Microsoft has announced the new Surface Laptop Go 2 which offers updated features and specs that light up the diverse set of experiences that have come to define the Windows 11 PC.

The new Surface Laptop Go 2 is crafted to deliver Surface signature premium design and features in an ultra-portable format.

Jump right into the flow with an effortless lift of the lid, Instant On, and Windows Hello through the fingerprint reader integrated into the power button. Featuring a vibrant 3:2, 12.4” PixelSense touch display and an improved HD camera and dual Studio Mics, users can look and sound their best when making video calls.

The first-class Surface typing experience is uncompromised with 30% more key travel than a MacBook Air and complemented by the large precision trackpad.

Surface Laptop Go 2 weighs only 2.48 pounds and packs in the power of the Quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor.

With all-day battery life and fast charging – Surface Laptop Go 2 is the perfect companion for class, the office, the coffee shop, or wherever life takes you.

“When we first introduced Surface Laptop Go, the world was navigating profound changes in the way each of us connects both to people and experiences. The Windows PC became more essential than ever for work, school, play, and social connection. We are now pleased to bring the new Surface Laptop Go 2 to New Zealand. Whether you’re seeking the perfect product to take with you on vacation, or a premium device for the upcoming school year, Surface Laptop Go 2 is everything you need in a package that is light, reliable, elegant, and more secure. In a time when we expect more from our PCs, Surface Laptop Go 2 is here to deliver on that expectation at an incredible price for everyone.” said Aman Sangar, Microsoft.

Microsoft continues to explore unique and premium experiences, with materials and device color becoming a defining characteristic of Surface Laptop Go 2. Surface Laptop Go 2 is now available in a fresh Sage color, a calming yet edgy addition to the Surface color palette. Inspired by subtle nature tones, Sage carries green and gray notes with a hint of blue. Surface Laptop Go 2 will also be available in Ice Blue, Sandstone, and Platinum, all in a durable, cool metal finish.

While fashioning a beautiful product, Microsoft remained committed to sustainability.

In addition to SSD, replaceable components now include the C-Cover (Keyset and Trackpad), AB Cover (Display) and battery, and Surflink cable helping to extend the use of the device.

Beneath the sleek exterior, Surface Laptop Go 2 is the first Intel-based secured-core PC from Surface.

With innovation from chip to cloud, customers at home or work can enjoy new levels of security. Whether deploying for a large-scale enterprise or your home business, Surface Laptop Go 2 offers a lightweight, manageable, and functional device for any employee.

The device is available for pre-orders starting 2 June 2022 via authorized retailers and the Microsoft Online Store.

The post Introducing Surface Laptop Go 2 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Forget the lag and get in to your game, immerse yourself totally with audio dedicated to keep you winning on the battlefield.

The EPOS H3Pro Hybrid Wireless gaming headset is a full size headphone with snug sweat resistant ear cushions that keep out any background noise, if you opt to.

The full noise cancelation can be toggled on or off (handy if you want to zone out, or want to game but keep an ear out for your flatties or kids.

The headset is called a Hybrid for a reason.

The H3Pro Hybrid comes with a USB dongle which as you guessed connects to your PC with a super tight connection, so much so that nothing will interfere with it.

If I could see the wireless connections in my place, I’m pretty sure it would resemble a choked up freeway, the dongle to headset for the H3Pro resists any interference, so you’re not going to get any audio based lag and sudden unwanted surprise in fierce gameplay.

However, you can also simultaneously connect to other devices via Bluetooth. Consoles and smart devices.

If you want to maximise your usage of the H3Pro Hybrid Wireless the swing boom mic can be removed giving yourself one killer set of headphones for on-the-go.

Whatsmore, the audio is out of this world.

A virtual 7.1 surround sound that truly works (on PC). Think of being in a theatre playing your fav game.

Low deep rumbles as explosions happen near by, bullets whizzing past you while ambient music fills the outer environment.

The H3Pro Hybrid Wireless has a 40mm driver with a response rate of 20–20,000Hz for audio and voice at 100–7,500Hz.

Game chat is crystal clear, and if you decide you use as a handsfree set for your phone, well you can – with perfect clarity.

I’ve taken the EPOS H3Pro Hybrid out for a spin a few times now with Call of Duty: Vanguard, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and connected up to both PS5 and Xbox Series X via Bluetooth.

It’s hard to discern what game was better sounding on PC however there was a notable difference between Xbox PS5. Xbox being the winner.

Battery life will see you right for around 30 hours with ANC (Active Noise Cancelation) off.

But if you’re like me, you don’t want distractions while you’re playing. I used ANC more than not and according to EPOS you should get up to 19 hours from full to flat.

I got less than that. Approximately 15 hours.

The H3Pro Hybrid comes in a couple of colour choices, turns out Green and Gold is most definitely the classier look.

Whether you’re an eSports pro or trainee, hardcore home based player or a light gamer who wants something versatile that can be used on almost every device you own indoors and outdoors the EPOS H3Pro Hybrid is the headset to rule them all.

The post EPOS H3Pro Hybrid Gaming Headphones appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

It’s a tablet, a laptop and so much more in between – Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Studio is a content creators dream and a versatile gaming device.

First off, it is a laptop with a vibrant touch screen coming in at 14.4 inches (2400 x 1600 pixels) and a 120Hz refresh rate, ideal for games.

Under the hood is 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD storage.

Graphics are powered by a NVIDIA GeForce 3050 RTX and Intel’s i7 (11th gen) crunching the data at 3.0 GHz to 4.8 GHz at maximum.

Now, sure this is good enough for an all-rounder laptop.

A device that you can play and work on. But Microsoft didn’t stop there, instead they have produced a laptop like no other.

Remaining true to the Surface range, which started its life out in the mid 2000’s as a full sized coffee table, the Surface Laptop Studio’s screen can be adjusted on a tilt hinge to either come forward, hiding the chiclet keyboard, or go the full monty and lay flat on top of the keyboard and trackpad thus becoming a tablet.

You can even flip it and reverse it.

Underneath the front of the Surface Laptop Studio is the housing for the Surface Pen which magnetically.

For the content creators amongst us the finely nibbed Pen enables delicate detail to be dealt in creative software. Or alternatively, in tablet mode you can use the Surface Pen as a mouse on-screen.

Given that the Surface Laptop Studio comes equipped with a rather decent NVIDIA graphics card, it can play a few things real well.

For those that Cloud their Xbox, you’ll not even see the Laptop Studio break a sweat and if it’s the latest and greatest you’re wanting to smash through, you betcha this small powerhouse can do it.

Borderlands 3, Forza Horizon 5, God of War and Call of Duty: Vanguard all played extremely well without any need for toning down in-game settings.

While Borderlands 3 and Horizon had the Laptop Studio purring, God of War and Vanguard did get the fans going a wee bit.

Microsoft have also added one killer battery. They state that you’ll get up to 9 hours for ‘general use’. Sure, that’s about a normal working day, give or take.

Does it really last the distance though?

Yep it does. For general use, creating content, browsing and music streaming the Surface Laptop Studio got me close to 11 hours on a full charge.

Gaming on the other hand was shorter, as expected, but varied.

To average it was 4 to 5 hours. God of War being the greediest energy gobbler just short of 4 hours.

That’s a really good run and actually alot more than some dedicated gaming laptops can offer.

If there was a downside to the Surface Laptop Studio it would have to be weight.

A chunk of this I can only attribute to the mega battery, but it’s is a hefty beast at 3KG.

It’s also slim on ports.

There’s only x2 USB-C on the left and a 3.5mm headphone jack with the universal Surface magnetic charging port to the right. If you’re looking for a standard USB port, well, there is one, but it’s only for charging and that is located on the charging brick.

The Surface Laptop Studio is also a wee bit pricey – so may not be in everyone’s budget. But you do get what you pay for and this laptop is truly one of a kind to suit all tastes and conditions.

It’s the perfect hybrid of ultimate productivity that is as versatile as you need it be at the bend of the screen.

The post Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

At MWC 2022, Lenovo unveiled a portfolio of innovative new products and solutions designed for a more connected and increasingly hybrid world.

The line-up includes a wide range of sophisticated, products and solutions that support Lenovo’s vision of delivering Smarter Technology for All. Lenovo is committed to embedding intelligence in its portfolio of products to bring more connectivity to everyone – more access to information, communication, and global collaboration.

Lenovo is thrilled to announce the all-new ThinkPad X13s developed in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and Microsoft, as the world’s first laptop powered by the premium Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform, running up to Windows 11 Pro.

The ultra-slim, ultra-light fan-less design delivers the next level of silent always-on, always-connected PC experiences in addition to incredible multi-day battery life rated up to 28 hours, AI accelerated experiences, enhanced 5G connectivity options including mmWave, and application support through the Microsoft App Assure program for seamless productivity, security, and collaboration.

Thinkpad X1 Extreme

Lenovo also announced the latest additions to its ThinkPad and ThinkVision range.

The latest ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5, powered by up to the latest Intel vPro with 12th Gen Intel Core i9 H-series processors running Windows 11 Pro and available with the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX Laptop GPUs, up to 64GB DDR5 memory and optional dual Solid-State Drives (SSD) supporting up to a massive 8TB, takes performance to a whole new level for the most demanding tasks.

Lenovo is also introducing several updates to its ThinkPad T series portfolio to address the productivity and collaboration needs of a widely diversified workforce. A new ThinkPad T16 along with updated ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 and T14 Gen 3 feature 16:10 aspect ratio displays with low blue light technology with FHD camera options combined with Dolby Audio speaker system and Dolby Voice enhance the collaboration experience, boosted by more stable connectivity thanks to Wi-Fi 6E and enhanced WWAN choices.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14d

Hybrid working environments need flexible and mobile workspaces. Increasing screen time adds pressure to an already overloaded display real estate. Enter the all-new ThinkVision M14d mobile USB-C monitor weighing less than 1.3 pounds (600 grams) offers a super narrow bezel 14-inch 16:10 aspect ratio display with high resolution (2240 x 1400) that supports a 100% sRGB wide color gamut for greater visual fidelity.

Lenovo is also introducing a new ThinkPad P16s along with an updated ThinkPad P14s Gen 3.

Lenovo’s most mobile workstations offer a mix of power and performance for professional users-on-the-go. Built with the latest Intel Core processors and NVIDIA T550 professional graphics, both workstations are ISV-certified and ideally suited to power applications such as AutoCAD, Revit, SolidWorks, and more.

At MWC 2022 Lenovo revealed details on their latest ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 2 and ThinkBook 13s Gen 4 i laptops.

Continuing the modern design philosophy that has become synonymous with ThinkBook, the new models feature dual tone color highlights and exude class with an anodised aluminum exterior and four-side narrow bezels. Equipped with smart innovative technologies and high-performance features, they offer elevated user experiences in productivity, collaboration, and security.

The latest motorola edge is joining Motorola’s premium family, the motorola edge 30 pro or motorola edge+ in North America.

With an industry-leading mobile platform, a super-advanced camera system and an incredible display, the new edge device redefines the game. Motorola became the first smartphone maker to launch a device with the ultra-powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and it’s bringing that device to even more consumers’ hands.

The new edge offers Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform, Qualcomm Technologies’ most advanced mobile platform, that fuels cutting-edge 5G, AI, gaming, camera, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies.

Users can enjoy the full suite of Snapdragon Elite Gaming features and harness the power of smooth responsiveness, colour rich HDR scenes for ultra-realistic graphics, and desktop level features. Compared to the previous generation, the new platform provides 30% more power and 25% more efficiency with the Qualcomm Adreno GPU. Mobile-first features, VRS Pro and Volumetric Rendering, deliver breathtaking scenes and lifelike particle effects.

With a triple high-res cameras motorola edge 30 pro offers incredibly sharp and bright photos in low light using instant all-pixel focus, HDR10+ videos with over a billion shades of color, high resolution ultra-wide images and high-resolution selfies for unbelievably vivid results. All this with the ultra-smooth performance of a 144 Hz display, along with the astounding clarity of Dolby Atmos. The unbelievable 4800mAh battery with the fastest 68W TurboPower charges over 50% in 15 minutes and can be recharged wirelessly with a 15W TurboPower.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i

Lenovo’s new IdeaPad Gaming 3i and IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop series will come in two screen sizes, 15-inch and 16-inch, that are ideal for younger, new gamers entering this world of gaming who want to impress with the right gaming firepower.

This re-energised lineup sports a stylish makeover inside and out with improved thermal components for quieter gameplay, fresh chassis colors and high-performance detailing, not to mention a beefed-up WQHD+ panel option.

Another device designed for daily use for gaming, school or work is the ultra-light Lenovo Legion M600s Qi Wireless Gaming Mouse that delivers performance, comfort and precision for all the right moves and 80 million clicks.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i

As adapting to a hybrid lifestyle continues to inspire more intuitive consumer experiences, Lenovo goes all in on smarter innovations and trusted services benefiting daily life. Today at MWC, Lenovo unveiled its new portfolio of mainstream consumer 2-in-1 convertible and detachable laptops, plus a tablet.

Committed to creating a more inclusive digital world where more consumers have access to their own feature-rich, full-time laptop without being weighed down, Lenovo IdeaPad continues to expand its line-up with greater performance, versatility and portability. Whether learning from home, working in an office or just staying in to relax, users can level-up with intuitive features in versatile form factors that do more, including the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i and Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 convertible laptops offered in two screen sizes (14-inch and 16-inch) with an optional Lenovo E-color pen for all life’s creative moments.

The new 12-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5i detachable laptop with Windows 11 is practically perfect for students and multitaskers.

Lenovo has also announced a robust line-up of consumer IdeaPad Chromebooks for the modern home office, classroom and beyond.

The new IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook (14”, 7), the 2-in-1 IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook (15”, 7), and the grab-and-go IdeaPad Duet 3 Chromebook (11”, 7). Another way to enjoy versatility and me-time entertainment is with the upgraded Lenovo Tab M10 Plus (3rd Gen) Android tablet which supports the Lenovo Precision Pen 2 and enhanced reading mode.

For all new Lenovo and motorola devices the release date and local pricing is still to be announced.

The post Lenovo Unveils Products @ MWC 2022 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Microsoft has just launched its most powerful Surface yet, the Surface Laptop Studio.

Built as the ideal product for developers, designers and gamers, this laptop reimagines flexibility and gives you the freedom to work how you choose, bringing you the power of a desktop, the portability of a laptop and a creative studio all in one.

Featuring a new ultra-durable Dynamic Woven Hinge, the laptop allows itself to flow from one mode to the next with ease – these modes include Laptop mode, Stage mode and Studio mode.

Also compatible with the Slim Pen 2 and paired with 11th Gen Intel Core H35 processors and either 3050ti or A2000 NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs, not to mention the 14.4” PixelSense touchscreen display, the Surface Laptop Studio has the capability to complete any task with ease.

The device also features built-in storage and charging for the Surface Slim Pen 2 underneath the keyboard.

The Surface Laptop Studio is available in store and online at electronic and tech stores nationwide.

The post Microsoft Releases Surface Laptop Studio appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Recently I reviewed the Surface Go 3. A light weight model designed for students and mid-range users.

But if you want the power for the on-the-go Microsoft’s newly released Surface Pro 8 has got the goods.

A stunning 13 inch Pixel Sense Flow display with 120Hz refresh rate and resolution coming in at 2880 x 1920.

A nicely slimmed down bezel on either side of the screen in portrait mode the tablet hybrid comes with the refreshing and intuitive Windows 11 Home Edition pre-installed.

The model that we received has intel’s 11th Gen i7 processors with data crunching power @ 4.8 GHz, 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. While most don’t know of the feature of being able to add a microSD card to bolster your digital hoarding (the slot is behind the back kickstand), Microsoft confusingly removed this from the Surface Pro 8 (the Surface Go 3 has one).

Still if you’re wanting to download the internet on to your Surface Pro 8, likely you’ll use an external drive, or cloud to store your digital goodies.

Built for the pro’s, the specs are more than enough to get you content creating, vlogging with the 4K, 1080p capable front and rear camera, video editing and of course, gaming… well, mostly.

Being a PC within tablet form then technically you can download, install any game from Steam, Microsoft store or Epic.

However this is where the graphical inner specs of the Surface Pro 8 will say ‘hold up there pal’.

There’s no NVIDIA or AMD here, instead is an on-board Intel Iris Xe.

Now the Iris Xe is not to be sniffed at. It has caching and even internal memory (1.6GB), and can handle 4K real easy.

But putting it to the test with the likes of Borderlands 3, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Forza Horizons 5 and even Tomb Raider (Shadow of the Tomb Raider) it seemed to be a bit too much, graphically. Some games just plainly will not load up.

Scenes weren’t able to render properly, there was screen lag and in highly intensive action moments it staggered. (Okay to be fair Tomb Raider worked 90% okay).

Games of lesser ilk, ones that aren’t going to try and melt your graphics card play fine. Cuphead, Diablo III, Deathspank (an oldie but still a fav) and of course the Xbox Cloud gaming.

So yup, if the Cloud gaming service is available in your region, the Surface Pro 8 is exactly the weapon you need to pick up and play anywhere.

You’ll need to have a Bluetooth connected Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S controller with you, as it is impossible to play via the touchscreen.

Using a third party USB connected one will be tricky though. you’ll need an adaptor as the Surface Pro 8 has two Thunderbolt slots with a 3.5mm headphone / mic jack.

Speaking of accessories, Microsoft has also released keyboard covers in varying colours and their Surface Pen (both sold separately).

Combining the two, the Surface Pen instantly works with your Surface Pro and charges via the designated resting indent on the Surface keyboard. The Surface Pen is an ideal tool for content creators.

The backlit chiclet, slim Surface keyboard itself is super light weight and connects to your Surface Pro 8 magnetically, drawing its power from the tablet – but without affecting the lifespan.

Microsoft have put a lot of intention in to the battery on all models of the new Surface’s.

The Surface Pro 8’s battery is purported to run for a whopping 16 hours on a single full charge.

Right now I’m writing this review on the Surface Pro 8 and haven’t charged it in the past two days, with 30% remaining power right now.

Sure, it will depend on what you run on the Surface Pro 8.

Trying to run larger and meatier games drained it quicker, still I was never caught short after 8 hours.

The charger is the magnetic Surface universal snap on and from totally dead to full took around 40 minutes. For a battery that’s going to last you near to a day or more that’s a real good charge up time.

The Surface Pro 8 is currently the Surface to rule them all.

It’s the big tamale of the current lineup and it shows, from the moment your first power it on to when you start running your digital goodness on it.

The Surface Pro 8 always keeps its cool and is ready to go when you are.

The post Microsoft Surface Pro 8 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

What started out as an interactive (and super expensive) coffee table back in 2008, Microsoft’s Surface tablet hybrid has been around since 2012.

Nine years in, the Surface range has adapted and expanded to all users, so here and now we have the Surface Go3.

Slated more towards students and lighter PC users that need Windows on the go, the Surface Go3 has Intel’s latest (11th gen) i3 processors coupled with 256GB internal storage and 8GB RAM.

Lay it flat on a table, desk or lap or use the kick-stand and prop it upright for video calls, media binging or viewing presentations, the Surface Go3 is as versatile as it is functional.

A little known feature of the Surface tablets is that under the back flap there’s a microSD slot.

I’m happy to see that Microsoft has retained this in the Go3. So for a few extra dollars you can expand your internal storage by getting yourself an external card.

As the base model has 128GB you may want to expand.

Ports are minimal but you do get some. There’s the magnetic charger slot, a 3.5mm mic or headphone jack and one USB-C socket. Via the USB-C port you can add an external monitor (with an adaptor not included, or a monitor that supports USB-C directly).

The Surface Go3, as mentioned, is built for lighter use, students, teachers, administrative workers and the pricing of the Go3 also reflects the lesser capacity.

Microsoft have added in enough RAM to see you multitasking like a pro. The Intel Iris on-board graphics chip is enough for all media to display, except for basically any form of gaming.

Out of the box with the lighter, crispier Windows 11 Home Edition, Microsoft’s newest operating system, the Surface Go3 is super light, vivid with a high-res (1920×1080) 10.5 inch PixelSense touchscreen and dual audio.

The screen does have a chunky bezel to it though.

Video calls or conferencing will see you at your full HD glory. Both front and back camera’s come in at 1080p.

To give yourself the full laptop experience you can get a (separately sold) magnetic clip-on softly textured and styled chiclet keyboard. I recommend getting one actually.

The keyboard will use the Surface’s battery to power it’s backlight yet doesn’t impede the battery life whatsoever. For note taking or finer touch ups you can also pair it with Microsoft’s Surface Pen (sold separately).

But the best feature of the Go3 is the battery. On a single charge you’ll get up to 11 hours use.

In my time with the Go3 the base unit that STG received I was able to get more than the stated maximum. After 15 hours from a full charge I had 3% remaining. This was in constant use for browsing, media streaming and even writing this review.

Using the universal Surface magnetic charger, from flat to full takes around 20 – 30 minutes.

Given the current state of working and learning from home (at the time of writing this review) Microsoft offer up a super reliable Windows based tablet that’s as multifunctional as it is portable.

As an entry point in to Surface computing the Go3 ticks most boxes for me and is always ready to ‘go’ when you are.

The post Microsoft Surface Go3 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Tougher, lighter and more streamlined, and now the mighty Galaxy Z Fold3 5G review the remarkable foldable can be all yours.

Now in to its third iteration the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G has adapted once again from its predecessor (Fold2), keeping its size but shedding a few grams.

Not only is it less of a bulky pocket weight Samsung’s designers have made the rear camera housing skinnier, placing the tri-lens in to a thinner placement.

The handset itself, at first use is what we have come to know.

A 6.2 inch front screen with a 10MP pinhole selfie camera.

There’s still a bit of a large bezel to the left side of the front screen to compensate for the hinge.

Of course, if you’re in the market for one of these bad boys it’s the inner screen that is really going to matter.

Coming in at 7.6 inches across the foldable Dynamic AMOLED is built to be tougher. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s going to take hard knocks, but Samsung have built the Fold3‘s inner tablet display to be compatible with Samsung’s S Pen (sold separately).

And it’s a specialised S Pen at that, with a more rounded tip, to avoid scratches if you have lead heavy hands.

The larger screen sees you being able to multitask like a pro. Split screen mode enables you to have multiple app windows open at a time.

Stream your fav series while replying to messages, video chat and play a game at the same time.

Both the front and inner screen are 120Hz – in short, super clarity, detail and perfect for mobile gaming.

Unfolding the Z Fold3 5G sees a near invisible under-screen pin hole 4MP camera. Depending on what is on your screen at any given time will limit the pin hole unit from being visible. And why only 4MP I don’t quite get.

The rear cameras weigh in at 12 MP (wide), 12 MP (telephoto), 12 MP (ultrawide).

As with the Galaxy Z Flip3, Samsung have ported over their Director mode from the Galaxy S21 series.

The Fold3 is most definitely a content creators smartphone. Perfect for budding mobile videographers, vloggers and social media queens.

Fold the handset halfway and sit is flat on a surface, you have your own mini videoing studio. Open it right up and use the front screen as a view for the subject you’re recording or taking a snap of.

Having that larger screen when unfolded obviously gives you a way more detailed viewfinder for both filming and photography.

Under the hood, asides from the upping of the phone’s processor, now being a Snapdragon 888 5G+ the RAM of 12GB and internal (non expanding) storage of 256GB is the same as the Fold2.

The battery life for the Fold3 is better.

The builtin 4500 mAh has more capacity than the Fold2. By a smidgen. But that small improvement results in a huge benefit for the end user.

I remember the Fold2 could last a day and a half on a good day, from full to 5%. But more often than not it would get me through an entire day without much more.

Fold3 so far I’ve managed to survive on one full charge for just a bit over 2 days, without compromising my normal use.

Sure playing mobile games or streaming visual media impacts that. However, normal daily use such as messaging, emailing, calls, web browsing and Spotify playing you should be right if you forget to charge it overnight in to the next day.

If you need a quick top up a 10 to 15 minute charge via the 25 watt Quick Charge feature will get you around 40 to 50%.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G has one more surprise for those that are waiting for its release – it’s cheaper than the two previous models.

Now affordable, so more users can enter in to the elite world of foldables.

Like many of you out there, I know that as each year rolls around the next gen of flagship phones are announced and released respectively.

Upping the goods on last years models.

So, I was super curious as to how the next iteration of the Galaxy Z Fold would and could be improved upon.

Samsung kept it real and didn’t change too much, but did change enough to vastly improve on last years Fold including dipping their toes in to the under-screen camera realm.

Once you go foldable, you don’t want to go back and Samsung are the forerunners, innovators and leaders in this now mainstream mobile tech.

Cheaper, faster, tougher and less bulkier the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G is still the ultimate tablet / phone foldable hybrid smartphone you didn’t know you’d use until you have one.

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Each year sees a new generation of Intel processors.

Now, at 11th gen, built for speed and device life durability their i7 with 12MB cache is put to the task in Dell’s newest hybrid 2-in-1 laptop.

At 13 inches the Dell XPS 2-in-1 is both that of a tablet and laptop combined with a UHD+ WLED touch display (3840 x 2400) and fueling those pixels is an onboard Intel Iris graphics chip.

So straight out of the box and after a full charge up (which took less than an hour from zero life) I was keen to see what this kit could handle.

Turns out, quite a bit.

To start off, if you’re going to use the Dell XPS 13 inch 2-in-1 for home office or student work – its most definitely going to see you right – infact, it’s probably a bit of an overkill for such remedial tasks.

This laptop is more suited for the imaginators, designers and content creators out there.

Flipping the screen from general display to tablet gives you – as you guessed it – a 13 inch Windows 10 tablet.

Using creative software you can create to your hearts content right down to extreme detail. I do recommend using a stylus though.

In laptop form the Dell XPS 13 inch 2-in-1 is able to perform tasks that larger beasts are generally considered to be needed for.

Editing and rendering 4K or 8K videos didn’t get the internal fans ramping up as I suspected it would.

It actually outputted a 4K 20 minute video in less than 7 minutes.

Of course, I had to see what gaming juice the Dell XPS 13 inch 2-in-1 was capable of.

Gears 5 and Sea of Thieves played exceedingly well, exceeding my expectations on a graphical level.

However, the fast and furiousness of action in Borderlands 3 saw stutters – while less full on moments played okay, even with visuals settings toned down.

I put this down to the Iris chip, not the guts under the hood.

The Dell XPS 13 inch 2-in-1 comes with 16GB RAM already installed, a 512GB SSD and the Intel 17 11th gen processor purrs along at 2.80GHz without being overclocked.

Another thing to note is the weight – or lack of it. This tiny beast is super light at only 1.32kg.

If you’re still rocking files on external hard drives you may be out of luck or need to get yourself an adaptor. The Dell XPS 13 inch 2-in-1 only has two USB-C sockets, one being shared for the power adaptor.

While you’re not going to eye one of these up to get the edge in online gaming or eSports battles, it for the most part has enough grunt for the more-than-casual gamer.

And for those content creators out there you can’t go wrong. The Dell XPS 13 inch 2-in-1 has got the goods and then some.

The post Dell XPS 13 9310 2-in-1 Laptop Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Proving that EPOS have gamers covered even when on the go they have released the very stellar GTW 270 Hybrid wireless earbuds.

Designed for mobile and portable gamers the GTW 270 wireless earbuds have been engineered so that there is no latency whatsoever. Game and hear everything in real-time.

This is achieved by an included USB-C dongle. This will automatically pair once plugged in to your Android smart device or Nintendo Switch and the small buds are good to go for a fierce gaming marathon of up to 5 hours with the buds, or a total of 20 hours with the pocket sized charging case.

A tactile button on the front of the case displays the remaining battery level. Charging them up is via the included USB-C cable and takes around an hour.

The GTW 270 wireless buds have been ergonomically designed for extended periods of wear, they are small enough and not obtrusive, all the while being a snug fit blocking out environmental noise so it’s just you and the game… or music.

I tested the EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid both with and without the dongle.

Connecting up the buds without the USB-C and going straight to Bluetooth had zero issues, and on a smart device (Android) the audio feedback was a more crystal clear and natural sound for both music streaming and media watching.

Gaming without the dongle to me also seemed flawless. No lag to speak of – however you’d want to use the dongle if you’re in a wireless cluttered environment where there is the potential of interference.

I like to think of my home as a smart home where everything is connected to Alexa and Google devices. The lights, speakers, TV and more – but I didn’t experience any signal interference at all.

Using the dongle on Nintendo Switch was magic though.

Pin point accuracy as far as what’s on screen jamming it’s audio in to my ears.

Some wireless earbuds can struggle with both clarity and connection when it comes to hands free calling.

With either the dongle in place or without while out and about the GTW 270 Hybrids never missed – clarity and connection was optimal both for the caller and myself – the earbuds have two built in microphones per bud.

The GTW 270 Hybrid are multi-platform.

Being Bluetooth 5.1 using dual channels for connecting they can be paired up with any newer compatible device.

PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One X and even PC.

Making use of acoustic audio smarts the GTW 270 Hybrid performed exceedingly well on PS5, Xbox X and PC.

So, whatever your weapon of choice is these will keep you in the game,

I would have liked to see a compartment included in the charging case for the dongle though – as it is something you’re likely to lose if you remove it from your portable or smart device when not at home.

Otherwise there’s nothing I can fault here. EPOS have produced the ultimate earbud for serious gamers, esports players and those that just want to tune out, rock out and be out with their gaming.

The post EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.