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mardi 1 juin 2021

Apple MacBook Pro 2021: 14-inch & 16-inch Mini LED displays, M1X chip, and everything else we expect

The Apple MacBook Pro is already a worthy contender in the list of the best laptops and it is about to get even better with the upcoming Apple Silicon upgrade. The anticipated 14-inch MacBook Pro has been in the news since last year and is finally expected to arrive later in 2021 alongside a new 16-inch model. The MacBook Pro 2021 is suggested to feature a new design and colors similar to the 21-inch iMac 2021, mini LED displays, a much more powerful ARM-based M1X chipset with up to 64GB of RAM, faster charging, and the return of an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a MagSafe connector for the charger.

Apple is rumored to be launching the new MacBook Pro in 14-inch and 16-inch models later this year. In this article, we’ve listed everything we expect and know based on various rumors and reports about Apple’s upcoming laptops for pros.


MacBook Pro 2021: Leaks and others expected changes

The Apple MacBook Pro 2021 is expected to be the first major facelift since the redesign in 2016. We’ve heard multiple rumors about the upcoming MacBook Pro models, expected to arrive as a 14-inch model  — instead of the prevailing 13-inch model — besides an updated 16-inch variant.

At the beginning of 2021, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo disclosed that Apple would launch the new MacBook Pro models later in 2021, marking key changes over the previous generations. The two new models are likely to come with altered designs, new color options, run on Apple’s custom ARM-based silicon instead of Apple CPUs, and be equipped with better connectivity options, including MagSafe, SD card reader, and more. Apple is also likely to remove the Touchbar and offer a standard set of function keys on the top row of the keyboard.

These are the key changes we expect in the purported MacBook Pro 2021:

New design with more I/O options

In April 2021, Apple announced the iMac in an entirely new attire. The new iMac powered by Apple’s M1 chip relinquishes the old serious office look — characterized by black and shades of gray — and dons a more friendly look with cheery colors. Apple also replaced the black bezels on the iMac with white ones to make their new all-in-one PC easy to blend in any room. Recent rumors suggest that the upcoming MacBook models are due for the same paint job.

MacBook render colors stacked

MacBook concept renders in different iMac-like colors; Courtesy: Jon Prosser and Ian Zelbo

As per YouTuber Jon Prosser, the upcoming MacBook Air will be available in the same set of colors as the iMac 2021. Likewise, the future MacBook Air models are also expected to ditch black bezels and embrace white bezels, just like the 2006 polycarbonate MacBook. You should still get the option to buy a silver MacBook, but that will also come with white bezels now instead of black ones. Prosser (via 9to5Mac) claimed to have gotten access to renders of the upcoming MacBook Air but chose not to share the original images to conceal the identity of his source. Instead, he shared concept images based on those renders. Prosser had previously claimed (via 9to5Google) that Apple could also launch MacBooks in “colors for average consumers.”

While Prosser did not mention anything about the upcoming MacBook Pro models, it’s likely Apple robes them in the same consumer-friendly colors.

Other than the potential additions to the color options, the upcoming MacBook Pro is likely to feature various ports that were removed from the previous design. Apple completely overhauled the MacBook Pro in 2016, making it significantly thinner and more attractive to look at. To achieve these dimensions, Apple had to compromise the I/O and remove the USB Type-A, HDMI, Thunderbolt 2 ports, the SD card reader, and the MagSafe connector for the charger. In place of these, Apple included up to four USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support in the successive MacBook Pro models, forcing users to rely on external dongles to connect regular USB-A connectors or other peripherals.

For those who’ve been avoiding upgrading their old MacBook Pro due to this reason, Apple is bringing some of these ports back to the new MacBook Pro 2021 in the 14-inch and 16-inch models.

macbook pro 2021 concept render leak in blue, silver, gray, and golden colors

MacBook Pro 2021 concept by designer, Antonio De Rosa

In January 2021, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman had reported Apple is likely to return the MagSafe connector to the MacBook lineup. For those unfamiliar with MagSafe, it’s a physical interface that keeps the charger connected to the laptop using a magnetic pull instead of actually docking the charger into a port. Therefore, if you yank the charging cable accidentally, the magnetic connector gets disconnected but does not pull the laptop flying along with it. This type of charging solution was last seen on the older MacBook Air (2015 model, sold until 2018) and could now potentially return to the MacBook Pro models.

Gurman also said that the SD card reader would return to the MacBook Pro, and the same was corroborated (via MacRumors) by Ming-Chi Kuo. Meanwhile, the infamous Touch bar will be evicted (via 9to5Mac) and replaced with a typical row of function keys.

In addition, the upcoming MacBook Pro 2021 models are also expected to feature at least three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt support, instead of the current option between two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the existing MacBook Pro 13-inch with Apple’s M1 or Intel 8th-Gen Core i5’s chipset or four ports on the MacBook Pro 13-inch with 10th-Gen Intel Core i5 and the 16-inch MacBook Pro 2020. According to Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors), the upcoming MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models could also feature an HDMI port.

macbook pro 16 inch concept magsafe hdmi sd card reader

MacBook Pro 16-inch concept with MagSafe, HDMI, and SD Card reader; Courtesy of designer, Antonio De Rosa

The new MacBook Pro 2021 models will be thinner than the existing ones in terms of the actual design. This is primarily because Apple’s own ARM-based SoC saves space on the motherboard by integrating the CPU, GPU, and RAM into one tiny chip. Ming-Chi Kuo also projected (via 9to5Mac) that Apple will renounce the curved edges on the bottom panel, benefiting from the new chipset. The MacBook Pro 2021 is likely to feature a flat bottom panel with squared-off edges. This means a closed MacBook Pro could look like an iPad or the new M1 iMac from the side. Apple is also likely to remove the “MacBook Pro” logo from the display’s bottom bezel to make it thinner.

Mini LED displays proposed

The existing Retina displays on the MacBook Pro models are among the best-rated displays we can find on laptops. Apple uses LED-backlit IPS panels for the MacBook Pro, and these displays offer high color accuracy and contrast besides a claimed peak brightness of 500nits. Many sources unanimously suggest the smaller of the two MacBook 2021 models will now feature a 14-inch display instead of the previously standard 13-inch display. Meanwhile, Apple upgraded the 15-inch model, launching the bigger, 16-inch model only in November 2019. So there won’t be a larger model this time.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro has been expected for over a year. In March 2020, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated (via 9to5Mac) that Apple could launch a 14-inch MacBook Pro instead of the 13-inch variant. The widespread COVID-19 pandemic largely razed those plans. In 2020, Apple released two sequential upgrades to the smaller MacBook Pro — the first one with Intel chips and Apple’s Magic Keyboard instead of the dreaded Butterfly keyboard, and the second with its custom ARM-based M1 chipsets. However, neither of the two models featured any major cosmetic changes except the upgraded keyboard.

apple mini led XDR display

Mini LEDs spread out on the iPad Pro’s XDR display

The 14-inch MacBook Pro is set to launch later in 2021 alongside the new 16-inch model. Besides increasing the size of the screen, Apple is expected to offer brighter displays. A couple of independent reports from Taiwanese industry-centric publications Digitimes (via MacRumors) and TrendForce indicate that Apple might opt for Mini LED displays on the MacBook Pro 2021. The same display technology was deployed on M1 iPad Pro launched by Apple in April 2021. As per Digitimes, Radiant Opto-Electronics is believed to be the exclusive supplier of the Mini LED panels for the MacBook Pro.

A Mini LED display uses miniature LEDs to backlight the LCD panel. The “XDR” display on the iPad Pro 2021 uses Mini LEDs that are 120x smaller than the LEDs typically used on LED-backlit LCDs. Because of their smaller size, a display can feature many times more Mini LEDs than regular LEDs. This allows for the display to be brighter, have richer contrast, and offer better local dimming. Apple claims the new Mini LED “XDR” display on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro 2021 (review) has a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, making this display technology the best intermediary option between LCDs and OLED panels.

So if Apple launches the MacBook Pro in 2021 with Mini LED panels, the displays will likely feature better brightness and contrast than the existing models. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman also contributed to this probability, suggesting the MacBook Pro models could come with “updated displays” but without sharing much insight. Meanwhile, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously mentioned (via 9to5Mac) Apple will use Mini LED displays on the 2022 MacBook Air without referring much to the MacBook Pro models.

However, it is also worth noting that Mini LED displays are still in their nascent stage, leading to a slower supply than expected. While Apple’s indulgence is expected to propel the utilization of the technology, the Cupertino giant is grappling with shortages itself. This has led to a delay in the availability of the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Should Apple choose to use Mini LED displays on the upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, the same shortages are bound to restrict the production of these models, and that might even push the availability later into the year.

Apple’s M1X processor

In 2020, Apple made the long-awaited migration to its custom ARM-based eight-core M1 silicon. Unlike the x86-64 Intel chips used by Apple to power its laptops, the ARM-based silicon comes in a system-on-a-chip (SoC) format — just like on an iPhone or iPad.

Even though the MacBook Pro models launched in 2016 through 2020 have featured RAM and storage chips soldered onto the motherboard, the new SoC allows Apple to save much more space by integrating the CPU, GPU, NPU, and other components into a single chip. Further, the memory is also integrated on the same board as the SoC. Apple calls this a “Unified Memory Architecture” and it allows all components of the SoC to access RAM seamlessly.

apple m1 chip

Unified Memory Architecture on Apple’s M1 chip

Being based on ARM, the M1 chips can also run iOS apps natively and use an emulation environment called Rosetta 2 to run apps traditionally designed for x86-64 systems.

As for the performance of last year’s Apple M1 chip, it already waters down Intel’s most powerful chips. Not only does the M1 offer more performance for power but also generates much less heat, and that has allowed Apple to stick to a fan-less design for the 2020 MacBook Air. For the newer MacBook Pro models, however, Apple is preparing for a much more powerful chipset. Allegedly called “M1X,” the chipset will be an extension of the previous M1 chip. According to Bloomberg, the Apple M1X chip is expected to feature a 10-core CPU with two efficiency cores — for basic tasks such as web browsing at low battery consumption — and eight high-performance cores for more demanding tasks. This differs from the M1 chip that features four cores for power efficiency and four for high performance.

In addition to the 10-core CPU, the Apple M1X chip will offer the choice between GPUs with 16 and 32 cores. The chip is also slated to come with better neural processing capabilities and feature support for up to a whopping 64GB of RAM — and hopefully, that would be enough RAM for Chrome.

Faster charging

As we noted above, Apple is expected to return the MagSafe charging port on the MacBook Pro 2021 models. With this, the charging rate could also be increased further.

The 16-inch MacBook Pro ships with a fast-charging brick, rated at 96W, while the smaller, 13-inch model comes with a 61W charger and is also compatible with the faster charger. The MacBook Pro 2021 could come with support for even faster-charging speeds. The charger’s specifications haven’t been leaked or predicted until now, but we’ll update the article when we learn more.

Full HD Camera

Despite the advancements in hardware, MacBook Pro models have featured a 720p webcam with mediocre quality. As work from home becomes the way forward for many organizations across the globe, a good quality webcam becomes imperative. The new iMac 2021 features an upgraded Full HD camera with much better quality than the previous 720p one. We can expect the webcam on the MacBook Pro to also be upgraded to a similar quality.

Meanwhile, the iPad Pro uses a front-facing camera with an ultrawide field of view. This enables a feature called “Center Stage” which is used to pan the camera to keep the primary subject(s) in the center of the frame. While we don’t have high hopes about this feature being added to the MacBook Pro, it would be exciting for Apple to actually take the webcam more seriously.


MacBook Pro 2021: Expected release date

The new MacBook Pro was earlier tipped to arrive in the second half of 2021. However, different sources seem to have different expectations regarding the release date of the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. Early on in 2021, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested the new models could arrive in the third quarter of 2021, whereas Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported an earlier launch date around the middle of 2021.

Meanwhile, two other reports offer more contradicting information. YouTuber Jon Prosser recently suggested that Apple could announce the new MacBook Pro at the WWDC 2021 conference along with the M1X-powered Mac Mini. In contrast, Taiwanese news website Digitimes revealed (via Tom’s Guide) that the production of the upcoming MacBook Pro models may have been delayed until late 2021 or early 2022 due to the “sudden surge” of COVID-19 in Taiwan, besides the strapped supply of mini LED displays.


We expect to hear more about the MacBook Pro 2021 in the coming days. This article is constantly updated with the most recent information, so come back to learn more about the MacBook Pro 2021.

What do you expect from the upcoming MacBook Pro models? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured image: MacBook Pro 2021 concept by designer Antonio De Rosa

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Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition is another bezelless addition to Xiaomi’s popular TV lineup

Xiaomi India has just added a new model to its smart TV portfolio: the Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition. The Mi TV 4A 40 slots below the Mi TV 4A 43-inch model that launched last year while retaining the under-the-hood hardware and the overall design language.

Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition specifications:

Main Header 1 Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon
Display
  • 43-inch
  • FHD, 1920 x 1080p
  • Vivid Color Engine
  • 93.7% screen-to-body ratio
  • 178-degree viewing angle
Processor
  • Amlogic Cortex-A53 quad-core processor
  • Mali-450 GPU
RAM & Storage
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB flash storage
Sound
  • 20W stereo speakers
  • DTS-HD
Connectivity
    • 3x HDMI
    • 2x USB
    • 1x Ethernet
    • 1x S/PDIF
    • 1x 3.5mm headphone jack
Software Android 9 with Patchwall

The new Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition sports a near bezel-less design with an impressive 93.7% screen-to-body ratio and 178-degree viewing angles. You get a 40-inch full HD display with a 1920 x 1080 screen resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, and 9.5ms response time. The TV supports Xiaomi’s Vivid Picture Engine, which offers various software and hardware tweaks to deliver accurate color reproduction and deeper contrasts. For audio, the TV comes with two 10W speakers with DTS-HD surround sound.

Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition front Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition from the side Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition from the top

The TV is powered by the Amlogic quad-core processor, coupled with 1GB RAM, 8GB eMMC storage, and Mali-450 GPU. In terms of connectivity, you get 2x USB 2.0 ports, 3x HDMI ports, 1 ethernet port, a 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth 4.2, and Wi-Fi.

On the software side, the Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition runs Android 9 with Xiaomi’s PathWall OS on top. Besides more than 5,000 apps on Google Play Store, you also get Google Assitant and Chromecast support. PatchWall provides easy access to more than 25 streaming services, including Disney+ Hotstar, Sony LIV Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5, Hungama, and more. You can also control your various smart home products right from the TV using the Mi Home app.

Pricing & Availablity

The Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition will go on sale from June 2 at a starting price of ₹23,999. It will be available from mi.com, Mi Home stores, Flipkart, Mi Studio, and select retail partner stores.

 

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lundi 31 mai 2021

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, 3070 Ti are the newest graphics cards announced at Computex 2021

Computex 2021 officially kicks off with NVIDIA introducing two new graphics cards under its RTX 30-series. As various leaks and rumors predicted in the past, we now have two new high-end cards in the form of RTX 3080 Ti and the 3070 Ti.

The ‘Ti’ in the name suggests that these new GPUs are enhanced versions of the existing RTX 3080 and RTX 3070. By the looks of it, the new RTX 3080 Ti should sit between the RTX 3080 and the RTX 3090. Similarly, the RTX 3070 Ti will go on to be a new member of the series sitting between the RTX 3070 and the RTX 3080.

As per NVIDIA, the new RTX 3080 Ti is priced at $1199 and will be available starting June 3, while the RTX 3070 Ti is priced at $599 and should reach markets starting June 10.

The RTX 3080 Ti is a souped-up version of the RTX 3080 featuring 12GB GDDR6X memory with 80 Ray Tracing cores, 10,240 CUDA cores, and 320 Tensor cores. With a power draw of 350W, it is almost similar to the mighty RTX 3090 with the exception of the memory, as the RTX 3090 has 24GB.

The RTX 3070 Ti comes with the same amount of memory as the regular RTX 3070 but upgrades to GDDR6X, which means significantly better memory bandwidth. It features 6,144 CUDA cores, 48 Ray Tracing cores with 192 Tensor cores. The new RTX 3070 Ti also has a much wider bandwidth of 608GB/s compared to the 448GB/s on the RTX 3070.

It is interesting to see NVIDIA introducing even more graphics cards at a time when the chipset crisis around the world is still a huge concern. The company has been trying to get its GPUs into the hands of gamers by reducing crypto-mining abilities on its RTX 30-series models. NVIDIA also has launched dedicated GPUs for crypto-mining purposes under its CMP or Cryptocurrency Mining Processor series; however, it seems that it hasn’t helped all that much. At the moment, almost every single graphics card from the company, including the older generation GTX series, is selling at inflated prices. It is extremely likely that the newly announced GPUs will also be sold higher than the suggested pricing. For many consumers, it then makes more sense to buy a good gaming laptop instead of a GPU just because the laptops are available to purchase and at sane prices.

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Google promises it won’t build a backdoor for Chrome’s FLoC ad targeting

Google now has a near-monopoly on web browsers, search engines, and online advertising. The company’s massive reach is already resulting in an antitrust lawsuit from the United States Department of Justice, and its new Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) technology isn’t helping the situation. FLoC was intended to be a replacement for tracking cookies, which have been used for years to track people across websites. And now, Google is promising that it definitely won’t build additional tracking methods into the Chrome browser for itself.

Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) is a new feature being tested in Google Chrome, which allows targeted advertisements without using cross-site tracking cookies (which many browsers and ad-blockers no longer allow). FLoC looks at your browsing history and places you into an ad targeting group based on your behavior. The technology is intended to be more private than cross-site tracking cookies, because there are no longer individual profiles but only targeting groups. Even then, it has been criticized for being enabled by default and allowing other types of tracking.

It’s also possible Google could bypass FLoC entirely, and use the browser histories and other data synced to Google accounts for serving ads. This would give Google an unfair advantage over other advertising providers, but the company now promises it won’t do that. Jerry Dischler, Google’s VP for advertising, said during a virtual marketing event recently that “we’ll be using these [Privacy Sandbox] APIs for our own ads and measurement products just like everyone else, and we will not build any backdoors for ourselves.”

That might be good news for other advertising companies, but it doesn’t fix the mess FLoC has become. Publishers and advertisers are hesitant to say goodbye to cross-site tracking cookies, and nearly every other web browser that was already blocking trackers is promising to disable FLoC. Vivaldi Browser said “it does not protect privacy and it certainly is not beneficial to users,” while Brave called it “bad for Web users, bad for sites, and a bad direction for the Web in general.” Microsoft, Apple, and Mozilla are still deciding if they will bring FloC to their browsers in the future — it’s not available in Safari or Firefox right now, and Microsoft has turned it off in Edge.

Google’s promise to follow its own rules might not be convincing enough, especially when the Chrome browser that Google distributes (different from Chromium) is not open-source, so it wouldn’t be difficult to hide additional tracking behavior in the browser. Google could also change its mind at any time, especially if investors and executives are pressured to generate more advertising revenue.

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Alienware fully unveils new X-series to show what it can do

Back when Intel unveiled its latest H-series processors, Dell announced a bunch of laptops too. What might have flown under the radar at the time was the Alienware X-series, more specifically the X17. It was just a teaser, but now the wraps are being taken off.

In Dell’s blog post, it refers to the “X factor”, a quality that makes something great. It’s something that makes it stand out above the rest. With the Alienware X-series, this is where the company intends to show what it can do. As the blog post puts it, that’s where Alienware X-series “exemplifies our values of bold innovation, high performance, iconic design and premium quality.”

Rear angled view of Alienware x17

Alienware x17

The two laptops in the X-series are the Alienware x15 and x17, obviously 15- and 17-inch laptops, respectively. They’re showing up with the new Alienware design language, Legend 2.0, and that actually debuted with the latest Alienware m15. Obviously, Legend was the design language that we’ve been seeing for the past few years, and it’s been pretty iconic. These laptops are also strangely thin. The x15 is less than 16mm, and Dell is making the claim that it’s the world’s most powerful sub-16mm 15-inch gaming laptop.

Part of that is the new cooling, which is the main thing that it teased in May. Both laptops introduce a new thermal interface material called Element 31. It’s made from Encapsulated Gallium-Silicone liquid metal compound, and it sits between the CPU and thermal elements. Alienware is promising a 25% improvement over what’s available on the market.

Angled view of Alienware x15 on yellow background

Alienware x15

Thermals are super important when it comes to gaming laptops. The reason for this is because all of these PCs have the same parts, including 11th-gen Intel Core H-series CPUs and NVIDIA GeForce 30 series graphics. Whichever laptop can keep those components the coolest is the one that will get the best performance, and moreover, it’s sustained performance.

Another thing being touted with the Alienware X-series are the hexagonal vent patterns. The laptops are meant to be pretty, but they’re also meant to be functional. You get the pretty lighting, and those pretty vents also keep the machine cool.

Alienware x15 and Alienware x17 on black background

Aside from the obviously 11th-gen Intel processors and up to an RTX 3080 GPU, there are plenty of other options. There’s a Thermal Control Circuit feature that lets you set a limit to the CPU temperature, and along with that, there are Tailored Power States including full speed, performance mode, balanced mode, battery saver, and quiet mode. All of those can tweak the cooling, the fan, and so on for different levels of performance or efficiency.

The Alienware X-series also comes with an optional Cherry MX keyboard with a 3.5mm ultra-low-profile design. This is a partnership that Alienware announced a few months ago.

Limited configurations of the Alienware X-series are available today, with the x15 starting at $1,999.99 and the x17 starting at $2,099.99. Full configurations will be available on June 15.

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HP has some new AMD Ryzen-powered PCs for businesses

At COMPUTEX today, HP announced a couple of new business PCs from its Elite and Pro lineups, including the EliteDesk 805 G8 series and the ProDesk 405 G8 series. They include AMD’s Ryzen PRO 5000 desktop chips.

For the HP EliteDesk 805 G8 series, the company says that users can finely tune the fans. That way you can choose to keep the machine quiet, or you can turn up the fans for maximum performance. HP says that this is its quietest AMD business-class mini-PCs. Security is top-end too with HP Wolf Security for Business, along with Ryzen PRO processors.

HP EliteDesk 805 G8 and ProDesk 405 G8 PCs in Mini and SFF form factors

There are two HP EliteDesk 805 G8 PCs being announced, a Desktop Mini PC and a Small Form Factor PC. The Mini can be mounted behind a monitor, and in fact, HP makes a product called the Mini-in-One 24 display that’s designed to mount the product. The firm says that this is the smallest and most powerful AMD-powered ultra small form factor business PC.

Obviously, the Small Form Factor model is bigger.  It has two bays, two half-height slots, three M.2 slots, and 11 USB ports, so there are lots of expandability options here.

Next up is the ProDesk 405 G8 series, which also comes in Desktop Mini and Small Form Factor solutions, as you probably guessed from the image above. According to HP, the Small Form Factor one is the world’s most configurable AMD-powered business small form factor desktop. In case you haven’t noticed, HP likes to use “world’s most” a lot when describing its products.

Out of the four products being announced today, both the HP EliteDesk 805 G8 and HP ProDesk 405 G8 series are expected to be available in August. HP didn’t provide any pricing though, as that will all be announced as we get closer to the launch.

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Lenovo’s Smart Clock Essential has Google Assistant and only costs $30 right now

Lenovo released the Smart Clock Essential last year as a digital alarm clock with Google Assistant (and some other smart functionality) built in. The original $49 MSRP was a bit on the steep side, especially considering the more feature-packed Lenovo Smart Clock was often on sale for the same price, but now the new model is discounted to just $29.99.

The Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is a digital clock, with large LED digits, a night light with three levels of brightness, a temperature indicator, and a USB Type-A port on the back for charging your phone (or anything else that can power up over USB). It also functions as a Google Assistant smart speaker, allowing you to stream music, set reminders, control smart home devices, check your calendar, and much more. Finally, the clock is a Chromecast target on your home network, so you can stream audio content from supported apps on your phone or tablet.

    Lenovo Smart Clock Essential
    This digital alarm clock doubles as a Google Assistant smart speaker. It's available on Home Depot's website for $29.99, and you can even pick it up in select physical stores.

Considering the Google Nest Mini normally costs around $49, and Amazon’s latest Echo Dot typically costs $50 (though is on sale for $35 right now), the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential is a cheaper alternative with the bonus of an always-on clock. The main drawback is that there’s no battery backup, so if you frequently deal with power cuts, it might not be as reliable as ‘dumb’ alarm clocks.

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