ASUS launched the ROG Phone 5s series back in August, though international availability was a big question mark. The ROG Phone 5s series consists of two phones: the ROG Phone 5s and the ROG Phone 5s Pro, both of which act as replacements for the standard ROG Phone 5 and the ROG Phone 5 Pro/Ultimate, respectively. Both phones in the ROG Phone 5s series feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888+ chipset, a higher binned Snapdragon 888 with the “Prime” core now clocked at up to 2.995GHz rather than 2.84GHz, and some additional performance optimizations to the Hexagon 780 DSP and Qualcomm AI engine. Now, both devices are available in Europe from the ASUS online store and selected retailers.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5s series is more or less just a refresh of the already-excellent ROG Phone 5 series. Unlike the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate that we reviewed earlier this year, the ROG Phone 5s Pro isn’t a limited-edition variant. It features the color-enabled “ROG Vision” PMOLED display on the rear like the ROG Phone 5 Pro (the Ultimate had a monochrome panel on the rear to match the rest of its aesthetics), and it also features the two extra touch sensors on the rear similar to both the Pro and Ultimate models. As for the regular ROG Phone 5s, like the regular ROG Phone 5, it doesn’t have the ROG Vision display on the rear, instead opting for ASUS’s typical ROG logo lit up by RGB LEDs. It also doesn’t have the two additional touch sensors on the back cover.
ASUS also says the touch response rate has been upgraded in the ROG Phone 5s series — from a native 300Hz to 360Hz. Both devices also have 6.78-inch, notch and hole-punch-less AMOLED displays at Full HD+ resolution and support for up to 144Hz refresh rate, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, a 3.5mm headphone jack, ultrasonic AirTrigger buttons, under-display fingerprint scanner, triple rear cameras comprised of a 64MP main + 13MP ultra wide-angle + 5MP macro, a 24MP front-facing camera, a massive 6000mAh battery with 65W fast charging support; front-facing stereo speakers, and sub-6GHz 5G support.
Finally, both phones also run the latest version of ASUS’s skin on top of Android 11, ZenUI 8/ROG UI, with the same gaming and software features we noted in our review. This includes the Armoury Crate app, the Game Genie overlay, the AudioWizard app, and more. What’s new is that a 90Hz refresh rate mode has been added on top of the existing 60, 120, and 144Hz options, but everything else is unchanged. In Europe, the ROG Phone 5s can be purchased now, while the ROG Phone 5s Pro is available for pre-order.
Black Friday technically falls on November 26 this year, but many retailers have already started some of their Black Friday deals ahead of time. Many discounts went live at the start of the month, and you can expect to see discounts continue to ramp up until we reach the big day. No matter if you’re just curious about the best sales, or if you’re trying to cross items off your holiday shopping list, XDA has you covered.
This roundup will continue to be updated throughout the month, as more sales go live at dozens of physical and online stores. Feel free to bookmark this page and check back later!
Carriers in the United States will likely have some Black Friday-related sales soon, but there’s not much on that front yet. Below is everything that is live and available to buy right now.
Black Friday technically falls on November 26 this year, but many retailers have already started some of their Black Friday deals ahead of time. Many discounts went live at the start of the month, and you can expect to see discounts continue to ramp up until we reach the big day. No matter if you’re just curious about the best sales, or if you’re trying to cross items off your holiday shopping list, XDA has you covered.
This roundup will continue to be updated throughout the month, as more sales go live at dozens of physical and online stores. Feel free to bookmark this page and check back later!
Carriers in the United States will likely have some Black Friday-related sales soon, but there’s not much on that front yet. Below is everything that is live and available to buy right now.
Apple announced few months ago that its beta testing tool — TestFlight — is coming to macOS. It first released the app in beta for developers to test back in August, but the public can finally start using it now, too. Just like other Apple software, TestFlight is available to download from the Mac App Store, if you’re running macOS 12 Monterey.
According to MacRumors, TestFlight has finally made it to the Mac. Previously, the app was available to beta test software across iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. For some reason, macOS had been excluded, but that’s no longer the case. While Mac users can still download beta builds from developers’ websites, TestFlight provides a simpler, safer, and more effective process.
TestFlight allows developers to invite up to 10,000 people — publicly or via email — to participate in their beta program. Apple collects crash logs and relevant information and sends them to developers. That’s along with any other comments a user might want to add to the report. This helps pinpoint what triggers a certain bug and makes patching it easier.
The first build of an app submitted to TestFlight has to be reviewed and approved by Apple. So it’s a safer source to test apps in beta, when compared to downloading apps directly from the web. This tool also enables developers to create several internal groups for a certain beta app. So they can upload tweaked builds to different users at any time. It’s particularly useful when a developer is testing a few new features separately.
It’s unclear why Apple has waited this long to bring this app to the Mac. Their Universal App support makes it relatively easy to port iOS/iPadOS apps to macOS. It’s also worth mentioning that according to the Mac App Store, TestFlight is only supported on macOS 12 Monterey. So if you’re running an older version, you’re out of luck.
Do you actively help developers by beta testing their apps? Let us know in the comments section below.
Several wireless display standards have popped up over the years. While some, like Intel WiDi, didn’t get much love from the consumers, others like Miracast have managed to stick around, thanks to their relatively wider adaption. But have you wondered about what exactly is Miracast and what it can do? This article will explain all that you need to know about the technology.
Miracast is a screen mirroring standard
Miracast is a screen mirroring standard launched by Wi-Fi Alliance, the same industry group that promotes Wi-Fi technology and certifies Wi-Fi products for interoperability. It enables devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops to mirror their screen on receiving devices like monitors, TVs, and projectors. However, as Miracast can only duplicate/mirror the screen of one device onto another, it essentially acts as a wireless HDMI cable. As a result, it is not as versatile as Chromecast or Apple AirPlay.
Miracast builds upon Wi-Fi Direct, a Wi-Fi standard that allows two devices to connect directly without any wireless access point. So the screen mirroring standard doesn’t require a wireless network to work. Two Miracast-certified devices can directly communicate with each other and create a video session.
With Miracast, you can mirror your phone screen to a TV or a car’s infotainment system, share your laptop screen on a projector, and do a lot more very quickly.
Although it initially allowed sharing up to 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound, the Miracast standard was updated in 2017 to add support for 4K video mirroring as well. That said, not all Miracast certified devices are capable of mirroring 4K resolution content. So realistically, you’ll still get 1080p resolution in most cases.
Who supports Miracast?
As Miracast is an industry-wide standard, it’s available on a wide range of devices. Microsoft introduced Miracast support in Windows 8.1, and it’s available on newer versions as well, including Windows 11. Unlike on smartphones and tablets, where Miracast can only mirror the screen, on Windows PC, you can use Miracast to use a TV, monitor, projector, or another computer as your extended display.
Google used to offer Miracast support in Android, but the company removed it with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. So while stock Android doesn’t include Miracast these days, some manufacturers continue to offer it on their devices. If you aren’t sure whether your device supports Miracast, check the device documentation or contact the manufacturer.
In addition, all of Roku’s current streaming hardware and select Amazon Fire TV devices also offer screen mirroring with built-in Miracast support.
It’s important to note that several devices don’t use Miracast branding and may call their Miracast implementation something else like Smart View, AllShare Cast, or simply Screen mirroring.
Even if your TV, monitor, or projector doesn’t support Miracast, you can grab a Miracast dongle from the market to add the functionality to your device. A Miracast dongle typically plugs into a USB or HDMI port. Some popular Miracast dongles include Microsoft 4K Wireless Display Adapter, Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter V2, and ScreenBeam Mini 2.
How is Miracast different from Chromecast or AirPlay?
As mentioned, Miracast can only mirror your smartphone, laptop, or tablet’s screen on a TV, monitor, or projector. On the other hand, Chromecast and AirPlay are far more feature-rich and even work with speakers to stream audio.
With Chromecast, you can trigger playback of internet-based or locally-stored content on your TV and then do whatever you want on the phone without affecting the content being casted. It also supports screen mirroring. Unfortunately, Chromecast is only available via select mobile and web apps or Chrome.
Apple AirPlay also supports screen mirroring. But additionally, it can also stream specific content formats from the sender device and not the complete screen. So, it’s more flexible than Miracast. That said, you can only cast content using AirPlay from your Apple device.
How to mirror your screen using Miracast
To use Miracast standard for screen mirroring, both devices need to be Miracast certified. If you use an Android phone or tablet to mirror your screen to a TV or another device, you’ll typically find the screen mirroring function in the Quick Settings. If a screen share or mirror function is not present in the Quick Settings, you can also look for it in Setting > Connected Devices or Settings > Display.
On Windows 10 or Windows 11 computers, you can use mirror your screen by opening the Action Center and then clicking on “Connect”. This will show a list of compatible Miracast displays around; select the receiver device. You can also choose to allow inputs from the computer’s keyboard and mouse. In addition, you can use the “Change projection mode” option to extend your display instead of duplicating it.
Problems and Issues
While Miracast seems like an excellent solution for screen mirroring in theory, but in reality, it can be a pain to work with. Miracast certified devices are supposed to work seamlessly with all other Miracast certified devices, but more often than not, you will end up with issues in connecting.
It’s also hard to identify if a particular device supports the technology. Manufacturers often don’t include any reference to Miracast and call their screen mirroring feature with a different name even though it’s based on Miracast. So regular consumers don’t even realize that their phone or TV supports Miracast and can be used for screen mirroring.
Do you use Miracast on your Android phone or computer? Have you experienced issues with it? Let us know in the comments section. We also have similar explainers on Chromecast and AirPlay.
Apple announced few months ago that its beta testing tool — TestFlight — is coming to macOS. It first released the app in beta for developers to test back in August, but the public can finally start using it now, too. Just like other Apple software, TestFlight is available to download from the Mac App Store, if you’re running macOS 12 Monterey.
According to MacRumors, TestFlight has finally made it to the Mac. Previously, the app was available to beta test software across iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. For some reason, macOS had been excluded, but that’s no longer the case. While Mac users can still download beta builds from developers’ websites, TestFlight provides a simpler, safer, and more effective process.
TestFlight allows developers to invite up to 10,000 people — publicly or via email — to participate in their beta program. Apple collects crash logs and relevant information and sends them to developers. That’s along with any other comments a user might want to add to the report. This helps pinpoint what triggers a certain bug and makes patching it easier.
The first build of an app submitted to TestFlight has to be reviewed and approved by Apple. So it’s a safer source to test apps in beta, when compared to downloading apps directly from the web. This tool also enables developers to create several internal groups for a certain beta app. So they can upload tweaked builds to different users at any time. It’s particularly useful when a developer is testing a few new features separately.
It’s unclear why Apple has waited this long to bring this app to the Mac. Their Universal App support makes it relatively easy to port iOS/iPadOS apps to macOS. It’s also worth mentioning that according to the Mac App Store, TestFlight is only supported on macOS 12 Monterey. So if you’re running an older version, you’re out of luck.
Do you actively help developers by beta testing their apps? Let us know in the comments section below.
Several wireless display standards have popped up over the years. While some, like Intel WiDi, didn’t get much love from the consumers, others like Miracast have managed to stick around, thanks to their relatively wider adaption. But have you wondered about what exactly is Miracast and what it can do? This article will explain all that you need to know about the technology.
Miracast is a screen mirroring standard
Miracast is a screen mirroring standard launched by Wi-Fi Alliance, the same industry group that promotes Wi-Fi technology and certifies Wi-Fi products for interoperability. It enables devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops to mirror their screen on receiving devices like monitors, TVs, and projectors. However, as Miracast can only duplicate/mirror the screen of one device onto another, it essentially acts as a wireless HDMI cable. As a result, it is not as versatile as Chromecast or Apple AirPlay.
Miracast builds upon Wi-Fi Direct, a Wi-Fi standard that allows two devices to connect directly without any wireless access point. So the screen mirroring standard doesn’t require a wireless network to work. Two Miracast-certified devices can directly communicate with each other and create a video session.
With Miracast, you can mirror your phone screen to a TV or a car’s infotainment system, share your laptop screen on a projector, and do a lot more very quickly.
Although it initially allowed sharing up to 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound, the Miracast standard was updated in 2017 to add support for 4K video mirroring as well. That said, not all Miracast certified devices are capable of mirroring 4K resolution content. So realistically, you’ll still get 1080p resolution in most cases.
Who supports Miracast?
As Miracast is an industry-wide standard, it’s available on a wide range of devices. Microsoft introduced Miracast support in Windows 8.1, and it’s available on newer versions as well, including Windows 11. Unlike on smartphones and tablets, where Miracast can only mirror the screen, on Windows PC, you can use Miracast to use a TV, monitor, projector, or another computer as your extended display.
Google used to offer Miracast support in Android, but the company removed it with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. So while stock Android doesn’t include Miracast these days, some manufacturers continue to offer it on their devices. If you aren’t sure whether your device supports Miracast, check the device documentation or contact the manufacturer.
In addition, all of Roku’s current streaming hardware and select Amazon Fire TV devices also offer screen mirroring with built-in Miracast support.
It’s important to note that several devices don’t use Miracast branding and may call their Miracast implementation something else like Smart View, AllShare Cast, or simply Screen mirroring.
Even if your TV, monitor, or projector doesn’t support Miracast, you can grab a Miracast dongle from the market to add the functionality to your device. A Miracast dongle typically plugs into a USB or HDMI port. Some popular Miracast dongles include Microsoft 4K Wireless Display Adapter, Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter V2, and ScreenBeam Mini 2.
How is Miracast different from Chromecast or AirPlay?
As mentioned, Miracast can only mirror your smartphone, laptop, or tablet’s screen on a TV, monitor, or projector. On the other hand, Chromecast and AirPlay are far more feature-rich and even work with speakers to stream audio.
With Chromecast, you can trigger playback of internet-based or locally-stored content on your TV and then do whatever you want on the phone without affecting the content being casted. It also supports screen mirroring. Unfortunately, Chromecast is only available via select mobile and web apps or Chrome.
Apple AirPlay also supports screen mirroring. But additionally, it can also stream specific content formats from the sender device and not the complete screen. So, it’s more flexible than Miracast. That said, you can only cast content using AirPlay from your Apple device.
How to mirror your screen using Miracast
To use Miracast standard for screen mirroring, both devices need to be Miracast certified. If you use an Android phone or tablet to mirror your screen to a TV or another device, you’ll typically find the screen mirroring function in the Quick Settings. If a screen share or mirror function is not present in the Quick Settings, you can also look for it in Setting > Connected Devices or Settings > Display.
On Windows 10 or Windows 11 computers, you can use mirror your screen by opening the Action Center and then clicking on “Connect”. This will show a list of compatible Miracast displays around; select the receiver device. You can also choose to allow inputs from the computer’s keyboard and mouse. In addition, you can use the “Change projection mode” option to extend your display instead of duplicating it.
Problems and Issues
While Miracast seems like an excellent solution for screen mirroring in theory, but in reality, it can be a pain to work with. Miracast certified devices are supposed to work seamlessly with all other Miracast certified devices, but more often than not, you will end up with issues in connecting.
It’s also hard to identify if a particular device supports the technology. Manufacturers often don’t include any reference to Miracast and call their screen mirroring feature with a different name even though it’s based on Miracast. So regular consumers don’t even realize that their phone or TV supports Miracast and can be used for screen mirroring.
Do you use Miracast on your Android phone or computer? Have you experienced issues with it? Let us know in the comments section. We also have similar explainers on Chromecast and AirPlay.
In addition, all of Roku’s current streaming hardware and 
