Apple Encourages Developers to Update Their Apps for iPhone X

Apple this afternoon reminded developers about the imminent launch of the iPhone X and encouraged them to submit apps that are optimized for the new device.

Developers can download Xcode 9.0.1 to test apps using the iPhone X simulator before submitting their updated apps to iTunes Connect.

The future is almost here. iPhone X will be available November 3. This stunning device features the all-new Super Retina display for more immersive experiences and Face ID, a secure new way to unlock, authenticate, and pay. The TrueDepth camera works with ARKit, and the A11 Bionic chip is designed for Core ML and Metal 2. Download Xcode 9.0.1, test your apps in the iPhone X simulator, and capture screenshots. Then submit your updated apps and metadata in iTunes Connect today.

There are specific Human Interface Guidelines developers are encouraged to follow when updating their apps for the iPhone X.

Developers need to take into account the iPhone X’s rounded corners, sensor “notch” at the top of the device, and the indicator area for accessing the Home screen to prevent clipping. Developers are discouraged from attempting to mask or call special attention to features like the rounded corners and the sensor housing at the top of the device.

Apps that support Apple Pay or Touch ID will need to make sure Face ID, not Touch ID is referenced within apps on the iPhone X. Apps that use Touch ID will be able to incorporate Face ID as a replacement automatically.

The iPhone X will be in the hands of customers starting on Friday, November 3, the official launch date for the device.

Tags: App Store, developer
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TouchArcade iOS Gaming Roundup: Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, Stranger Things in Minecraft, and More

This week seems like it was totally dominated by all things Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. The story of this game first kicked off over a year ago when Nintendo teased both Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem.

They were originally slated for a fall 2016 release, and, well, we have since seen how that turned out. In late January, Nintendo announced that Animal Crossing had been delayed until its next fiscal year. We suspected it’d make an appearance at the Apple keynote in September, but everything was quiet in the world of Animal Crossing until the Nintendo presentation this week which concluded with the soft launch only a few hours later.

The above video is me playing the first “session” of the game, which goes through the entirety of the game’s tutorial as well as getting pretty close to running out of things to do for the day. That took a little under two hours of playing, so at least on the surface it seems like Pocket Camp gives quite a bit of content away for free. We published a more in depth first impressions / review but the basic gist is Pocket Camp is exactly what you’d expect: A slimmed down version of Animal Crossing that runs on your iPhone.

Stranger Things season two is now on Netflix, giving everyone something to absolutely binge out on this weekend… And it seems that for whatever reason, Minecraft is also hopping onboard the Stranger Things hype train. (Or is it the other way around?) Either way, there’s a new Stranger Things skin pack in Minecraft which potentially contains spoilers as there are skins for both season one and season two characters. It’s pretty impressive how much these skin packs change the feel of the game, so, if that’s a thing you’re into… add Stranger Things skins to your collection right now.

If you haven’t heard of Paladins: Champions of the Realm, it should probably be on your radar. Basically, it’s a free to play Overwatch-like title that has system requirements which are shockingly low for a modern game. It’s been a hit in the PC world, and Hi-Rez just soft launched Paladins Strike, which is a mobile MOBA that uses Paladins characters and the universe to create an experience that’s way more fitting on touch devices. With Arena of Valor on the horizon, and many other good mobile MOBAS already out, I’m curious to see where this one will find a home on the App Store when it’s finally released.

In the world of Blizzard, next week is Blizzcon and you can download the Blizzcon app right now. It’s how you access all the virtual ticket content if you’re watching from home, and it does even more cool stuff if you’re actually at the event. If you’re even remotely interested in Blizzard stuff, the virtual ticket is worth picking up as you’ll see every event and presentation streamed in real time. If that’s what you’re into, watching the streams is a surprisingly great experience. Also, this week’s tavern brawl in Hearthstone is an amazing Halloween-themed event that you really shouldn’t miss. Definitely fire up Hearthstone and give it a go.

MOBAs seem to be the cool new thing on the App Store, and being one of the oldest, Vainglory isn’t about to let these new kids on the block get any headway in the market. They just announced a new 5v5 mode that you can pre-register for, and as part of that, they’re also updating the game to take advantage of the 120hz screen of the iPad Pro. I’m not sure how 5v5 will turn out, but Vainglory at 120fps sounds absolutely amazing– Provided you’ve got a new iPad to play it on.

Last, but not least, is an upcoming game from Annapurna Interactive titled Florence. There aren’t a whole lot of details just yet, but the tagline is “an interactive story about love and life.” It’s being made by Mountains, which is a new indie studio that has Monument Valley alum Ken Wong as the creative director. Annapurna releases awesome things and Ken is an ultra-talented guy, so we’re expecting big things. There’s no release date yet beyond 2018, so hopefully it comes earlier in the year instead of later in the year.

That’s it for this week’s big stories in the world of iOS gaming, and as always, if you’re into these sorts of things and want an absolute overflow of information in the mobile gaming scene be sure to visit TouchArcade.

Tag: TouchArcade gaming roundup
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Apple Updating Some iPhone X Orders With Improved Delivery Dates

Some customers who pre-ordered the iPhone X when pre-orders went live and initially received shipping estimates of one to two weeks are seeing their orders upgraded to delivery on November 3.

MacRumors reader Colin ordered a 256GB iPhone X from T-Mobile and was originally provided with a delivery estimate of November 10 to November 17, which has now been updated to November 3.

Colin’s updated iPhone X delivery estimate
My own iPhone X order, placed right at 12:01 a.m., originally listed a delivery estimate of November 10 to November 17. It was just recently updated to a confirmed November 3 delivery date on Apple’s site. Other customers who ordered early and saw the same delays may also get their shipments sooner than expected.

Colin’s original iPhone X delivery estimate after pre-ordering
This is also good news for customers who have much longer wait times, as it suggests Apple is working rapidly to get orders out. Customers with two to three or four to five week delivery estimates may not have to wait quite that long if Apple can ramp up supply fast enough.

Right now, all iPhone X pre-orders are sold out and have been since about 15 minutes after pre-orders first went live. If you buy an iPhone X today, the delivery estimates are at 5 to 6 weeks.

Apple has confirmed it will have iPhone X stock in stores on launch day, so for customers who don’t want to wait for weeks to get one of the new devices, lining up is an option. Supplies are limited, though, so it will be best to go as early as possible, likely even the night before.

Related Roundup: iPhone XBuyer’s Guide: iPhone X (Buy Now)
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Intel finally soothes the PC gamer crowd with Optane-branded high-capacity SSDs

Why it matters to you

Intel is pushing to blur the lines between system memory and NAND-based storage, and the journey begins with three new Optane-branded devices.

After releasing two products for the data center based on its new “3D” Optane-branded memory technology  earlier this year, Intel has now turned to the mainstream market to serve up its new tech to PC gamers. Called the Optane SSD 900P series, the new family consists of two add-in PCI Express-based cards, and a 2.5-inch model that connects to the U.2 port on your PC’s motherboard. All three are available now.

The big deal with Intel’s new Optane technology is that it supposedly blends two types of memory together to create one super-fast, high-capacity solution, incorporating volatile and non-volatile memory. Volatile memory is another term for system memory (DRAM) that’s extremely fast but doesn’t retain information when the PC is turned off, nor does it have a high storage capacity. Meanwhile, non-volatile memory (NAND) used in solid state drives isn’t as fast, but is capable of storing data, and provides a high capacity.

Intel’s Optane technology is based on a “3D” crisscross design called XPoint (cross point) that stacks memory layers vertically like a skyscraper for faster access. Every layer includes dozens of columns, each comprised of a single memory cell, its selector, and perpendicular wires mounted above and below to access the memory cell. To modify the memory cell, this design applies voltage changes instead of relying on “bulky” transistors.

Because there are no transistors, Optane technology uses the extra physical space to cram in more storage capacity than your typical system memory stick. But at present you’re still not going to see the same storage capacity found on hard drives due to cost. Intel’s new U.2-based model only serves up 280GB of storage capacity while its two add-in cards provide 280GB and 480GB.

Here are the specifications:

900P Add-In Card
900P U.2 Drive
Max Sequential Read:
2,500MB/s
2,500MB/s
Max Sequential Write:
2,000MB/s
2,000MB/s
Max Random Read:
550,000 IOPS
550,000 IOPS
Max Random Write:
500,000 IOPS
500,000 IOPS
Storage Capacity:

280GB / 480GB

280GB
Connection Type:
PCI Express
U.2 connector (SFF-8639)
Interface:
PCI Express NVMe 3.0 x4
PCI Express NVMe 3.0 x4
Form Factor:
Half-Height Half-Length card
2.5-inch drive
Hardware Encryption:
AES 256-bit
AES 256-bit
Price:
$389 / $699
$389

What we have to note here is that you’re not getting DRAM speeds with these three Optane-branded storage devices. System memory can push more than 12,000MB/s in read speeds and more than 11,000MB/s in write speeds. We’ve also seen PCI Express-based M.2 SSDs come close to the sequential read numbers shown above in our laptop and stand-alone SSD reviews, but the write numbers in the specifications are impressively high.

But Optane drives have an extremely low latency, and that’s important. They use PCI Express lanes that have direct access to the processor and system memory, which are faster than lanes used by traditional hard drives and solid state disks. That means faster data transfers to and from the storage device.

Available now, the add-in card costs $389 (280GB) and $699 (480GB), and the U.2-based model costs $389. Intel also provides Optane-based “cache sticks” to speed up your hard drive in 16GB and 32GB capacities.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Corsair Neutron NX500 SSD burns with speed, but doesn’t scorch your PC
• Intel ready to serve Coffee Lake to the mainstream PC market, leaked slides show
• Desktops are dead? Lenovo says no as it shoves new gaming PCs into the spotlight
• 8th Gen Intel Core news: Mobile quad-cores confirmed, desktop rumors stay strong
• Acer stalks IFA with insanely powerful desktop, cutting-edge ultrawide monitor

Weekly Rewind: Laser TVs, heli-biking, 3D-printed Halloween costumes

A lot can happen in a week when it comes to tech. The constant onslaught of news makes it nigh impossible for mere mortals with real lives to keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a quick and dirty list of this week’s top tech stories, from the best Black Friday deals you can find (already) to 3D-printed Halloween costumes — it’s all here.

The ultimate Black Friday Guide: All the hottest deals, none of the junk

Calling Black Friday the Super Bowl of commerce is like calling the sun “kind of hot.” Every year, on the morning after Thanksgiving, consumers across America wake up in the darkness of early morning, bellies full of half-digested turkey, and sprint to their favorite stores in hopes of nabbing items at ridiculously low prices. In this consumer Bacchanal, time is of the essence. The crowds are massive and supplies limited, so knowing what you want and where to get it can save you time and headaches. You wouldn’t want to wait in front of Best Buy for three hours only to get in and find the Nintendo Switch is sold out, would you?

Let the annual Digital Trends Black Friday guide help you sift through the vast array of deals to discover the best ones.

Read: The ultimate Black Friday Guide: All the hottest deals, none of the junk

The Mazda Vision Coupe is achingly beautiful

The rumors claiming Mazda would introduce a brand-new coupe at the biennial Tokyo Auto Show were partially true. It might not be the born-again rotary-engined sports car fans were eagerly waiting for, but the Vision Coupe concept has immediately earned a spot on the list of Mazda’s most beautiful models to date.

The Mazda Vision Coupe isn’t a coupe in the proper sense of the term, as it has four doors. It’s more of a sporty fastback with a coupe-esque roof line — think of it as a budget Audi A7. The front end wears a more elegant evolution of Mazda’s Kodo design language, which characterizes the brand’s current models. Large wheels pushed out as far as possible give the Vision Coupe a sporty, confident stance. It looks like it’s moving fast even when it’s parked.

Read: The Mazda Vision Coupe is achingly beautiful

Parenting is hard. These gadgets make it a little easier

Technology impacts almost every aspect of our lives these days. We can track our sleep, ask Alexa to turn down the thermostat, and request a masseuse through an app. It’s no surprise then, that technology for parenting has become such a growing market.

While we shouldn’t let technology raise our children, why not lean on some of these innovations to make a tough job a little bit easier? Technology for parenting has provided a range of benefits for the whole family, including safety, peace of mind, more quality time and sleep.

Here are a handful of innovations are having a big impact on parenting today.

Read: Parenting is hard. These gadgets make it a little easier

Get the Google Pixel and Pixel XL at a discount from the Google Store

In light of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL’s launch, the Google Store is offering steep discounts on all first-gen Pixel models. Be forewarned that quantities are limited, though.

• 32GB Pixel: $550 (down from $650) or $22.88 per month for 24 months
• 128GB Pixel: $650 (down from $750) or $27.04 per month for 24 months
• 32GB Pixel XL $670 (down from $770) or $27.88 month for 24 months
• 128GB Pixel XL: $770 (down from $870) or $32.04 per month for 24 months

Both the Pixel and Pixel XL come in 32GB and 128GB storage capacity options and in your choice of black, silver/white, or blue. Google cheekily calls these “quite black,” “very silver,” and “really blue.” The blue version can only be had with 32GB storage.

Read: Get the Google Pixel and Pixel XL at a discount from the Google Store

Still need an outfit for Halloween? Check out these 3D-printed costumes

So it’s getting closer to Halloween and you’re scrambling for a costume idea, or you’re missing that special piece to tie it all together. Well, instead of frantically buzzing around town looking for the right shop with the right stuff, have you considered turning to tech for your Halloween costume? Fire up that printer and check out our list of 3D-printable masks and costume pieces to get all geared up for this year’s spooking.

Read: Still need an outfit for Halloween? Check out these 3D-printed costumes

Of course the world needs this noise-canceling fork that masks noodle slurping

We’ve all been annoyed by a someone slurping their soup or ramen before, but chances are you’ve never thought someone would create a product that serves as a solution for this sound. Well, we’re happy to announce that a Japanese instant-noodle titan Nissin has stepped up and created a noise-canceling fork designed to drown out the sounds from slurping ramen and other noodles.

 The Otohiko, as it’s called, is a ramen utensil that’s designed to create a bridge between the “cultural friction” that exists among cultures that allow slurping and cultures that don’t.

Read: Of course the world needs this noise-canceling fork that masks noodle slurping

Heli-biking is the newest extreme sport to hit the Alaskan mountains

Adventurous mountain bikers and adrenaline junkies are going to want to add the Tordrillo Mountain Lodge to their bucket list of must-visit places in the U.S. The Alaskan resort, which lists Olympic gold medal-winning skier Tommy Moe among its co-owners, has become the first in the country to offer heli-biking tours. These backcountry excursions take adventurous travelers deep into the Alaska mountain range by helicopter, giving them the opportunity explore a vast wilderness from the seat of a fat tire bike.

Located about 75 miles from Anchorage, Tordrillo has been one of the premier heli-skiing and snowboarding lodges for years. In fact, it was one of the very first resorts in the U.S. to offer visitors the opportunity to use a helicopter to access untouched backcountry powder, first launching its operation nearly 20 years ago. Naturally, that expertise lends itself well to heli-biking too.

Read: Heli-biking is the newest extreme sport to hit the Alaskan mountains

Hisense Laser TV is a projector that puts 100 inches of awesome on your wall

Lasers! And TV! What could be better? That’s the premise behind the Hisense Laser TV, which was revamped for CEDIA 2017 attendees last month and unveiled in a New York City event Tuesday evening. Priced at $10,000, the all-new 100L8D Laser TV looks like a short-throw projector — and that’s because the system is based around one — but with an over-the-air (OTA) TV tuner and speakers built in, Hisense can technically call it a TV.

The NYC event took place at the retail home of high-end audio brand Harman Kardon, which will make the built-in 2.1-channel audio system in the product. Hisense says it will push out 110 watts, which should make for decent sound. More interesting is the overall idea behind the 100L8D Laser TV — something Hisense calls a “market-creation” product — which is meant to serve those who want a big-screen experience without the hassles and limitations associated with conventional front-projection systems.

Read: Hisense Laser TV is a projector that puts 100 inches of awesome on your wall

Take the stress out of Thanksgiving with Martha & Marley Spoon

While there are plenty of meal kits floating about for your daily dinners, Thanksgiving is no ordinary meal. As such, Marley Spoon’s Thanksgiving box contains everything you need to create a dinner for between eight and ten dinner guests (and hungry dinner guests at that). Included in the box is a 12 to 14 pound free-range turkey from Goffle Road Free Range Poultry Farms (with a brown sugar glaze and pan gravy); ingredients for a classic herb stuffing with dried cherries; mashed potatoes; green beans with shallots and lemon; roasted root vegetables with brown butter, herbs, and almonds; and spiced apple oat crisp.

While you’ll still be able to claim credit for pulling together the entire meal, you won’t have to worry about hunting down the perfect bird or the right vegetables and herbs, nor will you have to scour the web or your grandmother’s cookbook for recipes — everything will be provided in a single box.

Read: Take the stress out of Thanksgiving with Martha & Marley Spoon

Editor’s Recommendations

• Weekly Rewind: Translating headphones, tech flops, Tesla trucks, and more
• Weekly Rewind: Amazon’s new product lineup, the Levi’s smart jacket, the Chrome competitor
• Weekly Rewind: A spying Google Home Mini, the Nobel winner, ‘Star Wars’ spoilers
• Take the stress out of Thanksgiving with the Martha & Marley Spoon kit
• Hisense Laser TV is a projector that puts 100 inches of awesome on your wall

These are the best processors for building a PC on any budget

Ready to build a new PC, or upgrade your current version into a more powerful machine? Then you’ll need to figure out which of the world’s best processors is right for you. Don’t waste your time — we’ve got the top new chips for upgrading in the handy list below. Whatever your budget, we’ve got a recommendation for you.

If you’re building a PC for the first time, don’t forget to read through our guide on how to build a computer (no experience require).

Budget — AMD Ryzen 3 1200 ($110)

For the past decade, whatever your budget, we would probably have recommended you buy Intel, but that all changed in 2017 with the launch of AMD’s Ryzen range of CPUs. AMD has always had a strong presence in the economy end of the CPU market, but with Ryzen, it also brings solid performance.

For around $100, the Ryzen 3 1200 CPU comes with four cores and a boosted clock speed of 3.4GHz. It boasts 8MB of L3 cache and comes unlocked, so you can play around with overclocking if you like. In our testing, we found it to be a very capable gaming chip, especially given its price point.

It does lack multi-threading support, however, meaning you’re restricted to four threads at once. That said, comparably priced Intel chips are only dual-core, so it will have much stronger multi-threaded performance even without additional threads.

One consideration to make though is that unlike Intel’s counterparts, the Ryzen 3 1200 does not feature an on-board graphics chip, so you will need an add-in graphics card. If you can’t budget that in, something like the Intel Core i3-7100 is a viable alternative, but its processing capabilities are far behind those of this AMD chip.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Entry-Level — Ryzen 5 1600 ($210)

The Ryzen 5 1600 replaces our previous Intel recommendation at this price point and does so with gusto. It offers six cores — Intel’s readily-available alternatives are only quad-core — and it has multithreading, so has 12 threads at once for maximum multi-threaded performance. It also sports 16MB of level 3 cache and turbos up to 3.6GHz.

With an unlocked core, you can also overclock it further for added performance, bringing it closer to the stock frequencies of the slightly heftier 1600X CPU of the same range.

This chip sits firmly in the middle of the Ryzen lineup and is capable of solid gaming performance, as well as more multithreaded-orientated tasks such as video and image editing. Although it may be challenged by the new-generation of Intel Coffee Lake chips, until those become more widely available, the Ryzen 5 1600 is arguably the best mid-range CPU purchase out there.

If you have to opt for an Intel alternative right now, the Core i5-7500 is a comparable buy. It can be found for a few dollars cheaper, but keep in mind that it comes with two less cores and lacks hyperthreading.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Enthusiast — Core i5-7600K ($230)

This chip makes a big jump up in frequency to a base of 3.8GHz, with a Turbo Boost maximum of 4.2GHz. While this quad-core processor lacks hyper-threading, it’s still one of the quickest i5 chips available. It comes unlocked, too, meaning it can be overclocked. The unlocked chips don’t come with a cooler, though, so keep that $30 addition in mind.

Although this chip does lack the additional cores and threads of the aforementioned Ryzen 5 1600, it does offer stronger single-core performance, especially when it comes to certain games. This is even true when you compare the i5-7600K to its direct competitor, the 1600X. Although it’s arguable that Ryzen chips will offer better gaming support in the future as multi-threading becomes more important, we’ve been expecting better multithreading in games for years now and it’s improving at a snail’s pace.

The Core i5 7600K then, is one of the best gaming chips you can buy right now, and although it’s fair to suggest the 1600X as a viable alternative, this is the one we’d suggest at this price point.

It is very much a gaming chip, though. The average home computer — even if it sees a lot of action — doesn’t usually need this much power, or the ability to overclock, which is a premium feature in Intel’s range.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

High-end — Core i7-7700K ($330)

The 7700K is a quad-core, 4.2GHz beast, with a turbo boost maximum of 4.5GHz. That’s a smaller boost over the base clock than found on the Core i5 model, but as with the 7600K, this chip is unlocked. This means the processor multiplier can easily be bumped to increase the base clock. In our testing, it handled the task adeptly.

Also, because this is a Core i7 model, it has hyper-threading. This means it can handle eight processing threads, even though it has only four physical cores.

It’s ideal if you want to spend some quality time building a machine and running plenty of tests to find the optimum settings. That said, the Core i5 options still present a better value for the majority of users — only the most demanding workloads require the robust power of the i7-7700K.

It’s also important to highlight that Ryzen chips still give even this powerful chip some stiff competition. While there currently is no real debate that the 7700K is a much better gaming chip, a Ryzen 7 1700 would beat it in most multi-threading tasks at a comparable price point, so it is a viable alternative.

Read our full Intel Core i7-7700K review

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Bleeding Edge — Core i9-7980XE ($2,090)

If money is no object, then the Core i9-7980XE is the CPU for you. Crowned by many as the king of all processors, this Skylake-X processor is arguably the fastest processor ever made and features not only stellar power right out of the gate, but powerful overclocking potential.

Released in September, the i9-7980XE is the epitome of Intel’s response to AMD’s Ryzen processors. It threw everything but the kitchen sink on to that die and the results are astounding. It packs 18 cores under the hood, doubling that to 36 threads with hyperthreading. It sports a base clock of just 2.6GHz, but that turbos up to 3.4GHz with all cores enabled and can reach 4.4GHz with Turbo-Boost 3.0.

With a price tag of more than $2,000, however, the 7980XE is a chip that should only really be considered for those who really need enormous multi-threaded and single-threading performance. There are plenty of comparable offerings with much cheaper price tags, such as Intel’s own 7900X ($960) and AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper 1950X ($880). Either would be great options if you’re looking for top-tier performance and don’t care about how much you spend.

Although it’s completely unnecessary for 99 percent of desktop users, if you want the absolute cutting edge and have zero interest in getting the most bang for your buck, then Intel’s Core i9-7980XE is the best processor you can get right now.

Buy one now from:

Amazon

Update: Replaced budget, extreme, and mid-range offerings with more contemporary processors.

Editor’s Recommendations

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X and 1950X Review
• AMD vs Intel: Does Threadripper mean it’s time to root for the underdog?
• Modders wanting a taste of ‘Coffee Lake’ may need to change their motherboard
• Intel reveals its 8th-gen desktop CPU rollout early dubbed as Coffee Lake-S
• Our 7 favorite iPhone X case deals to keep your new device safe

Dell XPS 13 Review

Dell’s XPS 13 has been a favorite laptop at Digital Trends since its revitalized debut in early 2015. The original won our Editors’ Choice award, impressing us with its excellent battery life, beautiful display, and slim dimensions. Now, with the release of Intel’s new 8th-generation “Kaby Lake R” processors, the XPS 13 has received yet another internal update, and so has our Dell XPS 13 review.

Our new review model packs the latest Intel i7-8550U into familiar slick silver chassis that’s as trendy as it is eye-catching. Dell currently offers two XPS 13 models which feature 8th-generation processors, both of which are top-end offerings, starting at $1,250 and $1,650. Both configurations are significantly more than the $800 base model, but the low base price means the upgraded versions are still competitive with other high-end laptops.

The Dell XPS 13 was once a trend-setter, but systems like the Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe, Lenovo Yoga 920, and even the Huawei Matebook X, are hot on its tail. Can the Dell still hold the top spot?

Small, yet big

Opening the Dell XPS 13 immediately reveals its most prominent design trait: an InfinityEdge display. The bezels between the edges of the screen and the edges of the lid are less than a quarter of an inch thick, which means this notebook comes closer to a true “edge-to-edge” display than the competition. They also help the XPS stay small, as it’s only one foot wide and eight inches deep. That’s half an inch narrower than the new MacBook Pro 13.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

At its narrowest point it’s 9mm thick, and 15 mm thick at its widest point. It’s a very lightweight laptop, but it doesn’t quite feel that way. Maybe it’s the blend of plastic and aluminum, but it feels thicker in the hand than a system like the MacBook Pro 13 which is 14.9mm thick all the way across.

Similarly, the all-aluminum Zenbook 3 Deluxe also feels like a much thinner laptop, despite the fact that it’s only about 2mm thinner than the XPS 13 at its widest point.

The carbon fiber and aluminum chassis feels rigid. Even the thin-bezel display allows only the slightest flex. We feel confident the XPS 13 will handle abuse better than most systems of its size.

This notebook comes closer to a true “edge-to-edge” display than its competition.

The exterior of the standard silver XPS 13 is mundane with the display lid closed. Dell could have done more to differentiate the system at a glance from the Inspiron 7000 series, which also relies on silver metallic accents. Dell’s gold and rose gold models resolve that issue with a subtle change of color. Once open, both models reveal a uniquely textured, soft-touch carbon fiber interior that steals the show.

It’s still a looker, but in a marketplace chock-full of slim, svelte, and increasingly well-built competitors, the Dell XPS 13 isn’t quite the stand-out it used to be. It still feels solid in the hand, build quality is as robust as ever, but the plastic inner bezel around the display feels a little dated.

USB 3.0 dominates, but USB-C is included

Wired connectivity is adequate. It offers two USB ports, both 3.0, along with a Thunderbolt 3/USB-C port, which handles video and additional peripheral connections. The Dell does not charge over this port, but instead still includes a proprietary charger. We’d prefer to see USB-C charging supported.

An SD card reader and an audio jack are also included. There’s no Ethernet or HDMI – you’ll need adapters for those.

You may not need Ethernet, though, because the base XPS 13 comes standard with 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

Still one of the best Windows touchpads

The small size of XPS 13 might be worrisome for anyone who’s been burned in the past by bad laptop keyboards, but don’t worry, you’re in good hands here. Or, well, your hands are. In good hands.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Individual keys provide solid feel, with reasonable travel and a firm bottoming action. Though the laptop is relatively thin, it doesn’t feel flimsy when typing, and no keyboard flex is noticeable in regular use. You can find a better keyboard – Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 series has it beat, for example – but Dell’s effort is solid.

A ton of space between individual keys leads to our only complaint. The key caps could be larger, and the Backspace key is too small. This didn’t trouble us, but users with large hands might find it a problem.

Multi-touch gestures are smooth and accurate thanks to the brilliant touchpad.

Keyboard backlighting is standard. By default, it turns on only when the system is actively in use. Just two brightness levels are available, and a great deal of light escapes from beneath the keys, which can be distracting. A third, even dimmer setting would be preferable.

We can’t praise the touchpad highly enough. Four inches wide, and a hair more than two inches deep, it’s not particularly large, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in fluidity.

Multi-touch scroll and zoom feel wonderful, almost Mac-like, and we never had an issue with mistaken or unwanted input. The tactile left and right buttons integrated into the touchpad lack travel, but it hardly matters because tap-to-click works so well.

Pleasing pixels, sub-par speakers

The standard XPS 13 comes with a 1080p display, featured on our the Core i7-8550U model we most recently reviewed. It has a non-touch matte surface, with a maximum brightness of 267.5 lux. That is less than most competitors, but the non-gloss surface makes the minimal backlight useable in almost all conditions. Its contrast reached 902:1 with the brightness all the way up, coming in ahead of the competition, but just barely. Color accuracy wasn’t as strong, at 2.21.

Lower is better in this test, and some competitors – like the Apple MacBook Pro 13 and Microsoft Surface Pro – achieve a score of less than one. That’s a significant improvement. However, you might not notice (or care) if you don’t handle professional photo and video editing. The XPS 13’s color error is low enough to look good if you’re watching a movie or playing a game.

The glossy 3,200 x 1,800 display on the more expensive QHD+ model fared a bit better. Its 279 lux maximum brightness still doesn’t reach the 350 range which we see on most high-end displays, but will suffice for most use cases.

Contrast is slightly lower than the 1080p model, at just 780:1 with the brightness all the way up, which falls further from the 900-1000 range we’re used to seeing. Its 2.0 gamma is a bit bright, but forgivable, seeing as even strong panels often fall just outside the ideal perfect range.

Both displays look good, but in different ways. The matte-screen 1080p model is a better choice if you read or write frequently on your laptop, as the high contrast and non-gloss surface help documents pop.

The glossy, QHD+ display is the opposite. It’s not the best choice if you’re looking to read a document on a plane, as the mirror-like finish becomes annoying. But it does look more vibrant when displaying entertainment, especially when the laptop is viewed in a dim or dark room.

There’s also a glossy 1080p option available on some models. We didn’t test it this time around, but we have in the past. Its performance is like the QHD+ version, so it’s a good choice if you want an entry-level XPS 13, and intend to use it to watch movies or edit photos.

Audio performance is less than impressive. The speakers don’t sound terrible, but they can’t output enough volume to fill a room with sound, and at high volumes you lose a lot of detail. External speakers or headphones are a necessity for anything other than system notifications and YouTube videos.

A strong showing from the 8th-generation

We’ve reviewed a handful of XPS 13 configurations over the past two years, and the newest model features, as we mentioned, an Core i7-8550U processor, the latest and greatest from Intel. It’s the first quad-core available in the XPS 13 – all previous models had dual-core hardware.

The 8th-generation processor is a strong competitor and a worthy successor to the Core i7-7500U. The new CPU pushes well ahead of the pack, eclipsing most of its competitors featuring 7th-generation chips.

Predictably, the extra cores make their presence known in the Geekbench 4 multi-core test. There, the new Core i7-8550U-powered XPS 13 scored 11,133. A previously reviewed XPS 13 with the Core i7-7500U only scored 7,952. The 8th-generation Core processor was also good for a few hundred additional points in the single-core test.

However, the new XPS 13’s Geekbench 4 scores slip behind other recently updated competitors. The Lenovo Yoga 920 and Asus Zenbook 3 Deluxe scored 14,566 and 13,086, respectively, in the multi-core test. Both scores are a fair bit higher than the Dell, and suggest that the small XPS 13 has trouble using its processor to its full potential.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

We also tested the XPS 13 using Handbrake to encode a 4K video. Here, the 8th-generation processor maintains its lead, outperforming 7th-generation chips by a solid margin. For instance, the new XPS 13 with the 8th-generation processor finished the encode in about 14 minutes, while the previous 7th-generation model finished the same encode in 18 minutes.

Once again, though, the new XPS 13 isn’t the quickest option. The Lenovo Yoga 920 also features an Intel Core i7-8550U, and it finished the encode in a breezy 10 minutes. The new Zenbook 3 Deluxe with 8th-gen Core i7, though, finished the encode in 15 minutes, a little slower than the XPS 13.

The 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor breathes new life into an old favorite.

Even though you might not notice the speed boost in everyday use — web browsing, running Microsoft Office, or that kind of thing — it’s a big enough performance improvement that you will notice it over time. The 8th-generation processor will shave minutes off video encodes, keep resource-hungry applications like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro well-fed and purring along.

What you get out of a quicker processor is a longer overall life out of the system. The faster your processor is today, the better equipped it will be to tackle resource-intensive applications in the future.

Go with PCIe

PCIe SSDs have become the standard in high-end laptops, and it’s no different here. The newest XPS 13 model featured sustained read speeds of 1,150 megabytes per second, and sustained writes of 569.7mb/s. That’s right around what we got out of the previous model.

That means the XPS 13 is still in league with the fastest laptop hard drives on the market, nipping at the heels of Razer’s Blade Stealth and Apple’s MacBook. Competitors like the Asus Zenbook Flip S, which we tested with a SATA hard drive, struggle to offer half the XPS 13’s read performance. Of course, you can order the lower-end XPS 13 with a SATA hard drive, but the move to a 256GB PCIe SSD is sure to make a difference.

The latest Zenbook 3 Deluxe and Lenovo Yoga 920 however, eclipse the XPS 13’s write speeds by a significant margin, almost doubling them, even if they are neck-and-neck in the read-speed race.

Let’s not play games

Despite Intel’s best efforts to provide gaming-ready integrated graphics, it becomes clearer with every generation that they just aren’t cut out for it.

The Core i7-8550U model of XPS 13 achieves a Fire Strike score of 1,114, better than most of its competitors, but not exactly an impressive score in the grand scheme of things. It’s an improvement over performance we saw on the i7-7500U model, which hit a score of 882, but still isn’t fast enough for the latest games.

Even in a low-impact game like Civilization VI, we only averaged about 12 frames per second on medium settings and 1080p resolution — not exactly what you’d call playable.

Dell XPS 13 (Kaby Lake) Compared To

Asus VivoBook Pro 15 N580VD

HP ZBook 14u G4

Acer Swift 3 SF314-52-557Y

Microsoft Surface Laptop

Toshiba Portege Z30-C1310

Asus ZenBook UX305

Toshiba Kirabook (2014)

Asus Zenbook UX301LA

Dell XPS 13

Dell XPS 12

ASUS Zenbook Prime UX32VD

Sony Vaio S Premium 13.3-inch

Toshiba Portege Z835

Asus U36Jc

Sharp M4000

The Core i5-7200U model performs very similarly in terms of graphical performance. Both chips are equipped with Intel HD graphics which, again, aren’t our favorite. They’ll be fine for some light League of Legends, or maybe even World of Warcraft if you aren’t too picky about quality settings, but that’s about it. Then again, you won’t often see systems this small, or inexpensive, with dedicated graphics.

All day endurance

The XPS 13 starts at 2.7 pounds, and the high-resolution touchscreen increases that figure to a still-light 2.9 pounds. That’s slightly heavier than other laptops in its weight class, such as the HP Spectre and Zenbook 3 Deluxe, but whether you’ll notice half a pound or not is up for debate.

Though physical small, the Dell feels chunky in-hand. That’s an effect of the thin bezels. The XPS 13 is smaller than other laptops sporting a 13-inch display, and thus denser. Despite how it feels, it’s one of the smallest and lightest 13-inch systems overall, and will easily fit in any backpack or bag designed to carry a typical laptop.

Dell has increased the capacity of the battery with each iteration, and it’s now up to 60 watt-hours. That’s among the largest batteries in any 13-inch laptop. Most are at 50 watt-hours, or less.

In the Basemark battery benchmark, the Core i7-8550U version of the XPS 13 kept going for just over three and a half hours. It brushes past results from the latest Zenbook 3 Deluxe and Lenovo Yoga 920, which managed 157 and 203 minutes, respectively.

However, the XPS 13 didn’t take the lead in our web browsing and video loop tests. It lasted 322 minutes in the former, and 541 minutes – over nine hours – in the latter.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

That may seem like a long time, and it is, but the Asus Zenbook 3 and Lenovo Yoga 920 last even longer. The Lenovo is particularly impressive. Equipped with a 70 watt-hour battery, it lasted just a few minutes short of 14 hours in our video loop test.

Warranty

Dell ships the XPS 13 with its standard one-year “enhanced support” warranty. This is essentially the same warranty you’d expect to receive from any laptop. While it’d be nice to see a longer warranty given this model’s price, we can’t knock the company; few competitors bother to offer more than a year.

Our Take

Though this year’s updates aren’t the most exciting, Dell builds on an already successful computer with the revised Dell XPS 13. It remains our favorite 13-inch laptop, and it’s still a great all-around buy – especially with that new processor. But, just to be sure, let’s break it down.

Is there a better alternative?

The thin and light laptop space has become even more crowded in the last year, but the XPS 13 still stands out as one of the best laptops in the category. The Zenbook 3 Deluxe has made a splash, but despite its finicky keyboard, the latest version puts it in league with the XPS 13 in terms of raw performance. The Lenovo Yoga 920 offers similar pricing, a higher degree of versatility, and the same 8th-generation processor.

The 8th-generation Zenbook 3 Deluxe starts at $1,700. That isn’t as attractive an entry price as $1,250, which is what the 8th-generation XPS 13 starts at. The Yoga 920 is also a little more expensive, starting at $1,330.

If you’re looking for something a bit more business-oriented, Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 series might be a good place to look. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon, for instance, features a carbon fiber chassis, and the signature trackpoint ball in the center of the keyboard. On top of that, it offers a familiar, stylish, and spartan design if the XPS 13’s aluminum accents aren’t quite your taste.

Speaking of aluminum, the Huawei Matebook X might also be worth a look. It’s an ultra-thin, ultra-light laptop which starts at $1,100 for the Core i7 model with 512GB of storage space.

The Surface Laptop and Surface Pro offer compelling alternatives – alongside the Surface Book 2 – but your money goes a bit further with the Dell XPS 13.

HP’s reimagined Spectre line has also challenged the XPS 13’s superiority, with the extremely thin Spectre 13 and convertible Spectre x360. They’re priced competitively too, and offer a solid alternative with a slick look. However, the Dell XPS 13 has a wider range of display options and more attractive, more portable design.

How long will it last?

Dell’s newest XPS 13 model checks off almost everything on our list for a future-proof laptops. It has Thunderbolt 3, plus two USB-A ports for legacy support, screen options over 1080p, the latest generation of Intel processors, a sturdy design, and a large battery.

Should you buy it?

Yes.

The XPS 13 is no longer an undefeated champion. Its battery life is exceeded by a few alternatives, and its performance is just on par with many of its rivals. Dell’s laptop used to be the default choice, but rivals – the Yoga 920, particularly – give it a challenge.

Yet the XPS 13’s performance and portability remain near the top of the class. We also love its design, keyboard, touchpad, and wide variety of configuration options, which range from $800 to over $2,000. There’s something for everyone here.

In the end, the Dell XPS 13 is still the best laptop you can buy.

Editor’s Recommendations

• Asus ZenBook Flip S review
• Apple MacBook 12-inch review
• The best cheap laptop you can buy
• The best laptops you can buy
• Asus VivoBook Pro N580 review

Best Universal Lenses For Android Phones

What are the best universal lenses for Android phones?

Your Android phone already captures beautiful photos, but artificially distorting the photo to add a fisheye, wide-angle, or macro look to your photos afterwards — something a smartphone can’t shoot normally — ruins the quality and feel.

Instead, using external, universal lenses are a great way to shoot creatively with your Android phone. All you need to do is attach the lens, aim, and start shooting your photography masterpieces!

Here are a few options to consider when looking for a Universal lens kit for your Android phone.

• VicTsing 3-in-1 lens
• Moment Lens
• Photojojo Magnetic lens series
• Aukey Ora lens
• Camkix Universal 3-in-1 cell phone camera kit

VicTsing 3-in-1 lens

This small lens may not seem like it packs a punch, but the VicTsing 3-in-1 clip-on lens brings a new creative element to your photos with three different phone photography perspectives!

To attach on the lens, simply secure the piece over your Android phone’s camera with its sturdy clip, adjust, and start shooting! You have the option to shoot with either a fisheye, wide-angle, or macro lens, so be sure to play around and experiment with different shots to see what you like best.

The lenses are made from high-quality, optical glass, while the clip’s design makes it easy to slide and adjust to fit different smartphone’s cameras for the perfect shot. You can pick up the VicTsing 3-in-1 lens for around $9.

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Moment Lens

While not technically a universal lens, Moment Lens will turn your Galaxy S8, Pixel and Pixel 2 into a professional camera with the twist of a lens.

We believe that the future of photography is in your pocket and we can’t wait to experience the journey with you. (Moment)

These high-end lenses might set you back a couple of buck — between $90 to $100, specifically — but if you’re serious about taking some impecible photos with your smartphone, then Moment is well worth the money.

You can pick up a wide angle lens, macro lens, superfish lens, and tele lens for your Galaxy S8, Pixel and Pixel 2. All you have to do is attach the mounting system over your phone, pick the lens you want to shoot it, screw it on, and start shooting!

See at Moment

Photojojo Magnetic lens series

While some people aren’t terribly fond of magnetic smartphone photography lenses because they don’t tend to stay on as well as clip-on or band lenses, there are plenty of upsides to them. They’re less bulky, typically quicker to attach to your smartphone, and with the Photojojo Magnetic lens series specifically, you have a lot of room to really get creative with your photography!

Unlike some other lenses on this list, the full Photojojo Magnetic lens series — which in total with a pouch cost around $99 — has more than your three standard lens options. The set comes with a wide and macro lens, a super fisheye and fisheye, a polarizer lens, and a telephoto piece.

The lenses are made from a durable aluminum material, so if they slip off accidentally, you won’t always have to worry about them cracking in an instant. The lens glass itself is also thick, and is made from a high quality, high-clarity glass.

See at Photojojo

Aukey Ora lens

Turn your Android phone into a powerful photography tool with the Aukey Ora lens, equipped with a 120-degree wide angle lens and a 15x, high definition macro lens!

The Ora lens is designed with a durable aluminum material and a multi-coated glass to reduce glare and reflections from ruining your photo. The clip that the Aukey comes with is made from a soft rubber, so it won’t scratch your Android as you adjust it to fit perfectly over your phone’s camera.

Not only is the Ora extremely well designed and built from high-quality materials, but the best part of this $30 lens is its powerful 15x macro piece that allows you to capture even the finest of your subject’s details with crystal-clear clarity.

See at Amazon

Camkix Universal 3-in-1 cell phone camera kit

Clip on your Camkix Universal 3-in-1 cell phone camera kit to your Android phone, pick your lens, take aim, and start shooting phone photography masterpieces with this powerful, affordable, pocket-sized piece!

You can pick between shooting with a wide-angle lens, a fisheye piece, or a powerful macro lens; just unscrew the wide-angle on top to expose the macro below. With the Camkix, you also get a velvet carrying bag so your lenses don’t accidentally get damaged and scratched.

Unlike more phone lenses, the Camkix comes in a ton of fun colors to match and customize your Android phone. You can pick from black, blue, gold, purple, red, or silver.

See at Amazon

What do you think?

Are you a fan of using external lenses, or do you prefer to tweak your photos while editing? What are your favorite lenses to use? Do you think external lenses bring a clean, professional quality to your Android phone photography, or would you prefer to shoot on your own?

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

Updated October 2017: We have removed the Godzilla Gear clip-on cell phone camera lens from our list and added the Moment Lens instead.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Here’s how well the new Daydream View handles heat

Does Daydream View’s built-in heatsink get the job done?

Google made a variety of updates to Daydream View when they premiered their 2017 model. Along with changes in the fabric, and where your remote is stored, they’ve also added an awesome built-in heatsink to help ameliorate those issues with phones overheating. So the big question is whether or not this built-in heatsink can actually get the job done, and help keep your phone a bit cooler when you’re enjoying VR.

We’ve done the research, and here are the results!

Read more at VRHeads!

Assassin’s Creed Origins for PS4 review: A beautiful, meditative adventure

Walk like an Egyptian? Assassinate like an Egyptian!

In the world of cinema, there are tentpole film franchises. While there are mixed emotions for the consumer when it comes to these movies, these are the flicks that movie studios can count on to sell tons of tickets. I would have to say that Assassin’s Creed is the video game equivalent of a tentpole franchise. In the 80’s you could always count on a new Police Academy movie and now you can always count on a new Assassin’s Creed game.

Just like the sparrows returning to Capistrano, Assassin’s Creed Origins has migrated to the warmer climes of my hot little hands. Let’s take a brief look at Assassin’s Creed Origins on PS4.

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If you want amazing graphics, you got it

Great googly moogly this is a stunning looking game. Built on the back of the Anvil Next 2.0 engine, Ubisoft has created one of the best-looking games I have ever encountered. The setting of ancient Egypt is a perfect showcase for the beauty of this game. For my money, the most satisfying element of this game was simple exploration. Climbing to the top of great heights in order to take in massive sweeping vistas was a real pleasure.

I always felt as if the real story was lurking around a corner somewhere.

Once I had made it to Giza, I heard the siren song of the Great Pyramid off in the distance. All quests went on hold as I rode my mount directly to the base of the Pyramid and spent the next ten minutes scaling to the very top of the gold-capped wonder. Once I had taken a few moments to enjoy the view I slid back down the face of the pyramid, which was just as enjoyable as the trip up.

Then, back at ground level, my childhood curiosity took charge and I was off to find the Sphinx. It’s there. It’s not as big as I imagined it to be. Scattered throughout my session with the game I encountered a few clipping issues and the occasional frame rate drop during cinematics. However, these minor issues did not mar what was a pretty darn breathtaking visual experience.

New Assassin, new combat

There, of course, were some changes in this, the newest Assassin’s Creed game. I would have to say that the biggest change in Origins was in regard to combat. There is a lot more depth to battling opponents than there has been in previous Assassin’s Creed games. Origins has seen Ubisoft make the switch to a hitbox based combat mechanic.

Gone are the days of yore when your assassin would slog through an endless series of animation-based fights where certain death for your enemies was just a button push away. This feels like it leans a bit more toward the hack and slash realm. In addition, you’re not going to have a bunch of enemies standing around you like the bad guys in a Jackie Chan movie, waiting their turn to get beat up.

All these changes serve to create an experience that is a good bit more dynamic than previous Assassin’s Creed offerings.

But how good is the story?

For all the graphic beauty that Assassin’s Creed Origins has to offer, I found the story to be a bit lacking and muddled. You assume the role of Bayek who is sort of the ancient Egyptian equivalent of a sheriff. At the outset of the game, you are beset by a tragedy which forces you to embark on a quest for vengeance against those who wronged you.

More than anything I found Assassin’s Creed Origins to be a nice meditative experience.

While there were moments when I found the main storyline to be dramatic and engaging, I always felt as if the real story was lurking around a corner somewhere. In fact, I found some of the most effective examples of storytelling to be tucked amid the side quests. Another disappointment for me was that it seemed as if the sci-fi elements were given short shrift.

One of the things I have always found compelling about the Assassin’s Creed franchise was the addition of Abstergo and the Animus. Where some of the previous games used these cutaways to create depth of world, in Origin’s these scenes just felt like a break in the flow of the story.

Should you buy it? That depends…

It’s a big week for video game releases. Assassin’s Creed Origins will be seeing big competition in Super Mario Odyssey and Wolfenstein 2. So why should you spend your time in Egypt? In spite of any issues I had with Origins, I actually enjoyed it more than I expected to. It’s a stunningly massive game. With game-time reports rolling in from anywhere from 30 hours to double that if you complete all the side quests, it’s a great way to kill some time.

More than anything I found Assassin’s Creed Origins to be a nice meditative experience. I think the best way to get your money’s worth is to take it slow and enjoy the world rather than barreling through. The setting is fun and beautiful and I can see myself flipping on my PS4 every now and then to play Origins as a pleasant getaway from the real world. Just like any good tent-pole film, Assassin’s Creed Origins isn’t going to revolutionize anything, but it can be fun if you let it.

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Why are we reviewing PlayStation 4 games on Android Central? Let us explain.

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• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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