High-wattage USB-C batteries can keep your laptop charged on the go - The Verge

Portable batteries have become more stylish, cheaper, smaller, and faster at charging your tech. More improvements are on the way, thanks to gallium nitride (GaN), a more space- and energy-efficient alternative to silicon that can already be found in a few wall chargers. Nice as these advancements are, they mostly impact devices with small batteries. Wall chargers aren’t much help if you’re on the go.

As more laptops and other high-powered devices adopt USB-C and move away from proprietary charging plugs, there’s an opportunity for big, powerful batteries that can augment your power adapters, and ideally, let you charge multiple devices at the same time. And now, a number of options are hitting the market aimed squarely at doing just that.

We have tested a few models that are available now, as well as some that are coming out soon. The list includes Zendure’s SuperTank, Sanho’s HyperJuice, and J-Go Tech’s Tanker Elite and Tanker Xtreme. They all have a few things in common: they aren’t small or lightweight, so your bag will gain more than a few ounces if you stick one inside. Each of these batteries has USB-C Power Delivery ports capable of delivering at least 65W of power (and in most cases, up to 100W). This means that they’re likely powerful enough to charge most laptops and replace a few wall chargers that you usually stick in your bag. Each option also has multiple ports to allow simultaneous charging of other devices. Lastly, you’ll find pass-through charging in each battery, meaning you can route power through their respective ports while the battery itself is being recharged.

These batteries do what you expect them to: charge your devices quickly, and keep them alive for longer. Cheaper battery packs suited for devices with lower power requirements do a great job of keeping phones and most tablets going for days. But if you use a Mac laptop, a new iPad Pro, a Google Pixelbook, or a Windows 10 laptop that charges over USB-C, a bigger and more powerful battery pack is a smart buy — especially if you’ll be doing some gaming, or other power-intensive activities that tend to be a quick drain on a battery.

Big, powerful portable batteries compared

Name	Zendure SuperTank	Sanho HyperJuice	J-Go Tech Tanker Elite	J-Go Tech Tanker Xtreme
Name	Zendure SuperTank	Sanho HyperJuice	J-Go Tech Tanker Elite	J-Go Tech Tanker Xtreme
Capacity	27,000mAh	27,000mAh	20,800mAh	27,000mAh
Price	$99 during fundraising ($149 once it releases in May 2019)	$159 during fundraising ($299 once it releases in June 2019)	$124	$249
Ports	USB-C (100W, input / output), USB-C (60W, output), USB-A (15W output), USB-A (18W output)	USB-C (100W, input / output), USB-C (60W, output), USB-A (18W output)	USB-C (87W input, 65W output), USB-A (18W output), Micro USB, USB-A	USB-C (100W, input / output), USB-C (60W, output), USB-A (18W output)
Pass-through charging support	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Extras included	USB-C to USB-C cable	USB-C to USB-C cable	USB-C to USB-C cable	USB-C to USB-C cable and 87W wall adapter

What you get for your money

Tallying up the costs makes it clear that trying to live your life away from power outlets doesn’t come at a bargain. At the very least, your purchase will get you a battery and a USB-C to USB-C cable that can handle fast charging. Having the right cable is worth pointing out because not all USB-C cables are created equally. You’ll have to pay extra for a charger that can refill these batteries quickly, unless you find one bundled with your battery. At half the cost of the battery itself (and sometimes more) it’s worth buying one, if only for the convenience. You can certainly use a less capable USB-C charger to fill one up, but unless you’re charging overnight, it’s an insufferably slow process that will carve out way too many hours in your day.

At $129, J-Go Tech’s Tanker Elite is one of the most affordable options that we tested. That’s not so bad, but it’s before you factor in the cost for the necessary wall charger to quickly recharge the battery in about an hour. The 87W charger that you can purchase bundled with the J-Go Tech Tanker Elite takes just 80 minutes to recharge the entire 20,800mAh capacity. For this added convenience, you’ll need to pay a total of $164 to get the battery with an 87W wall charger included. If you want more power, J-Go Tech’s 100W charging kit sans battery is $79.99 at Amazon, and includes a braided USB-C to USB-C cable, as well as universal plug adapters. Although the Elite doesn’t have the best port selection or capacity (I’d much rather have a second USB-C port than a Micro USB port, though your mileage may vary), it will be among the most budget-friendly batteries once the other options are no longer available with crowdfunding discounts.

J-Go Tech’s Tanker Xtreme offers more capacity (27,000mAh versus 20,800mAh in the Elite) and a better port selection (a second USB-C port in place of the Elite’s Micro USB port). It’s available for purchase at Amazon with its 87W wall charger for $249.99.

At $99, the Zendure SuperTank is currently the cheapest option (the battery will jump up to $149 after fundraising concludes in June 2019), and its multi-port SuperHub charger that can recharge it at 100W speeds is another $69 (it will also go up in June to $100). Most of the batteries that we tested are shaped like big TV remotes, but the SuperTank is smaller and far more stout. This could make it a tough fit in slimmer pockets, but I’m personally fine with its design since it allows Zendure to fit in a good selection of ports, including 100W and 60W USB-C ports and 15W and 18W USB-A ports.

Zendure’s SuperHub mostly mirrors the ports available on the SuperTank. It has both 100W and 18W USB-C ports and a duo of 18W USB-A ports. If you need to charge more than one USB-C device at a time, the SuperHub is an ideal option.

Sanho’s HyperJuice is priced at $159 during its fundraising process, but will cost a whopping $299 afterward — and that’s not counting its 100W charger. That accessory currently costs an extra $39 at Indiegogo, but will cost $79 when it releases later this month. It’s fairly bare bones, and other than a 100W USB-C input to recharge your battery (or straight up power your device), it offers a USB-A port to keep your iPhone, or some other device, topped off.

To compare a few other USB-C chargers currently on the market, Apple’s $79 87W USB-C power charger will definitely get the job done, but obviously won’t be as fast as a 100W charger. Google’s slightly cheaper 45W USB-C charger that costs $60 will make you wait even longer for devices to recharge.

Testing out the batteries

To test these batteries, I used the Microsoft Surface Book 2 because it can charge over USB-C, and it’s notorious for demanding a lot of juice from power adapters. This laptop’s USB-C charging port pulled a maximum of 87W during testing, which I was able to see thanks to a USB-C multimeter. I performed a range of activities to see how these batteries impacted the Surface Book 2’s battery life, including powering the machine in an off state, again while browsing some websites, and lastly, while playing Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a game that this machine struggles to run at its native screen resolution.

All of the batteries that we tested were able to maintain and build a charge. There was one initial snag, however. The first model of Zendure’s SuperTank fell short of its advertised capabilities, topping out at a 54W output, regardless of the task at hand. The company said the unit we were testing was a prototype and sent over a finalized unit that didn’t have any issues.

Most of the time, the batteries fluctuate between 60 and 80W, depending on the moment-to-moment power requirements. And while I hacked through the endgame of Sekiro, this proved to be enough for the Surface Book 2 to slowly build a charge. When the batteries fall around the 50 percent capacity mark, I noticed a slight dip in throughput in each of them down to around 54W. While that’s not enough to charge the Surface Book 2 during gameplay, it will work to slow the drop. If you aren’t gaming or doing intensive work such as video rendering, this shouldn’t be an issue.

There were a few other quirks to note: they all exhibited a few moments when the laptop’s batteries (it houses one within the keyboard, and another in the detachable tablet) wouldn’t charge during gameplay. But hitting Alt+Tab, then shifting the PC’s power mode to “best battery life” instead of “best performance” calmed the fans down and allowed the battery to fill up — but not without some major hits to gaming performance. This is most likely a Surface Book issue.

Also, all of the batteries that I tested, at some point, made an error pop up in Windows 10 that claimed the battery was slow, or that the USB device was incompatible. Removing the plug and putting it back in usually resolved the issue, but out of the bundle of batteries we tried, the HyperJuice was the most problematic. It could be another Surface Book quirk, or it could be related to Windows 10. Other devices didn’t put up as much of a fuss, and I didn’t encounter any warnings like this when I used them to charge a MacBook Pro.

In terms of surprises, J-Go Tech’s affordable Tanker Elite surpassed its supposed 65W output limit. It was able to charge the Surface Book 2 as quickly as the others at up to 87W, which is impressive, if not a bit baffling.

Each of the batteries lasted about an hour while charging up the Surface Book 2. From a dead state, the 27,000mAh capacity batteries (the SuperTank, HyperJuice, and Tanker Xtreme) were able to provide about 46 percent of the laptop’s power before needing to be recharged. This might not sound like an achievement, but it’s worth noting that this laptop distributed the charge pretty evenly across its two batteries, putting equal amounts of power into the keyboard’s battery as was found in the tablet.

We also tested these batteries with a 2016 MacBook Pro and the Google Pixelbook. Both of these machines demand less power than the Surface Book 2 (61W for the MacBook Pro, 45W for the Pixelbook), and each battery easily met their maximum wattage demands. The Zendure SuperTank fully charged the Pixelbook in about 90 minutes and still had 41 percent of its battery left. If you’re using one of these batteries to stay topped off while doing some light work away from a charger, the HyperJuice was able to do so while only losing about 10 percent of its capacity after an hour of use. The other 27,000mAh batteries should give you similar results for both computers.

Which big battery is worth the money?

All of these batteries are powerful, and unless you can’t compromise even a few watts, the buying decision comes down to design preference, port selection, and of course, your budget.

For the most power for your dollar, the J-Go Tech Tanker Xtreme offers a lot of juice, a good variety of ports, and since it includes an 87W wall charger, its bundle offers the best value for your money. Zendure’s SuperTank is a great, compact package that offers the best port selection, and if you’re able to buy it for less during the fundraising, the value is good as well.

If you’re hoping to get more work done away from a wall outlet, all of them can help you do that. Each is proficient at directing a lot of power to a single device, as well as spreading it out across several at the same time, like a phone, a set of wireless headphones, and a Nintendo Switch. We expect even more options to come as 2019 proceeds, but the first batch of big, powerful batteries is impressive.

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2019-05-01 13:04:54Z
CAIiEA8bnqy160PLW2wqiwDAp4MqFggEKg4IACoGCAow3O8nMMqOBjD38Ak

This guy built his own smartwatch and so can you - Engadget

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smarchbme

DIY projects can be a lot of fun, and if Raspberry Pi has taught us anything it's that people love to tinker. But for most folk, forays into the world of build-it-yourself tech start and end with a specific kit and a whole bunch of instructions to help them along. Not so for one inquisitive Redditor, who recently revealed that he built an entire smartwatch from scratch. And since he's been kind to enough to share details of the process down to the smallest minutiae, you can too.

Smarchbme, who calls his stunning creation the "Smarch Watch," said it took him a few weeks to build the fully-functional, self-coded device, which boasts a battery life of seven days and takes just 2.5 hours to fully recharge (because of course he went the whole hog and built a charging cradle, too). The watch brings up color-coded notifications from his phone, including messages, email and calendar, although he humbly states there's "no music playback yet."

He sourced his materials as cheaply as possible, with a final price tag of about $50. However, he says that "as a rule of thumb, for a product to be successful and make a profit, you would have to sell it for four or five times the cost of the goods. So in my case (assuming no discounts due to the economies of scale) I would have to charge somewhere between $200 and $250 to make a profit." This goes some way to explaining why companies charge such high prices, then. Alas, despite repeated requests by impressed Redditors, Smarchbme has no plans to put his creation into wider production. But he's shared everything -- and we mean everything -- you need to know to get started yourself is here.

Admittedly, Smarchbme had a few things stacked in his favor, such as his five years working as a product designer and access to equipment such as a 3D printer. But he says that "We live in the golden age of making -- there's no better time than now to start making things," adding that "You can DIY anything -- next up, a DIY spaceship."

Source: Reddit

In this article: build, charging, diy, do it yourself, doityourself, engineering, gadgetry, gadgets, gear, mobile, open source, smart watch, wearable, wearables

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2019-05-01 12:31:07Z
CAIiEO6o3Kk1x3pvYJpPPtah-xUqGAgEKg8IACoHCAowwOjjAjDp3xswpuqvAw

Apple’s leaked iPhone 11 design looks stunning in this new video - BGR

There are so many flagship Android smartphones set to be released in the next few months, and several of them are already stirring up some serious hype. Even still, there is no unreleased smartphone out there that has been generating as much buzz as the upcoming iPhone 11. Early details surrounding the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max, and iPhone 11R that leaked last year painted a somewhat boring picture of Apple’s next-generation smartphones. The hardware design was rumored to be almost identical to the 2018 iPhone XS series and the 2017 iPhone X, and there wasn’t much talk of any innovative new features that fans might look forward to. As we get closer to the iPhone 11’s release date, however, the puzzle continues to come together — and it looks better and better with each passing day.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is the world’s top Apple insider, and he’s plugged into the company’s supply chain. Kuo has shared a number of details about Apple’s upcoming new iPhone 11 models, and he’s almost always accurate when it comes to iPhone leaks. The analyst says Apple’s new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max will both get a huge camera upgrade with a triple-lens rear camera array, which is fantastic news. Apple used to be a leader in the mobile camera space, but the company has fallen far behind Google and Huawei in recent years. We can also look forward to a big bump in performance and a refined design with a frosted glass back, according to Kuo.

Following Kuo’s reports, Apple’s final iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Max design was revealed in a series of leaks. That design has now been reimagined in a new video, and the results are simply stunning.

Each and every year, detailed files containing the schematics for Apple’s next-gen iPhone designs are stolen from servers at Foxconn, the electronics manufacturer Apple uses to assemble its iPhones. Those leaked files are used by accessory makers to design protective cases so they’re ready in time for each new iPhone’s release. But they’re also used to mock up each new iPhone model’s design, and that’s exactly what has happened with the iPhone 11 series in recent weeks.

First we saw Apple’s iPhone 11 mocked up in great detail, and it reminded us how much better Apple is than Android phone makers when it comes to fit and finish. Then the iPhone 11 Max was rendered, showing us a sleek and refined design that looked even better than we initially thought it would. Now, another graphic designer has used those leaks as a jumping off point, and he has created a new video that showcases Apple’s iPhone 11 design.

Graphic designer Hasan Kaymak has created new renders of the upcoming iPhone 11, and they’re stunning. As it often does, YouTube channel ConceptsiPhone compiled several of Kaymak’s renders into a video that showcases the design from all angles. In a nutshell, the new iPhone 11 looks stunning in these renders. Kaymak went a bit overboard with the reflections in his renders, but you can still get a very good idea of what the iPhone 11 will look like in real life once it’s released this coming September.

Check out the full video, which is embedded below.

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2019-05-01 12:17:00Z
52780282812295

OnePlus 7 Pro Benchmarks Leak: Fastest Android Phone Ever - Tom's Guide

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1. OnePlus 7 Pro Benchmarks Leak: Fastest Android Phone Ever  Tom's Guide
2. OnePlus 7 Pro packaging leaks confirms new Bullets Wireless 2, Warp Charge 30 car charger  9to5Google
3. OnePlus 7 Pro triple-lens camera shown off through photo samples  TechRadar
4. Pocketnow Daily: OnePlus 7 Pro official teasers, Galaxy S10 5G on fire & more (video)  PocketNow
5. OnePlus 7 & 7 Pro: Everything we know so far  9to5Google
6. View full coverage on Google News

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/oneplus-7-benchmarks-leak,news-29970.html

2019-05-01 11:38:33Z
52780281901791

Pixel 3 phones aren't selling, and it's probably Verizon's fault - CNET

Google says it's sold fewer Pixel phones year over year due to fierce smartphone competition on the high end, but that probably isn't the entire story. There's a good chance that the company's agreement to make Verizon the Pixel's exclusive US carrier plays a role. 

On Monday, Ruth Porat, CFO of Google parent company Alphabet, explained declining Pixel sales due in part to "heavy promotional activity industry-wide" and "recent pressures in the premium smartphone market." Even with deep discounts, people just aren't buying Pixel phones, despite best-in-class camera performance and glowing recommendations from CNET and other outlets. 

The Pixel 3 was CNET's top Android phone of 2018. So why haven't buyers been snapping it up like hotcakes? 

There might be a few reasons for this. First, times are tough across the board. The smartphone market has been slowing down. Apple just announced that it sold fewer iPhones than it did a year ago. People are keeping their phones longer between upgrades, and prices are skyrocketing year over year. New phones are entering the market, like T-Mobile's "premium affordable" OnePlus 6T, and buyers may be holding their collective breath to see how foldable phones and 5G networks pan out in 2019. (Hint: not too great so far.)

But for the Pixel phones in particular, Verizon's exclusive backing might be almost as much of a hindrance in getting the word out as it is a benefit. Verizon is the US' largest carrier, which gives the Pixel the advantage of being discovered when buyers walk into a shop or peruse the carrier's website. 

Now playing: Watch this: Pixel 3: 6 months in

5:52

But the Pixel is also plagued by a strong misperception that Verizon is the exclusive seller, period. In fact, you can buy the Pixel 3 phones through Google's online store for use with any US carrier, as well as Google's own hybrid Fi network. 

Limiting carrier exposure surely doesn't help get the word out, and you would think that Google would have as much clout as Apple and Samsung in getting its phones on any wireless provider it chooses.

Google's mostly-direct-to-consumer-except-for-Verizon sales model clearly isn't working, and I'm not surprised. The vast majority of people -- we're talking about well into 90% -- buy their handset from a carrier, not from a phone-maker, even one with as much pull as Google. If your carrier doesn't have a particular phone, why not just get another pretty good alternative instead?

The Pixel 3's camera is so, so good.

Angela Lang/CNET

The rumored Google Pixel 3a is said to come to T-Mobile as well as Verizon, which, if true, will put the Pixel in front of more buyers. (T-Mobile is also trying to mute Verizon's thunder with its #GetOutofTheRed campaign.) 

Leaving an exclusivity contract with AT&T for its very first iPhone helped create the boom that helped make Apple's smartphone one of the most iconic, sought-after phones in the world. Google can only hope that expanding into T-Mobile would do the same.

For Google's sake, I hope the Pixel's rumored carrier parade won't stop there.

When approached for comment, Verizon would only state, ""We don't comment on future contracts nor would we comment on sales." Google did not immediately responded to our request.

$279

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2019-05-01 11:00:03Z
52780282000786

Daily Deals: Oculus Quest Wireless VR Headset and Oculus Rift S Up For Preorder - IGN

Play Expert Plus Mode on Beat Saber Wirelessly with the Oculus Quest, Xbox One X Down to $349.99, Xbox Controllers for $39.99, 33% off The Division 2 for Xbox.

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Welcome to IGN's Daily Deals, your source for the best deals on the stuff you actually want to buy. If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

We bring you the best deals we've found today on video games, hardware, electronics, and a bunch of random stuff too.Check them out here or like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the latest deals.

It's finally here! When Dan Stapleton brought in the Oculus Quest for review, I was able to personally test it out. I am a huge Beat Saber fan and I had my doubts about a completely wireless Oculus headset being able to handle the game, both performance and tracking wise. Well, let me tell you that not only is Expert + mode enabled on the Oculus Quest, the internal tracking and coverage on it is very, very similar to the Oculus Rift that I currently own and much better than the PSVR. The wireless freedom is how it was meant to be played. Of course, there are other games that are available at launch, but for me, I'm probably going to get this headset for Beat Saber alone. Some other great features on the Quest include a built-in camera so that you can see your surroundings without taking off your headset, an intuitive guardian boundary system that's much easier to use than the Rift, and Chromecast support so that you can mirror your screen to a TV so everyone else can watch.

This is the second of the two Oculus headsets that went up for preorder yesterday. We haven't been able to review this one yet but it's a tempting headset at a price that's only $50 more than the previous generation Rift. The biggest upgrade, like the Quest, is the internal "Insight" tracking system; there are no external sensors required here. Additional improvements include upgraded optics with higher resolution displays and reduced screen door effect, a redesigned halo headband that should be more comfortable and form fitting than the previous version, new Touch controllers, and less cables to hook up (only one USB and one Displayport). It's also compatible with all games from the Oculus store. For those of you who don't yet have a Rift and have a powerful PC and want all the games that the Rift has to offer, the Rift S might be the best choice.

Take $70 off the regular price. The PSVR is still the most economical way to immerse yourself in the world of high-definition VR gaming, especially when you consider the fact that the PS4 ecosystem is far, far less expensive than a gaming computer that can handle the Rift or Vive. If you do jump onto the PSVR bandwagon, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Beat Saber. It's easily the best game for the PSVR.

NEW PRICE DROP. Today you can get $150 off the Xbox One X console plus PUBG. Add $20 for NBA 2K19, or add $30 for either game and a second wireless controller. These bundles are sold through Walmart Marketplace, and the vendor (antonline) is 100% reputable.

Xbox One X:

Xbox One X with Bonus 2nd Controller:

Xbox One X with Bonus Call of Duty: Black Ops 4:

Take 33% off a brand new official Microsoft Xbox One controller. Besides being the obvious controller of choice for the Xbox console, the official controller is still inarguably my favorite PC game pad.

Use code "39AliSub6cw13"

Dell Outlet is currently offering an extra 16% off Alienware m15 and 17R5 laptops on top of the instant discounts you already save. All Dell Outlet laptops include a full 1 year Dell warranty, same as buying new.

Some examples:

This Alienware 17 laptop boasts a GeForce GTX 1070 video card that can run any game with buttery smoothness on its 17" 1080p display. The GTX 1070 is as powerful as its desktop variant, so it capable of handling a VR headset like the Rift or Vive and higher resolution external monitor.

You can get this game directly from the Microsoft Store for $20 off (originally $59.99). We thought that the Division 2 was a great game, and definitely a step up from its predecessor. If you enjoy co-op based shooters, I highly recommend you try this one out.

We rated this game an "Amazing" 9.5/10. Brandin Tyrell writes "A stylish, focused stealth-action take on the FromSoftware formula that's something amazing all its own." If you like Souls or Bloodborne at all, this game is an absolute must buy.

This is yet another action adventure hack-and-slash that we rated an "Amazing" 9.5/10. This is one of the best (if not the best) Devil May Cry game in the entire series. DMC5 definitely has a more frenetically fast-paced gameplay compared to Sekiro (more akin to Ninja Gaiden or Bayonetta).

Final Fantasy XII was one of the best FF games ever produced and now it has finally made its way to the Switch platform. The Zodiac Age edition includes remastered HD graphics and audio, an improved character levelling system, new trial mode, auto-saves, reduced load times, and more.

Read the original manga that started the whole Dragon Ball craze. This box set includes all 16 paperback volumes of the original Dragon Ball series as well as an exclusive double-sided poster and collector's booklet.

Dragon Ball Z continues after the events of Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball Z introduces some of the series' most iconic antagonists, including Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu.  This box set includes all 26 paperback volumes as well as an exclusive double-sided poster and collector's booklet.

This laptop sells for $1699.99 elsewhere. The Razer Blade Q is easily one of the nicest gaming laptops you can buy. It has the sleek build quality of a MacBook Pro, but with powerful gaming guts inside. Despite it's standard 15" size, it weighs only 4.4lbs and measures 0.76" thin.

According to early benchmark tests, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti performs on par with the RTX 2060, which means it could be about 1.5X faster than the GTX 1050 Ti and 10%-25% faster than the GTX 1060. But look at the other specs, will you! This beast comes equipped with the latest Intel Core i7-9750 processor, 32GB of memory, and 512GB of SSD storage.

The 2018 Apple iPad is down to its lowest price ever (25% off compared to list price). This model boasts a 9.7" Retina display, A10 Fusion 64-bit processor, dual cameras, 10-hour battery life, and Apple Pen support.

The Apple Watch Series 3 is back at the lowest price it has ever been. If you don't need the ECG or other medical capabilities of the Series 4, you'll be saving $200 by going just one generation back. The Series 3 features an aluminum case that's waterproof up to 50 meters, built-in heart rate monitor, GPS, and its small, sleek, and looks almost identical to the Series 4.

Dell has kicked off this week with a selection of 10 Vizio and LG TVs. They've discounted several well-rated current model TVs the way they always do - with a 90-day gift card that can be used on almost anything at Dell.com, including consoles, monitors, VR headsets, games, video cards, and PCs.

4K Smart HDTVs:

Premium 4K Smart HDTVs with True HDR:

Score the latest generation 40" Samsung 4K TV with Smart functionality for under $250. You even get free shipping to boot.

This is the lowest price ever for this very hiqh quality TV panel. The TCL R617 series is one of their top-end TVs and is considered to be one of the best sub-$1000 TVs on the market. If you don't care about brand names, you can save hundreds compared to a comparable premium TV from LG, Samsung, or Sony TV that matches the quality of this set. It also has Roku TV built-in.

Use code "SAVE15"

Score an RTX 2080 equipped Alienware desktop for under $1400 following the instructions below. Stock specs include an Intel Core i5-9400 6-core processor, 8GB of memory, and 1TB HDD. The only recommendation I'd make is to add in your own SSD. SSDs are much cheaper than they used to be and it doesn't void your warranty.

If you've got deep pockets, you can upgrade to the RTX 2080 Ti instead. This is the only way you'll be able to get a brand new, fully warrantied pre-built RTX 2080 Ti configuration for under $2K.

Buying the Switch, Starlink Starter Pack, and Accessory Kit separately would normally run you about $350. The Switch version of Starlink includes the Starfox character as well as the iconic Arwing starfighter, the closest thing you'll get to playing a Starfox game on the Switch.

The Sega Genesis Mini is now up for preorder with a slated release date of September 19. 40 games will be pre-loaded onto the console. All reports indicate that Sega is going to do this release right. According to our own Seth Macy, "if you have emulation worries, Sega has M2 working on the emulation for its mini console. If you're unfamiliar with M2, it handled the excellent Sega Ages Collections and also the delightful Sega 3D Classic collections for Nintendo 3DS. It would be hard to find a developer with a better pedigree to handle the software for the first-party Sega Genesis Mini."

Eric Song is IGN's deal curator and spends 25% of his pay on stuff he posts.

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2019-05-01 09:04:29Z
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Huawei ahead of Apple in Q1 2019 smartphone shipments - CNBC

Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's consumer business, speaks as he presents the P30 series smartphone during a launch event in Paris.

Marlene Awaad | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Apple and Samsung reported slowing smartphone sales in the first quarter of this year, but Chinese tech giant Huawei is bucking the trend in a big way.

Huawei's smartphone shipments surged 50% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year, while Apple iPhone shipments tumbled 30%, according to new data published Tuesday by research firm IDC. Samsung shipments dropped 8% year-on-year.

The new figures show Huawei capturing a 19% share of the global smartphone market, its highest percentage ever. IDC said the Chinese firm is "now within striking distance" of Samsung at the top of the global market, surging past Apple as the world's second-largest smartphone seller.

"This new ranking of Samsung, Huawei, and Apple is very likely what we'll see when 2019 is all said and done," IDC Program Vice President Ryan Reith said in the report.

Huawei first surpassed Apple in market share in 2018, but the first quarter's figures show a much wider spread between the two tech giants than previously reported. IDC attributed Huawei's growth to a "well-rounded portfolio targeting all segments from low to high."

Apple's iPhone sales have been hit by weak demand in China and longer replacement cycles. Apple CEO Tim Cook was upbeat in his assessment of the Chinese market on Tuesday, but the company still reported a 22% drop in revenues in the region for its March quarter.

Separate data published Tuesday by research firm Canalys showed Huawei capturing 34% of the Chinese smartphone market, an increase in shipments of 41% from the year before. The firm said Huawei has gained ground among Chinese consumers by increasing its investments in brick-and-mortar stores and penetrating further into China's rural areas.

Huawei's consumer business has shown impressive growth, especially in its premium smartphone division, despite heightened global scrutiny of the firm. U.S. officials have advised Americans not to use products or services from Huawei and have pressured allies to ban the company's 5G telecommunications equipment, saying there is a security risk that the technology could enable Chinese spying.

Huawei has repeatedly denied that it would engage in any form of espionage or provide data to the Chinese government. Some experts are skeptical of these assurances, pointing to Chinese laws that allegedly require companies to assist the country in intelligence gathering if Beijing requests it.

In a note published Tuesday, Shobhit Srivastava, research analyst at Counterpoint, said Huawei's growth in the smartphone market is especially notable since it does not have a significant presence in the U.S. Srivastava said Huawei has been able to surpass Apple because of the "pace of its innovations," adding it was the first company to introduce features like reverse wireless charging.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/01/huawei-ahead-of-apple-in-q1-2019-smartphone-shipments.html

2019-05-01 07:21:57Z
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