Designed for “enthusiast-level gaming in laptops as thin as 16 millimetres.”, Intel has announced its first three Tiger Lake-H processors. Additionally, the company also shed some light on its upcoming Rocket Lake-S and Alder Lake-S processor architectures, including the release windows for both product series.
Starting with Tiger Lake-H35, here Intel claims it has created a new laptop segment, offering ultraportable laptops (as slim as 16mm) with “enthusiast level gaming prowess”. Featuring PCIe Gen4 and Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6/6E technology, the new Tiger Lake-H35 series will consist of three SKUs with up to 4x cores, 8x threads, 35W TDP design, and a maximum operating frequency of 5.0GHz. Tiger Lake-H processors featuring up to 8x cores, 16x threads, 20x PCIe lanes, and a 45W TDP will come later this quarter. By the first half of 2021, Intel plans to have over 40 laptops available in this market from partners such as Acer, MSI, Asus, Lenovo, HP, Dell, and Vaio.
Intel 11th Gen Core processors for ultraportable gaming will support DDR4-3200 or LPDDR4/x-4267, Thunderbolt 4, and Resizable BAR. Thanks to Intel’s SuperFin architecture, Tiger Lake-H35 processors will run at up to 5.0GHz at 35W, offering around 15% more performance than their predecessors. At 15W, Intel says these chips will offer about 9% more performance in single-core workloads and over 40% more performance in multi-thread workloads when compared to Intel 11th Gen Core processors. We are also told the current flagship Tiger Lake-H35 processor can outperform the Ryzen 9 4900H by up 30% in the SPECRATE *2017_int_base single-thread benchmark.
The following table details the first Tiger Lake-H processors to be released:
Name
Cores/Threads
L3 cache
cTDP Up
cTDP Down
Base clock (cTDP Up)
Base clock (cTDP Down)
All-Core Turbo
2-Core Turbo
1-Core Turbo
Intel Core i7-11375H Special Edition
4/8
12MB
35W
28W
3.3GHz
3.0GHz
4.3GHz
4.8GHz
5.0GHz (ITBM 3.0)
Intel Core i7-11370H
4/8
12MB
35W
28W
3.3GHz
3.0GHz
4.3GHz
4.8GHz
4.8GHz
Intel Core i5-11300H
4/8
8MB
35W
28W
3.1GHz
2.6GHz
4.0GHz
4.4GHz
4.4GHz
At CES 2021, Intel also talked about the upcoming Rocket Lake-S processor architecture led by the Core i9-11900K. When compared to the 10th Gen Core desktop series, Intel claims its Rocket Lake-S processors will offer a 19% IPC improvement “for the highest frequency cores”. Intel Rocket Lake-S CPUs will be available in Q1 2021.
Besides Rocket Lake-S, there was also some talk of Alder Lake-S. This series is scheduled to release in the second half of 2021, and it will be Intel’s first architecture to make use of “a new, enhanced version of 10nm SuperFin”. Intel also confirmed that Alder Lake-S CPUs will consist of both high-performance (big) cores and high-efficiency (small) cores, meaning that it will feature a hybrid design similar to its Lakefield processors.
KitGuru says: Will you wait for Rocket Lake-S or Alder Lake-S processors before upgrading your system?
Intel announced four new 11th-Gen Tiger Lake H-Series processors at CES 2021, but they aren’t the eight-core 45W models we expected. Instead, Intel has developed quad-core Tiger Lake ‘H35’ chips with a 35W TDP and defined a new laptop segment, dubbed “ultraportables,” to house them. These chips will serve as the alternative to AMD’s potent Ryzen Mobile processors, which have steadily gained ground over the last year.
Up to 40 new designs with the H35 chips will come to market this year, with several being launched today at CES. Intel also announced that it has collaborated with Nvidia to add support for Resizable BAR, a feature that boosts GPU performance, to the new ultraportable laptops.
For now, Intel’s new flagship Tiger Lake chip comes as the four-core eight-thread Core i7-11375H Special Edition that can boost up to 5.0 GHz on a single core and up to 4.3 GHz on all cores. Intel says its long-awaited eight-core 45W H-series chips are still in development, with headline specs including a 5.0 GHz boost on multiple cores, but the company’s first eight-core 10nm processors won’t come to market until later this quarter.
Intel Tiger Lake UP3 Processors
PROCESSOR
CORES/THREADS
GRAPHICS (EUs)
OPERATING RANGE (W)
BASE CLOCK (GHZ)
SINGLE CORE TURBO FREQ (GHZ)
MAXIMUM ALL CORE FREQ (GHZ)
Cache (MB)
GRAPHICS MAX FREQ (GHZ)
MEMORY
Core i7-11375H Special Edition
4C / 8T
96
28 – 35W
3.3 (35W) / 3.0 (28W)
5.0 (with TB3)
4.3
12
1.35
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i7-11370H
4C / 8T
96
28 – 35W
3.3 (35W) / 3.0 (28W)
4.8
4.3
12
1.35
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i5-11300H
4C / 8T
80
28 – 35W
3.1 (35W) / 2.6 (28W)
4.4
4.0
12
1.3
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i7-1185G7 (UP3)
4C / 8T
96
12 – 28W
3.0
4.8
4.3
12
1.35
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i7-1165G7 (UP3)
4C / 8T
96
12 – 28W
2.8
4.7
4.1
12
1.30
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i5-1135G7 (UP3)
4C / 8T
80
12 – 28W
2.4
4.2
3.8
8
1.30
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4266
Core i3-1115G4 (UP3)
2C / 4T
48
12 – 28W
3.0
4.1
4.1
6
1.25
DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-3733
The three new Tiger Lake H35 processors feature the 10nm SuperFin process and Tiger Lake architecture, so the H35 feature set is mostly the same as the 28W (UP3) processors already on the market. However, while the UP3 models have a configurable TDP that spans from 12 to 28W, the new models can operate at either 28W or 35W. Naturally, the higher-TDP rating allows Intel to dial up the clock speeds to extract a bit more performance from the chips.
The Core i7-11375H H35 Special Edition leads the new lineup with up to a 5.0 GHz boost frequency on a single core. Notably, this is a Turbo Boost Max feature, meaning the 5.0 GHz boost will apply to one physical core only. The chip can also reach up to 4.8 GHz on two cores, and 4.3 GHz on all four cores. As you would expect, boost frequency and duration will depend upon each laptop’s thermal capabilities.
Intel’s Core i7-11370H and i5-11300H slot in beneath the flagship, both with four cores and eight threads. The primary difference between these two chips boils down to clock speeds and cache capacity. Naturally, the i5 model has lower clocks, but it also comes with only 8MB of cache compared to the 12MB found on the two Core i7 models.
The chips feature the Xe LP graphics architecture found in the current Tiger Lake models, with similar peak clock frequencies as the existing quad-core models. Both Core i7 models come equipped with 96 EUs, just like the flagship 28W model, while the Core i5 variant comes with 80 EUs.
Intel is adopting the same Resizable BAR technology, a standard capability of the PCIe interface, that AMD adopted with its Ryzen 5000 CPUs and Radeon 6000 series GPUs (dubbed Smart Access Memory). Nvidia also recently joined the Resizable BAR party, announcing that it will support the feature shortly after AMD, and has worked with Intel to enable that same feature with its next-gen GPUs that will power the H35 and future Tiger Lake platforms. This feature promises to boost gaming performance, and it appears that Intel will be the first to bring the tech to the laptop market.
We’re curious to see how this plays out for the quad-core Tiger Lake chips, which apparently only have an x4 PCIe link for dedicated graphics cards or SSDs. Will resizable BAR help more with a narrower link width, or will it make less of a difference? This is something we’ll test once we have hardware in hand.
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
Intel provided a few benchmarks for the new chips, but as with all vendor-provided benchmarks, take them with a grain of salt. Here we see that Intel compared the existing quad-core i7-1165G7 to the new i7-11375H chip to derive the performance claims in the second slide in the album. That slide says the processor offers 9% more performance than the 1165G7, but Intel tested the latter at 15W. The 1165G7 has a configurable TDP that allows it to run at 28W, which the company tells us shrinks the lead for the new H35 chip to 4%.
Intel also based these performance projections on an integer workload, which it says is more representative of consumer workloads than the floating-point test that tends to be more demanding (particularly in terms of thermals and peak clock speeds). Intel says it will share the floating point benchmarks, which we’ll add when we receive them. Intel also isn’t sharing gaming performance projections yet, citing an NDA for Nvidia’s next-gen mobile GPUs.
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
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(Image credit: Intel)
The destination for the chips? A newly-defined ultraportable segment that consists of thin-and-light laptops designed for enthusiast-level gameplay. These laptops will come in 14″ and 15″ form factors with a maximum thickness of 18mm. Intel has set a 1080p gaming performance goal for the new designs — they should achieve 70 fps (or higher) at high fidelity settings. Intel says that its partners have 40 new designs based on the chips coming to market in the first half of 2021, including designs launched at CES by Acer, Asus, MSI, and Vaio. Intel hasn’t released any firm battery life projections compared to the existing Tiger Lake chips, but given the higher TDP range, we don’t expect an improvement.
New platforms based on these chips will arrive to market over the coming months, with more than 40 devices planned. In the meantime, we await the full-fledged 45W eight-core Tiger Lake processors that are still under development. Intel did provide a demo showing a future eight-core Tiger Lake chip running a 4K gaming session with ‘desktop caliber’ gaming performance at its event, so the company is apparently bullish on the performance front. That will be a needed addition to fend off AMD’s Ryzen Mobile processors.
In the interim, Intel’s Comet Lake 10th Gen processors will still soldier on as the eight-core vanguard of Intel’s laptop fleet, with the recently-added 45W Comet Lake Core i7-10870H and Core i5-10500H serving as the eight-core mainstays while Intel awaits its 45W Tiger Lake models.
Lenovo is introducing a new ThinkPad — with a twist. The ThinkPad X12 Detachable is a 12.3-inch business laptop with a screen that you can pop off and use as a tablet. It’s one of several new ThinkPads Lenovo has launched this week, which are powered by Intel’s newest 11th Gen vPro processors.
Take a look at this thing, and you’ll see that it’s a similar idea to Microsoft’s Surface Pro line. The display is essentially a 12.3-inch Windows tablet that you can attach to and detach from a folio keyboard. It has a kickstand on the back, which is how it stands up on its own, and it’s compatible with Lenovo’s Precision Pen and Digital Pen.
The form factor is meant to offer extra versatility to business users. If you’re in a meeting or class, for example, and need to read presentation notes off your computer, you can pop the screen off without having to lug the keyboard up with you.
Even with the keyboard attached, though, portability is still a selling point. The tablet is less than 9 mm thick and weighs just over 2.5 pounds with the keyboard attached. It also supports LTE Cat9 for on-the-go work, and Lenovo says it’s undergone MIL-SPEC 810G testing to certify that it’s durable enough to withstand drops and jostles during travel.
Lenovo
But despite its tablet-esque form factor, the ThinkPad X12 is still very much a laptop because it has laptop chips inside. It’s powered by Intel’s 11th Gen Core vPro processors (up to a Core i7 ) and Iris Xe integrated graphics. Intel’s vPro platform brings a number of security features for business users. In terms of other specs, you can get up to 16GB of LPDDR4x memory and 1TB of NVMe SSD storage.
In terms of ports, don’t get too excited: there’s a whopping one Thunderbolt 4, one USB 3.2 Type-C, one NanoSIM, and one audio jack. Remember that one of those ports will sometimes hold the charger, so if you’re buying the X12 and will need to plug other things in, you’ll probably want a dock of some sort (such as Kensington’s new SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 station).
Lenovo
A feature I’m quite excited about is the aspect ratio. The X12 has a 3:2 display, the same dimensions as the Surface Pro 7 and Surface Book 3. It’s been nice to see manufacturers across the board abandon the cramped 16:9 aspect ratio, and 3:2 is my favorite kind of screen to use. It gives you a bunch of extra space for multitasking.
I recently reviewed Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Fold, another device built like a tablet that comes with a keyboard. It’s a very cool device, but at $2,499, it’s too expensive for me to recommend any human actually buy. The X12 Detachable is what I’d call a more pragmatic implementation of the X1 Fold. It’s not as fancy (for one, the screen doesn’t fold in half) but it’s significantly less expensive with a starting price of $1,149, and it looks like it comes with a full-sized keyboard rather than the tiny cramped one that came with the Fold. For many users looking for a convertible ThinkPad, the X12 Detachable may be a more sensible choice (though I’ll have to see how it performs before making an official recommendation).
The ThinkPad X12 Detachable is expected to be available in January 2021, starting at $1,149.
Two of Lenovo’s upcoming laptops will be the first to feature Dolby Voice, an audio technology that’s aimed at making it easier to hear people during conference calls. The feature combines elements like background noise reduction and dynamic leveling to make meetings sound “clearer, more natural, and feel less fatiguing,” Dolby says. Lenovo’s upcoming ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 and X1 Yoga Gen 6 laptops will both include the technology, but Dolby declined to say which other laptops it might come to in the future.
Dolby Voice isn’t exactly a brand-new piece of technology. Dolby has previously used similar underlying tech for its Dolby Conference Phone and Dolby Voice Room, which were both business-focused conferencing solutions. The difference is that now it’ll be available directly in a pair of laptops without needing separate Dolby hardware.
The technology includes a couple of different features that work together with your speakers and microphones to make call audio easier to hear. “Full room pick up and dynamic leveling” adjust a call’s audio to make it easier to hear people who are quieter or farther away from the microphone. Voice also includes noise reduction to eliminate echo and background noise. Finally, Dolby says Voice makes speech easier to hear when there are multiple people talking on the same call thanks to a “voice separation” feature.
The technology works on both incoming and outgoing audio, so you should sound clearer to the people you’re talking with, and you’ll also hear a benefit. Dolby Voice’s features can be controlled via the Dolby Access app.
Your combination of hardware and software will determine which of these features can be used. Dolby says full room pick up, dynamic leveling, and noise reduction all work “out of the box” with the two laptops, regardless of which software is being used. External 3.5mm microphones plugged into a laptop can also benefit from noise suppression and dynamic leveling. However, the requirements for the voice separation feature are a little higher, and the feature will only work when using the laptop’s built-in microphones with select services including Zoom.
Since many people have been staying at home over the past year, there’s been a surge of interest in using software to improve the quality of audio during calls. Some chat services like Discord and Google Meet have built background noise reduction tech directly into their services, while Nvidia’s Broadcast software works across different chat apps, so long as you have the right (Nvidia) hardware.
Dolby Voice could combine the best parts of the two approaches. Its features aren’t necessarily confined to any one chat service, nor does it require a ray tracing-capable graphics card. We should know how well it performs when Lenovo’s two compatible laptops launch in February.
After releasing its first wave of 11th Gen Tiger Lake processors last year, Intel is kicking things up a notch at CES 2021 with its first H-series 11th Gen Core chips, which will bring the benefits of Tiger Lake (like the 10nm process and the overhauled Xe integrated graphics) to even more powerful machines.
There is a catch, though: the first wave of 11th Gen H-series chips will be the lower end of that bracket, maxing out at 35W processors — instead of the more powerful 45W chips that represent the top of Intel’s gaming laptop range. (The company is still working on those models, which it promises to have more details on in the near future.)
So while the new 35W H-series chips won’t be the processors found in the beefiest and best gaming laptops money can buy, they will offer some pretty impressive performance — meaning smaller or lighter laptops could start punching above their weight class, even with smaller core counts and less thermal headroom.
Specifically, Intel is touting that its new i7-11375H — the top-of-the-line model in the H35 lineup, with four cores, eight threads, and a boosted clock speed of up to 5GHz — offers the fastest single-thread performance of any laptop, matched only by Intel’s best 45W H-series chip from last year. It’s impressive, especially considering that the new model has less raw power to work with here.
The new chips will also support Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 or 6E, feature integrated Thunderbolt 4 support, DDR4 memory at up to 3,200 MHz and LPDDR4/x at up to 4,266 MHz, and PCIe Gen 4.0. As for graphics, hardware companies will be able to either rely on the already impressive integrated Xe-LP graphics or add additional discreet options from companies like Nvidia.
And while the lack of even more powerful 11th Gen laptop chips may be disappointing to some, Intel did start teasing what to expect next: an 8-core processor that will start shipping “later this quarter” with speeds up to 5GHz, although details on that are still slim.
The first laptops powered by the new 11th Gen H35 chips are expected to be announced at CES 2021, including models from Acer, Asus, MSI, and Vaio, with Intel expecting over 40 designs released in the first half of the year.
With the new evolution of the Surface family Pro Microsoft switches to Intel Core Tiger Lake processors, leaving the external structure and functionality unchanged; Surface Pro 7+ is intended only for companies and the educational world
by Paolo Corsini published 11 January 2021 , at 21: 55 in the Portable channel Microsoft Surface Intel Core Tiger Lake LTE
Microsoft today announced a new evolution of the Surface Pro range , the 2-in-1 of the Surface range that expands with the series Surface Pro 7 + . No numerical indication 8, therefore, for the new Surface Pro that Microsoft chooses to allocate solely to its business customers and to the educational world .
Nothing changes in the external structure compared to Surface 7, with the iconic rear kickstand and the touch screen from 12, 3 inches diagonal; The communication ports are also unchanged, USB Type-A and USB Type-C, always with MicroSD memory card reader (only for the standard version, the LTE version integrates the SIM card reader). Under the body we find instead various innovations starting from the 11th generation Intel Core processor of the Tiger Lake family , with Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7 versions, plus system memory up to 32 GB and storage via SSD up to 1TB of capacity.
The battery has been slightly increased in terms of capacity, brought to 50 Wh , allowing also thanks to the innovations of Intel Tiger Lake processor to reach a autonomy up to 15 hours . A peculiarity of Surface Pro 7+, borrowed from the Surface Laptop 3 range, is that of being able to access the SSD so as to replace or expand it: a very useful option for the needs of business users but also appreciated by consumers.
Surface Pro 7+ is offered by Microsoft with a price list starting from 899 dollars , excluding taxes, for the WiFi version; the one with LTE connectivity starts from 1. 149 dollars always excluding taxes. Surface Pro 7+ can be ordered in some of the world markets including Italy: in this case prices will start from 1. 049 € for the basic and 1 model. 399 € for LTE .
The time has come for another portion of information about the upcoming Lenovo laptops, straight from CES 2021. After the IdeaPad 5 Pro and IdeaPad 5i Pro multimedia notebooks, as well as the Lenovo YOGA Slim 7i Pro ultrabook, it’s time for a business solution from the ThinkPad family. Since the transition of the brand by Lenovo, this series has been occupied by Intel Core processors. It will be no different this year, all flagship ThinkPad laptops will use chips 11 Intel Tiger Lake-U generation. Among the debuting models, however, we can find very interesting devices. Some of the first reports appeared last year. This year’s flagship of the company, the most polished model will be the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium YOGA – as the name suggests, the manufacturer used a titanium housing here.
Another group of laptops presented by Lenovo are business notebooks ThinkPad. Among the new products for 2021 we will get ThinkPad X1 Titanium YOGA, ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen.9, ThinkPad X1 YOGA Gen.6 and ThinkPad X 12 Detachable. All models are CPU-based 11 Intel Tiger Lake generation.
The most important laptop in the series ThinkPad will this year be the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium YOGA model. The equipment uses a titanium housing, thanks to which the notebook is to be much more durable than other devices from a similar business class. The sale will include variants supporting both the 4G network (LTE category 9) and 5G (LTE category 1200 ) or wireless only (WiFi 6). Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium YOGA weighs 1, 15 kg or 1, 18 kg when selecting version with 5G / 4G modem. The equipment is based on Intel Tiger Lake-U processors (with Intel vPro security) with TDP reduced to 12 W. It will therefore not be the most powerful ultrabook on the market. The manufacturer went towards slenderness, lightness, a more solid casing and a long battery life. With a capacity of 44, 5 Wh, the equipment is to work for close 11 hours away from power
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium YOGA also uses an IPS matrix with a 3: 2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels. The screen is characterized by a luminance of 450 nits and support for HDR Dolby Vision. The second laptop presented is the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen.9. Here, the manufacturer offers not only Intel Tiger Lake processors, but also a matrix with the proportions 16: 10 and a larger battery with a capacity 57 Wh. The new ThinkPad X1 Carbon also got a wider, 110 mm touchpad with greater precision . The equipment is based on the Intel EVO platform, with the ability to be put into 20 GB of DDR4 RAM 3200 MHz. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen.9 features a blue light reduction screen with Dolby Vision support. In addition, the notebook uses Dolby Atmos and Dolby Voice techniques, improving the sound quality, among others. during a videoconference. The laptop will be optionally available with a 5G modem (LTE Cat. 20 )).
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 YOGA Gen.6 convertible ultrabook has also received a very similar specification. Unfortunately, as in the case of Carbon, I did not know the specific screen resolution here. We only know that we are talking about the IPS matrix with the proportions 15: 10 and the diagonal 14 inches. Looking at the other laptops presented, I bet that both notebooks will be equipped with screens 2560 x 1600 pixels. ThinkPad X1 YOGA Gen.6 will be powered by Intel Core i7 processor – 1165 G7 and integrated graphics Iris Xe Graphics, paired with up to 32 GB of DDR4 RAM 3200 MHz.
The last novelty presented is the Lenovo ThinkPad X 12 Detachable, with detachable screen. On the back, there will be a special hinge with a stand, allowing you to freely place the tablet with the screen. Lenovo ThinkPad X 12 Detachable comes equipped with Intel Tiger Lake-Y processors – the most powerful unit will be Intel Core i7 – 1160 G7 with a clock base 2.1 GHz and clock up to 4.4 GHz with Turbo Boost 2.0 mode. The hybrid laptop also has an IPS matrix with a diagonal 12, 3 “and resolution 1920 x 1200 pixels Coated with a pane of Gorilla Glass 4, offers a maximum luminance of 400 nits. The hardware supports the Thunderbolt 4 platform and LPDDR4x RAM memory. Lenovo ThinkPad X 12 Detachable also supports the following styluses: Lenovo Precision Magnetic Pen and Lenovo Digital Pen, but the pens are not included, you need to buy them At the moment, we have not learned the prices of any of the disclosed Lenovo ThinkPad models, but initially we learned that new devices will appear in Poland in the second quarter of the year.
The PC was supposed to die 10 years ago, but it’s just experienced its first big growth in a decade. Market research firm Canalys reports that PC shipments reached 297 million units in 2020, up an impressive 11 percent from 2019. IDC puts the year at 302 million shipments, up 13.1 percent year over year. Either way, it’s clear 2020 was a big year for PCs and the biggest growth we’ve seen since 2010.
PC shipments are up thanks to demand related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Supply constraints made it difficult to buy a new laptop halfway through the year, and demand continued throughout 2020. “Demand is pushing the PC market forward and all signs indicate this surge still has a way to go,” says IDC’s Ryan Reith. While home working and remote learning have been big drivers, people are also turning to PCs and laptops for entertainment.
Apple’s MacBook Air with M1 chip.Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
“The obvious drivers for last year’s growth centered around work from home and remote learning needs, but the strength of the consumer market should not be overlooked,” says Reith. “We continue to see gaming PCs and monitor sales at all-time highs and Chrome-based devices are expanding beyond education into the consumer market.”
There were other signs throughout 2020 that PC shipments were surging. Microsoft declared “the PC is back” at the beginning of the pandemic, and the company also saw a big jump in Windows usage after reporting 1 billion Windows 10 users. Microsoft also adjusted its Windows 10X plans as a result of the pandemic and increased PC demand. 10X was originally supposed to launch on dual-screen devices, but Microsoft is now planning to launch the OS variant on single-screen laptop devices first.
PCs were central to how companies quickly went digital or allowed workers to continue remotely in 2020. “The digital transformation the world has undertaken over the past year is unparalleled, and PCs were at the heart of this change,” says Canalys research director Rushabh Doshi. “It is going to be extremely difficult to write off the PC as some of us did a few years ago. PCs are here to stay.”
I’ve long argued that there’s no such thing as a “post-PC” era, and 2020 certainly proved how valuable laptops and PCs are.
Canalys and IDC both agree that Lenovo was the top PC vendor in 2020, followed by HP in second place, and Dell in third. Apple also saw impressive growth with its shipments up 17 percent, according to Canalys, or as high as 29 percent based on IDC’s estimates.
Apple has also impressed reviewers and industry experts with its new Arm-based M1 chip. It puts the MacBook Air back at the top of laptop recommendations and will set the stage for a battle of laptop processors for years to come.
D-Link is trying to make it simple to give your computer a Wi-Fi upgrade. The networking company has announced what it’s calling an “industry-first” Wi-Fi 6 adapter built into a USB stick. Plug it into your laptop or desktop computer, and you may be able to get better performance than from your older Wi-Fi chip. The adapter advertises speeds up to 1,200Mbps.
It’s not entirely clear who the target audience is for this upgrade. You’ll need to be connected to a Wi-Fi 6 router to get the biggest benefits, and most people still don’t own one of those (the Wi-Fi 6 standard only started rolling out two years ago). And if the laptop or desktop you’re using was bought any time in recent memory, chances are it supports Wi-Fi 5, which isn’t a huge step down from Wi-Fi 6.
Wi-Fi 6 does come with some benefits, though. Devices that support it can communicate with routers more efficiently, which can lead to improved performance across a network. Wi-Fi 6 devices also support more secure connections.
The adapter will be available in the second quarter of 2021 for $100.
D-Link is also announcing two new Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers, both of which look a little like air purifiers. The higher end model, the AI M32, is a dual-band mesh system promising speeds up to 3.2 Gbps. Below that, D-Link is introducing the DIR-LX1870, which should offer combined connection speeds of around 1,800Mbps. The AI M32 will sell for $250 starting in the third quarter of 2021; the DIR-LX1870 launches right away for $130.
There are plenty of routers being announced this week as part of CES 2021. This year’s big new upgrade is routers with support for Wi-Fi 6E, a huge upgrade to Wi-Fi that quadruples the available airwaves on which they can broadcast. So far, TP-Link and Netgear have announced high-end routers with support for the new tech.
On the occasion of the consumer electronics fair CES 1824, Microsoft has a new edition of the 12, 3-inch Surface Pro 7 tablets presented. The Surface Pro 7+ differs only marginally from its predecessor by name, but comes with some useful improvements in the equipment in the previous aluminum case.
The heart of the Surface Pro 7+ is Intel’s current processor series Tiger Lake-U instead of Ice Lake-U – from the dual core Core i3 – 1115 G4 via the four-core Core i5 – 1135 G7 up to the Core i7- 1165 G7 with more cache and higher clock frequency. Together with a larger battery, Microsoft wants to significantly improve the battery life: We are talking about up to 15 Hours for “typical use” instead of previously 10,5 hours. Thanks to Fast Charge, the battery can be charged to percent in less than an hour
Removable SSD The built-in SSD module is no longer firmly soldered, but as a tiny M.2 card (M 2230, maximum 30 mm long), so can be exchanged if necessary. So far, this only worked with the Surface Laptop 3 and the Surface Pro X. Buyers also have the option of having an LTE module installed for cellular communications. That last happened with the 5 generation and the Surface Pro X.
For the SSD in the Surface Pro 7 + it is a 30 mm short M.2 card, that can be exchanged.
(Image: Microsoft)
Anyone who uses the tablet for video conferences or talks can look forward to an improved camera and new microphones. For the 10, 3 inch “PixelSense” touchscreen display with 2736 × 1824 Pixels in the high 3: 2 aspect ratio, everything remains the same, as does the manageable connections, including two USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit / s). The weight is just under 800 grams without a dockable keyboard.
Officially for business customers Microsoft officially sells the Surface Pro 7+ exclusively to corporate customers. Experience has shown that German retailers also sell the business models to private buyers – including the previous 7 series models, which can be found in the price comparison.
The prices of the Surface Pro 7+ range from 1030 Euro with Core i3 – 1115 G4, 8 GByte LPDDR4X-RAM, 128 – GByte SSD and Windows 10 Pro to 3150 Euro for the Core i7 – 1165 G7, 32 GByte RAM and one 1 TByte large SSD. The cheapest LTE version appears with Core i5 – 1135 G7, 8 GByte RAM and 128 – GByte SSD for 1330 Euro. Delivery is to begin in mid-January 2021.
Lenovo announced brand new, versatile and functional AR glasses for business. ThinkReality A3 will appear in two versions. One of them will be dedicated to cooperation with computers working under the control of Windows systems, while the other is intended for Android smartphone users. As you can guess, the essence of the gadget is to expand the capabilities of the devices mentioned. Although this technology is undoubtedly impressive, we can treat the presented novelties as a kind of prelude to a real revolution in the field of augmented and virtual reality. Nevertheless, the ThinkReality A3 is a piece of equipment that should simply be looked at.
ThinkReality A3 is a new AR glasses from Lenovo available in the PC Edition and Industrial Edition versions. We check what the newly presented augmented reality goggles allow for.
Lenovo ThinkVision P Test 27 h – 20. WQHD office monitor with great image quality, original stand and USB-C port
AR is nothing but augmented reality technology. It is thanks to this solution that we can superimpose various objects on the real image. AR-based tools work well both at work and in entertainment. Games based on augmented reality are extremely popular and Pokemon Go will be a good example here. Thanks to the AR available on the smartphone, we can, for example, measure the height of objects and even people. The ThinkReality A3 offers a bit more, however. After connecting the equipment to the computer, we can work on the so-called virtual screens, which will be superimposed on what we see in front of us.
Lenovo Legion 5 – Gaming laptop test with Ryzen 5 4600 H and GTX 1650
This solution obviously applies to the PC Edition. The Industrial Edition option works a bit differently and is limited to supporting special programs and content created for the mentioned platform (ThinkReality). This solution may prove useful in broadly understood business. Equipping your employees with AR glasses that will display content relevant to a given position will certainly increase productivity. As for the hardware, the ThinkReality A3 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 chip, two screens with a resolution 1080 and a removable battery. Unfortunately, we don’t know the price yet. We do know that the equipment will be available in selected markets already in the middle of 2021 of the year.
Anyone who has recently looked around at the booths of the Chinese electronics company TCL has almost always found display glasses somewhere. As part of the exclusively digital CES, the group has now announced the market launch of the wearable display for this year. The group also wants to make offers for tablet fans.
Cinema on the nose The wearable display is not a smart pair of glasses, but rather a cinematic experience to take with you. TCL has transplanted two mini OLED displays onto the inside of the glasses, each showing full HD. According to TCL, this corresponds to the viewing experience one has when viewing a film on one 65 four inch screen Meters away. TCL specifies the pixel density with 49 pixels per degree (PPD).
(Image: TCL)
The glasses themselves only house the two displays and are dependent on an external player to play media – even games can be displayed on them. This can be a laptop or a smartphone that outputs display signals via USB-C. According to Stefan Streit, General Manager of Global Marketing at TCL, the transmission works exclusively via cable. When asked, he did not provide any specific information on prices and availability. However, the market launch “in a bundle” should be this year. The US startup Avegant had already shown its Glyph video glasses at CES 2017. Royole also pursued the concept of mobile cinema with the Moon.
LCD panel like paper? TCL
The also presented Nxtpaper tablet is supposed to combine the advantages of IPS and e-ink displays. In contrast to conventional LCD displays, TCL does not have a backlight on the 8-inch Nxtpaper. Instead, a special layer below the pixel level should reflect the ambient light and thus enable a representation almost as if it were printed. The display does not suffer from the slow image build-up that is typical for e-inks, so that films can also be played on it. According to TCL, the display should be up to 24 percent more contrast than E-Inks and 65 Consume percent less electricity than conventional LCD displays. Unlike this, however, the Nxtpaper display depends on ambient light. According to TCL, the display can also handle pen input.
TCL equips the tablet with a 5500 – mAh battery off, which should allow 10 hours of continuous use. The Android – – Tablet comes with a MediaTek MT 8768 E, which is usually found in entry-level devices. The 64 GByte memory can be expanded. The market launch is announced for April, TCL calls for the device 140 Euro.
Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Pro 7 Plus, an upgraded version of the Surface Pro 7 intended for business customers (and perhaps education). The tablet has been upgraded to 11th Gen Intel Core processors, has a larger battery and, perhaps most surprisingly, a removable SSD. The design is otherwise largely the same on the outside.
It will start at $899 with an Intel Core i3-1115G4 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD for $899.99. If you want LTE, the entry option is with a Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD. Bumping up to a Core i5, 16GB of RAM and 256GB SSD brings you to $1,649.99, while the top-end version with a Core i7-1165G7, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD is $2.799.99. Of course, the Type Cover is sold separately no matter which option you pick. It will begin shipping by the end of the week.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
The SSD, however, is removable, like it is on the Surface Pro X and Surface Laptop 3, which should be a boon for IT departments looking to replace drives for repairs or simply to add more storage for users that need it (the Surface 7 Pro Plus is using an m.2 2230 SSD, which is slowly becoming more popular).
But much of it is the same, including the 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1824 display (and the thick bezels around it) as well as the port selection. On the Wi-Fi model, there is still a microSD card beneath the kickstand, though on LTE versions that is replaced with a nano SIM slot.
One difference is in weight, however, as Microsoft claims it’s 23% lighter than the previous generation of machines.
The battery appears to be larger, with Microsoft rating it at 15 hours on Wi-Fi or 13.5 hours on LTE, up from 10.5 hours on Wi-Fi on the regular Surface Pro 7.
It’s unclear if the Surface 7 Pro Plus will become available for non-business or education users, as LTE and 11th Gen will likely tempt some people
This is a announcement from Microsoft, which doesn’t announce its own hardware around the CES 2021 timeframe. Additionally, Microsoft announced that its 85-inch Surface Hub 2S will begin shipping out in select markets later this month.
Jabra’s Elite 85T true wireless earbuds, which we called its “best earbuds yet” when we reviewed them last year, are getting four new color variants. Alongside the preexisting titanium / black color scheme, the earbuds will soon be available in gold / beige, copper / black, black, and gray.
Outside of the new colors, the new Jabra Elite 85T earbuds are functionally identical to what we reviewed last year. That means they should offer a comfortable fit paired with good noise cancellation and excellent controls. They’re also able to connect to two sources at once, which is handy if you get a phone call while you’re listening to music on a laptop.
That’s not to say we didn’t have our reservations about the earbuds, which you can read about in our full review. Otherwise, the new colors will be available starting today from Jabra’s website for $229 (£219.99 / €229).
Microsoft is updating its Surface Pro line today with a refreshed Surface Pro 7 Plus model that is only available to businesses and schools. While the design and screen on the outside remain the same as the Surface Pro 7, Microsoft has overhauled the internals of the device to make way for Intel’s latest 11th Gen processors, a bigger battery, removable SSD, and LTE connectivity.
This marks the return of LTE to the main Surface Pro line for the first time since 2015, but unfortunately there’s no 5G connectivity as Microsoft is using Qualcomm’s older Snapdragon X20 LTE modem inside the Surface Pro 7 Plus.
The Surface Pro 7 Plus has no external design changes.Image: Microsoft
A variety of models will be available, starting with the Intel Core i3 (1115G4) and ending with the Intel Core i7 (1165G7). Only the Intel Core i5 (1135G7) model will have optional LTE starting at $1,149, and the base Core i3 model ships with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for $899. The top Core i7 option ($2,799) can also be configured up to 32GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage.
Microsoft is now promising up to 15 hours of battery life on the Surface Pro 7 Plus, up from the 10.5 hours the company claims on the original Surface Pro 7. A small part of this battery life improvement will be thanks to the Intel 11th Gen chips, but it’s mostly down to a move from a battery capacity of 46.5Wh to 50.4Wh.
The Surface Pro 7 Plus also ships with the same 12.3-inch (2736 x 1824) PixelSense display found on the original Surface Pro 7, with a single USB-C port, a USB-A port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the Surface Connect port. The Wi-Fi-only models will include a MicroSDXC card reader, while the LTE models will replace this with a nano SIM. This does mean that the Surface Pro 7 Plus still doesn’t have Thunderbolt connectivity.
The removable SSD on the Surface Pro 7 Plus.Image: Microsoft
The Surface Pro 7 Plus has some bigger than normal internal changes overall, too. “We changed the inside quite substantially,” explains Robin Seiler, corporate vice president of program management for devices at Microsoft, in an interview with The Verge. “It actually required us to flip the internals in order for us to put the SSD here, so when we did that we also updated the TDM (Thermal Design Model) to create more space for a larger battery size.”
The removable SSD works just like it does on the Surface Pro X or Surface Laptop 3, allowing businesses to swap drives out for reparability.
So why no major redesign with thinner display bezels? Microsoft says it’s mostly for consistency because businesses want to standardize on Surface Pro configurations and form factors. “When you look at the Surface Pro X, which has the thinner bezels, there are pretty substantial changes in terms of port locations which is driven by those bezels,” says Seiler. “Thinning the bezels does require significant change in terms of form factor and compatibility with previous [models].”
The Surface Pro 7 Plus starts at $899.Image: Microsoft
This focus on businesses and LTE connectivity, at a time when home internet connections might not hold up to working from home demands, also explains why Microsoft didn’t opt for the Surface Pro 8 moniker and make this device available to consumers. “This is simply an extension of a commercially-focused line,” explains Seiler. “It was important for us to signal that this is an extension of Pro 7, for all of the customers who have standardized on that.”
Still, it’s disappointing that a refreshed model with Intel’s latest processors and LTE connectivity won’t be available directly to consumers. Microsoft won’t say if that will change any time soon, but it does feel like the company is trying to draw a line between the Surface Pro as business-focused and the Surface Go and Surface Pro X for consumers.
Microsoft is planning to start shipping the Surface Pro 7 Plus to customers on January 15th in the US, and it will also be available in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and a large number of European countries.
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