"Mr. Data, prepare to separate the saucer section." Acer
It's a laptop. No it's a tablet! It's two, two, two computers in one!
In other words, it's a hybrid. And very often those jacks-of-two-trades are a master of none. Today's deal, however, appears to rate pretty well on both fronts.
For a limited time, and while supplies last, the Microsoft Store has the Acer Aspire Switch 10 SW5-012-12L7 Signature Edition for $229 shipped. Regular price: $349. Price elsewhere: $299.
The aptly named Switch is a 10.1-inch Windows 8.1 system with a screen that can pop free from its keyboard, effectively shrugging off laptop duty in favor of tablet goodness.
This happens via a nifty magnetic "snap hinge" that allows for four different display modes, something you typically see with convertible systems, not hybrids. Nice.
Other specs include an Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of solid-state storage, and a battery that should last you at least 6 hours, at least according to CNET's review of the Switch 10 . That review praised the system's keyboard, touchpad and aforementioned versatility, but dinged its top-heavy design and limited storage. You can add more via microSD or USB, of course, but I'm bummed to see the keyboard has only a single USB port, and it's USB 2.0. Why, Acer, why?
Still, for $229 out the door, this is a pretty sweet system, especially for someone who doesn't need a ton of power but does want a roomy tablet with a keyboard dock. Plus, you get a one-year Office 365 Personal subscription! (It says so right in the description, even though there's a separate Buy option that would seem to suggest it costs extra.)
Thoughts?
Bonus deal: Still haven't pulled the trigger on an Amazon Prime subscription? Your patience has paid off: Tomorrow only, Amazon will be offering a 1-year Prime membership for $72. (Remember, the deal kicks in tomorrow, Saturday, Jan. 24. Right now it's just the regular signup page.) Regular price: $99. Sorry, current subscribers, this is for newcomers only. (Newcomers can also watch all 10 episodes of Amazon's newly feted series "Transparent," again tomorrow only, even without a subscription.)
As I've noted many times before, Prime is all kinds of awesome, with perks including free 2-day shipping on nearly everything, an exclusive streaming deal with HBO and a growing library of Spotify-style streaming music.
Here's How to Save $15 on the New Google Pixel Buds Pro at Launch
Here's How to Save $15 on the New Google Pixel Buds Pro at Launch
Announced in May at Google's I/O developer conference, the new Google Pixel Buds Pro wireless earbuds are now available to preorder. Retailing for $200 and taking aim squarely at Apple's AirPods Pro, these are Google's first active noise-canceling earbuds and you can score a set of Pixel Buds Pro at a discount before they even launch right now via Wellbots. When placing your preorder there, simply use coupon code CNET15 for an instant $15 price cut, dropping your new earbuds down to only $185.
Google put emphasis on the active noise cancellation performance of the Pixel Buds Pro at I/O (video), touting its Silent Seal technology designed to provide a tight seal for blocking out outside sound while avoiding that feeling of built-up pressure. When you need to let outside noises back in, the Pixel Buds Pro's transparency mode allows you to do just that without removing the earbuds.
Other neat features include support for multipoint Bluetooth connections, IPX4 water resistance, Qi wireless charging support and up to 31 hours of listening time(that includes the capacity of the charging case). Unlike Apple's AirPods earbud lineup, Google's Pixel Buds Pro are available in multiple colors, namely charcoal, fog, coral and lemongrass, for a little added personality.
Google Pixel Buds Pro preorders are slated to start shipping on July 26 and shipping at Wellbots is free.
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 and 3080: Check for inventory restocks at Best Buy, Newegg and more
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 and 3080: Check for inventory restocks at Best Buy, Newegg and more
If the crypto miners are all chasing after the flagship GeForce RTX 3090 and budget-minded gamers are buying up the entry-level GeForce RTX 3060, could that mean one of the middle children in Nvidia's latest graphics processor lineup -- the RTX 3070 or RTX 3080 -- stand a better chance at being found in stock? As much as I want to answer my own hypothetical question in the affirmative, reality says no. As with every other RTX 3000 series graphics card, the GeForce RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 cards are currently out of stock everywhere. You'll have the same rotten luck trying to find one of AMD's new Radeon RX 6000 series GPUs.
Your luck could change, however, in the coming weeks. As it did earlier with its RTX 3060 card, Nvidia is limiting the hash rate of its higher-end RTX cards to discourage crypto miners from buying the cards to get them in the hands and PCs of gamers. According to Nvidia, the new cards will begin shipping in late May and will be branded as "Lite Hash Rate" or LHR cards. These cards will throttle back performance if they detect that you're mining using the Ethereum algorithm, but will run at full speed for games.
The RTX 3070 is priced at $499, and the RTX 3080 is priced at $699. Both cards offer good bang for the buck. You'll pay significantly more than list price, however, for any RTX 3070 or 3080 that you find in stock right now, whether from a reseller on Amazon or an auction site like eBay or StockX.
If you are willing to wait, you might luck into finding a card at or closer to its list price. To help improve your luck, bookmark this page and check the links below to RTX 3070 and RTX 3080 product pages at Best Buy, Newegg and B&H. You won't find anything in stock for either the RTX 3070 or RTX 3080 at the moment, but these retailers have a number of product listings from Nvidia and its partners -- Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and others -- for the new cards.
Where can you find a GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card in stock and not outrageously priced? We're tracking inventory for it and its RTX 3080 sibling.
Lori Grunin/CNET
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (starts at $500)
Here are your best bets for finding the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 at national retailers.
Newegg has numerous listings for RTX 3070 cards, including some packages that include a motherboard. Pricing starts at $500 but nothing is currently in stock.
In addition, keep an eye on Nvidia's site to check inventory for the new cards. You can also sign up for Discord's Stock Informer and get alerts on your phone when a card is in stock. You'll have to act fast when a notification appears -- there are currently more than 50,000 Stock Informer members -- but it will let you keep your finger on the next-gen GPU pulse.
This hack looks like it would work, but it doesn't. The instructions say to cut off the ends of a cardboard box, to pinch one end and staple it together so that there is just a slot for your phone. It ends up looking a lot like a cardboard megaphone. It doesn't work like one, though. In fact, it doesn't do a darn thing. Folding it into a more curved shape doesn't help, either.
2023 Hyundai Palisade First Drive Review: Steady as She Goes
2023 Hyundai Palisade First Drive Review: Steady as She Goes
Since its introduction in the 2020 model year, the Hyundai Palisade has done a great job acting as the automaker's flagship SUV. This three-row family machine is comfortable, competent and packed with good creature comforts. Solid as it is, there's always a little room for improvement. That's the conceit behind the Palisade's mid-cycle refresh: A few light tweaks here and there make a good car better.
The Palisade always looked fresh, but I think the 2023 refresh ramps it up. I like how the front grille is more prominent, maybe more intimidating, better blending with the daytime running lights and giving off a much stronger vibe. Hyundai's designers added a smidge more overhang up front to improve its side profile, but I barely notice a difference. The rear end loses some overhang and the lower half of the bumper picks up a butch new skid plate, but the overall look doesn't change much. A new set of auto-dimming side mirrors rounds out the exterior redo.
The Palisade's interior gets a little more love. A revised instrument panel looks just a bit fancier, with a full-width trim piece connecting the vents to add more visual width. The steering wheel looks fresher, too. The center console remains massive, housing most of the controls and offering a big storage cubby underneath. The third row remains a little tight for adults thanks to its raised floor, but it's more than spacious enough for kids, and a bevy of USB ports and storage spots means those in the back don't miss out on the Palisade's practicality.
Aesthetic tweaks aren't really the best part of the Palisade's refresh. Instead, it's all the new tech and creature comforts the automaker crammed in here. The 2023 Palisade picks up heated third-row seats, a massaging driver's seat, a 4G LTE Wi-FI hotspot running on the Verizon network, a boatload of faster USB-C ports, beefier wireless device charging and a digital rearview mirror. All trims now rock a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are onboard, it's a wired affair only. Hyundai also improved its phone-as-a-key tech, which is now compatible with Apple products as well as Samsung devices. The underlying infotainment tech remains the same, which is to say it's easy to use and mighty responsive.
Hyundai's steering wheels are some of my favorites in the industry, and the Palisade's is no exception.
Hyundai
Safety tech abounds, as well. All Palisade trims come with forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, full-speed adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, and lane-keep assist. Highway Driving Assist, which combines some of the aforementioned systems to reduce some of the tedium of long expressway jaunts, is also standard on every Palisade. Moving up through the trims adds other features, like a surround-view monitor, blind-spot cameras and remote parking assist. Highway Driving Assist can also be upgraded to HDA II, adding lane-change assistance and shifting the vehicle's lane position if someone else is crowding you on either side.
The 2023 Palisade's powertrain is unchanged, with its 3.8-liter V6 producing 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, routed through the buyer's choice of the front or all four wheels through an 8-speed automatic transmission. It's plenty fine, providing more than enough power for a three-row SUV with a decent exhaust note that never overwhelms the cabin. The transmission is a smooth shifter, and the stop-start system offers clean, annoyance-free operation. Simply put, it's a delight to pilot around town and never feels too large or onerous, even on tighter city streets.
Despite its size, the Palisade never really feels like a handful in the city.
Hyundai
The interior is a bit quieter than before, thanks to improved sound absorption materials, and my top-of-the-line tester offers some very cushy Nappa leather to keep occupants nice and comfortable. Visibility remains good from all angles, and the digital rearview mirror makes up for any heads in between my eyes and the rear glass. The ride quality is on the softer side, comfortable without feeling too floaty. I like that the suspension is the same across the entire range of trims, so whether you opt for the base SE or the high-end Calligraphy trim, the coddling is exactly the same. Load the SUV up with kids and cargo, and the ride should feel even smoother.
During my time with the Palisade, Hyundai put together an off-road course to show that the refreshed SUV can handle dirt and mud better than I might expect in all-wheel-drive guise. With a locking center differential, the Palisade cruises through deep, muddy ruts with ease, though its standard all-season tires aren't exactly engineered for the rough stuff. Bumpier, rockier roads don't really upset the car, nor introduce any strange sounds into the cabin; hell, the suspension is so competent that it stays pretty comfortable throughout the off-roading portion of my evaluation. The Palisade doesn't exactly offer class-leading approach and departure angles, but a couple steep drops didn't so much as plink the bumpers, so I am confident 99.9% of buyers will have no problem taking their Palisades wherever they want to go.
Is your Jimmy Buffett concert at the end of a gravel road? Have no fear, the Palisade can handle that, and a fair bit more, too.
Hyundai
The 2023 Palisade offers an impressive range of trims and price points. The base Palisade SE starts at $36,245 (including $1,295 for destination), with the SEL running $39,245 and the new rugged-looking XRT trim sliding in at $41,545. The penultimate Limited will set you back $47,795, while top-of-the-line Calligraphy trim asks for $50,195. All those prices are for front-wheel-drive models, mind you; if you want all-wheel drive, it's a flat $1,900 upcharge on every trim.
While the 2023 Hyundai Palisade might be on the light-to-medium side of mid-cycle refreshes, it's because Hyundai didn't need to do all that much. A few visual nips and tucks keep the aesthetics interesting, while a healthy addition of cabin tech and creature comforts make sure it remains competitive against cars like the Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer. It's a great family car made even better.
Samsung shows off new Galaxy S22 phones and Galaxy Tab S8 tablets - Video
Samsung shows off new Galaxy S22 phones and Galaxy Tab S8 tablets - Video
Speaker 1: This is CNET and here are the stories that matter right now, Samsung held its newest unpacked event and announced six new devices in the company's galaxy lineup of smartphones and tablets. The Samsung galaxy S 22 and S 22 plus offer 6.1 and 6.6 inch respective screens of upgraded processors and a triple camera array. That includes a 50 megapixel wide lens, a 12 megapixel ultra wide and a 10 megapixel tele photo Samsung [00:00:30] says low light photography and video capture has been improved in this year's models as well. The final phone in Samsung's lineup is the galaxy S 22 ultra with a of 6.8 inch screen, four cameras and a built-in Spen the premium device adopted the look and functionality of the galaxy note line of smartphones and appears to be officially replacing it in Samsung's lineup. The company also announced three new tablets at the event, the galaxy tab S eight S eight [00:01:00] plus and S eight ultra while all three devices offer upgraded cameras and processors. The S eight ultra stood out with a massive laptop sized 14.6 inch screen and dual front facing 12 megapixel cameras for video calls. Samsung also reiterated its commitment to privacy tools for customers, larger sustainability effort and extending OS upgrades to four generations of devices. So users can keep them longer. Get more details on Samsung's newest [00:01:30] devices, including pre-order and pricing information by visiting CNET.
The iPad is great for art, games and movies. Apple wants it to be more
The iPad is great for art, games and movies. Apple wants it to be more
When my family and I moved across the country about a year ago, we decided to retire our decade-old basic HD TV and kit out our home with a fancy new 4K Roku-powered one. After mounting it on the wall, I tested it out with Star Wars (well, The Mandalorian). After marveling at all the visual eye candy my TV offered, I left it to gather dust.
Instead, I've joined the millions of Apple customers who use their $329-starting price iPads for entertainment. It's been my movie machine and what let me binge Netflix's Tiger King documentary when the coronavirus pandemic began. It has helped me organize photos of my adorable children. And it's where I've rediscovered old favorite games like 2001's bullet-time noire action game Max Payne.
But the one thing I haven't done on my iPad is work. Every time I need to file a story on deadline, I open up my MacBook Pro laptop or jump on my Hackintosh.
I'm not alone. Surveys broadly show that the iPad's most popular for surfing the web, watching videos and playing games. And it underscores the challenges Apple faces in convincing consumers that the iPad can handle more intensive tasks than a mere portable TV.
On April 20, Apple will once again make its case, and it's expected to debut new iPads featuring better screens, faster chips and -- hopefully -- longer battery life. The company's also rumored to announce new
But beyond those upgrades, the iPad seems to have fallen into a rut all popular tech eventually does, with minimal incremental updates. Every once in a while, we get big changes, like when Apple supersized its tablet to 12 inches for the iPad Pro line or when it introduced a stylus that charges magnetically. (The company prefers to call it an Apple Pencil.) But most years, companies roll out refinements to fix common complaints, like when Apple made it possible to read photos and other files off a thumb drive.
Read more: How to watch Apple's April 20 product event
Don't expect to be blown away by the improvements to the latest iPad.
"I don't know what else they could do," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies. She's an avid iPad user herself, singing the praises of its battery when traveling (back when that was a thing). Her teenager, meanwhile, uses it to draw.
But both of them switch to computers when it comes to work and school these days.
"For a small number of people, the iPad is a main computing device -- a very small number," she said. "It's a consumption device."
Apple's Magic Keyboard brings the iPad that much closer to being a Mac.
Scott Stein/CNET
When the iPad was first announced back in 2010, the hype was spectacular. Book publishers were going gaga over the big screen. Game developers were dreaming up titles more ambitious than ones for the smaller iPhone.
"Last time there was this much excitement about a tablet, it had some commandments written on it," a Wall Street Journal article opined at the time.
And when Apple released the iPad that April, it also offered up its Pages, Numbers and Keynote productivity apps to stretch what it could do.
Read more: Apple's M1 MacBooks got good reviews. The iMac faces more demanding hurdles
But it was the entertainment bit that stuck. Two years later, Business Insider released a survey showing that the most popular thing people did on iPads was surf the web, followed by using communications apps, watching videos and playing games. In 2014, Tennessee-based consulting firm Smarty Parts found that the iPad had become a more popular brand among children than Disney, Nickelodeon, YouTube and Netflix.
Apple CEO Tim Cook made a pitch for iPads in education during a 2018 event in Chicago.
James Martin/CNET
Apple is still trying to turn it into more of a work device too, though. In 2017, it released an ad showing a girl using her iPad to draw art, write a homework assignment and take pictures around the city. At the day's end, someone asks what she's doing on her computer, and she responds, "what's a computer?"
It's also designed its entry-level iPad for schools, even going so far as to work with app makers and accessories companies to help integrate the device into teachers' curricula.
The iPad's even found a home among some professionals. It's become a popular replacement for pilot operations books in aircraft. And the president of the United States has received daily briefing documents on one.
"The iPad is definitely a great device for specific types of usage," said Mikako Kitagawa, a longtime tech industry analyst at Gartner. She noted that with its starting price of $379, schools are more likely to afford it than the $999 entry price for a MacBook Air laptop.
All that's helped make the iPad a good business for Apple. In the company's last fiscal year, Apple rang up $23.7 billion in iPad sales. That makes the iPad slightly bigger than the $23.5 billion Starbucks made selling coffee, food and items like mugs around the globe during the same time.
I'm still holding out hope Apple will make the magical iPad-MacBook hybrid that's a Mac when plugged into a keyboard and an iPad when detached.
In the meantime, I'll be eagerly planning to watch the Matrix 4 when it arrives later this year -- on my iPad.
Texas Bitcoin Miners Power Down as Grid Struggles With Summer Heat
Texas Bitcoin Miners Power Down as Grid Struggles With Summer Heat
A crypto mining setup takes a lot of energy to run, and right now energy is something the state of Texas doesn't have a lot of. The state's power grid operator has asked businesses to conserve energy because a heat wave is pushing the limits on how much power is available.
On Monday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas asked Texans to reduce their power consumption to avoid rolling blackouts across the state. Crypto mining companies that operate in Texas followed suit, even though it means a loss of profits, according to Bloomberg.
ERCOT says there aren't any requirements for mining companies to conserve energy, but it hopes businesses will heed its request.
Mining for cryptocurrency is energy-intensive . Companies have computer-filled warehouses, also known as mining rigs, running nonstop to complete complicated calculations required for transactions. A rig that completes the computation for the bitcoin blockchain, for example, can receive 6.2 bitcoins, or about $123,000 at current prices.
"Currently, 100% of the machines located in Texas have been powered off to provide support for the ERCOT grid," Core Scientific CEO Mike Levitt told Bloomberg.
ERCOT expects Texas crypto mining companies to require 6 gigawatts of power by mid-2023. That's enough energy to power the entire city of Houston. It sent another power conservation appeal to businesses on Wednesday to avoid outages in the state.
Bitcoin prices, as well as those of other cryptocurrencies, have been on the decline for most of 2022. Last November, one bitcoin was worth more than $67,000, but the value dropped significantly, falling below $18,000 last month. A combination of record inflation and a downturn of the global economy prompted crypto holders to sell off their digital coins, causing the values to tumble. US regulators and legislators are also putting their foot down on certain cryptocurrency practices, while states are looking to stop or reduce crypto mining.
Samsung One UI 5.0 Beta Goes Live For Some Galaxy S22 Owners
Samsung One UI 5.0 Beta Goes Live For Some Galaxy S22 Owners
Samsung's giving early adopters a first look of its next operating system update with the One UI 5.0 beta, but it's only available in Germany so far, according to reports.
What's more, only owners of the Samsung Galaxy S22 series released earlier this year can access the One UI 5.0 beta, as SamMobile reported, stymying older Samsung handset owners.
One UI 5.0 brings new features set to come out in the upcoming release of Android 13 later this year. The beta will eventually be available to users in China, India, Poland, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to the beta's official website. It's unclear when the beta will expand to these countries, though it could be in the coming days as 9to5Google predicts. It's also not apparent if other Samsung phones will be included in the beta.
Interested users can register for the beta program in general within the Samsung Members app available on the Google Play Store and Galaxy Store -- once registered, they'll be able to download the free beta update using the usual OS route (Settings > Software Update > Download and Install).
Samsung did not respond to request for comment by time of publication.
Read more: Download the Final Android 13 Beta on Your Phone Right Now
2022 Honda Civic Si debuts, features the Type R's rev-matching system
2022 Honda Civic Si debuts, features the Type R's rev-matching system
The all-new 2022 Honda Civic Si debuted today, blending the improvements of the 11th-generation Civic sedan with a touch of extra performance spice. The new model improves over the previous generation with upgrades and refinements aimed at making the sports sedan more fun and engaging to drive.
While the track-focused Type R is the wild-child of the Civic lineup -- both dynamically and stylistically -- the Si is traditionally targeted at drivers looking for something just a little hotter than the average Civic. The performance is aimed more at daily driving flexibility, while the design plays it a bit closer to the vest. Personally, I think Honda may have gone a touch too conservative with the new Si's appearance. Aside from the new rear spoiler, Si badges and dual exhaust tips, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the Si from a regular Civic Sport at 100 paces.
That may not be a bad thing for drivers looking for a sleeper -- flying under the radar without a massive wing certainly has its advantages. Plus, the standard Civic sedan is already a very handsome ride. Those who do a double-take will note the Si's sportier stance, enlarged brakes and standard matte-black 18-inch wheels -- as opposed to the glossy black Civic Sport wheels -- shod in all-season performance rubber or optional summer tires. Listen closely and you may also note that the aforementioned dual-exhaust flows more freely and, thanks to its coil-style design, should also sound better on the road.
Under the hood, the new Si is still powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The revised engine makes 192 pound-feet of torque and 200 peak horsepower. Interestingly, that's down 5 hp from the last generation's 205 ponies. Honda claims the new powerband is now broader overall and now peaks at a higher RPM, which should improve responsiveness, performance and driveability across a wider range.
The exhaust system features a coiled design for its dual tips, which Honda says improves the tone.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
A 26% lighter flywheel helps to further boost throttle response while mating the four-banger to a six-speed manual transmission. This is the only gearbox available to Si shoppers -- no CVT nonsense here -- and features the rev-matching system from the Civic Type R that can automatically blip the throttle to perfectly match downshifts in around four-tenths of a second. The shifter promises a better in-hand feel thanks to improved engagement, firmer mounting points and a throw that's 10-percent shorter. Finally, power meets the pavement at the front-wheels via a standard helical limited-slip differential.
Obviously, the new Si benefits from the inherent improvements to the 11th-gen Civic Sedan's chassis, which is stiffer overall, has a wider rear track and a longer wheelbase than the previous generation. Specific to the Si are stiffer springs and stabilizer bars, reinforced suspension mounting points and more sport-focused steering. Many of the stiffer suspension bushings and some rear suspension bits -- the upper B-arms, specifically -- have also been borrowed from the Type R. Where the previous model used two-mode adaptive dampers, the new Si features static shocks that are tuned for a better sport-touring balance overall. (Honda justifies this change with claims that many 10th-generation Si drivers never even used the old "too stiff" Sport suspension setting.)
I hope you like rowing your own gears, because the six-speed manual is the only gearbox available.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Inside, there are new sport seats that are unique to the Si with integrated headrests, improved bolstering and thigh support and embroidered Si badges. Red contrast stitching highlights the seats, steering wheel and shifter, while red trim can be found on the dash and door panels. The cabin tech suite is all gear we've seen previously on the standard Civic Sedan, including a 7-inch combo digital instrument cluster, 12-speaker Bose audio and a 9-inch main infotainment display that features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, the Honda Sensing suite of active safety tech is also standard, rounding out a solid tech loadout.
Honda calls this the "best-handling, best-equipped and most fun-to-drive Civic Si ever," a bold claim that we're eager to put to the test. Pricing has not yet been announced, but it's a pretty safe bet that it won't stray too far from the previous generation's circa-$25,000 ballpark, where it should compete with the likes of Volkswagen's GTI and the Hyundai Elantra N Line. The 2022 Honda Civic Si hits the road later this year.
Vivo's X60 Pro Plus has a Snapdragon 888 and a 55-watt charger in the box
Vivo's X60 Pro Plus has a Snapdragon 888 and a 55-watt charger in the box
Vivo is one of China's biggest phone brands, and now it's teaming up with German lensmaker Zeiss to level up its photography game. Those boosted cameras, plus a gorgeous display and impressive battery features, make Vivo's newest phones worthy of your attention.
Vivo unveiled its inaugural global flagship phones for this year, announcing the X60, X60 Pro, and the X60 Pro Plus, on Thursday. Positioning the X60 Pro Plus as a "professional photography flagship," Vivo is flexing its maiden collaboration with Zeiss, which co-engineered the device's image system. Although Vivo is relatively unknown in the West, the Chinese company is one of the world's top 10 phone manufacturers by market share -- and it's used by several Avengers too.
I spent a couple of days with the highest-end X60 Pro Plus, and can say it delivers on a premium Android experience complete with some extra bells and whistles you may not expect. There's a 6.56-inch AMOLED display, a speedy refresh rate (120Hz), the newest Qualcomm processor available (Snapdragon 888), fast charging (55-watt bundled charger) and a periscope-style telephoto camera seen on ultra-premium flagships such as Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra.
Apart from the Zeiss collaboration and the incremental upgrades, new to the series is the X60 Pro Plus' so-called extended RAM technology. Vivo claims 3GB of the phone's "idle" storage can be used as RAM to "achieve a +3GB RAM effect," promising to boost the device's performance.
Missing in the X60 Pro Plus are things like an IP rating for water resistance, which many phones of this class have, and expandable storage. That will be forgivable for most since the one variant of this phone has 256GB storage.
At the time of this writing, Vivo didn't share how much these phones will cost internationally, but we can look at the X60's pricing in its native China as a reference point (although prices tend to vary depending on country). The base X60 Pro starts at 4,498 yuan (converts to about $690, £500 or AU$910), and the X60 Pro Plus starts at 5,998 yuan (about $920, £670 or AU$1,210). Unfortunately, Vivo currently has no US rollout plans, but it shouldn't be too difficult to import. It's being released in more than 20 markets worldwide including the UK, India, the Middle East and Europe over the next few months.
The X60 Pro Plus has periscope lens bragging rights
The Vivo X60 Pro Plus has four rear cameras, consisting of a standard lens, ultra-wide lens, portrait lens, and a periscope-style telephoto lens (just like its predecessor). Huawei's P30 Pro was the first phone to include a Periscopic lens, which allows for insane long zooming, and it's since been picked up by Samsung on its Ultra phones. Apple is rumored to adopt the technology late next year. Compared to regular telephoto cameras that offer 2x or 3x optical zoom, periscope-style cameras can typically do 5x or even 10x optical zoom by using more than one lens along with the camera sensor. For its part, the X60 Pro Plus boasts 5x optical zoom, and 60x digital zoom.
Last year, I showed you how far you can zoom in with 60x zoom on the Vivo X50 Pro, so you can take a look at that to get a sense of this phone's digital zoom capabilities.
The X60 Pro Plus has a periscope-style telephoto camera capable of 10x optical zoom and 60x digital zoom.
Sareena Dayaram/CNET
Vivo X60 Pro Plus cameras in action
Whether I was attempting to snap the perfect portrait of my dog napping in our living room or action shots of Rocky running on a hiking trail, the five cameras on this phone, along with the many accompanying modes, made it easy to take wonderful and versatile shots. Night-time imaging was impressive too, with the X60 Pro Plus taking crisp, detailed photos. There is also night mode for video on the main camera.
Even when I took pictures facing bright, sunlit windows, the camera managed to capture punched-up images of the indoor surroundings. Below you can see what I'm talking about, especially when juxtaposed with iPhone 12 Pro Max photo, which took more true-to-life, albeit less saturated photos. Whatever you prefer is likely a matter of personal preference. I realize this might not be an apples-to-apples comparison (pun intended), but my hope is that it gives you an indication of where the X60 Pro Plus stands on the spectrum of phone cameras.
Taken with the Vivo X60 Pro Plus. The furniture looks more saturated here than in the image below taken with the iPhone 12 Pro Max below.
The X60 Pro Plus features a design similar to a number of high-end Android phones we've seen in recent years. On the front is a curved display with a centrally located punch-hole notch, and on the back there's a "vegan" leather rear that reminds me of last year's Oppo's Find X2 Pro.There's a camera bump on the back and a blue Zeiss label emblazoned on its right side. I realize Vivo wants to flex its partnership with the 175-year-old German lensmaker, but I think it could have achieved a similar result with more subtle labelling.
Speaking of the display, the X60 Pro Plus relied on a high-res AMOLED display (made by Samsung). It has a speedy refresh rate of 120Hz, but you can dial it back to 60Hz if you want to save on battery life. Most phones have refresh rates of 60Hz, which means the screen refreshes 60 times in a second. 120Hz displays can look a lot smoother when scrolling through webpages.
Vivo
Vivo X60 Pro Plus has 55-watt bundled charger
The X60 Pro Plus astounded me with its blazing-fast charging speeds. In fact, this was probably one of my favorite features because you only need 20 minutes for your phone to get enough charge to last you between a half or full day. Within 20-25 minutes, the 55-watt in-box charger juiced up the phone from 0% to around 70%, and within 45 minutes the 4,200-mAh battery was fully revitalized.
The X60 Pro Plus runs on the Snapdragon 888, Qualcomm's latest processor found in a number of Android flagships including Samsung's Galaxy S21 Ultra and Xiaomi's Mi 11. This chipset is backed by 12GB RAM and 256 GB of storage. Vivo claims 3GB of the phone's storage can be used as RAM, giving you that extra dose of power when multiple apps are running in the background. Vivo claims its new memory management relies on algorithms to lets 3GB of idle storage to "assume the function" of RAM, resulting a boost in memory usage efficiency by 37%. You probably won't notice a difference at first, but in theory it should mean better performance when your phone is loaded with apps.
Vivo X60 Pro Plus vs. X60 Pro
Vivo X60 Pro Plus
Vivo X60 Pro
Display size, resolution
6.56-inch AMOLED "flexible screen", FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels)
6.56-inch AMOLED "flexible screen", FHD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels)
Midnight black: 158.58x73.24x7.59 mm and shimmer blue: 158.58x73.24x7.69 mm
Weight (Ounces, Grams)
191 grams
177 grams for midnight black, 179 grams for shimmer blue
Mobile software
Android 11
Android 11
Video capture
4K
4K
Processor
Snapdragon 888
Snapdragon 870
Storage
256GB
256GB
RAM
12GB
12GB
Expandable storage
No
No
Battery
4,200 mAh
4,200 mAh
Special features
55-watt fast charging (in box charger), 120Hz, 60x hybrid zoom, 5x optical zoom, dual SIM
33-watt fast charging (in box charger), dual SIM, 120 Hz screen
Price off-contract (USD)
N/A
N/A
Price (GBP)
N/A
N/A
Price (AUD)
N/A
N/A
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Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says in a research note that iPhones will likely get a periscope-style telephoto camera lens in 2022 if lens suppliers Semco and Sunny Optical join the Apple supply chain this year, according to reports from MacRumors and 9-to-5 Mac. This means that a much better camera could be coming to iPhones, with lenses similar to those used in some Huaweiphones today.
The design differences would likely be minimal, since periscope-style telephoto lenses don't extend out from the body of a phone, but rather within it, according to the reports. Apple previously adopted 2x telephoto lenses in its 2016 iPhone 7 Plus, but a shift to periscope-style lenses could bring that zoom power up to 5x or more. The improved range and depth of the lens would bring its cameras into competition with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Huawei P40 Pro Plus, both of which have cameras with up to 10x zoom.
Kuo said he believes the new lenses will be featured in the iPhone 12 in 2022.
Apple didn't immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.
