Microsoft moves Windows 11 testers in the Dev channel to prerelease builds

Today, Microsoft is releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview build 22449 to the Dev channel. That means that those Insiders are no longer getting cumulative updates for the RTM build of Windows 11. It also means that once you install this build, you’ll have to do a clean installation of Windows if you want to roll back.

Microsoft has been warning that this will happen for a while. If you were one of those people that just wanted to test out Windows 11, the Beta channel is more your speed. Because once the OS ships, Beta channel Insiders can just switch over to production. In fact, everyone should be on Beta right now. You can always switch back to Dev if there’s something you want, but you can’t easily go to Beta now.

And with Windows 11 build 22449, there isn’t even much that’s new. The only listed change is behavior for SMB compression. Here’s the full changelog:

SMB compression behavior change

We first introduced SMB compression in Windows Server 2022 & Windows 11. SMB compression allows an administrator, user, or application to request compression of files as they transfer over the network. This removes the need to first deflate a file manually with an application, copy it, then inflate on the destination PC. Compressed files will consume less network bandwidth and take less time to transfer, at the cost of slightly increased CPU usage during transfers.

Based on testing and analysis, we have changed the default behavior of compression. Previously, the SMB compression decision algorithm would attempt to compress the first 524,288,000 bytes (500MiB) of a file during transfer and track that at least 104,857,600 bytes (100MiB) compressed within that 500-MB range. If fewer than 100 MiB were compressible, SMB compression stopped trying to compress the rest of the file. If at least 100 MiB compressed, SMB compression attempted to compress the rest of the file. This meant that very large files with compressible data – for instance, a multi-gigabyte virtual machine disk – were likely to compress but a relatively small file – even a very compressible one – would not compress.

Starting in Build 22449, we will no longer use this decision algorithm by default. Instead, if compression is requested, we will always attempt to compress. If you wish to modify this new behavior to return to a decision algorithm, please see this article: Understanding and controlling compression behaviors.

Please use the Feedback Hub to give feedback or report issues with SMB compression, using the Files, Folders, and Online Storage > File Sharing category.

There are some more minor changes as well, such as a ring animation when booting instead of the circle of dots. Right-clicking on Bluetooth in Quick Settings will now open the main Bluetooth settings page, and the Windows startup sound won’t play anymore after an update that installs when you’re away from your PC. That’s right; when Windows installs an update in the middle of the night, it won’t wake you up with the boot sound.

Notifications use transparent acrylic now, and there’s now a link to Touch Keyboard personalization settings in Settings. Of course, there are a bunch of fixes and known issues in Windows 11 build 22449 too.

Windows 11 build 22449 Fixes

[Taskbar]

• If your Taskbar is set to auto-hide, hovering over the Taskbar corner or bottom of secondary monitors should now properly invoke the Taskbar.
• Fixed an issue that could make the calendar flyout get in a state where only the week names would load and not the calendar part.
• Addressed an issue where the lunar calendar would get out of sync with the actual date in the calendar flyout.
• If you’ve updated your time format, additional clocks added to the calendar flyout will now update to reflect that.
• Hovering over one of the Desktops in the Task View flyout should no longer unexpectedly change your active Desktop.
• The Focus Assist button in Notification Center now has an accessible name for screen readers.
• Fixed an underlying issue that was causing the font in the Taskbar previews to not be correct.
• Did some work to help make explorer.exe more reliable when using the Taskbar on multiple monitors.

[Input]

• We mitigated an issue that was making the Mail app not able to accept keyboard input into the address / subject lines of a new email sometimes.
• Also fixed an input related deadlock that was making certain windows not respond to mouse input, including Search, Start, and the emoji panel.
• If you’re using a tablet or 2-in-1 device in tablet posture, the touch keyboard should now be invoked when tapping Command Prompt to input text without having to tap the touch keyboard button.
• The N’Ko keyboard name should now display correctly in the input flyout when added to the input list.
• We did some work to address an animation issue with the shadow when opening the emoji panel or voice typing.
• Made some performance improvements to help address an issue where the Pinyin IME would take a significant amount of time to start.
• Addressed an issue where the Pinyin IME would crash and get stuck in a broken state that could result in no longer being able to type anything.
• We fixed an issue where Japanese IME didn’t lock Kana input mode and reverted it to Romaji input mode after inputting a single character while UAC was disabled or using Windows Sandbox. Thank you everyone who’s shared feedback so far, we really appreciate it.
• We fixed an issue that when you insert multiple prolong sounds in a row with Japanese IME, the first one and remaining ones were inserted with different character code.
• We addressed some cases where you wouldn’t see anything when trying to launch the input switcher (Win + Space), including when using Windows Sandbox.
• We fixed an issue where an angry looking emoji was returned if you searched for “sad” in the emoji panel.
• Made some tweaks to fix rendering with certain characters when writing vertically, for example writing Japanese vertically with Meiryo UI.
• Did some work to address an issue that could cause the left mouse click button on precision touchpads to get stuck and stop working.
• Inputting ALT key codes on the number pad when using the Japanese IME should work now.
• Addressed an issue that was making Alt-Gr occasionally get ignored when a client RDP window was active.
• Made a change to help address an issue that could result in characters getting dropped when typing with the Korean IME into certain win32 text boxes.

[File Explorer]

• We’ve done some work to help address an underlying issue where moving certain app windows would be very slow if a File Explorer window was also visible on the screen.
• The command bar should now be properly mirrored in Arabic and Hebrew and fixed some positioning when using the command bar flyouts in those display languages.
• Mitigated an issue impacting explorer.exe reliability.
• Fixed a text rendering issue with the apostrophe in the Move Folder dialog.
• Clicking the “Network discovery is turned off” message in File Explorer will now navigate to a more relevant location instead of just the main page of Network Settings.
• Fixed an underlying issue that is believed to be the cause of explorer.exe crashing for some people when using the paste button when right-clicking in File Explorer.

[Settings]

• Fixed a bug that was causing the battery level displayed for connected Bluetooth devices in Settings to get stuck and appear out of date.
• The contrast issues in Sound settings should be fixed now when using the Desert contrast theme.
• Addressed an issue where selecting 5.1 audio type in Sound Settings wasn’t sticking.
• The sliders in the Sound Settings volume mixer should no longer unexpectedly be different lengths.
• The Searching Windows link on the Search Permissions page in Settings now works and should no longer crash Settings if the indexer is not running.
• Made some improvements to help address an underlying issue that could result in display positions and settings being unexpectedly forgotten.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the profile picture in the top corner of Settings to scale poorly sometimes.
• The time format in Power & Battery Settings should now follow your preferences.
• Addressed an issue where clicking the high brightness warning in Powery & Battery Settings wouldn’t lower the brightness.
• The Video Playback page in Settings should no longer show battery options for devices without batteries.
• Fixed misspelling of Santali in Language Settings.
• Fixed misspelling Malaysia (TA-MY) in Language Settings when using the Tamil display language.
• Did some work to fix an issue where navigating to Lock Screen was crashing Settings sometimes.
• The “only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device” setting in Sign-in Settings will now only show for accounts where this option supported.
• You can now select the text of the update names in Windows Update History again if you would like to copy them out.
• Addressed an issue that is believed to be the root cause of some people experiencing crashes when clicking on some of the links in the Advanced Options page of Windows Update Settings.
• Windows Update History should now correctly show the number of updates in each category, instead of showing 0.
• The BitLocker link in Settings will no longer crash if it’s clicked on devices where it’s not supported.
• Fixed a few places in Settings where Narrator wasn’t reading items, including making an update so Narrator will now announce success after successfully pairing a device.
• Options in Personalization Settings that aren’t supported when a contrast theme has been selected will now be disabled.
• Opening Taskbar Settings in Windows Sandbox will no longer crash Settings.
• Fixed a hang relating to the input flyout that was causing Quick Settings to hang and not launch.
• Did some work to address an issue where the edit button in Quick Settings would go missing sometimes.
• Fixed a deadlock that was resulting in cellular data on/off values not matching between Quick Settings and Cellular Settings page.
• Quick Settings shouldn’t get clipped anymore when using Magnifier.
• Addressed an issue that was making the Duplicate option under the Project flyout in Quick Settings not work in some cases.

[Logging in and Authentication]

• The icons used in Windows Spotlight text on the lock screen should display properly now and not look like boxes sometimes.
• The Windows startup sound should no longer play while updates are in progress.
• Tweaked the buttons of the UAC dialog so the pressed state is more consistent with other buttons.
• The image in the Windows Hello notification is now visible when using light mode.
• The “Getting things ready for you” text after an update should now be written in the correct font (Segoe UI Variable).
• Did some work to help reduce potential banding effects on the “getting things ready” screen after first setting up a device.
• Addressed an issue where the Number Lock state did not persist during a Fast Start reboot.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the Lock screen to appear blank with the default lock screen image if lock screen slideshow was enabled combined with “Automatically pick accent color from my background” in Personalization settings.

[Bluetooth and Devices]

• We fixed an issue for Insiders with paired Bluetooth LE devices that was causing an increase in Bluetooth reliability issues and bugchecks after resume from hibernate or when Bluetooth was turned off.
• Fixed a crash with certain connected devices that could result in not being able to use Bluetooth.
• Mitigated an issue for certain connected devices that was resulting in unexpected beeping, lower than expected maximum volume, occasional Windows Audio service hangs, and volume seemingly getting stuck.
• Addressed an issue that was making certain scanners not work.
• Fixed an issue that could cause unexpected brightness changes when adding a monitor, closing then opening a laptop lid, changing resolution or orientation (including autorotation) or a in game setting or a full-screen mode at a different resolution.
• A new display driver being installed should no longer unexpectedly re-enable disabled devices, including graphics adapters.

[Windowing]

• Min/Max buttons in the title bar of certain apps should no longer become distorted after turning off a contrast theme.
• Fixed an explorer.exe crash that could happen when using ALT + Tab.
• The keyboard focus in ALT + Tab and Task View should be easier to see now.

[Microsoft Store]

The following issues were fixed in the most recent Store updates:

• We fixed the issue where the install button might not be functional in limited scenarios.
• We also fixed an issue where rating and reviews were not available for some apps.

[Chat from Microsoft Teams]

• Arabic and Hebrew languages will now allow changing Teams Settings.
• We fixed the issue where if you were making an outgoing call, there was no ring tone, but the user interface would show that the call is getting connected.

[Other]

• Made a change to help improve Task Manager launch performance in certain scenarios where it was unexpectedly very slow.
• Addressed an issue that was making certain applications sometimes get the wrong color profile in multi-monitor scenarios.
• Fixed an underlying crash that was resulting in the recording and screenshot options in the Xbox Game Bar getting unexpectedly disabled.
• Addressed an underlying app deployment issue believed to be the root cause of Windows Security not launching on a small number of devices.
• The Windows Boot Loader text should now correctly say Windows 11.
• Fixed the logo in the Store apps troubleshooter.
• We did some work on WSL2 to help improve the performance and reliability of localhost relay.

And of course, there are a bunch of things that are still broken.

Windows 11 build 22449 Known Issues

[General]

• Windows Insiders with Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) enabled will not receive this build. There is an issue in this build that causes PCs to bugcheck continuously with WDAG enabled. We hope to have this fixed in the next flight.
• We’re working on a fix for an issue that is causing some Surface Pro X devices to bug check with a WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR.

[Start]

• In some cases, you might be unable to enter text when using Search from Start or the Taskbar. If you experience the issue, press WIN + R on the keyboard to launch the Run dialog box, then close it.
• System and Windows Terminal is missing when right-clicking on the Start button (WIN + X).

[Taskbar]

• The Taskbar will sometimes flicker when switching input methods.

[Search]

• After clicking the Search icon on the Taskbar, the Search panel may not open. If this occurs, restart the “Windows Explorer” process, and open the search panel again.
• Search panel might appear as black and not display any content below the search box.

[File Explorer]

• If you right click files in OneDrive locations in File Explorer, the context menu will unexpectedly dismiss when you hover over entries that open sub-menus, such as “Open with”.

[Widgets]

• The widgets board may appear empty. To work around the issue, you can sign out and then sign back in again.
• Widgets may be displayed in the wrong size on external monitors. If you encounter this, you can launch the widgets via touch or WIN + W shortcut on your actual PC display first and then launch on your secondary monitors.

[Windows Sandbox]

• We’re investigating an issue in which Windows Sandbox may not launch for some Insiders after upgrading to this build.

[Microsoft Store]

• We continue to work to improve search relevance in the Store.

[Localization]

• There is an issue where some Insiders may be some missing translations from their user experience for a small subset of languages running the latest Insider Preview builds. To confirm if you have been impacted, please visit this Answers forum post and follow the steps for remediation.

As always, you can grab the new build via Windows Update. You’ll need to be on the Dev channel to get Windows 11 build 22449, which is from the rs_prerelease branch, and you can go to the Windows Insider Program page in Settings to get started.

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Dell XPS 15 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme: Which should you choose?

A lot of the more popular laptops we tend to hear about are lightweight and thin machines, with companies like Dell and Lenovo offering some fantastic laptops for users who prefer thinner devices. But those companies also have more powerful offerings for users who value performance over battery life or portability. The Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme are two deceptively powerful laptops, and in this guide, we’ll compare them to find out which one you should get.

Both of these laptops offer premium experiences and classic designs. Neither of them would stand out too much next to their respective company’s lineup, but they pack a lot more power than you might think. Whether you need to edit video or you want to do some gaming when you’re off work, you can’t go wrong with either of these laptops.

Dell XPS 15 vs Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme: Specs

First off, let’s compare the official specs for both of these laptops to see where each one stands. In the case of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme, the official spec list lists many models that aren’t available to buy at the time of writing this article; as in, they don’t seem to have launched yet. We’ll list all the configurations Lenovo says will be available but mark the ones you can’t buy with an asterisk.

	Dell XPS 15	Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme
Processor	Intel Core i5-11400H (up to 4.5GHz, 6-core) Intel Core i7-11800H (up to 4.6GHz, 8-core) Intel Core i9-11900H (up to 4.9GHz, 8-core)	Intel Core i7-11800H (up to 4.6GHz, 8-core) Intel Core i7-11850H vPro (up to 4.8GHz, 8-core) Intel Core i9-11950H vPro (up to 5GHz, 8-core)*
Graphics	Intel UHD Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6 (45W) NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6 (45W)	Intel UHD Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6*
RAM	8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB	16GB Dual SODIMM slots (supports up to 64GB)
Storage	256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB 4TB	512GB 1TB Models with RTX 3050 Ti or lower: Two M.2 slots (up to 4TB total) Models with RTX 3060 or higher: one M.2 slot (up to 2TB)
Display	15.6-inch, Full HD+ (1920 x 1200), InfinityEdge, anti-glare, non-touch, 500 nits 15.6-inch OLED, 3.5K (3456 x 2160), InfinityEdge, anti-reflective, touch, 400 nits, 100% DCI-P3 15.6-inch, Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400), InfinityEdge, anti-glare, touchscreen, 100% Adobe RGB, 94% DCI-P3, 500 nits	16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS, anti-glare, 400 nits 16-inch Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) IPS, anti-glare, Dolby Vision, HDR 400, 600 nits
Audio	Quad stereo speakers (two 2W woofers, two 1.5W tweeters)	Dual stereo speakers (2W x 2)
Webcam	2.25mm, 720p HD 30fps	1080p Full HD camera
Biometric authentication	IR camera Fingerprint reader	Fingerprint reader Optional: IR Camera
Battery	6-cell 97Whr battery	2-Cell 80Whr battery
Ports	2 Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports One USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (Power Delivery, DisplayPort) USB Type-C to Type-A and HDMI 2.0 adapter included SD card reader 3,5mm headphone jack	2 Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type-C) ports 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports HDMI 2.1 (2.0 for Intel UHD Graphics) SD card reader 3.5mm headphone jack Optional: SIM card slot
Connectivity	Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2×2), Bluetooth 5.1	Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX210, Bluetooth 5.2
Colors	Platinum Silver exterior + black carbon fiber interior Frost exterior + Arctic White interior	Black Black with carbon fiber lid cover
Size (WxDxH)	13.57 x 9.06 x 0.71 in (344.68 x 230.12 x 18.03 mm)	14.13 x 9.99 x 0.7 in (359.5 x 253.8 x 17.7 mm)
Weight	Starting at 3.99 lbs (1.81kg)	Starting at 3.99 lbs (1.81kg)
Starting price	$1,299.99	$1,907.40 (varies, official starting price $2,149)

Performance: More power for the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

Diving straight into performance, it’s apparent that the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has more power to offer. For the CPU, with the top-tier configuration not available on the ThinkPad, the Dell XPS 15 does have a more powerful Core i9. However, that’s only until Lenovo makes its high-end configuration available.

“For GPU-related tasks, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is clearly superior.”

Either way, that’s not where the biggest difference is — that would be the GPU, and Lenovo pulls a big win here. The Dell XPS 15 maxes out with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, with 45W of power. Lenovo says you can get the ThinkPad X1 Extreme with up to a GeForce RTX 3080, and even though that configuration isn’t available, it’s no contest. Lenovo doesn’t disclose the TDP of its NVIDIA GPUs, but we can look to NVIDIA itself for guidance. The company says an RTX 3060 for laptops will start at 60W, and an RTX 3070 starts at 80W, and that’s already a big leap over the XPS 15. For GPU-related tasks, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is clearly superior.

The Dell XPS 15 does win in terms of the storage and RAM you can get out of the box though. You can configure the XPS 15 with up to 64GB of RAM and 4TB of storage, while the ThinkPad X1 Extreme maxes out at 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. However, you can upgrade the RAM and storage yourself later. You can have up to 64GB of RAM, and for storage, you can get up to 4TB — as long as you have an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti or lower. The more powerful GPUs take up more space, so those models only have one M.2 slot and you can only get 2TB of storage.

Inside the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

As for battery life, Lenovo once again has the better configuration with a 90Whr unit inside across all models. Dell starts with a 56Whr battery for its Core i5 model, but otherwise has an 86Whr version instead, which should offer similar battery life.

Display: The Dell XPS 15 has an OLED option

Moving on to the display, both of these laptops do some important things right. They’re both 16:10 displays, and both offer Ultra HD+ options for those who need it. Lenovo starts with a notable win though, because its base model has a Quad HD+ (or WQXGA) panel, which many would consider the sweet spot for a laptop display, offering a balance between battery life and sharpness. The Dell XPS 15 starts with a Full HD+ panel and then jumps immediately to 3.5K.

“The Dell XPS 15 can be had with an OLED display, which is not only incredibly sharp but also offers vibrant colors.”

On the other hand, that 3.5K display option gives Dell its biggest advantage. The Dell XPS 15 can be had with an OLED display, which is not only incredibly sharp but also offers vibrant colors. OLED panels have independent lighting for each pixel, resulting in pure blacks and a high contrast ratio of 100,000:1. This OLED display also covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, so watching content on the Dell XPS 15 will look phenomenal.

Both companies tout support for HDR content on the Ultra HD+ display, but Lenovo specifically mentions HDR 400, so there’s at least a tangible certification there. Dell’s display has lower maximum brightness, so HDR will probably work better on the ThinkPad X1 Extreme.

Dell XPS 15 with black carbon fiber interior

Dell also wins in terms of the sound experience, offering a quad-speaker setup that’s fairly rare on Windows laptops. With two tweeters and two woofers, the Dell XPS 15 has a total of 8W dedicated to sound output. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has just two 2W woofers.

But Lenovo takes another victory with the webcam, which is a 1080p sensor by default. Dell uses a 720p camera that’s just 2.25mm in size, and that allows for bezels to be tiny, but it means image quality isn’t very good. You do get an IR webcam out of the box with the Dell XPS 15 though, while you have to pay extra for it on the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme.

Design and ports

This category is the most balanced between the two laptops, with each having some clear advantages and disadvantages. Both the Dell XPS 15 and the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and on both laptops, they’re on the same side. The Dell XPS 15 has an additional USB Type-C port, complete with power delivery and DisplayPort, and that’s on the other side of the laptop, giving you a bit more flexibility with how you can plug into an outlet or external display.

Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Extreme with carbon fiber weave cover

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has more ports built right in, with two USB Type-A ports and HDMI, so it has wider compatibility with peripherals like keyboards, mice, and monitors. The Dell XPS 15 does include an adapter that turns a USB Type-C port into USB Type-A and HDMI ports, but it’s an extra accessory you have to carry, plus you still only have one Type-A port. Both laptops also include a full-size SD card reader and a headphone jack, plus the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has a proprietary charging port since it requires more power than USB can deliver.

The ThinkPad X1 Extreme can also be configured with 5G support, adding a nano-SIM slot. This option doesn’t seem to be available to buy yet, but if you need on-the-go connectivity, this definitely makes the ThinkPad X1 Extreme more versatile.

The additional ports Lenovo offers are the result of this being a much larger laptop. The Dell XPS 15 and ThinkPad X1 Extreme have the same starting weight, but the XPS 15 is much smaller in every dimension except thickness. It can more easily slip into a backpack or bag, so it can be easier to carry. Conversely, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme already includes a Core i7 processor, larger battery, and a Quad HD display for the same starting weight, so you’re getting a bit more performance without an additional load on your back.

Dell XPS 15 in Arctic White

Finally, let’s talk looks. The Dell XPS 15 comes in two models, one with a darker “platinum silver” exterior, which includes a black carbon fiber keyboard deck, or one with a “frost” silver exterior and an “arctic white” keyboard deck made from woven glass fiber composite. The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme, on the other hand, only comes in black with the classic ThinkPad design, but the top of the lid can either be painted black or have a carbon fiber weave finish.

This means both laptops can stand out in their own way, although the Dell XPS 15 gives you more distinct options. There are some limitations on both sides, though. The arctic white Dell XPS 15 isn’t available with the Intel Core i5 processor, and it also requires upgrading to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. You also can’t get the Ultra HD+ panel this way (but you can get the 3.5K OLED). Lenovo is a bit more straightforward — models with a Quad HD+ display have a painted lid, while models with an Ultra HD+ panel have the carbon fiber weave lid.

Bottom line

After going through all that, it’s apparent the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme has a lot of notable advantages. It has significantly more powerful GPUs, with a more powerful CPU also on the cards. It has a sharper display for its base model, and the Ultra HD+ panel comes with HDR 400 support and 600 nits of brightness. It also has more ports to connect peripherals, a better webcam, and a bigger battery. And the ability to add 5G connectivity will make it more useful while traveling.

“If you want the most performance and flexibility, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is better for you.”

However, the Dell XPS 15 does have some redeeming qualities. The biggest of those is the option for an OLED display, and that will give you a fantastic viewing experience with vibrant colors and pure blacks. The sound system is also more powerful and capable thanks to the quad-speaker setup. It also has a much smaller chassis, and the design itself is arguably more modern. Plus, you can choose between two very distinct colors, while the ThinkPad X1 Extreme is only available in black.

One thing you might point to is the starting price, but to configure the Dell XPS 15 similarly to the base model of the ThinkPad X1 Extreme, you won’t be paying much less, plus you’ll still have a worse screen.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

As with anything, it’s ultimately up to your use case. If you want the most performance and flexibility, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is better for you. If you value aesthetics, if you want to save some money by going with an Intel Core i5, or if you want a fantastic OLED display with a great audio experience, the Dell XPS 15 can cater to those needs. Both of these are still very powerful laptops, and unless you have very demanding workloads, you won’t really be begging for more power with either one.

If you’ve made your choice, you can buy your preferred laptop using the links below. You can buy a preset configuration of the Dell XPS 15 at Best Buy, or fully configure your own on Dell’s website. Lenovo’s offering is only available from Lenovo directly.

Dell XPS 15 (OLED)

The Dell XPS 15 is a powerful 15 inch laptop, which comes with a 3.5K OLED touchscreen, an Intel Core i7 processor, and 16GB of RAM.

Buy at Best Buy

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme is an incredibly powerful 16 inch laptop with high-end Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics. It can be had with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, plus an Ultra HD+ display.

Buy at Lenovo

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Gmail is rolling out a Material You redesign for some users on Android 12

Material You is the third major iteration of Google’s Material design language. According to Google, Material You aims to create designs that are “personal for every style, accessible for every need, and adaptive for every screen.” It was introduced at Google I/O earlier this year, and since then, Google and several third-party developers have updated their apps with support for Material You’s dynamic colors. The next Google app to support dynamic theming could be Gmail, as the feature is now rolling out to some users.

XDA Recognized Developer luca020400 told us that after updating to version 2021.08.24.394054613 of the Gmail app for Android, he immediately noticed the app was using the color palette generated from his wallpaper. The background, buttons, tabs, and search bar in the Gmail app all now use dynamic colors, as you can see in the images he shared with us.

Image credits: luca020400

Luca says he noticed this feature on his Pixel 5 running the fourth Android 12 beta. My own Pixel 3 XL is also running the fourth beta with the same version of the Gmail app, but I do not have dynamic colors enabled on my device. It’s likely that this feature is gated by a server-side flag, which is why we haven’t seen other reports of the feature yet. Once Google starts to roll this feature out to everyone, though, we’ll update this article.

Gmail (Free, Google Play) →

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ASUS launches the ExpertBook B5 business laptop with an OLED display

ASUS has announced a series of new PCs for businesses during an event titled Create the Uncreated. There are a few laptops, desktops, and even an all-in-one. The highlight of the lineup is probably the ASUS ExpertBook B5 OLED, which, as the name suggests, comes with an OLED display.

The ASUS ExpertBook B5 OLED comes in two versions, one being a clamshell laptop, and the other being a convertible, called the ExpertBook B5 Flip OLED. These are thin-and-light laptops, with the ExpertBook B5 OLED (clamshell) coming in at 2.65lbs. Despite that, they still pack a relatively large 66Whr battery, and up to an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 CPU with Iris Xe graphics. You can also configure them with up to 48GB of RAM (16GB soldered). As for the display, it’s a Full HD 16:9 OLED panel with HDR support and it covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.

If you need even more power, you can always get the ExpertBook B7 Flip. This convertible comes with a 16:10 Full HD+ display, though you can upgrade to Quad HD+, and it includes ASUS Private View, the company’s privacy screen technology so others can’t see what you’re looking at. The laptop also includes a stylus for the touchscreen.

It also comes with 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processors and up to a whopping 64GB of RAM. But the biggest standout of this model is that it comes with optional 5G connectivity, letting you stay connected on the road.

On the other hand, if you want to save some money, you can go for the ExperttBook B3 Flip instead, the more entry-level product in the lineup. It still comes with up to an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of onboard RAM plus a SODIMM slot with up to 32GB, and 1TB of storage. You also get a combo microSD/nano-SIM card slot, which means you can get LTE connectivity.

The ExpertBook B3 Flip comes with a rechargeable active stylus which can be stored in a garage on the laptop itself. It comes with two cameras: an HD user-facing webcam and a 13MP world-facing camera.

Moving on to the desktop side of things, there’s the new ExpertCenter AiO E5, a 24-inch all-in-one PC designed for remote workers. It comes with up to an Intel Core i7-11700B, an 8-core, 16-thread CPU that can boost up to 4.8GHz. It also comes with up to 32GB of RAM, two 1TB SSDs in RAID 0 or 1, and a 2TB HDD. You can configure with an optional Thunderbolt 4 port if you want to connect lots of peripherals and external displays, and it also supports Wi-Fi 6E.

Finally, there’s the ExpertCenter D9 series of desktop PCs. This includes two models the D9 SFF (small form factor) with a 9-liter chassis, and the D9 Mini Tower with a 15-liter chassis. These come with Intel Core processors with vPro support and professional NVIDIA graphics.

ASUS didn’t say when these laptops will be available or how much they will cost when they launch. However, even of they launch with Windows 10, you’ll still be able to upgrade to Windows 11 later this year.

The post ASUS launches the ExpertBook B5 business laptop with an OLED display appeared first on xda-developers.

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ASUS announces all-new creator laptops with 16:10 OLED displays

Today, ASUS is announcing a bunch of new laptops that are aimed at creators, and it’s all about OLED displays. The company said they have the first DisplayHDR 600 True Black certified screens, and the true blacks are due to the OLED technology, as the panels aren’t backlit like traditional LCDs. They’re also factory calibrated to be PANTONE Validated, and they have “cinema-grade” 100% DCI-P3 color gamut support.

The new products include the ProArt Studiobook, Zenbook Pro and Pro Duo, and Vivobook Pro and Pro X. The all come with H-series processors and dedicated RTX graphics, as you’d expect given the creator demographic.

The ProArt Studiobook 16 Pro comes with AMD Ryzen 5000 H-series processors or Intel 3rd-gen Xeon chips, so you’ve got choices. For the non-Pro SKUs, you can still get AMD Ryzen processors, but with Intel, you’ll get Core chips instead of Xeon. For graphics, you can go up to an NVIDIA RTX A5000. The 16-inch 16:10 OLED display promises Delta E < 2 color accuracy.

Also, it has a new feature called ASUS Dial, a rotary control that you can see on the keyboard deck in the image above. It currently works in four Adobe apps: Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Lightroom Classic, and After Effects. Essentially, it’s similar to what Microsoft has done with the Surface Dial.

Aside from all of that, the ProArt Studiobook 16 series comes with up to 64GB 3200MHz DDR4 RAM, Thunderbolt 4 or USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, HDMI 2.1, and an SD Express 7.0 card reader.

All of the laptops announced today are coming in the fourth quarter of this year. The ASUS ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED will start at $2,499.99, while the non-Pro SKUs will start at $1,999.99.

Next up is the ASUS Zenbook Pro 15 OLED and the Zenbook Pro Duo 15 OLED, the former of which uses AMD Ryzen 5000 H-series processors and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU, with the latter using up to an Intel Core i9 with up to an RTX 3070. They have the same great OLED displays as the Studiobook, and of course, the Zenbook Pro Duo has the ASUS ScreenPad Plud, a secondary, 14-inch secondary touchscreen.

The Zenbook Pro 15 OLED will start at $1,469.99.

Finally, we’ve got a range of OLED Vivobook Pro laptops from ASUS. The company says that it’s the “ultimate powerhouse” for creators, and it has a feature called ASUS DialPad, which seems to be like the Dial feature mentioned above, but built into the touchpad. It’s also supported in Adobe apps.

First up is the 14X and 16X, obviously coming in 14- and 16-inch sizes. The larger one offers a 4K OLED HDR 550-nit screen, while the smaller one is 2.8K OLED HDR at 600-nit brightness. They’ve got VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification, they’re PANTONE Validated, and they’re probably the best screens that you can get on laptops.

That’s not all. They come with H-series processors from Intel or AMD, up to RTX 3050 Ti graphics, up to 32GB RAM, and a biggest-in-class 96WHr battery. They’re cooled with ASUS IceCool Plus technology, and they come in a color called 0° Black.

The Vivabook Pro 14 and 15 are more lightweight options at 3.09 and 3.64 pounds, respectively. It comes with a NanoEdge 2.8K or FHD OLED display, and it still offers H-series processors from Intel or AMD, although the graphics will be RTX 3050 instead of 3050 Ti.

The Vivobook Pro 14X OLED will be coming to Canada soon, although there’s no pricing, and the Vivobook Pro 16X is coming to North America starting at $1,399.99. The Vivobook Pro 14 OLED (K3400) starts at $749.99, the Vivobook Pro 14 OLED (M3401) starts at $1,199.99, and the Vivobook Pro 16 starts at $919.99.

The post ASUS announces all-new creator laptops with 16:10 OLED displays appeared first on xda-developers.

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Google Lens becomes the latest Google app to get Material You refresh

A major attraction of Material You and Android 12 is the new dynamic theming system that automatically picks up colors from your wallpaper and applies those colors to various parts of the system UI and apps. Google has slowly been updating many of its apps with Material You elements over the past couple of months. Google apps that have embraced the Material You flare so far include Google Chrome, Message, Gboard, and Google Contacts. Now one more Google app is getting a Material You refresh: Google Lens.

The Material You refresh for Google Lens (via 9to5Google) comes as part of the Google app beta v12.34 that recently rolled out on the Google Play Store. Most notably, the language selection pill in Google Lens has been updated to look more prominent and bubbly.

The auto-detected language and the language you’re translating to are easier to distinguish as they are now divided into separate bubbles. On devices running Android 12, the bubbles are colorful, taking on the dominant color of your current wallpaper. Meanwhile, on the older Android version, they feature a faded blue hue.

Elsewhere, the Lens shortcut now appears in Google Search’s homescreen widget beside the microphone icon, as you can see in the screenshot below.

Apart from Google apps, a handful of third-party apps has added support for Android 12’s dynamic theming. One of the first to achieve that feat was Tasker which showed off Material You theming back in June and brought it to the stable version last month. Apps like Sleep as Android and SwiftWalls have also added dynamic theming support.

If you have a device running Android 12 beta and want to check out Google Lens’ Material You look, download the latest Google app beta from the like below.

Chrome Beta (Free, Google Play) →

Google Lens (Free, Google Play) →

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How to manually add your vaccination certificate to Apple Wallet for easy access

In the times of COVID19, every little trick that makes navigating the pandemic a tad easier matters a lot. Unlocking our Face ID iPhones through Apple Watch, when masked for example, is a handy addition that Apple has recently added. But now we’ve reached a point where a lot of places, including cinemas and pubs, ask for proof of vaccination in the form of a vaccination certificate when entering their premises. If you don’t have a vaccination proof on your person, you’re likely not getting an easy entry. That is when most people will scramble and dig through their files to find the PDF/screenshot of the vaccination QR code. But a more convenient alternative for iPhone users would be to add the vaccination certificate to Apple Wallet.

However, adding vaccination certificates to Apple Wallet is only officially supported in very few regions. And digging through files every single time a proof needs to be displayed becomes very cumbersome very fast, especially when you consider that more and more places will need a proof. There definitely needs to be an easier way.

I have known about Apple Wallet’s double side-button-click shortcut (on the iPhone and Apple Watch) for a while now. So I was determined to find a way to add my vaccination certificate to the digital vault. First, I searched the App Store to find an app that creates custom Apple Wallet cards. After trying a few, I ended up settling for Wallet Creator. It’s a free, simple app made for this particular purpose.

How to add a custom Apple Wallet card to store your vaccination certificate

Here are the steps you need to follow within the Wallet Creator app:

• Upon launching the app, you’ll be greeted by a blank screen with a plus button positioned on its top right. Once you click it, you’ll have to fill in the info of your new card, which is a straightforward process.
• You will additionally need to click on the plus button in the middle of the card creation interface. Hit “Barcode” from the pop-up menu to scan your certificate’s QR code afterward.

• After it’s scanned, you’re ready to go! Click on the tick on the top left of the screen, and an “Add to Apple Wallet” button will show up.
• Once you add it to your Apple Wallet, you may delete the Wallet Creator app. The actual card will safely remain stored in your Wallet anyway. It will automatically be synced and added to your Apple Watch as well.

Whenever you’re requested to show your proof of vaccination, you’re a double side-click away from entering your favorite spot. I find this particularly helpful when carrying bags while entering a mall. I just flick my wrist to get through! The security guard scans it off my Apple Watch, and I effortlessly go in without needing to reach for my pockets.

In case the double side-click gesture isn’t working, you can enable it on your iPhone through Settings app > Wallet & Apple Pay > Double-Click Side Button. Note that this function may not be available in some regions, specifically in regions where Apple Pay is not officially supported.

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