PC Magazine

You Tested,
We Report:
These Are the
Fastest ISPs in
the US Today.

DIGITAL EDITION

JULY 2021

CONTENTS

JULY 2021

COVER STORY

THE FASTEST ISPS

No matter where you live in the country,
we’ve pinpointed the ISP that can meet
your need for speed.

FEATURES

IS WIKIPEDIA THE MOST
RELIABLE SOURCE ON
THE INTERNET?

Professor Amy Bruckman’s
conclusions may surprise you.

WHAT’S NEW NOW

SAMSUNG DEVELOPS A
‘STRETCHABLE
ELECTRONIC SKIN’
OLED DISPLAY

In the future, fitness trackers
could stick to our bodies like
adhesive bandages$

CAN CRYPTO-
CURRENCY REPLACE
THE US DOLLAR?

Experts weigh in at RSAC.

EXCLUSIVE: ONEPLUS
CEO REVEALS NORD
N200 PHONE DETAILS

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau tells us
about the new N200 phone and
his dreams for 5G.

REVIEWS Google Pixel Buds A-Series

CONSUMER Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
ELECTRONICS Movavi Video Editor Plus

Hisense 350-Sq.
Ft. Window Air
Conditioner
(AW0821CW1W)

Google Pixel Buds
A-Series

Amazon Echo
Show 8 (2nd Gen,
2021 Release)

HARDWARE

Alienware m15
Ryzen Edition R5

Nvidia GeForce
RTX 3080 Ti
Founders Edition

Apple iMac
24-Inch

SOFTWARE
& APPS

Masterclass

Movavi Video
Editor Plus

COMMENTARY CHANDRA STEELE

CAROL MANGIS Never Tweet: How Elon Musk
Is Ruining the Promise of
First Word: Is Your Broadband Crypto
Fast Enough?
MAX EDDY
READER INPUT
Never, Ever Pay the Ransom!
Your Comments

SASCHA SEGAN

Without a Killer App, Who
Needs 5G?

TIPS & HOW TOS

WHAT IS AMAZON
SIDEWALK, AND HOW
DO YOU DISABLE IT?

Amazon is automatically
activating a network sharing
feature for most of the devices
it sells. Here’s why you may not
want it, and how to opt out of
Amazon Sidewalk.

HOW TO SEE WHO’S
USING YOUR
STREAMING
PASSWORDS

Is someone using your
streaming services without
your permission? Here’s how
to identify the freeloaders and
boot them off Netflix, Hulu,
HBO Max, and more.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

FIRST WORD

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Yes, that’s right: We’re asking you. Every
year, we pull together data from our
online PCMag Speed Test to determine
readers’ broadband speeds throughout the US.
This method tells us which ISPs—from the giants,
such as Comcast and Verizon, down to small, local
service providers—are providing the fastest
broadband speed to their customers.

Is Your Here’s a shocker (or maybe not): One of the small,
Broadband local service providers on our list, Empire Access,
based in southern New York state, is the fastest
Fast ISP in the United States.
Enough?
In good news for those located in the regions of
not-so-fast services—generally rural areas—
President Biden has announced a plan to improve
broadband infrastructure in underserved areas of
the US, with a goal of providing 100% coverage for
our country. Interestingly enough, the $100 billion
plan isn’t earmarked for the big players. As
reported by our Michael Kan:

“...The White House plan isn’t necessarily going to
give the money to corporate internet service
providers, which have gained a notorious
reputation for imposing data caps and charging
high fees. Instead, the plan ‘prioritizes support for
broadband networks owned, operated by, or
DI¿OLDWHG ZLWK ORFDO JRYHUQPHQWV QRQ SUR¿WV DQG
co-operatives—providers with less pressure to turn
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communities,’ the Biden administration said.”

@cmangis In the past year especially, the internet has evolved
into an absolute necessity. Try to imagine how you
would have gotten through lockdown without it—
no work, no school, no Zoom, no streaming… Well,
we could probably live without those last two, but
the former has kept us in touch with our loved
ones, and the latter from going bonkers. As vital as
the internet is to life today, regulation and
oversight is crucial, competition should be
available and encouraged, and support for the
little guys who are heroically providing amazing
service to their communities should be applauded.

PCMAG’S TECHX AWARDS
Fastest ISPs is a tradition, but you might spot
something new in this issue: One of the reviewed
products, the latest Apple iMac all-in-one
computer, is a winner of our TechX award,
launched at this year’s virtual CES. I’ll let Editor-
in-Chief Dan Costa explain:

“The award is given to products, concepts, and
services we think are going to be game changers in
their respective markets. CES has always been a
proving ground for new concepts, and even
ZLWKRXW D WUDGH VKRZ ÀRRU WKLV \HDU WKHUH ZHUH
plenty of innovations to be found. Although there
ZHUH IHZHU RI¿FLDO H[KLELWRUV WKDQ XVXDO²OHVV WKDQ
half by some accounts—the vendors that showed
up (albeit virtually) came to play.”

We won’t be limiting this award only to CES
debuts, though: Our analysts will be searching for
innovative products throughout the year. So keep
an eye out for the TechX logo in upcoming reviews.

[email protected]

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

READER INPUT

YOUR COMMENTS

Can You DATABASE REVEALS OVER
Trust
200K PEOPLE INVOLVED IN
Customer
Reviews? POSTING FAKE REVIEWS ON

Our readers are well AMAZON
aware of fake Amazon
reviews, and they have I actually reported some sellers attempting to buy
opinions. Also, Sascha my good review directly to Amazon. Amazon was
Segan’s column on extremely slow in actually being able to take down
simple phones elicited the vendors. The process was so painful, in fact,
lots of questions, that I probably would never bother to do it again.
which he answers I’m sure those same vendors are back up on
here. Amazon as some other name, as Amazon does
zero vetting of marketplace vendors. Amazon has
serious issues with credibility and many of the
Chinese vendors on their platform are very
underhanded and don’t follow the Amazon
Marketplace rules at all. I stopped reading
anything other than the bad reviews, really. I do
check the questions from time to time ... but I
never read the good reviews any more.
—TheWretchedLive

Amazon, in the past at least, has allowed vendors
to change items that are listed so that if you are
looking at a fan, for example, with hundreds of
5-star reviews, you might see that the reviews are
actually for tables, chairs, electric razors, etc.
When I have complained about this, Amazon has
shown no interest in pulling the listings. It’s very
disappointing that Amazon seemed not to really
care about deceptive reviews.
—JM

I used to check the reviews regularly, background). Now I always start
until one Amazon vendor told me looking at the lowest possible stars
that my warranty would be activated to bypass the fake review section.
after I posted a review on Amazon. —David Dotson
In fairness, they never said what the
review had to be, just that I had to SIMPLE PHONES:
do one. While I really liked the
product, the request left a bad taste, STILL GREAT AFTER
and I chose not to post a review and
to forgo my warranty. ALL THESE YEARS
—Warranty Man
The most important [feature] for me
I have been using FakeSpot for about in a cell phone is it being a reliable
a month now and love it. Not only is form of communication ... I am on
it free, it points out fake reviews and Verizon and have been considering
alerts you to the sellers’ reviews as the Kyocera DuraXV Extreme on
well. Huge time saver if you’re an their basic phone plan ($30 plus
online shopper. fees/taxes per month). However, it
—Tiz4tggr appears to be quite large when I’ve
viewed the reviews on YouTube. I
There are patterns to watch for. It’s a know you covered it from last year,
IRUPXOD ZULWWHQ WR VSHFL¿HG FULWHULD and you compared it to the Sunbeam
Only a few reviews are helpful. The F1. Here’s my question. Which one
rest are questionable. Great article would you recommend ... for an
by PCMag. older person in your family?
—S. Genius —Steve

I have been contacted to do a ‘paid’ Sascha Segan’s reply: I had to
review. The product was something sleep on this. The problem is, I have
I would use and it really did work. I no way of testing long-term
got a follow-up opportunity on reliability; I have to handle devices
another product I was going to buy in such volume that they’re with me
anyway. It is possible to do this and a week and then they’re out. But I do
keep it ethical. If something did not really like Sunbeam as a company—I
work as expected, I would write my feel like it would be responsive to
review accordingly. Too many people concerns if things do in fact go
have no ethics (like the glowing wrong, and it operates in low-
review of an outdoor table umbrella enough volumes that it can still
pictured with snow in the make a personal connection with
its buyers.

0\ 3DQWHFK %UHH]H ,, KDV VHUYHG PH ZHOO IRU PDQ\ \HDUV DQG , ZLOO PLVV LW « ,W ¿WV LQ
P\ VKLUW SRFNHW DQG LV HDV\ WR SXOO RXW ÀLS RSHQ DQG VWDUW XVLQJ ,¶P QRW ORRNLQJ
forward to a 6-inch-plus screen that’ll be challenging to put in that shirt pocket and
have all those apps that are pretty useless for making phone calls—it’s a phone, that’s
what they do. For most anything else, I prefer bigger screens and a Real keyboard, or
a remote. At home, my phone sits on my desk.
—Retired Techie

Sascha Segan’s reply: If what you want is purely to make phone calls, look at the
Nokia 225 4G, Sunbeam F1, or Punkt MP02. If ruggedness and long life are your
primary concerns, look at the Sonim XP3 or Kyocera Dura series.

0\ OLWWOH ÀLS SKRQH JHWV VQDUN\ FRPPHQWV EXW LW¶V VPDOO DQG HDVLO\ FDUULHG LQ D WLQ\
container. It’s also much cheaper, and I’ve no need to pay the higher-priced monthly
subscription of a smartphone. I don’t need to run apps or get on the internet with my
phone. My desktop or tablet can handle that. Instead, I want to keep the cheapest
(monthly), dumbest phone, preferably the same size, that lets me call in the rare
times I need it. Unless a call comes from someone I know, I don’t even answer it, and
I tell people not to text me. Even the six-hour charge is enough. I’m uncertain which
of the phones you mention come close to that.
—Lois Sprengnether Keel

Sascha Segan’s reply: The smallest and dumbest would be the Nokia 225.

Aquseksutsioan!Have a question about a story in

PC Magazine, one of the products we
cover, or how to better use a tech
product you own? Email us at

[email protected] and we’ll

respond to your question here.
Questions may be edited slightly for
content and clarity.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

WHAT’S NEW NOW

HEALTH TECH

Samsung Develops a
‘Stretchable Electronic
Skin’ OLED Display BY MATTHEW HUMPHRIES

Samsung may be at the forefront of folding and sliding display
technology, but the company’s researchers have also been working on
displays that can be stretched (with research happening even as far back
as 2017), and we’re beginning to see working prototypes.
In June, Samsung revealed a stretchable OLED display that acts as a heart rate
sensor. The wrist-mounted device combines photoplethysmography (PPG)
heart rate sensors and an OLED screen to offer real-time heartbeat monitoring.
The research team was able to stretch the device (to 30% elongation) 1,000
times without causing any damage while at the same time recording a heartbeat
VLJQDO SLFNXS WKDW¶V ³ WLPHV VWURQJHU WKDQ ZRXOG EH SLFNHG XS E\ D ¿[HG
silicon sensor.”

The stretchable device, which Samsung refers to as “Stretchable Electronic
Skin,” was developed at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT)
in the Organic Material Lab by principal researcher Jong Won Chung, principal
researcher Youngjun Yun, and staff researcher Yeongjun Lee.

“The strength of this technology is that it allows you to measure your biometric
data for a longer period without having to remove the solution when you sleep
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biometric data right away on the screen without having to transfer it to an
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wearable healthcare products for adults, children, and infants, as well as
patients with certain diseases.”

The key to unlocking electronic devices that can cope with stretching is to
replace plastic parts with an elastomer, which offers elasticity and resilience
ZKLOH EHLQJ FRPSDWLEOH ZLWK H[LVWLQJ VHPLFRQGXFWRU PDQXIDFWXULQJ SURFHVVHV
Elastomers are susceptible to heat, but this was overcome by strengthening the
material’s thermal resistance “by tailoring its molecular composition.”

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UHJXODUO\ QHHG WR UHPRYH²VPDUWZDWFKHV IRU H[DPSOH²DQG RIIHU OLPLWHG
monitoring performance. Moving to stretchable versions allows for “close
adhesion to the skin,” which means enhanced monitoring and a more
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health monitors as more like adhesive bandages than worn accessories.

“Our research is still in the early stages, but our goal is to realize and
commercialize stretchable devices by increasing system resolution,
stretchability, and measurement accuracy to a level that makes mass production
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applied in this test case, we plan to incorporate stretchable sensors and high-
resolution freeform displays to enable users to monitor things like peripheral
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PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

WHAT’S NEW NOW Photo credit: picture alliance / Contributor/getty.com

MONEY

Can Cryptocurrency
Replace the US Dollar?

BY NEIL J. RUBENKING

Even though its value is no longer pinned to great stacks of gold in Fort
Knox, the US dollar is a stable and trusted currency worldwide. It’s the
reserve currency for the world, supporting international transactions
and all aspects of the global economy. But will it continue to hold that position?
Might Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency eventually replace it?
At the virtual RSA security conference (RSAC 2021) in May, Dr. Kenneth Geers,
external communications analyst for Very Good Security, explored this topic,
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Kathy Wang. “Is cryptocurrency going to change my life? Change the world?”
asked Geers. “Will it bring the end of the nation-state?”

Geers led off by pointing out Bitcoin’s amazingly meteoric rise. On May 22, Photo credit: Bettmann / Contributor/getty.com
2010—a day now dubbed Bitcoin Pizza Day—early Bitcoin miner Laszlo
Hanyecz wanted some pizza and offered to pay 10,000 Bitcoins for a pair of pies
from Papa John’s. At today’s exchange rate, that’s easily $400 million.

A LITTLE CURRENCY HISTORY
To understand whether cryptocurrency can serve as a worldwide reserve
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listeners on a trip through history. He pointed out that in wartime, banks can
have their monetary reserves stolen, either captured by the enemy or
appropriated by their own country. During WWII, banks in England and France
shipped their gold to the US for safekeeping.

After the war, the allies tried to create some stability. In a small New Hampshire
town called Bretton Woods, they hammered out an agreement that made the
US dollar a worldwide standard. “The dollar was pegged to the price of gold,
and foreign currency was pegged to the dollar,” explained Geers. “The US dollar
was crowned as the world’s reserve currency. It was a stable source of stored
value, a medium of exchange a country’s own currency might not have.”

Nothing lasts forever, though, noted Geers. The New Deal, the Vietnam War,
and other factors loosened the Bretton Woods agreement. In 1971, the dollar
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US Z[b[]Wj[i Wj
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1944

Geers took a deep dive into economic theory, pointing Geers currently
out that currency solves a problem called “the lives in Africa,
inconvenience of coincidence of wants.” For example, I where
have an apple that you want. You have a banana, but I 20,000-year-
don’t want to trade for your banana. I can buy the old tooled
banana with currency. bones have

He also noted the historical importance of keeping been identified
ledgers, immutable records of transactions. Geers as a kind of
currently lives in Africa, where 20,000-year-old tooled ledger.
ERQHV KDYH EHHQ LGHQWL¿HG DV D NLQG RI OHGJHU

ENTER BITCOIN AND BLOCKCHAIN
“In 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto revealed both Bitcoin and
blockchain,” said Geers. “Asymmetric cryptography,
hash functions, digital signatures, append-only time-
stamped logs… These can secure the entire internet
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out that blockchain is the ledger of this high-tech world.
“What happens on blockchain stays forever.”

Very Good Security’s CISO Kathy Wang took over to
explain in detail how Bitcoin mining works. She noted
WKDW %LWFRLQ PLQHUV JHW PRQH\ E\ EHLQJ WKH ¿UVW WR VROYH
mathematical puzzles, but these aren’t just any puzzles.
What Bitcoin miners are actually doing is auditing the
legitimacy of Bitcoin transactions. “This minimizes the
risk that any Bitcoin holder could spend the same coin
twice,” Wang explained. “You can’t do that with a
physical dollar!”

Wang also explained that mining cryptocurrency
UHTXLUHV D KXJH EDVH RI UHVRXUFHV VSHFL¿FDOO\ *38V DQG
the power to run them. Miners may pool their resources
or even steal resources using cryptojacking malware.

BENEFITS AND RISKS
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FU\SWRFXUUHQF\ ³7KHUH DUH WUXO\ UHYROXWLRQDU\ EHQH¿WV ´ KH VDLG ³ERWK SHUVRQDO
DQG WUDQVDFWLRQDO <RX JHW FRQ¿GHQWLDOLW\ RI RZQHUVKLS $W D FRXQWU\ OHYHO \RX
can bank your savings without being dependent on the US dollar.”

He pointed out the potential for political involvement. Relying on
cryptocurrency necessarily involves more transparency. “But do governments
actually want to be less corrupt?” asked Geer. “These political impacts may slow
adoption. Governments will create policy obstacles.”

7KHUH DUH DOVR ULVNV VSHFL¿F WR FU\SWRFXUUHQF\ VXFK DV ORVW KDUGZDUH ORVW
passwords, hacking, scamming, and extortion. “Central banks protect investors
and citizens,” noted Geers. “Bitcoin exchanges may not. Governments will be
hesitant to let go of the dollar, of their authority.”

Wang took listeners deep into the world of cryptocurrency security. “The pillars
RI FRQ¿GHQWLDOLW\ LQWHJULW\ DQG DYDLODELOLW\ VWLOO DSSO\ ´ VKH VDLG ³7KH KRO\ JUDLO
where secure access is best, is with a crypto wallet. It holds all your private keys.
With that, you own the currency.”

“But can attackers steal it? They absolutely can,” Wang There are risks
continued. She detailed an attack called ElectroRAT specific to
that gets into crypto wallets and drains their contents.
Wang pointed out that this malware is remarkable cryptocurrency,
because its author wrote the whole thing from scratch, such as lost
not relying on any existing code libraries that might be
found in other malware. That unique quality let it slip hardware, lost
past many antivirus systems, at least initially. passwords,
hacking,
CAN CRYPTOCURRENCY REPLACE THE
DOLLAR? scamming, and
Geers wrapped up discussing problems that extortion.
cryptocurrency needs to solve, speed being one of them.
Visa can process over 70,000 transactions per second,
while Bitcoin would manage just a handful. “There’s
plenty of interest,” he said, “but societal norms will take
time. Risks must be addressed, and speeds must be
faster.” He pointed out that after the introduction of the
credit card, Congress took 15 or 20 years to enact laws
that recognized that technology’s existence.

“There is no doubt that cryptocurrency is a game-
changer,” stated Geers. “But in the near term, it will not
replace the US dollar. In the long term, anything is
possible, but expect government resistance.”

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

WHAT’S NEW NOW

MOBILE

Exclusive: OnePlus CEO
Reveals Nord N200 Phone
Details BY SASCHA SEGAN

OnePlus will raise the bar for budget phones with 5G and a 90Hz display
for under $250 in the US, the company revealed exclusively to PCMag
in mid-June.
“From the premium and ultra-premium OnePlus 9 series to the OnePlus Nord
N200 5G—our newest and most affordable 5G device ever—we’re providing
more choices and easier access to 5G for our users,” OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said
in an email interview.
Last year’s OnePlus Nord N10 5G took the US prepaid market by storm.
Reports from Wave7 Research said that the N10 and its cheaper 4G sibling, the
Nord N100, lifted OnePlus’s market share to over 15% at Metro by T-Mobile.

Now OnePlus is returning with a phone that brings more of the N10’s features
closer to the N200’s price point. Although the N100 had a 90Hz display, it was
only 720p, and the phone was a 4G device. The N200 5G will have a 6.49-inch,
1080p LCD, the company said, upgrading the screen to the N10’s level.

An image provided to PCMag by OnePlus also shows three rear cameras, a hole-
punch front-facing camera, and what appears to be a side-mounted
FRPELQDWLRQ ¿QJHUSULQW VFDQQHU DQG SRZHU EXWWRQ
The company initially announced the N200 in early June, and as usual, it’s
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launch date yet.
“OnePlus is committed to making the 5G experience more accessible than ever,
and the OnePlus Nord N200 5G is a testament to that commitment. We believe
that the N200 5G will allow more users to enjoy the fast and smooth OnePlus
* H[SHULHQFH ´ WKH FRPSDQ\ VDLG LQ DQ RI¿FLDO EORJ SRVW
ONEPLUS HOW MANY?
Over the past year, low-cost 5G competition has gotten more intense. T-Mobile
is giving away Samsung Galaxy A32 phones to upgraders, and Verizon is trying

to lure people into premium unlimited plans with huge phone discounts. The
Galaxy A32 tends to cost about the same as the price OnePlus is suggesting for
the Nord N200 5G. But the A32 only has a 720p, 60Hz screen.
Last year marked a big change for OnePlus. With the departure of co-founder
Carl Pei for his new startup Nothing, CEO Pete Lau put the company on a track
WR SURGXFH D EURDGHU SURGXFW OLQH²QRW MXVW ÀDJVKLS DQG QHDU ÀDJVKLS SKRQHV
but an array of more affordable models as well.
While the N200 is a big step up, the “10” and “200” models remain in different
lanes, Lau said. Presumably, that implies an N20 is coming as well, but OnePlus
wasn’t ready to talk about that.

“Last year, we announced our strategy of expanding our product portfolio to
make the OnePlus experience more accessible to users worldwide. The OnePlus
Nord N200 5G and OnePlus Nord N10 5G are in different positions in our
product portfolio. The OnePlus Nord N200 5G is fully upgraded from OnePlus
Nord N100 with excellent performance and a solid 5G experience,” Lau said.
COVID-19 hasn’t put a kink in the company’s product lineup, Lau said, although
it sent OnePlus staff home for a while.

³,W¶V EHHQ D GLI¿FXOW WLPH IRU PDQ\ SHRSOH DURXQG WKH The company
world. Throughout this time, we have closely monitored announced the
the COVID situation and continue offering our support
to our friends and colleagues in areas that are still N200 in early
impacted. Although the impacts haven’t fully faded June, and as
away, we’re fortunate that our product roadmap has usual, it’s
remained on track,” Lau said. trickling out
specs to get
STAYING TRUE TO 5G people’s
5G in the US has become a bit of a checkbox. Though attention.
carriers are pushing consumers to upgrade to 5G with
free phone promotions, they haven’t made it clear how
5G will change their lives in the short term.

Lau has been a long-term believer in 5G and has
explained in the past how he thinks it’ll change how we
use our phones. This week, though, he was a bit more
circumspect.

“5G will fundamentally reshape the future of
telecommunications and has been an important focus of
OnePlus’ R&D efforts,” he said. “The increased internet
VSHHG ZLOO FHUWDLQO\ LQÀXHQFH WKH ZD\ SHRSOH XWLOL]H
their devices and apps.”

Lau has given more details in previous interviews. At
Mobile World Congress Shanghai in 2018, he talked
about how 5G could make local storage less important
and how smart assistants could become much more
powerful. We’ll hear more about the Nord N200 soon,
we’re sure.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

Sascha Sega COMMENTARY

Without a Killer App, Who
Needs 5G?

Wireless carriers around the world Sascha Segan is the
aren’t offering new services that lead mobile analyst
would make consumers actually want for PC Magazine. His
5G, according to a bleak new report from commentary has
Ericsson. also appeared on Fox
News, CNBC, CNN, and
“Five Ways to a Better 5G” reveals that 70% of various radio stations
FRQVXPHUV DUH GLVVDWLV¿HG ZLWK WKH ³DYDLODELOLW\ and newspapers
of innovative services” on 5G and “expect new around the world.
applications” that they aren’t getting. The report
says consumers would be willing to pay 20% to
30% more for things such as 5G TV, 5G in-car
entertainment, 360-degree live-streams of events,
and instant, responsive cloud access. But none of
that is happening.

Sascha Sega It’s not for lack of vision. I’ve been hearing about @saschasegan
5G applications for years. In 2019, Sprint made a
deal with cloud gaming service Hatch for 5G
game-streaming. But both the carrier and the
cloud gaming service have since gone out of
business, which is the problem in a nutshell. Until
the carriers deliver truly differentiated network
experiences, everyone trying to build a killer app
is on hold.

Coverage is a big problem, the report says, with
people especially disappointed in 5G coverage at
home. T-Mobile has a shiny mid-band 5G
network, but Verizon and AT&T each have a
“nationwide” 5G experience that’s basically just
4G with sprinkles on it. In July, we’re going back
on the road for our annual Fastest Mobile
1HWZRUNV WHVWV DQG P\ JUHDWHVW GUHDP LV WR ¿QG
some evidence that 5G speeds are starting to be
where they need to be so these exciting dreams
can become reality.

In addition, plans for the upcoming Mobile World
Congress hint at a focus shift for the industry.
Abandoned by most consumer handset makers,
MWC has reinvented itself as a place to talk about
enterprise 5G, and a lot of the discussion is now
around “private” 5G networks. That’s interesting
stuff for us network nerds, but nothing like the
consumer 5G visions that were being spun just a
few years ago.

Hopefully, the folks at Verizon are working hard
nurturing compelling new apps to go with their
launch of C-band 5G early next year. Otherwise,
it’s going to be hard to get the more than 80% of
Americans still on 4G phones to upgrade.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

Chandra Steel COMMENTARY

Never Tweet: How Elon Musk Is
Ruining the Promise of Crypto

Even if you know only the basics about PCMag Senior
Bitcoin, you’ve probably heard the word Features Editor
“decentralized.” It means that the digital Chandra Steele got
currency is not tied to one central authority, so her tech journalism
it’s not subject to a single possible failure. But if start at CMP/United
you’ve followed headlines about Bitcoin, you Business Media. She
know that the currency’s success can hinge on also writes fiction
one man tweeting breakup memes. and has been
published in
Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that McSweeney’s
the Securities and Exchange Commission has told Internet Tendency.
Tesla it has failed to keep its CEO’s tweets in
check, as required by a 2018 securities fraud
settlement. Elon Musk is supposed to run tweets
that could affect stock prices or the market
through Tesla’s communications team, but that’s
not working out too well.

Soon after the Journal story published, Musk
copied and pasted a breakup meme and added
the hashtag #Bitcoin and a Bitcoin emoji,
followed by a broken heart emoji. The move sent
the value of the cryptocurrency tumbling and
took digital currencies Ether and Dogecoin down
with it.

Cryptocurrency traders love memes, but it’s been
live by the sword and die by the sword for them,
particularly when it comes to Musk. When he
hosted Saturday Night Live in May, he joked
about Dogecoin—a meme-inspired

Chandra Steel cryptocurrency he has regularly hyped—being “a @ ChanSteele
hustle,” and the value plunged nearly 30%. A
week later, he gave the virtual currency a boost by
tweeting that he was working with developers to
LPSURYH LWV WUDQVDFWLRQ HI¿FLHQF\

In January, Musk added #bitcoin to his Twitter
bio, which was enough to boost the
cryptocurrency by 20% (it has since been
removed). A few days later, Tesla bought $1.5
billion in bitcoin and said it would accept the
currency as payment for vehicles, sending the
price to a record high. Three months later, Musk
tweeted that Tesla would no longer accept
Bitcoin, citing the environmental effects of
cryptomining and causing its value to drop 10%.

These ups and downs raised the ire of hacktivist
group Anonymous, which released a video
accusing Musk of trolling cryptocurrency
markets.

Setting aside all else that can be said of the
KDJLRJUDSK\ DURXQG 0XVN DQG WKH LQÀXHQFH WKDW
goes with it, the impact of his words (and
sometimes emoji) on cryptocurrency has served
to expose one of its weaknesses: Those who wield
enough power in the market can manipulate it.

Self-styled “crypto analyst” Mr. Whale on Twitter
replied to Musk’s breakup meme tweet:
“Bitcoiners arguing that its [sic] literally
impossible to manipulate the price of Bitcoin….
while simultaneously crying that Elon Musk is
manipulating the price of #Bitcoin is peak
hypocrisy.” Musk himself responded with an
HPRML RI D ¿QJHU SRLQWLQJ WR WKH WZHHW

Chandra Steel This is not a shocking economic reality when it comes to other markets,
but for a form of currency that is touted as being the answer to those
who wish to divest themselves of government control of currency, it’s
devastating. The complexities of buying and using cryptocurrency put it
beyond the grasp of the average consumer. Bitcoin and its brethren
reside primarily in the digital wallets of the technocracy. When those
who hold the currencies bend to the whims of Musk, it makes him a
OHDGHU DQG FU\SWRFXUUHQF\ D VRUW RI ¿DW
Cryptocurrency investors may resent Musk’s manipulations, but the
market is a volatile one, and the majority of those who are involved in it
expect big swings. They know that Musk will likely not affect their
money long-term. But his antics have added value to the arguments of
those who say cryptocurrency’s claims are counterfeit.

[email protected]

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

Max Edd COMMENTARY

Never, Ever Pay the
Ransom!

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PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

REVIEWS

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Hisense 350-Sq. Ft.
Window Air Conditioner
(AW0821CW1W): Smart AC

BY JOHN R. DELANEY

T he Hisense 350-sq. ft. Window Air Conditioner is a reasonably priced
Wi-Fi-enabled window AC unit that you can control with your voice,
your phone, or the included remote. It’s easy to install and did an
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compatibility with Apple HomeKit and IFTTT like some other smart air
conditioners we’ve tested, but it also costs less than many 8,000-BTU models,
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A FAMILIAR DESIGN, BUT SMARTER
As its name implies, the Hisense 350-sq. ft. Window Air Conditioner is designed
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dimensions of 13.0 by 17.5 by 18.5 (HWD). The unit weighs 48.5 pounds and
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2Q WKH WRS LV D GL̆XVHU IDFLQJ RXWZDUG IRU GLUHFWLQJ Hisense 350-Sq.
DLUÀRZ WR WKH OHIW ULJKW XSZDUG DQG GRZQZDUG %HORZ Ft. Window Air
that is a control panel with backlit buttons for Fan Conditioner
Speed, Mode, and Wi-Fi Connect. In the middle is the
current temperature reading and temperature-up and (AW0821CW1W)
-down arrows, as well as a Power button and Timer,
Sleep, and Filter indicators. Below the control panel is a PROS Reasonably
UHPRYDEOH SDQHO WKDW KLGHV WKH ¿OWHU 7R UHPRYH WKH priced. Easy to install.
¿OWHU IRU FOHDQLQJ VLPSO\ SXOO WKH SDQHO R̆ DQG OLIW LW Fast cooling. Voice
RXW <RX FDQ FOHDQ WKH ¿OWHU ZLWK D YDFXXP RU ZDVK LW LQ control. Relatively
warm soapy water. quiet.

The AC uses a three-speed fan and has a maximum CONS Lacks usage
noise level of 57dB. When running in dry reporting. Doesn’t
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of moisture per day. Connectivity comes by way of an IFTTT.
embedded Wi-Fi radio. You can control the AC using
the onboard panel or with the included 3.4-by-1.7-inch BOTTOM LINE The
remote, which has Power, Fan, Mode, Dimmer, and Hisense 350-Sq. Ft.
Temperature Up/Down buttons, as well as Timer, Window Air
Sleep, and Filter Reset. Included in the box are Conditioner is a smart
mounting screws and sash lock hardware, foam AC unit that can be
sealing strips, a top rail, side curtains, and foam controlled by your
panels for the side curtains. There’s also a use and phone, voice, or
installation manual. remote, and does a
fine job of cooling for
a relatively affordable
price.

This air conditioner doesn’t use the same Hisense Smart Air mobile app as the
Hisense 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner With Wi-Fi. Instead, it uses the
ConnectLife mobile app for Android and iOS devices. On the home screen,
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displays the last used device and its settings.

When you tap the panel for the AC, it launches a screen with the current
temperature reading, a power button, and several quick operation buttons. The
Mode button lets you change to Fan, Dry, Cool, and Eco, and the Temperature
button lets you adjust the temperature using a sliding gauge. The Fan Speed
button lets you select a low, medium, or high fan speed, and the Sleep button
increases the AC set temperature by up to 4 degrees before it automatically
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and one for changing the unit of temperature (Celsius or Fahrenheit).

The Hisense AC supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands
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But it lacks support for Apple’s HomeKit platform and Siri voice commands, as
well as power usage reports and support for IFTTT applets that provide
interoperability with other smart home devices.

INSTALLING AND USING THE HISENSE In the app, I
selected my
SMART AC home Wi-Fi
The Hisense Window AC was relatively easy to install in SSID, entered
testing. I attached the top rail using the included screws my password,
and slid in the left- and right-side curtains. I had to and the device
UHPRYH WKH ERWWRP SDUW LQ RUGHU IRU WKH XQLW WR ILW EXW
that was as easy as pressing two buttons and lifting it was online
out of the frame. I placed the AC into the window and ready
frame, slid the side curtains out, and used the included to go.
hardware to secure the curtains to both sides of the
window frame. I drilled a small hole in the window sash
and secured the top rail to the sash using an LQFOXGHG
VFUHZ WKHQ VHDOHG RII DQ\ RSHQLQJV XVLQJ WKH foam
insulation.

Pairing the AC to the app and connecting it to my home
network was also easy. I started by downloading the
ConnectLife mobile app and creating an account, then I
tapped Start Here Add Appliances. I selected Air
Treatment from the menu, then selected Window Air
Conditioner. Following the on-screen instructions, I
turned the unit on and long-pressed the connect button
on the AC. When the Wi-Fi icon began blinking, I used
my phone’s Wi-Fi settings to connect to the AC. I
returned to the app and selected my home Wi-Fi SSID,
entered my password, and the device was online and
ready to go.

The Hisense Window Air Conditioner did a great job of
cooling in my tests. I installed it in a medium-size
bedroom (360 square feet), and it managed to bring the
temperature down from 76 degrees to 66 degrees
Fahrenheit in about 30 minutes, which is right in
line with what we saw with the GE AHC08LY and
Windmill air conditioners, both of which are also
8,000-BTU units.

In addition, the Hisense AC reacted quickly to remote The Hisense
and app commands, and the fan was relatively quiet AC reacted
ZKHQ RSHUDWLQJ DW KLJK VSHHG $W ¿UVW , KDG D OLWWOH quickly to
trouble linking my ConnectLife account to my Alexa
account because of some server issues—but once remote and app
those were resolved, Alexa voice commands worked like commands,
a charm.
and the fan was
A SMART WAY TO COOL DOWN relatively quiet
,I \RX¶UH ORRNLQJ IRU D VPDUW $& WR FRRO R̆ D VPDOO WR when operating
medium room, the Hisense 350-sq. ft. Window Air
Conditioner is an excellent choice. It’s easy to install at high speed.
and responds quickly to voice, app, and remote-control
commands, and most important, it works quickly and
quietly. The Midea 8,000BTU U-Shaped Air
Conditioner has a more innovative design that makes it
super easy to install and helps dampen sound, but it’s
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WKH PRVW VW\OLVK GHVLJQ EXW FRVWV HYHQ PRUH DW
That makes the Hisense model a good alternative for
smart cooling on a relative budget.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

REVIEWS

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Google Pixel Buds A-Series:
For Google Assistant Power
Users BY WILL GREENWALD

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PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

REVIEWS

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Amazon Echo Show 8 (2nd
Gen): Just the Right Balance

BY WILL GREENWALD

T he original Echo Show 8 has been one of our favorite smart displays
since it came out two years ago, thanks to a nearly perfect balance of
strong audio performance for the size, a bright and colorful screen,
and loads of useful Alexa voice control and smart home features for a
reasonable price. Amazon has changed very little in the second-generation
model, which sells for the same $129.99 as the original. The second-gen Echo
Show 8 looks and sounds identical to its predecessor, with only the camera for
video chat and home monitoring receiving an upgrade. It isn’t quite as
impressive as the motorized tracking camera on the Echo Show 10 ($249.99),
but at nearly half the price, the Echo Show 8 is the best value in the smart
display market and our Editors’ Choice winner.

NEARLY UNCHANGED, INSIDE AND OUT Amazon
The second-generation Echo Show 8 is physically Echo Show 8
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LQFKHV +:' ZLWK D YDJXHO\ WULDQJXODU VLGH SUR¿OH (2nd Gen)
that tilts the 8-inch screen back slightly, like an easel.
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with the LCD, with a camera in the top-right corner. screen. Powerful
7KH WRS HGJH KDV SLQKROH FXWRXWV IRU WKH IDU ¿HOG audio for the size.
microphones, volume up/down and mic mute buttons, Higher-resolution
and a mechanical switch for the camera’s privacy camera than previous
shutter. The back of the Echo Show 8’s body is covered model. Digital pan and
in fabric, matching the color of the frame on the front zoom.
(either black or white).
CONS Very few
On the inside, the hardware powering the second-gen changes aside from
Echo Show 8 is almost identical to the original, at least camera.
when it comes to audio and display performance. It has
the same 8.0-inch touch screen with 1,280-by-800- BOTTOM LINE
pixel resolution and the same dual 2.0-inch speaker Amazon’s second-
drivers with a passive bass radiator. generation Echo Show
8 smart display offers
just the right balance
of price, performance,
and size, with an
updated camera for
an even better video
chat and home
security experience.

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or responsiveness in everyday use. The original Echo
Show 8 never felt slow to respond, and the extra power
LQ WKH QHZ PRGHO GLGQ¶W PDNH D QRWLFHDEOH GL̆HUHQFH LQ
testing. Basically, if you already own the original Echo
Show 8, you shouldn’t expect a change in how the new
model looks, sounds, or responds.

Here’s the big upgrade in the new Echo Show 8: It’s
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appears to be the same camera used in the latest Echo
Show 10 but without the motorized tracking
capabilities.

AMAZON ALEXA VOICE CONTROL
$V DQ $PD]RQ $OH[D VPDUW GLVSOD\ WKH (FKR 6KRZ R̆HUV DQ DUUD\ RI YRLFH
control functionality using Amazon’s popular voice assistant. You can ask Alexa
for general information, check your calendar and email, set reminders, control
smart home devices, and perform other useful tasks.

Of course, you can use Alexa to search for and play music and video on the Echo
Show 8. For audio, you can access Amazon Music, Apple Music, SiriusXM,
6SRWLI\ DQG DXGLRERRNV IURP $XGLEOH 9LGHR VHUYLFHV LQFOXGHV $PD]RQ 3ULPH
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available through the Echo Show 8, including Food Network Kitchen for
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Alexa supports a wide range of home automation devices, covering most major
brands, with both voice and touch-screen control on the Echo Show 8. You can
even bring up live video feeds on the Echo Show from compatible doorbell
DQG KRPH VHFXULW\ FDPHUDV LQFOXGLQJ WKH 5LQJ 9LGHR 'RRUEHOO DQG WKH :\]H
&DP 9

In addition to smart home controls, a wide array of third-party Alexa skills can
further expand the Show’s usefulness, letting you use it for everything from
ordering pizza to reading bedtime stories.

As mentioned, the biggest change between the second-gen Echo Show 8 and the
previous model is the upgraded camera. You can use it to make video calls to
anyone else with an Echo Show or with the Alexa app on their smartphone
using Amazon’s Drop In service. You can professionally teleconference with
Chime, if your organization uses it (Skype and Zoom are supported as well).

The camera can also be used to monitor your home by manually tapping in with
the Home Monitoring feature or by subscribing to Amazon Guard (free for basic
PHPEHUVKLS RU SHU PRQWK IRU DGYDQFHG IHDWXUHV WR VHW XS QRWL¿FDWLRQV
and Alexa routines such as turning on lights when the camera detects motion.

While setting up the Echo Show 8, the device prompts you to opt into or out of
the Amazon Sidewalk system. Sidewalk is Amazon’s long-range, low-data
network that creates a mesh net around neighborhoods to improve the service
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theory, though we recommend disabling it if you’re concerned about privacy
and security. (For more, see our Tips & How Tos story in this issue, “What Is
Amazon Sidewalk, and How Do You Disable It?”)

MULTIMEDIA PERFORMANCE: EXACTLY THE SAME
As we mentioned earlier, the audio and video aspects of the new Echo Show 8
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you have to manually turn up the brightness (and disable adaptive brightness)
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with sound, with a strong emphasis on mids and little reach into extreme lows
and highs. It’s a very good audiovisual experience, especially considering the
Echo Show 8’s size and price.

You could also consider getting an Amazon Fire tablet and a stand. Fire tablets
KDYH D 6KRZ 0RGH RSWLRQ WKDW H̆HFWLYHO\ WXUQ WKHP LQWR VPDUW GLVSOD\V
whenever you want, but the sound quality isn’t nearly as good.

A NEW CAMERA
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change on the Echo Show 8 compared with the previous 1-megapixel model. It’s
certainly sharper for video calls and home monitoring, with a wide-angle view
that can automatically pan and zoom on faces while you’re talking. Despite the
ELJ EXPS LQ PHJDSL[HOV YLGHR LVQ¶W VLJQL¿FDQWO\ VKDUSHU WKRXJK HYHQ ZLWK
megapixels, the tiny lens and the fact that the Echo Show is likely to be used
indoors means noise and softness easily show up.

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when pinching to zoom in. That said, the ability to do this and not have the
picture become a tiny handful of pixels is a notable upgrade over the previous
model. Colors are generally accurate, and the picture is bright and easy to see in
most indoor lighting. And while the Echo Show 8 doesn’t rotate to face you, as
the Echo Show 10 does, its ability to automatically pan and zoom on your face
makes video chatting easier and more accessible than on the previous model.

NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED—AND THAT’S OK
7KH VHFRQG JHQHUDWLRQ $PD]RQ (FKR 6KRZ GRHVQ¶W R̆HU VLJQL¿FDQW FKDQJHV
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strong audio, and good video chat/home security performance for a very
UHDVRQDEOH ,W¶V VOLJKWO\ SULFLHU WKDQ WKH *RRJOH $VVLVWDQW SRZHUHG 1HVW
Hub ($99.99), but it sounds considerably better. The Echo Show 10 has even
more powerful sound and a motorized base that lets the camera and screen
rotate to follow you, but it costs a lot more ($249.99), while the tiny Echo Show
PDNHV IRU D JRRG EHGVLGH FORFN IRU 7KH (FKR 6KRZ ¿WV ULJKW
between these two, with the best balance of size and features for the price,
earning our Editors’ Choice award.

PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION I SUBSCRIBE I JULY 2021

REVIEWS

HARDWARE

Alienware m15 Ryzen
Edition R5: An Appealing
Midrange Laptop BY MATTHEW BUZZI

T he modern Alienware m15 design is well-trodden interplanetary soil
for us, after having reviewed several annual iterations of the slim
gaming laptop. The latest, the m15 Ryzen Edition R5, does what it says
on the box: It brings AMD’s latest Ryzen processors to bear for both gaming
and media editing. The CPU is notably quicker than its Intel competition, and
it teams well with the machine’s Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU to approach
the frame rates of more expensive systems. As a whole, this is an appealing
midrange package at a very fair price, with a nice supporting feature set,
including a 165Hz display and long battery life. It doesn’t quite earn an Editors’
Choice award among gaming laptops. We like the Acer Predator Triton 300 SE
and the Razer Blade 15 Advanced Edition, somewhat south and north of the
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between the two.

WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE (OF THE MOON) Alienware m15
While the internals are the exciting new draw in this Ryzen Edition R5
edition, the exterior, as mentioned, is one we’re quite
familiar with. This current iteration of Alienware laptop PROS Class-leading
design has been around only since 2019, starting with CPU performance.
the m15 R2, but we’ve already seen quite a few 15- and Strong 1080p gaming
17-inch laptops pass through our labs with this look. with RTX 3060 GPU
and 165Hz display.
In short, I like the modern shape and styling, such as Long battery life.
the honeycomb vents and rear ringed LED, which
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normally been sent laptops in Alienware’s white Lunar undermines
Light color scheme, but this review unit features the portability. 512GB SSD
black Dark Side of the Moon paint job. The styling may as configured is
not be for everyone, but I think it’s a uniquely restrictive at this
intentional design language, and the black color palette price.
makes it look more like other laptops at a glance, in
case you’d rather blend in. BOTTOM LINE The
Alienware m15 Ryzen
The build quality itself is strong, too, with a sturdy and Edition R5 doesn’t
SUHPLXP IHHO 7KH 5 KDV D QHZ ¿QLVK DGGHG WR WKH reinvent this proven
chassis—which the company calls a “high-endurance laptop design, but
FOHDU FRDW ZLWK VLON\ VPRRWK ¿QLVK´²DQG LW GRHV adding an AMD
feel nice to the touch. The previous lids felt more processor makes it an
like plastic. efficient midrange
offering for gaming
and media creation.

The m15 is fairly portable, even if it somewhat The styling
prioritizes power over portability compared with some may not be
premium competitors, including the Razer Blade 15 and for everyone,
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14 by 10.7 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.93 pounds,
which is decent for a gaming machine but still it’s a
noticeably thicker and heavier than the Razer (0.67 inch uniquely
thick and 4.4 pounds). intentional

The display measures 15.6 inches diagonally and design
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gaming, particularly for the component combination
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good, with particularly nice colors, and the side and top
bezels are quite thin. The bottom border is thicker as it
blends into the relatively chunky hinge, but you won’t
notice it while playing. You can also opt for a full HD
360Hz or QHD 240Hz display.

Next we come to the keyboard, which on our model is
merely an above-average laptop keyboard. As on
Alienware’s m17 R4, though, you can upgrade to a
mechanical keyboard co-developed with leading switch
maker Cherry. I was a big fan of it on the larger laptop,
and I’m sure it would feel just as good here.

For our more traditional keyboard, the standout feature
is its four-zone customizable backlighting. Beyond that,
LW VLPSO\ R̆HUV D FRPIRUWDEOH W\SLQJ H[SHULHQFH ZLWK
bouncy keys and balanced travel. The touchpad is less
exciting and a tad small, but it’s serviceable.

Rounding out the system is a respectable port selection.
The left edge holds the headset jack and an Ethernet
SRUW ZKLOH WKH ULJKW ÀDQN LV KRPH WR WZR 86% 7\SH $
ports. Most of the connections are around back,
including the power jack, another USB-A port, the sole

USB-C port (with power delivery but no Thunderbolt support), and an HDMI
video output.

COMPONENT CHECK
With the external build out of the way, let’s talk components. The base model
starts at $1,567.99, which nets you an eight-core, 16-thread AMD Ryzen R7
+ SURFHVVRU *% RI PHPRU\ WKH 1YLGLD *H)RUFH 57; D *%
solid-state drive, and the 165Hz display. At $1,649.99, our review unit is nearly
identical, but it doubles up on storage with a 512GB SSD. Beyond that, you can
upgrade to a Ryzen R9 processor, an RTX 3070 GPU, more RAM and storage,
and the abovementioned screen options. The memory is also user-upgradable
after purchase via two SO-DIMM slots.

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7KH RQH SRWHQWLDO QHJDWLYH LV WKH *% 66' ZKLFK ZLOO ¿OO XS IDVW ZLWK WRGD\¶V
bulky games. I’d hope for 1TB or more in 2021, aside from entry-level models,
but that would add to the price. We’ll see how the performance pans out in a
moment, but it’s a good spec combination for midrange gaming. And the
modest price premium is an acceptable one for the baseline build quality and
extra features (the construction materials, key lighting, advanced thermal
layout, and more) that go into the system. To be clear, the jump up from the
m15 R4 to R5 is the Ryzen Edition; there is currently no Intel version of the R5.

PERFORMANCE TESTING: THE RYZEN DIFFERENCE
Now we’ll take a look at how the m15 R5 performed in our suite of benchmark
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midrange gaming tier. As such, you can’t expect it to go head to head with the
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that we’ve reviewed (both well over $2,000), so we’ll use those results for
context while comparing it to other midrange systems.

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are clearly packing more power than today’s test unit, but it’s useful to see the
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MSI Stealth 15M ($1,699 as tested) is the closest in price to the m15 R5, and the
14-inch Acer Predator Triton 300 SE ($1,399.99 as tested) represents the
VPDOOHU DQG PRUH D̆RUGDEOH VLGH

Productivity, storage, and media tests: 3&0DUN DQG DUH KROLVWLF
performance suites developed by the PC benchmark specialists at UL. The
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centric tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet jockeying, web browsing,
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to assess the speed of the system’s boot drive. Both tests yield a proprietary
numeric score; higher numbers are better.

We’ve come to expect AMD’s latest Ryzen processors to edge out Intel’s
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but as a measure of everyday competence, it shows that the Alienware m15 R5 is
more than capable. All of these laptops go beyond the minimum acceptable
level, but the m15 R5 can handle multitasking even more smoothly than the
rest. The next three tests will be a better measure of these processors at the
high end.

First comes Maxon’s CPU-crunching Cinebench R15, which is fully threaded to
make use of all available processor cores and threads. Cinebench stresses the
CPU rather than the GPU to render a complex image. The result is a proprietary
score indicating a PC’s suitability for processor-intensive workloads.