The S9 Robot Vacuum and Mop from 360 comes equipped with ultrasonic and LiDAR dual-eye navigation which allows the device to easily map multiple floors in your house. The 5200 mAh battery provides up to three hours of use on a single charge and the S9 can mop as well when outfitted with a hands-free disposable mopping pad.
Like robot lawn mowers, robot vacuum cleaners are now a pretty common sight thanks to improvements in battery life, onboard smart capabilities and economies of scale. The 360 S9 is one of the newest models on the market and until the end of August 2020, it comes with a significant discount that makes it rather appealing should you be looking for a relatively affordable model that can mop and vacuum with aplomb.
The 360 S9 relies on three separate technologies to navigate around the rooms on its chore list; a traditional 2D map system that can store up to 10 floors, ultrasonic (roughly similar to how bats operate) and LIDAR (Laser imaging, detection, and ranging), a set of technologies that are pretty common in self-driving vehicles.
Together they give a certain degree of autonomy to the 360 S9. Other features include virtual boundaries and no-go zones, custom cleaning presets, the ability to vacuum and mop simultaneously, a customizable mopping water flow, up to 180 minutes cleaning time, a clever reversing feature (to remove anything that might have been trapped) anti-drop sensors and a 2200Pa suction power.
The S9 is not without fault though: its suction power could be better, as could its dust bin and the water tank capacity. It doesn’t claim to filter air or empty its bin automatically as well. At least one user has also reported that it only operates on the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band which can be congested as it can interfere with other devices.
A new entry has taken the top spot in our best smartwatch ranking, and you can find out below the device that has taken the title of the best smart wrist wear you can buy right now.
One thing the best smartwatches all have in common is that they can perform lots of tricks, like searching the internet with your voice, tracking your location with GPS or even monitoring your heart rate to protect your overall health.
These will likely work best when paired to one of the best smartphones on the market, but some of the models even work without a phone in tow.
We've tested all the top-end wearables you can buy right now from the Apple Watch to Fitbits to Garmin watches to Tizen-sporting Samsung watches. There's also Wear OS which is Google's own wearable operating system in the vein of Apple's watchOS - you’ll see it show up in a lot of these devices.
During our review process, we take into account the design, features, battery life, spec, price and more for each smartwatch, rank it against the competition and enter it into the list you'll find below.
(Image credit: Samsung)
1. Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
Our best smartwatch in the world right now
OS: Tizen OS | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 1.2" or 1.4" 360 x 360 Super AMOLED | Processor: Dual-core 1.15GHz | Band sizes: 22mm or 20mm | Onboard storage: 8GB | Battery duration: 3 days on 45mm / less on 41mm | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: IP68 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE (for extra)
Great, premium design
Rotating bezel is useful
Battery could be better
High price
The best smartwatch money can buy right now is the Galaxy Watch 3 from Samsung, which is the company's most accomplished wrist wear yet. It's a sequel to the Galaxy Watch from 2018, and it keeps a lot of that device's design elements but refines them.
The Galaxy Watch 3 features a unique rotating bezel that makes navigating around the smartwatch a joy. We find that a lot easier than trying to use the display, which is something you have to do on a lot of other smartwatches in this list.
Apps available on the watch are more limited than Wear OS or watchOS - two rival smartwatch operating systems - but it still offers the core basics and Samsung has provided a watch that's good at fitness as well as sporting a great design and lots more functionality too.
Features are more limited if you're using this with an iPhone, but it's still compatible with those devices. We'd recommend considering the Apple Watch below though if that's your phone of choice.
Overall, the Galaxy Watch 3 is the full package if you're looking for a smartwatch to track your fitness, look good on your wrist and a whole lot more.
OS: watchOS 6 | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 1.78" OLED | Processor: Apple S5 | Band sizes: Varies based on watch size | Onboard storage: 32GB | Battery: 1 day to 36 hours | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: Water-resistant to 50m | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE
Always-on display
More storage
Battery isn't incredible
Still pricey
Apple hasn't taken the top spot in our best smartwatch list, but this is the best device you can get if you own an iPhone. It works seamlessly with Apple's phones, and it's well worth considering if you plan to stick with the iPhone range for at least a few years.
There aren't many huge upgrades over the Apple Watch 4, but the main change is it comes with an always-on display for the first time. That means you won't have to raise the watch to see your key stats, and instead it'll display most of the information you need on a dimmed screen.
The design is similar to the Apple Watch 4 - a look that we loved - so you'll get a larger display than earlier iterations of the device, and it comes in either 40mm or 44mm sizes.
All of the fitness features you'd expect come on this watch, and that includes a variety of top-end features such as the ECG monitor, GPS tracking, impressive heart rate monitoring and more. If you're looking for the very best Apple Watch, this is it... it's just not our favorite smartwatch money can buy.
Adding in a digital rotating bezel for a nominal price bump
OS: Tizen OS | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 1.2" 360 x 360 Super AMOLED | Processor: Dual-core 1.15GHz | Band sizes: 20mm | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery duration: Around 2 days | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: 50m | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
High-end design
Rotating digital bezel
Few features for price bump
Still limited functionality with iOS
Samsung shrank the best parts of the the Galaxy Watch into this sportier smartwatch that's slimmer, lighter and, arguably, more comfortable - then released a second version months after the first that included a few coveted features, including a rotating digital bezel and LTE version.
Overall, not much has changed - which isn't a bad thing, as it's still a quality smartwatch at a decent price. Galaxy Watch Active 2 features a 1.2-inch 360 x 360 display that is bright and beautiful yet small enough to be strapped around your wrist than a lot of the other devices in this list.
It still comes sporting all of the top-end fitness features you'd expect from Samsung's Tizen watch range, with 39 workout modes, a heart rate and ECG sensor, and health app with stress and sleep monitoring. There's even a way to monitor your blood pressure, but that won't be activated for some time.
While it's still more affordable than the leading Apple Watch, the price was bumped up from the original Watch Active, shrinking its value compared to the competition. It's certainly not a cheap smartwatch, but when compared to the price of the Galaxy Watch 3 you may prefer to opt for this version that's remarkably similar.
OS: Fitbit OS | Compatibility: Android , iOS | Display: 300 x 300 AMOLED | Onboard storage: 2.5GB | Battery duration: Up to 5 days | Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin | IP rating: Water resistant | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
Always-on display option
Good battery life
Lacks GPS
Doesn't work with third-party health apps
The Fitbit Versa 2 is the latest part-smartwatch-part-fitness tracker from Fitbit, one of the most famous wearable companies about.
The Versa 2 brings a host of upgrades to the original Fitbit Versa, including an always-on display, Alexa integration, and a slightly smaller body.
However if the original Versa wasn't quite right for you, the Versa 2 may not be the best either, as it's still fundamentally the same device, and it lacks some of the trappings of different smartwatches, like GPS functions or offline Spotify.
But for general wearable fans, the Fitbit Versa 2 is a good option, and it's more affordable than some of the other options on this list too.
OS: Wear OS | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 1.2-inch 390 x 390 AMOLED | Processor: Quad-core 1.2GHz | Band sizes: 22mm straps | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery duration: Two days | Charging method: Proprietary | IP rating: IP68 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
Lightweight design
Powerful watch
Lacks high-end features
GPS can be slow
Fossil has developed a lot of expertise in the wearable tech space over the last few years, and this has all culminated in the best smartwatch the company has made so far.
The Fossil Sport is a top-end watch with a lower price tag than the two devices above in this list. It features GPS, a lightweight - yet premium - design and at least two days of battery life from a single charge.
Fossil has packed a Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset inside, which is the latest update from Qualcomm that offers a smoother experience than you'll get on a lot of older Wear OS watches.
It doesn't sport any truly unique features, but the overall package of the Fossil Sport may be the best watch for you. That'll especially be the case if you're looking for a fitness watch that comes with Wear OS software and won't look odd on your wrist when you're going about your day.
OS: Fitbit OS | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 300 x 300 LCD | Onboard storage: N/A | Battery duration: Up to 4 days | Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin | IP rating: Water resistance to 50m | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Low price
Solid battery life
No GPS
Lacks on-screen workouts
The second best Fitbit on our list is the Fitbit Versa Lite, a more affordable version of the Fitbit Versa with a few of the features dropped.
The Versa Lite has a good range of fitness features, a battery that'll last you a good few days (and beat out lots of the other devices on this list), and a body that's quite small and light, and will fit on your wrist easily without you noticing it lots of the time.
Some of the features the Versa Lite misses over the Versa, or the Versa 2 listed later, include no Fitbit Pay, no on-board GPS and a slightly less impressive screen. If you're looking for a good smartwatch on a budget though, you might not mind some of these omissions.
A fully-loaded Wear OS watch you’ve never heard of
OS: Wear OS | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 1.39" 400 x 400 OLED | Processor: Snapdragon Wear 2100 | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery duration: Around 48h | Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin | IP rating: IP67 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1
Affordable price
Easily two day battery life
No NFC for payments
Bland design
One of the cheapest devices on this list, the TicWatch E2 is from a relatively small brand called Mobvoi but it has made a big splash with its latest couple of smartwatches.
The E2 is waterproof, comes with great battery life and it's all available for an affordable price. You probably won't fall in love with the design of this watch - it's not particularly premium - but we like the look considering how much it costs.
For health, the watch comes with built-in GPS, an accurate heart rate sensor and sleep tracking. All of the fitness features you'd expect are here, but make sure you note that it won't be able to do contactless payments as there's no NFC onboard.
Don't like the design? There's also the TicWatch S2. That's a remarkably similar watch to the TicWatch E2, but it comes with a slightly more rugged look for adventurers who want a watch that can take a beating. Check this out if you're happy to spend a bit extra.
(Image credit: Honor)
8. Honor Magic Watch 2
Magical – if you’re a fitness buff
OS: LiteOS | Compatibility: Android , iOS | Display: 1.2-inch / 1.39-inch 454 x 454 AMOLED | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery duration: 7 days / 14 days | Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin | IP rating: Water resistant | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
Strong suite of fitness features
Great battery life
Limited non-music features
Attracts dust
If you're a fond exerciser but don't think a dedicated sports watch is for you, then the Honor Magic Watch 2 might be the right smartwatch for you thanks to its set of fitness features.
The Honor Magic Watch 2 tracks a range of sports which detailed information, and can even provide workout advice and feedback for certain activities. It's great for people looking to get fitter.
The watch also lasts for a long time without needing to be charged, up to a week or two weeks depending on which version you buy, and it looks pretty sleek too.
There are a few issues with the watch like its relative lack of non-fitness features, the fact its design can often get very dusty and need cleaning, and the fact lots of its fitness features aren't available on iOS, but even then we can still recommend it as a good smartwatch.
OS: watchOS 6 (with update) | Compatibility: iOS | Display: 1.78" OLED | Processor: Apple S4 | Band sizes: Varies based on watch size | Onboard storage: 16GB | Battery: 1 to 2 days | Charging method: Wireless | IP rating: Water-resistant to 50m | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE
Larger display
Lightweight design
Battery isn't amazing
Difficult to find now
This is remarkably similar to the Apple Watch 5 that we've spoken about above, but it's easy to forget how much of a big change 2018's addition was for the Apple Watch range.
The Series 4 comes with a larger display than preceding smartwatches, and thanks to the release of the Apple Watch 5 it's now much cheaper. It comes in either 40mm or 44mm sizes, and the screen on both of these versions is much larger than you'd get from a lot of other watches.
The most exciting tech here is the fact there's an ECG feature within the heart rate tracker. It can test your heart to see if you're at a high risk of atrial fibrillation, which will allow you to seek help earlier if your health is in danger.
There are tons of fitness features, the latest watchOS onboard and more. Just note that this won't work with an Android phone, so it's only an option for those who have an iPhone.
OS: Wear OS | Compatibility: Android, iOS | Display: 1.4" 400 x 400 OLED paired with LCD screen | Processor: Snapdragon Wear 2100 | Onboard storage: 4GB | Battery duration: Up to 48h, 5 extra days in Essential mode | Charging method: Magnetic connecting pin | IP rating: IP68 | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC
Innovative screen tech
Premium design
Limited app
No LTE features
One of our favorite Wear OS watches is the TicWatch Pro, which you can use with either an iPhone or with your Android phone. You may not have heard of TicWatch before, but the latest from the company it a top-end watch with a unique dual-screen feature.
There are two displays on this watch - one layered on top of the other. On the top is a transparent LCD display that can display the time, your heart rate and more when the battery is low.
Below that is a bright and bold full color OLED screen that will give you all of the benefits of Wear OS. That means you can have a normal smartwatch, which we found would last around two days, and then have the time and some other features still available when your battery is running low. Plus the low power mode also lasts for a whole 30 days too.
In terms of smartwatch features there's GPS, NFC for Google Pay, Bluetooth for listening to music and the top Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset in here running the watch as well. Then there's the price, which undercuts a lot of the other watches on this list.
A team of scientists from University College London have discovered a way how to dramatically increase data transfer rates over fiber-optic cables.
The new discovery, if implemented, could radically increase bandwidth of backhaul networks and ultimately internet speeds at homes leading to new and improved ultrafast broadband deals.
The research team led by Dr Lidia Galdino have managed to transfer data ‘in a greater range of colors’ than is usually used in optical fiber cables to significantly increase data transfer rates. According to the scientists, they achieved a record 178.08 terabits per second (Tbps) speed over a 40km single mode optical fiber loop in a lab.
The scientists used hybrid discrete Raman & rare-earth doped fiber amplifiers to enable wide-band signal gain without spectral gaps between amplification bands. The researchers said that to cope with a significant SNR wavelength-dependence (which was a result of fiber parameters and the hybrid amplification method), they had to optimize signal for each SNR, wavelength, and transmission band.
178.08Tbps equals to 22.25TB/s, which is over 222 Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. To put the number into a more appropriate context, Google’s Faster cable between Japan and the U.S. West Coast transfers data at a speed of 60Tbps and cost $300 million to build several years ago.
If the method discovered by the UCL team is can be implemented in a commercially viable way, it could be practical for building backhaul networks used to connect 4G and 5G towers, datacenters, stores, and homes.
Potentially, it means that providers can offer higher speeds for wireless and wired broadband deals. Unfortunately, it is unclear when this might happen.
As we approach the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, TechRadar is looking back at the games that made this generation great. This week's entry? Titanfall 2.
Some games are too good for this world. Sometimes, a game comes along that ticks every single box you could hope for, that excels in its genre, that offers replayability, excitement, invention and bombast, and it just passes you all by.
In a world where we flock to see anti-Apple merch flogged in Fortnite, and happily endure gazillion gigabyte updates in Call of Duty: Warzone, we don’t deserve Titanfall 2.
Titanfall 2 is the Wendys to fast-food’s McDonalds, your local coffee shop to the Starbucks juggernaut – you know they’re better, but you can’t convince the hordes to go anywhere else. But that’s OK – you can have your million battle royale clones, I only need one Titanfall 2.
Here’s a checklist of everything that makes Titanfall 2 good:
You get to fight inside and outside of a load of giant mechs
You get to fight inside and outside of a load of giant mechs in multiplayer
You can wall run
You can grapple hook to a building, then wall run, then jump inside your giant mech
Your giant mech falls out of the sky when summoned
You get a genuinely excellent single player campaign to play through
Did I mention you get giant mechs?
(Image credit: EA / Respawn Entertainment)
Respawn Entertainment’s original Titanfall was a blast, but was held back by initial Xbox One console exclusivity and the opinion at the time (long since overcome by the free-to-play masses) that you were only getting half a game if you didn’t get a single player story mode. Titanfall 1 was multiplayer only.
So when Titanfall 2 turns up with it’s still-in-tact and also vastly-improved mech-on-mech, pilot-vs-pilot multiplayer action in tow, AND a single player campaign that not only had bullet smacking combat, mad time-turning puzzles and giant robot boss fights, it should have been a recipe for a mega hit to wipe the slate clean of Battlefields and Call of Dutys and their ilk?
(Image credit: EA / Respawn Entertainment)
Right? Wrong. It was put up against Battlefield 1 (technically accomplished, but creatively staid) and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (almost entirely forgettable). And everyone bought those games instead.
The quality of Titanfall 2’s action has kept it alive however with a small, dedicated hardcore community of players. Its mixture of vehicular mech combat and acrobatic FPS play remains unique and unchallenged. And, thanks to EA’s recent release of its games on the ever-popular Steam platform, it’s enjoying a new lease of life in PC gamer circles. Somewhat criminally, it’s perennially on sale too, boosting the numbers every now and again.
(Image credit: EA / Respawn Entertainment)
Titanfall 2’s DNA lives on in Apex Legends, Respawn’s take on the battle royale genre, a game which most likely kept the lights on at Respawn, given the so-so sales response to its phenomenal Titanfall games. And Apex Legends is thankfully very good, with more nuance and polish than the majority of its battle royale peers.
But Apex Legends success was likely the final nail in the coffin of the Titanfall franchise, with no word of a sequel four years after its release.
We don’t deserve Titanfall 2, so we certainly don’t deserve a Titanfall 3. So let’s cherish those servers while they’re still here, eh?
The Batman director Matt Reeves treated fans to a sneak peek of Robert Pattinson's Caped Crusader at the DC FanDome virtual event.
This film depicts Batman in the second year of his crimefighting career, and is a move away from another origin story.
The trailer kicks off with Nirvana’s somber ‘Something in the Way’ as we are introduced to the new Gotham Police Department commissioner James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright), arriving at a crime scene.
The trailer also gives us a first look at Paul Dano as The Riddler and Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman. The movie, which was shut down due to the pandemic earlier this year, is now set to resume production next month and has an expected release date of October 2021.
As mentioned, the story takes place about two years into Bruce Wayne’s career as Batman, so he isn't much more than a man in a mask on a mission. Matt Reeves was keen to stress to fans that Batman isn’t Batman yet, and that there are people “who are afraid of him, quite frankly.”
“It’s not an origins tale, but you’re meeting him in the early days. A lot of the other [cinema] stories showed he had to master his fear and himself, to become Batman,” said Reeves, but in his movie “we meet in the middle of this criminological experiment and watch him make mistakes.”
“He’s not having any of the effect that he wants to have, that’s when the murders begin to happen,” added the filmmaker.
The same goes for other characters. Reeves stressed they’re just assuming their personas, so Selina Kyle is not yet Catwoman and both The Riddler and The Penguin are also new to being career criminals.
Matt Reeves also shared that they’ve only shot 25% of the movie, which given the detail that the trailer gives, is impressive.
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It’s been a long time coming, but Zack Snyder's Justice League will finally get in front of an audience thanks to HBO Max, and fans got a first look at the trailer at DC FanDome yesterday.
The project is the upcoming director's cut of the 2017 film Justice League, a poorly received entry in the DC Extended Universe.
The trailer is set to Leonard Cohen’s 'Hallelujah' and follows each member of the team on their individual journeys before they come together. Superman and Cyborg feature prominently in the trailer, so we expect to see a lot more of them in the new cut.
The trailer shows fans the first real look at Darkseid in action, as well as backstories of The Flash and Cyborg. The trailer certainly has a darker and moodier vibe than the original release, particularly in the shots of Jason Momoa's Aquaman.
At the panel, Snyder confirmed that his cut of Justice League would in fact be four hours long. But don’t worry if you don’t think you could handle that much superhero action in one sitting: this version of the film won’t be getting a theatrical debut. Instead, it will be showing in four "one-hour" episodes on HBO Max at a date to be confirmed next year.
It’s not been made clear whether the episodes will all be dropped at once or if they’ll be staggered, but Snyder did say at the DC FanDome panel that they're "gonna work on a way of bundling it together" too.
And if you’re not in a region that has HBO Max, a plan is in the works to distribute it internationally.
“I promise you, you’re gonna get a chance to see it,” Snyder said.
Snyder also had a lot to say about Cyborg and The Flash, saying "Cyborg is the heart of the movie. He's the thing that holds the team together in the end. I'm excited for fans to see how that's realized on camera.”
Expect a lot more Barry Allen this time. “You're going to see tonnes more of The Flash... a little bit more of his emotional arc, and I hope the fans enjoy seeing that. You're going to see something with Flash in this film that I don't think you've ever seen..."
There's no time to catch your breath between Pixel 5 leaks this weekend – just hours after we saw some unofficial renders of the upcoming phone, we've now got hands-on pictures of the phone together with the Pixel 4a 5G that's launching at the same time.
The pictures were posted and then removed from Reddit (via XDA Developers), so it's difficult to judge the authenticity of the images – but they do match up with previous leaks and indeed previous Pixel phones rather well.
We've got the familiar square camera array on the back, together with the Google logo and the fingerprint sensor. The white phone on the right in the image below is the Pixel 4a 5G, which is expected to be the bigger but the more affordable of the two.
On the left is what we think is the Pixel 5, which is expected to have an extra camera lens and a more textured finish. Both these phones have been announced by Google and should arrive later this year, but few details have been officially revealed at this stage.
(Image credit: Reddit / XDA Developers)
The elusive Redditor also shared some specs for the two phones, which largely match up with what we've heard before. Again, take these with a grain of salt, but they're largely plausible and are pretty much what we would expect.
The Pixel 5 is apparently coming with the Snapdragon 765G processor and 8GB of RAM. It'll have a dual-lens rear camera, plus a 90Hz refresh rate screen. Previous leaks suggest the phone's display will measure 6 inches.
As for the Pixel 4a 5G, the new leak hints at the same Snapdragon 765G processor but only 6GB of RAM. It'll have a single-lens rear camera and a 60Hz refresh rate. From what we've heard so far, it's going to come sporting a 6.2-inch display.
With this and yesterday's rumors, we've now got a very good idea of what the Pixel 5 and the Pixel 4a 5G are going to bring with them. Google hasn't announced an official launch date, but the signs are pointing towards the end of September.
Windows 10 has apparently hit further problems with its latest cumulative updates for August, with some users reporting that they are experiencing some serious issues around crashes and Blue Screens of Death (BSODs), or even machines being put into blue screen loops.
Specifically, this is happening to those who have installed the cumulative updates KB4566782 and KB4565351 which are for the May 2020 Update and November 2019 Update respectively.
Previously, some users were having trouble installing these patches – and being confused by mysterious error messages – but some of those who have successfully installed the updates have seemingly encountered much worse fates.
As Windows Latest highlights, there are reports online detailing all sorts of problems, including numerous issues highlighted in this Reddit thread.
One user reported: “My XPS 9300 fell into a bluescreen loop on this update [KB4565351].”
Another user explains: “I’ve upgraded to Windows 10 version 2004 [May 2020 Update] – KB4566782 (OS Build 19041.450), getting BSOD if Intel Virtualization Technology is enabled. Disabled it able to boot into Windows.” This user also notes that the update broke their sound, and that they’re running a Lenovo ThinkPad PC, and it might be a problem with these machines.
Indeed, it seems that some ThinkPad machines are suffering in some way with these updates, because several other users on that Reddit thread described problems with BSODs, seemingly related to virtualization features (Hyper-V, Intel Virtualization or Windows Sandbox).
So if you’re encountering similar issues, as the user above described, it might be worth turning off virtualization features to see if that makes any difference. Otherwise, the only other solution is to revert your PC to before the update was installed.
Out in the cold
With these cumulative updates, there also seem to be issues around audio as mentioned, as well as general system slowdown, or intermittent freezing – as another Reddit denizen describes: “Also, the computer freezes a lot, sometimes for 5/10 seconds ever since the last update.”
There are reports from disgruntled PC owners on Microsoft’s own Answers.com forum as well, with one of those observing: “I installed KB4566782 a few days ago. My system is Windows 10 2004, 64 bit, installed on Thinkpad T470. As a consequence, I suffered from slow Wi-Fi surfing and VERY SLOW (practically zero) downloading speed.
“After I tried every solution (update drivers, etc.) and checked that other devices in my home work fine, today I uninstalled KB4566782. The solution worked and now everything is fine again. I learned my lesson: always better to pause updates for as long as possible...”
And with Microsoft’s recent track record for Windows 10 updates, we wouldn’t be surprised if a number of folks are learning that same lesson. Particularly given further reports on that Answers.com thread, including this one: “The update resulted in a blue screen of death once but was able to successfully reboot after reversing the updates – but does Microsoft learn? No. It tries to install the same update again and this time succeeds in bricking the machine.”
Oppo is one of the bigger Chinese phone companies, and its Find X line constitutes its top offering. There are two generations of the phone so far, so the third, the Find X3, is the next we hope to see.
The original Oppo Find X from 2018 had a premium design with a novel pop-up rear panel so the screen wasn't broken up at all for the front-facing camera. It had top specs all around, but the Lamborghini Edition turned this up to 11.
The Oppo Find X2 line, released in early 2020, started with two phones, the 'standard' and Find X2 Pro, but two more were released a little later, the Find X2 Lite and Find X2 Neo, bringing the total number up to four.
That's a slightly different approach for each series, but it's got us pondering what the next device, the Oppo Find X3, could be like, and how many devices will be in its line-up. We don't even know when the phone will show up, as this isn't a series that's updated yearly.
When the rumors and leaks start up for the Oppo Find X3, we're going to update this article with them all, so if you're interested in the phone bookmark this page and check back from time to time. Before then, though, we've written up a wish-list of Oppo Find X3 features we'd like to see.
Oppo Find X2(Image credit: Future)
Cut to the chase
What is it? Oppo's next top-end smartphone line
When is it out? Perhaps early 2021, but possibly later
How much will it cost? No idea, but probably a top price
Oppo Find X3 release date and price
Most smartphone series get annual releases - that wasn't the case for the first two generations of Oppo Find though, with the first out in mid-2020 and the second about two years after that, so there's no guarantee of when we'll see the Oppo Find X3.
If we were to be optimistic, we'd suggest we could see the phone in mid-2021, but if the pattern of the others is to be repeated, the Find X3 will actually be out in 2022. Saying that, Oppo seems to have put more of an emphasis on the Find X2 line, with four devices instead of one, so maybe it'll want to bring it back sooner.
We don't have much of an idea on price either. The price of the Find X2 line ranges from £399 / AU$749 (roughly $530) for the Find X2 Lite to £1,099 / AU$1,599 (about $1,450) for the Find X2 Pro, so for different phones in the line-up we could see vastly different costs.
Oppo Find X2 Pro(Image credit: Future)
Leaks, rumors and news
We haven't heard any specific Oppo Find X3 leaks, news or rumors, but we've seen a few patents from the company and some tech it's confirmed it's working on, and we could see some of this make its way to the Find X3.
The Oppo Find X2 Pro had a periscope zoom lens first seen in the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom which facilitated the phone's 5x optical, 10x hybrid and 60x digital zoom. Well, it seems Oppo is working on an improved version of this lens, which would bring further optical zoom and better aperture. The company is said to also be working on a special high-res sensor to pair with this lens.
Oppo has shown off 125W fast-charging that could come to phones soon. This would power up a phone with a 4,000mAh battery (an average size) in less than 25 minutes. At the same time the company showed off 65W wireless charging which matches its current wired speeds.
Oppo also recently patented a Li-Fi connected phone which uses light to create super high-speed connection speeds, but this seems a little futuristic to be the Find X3.
What we want to see in the Oppo Find X3
Oppo Find X2 Lite(Image credit: Future)
Here are some of the tweaks, changes and new additions we want to see in the Oppo Find X3 series.
1. Wireless charging
We had one complaint in common with all the Oppo Find X2 smartphones we tested: none of them have wireless charging. That's understandable on the budget entries in the range, but given the price of the Pro, we'd expect it there.
Oppo has shown off its 65W wireless charging since thee Find X2's launch, so we'd like to see that in the phones if possible, but if the company opted to go for a slower wireless powering speed for its mid-ranged phones, that would make sense too.
Wireless charging is really useful for people who have such chargers, and with the Find X2 phones being such top products as they are, we'd love to see this one addition.
Oppo Find X2(Image credit: Future)
2. Improved cameras in non-Pro units
While the Oppo Find X2 Pro was an absolute camera beast, the other phones in the line were more 'good not great', with some lenses and sensors you'd expect at the price tag missing.
We'd like to see the Find X3 phones all get both ultra-wide and telephoto lenses, for zoom shots and wide ones. Depth sensing and macro cameras aren't always too useful, and they're no substitute for zoom.
Sure, Oppo's post-processing image optimization is the real champion that makes your pictures look good in the Pro, but we'd like to see the company's great zoom tech appear in more devices.
3. Lower max price
While the Oppo Find X2 line did have affordable devices like the Lite, if you wanted the real top phone you were spending an astronomical amount. In fact, some could argue it was a little too expensive for the phone.
The Oppo Find X2 Pro is very similar to the OnePlus 8 Pro in most ways, and while it arguably pipped ahead in one or two areas (like its zoom camera or screen optimization tech), it cost a lot more too.
If Oppo wanted its Find X3 devices to be really competitive with its rivals, especially OnePlus, the Pro model should come out with a slightly lower price.
Oppo Find X2 Pro(Image credit: Future)
4. Faux leather on more phones
You could buy the Oppo Find X2 Pro with a faux leather coating on it, and it made the phone feel incredibly premium (and easier to grip without dropping). We'd like to see every phone in general use this material, but this article is just about the Oppo Find X3, so we'd definitely like these phones to bring back the material.
In fact, while only the Find X2 Pro could come in the material, we'd like to see more of the Find X3 phones come with it - perhaps even the Lite model, although it would possibly bump up the price a bit.
This item on our wish list may contradict another - it's harder to get wireless charging on a smartphone if it's clad in vegan leather. But the point of a wish list is to create a dream line-up of all the specs and features we'd like to see, so we'll ignore the possible impossibility of this.
5. Another affordable 5G phone
We'll end this list by saying we want Oppo to repeat something it did in the Find X2 series, by putting out a super-affordable 5G phone in the form of the Find X2 Lite.
This phone gets 5G in the hands of people who may want it, but are put off by the fact most 5G phones are premium devices. Now you don't need to spend plenty to get 5G connectivity.
We'd like to see the same happen in the Find X3 series, to keep the cheap 5G phone ball rolling.
