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Tablets

Apple iPad X with Face ID and no home button is expected for 2018

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Say goodbye to bezels and home buttons where all Apple devices are concerned as the company looks set to release a new iPad X, much like the iPhone X.

The new iPads, according to Bloomberg, are being worked on by Apple now with a plan to unleash them in 2018. So what will this new generation of iPad be like and will it reinvigorate iPad love once more?

The new iPad will apparently come with the bezel-free style screen that the iPhone X offers. Will it have that top notch though? We’ll have to wait and see. However it sounds like Apple won’t be able to make the jump to OLED and will stick with LCD, for the first new iPad models at least due to manufacturing constraints.

The iPad for 2018 should have a 10.5-inch screen size and do away with Touch ID in favour of the new Face ID security system. The could suggest better front-facing selfie cameras too.

Will the new iPad have a glass back and charge wirelessly? And will it also be water resistant like the iPhone X? Both seem likely if Apple wants to offer a device that sits at the level the iPhone X is on. The wireless charging feature would also be a nice way to offer a complete range of Apple devices that can all be charged on a single surface at night, avoiding plugging in more devices.

Apple is also allegedly working on an improved version of the Apple Pencil which will get unveiled alongside this new iPad.

While the report says the new iPad X style tablets won’t be released for around a year we’re hoping these arrive sooner in 2018 than later.

Samsung releases 2017 refresh of Galaxy Tab A

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Samsung launched the Galaxy Tab A (2017) today aiming at casual content consumers. The device has received a few minor improvements over the older model.

The Tab A features an 8″ TFT screen running at 1280x800p resolution. The display increased brightness of 480nits in comparison to 400nits of the 2015 Tab A. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor clocked at 1.4GHz. The quad-core chipset should suffice for casual usage like basic gaming and movie viewing. It has 2GB RAM and 16GB inbuilt storage space that can further be expanded upto 256GB via microSD.

Coming to the camera, it houses a 5MP front camera and 8MP rear camera with flash, f/1.9 aperture and Autofocus. It is powered by a 5000mAh battery said to provide upto 14 hours of video playback. It weighs 364 grams and has dimensions of 212.1×124.1×8.9mm.

The Galaxy Tab A is priced at Rs.17,990 and will be sold across all major offline and online retailers across the country.

Apple replaces the iPad Air 2 with a new iPad, called simply ‘New 9.7-inch iPad’

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Apple has replaced the iPad Air 2 with a new iPad, referred to simply as ‘new 9.7-inch iPad’ or, ‘new iPad’, as we’re sure it will be more commonly known!

Apparently the new iPad features a ‘brighter’ retina display as well as the Apple A9 chip (plus the M9 co-processor) from the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus and iPhone SE.

iPad comes in silver, gold and space grey (the same as before) and starts at Rs. 28,900 for the 32GB with Wi-Fi model and Rs. 39,900 for the 32GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. The 32GB and 128GB storage options remain the same as do the 8 megapixel and 1.2 megapixel cameras.

It is a bit shallower in depth at 6.1mm versus the 7.5mm of the older model but the height and width remain the same.

Also announced today was a new red version of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus as well as the new iPad mini 4, available in silver, gold and space grey, now offers more capacity for the same price starting at Rs. 34,900 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model and Rs. 45,900 for the 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Yep, you read that right, the mini 4 now appears to be only available in a 128GB variant now.

The new iPad is available to order beginning Friday (March 24) in the US and more than 20 countries and regions including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Denmark, India, Mexico, Norway, Russia, Turkey and other countries and regions will follow in April. Brazil, Taiwan and other countries and regions will follow in May.

Polyurethane Smart Covers for iPad are available for Rs. 3,700 in charcoal grey, white, midnight blue, pink sand and (RED).

MWC 2017: Lenovo Tab 4 series will cater to both office goers and kids

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Lenovo unveiled their latest Tab 4 series at the MWC consisting of 4 tablets. The series includes the Lenovo Tab 4 8 (pictured above), Lenovo Tab 4 10, Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus and Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus with the number indicating the screen size.

The Standard variants are powered by Snapdragon 425 SoC, 2GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, 2MP front and 5MP rear camera with a 1200×800 resolution display. The Plus versions make use of Snapdragon 625 SoC, 3/4GB RAM, 16/64GB storage, 5MP front and 8MP rear camera with a 1200×1920 resolution display. They are further equipped with a fingerprint sensor and a reversible USB 2 Type-C port with the back sporting a premium dual-glass design. The Tab 4 8 series runs on a 4850mAh battery while the 10 series have 7000mAh backup.

Lenovo is further offering them in two separate packages. The Kids pack includes a protective bumper, 3M stickers for screen protection and a blue light filter to cut down on harmful emissions. On the other hand, the Productivity pack allows users to convert their tablet into a proper 2-in-1 hybrid with a Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad. This mode will also feature a taskbar, fast app switching and multiple windows support.

The series will go on sale towards the end of Q2 2017 with no word on availability or pricing.

MWC 2017: Presenting a laplet from Alcatel

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At the ongoing MWC 2017, French company Alcatel introduced a 4G enabled 2-in-1 hybrid. Dubbed the Alcatel Plus 12, the company refers to the device as a laplet (LAPtop+TABlet).

The Plus 2 sports an 11.6″ FHD IPS LCD powered by 1.1GHz Intel Celeron N3350 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (32GB eMMC+32GB microSD) expandable upto 128GB via microSD, 5MP front camera and a 6900mAh battery. Sporting a premium brush effect finish, there are multiple ports on the device which include USB Type C, USB Type A, micro-HDMI port and a 3.5mm audio jack. The entire package weighs just under a kilo at 990 grams.

The device is aimed at business users which comes pre-installed with various productivity applications. Running on Windows 10, it makes full use of features like Windows Hello biometric identification, Cortana AI for voice searches and Ink for jotting down notes and annotations.

No word on a price or release date yet.