Surface Pro 6 vs. iPad Pro

You shouldn’t compare apples to oranges, but with Microsoft recently revealing the Surface Pro 6, you’re probably wondering how it stacks up to something like the iPad Pro. As much as these products come from different perspectives on computing, they aren’t so dissimilar in price and design.

With this comparison guide we look at both devices, and help you find out which one is worth more for your hard-earned cash.

Design

The Surface Pro 6 and the iPad Pro are on opposite ends of the design spectrum. Apple opts for an aluminum material, but Microsoft goes with magnesium. That makes for a difference in weight, with the iPad coming in at 1.57 pounds, and the Surface Pro 6 at a slightly heftier 1.71 pounds (without the keyboard).

Asides from the weight, there’s another key differentiating element to the two devices: The kickstand. The Surface Pro 6 has a fully articulating kickstand with movement up to 165 degrees, whereas the iPad depends on cases or keyboard covers to stay propped up. For when you want to use the devices in a laptop-like mode, the kickstand on the Pro 6 makes the big difference. Keep in mind that the keyboard and cases are separate purchases in both instances anyway.

As for that display, both Apple and Microsoft manage to pack plenty of pixels in for your viewing pleasure. Apple’s 12.9-inch display gets you a resolution of 2,732 x 2,048, with a pixel density of 264, and Microsoft’s slightly smaller 12.3-inch display gets you a resolution of 2,736 x 1,824 with a pixel density of 267. The Surface Pro 6 wins out in pixel density, but in terms of design, these two are some of the most premium-feeling devices you can buy.

Performance

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

Coming down to performance, the differences boil down to the different operating systems and chipsets. Apple’s iPad Pro runs iOS 12, and the Surface Pro 6 is powered by Windows 10. There are different configurations on both devices for more performance or storage space. Starting at $900, the Surface Pro 6 comes with a quad-core eighth generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7 Processor, 8GB or 16GB RAM, and up to 1TB of storage.

On the other hand, the WiFi-based 12.9-inch iPad Pro comes with 4GB of RAM, 32GB, 128GB, or 256GB of storage, a A10X chip with 64‑bit architecture, and embedded M10 co-processor. Prices there start at a lower $800, making the iPad Pro a bit more enticing. No need to worry about choosing a processor or RAM, Apple just makes it easy with one chip.

Enticing as it is, iOS 12 on the iPad still is more of a mobile phone OS, whereas the Windows 10 on the Surface Pro 6 can run full blown photo and video editing software. Both platforms have benefits, with different strengths depending on the use case. While Windows 10 is a superior multitasking platform, iOS as a lot of great apps populate the App Store for tablet usage.

Both devices also come with options for a pen, or in Apple’s case, a pencil. These stylus’ aren’t included in the price of the devices and will count as a separate purchase. Specs considered, Apple Pencil and the Microsoft Surface Pen both accomplish the same inking and drawing tasks and work well across their OS. There are a few subtle latency differences and other specs differences between the two, but Apple doesn’t specify the sensitive levels on their pen to dive deeper. It’s still a nice bonus to have if you’re considering either one of the tablets.

Portability

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Both the Surface Pro 6 and the iPad Pro are equally portable devices, but the iPad ultimately wins. The iPad Pro measures 12 x 8.66 x 0.27 inches, and the Surface Pro 6 at 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches. The iPad Pro is a bit longer, but it wins with the weight. It might be hard to hold in one hand, but being so light, it is easy to throw in a bag and travel with.

The battery life on the iPad Pro is also impressive, as we found that it gets up to 10 hours in our review tests. On top of that, iOS devices have fantastic standby time. As for the Surface Pro 6, Microsoft promises 13.5 hours of battery life, though we haven’t tested that number yet.

For connectivity, the iPad only offers up a single proprietary Lightning Port. This means you’ll need to buy official Apple dongles to connect your iPad up to monitors and even printers. Things are different with the Surface Pro 6 though, which gives you mini-Display Port and USB 3.0. That is great, but the iPad is more of a mobile device, and for portability, one port wins as you won’t be using keyboards, , printers, or external hard drives like you would on a Surface device.

For most people, the iPad Pro is the winner

At the end of the day, the iPad Pro is the better buy over the Surface Pro 6. It is a cheaper device, and the display and the portability are just about the same as what you get the Surface Pro 6. iOS is also much more intuitive than Windows for tablet usage, offering a much wider selection of apps at your disposal. If you’re an iPhone user, connectivity between the two devices is an added bonus.

So, while the Surface Pro 6 is the better laptop replacement, the iPad Pro does more things right on the whole.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Go
• Surface Go vs. Surface Pro
• Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Pro 5
• Microsoft Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Laptop 2
• Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review

Surface Studio 2 vs. iMac

If you’re shopping for an all-in-one desktop to serve as the centerpiece of your home or office workspace, Microsoft’s new Surface Studio 2 and Apple’s iMac (2017) are among the top choices. Both systems are clad in metal bodies, designed with modern and minimalist aesthetics, and are targeted for consumption and creation of content with their built-in better than 4K displays.

Though the iMac was last refreshed last year, it shares the same Intel processor family with this year’s Surface Studio 2. This levels the playing field a bit between the two desktops. So, which one is more deserving of your money? We’ll help you decide by comparing some of the most important features between these two premium systems.

Design

As all-in-one PCs, the iMac and Surface Studio 2 share a similar philosophy by combining the computer’s display with the internal components in a sleek silver-trimmed package. Whereas the iMac houses all the internal PC components behind the display, Microsoft moves the computing components to a thicker base, allowing the rear of the display to be flatter and thinner. Apple hoists its 27-inch non-touch display (a 21.5-inch version is also available) on a slim stand constructed of solid aluminum. The effect is that your attention will be focused on the content on the screen, making the PC and the technology disappear into the background.

The 28-inch screen on the Surface Studio is mounted on two chrome arms that are attached to the PC base. Microsoft uses what it calls a zero-gravity hinge, which allows the touchscreen display to easily adjust to any comfortable angle, allowing the screen to recline and not just tilt. Digital artists can essentially transform the screen into an adjustable easel to create content with the Surface Pen.

Both desktops ship with color-coordinated mouse and keyboard accessories, though the Surface Studio 2 can be used with additional creative tools, like the Surface Pen for drawing and a Surface Dial.

The iMac’s wide color gamut Retina 5K panel supports a resolution of 5,120 x 2,880, with 500 nits of brightness. The Surface Studio 2 has a slightly larger 28-inch 4,500 x 3,000 PixelSense display, and similarly supports a wide color gamut panel. Like other Surface products, the Studio 2 makes use of a 3:2 aspect ratio display, which is better suited for productivity tasks. The iMac’s 16:9 aspect ratio is better adapted for videos. Unless you’re watching cinematic ultra-wide videos, you won’t find letterboxing on the iMac’s screen. Both systems allow you to connect up to two additional 4K UHD displays for a multi-screen setup.

Performance

Both desktops rely on Intel’s 7th-Generation quad-core processor, but the entry-level iMac has a lower $1,800 starting price. At that configuration, you’re getting just a 3.4GHz Core i5 processor, whereas the Surface Studio 2’s higher $3,500 starting point comes with an 3.9GHz Intel Core i7-7820HQ processor.

You can also upgrade the iMac’s configuration to a 4.2GHz quad-core Core i7-7700K CPU if you need more performance. Fully specced, the iMac goes as high as $5,300, but that model ships with 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. Apple offers AMD Radeon Pro 570, 575, or 580 options for discrete graphics, while Microsoft relies on either an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or 1070. There are less configuration options on the Surface Studio 2. You can choose between 1TB or 2TB of solid-state storage and 16GB or 32GB of memory.

Both systems support four USB 3.0 ports, 3.5mm headphone jack, Gigabit Ethernet port, and 3.5mm headphone jack. The main difference is that the Surface Studio comes with a single USB-C port, whereas the iMac ships with two Thunderbolt 3 over USB-C ports. Thunderbolt 3 support means that when graphics cards improve, you can easily add an eGPU to your computer. These ports are located on the rear of the iMac’s display or on the base of the Surface Studio 2.

All these components are packed into a relatively compact package. The iMac measures 20.3 inches tall (including the stand) and has a width of 25.6 inches. The stand’s depth will occupy 8 inches on your depth. The complete package weighs 20.8 pounds. The Studio 2’s display measures 25.1 x 17.3 x 0.5 inches, and the base measures 9.8 x 8.7 x 1.3 inches.

Windows or Mac?

Daven Mathies/Digital Trends

Whether you choose the Surface Studio 2 or the iMac, you should get comparably fast performance. The biggest difference between the two machines — other than the designs — is the ecosystem. The iMac relies on Apple’s MacOS Mojave operating system, which was recently updated to improve your workflow. If you use an iPhone or iPad, going with MacOS will make it easier to pick up and continue tasks on different devices.

The Surface Studio 2 will ship with Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system. Digital artists who rely on a Wacom tablet may feel more at home with the Studio 2, thanks to the tilting touchscreen display, Surface Pen support, and the Surface Dial as a creative tool. For the average person, however, the starting price of $3,600 is hard to swallow — and for that reason, we’ll give the recommendation to the iMac.

But before you make your final decision, keep in mind that Apple could potentially update the iMac again this year — rumors suggest that Apple may unveil the a new iMac as earlier as later this month.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google Pixelbook review
• The 25 best SNES games
• Printing metal just got easier with Desktop Metal’s new supercharged tech
• Surface Laptop 2 vs. MacBook Pro
• What is Apple CarPlay?

A Look at All of the New Emoji Coming in iOS 12.1

Apple’s upcoming iOS 12.1 update will introduce more than 70 new emoji, which debuted earlier this week in the second iOS 12.1 beta.

We went hands-on with the new iOS 12.1 update to preview the new characters that you can expect to see when iOS 12.1 is released, such as cold face, face with hearts, red hair, white hair, no hair, parrot, swan, llama, mango, cupcake, and more.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Over the course of the last few years, emoji usage has become increasingly prevalent across the world, and many iOS users now look forward to the iOS updates that include new emoji characters to include in text messages, social media ports, and more.

The 2018 emoji release includes new emoji in a range of categories, from faces and people to food, animals, and common household objects. Every new emoji coming in iOS 12.1 is depicted below, organized by category.

New faces: Face with hearts, hot face, cold face, partying face, woozy face, and pleading face.

New people: Man/woman with red hair, man/woman with white hair, man/woman with curly hair, man/woman with no hair, superhero (male and female), and supervillain (male and female).

Body parts: Leg, foot, tooth, and bone.

Clothing: Goggles, lab coat, hiking boot, and flat shoe,

Toys: Teddy bear, jigsaw, and chess pawn.

Sports: Skateboard, lacrosse, softball, and flying disc.

Animals: Raccoon, llama, hippopotamus, kangaroo, badger, swan, peacock, parrot, lobster, and mosquito.

Science: Microbe, test tube, petri dish, DNA.

Household: Lotion bottle, soap, sponge, safety pin, broom, roll of paper, thread, and yarn.

Food: Mango, leafy green, bagel, salt, moon cake, and cupcake.

Random objects: Compass, brick, luggage, firecracker, red envelope, nazar amulet (evil eye), receipt, toolbox, fire extinguisher, basket, infinity symbol, and pirate flag.

In addition to all of the new emoji in iOS 12, there are some tweaks to existing emoji. Most notably, the iPhone emoji has had a design overhaul to make it look like the iPhone XS rather than the iPhone 8 with no Home button or bezels.

Emoji being added in iOS 12.1 are from Unicode 11, which was finalized and released in June of this year. It often takes Apple and other tech companies several months to implement new emoji because artwork needs to be created for each new character.

Unicode 12, which Apple will adopt in 2019, is already in the works. Emoji candidates for Unicode 12 include flamingo, white heart, snorkel, axe, orangutan, otter, sloth, butter, onion, ice cube, chair, kite, waffle, oyster, and more.

Apple says that it is working with the Unicode Consortium to add additional disability-themed emoji to Unicode 12.

It’s still early in the iOS 12.1 beta testing process, so it’s not quite clear when the update, new emoji included, will be released. It’s likely to come at the end of October or the beginning of November. Late October is a strong possibility given that the iPhone XR releases on October 26.

What do you think of the new emoji coming in iOS 12.1? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
Discuss this article in our forums

Best diary/journal apps for Android users

The beginning of a child’s diary entry

Despite having a rather childish connotation, keeping a diary or a journal is actually extremely beneficial to anyone. A growing body of research is suggesting that writing your thoughts down on paper helps you improve emotionally. There is no limit with writing, which is what makes it such a beautiful and healing process.

But rather than putting pen on paper, for most of us today it will probably feel more natural to use a smartphone app instead to quickly type out our thoughts. We no longer carry notebooks around, but we do take our smartphones everywhere with us. And luckily, there are a number of dairy and journal apps you can use on your Android device. Here are some of the best waiting for you out there.

Journey Diary

What it is:

A straightforward diary app with a nice interface and a few extra goodies to take advantage of.

Why we like it:

• User-friendly UX that’s very intuitive to use. Simply tap the “+” floating button to start your first journal entry.
• You can add things like Mood emoticons, activity status and even weather information to your post.
• The app lets you integrate things like photos, videos, files, as well as audio files into your diary entry.
• Journey Diary also features a Statistics tab where you can view things like how your Mood has evolved over time and more.

Download Journey Diary

Diaro

What it is:

A multi-platform diary app that can double as an event and appointment calendar, so you can keep track of what’s going on in your life.

Why we like it:

• You can write short diary/calendar entries to which you can attach tags, mood, weather info and location, as well as photos.
• Three UI themes to choose from including Light, Dark and Black (AMOLED). Users can also change the UI color and UI accent color. Plus, you get a ton of other customization options.
• Let’s you keep your entries private, by providing the option to add a security code (PIN).

Download Diaro

Questions Diary

What it is:

An atypical take on the concept of dairy. Instead of free-flow writing, this app challenges you to answer a series of questions. What would you answer a year from now? Will your answers be different?

Why we like it:

• The app features a clean, pristine interface. The absence of clutter allows the user to concentrate on what really matters and like learning how to manage your feelings or increasing your creative energies.
• The app asks you a question a day like “Are you happy right now?”. Then a year later, you will be asked the same question, so you can compare the answers. Users can add their own questions.
• There are different themes available, and you can use the app other languages including French, Dutch, Romanian or Polish.
• There’s also a community, where you can interact with other users of the app by asking questions.

Download Questions Diary

Daylio

What it is:

A journal app that wants to help you build new, better habits, as well as help you keep track of your evolution over time.

Why we like it:

• Interactive and modern design that lets you quickly add quick activities. These are short diary entries where you only need to add the Mood and your current venture.
• The app features a Stats tab where you can get an overall look at your Monthly Mood, see your achievements and your longest best day streak.
• Daylio comes with the option to change colors of Mood emoticons, as well as set a PIN lock for protection.

Download Daylio

Day One

What it is:

A diary app that allows more comprehensive posts, so you can keep track of your thoughts and feelings in a fun and simple way.

Why we like it:

• The app provides you with a clean, distraction-free interface where you can focus on writing.
• Add all kinds of additional data to your post including location, weather info, tags and photos.
• Day one lets you export content to JSON and plain text (PDF option is coming in a future update).
• Additional features include powerful text formatting with Markdown, as well as IFTTT integrations.
• The app also includes the option to add a Passcode.

Download Day one

Bliss

What it is:

An app based on the idea that being grateful about small things in life helps us get better at dealing with everything existence throws at us.

Why we like it:

• An easy way to help you keep track of what you’re feeling grateful for every day.
• The app includes a series of “interventions” which have been developed by psychologists in order to raise happiness levels and desirable mental traits. For example, you can learn to practice “Could Be Worse”.
• Bliss also features a Resources pages, where you can discover interesting books that can help you become a better human.

Download Bliss

Five-minute journal

What it is:

A diary journal app that wants to convince you to spend five minutes a day using it.

Why we like it:

• Designed with the purpose of helping you focus on your attention on the good that’s going on in your life. Spend five minutes a day jotting down your daily experiences and the things that at the end of the day, you’re grateful for.
• App lets you add photos to your posts and also gives you the option to see a photographic timeline view of all your images.
• The app serves up an inspiring quote each day and weekly challenges that users can share via social media.

Attention: This is a paid app

Download Five Minute Journal

Luci

What it is:

While the majority of the apps in this list are standard diary apps, Luci is actually a dream journal that comes boasting a fun, colorful interface.

Why we like it:

• Did we mention the cute interface? The app also comes with a sleep recorder for those who want to record your night babblings.
• Luci is also usable as a normal diary if you want that.
• It comes with backup options, a lock functions and the ability to set reminders.
• The app also includes a fun sketchpad so you can draw your dreams.

Attention: Paid app

Download Luci

Secret Diary

What it is:

A diary app for those who like flashy, colorful themes and are fans of Material Design aesthetics.

Why we like it:

• Secret Diary features a simple way to add content. Simply tap on the floating “Pen” icon to start writing and to add your mood.
• The app features a pristine UI that’s design to help you focus on writing.
• It also offers a pass lock, so other members of the household don’t have access to your diary.

Download Secret Diary

Offline Diary

What it is:

A simple alternative for those who want to keep a diary in a more classic way. It features a simple UI and the basic features.

Why we like it:

• Don’t want to worry your diary entries will be leaked online at some point? You don’t have to. With offline diary you can keep your journal entries private and…offline.
• The app features a pristine UI that’s design to help you focus on writing.
• It features a pass lock, so other members of the household don’t have access to your diary.

Download Offline Diary

Nokia 7.1 hands-on: Low-cost luxury

It was only ever a matter of time until Nokia started getting noticed again. Once the initial wave of nostalgic joy subsided, the sticky business of putting out phones began, and so far Nokia has hardly skipped a beat. Nearly every phone it’s put out over that last two years has been great. This is no easy feat, not even in the mid-range Nokia occupies so comfortably. Despite the difficulties, the results are showing: Nokia is now in the top ten smartphone manufacturers globally and the top five in 25 markets. Not bad for a less-than-two-year-old effort.

Nokia is now launching the Nokia 7.1, a premium-looking, premium-feeling Android One device that retails for $349 and 319/349 euro. In the U.S. there will only be one version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, but European markets will get that as well as a 3GB/32GB version. Both are powered by the Snapdragon 636 mobile platform from Qualcomm.

Despite its mid-range specs sheet, there’s a bunch of stuff here you don’t always get in a phone at this price. A headphone jack, USB Type-C, a dual camera, HDR10 support, microSD expansion and guaranteed OS updates for two years and security patches for three years round out a well-considered design and excellent build quality. The Nokia 7.1 uses a glass sandwich design around an aluminum frame extruded from a single piece of metal.

More: Nokia 7.1 specs: Another great Android One phone

The Nokia 7.1 has a 5.84-inch Full HD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3 display. There’s a notch and a pretty large chin you’ll have to accept if you want to call this phone your daily driver, but this thing feels solid and looks great. It comes in Gloss Midnight Blue and Gloss Steel color options.

HDR10 support via the new PureDisplay screen is a big deal here, and Nokia has a 16-bit pipeline for real-time conversion of SDR content to HDR. The LCD panel only hits 450 nits but some clever software tweaks your content to enhance contrast which has the side effect of increasing outdoor legibility without additional brightness.

The 3,060mAh battery won’t be big enough for everyone, but it should handle the Full HD+ display and unbloated Android One software sufficiently well. Wired fast charging via the bundled 9V/2A brick will get you a 50 percent charge in just 30 minutes. Android 9 Pie will be landing “by November” but you’ll get 8.1 Oreo out of the box. The Nokia 7.1 is Android Enterprise recommended.

Both the U.S. and international versions have dual-SIM support, but it’s a hybrid tray, so if you want expandable storage you’ll have to sacrifice a SIM. Connectivity is good, with Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/AGPS+GLONASS and NFC for contactless payments. A Cat. 6 modem means up to 300Mbps download speeds and 50Mbps up.

Besides supporting the 3.5mm headphone jack, the Nokia 7.1 also ships with Nokia OZO audio for spatial 3D sound capture and playback. Audio focus mode lets you tune out unwanted background or ambient noise and stay focused on what’s most important. A Smart amp and Qualcomm aptX codec support mean you’ve got plenty of audio options at hand, whether you’re wired, wireless or using the built-in speakers.

The dual camera setup on the Nokia 7.1 features Zeiss Optics. On the back, there’s a primary 12MP RGB sensor with f/1.8 aperture, dual phase-detection autofocus, and 1.28-micron pixel size. The secondary rear-facing camera is a 5MP black and white sensor with f/2.4 aperture and 1.12-micron pixels.

The dual cameras not only work in concert to provide additional detail in color images, but they also let you shoot portrait mode bokeh effects with a real-time slider to increase or decrease the depth effect. Bothie mode — whereby you can see the view from both the rear- and front-facing cameras in split screen — has also been updated, so you can adjust the size of each window, tap each one to shoot a still image or freeze one side of a video.

The front-facing camera is an 8MP fixed focus f/2.0 lens with 84-degree field-of-view which uses software to simulate portrait mode background blurring. The front-facing camera also has a live bokeh slider. AI has been added to detect faces and create a bunch of AR effects similar to animoji and real-time filters as well.

Electronic image stabilization will keep your footage looking crisp and clean and a full manual mode in the camera lets you control shutter speed, white balance and ISO for more professional shots. Thanks to the Android One program, you’ll get free unlimited storage in Google Photos for the photos you take on the Nokia 7.1.

With a solid specs sheet, great styling and build quality, clean software and guaranteed support, the Nokia 7.1 looks set to continue Nokia’s great run under HMD Global. When the results are this good and this affordable, we can only say more power to them.

The Nokia 7.1 goes up for pre-order on October 5 at Best Buy, Amazon and B&H and ships October 28. You’ll be able to pick one up in-store at select Best Buy locations starting November 4.

Be sure to check out more Nokia 7.1 coverage below:

• Nokia 7.1 is here with Android One, a Snapdragon 636, and a $350 price tag
• Nokia 7.1 specs: Another great mid-range Android One smartphone
• Nokia 7.1: Where to buy, when, and for how much

DNA-infused tattoo ink lets your loved ones remain a part of you — literally

Given how permanent they are, it’s no surprise that tattoos are pretty darn personal things. Whether it’s the date of your child’s birthday or some other marking which commemorates a significant moment or aspect of your life, tattoos provide a means to carry around a visual reminder about something important to us. They could be about to get a whole lot more personal, however, thanks to a new startup called Everence.

Its mission? To utilize technology developed by Brown and Duke University scientists that makes it possible to have DNA incorporated into tattoo ink. Whether it’s the hair from a beloved pet or the cremated remains of a deceased family member, the resulting DNA-laced tattoos promise “a deeper personal connection that even the most meaningful tattoos could never achieve.”

“A customer orders a collection kit, either a DNA cheek swab or ash and hair container from our website,” Everence co-founder and CEO Patrick Duffy told Digital Trends. “We turn the customer’s DNA, ash, or hair sample into Everence through a patented process, in which it is purified and encapsulated in a medical-grade polymer which protects it from being absorbed or destroyed by the body. We [then] send the Everence, which resembles a fine whitish-silverfish powder, back directly to the customer. They can take their Everence to any tattoo artist in the world, who in turn mixes it with any tattoo ink of their choosing, and applies the tattoo as they normally would.”

The Everence (a combination of the words “forever” and “reverence”) mixture is created from medical-grade materials at the company’s dedicated facility in Quonset, Rhode Island. The process involves upwards of 20 individual steps and uses a variety of specialized mini-mills.

Duffy said that the concept was inspired by Special Operations Gold Stars, dedicated to surviving spouses and children of fallen Special Operations personnel killed in combat. However, customers so far have also included people celebrating the birth of a child, getting engaged or married, or those losing a loved one in some other manner.

The idea isn’t wholly new, of course. There are already companies which will turn ashes into jewelry, for example. Back in 1977, the rock group KISS had their blood mixed in with the ink for the printing of a KISS special edition comic book, with the idea that this marketing stunt would give fans a genuine piece of their musical heroes to own. Everence may well be the first time a similar process has been applied to tattoo ink, though.

Will this latest example of a high-tech tattoo catch on? We’ll have to wait and see. Either way, it’s certainly likely to prove a talking point at parties!

Editors’ Recommendations

• Google Pixelbook review
• Philips adds a six-pack of new partners to Friends of Hue smart lighting system
• CRISPR 101: A crash course on the gene editing tool that’s changing the world
• Apple’s September 12 Event: Everything Apple announced
• Engineers build new camera capable of taking pictures in five dimensions

Nokia 7.1 hands-on review

Research Center:

Nokia 7.1

HMD Global, the company that licenses the Nokia brand name, is slowly growing its presence in the U.S. with yet another unlocked phone: The Nokia 7.1. It’s a $349 mid-range smartphone, which currently makes it HMD’s most powerful phone available stateside, following the $269 Nokia 6.1 and the $159 Nokia 3.1.

There are a few flagship features that have trickled down into this mid-range phone, which will make you look twice at the price tag. In the brief time we spent with it we saw good performance, a great screen, and fluid Android One software. The Nokia 7.1 is shaping up to be one of the best phones you can get for under $400.

HDR screen, all glass design

The Nokia 7.1 brings an updated design that’s a little more in line with the rest of the industry, but it still manages to maintain the iconic Nokia look. There’s now a notch at the top of the screen for an edge-to-edge screen, and while the bottom bezel has slimmed down, it’s chunky enough to squeeze in the Nokia logo.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The 5.84-inch screen size is large — about the size of the iPhone XS — but it’s still compact enough that you can reach the top without much difficulty. The 19:9 aspect ratio means it’s also narrow, which makes it easier to hold and use the phone with one hand. It’s an LCD screen with a resolution of 2,280 x 1,080, and it looks colorful and sharp, though black levels don’t look very deep. We didn’t use the phone outside so we can’t say much about brightness at the moment.

You can enjoy wider color support and stronger contrast when watching HDR-supported content through apps like Netflix

What we can talk about is how the screen supports HDR10. That’s a feature you usually only see on flagship smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S9. This means you can enjoy wider color support and stronger contrast when watching HDR-supported content through apps like Netflix and YouTube. What’s more is the screen will automatically convert any standard definition (SD) content into HDR — it’s not a dramatic difference, but it’s noticeable and it definitely looks better than SD. This is an excellent device to watch movies and shows on. We haven’t had a chance to test the speakers on the phone yet, but there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack you can use to plug in your headphones.

The screen on the front is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, but move over to the back and you’ll notice HMD has also opted to use glass — HMD calls it “toughened” glass. It looks and feels slick, though choosing glass over a metal back is sure to disappoint some, as durability takes a hit, regardless of whether the glass is toughened or not. The back is now also constantly covered with fingerprint smudges. This phone does not support wireless charging, so there’s no real benefit for using glass other than design and feel. A fingerprint sensor sits below the camera module.

The Nokia 7.1 feels incredibly compact in the hand, and the build quality is superb. The frame (not including the glass) is an aluminum unibody, and the edges slope in toward the screen and the rear. We love the accent colors used for the edges and the frame around the camera module on the back — it helps make the phone stand out more. Our favorite are the copper accents on the Gloss Steel color. There’s a Midnight Blue model, too, and it comes with silver accents. The curved glass on the front and back also ensures you feel no rough edges when handling the phone.

Nokia 7.1 Compared To

Sony Xperia XZ3

Pocophone F1 by Xiaomi

Vivo Nex S

Moto Z3 Play

LG G7 ThinQ

Alcatel 1X

LG Fortune 2

Cat S61

HTC U12 Plus

Moto E5 Plus

Motorola Moto G6

Honor 10

Nuu G3

Blu Pure XL

Google Nexus 5

Solid performance, Android One

The Nokia 7.1 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 processor — a relatively new variant — with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Globally, a 3GB RAM and 32GB storage option will also be available — just not in the U.S. There’s also a MicroSD card slot in case you need more space.

We recently saw the Snapdragon 636 inside the Moto Z3 Play, and we were mostly happy with its performance. That phone cost around $450 though, so you’re getting even more value here with the 7.1. In our short time with the phone, apps opened quickly, and moving throughout the operating system was fast. We’ll need to do more testing to see how well it can handle intensive games and multitasking.

The Nokia 7.1 launches with Android Oreo, but HMD has promised an update to Android Pie by the end of November.

What likely helps with performance is the fact that the Nokia 7.1 runs Android One. This is a “pure” version of Google’s Android, also known as stock Android, where you get zero bloatware, and almost no flourishes are added by the manufacturer. It’s simple to use and fluid, and the highlight is fast updates. Android One brings a promise of monthly security updates for three years, and timely version updates for two years.

The Nokia 7.1 launches with Android 8.1 Oreo, but HMD has promised an update to Android 9.0 Pie by the end of November, which is much faster than most Android manufacturers.

Software wise, there’s not much else HMD has added. There’s Adaptive Display, which detects the environment you’re in and what you’re doing to adjust the screen’s color tones, brightness, and luminosity. This feature was introduced in Android Pie, but it has already been ported to the 7.1 despite it running Oreo.

There’s a sizable 3,060mAh battery inside the Nokia 7.1, which should get you through a full day, according to HMD. There’s a USB Type-C charging port at the bottom of the phone with support for fast charging, and HMD claims you can get up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes of charging. We’ll do more testing here to see how this phone lasts.

Promising camera

There are two cameras on the back of the Nokia 7.1, and they both use Zeiss optics. The primary one is a 12-megapixel lens with an f/1.8 aperture, and it’s paired with a 5-megapixel lens for depth sensing. The camera snapped pictures fast, but we haven’t spent enough time with it to properly judge what the photo quality is like.

What’s new here is a few adjustments to HMD’s “Bothie” mode, which lets you take photos or video (including livestreaming) with both the front and rear camera at the same time — placing both scenes in one photo or video. This isn’t a new feature in smartphones, but what is novel is that you can now adjust how much of a scene each camera captures; if you want to show more of the rear camera versus the front camera, just move a slider to adjust.

HMD’s Live Bokeh mode, which is the equivalent to Portrait Mode in other phones, does a solid job of accurately identifying the edges around a subject to add a strong blur. You can also change the intensity of the blur before you take a photo. This is also available for the 8-megapixel front-facing camera, but it uses software instead of a secondary lens.

HMD said the wide aperture for the standard lens on the rear allows the Nokia 7.1 to take better photos in low light, which is often the weakest point on budget and mid-range phones. We’ll be doing more testing and comparisons to find out if this rings true.

Price and availability

The Nokia 7.1 costs $349, and pre-orders start on October 5. It will be available through Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H, and it will start shipping on October 28. If you want to see it before you buy it, starting November 4 it will be available at numerous Best Buy stores around the country.

It’s tough to find any faults with the Nokia 7.1, and considering how the Nokia 6.1 is our top budget pick for a phone under $300, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the 7.1 taking over our current pick to be the best phone under $400. Stay tuned for the full review to find out.

Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Pro 5

Jeremy Kaplan/Digital Trends

Microsoft’s Surface Pro has been our favorite 2-in-1 for a few years, so when a new version arrives on our digital doorstep it’s an exciting time for us here at Digital Trends. The question remains though, how much better — if at all — is the next-generation hardware? To find out, we pitted the Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Pro 5, comparing them on all of the most important factors of a modern convertible laptop.

Design

The Surface Pro 5 only saw minor physical alterations over its predecessor, and the Surface Pro 6 is much the same. It sports a matte black material coating that arguably gives it a more professional look, and it feels comfortable on wrists and fingers alike. The finish itself is said to be a little thicker than previous ones, leading to some weight and size shaving on the internal frame to maintain the exact same dimensions of its predecessor. Its overall weight is a few grams lighter, though it’s not noticeably so.

The layout of the two devices is much the same, with bezels that are on the thicker side — a hallmark of devices earmarked for regular tablet use — though they are a little more rounded at the corners than the 2017 Surface Pro.

Even port selection — one of the weak points of the Surface Pro 5 — hasn’t changed. Both 2-in-1s come with a single USB-A 3.0 port, a microSDXC card reader, a mini-DisplayPort, a headphone jack, and a Surface Connect port. Neither device sports a USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 connector. While that wasn’t so much of a problem with last year’s Surface Pro, the lack of it on the Surface Pro 6 is of greater concern as few modern 2-in-1s or laptops come without one.

Performance

The most important upgrade of the generational refresh of the Surface Pro is the internal hardware. Starting at $900, the Surface Pro 5 offers a base model with a seventh-generation Intel Core m3 CPU with Intel HD 615 graphics, paired with 4GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. There are a variety of configuration options offering more powerful Core i5 and i7 CPUs, as well as up to 16GB of memory, better onboard graphics, and lots of extra storage space. The top configuration would set you back $2,700.

Even the top offering of a Core i7-7660U CPU, however, is dual core (with four threads thanks to hyperthreading). That all changed with the Surface Pro 6, which not only has far more powerful hardware on offer, but at a far more competitive price too. Its $900 base model comes with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and an eighth-generation, quad-core Core i5-8250U CPU. That’s not only much more powerful than the Core i5 models that Surface Pro 5 offered, but far, far more capable than the Core m3 CPU that the $900 Surface Pro offered.

But that’s just the start of it. There are upgrade options for an i5-8350U, or for $1,500 you can get a Core i7-8650U CPU with 256GB of storage. The top configuration comes with 16GB of RAM and a terabyte of SSD storage for $2,300.

While the new model is faster in most respects, it is slower in one area. Top-tier configurations of the Surface Pro 5 can be purchased with processors that have Intel Iris Plus 640 graphics. That’s a much more powerful graphics core than the UHD 620 found in the Core i7-8650U used in the Surface Pro 6. While the newer 2-in-1 will be a much more powerful machine when it comes to general computing, gaming and 3D rendering may be slightly better on the last-generation hardware.

There was no change in display technology between generations. Both the Surface Pro 5 and 6 sport the same 2,736 x 1,824 resolution PixelSense display.

Portability

Physical changes to the Surface Pro 6 were minimal with the new-generation hardware, so there isn’t much difference in the physical portability of the two devices. The Surface Pro 5 and 6 both measure  11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33-inches, so the new version is no more compact and should fit in all the same carry cases and sleeves. Weight is also close to identical. The Surface Pro 6 weighs 1.71 pounds with the Core i5 CPU, and 1.75 pounds with the Core i7, while the Surface Pro 5 weighs 1.73 pounds with the Core i7 and 1.7 pounds with the Core i5.

Battery life, however, has seen much improvement between generations. The Surface Pro 5 already had good battery life with Microsoft claiming as much as 13.5 hours of use on a single charge of its 45 watt-hour battery. We were told during our testing that the Surface Pro 6 is capable of up to 14.5 hours and in some internal tests Microsoft had managed to get as much as 3.5 hours of extra life from it than its predecessor.

We have to take these claims with a grain of salt for now as we haven’t had extended time to play with the new Surface Pro, but considering the new, higher-core-count CPUs involved, battery life may be dependant on usage when it comes to seeing any real improvement.

Neither device even approaches the battery life of the market-leading Surface Book 2, however.

Surface Pro 6 makes small tweaks, but it’s a big upgrade

The Surface Pro 6 is like the Surface Pro 5, only better. It has a new, optional black finish which we adored when we got our hands on it, and the hardware refresh is a welcome change. Better yet, you get the much-more-powerful mid-range hardware at the entry-level price point of the last generation, so even those buying the base $800 model will get a fantastically powerful 2-in-1.

We can find only one flaw — the reduction in graphics performance for top-tier models. Still, we think it’s a worthwhile compromise. Intel’s Iris Plus 640 is better than UHD 620, but it wasn’t quick enough to make the older Surface Pro 5 a graphics powerhouse. Leaning into better processor performance at the expensive of graphics performance is a better fit for most users.

Overall, the Surface Pro 6 is a clear upgrade. It’s faster, lasts longer on a charge, and offers more hardware for your money.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Surface Go vs. Surface Pro
• Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Go
• Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) review
• Microsoft Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Laptop 2
• Surface Laptop 2 vs. MacBook Pro

CRISPR gene editing could make ‘groundcherries’ the next mainstream fruit crop

Frank Krahmer/Getty Images

CRISPR-Cas9 is useful for all kinds of things, from creating heat-resistant cows to making a potentially limitless supply of transplant organs. Now researchers from Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Boyce Thompson Institute have announced the gene-editing tech’s latest achievement: Modifying a fruit so that it can be grown outside of its native region in Mexico, Central, and South America for the first time. The fruit’s technology-aided rapid “domestication” could mean transforming the little-known groundcherries into agriculture’s next mainstream berry crop.

“We, in a sense, fast-tracked domestication of groundcherry to improve characteristics that would be viewed as undesirable for agricultural production,” Joyce Van Eck, an associate professor at the Boyce Thompson Institute, told Digital Trends. “Groundcherry has a very wild, sprawling growth habit that would make it difficult to grow on a large scale. To make the groundcherry plant more manageable, one that could even grow in a pot on a deck or balcony, we chose to target a gene called self-pruning. The reason we chose this gene was because in tomato, a relative of groundcherry, a spontaneous mutation that occurred in a field of tomatoes decades ago resulted in a more compact plant. When we mutated the same gene in groundcherry by CRSIPR, we recovered more compact plants, making them more manageable to grow.”

The work was achieved over the period of two years. If that sounds a long time to be working on a project involving a semi-obscure fruit, however, consider that domesticating a plant through traditional breeding means — as with classic crops like apple, tomato, corn, and rice — takes thousands of years.

“Our hope is that what we learn can help fast-track improvement, in a sense fast-track domestication, of plant species that have undesirable growth characteristics from an agricultural production standpoint for their potential to be realized as new sources of fruits, vegetables, and grains,” Van Eck continued.

The team is now working to improve other characteristics of the groundcherry, such as the problem of the plant dropping its fruit to the ground: Something common to have given it its name. They also aim to make the fruit larger than its current marble size, since larger fruit means more farming productivity.

A paper describing the work was recently published in the journal Nature Plants.

Editors’ Recommendations

• How to calibrate your TV
• ‘Crop-dusting’ drones drop biodegradable sensors instead of pesticides
• Genetically modified bacteria may be the key to plants that fertilize themselves
• Tech Armor says its new screen protector improves iPhone performance. We tested it
• What is Amazon Prime?

Most common iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max problems and how to fix them

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are the best Apple phones to date. They boast nice and big OLED displays, Apple’s A12 Bionic processor, plenty of storage, great cameras, and lots more. They’re not, however, perfect.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of people are experiencing no problems with their shiny, new phones, some have reported a few things that haven’t been working the way they should. That’s why we’ve put together this guide. Here are the most common iPhone XS and XS Max problems and how to fix them.

Problem: iPhone XS isn’t charging

A number of people have reported that when they plug their phone in with a Lightning cable, it doesn’t seem to charge. The issue seems to manifest itself in different ways. With some phones, the charging process failed to initiate when the phone was in sleep mode, while others started charging when the owner tapped on the screen.

Potential solution:

• Unfortunately, there’s no real solution just yet. For now, just figure out which situation your phone does charge in. Some require you to wake them first. Then do that each time you charge — while waiting for word from Apple on a potential software update or recall program. Reports indicate that a fix to the issue will appear in iOS 12.1, which will be released to the public in the next few weeks.

Issue: Data and Wi-Fi speeds are slow

Some people have found that their data and Wi-Fi speeds are much slower than expected on the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max, as discussed in this Apple forum post. Luckily, there’s a relatively easy fix.

• Try going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. You will have to re-enter your Wi-Fi passwords, but it’s worth it if you can get those top speeds back.

Glitch: Worse reception than with previous phone

Some folks have reported that they’re getting worse reception on their new iPhone XS or XS Max than they did with a previous device. In particular, it seems as though people on Verizon are experiencing the issue. One theory suggests that Apple’s shift from Qualcomm to Intel modems is to blame. Others say it may have something to do with the antenna design of the devices.

Potential solution:

• Right now, there’s no fix to this issue, though it’s possible Apple will release an update that will help. For now, you’re going to have to just deal with the reception issues.

Annoyance: Camera smoothing is too aggressive

This is less of a serious problem, but some people, like the ones in this Reddit thread, don’t love it. The iPhone XS is much more aggressive than previous iPhones at smoothing the skin of subjects in selfies. Unfortunately, this appears to come down to how the new camera works and the fact that Apple wants it to be more aggressive — so we don’t expect to see any real “fix” any time soon, but a software update might allow you to tone it down.

Workaround:

• If you turn off Smart HDR, then you can reduce the effect in the main camera — it doesn’t impact the front-facing camera.
• You could always try out one of the best camera apps for iPhone to see if you can tweak the results.

To avoid any problems with cracked screens or scuffed frames, take a look at the best iPhone XS cases or the best iPhone XS Max cases and get some protection.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The best iPhone XS screen protectors
• The best iPhone XS cases
• iPhone XS review
• Apple iPhone XS vs. iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone XR
• How to buy the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR in the U.K.