US - Organizer - Page 35

6:34 pm | May 18, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: US | Comments: Off

Montana is the first US state to impose a ban on TikTok which will take effect from January 1, 2024. The SB 419 bill was signed by Montana Governor Greg Gianforte today and will require mobile app stores to remove the app form their listings for Montana residents starting next year. Governor Gianforte claims TikTok is “tied to foreign adversaries” and is providing significant amounts of user data to the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok was previously prohibited from government-issued devices in the state of Montana. TikTok is just one app tied to foreign adversaries. Today I directed the...

Huawei Watch Ultimate review: the Apple Watch Ultra has nothing to worry about

5:47 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: AU, LTE, US | Comments: Off

Huawei Watch Ultimate: One minute review

This is TechRadar’s Huawei Watch Ultimate review. We’ve gone hands-on with the Apple Watch Ultra rival to test its mettle as a day-to-day smartwatch, a workout device, a health companion, and a tool for outdoor pursuits such as diving and hiking. The end result is a watch that’s designed to go toe-to-toe with the best smartwatches from Apple and the best Garmin watches.

In many ways it succeeds: the physical build quality is nothing short of spectacular, and the watch looks great – with the right watch face. The Expedition mode, designed for outdoor pursuits such as hiking, trail running and orienteering, is a brilliant piece of UX design, and Huawei Health is a great-looking and very functional companion app.

However, the typical and all-too-familiar Huawei frustrations prevent this from beating the top outdoor watches at their own game. There’s no Google Maps or GPX files: instead, the Huawei Watch Ultimate works on Huawei’s own Petal Maps service. There’s also no LTE option, which is frustrating for a watch at this price point, as it means you need to remain coupled to your phone for internet access. Some of the better watch faces cost money from Huawei’s online store. And, without a Huawei phone, there’s no contactless payment option, as it won’t support Google Wallet, Apple Pay or other competing digital wallet services.

I understand Huawei’s instinct to keep things locked down end-to-end in the same way that Apple, Google and Samsung do, but as Huawei devices aren’t as ubiquitous as those of the other brands, it makes recommending the watch more difficult. While the watch will record your running routes using GPS, the omission of on-wrist directions and the inability to stream music without cellular data or a phone nearby are pretty damning. At least it looks nice, it’s tough as nails, and the Expedition mode is ace.

Huawei Watch Ultimate: Price and availability

£699 (Expedition Black)
£799 (Voyage Blue)
Unavailable in US, not confirmed for AU

Huawei Watch Ultimate currently starts at £699 (around $870 / AU$1,300) for the Expedition Black version of the watch, which has the standard zirconium liquid metal watch face and casing but a plain black silicone strap. It clearly competes directly with the Apple Watch Ultra at this price, and occupies a similar niche and matches the watch in build quality.

The next level up in price, the Voyage Blue, is designed to look more like a traditional diving watch, something along the line of the Omega Seamaster series. Its segmented deep-blue bezel is complimented by a lighter-coloured case and matching aviation-grade titanium strap, and it costs £799.

Unfortunately, availability is a big part of where this watch falls down: it’s unavailable in the US due to the US government’s ongoing dispute with Huawei. Not having the latest phones with Huawei’s own operating system, EMUI, means that even if you get your hands on the watch, some of its features can’t be used.

Although Huawei technology is currently available in Australia, the Watch Ultimate isn’t yet on sale. It is available in the UK and Europe, and select Asian markets. Is is available in Europe for €749 euros in Expedition Black, and €849 in Voyage Blue.

Value score: 4/5

Huawei Watch Ultimate: Design

Top-notch build quality
Big and heavy
Unimpressive UX

The Huawei Watch Ultimate takes its cues from other premium outdoors watches such as the Garmin Enduro 2 and its principle rival, the Apple Watch Ultra – they’re all big watches with large faces and super-tough cases. The Huawei Watch Ultimate’s case looks great: it’s made of a super-tough, super-hard zirconium ‘liquid metal’ alloy that’s said to be harder than titanium, and finished in a darker grey for the Expedition Black model and shiny silver for the Voyage Blue, which comes with a matching titanium strap.

The Voyage Blue model especially is a thing of beauty, looking for all the world like a smart version of a premium dive watch like a Seamaster. The Expedition Black is a bit more sporty, with its black silicone strap and more demure case, but both still look like fantastic watches – providing you choose the right face. Many of the default options really spoil the look of the watch, and, frankly, make it look cheap: I went through five or six of the ‘free’ watch faces on the AppGallery store before settling on one I actually liked.

Elsewhere the watch is comfortable on the wrist (we tested the Expedition Black model) but it is big and heavy, weighing in at 76 grams – that’s useful when surviving bangs and scrapes, but less so if you’re wearing it to bed, as you might accidentally clobber yourself or your partner with it. By the time my testing period was over and I swapped to my smaller Casio F-91W digital watch, I felt like I’d been weight training. If you’re in the market for a daily wearer, this is a big, heavy, and occasionally inconvenient option.

On the software side, the Huawei Health app is a very good, comprehensively designed companion app, with well-presented data and bags of granular graphs to sink your teeth into, a real treat for health info nerds. I was less impressed with the UX on the Huawei Watch Ultimate: it’s essentially the same layout as on the Huawei GT 4, and if you pinch and zoom, the app layout zooms out into a basic rectangle, with no effort to conform the layout to the screen. It’s a small thing, but very telling, and despite the watch’s beautiful construction, Huawei’s operating system isn’t quite as ergonomic to use as something like watchOS 9.

The similarities with the Huawei Watch GT 4 continue in the physical design, with the exception of the Ultimate mode button on the left-hand side. Pushing this button takes you to Expedition Mode or Dive Mode – I used Expedition Mode most often – with the other buttons acting as controls to select options for individual apps. However, it would be nice if Huawei made the Ultimate Mode button fully programmable, in the same way the Apple Watch Ultra’s action button is.

Design score: 3.5/5

Huawei Watch Ultimate: Features

Huawei Watch Ultimate on-wrist — (Image credit: Future)

Lots of workout modes
New Expedition and Dive Modes
Some features locked away for non-Huawei users
Lack of LTE is frustrating

Fortunately, the Huawei Watch Ultimate excels at workout tracking, with loads of modes, just like the Huawei Watch GT series before it. Runs are easily and comprehensively tracked –they’re divided into outdoor and indoor runs, with outdoor run tracking rivaling that of Garmin and Polar watches when it comes to the level of granular data you can pull from a run. From Recovery time and aerobic/anaerobic stress to VO2 Max, GPS and Pace Segment information, it’s all here. There’s no heat map of running power laid over your route, as there is on Garmins, which I’ve always found useful, but combined with Expedition Mode this watch is going to be a great trail-running companion.

Speaking of which, Expedition Mode is great. I cover it in more detail in a separate article, but essentially it’s one of two new modes that allow you to see and measure specific vital statistics, use the watch’s torch functionality, set GPS waypoints, and tell you how far away you are from each waypoint. By chaining waypoints together, you can stay orientated, and not have to glance at a GPX map every few minutes.

The Watch also has a heavily-advertised Dive Mode, which we’ve been unable to test yet. Splitting between recreational and free dives in both seawater and fresh water, Huawei says it can operate in and show you accurate depths at up to 100 meters; it can also interface with your air tank to show you readouts on-wrist, and carries a compass for reorienting yourself. I’ve asked a professional diving instructor about the Apple Watch Ultra’s dive credentials, and I’d be fascinated to have the Ultra and the Huawei Watch Ultimate tested alongside each other.

The Watch is stacked with apps and features, from stress readouts and breathing exercises to maps, texting, voice call functionality with the in-built speaker, and Huawei’s AI assistant, which is only available on EMUI phones. Additional third-party apps like Spotify will need to be downloaded via the Huawei AppGallery, which could again be a problem depending on the phone you’re using. Maps uses Huawei’s Petal Maps rather than Google Maps, which is available as a browser download if you can’t get on AppGallery, but it works fine and offers on-wrist directions. Just make sure that you enable permissions on your phone, as without the right permissions okayed, the app will close on-phone and the on-wrist directions will stop.

The most frustrating missing feature here is the lack of LTE or real offline GPS options. If I want streamed music, maps or even the ability to call someone from my watch when I go for a run, I have to take my phone with me. The lack of on-wrist maps or directions independent of my phone is especially egregious for a self-professed outdoors watch – yes, you can set GPS waypoints with Expedition Mode, but you can’t call up a decent map or contact someone if, for example, you twist an ankle. Such omissions are fine for a mid-range watch, but at this price point it’s a real kicker.

Features score: 3.5/5

Huawei Watch Ultimate: Performance

Huawei Watch Ultimate Expedition Mode — (Image credit: Matt Evans)

Excellent battery life
Expedition Mode is awesome
Obnoxious notifications

The Huawei Watch Ultimate’s battery life meets expectations fully. Over two weeks of moderate use, the battery lasted around 11 days – slightly less than the claimed full two weeks – in smartwatch mode, with regular GPS functionality draining the battery. I tested the watch’s GPS against a Garmin Forerunner 265 and the GPS on my Oppo phone during one particular run, and I’m satisfied with the Huawei’s dual-band GPS accuracy, accounting for the time it took to activate and deactivate all three devices before and after running.

The watch’s stand-out feature was the Expedition Mode, which performed better than expected on-wrist. The waypoint finder syncs with the compass to create easy-to-follow directional prompts, and a press of the button switches the readouts to a dim-orange night mode in order to save your eyesight. As long as you remember to drop waypoints to follow regularly enough, your adventures will be unmarred by your getting lost, and the Expedition Mode even has SPO2, barometer and heart rate widgets easily accessible to check your performance at altitude, along with a light for signaling.

One of my biggest gripes with the watch in day-to-day use is the notifications you get during a run, with reminders on how far and fast you’ve run, speeds, and more. On other apps I’ve used, such as Garmin’s or Polar’s, the notifications automatically sync with the headphones you’re wearing. Not so with Huawei – the default, inexplicably, is blasting the bizarrely-accented AI voice at full volume from the watch’s impressively loud speaker. A jog around the park or a workout in the gym can get very embarrassing, very quickly for the uninitiated.

While you can lower the volume, and disable the notifications in the settings, getting the reminders through to the headphones is a frustrating, counterintuitive process. You have to pair the headphones with the watch rather than the phone, which isn’t how it’s done with other services, which means that unless I was playing my own music from my watch, I either didn’t get Spotify, didn’t get the helpful mid-run voice prompts, or had to suffer through the infamous Huawei voice yelling “Workout started!”, “Workout paused!”, “Time: five minutes, fifteen seconds per kilometer!” out to the world.

Otherwise, I was happy: things performed as expected from a premium watch, with all the accuracy and power such a device promises. It’s just a shame that the outstanding build quality and excellent innovations are let down by some frustrating, quintessentially Huawei flaws.

Performance score: 4/5

Huawei Watch Ultimate: Should I buy?

Huawei Watch Ultimate: Buy it if...

Huawei Watch Ultimate: Don't buy it if...

Also consider

First reviewed: April 2023

Sony Xperia 1 V goes up for pre-order in the US with free LinkBuds and $50 gift card

5:56 am | May 17, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: Sony Xperia, US | Comments: Off

Last week Sony unveiled its newest flagship smartphone, the Xperia 1 V. It comes with a brand new main camera with a sensor that's 70% bigger than its predecessor's, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and a 5,000 mAh battery, along with stereo speakers, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a 4K touchscreen. It's a beast, and if you're interested in going in depth with each aspect of it, we have a comprehensive review of the Xperia 1 V for you! On launch day we only got pricing for the EU and UK from Sony (€1,399 and £1,299, respectively) along with a vague "late June" release time frame. Thanks to...

Weekly deals: the best smartphone deals from the US, the UK, Germany and India

2:01 pm | May 14, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: Germany, India, UK, US | Comments: Off

Google launched the new Pixel 7a in multiple countries around the world and in some places it is a better pick than the Pixel 7. Not everywhere, though, the older model has fallen to a similar price in a few places. In the US, there’s a gift for Mother’s Day, plus cheap older flagships from Samsung and OnePlus. In India, the iQOO 11 price is starting to fall, but the gaming phone got unexpected competition as the PS5 also got cheaper. Use the links below to jump to your region: USA Germany The UK India USA For Mother’s Day, Samsung is offering a free...

Dell XPS 15 (2023) review: a well-rounded Ultrabook that pales to its predecessor

8:00 pm | May 6, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: Australia, Total War, UK, US | Comments: Off

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Two-minute review

The Dell XPS 15 (2023) laptop is a refresh of the phenomenal version from 2022, which scored a perfect five out of five stars from us. But while the 2023 model has mostly stayed the same in terms of design and offerings, there are some key differences between the two, both good and bad.

From the outside, you see the same light silver chassis that sets it apart from many of the other best Ultrabooks. Though it feels comparable to the best light and thin laptops in terms of weight, the chassis still has a nice, hefty feeling to it. It’s also the exact same chassis from the previous model, which was also a work of art. It only makes sense not to alter a design that served it so well.

Opening it up, we also run into very familiar territory. Just like the 2022 version, this one has a thin bezel, with the areas surrounding the keyboard and touchpad a pleasant black matte texture that’s satisfying to the touch. The keys are still nice and wide, fitting for most fingers, and the touchpad itself is the mechanical type that gives you a sense of feedback, even though it's softened enough for there not to be an audible click. I personally miss it but others might not so it’s purely subjective.

Just like what was detailed in our Dell XPS 15 (2022) review, the 2023 model’s display is a stunning 15.6-inch HD+ screen, with a choice between FHD+ (1920 x 1200) or OLED 3.5K (3456x2160). The port selection is quite good as well, offering pretty much everything you need including Type-C and Type-A USB ports, an HDMI port, an SD slot, an audio jack, and more. It is missing an ethernet port, and having only one Type-A port pulls it away from perfection. Its audio quality is absolute perfection, however, delivering rich sound from its dual speakers. I would even go so far as to say this is a major area that the 2023 model improved over its predecessor.

Just as with any Dell laptop, there are a wide variety of configurations and specs to choose from, depending on what your needs are. This makes it quite balanced in terms of performance, as it handles pretty much any productivity or creative tasks thrown at it. It also shares with the 2022 version the ability to game at higher GPU specs, with the 2023 version having the added bonus of being able to ray-trace.

However, the GPUs seem to be lower-powered in some aspects compared to the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, which features an RTX 4050, and there are benchmark tests that scored even less than the 2022 XPS 15. That leaves us to wonder if the Dell XPS 15 (2023) is worth the upgrade.

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Price & availability

closeup of keyboard — (Image credit: Future)

Starting at $2,799 / £2,649 / AU$4,500.10
Available now
Available in the US, the UK, and Australia

The starting price for the Dell XPS 15 at the basic configurations is $1,499 / £1,498.99 / AU$2,498.10, which is equipped with an Intel Arc A370M. And though the Arc A370M is a budget gaming GPU, if you want a higher-end model the starting price for an XPS 15 with an RTX 4050 is $1,899 / £1,849 / AU$2,998.60.

The review unit sent to me is even more expensive than that, at $2,799 / £2,649 / AU$4,500.10, with this one equipped with a GeForce RTX 4070. In general, this laptop is quite pricey even by Ultrabook standards. And though we don’t consider the XPS 15 a gaming laptop, it’s more affordable than many other options.

When compared with its current direct competitors, like the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023) or the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, its starting pricing is more affordable but quickly ramps as you go for higher configurations. But the Galaxy Book3 Ultra is still a bit pricier at higher specs as well, so if cost is what’s most important to you then the XPS 15 is your choice.

On the other hand, the M2 MacBook Pro 16-inch is just under the XPS 15 in the US and Australia (and barely over in the UK) and blows away the latter in both Geekbench and Cinebench benchmarks, so the performance for creative and productive work there is superior. Of course, you’re giving up most PC gaming in return, so if that’s important to you then the latter is the better choice. Overall, it boils down to what your needs are.

As always with Dell products, this laptop is readily available in the US, UK, and Australia. And the available configurations are the same across the board for the most part, so no one region is left out regarding what a buyer can choose from.

Price score: 4 / 5

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Specs

closeup of keyboard and touchpad — (Image credit: Future)

The specs for the Dell XPS 15 (2023) review unit sent to me are as follows: Intel Core i7-13700H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070, 32GB of RAM, 1TB storage, and a 15.6-inch OLED 3.5K resolution screen.

It also comes in several configurations that are customizable by the buyer. You can choose up to an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU, an RTX 4070 GPU, 64GB of RAM, 8TB of storage, and an OLED 3.5K display. Interestingly enough, the 3.5K version has 400 nits of brightness while the FHD+ (1920 x 1200) version has 500 nits.

The only real difference between regional configurations is that the UK model can’t go over 4TB while the US and Australian models can go up to 8GB. There are also some slight differences, like the Core i9 CPU only being available with certain other specs.

Specs score: 5 / 5

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Design

silver laptop sitting on purple desk — (Image credit: Future)

Beautiful, sturdy design
Great display, keyboard, and touchpad
Incredible audio quality

The Dell XPS 15 (2023) is a very lovely Ultrabook to look at, with a light silver chassis that glimmers in the light. Its weight is a little over four pounds or just under two kilograms, but its form factor is well-balanced so you don’t feel it, even when transporting it around in a bag. It has a nice heft to it as well, a nice solid build that promises to resist damage over time.

On the inside is a black carbon fiber palm rest that has a great texture to it, as well as serving the practical purpose of keeping cool and preventing sweat build-up. The keyboard has nice wide keys that work well for people with larger fingers or conditions that require such, but I wish there was backlighting for late-at-night typing. The mechanical touchpad has great visceral feedback with every click, though I wish there was that audible click to match it.

The display is gorgeous, with both the FHD+ (1920 x 1200) or OLED 3.5K (3456x2160) being viable choices. But if you can, I would recommend you spend the extra money for the OLED version as it’s absolutely stunning to look at and everything, from games to creative works, to video and image projects, truly pop.

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keyboard and touchpad — (Image credit: Future)

There’s a nice variety in port selection, including one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with DisplayPort, two Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2) ports, one headset (headphone and microphone combo) port, one SD slot, and one wedge-shaped lock slot. It is missing an ethernet port, which seems to be becoming the norm among laptops but no less disappointing if you wanted to plug up your machine for a stable internet connection.

What blew me away was the audio quality, which is some of the best I’ve ever heard from any laptop, including plenty of gaming laptops. The stereo woofers located on each side of the keyboard retain full sound quality at any volume, even when maxed out, the bass is incredible, and its audio clarity (which allows you to hear different elements clearly) is impeccable.

Design score: 4 / 5

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Performance

Great all-around performance
Underpowered GPU
Can perform ray-tracing

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Benchmarks

Here's how the Dell XPS 15 (2023) performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 25,710; Fire Strike: 16,782; Time Spy: 7,124; Port Royal: 4,712
Cinebench R23 Multi-core: 8,088 points
GeekBench 5: 1,778 (single-core); 8,667 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 13
Handbrake 1.6: 5:01
CrossMark: Overall: 1,906 Productivity: 1,790 Creativity: 2,130 Responsiveness: 1,650
PCMark 10 (Home Test): 7,496
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 8 hours, 3 minutes
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: (1080p, Ultra): 69 fps; (1080p, Low): 115 fps
Total War: Warhammer III (1080p, Ultra): 90 fps; (1080p, Low): 216 fps
Cyberpunk 2077 (1080p, Ultra): 23 fps; (1080p, Low): 61 fps

The higher specs you can choose from allow it to churn out consistently high performance that essentially makes it a gaming laptop in everything but in name. It even has ray-tracing capabilities, though not very impressive compared to actual gaming rigs but it’s still there. And as for productivity and creative work, I found that it performed smoothly with no slowdown or struggle to speak of. Even during intensive work or play, the ventilation system did its job well and prevented the laptop from overheating.

However, benchmark testing tells a different story. When comparing some scores for tests like 3D Mark’s Time Spy and Fire Strike, the XPS 15 2023 beats out the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra and the XPS 15 2022 handily. But in other benchmarks like Night Raid, Cinebench R23, and GeekBench 5, either the scores match or are actually lower. This means that despite this being a 4070 GPU, it’s most likely a lower-powered one, which means that you’re getting a current-gen card that matches the 4050 of the Galaxy Book3 Ultra and even the 3050 Ti of the 2022 XPS 15.

Gameplay-wise, those benchmark scores play out in performance just as you’d think they would – mainly that the framerate is either barely higher than in the previously mentioned laptops, or in a few cases lower. Granted, for an Ultrabook you’re getting surprisingly good performance even with games like Cyberpunk 2077, but it feels almost misleading that you’re paying for a higher-end GPU and getting something not much better than last-gen’s offerings.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Battery

closeup of time and date — (Image credit: Future)

Not bad but could be better
Charges fast

The battery life on the Dell XPS 15 (2023) isn’t bad per se, as it’ll almost carry you through the average eight-hour work day when using it for regular work, and just over that mark when it becomes a video streaming machine. But compared to the stellar battery life of the Dell XPS 15 (2022), this one definitely falls short. Most likely, it’s due to the 4000-series GPUs, as they seem to be battery drainers on every level. Still, it’s still a bit disappointing that you need to plug it in before your work day is over.

Thankfully it charges very quickly, reaching full charge in just under an hour when I tested it. Even more impressive is that it manages this even with the default low-powered AC adapter, which is most likely thanks to the Thunderbolt 4 charger.

Battery score: 3.5 / 5

Should you buy the Dell XPS 15 (2023)?

Buy it if...

You want a lightweight laptop
Most likely the lightest laptop I ever reviewed, it's like lifting air. You won't feel anything at all carrying it around, even with such a large screen size.

You want a laptop with a great variety in specs
The choice of configurations is top-notch, with tons of different components, two displays, and more to really customize your Ultrabook.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
This is an Ultrabook through and through and it's steeply priced as such, especially as you start to upgrade the specs.

Dell XPS 15 (2023): Also consider

If the Dell XPS 15 (2023) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Dell XPS 15 (2023)

I tested the Dell XPS 15 (2023) for about a week
I tested it using a variety of productivity applications and video games
I stress-tested the battery using the TechRadar movie test

First, I tested the general weight and portability of the Dell XPS 15 (2023) by carrying it around in a laptop bag. After I set it up, I ran several benchmarks to thoroughly test out the processor and graphics card. Finally, I used a variety of programs and applications to test out both battery life and general performance during work-like conditions.

The Dell XPS 15 (2023) is an Ultrabook that's meant to be both a portable laptop with a thin and light chassis, as well as an excellent productivity machine. I spent a good amount of testing not only on performance issues but looking for any ventilation issues. I also tested out battery life to see how long it could last off AC power.

I've tested plenty of gaming PCs and laptops, making me more than qualified to understand benchmark test results and how to properly stress test machines to see how well they perform as a work machine.

LG Gram Style: Two-minute review

LG seems to be targeting a specific audience that loves some of the best ultrabooks on the market, with its sleek, lightweight, and very stylish LG Gram Style. This ultrabook stretches light to its absolute limits, as the laptop weighs less than three pounds despite the 16-inch display size. It’s honestly incredible how little this laptop weighs, and how beautiful it looks. The Gram Style is a lovely white color, but what makes it even more striking is the pearlescent finish that seems to glow and change color depending on how light hits it.

Its display is also quite impressive, as even the base model is an OLED panel with 2.8K resolution while the other versions hit 3K. The screen supports HDR with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it (theoretically) excellent for creative projects as well. Another highlight is the backlit keyboard, which has this satisfying snappy feedback that along with its well-sized keys makes for a great typing experience.

I wish I could extend the goodwill to the touchpad, but it honestly gives a bad name to haptic touchpads. The edges are defined by lights instead of an actual groove, which looks pretty but isn’t accessible in the slightest. I also noted a delay after not touching it for a while, in which the pad needs a free click to ‘wake up’ before anything actually happens.

The webcam is also lackluster, featuring the same issues that even many of the best laptops suffer from: a dull, slightly grainy image quality and a middling framerate. Thankfully the sound quality is much better, boasting pretty clear audio that puts out most songs just fine. Just don’t ask it to play anything with bass, or anything too loudly, since the speakers are kind of quiet. There's also some good pre-installed software variety, including programs that control settings like fan speed, display, keyboard shortcuts, security software, and more.

As for performance, it functions well as a productivity and creative machine, thanks to the 13 Gen Intel Core i7-1360P CPU under the hood, which is made for work tasks. However, the GPU is merely integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, meaning its overall performance is somewhat lacking - disappointing considering the hefty price tag.

However, unlike some of the best gaming laptops, don't think you'll be running Cyberpunk 2077 or most of the other best PC games on this anytime soon. It's a shame because, had it been much more consistent, it could have easily been one of the best thin and light laptops around.

LG Gram Style: Price & availability

closeup of white keyboard — (Image credit: Future)

Starting at $1,499.99 (£2,399.98 / around AU$2,270)
Available now
Available in the US and the UK

The LG Gram Style starts at $1,499.99 (£2,399.98 / around AU$2,270) for the basic model, while my review unit is priced at $1,799.99 (£2,499.98 / around AU$2,724).

This places it at the higher end of ultrabooks, surpassing the HP Dragonfly Pro and the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) and approaching the starting MSRP of the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra - which, notably, does have a dedicated GPU.

As for availability, you’ll find several models in both the US and UK, but unfortunately, Australia has been shafted with no release at all in the region. The LG Gram Style in the UK is also far more expensive than the US models, and there's no clear reason why.

Price score: 3 / 5

LG Gram Style: Specs

closeup of evo sticker — (Image credit: Future)

The specs for the LG Gram Style review unit sent to me are as follows: Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, Intel Iris Xe GPU, 32GB LPDDR5 of RAM, and 1TB SSD of storage.

In both the US and the UK there are three main configurations, with the baseline one featuring 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. However, unlike the top-of-the-line US model, the UK model has 2TB of storage instead of 1TB.

And while customers can choose between three configurations depending on the region, each model cannot be customized individually, nor can the specs be upgraded by the buyer at a later time.

Specs score: 4 / 5

LG Gram Style: Design

white laptop sitting on desk — (Image credit: Future)

Absolutely gorgeous
Great keyboard and display
Terrible touchpad

The LG Gram Style’s design is easily the best part of this laptop. LG certainly put a lot of stock into its looks, with a beautiful iridescent white chassis, a form factor that’s light and thin beyond belief, a gorgeous OLED display with anti-reflection, and a keyboard with feedback so snappy and sharp it makes typing a dream.

However, in order to get this ultrabook so air-light, concessions clearly had to be made in the build quality. This is not a laptop that can take being dropped, thanks to the chassis being made of a nano-magnesium alloy base instead of aluminum. This is especially true in the hinge, which has a noticeable wobble to it and does not bode well for its overall lifespan. Another issue stemming from its thing frame is that it can get a bit warm after being exerted for a decent amount of time. And even on normal settings, the fans can get a bit loud.

The audio quality is good as well, being able to discern between various instruments and singing voices when I tested the speakers. However, the volume is lower than most other laptops I’ve tested, so you might have to hook up speakers or use a headset if that poses an issue.

Another defining feature of this laptop is its invisible haptic feedback touchpad which, if you remember my review of the Dell XPS 13 Plus, I am not personally a fan of. First, it’s very inaccessible, as it’s nearly impossible for a person with vision impairment to discern the start and end of their touchpad.

Second, there are often sensitivity issues involved with these sorts of haptic touchpads. Unfortunately, the LG Gram Style is hit with both of these drawbacks. It’s genuinely a terrible, clunky, and annoying pad to use, to the point where I had to switch to a mouse, hurting its portability.

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closeup of white touchpad — (Image credit: Future)

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Port selection isn’t bad considering the thinness of this ultrabook, with two USB Type-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, one mini SD card reader (something of a rarity these days), and one audio jack. The ethernet port and HDMI port are missing, which hurts the connectivity options, but every other port is accounted for at least, which gives users a decent amount of options - though you may want to invest in a Thunderbolt 4 hub if you plan to connect lots of other devices.

There’s also something I believe that factors into the very high pricing, other than the thin and light chassis. There’s a phenomenon called the ‘Pink Tax,’ which sees products that are marketed to women feature a massive increase in price and a decrease in quality versus products for men or that are gender neutral.

Looking at the marketing for the LG Gram Style, the promotional material prominently features women, the main draw is how beautiful and lightweight the laptop is, and I noticed that even the accent color for the system’s Theme was set to pink rather than the usual blue of other Windows laptops. Compared to the Pro version, which has better hardware for a slightly higher price, or other ultrabooks with better specs and similar pricing, it feels that LG has succumbed to this ‘Pink Tax’ phenomenon.

Design score: 3.5 / 5

LG Gram Style: Performance

Functions just fine as a productivity machine
Specs are mixed
Doesn’t stand out compared to the competition

LG Gram Style: Benchmarks

Here's how the LG Gram Style performed in our suite of benchmark tests:

3DMark: Night Raid: 15,260; Fire Strike: 4,363; Time Spy: 1,593
Cinebench R23 Multi-core: 8,088 points
GeekBench 5: 1,778 (single-core); 8,667 (multi-core)
25GB File Copy: 16.5
Handbrake 1.6: 11:41
CrossMark: Overall: 1,555 Productivity: 1,513 Creativity: 1,668 Responsiveness: 1,367
PCMark 10 (Home Test): N/A
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 7 hours, 2 minutes
Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm: (1080p, Ultra): 60 fps; (1080p, Low): 47 fps

When running the benchmarks for the LG Gram Style, I couldn’t help but notice that its overall performance is mediocre. Some of the scores, like the single-core Geekbench, compare to most of its competitors, but others like the multi-core Geekbench, Cinebench, and 3DMark are handily beaten by not only most of its competitors this year but by laptops over a year old on specs just as dated. What’s worse, this laptop weirdly wasn’t capable of running PCMark 10 without crashing, so that data can’t even be compared.

Its specs are a mixed bag, with a solid CPU but the Intel Iris Xe iGPU weighing it down. This was of course the norm for past ultrabooks, but there are laptops this gen at around the same price point releasing with RTX 4000-series GPUs like the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra, and even the LG Gram Pro features an RTX 3050 for a few hundred bucks more. It’s hard to justify the Gram Style’s price point with only integrated graphics on the table.

In terms of everyday use, it works quite well, being able to handle pretty much any productivity task I threw at it. It’s wired for creative works as well, thanks to its excellent color gamut, CPU, and display. But again, the GPU lacking compared to other ultrabooks buries this, as there are simply better choices on the market if you’re going in that direction.

Like many other ultrabooks from 2022 and earlier, it handles gaming just the same. Mainly stick to low and mid-range PC game options that are more CPU intensive. But with this year already opening up with ultrabooks sticking RTX 4000-series boards in, there’s little excuse for not having the same - especially with how expensive this laptop gets.

Performance score: 3 / 5

LG Gram Style: Battery

Average battery life
Charge time not great

After stress-testing, I found the LG Gram Style to have fairly average battery life. When undergoing the movie test, it lasted about seven hours. And when using it normally, I needed to recharge after a little over six hours. While it’s not offensive, for an ultrabook it isn’t great either. The point of ultrabooks is to have excellent, long-lasting battery life and it feels like - for the price of entry - it should last a lot longer.

Not only that, but charging isn’t particularly fast either, and not especially with the cable it comes with. It takes over an hour to get a full charge, and this is using one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Battery score: 2.5 / 5

Should you buy the LG Gram Style?

Buy it if...

You want an extremely lightweight laptop
Most likely the lightest laptop I ever reviewed, it's like lifting air. You won't feel anything at all carrying it around, even with such a large screen size.

You want a visually stunning laptop
This laptop truly lives up to its name, with a white color that is also iridescent. In various lighting conditions, it changes from light pink to light blue.

Don't buy it if...

You’re on a budget
This is an ultrabook through and through and it's certainly priced as such, regardless of its specs.

LG Gram Style: Also consider

If the LG Gram Style has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the LG Gram Style

I tested the LG Gram Style for about a week
I tested it using a variety of productivity applications
I stress-tested the battery using the TechRadar movie test

First, I tested the general weight and portability of the LG Gram Style by carrying it around in a laptop bag. After I set it up, I ran several benchmarks to thoroughly test out the processor and graphics card. Finally, I used a variety of programs and applications to test out both battery life and general performance during work-like conditions.

The LG Gram Style is an ultrabook that's meant to be both a portable laptop with a thin and light chassis, as well as an excellent productivity machine. I spent a good amount of testing not only on performance issues but looking for any ventilation issues. I also tested out battery life to see how long it could last off AC power.

One-minute review

With its wide range of products in the security monitoring and consumer electronics space, Australian company Swann is today well known in more than 40 countries worldwide. Swann sells a customizable range of wireless devices and wired CCTV surveillance systems that feature video resolutions from 1080p Full HD to 4K Ultra HD. The Swann CoreCam is just one model of off-the-shelf wireless smart camera that you can buy from the brand's online selection.

Stylish and fuss-free in design, the Swann CoreCam wireless smart security camera comes with a rechargeable 6,000mAh lithium battery. Screws and plugs are included in the box, which make it easy – even for a DIY novice – to affix the camera to a wall. Once I had charged the camera battery via the micro-USB cable included (note that a plug isn't supplied), the trickiest part of setting up was deciding where to place the CoreCam.

The smart camera is weatherproof and can be positioned inside or outside. I chose to place it on an external wall of my home, overlooking my driveway. While I received instant alerts when it detected a person or package at my front door, I did experience some delay of the live feed whenever I tried to access it via the Swann app – possibly a result of poor Wi-Fi coverage. As such, if you’d like to place the CoreCam outside, you'll need to make sure your home Wi-Fi signal is strong enough.

Overall, however, the camera did well to send instant alerts whenever someone passed, and recorded clips that I could easily view on a timeline in the app.

Keep scrolling to find out how the Swann CoreCam performed outside my home and head to our best home security cameras guide for more comparisons.

Swann CoreCam review price & availability

List price: $129.99/£99.99/$AU 179
Available in US, UK and Australia

Swann sells a wide range of security cameras, which are customizable depending on your requirements. The single CoreCam wireless security camera works well on its own, or as part of a larger smart home security setup with multiple cameras and alarms. These can all be linked to work in harmony and controlled easily via the Swann app.

The Swann CoreCam is sold direct from the brand's website or via resellers such as Best Buy, Walmart and JB Hi-Fi.

It arrives with a local 32GB microSD card pre-installed, which allows it to store video clips. To get the best from the camera, you'll need to sign up to a storage subscription service to benefit from the warranty, the best detection smart alerts, and cloud storage. Subscription services cost from $2.99 / £2.99 / $AU5.55 per month; plus you get a free three-month trial when you buy the camera. This stores video footage for up to 60 days in the cloud and offers extras such as Package, Pet & Vehicle detection in addition to the Person heat and motion detection.

Price: 4/5

Swann CoreCam review specifications

These specs are the same for US and UK Swann CoreCam models.

Swann CoreCam capturing a person on camera — (Image credit: Future | Photo by Emily Peck)

Swann CoreCam review design

100-degree wide angle view
Weatherproof casing
Built-in speaker and siren

The design of the Swann CoreCam is simple, yet the camera feels solid and well built. Finished in white, it possibly isn't the most discreet security camera you can buy; but if you're looking for a small and compact shape that won't interfere too much with your exterior decor, it feels like a safe bet.

The CoreCam arrives with a rechargeable 6,000mAh lithium battery inside, which took six hours to fully charge. Built into the camera head is the local 32GB microSD card and True Detect PIR heat and motion sensor. There’s a speaker and siren, and lens with 100-degree wide-angle view, all built into the weatherproof design.

The Swann CoreCam also offers a pretty decent night vision distance of up to 50ft / 15m, and I was able to see clearly once night had fallen. However, the camera doesn't move around with whatever it has captured, which I think would provide more scope for better monitoring.

Getting the camera out of the box and onto the wall took less than an hour. It was simply a matter of ensuring the wall I was fixing it to was suitable for a screw and mount, and then use the mounting kit included in the box to attach the mount to the wall. The camera can then be easily screwed on and off for recharging. While there's a USB charging cable included in the box, there's no plug, so I had to use my own.

Design: 4 / 5

Swann CoreCam app control — The Swann CoreCam app features a range of information and controls (Image credit: Future | Photo by Emily Peck)

Swann CoreCam review performance

Live feed and recording of video and audio
Wi-Fi connection (2.4GHz)
Two-way talk and night vision

The CoreCam camera comes with all the usual features you’d expect from an intuitive smart home security camera, including heat and motion sensing, night vision and two-way talk.

Having charged the camera, I screwed the camera head onto the mount. I downloaded the Swann app and paired the camera with my smartphone over Wi-Fi. This was a surprisingly quick and smooth process. I then simply needed to move the camera head around on its mount to adjust the live video footage that was being fed to the app.

In terms of view, the camera could then send a 1080 HD quality feed to the app on my phone, with a wide-angle view of 100 degrees. This isn’t as wide as I’d like, but it did capture an ample area by the main entrance leading to my house – with the stairs and part of the drive in frame. Purists may find the feed a little grainy, but I was generally impressed. The color night vision was satisfactory, too. You can actually adjust the live view quality in the app from low to medium to high, depending on your preference.

Featuring True Detect technology, the camera has the ability to detect people, packages, pets and vehicles (depending on the subscription package you sign up for). You get the first three months for free, included in the price of the camera. So once I was linked to the app, I could set up on the 90-day free Unlimited Plan. This meant that the camera could generate motion clips whenever it detected someone passing by, or thought there was a package left in its view, and send me push notifications on my smartphone to alert me. I found the alerts came through thick and fast in the first week; it was usually the postman, visitors or footage of myself walking out to put the rubbish bins out. Luckily, no intruders in sight.

While the alerts came through instantly whenever there was something detected, I did notice that there was a slight delay when I went to view the live feed. This was possibly due to my Wi-Fi or 4G connection playing up. Sometimes I was able to connect faster than at other times.

Swann CoreCam mounted on exterior wall — (Image credit: Future | Photo by Emily Peck)

While there's no 24-hour recording capability, I do like the way the camera can distinguish between a person or a package, generating a motion clip and sending an alert to my smartphone.

However, after a while, the frequency of the alerts became rather annoying. I realized that I could adjust the sensitivity of the camera to lower the frequency of the alerts when I was at home, reducing false alerts and prolonging battery life as a result. You do this through the Modes section, which has settings for when you’re Home, Away and at Night.

While these modes are useful for adjusting the sensitivity on a single camera, I think this part of the app really comes into its own as part of an extended home security setup with multiple Swann cameras and an alarm all linked up.

Performance: 4/5

Swann CoreCam review app

Live view with siren, two-way talk and camera
Modes to adjust sensitivity
Playback tab for motion recordings

The smart app brings lots of useful features, although possibly more than you'll need for just one camera. As well as the ability to adjust the sensitivity of the camera and reduce/increase the number of alerts you receive, there's also a chart that presents stats on the level of motion detected, the number of people and pets the camera captured over the course of a day, and over a week. Although interesting, it was perhaps a little unnecessary for my needs.

I found all the recorded activity clear to see under the Playback tab in the app. It's presented in a daily timeline that's stored in the cloud from seven up to 60 days (depending on the subscription package you sign up to).

Click on the Live View mode in the app, and you can also make use of all the extras. These include the ability to take photos of the live view, record footage if needed, turn on the siren if you see cause for alarm, or just speak to the person in the picture. I tried the two-way talk feature when the postman came past and it worked well.

App: 4/5

Swann CoreCam review battery life

Takes 6 hours to charge
USB to micro-USB charging cable
Up to 90 days of battery life depending on how you use it

The CoreCam's battery can last up to 90 days, but of course this will depend on how much you use the camera to record extra clips, take photos and how you configure the sensitivity modes. With the Away mode on, which signals high alert, I found the battery lasted around 12 days before it needed recharging. If you were to use Home mode, which reduces the amount of times you are disturbed with unnecessary alerts, the battery is likely to last longer.

To recharge the camera I simply unscrewed it from the mount and took it indoors; via USB cable, the unit took six hours to top up to full. Note that while the cable is supplied, the plug isn't, so you'll need to source one for yourself.

Battery life: 3/5

Should you buy the Swann CoreCam home security camera?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Swann CoreCam review: also consider

If you want an outdoor security camera but want to shop around before you buy, here are a couple more options to consider...

How I tested the Swann CoreCam home security camera

I used the Swan CoreCam in my home for one month
I monitored my home both day and night to see how well it performed

I trialled the Swann CoreCam at home over the course of a month. I attached it to the wall on the exterior of my property and paired it with the Swann app on my smartphone to monitor any comings and goings.

I took note of how quickly and successfully it sent alerts to my smartphone when it detected human motion or a parcel, both day and night. I tried logging into the app when I was away from home (over 4G) and when I was at home (over Wi-Fi), too.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed February 2023

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