New Pixel Tablet leaks include images of the Pixel Stand accessory

We're still patiently waiting for the Pixel Tablet, the device Google announced in May 2022 and which is scheduled to launch this year – but a new pair of leaks give us a better idea of what to expect when the device finally does appear.

First of all, Twitter tipster SnoopyTech has posted images of what is supposedly the Google Pixel Tablet Stand, a docking station for the new tablet that will essentially turn it into a Google Nest Hub Max when you're not carrying it around.

Google has previously mentioned something called a Charging Speaker Dock to do this job, but there has been talk that two docks are in development – one with a speaker and one without. It's not clear which one this is.

Google Pixel Tablet Stand pic.twitter.com/YFH6tf9ooBMarch 23, 2023

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Hello to Hub Mode

Then we also have some updates from 9to5Google: the team there has been digging into the code into the Google Home app, and some snippets mentioning the Pixel Tablet are already appearing ahead of the launch of the tablet.

Apparently the Pixel tablet will go into what's called a "Hub Mode" when it's placed on a dock. That mode is going to enable it to receive content beamed over the Google Cast standard, just like a Chromecast dongle does.

Again, there's a mention of two different docks here. It seems as though these docks will work a lot like smart speakers such as the Google Nest Mini, though there may be some limitations in terms of what you can do with them.

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Analysis: following Amazon's lead

If the idea of a tablet that you can turn into a smart display sounds familiar, it's because Amazon has already done it – note that tablets such as the Amazon Fire HD 10 can work in something called Show Mode, essentially turning them into an Echo Show.

In other words, you can call out Alexa commands and have the responses appear on the tablet, as would happen on something like the Echo Show 10. There are also official charging docks for the Fire HD tablets that further blur the lines between the products.

It's a move that makes a lot of sense, because you're not always going to be carrying your tablet around. Put it on its dock, and not only can it be charging, it can also listen out for and respond to your voice commands – just like one of the best smart displays.

We can also expect something similar from Apple in the not-too-distant future. The HomePod 2 has now been launched, and the rumor is that the next smart speaker from Apple is going to come with an iPad-like display attached.

• More Google Pixel Tablet details appear in the latest specs leak

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Lenovo launches LOQ affordable gaming laptops because we’re all broke right now

Lenovo expands its suite of gaming laptops today with a new line to serve the budget and new-to-gaming markets, and to be honest, it's perfect timing.

The Lenovo LOQ – pronounced “lock” – gaming laptops join Lenovo's gaming lineup that's dominated by over-$1,000/£1,000 builds to cater to budget gamers who need something capable without burning an RTX 4090-sized hole in their pockets. 

“With the launch of the new Lenovo LOQ brand," says Jun Ouyang, Lenovo's VP and general manager of the Consumer Business Segment, "we’re building a lineage of gaming excellence and PC offerings that are not just for the gaming community’s top players, but for new and future gamers alike.”

The LOQ gaming laptops will be available in both 16-inch and 15-inch display sizes and powered by 13th Gen Intel Core or AMD Ryzen 7000 chips and Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics, the desktop model of which is rumored to hit the streets in April 2023. Configurations for both sizes will come with up to 16GB 5,600MHz DDR5 RAM, and it'll be future-proofed with support for up to 32GB storage and up to a 1TB PCIe SSD.

While they're not exactly super cheap – a bit of a tall order if you want a gaming laptop that won't give you a migraine and sore eyes, gamers are actually getting new affordable options in the budget gaming laptop market, which is seriously underserved. The base configurations for both Intel and AMD models of the Lenovo LOQ 15 will start at $899.99, while the AMD model of the Lenovo LOQ 16 will start at a higher $959.99.

Economizing fans of budget gaming PC builds aren't left behind, as Lenovo is also releasing a line of Lenovo LOQ Towers, which will be powered by up to 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13700 CPUs and the latest RTX 4000 GPUs. These will have a modest price of entry as well, starting at $979.99.

Cheap not low-class

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The Lenovo LOQ gaming laptops may be more accessible, budget-wise, but that doesn't mean they're low in features. 

The 15-inch version sport up to a WQHD 165Hz VRR display and a 60Whr rapid-charging battery with up to 6 hours per charge. The 16-incher, on the other hand, comes with up to a WQXGA 165Hz VRR display and an 80Whr rapid-charging battery with up to 7 hours of juice. 

Both feature a MUX switch, which should help reduce gaming latency and optimize battery life; Nvidia G-sync support; the Lenovo LA AI Chip that dynamically tunes wattage and thermal performance; and Lenovo's full-sized gaming keyboard with a 1.5mm key travel and optional 4-zone RGB backlighting.

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Not many details have been shared about the Lenovo LOQ Tower, but we're told that it'll come in a spacious 17L chassis with 2D and 3D striped accents in the front, expandable memory of up to 32GB DDR4 RAM as well as expandable storage. We should, however, get more information as we inch closer to its expected release date of Q3 2023.

If you're excited to get your hands on the LOQ laptops, the good news is Lenovo will start rolling them out in April, starting with the Intel-powered LOQ 15-inch and followed by the AMD-powered LOQ 15-inch and the Intel-powered 16-inch in May. The Lenovo LOQ 16 with AMD Ryzen processor won't hit the shelves until June 2023.

Slimming down for gaming on the go

If you're looking for something more mobile rather than money-saving, Lenovo's got you covered as well with its new Lenovo Legion Slim gaming laptops. The Lenovo Legion Slim 7 already exist, but this year, the brand isn't just updating it but also adding a new model to the line – the Lenovo Slim 5. Both promise to offer portability with very little compromise to performance in an effort to serve gamers who want to play while traveling as well as nomadic content creators.

These pricier options feature many of the Lenovo LOQ's features and then some, such as a faster or higher resolution display, Lenovo Legion’s ColdFront 5.0 advanced thermal system, an SD card reader, and most notably, the new Legion TrueStrike full-sized keyboard with Legion Spectrum RGB lighting. To stay true to their portable nature, they also have USB-C charging capability.

They'll be fitted with more powerful Intel or AMD internals of up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 (or i9 in the Slim 7) or AMD Ryzen 9 chips and up to an Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics. 

These Lenovo Legion Slim laptops will start rolling out in April 2023, starting with the Intel-powered Slim 7 and Slim 5. However, as with most thin and light gaming laptops, they won't come cheap. The cheapest of them, the AMD-powered Slim 5, starts at $1,1999.99.

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The Oppo Find X6 series and Oppo Pad 2 are officially just days away from launch

If you’ve been holding out for the launch of the Oppo Find X6 then you won't have to wait too much longer, as Oppo has confirmed that it will be fully announcing the Find X6 series on March 21.

That confirmation was posted directly on Oppo’s online store and spotted by MyFixGuide, and it came alongside the revelation that we’ll also see the Oppo Pad 2 at this launch event.

That said, given that this launch has only so far been announced on Chinese sites, it’s likely only for China, meaning you might have to wait longer to get these devices in other parts of the world. And in the case of the Oppo Find X6 Pro, most regions may never get it if a recent leak proves accurate.

(Image credit: Oppo)

Still, we’ll at least learn all the specs on March 21, with the event kicking off at 2pm Chinese time, which is 2am ET / 6am GMT / 5pm AEDT, or at 11pm on March 20 for those on Pacific Time. So it’s one of the rare smartphone launches that’s timed well for those in Australia but not so much for the US or the UK.

Of course, you won’t need to tune in, as we’ll be sure to bring you all the details shortly after the launch.

As well as sharing the announcement date, Oppo has also revealed a teaser image of the Oppo Find X6 Pro, showing off a very large circular camera housing. Only part of it is visible, but there’s enough to make out a square lens, which is almost certainly a periscope camera for long-distance optical zoom.

You can also see the start of what’s almost certainly the brand name Hasselblad, so expect the cameras to be tuned in collaboration with the famed camera company.

The design matches up perfectly with previously leaked images of the phone, and you can also see that alongside probably other colors it will be available in a brown leather or leather-effect finish.

(Image credit: Oppo)

The Oppo Pad 2 is also pictured, and this gets more fully shown off, sporting a design that’s a lot like the OnePlus Pad, complete with a circular camera block on the rear. The similarities in design are no surprise, since OnePlus and Oppo are under the same corporate umbrella, and often share tech and designs.

You can also see that it will be compatible with a stylus and a keyboard.

As for the specs of these gadgets, we’ll learn them all officially soon, but we already have a good idea of what to expect from the Oppo Find X6 series.

What to expect from the Oppo Find X6

Thanks to leaks and rumors, we know that the Oppo Find X6 will probably have a very different design to the Find X6 Pro, with a similarly large but much more rectangular camera block.

It will reportedly have a trio of 50MP cameras, covering wide, ultrawide, and telephoto duties, and it’s said to have a 4,800mAh battery with 80W charging.

The Oppo Find X6 Pro on the other hand is rumored to have a 6.7-inch 2K screen, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 8GB or 12GB of RAM, 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of storage, a 5,000mAh battery with 100W charging, and a similar trio of 50MP cameras, though one of these will apparently have a large 1-inch sensor.

Though again, the Pro model may well not be widely available, which is a shame, because it sounds like it could have been a contender for our best phones list.

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If the OLED iPad Pro costs more than a MacBook Pro, that's a problem

We recently reported that Apple’s next iPad Pros could cost significantly more than their 2022 predecessors – and a new report gives us a better idea of just how ridiculous those price tags might be.

Apple is widely understood to be working on two iPad Pro models, likely to launch in 2024, as successors to the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) and the iPad Pro 11 (2022). Both tablets are strongly rumored to feature ‘tandem’ OLED displays – which could help them match the best OLED TVs in terms of brightness and increase the life of their respective screens – but these panels reportedly cost twice as much to produce as the mini-LED panels currently used in today’s top-of-the-range iPads. 

To nobody’s surprise, Apple looks likely to offload those increased costs onto consumers. According to Korean outlet The Elec (via MacRumors), the 11-inch OLED iPad Pro could start at approximately $1,500 (around £1,260 / AU$2,270), while its larger 13-inch sibling could start at approximately $1,800 (around £1,500 / AU$2,700). Yes, you read that right – both iPads may start at four-figure prices. 

It’s worth noting that these prices are merely under consideration at this stage – nothing has been set in stone yet, and Apple is notorious for putting extreme pressure on suppliers to get the prices it wants. But if accurate, those numbers would see the 11-inch iPad Pro cost 80% more than its predecessor (which starts at $799 / £900 / AU$1,399), and the 13-inch model cost 60% more than its 12.9-inch 2022 equivalent (which starts at $1,099 / £1,249 / AU$1,899).

Even Apple’s cheapest 2022 MacBook, the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022), retails for less than the 11-inch OLED iPad Pro’s reported $1,500 price tag (check out our best MacBook deals for the latest discounts), while the Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022) – our pick for the best laptop in 2023 – starts at a similarly paltry $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,899. And that’s a problem. 

The mini-LED-equipped iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) starts at $1,099 / £1,249 / AU$1,899 (Image credit: Future)

Nobody is expecting Apple products to come cheap – especially not top-tier iPads equipped with two-stack OLED displays. But almost $2,000 for a tablet? Apple might be overestimating the desire of iPad buyers with those sort of price tags.

There’s no doubt that the company’s upcoming iPad Pro tablets will be more-than-suitable alternatives to the best laptops around. As they exist today, Apple’s pro-grade iPads are supremely versatile machines that boast beautiful mini-LED screens and a veritable smorgasbord of tablet-specific apps. Quite simply, they’re almost perfect – and how many people are really bothered enough by the lack of pixel-perfect contrast in the (already amazing) mini-LED screen of the 12-inch iPad Pro to pay 60% more?

Faster internals on the next iPad Pros are a given, but the M2 chip inside Apple’s current models already provides more than enough power to even the most demanding users. What’s more, regular software updates are so forthcoming that older iPads can often keep pace with their newer siblings for years on-end.

The tandem structure of these aforementioned OLED displays will supposedly give them a four-times longer lifespan than OLED panels currently used in tablets and laptops – so there’s that, at least.

Apple’s OLED-equipped iPad Pros will surely be the best iPads we’ve ever seen – but there has to come a point where ludicrous price increases are no longer justified by the innovation they’re supposed to pay for. 

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The ReMarkable 2 just became the best laptop for escaping the internet hellscape

If you've dreamt of having an E Ink laptop that lets you write in peace away from the noise of the internet fairground, the ReMarkable 2 tablet and its new keyboard could be for you.

We've long been fans of the ReMarkable 2, calling it "the best digital handwriting and sketching experience you can get this side of a paper pad and pencil". But it's strangely lacked an official keyboard accessory to boost its appeal for writers – until now.

The new Type Folio ($199 / £179, around AU$320) is a super-slim keyboard that snaps onto the ReMarkable 2 with magnets, and apparently needs no additional pairing or charging. 

That means you can type your notes or debut novel onto the tablet's 10.3-inch E Ink display, without worrying about eye strain or being bombarded with the internet's increasingly tenacious notifications and adverts.

(Image credit: ReMarkable)

Despite its slim profile, ReMarkable says the Type Folio's keys have 1.3mm of travel – still a way off the world's best keyboards, but a lot better than stubbing your fingers on a touchscreen. A few recent software tweaks also promise to make sure the typing experience melds nicely with ReMarkable's traditional note-taking and sketching strengths.

For example, any handwritten text will intelligently connect to your typed text, so your scribbled and typed notes stay connected as you edit. You can also convert handwritten notes into text, then edit them using the Type Folio keyboard.

With ReMarkable promising that future software updates will bring more features to the Type Folio's integration with its latest tablet, it could well become an essential accessory – particularly if you find it hard to concentrate when writing in the likes of Google Docs and Microsoft Word. We don't blame you, when ChatGPT is always just a few clicks away.

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Analysis: A pricey delight for minimalists   

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For writers, the internet has become the ultimate test of self-discipline – and while the ReMarkable 2 tablet and its new Type Folio keyboard aren't the only way to block out its many distractions, they are shaping up to be one of the best concentration-boosting combos around.

The combination certainly isn't a cheap one – get the ReMarkable 2 tablet with its new keyboard and a Marker pen and you're looking at an investment of $577 / £517 (around AU$930). That's more than an iPad 10.9 (2022) and it's worth bearing in mind that the ReMarkable doesn't have home comforts like a web browser or spell check, or even a lit screen. 

If you need more connectivity from your E Ink typewriter, combining something like a Boox Nova Air or a Meebook P10 Pro with a Bluetooth keyboard could be a cheaper and more powerful setup, as both run Android and give you access to the Google Play Store. Of course, our Onyx Boox Tab Ultra review found that tablet had a hard time keeping up with keyboard input. 

We feel that these more powerful options might defeat the object of a pure, distraction-free writing machine. If you're looking to combine the feel of real paper, an incredible writing experience and the convenience of digital connectivity, the ReMarkable 2 tablet remains a unique option – and its new Type Folio keyboard turns it into a super-minimalist laptop that could well be worth its premium.

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TECNO’s flagship MEGABOOK S1 2023 checks all the right boxes for everyday use

MWC 2023 just wrapped up in Barcelona where thousands of tech companies gathered to show off the latest advances in portable devices over the course of four days. Among those participants is TECNO, a tech company striving to merge “tech value” with “aesthetic value”. In 2014 TECNO released their CAMON camera phone series, the success of which led TECNO to further expand its AIoT into smart audio devices as well as smart home and wearable devices. By 2022, however, TECNO was ready to make their move into the laptop space and released the MEGABOOK T1.

The MEGABOOK T1 was just the start of a series of laptops planned by TECNO, however, and the natural next step was to reveal the newest flagship device at MWC 2023. The MEGABOOK S1 2023 will pair together an Intel Core i7-1360P with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, offering a considerable step up from the previously released T1. 

This announcement is a big step forward for the MEGABOOK series, as the previously released T1 featured 12th Gen Intel CPUs and was available in Central and Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and Asia.

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Senior VP/Chair of INTEL China, Wang Rui, visited TECNO at MWC 2023, and met with Ha Le, the Vice President of Transsion Holdings, marking a new milestone in the cooperation between TECNO and Intel. Both parties were pleased to continue cooperating to create products that are loved by consumers worldwide. Wang Rui and Ha Le both expressed their enthusiasm for the future of the partnership, and agreed to consider product performance, user experiences, and solutions jointly in the future, with the goal of creating better experiences and fulfilling customer needs. They are both confident that this partnership will continue to yield exciting new developments in the technology industry.

Creatively productive

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Paired with the Intel Core i7-1360P and 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM, the MEGABOOK S1 2023 is a productivity powerhouse wrapped up in an impressively thin 13.5mm magnesium alloy body that tips the scales at just 1.35kg. The laptop doesn’t lack function for the sake of form, though, as it manages to pack in a USB 4.0 port capable of data transmission speeds up to 40gbps alongside HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0 and 3.5mm headphone ports. Digital artists and other creators who utilize graphic pen displays but want to keep their cable management under control will be excited to discover a fully functional USB-C port is included, as well. 

Once the day is done, there’s plenty of room to save your files on the MEGABOOK S1’s internal 1TB of SSD storage.  But finishing up your work doesn’t mean the MEGABOOK’s job is done. The deceptively slim laptop boasts a 120Hz refresh rate with a 2.3k resolution on a 16:10 borderless screen leading to a screen-to-body ratio of 90%. Whether you prefer to watch videos that are in portrait or landscape mode, there’s plenty of real estate on this screen to view it all making the MEGABOOK S1 2023 just as suitable for entertainment as it is productivity.

Made for multi-tasking

If you’re the kind of multitasker who uses multiple screens and you’ve already dove into the TECNO ecosystem then you’ll find the MEGABOOK S1’s OneLeap feature particularly useful. OneLeap utilizes over-the-air connectivity to allow the user to multitask by casting up to three screens simultaneously to their laptop. The devices are able to data sync and share clipboards, file management systems, and even reverse network sharing. OneLeap allows the devices to pair together simply from being in proximity to each other, while the SwiftTransfer feature offers the user quick and efficient file transfers via gesture support.

Powerful but portable

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There’s often some give and take when it comes to devices that are designed for both performance and productivity. Laptops that are intended for professional creative uses need to utilize the latest technology but recent generations of processors can generate a large amount of heat. TECNO compensates for this in the MEGABOOK S1 by adding a dual fan system with their proprietary ICE STORM cooling system. This allows the laptop to make the most of what the 13th gen Intel processor is capable of while maintaining a sleek and visually appealing profile.

In addition to looking good, the slim profile and lightweight nature of the MEGABOOK S1 means that it's portable enough to throw in your bag and have it ready at your fingertips at a moment’s notice. 

The MEGABOOK S1 2023 flagship laptop can be purchased from the TECNO website.

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