These are the best Apple products for students: MacBook, iPad, AirTag and more

Apple has managed to establish a solid portfolio of devices for all sorts of users, be it working professionals, artists, and content creators. It’s back-to-school season, which means it’s a great time to invest in a new device especially if you’re a student who prefers Apple’s ecosystem. From laptops to tablets, here are some of the best Apple products for students.

Navigate this guide

• Best budget laptop: Apple MacBook Air
• Best budget tablet: Apple iPad 10.2-inch
• Best wireless earphones: Apple AirPods
• Best performance tablet: Apple iPad Pro M1
• Best laptop for power users: Apple MacBook Pro 16
• Best tracking device: Apple AirTag
• Best AiO desktop: Apple 24-inch iMac M1

Best budget laptop: Apple MacBook Air

The MacBook Air has been the choice of many, thanks to its fairly low price point compared to other products under the Mac lineup. With the latest model making use of the M1 Silicon chipset, it’s now more powerful than ever, while at the same time, very efficient. You can get it with an 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage for $999 or an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 8GB RAM, and 512GB storage for $1,249.

Apple is also running an offer for university students where, if you purchase a Mac or iPad, you can get a free pair of AirPods.

Apple MacBook Air M1

The new MacBook Air offers the same design as the Intel model but comes with the company's own ARM-based M1 chipset based on the 5nm process.

Buy at Amazon

Best budget tablet: Apple iPad 10.2-inch

Tablets have become a great tool for the education sector as they’re more portable and lighter than laptops and offer plenty of performance for students. Apple’s entry-level iPad is recommended for all age groups. With the latest model offering support for the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, the tablet is way more productive than ever.

The 2020 iPad comes with a 10.2-inch display, A12 Bionic chipset, and the option of either 32GB or 128GB of storage with or without cellular 4G connectivity. As mentioned before, if you’re a university student and happen to buy a Mac or iPad, you can get yourself a pair of AirPods for free.

Apple iPad 10.2

The entry-level iPad comes with support for the 1st-gen Apple Pencil and keyboard support, thus making it a recommended affordable productivity tablet.

Buy at Amazon

Apple Smart Keyboard

The Smart Keyboard for the iPad enhances your productivity, allowing you to quickly type on the tablet. Best of all, it connects easily without the need for pairing or charging, so it’s always ready to go.

Buy at Amazon

Best wireless earphones: Apple AirPods

Having a pair of AirPods makes things quite convenient and should definitely be on your list of back-to-school items. Not only are they useful while attending online classes and tutorials, but they are also a great companion when you want to listen to music or catch up on the latest shows online without disturbing your peers. They are quite handy to use and can be paired easily with almost any device using Bluetooth.

Apple AirPods

The Apple AirPods are easily one of the best true wireless earphones and a great gadget for students to attend video classes.

Buy at Amazon

Best performance tablet: Apple iPad Pro M1

Apple’s latest iPad Pro is packed with the new M1 Silicon chipset, the same chipset powering the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and the new 24-inch Mac. Essentially it’s the most powerful tablet on the market today. Pair it with the new Magic Keyboard, and you have a tablet that can match the productivity and practicality of a full-fledged laptop. The tablet also supports the 2nd-gen Apple Pencil, making taking notes a lot easier and an excellent canvas for art students.

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch

The new iPad Pro 11 features Apple's new M1 chipset along with support for 5G, up to 2TB of storage and a Thunderbolt 4 port.

Buy at Amazon

Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch

The new 12.9-inch iPad Pro comes with a mini-LED equipped display along with the with the ARM-based M1 chipset with up to 2TB of storage, 5G and Thunderbolt support.

Buy at Amazon

Apple Magic Keyboard

The Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro features a floating design, an extra USB-C port for charging, a touchpad and tactile keys that offer a great typing experience.

Buy at Amazon

Apple Magic Keyboard

The new Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro offers full-size backlit keys with a responsive touchpad, and connects to the iPad wirelessly.

Buy at Amazon

Best laptop for power users: Apple MacBook Pro 16

The MacBook Pro 16 is a recommended laptop for students looking for a powerful machine that can handle heavy tasks without working up a sweat. It can be configured with up to a 9th-gen Intel Core i9 processor that comes with 8-cores and a boost clock speed of up to 5GHz, up to 8TB of storage, 64GB of memory, and AMD Radeon Pro 5500M graphics with 8GB of GDDR6.

Essentially, this is the most powerful MacBook you can get today and should serve well for students who are into content creation.

Apple MacBook Pro 16

The MacBook Pro 16 continues to be one of the most powerful notebooks from Apple featuring up to an Intel Core i9 processor, a large 16-inch display, TouchBar, and top of the line hardware configuration options.

Buy at Amazon

Best tracking device: Apple AirTag

A convenient way to keep track of your things, you can attach an AirTag to stuff you’re most likely to misplace, like keys, a wallet, or just throw one in your backpack. Using the Find My app, you can quickly locate them without having to turn your house upside down. The tracker can play a sound on the built-in speaker making it easier to hunt for lost items.

Additionally, the geolocation feature lets you locate your item on a map as the tracker sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby Apple devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud.

Apple AirTag

The Apple AirTag is a wireless tracker that can be attached to important items allowing you to locate them in case they go missing.

Buy at Amazon

Best AiO desktop: Apple 24-inch iMac M1

The new 24-inch iMac is an excellent AiO desktop PC for students. With the ability to log into different profiles using Touch ID, the entire family can also use the iMac without worrying about privacy. It’s powered by the Apple M1 Silicon and comes in seven color options available in this sleek and refreshing design. The new iMac also comes with a 4.5K Retina display, a six-speaker system supporting Dolby Atmos, an advanced 1080p camera for doing video calls, and a starting price of $1,299.

Apple iMac M1

The new 24-inch iMac comes with a brand new sleek design powered by the ARM-based M1 Silicon chipset, a 4.5K Retina display, improved 1080p camera, upgraded audio features, and a lot more.

Buy at Amazon

These are some of the best Apple products for students. Apple also has special discounts and offers for students on its official website, so make sure you check them out as well. We expect new MacBook models and a smaller iPad to launch later this year, so we will be updating this list. We also have dedicated lists of the best Macs and a roundup of the best iPads you can buy today.

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OnePlus grew rapidly in the U.S. thanks to its budget phones for T-Mobile

OnePlus garnered a lot of attention from power users in its early years for selling flagship-tier devices at a lower price than established brands like Apple and Samsung. As years went by, the prices of OnePlus flagships crept up in price to the point where their devices were no longer “flagship-killers” but just “flagships.” The company realized it would be difficult to stay competitive with only its biannual flagship phone launches, so they expanded their product line to include budget and mid-range phones under a new “Nord” brand. Fans were skeptical of this pivot, but data shows the move was a huge success for the brand, and according to Counterpoint Research, it’s led them to impressive growth in the United States.

According to the market research firm, OnePlus experienced an over 400% growth in year-on-year sales in the U.S. during the first half of 2021. Without exact sales figures, it’s difficult to determine how impressive this growth really is, but it’s clear that OnePlus has a winning strategy right now.

The growth of OnePlus in the U.S. smartphone market follows the exodus of LG from the smartphone space. Other brands that experienced a decline in H1 2021 YoY sales include Google and ZTE, the latter of which declined the most. Samsung, Nokia/HMD Global, Apple, and Motorola all saw some growth in the U.S., though their growth was much lower relative to OnePlus. Again, without exact sales figures, it’s difficult to gauge how successful OnePlus truly is compared to these other brands, but they’re on an impressive upward trajectory nonetheless.

The report from Counterpoint Research specifically credits OnePlus’ growth in the U.S. to the introduction of multiple budget phones, including the OnePlus Nord N100 and N10 5G. “With the introduction of the N100 and N10 5G in January, OnePlus quickly gained market share in Metro by T-Mobile.”, said Senior Research Analyst Maurice Klaehne. “Besides, it continues to push its premium device presence at T-Mobile with the latest OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. OnePlus further expanded its presence in Q2 due to LG’s exit from the smartphone market while the N100 has been one of the top selling smartphones within Metro for months.”

T-Mobile has also swapped its high volume 5G device from the Samsung Galaxy A52 to the OnePlus N200, which is one of the most affordable 5G smartphones available in the U.S. market. OnePlus is filling a void left by LG and also capitalizing on the inability of manufacturers like Samsung to meet the demand from carriers for cheap, 5G-enabled smartphones. OnePlus can meet the demand, making it an appealing option for carriers such as T-Mobile to push to consumers.

As we mentioned before, other smartphone manufacturers did not grow nearly as much as OnePlus did. Strong growth was seen from Motorola, and that can be attributed to the company focusing on affordable budget and mid-range 5G phones such as the Moto One 5G Ace. Apple’s iPhone 12 series has proven highly successful, showing that there’s still some room for growth in the premium smartphone space in the U.S. Google’s upcoming Pixel 6 series seems to be focused on that segment, but it remains to be seen if it’ll successfully compete with Samsung or Apple’s flagships.

The U.S. smartphone market is changing slowly but surely, and it’s likely that with the continued success of the Nord series, we may see OnePlus focus more and more on budget phones in the future.

Featured image: OnePlus Nord N200

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Here are the free games available to PS Plus subscribers in August 2021

PlayStation Plus subscribers are getting a batch of new games this August, which will be available to download starting on August 3. Unlike in previous months, there is no PlayStation 5-exclusive title in August, with all three games available to play on PlayStation 4. All games will be available to PS Plus members through September 6.

The first game on Sony’s list is Hunter’s Arena: Legends, which is available for both the PS5 and PS4. This is probably for the best, as the PS5 remains very difficult to find and, as Legends is a fantasy battle royale game, it’s best played with a large number of players. Specifically, it’s a 30-player PvPvE title, in which players must be prepared to battle both demons and each other.

The two PS4 titles are Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, and Tennis World Tour 2. In Battle for Neighborville, you can play as one of up to 20 playable characters, and you can either team up with friends or battle against them in both local and online co-op. It’s a game that has a surprising amount of content for how simple it appears to be.

Tennis World Tour 2 is, as the name suggests, a competitive tennis title in which you can either play as a famous player or a custom character in career mode to beat the rest of the competition. Like with Battle for Neighborville, Tennis World Tour 2 also lets you play with friends in local or online play, in singles and doubles games.

PS Plus offers three free games every month to subscribers, all of which will remain in your library after being claimed, though you’ll no longer be able to play them if you cancel your subscription (though you can regain access to them if you renew your subscription later). The previous month’s offering, which included A Plague Tale: Innocence and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, will no longer be available to claim on August 2.

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Here are the free games from Xbox Games with Gold in August 2021

Microsoft has revealed which games will be coming to the Xbox Games with Gold program in August 2021. A total of four free games will be available across the month, with one being available into September.

The first two free games that will be available — according to Microsoft’s blog post — are Darksiders III and Lost Planet 3. Darksiders III is a hack-and-slash action game, in which you play as one of the Four Horsemen (though not the biblical ones, since the Horseman, in this case, is called Fury) on the hunt for the Seven Deadly Sins. It’ll be available all month, August 1 through 31. Lost Planet 3 is a third-person shooter and a prequel to the previous games in the series, revealing what happened to the colony on the titular planet E.D.N. III. You can redeem it from August 1 through 15.

The third game, which will be available from August 16 through 31, is Garou: Mark of the Wolves. This SNK fighting game is the final title in the Fatal Fury series and was originally released in 1999.

One game in the list is usually available from the second half of the month and into the first half of the next month. This month, that game is Yooka-Laylee, the adorable platformer that was a spiritual successor to Banjo-Kazooie. It’ll be available from August 16 through September 15. Its sequel, Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, is currently available to play on Xbox Game Pass.

For those of you who haven’t already redeemed it, Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break, which was offered as part of July’s Xbox Games with Gold offering, is currently available through August 15.

In case you aren’t aware, Xbox Live Gold offers free games to subscribers every month, similar to PlayStation’s PS Plus service. These free games change each month when Microsoft refreshes its “Xbox Games with Gold” catalog. Gold titles are also available for free to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, who also have access to the entire Game Pass library. The free games are yours to keep, but if you cancel your subscription or allow it to lapse, you lose access to them until you renew it.

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Huawei’s new P50 series comes with Snapdragon 888 4G chipset and impressive cameras

In a launch event in China today, Huawei pulled the curtains off the Huawei P50 series, the company’s newest flagship lineup. The new lineup, which includes the Huawei P50 and P50 Pro, succeeds the Huawei P40 series launched last year and offers several exciting upgrades, including an intriguing design, improved performance, and upgraded camera hardware. Huawei’s P series is known for bringing cutting-edge camera innovations, and the new series is no exception. Here’s everything you need to know about the new phones.

Huawei P50 series: Specifications

Specifications	Huawei P50	Huawei P50 Pro
Dimensions and Weight	156.5mm x 73.8mm x 7.92mm 181g	158.8 x 72.8 x 8.5 mm 195
Display	6.5-inch OLED FHD+ 2700 x 1224 resolution 90Hz refresh rate 300Hz touch sampling rate 144Hz high frame rate PWM dimming	6.6-inch curved OLED FHD+ 1228 x 2700 resolution 120Hz screen refresh rate 300Hz touch sampling rate
SoC	Qualcomm model: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G: 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 660 5nm process Kirin model: Kirin 9000 1x ARM Cortex-A77 @ 3.13GHz 3x ARM Cortex-A77 @ 2.54GHz 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 2.05GHz Mali-G78 MP24 GPU 5nm process	Qualcomm model: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G: 1x Kryo 680 Prime Core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 Performance Cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 Efficiency Cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 660 5nm process Kirin model: Kirin 9000 1x ARM Cortex-A77 @ 3.13GHz 3x ARM Cortex-A77 @ 2.54GHz 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 2.05GHz Mali-G78 MP24 GPU 5nm process
RAM and Storage	8GB RAM 128GB/512GB	8GB RAM 128GB/512GB
Rear Camera	Primary: 50MP f/1.8, OIS, PDAF Secondary: 13MP f/2.2, ultra-wide Tertiary: 12MP f/3.4 telephoto, OIS Quaternary: 2MP depth	Primary: 50MP f/1.8, OIS, PDAF Secondary: 64MP f/3.5 periscope, OIS 3.5x optical zoom 100x digital zoom Tertiary: 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide Quaternary: 40MP f/1.6 Monochrome camera
Front Camera	13MP f/2.4	13MP f/2.4
Battery	4,100mAh battery 66W fast wired charging	4,360mAh 66W fast wired charging 50W fast wireless charging
Connectivity	4G LTE NFC Wi-FI 6 Bluetooth 5.1 USB Type C	4G LTE NFC Wi-FI 6 Bluetooth 5.1 USB Type C
Other features	Stereo speakers IP68 rating In-display fingerprint scanner	Stereo speakers IP68 rating In-display fingerprint scanner
Software	HarmonyOS 2 (based on Android) Huawei Mobile Services (HMS)	HarmonyOS based on Android 11 Huawei Mobile Services (HMS)

The Huawei P50 and P50 Pro share a very similar design. On the back, both phones have a giant camera housing with lenses arranged into two large circular openings. Huawei has done away with the dual-hole punch design of the P40 series. Instead, the new series opts for a single-hole punch.

The Huawei P50 Pro features a 6.9-inch curved OLED display with a 120Hz display refresh rate and 300Hz touch sampling rate. Meanwhile, the regular model has a 6.2-inch OLED 90Hz panel.

The Huawei P50 series comes in two variants: one is powered by Kirin 9000 SoC, while the other uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 4G chipset.  8GB RAM and 256GB/512GB flash storage.

The Huawei P50 Pro has a quad-camera setup on the back with Leica branding. Huawei says the cameras are equipped with the company’s new Dual Matrix camera system, which combines a 10-channel multi-spectrum sensor, Huawei XD Optics, and XD Fusion Pro image engine for improved image clarity and high dynamic range. The primary shooter is a 50MP sensor with OIS, and it’s accompanied by a 64MP periscope camera which offers 3.5x optical zoom and up to 100x digital zoom. The other two sensors include a 13MP ultra-wide cam and a 40MP monochrome sensor.

The Huawei P50, on the other hand, has a triple camera array, consisting of a 50MP primary sensor, a 13MP ultra-wide shooter (which also doubles as a macro lens), and a 12MP telephoto lens.

Both phones also differ in the battery department: on the Huawei P50 Pro, you get a 4,360mAh battery, while the regular P50 gets a slightly smaller 4,100mAh battery. Both phones support 66W wired fast charging, but only the Pro model offers wireless charging.

Rounding off the spec sheet for the Huawei P50 series is an in-display fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 5.2, IP68 dust and water protection, a USB Type-C port, and stereo speakers.

On the software front, the Huawei P50 series comes running the company’s HarmonyOS 2 (based on Android) with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS). Due to Android license revocation following the US trade ban, Huawei still can’t bundle Google Play Store. The phone comes with Huawei’s AppGallery store.

Pricing & Availability

Huawei hasn’t shared any availability or pricing details for the Huawei P50 series. We’ll update this post as soon as we have confirmation from the company.

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Download: OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 2 based on Android 11 for the OnePlus 6 and 6T

Earlier this month, OnePlus rolled out the first OxygenOS 11 Open Beta update for the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T. The update brought over all the new Android 11 features to the devices, along with a new UI, Game Space, camera improvements, new Ambient Display options, and more. OnePlus is now rolling out the second Android 11 beta release to the devices, featuring system optimizations, camera improvements, and more.

Screenshot courtesy: SujoyModi on the OnePlus Community forums

OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 2 for the OnePlus 6 and the OnePlus 6T has the following changelog:

• System
  • Optimized the overheating control management of third-party apps
  • Improved system stability and fixed known issues
• Camera
  • Fixed the issue of captured images can’t be saved
• Network
  • Enhanced the connectivity of 5G Wi-Fi

The update weighs in at 427MB and it has already started rolling out to users who installed the first beta release on their devices. In case you haven’t received the OTA update yet, you can download it from the links below and flash it manually. To do so, save the .zip file in your device’s root folder, navigate to Settings > System > System Updates > Local Update, and select the file to start the installation process. Make sure your device has at least 30% of charge left before installing the update.

OnePlus 6 XDA Forums || OnePlus 6T XDA Forums

Download OxygenOS 11 Open Beta 2 for the OnePlus 6 and 6T

• OnePlus 6:
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental update from Open Beta 1
• OnePlus 6T:
  • Full OTA
  • Incremental update from Open Beta 1

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Download: OnePlus Nord CE 5G gets OxygenOS 11.0.5.5 with camera and system improvements

OnePlus’ latest mid-range smartphone — the OnePlus Nord CE 5G — is getting another software update. The latest update builds upon the system and camera improvements that rolled out with the previous release, with optimizations for overheating control management, image clarity and stability, and white balance consistency. If you haven’t received the update on your phone yet, you can download the firmware package from the link below.

Screenshot courtesy: kalashkesharwani on the OnePlus Community forums

OxygenOS 11.0.5.5 for the OnePlus Nord CE 5G has already started rolling out to users in India, and it has the following changelog:

• System
  • Optimized overheating control management
  • Improved the stability and fixed known bugs
• Camera
  • Improved the image clarity and stability
  • Improved the white balance consistency for better imaging uniformity
  • Improved the imaging quality of Nightscape

As with all OxygenOS updates, OxygenOS 11.0.5.5 for the OnePlus Nord CE 5G will roll out in a staged fashion. So you might have to wait a few days to get the OTA notification on your device. For those who wish to skip the wait, we’ve provided download links for the firmware package below. To install the update, download the .zip file on your device, head over to Settings > System > System Updates > Local Update, and select the .zip file to start the installation process. Make sure that your phone is charged to at least 30% before installing the update.

OnePlus Nord CE 5G XDA Forums

Download OxygenOS 11.0.5.5 for the OnePlus Nord CE 5G

• India:
  • Full OTA

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Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer yshalsager for the download link!

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