Xiaomi is reportedly building its own phone processor

With all the lawsuits being brought against major mobile chip maker Qualcomm, there seems to be no better time for smartphone makers to explore other CPU options. According to The Wall Street Journal, Chinese company Xiaomi may be developing its own custom processor for an upcoming phone. We’ve reached out to Xiaomi for confirmation, and have yet to hear back.

If Xiaomi does indeed start making its own processor, there could be several benefits for the company and its customers. It will likely be cheaper to make smartphones with the company’s own chips, instead of buying them from Qualcomm or other third-party suppliers. That would allow Xiaomi to sell their devices at even more competitive prices than before.

Custom chips could also let Xiaomi come up with creative features to help its phones stand out. Huawei uses its own Kirin processor in the Mate 9, and that hardware integration enabled the company to make the phone artificially intelligent. Indeed, thanks to the Kirin CPU, the Mate 9 is able to learn your habits over time to optimize performance.

Xiaomi will have to ensure its components can measure up to the competition, though. In addition to Huawei, Samsung also makes its own Exynos chip, and it took both brands some time to get their processors to perform comparably to Qualcomm’s higher-end Snapdragon options. Given Xiaomi’s relative lack of experience in the field, it’s hard to tell if its chip will be capable of standing up against its rivals.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Dodge repurposes its parking tech to safeguard police

Fiat Chrysler has cleverly re-purposed some not-state-of-the-art tech on its police cars to protect officers. The radar and cameras at the rear of its Charger Pursuit vehicles can now detect movement behind the car when its parked, alerting officers with a chime, locking the doors, rolling up the windows and flashing the taillights. It also activates the vehicle’s rear camera, letting cops know what’s going on at their “six.”

The tech could prevent a rash of incidents like one that happened recently in San Antonio, where 20-year veteran detective was fatally shot while sitting in his car during a traffic stop. “This technology is designed to prevent an officer from being ambushed from the rear while parked,” said FCA Fleet CEO Jeff Kommor. “While it does not replace vigilance, [it] acts as a second set of eyes and provides police officers with added peace of mind when they are in a parked Charger Pursuit.”

Though FCA doesn’t say so, it appears to be using the existing rear camera and radar on the Pursuit. The InterMotive module, called the “Officer Protection Package,” is simply plugged into the vehicle’s OBD-II port and secured under the dash. The company says they came up with the feature by request from a number of agencies.

Radar sensors and cameras work on many vehicles after they’re started (and some in the ignition accessory position), so police would have already been able to use the camera and radar, including an audible warning. However, the automatic locking, windows and flashing lights ups the safety factor considerably. Fiat Chrysler is offering the new features on its 2017 Charger Pursuit for no cost.

Source: Fiat Chrysler

Snapchat is getting a reality TV show from A+E

The running theme for Snapchat this year? It wants to be seen as more than an ephemeral messaging service. One way it can accomplish that is by bringing on more original content, like with its exclusive Planet Earth II deal. Now Snapchat is planning to get an original reality TV series by partnering with A+E Networks, Techrunch reports. The show is called Second Chance, and it’ll involve “emotional exes” getting together to figure out why their relationships fell apart. If that sounds entertaining to you, congrats! You’re part of the demographic Snap is desperate to reach ahead of its IPO this year.

Second Chance will run for eight weeks in the U.S., UK, Canada and Australia, and it’s being produced by A+E’s digital-focused production studio 45th & Dean. A+E hints that this will be the first of many shows it’s developing for Snapchat.

This isn’t Snap’s first foray into reality TV. The company also partnered with Disney for a Bachelor recap show, and it’s also working with NBC for a shrunken down version of The Voice. It makes more sense for Snap to focus on unscripted shows, since they’re easier to produce and more in line with the app’s free-wheeling sensibility. Naturally, both Snap and A+E stand to gain from the deal. It’ll give Snapchat even more content to keep its users entertained, and A+E could benefit from an entirely new audience.

Source: TechCrunch

The best receiver

By Chris Heinonen

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

We spent 10 hours researching and more than 70 hours performing hands-on testing to determine that the Denon AVR-S720W is the best receiver for most people. It offers by far the easiest setup process we’ve ever seen in a receiver, and it’s the simplest to use of the models we tested, with none of the usability flaws of its competitors. It provides very good sound quality and every new feature you might need, including AirPlay, Bluetooth, Pandora, and Spotify Connect support plus the ability to connect directly to Internet radio stations and local DLNA servers.

Who should get this

If you have an older receiver without HDMI support, now is a good time to upgrade. All the new models we tested support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2, which means they’ll work with Ultra HD 4K displays and sources. If you already have an HDMI receiver but want to buy a 4K TV and want to be able to switch between 4K sources now (or soon), upgrading makes sense.

Wireless audio streaming has become much easier on newer receivers, as well. Our top pick offers AirPlay, Bluetooth, Pandora, and Spotify Connect support, along with the ability to directly connect to Internet radio stations and local DLNA servers. If you’re still hooking your tablet or smartphone directly to your receiver instead of streaming, upgrading will make listening to that audio much easier.

New models also usually support Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, but as those audio technologies require more speakers, this isn’t a major reason to upgrade (for most people, anyway).

If you already own an HDMI receiver and don’t plan to use 4K sources or don’t need to stream wirelessly, you can hold off for now. In most cases new receiver models won’t sound any better than what you have; they’ll just offer more features and futureproofing.

How we picked and tested

Photo: Chris Heinonen

In 2014, we surveyed Wirecutter readers to see what they wanted in a receiver. (Though we conducted that survey two years ago, in that period of time there have been no new surround-sound formats or HDMI versions that would significantly change what to buy.) We wanted to know how many speakers our readers used, how they listened to music and watched video, and what they expected from a receiver. Close to 1,000 people responded to the survey and helped us define the criteria we would look for in our choices.

Knowing what our readers wanted based on our survey, as well as keeping an eye on what features would be needed in the near future (as best as anyone can, that is), we narrowed our research and testing focus to receivers with:

• Five or more channels of audio
• Five or more HDMI inputs (along with a few analog-video inputs)
• Ability to decode Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
• Access to online content, with emphasis on Pandora and Spotify support
• A way to stream music wirelessly, either Bluetooth or AirPlay
• A built-in phono stage (a bonus)
• Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support (a bonus)

This year, after all our research we brought in and tested six receivers that matched our criteria: the Anthem MRX 520, the Denon AVR-S720W, the Onkyo TX-NR555, the Pioneer VSX-1131, the Sony STR-DN1070, and the Yamaha RX-V481. See our full guide for more on how we established our criteria for how we picked and tested.

We tested the receivers in a 25 by 12 by 7½-foot home theater and in a 13 by 11 by 8-foot home theater using KEF R300 speakers for fronts and surrounds, a KEF R600C center channel, and an SVS PB-1000 subwoofer. We performed Atmos testing using KEF R50 Atmos modules. The KEF speakers are 8-ohm nominal loads and 88-decibel efficient (claimed), so a receiver should be able to drive them without too much effort.

Our pick

Photo: Chris Heinonen

The Denon AVR-S710W is the best receiver for most people because it is the easiest to set up and has every feature most people will need. In our tests it sounded very good and didn’t distort even at high volume levels. It supports important wireless streaming standards, has enough inputs for most people, and supports future standards in case you decide to upgrade.

The hard truth is that most receivers will sound almost identical at this price range because they use similar-quality amplifiers and digital-to-analog converters (DACs), so the major differentiator in sound quality will be your speakers. Because of this fact, features and price become more important when you’re selecting a receiver.

A receiver is the most complex AV device most people will ever buy. Everything in your system has to run through it, so once you’ve gotten everything hooked up, it looks like a giant wire Cthulhu. Even for experienced AV enthusiasts, setting up a receiver, with its dozens of buttons and options, can be daunting.

However, our pick (along with the other Denon models) sets itself apart from the moment you turn it on, with its easy setup guide. It makes the process as painless as possible, running you through the setup step by step, helping you do everything necessary to get the receiver running—and we mean everything. For example, it guides you through hooking up your speakers, from stripping the wire to determining which ones are connected and then confirming that they’re on the correct terminals.

Runner-up

Photo: Chris Heinonen

If the Denon AVR-S720W is unavailable, the Pioneer VSX-1131 is a good choice. It has most of the same features as our top pick, plus an additional HDMI input for seven in total. Like the AVR-S720W, the VSX-1131 has AirPlay, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect, Dolby Atmos, and integrated Wi-Fi support. It will convert an analog video signal to HDMI, too, so you need to run only a single cable to your TV. It even offers the component-video and phono inputs that the Denon model lacks, though it will accept only 480i over component, so you can’t have your older Wii console or other device set to 480p mode. It also features Chromecast Audio support, which we really like to see.

Unlike the Denon AVR-S720W, which supports HDCP 2.2 on all six of its HDMI inputs as well as its output, only three of the Pioneer VSX-1131’s seven HDMI inputs support HDCP 2.2, so it can’t work with as many Ultra HD devices. The room-correction system is Pioneer’s own MCACC, which in our tests didn’t perform as well for us as the licensed Audyssey system on the top-pick Denon model.

Upgrade pick

Photo: Chris Heinonen

If you’re concerned only about sound and don’t need streaming features integrated into your receiver, the Anthem MRX 520 offers the best audio quality. The main reason you might want a model from the Anthem MRX series is because of the company’s more advanced and powerful room correction (better than the one in our Denon pick, which is good for its class). In our tests, we ran all of the receivers through their integrated setup routines, and the Anthem was the only one to accurately detect and configure all of our speakers with a proper crossover. Anthem now offers an iOS version of its ARC app, as well, so you no longer need a PC to run the audio setup.

This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

Note from The Wirecutter: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.

Mark Zuckerberg demos finger-tracking Oculus gloves

In a bit to keep folks excited about its Oculus virtual reality products, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed off a bunch of new tech at the Oculus Research facility in Redmond, Washington. The most interesting prototype was a new set of gloves (above) that can “bring your hands into virtual and augmented reality,” he wrote on a Facebook post. They could address one of the biggest user complaints about the Rift VR headset: the inability to easily interact with objects in virtual reality.

“We’re working on new ways to bring your hands in virtual and augmented reality,” said Zuckerberg. “Wearing these gloves, you can draw, type on a virtual keyboard, and even shoot webs like Spider Man. That’s what I’m doing here.”

As TechCrunch points out, the gloves appear to be equipped with trackers on the fingers that are scanned by OptiTrack Prime 17W motion capture cameras. For a commercial product with a similar system, Oculus would have to develop its own cameras, since the 17W currently runs about $3,500 per unit.

The tech resembles the Pebbles Interfaces system that Oculus purchased in 2015. There are other ways to do finger tracking, though — Microsoft’s Kinect can track your hands with just a single camera, for instance, and the Dexmo gloves do it via mechanical means. Developing reliable, easy-to-use gloves will be a big step in VR, opening up gaming, entertainment and other applications.

The Oculus team is also looking at “advanced optics, eye tracking, mixed reality and new ways to map the human body,” Zuckerberg said. The lab’s aim is to shrink the size of the tech and “let you interact with the virtual world,” he adds, giving you the true feeling that you’re in another world.

Source: Facebook

Google makes its screen reader easier to use on Chromebooks

To improve the Chromebook experience for users with visual impairments, Google announced a new version of its ChromeVox tool this week. First, the screen reading feature is now the default option on all Chromebooks running Chrome OS 56 and newer. All you have to do to turn it on is hit Ctrl + Alt + Z.

As part of this update, Google says it made the ChromeVox keyboard controls easier to use. These commands are what help you navigate websites and other apps without a mouse. Those controls not only work on web pages, but they can also be used to access other parts of the UI — like the Chromebook menu and status tray. Google has also made it easier to find and learn all of those handy commands thanks to new ChromeVox menus. Here, you can get a list of open tabs, ChromeVox options, speech options and a rundown of the key parts of a page — things like links, headings or tables. That ChromeVox menu is accessible by pressing Search + Period or clicking an icon in the upper left corner.

The new version of ChromeVox also allows users to use a braille display’s keyboard to navigate around Chrome. Google says Chromebooks play nice with most USB braille displays, so this gives people with visual impairments another option. It also means they won’t have to switch back and forth to the Chromebook keyboard to get around. There’s also a new feature that allows teachers to follow along with text captions at the top of the Chromebook screen as students read on a braille display.

Lastly, ChromeVox now has auditory features called “earcons.” The tools give the user context when they arrive at something like a link or button and provide cues when a page is still loading and more. Earcons use stereo positioning to help the user understand where the information is on a page. This means that if you come to a button that’s on the right side of the page, the earcon will play through the right speaker or headphones.

Source: Google

Fukushima reactor’s radiation levels killed a cleaning robot

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) wasn’t kidding when it said the radiation levels inside Fukushima’s nuclear reactor are the highest they’ve been since its meltdown in 2011. It had to pull out the robot it sent in to find the exact location of melted uranium fuel and to do preliminary cleanup inside the reactor, because it died shortly after it started its mission. Apparently, two of the machine’s cameras suddenly became wonky, darkened and developed a lot of noise after merely two hours of scraping debris away. Those are all signs of extremely high radiation levels.

Tepco believes the robot endured approximately 650 Sieverts of radiation per hour if it only lasted a couple of hours. If it were a human in there, he would have died instantly. The team decided to pull the robot back when its cameras went dark before losing it completely.

Since the machine wasn’t able to complete its mission of doing recon and cleanup for Tepco’s second robot, the follow-up machine will have a lot more to do. That is, if the team even decides to deploy it — officials said they have to study the outcome further before deciding. The good news is that even though the radiation levels inside the reactor are extremely deadly, the team didn’t find any leaks that could pose a risk to anyone outside.

Source: AP

Matte Black iPhone 7 Users Complain About Chipped, Peeling Paint

A number of customers who purchased the matte Black iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus have noticed that the paint on their devices has started chipping or peeling off in areas where there has allegedly been little wear, leading to a growing complaint thread on Apple’s Support Communities.

Multiple photos in the thread depict paint that has chipped off in areas near the speaker grille and the volume buttons, even in situations where the iPhone was said to be protected by a case.

I have the same issue, especially around the speaker grill, the color chipped off where there is clearly no sign of use anywhere around, plus the phone was always in a case from day 1. Chipped off about 20 days after I got it. That is really not a sign of quality here, and I will also certainly not buy a pen to cover this. Apple should recognise the matter and offer a solution here.

At least one user has seen more extensive chipping, with paint that’s missing from several spots on the back of the device, a much more serious problem than most of the reports.

My case might be even worse. The paint at the back of the iPhone started to chip off very heavily. First there were some bubbles building up and then when I put the iPhone on a table the paint chipped off completely.

I was at an Apple Store complaining about it but they didn’t know how to classify my case so I didn’t get a new phone for free. But the Apple Support hotline helped me out and asked me to send pictures of my phone. These pictures now have been sent to the engineers in California and I’m waiting for feedback…

Chipped and peeling paint is not unique to the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, nor to the matte Black color. It’s an issue that has affected several versions of the iPhone in the past, including the iPhone 6 and 6s, but there seem to be a higher number of complaints from iPhone 7 users who are affected by the problem.

Parallels can be drawn to complaints that surfaced in 2012 after the release of the Black and Slate iPhone 5, which also drew a lot of criticism from customers due to chipping and scuffing issues. At that time, Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller responded and said some wear was normal. “Any aluminum product may scratch or chip with use, exposing its natural silver color,” he said. “That is normal.”

Matte Black iPhone 7 owners who have contacted Apple about the chipping issue have been told that because it’s cosmetic, their devices are not eligible for repair, which has traditionally been Apple’s stance on reports of paint problems.

Cosmetic damage is not covered under warranty, so iPhone 7 owners with chipped devices are unlikely to get replacements. Some affected users from Apple’s Support Communities have used sharpies or black paint to cover the damage, while others have sold and replaced their devices with a color less prone to damage.

Apple warned users that its glossy Jet Black iPhone 7, sold alongside the matte Black version, would see “fine micro-abrasions” with use and instructed concerned customers to use a case, but no similar warning was given about other iPhone 7 colors.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
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How to install Android apps on a Chromebook

One of Google’s most exciting announcements regarding its Chrome OS platform and Chromebook hardware is thesupport for Android apps. While Chrome OS can run Chrome browser extensions, web apps, and Chrome apps, the addition of the millions of Android apps greatly increases the platform’s value.

A handful of Chromebooks can already officially run the Google Play Store and install Android apps, including the Asus Chromebook Flip, the Acer Chromebook R11/C738T/CB5-132T, and Google’s own Chomebook Pixel (2015). If yours is one of those, then jump ahead to step one to get started.

If not, then you’ll need to check if your Chromebook is on the list of those that will eventually be gaining access to Android apps. Note that if your Chromebook was introduced in 2017, then it’s guaranteed to run Android apps one day. Either way, until Google provides official support for your Chromebook, you’ll need to switch your device to the Chrome OS developer channel to grab the Google Play Store and start installing Android apps. Skip to step two to get started.

Step 1: If your Chromebook already supports Android apps, start here

First, make sure that your Chromebook is running the latest Chrome OS version. You’ll need Chrome OS version 53 or later. Check by tapping or clicking on the status area, tap or click the Settings cog, then select “About Chrome OS” at the top of the screen.

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

In the “About” window, tap or click the Check for and apply updates button. If there’s an available update, it will download and install. Once it’s finished, tap or click the Restart to update button.

More: Google: All Chromebooks launched in 2017 will run Android apps

Once your Chromebook is updated, then go to the status area and tap or click the Settings cog. Go to the “Google Play Store” section, and check “Enable Google Play Store on your Chromebook.” You will be prompted to agree to Google’s terms of service — tap or click Agree to continue.

The Google Play Store app will open, and you’ll be asked to accept some additional terms and conditions. Once you’ve done this, you can proceed to step five below to start installing Android apps.

Samsung Chromebook Pro review

Samsung took the wraps off two new additions to its Chromebook line at CES 2017 that were built in collaboration with Google: the Chromebook Pro and the Chromebook Plus. There are a few special features that make these devices stand out from the crowd, with both not only being the first new Chromebooks to feature support for Android applications via the Google Play Store, but they also include an S-Pen-like stylus. Samsung and Google claim the addition of the stylus will take these laptops to new levels in terms of productivity and multimedia.

Will these new features and everything else these devices have to offer be enough for people to reconsider Chromebooks as more than just glorified web browsing machines? Let’s find out, in this comprehensive Samsung Chromebook Pro review!

Design

We saw quite a few Chromebooks at CES this year, but Samsung’s offerings were some of the most appealing at the show and will definitely be among the more high-end options you’ll be able to get your hands on this year.

While this review will focus on the Samsung Chromebook Pro, there is also the Chromebook Plus that is aesthetically and functionally identical. The only difference between the two is the fact that while the Pro features the more powerful Intel Core m3 processor, the Plus comes with an ARM processor instead.

In terms of design, the laptop features an all metal build that gives these Chromebooks a very high-end look and feel. Even with its metal construction, the device is extremely light, with a weight of just 2.38 lb, and it is also quite thin, with a thickness of just 13.9 mm.

Its light weight, thinness and compact size means that it can easily fit in a backpack or messenger bag without weighing you down. Of course, if you tend to carry your laptop around in your hand, its diminutive size and weight make it that much more comfortable than a normal laptop. Portability is easily one of the best aspects of the Chromebook Pro/Plus.

Given the size limitations, it’s understandable that the Chromebook Pro doesn’t have the largest keyboard or trackpad, but Samsung has actually done a pretty decent job with them. The keyboard is still spacious enough to comfortably type on, and the chicklet-style keys have a fair amount of travel. Also, if you look closely, you’ll notice that the keys have a slight curve to them, that helps avoid key mis-strokes by making them better contoured to your fingers.

The trackpad also works well for the most part, and while there were no issues with it in particular, I do wish it had “pinch to zoom” functionality. The tactile feedback could also be better, as you don’t really get that satisfying click when you press down on it. Of course, you can use light taps instead, which means that you won’t have to actually press down on the trackpad all that often.

Display

The Chromebook Pro comes with a 12.3-inch LED screen with a Quad HD resolution of 2400 x 1600. If you are wondering why the resolution seems a little bit different, that is because this display features a 3:2 aspect ratio, which gives you more vertical space to work with in landscape orientation, which is great when doing things like reading web articles, but it also gives you a wider screen when using the device in portrait orientation.

Given that this is a Samsung device, it’s no surprise that the display is rich, vibrant, and has great colors. The viewing angles are extremely wide, and the brightness also isn’t an issue if you’re using the laptop outside. The coolest part though is that the display can be rotated a full 360 degrees on its hinge. This lets you prop up the Chromebook Pro in a tent position, which is ideal for watching videos and movies on YouTube, Netflix, and the like, but you can also fold it back completely and use the device like a tablet.

Performance

As mentioned, the Chromebook Pro is powered by an Intel Core m3 processor backed up by 4 GB of RAM and, as expected, its performance is very smooth. Even with a lot of tabs open, it didn’t show any signs of lag or slowing down, and you won’t have any issues using ChromeOS to its full potential. However, performance does falter a bit when it comes to running Android apps, but that likely has more to do with the integration of the apps themselves rather than a problem with the processing package.

Hardware

Despite how thin the Chromebook Pro is, it still comes with a decent number of ports. On the left is the headphone and mic jack, a USB Type-C port, and a microSD card slot to let you bolster the 32 GB of built-in storage that is available. On the right side is the power button, the volume rocker and a second USB Type-C port.

Both the USB Type-C ports can be used for charging the device, data transfer or to output 4K content to an external monitor or TV. It certainly helps that these ports are available on either side, which lets you choose which is more convenient for charging the Chromebook based on the placement of the wall outlet, and you don’t have to take the device off the charger if you need to use the USB port for something else.

On the right side is something that you won’t normally see on a Chromebook, and that is a stylus. The stylus looks exactly like the S-Pen seen with the Samsung Galaxy Note line, with it being the same size and featuring the same tip, and it also into its slot with a click. The only real difference here is that this stylus doesn’t have a button on the side, but it still uses electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology.

The stylus adds a lot of functionality to the Chromebook Pro, some of which is similar to what was available with the now recalled Galaxy Note 7. You can use it to capture a specific portion of the screen, take a screenshot, use it as a magnifying glass or even use it as a laser pointer, which lets you move the stylus around the screen without interacting with any of the on-screen content.

Of course, you can also draw and write with the stylus, and there is a direct integration with Google Keep to facilitate this. There is built-in optical character recognition (OCR), so any time you write a note, you can have it converted to regular text, or conduct a search for any notes you’ve previously written. While this a convenient feature, it can be quite buggy. The conversion to regular text can be 100% accurate sometimes, but more often than not, it doesn’t recognize all the handwritten text, or it only converts part of what is written.

The big question here is whether the stylus actually adds any value to the Chromebook Pro. While the majority of my usage with the stylus has consisted of using it as a surrogate finger, I do think that a stylus makes much more sense on this type of device than it does on a phone. On the few occasions where I needed to jot down something, I was able to write comfortably on the screen and rest my palm on it without worrying about blocking what I was trying to write, courtesy of having more screen real estate to work with.

The biggest Achilles’ heel of the Chromebook Pro is the speakers. You will find two speaker grills sitting on the bottom towards the corners. This placement is definitely more intended for using them when the Chromebook is in the tent position for media consumption, since in the regular laptop mode, the speakers are very easy to muffle when placed on a table or when on your lap. Apart from the positioning, the speakers themselves aren’t of the highest quality, don’t get very loud, and can be difficult to hear in a room over any sort of ambient noise.

Battery

Samsung says that the battery of the Chromebook Pro will last up to 8 hours, but my experience has actually been better than that, ranging anywhere between 8 and 10 hours. The device certainly features enough battery life to comfortably last for a full work day for me. Of course, your mileage may vary.

With the exception of editing photos or video, the Chromebook Pro was my primary work machine, with usage that involved responding to emails, communicating with my colleagues on Slack and writing notes or scripts on Google Docs, while also watching videos on YouTube and checking social media pages like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pretty regularly throughout the day.

I only had to charge the Chromebook Pro once at night and it was always good to go for an entire day. That is certainly a huge shift from my experience with the Macbook Pro, which usually requires three or four charges every day, depending on what I’m doing. If your usage is even lighter than mine, you could easily push the battery of the Chromebook Pro into a few hours of the next day as well.

Software

Although the Chromebook Pro and Plus are the first Chromebooks to run Android applications out of the box, this is still a beta feature, which means that the experience isn’t flawless (yet). While social media apps like Facebook and Twitter do work as expected, the experience, especially when scrolling, can be quite choppy.

There are quite a few apps and games in particular that fail to even load. The ones that do load don’t run very smoothly, which is more prominent when it comes to graphically-intensive games. Many apps also tend to have issues with properly rotating between the landscape and portrait orientations when trying to use the Chromebook as a tablet. Things will get better with time, but for now don’t expect perfection.

Unlike with a phone or tablet, where an app typically takes up the entire screen, I do like the fact that a good majority of Android apps on ChromeOS can run in a minimized or smaller window, without losing out on the experience like you often do on split-screen mobile apps. This not only allows for easier multi-tasking between apps, but also allows the Chromebook to still feel like a regular computer instead of a tablet with a keyboard attached.

Android apps on ChromeOS have a lot of promise and the extra functionality in terms of multimedia and productivity that is available by having full access to the Google Play Store is fantastic. However, until it’s out of beta and all the bugs have been ironed out, it is not going to be the showcase that Google and Samsung want it to be.

Gallery

Pricing and final thoughts

The Chromebook Pro will be available later this year, but if you can’t wait for the Pro version, the Plus model can be picked up this month for the price of $449. While the pricing information of the Chromebook Pro isn’t known (although we did hear $549 at CES), it will naturally be more expensive than the Plus, putting them squarely in the upper tier of Chromebooks in terms of price.

So there you have it for our in-depth review of the Samsung Chromebook Pro! While the price point is high for a Chromebook, it does have a lot to offer. You get the simplicity of ChromeOS but with an included stylus, a rotating touchscreen, and access to all of Google Play. The Chromebook Pro can be a simple machine when you want it to be, or become a more than capable multimedia and productivity workhorse, and that is the real beauty of this collaboration between Samsung and Google.