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6 tech products that rocked our world this month

March of this year featured the first Apple event of the year, as well as the rollout of many products first previewed at CES. Apple's new devices aside, this month we got our first glimpse of QD-OLED technology in the form of a new TV and gaming monitor -- the debut products to use the advanced panel type.

Even beyond QD-OLED, the tech products that rocked our team's world this month show the futuristic tech that is finally coming to products you can actually buy.

Sony BRAVIA XR A95K 55"
Sony A95K QD-OLED TV
A quantum leap for OLED
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2022 10.9-inch iPad Air Wi-Fi 64GB
iPad Air (5th-gen)
Almost everything you want
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Amazon eero Pro 6E
Eero Pro 6E
Pro Wi-Fi for your whole home
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Alienware 34 QD-OLED
Alienware 34 QD-OLED gaming monitor
The final frontier
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Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus+
As good as it can get
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sony a95k qd oled tv review xr 55a95k 65a95k 7
Dan Baker/Digital Trends

Sony A95K QD-OLED TV

A quantum leap for OLED

Pros
  • Next-level color purity
  • High color brightness
  • Wide color gamut
  • Perfect black levels
  • Great sound
Cons
  • Expensive

The Sony A95K was the first QD-OLED television we got to actually see and test, and it did not disappoint. We don't hand out perfect scores very often, but for high-end TVs, QD-OLED is proving to be a truly transformative panel technology -- and Sony is leading the charge.

The Sony A95K has those perfect black levels that only OLED can deliver, but it also takes color accuracy and brightness to levels never seen before on an OLED. It's never cheap to buy yourself the latest and greatest tech, but in the case of the Sony A85K, it just might be worth it.

Sony BRAVIA XR A95K 55"
Sony A95K QD-OLED TV
A quantum leap for OLED
apple ipad air 5 2022 review back flowers
Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

iPad Air (5th-gen)

Almost everything you want

Pros
  • High-performance M1 processor
  • Slim and light
  • Software suitable for work or play
  • Large, colorful, and sharp screen
  • Wide array of quality accessories
  • Center Stage works well
Cons
  • 64GB storage isn't enough
  • Battery life disappoints

Apple did the unthinkable with the latest iPad Air, now in its 5th generation. It comes with the M1 chip, the same impressive piece of Apple Silicon you'll find in the iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and even the iMac. It certainly has less room to flex in the iPad Air, but that doesn't make it any less impressive, especially since Apple isn't charging extra for it.

Beyond the extra performance of the M1, the new iPad Air is nearly unrecognizable next to last gen's model. Connected to the Magic Keyboard, it's a serviceable laptop replacement if you can manage with the small size. As a stand-alone tablet, it's just excellent -- portable, fast, and effortlessly fun to play with. It might be lacking some of the advanced features of the iPad Pro, such as Face ID and the Pro Motion display, but it's the iPad most people should buy.

2022 10.9-inch iPad Air Wi-Fi 64GB
iPad Air (5th-gen)
Almost everything you want
eero pro 6e review 6

Eero Pro 6E

Pro Wi-Fi for your whole home

Pros
  • Supports fast, multigig connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 6E onboard
  • Easy to use and setup
  • Great range
  • Relatively affordable compared to competitors
Cons
  • No quad-band design
  • Late to the Wi-Fi 6E game

Wi-Fi has never been so important, but many of the fastest routers are way too expensive. The Eero Pro 6E brings the price down quite a bit on premium mesh routers, all without losing the speed we all want. In our testing, its range proved to be good, maintaining high speeds in even larger homes.

Of course, the Eero Pro 6E supports the higher bandwidth of Wi-Fi 6E, so long as you have the latest devices that also support it. But even if you don't, the Eero Pro 6E should be futureproof for many, many years, which is essential when it comes to buying a router.

Amazon eero Pro 6E
Eero Pro 6E
Pro Wi-Fi for your whole home
alienware 34 qd oled aw3423dw review 6

Alienware 34 QD-OLED gaming monitor

The final frontier

Pros
  • QD-OLED contrast is unbeatable
  • Fantastic HDR performance
  • Excellent color saturation
  • Attractive, minimalist design
  • Surprisingly affordable
Cons
  • SDR brightness is a bit low
  • Color accuracy isn't perfect

OLED gaming monitors are still basically unheard of. While console gamers have been able to enjoy the benefits of OLED televisions, PC gamers have been left in the dust.

But no more. The Alienware 34 QD-OLED finally delivers the incredible black levels of OLED to the PC gaming world, along with some excellent HDR performance with a peak brightness of up to 1,000 nits. The ultrawide and curved Alienware 34 delivers on the performance front too, bringing a 175Hz refresh rate at a 1440p resolution.

For even one of the best gaming monitors, this covers a surprisingly wide color gamut too. It's the whole package, and hopefully the first of an exciting new era for PC gaming monitors.

Alienware 34 QD-OLED
Alienware 34 QD-OLED gaming monitor
The final frontier
samsung galaxy tab s8 plus review leader 2000
Adam Doud/Digital Trends

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus+

As good as it can get

Pros
  • Powerful
  • Beautiful hardware
  • Gorgeous display
  • Great speakers
  • Productivity powerhouse
Cons
  • Keyboard case not included
  • Some software trouble

If there's one company that has continued to support Android tablets over the years, it's Samsung. The company's latest release, the Galaxy Tab S8+, is an attempt at a true iPad Pro competitor, and it comes remarkably close. Thanks to some incredibly premium hardware and the convenience of Samsung DeX, the Galaxy Tab S8+ has a lot going for it.

The detachable keyboard has a hard time comparing with the Magic Keyboard, though, and there continue to be some glaring holes in the Android tablet app ecosystem. Some of that isn't Samsung's fault, but this isn't a cheap tablet, either. Samsung fans will love the way their phone and tablet work together though, even letting you freely use the same S Pen across both devices. That's just cool.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Plus+
As good as it can get

Editors' Recommendations

HP flash sale sees laptops, gaming PCs available from just $250
The HP Omen 16-inch gaming laptop on a desk with gameplay action on the screen.

There's a massive flash sale happing at HP right now, giving you the chance to grab a cheap laptop, Chromebook, or even gaming PC. HP is one of the most popular computer manufacturers in the world, and for good reason. Even the cheapest Chromebook on this list is built well, has reasonable power and will last for years. This is a flash sale, so it won't last for long. We've helped cut your decision making time down by pulling the best deals on our favorite HP desktops and laptops. Check them out below.
HP Chromebook 14 -- $250, was $330

Chromebook deals are generally more affordable than offers for traditional Windows-based laptops because their components are cheaper. However, that doesn't mean devices like the HP Chromebook 14 are slow, because Chromebooks promise smooth performance even with low-end hardware as their operating system, Chrome OS, is dependent on web-based apps instead of installed software. The HP Chromebook 14 features a 14-inch display and a 32GB eMMC for storage, and it's equipped with the Intel Celeron N4500 processor, integrated Intel UHD Graphics, and 4GB of RAM.

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Looking for a cheap desktop computer? This Dell PC is $430
The Dell Inspiron Desktop, on its own.

Do you just need a simple, dependable PC for a cheap price? Dell has long been the answer to that request. That's because they make quality, budget-level machines and usually have nice desktop computer deals to cut the prices even more. Right now, for instance, you can buy the Dell Inspiron desktop PC for only $430, $70 off its usual price. This is about as cheap as quality desktops go, so grab it while the discount is still active.

Why you should buy the Dell Inspiron Desktop
Dell is a fixture in our list of the best desktop computers because of its high-end models, but it also rolls out trustworthy entry-level options like the Dell Inspiron Desktop. The PC is powered by the 12th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, Intel UHD Graphics 730, and 8GB of RAM, which will be enough to get you through simple tasks such as doing online research, making reports, and building presentations. Our guide on how much RAM do you need recommends upgrading to at least 16GB of RAM, which will be easy to do once you've saved up for it as that's one of the perks of a desktop computer over a laptop.

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Avoid this terrible laptop deal and buy this instead
dell inspiron 14 5000 review 08

Retailers like try to pull you in with big price cuts to distract from the actual product they're selling. For instance, a three-digit price cut on a shiny new laptop might distract you from the fact that you've never even heard of the manufacturer. That's the case with the Gateway Notebook deal at Walmart. Sure, it's a nice price cut, but if you're looking for a quality laptop at a low price, you should buy the Dell Inspiron instead. It's also on sale today. Read more about how the laptops stack up against each other before you make a decision.
Avoid this Gateway Ultra Slim Notebook deal

At face value, this Gateway seems like a great notebook. Not only do you get a very thin laptop with FHD resolution, but it also comes with a reasonably powerful 12th Gen intel i7-1255U, which is excellent for productivity work. Unfortunately, for the $659 price tag, you're missing out on a few features you can find elsewhere for the same price. Take the webcam, for example, which is only 2MP and very much below standards for today's expectations, at least at this price point, and doesn't compete with the best budget laptops on the market. The overall build quality is also not necessarily commiserate with the asking price, although we do appreciate the relatively large 512GB storage, which won't have you reaching for external hard drive deals to supplement it. The Gateway Notebook also comes with a touch-enabled screen, which isn't very common at this price point, so at least it does have that going for it.

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