Pixel 2: Everything we know about Google’s next flagship phone

Google flipped the script last year when it retired the Nexus line in favor of its own branded handsets. Now all eyes are on the Pixel 2. With improved specs and even better cameras, the new phones are poised to propel Google back to the head of the class with a pure Android O experience.

Since the Pixel and Pixel XL landed, the LG G6 and Galaxy S8 have upped the ante for premium phones with their slim bezels and 16:9 screens. So, like last year, we’ll be watching to see whether the next version of Google’s handset can chip away at Samsung’s dominance. Details are already starting to leak about the Pixel 2 phones, so stay tuned to this article for the very latest information:

Pixel 2 design and display

While the Pixel’s iPhone-inspired front seemed somewhat uninspired last year, it looks downright boring next to the bezel-slimming designs of LG’s G6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S8. Rumors suggest that will change. Android Police has gotten its hands on a supposed leak of the Pixel 2 XL rendering, where it appears to have a 2:1 screen like the G6 and S8, much thinner bezels, and smoother 3D edges (though the report says the glass will be flat, not curved). The site claims the new phone will sport a 6-inch AMOLED display manufactured by LG, which makes sense given Google’s reported $900 million investment in LG Display. The picture also shows a similar two-tone rear case with a smaller window of glass around the camera, a feature first reported by XDA Developers.  Android Police says that the XL model will represent “the cutting edge of Google’s engineering and design efforts, while the smaller device will act as a sort of entry-level option.”

Pixel 2 specs, features, and sound

Last year’s Pixel featured the then-top-of-the-line Snapdragon 821 chip, and this year’s Pixel may also incorporate high-quality silicon. XDA Developers claims the phones will be powered by the Snapdragon 835 chip, along with the same 4GB of RAM in the current models. A newer report from International Business Times claims that Google will be using an updated version of the chip, much like last year. The publication says it will be the the first phone to use the Snapdragon 836 chip, bringing “faster throughput with minimal power consumption.” Evan Blass all but confirmed the new chip with in a tweet announcing the date the new phones will be unveiled. However, recent reports say the phones will stick with the Snapdragon 835 chip in the Note 8, V30, and other phones.

Pixel 2 water resistance

It was somewhat surprising that Google opted to skip IP68 water resistance in the original Pixel, but there are signs it will rectify that in its next handset. As 9to5Google explains, the feature is “on the table” for the Pixel 2—although sources had previously informed the site that it was a priority for the next release.

Pixel 2 camera

If there’s one thing you can count on in a new flagship phone, it’s that the camera will be better. 9to5Google reports that Google won’t focus on megapixels with the Pixel 2, but rather will “compensate in extra features.” It’s unclear exactly what that means, but the site says the camera will be a “major focus” in the development of the Pixel 2. Additionally, XDA Developers reports that the Pixel 2 will stick with a single camera rather than a dual setup. And the render from Android Police bears this out, showing a single lens that is much larger than the current model, however it does appear to jut out ever so slightly from the case.

In a blog post, Google has already shown off some incredible results from its experimental nighttime photography techniques that use the existing Pixel camera to generate some incredible low-light images, and we’re hoping some of that processing power makes its way into the Pixel 2.

Pixel 2 price

Premium phones don’t usually go down in price, and the Pixel 2 isn’t about to break that trend. In fact, it might cost more. 9to5Google reports that Google’s next handset will be “at least” $50 higher than this year’s model, meaning it would start at $699 for the 5-inch model and top $800 for the Pixel 2 XL. Furthermore, a comment by Rick Osterloh confirms that the flagship Pixel will stay a “premium” phone, meaning it will fetch many hundreds of dollars.

Pixel 2 naming and release

Conventional wisdom has it that Google’s next phones will indeed be called the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. However, Google hasn’t always been linear with its naming. For example, the Nexus One was followed by the Nexus S and the Galaxy Nexus before the Nexus 4. So Google might throw us a curveball with the next Pixel.

But will it beat the Galaxy S8?

Will it beat the S8? That’s the million-dollar question. The Galaxy S8 is a force to be reckoned with, and Google certainly has its work cut out for it if it plans on besting Samsung’s latest flagship. The features listed here would go a long way toward giving the Pixel 2 bragging rights, but the main thing it needs is availability, both through Google’s online store and through additional carrier support. For more on what the Pixel 2 needs to be the best phone of 2017, read our analysis.

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Minecraft for the Nintendo 3DS is available today

Nintendo today announced a surprise launch of Minecraft for the 3DS handheld during one of its Nintendo Direct live streams. The game is available starting today on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, as soon as the company’s stream ends at around 7PM ET. Developer Mojang’s seminal pixel-art sandbox game has made its way to pretty much every other gaming platform out there, from Windows Phones to Oculus Rift headsets to even single-board Raspberry Pi computers. So a 3DS port of the game is well overdue at this point.

Nintendo says Minecraft for 3DS will come both a survival and creative mode, five skin packs, and two texture packs. Nintendo and Microsoft, which owns the Minecraft property, plan on charging $29.99 for the handheld version of the game, and it’s important to note that it only works on the New 3DS and 2DS systems. A packaged cartridge version of the game will be available at retail at a later date, Nintendo confirmed.

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HP’s new all-in-one PC has a replaceable screen

HP is introducing a new all-in-one today with a pretty uncommon feature: the ability to easily upgrade some of its components, including its screen. The new PC, called the EliteOne 1000, hides most of its parts inside a wedge-shaped base, which can be opened up to access its storage, RAM, and networking equipment.

What’s most unusual is that you can even upgrade the all-in-one’s display. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to swap on any external display you have lying around — you’ll be limited to a few specific HP-made display options — but it still allows for an added degree of flexibility. So you could start with a 23.8-inch 1080p display and later switch it out for a 34-inch curved WQHD display.

The upgrade options are a bit limited — there are only three interchangeable display choices, and you can’t change the processor or add a graphics card — which makes the EliteOne a lot less exciting than it might sound. (Dell, on the other hand, offers an all-in-one that does let you swap out the CPU.) But HP is hoping what flexibility it does offer will be enough to entice IT departments, which may need to upgrade networking equipment and storage over time and would prefer to do that without buying a brand-new fleet of PCs.

In addition to the new all-in-one, HP is also announcing updates to two laptops targeted at a business audience: the EliteBook x360 1020 and the EliteBook 1040.

The x360 model is now slightly thinner and lighter, down to 13.9mm thick and 2.48 pounds in weight (from 14.99mm and 2.82 pounds on the last version). It can also now be configured with a display as bright as 700 nits. (For comparison, the MacBook Pro only gets up to 500 nits, so this should be very bright.)

The traditional EliteBook model is getting an option for a quad-core, H-series i7 processor, which should be more powerful than the usual U-series processors but much more of a drain on battery life. And unfortunately, neither this laptop nor the x360 are getting eighth-generation Intel processors: these are still using the original lineup of Kaby Lake models. Both laptops also have narrower bezels than their last iterations.

All three of these computers will be available this month. The EliteOne all-in-one starts at $1,259, while the two laptops both start at $1,379. Interchangeable displays for the EliteOne go on sale in November.

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Xiaomi’s Mi Notebook Pro has a lot going for it, but one unfortunate flaw

Xiaomi wasn’t shy about calling out Apple when announcing the new Mi Notebook Pro here in Beijing today, and on paper the company has a point. Xiaomi’s 15.6-inch laptop has a similar design, allegedly superior performance, and a more practical array of ports — two USB-A, two USB-C, full-size HDMI, and an SD card slot. Most impressively, it comes in at well under half the price for a comparably specced model.

Well, mostly comparably specced.

In person, the build quality seems to hold up pretty well, though it’s not quite as thin as Xiaomi’s pictures make it seem next to the MacBook Pro. The biggest surprise is the trackpad, which works similarly to Apple’s Force Touch designs and actually feels far better than the vast majority of comparable Windows machines. There’s also a fingerprint reader built into the trackpad’s top-right corner, and the keyboard is sturdy and satisfying.

Unfortunately, one element of the Mi Notebook Pro is likely to turn off a lot of prospective users weighing it against the MacBook Pro: the screen. Color reproduction seemed fine, but the panel is ultra-glossy and the resolution is just 1080p, which looks pretty pixelated at this size, without the option for anything higher. The new MacBook Pro might not have an SD card slot, but I know which machine I’d rather edit photos or video on — for certain tasks, it’s hard to go back once you’ve used a Mac with a Retina display or a PC with a similarly high-res monitor.

That said, many people probably won’t care and would prefer to save more than $1,000 on Apple’s offering. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said today that last year’s Mi Notebook Air was ranked number 1 among slim laptops in China, so the brand does have some momentum in the space.

You’ll be able to pick the Mi Notebook Pro in Xiaomi’s home market soon; the starting price is 5599 yuan (about $850) for an i5 model with 8GB of RAM, going up to 6999 yuan (about $1070) for an i7 model with 16GB of RAM and Nvidia’s entry-level GeForce MX150 GPU.

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Google sets Pixel 2 launch event for October 4th

Tired of hearing about the iPhone X? Google clearly is, as the Mountain View company has just debuted a new marketing campaign and website that urges viewers to “ask more.” The new landing page is part of the madeby.google.com subdomain, and it carries the teasing tagline of “thinking about changing phones?”

It was on October 4th, 2016, that Google launched the Pixel and Pixel XL, the first phones to be officially branded as out-and-out Google phones (in fact, the official Pixel name is still “Pixel, Phone by Google”). Exactly a year later, Google seems set to return with a new generation of Pixel devices. In fact, the company is reprising its big marketing push from last year by already erecting billboards teasing its launch event.

The “ask more” instruction appears to tease an evolved and improved Google Assistant, one that presumably does more when you ask it for more. For now, all we have to go on is the teaser video from Google and a litany of leaks detailing the features and looks of the upcoming Pixel 2, made by HTC, and Pixel 2 XL, expected to be manufactured by LG and based on the promising, bezel-deprived V30.

So what exactly is Google promising? Here’s a list of the rhetorical questions that the company’s teaser video throws at us:

  • What’s wrong with my phone’s battery?
  • Why is my phone always out of storage?
  • Why does my phone take so many blurry photos?
  • Why doesn’t my phone understand me?
  • Why can’t my phone update itself?
  • Why is my smartphone so slow / hot / fragile / annoying / broken / cruel / impersonal / dumb?

Most of these are self-explanatory, but here’s some speculative context. The blurry photos question would seem to suggest optical image stabilization (OIS) being added to this year’s Google Pixel, something the 2016 edition lacked. HTC’s U11 has some of the best OIS in the business, consistently eliminating the blur produced by shaky hands from photos that look comparatively softer on the Pixel. And Apple just managed to put OIS on both of its iPhone X cameras, so Google will want to keep up in having that important spec.

As to the points about fragile, hot, and broken phones, that might be Google’s way of taking a dig at the current trend of every device going for full glass covers on both the front and back. Yes, Samsung made it look very luxurious and premium with its Galaxy S and Note lines, but glass is glass, and these increasingly expensive devices do seem to also be growing more fragile. Anything Google can do to reverse that trend would be a plus.

The cruel, impersonal, and dumb comment seems to be targeting the iPhone and its Siri personal assistant. Most Android flagships now ship with Google’s Assistant on board, so the only relevant devices out there that aren’t intelligent enough in Google’s estimation must be iPhones. It’s interesting that Apple didn’t mention Siri once in its entire presentation of the revolutionary (for Apple) iPhone X, whereas Google is making the Assistant and its smart capabilities a key selling point of the Pixel phones.

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Apple iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs Samsung Note 8: Phablet spec showdown

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 was the best phone you could buy for about a week. Now Apple has come along and spoiled Samsung’s party with not one but two new phablet-sized phones: the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X. While the new iPhones still don’t come with a stylus, Apple did upgrade them in just about every other way. So how does Samsung’s flagship stack up to Apple’s latest handsets? Let’s take a look.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Size

If you’re looking for the absolute biggest phone you can buy, Samsung wins here. It’s Note 8 has a whopping 6.3-inch display, a good deal larger than the iPhone X’s 5.8-inch one. But screen size doesn’t tell the whole story.

With nearly an inch more screen than the iPhone 8 Plus and way more pixels than the X, you’d expect the Note 8 to be a significantly bigger package, but the dimensions are remarkably similar to the Plus:

  • Note 8: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm
  • iPhone 8 Plus: 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm
  • iPhone X: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Display

Both the Note 8 and the iPhone X feature remarkable displays, with the iPhone X representing Apple’s first foray into OLED screens. Samsung edges the iPhone X when it comes to resolution, but we’ll need to compare the two in person to see which comes out on top when it comes to color and brightness. In pure numbers, however, Samsung takes the crown, both in size and resolution:

  • Note 8: 6.3-inch, 2960 x 1440 Super AMOLED, HDR, 532ppi
  • iPhone 8 Plus: 5.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 LCD, 401ppi
  • iPhone X: 5.8-inch, 2436 x 1125 OLED, HDR, 458ppi

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Performance

Comparing iPhones to Galaxy phones has never been an apples to apples comparison, but on paper, Apple’s A11 Bionic chip is a screamer. With six cores and 4.3 billion transistors, it looks to give the Note 8’s Snapdragon 835 a real run for its money, at least in terms of raw power. In real-world use, however, the phones will be pretty close in speed, but the Note 8’s 6GB of RAM could pull it closer in benchmarks. Apple has traditionally been stingy with its RAM thanks to the intense iOS optimizations, with the iPhone 8 Plus topping out at 2GB. The A11 chip also integrates an Apple-designed GPU with a three-core design that should give games a boost.

  • Note 8: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (octo-core, 10nm, up to 2.45GHz)
  • iPhone 8 Plus: A11 Bionic chip (septa-core)
  • iPhone X: A11 Bionic chip (septa-core)

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Battery

We won’t know exactly how big the new iPhones’ batteries are until iFixit’s customary tear-down, but based on Apple’s claims, the iPhone 8 Plus will last “about the same” as the 7 Plus, while the X will last “up to two hours longer,” and both phones now support Qi wireless charging like the Note 8. The Note 8’s 3,300mAH battery gets around 9 hours of real-world use, more than enough to get through a full day of use, and the 7 Plus was equally long-lasting. If the X truly lasts two hours longer than the 8 Plus, it could put it over the top.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Storage

All three phones offer a base model with 64GB of storage. However, the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X add a 256GB tier that isn’t available on the Note 8 (at least not in the U.S. anyway). However, the Note 8 includes a microSD slot so you can upgrade the storage as much as you’d like, and for a lot less than the $150 Apple is charging for 192 extra gigs of storage.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Camera

Apple and Samsung have been slugging it out over camera performance for generations of phones, and this year is no different. Let’s start with the specs:

  • Note 8: Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, f/1.7 and f/2.4, dual optical image stabilization, 2X optical zoom
  • iPhone 8 Plus: Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, f/1.8 and f/2.8, optical image stabilization on main lens, 2X optical zoom
  • iPhone X: Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, f/1.8 and f/2.4, dual optical image stabilization, 2X optical zoom

All three phones have very similar cameras, with the Note 8 edging out the iPhone X slightly when it comes to aperture. Additionally, all three phones feature a “bokeh” mode—Portrait on the iPhone and Live Focus on the Note 8—but the Note 8 offers the ability to adjust the level of background blur, which isn’t available on the iPhone. However, the iPhones have a new feature called Portrait Lighting that simulates various instances of studio-style lighting after portraits are shot.

When it comes to video recording, the iPhone 8 Plus and X both film in 4K at 60fps, while the Note 8 tops out at 30fps. Additionally the iPhones have slo-mo video support for 1080p at 240fps, while the Note 8 only supports 720p.

As always, however, the proof will be in the pudding. Apple has introduced an improved image signal processor for the new iPhones as well as some auto-focus and lighting tricks, but we were pretty impressed with the Note 8’s new camera too.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: AR and VR

The Bionic in the iPhones’ new A11 chip means it has a neural engine with a dual-core design that performs up to 600 billion operations per second for real-time processing to help with Face ID, Animoji, and augmented reality. Samsung doesn’t specifically tout any AR benefits of the Note 8, but Google’s new ARCore will allow the phone to take advantage of the emerging tech, but it remains to be seen if it will be as advanced as Apple’s ARKit. The Note 8 does beat the iPhone 8 Plus and X when it comes to VR, however. Pop the phone into a Gear VR headset and you’ll be able to watch 360-degree videos and play immersive games, something no iPhone can do yet.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Biometrics

The iPhone 8 Plus includes the standard Touch ID fingerprint-scanning sensor. However, since Apple has eliminated the home button on the iPhone X, that phone doesn’t have Touch ID. In its place is Face ID, which uses the TrueDepth camera system to build a “unique facial map.” The Note 8 features an array of options for unlocking your phones, including fingerprint, retina, and face. The fingerprint scanner isn’t in the greatest spot and we had loads of issues with facial recognition, but the retina scanner worked flawlessly during our testing (though others haven’t had the same result). Apple promises that it’s just as secure as Touch ID, but we’ll have to test it out to be sure.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Price

While much has been made of the iPhone X’s $999 price tag, it’s really not all that much higher than the Note 8’s $930 price. But the iPhone 8 Plus is practically a bargain compared to both of them:

  • Note 8: $930 (64GB)
  • iPhone 8 Plus: $799 (64GB), $949 (256GB)
  • iPhone X: $999 (64GB), $1149 (256GB)

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How to Install Network Adapter Drivers

Network adapters are sometimes called network interface cards (NIC) or Ethernet adapters. The port in the adapter is your gateway to the Internet. Network adapters offer some of the fastest connections within a local area network, helpful when transferring large files between computers on the same network. You may face a hurdle, however, when the network adapter is malfunctioning due to corrupt or missing drivers — you cannot go online to research the remedy. If you need to install or reinstall the network adapter drivers on your PC, Windows has a wizard that guides you through the process.

1.Insert the installation CD that stores the network adapter drives into your CD drive. Exit any pop-up windows for now.

2.Click on “Start” or the Windows orb logo on the taskbar at the bottom of the desktop to show the Start menu. Select “Run” from the menu to open a dialog box. Type “devmgmt.msc” in the field labeled “Open,” then click the “OK” button to open the “Device Manager.”

3.Scroll down the Device Manager window to the “Other Devices” category, then left-click on the network card adapter to highlight it. The adapter may also appear under the “Network Adapters” category if it is not in “Other Devices.” Look for a yellow “!” (exclamation mark) and “?” (question mark) to identify hardware that needs drivers.

4.Right-click on the network adapter to show the pop-up menu, then select “Properties” from the menu to open a dialog box.

5.Click the “Reinstall Driver” button on the “General” tab in the dialog box to open the “Hardware Update Wizard.”

6.Click the radio button next to “Install from a list or specific location (Advanced),” then click the “Next” button to advance the page in the wizard.

7.Click the radio button next to “Search for the best driver in these locations.”

8.Click a check mark in the box next to “Search removable media (floppy, CD-ROM…).”

9.Click a check mark next to “Include this location in the search,” and then click the “Browse” button to open another box. Select the drive letter that is assigned to your CD drive, e.g., “D,” “E,” etc. Click on and off folders to expand them. As you click the folders, monitor the grayed-out disabled “OK” button. Once the “OK” button is enabled that means Windows recognizes that a driver is in that folder. Click the “OK” button to close the box and bring the Hardware Update Wizard back to the front.

10.Click the “Next” button and pause while Windows installs the driver file. Monitor the screen for any additional instructions and follow through. After the green progress bar advances from left to right, you will see a page in the Wizard that will state that the installation is finished. Click the “Finish” button and be ready if a restart is required.

Tip

If you don’t have the driver/software CD that was originally provided with the network adapter, visit the manufacturer’s website to download it. Click on the “Download” or “Support” section and then find the driver files by model number. Save the driver files to a USB flash drive or SD card.

Warning

You may have to login to Windows under an administrator account or use temporary administrator privileges.

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iPad Pro vs. iPad mini 4 vs. iPad: Which one should you buy?

ipad lineup late 2015

When size matters: 12.9 inch-iPad Pro

This iPad Pro is definitely the biggest iPad, with a 12.9-inch diagonal screen. It’s a bit like someone ripped the screen off of a 13-inch laptop and turned it into an iPad. The iPad Pro models are also the fastest iOS device ever and offer many features that aren’t available on any other device.

If you’re an artist who has dreamed of having a larger and more responsive iPad to draw on, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is a dream come true with its extra large canvas. It’s one of the only iPads to support the $99 Apple Pencil, and while there are other pressure-sensitive iPad styluses on the market, this is the one that’s made by Apple—and that means it’s the best in its class, if for no other reason that it will be deeply integrated into the iPad Pro’s software. In 2017, Apple reduced the latency of the Apple Pencil to 20 milliseconds, making it the fastest digital pen out there.

If you’re someone who does a lot of serious creative work on your iPad, this iPad Pro is made for you, too—its larger screen is perfect for running two apps in Split View. And rather than having to rely on Bluetooth to attach an external keyboard, the new Smart Connector supplies data and power to both Apple’s $169 Smart Keyboard (which doubles as a carrying case) as well as other forthcoming keyboards, including the Logitech Create.

But despite its name, the iPad Pro isn’t just a tool for artists and other people wanting a more powerful and expansive iPad to get work done. It’s also a fantastic (albeit pricey) entertainment device, thanks to its stereo speakers and that gorgeous 2732-by-2048-pixel display.

For all its size, the iPad Pro doesn’t feel heavy. At 1.6 pounds, it’s about as heavy as the original iPad—but its weight is spread over a much larger area, making it comfortable to hold.

  • Color options: Silver, Gold, Space Gray.
  • Storage options: 64GB ($799), 256GB ($949) or 512GB ($1149).
  • Cellular option: 64GB ($929), 256GB ($1079) or 512GB ($1279).

Who it’s for: Artists and creative pros, people who use their iPads to get work done, and anyone who wants a big, bright screen (and good audio) for watching videos.

Friendly yet powerful: 10.5-inch iPad Pro

After releasing the short-lived 9.7-inch iPad Pro, Apple updated the model to be just a tiny bit bigger. Meet the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. Because the bezels have shrunk, this new display is actually 20 percent bigger than its predecessor. However, this iPad Pro is still significantly smaller than its 12.9-inch mega sibling. This makes it a more practical (not to mention, affordable) option, without sacrificing the Pro line’s powerhouse features.

Apple has upgraded both iPad Pro models to be identical in terms of internal specs: You’ve got a top-of-the-line A10x fusion chip, 4GB of RAM, and a 12-megapixel rear camera. These models also have a new feature called ProMotion that automatically adjusts the refresh rate depending on what you’re doing to produce a more responsive display or to conserve energy. The 10.5-inch iPad Pro can be hooked up to a Smart Keyboard and be used with Apple Pencil. So you get the best of both worlds: the power of an iPad Pro with the portability of an iPad Air.

Besides the size, the other major difference between the 12.9-inch iPad Pro and this model is the price tag. If you are not looking to spend at least $800 for an iPad, this model starts at an more-reasonable $649. Oh, and another major selling point for the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is that it’s the only iPad that comes in Rose Gold. But you wouldn’t based your buying decision solely on that, would you?

If you want Pro features and Smart Accessories but in a more portable size and with a friendlier price tag, it doesn’t get any better than the 10.5-inch iPad Pro.

  • Color options: Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold.
  • Storage options: 64GB ($649), 256GB ($799), or 512GB ($999).
  • Cellular option: 64GB ($779), 256GB ($929), or 512GB ($1179).

Who it’s for: People who want to be productive on a machine that weighs no more than a pound. People who need Pro features but are not thrilled by a higher price tag.

Back to simple: iPad

When it came to updating iPad Air 2, Apple decided to drop the Air and keep it simple. The new 2017 iPad still delivers. It’s 25 percent brighter than its predecessor and the A9 chip that’s bound to support future iOS updates for a few more years. So if you’re not looking for a MacBook-replacement, but simply want an iPad that can do “iPad things,” the answer doesn’t get any simpler than this.

The 2017 iPad proves that not every tablet should aim to be as powerful as a MacBook. Sometimes you just need an iPad to be a really good iPad. With its 9.7-inch display, this model is perfect if you just need an iPad for reading ebooks or magazines, watching movies, and casually browsing the web. This is the iPad that can live in the kitchen, and the one the whole family uses to answer FaceTime calls from grandma. It can also be great as a Home hub for all your connected devices.

Now that the iPad mini 4 only comes with 128 GB for $399, the 2017 iPad is actually the cheapest one you can get. The starting model is $329 for 32GB. That means that for you can even get a cellular model that’s still cheaper than the starting 10.5-inch iPad Pro. So if your kids want an iPad for playing games, this one is the one to go for.

The 2017 iPad is for doing just “iPad things,” but it does them very well.

  • Color options: Silver, Gold, Space Gray.
  • Storage options: 32GB ($329) or 128GB ($429).
  • Cellular option: 32GB ($459) or 128GB ($559).

Who it’s for: For families, for kids. It can the iPad you use to control your HomeKit-enabled devices, or the iPad you whisk away with you on a long flight.

Small is beautiful: iPad mini 4

Apple pretty much took 2014 off when it came to the iPad mini, adding a Touch ID sensor (and very little else) to the iPad mini 3. But 2015 has been very, very good to fans of the smallest iPad. The iPad mini 4 is powered by a speedy A8 processor and has 2GB of RAM, making it almost—but not quite—the match of its big brother, the iPad Air 2. The Air 2 is a little bit faster, but only by a hair. And the iPad mini 4 has access to all the advanced features of iOS 9 that its predecessors didn’t have, including Split View multitasking.

if you want the smallest screen with the most power, though, the iPad mini 4 delivers.

  • Color options: Silver, Gold, Space Gray.
  • Storage options: 128GB ($399).
  • Cellular options: 128GB ($529).

Who it’s for: It’s the perfect device for someone who wants it all, but wants to keep it small.

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How to Make Use of Your Old Tablet

Just because your old tablet is getting slow, or doesn’t have the high resolution screen that the new models offer, that doesn’t mean you need to toss it in the trash bin. There are plenty of things your tablet can still do for you to make life a bit easier while adding some convenience to your travels and home.

Digital Picture Frame

A decent digital picture frame can cost up to $100, with the sole purpose of showing off your family photos. Your old tablet can perform the same role for free. Get yourself an inexpensive stand at the local dollar store to prop up your tablet on a table, shelf. Type “digital photo frame” in your tablet’s app store to find dozens of free apps, several of which give you editing tools for customizing each photo. Load up your best family photos, or your favorite museum artwork, and set your old tablet on a table or desk.

Digital Clock

If you’re in need of a nice clock in your study, your old tablet may be the perfect solution. There are dozens of clock apps to choose from that offer more attractive options than the default clock app on your Android tablet or iPad. The ClockZ app, for example, lets you customize the background for portrait or landscape mode. You can even adjust the brightness options so it’s not glaring at you late at night.

Digital Typewriter

Have you been putting off composing the great American novel, or just yearn for the old days of clattering typewriter keys when you compose a letter? Just download a free typewriter app like Hanx Writer – designed by writer, actor, director and typewriter aficionado Tom Hanks himself – and start typing away. With a Bluetooth keyboard and a stand, the app feels surprisingly like the real thing and includes an authentic chugging sound when you hit the carriage return key. While this app only works on iPads, there are plenty of free typewriter apps available on Google Play, none of which require ribbon replacements.

Travel Computer

Traveling with a laptop can be problematic these days, especially if you are going abroad. Not only do you have to worry about losing your computer or having it stolen, there is nothing to stop border guards from turning it on and going through your stuff. Not only is an old tablet extremely portable, you can use it to get some work done wherever you have internet access. If you have Skype, you may even want to leave your smartphone at home too. Delete anything that’s too personal, like Facebook, or the photos you took during your last vacation, load only the essentials, and travel with less concern about protecting your stuff.laptop can be problematic these days, especially if you are going abroad. Not only do you have to worry about losing your computer or having it stolen, there is nothing to stop border guards from turning it on and going through your stuff. Not only is an old tablet extremely portable, you can use it to get some work done wherever you have internet access. If you have Skype, you may even want to leave your smartphone at home too. Delete anything that’s too personal, like Facebook, or the photos you took during your last vacation, load only the essentials, and travel with less concern about protecting your stuff.

Digital Cookbook

Butter-fingers, flour and steam are not the best ingredients to combine with a brand new tablet. But if you’re looking for a place for your old tablet, the kitchen might be ideal. Delete all of your old apps to make room in its storage and then download a recipe app or two. Many recipe apps give you the option to download favorite recipes, and even edit them to your taste, so you don’t even need Wi-Fi to use them.

Portable Photo Editor

If you have a good camera, or even if you like taking pictures with your phone, the small screens aren’t ideal for touching up photos before sharing them with family and friends. Most good cameras have a companion app that you can put on your old tablet that connects the two devices. When you take a photo, send it to your tablet, touch it up as needed and then share away. If you find the screen on your Canon camera is too small, you can even install the company’s EOS remote app that mirrors your camera’s display as you’re shooting.camera, or even if you like taking pictures with your phone, the small screens aren’t ideal for touching up photos before sharing them with family and friends. Most good cameras have a companion app that you can put on your old tablet that connects the two devices. When you take a photo, send it to your tablet, touch it up as needed and then share away. If you find the screen on your Canon camera is too small, you can even install the company’s EOS remote app that mirrors your camera’s display as you’re shooting.

Donate or Recycle

Even if you have no use for an old tablet, throwing it away should be the last thing you do. There are plenty of schools, probably within a few minutes of your home, that could use a working tablet for their students. If your tablet isn’t working at all, you should consider having it recycled rather than throwing it away. Tablets are full of rare metals and toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment. Stores like Best Buy, Staples and Office Depot have recycling programs for any old electronics you may not need anymore. Bring your old tablet along the next time you go shopping and let them take care of it for you.

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How to pick between the iPhone X and iPhone 8

Apple introduced three brand new iPhones yesterday. Three! They include the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which have faster processors and better cameras than last year’s iPhone 7 — and now you can charge them wirelessly. And then there’s the iPhone X, a $1,000 smartphone that Apple is basically trying to market as a gadget from the future that arrived a little early. It’s the first iPhone ever to have an OLED screen, and even better, that stunning display basically runs edge to edge. iPhone X comes with other radical changes like the removal of the home button in favor of a new feature Apple is calling Face ID, which scans your face to unlock your iPhone instead of the traditional Touch ID method still used on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

So since there are three new iPhones arriving (almost) at once, you’ve probably been putting some thought into which is the best choice. For the purpose of this article, let’s go into it from the perspective of someone dead set on buying a new iPhone within the next couple months. You’ve ruled out the Pixel 2s and Note 8s of the world and have decided on Apple. Well, where do you go from there?

Why you might want to buy the iPhone 8:

  • The iPhone 8 is the first iPhone to support wireless charging. Apple changed up the iPhone’s looks a bit this year with a glass back instead of just making the whole thing aluminum. So you’ll be able to plop the iPhone 8 down onto any Qi-compatible wireless charger and it’ll start juicing up. Many of the places where you’d find wireless chargers (like Starbucks and inside some newer cars) already support the same Qi technology as the iPhone, so it’ll just work.
  • It has the same powerful A11 Bionic processor as the iPhone X. That sounds like something from a Mission: Impossible movie, but all you really need to know is that it’s the fastest chip that Apple has ever put in an iPhone — and the iPhone 7 already felt plenty fast. This new chip is also optimized for all the cool augmented reality tricks that you might’ve seen demos of. Soon, those will make their way to actual apps and games in the App Store. All recent iPhones can do AR, but Apple claims the 8 and X have been “optimized” for it.
  • You get the same primary camera as what’s in both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. The 12-megapixel f/1.8 camera has a “larger and faster” sensor than the iPhone 7, says Apple, so if all you care about is having one good camera, this should be excellent. It’s got optical image stabilization and can record 4K video at 24, 30, or 60FPS — just like the other new phones.
  • The display supports Apple’s True Tone feature, which adjusts the screen’s appearance and color temperature so that it always looks pleasant and less blue / harsh to your eyes in a variety of lighting environments.
  • Unlike the iPhone 8 Plus, the regular iPhone 8 is still relatively easy to use in one hand. The iPhone X should be too, but it’s also hundreds of dollars more expensive.
  • iPhone 7 cases still fit.

Why you might not:

  • It’s only got the one rear camera, so you lose out on Apple’s Portrait mode and the new Portrait Lighting feature, which can change the lighting of a subject’s face in your shot.
  • The 4.7-inch screen is smaller and lower-res (1334×750) than the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. If you like things to look big on your screen and get lost in YouTube videos or your Instagram feed, the iPhone 8’s display might not be ideal.
  • It has the smallest battery of the three new iPhones. Apple has promised users will experience “about the same” battery life as the iPhone 7, so you might find yourself buying a battery case.

Why you might want to buy the iPhone 8 Plus:

  • Aside from their different displays and dimensions/weight — and those are important — the iPhone 8 Plus offers pretty much every single major new feature that the pricier $1,000 iPhone X does. It’s got the processor. It’s got the wireless charging. It’s got dual cameras on the back and can do the same new Portrait Lighting effects as the iPhone X. The 5.5-inch LCD screen has True Tone.
  • It has the familiarity of a home button and the versatility of Touch ID. Maybe you’re not convinced the iPhone X’s gestures and virtual home bar are really an upgrade. Plus, sometimes people just want to unlock their phone without having to look directly at it.
  • It has the best battery life of all three new models.
  • iPhone 7 Plus cases still fit.

Why you might not:

  • This thing feels like a “Plus” phone more than ever before when compared to the all-screen competition from Samsung, LG, Essential, and now Apple’s top-tier iPhone X. Other smartphone designs are getting more efficient, but the iPhone 8 Plus remains just as unwieldy as its three predecessors.
  • Although the 5.5-inch 1080p LCD has superb color accuracy, it’s not going to be as vibrant or eye-catching as the iPhone X’s new OLED screen.
  • It’s not really all that much cheaper than the iPhone X. If you get a 256GB iPhone 8 Plus, you’re already inching very close to that $1,000 mark.

Why you might want to buy the iPhone X:

  • Visually, it’s Apple’s most impressive and futuristic iPhone design ever thanks to the 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED screen on the front and its stainless steel frame.
  • It’s a big screen in a small overall form factor. The iPhone X measures a bit bigger than the iPhone 8, but it’s nowhere near the dimensions of the iPhone 8 Plus. It should be fairly comfortable to use in one hand. And in that hand is pretty much all display.
  • The OLED screen has better contrast than the displays on iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and it supports HDR video.
  • You can unlock your phone with your face. If you like being the first to try Apple’s latest technology, Face ID is the biggest adjustment that iPhone users will have to make in years.
  • Animoji and Portrait mode on the selfie camera. All of the sensors that make Face ID possible are also used for Animoji, which are moving emoji that mimic your facial expressions, and allow you to take portrait shots with blurred backgrounds (and Portrait Lighting) using the front-facing camera. Other iPhones can’t do that.
  • The telephoto portrait lens on the iPhone X’s dual-camera has a better aperture than the iPhone 8 Plus. (f/2.4 vs. f/2.8).
  • Both rear cameras have optical image stabilization, which should allow you to use the telephoto lens in darker conditions. On the iPhone 8 Plus, only the primary camera does.

Why you might not:

  • It’s the most expensive iPhone ever.
  • There’s no home button or Touch ID. Unlocking your phone requires looking directly at it. Every time. Unless you want to go old school with the passcode.
  • Apple’s gestures for going back to the home screen and multitasking look somewhat awkward in early examples and demonstrations. At the most basic level, they’re definitely not as simple as just hitting a button with your thumb.
  • The notch that houses the front-facing camera and other sensors. It’s just kind of there all the time, and Apple is embracing that. That should be perfectly fine in apps, but the notch is likely to obscure content from time to time. We’ve already seen that it sticks out into videos if you play them full-screen in landscape orientation. Are you the kind of person who can ignore that? I’m not sure I am.
  • AppleCare+ is more expensive than for previous iPhones.
  • It doesn’t come out until November.

What do all three new iPhone models have in common?

  • Same processor: A11 Bionic
  • Same primary 12-megapixel camera
  • Same 7-megapixel selfie camera
  • Same video recording capabilities: 4K at 60, 30, and 24FPS. 1080p slo-mo at 240FPS
  • Wireless charging
  • “The hardest glass ever in a smartphone, front and back.”
  • IP67 water and dust resistance
  • Same maximum screen brightness
  • 3D Touch
  • Fast charging
  • 64GB or 256GB storage options

So if you’re already set on getting one of these new iPhones, for me it would come down to the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. The iPhone 8 is a little too small for my big hands, and I need a larger screen. Picking an ultimate winner between those two might come down to the wire before preorders for the former kick off early Friday morning. The iPhone X’s OLED screen is beautiful, but a home button and Touch ID still feel somewhat critical to me — at least until I’ve handled the X firsthand and can judge the gestures and face recognition myself. The release date of iPhone 8 / 8 Plus and iPhone X are far enough apart that if you start off with one of the 8s and come to regret it, you’ve still got enough time to return it and hold out for the X.

Shame that Apple didn’t just put the home button and Touch ID on the back of the iPhone X, though. That would’ve been just about perfect.

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