Govee Christmas Lights Set

$459.99

The Govee Christmas Lights Set is an excellent package with an assortment of Govee's best holiday lighting, which can work together to put together an excellent lighting show. It's available in two versions, Outdoor and Indoor, to suit all kinds of homes.

Buy the Outdoor set Buy the Indoor set

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01/24/2024 08:37 pm GMT

Like most people, I’ve spent years after years buying lighting that doesn’t last longer than a year. With the advent of smart lights, I did manage to get some indoor lighting replaced with smart bulbs.

What I hadn’t tried yet was outdoor smart lights. I wanted to give it a go for this year’s holiday season, and it’s probably the best lighting choice I’ve made in a while.

This year, Govee sent over their Outdoors Christmas Lights Set, which is a nifty package that includes a bunch of their lighting products, which is also an excellent holiday gift.

While it took me some time to get everything installed, the end result was glorious. 

What you get in the Govee Christmas Lights Set

The Govee Christmas Lights Set is an assortment of lighting from Govee, which comes in two versions, indoors and outdoors. The outdoor set costs $459.99, but it is enough to have an all-out lighting setup for a house.

You get:

• Govee RGBIC LED Permanent Outdoor Lights 100ft (30m)
• Govee Christmas String Lights 66ft (20m)
• Govee Curtain Lights
• Govee Outdoor String Lights 15m (50ft)
• Govee Outdoor Light Show Box

The indoor set comes in cheaper at $189.99 and goes for as low as $139.99 during promotional periods, but you only get the Christmas string lights, curtain lights, and the light show box.

Putting up the holiday smart lights

The installation isn’t a straightforward process to begin with, mostly because the set has a bunch of products that need to be handled separately.

However, once you figure out what needs to go where, the whole process gets easier. You have instructions included with each product in the box.

The installations themselves are pretty simple. For the string lights, you don’t have any adhesives since they’re supposed to be, well, strung.

Our pine tree is a bit too tall, and in a rather cramped corner, so I chose to put the Christmas string lights along the railings of the second-floor porch of my house instead.

The outdoor string lights, on the other hand, looked better on the first-floor porch fence. These have a classic bulb-shaped casing, so they can look really nice if you get the installation right.

The permanent outdoor lights and the curtain lights both come with 3M VHB tape for fixtures. The adhesive is, without a doubt, the strongest I’ve seen, so you have to be sure about where you want these lights to go.

The permanent outdoor lights are not meant to be only a holiday lighting solution, as the name suggests. These are excellent to add some additional ambient lighting to your house.

You can always set them to warm or cool white on the daily and switch to a festive lighting scheme when needed.

The curtain lights are the best of the lot. I chose to install these on a small blank wall, making it a nice bright spot that can be customized.

You can take these down, but they also have 3M VHB tape fixtures to hang them from, which you’ll need to keep if you want to reinstall them in the same spot again.

How smart are these smart lights?

The physical installation of these lights took me about 2 hours altogether for my two-floor residence. Once done, I moved on to setting up the smart features.

The Govee app is the way to do this. You get a pretty simple user interface. What surprised me was how easy it was to add these lights to the app.

It’s a quick and easy process, where you select the kind of lights you’re looking to add, find the device in the list that appears, select your Wi-Fi connection, and done.

Some lights may need you to press the power button on the control boxes to help the app identify the lights. All in all, the process was simple and quick.

Once you’re done, you can do a lot more with these lights. 

To begin with, the curtain lights are like having an LED wall of your own. You can set a bunch of patterns from the Govee app.

All the lights have your standard smart light controls, including setting any color of your liking, brightness control, and different lighting patterns like breathing and cycling.

The fun part has to do with Govee’s sync, which works amazingly. I managed to sync all the lights together to keep a Christmas theme.

But there’s more! The last part of the set is the outdoor light show box. It lets you connect all the lights to its syncing function, and then you can just sync all of your lights to music.

I cannot stress enough how impressed I was with this feature. The box picks up the music you’re playing, and you can set the intensity with which the lights respond to the beat.

It was an excellent way to set up a lighting show. The overall effort was not all that much, barring some cable management, and it seemed almost unusual how easily the software put it all together.

Should you get smart lights for your holiday lighting?

At the end of the day, this set didn’t feel like overkill, which is a possibility with smart lights. The setup was clean, the quality is excellent, and the overall interoperability was great.

Also, the app features cater to both sorts of users — those who want to set up smart lights and forget them, and those that want to tinker with the settings frequently.

For those who want the less intense setup, the indoor set is excellent. But if you want an all-out setup that doesn’t look tacky, the outdoors set is the way to go. 

I’m sticking to smart lights for holiday decorations, and so should you. While smart lights struggled for a while, they’re now at a point where the effort is minimal, and the output is rather impressive.

Amazon also has the set delivering quite quickly if you’re a procrastinator looking for some last minute holiday decorations.

Govee Christmas Lights Set

$459.99

The Govee Christmas Lights Set is a great all-in-one festive lighting solution that can work together to create a smart lighting for all kinds of occasions.

Buy the Outdoor set Buy the Indoor set

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/24/2024 08:37 pm GMT

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• This lifetime deal gets you 20TB of cloud storage for $99.99
• Govee holiday lights bring the party to your porch at 30% off
• Upgrade your creaky chair for a discounted AndaSeat gaming chair
• Walmart & Best Buy Xbox Series X deal selling out fast

The post I did my holiday lighting with smart lights, and it was glorious appeared first on KnowTechie.

Editor's choice

Nothing Phone (2)

4.5

$599.00 at Nothing

Quick Verdict: The Nothing Phone (2) is the second phone from Nothing, but already has the makings of a mature phone, and is one of the best mid-range phones you can get today.

Pros:

• Eye-catching design with Glyph notification lights
• Solid overall camera performance
• Smooth software experience
• Above average battery life and fast charging

Cons:

• Too slippery
• A bit too large
• No charger in the box

Check Availability at Nothing Check Availability at Amazon

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

The quest to beat the iPhone as the default smartphone has been ongoing. There have been a lot of attempts to do that, with the result being some fantastic Android phones. 

The Nothing Phone (2) is a grand entry into that competition, and it gets a lot of things right. It comes with its own set of unique features that sometimes border on gimmicks.

However, the phone is overall a great package and is a fantastic Android phone, especially if you want a well-rounded Android experience without spending $1,000 or more.

I used a Nothing Phone (2) in the 12/256GB configuration, sent over by the company, for a period of three months. It feels like the making of a new strong competitor to the best Android right now, if not the iPhone.

Price, specs, and availability

Nothing is going more global than before with the Nothing Phone (2). What that means is that it is available in the US, in addition to the UK, Europe, India, and a few other regions.

The Nothing Phone (2) pricing is as follows, available in Dark Grey and White:

• 8/128GB model: Currently $549/£499/€579, down from $599/£579/€679
• 12/256GB model: Currently $599/£549/€629, down from $699/£629/€729
• 12/512GB model: Currently $649/£599/€699, down from $799/£699/€849

The phone is available on Nothing’s online storefront across all regions. Additionally, the Nothing Phone (2) has also recently landed on Amazon in the US. 

However, Amazon doesn’t have the 8GB variant, so you’ll have to pick between the 12GB versions with 256GB or 512GB storage, which cost $769 and $799 respectively.

Design: With or without Glyph

The Nothing Phone (2) design is pretty polarizing on paper, but it has been very well-received in reality. It’s similar to the Nothing Phone (1) but makes meaningful changes.

The functional design is an improvement here. The flat edges look unwelcoming but are rounded enough not to dig into your palms.

The rounded back glass is a huge help in hand feel, but it comes with a flaw that you need to be careful about — the Nothing Phone (2) is the most slippery phone I have ever used.

The phone is great in hand, but it starts to slide if you place it on any surface that’s not perfectly flat. I would not recommend using it without a case, even though the build quality is great.

For starters, the Dark Grey colorway doesn’t look as good as the Phone (1)’s black colorway, but it still looks great. I prefer the white option, but the contrast of the Glyph lighting is better on the Grey.

Speaking of which — the Glyph lights greatly add to the design. The phone stands out because of the lights, making the Nothing Phone (2) much less boring than its competitors. 

The one design change I would have liked was for the phone to be small. A 6-inch screen would make this phone a lot more fun, even though smaller phones come with their own disadvantages.

Display

The Nothing Phone (2) has a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a 1080 x 2412 pixels resolution. On paper, the display is adequate for the size and price of the phone.

During my usage, the display was pretty great. It’s easy on the eyes, with pretty good-looking colors, and gets abundantly bright outdoors.

At the size, I would’ve liked to see a higher-resolution screen. However, the pixel density on this display is plenty good for most folks, and the overall quality is superb.

The display comes with a pre-applied screen protector. It peels away after a bit of use. During my usage, the display picked up quite a lot of minor scratches and scuffs as a result, although they’re not noticeable during use.

I recommend you get a tempered glass screen protector for this one, though, especially since the slippery nature of the phone is likely to land some blows to the display.

Nothing Phone (2) camera quality

This is a mid-range phone, and it punches above its weight in most areas. The camera performance is solid for the price.

The primary camera could be better, thanks to the Pixel A-series models and some iPhones and Samsung options at the price.

However, it’s no slouch. It reproduces details well, the color science is balanced, and the camera interface is simple and elegant.

What impressed me was the ultrawide camera, which is surprisingly consistent with the primary camera. It manages to keep a similar color science, and the loss of detail is minimal.

There’s no zoom camera on this phone, which is acceptable for the price. However, a zoom lens would have complemented this camera setup well, so it seems like a miss, regardless.

The selfie camera is also what you would expect. It takes crisp shots, maintains skin tone well, and has the face retouching option if you like it. It’s not groundbreaking, but you get good-quality shots with consistency.

Software

The software is a big talking point about Nothing’s phones and any smartphone company that tries to do something new.

Nothing OS seemed too gimmicky to me the first time I laid eyes on it. The dot matrix design was just not for me, and the overall theming seemed too pigeonholed in the same direction for me to like.

However, that’s not quite the case, and my first impression was entirely wrong. The software is immaculate, and you can opt out of the typical dot matrix-styled UI when setting up the device or later if you choose.

That leaves you with a very normal-looking Android skin, which is smooth as butter. I’m not kidding when I say that the Android experience felt more pristine than the Pixel 7 Pro, which was my daily driver for a while.

Overall, Nothing OS 2.0 keeps the best of Android. It does add some bells and whistles, but they’re largely easy to ignore. That makes this an excellent software experience.

Nothing phone (2) performance and battery life

The performance is excellent, too. The smoothness translates to real-world use, and the phone holds up quite fine in daily applications. It doesn’t have the latest hardware, but you get a pretty high-end chip.

The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 does quite well in the Nothing Phone (2). It’s not as good as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, but you can expect flagship-tier performance with a bit more heat.

I ran Geekbench 6 to get an idea of the performance on offer and the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test to check sustained performance.

The Geekbench 6 benchmark result was just about right for the hardware.

On the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, the Nothing Phone (2) didn’t do well. The stability figure was 71.6%, which isn’t great if you want to expect to do a lot of gaming on this phone over more extended periods.

I did play Fortnite on the Nothing Phone (2) to see how it performed. At 100% 3D resolution, I could get 60fps at Epic quality and 90fps at Low quality settings. 

It did have some frame drops but stuck to the frame rates for most of the playtime. I didn’t find any noticeable drop during my hour-long session.

The battery life of this phone is solid. I was able to get all-day usage, with about 10-15 percent left at the end of the day.

My usage included a lot of texting via Telegram, web browsing on Google Chrome, and a lot of Instagram and X/Twitter use.

My one complaint would be the lack of a charger in the box. I used a Nubia 65W charger, which charged the phone from 0-100% in under an hour at the 45W rate, which is pretty great. You also get 15W Qi wireless charging.

Alternative options to the Nothing Phone (2)

Apple iPhone 15	Samsung Galaxy S23 FE	Google Pixel 8
3.5	4.0	3.5
$799	$599	$999.00
Check Availability	Check Availability	Check Availability

Apple iPhone 15

3.5

$799

Check Availability

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE

4.0

$599

Check Availability

Google Pixel 8

3.5

$999.00

Check Availability

01/26/2024 03:21 am GMT

Should you buy the Nothing Phone (2)

The Nothing Phone (2) is an easy recommendation, especially at the currently lowered prices. The phone gets nearly everything right and establishes Nothing as a good phone maker to watch out for.

It’s a well-rounded package with decent hardware and great software, and despite some of the hiccups we have seen the company face, the phone itself is pretty great.

So, if you’re looking for a midrange phone that will service you well and has a bit of personality, the Nothing Phone (2) is the way to go.

Just make sure that the phone is well-protected because even though it has excellent build quality, it is still pretty slippery, and a little extra protection never hurts anyone.

Editor's choice

Nothing Phone (2)

4.5

$599.00 at Nothing

The Nothing Phone (2) cements the company as a serious phonemaker, and with the phone now available in the US, it's one of the best mid-range phones you can buy. You get a solid balance of great hardware and software, and the Glyph lights, while a novelty gimmick, add some personality to the phone, which isn't all that common at this price.

Check Availability at Nothing Check Availability at Amazon

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: OnePlus Open
• Review: Roccat Kone Air Mouse
• Review Roundup: Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro
• Review Roundup: iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Plus – worth the hype?

The post Review: Nothing Phone (2) appeared first on KnowTechie.

Grand Theft Auto V has been on the scene for a long time now, kept alive with DLCs and events, and with GTA VI, we’re headed back to the Miami-inspired Vice City.

Rockstar has uploaded the full 90-second trailer to its YouTube channel, which was expected to be released on December 5, 2023. The company has now released it earlier, announcing the game will release in 2025.

Watch the first Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer

An anonymous X/Twitter account leaked the GTA VI trailer earlier today, although in low quality with a hideous crypto watermark over it. The trailer was initially supposed to be released December 5th at 9AM ET.

The account has since then been suspended, but Rockstar responded by acknowledging the link and releasing the trailer early. This isn’t the first Grand Theft Auto 6 leak, though, and we’ve actually seen GTA VI gameplay footage before.

The trailer gave us a glimpse at the story of a protagonist, Lucia, set to be the first 3D female protagonist in the history of the franchise. We see her in an orange prison jumpsuit at the beginning, followed by a montage of crimes.

We do see another character with her: the boyfriend. However, we don’t know yet if that character will be playable. However, it is very likely that GTA will have more than one protagonist, and future trailers will focus on the others.

The game is set to launch in 2025, according to the trailer, although we don’t have a release date, month, or window. So for now, there’s at least about 13 months of wait to go until we can play Grand Theft Auto 6.

Additionally, Rockstar’s press release currently just mentions PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. Given that and, well, history, GTA 6 is likely to have an even more delayed PC release.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• GTA Online now has a subscription service for $5.99 a month
• Rockstar has finally confirmed it’s working on GTA VI
• The GTA Trilogy remaster flopped so hard that Rockstar is giving away the original games for free
• GTA San Andreas is coming to Oculus because it’s one of Zuckerberg’s favorites

The post Rockstar releases Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer early following leak appeared first on KnowTechie.

GEEKOM AS6 Mini PC

4.5

The GEEKOM AS 6 is a compact Mini PC, powered by AMD Ryzen 9. It offers robust performance with its Radeon Graphics 680M and DDR5 memory. With support for up to four 4K displays, 8K resolution, and advanced connectivity options, it's a versatile choice for productivity tasks.

Pros:

• Great hardware
• Solid design
• Very compact
• Value for money

Cons:

• Plastic body
• Fan gets noisy under load

Check Availability at Amazon Check Availability at Geekom

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

I remember wanting to have a huge computer when I was a kid. I built a full-size PC for myself last year, but it has become increasingly clear that that’s not the only way to own a powerful PC.

Mini PCs aren’t a new phenomenon, but they’re having their moment in the sun. We’ve seen many iterations of mini PCs, but with CPU manufacturing processes shrinking, the technology is more advanced than ever.

Enter the GEEKOM AS6. It’s a mini PC that the company has made in partnership with ASUS, and on paper, it covers all the basics you would expect from a home computer and more. 

Starting at $649, the GEEKOM AS6 is one of the best mini PCs you can buy right now, with three CPU options: Ryzen 7 6800H, 7735H, and Ryzen 9 6900HX, all with 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD as standard. 

We tested the Ryzen 9 6900HX variant that comes in at $739 for three months. Here’s how it performed.

Specifications of the GEEKOM AS6

Design and ports

Mini PCs are a marvel of modern engineering, and the GEEKOM AS6 is exceptionally well-built. It’s impressive how much power this little brick packs in.

On first look, you’ll see the relatively muted and understated design of the AS6. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel with the design here; instead, it blends in well. I tested it hooked up to my TV, and it never once felt out of place.

The thermal design of this mini PC is also impressive. I did try to push the AS6 to its limits during my testing, and it stayed relatively cool and quiet. The fan did get quite audible under load.

GEEKOM claims it has an Anti-Dust Self-Cleaning System, which I can vouch for. My TV unit area is particularly dusty, which is made apparent to me by my Xbox Series X, which needs a thorough dusting now and then.

However, the GEEKOM AS6 was sitting next to the Xbox for three months and didn’t seem to trap much of the dust in the internals. It was good to go, good as new, after just a moderate cleaning. Impressive for any PC, really!

The port selection is also decent here. There are USB4 ports on board, one in the front and one at the back, and two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports at the front and three at the back. 

You also get two HDMI 2.1 ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, 2.5G ethernet, an audio jack, and a DC-in for charging. Kensington Lock and Padlock rings are also provided.

The AS6 comes with an external power brick, which is some added bulk, but it’s a regular-sized power brick, which isn’t very hefty and will be easy to blend in with your setup with some cable management.

My only complaint would be the lack of a metal build. The plastic build feels sturdy, but a metal one would have made this mini PC feel even more premium.

GEEKOM AS6 Performance: Amazing power for the form factor

The performance is on par with what you would expect from the hardware. During my testing, I used this as a home entertainment PC. That meant a fair bit of web browsing, video playback, and a bunch of gaming.

While mini PCs aren’t typically geared for gaming, this machine’s Radeon 680M GPU makes it a rather impressive little gaming machine.

I tried CS: GO and Fortnite on this PC, as well as some retro titles using emulators, and I can confirm that the GEEKOM AS6 is a fantastic gaming machine, especially for the living room.

The AS6 handled everything I threw at it. It’s pretty powerful for something that is this compact. I also ran some synthetic benchmarks to get the numbers on how this thing performs.

I tested the CPU performance using Cinebench R23.

The overall performance was tested with PC Mark 10, and GPU performance was tested with 3D Mark, both of which were made available by UL Solutions.

I also tested the storage speeds with CrystalDiskMark.

Another great thing about the GEEKOM AS6 is its upgradability. The mini PC is effortless to disassemble. You get upgradable DDR5 RAM (or DDR4 on some models), a PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD, and a spare NVMe and 2.5-inch SATA slot.

The bundled kit is enough for most folks, but having upgradability on top of that means that this little PC should benefit from a performance boost mid-life, should you want to increase its longevity even further.

You also get Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, so this machine’s future-proofing is pretty solid.

Alternative options to consider

Intel NUC 12 Pro (Wall Street Canyon) Mini PC	GEEKOM Mini PC Mini IT13	2023 Apple Mac Mini (M2)
3.5	4.6	3.5
$809.00	$889	$777.33
Check Availability	See at Amazon	Check Availability

Intel NUC 12 Pro (Wall Street Canyon) Mini PC

3.5

$809.00

Check Availability

GEEKOM Mini PC Mini IT13

4.6

$889

See at Amazon

2023 Apple Mac Mini (M2)

3.5

$777.33

Check Availability

01/25/2024 08:10 pm GMT

Should you buy the GEEKOM AS6 mini PC?

It’s an easy one to recommend. The GEEKOM AS6 is a very refined product, and the combined expertise of ASUS and GEEKOM is very apparent here.

The GEEKOM AS6 impresses with its hardware, the performance, especially respective to size, and its ability to be tucked away and keep going without making much of a fuss.

It’s a great mini PC you can hook up and forget about. It handles all kinds of workloads better than you would expect it to.

The GEEKOM AS6 is also an excellent value for money. You have alternative options available, but if you’re looking at mini PCs that don’t come from Apple, the AS6 is the way to go.

The Ryzen 9 6900HX version we tested is the configuration to go for, although GEEKOM has also made the newer Ryzen 7 7735H available.

While the MSRP of the 6900HX version is $1009, it seems to be on permanent discount, available at $739 most of the time. It goes even lower during specific promotional periods, so stay tuned to us for those deals when they happen.

GEEKOM AS6 Mini PC

4.5

The GEEKOM AS6 is an excellent mini PC, coming in with some great hardware and performance in a compact body, and a price tag that is great for what it offers.

Check Availability at Amazon Check Availability at Geekom

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review Roundup: PlayStation Portal – brace for buyer’s remorse
• KnowTechie’s best gifts under $25 for your holiday gifting
• GEEKOM’s Mini IT13 PC is small in size but big on power
• Review: Withings Body Comp Scale

The post Review: GEEKOM AS6 Mini PC appeared first on KnowTechie.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra

4.0

Quick Verdict: The XGIMI Horizon Ultra packs in some pretty great hardware, backed by software adjustments which make for an almost perfect home laser projector. It has some performance issues with Android TV, but connect an external input, and you have a bang-for-buck home entertainment system.

Pros:

• Gets very bright
• Premium design and feel
• Amazing image adjustments
• Impressive speakers

Cons:

• Android TV stutters due to low RAM
• Older HDMI and USB standards
• Netflix app experience isn't great

Check price at XGIMI See at Amazon

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

Projectors have historically been finicky and uncool, quite to the point of being almost as hated as printers. Anybody who grew up in the 2000s knows exactly how much of a pain they could be.

They were big, clunky, terrible to troubleshoot. Of course, older projectors worked with external input devices, typically Windows PCs, which weren’t the best at display output. To sum it up, projectors were mostly terrible.

That’s not quite the case anymore, though. Projectors have had a bit of a second coming in recent years, and the new XGIMI Horizon Ultra is a prime example of how good projectors are today.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra is the world’s first long-throw projector (LTP) that supports Dolby Vision. It achieves this with a dual light source, making this an LED and laser projector.

At $1,699, it provides some serious value. Let’s dig in.

Specifications

XGIMI Horizon Ultra Design: Unexpected elegance

If I were to use one word to describe the XGIMI Horizon Ultra’s design, it’d be–exquisite. I hadn’t gotten around to taking a good look at what the product would look like before it arrived at my doorstep, so the unboxing was a pleasant surprise.

It’s a far cry from the boring white, black, and silver cuboids of yore and also significantly better than the current crop of projectors.

The projector comes with a gold and beige color scheme. It’s not immediately obvious that this is a projector because you get a retractable fabric mask covering the lens.

The top and sides have PU leather, which makes for a fantastic look and feel. Granted, you’re not quite going to be touching a projector all that often, but it looks great.

At first glance, it looks like a classy speaker. The mask retracts down when you power it on, revealing the lens-bearing facade, which is an obvious contrast to the color scheme.

The ports are all laid out in one line at the back, below the vent. You get a DC plug, which takes the bundled color-matched power adapter.

The adapter is pretty big and heavy, but I don’t see it as an issue since projectors are usually a static setup that doesn’t require moving around.

The other ports are two HDMI ports (one with eARC support), two USB ports, one Ethernet port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and one optical audio out.

Setting up the XGIMI Horizon Ultra

The setup was pretty easy, as well. There are two layers to the setup, with one being the usual Android TV setup experience, and the other part includes the projector bits from XGIMI integrated into the setup.

The setup is rather intuitive. You get the option to set up the projector quickly with your phone instead of manually inputting your login credentials. That simplifies the setup further.

Before you even get to the software part of the setup, however, you’ll have some of the setup done for you already. The projector will automatically scan the surface of the screen or wall you’re projecting onto and adjust the area of projection accordingly.

This is a big deal if I’m being honest. Keystone adjustment is typically a bit of a pain on projectors, and I wasn’t expecting all that much from this projector in that aspect. The Horizon Ultra was a breeze to set up, however.

I just plonked it up on top of the two boxes it shipped in, pointed it towards a nice and clear wall, and powered it on.

The XGIMI Horizon Ultra has automatic keystone, framing, and focus. As I powered on this projector, it detected how much of the wall was usable area for projection and adjusted the picture to fit it perfectly.

You can fine-tune the automatic results if you want to.

After I breezed through the setup, I did go back to find a proper position for the projector. Ideally, you would do well to find a central spot for this projector so that it’s projecting the complete image head-on instead of being skewed.

Of course, the auto adjustments will fix the skew to project a near-perfect image, but I found the results to be best when the Horizon Ultra was centered.

The projector will make auto adjustments every time you move it. I found the optical zoom feature to be nifty if you want to project onto a smaller surface.

Since it’s a long-throw projector, I needed the projected image to be smaller because the room I had it in wasn’t all that big. Optical zoom did that for me without a loss in quality.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra software and user experience

The software is unadulterated Android TV based on version 11. I found it to be nice and clean and generally very usable. I’m glad XGIMI didn’t add a bunch of unnecessary software into the Horizon Ultra.

You get some well-integrated settings options and an XGIMI Community feature, and that’s about it. You have access to a whole lot of apps via the Google Play Store.

One oddity is the Netflix app, which needs to be installed with a workaround. XGIMI includes a pamphlet with the instructions to install Netflix. The process is a bit convoluted, and the streaming quality isn’t all that great.

That’s because it’s actually showing you the browser-based website, so it’s limited in resolution.

I’ve seen this before with Netflix compatibility on different Android TV devices, and I can’t quite blame XGIMI here. However, if you want to use Netflix in 4K and Dolby Vision, be prepared to use an external input device.

The included remote is also pretty good. It takes two AAA batteries and functions as expected. The only big omission is a mute button. I also didn’t like that the Horizon Ultra didn’t have any controls on the projector itself, which seems like a miss.

The overall user experience was a breeze, but I had some issues with the performance of the Android TV experience on board.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra Performance: Mixed bag

In terms of the performance, there are two aspects to consider. If I’m talking about the performance of the laser projector bits, I’ll have to say I was thoroughly impressed.

The hardware is top-quality, the image quality is brilliant, and the brightness is ample to be usable in even brighter environments. I projected onto a wall instead of a screen, and at no point did it feel like a subpar experience.

The in-built wall color correction worked excellently, even during the daytime.

The second part is the Android TV bit, which would be the projector’s in-built software experience. While the app selection is great, I saw the software stutter every now and then, likely due to the 2GB RAM, which isn’t enough.

The stutters aren’t frequent, but they ruin an otherwise perfect experience. The USB ports are also USB 2.0, which means hooking up an external drive directly to open video files on Android TV isn’t great either.

On the other hand, you can just hook up the projector to an external input, like a Fire TV Stick, a PC, or a gaming console, and it’ll be perfect. I faced absolutely no issues when I hooked up my Xbox Series X to the Horizon Ultra.

The output is only 4K 60Hz, instead of 120Hz, but the gaming experience was great, largely thanks to the low 18ms input lag.

I do wish this projector had a 120Hz refresh rate (even if at 1080p) and HDMI 2.1 because that’s one of the few things keeping this projector’s hardware from being perfect.

The Dolby Vision support is a major hook for this product and works well. You get a Bright and Dark mode, and HDR works well enough to retain enough data in the dark areas of a contrasting scene. The dual-light setup also shows off its power here.

However, this is still a projector, so don’t expect the crazy black levels you get from a QLED or OLED TV. My primary display is a Samsung Neo QLED TV, which means no Dolby Vision support.

The standout bit is the built-in speakers, though. Seeing the Harman/Kardon branding didn’t really make me expect all that much because I’ve seen failed branding attempts before.

This setup, however, lives right up to the Harman/Kardon name.

The speakers are loud and crisp and have the kind of boom you would expect a surround system to have. At no point did I feel like I needed an external audio setup with this projector, even though it supports adding one.

Alternative options to consider

Product Image	Product Name / Primary Rating / Price	Primary Button
	JMGO N1 Ultra 4K Projector 3.5 $2,299.00	Check Availability
	BenQ X3000i 4K Gaming Projector 3.5 $1,999.99$1,799.00	Check Availability
	Epson Home Cinema 3800 4K Projector 3.5 $1,699.99$1,399.99	Check Availability

JMGO N1 Ultra 4K Projector

3.5

$2,299.00

Check Availability

BenQ X3000i 4K Gaming Projector

3.5

$1,999.99$1,799.00

Check Availability

Epson Home Cinema 3800 4K Projector

3.5

$1,699.99$1,399.99

Check Availability

01/24/2024 07:06 pm GMT

Should you buy the XGIMI Horizon Ultra?

Yes! The XGIMI Horizon Ultra is a very good projector, especially if you want one for home use. It will blend in and add some class to your entertainment setup.

It’s easy to set up and comes with some solid hardware. There are a few issues, but those can be solved by connecting an external input, which is a commonality for projectors.

The built-in Android TV interface is nice but has performance issues at times. However, the overall hardware and experience are great. At $1,699, this is solid value.

I only wish HDMI 2.1 and USB 3 ports were present onboard because these are pretty standard for high-end entertainment hardware these days.

There are other projectors that are brighter, like the JMGO N1 Ultra. However, the Horizon Ultra is significantly more affordable. Other competitors include the BenQ X3000i and the Epson 3800 Home Cinema.

If you’re okay with the smaller flaws, however, the Horizon Ultra will be an excellent purchase. I’ve not been this impressed with a home entertainment product in forever, and I didn’t expect a projector to impress me this much.

All in all, this is a pretty great offering for the money and will serve you well.

XGIMI Horizon Ultra

4.0

The XGIMI Horizon Ultra packs in some pretty great hardware, backed by software adjustments which make for an almost perfect home laser projector.

Check price at XGIMI See at Amazon

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: XGIMI Aura 4K UHD Projector
• Review: XGIMI Horizon Pro 4K Projector
• Review: XGIMI Elfin portable projector
• XGIMI’s new ceiling lamp crams a projector and speakers inside

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more. A review unit was provided for this review.

The post Review: XGIMI Horizon Ultra projector appeared first on KnowTechie.

GameSir T4 Kaleid Controller

4.5

$41.99

Quick Verdict: The GameSir T4 Kaleid is one of the best controller you can buy right now, with some top-quality hardware combined with fun design elements. You get Hall Effect sticks and triggers, mechanical switches for buttons, and RGB lighting, all at an affordable price tag.

Pros:

• Hall effect sticks and triggers
• Mechanical switches for buttons
• Great transparent design
• Tasteful RGB lighting

Cons:

• Glossy finish prone to scratches
• No wireless version
• Doesn't work on Xbox consoles

See at Amazon Check Availability

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/25/2024 04:20 pm GMT

There are plenty of gaming controller options out there at a variety of prices. But nobody quite makes value-for-money controllers like GameSir. 

The GameSir T4 Kaleid is a sick new gaming controller that’s got a lot going for it.

It’s got a transparent design, it’s wired, which means no charging hassles, it has RGB lighting and best of all, it has new Hall effect joysticks, which means goodbye joystick drift! 

GameSir sent me a T4 Kaleid for the purpose of this review, which I tested over a period of a month. It also sent us its popular G7 wired gaming controller, which served as a nice benchmark for the T4 Kaleid. 

At $41.99/£41.99, the GameSir T4 Kaleid makes for some serious value. Let’s dive in to see how the T4 Kaleid performed.

GameSir T4 Kaleid gaming controller specifications

GameSir T4 Ergonomics: A near-perfect functional design

The GameSir T4 Kaleid strikes a good balance with its design. It’s built on the Xbox core controller design while being more compact. 

That means a similar layout, with the joysticks, D-pad, ABXY keys, triggers, and bumpers all in the positions you’re used to. GameSir then adds a few new buttons for extra functionality.

Continuing the similarities, the three buttons for back, menu, and share are all roughly where you’d expect. The Xbox button gets GameSir branding, but it’s the same functionality.

There’s no pairing button on the top as it’s a wired controller, but an additional key labeled M between the D-pad and the right joystick is used for changing settings.

The other major change in terms of the layout is the pair of extra buttons on the back. They’re positioned incredibly well, and I found my middle and ring fingers hit them instinctively while playing.

The back also has a matte finish, and the grips are textured. All in all, this is a very comfortable controller. 

It’s light, too, but most of that weight loss comes from the lack of batteries. At no point does the T4 Kaleid feel cheap.

GameSir T4 aesthetics: Transparent design and RGB lighting done right

In terms of visual design, the T4 Kaleid has much going for it. It has one of the busiest visuals I’ve seen on a controller, but I think it works for a controller that aims to be fun.

The body of the controller is transparent, which means you get a look at the insides of the T4 Kaleid. The PCB is black, with gold and white accents that look classy.

The transparent look is a bit of a gamble for any product, but GameSir has gotten it right. The RGB lighting inside is tastefully done.

Instead of a haphazard spray of rainbows flying around, there is well-diffused lighting along the edges with some cool lighting effects. My favorite was the Nintendo Switch-inspired blue and red lighting effect.

I was skeptical about how RGB would look on a controller because let’s face it — not all RGB lighting looks good. But GameSir has done it rather well.

My one complaint with the design is that the section with a glossy finish can attract grime and scratches. Most of the controller is matte so that it won’t suffer the same fate.

GameSir T4 Performance: As good as it gets

Gaming controllers have pretty much been nearly perfected at this point, so you can’t expect much to feel different. The T4 Kaleid didn’t give me any reasons to complain.

I preferred the lighter weight since this is a wired controller. The included cable is light but feels solid.

The controller’s selling point is Hall effect sensors. Analog drift is a big issue with gaming controller longevity as the traditional design wears out.

Instead of using carbon sections to measure the joystick’s position, Hall effect sensors use the strength of a magnetic field. That means no physically touching parts to wear out over time.

They were a joy to use on this controller. They seem to have the same amount of tension as the regular analog, so nothing felt off, either.

The triggers also have Hall effect sensors, and my experience was similar. One thing I noticed about the T4 Kaleid is the quality of the other buttons. 

They’re tactile and not mushy, especially the ABXY buttons, which actually get mechanical switches. The vibration feedback is also firm and balanced, rare for budget controllers.

Another impressive feature is the 6-axis gyro, which will let you tilt the controller to aim or steer. It worked accurately during my testing.

I still prefer the joysticks for steering, but if you want to be one of those folks who play shooters with a controller, this feature will be of good use to you.

This controller performed as well as the Xbox core controller for me, and sometimes even better. That’s saying something because the Xbox controller is the gold standard for controllers.

GameSir T4 Software and Compatibility: The perfect balance

The T4 Kaleid has a wide feature set and gets dedicated software if you want to configure every bit of it.

The best part is that you don’t have to install the software to use the controller. It’s plug-and-play, which means you can connect it to your device with a cable, and it’ll be ready.

The M button I mentioned earlier will let you adjust a few settings on the fly without having to install the software. You can use it to change the RGB lighting effect and brightness and switch the mode on the triggers.

However, the T4K app will give you a much wider range of configurations. It’s clean, light, and works as intended, so I didn’t have any issues with the app. 

In terms of compatibility, the GameSir T4 Kaleid will work with PC, Nintendo Switch, and Android devices. The big miss here is Xbox, especially since the controller is based on the Xbox core controller’s design.

Alternative options to consider

Product Image	Product Name / Primary Rating / Price	Primary Button
	GameSir G7 SE Wired Controller 3.5 $49.99$44.99	Check Availability
	GameSir G7 Wired Game Controller 3.5 $44.99	Check Availability
	Xbox Wireless Core Controller 4.5 $59.99$54.00	Check Availability

GameSir G7 SE Wired Controller

3.5

$49.99$44.99

Check Availability

GameSir G7 Wired Game Controller

3.5

$44.99

Check Availability

Xbox Wireless Core Controller

4.5

$59.99$54.00

Check Availability

01/25/2024 04:20 pm GMT

Should you buy the GameSir T4 Kaleid?

The GameSir T4 Kaleid is honestly a no-brainer purchase, provided you like the design and aren’t looking for a controller that works with Xbox. 

This controller works very well for what it is, and it nails the basics and more. I found it to be a thoroughly fun-to-use controller.

It leaves you wanting very little, but I do wish this controller had a wireless version.

It has a lot of personality with the design, and it’s built very well. You get some very nice hardware, and the software is pretty good too. For $42, it’s a great value offering.

In terms of alternatives, GameSir has the new GameSir G7 SE, which gets all the Hall effect goodness but not the transparent design and RGB lighting. 

The regular GameSir G7 is also a solid purchase, or you could opt for the official Xbox Core controller.

However, you shouldn’t look any further if you’re looking for a wired controller to use with your PC, Switch, or Android devices. The T4 Kaleid gets nearly everything right and is great value.

GameSir T4 Kaleid Controller

4.5

$41.99

The GameSir T4 Kaleid is one of the best controller you can buy right now, with some top-quality hardware combined with fun design elements.

See at Amazon Check Availability

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/25/2024 04:20 pm GMT

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: GameSir X2 Pro mobile controller
• Review: GameSir G4 Pro mobile controller
• Review: Audeze LCD-XC – are these $1,300 headphones worth it?
• Review: TicWatch Pro 5 – an almost perfect smartwatch

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more. A review unit was provided for this review.

The post Review: GameSir T4 Kaleid gaming controller appeared first on KnowTechie.

TicWatch Pro 5

4.0

$349.99

Quick Verdict: The TicWatch 5 Pro is one of the best smartwatches you can buy right now, and features a snappy Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset and Google's Wear OS 3. It offers great performance, and outstanding battery life thanks to the innovative dual displays, making for a sensible smartwatch purchase.

Pros:

• Excellent multi-day battery life
• Solid selection of apps
• Powerful hardware
• Classy design

Cons:

• No Google Assistant
• Bottom shell scratches easily

Check Availability See at Amazon

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

The Apple Watch has a stronghold over the smartwatch market.

On the Android side of things, several manufacturers make some really nice smartwatches too, and Mobvoi’s TicWatch lineup is among them. The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 is the latest in the lineup and makes an exciting proposition.

At $349, it sits alongside the Google Pixel Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 series, and the Apple Watch Series 8. I tested a review unit sent by Mobvoi over a period of six weeks and am genuinely impressed with this watch.

However, in a saturated market, the TicWatch Pro 5 finds itself in a tough spot. The watch itself is excellent. However, a few concerns make me wonder about its place in the market.

The TicWatch Pro 5 is the first smartwatch I’ve worn after I stopped wearing automatic watches, and I was primarily impressed. In this review, we’ll go over some of the things I liked and some of the things I didn’t. Ready to dive in?

TicWatch Pro 5 Specifications

TicWatch Pro 5 Design: Simple yet effective

When it comes to smartwatch design, it isn’t easy to do something revolutionary. These watches don’t have the longevity or the price range of luxury watches, nor is there much room to deviate from the standard form factor and design.

The form is limiting, and improvements are mostly related to newer and shinier hardware rather than the housing itself.

That being said, the TicWatch Pro 5 isn’t exactly lacking in the design department. It has a typical design, with Mobvoi opting for a sportier feel.

The watch’s body is made up of 7000-series aluminum, which is strong and light. You get it in a single Obsidian colorway. The body’s finish is matte, while the bezel gets a gloss finish with a textured feel on the top. The buttons are firm and reflect the overall excellent build quality.

My only issue with the build was the base of the watch. The transparent panel sits over the heart rate sensors and is highly prone to scratches.

During my use, I found it gathered a whole lot of scratches, which isn’t great because it’s likely to affect the heart rate monitor over time. I recommend you hold on to the pre-installed protective film as long as possible or install a new one.

The watch comes with a bundled silicone strap, which is pretty minimalist. However, there are a ton of straps to choose from, with some bright-colored options for those that like it.

Additionally, you can use it with standard 24mm straps, which means there are many strap options. The black color of the watch body will go well with a ton of different colors, so customization isn’t going to be an issue.

The watch also sits comfortably on the wrist, which isn’t always a given with smartwatches. It’s light, and the overall size should look fine on most wrists.

TicWatch Pro 5 display: A standout dual display setup

The displays are the most interesting part of this watch. I say displays because while you see just one facade, there are two displays.

Underneath, you get a nice and vibrant AMOLED, the kind you can expect to see on the best smartwatches. Over that, you have an ultra-low-power display, a good old LCD like the ones found on older digital watches.

READ MORE: What’s the difference between an LCD and AMOLED mobile display?

So, you can use this like a normal smartwatch or one of those connected Casio G-Shocks. The advantage is two-fold: you get a solid battery life boost when using the low-power display and fewer distractions!

The low-power display also gets multiple color options for backlight, which really nails the experience.

My only issue with the displays is that adding a layer of LCD over the AMOLED has made the main display a bit hazy, removing some of that contrast and clarity.

It’s well within the acceptable limits, though, and I’m sure most users won’t even notice it. The trade-off is totally worth it, especially given the advantages.

TicWatch Pro 5 software: Wear OS 3 and Mobvoi’s apps work well together

The watch runs on Wear OS 3, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good because Wear OS is the closest we have to a standard operating system for smartwatches that Apple doesn’t make.

It’s a bad thing because Wear OS still isn’t all that great, especially on watches not made by Samsung or Google.

For example, the TicWatch Pro 5 doesn’t get Google Assistant. Mobvoi is working with Google to bring it to the Pro 5, but there’s really not much hope. You get a great selection of apps, which is often the advantage of all things Android.

TicWatch’s suite of apps is also incredibly useful, almost making up for Google’s woes. There’s an app for every feature you could use on this watch, and TicWatch has done them very well.

Mobvoi has its fair share of issues as well, though. Delivering Wear OS 3 to its older watches has taken a long time, only opening up the beta last month.

That means the Pro 5 may not get an update to Wear OS 4 soon, either. It’s a toss-up, and even though I like this watch, if you want the latest software all the time, this may be a tough buy for you.

TicWatch Pro 5 performance: No stone left unturned

WearOS isn’t all that bad regarding performance, and the TicWatch Pro 5 has sufficient hardware power.

The Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 is one of the best wearable processors, and the watch has some of the best hardware you can get right now. That means the watch runs smoothly, and you won’t feel like it’s running out of steam at any given time.

Notifications are quick to arrive, apps open up speedily, and I didn’t see any lags during my usage. The highlight is the selection of fitness features you get, all tuned rather well.

I tried the heart rate and SpO2 measurements on this watch alongside an Apple Watch SE, and the results were pretty similar. Sleep tracking was also pretty accurate when I tried it, with only a few minutes of error.

If you want to get this fitness watch, it will serve you well. With the best hardware and acceptable software combined with a solid suite of apps from Mobvoi, the TicWatch Pro 5 performs as well as you expect.

TicWatch Pro 5 battery life: Truly multi-day battery

The battery life is a massive barrier for folks looking to get a smartwatch because it adds to the inconvenience of charging an additional device daily. That was one of the reasons I stopped wearing smartwatches, too.

However, the TicWatch Pro 5 makes some big strides in the right direction with battery life.

I’m a very light smartwatch user, but I put the TicWatch Pro 5 through its paces. With semi-regular use, including using the tracking features, reading notifications, and responding every now and then, the TicWatch Pro 5 lasted between three to four days consistently.

The real showstopper here is the Essential Mode.

This super-low-power mode will turn your watch into a regular digital watch when below a set battery percentage or by schedule. It increases the battery life significantly, and you get to have the watch stay on and useful while sipping power.

With my light usage, I’m sure I could push this watch to a week without a charge if I weren’t exerting it for this review. That’s a testament to how practical the Pro 5 is, which isn’t always guaranteed with smartwatches.

It feels like the first chapter of a new generation of smartwatches — one that won’t have a smartwatch be just another device you have to plug in daily.

Alternative options to consider

Product Image	Product Name / Primary Rating / Price	Primary Button
	Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 4.3 $399.99	Check Availability
	Google Pixel Watch 4.0 $349.99$238.62	Check Availability
	Apple Watch Series 8 4.2 $399.99	Check Availability

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

4.3

$399.99

Check Availability

Google Pixel Watch

4.0

$349.99$238.62

Check Availability

Apple Watch Series 8

4.2

$399.99

Check Availability

01/25/2024 06:30 pm GMT

Should you buy the TicWatch Pro 5?

While I’ve been on the smartwatch fence for a while, the TicWatch Pro 5 has me considering daily driving one again. It’s a great smartwatch with a solid build, great hardware, solid performance, and extraordinary battery life.

It feels like a turning point for TicWatch as a brand, and I hope the company can follow through with Google Assistant support and timely software updates.

For now, Mobvoi hasn’t done enough to make me trust they will handle those two issues well, so I cannot give my full vote of confidence to this watch, despite liking it a lot.

However, if you’ve decided to buy a smartwatch and aren’t an Apple Watch fan, the TicWatch Pro 5 is definitely one to consider.

I wish there were more size and color options, and an LTE option would’ve been great. However, at $350, the TicWatch Pro 5 is a pretty great value.

As previously mentioned, the TicWatch Pro 5 starts at $350, and you can find it on the company’s website and various other retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Adorama, and more.

TicWatch Pro 5

4.0

$349.99

The TicWatch 5 Pro is a reliable and feature-rich smartwatch with exceptional performance and long battery life, thanks to its Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset and Google's Wear OS 3.

Quick Verdict: The TicWatch 5 Pro is one of the best smartwatches you can buy right now, and features a snappy Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset and Google's Wear OS 3. It offers great performance, and outstanding battery life thanks to the innovative dual displays, making for a sensible smartwatch purchase.

Pros:

• Excellent multi-day battery life
• Solid selection of apps
• Powerful hardware
• Classy design

Cons:

• No Google Assistant
• Bottom shell scratches easily

Check Availability See at Amazon

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: Audeze LCD-XC – are these $1,300 headphones worth it?
• Review: Flexispot E7 Premium Standing Desk
• The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 case (2023)
• Review: HP Sprocket Studio Plus WiFi Photo Printer

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more. A review unit was provided for this review.

The post Review: TicWatch Pro 5 – an almost perfect smartwatch appeared first on KnowTechie.

The latest entrant is Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 5, which brings top-tier hardware running on Google’s Wear OS.

The TicWatch Pro 5 is the latest in the line of popular smartwatches that don’t come from Apple, Samsung, or Garmin and comes with some solid hardware specs. It’s a follow-up to the excellent TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra.

Quick Verdict

Ticwatch Pro 5 Android Smartwatch

$349.99 $227.49

The TicWatch 5 Pro is one of the best smartwatches you can buy right now, and features a snappy Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset and Google's Wear OS 3. It offers great performance, and outstanding battery life thanks to the innovative dual displays, making for a sensible smartwatch purchase.

$349.99 at Amazon See at Mobvoi

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/25/2024 09:25 am GMT

You get the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 Wearable Platform powering the watch. The display is AMOLED, with a layer of Ultra-low-power screen on top.

The watch switches to this low-power screen when on standby, which has a very Casio-like digital watch look and makes for some impressive battery life on. Mobvoi says users can expect 80 hours of battery life.

The dual-layer display isn’t the only impressive thing about this watch

Other features include a digital rotating crown for navigation, a bunch of sensors, including a heart rate sensor and blood oxygen monitoring, stress management, and a host of Mobvoi-based apps around fitness and activity.

The main takeaway is that it’s running WearOS 3, making it the first TicWatch to do so.

The TicWatch Pro 5 has a rather sporty look. You get a rugged build with a light-but-strong aluminum build (which is aerospace-grade, according to Mobvoi). There’s also MIL-STD-810H certification, as well as 5ATM water resistance.

What this means is that you can use it for your workouts. That includes swimming, as well as outdoor activities that may involve moisture. You get a swappable silicone strap as default, which goes well with the black finish.

Mobvoi also provides the option to pick from silicone bands in Jungle Green, Bonfire Orange, and Twilight Blue. There are also genuine leather band options in Tuxedo Black and Smart Casual Blue.

Mobvoi is now selling the TicWatch Pro 5 via Mobvoi.com and Amazon for $349.99. We have a review unit on hand, so stay tuned for our review, which is dropping soon!

Quick Verdict

Ticwatch Pro 5 Android Smartwatch

$349.99 $227.49

The TicWatch 5 Pro is one of the best smartwatches you can buy right now, and features a snappy Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset and Google's Wear OS 3. It offers great performance, and outstanding battery life thanks to the innovative dual displays, making for a sensible smartwatch purchase.

$349.99 at Amazon See at Mobvoi

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

01/25/2024 09:25 am GMT

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: G-Shock Move Pro smartwatch – Wear OS toughens up
• Review: TicWatch Pro smartwatch – A solid Wear OS option
• Fitbit reveals new smartwatches focused on health and lifestyle
• Fitbit finally adds a ‘Find Phone’ feature to its Charge 5 smartwatch

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

The post Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 brings longer battery life with Wear OS appeared first on KnowTechie.

	Best Overall
IronVest (previously Blur)	NordPass	Dashlane
4.0	4.5	4.0
Why we like it: IronVest (previously Blur) — Another feature-rich password manager focusing on digital anonymity and privacy.	Why we like it: NordPass is our go-to choice for password management, it's sleek, user-friendly, and packs a punch with security features.	Why we like it: Dashlane is a sleek and feature-packed password manager that offers a great balance of security and convenience.
Learn More	Learn More	Learn More

IronVest (previously Blur)

4.0

Why we like it:

IronVest (previously Blur) — Another feature-rich password manager focusing on digital anonymity and privacy.

Learn More

Best Overall

NordPass

4.5

Why we like it:

NordPass is our go-to choice for password management, it's sleek, user-friendly, and packs a punch with security features.

Learn More

Dashlane

4.0

Why we like it:

Dashlane is a sleek and feature-packed password manager that offers a great balance of security and convenience.

Learn More

Choosing a password manager can be overwhelming, with so many options on the market. And how do you know which will work best for you without trying them all? 

While Android, iOS, and web browsers have their own password managers (which are free), third-party password managers offer better alternatives with great features. 

1Password is one of the better password managers out there, but you have to pay to use it. 

So, is it worth your hard-earned money? I tested out 1Password to see if you should be paying for it and switching away from native free options.

1Password

4.5

Starts at $2.99 per month

1Password is one of the best free password managers available, offering a robust set of features, including multi-factor authentication, password sharing, and a secure password generator.

Quick Verdict: 1Password is an excellent password manager with a great user experience across its apps and browser extensions. It’s fast, smart, and secure, and worth the asking price.

Pros:

• Intuitive user interface and experience
• Seamless across different platforms
• A lot of great features

Cons:

• No free tier
• Pricing may be a little steep for light users

Who is this good for?: If you’re someone who juggles a lot of passwords across multiple devices, and aren’t happy with the free options, 1Password is definitely the password manager for you.

Who is this not good for?: Who is it not for? If you don’t feel the need to have a dedicated password manager or are paranoid about third parties having your data, 1Password is not for you.

Learn More Try 14 Days FREE

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How much would you pay for a password manager?

1Password is a paid app with no free tiers, unfortunately. However, you do get a 14-day free trial, but post that, you’re on the hook for one of its paid subscription plans. 

Here’s what those plans look like: 

• Individual — $2.99 per month, no device or item limit, 1GB secure storage
• Families — $4.99 per month, five family members, expert support
• Teams Starter Pack — $19.95 per month, 10 team members, risk detection, selective sharing, expert support
• Business — $7.99 per month per user, integrations, reporting, admin controls, advanced protection
• Enterprise — custom pricing, dedicated account manager and onboarding engineer, custom setup training

The Individual or Families plans should be more than enough for most people. 

For this review, I signed up using an Individual plan. The Families plan works similarly, except with the option of having up to five family members, each of which can save and use their own passwords, separate from the other users.

Whatever plan you go with, you do get a ton of impressive features. In addition to account management, password autofill, apps, and browser extensions, here are some notable 1Password features:

• Smarter encryption — 1Password will let you know if your login can use a more secure connection
•  Two-factor authentication — no need to use additional authenticator apps
•  Watchtower — keep track of your overall online security and get suggestions on how to improve it
•  Multiple vaults — Categorize your login details into multiple vaults
•  Travel mode — Select which vaults to keep and remove when traveling

Switching to 1Password

I’ve been a longtime user of the in-built password manager that Chrome, which Google recently revamped.

Additionally, when I switch to an iPhone occasionally, I use Apple Keychain in addition to the Gboard‘s autofill. That means my password management was all over the place.

Switching to 1Password is a bit of a process, but it’s not as elaborate as I thought.

In my testing, to get up and going with 1Password, I had to export my saved passwords from the Google Password Manager in Chrome and import them using the 1Password Chrome extension.

It’s the same thing with Apple Keychain, except I couldn’t do it through the website since it only lets you export your password data from an Apple device.

But overall, the switch was relatively smooth, and 1Password was up and running with all my passwords immediately.

As far as the anxiety of switching to a third-party password manager goes, 1Password seems to have the basics right.

You get full end-to-end encryption covering all information transfer and 256-bit AES-GCM-256 authenticated encryption protecting your stored passwords.

1Password also uses secure random numbers and PBKDF2 key strengthening to deter password guessing. However, 1Password claims that a strong password could take decades to crack with these technologies deployed.

Using 1Password across different platforms

On the whole, my experience using 1Password was pretty sweet. There were a few hiccups, but they have to do more with the existing auto-fill services getting in the way rather than 1Password itself.

Logging into 1Password is more elaborate than most logins since it requires multiple layers of security. For example, I had to not only add in my username and password combination for 1Password but also the security key.

However, there’s a workaround to that, which is the emergency kit PDF. It’s a document you can export when signing up for 1Password, which can be used for logins and, in case of an emergency, when you don’t have your password and security key handy.

1Password on web browsers

When testing 1Password on a web browser, Google Chrome was the browser of choice, and 1Password was absolutely seamless there.

1Password showed up with the autofill every time I was on a login screen. What surprised me was that the password manager also worked flawlessly on my online banking sites. This is an issue I have with other password managers.

After adding the details manually the first time to 1Password, the process proceeded flawlessly afterward.

There’s also a native Windows app that works really well.

1Password on Android

The 1Password app on Android is solid, and it worked fine during my testing after an initial hiccup. The app has an option for autofill, which you have to enable via a prompt in the app that takes you to the Android settings.

Unfortunately, on my Pixel 7 Pro, Google’s autofill kept interfering even after I had enabled 1Password as the autofill default, but 1Password wouldn’t show up on the Google Keyboard anytime I was on a login screen.

However, as I discovered, I only needed to restart my phone, and 1Password was good to go. “Did you try turning it off and on again?” to the rescue!

1Password on iOS

iOS has a similar autofill option, and 1Password integrates it well. First, I had to set up 1Password, log in, and enable autofill in iOS settings. Following that, I could sign in using 1Password using Face ID authentication.

The experience on iOS is so well integrated that it almost feels like 1Password was built right into iOS by Apple itself. 

The experience on macOS is similar.

Verdict: Should you use 1Password?

If you need a reliable password manager for daily use, 1Password is one of the best options. 

There have been some security concerns about password managers, especially with the LastPass hack. As a result of the breach, hackers obtained customers’ encrypted password vaults.

And 1Password had a recent scare of its own, but that turned out to be an accidental notification, not an actual leak. 

However, for now, 1Password has you safe, and you don’t have to worry about data leaks.

1Password alternatives

	Best Overall
IronVest (previously Blur)	NordPass	Dashlane
4.0	4.5	4.0
Why we like it: IronVest (previously Blur) — Another feature-rich password manager focusing on digital anonymity and privacy.	Why we like it: NordPass is our go-to choice for password management, it's sleek, user-friendly, and packs a punch with security features.	Why we like it: Dashlane is a sleek and feature-packed password manager that offers a great balance of security and convenience.
Learn More	Learn More	Learn More

IronVest (previously Blur)

4.0

Why we like it:

IronVest (previously Blur) — Another feature-rich password manager focusing on digital anonymity and privacy.

Learn More

Best Overall

NordPass

4.5

Why we like it:

NordPass is our go-to choice for password management, it's sleek, user-friendly, and packs a punch with security features.

Learn More

Dashlane

4.0

Why we like it:

Dashlane is a sleek and feature-packed password manager that offers a great balance of security and convenience.

Learn More

If you’re looking at alternatives to 1Password, there are a few to consider. 

NordPass

NordPass is one of the best password managers you can get and for a good reason. Compared to 1Password, it holds up rather well, with both password managers having many common features, with some unique to each.

Of course, both are priced similarly, but NordPass comes out a bit above 1Password with its features. Plus, it also offers a free plan.

NordPass

4.5

NordPass is our go-to choice for password management, it's sleek, user-friendly, and packs a punch when it comes to security. Sure, it's on the pricey side, but the peace of mind it brings is totally worth it.

Learn More at NordPass Best Current Offer

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

Dashlane — A free alternative that also has paid plans for those willing to pay more for features

Dashlane is another great password manager that has a great free plan. However, if you want to go for the paid plans, you get slightly higher pricing than 1Password, while features stay on par. 

A unique Dashlane feature is a one-click simultaneous password change for all your passwords, but it doesn’t have 1Password features like Travel Mode.

Dashlane

4.0

Dashlane is a sleek and feature-packed password manager that offers a great balance of security and convenience. With a clean and user-friendly interface, it makes managing your password a breeze.

Learn More at Dashlane Best Current Offer

KnowTechie is supported by its audience, so if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale.

IronVest (previously Blur) — Another feature-rich password manager focusing on digital anonymity and privacy.

IronVest is rich in benefits and comes with a feature-loaded free plan too. While the paid plans differ from (and are costlier than) 1Password, it packs some unique features.

As a result, it’s great for businesses and professionals, with features like credit card and email masking, among other perks that make it more than just a password manager.

IronVest (previously Blur)

4.0

IronVest password manager offers decentralized infrastructure, biometric authentication, and goes beyond traditional password management to protect accounts and secure personal information.

Learn More at IronVest Best Current Offer

Have any thoughts on this? Drop us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Grab 10% off LogMeOn’s password manager in this limited time offer
• How to turn your WiFi password into a QR code
• How to export LastPass data and switch password managers
• How to find saved WiFi passwords in Windows 11

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

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