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Backpacks have always been a source of frustration for me when carrying around my laptop and the various tools I need with me throughout my day. I don’t carry a ton with me at any given moment, but finding a bag that can carry and handle everything has been difficult.
Enter Tylt’s new Energi Pro Backpack. While not only being incredibly spacious, Tylt’s new backpack’s attention grabber is the fact that it includes an impressively large battery in the bag. Carrying everything you lug around is not only a breeze with the Energi Pro Backpack, but charging everything while you do so is god-send.
At first glance, the Energi Pro Power Backpack looks like a bulky traveler’s bag. Akin to something an international traveler might be wearing on a long journey, its square design stands out against other backpacks, and immediately begs the question, “_Why_ is that bag so big?” Once I got my hands on Tylt’s latest backpack, though, it all made sense.
Tylt’s bag is spacious. I mean, really spacious. Not only is it big enough to carry everything you need in your bag during travels, its compartments are also built in a way to properly carry everything you have. The square design allows it to sit-up right without support, meaning there’s no more worrying about having to lean it on something when placed on the floor. The bag will just sit where you leave it.
The large interior design gave me more than enough room to carry my 2010 15” MacBook Pro, my iPad 4th Generation, my wallet, headphones, and multiple notebooks. That didn’t even fill a third of the bag. I’ve never had a bag successfully organize all my gear to the degree that I actually began wondering, “What else can I fit in here?”
The Energi Pro Backpack is also tough. The sleek gray color comes courtesy of the water-resistant weather-safe design. I feel safe putting my electronics in here knowing that the water won’t penetrate the cloth and collect, thus soaking through like my previous bags did.
The large compartment to strap down the laptop is not only TSA-friendly, it also provides a large amount of padding to help protect the investment you set in there. It was strange at first sliding my MacBook into its own separate compartment without any room for anything else, but all the other various compartments quickly made up for that.
Without a doubt my favorite feature of the bag is the included battery. While anyone can buy a large capacity battery and throw it into their bag, the Energi Pro makes the battery and charging experience a full on feature of the bag. The battery that comes with the Energi Pro isn’t actually embedded into the bag, like I originally thought, and with good reason too. It’s actually stored away in its own separate compartment on the side. This makes it easy to remove and recharge without having to dig through the other belongings. Being able to remove the battery to charge it separately, either in a wall or computer, makes it much less awkward when carrying the bag around for other necessities.
When I worked at the Apple retail store a few years ago the Visuals team, which was responsible for putting products out onto the floor, was obsessed with cable management. Apple always wanted to make sure that the cables that didn’t need to be visible to customers, weren’t. This habit stuck with me, and I “cable manage” every and any cables I come across. The Tylt Energi Pro Backpack is an organizer’s dream including 11 different routing pockets and routing straps that allow you to route all the cables you need from the included battery to wherever your devices are stored within the bag.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t spend some time also talking about how comfortable this backpack is. With every backpack I have ever bought, I’ve always faced some sort of back ache or shoulder strap discomfort. I could always feel the straps tug away at my arms and slide around and after a few hours of walking around the city with it on, there was never anything I wanted to do more than to just take it off. With the Energi Pro, none of those ideas even came to mind. I loaded up the bag, filled it with everything I needed and was on my way without worry of discomfort. I spent a day walking around NYC with it strapped to me, and didn’t feel any pain or annoyances where I normally would. In fact, it just felt like a secure (obviously more weighted down) jacket I was wearing. Not one for buckles on backpacks that come across the chest, I opted to use them with this bag and felt the difference even further.
I’ll be taking an international trip in the coming weeks, and without a doubt I’ll be traveling with the Energi Pro Backpack. The peace of mind in taking a 16-hour trip and having multiple battery charges available at my disposal will make the entire trip so much relaxed. The ability to carry everything I need, and more, will make it even better.
The Tylt Energi Pro Power Backpack is available on Indiegogo now at $129 for the early bird pricing.
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Swissgear Scansmart Sa1900 Laptop Backpack Review
Our Verdict
The Swissgear Scansmart SA1900 is a great backpack for carrying and protecting your laptop, tablet and general tech gear. There’s plenty of space for all your other stuff – clothes, books, groceries, whatever you can pack in the generous 31-litre capacity. The fabric and zips are tough, and the shoulder straps adjust easily while on your back. It is also approved by the US TSA (Transportation Security Administration) as meeting its criteria for being airport checkpoint friendly.
Best Prices Today: Swissgear ScanSmart SA1900 BackpackRetailer
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Buying the best laptop rucksack should be easy, but getting the right balance of protection, storage and ease of use is surprisingly not as obvious to backpack manufacturers as one might expect. We think we’ve found the best backpack for laptops.
After years with a trusty STM backpack, which finally had enough of my zip tugging, my quest for a new rucksack for my laptop was a long and arduous one. Each one I looked at either had too little space or not enough protection. For more backpack reviews read our roundup of the best laptop bags.
Sometimes I fly with just the rucksack and no hold luggage so it needs to be big – just as it needs to be when it’s carrying groceries. Eventually, I found the backpack I was looking for – the Swissgear Scansmart SA 1900.
The Swissgear Scansmart can handle up to 17in laptops, so has some extra space when I load my 15in MacBook Pro.
You can buy the Swissgear Scansmart 1900 on Amazon. There are delivery charges to the UK, but none within the US, despite the UK being closer to Switzerland. But we think it’s worth it.
Its large laptop compartment comes with an extra pocket for a tablet plus other gear. This unzips all the way around and can be opened flat on the ground or on a table. You can see the laptop through a mesh window, which might satisfy less strict airport security setups – although all the ones I’ve been through demand the laptop be removed from the bag and the sleeve.
That’s why there’s a side opening for quickly whipping out the laptop, and the tablet can be swiftly removed, too.
The laptop compartment of each rucksack has a velcro adjustable top pad for whatever height your laptop is.
We would have preferred a little more padding at the base of the bag, but on numerous world trips my laptop hasn’t been damaged once.
There’s a second large compartment for all your other stuff, as well as various little zipped areas at the top and the sides, above the water-bottle pockets, for instance. There’s an accordion-style file holder, and a zip mesh accessories pocket, plus integrated mobile pocket.
There are side pockets for chargers, extra batteries, cables, etc, and one has exit holes so you can put your phone or music player in and feed the headphone cord through – if you haven’t yet switched to wireless, of course.
The bag is sturdy and robust, and the looks are fairly cool and neutral in either black-and-blue, black, or grey. US customers will find even more colour options, and UK residents can always order via chúng tôi although with higher shipping fees.
The Scansmart 1900 features air-flow back padding for extra comfort and back support, plus contoured shoulder straps and a rugged molded grab handle.
This backpack is smaller than airline maximum sizes for carry-on luggage so is an ideal travel companion.
The padded shoulder straps are easy to adjust while you’re wearing the bag, so you can tighten up when carrying and loosen to easily pull the rucksack off.
VerdictI have to admit that I love this backpack. It comes with me to work every day, and goes on every trip I make – and one year that involved 74 airports in 12 months! I’ve actually owned two, as after three years of dragging it around, one of the zips broke. Three years of usage and travel is pretty good going for a bag, and I just went out and bought a new one, which is still going strong today.
Specs Swissgear ScanSmart SA1900 Backpack: Specs
Exterior Dimensions – 18.5″ X 13.5″ X 9″
Laptop Compartment Dimensions – 17″ X 12.5″ X 2.5″
Large capacity 31 litres
Pdfelement Pro App: The Perfect Pdf Editor For Iphone & Ipad
Portable Document Format (PDFs) are universal, and we use them in our daily life in college, office, homes, and elsewhere. Your teacher may share notes in this format. You may have your lease agreement, several office essentials like payslips, etc., as PDFs. Now, if you often deal with PDFs, it is wise to get an app that does everything across all the devices you own! This is where the PDFelement Pro iOS app comes in. It lets you have your way with the PDFs! In this full review, let’s learn more about the app and see how to use it.
Let us begin by opening a file in the app. For this, tap on Blue-white ‘+’ button to import PDF from the Files app, images from the Photos app, or transfer from the computer. You may also connect to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, etc.
Marking Up and Annotating PDFsOnce you have a PDF open inside the app, you get to witness its real powers. First, tap on the pen icon from the top. This opens a plethora of excellent tools.
Highlight: Tap on the left-most button and choose the desired highlight color. Now, use your finger (or Apple Pencil on iPad) to highlight important texts. You can also switch to a different color and highlight other parts. It is an excellent feature! To change color or remove a highlight, tap on it, and choose Color or Clear.
Strikethrough and Underline: Like highlight, you can also underline text for importance. And if there are texts that no longer hold value, you may cut a line through it. As expected, you are free to choose the desired strikethrough or underline color.
Draw or scribble on the PDF: Tapping on the thick pen icon inside PDFelement Pro lets you draw or handwrite anywhere on the PDF. You can set the pen thickness, opacity, and color. If you made a mistake, tap on the eraser icon to fix things.
Add shapes in the PDF: Tap on the circle-square icon to play with shapes. You can draw a square, circle, line, or arrow. You can also fill the shapes with solid colors, change the border color, thickness, and play with the overall opacity. This tool opens up the possibility of creating fantastic shapes and filling them with text, images, etc.
Add stamp and signature: Tap on the stamp icon and choose one of the several pre-made designs. Next, please tap on the fountain pen icon to create a signature and add it to the contract or agreement PDF.
Undo Redo: Tap on the left curved arrow to undo. For redo, long-press on it and choose Redo.
Thanks to smart font recognition, you can completely change the existing text of a PDF. For this, open the PDF file inside PDFelement Pro and tap on the ‘T’ icon from the top center. You will see a faint gray border across text boxes. You can now drag and move the block to a different location or even change the length and breadth.
Next, tap anywhere on the text to erase it, change it, or add new words.
Another exciting thing is that you can tweak the font size, style, color, make it bold or italic, and change the text alignment. To do this, select text inside the box and choose desired option from toolset above the keyboard. The results are astonishingly accurate and look as good as the original PDF.
Playing with Images in a PDFImages make the PDF exciting and convey the message quickly, even to untrained eyes. Inserting photos using PDFelement Pro is a cakewalk. Simply tap on the image icon from the top, tap on Add Image, and choose one from your Photos app.
This tool also lets you work on the images that are already in the PDF. Tap on the same photo icon from the top. Next, tap on an existing PDF image. You can now rotate, crop, replace, copy, delete, or extract the picture and save it to the device Photos app.
Creating a New PDF using PDFelement ProOnce you install the app, launch it on your iPhone or iPad. Next, tap on the plus icon and select Create PDF. Choose the desired paper style. You are now on the blank canvas. From here, you can tap on the pen icon from the top. Now select the appropriate tool like a pen, text box, shapes, stamp, signature, etc.
Tap on the ‘T’ icon from the top and then tap on Add Text to type things into the PDF.
I can go on and on explaining things, but the truth is, the app is straightforward to use. Once you are there, you will be able to figure out things on your own.
When you are done, tap the three dots icon from the top right. From here, you can save it, print, or set a password, email it, upload it to cloud storage, share it on any other application via the iOS Share Sheet, and more.
PDFelement Pro as an Excellent PDF ReaderBesides editing, annotating, and creating PDFs, this app also discharges the duty of a PDF reader robustly. All you have to do is open the file inside PDFelement Pro.
For convenience, tap on the open book icon and choose the desired scrolling orientation. You may also set a comfortable brightness level for long reading sessions.
Excellent Multitasking Capabilities on iPadPDFelement Pro on iPad gains new multitasking powers! You can open it in Split View with another app or slide it over an existing app.
You can also drag PDFs inside it from the Files app or other supported apps, as well as drag PDFs out of it to other compatible applications. Our full guide on how to multitask on an iPad will tell you the steps to perform these actions.
Finally, you can also use the Apple Pencil for perfect precision while drawing, scribbling, underlining, etc. This app seems to do it all!
Platform Wide AvailabilityFor maximum productivity, we often use multiple devices. For example, all day I sit in front of a computer in the office. When I am in transit or at home, I use my iPhone. Thus, it becomes a godsend when an application you use often and love is available on all devices you use. Plus, they will launch a desktop Windows version in the end of Nov, please stay tunes.
Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and PCPDFelement Pro is available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Windows. This lets you have a consistent experience on all the devices you might own.
One Account for all Devices and PlatformAnother icing on top is that you just need one account for all platforms and devices. This keeps your workflow hassle-free. You can also buy a single plan that works on all these devices (iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Windows). More on it later in the ‘Price’ section below.
Our Verdict!PDFelement does so many things right that it is hard not to recommend it. In addition to a robust feature set that supercharges your PDFs, one other pleasing factor is decent, calm color along with an intuitive, easy to use app design.
I had been on PDFexpert (on and off). No doubt that it’s a potent app. But PDFelement Pro’s affordable pricing, clutter-free clean design (eye-pleasing sky blue and white color combination), and the perfect mix of essential tools make me prefer it over the competition!
Conclusion: If you often work with PDFs and are looking to get the best possible experience, PDFelement is the one app to invest in. It enhances your productivity and lets you #PDFYourWay!
Price: In the iOS app, you see two price options.
All Platforms: One plan for iPhone, iPad, Mac, & PC. You can choose to pay monthly ($19.99), quarterly ($39.99), or annually ($89.99).
Mobile Only plan: For only iPhone and iPad. The monthly subscription costs $4.99, quarterly $9.99, and the annual plan is just $29.99!
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Author Profile
Ankur
I have been an Apple user for over seven years now. At iGeeksBlog, I love creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides that help people do more with their iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Apple Watch. In my free time, I like to watch stand up comedy videos, tech documentaries, news debates, and political speeches.
Working Backwards From The Solution
“You can’t make radical changes in the pattern of your life until you see yourself exactly as you are now. As soon as you do that, changes will flow naturally.” – Henepola Gunaratana One exception to this is with new industries. When there are no giants to stand on, any move you make becomes radical in its own right. With blockchain we saw this over the last decade, with Bitcoin revolutionizing the concept of money, then Ethereum (and a handful of others) revolutionizing the ability for blockchain to move beyond just currency. We’ve seen a few other large steps of innovation within the industry like moving away from Proof of Work, using zero knowledge methods for information security, and hammering on the use of NFTs for—well, for just about anything you can imagine. This has led the industry a long way, but 2023 has seen a noticeable slowing of big news stories discussing big, innovative changes. Granted, you will still see the words “revolutionary”, “innovation”, “radical”, or “(insert idea here) Killer”. The difference is, the hype factor is trying to energize incremental stories. At the risk of using an imperfect metaphor, the revolution of blockchain is like imagining an ocean, then building an aquarium. Compared to nothing, the aquarium is amazing, and you can see the similarities between it and an ocean environment. That was a big improvement. But then the “innovations” all deal with making the aquarium more efficient, adding decorations, adding new creatures. But at the end of the day, you are still bound by four walls. I believe this is the current state of blockchain. Granted, it’s a pretty big aquarium. But it’s not the ocean, and won’t be until we start expanding the four walls in a way that cannot be done incrementally.
The Four WallsSo what are these four walls keeping the blockchain industry contained? The
Complexity of the smart contract paradigm. The smart contract design of most chains is incredibly complicated, leaving only a handful of people who can competently and efficiently develop code. This leaves a lot of code that is inefficient, flawed, and is not secure. By changing the structure of the programming language to be asset-oriented, the most common elements of the blockchain architecture can be built and replicated easily.
Standalone, non-modular smart contracts. Building upon the first barrier, the fact that the programming is incredibly difficult is only part of the issue. It is also notoriously difficult to build in a modular way, getting multiple uses out of code snippets. In order to solve this, there should be a library of code “chunks” that cover common situations and can be deployed in a copy/paste fashion.
Economics that prevent knowledge sharing. There are several ways to spur large scale growth in a system. First, encourage an “open source” philosophy; or to pay people for their work if you use it. Currently the environment is highly competitive, first/fast mover, and sharing simply isn’t an option. Open source is nice, but the royalty based approach spurs even more growth because it allows the best code to rise to the top, and also creates a new market for those who want to develop but don’t want to launch their own platform.
Infinite Scalability. There are not any major chains that allow for infinite scalability; this is a major red flag, because if this blockchain aquarium ever wants to become an ocean, infinite scalability is a must. This could be the most difficult part of the entire system, but the solution lies in methods that create atomic composability. This allows the burden of computation to be split and reassembled, infinitely, without compromising the integrity of the data or the speed of the transactions.
The Road AheadDell G3223Q Review: Better Than The 4K Competition, But Far From Perfect
Pros
Bright, sharp SDR image
Good color gamut and accuracy
Solid build quality and ergonomic stand
Great motion clarity at 120Hz or 144Hz
Cons
Disappointing HDR performance
Odd menu choices for creators
Modest USB connectivity
Our VerdictDell’s G3223Q joins the other 32-inch 4K monitors in offering a compromised experience. It has good SDR image quality, superb motion clarity, and is compatible with the latest game consoles thanks to HDMI 2.1 support and a refresh rate up to 144Hz. But disappointing HDR performance and weak options for creators hold it back from a ringing endorsement.
Best Prices Today: Dell G3223QLooking for a 32-inch 4K monitor that’s great for both PC and console gaming? You face a hard choice. HDMI 2.1 support with high refresh rates is now widespread, but high pricing and so-so performance remains a problem for this category. The Dell G3223Q is among the better options, but far from flawless.
Note: This review is part of our ongoing roundup of the best gaming monitors. Go there to learn more about competing products, what to look for in a gaming monitor, and buying recommendations.
Dell G3223Q: The specsThe Dell G3223Q’s specifications lean towards console gaming. It has two HDMI 2.1 ports, a refresh rate of up to 144Hz, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. This is the ideal combination for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X owners.
Display size: 32-inch
Native resolution: 3,840 x 2,160
Panel type: IPS
Refresh rate: Up to 144Hz
HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified
Adaptive sync: AMD FreeSync Premium Pro
Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 1x DisplayPort, USB Type-B upstream, 2x USB-A with Power Charging, 3.5mm headphone jack
Stand adjustment: Height, tilt, wwivel
VESA mount: Yes, 100x100mm
Speakers: None
Price: $1,099 MSRP, around $825 typical
That’s not to say the G3223Q sacrifices PC gaming. It has a DisplayPort port, of course, making high-refresh gameplay easy to access no matter the device you own. The monitor is also VESA DisplayHDR 600 certified— though, as I’ll explain, HDR remains a sore spot.
Dell G3223Q: DesignThe Dell G3223Q riffs on the same design cues in all Dell gaming monitors. You can expect a basic, unexceptional look from the front, with modest bezels and a bottom chin that includes the Dell logo. The back is an expanse of gunmetal plastic adorned with blue LED accents. Dell’s design choices will please gamers who prefer less flair.
Standard Dell gaming monitor design focuses on solid construction with minimal flair.
Matt Smith
Though entirely plastic, the G3223Q feels durable when handled. There’s minimal creak or flex to surfaces and most plastics have a hard, slightly rough texture that seems likely to resist and obscure scratches. Build quality is a match for Acer Predator and Asus ROG displays, and slightly better than Samsung’s Odyssey and LG’s Ultragear line.
A modest stand with a flat base holds the G3223Q in place. It’s not as hefty as the stand found on premium Alienware, BenQ, and Samsung monitors, but still keeps the monitor balanced. In truth, I prefer this stand to those of more expensive alternatives. The flat, small base and narrow neck reduces the monitor’s footprint on your desk. A 100x100mm VESA monitor mount is available for adding a third-party monitor stand or arm.
Dell G3223Q: Features and menuThis monitor ships with two HDMI 2.1 ports. That, along with a refresh rate of up to 144Hz and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, makes the Dell G3223Q an ideal display for use with modern game consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. It also has DisplayPort for connecting your PC, of course.
Two HDMI 2.1 ports and a DisplayPort allow for connectivity with the console of your choice.
Matt Smith
USB connectivity is modest. There’s a single USB Type-B upstream port which drives two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports on the front left chin. Their location makes them easy to access, at least, but more ports would be appreciated. I also find it odd that Dell’s less expensive G3223D includes USB-C, while this high-end model does not.
The monitor’s on-screen menu system is controlled with a joystick. It’s easy to use and provides access to a variety of adjustments. This includes dedicated sRGB and DCI-P3 color modes; custom color with hue, gain, and saturation adjustments; and several gamma options.
More demanding creators will like these features, but there’s a problem. They’re tied to very specific modes. The Creator mode allows adjustment of color gamut and gamma, but not color. The Custom Color mode provides detailed color adjustment, but not gamut or gamma. There’s also limited color temperature adjustment.
Gamers might not care about these features. Many will be happy to leave the monitor in standard mode. The RPG mode also looks nice. For creators, though, this could be a deal breaker.
Dell G3223Q: SDR image qualityThe Dell G3223Q’s SDR image quality provides reason to overlook the quirks of its menu system. Though not exceptional, it’s a good all-rounder and does not have the weaknesses that are found in some competitors.
Matt Smith
Maximum SDR brightness comes in at 466 nits, which is far higher than the competition and excellent for any monitor. This translates to a striking image that can hold up in brightly lit rooms that could make competitors look dim.
Those using the monitor in a light-controlled room will likely want to use the monitor at far below its maximum brightness. I found a setting of around 40 percent most comfortable.
Matt Smith
The contrast ratio test reported a maximum ratio of 1150:1. This ratio is not spectacular, but it’s much better than many of Dell’s direct competitors. The G3223Q looks richer and provides a better sense of depth than many of its peers.
This is noticeable in games, streaming shows, and movies, where the low contrast of competitors like the BenQ EX3210U and Viewsonic XG320U can have a flat, simple look.
These competitors also suffer slightly more noticeable “IPS glow,” giving a hazy cast to scenes that should be a deep shade of black. The G3223Q also has this problem—just to a lesser degree.
Matt Smith
Color gamut is technically a weakness when compared to some similar alternatives. The monitor can reach only 94 percent of DCI-P3 and 89 percent of AdobeRGB.
This is right on the border of what might be considered a “wide gamut” monitor. BenQ, Viewsonic, and Asus offer monitors with a significantly wider color gamut, which means they can display colors the G3223Q can’t achieve.
Still, the G3223Q’s color gamut is solid. Most games are not created for a wide color gamut, so the difference is less important to gaming. This will stand out most to creators who have very specific needs.
Matt Smith
It’s a similar story for color accuracy. The G3223Q had an average error of 1.1, which is technically mid-pack for this set. Still, this is a good result for out-of-box color accuracy and should be adequate for most owners. Colors appear realistic and believable, though generally over-saturated at the extremes. However, in my experience most people prefer the oversaturated look, so I wouldn’t call this a problem.
My testing reported a default gamma of 2.4, which is off the preference of 2.2. This means content will often appear darker than intended. This can add to the sense of contrast but may also obscure details in dark areas of an image. Gamma can be adjusted, although, as noted, only in Creator Mode. The color temperature came in at 6200K, which is a bit warm and reddish but hard to notice outside of a direct comparison with another monitor.
On balance, the Dell G3223Q delivers an attractive experience that beats similarly priced competition. The monitor’s good contrast ratio, solid color, and high brightness make it ready to provide a punchy, vibrant image in any room. And don’t forget—this is a 32-inch, 4K monitor. Sharpness is excellent. Games with detailed textures look great. Fine edges on 3D models show little shimmering, even in games with lackluster anti-aliasing, such as Final Fantasy XIV. 4K resolution also means creators can work on UltraHD video content and high-resolution images while viewing this content at (or, at least, close to) the native resolution.
Dell G3223Q: HDR image qualityUnfortunately, the Dell G3223Q continues the company’s problems with HDR.
The monitor’s default HDR is labeled Desktop. It turns on or off depending on whether HDR is enabled in Windows 11 or the application you’re using. The G3223Q always detected an HDR signal and activated HDR automatically. I measured a maximum sustained brightness of 526 nits, which is very high.
However, this default mode is a bit lackluster. It appears undersaturated and flat. The VESA DisplayHDR 600 mode is better but turns on local dimming, a technique that selectively turns on or off portions of the backlight depending on what is displayed. This is an edge-lit monitor with just a handful of dimming zones, so this behavior can lead to noticeable bright stripes and blotches.
There are two other HDR modes: Game HDR and Movie HDR. These don’t appear to have the backlight dimming, but I still noticed variance in brightness in transitions between bright and dark scenes.
This is a problem for the G3223Q, as this monitor specifically targets HDR gaming on both PC and console. HDR games do deliver more punch than SDR, but no HDR mode delivers good results.
Dell G3223Q: Motion clarityThe Dell G3223Q has a maximum refresh of 144Hz. This allows 4K/120Hz gameplay on the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 and 4K/144Hz on PC. Gameplay is extremely smooth at a refresh rate of 120Hz or 144Hz, as is true of most high-refresh displays.
AMD FreeSync Premium Pro is the only official adaptive-sync standard supported. However, Nvidia G-Sync worked in my testing on an RTX 3060 laptop and a GTX 1080 Ti graphic card.
Motion clarity is excellent at high refresh rates. Fast-moving objects retain significant detail and fast camera pans produce minimal blur. This makes it easy to pick small objects in a scene while moving quickly.
The G3223Q is closely matched by the competition. A variety of 32-inch monitors provide good motion clarity at up to 144Hz. These include the Viewsonic Elite XG320U, BenQ EX3210U, and Gigabyte Aorus FI32U, among others.
mentioned in this article
BenQ Mobiuz EX3210U
Read our review
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Final thoughtsDell’s G3223Q is a conflicted monitor. It has good SDR image quality, superb motion clarity, and works very well with the latest game consoles thanks to HDMI 2.1 support and a refresh rate up to 144Hz. The monitor’s HDR is disappointing, however. It also misses the mark for creators due to some decisions in the monitor’s menu system.
Your choice is complicated by the fact that none of the 32-inch 4K HDR monitors in this price range are ideal. Those who want great HDR will need to upgrade to a much more expensive Mini-LED monitor, such as the Viewsonic XG321UG or Asus ROG Strix PG32UQX, or side-step to Alienware’s ultrawide OLED.
mentioned in this article
Alienware AW3423DW
Read our review
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I can recommend the Dell G3223Q if you want a 32-inch 4K HDR monitor for less than $1,000. The G3223Q outperforms most alternatives. Just be warned the experience is not perfect. If you can, wait for better Mini-LED monitors that (hopefully) should start to arrive later this year.
Huawei Matebook X Pro (2023) Review: The Intel Upgrade
Pros
Slender, lightweight design
Great keyboard & haptic trackpad
Strong performance
Fast charging
Cons
No discrete GPU
Sub-par battery life
Only USB-C ports
Our VerdictThe 2023 MateBook X Pro is almost identical to its last iteration, but an upgrade to a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 unlocks superior performance – if only we could say the same for the battery life.
Huawei’s premium MateBook X Pro laptops have long been among the best high-end Windows machines on the market, and the 2023 edition – while a minor revamp – does little to change that.
The slender, lightweight design and beautiful 90Hz display of last year’s laptop return, this time bolstered by an upgrade to more powerful 13th-gen Intel chips.
With no discrete GPU option and only USB-C ports, this won’t work for creative power users, and battery life remains a sticking point – but if you need a sleek machine for general productivity and can afford the steep asking price, this is one of the few machines out there to really rival Apple’s options.
Design & build
Magnesium alloy or aluminium build
Sleek and lightweight
Only USB-C ports
Huawei hasn’t updated the physical design of the MateBook X Pro for this iteration, which remains identical to its late 2023 counterpart.
The 2023 model is available in three colours and finishes, though availability varies by market. I reviewed the White model, which along with the Ink Blue version has a soft, smooth, almost velvety finish. Both of these are built from magnesium alloy, which helps keep the laptop light at 1.26kg.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
There’s also a cheaper ‘Core’ edition of the laptop in some regions, which is available in Space Grey and built from an aluminium alloy, making it a little heavier at 1.38kg.
The White model has a soft, smooth, almost velvet-y finish
Either way, the laptop is slim and sleek, with a narrow, angled chassis, rounded edges, and a thin bezel around the display when you open it up – easy to do one-handed thanks to a slight lip on the front edge.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Ports are, slightly frustratingly, also unchanged. There are lots of them at least: a headphone jack and four USB-C ports, with the two on the left also supporting Thunderbolt 4. That means if you still use USB-A accessories or SD cards then you’ll be living that dongle life.
Keyboard, trackpad & webcam
Excellent, spacious keyboard
Large haptic trackpad
720p webcam
Also unaltered, the MateBook X Pro’s keyboard and trackpad are excellent.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The keyboard is a joy to type on, with a spacious, edge-to-edge design, responsive action, and adjustable backlighting. It really is among the best around.
The trackpad is also impeccable. It’s huge for one, spanning all the way to the very bottom edge of the chassis.
The trackpad is also impeccable
You can take screenshots, adjust brightness and volume, fast-forward or rewind video, and more, all with a series of quick trackpad interactions. None of these are game-changers, but the extra convenience is certainly welcome.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
As for the webcam, the 720p camera found on the top bezel here is fine, but nothing special. Other manufacturers are working to improve webcam quality and resolution, and this feels a little below par for 2023.
You can also use the webcam for facial recognition to log in, along with the fingerprint reader built into the power button. Both have worked well for me.
Screen & speakers
14.2in display
3K resolution
90Hz refresh rate
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Huawei hasn’t changed the display from the last model.
That’s definitely not a problem here though, where the screen remains one of the laptop’s key strengths. It’s not OLED, but with a 90Hz refresh rate and 3K resolution the tech is top tier in every other respect.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Deep colours and inky blacks make this a great screen for everything from work to watching movies, and it impresses on colour accuracy too – covering 98% of the DCI-P3 colour range in my testing – and it’s bright enough to use in most lighting too.
It’s a touchscreen too, so there’s an extra level of convenience if you want to tap around the OS as you use the laptop.
The keyboard is flanked by the laptop’s six up-firing speakers, which are punchy enough for a Netflix session, though you wouldn’t want to rely on them too much for your music.
Specs & performance
13th-gen Intel Core i7
No dedicated GPU option
16GB RAM and 1TB storage
Huawei has kept things simple with the MateBook X Pro this year, which comes in just one main version, but the processor jump here is also the main reason to buy the 2023 model over an older one.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
This is powered by Intel’s 13th-gen Core i7-1360P processor, delivering a respectable generational jump in performance – especially as last year’s X Pro scored oddly low in Geekbench. It’s a match for Apple’s standard M2 chip in its latest MacBooks, and on a par with similar compact Windows devices like the Dell XPS 13 Plus, though that is running 12th-gen Intel.
Together with 16GB of RAM there’s enough power to drive web browsing and Excel sheets with ease, and this will also be a great machine for light creative work including Photoshop or a little video editing.
If you’re a more demanding user – whether that’s editing 4K footage, creating 3D assets, or just playing the latest games – you’ll likely be limited by the power-efficient P-series chip and the lack of a discrete GPU, but for the rest of us there’s more than enough oomph here.
The processor jump is the main reason to buy the 2023 model over an older one
Storage is a generous 1TB as standard, and Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E cover the wireless networking options.
Battery & charging
Below-average battery life
Fast USB-C charging
Despite efficiency gains from the 13th-gen processor, that’s true again here. Battery life isn’t bad per se – the laptop lasted a little over ten hours in our constant HD video playback test – but it’s definitely below par, and an area where rivals are unequivocally better.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
There’s enough power to just about last a full workday so long as you aren’t doing anything too demanding, but I admit I’d be hesitant to leave the house without a charger in tow just in case.
At least that side of things is easy: charging is via USB-C, and any of the laptop’s four ports will work. It’s fast, too: the included compact 90W charger delivered 53% of the battery capacity in just half an hour in my test, among the fastest on the market.
Software & features
Runs Windows 11
Huawei PC Manager with a few extra features
The MateBook X Pro ships with Windows 11 as standard, and the core Windows experience is pretty unadulterated.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
To its credit, Huawei adds very little extra software to its laptop, so you won’t have to fend off unwanted anti-virus or pre-installed games.
The only extra is the Huawei PC Manager, a relatively unobtrusive program that handles driver updates along with connectivity features if you also own other Huawei hardware.
Price & availabilityThe 2023 MateBook X Pro is out now in the UK and Europe from Huawei’s official store or Amazon, but it’ll set you back £1799/€2,199.
The laptop is not available at all in the US.
It can’t be denied that this is an expensive laptop, though that’s partly thanks to Huawei’s choice to start from generous 16GB RAM and 1TB storage allocations.
The likes of the Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Air 15in both have lower starting prices (despite slightly larger screens), but spec them out similarly and the Huawei actually comes out more affordable.
Still, other manufacturers give you more flexibility to build a machine to your tastes, so make sure you need all that RAM and storage before you commit.
Check out our full ranking of the best laptops for more options.
VerdictThe MateBook X Pro is another excellent high-end laptop from Huawei, albeit essentially unchanged from the late 2023 model other than a bump up to the latest Intel chip.
That brings with it a modest performance improvement, but no real gains to battery life, which remains the hardware’s main weak point.
Specs
Windows 11 Home
14.2in 3120×2080 LTPS touchscreen, 264ppi, 90Hz
Intel Core i7-1360P processor
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
16GB LPDDR5 RAM
1TB SSD storage
720p webcam with Windows Hello
4x USB-C (data, charging, DisplayPort, 2x Thunderbolt 4)
Headphone jack
Fingerprint Power Button 2.0
Dual-band Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.2
Six speakers
Four microphones
60Wh battery
90W charger
310x221x15.6mm
1.26/1.38kg
Space Grey, White, or Ink Blue
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