Xiaomi has come a long way since the launch of its budget Redmi line back in 2013, and while the latter has since extended its coverage across a wider price range, it isn't about to abandon the budget market. Ahead of its 12th anniversary on April 6th, Xiaomi announced a new Redmi 10 5G which, starting from $199, happens to be the company's — and some markets' — cheapest 5G smartphone to date. To put things into perspective, the OnePlus Nord N200 5G costs $240, and Samsung's recently-launched Galaxy A13 5G is priced at $250.

The Redmi 10 5G — not to be confused with the 4G-only Redmi 10 or 10A — is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor with dual 5G standby, and it runs on MIUI 13 based on Android 11. You get a reasonably-sized 6.58-inch 2,408 x 1,080 LCD with up to 90Hz refresh rate, along with a generous 5,000mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging (interestingly, the phone comes with a 22.5W charger), a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a 3.5mm headphone jack. 

Xiaomi

There's not much going on in terms of design — just a plastic body with a grooved concentric circle texture and flat edges. Likewise with photography: just a 50-megapixel main camera paired with a 2-megapixel depth camera on the back, plus a 5-megapixel "dot drop" selfie camera above the screen.

As with all Xiaomi phones these days, the Redmi 10 5G won't be headed to the US, but a spokesperson confirmed that we can expect it to land in most of Xiaomi's global markets, including the UK, Europe, South East Asia, Middle East and more. You'll have two options: the $199 model comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, whereas the $229 version bumps the storage up to 128GB. These will come in "Graphite Gray," "Chrome Silver" and "Aurora Green."

Xiaomi

Also announced for the international markets are the higher-end Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G and Redmi Note 11S 5G, both of which also pack a MediaTek processor (Dimensity 920 and Dimensity 810, respectively) with dual 5G standby, a side-mounted fingerprint reader, an IR blaster, a 3.5mm headphone jack and dual speakers (with JBL tuning on the Pro+).

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has been available in China since October, and it's all about its 15-minute fast charging on its 4,500mAh dual-cell battery, thanks to Xiaomi's 120W HyperCharge tech. You also get a 6.67-inch 2,400 x 1,080 AMOLED screen, which delivers up to 120Hz refresh rate and up to 360Hz touch sampling rate for some slick scrolling, as well as a high brightness mode of up to 700 nits for outdoor usage. With its 108-megapixel main camera (Samsung HM2 sensor), 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 2-megapixel telemacro camera and 16-megapixel punch-hole selfie camera, you should be able to get some nice photos out of this device. Prices range from $369 (6GB + 128GB) to $449 (8GB + 256GB), and you can pick "Graphite Gray," "Star Blue" or "Forest Green."

Xiaomi

The marginally cheaper Redmi Note 11S 5G is a slight variant of China's earlier Redmi Note 11 5G, with the main difference being the extra 2-megapixel macro camera on the back. The rest appears to be identical: 6.6-inch 2,400 x 1,080 LCD (90Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate), 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging, 50-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and 13-megapixel punch-hole selfie camera. Prices range from $249 (4GB + 64GB) to $299 (6GB + 128GB), with color options including "Midnight Black," "Twilight Blue" and a sparkly "Star Blue."

After months (if not years) of speculation, Sony has officially announced its revamped game subscription service as it looks to take on Microsoft's all-conquering Game Pass. The company is keeping the PlayStation Plus branding as it combines PS Plus and PlayStation Now into a three-tier service, but don't expect Sony to add new PS4 or PS5 games on their release day.

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8BitDo's Pro 2 was already great value at its regular price of $50, but now the controller has dropped to an all-time low on Amazon. It's on sale for $42.50, which is 15 percent off the usual price.

As with the excellent SN30 Pro+, the Pro 2 is compatible with Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS, Android and Raspberry Pi. This time around, the controller has two back buttons. Like all of the other inputs, those buttons on the handles (where your ring finger or pinky might rest naturally) are fully customizable through a Windows, Mac, Android and iOS app. The controller has a profile configuration switcher as well, so you can swap between three input configurations without having to fire up the app.

It's a little disappointing that the controller isn't compatible with iOS devices, PlayStation or Xbox. For those who game on pretty much every other major platform, though, the 8BitDo Pro 2 is well worth checking out, particularly if you pick up a cheap smartphone clip so you can more easily play cloud gaming titles just about anywhere.

Razer

Elsewhere as part of Amazon's gaming accessory sale, you can save on Razer's wired Wolverine V2 Chroma controller. It also dropped to an all-time low. At $127.50, the white variant is slightly cheaper than the black model ($130). The controller usually costs $150.

The Wolverine V2 Chroma is compatible with Xbox consoles and PC. It's a worthy alternative to Microsoft's Elite Wireless Series 2 controller.

It has six more buttons than a standard Xbox controller and they're all remappable. Those could be useful for swiftly building structures in Fortnite (once that becomes a thing again) or executing rapid combos. There's also full RGB support via Razer's Xbox controller app, swappable thumbsticks and a hair-trigger mode that could give you an advantage over your rivals.

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Last year, Amazon revealed one of the more original products we've seen, the kid-focused Glow that does video calls and projects a touch-sensitive play space onto a flat surface. Now, the company has announced that the Glow is available for all customers in the US, complete with a 1-year subscription for books, visual arts activities, play options and more. 

The Amazon Glow combines an 8-inch LCD teleconferencing display with a projector that creates a 19-inch, touch-sensitive interactive space. Parents and others can connect to the device via the Glow mobile app that lets them speak with kids and interact with the projected play space remotely. In the original announcement video, for example, Amazon shows kids doing puzzles, drawing and playing reading games, while parents and grandparents are able to see what the kids are seeing. 

"We know a majority of parents say it’s challenging for their kids to stay engaged on traditional video calls, and, let’s be honest, stay in one place," said Glow GM Joerg Tewes. "For parents who are miles or minutes away from home for work, Glow provides a new way to say good morning or good night to keep those important relationships strong."

The device comes with "nearly 100 games and visual arts activities" through Amazon Kids+, Amazon said. Those include Chess, Checkers, go Fish, Whac-A-Mole and others. It also includes thousands of books, different play options (remote or side-by-side), the ability to interact with Disney characters (Anna and Elsa, Woody and Buzz, etc.) and more. Parents, friends and others can use the Glow app on their existing Android and iOS smartphones/tablets or on the 2021 Fire HD 10 tablets. 

Glow looks like a pretty cool product, but it isn't exactly cheap. You can now pick one up at Amazon, BestBuy.com and Target.com starting at $300, with a mat and mat case plus a 1-year Amazon Kids+ subscription included. It's also available with a Fire HD 10 tablet for $380.  

French audio maker Devialet is best known for speaker collaborations, unique designs – and often heady prices. Having experimented with UK broadcaster Sky, the sound company is ready to launch its first solo soundbar for TVs, the Dione. And it’s huge.

Devialet pitches the Dione as a high-end soundbar, offering Dolby Atmos 5.1.2, as well as the ability to upscale stereo content into an approximate 5.1.2 audio signal, offering a richer sound stage and augmented spatial effect even if what you’re watching isn’t primed for Atmos. During a preview event in London, I got to listen to the new soundbar, with its eye-catching “orb” detail and well, it sounds deeper, crisper and outright louder than the mid-range soundbars I’ve owned myself. And pretty much any other soundbar I’ve heard

There’s also the reality that it’s likely as wide as your new 4K TV. And as deep too. That’s because it houses 17 speaker drivers – including eight subwoofers, all custom-built to Devialet’s specifications. This means, according to the company, that there’s enough oomph to sidestep a separate subwoofer unit, with the built-in woofers reaching bass levels as low as 24Hz, and attempting to fill the company’s aim of, as CEO Franck Lebouchard told me, “bringing everything to one object”. 

As is the case for most modern soundbars, there are increased processor demands, and Devialet is using a Qualcomm SoC (System on a chip), which helps with room calibration and several of the company’s proprietary sound engineering features, like adaptive volume level (AVL), which automatically adjusts sound levels to help you hear speech, or avoid getting blasted by loud ads in the middle of quieter programs. 

The most impressive trick is still the upmixing. I watched a nature documentary, first in stereo, then in Devialet’s SPACE upmixed mode, which attempts to add the richness and breadth of 5.1.2 audio to stereo audio. It works – even if this might not be true 5.1.2 audio. I could hear a richer soundstage, with the background rustles of the jungle, and the separate tweets of two birds in the midst of a courtship dance. Switching back to stereo, and everything sounds narrower, tighter.  

Besides this movie mode, which is available when connected through HDMI or optical input, there’s also “spatial mode”, which attempts to upgrade audio from wireless sources (Spotify Connect, AirPlay or Bluetooth) and a voice mode which boosts, well, voices. This is aimed at news programming and podcasts.

You can switch between the modes through the companion app, as well as use the app for volume controls. There’s also a standalone controller from Devialet – sold separately – which looks like a smart thermostat. Because of course.

Mat Smith/Engadget

The company’s new Advanced Dimensional Experience (ADE) is its take on beamforming audio. According to the company’s white paper on the tech, this helps to optimize the surround audio, boosting soundwaves from certain angles and “rejecting” other soundwaves in an attempt to optimize audio for the listener in front of the soundbar. 

The Dione can be laid beneath a TV or mounted on the wall. The aforementioned “orb” rotates to match this, but the bar can detect its orientation with its built-in gyroscope. The soundbar has specific audio profiles for either orientation. The orb, a nod to its Phantom speaker, also houses one active speaker and two passive radiators. 

Devialet wants the attention of audiophiles – as well as those not looking to place multiple speakers around their living space. It’s difficult to compare to most of the smaller, cheaper products. The best comparison may be Sennheiser’s Ambeo, a $2,500 6.1.2 Atmos bar with plenty of tricks of its own. The Dione is a substantial investment, priced at $2,400 in the US, or £1,800 in the UK.

It’s another all-in-one solution, but at these specs, size and price, it’s for those interested in upgrading their entire viewing experience. What’s the point of a 4K OLED TV if everything doesn’t sound as good as it looks?

OnePlus began life as a startup making smartphones with high-end specs aimed at enthusiasts. Its first phones were barebones devices that maximized value for money, while still retaining a sense of identity (remember those sandstone backs?). That’s something that's not easy for any device, regardless of price. But now after 10 generations, it feels like the OnePlus we knew is gone, and it's probably not coming back.

Now, I don't mean to be all doom and gloom. It's only natural that companies evolve over time. Just look at Nintendo, which started out making Hanafuda cards more than 130 years ago, or Nokia, which can trace its roots back to a single pulp mill built way back in 1865. So while OnePlus hasn't been around nearly that long and its pivot isn't nearly as drastic, ahead of the company’s next flagship phone’s arrival in the US, now feels like a good time to examine how a once sorta plucky smartphone upstart turned into mainstream OEM.

Carlo Allegri / reuters

Founded in 2013 by Carl Pei and Pete Lau, OnePlus started off as a subsidiary of BBK electronics alongside other well-known Chinese smartphone brands including Oppo, Vivo and, more recently, Realme. So right away there was a lot of shared DNA. But critically, even though OnePlus phones often had similar designs and specs compared to contemporary Oppo devices, the teams behind those phones were separate. (The old joke for years was that the latest Vivo phone would eventually become the next OnePlus device after a few months, but I digress.) This gave OnePlus the freedom to tweak things to suit its core audience: hardcore phone nerds, mostly in the US and western Europe before later expanding to India. Meanwhile, Oppo and Vivo focused more on the Chinese market and other regions in Asia.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, when a new OnePlus phone came out, it often launched first in the US. OnePlus phones also had features like its Alert Slider and OxygenOS that weren't available on phones from its sister companies. And as early as 2015, 60 to 70 percent of the company's sales came from overseas as growth in the west quickly outpaced gains in its home country. More recently in 2020, OnePlus sales in the US grew by 143 percent while practically every other phone maker saw shipments decline due to the pandemic and the silicon shortage that followed soon after. In contrast to Oppo and Vivo, OnePlus carved out its niche overseas, and in some ways, you could even think of OnePlus as a western company that just happened to be based in the east.

OnePlus

But everything changed last year when OnePlus announced that it was officially merging with Oppo. So now, instead of being an independent company (albeit with the same parent in BBK), OnePlus is being positioned as a sub-brand for its sister company run by Lau, who will jointly oversee both companies while serving as chief product officer.

From a business standpoint, the merger makes a lot of sense. Rather than having redundant teams working on similar projects at different companies, combining OnePlus and Oppo helps streamline research and development while also boosting the scale at which the company can produce (and sell) devices. And it's a similar story for the OS powering these devices, because after years of independent development, OnePlus announced that OxygenOS and Oppo's ColorOS would transition to a shared codebase.

That means while OxygenOS will still be around, it's closer to being a tweaked and stripped-down skin of ColorOS designed to look OnePlus' old platform. But under the hood, they're the same. And if it wasn't for backlash from fans, Oppo probably would have shelved OnePlus' take on Android entirely in favor of Vivo's platform.

OnePlus

Unfortunately, this change to the new codebase hasn't been smooth. During a recent roundtable that took place during MWC late last month, OnePlus' head of OS product Gary Chen admitted that the latest iteration of OxygenOS (version 12) "did not meet expectations." On top of that, when asked why the OnePlus 10 Pro launched first in China months before becoming available in other regions, Lau said the OP10 Pro's delayed availability wasn't caused by the ongoing global chip crunch, but instead because "software development takes longer for non-China countries." This is a very different approach to OnePlus' global sales strategy compared to the past. And lest we forget, there still aren't even any plans to make a non-pro OnePlus 10, which just seems odd after years of new phones landing in pairs.

Another important factor to consider is all the former employees who have left the company recently, most notably Carl Pei. Not long before the OnePlus/Oppo merger went down, Pei left the company he helped create to launch Nothing. According to Lau, "Pei's departure did not have an impact on the development of OnePlus." And while I understand the desire for a company to put on a stoic face during a major transition, allow me to reserve a bit of skepticism on that one.

Steve Jennings via Getty Images

Over the course of multiple generations, Pei was often the face of OnePlus, especially for customers in the west. He presented new flagship devices at launch events and regularly popped in to chat with customers or provide updates in the company's forums. And after launching its first product last year (the Ear1 earbuds), Nothing is about to become one of OnePlus' direct competitors now that the company is prepping to launch the Phone 1 sometime this summer. Without getting too deep into any interpersonal drama, I think it's pretty clear that Pei is still very much interested in making gadgets, just not at OnePlus.

The brain drain hasn't happened solely at the very top of the ladder either, with other longtime OnePlus execs like chief marketing officer Kyle Kiang having left the company last year in April. And then there are the countless numbers of OnePlus public relations, communication and support staff that have departed as well. Prior to 2020, I basically had the same two or three OnePlus contacts for five years running. And while my more recent contacts have been nothing short of professional, the amount of internal turnover I've seen feels very much like a changing of the guard.

Oppo

And then there are smaller moves like pushing Warp Charging to the back burner in favor of 150W SuperVooc charging, which is slated to arrive on an upcoming OnePlus phone sometime in 2022. Now, it's hard to get too upset about getting even faster charging tech, but this is yet another example of how the Oppo side of the company is seeping into OnePlus.

But perhaps most importantly is how OnePlus views itself. After shipping more than 11 million phones last year, OnePlus set new sales records in 2021. And while the company says it will continue to support its core markets in the US, India, Europe and China, the company also has aggressive plans to expand its markets later this year to Canada, Mexico and South America (a first for OnePlus). And in the future, OnePlus is eyeing North Africa and the Middle East as well. In short, while longtime enthusiasts probably won't be completely forgotten, 2022 feels like a massive push from OnePlus to become a truly mainstream name.

OnePlus

In some ways, OnePlus has kinda become the new LG, filling the void in the smartphone landscape left after Samsung's cross-country rival shuttered its mobile business. And while this might seem like selling out (which, remember, is exactly what companies are made to do), there are a number of positive things that have come about as part of the company's maturation. We're talking about stuff like wider retail availability and improved carrier support throughout the US, not to mention a growing ecosystem of gadgets that includes wireless earbuds, smartwatches and more.

There's also the company's partnership with Hasselblad to improve its mobile photography, which for OnePlus has consistently lagged behind what you get on phones from Apple, Samsung and Google. OnePlus has even improved the everyday durability of its handsets in recent years thanks to support for IP68 dust and water resistance — even if the company's unlocked models don't explicitly mention this in their specs. And thanks to the Nord series, OnePlus has a larger lineup of affordable devices than ever before.

OnePlus

So has OnePlus finally turned its back on its longtime customers? Maybe, maybe not. That really depends on what you're looking for in a phone. There's no question that the company's latest flagship devices are very different from what it used to make back in 2014. Heck for the first few year But at the same time, people's preferences and expectations about what makes a good handset have changed a lot during the last eight years too. In its quest for a worldwide presence, OnePlus left a lot of its past behind. And in its place, we're left with a global brand that ranks as the fourth-largest smartphone maker on the planet (and that’s not even counting Vivo) that's very hungry to climb even higher. So say goodbye to the old OnePlus and say hello to the rapidly expanding behemoth that's taken its place.

Samsung's latest Smart Monitor, which we first got a look at during CES, is now available to pre-order. The Smart Monitor M8 has support for streaming services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV, as well as cloud gaming platforms. You won't necessarily need to connect to external speakers, since two built-in 5W speakers and a tweeter will deliver 2.2-channel audio.

The display comes with a magnetic, detachable SlimFit Cam that you can use for video calls. The full-HD webcam has face tracking and auto zoom functions, so it can follow you as you move around and automatically focus on your face. There's a far-field microphone as well, which will come in handy if you want to bark instructions at Alexa or Bixby from across the room.

What's more, the M8 has an integrated SmartThings hub, which will allow you to control compatible smart home devices. You can connect wirelessly to a Windows PC or Mac and mirror your smartphone screen to the display as well. There's also the option to browse the web, edit documents and work on projects without connecting to a computer, in part thanks to built-in Microsoft 365 support.

Samsung

The M8 is 11.4mm thick, which Samsung says is around a quarter of the depth of previous displays. The 32-inch display has a UHD resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 and HDR 10+ compatibility. It has an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a contrast ratio of 3,000:1. There's support for 1.07 billion colors, which covers 99 percent of the sRGB spectrum.

The refresh rate tops out at 60 Hz, which may not cut it for some folks, while the response time is 4ms. On the connectivity front, the display has a one micro HDMI port and two USB-C ports, along with WiFi 5, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth 4.2 support. It comes with a height-adjustable stand for which you won't have to pay an extra $400.

The Smart Monitor M8 starts at $700 for the white model. The spring green, sunset pink and daylight blue models will cost you a little extra at $730.

Apple's AirPods Max offer excellent sound, solid active noise cancellation (ANC) and good battery life, but the regular $549 price is a bit hard to swallow. Now, you can pick a pair up at Amazon for just $439, or $110 (20 percent) off. That's close to the lowest price we've seen at Amazon, and you can choose between three colors: Sky Blue, Silver and Pink.

The AirPods Max achieved a solid 84 Engadget review score and made our latest list of favorite headphones, thanks to their high sound quality, effective noise-cancellation and reliable controls. They offer a uniquely Apple-esque design, and despite being slightly heavier than Sony’s WH-1000XM4 cans, are comfortable to wear. Once you get used to it, the rotating crown makes it easy to adjust sound.

Audio quality is more natural than other headphones we've tried with bass that's accurate and not overpowering. Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones have more effective ANC, but the AirPods Max come close. Meanwhile, the Transparency Mode lets you quickly disable ANC if you need to hear what's going on. The biggest drawback is the lack of lossless audio support, but they work great with Dolby Atmos surround sound on most Apple devices. 

The AirPods Max are ideal if you're in the Apple ecosystem, with the H1 chip letting you quickly switch between an iPhone and a Mac, for example. There's no question that they're very expensive at the regular $549 price, so Amazon's latest discount presents a good buying opportunity if you've been eyeing a pair. 

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Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman expects Apple will release its next-generation iPad Pro sometime this fall. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says he anticipates the new tablet will feature MagSafe inductive charging and Apple’s long-rumored but as yet unannounced M2 chip, corroborating a previous report from 9to5Mac.

As of the company’s most recent hardware event, the iPad Air and iPad Pro both feature M1 chips. Apple last updated the iPad Pro in 2021 to add 5G and Thunderbolt connectivity, and its first-generation Apple Silicon system-on-a-chip. The iPad Pro has more or less featured the same design since 2018 when the company refreshed the tablet to give its now-iconic edge-to-edge display. Since then, Apple has filtered out that design to most of its other tablets, including the iPad mini and the aforementioned iPad Air.

Details on the M2 remain sparse, but as of last April, it had reportedly gone into production. Most reports suggest the M2 will feature the same eight-core CPU layout as its predecessor while being faster and more efficient thanks to TSMC’s new 4-nanometer fabrication process.

Apple’s third-generation AirPods may only be a few months old, but you can purchase them right now for 16 percent off their suggested retail price. Amazon has discounted the company's latest earbuds to $149.98. That’s only $10 more than their all-time low of $140.

While you could buy Apple’s second-generation AirPods for less money, we think the new model is a better purchase for most people. We gave Apple’s latest earbuds a score of 88, noting they were “better in nearly every way” from their predecessor. They feature a new design that we found a lot more comfortable. Sound quality is likewise improved with the third-generation AirPods capable of delivering rich bass. Battery life was another highlight, with the included charging case providing up to 30 hours of listening time. Apple’s H1 chip enables a handful of handy features, including hands-free Siri, support for spatial audio with head tracking and seamless pairing with Apple devices.

Of course, they’re not perfect. Their one-size-fits-all design won’t be for everyone, and they don’t come with active noise cancellation, a feature that would make them ideal for commuting. Still, if you own an iPhone, it’s hard to go wrong with the third-generation AirPods.

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