New Tech Shout

Apple A14X

The latest batch of Apple-related rumors is in and it's all about iPads. It turns out that Apple is launching an iPad Pro 5G version with an Apple A14X CPU inside this year. The information comes from DigiTimes, which is well connected to the supply chain.

Rumors also talked about Apple getting 5G to iPhones this year, so why not iPads? We've already got a 5G tablet out there, so the Tab S6 5G and Huawei's MatePad Pro 5G will be dropped soon. I bet that Lenovo and Microsoft, with their own 5G slates, are not far behind. The upcoming iPads with 5G are likely to be able to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 modem. One important thing to mention is that Digitimes doesn't always get it right and we're somewhat uncertain about their data, as analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that 5G iPads would only arrive in 2021.

The Huawei scandal is a little shaken by the 5G coverage, with large parts of Europe stuck in the limbo of its implementation. The United States is also behind schedule and, essentially, only South Korea is doing well, China also has its 5G covered areas, Switzerland and parts of the United Kingdom. There are rumors that we could see the iPad's long-running triple-camera square module as soon as the iPhone 9 drops out in March. I feel that the 5G iPads are coming in October, if they come in.

We've also heard that new Apple slates will focus on AR features and retain the USB-C ports of the predecessors. There's also a rumor that Apple wants to build its own iPhones 2020 5G antenna, so why not iPad? Of course, we're talking about the configuration of the antenna, not the actual output of the components.

Microsoft Surface Neo

On Windows 10X, Microsoft built a "Wonder Bar," essentially a dynamic touchscreen above the keyboard. We continue to learn more and more information about Windows 10X, a platform that draws its juice from Windows10 but is tailor-made for dual-screen computers, foldables and more. You'll be able to view apps on a single screen while using a device such as the upcoming Microsoft Surface Neo, that goes across displays. Now there is a touch strip like the one on the MacBook Pro.

You probably know that the Surface Neo has a magnetic keyboard that can be attached, which leaves some space at the bottom for the touchscreen. Well that strip becomes the... Wonder Bar. It's a feature of Windows 10X and it came to light when Microsoft recently released Windows 10X developer tools and emulator. The Wonder Bar extends the size and usability of the laptop by "hosting device with input accelerators and a virtual trackpad for mouse input precision."

It also reminds me of ASUS ' ZenBook Pro Duo with its secondary functional screen above the keyboard. It appears the Wonder Bar can be activated by switching to a virtual keyboard with support from Wonder Bar, not just the physical one. It can view emojis, gifs, suggestions for text, and watch videos, menus and options. It can display media playback controls, smaller applications such as the Windows Calculator, and I'm sure Photoshop tools could also appear there.

Now it is up to the developers to integrate the Wonder Bar further into their apps. It practically imitates the MacBook Pro Touch Bar but with a twist. Fresh leak between this Wonder Bar and the Surface Duo, things start looking a little better than October's underwhelming prototypes.

Microsoft Surface Duo

Crazy to think it's been almost half a year since Microsoft unveiled the Surface Duo and Surface Neo dual-screen machines. Even now, a good part of their final design remains a mystery, but there is at least a glimpse of the novelty. Only the photo shown below can be found with your hands on.

During the holiday season of 2020, the product is coming, so we're waiting for a long time. The Surface Duo was spotted on the SkyTrain in Vancouver, so someone in Canada is taking it for a spin. Now there's a front flash that wasn't present at the October Surface event on the prototype. There is a single front camera on the 2019 unit, as opposed to zero cameras. A few millimeters have been removed, so now the unit is thinner than the prototype.

We don't have a clear back picture, so we don't know if there's a camera in the back or not. My guess is that there's at least one in there. Even at this point in the design, the top bezel is pretty big in my book, and the hinge looks clumsy. I feel that Microsoft has decided to abandon the idea of a true foldable, and that it wants to keep the two screens separate, rather than complicate things with folds and creases. Now it seems that Zac Bowden of Windows Central has good authority to make the Surface Duo appear earlier than December 2020, perhaps a few months earlier.

LG Gram 17

Laptops with large screens are usually considered unwieldy and bulky, unless you think of the 16-inch MacBook Pro from Apple.

The LG Gram 17 is an exception, however, giving even Apple's slimline computer a run for its money. It's called the lightest 17-inch laptop ever made, weighing just 2.95 pounds, and a $1,245 snip.

LG has been successful in developing a super thin and light laptop with a 17-inch screen where everyone else has struggled. The system was so well received that retail giant Costco also invited its customers to an exclusive version.

The older and cheaper version ($1,200/£929 at Amazon) comes with the 8th generation Intel Core i7 GPU, 16 GB ram and 256 GB SSD. It also has a LG battery that says it will power your computer for almost 20 hours — yes, 20 hours.

It's not waterproof or shockproof, but its magnesium alloy frame makes it more durable than most laptops of this size. It also has a dedicated numeric keypad and complies with strict MIL-STD-810 G standards.

The 17-inch display (with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels) is a cherry on a rather large cake.

It is worth noting that UK consumers will also be able to purchase LG Gram 17 directly from Amazon, but they should be careful to levy additional taxes.

LG Gram 17 (2019)—$1245 at Amazon. Would you like a laptop with a big screen, but wouldn't you like a monster cart? Its only variation is that of the LG Gram. It's sleek, versatile, and has a lot of memory and a numeric keypad. Plus, the price tag is probably not going to give you a heart attack.

Great HP Laptop Deals

HP launched promotions on their Presidents ' Day, and we see a lot of cheap laptops and extra savings on a number of computers to get excited about. We've found a lot of sales for every need from cheap HP laptops offering amazing $279 price tag specs, all the way to amazing HP Spectre builds available for just $673 (if you're among the top 30 to order).

You can also save an additional 5 percent on cheap laptops over $599 with code 5PDS2020 and an extra 10 percent on laptops with code 10PDS2020 priced at over $999. Which means even more money saved on some great versions of HP laptops.

HP's Presidents ' Day sales have also expanded to include a variety of cheap PC accessories, such as great discounts on mice, keyboards, wallets, apps, and headphones, if you want to take the extra mile. If you're looking for more RGB lights, you'll also find an excellent live sale right now on HP's range of OMEN gaming laptops and accessories.

tablet market Q4 2019

You've probably noticed a stream of news coming in hot these days, as financial results for Apple, Samsung, Huawei and more companies have been released. We now also know the tablet market situation, as IDC figures are in and it doesn't look hot, as the entire market decreased by 0.6 percent in Q4 2019.

Q3 was actually better, with a slight bump up, but now, given the holiday season, it's going downhill again. The tablet market is down by 0.6 percent year-over-year, and 43.5 million slate units have been shipped over the October–December timeframe, according to the new IDC survey. Apple continues to be a pioneer, just as the iPad turned 10. Around 15.9 million units were sold by Cupertino in Q4 2019. Samsung was second at 7 million, while Huawei was third at 4 million.



Amazon is close to the fourth, at 3.3 million, and has actually dropped the most, down 29 percent from the previous year. Lenovo is fifth, with 2.5 million units. We also have estimates for the whole of the 2019 calendar year, which was not very successful for the category again. For the entire 2019 calendar year, the industry decreased by 1.5 per cent and global shipments totalled 144.1 million units. Apple shipped the most tablets, doubling Samsung's second-place effort by 21.7 million by 49.9 million more than that.

Huawei had 14.1 million slates and 14 million Amazons. It was a rather modest year for tablets, only the Galaxy Tab S5e, Tab S6 and MatePad Pro were among the only cheap iPads released and the Android market, but the latter came too late to be felt in sales. This year's 5G slates are starting to pop more and Samsung already has one out. That niche as a whole could give the market a rise.