Thread: Anandtech News

The latest update in Huawei’s P series smartphones are the new P30 and P30 Pro handsets, launched today in Paris. These new devices hope to push the reason why the P series exists – to go above and beyond when it comes to photography. The P30 and P30 Pro include Huawei’s new rear SuperSpectrum camera that allows more light into the sensor, and a front facing 32MP camera for better selfies.

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EKWB has introduced its new water blocks designed for AMD’s reference design Radeon VII GPUs. The EK-Vector series water blocks for AMD Radeon VII will enable owners to use custom liquid cooling systems and either run cooler, or overclock more.

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ASUS and GIGABYTE have issued BIOS updates for their Intel 300-series chipsets-based motherboards that enable the platforms to work with Intel’s upcoming 9^th Gen Core processors featuring a new stepping. The new CPUs will reportedly be available in the coming weeks.



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NEC has introduced its new large-format 55-inch 4K display designed for commercial and digital signage applications, the NEC MultiSync V554Q.
The V554Q display is based on an IPS panel featuring a 3840×2160 resolution, 500 nits max brightness, a 1100:1 contrast ratio (without local dimming), a 60 Hz refresh rate, a 8 ms response time, 178º viewing angles, and so on. The LCD can display ‘more than’ 1.07 billion colors and, still uncommon for most monitors, supports the BT.2020 color space (though the manufacturer doesn't list how much of the gamut is supported).
One of the key features of the V554Q monitor is its anti-glare coating, which the manufacturer says can removes glares almost completely without compromising color accuracy. Another key technology used on the monitor is NEC’s SpectraView Engine, the company’s proprietary color management and color uniformity correction tool. Finally, to ensure longevity of the display even if it has to work in tough conditions for 24/7, it features an integrated cooling system with three fans, which kicks off automatically when internal sensors detect high temperatures.

Since the NEC V554Q was formally designed primarily for digital signage, the monitor has an on-board media player that can playback content from an SD card or a USB drive. It also has an OPS slot for NEC’s Raspberry Pi compute module, essentially allowing to installa fully-fledged PC inside the display. Meanwhile, the LCD can be controlled using local buttons, an IR remote, as well as remotely using 100 Mbps Ethernet ports, or an RS232 connector (as well as NEC’s NaViSet Administrator software).

Speaking of connectivity, it is necessary to note that the MultiSync V554Q has two DisplayPort 1.2, three HDMI 2.0 inputs, and various audio outputs (3.5 mm, HDMI out, analog, DP Audio out).

NEC's 55-Inch UHD Display
	MultiSync V554Q
Panel	55" IPS
Native Resolution	3840×2160
Maximum Refresh Rate	60 Hz
Response Time	8 ms
Brightness	500 cd/m²
Contrast	1100:1
Viewing Angles	178°/178° horizontal/vertical
Pixel Pitch	0.3171 mm2
Pixel Density	80 ppi
Color Gamut	1.07 billion+
Inputs	2 × DisplayPort 1.2 3 × HDMI 2.0 RS-232C
Outputs	3.5 mm audio output DisplayPort Audio HDMI Audio
USB/MicroSD	4 × USB Type-A ports MicroSD slot
LAN	2 × 10 Mbps Ethernet
Power Consumption (idle/active)	Idle: 0.5 W Typical: 120 W Max: 300 W
Launch Price	$1,849

Besides the compute module, NEC offers numerous accessories for its 55-inch V554Q monitor, including a tabletop stand, external speakers, human sensor, wall mount, and so on. Which means that while the monitor may be first and foremost aimed at digital signage, it is a complete stand-alone (and standing) monitor that can be used for more regular workloads as well.
NEC’s MultiSync V554Q can be ordered from NEC and its partners for $1,849. In addition, the manufacturer offers the V554Q-AVT2 model with an integrated ATSC tuner.
Related Reading:

• NEC Launches Narrow Bezel MultiSync EA271U Display: 4K & USB-C Charging
• NEC Goes for a Curved Display, Launches 3440×1440 MultiSync EX341R Monitors
• BenQ Unveils PD3220U Professional Monitor with AQColor, TB3, HDR10, & KVM
• Philips Brilliance 499P9H Ultra-Wide 49-Inch Monitor Now Available
• NVIDIA’s 65-inch Big Format Gaming Display Is Here: HP OMEN X Emperium

Source: NEC

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HMD Global this week started sales of its new flagship smartphone, the Nokia 9 PureView, in the US, and select European countries. The new handset features an innovative camera featuring multiple sensors and promising very high-quality images. It also has a large pOLED screen, a premium SoC, and will costs less than $700 in the USA.

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AAEON has introduced its new single board computer (SBC) that is powered by Intel’s Core i3/i5/i7 ‘Whiskey Lake’ SoCs. The AAEON UP Xtreme is designed for developers of embedded applications that need performance of Intel’s higher-end CPU cores in a very small form-factor. The SBC comes with a BGA SOC, soldered-down DDR4 memory, eMMC storage, and has a rich set of I/O connectors.



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While Samsung may be best known in the smartphone space for their Galaxy S line of flagship phones, those phones alone aren't the reason that Samsung is currently the world's largest smartphone manufacturer. Instead, Samsung's stupendous volume is built on the back of offering a top-to-bottom range of phones, from flagship to entry level. And though these other phones don't get the same level of attention from the public (or the press), make no mistake: they're just as important a part of Samsung's overall Galaxy smartphone lineup.
To that end, this week Samsung is unveiling the latest in their Galaxy A-series of mid-range smartphones, the Galaxy A70. The phablet-sized phone sports a rather sizable screen, incorporating a 6.7-inch AMOLED display that Samsung calls their "Infinity-U" display. Paired with a 32 MP primary camera and a yet-to-be-disclosed 2+6 core SoC, it's clear that Samsung is aiming to deliver a more "premium" mid-range phone. However we're going to have to wait a bit longer to see just what specific market segment Samsung is going after – and what Samsung prices the phone at – as this week's announcement is really more of a teaser ahead of a full reveal on April 10th.

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Microsoft’s Surface lineup was created to bring a spark of innovation into the PC industry at a time where much of the competition was slow to change, and slow to adopt new form factors and new technologies. Microsoft’s Surface Pro lineup has undoubtedly been a huge success in this respect, with the 2-in-1s providing plenty of flexibility coupled with great hardware.
Unsurprisingly then, Microsoft has taken this success and run with it, growing the Surface brand by fleshing out the product line with more models. However even as Microsoft expanded the Surface family, they have always tried to keep that same edge – always embracing a unique feature on their lineup to differentiate a Surface device from the competition. Surface Pro had the kickstand, of course. Surface Book is a laptop with a detachable display. Surface Studio is an all-in-one PC that can fold into a drafting table.
But even with the Pro as a successful template for how to build out the Surface family, Microsoft has one product that doesn’t really fit in with the rest, and that is the Surface Laptop. There are no tricks or unique chassis features here. Microsoft just set out to create a thin and light laptop to fill a void where people want to buy a Surface, but want to use it in their lap; and they don’t need the performance, heft, or price of the Surface Book. It's a simple concept for a company that's been more focused on distinctive designs, and, as we'll see, one that helps tap an important segment of the notebook market.

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Foldable smartphones are still to prove their value proposition in the market, and we will see if they become popular among end users. It goes without saying that foldable handsets represent a technological challenge in the unique way smartphones are used. Samsung, through a released video, has stated that its Galaxy Fold device is not only impressive in terms of technology, but is also reliable enough to be folded and unfolded for over 100 times a day for five years. The company even published a video showing how it tests the handset for reliability.

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Palit Microsystems, which owns a number of GPU brands, entered SSD market a little more than two years ago with entry-level offerings to simplify product development and avoid competition. While Palit mainly sells ultra-high-end video cards and has loads of performance-minded clientele, for these customers the company is now rolling out its high-end GALAX Hall of Fame SSDs based on an advanced controller and featuring a sophisticated cooling system.

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