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Why Buying Bethesda Could Put Xbox On Top

BethesdaXbox_HERO.jpg

As you all probably know by now, Xbox have made the unprecedented move of acquiring Zenimax Media, the Parent Company of Bethesda, for $7.5 Billion. The announcement was made in the early hours of September 21st by Phil Spencer and is a huge play in lead up to next-gen. It’s also no coincidence that Xbox announced the move a day before pre-orders went live for the Series X & S. So, what does this all mean?

Firstly, it means that all of the studios under the Zenimax Studios banner will now be absorbed into Microsoft Studios, these include: Bethesda Softworks, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, ZeniMax Online Studios, Arkane, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse Studios. This pushes the total amount of studios they own to 23. Some of the more notable IP’s that are now the sole property of Xbox now include:

Phil Spencer made specific reference to Bethesda’s upcoming title ‘Starfield’ in his post announcing the move (Image Source: GamesRadar)

Phil Spencer made specific reference to Bethesda’s upcoming title ‘Starfield’ in his post announcing the move (Image Source: GamesRadar)

  • Elder Scrolls

  • Fallout

  • Doom

  • Wolfenstein

  • Quake

  • Dishonored

  • Rage

  • Deathloop

  • Ghostwire: Tokyo

  • Prey

  • The Evil Within

  • Starfield

If you’ve been paying attention to the recent PlayStation 5 developments, you will notice that ‘Deathloop’ & ‘Ghostwire: Tokyo’ are actually PS5 Exclusives. Xbox have already said that they will honour those studios’ existing commitments to Sony, meaning that Xbox will be making games that are exclusive to their rivals’ platform, go figure.

On the flip side of this, the question on everybody's mind is how this will work with regards to exclusivity on future releases. Phil Spencer has said that games made by these studios will be on Xbox, Windows and ‘other consoles’ on a ‘case by case basis’. Looking at that list, you’ve got some of the most successful and instantly recognisable franchises in gaming, not even to mention Halo. If the the next Elder Scrolls or Fallout were to be Xbox Exclusive, that would definitely make a lot of people at least consider the platform. Having the best titles split between two platforms could become quite expensive, so that would really suck for those who can’t afford to run two paid platforms. However, if you did have to choose one or the other, Xbox make a very good case with their Game Pass & All Access programs.

Xbox’s Game Pass is now one of the best deals in gaming, and it’ll keep getting better (Image Source: The Verge)

Xbox’s Game Pass is now one of the best deals in gaming, and it’ll keep getting better (Image Source: The Verge)

Exclusives (or high quality ones at least) are something that Xbox had a major shortage of in the last Console generation, with Sony running away with AAA titles that up until now, made it the biggest player going into next-gen. But that has all been turned on its head within the space of a day. Suddenly, Xbox Game Pass has evolved into one of the best deals in gaming with those heavy hitting titles that will be available on Day One of release, you might never have to buy a game again. It looks like Microsoft is slowly turning Xbox into a paid subscription, almost Netflix-esque type of service. There are over 100 games there already and that will continue to grow, this acquisition has made it abundantly clear that Game Pass is the future of Xbox. With the inclusion of the All Access program, you can have a Series S, Game Pass Ultimate for 24 months & EA Play for £20.99/month, or a Series X for £28.99/month with the same perks. Neither of these have an upfront cost either, making it perfect for entry level players or those without the money to buy a new Console upfront. Even if you can afford all of the upfront costs, Game Pass/All Access can effectively pay for itself just by saving you the need to buy games individually.

Also, I don’t think that Xbox are at all interested in playing out an ‘Exclusives’ war with Sony, they certainly have the means to go toe-to-toe with some of those huge titles (The Last of Us, God of War, Horizon etc), but that doesn’t mean they have to force that choice on the consumer. Sometimes the best use of that kind of power, is to not use it at all, or at least in the way Sony is currently flexing their First-Party titles. Xbox could easily allow all of their property to be available on all of the other platforms, but make their platform the best to have it on. As with their other First-Party titles, Zenimax releases would (very likely) be available on the Game Pass from release, meaning that you don’t have to buy it and it’s just there straight away. If it’s available on PlayStation, but you have to fork out for it when you could effectively have it for free, it might as well be exclusive. Additionally, Xbox could have a staggered release window with those properties releasing first on the Xbox with Game Pass, then collect the revenue from other platforms. It’s a win-win for them.

Playstation does have it’s alternative, but it isn’t nearly as flushed out or well supported as might ought to be (Image Source: GamesRadar)

Playstation does have it’s alternative, but it isn’t nearly as flushed out or well supported as might ought to be (Image Source: GamesRadar)

Another thing to note is that Phil Spencer has a well-known stance of not believing in Exclusives, he thinks they are bad for the industry. This approach would certainly make a lot of sense in that regard as they would not box anyone in (for the lack of a better phrase), they would just make their platform the best that it can be, irrespective of what titles Sony has. Moreover, they can use these titles as bargaining chips and completely breakdown the concept of Exclusives, industry-wide. If there are certain games that Sony want to just be on the PS5, Xbox can potentially use the likes of Doom, Elder Scrolls & Fallout as bargaining chips to keep other companies hogging properties.

If Xbox were to use this responsibly, which I think they will, this could be a great thing for gamers in general and maybe help to bring down some of those pay-walls for content that everybody should be able to play & enjoy. They might surprise me, they have every right to play hardball and battle it out with Sony with a duopoly of the best & biggest titles currently out there. But this would go against what they’ve been doing with their Game Pass & All Access programs and how they’ve acted on this subject up until now. This may put companies such as Steam in a difficult position, with those titles at their disposal, Game Pass could be a very viable alternative to a paid store front. Only time will tell how they respond to this, or if rumours of an agreement between the two materialise.

There is also the subject of Sony, how do they respond to this? Do they continue with their current strategy, or do they start to prioritise Playstation Now in the same way that Xbox do with Game Pass? This could spark a new trend of Studios being founded and aggressively snapped up by either Microsoft or Sony, which could heavily limit the amount of independent game titles in the future.

What we do know is that this is one of the biggest power-plays the industry has ever seen and is sure to turn more than a few heads towards the Xbox Series X & S, especially over time.

Apple 'Time Flies' Event - Apple Watch Series 6, Watch SE, iPad 8, Air 4 & more!

Apple have just concluded their September Event and as well their usual slick & cinematic presentation, we got a whole host of announcements and updates. If you haven’t seen it yet, we’ve linked the replay of the livestream above.

Some highlights to note:

Apple Watch Series 6 (Source: Apple)

Apple Watch Series 6 (Source: Apple)

The iPad Air does not have a definitive release date as of right now (Source: Apple)

The iPad Air does not have a definitive release date as of right now (Source: Apple)

  • Apple Watch Series 6 - Presented with a particular emphasis on Health & Lifestyle. The major upgrade that Apple pushed was the Blood O2 Meter. This starts at £370 and is available on 18/09.

  • Apple Watch SE - Budget option with the S5 Processor. This will start at £269 and is available 18/09. They have also dropped the price of the Series 3 to £199.

  • Apple Fitness + - New, pre-recorded work-outs each week, world-class trainers and metrics sent straight from the Watch in real-time. The subscription is £9.99/mo or £79.99/year and is coming in late 2020. You get 3 months for free if you buy an Apple Watch.

  • Apple One - Combines Apple Services in one package and ranges from £14.95/month to £29.95/month.

  • iPad 8 - This comes with the same Design as the last generation but includes an A12 Bionic Chip with a 6-Core CPU & a 4-Core GPU. This starts from £329 and is available from 18/09.

  • iPad Air 4 - We get a new design with some new colours, improvements to TouchID and an A14 Bionic Chip. The starting price has been bumped to £579 and is available in October.

  • No AirTag - Is this being saved until the iPhone announcement?

  • iOS 14, iPadOS 14, WatchOS 7 - All of these are being released…tomorrow!

We’ll have a load of content covering all of this in more detail over the next week, so make sure you are Subscribed to the channel so you don’t miss out.

What are you most exited for?

Apple vs Fortnite - The FULL Story!

You’re probably aware that there’s a massive dispute going on where not only has Epic Games sued Apple, but Apple has now removed Fortnite from the App Store. I want to give you the full story and everything you need to know when it comes to what is probably one of the biggest ever battles between two tech companies. Get those snacks ready and enjoy! 

If you’ve been following me on Twitter (@ZONEofTECH), you probably know that I’m kind of on Apple’s side here. But, to be as unbiased as possible, I’m going to split it into four sections: Apple’s Side, Epic’s Side, My Thoughts and the Present Day. 

Epic’s Side

Starting off with Epic’s side, Epic Games are now one of the biggest Game Development companies in the world, mostly thanks to their very popular game… Fortnite. But they were not always like that.

Whilst they were known for the first three ‘Gears of War’ games, Epic Games was mostly known for the Unreal Engine. This was not a game, but rather a Game Engine that Developers could use in order to develop games easier. I’ve used Game Engines before, mostly Unity. I have played around with Unreal Engine as well but long story short, Unity was originally aimed at Mobile Games whilst Unreal Engine was pretty much the most popular and advanced Engine for AAA Open-World games for PC and Console. Developers have been using Unreal Engine since it came out in 2001. Games such as the Tom Clancy series, the Batman Arkham Series, Borderlands, Fable, the Mass Effect series, Medal of Honor, the recent Mortal Kombat games, Darksiders and dozens more were all made using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine.

Fortnite isn’t the only game that Epic are known for.

Fortnite isn’t the only game that Epic are known for.

But then in 2017, something happened. Epic Games had this game called Fortnite in the works and at that time, it was just a Co-Op RPG Shooter. But after Epic saw how successful PUBG’s Battle Royale mode was, they decided to add the Battle Royale mode in Fortnite as well. They released the game with the ‘Save the World’ beta, which was the original Fortnite game-mode and was only released as a full game three years later, in June 2020. 

Fun Fact, the Battle Royale mode in Fortnite was so simple to make, that it took Epic Games just two months to build it, whereas ‘Save the World’ was in development for many years prior to 2017. As you all probably know, Fortnite ended up being a world-wide success and overtook PUBG quite quickly. The main reason for it being so successful was that you could play it on literally any platform from PlayStation, to Xbox, to PC, Mac and even iOS and Android, Fortnite was basically everywhere. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t going that well for PUBG, who tried to sue Epic Games for copying their Battle Royal idea. However, it was actually Minecraft that first introduced the Battle Royale genre with a mod, followed by an ARMA 2 mod in DayZ. Fun fact again, there was a Japanese movie called ‘Battle Royale’ from 2000, based on the 1999 novel by Koushun Takami, which was the very first to introduce the Battle Royale concept. This was even before ‘Hunger Games’. 

Anyway, I hope that this gives you a bit more of an insight into Epic Games as a company. They’re really more like a Game Engine company that then became massive thanks to Fortnite. Earlier this month, they launched a silent update to Fortnite on iOS where they purposely introduced a direct payment system. This meant that users could pay Epic Games directly, rather than the money going through Apple first, which would take a 30% cut. I’ll cover why Apple takes that 30% cut when I’m covering Apple’s side but essentially, Epic Games were not ok with Apple taking a 30% cut of their revenue, so they wanted to avoid paying it. Makes sense, right? 30% is quite significant.

Unfortunately, avoiding the 30% cut was against Apple’s App Store policies, so Apple took down Fortnite until they fixed the issue and as soon as Apple did that, Epic Games had a massive lawsuit ready and they sued Apple and even released a full-on anti Apple video. They even held a ‘#FreeFortnite’ tournament where you could get this ‘Evil Apple’ skin.

Epic knew that this would get them banned, so what’s their angle?

Epic knew that this would get them banned, so what’s their angle?

They had all of this ready on the spot, so it was pretty clear that they’ve been preparing for this for a while now and intentionally wanted to get banned in an attempt to get Apple to decrease, or even drop that 30% fee entirely. That makes sense. Fortnite made $1.8 billion in 2019, which makes it the most successful game of 2019 and also one of the most successful Video Games in history. Epic Games doesn’t share how many players they have on iOS, but if we estimate this as 10% of the total player-base, Apple would’ve taken $54 million in commission, and I’m pretty sure iOS, macOS and the iPadOS player-base is quite a bit larger than 10%. This is why Epic Games wants that commission to be decreased or even dropped, they want more profit. But according to them, the users would also benefit by the fact that the prices would be lowered.

When Epic Games introduced the direct payment method in Fortnite, the prices were $2 less, however Epic was still charging $1 more than the revenue that they were making after Apple’s cut. So they were still making more money this way than by going the Apple route. Tim Sweeney, the CEO, Founder and Prime Shareholder of Epic Games, actually sent an email to Tim Cook, Phil Schiller, Craig Federeighi and Matt on June 30th, telling them that Epic is unable to provide consumers with certain features in their iOS Apps. They requested the following:

1. Allow Epic Games to have a direct payment method, without Apple taking that 30% cut.

2. Allow Epic Games to launch their own Epic Games Store App on iOS, to compete with Apple’s own App Store.

Those are some big requests, but I do see where Epic are coming from. They say that there are no other options on iOS for Game Developers other than going through Apple’s system. Epic are calling Apple a monopoly and they want others to be able to compete with Apple’s own App Store, on Apple’s own devices. Epic Games stated that on Android you can side-load Apps, so you can have a separate store that competes with Google’s own PlayStore, which Epic Games does actually have. On iOS, you cannot have another store, other than the App Store.

On August 13th, the day Fortnite launched the new direct payment method, Tim Sweeney emailed Apple again, basically making them aware that they will be launching the update today and if they do get their game blocked, they will follow the legal path in getting this resolved. So, this is pretty much what Epic wants. This is their side of the story. 

Apple’s Side 

What’s Apple’s perspective on this? Well, Apple does indeed take 30% as a commission, but they do take this from every single Developer on the AppStore. Apple’s argument is that they created the iPhone, they created iOS and they also created the App Store, the world’s very first global App Store on a mobile device. For that 30% cut, Apple is giving Developers:

Apple announced the App Sore back in 2008, the first of its kind and now worth over $50 Billion a year (Source: Apple)

Apple announced the App Sore back in 2008, the first of its kind and now worth over $50 Billion a year (Source: Apple)

  • Exposure to literally billions of Apple users.

  • Hosting services on Apple’s store.

  • Tools to build their App, with Xcode. 

  • A programming language (Swift) that Developers can use. 

  • Access to thousands of guides, tutorials and help.

  • WWDC - an entire week full of workshops for Developers so that they can update their Apps and get it ready for when the new version of iOS gets released. 

On top of that, Apple manually verifies every App that goes onto the App Store for not just Malware, but also Performance issues and UI Design. They need to make sure that everything is consistent and high quality. For everything that Apple does, they feel like they deserve that 30% cut. It would not be fair for Apple to have to fund the AppStore through AirPods sales rather than AppStore revenue directly. When it comes to Epic’s second request, releasing a competing App Store, Apple’s argument is that they built the iPhone as well as iOS and in order to maintain that high quality and security that they praise themselves for, they need this to be their system. This is the reason why we only have Apple’s AppStore on iOS.

My Thoughts

So, what are my thoughts on all this? When it comes to that 30% commission, Epic Games’s first issue, I’m sort of in the middle. I don’t agree with Epic, where they basically want this fee removed as Apple’s clearly providing a ton in return for that 30% commission. But at the same time, I don’t agree with Apple either here as 30% is quite a large chunk.

Initially, that 30% cut was only there in order to help Apple run the servers. But in 2008, Apple was only worth $75 Billion. Today, they are worth more than $2 Trillion! Fun Fact, Apple’s entire AppStore in 2019 alone made over $50 Billion in revenue. So in a single year, that 30% commission that Apple takes made them almost as much money as Apple was worth back in 2008, when the App Store was launched. Does Apple need that $50 billion, when they have $2 Trillion? Probably not. 

Apple are by no means the only ones charging 30%, but a change from them may trigger a drop industry-wide.

Apple are by no means the only ones charging 30%, but a change from them may trigger a drop industry-wide.

However, I’m not saying that Apple should drop the commission entirely, as they still deserve to charge some sort of commission from Developers, but I do think that 30% is far too much. I would say that 15% would be fair and anything lower would deeply benefit the Developers and to some extent, the customers as well. Now, the thing is, Apple isn’t the only one taking a commission. Google also takes a commission, the Playstation Store is also taking one, the Xbox Games Store, the Samsung Galaxy Store, the Nintendo eShop, Steam has one as well and even physical stores such as GameStop, Amazon, BestBuy and Walmart, they all take a commission if you want to sell your product through them. Take a guess what percentage all of these companies charge, as commission? That’s right, 30%.

They all charge 30%. Likely because of Apple being the very first, but the idea here is that no matter where you sell your product, you do pay a 30% commission, with only two exceptions. The first one being the Microsoft Store on Windows, which has recently dropped the commission to only 5%, then there’s the Epic Games Store, which is charging 12%. Other than that, everyone’s at 30%.

I do hope that Apple drops this to 15% or so as that way, all the other Stores will likely follow suit and drop the commission as well, in order to stay competitive. Interestingly enough, YouTube actually takes a 45% commission, which I do think is gigantic. But, I am happy to give YouTube that big of a share because without YouTube, I wouldn’t even have that income in the first place. It’s the same thing with the commission that these stores charge. Without any of these stores, you wouldn’t have any audience and if you do, your audience would be a fraction of what it could otherwise be. 

Epic isn’t only going after Apple, this is all part of a much wider mission (Source: The Verge).

Epic isn’t only going after Apple, this is all part of a much wider mission (Source: The Verge).

Something that I do want to mention here, regarding the commission, is that there are a few stores that do make some exceptions. Samsung’s Galaxy App Store does take a 30% commission, but you can actually cut a deal with Samsung if you’re big enough. There are some reports that Epic Games has a 0% commission deal with Samsung, which I think is pretty messed up considering that you need to be big to strike a deal. Speaking of that, apparently Apple struck a deal with Amazon where Apple was not taking the 30% commission on movies bought by users who already had an Amazon Prime Membership. Only new Prime Members would trigger Apple’s 30% commission. I think that’s messed up, no store should make any exceptions whatsoever. 

When it comes to Epic’s second request, their own Epic Games Store on iOS, I personally don’t agree with that at all. It’s Apple’s own platform, why would they allow a competing store on it. Not even to mention the fact that this will affect the quality and security of the Apps available. Playstation doesn’t have an alternative to the PlayStation Store, Xbox doesn’t have an alternative to Microsoft’s Xbox Store either, so why should iOS have one? Epic’s argument here is that you can indeed install a third-party store on Android but you cannot do it on iOS at all.

But even with that argument, side-loading isn’t something that the average user would do. Epic already has a Game-Store on Android and then they decided to go on the PlayStore, but not before suing Google as well, in order to avoid Google’s 30% cut. Obviously that lawsuit didn’t go anywhere and they just gave up and stayed on the PlayStore in the end. Now, one counter argument to this would be: why do we have the Epic Game Store on macOS, but not iOS? MacOS doesn’t have as many limitations as iOS does but at the same time, take a look at the quality of Apps in the Epic Games Store or Stream for Mac, compared to the Apps that we get in the App Store.

The App Store games use metal, they run very smooth, they’re very well optimised, whereas Fortnite on Mac for example, even if you have a very powerful Mac that can play it well on Windows, on macOS on the same exact hardware, it has random freezes and many frame-drops that can make it unplayable. Still, Apple made the entire platform, from the hardware to the software, and if they don’t want to compromise on the quality and security of their App Library, I do support that entirely.

Present

Now that I’ve covered both sides as well as my own thoughts, what is the status of all this, as of right now? Shortly after Fortnite got banned by Apple, guess what? Google banned it too, Fortnite had implemented the direct payment method on the PlayStore as well.

Epic Games basically had a lawsuit ready for Google, just minutes after the ban. Everything was carefully planned. But they haven’t targeted Google as much as they have with Apple. This is mostly because they do have their own third-party store on Android, it’s far more difficult to access, when compared to Google’s own PlayStore.

This dispute and very quickly, and very publicly turned sour and it’s the Players & Developers who are currently being affected the most.

This dispute and very quickly, and very publicly turned sour and it’s the Players & Developers who are currently being affected the most.

Apple then gave Epic Games a deadline, August 27th, to release an update to their game to fix the direct payment issue. Otherwise, Apple would close Epic Games’s Developer Account, essentially taking all of their Games and products off the App Store. Luckily, Epic doesn’t have loads of Games. It’s just Fortnite and Infinity Blade but they do have the Unreal Engine, if you remember that from earlier in the video. What this ban meant, was that Apple was planning to revoke Epic’s Unreal Engine License on Apple products, meaning that no Developer could use Unreal Engine at all. So, all the games that I’ve listed before, would be banned on any Apple device (Mac, iPhone & iPad) and third-party Developers would be banned from updating and developing new Games using the Unreal Engine. This was really messed up and I was very against this from the moment I heard about it. These Developers shouldn’t be affected by Apple and Epic’s dispute at all.

Anyway, Apple and Epic had a court hearing and the judge basically ruled the Unreal Engine ban to be completely unfair so they forbid Apple from doing it, but they did give Apple the green-light to keep Fortnite off their platform if Fortnite doesn’t want to follow Apple’s rules and pay that 30% cut. The lawsuit is still ongoing and it looks like it might take a few years to get it fully sorted. 

In the meantime, Epic Games released a few more anti-Apple videos, just mocking Apple and trying to rally their Fortnite community against them. I think that’s messed up and completely unprofessional, so I’m not ok with mockery of any sorts. Apple’s keeping Fortnite blocked until Epic updates the Game. It’s good that Apple are still leaving that door open for Epic to return, when they want. The game is still playable if you have it installed, but you would not be able to download it again if you do not have it installed. If you open up the game, you’ll notice that all the in-app purchases are gone, the Battle-Pass is gone and the game is stuck to the pre-Season 4 update. Also, Apple has now started promoting PUBG on the front page of the App Store, probably in response to Epic mocking Apple so much.

In the end, it really does suck that the player-base is really the one affected the most here. Epic Games could stop this at any time they want really. But, I don’t think they will. I think they’re going to keep this going just to paint Apple in a bad way and if Apple drops the commission, that would be great as other stores will drop it as well. If they don’t, then Epic Games made a massive mistake as they will likely be losing hundreds of millions of dollars over the years.

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The Future of the Mac - Explained!

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Every once in a while, usually once per decade or so, there is one big change that happens in tech that affects everything. Not just that, but it also affects our everyday lives.

A good example would be the introduction of the first iPhone back in 2007, which literally changed how future Phones looked and functioned to this very day. Samsung’s Flexible Display Technology from 2011 allowed us to have the Foldable Smartphones that we have today, with many more to come in the future. Tesla’s Autopilot has redefined, and will continue to redefine, the car industry. Now…there is another big change just around the corner and this time, it’s all about the Processor.

So, get ready for a bit more of a technical video and have those snacks ready and enjoy!

Up until 2006, Apple Macs were using PowerPC Processors. PowerPC were a type of Reduced Instruction Set Architecture Processors, which were created in 1991 by, ironically, Apple, IBM and Motorola. This was also known as the AIM Alliance. 

The whole idea behind PowerPC Processors was for them to be affordable to the average consumer, rather than for high-end business computers. Additionally, they were intended to not just be very powerful for the average user, but also allow Programmers to very quickly and easily write Code for them. This was all good. From 1994 up until 2006, Apple had only been using PowerPC Processors. But at WWDC 2005, Steve Jobs went on stage to make a big announcement. He announced that Apple will be moving from PowerPC Processors, to Intel Processors.

The main reason for this was ‘Performance per Watt. He said that PowerPC Processors gave Macs around 15 Units of Performance per Watt, whereas Intel was giving them 70 Units, almost five times as much. This is why Apple switched from PowerPC, to Intel Processors. Intel’s Chips were more powerful and also consumed less energy, meaning that their machines could be thinner and more portable, which was very important back then. Devices back then were not as thin and portable as they are now.

Apple’s Processors haven’t always come from Intel

Apple’s Processors haven’t always come from Intel

Now, switching to a new Processor, especially when it has a different Architecture, is extremely difficult and PowerPC and Intel were both based on a completely different Architectures. PowerPC CPU’s were based on the POWER Instruction Set Architecture, whereas Intel CPU’s were based on the x86-64 Architecture. What this means was that they were speaking completely different languages. 

This also meant that every single new program had to be re-written from scratch, but macOS in itself was not capable of running on Intel Processors unless of course, they had a Translator. That Translator was called Rosetta, named after the stone that helped us translate Ancient Egyptian, as the top half of it was written in ancient Egyptian, whilst the bottom half was written in ancient Greek. Anyway, Rosetta translated PowerPC instructions into x86-64 instructions, which meant that most, but not all programs that were developed for the PowerPC era, could actually run on Intel based Macs without the need for a full re-write.

It wasn’t perfect, just like when you’re translating between two different languages, some expressions just won’t translate that well. So, while PowerPC Apps could run on Intel Macs, Native Apps that were designed for Intel Macs first would always run better. That transition actually went very smoothly and fast forward 14 years and up until this point, Apple has kept on using Intel Processors in all of their Macs.

However, Apple is now switching from Intel, to their own Apple Series of Processors and this change will be even bigger than the last one. 

Why?

Why switch? Isn’t Intel the market leader when it comes to CPU’s? They are in terms of sales, but they’ve been having some serious issues in the last few years.

You see, the way a CPU works is that they have these tiny Transistors that can pass electrical current through them, which the CPU then reads as one’s and zero’s. Modern CPU’s have billions of Transistors and the smaller and thinner these are, the faster they can pass the current through and therefore, the faster the CPU. It’s like driving a car from NY to LA to deliver a package, compared to driving from your house to your neighbour’s house, to deliver the same package. Obviously, the package will get to your neighbour’s house much faster as the distance is smaller, CPU’s work in the same way.

Apple will soon be making Processors with Transistors that are only twice as thick as Human DNA.

Apple will soon be making Processors with Transistors that are only twice as thick as Human DNA.

The size at which the Transistors inside a Processor are measured at is just in a few Nano-Metres. Intel has been using a 14nm manufacturing process and just to give you an idea of how thin those Transistors are, a human hair is around 90,000nm in thickness. A single strand of human DNA is 2.5nm. Intel’s has been manufacturing transistors at 14nm, which is pretty incredible. But, Intel has been releasing 14nm CPU’s since 2014 and they’ve been trying to switch to 10nm, the next step in the manufacturing process, since. They’ve only been able to do it in 2019. 

Apple, on the other hand, switched to 10nm in 2017, two years ahead of Intel. Not only that, but Apple has since switched to 7nm in 2018 and will switch to 5nm in 2020, with the upcoming Apple A14 Processors. Apple is already three generations ahead of Intel when it comes to the manufacturing process. To be more accurate, TSMC is, they are the actual manufacturers for Apple’s CPU’s. Additionally, AMD is also manufacturing on a 7nm process now, being two generations ahead of Intel. 

Intel launched 10nm in 2019, but even now in 2020, only ‘Y’ & ‘U’ Series Mobile CPU’s come with it. Desktop and high-end Laptop Processors, such as the H-Series that you would find on a 16” MacBook Pro for example, those are still based on a 14nm process.

Even if you take a look at the 10nm ‘Y’ & ‘U’ Series Processors, not even all of the models are based on the 10nm process, some are still 14nm CPU’s. It’s so horribly confusing. The whole point of Intel’s 10th Generation Processors was to finally switch to 10nm, but they’ve only done that on around 20% of their 10th Generation CPU’s, the rest are still 14nm. AMD Processors now out-perform Intel quite substantially and they even do it at a lower price. 

Not only that, but Apple has improved their own Processors so much, that even the 2018 iPad Pro now out-performs most Laptop Processors from Intel. The iPad Pro has significantly better performance than a 2020 baseline 13” MacBook Pro, it’s even better than the higher-end model. The iPad Pro is also significantly thinner than a Laptop and it does not even have a Fan in it, it is all passively cooled, whereas Laptops need to have gigantic Cooling Systems.

The new iPad Pro is a great example of what Apple can achieve with their own technology.

The new iPad Pro is a great example of what Apple can achieve with their own technology.

These are the two main reasons why Apple wants to move away from Intel. They want better Performance and they want that Performance at a lower power consumption than at what Intel offers, which means that they can make way more portable devices with a significantly better Battery Life. Imagine having an iMac that’s as thin as an iPad Pro, or a MacBook Pro that lasts for 20 hours, or more, on a single charge.

But, there is one more reason why Apple wants to switch now. Unlike 2005, when they were just looking for better performance at a lower power consumption, Apple now has the iPhone and the iPad, none of which they had back in 2005. Those devices also run on Apple’s own Processors, which means that Apple can now unify their entire line of devices and have any APPS run on the iPhone, the iPad and on the Mac natively, with no changes in the code required. This means that you’ll be able to run any iPhone App directly on your Mac including Instagram, Facebook Messenger or basically anything. 

Moreover, Mac Apps such as Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X will also able to run on iPhone and iPad. In fact, Apple even showed FCP X running on a Mac Mini with an Apple A12Z Processor, the same Processor as in the iPad Pro 2020. While it did have 16GB of RAM, compared to the 6GB on the iPad, and the CPU was likely cooled too, it could actually play three streams of 4K ProRes with effects at the same time, without dropping any frames at all. A 16” MacBook Pro can run around 11 streams of 4K ProRes, which is quite a bit more, this would also be ProRes RAW. But, keep in mind that the A12Z is just a Tablet Processor. Apple already mentioned that they’re working on multiple variants of their own CPU’s to be used in Macs, which Apple hasn’t really showed yet.

Credit: Apple

Credit: Apple

However, they did show us this graph that compared their Processors to the current devices that Apple is offering. Whilst Apple’s range is quite big, we can indeed tell that they are developing Laptop Processors that are just on par with Intel’s lowest-end Desktop Processors, while also having less power consumption than Intel’s current Laptop Processors .That equates to a 12” MacBook or a MacBook Air with a 20 hour Battery Life, having more performance than the regular iMac. Now, if we take a look at the upper part of this graph, we can see that Apple’s even aiming to make Processors better than any Desktop Processors that Intel has now, with just a bit more power consumption than a current Laptop.

These are very bold claims but I do believe that they can pull this off, especially if we take a look at what they’ve already achieved with the iPad alone.

Ok, so now that we’ve covered the ‘Why’, what about the ‘How’?

How?

To help this transition, Apple is bringing back Rosetta. Credit: Apple

To help this transition, Apple is bringing back Rosetta. Credit: Apple

MacOS Big Sur, which is coming out later this year, will be the first macOS that has been developed for both x86-64 Intel Processors and ARM Processors (ARM being the Architecture that Apple’s using for their own Chips). Apple will be using the same Rosetta tool that they used back in 2006 to switch from PowerPC to Intel, which is now called Rosetta 2 and will translate x86-x64 Code, into ARM code. This means that you’ll still be able to run all of your Intel software on future ARM Macs.

Native apps will still run much better, FCP X was a good example and Apple has also shown Photoshop as well as Lightroom, which were both running extremely smooth. Lightroom was able to open up a massive library of RAW photos without any lag or slowdown whatsoever. On the Mac, I always get the beachball and some lag here and there whenever I do that, so that’s crazy.

When?

You’re probably wondering, when is this transition going to happen and how would you be impacted?

We could soon be looking at one unified system for the Mac line-up.

We could soon be looking at one unified system for the Mac line-up.

Well, Apple has said that this transition would take two years. Meaning that by the end of 2022, we should have an Apple Processor in every single Mac that Apple sells, from the MacBook Air, all the way up to the Mac Pro, which is nuts. ARM CPU’s have never been designed for sustained workloads but it seems that this concept has been proven wrong, ‘The Verge’ reports that Japan has developed a supercomputer using ARM Processors and it turns out that this is now the fastest computer in the entire world, with it also being 2.8 times faster than the previous most powerful supercomputer in the world. So, ARM is definitely looking very promising. 

Now, Intel based Macs will still be supported for a number of years, but if you do plan on getting a Mac now, I would highly highly advise you to wait until the end of the year when Apple would be releasing their first Mac with an Apple Processor. Ming-Chi Kuo says that it will be a new 13” MacBook Pro. I’m fine with that, so I can’t wait! 

MacOS big Sur

I just want to touch a bit on macOS Big Sur. This is really the biggest software update since macOS Yosemite, which changed up the design significantly from the previous design language that macOS Mavricks used. ‘Big Sur’ is an even bigger change as it adds a ton of elements from the iPhone and the iPad, to macOS. We even get things such as Control Centre and the same iOS-style Toggles.

While I do really like this design a lot, it kind of looks like it was made for Touch Input first because, well, it was. The iOS UI was made for Touch Input rather than Mouse Input. So, the fact that Apple’s adding the exact same design language and the same UI style makes me think that maybe we will see a TouchScreen Mac in the not too distant future. That would be pretty amazing.

I wouldn’t exactly call this a ‘Unified Design’. Credit: Apple

I wouldn’t exactly call this a ‘Unified Design’. Credit: Apple

The start-up sound is back, which is quite interesting to see, alongside a ton of design elements from iOS. These include the Notification Panel and the indicator that shows amount of battery you have left in hours, is now back. They’ve also just cleaned up the entire UI a lot.

I do have two main concerns regarding Big Sur’s design. Firstly, the UI elements and how they just don’t feel right, they were designed for Touch Input. My second concern is the Icons. Apple is calling this a unified design, but they don’t look the same. They all have this weird shadow that is on the inside, very strange. We don’t have this on iOS and it just looks as if different Icons were designed by different people. The ‘Reminders’ Icon has no shadow at all, whereas the ‘Messages’ Icon does. Hopefully Apple fixes this by October, when macOS Big Sur is said to be released to the public. 

Anyway, I’m definitely looking forward to the future of the Mac and this transition will shape the entire tech industry. It will end up forcing more companies to innovate into the Mobile CPU space and of course, forcing Intel to do something about their CPU offering because at this point, AMD is ahead and it seems like Apple is now ahead as well.

iOS 14 - 40+ New Massive Changes!

WWDC… how amazing it was. We got the expected ARM transition, macOS Big Sur (not so expected), a full OS redesign that is the biggest change since macOS X and of course there was iOS 14, another gigantic change.

There were not any hardware releases, so no new iMac or AirTags. According to a Jon Prosser and a few others, Apple was planning to announce new hardware but for some reason fairly recently, they decided to push all of that into Q3 or Q4 of 2020. In this video, we’re fully focusing on iOS 14 and covering not 5, not 10 but over 40 big changes!

1) Widgets!

It’s been a long time coming. Credit: Apple

It’s been a long time coming. Credit: Apple

I’ve been wanting for this since I first got my Galaxy S4, in 2013. This has been a feature on Android since Day One, we sort of got it last year in iPad OS but it’s now finally here in iOS 14.

With the Widgets API, Developers can create their own Widgets. They will work in a similar way to how they currently work in the Notifications Panel, but you can have them on the Home-Screen and re-size them. You can even have multiple Widgets behind the same Widgets and then swipe between all the ones stacked there. Overall, this is a gigantic change to iOS, which I cannot wait to use.

2) App Library! 

Multiple Home-Screens are still there but you can now compact all of them into something called ‘AppLibrary’, which is sort of like the AppDrawer on Android. Swipe left and you get a list of your Folders with all your Apps. You can search Apps and scroll that list alphabetically, making it much easier to find the Apps that you need. 

3) Back Gestures

There’s now Gestures on the back of the iPhone, just double and triple tap and you can customise those for different actions, I would personally recommend Screenshot.

4) Fixed Calls

No more blocking up the UI. Regular Calls & Facetime Calls, or any other sort of Call, now don’t take up your entire screen. Instead, they now pop-up just like a Notification Card does.

5) AirPods Auto-Switch

You can Auto-Switch between your devices. It uses Gyroscope data to tell when you’ve picked up a new device and the Headphones switch to that, which is amazing.

6) AirPods 7.1 Support 

This is for AirPods Pro only. It includes Spacial Audio that creates a theatre experience, 7.1 Support and Dolby Atmos.

7) Siri Overlay

Siri no longer takes up the whole Display, but it does disable it for now.

Siri no longer takes up the whole Display, but it does disable it for now.

Same as with Calls, this doesn’t take up the entire screen anymore.

It will appear as a Card on the bottom. The only problem is that you cannot interact with the Display at the moment.

8) Smarter Siri 

Siri now knows 20 times more facts. The Web Answers are improved and she can send Audio Messages as well now. 

9) PiP Video

We had this on the iPad, now we have it on the iPhone as well, this is PiP Video from Safari and supported Apps. I believe my S4 from 2013 had this, but it’s good to finally have it on the iPhone as well.

10) Unlock Your Car

Open your Car Door using the iPhone. This only works with 2021 BMW series 5 at the moment but more cars will be included. You can give people full access and also works in iOS 13. Future versions will take advantage of the U1 Chip so that your car can unlock even when your iPhone is in your pocket or bag. 

11) Spotlight Search

This now works just like on the Mac, it no longer blocks the entire Display. Instead, you get this floating Search Bar and you can search anything now, from Apps to Web Searches.

12) AppClips

No App? No problem. Credit: Apple

No App? No problem. Credit: Apple

This is really cool. You go to a Store and if there’s a QR Code or an NFC Tag, you can still use their App to get reward points and so on, without having the App installed. It’s like a small version of that specific App, without having to install the full version. You only use it when you need it. For example, if you’re at a parking space and you need to get this App to pay, there’s no need to install that App anymore, AppClips would solve that issue.

13) Smarter Maps

Rich detail is coming to the UK, Ireland and Canada and overall accuracy has been improved. There’s guides for what to eat and where to watch movies, just like on Google Maps. Congestion and Green Zones are now included. 

14) Cycling Support

On the same subject, you will also get messages for when you’re going uphill or for when you’ll have to take the stairs.

15) EV Routing

If you have an EV, it will automatically link to that car and it will plan your route accordingly, if you’ll need a charge part-way through. 

16) Translate App

To me it looks like Google Translate but it can also work completely offline as it uses on-device machine learning. It only supports 11 languages so far though. 

17) iMessage Improvements

Chats have become far more intuitive. Credit: Apple

Chats have become far more intuitive. Credit: Apple

Your pinned conversations and most recent Messages will be on top. Group conversations have also been improved, you can just tap on a person and highlight all messages referring to that person alone, with in-line replies in groups as well as mentions.

18) Adaptive Lightning

During working hours, your lights would have a cool temperature and a warm temperature at night. This is thanks to the Home App.

19) Activity Zones & Face Recognition

You can set Activity Zones in Cameras so you get notified when there’s movement in that specific region. Also, Face Recognition works with faces that you’ve tagged in the Photos App. 

20) Safari Passwords

There is now an automatic warning if your password isn’t secure. 

21) Safari Privacy Report

Just tap the Privacy Report to see how websites track your data. 

22) CarPlay Wallpapers

How was this not a thing before. It looks so much nicer now, I don’t have a car, so…moving on.

23) Exposure Control

In the Camera App, you can now control the Exposure separately from the Focus, just like you could in third-party Apps. 

24) ARKit 4

Location Anchors are present, which allows for directional icons and art to be placed in specific parts of the world. Everyone looking at those places will get the icons that those Developers placed.

25) Default Apps

You can set a default email and browser App, I would have liked Calendar too though. 

26) Weather Forecasts

Dark Sky has long been one of the best weather Apps out there. Credit: Apple

Dark Sky has long been one of the best weather Apps out there. Credit: Apple

There’s now minute-by-minute forecasts in the US, thanks to Dark Sky. Apple purchased this App this year, I believe. It’s the best weather App in my opinion.

27) Voice Memos

Improve the sound quality of your recordings with a single tap. This utilises AI Processing. 

28) QuickTake Video

This is now available on the iPhone XS & XR, not just the iPhone 11’s.

29) Emoji Search

You can finally search for Emoji’s, just like on the Mac. Finally!

30) AirPods API 

Developers can take advantage of the Gyroscope Sensors from the AirPods, which will be useful in some audio Apps and Games.

31) AirPods Battery Notifications

Screenshot 2020-06-26 at 15.55.35.png

You will get a message when your Battery is low and you need to charge them. 

32) Selfies Flip

You can choose if you want your Selfies to be mirrored or not. 

33) New Fitness App

Unlike the leaked one, there are no actual fitness plans that you can take or workout guides yet. This App is just the renamed Activity App, which now includes more workout data, that’s it.

34) Sleep Tracking 

You can do this on the Apple Watch now but if you don’t have one, you can kind of do it on the iPhone. Sleep Mode dims the screen, turns on DND Mode and tells you when to wind down in order to get the desired hours of sleep for the next day.

35) Recording Indicator

There’s now an indicator when your Front Camera or Microphone is being used by a third party App. On the Macs, you have the LED indicator for the Front Camera, but you never had anything like this on iOS, until now. 

36) FindMy - 3rd Party Support

Third-party Accessory support in the ‘FindMy’ App. This would help companies such as Tile survive, once Apple releases their own AirTag. 

37) YouTube 4K?

AppleTV now supports it. It’s not available on iOS just yet, but it might be coming in future beta versions.

38) APFS in Files 

The Files App now supports an external SSD that’s formatted as an APFS Drive. 

39) Spotify on the HomePod

Third-party Music Apps will now be supported on the HomePod.

40) Night Mode

You now get a Gyroscope preview to better centre your shots and you can even cancel a Night Mode shot mid-way through.

41) Video Frame-Rate

Screenshot 2020-06-26 at 15.56.29.png

Toggles to switch in the Camera App are now available on all of the iPhones, not just the 11’s.

42) Supported Devices

All devices that supported iOS 13, are still supported here. This includes the iPhone SE and 6S as well as anything newer. These were only the biggest changes, there’s been hundreds in total. A video on macOS Big Sur and ARM will be coming up next. 

What other videos do you want to see?

The iPhone SE (2020)

Credit: Apple

Credit: Apple

The new iPhone SE 2020 has been announced, this is the device that we thought was going to be called the iPhone 9, which, if you ask us, would have been a much better name for it. We get a 4.7” Retina HD Display, up to 256 GB of Internal Storage, an A13 Bionic Chip, a 12MP Wide Camera, Portrait Lighting Effects, 4K Video recording at up to 60 FPS, Touch ID and so much more!

Pre-Orders begin on 17/04/2020 at 1PM GMT and prices begin at $399/£419, full release on 24/04/2020.

Stay tuned for our upcoming iPhone SE content!

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Google Pixel 4 - Announced!

,

Google's October 2019 Event is over, and being a Pixel 3XL owner I was hoping for some improvements on what I felt was a pretty decent phone. There had been many many leaks on this phone and basically all of them were right. You can check out our article on the Final Leaks and Rumors surrounding the Pixel 4 if you like to see for yourself. If not, let me give you the rundown. 

Also check out Daniels live reaction unboxing at the video above.

DESIGN

The limited edition ‘Oh So Orange’ Pixel 4 (Source: Rabbit TV)

The limited edition ‘Oh So Orange’ Pixel 4 (Source: Rabbit TV)

The design is exactly as we had seen, block colour body rather than the dual tone, with a black camera module on the back, no large notch on the front for the XL, but instead a larger forehead which house some of the newer features to the Pixel of the Soli Radar chip and the Face Unlock Flood Illuminator. It is also coming in the colours that we thought it would do; ‘Just Black’, ‘Clearly White’ and the limited edition ‘Oh So Orange’.

In terms of the screen we are getting a 90Hz refresh rate OLED display on both, with the Pixel 4 having a 5.7” display, up 0.2” from the 3, and the Pixel 4XL will have the same size screen as the 3 XL with 6.3”. Both the phones are going to be slightly larger than their predecessors, with the 4 being 1.5mm taller than the 3 and the 4XL being 2.4mm larger than the 3XL.

 

CAMERA

So we are getting minor changes to both the actual build of the phone and the screen on the phone. But what I personally look for in a phone is a good camera, and with the Pixel 3XL having an extremely good camera, I was excited to see what improvements were going to be made. Unfortunately I was let down.

The hardware on this is no huge improvement over my current Pixel. Whilst we are getting a new camera module on the back, with a 16MP main camera and a 12.2MP secondary camera, we still have no Wide Angle but a new telephoto lens! That’s right, we hoped they wouldn’t do it, we didn’t want to believe the leaks but they were right. Come on Google, why do we still not have one? We touched on this in our Leaks and Rumors Article but you can always zoom in post, but you cannot take a wide angle image without a wide angle lens! In addition, we were right in thinking that there was going to be a single camera on the front, which is only 8MP, so no real improvements here, and it can only do 1080p at 30FPS. The Pixel 3 could do that, so why Google isnt trying to match both Samsung and Apple, who are able to do 4K on the front facing cameras, I don’t know. In terms of the rest of the video capabilities here you are, they are pretty much the same as the 3 but some are locked to specific FPSs:

Rear Camera

  • 4K @ 30FPS

  • 720P @ 240FPS

  • 1080P @ 30, 60 and 120 FPS

Front Camera

  • 1080P @ 30FPS

I am hoping that there are some major improvements when it comes to the software of the Pixel 4’s camera that would make up for the lack of improvement in the hardware. But whether those software improvements will come to the 3’s as well, we will have to wait and see.

Something new that is coming with the camera though is the Astrophotography, which was further shown off at the event. What this appears to be is an extended Night Sight of soughts but this astrophotography requires a 4 minute exposure time in order to take the image, so unless you want to stand perfectly still while it takes the picture, I’d suggest getting a tripod for it, unless you want to be in the picture, in which case you will have to stand still for the entire exposure time. Personally I see this as quite a gimmick but I could be surprised.

An example image of the Astrophotography from the Pixel 4 (Source: 9to5Google)

An example image of the Astrophotography from the Pixel 4 (Source: 9to5Google)

CPU & RAM

So whilst all the leaks have been right so far there was something that we did get wrong, the CPU. We thought that these were going to come with the Snapdragon 855+, which is essentially an overclocked 855. However, we are not getting any overclock at all, and are instead getting the Snapdragon 855 regular, which is the same processor you find in an S10. However, although that sounds great, the S10 had the best CPU at the time seeing as the S10 was released in March and the 855 was released in December of last year, but the Pixel could have had the 855+ which was released in July.

But we did get the RAM correct, with 6GB up from 4 on the 3XL. This is another questionable move, seeing as many phones come with 12GB of RAM nowadays.

 

PRICE

We also got the prices wrong, and in a good way this time. So from the leaks it looked like we were going to have to spend £730 for the 4 and £1,000 for the XL, but luckily those were overestimated prices and instead the Pixel 4 will start at £669, and the XL at £829. But whether that makes up for the lack of improvements, we will have to get one and find out!

The Pre-Order prices the for 4 and 4XL (Source: Google)

The Pre-Order prices the for 4 and 4XL (Source: Google)

 

CONCLUSION

So in the end I am not massively impressed. The design to me isn’t great, we are getting no huge improvements in performance or camera, and the only large camera update to me seems gimmicky but I am interested to see what kind of pictures it produces.

Until I have seen one for myself and had a go with it, I personally wouldn’t look to upgrade from my 3XL as there simply isn’t enough to make me want to upgrade, and if anything now could be the time to get a Pixel 3 if you’ve been wanting one as the price is sure to drop.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3, Surface Pro 7 & Surface Pro X - Unveiled!

So Microsoft just had their Surface Event in New York, and being a Surface user myself, and the only non-Apple user in the office, I decided to give it a watch to see what Microsoft had done to improve on the Surface lineup.

SURFACE LAPTOP 3

First off, let's talk Laptops. In terms of design, it doesn't seem that Microsoft is straying too far from what they currently have, which I am not complaining about. We are getting a larger 15” model as well as an improved 13.5” one. We’re getting 20% larger trackpad than we had on the Surface Laptop 2. Personally, I don't think that the trackpad was too small on the 2 but it would be good to have a larger one for sure, so I’m looking forward to that. And finally in terms of the chassis, Microsoft have removed the rubber bumper from around the screen on the aluminium models, making it the first metal bodied laptop to do so, what impact this will have on the screen we will have to wait and see, as that rubber bumper is there to protect the screen when you close the laptop.

The new Surface Laptop 3 is now modular, with a removable keyboard to access the hardware inside (Source: Microsoft)

The new Surface Laptop 3 is now modular, with a removable keyboard to access the hardware inside (Source: Microsoft)

But this is one of the things that Microsoft wanted to highlight as not an additional thing that draws you in, but the removal of something which draws you in, and speaking of removal, the Surface is now modular! As shown at the event, the top can be removed in order to access the hardware underneath, improving user reparability without impacting the design of the device which is really cool.

When it comes to performance, Microsoft have also raised the stakes here with the inclusion of an Intel Quad Core 10th Gen Processor, which they claim will make it two times faster than the two, which had the 8th Gen Quad-Core Processor, and 3 times faster than a MacBook Air, which uses an 8th Gen Dual-Core i5 Y Series. In addition Microsoft have collaborated with AMD to bring the AMD Ryzen Surface Edition to life, which gives it the fastest graphic performance of any laptop in it’s (the Surface Laptop 3) class.

Fast charge is now on all Surface products, claiming 80% in less than an hour (Source: Microsoft)

Fast charge is now on all Surface products, claiming 80% in less than an hour (Source: Microsoft)

One last thing I want to cover with the Surface Laptop 3 is the battery life. I personally have never had an issue with the battery on my Surface Laptop 2, and this time round Microsoft is claiming that same all day battery life that I’ve seen on the 2. However, what will be coming to the 3 is fast charging! Microsoft says that it would be able to charge the 3 to 80% in less than an hour which is as fast as some smartphones on the market right now, which is just crazy and I am intrigued to see if it lives up to that bold statement.

Microsoft have said that the Surface Laptop 3 is available to pre-order now, with the 13.5” starting from $999, and the 15” from $1,199, and will launch on the 22nd of October.

SURFACE PRO 7

But it wasn't just the Laptop that I was interested in at this event. As some of you know we not only covered the Surface Laptop 2 on the channel, but also the Surface Pro 6, so what have Microsoft announced with the Surface Pro 7?

The Surface Pro 7 (Source: Microsoft)

The Surface Pro 7 (Source: Microsoft)

Well, not a lot really. We’re getting the same 12.3” display as the Surface Pro 6, along with the familiar Surface Type Keyboard and Pen which also seem to have little upgrade. We do get new studio mics, which also come on the Laptop 3, for improved dictation and calls. It does also come with the 10th Gen Intel Processors, but that’s about it for improved internals. We also get the same fast charging capabilities that the Laptop has as well, however, according to the tech spec sheet for the Surface Pro 7, it will only have up to 10.5 hours of battery life which is a downgrade of 3 hours from the Surface Pro 6? Whether or not you see fast charging as a decent trade off for a reduced overall daily battery life is down to you, but personally I don't think it is.

The Surface Pro 7 is also available for preorder now, with a launch date of the 22nd of October, starting from $749.

SURFACE PRO X

So Microsoft doesn’t seem to have done much with the Surface Pro 7, but that could be because of the newly announced Surface Pro X, which is only available in Matte Black.

The Surface Pro X, featuring the new 13” edge to edge display (Source: Microsoft)

The Surface Pro X, featuring the new 13” edge to edge display (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft’s tagline to this device is “Mobility. Productivity. Speed.” and seeing as it’s just 5.3mm thin at its thinnest point I can certainly see how the mobility part of this plays in. It comes with a 13” (2880 x 1920) edge to edge display whilst still fitting into the same form factor as the Surface Pro 7.

In addition to the mobility you also have a 13 hour battery life on this, coupled with fast charging as well. This seems like it would be a great little device for creatives to be using when out and about it pen and paper isn't your style.

The Pen can be placed in a small nook when not in use, which will also recharge it (Source: Microsoft)

The Pen can be placed in a small nook when not in use, which will also recharge it (Source: Microsoft)

Speaking of the pen, the stylus that Microsoft recommends with this, although it's sold separately, is its new thin design which hides away in a little nook in the keyboard (also sold separately) so that when its clicked in the tilted position the pen is invisible. Personally, I think this way of integrating the pen is a great design choice, but whether or not the flat style pen will be comfortable to use for prolonged periods of time? I have my doubts.

It also allows for custom processors, meaning that you could really make this thing your own, and it's almost a hybrid of the modularity of the Laptop with the form factor of the Pro, which is just incredible to see being done!

And finally for the Pro X, it now comes with LTE connectivity, thanks to Microsoft's own SQ1 Chipset. We have seen this on some laptops already and basically what this means is that you can use your tablet to answer emails and search the web for the next piece of inspiration, much like you would do with a mobile, and that really seems to be what Microsoft is shooting for with this thing. Whether or not it matches up is a different question for a different video and article.

Just like the other devices, it is available to preorder now and will launch on the 22nd, starting from $999.

 

CONCLUSION

To conclude it seems like we are getting some really impressive upgrades with the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro X. I feel that maybe because of the announcement of the Surface Pro X the Surface Pro 7 has been left a little lacklustre, with not a huge amount going for it over its predecessor bar the upgraded processor.