Those who keep an eye on the machinations of the Chinese phone market might remember that Poco used to be the budget division of Xiaomi. Since the latter decided to spin out the former, Poco has been standing on its own two feet and bulking out the range of affordable handsets it offers to consumers. Today at MWC, the company is showing off a new flagship X4 Pro 5G, as well as a non-5G version of the M4 Pro.

The X4 Pro 5G is packing a 6.67-inch, FHD+ display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a backlit capable of pumping up to 700 nits into your eyeballs. Poco is hoping to lure new customers in with the promise of a 108-megapixel, f/1.9 primary camera flanked by an 8-megapixel ultra-wide shooter and a 2-megapixel macro lens. Up front, meanwhile, is a 16-megapixel f/1.4 punch hole camera that gets little more than a nod in Poco’s press materials.

Lurking inside, however, is the “premium midrange” Snapdragon 695 5G nestled alongside either 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, or 8GB RAM/256GB. Support for 1TB additional storage is offered, as well as a 67W charger which comes in the box — useful, since the 5,000mAh battery supports 67W fast charging. You may forgive the side-button fingerprint sensor if you’re an audiophile, too, since it is both hi-res audio certified and also still comes with the rare and beautiful treat of a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Poco

If you’re looking for something a little gentler on your wallet, then Poco is today revealing a non-5G version of its M4 Pro. It’s packing a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, a 64-megapixel, f/1.8 rear camera and 5,000mAh battery with support for 33W charging. Powering the unit is a MediaTek Helio G96, which comes with a choice of 6GB RAM 128GB storage, or 8GB of the former and 256GB of the latter.

As for right now, however, we don’t quite know if either of these handsets will be available to buy in the US and Europe, or how much they’ll cost. That said, a cached Amazon France listing suggests that the X4 Pro will at least reach that nation, priced at €350 (around $392). 

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!

It feels like only last week that Samsung was taking the covers off its Galaxy S22 series of devices, but that's because it was literally only a few weeks ago. Of course, the company isn't stopping there and is using MWC 2022 to reveal the latest iterations of its Galaxy Book laptops. 

The Galaxy Book 2 Pro series was the major announcement this year, encompassing three new laptops. There's the convertible Galaxy Book 2 360, the clamshell Galaxy Book 2 Pro and the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, a high-end 2-in-1. They all sport 13-inch screens, with the Pro and Pro 360 also getting 15-inch versions.

While there's no phone news, these laptops will have cross-device support for your other Galaxy devices, as well as further Bixby voice assistant features. Dive into all the full details in our highlight reel below.

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!

Facebook has pulled a network of fake accounts attempting to spread Russian disinformation in Ukraine. The company said it had removed about 40 accounts, pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram that were detected over the last 48 hours. 

Meanwhile, Russia has been restricting Twitter access for its citizens since early Saturday morning. According to internet monitor NetBlocks, there was a nearly complete blackout of the platform across all major domestic telecom providers. On Friday, the country’s telecom regulator, Roskomnadzor, began partially restricting access to Facebook after the social network refused to stop fact checking and labeling content from Russia’s state-owned news organizations.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• Ukraine asks international volunteers to join 'IT army' against Russia

• YouTube blocks RT and other Russian channels from generating ad revenue

• Some Russian bank cards no longer work with Apple Pay and Google Pay

• 'The Dropout' offers a timely reminder of the Theranos madness

• Sony's answer to Game Pass on PlayStation could cost up to $16 a month

• Samsung's new Galaxy Book laptops get better webcams and brighter screens

• Hitting the Books: The case against tomorrow's robots looking like people

• Huawei's new MateBook X Pro has six speakers packed inside it

Valve Steam Deck Review

Its first portable combines the familiar with something new.

Engadget

Valve's first portable isn’t a mobile device to take on your everyday commute. It's more like a Steam Controller and a Steam Machine in one hefty package, and it isn’t all that comfortable to play for hours on end. But while it's hard for Senior Editor Jessica Conditt to recommend the Steam Deck as an introduction to PC gaming, it's a great second device for the millions of existing Steam users around the world, one that opens up new places to play around the house.

Continue reading.

'Pokémon Scarlet' and 'Violet' head to Switch in late 2022

It’s set to be an ‘open-world adventure.’

The Pokémon Company just surprised most of us. It revealed Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, two new Pokémon games, are set to launch sometime in late 2022. Building on the recently released Pokémon Legends: Arceus, developer Game Freak said the games would offer an "open-world adventure" for players to discover. Perhaps it’ll strike a balance between the newest Pokémon game and the mainline series.

Continue reading.

Huawei’s MatePad Paper is half e-reader, half tablet

And it works with the company’s stylus.

Huawei

A lot of us are obsessed with e-ink devices. The latest addition is a substantially sized e-ink tablet from Huawei. The MatePad Paper has a 10.3-inch grayscale screen with an anti-glare, reflective display to aid low-light use. The Paper can reproduce 256 shades of greyscale to display text and images — and even video. Not only does it have surprisingly tiny bezels, with an 86.3% screen-to-body ratio, but it’s also is compatible with Huawei’s M-Pencil, its second-generation stylus.

Continue reading.

TCL’s latest concept phone folds inwards and outwards

But getting the screen to work is staggeringly difficult.

TCL seems to love showing off its prototypes, and it’s doing the same for MWC 2022. Alongside an array of new phones and tablets, the company just debuted a concept device tentatively called the Ultra Flex — a phone with a 360-degree rotating hinge and a flexible display that bends with it. This thing can fold in on itself as well as outwards. However, it’s a little… no, very, delicate.

Continue reading.

Microsoft's Xbox Series S is a bestseller for a reason: it's a solid next-generation console that is almost always in stock and often enjoys the odd discount between retailers. If you've been waiting for one such price drop, Woot has come in clutch with one of the best deals we've seen. Today, the Xbox Series S is on sale for just $250, which is $50 or almost 17 percent off the regular $300 price. The only catch is that you must be an Amazon Prime member to get the deal.

While the Series S has been more easy to find over the past year or so than both the Xbox Series X and Playstation 5, it hasn't received any notable discounts since its launch in 2020. The matte white console comes with 512GB of onboard storage and ships with a slightly tweaked version of the Xbox controller most know and love. It also has a variety of ports, including an Ethernet connector, an HDMI 2.1 port and two for USB 3.1 ports.

The key thing to remember about the Series S is its lack of disk drive. This shouldn't be too much of an issue if you get most of your games from Xbox Game Pass, but it's good to keep in mind as you decide how to use the console's built-in storage. If you want to expand it, you'll need a compatible card like this one from Seagate. For backwards-compatible titles, of which there are plenty for the Series S, you can save those on an external HDD.

Given the Xbox Series S is smaller and cheaper than the Series X, it lacks some of the advanced features of the latter console. Aside from the lack of disc drive, key among them are no support for 4K game and less storage overall. But if you can live with those trade-offs, Woot's deal for Prime members is the best for the new console.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Unlike Apple’s M1 MacBooks, ARM-based Windows on Snapdragon laptops haven’t enjoyed quite the same level of success or popularity. But Lenovo is hoping to change that – at least for enterprise customers – with the new ThinkPad X13s.

The ThinkPad X13s’ secret weapon is its Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 chip, which Lenovo says is the first time Qualcomm’s newest laptop processor has been featured in a commercial device. By leveraging improved energy efficiency and a low-power 400-nit 13.3-inch display, Lenovo says the ThinkPad X13s can last up to 28 hours on a single charge. That said, I’m going to want to confirm this myself, because I’ve definitely been burned by shorter-than-expected longevity on previous Windows on Snapdragon machines.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

In keeping with the ThinkPad X13s’ focus on mobile productivity, the laptop also features a fanless design while weighing just 2.5 pounds, with top and bottom panels made from 90 percent recycled magnesium. And to make sure you have a speedy internet connection wherever you go, the laptop also supports 5G (both sub-6GHz and mmWave) and WiFi 6E. Other specs include up to 32GB of RAM, up to 1TB of PCIe storage, and two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports (but no Thunderbolt 4, cause that’s an Intel thing).

Inside, the laptop comes pre-installed with Windows 11 Pro, with Lenovo relying on a number of Qualcomm’s collaboration features like AI-based auto-framing for its 5MP webcam and intelligent noise suppression that works with the laptop’s triple microphone setup. There’s even a human presence detection feature that can automatically dim or turn off the laptop’s display when it detects that you have looked away to protect sensitive data from prying eyes.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

Now I know I’m not exactly Lenovo’s target audience for the ThinkPad X13s, and I probably wouldn’t buy a Windows on Snapdragon laptop for myself since they often struggle to run games (even casual titles). But even so, during my brief hands-on time with the device, I found that there’s a lot to like. Its design is quite sleek even by ThinkPad standards, while its magnesium chassis adds durability without a significant increase in weight. And of course, there’s that claimed 28 hours of battery which should last for days of real-world use (assuming the laptop can live up to Lenovo’s figures).

The only issue I noticed during my brief time with the notebook was a touchpad that felt softer and spongier than I’d like. Though since it’s a ThinkPad, you can always use Lenovo’s iconic TrackPoint nub instead. Thankfully, the X13s’ keyboard felt crisp with plenty of key travel, so there shouldn't be much of a learning curve for ThinkPad diehards.

Sam Rutherford/Engadget

For a low power display, the laptop’s screen is admirably bright, and the auto-framing camera worked like a charm, even if it was a touch too aggressive zooming in and out when I moved my head back and forth. You even get built-in IR cameras for facial recognition and Windows Hello face login. And thanks to the App Assure program, enterprise customers can get help directly from Microsoft to ensure all of a company’s corporate software runs smoothly on the X13s’ Arm-based processor.

So despite a bumpy reception for previous Windows on Snapdragon machines, between the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and Lenovo's willingness to put that chip in a ThinkPad for the first time, we could be looking at a new era for ARM-based Windows notebooks.

The ThinkPad X13s is slated to go on sale sometime in May starting at $1,100.

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!

Lenovo isn't just devoting its energy to high-end laptops at Mobile World Congress 2022. The company has revamped its IdeaPad Gaming lineup with systems aimed at relative newcomers to portable PC gameplay. The AMD-powered IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Intel-based IdeaPad Gaming 3i both sport 15- and 16-inch screens (including a 1600p 165Hz display option on 16-inch models) and a "cleaner" overall design with better port access and improved cooling to keep them quiet. You can also expect the latest CPU options, including Ryzen 6000 H-series chips in the Gaming 3 and up to 12th-gen Core for the Gaming 3i.

Your video choices vary depending on your processor. IdeaPad Gaming 3 buyers will have to make do with up to GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics, while Gaming 3i buyers can max out their laptops with either an RTX 3060 or Intel's Arc. You do get to use speedier DDR5 memory in the AMD-based machines where you 'settle' for DDR4 in the Intel variants, however. Both PC families are otherwise very similar, with support for up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. You'll have to be content with one USB-C 3.2 port, but there are two USB-A 3.2 ports as well as HDMI 2.0 and Ethernet.

Lenovo

The 15-inch models debut first, with the IdeaPad Gaming 3i arriving in April with a $990 starting price. The similarly-sized Gaming 3 surfaces in May for $930. Wait until June and you can buy the 16-inch versions of either computer, beginning at $1,140 for the Gaming 3 and $1,490 for the Gaming 3i. Regardless of the PC you own, there's a $100 Legion M600s Qi mouse (shown at middle) due in September that promises a 19,000DPI sensor, "lossless" Bluetooth and USB connections, RGB lighting and its namesake Qi wireless charging.

And yes, there are some comparatively ordinary IdeaPads for those less interested in gaming than creativity. The IdeaPad Flex 5 and Flex 5i (below) convertible laptops respectively use AMD Ryzen 5000 U-series and Intel 12th-gen Core U-series processors while coming in 14- and 16-inch variants. They're thinner and lighter than their predecessors with weight starting at 3.3lbs. You can only splurge for an 1800p OLED screen with the 14-inch Flex 5i, but everyone has the option of upgrading to 1400p (14-inch models) or 1600p (16-inch) LCDs if the default 1200p display isn't enough.

Both updated 2-in-1 laptops are decidedly more affordable than their gaming-oriented siblings. The Flex 5i is the most affordable of the two, and will arrive in May starting at $620 for a 14-inch version and $900 for the 16-inch edition. Opt for the Flex 5 and you'll find a higher $690 starting price when it ships in May, but a low $750 entry point for its 16-inch counterpart.

Lenovo

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!

Lenovo is coming to Mobile World Congress 2022 with a small flood of IdeaPad tablets, including one of the relatively few Windows tablets on the market. The IdeaPad Duet 5i (shown above) mates a 12.3-inch Surface-style detachable tablet with Windows 11 and Intel's 12th-gen Core ultraportable chips. It won't have the 13-inch 120Hz display of the Surface Pro 8, but the size and refresh rate might be worth the tradeoff if you're more interested in CPU power or portability.

The Duet 5i supports up to a Core i7-1255U chip, 16GB of LPDDR4x memory (sorry, no DDR5 here) and 1TB of SSD storage. The two USB-C 3.2 ports, 11 hours of claimed battery life and 5MP front and rear cameras won't stand out, but you might appreciate the color-accurate 1600p screen, optional pen input and a relatively light 1.8lbs body.

The Windows tablet won't ship until July, but it will start at $750 with a keyboard cover included. Even with baseline specs (a Pentium 8505, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage), it may represent a better value than some Windows slates.

Lenovo

There are plenty of choices if you prefer Google-powered devices. Lenovo is trotting out three Chrome OS IdeaPad devices, including the 14-inch Flex 5i Chromebook (middle), 15-inch Flex 3i Chromebook and 11-inch Duet 3 Chromebook. The Flex 5i convertible is a clear step up from past models with up to 12th-gen Core processors, a 16:10 ratio full HD display, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 1080p webcam. The more modest Flex 3i peaks with a Pentium N6000 chip, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of eMMC storage and a 720p camera. And the Duet 3 detachable may be worth noting if you're looking for an upgrade from its predecessors — you'll find a Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 chip, up to 8GB of RAM and as much as 256GB of eMMC storage.

The Flex 3i and Duet 3 Chromebook models will arrive in May, both of which start at $400. Wait until June and you can buy the Flex 5i Chromebook starting at $500.

There is one Android model in the mix. The third-generation Tab M10 Plus you see below is a solid budget Android 12 tablet with either a Snapdragon 680 (with 4GB or 6GB of RAM) or MediaTek G80 (3GB or 4GB of RAM), a 10.6-inch 2,000 x 1,200 pen-optional display and up to 128GB of expandable storage. You'll also find 8MP front and rear cameras and a lone USB-C 2.0 port. It doesn't ship until June, but the $190 entry price could make it a relatively easy choice.

Lenovo

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!

Lenovo has refreshed its ThinkPad lineup once again with the latest version of its beefy X1 Extreme laptop. The performance-focused ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 is powered by a 12th-gen Intel Core i9 H-Series processor up to i9 and supports NVIDIA's latest GeForce RTX laptop GPUs.

Vapor chamber cooling and integrated liquid metal thermal paste deliver up to a 10 percent performance boost, Lenovo claims. The system can have up to 64GB of DDR5 memory and up to 8TB of SSD storage. In other words, this isn't exactly an entry-level laptop.

There's Dolby Voice noise canceling support, along with a Dolby Atmos speaker system. Some of the display options include Dolby Vision support. There's a 16-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio panel option with a refresh rate of 165Hz and low-blue-light tech. Other options have features such as touch input, factory color calibration and up to 600 nit brightness with 4K resolution.

Lenovo

In addition, the laptop comes with a 90Wh battery, WiFi 6/6E and 5G connectivity, a Full HD front-facing camera and a SD Express 7.0 card reader. Like other current ThinkPad X1 Models, Tile's tracking tech is built in. You'll be able to track the laptop for up to 14 days, even when it's switched off.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 5 will be available in June. It starts at $2,049.

On top of that, Lenovo has revealed new business-centric ThinkPad T series laptops. The company is largely moving that lineup to panels with a 16:10 aspect ratio and low-blue-light tech. As with the X1 Extreme, there are Full HD camera options and support for Dolby Audio, Dolby Voice and WiFi 6E.

Lenovo

There's a new 16-inch ThinkPad T16 alongside the 14-inch ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 and T14 Gen 3. The business-focused laptops will run on either 12th-gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen Pro 6000 Series processors. Opting for an Intel-powered model means you can add a NVIDIA GeForce MX 550 or RTX 2050 GPU. Otherwise, the systems will use integrated graphics. There are two battery options for each device too, as well as built-in Tile support.

The ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 and T16 will be available in April, starting at $1,399 and $1,419, respectively, for Intel models. AMD-powered versions of either size start at $1,299. Timing and pricing for the ThinkPad T14s Gen 3 are a bit different. Intel models will arrive in June, starting at $1,529, while AMD versions will be available in May from $1,399.

Lenovo

Meanwhile, Lenovo says the ThinkVision M14d monitor is the world’s first 14-inch mobile display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It has an IPS 2.2K panel with a resolution of 2240 x 1400. There's power passthrough support, so you'll only need one USB-C cable connected to a computer or tablet. There's a second USB-C port to which you can connect certain peripherals, such as an external storage drive or a phone.

The ThinkVision M14d, which comes with a protective sleeve, weighs less than 1.3 pounds (600 grams) and has a 60Hz refresh rate. It will ship in July and cost $299.

Lenovo also announced the ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 2 and ThinkBook 13s Gen 4, which have dual-tone color highlights and an anodized aluminum exterior design. They run on 12th-gen Intel Core processors and have Thunderbolt 4 and WiFi 6E connectivity. The 2-in-1s will be available in April, starting at $849 for both the 13-inch and 14-inch variants.

Lenovo

Catch up on all of the news from MWC 2022 right here!

TCL's affordable 30-series smartphone family has just grown considerably with no less than five new models, making for a total of seven. The new devices start at just €139 for the TCL 30 E and go up to €249 for the TCL 5G, while offering some nice features like 50-megapixel triple cameras on all models, along with AMOLED displays and 5,000 mAh batteries. Along with the phones, TCL introduced the NXTPAPER MAX 10, the latest and largest tablet using its full color paper-like display. 

The new smartphone models are the TCL 30 5G (€249), TCL 30+ (€199), TCL 30 (€179 ), and TCL 30 SE (€149 ) and TCL 30 E (€139). They share some common features, with all models having a 50-megapixel main rear camera setup and 5,000 mAh minimum batteries. All but the TCL 30 E have rear triple AI cameras as well, with the 30 E packing having a dual rear cameras. The TCL 30 5G, TCL 30+, and TCL 30 also have slightly bigger 5010mAh batteries and support 18W fast charging. 

The top-end TCL 30 5G is the only model with 5G capability, and also offers an ultrawide front camera. You also get a 6.7-inch 60 Hz FHD+ AMOLED screen, MediaTek Dimensity 700 CPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. 

TCL

The next two models, the TCL 30+ and TCL 30 have similar features, but lack 5G support and have lower-end MediaTek Helio G37 chipsets. The TCL 30+ has an ultrawide front camera like the 5G model, but that's missing on the TCL 30. Finally, the TCL 30 SE and 30 E (above) step things down another notch, as it were, with smaller 6.52-inch mini-notch displays, slightly smaller batteries with no fast charging and MediaTek G25 chipsets.

As the prices imply, all the models are set to be launched in Europe. Given that the first two 30-sieres models came to the US, we can hope that some or all of the models might be sold here too — but TCL has yet to say which other regions will get them. 

TCL

On top of the smartphones, TCL launched another tablet that uses its color paper-like screen, the NXTPAPER MAX 10 (above). It follows last year's 8.88-inch NXTPAPER and uses the same low-power reflective LCD that “reuses natural light" so there's no need for backlighting, according to TCL. However, it packs a larger 10.36-inch display with an 83% screen-to-body ratio. 

Other features include 4G or WiFi connectivity, a MediaTek MT8788 chipset, 13-megapixel rear/8-megapixel front cameras and an 8,000 mAh battery. It goes on sale starting in Asia from mid Q2 2022 and will be available starting from €269 in Europe, but again, TCL didn't say where else it would be sold. 

Facebook has taken down a network of fake accounts attempting to spread Russian disinformation in Ukraine. The company said it had removed about 40 accounts, pages and groups from Facebook and Instagram that were detected over the last 48 hours. The company has also worked to stop hacking attempts targeting Ukrainians military and government officials on recent days.

In a briefing Sunday night, Meta’s Director of Threat Disruption David Agranovich said the accounts in question hadn’t yet gained a large following when they were identified by the company’s security researchers. He said the accounts had about 4,000 followers and Facebook and about 500 on Instagram.

The fake personas, which were targeting people in Ukraine, were being used to prop up fake news websites that published claims aimed at “undermining the Ukrainian government and boosting the activities of Russian actors,” according to Nathaniel Gleicher, the company’s head of security policy. “They would publish claims about the West betraying Ukraine and about Ukraine being a failed state,” Agranovich said. “They also claimed to be based in Kyiv, and posed as news editors, as a former aviation engineer, as the author of a scientific publication.”

The company said in a statement that its investigation into these accounts is ongoing but that it has linked the people behind the fake accounts to a previous takedown of fake accounts in 2020. Facebook security researchers at the time said the activity was traced to “individuals in Russia, the Donbass region in Ukraine and two media organizations in Crimea — NewsFront and SouthFront.”

Separately, Facebook researchers warned that a handful of Ukrainian journalists, military officials and other public figures have been targeted with hacking attempts in recent days. The activity, which Facebook is attributing to an entity known to security researchers as “Ghostwriter,” is also meant to spread disinformation. Facebook said Ghostwriter typically uses phishing attacks to take over email accounts and social media accounts in order to post disinformation while posing as public figures.

“We detected attempts to target people on Facebook, and post YouTube videos portraying Ukrainian troops as weak and surrendering to Russia, including a video claiming to show Ukrainian soldiers surrendering,” Agranovich said. Facebook isn’t speculating who is behind Ghostwriter but other researchers have linked the attacks to Belarus.

The takedowns come as Facebook has tried to contain Russia’s ability to wield disinformation on its platform. Facebook said last week that it was forming a security operations center to monitor the situation in Ukraine and help it respond quickly to threats and misinformation. The social network has also encouraged people in Ukraine to lock down their accounts, and Gleicher said Sunday that Facebook would also be enabling its “lock profile” tool in Russia as well.

At the same time, Russia has said it plans to restrict access to Facebook in the country after the company declined to remove fact checks from Russian state media outlets. Gleicher for now the company hasn’t seen signs that its services are being blocked successfully. “We do believe that we’re still accessible in the country,” he said. He also confirmed that Facebook is “fully blocking the ability of a number of Russian state media entities from broadcasting into Ukraine.”

When asked if Facebook was considering blocking Russian state media globally — following an EU ban on two prominent outlets — Gleicher didn’t rule out the possibility. “Given the situation and how quickly things are moving, we're continuing to evaluate a full range of options.”