Laptops
Lenovo releases slate of ThinkPad, IdeaPad notebooks ahead of CES 2023
All launching next year
As is tradition every start of the year, CES 2023 is just around the corner. However, some companies just can’t wait to unveil their latest products. Ahead of the annual conference, Lenovo has announced a slate of products to whet its fans’ appetites.
ThinkPad X1 series
With a plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Lenovo focused a lot on making the ThinkPad series more sustainable. Besides the plastic-free packaging, the three new devices will feature 90 percent recycled magnesium and aluminum.
Armed with latest Intel Core processors, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 will have up to 64GB of LPDDR5, up to 2TB SSD of internal storage, and an Intel Iris X GPU. It will also have a 57 Whr battery and will only weigh 2.48lbs.
Meanwhile, the Yoga Gen 8 model will carry the same specs but will naturally come with the flexible hinge for more portability.
Finally, the smaller ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 3 will have 16GB of RAM, up to 2TB of SSD storage, and an Intel Iris X GPU. It will also have a slightly smaller 49.6 Whr battery.
All three devices will come out in April 2023 and will start at US$ 1,649.
IdeaPad 5 series
The IdeaPad lineup will also get some love this holiday season. The IdeaPad Pro 5i, in particular, will come with up to a next-gen Intel Core i7 processor, up to 32GB of RAM, up to 1TB of internal storage, and a NVIDIA GeForce GPU. It will also come with a 75 Whr battery.
Meanwhile, the IdeaPad Slim 5i comes with similar specs but only up to 16GB of RAM and an Intel Integrated GPU. The IdeaPad Slim 5 will come with up to Ryzen 7 7730U processor, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB of internal storage, and an Intel Integrated GPU.
Finally, the IdeaPad Flex 3i will come with an Intel Processor N200, a NVIDIA GeForce GPU, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of internal storage. Its battery will last up to 12 hours on a single charge.
All devices will come in May 2023. The IdeaPad Pro 5i starts at US$ 1,499.99. The Slim 5i starts at US$ 749.99. The Slim 5 starts at US$ 649.99. The IdeaPad Flex 3i sells for US$ 349.99.
SEE ALSO: Lenovo Legion Slim 7i 2022: Slimmer with no compromises
Samsung’s most advanced AI-powered PC lineup yet, the Samsung Galaxy Book6 series, will be available in the United States starting March 11.
The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra, Book6 Pro, and Book6 are all powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors to deliver improved CPU, GPU, and NPU performance.
Galaxy AI features like AI Select and Intelligent Search streamline workflows, while Multi-Control and Second Screen enable seamless productivity across Galaxy devices.
Users can connect the Galaxy Book6 series to their Galaxy smartphone or tablet for multi-screen productivity. This includes accessing one’s phone storage straight from the Book6 PC.
And similar to Circle to Search on Galaxy mobile devices, the upcoming PCs have a feature wherein users can just trace whatever is on their screen and search.
In addition, the series combines ultra-thin designs with up to 30 hours of video playback.
Price, availability
Here are the pricing of the three devices under the series:
- Galaxy Book6 Ultra: Starts at US$ 2,449.99
- Galaxy Book6 Pro: Starts at US$ 1,599.99
- Galaxy Book6: Starts at US$ 1,049.99
They will be available nationwide at Samsung.com and Samsung Experience Stores beginning on March 11. Customers who reserve early will get a US$ 30 credit.
More details will be unveiled during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25 at 10:00 A.M. PT / 1:00 A.M. ET.
Laptops
Are you ready for a more colorful MacBook?
Apple is experimenting with quirkier colorway options for the MacBook.
In recent years, Apple has relented on limiting the colors of its devices to only the more premium-looking options. Users can now pick quirkier colors for their iPhones, highlighted currently by the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Soon, the same splashes of color might make its way to the MacBook lineup.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been testing different colorway options for its upcoming entry-level MacBook. The unannounced lineup might come in pink, light yellow, light green, and blue.
It’s a big change for MacBooks. Currently, the only “quirky” option that users can get is the MacBook Air’s Sky Blue, which honestly looks more silvery than blue. Other than that, the MacBook simply seesaws from different shades of gold, silver, and black.
To be fair, the upcoming MacBook will still have the traditional colorways of the current lineup. Additionally, it’s unclear whether Apple will ultimately include all its experimental colors into the final lineup.
Reportedly, the new lineup will cost somewhere between US$ 699 to US$ 799. Of course, the lower price tag will come at the expense of some specs. Although, it should still be good if we’re talking about an entry-level laptop.
It’s even more interesting if it’s hinting at the return of truly colorful options but for the notebook. The iMac already got a similar renaissance back in 2024, which mimics the classic computer’s colorful history.
SEE ALSO: M5 MacBook Pro review
Brands getting banned are commonplace in today’s tech landscape. These usually happen because of geopolitical reasons, especially if it’s in the United States. In Europe, brands sometimes get banned for anticompetition reasons. Today, however, a commonly used codec, HEVC, is at the center of a controversy that has led to the banning of ASUS and Acer in Germany. Even crazier, Nokia is involved.
For context, Nokia owns several patents for video codecs. One of those codecs, HEVC (or High-Efficiency Video Coding) is ubiquitous in every PC, which means that every PC maker must purchase a license to include the codec in their machines. It’s an essential these days, so it’s unusual for ASUS and Acer to miss it.
In Germany, where licensing is stricter, both companies were found guilty of infringing the patent, as reported by German outlet Hardwareluxx. As a result, ASUS and Acer must stop selling PC and laptop sales until they obtain a license from Nokia.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean that the two brands have disappeared from the country. Third-party retailers can still sell their remaining stock. However, the companies cannot import or sell any new stock, pending a conclusion to the issue.
Naturally, the easiest fix is to just buy the license. Hisense, another company that found itself in the same mire, bought a license last month. Either ASUS and Acer are running into more technical issues, or they just didn’t feel the license was worth it for a single market.
SEE ALSO: ASUS is leaving the smartphone industry
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