Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 review: The best business convertible

There’s a reason that Lenovo ThinkPad is such a powerful brand, dominating in the business market thanks to a reputation for quality and innovation. And when it comes to the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, the product is tried and true, now on its seventh generation. It’s made out of aluminum, has a built-in pen garage, and it passes over a dozen MIL-STD-810G tests, just like any ThinkPad.

Not a whole lot has changed since the previous generation, and that’s not a bad thing. There are two key differences. One is that the 4K option is now OLED, which is cool since we haven’t seen an OLED display in the ThinkPad X1 Yoga since the Gen 2 model. It also comes with Intel’s new 28W 12th-gen processors, which are more powerful, have better power management, and unlock other capabilities like how this machine includes LPDDR5 memory.

Ultimately, it’s just a great all-around convertible laptop, which is something that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga has always been.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7

Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Yoga has all of the bells and whistles you need, like optional 5G, an optional 4K OLED display, 12th-gen processors, LPDDR5, and an overall great build quality.

Features:

Pros: Cons:

See at Lenovo

Navigate this review:

• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 pricing and availability
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7: Specs
• Design: The rare aluminum ThinkPad
• Display: The ThinkPad X1 Yoga now comes with optional OLED
• Keyboard: A wider touchpad, and the same keyboard design
• Performance: Intel’s P-series is powerful
• Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7?

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 yoga Gen 7 pricing and availability

• The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 starts at $1,589.40 on Lenovo.com, although as a business laptop, it’s available through various other channels.
• It’s available to purchase now.

Lenovo first announced the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 at CES back in January, alongside the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon and ThinkPad X1 Nano. It was slated to arrive in March, so it’s been on sale for a little while.

There were a few key changes. The biggest, interestingly enough, is the spec bump. Intel now makes a 28W processor in the P-series, so that’s included in these flagship products. Along with a new hybrid architecture for more cores and batter power efficiency, there’s just more power. There’s also a new 4K OLED display option, although that’s not included in my review unit.

Being the flagship convertible from the ThinkPad brand, it starts at $1,589.40, so it’s not a cheap laptop. That comes with a Core i5-1240P, 8GB LPDDR5 5200MHz RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It goes up from there.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7: Specs

Processor	Intel Core i7-1260P
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe
Display	14.0″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, anti-glare, touchscreen, 400 nits
RAM	16GB LPDDR5 5200MHz (Soldered)
Storage	512GB PCIe SSD Gen 4 Performance
Battery	57Whr Rapid Charge (requires 65W PSU or higher)
Security	Discrete Trusted Platform Module (dTPM) 2.0 Computer Vision with Human-presence detection sensor Facial recognition with IR camera Smart Power On fingerprint reader integrated with power button (match-on-chip) Tile ready Webcam privacy shutter Kensington lock slot Secured-core
Audio	Dolby Atmos Speaker System (user facing, 4 x speakers) 4 x quad-array 360-degree far-field microphones Dolby Voice certified for professional conferencing solution
Camera	1080p FHD
Chassis	14.95mm x 315.6mm x 222.5mm x / 0.61″ x 12.38″ x 8.75″, Starting at 1.38kg / 3.04lbs
Connectivity	WLAN: Intel Wi-Fi 6E** AX211 802.11AX (2 x 2) Bluetooth 5.2 with vPro
Ports	2 x USB-C Thunderbolt 4 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 Headphone / mic combo HDMI 2.0b Optional: Nano SIM slot
Input	Spill-resistant Glass TrackPad 110mm/4.33″ Backlit with white LED lighting Air intake keys
Pen	Lenovo Integrated Pen
Color	Storm Grey
Material	Aluminum
OS	Windows 11 Pro
What’s in the box	ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 Internal Battery USB-C 65W (supports Rapid Charge) Quick Start Guide
Price	$1,987.80

Note that these are the specs of my review unit. As with any ThinkPad, there’s a wide array of configurations. You can get it with a 15W U-series processor instead of the 28W P-series chip, there’s an optional IR camera, and there’s even optional 5G.

Design: The rare aluminum ThinkPad

• The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is made of aluminum, and the chassis is mostly the same size as it was last year.
• It has four USB ports, two of which are USB Type-A and two of which are Thunderbolt 4.

Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 4 was the first time that the product was made out of aluminum. And indeed, it’s a rare material to find in a ThinkPad, which is known for using carbon fiber in premium devices. The general design of the product has changed a bit since then, changing up the ports, adding a 16:10 display, and so on, but it still comes in the Storm Grey color.

It’s not the same chassis as last year though, although it’s very similar. It’s ever so slightly heavier, at 3.04 pounds instead of three pounds, and it’s actually a little bit wider at 315.6mm instead of 313mm. Of course, if you put the two next to each other, you probably wouldn’t even be able to tell which one is which.

As usual, it looks clean and professional, with the only markings on the lid being a metallic ThinkPad X1 logo on the corner, and a Lenovo logo in the opposite corner.

Having the pen built in means it's always with you, always charged, and it doesn't get in the way.

It’s a business laptop, and that means that it still has a bunch of ports, including two USB Type-A ports and HDMI 2.0. Indeed, on a consumer laptop, you’re lucky to find one USB Type-A port, let alone two, and you can forget about HDMI. Sadly, those two USB Type-A ports are still USB 3.2 Gen 1, meaning that you get 5Gbps speeds.

One of those USB Type-A ports is on the right side of the device, along with the 3.5mm audio jack. On that side, you’ll also find a pen garage, so you always have the pen with you. Personally, I think this is the best method of pen storage. We’ve seen pens attach magnetically, and while that allows for a larger pen, those often fall off in a bag and just get in the way. This way, the pen is always with you and it’s always charged.

Personally, I think this matters. If you’re not going to be using the ThinkPad X1 Yoga as a tablet from time to time, you should ask yourself why you’re considering buying it. Without the convertible functionality, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a better option.

On the left side, you’ll also find a USB Type-A port and the HDMI port, but there are also two Thunderbolt 4 ports. That means that a single port can connect to up to two 4K displays or one 8K display, or you could connect this laptop to an external GPU. And of course, you’d use one of these ports for charging.

Ultimately, this is a fine design for a laptop. It’s got two USB-A and two USB-C ports, and it comes in a clean-looking aluminum chassis.

Display: The ThinkPad X1 Yoga now comes with optional OLED

• It has a 14-inch 16:10 display, which can now be configured as 4K OLED.
• The 1080p webcam is now standard

While the option for 4K OLED is one of the two big changes for this laptop, the model that Lenovo sent me is FHD+, or 1,920×1,200. It’s fine, and it will get you better battery life, something you’ll want with Intel’s new P-series processors. Back in the old days, the OLED options for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and Yoga were actually 1440p, which was a nice balance between a higher resolution and battery life. With 3,840×2,400 resolution and OLED, you’re going to really feel the difference between battery life on that, and on the FHD model.

OLED is delightful, and it's the first ThinkPad X1 Yoga to have it since Gen 2.

Of course, 16:10 is also the correct resolution. Pretty much all premium laptops have moved beyond 16:9 aspect ratios now, as 16:10 is taller with more surface area. Screens are measured diagonally, so while it’s still 14 inches, the taller aspect ratio means that you actually get more space.

In my testing, the screen supported 99% sRGB, 77% NTSC, 82% Adobe RGB, and 82% P3. That’s pretty good. In fact, I’d say anything over 80% in the Adobe RGB and P3 departments is solid. I will point out that the OLED model would likely be in the 90s.

Brightness maxed out at 418.1 nits, exceeding the 400 nits that were promised on the spec sheet. Notice that black came in at 0.22 at 100% brightness, and that column will be the biggest difference between OLED and non-OLED. If it as 0.01 at 0% brightness, it would be 0.01 at 100% brightness.

As noted above, the webcam is FHD, and that is standard. Last year, a lot of the ThinkPad lineup for the FHD webcam treatment, but the base model was only 720p. Now, if you buy this very expensive laptop, you’ll definitely get a solid webcam. Indeed, that’s as it should be. It’s about time that OEMs started taking webcam quality seriously.

Keyboard: A wider touchpad, and the same keyboard design

• The touchpad is 110mm wide, but it still has buttons that take up valuable real estate.
• The keyboard is still 1.5mm.

Lenovo’s ThinkPads are renowned for keyboard quality, so it’s no surprise that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga has an excellent keyboard. Also, it hasn’t changed from te Gen 6 model; the depth of the keys is still 1.5mm. It’s comfortable and accurate to type on, something that you’d expect from a ThinkPad.

Lenovo is renowned for its best-in-class keyboards.

The power button the sits above the keyboard doubles as a fingerprint sensor, which is nice since the IR camera is optional. In fact, this review unit doesn’t have an IR camera, so the fingerprint sensor was the only means I had of biometric authentication. Naturally, it scans your fingerprint when you first press it, automatically logging you in after the laptop boots up.

Just like with almost every other ThinkPad, there’s a TrackPoint between the G, H, and B keys. It’s a relic from the era when Windows laptop touchpads were terrible, but there are still some people that use them. In fact, Lenovo undoubtedly has telemetry around how often the TrackPoint gets used, and it has to be considering that when it includes it on every single ThinkPad laptop’s keyboard. ThinkPads still dominate in businesses, so Lenovo is doing something right.

You can easily ignore it if you don’t like it. If you can’t ignore it, then ThinkPads aren’t for you.

One result of the TrackPoint that you can’t ignore is the buttons above the touchpad. Those are there so they can be used with TrackPoint navigation, so if you only use the touchpad, it’s a waste of real estate. Of course, you could use the buttons with the touchpad, but that’s up to you.

The touchpad is wider than in previous generations, coming in at 110mm, so Lenovo does see the value of a larger touchpad. I think that at some point, the firm is going to have to release some ThinkPads without the TrackPoint or touchpad buttons, or even if a model like that was released as an option, but that day is not today.

Performance: Intel’s P-series is powerful, but it has limitations

• It comes with 28W Intel 12th-gen processors

When Intel introduced its 12th-generation processors for ultrabooks, it showed off its all-new P-series. It still offers the more traditional 15W and 9W CPUs that go in laptops, and while there have been 28W U-series processors in the past, this is a specifically 28W series of chips.

It’s basically billed as a way to put more powerful CPUs in the same kinds of laptops that we’ve seen 15W CPUs used in. So now, premium laptops like the entire ThinkPad X1 lineup use P-series chips, and that even includes the ultra-thin ThinkPad X1 Nano, which used 9W processors last year.

P-series processors are powerful, but there are drawbacks.

Intel’s 12th-gen chips also use a new hybrid architecture. The Core i7-1260P in this laptop has 12 cores and 16 threads, a big change from the quad-core octa-thread CPUs from the U-series of years prior. Out of those 12 cores, four of them are performance cores and eight are efficiency cores, with Intel using a scheduler to direct tasks to different cores as necessary.

	ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 Core i7-1260P	ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 Core i7-1185G7	Lenovo Yoga 9i Core i7-1260P
PCMark 10	5,168	5,158	5,616
3DMark: Time Spy	1,458	1,781	1,678
Geekbench 5	1,419 / 6,915	1,592 / 5,518	1,736 / 9,525
Cinebench R23	1,375 / 6,831	1,473 / 4,807	1,638 / 7,757

Here’s the issue with performance. Intel really billed P-series as a way of putting more performance into the same laptops, but that’s just not the case. These processors run hotter and use more battery life. Performance is better than 11th-gen, but it doesn’t really benchmark well because it starts to heat up and throttle. As you can see, the newly redesigned Yoga 9i actually sustains performance a lot better.

Interestingly, while performance wasn’t quite as good as other P-series laptops that I’ve reviewed, battery life was better. I got between 210 minutes and 374 minutes of usage out of it, the latter of which is really impressive. I expect four to five hours out of any regular laptop, so maxing out at six hours and 14 minutes is pretty great.

Lenovo did say that the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is available with U-series processors as well, so there’s a lot of flexibility for the kind of laptop you can get here.

Should you buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 is a phenomenal convertible laptop. It’s not the flashiest, but it’s one of the best around.

You should buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 if:

• You’re looking for a quality convertible with great build quality
• You like the TrackPoint
• Keyboard quality is important to you
• Webcam quality is important to you

You should not buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 if:

• You’re not willing to spend a lot of money for quality
• You’re looking for something flashy
• You’re not planning to use the convertible aspect of it

Like I said, this is a phenomenal laptop. But you should definitely be planning to use it as a tablet from time to time. Otherwise, you should look at the ThinkPad X1 Carbon or X1 Nano, as they’re lighter and better suited to be strictly clamshell laptops.

In fact, for tablet use, the best was the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium Yoga, a 3:2 ultra-light convertible that was specifically designed to be great at being a tablet and a laptop, while most convertibles are meant to be a laptop first. The Titanium Yoga is no more though, so the ThinkPad X1 Yoga gets the crown of best business convertible.

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It’s high time Google added fine-grained volume control to Android

I like to listen to podcasts and audiobooks at bedtime as it helps me sleep better. Ideally, you want just the right amount of volume when listening to an audiobook or podcast in a quiet setting — something that remains comfortable to listen to for an extended period. A bit louder, and it becomes a distraction and causes listening fatigue and a bit quieter, and everything becomes unintelligible. I’m quite sensitive to volume changes and loudness, so I always spend some time fiddling with the volume slider to find a comfortable level. However, thanks to how Android handles media volume and volume control, finding the sweet spot is a perpetual struggle. It’s always a bit too loud or too quiet no matter how carefully you try to adjust the volume slider. This issue is more evident with in-ear headphones — both wired and wireless — than with over-ear headphones.

This has remained a struggle on almost every Android phone I have used in recent years. On the iQOO 7 Legend, for example, even the lowest volume level is too loud for listening to sleeping sounds or podcasts at bedtime. In addition, each volume step has a big jump, so you’re always caught between a volume that’s either slightly too loud or slightly too low. If you want just a modest increase or decrease from the current level, it’s nearly impossible. My Xiaomi Mi 10i 5G running Pixel Experience based on Android 12L is better with lower volume levels, but after the third or fourth click, I run into the same situation where each volume jump becomes really huge.

Thanks to how Android handles media volume, finding the sweet volume spot is a perpetual struggle.

The volume issue is further complicated by Android’s “absolute volume” control, which unifies the volume of the connected Bluetooth headphones and the phone media volume. This is a big win for convenience as it takes away the pain of independently adjusting the physical volume control on your Bluetooth headphones and the phone media volume, meaning that changing the volume on your phone controls the volume on the Bluetooth device and vice versa.

However, this convenience comes at a price: the loss of finer control over volume levels.

I’m not sure exactly when Google coupled Bluetooth and phone media volume. I remember being able to adjust the internal volume of my Sennheiser HD 4.50 headphones independent of the phone media volume in earlier Android versions. This offered greater flexibility and precise control over the overall volume output. I could set the phone media volume to 5 and then use the physical controls on the headphones to adjust the internal volume until I find the sweet spot.

The problem is that while Android provides you an option to disable absolute volume control, which decouples Bluetooth and phone volumes, I have had mixed results with this option. While it works with my Sennheiser headphones and OPPO Enco M31 neckband, it does nothing for truly wireless earphones. It’s only really useful if your Bluetooth headphones have their own volume control.

There used to be a very effective solution to this problem in the form of the Precise Volume app. The app hooks into your phone’s audio system to overwrite Android’s 15-step volume limit and add 100 volume steps. It hasn’t been updated in a long time though (since 2017, actually), and it no longer works on devices running Android 9 Pie and above.

Precise Volume (+ EQ/Booster) (Free, Google Play) →

Before you mention it, yes, I have also tried out the build.prop method to increase the volume steps from 15 to 30. However, it didn’t work in my case, adding empty steps instead of evenly spreading the total volume across 30 steps. Not only that, this option isn’t viable for a large portion of the Android community as it requires root access.

Google should take inspiration from Samsung and LG

A simple solution would be to just add more tangible steps to the media volume.

So, what can Google do to give Android users more control over volume output? A simple solution would be to just add more tangible steps to the media volume. As mentioned above, Android currently offers 15 volume steps. In comparison, my Sony Walkman MP3 player had 32 steps. Samsung provides an app called Sound Assistant, which lets Galaxy smartphone users add 150 volume steps. Meanwhile, the LG V30 and V40 offered 75 steps when you enabled the dedicated DAC. If Google doesn’t want to go to the length of Samsung and LG, even 30 steps would be more than enough. By default, Android can continue to use 15 steps while giving power users an option to enable additional steps for finer control over the volume level.

Another option Google could consider adding is a master volume slider that would limit the overall volume output system-wide. So, for example, you could set the master slider to 60% to reduce the overall intensity/loudness for each volume step. Yet another option is to let Android media apps add their own volume slider that works independently of the system media volume. That way, you can play with both sliders to fine-tune the final volume.

Of course, I’m not the first to raise this issue. It’s an age-old problem that many Android users have faced for years and has yet to catch Google’s attention. It’s one that I know particularly bugs some users, and it’s been a problem in my own usage for a long time, too.

While all of us know that Android has come a long way from its early days, it’s important that refinements and quality of life changes like these aren’t overlooked. It’s a mature operating system at this point, but problems like these hold it back.

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WhatsApp widely rolls out new visibility options for Last seen, profile photo, and Status

WhatsApp is rolling out new privacy control settings to provide users greater control over who can see their profile photo, “About,” “Last seen,” and WhatsApp Status. These new options were first rolled out to select beta testers last year, but it’s only now that the company is bringing them to everyone.

In a recent tweet, WhatsApp announced that they’re rolling out the granular privacy control settings to all users. Up until now, you could choose to have your WhatsApp Status, Last Seen, and About info visible to 1) everyone, 2) your contacts 3) completely hidden. But now there’s one more option called “My contacts except….” With this option, you can create a list of contacts that won’t be able to see your profile photo, status, etc., while keeping this info visible to the rest of the contacts. It’s essentially a blacklist.

To further protect your privacy online, we’re rolling out new options to your privacy control settings

Now you can select who from your contact list can see your Profile Photo, About, and Last Seen status. For more information follow this link: https://t.co/UGMCx2n70h

— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) June 15, 2022

To try it out, click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and navigate to Account > Privacy. The updated privacy setting have widely rolled out with the latest version of WhatsApp.

In related news, WhatsApp recently rolled out one of the most requested features of all time: the ability to transfer your chats from an Android device to an iPhone. It also increased the group size limit from 256 people to 512 people.

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a bunch of exciting features. Earlier this month, we learned that the company might soon let users edit sent text messages, a feature its rival Telegram has offered for years. In addition, it’s also developing a feature that might let you link your WhatsApp account to your secondary smartphone.

WhatsApp Messenger (Free, Google Play) →

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Google Pixel Watch will offer customizability with a wide variety of bands and straps

The Google Pixel Watch was previewed during Google I/O 2022. While we didn’t get much information about the wearable at the event, it was clear that Google wanted to position this watch as the pinnacle of what can be achieved with Wear OS. With that said, it is now being reported that the watch will launch with several watch bands and straps, giving users the ability to customize their Pixel Watch to their liking.

During the event, Google also showed off the Google Pixel Watch’s soft touch silicone bands in a few colors. These will most likely be the most basic option and will probably be included with the watch by default. As far as other options go, it is being reported that Google will offer three color matched Milanese bands that will feature woven stainless steel and a magnetic clasp. There will also be a link bracelet, with a design similar to what you might with any metal watch band currently on the market. Of course, there are different qualities, but at this point, it is unknown just how premium this option will be.

Furthermore, Google will also offer two leather bands, coming in two color variants, a fabric and stretch band. Of course, this doesn’t mean much without the visuals, but by looking at Apple’s Watch accessories, it might give users some sense of what’s coming down the pipeline for Google Pixel Watch. It will feature stainless steel, a circular dome design, a digital crown with tactile feedback, and customizable bands.

The Google Pixel Watch will use a proprietary watch band system that looks like it can be swapped out easily. While we didn’t get a full explanation on how the bands will work, during the I/O keynote, we did get to see the crown shift clockwise, while the bands were locked into place. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until later this year to get full details about the Google Pixel Watch and it accessories.

Source: 9to5Google 

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Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Apple iPhone 13: Which phone offers more value?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE may not have left a lasting impression on most people as its predecessor the Galaxy S20 FE did, but there’s no denying that it’s still an all-around great phone with some powerful internals. It offers a good set of specs at an accessible price, but it’s not without its flaws. Apple, on the other hand, isn’t shy of slapping a rather huge price tag on the iPhone 13 because of its top-tier specs and premium finish. The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE and Apple iPhone 13 are two very different phones with entirely different ecosystems and a pretty big price difference, but we wanted to see how these two cross paths as you may stumble upon them as viable options to consider, especially as the iPhone enters the second-hand market with a lowered price tag. So let’s take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Apple iPhone 13 comparison to find out which phone is better to buy?

Navigate this article:

• Specifications
• Design & display
• Internal hardware
• Cameras
• Software
• Which one should you buy?

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Apple iPhone 13: Specifications

Before we begin the comparison, let’s take a quick look at the specifications to find out what each of these phones bring to the table:

Specification	Samsung Galaxy S21 FE	Apple iPhone 13
Build	Plastic back Metal frame	Aluminum mid-frame Glass front and back “Ceramic Shield” for front glass
Dimensions & Weight	155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm 177 grams	146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.65mm 174g
Display	6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED 2340 x 1080 120Hz refresh rate	6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED 2,340 x 1,080 resolution 60Hz refresh rate 120Hz touch sampling rate 1300nits peak brightness HDR10 True tone display
SoC	USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 International: Exynos 2100	Apple A15 Bionic
RAM & Storage	6GB RAM/128GB storage 8GB RAM/256GB storage No microSD card slot	4GB RAM 128GB/256GB/512GB No microSD card slot
Battery & Charging	4,500mAh battery 25W wired fast charging 15W wireless charging 4.5W reverse wireless charging	3,240 mAh Wired charging up to 20W Wireless charging up to 7.5W MagSafe charging up to 15W
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner	Face ID
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 12MP, f/1.8, 120˚ FoV Wide-angle: 12MP, f/2.2, 123° FoV Telephoto: 8MP, f/2.4, 32˚ FOV	Primary: 12MP wide, f/1.6 aperture, 1.6μm Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4 aperture
Front Camera(s)	32MP, f/2.2	12MP TrueDepth camera system
Port(s)	USB Type-C No headphone jack	Lightning No headphone jack
Audio	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
Connectivity	Sub6/mmWave 5G 4G LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/x (dual-band) Bluetooth 5.0	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0
Software	One UI 4.0/Android 12	iOS 15
Other Features	Samsung Pay with NFC IP68 rating	Dual physical SIM or Dual eSIM support

It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison (quite literally), so there are bound to be a lot of differences between the two phones. That being said, the specifications table gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect from these devices. Let’s jump into individual sections now to get more details and see which one comes out on top.

Design & Display

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is cheaper and hence it gets slightly less premium build materials. It comes with a polycarbonate back panel and metal frames for the sides. The plastic back doesn’t look bad because Samsung has managed to give the phone a nice coat of paint. The contour cut camera module, as you can see, also blends into the back panel. The Galaxy S21 FE is available to purchase in a bunch of fun pastel colors like Lavender, Olive, White, Graphite, and Navy.

Apple’s iPhone 13 comes with a premium finish thanks to the glass and metal build. It features a flat structure overall with curved edges. Design-wise, the iPhone 13 looks almost identical to its predecessor, the iPhone 12. That’s not necessarily bad but we think it’s time for Apple to switch things up a little in the design department. If you are leaning towards buying a thinner and lighter phone, though, then the iPhone 13 is the way to go as it measures 7.65mm in thickness and weighs 174g. In comparison, the Galaxy S21 FE measures 7.9 mm in thickness and weighs 177g. The iPhone 13 is also slightly shorter than the Galaxy S21 FE, making it more comfortable to use with one hand.

On the durability side, you get an IP68 rating with both phones and they also use fairly durable glass panels on the front to protect the display. You’re missing out on a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot on both phones, so no difference there either.

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 FE, however, has a couple of advantages over Apple’s iPhone 13 in the display department. Firstly, there’s no notch on the Galaxy S21 FE’s display. Samsung moved to a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera and we think it looks cleaner and less distracting than the iPhone 13’s notch. Yes, Apple has reduced the overall size of the notch over the years, but it still gets in your way. Next up, you get an optical in-display fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S21 FE, while the iPhone 13 users will have to rely on Face ID for biometric security.

As for the display itself, the Galaxy S21 FE sports a slightly bigger 6.4-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel with support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The iPhone 13 sports a 6.1-inch OLED panel that tops out at a 60Hz refresh rate. Both displays are on-par with each other when it comes to overall quality. They both get adequately bright outdoors and show good colors with sharp details.

Internal hardware

Now that we’ve seen how the Galaxy S21 FE and the iPhone 13 compare from the outside, it’s time to see what each of these devices packs inside because that’s what really counts for most people. There’s no shred of doubt that both the Galaxy S21 FE and the iPhone 13 are very capable devices that’ll handle just about any workload you throw at on a day-to-day basis. That being said, there are some noteworthy differences between the two which we’re going to discuss now.

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is powered by the Snapdragon 888 or the in-house Exynos 2100 chipset depending on where you buy it from. They are both 5nm chipsets but the Snapdragon variant is known to be better than the Exynos chip on many fronts. Apple’s iPhone 13, on the other hand, is powered by the incredibly powerful A15 Bionic chip under the hood. It’s Apple’s Hexa-core chipset that’s essentially amongst the best when it comes to performance.

The Galaxy S21 FE’s base variant comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage, whereas the iPhone 13 only gets 4GB RAM on the base variant with 128GB storage. This, as you probably already know, isn’t an issue as 4GB RAM is all you need to yield a reliable performance out of the iPhone 13. In case you’re interested, the Galaxy S21 FE can be purchased with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. The iPhone 13 tops out at 4GB RAM but you can choose to spend more on additional storage of up to 512GB. You also get a stereo speaker with both phones along with connectivity options including Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and 5G, so no differences there either.

Moving on to the battery life, the Galaxy S21 FE packs a bigger battery than the iPhone 13. We’re looking at a 4,500 mAh battery inside the Galaxy S21 FE while the iPhone 13 packs a 3,240 mAh unit. You can expect both phones to last you through an entire day of use without any issues. It’s particularly impressive on the iPhone 13’s part and it shows just how power-efficient the A15 Bionic chipset really is. A lot of the credit also goes to Apple’s iOS software, so keep that in mind. When it comes to charging, the Galaxy S21 FE supports up to 25W fast wired charging and 15W wireless charging with reverse charging capabilities. The iPhone 13 also supports up to 23W wired charging and 15W MagSafe wireless charging, but it misses out on the reverse wireless charging feature.

Cameras

As for the optics, Samsung has equipped the Galaxy S21 FE with three cameras at the back —  a 12MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 12MP wide-angle with 123° FoV, and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3X optical zoom and OIS support. As we mentioned in our Galaxy S21 FE review, this phone is capable of capturing excellent photos provided there’s good lighting. Colors are sometimes a bit over-saturated, and the low-light performance isn’t the best in the business, but you won’t be disappointed with any photos in general. The 32MP selfie shooter that’s located on the front inside the punch-hole cutout works reliably too.

The Galaxy S21 FE’s capable camera system goes against Apple’s iPhone 13 that’s rocking a 12MP primary camera with an f/1.6 aperture along with another 12MP wide-angle camera with 120° FoV. The iPhone 13 gets larger sensors compared to last year’s iPhone 12 and as a result, they pull more light to offer shots in low-light, and the images also have a shallower depth-of-field. The iPhone 13 may not have as many camera sensors as the Galaxy S21 FE, but it’s safe to say that it’s capable of capturing some stunning shots, irrespective of the lighting condition. We couldn’t capture the same set of images from both phones to compare them side-by-side for this article, but we will leave a bunch of camera samples captured using both phones below to give you a better understanding of what to expect from each of them.

Before we move on to the next section, it’s also worth pointing out that the iPhone 13’s “Cinematic mode” also works very well. This particular feature takes advantage of Apple’s A15 Bionic neural engine to produce an artificial bokeh for videos in real-time. You can learn more about it in our full review of the iPhone 13. There’s no equivalent feature on the Galaxy S21 FE but you use it to capture 4K videos at up to 60fps.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE camera samples

Apple iPhone 13 camera samples

Software

Comparing the Android-powered Galaxy S21 FE to Apple’s iOS on the iPhone 13 is like comparing apples to oranges. The difference between the two becomes entirely subjective when it comes to the software. If you are a long-time iOS user then you’d probably lean towards the iPhone 13. Android users, on the other hand, especially the ones who have been using Samsung’s One UI will definitely like the Galaxy S21 FE. If you’re not particularly leaning towards an OS then we’d suggest you put your hardware preferences above the software here. Without getting into too many details, it’s safe to say that there are some obvious fundamental differences between the two operating systems, but both of them get a lot of things right.

The same can be said about the longevity of both software powering these devices. You get Android 12-based One UI 4.0 with the Galaxy S21 FE out of the box and it’s guaranteed to get as many as four major Android OS updates and up to five years of security updates. The iPhone 13 runs iOS 15 out of the box and Apple is also known to keep its phones on the latest software for up to five years.

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Apple iPhone 13: Which one should you buy?

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE  may not offer enough to convince an iOS user to switch over to Android but we think it brings a lot of value to the table. It comes with an excellent AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate as opposed to iPhone’s 60Hz panel. You also get a cleaner-looking display with no notch, a reliable optical in-display fingerprint scanner, flagship-grade chipsets, a bigger battery, and more. All that for a relatively cheaper price makes the Galaxy S21 FE a fantastic option for economical shoppers. But if you’re ready to spend more on a smartphone and have no qualms about using iOS, then the iPhone 13 is undoubtedly a better phone.

The iPhone 13 surges ahead of the Galaxy S21 FE when its superior performance, premium build quality, and impressive battery life are taken into account. Not to mention, it also captures consistently better photos and videos than the Galaxy S21 FE. For those of you who are curious, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is currently going for around $630 in the US, which is significantly less than the iPhone 13’s $800 price tag. The iPhone 13 becomes even better if you can get it for cheaper, in which situation, the Galaxy S21 FE becomes a much harder sell. The Galaxy S21 FE wasn’t the best deal at launch for $700 but it’s more palatable now and makes it an affordable alternative if you don’t want to enter Apple’s walled garden.

Apple iPhone 13

The iPhone 13 brings the powerful A15 Bionic and a really good main camera along with the usual Apple package of great software and eco-system.

Buy from Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy S21 FE

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE offers a powerful set of internals and reliable cameras among other things for an excellent price.

Buy from Samsung

So which smartphone are you looking to buy? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below! Also, be sure to check out our best Galaxy S21 FE deals and the best Apple iPhone 13 deals page to see if you can save some money on your purchase. You can use that savings to pick up one of the best iPhone 13 cases or the best Galaxy S21 FE cases with your purchase to protect them from everyday wear and tear.

The post Samsung Galaxy S21 FE vs Apple iPhone 13: Which phone offers more value? appeared first on XDA.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Everything we know so far about Samsung’s next flagship foldable

Samsung was one of the first manufacturers to enter the foldable space in 2019 with the original Galaxy Fold. It wasn’t the most flamboyant entry with plenty of catastrophic display failures, but it’s safe to say that the Galaxy Fold lineup has progressed remarkably well. With hardly any competitors in sight and few flimsy foldable on the market at that time, Samsung single-handedly took the task of creating an entirely new class of flagship with its Galaxy Fold series and has now created what we described as a “special type of smartphone” in our Galaxy Z Fold 3 review. This only means one thing — Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a tough act to follow. We’re still a few good months away from the official unveiling of the Z Fold 4, but let’s visit the rumor mill and also collect all the leaks to put together everything we know so far about Samsung’s next flagship foldable.

Before we begin, it’s worth mentioning that there’s no official word about the Galaxy Z Fold 4 from Samsung just yet. We’re using rumors and leaks to put together a puzzle right now to see how this phone is shaping up. None of what you’re about to read is official unless mentioned otherwise, so take everything with a pinch of salt. We’ll update this page over time to eventually make a Galaxy Z Fold 4 hub with all the relevant and accurate information post the launch.

Navigate this article:

• Release Date & Pricing
• Galaxy Z Fold 4 or just Galaxy Fold 4?
• Specifications
• Design
• Display
• Cameras
• Software
• What we’d like to see

Release Date & Pricing

We don’t have an exact release date for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 yet, but we can make some educated guesses to predict its possible launch date. If history is something to go by, then you can expect Samsung to launch its next flagship foldable either towards the end of August or early September. We say that because the last two generations of the Galaxy Z Fold arrived around the same time. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was launched in September while the Galaxy Z Fold 3 arrived in August a year later. Expect the phone to go on pre-orders shortly after the announcement, and open sales to begin about 2-3 weeks from the launch event, although this will vary by region.

According to the leaked information tweeted by the popular tipster Jon Prosser, Samsung will announce its new foldable devices on August 10, with the pre-orders going live the same day. He further noted that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be available to purchase starting August 26.

Samsung event / launch dump (thread, 1/2)

S22 launching in Lavender on Aug 26

Fold 4
Phantom Black, Green, Beige
Announcement / pre-orders Aug 10
Launch Aug 26

Flip 4
Graphite, Bora Purple, Pink Gold, Blue
Announcement / pre-orders Aug 10
Launch Aug 26

— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) June 8, 2022

In case you’re wondering, yes, this is around the same time when Apple is also expected to launch the next iPhone. We’re looking at a possible mid-September launch for the iPhone 14 series, so we’ll once again have an assortment of flagships to choose from during the Holiday season.

As for the pricing, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to launch at the same starting price as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 when it hits the shelves later this year. If there’s any truth to it then we’re looking at a starting price of $1,799 in the US, with the higher storage variant going for $1,899. This will, once again, make the Galaxy Z Fold 4 one of the most expensive foldable on the market, if not the most. We hope Samsung leaves no stones unturned for the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It’s still a big number on the price tag, but it would make it more palatable if the company manages to check all the boxes on our wishlist. Those looking to spend less on a foldable will have to stick with either the Galaxy Z Flip or try getting their hands on other great foldables.

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Galaxy Z Fold 4 or just Galaxy Fold 4?

There’s probably not a lot to discuss here but it may be worth pointing out that Samsung might drop the letter ‘Z’ from its branding. It already has in some European nations, in case you don’t know. Samsung has not shared any official statement on the reason for this removal, but it’s being speculated that it’s due to the troubled geopolitical scenario in parts of Europe. Speculations aside, we hope Samsung drops the letter “Z” from the branding across the globe. Why? Because it would make it a lot easier and simpler to follow. The “Samsung Galaxy Fold 4” is also a mouthful but at least it doesn’t have the forcefully introduced letter. In fact, just call it the “Galaxy Fold 2022” or simply the “Samsung Fold 2022”. We’d take anything that would make it easier for people to identify these phones. XDA’s Senior Editor and a fellow foldable aficionado, Ben, explains it very well in one of his tweets:

Should just remove the Z and just let it be Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Flip. Adding Z after GalaXY just makes for weird repetitive syllables.

Also phone names too damn long, man. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is 8 syllables. https://t.co/x4x8yoNp79

— ben (@bencsin) July 6, 2020

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Specifications: A new chipset?

This is a section that we’ll update in the future with a fully fleshed-out specifications table. There’s not much to add to the table right now because Samsung has still managed to keep a lot of information about the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 under the wraps. But rumor has it that it’ll be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 (SM8475) SoC that’s fabricated on TSMC’s 4nm process. This chipset is more efficient than both Samsung’s Exynos 2200 and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which are made using Samsung Foundry’s 4nm process.

Recently, a Galaxy Z Fold 4 variant, model number SM-F936U, appeared on the Geekbench bearing the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset. Here, take a look at the screenshot showing the Geekbench 5 benchmark scores:

Much like the predecessor, the new chipset is expected to be paired with 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 variant spotted on the Geekbench website appears to have 12GB of RAM, which is in line with the rumored figure. The chances of the microSD card making a return is also very unlikely, so you’ll have to make a conscious decision when it comes to picking the storage configuration.

There’s no information about the battery inside the Galaxy Z Fold 4 too, but we’re hoping to see a battery that’s larger than the one found in the Galaxy Z Fold 3. So anything larger than 4,400 mAh with support for fast charging would be a nice addition. We also expect both wireless and reverse wireless charging features to be a part of the specs sheet too. Some other expected features of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 includes 5G support, stereo speakers, S Pen Fold Edition/S Pen Pro support, and more.

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Design: A slightly shorter and thinner foldable this time

Word on the street is that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will look very similar to its predecessor. We’ve got some leaked renders from a reliable source to prove that the upcoming phone in the series will look very similar in design, but just a bit boxier. Here, take a look at the render yourself:

Looking at the renders above, it’s safe to say that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 might look a lot like its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, except for some minor tweaks. Samsung appears to have dropped the pill-shaped camera island to make it look more in-line with the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s camera array. It’s never a good idea to judge the design of a phone by looking at the renders, so we’ll reserve our judgments for when we’re able to get our hands on a unit for review.

Another thing that’s worth pointing out in the design department is that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to have slightly tweaked aspect ratios for both the external and the internal displays. It’s still going to remain largely tall, but it might make a difference while using it, hopefully in a positive way.

Exclusive
Internal screen ratio:
Fold4：6：5，Fold3：5：4
External screen ratio:
Fold4：23：9，Fold3：24.5：9

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) May 9, 2022

As per the leaks, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will measure 155 x 130 x 7.1mm when unfolded. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 measured 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4mm unfolded. So you can expect the new phone to be slightly shorter, wider, and thinner in comparison to its predecessor. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 will reportedly be available in Beige, Black, and Gray color options, but expect to see some new and interesting color options at launch. We think Samsung did a really good job with the Galaxy S22 series colors, so we won’t mind getting a similar color palette for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 too.

Samsung isn’t expected to add an in-display fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, so it might just be embedded on the power button like last time. That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, though. The side-mounted fingerprint scanner is convenient to use when placed right and is often faster and more reliable than the in-display scanners too. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 was also an improvement over the Galaxy Z Fold 2 when it comes to durability. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 was Samsung’s first foldable with an IPX8 rating, a welcome improvement over its predecessor. It would be good to see the Galaxy Z Fold 4 picking up the protection certification for dust resistance too.

We can also see a USB Type-C port in the renders along with speaker grills and a bunch of microphones, but no headphone jack. What’s more surprising is that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 doesn’t seem to have the dedicated slot to store the S Pen too. Being able to use the S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is an awesome experience, but not being able to secure it in place isn’t fun. Sure, you can always buy cases to tuck the S Pen in, but it seems like an afterthought for a device that costs as much as it does. Well, that’s all we have for now as far as the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s design is concerned.

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Display: New aspect ratios!

Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is also likely to have two displays — the exterior cover display and the relatively bigger inner display which reveals itself as you unfold the device. The new foldable, as we mentioned earlier is expected to have slightly tweaked aspect ratios for the displays. It may not seem like a significant difference but we think it’s enough to make the device look boxier than the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Here, take a look:

Source – @UniverseIce (Twitter)

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 had an internal display aspect ratio of 5:4, while its external display came in at 24.5:9. If the leaked info is something to go by, then the upcoming model will tweak that value slightly, with an internal screen ratio of 6:5, and an external screen ratio of 23:9. As for the actual display sizes, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to feature a 6.2-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch main display.

The upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to carry the same displays that were used for the Galaxy Z Fold 3. As it stands, we can expect the Z Fold 4 to have an HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel on the outside with a resolution of 2268 x 832 pixels and support for up to a 120Hz refresh rate. The inner display is expected to be a QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 2208 x 1786 pixels and up to a 120Hz refresh rate support too.

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Cameras: A huge improvement?

Under screen selfie camera of the Z Fold 3

The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 weren’t as good as they could’ve been. As mentioned in our review as well, this is one area in which we were left disappointed. Naturally, a more potent camera system is on top of our wishlist for the Galaxy Z Fold 4. If the leaked info is something to go by, then it looks like Samsung is finally ready to give the Galaxy Z Fold lineup the camera upgrade it deserves. The upcoming phone is said to feature the same 10MP 3x telephoto zoom camera as the Galaxy S22 series. This would be a major improvement in the camera department for the Z Fold lineup. In case you are wondering, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 currently sports a 12MP 2x telephoto camera.

There are no other leaks shedding light on the remaining camera sensors, but we don’t see why Samsung won’t feature the same 50MP primary and 12MP ultra-wide cameras as the Galaxy S22 series. That would make up for a much better camera system overall, one that won’t leave us wanting more like last year. There’s obviously no way to confirm that just yet, but this seems like the plausible spec bump. The dedicated selfie shooter is once again expected to be under the main display inside, and it remains to be seen if we’ll get a spec bump on that too.

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Software: One UI

Samsung’s software game is pretty strong right now. The Korean giant now aims to release as many as four major OS upgrades for many of its smartphones including the mid-rangers like the Galaxy A53 5G. We expect the same level of support for the upcoming Galaxy Fold 4 too. We expect it to be powered by One UI based on Android 12 out of the box, just like the Galaxy S22 series. We’ll have more to talk about the software closer to or after the actual launch as Samsung may add some additional enhancements for the foldable form factor.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Wishlist: What we’d like to see

Samsung clearly has a solid lead over some other manufacturers when it comes to foldable phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 may not be perfect, but it’s safe to say that it’s a premium alternative for those who would otherwise spend a lot of money on a normal “slab” phone. As enthusiasts and early adopters of the foldable space, and having used all the older Galaxy Z Fold devices in the past, we have our expectations set for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 too. We’ve already mentioned some of our expectations in the relevant sections above, but here’s a quick round-up of our modest wishlist for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4:

Better cameras, please!

The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, as we mentioned earlier, are more akin to what you’d get on an average phone, not a flagship device that costs as much as it does. Without getting into details, it’s easy to conclude saying that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 isn’t the phone for you if you like clicking a lot of photos. We’d like that to be fixed with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4. It would be ideal if Samsung uses the same camera setup as the Galaxy S22 series for this one. Long story short, we don’t want photography to take a back seat in the case of Samsung’s foldable. As we’ve mentioned in our Galaxy Z Fold 3 vs Vivo X Fold comparison, Vivo has done an excellent job with the camera system while the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is just about on par with the two-year-old standard (non-Ultra) version of the Galaxy S20.

A more usable cover display

While the aspect ratio of the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s cover display makes it narrow and comfortable for one-handed usage for many users, there’s no denying that it’s almost too small to be used for most practical scenarios. You’ll find yourself unfolding the device to visit the main display more often, thereby making it a little less intuitive to use. Other foldable devices on the market including the Oppo Find N, the Vivo X Fold, and even the newly launched Huawei Mate Xs 2 have a much better and usable outer screen that’ll let you get through most of the stuff without having to open the main display. Even a simple task like typing on the on-screen keyboard is more difficult on the narrow cover display of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 when compared to other phones. While it looks like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a boxier design, we wonder how much of a difference it would make in the real world for day-to-day usage.

S Pen support for cover display

The Galaxy Z Fold lineup with S Pen support feels like a natural evolution of the Galaxy Note and we love the fact that Samsung added support for S Pen on the main display. That being said, it’s also disappointing that you can’t use S Pen on the cover display of the Z Fold 3. It’s a bummer because you have to open the main display to jot down a note. Once again, the idea is to make it easier to use the phone and get through a lot of the work without having to open the main display.

IP rating for dust resistance

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the first foldable in the series to get an IP rating. It comes with an IPX8 rating for water resistance which means it’ll handle a sudden downpour just fine. Water resistance was one of the most requested improvements over the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Now it would be great if we can get an official IP rating for dust resistance too. It’s probably not as easy as it sounds due to the hinge and associated moving parts, but it would make it that much better than the competition. That being said, it’s worth mentioning that other foldable devices on the market including the Oppo Find N and Vivo X Fold don’t have an IP rating, so Samsung is already a step above the competition here.

A better hinge

Take a quick look at this image in which we have an Oppo Find N and a Galaxy Z Fold 3, both with the hinge closed:

Find N’s rounded hinge corner (top) and Galaxy Z Fold 3’s slightly pointy hinge corner (bottom).

Notice how Oppo Find N (top) folds completely flat, while the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (bottom) leaves a slight gap in between? This is due to the difference in the hinge mechanism used in these phones. The Oppo Find N’s hinge has a small cavity into which the screen tucks in. This hinge is also the reason why the Find N’s main display inside doesn’t show much of a crease. We hope Samsung has taken notes and has worked on improving the hinge for its upcoming foldable.

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Well, that brings us to the conclusion of this rumor round-up/Galaxy Z Fold 4 expectation write-up. We’re still months away from the official unveiling of this particular device but it’s already shaping up to be a solid successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 3. All the leaks and rumors have been promising so far and we hope many of them turn out to be true, so we can finally take them off our wishlist. We’ll constantly update this page with more info in the future leading up to the final release, so be sure to check back for updated specs, features, and more.

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Everything we know so far about Samsung’s next flagship foldable appeared first on XDA.

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We could see a USB C port on the upcoming affordable iPad

The iPad is a great device for plenty of different tasks. Whether you’re looking for media consumption, gaming, reading, writing, or light working/studying — this versatile device can handle most average user tasks. Of course, it won’t replace many people’s laptops for the time being, especially power users’. However, it’s slowly transitioning from a stretched-out iPhone to a Mac-like product. This is especially apparent in iPadOS 16 — which supports resizable app windows on M1 iPads. While Apple has overhauled the higher-end models from the inside out in recent years, the affordable iPad remains neglected. Yes, it receives annual upgrades usually. However, it still features the classic ancient chassis from olden days and, of course, Cupertino’s beloved Lightning port. The good news we’ve all been waiting for is that Apple could be switching to USB C on the upcoming affordable iPad.

If the rumors are in fact accurate, Apple could stop selling iPad models with Lightning ports this fall. The affordable iPad is the only model that still settles for the inferior port. This makes sense, considering it costs $329. The company is clearly more focused on the higher-end versions — which tend to have more demanding, Pro customers.

Apart from ditching the Lightning port, the iPad 10 could go for a larger 10.5-inch display — a slight increase from 10.2 inches. This makes us believe that we might also see other design changes — including the potential retirement of the physical home button. Ultimately, even for an adorable device, the iPad 9 looks very outdated in our modern world. We certainly hope Apple follows the same design language it has applied on the iPad Air.

Lastly, the iPad 10 could pack the A14 Bionic chip — which powers the iPhone 12 lineup. While Apple has brought the M1 chip to the latest Air model, we certainly don’t see that happening on the affordable one anytime soon — if ever.

Do you plan on buying the affordable iPad 10? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Source: 9to5Mac

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