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Huawei is set to launch its next-gen mid-range SoC, the Kirin 820, soon. The chipset will succeed the impressive Kirin 810 from last year, and is already making the rounds across benchmarks—destroying the competition while at it.

The Kirin 820 was already revealed to outperform the Kirin 980 on the Mate 20 Pro and P30 Pro, and match up to the Snapdragon 855—and the SoC has now also been seen laying down the law to its current rivals, the Snapdragon 765G and Exynos 980.

In AnTuTu’s CPU test, the Kirin 820-powered Honor 30S recorded a score of 130,080. That puts it at the top of the pile, with the Snapdragon 765G only managing to put up a score of 104,223. The Exynos 980, residing in the Vivo X30 Pro, earns a score of 116,836, better than the Snapdragon 765G but still about 11% worse than the Kirin 820.

In the GPU test, the Kirin 820 once again leads the pack with a score of 116,516. The Snapdragon 765G comes in second this time around, though, with a score of 92,536. The Exynos 980 is third, as it makes do with a score of 88,459. 

It’s easy to see that the Kirin 820 takes the crown for this generation; although there’s a dire lack of MediaTek’s new Dimensity chipsets in this comparison. The Kirin 810 also outperformed the Snapdragon 730G last year, and the Kirin 820 can be expected to carry that mantle.

The Core i7 processor is no longer the top dog in Intel’s CPU family but it remains a formidable component even if the Core i5 models have been upgraded to quad-core status. Even compared to the i9, It packs a powerful punch, as it shares plenty of higher end features with its more expensive brethren.

The most affordable laptop that carries an Intel Core i7 processor right now is the HP Laptop 15T (7fq32av) and it’s a great choice for those that are currently remote working. Other than the fact HP should have chosen a more memorable name, there’s not much to dislike about it.

At the heart of this laptop is an Intel Core i7-10510U CPU and, at $520 direct from HP, it costs less than most Core i5 devices we’ve seen but will likely deliver a far smoother computing experience.

The Laptop 15T is equipped with 8GB of DDR4 memory (upgradable) and a 128GB M.2 SATA SSD. Bluetooth 4.2 and 802.11ac connectivity are supplied by Realtek, while the operating system is Windows 10 Home.

There are two microphones to enhance calls and video conferencing (thanks to advanced noise reduction software), plus a card reader, a GbE port, three USB ports, an HDMI connector and an HD video camera.

Note, despite the machine’s entry level status, it comes with HP’s fast charge which allows its 41WHr battery to reach 50% charge in 45 minutes.

The screen remains its weak point; it’s HD only rather than full HD, and uses SVA technology rather than the superior IPS. On a 15.6-inch display, that is likely to be a sub-optimal experience.

At 3.84 pounds, it is not the lightest laptop around and its natural silver finish will certainly not turn heads.

Over the weekend, I received a message from a reader who was desperately trying to get Viber working on his Chromebook. What is Viber you ask? Yeah, I wasn’t exactly familiar with it either but over 1 billion people around the globe depend on Rakuten’s messaging platform for chat, calls and even video conferencing. The app itself looks really inviting and it appears to offer similar features to WhatsApp and many other chat apps.

Where Viber stands out is its ability to make voice calls internationally for quite less than standard phone plans and calling cards. You can chat with people on the Viber app or you can make calls that are referred to as “Viber Out” by adding money to your account balance and dialing just as you would with most applications. The one shortfall of Viber is that it does not offer a web-based interface like WhatsApp, Android Messages, Hangouts and the list goes on. I don’t know the reason for this but it is likely due to the fact that Viber prides itself as the “most secure” messenger on the planet.

That’s not to say Viber isn’t cross-platform. In order to use Viber, you will have to install the Android or iPhone application, link your phone number and then, you can install the desktop client on your Mac, PC or Linux device and sync them with a QR Code. Sadly, that does not include Chrome OS because there isn’t a web client. If your go-to device is mobile, this is really a non-issue but with so many people now working from home, installing Viber on a desktop can be a big productivity boost for tan eams using the messaging app.

That brings me back to my weekend conversation with the user of an HP Chromebook x360 14. After a little back and forth about the specifics of his situation, he told me he needed Viber for work and really wanted to use it on his Chromebook. My initial question was “why not use the Android app?” After installing and attempting I confirmed what was told to me by my inquisitor. The Viber Android app installs just fine. It even works just as you’d expect. The problems arise when you attempt to minimize the app. My poor Pixelbook Go immediately started freaking out and Viber went into an endless loop of opening and closing from which there was no recovery. My only option was to power down my Chromebook. Not a great experience especially if you’re multitasking and using the app for business purposes.

While I’d love to tell you that the Linux approach is a quick fix for this problem, it’s not quite that straightforward. If you absolutely need Viber on your Chromebook, you can do so and I will gladly walk you through the steps. (It’s super simple, really) The caveat is that you will only be able to use the Linux version of Viber for messaging. Crostini has yet to active microphone access by default (even though you can turn it on with a crosh command, it still doesn’t work for Viber) and camera access isn’t a thing either. Still, if you know this going in and you still want the desktop Viber chat experience, let’s get down to business.

There is a .deb file available for Viber but unfortunately, it throws an error when you try to install it on a Chromebook. Thankfully, we know that Linux on Chrome OS plays fairly well with Flatpaks. To get started, you will need to make sure you have Linux apps enabled and that your container is up-to-date. You can find those steps here. Now we will install Flatpak, the Flathub repo and the Viber Flatpak. You can do so by inputting the following three commands into the Linux terminal.

Once the installation is complete, you should have a Viber desktop icon in your launcher and you’re all set. Just open the app and sync it to your mobile device. Honestly, I’m very impressed with Viber and I think I’m going to take it for a test-drive for a few weeks. If you’re interested in trying it out with me, head over to Viber and download whatever versions are applicable to your devices. Stay tuned for more installments of the Command Line. We’ve got a lot more Linux stuff to cover.

If you have an older iOS device and were feeling left out when all the newer stuff got iOS 13.4, don’t worry as Apple hasn’t forgotten about you.

No, you’re not getting 13.4 but you will still get a security update. Apple also rolled out iOS 12.4.6 alongside 13.4 for older iOS devices that don’t support iOS or iPadOS 13. This includes the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, iPod touch (6th generation), iPad Air (1st generation), iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3.

As mentioned before, the update merely includes security patches against any new exploits and doesn’t add any new features. That is understandable, however, as some of these devices are quite old at this point. The oldest device here, the iPhone 5s, was released back in 2013. The fact that it is still getting software updates at all is probably a record of some sort.

So for those still holding on to these devices, we suggest you go to Settings and install the update. It might seem trivial but Apple wouldn’t have released it if it wasn’t necessary.

A leaked presentation for the Honor 30 shows that its main camera will have a large Sony sensor – 1/1.3″, essentially the same size as the 1/1.33″ sensor of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.

However, the Sony sensor will have larger pixels, 1.2µm (up from 0.8µm on the Samsung). This should give the Honor the edge in low-light shooting. And it should have an advantage over the Oppo Find X2 Pro too, which uses a Sony-made 1/1.43″ sensor (48MP resolution, 1.12µm).

The resolution is not listed, but it should be 48MP as the sensor and pixel sizes match up with this 48MP sensor from OmniVision. However, the unnamed Sony IMX chip might have some advantages, e.g. the new 2×2 OCL autofocus system (which Oppo calls “omni-directional AF”).

Note that this is for the Honor 30, not the 30S that is coming on March 30 with the fast Kirin 820 5G chipset. Looking at the Honor 20 vs. 20S, the chipset and camera were the main differences and this 1/1.3″ sensor may be one of the things that separate the Honor 30 and the 30S.

In addition to iOS 13.4 and iPadOS 13.4, Apple is also releasing watchOS 6.2 to the public today. The update brings in-app purchase support to Apple Watch apps, ECG features to more countries, and more. Read on for the full details.

Apple says that watchOS 6.2 finally brings support for in-app purchases to Apple Watch applications. This means you can make in-app purchases directly from your Apple Watch, which is excellent news for the growing number of completely independent Apple Watch apps.

watchOS 6.2 also brings the ECG app to three new countries: Chile, New Zealand, and Turkey. Irregular heart rhythm notifications are also now available in those three countries.

The ECG application allows users to take an electrocardiogram, measuring the electrical pulses of your heart. Irregular heart rate notifications do not require an active ECG to be taken. The watch will analyze heart rate readings continuously in the background and trigger an alert if something seems off.

Finally, Apple says watchOS 6.2 includes a bug fix that could affect music playback when switching from Wi-Fi to Bluetooth connectivity.

Here are the full release notes for watchOS 6.2, which is rolling out now:

watchOS 6.2 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes:

Introduces in-app purchases for Apple Watch apps

Fixes an issue where music playback could pause when switching from Wi-Fi to

Bluetooth connectivity

ECG app on Apple Watch Series 4 or later now available in Chile, New Zealand, and Turkey

Irregular heart rhythm notifications now available in Chile, New Zealand, and Turkey

To update your Apple Watch to watchOS 6.2, you can open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and tap General then Software Update. You can also update directly from your Apple Watch by opening the Settings app and tapping General then Software Update.

Apple is also releasing watchOS 5.3.6 today for people using an Apple Watch with an iPhone not capable of running iOS 13.

What new watchOS 6.2 feature are you most excited to try out? Let us know down in the comments!

Welcome to TNW Basics, a collection of tips, guides, and advice on how to easily get the most out of your gadgets, apps, and other stuff.

Quarantine, isolation, social distancing — no matter what the occasion for you to be apart from your nearest and dearest, it’s never easy. But luckily in this day and age it’s easy to find solutions to keep up digitally. And while that’s no substitute for the real thing, sometimes a WhatsApp group might be what you need to keep in touch with your friends, family, and colleagues.

So here’s how you can get started with your own Whatsapp group.

To start, go to your chat tab in WhatsApp and select “New group.” Then select who, from your contact list, will be part of the group. From the next screen, you’ll be able to name the group and add an icon if you desire.

And there you go, you now have a WhatsApp group. That’s the gist of it, but let’s go through some of the things you can do within a WhatsApp group.

Much like almost every other form of communication, you can tag members of the group in messages by using the @ symbol. You can also visit each member’s profile and start a private chat with them by tapping on their icons.

Within the group settings — which you can access by tapping on the group name at the top of the screen — you can search for what kinds of links and photos you’ve sent to each other, as well as find individual messages with Chat Search. You can also mute the chat — also helpful depending on how large the group is.

Depending on how large the group is, it might be helpful to appoint another user to be an admin, who are permitted to make changes to the group. You can also find individual members from the list of participants.

When you want to leave a group chat, you can go to the group settings, and scroll to the bottom of the screen, where you’ll see the option. You can also archive a group by swiping left from the chat list, which will hide it and help keep things organized.

And there you go: everything you need to set up a WhatsApp group with your friends, family, and colleagues. Good luck!

With the Honor 30S set to release in just five days, we’re getting some more details about its more expensive sibling, the Honor 30. While it’s not yet unknown when the latter phone will be released, we do know that it will be able to hold its own in the camera department, possibly even against Samsung’s most expensive offering yet, the Galaxy S20 Ultra.

Leaked slides released by Slashleaks (via GSMArena) shows the phone’s primary sensor will about the same size as the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s. The two phones come in at 1/1.3″ and 1/1.33″. For those whose math is a little rusty, since the denominator for the S20 Ultra is slightly larger, the Honor 30’s sensor should actually come out as slightly ahead in size between the two.

Far more significant, however, is the difference in the pixel size of each sensor. The Galaxy S20 Ultra’s Samsung-made image sensor’s pixels are 0.8µm, while the Honor 30’s Sony sensor comes in at 1.2µm, where a larger number is better. That’ll certainly give the Huawei sub-brand an advantage in low-light photography.

Where the Samsung phone will win out hands-down, though, is the megapixel count. It’s one of the very few phones in the market right now with a 108MP camera — why Samsung is charging the big bucks for it — while the Honor 30 sports a more typical 48MP shooter.

Also, while the Honor 30 will likely match the S20 Ultra in the number of cameras on its back (four, at least), it remains to be seen just how the entire package comes together. For example, Samsung’s used some amazing engineering to achieve crazy levels of optical zoom on its phone, and it’s unlikely Honor will offer the same level of imaging fidelity. For that, you’ll probably need to hold out for Huawei’s P40 lineup.

Ever since last year’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday season ended, it has been rare to find gaming laptops with Nvidia’s GTX 1660 Ti graphics card for under $900 or so. Thankfully, one Asus TUF laptop with that GPU has now dropped to $849.99 at Walmart—a savings of $250 from the original price.

The model on sale includes a 4-core/8-thread AMD Ryzen 7 3750H processor, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics card, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB NVMe SSD, and a 15.6-inch 1080p display. You also get a backlit keyboard with 1.8mm travel distance and a “reinforced chassis.”

While the GTX 1660 Ti graphics card in this laptop will handle most titles just fine, Asus did make a few other cutbacks to reach the $850 price point. The 8GB RAM is the main problem—some newer games won’t work smoothly without 16GB. The 256GB SSD is also small given the large download sizes that come with most open-world games.

Thankfully, Asus makes it easy to upgrade most of the components in its TUF laptops, so you can add more RAM or replace the main drive later if you wish. The product description for the model on sale doesn’t mention any extra drives, so it seems like the 2.5-inch bay might be empty. If that’s the case, you can put in an extra SSD or hard drive later on, as long as it fits the 2.5″ form factor.

The Intel Core i9-10880H, which should be the direct successor to last year’s i9-9880H, hasn’t been announced yet, but benchmarks results are already creeping up. Hardware leaker @_rogame reportedly found the upcoming mobile chip in a 3DMark submission yesterday.

The i9-10880H (codename Comet Lake-H) is expected to arrive sporting eight cores and 16 threads like its predecessor. Besides the improved clock speeds, there isn’t any significant architectural changes with Comet Lake over the i9-10880H’s Coffee Lake. Therefore, we expect the i9-10880H to retain the same 16MB of L3 cache as the i9-9880H. Being a H-series part, the 14nm processor will likely operate within the 45W envelope.

According to the 3DMark entry, the i9-10880H could come with a base clock fixed at 2.3 GHz, which is the same base clock on the prior i9-9980H. The only thing that the i9-10880H has going for it is the higher boost clock. If the 3DMark’s report is accurate, the i9-10880H will flex a 5 GHz boost clock, which is 200 MHz higher than the i9-9980H but only by 4.2%.

With the previous generation, Intel offered consumers the i9-9980H and faster i9-9980HK. The latter operates with a 100 MHz and 200 MHz higher base and boost clocks, respectively. It’s plausible that Intel would release a i9-10880HK with slightly faster clocks.

So far, the i9-10980HK has appeared with a 3.1 base clock and 5.27 GHz boost clock in unconfirmed benchmarks. Given the huge gap between the i9-10980HK and i9-10880H’s specifications, there’s certainly room for a i9-10880HK to slide in between. 

The i9-10880H and i9-10980HK should be very popular choices for upcoming high-performance mobile workstations and gaming laptops. However, they’ll have to compete with AMD’s Ryzen 4000-series (codename Renoir) chips, such as the Ryzen 9 4900H and Ryzen 7 4800H.