Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 Review: Is it Better?

Posted on June 29, 2022 by LGMadyibi

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

Are you looking to upgrade your older Surface Book 3 or your existing laptop? Do you want a simple but powerful laptop just for working purposes? Then look no further than the new, lightweight, and powerful Surface Laptop 4 from Microsoft. It aims to be better, with improved premium features, and also less expensive. But is it really the better option? Let’s find out from the review.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

The main view of the Platinum Alcantara Surface Laptop 4

Click to see more!

Specifications

Display	Screen: 13.5” PixelSense™ Display \| Resolution: 2256 x 1504 (201 PPI) \| Aspect ratio: 3:2 \| Surface Pen* enabled \| Touch: 10-point multi-touch Screen: 15” PixelSense™ Display\| Resolution: 2496 x 1664 (201 PPI) \| Aspect ratio: 3:2 \| Surface Pen* enabled \| Touch: 10-point multi-touch
Memory	8GB, 16GB or 32GB LPDDR4x RAM
Processor	13.5”: Quad-Core 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 processor or Quad-Core 11th Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7 processor or AMD Ryzen™ 5 4680U Mobile Processor with Radeon™ Graphics (6 cores) 15”: Quad-Core 11th Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7 processor or AMD Ryzen™ 7 4980U Mobile Processor with Radeon™ Graphics (8 cores)
Graphics	Quad-Core 11th Gen Intel® Core™: Intel® Iris® X^e  Graphics AMD Ryzen™ Microsoft Surface® Edition: AMD Radeon™ Graphics
Storage	Removable SSD options: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
Battery	13.5” with AMD Ryzen™ processor: Up to 19 hours of battery life (moderate use) 15” with AMD Ryzen™ processor: Up to 17.5 hours of battery life (moderate use) 13.5” with Intel® Core™ processor: Up to 17 hours of battery life (moderate use) 15” with Intel® Core™ processor: Up to 16.5 hours of battery life (moderate use)
Connections/Input Ports	1 x USB-C \| 1 x USB-A \| 3.5 mm headphone jack \| 1 x Surface Connect port \| Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax compatible \| Bluetooth® Wireless 5.0 technology
Operating System	Windows 10 Home
Other	Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing) \| 720p HD f2.0 camera (front-facing) \| Dual far-field Studio Mics \| Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Atmos® \| Microsoft 365 Family 30-day trial \| Ambient light sensor \| QWERTY keyboard with backlight

Overview

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 arrives at an odd time when many people are forced to work from home thanks to the global pandemic. Ultrabooks have shone in the world of commuting, which means they’ve lost a bit of their luster.

Yet many people will undoubtedly adopt a more hybrid work model, dividing their work week between home and the office. As a result, having something that is both light and portable, as well as powerful and long-lasting, is key. At this point, the thin and powerful Surface Laptop 4 will truly shine.

The Surface Laptop 4 is thin and portable, yet powerful enough to handle most everyday tasks. It’s also a joy to use, thanks to the stunning PixelSense display and one of the most comfortable keyboards we’ve ever used.

It’s exactly the laptop we’d take to work, and the best part is that it is relatively inexpensive for what it’s worth. The entry-model 13-inch Surface Laptop 4 with a Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, starts at under US$800.

And, because the Surface Laptop 4 is such a joy to use, the specs are almost incidental, especially if the majority of your work involves word processing and email. So if you need a laptop worthy of corporate life or just for business, that will ease your workload, the Surface Laptop 4 is the one to look out for, and it’s one of the main reasons why this is one of our favorite laptops right now.

What’s to Like

Comfortable keyboard & touchpad

Speaking of comfort, the Surface Laptop 4 has the best laptop keyboard we’ve ever used. Writing on this laptop is a breeze, and despite its ultra-thin chassis, it has plenty of travel. Even the keyboard on the MacBook Pro, which was our favorite laptop keyboard before trying this one, doesn’t compare.

The keyboard’s deep travel is even more surprising when you realize the speakers are hidden beneath it. And the speakers are excellent and play music perfectly. Even bass-heavy tracks sound great. The bottom line, the Surface Laptop 4 has comfortable typing and good-quality sound.

Stunning touch screen

The display on the Surface Laptop 4 is also truly stunning. The 13.5-inch model we have has a PixelSense display with a 3:2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2,256 x 1,504, which is about right for the display size. This makes watching movies and videos on this laptop a little strange, as viewing 16:9 content results in two black bars. But when we’re working on this, we appreciate the extra vertical space, especially when writing.

Lightweight & portable

All the Surface Laptop 4 models are less than 2kg in weight, making it the perfect lightweight and portable companion for those who work on the go or travel a lot. Starting from the entry model, the 13.5-inch model weighs 1.3 kg (2.8 lbs) and the 15-inch model weighs 1,5 kg (3.4 lbs). That’s pretty light if ask me.

Good design with a wide choice of stunning colors

The Surface Laptop 4 comes in four unique colors: Platinum, Matte Black, Sandstone, and Ice Blue. We especially like the Ice Blue color because it comes with a metallic finish. The Microsoft logo also looks good on the lid. It’s reflective and catches the eye.

The Alcantara lining on the keyboard of the Ice Blue and Platinum 13.5-inch models is a nice touch that makes resting your wrists on the laptop’s deck feel more comfortable. It’s a minor distinction, but one that we noticed every time we type on the all-metal laptop.

The fabric feels pleasant under my wrists but gets messy easily though the prospect of trying to remove a stain from it heightened my already significant aversion to eating or drinking while working.

Great performance

The Surface Laptop 4 we reviewed here is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 4680U processor, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD storage. So far, it can handle almost anything we threw at it. Even after loading it with dozens of Chrome tabs, listening to music on YouTube, and chatting on social media, the Surface Laptop 4 shows no signs of slowing down.

That is something that most laptops these days should be able to do, but what makes the Surface Laptop 4 so impressive is that it can do all of that while on battery power. If you’re looking for a super-portable laptop that can meet most of your needs, the Surface Laptop 4 is a good option.

Good battery life

Microsoft claims that the Surface Laptop 4 has a battery life of up to 19 hours, which would be enormous if true. Unfortunately, we discovered that it was closer to 11-13 hours. Yet when compared to the Surface Laptop 3, which only lasted 6 hours and 28 minutes, the Surface Laptop 4 is better off and lasts longer on a single charge. To me, that’s an improvement. Overall, great battery life, and is even better than the older model.

What’s Not to Like

Limited input ports

One of the most serious consequences of the thin size is the lack of ports. The Surface Connect port on the right, one USB-C, one USB-A, and a headphone jack are all you get here. We appreciate that the laptop still has a USB-A port, which is rare these days, but it doesn’t leave much room for expansion for those who don’t want to pay the extra money for a Surface Dock.

Not recommended for gaming

Although the Surface Laptop 4 has good hardware specs, it’s certainly not a gaming laptop. You can get away with casual gaming like indie games that are less demanding on graphics, and older games. And there is no discreet graphics GPU that can support AAA titles such as Cyberpunk or Call of Duty.

Verdict

The Surface Laptop 4 is indeed better than the Surface Laptop 3 in many ways. It comes with a lighter body, a good hardware spec that contributes to overall great performance, looks great, good quality sound delivery, and comes with longer battery life. It indeed is a must-buy for those who are writers, work in corporate life, are freelancers, or just want a good-looking laptop.

That’s the more reason why I recommend the Surface Laptop 4. After that long review of the Surface Laptop 4, what are your thoughts? Are you looking for this type of laptop that’s relatively cheaper? Are you the one who likes the more powerful laptops?

Please comment below. If you have questions also leave them below and ill get back to you. So what’s the next step for you? If you’re interested, click on the button above to find out more, and to buy if you so desire.

If it’s not your ideal laptop, then click here to see our review of the Surface Laptop Go 2, or click here to check out some of the best budget laptops that are equally as good.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Review: Is Simple Really Worth Buying?

Posted on June 27, 2022 by LGMadyibi

Are you tired of buying an expensive smartphone yet you have no idea how to use its many complex features? Isn’t it better you get yourself a cheaper and simple-to-use smartphone? Let me show you the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, one of the newest and most affordable smartphones to come this year. But is it really worth your time? Let’s see more on this review.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11

Front & back view of the Graphire Gray Xiaomi Redmi Note 11

Check it out here!

Phone Specs

Display	6.43″ AMOLED, 90Hz \| 700 nits, 1000 nits (peak) \| 1080x2400px screen resolution \| 20:9 aspect ratio \| 409ppi
Chip	Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm), Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver) \| Adreno 610 GPU
Operating System (OS)	Android 11, MIUI 13
Storage, RAM	64GB 4GB RAM, 64GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM \| UFS 2.2 \| microSDXC (dedicated slot).
Rear Camera	50 MP, f/1.8 (wide), 26mm, PDAF \| 8 MP, f/2.2 (ultra-wide), 118-degree \| 2 MP, f/2.4 (macro) \| 2 MP, f/2.4 (depth) \| 1080p@30fps video recording
Selfie Camera	13 MP, f/2.4, (wide) \| 1080p@30fps video recording
Battery	5000mAh \| Fast charging 33W, 100% in 60 min (advertised), Power Delivery 3.0, Quick Charge 3+
Misc	Fingerprint reader (side-mounted) \| Infrared port \| 3.5mm jack \| Virtual Proximity Sensor \| 179g \| plastic body \| IP53, dust and splash protection
Released	February 2022
Retail Price	Click Here!

Reason to Buy

Stylish design & durable
Excellent AMOLED display
Great battery life
Power charger, headphone jack & microSD slot available
Acceptable quality main camera
Low price

Reason not to Buy

Limited video recording capabilities
Mediocre performance
Poor quality ultrawide camera & night mode
No 5G network capabilities
Limited features from MIUI 13

Overview

So what is this Xiaomi Redmi Note 11? It’s a budget-midrange smartphone that is part of the Redmi Note 11 series and is a predecessor to the Redmi Note 10. From first observation, it comes with a 6.43-inch AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and 1080p screen resolution. At the back, there’s a 50MP quad-camera with four camera lenses and a back panel with a matte plastic finish.

Looking inside the Note 11, there’s a Snapdragon 680 4G processor with an Adreno GPU, RAM ranging from 4GB up to 6GB, storage ranging from 64GB to 128GB, and a large battery 5000mAh battery. The model starts from 64GB storage with 4GB RAM all the way up to the top 128GB storage with 6GB RAM. As you unbox, you will find a lot of things inside, that includes the following:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 smartphone
33W charger
A transparent protective phone cover
A soft plastic screen protector
USB-C cable
Ejector pin
Quick user guide

It’s great that they include a phone charger and a protective phone cover.

What We Like

Good design & durable

The design of the Redmi Note 11 is impressive. It doesn’t even look like a budget smartphone. It weighs less than 200g so it’s light to handle, the matte finish feels comfortable on the hand, and comes in an array of colors, such as Pearl White, Star Blue, and Graphite Gray. With durability, the Redmi Note 11 comes with a great build and tough glass protection but comes with an IP53 rating which means it’s dust and splash protection, not water-proof, not dust-proof.

Front, side & back view of the Star Blue Xiaomi Redmi Note 11

Gorgeous display

The 6.43-inch display is massive and looks superb thanks to the AMOLED screen technology. The crystal clear 1080 x 2400 screen resolution, the good brightness and vivid colors, and the 90Hz refresh rate all contribute to the stunning screen quality you can expect from the Redmi Note 11. Expect smooth scrolling between menus, a detailed view of colorful HD images, and equally detailed HD movies. No HDR support, but overall, the screen looks stunning.

Great battery life

The next thing we like is the battery life. You get a massive 5000mAh battery that can power up the phone the whole day on a single charge and even more hours on moderate use. The phone comes with a 33W charger that can charge up the phone from 0 to 100% in a little over an hour. It’s good that you get a charger on the purchase though, and the battery life is the least of your worries. No wireless charging but that’s expected when you get a budget phone.

Acceptable main camera

The smartphone comes with a quad-lens rear camera that is made up of a 50MP wide lens, an 8MP ultrawide lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth lens. For those who like taking selfies, the phones come with a single 13MP wide lens that’s good enough for video calls and of course taking selfies. In terms of photo quality, they look good. Could be better but are acceptable.

Low budget price

Since it’s a budget phone, expect to pay less than US$300 for the Redmi Note 11. That’s a great price if you ask me. If you click on the link now you can see it for yourself.

What We Don’t Like

Limited network capabilities

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is only available with 4G network capabilities. This means no 5G network capabilities like other standard 5G budget smartphones of today.

Mediocre performance

There are so many reasons not to like the performance of the Redmi Note 11. Firstly, it comes with an older Snapdragon processor released in late 2021. It performs well but it comes with a number of limits, such as it only supports 1080p video recordings and supports 4G network capabilities. Next, the Adreno GPU is equally outdated, but it can run games. But the benchmark scores are not looking too good. So that says a lot about gaming performance.

Back & side view of the Graphite Gray Xiaomi Redmi Note 11

No 4K video recording

One of the worse things with the Redmi Note 11 in the camera department is that you can only record 1080p videos. No 4K video recording feature here, thanks to the limiting features you get from the Snapdragon processor chip.

Disappointing ultra-wide & night mode

As for the camera, the Redmi Note 11 takes acceptable photos during the day. Digital zoom also looks okay. However, it fails with the ultrawide camera and in low-light areas. Ultrawide photos don’t look very good as the photos show a loss of color and lacking detail. If you like taking photos, stick to taking them during the day using the main camera option.

Missing features from the MIUI 13 OS

If that’s not enough, the MIUI 13 OS is missing a few widgets that are not available in other current smartphones. The reason is that the OS is based on Android 11 which is also outdated. Let’s hope in the future there will be an update to fix the current OS issues.

Verdict

Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 is a budget smartphone. It’s well designed with good durability, has a great quality screen, good battery life, lots of accessories and features upon purchase, and comes at a good budget price. Unfortunately, the smartphone falls flat with the overall limits in performance, lacking in camera quality, limited video features, and network capabilities.

It’s hard to recommend the Redmi Note 11 because it’s a budget smartphone and it does come with limitations. Another reason is that the cons outweigh the pros, which to me, the major con is the lack of performance, which is a shame. Should you buy it?

Bottom line, if you’re looking for a smartphone for limited or moderate use like making or taking calls, or web browsing and video streaming on Youtube or Netflix, then yes. I recommend you get the Redmi Note 11. But if you want a smartphone that has the latest specs and features, like a 5G network, and good software experience, and a good camera, then, No. I suggest you look elsewhere.

Now it’s your turn. What are your thoughts on Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 smartphone? How has your experience been thus far? Please comment below with answers or even more questions. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. And if you have a good feeling about this phone, don’t ignore it. Take advantage of the price on offer and purchase it now, by clicking here or clicking on the button on the top of the review.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Review: Is it Worth the Price?

Posted on June 24, 2022 by LGMadyibi

You must feel frustrated all the time when you work on your laptop, knowing that it will take you hours to finish typing a simple 1-page document. Don’t get me wrong. Budget laptops tend to perform well at first, but after a while, they tend to get slower and start to freeze most of the time, which affects the performance. If that’s your case, you are not alone. Let me introduce to you the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2. It’s Microsoft’s budget-value laptop that can do everything you need without you paying so much. But is it really worth it? Let’s see from this review.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Introducing the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Click to see more!

Laptop specs

Display	12.4” PixelSense™ Display \| 1536 x 1024 (148 PPI) \| Aspect ratio 3:2 \| 10-point multi-touch screen
Processor	Quad-core 11th Gen Intel^® Core™ i5-1135G7 Processor
Graphics	Intel^® Iris^® Xe Graphics
Memory (RAM)	4GB, 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x RAM
Storage	Removable² drive (SSD) options: 128GB, 256GB
Operating System (OS)	Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro \| Preloaded Microsoft 365 Apps\| Microsoft 365 Business Standard, Microsoft 365 Business Premium, or Microsoft 365 Apps 1-month trial
Battery Life	Up to 13.5 hours on moderate device usage
Input ports	1 x USB-C^®\| 1x USB-A \| 3.5 mm headphone jack \| 1 x Surface Connect port
Other Features	720 HD webcam (front-facing) \| Dual far-field studio Mics \| Omnisonic^® Speakers with Dolby^® Audio™ Premium \| Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax compatible \| Bluetooth^® Wireless 5.1 technology \| Ambient light sensor \| 2.48 lbs (1,127 g) weight

Reason to Buy

Large and fast storage
Good performance
Great battery life
Bright touch screen
Other great features

Reason not to Buy

High price
No backlit keyboard
Low memory from entry model
Limit input ports available

Overview

The new Surface Laptop Go 2 from Microsoft is a slim, lightweight, and touchscreen budget laptop that has been improved from its predecessor. It comes with an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor with integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, storage options starting from 128GB to 256 GB, and memory options starting from 4GB up to 16GB of RAM.

On the outside, all models come with a 12.4-inch PixelSense touch screen, with slim display bezels, small keypad buttons, and a touchpad. All this is encased in a combination of an aluminum-plastic body that makes weighs 2,5 pounds (1,1 kg). In the box, you get the Surface Go 2 laptop with a 39W power supply.

What’s to Like

Large and fast storage

The entry model starts you off with a better, fast-loading solid-state drive with 128GB of storage rather than the 64GB from the older model. That’s awesome because it helps to provide faster loading of Windows and other apps installed in the system.

The front and side view of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Good performance

The best thing about the Surface Laptop Go 2 is that it comes with an upgraded 11th Gen Intel i5 processor. It’s not the best but it provides all the necessary power to perform fast and help you get the job done. I have not experienced any performance problems thus far here.

Between opening tabs, and minimizing apps, the performance remains constant which is a good thing. The Intel Iris graphics also performs well with light casual gaming and video editing. Keep it to the minimum. Open one or two apps, and you’ll have no performance issues.

Great battery life

Another great thing is the battery life. Upon testing, the Surface Laptop Go 2 managed to go up to 15 hours on a single charge. That to me is really amazing.

Bright touch display

As for the display, the Surface Laptop Go 2 comes with a 12.4-inch touch screen that displays vibrant colors and good brightness. The sad thing is that the screen resolution is 1536 x 1024, which means it’s not full HD, so it’s not as detailed. But the screen still looks good though and works well.

Other great features

There are other great features you need to be aware of. Firstly, if you’re a freelancer or like working on the go, then this laptop is perfect for you. It’s really slim, lightweight and portable so you can carry it where ever you go. With the long battery life, you won’t need to carry a power supply with you.

Another feature is the sound quality of the laptop, which is not bad either. You won’t see any speaker grilles as they are hidden underneath the keypad, but the sound comes out clear, not great but good enough to hear. If you’re not satisfied with the sound, you can always insert headphones as the laptop does include a headphone jack.

Side view of the slim and lightweight Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

The next feature, for those who work remotely, the laptop comes with a 720p webcam from the previous model but comes with better contrast and color saturation. At least it’s better than the older model, and it also works well.

Another great feature to mention is the system’s fan noise has been greatly reduced. On daily moderate use, the Surface Laptop Go 2 works quietly, even for daily tasks such as typing or browsing the internet. But it will start to roar if you decide to do a lot more multitasking.

What’s not to Like

High budget price

The entry model starts at a price range between US$600 and US$700. That’s a high price for a budget laptop if you ask me. But with all the great features you’re getting, it’s worth it.

No backlit keyboard

The fact that it does not have a backlit keypad is quite disappointing. You’re going to need to constantly work inside a well-lit room plus it would look even awesome. Yet budget laptops do come with compromises, and this is one of them.

The front view of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Low 4GB RAM Memory

If it’s better performance you’re looking for with a budget laptop, I suggest getting the 8GB RAM model. Yes, it will be more expensive but the laptop will perform better for you. So upon purchase, make sure that it’s the 8GB RAM Surface Laptop Go 2.

Limit input ports available

If you’re looking for a budget laptop with many input ports, you won’t find it here. They may be few but you get the essential input ports here. If it’s not enough you can always get a USB hub that provides more input ports.

Verdict

So, lemme ask this question once more, is the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 worth the price? In my opinion, I think it is worth it. Looking at what you are getting, you’re getting a great-performance laptop, with good storage and memory, great battery life, a good-looking HD touch screen, and good looks as well. Fact that it’s a budget laptop, there are going to be some compromises but in this instance, the good outweighs the bad. That’s why recommend this laptop to you.

Back and side view of the white Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

If you’re a student, a freelancer, or just like working on the go, then this is the perfect laptop for you. It has all the performance, power, and everything you need to help you meet all your daily needs.

Click here to see the best budget laptops on offer right now!

Now that you know a lot more about the Surface Laptop Go 2, what’s your take on this new laptop? Is it a laptop worth saving for? What other budget laptops are you looking to get? Please comment below with answers or even more questions. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition Review: Is It Worth Buying?

Posted on June 17, 2022 by LGMadyibi

When I first heard of the Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition, I imagined a gaming phone with top hardware similar to other top gaming phones from top brands. But was blown away because of its great features, like great performance, battery life, and the amazing price of the phone. If you don’t believe me, then check out my review of the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition smartphone.

Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition

All design colors from Shadow Black, Ice-Chop, Silver-Wing Gray and AMG F1

See Price Here!

Phone specs

Display	6.67 inches, OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 800 nits, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio
Storage, Memory	128GB 8GB RAM, 128GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM
Chip	Qualcomm SM8450 Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4 nm) \| Octa-core (1×3.00 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.50 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510) \| Adreno 730
Operating System	Android 12, MIUI 13
Main Camera, Video	64 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.73″, 0.8µm, PDAF \| 8 MP, f/2.2, 120˚ (ultrawide) \| 2 MP, f/2.4, (macro) \| 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, 720p@960fps, HDR
Selfie Camera, Video	20 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/2.0″, 0.8µm \| 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, HDR
Battery	Li-Po 4700 mAh, non-removable \| Fast charging 120W, 100% in 17 min (advertised) \|
Other Features	Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, compass, color spectrum \| Black, Gray, Blue, AMG \| Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot \| Bluetooth 5.2, A2DP, LE \| 210 g (7.41 oz) \|
Release	2022, February 16
Retail Price	Click Here!

Reason to buy

Snappy gaming performance
Unique design
Most affordable gaming smartphones
Large display with 120Hz
Large battery
Decent JBL-powered quad stereo speakers
Great heat management
Takes decent pictures

Reason to avoid

No water resistance
No MicroSD slot
No headphone jack
The highest storage available is 256GB

Overview

This is the Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition, the gaming smartphone that comes with a 6.67-inch OLED 1080p display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 64 MP triple camera lens, and a flashy design that makes it look unique and authentic.

Under the hood, it includes a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, 8 or 12 GB of RAMset, 128 or 256GB of storage, and a large 4700mAh battery. All this runs on an MIUI 13 based on the Android 12 OS. In the box, you get the Redmi K50 GE smartphone, a USB-C cable, a 120W phone charger, a quick-start guide, and a plastic phone cover.

What we like

Unique Design

The design is flashy but overall nice to look at. It looks unique with its two-color variants at the rear, especially the blue. If you’re looking for a more simple, casual color scream then the silver and back are more for you. It’s protected by a strong Gorilla Glass Victus in front, with a glass back, and encased with an aluminum frame.

Overall, the design looks great and caters to all who want either something flashy or a more casual look. The Redmi K50 GE is available in four flashy colors: Ice-Chop Blue, Silver-Wing Gray, Shadow Black, and a color called the “AMG F1”.

Rear side view of the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition

Stunning Display

The display is large at 6.67 inches. It comes with an OLED Full HD screen resolution, good brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate. You can expect some stunning visuals in great detail, good color accuracy, and smooth performance as you glide your finger between menus.

Fast Performance

The Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition is a gaming phone after, so yes, it has to perform at its peak when it comes to gaming. And yes it does. The graphics look awesome here. The Adreno 730 GPU really shows off the graphics of games with clear, detailed, and great color accuracy. The gameplay is also fast and snappy thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. The phone does get hot after prolonged gaming sessions but is controlled by a cooling system

Decent Camera

The overall camera takes decent pictures and videos. The main 64MP camera takes stunning photos taking great detail and color. The ultrawide camera looks okay but not as detailed as the main camera. Portraits come out great as well especially if you like taking selfies. The K50 GE records up to 4K videos at 60fps, which looks great overall and the selfie as well takes great videos as well.

Battery Life

The Redmi K50 GE smartphone comes with a 4700mAh battery that supports fast charging. Included in the box is a 120W charger that can charge up the phone from 0 to 100% in less than 25 minutes. Now that’s fast charging compared to other brands. No worries about battery life because you

Price

This top-performance gaming smartphone has all the specs of other top brands. The starting price of the Redmi K50 GE (8GB RAM, 128GB) ranges between US$500 and US$550. It’s quite expensive but not as high as other top-brand gaming smartphones. That’s great value, making it one of the least expensive gaming smartphones.

Other Features

Other features to mention. First, the pop-up magnetic gaming trigger buttons sit on the right side of the phone. There’s a switch that makes the triggers pop up whenever you are ready for gaming. It’s no gaming smartphone if it doesn’t have those button triggers. Next are the JBL-powered stereo speakers that deliver good decent sound.

What we don’t like

There is no headphone jack included, no microSD slot to expand storage, and no water resistance so it’s not a good idea to immerse it into water. The highest storage available is 256GB, so no 512GB or 1TB models.

Verdict

At this great price, you get the awesome Xiaomi Redmi K50 Gaming Edition, with a good-looking display, fast and snappy performance for daily use and gaming, long battery life and takes good overall photos and videos. The design is a nice touch, but not everyone will find it appealing. And let’s not forget you get a 120W phone charger in the box.

Front view of the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition

Most smartphones nowadays don’t have the headphone jack and microSD slot, especially the top smartphones. But since the movement is Bluetooth-connected earphones and access to online cloud storage it’s not really a bad thing.

Yet overall, the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition is in line to be one of the best gaming smartphones ever released this year, and one I definitely recommend to all gamers who like to game on the go.

Close-off

So if you are a gamer, and gaming is your thing, and don’t wanna spend too much more, then the Redmi K50 Gaming Edition is the gaming smartphone for you. Thank you for checking out my review of this awesome gaming smartphone. If you have any comments to add, or questions to ask, then leave them below and I will answer them as soon as possible.

So you’ve seen the review and like what the Redmi K50 offers. Don’t waste any more time. Click here or click the button on top to find out more, see what is on offer, and buy it if you so desire.

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Review: Is It Really Worth Your Money?

Posted on June 9, 2022 by LGMadyibi

Have you wasted hundreds of dollars, or even euros on top flagship smartphones only to use not even half of their features? Do you want an affordable one that’s simple to use and costs you less? If so, welcome. You’ve come to the right place. Let me introduce to you the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G smartphone. It’s affordable, fast, and lasts days on a single charge. But is it worth your money? Let’s find out more about this smartphone from this review.

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Front & rear view of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Click for Price

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Specs

Display	6.5″ Super AMOLED, 120Hz, 1080 x 2400 pixels
Processor	Exynos 1280 (5nm), Mali-G68 GPU
Storage, RAM	128GB 4GB, 128GB 6GB, 128GB 8GB, 256GB 6GB, 256GB 8GB
Operating System	Android 12, One UI 4.1
Main Camera, Video	Quad sensor \| 64MP, f/1.8 (wide) \| 12MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) \| 5MP, f/2.4 (macro) \| 5MP, f/2.4 (depth) \| up to 4K video at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps
Selfie Camera, Video	32MP, f/2.2 (wide) \| 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps \| HDR
Battery	Li-Po 5000 mAh, non-removable, fast charging at 25W
Other Specs	Black, White, Blue, Peach Colors \| Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot and Bluetooth 5.1, A2DP, LE \| weighs 189 g / 6.67 oz / 0.42 pounds \| Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection
Released	17 March 2022
Retail Price	Click here!

Reason to Buy

Large 5000mAh battery
Fast & snappy performance
Good design with a great choice of colours
Delivers decent gaming graphics
Water & dust resistance
Good quality display
Expandable storage available
Takes good pictures & videos

Reason Not to Buy

Slow charging speed
No charger in the box
No headphone jack
Price quite high

Overview

So what is this so-called Samsung Galaxy A53 5G smartphone? Well, It’s a mid-range smartphone that comes with a gorgeous 6.5-inch touchscreen with a teardrop front-facing camera on top. On the back, it includes a quad-camera lens with a flash and a hard plastic back cover. All are encased in a hard plastic frame.

Rear view of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Inside, the Galaxy A53 is the 8-core Exynos processor powered by a large 5000mAh battery. You can choose from the 128GB storage 4GB RAM model, up to the 256GB storage 8GB model. Did I mention you can expand storage using microSD? I guess not. Well, the A53 includes an optional microSD slot to increase your storage. So what do you inside the box? Well, you get the Galaxy A53 smartphone, the quick user guide, the ejector pin, and the USB-Type C charger cable. No charger.

What we like

Good Battery Setup

So the Galaxy A53 comes with a large 5000mAh battery that gives you a battery life of up to 4 days and 17 hours on moderate use on a single charge. That’s pretty good if you think about it.

Good Performance

The Galaxy A53 performs great overall. As you navigate and move between menus with your finger, it feels smooth and really snappy. Overall, the A53 performs well and is a good device for daily use. If you like to play mobile games then the A53 is also for you. The overall graphics and gameplay on 3D games look and feel decent for a quick gaming session.

Display and Design

The Galaxy A53 comes with a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 1080 x 2400 pixels screen resolution. Overall, the display looks stunning. The screen delivers good quality HD images and videos in stunning detail, with vibrant colours, and good accuracy. In terms of the phone design, it looks good overall with a good choice of colours for you to choose from. The build material used is plastic but it’s very durable with the tough Gorilla glass in front, and the water/dust resistance.

Other Features

The Galaxy A53 has other great features worth mentioning. Firstly, the smartphone has an IP67 rating meaning that it is water and dust-resistant. The last feature is the smartphone includes a MicroSD slot which means that you can expand your storage by inserting a nano SD card.

Front and Back view of the Blue Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Good camera

The Samsung Galaxy A53 5G smartphone comes with a 4-sensor main camera that includes:

64MP (f/1.8) wide camera
12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide camera
5MP (f/2.4) macro camera
5MP (f/2.4) depth camera

Overall, the photos from the main camera look decent. The detail is good, colours look bright, and vibrant, especially from taking day photos. Switch to the 64MP camera, and the photos look much finer and sharper.

For video recording, the Galaxy A53 delivers 1080p videos at 30 to 60 fps (frames per second), and 4K quality videos at 30 fps. The overall quality is good. The videos are in good detail, especially from 1080p videos at 60 fps.

Do you like taking selfies? Good cos this phone comes with a 32MP (f/2.2) wide camera and videos up to 4K quality videos at 30 fps. As for the photos and videos, they look decent overall with good detail.

Although the camera produces great photos and videos, the zoom function is there but loses detail after 2x. And nighttime photos are lacking in detail. But I guess there are compromises if you decide to get a mid-range smartphone.

What we don’t like

Slower Battery Charge

The Galaxy A53 may have a large battery, a good battery life, and supports fast charging, but the charging speed isn’t that great. Charging the A53 smartphone, you are looking at a full charge, from zero to 100%, taking roughly 1 hour 30 minutes using a 25W charger. It’s not bad but compared to other charging speeds on other phones like let’s say a Galaxy S22 smartphone, on a 25W charger, it takes roughly 1 hour to fully charge. Maybe because it’s a mid-range smartphone.

High Price

The Galaxy A53 comes with a price range between US$330 (R5000) and US$450 (R6999). That’s starting from the 4GB 128GB base model, which is still a good performer. But I recommend getting the 6GB 128GB model as it has good memory and there is always the option to increase storage with a microSD. If you want to consider alternatives because of the price, then try the Galaxy S20 FE or the Redmi Note 9S. They are much cheaper, have decent performance, and have great battery life as well.

Front & side view of the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

No Phone Charger

Nowadays it’s normal for Samsung to not offer a charger and headphones when you buy any Galaxy smartphone. Even iPhone does not as well, but you can use your older charge or purchase a new one.

Verdict

So what can I say about the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G? Well, it’s a great mid-range smartphone overall. The design is flashy and stylish. The display produces great views. The camera takes great daytime photos and videos. The performance is solid and it has great battery life.I like that it comes with an expandable storage slot too. With these great features, it’s a smartphone worth recommending.

But let’s not forget. It’s a mid-range smartphone, so the phone will come with compromises. To me, the price may be high but it’s a fair price for what you are getting. If it’s expensive or above your budget, then consider looking at alternatives.

Front & rear view of the White Samsung Galaxy A53 5G

Is it worth your money? I most definitely think so. Is it the best mid-range smartphone ever? Nope. Not really. It does have good specs but not enough to be the best. If you want a simple yet trendy smartphone that can do most of what other top-range smartphones can do, then the Galaxy A53 is for you.

Wow. That was a lot, I know. But I hope you have a pretty good idea of the good and the not-so-good features, and things you can do with the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G smartphone. If you’ve decided to try this mid-range smartphone, why not click here or the button above to find out more, such as the price and purchase options? But before you do that, I would like to know your thoughts on the Galaxy A53, after reading the review. Is it worth your money? Do you like the features on offer? If you have any questions or views, please comment on the post below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 Preview: New Surface Go

Posted on June 6, 2022 by LGMadyibi

Introducing the new Surface Laptop Go 2. The next Surface laptop from Microsoft. Due for release in mid-June 2022, here’s a quick preview of what to expect.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

Preorder now!

Tech Specs

Display	12.4” PixelSense™ multi-touch screen \| 1536 x 1024 (148 PPI) resolution \| 3:2 aspect ratio \| 330 nits max brightness
Memory	4GB or 8GB LPDDR4x RAM
Processor	11th Gen Intel^® Core™ i5-1135G7
Storage	128GB or 256GB removable SSD
Graphics	Intel^® Iris^® X^e Graphics
Operating System	Windows 11 Home
Input ports, connections	1 × USB-A \| 1 x USB-C^®\| 3.5 mm headphone jack \| 1 × Surface Connect port \| WiFi 6, 802.11ax compatible \| Bluetooth^® Wireless 5.1
Misc	720p HD f2.0 camera (front-facing) \| Dual far-field Studio Mics \| Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby^® Audio™ Premium \| Weighs 1.1g \| Up to 13,5 hours battery life (as advertised)
Release date:	14 June 2022
Starting price:	SG$999.00 / US$728.24 / ZAR11,246.76

Overview

Microsoft is releasing a new surface laptop called the Surface Laptop Go 2. From first impressions, it looks pretty, with a sleek platinum white finish, a 12.4-inch HD touch screen, and a stunning keyboard layout with a large mouse pad. In terms of the internal specs, the Surface Laptop Go 2 will include an 11th generation Intel Core i5 processor, with either a 4GB or 8GB of memory, internal storage of either 128GB or 256GB, and an Intel Iris Xe graphics processor.

In terms of connectivity WiFi and Bluetooth is available, and input ports include a USB-C, USB-A, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and a ‘Surface Connect’ port. A 720 HD webcam is available for meetings and video conferencing. The audio speakers are powered by ‘Dolby Audio’ which is situated at the base of the laptop underneath.

What you get in the box is the following:

Surface Laptop Go 2
39W Power Supply
Quick Start Guide
Safety and warranty documents

Verdict

Starting at under US$1000 this is a laptop for those who work remotely. It’s lightweight and portable so you can move around with it at ease. The laptop looks stunning. The platinum finish makes it look elegant and professional. The touchscreen display looks good. It’s an HD display with a 1024p screen resolution yet the display quality looks impressive with clear and good color accuracy.

The front view of the new Surface Laptop Go 2

In terms of performance, the Surface Laptop Go 2 includes an Intel Core i5 processor that expects to perform your daily tasks well. The memory or RAM available is sufficient enough as long as you don’t leave apps and documents on standby that will end up slowing the Surface laptop.

The 8GB of RAM is a better choice as it allows you to store more apps in memory. With internal storage, you get either 128GB or 256GB SSD, which is a fast-loading drive than HDD. For now, there’s no mention of getting bigger storage.

The Surface Laptop Go 2 is not a gaming laptop. The current specs don’t support popular commercial games because they need a higher grade of hardware spec. You can get away with light gaming apps. As advertised, the battery life of the Surface Laptop Go 2 will last up to 13,5 hours.

The rear and side view of the Surface Laptop Go 2.

For now, it will depend on testing the device to determine the actual battery life, but usually, portable laptops from Microsoft, especially Surface models, come with more than 7 hours of battery life. Input ports are not so many but there is the option of getting a USB Hub. The sound output may be adequate since they are situated underneath.

With the design, the hardware specs, the battery life, and other features, the Surface Laptop Go 2 overall looks to be a great laptop for daily tasks. The long battery life and the lightweight make it perfect for freelance and corporate individuals who like to be on the move.

The specs are similar to that of other budget laptops yet the price is quite high. To find out more or preorder the new Surface Laptop Go 2 click here or the button above. Thank you for checking out this preview. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.