Gone are the days of comparing devices based on their processors and memories. Today’s game is all about AI. Marking this change, Microsoft has now announced a new lineup of notebooks built specifically with an NPU and Copilot in mind. Move over, traditional laptops; it’s time for Copilot+ PCs to rise.

CPUs are no longer the sole determinants of a laptop’s performance. More and more, notebook makers are packing in neural processing units (or NPUs) into their devices. In today’s pre-Build event, Microsoft (and a host of other manufacturers) have announced a vision for an NPU-heavy lineup.

The company’s new Copilot+ PCs will have an NPU baked in. Qualcomm specifically pointed to the development of its Snapdragon X Elite chipset. The new lineup will use AI to maximize and optimize performance across the board. Plus, despite the performance, the company says that these devices will remain thin and light.

To achieve this, Microsoft reengineered Windows 11 to work better with AI technology. The company claims that all Copilot+ PCs can perform at least 40 trillion operations per seconds (or TOPS, for short). Notably, Snapdragon says that the Snapdragon X Elite can perform 75 TOPS. The upgrade is supposedly much better than Apple’s M3 chipsets.

Because this is just Microsoft’s announcement, we haven’t seen how these laptops can really perform in the real world. However, several manufacturers have already promised Copilot+ PCs coming this year. Acer, ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung have all revealed devices at the event.

SEE ALSO: OPPO partners with Microsoft, startups to expand AI technology’s reach

Huawei has announced its latest range of tech devices during a launch event in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The lineup includes the new Huawei WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition, WATCH FIT 3, and Freebuds 6i wearables. The company also revealed its new MatePad 11.5-inch S tablet and MateBook X Pro and MateBook 14 laptops. Furthermore, Huawei mentioned new colors for the WATCH GT 4 and FreeClip.

Huawei WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition

The new iteration of Huawei’s flagship smartwatch is made of aerospace-grade DLC titanium. This makes the watch true to its identity of being a space-themed wearable. Its most notable aesthetic detail, in particular, is the exclusive interactive LAVAL watch face. This is inspired by the de Laval nozzle used in rockets and spacecrafts. Additionally, the watch face is surrounded by a nanocrystalline ceramic bezel.

Usage wise, among the watch’s improvements are the introduction of Huawei TruSeen 5.5+ and Health Overview 2.0. The enhanced health report feature now makes new health data and trend analysis functions available. This will allow users to test several basic indicators in just a minute.

The WATCH 4 Pro Space Edition is now available for EUR 649 / GBP 549.99. Customers purchasing from the UK Huawei Store until June 3 will get 10% off and a free Huawei FreeBuds 5.

Huawei WATCH FIT 3

The Huawei WATCH FIT 3 combines fashion and technology. It retains the classic squared design from previous FIT models for its 1.82-inch HD floating display. The wearable has been made sleeker and lighter at 9.9mm thin and 26 grams, respectively. There are also more strap colors available.

Users will benefit from the WATCH FIT 3’s comprehensive health monitoring features including TruSleep 4.0 and TruSeen 5.5. The watch also debuts Smart Sports suggestion that recommends certain exercises depending on the user’s habits.

The WATCH FIT 3 is now available for the following prices:

• Black, Pink, Green, or Moon White Floroelastomer Strap: EUR 159 / GBP 139.99
• Grey Nylon Strap: EUR 159 / GBP 139.99
• Pearl White Leather Strap: EUR 179 / GBP 159.99

The product also comes with a complimentary FreeBuds SE 2 when purchased on the UK Store until June 18.

Huawei MatePad 11.5-inch S

Following last year’s launch of the MatePad 11.5-inch PaperMatte and MatePad Pro 13.2-inch, Huawei is back with another tablet offering. The new MatePad 11.5-inch S comes with the company’s second generation PaperMatte display.

Among its improvements are bringing surface reflectivity down to below 2%. Moreover, it eliminates light interference up to 99%. These capabilities allow users to comfortably read, watch, scribble, and do more even when outdoors or in other brightly-lit environments. The display also features 2.8K resolution and 144Hz refresh rate.

The MatePad 11.5-inch S’s general availability will be on June 18, 2024. Customers may preorder starting June 4 starting at EUR 399 / GBP 349.99. They may also save 10% off when they sign up for the UK Store newsletter here before June 3.

Huawei FreeBuds 6i

To complete the new lineup of wearables, Huawei has announced the new FreeBuds 6i. The wireless earphones supports Intelligent Dynamic Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) 3.0 and up to 35 hours of battery life. They also have a more punchy bass, thanks to their 11mm quad-magnet dynamic drivers that are 50% more powerful than the previous generation.

Aside from the three aforementioned wearables, Huawei has also released a new color option for the WATCH GT 4 and the FreeClip (Beige). Customers may get discounts on these products when they purchase via the UK Huawei Store until June 3, 2024.

• WATCH GT 4 (41mm Green): EUR 249 / GBP 229.99 (GBP 30 off until June 3)
• FreeClip (Beige): EUR 199 / GBP 179.99 (GBP 20 off until June 3)
• FreeBuds 6i: Price and availability to be announced later

Huawei MateBook X Pro

Meanwhile, the newest version of the MateBook X Pro has a revamped and upgraded aesthetic design and performance. It has been made lighter and thinner at 980 gram and 13.5mm. It is also the only sub-1 kilogram laptop with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor.

The MateBook X Pro promises better GPU performance, cooling, and connectivity with the 3D Metalline Antenna. It also features a 14.2-inch flexible OLED 120Hz display with anti-reflective coating and better contrast. The screen is complemented by SOUND 6 speakers for an immersive audiovisual experience. On top of these, the laptop has a beauty camera and SOUND 4 microphones for richer video conferences.

The MateBook X Pro is priced at EUR 1,999 (16GB+1TB) / GBP 2,099.99 (32GB+2TB). It will be available for preorder from June 4, before general sale on June 18. Customers may get 10% off when they sign up for the UK Store newsletter by June 3.

Huawei MateBook 14

Lastly, the MateBook 14 features a light and thin form factor and a crisp 2.8K touch-control OLED display. It is powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, has a 70Wh large battery, and supports multi-device collaboration.

The new MateBook 14 will retail starting at EUR 1,099 (16GB+512GB) and GBP 1,199.99 (16GB+1TB). Customers may preorder from June 4 before it goes on sale from June 18. They may likewise sign up for the UK Store newsletter before June 3 for a 10% off discount.

GoPaint app

Along with the release of the new MatePad 11.5-inch S, Huawei has officially debuted its GoPaint app. The self-developed app eliminates the need for users to download third-party creation apps.

Specifically designed for Huawei’s tablets, GoPaint comes with a wealth of brushes, and brings easy-to-use features for painting. Its integration, along with the company’s hardware-software architecture, pushes Huawei to be a go-to for creatives who want to get started.

After a month (or two) of waiting for the local launch of Apple’s newest MacBook Air, Power Mac Center has finally unveiled and brought the MacBook Air M3 to the Philippine shores this May 3, 2024 at their Premium Partner Store in Greenbelt 3.

This goes live hand-in-hand with select Power Mac Center branches as well as The Loop stores nationwide.

Lean and Mean

Just like its predecessor, the new generation of Silicon-powered MacBook Air is either available in 13 or 15-inch Liquid Retina displays.

Both sizes are lean at just around 0.45-inches in thickness — or thinness, rather. The laptops are lightweight too weighing at just 1.24 kilograms and 1.51 kilograms respectively.

But being light in heft doesn’t mean it’s light in features. In fact, the MacBook Air M3 is power-packed to consider it as “the world’s best consumer laptop for AI“.

There are several configurations like choosing between 8GB or 16GB of unified memory and 256GB or 512GB of internal storage.

But the highlight of the show is none other than its new M3 chipset. This has an 8-core CPU that’s powerful than ever and promises 13x faster performance than its last Intel-based countepart. Aside from that, GPU can be configured between 8 or 10 cores.

Moreover, the new MacBook Air M3 boasts a Wi-Fi 6E connectivity support as well as a promising all-day battery life of up to 18 hours! Also, there’s an extra support for another external display — that’s when you use it closed.

Mac and Me

Hosted by Aiyana Perlas

To further hype up the launch of the much-awaited MacBook Air powered by M3, Power Mac Center has invited some renowned Mac users and using it to further hone their craftsmanship.

First is none other than Hey! Hey! Hey! Janina Vela here — a sought after content creator in the Philippines who’s also a “proud Power Mac Consumer since Forever” ✨

This was then followed by Merphi Panaguiton, the Creative Director and Co-Founder of ATOMM Studios — one of the country’s leading self-shoot studios.

Last but definitely not the least is Sid Maderazo, a prominent film director especially in terms of brand filmmaking.

Pricing and Availability

The M3 MacBook Air, just like its predecessor, is still available in four color choices: Midnight, Starlight, Space Gray, and Silver.

Both display sizes are available in three different configurations:

**Base configurations are only limited to an 8-core GPU

If straight payment isn’t your cup of tea, Power Mac Center offers flexible payment options via select banks and credit issuers. There’s even a 24-month installment if you’re really that decided to own one without much savings in mind.

Click here to know more about Power Mac Center’s installment pricing plans for the new MacBook Air M3.

Exclusive Perks Await

From May 3rd until the 5th, prospective MacBook Air M3 buyers can enjoy up to 40% discount on select premium accessories plus a free Microsoft 365 Personal Electronic Software Delivery.

If you’re planning to join this weekend’s launch at Greenbelt 3, you will also get a free backpack and laptop stand courtesy of Tuscano.

And that’s not all! Between May 6th to 12th, buyers of the M3 MacBook Air regardless of the size and the Power Mac Center or The Loop branch you purchase it automatically gets an entry to win the raffle. Those include:

• 1 winner of Power Mac Center Gift Certificates worth PhP 30,000
• 1 winner of LaCie Rugged Mini USB 3.0 1TB worth PhP 6,800
• 4 winners of Seagate One Touch Slim USB 3.0 1TB worth PhP 4,190
• 10 winners of SanDisk iXpand Flip OTG Flash Drive Lightning + Type A 128GB worth PhP 4,999