Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M1) vs Microsoft Surface Pro X: Battle of the best ARM tablet

Apple has been pretty adamant about how the iPad Pro is an excellent laptop replacement, especially the new 2021 model powered by its M1 chipset. This is the same processor Apple currently uses on the MacBook Pro 13, MacBook Air, Mac mini, and the 24-inch iMac. The latest iPad Pro offers ample storage options, lots of memory, support for 5G connectivity, and a brand new mini-LED display.

On the other side of the spectrum, we have Microsoft with the Surface Pro X, the first and only tablet from the company running on an ARM chipset made by Qualcomm and running full-fledged Windows 10.

If you’re looking for a reliable productivity tablet, there are many similarities between these two. Both offer a 13-inch display, run on ARM chipsets, and you can get them with an optional keyboard and stylus accessories. But which one is the better option?

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M1) vs. Microsoft Surface Pro X: Specifications

	Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (M1)	Microsoft Surface Pro X
CPU	Apple M1 chip (8-core ARM CPU, 16-core Neural Engine)	Microsoft SQ1 (Up to 3GHz, 8 cores) Microsoft SQ2 (Up to 3.15GHz, 8 cores)
Graphics	8-core GPU	Qualcomm Adreno 685 Qualcomm Adreno 690
Body	280.6×214.9×6.4 mm (11.04×8.46×0.25 inches) 682 g (1.50 lbs)(Wi-Fi) 685 g (1.51 lbs) (5G)	287×208×7.3 mm (11.3×8.2×0.28 inches) 774 gms (1.7 pounds) without keyboard
Display	12.9-inch Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED backlit IPS 2732×2048 resolution, 120Hz ProMotion, True Tone 1000 nits max full-screen brightness, 1600 nits peak brightness (HDR) Supports Apple Pencil (2nd generation)	13-inch PixelSense (2880×1920) 267 PPI 3:2 aspect ratio 10 point multi-touch
Ports	Thunderbolt 4 with USB4 Type-C	2 x USB-C 1 x Surface Connect port Surface Keyboard port 1 x nano SIM
Storage	Up to 2TB	Up to 512GB
RAM	8GB/16GB	Up to 16GB LPDDR4x RAM
Battery	40.88Wh 18W USB Type-C power delivery	Up to 15 hours of typical device usage
Audio	5 microphones Quad speakers	Dual far-field Studio Mics 2W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio sound
Camera	Front: 12MP ƒ/2.4 aperture, up to 1080p HD video recording, Portrait mode, Lens correction, Auto image stabilization, Retina Flash, Smart HDR 3, FaceID Rear: 12MP ƒ/1.8 aperture wide, 10MP ƒ/2.4 aperture ultra-wide, 2x optical zoom, 5x digital zoom, up to 4K video recording, Smart HDR 3, Auto image stabilization, True Tone flash, Sapphire crystal lens cover, Lens correction (Ultra Wide)	5MP front-facing camera with 1080p full HD video 10MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p HD and 4k video Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5 Optional 5G	Wi-Fi 5: 802.11ac compatible Bluetooth 5.0 Qualcomm Snapdragon X24 LTE model
Color	Silver Space Gray	Matte Black Platinum
Price	Starting at $799	Starting at $999

Design: Surface Pro X offers more ports and comes with a kickstand

The iPad Pro 2021 continues to have a similar design as last year, with a slim aluminum chassis, a square camera bump at the back, and fairly thin bezels. The Surface Pro X also comes with an aluminum finish and is quite a sleek device offering almost the same thickness (0.25 vs. 0.28 inches) as the iPad Pro and weighing only a tad bit more (682 vs. 774 grams). It has a single camera at the back which, just like the Surface Pro 7, is flushed with the main body, so there’s no camera bump. Like all Surface tablet devices, the Surface Pro X comes with a built-in kickstand allowing you to prop up the tablet on a desk without the need for an additional case or accessory.

If you keep the two tablets side by side, you’ll notice both offer different screen aspect ratios; so the iPad Pro has a taller-looking display. The iPad also has flat edges compared to the rounded-off edges on the Surface Pro X. Another thing you should know is the bezels on the Surface aren’t consistent, as the top and bottom ones are thicker, while they’re slimmer on the sides.

Things get interesting when it comes to the port selection on these two tablets. The Surface Pro X offers two USB-C ports on the left and a Surface Connect port on the right. This means you get more than one connectivity option on the Surface, besides having the ability to use adapters, dongles, or even a dock. On the other hand, the iPad offers all of that bandwidth through a single USB-C port with support for Thunderbolt.

Additionally, if you go for Apple’s Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro, an extra USB-C port is built into the spine of the keyboard case that can only be used for passthrough charging. Both tablets skip on the headphone jack, which is a huge bummer.

The Surface Pro X offers the option of upgrading the internal SSD, and while getting your hands on an M.2 2230 SSD is not that easy, it’s still better than the fixed storage options you get on the iPad.

To sum it up, both tablets offer an excellent design. The Surface Pro X is undoubtedly more practical thanks to the built-in kickstand and wider port selection, but the iPad gets all the points for being lighter, slimmer, and being a very minimalistic device.

Display: Liquid Retina XDR display on the iPad Pro is unbeatable

The display size is more or less the same on both the iPad Pro and Surface Pro X. However they come in different aspect ratios. The iPad comes with a 4:3 ratio, while the Surface has a 3:2 ratio. Neither of them feels out of place, although the iPad does look taller. Of course, the real difference is when you compare the panel itself, and that’s where the iPad Pro shines, quite literally.

Apple is using a mini-LED-based display on the iPad Pro, specifically the 12.9-inch model. The new ‘Liquid Retina XDR’ offers 1,000 nits maximum full-screen brightness, which can go up 1,600 nits peak brightness with HDR. This makes it one of the brightest displays on a tablet today, allowing you to easily view content even under the harshest sunlight. The display also supports Apple’s ProMotion feature, which can automatically switch over to a 120Hz refresh rate for a smooth experience.

In comparison, the 13-inch display on the Surface Pro X comes with a 2880×1920 resolution meaning it offers equally good pixel density, but it’s a 60Hz panel that can only go up to 450 nits peak brightness.

Keyboard and stylus: Surface Pro X Keyboard offers better functionality

The Surface Pro X and the iPad Pro have their own respective keyboards and stylus. Sadly they don’t come bundled with either of them, which means you need to spend extra money for a keyboard and stylus if you’re planning to buy the new iPad Pro or Surface Pro X. You can either go for the Apple Smart Keyboard Folio for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro that costs $199, or if you’re looking for a proper laptop experience, you need to invest in the Magic Keyboard, which costs $349. The iPad Pro also supports the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil, which is available for $129.

The Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro gained a lot of attention during its launch last year with its floating screen design. It looks really cool, allowing you to snap the iPad using strong magnets inside the upper portion of the keyboard case. But there are limitations. First and foremost, the display angle is limited compared to what you get on the Surface Pro X, thanks to its kickstand. On top of that, the entire weight of the tablet rests on the top half of the keyboard, which makes the entire setup a bit wobbly, especially if you don’t have a flat desk.

The Apple Pencil is currently the most versatile stylus you can have on a tablet. It goes beyond doodling and scribbling notes by letting you convert handwriting into text almost anywhere on UI using Scribble, switching between tools by double-tapping, various gestures, wireless charging, tilt and pressure support, and a lot more.

The standard Surface Pro X Keyboard is priced at $140 and is very similar to the Surface Pro Type cover for the Surface Pro 6/7, having a slim profile, backlit keys, and magnets that help you easily snap onto the tablet. If you can spend a little extra, the Surface Pro X Signature keyboard offers a black Alcantara fabric and a pen garage for you to stow the stylus.

Microsoft redesigned the stylus for the Surface Pro X, which is now smaller and has a flat design. The $145 Surface Slim Pen can also charge wirelessly using its own charging cradle or when you store it in the Surface Pro X Signature keyboard. The features for the stylus are pretty similar to what you can expect from most of the options out there available on Windows; however, the next Windows 11 update is expected to bring some new, well-needed upgrades.

The typing experience shouldn’t be an issue on either of the keyboards, and you should quickly adapt to the layout. Having said that, the keyboard for the Surface Pro X is not only cheaper but easier to handle as well. The Magic Keyboard is undoubtedly unique and offers an additional USB-C port, but function matters over form at the end of the day. I also recommend checking out the Logitech Combo Touch keyboard case, which is comparatively cheaper than Apple’s Magic Keyboard, and completely transforms the iPad Pro into a Surface-like device.

When it comes to pen support, the Apple Pencil is a clear winner as it offers a wide range of features, but note there’s no dedicated cradle, like the Surface Slim Pen, unless you invest in a third-party case.

Performance: The M1 Silicon is superior to the Microsoft SQ2

The Surface Pro X is one of the only Microsoft products that’s powered by an ARM processor. The company partnered with Qualcomm to build custom SoCs (system on chip) called the SQ1 and SQ2, which are basically the same as the 1st-gen and 2nd-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx chipsets. You can check out some of the best native apps for Windows on ARM.

The SQ2 chip model was announced last year and comes with the big-little architecture, having four CPU cores clocked at 3.15GHz, while the other four are clocked at 2.42GHz. You can configure it with 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB SSD, which is user-replaceable.

The new iPad Pro runs on Apple’s M1 chipset, which is also based on the ARM architecture; however, there are no limitations regarding app support. As mentioned before, this is the same chip Apple now uses to power the MacBook Pro 13, the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and the new 24-inch iMac. It’s based on the 5nm node featuring an octa-core CPU, an octa-core GPU, and a 16-core neural engine. In terms of memory and storage, the iPad Pro is available with 8GB of RAM on models with 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of storage, and 16GB RAM on models with 1TB or 2TB storage.

In our comparison of the iPad Pro with the Surface Pro 7, I mentioned the iPad Pro hardware is far superior. At the same time, it’s unfair to compare the performance as both tablets run on different operating systems. Similarly, the Surface Pro X also runs on Windows, and once again it isn’t very straightforward if we were to compare the performance. Of course, benchmark test numbers suggest that the iPad Pro wins by a good margin.

Bottom line

I would reiterate my conclusion from the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 7 comparison. If you’re planning to buy either of these, make sure you think about your core needs. The iPad is a great tablet but not a perfect replacement for a laptop. It has wide app support on a mobile-like ecosystem, offers better cameras, the option of 5G connectivity, and possibly the best pen input you can get. However, the Surface Pro X is better tuned for a laptop experience as it runs on Windows, even though it offers limited support for apps. You’ll feel more familiar while carrying out day-to-day tasks like web browsing, checking emails, editing photos, and so on.

Also, before you make up your mind, check out our roundup of the best Surface PCs from Microsoft and the best iPads on the market.

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch

The 2021 12.9-inch iPad Pro is powered by Apple's M1 ARM chipset and an all-new Liquid Retina XDR mini-LED display. It can be configured with up to 2TB of storage, 5G connectivity and offers Thunderbolt support.

Buy from Amazon

Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 12.9

The Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro comes with a floating-screen design, backlit keys and an additional USB-C port.

Buy from Amazon

Microsoft Surface Pro X

The Surface Pro X is Microsoft's ARM-based Windows hybrid tablet that's powered by a custom version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx.

Buy from Amazon

Surface Pro X Signature Keyboard with Slim Pen

The Surface Pro X Signature keyboard bundle comes with the Surface Slim Pen and a dedicated cradle to store the stylus.

Buy at Amazon

Surface Slim Pen

The Surface Slim Pen is specifically designed for the Surface Pro X as it can be easily stored in the Surface Pro X Signature Keyboard cover, although it offers support for the entire Surface lineup of products.

Buy at Amazon

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Microsoft Edge 92 for Android rolling out with the unified codebase

Following the release of Microsoft Edge 92 for PCs, Microsoft is now giving the same treatment to its mobile browser. This is a major update for Microsoft Edge for Android as it finally unifies the codebase with the PC version. Up until now, the stable version of Microsoft Edge for Android was stuck on Chromium 77. As you would expect, it lagged behind other Chromium browsers in terms of both features and performance. But that changes with Microsoft Edge 92, which, as the name implies, is based on Chromium 92.

With the unification of the codebase (via Techdows), we can expect the mobile browser to receive new features and improvements at a much faster pace. Microsoft Edge 92 is packed with many new features. It now lets you synchronize tabs, passwords, history, bookmarks, favorites, and more across devices when you’re signed in using the same Microsoft account. There’s also a built-in ad blocker powered by Adblock Plus, allowing you to block trackers and annoying ads on all websites. You can find the ad blocker under Settings > Privacy and Security > Block ads. It also gives you the option to allow non-intrusive ads that comply with the Acceptable Ads criteria.

Similar to Google Chrome, Edge for Android now offers a built-in screenshot tool. When you’re on a webpage, tap on the Share menu, and you should see the screenshot button in the bottom right corner in the sharesheet menu (see the third screenshot above). Elsewhere, the new update revamps the Settings page, lets you send webpages to other devices signed with the same Microsoft account, and adds a page translation feature powered by Microsoft Translator.

The new version has started rolling out on the Google Play Store, but it seems to be a staged rollout as the Play Store listing on my device is still showing the old version. You can hit the Play Store link below to see if it’s available for you. Alternatively, you can grab the latest APK straight from APKMirror.

Microsoft Edge: Web Browser (Free, Google Play) →

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Where is the best place to buy the HP Chromebook 14?

If you’re looking for a new Chromebook, there’s a good chance at least one model of HP’s Chromebook 14 is on your list. The Chromebook 14 lineup from HP spans nearly 20 different models, with a range of configurable options and price points. With so many choices, it’s easy to find something that fits your personal description of the ideal Chromebook.

In this guide, we take a look at the top 3 models of the HP Chromebook 14 at the three largest online retailers — HP, Amazon, and Best Buy. To make your purchasing decision easier, we discuss pricing, return policy, and support at each vendor.

Pricing

In general, Amazon tends to have the lowest price on average across most HP Chromebook 14 models. On the other hand, Best Buy runs seasonal sales that often make the big-box giant an appealing option. Around back-to-school time and Christmas, you can find some of the HP Chromebook 14 models for a great price at Best Buy. Keep in mind Best Buy will also price match Amazon, so if you prefer buying locally you can take advantage of this to get the best price.

Of the three options, HP typically doesn’t have the best pricing for general consumers. You might get an occasional discount, but the pricing at HP is typically a bit higher than both Amazon and Best Buy.

However, if you’re a student or teacher, you can take advantage of HP’s education discount program. With the education discount, you can save up to 20% on models of the HP Chromebook 14. This could be the best available deal for a particular device. Be sure to check all three websites to get the best overall price.

Return/exchange policy

Return policy is perhaps the biggest factor to consider when purchasing your new HP Chromebook 14.  Checking out HP’s website, you’ll find they have a 30 day return window with a restocking fee up to 15%. In practice, you can expect to pay the full 15% restock fee on most Chromebook 14 models. This is a fairly big downside to buying directly from HP.

Best Buy has a shorter 15 day return window for Chromebooks, but they don’t have a restocking fee. In addition, if you shop with Best Buy often, you may qualify for Elite or Elite Plus status, expanding your return window to 30 or 45 days respectively.

I personally choose to shop at Best Buy for most tech purchases to take advantage of my extended 45 day return window. No restocking fee with 45 days to try out a new device is a great bonus. Plus, it’s nice to have a physical store I can visit for returns or exchanges without waiting to mail the device back.

If you buy from Amazon, you can expect a 30 day return window. Keep in mind you need to buy directly from Amazon.com and not a third-party seller. Amazon doesn’t have a restocking fee. Overall, Amazon has the best return policy if you aren’t a Best Buy Elite or Elite Plus member.

Support

When it comes to support, you would think buying directly from the manufacturer is the best option. While it’s easier to get direct support through the manufacturer warranty if you buy from HP, there are additional support options available at Best Buy and Amazon.

If you purchase from Best Buy, you can add a Geek Squad plan to your purchase and get local support for the life of your Chromebook 14. Amazon also offers their own 2 and 3 year protection plans for a very reasonable cost. In terms of value, the Amazon plan is a better deal if you’re willing to send in your machine to get repaired. Best Buy is a superior option for local service, but you pay quite a bit more for this support.

That’s our comparison of the purchasing options for the HP Chromebook 14 at HP, Amazon, and Best Buy. All three retailers carry numerous models of the Chromebook 14, so you can certainly find many touchscreen options and traditional clamshells as well. Let us know which model of the HP Chromebook 14 you plan to grab.

HP Chromebook 14

You can buy all of the latest Chromebook 14 models directly from HP's website.

Buy at HP

HP Chromebook 14

Amazon is a great option if you have a Prime account. You can also find pre-owned models on Amazon to save a few bucks.

Buy at Amazon

HP Chromebook 14

If you want a local store, Best Buy is the best option for your HP Chromebook 14 purchase. The store also has a competitive return policy with no restocking fee.

Buy at Best Buy

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Does the HP Chromebook 14 have a built-in webcam? Is it any good?

The HP Chromebook 14 is one of the most popular consumer Chromebook models out there. In fact, HP has a number of different variations of the Chromebook 14. If you recently picked up a new or pre-owned HP Chromebook 14, you might be wondering about the webcam. Webcam usage skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even today, millions more people are working remotely from home on Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The good news is all models of the Chromebook 14 lineup come equipped with a webcam. There are some variations in quality depending on when your HP Chromebook 14 was manufactured. Let’s take a look at the differences.

HP Chromebook 14 models released before 2020

If your Chromebook 14 model was released before 2020, your webcam is either 480p or 720p. The disappointing 480p webcam appeared on the earliest models of the Chromebook 14, so you likely don’t have this webcam if you’re still using the Chromebook in 2021.

While 720p is a step up, it’s still not ideal for video calls. Most modern phones and many tablets have 1080p webcams, while laptops continue to lag behind. You should be able to get by with your 720p webcam on older models, but you may want to consider upgrading to a newer Chromebook when 1080p webcams become more ubiquitous.

HP Chromebook 14 models released from 2020 on

Models of the HP Chromebook 14 released from 2020 onward all have 720p webcam with an optional privacy shutter and wide vision enhancements. The privacy shutter is a nice feature if you’re worried about anyone hacking your webcam or spying from government agencies. If your Chromebook 14 has the Wide Vision enhancement, then it has a wider field of view. This is also a useful feature if you need to give a presentation using your Chromebook.

If you’re interested in the full list of Chromebook 14 models and the corresponding webcam specs, check out the comprehensive table below. For those of you still searching for a new Chromebook, check out our list of the best HP Chromebooks and the best touchscreen Chromebooks overall.

HP Chromebook 14

You can buy all of the latest Chromebook 14 models directly from HP's website.

Buy at HP

Product	Webcam quality/features
Chromebook 14	480p
Chromebook 14 G3	480p (base model) 720p (all other models)
Chromebook 14 G4	720p
Chromebook 14 G5	720p
Chromebook 14 G6	720p (optional privacy shutter)
Chromebook 14 G7	720p (optional privacy shutter)
Chromebook 14a	720p
Chromebook 14a-na1	720p (optional privacy shutter)
Chromebook 14A G5	720p
Chromebook Enterprise 14A G5	720p (optional privacy shutter)
Chromebook 14-ca0xx	720p (optional privacy shutter)
Chromebook 14-ca1xx	720p (optional privacy shutter)
Chromebook 14-da0xxx	720p
Chromebook 14-db0xxx	720p

 

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Qualcomm has a new partner to build its chips: Intel [Update: Maybe not]

Next year, Qualcomm is set to introduce a new custom ARM architecture that’s going to compete with Intel’s processors. But a couple of years later than that, Intel might be building Qualcomm’s chips. Today, Intel laid out its roadmap through 2025, renaming its process nodes and showing what each generation will look like. One of those, called Intel 20A, is something that Qualcomm is going to make use of.

Intel 20A is promised to be revolutionary. The firm says that it will bring us into the angstrom era, so process nodes are going to be measured in angstroms, rather than nanometers (an angstrom is a tenth of a nanometer). It’s going to be about 20 angstroms at first, so these are going to be smaller process nodes than we’ve ever seen before, and it should arrive in 2024. Intel 20A also promises an all-new transistor architecture, using the new RibbonFet technology, along with the new PowerVia backside power delivery network.

The move might seem surprising, given that Qualcomm and Intel are such staunch competitors. Indeed, it appears that in many areas, Qualcomm is either winning or gaining ground. Intel attempted to make mobile chips and failed, and later, it had to give up its attempts at making 5G modems for smartphones. In the PC space, Windows on ARM hasn’t really taken off, but with Qualcomm’s acquisition of NUVIA, it has big things planned.

However, it’s not as surprising as you’d think. Rivals partner with each other all the time, even if the divisions partnering aren’t necessarily competitors. In the heated days of Apple iPhone vs Samsung Galaxy, Samsung used to manufacture Apple’s custom ARM processors. We’ve seen Qualcomm partner with Samsung on its Snapdragon chips in recent years, so partnering with Intel is logical if Intel indeed has the better technology.

And one of the key things that new Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger set out to do was to build out the firm’s foundry business. Indeed, this is a deal that works out for everyone involved.

Other than that Qualcomm will be using Intel 20A, there really weren’t any other details provided. Obviously, we’ll find out more between now and 2024.

It would seem that at best, Intel’s boasts about Qualcomm as a foundry customer are premature. Qualcomm’s President and CEO Cristiano Amon was asked about the deal and said the following, according to SemiAnalysis:

Thanks for the question. Look, it’s actually very simple. Qualcomm, we’re probably one of the few companies that, given our scale, is able to have multi-sourcing at the leading node. We have two strategic partners today, which is TSMC and Samsung.

And we’re very excited and happy about Intel deciding to become a foundry and investing in leading node technology to become a foundry. I think that’s great news for the United States fabless industry. We are engaged. We are evaluating their technology.

We don’t yet have a specific product plan at this point, but we’re pretty excited about Intel entering the space. I think we all determined that semiconductors are important and resilient supply chain is only going to benefit our business.

So, as for whether or not Intel will actually be building Qualcomm chips on the 20A node in 2025, the answer is maybe. And if it does happen, it’s not something that’s set in silicon right now.

That’s not entirely surprising either. Intel’s 10nm nodes were supposed to ship years before they actually did, getting delayed time and time again. It’s 7nm process is already delayed as well. If Qualcomm had actually tied itself to Intel’s promise of a 2nm (or 20 angstrom) node in 2025, that would be more surprising.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Rumor Roundup: Everything we know about the upcoming Wear OS Watch!

At Google I/O 2021, Google announced that it would be partnering with Samsung to breathe life back into a platform that hadn’t seen any notable updates in the longest time – Wear OS. Samsung then announced that all future smartwatches launched by the brand would run Wear OS instead of their proprietary Tizen OS which is found on their previous and current-gen smartwatches. This is a big move since users will now get the app support and ecosystem of Android and Wear OS along with the performance, stability, and battery life gains from Samsung’s expertise with Tizen on the Galaxy Watch.

Reserve your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3/Z Flip 3

The first product of this partnership between Google and Samsung is all set to be unveiled on August 11, 2021, at Samsung’s Unpacked event. Samsung confirmed that they’re launching the new generation of their foldable phones – Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 early next month and if leaks and rumors are anything to go by, this event will also have a segment for the new Galaxy Watch 4 as well as the Galaxy Buds 2.

If you’re excited about the new wearable from Samsung, here’s everything that we know about it so far and what you can expect from the watch.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Release Date

The Galaxy Watch 4 is expected to launch at Samsung’s Unpacked event on August 11, 2021. Of course, the major highlight of the show is going to be the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung’s third-gen foldable flagship, followed by the Galaxy Z Flip 3 for all the clamshell fans out there. While there’s no official confirmation about the Galaxy Watch 4 launching alongside the two foldables, there are numerous leaks from accurate sources like Evan Blass or @evleaks which claim that Samsung will launch the Galaxy Watch 4. Even the Galaxy Buds 2 are expected to launch with these devices.

pic.twitter.com/meaguSn6TR

— Evan (@evleaks) July 10, 2021

Evan also showed off a GIF that reveals how the Galaxy Watch 4 is supposedly going to look like from all angles.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Variants and Pricing

While there were expectations of just a single variant of the Galaxy Watch initially, there seems to be another variant of the Galaxy Watch 4 that may exist called the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. This means that there could be two different versions of the Galaxy Watch 4 that you can expect to be launched:

• Galaxy Watch 4
• Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

It’s possible that the regular Galaxy Watch 4 is a replacement for the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and the Classic version is a successor to the Galaxy Watch 3. We’ll get better clarity on this pretty soon but at this point, it’s safe to say that you can expect more than one wearable to launch.

In terms of size, the Galaxy Watch 4 might come in two variants – 42mm and 44mm. The Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is expected to come in two sizes as well – 44mm and 46mm. Users can pick the one that best suits the size and nature of their wrists.

As far as pricing is concerned, we don’t have any concrete information yet but just a couple of weeks back, the Galaxy Watch 4 was spotted on Amazon Canada and the listing mentioned a price of CAD 309.85 for the 42mm variant, which translates to about $249 in the US. Meanwhile, the 44mm Classic variant was listed for CAD 427.73 or approximately $350. There’s no way to tell if the listing prices were accurate, so take this with a pinch of salt.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Design

As mentioned earlier, the watch is expected to come in two variants – a standard version and a Classic version. While the renders of both watches look similar at first glance, there would be some subtle differences between the two watches not just in terms of features or specs but even in terms of design. Both watches are expected to come with IP68 water resistance.

The standard Galaxy Watch in this generation is expected to have a 1.19-inch circular dial with an OLED display just like all Samsung Watches from the past few years. Samsung is expected to launch the watch in multiple color variants to appeal to a larger audience. They might also introduce funky and colorful options apart from the usual black and white to attract a younger audience as well. The Galaxy Watch 4 might come with an aluminum chassis and a touch-capacitive bezel surrounding the display, just like the Galaxy Watch Active.

The Classic edition, on the other hand, is expected to be a slightly more premium smartwatch with a stainless steel body flanked by two buttons on the right edge, something that can be seen in the renders of the standard variant as well. Unlike the touch-capacitive bezel on the normal version, the Galaxy Watch 4 Classis is rumored to get a rotating bezel around the circular dial. This has been a marquee feature on the Galaxy Watch series and is quite reminiscent of some mechanical watches.

Specifications and Features

A recent report from SamMobile suggested that the new Galaxy Watch could feature the best hardware that we’ve ever seen on a smartwatch. This can be attributed to the new Exynos W920 chipset that is supposedly going to be used on the Galaxy Watch 4. The new chipset can apparently achieve up to 1.25 times faster processing speeds and 8.8 times better graphics performance compared to the Exynos 9110 found on previous Galaxy Watches.

The Galaxy Watch series will reportedly have 16GB of internal storage and 1.5GB of RAM which is comparatively higher than what’s found on some other watches. The higher RAM will allow smoother operation of the watch especially given that Wear OS is a heavier platform compared to Tizen. The increased internal storage will allow users to install more apps and games on the watch since the library of apps on the Play Store is much larger.

If we have to mention some new features that are expected, Max Weinbach, a renowned tipster claimed that the Galaxy Watch Active 4 would come with a BIA sensor which stands for Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis. This would allow for body composition readings, something that’s usually seen on body scales. The Galaxy Watch 4 might allow users to track the water content, fat levels, muscle mass, etc. in their body which will be a huge benefit for fitness enthusiasts.

Galaxy Watch4. BIA sensor.

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) June 25, 2021

There were some rumors about Blood Glucose monitoring coming to the Galaxy Watch 4 series, but more recent reports say that it might not be happening this year. We’ll have to wait to see if it actually makes its way and Samsung one-ups Apple. Blood pressure monitoring, SpO2 monitoring, and ECG are features that we might see in the Galaxy Watch 4.

Battery life is another thing to look out for on the Galaxy Watch 4. Wear OS has traditionally been terrible with battery consumption whereas previous Galaxy Watches have faired quite well due to the fact that Tizen wasn’t as power-hungry. It would be interesting to see what improvements Samsung has made to Wear OS to make sure it doesn’t drain the watch by evening.

Software: OneUI Watch

The biggest highlight of the new Galaxy Watch is going to be the software the watch will run on. As mentioned earlier, Samsung is going to be using a build of WearOS combined with their own set of features that Tizen and Samsung, in general, have been known for. At MWC recently, Samsung announced that it’s going to be calling this platform OneUI Watch to maintain the branding uniformity with their custom UI on Android.

OneUI Watch will aim to provide a consistent user experience and look with other Galaxy devices. There are some features that Samsung showed off that make using the watch easier. Auto app installation will install the Wear OS version of any app that you install on your phone, provided it’s available. The Settings menu on OneUI Watch looks similar to what we see on OneUI on Samsung’s phones.

The biggest advantage of OneUI Watch being based on Wear OS would be that users will now have access to the Google Play Store to download their favorite apps and games. The collection of apps on the Play Store and the number of developers making apps for Wear OS are much higher compared to Samsung’s own Tizen app store. Even in terms of customization and watch faces, users will now have a larger variety to choose from.

A recent leak from SamMobile shows the user interface of OneUI Watch supposedly running on the Galaxy Watch 4 and the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic.

And the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic… pic.twitter.com/Hc4bC2Lhrj

— SamMobile (@SamMobiles) July 27, 2021

By these clips, you can probably figure out that the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic goes for a traditional, mechanical watch look with subdued colors and icons. The watch faces also look a lot more formal than the ones you can see on the regular Galaxy Watch 4.

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This is everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 so far. We’re less than two weeks away from the launch and all the speculations will turn into confirmed information on the 11th of August. Are you excited about the Galaxy Watch 4? This seems like the best Android smartwatch in a while going by the leaks and rumors, and it’s finally looking like the Apple Watch could have a worthy competitor on the Android side of things.

The post Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Rumor Roundup: Everything we know about the upcoming Wear OS Watch! appeared first on xda-developers.

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You can now pre-order the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders from ASUS

Qualcomm recently made headlines when it unveiled a phone called “Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders,” a powerhouse of a phone made in collocation with ASUS. As Qualcomm pointed out at launch, it’s not aimed at average consumers. Rather the phone caters to Snapdragon Insiders, a community of Snapdragon fans and enthusiasts that Qualcomm announced in March. If you consider yourself a Snapdragon fan and wanted to get your hands on the new phone, you can now place your pre-order.

Pre-orders for the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders are now open in the US from ASUS’s eShop website. The phone comes in a single 16GB/512GB variant priced at $1,499 and also bundles a free pair of MW08SI earbuds from Master & Dynamic. For context, the phone costs more than the Galaxy S21 Ultra and Sony’s Xperia 1 III. But we have to keep in mind that it’s not aimed at average consumers.

Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders XDA Forums

The Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders will also be making its way to other markets such as the UK, Canada, Germany, Korea, Japan, China, and India, though Qualcomm or ASUS hasn’t shared an exact date.

Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders: Specifications

Specification	Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders
Dimensions and Weight	173.15 x 77.25 x 9.5mm 210g
Display	6.78″ 20.4:9 (2448 x 1080) Samsung AMOLED 144Hz refresh rate Delta-E < 1 800 nits outdoor-readable brightness 1,200 nits peak brightness HDR10 and HDR10+ certified 111.23% DCI-P3, 106.87% NTSC, 150.89% sRGB color gamut coverage Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888: 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 660 Snapdragon Elite Gaming features
RAM and Storage	16GB LPDDR5 512GB UFS 3.1 (non-expandable)
Battery & Charging	4,000mAh battery 65W fast charger Qualcomm Quick Charge 5 support
Rear Camera	Primary: Sony IMX686 64 MP image sensor 1/1.73” large sensor size 0.8 µm pixel size f/1.8 aperture 26.6 mm equivalent focal length 6P lens 78.3° field of view 2×1 On-chip-lens phase detection autofocus 4-axis, optical image stabilization Dual LED flash Instant cameras switching Secondary: (Ultra-wide) Sony IMX363 12 MP dual pixel image sensor 1/2.55” sensor size 1.4 µm pixel size f/2.2 aperture Real-time distortion correction 4.3 mm equivalent focal length Supports 4 cm Macro shots Tertiary: (Telephoto) 8MP 3x optical zoom 12x digital zoom 8K video recording at 30fps 4K video recording at 60fps/30fps
Front Camera	24MP
Ports	USB Type-C port
Connectivity	3rd Gen Snapdragon X60 5G modem 5G: Sub-6GHz mmWave NFC Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 Wi-Fi 6/Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.2 Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Snapdragon Sound Navigation: GPS (L1/L5) GLONASS (L1) BDS(B1/B2a) GALILEO (E1/E5a) QZSS (L1/L5) NavIC (L5)
Audio & Security	Audio Dual stereo speakers Four HDR microphones with 111dB dynamic range Snapdragon Sound Technology with multiple listening profiles including music, videos, games, and voice enhancements No 3.5mm headphone jack Security Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 (rear-mounted)
Software	Android 11

The post You can now pre-order the Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders from ASUS appeared first on xda-developers.

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