Tablet

A new report from China reveals multiple details about the next iPad, tentatively called the iPad 9. The budget iPad is apparently due for release in Spring 2021, a release date that has been spoken of for the next iPad Pro. The iPad 9 will supposedly feature a larger display and an A13 Bionic chipset, but there is at least one disappointment in store.

Today (December 10, 2020) is a Thursday, which means GeForce NOW has new games to add to its library. NVIDIA has announced that Cyberpunk 2077 is one of them, which makes it a day-and-date release alongside other services such as the Epic Games Store. This streaming platform is also the official host of the Game Awards Festival.

A patent filed by Xiaomi has revealed a new rollable phone that is fitted with a retractable display. The user can operate the pull-out screen in the so-called Xiaomi Mi Alpha R to turn the smartphone into a tablet-like device. The patented smartphone borrows heavily from the design of the Mi Mix Alpha but with the addition of a rollable display.

No major external design facelifts are planned for these two models, but the spec updates should make for a decent upgrade. The Surface Pro 8 is getting Tiger Lake CPU options, while the Surface Laptop 4 is said to feature Tiger Lake, as well as new custom "Surface Edition" AMD Ryzen 4000 processors.

The start-up RollingSquare scored a major crowdfunding win with its original inCharge product, a miniature cable that clicks together with magnets to form a keychain for portability. Now, it is back with a new version, rated to deliver up to 100 watts (W) of power when connected to a compatible device.

Samsung has launched foldable smartphones that bend into clamshell or book shapes to date. However, its latest patents suggest that these almost-familiar form-factors are to become obsolete quite soon. They hint at new kinds of Galaxy Z Folds and Z Flips with at least 2 hinges each.

The Italian carrier TIM, Ericsson and Qualcomm have collaborated on a project to push millimeter-wave 5G reception beyond its current limits. This work has resulted in the ability to pick this signal up at high speed from 6.5 kilometers away. Then again, this was not done with smartphones, but rather with equipment for potential next-gen wireless broadband.

Eve has finally made the successor to the Eve V available. However, the 2-in-1 effectively starts at US$1,449 with a keyboard and pen, and it will not begin shipping until Q3 2021 at the earliest. The Eve V 2021 packs some impressive specifications though, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a choice of Tiger Lake-U series processors.

Earlier, Eve Devices had hinted that its next product event would be for its long-hyped second-gen convertible PC, the V 2020. Now, the OEM has confirmed that this is the case. It has also teased the device with some specs and pre-order details.

The M30 Pro is a budget tablet by Teclast that has plenty going for it. Priced at US$189.99, the M30 Pro ships with Android 10, supports dual-LTE connectivity and has a 7,500 mAh battery. Teclast has included 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and an octa-core processor, too.

Baseus has launched a series of new slim, high-tech third-party chargers equipped with gallium nitride (GaN) technology. One of them is rated to charge 2 devices at up to 60 watts (W) at once. This may make it a good companion for laptops such as the MacBook Pro.

Apple is running a gift card giveaway Black Friday through Cyber Monday. Qualifying purchases will see the buyer rewarded with a card worth from US$25/£20/€25 up to US$150/£120/€150. The deal includes many major Apple products such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE, the iPad Pro, Beats headphones, and even the premium MacBook Pro 16.

Officially, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 LTE only costs 290 Euros ($345; $290 in the US) and convinces with good equipment and performance despite being so affordable. Find out the most important information on the strengths and weaknesses of the 10.4-inch tablet in our overview of the test.

The first sighting of the Surface Laptop 4 has appeared, as has another of the Surface Pro 8. This time, the two devices have appeared on the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, confirming their designs and model numbers. Microsoft is expected to announce the Surface Laptop 4 and Surface Pro 8 early next year with Tiger Lake chipsets.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold has received its first reviews, a full eighteen months after the company showcased a prototype. However, early tests have highlighted performance issues with its Intel Lakefield processor and the limitations of its foldable form factor. The ThinkPad X1 Fold starts at US$2,499.

The Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has reportedly held a ribbon-cutting event for a new fabrication unit dedicated to the production of 3 nanometer (nm) chips. They are the basis for next-gen processors in which companies such as Intel may have already expressed an interest.

The ARM-based Apple M1 chip has made a star turn appearance on the AnTuTu benchmark as the key component in a MacBook Air. The M1 managed to rack up way over one million points, leaving the Apple silicon, including the A12Z Bionic in the iPad Pro 4 and the performance-friendly A14 in the iPad Air (2020), trailing far behind.

A new Xiaomi smartphone patent has been shared depicting a foldable device that utilizes a pop-up solution for the front-facing camera. This allows for a full-screen tablet mode that is left unblemished by the presence of a selfie camera. It has often been rumored that Xiaomi could introduce a foldable smartphone into the innovative Mi Mix range.

Rising Taiwanese semiconductor maker MediaTek looks like it wants a bigger slice of the high-end mobile devices segment. The company’s recent Dimensity 1000 series signalled its intentions and now the purported appearance of a new MT6893 SoC on Geekbench 5 suggests it is closing in on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 chipset.

The Eve V 2020 is an upcoming device touted as a potential Microsoft Surface Pro rival. Its manufacturer has issued a December 2020 "save the date", with strong overtones of an unveiling or statement related to the Tiger Lake 2-in-1 to occur on the date in question. However, nothing is certain as yet.

Qualcomm, Nokia and the carrier Elisa claim to have achieved the world's fastest data-transfer speed over millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G. This was done using dedicated hardware and resources from these 3 partners, and was reportedly demonstrated at Elisa's flagship store in Helsinki, Finland.

The Universal Stylus Initiative (USI) and NFC Forum have announced that they will collaborate on a project to develop a new kind of charging for those mobile devices that come equipped with their own digital pens. Doing so via NFC might mean that the stylus in question could share data with its paired phone or tablet and power up at the same time.

Oppo has unveiled its Oppo X 2021 rollable OLED display smartphone. The concept device takes a different approach to the smartphone-tablet hybrid foldable OLED designs we have seen from Huawei and Samsung. The end result, however, is similar as it delivers a device that is both a smartphone and tablet in one.

Eve Devices has already invited feedback on the keyboard and chassis of its second-generation "crowd-designed" convertible, the V 2020. Now, it's the turn of its chipset, RAM, wireless connectivity and other specs. The company seems to want to assess the popularity of more expensive options with their new poll.

With its "organic glass" body and in-built candle-effect lighting, the LSPX-S2 speaker has been designed to be enjoyed for its looks at as much as its sound. Then again, Sony claims its audio is also effective thanks to its "Advanced Vertical Drive Technology". It is now available on Amazon.com or select retailers throughout the US.

Canalys is reporting a second quarter of growth in the international personal computing category during the third quarter of 2020. This growth was likely driven by an increase in people working or schooling from home with overall growth up 23% compared to the same period last year.

Microsoft has issued a document outlining the dates on which its own-brand convertibles or laptops run out of software updates. It shows that the Surface Pro 3, despite launching in 2014, will get them until November 2021. Oddly, the Pro 4 will also see the end of its service on the same day.

Samsung’s Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong has been spotted with a previously unseen Samsung smartphone. It is speculated that the device is a prototype of the Korean giant’s forthcoming rollable smartphone. Its appearance suggests an official launch for sometime in 2021.

Brydge has announced that its 12.3 Pro+ keyboard is now exclusively available at Best Buy. This accessory is rated to turn a Surface Pro tablet into a laptop-like device. It is compatible with the 4 to 7 generations of this Microsoft device.

Given that consumers may be gearing up for their 2020 holiday shopping, Mozilla has expanded its Privacy Not Included initiative by ranking various popular devices and/or gift ideas by how "creepy" they are. It is based on the organization's research into how they or their OEMs handle and respect user personal data, and has thrown up what may be unpleasant surprises in some cases.

HarmonyOS will be available for up to 48 devices, Huawei Central believes. The 48-strong list includes current and recent flagship series, including those from Honor. Only 90% of devices will be eligible to try HarmonyOS, though.

The first details about the iPad mini 6 are here, and it is shaping up to be a smaller iPad Air 4. Apparently, Apple is prototyping the iPad mini 6 with an 8.5-inch display, an A14 Bionic chipset and 4 GB of RAM. A USB Type-C port has been included too, as has support for the Apple Pencil 2.

Huawei has started rolling out EMUI 11 to 10 devices, including to the Mate 30 Pro, P40 Pro and MatePad Pro. The Mate 30 Pro 5G is seemingly the first device to receive EMUI 11 outside of China, but Huawei also plans to have HarmonyOS beta builds ready for next month.

A well-known Weibo leaker now claims that OPPO - an OEM mostly known for its smartphones and wearables - is planning to also move into the tablet space. Similarly, it is also now said to start making its own laptops, much as Xiaomi and Huawei do now. Examples of these new product categories for the company might emerge as soon as 2021.

MediaTek's new MT8195 and MT8192 chipsets are the company's newest Chromebook-centric chipsets. The former is powered by ARM's latest Cortex-A78 cores, while the latter uses previous-generation Cortex-A76 cores. Both chipsets use the same ARM Mali-G77 GPU, though. They are expected to hit the market in Q2 2021.

Following a previous leak a month earlier, a new Surface Pro 8 prototype leak seemingly confirms that Microsoft's latest tablet will feature an unchanged design but will likely leverage the power of Tiger Lake and Xe graphics.

Huawei might be doing it tough with a shortage of components due to US sanctions, but it is still pushing ahead with the last of its major 2020 releases. Fresh certification for the Mate X2 66 W charging system in China suggests that it continues to be on track for release.

A list of devices that will receive One UI 3.0 has appeared online, suggesting that Samsung may bring Android 11 to up to 90 smartphones and tablets over the next few months. The list includes representatives from Samsung Galaxy A, M, Note, S and Tab series, among others.

The 9.7-inch display variant of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 hails from all of five years ago. Nevertheless, its units served by the carrier Verizon have been issued with October 2020 security patches. Therefore, even though it remains on an older version of Android, it is up to date in one respect, at least.

LG Display has been contracted to supply mini-LED LCDs to Apple for its fifth-generation iPad Pros, according to ETNews. Mass-production of these next-generation displays will commence before the end of the year, allowing Apple to release new iPad Pros in Q1 2021.

ARM unveiled the Cortex-A78, a new core likely to form part of flagship mobile SoCs in 2021, recently. Now, the company has revealed that it is in fact part of a family of such products. One of them is the A78C, which has been modified for specific, demanding applications that may include mixed reality (MR).

Huawei's mobile division may be on the verge of receiving chipsets from the likes of MediaTek and Qualcomm, according to the Financial Times. The Chinese company is ploughing on with buildings its own chip fabrication plants. It will be years before Huawei reaches parity with mobile chipsets from MediaTek, Samsung and Qualcomm, though.

The Lenovo Legion 5 powered by AMD Ryzen 7 4800H and NVIDIA RTX 2060 will be available in Germany on Black Friday, according to a Lenovo customer rep. This information comes in the wake of an ongoing patent dispute between Nokia and Lenovo wherein the former sought an injunction against Lenovo resulting in a nationwide sales ban. Lenovo has since challenged the injunction and has resumed laptop and tablet sales in the region.

An engineering sample of the upcoming Microsoft Surface Pro 8 has been put up for sale on eBay with bids starting from US$1,300. According to the seller's description, the Surface Pro 8 is powered by an Intel Tiger Lake Core i7-1165G7 CPU, 32 GB RAM, and a 1 TB SSD. Though still a prototype, this listing indicates that the Surface Pro 8 will sport the same chassis as the Surface Pro 7 with no design changes.