Sony reveals 2023 Bravia XR TV and soundbar range

Sony recently confirmed that its 2023 Bravia XR 4K TV range is coming to Australia soon, alongside a new soundbar to beef up your home cinema experience.

After a notably quiet CES 2023 showing on the TV front, three models comprise the new Bravia XR lineup: the X90L Full Array LED, A95L QD-OLED, and A80L OLED TVs. Each display has various features catered towards watching movies and shows, gaming, and reducing your power bill. Sony’s updated Cognitive Processor XR features throughout the new TVs, helping produce clear imagery and noise reduction via the brand’s Clear Image technology.

A95L is Sony’s premium Bravia XR TV

Of Sony’s newly revealed TVs, the premium moniker goes to the QD-OLED A95L model. According to Sony, this TV’s panel provides up to 200% more colour brightness than a conventional OLED TV. Because OLED TVs light up at an individual pixel level, they provide great contrast between light and dark images, although they’re usually dimmer than other displays, like Mini-LEDs. With the A95L claiming significant brightness increases, it will be interesting to see how this translates to a real-world living room. When it launches in a few months, you’ll be able to grab the A95L in three sizes: 55, 65, and 77-inch.

Meanwhile, the Bravia XR A80L OLED TV sees an improvement over last year’s model, the A80K, with up to a 110% brightness increase. Sony’s clearly pushing the OLED technology as far as it can go, extolling the virtues of the technology’s contrast and colour accuracy, while making it more viable for more households. You get more size choices with the A80L, with 55, 65, 77, and 83-inch models available.

Looking beyond OLED, we have the Bravia XR X90L, an LED TV featuring local dimming. This likely means less contrast than an OLED but a brighter overall image, which may be better suited to living rooms with lots of natural light.

Sony features galore

All three TVs run on Google TV, so you can easily access content using the Google Assistant voice controls. As an added bonus, Bravia Core comes pre-installed on these TVs, which lets you redeem up to 10 recent movies to watch in addition to 24 months of unlimited streaming from a set catalogue of films. When you watch content via Bravia Core, it automatically optimises the picture, so you get the best experience.

Dolby Vision, IMAX Enhanced, and Netflix Adaptive Calibrated Mode come as standard features across the new Bravia XR TVs. Audio-wise, all TVs support Dolby Atmos, while the two OLED models use a technology called Acoustic Surface Audio+ that results in audio perfectly matching the on-screen action. Another feature across the new range is Bravia Cam, letting you video chat with others, while it also detects where you are in the room, adjusting the picture and audio accordingly.

For gamers, each one of the Bravia XR TVs supports many of the modern features you’ve come to expect: HDMI 2.1 ports, 4K resolution at 120Hz, low latency modes, and variable refresh rates. Unique to PlayStation 5 owners, however, are some exclusive benefits. These include Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode, rewarding you for staying in the Sony ecosystem. At the higher end, the A95L has multi-view, so you can look up guides as you play.

Plus, an in-built Eco Dashboard makes it easy to access energy-saving settings in one place. It includes a set-wizard to optimise settings based on your environment, which can help save on your energy bills in the long run.

To top things off, there’s even something for anime fans: a dedicated remote button for Crunchyroll, the global anime streaming service.

Go big on sound with the HT-S2000 soundbar

Alongside the Bravia XR announcement, Sony also revealed the HT-S2000 3.1 channel Dolby Atmos soundbar. It uses a newly developed up mixer to produce a three-dimensional sound, even when listening to stereo audio. To do this, Sony’s algorithm reallocates sound objects as it analyses the audio track in real time. Engineered to replicate a cinematic surround sound experience, the soundbar includes a centre speaker for clear dialogue, with a dual subwoofer powering the bass.

Sony HT-S2000 soundbar.

Sony also timed the HT-S2000’s launch with its new Home Entertainment Connect app. According to the company, the app guides you through setting up the soundbar, troubleshoot problems, and control settings from your mobile device.

When paired with any of the 2023 Bravia XR TVs, you can synchronise the TV speakers with the soundbar. This reinforces the centre speaker channel, resulting in better dialogue delivery and an improved overall soundscape. Not just confined to the HT-S2000, this feature also works with other compatible Sony soundbars and speakers.

2023 Sony Bravia XR TV release date and price

You won’t have to wait too long before the new TVs launch, with a May 2023 window locked in. Unfortunately, we don’t know local pricing yet, but online listings are ready for when that info drops. We do, however, know that the HT-S2000 soundbar will cost $699 when it launches in late April.

When Sony didn’t discuss TVs at CES 2023, some speculated that it was getting out of the market to focus on other devices. As many of the 2023 Bravia XR TVs’ big features revolve around committing to Sony’s ecosystem, we’ll soon see how many people buy in.

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Fancy new wireless Alienware keyboard is a company-first

A new Alienware keyboard, headset, and mouse range are on the way from Dell’s PC gaming brand, alongside a fresh partnership with Australian esports and recreation venue Fortress.

As part of the recent announcements, Alienware revealed its first wireless gaming keyboard: the AW920K. In addition to the keyboard, other new gaming gear coming soon includes a wireless headset, a wired headset, and a wireless gaming mouse.

Alienware AW920K Tri-Mode Wireless Keyboard

Said to be Alienware’s most customizable and responsive keyboard so far, the rechargeable AW920K boasts a 42-hour battery when connected to its 2.4GHz USB-C dongle. You can also connect it up to three devices simultaneously via Bluetooth 5.1 and swap between devices using a dedicated button on the keyboard.

As is common among specialist gaming keyboards, Alienware’s latest peripheral is mechanical, using Cherry MX Red linear switches made for minimal friction while playing games. Another big feature Alienware highlights is the keyboard’s programmable rocker switch and dial you can customise as you see fit. Via the Alienware Command Centre software, you can tweak the programmable elements to function as media controls, helpful for adjusting volume on the fly.

Alienware new headsets and mouse

More than just a new keyboard, we also have a bunch of other gaming peripherals to look forward to. Starting with the AW720H, a wireless headset that also uses a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle, it also lets you plug in via a 3.5mm wired connection if you forget to recharge. This being said, once its 30-hour battery depletes, it only takes 15 minutes of USB-C charging to get up to six hours of juice.

Alienware’s new wireless headset, the AW720H.

Inside the AW720H are 40mm drivers that use Dolby Atmos to deliver 3D audio, while the retractable boom microphone takes advantage of in-built AI noise-cancelling to block out external noise. Designed for comfort, the wireless headset has a 45mm-wide adjustable headband and soft memory foam ear cups with a breathable fabric covering.

Alienware also introduced a wired headset option: the AW520H. Like the wireless model, it also has 40mm drivers, and an AI noise-cancelling boom microphone, in addition to the same headband and memory foam ear cups. Naturally, the main difference is that it solely uses a 3.5mm wired connection in place of wireless.

Lastly, the Alienware AW620M wireless gaming mouse looks to be well-suited to strategy, role-playing, and MMO games thanks to its sculpted design designed for longer play sessions. Its precise sensor supports up to 26,000 DPI sensitivity, while the 650 IPS and 50G max acceleration help track quick movements.

The AW620M wireless gaming mouse.

In line with the other peripherals, the mouse connects via a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle, which has a rechargeable 140-hour battery. Fortunately, if you get caught in between charges, you can use the device while charging using its lightweight USB cable. It also supports fast charging, giving you up to 10 hours of wireless gameplay from just a five-minute charge.

Sydney esports venue Fortress to feature Alienware gear

Alienware’s recent peripheral launch coincides with confirmation that the global gaming brand will form an integral part of Fortress Sydney, which is set to open in the coming months. More than 70 Alienware Aurora R15 PCs and peripherals will exclusively adorn the NSW venue’s PC gaming area, powered by the latest 13th-generation Intel Core desktop processors.

Fortress and Alienware’s partnership goes back a few years, to the 2020 opening of Fortress Melbourne, and currently lasts until early 2025. Located in Central Park Mall, once Fortress Sydney opens, it will house a dedicated esports venue alongside several gaming-themed attractions including a bar, tavern, and plenty of video games to play.

Release date and price

Each of the Alienware peripherals is due out in the coming months. Already available overseas, the AW620M wireless gaming mouse comes to the rest of the world on 31 March, as does the AW720H wireless headset. Meanwhile, the AW920K wireless Alienware keyboard comes on 19 May, the same time as the wired AW520H headset.

Local pricing isn’t available yet, so we’ll update you when we find out. Peripherals are a competitive space, with even the likes of Sony and Philips encroaching on PC gaming turf in the past year.

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Behind the Era 100 and Era 300, Sonos’ new speakers

Today, Sonos announced two new speakers, the Era 100 and Era 300, joining the company’s connected, multi-room audio range. Both devices are fascinating modern feats of sound engineering.

If the Era 100 looks familiar, that’s because it kind of looks like what would happen if the Sonos Move and the Sonos One had an unholy union, creating a slightly taller, slightly more squished baby. Rather than merely changing up the aesthetics, this is to allow the unit to produce stereo sound from one speaker, utilising two angled tweeters and a midwoofer to achieve stereo separation.

The familiar-looking Sonos Era 100 speaker.

When I went to Sonos headquarters in Santa Barbara last month to learn about the speakers, I was shocked by how accurate the stereo sound was. I could have sworn there were two speakers in the room.

According to Chris Davies, VP of Audio Engineering at Sonos, this took no small amount of engineering witchcraft to pull off. Part of that challenge was that the pandemic started shortly after work began on the speaker. This changed a process that usually involves a lot of people in the same room listening to and discussing a speaker, to an experience spread out over weeks so people could get time with each prototype. Then, it was about making one speaker sound like two speakers.

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“We would run through a lot of things where it’s like, ‘oh, let’s try this’, and we would find that it would be better on one axis and would be compromised on another,” Davies said. “So, we might make something that is spatially way better, but then from a clarity perspective it starts to fall apart, or we get the clarity back and we lose some of the stereo separation. That back and forth is where the big technical challenges in that product came up.”

From Sonos One, to Era 100 and Era 300

It has been almost six years since the Sonos One was last updated. The product started life in 2013 as the Sonos Play:1, bringing the Sonos brand into a more affordable realm and introducing a new group of people to the joy of multi-room audio. Then, in 2017, the speaker was upgraded with smart assistant compatibility, capacitive touch buttons on top, and renamed One. But the move to the Era 100 marks the most significant audio upgrade to the speaker since its introduction.

The second speaker, the Era 300, on the other hand, is a brand-new design. Sonos used to have the Play:3, but aside from being the stepping stone speaker between the Era 100 and the Sonos Five, and having one end thicker than the other, that’s where the comparisons end. The Era 300 is a speaker designed for Dolby Atmos Music, and thus looks completely different to almost every other speaker on the market.

The Sonos Era 300.

That is because the Era 300 kind of is different to every other speaker on the market. Without going for an audiophile studio setup, or using a sound bar that is better tuned for movie and TV audio, I can’t think of a single consumer-level Dolby Atmos speaker that’s designed for music. As it stands now, if you are away from your soundbar and don’t have the cash to splash on a $100,000+ studio Dolby Atmos speaker setup, you’re pretty much stuck with Spatial audio headphones, which are great, but provide a different listening experience. Granted, there is also the new Apple HomePod, but its Spatial effect is far more limited than the Era 300, so it’s a bit of a different beast.

In my brief time previewing the Era 300 in Santa Barbara, it sounded pretty damn good, with songs like Finneas’ “A Concert Six Months From Now” enveloping you in the crowd noise at the beginning. I really felt like I’d crawled inside the song.

Using them as rears in a home theatre set up, we were shown scenes from Top Gun Maverick and A Quiet Place. I must admit to not really noticing the effect as much on the extended Lockheed Martin ad, but the Quiet Place scene was so deeply immersive. I found it hard to try and pick out details of the direction of the audio because I just felt like I was in it and wanted to run for my life. That’s probably a good sign.

See Also

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The way Sonos achieves the Dolby Atmos effect in the Era 300 is by having six class-D digital amplifiers, four tweeters, two woofers and a directional horn, along with the speaker’s unique cinched design.

You’ll notice that I keep specifying Dolby Atmos and not Spatial Audio. That’s because at launch the Era 300 isn’t compatible with Apple Music Spatial Audio, and Sonos remain tight-lipped on future plans. So, in the meantime, the Era 300 can produce Dolby Atmos from Amazon Music and be the most extra rear speakers for a home theatre system.

Reducing waste, one speaker at a time

The new ‘Era’ naming convention marks more than just a marketing buzzword, but a true new, well, era for Sonos. The focus of this era is all about sustainability. While most of the time I would just roll my eyes when a tech company talks about sustainability, because most tech companies churn out a constant flow of products designed to die, with almost pointless annual updates, and pretend that just using renewable energy in their factory filled with mined materials makes a solid difference to the environment. But Sonos actually seems to walk the talk.

9 out of 10 Sonos products ever sold are still in use. Even when Sonos recently had to move to an updated version of the app which meant that a very small number of the oldest products had to be left on the original app, they made sure those products can still work on that original, still-updated, Sonos app. Keeping products in use, thus reducing the need for unnecessary purchases of new ones, is the best way to reduce waste.

The second best way is to make them easily repairable, which is one of the biggest improvements to the Era 100 and Era 300. Older Sonos speakers are held together by adhesives, meaning that the speaker’s outer shell gets discarded if it gets scratched or the innards of the speaker need fixing. Conversely, the new speakers are held together with screws, which greatly cuts down on waste during repairs.

Sonos’ anechoic chambers as used throughout the company’s extensive testing process.

Using screws introduces new challenges because they can rattle and change the sound profile, and they can also interfere with Wi-Fi connections. According to the engineers in Sonos’ RF anechoic chambers, even just changing the colour of the speaker affects the Wi-Fi signal, so adding in a dozen lumps of metal really took that engineering challenge to the next level. While they’re not currently going to be user repairable, that is part of the plan in the not-too-distant future.

Overlooked aspects of speaker design

I spent two days touring the facility in Santa Barbara, hearing from almost every level of testing and design involved in making these speakers. Personally, the most interesting session for me was the one where the guy in charge of durability testing took us through his lab where he covered the various plastic polymers that the designers considered using for the speakers in a wide variety of household goos, like synthetic human sweat, mustard, insect repellent, olive oil, and other things to test if the material could survive it. I also got to see him drop Sonos speakers from different heights onto a variety of surfaces. Watching a Sonos Move crack a paving stone and live to tell the tale was a real highlight.

But, surprisingly for me, the second most interesting presentation was from the Director Packaging Experience, Michelle Enright, who told us about her ten-year journey trying to make the packaging more sustainable. She expects people to keep the boxes of larger products, like the Era 300, for when they move or sell the product, so those boxes need to be made to last while also being recyclable and biodegradable. For smaller products, the box still needs to be protective so the speakers don’t get damaged in transit, but not too big, and easy to open and recycle.

More than just recyclable, Sonos’ packaging is built to last.

Enright went into great detail about trying to find the right paper grains from the right sustainable sources, and not making the box shiny because the glossy shininess is actually plastic film which makes the box much, much harder to recycle. It was startling and refreshing to hear someone so passionate about their area of expertise, talk in depth about something most people will never even think about, even if it is the vehicle for their first introduction to a product.

Available in stores and online on 28 March, the Sonos Era 100 will cost $399 and the Sonos Era 300 will be $749.

Alice Clarke travelled to Santa Barbara as a guest of Sonos.

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Massive BLUETTI autumn camping sale: save up to 29% on power

Autumn is coming and so do the offers on portable solar generators at the BLUETTI Fall Sale 2023 with huge savings up to 29% off selected products, starting 7 March. There’s no better time to stock up on the must-haves for camping, hiking, picnicking and more.

Top-pick All-in-one Power – EB200P  

EB200P+3/PV200 Starts at $4397 (Was $5597, Save $1200)

With 15 outlets, the BLUETTI EB200P has plenty of options for charging your devices.

Packed with a 2200W inverter and 2048Wh LiFePO4 battery, the BLUETTI EB200P is compact and portable for outdoor activities and emergency backup. Its capacity can also be extended to 4096Wh and 5120Wh respectively when connected to the B230 or B300. 15 versatile outlets ensure that any device can be charged in time. Fast charging is still an attractive feature: 1300W for solar and AC combination, 800W for dual AC. The EP200P is just as powerful as the AC200X, and even more affordable. This Fall Sale is the latest comeback for the EB200P after being sold out during last year’s September Sale. Take advantage of this opportunity before it’s gone!

All-rounder Mobile Power – AC200MAX

AC200MAX+3/PV200  Starts at $4546 (Was $5396, Save $850)

The BLUETTI C200MAX, the most popular model for road trips and van life, takes the technology to the next level offering the option to expand with additional battery modules, such as two B230s at 6,144Wh and two B300s at 8,192Wh. Standalone, it has 2,048Wh in its belly and can deliver 2,200W to multiple devices via its 13 outlets and two top-mounted wireless charging pads. It’s a versatile and budget-friendly power backup for indoors and out. It accepts up to 900W of solar input and can be completely charged in 3.5 hours. Equipping a van with an AC200MAX and 3 pieces of 200W PV200 solar panels ensures a stable and constant power supply for off-grid living on the road.

Smart Portable Power – EB3A  

EB3A+PV200 Starts at $1148 (Was $1398, Save $250)

No need to search for power outlets with the affordable BLUETTI EB3A on hand for your next camping trip.

At about 4.6kg, the BLUETTI EB3A is compact and portable for outdoor camping and short trips. It is rated for up to 600W and a 1200W surge wattage, enough to power multiple devices such as laptops, phones, mini-fridges, cameras, and slow cookers. It stores 268W in its LiFePO4 (LFP) battery, delivering 2500 cycles before reaching 80% capacity. 

Outdoor enthusiasts won’t have to search for power outlets in the backcountry with this little power box in hand. EB3A can power a 10W light for 22 hours or a 60W car fridge for 4 hours. On a full charge, it will power a 60W laptop for about 4 hours. When connected to solar panels for max 200W charging, the EB3A allows longer outdoor stays. Plus, the BLUETTI App allows you to monitor and control in real-time from anywhere for ongoing management.

Premium Portable Power – EB55

EB55+PV200 Starts at $1398 (Was $1698, Save $300)

The BLUETTI EB55 has loads of power on the go, along with versatile solar and solar+AC recharging options.

This portable powerhouse is ideal for camping, travelling, overlanding and other outdoor adventures. The BLUETTI EB55 features a 700W continuous AC pure sine inverter and 1400W surge, and a larger capacity of 537Wh. It can power up to 11 devices simultaneously with its versatile DC or AC outputs. A single charge will run a 60W drone for 7 hours and top up a Macbook in 2 hours via a 100W PD USB-C port. Even if it runs out of power, it can be replenished by 6 single or dual charging methods, including 200W solar input and max 400W solar+AC dual input. With the BLUETTI EB55, there’s plenty of power on the go!

About BLUETTI

With over 10 years of industry experience, BLUETTI stays true to a sustainable future through green energy storage solutions for both indoor and outdoor use while delivering an exceptional eco-friendly experience for everyone and the world. BLUETTI is making its presence in 70+ countries and is trusted by millions of customers across the globe. For more information, please visit BLUETTI online at https://www.bluettipower.com.au/ 

BLUETTI Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bluetti.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bluetti_australia/

Youtube： https://www.youtube.com/@BLUETTIOfficial

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Meater Plus review: a helpful wireless smart meat thermometer

8.2

Buy on Amazon

Meater is a cooking thermometer that I had been keen on testing for some time. However, be careful of those who know better. I must admit I am an infrequent cook, and for my review, I pegged myself against my wife and mother-in-law. This review of the Meater Plus is what happened next.

Meater Plus with Bluetooth Repeater

Price (RRP)	$199
Website	Meater Australia
From	Meater
Warranty	12 months
Manual or Support pages	User guide
Country of Manufacture	China
About	Apption Labs (Meater) is an innovative technology start-up dedicated to developing smarter consumer products connected to the Internet and controlled by mobile devices. The company is focused on leveraging cutting-edge technology to solve everyday consumer problems with smarter products.
Other	Read more appliance reviews on GadgetGuy

What is a Meater?

A Meater is a wireless temperature probe that combines with an app to tell you when meat is cooked. It does this by measuring the surrounding and inside temperatures of the meat you cook. Alongside a smartphone app and some clever algorithms, it considers what you are cooking and how you want it cooked. You get a message when your perfectly cooked meat or fish (and large vegetables, in theory) is ready.

It’s designed to solve the age-old issue of cooking a perfect steak (or roast, etc.). Depending on thickness, cooking heat and time, you may ask for a medium-rare steak but often get it too rare or well-done.

With Meater, you take the guesswork out of the process with a target temperature that the meat needs to reach, so the meal is cooked just how you want it.

What are the Meater Plus features?

The Meater Plus comes in a bamboo box with a Bluetooth repeater and a battery to power the repeater and charge the probe. On the back of the box is a magnet, allowing easy attachment to a cool BBQ part. To work, the probe and box must be kept close together, while the Bluetooth repeater has a wireless range of up to 50m. Powering the Meater is a single AAA battery quoted as charging your probe 100 times. I would have liked to have seen a USB rechargeable solution.

The app is both Apple and Android compatible and will work on tablets and watches. You can customise settings on the app, including your preference for Fahrenheit or Celsius, screen and notification settings. There are also menu ideas and helpful instruction videos for beginners.

Impressively, the Meater and connected app’s meat choices are quite extensive, even including kangaroo. After selecting your meat, you choose the cut, and then how you would like to cook it (medium-rare, well-done, etc.).

By inserting the probe into your meat before placing it on the BBQ or oven, you can even monitor your cooking times and be alerted when it is ready to eat based on what type of meat you are cooking and how you like it cooked.

Using the Meater Plus

Usable in an oven, BBQ or smoker, you do need to be careful about the temperature you expose the Meater to. Specifically, the maximum temperature cannot exceed 100 degrees C within the meat and 275 degrees in the ambient air surrounding the meat.

To help you use the device, the Meater probe has a line marked on the shaft indicating how far it should go into the meat. Next, you open your app and select your meat type and how you want it cooked. Part of the recommendation is USDA (US Dept of Ag) standards around safe eating.

Now, back to my wife and mother-in-law. For every BBQ I cook, I get the cooking time wrong more often than I get it right. So surely this magical Meater tool was to solve all my problems.

Unfortunately, trouble started when I tested the Meater on a large turkey. Based on all my other testing, the Meater does a good job of getting the settings right. What I did not consider, however, was that the mother-in-law decided that she always cooked the bird for longer and had far more experience than the latest tech toy.

Guess what? We ate dried turkey that day.

You will be pleased to hear I did cook a lamb roast without any interference and received no complaints.

I really liked that you can monitor your cook process from a different room in the house, with the confidence that you are not incinerating your meal as you entertain guests.

On the smaller side, I have cooked sausages and steaks with the Meater, but note unless you have the multiple Meater pack (two or more probes), you can only monitor one piece of meat if you are cooking multiple steaks. It makes it an expensive exercise if you want to monitor multiple things at once, considering one probe already costs $199.

There is also a fair bit of variety in how you can use the Meater Plus. Suppose you wish to cook an item not listed in the extensive menu list. In that case, the manual mode lets you cook a large root vegetable like sweet potato, assuming you know your desired end temperature.

Cooking meat is not just about cooking, it is also about resting, which most of us neglect, taking the steak straight from the BBQ to the plate. Never fear, because Meater is here to also tell you the right amount of resting time before you put it on the plate.

Those of you who like to do the post-analysis can bring up previous cooks, including a fancy graph of cooking time and temperature as well as what you cooked and the date. You can even rate yourself out of five stars and add text notes.

GadgetGuy’s Take

The Meater Plus is a simple, smart meat probe that helps you cook the meat just how you like it. Once you start using it, you wonder if you can ever be trusted to cook meat without it.

Now I need an app to measure my wife’s mood and keep the mother-in-law from interfering with future cooks.

Meater Plus wireless smart meat thermometer

Although pricey, the Meater Plus makes it easy to cook meat to perfection and entertain guests knowing everything's under control.

Features

9

Value for Money

6

Performance

9

Ease of Use

9

Design

8

Positives

Simple to use

Wide range of meat choices

Good Bluetooth range as you walk around the house

Negatives

No USB charging

You will damage your probe if you exceed temperature limits

Expensive

8.2

Buy on Amazon

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New Dell XPS 15 & 17 laptops wield beefy RTX 40 GPUs

Out soon, the new Dell XPS 15 and 17 laptops are highly powerful machines, as is the newly refreshed desktop PC that packs as much as an RTX 4090 GPU into its tower.

Just taking a quick look at some of the specs, Dell’s latest PCs should handle just about anything you throw at them. For starters, the new XPS devices house 13th Generation Intel Core processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics cards. That’s powerful stuff.

Power on the go: Dell XPS 15 and 17 laptops

Touted as bringing substantial performance upgrades over previous models, the Dell XPS 15 and 17 laptops opt for a blend of portability and power. Creatives and gamers alike are among the target market for these portable PCs.

On the inside, the XPS 15 includes up to a 14-core i9-13900H 5.4GHz processor and as much as 64GB of DDR5 4800MHz RAM. You can also fit it with up to 8TB of PCIe SSD internal storage via two 4TB drives. Its max GPU configuration is an RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, which should be great for photo and video editing, among other graphics-heavy tasks.

On the outside, the Dell XPS 15 brandishes a 15.6-inch 3.5K InfinityEdge OLED touch display at its highest configuration. In terms of connectivity, it has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB 3.2 Type-C port, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, while a USB-C to USB-A adapter and an HDMI 2.0 adapter comes included. Oddly enough, considering the premium specs, the XPS 15 only supports Wi-Fi 6 and not the faster Wi-Fi 6e standard, but it does also have Bluetooth 5.2.

Although most of the internals are the same between laptops, the XPS 17 does have some notable differences. For starters, it supports up to an RTX 4080 Laptop GPU and has four Thunderbolt 4 ports. As its name suggests, the XPS 17’s larger 17-inch display is slightly larger and brighter. At the higher end, it includes a 4K+ display with a 3840 x 2400 resolution and 500-nits brightness.

XPS desktop refreshed

If you thought the laptops were powerful, wait until you see the new desktop’s specs. If you splurged on top-of-the-line parts, you’d get a 24-core i9-13900K processor clocking at 5.4GHz, with up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM. For graphics, the RTX 4090 GPU is available for really serious gamers and video editors. Alternatively, you can pick an AMD Radeon GPU, with the RX7900 XTX an option later down the track.

Dell’s new XPS desktop PC.

Unlike the laptops, the new XPS desktop PC has a Wi-Fi 6e option in addition to Bluetooth 5.2 and Ethernet connectivity. Aside from a mix of USB-A and USB-C ports, the PC even has a built-in SD card reader, ideal for transferring media from a camera to your editing suite. Dell also claims the large tower is designed for expandability, so you can fit even more into it later on.

Release date and price

Due to hit the Dell online store on 11 April, the local pricing for the Dell XPS 15 and 17 laptops has yet to be confirmed. Overseas, with the baseline specs, the XPS 15 starts at US$2,949, while the XPS 17 starts at a higher US$3,479. In other words, these are going to be expensive beasts. To begin with, only the RTX 4070 model with 32GB of DDR5 RAM will be available, with more configurations arriving by the end of autumn.

Meanwhile, the refreshed XPS desktop PC is in a similar boat. It’s due out soon but we don’t know the local pricing yet. As an indication, it starts at US$2,849.99 overseas, its powerful internals coming at a cost. Similar to the laptops, the XPS desktop launches with only an RTX 4080 or 4090 configuration, with more options expected by the middle of the year.

Although not cheap, Dell’s thrown the kitchen sink at its latest XPS computers. We’ll wait to see what the local pricing comes in at, but the spec sheet looks tantalising from a multimedia editing and gaming perspective.

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Lenovo announces latest ThinkPad Z13 and more at MWC 2023

Mobile technology is a broad umbrella, which is why Lenovo announced a massive range of new portable PC and Chromebook devices at MWC 2023. Led by the second-gen ThinkPad Z13 and Z16 Windows 11 laptops, Lenovo’s new devices look suited to creatives, hybrid workers on the move, and students. There are also new hybrid laptop-tablet devices for those looking for greater flexibility.

Next-gen ThinkPad Z13 and Z16 powered by AMD

Arguably the most powerful of the new devices, the Z13 and Z16 ThinkPad laptops house plenty of grunt. They use the latest AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Processors in addition to Radeon 700M Series GPUs, with the option of installing up to 64GB of RAM. Plus, up to a 2TB PCIe SSD should give you plenty of onboard storage. With specs like these, it’s clear Lenovo’s targeting creatives, making it possible to take on more graphics-intensive tasks.

The second-gen ThinkPad Z13 and Z16 both have fast wireless connectivity, supporting Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth connections. Exclusive to the Z13 model is a new top cover material bonded to the recycled aluminium top cover. Made from flax plant fibres, the woven natural material certainly makes the device stand out.

ThinkPads for work and travel

Aimed at the demographic of people who work while travelling or routinely work away from the office, the fourth-gen ThinkPad X13 and ThinkPad X13 Yoga devices come with either AMD or Intel processors. As implied by the name, the Yoga variant has a swivel display you can flip over to quickly show others your screen. Meanwhile, you can get the core X13 model with a 13.3-inch display as fancy as a 2.8K OLED Dolby Vision screen. It also has technology aimed at reducing eye strain by lowering blue light.

Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 4

A 2.8K OLED display is also an option with the upcoming ThinkPad T14 Gen 4, T16 Gen 2, and T14s Gen 4 laptops. Meanwhile, the latest ThinkPad L Series now supports up to 2TB SSD storage, double the previous generation’s capacity.

Lenovo also touted the capabilities of its Lenovo View software, which provides various camera enhancements and features. In line with various other companies recognising we want to look better in video calls, the software features auto-framing and video-enhancing algorithms in addition to privacy settings.

For small-to-medium enterprises, the new ThinkPad E14 Gen 5 and ThinkPad E16 laptops feature an increased 16:10 screen ratio. This comes alongside a larger touchpad and a new keyboard designed for increased comfort and productivity.

Another addition to Lenovo’s lineup included enhanced versions of the ThinkCentre TIO Monitors. Now in their fifth generation, the TIO Monitors come in 21.5 and 23.8-inch versions, and house upgrades to the built-in 1080p camera, microphone, and speakers. Built to house Lenovo’s Tiny PC range, these displays have a rear 3-in-1 connector port where you can snap a PC in and out easily without cables. Some of the use cases Lenovo mentions include reception areas and public-facing kiosks like in libraries. The TIO Monitors also have a rear HDMI port and DisplayPort, allowing connection with up to two external PCs for greater flexibility.

New Duet and Chromebook devices for students

Another reveal from Lenovo included the latest IdeaPad Duet 3i, a laptop-tablet hybrid PC. Positioned as an affordable device for students, it runs on Windows 11 and sports a new 11.5-inch 2K display with 100% DCI-P3 colours and 400 nits of brightness. It’s incredibly slim, too, at just 8.95mm thick, making it easy to take with you. Built to last the school day, the Duet 3i’s battery reportedly lasts up to 8.5 hours, and its Rapid Boost Charge feature gives two hours of use from a 15-minute charge.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 3i

Finally, there’s also the IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook, a 14-inch laptop running on Google’s OS. As with many Chromebooks, it only needs to be powerful enough to handle web-based tasks, evidenced by Mediatek Kompanio 500 Series processor. It also features a Full HD IPS touchscreen, Wi-Fi 6 and USB-C connectivity, and a 13.5-hour battery life.

New ThinkPad Z13 and Lenovo range release date and price

Although Lenovo shared plenty of details about its upcoming portable PC devices, we don’t yet know much about when they’ll arrive or how much they’ll cost. We expect they’ll launch throughout 2023, so we’ll update you with more information as we learn more.

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