingerprint reader. It’s great that it is here at all, especially since there is no Windows Hello to get you into the Windows 10 interface by just looking at the screen — but despite how easy it is to use, the placement required the right shift key to get cut in half. I’ve had worse experiences with small shift keys (AHEM Razer) but there are still few moments here and there when I miss the mark and it ever so slightly irritates me.

Speaking of fingerprints, it is easy to get the aluminum body smudged up with constant in hand travel. And speaking of touches, the touchscreen is responsive and easy to use when scrolling or just pointing at specific things when using the touchpad is just a bit uncomfortable — this mostly happens when I’m not at a desk and the Galaxy Book Flex is on my lap. I don’t normally use touchscreens a lot, but the inclusion of the S-Pen helps makes this a more accessible use case scenario — especially when I’m not using this as a laptop. That said, the touchpad is perfectly fine otherwise.

I did try to do a little bit of graphic and photography work on the laptop and it is okay for light editing. In particular, I used Lightroom to go through some photos and the screen is wonderful for this purpose. While there might be some room for 1080p video editing in programs like Davinci Resolve, I figure it would be good for simple cut editing and it might require proxies for an efficient workflow.

Indeed, as a straight work computer with browser usage, maybe some media viewing, and certain distractions that the S-Pen allows, the Galaxy Book Flex has plenty to offer. Configurations start with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. There is a SD card slot but, perhaps oddly, it’s a tray that comes out using a SIM tool. So I guess you can easily expand the storage, but getting SD cards in and out of places like cameras might end up being a chore.

The Ice Lake processor in here is specifically tuned for light and thin laptops like this, so don’t go expecting this to go too far outside the work environment. That said, it’s not like this laptop is totally incapable of effective play. This processor is bundled with updated Intel Iris Plus graphics, which is more than enough for enjoying all video content, even at higher resolutions despite the 1080p screen. You can push the screen a bit more with color settings and HDR+. For that matter, the speakers blare out of the fan grill on the back, leading to decently loud audio. In gaming, I threw on less graphically intensive games like the new Streets of Rage and it worked just fine. And honestly, if you really wanted to get your game on, streaming solutions like Steam Link are a way to do that.

But Samsung didn’t skimp on the port selection, which is an honest surprise. There is a headphone jack and USB-C port on one side and then the other side with the S-Pen also has two Thunderbolt 3 enabled USB-C ports. All the USB-C ports can be used for charging, but the inclusion of Thunderbolt is a great prospect for those who want to add some extras — a fast Thunderbolt Dock can make up for some of the other ports that are missing, and an eGPU can add in those graphics capabilities that are otherwise missing. While the CPU is still going to be a little bit of a bottleneck for higher intensity games and harder video editing, it’s nice that you can eek out more usage by adding a few extra tools.

Extracurriculars

And extending capabilities is exactly what the S-Pen is there for. Just like in the smartphone lines, the S-Pen brings with it not just a replacement for your finger, but plenty of other useful features. Signing documents is an obvious scenario. Getting custom screenshots by drawing around subjects is here, as is the Live Message where you can write or draw anything and it becomes a GIF for you to send people. Remote control abilities with the S-Pen also carry over, as the settings allow you to program button presses and gestures for some Windows applications. For the workers, Powerpoint remote control is great — for media viewing like Netflix, you can hang back and not have to reach for the spacebar.

If you do get this laptop, make sure to explore the different capabilities of the S-Pen, as you never know what applications its buttons and gestures will support in the future. But for most users, the S-Pen is still a welcome alternative to smudging up the screen with one’s fingers. It’s as precise as it should be as an input device, effectively bringing the Note experience to a notebook, right down to the coloring and the doodling. It’s nothing new to Samsung’s laptops, of course, but as an added bonus, it’s still an effective differentiator.

Good to go anywhere, even if you’re not

Mobility is definitely the name of the game with the Galaxy Book Flex, as there is even a wireless charging module in the touchpad. The Wireless Powershare here might not be very powerful, but if you’re just taking a break or reading or watching anything, being able to put a phone or your earbud case here is still cool.

Small but nimble and capable laptops like this are always really fun. You might end up paying a premium because of its portability, but that doesn’t mean the Galaxy Book Flex can’t find a home in your many different environments. See, reviewers and creators like me wear a lot of hats — and not just because we’re in quarantine right now and need to hide all the hair we’ve grown. From top to bottom, we’re script writers, video editors, photo editors, mostly casual gamers, and one day when this is all over, we’ll be commuters and travelers again. The Galaxy Book Flex doesn’t fulfill each and every one of those scenarios, but thanks to some extra specs, it can certainly try to be a video editing machine or a gaming PC with some success.

When you’re looking to get productive without being tethered to the desk, the Galaxy Book Flex is still nice to have in the kitchen, the living room, on the couch, or on the porch. This is why we’re picking the Galaxy Book Flex as our Editor’s Choice for versatility and portability.

So that’s why this laptop is the premium one in the newly released Galaxy Book bunch. Putting $1349 down for an ultraportable laptop is a big ask, no doubt — S-Pen fans looking to adapt that experience to a laptop or tablet can find both in this new notebook, but outside of those specific users, you do still get quite a few ways to make this a lasting jack of all trades ultrabook, ready for wherever you bring it when we’re all finally able to go places again. It’s as nimble as you are, even if it’s just around the house.

The post Samsung Galaxy Book Flex review: goes anywhere you can’t (for now) (video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

HUAWEI MateBook X Pro (2020) review: one damn fine laptop!

Posted on May 4, 2020May 4, 2020 by Anton D. Nagy

If you’re looking for a Windows 10 alternative to the MacBook Pro, you should check out the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro. This is our full review.

The post HUAWEI MateBook X Pro (2020) review: one damn fine laptop! appeared first on Pocketnow.

Canon’s cameras can now be used as a webcam for ultra-clear video calls

Posted on April 30, 2020April 30, 2020 by Lee Kelly

Canon's EOS Webcam Utility tool for Windows PCs will let you use a Canon DSLR, mirrorless, or PowerShot camera as a high-quality webcam for video calls.

The post Canon’s cameras can now be used as a webcam for ultra-clear video calls appeared first on Pocketnow.

Pocketnow Daily: Google Pixel 4a is EVERYWHERE and UGLY?! (video)

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Samuel Martinez

It's only fair to share...

On today’s Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the many leaks of the Google Pixel 4a, more delayed devices because of COVID-19 and more

The post Pocketnow Daily: Google Pixel 4a is EVERYWHERE and UGLY?! (video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

It's only fair to share...

Microsoft delays the launch of Windows 10X and Surface Neo: Report

Posted on April 9, 2020April 9, 2020 by Prakhar Khanna

Microsoft is also planning to bring some of the Windows 10X features to the Windows 10.

The post Microsoft delays the launch of Windows 10X and Surface Neo: Report appeared first on Pocketnow.

Windows 10 to celebrate 1 Billion users with a design overhaul?

Posted on March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 by Bruce Lebowitz

Microsoft hasn't officially announced anything on the design overhaul yet.

The post Windows 10 to celebrate 1 Billion users with a design overhaul? appeared first on Pocketnow.

Eve teases direction for its next 2-in-1, needs your input

Posted on February 24, 2020February 24, 2020 by Anton D. Nagy

Eve is working on a new 2-in-1, a successor to the Eve V, and it needs your help in figuring out its name, as well as some of its features.

The post Eve teases direction for its next 2-in-1, needs your input appeared first on Pocketnow.

RCS messaging arrives on Windows 10 via Microsoft’s Your Phone app

Posted on February 18, 2020February 17, 2020 by Lee Kelly

RCS on Windows 10 can now be enabled via Microsoft's updated Your Phone app, but only when paired with Samsung Messages app running on the Galaxy S20.

The post RCS messaging arrives on Windows 10 via Microsoft’s Your Phone app appeared first on Pocketnow.