What do you think about Facebook’s new ‘Meta’ name?

Last week, Facebook revealed that it was rebranding itself as ‘Meta.’ The new name is a reference to the “Metaverse,” a term loosely defined as interconnected virtual reality experiences, which Facebook Meta is now investing plenty of time and money into. Now that the dust has settled, what do you think about the new company name?

The news arrived during Facebook’s “Connect” livestream, where the company talked about its efforts in augmented reality and virtual reality. Jason Koebler summed up the event nicely in a Vice article as, “a delusional fever dream cribbed most obviously from dystopian science fiction and misleading or outright fabricated virtual reality product pitches from the last decade.” The event was also subject to a few recurring jokes on social media, especially regarding the bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce that Zuckerberg had on a shelf.

why does he have sweet baby rays bbq on the decorative shelf pic.twitter.com/qyytoSjv0z

— conar (@subtoconnorpls) October 28, 2021

tfw you have sweet baby rays (or maybe you are out. honestly i cant tell) pic.twitter.com/jMIDxtnm67

— Incognito Finito (@incognitofinito) October 29, 2021

Jokes aside, it’s difficult to see the rebranding as anything but a distraction from the dumpster fire (lovingly pictured above) that is Facebook’s problems. The company has been heavily criticized for its lack of enforcement against high-profile users, tax avoidance (like nearly every other tech company), privacy policy changes in WhatsApp, allowing hate speech, and much more. The United States Federal Trade Commission is also attempting to reverse Facebook/Meta’s acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp, but that seems unlikely to succeed.

Importantly, the name change only applies to Facebook as a company. Facebook as a social network will continue to have the same name, as will Instagram, WhatsApp, and other services. However, the company is rebranding its Oculus virtual reality division to Meta — the Oculus Quest headset is now the Meta Quest.

So, what do you think about the new name? Do you think it might help Facebook push back against criticism? Do you think it’s a good move as Facebook pivots to AR and VR content? Head on down to the comment section and talk it out.

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Honor 50 Review: Google Services were sorely missed

The Honor 50 is a pretty big milestone for Honor, as it is the company’s first smartphone with Google Play Services in a long, long time. After officially splitting away from Huawei late last year, Honor launched the Honor V40 series in China, which was then followed up by another China-only launch event in June where the company unveiled three new devices — the Honor 50, Honor 50 Pro, and Honor 50SE. The company has now launched both the Honor 50 and the Honor 50SE in western markets, and the big news is that both devices now come with Google Play Services preinstalled.

The Honor 50 has a full western release and can be purchased in Germany, France, Finland, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. You’ll also be able to import this one to other European countries through the likes of Amazon, and it has a somewhat-high starting price of €529.

About this review: I received the Honor 50 for review from Honor. Honor did not have any input into the contents of this article.

Honor 50: Specifications. Click to expand.

Specification	Honor 50
Dimensions & Weight	159.96 x 73.76 x 7.78mm 175g
Display	6.57-inch FHD+ OLED 2340 x 1080p 100% DCI-P3 coverage 120Hz refresh rate 300Hz touch sampling rate
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Adreno 642L GPU
RAM & Storage	6GB RAM + 128GB storage 8GB + 256GB
Battery & Charging	4,300mAh 66W fast charging
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 108MP f/1.9 Ultra-wide: 8MP f/2.2 Macro: 2MP f/2.4 Depth: 2MP f/2.4
Front Camera(s)	32MP f/2.2
Port(s)	USB Type-C
Connectivity	5G NR 4G LTE Dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) Bluetooth 5.2
Software	Magic UI 4.2 based on Android 11 with GMS
Colors	Midnight Black Emerald Green

The bold design of the Honor 50

The Honor 50 packs a 6.57-inch Full HD OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. It’s pretty severely curved on either side, much more so than other phones that I’ve used. It sits nicely in the hand and the palm rejection has been good, so I don’t have too many complaints about that. The front-facing camera is a rather large blotch on the display, though, and I wish it was smaller.

The back of the phone features a unique pairing of camera modules, comprised of two circles. The top module has a single 108MP camera, whereas the bottom module has a 2MP depth sensor, a 2MP macro sensor, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. There’s also an LED flash too. The right-hand side has a power button with a volume rocker that sits above it.

The Honor 50 has a mono speaker, with the single-fire speaker sitting at the bottom of the phone. It’s quite loud but sounds average, and I’m disappointed that the earpiece doesn’t double up as a second speaker. There’s also a single USB-C port, a SIM tray, and no headphone jack. There’s also an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is easy to reach with my thumb when I pick up the phone.

Overall, I'm a fan of the Honor 50's design and it's an extremely comfortable phone to use for long periods of time.

Overall, I’m a fan of the Honor 50’s design, and the curved edges combined with how light the phone is, makes it an extremely comfortable phone to use for long periods of time. Mind you, I’d typically prefer a flat display over a curved one, but the Honor 50 looks really good. The biggest issue I had with the phone’s display was that the always-on display just sometimes doesn’t turn on, and I can’t figure out why. I’ve enabled it and it sometimes works. But sometimes when the phone is sitting on my desk facing upwards, the always-on display fails to enable. Hopefully, Honor fixes this with a software update.

Camera

The Honor 50 features a 108MP main camera, and it also features an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. The 108MP camera uses a 9-in-1 pixel binning technique to create 12MP photographs, and it’s by far the only camera worth talking about on this phone. It’s capable of decent photographs from the main sensor, though it falls behind experiences offered by other manufacturers at this price point, especially when the other cameras on the phone range from passable to borderline useless.

Magic UI 4.2 — complete with Google Play Services!

The headline feature of the Honor 50 is its inclusion of Google Services, something that we haven’t seen in a long time on an Honor smartphone. We’ve seen Honor smartphones preloaded with Huawei Mobile Services, and we’ve obviously seen Huawei devices that run HarmonyOS and EMUI that look more or less exactly like Magic UI.

Personally, while Huawei Mobile Services have improved leaps and bounds over their initial iterations, nothing beats Google Play Services for me. I use innumerable Google services in my day-to-day life, and it’s a blessing to finally be able to use them on an Honor smartphone without needing to jump through hoops or look for alternatives. I don’t have to think about using a Google service, or any of my favorite apps — they just work now as they do on the hundreds and thousands of other phones out there. I would like to reserve further judgment on the company until we see a proper flagship, but the Honor 20 Pro was one of my favorite phones at the time of its release.

The problem with Huawei Mobile Services wasn’t just that it wasn’t Google, it’s that there were still some teething issues that couldn’t really be solved. Any apps that used the Google Maps API couldn’t actually show the map, as it needed that integration. Installing apps that were not on the AppGallery was also often a cumbersome process, even if tools like Petal Search helped a little bit. Overall, it was difficult to hand an Honor phone to just anyone, as it definitely wasn’t what many consumers would be familiar with from an Android smartphone.

However, with all of that said, Honor can make and has made fantastic smartphones, but the Honor 50 with Google Play Services is more or less just another budget offering. Honor smartphones typically have great battery life, Magic UI has a lot of great features, and the camera has always been very impressive. I’m a little bit disappointed by the Honor 50’s camera as I expected more from the company, especially at this price range.

I'm excited to see how Magic UI develops its own identity in the years to come

All in all, this is the first big return of Honor without Huawei’s support in the west, so I’m willing to wait and see what happens. I’m certainly optimistic about what it can do, and given that Magic UI was based on EMUI, I’m excited to see how it develops its own identity in the years to come.

Performance, Audio, and Battery

The Snapdragon 778G is similar to the Snapdragon 780G, though has a slightly weaker GPU and ISP. However, it boasts a faster CPU, better modem with support for mmWave 5G, and support for faster memory in the form of LPDDR5. Just like other Snapdragon 7 series chipsets, the goal with the Snapdragon 778G is to deliver some of the premium features from the top-tier Snapdragon 8 series portfolio in a more affordable package.

In terms of gaming, the chip comes with the Adreno 642L GPU, and it supports select Snapdragon Elite Gaming features such as Variable Rate Shading (VRS) that helps game developers offer higher visual fidelity while reducing the GPU workload, and Qualcomm Game Quick Touch, which offers up to 30% faster touch response rate in games.

For any normal smartphone user, this chipset is perfectly capable

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G is an interesting chip, as it serves as a stop-gap between the upper mid-range and flagship chipsets. Everything basic that you’d use a smartphone for feels fluid and fast, and there’s nothing really more that I’d want from a chipset. You won’t be able to push your smartphone to its absolute limits through the likes of Wii and GameCube emulation, but for any normal smartphone user, this chipset is perfectly capable.

From all of our benchmarking, the Honor 50 is as good as the Snapdragon 778G allows it to be. All of these results are decent for this caliber of chip, and the storage speed is also quick enough that loading times in apps and games shouldn’t ever be a problem. The CPU throttling test is somewhat poor, as its lowest points are quite low. Even still, those are are levels of throttling you will really only face after a few minutes of pushing the CPU to its limits, be it either through gaming, or other means.

When it comes to audio, however, I’m disappointed. There’s a single bottom-firing speaker when we’ve seen smartphones at this price range (and much further below) launched with dual speakers. It’s not something I usually care about, but I know a lot of people do, and it’s something that I’m used to in smartphones at all price ranges at this point in 2021. On the bright side, the speaker does get quite loud, but the audio quality itself is just average. These are “smartphone speakers”, with every ounce of the stigma that that phrase carries.

At the very least, when it comes to battery life, Honor has nailed it yet again. The Snapdragon 778G is not a power-hungry chip like we see on the flagship end, and Magic UI’s software optimizations mean that this phone just sips battery throughout the day. Even better, the 66W charging brick that’s in the box (crazy, right?) can help to pick up the slack if you find yourself needing some juice in a pinch.

Conclusion: Honor’s big western comeback is a step in the right direction

If this were any other smartphone from any other company, there wouldn’t be a whole lot to write home about. €529 is a lot of money for what this phone offers when the likes of Xiaomi and even OPPO offer a whole lot better for lower prices. However, there are a few key advantages that Honor smartphones have inherited from their past owner, and those are what will make the company really shine. Camera prowess for one, and battery life being the second.

Honor 50

The Honor 50 is a major return to western markets for the company, though it's not quite got the Honor flair just yet.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

See at Honor

However, my initial stance still remains; this is a hard phone to recommend to just about anyone. It’s good in its own right, but there are phones like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro that offer nearly as good specs for significantly less. The POCO F3 is another such phone, or even the OnePlus Nord 2. Whatever you value most in a smartphone, there seems to be something nearly as good as the Honor 50 in that department for significantly less money.

I like the Honor 50, and I’m really happy that Honor can again make use of Google’s Play Services. I’ve always been a huge fan of the company’s flagships, and I’m excited to see what’s to come. This is a step in the right direction, and there’s nothing I could see wrong with this phone as a mid-range smartphone — it’s just that there are phones as good for less. Nevertheless, I’m excited to see what comes next, and I’m really looking forward to testing out and reviewing Honor smartphones in the west again.

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This week in Tech: Android 12L, new mid-range Qualcomm chips, Facebook rebranding, and more

After last week’s frenzy, this week in tech was a little relaxed. Even then, we saw a few significant announcements, like Google announcing Android 12L, Qualcomm releasing four new mid-range chips, and Facebook changing its name. If you missed any of our coverage, here’s a brief recap of all the noteworthy developments in the tech world this week.

Android 12L announced

At the Android Dev Summit this week, Google officially announced Android 12L — a feature drop purpose-built for large screen devices. We had previously seen Android 12L in the wild, but at the time, we referred to it as Android 12.1. However, Google has now confirmed that the feature drop will be called Android 12L, but the company is yet to reveal what the ‘L’ stands for.

Android 12L brings a host of new features to enhance the Android experience on large-screen devices like foldables, tablets, and Chromebooks. It packs several UI refinements that improve how the operating system utilizes the extra screen real estate, a new taskbar to give users quick access to apps, split-screen mode improvements, and letterboxing improvements.

Google has already rolled out the first Android 12L developer preview. The company plans to release three beta updates over the next few months and a stable build before the end of Q1 2022. While the update is purpose-built for large-screen devices, it will also roll out to Google’s Pixel lineup.

New developer tools

With Android 12L, Google aims to improve the Android experience on large-screen devices as a whole. So it has also released various tools to help developers build responsive apps that work well on foldables, tablets, and Chromebooks. The company has added reference devices to Android Studio, a Layout validation tool, and a resizable emulator.

Google has also introduced new WindowManager APIs to help developers build responsive UIs for their apps that adjust to any screen size. The WindowManager library includes Activity embedding, Window Size Classes, and a common API surface for window features like folds and hinges.

Qualcomm 7, 6, & 4 series chips

Qualcomm announced four new mid-range chips this week — the Snapdragon 778G Plus 5G, Snapdragon 695 5G, Snapdragon 680 4G, and Snapdragon 480 Plus 5G. The Snapdragon 778G Plus 5G is a small step above the Snapdragon 778G with faster CPU and GPU performance. The Snapdragon 695 5G succeeds the Snapdragon 690 from last year and features mmWave 5G support, 30% faster graphics rendering, and 15% improved CPU performance.

The Snapdragon 680 is a new mid-range chipset for 4G smartphones. It’s based on Qualcomm’s Kryo 265 CPU cores and features the Adreno 610 GPU. Lastly, the Snapdragon 480 Plus 5G is a slightly improved version of the Snapdragon 480 from earlier this year, featuring better CPU and GPU performance than the previous model.

Facebook is now Meta

During its Connect event this week, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg confirmed the company’s new branding. “We are at the beginning of the next chapter for the internet and it’s the next chapter for our company too…To reflect who we are and the future we hope to build, I’m proud to share that our company is now Meta,” Zuckerberg said in a blog post.

In addition to Facebook’s new name, we also learned that the social media giant is working on a smartwatch to rival the Apple Watch. Check out the leaked render in our previous coverage.

Other stories you shouldn’t miss

Along with these announcements, we share the following stories that you shouldn’t miss:

• JioPhone Next to launch with Google and Jio’s collaborative effort — Pragati OS
• JioPhone Next pricing officially revealed ahead of launch
• New Motorola-branded smartwatch with a circular display spotted on FCC
• Google blocked ad competition and skirted privacy regulations, court filings reveal
• Experience Material You theming on older phones with Lawnchair 12
• Apple has released macOS 12 Monterey to the public, here’s how to update
• Sony’s latest smartphone features a massive 1.0-inch sensor and variable aperture
• This is what the Surface Neo would have looked like in real life
• Google explains the reasoning behind Android 12’s Internet Quick Settings tile
• T-Mobile will soon let you pickup, trade-in, and return devices at stores even if you bought online
• Google Camera 8.4.167 starts rolling out through the Play Store
• Microsoft is reportedly working on a low-cost laptop with a new Windows 11 version
• You can now transfer WhatsApp chats from iPhone to Pixels and Android 12 devices
• WhatsApp may soon ask users to verify their identity to make payments
• WSATools makes it easier to sideload Android apps on Windows 11
• Google really wants to fix Android’s emoji problem
• The new Redmi Note 11 lineup is here with up to 120W fast charging and improved cameras
• The Redmi Note 11 Pro will likely come to India as the Xiaomi 11i
• Get Pixel 6’s Magic Eraser on older Pixels with Google Photos 5.64
• PSA: Trying out Windows Subsystem for Android? Install an Android launcher to make your life easier

XDA’s thoughts on the latest hardware and software

In addition, we published editorials, reviews, first impressions, and comparisons for several new devices and software this week. You can check those out by following the links below:

• Google Pixel 6 Pro Review: Fantastic everyday phone with an undeniable Exynos inspiration
• MacBook Pro 16 (2021) Review: Apple finally does justice to Pros with the M1 Max
• Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick Review: Enough to douse Amazon’s Fire?
• Lenovo Smart Clock 2 Review: Lovely design, Questionable utility

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Microsoft PowerToys 0.49 adds Find My Mouse and more tools

Microsoft’s PowerToys has received an update to version 0.49, and it’s one of the larger ones in we’ve had in a while. For users of the stable releases, this version includes two major new tools, one of which is new Video Conference Mute utility. This tool has been in testing in experimental versions of PowerToys for well over a year, but it’s finally been merged into the stable release.

If you’re wondering what it does, the Video Conference Mute utility in PowerToys gives you system-wide control over your camera and microphone. If you use multiple meeting platform or you’re looking at a different window, this tool lets you turn off your camera or microphone for every app using a keyboard shortcut or the floating toolbar. This way, you can more easily avoid showing off anything you don’t want or disturbing other users with loud noises.

Another new tool in PowerToys 0.49 is Find My Mouse. With this tool, users can more easily find their mouse cursor on the screen by double pressing the Ctrl key on their keyboard. This will create a spotlight around the mouse cursor, which can also follow the mouse for a few seconds when it moves. This is mostly meant for multi-monitor setups with big screens or users with low vision.

You may be thinking this feature is already built into Windows, and it is. But the native Windows highlight is only a circle that disappears much more quickly and isn’t as visible compared to this version.

Another big change in this version of PowerToys is a new UI for PowerRename. This tool allows users to quickly rename multiple files using a common template, and the new UI is meant to align more with the design language used in Windows 11.

Aside from that, there are some overall design and usability improvements throughout the app. These include accessibility improvements for screen readers in many of the tools, including PowerToys Awake, FancyZones, and Color Picker. If you’re interested, you can download PowerToys 0.49 from GitHub or the Microsoft Store on Windows 11, where it was made available recently. It’s actually still downloaded from GitHub since Microsoft Store apps can now come from external sources.

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Microsoft Teams revamps Whiteboard, improves Live Transcript, and much more

Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular communication tools right now for businesses and other organizations, especially throughout the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The sudden increase in interest has led Microsoft to speed up the development cycle for Teams, to the point where dozens of new features in a single month isn’t out of the ordinary. Microsoft has now published a blog post covering everything new in Teams for the month of October, and even if you dread logging into Teams for mandatory calls, there are a few features here that might get you excited.

The main new improvement this month, as highlighted in the blog post, is the revamped Whiteboard for sketching and organizing ideas with multiple people. “With 40+ new customizable templates, ability to insert images and shapes, and 8 new reactions, you can bring people together in a rich visual collaboration workspace. Insert documents such as PowerPoint presentations and annotate with 15 new pen and highlighter colors to iterate together and bring your ideas to life.”

Microsoft Teams whiteboard

Microsoft has also rolled out Live Transcript support for unscheduled meetings, as long as your organization has ‘Allow Transcription’ turned on. Although not quite “live,” transcripts for scheduled meetings are automatically generated in the chat screen after the meeting. Breakout rooms have also received some attention this month — the configurations and participant tasks can be set before the start of a meeting (at least in the desktop Teams app), and presenters can be set up to manage breakout rooms.

Other improvements include a new overlay mode for PowerPoint presentations, 1:1 calling support in the Safari web browser, landline calling support for more countries and services, improved Visio file viewing and editing, and much more. You can check out all the improvements in Microsoft’s full blog post, but some features are only available to organization managers.

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MacBook Pro 16 vs LG gram 17: Which laptop should you get?

Apple recently launched the 2021 MacBook Pro, and its announcement made quite the splash. Powered by the new Apple M1 Pro or M1 Max chipsets, the MacBook Pro is a very powerful laptop, and on top of that, it’s power-efficient, and it brings back classic ports users have been begging for. It’s easily one of the best Macs in years, and it gives many Windows laptops a run for their money. In this article, we’ll be comparing the new MacBook Pro 16-inch model to the LG gram 17 to see how the two stack up.

Right off the bat, it has to be said that these are radically different laptops, and they’re very clearly meant for different audiences. While they can both be considered professional laptops, they have very different strengths and weaknesses, to the point where they almost don’t compete with each other. Let’s take a look at why that is, starting with the specs.

MacBook Pro 16 vs LG gram 17: Specs

	MacBook Pro 16	LG gram 17
Processor	Apple M1 Pro (unknown clock speed, 10-core) Apple M1 Max (unknown clock speed, 10-core)	Intel Core i5-1135G7 (up to 4.2GHz, 4-core) Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to 4.6GHz, 4-core)
Graphics	16-core GPU (M1 Pro) 24-core GPU (M1 Max) 32-core GPU (M1 Max)	Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM	16GB (M1 Pro only) 32GB 64GB (M1 Max only)	8GB 16GB 32GB
Storage	512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB	256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB
Display	16.2 inch, 3456 x 2234 resolution, Wide Color (P3), True Tone, 120Hz, 1000 nits	16-inch Quad HD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 99% DCI-P3, 60Hz
Audio	Six-speaker stereo sound with force canceling woofers, Dolby Atmos	Dual 2W stereo speakers with Smart Amp
Webcam	1080p front-facing webcam	720p webcam
Biometric security	Touch ID on power button	Fingerprint reader in power button
Battery	99.8Wh, up to 21 hours of Apple TV movie playback	80Wh battery, up to 19.5 hours (MobileMark 2014)
Ports	3 Thunderbolt 4 ports HDMI MagSafe 3 charging port SD card reader 3.5mm headphone jack	2 Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports HDMI SD card reader 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0	Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (2×2), Bluetooth 5.1
Colors	Silver Space Grey	White Silver Black
Size (WxDxH)	14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 in (355.7 x 248.1 x 16.8 mm)	14.97 x 10.24 x 0.7 in (380.2 x 260.1 x 17.8 mm)
Weight	Starting at 4.7lbs	Starting at 2.98lbs
Starting price	$2,499.99	$1,399.99

Right away, you can probably see how different these two laptops are, but we’ll explore that more later.

Windows or macOS?

Before we dive deeper into the specs of each laptop, it’s important to talk about the operating systems these two laptops run. The MacBook Pro, as you’d expect, is running Apple’s macOS, specifically the newly-launched macOS Monterey. Some users prefer macOS due to it being easier to understand and learn compared to Windows if you’re a newcomer. But what often makes macOS many users’ preferred OS is content creation, specifically Final Cut Pro, which is developed and sold by Apple.

On the other hand, the LG gram runs Windows 10, which you can upgrade to Windows 11 for free. There are big advantages to using Windows, too. It’s a far more popular operating system, and because of that, app support is much more robust in most areas. This is especially true with niche apps or very business-focused applications. On top of that, while it can be a bit harder to learn, Windows gives you more options to mess with some advanced tools if you’re a power user.

Neither operating system is necessarily better than the other, but there are good reasons to prefer either one. Truth be told, you likely already have a preference, and that’s going to dictate which laptop you prefer, too.

Performance: The MacBook Pro is far more powerful

Now, let’s dive deeper into how the MacBook Pro 16-inch and LG gram 17 compare in various areas, starting with performance. This is one area that’s hardly even a fair fight, at least based on Apple’s claims.

As we’ve mentioned, the MacBook Pro is powered by the Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max. These two processors have the same CPU, and during its presentation, Apple compared their performance to two kinds of Intel-based processors, including a 4-core laptop CPU. This is specifically referring to the Intel Core i7-1185G7 as found inside the MSI Prestige 14 Evo, and you can see that the peak performance of the Apple M1 Pro/Max is over twice that of the Intel chip, while using less power. Now, the LG gram 17 isn’t powered by the Intel Core i7-1185G7, it’s powered by the slightly slower Core i7-1165G7. That means the performance gap is likely even bigger, albeit the difference shouldn’t be too significant.

Image: Apple

For graphics, there isn’t as much of a direct comparison, but Apple’s claims leave very little to the imagination. In this case, the Apple M1 Max is more powerful than the M1 Pro, and Apple compared the M1 Mac to the power of an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU found inside the Razer Blade 15 Advanced (with 105W of power). The GPU inside the M1 Max offers a similar level of performance while using 40% less power, which is very impressive.  The LG gram 17 uses Intel’s integrated Iris Xe graphics, which are nowhere near the same level of performance. The MacBook Pro is going to leave the LG gram 17 in the dust in that regard.

Despite its lead in performance, the MacBook Pro is also more power-efficient than the LG gram 17. Apple claims up to 21 hours of battery life watching Apple TV video content, while LG claims up to 19.5 hours for the gram 17 using the MobileMark 2014 test. Of course, this will always depend on your usage, but the MacBook Pro is promising despite being more powerful.

The MacBook Pro has more RAM and storage than the LG gram 17.

The MacBook Pro leads in other areas, too. It comes with up to 64GB of unified memory, which is equally accessible to both the CPU and GPU. Meanwhile, the LG gram 17 can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM, but it’s not as integrated. Both laptops have the memory soldered onto the board, so you can’t upgrade either one later. For storage, you can get up to 8TB on the MacBook Pro and 2TB on the LG gram 17, but the latter uses M.2 SSD slots, meaning you can technically upgrade it yourself if you want to.

MacBook Pro 16-inch vs LG gram 17: Display

Moving on to the screen, the MacBook Pro continues its reign thanks in no small part to the addition of Liquid Retina XDR in this year’s model. This is Apple’s marketing name for the new mini-LED panels it’s been using in the new iPad Pro and now the MacBook Pro. Using mini-LED technology means the MacBook Pro has hundreds of dimming zones, with the ability to adjust the backlight specifically for each of them. It’s not quite as precise as an OLED panel, but it still provides a  fantastic 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, and it should deliver vibrant colors and true blacks similar to an OLED display in many ways.

It’s a very sharp display, too, with a resolution of 3456 x 2234, it’s not far off from 4K, and it comes in the typical 16:10 aspect ratio of most Macs. On top of that, the MacBook Pro also has Pro Motion, meaning it supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The display adjusts the refresh rate dynamically to make animations smoother and save battery when the high refresh rate isn’t needed.

The LG gram 17 also has a great display, but it’s got none of the bells and whistles of the MacBook Pro. It’s a 17-inch panel with Quad HD+ (2560 x 1600) resolution, meaning it’s also got a 16:10 aspect ratio. However, it’s not quite as sharp, and in addition, it’s got a 60Hz refresh rate and it’s a typical IPS panel, so there’s nothing that stands out too much. It’s still a great screen, but you can’t deny the one on the MacBook Pro is just better.

LG Gram 17 (17Z90P)

One area that might sway things in LG’s favor, though, is the webcam. The LG gram 17 actually has a worse webcam – at 720p – compared to the MacBook Pro’s new 1080p camera. The thing is, to accommodate that new 1080p camera, Apple added a notch to the display, taking cues from its iPhone design. While the better webcam quality is certainly welcome, it’s certainly odd to have a notch on a laptop screen, and that might keep some users away.

Apple uses a six-speaker stereo setup that’s one of the best in any laptop.

Back to Apple’s dominance, it’s important to mention audio. The LG gram has dual stereo speakers, which is a common setup for many Windows laptops. However, Apple has been using a powerful six-speaker setup for a few years, and it performs a lot better than almost any Windows laptop out there. The company says its speakers are even better this year, so this is another area where the MacBook Pro wins.

Design and ports: The LG gram 17 is truly portable

So far, this comparison has been somewhat one-sided, with the MacBook Pro having much better performance and a nicer display. But design is one area where the LG gram 17 has some key advantages, and it might just make this your favorite laptop of the two. Both of these are clamshell laptops, and there are no bells and whistles to them.

However, the LG gram 17 is known for being especially light, and that’s what the gram brand is all about. At 2.98lbs, this is one of the lightest 17-inch laptops around. Even smaller laptops often weigh more than that. Being a 17-inch laptop, naturally, the gram 17 is bigger in just about every dimension, but if you put it in a backpack, it’s going to be very easy to carry around all day. Comparatively, the MacBook Pro starts at 4.7lbs in weight, which is a stark difference that you’re going to feel on your back after carrying the laptop for a while.

The LG gram is also arguably a little more interesting looks-wise. The MacBook Pro comes in Silver or Space Grey colors, which are really just different tones of silver. The LG gram also has some silver models, but you can get it in black or white if you want something a bit more distinct. White, specifically, can really stand out and feel more lively than most other laptops.

The LG gram is indreibly lightweight, making it ideal for portability.

As for ports, it’s a balanced match-up thanks to Apple finally bringing back classic ports that have been missing from MacBooks for a few years. The MacBook Pro has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, an SD card reader, headphone jack, and a MagSafe charging connector. This is a magnetic connector, so when you pull on the cable, it just comes off without dragging your laptop with it.

MacBook Pro ports

Meanwhile, the LG gram 17 has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack. Including USB Type-A is good if you use a lot of peripherals that still use that connector, and it’s a potential advantage for the gram 17. Another advantage of the LG gram 17 is that it has a full number pad on the keyboard, which might be useful if you’re usually crunching numbers on your PC.

Bottom line

If you’re struggling to choose between the MacBook Pro 16-inch and the LG gram 17, we’d say your options are very clear. Yes, these are two very capable laptops, and if you’re mostly browsing the web, writing up documents, and so on, both will serve you just fine.

But if you’re a content creator, be it video, photo, or 3D rendering, the MacBook Pro is leagues ahead of the LG gram 17 in terms of performance. You’re definitely going to want to go that route. Plus, it’s got a fantastic display that’s going to be great for content creation.

On the other hand, if you don’t need to create that kind of content and you want something you can take with you to school or work, the LG gram 17 is by far the most suitable option. It’s incredibly lightweight of a laptop of its size, and much lighter than the MacBook Pro, even though it’s physically bigger.

That’s what it comes down to: Do you need the utmost performance for high-resource tasks, or do you want something you can easily take with you anywhere for less demanding tasks? If you can answer that question, you already know what to choose.

You can buy either laptop from the links below. If you choose the MacBook Pro and you want to protect it, we have a list of the best cases for the MacBook Pro you may want to check out.

MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021)

The MacBook Pro is a powerful laptop thanks to the M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets, making it far more powerful than any Windows ultrabook.

See at Adorama

LG gram 17

The LG gram 17 is an ultra-light 17-inch laptop with high-end specs and great battery life.

See at Amazon

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The best Samsung memory products: SSDs, SD cards, and flash drives

Samsung is a well-known brand for many of its products, including smartphones, TVs, and laptops. One area where the company also has a big presence is storage. From SSDs to flash drives and microSD cards, Samsung has all kinds of memory products available. If you’ve been looking to expand the storage on your laptop, smartphone, or other devices, you can’t go wrong with Samsung.

And now may be the best time to do it, because the company is currently holding a big sale on many of its memory products. At writing time, SSDs, flash drives, and much more are available at lower prices, including high-end products like PCIe 4.0 SSDs. We’ve rounded up some of the best memory products you can buy right now if you need the extra space.

Internal SSDs

If you’re looking to expand the internal storage of your laptop or desktop PC, SSDs are the best way to do it. Samsung makes some of the most popular M.2 SSDs out there, but there are also some SATA models if you have an empty slot you’re looking to fill.

Samsung 980 Pro SSD

Best PCIe 4.0 SSD

If you want the latest and greatest, Samsung's 980 Pro SSD is the company's first to leverage PCIe 4.0 for read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and read speeds up to 5,000 MB/s. Most models are discounted, including $45 off the 2TB size.

See at Samsung

Samsung 980 SSD

PCIe 3.0 alternative

Many PCs still don't support PCIe 4.0, so this alternative lets you save money and still get some of the best performance out of PCIe 3.0 in an affordable package. The 1TB model is currently $20 off, making it one of the most affordable SSDs you can buy from Samsung.

See at Samsung

Samsung 970 PRO SSD

Long-lasting PCIe 3.0 SSD

If you want to stick with PCIe 3.0 and get something that lasts you a long time, the Samsung 970 PRO still gets you fantastic speeds and it promises to endure up to 1,200 TB written if you choose the 1TB capacity. It's a bit pricy, but it's still a solid offering,

See at Samsung

Samsung 870 QVO SATA III SSD

Largest SATA SSD

If you're in need of massive SSD storage, the Samsung 870 QVO is happy to oblige. With capacities up to 8TB and read speeds up to 560MB/s, this is one of the best SATA SSDs out there. And it's up $70 off,

See at Samsung

Samsung 860 PRO 2.5 SSD

Most reliable SSD

The Samsung 860 PRO SSD is the ideal choice if you need something that will last you a very long time. Rated for up to 4,800 TB written (for the 4TB model), it outclasses anything else on this list. It's as fast as other SATA SSDs, too.

See at Samsung

Samsung 870 EVO SATA SSD

Bang for the buck

If you're looking for an affordable SATA SSD, the 870 EVO is your best choice here. It's currently discounted up to $80 off, giving you an affordable way to expand the storage of your PC or laptop. It comes in up to 4TB sizes.

See at Samsung

Samsung Portable SSDs

What if you need fast storage you can take anywhere? Samsung also makes some great portable SSDs that cater to different types of external memory needs. Here are your best options.

Samsung X5 Portable SSD

Ultra-fast Thunderbolt SSD

Need an extra fast SSD? Unlike most other portable storage devices, the Samsung X5 is powered by Thunderbolt, giving you read speeds up to 2,800 MB/s and writes up to 2,100 MB/s. The 500GB model is currently $50 off, making it just $149.99,

See at Samsung

Samsung T7 Touch

Secure storage anywhere

For when you're carrying sensitive data with you, the Samsung T7 Touch is the best way to keep it safe. It's a portable SSD with a fingerprint reader, making it easier to keep your files safe from prying eyes. It's up to $60 off, which makes it almost as cheap as the standard T7.

See at Samsung

Samsung T7

Affordable SSD

If you want something a little more affordable or with more personality, the standard Samsung T7 is cheaper and it comes in black, red, or blue to suit your taste. It's currently up to $30 off, though some smaller models are out of stock at writing time.

See at Samsung

Samsung MicroSD memory cards

Whether it’s for your smartphone, tablet, camera, or a Nintendo Switch, microSD cards are quick and easy ways to increase your storage capacity. Samsung has quite a few memory cards on offer that are suited for different types of use cases. Here are the best options available right now.

Samsung EVO Plus microSDXC card

Best for performance

The EVO Plus is one of Samsung's best-performing microSD cards promising read speeds up to 130MB/s and U3, A2, and V30 certification. It comes in up to 512GB sizes, which should be enough for almost all your needs.

See at Samsung

Samsung Pro Endurance microSD card

Best for reliability

If durability is your first priority, the Samsung PRO Endurance microSD card does the trick. It's slower, but its longevity up to 43,800 hours makes it ideal for tasks where it's constantly used, like video monitoring cameras.

See at Samsung

Samsung EVO Select microSDXC card

Affordable and performant

The Samsung EVO Select microSDXC card offers the best value you can get, It comes in sizes up to 512GB and offers up to 100 MB/s speeds, but it's also very affordable. Some sizes are even discounted below their usual price.

See at Samsung

Flash drives

Finally, there are also some flash drives, for when you want compact storage you can easily connect to any PC. These aren’t as fast as SSDs, but their small size makes them ideal for school projects and documents, while being very easy to take just about anywhere. Samsung doesn’t make a ton of flash drives, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t good options.

Samsung FIT Plus USB flash drive

So tiny

Want an ultra-compact flash drive? The Samsung FIT Plus is exactly that, and you can easily fit it into any pocket, wallet, or almost anything. It comes in capacities up to 256GB.

See at Samsung

Samsung DUO Plus Flash Drive

For your PC and your phone

Want to use your files on your PC and your phone? With the Samsung DUO Plus, you can connect to either USB Type-A or Type-C ports to access your files on just about any device easily.

See at Samsung

Samsung BAR Plus USB Flash Drive

More durable

It may not be super compact or have two connectors, but the Samsung BAR Plus is a no-frills flash drive with extra durability features like resistance to water, shock, magnets, and X-rays.

See at Samsung

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Those are some of the best Samsung memory products you can buy today. At writing time, all of these products are available for sale, even if some capacities may be out of stock. These different categories are all for different use cases, so recommending a specific product is complicated. But if you’re building a new PC, the Samsung 980 PRO SSD is certainly one of the very best options out there thanks to its PCIe 4.0 support. And if you’re looking to build a new PC from scratch or make big upgrades, be sure to also check out our lists of the best motherboards and best CPUs you can buy today.

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