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Apple fans weigh in with their Watch Series 5 reviews
Do the incremental upgrades to Apple's fifth-generation smartwatch make it a worthwhile purchase for users? Our readers weigh in.
Apple Watch Series 3 discounted to its lowest ever price on Amazon
The apple Watch Series 3 is a solid smartwatch now on offer for a lower price.
Save $100 on the Apple Watch Series 5 at Amazon
Both the GPS and cellular versions of the Apple Watch Series 5 are on sale on Amazon today.
Is there a good reason to buy the Apple Watch Series 5?
Share your review of Apple's most recent smartwatch.
Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops to $250 at Best Buy
Best Buy is discounting a bunch of Apple gear in a new shopping event, including the 10.2-inch iPad.
Apple Watch Series 5 cellular models are $100 off
When it comes to fitness wearables, it's hard to do better than the Apple Watch Series 5, especially when both the 40mm and 40mm models are $100 off.
Save $50 on the latest Apple Watch at Best Buy
The latest Apple Watch, the Series 5, is on sale at Best Buy today. Apple debuted the Series 5 in September, and we gave it a score of 88. At first glance, it looks nearly identical to the Series 4, but it has a couple features the previous Apple Watch models didn’t, including an always-on display, built-in compass and international emergency calling.
Apple Watch Series 5 review: The best smartwatch gets (slightly) better
Unboxing the Apple Watch Series 5 last week was an anticlimactic experience. The day the device arrived for review, I unfastened last year's Series 4, with its 40mm gold aluminum case and pale pink sports band. I put on the new watch, also with a 40mm gold case and pink silicone strap. The new Series 5 ($399 and up) looks identical to the model it replaces -- so much so that it wasn't until I turned the device on that I felt I had a new toy in hand. This is a minor product update, one that should leave recent Apple Watch buyers feeling secure in their decision to purchase when they did. But this review isn't for people who already own a watch. Roughly 75 percent of people who buy an Apple Watch are doing so for the first time, according to Apple. For those of you who were already thinking about buying your first smartwatch, you can take some comfort knowing the Series 5 is just as good as the Series 4 you've been reading about, if not a little better.
Apple Watch Series 5 first look
Apple just unveiled the newest Apple Watch (we're up to the Series 5 now) and -- I mean this in the nicest way -- but there isn't much to see. Whereas last year's model, the Series 4, ushered in a new, larger screen and a built-in electrocardiogram test, the differences in the Series 5 are difficult to notice at a glance. Chief among them: an always-on display that's constantly visible at dim brightness, but that wakes up to a fuller brightness when you tap it.
Apple Watch Series 5 features an always-on display
It's been five years (and one day) since the announcement of the first Apple Watch, and plenty has happened since then. The device started out as an iPhone accessory, but quickly grew to swallow the wearables industry wholesale. Now, it's time to say hello to the Apple Watch Series 5 which, for the first time, ships with an always-on display.
Samsung Series 5 Slate reaches out and touches the FCC
Samsung has just days to go before the Series 5 Slate (and ATIV Smart PC) arrives hand-in-hand with the official launch of Windows 8, so we're surprised that it's been waiting so long to clear the usual regulatory hurdles in the US. Just in the nick of time, though, the 11-inch tablet has passed by the FCC for approval. There's no hidden surprises to go with the testing -- this is the regular Series 5 with Bluetooth and dual-band WiFi, but no visible NFC or the AT&T model's LTE. As such, we're more curious about when Samsung's Series 7 Slate and Series 5 Ultra Touch reach the FCC's doors. They'll likely arrive soon, but any significant delay could put them on the sidelines for Microsoft's big moment.
Samsung announces Series 5 and Series 7 Windows 8 tablets with S Pen apps, optional keyboards
Samsung already showed off its Series 5 Hybrid back at Computex, but what we didn't know was that Sammy had yet another tablet / laptop mash-up in the works. The company just formally announced the Series 5 and it turns out it's going to be joined by the next-gen Series 7 Slate as well. (Also known as the ATIV tabs in regions outside the US.) The two 11-inch tablets more or less look alike, except the Series 5 is powered by an Atom-based Clover Trail processor, while the Series 7 packs Core i5 guts. Both support pen input, and will come with the same S Pen apps found on the Galaxy Note 10.1. As for that optional keyboard dock, Samsung previously touted its magnetic hinge, but the dock has since been retooled with a sturdier latch-based mechanism. (Check out the video below to see it in action -- the tablet really does seem incapable of falling out.) As you can imagine, that difference in processor entails more than just different clock speeds. The two-watt Atom chip inside the Series 5 is rated for about nine hours of battery life, whereas the Core i5-powered Series 7 is expected to last between four and five hours on a charge. (The Series 5 is lighter, too, at 1.65 pounds, compared with 1.89 for the Series 7.) And, being a lower-powered device, the Series 5 has no vents. Last major difference: the Series 7 has a 1080p screen, while the Series 5's resolution tops out at 1,366 x 768. On the software side, Samsung is loading all of its Win 8 systems with its various Media Hubs -- yes, just like the ones you'll find on the company's Android devices. You'll also find AllShare, a DLNA media-sharing app; S-Launcher, a widget that replicates the missing Start Menu in Windows 8; and eSettings, a centralized options menu for folks who maybe haven't learned where all the settings are in Win 8. As for those S Pen applications, you've got S Note, among other carry-overs from the Android side. As with the Note 10.1, the pen itself can recognize 1,024 degrees of pressure sensitivity. Both tablets will arrive October 26th, the day Windows 8 starts shipping. The Series 7 will be available in one $1,119 configuration with 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and the keyboard. The Series 5, meanwhile, will cost $649, and will include 2GB of RAM and a 64GB solid-state drive. If you like, you can purchase the keyboard for $100, or you can buy the two as a bundle for $749. We'll be back with reviews in October but until then, check out our walk-through below. (Note: we didn't get a chance to play with AllShare, the S Pen apps or the Hubs, but hopefully we can give you a more detailed demo of the software soon.)%Gallery-163062%%Gallery-163331%
Google sends Chromebooks to some Best Buy and Dixons stores, starting today
Google is getting serious about spreading the reach of Chromebooks. At its day two I/O keynote, it just revealed that the Chrome OS laptops are in 100 Best Buy retail stores across the US, effective today. British stores are getting a similar amount of care with a Chromebook presence in Dixons stores throughout the UK. We're still waiting on more details, such as which models will grace shelves, but there's good reason to suspect that Samsung's Series 5 550 will be front and center. If you haven't had the chance to make it out to a library or a cross-country flight to try a Chromebook for yourself, all you'll have to do now is swing by the local electronics shop to give that cloud computer a real shakedown. Check out our full coverage of Google I/O 2012's developer conference at our event hub!
Samsung refreshes Series 5 laptops with AMD Trinity processors
We recently got a look at Samsung's new Ivy Bridge-enhanced Series 5 laptops, but it turns out that's not the only refresh the line has gotten this month. Samsung's also now rather quietly introduced a pair of new AMD-based models on its website, including an $850 14-inch version with a quad-core A10-4655M APU, and a $700 13.3-inch model with a quad-core A6-4455M (both otherwise known as Trinity processors). You'll also get an AMD Radeon HD 7500G GPU on the 13.3-incher (while the 14 relies on integrated graphics), but their specs remain pretty much in line with their Intel-based counterparts beyond that, including a standard 4GB RAM on both models and 500GB or 750GB hard drives. You can find the full rundown on each at the links below.
The Ultrabooks of Computex 2012
It was last year that Intel chose Computex, a computer tradeshow in Taiwan, to introduce its Ultrabook concept to the world. Twelve months later, 110-plus models are in the pipeline, which meant the Taipei Convention Center was overrun by skinny, lightweight laptops. Make that skinny, touch-enabled laptops. Between those new Ivy Bridge chips and Microsoft putting the finishing touches on Windows 8, this week's show was nothing if not a five-day-long wedding between two tech giants: almost every device on display here was a vehicle for showing off Microsoft's glossy new OS. At every turn, a celebration of touchscreen notebooks. With more than 30 hands-on posts this week, we can see where one Core i5 laptop might look like the next, or how you might have failed to keep up with Jonney Shih's rapid-fire product announcements. Now that we're wrapping up here in Taiwan, though, we're ready to take a step back and think about what it is we just saw. Whether you felt overwhelmed by our wall-to-wall coverage or just need to catch up, we suggest you meet us past the break for a quick recap of all the new Ultrabooks. Oh, and if you're in the market for a new laptop, you can check your trigger-happy finger at the door. With few exceptions, we're not expecting these to go on sale until the fall, when Windows 8 is expected to start shipping.
Samsung refreshes Series 9, 5 and 3 laptops, unveils two new Series 5 systems
We knew Series 9 laptops with Ivy Bridge weren't too far off when Samsung prematurely leaked the news on its own site. Well, if you've been patiently awaiting a refresh, your day has come: the company held a press event in New York City today where it showed off both the 13- and 15-inch models with Intel's third-generation Core processors in tow. Hardware-wise, there aren't many changes to what you saw on the earlier models, though Samsung added Bluetooth 4.0 support and shaved 0.1 inches off the silhouette. Along with the Series 9, Samsung's Series 5 laptops are getting new Ivy Bridge innards. The only changes besides the processor upgrade are Bluetooth 4.0 support and a USB 3.0 socket. And the low-end Series 3 isn't getting overlooked entirely either: the company is upgrading the line to dual-core Sandy Bridge CPUs (previous models ran Pentium units). But that's not all: on top of all those refreshes, the company has two new Series 5 machines. The Series 5 500 starts at $800 and offers a 14-inch 1366 x 768 display, 500GB of storage space and a third-gen Core i5 CPU. The 15.6-inch Series 5 costs $100 more and features a Core i7 Ivy Bridge processor along with a 750GB hard drive. Both models also include NVIDIA GeForce GT 630M graphics. Sammy says they will be up for order by mid-June. Dana Wollman contributed to this report.
Samsung demos Series 5 Ultra Touch and Series 5 Ultra Convertible Ultrabooks, we go hands-on
Well, look at what we have here! We just swung by Samsung's booth at Computex, and the outfit is showing off not one, but two touch-enabled variations of its Series 5 Ultrabooks. These include the Ultra Touch, a classic clamshell laptop, along with the Ultra Convertible, whose 13-inch display folds all the way back (not unlike the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga). Both devices are on their way stateside; it's just not clear when or how much they'll cost. Until then, we've got hands-on preview photos below, along with detailed impressions and a pair of walk-through videos. So join us, won't you?%Gallery-156971%%Gallery-156973%
Samsung teases Series 5 Hybrid PC, a Windows 8 tablet with magnetic keyboard dock and pen support
You wanted Windows 8 tablet / laptop mash-ups, you got 'em! On the heels of some rather inventive product launches from Acer and ASUS here at Computex, Samsung is teasing a Win8 device of its own, the Series 5 Hybrid PC. For now, Samsung's not sharing many technical details -- we don't even know the screen size! -- but the concept, at least, is self-explanatory: this is a Transformer-like tablet that slots into an accompanying keyboard dock. In an interesting twist, though, this device doesn't make use of your run-of-the-mill latch mechanism; instead, the slate attaches magnetically. The Hybrid is rated for 10 hours of battery life and has a pair of 2- and 8-megapixel cameras. It also supports pen input, and will come bundled with the same S-Pen and S-Memo software used on the Galaxy Note 10.1 (but modified for Windows, of course). This might be a good time to clarify that unlike the 10.1 (or any other Galaxy Tab, for that matter), this is not an ARM-based slate, but rather, an X86 PC. This means, of course, that it runs full Windows 8, and not just the RT version. As it happens, Engadget had the chance to check out a prototype in advance of the launch, and it was running a two-watt Intel Clover Trail CPU. At the time, a Samsung rep told us the company was considering an ultra low voltage notebook-grade processor. Other possible specs: a 1080p display option, with some lower, unspecified resolution offered as well. Lastly, the early model we saw had a USIM slot, a microSD reader and a Superspeed USB port. Keep in mind, though, that all these details are subject to change. Back when we got a sneak peek at the Hybrid, we handled a non-powered unit, and members of the press were not permitted to take photos or video that day. We can't speak to the software experience, then, but we did find the build quality to be solid. If the idea of a magnetic hinge gives you the willies, this one seemed quite sturdy -- we don't see the slate slipping out of its cradle without any effort on the part of the user. At 747 grams (1.65 pounds) and 9mm (0.35 inches) thick, it feels denser than similar-looking products like the ASUS Transformer Prime, but then again, this is a fully functioning PC. Though Samsung won't confirm the screen size, a quick once-over told us it measures between 10 and 11 inches diagonally, matching other Win8 tablets announced this week. For now, this blend of facts and educated guesses will have to suffice, but we'll naturally hit you back with more particulars as we hear them. Update: Samsung reps staffing the company's Computex booth confirmed that the screen measures 11 inches. Zach Honig contributed to this report.
14-inch Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook review (NP530U4B-A01U)
Samsung unveils 13- and 14-inch Series 5 Ultrabooks, starting at $899 (hands-on) Samsung unveils redesigned Series 5 laptops with 13- and 15-inch displays, starting at $1,399 Toshiba shows off 14-inch Ultrabook, we go hands-onPop quiz: which of the following is being marketed as an Ultrabook? Behind door number one, we have a 2.5-pound wisp of a laptop with a 13-inch screen, Core i5 CPU and 128GB SSD. Next up there's contestant number two, a 3.94-pound notebook with a 14-inch display, 500GB hard drive, and DVD burner. If you guessed the latter, well, congrats on reading that headline correctly, though we'd understand if you said that first option sounds like the Ultrabook.Indeed, Samsung's Series 5 Ultrabooks are a tad plumper than most, and look especially oversized next to the Series 9, that other ultraportable we've been describing. But it's not just Samsung using loose parameters to decide what counts as an Ultrabook. If Intel's own forecast is correct, half of the 75-plus models that go on sale this year will have 14- or 15-inch screens, and we've already seen a sampling of contenders from HP, Acer and Toshiba. The idea, say PC makers, is to lure in a more old-fashioned kind of customer, shoppers who aren't quite ready to ditch their DVD drive, and who aren't keen on stepping down to a too-small screen. At the same time, these laptops are thinner and lighter than similarly sized laptops, last longer on a charge and hold the promise of faster performance -- three reasons manufacturers can get away with charging more than they would for a plain 'ol laptop.In a nutshell, that's the value proposition behind the 14-inch Series 5, which costs $949 and comes bearing a Core i5 processor, 500GB hybrid hard drive and, of course, a DVD burner. But do the benefits of a bigger Ultrabook outweigh the annoyances? And how does it compare to regular 14-inch laptops that aren't classified as ultraportables (and that don't command the Ultrabook tax)? Let's find out.
Samsung unveils 13- and 14-inch Series 5 Ultrabooks, starting at $899 (hands-on)
Depending on your point of view, Samsung was either late to the Ultrabook party, or perhaps just a bit early. Although the 2.8-pound Series 9 was a sight to behold when it first came out last year, it arrived shortly before Intel kicked off its Ultrabook campaign, and failed to match all of Chipzilla's early-stage requirements. This year, Sammy's back with a redesigned Series 9... along with two laptops it's actually calling Ultrabooks. The notebooks, both of which fall under the company's Series 5 line of products, and which recently surfaced online, include your requisite 13-incher, along with a larger 14-inch model with an optical drive.Both machines will have Core i5 processors, 4GB of RAM, eight-hour batteries and Intel integrated graphics, along with the same matte, 300-nit (1366 x 768) display that we loved so much in the Series 5 Chromebook. And though the 13-incher will have a 128GB SSD option, each comes standard with a standard 500GB 5,400RPM drive with 16GB of express cache for faster boot times and application-launching. You may recall this feature from the Series 7 Chronos laptop, except this time around, Sammy doubled the amount of flash memory paired with the HDD.Another thing the two systems have in common: they're each denser than the early Ultrabooks we saw, with the 14-inch model coming in at 3.95 pounds, and the 13-incher tipping the scales at 3.5 pounds (a full fifth of a pound heavier than the HP Folio!). At least that girth comes with an unsparing port selection: Ethernet, HDMI, USB 3.0, two USB 2.0 sockets and an SD slot. And that's just the 13-inch version: its big brother adds an optical drive, VGA output and a larger memory card reader. The pair will be available January 30th, starting at $899 for the 13-inch model and $949 for the 14-inch version. (The 13-inch configuration with the 128GB SSD will ring in at $1,099.) We expect to get our hands on final review units soon enough, but since we've already scored a few minutes of hands-on time, we've got photos and first impressions for you to peruse right this second.
