iPad Pro review: Big and powerful, but it won’t replace your laptop
Here we are. Apple, the same company that once swore off styluses, and dismissed hybrid PCs as experiments gone wrong, is now selling a laptop/tablet mashup of its own. One that accepts pen input, at that. The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro went on sale last week, and though it is, in a sense, just an oversized iPad, it’s also the closest thing we’ve seen yet to a hybrid device from Apple. With the screen real estate of a laptop, and the speed of a laptop, and various keyboard accessories allowing you to type on it like a laptop, the Pro seems like it might indeed be able to replace your notebook. In fact, Tim Cook himself has suggested as much in interviews. But with a starting price of $799, it isn’t for everybody. And even then, it won’t replace your laptop so much as complement it.Slideshow-341779
iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Compared to Surface Pro 4 and Surface Pen
Apple released the iPad Pro last week as a direct competitor to Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 4. The high-end tablets are primarily targeted at creative professionals, with the companion Apple Pencil and Surface Pen available as precise input tools to complement your finger.
iMore has shared a new video that compares sketching with the Apple Pencil on the iPad Pro to the Surface Pen on Microsoft’s new Surface Book, which has equivalent display technology as the Surface Pro 4.
Editor Serenity Caldwell found the Surface Pen to be “about as responsive” as the Apple Pencil, but said Microsoft’s stylus pressure was slightly harder to control and had more trouble at writing small type.
The Verge has created a similar video that provides more of a high-level comparison of the iPad Pro vs. Surface Pro 4, while also touching upon the Apple Pencil and Surface Pen and showing some limited usage of each accessory.
Editor Jacob Kastrenakes called the Apple Pencil “one of the best” he has ever used, adding that the Surface Pen “can be a little less natural” but benefits from having a hardware eraser — which the Apple Pencil doesn’t have.
Kastrenakes said the Apple Pencil is “really responsive” and has “amazing palm rejection,” and he offered similar accolades for the Surface Pen, although quality will vary from app to app on both the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4.
Apple Pencil online orders began to see movement earlier this week, while Apple retail stores started receiving more reliable Apple Pencil shipments on Tuesday for in-store purchase. The accessory is available to ship in 4-5 weeks online.
Tags: Apple Pencil, Surface Pen, Surface Pro 4
Buyer’s Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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In-house chips may be on the way to LG, Sony devices
LG has been steadily improving its position in the mobile device market thanks to a string of successful smartphone launches over the past couple years. Meanwhile, Sony, while producing devices that tend to be well received, struggles to translate that into sales success. Although they seem to be on divergent paths, the two companies have something in common – they are both mentioned in rumors of a move by smartphone manufacturers to transition to in-house production of processors used in their devices.
The latest rumor swirling around the subject was triggered after Global Unichip, a Taiwan-based chip designer, reportedly received orders for development from “Asia-based handset vendors.” This has prompted some sources to consider the possibility that both LG and Sony may be following a strategy implemented by Apple, Samsung and Huawei, all of whom manufacture chips for their own devices.
Currently LG and Sony depend on “off-the-shelf” processors from Mediatek and Qualcomm for their devices.
Do you think this is a smart move for either company? Does the use of an in-house chip versus a generally available chip sway your purchase decisions any?
source: DigiTimes
via: XperiaBlog
Come comment on this article: In-house chips may be on the way to LG, Sony devices
Apple Pencil Teardown Reveals Antenna, Battery and Tiny Folded Logic Board
iFixit has completed an Apple Pencil teardown, removing the outer plastic casing to reveal the pencil’s inner metal cylinder. The teardown provides a closer look at several Apple Pencil components, including the antenna, battery, pencil nib, Lightning connector and miniature folded logic board.
At the core of the Apple Pencil is a tiny 0.329 Wh lithium-ion rechargeable battery that holds just 5% of the charge of an iPhone 6s battery, next to a small cylindrical black and gold antenna. There is also a small ribbon cable that connects the Apple Pencil’s battery with its Lightning connector for charging.
On the other side of the battery is the Apple Pencil’s tiny folded logic board that weighs just one gram, yet houses more than five components, including an ST Microelectronics low-power 32-bit ARM-based Cortex-M3 microcontroller and Qualcomm Bluetooth 4.1 chip from Cambridge Silicon Radio.
– Red: ST Microelectronics STML151UCY6 Ultra-low-power 32-bit RISC ARM-based Cortex-M3 MCU
– Orange: ST Microelectronics AS5C Y533 (also found in the 2015 Apple TV)
– Yellow: L05286 QS4 VG Z SGP 528
– Green: EWX 01129
– Not shown: Cambridge Silicon Radio Qualcomm CSR1012A05 Bluetooth Smart IC
iFixit awarded the Apple Pencil its lowest repairability score of 1 out of 10. While the pen nib and cap can be replaced if worn out or lost, iFixit says you can’t get inside the Apple Pencil without destroying the device. It says the 12-hour battery is not replaceable, giving the Apple Pencil a limited lifespan.
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Apple Seeking New Supplier to Help Manufacture Apple Watch 2
Apple is currently searching for an additional supplier of next year’s rumored Apple Watch 2, according to a new report from supply chain sources (via DigiTimes). The company is speaking with Inventec, Wistron and Foxconn Electronics to join Quanta Computer in the manufacturing of the next generation of the Apple Watch. The report cites a “weaker than expected” profit return for Quanta in regards to the first generation Apple Watch, which is causing a few of the targeted manufacturers to voice concern about supporting the long-term investment in the future device.
Quanta has invested heavily in equipment for Apple Watch’s manufacturing, but its profit return from the device has been weaker than expected. This is a concern for the ODMs that have been approached as a secondary supply partner, the paper added.
Also mentioned in the report is Apple’s ordering of 4 million Apple Watch units for the fourth quarter of 2015, slightly down from the original 6 million planned in preparation for the holiday season since demand is “not as strong as expected.” Still, the company expects sales for the wearable device to surpass 10 million units by the end of the year, before leading into the rumored launch period of the Apple Watch 2 sometime in the second quarter of 2016.
Today’s news comes after Quanta Computer’s chairman Barry Lam was reported to have commented on the impending manufacturing process of the Apple Watch 2, giving the device a launch window sometime late in Q2 2016 and higher volume shipments beginning in Q3. Little is known about the second generation Apple Watch, besides a few rumors that pointed to the possibility of a thinner device, integrated FaceTime camera, and a growing independence from the iPhone.
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Beats Solo2 Wireless and urBeats Headphones Now Available in Rose Gold
Apple has released Beats Solo2 Wireless On-Ear Headphones and urBeats In-Ear Headphones in a new Rose Gold color to match the iPhone 6s lineup and select Apple Watch models. The headphones remain available in Gold, Silver and Space Gray colors released earlier this year.
The Solo2 Wireless on-ear headphones, $299.95, were released in November 2014 as the first Beats product since Apple’s acquisition of the company officially closed. Beats launched new Solo2 Wireless headphones in Gold, Silver and Space Gray, colors that match several Apple products, last April.
Beats urBeats In-Ear Headphones, $99.95, were first released long before Apple acquired the company in 2014.
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Sprint Launches LTE Plus Network, Offers 50% Off Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T Rate Plans to Celebrate
Sprint today launched its LTE Plus network, which is available today in 77 major markets in the U.S. To celebrate, the carrier is announcing what its calling “the biggest wireless offer in U.S. history”, offering 50 percent off of T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T rate plans. The offer runs from November 20 to January 7, 2015 and the pricing remains in place until January 8, 2018.
“We’ve made tremendous strides with our network because we know consumers want wireless service that provides consistent speed and reliability,” said Marcelo Claure, Sprint CEO. “We are so confident that customers will have an amazing experience that we are encouraging them to give us a try with the biggest wireless offer in the history of our industry. Customers switching to Sprint will never need to look elsewhere. They will learn what our 58 million customers already know – Sprint offers the best value and an award-winning network.”
T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T customers who want to switch to the network will get Sprint plans that mirror their old plans, only for half the price. For example, a T-Mobile customer with four lines and 10 GB of data per line pays $180 per month at T-Mobile, but will only pay $90 at Sprint. An AT&T family who pays $100 for 15 GB data will get the same thing at Sprint for $50. Verizon customers paying $80 for 12 GB will get the same for $40. Verizon and AT&T customers will also get 50 percent off access fees.
The discounts are only available to consumer plans for Verizon’s 1 GB, 3 GB, 6 GB, 12 GB, 18 GB, 20 GB and 25 GB shared data plans, T-Mobile’s Simple Choice 2 GB, 6 GB and 10 GB plans and AT&T’s 300 MB, 2 GB, 5 GB, 15 GB, 20 GB and 25 GB shared data plans. Specific carrier features like unlimited music and video, data rollover and cloud options do not carryover to Sprint.
Customers switching over to Sprint can also take advantage of iPhone Forever, Sprint’s plan that allows customers to upgrade to a new iPhone every year. It’s also a “worry-free” offer, with customers having 28 days to try out Sprint’s service. If they’re not happy, they can return it without incurring a restocking fee. Sprint will also pay any switching fees up to $650 per line with an American Express Reward Card after online registration and phone turn-in.
Sprint says its new LTE Plus network is faster than Verizon’s and AT&T’s networks, citing Nielsen Mobile Performance data. NMP uses crowdsourced data from Android users in 44 of the largest markets in the U.S., and it found that in 20 of the 44 markets, users downloading files over 5 MB did it fastest on Sprint. The carrier says the new network can reach up to 100 Mbps, includes stronger service with an extended 2.5 GHz signal and more reliable service with three brands of spectrum: 1.9 GHz for broad coverage, 800 MHz for indoor coverage and 2.5 GHz for faster speeds.
Current Sprint customers will get a free tablet with one year of free service while supplies last. Sprint says this offer is a $360 value.
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CalDigit Announces Two New USB-C Docks, USB-C Adapters and More
Today at Inter BEE 2015 in Japan, CalDigit announced two new lines of USB Type-C docks, two new USB-C adapters and more. The new accessories give owners of USB-C computers like the new MacBook more flexibility in how they use their device.
CalDigit USB-C Dock
The USB-C Dock comes in five colors and features a silicon cover that CalDigit says adds a layer of protection to the dock’s aluminum case. The dock includes 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a Display Port, an Ethernet port, Audio in and out and AC power. The dock allows users to charge their computer while connecting all a user’s devices at the same time.
The smaller USB-C mini Dock has 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a VGA port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Unlike the larger dock, the more portable version does not charge the computer at the same time. Instead, it draws power from the computer.
CalDigit also announced the FASTA-6GU3 Plus, a dual interface PCIe card that adds 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A and 2 eSATA ports to any Mac desktop computer. Finally, the company also announced USB-C to HDMI and USB-C to VGA adapters.
CalDigit USB-C mini Dock
All the new products are available for pre-order on CalDigit’s website. The USB-C Dock has a special pre-order price of $149.99, but will retail for $159.99 and ship in February 2016. The mini Dock has a special pre-order price of $89.99, but will retail for $99.99 and ship in late January 2016. The FASTA-6Gu3 Plus also ships in January 2016 and will retail for $169.99. Both adapters will ship in December 2015, with the HDMI adapter retailing for $29.99 while the VGA adapter will retail for $24.99.
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Hands-On With the iPad Pro Apple Pencil
The Apple Pencil has technically been available for purchase since last week, but supplies of the iPad Pro accessory have been tight. Orders placed on launch day, November 11, are just starting to arrive to customers this week, and retail stores only began receiving reliable shipments starting yesterday.
We picked up an Apple Pencil yesterday afternoon and did a hands-on video to give MacRumors readers a look at the highly sought iPad Pro accessory.
The Apple Pencil is an accessory that’s unique to the iPad Pro and was built from the ground up alongside the tablet. It’s aimed at creative professionals who need a more precise tool for sketching, drawing, writing, and other tasks where accuracy is imperative.
Pressure and positioning sensors built into the Apple Pencil let it detect a range of forces, enabling pressure sensitive writing and drawing. When used with the iPad Pro, the tablet scans the signal coming from the device more than 240 times per second, resulting in the low latency levels seen in the video.
Tilt sensors in the tip of the Apple Pencil determine the orientation and the angle of the hand holding it, so it’s possible to do things like shading by using the side of the tip. Apple has designed the Apple Pencil to work alongside a finger, so it can be used simultaneously with touch gestures. It also has palm rejection technology, so you can rest your hand on the iPad Pro screen when drawing or writing.
There’s a Lightning connector at the bottom of the Apple Pencil that’s used for charging. It has a 12 hour battery life but can also charge enough for a half hour of use in 15 seconds, so it will never be non-functional in a pinch.
The Apple Pencil can be purchased from the online Apple Store for $99. Orders placed now won’t arrive until December, so customers seeking an Apple Pencil may have better luck in retail Apple Stores.
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Google’s iPhone app gets better (looking)
Not to be outdone by Microsoft’s new Bing app for the iPhone, Google has just released version 10 of its main iOS search-focused app. It’s not a massive revision like Microsoft released today but rather a tweak to put the iOS app on par with its Android counterpart. The biggest change comes in Google Now: cards are more clearly organized by different categories like “upcoming,” “updates,” “stories to read” and so forth. While they weren’t exactly displayed randomly before, these new headings help make more sense out of the various info Google Now will throw at you at any given time. Google says “timely info” like details relating to upcoming travel will show up first, while less time-sensitive cards will show up lower down your feed.
Source: Google
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