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Surface Pro 7 bundle will save you over $250
Microsoft is offering the Surface Pro 7, bundled with its Type Cover, for $799. Usually, that combo costs $1,060, so with this deal, you're saving $260. When the Surface Pro 7 came out last fall, we gave it a score of 82 for its solid performance and build, as well as its Type Cover, which is one of the best keyboard covers you can get for a 2-in-1 device. The real selling point is the USB-C port. If you've been considering an upgrade to the new port, it might be worth snagging this discount.
Apple is reportedly aware of flaky Personal Hotspots in iOS 13
Apple hasn't entirely escaped the flurry of iOS 13 glitches, it seems. MacRumors has reportedly obtained support documents acknowledging ongoing connection problems with the Personal Hotspot feature in iOS 13 and its iPadOS 13 counterpart. Affected users either disconnect frequently or can't connect at all -- a significant problem if you're counting on your device's hotspot as a backup connection. It's not certain just when the issue first manifested, although iPhone and iPad users have reported issues as far back as iOS 13.1.2.
Apple shows a White House coronavirus PSA to App Store users
Tech giants have been displaying prominent coronavirus alerts in various places, but Apple is stepping things up with its latest addition. Users have noticed that Apple is now displaying a White House public service announcement at the top of the App Store for US customers. Tap it and White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci offers guidance on the "dos and don'ts" of social distancing
Logitech's latest iPad keyboard cases add trackpads to non-Pro tablets
If you turned pale at the thought of paying close to $1,000 to get the new iPad Pro and its trackpad-equipped keyboard cover, don't worry -- there will be a much more affordable alternative. Logitech has introduced a $150 Combo Touch keyboard case for the 2019 iPad, 2019 iPad Air and 2017 iPad Pro that includes a trackpad to take advantage of iPadOS 13.4's imminent mouse support. They all attach using Apple's Smart Connector and offer many perks similar to Apple's Magic Keyboard, including backlit keys and trackpad gestures.
Apple's updated iPad Pro has depth-aware cameras and trackpad support
Apple was clearly gearing up for an imminent launch when it inadvertently listed new tablets. Right on cue, the company has introduced updated versions of the iPad Pro -- and it won't surprise you to hear that the cameras play a major role like they do on the iPhone 11. The 11- and 12.9-inch tablets now have a secondary, ultra-wide 10-megapixel rear camera and, for the first time on any Apple device, a LiDAR scanner that lets them measure the distance for objects up to 16.4 feet away, improving augmented reality features like object placement, motion capture and occluding people in a scene. Thankfully, ARKit apps don't need any updates for the faster and more accurate technology.
Apple accidentally listed four new iPad Pro models on its website
An iPad Pro refresh could be imminent if what appears to be an accidental leak on Apple's part is any indication. Over on its Chinese website, the company temporarily listed four new iPad Pro models in a support document. Canadian Apple blog iPhone in Canada was the first website to spot and screenshot the manual before Apple updated it to remove any references to the new tablets.
Grab Amazon's Fire HD 8 tablet for $50 today
As part of its latest deal of the day, Amazon has discounted the Fire HD 8, pushing the already affordable tablet into impulse purchase territory. At the moment, the usually $80 16GB model is $50, matching its Black Friday price. The 32GB model is also on sale, for $70. That said, you can get away with the 16GB model since the Fire HD 8 includes a microSD slot, allowing you to add up to 400GB of additional storage to the tablet. One thing to keep in mind is that the $50 tablet includes lock-screen ads. If you don't want to deal with those, you'll need to spend a bit more to get the ad-free version -- tap the "Without Special Offers" button on the product page.
The latest iPad mini returns to its lowest price ever at $350
Amazon and Best Buy are offering a significant discount on the iPad mini 5 today. Both are selling the tablet for $350 for the 64GB WiFi model. While we've seen this price before (Amazon had it at $350 for a week or so last month), it's the lowest Amazon has ever listed the tablet, and it usually doesn't last long. Typically, the price tends to hover between $385 and $400.
Samsung may introduce a Lite version of the Galaxy Tab S6
Samsung might not save its Lite label for budget versions of its Galaxy flagships. Android Headlines has shared what it says are leaked details of the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, a cut-down version of last year's high-end tablet. It'll reportedly resemble the original Tab S6 in shape and possibly size, but switch to decidedly mid-range specs with an Exynos 9611 chip (likely a Snapdragon 600-series in the US), 4GB of RAM and 64GB to 128GB of storage. The biggest change, however, might be the S Pen. The stylus in the leaked picture is too big to be tucked into the tablet itself -- this is clearly something you'd charge separately, and might be strictly optional.
Amazon's Fire tablets for kids are back to their lowest-ever pricing
Now might be a good time to go shopping if you're looking for a tablet to keep your kids entertained and educated. Amazon has dropped the prices on its Kids Edition tablets to Black Friday levels, making them tempting options if you're looking for a basic but child-friendly slate. The entry Fire 7 Kids Edition represents the biggest bargain, dropping from its usual $100 to a more appealing $60. The Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is still a good deal, though, falling from $130 to $80. And if you want the largest model possible, you can save $50 on the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition and pick one up for $150. Similar deals exist for two-packs if there's more than one tyke in your household.
Save $50 on Brydge's excellent iPad Pro keyboards
One of iPad Pro's better third-party keyboard options, the Brydge Pro, is currently on sale. Wellbots has discounted both 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions of the accessory. After a $50 price cut, they're $99 and $119 respectively. As a bonus, if you live outside of New York State, there's no tax.
Apple's latest iPad mini is down to an all-time low of $350 at Amazon
Like the idea of Apple's small-but-speedy iPad mini, but don't want to pay a $70 premium over the usual price of the larger entry-level iPad? You might not have to. Amazon is running a sale that lops $49 off the price of the iPad mini, bringing it to a new low price (for the store) of $350 for the 64GB WiFi model. You'll see a comparable discount on the 256GB model, too, although the deals aren't nearly as sweet for cellular buyers (just $34 off the 256GB variant).
Apple, Amazon were rare bright spots in a shrinking tablet market
The tablet market was fairly bleak in 2019, it seems. IDC analysts have estimated that tablet shipments dropped 1.5 percent in 2019 compared to a year earlier, with some brands taking a significant hit. The lone bright spots were Apple and Amazon, whose market shares jumped to 34.6 percent and 9 percent respectively on the back of stronger shipments. Even heavyweights like Samsung, Huawei and Lenovo saw their share and shipments drop.
Samsung's first 5G tablet goes on sale in South Korea
Samsung has followed through on its plans to release a 5G tablet, and... it's exactly what you'd expect. The tech giant has introduced a Galaxy Tab S6 5G in South Korea that really is just the standard Galaxy Tab S6 with a 5G modem (the Snapdragon X50, if you're curious) thrown in. You'll still find a Snapdragon 855 chip, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 10.5-inch AMOLED screen alongside features like the S Pen, the DeX desktop and Dolby Atmos-capable speakers. It's just that you now have an extra-fast data link for everything from live 4K broadcasts to "massive streaming games."
Apple's latest iPad is back down to $250 in Amazon's tablet sale
Amazon has slashed prices across Apple's range of iPads, and there are savings to be had whatever model you might be in the market for. The $250 10.2 inch 32GB deal is back again -- great for people on a budget. It's not the lowest price ever, but a saving of $79 off the usual list price is not to be sneezed at.
Amazon offers Black Friday pricing on most Fire tablets
Don't fret if you wanted a basic tablet but missed out on holiday sales. Amazon is running a limited-time sale that has dropped prices on most of its current Fire tablets to Black Friday levels. The Fire HD 8 has dropped from its usual $80 down to $50, while the flagship Fire HD 10 has dipped from $150 to an easier-to-handle $100. You can also get the Fire 7 Kids Edition for $60 (normally $100), its Fire HD 8 equivalent for $80 (usually $130) and the kid-ready Fire HD 10 for $150 (typically $200). The regular Fire 7 slate isn't discounted as steeply, although it's still on sale at $35.
CES 2020 recap: Day three
CES 2020 isn't a PC show per se, but recently manufacturers have used it to show off their most out-there prototypes. Take Intel's Horseshoe Bend, a 17-inch PC that's entirely covered by a flexible display to show off the potential of huge foldable devices. Dell, meanwhile, took another approach with the Concept Duet laptop that has two screens rather than one big flexible display. Just to show that it can do folding too, Dell also unveiled the Concept Ori tablet that supersizes bendy smartphones to tablet size. Lenovo went the farthest, however, with its ThinkPad X1 Fold, a folding tablet that it actually plans to sell. All of this shows that manufacturers are trying to make bendable devices happen, even if consumers aren't sure yet. For more, follow along with Engadget's complete CES 2020 coverage.
Wacom’s $400 One display is perfect for amateurs
If there's one problem with Wacom's drawing displays, it's that you can't really buy one if you're just a hobbyist. After all, their price and complexity means that if you own one, you're either a professional designer, or aspire to becoming one soon. That's why Wacom has, perhaps a little belatedly, developed a $400 drawing tablet-cum-secondary display that really is for the rest of us.
Wacom's $400 One puts pen displays within reach of budding artists
You've had fairly limited options if you wanted a Wacom tablet for relatively little cash -- either buy a standard drawing surface and look at a separate display, or pay a premium for a Cintiq pen display. There might just be a happy middle ground, though. The company has introduced a Wacom One display that lets you draw directly on a screen for $400 -- still not trivial, but better than the $650-plus you had to pay before. The 13-inch, 1080p display isn't the most accurate with 72 percent of the NTSC color gamut (its 26ms response time doesn't help either), but you can still use the battery-free pen to sketch with 4,096 pressure levels and a tilt of up to 60 degrees. It's also relatively portable, with foldable legs that help you set up shop wherever you'd care to create.
Save $30 on the Apple Pencil from Amazon and Best Buy
If you were lucky enough to get an iPad Pro this Christmas and want to use your new Apple tablet to its fullest, both Amazon and Best Buy have discounted the second-generation Apple Pencil by $30, making it $99. According to price tracker Camelcamelcamel, $99 is the cheapest Amazon has sold the stylus for. With how infrequently Apple products go on sale, now is the time to buy the accessory if you want it and have the cash to spare.
