Tag Lightning

Smartphones are more than just devices these days, becoming more like lifestyle choices and extensions of ourselves. That said, it’s impossible to separate the specs from the design because even the most beautiful phone will fall flat if it ends up being unusable anyway. In fact, people do buy phones primarily for their features, with aesthetics and ergonomics coming a close second, especially for those who’d slap on a protective or decorative case anyway. Realme’s newest wonder could very well satisfy this kind of user, cramming in the latest and greatest that mobile technology has to offer, so we had to give the Realme GT5 240W a good test run to see if it can truly rice to the challenge despite its rather unremarkable appearance.

Designer: Realme

Aesthetics

It’s hard to ignore a shift in the smartphone market that has made consumers more aware of how design plays an important role in the overall experience of their smartphones. They no longer just want a slab of glass and metal that seemed to be cobbled up in order to house the hardware inside. They want phones that give a positive visual impact, make them stand out, or more closely express their style and interests. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a stylish smartphone, Realme’s latest flagship might not be to your taste.

The most distinctive part of smartphones is their backs, and here the Realme GT5 seems to take a page from different smartphones, creating a mishmash of designs that feel a little incongruous. The sandblasted metal texture looks like a blast from the past, while the large camera bump seems to be an overgrown version of the Google Pixel’s “visor” design. Even the fancy “Pulse Interface Design 2.0” LED light that strangely frames a Qualcomm Snapdragon logo is reminiscent of the Nothing Phone’s now iconic Glyph Interface gimmick.

It’s not that the Realme GT5 240W is unattractive. It is admittedly distinctive in how its camera bump spans the entire width of the phone rather than just one side, but it’s an underwhelming design nonetheless. When you consider how Realme has released many beautiful, unique, and creative designs over the past years, you come to expect a bit more from the brand, especially when it involves the flagship GT line. Fortunately, this phone has other things going for it beyond its somewhat plain looks.

Ergonomics

A phone’s design isn’t just about its appearance. Every part and every design element has an impact on both the phone’s performance as well as its usability. Put too many powerful components inside and you risk burdening the hands of your users. Arrange them in the incorrect way and it might also feel a little unbalanced.

The Realme GT5 240W is a little of both. At 205g, it is a bit on the heftier side, though not exactly by much compared to other devices on the same premium tier. It is, however, a bit top-heavy, thanks to the design of the camera bump and the components that are located there. Adding features always comes with a price, especially when they’re a bit more on the inessential and decorative side. This could result in lower confidence when holding the phone, pushing owners to slap on the opaque and unappealing case that Realme ships inside the box.

The one advantage of the phone’s wide camera design is that it will lie balanced on a flat surface like a table, unlike other phones with bumps only on a corner. The phone won’t wobble no matter how hard you tap on the phone when it’s lying on its back. Additionally, you might even be able to use that protrusion to your advantage when holding the phone, letting one of your fingers rest beneath it to prevent the phone from sliding off.

Performance

Although the Realme GT5 240W looks unremarkable at first glance, it is one of those things that definitely deserves a deeper look. That’s because, despite its modest appearance, this phone is filled to the brim with high-end features that are easily accessible, at least if you reside in a specific market. The Realme GT5 240W is, at its heart, a premium flagship smartphone and it has the guts to prove it, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is actually just the tip of the iceberg.

This particular model boasts a whopping 24GB of RAM, a feat that so far only one other smartphone has managed to pull off. It’s no surprise, then, that the phone performs smoothly without any hiccups, deftly taking anything we throw at it. CPU, GPU, and memory all work in harmony to deliver a fluid interface and flawless user experience, even considering how loaded Realme UI can be. As for data storage, there’s an equally astounding 1TB inside which makes any argument about microSD cards moot.

The Realme GT5 240W also has a gorgeous and bright 6.78-inch 2772×1240 AMOLED display capable of 244Hz refresh rates and 2,160Hz high-frequency pulse-width modulation (PWM) dimming. What these figures mean in practice is that, depending on the app or content, the visuals you’ll get will be smooth as butter. With dual speakers with Dolby Atmos, this phone becomes an entertainment powerhouse for videos, music, and especially games. The one catch is that we found the phone to get a little too warm for comfort, and that’s just when playing Fortnite with medium settings at 60Hz. Performance at that level was quite impressive, but you might want to pay more attention to the heat it generates.

This particular phone’s killer feature can be seen from its name. While the regular Realme GT5 already has super-fast 150W charging, this one nearly doubles that to 240W. In just 5 minutes, we got from 60% to 100%, which is one of if not the fastest on the market. Of course, you’ll have to use the large charging brick it comes with to reach that record speed, but it’s going to be worth it if you really need to top up quickly.

Where the Realme GT5 240W shines least is in the one aspect that a lot of smartphone buyers consider to be the next most important thing: the cameras. The trio is led by a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor, which takes very good shots with plenty of detail when under bright light. The other two, however, are nothing to write home about, with a 112-degree 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro camera completing the team. They take OK photos, given the right conditions, but they’re a huge step back from the performance of other flagships in the market.

The phone runs realme UI 4.0, the company’s customized experience built on top of the current Android 13 release. It is as you would expect, given the target Chinese market, which means loads of customization options and bloatware. There is no Google Play Store, of course, but users in that region are already used to that situation anyway. The phone will most likely take a different route when or if it launches in global markets, though some aspects, like the presence of pre-installed apps, won’t be changing. The Realme GT5 also features the company’s newest “Pulse Interface Design 2.0,” which is basically a way to have colorful LED light notifications on the back of your phone.

Sustainability

Realme is one of the few smartphone brands that has a laudable stance on sustainability. It has a clear vision and target for becoming a more environmentally conscious company and has taken concrete steps towards that goal. It has even launched phones that made use of more sustainable materials, though those have been limited to a few special editions.

Unfortunately, none of those marks can be seen on the Realme GT5 240W, whether in terms of materials used or even the phone’s durability. There is no formal dust and water resistance rating, so it might not inspire confidence in using the phone everywhere. The packaging is fortunately minimal but, thanks to its ultra-fast charging tech, every box will ship with that large charger. It’s not like Realme is the biggest offender, but it definitely has a lot of opportunity to rise to the challenge and outpace other brands when it comes to establishing a Greener Tomorrow.

Value

The Realme GT5 240W is, without a doubt, a premium smartphone, even if you might have misgivings about its not-so-premium looks. It can definitely walk the talk and more, especially with 24GB of RAM and an insanely fast 240W charging. What makes the phone exceptional isn’t just the specs but the fact that it isn’t demanding for an extremely high amount of money. In fact, it only costs 3,799 RMB for all these features, which is around $520, give or take.

The phone would have almost been perfect if not for the simple fact that it isn’t available anywhere outside of China, at least not at the moment. There’s a chance it could reach some global markets, but major ones like the US are often still out of the question. You might be tempted to import one, but the total cost of ownership, plus the Google-less software, makes it a very poor investment overall.

Verdict

Smartphones have started to become as much fashion accessory as they are tech gadgets. They have started to appeal to the more design-conscious masses while rushing to compete for the next head-turning trending look. The Realme GT5 240W seems to stand out by not standing out, looking rather plain and almost forgettable if not for the features it carries underneath that “ordinary” skin.

Fortunately, the phone is worth a lot more than its looks, carrying some of the greatest hardware available to smartphones today. It’s hardly perfect, especially in the camera department, but with a powerful processor, an overly generous 24GB of RAM, and a blazing 240W charging speed, you will be getting your money’s worth, and it won’t even cost you that much. Presuming, of course, you can get your hands on one.

As Apple is almost certainly going to pivot to the USB-C standard for the iPhone, Anker’s compact power bank for the iPhone 14 stands out as one of the best lightning-port accessories for older iPhones, marking an end of a pretty glorious era.

With 12W charging capabilities, the Anker Nano (as compact as it is), delivers 2x faster charging than standard power banks. Designed to be about as wide as your smartphone, the Nano comes with MFi certification and sports a fold-out lightning connector that lets you plug the power bank directly into the bottom of your phone without requiring any cable. The integrated lightning port makes it perfect for charging your AirPods too, or even your Magic Mouse, should you choose!

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Designed to be a compact charger you can carry around and plug right into your iPhone whenever you need some juice, the Anker Nano comes with a design that sort of integrates into the iPhone’s base, providing juice without the inconvenience of a bulky power bank. The 5,000mAh capacity is perfect for its size, and gives your iPhone at least two full charges when you’re low on battery, or a little more than one charge when your battery’s completely at 0%.

The Nano outputs 12W of charging, which measures significantly higher than most 7.5W power banks on the market. Sure, you could grab a MagSafe power bank from Apple, but the Anker Nano’s $29 price tag is incredibly hard to beat (especially compared to the MagSafe charger’s $99 price tag).

The 5,000mAh power bank comes in as many as 5 color options that elegantly complement the iPhone 14’s color variants. The foldable lightning port is a heaven-sent, not just because it eliminates the need for a cable, but also because the port folds flush into the power bank, making it easy to slip into a backpack or bag and carry around everywhere. To charge your Anker Nano, however, you’d need a USB-C cable (although you do get one in the box) which plugs into the Nano’s side.

The presence of a lightning port makes the Nano a wonderful accessory for the iPhone thus far. Come September, Apple will most likely migrate to the USB-C standard, pretty much rendering an entire market of existing products obsolete for newer models. MagSafe charging will still continue to be a thing, but the Anker Nano may just be the last perfect power bank for your iPhone… so if you don’t plan on upgrading to the iPhone 15, grab one now while they’re still hot! Lightning-based accessories may just cease to be a thing soon!

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If you thought the Ford F-150 Lightning had peaked, Ford springs a sizzling surprise with its Platinum Black Edition. This isn’t merely a truck, folks; it’s automotive eloquence on four wheels. Allow us to take you through the design intricacies that make this edition exceptionally spellbinding.

Designer: Ford

Enchanting From Every Angle

Behold the Lightning Platinum Black edition’s alluring exterior. This isn’t your typical paint job. Ford’s custom matte black wrap is an artwork of sorts. It’s multi-faceted, transforming under varied lighting conditions—under studio lights, it flaunts subtle undertones, and under direct sun, it cloaks itself in an enigmatic shade. It’s a chameleon on the road, bound to make heads turn no matter the hour.

Taking this dramatic aesthetic up a notch, Ford introduces exclusive blacked-out accents. From the grille to the mysterious “smoked” light bars, and surprisingly, even the iconic blue Ford emblem is swathed in this shadowy hue. This gives the truck a menacing allure, guaranteeing a double take wherever it roams.

The pièce de résistance? The glossy black roof brandishes “LIGHTNING” across the panoramic sunroof. And let’s not overlook the standard black soft tonneau cover that crowns the Platinum Edition.

Wheels as Statement Pieces

Move over, standard wheels. The Platinum Black strides ahead with bespoke 22-inch black wheels, complete with matte black lug nuts. These aren’t mere aesthetic choices; these wheels are wind tunnel champions, beautifully melding aesthetics, and aerodynamics.

A Symphony of Luxury Inside

Inside this beast, luxury reigns supreme. Seats swathed in top-tier black Nirvana leather with contrast stitching scream opulence. The door jamb even boasts a special-edition series plate—talk about exclusivity.

The already-impressive 15.5-inch touchscreen seems more regal within the Platinum Black’s plush environs. And for those with a keen eye, the tweaked user interface hints at the truck’s upscale stature.

Tech That’s A Step Ahead

Ford is not one to rest on its laurels. The 2024 Platinum Black edition brings advanced features such as an upgraded BlueCruise 1.2 hands-free driving and an intuitive walk away-auto-lock mechanism. And the intelligent tech doesn’t stop there: if multiple phones are paired, the truck identifies the one used to unlock the driver’s door.

Worried about starting up to access the onboard generator? With the Lightning Platinum Black, the optional ProPower generator springs to life as you unlock. Plus, those with the 2022 and 2023 models are included, courtesy of an over-the-air update.

Performance-wise, expect the same robustness with the standard Extended Range battery pack and a 580-hp dual-motor powertrain, ensuring the Platinum stays consistent with its 300-mile range.

The Verdict: Electrifying Elegance

Ford’s F-150 Lightning Platinum Black edition is more than a truck—it’s a symphony of design and innovation. From its underlayer Agate Black paint to its finely curated interiors, there’s an attention to detail that’s simply unmatched. It’s a recalibration of luxury within the electric truck realm.

Starting at $99,000, it does command a slight premium over its predecessor. But it’s more than justified for the sheer artistry, performance, and ready-to-go package. In the bustling world of EVs, the Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black stands as a paragon of design brilliance and tech-forward prowess.

Ford sold over 650,000 F-150s in the U.S. in 2022, 653,957 to be exact. That’s a remarkable number of vehicles of any sort — Toyota only sold less than half that many Camrys. It’s that volume that made the release of the F-150 Lightning in early 2022 so significant. This truck truly has the potential to be a game-changer, taking millions of the most environmentally unfriendly vehicles off the road and replacing them with emissions-free successors.

That was the promise, and with a sub-$40,000 initial asking price the Lightning was a very tempting release. Now, though, the scales have changed dramatically. As of this writing, the cheapest Lightning, the Pro, starts at $59,974 — $63,474 if you want anything other than the stripped, fleet special. The truck you see here, meanwhile, cost just over $100,000. Given that, is the Lightning still the world-changing uber-truck that it was supposed to be?

It is, but the financial equation is sadly a lot more complicated than before.

Exterior Design

The design of the F-150 Lightning doesn’t offer much in the way of nuance or progressive thinking. This thing looks, very much, just a truck. A big one at that. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as buyers in this segment don’t tend to want anything radical, but you’d certainly be forgiven for not picking a Lightning out of a crowd of F-Series trucks in a parking lot.

In motion it’s a little easier to spot thanks to the distinctive running lights front and back, which span up around the headlights on the nose and between the tail lights at the rear. Those details are far and away the biggest visual differentiator between Lightning and a more pedestrian F-Series. But, look a little closer and you can spot some other cues.

Where the grille should be is just a wide swath of black plastic. Instead of a fuel filler cap on the rear fender, there’s a charging port on the front fender, and a few Lightning badges are scattered here and there.

For every nuance that’s subtly different in the Lightning there are a dozen elements carried over wholesale from the regular F-150. The mirrors still stand out wide and proud, each with roughly the same aerodynamic finesse as a shoe box. Body and bed are still split by the same, vertical, inch-wide gap and there’s even the same number pad on the B-pillar for keyless entry of the old-school variety.

Most significantly: the F-150 Lightning is huge, just like a regular F-150. Trucks in this category have been putting on weight for generations now and this current implementation is positively obese. At 231.7 inches, the Lightning is a whopping 33 inches longer than a Tesla Model X SUV, 45 inches longer than the Mustang Mach-E. It’s 96 inches wide and 78.3-inches tall — too tall even to fit into my garage, as it turns out.

It’s hard to argue with the outright capabilities, and it makes sense for Ford to come out of the gate with a top-shelf electric truck instead of something a little smaller and more manageable (more expensive cars have higher profit margins, after all), but I can’t help wishing this were a little more Maverick and a lot less massive.

Interior Design

That size does create a truck with an expansive interior. Five adults, even those of a generous girth, will fit comfortably here with adequate headroom and shoulder room and every other kind of room, too. Rear-seating isn’t exactly luxurious, but it is perfectly acceptable, with heating, a pair of USB ports (one A and one C) plus a 12-volt outlet and even a straight-up, three-prong 120V outlet.

In the Platinum trim, the two seats up front add on ventilation plus the usual power adjustments including lumbar. The giant arm-rest flips up to reveal a chasm big enough to store a couple six packs of your favorite beverage. Or, you can fold out the cushioning on top to create a perfectly serviceable workspace. Another pair of storage cubbies cut in on the sides of what would be the transmission tunnel if this thing had a transmission, plus another compartment ahead of the shifter with wireless charging and a pair of USB ports.

The doors are similarly riddled with storage space and there’s not one but two glove boxes. Plenty of places to lose plenty of things, but also a generous place for working. The USB-C ports in the center will keep your laptop charged while you work if you forgot your adapter, and the truck’s integrated WiFi will ensure your kids in the back can keep on streaming on the way to school.

In terms of visual appeal, there’s a lot going on in the interior, contrasting and clashing patterns and subtly different dark shades. White wouldn’t be my first upholstery color for a work truck, but it does provide a bit of nice contrast when entering the Lightning.

Once seated, you’re confronted with a sea of black plastics, some gloss, some textured, some knurled, some embossed with a fake leather pattern, some with a faux brushed metal appearance, and some wrapped with pseudo woodgrain. This mix of materials is a bit jarring and a bit disappointing in any vehicle costing this much.

Technology

The best part of the interior is the massive, 15.5-inch, vertically oriented display sitting right in the middle of the dash. This gives plenty of real estate for everything from climate controls on the bottom to quick access to settings along the top, with numerous tiles slotting in through the middle depending on what you’re doing.

That said, I do wish it had a few of the more subtle tricks from the Mach-E’s implementation of SYNC, like a persistent button on the top for quickly getting back to Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, both of which work wirelessly here and both also serve turn instructions to the gauge cluster.

That cluster is 12 inches, massive compared to that on the Mach-E and is configurable, displaying everything from charge status to pitch and roll for off-roading. The 360 cameras are also useful when you’re hitting the trail, but they’re far more helpful when trying to slot this thing into a parking spot. That can be a bit of a challenge, but with self-parking the Lightning is happy to handle that for you – if you’re not in a hurry.

Other active features include adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking with evasion. The hallmark here, though, is BlueCruise. This is Ford’s hands-off driver assistance system, capable of handling steering and speed on highways. It’s only available on certain, mapped and divided roads. When you get to one, there’s nothing to do but let go of the wheel.

BlueCruise will do two things: pilot the Lightning and watch you. An infra-red camera built into the dashboard is always studying your eyes to ensure that you’re paying attention, because even if your hands are off the wheel you’re still responsible for taking over. Let those eyes wander too long on a curious roadside sign or a particularly cute dog frollicking in someone’s front yard and the truck will chime at you. Do it again and it’ll chime again, more insistently. Eventually, the system will disable itself and you’ll be on your own.

BlueCruise works well, but the one in the F-150 Lightning isn’t the most advanced flavor of this technology, unable to perform automated lane changes. You’ll still need to handle that yourself.

But the truck can handle itself in a number of other ways, like the recently released Dynamic Hitch Assist system. Just back the car up somewhere near the hitch on your trailer and the Lightning will use the rear-view camera to automatically identify where the ball on your hitch needs to be, then line back itself up perfectly.

Ride and Dynamics

The F-150 Lightning has a traditional look and that very definitely continues to the traditional feel. This thing drives like a truck through and through, but a very comfortable and compliant one. The Lightning is still built on the same ladder-frame design as the normal F-150, but with independent suspension here instead of the traditional live-axle.

That surely helps to increase the ride quality and comfort. The Lightning is compliant on broken roads and surfaces, soaking up railroad crossings and separation joints without complaint. That said, body control is a bit lacking, the big rig having a tendency to float and bob a few moments longer than you might like after a major compression.

Steering is relaxed but acceleration is not. This dual-motor Lightning with the Extended Battery gets to 60 mph in less than 4.0 seconds, which is quicker than many sports cars. It scrabbles off the line with only a bit of a whir and a massive amount of thrust. More importantly, it can tow up to 10,000 pounds in XLS or Lariat trim, which isn’t too far from the maximum 14,000 on a regular F-150. That said, payload is down from 3,325 to 1,952 if you get the larger battery, 2,235 without.

To test that, I loaded the truck up with a couple cubic yards of mulch, just short of the maximum payload, and the truck was still extremely easy to drive, accelerating strongly and braking just as well.

In terms of range, the F-150 Lightning with the larger battery pack is rated for an impressive 320 miles. This Platinum truck, with the bigger wheels and extra goodies, still rates 300 miles per the EPA.

Perhaps more importantly, the Lightning will serve up that battery capacity in many different ways, from the onboard USB-C ports to keep your laptop juiced to outlets in the bed and even more integrated in the frunk for charging tool batteries. Opt for the bidirectional Ford Charge Station Pro, and Ford estimates the Lightning can power an average home for three days.

Whether you use the Lightning as an emergency backup or a jobsite generator, the practicality is real. The one shame is charging. The Lightning tops out at 150 kW charging rate, which is undeniably slow considering the massive, 131 kWh battery pack here. That’s significantly slower than many other EVs that cost less and have far smaller packs.

Pricing and Options

The F-150 Lightning you see here is the top-shelf Platinum trim, outfitted with 22-inch wheels, $495 for the Rapid Red Metallic paint, and $595 for the spray-in bed liner. However, a few things were deleted due to supply constraints, like the onboard scale, which knocked the price down by $650.

Total price, after a $1,895 destination charge is $100,609. That is one expensive truck.

All those price hikes since the Lightning’s initial release are a shame. The Lightning was simply a compelling option for anybody looking to buy a truck. Now, buyers will have to do some math. For contractors, being able to power a job site without a generator rental will surely be compelling. For homeowners, using the truck as a whole-home power source helps make the price sting a little less.

And then of course there are the fuel savings over a traditional truck, which could be substantial.

The math is a little more complicated than before, but that doesn’t change the final result. The F-150 Lightning is a superb truck and a wildly versatile EV. I only wish it were smaller.