ASUS TUF F15 Review - Not the best vehicle for Tiger Lake-H

ASUS TUF F15 Review - Not the best vehicle for Tiger Lake-H

Laptop Reviews

 In summary

When it comes to gaming laptops, the FX506 is a budget laptop. The price may be 1,400 euros, but this laptop mainly offers specifications for your money: an i7-11800H processor and an RTX3060 video card. The laptop just doesn't know how to use it. The CPU can be fast, but it isn't in games. The 144Hz screen does not live up to that speed and is also moderate in terms of contrast and brightness. The housing is made of plastic and feels quite cheap. All this makes the F15 not recommended.

Positive

- A lot of hardware for your money

- Equipped with Thunderbolt 4

Negatives

- SD card reader is missing

- CPU slow in games

- Bad screen 

We recently published a review of three laptops with an RTX 3080 video card from ASUS, BTO and Razer. The ASUS came out on top in the test and that had to do with the processor, among other things. The Ryzen 9 5900HX made mincemeat of the Intel laptops that were still equipped with CPUs of the tenth generation. Its successor, Tiger Lake H, had already been announced at the time .

Meanwhile, we tested our first laptop with Tiger Lake H processor. The laptop in question is an ASUS F15 from the TUF series. TUF is ASUS' cheaper gaming brand, which is positioned below ROG and has been around for several years. We've tested TUF laptops in various guises before, such as the TUF Dash in February and the TUF A15 in the Laptop Best Buy Guide in April. The ASUS model numbers are a bit complicated; the model in this review is also called FX506 , but the box says 'TUF Gaming F15' in big letters.

The appearance of the F15 is very similar to that of the A15, although the back of the screen is not made of a metal plate, like the A15, but is made entirely of plastic. That plastic looks and feels cheap; you can easily compress the housing under pressure and if you grab the corners of the screen, you can easily warp it.In terms of quality, you might expect more for 1400 euros, but in this case you pay mainly for the hardware. The F15 is equipped with a Core i7-11800H processor with eight cores and an RTX 3060 video card. A look at the Pricewatch shows that at the time of writing, the ASUS is the cheapest laptop that combines this particular cpu and gpu.

In this short review, we mainly focus on the performance of the new i7 processor, which is why we briefly pay attention to the other features of the laptop, such as keyboard, touchpad and connectivity options.

In terms of connectivity options, the laptop is reasonably well equipped. There are three USB-A connections, which have a maximum transfer rate of 5Gbit/s. The USB-C connection has support for Thunderbolt 4 and can therefore also be used to connect external screens. Charging via USB-C does not work. A USB-C charger can currently deliver a maximum of 100W and that is not enough to replace the supplied 200W charger. However, if you have forgotten your charger, you cannot top up with a generic USB-C charger. Ethernet is also available based on a Realtek Gigabit controller. The wireless network card, quite unusually, has a Mediatek controller and supports Wi-Fi 6. The HDMI connection supports version 2.0 of the protocol, which is sufficient to drive 4k screens at 60Hz.

We also get along well with the keyboard. The keys offer a nice amount of travel and a clear touch. The backlight can be set in all colors of the rainbow, but not separately per key, for which you will have to purchase a more expensive ROG laptop. The touchpad works as it should and responds well to touches with more than one finger. The surface is not particularly large and is also limited by the fact that the buttons are not hidden underneath, but are placed loosely in the housing.

Benchmarks

Announced in mid-May, the 11th-generation Intel processors are Intel's first 45W laptop processors made at 10nm. Compared to its predecessors at 14nm, the maximum turbo clock speed is slightly lower: 5.0 instead of 5.3GHz, but the Tiger Lake architecture is faster per clock tick than its predecessor Comet Lake. We've known that for a while, because Intel released this architecture in the fall of 2020, but then it was about 15W processors.

To start with, we let Cinebench go wild on the new Intel CPU. By default, the ASUS laptop is on the performance profile, but in the supplied Armory Crate software you can also set it to turbo . It doesn't matter that much for the CPU, but it does make the GPU a lot faster. More about that later in this review. In Cinebench, the eleventh generation processor immediately scores a lot better than its predecessors of the tenth generation. This applies to the load on all eight cores as well as single-core performance. In doing so, quite a bit of energy is burned; although the cpu has a tdp of 45W, it taps the 95W while running this benchmark and the consumption comes from the cpu packagenot below 76W. In terms of performance, the CPU is on the same level as the Zen3 processors from AMD with the same number of cores, but the consumption of those processors is generally lower.

In Resolve we see that too; we haven't run Resolve on all gaming laptops in the past, but performance is close to the Ryzen 7 5800H, which also has eight cores, and is noticeably better than the i9 and i7 processors in the HP Envy and Gigabyte Aero 17. So far the cpu performs well, there is no question of throttling based on temperature, because the laptop knows how to dissipate the heat neatly. That seems to change when we start running games.

Game benchmarks

The most important thing with this laptop is the performance in games. How much do we get with the i7 processor in games? As mentioned, we tested the laptop on the Turbo profile, which resulted in a 22 percent higher score in the 3DMark Fire Strike graphics test. The TUF F15's 3060 GPU has a TGP of 90 watts, with an additional 5 watts of dynamic boost. With this you can predict, despite the good 3DMark score, that this will not be the fastest 3060 laptop. For example, the Legion 5 Pro, which we reviewed earlier, has a maximum TGP of 130 watts. If you are allowed to consume more and can also properly dissipate that heat, you are by definition faster, because your gpu will continue to run at a higher clock speed.

3DMark not only looks at the speed of the GPU, but also that of the CPU, which is under load in the Physics test. It turns out that the 11800H in the ASUS is disappointing. It's no faster than 10th-generation Intel CPUs in some other gaming laptops. He can't beat the fastest AMD CPUs either. In the game benchmarks below, we tested games at different resolutions. At low resolutions and at low settings, the bottleneck for the frame rate is mainly the processor. At higher resolutions and details, the GPU is the bottleneck in particular. We start with a game that has been around for a long time, but can cause a significant CPU load: GTA V.

In GTA V, just like in 3DMark, we see that the 11800H cannot beat its predecessors from the tenth generation. On Medium settings at 1080p resolution, it is precisely the older Intel processors that manage to run the game more smoothly. If we turn the graphics settings up to Ultra and set the resolution to 4k, the 3060 video card is just as fast as the 3070 video card in the ASUS Dash F15. That is because the 3070 was tuned quite economically, or had a low TGP of only 85W. The 95W of the 3060 video card in the F15 turns out to be just as fast. We predicted earlier that it can be done even faster with an RTX 3060; the Legion 5 Pro with its 130W TGP is another 12 percent smoother in this test.

We next look at a game that was released a little more recently: Shadow of the Tomb Raider. In that regard, if we look at the results at 1080p resolution and Medium settings, the 11800H does not really impress. The difference seems even worse than with GTA V, because in this test a Medion laptop with i5 processor and an RTX 3060 is even faster than the F15. At higher resolutions and graphic settings, the F15 does perform as you would expect. Suppose you have an external 1440p screen, then the game can be played smoothly.

However, the performance at low settings, where the CPU has to do a lot of work, is not surprising and also does not seem to match the results from Cinebench and Resolve, where the 11800H was actually faster than its predecessors of the tenth generation. The explanation appears to lie with the amount of power that cpu and gpu are allowed to absorb. Although the CPU has a tdp of 45W, there is a maximum of 105W. That also happens in practice, because in Cinebench we already saw that the cpu taps the 95W. The maximum of the GPU is 95W, which results in a maximum of 200W for the CPU and GPU together. That is as much as the supplied adapter can deliver. However, from that 200W, the laptop must also provide its screen, working memory and all other hardware with energy. The laptop then appears to have been adjusted in such a way that the cpu absorbs a lot less power during games than with a task in which the gpu remains undisturbed, such as Cinebench. The effect of this differs per graphics setting and per game.

A last game, to unlearn it, is Metro: Exodus and we see a similar picture there too. At high settings the performance is good, but at lower settings the Medion with i5 processor is again smoother.

Screen and battery life

We would not be complete if we did not also pay attention to the display. The F15 has a 144Hz screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and uses an IPS-like panel with a matte coating.

That sounds good on paper, but the panel, which is made by Chi Mei, is not of the best quality. If we measure itwith our SpectraCal C6 colorimeter and Calman software, maximum brightness is found to be low, contrast is disappointing and only about 60 percent of the sRGB gamut is displayed. In short, it is not a screen on which you want to do image-critical work or that you want to use when there is a lot of ambient light. In principle, poor color reproduction is not a disaster for a gaming laptop; after all, you don't need precise colors if you're just playing games. What you do need, especially for fast shooters, is a screen that manages to display the images smoothly, but the panel also falls through the basket at that point. To show 144 frames per second without ghosting, the panel must have a response time of 6.9ms and that is not achieved in any of our four tests. The screen is therefore not recommended at any point.

A long battery life is a nice bonus for a gaming laptop, but we don't think it is a requirement. The F15 has a hefty 90Wh battery, but the battery life we ​​get in our tests is mediocre and certainly not as good as the more expensive models from the same manufacturer, such as the Scar 15 we recently tested.

Conclusion

The TUF F15 is the first laptop with a 45W processor from Intel's Tiger Lake generation that we've tested so far. The performance of the new CPU is still a bit difficult to define, because it strongly depends on the power that the chip can absorb. In tasks where only the CPU is loaded, the F15 performs well and the new Intel chip is faster than its predecessors. If the gpu also gets hungry for energy, especially in games, both chips have to divide the limited amount of energy and then the cpu turns out to be no longer so fast. That's not necessarily due to the CPU, but rather the way ASUS designed the laptop; he doesn't know how to get the most out of the 11800H.

That design is aimed at the gamer who wants a lot of hardware for his money and on paper it looks good. For 1400 euros you get a laptop with a Core i7-11800H processor, 16GB memory, a 512GB SSD and an RTX 3060 video card. It also has a 144Hz screen and a hefty 90Wh battery. Unfortunately, there is something to criticize about all those specifications. The cpu is not as smooth in games as you would like and the 3060 has competitors with a higher tgp. The 90Wh battery is large, but the battery life is not special and we can not recommend the screen at any point.

You may not expect more than this for 1400 euros given the specifications, but in our opinion this is a good reason to save up for a more expensive gaming laptop. Oh yes, as mentioned, a card reader is also missing, but that probably won't be the biggest deal breaker for most.

This is How You Add a Printer in Windows 10

This is How You Add a Printer in Windows 10

Tips and Tricks

Everyone experiences problems with their printer from time to time. The printer cannot be found on your PC, cannot connect to the network or simply refuses to print. By setting up your printer correctly in Windows 10 right away, you can prevent many problems.

It sounds like an open door, but make sure you gain some knowledge about how your printer works. For example, do you have the right cables? Do you need to connect the printer via USB or is that not necessary? Wireless printers can connect to your Wi-Fi network , so you have to set them up in a slightly different way. 

Add Printer

To add a printer in Windows 10 , go to the Settings app on your PC and click on Devices and then on the left menu bar on Printers & scanners . Here you will eventually see the list of printers you have connected, but also some other options such as Microsoft print to PDF and Microsoft XPS Document Writer . Despite the fact that you see these options under printers and scanners, they are not really intended for printing. For example, with Print to PDF you can save files as PDF.

Once you have connected your printer to your PC with a USB cable, click Add a printer or scanner . Windows 10 will then search for supported devices and list them for you. If you see the name of your printer , you can add it. You can then start printing directly from any app in Windows 10. 

Under Printers and Scanners there are also many options that do not actually allow you to print at all.

Add wireless printer

If you have a wireless printer, make sure you connect your printer to your local network first. Some printers work with bluetooth. The manual of your printer often describes how you can connect the printer to your PC, because that differs per device. Once you've done that, you can click the Add a printer or scanner option again and add the printer.

If you were successful in adding your printer, you can set some additional options in the same menu where you added your printer. For example, you will find the option Let Windows manage my default printer, which gives you permission to let Windows 10 set a default printer based on the last printer you used in your current location. 

With Download via connections with a data limit you prevent Windows 10 new drivers, downloads or software updates if you use the Internet for which a data limit. For example, if your laptop is connected to a mobile internet connection, updates and new drivers will only be installed as soon as you connect your laptop to your WiFi or fixed network again.   

Dell XPS 15 (2020) Review - The ultimate laptop is here

Dell XPS 15 (2020) Review - The ultimate laptop is here

Laptop Reviews

The Dell XPS 15 is easily one of the best 15-inch laptops on the market. In many ways it is simply the best. It's incredibly powerful, stylish and light enough to take it with you wherever you go. We can't really point to anything that is really a deal breaker.

IN FRONT OF

Fast performance

good speakers

Nice display

Comfortable keyboard

Beautifully renewed design

AGAINST

GTX 1650 Ti is a tad weak 

Specification

Processor : 1.3GHz Intel Core i7-10875H (8-core, 16MB Intel Smart Cache, up to 5.1GHz with Turbo Boost)

Graphics card : Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti

RAM : 16GB DDR4 (2.933MHz)

Display : 15 .6 inch 4K (3840 x 2400) touch

Storage : 512GB SSD (PCIe, NVMe, M.2)

Ports : 2x USB-C 3.1 with Thunderbolt 3, 1 x USB-C 3.1, 1 x SD card reader, combo audio jack

Connectivity : Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650, 2 x 2, Bluetooth 5.0

Camera : 1080p IR webcam

Weight : 2.05 kg

Dimensions : 344.72 x 230.14 x 18 mm (W x D x H)

The Dell XPS 15 series has been at the top of our list of the best laptops for years , but with the 2020 model of the Dell XPS 15, the manufacturer comes with a product that comes very close to the 'perfect laptop'.

With the Dell XPS 15 (2020), you get a machine powerful enough to handle most 3D design tasks. The keyboard and trackpad are also a pleasure to use, and they fit in well with the otherwise very fashionable design. Under the housing are also speakers that sound very good for laptop standards. Combine that with the other strong design elements, and you know we are talking about a winner here.

Relative affordability is another strong point of the Dell XPS 15 (2020). The entry-level version with a 10th generation Intel Core i5 Comet Lake CPU, 512GB SSD and 8GB RAM has a suggested retail price of 1,728 euros in the Benelux, but is only 1,359 euros at the time of writing. That is a lot cheaper than the i7 version with 16GB RAM, which originally cost 2,128 euros, but has now dropped to more than 1,700 euros.

Whether you choose casual gaming, productivity or work on the go, the Dell XPS 15 (2020) is an easy recommendation for many people. Especially if you're not attached to macOS.

Price and availability

The Dell XPS 15 (2020) has been in stores for a while now. In the Benelux, the entry-level model has a suggested retail price of 1,728 euros in the Dell webshop, but the price is now only 1,359 euros. For that you get a 10th generation Intel Core i5 chipset, 8GB RAM, 512GB of SSD storage and a 1080p display (without touchscreen).

We have good news for the fanatics among us: the Dell XPS 15 (2020) is available in many configurations. In addition to a 10th generation i5, you can also choose a 10th generation i7 or i9, and the RAM can be expanded up to 64GB. In the Benelux you can choose from 512GB or 1TB of storage memory.

The LCD screen is also not fixed. In addition to the standard 15.6-inch FHD+ display, a 15.6-inch UHD+ display with touchscreen is also available. Besides Intel UHD Graphics, you can also go for the Nvidia 1650Ti. The most expensive variant costs 3,599 euros at the time of writing.

Design

We have never seen such a major design change within a year at Dell as we have seen with the Dell XPS 15 (2020). It is thinner, lighter, has narrower edges and brings the speakers to the top of the device. 

This new XPS 15 is only 18 millimeters thick and weighs 2.05 kilograms. It's certainly not the lightest laptop on the market, but with this hardware and an incredibly strong battery life, it can certainly be called 'portable'.

As for the ports, Dell has removed the necessary ports. The 2020 model is equipped with three Thunderbolt 3 ports, an SD card reader and a headphone jack. Unfortunately, this means that users quickly have to reach for a dongle, but unfortunately that is almost no different these days. We have long been happy that there is still an SD card reader present. Apple can take that as an example with the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) and MacBook Air (M1, 2020) .

The Dell XPS 15 (2020) consists almost entirely of aluminum with sleek sides and the well-known Dell logo on the outside. It is therefore a really stylish laptop. Also, the carbon fiber is back around the keyboard and it feels more comfortable than ever before, even if it does look a bit grubby quickly.

In addition to the keyboard on both sides, you will find two grilles under which the speakers are located. There's a quad-speaker setup underneath, which is one of the best speakers we've ever heard in a laptop, perhaps even better than the MacBook Pro of the same year.

Unlike its predecessor, the new model is powerful enough to fill a room with decent sound. Also songs sound good. The bass is present and has a certain punch, without distorting the rest of the tones.

It's not just the speakers that create an excellent media experience. The display is also really top notch. Our variant with UHD+ screen (3,840 x 2,400 pixels) covers 100 percent of the Adobe RGB color gamut and has a peak brightness of 500 nits. That's a good set-up to watch your favorite shows and movies, especially in combination with that excellent speaker. 

To make it even better: the edges around the display are incredibly narrow, so that you almost only see an image. The display is one of the best arguments for going for the XPS 15. Whether you're a creative professional looking for a bright, color-accurate screen or just enjoy binge-watching series in your spare time.

It's easy to see that Dell has made a gem of a laptop in terms of design, and that the competition will be using this laptop as the benchmark for the foreseeable future, although we'd also like to see someone do it even better.

Performance

Our Dell XPS 15 with Intel Core i7-10875H and Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 Ti falls in the middle between the regular consumer market and the professional market. It's not so powerful that we recommend professional video editors make it their daily driver, but it's certainly strong enough to provide the hobbyists among us with plenty of power. 

Although the GTX 1650 Ti is technically a gaming graphics card, we don't label the Dell XPS 15 as a gaming laptop. The thin and light chassis makes this device not particularly suitable for long gaming sessions, as overheating is a threat.

Instead of the latest AAA titles in the graphically heaviest mode, you should rather rely on medium settings in 1080p. However, indie games shouldn't be a problem.

Our Dell XPS 15 only scores 3,654 points in 3DMark Time Spy. In comparison, the GTX 1660 Ti in the Surface Book 3 with a much weaker processor scores 4,840 points in the same test. That's 25 percent less in performance, and also ensures that we don't bother testing gaming benchmarks. The device is simply not made for that.

However, when the XPS 15 is used for what it was made for, it really is a top notch laptop. The CPU performance is incredibly strong, with a score of 7,408 in the Geekbench 5 multi-core test. It not only beats the Gigabyte Aorus 17G with much more robust cooling, but also comes close to the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS in the Asus Zephyrus G14 . 

Of course, the Dell XPS 15 could have been a little more powerful in terms of graphics, but then the device wouldn't be nearly as compact. Plus, the CPU power makes up for a lot.

BENCHMARKS

Here's how the Dell XPS 15 (2020) performed in our benchmark tests:

Cinebench R20 CPU : 3,557 points

Cinebench R15 CPU:   1,519 points

3DMark Time Spy: 3,654; Fire Strike: 6,876; Sky Diver: 11,571

GeekBench 5 : 1,283 (single core); 7,408 (multi-core)

PCMark 10: 5,327 points 

PCMark 10

Battery Life : 9 hours 44 minutes  Battery Life (Film test) : 6 hours 16 minutes

Battery life

Our Dell XPS 15 comes with an 86Wh battery, which is quite hefty for such a slim laptop. Most of the time, battery life also reflects battery size. In the PCMark 10 battery test, our copy lasted 9 hours and 44 minutes.

In this test, the laptop undergoes a series of tasks that you might encounter on a daily basis, and these tasks are repeated until the battery is empty. For office work, this laptop will easily last the entire working day.

However, our movie playback test tells a different story. In that test, the XPS 15 only lasted 6 hours and 16 minutes. This is largely due to the 4K touchscreen. If you're planning to watch Raya and the Last Dragon while you're in bed, you might want to plug the laptop in. 

Software and Features

Unfortunately, Dell is one of the laptop manufacturers that equips their products with a lot of extra software. Fortunately, the majority do not frustrate, but with an entry-level version with a small SSD, it is annoying that a large chunk of storage has already been taken.

Before you uninstall everything: We recommend that you keep Dell Update and Dell Customer Connect, especially if you are not sure when your drivers are due for an update. Yes, you can do everything these programs do yourself, but a little extra for convenience certainly wouldn't hurt.

The rest of the programs are completely optional. An example of this is Dell Cinema Color, which processes the balance of the color profile on your display in a few presets. Out of the box, the XPS 15 is already equipped with an almost perfect display, so we don't really think this app has added value.

Dell does a good job when it comes to security features. The new XPS 15 comes with Windows Hello, which allows you to log in with both your face and fingerprint. This may sound like too much to some users, but if you often wear makeup or glasses, Microsoft's facial scanner isn't always your best friend.

It will be extremely rare for anyone to use both options, but we think it's good that Dell is giving people the choice. 

Buy the Dell XPS 15 (2020) if...

You're looking for a powerful laptop

With a Comet Lake-H processor, the XPS 15 can easily handle everything you ask of this workhorse.

You want a stylish laptop

The Dell XPS 15 (2020) is without a doubt one of the most beautiful laptops we've seen in recent times. The 2020 MacBook Pros of this world can take an example from it.

You're looking for an affordable flagship

Admittedly, affordable is relative, but there are much more expensive laptops on the market with similar hardware.

Don't buy it if...

You need a gaming laptop

Despite the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 (optional), this is not the laptop for full gaming.

You're looking for something smaller

The Dell XPS 15 can certainly be called portable for a 15-inch laptop, but it is and remains a 15-inch laptop. 

Nokia X20 Review: Middle Class on the Wrong Road

Nokia X20 Review: Middle Class on the Wrong Road

Phone Reviews

 Nokia comes with the completely new X series, and the X20 is for the time being the most powerful midrange device with 5G and a 64 MP camera with ZEISS lenses. Will Nokia achieve the hoped-for success with this phone? Read it in this review.

Nokia X20 

At the beginning of last year, the marketing department of the Finnish HMD Global - the company that produces Nokia phones - was at full speed because the Nokia 8.3 5G would make its appearance in the new James Bond film 'No Time To Die'. Everyone is now aware that Corona has thrown a spanner in the works, and the question is whether this phone can still be seen in the film when it will finally premiere next September.

Meanwhile HMD Global Nokia X10 and Nokia X20 launched and according to the rumor mill, the Nokia X50 route. Perhaps the latter will play a modest role in the film. Anyway, the marketing department has taken a different path for the X10 and X20 . Sustainability is now what Nokia is all about. We received the Nokia X20 from the editors of Androidworld and in this review you will read what effect the theme 'sustainability' has on this phone.

Specifications

Nokia X20

Housing: Plastic

Dimensions and weight: 168.94 x 79.7 x 9.1mm, 220 grams

Screen: 6.67 inch LCD (FullHD+ 2400 x 1080 pixels), 450 nits, 20:9

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G

Random access memory: 8GB

Storage Memory: 128GB

Rear cameras: 64 MP main camera, 5 MP wide angle camera, 2 MP depth camera, 2 MP macro camera

Cameras for: 32MP

Battery: 4,470 mAh, no charger included

Android version: Android 11, Android One

Extras: 3.5mm audio jack, microSD, ZEISS Optics, 5G, 3 years of version and security updates, side fingerprint scanner, Google Assistant button

Colors: Midnight Sun, Nordic Blue

Recommended retail price: 379 euros

Recycle case

As soon as we take the device out of the box, we see the effect of the Sustainability theme. We find a cover in the box with the Nokia X20. Now that in itself is not so strange, because we see that with several manufacturers. What is striking is that it is not a transparent silicone case. The case is off-white/cream and is not transparent. It is also not uniform in color because there are some sort of fibers reflected in it. The case is made of material that is fully recyclable.

That is a very nice idea and certainly sustainable, but on the other hand I think it is a shame. I am normally very happy with a clear silicone case. It protects my phone and I can still see some of the device's appearance through it. I think the appearance of a phone is an important feature when purchasing it. Unfortunately, in this case, little of the device itself can be seen through this cover. Of course this is a matter of taste and you can't argue about that, but I would immediately buy another case. And that is a waste of the material and the energy that has been put into the supplied case.

What is also noticeable when unpacking is that the charger is missing. A USB-C cable can be found in the box. But a charger can be purchased separately through. With this choice, Nokia follows other manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung to omit the chargers in order to reduce the amount of waste. I can live with this choice as I have plenty of chargers around the house, and the Nokia X20 doesn't have the most exciting fast charging performance anyway.

Not the best design

When we look at the device up close, the first thing that strikes you is that it is a big boy. It has a large screen of 6.67 inches, is 168.9 mm high, 79.7 mm wide and 9.1 mm thick. In addition, the device is heavy with a weight of 220 grams. Now I don't have very big hands and handling this device in one hand is just fine. But when I put the large device in the supplied case, it looks clumsy and feels that way in the hand.

We were able to test the device in the color Nordic Blue. In addition, it is also available in the bronze color Midnight Sun. In the photo, the Nordic Blue back of the device appears to have a true blue color. In reality, this one is going a bit in the green direction.

Strikingly on the back we find the round camera island as we are used to from Nokia. This means Nokia continues to sail its own course, unlike most manufacturers who opt for a rectangular camera island. With such a camera in the top corner, you can store a larger battery. In the camera island are four sensors with the dual flash outside the island to the left. In addition to the Nokia brand name centrally on the back, I noticed something else. Namely the piece of text at the bottom where things such as the manufacturer and the model number are stated together with the country where the device was manufactured. With the Nokia X20, that text is so clear that it bothers me. Unlike many other phones where the finish is nicer.

If we look at the right side of the device, we see two buttons there. Recessed in the side is the power button with fingerprint scanner and that button feels nice and the fingerprint scanner also does its job well. Above that are the volume buttons, and both are easy to handle despite the size of the device.

In the left side is a button for the Google Assistant. It is not so easy to operate when I hold the phone with one hand. I have to put a little more force on this to activate the Google Assistant and sometimes I even need several tries. Above this button is the slide for two SIM cards or one SIM card and a micro SD card up to a maximum of 512 GB.

There is a speaker in the top edge at the front and a microphone on top. At the bottom is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, microphone, USB-C port and a modest speaker. Although the device has two speakers, the bottom speaker is the only one that produces sound when playing media. Unfortunately, the top one only acts as a speaker for phone calls.

Mediocre LCD screen

As mentioned, the screen of the Nokia X20 has a diagonal of 6.67 inches. This is an LCD screen with a resolution of 2400 x 1800 with 395 pixels per inch. The screen has decent bezels. The edge at the bottom in particular is so large that it is possible for Nokia to mention its brand name on it. At the top of the screen is a punchhole selfie camera. The panel is provided with a screen protector out of the box.

Nokia X20 review: middle class on the wrong road

The minimum brightness of the screen could have been a bit lower. The screen is also difficult to read in direct sunlight and the colors are somewhat faded. These are things to be expected when choosing an LCD screen with a cheaper phone. However, when I look at the competition in the same price range as the Nokia X20, I see phones with AMOLED screens. Moreover, this is a screen with a refresh rate of 60Hz and I see screens with 90Hz or even 120Hz with the same competitors. Too bad Nokia didn't opt ​​for this either, because that would make the animations a bit more beautiful.

Strange chipset and RAM choices

The Nokia X20 is equipped with a 2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor. That chipset contains the X51 modem that makes connection with 5G possible. There is also no less than 8 GB of RAM. Storage space in this case is 128 GB, of which 106 GB is available for your own use.

I don't quite understand Nokia's choice for the Snapdragon 480 and the large amount of RAM. Especially with the suggested retail price of the phone in mind. If we look again at the competition in this price range, we see much more powerful chipsets such as the Snapdragon 750G or 780G, and even in an exceptional case the Snapdragon 870.

From a 'durability' point of view, I understand that you want to future-proof a phone using a chipset with 5G modem, but I would have expected more computing power at this price. Also to make the difference with the Nokia X10 clearer, which has the same processor as the X20. 8 GB of RAM is nice, but in combination with the chipset you can safely call it overkill .

Still, the Nokia X20 works fine for daily tasks. You don't have to expect a speed monster, but most Android games also work smoothly enough. With 8 GB, you're also good if you want to open multiple apps side by side.

Good battery life

The battery that is placed in the Nokia X20 has a capacity of 4,470 mAh. According to Nokia, that is enough to last two days. In practice, after one to one and a half days, I am at 20 percent or lower and that puts me in battery saving mode. With light use you will easily be able to get those two days without charging, but I estimate that most people will have trouble with it.

The Nokia X20 can charge with a maximum power of 18 watts. However, as mentioned before, this charger is not included in the box and can be purchased online from Nokia for 12.90 euros (excluding shipping costs). If you buy this charger via Nokia.com, the proceeds will go to a Dutch non-profit organization that works to remove plastic waste from international waterways. A nice gesture that completely fits in with the theme 'sustainability'.

Camera with bells and whistles

Nokia has also generously equipped the Nokia X20 with cameras, as is customary these days. On the front is a 32MP camera in the punch hole for taking selfies and on the back in the nicely round camera island are four cameras. The main camera has a 64 MP sensor. The camera for taking wide-angle photos, on the other hand, is only 5 MP. The other two cameras are for determining depth when taking photos with the bokeh effect and macro photos. Both sensors are only 2 MP. None of the cameras has optical image stabilization.

The photos taken with the 64MP main camera are reasonable. Do not expect top quality here despite the fact that the name “Zeiss” of lens maker Carl Zeiss adorns the camera island. The colors and the level of detail are good, but the photos are not always sharp. In general, they are good in sufficient daylight, but as the lighting conditions deteriorate, the quality of the captured photos also decreases. That is not entirely surprising for devices in this price category.

Main camera

The photos from the 5 MP wide-angle lens score considerably less on all these points. Little detail, often not sharp and distortions on the side, mean that you better leave this camera for what it is. The same goes for the 2 MP camera to take macro photos. This brings you a lot closer to the object you want to photograph, but focusing is more the exception than the rule. It is better to use the main camera for this and then crop the image. If HMD Global is committed to sustainability, this camera could have stayed away.

Photo taken with the wide angle camera

Photo taken with the macro camera

I am satisfied with the quality of the 32 MP selfie camera. In the beginning I had unwittingly activated the 'Move on' option. Then the device makes a movie instead of a single shot and that sometimes resulted in a blurry photo. But with this option disabled, success is assured.

The software processing of the selfies taken in portrait mode also works satisfactorily, because the software can distinguish well between foreground and background. In addition, you can determine to what extent the background is blurred in the camera app, both beforehand and afterwards. All these options are also possible for portrait photos taken with the main camera.

Photo taken with the selfie camera

The camera app on the Nokia X20 is one that offers a lot of options. In addition to the Pro mode in which white balance, focus, ISO, shutter speed and exposure compensation can be set manually, there is the option to take photos in RAW format. There is also a Night mode, but I see little difference between photos taken with or without this mode. They are both sadly bad.

Photo taken with night mode

You can also record videos with 'Dual Sight', a vloggers function where you film simultaneously with the main camera and the selfie camera, and it is also possible to film simultaneously with the main camera and wide-angle camera. The frame of the selfie camera can be changed in size or position on the screen. In addition, it is also possible to shoot videos in a cinema mode. The videos in this mode have a 21:9 aspect ratio and 24 fps. The things that you can control manually in Pro mode can also be set manually in Cinema mode, and in post-processing this mode offers some more options, such as adding lens flares or filters.

Bare, but smooth software

At the time of writing, the Nokia X20 runs on Android 11, with the April 1, 2021 security patch. This is Android One, the bare- bones Android version without bloatware . Only the camera app comes from Nokia itself, along with the My Phone app that allows you to get support for your device and access the Nokia community.

Do you want clear software without fuss? Then Android One is fine for you. But be aware that you are missing extra functions that other manufacturers have built in. Although I miss some things, I do find Android One pleasant to work with.

The big plus of the software on the Nokia X20 is that with this device HMD Global makes the commitment to provide the X20 with version updates (so in this case Android 12 and Android 13) and with monthly security updates.

Nokia is not unique in this, however. Samsung previously promised four years of security updates for devices in the middle and high segment, and OPPO is also following this example with three years of security updates. Good news for consumers, of course. The hope is that they will carry out the updates in time, because recently they had to postpone updates to Android 11 for their older devices .

Normally, a manufacturer offers a two-year manufacturer's warranty on a device. But it's good to keep in mind that in addition to the promise on Android updates and monthly security update for the next three years, Nokia also gives a 3-year warranty on the device itself.

Conclusion

Nokia wants to deliver a durable phone with the X20. I think Nokia has largely succeeded with the update and warranty policy of the X20 and the addition of 5G support. The phone is future-proof. Although I am not a big fan of the included durable case.

The cameras of the Nokia X20 do not deliver top performance, but that is in line with the price category in which the device is located. In terms of software, Android One has everything you need. Considering this, it seems like a great device. Where the shoe pinches for me, however, is the price-quality ratio of the Nokia X20. The phone currently has a suggested retail price of 379 euros, and with this price in mind and what the competition in this price range offers, Nokia has made some - in my view - strange choices.

What stands out most is the choice for the Snapdragon 480. This, in combination with 8 GB of RAM, does not make a slow phone, but the direct competition such as the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G and Poco F3 5G have just more powerful processors. In addition, these devices have AMOLED screens with a refresh rate of 90 Hz or 120 Hz instead of the LCD screen with a refresh rate of 60 Hz on the Nokia X20.

TikTok Comes with New Privacy Policy: This is Going to Change

TikTok Comes with New Privacy Policy: This is Going to Change

News

TikTok has quietly updated its privacy policy. With the new privacy policy, TikTok can legally analyze your voice and facial data, including for advertising purposes. In the update of the privacy policy, which is not yet active in Europe, TikTok writes that it also wants to collect more data about your device.

TikTok will collect biometric dataometrische

The ByteDance subsidiary's U.S. privacy policy was updated on June 4 with a new biometric data collection section, TechCrunch reports . TikTok has added a section to its privacy policy for the collection of the biometric data that specifically addresses the collection of voices and faces from your 'User Content'.

In its Image and Audio Information section, TikTok explains that the "objects and landscapes that appear, the existence and location within an image of facial and body features and attributes, the nature of the audio and the words used in your User Content spoken" will identify. With the data, including data about your location, environment, voices, faces and objects in the vicinity, it will show specific content in your TikTok For You tab, TikTok wants to offer specific video effects and focuses on personalizing ads.

TikTok speaks in general about the collection of biometric identification data in the renewed privacy policy. TikTok specifically refers to 'facial features' and details from your voice. Why TikTok will collect 'faceprints' and 'voiceprints' from users' content, the company does not explain in its amended US privacy policy. In addition, it is unknown how – and whether – TikTok will ask users to agree to the collection and storage of such data.

Data from connected devices

In the modified privacy policy, TikTok also makes a mention about the collection of network type used, identifiers for advertising purposes, device IDs, battery data, audio settings and connected devices. The last item in particular is causing a stir, as TikTok thereby indemnifies itself to collect data that comes from devices that are connected via Bluetooth, for example. It could also be data from smart speakers that are connected to the device via WiFi.

TikTok comes with new privacy policy: this is going to change

TikTok says in its privacy policy that this change will allow it to "use your profile information to identify your activity across multiple devices." It is unknown exactly what data TikTok will collect through the aforementioned permission.

A TikTok spokesperson told TechCrunch that adjusting its policy "mainly should bring more openness to the data collected by TikTok." It is not yet known whether TikTok will also release such a policy update in Europe. In Europe, the policy was last amended in 2020.

Tested: The Best MagSafe Accessories for iPhone 12

Tested: The Best MagSafe Accessories for iPhone 12

Tips and Tricks

 After half a year with the iPhone 12, these are our favorite MagSafe accessories.

MagSafe is say 'wireless charging 2.0' according to Apple. The magnets in the iPhone and a MagSafe charger both lie perfectly on top of each other for optimal wireless charging with 15W, twice as much as the standard via Qi. But a lot slower than some Chinese phone brands offer. Thanks to the magnet, it no longer happens that your iPhone is not properly placed on the coil, so that you charge less quickly or do not charge at all. It's a simple idea, but it works great.

Chargers

Apple itself offers this MagSafe charger separately for 45 euros and this double MagSafe charger also for your Apple Watch . Handy for travel, but expensive at 149 euros.

For the same amount, I'd rather consider this standard, Belkin 's Boost Charge Pro , currently my favorite multi-device charger for your iPhone 12, Apple Watch, and AirPods in this case. A power adapter is included and it comes in white or black. 

Cases

The introduction of MagSafe also meant new cases for the iPhone. Cases that also have a magnet, so that charging via MagSafe continues to work properly. Apple itself offers them in plastic and leather, but you can already find quite a few cases from third parties. My favorites are the ones from Nomad (59 euros), made of quality Horween leather, and the Mod Phone Case + Wallet from Bellroy (89 euros).

About the latter brand, I have used the cards case from Bellroy for years with space for three cards in the back. They still sell those for the iPhone 12, but they don't work with MagSafe. If you want to charge wirelessly with MagSafe, you have to remove the case. The new Mod Phone Case does work with MagSafe. Moreover, it has very conveniently made two slots in the back of the case for the card holder, so that it stays completely in place. That Wallet also fits three cards. This case is not suitable for the 12 Mini, but it is for the larger models.

Wallet

Which brings me to the accessories that have nothing to do with charging. Because you can of course also use those magnets for completely other things. Apple itself set a good example with its own leather card holder (65 euros), now in five colors. This is the saddle brown. It also holds three cards. If you want to grab one, it's better to remove the holder from your device, unlike Bellroy's. I did notice that the public transport chip card scanner, which could always scan my public transport chip card through the older Bellroy cases, is not possible with this card holder.

This does not apply to the leather MagSafe card holder from Ekster (25 euros) with space for three to four cards. That works, although I do get 'card is not valid' on the scanner. Like Bellroy's new Mod Phone Case, this card holder will not fit an iPhone 12 Mini.

The Wallet & Stand from Moft (25 euros) does fit on the Minim, but not as attractive as Apple's. It ingeniously folds open into a standard, but as a wallet I don't find it very practical. You can't easily access your passes. So I think it's better as a standard than as a wallet. He passed the public transport chip card scanner test without any problems.

Mounts

There are of course also MagSafe accessories for in the car on the dashboard, such as the Vent Mount from Belkin (39.95 euros) or the one from Moment (55 euros including shipping). Note, Belkin's looks like it also charges your device wirelessly, but for the sake of clarity it doesn't. So it's only to hold your iPhone 12 to the ventilation grille and it does that just fine.  

By the way, there are MagSafe holders that are also chargers, but they usually come from Asia, are not certified and charge with a maximum of 7.5W (instead of 15W).

Battery Packs

That could slow way, with 5W through the first MagSafe battery packs for the back of your iPhone 12. That is certainly the Mini 12 an outcome which has the smallest battery of three formats iPhone 12. Anchor has made one, the PowerCore Magnetic 5K Wireless Power Bank, Xtrom is selling one and Belkin's is coming this month. It may be a godsend, but it doesn't look like it.

Other Holders

A special mention for two more MagSafe gadgets. This Belkin holder features a dedicated face tracking app and turns your iPhone with you. That feature does not work if you use the Zoom, Teams or Facetime app. It will appear later this month and is expected to cost 75 euros.

And then this crowdfunding project, the Edge Mount , which can be found on Indiegogo. You stick the strip on your laptop, monitor or tablet, you unfold it and your iPhone 12 hangs there as a 'screen buddy'. According to the makers, this works with any smartphone that you can charge wirelessly via Qi, not just via MagSafe. You also get a charger puck and a round light for 45 euros. 

Moment

Finally, I would like to dwell on Moment. This American brand made a name for itself last decade with add-on lenses for iPhones. They still make them, but with MagSafe, Moment really showed off. For starters, they have MagSafe cases. Which also includes the attachment, of course, to slide their attachment lenses on. Then they have the aforementioned Car Vent Mount and the sturdy Wall Mount (30 euros).

But then this: the Pro Tripod Mount (75 euros). You turn the end on any tripod you want and you slide your light or microphone into the cold shoe mount. Can be used in both landscape and portrait mode. It is made of aluminum so it has some weight. And the extra layer, an invention of Moment, makes the iPhone slide even less than with other MagSafe accessories.  

Contest

We're giving away the Moment Pro Tripod Mount. Here's your chance: Subscribe to our YouTube channel and ring the bell (if you haven't already). And leave a comment below the video with how you would prefer to use MagSafe. 

Water Damage to Your Phone? These are The Best Tips!

Water Damage to Your Phone? These are The Best Tips!

Tips and Tricks

Did you get water damage to your phone? That is, of course, anything but nice. Maybe your phone fell into water or, for example, the toilet: after all, that can happen. However, it is important that you act immediately if you want a chance that your phone still works after this. What to do if you have water damage on your phone? We give you some useful tips in this article!

Turn your phone off immediately

Did your phone get wet? Then it is important to switch off your wet phone immediately. In this way you can try to prevent short circuits and other damage, for example. If you leave your phone on or turn it back on when there is still moisture in it, the chance of further damage is much greater. Do you have a protective case for your phone? Then it is also important to remove it. Also remove the battery and SIM card from the phone. To try and get the moisture out, it might be a good idea to turn the phone upside down and shake it gently. Also grab a towel to dry your phone. Do not turn your phone back on immediately afterwards, keep it turned off for a while. 

Put your phone in rice

You've made sure your phone is turned off and you've taken out most of the water? Great, then it's time for the next step. What you could try if your phone has water damage is to put your phone in rice. Phone in rice after water damage can be a good solution. Put your phone in a closed plastic bag with uncooked rice. The rice can cause the rest of the moisture to be drawn out of the phone. Make sure you put your phone in the rice in time, because if you're too late, the moisture has already been absorbed into your phone. 

Check the phone after about 24 hours

While you may not like being without a phone for a while, it's best if your phone has suffered water damage. After about 24 hours you should be able to check how your phone is doing. Check the parts, ports and crevices and put the battery and SIM card back in the phone. Watch what happens. Phone not booting? Then remove the battery and connect your phone to a charger. If your phone does start up in this case, it is wise to have your battery replaced. Is everything working properly? Then you have been very lucky. Does your device do almost nothing anymore? Then it is often wise to have your phone repaired if you have water damage.

Phone water damage repair

If you have water damage on your phone and you don't think there's anything you can do to fix it yourself, it's useful to think about a repair. In some cases, repairs can help your phone to function again. Visit a repairman and ask if they can fix it. However, this is not a guarantee. If too much moisture has already entered your phone, it may also just be that your phone can no longer be repaired. If you have water damage to your phone and you want to have it repaired, there are of course often costs involved.

It depends on the severity of the water damage whether your phone can still be repaired or not. After all, you can always try, it would be a shame to give up immediately. If the repairman indicates that it is a lost cause, you will have to choose to buy a new phone. 

Water damage to your phone can cause many different things. If your mobile has fallen into water, the sound may no longer work, the touchscreen no longer works or the phone no longer charges. 

In any case, if you dropped your phone in water or otherwise got it wet, it's important that you act quickly. If you act quickly, serious damage may still be prevented. You can certainly use the above tips if your phone has suffered water damage. In any case, try to do everything you can to save your phone. After all, it would be a huge shame if you had to immediately buy a new phone after you've suffered water damage.