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Intel's Core M processors are being tested in phones
Intel's fresh-faced sixth-generation processors improve on pretty much all the important fronts: more power efficiency, more graphical oomph and that's especially true for its important Core M series that beats inside laptops and tablets. According to Kirk Skaugen, Intel's general manager, it's now making its way into even smaller devices, namely "phablets." (He said it, not us.) While the line between tablets and phones couldn't be blurrier these days, if Intel's Core M family of chips makes it into your next Android phone, it'd be powerful enough to do almost everything your laptop does. Check out all the news from Berlin at our IFA 2015 hub.
Intel's 'Skylake' CPU family includes an unlocked laptop chip
To say that Intel has been dragging out the launch of its Skylake-based processors would be an understatement when it didn't even reveal full details after it started shipping the first CPUs. Most of that secrecy is coming to an end today, however, as the semiconductor giant is officially launching the wider 6th-generation Core family. You'll soon see mainstream Core i3, i5 and i7 chips in desktops and laptops, as well as updated Core M processors in ultraportables, convertible PCs and tablets. As you'll see in a minute, though, this isn't just a straightforward refresh.
MacBook review: Apple reinvents the laptop again
For months, the internet was abuzz with two similar, and somewhat contradictory, Apple rumors. Depending on whom you believed, the famously secretive company was working on either a 12-inch "iPad Pro" or a Retina display MacBook Air. To date, neither of these products has materialized, but there's reason to believe that both rumors were actually pointing toward the new 12-inch MacBook. The laptop, which goes on sale tomorrow, is in many ways a traditional notebook, with an Intel processor, OS X and a unibody aluminum enclosure similar to what you'll find on the MacBook Air and Pro. At the same time, it takes some cues from the iPad, including space gray and gold color options, and a slim, fanless design that makes room for just one miniature USB port. With the lid shut, it looks at once like a tablet with a keyboard attached, as well as the two-pound computer that it actually is. It's the future of laptops, at least as Apple sees it, but it's also not without compromises: To build a machine this compact, the company had to reimagine everything from the keyboard to the trackpad to the components inside. And yes, the port selection, too. All that in the name of building the thinnest and lightest MacBook ever, not to mention the smallest one with a Retina display. In many ways, it's aimed at the same person the original Air was: a loyal Mac user who wants the most portable laptop that money can buy. But are you that person? And even if you are, is it worth the $1,299 asking price?
ASUS' super thin UX305 laptop will be a relative bargain in the US
We've already seen what Intel's Core M chips can do to a laptop -- all of the specimens we've seen have been impossibly skinny and lightweight. The problem is, that brand of thin-and-lightness doesn't come cheap: Samsung's new ATIV Book 9 starts at $1,200, for instance, while the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro is currently going for $1,299 and up. Leave it to a slightly lesser known brand, then, to shake things up. ASUS is about to start selling that skinny, 0.48-inch-thick Zenbook UX305 we saw last fall, and the price is actually quite reasonable, especially considering its specs more or less match the competition.
Dell's super-thin, depth-sensing tablet is available now for $400
Remember that 8-inch, super-high-res tablet Dell showed off back in September? You know, the one with the depth-sensing camera? It's OK if you don't, but really, you should give this a second look -- yes, even if you have tablet fatigue. Dell's Venue 8 7000 series goes on sale today, with a starting price of $400, and it's notable for not one, but several reasons. For starters, it's the first with Intel's RealSense camera setup, which in this case includes an 8-megapixel rear camera paired with two 720p ancillary ones. The three sensors work together to shoot different variations of a shot, each with a different area of focus. Basically, then, you can go in after the fact and either sharpen or soften the focus on any part of the photo -- yep, just like on a Lytro camera. Also, because these photographs are actually a composite of three different shots, you can easily apply effects to select parts of the picture. Think: sepia for just the bride and groom, with bright colors in the background. (Don't judge me for my tacky taste, OK?) Lastly, an over-the-air update in the coming months will allow you to actually measure items in the photo with an on-screen ruler.
This is Toshiba's answer to the Surface Pro 3
Until now, if you wanted a tablet powerful enough to double as a laptop, there was really only one acceptable option: the Surface Pro 3. Sure, there were other such devices out there, but the SP3 was uniquely thin and light -- kind of a crucial detail for a device that's supposed to work equally well in notebook and tablet modes. But times, they are a-changin', and other companies are starting to catch up. Take Toshiba, for instance. The PC maker just revealed the Portege Z20t, a similarly sized laptop/tablet hybrid with a 12.5-inch screen, but an even lighter design. All told, it comes in at just 0.35 inch thick and 1.6 pounds for the tablet piece, versus 1.76 pounds for the 12-inch SP3. Basically, then, it has the same size and thickness as Microsoft's tablet, except it should be even easier to hold.
Would you ditch your MacBook Air for this thinner Windows detachable?
"Our Chi is thinner than Air." That was how ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih opened his CES keynote today. If you're not following, what he meant was the super-slim ASUS Transformer Book T300 Chi that was teased at Computex. Well, the time has come. This 12.5-inch, all-aluminum convertible laptop is now confirmed to carry Intel's latest Broadwell Core M processor (the new 5Y71 or the already-available 5Y10) to enable its fanless design. And don't worry, it'll still have that sweet WQHD (2,560 x 1,440) IPS screen option on top of the 1080p base configuration, plus a 128GB iSSD to keep it running smoothly.
Samsung announces a curved-screen all-in-one and its thinnest laptop yet
We hope you like super skinny laptops, because you're going to be seeing a hell of a lot more of them in 2015. Samsung just took the veil off its new ATIV Book 9 Ultrabook, which comes in at just 0.45 inch thick and 2.09 pounds. That's insanely compact for a 12.2-inch machine and indeed, it's the thinnest and lightest notebook Samsung has released yet. (Given Sammy's history with razor-thin laptops, that's saying a lot.) Like so many other slim machines that have come out lately, the Book 9 uses one of Intel's new Core M processors, which were designed specifically to allow for skinnier designs.
Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro review: slim and sexy comes with some trade-offs
I haven't reviewed an Ultrabook in months. It's not because I've grown lazy; it's because there just haven't been many new models to test. Nearly every laptop that crosses Engadget's reviews desk these days is a gaming notebook, a Chromebook or maybe one of those super-cheap netbook things. So here I am, dusting off my Ultrabook-testing skills with the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, the company's latest flagship laptop. Like every Yoga that's come before it, this new model has a 360-degree hinge that allows it to fold back into tablet mode. It also keeps that stunning 3,200 x 1,800 touchscreen. But that's not what's interesting to me. No, I'm curious about this because it's the first notebook I'm testing with a new Intel Core M chip, which allows the Yoga 3 Pro to be 17 percent thinner than its predecessor, not to mention 15 percent lighter. As a result of moving to a lower-powered chip, the battery life should be better too. Sounds like a recipe for an all-around better Ultrabook, right?
Acer's 12-inch Switch tablet is five devices in one
Thought Acer's Aspire Switch 10 tablet was a true jack-of-all-trades? It's already outclassed. The PC maker has officially revealed the Aspire Switch 12, a 12.5-inch sibling that's a little more flexible. On top of the tablet, laptop, display (screen facing out) and tent (upside-down) modes from before, the new Windows slate adds a fifth desktop mode where the keyboard is detached. Yes, if you don't mind the small screen and keyboard, this latest Switch can do its best impression of an all-in-one.
Intel's Core M chips will boost PC battery life by nearly two hours
Indisputably, the star of this year's IFA show is going to be wearables: round ones, flashy ones, head-covering ones. After that, though, you're also going to see a lot of super-thin tablets and 2-in-1 PCs, many of them made possible by Intel's new low-power Core M chips. Intel first teased these processors earlier in the summer, in the form of a 7.2mm-thick tablet that was even thinner than the iPad Air. Now many such systems are about to go on sale, which means it's time for Intel to fully explain what these new chips are capable of.
HP unveils souped-up Chromebooks and a wider range of detachable tablets
HP definitely isn't showing up to IFA empty-handed. To start, it's greatly expanding its line of detachable Windows tablets beyond the middle-of-the-road Split x2. The star of the show is undoubtedly a revival of the Envy x2 line. It's much more powerful this time around -- the tablet is using Intel's fast-yet-efficient Core M processor instead of an Atom chip, and it now comes with a much larger 13.3- or 15.6-inch screen. HP has also switched from a (relatively) conventional laptop design to a fabric-wrapped Bluetooth keyboard that's supposed to be more flexible. Be prepared to pay for all these upgrades, though. The 15.6-inch Envy will cost $950 when it reaches the US on November 5th, and its 13.3-inch counterpart hits October 29th for $1,050.
ASUS' slim metallic Zenbook gets a super sharp 13.3-inch screen
ASUS' Zenbook UX301 was already rather impressive with its glass-covered body and 2,560 x 1,440 touchscreen, but its record has just been broken by yet another Zenbook. Announced at IFA today, the new UX305 is a gorgeous all-aluminum Ultrabook that packs an insanely sharp 13.3-inch 3,200 x 1,800 (276 ppi) display (as used by the bulkier UX303LN), and at just 12.3mm thick, it's certainly the world's slimmest laptop to carry this class of screen resolution. The trade-off here is that this isn't a touchscreen, but the 1.2kg weight does beat the 1.35kg 13-inch MacBook Air. Much like the rest of the Zenbook series, the UX305 is also quite the looker with its diamond-cut highlights plus signature spun-metal finish in either "Obsidian Stone" or "Ceramic Alloy" color option. Little else about this laptop has been mentioned so far: All we know is that it'll pack an Intel Core M processor, 10 hours of battery life and a choice of 128GB/256GB SSDs. We'll get back to you guys when we hear more later this year.
Intel's super-thin 'Core M' tablets will be cheaper than you think
It's OK if you're not a chip geek: All you need to know is that Intel's 7.2mm-thick reference PC was the most important thing we saw this week at Computex. Designed for 2-in-1s, the company's Core M-series processors will usher in full-fledged computers that are even skinnier than the iPad Air. Exciting, right? Seriously -- and maybe you just have to see for yourself -- these things are impressive. Futuristic, even. Given that, then, we would have assumed they'd hit the market later this year with steep prices in tow. After all, aren't we used to paying a premium for thin?
