Author: Damian Parsons

  • New Era in mobile gaming – Andreno 750 latest Snapdragon Gen 3 benchmarks offer 80% improvement in Vulkan GPU performance

    New Era in mobile gaming – Andreno 750 latest Snapdragon Gen 3 benchmarks offer 80% improvement in Vulkan GPU performance

    Previously tests showed a +40% boost but the latest benchmarks are showing up to +80% in some tests. Keep in mind this doesn’t mean every game and every situation will offer +80% but it does mean that at least in some scenarios we should see a huge improvement in power and efficiency.

    The benchmarks were done on SM-S926U which is the Samsung S24 Plus, notably not the S24 Ultra. They show a more than 80% improvement in Vulkan scores.

    The world of mobile processors is constantly evolving, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon series has been at the forefront of this technological revolution. With each new generation, Qualcomm pushes the boundaries of performance, power efficiency, and overall user experience. 

    One of the standout features of the Adreno 750 is its support for real-time ray tracing. This technology simulates the behavior of light in a virtual environment, resulting in incredibly realistic lighting effects and reflections. With ray tracing, mobile games and applications can achieve a level of visual fidelity previously unseen on handheld devices, bringing console-like experiences to the palm of your hand.

    Furthermore, the Adreno 750 supports Variable Rate Shading (VRS), a technique that optimizes GPU performance by allocating more resources to areas of the screen that require higher detail, while reducing the workload in less demanding regions. This intelligent allocation of resources not only enhances performance but also improves power efficiency, prolonging battery life.

    Qualcomm’s Adreno 750 leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance graphics performance further. Through AI-driven upscaling, the GPU can intelligently upscale lower-resolution content to higher resolutions, resulting in sharper and more detailed visuals. This feature is particularly beneficial when viewing lower-resolution videos or playing older games on modern devices, as it breathes new life into legacy content.

    Additionally, the Adreno 750 utilizes AI-based noise reduction algorithms to improve image quality in low-light conditions. By reducing noise and enhancing details, users can capture clearer and more vibrant photos and videos, even in challenging lighting environments.

    Possible AAA gaming and big boost for emulation

    Interestingly, Apple’s latest release promises local AAA Console/PC gaming, including Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Death Stranding, Assassin’s Creed Mirage and The Division Resurgence. The latest Adreno 750 with its big performance boost may be trailing Apple and targeting this exact same market. 

    Adreno 750 also appears it will be a huge boon for those who do demanding emulation gaming, such as Nintendo Switch and Playstation Vita emulation. 

  • Rii mini i24 review

    Rii mini i24 review

    Note, GizBeat may receive a small commission on sales generated through our links.

    I’ve used the Rii mini i24 air mouse keyboard for several days now and have a fairly good grasp of its assets and limitations. 

    Essentially, the mini i24 is meant to replace a keyboard and mouse for navigation of your smart device. My primary use for this gadget has been controlling a Web Browser on a smart TV. It can also be used with a PC, Android phones and Android TV boxes – basically, anything that can accept mouse/keyboard input, this remote can do. This includes helping big time with navigating and adjusting smart TV settings. 

    The mini i24 looks good. It’s brushed plastic and the long sides are curved in slightly. Two fat mouse buttons are in the middle. The center button stops the mouse pointer where it is regardless of where the remote is pointed. This remote features an internal battery that can be recharged via the micro-SD port. I would have appreciated an LED backlight but given the price point, it is forgivable. 

    In the apps I tested, the i24 requires that the Fn key be held down to access media functions instead of the PC targeted F1-F12 functions. For my purposes this isn’t a big issue, as the D-pad can be used in HTML5 web videos for volume and fast forward/rewind. This also works with YouTube through the smart TV’s browser, but does not in the YouTube app.

    There are three ways to scroll through pages – the D-pad, the page up and page down, or by clicking and dragging the scroll bar. It’s quite a stretch going back and forth with one hand between the mouse buttons and the scroll controls. There were several solutions missed here – enabling scrolling by pointing at the very tops and bottoms of the screen, including a side scroll wheel, putting the mouse buttons and D-pad closer together, or for example, holding down the mouse button while moving the pointer up and down to scroll. 

    The keyboard packs in a ton of controls. In addition to the ASDF keyboard there is a 3-level LED battery meter, a 4-way directional pad, function keys for PCs, page up and page down, caps lock, even a CTRL-ALT-DEL by holding the Fn key and hitting Enter.

    In Live TV, the page up and page down keys change the channel and the number keys can be used to change the channel as well. I have not found a way to bring up the channel list without using the stock TV remote.

    A bonus is that you can use the remote to control games, particularly any games which allow the controls to be set. Many emulators allow this, so you can play Super Mario with this remote too.

    Setup is automatic plug-and-play. Just plug the included USB dongle into the TV and you are ready to rock.

    Overall I’m fairly impressed with this device. There are a couple of frustrating things about it that could easily be addressed, but the Rii mini 24 is a great addition to the arsenal, doubly so due to the excellent price point.



  • Missing processor power management settings option in advanced power options settings

    Missing processor power management settings option in advanced power options settings

    Recently receiving a new laptop, I saw it was running a bit hot and wanted to adjust the Processor power management options. However, in Advanced power options I found the CPU options which allow adjusting such things as Minimum processor state, Maximum processor state, and Cooling policy were missing.

    (more…)

  • G5X Mark 2 review unboxing (in Japanese) and new specs

    G5X Mark 2 review unboxing (in Japanese) and new specs

    The first review of the G5X Mark 2 (G5X Mark II) has surfaced in Japan. Yes, the review is in Japanese, but you get to see the camera in action.

    The big news here is that copies are already hitting the street in Japan and that means that grey market versions should be available within days.

    We already know that the camera is slated to be released officially sometime in August, but people getting itchy and want to get their hands on it ASAP might have a chance very soon on eBay and the like. 

    The G5X Mark 2 is the long-awaited refresh of the first G5X which was released way back in late 2015. We see the main physical difference is the big hotshoe hump in the middle is gone.

    Those who want to use an external flash might be disappointed, but they’ve now included a popup flash which makes the G5X Mark 2 more compact. We also see they’ve gotten rid of the front dial.

    Feature-wise, the G5X Mark 2 gets updated to the latest Canon processor, Digic 8. Video improvements include 4K@30P video with no crop, slow-mo 1080P@120fps. The sensor remains a very respectable 20.1MP but is now upgraded to a stacked sensor. This adds DRAM directly to the rear of the sensor, which allows for much quicker readout and is key in achieving 4K, high FPS video, and burst shooting.

    The G5X Mark 2 can now also be charged by USB. Very handy for battery-incorporated gimbals and charging with powerbanks in a pinch.

    Perhaps the most interesting news for some is the updated lens which now extends to 5x zoom (8.8-44.00mm / 24-120mm equivalent). The previous version went out to 4.2x. Canon has also managed to keep the lens at f1.8-f2.8 which, in combination with the 5x lens should give a nice step up to bokeh at the long end.

  • 5150mAh UmiDigi F1 coming with Global LTE and powerful Helio P60

    5150mAh UmiDigi F1 coming with Global LTE and powerful Helio P60

    Seeing this upcoming release from UmiDigi, I immediately became interested due to several very interesting specs.

    The big battery – The 3000-3500mAh batteries in the mainbrand flagships just don’t have enough juice for me. UmiDigi F1 has (more…)

  • OnePlus 6 sunny daylight shots

    OnePlus 6 sunny daylight shots

    Sunny days have been far and few between but he did manage to get a few sunny day shots for us. Very pleasing, natural rendering of the scene without over-saturated color.

    All images in the gallery are straight from OP6 except for the bee crop; two things to note here for the bee crop: it was taken in shade, not in direct sunlight, and there are some minor, simple edits (auto tone / auto brightness / sharpness) applied.

    [flickr_set id=”72157670490070268″]

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest



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  • OnePlus 6 portrait mode bokeh camera review

    OnePlus 6 portrait mode bokeh camera review

    One of the big advantages of more internationally known China brands such as OnePlus, Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi, Meizu etc…, is that they generally produce very good synthetic bokeh. That is, they isolate the subject well and give a pleasing background blur.

    At this time, it’s not possible to adjust bokeh strength, either before nor after the image is taken. We are hoping for a software update in the future that will allow adjusting of bokeh strength.

    In addition to the rear portrait mode there is a front camera portrait mode. I don’t have any samples up at the moment, but in my brief testing it performed well.

    The OnePlus 6 is no exception. Here we have some examples of OnePlus 6 bokeh aka portrait mode images. These are very tricky scenes with lots of stuff going on in the background and foreground; not your typical portrait shots but the OP6 does a very respectable job. For proper portrait pictures, where there is a very clear foreground subject, you can expect better results than what you see here.

    [flickr_set id=”72157668447678447″]

    GizBeat is giving back an additional 5% on all purchases from GearBest (click for details, opens in new tab).

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest


  • OnePlus 6 indoor picture review

    OnePlus 6 indoor picture review

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest


    OnePlus 6 camera sample images indoors

    Here we have a bunch of shots in a shopping mall. Lighting ranges from lowish (inside the theater area for example) to bright indoor lighting. A nice set of images to determine OnePlus 6 photo quality in various indoor lighting situations. Some of them may be HDR but most are normal shots.

    As with all galleries here, they are unedited other than resize. There are some repetitive images, included because they may have been taken from a different angle, magnification, or brightness setting.

    [flickr_set id=”72157698325413915″]

    GizBeat is giving back an additional 5% on all purchases from GearBest (click for details, opens in new tab).

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest


  • OnePlus 6 review camera cloudy rainy afternoon

    OnePlus 6 review camera cloudy rainy afternoon

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest


    OnePlus 6 cloudy daytime

    Cloudy evenings can be quite a bit more dim that cloudy days so I’ve set apart this gallery to show what you can expect from a cloudy afternoon. Again, impressive, and up to par with much more expensive flagships.

    The images in the gallery, as with the rest of the galleries, are unedited other than resizing to provide you with decent load times.

    [flickr_set id=”72157698319612235″]

    GizBeat is giving back an additional 5% on all purchases from GearBest (click for details, opens in new tab).

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest


  • OnePlus 6 camera review low light images

    OnePlus 6 camera review low light images

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest


    OnePlus 6 review low light image samples

    Now moving into a bit more of what most people would consider true low light. A couple samples in quite dark indoor settings and some night shots. A few of these are repetitious as some were taken with HDR on/off and/or slightly different lighting and/or brightness levels manually adjusted through the OnePlus 6 camera app; these differences sometimes worth showing.

    An example of this is the motorcycle which was taken with HDR set at a bit higher brightness, a normal level HDR shot, and a non-HDR shot.

    Keep in mind that many of these shots are brighter than the actual scene would be to your eyes. This brightening is done automatically by the OP6 and most other modern flagships with good cameras.

    [flickr_set id=”72157692524862120″]

    Quite good and anyone looking at these at normal digital sizes wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a OP6 shot and the higher-tier flagships.

    GizBeat is giving back an additional 5% on all purchases from GearBest (click for details, opens in new tab).

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest


  • OnePlus 6 camera review of Sony IMX519 and IMX376k

    OnePlus 6 camera review of Sony IMX519 and IMX376k

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest


    OnePlus 6 low light photos (light rain evening time)

    For photo buffs, the first big question might be, “what about low light on the OnePlus 6”. The shots in this gallery were taken in the evening time on a rainy day. This is not what most would call low light but it is less than optimal lighting. What we’re looking for here is how good do dreary non-sunny day shots look. Hopefully this post will give you a good idea.

    Note, the OnePlus 6 automatically brightens exposure in an attempt to give a more pleasing image, so the conditions were significantly dimmer than what you see in the photos. Fairly normal behavior for flagship phones because they can brighten low light images while still maintaining solid image quality (IQ).

    These pictures were not edited. They are straight from the camera other than resize. IQ wise they look very good, but if one were to take a few seconds to crop and/or do a couple of simple edits or apply a filter, they would look even better.

    The watermark I know isn’t pretty. It will be removed after a couple of weeks here. Feel free to use our images but we ask that you give a followable backlink to this post.

    [flickr_set id=”72157670487313448″]

    GizBeat is giving back an additional 5% on all purchases from GearBest (click for details, opens in new tab).

    Review sections:

    1. OnePlus 6 camera overview
    2. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy evening
    3. OnePlus 6 true low light
    4. OnePlus 6 cloudy rainy afternoon
    5. OnePlus 6 indoors
    6. OnePlus 6 potrait mode bokeh
    7. OnePlus 6 sunny day

    OnePlus 6@GearBest