How to install OTA updates and keep root on your Google Pixel phone

Part of the beauty of owning a Google Pixel phone comes through the proper availability of firmware images that can be used to return the device to a factory state. Even if you unlock the bootloader, root the phone, or tinker a bit too much, you may find yourself looking for a last resort to restore the stock configuration before taking the monthly security updates. While many hardcore Android fans will know exactly what to do, not everyone is as adept at getting their phone updated without losing root.

If you have access to a PC/Mac and are happy to take matters into your own hands, you can easily keep root access by performing a few extra steps in addition to sideloading the OTA update on your Google Pixel. In this tutorial, we’re going to show you how.

Navigate this article:

• How rooting affects the capability of installing OTA updates
• How to keep root and take OTA updates on your Pixel
  • Recommended method
  • Quick method
• Verification

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How rooting affects the capability of installing OTA updates

Rooting involves modifying parts of the Android boot image so as to gain superuser access. A regular monthly OTA or “over-the-air” update is incremental in nature, which means it can’t apply the delta patch to upgrade the stock boot image due to an obvious binary mismatch in a rooted environment. While opting for the full update package is a viable solution to this problem, it will eventually overwrite the bits and pieces required for root access from the boot partition.

So for those of you who plan to get dirty with your Pixel and may need a savior down the road, we thought we’d make sure you know how to keep root access across monthly security updates. The process isn’t difficult, but it does require a few ADB and Fastboot commands.

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How to keep root and take OTA updates on your Pixel

Before starting, note that this tutorial assumes you have an unlocked bootloader and are already rooted with Magisk. Moreover, make sure that you have the latest ADB and Fastboot binaries installed on your PC/Mac and that the target device can be detected by these tools.

There are a few ways to get your Pixel update to the latest official Android build while keeping root. You can restore the stock boot image of the base version, wait until your phone gets a notification that will prompt you to download any waiting updates to your phone (or sideload the update manually), then patch the updated boot image and flash it. This is a bit slower but recommended method for beginners.

A relatively quicker method to get the very latest update on your Google Pixel while keeping root is to flash the official factory image with a pre-patched boot image. Keep in mind that both methods rely on access to a PC or Mac. None of them requires you to wipe the device, but it’s good practice to backup any irreplaceable data in case something goes wrong.

Recommended method

1. Locate the exact version number of the currently installed software on your Google Pixel phone. Navigate to Settings > About phone and note down the text under the Build number section.
2. Now we need to restore the untouched boot image corresponding to the installed build. As a precautionary measure, open Magisk, switch to the Modules tab, disable the active modules, and restart once before doing so.
   • Depending on the method of patching, the Magisk app might keep a backup of the stock boot image. In that case, you should be able to restore them through the Restore Images option under the after the Uninstall menu of the Magisk app. Nonetheless, we recommend flashing the untouched boot.img from the factory image to avoid any unforeseen issue.
3. Download the fastboot-flashable factory image corresponding to the current Android build number for your Google Pixel phone on your PC/Mac. It should be named as <device codename>-<build number>-factory-<hash value snippet>.zip.
   • Google hosts all of the official builds for each Pixel on its download portal. You can also take a look at our Android 13 download index for easy navigation.
4. Open the factory image using your favorite archive manager, locate the image-<device codename>-<build number>.zip file (yes, there’s a ZIP within a ZIP), and extract the boot.img file from it.
   
5. Install the stock boot.img for the current Android build number:
   1. Make sure USB debugging is enabled on the phone and the adb devices command on the computer returns the phone’s serial number.
   2. Reboot to the phone to the bootloader mode: adb reboot bootloader
   3. Flash the stock boot image: fastboot flash boot <full patch of the stock boot.img>
   4. Reboot: fastboot reboot
6. You can now force your phone to pull any waiting updates by heading to Settings > System > System update > Check for updates. Alternatively, download the latest recovery-flashable full OTA image for your model and sideload it manually.
   • Don’t choose the latest factory image for upgrading, as the inbox flashing script will wipe the device by default.
7. Now that you’re on the latest build, it’s time to patch the boot image with Magisk for regaining root access. We have a dedicated tutorial for how to install Magisk, so take a look at it if you need any help.
8. Once your phone has rebooted after flashing back the patched boot image, you should be safely updated with the very latest OTA with root access.

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Quick method

1. Download the factory image corresponding to the latest update for your Pixel phone on your PC/Mac. You can either do it from Google’s download portal or from our Android 13 download index.
2. Unpack the factory image using your favorite archive manager, locate the image-<device codename>-<build number>.zip file, and extract the boot.img file from it.
3. Patch the stock boot image using Magisk, but don’t flash it on your phone yet.
4. Copy the Magisk-patched boot image from your phone to your PC/Mac and rename it to boot.img.
5. Open the image-<device codename>-<build number>.zip file from step 2 with the archive manager of your choice and replace the stock boot image file in it with the one from step 4.
   • Windows users are suggested to use 7-Zip, so that a simple drag-and-drop should be enough to push the patched file into the archive.
   • Linux and macOS users can use the built-in zip utility to replace the stock boot image with the patched boot image in the factory firmware:

     zip image-<device codename>-<build number>.zip boot.img

6. In order to remove the data wipe routine, modify the flashing script like the following:
   • If you’re on Windows, then open the file named “flash-all.bat” with Notepad (or your favorite text editor), remove the “-w” parameter from the fastboot flashing segment, and save the file.
     
   • For Linux and macOS, open the file named “flash-all.sh” with your favorite text editor, remove the “-w” parameter from the fastboot flashing segment, and save the file.
7. Reboot your Pixel phone to the bootloader mode and perform the flashing operation using Fastboot.
8. If everything goes right, the phone should reboot automatically into the latest OS version — that too with a pre-rooted boot image.

Don’t have access to a computer? While it is possible to direct Magisk to install itself to the inactive slot before taking an incremental OTA and keep root after the update, you might stumble on some unexpected roadblocks in this process. Thus, we recommend patching the boot image yourself and flashing it using a PC.

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Verification

A simple way to check if you have followed all of these steps correctly is to head to Settings > About phone > Android version. You should see the exact patch and build number that you have sideloaded on your Google Pixel device.

Next, open the Magisk app from app drawer and the Magisk build number should be listed beside the “Installed” parameter, indicating that you’ve successfully managed to complete the process.

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If you have any questions regarding rooting your Google Pixel phone, make sure to leave them in the comment section below.

The post How to install OTA updates and keep root on your Google Pixel phone appeared first on XDA.

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AirPods Pro 2: All controls and gestures, explained

The AirPods Pro 2 may not look too different from the original AirPods Pro, but this new pair brings enough improvements — better audio, active noise cancellation, and slightly longer battery life — that they’re destined to be a huge hit.

The new AirPods Pro 2 also gained new gestures for volume control, as well as ear scanning (using the iPhone’s TrueDepth camera system) for “personalized spatial audio.” Add these to the already existing controls, and those who are new to the AirPods Pro may be confused. We’re here to help. Here’s our complete guide to all the controls and gestures you can do with the AirPods Pro 2.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

The new AirPods Pro improve in all the areas that matter, including sound, battery, and in new features.

$249.99 at Best Buy

It’s all in the stems

When the original AirPods were introduced, many joked about its design, but as usual, Apple got the last laugh since many wireless earbuds in the years since have adopted the stemmed look. There is a clear benefit of having stems. They offload some of the hardware components from the core earpieces so they can be less bulky; they can house microphones that are closer to our mouths; and they allow easier controls because the stems can house touch capacitive panels.

The touch panels on each side by default do the same thing:

• A single press starts or pause audio playback
• Long press switches between either active noise cancelation (ANC) or transparency mode
• Double press goes to the next track
• Triple press goes back to the previous track

These controls have been in place since the 2019’s AirPods Pro, but the new 2022 second-gen models add a new action:

• Swipe to adjust volume

Jump into settings and you can assign specific actions to long presses. For example, I set it so long pressing the left stem’s panel triggers Siri instead of switching between noise cancelation modes. In the settings, you can also add a neutral listening mode that is neither ANC nor transparency mode.

Voice commands work too

You can also access Siri via voice by saying “Hey Siri” out loud. Thanks to the three microphones on each bud, I find that even when I’m outside on city streets, the AirPods can pick up my command and summon Siri accordingly.

Head tracking

This isn’t a specific control feature per se, but the AirPods Pro 2 can also detect head movements, which is used for listening sessions with Spatial Audio. When music is playing and Spatial Audio is enabled, you can hear the audio shift from one side of your ear to the other if you turn your head, as if the music source is in a real-world space in front of you.

Call Controls

You can answer and decline phone calls when you are wearing the AirPods Pro 2.

• A single press/squeeze on the stem answers the phone call.
• Double press/squeeze on the stem declines the incoming phone call.

Once you have answered the call, you can single press/squeeze on the stem to end the call too.

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One thing that sets AirPods Pro 2 apart from many other earbuds is that these gestures all work very well and have small refinements in hardware or software. For example, the haptic engine inside the stems is excellent, giving a tactile click anytime you press into it. Swipes will also bring an audible and satisfactory click as if you have physically swiped a switch.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation)

The new AirPods Pro improve in all the areas that matter, including sound, battery, and in new features.

$249.99 at Best Buy

Factor in the excellent sound quality and seamless connectivity with iOS devices, and it’s easy to see why these are so popular. If you are not sold on the AirPods Pro 2, there are lots of other great wireless earbuds available.

The post AirPods Pro 2: All controls and gestures, explained appeared first on XDA.

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Best docking stations for Surface Pro 9 in 2022

If you purchased a Surface Pro 9, then you might have figured out by now that just having two USB-C ports onboard might not be enough for you. For connections to printers, monitors, and other accessories, you will need a dongle or a dock. That’s why we’re here to help with our favorite docking stations for the Surface Pro 9 below.

The good news is that just like with other Surface PCs and Windows tablets, there are a ton of great docks for the Surface Pro 9. The docks range from official ones from Microsoft to third-party ones from Razer, Anker, and more. They also come with various ports, whether you need something for all of your accessories or just need an extra USB-A port. Check out our favorite docking stations for the Surface Pro 9 below!

Microsoft Surface Dock 2

Official dock from Microsoft

The Surface Dock 2 has been Microsoft's standard dock for Surface devices for years, so it'll work well with your Surface Pro 9. It uses the Surface Connect port, and adds USB Type-A and Type-C ports, Ethernet, and display outputs via USB Type-C.

See at Best Buy

Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub

An official travel dock

If you want to take more ports with you on the road, the Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub gives you a couple of USB ports, HDMI, VGA, and Ethernet connections wherever you need them.

See at Amazon

Microsoft Surface USB-C to Ethernet and USB 3.0 Adapter

For Ethernet and USB-A

If you just need a USB-A and Ethernet port for your Surface Pro 9, you'll want to check out this basic option.

See at Amazon

Kensington Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station

Thunderbolt dock

This Kensington Thunderbolt dock adds USB ports, an SD card reader, Ethernet, and Thunderbolt daisy chaining. It also delivers 90W of power to your laptop regardless of what you connect to it.

See at Amazon

Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Docking Station

Affordable USB hub

To save even more money if you don't need Thunderbolt, this USB dock from Plugable is a great alternative. It adds six USB ports, Ethernet, and display outputs at a reasonable price.

See at Amazon

Anker 777 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

A premium metal dock

If you want a great all-around dock with a wide range of ports and a premium design, the Anker 777 is probably one of your best options. It comes in a sturdy-looking all-metal shell and has numerous ports, including two HDMI ports, USB Type-A, Ethernet, and downstream Thunderbolt.

See at Anker

Brydge Stone II USB-C Universal Docking Station

Sleek dock

The Brydge Stone II USB-C Universal Docking Station is one of the sleekest docking stations you can get for the Surface Pro 9. It's not super expensive and has plenty of ports, including Ethernet and USB Type-A, for connections to your other accessories.

See at Amazon

CalDigit Element Hub

Small dock

If you want a very compact dock and you mostly rely on Thunderbolt-based peripherals, the CalDigit Element Hub may be for you. It only has a few ports, but with three Thunderbolt downstream connections and four USB Type-A ports, it's still very capable.

See at Amazon

Dell Dual Charge Dock

Dock with wireless charging

It's not for everyone, but the Dell Dual Charge Dock is an interesting product that gives you more ports for your laptop, charges it, and also has a wireless charging pad for your phone. It's pretty expensive, but you get a few extra ports and a very unique feature set to boot.

See at Amazon

That’s it for the best docks for the Surface Pro 9. We suggest buying the Surface Dock 2, as it’s the best dock you can get from Microsoft. And because it comes directly from Microsoft, you know that it’ll work. Of course, you can buy any of the other docks on our list, too, especially if you want to use them with other devices or need more specific ports.

Surface Pro 9 (Wi-Fi Model)

The Surface Pro 9 is a top-tier Windows tablet with Intel or Qualcomm processors, and it comes in multiple colors for the first time ever.

See at Best Buy

Surface Pro 9 5G

The Surface Pro 9 with 5G is powered by the new Microsoft SQ3 chipset and it has a 120Hz display.

See at Best Buy

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Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 review: Big Ryzen energy

Announced way back at CES this year, Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z-series is a modern take on a ThinkPad, a brand that’s known for hanging onto legacy components and, frankly, being a little stale. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is larger than the ThinkPad Z13, and now that I’ve reviewed them both, I actually think the former is the better product.

This is a great business laptop. It’s got a 16-inch 16:10 display, an excellent 1.35mm keyboard, and solid build quality.

What I liked most of all are the steps Lenovo took to make this more modern and make it stand out amongst other Lenovo laptops. For example, there are no buttons above the touchpad on the ThinkPad Z16. Instead, there’s a larger haptic touchpad, and thanks to the nature of a haptic touchpad, you can use the top portions as buttons for use with the TrackPoint if you want. Alternatively, they can be used as an extension of the touchpad. There are some minor things as well. For example, the Ctrl button is to the left of the Fn key, which is normal for any laptop, but not typical for a ThinkPad.

The only real downside is that AMD Ryzen mobile processor performance suffers when it’s not connected to power. But the main reason that I like the ThinkPad Z16 better than the Z13 is that in real-world usage, I didn’t find that to be as problematic.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z16

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is built around AMD's Ryzen 6000 processors, and it's a fully modernized ThinkPad.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

See at Lenovo

Navigate this review:

• Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 pricing and availability
• Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 specs
• Design: A modern take on a ThinkPad
• Display: FHD with an option for 4K OLED
• Keyboard: It’s the best on a ThinkPad
• Performance: AMD Ryzen is great… when it’s plugged in
• Who should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16?

Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 pricing and availability

• The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 launched in late 2022, and it currently starts at $1,654.50

While Lenovo actually announced its brand-new ThinkPad Z-series at CES in January 2022, AMD actually didn’t start shipping Ryzen 6000 until later in the year, well after Intel started shipping its mobile 12th-gen chips. Nevertheless, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is available now, starting at $1,654.50 on Lenovo.com. Of course, Lenovo’s prices on its website fluctuate.

The model that the company sent me for review costs $2,196.95 from a variety of third-party retailers like B&H and CDW. It includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, integrated graphics, unlike the units on Lenovo.com, an FHD+ display, 16GB LPDDR5, and a 512GB SSD.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 specs

Processor	AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H Processor (3.20 GHz, up to 4.70 GHz Max Boost, 8 Cores, 16 Threads, 16 MB Cache)
Graphics	Integrated AMD Radeon 600M Series
Body	15.8mm x 355mm x 238mm / .63 x 13.95 x 9.35 inches, Starting at 1.95kg / 4.3 pounds
Display	16″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, 400 nits, low power, 100% sRGB, low blue-light display
Memory	16GB LPDDR5 (dual channel, soldered)
Storage	512GB PCIe Gen 4 Performance SSD
Camera	IR & FHD 1080p discrete, with E-camera shutter
Battery	Up to 20.5 hours (MM18), 72Wh Supports Rapid Charge (up to 80% in 60 minutes) with 135W adapter
Ports	2 x USB-C 4 USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Full-sized SD card slot Headphone / mic combo
Input	Backlight Spill-resistant Glass haptic TouchPad with integrated navigation buttons: 120mm / 4.72 inches wide Dual-purpose TrackPoint: navigate like a mouse or double-tap to open Communication Quick Menu
Connectivity	WiFi 6E 802.11AX (2 x 2) Bluetooth 5.1 or above
Audio	Dolby Atmos Speaker System Dolby Atmos headphone 2 x mics with Dolby Voice 2 x 2W User-facing speakers
Security	Chip-level AMD Memory Guard Microsoft Pluton chip-to-cloud technology Discrete Trusted Platform Module (dTPM) Match-on-chip (MoC) fingerprint reader Facial recognition with IR camera Camera e-shutter (kill switch) F9 control key Kensington Nano Security Slot
Material	Recycled Aluminum
Color	Arctic Grey
OS	Windows 11 Pro
Price	$2,196.95

Design: A modern take on a ThinkPad

• The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is made out of aluminum, and it comes in Arctic Grey
• It has three USB Type-A ports and a full-size SD card slot

Unlike the smaller ThinkPad Z13, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 only comes in one color. It’s called Arctic Grey, but you might know it by its street name: silver. Indeed, it’s a pretty standard matte silver lid, but it has polished edges that give it a nice look.

It also has a tab at the top, which we’re seeing in several of Lenovo’s newly-designed ThinkPads. It makes it easier to open the laptop, and it also adds a bit of style. While this device is all-silver with a brushed metal look on that tab, you’ll find that on models like the ThinkPad Z13, it can give it a two-tone look. I like this for the ThinkPad brand, which has a reputation for being dull regarding its design.

 

There aren’t many ports on this laptop, which is a bit surprising for a 16-inch laptop. Of course, one of this product’s key principles involves making the ThinkPad more modern, and being modern means no USB Type-A.

USB 4 means AMD laptops don't need Thunderbolt.

In fact, all three USB ports are USB Type-C. Two of them are USB 4, and another one is USB 3.2 Gen 2. Unfortunately, none of those ports are actually labeled, so if you buy this laptop and you really need the extra bandwidth provided by USB 4, you just have to guess which ones have what you need. The good news is that there’s a two-thirds chance you’ll get it right.

AMD laptops don’t come with Thunderbolt since that’s a proprietary Intel thing that would cost money to include, but USB 4 is here. We don’t have to look at the lack of Thunderbolt as a disadvantage for AMD anymore. USB 4 is similar to Thunderbolt 3 in that it can support 20Gbps or 40Gbps speeds, so you’re not missing out.

There’s also a full-size SD card slot, which is a rarity in today’s day and age and is much appreciated. It’s a simple thing to point out, and if this paragraph sounds dumb to you, that’s fine. You probably don’t need an SD card slot, but people who use digital cameras do. It makes the ThinkPad Z16 that much better of a machine for creators.

Ultimately, I love the design. Like the ThinkPad Z13, it’s a modern take on a ThinkPad, designed from the ground up to use AMD’s new Ryzen processors. Being the 16-inch version, it’s simply not as mainstream as the 13-inch one, so the ThinkPad Z16 only comes in one color —the most mainstream one. I always find silver laptops a bit dull, but it’s still the most popular laptop color on the market, kind of like a black smartphone.

Display: FHD with an option for 4K OLED

• The 16-inch display comes in either 1920 x 1200 or 3840 x 2400
• The webcam is 1080p

As you’d expect, there’s a 16-inch 16:10 display, and while Lenovo sent me the 1920 x 1200 one, it’s actually quite nice. This one is matte, and it’s good at blocking glare from direct sunlight. The one I’m reviewing is non-touch, but there’s a touch FHD+ option as well.

However, if you want the prettiest screen, there’s a 4K OLED option. As I said above, the SD card slot means that this is a great laptop for creators that edit photos and videos. If that sounds like you, it’s worth looking at 4K OLED. Frankly, I don’t feel like 1920 x 1200 is a high enough resolution for a screen of this size.

Other than some pixelation, the screen is pretty solid. Being 16:10, that also means that it’s about 11% taller than older 16:9 displays, so you actually get a much bigger screen than 15.6-inch 16:9 laptops that were common a couple of years ago.

According to my testing, this display supports 100% sRGB, 73% NTSC, 78% Adobe RGB, and 78% P3. Those scores are decidedly average, but as I said, if you want the best, you go OLED.

Brightness came in at 350.3 nits, which is lower than promised, but I had no problem using it in direct sunlight. The contrast ratio was good at 1,590:1.

The webcam is FHD, as it should be. In the age of working from home, a quality webcam is critical, so it’s nice to see Lenovo focusing on that. There’s also a built-in privacy guard, which can be accessed through the keyboard.

When you hit the button to block the camera, there’s an icon that displays on the screen that indicates that the camera won’t work. There’s no physical indicator on the camera itself, but if you try to use it, you’ll get a warning that it’s blocked.

Keyboard: It’s the best on a ThinkPad

• The Ctrl key is in the right place!
• The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a 1.35mm keyboard

Being a large laptop, the keyboard deck is nice and spacious. It’s all black, like you’d expect from a ThinkPad, and it gives the laptop itself a nice two-tone design with its silver exterior. Also, the keys have 1.35mm depth, which is the proper depth for ThinkPad keys. You’ll only find it on ThinkPads that were designed in recent years, such as the ThinkPad X1 Nano, ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, ThinkPad X13s, and ThinkPad Z13, and it’s just great. Other ThinkPads are 1.5mm or even deeper. In other words, the keyboard is nice and comfortable to use.

The 1.35mm keyboard is the sweet spot for ThinkPads.

It’s accurate too. There’s no double typing here. Of course, it has a TrackPoint in the middle of the keyboard, and that’s the one thing about the ThinkPad Z16 that’s not modernized. But look, the Ctrl button is even in the right place. Most ThinkPads put the Fn key all the way to the left, unlike every other laptop on the market, forcing new customers to build new muscle memory.

The keyboard is flanked by 2W speakers, which sound fairly powerful. With the speaker and microphone quality, the ThinkPad Z16 is great for meetings, but as we’ll talk more about in the performance section, you do have to be connected to power.

The touchpad is all-new for the ThinkPad Z-series, and it’s a big part of modernizing what makes a ThinkPad a ThinkPad. Thanks to the haptic touchpad, there’s no need for buttons above it. Previously, those buttons needed to be there for use with the TrackPoint. But now, that space can be used as buttons or as an extension of the touchpad. It’s the best of both worlds, and it’s an innovative solution to balance the onboarding of new customers with ThinkPad loyalists that use legacy functionality like the TrackPoint.

Performance: AMD Ryzen is great… when it’s plugged in

• The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 uses AMD Ryzen 6000 PRO H-series processors
• There’s an option for dedicated graphics
• AMD’s laptop processors still struggle when not connected to power

The ThinkPad Z-series is designed around AMD Ryzen 6000 processors, so unlike many AMD laptops, there’s no Intel flavor. While the Z13 uses 15W U-series processors, the ThinkPad Z16 uses 45W H-series processors. This machine is available with dedicated graphics, but Lenovo sent one with integrated graphics, which work pretty well.

You’ll see below that benchmarks between the ThinkPad Z13 and Z16 are almost identical, but I experienced some big differences. The Z16 definitely feels more powerful, and it doesn’t seem to slow down as quickly. Some OEMs have also been pushing out laptops with Intel’s 45W H-series processors and integrated graphics, and I’m here to say that the ThinkPad Z16 is better than those.

	Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H	Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U	Dell XPS 13 Plus Core i7-1280P
PCMark 10	6,328	6,281	5,481
3DMark: Time Spy	2,601	2,357	1,992
Geekbench 5 (single / multi)	1,530 / 9,205	1,507 / 8,697	1,700 / 10,293
Cinebnech R23 (single / multi)	1,511 / 12,611	1,504 / 10,092	1,629 / 10,121

 

As you can see, the scores aren’t all that different between the 45W processor in the ThinkPad Z16 and the 15W processor in the Z13. Ryzen 6000 is quite good, but like all Ryzen mobile chips, it has one major flaw: Performance is significantly throttled if it’s running on battery life. Using PCMark 10, the ThinkPad Z16 with its 45W processor scored 6,328, while the ThinkPad Z13 with its 15W processor scored 6,281. When not connected to power, that score dropped to 5,254 and 5,340, respectively. However, with the Z13, I really felt that difference in performance. That thing was hard to use on battery life, and I don’t feel that way about the ThinkPad Z16.

And yes, I’m keeping the power slider at best performance. It’s a must when using a Ryzen machine on battery life. The default is actually best power efficiency, something you will absolutely have to turn off.

The scores do smoke Intel’s 12th-gen processors in most categories. Intel still wins in single-core, which is super-important, and of course, Intel wins when not connected to power.

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 comes with all-day battery life, and that's saying a lot.

Battery life is pretty great, so I guess there’s a win here with AMD shutting off so much stuff when not connected to power. As I said, with AMD Ryzen, I have to keep the power slider on best performance. I usually use ‘balanced’ on Intel machines, but ultimately, I aim to keep performance and display brightness at a comfortable level while I work regularly.

The best battery life I got was exactly 500 minutes, and I actually hit that mark twice. That’s eight hours and 20 minutes of real work, not running some battery benchmark or streaming video on a loop. On average, I’d get around six and a half hours. The lowest I got, which was obviously a fluke, was three hours and six minutes.

In other words, battery life is excellent. If you’re getting between 6.5 and 8.5 hours on a machine like this, that’s great, especially given the powerful CPU.

Who should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16?

You should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 if:

• You edit photos and videos
• You’re on the go a lot
• You want a business laptop with a big screen

You should NOT buy the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 if:

• You need the best performance if you’re not connected to power
• You need enough power for 4K 60 FPS video editing

The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 can definitely handle video editing, but even with the dedicated graphics option, you’ll want something beefier for 4K 60 FPS video editing or gaming. Also, if you need power when you’re not connected to power, you need to go Intel. But for creators, you get that SD card slot, an optional OLED display, and optional Radeon dedicated graphics.

Lenovo ThinkPad Z16

he Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is built around AMD's Ryzen 6000 processors, and it's a fully modernized ThinkPad.

See at Lenovo

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Apple iPhone 14 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Which phone should average users buy?

If you’re looking for a decent flagship under $1000, the iPhone 14 and Galaxy S22 are two of the best options on the market. Both phones have quite a few things in common. They start at the same price: $799, are relatively small phones and are the cheapest models in their respective lineups. But which one is a better purchase for the average user? We try to find the answer in this iPhone 14 vs Galaxy S22 face-off.

Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Apple iPhone 14: Specifications

Specification	Samsung Galaxy S22	Apple iPhone 14
Build	Glass back Aluminum frame	Aluminum mid-frame Glass front and back “Ceramic Shield” for front glass
Dimensions & Weight	146 x 70.6 x 7.6mm 167g for the non-mmWave model 168g for the mmWave model	146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8mm 172g
Display	6.1-inch AMOLED 2X Display 2340 x 1080, 425 PPI HDR10+ certified 120Hz refresh rate Always On Display	6.1-inch OLED display, 2556 x 1179-pixel resolution at 460 PPI 60Hz refresh rate HDR display, True Tone, Wide color (P3) 800 nits max brightness, 1200 nits peak brightness (HDR)
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (US, select other regions) Samsung Exynos 2200 (most other countries)	A15 Bionic
RAM & Storage	128/256GB internal storage 8GB LPDDR5 RAM No microSD card slot	6GB RAM 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, No microSD card
Battery & Charging	3,700mAh battery 25W USB PD 3.0 PPS wired charging Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (only available with Samsung Super Fast Wireless Charger and Super Fast Wireless Charger Duo) Wireless PowerShare (reverse wireless charging)	3,279mAh rated for up to 20 hours of video playback 20W wired charging 15W MagSafe charging 7.5W Qi wireless charging
Security	Ultrasonic Fingerprint sensor	Face ID
Rear Camera(s)	50MP main (F/1.8, 1.0μm, 85˚ FOV), binned 12MP ultra-wide (F/2.2/1.4μm/120˚ FOV) 10MP telephoto (F2.4/1.0μm/36˚ FOV)	Primary: 12MP wide, f/1.5 aperture, 1.9μm sensor-shift OIS Seven-element lens 5x digital zoom Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4 aperture
Front Camera(s)	10MP (F2.2/1.22μm/80˚ FOV)	TrueDepth camera: 12MP, ƒ/1.9
Port(s)	USB Type-C No headphone jack	USB Type-C No headphone jack
Audio	Stereo speakers Bluetooth Dual Audio	Stereo Speakers Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio
Connectivity	5G: Non-Standalone (NSA), Standalone (SA), Sub6 / mmWave LTE: Enhanced 4×4 MIMO, Up to 7CA, LTE Cat.20 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4/5/6GHz) Bluetooth v5.2 NFC GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.3 Ultra Wideband (UWB) NFC
Software	Android 12 with One UI 4.1 Four major Android OS updates promised Five years of security patches	iOS 16
Other Features	Samsung Pay (MST in some countries, NFC)	Apple Pay IP68 rating

Design & Display

The Apple iPhone 14 and Galaxy S22 feature familiar designs. This is especially true for the iPhone 14, which looks indistinguishable from its predecessor except for the new colorways. It has flat sides and a square camera module on the back. The notch is still there, and so is the lightning port at the bottom.

Speaking of the Galaxy S22, it retains the general design of its predecessor, but there are a few changes. For one, the Galaxy S22 swaps the plastic back of the S21 for a glass back. Secondly, it features a color-matched camera island that doesn’t blend into the mid-frame.

The iPhone 14 is slightly taller than the Galaxy S22 and a tad heavier. Both phones are made of high-quality materials, featuring aluminum frames and glass backs. As for durability, the S22 features a Gorilla Glass Victus Plus on the front, while the iPhone 14 has Ceramic Shield protection. Additionally, both devices boast IP68 certification for dust and water resistance. But even then you should definitely pick up a protective case to protect your shiny new phone from drops and scratches.

No matter which phone you pick, you’ll get a wide range of color options. The Galaxy S22 comes in Phantom Black, White, Pink Gold, Green, Graphite, Sky Blue, Violet, Cream, and Bora Purple. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 is available in Midnight, Purple, Starlight, Blue, and Red.

Both the Galaxy S22 and iPhone 14 have 6.1-inch displays, which are considered small by today’s standards. The Galaxy S22’s AMOLED panel has 1080 x 2340 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 1300 peak brightness with HDR10+ support. The iPhone 14 panel offers a higher resolution at 1170 x 2532 pixels and provides 1200 nits brightness and Dolby Vision support. Additionally, it supports Apple’s True Tone feature to provide a more readable experience in different lighting conditions.

When it comes to the refresh rate, the iPhone 14 is at a disadvantage as it’s locked to 60Hz. The Galaxy S22, on the other hand, can scale its refresh rate all the way up to 120Hz to provide a smoother scrolling experience and dial it down to 48Hz to conserve battery. The iPhone 14 also doesn’t offer Always-on Display similar to the Galaxy S22.

Let’s not mince words here. The Galaxy S22 has a superior display. Not only does the Galaxy S22 have a more immersive display thanks to a less distracting hole-punch notch, but it is also smoother and brighter than the iPhone 14 panel.

Camera

On the back of the iPhone 14 is a familiar dual-camera setup consisting of a 12MP f/1.5 main shooter and a 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera. The ultra-wide shooter is unchanged from the iPhone 13, but the main camera has been upgraded with a faster upgrade and larger pixel size for improved light sensitivity. There’s also a brand new 12MP f/1.9 selfie camera on the front, which promises big improvements in low light.

The Galaxy S22 packs a triple camera setup, featuring a 50MP f/1.8 main shooter, a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto lens, and a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide sensor.

As you can see, the Galaxy S22 has a more versatile camera setup. It boasts a 10MP dedicated telephoto lens that offers 3x optical and up to 30x digital zoom. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 doesn’t have a zoom lens, but it offers 5x digital zoom from its main camera.

As far as image quality is concerned, both phones are neck to neck. In daylight, both phones’ main cameras deliver sharp images with good detail retention, high dynamic range, and great contrast. However, as you can notice in the samples attached below, the Galaxy S22 favors saturated colors that look pleasing to the eyes, while the iPhone 14 shots showcase true-to-life colors.

For low-light and night photography, both phones offer a dedicated night mode. The iPhone 14 also benefits from Apple’s new image pipeline called Photonic Engine, which the company says delivers 2.5x better mid-to-low light performance on the main camera and up to 2x on the ultra-wide camera.

iPhone 14 camera samples

Galaxy S22 image samples

While there’s no clear winner in still photography, the iPhone 14 takes the lead in the video department. The iPhone lineup has always delivered class-leading video performance, and the iPhone 14 is no different. No matter what format or resolution you choose, you’ll get buttery smooth video footage with rock-solid stabilization. In addition, the new Action mode further strengthens the phone’s video capabilities by offering gimbal-like stabilization. One advantage the Galaxy S22 has over the iPhone 14 is that it can shoot 8K footage while the former tops out at 4K.

Performance, Battery life, and Software

The iPhone 14 packs last year’s A15 Bionic chipset. It’s the first time the standard iPhone doesn’t get the latest and greatest Apple silicone, with the company reserving the new A16 Bionic chipset for the more expensive Pro models. The Galaxy S22’s processing package depends on the market. In Europe, you get Samsung’s in-house Exynos 2200 chipset, while other markets get Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.

Although the iPhone 14 has an older chipset, it blows the Galaxy S22 out of the water in raw performance. In Geekbench, the iPhone 14 scored 1714 on single-core and 4567 on multi-core, while the Galaxy S22 only posted 1,216 and 3,126, respectively.

While the iPhone 14 dominates benchmarks, the Galaxy S22 shines in real-life performance, offering a fast and fluid performance thanks to its 120Hz display. Scrolling and system navigation feel sluggish on the iPhone 14 due to its 60Hz panel. The difference is only noticeable if you’re coming from a 90Hz or 120Hz display. This shouldn’t be an issue if you have never used a high refresh rate display before.

Both phones are available in multiple storage configurations. The Galaxy S22 comes in 128GB and 256GB versions with 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 14 is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB variants with 6GB of RAM.

The battery life is another area where the iPhone 14 beats the Galaxy S22. The Galaxy S22’s 3,700mAh battery is 300mAh smaller than its predecessor. Samsung thought that the smaller display and more efficient chipset would compensate for the reduced battery in the Galaxy S22, but it hasn’t worked out that way, as the phone struggles to last a full day on heavy usage. The iPhone 14, on the other hand, is more dependable, and you will have no trouble getting through a full workday, even with heavy usage.

When it comes to charging speed and convenience, Samsung’s flagship has the iPhone 14 soundly beat. The Galaxy S22 offers faster 25W wired charging compared to iPhone 14’s 20W charging speed. Both phones also support wireless charging though only the Galaxy S22 offers reverse wireless charging.

The iPhone 14 continues to use the proprietary Lightning port instead of the universal USB-C port that all Android phones, including the Galaxy S22, use. That means you’ll have to carry a separate charging cable for the iPhone while traveling.

On the software front, the iPhone 14 ships with iOS 16 out of the box, while the Galaxy S22 runs Android 12 with One UI 4 on top. If Apple’s excellent track record is any indication, we can expect the iPhone 14 to receive at least 5 years of software updates. The Galaxy S22 isn’t too far, either. It’s promised to get four major Android OS updates and five years of security updates.

iPhone 14 vs Galaxy S22: Which one should you buy?

The iPhone 14 vs Galaxy S22 comparison doesn’t yield a clear winner as both devices have their strengths and weaknesses. The Galaxy S22 boasts a better display, a more versatile camera system, and a better charging experience. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 offers more raw power, superior video performance, and better software support.

Apple iPhone 14

The iPhone 14 is powered by A15 Bionic chipset and is the first smartphone to offer basic satellite connectivity.

Buy from Best Buy

Buy from AT&T

There is no clear answer as to whether you should buy the iPhone 14 or Galaxy S22. Since both phones belong to two completely different ecosystems, let your individual need, priorities, and personal preference decide which phone is better for you. If you’re already deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, the iPhone 14 might serve you better. On the other hand, if you value customization, openness, and versatility of the Android platform, the Galaxy S22 is one of the best Android flagships you can buy.

Samsung Galaxy S22

The Galaxy S22 offers a gorgeous 6.1-inch AMOLED display and capable cameras.

Buy from Samsung

The iPhone 14 starts at $799, but you can take advantage of deals to get it for a lot less. If you’re rocking an iPhone 13 or 12, there’s no need to upgrade to iPhone 14, as there aren’t enough improvements and upgrades to be worth the jump. The same goes for the Galaxy S22. It also starts at $799 but can be had for much less with deals. It doesn’t bring many upgrades over its predecessor and is easy to skip if you’re using a Galaxy S21 series device.

The post Apple iPhone 14 vs Samsung Galaxy S22: Which phone should average users buy? appeared first on XDA.

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