Samsung files patent for a bizarre folding smartphone
Samsung has filed a patent with the Korean Intellectural Property Office for a smartphone with a that could be folded in half like a flip phone. The device would also have a secondary screen, presumable on the outside, that’s activated when it’s folded shut, according to the claims. The screen even has a complex “semiautomatic” powered folding action as one of the options. Of course, patents don’t usually lead directly to products, but this one stands out because Samsung is reportedly working on smartphones with bendable OLED screens.
Even if the patent leads nowhere, it’s fun to see what a company’s engineers are dreaming about. For instance, bendable screens once seemed like a silly idea, but Samsung eventually deployed them in its popular curved-screen Galaxy S6 Edge and S7 Edge products. Lenovo is also playing with the idea, and developed a smartphone you can bend around your wrist.
Unlike a split-screen phone or tablet à la Sony’s crazy Tablet P, the device would work with a flexible OLED screen that also folds, either midway or further down. It looks an awful lot like the mockup phone Samsung showed off for its flexible Youm display back in 2013 (see the tacky video, below). A device like that would certainly be fun, but at this point Samsung’s probably just making sure it doesn’t mess up its next Galaxy S8 smartphone release.
Via: The Verge
Source: Korean Patent Office
The first VR-ready Windows 10 phone is incredibly basic
Google is leading the mobile VR race with its Daydream platform and headset, but Microsoft is getting ready to join in too. Alcatel has made a $470 Windows 10-powered version of its Idol 4S phone, and it’s the first mobile device running this OS to have virtual reality capabilities. Like its Android brother, the new Idol also comes with its own headset. I played around with it to see if this first stab at VR on Windows 10 Mobile is any good. Unfortunately, it isn’t.
First off, the Idol 4S Windows 10 doesn’t simply have a different operating system than its Android sibling, which I reviewed earlier this year. It also packs a more powerful Snapdragon processor, sharper camera, more RAM and storage, but uses weaker speakers and a lower-res full HD display.
That lower resolution was evident when I hunted down the walking dead in Zombie VR, where things like poles and seats in an abandoned subway car were clearly pixelated. The Android Idol didn’t have super smooth graphics either, but artifacts are more obvious on the Windows version.
The virtual reality experience was developed in-house by Alcatel, but Microsoft collaborated with the Chinese firm on testing for quality and compatibility. Microsoft didn’t seem to really play a part in implementing the VR, here. When asked what the company’s plans were for supporting such mobile virtual reality platforms, a Microsoft spokesperson said it looks forward to sharing more in the future. Meanwhile, what you have is a VR content store that Alcatel created, as well as an app called Tube 360, for discovering media.
The VR app store here is incredibly basic. It has two categories – Games and 360-degree Media. The former contains just seven titles right now, while the latter offers two immersive pictures and one video. That’s it. These are pulled from the Windows app store, and Alcatel said that it will add more content as it is created for the OS. Tube 360 is a preloaded third-party app that aggregates 360-degree content from YouTube and offers dozens more clips than the store does.
You can launch all these games and files directly from the Windows 10 All Apps menu, or start your VR adventure with the included launcher. It’s nearly identical to the one Alcatel made for the Android version, with the same seven icons floating in a horizontal row over a starry backdrop. The only difference I spotted was in the games: instead of using the on-goggles buttons to trigger actions, you’ll have to hold your cursor (by tilting your head) over special items or symbols until a ring fills up. It’s very Kinect-like, which will be intuitive for those who use that system, but is slower than tapping the physical keys on the headset.
In the game, I could only move my head around to aim my crosshair at attacking zombies. My in-game gun fired automatically whenever I lined up my target, and I had no say over when to shoot. If I could at least use the two buttons available on Alcatel’s goggles, I could actually pull the trigger myself, and use the other key to reload or navigate.
Another problem: sounds and music in the VR apps, including the games, will only play through the phone’s speakers. I tried plugging in three different types of headphones, and the audio still streamed out of the phone. This only affected VR content, media from other sources, such as YouTube or Spotify, flowed through the headphones. Alcatel said it’s aware of this issue, and that it’s working on an over-the-air app update as soon as possible. My Idol 4S Windows 10 was a pre-production unit, too, so here’s hoping that consumer-ready versions will ship with the fix in place.
Ultimately, it feels like Microsoft could have worked better with Alcatel on this attempt to make Windows 10 Mobile VR-ready. Even though the Android version was not crafted in partnership with Google, and Alcatel will likely need to adopt Daydream’s launcher at some point, it’s still a better-implemented experience. For a phone that targets “professionals, gamers and general tech enthusiasts alike,” according to the Windows blog announcing this device, the Idol 4S with Windows needs a more cohesive virtual reality launcher and content library. It will likely get better over time with more software updates, but as it stands, the VR part of this phone is not going to win over users.
Google’s Daydream View VR headset is promising, but just a start
It was only a matter of time until Google moved on from Cardboard and started taking virtual reality seriously. Say hello to the Daydream View, the company’s first mobile VR headset. Much like Samsung’s Gear VR, it’s powered by Android. But the big difference is that this $79 headset will work across a wide variety of Android phones that support Google’s Daydream platform; it won’t just be stuck on Samsung’s hardware. It also stands out from the competition with a more comfortable design made from cloth instead of plastic. There’s a lot riding on this headset and Daydream in general, but can Google really compete with VR companies that have been developing hardware for years? For the most part, it turns out it can.
Hardware
There are so many mobile VR headsets out there now that they’re starting to feel a bit boring. The Gear VR, built by Samsung in collaboration with Oculus, set the stage with its original design. It turns out when you’re doing mobile VR, you really just need a comfortable way to hold the phone to your face and some decent lenses to refocus the screen. The Daydream View changes up the formula a bit, though, with its soft cloth-covered case. That might seem a bit odd at first, but it makes a lot of sense. VR headsets are basically wearables, and fabric simply feels more comfortable than plastic. (We saw something similar with the PlayStation VR, which uses a soft cloth material around its eyepiece.)
Hooking up a phone to the Daydream View is also simpler than any other headset I’ve seen. You just need to open up the front latch, drop the phone in with the screen facing the lenses and then close up everything and secure it with an elastic band on the top. It might look a bit clunky, but it’s fairly secure. After that, tighten the headband, slip the Daydream View over your head, and readjust as necessary. Instead of using velcro straps, Google’s headset relies on a band that’s more like a messenger bag strap. It’s fairly comfortable, but adjusting it is a bit tougher than simply dealing with velcro.
Keeping the theme of comfort going, the eyepiece is also made out of a soft and cushiony material. Best of all, you can actually remove the eyepiece for hand washing. Which is a good thing: Based on my experiences with other headsets, you can bet it’s going to get sweaty and grimy quickly. Since it’s relying on fabric on top of a plastic frame, the Daydream View comes in at a feather-light 220 grams (0.48 pounds). The Gear VR, on the other hand, weighs 345 grams (0.76 pounds).
Another way Google aims to differentiate itself is with the Daydream View’s motion controller. Like a vastly simplified version of HTC’s and Oculus’s remotes, you use it to navigate around Daydream’s interface, play games and interact with apps. The motion tracking is generally pretty accurate, though I noticed some issues as its battery life drained down. The remote’s simple layout — touchpad on top, an app-specific button in the middle, a home button on the bottom, and volume controls on the sides — also make it easy to use while your eyes are covered. It charges over USB-C too, which is a nice touch since your Daydream device will likely charge that way as well.
Speaking of compatible phones, for now you can choose from Google’s Pixel or Pixel XL to power the Daydream View. Other manufacturers are currently working on their own entries, though there’s nothing you can actually buy yet. Google says Daydream phones will generally offer high-resolution displays (you can bet they’ll likely be AMOLED, since that works best for VR); “high-fidelity sensors” for head tracking; and “ultra smooth” graphics. You’ll also want to pay attention to resolution differences between Daydream devices. The Pixel XL has a 1,440p (2K) display, for example, while the smaller Pixel has a less impressive 1080p display. In general, the more pixels you can stuff into a screen the sharper your VR experience will be.
In use
I tested the Daydream View with the Pixel XL, likely because Google wanted to show off its VR headset in the best possible light. Since the XL is such a large phone though, it sticks out a bit when it’s attached to the Daydream View. It still fit just fine, but the setup looks a bit unpolished. (Then again, the Gear VR looks even worse with a phone plugged in.) On the bright side, the Daydream View’s single elastic band did a fine job of holding the Pixel XL in place, even when I shook the headset like crazy.
Once you launch the Daydream app and slap the phone into a headset, you’re presented with a fairly typical home screen. It features recently used apps and your own shortcuts up front, and a button on the bottom of the screen leads to your entire library. At launch, Google has a handful of its own VR apps to explore: With YouTube VR, you can view normal videos on a flat or curved plane, or dive right into immersive 360-degree videos. Street View lets you take virtual strolls around famous locations. And Play Movies allows you to you use the Daydream View like your own personal home theater. Third-party apps include the Wall Street Journal, Star Chart VR and games like Mekorama and Hunter’s Gate.
Quality-wise, VR experiences in Google’s headset look and feel just as good as the Gear VR. I had a blast sifting through 360-degree YouTube videos. And I’m pretty sure Mekorama could end up becoming a killer app for the platform. It tasks you with moving a robot around a small 3D space (similar to the hit mobile game Monument Valley), but being able to play it in virtual reality makes it truly addictive. The Wall Street Journal’s app places you in an expensive Midtown NYC apartment, where you can explore its VR content, watch videos, and, for some reason, read articles. (I’ll save words for my boring old non-VR screens, thank you very much.)
As with most VR headsets, games looked better than interactive videos, with sharp graphics and no noticeable slowdown in the apps I tested. Videos looked fine, but they’re still mostly held back by the lack of high-quality VR cameras on the market. And while I’m sure some people will enjoy watching traditional 2D videos in VR, that’s something I only find valuable when I’m stuck in a boring hotel room. The Pixel XL also warmed up quite a bit after my virtual reality sessions, so you should definitely keep battery life in mind. (In general, it burned through around 20 percent of battery life for every hour I played.)
The competition
If it isn’t abundantly clear by now, Daydream View is going squarely against the $100 Gear VR. I’m still a big fan of that headset, and if you’re a Samsung phone owner, it’s your only option. But moving forward, the mobile VR landscape is going to get more complicated. If you want the freedom to chose between different phones, rather than just Samsung’s, then you’re better off investing in the Daydream ecosystem.
Daydream’s big problem at the moment is its small selection of apps. There simply isn’t that much available on Google Play for the platform yet. Google says that’s going to change by year’s end, though, with the addition of Netflix, Hulu, and the New York Times, along with plenty of other apps. This is one area where the Gear VR has a big head start, since it’s been around for years and has a lot of content help from Oculus and Facebook. Still, Google is flexing its brand muscle a bit; it already has an exclusive VR experience for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the upcoming film set in the Harry Potter universe.
Wrap-up
While the Daydream View doesn’t completely reinvent mobile VR, it’s a solid first step for Google. It’s ideal for testing the waters of virtual reality without being locked into Samsung’s ecosystem. But its success depends on more Daydream phones being released, consumers being willing to pay for a headset and developers jumping on the platform.
Surface Book review (2016): The laptop to beat doesn’t come cheap
Last year, when Microsoft introduced its first-ever laptop, the Surface Book, the company proclaimed that this was the “ultimate laptop.” And it was — mostly. This two-in-one notebook offered long battery life, with a distinctive, well-constructed case, a comfortable keyboard, fast performance and a detachable display that worked well as a standalone pen tablet. Starting today, the company is shipping a refreshed version, and it’s mostly more of the same. The biggest changes are under the hood, with Microsoft claiming twice the graphics performance, a second fan and a larger battery, rated for either 12 or 16 hours, depending on the configuration. It’s more of a good thing, but do you need that kind of horsepower enough to spend $2,399 and up on one of these newer models?
Hardware
Like so many other second-generation devices, the refreshed Surface Book isn’t so much a “new product” as a refinement of the original that came before it. In this case, the exterior design is identical to the original, with none of the improvements visible to the naked eye. That’s both a good and a bad thing. To its credit, the Surface Book was always a striking piece of machinery, with its solidly built magnesium case, backlit keyboard and snake-like “fulcrum” hinge. Two generations in, I maintain that the chunky hinge doesn’t offer much of a functional advantage over conventional hinges — in fact, it makes the machine look fatter when shut. But it sure is pretty.
As ever, there’s a button on the function row, right next to the Delete key, that allows you to detach the screen from the keyboard base. From there you can use it as a tablet, or reattach the display facing outward and then fold it back to use as a sort of tabletop surface. Pressing the button to release the display still makes for a neat party trick, though lining up the docking guides when it’s time to reattach it to the base can feel slightly clumsy.
Indeed, I’ve wondered at times why Microsoft didn’t just rip Lenovo’s “Yoga” design and go with a 360-degree hinge that allows the screen to flip back into tablet mode. But the answer is obvious: At 3.34 pounds, the Surface Book and dock would make for one heavy tablet. Meanwhile, as it stands, the tablet portion weighs a scant 1.6 pounds, and that’s despite having a 13.5-inch screen and Core i7 processor inside. If you’re going to use a Windows PC in tablet mode, then, it may as well be like this.
But back to the total weight for a minute: The Surface Book feels heavier than I remember. That’s because it is — the second-gen model comes in at 3.68 pounds, up from 3.34 pounds on the original, and a good deal more than, say, the new three-pound MacBook Pro 13. As it turns out, I can forgive the weight, largely because the battery life is so phenomenal (much more on that in a moment).
Also, getting to test the new MacBook Pro recently has reaffirmed my preference for laptops with actual ports (i.e., ones I can use without an adapter). Whereas the MacBook Pro offers just two or four USB Type-C connections (depending on the configuration), the Surface Book still rocks two full-size USB 3.0 sockets, a Mini DisplayPort, a headphone jack and a full-size SDXC reader. If having a thicker, heavier machine means getting all the ports I need, along with potentially twice the battery life, I’m all in.
I’d also like to point out the proprietary magnetic power connector — the same one used on the last-gen Surface Book, as well as the last couple of Surface Pro tablets. I don’t like how much space the corresponding plug takes up, and I often find that it doesn’t stay put the first time I try to click it in. Also, the accompanying power brick is kind of heavy, but at least you can consider leaving it at home, what with the 16-hour battery life and all.
Finishing up our tour, there’s an 8-megapixel camera around back and a 5-megapixel one up front that supports Windows Hello facial recognition. More on that later.
In use
While I can manage the weight, however, I wish Microsoft would do something about the weight distribution. Though most of the weight is inside the keyboard dock, the 3:2-aspect-ratio screen is taller than most, which makes the machine feel slightly top-heavy when I rest it on my legs. Compounding matters, the touchscreen wobbles when poked. Rest assured, the notebook didn’t once tumble off my lap, but the base didn’t always feel as steady as I would have liked. One way to deal with this was to dip the display slightly forward, but that’s not my favorite screen position. The best angle for my eyes is the one where I push the panel back as far as possible, though this exacerbates the wobbliness. Womp, womp.
On the flip side, that 3:2 aspect ratio makes for a better standalone tablet experience. Indeed, Microsoft has designed its last few generations of Surface Pro and Surface Book devices with 3:2 screens precisely so that they’d have the same shape as a pad of paper. As ever, the pen comes included in the box and recognizes 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, even faint drags across the display. The pen has an eraser on top too, similar to a real No. 2 pencil. When you’re done, the pen attaches magnetically to the laptop’s right side.
Whether or not you decide to draw, and regardless of whether you’re using it in tablet or notebook mode, the Surface Book’s screen is lovely. That’s partly a matter of pixels — its 3,000 x 2,000 resolution translates to a pixel density of 267 ppi, which is slightly crisper than the 13-inch MacBook Pro’s Retina display. Beyond that, though, it’s just pretty to look at, with good contrast, pleasant white balance and a color gamut that covers the full sRGB spectrum. Just as important, that color and white balance holds up even when you adjust the screen angle (read: no washout here).
I’m a bit less impressed with the speakers: Though they’re loud, the sound quality is fairly forgettable. Passable for Spotify streaming, but not the best laptop audio I’ve enjoyed either.
To end this hardware section on a positive note, the keyboard and trackpad are the same as on last year’s model, and that is A-OK with me. At a time when Apple is going out of its way to make all of its keyboards shallower, the Surface Book’s cushy buttons feel refreshing. Not only did I type most of this review on it, but I also carried on with my normal workload, editing reviews, pounding out emails and so on. As before, though, my one complaint is that when I “pound” out said emails, I wish the keys would make less noise.
As for the trackpad, I happened to be testing the Surface Book at the same time as the newly updated HP Spectre x360, and the difference was stark. While HP’s touchpad is jumpy and occasionally unreliable, the Surface Book’s trackpad (made by Microsoft itself!) pretty much always does what I want it to, whether it’s drag the cursor across the screen, highlight text, scroll with two fingers or pinch to zoom.
Performance and battery life
Battery life
Surface Book with Perfomance Base (2016)
16:15
Surface Book (Core i5, integrated graphics)
13:54 / 3:20 (tablet only)
Surface Book (Core i7, discrete graphics)
11:31 / 3:02 (tablet only)
Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display (13-inch, 2015)
11:23
iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2015)
10:47
HP Spectre x360 15t
10:17
HP Spectre x360 (13-inch, 2016)
10:03
ASUS ZenBook 3
9:45
Apple MacBook (2016)
8:45
Samsung Notebook 9
8:16
Dell XPS 13 (2015)
7:36
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
7:15
HP Spectre 13
7:07
Huawei MateBook
6:35
Dell XPS 15 (2016)
5:25 (7:40 with the mobile charger)
Make that “battery life and performance.” That’s right: I can’t wait to tell you guys about the long runtime here. Microsoft rates the new Surface Book’s battery for up to 16 hours of video playback. Though some other companies are sometimes guilty of embellishing, I have to say, Microsoft’s estimate here is on the nose. In my own test, in which I looped a video with the screen brightness fixed at 65 percent, the machine lasted a stunning 16 hours and 15 minutes. Just how long is that? Long enough for me to start the battery life test before going to bed on a Friday night and finding it still kicking when I woke up — and awake still when I returned from brunch later that afternoon.
To be clear, there’s barely anything else like this on the market. (I can remember a few machines that were advertised as having something like 20-hour battery life, but these all required a bolt-on slice battery and were aimed at corporate customers anyway.) If you’re shopping around, you’ll see Apple’s newest MacBook Pros have a rated battery life of 10 hours, not 16, and even then, I’m seeing around eight hours on the entry-level model I’ve been testing these past couple of weeks (full review coming soon). Even last year’s Surface Book had much “shorter” battery life, achieving 11 and a half hours with discrete graphics under the same testing conditions.
Just keep in mind that most of the Surface Book’s battery power is located in its keyboard base, which means you won’t get nearly the same mileage in tablet-only mode. With the keyboard detached, the machine lasted precisely four hours in the same video playback test. That’s an improvement over the first-gen Surface Book, which lasted between three and three and a half hours in tablet mode, depending on the processor. Obviously, you still shouldn’t expect to make it through a full workday without the keyboard base, but you should be able to watch a movie and still have some power left to spare.
| Surface Book (2016, 2.6GHz Core i7-6600U, 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M) | 5,452 | 4,041 | E8,083 / P5,980 / X2,228 | 11,362 | 1.71 GB/s / 1.26 GB/s |
| HP Spectre x360 (2016, 2.7GHz Core i7-7500U, Intel HD Graphics 620) | 5,515 | 4,354 | E2,656 / P1,720 / X444 | 3,743 | 1.76 GB/s / 579 MB/s |
| Surface Book (2.4GHz Core i5-6300U, Intel HD 520) | 5,412 | 3,610 |
E2,758 / P1,578 / X429 |
3,623 | 1.6 GB/s / 571 MB/s |
| Surface Book (2.6GHz Core i7-6600U, 1GB NVIDIA GeForce graphics) | 5,740 | 3,850 |
E4,122 / P2,696 |
6,191 | 1.55 GB/s / 608 MB/s |
| ASUS ZenBook 3 (2.7GHz Intel Core-i7-7500U, Intel HD 620) | 5,448 | 3,911 | E2,791 / P1,560 | 3,013 | 1.67 GB/s / 1.44 GB/s |
| HP Spectre 13 (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520) | 5,046 | 3,747 | E2,790 / P1,630 / X375 | 3,810 | 1.61 GB/s / 307 MB/s |
| Dell XPS 13 (2.3GHz Core i5-6200U, Intel Graphics 520) | 4,954 | 3,499 | E2,610 / P1,531 | 3,335 | 1.6GB/s / 307 MB/s |
| Razer Blade Stealth (2.5GHz Intel Core i7-6500U, Intel HD 520) | 5,131 | 3,445 | E2,788 / P1,599 / X426 | 3,442 | 1.5 GB/s / 307 MB/s |
| Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2.4GHz Core i5-6300U, Intel HD 520) | 5,403 | 3,602 |
E2,697/ P1,556/ X422 |
3,614 | 1.6 GB/s / 529 MB/s |
As I said, I tested the best configuration of the Surface Book that Microsoft has to offer: a $3,299 beast of a machine with a 2.6GHz dual-core i7-6600U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M GPU and 1TB solid-state drive. As you’d expect, the benchmark scores are very, very good. I’ve listed them above.
In particular, the Samsung-made disk drive was quick to copy files off a USB drive, but hard numbers might be more helpful to you there. In the ATTO test, I logged average max read speeds of 1.71 gigabytes per second, with writes topping out an average of 1.26 GB/s. That is hard, though not impossible, to find on a notebook these days — especially those write rates.
The Surface Book proved itself to be a fairly capable gaming machine too, thanks to its dedicated NVIDIA GeForce 965M graphics card. In Overwatch, senior editor and avid gamer Devindra saw speeds between 60 and 75 frames per second with medium-quality settings. Bumping up the resolution to 1,280 x 1,024, which suits the Surface Book’s screen size a bit better, dropped things down to around 45 frames per second. That’s playable, but not as silky smooth as 720p.
Unfortunately, Devindra couldn’t get the new Hitman title to get speeds beyond 5 fps via Steam, even at 720p. There’s likely some sort of driver issue causing that, and I’m hoping that Microsoft makes sure to give gamers access to the latest NVIDIA drivers. I couldn’t install the appropriate GeForce drivers from NVIDIA’s website, which makes me think there’s something special about the Surface Book’s configuration.
Throughout, the laptop mostly stayed cool. In fact, I sat for hours with it in my lap while I wrote this review. The only time I felt it heat up was when running graphics benchmarks, which isn’t surprising. I should note too that, while last year’s Surface Book took a credibility hit after reports of crashing, my experience was stable throughout. Here’s hoping you never see the ol’ Blue Screen of Death either.
In day-to-day use, the above specs were more than enough to keep up with my daily routine, which involves over a dozen open Chrome tabs, work in Google Docs and Sheets, Slack running in the background, and a near continuous stream of music from the Spotify desktop app. Boot-up was brisk too — it took about nine seconds to get to the Windows Hello screen, and around three for the machine to approve me and let me in.
Speaking of the sort, that front-facing 5-megapixel camera generally did a good job recognizing me, though it failed just about every time I happened to have eyeglasses on. Assuming I was wearing contacts, however, and remembered to look at the camera, not the blank screen in front of me, the Surface Book was quick to recognize me. When it didn’t, I entered a PIN code, which is still more convenient than entering a password.
Configuration options
As of this writing, the last-gen Surface Book is still listed on Microsoft’s online store, starting at $1,499 with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Just so you know, that was the same starting price a year ago, so spending that kind of money for an already outdated machine might not be the smartest move.
To get one of the brand-new configurations, you’ll have to pay a lot more: at least $2,399. For that price, you get a Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state drive. For $2,799, you can double both the storage and the memory, and get a 512GB drive paired with 16GB of RAM. Lastly, there’s the top-of-the-line edition that I tested, which steps up to a full terabyte of storage. That costs $3,299.
The competition
Obviously, the Surface Book is competing with the MacBook Pro. And that’s not just because I keep saying so in this review — Microsoft has a “Compare to Mac” page on its online store, and Apple went out of its way to unveil its new MacBook Pros the day after the Surface Book launch, which I don’t think was a coincidence.
I’ve already addressed some of the tradeoffs of the Surface Book vs. MacBook Pro, but to summarize: The Surface Book is considerably heavier but offers much longer battery life and a wider array of ports (including full-size ones) and is available with discrete graphics, which the 13-inch MacBook Pro is not. (Only the 15-inch model has a dedicated GPU.) The MacBook Pro is thinner and lighter, has better audio and has a lower starting price of $1,299 with key specs similar to what you’d get on the entry-level $1,499 Surface Book. In any case, I’ll soon have a review of both MacBook Pros, at which point I’ll be able to bring this comparison full circle.
Other than the MacBook Pro, it’s hard to find something that competes with the Surface Book quite as directly. Dell has its high-end (and well-reviewed) XPS line, but only the 15-inch model ($1,000-plus) has discrete graphics. The XPS 13 ($800 and up) remains one of Engadget’s favorite laptops, but we only recommend it for people who can settle for integrated Intel graphics. It’s a similar story with HP, whose 13-inch Spectre x360 is one of our favorite laptops but doesn’t offer the kind of horsepower you can find in the Surface Book. ASUS’s ZenBook Pro UX501VW has discrete graphics, but its 15-inch form factor means it weighs a lot more: 4.54 pounds, to be precise.
Wrap-up
The new Surface Book is but a minor upgrade over the original, but that’s still enough to help it hold its rank as one of the best laptops available. Yes, there are some purpose-built notebooks that are still better at certain things: gaming PCs that are better at gaming, and ultraportables that are better at … being portable.
But taken as a whole, the Surface Book continues to offer a remarkable all-around experience, ticking off not all, but many, boxes for many shoppers. That includes fast performance, premium design, long battery life, a great screen, a comfortable keyboard, a relatively decent selection of ports and even a smooth trackpad. Yes, you will pay for the privilege of using it, but there also isn’t anything else quite like it.
Devindra Hardawar and Aaron Souppouris contributed to this review
The ‘Game Fnatic’ finale crowns a new ‘League of Legends’ pro
And then there was one. The final five episodes of Engadget’s behind-the-scenes video series, Game Fnatic, follow four League of Legends players as they vie for a single spot on one of the world’s leading eSports organizations. The second half of Game Fnatic kicks off with an elimination, followed by a dramatic day of go-kart racing and even more League of Legends skill challenges, until just two candidates compete head-to-head in a tense two-part finale.
The first five episodes introduced the challengers, four semi-pro and amateur players with the in-game talent to go pro. But after a series of tests, it’s clear only one of them has the stamina and demeanor that Fnatic demands. Playing professional League of Legends takes more than dexterity and focus; it also means you have to play well with others — literally.
Catch up on Game Fnatic and watch the brand new episodes (including the finale and its surprise twist ending) right here.
PayPal iOS App Update Brings Siri Integration to Send and Receive Money
PayPal has updated its iOS app to include Siri integration with support for a variety of languages across 30 countries.
In a post on its official blog, PayPal announced that users of the digital payment service will be able to use Apple’s voice-activated AI personal assistant to send and request money among friends and family.
With so many P2P transactions happening during such a busy season, we’re excited to give our users an early holiday present: starting November 10, Siri will be integrated with PayPal. For iPhone and iPad users running iOS 10, making a payment has never been easier – PayPal users can now send and request money via a voice command with Siri. Simply say, “Hey Siri, send Bill $50 using PayPal.” Voila! One less thing to check off the to-do list this holiday season.
The company says it expects the number of peer-to-peer transactions to increase over the holiday period, and predicts more than 17 million transactions in December alone.
Support for Siri-PayPal integration currently covers the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium (French and Dutch), Brazil, Canada (English and French), China, Denmark, Finland (Finnish), France, Germany, Hong Kong (Cantonese), India, Israel (Hebrew), Italy, Japan, Malaysia (Malay), Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia (Arabic), Singapore (English), Spain, Sweden, Switzerland (French, German, and Italian), Thailand, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates (Arabic), and the United States.
With the launch of iOS 10, Apple opened up Siri to third-party developers for the first time by making a Siri API publicly available. Siri now supports a multitude of app types, including messaging apps like WhatsApp and ride-hailing apps like Uber.
Related Roundup: iOS 10
Tags: Siri, PayPal
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Apple Shares 2016 Holiday Gift Guide
Apple has shared its annual holiday gift guide on its website, with product recommendations such as the 12-inch MacBook, iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad Pro, fourth-generation Apple TV, gift cards, and related accessories. The guide also points gift-givers towards various music products, photography products, games, and toys.
This year’s holiday gift guide is less sophisticated than in previous years, such as in 2015 when Apple split gift recommendations into six categories: gaming, photography, music, fitness, learning, and travel. Nevertheless, this year’s list provides a basic overview of some of Apple’s most popular products and accessories for those unfamiliar.
As a reminder, Apple offers free shipping in several countries:
• United States: Free two-day shipping on in-stock items ordered by 5:00 p.m. local time each day, and free next-day shipping on any in-stock iPhone.
• United Kingdom: Free next-day delivery on in-stock orders over £40 placed by 19:00 local time each day. Free standard delivery for everything else.
• Australia: Free next-business-day delivery to most metro areas on in-stock items over $250 ordered by 2 p.m. local time. Free standard delivery for everything else.
• Canada: Free standard shipping on everything.
• Western Europe: In countries such as France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands, Apple offers free next-day delivery on in-stock orders over €40 placed between 15:00 and 17:00 local time each day. Free standard shipping is generally available otherwise. Free shipping on everything is also available in Italy.
Tag: Apple gift guide
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Classic Strategy Game ‘Rome: Total War’ Now Available on iPad for $9.99
Feral Interactive announced today that classic strategy game Rome: Total War is now available on iPad for a one-time purchase of $9.99.
The third title in the Total War series, Rome was hailed by MacRumors sister site TouchArcade as “not only one of the best strategy games ever, but one of the best PC games, period”.
In what’s considered the highlight of the series, players get to take control of one of three Roman houses vying for control of the Republic/Empire. The turn-based strategy gameplay is punctuated by real-time battles in 3D, where players command and control huge swathes of units in the field.
As one of the first desktop strategy titles to make the port to iPad, Feral says much time has been invested in heavily optimizing the game for the device, including reworked textures and a range of features designed with mobile gaming in mind.
“Optimizing Rome: Total War for iPad has been a huge design and programming challenge,” said David Stephen, Managing Director at Feral Interactive. “Our aim has been to bring it to a new and very different platform without compromising its enormous content, superb gameplay or strategic depth. Working closely with Creative Assembly, I believe we have done that and am confident that Total War veterans and novices alike will enjoy the result.”
Gamers need a first-generation iPad Air or newer, an iPad mini 2 or newer, or any iPad Pro to play the game, which requires just under 4GB of free space to install and iOS 9.3.5 or later.
Rome: Total War for iPad is available on the App Store for $9.99. [Direct Link]
Tag: Feral
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Best Buy Unveils Black Friday Deals on iPad, MacBook Air, Apple TV, and More
Following Target’s Black Friday ad shared yesterday, today electronics retailer Best Buy posted its Black Friday deals, showcasing doorbusters and all-day sales that include a few Apple products. Sixteen sales in total are even beginning now, one on the 13-inch MacBook Air with Intel Core i5, 8GB memory, and 256 flash storage, which is $200 off its original price of $1,199.00.
For every other deal, customers will have to wait until Best Buy’s doors open at 5 p.m. local time on Thanksgiving, November 24, and the sales mentioned in the advertisement will run through November 26. For those willing to wait in line, Doorbusters include deals on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac.
– $125 off all 9.7-inch iPad Pro models
– $200 off 13-inch MacBook Air with Intel Core i5, 8GB memory, and 128 flash storage
– $200 off 13-inch MacBook Air with Intel Core i5, 8GB memory, and 256 flash storage
– $200 off 21.5-inch iMac with Intel Core i5, 8GB memory, and 1TB hard drive
Deals running throughout the day on Black Friday include $40 off the fourth-generation Apple TV, iPad Air 2 discounts, and a few installment plans savings for those interested in the iPhone 7 and iPhone SE.
– $40 off fourth-generation 64GB Apple TV
– $125 off all iPad Air 2 models
– $50 off Apple Watch Series 1
– $200 off 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display, Intel Core i5, 8GB Memory, and 1TB Hard Drive
– Buy one, get one 30% off for all iTunes gift cards
– $160 off iPhone SE installment plans with Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint (starting at $9.99/month for 24 months)
– Up to a $250 Best Buy gift card when purchasing iPhone 7 installment plan with Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint
Best Buy also has some savings on iPhone cases and accessories, smart home products, as well as speakers and headphones. Anyone looking for Beats products can get $150 off the Solo 2 over-ear headphones, and $110 off the PowerBeats2 Wireless in-ear headphones.
Tags: Best Buy, Black Friday
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Android 7.0 Nougat beta program officially kicks off for the S7 and S7 edge
Get a preview of TouchWiz on Nougat.
Samsung’s Android 7.0 Nougat beta program for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge is now official in the U.S., UK, and South Korea, and will kick off in China shortly. With the Galaxy Beta Program, Samsung is providing early access to its updated user interface, giving users the ability to try out the latest features before they become widely available and share their feedback.
The program is available to all unlocked models of the S7 and S7 edge in the UK, and carrier-branded versions (Sprint, T-Mobile or Verizon) in the U.S. Those using the Galaxy S7 edge Olympic Games or Galaxy S7 edge Injustice Edition models won’t be able to access the beta.
If you’ve got an eligible device, you need to download the Galaxy Beta Program app from the Galaxy Apps store, or the Samsung Members app from the Play Store. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll have to fill out an application form and await confirmation from Samsung.
According to the FAQ, the beta program will run through the end of December, which is when we’ll likely see the final Nougat build. Beta firmware is now available for devices on Sprint, and will be rolling out to T-Mobile S7 or S7 edge on November 11, and Verizon variants from November 14.
Based on early screenshots, it looks like Samsung isn’t making too many changes, which is a good sign.
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