Weekly Tech Recap - № 230 - Logitech MX Master 3, Nokia 2720, 8K, SoC Exynos 980, Android 10

MX Master 3 Mouse

MX Master 3. © Logitech.

Logitech’s MX Master mouse is the favourite rodent of cool productive cats. So how do you improve on a tail-less mouse that’s already great? Logitech has managed to do just that for its third-generation mouse, with small adjustments that make it even easier and more comfortable to use. Like the MX Master 2S, this mouse is right-handed with eight buttons, but has a side thumb-panel and two steel wheels with electromagnetic scrolling, on the top and on the side. The MX Master 3 still uses Logitech’s Darkfield sensor with up to 4,000dpi to follow movement on any type of surface, including glass. Battery life is still excellent (up to 70 days on a single charge) and it finally recharges on a USB-C port, in just two hours (according to Logitech). This little gem costs USD100 and should be available this month.

⇨ YouTube, “MX Master 3 - Advanced wireless mouse - Think it. Master it..”

⇨ Circuit Breaker, Chaim Gartenberg, “Logitech’s MX Master 3 makes the best mouse even better.”

Nokia 2720 Flip

Nokia 2720 Flip. © HMD Global.

At the IFA 2019 show in Berlin, HMD Global, the Finnish company that bought Nokia’s mobile division from Microsoft in 2016, announced a new version of the Nokia 2720 Fold, a GSM flip phone first issued in 2009. It seems that there is still a strong market for basic mobile phones, or “dumb phones” as opposed to “smart phones”. And for good reason: they are generally smaller, lighter, more rugged, cheaper and longer-lasting. The new 2720 is slimmer and sleeker, with a 2.8-inch QVGA (320x240px) internal display and a 1.3-inch (240x240px) external display. Just like in yesteryear, you can take a call by simply flipping the phone open, and hang up by flipping it closed. The device runs on KaiOS, Nokia’s proprietary operating system, offering many more features than its venerable ancestor: apps for Facebook, Google Maps, Google Assistant, WhatsApp, YouTube, etc. Its removable, 1,500mAh battery provides it with a standby time of anywhere from 20 days (4G) to 28 days (3G or GSM). Or, you can have a phone conversation of 6.5 hours in 4G, 9 hours in GSM and almost 11 hours in 3G. Under the hood, you’ll find a Qualcomm 205 SoC, 512Mb of RAM and 4Gb of storage (32Gb with a MicroSD card). A 2MP camera comes with a small flash. The Nokia 2720 Flip will be offered in two colours, black or grey, for EUR89 (USD99). Available as of the end of September.

⇨ YouTube, “Nokia 2720 Flip – The classic is back​.”

⇨ Circuit Breaker, Chaim Gartenberg, “Nokia’s iconic 2720 flip phone is the latest model to be resurrected by HMD.”

8K standard for displays

8K logo. © 8K Association.

The 8K Association (8KA) was created at the beginning of this year by industry actors like Samsung, TCL, Hisense, Panasonic and Tencent. Its goal is to set specifications for future 8K displays and to stamp 8k-compliant computer or television screens with a distinctive seal. 8KA seeks to avoid a repeat of the “4 K / Ultra HD” fiasco, whereby any mediocre screen can sport the label. Today, 8KA published its first set of specifications covering various parameters, including: minimum resolution of 7680×4320 pixels (33 million pixels); input framerate of 24p, 30p, and 60p frames per second; peak luminance of at least 600 nits; HEVC (H.265) codec support; and HDMI 2.1 interface.

⇨ AnandTech, Anton Shilov, “8K Association sets minimal specs for 8K Ultra-HD TVs.”

SoC Samsung Exynos 980

Exynos 980. © Samsung.

At the IFA 2019 show in Berlin, Samsung unveiled its first SoC with an integrated 5G modem. The Exynos 980 is a mid-range octacore SoC with two Cortex-A77 clocked at 2.2GHz and six Cortex-A55 at 2.2GHz. Among the improvements on the Exynos 9610 SoC are the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), WiFi 6 compatibility and, of course, an integrated 5G modem. Also, the chip is manufactured in 8nm instead of 10, which is probably how they found the extra space for the integrated modem. The GPU is Samsung’s latest, the Mali-G76MP5. Finally, the ISP supports sensors of up to 108MP and can encode and decode 4K video at 120fps. The Exynos 980 should be commercially produced by the end of the year, with Exynos 980-enabled phones becoming available shortly after.

⇨ YouTube, “Exynos 980 Mobile Processor: Official Introduction.”

⇨ AnandTech, Andrei Frumusanu, “Samsung announces Exynos 980 - mid-range with integrated 5G modem.”

⇨ Ars Technica, Jim Salter, “Samsung launches its first 5G-integrated CPU.”

The ins and outs of Android 10

Android 2019. © Google.

Everyone agrees that the worst thing about Android is not getting version updates in a timely manner, or at all, if you don’t have a Google phone. If you don’t own a Pixel but still want to know more about the new, sugar-free Android 10, Ron Amadeo of Ars Technica has produced a digest of all the new goodies, topped with copious lashings of screen grabs (in the style of John Siracusa’s legendary macOS reviews, taken over by Andrew Cunningham since the 10.12 Sierra). But be warned: at 26,000 words, it’ll take you two hours to munch through! Having digested his comprehensive sampling, Ron concludes that there’s a lot going for this new Android release (Dark Mode!), but laments the fact that if you’ve activated a third-party app launcher, like the Nova Launcher, gesture navigation turns off, a fault which we hope Google will quickly correct.

⇨ Ars Technica, Ron Amadeo, “Android 10—The Ars Technica Review.”