The Apple iPad Pro is now on sale and the first batch of reviews are already in. Our colleagues have shared their thoughts on the 12.9″ tablet and, naturally, have compared it how it competes with modern laptops.

The iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 32GB option, but if you want more storage as well as the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, you’re looking at a nudge over $1200.

Over at ArsTechnica, Andrew Cunningham summarizes the iPad Pro experience like so:

Even with a bigger screen and new accessories, the iPad still feels like a “sometimes computer.” I can take it with me on vacation instead of a MacBook and do pretty much everything I want, and I can even get quite a bit of work done on one (the majority of this review was written on an iPad Pro, usually while also chatting in Slack or Messages or firing off e-mails). But what really does it in for me are the many small ways in which the iPad Pro is not quite a traditional computer and iOS is not quite OS X.

Walt Mossberg from TheVerge isn’t quite happy with Apple’s Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro, but confirms it’s killer for graphics use, especially with the Apple Pencil:

But, for me — a person already using his laptop a lot less in favor of the iPad — the Pro is just not likely to eliminate my laptop use entirely. And I say that knowing that, for instance, there will be better keyboard covers and cases. There already is one: I prefer the the Logitech Create I used to write part of this column. But it still doesn’t work nearly as well in my lap as a MacBook Air, partly because, like Apple’s keyboard, it only has one angle.
But, even if the iPad Pro doesn’t fully replace a laptop, it does have a killer app: graphics, in all its forms, when used with the optional $99 Apple Pencil.

Daring Fireball’s Jon Gruber concedes with Mossberg that the iPad Pro is suitable for graphics professionals:

The iPad Pro is “pro” in the way MacBook Pros are. Genuine professionals with a professional need — visual artists in particular — are going to line up for them. But it’s also a perfectly reasonable choice for casual iPad users who just want a bigger display, louder (and now stereo) speakers, and faster performance.

Overall, reviewers agree that the iPad Pro has an amazing display, a great battery life and the Apple A9x chipset is devilishly fast, but it inexplicably lacks 3D Touch and it’s way too expensive for a casual user to pick for couch entertainment.

Apple however have done a great job with the stylus, especially for their first attempt and direct comparison to the Surface 4 stylus are well in its favor.

Interested to know more? Here’s a list of nice reviews of the device:

-CNET iPad Pro review

-TheVerge iPad Pro review
-DaringFireball iPad Pro review

-ArsTechnica iPad Pro review

-StuffTV iPad Pro review

-Wired iPad Pro video review

-9to5Mac unboxing and impressions

Our own review might take a while longer, but rest assured, we’re more than eager to put the biggest and baddest of them iPads through its…

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True, there are two whole weeks until this year’s Black Friday on November 27, but the build-up to the one-day shopping frenzy has already started. BestBuy and Walmart have published their offers and there are a few items to grab your attention.

Walmart will drop $100 off the iPad Air 2, though for a very specific Gold 16GB Wi-Fi only model and will sell you one for $399. An iPad mini 2 (16GB, Wi-Fi, space gray or silver) will go for $199, a $69 discount. Perhaps the best deal on an Apple product (sort of) is the $130.95 discount on Beats Studio headphones, for a sale price of $169.

If you’re into Android, Walmart has a great deal for you too – a Samsung Galaxy S5 for just $229, albeit on Walmart’s own MVNO Straight Talk Wireless. Now, the $250 advertised savings might be a little exaggerated, as you can find this 16GB model for less than $400 unlocked, but still.

BestBuy is big on wearables, promising savings up to $100 on the Apple Watch, as well as $50 off the Samsung Gear S2. Activity trackers from Fitbit, Jawbone, Samsung and Garmin will also be heavily discounted, and any second-gen Moto 360 will come with a $50 gift card.

The iPad mini 4 is BestBuy’s choice for an Apple tablet discount, knocking $100 off the pricier 64GB/128GB versions. Meanwhile, the 12-inch MacBook, the MacBook Pro and 27-inch iMac will be graced with $150 price cuts. Samsung’s more affordable Tab A and Tab E offerings will see price reductions too, while the flagship Tab S2 9.7″ will sell for $399 instead of the regular $499.

Of course, those are just our quick picks after briefly grazing through the listings. Feel free to sift through the pages in preparation for yet another year of Black Friday deals on stuff you want, but most probably don’t need.

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Xiaomi has chosen not to respect the de facto standard one-year update cycle for its Mi 4 flagship, instead pumping out differently-specced versions of it. The Mi 4i and Mi 4c were thus born, but successful as they may be, a proper high-end heir is called for.

Apparently, what is going to be the Mi 5 lives an underground life as Xiaomi Gemini, as indicated by a Geekbench listing.

The benchmark entry shows that the smartphone is powered by a msm8996 chipset, which is the internal designation of the mighty Snapdragon 820.

Mighty it is within the Mi 5, scoring a whopping 2,140 in the single-core test, where Qualcomm’s unfortunate Snapdragon 810 scores around the 1,300 mark. Current Exynos heavyweights from the Samsung Galaxy line are good for about 1,500 points, but the top dog in single-core performance remains the Apple A9 chip with results in the 2,500 ballpark.

Multi-core numbers are perhaps not as impressive, as the Gemini is outclassed by the Galaxy S6 generation, which can all push upwards of 5,000.

Whatever the numbers, Xiaomi’s future flagship will come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 inside, and with that chip only – no parallel models will be made. Earlier reports indicated that there might be tension between the two companies, but a Weibo post by analyst Kevin King, director of Chinese IHS Technology Research dismisses the issue.

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Back in September at IFA 2015, Acer introduced two new interesting additions to its growing Predator lineup. To live up to their moniker, both devices were, as expected, gaming-oriented, evident by the sharp aggressive lines and red color palette. These were the Predator 6 phone and Predator 8 tablet.

At the time both looked to be in a pretty early stage of development and while we did get to play around with the handset for a hands-on review, the tablet proved to be even more elusive, hinting that it might still be far from release, if ever. Well, it is now a couple of month later and the Predator 8 does seem to be on its way to consumers and is now even up for preorder.

Preorders are now live on Acer’s own site, as well as TigerDirect. The price for the Intel-based device is set at $299.99, which is a pretty penny. A while ago there were reports that Newegg would have a timed exclusive launch of the Predator 8 on November 6, but that didn’t come to pass. However, new rumors now suggest that the event will still take place and some units will be dispatched for the e-tailer on November 17.

The Predator 8 has an 8.0-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels, 2GB of RAM and 32 or 64 GB of onboard storage. Powering it is an Intel Atom X7-Z8700 processor, which is incredibly powerful for a tablet and is bundled with capable Gen. 8-LP Intel HD Graphics that will surely give the NVidia Shield a run for its money.

Source |…

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The BlackBerry Priv, the company’s first Android-running smartphone, is yet to reach wide availability, but rumors have surfaced of a second smartphone by the Canadian company, running Google’s OS. At this point codenamed Vienna, this new device is pictured in some early renders suggesting a more orthodox BlackBerry design, compared to the sliding Priv.

A traditional bar phone with an always-available physical QWERTY keyboard, Vienna can be described as a stretched-up Classic. Or a narrowed-down Passport. Hence, no longer a square display as on these two – the device adopts a (still-irregular by smartphone standards) 3:2 screen, aiming to strike a reasonable compromise between display proportions and overall dimensions, while fitting the revered keyboard.

On the back, aside from the BlackBerry logo, a fine textured pattern can be spotted, resembling the one on the Leap. Similar to it, the back cover is unlikely to be removable, as indicated by what appears to be a card slot on the left side.

So far, that’s all that’s been revealed on the alleged Vienna, and it’s not much. It may very well be an artist’s vision of a possible BlackBerry handset, instead of an actual early design. And with the company’s device future largely hanging on the Priv’s market success, it’s not entirely impossible that even if it is the real thing, the Vienna may not get to see the light of day.

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Google is rolling out an update to the web version of Hangouts that brings with it a handful of important changes.

For one, calls will now start much quicker without the several seconds of delay with a blank screen that used to happen before. Second, Google has also improved the video quality, so now the videos look much crisper and stay that way throughout the duration of the call.

Google has also cleaned up the interface and now there are fewer distractions in the fullscreen mode so you can concentrate on the call instead. Lastly, inviting people to a call is now also easier.

The new interface is rolling out slowly to web users. It is optional, so if you don’t want you can roll back to the previous one. This might be important to some as the update removes the support for apps that let you do silly things in Hangouts calls. So if you want them you might want to stick to the classic…

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We have little doubt that you’ve heard of Apple’s “next big thing” by now – the iPad Pro and the most impatient among you might even be reading this article on its crisp retina screen, seeing how it has been available for purchase for a day or so now.

The iPad Pro is big in every sense of the word. The Spacious 12.9 inch screen definitely fits the bill, but so does the eye-watering price tag, starting at $799 for a 32GB Wi-Fi only model and if you are unfortunate enough to reside in Europe, even worse – €899/£679 for a basic one. So, for the value of a decent gaming rig or even a modest second-hand car, we think it is only fair that we know what is inside the iPad Pro and makes it tick and more-importantly, how difficult will it be to mend it if it stops ticking. Enter iFixit, who have taken up the task yet again.

The end result is a reparability rating of 3 out of 10, which doesn’t sound too good, but is still an improvement within the iPad realm. The iPad Air 2, for example, scored a point less. So, let’s dive into iFixit’s findings shall we.

The iPad Pro is still mostly held together with glue and lots of it. This is a typical trend for Apple tech, especially tablets and it makes tasks like heating and dismounting the display a real challenge. A few other aspects of the iPad Pro’s internals, however, seem to be a lot more reminiscent of an iPhone build. For instance, the display is not hinged to an edge of the device, but tethered to the very center. Also, if you’ve ever seen an iPhone battery getting replaced, then you surely remember the signature adhesive pull tabs that make of a clean and easy removal. Well, they are making a tablet debut in the iPad Pro and its pair of 10.3Ah (38.8W) battery packs.

Other details about the hardware that deserve a mention include the self-balanced speakers, which consist of drivers and resonance chambers, actually cut inside the back of the iPad Pro itself – neat! As for some of the hardware vendors, the two 2GB RAM modules come courtesy of SK Hynix and iFixit found their unit had a Toshiba 32GB NAND storage chip. The A9X processor is, of course, labeled Apple. The gyro is an InvenSense MP67B and most of the other controllers come from NXP.

You can check the source link for more details and the step-by-step disassembly process, although we hope not many of you will be attempting any teardown procedures at…

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In the middle of the battle of the mobile operating systems, Mozilla is still trying to become relevant. Firefox has released a new developer preview of its OS in APK form. Simply install it as a launcher on an Android phone and you can poke around Firefox’s UI.

You’ll need to sideload the APK file found on Mozilla’s website. This is a great way to get more developers attention since it makes it easier for them to try the OS and consider developing apps for it. The Firefox site says: “If you can build for the Web using HTML and CSS, you can build Firefox OS.”

This is much better than say, flashing an image on an Android phone, because it takes much less time and effort for developers to try the OS and then get their phones back to its usual state.

While this is a good idea, I was not able to use the dialer in the developer preview. It was very buggy and restarted my Nexus 6P a couple of times. But this developer preview is not in any way ready to replace your standard launcher, so install with caution.

It does, however, show that Mozilla is really invested into making Firefox OS relevant in today’s wild mobile industry.

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Samsung has just pulled the wraps off its next-gen high-end chipset. The Exynos 8 Octa 8890 (quite a mouthful, we reckon it’ll go by Exynos 8890 once it hits the streets) was unveiled in Seoul, and has a few firsts to show off.

Manufactured on a 14nm FinFET process like the Exynos 7420 before it, the new chip marks Samsung’s entry into custom-built cores. The big.LITTLE arrangement in the 8890 features a quad-core array of those in-house Mongoose 64-bit ARMv8 cores as the performance cluster, while more mundane tasks will be handled by another four Cortex-A53 cores.

Promising a 30% performance increase, the new chip benefits from what’s dubbed Samsung Coherent Interconnect (SCI) technology, for better interaction between the two separate clusters. That won’t adversely affect battery life, on the contrary – the chip is said to be 10% more power efficient. And before you jump to conclusions, that doesn’t straight up mean 10% increase in battery life of a phone as whole.

Another first for Samsung is the integrated modem, which supports Cat. 12/13 LTE with carrier aggregation for download speeds up to 600Mbps.

Much like Huawei’s recently announced Kirin 950 chipset, the Exynos 8890 features a Mali-T880 GPU, but as with all of ARM’s graphics processors, the secret is in the number of cores (the x in MPx, which follows the GPU model number). Samsung uses the Mali-T880MP12 with a total of a whopping twelve cores, as opposed to Huawei’s MP4.

The new chip supports display resolutions up to 4K UHD (4,096 x 2,160px) or WQUXGA (3,840×2,400px), and that may be a hint of what to expect in future flagships. Or not, as the existing Exynos 7420 has support for such displays, but we haven’t seen a device with one just yet.

So far these are the sketchy outlines, provided by Samsung – details such as clock frequencies remain to be revealed. The big question is when we’ll see the chip in an actual device and a safe bet would be the Galaxy S7 some time in the beginning of next…

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Google has announced that Android Wear will be getting cellular support, which means compatible devices will now be able to use cellular data to access the watch functions even when the phone is not around. It also brings calling functionality, so now you can make and receive calls on the watch itself. This means the watch will no longer be dependent on your smartphone, and can function fully without it, which is perfect for times when you want to leave your phone behind, such as when you are working out, but still want to stay connected.

The first Android Wear device to get cellular support is the LG G Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE, which has more words in its name than total Android Wear devices. It’s a stunning looking watch nonetheless with a fully circular 1.38-inch 480×480 P-OLED display, 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 768MB RAM, 4GB storage, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, heart rate monitor, 570mAh battery, and IP67 certification.

The LG G Watch Urbane 2nd Edition LTE (sigh) will be available on AT&T and Verizon in the US. The international variant will be coming in a few months. Other manufacturers will also be coming with their own cellular compatible watches in…

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