Which Mid-Range APS-C Camera Is the Best Choice for You?

If you’re looking for a mid-range APS-C camera in the run-up to Christmas, there are truly some excellent choices out there right now. With Nikon having just launched the Z 50, the choice between that, the Sony a6400, Canon’s new M6 Mark II, and the popular Fuji X-T30 is quite tough. Here’s a very balanced guide to get you started.

Chris Nicholls from DP Review has put together this short video to run you through how these four excellent cameras compare, ranking each of them in four categories: design and handling, image quality, video quality, and autofocus performance. None of these cameras will leave you disappointed with your purchase, but you might want to figure out what’s most important to you before making a decision. 

Like Nicholls, I’m not a huge fan of the dial layout on the Sony APS-C cameras, and even for enthusiasts, not having a wheel under the forefinger makes little sense to me.

Strangely, the camera that makes me the most excited out of this selection is the Nikon Z 50. It doesn’t perform particularly well in this comparison, but two of the categories should see progress in the future: you’d expect autofocus to improve through firmware updates, and the lens selection will continue to expand — though of course, this does mean waiting for a year or two. Not ideal!

Which one will you be buying, or which one would you recommend to someone who’s not already invested in a certain system? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Ode to my DSLR: Why I Love the Nikon D610

I used my Nikon D610 to take the last photograph of my mom before she died. I’ve documented my children’s lives nearly everyday. The rubber grip is wearing thin in spots. A rubber tab on the bottom is chronically flapping loose; my fingers push it back into place out of habit. This camera has become an extension of me, and I have grown to love it. But it has not always been that way.

I bought the Nikon D610 back in April 2015. I had been using a Nikon D5200 since 2013. I quickly learned that I loved taking photos. I was using the camera for a 365 project. It turned into two 365 projects. I was on camera sites everyday learning about camera settings and techniques. DigitalRev on YouTube in its heyday! I look back on those moments with great happiness, thinking about the joy of photography added to my life.

I had collected a few lenses with the D5200, and when I wanted to upgrade to a camera body that had more accessible external controls, the D610 was the logical choice for me. The Nikon D750 had recently come out – but it was over $1,000 more than the D610. So I purchased the D610. That was 5 years ago. But in those five years I’ve often thought of switching camera systems.

I watch a lot of photography channels on YouTube. I’m always seeing the new cameras, new lenses, and new firmware upgrades. Each video makes me rethink my camera choices. At times I feel intense gear acquisition syndrome – GAS. On two occasions I even posted my D610 on Kijiji. With all my lenses. But I could never bring myself to sell it. I’ve been tempted by the Fuji X-Series cameras, but more on that later.

I want to write this review to share with others what I love about this camera – or, more universally, any older DSLR – and show it’s possible to learn and grow with “older” cameras. As well, I want to solidify in my own mind the things I love about the camera.

I have come, through this experience with the D610, to appreciate having and growing with a single, durable, and capable camera body through years of daily use. I’ve learned to see cameras, rightly or wrongly, as medium-to-long term tools: a creative partner with whom you grow. Where the more you get to know your camera and it’s limitations, the more you get out of it, accomplishing your creative vision with as little resistance as possible. And whatever resistance is there, it becomes a means to push your own creative capabilities to flow like water around a rock in a stream.

Why Do I Still Use the D610?

It may sound obvious – but because it’s the camera I own. There’s something to be said about being grateful for the things you have, rather than lust after the ones you want. It’s not easy, though.

I have three young kids in daycare and before-and-after school care. As a result, I don’t have a lot of disposable income to spend on camera gear. So once I became invested in the Nikon system, I’ve been wedded to it. As well, some of my favorite lenses have been gifted to me. My wife bought me the 50mm 1.4 G for Father’s Day in 2014. She also bought me the 35mm 1.8 ED as an early Christmas gift in 2015. A few years later, we took a family day trip to Toronto so I could buy a used 85mm 1.8 G lens. Most recently, I picked up a 24mm 2.8 D for an absolute steal before heading out to the Canadian east coast for a summer camping trip. I have all the focal lengths I could want.

Once I started looking at my camera for what it is, and to actively be grateful to have it with me to document my life, it has helped me look at it with a new perspective. I appreciate the D610. I’m grateful for it. There are many who don’t have access to this kind of technology and equipment to further their creative photography efforts. I do, and I’m committed to using it to the fullest.

I have been working hard to experience a freedom from desire and want – freedom from desiring the new camera. Only then can I truly feel free and fulfilled. Shedding the mindset of “not enough” or wishing I had “more”. For me, this starts with loving the camera I have, being grateful for it, and not wanting another camera. of course it helps that it takes great quality photographs.

Image Quality

The second reason I love the Nikon D610 is the image quality. The D610 generates what are, to my eye, very pleasing and highly usable RAW files, with lots of detail, dynamic range and lovely colours. To this day, I encounter moments of surprise when reviewing my photos in Lightroom – surprise that the D610 is capable of such great image rendering, low light performance, and magic when hitting 3200 and 6400 ISO.

Since I’m often shooting in my living room, kitchen and kids’ bedrooms in the early hours and late evenings, the ambient light is often provided by artificial sources. I love the high ISO performance of the camera – there is some real magic when this 24 megapixel sensor reaches 6400 ISO.

FujiFilm X-T2, X100F and X70

I have owned a Fuji X70 for the past 3 years. I needed a smaller camera to compliment my larger DSLR system for a vacation I was planning. The X70 was perfect, and I fell in love with the camera, and it became my daily carry.

A couple of years later FujiFilm Canada had a promotion to raise awareness of their cameras and I got the opportunity to rent a body and two lenses over a weekend for free. Because I loved the X70 so much, and considered jumping into the Fujifilm system entirely, I jumped at the chance and rented the X-T2 and X100F separately over the course of a couple months. I paired the X-T2 with the 16mm 1.4 and 23mm 2.0 and loved the results.

There’s a reason the 16mm 1.4 is a highly touted lens of choice for many well known Fuji shooters. It’s a beautiful performer, invites you to engage in some really creative shooting, and I loved the all metal feel and ergonomics of both lenses.

X100F

I loved the handling of the cameras, particularly the X-T2. The weight of the X100F actually surprised me, and made me think twice about using this camera as a daily carry, to replace my FujiFilm X70. But one thing was sure, the photos were excellent. I was able to get the results I wanted from these cameras, and they freed me up to work for tougher and more creative shots.

The files were great, but in my eyes, they didn’t provide the high ISO performance and the subjective magic feel of the D610 sensor.

X-T2

My heart loved the Fujis, but my mind couldn’t give up the idea of losing the D610 images. I really do wonder at times if I’m being too nitpicky about the image quality “compromise” of the Fujifilm system.

Having a smaller camera and lenses is really appealing; being able to have a portable interchangeable lens camera system to bring with me more places where I want more focal range versatility than what my Fuji X70 can provide is appealing. The concept of “good enough” is not lost on me, and when I really stop, pause, and review the Fujifilm X-T2 and X100F files, they certainly do seem “good enough”.

But I have a subjective preference for the slight, but noticeable to my eye, benefits of the D610.

Autofocus

Even the shortcomings of the camera, including the low light autofocus and small number of autofocus points being clustered in the middle of the viewfinder, can be overcome with creative workarounds. Finding some high contrast focus point close to where you want in focus, or grabbing the focus ring to get the shot work, and I’ve gotten better at manual focussing, which has been a lot of fun to learn.

I’m often trying to capture fast-moving kids, so I need to use a fast shutter speed of at least 125, and naturally need focus to nail quickly – so manual focus is a great way to try and get my shots, and autofocus of course when possible.

This is where I get tempted to pick up a mirrorless full-frame autofocusing monster like a Sony a7 III. I’ve even been tempted by the Nikon Z6 since its autofocus and low light performance seem quite good, and an improvement over the D610. But I’m not wild about the idea of shooting the Z6 with the FTZ adapter. Ergonomics mean a lot to me, and for some reason, shooting adapted lenses seems like a less than ideal solution, although I’m sure the end product would be quite good. I’m not sold on the long term viability of the Z Series, and I think that is what’s holding me back from jumping in (that, and my limited budget of course!).

What Does the Future Hold?

What I like about having shot the past 5 years with the Nikon D610 is that the camera has held up decently under some tough wear and nearly daily use. Sure, the rubber is thinning and looks used, but it has a certain fit with my hand and grip, and feels like an extension of me now. I’m going to need to replace it sometime in the next year I’m guessing, and I’m doing some thinking about what I’m going to replace it with.

Nikon Options

Do I stay with Nikon and continue using my excellent collection of fast primes? Sounds like a great option that would save me from having to buy all new lenses. I love the idea of picking up a used Nikon Df. I love the D4 sensor in the camera, and the physical control knobs really give me the idea that I would be finding a permanent partner for my F-mount Nikon glass. If I were to pick up the Df, it would be with me for life – I couldn’t imagine ever selling that camera. This approach would also ensure that I’m able to keep the lenses that have been gifted to me.

While there are times I think about selling the whole kit, the nostalgia and sentimental element of keeping these lenses is satisfied by keeping them. I can live with the autofocus of the Df, and the low light performance that I would take advantage of shooting indoors as I do would be magic. So tempting!

I also consider picking up a used or new Nikon D750. I love the ergonomics and deep grip, and the body of the D750 has a more premium and tighter feel than the D610 and I would be happy to use this camera. I like the idea of the flippy screen, but without quick and reliable autofocus in live view I don’t see the utility of it as I would with a flip screen on a mirrorless camera. The improved autofocus, particularly in low light, is a big selling feature for me, but the autofocus points remain clustered around the centre of the viewfinder, which will require me to focus and recompose which I want to avoid having to do, to capture the fast-moving kids I have!

That leaves the Nikon Z6. I could adapt all my lenses except the 24mm 2.8 D, which wasn’t too expensive, so not too much of a loss, but the need to adapt my lenses for the foreseeable future isn’t an idea I’m wild about, despite the autofocus gains I would get, along with the ability to autofocus using the flip screen while looking down at the waist, which I’ve really loved doing since getting used to this on the Fuji X70.

Fujifilm Options

I would turn to Fujifilm as the next preferred photography option. I love my X70 and the rangefinder style. I’ve had eyes for some time on the Fuji X-E3 – small, light and same sensor and processor as the previous generation flagships of the X-T2 and X-Pro2. The X-E3 doesn’t have the flip screen, which is unfortunate, since I’ve long loved using one, but the other compromises for size make up for it.

I would want a Fujifilm camera that would provide the same ruggedness as my D610 and can stand the test of time. I don’t want a camera body that will give me troubles – I’ve heard some build quality concerns of the X-T2 over time, and while that would be a great lower cost option, that makes me think twice. It had the flip screen so that’s a nice feature, and something the X-Pro2 doesn’t have. Otherwise, this leaves me thinking the X-Pro3 might be a great option – I see the dura-finish options providing some additional durability over time, which is exactly what I want, and with the flip screen hidden, my roughness with my cameras and back-LCD screen bashing would be mitigated somewhat by this feature.

Writing my thoughts for my D610 review, and thinking about what might be next for me, left me thinking about cameras more than I prefer to do – it triggers within me a feeling that I “need” to buy another camera. I don’t like this feeling! Keeping focused on the D610 and the art of photography is what brings me joy, not chasing the newer and faster and prettier.

Android 10’s missing features: All the stuff that never made it into the final update

Android 10’s beta period was a wild ride, with new implementations of gesture navigation and tweaks to notifications happening on a monthly basis. The active development cycle also meant some previously-announced functionality has been removed, while other features have yet to show up at all. We expected at least a few of them to end up as Pixel-exclusive features, and while a few did end up that way (like a system theme picker), others never materialized at all. These are Android 10’s ‘lost’ features.

Screen recorder

Android still doesn’t have a built-in screen recorder. Not only does iOS actually have this feature, but its screen recorder can capture internal system audio, which isn’t possible through any screen recording apps on Android (without root, anyway). Android 10 looked like it might have addressed this problem, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

An experimental screen recorder appeared as a flag in the Android 10 betas, and it could be enabled from the Settings app. The feature basically didn’t work at all, but it showed Google was interested in the idea.

Sadly, the ability to access Android system flags vanished in the final Android 10 release, and the screen recorder never moved out of the mostly-not-working phase. Maybe next year…

Fast Share

Apple’s iOS has had a feature called ‘AirDrop’ for years, which allows people to send photos, websites, contacts, and other data to anyone else in close physical proximity — without exchanging contact information first. Android Beam offered similar functionality from Ice Cream Sandwich onwards, but it was painfully slow (due to NFC), required physical contact between devices (again, NFC), and was actually removed in Android 10.

During Android 10’s beta period, it was discovered that Google was developing an AirDrop-like feature called ‘Fast Share,’ which would locate nearby Android phones via Bluetooth and transfer files over a direct Wi-Fi connection. While the feature was found in Google Play Services, not Android 10 itself, it happened close enough in parallel to the Android 10 betas that it’s worth including here anyway (and the final version could end up requiring Android 10).

The good news is that Fast Share might not be lost for much longer. Mishaal Rahman of XDA Developers discovered recently that the feature is still in development, and has since received new icons and interface updates.

I hope Fast Share shows up in one form or another soon, because sending unsolicited memes to people around you sounds like a lot of fun.

Rules

Another feature that is missing-but-kind-of-not-missing is ‘Rules.’ In a similar fashion to Tasker and Bixby Actions, this allows you to set up simple automation tasks in Android. For example, you could set your phone to turn on Do Not Disturb mode when you connect to your work’s Wi-Fi network.

Rules was never publicly-accessible during the Android 10 betas. It was originally discovered inside a system APK, then the team at XDA Developers managed to activate it on Android 10 Beta 5. The feature was enabled on some Pixel 2 and 3 phones (perhaps accidentally) after Android 10 was released, but a wide rollout has yet to occur.

The feature can currently be activated on Pixel phones running Android 10, as long as the device is rooted. It’s not clear when this feature will become accessible to more people — perhaps a monthly security update could flip the switch.

Translate button in Recents

In the later stages of Android 10’s beta phase, Google was developing a translate feature for the Recents screen. Much like how you can select text from apps in the Recents screen on some devices, Android would add a Google Translate button to apps using a different language than the device default.

The feature appeared in a leaked build of Android 10, but was never present in any of the public betas, nor the final release. It’s not clear what became of the Translate button — maybe we’ll see it again in a future system update.

Automatic dark mode

Android 10 brought one of the most heavily-requested OS features in recent history: a system-wide dark theme. However, Google never fully implemented a dark mode that would automatically turn on and off depending on the time (or sunrise/sunset). Some manufacturers like Samsung have already added this to their flavors of Android, making the feature’s absence on stock Android even stranger.

An automatic dark mode was definitely in the works at one point, as you can temporarily enable it by running an ADB command. At least one app has been created that makes this hidden functionality a bit easier to use, but the switch should really be in Android 10 itself.

Adaptive Notifications

Android 10 had a whole lot of changes to how notifications work, with tweaks to sorting, more long-press actions, simpler alert options, and more. One of these changes was ‘Adaptive Notifications,’ a feature that showed up in Beta 4 and promptly vanished.

A new group for Adaptive Notifications appeared under the main Notifications settings, with two optional features. The first, ‘Automatic Prioritization,’ promised to not buzz your phone for what the OS deemed “lower-priority notifications,” sort of like email apps that try to avoid notifications for spam mail and other non-important messages. The second feature added “suggested actions and replies” to notifications.

Both options disappeared in subsequent betas, but an ‘Android Adaptive Notifications’ APK remains in the final Android 10 release, along with an option in the Developer Options for picking another handler app.

Honorable mentions

Some features originally planned for Android 10 ended up being Pixel-exclusive (even if only temporarily) or were delivered in post-launch updates. While not technically ‘missing features,’ they’re still worth mentioning since they aren’t on every Android 10 device.

Gestures with third-party launchers: A new gesture navigation system shipped in Android 10, but it couldn’t be activated when a third-party launcher was in use. Google eventually fixed it for the Pixel 4, but the patch is still missing on other Pixel devices (and some other phones updated to 10).

Pixel themes: If you were hoping Android 10’s system theme picker was going to make it to non-Pixel devices, sorry to disappoint. It’s a Pixel 4 exclusive.

Live Caption: One of the more interesting demos at Google I/O this year was for Live Caption, an Android feature that displays live transcripts of any audio coming from your phone. It seemed like it was heading to Android 10, but Google later said it would only work on flagship phones. Live Caption is currently a Pixel 4 exclusive, though the Pixel 3 and 3a should get it before the end of the year.

Swipe-down gesture in Pixel Launcher: A leaked APK a few months ago revealed that the Pixel Launcher might get a swipe-down gesture to open the notification panel. It ended up being exclusive to the Pixel 4, for whatever reason.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S11 TRIO TO SHIP WITH LASER AUTO-FOCUS

We probably are several months away from knowing the Galaxy S11 in all its glory. However, nothing is stopping them from pipping out through several leaks and rumors. Could be this a sign that Samsung will release its 2020 trio of flagships before the usual MWC season? Well only time will tell, but today, we have another leak about an interesting feature in these devices. According to the very reliable, Ice Universe, Samsung will debut a new Laser AutoFocus System in the new Galaxy S11 series.

Until now, the company has been relying on the Dual Pixel AF system of the image sensor. However, it seems that Samsung will drop this technology in favor of Laser Auto-focus for the upcoming flagships. The reason is unclear, Samsung is rumored to ship a 108MP camera on the upcoming smartphones. Could this sensor lack the Dual Pixel AF system? While Samsung’s ISOCELL Bright HMX lacks this technology, there’s no evidence pointing to the use of this sensor in the future flagships.

Perhaps, the Laser Auto-Focus system will be there to give all the assistance needed by the other four cameras. Yeah, according to rumors, at least the Galaxy S11+ will ship with a Penta-Camera setup. We have no confirmation about the number of cameras in the standard S11. However, thanks to a couple of leaked CAD renders we know that the S11e will have “only” three sensors.

The actual use of the fifth camera remains a mystery, however, it shouldn’t be for so long. Samsung doesn’t very concerned in keeping its 2020 flagships a secret. All we can say is, here we go again.

Lenovo Chromebook C340 review: You get what you pay for

Chromebooks are available at prices high and low. The $300 Lenovo Chromebook C340 sits in the sweet spot, balancing affordability with features and functionality. You’ll be hard-pressed to find as much bang for the buck as in the Chromebook C340, but Lenovo made a few choices that threaten to sink the entire experience.

Find out what they are in the Android Authority Lenovo Chromebook C340 review.

About this Lenovo Chromebook C340 review: I tested the Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11 inch) over the course of seven days. The device shipped with Chrome OS 78 and remained on that build throughout the duration of the review period. Lenovo supplied Android Authority with the review unit.

What is the Lenovo Chromebook C340?

The C340 is a two-in-one convertible that works as a laptop or a tablet thanks to a hinge that swings 360 degrees. The 11-inch display means the C340 is compact, lightweight, and highly portable. Though Lenovo isn’t necessarily pitching it to the education market, I can see it serving as an effective machine for school-aged kids thanks to the size and weight.

A metal panel covers the Chromebook’s lid. It’s available in either Sand Pink or Platinum Grey. I like the matte, granular look of both finishes. The Chrome and Lenovo logos are embedded in the metal. Lenovo used plastic for the lower half of the Chromebook. Despite the differences inherent in metal and plastic, the color is uniform across both materials.

The overall shape is somewhat wedge-like. Both sides are tapered a bit from the rear hinge toward the front edge. The lid has what I’d call an angular overbite that forms a distinct profile for the Chromebook when it is closed.

Like many 360-degree hinges, the C340’s consists of two rotating hubs that allow the lid to swing all the way around and lay flat on the bottom. The hinge is strong and sturdy throughout the range of motion, and I felt confident setting the display at any angle. I particularly like to stand two-in-ones such as the C340 like a tent so I can watch YouTube or Netflix.

These are the Chromebook C340’s basic features.

How does the Chromebook C340 perform?

Pay for Celeron silicon, get Celeron speed — or the lack thereof. Only a single processor option is available to the C340, and that’s an Intel Celeron N4000 clocked at 1.1GHz with a 4MB cache and burst speeds of up to 2.6GHz. Other specs that play a role in performance include the Intel UHD Graphics 600 and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM at 2.4GHz. Two storage variants are available: 32GB and 64GB, with only $20 separating the two options.

The N4000 marked its debut in 2017 and since then at least two generations of N4xxx chips from Intel have reached the market. It’s a low-cost processor for low-cost machines. I wish Lenovo had opted for a newer variant of the N4xxx line.

The C340 isn’t slow, per se, but it’s certainly not zippy. I found performance slowed noticeably once I reached the dozen-open-tabs mark in Chrome. Toss in some Androids apps running in the background and you’ll see responsiveness tumble. The C340 struggled to run Adobe Lightroom, for example, but Netflix, Spotify, and Google Docs all did fine. In other words, this is a light-duty machine, not a performant powerhouse.

That goes for the battery, too. The three-cell, 42Wh battery takes several hours to recharge via the included 45Wh charger and will then run for up to 10 hours, according to Lenovo. Attaining that battery life depends on factors such as screen brightness and whether or not you’re blasting media through the speakers. Most days I tested the C340 it put up numbers between 9:12 and 9:28 — not quite 10, but enough for a work day or school day if you’re shutting down at 6PM.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performed very well. The 802.11ac 2×2 configuration did wonderfully on my home Wi-Fi network, as well as the local Starbucks. No issues there at all. The same goes for the Bluetooth 4.2 radio, which was able to handle earbuds for wireless listening.

What I like about the Lenovo C340

Lenovo’s affordable Chromebook C340 puts the more-than-twice-as-expensive Google Pixelbook Go to shame when it comes to ports. Where the Pixelbook Go has just two USB-C ports, the C340 has two USB-C ports (3.1 Gen 1), two USB-A ports (3.1 Gen 1), a headphone/mic jack, a Kensington lock, and a microSD card reader. Moreover, the ports and controls are spread evenly on both side edges of the C340, ensuring utility no matter your setting.

Another feature the C34o has that the Go doesn’t? Physical volume controls on the side edge, as well as an easy-to-find power button. A simple click of the button won’t shut down your machine. Instead, press-and-hold to bring up the shut down dialog box, which includes options for logging out and locking the Chromebook. These are simple hardware features that go a long way in aiding usability.

I totally dig the size of the C340. A standard sheet of paper can almost cover the whole 290 x 208mm length and width. The C340 is a little chunky at 17.9mm, but as it weighs only 2.6 lbs / 1.18kg it’s light enough to sling around in a pack all day. My backpack felt empty as I toted the C340 into Manhattan for some meetings.

What I don’t like about the C340

If you’re wondering why I haven’t yet mentioned the display, you’re about to find out why. The Lenovo Chromebook C340 has an 11.6-inch IPS LCD touch display with HD resolution (1,366 x 768) in a 16:9 aspect ratio. It puts out 250nits and is protected by a highly glossy piece of glass.

At this size, the HD resolution is just barely good enough. The screen is perhaps at its best when watching movies or TV shows. During these activities, you often lean back a little and video content moves quickly. Colors look good and viewing angles are excellent.

Leaning in to use the C340 to browse the web or to get some writing done is a different story. My eyes were able to spot pixelated edges on graphics, icons, and text. It’s not egregious, but it’s noticeable. The backlight isn’t quite powerful enough. Though 250nits isn’t terrible, I had trouble seeing the screen when using it in sunny spaces, such as my living room or near the window of a coffee shop. The high reflectivity of the glossy glass doesn’t help. Toss in fingerprints from touching the screen and it’s not the best experience I’ve had.

Then there are the bezels. The C340 has thick black bezels all the way around the display that are incredibly unappealing. Convertible two-in-ones do necessitate that there be at least some bezel to add an area to grip when used as a tablet, but the C340 simply has too much.

The keyboard doesn’t do it for me, either. I appreciate that the keyboard deck is firm, meaning the frame is solid and doesn’t bend or sag when typing. That said, the keys are tall, with a rounded shape that tripped up my fingers. Further, the keys require quite a bit more travel than I care for and this slowed my typing speed. Last, it’s not backlit which is a dealbreaker for me. I realize these gripes are personal and others may find the keyboard delightful. Moreover, skipping the backlight likely helped Lenovo keep the cost down. 

Last, the speakers are not the best. The C340 has two bottom-firing speakers mounted underneath the chassis. When placed on a hard surface, such as a desk or a table, you’ll get plenty of sound. If you prop the Chromebook up on a pillow or blanket, the sound tends to get muffled. Simple physics. The sound itself is all mids and highs; there’s absolutely no bass at all. If you turn it all the way up you get a distorted mess. You’re better off using headphones.

Should you buy the Lenovo Chromebook C340?

Pricing determines so much. The Platinum Grey C340 comes in only one configuration with 64GB of storage and costs $299.99. You can buy the 32GB Sand Pink colorway for $299.99, but if you want 64GB and pink, you’ll pay $319.99.

Lenovo’s problem here is the competition. There are literally dozens of models available from a range of manufacturers in the $200 to $400 space. Thanks to the size and price, I would recommend the C340 to middle schoolers who aren’t sticklers for specs and performance. If you want more from your Chromebook, you may have to spend more to get it. Lenovo itself has a faster, 15-inch version of the C340, as well as clamshell variants such as the S340 14-inch and S340 15-inch. 

Chromebooks are so varied there’s surely an exact fit for everyone. The C340 11-inch perhaps fits best for younger users. 

Asus TUF 15.6″ Gaming Laptop On Sale For $579

Black Friday is an excellent time to find a nice gaming laptop on a budget. Today’s biggest gaming titles have demanding spec requirements—a good graphics card and a reliable processor is a must. This 15.6″ Asus machine more than hits the mark as one of the best deals we’ve found so far on gaming laptops.

The laptop comes pre-loaded with Windows 10. It features an RGB backlit keyboard which can be programmed using the TUF Aura Core panel. You’ll find an HDMI port on the side for a possible second display output.

This laptop is definitely ideal for gaming and other high-demand media software like Photoshop. The GeForce GTX 1650 GPU and Core i5 processor really come together to make this deal stand out. If you’re looking for a high-performance gaming laptop on a budget, you should check out this Asus gaming laptop deal while it lasts. It usually retails for over $700 but is available right now on Best Buy for just $579.

If you’re looking for something a little different, check out our list of Black Friday tech deals for more laptops, desktops, and tablets.

Sony Xperia 5 gets bootloader unlock and Open Devices support

Despite not being the favorite OEM of many, Sony Mobile has done a lot for the Android ecosystem. Between supporting the efforts of open source developers by contributing to AOSP and the advent and upkeep of their Open Devices program, there’s a lot to be said for Sony’s dedication to Android. The Open Devices program is an initiative that provides working AOSP code for Sony smartphones that are a part of the program. Developers can then use this working AOSP code to make custom ROMs. The Sony Xperia 5 is the latest addition to the Open Devices program.

Of course, to boot a custom ROM, you do need to have an unlocked bootloader as well. As a result, Sony has also announced that the Sony Xperia 5 can now be bootloader unlocked. The company has published build guides for AOSP for smartphones in the Open Devices program, and you’ll be able to modify and build your own custom ROMs to boot on the Xperia 5 with ease. You can view the working source code for an AOSP build for the Sony Xperia 5 on GitHub, which you can sync and compile. There are even kernel compilation guides and guides to access the UART port.

The Sony Xperia 5 is the latest smartphone from the company to be added to the Open Devices program. The Xperia 1, 10, and 10 Plus were all added this year as well. Despite waning interest in Sony’s smartphones over the years, the company has remained committed to the developer community. If you want to compile AOSP for the Sony Xperia 5, you can check out the link below.

Thermaltake’s H550 TG ARGB Case Comes with Tempered Glass, Aluminum, & RGB

Recently having announced a trio of very similar cases, Thermaltake is back again to announce the new H550 TG ARGB case. At first sight, these cases might appear quite different from the G31, G32, and G33, but they’re actually based on the same internal chassis.

The basis is a simple mid-tower ATX case, which can hold up to ATX-size motherboards with seven expansion slots. It also has two additional expansion slots for vertically mounting a graphics card if you so desire. GPUs can be up 300mm long, and if you install one vertically, do be sure it isn’t more than 45mm thick or you’ll have clearance issues with the tempered glass panel. 

With a radiator installed there is a memory height clearance of 40mm, and even the best CPU coolers can be up to 165 mm tall. PSUs can be up to 200 mm long, but will be limited to 160 mm in length with the hard drive rack installed. Either way, the PSU cover has a window to ensure your PSU also gets a little admiration from its human companions.

Where things start to differ is from the G3X series is the case’s front panel and the front fans. The panel in this H550 TG ARGB comes with a large slab of diamond-cut 2mm thick aluminum as its front panel, which only has air intake from the bottom and its right side. This allocation should help in reducing noise reaching the user if the PC is located to your right.

The air intake is handled by three optional 120 mm fans, the exhaust at the top can hold up to two 140 mm fans (and thus a 280 mm radiator), and the rear can hold a 140mm fan, but comes with one 120 mm unit preinstalled.

That pre-installed fan comes with addressable RGB support, as does the LED strip in the front panel of the chassis.

Thermaltake’s H550 TG ARGB’s main chassis is made from SPCC steel, which has been painted black. It’s not the most expensive material, but it is tough and can stand the test of time quite well. This also means that we don’t expect the chassis to end up being all too costly when it hits shelves. Thermaltake hasn’t provided precise information regarding the when and for how much question, though.

Lenovo ThinkBook 14s review: The best of ThinkPad, without the ThinkPad

Earlier this year, I reviewed the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, but that device came alongside a larger one, the 14s. Now that device is in, and it’s a very similar machine. It’s a bit bigger, and it has dedicated graphics, but it’s just as awesome.

If you’re unfamiliar with the ThinkBook brand, that’s OK, because it’s new. It’s pretty much Lenovo rethinking its Think business laptops. There are plenty of people that love ThinkPads, but there are also plenty of people that don’t like them at all. The latter people don’t want TrackPoints, the traditional black color, or that annoying placement of the Fn key (to the left of the Ctrl key).

The ThinkBook 14s is more of a traditional laptop. It has an aluminum build, a shallower keyboard, no TrackPoint, and no physical buttons on top of the trackpad. But this is an all-around great PC. The performance is fantastic, as is the keyboard, and it has some great, common sense features.

Note that the normal price of this model is $1,219, and the price above is the current price on Lenovo.com. It’s same to expect that it will never be sold for full price, as there’s always some discount going on, but the price does fluctuate.

There are only four models, and they’re not customizable. The base model will run you $647.40 for the same CPU, 4GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. You can also spec it out with a Core i7-8565U, 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 10 Pro for $1,007.40, so the pricing on this PC is pretty great.

Design

If I could say one thing about the design of the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s, I’d say it’s just right. It feels sleek and clean, but at the same time, it’s not too flashy. It’s not too thick, too thin, too heavy, or too light. It just feels right.

It’s made out of aluminum, and the color is what Lenovo is calling Mineral Gray. In other words, it’s not just another MacBook clone like the silver-colored aluminum laptops that we see so many of.

On the bottom-right of the lid, there’s the all-new ThinkBook logo, with the Lenovo logo on the top-left sift. Both of these are just dark gray, adding to the clean feel of the look, rather than a ThinkPad, which has a silver logo on a black logo with a red dot on the ‘i’.

It’s also durable. Lenovo says that it can handle spills from up to 60cc of water, and the zinc-alloy hinge can be opened and closed 25,000 times.

The back of the PC has a barrel hinge, which once again blends in with the rest. The hinge is 180 degrees, so the PC can lie completely flat if you want it to.

On the left side of the device, there’s an AC power port, an HDMI 1.4b port, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. You read that correctly; there is an AC power port, and that’s because you can’t charge with the USB Type-C port. This is the biggest pain point that I’ve had with the ThinkBook series. I want to use one of my own USB Type-C chargers, and I can’t. This PC requires its own special charger, and it’s the only 65W Lenovo charger that I’ve seen shipped with a laptop in years.

One thing that’s cool is that the Type-C port is USB 3.1 Gen 2, meaning that it supports 10Gbps data transfer speeds. Most non-Thunderbolt Type-C ports are USB 3.1 Gen 1, which supports 5Gbps. Still, I have to wonder if it wouldn’t be more cost-efficient to use USB 3.1 Gen 1, ditch the AC power port, and just use USB-C for charging.

I’m not sure why you can’t charge with USB Type-C, although I’m sure it has to do with hitting a certain price point. Like I said before, the price point on ThinkBooks is pretty sweet. It probably also has to do with supporting existing chargers that SMBs have.

On the right side, there are two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports. I think that the ThinkBook 14s has all of the ports that most small to medium size businesses will need. The inclusion of HDMI is nice too, although it’s HDMI 1.4b, which means that you probably won’t want to plug it into a 4K screen.

Display and audio

The ThinkBook 14s includes a 14-inch 1080p anti-glare display. There’s no support for touch, and there aren’t any configuration options. If you want a higher resolution or something, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

I’ve described this PC as a larger version of the ThinkBook 13s, but that’s not exactly true when it comes to the display. The 13s also only had one option, which was 13.3 inches, 1080p, anti-glare, and also without touch, but it was 300 nits. The ThinkBook 14s only has 250-nit brightness.

It’s an issue. The anti-glare screen does its best at blocking glares, but there’s only so much it can do. If you’re using this PC in direct sunlight, you’re going to have a problem. And yes, the brightness is maxed out in the image above.

The screen has narrow bezels on the sides, coming in at under 5.5mm. The top and bottom bezels are a bit bigger, and the top bezel has a ThinkShutter privacy guard built into the webcam, so you don’t need to put a piece of tape over it.

On the bottom of the laptop, you’ll find two 2W Harman speakers, and they’re actually pretty fantastic. My gauge for if speakers are loud enough is if I can turn them up to 100 and feel uncomfortable. The ThinkBook 14s passes that test.

Keyboard, trackpad, and fingerprint sensor

The keyboard on the ThinkBook 14s is one of my favorites. Here’s the thing. ThinkPads are renowned for having some of the best keyboards around, and they definitely do, but they’re not very modern anymore. In 2019, most thin and light PCs don’t have a full 1.5mm key press anymore.

The ThinkBook 14s definitely has a shallower keyboard, and it feels more modern without compromising that quality that I’ve come to expect from Lenovo. While it’s shallower, the resistance makes up for it, and it’s accurate and precise.

There’s also no TrackPoint, which by probably most accounts, is a relic from a long-ago age. I’ve only used it for testing purposes on the various ThinkPads I’ve reviewed. Don’t get me wrong, as there are definitely TrackPoint die-hards out there, but those are the people that buy ThinkPads, not the people that ThinkBook was built for.

It uses a Microsoft Precision trackpad, and it gets the job done. I do miss the physical buttons that you find on ThinkPads, since they just make drag-and-drop operations easier. But this one is clickable responsive. It’s also pretty large, which is nice.

I also want to call attention to the power button, which doubles as a fingerprint sensor. You might have noticed when I mentioned the webcam that there’s no IR camera for facial recognition, but that’s OK, since this fingerprint sensor is so good. In fact, it’s better than any sensor I’ve ever seen on a ThinkPad. Plus, unlike ThinkPads, it’s built into the power button, which has its own benefits.

When you press the button to boot up the PC, it automatically logs you in, so you don’t need facial recognition. Unlike PCs from Dell that have a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, you don’t have to press it again after it boots up. Dell actually thinks it’s a security risk. It has a time limit, where if a PC takes longer than that time to boot, they assume that you might have walked away from your PC.

I have to wonder if the ThinkBook 14s would pass that test, because it boots fast, possibly faster than any other PC I’ve used. No really, it’s weird how fast this thing boots.

Performance and battery life

The model that Lenovo sent me includes an Intel Core i5-8265U, 8GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The specs are pretty mainstream, but oddly enough, the performance is most definitely premium. As I noted above, it boots up weirdly fast, and the overall experience is a continuation of that.

Battery life doesn’t disappoint either. I got a solid six hours of use out of it doing a variety of tasks, and you can probably stretch it to eight or nine hours if you do things that don’t use too many resources. For example, if you watch locally stored videos constantly, you can get over 10 hours from it, but I don’t think anyone in the world actually uses a PC that way. Streaming video, you’ll get more like nine hours, and it goes down from there.

The Intel Core i5-8265U is a quad-core 15W CPU with eight threads from the Whiskey Lake family. Obviously, this PC came out before 10th-generation processors were a thing. It’s pretty standard for a laptop or convertible, and I suspect that even if it did have a 10th-generation ‘Comet Lake’ processor, there wouldn’t be much of a performance boost from the Core i5.

It also has an AMD Radeon 540X 2GB GPU, which is a nice boost when you need it. Any 2GB mobile GPU won’t exactly get you playing games with ray tracing or editing 8K video, but what it does get you is a boost over integrated Intel UHD Graphics. In other words, it’s better than not having it.

Even the benchmark scores are weirdly good, particularly on the Home test. It was the same story for the ThinkBook 13s. I don’t know what special sauce Lenovo is putting in these things, but it should really be sharing the recipe with its other teams.

Conclusion

As was the case with the ThinkBook 13s, the ThinkBook 14s is a real winner for the price. You can get a heck of a lot for under a thousand dollars, and it’s more than the sum of its parts. This is a great PC.

There are two big problems though. One is that it doesn’t charge with USB Type-C, and that’s particularly annoying. The other is that the screen is too dim, so if you’re thinking about using it outdoors a lot, it’s not for you.

What you do get is a solid aluminum design, a fantastic keyboard, and a fast fingerprint sensor that scans your fingerprint before it boots up. It boots fast, performance is great, and battery life is long.

And this PC only costs $731.40. This is designed for SMBs, so at that price point, choosing a bunch of these to hand out to a team should be an easy decision.

This Samsung Chromebook is just $89, but here’s why spending more is so much smarter

If you’re looking to get one of the most affordable computing experiences you can this Black Friday, Best Buy’s discount on a Samsung Chromebook is one of the easiest ways to do that. You can get an 11.6-inch Chromebook for $89, though there’s good reason to spend just $30 more for an upgraded model.

The $89 Samsung Chromebook model includes 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. In 2019, those memory and storage capacities are going to be fairly limiting. But, for $119, both of those specs double, so you’d be getting 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

That extra memory can go a long way toward making the computing experience on a Chromebook like this smoother, especially for any tasks that involve multiple tabs or browser windows.

The display on this Samsung Chromebook (for both models) is an HD panel with a 1366 x 768 resolution and, the Chromebook uses a Wireless AC connection for dependable speeds.

There is some uncertainty about the other specs on this model. Best Buy lists the Chromebook as using an Intel Atom x5 processor in the product title (specifically the Intel Atom E8000 as seen in the specifications), but later describes it as having an Intel Celeron processor.

In either case, you’ll be looking at a low-power processor suited to the type of tasks a small Chromebook is suited to.

TechRadar is scouring every retailer and rounding up all the top deals over the Black Friday period, and we’ve put all the best Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals in easy-to-navigate articles to help you find the bargains you’re looking for.