The Best Laptops for College You Can Buy

Heading to college is stressful enough without having to worry about what laptop you’ve got in your backpack. When it comes to laptops, college students are often in a difficult position in that they have less money to spend on a new computer than they’d probably want.

The good news is that unless you’re studying to be a graphic designer or architect, you probably don’t need a top-of-the-line specs. On the other hand, things like battery life and portability become even more important when faced with carrying a laptop around from class to class all day.

We hope to help out with at least this one higher education decision by highlighting what we think are the best laptops for college. Read on to find some selections that can check at least a few boxes and narrow does the best laptops for college.

Our pick

Asus ZenBook UX330UA

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Why should you buy this: You won’t find many laptops that provide a better combination of low price, great performance, and lightweight design.

Our Score

The best

Asus Zenbook UX330UA-AH54

The Asus ZenBook UX330UA is a lightweight machine with good performance for a low price. What’s not to like?

$699.00 from Amazon

$779.99 from Newegg

Who’s it for: College students who don’t have a lot to spend but still demand a great laptop.

How much will it cost: $750

Why we picked the Asus ZenBook UX330UA:

Just because you don’t have a lot of money doesn’t mean you don’t crave a well-built machine with enough power and battery life to plow through your assignments. You can choose an ultra-budget machine and save some cash for frozen pizza, or you can spend just a little more and grab a laptop that offers significantly better build, performance, and battery capacity.

One of our favorite machines in that price range that does it all is the Asus ZenBook UX330UA. It might not look like anything special, but it’s the very best value laptop on the market. We gave it a 9 out of 10 score in our review precisely because of how well it delivers the essential of what you want in a laptop at a price that won’t break the bank. It’s just been refreshed with an affordable $750 price tag and the new 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor included that makes performance even more impressive.

One of the most impressive things about the ZenBook is that it looks like it costs a lot more money, with the same kind of all-aluminum chassis as more expensive machines. It also sports Asus’s iconic “spun metal concentric circle” finish that brings even more eye appeal to the machine’s silver finish. Throw in the fact that it’s thinner and lighter than a MacBook Pro — and you won’t at all feel like you’re carrying around a budget laptop.

Of course, performance and battery life matter — and the ZenBook UX330UA has both in more than sufficient quantities. The eighth-generation quad-core Intel Core i5-8250U processor provides excellent performance and efficiency, while the surprisingly large 57 watt-hour battery should keep the machine running for an entire school day.

While the touchpad could use some work, the display is also much better than you’d expect for this much money, with plenty of brightness, great contrast, and solid color support.

In the end, we believe that you don’t need to spend an inordinate amount of money to get a great laptop for college. The Asus ZenBook UX330UA provides the best example to proves our point.

Our Asus ZenBook UX330UA full review

Best laptop for taking notes in class

Microsoft Surface Pro

Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

Why should you buy this: You won’t find a better Windows 10 tablet for taking your notes in class, and then working on papers back in the dorm.

Our Score

The best laptop for taking notes in class

Microsoft Surface Pro (2017)

The Surface Pro is the best Windows 10 detachable tablet on the market, offering the best platform for taking extensive handwritten notes.

$999.00 from Microsoft

$619.55 from Amazon.com

Who’s it for: College students who want to replace paper with electronic notes

How much will it cost: $960

Why we picked the Microsoft Surface Pro:

Microsoft’s most recent detachable tablet reigns supreme as our overall favorite 2-in-1. It’s a fifth-generation machine, meaning that Microsoft has had plenty of chances to get its formula right. And they did — the Surface Pro is the best Windows 10 detachable tablet on the market.

It also provides class-leading active pen support, with the Surface Pen providing the lowest latency in a Windows 10 tablet, 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and tilt support. That means it’s awesome for taking handwritten notes and making quick drawings, something that can certainly come in handy for today’s college students. Use Microsoft’s own OneNote application and you can get rid of paper notes forever.

At the same time, you’ll get a laptop that provides excellent productivity performance and solid battery life. The Surface Pro isn’t the cheapest option at $800 for the entry-level model with an Intel Core m3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD. Plus, you’ll want the $160 Signature Type Cover for writing papers and the $100 Surface Pen to take your notes. That brings the total investment to $960.

But you’ll also end up with a laptop that will let you work both in the classroom and in the dorm, and that provides far more flexibility than any other machine on our list. The Surface Pro is great for consuming media as well, with its high-resolution display that’s bright and offers extremely high contrast. If you want to catch up on some Netflix when you’re taking a break, the Surface Pro has you covered there as well.

Our Microsoft Surface Pro full review

Best college laptop for Google users

Samsung Chromebook Pro

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Why should you buy this: It’s the most powerful Chrome OS 2-in-1 on the market that doesn’t cost a fortune

Our Score

The best college laptop for Google users

Samsung Chromebook Pro

Chrome OS might limit the Samsung Chromebook Pro capabilities a bit, but it’s a great value for college students who mostly run Google servi…

$449.99 from Samsung

Who’s it for: College students who use Chrome OS or attend colleges using Google solutions

How much will it cost: $550

Why we picked the Samsung Chromebook Pro:

Google’s Chrome OS platform and its various services, such as Google Docs, are becoming increasingly important in educational environments. Chrome OS is lightweight, requiring far fewer computing resources than Windows 10, and it’s easy to administer and maintain. If you cringe at the thought of using a Chromebook from the terrible one your high school loaned you, think again. The Samsung Chromebook Pro is beautiful to look at and impressive to work on.

Did we mention Chrome OS requires fewer computing resources? What that means in practice is that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get great performance with the platform. In fact, our overall favorite Chromebook, the Samsung Chromebook Pro, is the second most expensive Chrome OS machine on the market (behind only the uber-expensive Google Pixelbook), and it only costs $550.

For that money, you get an Intel Core m3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage capacity. That sounds minimal when compared to the typical Windows 10 notebook, particularly in terms of storage space. But remember that with Chrome OS, you don’t need a ton of RAM to push things along — and most of your data will reside in the Google cloud. Toss in a bright, high resolution (2,560 x 1,600) 12.3-inch display, and you have a machine that’s more than powerful enough for Google’s slim OS.

In addition, the Chromebook Pro is a convertible 2-in-1, meaning the screen flips around from clamshell laptop mode to tablet, and it comes with an active pen.

That means you can not only use it as a convenient media consumption device, but you can take notes with it as well.

Finally, while Chrome OS doesn’t have as many apps as Windows 10, Google has been kind enough to build Android app support into newer Chromebook machines like this one. That means that you can fire up the same apps that you use on your Android smartphone, along with a great selection of games that should run well on the Chromebook Pro’s hardware.

Our Samsung Chromebook Pro full review

Best college laptop for Apple lovers

MacBook Air

Why should you buy this: MacOS has one affordable model left, and it’s the MacBook Air

The best college laptop for Apple lovers

Macbook Air (2017)

The MacBook Air is not only the most affordable MacOS machine, but it’s a better value than the next more affordable MacBook.

$869.00 from Amazon.com

Who’s it for: College students who prefer MacOS but can’t afford the MacBook Pro

How much will it cost: $1,000

Why we picked the MacBook Air:

There are a number of great choices if you’re a MacOS user, including the 12-inch MacBook that’s incredibly portable and then a line of MacBook Pro machines that offer power and refinement. Unfortunately, they’re also incredible expensive machines. If you’ve got extra cash and love Apple products, go for it —  but it’s likely outside of the typical college student’s budget.

Fortunately, there’s another option that provides great support of current MacOS versions and is a bit more affordable. Specifically, we’re talking about the MacBook Air, the notebook that started the thin and light craze and that still presents a viable option. It runs $1,000 for a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD, and so is hundreds of dollars less expensive than its more modern siblings. It even got a slight processor bump earlier this year to ensure that it’ll last you through your four years of school.

For that money, you’ll get a machine that sports Apple’s usual design and build quality, along with one of the best notebook keyboards around. The display is a little dated at 1,440 x 900 (128 PPI), but the battery is large at 54 watt-hours and so should provide for most of a school day’s productivity. You’ll get a couple of USB-A 3.0 ports for connectivity, along with a mini-DisplayPort to connect to an external monitor and an SD card reader.

The MacBook Air also won’t weigh you down, at 2.96 pounds, nor will it take up too much room in your backpack at 0.68 inches at its thickest point. In short, the oldest MacBook is currently the best machine for any college-bound MacOS user on a tight budget.

Best college laptop on a tight budget

Acer Aspire E 15

Why should you buy this: Just because you’re on a tight budget doesn’t mean you don’t want a quality machine.

The best college laptop on a tight budget

Acer Aspire E 15 (E5-575-33BM)

The Acer Aspire E 15 is an incredibly affordable machine that gets the job done and doesn’t feel like every corner was cut.

$349.99 from Amazon.com

Who’s it for: Any college student whose budget can’t stretch beyond the basics.

How much will it cost: $350

Why we picked the Acer Aspire E 15:

College is an expensive proposition, and sometimes you have other things to spend your money on than a new laptop. In today’s Windows 10 PC market, however, manufacturers are making great systems at every price point. You don’t have to accept an inferior machine just because your budget is tight.

A case in point is the Acer Aspire E 15, a 15.6-inch notebook that’s incredibly affordable and yet equips today’s modern components. For example, you can pick up a configuration with a seventh-generation Core i3-7100U processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard disk drive (HDD) for only $350. You’ll also enjoy a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 or 141 PPI) display that will provide plenty of room to work as well as a good platform for watching Netflix during your downtime.

In addition, you’ll enjoy excellent connectivity with two USB-A 3.0 ports, a USB-A 2.0 port, an Ethernet port for connecting to your dorm’s network, and both VGA and HDMI video connections. To keep all of your work backed up, you use either the DVD writer or the SD card reader. And, the Aspire E 15’s generous battery capacity promises up to 12 hours of use, meaning that you should be able to crunch through a school day at the library rather than remaining tethered to a charger in your dorm room.

If you can scrounge up some extra cash, then you should look at some of the prettier machines on our list. However, if you’d rather save your money for some better dorm room furniture or that textbook you don’t even need, then the Acer Aspire E 15 should meet your basic requirements with some room to spare.

How we test

We spend a tremendous amount of time reviewing notebooks of all shapes and sizes — and that’s saying something today, when notebooks come in so many shapes, sizes, and configurations. To make sure our recommendations provide real value to our readers, we live with the machines for a time and use them in writing our reviews — to make sure we can assess how they’ll work for real users.

But we do have a method to our madness in conducting these reviews, and you can get a behind-the-scenes look at it here. Hopefully, it will be obvious that our reviews are real labors of love — or hate, depending on the notebook – and therefore you can at least recognize that we don’t arrive at our conclusions without some serious consideration.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best laptops you can buy
• The best Chromebooks you can buy right now
• You could buy a MacBook. Or you could buy this laptop — and 137 lattes
• The best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy
• Asus Zenbook UX330UA review

Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Flow

Flow presents your email as a continuous feed, allowing you to review and act on your messages without ever losing context, and marking each message as read when it is scrolled above midscreen.

Available on:

iOS

mini-U

The mini-U app allows you to take a photo of yourself, shrink it down, and send it to friends over text. Add in your photos from your camera or library, then tap to send in a text.

Available on:

iOS

Pickup lines

The Pickup Lines app contains sets of hilarious and ice-breaker lines. Pickup Lines make people laugh and smile, and just might make you the life of the party.

Available on:

iOS

Simpler Pro

Simpler Pro is a completely redesigned contacts app that makes your address book light, smart, and user friendly. Merge all duplicate contacts with one tap.

Available on:

iOS

PureBlock

If you’re sick and tired of popup ads, unwanted page redirects, and many more annoying advertisements on the internet, PureBlock is the perfect solution for you.

Available on:

iOS

AURA

These powerful and beautifully designed tools will help you add beautiful frames, filters, text, and so much more to your photos, in the most creative and playful way.

Available on:

iOS

Editors’ Recommendations

• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time
• Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Honor 7X review

Research Center:
Honor 7X

In a year when multiple phones from big-name manufacturers have come very close to, and sometimes surpassed, the $1,000 mark, it’s time to redefine what we mean by good value in phones. If manufacturers want to gain any sort of attention in the increasingly expensive smartphone world, a low price just isn’t enough. The OnePlus 5T proved we don’t need to spend more than $500 to get a good flagship smartphone; and Huawei’s subsidiary Honor now shows us you don’t need to spend more than $200 for a good phone. The latest from the Chinese company is the Honor 7X, and while there are compromises, we found the phone to be the best bargain of 2017.

Bezel-less at a budget

If you buy a phone in 2017, you don’t really want it to have massive edges flanking the screen. Thick bezels already look old fashioned, and they’ll stand out even more next year. The 5.93-inch Honor 7X meets the design requirements for a 2017 edge-to-edge, or “bezel-less,” display. Put it alongside the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, and you’ll find the top and bottom bezels are almost identical in size. Even the 2,160 x 1,080 pixel resolution is the same. It’s the side bezels that are slightly more pronounced on the Honor 7X.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

The bigger screen doesn’t necessarily mean a bigger phone, and the advantages of an 18:9 aspect ratio screen are there — fitting more content on screen in landscape format, along with more immersive gaming and video too. Honor wants you to make the most of it too. Under the Display menu in Settings is a full-screen mode, where you can choose which apps automatically open up and use the total length of screen available. It often pops up in-app too, to save jumping into the Settings. Sadly, there’s no way to hide the Android navigation buttons like there is on the Mate 10 Pro.

The body is made of metal, and the glass on the front has a 2.5D curved effect, blending in perfectly with the rounded sides of the phone. The back of the Honor 7X is flat, with a matte blue finish on our review model. There’s also a fast fingerprint sensor in an easy to locate, recessed and chamfered spot. In the top left are two pronounced camera lenses. It’s here where more savings are made, because the camera lenses on the Huawei P10, Mate 10, and even the Honor 9 are flush against the rear panel.

You’ll hardly believe it costs so little

The Honor 7X is the result of 28 prototypes and 15 months of design development work. The in-hand comfort is exceptional, and Honor has managed to sidestep the common problem of slipperiness too. Even with a light grip, the Honor 7X never feels like it’s going to escape from your hand.

It’s a tough little thing too. The phone was dropped several times by the Honor team when we first saw the device, and it survived without a scratch, due to what Honor calls an airbag-style internal design at each corner. It’s not officially shockproof, but “life proof,” according to Honor. Elsewhere, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack, and it sits alongside a MicroUSB port for charging. It’s a shame Honor didn’t swap it for a USB Type-C. It’s also a shame that there’s no NFC chip inside the svelte body, so you won’t be using the Honor 7X for Android Pay.

When you see how incredibly modern the Honor 7X it looks, you’ll hardly believe it costs so little.

Good dual cameras

The dual camera lenses, which sit inside two raised bumps on the back of the phone, are perhaps the least visually-pleasing part of the phone. But it’s easily forgivable because they perform well. Due to sharing the same Android user interface as Huawei phones, the Honor 7X’s camera app will be familiar to anyone who has used the Huawei P10 or Mate 9. The app is simple, logical, and packed full of features. Slide to the left to show the options list, and slide to the right for different camera modes. Icons for special features are shown along the top of the screen.

The main f/2.2 aperture lens has 16-megapixels, but the secondary lens has only 2-megapixels. The second camera doesn’t exclusively shoot in monochrome, unlike many Huawei phones, but the dual cameras work together to produce a bokeh or blur effect. The software has also been tweaked to speed up wide-aperture focusing by six times, and improve low-light performance.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Share the photos with friends, or on social media, and no-one will know you didn’t splash out on an expensive camera phone. Honor is pulling the same trick Xiaomi has mastered — provide solid cameras inside a reasonably priced phone, that produce shots that are perfect for posting online. On a series of sunny days, the Honor 7X really showed its strengths with colorful, fun photos. At night, it also captured some great variably-lit scenes. It’s not perfect — dark scenes lack pop, and it didn’t enjoy shooting in low afternoon sun, for example.

The bokeh Wide Aperture mode is a direct port of Huawei’s system, and you can alter the focal point in photos taken later on. This flexibility cuts down the emphasis on making sure you’re getting the right shot in the first place, and lets you get creative later on. When you choose a focal point and save the image, the original is retained, so you can save multiple versions with different objects in focus. The Honor 7X’s bokeh mode is excellent. It’s fun, creative, simple, and never frustrates.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

It’s certainly better than the Portrait Mode, which is very hit-or-miss. It never seems to “grab” an object or face to effectively blur out the background, especially in challenging light. We’ve experienced similar problems using it on the Huawei P10. There’s also a Moving Picture mode, which acts like Apple’s Live Photo and takes a short video instead of a still. We’d rather use Instagram’s short video modes, as the results are easier to share.

We mentioned the rear camera is skewed towards shareable images with plenty of color and pop. The 8-megapixel front camera is also made for social media, and has a bokeh Portrait Mode, along with built-in face filters. These are reminiscent of those featured on Snapchat, Snow, and other similar apps. They’re fast to activate, accurate with face tracking, and most importantly: Cute. It’s not a feature everyone will use, but it’s definitely in-line with what the primary audience for the Honor 7X will already be using elsewhere. It seems sensible to have it ready to go in the standard camera too.

For $200, the Honor 7X’s camera is great, and a genuine reason to buy the phone.

Good performance, Android 7.1 Nougat

In the U.S., only the 3GB/32GB Honor 7X will be sold, and for a very reasonable $200. In the U.K., the Honor 7X costs 270 British pounds and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage space. Both have the Kirin 659 processor, and the hybrid SIM card slot has space for a MicroSD card too in case you need more space.

We reviewed the 4GB/64GB version here, and we don’t expect there to be much of a difference in terms of performance between the two. Here are our benchmark results:

• AnTuTu: 63,311
• Geekbench 4 CPU: Single-Core 906, Multi-Core 3,556
• 3DMark SlingShot Extreme: 399

The 4GB/64GB benchmark scores won’t set the world alight, but are comparable to the similarly powered Motorola Moto G5S Plus, and to the Moto G5 Plus. It comes in below the HTC U11 Life and the Moto X4. However, the Honor 7X is $200, considerably less than either of those two phones, and it obliterates the $180 Moto E4 Plus in tests. It’s no surprise they’re half of what phones like the OnePlus 5T and Galaxy S8 achieve.

We played Riptide GP3, Crossy Road, and Modern Combat Versus, the latter apparently being optimized for the phone. It didn’t come pre-installed on our review model though. While it doesn’t reach the gaming supremacy of the Razer Phone, the Honor 7X is still a strong gaming device for those not wanting to spend $700. Riptide GP3 played well enough, although it struggled a little with frame rate during very busy scenes. Hardly a surprise given the processing power available; but there’s more than enough for a bit of casual gaming.

The Honor 7X is still a strong gaming device

You’ll find Android 7.1 Nougat installed with Huawei’s EMUI 5.1 user interface layered on top. This isn’t good news. Android 8.1 Oreo has been out since August, and regardless of whether this is a cheaper phone or not, it should be installed on new devices we’re buying now. Huawei has also released version 8.0 of EMUI, so even the user interface is out of date. It’s not slow, but it’s not as refined as EMUI 8.0, and you’re missing out on new Oreo features like Notification Dots and picture-in-picture mode.

Using EMUI isn’t the annoying experience you may fear. No, it’s not stock Android, but you can add the app drawer as an option if you miss it, and the settings menu and notification shade are more refined and less heavily customized than older models. It’s not slow, which is very important, and all our usual apps worked without a problem.

We like the split-screen mode, which is activated simply by long pressing an app in the Recents view, and dragging it to the top of the screen. Another advantage of the 18:9 aspect ratio is that you can see a lot more information on these apps at a quick glance.

Honor has added a daytime viewing mode to its reading mode for late-night use. The reading mode is great, and can be scheduled to come on at a set time each day. There are quite a few pre-installed apps, such as a torch, mirror, sound recorder, compass, download manager, and some Huawei-specific apps. A theme manager app lets you change the look of the interface, a Phone Manager app will scan for viruses and optimises the system, along with providing battery and data use information. Not all these can be uninstalled.

Using the Honor 7X alongside the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, it’s clear the Honor phone is slower; but that’s to be expected. Used on its own, the software experience is slick enough for general everyday use. Just remember this is not a phone for power users, and you’ll be satisfied.

Battery and audio

Does the Honor 7X have enough battery power to last the day? In our experience, yes it does. The 3,340mAh cell is charged using a MicroUSB cable, and supports fast charging using the included charger. Starting out the day with an almost full battery, we used GPS navigation, the camera, browsed social networks, played games, and the 7X reached 20 percent by late evening. We’d hoped for a little more, given the modest processor and screen resolution.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

A 3.5mm headphone jack can be found on the bottom of the phone, and Honor has added Histen audio enhancements to the 7X. This offers a 3D surround sound effect when using headphones, and it’s marginally successful. We like the basic Histen enhancements, but the 3D audio — you choose between a Near, Front, or Wide style — made our favourite songs sound different, and not in a good way. We left it on Near, or turned it off entirely. Listen without the 3D audio, and the Honor 7X sounds great.

Warranty, availability, and price

In the U.S., Honor gives a one year warranty with its phones, which is a repair or replace scheme. It doesn’t cover accidental damage, misuse, water damage, or normal wear and tear. Parts and labor are included, but shipping is down to the owner. In the U.K., the coverage is the same, but the warranty period is 24 months.

The Honor 7X is just $200 in the U.S., which gives you a 3GB/32GB unlocked phone without a contract. It will be available through the official HiHonor store online. In the U.K., you can only buy the 4GB/64GB Honor 7X, and it costs 270 British pounds. In addition to the HiHonor online store, Amazon and Very will sell the phone, as will high street retailers Argos. Buy through the U.K. HiHonor store and for a limited time you’ll get a free pair of Honor AM61 Bluetooth headphones.

Honor 7X Compared To

OnePlus 5T

Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact

Lenovo Moto G5S Plus

HTC U11 Life

Google Pixel 2

LG V30

Sony Xperia XZ1

Asus Zenfone AR

Moto Z2 Force

Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom

Moto Z2 Play

Motorola Moto E4

Huawei Nova 2 Plus

Motorola Droid Turbo

LG Optimus G Pro

Our Take

Taken only at face value, the good-looking Honor 7X doesn’t appear to be a $200 smartphone. Add in a decent, fun-feature packed camera, solid performance, and a great screen, and you’ll question the price even more. Yet it does only cost a bargain $200.

Are there better alternatives?

The Honor 7X is almost ridiculously cheap in the U.S. This is easily one of the best looking and strongest performing cheap phones you’ll buy. It punches well above its weight, and it easily beats Motorola’s budget phones like the E4 Plus for style and for performance. To improve on it, you’ll need to spend $350 on the HTC U11 Life, or $400 on the Moto X4. That’s a big difference, and if you’re considering the Moto X4, we recommend saving up an extra $100 to secure a OnePlus 5T.

How long will it last?

The Honor 7X’s body may withstand a few knocks, but it won’t be happy if it gets wet: There’s no water resistance at all. The software is already out of date, and neither Huawei or Honor are especially fast at sending out Android version updates. While this is a $200 phone, and we understand compromises must be made, it’s a shame we’ll be forced to wait for Android 8.0 Oreo.

If you buy the Honor 7X, and aren’t a demanding smartphone user, then the phone will happily last for a year or more before feeling a little old. The design is slick enough that it won’t look ancient by that time, so provided you aren’t suddenly wanting the phone to do a lot more, it should carry on serving you well past this time.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Honor 7X is an absolute bargain. To help you understand just how much value the Honor 7X represents: It’s $50 less than the Honor 6X that came out at the beginning of the year, yet it looks better and performs better. We like that kind of advancement, and think you’ll like the Honor 7X too.

Lifeprint’s ‘magic’ moving photo prints just got larger and more connected

Lifeprint photos may be physical images to hold, but they also unlock a video using an augmented reality app — and now those images that come to life are larger and more connected than ever. Today, December 5, Lifeprint launched the 3 x 4.5-inch, Wi-Fi-connected update to the photo printing lineup.

The latest photo printer brings the same ability to print videos, GIFs, live photos and more, while scanning the print with the app plays that video on screen. But with the latest version of the app, the printed images are a larger 3 x 4 inch size that’s closer to the size of classic instant film. Like earlier models, those prints are made using Zink paper, a glossy photo paper that has ink embedded within it that is activated by heat from the printer, which means no ink cartridges are required.

The second big update to the printer is connectivity — the new Lifeprint connects with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. With Wi-Fi, users can send prints to their photos even when the printer is on the opposite side of the globe, while Bluetooth allows for simpler wireless printing while close to the device. While the original printer used Bluetooth for easier connection, the update adds Wi-Fi so users can connect even when the printer isn’t close at hand.

Lifeprint is both a printer and a social network for sharing physical photos rather than the digital ones. Lifeprint users can send photos with an embedded video to friends and family and the company says the process is as easy as sending a text.

“For our second printer, we wanted to go bigger and broader,” Lifeprint said in a statement. “The larger film is classic instant camera size and really captures that retro look and feel. Perfect for decorating your walls. But more importantly, the Wi-Fi capability means you are always connected. This allows users to print to and from anywhere in the world. No matter where you are, you’re connected and ready to print. And of course, the magical Harry Potter-like Hyperphotos still bring those videos to life in your hands.”

The updated Lifeprint 3 x 4.5 retails for $150, with exclusive availability from Apple Stores and apple.com. The Zink paper costs $30 for a pack of 20 or $50 for a pack of 40.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Prints photos in seconds with the Polaroid Insta-Share Printer Moto Mod
• This isn’t the end of printed photos, it’s the golden age
• Get cheaper prints than ever with Brother’s new all-in-one home office printer
• Kodak Printomatic review
• Fujifilm’s new mobile printer makes square prints right from your phone

Google’s Android Go for low-end smartphones to launch alongside Android 8.1 Oreo

Remember Android Go? In May, Google announced it would be making a scaled-down version of Android to run on entry-level devices with between 1GB and 512MB of RAM. These sorts of low-powered devices have proven key in getting smartphones into developing markets like India and Brazil, and Google was keen to offer a smooth and full-featured experience on those devices. At a Google For India 2017 press conference, the company said it’s finally launching Android Go alongside the updated version of Android Oreo, Android 8.1 Oreo.

Essentially a pared-down version of Android, Android Go focuses on a few specific areas that allows it to run smoothly on low-powered, entry-level smartphones. First off is the massive decrease in operating system (OS) size. As Android has matured and phones storage spaces have increased, the amount of space the operating system eats up has grown. Since entry-level phones are less likely to have room to spare, the less space the OS takes, the more people have for their pictures and videos. Android Go is roughly half the size of Android 7.0 Nougat, saving a good deal of space for media the user really wants.

Android Go is roughly half the size of Android 7.0 Nougat.

Google’s companion apps have also been downsized. Each Android Go phone will come with “Go” versions of the usual pre-installed Google apps; Google Maps, YouTube, Google Assistant, and Gmail all have “Go” versions that take up less space, require fewer resources to run, and run faster than their usual versions. The company said most “Go” apps run an average of 15-percent faster than the normal versions.

Also included in Android Go is Google’s Data Saver mode from its Chrome browser. Mobile data can cost quite a pretty penny in developing markets, and a megabyte saved is a megabyte earned. It’s why Google worked hard to reduce the amount of data used by Android Go, because this mode is turned on by default. The company estimates that Chrome’s Data Saver can save the average user 600MB of data in a year, so it expects this system-wide feature to help even more. You can also share content with other people via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, helping you save even more data.

A new app called Files Go, which is available on the Play Store for all Android phones, also will help clean up space on your phone.

In Android Go, the Google Play Store offers a streamlined experience, showcasing Go-optimized apps that won’t impact storage space or run slowly, and phones are also protected with Google’s Play Protect, which is now a standard security feature in all Android Oreo devices.

Android Go will launch tomorrow, alongside the new version of Android 8.1 Oreo, and it will be shipped on various entry-level devices within the coming months. Google also has a program called Android One, where it installs stock Android on low-end smartphones and offers instant version and security updates. It’s likely we’ll see Android Go installed in future Android One smartphones. We’ve reached out to Google for comment.

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Apple ‘listening’ to Mac concerns, but no word on hoped-for improvements

Apple’s chief design officer, Jony Ive, has doubled down on previous statements made by the company that it is listening to feedback from owners who have expressed Mac concerns. However, Ive didn’t go so far as to reveal what changes could be expected with future revisions of this Apple hardware.

Although Apple has been at the forefront of innovative changes with some of its Mac hardware in recent years, the resulting devices haven’t always gone down well. The single USB Type-C port on its standard MacBooks raised charging and accessory concerns and the Touch Bar on its MacBook Pro was considered by many to be a relatively useless but expensive upgrade.

Other problems with Apple devices, like flimsy keyboards, underpowered internal hardware, and the death of the “MagSafe” magnetic chargers, have also raised complaints, as per Business Insider. However, Apple does want fans of its hardware to know that it’s listening, as Ive stated earlier this week in an interview in Washington DC.

During the chat, he said that “All of your feelings and feedback around the MacBook you use, we couldn’t want to listen to more. And we hear,” he continued. “Boy – do we hear.”

While this doesn’t go far enough to actually highlight any changes Apple is planning to make to its Mac or MacBook ranges, it does at least suggest that the feedback will be considered for future generations of the hardware. It is also the second time an Apple executive has made it a point to reassure Apple fans that the firm is listening. As BusinessInsider points out, earlier this year Apple told journalists that it was aware its recent Mac models didn’t suit all of its customers.

At that time, Apple did confirm that a new model iMac would be released in December. Considering we were still rather impressed with the currently available version when we compared it to its contemporary competition in August, any big upgrade could see Apple on to a winner. The new version is said to be aimed at professionals, and so it may well come with powerful internal hardware.

WCCFtech seems to think it’s still on for a mid-December unveiling, possibly containing something as hefty as an 18-core Intel Xeon CPU, though that could be a mistranslation from Google search bots.

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Upgrade to the 2nd-gen Amazon Echo for just $80 today

Let’s do this, Alexa!

If you somehow missed your previous chance to grab the 2nd-gen Amazon Echo for just $79.99, don’t worry. Amazon is once again discounting the latest Echo hardware by $20, including the limited edition Product(RED) version. To sweeten the deal even further, Amazon is offering a TP-Link Smart Plug for just $5 when you purchase new Echo hardware.

This smart speaker was only just recently released, and it has a number of enhancements over the first one. Its features include:

• All-new Echo (2nd Gen) has a new speaker, new design, and is available in a range of styles including fabrics and wood veneers. Echo connects to Alexa to play music, make calls, set alarms and timers, ask questions, control smart home devices, and more—instantly.
• Just ask for a song, artist, or genre from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, and more. With multi-room music, you can play music on compatible Echo devices in different rooms. Echo can also play audiobooks, radio stations, news briefs, and more.
• Call or message anyone hands-free with your Echo device. Also, instantly connect to other Echo devices in your home using just your voice.
• New speaker, now with Dolby processing for crisp vocals and dynamic bass response. Echo can fill the room with 360° omnidirectional audio.
• With seven microphones, beamforming technology, and noise cancellation, Echo hears you from any direction—even while music is playing
• Just ask Alexa to check your calendar, weather, traffic, and sports scores, manage to-do and shopping lists, control your compatible smart lights, thermostats, garage doors, sprinklers, and more
• Alexa is always getting smarter and adding new features and skills. Just ask Alexa to control your TV, request an Uber, order a pizza, and more.

Amazon also has a bunch of discounts on other Echo hardware and bundles. For example, you can grab the 2nd-gen Echo and a Philips Hue Starter Kit for $249.99, which is $50 off, or you can opt to go with the more affordable Echo Dot for just $29.99. You can also save $150 on two Echo Show’s if you add two of them to your cart. This is $50 more than previous savings, and you can add the $5 smart plug to each of them, making it an even crazier deal.

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Google Home vs Amazon Echo — Which smart speaker are you using?

Here’s which smart assistant our forum users are siding with.

This holiday season, there’s a good chance you’ll be picking up a smart speaker for someone on your shopping list. Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Home line of gadgets are currently the top dogs in this field, with each company having an all-star lineup of different speakers to choose from.

Although Echos and Homes serve the same general purpose, there’s a distinct difference in how they operate due to Alexa powering Echos and Google Assistant powering the Home speakers. Our forum users recently got into a discussion about which smart home assistants they’ve been gravitating towards, and this is what some of them had to say.

bigbearballs
12-01-2017 01:56 PM

“

I switched from Alexa to mini and the biggest thing I’ve noticed is how much more my mini knows. It gives overall better and more answers to questions. I didn’t use Alexa for Bluetooth, so it wasn’t a big deal to lose that. I’m trying to integrate everything into Google and it’s been pretty easy. I have a home, mini, pixel 2, and now a Chromecast. I want a hub but I’m waiting since I heard Google…

Reply

Chex313
12-01-2017 04:05 PM

“

I find the mini only useful when I am near it. When I am in any other room and I query my Pixel 2 XL the mini answers….It even makes phone calls when I do not want it to…Its made voice searches to my phone useless. It is going to be relegated to the garage. It is useless for me until it can allow my phone to answer.

I much prefer my dots and echos. If I need a smart search I prefer my…

Reply

Almeuit
12-01-2017 04:18 PM

“

I tried Alexa for awhile .. I couldn’t stand it. I returned it and exclusively have been using Google Home for awhile now (way before the mini). I just didn’t like simple tasks such as “What is the traffic like to (X)?” not working with Alexa. How is it a smart assistant if it can’t answer a basic thing?

So far I have 2 mini / 1 home. I am pretty tied into Google. I also have Google WiFi,…

Reply

bhatech
12-01-2017 04:19 PM

“

Personally I’m not that impressed with Alexa, I like and prefer the Google Assistant which works much better for me. I’m all in on Google Assistant in turn Google home. I do also have an echo dot, costs so less so why not. I just use it when I’m forced to use like in case of some Amazon deals via Alexa etc.

Reply

Now, we’d like to pass the question on to you – Are you team Google Home or Amazon Echo?

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Some Nintendo Wii games coming to NVIDIA Shield TV in 1080p

This is…unexpected.

The NVIDIA Shield TV is currently the best way to experience Android TV. Support for 4K HDR content allows your movies and TV shows to look as good as possible, and access to the NVIDIA Games channel turns the streaming box into a decent little gaming system.

There’s already a solid selection of Android games, ports of select PlayStation and Xbox titles, and even the ability to stream games from your Steam library if you have the proper computer hardware. Now, according to a report from Nintendo Wire, the Shield TV will soon pick up certain Wii titles.

Daniel Ahmed recently shared a trailer on Twitter for the Shield TV in China, and sure enough, it highlights games such as Super Mario Bros Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princes, and Punch Out!!. In addition to these, Metroid Prime is also expected to make an appearance soon.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, all of these games will be playable in a resolution of 1080p Full HD – quite the jump from the Wii’s output of 480p.

Unfortunately, as the story goes, there’s currently no reported plans of bringing any of these titles outside of China. I’m sure there are plenty of NVIDIA Shield TV owners in other parts of the world that would love to play through most all of these, so we’ll have to wait and see if any other countries are graced with an expanded release.

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Deal: Get a free Gear Fit2 Pro with purchase of unlocked Galaxy S8/S8+

Get a head start on your New Year’s resolution to be more active.

Although Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now behind us, that doesn’t mean the time for awesome deals on tech is gone. Samsung is currently running a “12 Days of Joy” promotion for numerous products on its website, and the latest allows you to get a Gear Fit2 Pro for free.

Buying an unlocked Galaxy S8 or S8+ through Samsung will come bundled with a red Gear Fit2 Pro completely free. Seeing as how the Fit2 Pro normally costs $199, that’s not a bad deal at all.

You’ll pay $725 for the S8 and $825 for the S8+, but you can get up to a $300 discount on either one when trading in a select phone – such as the Galaxy S7/S7 Edge or iPhone 7/7 Plus.

This promotion is available starting today, December 5.

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