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BMW reveals its gorgeous convertible 8 Series
It's been nearly 20 years since the American market has had access to one of BMW's Grand Touring 8-series, but that wait is now nearly over. At the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show on Wednesday, BMW finally lifted the veil (quite literally) on the new convertible iteration of the 850i xDrive.
HP's latest Spectre x360 laptops boast up to a 22-hour battery
HP is once again tweaking its Spectre x360 convertible laptops, but this time the changes promise to be more tangible. The new Spectre x360 13 and 15 boast common functional upgrades, such as a dual-chamfered design (it's now easier to lift the lid) and a privacy kill switch that electrically disables the webcam. However, the star of the show is undoubtedly the 13-inch model. It now boasts a whopping 22.5-hour peak battery life -- while it's likely to fall short of that figure in the real world, the 37 percent improvement over the previous generation is still huge. There's optional "gigabit-class" LTE on the 13-inch system, too.
Microsoft's Surface Pro 6 puts quad-core CPU power in a thin tablet
While the Surface line has been a leader in the convertible device market, competition is coming from all angles, including Lenovo's Yoga line, Apple's iPad Pro and even the leather HP Spectre Folio that was just unveiled. Last year's Surface Pro brought refinement to Microsoft's top-of-the-line convertible device, while staying incredibly light with great battery life. Now it's time for a refresh and the Surface Pro 6 comes with updated 8th generation Intel Core CPUs combined with up to 16GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD all wrapped in black, blue, red or "platinum" grey. As shown by the leak earlier, it's sticking with same charging connector and USB 3.0 ports (no USB-C here). The design hasn't changed much, keeping that ubiquitous hinge and Surface Pen close by, and it's sticking to a 3:2 aspect ratio that helps maintain usefulness as a tablet. The 2,736 x 1,824 12.3-inch display is improved, at 267ppi and -- according to Panos Panay -- the best contrast ratio they've ever achieved. There's also an 8.0MP HD rear-facing camera to go with its 5MP / 1080p front-facing camera used for Windows Hello and video calls.
HP made a laptop out of leather
What's more luxurious than a MacBook-esque metal laptop case? How about one that's made out of leather. That's what HP is betting on with the Spectre Folio, its latest slim convertible. I'm not just talking about a simple leather sleeve, or a bit of cow-hide pasted atop a traditional laptop case. The Spectre Folio is something entirely new. Like the ultra-thin, jewelry-inspired Spectre 13.3 before it, the Folio is HP's latest attempt at pushing notebook designs forward.
Lenovo's new Yoga Book replaces the keyboard with an e-ink screen
Last year, Lenovo surprised us with a novel concept. What if there was a laptop the size of a tablet with a touch-sensitive surface in place of a keyboard? That notion birthed the Yoga Book, a tablet-digitizer hybrid that had a 10-inch display on one side and a smooth, flat surface facing it. Long story short, we were excited about the premise, but ultimately disappointed by the terrible typing experience on what the company called its Halo keyboard.
ASUS' new ZenBooks have the thin bezels that 2018 demands
It wasn't all that long ago when ASUS brought out the oddly refreshing ZenBook Pro and the superslim ZenBook S, but the company hasn't forgotten its slightly more affordable offerings. For IFA this year, ASUS has updated its original ZenBook line with not only Intel's new Whiskey Lake U-series processors, but also a new four-sided, nearly frameless design with up to 95 percent screen-to-body ratio. And that's not all; ASUS still manages to tuck a 3D infrared HD camera into the top bezel, as opposed to making do with an ordinary camera farther down the body that's usually to blame for some not-so-flattering nostril shots.
Snapdragon-based Chromebook could rival always-connected PCs
You don't have great choices for non-Intel processors on Chromebooks at the moment -- the Rockchip-made parts you often see in low-end systems keep costs down, but they struggle with intensive tasks. That might not be an issue in the future. About Chromebooks has discovered multiple code submissions hinting at "Cheza," a 2-in-1 detachable Chromebook that would use a Snapdragon 845 processor. While there are only so many clues you can obtain from code, this wouldn't be an entry-level device. The unit in testing is using a 2,560 x 1,440 display, and it's expected to have two USB-C ports. And since it's a Snapdragon 845, that would mean having a built-in gigabit-class LTE modem that could offer always-on access (rather important for an internet-centric device like a Chromebook, we'd say).
I wish I could buy Intel's cute little E Ink dual-screen PC
Computex 2018 has been full of surprises. In addition to the usual array of processor news, updated laptops and fresh gaming hardware, we saw companies like ASUS and Lenovo show off intriguing dual-screen devices as well. Both those companies worked with Intel on their products -- Project Precog and the next-generation Yoga Book respectively, but the chip maker had its own concept to show off too. At its open house here in Taipei, Intel shared demos of a 7.9-inch dual-screen PC codenamed Tiger Rapids, and I'm having trouble hiding my enthusiasm.
HP's Chromebook x2 is a detachable tablet too
HP is joining Acer in making Chrome OS devices that can do away with the keyboard. It just unveiled the Chromebook x2, a 12.3-inch laptop that's really a detachable tablet -- unlike the earlier Chromebook x360, you can leave the keyboard behind instead of merely flipping it behind the screen (though you can do that too). There's an included pen for note-taking and sketching, and you'll find a 13-megapixel rear camera on top of a more conventional 5-megapixel front shooter.
Intel's PC concept 'hides' a 5G antenna in a plump kickstand
MWC 2018 has been gripped with 5G fever, even more intensely than in years past. Intel has gone all out for the show this year, with display upon display of 5G demos dominating its booth. One of the new proofs of concept from the chip maker is a detachable PC streaming a 4K video over a test 5G connection using an early modem. Intel also announced a partnership with Dell, Lenovo, HP and Microsoft to bring 5G-connected PCs with XMM 8000 series modems to market in the second half of 2019.
Lenovo's Yoga 730 is a cheaper 2-in-1 with Alexa support
Mobile World Congress, for obvious reasons, isn't really known for its laptop announcements. Lenovo is bucking that trend today, however, with three mid-range convertibles sporting the Yoga name. The most exciting is the Yoga 730, a sleek 2-in-1 that sits below the company's flagship Thinkpad X1 line and the popular Yoga 920. It will be available in 13- and 15-inch variations, sporting similar designs but slightly different upgrade options. They'll be joined by the Flex 14 (which will be marketed as the Yoga 530 outside of North America) a cheaper alternative with a near-identical form factor.
Google is testing a splitscreen view for Android apps on Chromebooks
The latest update to Chrome OS' Canary test channel should make multitasking on a Chromebook easier. Now, in addition to split-screening two native Chrome OS apps on your machine, you can run a Chrome OS app and an Android app side-by-side or two Android apps. It should be mentioned that Canary is pre-alpha software and isn't exactly stable, as 9to5 Google notes, so maybe don't try this out on your daily driver. This could be a sign that Chrome OS tablets and Chromebooks with detachable screens are en route. The video below from Chrome Unboxed, however, shows the feature running on a Samsung Chromebook Pro which suggests it'll work on existing convertibles too.
Microsoft's 15-inch Surface Book 2 comes to 17 new countries
Microsoft first launched the Surface Book 2 in November, but so far, both the 13- and 15-inch variants have only been available in the US. That's about to change, however, as the 15-inch model is now on pre-order in Australia, Canada, France, German, the UK and other European nations where, until now, only the 13-inch model was sold. On top of that, starting in February, Microsoft will release both Surface Book 2 models in places where it has yet to go on sale, including China, India, Italy, Qatar and other parts of Asia and the Middle East.
Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 hands-on: A sleek showcase of firsts
Last CES, Dell unveiled its first XPS convertible -- the XPS 13 2-in-1. This year, the company is expanding its hybrid lineup. In addition to being the first convertible of its size for the series, the new XPS 15 2-in-1 is also one of the first laptops to pack Intel's Core processor with Radeon graphics. That chipset was teased in November, and incorporates an AMD Radeon GPU with dedicated RAM and Intel's CPU, allowing for smaller motherboards and thinner devices overall.
Samsung gives the 13-inch Notebook 7 Spin a few modest updates
Well, Samsung seems hell-bent on revealing all its new laptops before CES even starts. First there was the trio of Notebook 9 models announced last month, and now the company is talking up a new version of its Notebook 7 Spin. For those not aware, the original 13.3-inch Spin debuted in 2016 as a relatively inexpensive laptop that turned into a slightly unwieldy tablet, and this refreshed version doesn't stray far from Samsung's original formula.
Eve V review: The wisdom of the crowd mostly pays off
If you've never heard of Eve, I like to think of it as the OnePlus of computers: By ditching middlemen, this 11-person startup found a way to build and sell premium computers at a significant discount. The difference is, the people in charge didn't draw up a list of specs and start churning out machines. Instead, they left just about every important design and component decision to a coalition of over 1,000 community members. When I first heard about the project earlier this year, I was skeptical -- how good can a crowd-sourced computer be when this many people are involved? Well, it's time for me to eat crow. Though it's not perfect, the Eve V is a surprisingly worthy Surface Pro competitor, especially for a first-gen product.
AMD and Qualcomm join forces to power higher-end connected PCs
Qualcomm may have found a worthy ally in its quest to take on the PC market. After unveiling a new stable of Snapdragon 835-powered "Always Connected" PCs from HP and ASUS, the chip-maker revealed a surprise partner: AMD. The two companies are teaming up to make Always Connected PCs on AMD's "Ryzen" mobile platform while using Snapdragon LTE modems to enable gigabit connection speeds. On gigabit LTE, you could potentially download a feature-length movie over cellular data in less than 30 seconds.
HP and ASUS unveil Snapdragon-powered laptops
Since teasing us with a preview of what Windows on Snapdragon will look like at Computex this year, Qualcomm and its partners are ready to reveal actual devices. Today, at Qualcomm's second annual tech summit, we saw the HP Envy x2 and the ASUS NovaGo -- two of the "Always Connected PCs" that Microsoft has talked about since last year. In fact, the ASUS is calling the NovaGo the first Gigabit LTE laptop, since it uses the Snapdragon chipset that enables those speeds.
Surface Book 2 can’t stay charged during gaming sessions
The Surface Book 2 is aimed at graphic pros, but with a stout NVIDIA 1060 GPU, it's a tempting gaming machine, too. As we observed during our review, gaming drains the battery pretty fast, though. Worse, The Verge noticed that the power supply can't actually charge the battery fast enough to prevent it from draining in some cases. A Microsoft spokesman has confirmed to The Verge that "in some intense, prolonged gaming scenarios with Power Mode Slider set to 'best performance' the battery may discharge while connected to the power supply."
HP's rugged Chromebook x360 convertible is available to all
If you saw HP's Chromebook x360 and yearned for the day when you didn't have to be a student to try it, you now have your chance. HP has made the 11-inch convertible Chrome OS machine available to everyone, with a starting price of $300 in the US for a system with a 1.1GHz Celeron, 4GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. You can spring for 32GB of storage if you depend heavily on Android apps or don't quite store as much in the cloud as Google might like.
