Samsung Galaxy Book 2018 spotted: but is it Qualcomm or Intel inside?

Not long after Qualcomm teased a Windows 10 device from Samsung using its latest Snapdragon 850 chipset, a Samsung Galaxy Book that uses the operating system has been disclosed through a Russian Inspection Bureau EEC certificate.

First published on June 27, the certificate directly mentions a “Samsung Galaxy Book Windows tablet” and possible model numbers are listed: Samsung SM-W737 and SM-W738 and its variants: SM-W737A SM-W737N SM-W737V SM-W738N, as Dutch website LetsGoDigital reports.

Qualcomm and Samsung announced a few weeks prior to this that a Windows device using the chip maker’s latest system-on-a-chip for the platform was in the works. Could this be what they were talking about?

So, will it be Intel or Qualcomm inside?

With the Galaxy Book traditionally being a device that is primarily used as a tablet, like most Windows 10 devices that run on Snapdragon hardware, this Galaxy Book may be the tablet device that Qualcomm has been previously talking about.

Alternatively, Samsung could go with an Intel CPU, as it has with some of its other Windows tablets and laptops in the past (though likely using a Qualcomm modem for the LTE connectivity, anyway). Of course, the final outcome could be that Samsung delivers both options, much like the HP has done with the Envy x2.

If Samsung chooses the latter option, it better be careful so as to not confuse customers. As we all should know by now, most folks out there don’t know their processor from their memory, much less the brand names.

At any rate, we'll now be watching the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event in early August with bated breath.

• Behold! The very best laptops of 2018

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Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition tablet revealed – comes with a 'broken' promise

Amazon has announced that it's adding another child-friendly tablet to its lineup, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition. 

The tablet boasts a 10.1-inch 1080p Full HD display, quad-core processor, 32GB of storage (with up to 256GB of expandable storage via microSD), and up to 10 hours of battery life. 

It was inevitable, really. Amazon already has a kid-friendly Fire HD 7 and Fire HD 8 Kids Edition, and now it has created a rubber bumper big enough to go around the Fire 10's sizable 10.1-inch screen.

And to give you that extra piece of mind, Amazon is bundling an 'if it breaks, we will replace it' promise into the package that's good for two years.

While those specs will look familiar to anyone who already has a Kindle Fire HD 10, these new tablets aren't just rebadged Fire HDs with a kid-proof case attached; they've been reimagined from the ground up.

Their UI is more touch-friendly than Amazon's regular tablets, and they also come packing a year's free Kids Unlimited (FreeTime Unlimited in the US), a service that has more than 5,000 books, videos, apps and games for children.

Size matters

TechRadar spoke to Kurt Beidler, Amazon’s Director of Kids and Family, and asked him about the upgraded specs and screen, and whether this was something that children were requesting. 

He explained that it was more to do with the move towards more graphically intense gaming and big download sizes, necessitating children having tablets with a bit more capacity. 

"There are underlying trends in the industry: games have gotten a lot larger. Lego Batman and others are 1GB plus. Whether you seek them out or not there are a lot of big games out there," noted Beidler.

"We have also added downloadable video, so the demands on space are there. We don't want kids to run out of space on these tablets. Managing space on any device is something human beings of all ages struggle with, so to expect a three, four-year-old to do that is not really reasonable.

"If a device fills up then it's useless and the kid will just throw it in the corner and do something else."

Beidler also revealed some of the ways that kids have been using tablets. In its research, Amazon found that the average age for a child using a tablet was four, and that 73% of kids are using them to play games, while half will watch TV and movies. 

When it comes to the parents, nine out of 10 wanted the content on the tablet to be pre-approved – i.e., not chosen by an algorithm, something which stung YouTube recently. 

According to Beidler, this is something that's important to Amazon, and the company is tackling this in a unique way. 

"We built our web browser a couple of years ago, and we whitelist websites and YouTube videos. So, it's unlike any other kid-friendly web browser out there, most of which blacklist sites through keyword filters and so on. 

"We whitelist every single thing – there's around 100,000 sites and YouTube videos on there."

If that isn't enough piece of mind, then there's also the Parent Dashboard so children's usage habits can be monitored from afar.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition tablet is available for pre-order now and will ship from July 11. Price wise, it's £199/$199.

• Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition makes Alexa voice assistant child friendly

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How Razer honed the Blade into a sharper, lighter gaming laptop

The new Razer Blade is, hands down, the most impressive and comprehensive redesign we’ve ever seen on a laptop. From the narrower bezels, sleeker design, upgraded components, to the new keyboard and trackpad, nearly every part of this gaming notebook has been retouched.

Razer told us plenty about the first redesign for its flagship gaming laptop, but we wanted to dig even deeper into the nitty gritty of how this impressive overhaul came to be. Luckily, we caught up with Luca Di Fiore, Director of Research and Development and Jesse Recinos who was Project Manager for the development of the Razer Blade, to get the inside scoop.

Recinos explains the Razer Blade redesign only happened now because “essentially, the rest of the world caught up to what our vision of a portable, slim, attractive gaming notebook looked like.”

“The Blade has always eschewed the size and the portability of a normal gaming notebook and to get there, we always had to make tough decisions about screen size and components,” Recinos says. “But choosing 14-inch versus 15-inch for example, we know that we gave up some of the options that people wanted, like having a high refresh rate, etc.”

“Basically, with the next generation components, we could actually maintain the two out of the three of the Blade’s original dimensions and grow the thing to accommodate the additional width of a 15-inch panel,” Recinos explains. “It kind of became a no-brainer at that point.”

Millimeter wave

Di Fiore jumps in to note that the biggest driving force for the team was reducing as much as possible, shaving off every single point of millimeter that we could from the new Blade.

“The engineering team really found solutions for every single point of a millimeter that we could shave off of the device, Di Fiore expounds. “That has been a relentless, and utterly painful to a certain point, process of really trying to figure out how do we make the smallest possible package with the maximum amount of performance.”

This almost obsessive passion for thinness and performance is exactly what lead to the development of a new cooling system that gets rid of heat pipes for an entirely vapor chamber chilled system.

“We thought ‘hey, wait a minute, if we don't use the flattened down heat pipes, maybe we can shave off 0.2 millimeters.” Di Fiore recalls. “OK, so we gained 0.2 millimeters here, so now how do we, for instance, grow the battery.”

Although the vapor chamber might look like nothing more than a single sheet of copper, it’s a far more intricate piece of technology. Vapor chamber fabrication involves creating an internal wing structure that needs to be very precise to the amount of the water vapor. This specific type of liquid in turn travels back and forth through this complex wing structure to absorb heat from the components.

The thing about this vapor chamber cooling is its usually backed up by heat pipes to help carry the said heat away to heat sinks and fans.

“Everybody in the thermal industry can actually produce the thin fins,” Di Fiore says. “Nobody ever has done the structural vapor chamber that also does the heat exchange through the fins. So, there were a lot of challenges that the thermal engineering team resolved, and I think they actually pulled off astonishing work.”

Another challenge for Di Fiore and Recinos was creating a minimally thin fan design that also maximized performance at the same time and minimized acoustics.

“In normal gaming laptops, you have 20 millimeters of fans that you can push things out with, but for us, we are reducing the Z-height as much as possible, so now you only have six, seven millimeters of fans that you have to push air with.” Di Fiore says. “The more you want to add on the CFM side and the more noise you generate, so balancing it all that out was sort of a miracle honestly.”

Thinning out everything

Of course, the Blade’s overall thickness isn’t the only thing that Di Fiore and Recinos worked on. A much more apparent change with the Razer’s flagship laptop is it has gone from a 14-inch screen to a 15.6-inch screen. Not does it give the machine more than an extra inch of screen real estate, but it also allowed Razer to put in a 144Hz high refresh rate panel. But, beyond those specs on paper, Recinos also tells us it’s also an incredibly thin panel.

“The display panel we are using is actually about 20% thinner than the panel that was originally pitched to us so,” Recinos says. “I think we actually said, ‘that's great but can you make it thinner, narrower bezels and higher refresh rate, but you know, also shave off half a millimeter?’”

Di Fiore also chimes in that they “had to push a lot of the industry for getting higher refresh panels into the thickness that we actually wanted. That was a big challenge, and the thinner you go the reliability is much more difficult to control and the backlight is more difficult to control.”

Recinos continues to say that “I think worked out pretty well, but there are a lot of challenges even just routing cables up alongside the screen. I mean there is a lot of systems out there in gaming and non-gaming that actually put the camera below the screen because of these challenges.”

Di Fiore sighs as he remembers perfecting the Blade’s new keyboard was almost just as, if not more, difficult to tune. Thanks to the reduced overall height of the gaming laptop, Razer decided to cut the amount of key travel on the notebook to the same amount as the Blade Stealth while maintaining the same level of actuation force, or feedback.

“Yeah, we kept a balance between the force actuation of the keys and also with the material of the rubber” Di Fiore explains.”It's a specific type of rubber dome composition and a specific size that’s very, very specific to the type of performance that gamer expect.

“Also because we have to consider that for every detail, the rubber domes really have to pass. We actually have very strict reliability tests, so the amount of strokes that it has to pass has to be on par with some of the desktop keyboards” he says. “We use those strongest requirements, since it’s always expected when you see one of our keyboards.”

Standing the test of time

Di Fiore and Recinos are both incredibly proud of the new Blade and, as with the original design of Razer’s flagship gaming laptop, we can expect this design to stick around for some time.

“We're not just designing for today,” Recinos tells us. “We're not even designing for six months out. We're designing for years out. We tend to have very iconic design language, and we stick with it for few different cycles, as you’ve seen.”

“If you think back to the original Blade 17-inch, our first product, it didn't even have a GTX processor,” he says. “It was a GT and it had a dual-core CPU, and within a couple generations between our own engineering iterations and between the vendors catching up with power performance, we were able to have quad-core and have a GTX processor, and it made a lot of difference.”

Recinos stresses that this current iteration might have been spurred on by new machines with narrow bezels and Max-Q graphics, but it’s design is also fully ready to support what’s going to be available in a few years.

“We have to look to the future too, and getting excited about all that stuff really, I think, gives us the confidence to go forward with these designs,” Recinos says.

• In search of perfection: Razer reflects on five years of laptop design

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Argos has some gaming laptop bargains with up to £440 knocked off

Hankering for a new gaming laptop? Then Argos has a few nifty deals on the boil starting today, including a couple of more affordable machines from HP, and a high-end offering from Acer with no less than £440 chopped off the price in the case of the latter.

In the case of the HP machines, these deals run until July 4 – that’s a week today – but the Acer deal is on for the whole month of July, and expires on August 4. As ever, that’s while stocks last.

• Check out our list of the best laptops of 2018

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The Top 5 Android Tablets of 2018: the best slates running Google's OS

 

Looking for a tablet and thinking about an Android device? Well good news, because we've got a list of the best Android tablets right here for you to enjoy.

There are other options out there with Windows 10 tablets such as the Surface Pro - but tablets running Android remain the main rival to the iOS 11-toting New iPad, iPad Pro 10.5, iPad Pro 12.9, iPad Pro 9.7 and iPad mini 4. 

[Update: A new year, and hopefully a new start for the Android tablet world. Launches have been few and far between in recent years, but we're hoping the likes of Samsung, Sony, Asus and Acer offer us some Google-powered slates in 2018.]

Thankfully there is a range of options to consider. Some Android tablets have 10-inch screens, others seven, some land somewhere in between and a handful even push the boundaries past 10 inches. 

There are also big differences in battery life, processing power, RAM, price and even the software each slate is running. Some are toting the latest Android 8 Oreo, while some are still stuck on Android 7 Nougat.

Below you'll find our selection of the best Android tablets on the market right now. You'll find devices from all price and size points and these are the very best tablets powered by Google's own operating system.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is easily the best Android tablet to date, headlined by an HDR-ready display, four powerful speakers and an upgraded S Pen that's included inside the box. The keyboard folio is a worthwhile extra.

It shocks us to say this, but it's actually a bit too future-proofed in some ways. Its HDR screen looks great, but the trove of promised content from Netflix and Amazon isn't here yet – at least not on tablets. But that shouldn't stop you from considering Samsung's latest and greatest if what you're after is a top-tier Android tablet.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

The Asus ZenPad 3S 10 might look like an iPad in design, but given its roots in Android, it's obviously a much different beast.

For your money, it's a hard ask to find another Android tablet that puts classy design at the forefront like the ZenPad 3S 10. Paired with its gorgeous 2K display and strong audio performance, it makes quite the impression from a multimedia perspective.

Our review points out that there are a few low points in the presentation, like the average battery life, but issues aside, the amount of features and performance level you get here is well worth the low asking price.

Read the full review: Asus ZenPad 3S 10

Most tablets are very similar to one another, but not the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro. It sits in its own sub-category of Android tablets that try and succeed at being weird, yet awesome.

This tablet has all of the usual amenities that one desires in a 2017 tablet, including some extras, such as 2,560 x 1600 display and a huge 10,200mAh battery. But this tablet also houses a hidden projector that can splash the screen onto a wall for night-time viewing. Cool, right? It's novel and useful.

Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro

The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017) is among the best of the retail giant’s tablets, as while it’s in many ways lower end than the similar HD 10, the smaller screen is sharper as a result, and the price is lower.

It also delivers surprisingly strong gaming performance, with a decent amount of power for the money. The speakers aren’t great and the cameras are awful, but tablets aren’t for taking photos and you can always use headphones.

What you do get is solid if not spectacular performance, and tight integration with Amazon’s other services through Fire OS, all at a price that’s well below most of the non-Amazon branded competition. You should also note that if you already own the 2016 version of this tablet, it won't be worth upgrading to the 2017 version as the differences are very minimal.

Read the full review: Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017)

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is the company’s flagship tablet, but to call it a flagship is misleading, as while it’s top of the range it sports middling specs at best. But that’s okay because it’s very, very affordable.

Its 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 screen doesn’t provide a very sharp picture, but audio fares much better thanks to loud and clear stereo speakers, and with up to 64GB of built in storage plus a microSD card slot there’s plenty of room for apps, games and other media.

Which is all good, because this being an Amazon product you’re faced with things to buy, download, rent and stream at every turn.

Read the full review: Amazon Fire HD 10

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The 5 best laptops for college students in 2018: all the best options for school work

 The school year may be over, but there’s never a bad time to think about the best laptops for students. There are still plenty of great laptops for college students to decorate their dorms with, even if we’re still waiting for the Surface Laptop 2. The best laptops for students will be elegantly designed and powerful, while still maintaining a modest price tag that frugal students can justify.

Because money can be hard to come by when you’re a college student, the best laptops for students won’t have the latest Coffee Lake or AMD Ryzen 2nd Generation processors and Nvidia graphics – they’ll feature the hardware they actually need to perform, no frills. And, even though Windows 10 is still the most popular operating system among the education sector, you should keep your eye on the best Chromebooks as well – you’d be surprised how much you can do with them.

And, now that Windows 10 allows you to toggle off Windows 10 S, and a new Windows 10 Lean mode is on the way . The best laptops for students will be flexible enough to do whatever you need them to do.

The next few years are going to be stressful, but the right tool is worth the expense if it’ll help you earn that degree. To alleviate some of the frustration, we’ve listed the best laptops for college students below so that you can buy one for yourself or a loved one. You won’t have to limit to yourself to an old clunker any more.

• Discover the best laptops you can buy in every category

• Dell XPS 13
• Microsoft Surface Laptop
• Microsoft Surface Pro
• Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2017)
• Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming

There’s a reason the Dell XPS 13 is our best laptops for college students, best Ultrabook and best laptop overall. It’s all about options. So, even if your rigorous academic lifestyle doesn’t necessitate the high pixel density of a quad HD display, the XPS 13 gives you the freedom to opt for a lower-resolution 1080p screen as an alternative. The same goes for the processor, of which you can select between an i3, i5 and i7. To top it all off, the latest Dell XPS 13 can be dressed in Rose Gold, shielded by a stylish aluminum chassis that will make even Apple fans jealous.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 review

 

 Microsoft is gaining a reputation for making solid, attractive and overall desirable premium products to showcase its Windows software, and the Surface Laptop continues in this vein. The thin and light design makes it easy to carry around, while the careful component considerations, and high-quality build materials, make it a joy to use.

This is obviously a device that Microsoft’s designers and engineers have spent a lot of time working on, and for the most part it has paid off handsomely. This is one of the best-looking Windows devices on the market today, and, thanks to some nifty specs that power the carefully controlled Windows 10 S operating system, it's one of the smoothest Windows 10 experiences too.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Laptop

The 2017 Surface Pro is – in every way, shape and form – the Surface Pro 5 we’ve been waiting for. From its rounded edges to its refined selection of accessories, there’s no denying it’s a true Surface Pro 4 successor. There’s also the fact that the Surface Pro draws inspiration from the Surface Studio insofar as it bends back 165 degrees. The only real downside then (besides having to buy the Surface Pen separately this time) is that only the i7 version of the Surface Pro can compete with even the most affordable iPad Pro.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro

The 2017 MacBook Pro doesn’t offer much in the way of distinguishing itself from its predecessor, but it is a testament to just how much you can improve something by simply swapping up internal components and calling it a day. Because it’s finally equipped with the newest generation of Intel Kaby Lake processors and faster-than-ever PCIe 3.0 SSD storage, the MacBook Pro comes easily recommended, undeterred by its reluctance to bring back legacy ports like HDMI and standard USB. This is, through and through, a laptop built for the future.

Read the full review: Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2017)

Ditching the Alienware moniker for once, the Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming doesn’t cost all that much considering its rather lofty specs. Even if it can’t max out every game you throw at it, the Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming is both cheaper than a MacBook Air and way more capable. And, if you were worried about the battery life, the Inspiron 15 Gaming lasted a whole 5 hours and 51 minutes in our tests, longer than some Ultrabooks priced significantly higher. Whether for coursework or leisure, this laptop can do it all. 

Read the full review: Dell Inspiron 15 Gaming

• Now, check out the best 2-in-1 laptops

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The 5 best 2-in-1 laptops of 2018: find the best convertible laptop for your needs

 Once you’ve experienced the best 2-in-1 laptops for yourself, you’ll never go back. It would even be difficult to go back to a normal, old non-convertible laptop. And, judging by a recent patent filed by Microsoft, smartphones may be following in the footsteps of these versatile machines with their flexible hinges.

The best 2-in-1 laptops come in every shape and size, and even offer premium performance – they’re now among the best Windows 10 laptops you can buy today. And, with 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors making their way to awesome 2-in-1 laptops, like the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1, we can’t wait to see what future 2-in-1 laptops look like. Luckily, now that Computex 2018 is over, and we got a chance to take a look at the best laptops of Computex, we have an idea of what the future will hold.

At the end of the day, a MacBook Air might be tempting, but it doesn’t have an 8th-generation Intel processor or a 4K display – nor does it flip around or have a touchscreen. However, the best 2-in-1 laptops totally do, and usually at a lower price.

A majority of the best 2-in-1 laptops will be convertible – the bottom half swiveling around the back, so you can use it as a tablet. There are a few, though, that are detachable, like the sublime Surface Book 2, whose high-resolution PixelSense display is held up by sheer magnetic force. No matter how the tablet mode is implemented, most of the best 2-in-1 laptops will be compatible with styluses – though they’re usually sold separately. Don’t worry, though, we’ve listed the pros and cons of each device. 

• The best laptops aren't limited to the convertible kind

 

Gamers ought to look elsewhere, but for everyone else, the Lenovo Yoga 920 is a passable alternative to the ludicrously expensive Surface Book 2. For those who value, well... value over a screen that can be detached completely from its keyboard, the Lenovo Yoga 920 has a lot of good to offer. The design, for instance, is less pronounced and has the subtlety of a more traditional Ultrabook. Meanwhile, it’s thin and powerful all the same.

Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga 920

 

Though many heads will be turned to the 15-inch model this time around, as Microsoft recently debuted a large-sized laptop for the first time ever, the 13.5-inch rendition of the Surface Book 2 deserves your attention nonetheless. To start, it comes with a 7th- or 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, respectively, depending on your needs. But, per usual with the Surface devices, the draw isn’t what it can do on the inside, but rather, how it can transform on the outside. Not only can its screen be detached from its keyboard, but it’ll last longer too.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13-inch)

With Kaby Lake now ruling the roost in terms of CPUs, HP decided it’s high time to flip the switch on its Spectre 2-in-1. With an overhauled keyboard and suave new logo, the HP Spectre x360 holds its own against anything Apple can show. At the same time, none of this stifles the battery life, which exceeds 8 hours of straight use. What’s more, the HP Spectre x360 can now be configured with a 4K screen and 1TB of SSD storage, too.

Read the full review: HP Spectre x360

 If you’ve been in the market for one of the best 2-in-1 laptops, but you also kind of wanted to get one of the best gaming laptops instead, you’re in luck. The Dell XPS 15, already a fantastic laptop, has been transformed into a 2-in-1 – and was given discrete-class Radeon RX Vega graphics in the process. What this means is that you can get a beautiful convertible laptop, but you don’t have to give up any power. And, while that means that it’s a little expensive and the fans get a bit loud – it’s worth it in our book.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 

 

To be fair, we loved the 13-inch Surface Book already, so when we first caught word that a 15-inch Surface Book 2 was in the works, our expectations were amplified. In the end, Microsoft’s second 2-in-1 laptop isn’t perfect, but it is an impressive feat held back by a handful of (frankly necessary) concessions. For starters, this machine features cutting-edge 8th-generation Intel processors and Nvidia 10-series graphics for gamers and creative types alike. Pair that with its nifty convertibility, and we have ourselves a winner.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)

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Xiaomi announces Redmi 6 Pro with dual rear cameras, Mi Pad 4 with Snapdragon 660 SoC

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi has announced a new budget smartphone and a tablet, called the Redmi 6 Pro and Mi Pad 4 in China. The devices have been in the news for some time now after they were leaked, revealing their design and specifications.

The Mi Pad 4 is the successor to the popular Mi Pad 3 that was launched in China in April last year. The Redmi 6 Pro is the first Redmi device to feature a notch and we may see more Redmi devices being launched with a notch in the future.

The Mi Pad 4 has been launched in WiFi and WiFi + LTE variants and will go on sale in China from June 27, starting from CNY 1,099 for the WiFi variant and CNY 1,499 for the LTE variant. The Redmi 6 Pro will be available starting at CNY 999 starting from June 26.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro Specifications

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9 skinned on top and features a 5.84-inch full HD+ 2.5D curved glass display with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. The device has a notch at the top for the front camera and sensors.

In terms of performance, the Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is powered by an octa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC coupled with a Adreno 506 GPU. In terms of memory, the device has been launched in three variants – 3GB RAM + 32GB internal storage, 4GB RAM + 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage.

Coming to the camera department, the Redmi 6 Pro features a dual camera setup at the back consisting of a 12MP Sony IMX486 sensor with 1.25um pixel size, f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus, LED flash and a secondary 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 sensor with f/2.2 aperture and 1.12um pixel size. On the front, it sports a 5MP selfie camera.

It is powered by a 4,000mAh battery and connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack and an Infrared sensor.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Specifications

The Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 also runs on Android 8.1 Oreo with MIUI 9 skinned on top. It features an 8-inch full HD+ display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:10.

In terms of performance, the Mi Pad 4 is powered by an octa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC coupled with Adreno 512 GPU. In terms of memory, the device will be available in two variants – 3GB RAM + 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage.

Coming to the camera department, the Mi Pad 4 features a single 13MP primary camera with OV13855 sensor and f/2.0 aperture. On the front, it sports a 5MP selfie camera with Samsung S5K5E8 sensor and f/2.0 aperture.

The Mi Pad 4 is powered by a 6,000mAh battery and connectivity options on the device include 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type – C port.

Pricing and Availability

The Redmi 6 Pro is priced at CNY 999 for the 3GB RAM variant, CNY 1,199 for the 4GB RAM + 32GB storage variant and CNY 1,299 for the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. It will be available in China starting from June 26 in Rose Gold, Gold, Blue, Black and Red colors.

The Mi Pad 4 has been priced at CNY 1,099 for the 3GB RAM variant, CNY 1,399 for the 4GB RAM variant and the LTE variant has been priced at CNY 1,499.

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Best gaming laptops 2018 in the UAE: the 10 top gaming laptops we've reviewed

 

In the past, the best gaming laptops weren’t all that different from any of the other best laptops – as long as it had a Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and discrete graphics, it was the best gaming laptop. They were so few and far between that it didn’t really matter whether they were good. The only question they had to answer was ‘can it run Crysis?’  

In 2018, though, the best gaming laptops are a far cry from the gaming laptops of 10 years ago. They may all run Windows 10, but you can pick up a gaming laptop using Nvidia’s Max-Q technology for a MacBook Air on steroids, or you can pick up an extremely powerful and clunky beast that can easily replace your gaming desktop. And, now that the new Razer Blade is out, and Computex 2018 gave us a glimpse of the next best gaming laptops are going to look like – things are about to get exciting. 

So, whether you’re looking for a laptop that you can use for work as well as play, or you want a traditional gaming behemoth, we have the recommendations you’re looking for. And, because we’ve tested, reviewed and ranked all the best gaming laptops ourselves, you can be sure that you’ll find exactly what you need right here on this list.

 

Hailing in Coffee Lake to the world of the best gaming laptops, the MSI GS65 packs a ton of power into a very unassuming package. Rocking an 8th-generation Intel Core i7-8750H CPU and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU, there’s nothing that can stand in the way of this laptop. And, what’s better, thanks to its subdued design, you’ll be able to bring this power out wherever you go without having to hide your nerdy pastimes.

Read the full review: MSI GS65 Stealth 

It’s almost as if Asus has initiated a new laptop category of its own with the Zephyrus GX501. That’s because, with the help of Nvidia’s Max-Q technology, the Republic of Gamers has crafted a hardy gaming notebook that measures no thicker than an Ultrabook. In fact, the only area wherein it’s not Ultrabook-esque is the battery, which struggles to attain a consecutive lifespan beyond two hours. 

Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus GX501

Buy now from AED 8,999

For many gamers, Ultrabook is a four-letter word, but it doesn't have to be. The first time you get your hands on a Razer Blade, you'll be looking at a battery life of 7 and a half hours of non-stop video. While you could argue it does skimp as far as graphics are concerned, with the help of a Razer Core external GPU enclosure, you can strap an Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti to this thing down the road if you want. Plus, with the newly added 4K screen option, you may actually need it.

Read the full review: Razer Blade

Price: Starts at AED 4,700

Unlike most laptops its size, the Alienware 13 R3 bears a hinge-forward design. By moving the heat sinks behind the screen, the chassis is allowed to be thinner, at 0.81-inch (0.22cm). Unfortunately, this means you won’t find many 13-inch laptop bags that will actually suit the Alienware 13 R3. While you may be tempted by the inclusion of a full-size Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060, it’s the OLED touch display that caught our attention. 

Read the full review: Alienware 13 R3

Price: Starts at AED 5,300

At long last, Razer has introduced a true desktop replacement that won’t weigh you down. Measuring in at only 0.88 inches thick with the option between a 17-inch 1080p display running at 120Hz or a G-Sync-laden 4K touchscreen, the Razer Blade Pro also introduces the company’s ultra-low-profile mechanical switches to a notebook for the first time ever. That’s a deal that’s only sweetened by an unusual trackpad placement that makes it comfier to boot.

Read the full review: Razer Blade Pro

Price: Starts at AED 10,500

If you're looking for an all-out gaming laptop to replace an aging desktop PC, you could do little better than the Asus ROG G752. With top-end specs, impressive build quality and stand-out looks on offer, there are few alternatives that offer quite so much power for the price. While there are slimmer and slightly more powerful alternatives available if money is no object, the G752 offers an awful lot for the money.

Read the full review: Asus ROG G752

Buy now from Let's Tango at AED 12,499

When considering a high-end gaming notebook, you need to look at performance, features and style. Acer has all those bases covered, and even though it’s pricey for a notebook that’s still using a previous generation video card, all the packed-in features  — including the 4K screen, an SSD and hard drive combo, and booming sound system — make it worthwhile.  

Read the full review: Acer Predator 17 X

Buy now from Let's Tango at AED 13,333,

To be frank, Alienware hasn’t been a name typically associated with value. That seems to be changing with the Alienware 17 R4, which bears so many different customization options when it comes to specs that you can practically name your own price. Bespeckled with all of the signature elements we’ve come to expect from the brand, such as RGB backlit-accents and tons of ventilation, our only real qualm with the Alienware 17 R4 is a disappointing battery life.

Read the full review: Alienware 17 R4

Buy now from AED 7,650

 The Lenovo Legion Y720 looks to be a solid choice for a mid-range gaming laptop. While we’ve seen plenty of laptops break the bank for the best specs and performance, this 15.6-inch option starts at a refreshingly affordable AED 5,699  – and users on a tighter budget may want to consider the lower-end Legion Y520 that starts at AED 3,699. 

Read our hands-on preview:  Lenovo Legion Y720

Buy now from AED 6,088

The MSI GT73VR Titan Pro crams top-of-the-line tech and a gorgeous 120Hz display into one sleek design – but top-tier power demands an equally top-tier price tag.

Read the full review: MSI GT73VR Titan Pro

Buy now from Let's Tango at AED 13,543

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article

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Cheza Chromebook could be a Snapdragon 845 2-in-1 tablet

Snapdragon processors surprisingly came to Windows 10 laptops before Chromebooks despite the fact that the latter can now use Android apps, but there might soon be a Snapdragon 845-powered Chrome OS machine to rectify this.

Supposedly a new 2-in-1 tablet named ‘Cheza’ is in the works, according to XDA developers who discovered some early code in Chromium. 

About Chromebooks dug a little deeper into the rumored device, and it claims the device will feature a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution display, plus support for USB-C and a detachable keyboard, like the Surface Pro.

Chromebooks in the past have featured CPUs from the likes of Intel, Rockchip and MediaTek, but this would be the first to feature a Qualcomm processor. Aside from being a debut Snapdragon 845 device, Android apps have all been optimized for Qualcomm’s chips, so ‘Cheza’ could be one of the best Chromebooks to run mobile apps.

It could also be one of the first always-connected Chrome OS devices, thanks to Snapdragon 845’s chipset including an integrated LTE modem.

That said, we’re waiting for some more information (such as a brand attached to this mystery Chromebook) and an official announcement before we put too much stock into these rumors.

• Could this 2-in-1 Chromebook be a shoe-in for our best laptops?

Via Liliputing

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The best iPad 2018: how to choose the right Apple tablet for you

Inside Lenovo’s mission to create a true ‘Legion’ of PC gamers

Best Android tablets of 2018: which should you buy?

Finding the best Android tablet isn't an easy buying decision, as they come in all shapes, sizes and prices. But there's hope.

We've tested and sorted through the latest Android tablets in order to come up with a top 10 list, all ranked below. Our recommendations are a combination of performance for your dollar, design, features, build quality and value.

This comprehensive Android tablet list will be updated frequently throughout 2018, as Samsung, Google and many other companies continue to release new tablets and upgrade the software with Android Oreo and Android P.

Here are the best tablets that you can buy this year.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is easily the best Android tablet to date, headlined by an HDR-ready display, four powerful speakers and an upgraded S Pen that's included inside the box. The keyboard folio is a worthwhile extra.

It shocks us to say this, but it's actually a bit too future-proofed in some ways. Its HDR screen looks great, but the trove of promised content from Netflix and Amazon isn't here yet – at least not on tablets. But that shouldn't stop you from considering Samsung's latest and greatest if what you're after is a top-tier Android tablet.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

The Asus ZenPad 3S 10 might look like an iPad in design, but given its roots in Android, it's obviously a much different beast.

For your money, it's a hard ask to find another Android tablet that puts classy design at the forefront like the ZenPad 3S 10. Paired with its gorgeous 2K display and strong audio performance, it makes quite the impression from a multimedia perspective.

Our review points out that there are a few low points in the presentation, like the average battery life, but issues aside, the amount of features and performance level you get here is well worth the low asking price.

Read the full review: Asus ZenPad 3S 10

Google's first foray into crafting its very own tablets started couldn't have gone much better. While it was once the best Android tablet out there, the Pixel C is   still recommended for a few reasons.

Its design borrows from the gorgeous Chromebook Pixel, then builds upon it with versatility to allow easy switching between a standalone tablet or a laptop. Android power-users will also appreciate that it runs stock OS and thus, like Nexus and Pixel products, the Pixel C is now running the latest software, Android Nougat, with support for Android O coming soon.

The Pixel C certainly isn't cheap, but you won't find another Android tablet packed with this slick combination of power, style and the latest software updates.

Read the full review: Google Pixel C

Samsung is firing straight at the iPad's greatest weakness with the Galaxy Tab S2: storage capacity. The latest from the popular smartphone and tablet maker offers 32GB of internal storage as the standard out of the box, with support for up to 128GB via the microSD slot.

It also stands out amongst the greater tablet competition with a stellar 2,048 x 1,536 Super AMOLED display and Samsung's own zippy Exynos 7 5433 octa-core chipset, which consists of a 1.9GHz quad-core processor working in tandem with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor.

Given that the Tab S3 sits at the top of our list, the S2 still comes recommended given that it is now an even better deal.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S2

One of the best things about the Huawei MediaPad M3 is its build quality. The slim, light aluminum frame looks and feels good in the hand. 

The screen and speakers are great, too. These attributes alone make the MediaPad M3 a competent entertainment tablet. And despite a few instances of lousy gaming performance, the Kirin 950 does an admirable job of keeping things smooth. 

You can find a cheaper tablet further down on the list, but you'll be giving up on the compact, premium design of the MediaPad M3.

Read the full review: Huawei MediaPad M3 8.0

The Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus is one of the few new tablets that doesn’t just scrape together minimal specs in an attempt to attract buyers who find the iPad a bit too expensive. 

It’s only slightly less expensive than Apple’s entry-level new iPad, and that has more storage too. Factor this in and they’re similarly-priced.

As with most Android tablets, the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus's design doesn’t quite match an iPad’s. However, if you’re resolutely an Android lover, this is one of the few good mid-price options you have.

Highlights include a screen that's great for comic books and movies, GPS and expandable memory. It’s also half the price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3, although the older 8-inch Galaxy Tab S2 is still around and may be more compelling if you don’t mind an 8-inch screen rather than a 10-inch one.

Read the full review: Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus

The Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017) is among the best of the retail giant’s tablets, as while it’s in many ways lower end than the similar HD 10, the smaller screen is sharper as a result, and the price is lower.

It also delivers surprisingly strong gaming performance, with a decent amount of power for the money. The speakers aren’t great and the cameras are awful, but tablets aren’t for taking photos and you can always use headphones.

What you do get is solid if not spectacular performance, and tight integration with Amazon’s other services through Fire OS, all at a price that’s well below most of the non-Amazon branded competition. You should also note that if you already own the 2016 version of this tablet, it won't be worth upgrading to the 2017 version as the differences are very minimal.

Read the full review: Amazon Fire HD 8 (2017)

The Amazon Fire HD 10 is the company’s flagship tablet, but to call it a flagship is misleading, as while it’s top of the range it sports middling specs at best. But that’s okay because it’s very, very affordable.

Its 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 screen doesn’t provide a very sharp picture, but audio fares much better thanks to loud and clear stereo speakers, and with up to 64GB of built in storage plus a microSD card slot there’s plenty of room for apps, games and other media.

Which is all good, because this being an Amazon product you’re faced with things to buy, download, rent and stream at every turn.

Read the full review: Amazon Fire HD 10

Tablets don’t get any cheaper than this – well, functional ones don’t anyway. The incredibly low price and sturdy design make the Amazon Fire a great choice to give to a kid – in fact, Amazon’s even built a (pricier) version specifically for children.

But even for a grown audience the Amazon Fire far exceeds expectations, with a fairly bright 7.0-inch screen, acceptable speakers, solid battery life and even reasonable performance, with a snappy interface and the ability to run most games.

Fire OS won’t suit everyone and this isn’t a tablet that impresses once you take the price out of the equation, but for what the Amazon Fire costs it would almost be rude not to consider it.

Read the full review: Amazon Fire 7 (2017)

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Samsung’s Chromebook Plus (V2) gets turbocharged with an Intel processor

Samsung has revealed a second-generation of its Chromebook Plus convertible, with the new spin on the 2-in-1 laptop getting beefed up with an Intel processor.

The original Samsung Chromebook Plus ran with an ARM-based hexa-core CPU, whereas the new model goes with an Intel processor – just like its Chromebook Pro sibling – albeit not a Core family CPU, but a Celeron 3965Y.

That’s a dual-core chip which runs at 1.5GHz with a TDP of 6W, and has considerably more grunt than its predecessor’s ARM effort.

Samsung’s Chromebook Plus (V2) makes another useful change by doubling up on the cameras, offering both front and rear-facing models. The front-facer is a 1-megapixel (MP) affair, with the rear camera boasting 13MP and benefiting from auto-focus.

There are more connectors on board, as well, with a pair of USB-C ports (capable of outputting 4K to an external display with an optional adapter), along with a USB 3.0 connector and a microSD card slot. As before, there’s a built-in stylus.

Display differences

The system memory and storage remain the same at 4GB and 32GB, respectively, although interestingly the 12.2-inch display is now a more conventional 1,920 x 1,080 (Full HD) resolution, as opposed to 2,400 x 1,600 (a 3:2 aspect ratio) on the original Chromebook Plus.

So it’s not such a sharp screen, but then again, that will also help improve performance alongside the more powerful processor, because there are fewer pixels to shift.

The notebook is 16mm at its thinnest and weighs 1.33kg, with a 39Wh battery as before. It also benefits from a curved-cap keyboard that promises to be able to deal with small liquid spillages of up to 60cc.

The Chromebook Plus (V2) will go on sale at Best Buy’s online and brick-and-mortar stores over in the US come June 24, with the price starting at $499 (around £375, AU$665) – $50 more than the first-gen model went on sale for originally.

• Two Chromebooks make the cut for our best laptops list

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Google’s Pixelbook could soon run Windows 10

It looks like Google could be preparing the ground for its Pixelbook laptop to run Windows 10 natively.

Of course, normally this top-end Chromebook runs Chrome OS, but native support for Microsoft’s operating system could be in the pipeline, at least going by recent code commits pertaining to the Pixelbook as highlighted by XDA Developers.

What’s interesting here is that there is mention of testing with the Windows Hardware Certification Kit and Windows Hardware Lab Kit, which would seem to indicate that Google is readying the laptop to be officially certified and approved by Microsoft to run Windows 10.

All of this is backed up by a story which emerged a couple of months back, with speculation that Google is working on an AltOS mode for the Pixelbook. This could allow for a second OS to be installed on the Chromebook.

Dual in the crown

Again, that nugget was uncovered in development code for the laptop, and all this points to the possibility of allowing folks to dual-boot Windows 10 alongside Chrome OS on the Pixelbook, potentially adding to the appeal of the machine in a major way, and giving it far more flexibility in terms of the software the device can run.

Before we get too carried away here, remember that whatever is happening behind the scenes could be derailed before Windows 10 support actually makes it to production hardware.

Still, it certainly seems like it’s Google’s intention to make Chromebooks more versatile machines, given the announcement of support for Linux apps last month, and of course that comes on top of being able to run Android apps on many of these devices. So, why not chuck Windows 10 and its associated software ecosystem into the mix as well?

Google’s seemingly open arms when it comes to embracing other operating systems is good to see, and contrasts with some of the accusations we’ve seen levelled at Microsoft in the past, concerning Windows 10 laptops being locked down to the OS in some manner.

• Google’s Pixelbook makes it onto our best laptops list

Via Wccftech.com

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Heavily redesigned Surface Pro reportedly due for mid-2019

Sources speaking to ZDNet and Thurott.com have dropped the codename for a major overhaul to Microsoft’s Surface Pro: ‘Carmel’. According to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, the product won’t launch until mid-2019 but will be heavily redesigned.

Both reports also reference codenames for the previously reported upcoming Xbox and HoloLens sequels, known internally as ‘Scarlett’ and Sydney, respectively.

Since Microsoft issued what amounted to a processor refresh for last year’s Surface Pro device, fans have been chomping at the bit for a true successor. Even Microsoft resisted naming the device the ‘Surface Pro 5,’ for Surface lead Panos Panay felt it wasn’t different enough to deserve the numbered moniker.

Panay told CNET in an interview last year that Microsoft will formally issue the next numbered Surface Pro “when it's meaningful and the change is right, we'll put it on market.” He clarified that “you'll see that same meaningful impact when Pro 5, or Pro Next hits the market," swiftly adding that, "there's no such thing as a Pro 5."

ZDNet’s report assumes the next Surface Pro device will be the ‘Surface Pro 6,’ though that may just be a reference to that this will have been the sixth Surface Pro.

However, a reference later in the report cites that refreshes of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop could land later this year with 8th-generation Intel Core processors, and that they could employ USB-C ports in conjunction with Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect port.

So, regardless of whether Microsoft calls this heavily redesigned Surface Pro the ‘5’ or ‘6’, know that the firm is hard at work on making a new 2-in-1 tablet worthy of a number.

• These are the best Windows tablets we’ve tested this past year

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The next Samsung tablet may feature iris scanning and Dex support

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has been rumored for quite some time, though only now are we hearing some more concrete details leaking out.

Latest amongst the mumblings is news of a new iris scanning ability, much like what we’ve seen on Samsung’s phones going back to the Galaxy S8. Also borrowing from its remarkable phone design, the company is said to be reducing bezels to really let the screen take center stage, as Apple is also rumored to do with the next iPad.

Where does that leave the home key that has traditionally housed the fingerprint scanner? We’re currently not certain, but it may shift to the side or rear, or Samsung may lean in completely on its iris scanning tech as its sole biometric.

Not only is the upcoming tablet all but guaranteed to look a bit different than before, it will likely be more powerful, too. Rumors state that it will harness the power of the Snapdragon 835, 4GB of RAM and will run with Android Oreo 8.1. It’s said to utilize Samsung Dex, according to SamMobile, though it’s not clear how it will be setup to work with a monitor.

This could very well be an announcement saved for IFA 2018 in September, though with Apple’s new tablet reportedly coming soon, Samsung’s latest had better be worth the wait.

Via PhoneArena

• Could the Tab S4 dethrone the best tablets?

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Huawei’s new, long-lasting MediaPad tablets are available in the US

The Huawei MediaPad M5, announced earlier this year at Barcelona’s MWC 2018, is finally available in the US.

Available in 8.4-inch and 10.8-inch variations, this tablet starts at $319 for the smaller options, working up to $359 for the larger of the two. Huawei is offering a Pro version of the 10.8-inch tablet for $449 that comes with a stylus and keyboard dock. You can find them online through Amazon and Newegg.

Speaking on the specs that you’ll find inside, both sizes of tablet feature the same processor, the Kirin 960. It’s not the same one you’ll find in the Huawei Mate 10 Pro or the Huawei P20 Pro, but it’s still competent. 4GB of RAM should keep things running smoothly, and the 64GB of storage can be expanded with its microSD slot.

Both tablets boast a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, Android Oreo support, and a 13MP rear lens and 8MP front-facing lens. Battery sizes differ, though, with the larger tablet’s massive 7,500mAh beating out the smaller one’s still impressive 5,100mAh capacity battery.

• Have a look at our list of the best tablets

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Lenovo reinvents Legion gaming line with new laptops and desktops

One week with the Boox Max2: is it finally time to go paperless?

Best tablet 2018: the top slates tested and ranked

Budget Surface tablet with USB-C rumored to be codenamed ‘Lex’

You may recall that last month it emerged that Microsoft is apparently working on an affordable Surface tablet to take the fight to the iPad, and a little more info has emerged on the device, including a codename: ‘Lex’.

According to Microsoft tipster WalkingCat (as spotted by Windows Latest), the alleged 10-inch slate has an internal code name of Surface Lex (or Surface L, presumably for short), and there are Type Covers for the device code-named 'Gibs'.

Although code names don’t mean much, Lex puts us in mind of a certain super villain, so perhaps Microsoft believes the incoming tablet is destined for world domination (or at least domination of the slate world). Gibs might just be a reminder of what you’ll end up as if you try and play a shooter with a detachable keyboard on a 10-inch hybrid.

Also revealed was the fact that the Surface Lex may have a USB Type-C connector, and support LTE connectivity – at least on some models – as the previous report on this tablet had already claimed. It seems that those two elements are a somewhat stronger prospect, then.

Indeed, WalkingCat observes that the device does sound like the rumored compact and affordable tablet which Bloomberg’s source was talking about last month. All this is still exactly that, though – so much talk on the grapevine.

The price is right

The rumor is the tablet will be pitched at a price point of $400 (about £300, AU$530), with the partner Type Cover also being cheaper than the ones Microsoft currently sells. The budget slate will allegedly be a lot more portable than the current Surface Pro (pictured above), and around a fifth lighter.

Predictably, battery life might suffer as a result of all that slimming down, and the device is likely to have a longevity pitched at around 10 hours (compared to 13.5 hours claimed for the Surface Pro, that is).

Even though in recent times, sales of Surface devices have been rather up and down, it would seem that Microsoft intends to push more strongly with its range of hybrids, and the firm certainly isn’t thinking of doing anything like marginalizing or ditching the range, as was very briefly rumored last October.

• One of Microsoft’s Surface range makes our best laptops list

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Tomorrow's Chromebooks will likely support eSIMs and Project Fi

It looks like Microsoft and Qualcomm’s Always-Connected PCs (APC) are about to meet their match, as Google is reportedly working on bringing eSIM as well as Project Fi support to Chromebooks.

The finding comes from a code review by XDA of the open source Chromium code base, which Chrome OS is based upon. This support for eSIMs – and by proxy Project Fi, as it supports the eSIM standard – is referred to as ‘Project Hermes.’

“Hermes is the codename for the project of implementing eSIM support for Chrome OS. Hermes will be responsible for delivering messages between devices with eSIM chips and carrier servers through profile downloads as well as service discovery for new carriers,” the summary reads on the Chromium website.

XDA’s deduction that Project Fi will be supported in addition to eSIM comes from the fact that Google’s latest leading smartphones, the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL, both ship with eSIM support – Project Fi works with eSIM.

Pressing the advantage

Of course, it’s easy to suspect that Google looks to compete with Microsoft’s APC initiative, which has been off to a rocky start. The first of these devices are generally premium-grade laptops and tablets, but are said to lack the performance that their price tags denote.

Meanwhile, Chromebooks are already known for their impeccably long battery life, not to mention their nigh unbeatable value. LTE connectivity would vastly boost the value proposition of Chromebooks, especially when would-be buyers are looking for such a device and their choice is between something that costs 1,000 bucks or quid versus, say, 300.

However, the introduction of eSIM and Project Fi support could drive the prices of such Chromebook devices up a bit, but likely nowhere near that of these APC products. Regardless, the competition between laptops that can go online anywhere is about to heat up.

• These are the best Chromebook deals the world over

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Amazon Prime Day probably won't beat this cheap Kindle Paperwhite deal

While Amazon Prime Day 2018 will be a great time to get a big discount on a range of Amazon's own devices, the Kindle Paperwhite hasn't been invited to the discount dance in the last two years.

That's a crying shame, as it's the best pound-for-pound e-reader around for the price. On the plus side, it's often discounted at other times of the year and today it's back to its excellent £89.99 price.

These Kindle e-readers are fantastic for reading out in the sun too as the screen doesn't reflect light like the glass screens on tablets and phones. The Paperwhite is smaller than most books, but you can download thousands of them to it, so you don't have to worry about how many books you can fit into your suitcase.

The Paperwhite also has a back-lit screen (ideal for night-time reading), making it our favourite over the cheaper standard Kindle. But if you're feeling flush, maybe you'd prefer the waterproof Kindle Oasis? Whatever model takes your fancy, we've put together a guide for all the best Kindle deals.

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Amazon’s Alexa could soon be built into a load more laptops

A growing number of PC makers are planning to incorporate Alexa into their machines, and that growth could be set to seriously kick up a gear with Amazon’s announcement that three big ODMs are going to offer four new white-box (unbranded) reference designs which come with Alexa built-in.

ODMs are original design manufacturers that provide PC designs for other vendors to brand and use, so you can see how this could spark a fresh influx of Alexa-toting laptops.

They will join the models already being pushed by Acer, Asus, Lenovo, and HP which we heard about at the start of the year (indeed, Acer is already shipping Spin notebooks with Amazon’s digital assistant pre-installed).

The ODMs in question are Wistron, Compal, and Quanta, and of the four white-box designs (spotted by VentureBeat), three are convertible notebooks, plus Wistron is also producing an all-in-one PC.

All these products are built to deliver a full ‘far-field Alexa experience’ complete with appropriate microphone arrays to ensure your voice commands are picked up (hopefully).

Four of a kind

Wistron’s all-in-one sports a 27-inch UHD display, an Intel Coffee Lake S processor, integrated graphics, 32GB of system memory and a 128GB SSD. So it isn’t short on grunt, and it boasts a Full HD webcam with infrared, four MEMs microphones, and a pair of stereo speakers.

The firm’s take on a convertible notebook boasts a 15.6-inch Full HD touchscreen, and Intel Kaby Lake R processor plus 8GB of system RAM, and again four MEMs microphones. The 48Whr battery gives it a claimed life of eight hours.

Compal’s convertible also has a 15.6-inch Full HD touchscreen and four digital microphones, with more extensive battery longevity at 13 hours, and a fingerprint reader thrown in.

As for Quanta’s hybrid laptop, that runs with a smaller 14-inch Full HD display, and again, four digital microphones, and it’s designed for taking on the road with 18 hours of battery life (and it also has boosted security with a fingerprint sensor).

Jon Kirk, Director, Alexa Voice Service at Amazon, noted that: “These Windows 10 PCs have been designed from the ground up to support Alexa, bringing Amazon’s voice service to customers in new ways.”

Clearly, then, Amazon is making a big push to get Alexa on more laptops and PCs in general, making it easier for PC manufacturers out there to utilize a suitable reference model for their own products.

Could we even see a future where Amazon takes a design like one of these and sells it under its own brand, as an actual ‘Alexa laptop’? That’s not what this move is about at the moment, but it’s an interesting thought to mull looking down the line.

• These are the best 2-in-1 laptops of 2018

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Huawei's next MateBook D laptop is an all-AMD anti-MacBook

During AMD’s Computex 2018 press conference, Huawei took the opportunity to spotlight a brand new version of the MateBook D laptop, which uses pretty much all AMD hardware inside.

A sequel to last year’s Intel and Nvidia-based Huawei MateBook D, this rendition will launch later this year with an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U processor with Radeon Vega 8 mobile graphics. Those innards power a 14-inch, Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS display with slim bezels within a metal frame that’s just 15.8mm (0.62 inches) thin and weighs a mere 1.45kg (3.19 pounds).

The MateBook D appears to include many of the same ports as the previous 15.6-inch version, but also sports a USB-C port for charging and other uses.

Finally, Huawei touted a quad-speaker setup on the laptop with a split frequency arrangement, co-designed with Dolby in both hardware and software for improved audio, which includes support for Atmos.

All of this will be powered by a 57.4Wh battery, though Huawei is not yet prepared to discuss battery life claims. Nor is the company prepared to talk pricing and release timing for this all-AMD MateBook D, sadly.

Now, with rumors of a 14-inch MacBook Pro in the works, it appears that Huawei will be ready once again with yet another option to combat it. You know, if the Huawei MateBook X Pro wasn’t enough.

• These are the best laptops, which Huawei tops currently

Via Liliputing

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Intel claims new display tech is the key to 28 hour battery life for laptops

Intel has made plenty of revelations over at Computex 2018 – including several seriously beefy new processors – but not everything is about performance, and on the power efficiency front, the company also made a big statement, promising laptops with a battery life of up to 28 hours.

It’s certainly a bold claim, but Intel reckons that its collaboratively engineered Low Power Display Technology, featured in a 1W panel which is produced by Sharp and Innolux, can literally cut LCD power consumption levels in half.

So that would, unsurprisingly, drive some major battery efficiency increases for notebooks, as the display is the one component which drains the most power in a laptop.

All that said, there are a number of caveats here. Firstly, the tech will only work with Intel’s GPUs, so those with laptops that utilize Nvidia or AMD solutions wouldn’t benefit.

And the claim of up to 28 hours battery life (of local video playback) is an estimate at this point, and the tech isn’t quite there at the moment, as Intel notes that it expects to eventually reach this level through ‘continued innovation’ with its partners.

Not so bright

Also, that estimate is based on using ‘several power saving techniques’ which aren’t specified, while the screen brightness is set at 150 nits (i.e. not very bright) and the speakers not being used (listening via headphones instead).

So yes, there are a number of disclaimers here, but even so, this is certainly a very promising sounding development for notebooks and the quest for all-day battery life (or indeed better than all-day).

We’ll only be able to see if the reality matches Intel’s projected levels of longevity once we get a laptop in for testing which benefits from this new screen technology. Fingers crossed that won’t be too far off in the future.

• Check out all the latest news from Computex 2018

Via The Verge

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Gigabyte’s new Sabre gaming laptop shifts gears with Optane acceleration

Gigabyte has refreshed its Sabre series of gaming notebooks, making some juicy additions on the hardware front. At Computex 2018 they saw upgrades to 8th-gen Intel processors, and what’s more offering what it claims is a ‘world first’ in the form of an option on the Core i7+ platform supporting Intel’s Optane memory.

Optane, at least in this form (it also comes as traditional memory sticks now), essentially gives you a small amount of cache to turbo charge a traditional spinning hard drive. This means you can get SSD-like boot times and application launching without having to shell out the money for a solid-state drive. 

The screen has also seen an upgrade to displays with a 3ms response time and 120Hz refresh rate to keep those frame rates fluid.

Those are some useful improvements indeed, and the refreshed Sabre gaming notebooks also now have Thunderbolt 3 ports on board, alongside HDMI and mini-DisplayPort connectors. 

Gigabyte didn’t mention any launch date or potential price point as of this writing. 

• We’ve rounded up all the latest news from Computex 2018

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Asus Project Precog is a dual-screen AI-powered laptop from the future

The concept of the dual-screen laptop is something we’ve been hearing a lot of speculation about lately, and over at Computex 2018, Asus has taken the bull by the dual-horns with the revelation of Project Precog.

This is a dual-screen hybrid notebook, and as Windows Central reports, it’s a concept device at this stage, with Asus planning to launch the machine in 2019.

It’s named Project Precog because Asus is apparently using AI tech to detect exactly what you’ll need from the machine. So the second display (which substitutes for the traditional keyboard base) can offer a virtual keyboard – alongside other elements like, for example, small chat or video windows – with the AI technology using proximity sensing to detect your hands and place the keyboard where you need it.

Plug an actual physical keyboard and mouse into the machine, however, and it’ll intelligently detect this and get rid of the virtual keyboard, giving you more display real-estate to use for other purposes.

There are further potential applications too – like standing the device up with both screens in portrait mode, and using it in that configuration with an external keyboard.

So the overall idea is a very flexible hybrid notebook that adapts to exactly what you need for any particular use case, and it does so automatically thanks to the aforementioned AI tech.

Grand vision

In theory, that’s an impressively grand vision, and Project Precog could be something special. Of course, it’s still early days, and Asus wasn’t letting folks explore or play with the device at Computex – so we have to temper our expectations at this point, in terms of how much of this may be so much fuel for the hype train, as it were.

However, there’s certainly a growing level of interest in the possibility of a dual-screen laptop, with Microsoft rumored to have been looking into this for some time now (indeed the company mulled similar concepts way back in the past). And just last week we heard speculation about a Dell dual-screen ARM-driven notebook.

Of course, we already have hardware like the Lenovo Yoga Book on the market, which offers a novel digital keyboard that can transform into a virtual sketchpad you can use a stylus with, for drawing or jotting notes.

But these dual-screen machines want to take things a lot further than this.

• We’ve rounded up all the latest news from Computex 2018

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