improved battery life Archives

BetaBeacon

December 28, 2024

Android Circuit: Galaxy S25 Special Edition Details, The Future Of Foldables, 2024’s Best Mobile Games

- Samsung is preparing to unveil the Galaxy S25 lineup at an event in early 2025, including a highly anticipated Special Edition model with a limited production run of three million units. - Despite hopes for foldable smartphones, adoption rates have not met initial expectations, with candybar phones still dominating the market. - Mediatek has launched the Dimensity 8400 processor with 8 regular cores, challenging Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipsets and offering consumers more choice in the smartphone market. - Minireview's list of the top mobile games of 2024 includes a diverse selection of titles for gaming enthusiasts. - Smartphone trends in 2025 are expected to focus on improved battery life, with companies investing in silicon batteries to offer larger capacities in more compact devices.

Winsage

November 28, 2024

RIP Windows 10? Microsoft tries ‘ultimate’ tactic to get you using Windows 11

Microsoft is encouraging users to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 as free support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. Full-screen alerts have been introduced on Windows 10 devices, promoting the benefits of upgrading, such as improved battery life, faster web browsing, and enhanced security features. Microsoft is also promoting new devices optimized for Windows 11, starting at £899. For users not ready to upgrade, Microsoft offers a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for £24 per year, providing critical and important security updates but no new features or enhancements.

Winsage

November 28, 2024

Your next laptop should be a Copilot+ PC (like the Acer Swift 14 AI)

By 2025, it is projected that 80% of customer service teams will use generative AI, contributing USD 4.4 trillion annually to business processes. Generative AI allows for human-like conversations and is reshaping workflows across various sectors. Copilot+ PCs are designed for advanced AI features, requiring modern processors, a minimum of 16 GB of RAM, and at least 256 GB of SSD storage. The Acer Swift 14 AI features a 47 TOPS NPU, 32 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of SSD storage, and boasts a battery life of up to 29 hours. It includes AI-powered applications like User Sensing 2.0, Multi-Screen Assistance, and PurifiedVoice 2.0, enhancing productivity and user experience.

Winsage

November 21, 2024

Microsoft displays full-screen Copilot+ PC ads to Windows 10 users

Microsoft is encouraging users of the free version of Windows 10 to upgrade to Windows 11 through full-screen pop-up advertisements. These ads inform users that support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025, and highlight benefits of upgrading, such as improved battery life, faster web browsing, and enhanced security features. Users will have a grace period of ten months before free security updates for Windows 10 cease. The advertisements promote Copilot+ PCs as the fastest and most intelligent Windows PCs available.

Winsage

November 8, 2024

Qualcomm triples Windows on Arm OEM design wins since May

Qualcomm's CEO Cristiano R. Amon announced a significant increase in design wins for the Snapdragon X Plus eight-core platform, rising from 20 to 58 in six months. This reflects growing interest among OEMs in Arm-based Windows laptops. However, Qualcomm faces challenges in converting these design wins into consumer sales due to compatibility issues and performance concerns. Intel and AMD continue to dominate the market with hundreds of design wins annually. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Plus platform offers AI capabilities, 5G connectivity, and improved battery life, but software compatibility remains a challenge. In Q4 2024, Qualcomm reported revenue of .2 billion, a 19% year-on-year increase, and a net income of .92 billion, a 96% rise. Over the fiscal year, revenue increased 9% to .9 billion, and net profit surged 40% to .14 billion.

Winsage

November 3, 2024

Microsoft Surface Pro 11 review: A new generation of Windows computers

The Surface Pro 8 has design shortcomings, particularly in its 'lapability' due to its kickstand. The Surface Pro 11 features upgrades such as new Snapdragon hardware, improved battery life, and enhanced processing power. It represents a shift towards ARM technology, offering advantages like superior battery life, rapid boot times, enhanced security, and low power consumption. The Surface Pro 11 has display options of LCD or OLED, both with a resolution of 2,880x1,920 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate. It includes excellent stereo speakers, a 1440p ultrawide webcam, and effective microphone setup for video conferencing. The device handles daily tasks well but is heavier than competitors. It has limited ports and a familiar design aesthetic. The Snapdragon X Plus model with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage is priced at ₹1,34,999, while the total cost with the keyboard and Slim Pen is ₹1,64,899. Battery life averages around 12-13 hours, which is less than some competitors. The base model offers a good price-to-performance ratio, with the Snapdragon X Elite model priced at ₹1,85,999.

Winsage

October 27, 2024

Bazzite delivers the SteamOS experience Windows handhelds need

Bazzite is a Linux-based operating system designed for Windows gaming handhelds, offering a user experience similar to SteamOS. It is built on Fedora and features a console-centric design, allowing for smooth controller navigation and stable performance. Bazzite includes specific enhancements for the Asus ROG Ally, such as TDP modes and lighting options. The latest version has resolved initial issues with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support, allowing for low frame-rate compensation. Game performance on Bazzite is generally positive, with some titles experiencing a performance penalty compared to Windows. Bazzite mitigates shader compilation stutters better than Windows and offers slightly improved battery life. The installation process requires partitioning internal storage and is comparable in complexity to installing Windows on the Steam Deck. Users can dual-boot between Bazzite and Windows. Overall, Bazzite enhances the gaming experience on the ROG Ally, despite some trade-offs in performance and compatibility.

Winsage

October 22, 2024

These 6 NPU-friendly creative apps prove Microsoft was right about Windows on Arm

Qualcomm showcased several creative applications optimized for Neural Processing Units (NPUs) at the Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii. Applications such as Blender, Affinity Photo 2, Capture One, Moises, Cubase, and Nuendo are either currently leveraging or will soon leverage Snapdragon X processors. Blender has introduced an NPU-powered feature for rendering, available for free on GitHub. Affinity Photo 2 is being optimized for Copilot+ PCs, with enhancements expected to roll out by November 2024. Capture One has been adapted for Windows on Arm, introducing AI cropping and color grading. Moises has been optimized for Windows on Arm, enhancing its audio isolation capabilities. Cubase and Nuendo now support Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus PCs due to Microsoft's MIDI stack overhaul. Qualcomm hinted at the upcoming 2nd Gen Oryon CPU, promising significant performance improvements with lower power consumption.

AppWizard

September 24, 2024

Valve could come to the rescue of Copilot+ PCs for running games, as test version of Proton for Arm CPUs is spotted

Valve is exploring a version of its Proton translation layer for Arm processors, specifically an Arm64 variant called ‘proton-arm64ec-4’, which is being tested with various PC games. The Steam Deck operates on an Arm chip, contrasting with the existing x86 AMD custom Zen 2 CPU model. The potential benefits of an Arm-based Steam Deck include cost-effectiveness and improved battery life. Valve may be aiming to create a version of Steam compatible with Arm-based Windows 11 laptops, particularly targeting the anticipated growth in Copilot+ PCs by 2025. Currently, Arm-based laptops using Snapdragon X face limitations in the selection of playable titles due to Microsoft’s Prism technology. Valve's initiative to develop Proton for Arm chips is still in preliminary stages, and it is uncertain if it will lead to a final product.

Winsage

September 21, 2024

The best Snapdragon X Windows laptops you can buy right now | Digital Trends

Microsoft's Copilot+ PC initiative is supported by new laptops using Qualcomm's Snapdragon X chipsets, which enhance performance and efficiency while leveraging advancements in generative AI. Initial reviews of these laptops are positive, with users noting improved battery life and performance that meets or exceeds expectations, positioning them as strong competitors to Apple's MacBook Air M3. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 features a Snapdragon X chipset, an OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and offers 14.5 hours of battery life during web browsing. It is priced starting at ,000. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, also powered by the Snapdragon X chipset, provides excellent performance with a battery life of 14.5 hours for web browsing and 22 hours for video playback, featuring a MacBook-like design. The Asus ProArt PZ13, priced at ,000, offers strong productivity performance with a Snapdragon X Plus chipset and competitive battery life, including a detachable keyboard at no extra cost. The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, with a Snapdragon X Elite chipset, has a 14.5-inch 3K display, 12 hours of web browsing battery life, and is priced around ,200. The HP OmniBook X, showcasing the Snapdragon X Elite chipset, delivers impressive productivity performance with 13.5 hours of web browsing and 22 hours of video playback, featuring a premium build quality and an attractive design.