Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 leaked by retailer – but will it disappoint?

Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go 2 could be on the cusp of arriving, going by a retailer listing for the device that briefly appeared online.

The Verge spotted that a Korean retailer posted a product page for the Surface Laptop Go 2, spilling the spec details, but that listing has since been taken down as is usually the case when such leaks are reported.

This tells us – tentatively – that it looks like Microsoft could be about to introduce a sequel to the laptop, with the listing indicating that pre-orders would open on June 2, in just a couple of days.

The spec details, if correct, show that Microsoft has decided to run with an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU for the Go 2 – the Core i5-1135G7 to be precise – alongside up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

There’s also mention of a better webcam for this model, and a claimed battery life of up to 13.5 hours (that’s a touch more than the 13 hours claimed for the original Laptop Go).

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Analysis: Everything seems to be lining up for an imminent launch

Other than the mentioned minor hardware changes, the broad design looks like it remains the same – so this is more of a light-touch refresh of the Surface Laptop Go, which is exactly what well-known Microsoft rumor peddler Zac Bowden predicted not so long ago.

Indeed, the specs line up with what Bowden reckoned we’ll see from the Surface Laptop Go 2, including that the top-tier version will feature 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. (The entry-level version wasn’t shown by the Korean retailer, but is expected to stick with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage, with pricing purportedly to stay the same as the Surface Laptop Go, meaning it’ll start from $549 / £549 / AU$999).

Given that the rumors marry nicely with this leak, and a sequel to the Laptop Go makes sense in terms of the device being generally well-received, it seems likely that we could see the Surface Laptop Go 2 emerge, and very soon if the retailer is right with that pre-order date. Bowden pinned his theorizing on a June launch as the most likely timeframe, so again, that fits.

The potential disappointment could come in that this seems to be a pretty minor upgrade, although there’s no doubting that an 11th-gen rather than 10th-gen Intel CPU will help pep up performance, which was one of the downsides of the original Surface Laptop Go as we highlighted in our review. Plus if pricing stays exactly the same, as is rumored, we can’t complain too much about what we’ll be getting for the money with the Go 2.

Sadly, our other moan about the lack of a backlit keyboard doesn’t look like it’ll be fixed with the Go 2, at least not if the retail listing is right, as there was no mention of any backlighting present.

Watch this space, as they say, because we shouldn’t have long to wait at all to find out whether Microsoft is about to spring a new Surface Laptop Go 2 on the notebook world.

• What do you want to see from Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9? Here’s our wish-list

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The Google Pixel Tablet could offer a key iPad feature

Much to everyone’s surprise, Google recently teased a new Pixel Tablet – one which we probably won’t see until next year. But one of the most exciting possible features wasn’t included in the tease.

That feature is a stylus, which is something there’s now significant evidence we might see included with the slate. Why? Because – as spotted by tech blog NuGiz – a Google tablet codenamed Tangor has been certified by the Universal Stylus Initiative (USI).

Of course, it’s possible that Tangor is a different device to the Pixel Tablet, but given that we’re only aware of one tablet being worked on by Google, that’s unlikely, and this certification all but confirms an upcoming Google slate will have stylus support.

That still leaves some questions though, such as whether a stylus will be included with the tablet or whether you’ll have to buy one separately, and whether stylus support will be a key focus for Google or just a handy extra.

USI support means the Pixel Tablet should be compatible with any USI-certified stylus, and those styli will also work with any other USI-certified device. So you could potentially have one stylus for many devices – or at the very least may not have to buy a new stylus when you buy a new tablet (even one from a different brand).

However, it might also mean that Google puts less effort into developing a stylus specifically suited to the Pixel Tablet – if the company develops one at all. It could potentially rely on existing USI styli and on the inevitable third-party options that would arrive following the Pixel Tablet’s launch.

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An iPad Air 5 (Image credit: Future)

Analysis: making the Pixel Tablet more iPad

Stylus support is a key feature of many iPads, yet it's not something that a huge number of Android tablets currently offer, outside of Samsung’s popular Galaxy Tab range, so this could be a major selling point of the Pixel Tablet.

USI support means styli for the Pixel Tablet might also be more affordably priced (since you wouldn’t be limited to one brand) and would be compatible with a wider range of devices than the Apple Pencil.

This is a promising development, because from what we’d seen of the Pixel Tablet previously it was unclear how it would really stand out, aside from packing a Google-developed Tensor chipset. So stylus support could help it compete.

• These are the best Android tablets

Via AndroidPolice

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Here's why an Amazon Fire tablet, not an iPad, should be your Prime Day buy

People often use our Amazon Prime Day list of the best iPads to buy a brand-new Apple tablet. The slates are often so expensive that even a slight discount can result in lots of money saved.

There's a lot to be said for purchasing an iPad – they're popular, powerful and pretty, and so it isn't surprising to find a number of iPad models sitting on our list of the best tablets. 

But you could save yourself huge sums of money if you pushed Apple's super-expensive slates and bank-breaking accessories from the forefront of your mind, and instead looked at the other end of the price spectrum.

Amazon's Fire tablets

The Amazon Fire range of slates are the epitome of what you'd class as "cheap tablets". They come with tacky-feeling plastic bodies, weak chipsets, and software that's so full of pre-loaded apps that most people don't even realise that, at its core, they're Android devices.

Yet for most folk, they deliver all you'll need– whether that's non-stop movie streaming, an entertainment tablet for the road, or even a portable working device.

(Image credit: Future)

Fire tablets – there's the 7, HD 8 and HD 10, along with a few Kids' Editions and Plus models – are closely tied with Amazon's ecosystem of apps and services. This means they come pre-loaded with Prime Video, Prime Music, Kindle and the like, although it's also possible to install rival services such as Netflix or Spotify.

This makes them a great hub for entertainment (if you have a Prime account, that is), since the Fire device will effectively become your one-stop shop for music, movies, games, books and more. Thanks to the ability to easily download content using these apps, Fire tablets are also great for on-the-go entertainment.

Amazon Fire slates tend to be lighter and smaller than most other tablets, too, which also makes them great devices for frequent travelers, or for handing to kids on a long road trip to quieten them down.

Although Fire tablets have typically been associated with entertainment, not so much business or college work, this is also now starting to change.

A range of accessories

On Amazon, you can find plenty of stands, keyboards and even styli for Amazon Fire tablets, which let you transform these slates into portable workstations for word processing or dealing with emails.

(Image credit: Future)

You may have started to see more and more Fire tablets being worked on in coffee shops and libraries, with users beginning to become more aware of their use beyond  entertainment.

So, unless you require lots of processing power for top-end apps, we've now established that Fire devices can match Apple iPads for work and play; but there's one key way in which they beat them.

If the price is right

When it comes to price, Amazon's Fire tablets undercut iPads significantly. Prices for the most recent Fire HD 10 start at $150 / £150 (about AU$195); the cheapest iPad 10.2 starts at $329 / £319 / AU$499. Unless you're stuck deep in the Apple ecosystem – and maybe even then – the Fire HD is the cheaper choice.

Fire tablets offer great battery life, equal displays to their pricier alternatives, and are far more durable than most slates, too.

Amazon's products generally are the cheapest in their sector, with Kindles usually undercutting other e-readers, and the company's TV sticks and earbuds also coming in at super-affordable prices.

Cheap products are always worth considering – especially in 2022, given that the gulf between affordable and premium products has narrowed, and the cost of living crisis.

But when you can do almost everything you'll want to on a Fire tablet, iPad models that can cost up to twice as much are far more difficult to recommend. Sure, for creative professionals or power-users the extra features that Apple's tablets bring may be preferable. For the vast majority of users, however, an Amazon tablet will deliver all you need – and will save you a pretty penny, too.

• Amazon's new cheap Fire tablet brings low-key but important software upgrades

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A new Kindle update means I don't need to rely on my PC any more

Like all Kindle owners, I like reading on my Kindle Oasis, but I have to admit that I use my PC a lot more than I'd like. It's simply easier to browse the library and pick up books on a browser than it is with the ereader's built-in store.

A new Kindle update seeks to fix that though, as it brings a few changes to the Kindle Store to make it much easier to find a new book to buy.

According to Amazon, this update will give you more access to filters and collections, will let you change between grid and list views, and will let you see more of your most recently read books. The company also seems to be integrating the Kindle Store into the Kindle's home screen more.

It's not exactly clear what's new design-wise from the last Kindle home screen redesign, which rolled out at the beginning of 2022, but with the update arriving "over the coming weeks," according to the company, we should find out soon.

All Kindle Oasis devices are compatible with the update, as well as standard Kindles from the 8th-gen model and Paperwhites from the 7th-gen one. You can find out which you own by going into your Kindle's Settings menu, then pressing Device Options then Device Info.

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Bye-bye PC

As I said, I generally use my PC to find new Kindle reads, as I find the plentiful filters, collections, and menus really useful in picking what to read. I've used the Kindle in the past, but it's a bit slower to use, and I've found that I generally need to know what I'm searching for, instead of browsing freely.

Hopefully, the changes to the Kindle Store mean I don't have to boot up my PC to read a new book, though - the filters and collections sound like they could provide me with some useful suggestions, or ways of narrowing down the library. 

There are a few features like this available on the Kindle store already, and they're how I've used the ereader for books in the past, but they're not really comparable to the ones on the Amazon website.

When the update rolls out onto my Kindle, maybe I'll be able to write a glowing piece about how this changes the way I use my ereader - only time will tell.

• Own an older Amazon Kindle? It might be about to lose its biggest feature

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Barnes & Noble's new Nook ereader is cheaper but with tradeoffs

Barnes & Noble is still in the ereader game, and is going after fresh recruits with a much more affordable NOOK GlowLight 4e.

This new model, which is a follow-up to last year's GlowLight 4, drops the price $30 to a more attractive $119.99. Still, the savings do come with a performance cost.

Mid-tier eReader

The gap between the GlowLight 4 and 4e isn’t all that wide. For starters, the new model still has a 6-inch E Ink screen that is resistant to scratches and annoying glare. The ‘GlowLight’ in the name refers to GlowLight Illumination which is the backlight that is powerful enough to support reading in bed without an overhead light or to counter the bright light of the sun, according to Barnes & Noble.

Continuing with its similarities, the GlowLight 4e also sports physical buttons on the side to turn the on-screen page, Wi-Fi connectivity, and access to B&N Readouts which is a library filled with free book excerpts and articles. But this is where the similarities end.

The GlowLight 4e’s display outputs at 212 DPI, or dots per inch, while the older model has 300 DPI (Most Amazon Kindle readers offer 300 DPI). This number refers to the resolution of the screen; the higher the DPI, the sharper the image. The GlowLight 4e also lacks Night Mode, which in the GlowLight4 allows the screen's LED lights to change color to a more eye-comforting orange. Space on the newer device is smaller too with just 8GB of storage max.

The battery life has a rather vague time frame. Barnes & Nobles claims the GlowLight 4e can last for “weeks on a single charge.” We contacted Barnes & Noble to ask for clarification on the specific amount of time but it didn’t return our call. E Ink is known for sipping power, but the LED-based GlowLight and Wi-Fi connectivity will, if both are used often enough, eat battery life more quickly.  The GlowLight 4e launches on June 7 and it’s currently available for pre-order right now.

Analysis: Finding a niche

Since 2017, a lot has changed in the world of eReaders. Barnes & Noble teamed up with Lenovo to release the NOOK 10-inch HD tablet. Essentially, it was a tablet with the NOOK app installed for eBooks and Dolby Atmos too.

TechRadar has a list of the best eReaders for 2022 if you’re interested in purchasing one. Not a single NOOK model made it on the list. Other readers offer better displays and storage options, but with higher price tags. There is a niche for mid-tier eReaders out there that Barnes & Noble may be able to fill with this new NOOK.

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Amazon's new cheap Fire tablet brings low-key but important software upgrades

Amazon's new cheap tablet is here, with the Amazon Fire 7 (2022) being the newest refresh of the company's smallest and most affordable line of slates – but it brings a few more upgrades than you may expect.

The headline changes here from the Amazon Fire 7 (2019) are upgrades to the performance and battery life, and that's not exactly a major revolution, but there are actually some more changes that are all down to the software.

The Amazon Fire 7 tablet comes with the Fire OS 8 software, which is based on Android 11 – Amazon hasn't updated the software its tablets use since 2019, when it rolled out Fire OS 7, which was based on Android 9. This is all detailed in Amazon's developer blog.

So the new slate gets the first major software update in several years, and that means there are a few great features that you can access on the new Fire 7 that you couldn't on older tablets, even the Fire HD 10 from 2021. Here are our three favorites.

Going dark

The first of these features, and arguably the most important, is a system-wide Dark Mode which Android 10 brought with it.

While some apps have their own dark mode equivalents, Android 10 lets you select an overarching Dark Mode, which turned all the individual modes on – so any time you boot up an app, or just look at your home menu, it will automatically be running in Dark Mode.

The Amazon Fire HD 8 (Image credit: Future)

This feature has several benefits – it can be more gentle on the eyes, especially at night when you don't want bright web pages assailing your retinas. For OLED screens it's also more power-efficient, as these dark areas simply have the pixels turned off, though the difference isn't always huge.

Giving your permission

The Android 10 and Android 11 updates brought lots of upgrades to permissions – that's when you boot up a new app and it asks for access to your files, or photos, or contacts, or location, or similar.

With these updates, you can temporarily grant access, or grant access only when you're using the app, or grant access only on a one-off basis.

These improvements are great for your security and sense of wellbeing – you have a better idea of which apps have permissions for which things, and you can make sure that any dodgy downloads aren't able to access your data. 

No cheeky background activity

One small Android 10 feature is that apps now have a reduced ability to start processes in the background.

This means there's less going on with your phone that you're unaware of, and also reduces the battery and performance drain from these hidden processes.

This is admittedly a small feature, but we're fans of anything that helps with both security and battery life.

• Amazon Fire 7 is now more expensive – but why?

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Asus reveals lightest 14-inch laptop in the world – could it take on Dell and HP?

Asus has revealed a pair of fresh Expert Series laptops over at Computex 2022, including the lightest 14-inch notebook in the world.

That featherweight offering is the Asus ExpertBook B9, a 14-inch business laptop which weighs just 880 grams thanks to a magnesium-alloy chassis.

The ExpertBook B9 (product code B9450CBA) may be highly portable – it’s also 14.9mm thin – but Asus promises that it doesn’t cut corners in terms of the hardware inside, and the performance it’s capable of. To that end, you get the latest Alder Lake (12th-gen) Intel silicon, up to Core i7 vPro models (with integrated Iris Xe graphics), and two SSDs in RAID configuration (tailored to either performance, or for redundancy) with up to 4TB in storage possible.

Naturally, those working on the go will also expect a good level of battery life, and longevity extends to 16 hours according to Asus.

(Image credit: Asus)

The ExpertBook B9 is also well-built – to the MIL-STD 810H standard, with a reinforced construction despite that light weight – and it comes with a host of security features. That includes a webcam shield, fingerprint reader, Kensington lock slot, and more…

The B9’s full-size keyboard is spill-resistant, too, should you knock over your morning coffee anywhere near the notebook. Another interesting point to note is that the trackpad has an integrated numberpad (as well as a built-in NFC reader for logins with the swipe of a card).

The other portable unveiled at Computex is the ExpertBook B7 Flip (B7402FBA), another 14-inch model which is a hybrid, and as the name suggests, you can flip it around the 360-degree hinge to use in stand or tablet modes (it’s a touchscreen device and comes with a magnetic Asus Pen).

(Image credit: Asus)

The B7 Flip boasts 5G support as an option (and Wi-Fi 6E into the bargain), and again is built on Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs (up to Core i7), paired with up to 64GB of DDR5 system RAM. The device features a magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis and again is certified to the MIL-STD 810H standard for toughness and durability.

You get 11 hours of battery life with this convertible, and a similar bunch of security features to the B9 above in terms of biometrics (facial login and a fingerprint sensor). Also provided is Asus PrivateView, a mode of operation which fades the screen drastically at a 45-degree viewing angle (meaning someone in a seat next to you won’t be able to make out the contents of your display).

The ExpertBook B7 Flip also allows for up to three external monitors to be connected.

Both the ExpertBook B9 and ExpertBook B7 Flip will start at $1,399 in the US (around £1,100, AU$2,000) and Asus says that these laptops will be out in Q3.

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Analysis: Stupidly light, yet packing a punch on multiple fronts

These look like some very smart notebooks for business users, offering a range of security features and some smart innovations (like that numberpad), with a palatable starting price for what you’re getting here.

The ExpertBook B9 is superbly lightweight, and although our roundup of the lightest ever notebooks only has its predecessor at number three, the devices which are ahead of the Asus model are smaller (13.3-inch rather than 14-inch), so they have an advantage in that respect.

Really, to make a laptop which is this lightweight, durable, and packed with features, promising some good pep on the performance front thanks to Intel’s latest Alder Lake CPUs, looks to be quite an achievement. The B9 is one to watch for business users, for sure, and the B7 Flip looks a solid bet for a convertible, too.

Hopefully the Q3 release date will mean July rather than later in the quarter…

This year, Computex is once again virtual, but we'll still be bringing you all the breaking computing news and launches as they happen, so make sure you check out all of TechRadar's Computex 2022 coverage.

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Soon you won't be able to buy books on these older Amazon Kindles

If you have one of Amazon's older ereaders, then you might want to check out our list of the best Kindles so you can order a new one – because five older devices are losing a key bit of functionality.

As spotted by GoodEreader, Amazon has been emailing people who own an old Kindle to tell them that their device soon won't have access to the Kindle Store anymore. These devices are the basic Kindles from the second- to fifth-gen models (which includes the Kindle Keyboard), as well as the Kindle DX.

The Kindle Store is the onboard library that lets you buy, download and borrow books straight from the device – in other words, it's a pretty integral part of the Kindle experience.

This isn't the first bit of bad news for owners of these devices either, as the phasing out of 3G networks means lots of them recently lost the ability to connect to the internet outside of Wi-Fi spots.

If you have one of the affected ereaders, Amazon is offering 30% off your next Kindle, as well as a $40 voucher for more books (it's not clear what people in other countries are being given), which may go some way to getting you your next ereader. But it's not all doom and gloom if you do own one such Kindle.

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Analysis: you can keep using these Kindles

If you're perfectly happy with an older Kindle, you don't necessarily need to throw it away just yet. You can keep reading books on it, though you need to jump through a few hoops.

Firstly, any books you currently have on the Kindle will remain there, so download loads before you lose access if you want.

But you can still buy books via your Amazon account on a separate device, and send them to your Kindle. This means you can use your smartphone, desktop computer or tablet to keep buying books.

When you buy a book through these means, you're often given the option to deliver it to a Kindle tied to the same account – by doing this, you can still get books on your ereader.

If you want other types of books too, you can still send non-Kindle texts to your device too. Sending these to your Kindle is a little fiddly, but we've got an in-depth guide on how to send PDFs to your Kindle, and it actually works for a range of documents beyond PDFs. Give it a read to learn more.

In a world where we constantly buy newer and newer gadgets, our first impulse upon hearing this Kindle news might be to buy a new device. That's a perfectly fair response, and if you do, make sure to recycle or pass on your older ereader. But if you're perfectly happy with what you've got, it's good to know that you don't necessarily need to throw it away.

• Old Kindles will soon lose internet access, but Amazon is offering upgrade incentives

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Corsair’s first gaming laptop is powerful, thin, and comes with a surprise up its sleeve

Corsair has announced a new gaming laptop over at Computex, marking the first time that the hardware maker has dipped its toes in notebook waters.

Corsair’s Voyager a1600 AMD Advantage Edition runs with all-Team Red hardware as you might expect given the name, utilizing Ryzen 6000 mobile CPUs in combination with Radeon RX 6800M graphics.

Aimed at gamers, along with streamers and content creators, there are two models of the Voyager a1600, the more affordable one running with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS processor, 32GB of Corsair DDR5 system RAM, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD.

The difference with the higher-tier model is that it ups the CPU to a Ryzen 9 6900HS, and the RAM loadout to 64GB, with a 2TB PCIe SSD. Otherwise, these Voyager models are the same, and both are equipped with an AMD Radeon RX 6800M GPU, along with a 16-inch IPS screen that offers a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 (and a 240Hz refresh rate, with AMD FreeSync on-board).

As an all-AMD machine, you get the benefit of several of Team Red’s synergistic technologies like SmartShift MAX (to intelligently redistribute power between the CPU and GPU as needed), and Smart Access Memory (or SAM, which boosts frame rates by allowing the processor full access to GPU memory – it’s AMD’s take on Resizable Bar, basically).

Corsair is also underlining the effectiveness of the cooling system used in the Voyager, which is an advanced spin on a vapor chamber design, apparently a key factor in keeping temps down while allowing the laptop to be thin – the Voyager is a hair under 20mm.

(Image credit: Corsair)

There’s also a focus on cool stuff for streamers, with Elgato (an outfit that specializes in streaming and capture tech, and is owned by Corsair) providing its Stream Deck software, tied in with 10 customizable shortcut buttons in a touch panel above the keyboard to allow streamers to easily invoke whatever they need with a single tap. You also get a 1080p ‘streaming grade’ webcam and directional 4-mic array.

You’d expect a gaming keyboard, and you’ll get one: a full-size affair with Cherry MX Ultra-Low Profile mechanical switches and RGB backlighting. Also worth noting is that there’s a gap at the bottom of the laptop lid that means the touch buttons are still showing even if the notebook is closed (and this gives the Voyager something of a different aesthetic, too).

We don’t know when the Corsair Voyager a1600 will hit the shelves yet, but we do know how much the two different models will retail at in the US: $2,700 (around £2,150, AU$3,800) and $3,000 (around £2,400, AU$4,200) for the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9-powered versions respectively.

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Analysis: Something a bit different – but a somewhat niche proposition

It’s interesting to see Corsair’s debut in the gaming laptop world, capitalizing on that AMD synergy with the likes of SAM – and maybe even AMD’s smart storage tech, as was previously rumored, but that wasn’t mentioned at this launch – and doing something different for streamers.

Certainly, there’s a neat extra in terms of the software for streamers and integrated touch panel (which also sports a central display that can, for example, show your remaining battery charge). Of course, most streamers will prefer to do their job at a desk, and therefore with a desktop PC you’d imagine, but still – there’s nothing wrong with alternative options on the table (or on the lap, perhaps – or maybe not).

The Voyager isn’t a cheap laptop, but it packs a good amount of power into what is a pretty thin and relatively light (2.4kg) gaming notebook, with some interesting new ideas. How much appeal the ‘mobile streaming’ angle will have, well, we’ll just have to see…

This year, Computex is once again virtual, but we'll still be bringing you all the breaking computing news and launches as they happen, so make sure you check out all of TechRadar's Computex 2022 coverage.

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Google Pixel Tablet: everything we know so far

Google IO 2022 was full of surprises, because along with the expected announcements the company also teased the likes of the Pixel 7 and even a new Pixel Tablet.

This came as a complete surprise, as other than a job advert there had been no previous sign that Google was working on a new slate. But not only has Google now confirmed that it is working on one, it’s even shown images of the Pixel Tablet, and shared the first details.

Below, then, you’ll find everything we’ve heard so far about the Google Pixel Tablet. Currently that’s basically just what Google has told us, but we’d expect leaks and rumors will start rolling in soon, and well add them to this article once they do.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? An upcoming tablet from Google
• When is it out? 2023
• How much will it cost? No idea yet

Google Pixel Tablet release date and price

Google has confirmed that it’s aiming to launch the Pixel Tablet sometime in 2023, so there’s quite a while to wait before it's available to buy.

The company didn’t get any more specific than that, but we can take an educated guess at when we might see it, as there are two points in the year when Google tends to release new hardware. First there’s Google IO, which almost always takes place in May.

Then there’s the launch of new numbered Pixel models, which happens towards the end of the year, usually – but not always – in October. So during one of those events would be an obvious time for Google to launch the Pixel Tablet, but it’s entirely possible the tablet could be unveiled at another point in 2023 instead.

Of the two likely options we’d think October is the most likely, as Google didn’t sound certain that the slate would even be out by the end of 2023 – rather that’s just the company’s goal. So there’s probably a lot of work left to do on it.

So far, we have no idea how much the tablet will cost. We can’t even really guess as the company hasn’t recently launched any other tablets, and we don’t know how high-end the Google Pixel Tablet is.

(Image credit: Google)

News and rumors

Google has shared some images of the Pixel Tablet, two of which you can see above.

The slate is shown here in white with a curvy rear, fairly large bezels around the screen, and a single-lens camera on both the front and the back.

From the design – which is a bit like a Google Home Hub without the stand – we’re thinking this will probably be a mid-range slate rather than a high-end one, so it could be more of a competitor to the basic iPad 10.2 or the iPad Air (2022) than an iPad Pro 11 or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.

Beyond a brief glimpse of it, Google also revealed that the tablet will use the company’s Tensor chipset (which is currently found in the Pixel 6 range). However, given that it’s not landing until 2023, we’d expect that the as-yet-unannounced second or third generation of the chipset would be used, rather than the current one.

We also know of course that the Pixel Tablet will run Android – specifically either Android 13 or Android 14, depending on when in 2023 it launches. Being a Google device it’s also sure to get a lot of software updates – and to get them promptly.

But this won’t be the Android tablet experience as you might know it, because Google has been working to improve things on slates, with Android 13 set to bring a redesigned interface, designed to make the most of bigger screens.

Beyond that we can speculate that it might have the same 50MP rear camera as the Pixel 6, since Google doesn’t tend to change up the camera hardware it uses too often, and that was a new sensor for the range.

• Check out all the best Android tablets

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Amazon Fire 7 is now more expensive – but why?

The bar for bargains has been raised. Amazon's new Fire 7 tablet is, at $59.99 / £59.99 (around AU$105), a good deal, but its predecessor was an arguably better one. What just happened?

There were few better gadget deals than Amazon's 7-inch Fire tablet. For years and through various updates, it's sold for just $49.99 – a just-blow-$50 Android wonder that was the perfect tablet gift for children and family members who might not treat their gadgets with the utmost care. For a time, Amazon was selling them in bundles, like a carton of eggs, so you could quickly replace a broken egg... er... tablet with a fresh one.

The specs were never stellar. A relatively low-resolution 1024 x 600 7-inch touch-screen, a 1.3GHz Mediatek CPU, 16GB of storage, a gig of RAM, and a pair of 2MP cameras for the front and back. But it had all that many people need for basic tablet activities: lightweight gaming, browsing, email, reading, and watching videos.

The $59.99 Amazon Fire 7 tablet repeats most of those specs, including the screen resolution, cameras, base storage, and screen size. For the extra $10, you get a 2GHz quad-core processor and twice the RAM (and it might be a hair lighter than the last model). That fresh processor and RAM boost will result in a faster tablet, though the target market might not notice.

I'm left wondering why Amazon had to raise the price by $10. Granted, it's not a lot (maybe enough for a bath mat, some cheap wired earbuds, an iPhone charge cable, or surgical masks), but in these increasingly difficult economic times, that extra scratch can make a difference.

Why the price hike?

I have some theories about why this is happening.

Amazon is possibly passing along the cost of the more powerful processor and RAM directly to consumers. This might be because it's getting more difficult to get these baseline or commodity processors. Higher-end, more bespoke, and powerful ones are somewhat easier to get. 2GHz chips like this, which might also just end up in, say, a car computer, are getting tougher to find.

Getting tablet components, in general, has become more difficult. Look at Apple, which complained last quarter that lower iPad sales were due to supply chain issues and not consumer disinterest.

The higher Amazon Fire 7 price could also be basic inflation. The costs of everything Amazon is doing, from warehouses where employees are unionizing to trucks fueled by nearly $5 a gallon gas delivering products, are going up.

It's also possible that by not making a big deal about the price increase, or really referencing it at all, Amazon thought no one would notice. It is giving consumers a little more, after all.

An Amazon Fire 7 Android tablet for $59.99 is still a good deal, especially when you compare it to the cheapest Apple iPad (the 9.8-inch, $329 iPad), but I think we'll all miss the days when you could get a remarkably good tablet for under $50.

Now I'm just wondering when Amazon will raise the price to $69.99…

If you're curious which kind of tablet really turns me on, check out my 24 hours with the iPad Air (2022).

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Amazon’s new Fire 7 launched as a super-cheap alternative to an iPad mini

Amazon has finally upgraded its Fire 7 tablet, having just announced a new model for the first time in three years. The new slate – simply called the ‘all-new Fire 7 tablet’ – starts at just $59.99 / £59.99 (around AU$105).

That makes it one of the very cheapest tablets you can buy, and vastly more affordable than the similarly small iPad mini (2021). That said, it’s actually a $10 / £10 price rise on the previous model, but that’s not so bad given the three-year gap between them.

For your money you get a tablet with twice as much RAM as the Amazon Fire 7 (2019), at 2GB, plus the promise of 40% longer battery life, at up to 10 hours. Its 2GHz quad-core chipset is also supposedly 30% faster, so performance should be getting a serious upgrade.

The new Amazon Fire 7 also has a 7-inch screen, as the name suggests, with a 1024 x 600 resolution, and it has proven twice as durable as the iPad mini (2021) in tumble tests. Plus there’s 16GB or 32GB of storage, and a USB-C port (in place of micro USB on the previous model).

The cameras might not be up to much, clocking in at just 2MP on both the front and rear, but that’s understandable for the price, and the slate is available in black, denim, and rose colors.

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(Image credit: Amazon)

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(Image credit: Amazon)

Amazon has also unveiled a new Amazon Fire 7 Kids, which starts at $109.99 / £109.99 (roughly AU$195), so it’s rather more expensive. This has much the same specs as the standard Amazon Fire 7, but includes a kid-proof case in blue, red or purple shades, with an adjustable kickstand that can also be used as a handle.

It also includes a one-year Amazon Kids Plus subscription, providing access to child-friendly content.

Both tablets can be pre-ordered now in the US and the UK, and begin shipping on June 29, so there’s still a little while to wait before you can have one in your hands – or those of your child.

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Analysis: two contenders for the 'best cheap tablet' crown

At the time of writing the Amazon Fire 7 (2019) is just clinging on to a spot in our best cheap tablets list, so if the new Amazon Fire 7 (2022) is as much of an upgrade as it sounds then it’s likely to take that slate’s place – and maybe even rank higher. Though we won’t know for sure until we’ve put it through a full review, and the price rise is a consideration.

The Amazon Fire 7 Kids (2022) is arguably a more niche proposition – and certainly a pricier one – making it a less likely fit for the list, but it’s still got a chance, packing a kid-friendly design and features at what’s still a very low price.

Neither slate is likely to trouble the top of our best cheap tablets list, which currently houses the iPad 10.2 (2021). That’s a significantly higher spec slate, but – while still cheap – it’s also significantly more expensive.

• Read our full Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus (2021) review

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Acer's updated ConceptD range is fantastic news for content creators

Acer has announced that its ConceptD range of laptops and computers will be getting refreshed to include the latest generations of hardware from both Nvidia and Intel. 

The range primarily targets creative professionals who have higher-than-average hardware requirements for their work or hobbies, including powerful graphics cards and high-performance processors to work through tasks like 3D rendering.

Updated versions of both the ConceptD 5 and ConceptD 5 Pro laptops will be equipped with a 16-inch OLED display and a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, as well as a choice between either an Nvidia RTX A5500 or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card. They also include up to 32GB of fast LPDDR5 memory and up to 2TB of M.2 SSD storage.

These laptops will have the Nvidia Studio badge to readily identify them as creative workstation devices, and that also means they'll already be equipped with plenty of benefits for creatives, such as Studio drivers and Nvidia Omniverse for collaborative project work.

The new ConceptD 5 laptop will be available in North America in August 2022 with prices starting from $2,499.99 (around £2,000 / AU$3,500) and across Europe, the Middle East and Africa in June starting at €2,399.

Meanwhile, the ConceptD 5 Pro laptop will be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in September 2022 starting at €2,599 (around $2,700 / £2,200 / AU$3,900). No date has been officially announced for when the Acer ConceptD 5 Pro will be made available to other regions such as the USA.

Bring on the desktops

(Image credit: Acer)

The updated ConceptD 500 desktop will now also offer a 12th gen Intel core i9 processor and a choice of an Nvidia RTX A4000 or GeForce RTX 3070 GPU. It would appear that the memory configurations are still DDR4 rather than DDR5, but you can choose to have it with up to 128GB of 3200 Mhz of RAM. 

Storage space is no joke either as up to 4TB of M.2 SSD storage and up to a 4TB HDD are available, though you could always replace these with larger storage options if this proves insufficient for your needs.

Pricing for the new ConceptD 500 desktop will start at €1,199 / £1,899 (around $1,260 / AU$1,800), with release dates to Europe, the Middle East and Africa planned for September 2022. Acer has also disclosed that shipments to China are not planned until Q4, and no shipping estimate was provided for those living in regions like North America or Australia.

If you wanted something a little more compact, the ConceptD 100 desktop range has been refreshed to include a choice of 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor and a professional Nvidia T400 or T1000 GPU. 

Acer states that this range was developed with both 2D and 3D content creators in mind so they will now support up to 128 GB of DDR4 3200 Mhz memory to run demanding applications, and up to a 2TB HDD and a 2TB M.2 SSD to save large files.

This should make them well suited to 3D modeling and Cad work, while saving desk space if you're working in a cramped studio environment or booth. You can pick one up in Europe (including the UK), the Middle East and Africa from September 2022 from €999 / £899 (around $1,050 / AU$1,500).

• Can't wait that long? Here are our favorite laptops for graphic design

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Acer gaming laptop offers glasses-free 3D powered by an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU

Acer has revealed a smart new gaming laptop which boasts a neat trick in terms of a 3D screen that doesn’t require any clunky glasses, with a bunch of titles that’ll be supported by the hardware out of the gate.

The Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition was shown off at the next@acer event, and it offers glasses-free 3D gaming using the SpatialLabs TrueGame app.

How does it work exactly? SpatialLabs utilizes an eye-tracking solution, along with a stereoscopic 3D screen, and real-time rendering tech, with pre-configured profiles for different games to help realize the required three-dimensional experience. Over 50 PC games will be supported in 3D mode at launch – these will be a mix of contemporary and classic offerings – with more to come down the line.

In terms of the actual hardware, that screen is a 15.6-inch 4K display with a liquid crystal lenticular lens optically bonded on top of it to create the 3D effect (you can switch back to 2D mode, with just the plain 4K panel, as needed).

Driving the Predator Helios 300 is a choice of Intel Alder Lake CPUs, up to Core i9 chips, backed with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 mobile GPU, and 32GB of DDR5-4800 memory. Storage is provided courtesy of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 configuration.

This is a Windows 11 gaming laptop with Killer Wi-Fi 6E, and wired connectivity includes a Thunderbolt 4 port, alongside two USB 3.2 Gen2 connectors (and an HDMI 2.1 port).

For cooling, you get twin fans (including one 5th-gen AeroBlade fan, one of Acer’s nifty designs with extremely thin blades) and Acer CoolBoost tech to help keep internal temperatures in check.

How much will this little lot set you back? The Predator Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition (model PH315-55s) is priced at $3,400 in the US (around AU$4,800) where it will debut early in Q4 (presumably October), but it’ll emerge a touch earlier in Europe, targeting a September release priced at €3,299 (around £2,800).

(Image credit: Acer)

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Analysis: Something truly different in the gaming laptop world

We’ve given this glasses-free 3D a shot in the past here at TechRadar and it’s impressive – the tech was demoed by Acer last year (at the time, it was set to theoretically be included in a laptop for creatives using 3D rendering). You can think of it as a giant (15-inch) 3DS screen, one that produces a pretty nifty three dimensional effect (made all the more immersive on a way bigger display).

3D chicanery would be nothing without smooth gameplay, of course, but fortunately the Helios 300 packs plenty of power under the hood, giving buyers the ability to crank up frame rates with an Intel 12th-gen Core i9 CPU in tandem with a fast RTX 3080 discrete graphics card.

There’s a large helping of speedy DDR5 memory on top of that, and storage is going to be superfast as well given that NVMe SSDs are arrayed in RAID 0 for the speediest performance. Put it this way – when the full benefits of DirectStorage come through in supported games (starting with Forspoken later this year) under Windows 11, that storage setup is going to make things really fly when it comes to rendering big open world environments.

The rub, of course, is the price, but then you didn’t think that a gaming laptop loaded up with a combo of powerful cutting-edge hardware plus a 3D screen would be affordable, did you? For those with the desire to experience 3D gaming (on certain titles) with no need for any cumbersome glasses, the considerable outlay could be well worth it to get a notebook that packs something really different in terms of features.

• Want to buy the right gaming laptop for you? We’ve got some advice here

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Apple previews new iPhone and Mac accessibility features that could seriously change lives

Apple has revealed a clutch of fresh innovations for its hardware which pushes forward strongly on the accessibility front, capabilities that’ll arrive later in 2022 courtesy of software updates.

The new software features, which have been developed using machine learning, include Door Detection for blind or low vision users, as well as a system of Live Captions for the deaf or those with hearing loss, and Apple Watch Mirroring which gives those with physical and motor disabilities the ability to control the smartwatch via an iPhone.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at these capabilities, starting with Door Detection, which as the name suggests allows for iPhone and iPad users to locate a door when arriving at a new place.

The feature, which uses LiDAR, so will require a device equipped with the LiDAR Scanner (iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 – both Pro and Pro Max – handsets, and various iPad Pro models), is built into the Magnifier app. It can ascertain whether a door is open or closed, and if the latter, how it can be opened, as well as the user’s distance from the door, plus it can read any signs or characters on the door (like a number).

Magnifier will get a new Detection Mode which will play host to the Door Detection feature, and will also offer the likes of People Detection and image descriptions (for describing the surroundings of the user).

Those who are deaf or hard of hearing will get access to Live Captions on iPhone, iPad, and Mac computers, allowing for captions (with adjustable font size) to be generated on-device for everything from video chatting to watching streaming content. In FaceTime, the captions are automatically attributed to the relevant person speaking on the call, and on Mac, users have the option to type responses and have them spoken aloud in real-time.

The caveats for device support include that only Macs with Apple chips are supported, or you’ll need an iPhone 11 or better, or in the case of the iPad, models with the A12 Bionic chip (or later). Initially, Live Captions will debut in beta form (so still in testing – Apple observes that the accuracy of the captions ‘may vary’) for just the English language (US and Canada).

The final major accessibility revelation from Apple here is the introduction of Apple Watch Mirroring, which allows for people to use their iPhone to control the watch. In other words, users can benefit from the smartphone’s assistive features such as Voice Control and Switch Control when interacting with their Apple Watch, opening up abilities like voice commands for the watch, head tracking and so forth.

(Image credit: Apple)

New Quick Actions with the Apple Watch also let users employ simple hand gestures for controls, such as answering (or ending) a phone call by using a double-pinch gesture.

Note that you’ll need an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer to benefit from the mirroring function.

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Analysis: More to come including VoiceOver revamp and Buddy Controllers

There’s a lot of well thought out stuff here, and more besides which is coming to push forward even further with accessibility.

For example, Apple has also been busy with adding support for a bunch of new languages (over 20 of them) for VoiceOver, its screen reader tool (with dozens of new voices being implemented, too).

There’s also an incoming Siri Pause Time feature, so those with speech disabilities can extend the length of time Siri waits before responding to a request, and Buddy Controllers, whereby a friend can be invited in to help the user play a game, basically letting both controllers work to direct the action in a single-player title.

As a reminder, all this stuff will be coming to Apple devices later this year via software updates. Furthermore, bear in mind that Apple does advise that features such as Door Detection and Live Captions should not be used in ‘high-risk’ or emergency situations, and in the case of the former, where there might be a danger of injury to the user.

• Can’t decide which iPad is best for you? We’ll help you choose between the Air, Mini and Pro

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Apple's iPod touch sells out for the last time, because it's still awesome

It didn't take long for Apple's remaining iPod touch to sell out.

Consumers anxious to own what's now a part of mobile technology history cleared out every color and storage option for the 7th generation of Apple's portable music and media player.

There are still some iPod touch devices available on other online retail sites. Best Buy, for instance, still has the blue and black 128 GB models, but the rest of the color options appear sold out.

In case you missed the news, Apple without much fanfare quietly sunsetted the iPod line on Tuesday by announcing that it was selling the iPod touch "while supplies last." The company that launched a mobile music revolution never explicitly said the iPod line was dead, but the implication was clear enough.

Buying these devices is far from a fool's game. The iPod Touch 7th generation is, for all intents and purposes, an iPhone 7 without cellular capabilities (it even has the same A10 CPU).

It has a decent 8MP camera and can record up to 1080p at 60fps. The FaceTime camera is, at 1.2MP, pretty lightweight, but at least you get 720p video. The 4-inch screen is small but has a sharp-enough resolution of 326ppi.

It's also the last Apple pocket-sized mobile device to include a 3.5mm headphone jack.

You can install virtually all the same App Store apps on the iPod touch as you can on the iPhone 13.

The iPod touch brought all these features in a device that, even with 256GB of storage was, at $399, more affordable than most iPhone models.

My point is, that there's a reason people still want the iPod touch, and I'm not surprised that they've scooped up every last one of them.

Classic iPod touch gen 2 and an iPod Nano (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

As for me, I have a small collection of these classic devices. There's a tiny iPod shuffle floating around in a drawer somewhere, a slim iPod Nano, and two or three iPod touch second-and third-generation devices. The latter models are notable for their gorgeous chrome backs. These were great spots for personalizing with an etched message ("Sophie's iPod").

All these old models, even the tiny shuffle with the iconic (though no longer completely physical) scroll wheel still feature the classic 30-pin connector. Current iPod touch players use the Lightning port.

Most no longer hold a charge, are in some other way damaged beyond repair or do not support the latest version of iOS. These portable wonders are now part of my tech museum: a set of plastic drawers.

Those buying the iPod touch 7th generation devices will probably get at least a few good years of use out of them until Apple ends software support. Someday, Apple will launch a version of iOS (maybe iOS 17?) and it won't include support for any iPod at all.

And that will truly be the end of the line for this iconic product.

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Realme's new trio of devices might rank among the best cheap phones and tablets

It’s a busy week for phone news, as we’ve already had the Sony Xperia I IV and Google IO 2022, and now Realme is here with a launch of its own, but this one is aimed at the low end of the market.

The company has unveiled the Realme 9, the Realme 9 5G, and the Realme Pad Mini, all of which have temptingly low prices.

Starting with the Realme 9, this is a 4G smartphone with a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED screen packing a 90Hz refresh rate. It also has a Snapdragon 680 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging.

The camera is a triple-lens one, with a 108MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro snapper, and the phone also has a 3.5mm headphone port, and an under-display fingerprint scanner – which can also measure your heart rate.

The Realme 9 comes in a choice of gold, black or white, and it costs just £249 (around £305 / AU$440).

Then there’s the Realme 9 5G, which contrary to the name isn’t just the Realme 9 with added 5G. It does have 5G, but it’s quite different in other ways too, and not all of them are for the better.

It has a 6.6-inch FHD+ LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a Snapdragon 695 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 18W charging.

The cameras include a 50MP main sensor backed up by macro and black and white ones, while around the front there’s a 16MP camera, and the phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm headphone port.

The price for a 128GB model is the same as that of the Realme 9 (£249) and for now that’s the starting price in the UK, as the 64GB model isn’t currently available there.

Finally, there’s the Realme Pad Mini, which is a tablet with an 8.7-inch 1340 x 800 screen, a Unisoc T616 chipset (which is also ably used by the Realme C35), up to 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a microSD card slot, and a 6,400mAh battery with 18W charging.

The rear camera is 8MP and supports 1080p video recording, and the slate is just 7.59mm thick.

There’s no confirmed UK availability for the Realme Pad Mini just yet, but there’s the suggestion that it might land there later this year. In Europe it starts at just 130 euros (roughly £110 / $135 / AU$200), so it’s incredibly cheap. Note however that none of these devices have been confirmed for the US or Australia.

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Analysis: these could be among the best cheap phones

Realme has a reputation for delivering excellent smartphones at a low cost, from the Realme 8 5G, which currently sits on our best cheap phones list, to the Realme GT 2, which makes our best smartphones list despite undercutting most other entries.

So there’s every chance the Realme 9 and/or the Realme 9 5G could be future additions to our best cheap phones guide – though we won’t know for sure until we’ve put them through a full review.

Certainly, their specs look reasonable for the money, though since they have the same price as each other, buyers might struggle to choose between them.

The Realme Pad Mini meanwhile is a possible contender for our best cheap tablets guide, though its specs are so basic that we’re less sure of that. Still, it certainly has a low price.

• Everything you need to know about Realme phones

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This could be the year I give up my iPad Pro - and it's all thanks to Android 13

While I'm not an Apple fan, with my Android phone, compatible smartwatch and Windows PC, my one exception to that is my trusty iPad Pro which I still use almost daily.

I use this tablet for gaming, for writing, for editing videos, for streaming movies in bed, for scrolling through social media and much more - though I've tested loads of Android tablets that I really want to love, I always fall back on the iPad as my go-to tablet.

But two key pieces of news, one at the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 launch at the beginning of 2022 and another at Google IO 2022, have made me think that Android tablets could go from being my side piece, to my main slate.

The problem with Android tablets

I've never been a fan of the software on Android tablets - I think Google's own-built software has never really suited, or made the most of, the larger screen size.

This is best exemplified with the menu that you get when you swipe down from the top, housing your notifications and all the quick settings. In Apple's iPadOS, swiping down brings you just your notifications, while doing it in the top-right gives you the Control Center for all your options.

However in Android, it's all presented in one narrow list, so if you've got loads of notifications, you have to scroll through them - all while there's empty space to the right and left of the list. This works fine on phones, but on tablets, Android just isn't optimized well.

(Image credit: Future)

The home screen is another good example, as there's just so much empty space between apps in Android when it's on a tablet.

It's also worth pointing out that lots of top-tier apps, mostly of the paid variety, are iOS-only - Final Draft is one great example that I use all the time on my iPad - which is another reason I sometimes avoid Android tablets.

Time for a sea change

These problems with Android tablets are, thankfully, being fixed - Google announced that its tablet software is getting an update to fix loads of problems. This fix will come with Android 13 later in the year.

The main fix here is that the software is getting redesigned to better fit tablets' larger screens. Now, the swipe-down menu will have your notifications and controls side-by-side, while apps on your home screen will better fit the large display, and lots of Google's own, as well as third-party, apps have been tweaked to better fill the screen space.

Plus, multi-tasking - something I hate that I use as much as I do - is being made a lot easier to set up, so it should be as easy to start as it is on iPads.

(Image credit: Future)

This alone would be nice, but not 'put-down-my-iPad' levels of nice... however news from earlier in the year changes that.

Earlier in the year, heavyweight iOS video editing app (and a tool I use constantly) LumaFusion announced that it was going to be available on Android tablets, starting with the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 family, very soon.

We're hoping this starts a wider exodus with top-end iOS apps moving to Android, but even LumaFusion alone is great news for me.

I drop the iPad

Once these updates have become available on Android tablets, I can really see myself ditching the iPad Pro for one of these alternative devices.

I really liked the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra for its huge screen (and free stylus), which makes it really useful for creative tasks like sketching, taking notes and, of course, editing videos.

But the tablet I've loved the most so far is the Lenovo Yoga Tab 13, which was fantastic as an entertainment device thanks to its great-looking screen, built-in kickstand and wonderful speakers.

Maybe when the Android 13 update and LumaFusion launch are here, there will be more great Android tablets on the market to steal my heart, or maybe the next Apple iPad Pro will have a killer feature to win me back. All I know is that Apple isn't a shoe-in for my next tablet, like it would have been in previous years.

• A brand-new Google Pixel Tablet is coming, and it looks like a Home Hub let loose

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A brand-new Google Pixel Tablet is coming, and it looks like a Home Hub let loose

Google is, for the first time in many years, launching a new Android tablet. It confirmed this at its Google IO 2022 conference, after showing off the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel Watch and Android 13.

There's a catch here though: this isn't coming soon. Google confirmed that it'll be arriving at some point in 2023, though we hope to see more of it before then.

Not much about the tablet was shown off, other than the image you can see above (as well as a few other glimpses of it). To our fresh eyes, it looks a lot like a Google Home Hub that someone took off its stand, though with slightly different-looking software.

The bezels around the screen are quite big, leading some in the TechRadar team (including this author) to think this could be a mid-range tablet, instead of a premium one.

We did hear that it'll use Google's own Tensor chipset too, though if it's coming in 2023, it might actually be the second- or even third-gen version of that processor.

At Google IO, the company also showed its tablet-oriented spin on Android 13, so we can expect that software to show up on this tablet too - this makes it a great time for Google to release its new slate.

Google described it as an exciting time for tablets, hence the big software update and now its own hardware, and we hope to hear more about the Google Pixel Tablet before it's launched.

If we're allowed to briefly speculate: Google didn't sound 100% solid about the tablet, so we imagine it doesn't have a definite release window planned just yet. Since the company is teasing it this early, though, we'll almost definitely hear more about it at Google IO 2023.

• Android tablets might finally get that iPad-beating update

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Android tablets might finally get that iPad-beating update

If there's one common gripe we have with Android tablets, it's the software - we commonly complain about how stock Android just doesn't work well for big screens, not like iPadOS does for iPads. But that could be about to change.

At Google IO 2022, an annual conference for... well, everything Google, the company announced that Android 13 will bring a huge redesign of how the company's software works on big-screen devices.

We didn't hear when this update will roll out, but hopefully soon - at least in beta form. Expect new tablets from Samsung, Lenovo and more to come with it soon - those brands were name-checked on stage.

So what's new?

The biggest main change is a redesign for the tablet software home page, to make apps fit together better without wasting space. Widgets sound redesigned for the same purposes too.

Multi-tasking has seen an update, so it's super convenient to place two apps side-by-side and use them simultanously. You can even re-open paired apps like how you can in iPadOS, in case there are two apps you use together all the time.

Something that's also really exciting is that the swipe-down quick options have seen an impressive redesign to make them much more convenient. Now, when you swipe down, your settings will appear on the left, and the notifications on the right - previously, they appeared on top of each other, which wasn't exactly space-efficient.

Lots of apps are getting redesigned for big screens. These include Google's own ones like Entertainment Space and YouTube Music, and third-party ones like Zoom, Facebook and Canva.

Oh, and on top of that, all the Android 13 updates are coming too. 

Now can the new features help Android tablets compete against the best iPads? We'll have to see how the new features work in the real world, but it's definitely encouraging. 

• Android 13 needs to steal a few of Apple's features to show off at Google IO 2022

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Here's what Apple's former design chief thinks you should buy

Apple’s former Chief Design Officer Jony Ive shared the twelve most important tools that he uses when creating, measuring, or jotting down.

His choices come from the latest issue of ‘How to Spend It’, a series from The Financial Times where the publication takes a well-known public figure and asks them for recommendations on what people should buy.

If you don’t know who Jony Ive is, as Apple's former design lead, he gave the world some of the company’s most iconic products, designing the original iMac, iPod, and iPhone, just to name a few.

Full list of gadgets

Going down the list, Jony Ive’s choices are ostentatious, to say the least. Most are either expensive versions of common household items or some kind of specialty tool.

The list is as follows:

Ive doesn’t say why he choose so many different types of tools for his eclectic collection, but in a related “How to Spend It” piece, he gives some indication. Simply put, he just like tools and the way they look.

Ive states “There’s a beauty and a joy in the machines and tools. …I think there’s an inherent elegance in an effective tool that normally results in a curious beauty.” These were certainly interesting choices from the man who played a major role in making Apple what it is today.

Departure from Apple

Despite being a major force at Apple, Jony Ive left the company in 2019 due to clashes with upper management and CEO Tim Cook. Ive wanted to continue making aesthetically pleasing products, but the company wanted to focus more on the business side of things.

Today, Jony Ive has created his own creative firm called LoveFrom, where he designs products for clients. Funny enough, his first client after establishing his firm was Apple.

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AMD’s rumored Smart Access Storage could speed up your gaming laptop’s SSD

AMD is planning to bring in new tech which is apparently called Smart Access Storage, and so is presumably some kind of storage speeding innovation, although the rumor mill is especially vague on any details here.

This comes from VideoCardz which claims to have received info (via Disclosuzen) on said Smart Access Storage, but as noted, there are no details provided as to exactly what this feature might be – so we’re left to speculate on that score (which we’ll do very shortly).

What we do know, or at least what this nugget from the grapevine tells us, is that a Corsair gaming laptop will be the first device to come with Smart Access Storage on-board – and that’s scheduled to launch in June.

So it’s a pretty fair bet that AMD will reveal this storage innovation at Computex 2022, at the end of May, although remain skeptical about all of this, naturally.

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Analysis: What will Smart Access Storage be, exactly?

Here comes the total speculation bit, but it’s an obvious educated guess that Smart Access Storage will be some kind of storage acceleration so games will run better (hence it launching with a gaming laptop from Corsair called Voyager – the first ever such notebook from Corsair, we might add, though the firm does have an existing range of desktop gaming PCs).

AMD already has Smart Access Memory (SAM) tech that allows for performance gains by facilitating the CPU to have full access to the GPU’s memory (with supporting hardware) – this is Team Red’s version of Resizable BAR, of course – so presumably Smart Access Storage (SAS) will run alongside this.

What it might be, as VideoCardz suggests, is the name for AMD’s spin on Microsoft’s DirectStorage feature, which was officially launched for the PC a couple of months back (after debuting on Xbox Series X). This clever tech not only speeds game loading times – primarily on NVMe SSDs – but also enables open world games to run more smoothly with swifter loading of assets on-the-fly. Furthermore, with Windows 11, it could really reduce CPU overhead considerably, too.

SAS could be AMD’s own tech, of course, and something entirely different related to speeding the way storage works, but if it is Team Red’s take on DirectStorage, which does seem the most likely state of affairs, what we have to bear in mind is that the tech needs to be supported by game developers. And there’s only one title which does so currently, namely Forspoken – and even that isn’t out until October (assuming it isn’t delayed again).

All of which is to say that if Smart Access Storage is indeed based on DirectStorage, it won’t be something that’s going to make a big splash anytime soon in terms of its real-world rather than theoretical impact.

Time will tell, and hopefully we’ll find out more about whatever this storage feature is – if anything – in a few weeks at Computex.

That Corsair Voyager laptop, incidentally, is expected to be an all-AMD machine with a Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU and Radeon RX 6800M graphics, and as the debut gaming notebook from the company, it should be a real interesting one to watch in itself.

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Lenovo Legion gaming laptops hit by major BIOS fail

Lenovo gaming laptop owners have run into trouble in some reported cases due to a freshly released BIOS update which went live in April.

Since it was rolled out a month ago, more and more folks have been updating to the BIOS version ‘GKCN53WW’, and there have been growing amounts of complaints on various online forums (including Lenovo’s own platform) around serious issues which have been encountered post-upgrade. Windows Latest, which spotted this, observes that the problems mostly affect Lenovo Legion gaming laptops.

The nastiness caused by the BIOS update in some cases includes the likes of Blue Screen of Death crashes with the error ‘DEVICE_POWER_STATE_FAILURE’ (or a driver power failure) or even boot failure, and freezing during game sessions, along with frame rates dropping badly at times.

One Reddit denizen posted: “I installed this on a Legion 7 16ACHg6 I’ve had for 7 months. After playing games for 10 min or so the laptop severely throttles for a couple of minutes. In terms of performance, it was impossible to ignore. Dropping from 75-140fps in FFXIV online to around 15-20fps.This throttling would repeat every 10 min or so.

“I reverted to GKCN49WW and the problem is gone. Pretty severe bug for a gaming laptop BIOS update pushed as ‘critical.’”

Lenovo does indeed rate this BIOS update as a critical upgrade to install, presumably because it contains fixes for some nasty BIOS vulnerabilities revealed by the laptop maker last month, along with a bunch of tweaking for power-related settings.

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Analysis: Avoid the update, then? You could do, but that comes with its own risks

First off, we should note that there are folks on these various Reddit (and other) threads who have reported installing the GKCN53WW update without any problems. So, it might just be a relatively small percentage of Legion owners who have hit trouble with this BIOS update – we can’t know the exact numbers, of course, but the number of threads on Reddit suggest that this is not a rare occurrence, at least.

Therefore the best course of action could be to give the GKCN53WW update a swerve for now, arguably; but that said, those aforementioned BIOS vulnerabilities are not something you want to leave hanging around. However, you do not need GKCN53WW to fix those, as per Lenovo’s security advisory on this matter, those holes are resolved by updating to GKCN51WW (as well as GKCN53WW). So if you’re already on 51WW, you’re protected against these exploits.

The rub is that if you want to grab GKCN51WW now, you can’t anymore – we’re not sure why, but the only option for download is the new GKCN53WW, with its possible crashing and frame rate dropping issues. Hopefully Lenovo will fix this BIOS update soon enough, but we haven’t heard anything from the manufacturer yet – and meantime, you’re left with the tricky choice of whether to upgrade and chance the crashes, or stick and risk the vulnerabilities instead. (If you’re on GKCN51WW and managed to grab this version before it disappeared, we’d suggest very firmly that you stick with it for now).

If you do update to the latest BIOS and encounter problems, Windows Latest highlights that you can roll back to the previous BIOS version, which is now GKCN50WW: it can be downloaded directly as an EXE file here (but of course this does not have those vital security fixes).

To roll back the BIOS on your Lenovo laptop, just double click on the EXE file of the previous version you wish to install, and follow the instructions given by the wizard that pops up. You may have to enable the flashing of the BIOS to a previous version before you can roll it back, though, which is done in the Lenovo BIOS Setup screen – to get into that, see the instructions here.

Once in BIOS Setup, there’s an option which is related to rolling back the BIOS version, and you need to enable this (note that on some Lenovo machines, there can be a rollback prevention option which is enabled by default – and in this case, to revert to a previous BIOS version, you need to disable it).

Reverting the BIOS is, however, a process that can go wrong, so you do so at your own risk – and whatever you do, ensure that the laptop doesn’t power-down while applying a new BIOS (that’s how devices can get bricked).

All in all, it’s not a great situation for the less tech-savvy Lenovo laptop owners out there, who may not want to mess with BIOS rollbacks, but could feel forced to do so, if any post-update crashing issues are really bad. And indeed they may well feel it’s best to sit tight on an older BIOS to avoid this scenario – understandably – but that’s hardly ideal from a security perspective, either. So, hopefully Lenovo will be looking into fixing these reported problems as a matter of priority…

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