Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) Review: A15 Bionic at $430 just about makes up for outdated design

You know the saying “looks aren’t everything — it’s what’s inside that count”? That’s the new third-generation iPhone SE (which we’ll call iPhone SE 3 going forward) in a nutshell. While the phone has a sleek, understated look that doesn’t offend, I can’t in good conscience say it looks good either. Not with the thick bezels, not-even-1080p LCD screen with angular corners, and the fingerprint magnet back. But while the iPhone SE 3 is not a looker, it packs the smartest brain in smartphones right now — the Apple A15 Bionic. This is the same 5nm chip powering the iPhone 13 series (including the top dog, the iPhone 13 Pro Max), and it’s more powerful than any other mobile SoC, including the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This means the $430 iPhone SE has better brains than any Android phone right now, even the ones that cost well over $1,000.

If processing power is all that you care about, the iPhone SE 3 is already a serious contender. But there’s one other group the iPhone SE 3 could appeal to — those on a tighter budget but still want an iPhone.

Apple iPhone SE (2022)

Apple's new iPhone SE (2022) is the most affordable iPhone running the all-powerful A15 Bionic chip, which improves everything from battery life to camera performance

Pros:

Cons:

View at Best Buy

iPhone SE 3 (2022) Specifications

Specification	iPhone SE 3 (2022)
Build	Glass front and back Aluminum frame
Dimensions & Weight	138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm 144g
Display	4.7-inch Retina IPS LCD 750 x 1334 60Hz refresh rate
SoC	Apple A15 Bionic
RAM & Storage	256GB storage RAM not disclosed
Battery & Charging	Battery size not officially disclosed 18W wired charging Charging brick not included
Security	Touch ID fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 12MP f/1.8
Front Camera(s)	7MP, f/2.2
Port(s)	Lightning port
Audio	Dual Stereo Speakers
Connectivity	NFC Bluetooth 5.0
Software	iOS 15.4
Other Features	Wireless charging

About this review: Apple provided me with an iPhone SE (2022) for testing. It did not have any input in this review.

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Apple iPhone SE 3: Hardware and Design

• Other than the chip, the hardware is exactly the same as the iPhone SE 2020, which itself recycled the body of the iPhone 8 from 2017
• A really comfortable in-hand feel due to small size, light weight, and rounded corners and sides
• Apple A15 Bionic blows away any Android phone’s SoC at similar price range

If you’re feeling generous, the iPhone SE 3’s design can be called retro, perhaps even iconic. But if you want to be blunt: the hardware looks very dated, because it is indeed very dated: those gigantic bezels sandwiching the 4.7-inch display; the single rear camera with a jarringly small lens; and an actual physical clicky home button. This is for the most part, the exact same outer shell as the iPhone 8, which was released in 2017. In 2022 and the age of huge multi-camera setups and large displays with minimal bezels, this design screams “ancient“.

If you're feeling generous, the iPhone SE 3's design can be called retro, perhaps even iconic. But bluntly, it's outdated.

The LCD panel has numbers that look quite underwhelming: 750 x 1334, 60Hz refresh rate, 625 nits of max brightness. But in real-world usage, the screen still looks fine. iOS’s animations have always felt smooth even at 60Hz, and the screen is small enough that the lower resolution doesn’t show as much. Of course, for a spoiled person like me who gets to use the newest, most expensive phones, this screen isn’t going to impress me, but I suppose those who are even considering buying this phone are not jumping down from a 120Hz OLED screen.

For me, after using large screens for so long, the 4.7-inch feels really cramped — I had trouble typing the first half a day of use, but I eventually adjusted. Because of the bezels and the 16:9 aspect ratio, the iPhone SE 3 is still taller and wider than the iPhone 13 Mini, but the former is a more comfortable phone to hold, because it’s thinner, lighter (144g, which feels absolutely dainty in 2022) and has rounded sides instead of the iPhone 13 Mini’s flat, angular sides.

Apple iPhone SE 3 side by side against the Apple iPhone 13 Mini

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Apple iPhone SE 3: Cameras

• Camera hardware is outdated, but A15 Bionic compensates quite a bit
• With good lighting, video footage looks almost flagship iPhone quality — which means better than most Android cameras
• Camera app is fast and responsive

The iPhone SE 3 (2022)’s camera hardware brings back the same components used in the iPhone 8 from 2017: you have a single 12MP, f/1.8 main camera, and a 7MP, f/2.2 selfie camera, both with image sensor sizes that are absolutely tiny by 2022 standards. So yeah, these are quite old hardware.

But as Google has proven in the past, excellent software and a powerful mobile brain can compensate for mediocre hardware, and Apple definitely has both here. With the Apple A15 Bionic, Apple is able to bring relatively new iPhone computational photography tech like Smart HDR 4 and Deep Fusion to the iPhone SE, and in a vacuum, photos from the phone can look quite good. Photos exhibit above-average dynamic range, colors are on point, and the camera focuses very fast. I don’t think many people will have much to fault with these iPhone SE 3 photo samples.

iPhones usually have more responsive camera apps than most Android phones — there’s less shutter lag, you can cycle through apps or lenses faster, etc — and the trend continues here. In the below video, you can see I was trying to take photos of a street cat who refused to stay still — she actually bumps my iPhone out of the way with her head at one point. Because the iPhone SE’s camera app is so responsive, I managed to grab three clear shots of the feline anyway. Also, notice how fast I was able to switch from the main camera to the selfie camera. As much as I love the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s zoom prowess, it takes a beat longer to do anything with that camera system.

Below are the three shots I got with the iPhone SE. I don’t think I could have gotten three shots with an Android phone.

But of course, if you compare the iPhone SE (2022) against pricier phones like the iPhone 13 Mini or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, whose camera lenses are newer and better, then we can see differences in quality. The iPhone SE’s smaller camera sensor is noticeable even during the day, as photos look a bit flat, with a much weaker depth-of-field effect (larger sensors or faster aperture bring shallower depth-of-field for that aesthetically-pleasing bokeh look). Pay attention to the background in the below sets, there’s less separation between foreground and background in the iPhone SE’s photos.

And if we move onto challenging lighting conditions, such as against harsh backlight, or in low light conditions, we can see the iPhone SE’s photos clearly loses to the iPhone 13 Mini: shots are noisier, with weaker dynamic range, softer on details. Still, if we just look at the iPhone SE shots by themselves, they’re not that bad for a $430 phone.

Video

Strong video performance has been stable in iPhones, and this continues here: the iPhone SE can record videos up to 4K/60fps (which most phones in this price range cannot do), and stabilization is really good, almost on par with the iPhone 13 series. This means the iPhone SE 3 is easily the best video camera phone in its price range, trumping any non-flagship level Android smartphones.

If we compare the iPhone SE’s video footage against the iPhone 13 Mini, we can see the iPhone SE’s video keeps up well during the day, but at night, the iPhone 13 Mini’s footage is noticeably brighter, less noisy, with a bit better stabilization too.

I don’t have an Android phone in the iPhone’s $400-ish price range to compare against the iPhone SE, so I used the $335 POCO X4 Pro and we can see the iPhone SE’s videos are significantly better.

The iPhone SE is easily the best video camera phone in its price range, trumping any non-flagship level Android smartphones

Selfie camera

The 7MP selfie camera is really showing its age in 2022. In ideal lighting conditions, shots can still turn out quite nice, but shoot in low light, or in challenging contrasty scenes, and the selfies have poor dynamic range and sharpness (notice the iPhone SE 3 blows out the skies and lights compared to the iPhone 13 Mini in the samples below). However, the iPhone SE 3 still manages to keep my skin tone accurate.

The lack of an ultra-wide or zoom camera means the iPhone SE’s camera system ultimately lacks versatility that rival Android phones in the same price range offers, but if you want a really well-rounded main camera for photos and videos and you can’t pay more than $500, the iPhone SE has the best one.

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Apple iPhone SE 3: Software

• The iOS 15 experience here is mostly the same as in the iPhone 13 series
• Coming back to a physical home button after years of using swipe gestures feels odd
• Instagram doesn’t scale correctly on the small 4.7-inch screen for now

The iPhone SE 3 runs iOS 15.4, and for the most part, it runs just like any other recent iPhone, so you have the same useful widgets, security features, etc. One notable deviation to the user experience is, because the iPhone SE 3 uses the older home button iPhone design, there’s no gesture navigation.

Using the home button in 2022 feels odd

Instead, you navigate through the OS by pressing the circular home button, and in 2022, it just feels odd. I suppose if I use this phone as my long term daily driver, I can get used to the home button again, but iOS’ swipe gesture navigation is one of the most intuitive software innovations in recent mobile history (so much that Google lifted it wholesale) and it’s just a downgrade to go back to using force to press things.

In a rare turn of events, I noticed Instagram is showing minor scaling issues on the iPhone SE 3’s display due to its outdated 16:9 aspect ratio (Instagram usually works much better on iOS than on Android). It’s not a big deal — the top of the app cuts into the status bar — and I’m sure this will be fixed within a week of the iPhone SE’s retail launch.

What makes the iPhone SE 3 stand out from the crowd is the software update promise. Apple has the best track record for software updates, with practically all devices in its lineup getting about 5 years of software updates and that too delivered usually on day 1 of the stable public rollout. The only phones that come close outside of this promise are the recent Samsung Galaxy S22 series devices, but they are also marked only for 4 years of Android updates (plus another year of security updates). Apple’s updates tend to bring over new features to their devices too, usually as long as the hardware can support it, and the A15 chip ensures you won’t be starved for performance headroom any time soon. This makes the iPhone SE 3 the best phone to recommend for under $500 if you deeply care about staying on the latest software update all the time. Whether the rest of the package is something that you want to keep around for the next five years is a different conversation.

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Apple iPhone SE 3: Battery life and Overall Performance

• Battery life is not great
• Petite size makes it very easy to one-hand use in crowds
• The screen is too small for video watching

Because the iPhone SE 3 is so small and thin, the battery inside is relatively tiny. So despite the A15 Bionic being highly efficient, battery life will be an issue for heavy users. For me (a very heavy user), the phone can only last about 10 hours away from a charger, so not quite enough for a full Saturday out. To make things worse, the phone charges painfully slow relative to recent Android phones, at just 18W speeds. I suppose for more casual users, this won’t be an issue.

General performance is fine. The phone obviously doesn’t zip around as fast and smoothly as an iPhone 13 Pro, as the 4GB of RAM means apps that have sat in the background for long will usually take a second or two to load up again. Further, the screen is so small, I don’t really enjoy watching videos or gaming on it.

I don’t think these will be dealbreakers, as anyone considering the iPhone SE 3 in 2022 clearly knows of the tiny screen and does not mind. This phone in 2022, isn’t meant for gaming or Netflix binging, but for productivity tasks, like sending an email with one hand on a crowded train. Or the people buying this are conscious of these drawbacks and have made their peace with it.

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Who should buy the Apple iPhone SE 3?

A phone is more than just its processor

From the perspective of a phone reviewer or a gadget enthusiast (I belong to both camps), the iPhone SE 3 doesn’t make much sense. Even if the A15 Bionic is technically the most powerful chip, I’d still rather settle for a less powerful SoC and get a much better screen, which any mid-tier or budget Android phone offers. Even if I know I want an iPhone, the iPhone 13 Mini brings all the same benefits as the iPhone SE 3 (small size, A15 Bionic) at just $699. Then there’s the iPhone 11, which at $499 offers a much better overall package but minus the 5G and the latest SoC (the iPhone 11 has the A13 Bionic) — depending on how important 5G, the latest chip, and the $70 difference is to you, there’s a good argument on how the iPhone 11 is the best product against the iPhone SE 3. In light of these, the iPhone SE 3 is very weirdly placed and doesn’t make as much sense, considering your options in the market.

I suppose most XDA readers share my views too. But the iPhone SE 3 was not made for people like us. The iPhone SE 3 is targeted at these particular groups:

• Those who want a new 5G iPhone at as low a price as possible
• Those who want a small phone, but find the iPhone 13 Mini too expensive
• Those who don’t care about looks and want an easy to use, affordable phone
• Those who really want a physical home button
• Those who want to stay on the latest software update for the longest possible time without spending more than $500

I have read enough articles, internet forum posts and spoken to enough people in real life to know these groups exist, particularly in North America, where “iMessage lock-in” is a thing. There’s also a group of individuals who are absolutely used to the physical home button on an iPhone, and want to resist change for as long as they have options. There are people who will never consider an Android, even if they’re on a tight budget. For them, an iPhone at $430 is very appealing. And to them, the iPhone SE 3 makes sense.

Apple iPhone SE (2022)

Apple's new iPhone SE (2022) is the most affordable iPhone running the all-powerful A15 Bionic chip, which improves everything from battery life to camera performance

View at Best Buy

For everyone else, either get the iPhone 13 Mini or the iPhone 11. Or just get an Android smartphone. After all, a phone is more than just its processor.

The post Apple iPhone SE 3 (2022) Review: A15 Bionic at $430 just about makes up for outdated design appeared first on xda-developers.

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10: Specs, pricing, and everything else

At CES 2022, Lenovo introduced a new refresh for its flagship ThinkPad, the X1 Carbon Gen 10. This is already one of the best business laptops out there —  and one of the best laptops in general — so this upgrade is already building on top of greatness, and it’s getting even better.

With the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10, the company is upgrading to Intel’s latest processors, improving the webcam, and more. This is also the first time the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is available with an OLED display option, and it’s great to see more OLED laptops show up. Let’s get into the details.

Navigate this article:

• Specs
• Release date
• Price
• What’s new in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10?
• Where can I buy it?
• FAQs

Specs

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 specs

	Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10
Operating system(s)	Windows 11 Ubuntu Fedora
Processor	Up to 12th Generation Intel Core i7 with vPro, U and P series, up to 14 cores
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe graphics (up to 96 EUs)
RAM	Up to 32GB LPDDR5
Storage	Up to 2TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
Display	14-inch WUXGA 16:10 (1920×1200) IPS low-power, anti-glare, 400 nits, 100%sRGB 14-inch WUXGA 16:10 (1920×1200) IPS low-power, anti-glare, touch, 400 nits, 100%sRGB 14-inch WUXGA 16:10 (1920×1200) IPS low-power, anti-glare, touch, Privacy Guard, 500 nits, 100%sRGB 14-inch 2.2K 16:10 (2240×1400) IPS anti-glare, 300nit, 100% sRGB 14-inch 2.8K 16:10 (2880×1800) OLED, anti-glare, anti-reflection, anti-smudge, 400nit, 100% DCI-P3 14-inch WQUXGA 16:10 (3840×2400) IPS low-power, anti-glare, 500nit, 100% DCI-P3, HDR400, Dolby Vision 14-inch WQUXGA 16:10 (3840×2400) IPS low-power, touch, anti-glare, anti-reflection, anti-smudge, 500nit, 100% DCI-P3, HDR400, Dolby Vision
Audio	Dolby Atmos speaker system 360-degree quad-array microphones
Webcam	720p HD RGB webcam 1080p Full HD RGB webcam 1080p Full HD RGB + IR webcam 1080p Full HD MIPI RGB + IR webcam with Computer Vision
Security	Fingerprint reader IR camera (optional) Privacy Guard display (optional) Webcam shutter Tile ready
Battery	57Whr battery
Ports	2 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 1x HDMI 2.0b 3.5mm headphone jack Nano SIM slot
Connectivity	Intel Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 Cellular options: 5G sub-6 Cat2o 4G LTE Cat16
Colors	Deep Black Optional Carbon Fiber weave lid
Size (WxDxH)	HD webcam: 315.6 x 222.50 x 14.95 mm (12.42 x 8.76 x 0.59 in) Full HD webcam: 315.6 x 222.50 x 15.36 mm (12.42 x 8.76 x 0.60 in)
Weight	Starts at 1.12kg (2.48 lb)
Starting price	$1,639

What is the release date of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10?

Some configurations of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 launched in March 2022, but more options will be rolling out over time. You should also be able to have your specific configuration built to order on Lenovo’s website in the near future.

There was some time between the original announcement in early January and its full launch due to it shipping with Intel’s new processors, which also launched in March. Many other laptops launched around the same time because of that.

What is the price of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10?

Officially, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 will have a starting price of $1,639. However, Lenovo hasn’t shared detailed spec sheets for the laptop, so we don’t know yet what that base configuration includes. Looking at the Gen 9 model, it starts with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, so we could be looking at a similar setup for its successor.

From there, you have to take into account the available upgrade options. There are numerous display options up to a WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) resolution display, and various different processors, RAM, storage, and even webcam configurations. It’s also worth noting the laptop will be available with 28W P-series processors for the first time, which is likely to drive the maximum configuration pricing even higher. We’ll have to wait for Lenovo to reveal more details about the prices of each configuration.

What’s new in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10?

The latest generation of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon has quite a bit that’s new. The highlight (for some) will be the new Intel processors inside, but there’s a bit more to it. This is the first X1 Carbon model to launch with Windows 11 — though the existing model has also been available with the new OS since it launched. Let’s dive into what’s really new.

12th-generation Intel processors (and other upgraded specs)

The first big upgrade for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 as we’ve mentioned, is in the processors. The laptop now comes with 12th-generation Intel Core processors, which are very different from what we’ve seen in the past. These new CPUs have a hybrid architecture, including high-performance cores and efficient cores. Because of that, you now get up to a total of 14 cores in the top-tier configuration, including six performance cores and eight efficient cores. Other configurations also have eight efficient cores, it’s the number of performance cores that varies. This should result in significantly better performance, but also improved power efficiency.

But that’s not all, because the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 also comes with Intel’s new P-series processors, which have a TDP of 28W. These more powerful processors used to only be available in some MacBook Pro models (before Apple Silicon), but now Windows laptops can use them too. This gives you even more power if you need the extra performance, without sacrificing battery life as much as an H-series processor would. Lenovo also improved the thermal design on the X1 Carbon Gen 10, so you can get even more performance out of the new processors.

Shipping with 12th-generation processors also means support for LPDDR5 RAM, which promises a big speed bump over LPDDR4. This new RAM has faster clock speeds and transfer speeds in general, so you should get faster performance in all kinds of tasks. Similarly, the storage now comes in the form of a PCIe Gen 4 SSD, so that’s faster, too. Simply put, you can expect a big performance upgrade across the board.

Full HD camera with computer vision

In a world where remote work has become standard for many people. the addition of a Full HD camera to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is a big deal. Previous models have been available as a standard 720 HD webcam or one with Windows Hello built-in, but now you can optionally get a 1080p Full HD camera with a 1.4μm sensor if you want to look better during your meetings.

Not only that, but you even have the option for a new camera with computer vision technology. This new camera can intelligently identify humans in the frame and even recognize their intent to use the laptop. This way, the human presence detection feature will conveniently wake up the laptop when you approach it, but it won’t wake up if your cat or a coworker moves in front of the camera for a couple of seconds. The camera can also lock your computer when you move away, dim the screen when you’re looking at something else to save power, and more.

New display options, including OLED

The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon also comes with a handful of new display options to choose from, for a total of seven different configurations. The big new addition is a 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED panel, with up to 400 nits of brightness and 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. At this resolution and size (14 inches), this is a very sharp display already, and being an OLED panel means you get true blacks, vivid colors, and high contrast ratios.

Another new option is a 2.2K (2240 x 1400) IPS panel, which gives you a slightly sharper image than Full HD, but only reaches 300 nits of brightness. It’s a good option if you want a sharper image and you plan to mostly work indoors, where you don’t need a super bright screen. Aside from that, the WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) panel also now comes with a new variant that supports touch thanks to an add-on film layered on top of the display.

Aside from that, all the previous display configurations are still here: WUXGA (1920 x 1200) without touch, with touch, or with touch and a Privacy Guard, plus a WQUXGA panel without touch support.

Tile integration

Finally, another big deal for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is the included Tile integration, which is optional. Tile is well-known for its object trackers, which allow you to find all kinds of objects you attach the trackers to, even if they’re far away from you. With Tile integration, that suite of features comes to your laptop, so you can locate it if it’s stolen or misplaced, even if it’s turned off.

Where can I buy the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is already available on Lenovo’s website, and you can order it below, but not many configurations are available yet. Lenovo doesn’t often make all these models at typical retailers, so you can either buy straight from Lenovo or get in contact with a business-oriented reseller that might have those options. Some models do show up on Amazon and Best Buy, too, so you can always look there to see if you find something that suits your needs, we’ll be sure to have them linked below if they show up.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 comes with 12th-gen Intel Core P-series processors, new OLED displays, and a Full HD webcam.

See at Lenovo

FAQs

How can I configure my Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10?

As many business laptops tend to do, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 has a wide range of configuration options, and for the most part, these options are independent from one another. For example, you can get a relatively mid-range processor and a super-sharp WQUXGA display, or spring for a top-tier CPU and a cheaper panel. There are some limitations, but you have a good bit of freedom.

Because there are so many options available, the number of different configurations you can get is very high, and prices vary a lot, so we can’t list all the possible options here.

A downside to this is that if you want a specific configuration, you might need to buy the laptop straight from Lenovo or from a partner reseller that offers those options. Consumer-facing retailers like Amazon and Best Buy often don’t have all these models readily available.

Does the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 come with 5G?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon comes with a couple of different options if you want cellular connectivity, including 5G support. For 5G, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon supports Cat20 connectivity in the sub-6GHz spectrum, so there’s no support for mmWave. That’s not a big deal, though, since mmWave is still hard to find and frankly not very reliable if you’re inside a building or on the move.

You can also save some money by option for 4G LTE connectivity (Cat16) instead. This won’t be as fast, especially in the future, but it’s good enough to keep you reliably connected to the internet, and it’s still the most widespread type of cellular network.

Including cellular connectivity can be hugely useful if you plan to work away from home or the office often, since it lets you stay connected to the internet without relying on Wi-Fi which can be hard to find or insecure if you’re in a public space like a café.

Does the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 have Windows Hello?

Windows Hello is a feature that makes it easier to unlock your PC, sign in to apps and websites, or make payments using biometric authentication. Essentially, instead of using a password, you can use facial recognition or a fingerprint reader to identify yourself.

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 supports both of these forms of Windows Hello. A fingerprint reader is included by default and built into the power button, so you can always count on that. If you want an easier way to log in, you can add an IR camera to your webcam configuration, which enables facial recognition for Windows Hello. This way, you just have to stand in front of the laptop for it to unlock.

Does the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 have a touchscreen?

The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 comes with seven different configuration options for the display, and out of those, three options include a touchscreen. While completely optional, a touchscreen can give you a more intuitive way to interact with your computer.

The first option is an optional upgrade for the standard WUXGA (1920 x 1200) panel, which is the cheapest way you can get support for touch on this laptop. Another option that supports touch is the same resolution panel but with a Privacy Guard built-in. This panel is brighter and prevents people around you from seeing your screen, but it still supports touch.

The last option is the top-tier configuration with a WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) panel, which is the sharpest and most expensive option available. This option comes with up to 500 nits of brightness and coves 100% of DCI-P3, and it supports touch thanks to an add-on film applied on top of the display, instead of being built into the inside of the panel. Unfortunately, the OLED panel option doesn’t include touch support.

Does the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 come with a warranty?

Warranty service are naturally important to ensure you don’t lose your investment fue to faulty hardware or software. By default, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 comes with a one-year warranty with depot and carry-in services, which is the standard for most consumer goods in the United States.

You can extend that warranty to up to five years, and also upgrade to on-site support, or even opt for premier support to get priority access to parts and labor. All these options can also be extended up to five years. Of course, these upgrades cost extra on top of the cost of the laptop itself.

Can I upgrade the RAM and storage on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10?

Business laptops tend to have easy servicing options, but it’s not always the case with an ultrabook like this one. Lenovo hasn’t specifically said anything onnthis front for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10, but we can infer from how it worked with the Gen 9 model.

In the Gen 9 models, the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, and thus it can’t be replaced or upgraded by the user, but with up to 32GB out of the box, you shouldn’t need a lot more. You’ll just need to keep that in mind when choosing your configuration. As for storage, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 uses an M.2 2280 form factor for the SSD, so if the new model keeps this approach, you can always upgrade it later on.

We’ll have to wait for Lenovo to share more information on this front to know for sure what the upgrade options. We’ll update this article when that information is available.

Can I replace the battery in the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10?

Batteries wear out over time, especially if they’re heavily used, so you may find yourself wanting to replace the one inside your laptop. Lenovo hasn’t specifically said whether the battery in the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is replaceable, but we can look at the Gen 9 model for now.

The battery in that model is can be replaced by the user, and Lenovo even provides a manual on how to do it. You’ll need to obtain a battery designed for this laptop, though, which you should be able to get from Lenovo and some servicing partners. Again, this is how it is with the Gen 9 model, and things might be different with Gen 10. We’ll have to wait for Lenovo to share more details on that front.

Can the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 run Linux?

While many users might prefer Windows 11, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon will also be available with two different Linux distributions. You can get it with either Ubuntu or Fedora, two highly-popular Linux distros.

If you want, you can always install a Linux distribution on your PC after the fact, including a dual-boot setup with Windows 11. Driver support may vary, but you should be able to  run most distributtuons without any big issues.

Does the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 have Thunderbolt?

Thudnerbolt support can be essential if you’re using your laptop in an office setup with external displays and lots of peripherals. With a Thunderbolt dock, you can connect multiple USB peripherals, Ethernet, and external displays using a single port on your laptop, which makes it easier to connect or disconnect everything in one go.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, supporting data rates of 40Gbps each. Both ports are on the same side, which might be a bit limiting in how you can set up your peripherals, but that’s probably something you can work around. You still get a few built-in ports, including USB Type-A and HDMI, so you’re not forced to use a dock if your setup is less complex.

Does the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 have a good webcam?

In the age of remote and hybrid work, a good webcam is more important than ever for all the online meetings and calls. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 comes with a few options for the webcam, and the higher tiers are a significant upgrade over previous generations.

The base model comes with a 720p camera, which isn’t particularly great, but should still be serviceable if you don’t take a lot of calls. However, one thing that’s new in this model is a 1080p camera with a upgraded 1.4μm sensor and f/2.0 aperture, which should give you that much better quality if you want to take calls more often.

There’s even an option to add computer vision support to this new camera, which adds smart features like interpreting whether you’re approaching your laptop to use or if someone is just passing in front of it, so the laptop only wakes up when it’s truly about to be used.

The post Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10: Specs, pricing, and everything else appeared first on xda-developers.

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Explaining the new Privacy settings in One UI 4 on the Samsung Galaxy S22 series

Google introduced a host of privacy settings in Android 12, including a new Privacy Dashboard, visual indicators for camera and microphone access, toggles to enable/disable the camera and microphone, and the ability to share approximate location with apps. Samsung has integrated all of these features in One UI 4, the latest version of its custom skin based on Android 12., but its implementation is slightly different. If you’ve just got yourself a brand new Galaxy S22 series device or have an older Samsung phone with One UI 4.0 or above, here’s everything you need to know about the new privacy features in One UI 4 and how to use them.

Privacy settings in One UI 4 on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

Privacy Dashboard

You can access all the new privacy settings on your Samsung Galaxy device running One UI 4.0 or above by heading over to the Privacy section in the Settings app. As you can see in the attached screenshots, Samsung’s implementation of the new privacy features is a bit different. One UI 4 on the Galaxy S22 Ultra integrates Android 12’s new Privacy Dashboard feature into the main privacy settings instead of showing it as a separate option.

All the permission usage information shown in the Privacy Dashboard on Google Pixel devices running Android 12 appears right at the top of the Privacy settings on Samsung Galaxy devices running One UI 4 or later. The graph shows the number of apps that accessed the camera, microphone, and device location permissions in the last 24 hours.

You can tap on each of the three options to see a detailed usage history, including the names of the apps that accessed each permission, the time when the permission was accessed, and whether the app accessed the permission in the background or while using the app.

In addition, you can tap on the Settings cog in the top left corner to enable/disable permission access for installed apps. Furthermore, you can tap on the ‘All permissions’ button underneath the graph to see similar details about all the other permissions.

Permission manager

Right underneath the Privacy Dashboard features, you’ll find the ‘Permission manager’ option. As its name suggests, the Permission manager lets you manage access to permissions on a per-app basis. Simply tap on any of the permissions listed on the following page and then enable/disable that permission for all the apps listed on the page. It’s worth noting that the Location permission setting has an additional toggle that lets you enable/disable precise location sharing with apps.

Controls and alerts

Next up, you’ll find toggles to enable or disable camera and microphone access. You can disable these if you don’t want any apps to access your phone’s camera or microphone. Once disabled, all apps will be blocked from using your phone’s camera and microphone. While the apps will continue to work, they will show a black screen without camera access and won’t record any sounds without microphone access.

It’s worth noting that One UI 4 also includes Quick Settings tiles for camera and microphone access. However, the tiles are not enabled by default. To enable the Quick Settings tiles, swipe down twice from the notification shade to open Quick Settings and tap on the ‘+’ icon to add new tiles.

Then drag the camera and microphone access tiles down to the Quick Settings page and tap on ‘Done.’ You can now tap on the camera and microphone access Quick Settings tiles to easily enable/disable camera and microphone access for apps.

Along with the camera and microphone access toggles, the section also includes a clipboard access toggle. This is disabled by default, but you can enable it to get an alert whenever an app accesses the contents of your phone’s clipboard.

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

The new Samsung Galaxy S22 series devices run One UI 4.1 based on Android 12, which includes a couple of useful new privacy settings.

View at Samsung

While that covers all the new privacy features in One UI 4, the Privacy settings include a couple of other options that are carried over from previous software releases. These include Samsung’s Customization Service settings, the Android personalization service, Google Autofill settings, location history settings, Activity controls, etc.

Now that you have a fair idea of the new privacy features in One UI 4 on the Galaxy S22, which of these settings do you think is the most helpful based on your use case? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Explaining the new Privacy settings in One UI 4 on the Samsung Galaxy S22 series appeared first on xda-developers.

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Samsung brings its Galaxy Book 2 & Galaxy Book 2 Pro series notebooks to India

Samsung refreshed its Galaxy Book 2 series at MWC last month by introducing the Galaxy Book 2, Galaxy Book 2 360, Galaxy Book 2 Pro, Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, and the Galaxy Book 2 business notebooks. The company has now launched all those notebooks in India, along with the smaller Galaxy Book Go. Let’s take a quick look at each of these notebooks to see what they bring to the table.

Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro, Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360

The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro and the Book 2 Pro 360 are powered by Intel’s new 12th-gen processors. They both use the new 28W P-series chips. You get the Intel Core i7-1260P in the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, while the Galaxy Book 2 Pro has an option for the Core i5-1240P. These new CPUs bring Intel’s new hybrid architecture and higher wattage to the table, and you can learn more about them by heading over our detailed Intel 12th-gen Alder Lake processor explainer.

When it comes to the form factor, both the Galaxy Book 2 Pro and the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 are incredibly light. The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro (13.3″) weighs just 0.87 kg, whereas the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 with the same 13.3-inch display weighs 1.04 kg. You also get FHD AMOLED displays on both laptops, which is great. One thing that’s new to the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 and the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 this year is that both notebooks now have FHD webcams as well. This comes as a part of Intel’s EVO specification, and we think it’s a welcome change.

Samsung Galaxy Book 2, Galaxy Book 2 360

Being non-Pro variants, both the Galaxy Book 2 and the Galaxy Book 2 360 trade some high-end features for relatively affordable price tags. First off, these notebooks are powered by Intel’s new 12th Gen U-series chips instead of the P-series. You the Core i5-1235U or the Core i7-1255U, to be more specific. The U-series chips aren’t as powerful as the P-series ones packed inside the Pro variants.

These U-series chips have two Performance cores (P-cores) and as many as eight efficiency cores (E-cores). We haven’t had a chance to test all of these P and U-series chips, but you can check out our Intel 12th-gen P-series vs U-series CPU comparison to get a general idea of the kind of performance difference you can expect to see from these notebooks.

Some other noteworthy differences between the regular and the Pro version include an HD webcam and a slightly heavier chassis. But besides that, you can expect to see all the goodies including the FHD AMOLED display.

Galaxy Book 2 Business and Galaxy Book Go

Lastly, we have the new Galaxy Book 2 Business and the Galaxy Book Go. Both of these are 14-inch notebooks. While the Galaxy Book 2 Business is made for enterprise customers, the Galaxy Book Go is primarily targeted at young consumers including students who were looking for an on-the-go device. Unlike the other laptops, the Galaxy Book Go is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chipset.

Pricing & Availability

You can pre-book the Galaxy Book 2 and Book 2 Pro series, Galaxy Book 2 Business, and Galaxy Go starting March 18, 2022. Here’s a quick look at the pricing details along with pre-booking offers for each notebook:

Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro

Samsung's Galaxy Book 2 Pro notebooks feature Intel's new 12th-gen processors and FHD AMOLED displays.

See at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360

The Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 is a 2-in-1 convertible notebook with Intel's new Alder Lake P chips.

See at Samsung

You can head over to our Galaxy Book 2 series and the Galaxy Book 2 Pro series hub pages to learn more about these notebooks. You can also check out our hands-on preview of the Samsung Galaxy Book 2 Pro to find out what we think of the notebook.

The post Samsung brings its Galaxy Book 2 & Galaxy Book 2 Pro series notebooks to India appeared first on xda-developers.

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Netflix could start charging extra for sharing accounts between households

If you share your Netflix account with someone who doesn’t live in the same house, Netflix could soon ask you to pay extra. The streaming platform will soon start testing this change in a few regions, and if the test is a success, you might have to shell out more money to add sub-accounts for people you don’t live with.

Netflix offers a couple of useful features to help users easily share their accounts with others. However, the company doesn’t want you using these features to share your account with people who don’t live with you, unless you’re willing to pay extra. To that end, the streaming service will soon start testing new features that will prompt users to pay up if they wish to share their accounts between households.

Over the next few weeks, Netflix users in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru will get access to two new features:

• Add an extra member: Members on our Standard and Premium plans will be able to add sub accounts for up to two people they don’t live with – each with their own profile, personalized recommendations, login and password – at a lower price: 2,380 CLP in Chile, 2.99 USD in Costa Rica, and 7.9 PEN in Peru
• Transfer profile to a new account: Members on our Basic, Standard, and Premium plans can enable people who share their account to transfer profile information either to a new account or an Extra Member sub account – keeping the viewing history, My List, and personalized recommendations

Netflix aims to generate more revenue from people sharing accounts between households with these features. However, they might not go down well with some users, and they could just cancel their subscription altogether. For instance, I share my Netflix account with my parents, but I don’t live with them. If Netflix implements these changes, I’ll be forced to pay extra to share my account with my parents. Since we don’t use Netflix all that much, it would make more sense for me to cancel the subscription than pay anything extra to add another member. I sure hope Netflix has a solution for such scenarios, or the company could end up losing subscribers instead of increasing its revenue.

Are you willing to pay extra to share your Netflix account between households? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Source: Netflix

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Android Auto’s new USB diagnostics tool makes it easier to identify bad cables

Android Auto is Google’s smart driving app that mirrors useful apps and other features from your phone to your car’s head unit. It can do this both over a wired connection and wirelessly. If you’re using the wired connection and having issues with Android Auto, a faulty USB cable could be to blame.

Often times Android Auto issues stem from a faulty or bad quality USB cable, and Google is making it easier to identify such cables with a new diagnostics tool that’s built right into the Android Auto app.

Bad USB cables are frequently behind Android Auto issues, so in the latest version of the Android Auto app (7.5.121104), Google’s adding a USB Startup Diagnostics tool. https://t.co/biu7BNMeoe pic.twitter.com/lEJNTTWfU4

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 16, 2022

The USB Startup Diagnostics tool is rolling out with the latest version of the Android Auto app. The tool appears in Android Auto’s settings page under “Connection help.” Basically, it checks if your USB cable is able to transfer data between your phone and the head unit and lets you know if there’s an issue.

Screenshots credit: Mishaal Rahman

Google’s support page for Android Auto mentions that you should use a high-quality USB cable that’s at least 3 feet long. It also says you shouldn’t use USB hubs or cable extensions.

As mentioned above, the USB diagnostics tool has started rolling out with Android Auto version 7.5.121104. To try it out, grab the update from the Play Store. Alternatively, you can sideload the latest APK from APKMirror.

In related news, Google’s working on a major redesign for Android Auto. The new UI, codenamed “Coolwalk,” will be the biggest UI overhaul for Android Auto since 2019 and is designed as such to reduce the number of times the user leaves the navigation mode. We have already seen the new design in leaked images. However, it hasn’t rolled out to users yet.

Android Auto (Free, Google Play) →

Have you received the new USB diagnostics tool in the Android Auto app? Let us know in the comments down below. 

The post Android Auto’s new USB diagnostics tool makes it easier to identify bad cables appeared first on xda-developers.

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