The best laptops for college: HP, MacBook, and more

With back-to-school season in full swing, many students are preparing to go back to college or start college for the first time. It’s an exciting time for numerous reasons, but if you’re anything like us, one of those reasons is getting a new laptop. It’s always exciting getting your hands on a brand-new PC, but choosing one can be difficult. There are a lot of fantastic laptops out there, and we’ve already highlighted a few for students of different ages. This time, we’re specifically focusing on the best laptops for college students.

College students are likely to be using their laptops for a lot of similar things — reading, writing documents and assignments, and browsing the web. But even within that context, everyone is different, so we have a handful of choices to help you find the perfect match for you.

Navigate this article:

• Best overall: HP Spectre x360 14
• Best Mac: MacBook Air
• Best premium Windows laptop: Surface Laptop 4
• Best mainstream laptop: HP Pavilion Aero
• Best 17-inch: Dell XPS 17
• Best for gaming: Razer Blade 14
• Best for portability: Surface Go 2
• Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 713

Best overall: HP Spectre x360 14

We’ve said this a few times before, but the HP Spectre x360 14 is a phenomenal laptop. HP’s Spectre lineup is always one of the best out there, not only because of the high-end specs, but also because of their design. These are some of the most unique-looking laptops out there, with a dual-tone color scheme and chopped-off corners that make it instantly recognizable.

The Spectre x360 14 is extra special because it’s the first time HP is using a 3:2 display in the Spectre lineup. What that means is this display is taller, and thus it can fit more vertical content. If you’re using the laptop for school to write assignments or read documents, this is great because you can see a lot more at once. You can even configure it with a 3K2K resolution for an extra sharp viewing experience.

As you’d probably expect, you get top-notch specs across the board, too. It comes with up to an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor with Iris Xe Graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. That combination ensures you have a laptop you can use for years to come, and will last you all the way through college. If you’re used to multi-monitor setups, Thunderbolt 4 support also means you can easily connect multiple external displays.

On top of that, this is a convertible, which means you can use it in a variety of different ways. You can rotate the display all round and use it as a tablet, or use tent mode to watch a movie. It even includes a pen for those who enjoy taking handwritten notes. Plus, there’s Windows Hello facial recognition, which makes unlocking the computer a breeze. There’s really not much more you could want. This is one of the best laptops you can get for college.

HP Spectre x360 14

The HP Spectre x360 is a fantastic Windows PC with just about everything you could ask for. It has top-notch specs, a high-quality 3:2 display with pen support for taking notes, and more.

Buy at HP

Best MacBook for college: MacBook Air

Not a Windows fan? MacBooks are very popular laptops among college students, and the latest MacBook Air is probably the best one you can get right now. It comes with the Apple M1 processor, which is incredibly powerful, but also very efficient. Not only does it perform much faster than previous MacBook Air models, but it also promises up to 18 hours of battery life, which is fantastic. It can easily last you through any normal day, and perform great while doing so. You can also configure it with up to 16GB of RAM and 2TB of SSD storage.

Of course, you also get the high-resolution Retina display MacBooks are known for, Touch ID to make logging in easier, and a pair of Thunderbolt ports for charging and connecting peripherals. Aside from the Apple branding, another thing that makes the MacBook Air appealing is it runs macOS. While it’s more limited in some ways, many consider it to be an easier-to-understand operating system compared to Windows. If you’re an iPhone user, you’re bound to enjoy seamless cross-device connectivity with apps like iMessage or FaceTime. You just can’t get that interconnected experience on Windows.

MacBook Air

The latest MacBook Air packs a lot of power in a very efficient package thanks to the Apple M1 processor. It's not only fast, but it can last you easily through the day, and offer a great experience while doing so.

Buy at Amazon

Best premium Windows laptop: Surface Laptop 4

If there’s a Windows equivalent of a MacBook, it’s probably the Surface Laptop 4. Like other Surface devices, it has a premium metal build that looks simple but beautiful, and comes with top-notch specs. There are both Intel variants – packing up to an Intel Core i7-1185G7 – and AMD models, which come with custom Ryzen processors up to a Ryzen 7 4980U. The Intel processors are newer and somewhat faster, but you get slightly better battery life with the AMD variants. Depending on the color, size, and processors you choose, you can also get the Surface Laptop 4 with up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, so you can certainly get a lot of power out of it.

The Surface Laptop 4 comes in both 13.5 inch and 15 inch models, but no matter which one you choose, you’re getting the same pixel density and a 3:2 aspect ratio for the display. That’s a boon for productivity, and on top of that, this is a high-resolution PixelSense display, so it looks great. It’s also a touchscreen with Surface Pen support, but you can’t fold it back like a convertible. Above the display, there’s an IR camera for Windows Hello facial recognition, which is always welcome.

Another potential bonus point for the Surface Laptop 4 is you can get it with an Alcantara cover for the keyboard deck. Alcantara is a soft fabric that’s much more comfortable than metal, and it’s a material Surface devices have been using for a while. In terms of ports, the Surface Laptop 4 does miss out on Thunderbolt support, but you can use the Surface Connect port to connect external displays. This is a magnetic connector like Apple’s old MagSafe for MacBooks, so that’s another potential benefit. Overall, this is one of the best laptops you can get for a college student.

Surface Laptop 4

The Surface Laptop 4 is a great premium laptop for college students. It comes with either Intel or AMD processors, a high-resolution touchscreen, and two different sizes to suit your taste.

Buy at Amazon

Best mainstream laptop for college: HP Pavilion Aero 13

HP may be well known for its premium Spectre lineup, but recently, the company launched a fantastic mainstream laptop in the form of the Pavilion Aero. At first glance, this laptop is almost too good to be true. You can get it with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 5800U processor, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage, which is already pretty impressive. The Pavilion Aero starts at $749, and even at that price, you get a Ryzen 5 5600U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage. But what’s most impressive is the base model includes a Full HD+ display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. That’s something you rarely see in laptops at this price. And if you want to, you can even upgrade to a Quad HD display, another rarity in laptops this affordable.

All of that comes in a package under 2.2lbs in weight, so you can easily carry it anywhere. Plus, it comes in four color options, whereas most laptops these days only give you one or two variants. Of course, there are some downsides. The keyboard isn’t backlit on the base model — though you have the option, and if you get any color aside from the Natural Silver, it’s included by default. You also miss out on Windows Hello facial recognition, and oddly enough HP is using a proprietary charging pin instead of switching to USB Type-C completely.

At the end of the day, though, those are compromises that might not matter to everyone. If you want a powerful, lightweight laptop you can carry to college, this is one of your best options.

HP Pavilion Aero

The HP Pavilion Aero is an impressive mainstream laptop with high-performance specs and a great display. It's also super light, making it easy to carry around college. Starting at $749.99, it's seriously impressive.

Buy at HP

Best 17-inch laptop for college: Dell XPS 17

Are the screens on other laptops not big enough for you? The Dell XPS 17 might just be for you. This is a seriously powerful laptop, powered by Intel Tiger Lake H-series processors up to Core i9-11980HK, plus NVIDIA GeForce graphics up to an RTX 3060 with 70W of power. On top of that, you can configure this machine with up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of SSD storage, which is probably way more than you’re ever going to need as a college student. Because those are all high-power components, you also get a large 97WHr battery to keep you going.

The Dell XPS 17 has a large 17-inch laptop, but thanks to the tiny bezels around it, it’s about as big as a standard 15 inch laptop. That display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, and you can configure it with up to UHD+ resolution (3840 x 2400). If you do go the 4K route, you also get touch support, though it’s not there on the base Full HD+ model.

Rounding things out, the XPS 17 has a pretty unique design, too. The outside has a standard silver finish, but the keyboard deck is covered in carbon fiber, which makes for an interesting dual-tone look. In terms of connectivity, you get two Thunderbolt ports on each side, so not only do you have a lot of expansion options, you can charge the laptop from either side. It’s a bit overkill for most college students, but if you want a 17-inch laptop with lots of power, this is it.

Dell XPS 17

The Dell XPS 17 is an absolute powerhouse of a laptop. In addition to the large screen, it has high-power Intel processors and NVIDIA RTX graphics, plus options for 64GB of RAM and 4TB of storage.

Buy at Dell

Best laptop for college gamers: Razer Blade 14

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite hobbies as a college student (and today) was certainly gaming, but a compact gaming laptop wasn’t easy to come by. Today though, you can get the fantastic Razer Blade 14. It comes in at just 16.8mm thick and weighs 3.92lbs, but it still packs up to a Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 with 100W of power. Plus, it has 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD which is enough to store games and school documents alike. It’s certainly impressive how much power Razer crammed into a PC this small. If you want a laptop that’s fairly easy to carry but still very powerful, this is one of your best options.

Of course, gamers also like high frame rates, so the Razer Blade 14 starts with a Full HD 144Hz panel. You can opt for a Quad HD 165Hz display in the higher tiers, so you get both a smooth image and high-resolution visuals. For a bit of extra flair, the Blade 14 also has an RGB backlit keyboard, with per-key customization available in Razer Synapse. Aside from that, the design is fairly subdued and not obnoxious. You can take this into a classroom and play some games take notes without drawing too much attention.

Razer Blade 14

For the young gamer going off to college, the Razer Blade 14 is an extremely versatile laptop. It's got the power to play most AAA games at high quality settings and frame rates, but it has a compact and subdued design that makes it easy to use in a classroom too.

Buy at Amazon

Best for portability: Surface Go 2

Almost on the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of power is the Surface Go 2. This may not be the most powerful PC out there by any means, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Weighing in at just 1.2lbs, this tablet is extremely easy to carry around, and its small size means you can slip it into almost any bag. We recommend configuring this one with an Intel Core m3-8100Y to get a good overall experience. You also get 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage this way, so you can do a lot more multi-tasking and store more documents.

The display is pretty great, too. It comes in at a 1920 x 1280 resolution, which is plenty sharp for a 10.5 inch display. Plus, that’s a 3:2 aspect ratio, just like what other Surface devices have, which is great for reading and writing documents. And of course, it’s a touchscreen with support for the Surface Pen (though that’s sold separately).

This is definitely a better option for college students with lighter workloads, mostly writing documents and presentations, but the portability factor plays a huge role here. The configuration we recommend even includes LTE support, so you can stay connected to the internet wherever you may want to get work done. Yes, you’ll probably have to add a Type Cover for the best experience as a laptop, but that doesn’t take away the portability of this machine. The Surface Go 2 is on our list of best tablets for school, which you can always check out to look for other options.

Surface Go 2

What the Surface Go 2 lacks in power, it makes up for in portability. This is a small, lightweight device you can take anywhere, and with optional LTE support, you can also stay connected to the internet anywhere. It's a great work machine for lighter workloads.

Buy at Best Buy

Best Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 713

Chrome OS is an increasingly popular platform, and some schools have started to embrace Chromebooks more so than Windows laptops. If you feel more at home on Google’s operating system, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is an incredibly compelling proposition. It starts with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, which includes Intel Iris Xe graphics. Then you add 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and you already have one of the most powerful Chromebooks out there. It even includes Thunderbolt 4 support for charging and connecting peripherals, including external displays.

Add the fact this is a convertible with a 13.5 inch IPS display at a super-sharp resolution of 2256 x 1504. That means it’s a 3:2 aspect ratio, plus a touchscreen you can use as a tablet whenever you want. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, and the laptop itself has an all-aluminum chassis, so it truly feels like a premium device. It even meets the MIL-STD-810H military durability standards. Finally, the keyboard is backlit, another great bonus considering this laptop costs just $699. You don’t see a combination this good almost anywhere else.

Acer Chromebook Spin 713

When it comes to premium Chromebooks, it doesn't get much better than the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. A fast Intel Tiger Lake processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a super sharp touchscreen, and a premium build make this an amazing deal for $699.

Buy at Best Buy

Those are our top recommendations for college students, and they should be good enough for almost any workload a student might have. There are various options for different target audiences here, so you’re sure to find something you like. True to its position on this list, the HP Spectre x360 14 would be my personal pick today. I find the versatility of a convertible extremely appealing, and the beautiful design of the Spectre x360 makes it that much more compelling.

However, back when I was entering college, I probably would have wanted the Razer Blade 14 instead. I was much more into PC gaming at the time, and the Razer Blade 14 is perfect for that while still being very compact and portable. If you feel the same way, that would be my recommendation. With that being said, every option on this list is great, and it could be the perfect one for you.

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Microsoft is testing a night mode for Xbox consoles

Microsoft unveiled an updated design for the Xbox operating system last year, alongside the release of the Xbox Series S and Series X consoles. The improvements didn’t stop there, though — updates have continued to roll out over the past few months with even more features. There’s now another helpful feature in the works for all Xbox consoles, which has arrived in the Alpha Skip-Ahead development channel for Xbox Insiders.

Microsoft is working on a customizable night mode for Xbox consoles, according to The Verge. It includes options for dimming the external display, automatically enabling dark mode (if it isn’t already on), blocking HDR, and reducing the brightness of the controller and console lights. You can also set the Xbox to switch to night mode automatically based on a schedule, similar to the dark themes on Android, iOS, and other operating systems.

It’s not clear at this point when the feature will roll out. It should be available for both the Xbox One family and Xbox Series X/S, so you won’t need one of Microsoft’s shiny new consoles to use it.

Microsoft has been rolling out other Xbox features and services over the past few months. Xbox Cloud Gaming finally arrived on Windows yesterday, allowing people to stream games from the cloud to their Windows PCs without running the Android app in an emulator. Microsoft also recently rolled out customizable spending limits for child accounts, and the company is apparently working on official Android TV support for Xbox Game Pass.

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Watch Galaxy Unpacked for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 launch here!

Samsung is going to host another Galaxy Unpacked event tomorrow. At the event, the company will unveil its next-gen foldables — the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 — along with the Galaxy Buds 2 and the Galaxy Watch 4 series. We’re really excited to see what Samsung has in store for us with these new devices. If you’re also looking forward to the launch, here’s how you can watch the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.

What time is Samsung Galaxy Unpacked?

The Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on Wednesday, August 11th, 2021. The company will live stream the event on YouTube, and it will kick off at:

• West Coast: 7:00 am Pacific
• East Coast: 10:00 am Eastern
• UK: 3:00 pm British Standard Time
• India: 7:30 pm Indian Standard Time
• China: 10:00 pm China Standard Time

To make sure you don’t miss the event, simply click on the video embedded below and then click on the Set Reminder button to get a reminder when the event is about to start. Alternatively, you can head over to Samsung’s website by following this link and click on the “Add to your calendar” button to set a reminder. You can also pre-register for the upcoming devices by clicking on the “Pre-registration” button on Samsung’s website.

What to expect at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked August 2021?

As mentioned earlier, we expect Samsung to showcase its next-gen foldables — the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 at the upcoming Unpacked event. The company will also launch the Galaxy Buds 2 and the Galaxy Watch 4 series at the event. Rumors suggest that it may also unveil the Galaxy S21 FE at the event, but we can’t confirm that at the moment. Samsung will likely have some additional surprises for us, too.

Reserve your Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3

While Samsung hasn’t officially unveiled its upcoming foldables, the company is letting you reserve them already. So, if you’ve been thinking of getting yourself a new foldable, you should pre-register right away. That’s because Samsung is offering some great perks to those who pre-register for the devices.

Reserve your next foldable by following this link

If you reserve a Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 from the link below, you’ll get the “highest online trade-in values,” which includes an extra $100 on top of the usual trade-in credit, 12 months of Samsung Care+ worth $155, and “an extra, special offer towards Galaxy products during pre-order.” Additionally, you’ll receive a free Galaxy SmartTag and a Risk Free Purchase guarantee that offers a 100% refund on cancellation.

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ASUS Chromebook CX9 review: The new king of Chromebooks

When ASUS unveiled the new Chromebook CX9 at CES 2021, the Chrome OS community went wild. Premium consumer Chromebooks are few and far between, especially devices with a gorgeous build like the CX9. The wait was a long one, with nearly 7 months between the initial unveiling and preorders going live. Like many others, I’ve been looking forward to this Chromebook since January. Two weeks ago, I jumped to preorder the top model of the CX9 available at launch.

With all the crazy expectations, I felt it was necessary to take a few weeks with this one before dropping a review. I didn’t want to rush things. As I’m writing this introduction now, I’ve had the CX9 in my possession for exactly two weeks. So, does this Chromebook meet the hype level ASUS built for it? For me, the answer is a definitive yes. To be sure, the full potential of the CX9 won’t be fully unleashed until Borealis support arrives for Steam later this year. However, this is still the best overall Chromebook you can buy today. It’s a power user’s dream, running Chrome OS. Let’s dive into everything I love, and a few things I mildly dislike, about the ASUS Chromebook CX9.

ASUS Chromebook CX9: Specifications

Specification	ASUS Chromebook CX9
Dimensions & Weight	12.7″ x 8.1″ x 0.7″ 2.5 lbs
Display	14″ FHD NanoEdge (1920*1080) 16:9, Glossy 400nits Touchscreen on $1149 model
Processor	Intel Core i7-1165G7 Processor 2.8 GHz 12M Cache, up to 4.7 GHz, 4 cores Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM & Storage	8GB or 16GB LPDDR4X RAM 128 or 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 SSD storage
Battery & Charging	Up to 14 hours 50WHrs, 3S1P, 3-cell Li-ion
Security	Titan C Security Chip Kensington lock slot Fingerprint scanner
Front camera	720p HD camera with privacy shutter
World-facing camera	None
Port(s)	HDMI 2.0b Audio Jack USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 2x Thunderbolt 4 supports display / power delivery
Audio	Built-in array-speakers powered by Harman Kardon
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 6(802.11ax)+BT5.0 (Dual band) 2*2 Bluetooth 5.0
Software	Chrome OS
Other Features	MIL-STD-810H tested USI pen support LED NumberPad built-in

About this review: I purchased the $1,149 model of the ASUS Chromebook CX9 from ASUS’ online store. This model features the Tiger Lake Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. ASUS had no input on any part of this review. 

Design and build quality

Unboxing the CX9 is an experience in itself. You can tell that ASUS put considerable thought into the packaging with this device. Most Chromebooks come in a bland brown recyclable box, but this one was a bit bigger. When I received the package in the mail, I was wondering what they had included to require such a large box.

As it turns out, the brown exterior box is just protection for the sleek navy blue product box holding the CX9. You also get a separate smaller navy blue box, holding the charging brick and cable. According to ASUS, this box is supposed to double as a stand for your CX9. It’s an interesting idea, but it doesn’t work very well as a stand in practice.

It's shocking how light, yet sturdy the Chromebook CX9 really is.

Opening up the box, you’re greeted with the beautiful navy blue chassis of the CX9 itself. The official product sheet calls this color Star Black, but it’s quite clearly more dark blue than black. Either way, it’s a really unique color to see on a Chromebook. Picking up the Chromebook for the first time, it’s almost shocking how light, yet sturdy the design really is. At under 2.5lbs, this is one of the lighter 14 inch Chromebooks out there. But at the same time, the rigidity of the chassis is unparalleled.

You can pick up the CX9 by any side or corner and not feel the slightest bit of flex. This is somewhat of an anomaly when it comes to Chromebooks. Even fairly premium models like the Acer Spin 713 and Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 have some degree of flex to the body. It’s almost certain that ASUS used some type of alloy when constructing the frame, as solid aluminum would’ve resulted in a heavier device.

Regardless, the frame on this Chromebook is the nicest I’ve ever seen. The device isn’t really that thin compared to other Chromebooks out there, but considering all of the power inside, I’m not complaining about that.

As for the one-hand open test, the CX9 passes with a solid B-. You can open the CX9 with a single hand, but it does require a little bit of extra effort. The light frame often requires you to ease the lid up very slowly, or risk the base going too far off the desk or table. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s something worth noting.

This lovely design is also MIL-STD-810H tested for drops, spills, and panel pressure. That makes a lot of sense to me considering how rigid the frame is. I didn’t really want to drop test my new $1,200 (after tax) Chromebook, but I believe ASUS when they say it could take a beating.

Finally, let’s discuss the available ports on the Chromebook CX9. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, with power delivery capability. A single HDMI 3.0b port and a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. A Kensington lock slot rounds out the ports available on the sides of the device.

Overall, this is the best built Chromebook I’ve ever used. There are a few that come close, but the light frame/rigid chassis combo of the CX9 is at the top of my list for now.

Keyboard and touchpad

If you’re using your Chromebook for work, the keyboard and touchpad are two of the most important aspects. I spent the full two weeks with the CX9 as my primary work laptop. Most of my work here at XDA consists of composing articles, editing images, and interacting with team members via Slack and Asana. I used the CX9 for all of those tasks, but also did some light coding in Python/MATLAB and typesetting in LaTeX.

The keyboard is simply phenomenal. Not only do the keys have the right amount of travel, you also don’t feel any mushiness due to the rigid nature of the frame. You can type on this keyboard for hours with no finger fatigue. My typing experience was incredibly fast and accurate. The NanoEdge design also lifts the keyboard up ever-so-slightly when you open the CX9. The look of this isn’t something everyone enjoys, but I think it provides a more ergonomic typing experience.

I average around 90 words per minute on my Macbook Pro with the butterfly keyboard, so I was surprised to see I got up to 103 words per minute on the CX9 in the same typing test. If you need to compose long articles or write code for a living, you will absolutely adore the keyboard on this device.

I’m happy to report the touchpad on the CX9 is equal to the keyboard in quality. This is one of the larger glass touchpads available on a Chromebook. The extra real estate makes UI navigation a breeze. If you enjoy a satisfying click and quality haptic feedback, the Cx9 touchpad does not disappoint.

The only area where I ran into some trouble with the touchpad was sensitivity. I think the default tracking speed out of the box is a bit high, perhaps because this touchpad is so incredibly responsive. In the beginning, I found myself over-shooting text when highlighting links. This is something you can easily fix in the Chrome OS settings and varies with personal preference of course.

Display and audio 

So far, I’ve had nothing but glowing remarks about the CX9. The display is the first component where I have a few minor concerns, but also plenty of praise. Resolution on my CX9 isn’t bad by any means, FHD looks pretty good. However, it would be nice to have a higher resolution panel on such a premium machine. If you sit fairly close to the CX9, text does look a bit less crisp than on other premium Chromebooks. There is a 4K model of the CX9 coming later this year, but that will be priced even higher and who knows when it will be available.

Colors are nice overall, although they aren’t quite as punchy as my Galaxy Chromebook 2. This is a personal preference of course, many people prefer a more true-to-life color profile which the CX9 does provide. The 16:9 aspect ratio is always polarizing. I’d personally prefer 16:10 or even 3:2 like the Acer Spin 713 for productivity purposes, but that isn’t a dealbreaker for me. Watching content on Netflix or Disney+ is nice on a wider screen, so that’s a benefit of ASUS’ choice in that regard.

ASUS really accomplished something in this category.

Brightness on the display is every bit of the 400 nits advertised on the specs sheet. I wouldn’t be surprised if the panel gets over 400 nits in outdoor conditions. I used my CX9 outside for a short while in the Arizona sun and had no problems viewing everything on my screen. It was pretty difficult to do extensive outdoor testing in the 115 degree heat, but I’m more than satisfied with the brightness on this Chromebook. Putting it side-by-side with my Galaxy Chromebook 2, the panels are equally bright. Given Samsung’s reputation for exceptionally bright displays, ASUS really accomplished something in this category.

One nice design touch involving the display is the NanoEdge design I mentioned earlier. The way the hinge raises the keyboard up also hides the bottom bezel of the display. While the device isn’t actually bezel-less, it looks that way due to this design consideration. I realize many people aren’t fans of this implementation, but the bezel-less look is a win in the display department. It’s less distracting and really creates an immersive experience for work or content consumption on the CX9.

Audio output on the CX9 is one of the more disappointing aspects of the device. The speakers are touted as being tuned by Harman Kardon, but the sound output is fairly mediocre. They get the job done for watching Netflix or YouTube, but they don’t get nearly loud enough for me.

There’s a tiny bit of bass, but really not impressive when compared to the Pixelbook Go, for instance. The bottom-firing nature of these speakers is the biggest detriment as it really hollows out the sound. It’s hard to find a Chromebook with amazing speakers. Unfortunately the CX9 continues this trend.

Performance and battery life

Day to day performance on the CX9 is stellar, which you’d expect with the Tiger Lake i7 and 16GB of RAM. Running Android and Linux apps is buttery smooth on this device. I even ran very intensive Linux apps like MATLAB with absolutely no problems. The fans do kick in occasionally if you’re doing a large amount of resource-heavy stuff in Linux and have around 50 Chrome tabs open, but that’s fairly reasonable in my opinion. Even so, the fans were never incredibly loud in any of my usage the past two weeks.

I spent quite a bit of time playing several Android games, Stadia, and Minecraft, hoping to test the gaming limits on this machine. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I never hit a wall with the CX9. No dropped frames, no lag, no issues whatsoever. The true potential of the Iris Xe graphics inside will come to fruition when Borealis brings official Steam support to Chrome OS later this year. Until then, if you buy a CX9, you can take solace in the fact this is the first Chromebook intentionally built for gaming applications.

I never hit a wall with the CX9. No dropped frames, no lag, no issues whatsoever.

ASUS says the CX9 should get up to 14 hours of usage on a single charge. As usual with these estimates, that assumes you’re using the lowest brightness setting possible and have a couple of Chrome tabs open. For most people that number is incredibly unrealistic. With my typical usage writing for XDA, I averaged around 7-8 hours of battery life per day. That’s enough to get me through my workday, but not too much left when I arrive home. If you do intense work, like video editing in Kdenlive or visualization in MATLAB, you can expect closer to 4-5 hours of screen on time.

Battery life overall is respectable, though I was hoping for a bit more when only writing articles and performing basic photo edits. The included 45W charger makes it quick to top up throughout the day. You can charge from 0 to 100 real quick, around one hour and 30 minutes to be precise.

I did run into a small quirk when charging my CX9 the first few nights. I powered the machine off before charging. The next day, the Chromebook would not turn back on by pressing the power button. I had to perform a hard reset to get the screen back on. This issue persisted the next two nights. Finally, I powerwashed my CX9 on the 4th day and didn’t have any further issues. I would assume this issue is particular to my unit and not indicative of CX9 quality in general. Given I haven’t had any issues the past ten days, I’m guessing it could have been a software or hardware glitch and not a deeper issue.

Fingerprint scanner, NumberPad, and USI pen support

The CX9 has a number of advanced features, including a fingerprint scanner just under the directional keys, USI pen support, and a built-in LED NumberPad inside the touchpad. All of these items work flawlessly. The fingerprint scanner is very fast, just as you’d expect. It’s very nice to have a fingerprint login option — every premium Chromebook should have biometric security.

Initially, ASUS didn’t mention USI pen support for the touchscreen models of the CX9. My model indeed supports USI and I was able to use my Penoval USI pen for note-taking. The support page for the CX9 has since been updated to reflect USI support for the $1,149 model.

I will say it’s tricky taking notes on this device. The CX9 is not a 2-in-1 convertible, but it does lay flat thanks to hinge design. It’s still not an ideal writing experience though. The keyboard can get in the way of resting your palm when taking serious notes.

At the end of the day, this is the best Chromebook you can buy today.

Lastly, let’s discuss perhaps the most unique feature of the CX9, the built-in LED NumberPad. This was a big selling point for me, since I do quite a bit of number crunching in my academic day job. It’s incredibly convenient to have a dedicated NumberPad, in such a compact form factor. The activation of the backlighting is also seamless. You can also use the touchpad itself for clicking around while doing spreadsheet work with the NumberPad. I applaud ASUS for innovation and bringing a feature many power users need to a Chromebook.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, this is the best Chromebook you can buy today. The price for the base model is $749, which is going to be a barrier to entry for many people. That’s too bad, because you’re getting great value for the build quality and specs included in the CX9. Even at $1,149, the model I bought is great value compared to other Chromebooks with similar specs. There aren’t any other consumer Chromebooks with the newest Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage for under $1,500.

But that’s not all you get. You also get an ultra-portable design, LED NumberPad, Iris Xe graphics, fingerprint scanner, and the list goes on. All of those things considered, I feel like I got more than my money’s worth for $1,149 and tax. When Borealis launches later this year, I’ll also have one of the first gaming Chromebooks on the market. If you’re looking for a premium Chromebook as a power user, this is the one to buy, period.

ASUS Chromebook CX9

Features:

Pros: Cons:

Buy at ASUS

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Best 15-inch MacBook Pro cases: UAG, iBlason, Thule, and more

The 15-inch MacBook Pro has been one of the most popular MacBooks for Apple. It was first launched in 2006 and became a popular choice by many, specifically creators. It received a design update back in 2016 where it ditched the traditional ports in favor of Thunderbolt, and ever since 2018, we haven’t seen a new refreshed model. It was however replaced by a larger 16 inch MacBook Pro in 2019, which is expected to get a major update, including the shift from Intel to Apple’s own ARM-based chipset.

If you own one of the more recent 15 inch Macbook Pro models, we’ve got a list of some of the best cases that can help you protect your laptop and hopefully increase its lifespan.

Thule Gauntlet 3.0

Hard-shell sleeve

The Thule Gauntlet hard-shell carrying sleeve protects your laptop from bumps and drops thanks to its rigid exterior and padded interior.

Buy at Amazon

iBlason Halo Case

Slim snap-on case

A premium, slim snap-on option from iBlason, the Halo Case is great if you want to protect your laptop from bumps, dents and scratches while keeping the overall weight in check.

Buy at iBlason

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Fintie Case

Transparent shell-case

This is a recommended clear, polycarbonate case that can easily snap onto your MacBook Pro to offer all-round protection without hampering the looks of the laptop. Do note, this particular product is only for the older 15 inch MacBook Pro Retina.

Buy at Amazon

UAG case

Best rugged protection

UAG or Urban Armor Gear is know for making some of the best rugged cases and this one is no exception. It features a strong bumper around the edges while maintaining a lightweight design for your MacBook Pro.

Buy at Amazon

May Chen Hard Case Cover

Bumper case with folding feet

Another recommended case for the older MacBook Pro 15 (2012-2015), this is a sturdy case that offers bumper protection and comes with foldable feet at the bottom for proper airflow and an improved angle for typing on the keyboard.

Buy at Amazon

Tomtoc 360 Sleeve

Premium fabric sleeve

A premium fabric sleeve for the MacBook Pro that can be used as a compact carrying case thanks to the built-in handle. It also offers a secondary pocket to stash in chargers, cables, and other accessories.

Buy at Amazon

Thule Vectros

Best bumper protection

A two-piece bumper case for the MacBook Pro 15, the Thule Vectros comes with an an optional scratch shield for the centre area. This gives users a choice of having either a simple bumper or a case that covers the entire laptop including the top and bottom.

Buy at Amazon

Mosiso Hard Shell Case

Affordable shell case

Go for this case if you need a simple, polycarbonate shell for your MacBook on a budget. It is also available in a variety of colors to choose from and comes with a keyboard and screen protector free of charge.

Buy at Amazon

Allinside Laptop Sleeve

Faux-leather sleeve

A low-profile sleeve for the 15-inch MacBook Pro that offers a synthetic leather finish for a premium look, with a magnetic flap to secure the laptop inside.

Buy at Amazon

These are some of the best cases for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. As mentioned above, Apple is expected to refresh its MacBook Pro lineup later this year, with rumors suggesting the existing 16 inch MacBook Pro could receive a design update and Apple’s M1 Silicon chipset. There’s also news Apple is working on a new 14 inch model that could replace the 13 inch model. Certain leaks suggest the new MacBook Pro 2021 models will take on the same color scheme as we saw on the new 24 inch iMac and the iPad Air from last year. Supposedly these new MacBooks are also expected to bring back the popular MagSafe charger in a brand new avatar, an SD card slot, and an upgrade to Thunderbolt 4.

If you happen to be looking for a new Mac, have a look at our recommendation of the best ones that you can buy. We also have a roundup of some of the best Apple products for students, and if you’re a Windows person, take a look at the best laptops to buy in 2021.

The post Best 15-inch MacBook Pro cases: UAG, iBlason, Thule, and more appeared first on xda-developers.

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Xiaomi takes on iPad Pro with a trio of high-end Android tablets

After nearly a three-year hiatus, Xiaomi is making a comeback to the Android tablet space with the launch of the new Mi Pad 5 series. Xiaomi today unveiled a trio of high-end Android tablets in its home country China. The new tablet lineup consists of the Mi Pad 5, Mi Pad Pro, and Mi Pad Pro 5G. All three tablets offer a premium design, a Snapdragon 8-series chipset, stylus support, and a large high refresh rate display with Dolby Vision support.

Mi Pad 5 series: Specifications

Specifications	Mi Pad 5	Mi Pad 5 Pro and Pro 5G
Dimensions and Weight	6.85mm 511g	6.88mm 515g
Display	11-inch LCD 120Hz screen refresh rate 2.5K (2560 x 1600) resolution 275 PPI 500nits max brightness Dolby Vision and HDR10 support TrueTone display	11-inch LCD 120Hz screen refresh rate 2560 x 1600 resolution 275 PPI 500nits max brightness Dolby Vision and HDR10 support TrueTone display
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 860: Octa-core Kryo 485 CPU cores (Up to 2.96GHz 7nm Adreno 640 GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 1x ARM Cortex-A77 @ 3.2GHz 3x ARM Cortex-A77 @ 2.4GHz 4x ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz  Adreno 650 GPU
RAM and Storage	6GB + 128GB 6GB + 256GB LPDDR5 RAM UFS 3.1 flash storage	Mi Pad 5 Pro 6GB + 128GB 6GB + 256GB Mi Pad Pro 5G 8GB + 256GB LPDDR5 RAM UFS 3.1 flash storage
Rear Camera	Primary: 13MP	Mi Pad 5 Pro: Primary: 13MP Secondary: 5MP Mi Pad 5 Pro 5G: Primary: 50MP Secondary: 5MP
Front Camera	8MP selfie camera	8MP selfie camera
Battery	8,720mAh 33W fast wired charging 91 minutes to 100%	8,600mAh 67W fast wired charging 67 minutes to 100%
Connectivity	4G LTE NFC Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.1 USB Type C	5G (Mi Pad Pro 5G) NFC Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.2 USB Type C
Other features	Four speakers Dolby Atmos Stylus support	Eight speakers Dolby Atmos Hi-Res Audio
Software	MIUI for Pad based on Android 11	MIUI for Pad based on Android 11

Starting with the display, all three models in the Mi Pad 5 series come equipped with an 11-inch LCD with 2560 x 1600 resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 500nits max brightness. The tablets also support Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats and have a TrueTone feature similar to the one found on iPhones and iPads. The TrueTone feature uses dual front and rear light sensors to analyzes ambient light and adjusts the display’s white point accordingly so that the display remains comfortable to read and colors are displayed accurately across different lighting conditions.

On the inside, the vanilla Mi Pad 5 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 chipset, paired with 6GB RAM and 128GB/256GB flash storage. The Pro and 5G models, on the other hand, opt for a more powerful Snapdragon 870 chipset.

Xiaomi has also unveiled a bunch of accessories for the Mi Pad 5 lineup. First is the Xiaomi Inspiration Stylus, which offers 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, a 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a flexible TPE pen tip. The stylus has two buttons that can be mapped to perform things like taking hands-free screenshots or quickly opening the Mi Note app. The stylus can be fully charged in 18 minutes and lasts 8 hours on a single charge. There’s also a keyboard folio which comes with a double-sided protective shell and has 63 large keys with 1.2mm key travel.

The Mi Pad 5 Pro packs an 8,600mAh battery and offers 67W wired fast charging support. The vanilla model has a slightly bigger 8,720mAh battery but only supports up to 33W fast charging. The Mi Pad 5 Pro comes equipped with eight powerful speakers with Dolby Atmos sound — the regular model only has four speakers.

On the software front, the Mi Pad 5 series comes running Android 11 with MIUI for Pad on top.

Pricing and Availability

The Mi Pad 5 series is available for pre-order in China starting today. Pricing for all models, configurations, and accessories are as following:

• Mi Pad 5
  • 6GB + 128GB — CNY 1,999
  • 6GB + 256GB — CNY 2,299
• Mi Pad 5 Pro
  • 6GB + 128GB — CNY 2,499
  • 6GB + 256GB — CNY 2,799
• Mi Pad 5 Pro 5G
  • 8GB + 256GB — CNY 3,499
• Keyboard folio — CNY 399
• Xiaomi Inspiration Stylus — CNY 349

Xiaomi hasn’t detailed any plans to bring the Mi Pad 5 series to other markets.

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NVIDIA announces RTX A2000 GPU and more at SIGGRAPH 2021

Today, NVIDIA announced a handful of new capabilities and tools for 3D content creators at SIGGRAPH 2021. SIGGRAPH, short for Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, is an event focused on computer graphics technology, so it makes sense why these announcements were here. Included in today’s news is a new RTX GPU for creators, the RTX A2000, as well as new tools in NVIDIA Omniverse.

Starting with the RTX A2000 GPU, NVIDIA calls it the “most-powerful, low-profile, dual-slot GPU” in its lineup for 3D creators. The company didn’t share detailed specs, but the GPU features all the benefits of the NVIDIA Ampere architecture. The desktop version of the RTX A2000 will start showing up on PCs in October. If you’re a mobile creator, though, the RTX A2000 laptop GPU is shipping today in laptops like the Lenovo ThinkPad P17 Gen 2. NVIDIA says this its most power-efficient RTX mobile GPU.

NVIDIA also had a handful of news to share at SIGGRAPH 2021 regarding the Omniverse platform. First off, it revealed that Blender, a popular 3D animation tool, will add support for Pixar’s Universal Scene Description in version 3.0. This allows creators to use Blender with Omniverse production pipelines. NVIDIA also showed off an alpha build of Blender 3.0 with more advanced USD and material support. Adobe Substance, which got a series of RTX optimizations a couple of months ago, is also getting more improvements. NVIDIA and Adobe are enabling support for Substance materials in NVIDIA Omniverse.

NVIDIA also introduced a new Omniverse extension at SIGGRAPH 2021: GANverse3D – Image2Car. GAN indicates that the tool is built on a generative adversarial network, similar to the Canvas tool it released in June. This new tool can take 2D images of a car and use AI to automatically generate a 3D model of that car, including headlights, blinkers, and wheels. This new tool is only the first of what NVIDIA is calling the AI Toy Box. This will be a collection of tools designed to make 3D design easier for inexperienced and experienced artists alike.

Finally, NVIDIA highlighted some creator-related updates, including a new Studio Driver for NVIDIA GPUs. A number of apps have also added new features that leverage the power of RTX GPUs. These include new processing tools in Topaz Sharpen AI, support for exporting characters from Reallusion Character Creator to NVIDIA Omniverse, and a new Magic Brush tool in Capture One 21.

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