A foldable iPad with a carbon fiber kickstand is reportedly in the works and may launch early 2024.
This information comes from notable Apple tipster Ming-Chi Kuo via a Twitter thread. While there isn’t much to be gleaned from the short thread, what he reveals paints a rather interesting picture for the tech giant in 2023. According to Kuo, Chinese manufacturer Anjie Technology will be supplying the carbon fiber kickstand for the new device and is expected to benefit greatly from this “growing trend of foldable devices equipped with kickstands.” He goes on to say the upcoming iPad will launch alongside a revamped iPad Mini which is “likely to begin mass production” during the same time period. As for the near future, things are going to be a little unfriendly towards consumers. Kuo says it’s possible “there may be no new iPad releases in the next [nine to 12] months” as Apple works on its upcoming devices. He also predicts iPad shipments will dip 10 to 15 percent year-over-year in 2023.
The NPD Group, a market research company, reports tech sales in the US is “expected to end 2022 down eight percent year-over-year.” That number is slated to go down an extra five percent this year. With consumer spending set to go down, it appears Apple is battening down the hatches for a rocky 2023. Despite the near future looking a little dour, Kuo states he’s positive both the foldable iPad and new iPad Mini model “will boost shipments [plus] improve the product mix.”
Prevailing rumors
News of foldable Apple devices have been circulating around the internet for the past couple years or so. Back in 2021, Kuo stated a foldable iPhone with an eight inch screen is supposed to release this year. However, considering the “key technology and mass production issues” affecting the device, it probably won’t happen just yet. At the earliest, this “iPhone Flip,” as it’s sometimes referred to, is expected to launch sometime in 2025 and will be very expensive. One leak suggests the price tag is hovering around an eye-watering $2,500.
Between a foldable iPad and iPhone, analyst firm CCS Insights argues the former is more likely to happen first due to how expensive a foldable smartphone will be plus the inevitable technical issues said device will have to face. Something has to metaphorically get bloody first. It might as well be the iPad and nothing as “high profile as an iPhone.” Samsung lends credence to this theory as it predicts Apple is set to launch its first foldable next year too. Just like CCS Insights, the Android giant also thinks it’s going to be some kind of tablet.
So it looks like a foldable Apple device is nothing short of an inevitability at this point. Just don’t expect either iPad model or an iPhone Flip to make an appearance at this year’s WWDC23 event. The company is playing its cards close to its chest right now.
If you’re interested in getting a foldable phone, you’ll have to buy an Android for that. Be sure to TechRadar’s recently updated best foldable phones list for 2023 featuring the likes of the Huawei Mate XS and the Galaxy Fold 4.
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A while ago, one leak suggested Google might be working on a Pixel Tablet Pro alongside the standard Pixel Tablet, but now it looks like that standard slate has been scrapped, with only the Pro remaining.
This claim comes from Twitter user Kuba Wojciechowski, who says that the only major difference between the standard Pixel Tablet and the Pixel Tablet Pro is the chipset – with the former using the original Tensor chipset found in the Pixel 6 series, and the Pro using the Tensor G2, found in the Pixel 7 series.
So unless Google is aiming for a budget slate, it makes sense to cancel the Tensor G1-powered model – as it apparently has done – as that would be a too dated by launch time.
As it turns out, Google initially created "tangor" (T6) with a first-generation Tensor chip (as I also leaked before https://t.co/lQJDAz61Re) but then cancelled the project in favour of a Tensor G2-powered "tangorpro" (T6P).January 26, 2023
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Google, for its part, has already confirmed that the Pixel Tablet will use the Tensor G2, so there’s not much new here. We also wouldn’t expect the slate to launch with 'Pro' in the name – that element was seemingly used in the codename to differentiate it from the Tensor G1 model but if only one lands, there’s no real need to flag it as a Pro version.
Still, there is some genuinely new stuff here too. The same poster claims to have learned about some additional specs from an anonymous source, saying that the Pixel Tablet apparently has a 1600 x 2560 LCD display, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
There will also apparently be two different docks for the device. One of these – the Charging Speaker Dock – has already been revealed by Google, but there’s apparently also one that just charges it and doesn’t have a speaker. In both cases these allow the slate to double as a smart home display.
Finally, Wojciechowski has included some new images of the Pixel Tablet and one of its docks, but Google has already shown these elements off, so there’s nothing more really new to see.
I have also been provided with a few photos of the device. pic.twitter.com/ctKWQoVDCTJanuary 26, 2023
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Analysis: shaping up to be a OnePlus Pad rival
A recent teaser and specs leaks for the OnePlus Pad suggest that OnePlus’s upcoming Android tablet could be a mid-range device, and what we’re seeing of the Pixel Tablet also points in that direction, so these two slates could be directly competing with each other.
If the leaks above are right, then Google's has a surprising amount of storage – unless lower capacities are also made available – but otherwise looks to be packing fairly mid-range specs.
It could have the edge over the OnePlus Pad in certain ways, most notably its skills as a smart display, but then the OnePlus Pad may well have an OLED screen – which is typically superior to the LCD rumored here.
OnePlus’s tablet will almost certainly launch sooner too. It's landing on February 7 alongside the OnePlus 11, while the Pixel Tablet’s launch date is currently unknown.
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The OnePlus 11 is getting its global launch on February 7, but it won’t be alone, because OnePlus has confirmed to TechRadar that the OnePlus Pad will be launching alongside it. Better yet – the company's even shared the first image of the tablet with us, giving you the first official look at the slate.
You can see that picture at the top of this article, with the company’s first tablet coming in a Halo Green shade, which OnePlus claims “blends the vibrancy of life with the vastness of space”. There may be other colors offered too, but this is the only one we’ve been told about.
The design of the OnePlus Pad includes an aluminum alloy body and a cambered frame, which should make it comfortable to hold for extended periods, according to OnePlus.
There’s a single-lens camera jutting out of the rear in a central position, which is apparently an ideal position for taking photos, since it’s more lined up with your own view than it would be on the edge.
You can see that on the front there’s also a single-lens camera, this time built into the bezel above the display, along the top edge.
We don’t have a full view of the OnePlus Pad or any indication of the specs, other than the number of cameras, but from what we can see, it seems this could be quite an attractive slate, and one with a reasonably premium appearance.
The small number of cameras shouldn’t be a problem either, since tablets are few people’s main device for snapping photos or videos.
We’ll learn plenty more about the OnePlus Pad soon, since February 7 is fast approaching, and with most details of the OnePlus 11 already known, this could actually be the more interesting element of the big launch event.
A slightly larger view of the OnePlus Pad(Image credit: OnePlus)
Analysis: a much-needed new entry in the Android tablet market
While a lot of questions remain about the OnePlus Pad, its mere existence is cause for celebration, as currently the Android tablet market is dominated primarily by Samsung at the top end and Amazon lower down.
The OnePlus Pad could perhaps offer a tempting option between those two extremes – depending on the specs and price. Coming from OnePlus, there’s a good chance that it will be competitively priced wherever it sits in the market though, so this could end up making either our best tablets or best cheap tablets list.
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If you’re considering picking up one of the newly-released MacBook Pro M2 models, watch out: it looks like Apple has cut some corners (presumably in the name of keeping manufacturing costs down) when it comes to the SSD found in the entry-level iterations of the new laptop.
As spotted by @ZONEofTECH on Twitter, the 512GB drive found in the base configuration of the 2023 MacBook Pro is significantly slower than the SSD used in the previous M1-powered model. It’s a fairly major drop; over 400MB/s slower writes and almost 1,400MB/s slower reads.
This Tweet was later corroborated by 9To5Mac, who ran their own tests and received similar results. Unlike @ZONEofTECH, though, 9To5Mac went one step beyond and cracked open their M2 MacBook Pro to take a closer look at the storage on the motherboard itself.
BREAKING: We’ve just discovered that the base 14” M2 Pro MacBook Pro (512GB) is considerably slower than the previous 14” M1 Pro model. Apple is likely using single SSD modules again (like the base 256GB M2 Air and M2 MacBook Pro). More testing to come. pic.twitter.com/3kMiHVDxaFJanuary 24, 2023
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What they found confirmed @ZONEofTECH’s suspicions: the 512GB M2 MacBook Pro uses fewer NAND modules than its predecessor, resulting in slower performance. Modern integrated SSDs commonly utilize multiple NAND chips for storage; the 512GB of storage in the M1 MacBook Pro was distributed across four 128GB chips (previously confirmed in a teardown by hardware repair site iFixit), while it looks like the new model only has two NAND chips - presumably 256GB each.
Analysis: How serious a problem is this, really?
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this isn’t actually the disaster some commentators have claimed it to be. Sure, the SSD speed drop is disappointing, but it’s not a difference that the average user will notice. The dual-NAND 512GB SSD is still pretty speedy, to the point where your internet speed is more likely to be a bottleneck for downloads anyway.
If you’re looking for a MacBook Pro deal, I can confirm that the 1TB and above configurations don’t seem to share the same problem. I should certainly hope not, too; it’s $200/£200 to upgrade from the base 512GB drive, a hefty fee considering that you can easily snag a perfectly good half-terabyte of PC storage for under fifty bucks via our SSD deals page.
A great SSD shouldn’t cost so much, and considering that this is a ‘Pro’ product with an already-high price tag starting at $1,999 (and already carries the infamous Apple Tax), it’s particularly offputting. This isn’t a first offense, either; as Tom’s Hardware pointed out last year, Apple pulled the same stunt with the entry-level M2 MacBook Pro 13-inch.
Intriguingly, it looks like the entry-level 256GB M2 Mac mini has the exact same issue, apparently using a single NAND module instead of the two chips found in the older M1 version. I’m actually willing to let this one slide, though - the 2023 Mac mini is $599/£629, a generational price drop that likely wouldn’t have been possible without this SSD downgrade and marks the new model out as perhaps the best-value compact computer on the market right now.
Ultimately, this shouldn’t be a huge factor for most users - although I’d personally contend that in the modern era, 1TB of storage should be the minimum - since the real-world impact will be relatively minor. If massive file transfers are a frequent part of your laptop routine, though, you should definitely consider springing for the upgraded model.
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An innovative new cooling solution could lead to the demise of the laptop fan, if it really is as effective as its creators suggest. San Jose-based firm Frore Systems have developed a revolutionary new ‘cooling chip’ that could be implemented to provided superior - and near-silent - cooling for everything from the best ultrabooks to even the best VR headset.
This isn’t passive cooling, either; despite the lack of fans, these chips (dubbed the ‘AirJet’) provide active airflow by vibrating super-thin membranes inside the chip at ultrasonic frequencies to generate jets of air. The name is nothing if not appropriate.
This process provides cooling by sucking colder air in through small vents on the upper surface of the chip, then blasting it through a narrow chamber on the underside, where it comes into contact with a heat spreader plate. The spreader absorbs heat from the component being cooled (for example, the copper heat pipes found connected to most laptop processors) and dissipates it via the AirJet’s internal airflow, venting warm waste air from one end of the chip.
One small step for laptop fans
Even the very best laptops can have problems with fan drone when under heavy load (barring, of course, the iconic fanless MacBook Air), and Frore System’s solution could supposedly eliminate the problem entirely.
The technology - which comes in two flavors, the AirJet Mini and the larger but more powerful AirJet Pro - is claimed to outperform conventional laptop fans significantly due to the massively increased air pressure generated by the tiny chamber inside the 2.8mm-thick chip.
According to its creators, the AirJet function at 21 dBA. That’s quieter than a human whisper, approaching the lower echelons of human hearing; for reference, the average laptop fan sits above 40 dBA, while normal speech sits at around 65 dBA. The chip also requires only a tiny amount of power, just a single Watt for the AirJet Mini.
Frore Systems also claims to have fitted a passively-cooled Arm-based notebook with four AirJet Mini units, and found that the processor could run at its full turbo frequency without issue - while using the existing passive cooling system resulted in frequent throttling down to a lower frequency.
Frore System is currently working with Intel and its laptop partners to (hopefully) deliver a new laptop using AirJet cooling by the end of 2023, but don’t get too excited; this is fledgling technology, and CNX Software noted that Frore has previously said that tech this advanced will come with ‘competitive’ pricing, so we can probably expect it to show up exclusively in high-end devices first.
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It's been rumored for several years that Apple is thinking about switching its iPad Pro tablets to OLED display technology, and the latest report from the supply chain says the first of these updated devices are due to arrive in 2024.
This is from ET News in South Korea (via MacRumors), which claims that development is now underway on an iPad with an OLED screen. The display departments at Samsung and LG are apparently in line to provide the panels.
The current iPad Pro models feature mini-LED LCD technology: while this has a slightly higher ceiling in terms of maximum brightness when compared with OLED, OLED can't be beaten in terms of contrast and the deepness of its blacks.
Same sizes
According to the report, the screen sizes of 11 inches and 12.9 inches are going to remain the same as Apple makes the switch, so in terms of the dimensions and the form factors of the iPad Pro there won't be any obvious difference.
Apple has used OLED technology on its iPhones for several years now, but it's more difficult and more costly to produce the panels at larger sizes – so keep an eye on any variations in price when it comes to the 2024 iPad Pros.
Previous leaks had also put the launch date of an iPad Pro at some point in 2024, so this matches up with that. OLED technology is also being worked on for Apple's MacBook line, the report says, with the switch scheduled for 2026.
Analysis: room for improvement
Apple refreshed its premium tablet line again last year, and in our iPad Pro review we gave the device an almost perfect score. It's an impressive piece of hardware from just about every angle, and it's hard to see how Apple is going to improve on it in the future.
Faster internals are always expected every time we get a new iPad, but it could be argued that the iPad Pros have so much power that the average user is never going to push them to anywhere near their limit.
Software updates are always pushed out regularly too, with iPadOS 16.1 adding the Stage Manager tool. These updates are separate to the hardware considerations though, and appear on all kinds of iPads, new and old.
It would seem that Apple has decided that OLED technology is one upgrade that it can invest in for the iPad Pros, and perhaps eventually the standard iPad as well. Once that switch is made, there really might not be anything else to improve.
For all those who feel a certain pride in playing Quordle, the five-letter word game best known for being four times as difficult as Wordle, your word quest is vindicated. Iconic dictionary brand Merriam-Webster bought up the popular online puzzler and announced it on Thursday.
Merriam-Webster, which is owned by Encyclopedia Britannica, quietly snapped up the game, which launched shortly after Wordle became an online phenomenon in late 2021.
Quordle has a lot in common with Wordle. Where Wordle asks you to solve a five-letter word puzzle in five guesses, Quordle asks you to simultaneously solve four five-word puzzles in nine attempts.
A typical Quordle result that you can share without giving away the answers. Yes, it's a lot like Wordle...but harder.(Image credit: Future)
Both present you with a standard virtual keyboard and after you enter a five-letter word guess, letters appear across all four-word boards. Correct letters in the right spots are green and correct letters in the wrong spots are orange. Yes, just like Wordle.
The big difference is that one set of letters instantly applies to all four puzzles, which is why Quordle is considered so much more difficult. You're solving four puzzles at once and with just nine attempts.
I'm delighted to announce that Quordle was acquired by @MerriamWebster I can't think of a better home for this game. Lots of new features and fun to come, so stay tuned!January 20, 2023
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Quordle doesn't have the same kind of rabid fanbase as Wordle (perhaps it's just too hard), but Merriam-Webster's backing could change that.
What most people didn't know until Friday, however, is that Merriam-Webster purchased Quordle last year.
"The founder was a big fan of us being a home for the product....Me and our editors were huge fans. Negotiations were quick and happy," Merriam-Webster President Gregory Barlow told me on Friday.
Barlow said that after the acquisition for an undisclosed sum, the dictionary website made just subtle changes to Quordle, like adding the Merriam-Webster logo last month. However, it wasn't until they migrated the entire Quordle platform and URL over to Merriam-Webster's servers on Thursdays (January 19), that Quordle creator Freddie Meyer shared the news on Twitter.
While the URL is different, Quordle fans should not expect any big changes.
"I don’t have any changes planned. We do have some new features and maybe some new game types coming, but the core game that people play every day, I would not expect it to change."
More importantly, Merriam-Webster has zero plans to put Quordle behind a paywall. That should please a lot of devoted players. According to Barlow, 29.7 million users have played Quordle 410 million times over the last six months.
Are there, I asked Barlow, any concerns about The New York Times coming after the now more high-profile Quordle because of its similarities to Wordle?
"No. [It's] definitely not copying Wordle. We like Quordle so much because it’s such a different game. Having to do four words introduces such different kinds of gameplay and tactics."
And, yes, Barlow is a Quordle player, and was so long before Merriam-Webster bought the game.
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A MacBook Air with M3 chip will be unleashed on the world by Apple in the second half of 2023, if a new rumor is to be believed.
As MacRumors flagged up, this comes from DigiTimes (not our most favored reliable source, it has to be said – and we’ll come back to that later), which asserts that the MacBook Air arriving later this year will use a 3nm chip (meaning it’ll be an M3, dropping down from the 5nm process used with the M2 SoC).
DigiTimes tells us: “The supply chain is more focused on the more affordable MacBook Air, which is expected to be updated in the second half of 2023 and may be equipped with a 3nm processor.”
Note that there’s a certain amount of vagueness here in that the claim is the portable may have a 3nm (M3) chip. Of course, we heard similar rumors that the M2 Pro and Max could be built on 3nm last year, but they turned out to be false, with Apple saving the drop in process for the M3 (which will doubtless go this route).
Something else to note here, as MacRumors points out, is that earlier this week a more reliable Apple leaker, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, put forward the claim that the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch will get refreshed with 3nm M3 Pro and M3 Max chips come 2024 – but Kuo did not mention the MacBook Air getting the M3.
Analysis: MacBook Air 15-inch with M3 to cause a bit of buyer’s remorse?
There are a couple of questions with this rumor. Firstly, nothing is mentioned about what the MacBook Air spec might be, and if there’ll be a new MacBook Air 15-inch (much rumored for some time now) alongside a 13-inch model debuting in the second half of 2023. We’re left guessing on that point, although previously the rumor mill has theorized an earlier launch for a 15-inch incarnation of the Air (namely the first half of this year, so perhaps at WWDC).
Secondly, we do need to load up on the caution and skepticism here, as DigiTimes has been known to be, shall we say, less than accurate – particularly around Apple rumors in our experience. Indeed, the publication came forth with a story that the new MacBook Pros weren’t going to come out early in 2023 just a few days before these models were actually launched; so that’s a pretty sizeable faux pas in recent history right there.
If a MacBook Air 15-inch version does indeed pitch up further down the line this year, that could potentially cause some buyer’s remorse for those who decide to pull the trigger on a new MacBook Pro now, perhaps. There’s no shortage of folks wanting a larger-screened MacBook Air, to benefit from more display real-estate in an Apple notebook that’ll be far more affordable than a MacBook Pro, but should still be solidly powerful with new M3 silicon inside.
Indeed, that drop to 3nm should usher in some pretty impressive performance and efficiency boosts, perhaps meaning much better battery life – or a sleeker power pack inside, for a smaller and more portable Air (offsetting, perhaps, at least some of the weight gain from making the Air larger with a 15-inch spin). The 13-inch version could be very ‘airy’ indeed, then.
Still, we remain doubtful on this one, though, as it seems that an M3 launch later this year would be pretty fast-moving for Apple (what with the more powerful M2 flavors only just having turned up). And what’s more, other rumors haven’t pointed to a MacBook Air with M3; and as mentioned above, Kuo is currently only talking about the next Pro refreshes for the M3 SoC (to happen next year).
Still, that doesn’t mean DigiTimes can’t be right on this one, but we’ll reserve judgement for now, as we’ll surely hear more from the grapevine elsewhere soon enough if this is how things really will pan out.
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Apple’s new MacBook Pros – and Mac mini – have freshly arrived on the scene packing new spins on the M2 chip, and we’ve caught some fresh info on how Wi-Fi 6E support works – with a major caveat – along with an informative glance at the M2 Pro die.
Let’s start with Wi-Fi 6E support which these new Macs incorporate, but the catch is that not all macOS apps will be able to benefit. At least not initially, anyway, because as 9 to 5 Mac reports, the co-founder of Intuitibits – which makes the WiFi Explorer app – let us know that some apps can’t yet use Wi-Fi 6E with these Apple devices.
Changes are needed in macOS and its frameworks for 3rd party apps to take advantage of the new 6E Wi-Fi interface. I'm hoping Apple will make those changes available as soon as possible. https://t.co/GMapX4vmH8January 17, 2023
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Why not? Because as the tweet explains, macOS as it stands doesn’t have the frameworks to allow third-party apps to work with Wi-Fi 6E.
The good news, however, is that this essential work is in the pipeline, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it’ll arrive with the next big macOS update.
Die hard
The other interesting point which has popped up regarding Apple’s new Macs is a die shot of the M2 Pro chip. As Wccftech flagged up, this was aired by High Yield on Twitter, with the innards of the chip clearly showing 19 GPU cores are present.
Initial #Apple M2 Pro SoC die shot analysis. Clearly visible 8 P-cores, 4 E-cores, 19-core GPU, 16-core NPU, dual Media Engine, large SLC & LPDDR5 memory interface. Produced in a TSMC N5 node.Waiting for a closer look from @Locuza_ pic.twitter.com/epvIpsxafCJanuary 17, 2023
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Why is that important? Mainly because some rumors were floating around that the M2 Pro came with 20 GPU cores, but one had been locked out to make 19 – based mainly on that being an odd number (and previous chatter on the grapevine). However, the die clearly shows there isn’t a disabled core, and the plan was to have 19 cores in there all along.
Wccftech further points out the presence of LPDDR5 memory, which dispels another past rumor that Apple might upgrade to faster RAM with these new M2 chips. The belief was that a shift to LPDDR5X was likely in 2023, but this hasn’t happened with the M2 Pro, as we can see it has stuck with LPDDR5.
Analysis: No real surprises – and hopefully Apple should be quick on the Wi-Fi front
The old LPDDR5X rumor being proven untrue is not really a big surprise, mind, seeing as its initial source, as highlighted by Wccftech, was a forum post (a rather shaky source indeed, as opposed to a known Apple leaker – if it had come from a heavyweight presence, we might have given it more stock). At any rate, we now know it’s not true (even if that is a touch disappointing).
And we also know that Wi-Fi 6E won’t work with some apps for the time being. The new wireless standard is important because it improves considerably on Wi-Fi 6 in terms of pushing faster connection speeds, lower latency, and less interference (so the bandwidth isn’t as clogged up, avoiding problems like dropped or flaky connections). The latter is particularly important in dense signal environments like apartment blocks where lots of routers and devices are in close proximity (you can read up further on Wi-Fi 6E here).
Wi-Fi 6E is a clear winner, then, for hardware that supports the standard, and we’re thinking it won’t be too long before Apple brings the necessary frameworks into macOS. Because having launched this hardware now, it’d be a pretty poor show if owners were waiting a considerable length of time for this support to be introduced - so it arriving with the next big update, macOS 13.2, makes sense.
All that said, we’ll just have to wait and see, but we won’t have that long to wait, as macOS 13.2 is expected to arrive pretty soon (most likely early February, perhaps just a couple of weeks from now).
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Samsung is dropping hints that its next Galaxy Book Windows laptop, expected at Unpacked on February 1, will get the Ultra treatment, similar to the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra tablet and the upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra phone. That likely means an S Pen on board, since Samsung shut down its Note family of devices to focus on Ultra. We could also see improved cameras as well as a sky-high price tag.
In a blog post from TM Roh, President and Head of the Mobile eXperiences (MX) Business, Samsung digs deep into what the evolution from Note to Ultra branded devices means. Roh cites performance and camera capabilities, then says that “Ultra means big.”
In advance of the Samsung Unpacked event in San Francisco, the company is already taking online reservations for two devices, a smartphone and a Galaxy Book, presumably a Windows laptop following up on the Galaxy Book 2 Pro. That laptop tops out at 15 inches, but we might see Samsung launch something even larger, perhaps to compete with Apple’s best Macbook Pro.
Here's what a Galaxy Book Ultra would be
The Macbook Pro was updated today with a faster M2 Pro processor, so it would make sense for Samsung to try to reclaim some momentum in the weeks before launch by teasing a new device. The company may be a more worthy Apple competitor in the phone space, but its Galaxy Book 2 Pro reviewed well in our tests.
A best guess would add a pen, a Samsung-branded S Pen of course, to the Galaxy Book Ultra. We’d also expect to see a camera upgrade, and since the webcam is the most important lens on a laptop, that’s the camera that should get a boost. We’d also expect to see a performance boost, so the latest Intel silicon inside would be a good bet.
A Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360(Image credit: Samsung)
Samsung speaks to connectivity quite a bit in its blog post, so we’d also expect a Galaxy Book Ultra to come with cellular connectivity options, perhaps even fast 5G networking. A laptop, which sits still and has a huge antenna compared to a smartphone, is a better candidate for the fastest mmWave 5G, if you’ll be using your laptop in a connected area.
Of course, Samsung could just be referring to connectivity between the laptop and the new Galaxy S23 phones. It’s possible that the laptop could rely entirely on the new phones for cellular connectivity, with a suite of automated software to make that connection happen when the two are within range. We’re hoping for the latter, as 5G laptops are still a rarity.
Lot's of hints but no real details
Unfortunately, the blog post gives us few actual concrete details or even deducible hints about what to expect in a new phone. We can only surmise so much about a new laptop because there is no Ultra version of the Galaxy Book, and these are the features a Galaxy Book would need to match the Galaxy S22 Ultra or the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
We will have more on the new phones and laptops, and any new Samsung devices, in our ongoing coverage of the Samsung Unpacked event. We’re expecting great new cameras, cool new laptops, and perhaps even some surprises yet to come.
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Nvidia’s RTX 4090 and 4080 are debuting in laptops very soon, and we’ve caught another glimpse of pricing – underlining just how expensive notebooks boasting these GPUs will be, particularly the Lovelace flagship.
The new prices are from Micro Center, which is now listing MSI gaming laptops as Wccftech reports, with the top model being the MSI Titan 17 with the RTX 4090. This portable weighs in at a rather monstrous $4,700 (around £3,800, AU$6,800) in the US (also packing the mighty Core i9-13980HX processor, the Intel Raptor Lake flagship).
For the MSI Raider 17 with the RTX 4080 laptop graphics card (and same CPU), the version with 32GB of DDR5 system RAM plus 2TB SSD retails at $3,300 (around £2,700, AU$4,700), but you’ll pay $4,000 (around £3,300, AU$5,700) if you want 64GB of RAM (and the same 2TB SSD).
Remember, Nvidia said that RTX 4080 and 4090 laptops would start from $1,999 in the US, but looking at the pricing here, it’s considerably above that level if you want high-end gaming on the go with a Lovelace powerhouse GPU.
The good news, price-wise, is that for Lovelace GPUs underneath the top two – meaning RTX 4050 through to 4070 – Nvidia said pricing would start at $999, and it’s not too far off that. An MSI Katana 15 with an RTX 4060 (plus Core i7-12650H and 16GB of DDR5 RAM) sells for $1,200 (around £980, AU$1,720) at Micro Center.
The RTX 4050 spin of the new Katana 15 isn’t any cheaper, mainly because it peps up the CPU to a Raptor Lake Core i7 (and doubles the SSD size to 1TB); so the choice is GPU versus CPU plus more storage.
Analysis: MSI's pricing looks consistent with other early listings
This backs up what we’ve already seen in Europe showing the RTX 4090 as seriously pricey. If you recall, XMG’s Neo 16 gaming laptop with RTX 4090 is priced at €3,886 (around $4,200, £3,400, AU$6,000), with the GPU being €637 more expensive than the RTX 4080 as an upgrade.
So, with the 4090 being €637 dearer than the (already expensive) 4080 in Europe, and $700 more in the US, that looks pretty consistent. In short, this is likely the kind of pricing we can expect going forward from other laptop makers, at least in the near future anyway – and with those high-end cards, particularly the RTX 4090, you really are paying a huge premium.
That premium may well be worth it to some folks who simply want the most powerful laptop they can get their hands on for gaming or creative work, but it’s likely to be off-putting to some of the enthusiast community (top-end portables already being something of a niche by definition).
Particularly when, as we’ve discussed in the past, the RTX 4090 laptop GPU is only equivalent to a desktop RTX 4080 (or thereabouts). It’s simply not possible to jam the hefty, power-guzzling AD102 chip found in the desktop RTX 4090 into a notebook chassis, so Nvidia opted to use AD103 (the chip for the desktop 4080) in the laptop flagship.
At least the better news is the pricing on the lower-tier Lovelace models, with even the RTX 4070 coming in at a (relatively) much more reasonable level. The MSI Pulse 15 sporting the RTX 4070 is $1,700 (around £1,380, AU$2,440), which is not far off half the cost of the most affordable RTX 4080 model (albeit that has the top-end Core i9 Raptor Lake processor as well, compared to the Core i7 for the Pulse).
The Micro Center MSI laptop listings state that the ‘product [is] coming soon’ and indeed pre-orders are supposed to commence from February 1, so just a couple of weeks from now, before the RTX 4090 and 4080 notebooks go on sale February 8. Portables with the other lower-tier GPUs – RTX 4050, 4060, 4070 – will arrive slightly later in the month on February 22, or at least that’s what we’ve heard (add an appropriate dose of skepticism).
Of course, it makes sense that these laptops will be out soon given that we’re seeing multiple product listings pop up right now.
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Apple has announced a new selection of MacBook Pro models, using the new M2 Pro and M2 Max processors and coming in 14- and 16-inch variants. We're looking at the 14-inch version here, breaking down everything we know so far.
The new silicon at the heart of these Apple laptops could render them some of the best MacBooks ever made, following on from the excellent 2022 MacBook Pro 13-inch - which used the same standard M2 chip found in last year's MacBook Air.
Fortunately, it looks like Apple hasn't pulled the same trick here as it did with the new M2 Air, since pricing is largely the same for the M2 MacBook Pro models as it was for the 2021 M1 Pro and Max models. Read on for all the rest of the key details we have right now - we'll be reviewing this new MacBook Pro as soon as we get our hands on one, so watch out for that too!
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023): Cut to the chase
What is it? The 14-inch model of Apple's 2023 M2 MacBook Pro
When will it be available? Available for order now, official release on January 24
What will it cost? Ranging from $1,999 to $3,099, optional upgrades cost extra
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023): Release date
(Image credit: Apple)
Apple has posted a video on its website detailing much of what we want to know about the new MacBook Pro 14-inch. Most importantly, we have a release date - January 24, with pre-orders available now through the Apple website and supporting retailers.
That release date will be shared with the new M2 MacBook Pro 16-inch and the M2 models of the Mac mini. If you order direct from Apple's website, dispatch is guaranteed by January 23, meaning you should get it on release day or very shortly afterward.
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023): Price
(Image credit: Apple)
Good news, folks: we're not getting a hefty generational price increase here as we did with the M2 model of the MacBook Air last year. The M2 MacBook Pro 14-inch will start at $1,999 for the base model with 512GB of storage and the M2 Pro chip - exactly the same starting price as the M1 MacBook Pro 14-inch, which is good to see.
At the higher end, the M2 Max version starts at $3,099 - slightly more expensive than its predecessor, but only by $100. If you want to go all-out, there are a bunch of optional extras here - including more powerful versions of the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, and additional memory and storage.
If you fully kit our your MacBook Pro 14-inch with the most powerful M2 Max chip at the maxed-out configuration (not including any of the preinstalled software options like Final Cut Pro) it'll run you a tidy sum of $6,299. Yikes!
Frustratingly, it looks like users outside the US are going to get burned here. The M2 Pro version starts at £2,149 in the UK - that's about $2,640. Meanwhile, the fully specced-out M2 Max model will cost £6,549, more than $8,000.
Oddly, it looks like only the base pricing varies significantly between regions. The costs of extras like more RAM or a bigger drive seem to have been translated directly into pounds from the original USD MSRP; for example, upgrading the M2 Max model from a 1TB SSD to 2TB costs $400/£400. What gives, Apple?
MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023): Specs
(Image credit: Apple)
As we've already discussed, these new-for-2023 MacBook Pros will come with either the M2 Pro or M2 Max chip powering them. Each of these chips has two variants; the M2 Pro can come with either 10 or 12 CPU cores and 16 or 19 GPU cores, while the M2 Max always packs 12 CPU cores but can utilize either 30 or 38 GPU cores.
That's going to make the M2 Max a force to be reckoned with in graphical terms. every version of the M2 Pro and Max chips also has a 16-core integrated Neural Engine for machine-learning workloads.
Beyond the processor, the M2 Pro models of the MacBook Pro will start with 16GB of unified RAM and a 512GB SSD, scalable up to 32GB and a whopping 8TB respectively. Meanwhile, the M2 Max version starts at 32GB of RAM and can be configured to 64GB (or all the way up to 96GB, but only with the more powerful M2 Max chip), with the same drive options.
Apple also boasts that this MacBook Pro has the longest battery life of any model released so far, apparently capping out at a staggering 22 hours of use. In terms of connectivity, we've got Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, and SDXC ports alongside speedy Wi-Fi 6E.
The screen is the same crisp Liquid Retina XDR display we've come to love Apple's laptops for, and all models will support up to 8K video output via HDMI, along with the ability to support up to a maximum of four external displays.
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Apple has quietly launched new 2023 models of the 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pros, alongside powerful M2 Pro and M2 Max chips - follow-ups to the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
According to Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, "Today the MacBook Pro gets even better. With faster performance, enhanced connectivity, and the longest battery life ever in a Mac, along with the best display in a laptop, there’s simply nothing else like it."
Pre-orders go live today, and will ship beginning January 24.
This story is breaking...
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Apple could be planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips later today, if a pair of fresh rumors line up as some are theorizing.
The first leak, as MacRumors reports, is a filing that has been spotted in a Canadian database (Industry Canada Radio Equipment List), pertaining to an inbound MacBook Pro and its Wi-Fi 6E support (as flagged by Wade Penner on Twitter).
New Apple MacBook Pro model A2779 seen in Industry Canada Radio Equipment List database. Approved on January 11, 2023. Likely the new M2 Max or M2 Pro. Device will support WiFi 6E / 6GHz band. pic.twitter.com/KmSo1aGp7GJanuary 16, 2023
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This isn’t a source we’re familiar with, but MacRumors has dug into this and confirms that the filing exists (but we should still obviously add a whole heap of seasoning to any leak).
The second part of this is that there has been separate chatter on the grapevine – from well-known Apple leaker Jon Prosser, and other sources including MacRumors again – that Apple has a product reveal planned for later today.
Now, we don’t know what that product might be – all we’re told is that it’ll be a simple press release announcement via the Apple newsroom (as opposed to any kind of launch event).
Put this leak and rumor combination together and we get the theory that this launch, if it does indeed happen later today, could well be the MacBook Pros.
Analysis: If we do see MacBook Pros, they might be underwhelming…
It’s been long rumored that there’ll be MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models coming out in 2023 (actually, they were first expected to debut late in 2022). However, the latest speculation we’ve heard (previous to this current rumor) is that these MacBook Pros won’t arrive early in 2023 as expected, and may be pushed to Q2.
That’s not certain, by any means – none of this is, of course – but all the previous chatter points to MacBook Pros not turning up anytime soon, and certainly not immediately.
A sighting of a filing doesn’t necessarily mean anything is imminent, either. Then again, it’s a fair old clue that we don’t have that long to wait; and maybe Apple is planning a reveal now, but the on-sale date may be pushed some way down the line.
We’re not hugely convinced about that, though, and we could well see another product revealed today. For example, a new Mac mini is another widely anticipated candidate for being unleashed.
If we do see the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch introduced to the world via press releases, this would underline another thread that has been presented by the rumor mill of late – namely that there are hardly any changes to the laptops. Mark Gurman, another heavyweight Apple leaker, recently asserted that these portables would keep the exact same design and features as existing models, with the only real upgrade being the M2 Pro and Max chips – and that any performance increase will likely be ‘marginal’, not a word that’ll get anyone excited.
So, if that is indeed the case, then a low-key launch using press releases would make sense. How this one will pan out, then, is a tough one to call, with arguments for and against a MacBook Pro appearance. But we don’t have long to wait to find out if an announcement really is forthcoming today, and if so, what it’ll be. All eyes are on the Apple newsroom.
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Nvidia’s Lovelace laptop GPUs are inbound and we already knew portables carrying these RTX 4000 graphics cards would debut in February, but now we’ve heard exactly when the various cards should be emerging next month.
This is according to Chinese tech site IT Home (flagged up by Wccftech, via VideoCardz), and as ever, we must be skeptical around rumors, but the contention is that Nvidia will first launch RTX 4090 and 4080 models on February 8.
That’s when these laptops will start shipping, but you’ll actually be able to order the machines on February 1, a week in advance, the report asserts.
Laptops which run with the RTX 4070, 4060 and 4050 GPUs will be available later in the month, going on sale February 22.
Pricing for the lower-tier RTX 40 laptops released later in the month starts from $999 (around £820, AU$1,430), with price tags for the RTX 4080 and 4090 portables starting from $1,999 (around £1,640, AU$2,620).
We’ve already seen that the notebooks carrying the Lovelace flagship will be seriously pricey, with the cost of an upgrade to the RTX 4090 being shown by XMG. It adds an eye-watering €1,687 (around $1,830, £1,500, AU$2,630) to the price tag of XMG’s Neo 16 gaming laptop (and that’s just the additional cost for upgrading the GPU, not the total price).
Analysis: A swift launch for the Lovelace laptop range
If this proves correct, in just a touch over two weeks’ time, you’ll be able to pre-order a laptop with an RTX 4090 or 4080. And before the end of February, all Lovelace mobile graphics cards will be out there in notebooks on the market – so Nvidia isn’t hanging around deploying the entire range for laptops.
This feels especially pertinent when you consider that in the desktop sphere, only the RTX 4090, 4080, and 4070 Ti have been released so far – and those releases were staggered over quite some time (the 4070 Ti has only just got here).
Whether this push with deploying laptop GPUs swiftly means we might see the RTX 4070 or RTX 4060 (or even 4050) for desktop PCs anytime in the near future, well, we wouldn’t bank on it – certainly not in the latter two cases anyway. All recent rumors have suggested the desktop RTX 4060 is still quite some way off, and its release may not even be considered by Nvidia until enough lower-tier RTX 3000 stock – which is still hanging around – has been sold off.
As we mentioned above, the cost of the laptop RTX 4090 is not for the faint-hearted. Indeed, it’s actually every bit as pricey as the desktop RTX 4090, while delivering performance in line with the desktop 4080. (Remember that the mobile 4090 is built on the AD103 chip and has a considerably chopped CUDA Core count of 9,728 compared to AD102 on the desktop 4090, which offers 16,384).
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Apple’s rumored MacBook Pros with the M2 Pro and Max chips have suffered another delay going by the latest from the rumor mill.
According to a report from DigiTimes, highlighted by Tom’s Hardware, these MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models have been “delayed once again” (if you recall, these refreshes were originally expected to debut at the end of 2022). More recent rumors claimed we could see the laptops in Q1 of this year, but now DigiTimes is saying that they won’t be out early in 2023.
Of course, as ever with the grapevine, we need to be very cautious about accepting this at face value. What we aren’t told is when the MacBook Pros will actually arrive, but we can tap another source for further info here.
Mark Gurman has just said (in his newsletter) that the revamped MacBook Pros are set to arrive in the first half of 2023, where previously the well-known leaker was asserting a possible Q1 launch date. That would seem to suggest that the launch has been pushed to Q2 2023, then.
DigiTimes also tells us that shipments of MacBooks are going to drop massively this quarter, and could be around 40% to 50% lower than the final quarter of 2022. While a drop is expected from Q4 to Q1 – as it’s going from a busy sales period to a quiet one – the magnitude of this decrease, if it’s true, is eye-opening.
Analysis: A WWDC launch, perhaps?
If the new MacBook Pro models are delayed (again) to Q2, we could be looking at a June launch maybe – because that’s when WWDC 2023 takes place. While traditionally, WWDC isn’t about hardware, we have seen devices turn up at the event, and indeed last year we witnessed the appearance of the M2 MacBook Air.
Further rumors around the incoming MacBook Pros, again from Gurman, hold that the laptops will keep the existing design and features of the current incarnations, and the only real upgrade will be to the processor, with the M2 Pro and Max chips inside. We can expect a “marginal” performance uptick, the leaker has recently said, so all in all, hopes are far from being built up around what these new notebooks will deliver.
Which makes you wonder why – if there aren’t any big changes – the MacBook Pros are being delayed; what could be the issue here? We can only guess that it might be something to do with those new turbocharged M2 SoCs, or perhaps those falling shipment numbers.
As Tom’s Hardware points out, shipments being dropped by up to 50% is tied into weaker Q4 demand for MacBooks, and therefore currently higher stock levels of the laptops. So, maybe it’s a case of selling through existing inventory, and not wanting to show new MacBook Pros on the horizon – which might encourage buyers to hold off for the new models – until the current stock has been shifted a bit?
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Steve Jobs may have hated the idea of a touchscreen MacBook, but it looks like Apple may finally be warming to the idea, and if true, I think this is a great move.
A new report from Bloomberg suggests that Apple engineers are working on a project to finally bring touchscreens to Macs – possibly to a MacBook Pro sporting a new OLED display in either 2024 and 2025.
Now, before I (or you) get too excited, this is all rumor at this point, and no release date is even mentioned in the report, suggesting that even if Apple is working on touchscreen MacBooks, it may still not have made its mind up on them ever seeing the light of day. The whole project could be scrapped if Apple thinks it won’t work (as it did in the past).
Now, there will be people out there who agree with Steve Jobs' earlier dismissal of touchscreen laptops, even after all this time. After all, who knew MacBooks better than Jobs, once-CEO of Apple?
While I won’t suggest I do, I do think he was wrong about this, and adding touchscreens would be great for the next generation of MacBooks.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Do I really disagree with Steve Jobs over MacBooks?
Back in 2010, Steve Jobs called touchscreen laptops an “ergonomically terrible” idea, because “Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical.”
The first thing to point out is that this was now 13 years ago. Back then, touchscreen laptops were in their infancy, offering far less responsive touch experiences, along with operating systems and applications that just weren’t designed for touchscreens.
In 2023, things are very different. Almost every major laptop maker (apart from Apple) sells touchscreen laptops, including Dell, HP and even Microsoft. Many touchscreen laptops are stylish and premium devices, with thin and light designs and screens that show you no longer have to sacrifice image quality if you go for a touchscreen.
(Image credit: Future)
Operating systems have also evolved to better support touchscreens. While the less said about Microsoft’s earlier attempts to make a touchscreen-friendly operating system (coughWindows 8cough) the better, Windows 10 and Windows 11 have elements of their user interface that is designed for touchscreens, including a tablet-mode.
There are also a number of Chromebooks that come with touchscreens, and again, Chrome OS has design elements that make using it with a touchscreen easy and comfortable. Chromebooks also prove that touchscreens are no longer confined to expensive devices.
However, the main issue I had with Jobs’ idea of touchscreen laptops – at least when he was quoted in 2010 – is how he envisioned touchscreen laptops being used. With the mention of verticality, he obviously had traditional laptops in mind.
However, there’s now a huge range of 2-in-1 laptops which allow you to flip the screen back behind the keyboard, or remove the keyboard all together, and which can be used more like tablet devices. They can also be rested on laptops or desks, so verticality is not an issue.
(Image credit: Future)
I also think Jobs misunderstood how people would want to use touchscreen laptops, saying that “After an extended period of time, your arm wants to fall off.” This leads me to believe that he thought people would be using the touchscreen of a traditional laptop for all interactions, such as selecting text, opening apps and typing. Of course, if you did all that while leaning over a laptop keyboard and prodding the screen, your arm would get tired.
However, that’s not how people use touchscreen laptops. I certainly don’t. Instead, I find the touchscreen is best used as a supplementary way of interacting with the laptop. For example, I could be typing away in Microsoft Word on the physical laptop keyboard, then quickly flick my finger up or down the screen to scroll through the document. It can also be handy for quickly moving windows – by dragging an open application with my finger to the side of the screen will automatically organise the screen to the application takes up that half of the display. You can do it with a mouse, but with a touchscreen, it feels even more intuitive and easy.
With young people now becoming accustomed to using touchscreen devices from an early age, offering touch capabilities is even more important than before. A device without one can quickly seem archaic, and with Apple’s biggest rivals offering touchscreen laptops, there could be a danger that it begins to look (excuse the pun) out of touch.
This isn’t to say Jobs didn’t have a point, nor was he completely wrong. He was quoted over a decade ago, and is sadly no longer around to update or change his opinion on touchscreen laptops as the technology evolved.
So, it’s encouraging to hear rumours that Apple may be revisiting the idea of touchscreen MacBooks. Its powerful range of iPad Pros, which run the same M1 and M2 hardware as current MacBooks, are often pared with Bluetooth keyboards, turning them into laptop-like devices with… touchscreens.
(Image credit: Apple)
With iPadOS and iOS, Apple already has software designed for touchscreens, so I do think MacBooks with touchscreens will one day appear – rather than a half-baked approach like putting a thin Touch Bar above the keyboard, which would do some of the things a touchscreen would do… but worse.
So, come on, Apple. Ignore the haters and give me a touchscreen MacBook!
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Nvidia’s RTX 4090 laptop GPU was revealed at CES 2023, but if you want this power-packed graphics card, how much will it cost you? The unsurprising answer is a small fortune, going by the price of an upgrade to the RTX 4090 on an XMG gaming laptop.
VideoCardz spotted that in a YouTube video from Jarrod’sTech, pricing is listed for the various RTX 40 Series graphics card options that buyers can choose from when purchasing XMG’s Neo 16, an incoming gaming portable packing Intel’s Core i9-13900HX Raptor Lake CPU (and a whole load of other high-end goodies).
The base model of the Neo 16 comes with the RTX 4060, retailing at €2,199 (around $2,360, £1,940, AU$3,420). If you want to upgrade that to the RTX 4090, the cost is a whopping €1,687 (around $1,810, £1,490, AU$2,630).
XMG’s prices for other Nvidia Lovelace GPUs come to a relatively palatable €375 (around $400, £330, AU$580) for the RTX 4070, but then the RTX 4080 is pitched at €1,050 (around $1,130, £930, AU$1,640).
The Neo 16, and other RTX 40 Series laptops, will be out in February.
Analysis: Pushing the boundaries of pricing (again)
Nvidia’s newly revealed GPUs are pricey, you say? Well, who’d have believed it…
Of course, the fact that the RTX 4090 is expensive in its laptop incarnation is hardly a shock, and again looking at the desktop pricing, the RTX 4080 also being a big financial ask is similarly predictable.
If we consider the total cost of the RTX 4090 going by XMG’s pricing, the cost of the upgrade is almost €1,700 as mentioned, but for the total theoretical price, we must also consider that you’re already paying for the RTX 4060 in the entry-level model’s price tag – so we can bung that on top.
Meaning that the RTX 4090 laptop GPU must come close to two grand in Euros, and that’s about the asking price for the a desktop RTX 4090 (at major German retailer MindFactory, at the time of writing). So, one way to look at this is the laptop version of this GPU is just as expensive as the desktop incarnation’s eye-watering price tag.
And of course, the laptop take on the Lovelace flagship isn’t nearly as performant as the desktop card – it draws a lot less wattage, of course, at 150W TGP (plus a 25W dynamic boost) – but what you’re paying for here is the ability to fit as much power as possible into a relatively small case (a laptop chassis).
Still, the question remains – do you really want to fork out that much for a notebook graphics card? One that has the same CUDA Core count as the RTX 4080 desktop, and likely similar performance to that card (in a best-case scenario, it’s perhaps a bit slower in the main). You can bet there are folks out there already reaching for their wallets, though…
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“Nobody wants to look like the guy who just stepped off the Starship Enterprise,” Paul Travers, the president of AR eyewear maker Vuzix tells me.
He’s being polite here, so I’ll say what he won’t: It’s hard to wear current VR and AR headsets for more than an hour. They’re heavy! Microsoft’s Hololens is really neat, but at a pound and a half, it’s a lot of headgear to wear around. And Magic Leap is cool, sure, but they look odd when you’re wearing them.
Vuzix has the answer. At CES 2023, the company unveiled new Ultralite AR glasses, ordinary-looking plastic frames with a tiny projector tucked in one stem and a tiny battery and Bluetooth radio in the other. Combine that with Vuzix’s waveguides – a layer in the glasses that bends the projector’s light into your line of sight – and you’ve got ordinary-looking glasses that do the extraordinary.
The author wearing sunglasses enhanced by Vuzix Ultralite technology -- proof that AR glasses clan look like ordinary glasses and still do the extraordinary.(Image credit: Jeremy Kaplan / Future)
I put on the Vuzix Ultralite, and saw in the corner of the right lens a line of green text, the sort you’d see on old mainframe computers in the movie War Games. It was sharp, perfectly readable, and bright as day. It was a real-time transcription of what another Vuzix staffer was saying; the device is equally adept at displaying directions, with arrows to indicate where you should travel, workout status, text messages, and so on.
This is not, to be clear, 30 fps full-color video. That technology also exists, from an Israeli company called Lumus. But it’s at least two years out, the company told me, and due to costs, when it arrives it’s likely to show up in a monocular application. (Meaning a single lens of your glasses, although if you’re into monocles, I suppose they could make one.)
But the Vuzix Ultralite is here today, and it is exactly what I’ve been looking for. It doesn’t have a massive battery pack (or a cord to a battery you shove in your pocket) because it works directly with your phone, thanks to a simple Bluetooth connection. It’s not passing a great deal of video across that connection, so there’s no need for that cable either. It’s just a pair of ordinary-looking glasses that tap into the power of your phone.
A tiny battery and a tiny projector are all that Vuzix Ultralites require -- beyond the waveguide on the lens, of course.(Image credit: Jeremy Kaplan / Future)
“This phone has amazing capabilities,” Travers points out. Why try to recreate that? “For instance, speech-language translation. You could be speaking French and I’ve got the glasses on and it’s all in English in the lenses.” Stick a microphone in the lenses and you can completely interact with your phone as well.
“We’ve been at this for 26 years,” Travers told me. His company has been doing waveguides forever and manufacturing them here in the United States at a facility in Rochester, New York. “Back in the day, the Special Forces guys asked us, ‘Can you make Oakley-style sunglasses with computers in them?’ Because we want that and we call it the Oakley Gaze. Half the U.S. military would buy these things if you could do that … So that’s been a focus for us.”
The US government recently gave Microsoft a half-billion-dollar contract for Hololens. Meanwhile, this exists. Perhaps the government should have held out?
Check out all of TechRadar's CES 2023 coverage. We're bringing you all the breaking tech news and launches, everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.
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Razer is swinging back into gaming laptops game with the Blade 16 and Blade 18, both of which have some serious muscle behind them.
The two machines will “come equipped with the latest 13th generation Intel Core i9 HX chipset” and a GeForce RTX 40 series GPU from Nvidia that can run up to 175W TGP (Total Graphics Power). 175W refers to the amount of power being sent directly into the GPU to ensure high performance, though not power-efficiency as it will drain the battery pretty quickly.
Judging from the description, there will be multiple models of the Blade laptops corresponding to a specific graphics card. The full list is unknown. However, we know that one will house the powerful RTX 4090. As impressive as the hardware is, what really gets us are the differences between the two. Arguably the Blade 16 is the less powerful of the two, but it still packs impressive features.
Impressive differences
Razer claims the Razer Blade 16 has the “world’s first dual-mode mini-LED display,” meaning it has two native resolutions: Ultra HD Plus (3840 x 2160 pixels) at 120Hz, also known as Creator Mode, and Full HD Plus (1920 x 1080 pixels) at 240Hz, called Gamer Mode.
As the names suggest, each resolution is better suited for a specific task. Creator Mode allows content creators to work in 4K resolution for optimal quality. Game Mode, on the other hand, tones down the resolution in exchange for smoother gameplay. The “Plus” aspect refers to the accompanying features that further boost display quality such as support for HDR 1000 and 100% DCI-P3 color gamut for brilliant visuals.
The Razer Blade 18 has a different approach as it aims to be a replacement for desktop computers. Instead of two native resolutions, it sticks with a Quad HD Plus (2560 x 1440 pixels) display at 240Hz that Razer claims is the “perfect” middle ground for both work and play. And although it lacks HDR 1000, the device still supports all of the DCI-P3 gamut.
Other notable features on the Blade 18 that cements its “desktop replacement” status include “a 5MP camera, a THX spatial audio 6-speaker array, upgradeable components, a comprehensive port selection, and hyper-efficient vapor chamber cooling.” The Blade 16 has similar features, but to a lesser extent. For example, instead of a 6-speaker array, it has four. The Blade 18 has three fans for its cooling system while the 16 has two, and so on.
Availability
Speaking of the Razer Blade 16, there is one minor issue that should be mentioned. According to a report by Engadget, switching between Creator and Gamer Mode is pretty “clunky.” Users will have to completely shut down the laptop and restart it back to change resolutions; you can’t just go into the menus.
Clunkiness aside, if you’re interested in either one, be prepared to cough up the cash. The Razer Blade 16 and 18 will run you $2,699.99 and $2.899.99, respectively. Both launch in Q1 2023 so they should be available for purchase within the next couple months.
If you’re looking for something more affordable, check out TechRadar’s guide on the best cheap gaming laptops for January 2023. We got some worth less than $700.
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Lenovo is taking dual-screen concept to the next level with the Yoga Book 9i, one of the first laptops with two full-size OLED touchscreens.
Tech companies in the past have tried creating dual screen laptops. Sadly, they either don’t go anywhere, like the Microsoft Surface Neo, or are diminished in scale. This new Lenovo laptop, however, is doing things a little differently.
At least, Lenovo calls it a laptop. It’s more of a tablet with the hinge serving as a divider. The screens themselves don’t bend so you don’t have to worry about an annoying crease going down the middle. Looking at the announcement images, the Yoga Book 9i is pretty versatile as both displays can be used for one image or for working on two separate apps at the same time. You could conceivably give a presentation on one while “viewing the chat [and] advancing slides from the second screen.”
Although there isn’t a keyboard directly attached, the Yoga Book 9i will come with a “detachable Bluetooth keyboard”. Lenovo also says that it supports the Smart Pen, but it’s unknown if the stylus is a part of the launch package.
What to expect
Going down the specifications, the Yoga Book 9i's OLED screens are 13.3-inches across, each outputting a 2.8K resolution image (2880x1800 pixels) at 60Hz. Both feature “100 percent DCI-P3 color accuracy and Dolby Vision HDR” that should deliver vibrant, detailed visuals.
For audio, the dual-screen laptop comes with “Dolby Atmos spatial audio” as well as a sound bar that houses speakers from Bowers & Wilkins for an immersive experience.
Powering everything is a 13th-gen Intel Core i7-U15 CPU and an Iris Xe GPU, so don’t expect the 9i to have great performance for gaming. It’s more for work and school. You are looking at around 10 hours using both screens at a low brightness setting so you might be able to leave the charger at home. Other notable features include support for Wi-Fi 6E, a maximum storage capacity of 1 TB, and a LPDDR5X 16G RAM.
Be prepared to pay a hefty price for the Yoga Book 9i. It launches June 2023 in Tidal Teal with a starting price of $2,099.99 in the US.
Eye-catching laptops
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(Image credit: Lenovo)
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(Image credit: Lenovo)
The other Lenovo CES release that caught our eye is the Smart Paper, a 10.3-inch E-ink tablet positioning itself as a digital notebook. You use its Smart Paper Pen to either write down notes or create illustrations with a high-level of precision, according to Lenovo. Users would also be able to “choose from nine different pen settings… plus 74 notepad templates''. Plus, the Pen doesn’t need charging so you don’t have to worry about a dead stylus.
It looks like Lenovo is setting the Smart Paper up to rival the Kindle Scribe, which is great as an e-book reader but has rather middling writing features. The Smart Paper launches in late 2023 with a starting price of $399.99.
Lenovo announced a ton of new laptops that we couldn’t cover here. Be sure to check our TechRadar continuous CES 2023 coverage and what we think are the best laptops at the event.
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Well folks, CES 2023 is here. The event will run through the week, but we're keeping a close eye on any new computer hardware - mostly laptops! - that crops up each day and will be compiling everything we see right here for your browsing convenience.
We've got laptops from all the major players; Acer, Asus, and LG have already revealed new hardware, with more to follow. There have also been big announcements from Intel and Nvidia, who have respectively announced new processors and new graphics cards for the PC-builders among us.
Check back throughout the week, because we'll keep adding to this page whenever we see something new. Our dedicated computing team has boots on the ground at the event in Las Vegas, so you can be assured that we'll deliver the best, most up-to-date coverage of CES.
Acer laptops at CES 2023
The new Swift Go laptops come in a variety of refined color schemes.(Image credit: Acer)
Acer has gone buckwild this CES, revealing a huge array of new laptops from all of its key ranges. We'll start off with the chunky, funky Helios 18 and Helios 16 laptops - the former of which is quite unique as an 18-inch gaming laptop - equipped with shiny new RTX 4000 mobile GPUs (more on those later).
Those new GPUs can also be found in some new Nitro gaming laptops, which also pack the latest 13th-gen Intel Core or 7th-gen AMD Ryzen CPUs. Elsewhere, gamers get a special treat in the form of the SpatialLabs TrueGame software, part of a continuing effort from Acer to bring 3D viewing technology to more audiences. We also saw a pair of new Predator gaming monitors.
Beyond the gaming sphere, Acer has more to show off. There are multiple new Aspire and Swift laptops, including the incredibly sleek but big-screened Swift Go 16, which boasts a glorious 120Hz OLED display. For those who need strong performance in a slim package, there's the Swift X 14, which will use an RTX 4050.
The Acer Halo Swing: the perfect speaker for your dog and two cats, apparently.(Image credit: Acer)
But wait, there's more! Acer also showcased a number of new all-in-one computers, including the Aspire S (which comes in 27- and 32-inch models) and the super-simple Chrome OS-powered Chromebox CX15, which also comes in a business-focused enterprise variant.
Finally, Acer saw fit to step outside of its usual computing bubble and revealed two completely unexpected products: a smart speaker called the Halo Swing, and - bizarrely - a desk with a built-in exercise bike called the eKinekt. We imagine that's just about legally distinct enough from Microsoft's failed attempt at camera-controlled gameplay with the Xbox Kinect.
Asus laptops at CES 2023
Asus has a whole host of powerful new laptops for gamers and content creators alike.(Image credit: Asus)
Asus isn't sitting around to let Acer hog the limelight. There's a new 18-inch gaming laptop here too, as part of the new range of Asus ROG Strix SCAR laptops, some of which will use Intel's mighty new Core i9-13980HX mobile processor, now the world's most powerful laptop CPU.
It's not just new Strix products either; the ever-successful ROG Zephyrus line is getting new entries, starting with slick new redesigns for the Zephyrus M16 and G16 - both already excellent gaming laptops, now updated with more powerful hardware and a new look. We're also getting new models of Asus's dinky gaming tablet, the ROG Flow X13 and Z13.
In total, there were thirteen new ROG laptops from Asus announced, with a lot of focus being placed on the manufacturer's Nebula display technology. Nebula is essentially a minimum hardware spec for Asus laptop screens, mandating 'a strict criteria of fast motion, bright backlights, and vivid colors.' Having seen these panels in the past, it's good to see Asus is sticking to its guns and aiming to deliver top-notch laptop displays.
Beyond the ROG brand, we saw new Zenbooks, Vivobooks, and TUF gaming laptops. It looks like Asus is following Acer's move into 3D tech, with a ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 and Vivobook Pro 16X that will both feature new Asus Spatial Vision technology to deliver glasses-free 3D.
LG laptops at CES 2023
LG's Gram lineup is expanding in 2023 with both updated and brand-new models.(Image credit: LG)
LG has kept things relatively low-key in the laptop space this year at CES, perhaps unsurprisingly since it also had plenty of TVs to show off. We were pleased to see two new variants of the excellent LG Gram laptop, however: the Gram Ultraslim and the Gram Style.
As the name implies, the Ultraslim model is, well, ultra slim. It's the thinnest Gram yet, measuring less than 11mm in thickness and weighing 998 grams. It's still got an incredible 15.6-inch OLED display, though.
More interesting is the Gram Style, which has a funky iridescent glass finish that makes the colors of the chassis shift as it catches the light. Inside, the trackpad is now invisible; there's a haptic rectangle beneath the keyboard that illuminates with soft LED backlighting when you touch it.
There's also a variety of LG Gram 14, 15, 16, and 17 models, all updated for 2023 along with the Style and Ultraslim with new 13th-generation Intel Core CPUs.
Nvidia at CES 2023
Nvidia is going all in with a wide selection of new laptop GPUs.(Image credit: Videocardz)
Naturally, the big-ticket item at Nvidia's CES 2023 showcase was the new RTX 4070 Ti GPU - stay tuned on this one, as we've got our own full review of this graphics card in the works. The 4070 Ti is a retooled, renamed RTX 4080 12GB, the GPU that Nvidia unceremoniously 'unlaunched' after negative reception. The new GPU will cost $799, a hundred dollars less than its original incarnation.
That wasn't all Nvidia had to show off, though: there was a ton of talk about the new 'Nvidia Omniverse' of interconnected creative software, but more excitingly we got confirmation that Nvidia will be releasing five laptop GPUs this year: the RTX 4080 and 4090 for powerhouse gaming machines, and compact Max-Q versions of the RTX 4050, 4060, and 4070 for more affordable laptops starting at $999.
It's a bit strange to see the 4050 and 4060 announced for laptops when we still have basically no information about the desktop versions of the cards - at least, nothing concrete from Nvidia itself - but we're happy to see them nonetheless and are very curious to see how they stack up against the previous generation of budget laptop GPUs.
Intel at CES 2023
Nvidia is going all in with a wide selection of new laptop GPUs.(Image credit: Intel)
Intel had a LOT of new processors to show off this year at CES, essentially running the full gamut of mobile CPUs. At the top end of the scale, we saw the new Core i9-13980HX - the world's first 24-core laptop processor, which will be making its debut in high-end gaming laptops this year.
For the rest of us, Intel has confirmed that its Pentium and Celeron lines of budget CPUs are officially dead: in their place, the new N-series chips will power the next wave of budget laptops and Chromebooks.
Intel revealed dozens of new N-, P-, and H-series processors at CES 2023, although it looks like one might have slipped through the cracks: we noticed that an as-of-yet unannounced i9-13900KS chip briefly went on sale in France and China before being pulled, and there was no mention of the CPU at Intel's CES presentation. Curious...
Check out ourCES 2023hub for all the latest news from the show as it happens. We'll be covering everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets, so stick with us for the big stories.
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