Lenovo’s Foldable Thinkpad X1 Is Launching Q2 2020

The hardware is ready now, but Lenovo is waiting for software to catch up and properly support a folding display before going ahead with a launch.

Back in May, Lenovo revealed what could be the future of laptops in the form of the foldable Thinkpad X1. The prototype device consisted of one large display that bends in the middle just like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, only it’s the size of a laptop and uses a 13.3-inch 2K OLED screen. Lenovo has now confirmed you’ll be able to buy one next year.

As AnandTech reports, Lenovo used the Canalys Channels Forum to explain that the foldable Thinkpad X1 is actually ready to ship from a hardware point of view. The hold-up is software, because app makers require more time to tweak their software to work well with a folding display and the different configurations it allows for.

As to when we can expect to purchase this unusual new X1, Gianfrano Lanci, COO of Lenovo, said, “It will start shipping probably Q2 next year … Hardware is ready, but we need to still fix certain things from a software point of view and that does not depend 100% on us.”

While you may expect the foldable laptop to compete with other high-end laptops, Lenovo doesn’t agree and views the iPad Pro$943.41 at Amazon as its main competition. That makes sense when you consider both are all-screen devices, it’s just that this X1 has the added ability to bend and become a laptop in form and function.

When PCMag got some hands-on time with the prototype back in May, it was clear Lenovo wants the device to replace or substitute your laptop, tablet, and possibly even your phone. Corporate road warriors look to be the main audience being targeted, and I suspect the price will reflect that. However, the biggest hurdle Lenovo will likely come up against is convincing people this isn’t just a giant Galaxy Fold, which even after months of rework remains an alarmingly fragile device. Lenovo will also be keen to get this X1 on the market a few months ahead of Microsoft’s Surface Neo, which is sure to have a big impact late next year.

AOC Reveals Agon AG273QX: A 27-Inch 165 Hz FreeSync 2 Monitor

AOC has introduced its new Agon-series 27-inch gaming display featuring a variable refresh rate of up to 165 Hz enabled by AMD’s FreeSync 2 technology. Like all Agon monitors, the AG273QX is aimed at demanding gamers and supports a multitude of features for the target audience, including special gaming modes, RGB lighting on the back, as well as G-Menu software for adjustments.

The AOG Agon AG273QX display uses an 8-bit 27-inch VA panel featuring a 2560×1440 resolution, 400 nits peak brightness, a 3000:1 static contrast ratio, a maximum refresh rate of 165Hz, a 1 ms MPRT response time, and 178°/178° viewing angles. Being an AMD FreeSync 2-certified monitor, the AG273QX fully supports a variable refresh rate (presumably with a 48 Hz to 165 Hz), direct-to-display tonemapping, low framerate compensation (LFC) mode, and can hit 90% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. The LCD also meets DisplayHDR 400 requirements with an HDR brightness of 400 nits and supports at least HDR10 transport. Unfortunately, AOC does not disclose how many backlighting zones its new monitor has.

When it comes to connectivity, the Agon AG273QX has a D-Sub, two DisplayPort 1.2, one miniDisplayPort, and two HDMI 2.0 connector. In addition, it has a quad-port USB 3.0 hub, and a headphone output, which is common for gaming displays these days. As an added bonus, the monitor has two 5 W speakers.

Since the product is designed primarily for gamers, the Agon AG273QX not only features a stand that can adjust height, tilt, swivel, and even pivot, but also a handle for easy carrying. Meanwhile, it also supports three pre-configured game modes (FPS, RTS, Racing) as well as three customizable game modes. Last but not least, it also comes with G-Menu software to make adjustments without using the OSD buttons.

AOC will start sales of its Agon AG273QX in November. In the UK the product will cost £439, so expect its MSRP in the US to be around $499.

Apple to release a 16-inch MacBook Pro with a vastly improved keyboard by the end of the month

Apple’s rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro is slated to launch by the end of October, according to a new report from Digitimes. The report adds that Apple’s next-gen MacBook Pro will boast thinner bezels than on current models and will incorporate next-gen chips from Intel.

Though the publication has something of a mixed track record when it comes to Apple rumors, we’ve seen enough reports from more credible sources over the past few weeks as to make the Digitimes report quite plausible.

As to other features regarding the rumored MacBook Pro refresh, previous reports have indicated that the new notebook will feature a 3072×1920 display and will ship with a 96W USB-C charger. Price wise, the 16-inch MacBook Pro may be a bit pricey, with some reports claiming it may cost as much as $2900.

Most notably, though, the new MacBook Pro will reportedly be the first new MacBook to completely abandon the much-maligned butterfly keyboard design Apple originally introduced a few years ago.

While the butterfly keyboard design was thinner than the scissor-style alternative, it proved to be far too temperamental and prone to failure for many users. And though Apple made incremental improvements to the design over the past few years, the sad reality is that it never quite managed to eliminate keyboard issues for all users. As a result, there has been a growing consensus in Apple circles that the butterfly keyboard design is one of the worst product designs to ever come out of Cupertino.

As to how the new MacBook Pro might look — with thin bezels and all — recently unearthed icons in a macOS Catalina beta show us with what the final design will likely be. Note that the thinner bezels will allow Apple to incorporate a larger display without increasing the footprint of the notebook in a meaningful way.

As a final point, It’s worth noting that Apple will reportedly abandon the butterfly keyboard design across the entirety of its notebook lineup by 2020. And though this purely a point of speculation, it’s entirely possible that Apple’s decision here can be traced back to Jony Ive — who was notoriously obsessed with thinness — leaving the company a few months back.

Razer Becomes The First To Release Optical Switches On Their Razer Blade 15

Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the world’s first optical keyboard designed for laptops. Razer was the first to introduce a low-profile mechanical laptop keyboard in 2016 and has now brought next-generation optical switches to the Razer Blade 15 gaming laptop. The low-profile keyboard has been designed for gaming enthusiasts who demand near-instant actuation, satisfying tactile feedback, and rapid-fire inputs.

At The Speed Of Light

The new optical laptop switch harnesses the power of light to instantly capture key actuation. Under every key, an infrared light beam is used to detect when a key is pressed (actuation), allowing for much greater precision and speed versus conventional laptop keyboards. The result is a groundbreaking keyboard with an actuation point of only 1mm at 55g of actuation force with 50% more travel, allowing players to input more commands in less time in the heat of battle. On top of lightning-fast actuation, the new keyboard features a satisfying mechanical tactile click – a must for any keyboard connoisseur. The tactile feedback helps users know when an input has been registered and provides a superior typing experience compared to traditional membrane keyboards.

The Razer Blade 15 optical keyboard also features N-Key Rollover (NKRO) with anti-ghosting. As the optical keyboard utilizes light to register inputs instead of traditional physical contact, the optical keyboard features zero debounce to ensure that only one stroke is registered instantly without any delay. Each keycap is individually backlit with Razer Chroma RGB lighting, offering 16.8 million colors to play with. Ranging from unique pre-programmed designs to custom patterns available only in the Razer Chroma Workshop, users have countless lighting options to choose from.

“Razer is a company built on firsts, we focus on pushing the envelope to provide gamers with the best-in-class hardware,” says Brad Wildes, Senior Vice President of Razer’s Systems Division. “Our Razer Blade 15 laptop with the new optical laptop keyboard is the first of its kind, providing gamers with the most advanced switch technology on the market anywhere they go.”

High-Performance Components To Power Your High-Level Gameplay

The Razer Blade 15 remains the most awarded laptop in the Razer Blade family as its sleek and compact design paired with best-in-class hardware has proven to be a winning combination. The optical keyboard model features ultra-fast gaming performance packed into a thin design that includes an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU, an Intel Core i7-9750H 6-Core CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB SSD storage.

Nestled front and centered is a beautiful 15.6” Full HD 240Hz display, flanked by ultra-slim bezels and custom calibrated for an immersive and rich experience straight from the box. Lining the sides is an abundance of I/O such as an HDMI port, a mini display port, one Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C port, one USB Type-C port, and two USB Type-A 3.1 Gen 2 ports.

The new optical laptop keyboard from Razer is currently available only in the Razer Blade 15 Advanced for $2,649 USD with more models to follow in 2020. The Razer Blade 15 with optical keyboard will be available today from Razer.com and select retailers in the United States, Canada, and China and will be coming soon to select countries in Asia-Pacific.

The Mi Surface is Xiaomi’s new 34-inch gaming-grade monitor

Xiaomi has teased its new monitor, known as the Mi Surface, on its official Weibo account. With its AMD FreeSync support, it seems distinctly directed at the gaming market. Besides this, it also has a 1500R curvature for immersive screen use. 

The Mi Surface is 34 inches in diagonal length, and has a cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio. Xiaomi claims that it covers 121% of the sRGB color gamut. Its refresh rate is 144 hertz (Hz), which may be a little underwhelming in 2019. This monitor has a resolution of 3440×1440.

It will go up for its first round of pre-orders on October 21, 2019 in China. It may be a competitive new entrant in its market on this date, as it will be priced at 1999 yuan (~US$282). Xiaomi may hope it will give buyers in that price range an edge in their first-person shooting titles.

New MacBook Pro Images Feature 6 Ports And 16 Inches Of Power

Although Apple has not confirmed a new 16-inch version of the MacBook Pro, everyone is expecting the larger screened laptop to show up this month. And if the geekerati are very lucky, it’s going to look a lot like the latest concept renders published by Chance Miller at 9to5Mac.

Two features stand out. The first is of course the 16-inch display and how the smaller bezels will accommodate the larger screen into a top lid that looks to be close to the size of the current 15-inch model. Given the proliferation of edge-to-edge laptop screens from other manufacturers (notably but not limited to Dell’s XPS laptops) it shouldn’t come as a surprise to the wider laptop world that Apple is going down this route.

And with an expectation that the 15-inch MacBook Pro model is going to be discontinued, this 16-inch version will be a direct replacement but with a larger screen as one of the key selling points.

Another selling point in the render is the inclusion of six USB-C ports. This is up from 4 ports on the current 15-inch model. Although one of these will be taken up by the A/C charger, the extra potential power offered by two more ports cannot be overlooked.

These concept renders are based on much of the talk and chatter around the new MacBook Pro machines, so should be seen as an amalgamation of all the leaks with a bit of editorial input. Apple is still expected to hold a public launch event this month, with this MacBook Pro a potential product, alongside an updated iPad Pro, the reveal of Apple Tags, and the retail launch of the Mac Pro.

CHUWI UBOOK PRO, M3-8100Y PROCESSOR PERFORMANCE

Recently, Chuwi launched versatile 2-in-1 tablet – UBook Pro on Indiegogo,which has attracted a lot of attention from users. The tablet is designed for office workers and students. It features a 12.3-inch 3:2 ratio IPS screen and the latest Intel core M3 8100Y processor, which performance improvements of 50% over the previous generation of UBook. Besides, portable U – shaped kickstand, full – function USB-C and many other improvements make it so popular on Indiegogo.

As an versatile 2-in-1 tablet,performance is the basic of all computer experiences. Below is the measured data of the UBook Pro with Intel 8100Y processor.

Benchmark test

CPU-Z

According to the cpu-z information, the UBook Pro features with the latest powerful Intel m3 8100Y processor. The processor equips with advanced 14nm process and dual core four thread. The highest frequency can reach 3.4GHz. In the cpu-z test, the single-core and multi-core scores reach up to 283.5 and 800.9 respectively.

GeekBench 4

In the GeekBench 4 test,the processor has a single-core score of 3731 and a multi-core score of 6115. This score is consistent with the high level of performance mentioned above.

Cinebench R15

Cinebench R15 is a comprehensive CPU and GPU performance testing software. It tests CPU and graphics card performance by rendering high-precision images and 3D graphics based on the Cinem4D engine. In this test, the 8100Y equipped with UHD Graphics 615 core Graphics CARDS scored a whopping 196cb and 27.18fps. Based on the above, the overall strength of UBook Pro performance is excellent.

AS SSD Benchmark

In the storage speed test session, UBook Pro achieved a continuous read and write speed of 480.61MB/s and 372.74MB/s by using SSD,which is more than five times the speed of the traditional HDD mechanical hard disk. The daily use experience has been greatly improved.

Actual experience

In addition to the above benchmark as a reference, UBook Pro also performs well in actual life. It can easily deal with daily office, learning and entertainment needs. It also can run Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere and so on.

In the test of the game project,It’s amazing that 8100Y can run large games like tomb raider and Metro smoothly. Playing some games after work can be very enjoyable for young people.

Combined with the above benchmark test results and actual experience, the m3-8100Y processor carried by UBook Pro has indeed strong performance. UBook Pro is one of the most powerful and versatile 2-in-1 tablet at similar price range. In addition to its excellent performance, other additional highlights also meet the needs of different users. It is worth mentioning that the price is very competitive in the market. UBook Pro is currently in the process of crowdfunding on indiegogo. Detailed information about multiple products and activities are available on the official promo page.

HP Unveils Chromebox Enterprise G2: A Chrome OS-Based Business Desktop

Business and enterprise desktops is an interesting market recently – on the one hand, because extended support for Windows 7 nears its end early in 2020, multiple companies are eager to buy new PCs; on the other hand, margins are low and competition between suppliers is cut-throat. To minimize competition, HP has released one of the industry’s first Chromebox for Enterprise: a UCFF desktop PC for frontline workers, call centers, shared spaces, kiosks, or digital signage applications.

The Chromebox Enterprise G2 comes in a small 14.93×14.93×4 cm black box that packs Intel’s 7th Generation dual-core Core i3-7130U with UHD 620 graphics CPU or Celeron 3867U with UHD 610 graphics CPU that is paired with 16 GB DDR4-2400 DRAM as well as an M.2 SSD.

In a bid to meet requirements of all possible applications, the Chromebox Enterprise G2 features rather vast connectivity capabilities that include GbE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, three USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, one USB Type-C connector, one HDMI display output, one 3-in-1 SD card reader, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack. Depending on configuration, the Chromebox Enterprise G2 comes with a 65 W or a 90 W power brick.

Unlike Chromebooks, Chromeboxes have not really gained traction on the market partly because people expect high performance and advanced multimedia capabilities from their desktops, but mostly because people are so used to Windows programs. By releasing a Chromebox for Enterprise, HP obviously faces some risks, but believes that since many people use web-based apps nowadays, they will use a Chrome OS-based desktop without any problems. Meanwhile, the advantage of web-based applications is also their disadvantage because they depend on reliability of Internet connection. On the other hand, one indisputable trump that HP’s Chromebox Enterprise G2 has is support for numerous capabilities aimed precisely at businesses, including 24/7 Google support, automatic software updates through June 2024, virus protection, sandboxing, verified boot, remote management, and easy deployment. All in all, it will be interesting to sell how successful HP’s Chromebox for Enterprise is going to be.

HP’s Chromebox Enterprise machines will be available in November. Pricing will depend on configurations.

Dell updates Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition with 10th Gen CPUs, Thunderbolt 3

Dell is bringing Intel’s 10th Gen Core CPUs to another entry in its Inspiron laptop range, the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition. The laptop now includes Intel’s Core i7-10510U, which brings added power and Thunderbolt 3 to the 2-in-1.

Dell debuted the Inspiron 2-in-1 Black Edition at CES earlier in 2019, initially shipping it with 8th Gen CPUs. The laptop stands out with a unique, magnetic garage in the hinge for the included pen. The placement makes sure that the pen is always facing you no matter how you have the screen rotated.

The main criticism of the Inspiron 2-in-1 Black Edition when it was launched was the lack of Thunderbolt 3. Because Intel’s 10th Gen CPUs come with integrated Thunderbolt 3 support on board, that’s no longer an issue. Outside of the new processor, you’ll also get 16GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, a 4K touch display, and Wi-Fi 6.

The updated Inspiron 7000 2-in-1 Black Edition is available to order now from Dell for $1,372.

Lenovo ThinkVision M14 Portable Monitor Review: Standout Kickstand

When it comes to a portable display, you need something that’s easy to carry around, easy on the eyes and, preferably, easy to set up and use. Lenovo’s ThinkVision M14 ($236, Alt Mode over USB-C only, no DisplayLink or connecting via other port types) checks the first two boxes with a light, slim build and a panel that looks great whether you’re crunching spreadsheets or watching a movie while working. 

But the kickstand is the true standout, ensuring the 14-inch, USB-C FHD monitor stays put from -5 to 90-degree tilts or even in portrait mode. 

Sturdy Kickstand 

The ThinkVision M14 stands tall where other portable monitors have failed in that it’s easy to prop up and get to work. Many portable monitors come with a fold-up case that requires you summon your origami skills in order to bend it into a shape that’ll prop up the display. But those types of stands take up space, which may be limited upon, for example, a hotel room’s small desk. Plus, they’re inherently not that sturdy, meaning the display is easily tipped over. The M14, however, has a real built-in stand, as well as a flip-out foot for added height and tilting options. 

The stand extends out from the display and offers sturdy positioning from anywhere between a -5 and 90 degree tilt. It’s easy to push the display back with one hand to your exact desired angle or fold it up so the package is virtually flat. Since it’s so easy to lay it flat, this is where a touchscreen would come in handy, but that would also eat up more power.

Thanks to the kickstand, the monitor even feels steady in portrait mode. Although, without any cable management, the included 1m USB-C cable will be jutting into the air. 

A flip-out foot coming out from the center of the bottom bezel offers 0-90 degree tilt for as much as about 1 inch of extra height, helping it line up better with your laptop’s display. The foot is hard, solid plastic and also has strong resistance, staying put at any position. 

Design

With its light weight, thin build and fold-up stand the ThinkVision M14 is very easy to transport to work trips, your home office, or a conference room for a presentation. It measures just 12.73 x 8.2 x 3.8 inches and weighs 1.3 pounds (0.6 kg). The monitor is easy to slide across the desk but doesn’t budge unnecessarily. 

With a 14-inch screen, the M14 is smaller and lighter than the Asus ZenScreen MB16AC, which has a 15.6-inch display, measures 14.2 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches and weighs 1.7 pounds. But you can still get a larger screen without adding too much weight. The 15.6-inch Viotek LinQ P16C is just barely heavier than the Lenovo (1.4 pounds versus 1.3 pounds) than the Lenovo, despite being 16 inches and having speakers. 

The ThinkVision M14 is mostly black plastic, which doesn’t lend to the most luxurious design but helps keep its weight low and matches Lenovo’s ThinkPad laptops. However, the soft-touch back classes things up a bit while also picking up fingerprint smudges.

Bezels are Raven Black, as Lenovo calls it, and on the thinner side (0.2 inch each) save for the bottom bezel, which is a chunky 0.9-inch and looks pretty bare, with nothing on it but a ThinkVision logo. With the bezel so thick, this might’ve been place to place the monitor’s only buttons and make them more accessible than having to reach around back to the kickstand.

The IPS panel itself is just 4mm thick. There is some shake to it if you’re, say, typing on a wobbly table. And you’ll notice a little give if you flex it. But overall it feels relatively solid for such a slim device.

To access the M14’s few buttons or ports, you’ll have to reach around to the kickstand. On the left side of the stand is a USB-C port, brightness adjustments and a button for activating low blue light mode. By holding the latter for two seconds, you can turn on or off the feature, which casts a warm glow on the screen for fighting eye fatigue. But confusingly, if you hold it down for longer than two seconds the low blue light button also opens up a small menu for turning overdrive on or off. I occasionally found myself opening the overdrive menu instead of toggling low blue light. 

The stand’s right side has the power button, another USB-C port and a Kensington lock slot. With the device so small and portable, it could be tempting for the devious to snatch up, so a security slot isn’t a bad idea.

As mentioned, there are two USB-C ports, on each side, and Lenovo advertises this as a way to make it easier to display the monitor to the left or right of your laptop. However, with the included 1m-long USB-C cable, you could probably achieve the same effect even without two USB-C ports. Including an HDMI port instead would have added more versatility by allowing the monitor to easily connect to more device types, like a TV or Raspberry Pi. But with USB-C you can connect the monitor to a tablet or smartphone too. 

When connected to your laptop, the monitor receives power through its USB-C port, so it should never run out of battery if your laptop’s plugged in. Additionally, through USB-C power passthrough, the monitor can deliver up to 65W of power. If can plug one end of a USB-C to USB-C cable into the monitor and the other into a wall adapter, you can connect your laptop, smartphone or other USB-C device to the monitor via its second USB-C port and charge it. One situation where this is helpful is if your laptop charges over USB-C only and only has one USB-C port. Since there’s no DisplayLink, you need to ensure your laptop’s USB-C port supports DisplayPort 1.2 Alt Mode and USB Power Delivery 2.0 or better.

Unfortunately, the M14 lacks cable management for its long wire. This was particularly noticeable when I wanted to extend the laptop’s display to the M14 and have the two as close together as possible for a more seamless desktop. 

Each ThinkVision M14 comes with a thin protective sleeve that feels like felt on the outside and a lesser quality suede-like material inside. Sadly, there’s no way to close it, leaving the monitor partially exposed. You’ll want to buy a more rugged one, especially if you plan on traveling with the M14 a lot. Lenovo also includes two clips for ensuring the stand stays folded during travel.

Image Quality 

The ThinkVision M14 does a solid job of depicting movies, pictures, productivity apps and the like. With 1080p (1920 x 1080) resolution in a 14-inch package, it boasts high pixel density. Its 157 pixels per inch (ppi), equates to sharpness and clarity (we typically peg 110ppi as our sweet spot) meant numbers in Excel spreadsheets or text in lengthy documents were easy to read with sharp, distinct lines.

When I watched Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on the screen, it was plenty bright but with a non-offensive matte feel from the anti-glare screen. Colors, like the white of Gandalf’s beard, the gray undertones of Gollum’s skin and the green earth beneath a dragon, carried through. The movie was just as pleasant to watch as on a similarly sized laptop screen.

In my well-lit office and with the whole display turned perpendicularly toward me, I could still see my favorite hobbits without interfering glare. This means sharing the screen with a couple of people, perhaps for a presentation, is certainly possible. With the monitor almost flat, it seemed a touch less bright but, as expected, but the movie was still watchable. 

Our testing found that the ThinkVision M14 averages 244.2 nits brightness. I’d rather see it hit its specced 300 nits, but this is still significantly brighter than the Asus ZenScreen MB16AC, a 1080p, 15.6-inchs IPS monitor. And, as mentioned, I had no trouble watching Lord of the Rings, be it dark or light scenes, in my bright office on the M14. 

The Lenovo also did a better job at color production than the Asus in all three color gamuts we tested for: sRGB, Adobe RGB and DCI-P3. The biggest difference was in the sRGB color gamut, where the Lenovo hit 98% coverage and the Asus only reached about two-thirds of that (66.4%).

If you activate overdrive on the monitor (through the low blue light button), the ThinkVision M14 will have a 6ms response time. Coupled with a 60 Hz refresh rate, you likely won’t be doing any hardcore competitive gaming here, but it should be able to handle some light gaming.

Bottom Line

The Lenovo ThinkVision M14 does almost everything you want a portable monitor to do. It’s very light and folds up for easy portability. But it doesn’t sacrifice a quality stand for a slim form factor. In fact, both its stand and flip-out foot offer strong resistance and firm positioning.

With its long USB-C cable, I wish there was some form of cable management. You won’t be able to tweak its display much beyond brightness or use different display profiles, like you can with the Asus ZenScreen MB16AC, and, unlike the larger and barely heavier Viotek LinQ P16C, there are no speakers. Plus, if you plan to take this on the go often, as is intended, you’ll almost certainly want to buy a replacement carrying case to replace the flimsy one Lenovo includes. Also, the display only works with USB-C (DisplayPort 1.2 over Alt mode); there’s no DisplayLink tech, so some laptops won’t support it. 

But with decent color gamut coverage and brightness and strong viewing angles, the ThinkVision M14 is an easy way to carry and connect a quality second display to your laptop that you can rest assured will stay put, however you position it.