Category: TECH AND INTERNET

Renault’s Megane has been a staple of the French automaker’s assortment since the mid-1990s, and the design has taken a variety of types, from hatchbacks to sedans to wagons and even a convertible. It truly is fair to say, however, that it truly is never seemed something like this. Debuting Monday at the IAA Munich Motor Exhibit, this Renault Megane E-Tech Electric displays that the nameplate’s long term isn’t really just a SUV, it is an EV, far too.

The truth is, the Megane E-Tech’s fundamental specs are rather normal (you can read through more about them below), but this model features an exciting innovation that could present the way for safer EVs for all makes in all nations around the world. In accordance to Renault, the E-Tech features a “distinctive entry for rescue groups to employ” when performing to put out an electrical fire. Born out of a partnership in between the automaker and French firefighters, Renault suggests it is attainable to put out a battery fireplace in as little as five minutes compared to the 1 to 3 hrs it can choose with most electric powered motor vehicles.

EV battery fires — which include thermal runaway incidents from overcharging or weakened packs — have verified to be very problematic for emergency personnel, as the fires melt away really hot and are tough to put out with common firefighting equipment. Even devoid of a fireplace, the much larger voltage current in lithium-ion battery packs are a protection hazard for initially responders.

Critical linked options contain a QR code on the windshield that can be scanned by crisis employees to immediately acquire access to the vehicle’s safety blueprint, which include in which to minimize into the auto securely, as effectively as information on in which the battery and airbags are situated. At last, there is certainly a battery disconnect change found beneath the rear bench seat.

As for the rest of the car, sitting down on Renault’s model-new electric powered-only CMF-EV system, the Megane E-Tech’s crossover shape was influenced by previous year’s Morphoz notion. Whilst this creation design does not shape-shift like its showcar antecedent, the E-Tech Electric does attribute a vast range of forward-considering, sustainable engineering, which includes an inside composed of 100% recycled upholstery and car-to-grid charging that will make it possible for the Megane to feed ability back to an owner’s residence when valuable.

The coronary heart of the cabin is a new Open R infotainment architecture dependent on Google’s Android Automotive OS (not compared with more recent Volvo and Polestar versions). Upper-stage versions aspect a 12.3-inch electronic gauge cluster as perfectly as a 12-inch multimedia display, but even base products get a 9-inch exhibit.

Renault’s Megane E-Tech will be accessible with two powertrains, together with a base trim constrained to just 130 horsepower, or you will find a high quality option with a continue to-modest 215 hp and 221 pound-toes of torque, fantastic for a -to-60-mph time of 7.4 seconds.

The model will be presented with both 40-kilowatt-hour and 60-kWh battery packs, the previous great for 186 miles of range and the latter a beefier 292 miles (admittedly calculated on Europe’s a lot more-lenient WLTP test cycle). No matter of which pack dimensions you pick, the Megane E-Tech can just take advantage of 130-kW rapidly-charging stations, replenishing up to 186 miles of variety (WLTP) in 30 minutes.

Renault has not yet in depth when the Renault Megane E-Tech Electrical will be obtainable in European dealerships.

Big-screen phones like the iPhone 12 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra certainly have their benefits: Top specs and excellent cameras are often inside that larger body. But there’s no escaping their immense size. The 12 Pro Max’s 6.7-inch display means getting it into those tight jeans pockets is a real stretch, and using it with one hand is pretty much impossible for anyone with hands smaller than continents. 

Phones have steadily increased in size over the years, with 6-inch or bigger phones being the norm now. Sure, that’s great for watching videos or playing games on the move, but what if you don’t care about the screen real estate and just want a great phone that can fit in your hand?

Your options are, I’m afraid to say, limited, but there are still some phones to consider. Everyone’s definition of “small” is different, though, and a comfortable size for you may feel uncomfortably large to someone else. Bearing that in mind, I’ll be including phones that are 6 inches and under in screen size, but if you’re concerned about the size, it’s worth trying to get hands-on with a phone at your nearest store (remember to take hand sanitizer!). 

More budget phone advice

The next Apple event could be just around the corner. There hasn’t been any official word yet, but we speculate the iPhone 13, AirPods 3 and Apple Watch 7 could be on the way sometime this month for the company’s fall event. We could also see the iPad Mini 6 and a ninth-generation iPad later this year. 

It was previously thought that the event could be partially in-person, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that with Apple’s rumored decision to delay its return to in-person work, the next event will probably be completely virtual like last year’s. 

Apple has had two events in 2021 so far. The first event was in April, where we got a glimpse of new iPad upgrades, colorful iMacs, AirTags trackers, a purple iPhone 12 and more. (Here’s everything Apple announced in the spring.) Then, two months later, it held the annualWWDC, developers event, where we saw a first look at iOS 15, MacOS Monterey (also known as MacOS 12), WatchOS 8 and iPadOS 15. 

If you’re curious about more Apple-related dates, check out CNET’s guess for the iPhone 13 release date. You can also take a look at our iPhone 13 wish list.

When is the next Apple event? It could be early or mid-September

Although there hasn’t been any word, official or otherwise, on the exact date and time for Apple’s next event, we speculate that mid-September would be a safe bet. 

Apple typically hosts three to four events in a year with a spring event, a summer developer conference and one or two more events in the fall. The fall events are usually scheduled in September and October. The September event tends to feature new iPhone and Apple Watch upgrades, while the October event typically features Macs and iPads. 

Although Apple has announced its latest iPhone during a September event every year since the iPhone 5 in 2012, Apple saw a change in that pattern in 2020 due to production delays during the pandemic. Last year’s September Apple event unveiled the Apple Watch 6, Apple Watch SE and updated iPad models — but no new iPhone. The company later revealed the iPhone 12 in October. Last year’s fall Apple event was online-only due to the pandemic. A livestream was available as usual through the company’s website. 

This year, Apple is expected to return to its usual schedule. CNET took a deep dive into Apple’s event timeline back in 2018 and emerged with a compelling Labor Day hypothesis that you can read more about here. Taking a look at the 2021 calendar, the Labor Day rule would mark Sept. 8 as the next Apple event, but we won’t know for sure until we get the invite from Apple. We do know, however, that the company likes to hold its fall event on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Although the timeline may return to normal, Apple’s next event could be fully virtual again. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman said that the event, said to be focused on Apple’s latest iPhone, will be completely virtual because of the tech giant’s reported decision to delay its return to in-person work due to rising COVID-19 cases. 

Apple originally said that all employees would be required to come into the office three days a week starting in September. Gurman says that if Apple stuck with the September time frame, an in-person iPhone 13 event would have been “plausible.” Now, he expects another online-only event. 

New Apple products we expect: iPhone 13, Apple Watch 7, AirPods 3, new iPad Mini and more

Apple already unveiled a slew of hardware and software upgrades during its previous 2021 events, but there are still a few things we expect the tech giant to announce in the fall. This includes the iPhone 13, Apple Watch 7, AirPods 3, iPad Mini 6, a larger iMac powered by Apple’s M1 chip, a more affordable Apple Display, a new MacBook Pro and Mac Pro with a rumored update to Apple’s M1 chip. We’re also on the lookout for an Apple competitor to Amazon Echo Show, a soundbar with built-in Apple TV and an Apple AR/VR headset. 

iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 is rumored to feature four phones — the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Max — according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Although there hasn’t been any official word on the iPhone 13’s release date, we speculate Apple’s new iPhone could be coming in September with a new design, upgraded cameras, battery and specs. 

Apple Watch 7

Apple’s next-generation wearable could include some new key features like a sleek, flat-edged redesign, improvements in battery life and a possible blood glucose monitoring sensor. The Apple Watch 7 will come with WatchOS 8, which was unveiled at WWDC. 

AirPods 3

Apple’s AirPods could be getting an update sometime this year, according to an earlier report from Bloomberg. Rumors suggest the AirPods 3 will have similar features to the AirPods Pro like spatial audio support, a shorter stem, interchangeable tips and a smaller charging case.

iPad Mini 6

Other Apple tablets, including the iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro have already seen updates this year, so that just leaves the iPad Mini. According to Gurman, a redesign for the iPad Mini “should be a go” for fall 2021. 

Ninth-generation iPad

We could see an upgrade to Apple’s iPad this fall with a new ninth-generation model. According to Gurman, the tech giant’s next tablet could feature a slimmer design and an improved processor. 

New MacBook Pros, Mac Pros, Mac Mini, iMac and Apple Display

Last year, Apple announced that it would be producing its own chip, known as the M1, to power its Mac. Since then, there has been speculation that Apple may soon announce a new version of its processor for the new MacBook Pro or Mac Pro.

Apple also previously announced a new iMac powered by the M1 processor, but it was only the smaller 24-inch model. Bloomberg has reported that Apple is working on processor updates for both the Mac Mini and 27-inch iMac. 

Apple may also be working on a more affordable version of its Pro Display XDR that was originally released in 2019. Bloomberg reported in January that Apple was in “early development” of a cheaper monitor. 

Echo Show competitor, soundbar with Apple TV and AR/VR headset

We could see some brand-new devices from Apple this year. This includes the possibility of an Apple competitor to the Amazon Echo Show that would fuse an entry-level iPad with a speaker, a soundbar equipped with built-in Apple TV similar to Roku’s soundbar, and an Apple augmented- or virtual-reality headset. 

Until Apple sends its official fall event invitations, all we can do is speculate. But we’ll update this story as new hints and rumors come to light. In the meantime, here’s how the iPhone 13 could compare to the iPhone 12, whether it’s still worth it to buy an iPhone 12 or iPhone 11, and everything coming in iOS 15. Plus, why isn’t iPhone SE 3 on this list?

On just one amount, the ending of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is what you would be expecting from a Marvel movie. The heroes battle a horde of CG creatures to save the earth — but it isn’t really quite that straighforward, as some things of the climax are open to interpretation.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings is in theaters now, Sep. 3 (and reportedly streaming on Disney In addition in October). “From opening fight to inescapable write-up-credits scene,” CNET’s review says, “Shang-Chi comes with Marvel strengths and weaknesses even though also emotion like a thing winningly new.”

Drawing on Chinese myths and martial arts philosophy, the ending sees Shang-Chi choose a route that allows him to consider on both the soul-sucking creatures and his individual father. Throughout the closing struggle, his possibilities and their implications are introduced visually, as not all the things is explicitly discussed in dialog or referenced earlier in the film. That helps make the ending both intriguingly philosophical or annoyingly vague, supplying you scope to occur up with your very own conclusions about how factors turned out… or chuck popcorn at the display in annoyance.

Let us see how that ending could be interpreted. Spoilers, definitely!

Heading into the finale of the movie, Shang-Chi and Xialing have arrived at the mystical hidden village of Ta-Lo, where they’re greeted by Michelle Yeoh as their auntie Ying Nan. She fills in the backstory of the village, introduced in Thor comics in 1980 as a pocket dimension filled with legendary animals like the Dijiang (the faceless winged creature that actor Trevor Slattery dubs Morris), and what surface to be lion-like Xiezhi.

Their father Wenwu shortly spoils the family reunion, having said that, making use of his water map to carry an military of 10 Rings assassins to the extended-hidden idyll. Acquiring sent Shang-Chi to an apparent watery grave, Wenwu seeks out what he thinks is the voice of his late wife. Punching the terrifying-wanting gate releases a bunch of traveling CG critters, which is the very first signal possibly it is not his beloved Jiang Li whispering to him after all.

The very first casualty of the flying beasties is Death Vendor, the silent assassin in Kabuki-esque make-up. That’s pretty disappointing, simply because the character by no means really lived up to his badass appears to be. But there is no time to worry about it as the soul-sucking nasties are followed by a a great deal greater manager beastie, the Dweller-in-Darkness. Debuting in the comics in 1974 as an opponent of Marvel heroes such as Thor and Dr. Strange, it was a Lovecraftian entity feeding on concern. In the movie, each individual kill makes the Dweller much better, although for some purpose it only can take an arrow to the throat to disable the fearsome creature. Good shot Katy!

Thankfully, Shang-Chi doesn’t drown, simply because a dragon appears to help him out. Shang-Chi’s mom once in a while pointed out the village’s magic is linked to a dragon and it turns out this is not a metaphor: the dragon is genuine, lives in the lake and fortunately flies around with Shang-Chi on its back again. It is not genuinely clear if Shang-Chi is controlling the dragon or just hanging on for expensive everyday living, but their partnership seems to be a image of Shang-Chi’s new-found connection to nature.

When he’s not flying dragons, the conflict in Shang-Chi’s soul is symbolised on monitor by the diverse fighting variations the character’s use. Shang-Chi was educated as a brutal killer by his father Wenwu, whose bludgeoning battling design symbolises an moi-pushed lust for ability. It can be noteworthy that Wenwu attempts to open up the gate by violently punching it, for instance.

But upon arriving in Ta-Lo, both of those Wenwu and Shang-Chi are launched to a gentler, much more defensive fashion by the women of all ages they satisfy, a design that looks closer to dancing. These sophisticated circular actions can harness the wind, connecting with the components and frequently remaining far more in harmony with mother nature. The contrast is seen in Wenwu’s bludgeoning closed fist vs . Jiang Li’s stylish open up hand. 

The stress in between shut fist and open up hand is a key section of tai chi, Baguazhang and other martial arts, viewed in the keep fist salute when you place your open up palm over your fist as a greeting. In the movie, there’s a beautiful minute where by Ying Nan gently opens Shang-Chi’s fist. This is deft piece of visual storytelling that will not have to have to be over-spelled out in dialog.

So even though it isn’t really explicitly stated, it appears that in their 1st assembly Jiang Li’s sophisticated model countered Wenwu’s brutality due to the fact her link to the balance of mother nature was a lot more impressive than his avarice for conquest.

Which is the lesson Shang-Chi takes into the finale. Going through his father, Shang-Chi need to pick out involving the brutality his father taught him or the additional mild and pure path represented by his mom. By adopting his mother’s classy style, even refusing to battle, he is ready to thwart his father’s assault just as his mother did.

At that level, Shang-Chi is also ready to acquire handle of the vaunted rings that his father applied to seize electricity via the ages. Once more, it isn’t really explicitly spelled out why this is doable. It is just not even especially very clear what option or adjust Shang-Chi has built that allows him to choose command of the rings. The MCU has presently drawn on mythology to present weapons which react to the character of the bearer, like Thor’s hammer, even though the rings have finished Wenwu’s bidding for millennia so obviously are not as great a judge of character as Mjolnir.

It may perhaps be a believing-in-your self thing like Luke Skywalker opening himself to the Drive in Star Wars. But the topic of the film is conflicting identification, so it would make feeling that Shang-Chi’s electric power is rooted in his newfound acceptance of his Chinese roots, his connection to custom and mother nature, and a rejection of his father’s brutality.

So it seems the rings respond to Shang-Chi’s newfound purely natural and harmonious strength relatively than to Wenwu’s brute pressure regulate. It really is probable that ties into the origin of the rings by some means, a tale that the Avengers are keen to unravel in the mid-credits scene.

Regretably for Shang-Chi, his father’s essence is lastly gobbled up by the Dweller-in-Darkness. But after Shang-Chi is in harmony with the rings and the dragon powers of the village, he is ready to ultimately defeat the soul-devouring creature.

When the village is protected, all that remains is to launch h2o lanterns in tribute to the useless. Shang-Chi and Katy return to San Francisco, but their adventures are set to continue on: Dr Strange’s mystical buddy Wong pops through a portal and whisks them off to study the 10 rings, main to the mid-credits scene involving Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner. Which is adopted by a article-credits scene suggesting that even although Shang-Chi has the real ten rings, Xialing has options for the ninja military of the same identify… Simply click right here to dive into the Shang-Chi post-credits scenes in additional depth.

Is 4K resolution and an optical drive worth an extra $200 to you? That’s the main difference between the $500 (£450, AU$749) Xbox Series X and $300 (£250, AU$499) Xbox Series S. Unless your life is ruled by FOMO, if money is any object, the console choice clearly comes down to talking yourself into buying the Series X rather than talking yourself out of it. And If you want a fan model, like the Xbox Series X Halo Infinite Limited Edition, your only choice is the Series X; it’s in preorder now and slated to ship in early November.

Yes, technically the Xbox Series X has more memory and beefier processing components that run at faster speeds than the Series S, but it’s all in service of hitting 4K and 120 frames per second while gaming without upscaling. Or it’s 8K/60 frames per second with it — if you think you need it. 

The Series S’ target of 1440p and 120 fps is a lot less demanding, hence its lower-power components and smaller body. For streaming video, the Series X can do native 4K and upscale to 8K, while the series S upscales to 4K.

The Series S comes with only 512GB of SSD storage compared with the Series X’s 1TB, but thanks to Smart Delivery, games optimized for the new consoles won’t take up as much space on the Series S as the Series X. If you want to keep a lot of big games on deck and in progress, the Series S supports the same Velocity Architecture for SSD expansion, either via swapping the NVMe or the pricey (relative to the price of the console) Seagate 1TB plug-in card. Whizzy new game features are designed to be compatible with both and they have the same support for the new wireless controller and other peripherals. 

Microsoft’s offering both with its two year Xbox All Access bundles — that’s its plan for leasing an Xbox plus a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — with the Series X for $35 a month and the Series S for $25.

Comparative specs

	Xbox Series X	Xbox Series S
Processor	8-core AMD Ryzen Zen 2-architecture CPU at 3.8GHz (3.6GHz with SMT)	8-core AMD Ryzen Zen 2-architecture CPU at 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with SMT)
Graphics	AMD Navi/RDNA 2-family GPU with 52 CU at 1.825GHz (12TFLOPS FP32)	AMD Navi/RDNA 2-family GPU with 20 CU at 1.565GHz (4TFLOPS FP32)
Video memory	16GB GDDR6 with 14Gbps 320-bit interface (10GB at 560GBps allocated to GPU, 6GB at 336GBps allocated to rest of system with 3.5GB for GPU)	10GB GDDR6 (8GB at 224GBps allocated to GPU, 2GB at 56GBps allocated to rest of system)
Storage	1TB NVMe SSD PCIe 4.0; proprietary 1TB SSD add-on module; USB 3.2 external HDD support	512GB NVMe SSD PCIe 4.0; proprietary 1TB SSD add-on module; USB 3.1 external HDD support
Optical drive	Yes, 4K Blu-ray	No
Maximum output resolution	8K 60fps; 4K 120 fps	1440p, 120 fps
Audio	Ray traced	Ray traced
New controller features	Share button, Dynamic Latency Input	Share button, Dynamic Latency Input
VR support	None	None
Backwards compatibility	Xbox One and supported Xbox 360 and Xbox games	Xbox One and supported Xbox 360 and Xbox games
Price	$500, £450, AU$749	$300, £250, AU$499

When new flagship phones come out, CNET doesn’t shy away from testing the durability claims made by manufacturers. We’ve done drop tests. We’ve done water tests. When the new foldable phones started coming on the market from Motorola and Samsung, we even did folding tests.

Even before the latest Samsung foldables were announced, I’d been trying to figure out a new kind of experiment to gauge the resilience of these phones. Could we test the strength of the hinges with weights? Maybe use it as a shovel at the beach to see if any sand got inside?

With the introduction of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and its accompanying S Pen Fold Edition, I decided we should look at the durability of the screen itself. I was curious to find out how much one could draw on the screen with the S Pen before any ill effects could be noticed.

I knew randomly drawing on the screen for an extended period of time was no way to conduct the experiment, so I turned to my 3D printer, which I knew was capable of generating consistent repetitive motions. I modified my Creality Ender 3 V2 printer to make it a plotter instead and printed out a holder to make it work with the S Pen.

Then, with a little help from the internet, I had to teach myself how to program a little bit of gcode so I could make the plotter do what I needed it to. The key ended up being this little string right here: G2 F5277 I50 J0. With some trial and error, I figured out this bit of code would draw a circle with a radius of 50mm 1,000 times in one hour. Copy and paste 1,000 times in Notepad and voila!

Finally, once I got the Z Fold 3 in hand, I had to find a good drawing program that would be interesting to watch for 16 hours. I landed on Infinite Painter because of its clean interface and huge supply of interesting brushes.

So, now the time has come for me to see what happens when I put all these pieces together and run my experiment. You’ll note that I keep calling it an experiment, and not a test, because there’s nothing really scientific about what I’m doing. Samsung hasn’t made any claims about how much you can draw on the screen of the Z Fold 3 with the S Pen, so I’m not really testing anything. I’m just presenting a demonstration of what might happen if someone, for some reason, chose to draw circles on the Fold 3 for the equivalent of a 5K race.

Hopefully, it will also provide some zen to your day, having this experiment just running along in the background.

So tune in on Wednesday at 1 p.m. PT to see me kick things off and keep coming back until the wee hours of Thursday morning as I approach my goal of 16,000 circles, or just over 5,000 meters of drawing.

And if you’re curious, here’s some of the math behind my madness:

Radius of circle being drawn: 50 mm

Circumference of circle: 314.16 mm

The machine draws 1000 circles in 1 hour

1000 circles x 314.16 mm = 314160 mm/hr = 314.16 meters per hour

5 km would take 15.9 or basically 16 Hours

314.16 meters per hour = 1030.7 feet per hour

1 mile = 5.12 hours

3 miles would take 15.36 hours

5 km = 3.1 miles

Just about any TV will work with the PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. All it needs is an HDMI input. However, if you want to take advantage of the latest next-gen graphics and features found in these new game consoles you’re going to need a new TV. Most TVs these days have Ultra HD 4K resolution, but only newer TVs have extras like 120 frames per second input and variable refresh rate, which increase smoothness and reduce choppiness and tearing.

You don’t have to spend a fortune on an 88-inch 8K behemoth to get these console-friendly features though. Some of the most important gaming TV features are available in 65-inch TVs that are priced below $1,000.

Best TVs for PS5 and Xbox

Below you’ll find a chart with all of the TVs we know on sale now that support advanced gaming features, including 120Hz input and VRR as well as the more common Auto Low Latency Mode, aka Auto Game Mode, and eARC. Below is a list of compatible TVs from the past two years, and you may still be able to find 2020 models on sale.

All the features listed below are roughly grouped under the HDMI 2.1 standard, but we’re in a sort of transition period for HDMI technology. As a result, not all of the TVs below include every feature nor deliver the full video and audio bandwidth that’s possible with HDMI 2.1.

Even more confusing, input capability can vary on the same TV. Behind the physical connection where you plug an HDMI cable is a subsection of the TV’s processing, namely a chip. These chips cost money, like everything else. In order to keep costs down, not every input on the TV is fully capable of all the latest features and frame rates. To put it another way, every road on Earth could be capable of highway speeds, but building them all that way would be expensive and rather pointless.

For example, one HDMI input might be capable of eARC, but not be able to handle 4K at 120Hz. Just something to keep in mind as you peruse. Frustratingly, several manufactures don’t include which inputs are capable of what online or in their manuals. We’ve reached out to them for clarification, and will update this chart when (if?) they let us know. Also, there are some important brand and model specifics that didn’t fit in the chart; please check the bullet points below for details.

Finally, the consoles themselves are in a transition period, too. The hardware of the PS5 console can technically support VRR, but unlike the Xbox Series X and Series S, it’s not enabled yet. Sony’s PlayStation 5 FAQ says VRR will be added via a future software update. 

One point to note on VRR: Earlier this year, many AV receiver brands were caught out with a bug that prevented 4K video at 120Hz from displaying. As of the time of publishing Yamaha is the only brand yet to release a fix or updated 8K models.

Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X, Series S in 2021

2021 TVs for PS5 and Xbox

Brand	Model	65-inch price	4K 120Hz Input	VRR	ALLM/AUTO	eARC
LG	G1	$2,500	HDMI 1-4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 2
	Nano 90	$1,300	HDMI 3, 4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	QNED 90	$2,000	HDMI 3, 4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	C1	$2,100	HDMI 1-4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 2
	A1	$1,800	No	No	No	HDMI 3
	Nano 75	$900	No	No	Yes	HDMI 2
	70 series	$700 (70 in)	No	No	Yes	HDMI 2
Samsung	QN900A	$4,000	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	QN800A	$3,000	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	QN90A	$2,100	Yes (55 in and up)	Yes (not 43 in)	Yes	Yes
	QN85A	$1,900	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Frame	$1,700	Yes	Yes (55 in and up)	Yes	Yes
	Q80A	$1,400	Yes (55 in and up)	Yes (not 50 in)	Yes	Yes
	Q60A	$1,000	No	No	Yes	Yes
Sony	A90J	$3,800	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
	X80J	$1,000	No	No	No	Yes
	A80J	$2,200	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
	X95J	$2,000	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
	X90J	$1,350	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
	X85J	$1,100	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
TCL	8	$2,000	No	No	No	No
	6 8K	$2,200	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
	6 4K	$950	Yes (x2)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Vizio	OLED	1900	HDMI 2, 3	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	P series	1300	HDMI 3, 4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	M series	900	No	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
Hisense	U9	$3500 (75″)	No	No	No	No
	U8	$1,250	HDMI 3, 4	VRR	No	HDMI 3
	U7	$1,000	No	Freesync	No	Yes

*Available via a firmware update at a later date (just like Sony’s 2020 models).

2020 TVs

You might still be able to find some of last year’s TVs on sale. Many had 120 Hz inputs, eARC and more, though not quite to the extent of the newer models. Here’s a look at the TVs from 2020 and what they could do.

2020 TVs for PS5 and Xbox

Brand	Model	65-inch price	Max input Hz	VRR	ALLM/AUTO	eARC
LG	UN85	$765	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	Nano85	$1,000	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	Nano90	$1,200	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	Nano91	$1,000	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	CX	$2,200	120Hz (All)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 2
	GX	$2,500	120Hz (All)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 2
	BX	$2,000	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
Samsung	Q70T	$1,200	120Hz	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Q80T	$1,700	120Hz (HDMI 4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	Q90T	$2,000	120Hz	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Q800T (8K)	$2,700	120Hz	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sony	X900H	$1,400	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
TCL	6-Series	$950	4K60/1440p120	Yes	Yes	HDMI 4
Vizio	OLED	$1,500	120Hz (HDMI 2,3)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	P	$950	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	PX	$1,500	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	M-Series	$600	60Hz	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1

Notes and specifics

• Prices are current as of press time but may fluctuate.
• There are some TVs that fit the criteria but weren’t included because they’re so expensive, namely 8K TVs like LG’s ZX series and Samsung’s Q950TS and Q900TS series.
• The PS5 and Series X can also output 8K resolution to compatible TVs, but we consider 4K/120Hz, VRR and other enhancements like ray tracing and even HDR more important than 8K for gaming.
• Samsung doesn’t specify which inputs can handle 4K120 or eARC. It is unlikely that all do, but when we asked, the company didn’t clarify. We did review the Q80T, however, and can confirm that Input 3 is compatible with eARC and Input 4 with 4K120.
• Sony says the software update(s) that enables VRR and ALLM on the X900H is coming “at a later date.” It’s been saying that for over a year now.
• Vizio The 2020 M-Series is only 60Hz but has VRR.
• TCL The 2020 6-Series can only accept 4K at 60Hz, but can accept 1440p at 120Hz.

Our picks 

Of the TVs listed above that we’ve already reviewed, these are the ones we can recommend among our picks for the best TV for PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S game consoles. We expect to review more soon and we’ll be updating this list of the best TV for PS5 options periodically. Note that all of the prices shown below are for the 65-inch sizes and we’ve included our input lag measurements for both 1080p and 4K HDR sources.

120Hz input explained

Despite TVs being capable of 120Hz refresh for well over a decade, the ability to input 120Hz is a far more recent development. This is largely due to the fact that other than a fairly beefy gaming PC, there just haven’t been any 120Hz sources. That all changes with the PS5 and Series X. Some of the TVs on our list can accept 4K at 120Hz on all HDMI inputs. Others can only do so on select inputs and one, the TCL 6-Series, can only accept 120Hz at lower-than-4K resolution (1440p).

The Xbox Series S can also output 4K at 120Hz, but internally the game is rendered at a lower resolution (1440p) and upscaled before it’s sent to your TV. 

For more info, check out the truth about 4K TV refresh rates and beware fake 120Hz refresh rates on 4K TVs.

VRR

VRR, or variable refresh rate, is a new feature that you’d probably be surprised wasn’t already a thing. All modern TVs have a fixed refresh rate. A 60Hz TV is going to refresh, or create, a new image 60 times a second. The problem is a new console might not be ready to send a new image. 

Let’s say you’re in the middle of a huge boss battle, with lots of enemies and explosions. The console struggles to render everything in the allotted time. The TV still needs something so the console might send a duplicate of the previous image, creating juddering on screen, or it might send a partially new image, resulting in the image looking like someone tore a page off the top and revealed the new page below.

VRR gives the TV some flexibility to wait for the new frame from the console. This will result in better gaming performance with smoother action and less tearing.

All the TVs below have VRR. For more info, read how HDMI 2.1 makes big-screen 4K PC gaming even more awesome.

ALLM/Auto Game Mode

Game mode turns off most of the image-enhancing features of the TV, reducing input lag. We’ll discuss input lag below, but the specific feature to look for is called either Auto Low Latency Mode or Auto Game Mode. Different manufacturers call it one or the other, but the basic idea is the same. Sensing a signal from the console, the TV switches on game mode automatically. This means you don’t need to find your TV’s remote to enable game mode. Not a huge deal, but convenient. All the TVs listed above have, or will have, one or the other.

What about input lag?

One thing missing from the chart above is any listing for input lag, or how long it takes for the TV to create an image. If this is too high, there’s a delay between when you press a button on the controller and when that action appears on screen. In many games, like shooters or platformers, timing is crucial and a TV with high input lag could hurt your performance. 

As a longtime console gamer myself, I can easily notice the difference between high (greater than 100ms) and low input lag (sub-30ms). The good news is, most modern TVs have input lag that’s low enough that most people won’t notice it. Largely gone are the days of 100-plus-millisecond input lags… at least when you enable game mode.

So as long as the TV has a game mode, you’re probably fine, though it’s worth checking CNET’s reviews for the exact numbers to see if it has low input lag. Lower, in this case, is always better.

eARC

While not a console feature, eARC is a next-gen TV feature to keep in mind. It’s the evolution of ARC, or Audio Return Channel. This sends audio from a TV’s internal apps (such as Netflix or Vudu), back down the HDMI cable to a receiver or soundbar. With eARC, newer formats like Dolby Atmos can be transmitted as well.

The issue is in many cases, eARC often precludes higher resolutions or frame rates on the same input. So if you’ve connected your PS5 to your receiver and the receiver to the TV, you can have eARC audio back from the TV or 4K120, but usually not both. This is only important if you plan on using the internal apps in a TV (as in, not a Roku or Amazon streaming stick) and you want to use the new audio formats via eARC.

For more info, check out HDMI ARC and eARC: Audio Return Channel for beginners and HDMI 2.1: What you need to know.

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As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, airplane graveyards and more. 

You can follow his exploits on Instagram and YouTube, and on his travel blog, BaldNomad. He also wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel.

Are we there however? The following-technology James Webb Place Telescope — the potent successor to the well-known (and famously previous) Hubble Space Telescope — has last but not least concluded testing and is prepared to be packed up and transported to its start site. Which is a large checkmark on the to-do checklist for the considerably-delayed observatory.

“Webb’s several exams and checkpoints had been designed to make sure that the world’s most elaborate house science observatory will operate as designed at the time in space,” NASA stated on Thursday upon announcing the completion of testing. 

James Webb is a joint project from NASA, the European Room Agency and the Canadian Place Company. It really is built to probe the mysteries of our universe’s origins and peer into the previous to master about the development of stars, planets and galaxies.

The telescope has been put by means of its paces whilst safely and securely on the floor. In May possibly, it opened its golden mirror for the previous time on Earth. At a single stage, NASA had hoped to start the telescope in 2007, so it can be been a long road to get to the conclusion of screening right here in 2021.

Preparations for shipping the observatory will wrap up in September. It will need to have to travel from its current digs at Northrop Grumman’s facilities in California, by way of the Panama Canal and all the way to French Guiana in South The united states. James Webb is scheduled to start on an Ariane 5 rocket this drop, potentially as shortly as Oct. 31.

The telescope packs up like origami and will unfold itself in space as it travels to its orbital location, pretty much a million miles from Earth. Science functions will kick off about 6 months following start if all goes as prepared.

ESA phone calls Webb “the following terrific space science observatory,” and it can’t occur quickly sufficient. The venerable Hubble Space Telescope has remarkably survived all types of complex complications, but it can be above 31 several years old. It really is time for some new blood to stage up.

Follow CNET’s 2021 Room Calendar to remain up to day with all the newest space information this calendar year. You can even add it to your very own Google Calendar.    

Samsung’s August Unpacked event debuted the expensive yet foldable Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, and next up could be the rumored Galaxy S21 FE. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE made its debut last year in the fall, offering a balanced combination of handy features for a reasonable $699 starting price. We don’t have any official information about the new model of the affordable high-end phone, but the Galaxy S21 FE seems to be popping up in leaks like 3D renders shared on Twitter by tipster Evan Blass. 

Read more: Galaxy Unpacked: Everything Samsung announced, from Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 to Watch 4 and Buds 2

Although upgrades to other phones in the Galaxy S21 lineup are also on their way in the near future — here’s what we know about the Galaxy S22 so far — Drew Blackard, Samsung Electronics America’s vice president of product management, said in an interview with CNET that they’re not a threat to the Galaxy FE or Note. 

There have been a few leaks and other tidbits floating around regarding the Galaxy S21 FE’s possible specs and availability, so let’s dive into what we know so far. We’ll keep updating this as the release date approaches and we learn more.

Read more: Galaxy S22 vs. Galaxy S21: The newest rumors about Samsung’s next flagship

Galaxy S21 FE specs

The Galaxy S21 FE’s specs list reportedly appeared on China’s TENAA Certification site (via MyFixGuide). According to the listing, the phone would have a 6.4-inch screen at a 2,340×1,080-pixel resolution, a 4,370-mAh battery, three cameras with a 32-megapixel main lens along with a 12-megapixel and 8-megapixel, a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, an in-display fingerprint sensor and support for 45W fast-charging. The phone would also include 8GB of RAM as well as 128GB and 256GB storage options.

If true, a 6.4-inch screen would make the phone a bit taller than the 6.2-inch screen on the higher-end Galaxy S21, while being slightly smaller than the 6.5-inch screen on last year’s Galaxy S20 FE. However, this camera would be both a step up from the Galaxy S20 FE’s main 12-megapixel lens and a step down from the S21’s 64-megapixel camera.

More rumored specs were reportedly spotted on the Google Play Console, according to MyFixGuide, including 6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 888 chip.

The phone could also include four free months of YouTube Premium, as SamMobile reports that Samsung France’s website briefly listed that perk as coming with the purchase of the Galaxy S21 FE, Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Plus or the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

What will it look like

Noted leaker Blass tweeted out various purported Samsung renders in July, which included a possible look at the Galaxy S21 FE. Blass later revealed what he said were 3D renders of the upcoming smartphone on Twitter in August. 

According to the renders on his account, the phone could have a similar appearance to the Galaxy S21, including a punchout for the front-facing camera and three cameras on the back.

The similarity to the S21 makes sense: The Galaxy S20 FE kept much of the S20’s design language while making cuts to the screen resolution and cameras that likely helped bring down the price. And according to a leak reported by SamMobile, the S21 FE will reportedly come in at least five colors.

We may have gotten a sneak peek at the Galaxy S21 FE in a back-to-school promo image briefly posted to Samsung’s official Instagram account in August. The phone is shown in a backpack beside a laptop and a pair of Galaxy Buds Pro. It looks similar to the Galaxy S21 from behind, but is shown in a lilac color that isn’t currently one of the color options for the Galaxy S21. The post has since been deleted from Samsung’s account.

What will it cost?

Samsung Galaxy S20 FE’s price started at $699 in the US, which was a substantial discount from the Galaxy S20’s $999 starting price. That price also undercut rival OnePlus 8T’s $749 starting price.

However, the Galaxy S21’s starting price of $800 was notably lower than the Galaxy S20’s, and it seems unlikely that a Galaxy S21 FE would receive a similar $300 discount — as the Galaxy A series of phones occupies that sub-$500 price range.

While we don’t have any concrete information on price, a report from GizChina hypothesizes that the S21 FE line could launch with a starting price of $699, the same as the starting price at launch for the Galaxy S20 FE. That price would still put it about $100 lower than the Galaxy S21, positioning it as a higher-end value option.

When will it be announced and released?

Although the Galaxy S21 FE was not unveiled at the August foldables event, it’s possible that it will follow last year’s pattern of getting a stand-alone announcement. The Galaxy S20 FE had its own Unpacked event in September 2020; the phone’s reveal was touted as “a tribute to its Galaxy fans.”

However, that phone’s release was very close to the release of the Z Fold 2, which also took place in September. Perhaps this year’s big phones will get a similar amount of space.

For more, take a look at how the Galaxy S20 FE compares with other S20 phones. You can also check out CNET’s Galaxy S21 review and Galaxy S21 Ultra review. 

We will keep updating this roundup as we hear more about the rumored Galaxy 21 FE. Do you currently have the Galaxy 20 FE and have thoughts about what should come next? Or have heard other rumors about the phone we should check out? Add them to the comments.