You have another chance to grab a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 for $200 if you weren’t able to get one at a discount earlier this year. The 40mm version of the smartwatch is currently on sale for $50 off its retail price of $250, which is a solid deal if you’re looking for a smartwatch that’s still getting regular updates. It went on sale for an all-time low of $180 ahead of Black Friday in 2021, but it hasn’t been available at this price since February. Meanwhile, the larger 44mm version of the Galaxy Watch 4 is also available for $230, or $50 off its original retail price.
If you prefer the looks of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, though, with its spinning bezel and stainless steel case, you can also get its LTE-enabled version right for now for $299. That’s $101 off its retail price and an all-time low for the wearable, putting it at the same price as its Bluetooth-only sibling.
The Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic devices are the first devices to run the “Wear OS powered by Samsung” platform. They’re powered by new 5nm processors, have sharper screens than their predecessors and come with upgraded biometric sensors. Samsung also added gesture controls via their new UI that would allow you to answer or dismiss calls by lifting your arm or flicking your wrist.
When it comes to health features, Samsung’s new sensor enables bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for body mass scans and can let you know how many pounds of water, fat and skeletal mass it detected. The devices have improved sleep-tracking features, as well, including continuous blood oxygen detection that the system will consider a factor when it computes your sleep metrics.
While we had an issue with the devices’ short battery life, we found the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic the best smartwatches for Android users overall at the time of our review. In case you’re also on the lookout for a new Android phone to go with a new smartwatch, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 devices have dropped to an all-time low at Amazon. The Galaxy S22 Ultra and the S22+ are both $200 off and are down to $1,000 and $800, respectively, while the standard Galaxy S22 is $100 off.
If Apple Music and the App Store aren’t quite working as normal for you right now, you’re not alone. Apple’s status page notes that both services are dealing with issues that are impacting all users.
It states that Apple Music users may be experiencing some intermittent issues, which seemingly include song lyrics not being accessible. As for the App Store, Apple simply says users “may be experiencing a problem.” The company hasn’t provided more details, though Down Detector users started reporting App Store problems at around 9 AM ET.
The Apple Music and App Store problems follow an issue with Apple Pay on Sunday. For just over 40 minutes, Interac card holders were unable to make purchases with Apple Pay. Nor could they add, suspend or remove a card.
Update 4/25 5:05PM ET: Apple now says the Music and the App Store issues have been resolved, although it didn’t outline what occurred.
Your mom might not be as up to date as you on the latest tech trends, but that doesn’t mean a carefully chosen gadget wouldn’t make her life easier. While flowers and breakfast in bed remain lovely Mother’s Day gifts, you may want to try a different tack this year and get your mom something she’ll use long after the holiday is over. To help, we’ve collected a list of some of our favorite gadgets and services that any mother, tech-savvy or not, will love.
Apple iPad mini
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
We consider the iPad mini to be the best small tablet for most people, and that includes parents who could use a slightly larger screen to watch videos, read text messages and check out photos of their children (or grandchildren) on Facebook. The 2021 model with the A15 Bionic chip runs smoothly even when using more than one app in Split View, so mom can stream her favorite show on Netflix while quickly replying to messages without any issues. We appreciate the design updates Apple made to this model, making the mini look more like a smaller iPad Air than ever before. Its compact size makes it easy to throw in a bag and take with you, and it’ll last the whole day, too, thanks to its 12-hour battery. Not to mention, its new Center Stage front-facing cameras will keep Mom in the frame as she FaceTimes for the third time today. — Valentina Palladino, Commerce Editor
Your mom might have become a clean freak over the past year (who can blame her?) and Belkin’s UV sanitizer and wireless charger is a good device to give her to keep right near her doorway. It uses UV rays to get rid of 99 percent of bacteria on keys, cards, rings and other small items that your mom might bring with her wherever she goes. Yes, that also includes her smartphone and once it’s completely sanitized, your mom can set the handset on top of the lid to power up thanks to its built-in 10W wireless charging pad. The device is silent while sanitizing and as a bonus, it comes with its own cable and wall adapter so you can use it straight out of the box. — V.P.
Take your mother’s morning coffee routine up a notch with the Ember Mug, a self-heating smart mug that keeps beverages at just the right temperature for up to 1.5 hours or all day if the mug is kept on its charging coaster. It has a temperature range between 120 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which lets your mom dial in just how hot she wants her brew. There’s also a companion app which lets her save preset temps for her favorite drinks, track her caffeine intake, customize the color of the LED light on the front of the mug and more. The latest version comes in a pretty rose gold color as well as white, black, gold, silver and copper. — Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer
After the past few years, your mom is likely excited to get out of the house more often – especially as the weather improves – and maybe she wants to take more regular walks and runs in her neighborhood. The Fitbit Inspire 2 is a low-cost and easy-to-use way to track her steps and sleep, along with other stats that indicate our overall fitness level. New users can also snag a free year of Fitbit Premium to add even more fitness guides and meditation features to the already-great app. — Kris Naudus, Commerce Writer
For busy moms who love to cook but are short on time, an Instant Pot makes for a thoughtful gift. While it can be used as a slow cooker, rice cooker or yogurt maker, it’s particularly useful as a pressure cooker. It can shave hours off the cooking time of a lot of dishes, particularly braises and stews. Also, unlike its stovetop equivalent, the Instant Pot can come to pressure and stay there without having to be babysat the whole time. A built-in timer means it turns off on its own, while a Keep Warm function does exactly what you’d expect. Thanks to the popularity of the Instant Pot line, there’s also a vast array of recipes online that your mom will be able to make with her new cooking gadget. For more on how to make the most of it, check out our Instant Pot guide. — N.L.
The Apple Watch is arguably the most sought-after accessory for iPhone users, and the Apple Watch SE is a good starter option for moms who want a more convenient way to stay in the loop. It has all of the essential features you’d expect a smartwatch to have, including smart alerts, activity and workout tracking, built-in GPS and Apple Pay. The SE’s Retina display is 30 percent larger than that of the Series 3 and, in addition to a water-resistant design, it has features like fall detection, high and low heart rate notifications and Emergency SOS. While the SE doesn’t have ECG capabilities or blood oxygen tracking like the Series 7 does, it remains a good gift for mom that will let her keep in touch with those she loves without whipping out her iPhone every second. — V.P.
So many of us take hundreds of photos with our phones and then never do anything with them. They’re left to languish in our camera rolls, only to be uncovered when you have to scroll back months to find that one image you’re searching for. If you want to give mom a more polished way to look back at her favorite photos, an album from Mpix will do the trick. You can customize your photo book from the ground up, choosing the best images of her family and friends and laying them out on each page in a neat way. You can also pick from different types of cover options and paper weights, making the final product as premium as you want it to be. With options starting at $20 per book, it’s pretty easy to make mom a gift she’ll want to revisit long after Mother’s Day is over. – V.P.
While it sounds like an impersonal gift, a power bank can really help your mom if her smartphone dies while she’s out. Anker’s PowerCore Redux is an improvement on the typical lipstick-sized portable batteries thanks to its slightly larger frame that houses a 10,000mAh cell. That capacity can power up an iPhone XS more than two times over, plus it can charge two devices simultaneously thanks to its USB-A and USB-C output ports. The LED light wheel will show mom how much battery power is left in the accessory and she’ll be able to throw it into any bag she owns thanks to its compact, 6.8-ounce design. – V.P.
Your mom probably spends her day juggling a lot of responsibilities. A good pair of earbuds can make her busy days more enjoyable by letting her listen to her favorite playlists, podcasts or audiobooks while she’s getting it all done. The Beats Studio Buds are small, comfortable and stylish, plus they now work better with Android than ever before. Since Apple owns Beats, iPhone users get perks like hands-free Siri access, quick-pairing and Find My support, but now Android users also have access to the latter two features as well. That means your mom can make the most of these earbuds regardless of the smartphone she has. Plus, she’ll be able to take calls without picking up her handset by using the buds’ five built-in microphones. – V.P.
While a robot vacuum won’t eliminate all the cleaning your mom might already do around the house, it definitely makes one portion of it easier. The Roomba 694 is one of our favorite budget robot vacuums in part because it provides a ton of value for its $274 price. Most importantly, it does a great job cleaning both hard and carpeted floors and it runs long enough that it should get to most areas in your home before needing to recharge. It connects to WiFi so you can control it either with its companion mobile app, or using Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands. Your mom can even use the mobile app to set a cleaning schedule, so she doesn’t even have to think about the machine — it’ll scurry around the house, sucking up dirt and debris, all on its own time. — V.P.
If your mom is a cook and has the counter space for it, we highly recommend getting her a toaster oven like the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro. She can use it to toast bread, bake dishes or reheat food. Sure, a full-size oven can do the same thing, but firing it up can often warm up the whole house, which isn’t so great in the summer months. It’s also a lot more efficient. While a regular oven might need 20 or so minutes to preheat, a toaster oven can often get to temperature in just five or 10 minutes.
We also like this model for its 1-cubic-foot capacity. (In lay terms, it can fit a 9-by-13-inch casserole or a 14-pound turkey.) It can handle air frying (thanks to a “super convection” mode) and it comes with an air fryer basket that’s large enough to fit a dozen chicken wings. The oven also has several preset modes designed for specific functions such as toasting bagels or baking pizzas.
The Smart Oven Air is the classic model, but if your mom is extra adventurous in the kitchen (or extra tech-savvy), Breville’s latest tabletop appliance, the Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro, is a good step up. It does everything the Smart Oven Air does, but it adds WiFi connectivity so you can control the machine from your phone. Mom will get alerts when it’s time to put her dish in the oven after the preheat cycle, and when her food finished cooking to perfection. There are even recipes she can try out in the app, including some that have an “autopilot” feature, which automatically adjusts the oven’s temperature during cooking to make things like perfectly golden croissants and bread loaves. — N.L.
Flowers die. Sure, they’re pretty and they smell nice but in the end they wilt, which is always kind of a bummer. So why not get your mom something just as beautiful that will stay that way? This LEGO bouquet is lovely to behold but also a great way to spend an evening putting together. As a bonus, it’s cheaper than a lot of flower arrangements you’d buy around Mother’s Day, and if she ever tires of it she can take it apart and build something else with the 756 pieces. — K.N.
If your mom loves reading but doesn’t have a ton of time to sit down and crack open a book, an Audible membership can give her a new way to enjoy reading anywhere. Gift memberships range from one month for $8 to one year for $230 and include a certain number of book credits that she can use on any title. Members also get access to exclusive sales and Audible has been experimenting with original content like podcasts recently, so there’s a ton of listening options to choose from. But the best part is being able to read anywhere at any time, be it in the car on the way to work, around the house while tidying up or at the beach on a lazy summer day. — V.P.
Women play games too, even if a lot of games marketing still says otherwise. In a house dominated by behemoths like the PlayStation 5 or a gigantic gaming PC, mom might appreciate having something that’s just for her, a handheld console she can sneak away with into the bedroom or yard whenever she needs some alone time. The Switch Lite is small enough to hide in a pocket or purse and, while there are plenty of great games she’d enjoy like Breath of the Wild, Untitled Goose Game and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, we recommend snagging an eShop card so she can choose her own adventures. — K.N.
Forget giving your mother a bottle of wine she might not even like. Instead, give her a subscription to a wine club. There are many available today, including hyper-curated boxes, all-natural boxes and even celebrity-branded ones like Martha Stewart’s club. If you’d rather take the guesswork out of choosing one, Winc is a good option. All mom has to do is fill out a short six-question survey about her tastes and then Winc chooses the wines for her. She can then rate the wines she receives, so Winc will get a better idea of what she wants, offering up more personalized selections the next time around. Winc is also great for you, the gifter, since gift subscriptions start at only $60. — N.L.
Samsung’s latest Galaxy S22 handsets are some of the best Android phones you can get right now, and Amazon has discounted the entire lineup. Each of the three S22 models is cheaper than usual, with the best savings being on the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the S22+ — both are $200 off, bringing them down to $1,000 and $800, respectively. The standard Galaxy S22 is $100 off and back down to an all-time low of $700. And if you decide to take the plunge, you can get $60 off the Galaxy Buds 2 if you buy the earbuds along with one of the S22 smartphones. Just click on the “extra savings” banner on the phones’ product pages to see how to add both items to your cart.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is the best of the best coming from Samsung right now, and it marries a lot of features from the company’s Note family with its flagship S lineup. It sports a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen that has a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. It also has the new “Vision Booster” feature, which automatically adjusts display brightness and contrast depending on how bright or dim your environment is. The phone runs on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processors, and the model on sale has 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
With the phone being so large, it has space for a built-in S Pen, which lets you take notes and doodle on the phone’s screen. This is the main feature taken from the Note family, and power users will appreciate it. Samsung also improved the latency to 2.8 milliseconds, so writing with the S Pen will feel even more natural than it did before.
As far as cameras go, you’re getting a 108-megapixel main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide shooter and two 10MP telephoto lenses, plus a host of improvements like auto-framing, better video stabilization, more accurate portrait blur and Samsung’s new Adaptive Pixel feature. That’s all to say you’re getting a very capable camera setup that holds its own against those on the latest iPhones and Google smartphones.
Ultimately, the S22 Ultra is the handset to get if you want all of the latest features that Samsung has to offer in a smartphone. But if you’re ok with a slightly smaller device and one that doesn’t have perks like a built-in S Pen, either the S22 or S22+ will serve you well. We gave both smartphones a score of 87 for their lovely displays, strong performance and slick design. The S22+ has the added benefits of UWB and WiFi 6E connectivity, slightly faster WiFi speeds and a longer battery life. Considering this sale makes the S22+ only $100 more than the S22, it’s a good opportunity to get a slightly more capable device without paying too much of a premium for it.
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Apple may have begun more rigorously enforcing its policy against unused and dysfunctional apps. Back in 2016, the company vowed it would go out of its way to remove applications that had stopped working, not kept up with its latest guidelines or become outdated. After not drawing much attention over the last few years, that policy came back into the public consciousness this week. In a series of tweets spotted by The Verge, a handful of indie developers shared an email notice from Apple prompting them to update their games.
I feel sick. Apple just sent me an email saying they’re removing my free game Motivoto because its more than 2 years old.
It’s part of their App improvement system.
This is not cool. Console games from 2000 are still available for sale.
“This app has not been updated in a significant amount of time and is scheduled to be removed from sale in 30 days,” the company states in the email. “You can keep this app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review within 30 days.”
Apple notes developers can continue to earn revenue from microtransactions even if it removes their app or game from the store. Moreover, their programs will continue to work for those who have them downloaded to their devices. Some people who shared screenshots of the notice on Twitter expressed concern that the policy disproportionately affects smaller developers.
“This is an unfair barrier to indie devs,” Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe said. “I’m sitting here on a Friday night, working myself to the bone after my day job, trying my best to scrape a living from my indie games, trying to keep up with Apple, Google, Unity, Xcode, macOS changes that happen so fast my head spins while performing worse on older devices.”
On a support page dedicated to its App Store Improvements initiative, the company states the policy is designed “to make it easier for customers to find great apps that fit their needs.” It also notes it wants to ensure all the software you found on the platform is “functional and up-to-date.”
Obviously, there isn’t an easy answer to the situation. From the perspective of an iOS user, it’s not great when you buy a new Apple device and find apps that aren’t optimized to take advantage of the hardware. I encountered that situation when I bought my 2020 iPad Air and downloaded Klei’s tactical espionage RPG Invisible, Inc. Playing the game for the first time, I was disappointed when I found out the studio had not updated the game to support the iPad Air’s 2,360 by 1,640 resolution. In fact, Klei hasn’t updated the iOS version of Invisible, Inc. since 2016. That hasn’t stopped me from enjoying the game, but I wish I could play it without black bars letterboxing the interface.
While Motorola might not have the same clout in the smartphone space as Apple and Samsung, the company holds an outsized influence on the US market. By the numbers, Motorola is the third most popular smartphone maker overall, the second largest maker of prepaid phones and the biggest seller of unlocked handsets.
The problem is that, as part of the company’s attempt to gobble up more of the market following the demise of LG Mobile, Motorola has been churning out too many phones too quickly while offering little in the way of long-term support. And even though the Moto G family of phones has earned a reputation for providing great value in recent years, that legacy is starting to deteriorate as things like camera quality and support for basic features like NFC have stagnated. In short, Motorola needs to slow down and shape up.
Just look at the dizzying number of Moto G handsets that have been released in the last two years. At CES 2021, Motorola launched four new phones including the second-gen Moto G Stylus, the revived Moto G Play, the Moto G Power and the Moto One 5G Ace – the latter of which is merely a rebranded version of the Moto G 5G from 2020. Then in the summer, Motorola released another Moto G Stylus (this time with 5G) followed by the Moto G Pure last fall.
At the pace Motorola has been releasing new G-series phones, it’s become incredibly difficult to keep track of them all and the minor differences between them.
Chris Velazco/Engadget
More recently in February, Moto decided to update the G family with yet another version of Moto G Stylus, and just this week Motorola returned to announce two more additions in the Moto G Stylus 5G and the Moto G 5G. And this isn’t counting stuff like the Moto G Power 2022, which was actually released in November 2021. At this point, if you’re confused by the vomit of new Moto G phones, just rest assured you’re not the only one. It’s like some twisted smartphone version of Cap’n Crunch’s Oops! All Berries, except that instead of tasty fruit-flavored treats, it’s an endless string of non-descript plastic handsets.
Meanwhile, some of Motorola’s most interesting phones like the 2020 Razr have been languishing waiting for an update, only getting a half-hearted refresh that added a slightly faster chip and support for 5G. Quite often, it feels like Moto has been releasing budget phones without 5G, just so the company can push out a “new” model six months later. Even then, it’s typically just sub-6GHz 5G, which only serves to increase customer confusion regarding current cellular standards. And while Moto has been idling, Samsung has dominated the foldable phone market with devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which is not only cheaper than the Razr, it has a better screen and cameras too.
When Motorola made its first flagship phone in years with the 2020 Edge+, our lasting impression was that it was merely OK.
Chris Velazco/Engadget
Another big issue with Motorola’s recent phones is paltry software support. Last year, Samsung announced that it would provide four years of security updates for a wide range of Galaxy devices, including older phones and tablets such as the S10 and Tab S6. Then, just a couple of months ago, Samsung bolstered its software support again by giving four generations of Android upgrades to all of its 2021 and 2022 flagship phones. And over in Pixel land, Google also stepped up its efforts by promising five years of security updates for the Pixel 6 (though you’ll still only get three years of OS upgrades). And all of this still pales in comparison to iPhones, with Apple providing at least five years of OS and security updates for its handsets.
Then we come to Motorola, which even on its most recent flagship – the 2022 Edge+ – is only offering two major OS updates and three years of bi-monthly security patches. And if you move down to its more affordable handsets, things get even worse. The newly announced Moto G Stylus 5G and Moto G 5G, for instance, will only get a single OS upgrade. This isn’t a one-off situation either, because during a briefing about those phones, a Motorola representative confirmed that the general policy for the entire G family typically only covers one major Android OS update.
Mewanwhile, this year’s Edge+ fell far short of living up to its $1,000 price.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Even worse is that, during the same briefing, a Motorola exec seemed to be making an excuse for the poor update policy by recounting a conversation they had with a car service driver. The driver owned a Moto G device and lamented that their device seemed like it was constantly prompting them to install some sort of update. Now I can certainly empathize, sometimes it feels like everything you own constantly needs to be patched. But that’s not a good reason to drop support for a gadget after a year or two. If an owner doesn’t want to install an update for whatever reason, that’s their choice, but they should at least have the option.
Perhaps my biggest concern about Motorola’s direction is a general lack of innovation and support for basic features. Take for example the Moto G Stylus, which doesn’t have NFC. I mean come on, it’s 2022. Basically every place supports some sort of contactless payment nowadays, which requires NFC. But if you buy a budget Moto phone, too bad. And it’s not just the Moto G Stylus, because the Moto G 5G announced this week doesn’t have NFC either. The company also routinely fails to equip its handsets with substantial water resistance, often doing just enough to protect against splashes but falling far short of the IP67 or IP68 ratings you get on competing devices.
Additionally, when I reviewed the Moto Edge+ back in March, I was kind of appalled with its cameras. This is a $1,000 phone that produces low-light photos that look like they come from a $500 phone at best. I even noted in my review that it seems like Motorola is going backwards, delivering a device with a lower-resolution main camera than its predecessor, while lacking a dedicated telephoto lens.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Motorola tells me that it puts macro cams in its phones instead because of demand from customers who like taking close-ups. And that may be true. But I also know that it costs more to put telephoto cameras on phones, and I have a sneaking suspicion that may be the bigger driving force. While Apple, Google and Samsung are making large strides when it comes to low-light performance and computational photography, what I’ve seen from Moto’s latest pseudo-flagship is second-tier at best.
The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be like this. There are a number of things I still appreciate about Moto devices. They have near stock builds of Android and Moto Action gestures like double chopping to turn on a phone’s flashlight are often quite handy. But those small perks are easily overshadowed by the concerning trend of too many rehashes while returning too little value.
However, it’s not too late to reverse all this. Sure, it will take some strong leadership and willpower for the company to forgo short-term sales in order to focus on long-term growth and development. Improving mobile photography isn’t easy. Just ask OnePlus’ Pete Lau, who has been very vocal about his desire to bring the photography on the company’s phones up to speed. But unless Motorola wants to become the next HTC, it needs to reduce the churn and concentrate on releasing a smaller number of higher-quality devices with the software support its customers deserve.
Motorola has launched two new 5G phones as part of its Moto G line in North America, and one of them comes with a built-in stylus. The Moto G Stylus 5G has a 6.8-inch Max Vision FHD+ display that stretches edge to edge, as well as a 120Hz refresh rate that’s a first for the line. It also comes with a 50-megapixel camera system that’s comprised of a Macro Vision lens and a 118-degree ultra-wide angle lens. For selfies, the device has a 16-megapixel front camera that has improved light sensitivity over its predecessors. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor and is equipped with a 5000 mAh battery.
Its stylus, similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note’s and S22 Ultra’s, is closely integrated with the phone. Apps that support it show up the moment you pop out the stylus, and you can start writing on the screen without unlocking the device. The phone has up to 8GB in memory and 256GB of storage with the option to expand it with a microSD card that’s up to 1TB in size.
The other new entry to the product line is the Moto G 5G, which has a 6.5-inch HD+ display that has a 20:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate. It has a 50-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel front cam, and it’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor. The phone comes in variants with up to 6GB in RAM and up to 256GB in storage, though you can expand it with a microSD card that’s up to 1TB in size. Both phones also have 3.5mm jacks, so you can still use wired earphones with them.
Motorola has yet to announce the phones’ prices and availability, but we’ll keep you posted when we hear more. It’s worth noting that Moto G phones are historically mid-range in pricing, though the Stylus 5G will most likely be a bit more expensive based on its specs.
Samsung’s Galaxy A52 5G wasn’t the best midrange phone you could buy in 2021, but it did possess some standout features, including a responsive display and versatile camera. It was easy to imagine the company iterating on the A52 5G to make it the top …
You’ll want to act quickly if you’ve been looking for a frill-free tablet. Amazon is selling Apple’s latest 10.2-inch iPad (that is, the 2021 model) at an all-time low price of $290 after an instant checkout coupon. This only applies to the 64GB WiFi model in silver, and you’ll have to wait until early May for delivery. If those aren’t obstacles, however, this is an exceptional deal that beats some of the bargains we’ve seen for past models.
The 10.2-inch iPad remains alluring thanks to its sheer value for money. It’s fast for the price, offers a solid screen and lasts a long time on battery. On this newest model, the wide-angle camera with Center Stage is particularly useful — it’s easier to fit more of your household into the frame during a video call, even if they’re in the background. Toss in the upgraded base storage, a robust app ecosystem and iPadOS 15’s better multitasking and you might not need more than this.
The same issues still apply, of course. This iPad design now feels old compared to newer models like the iPad Air and iPad mini. You won’t get those tablets’ thinner bezels, faster processors and improved cameras. There’s no support for the Magic Keyboard or second-generation Pencil, for that matter. However, there’s a real chance you don’t need those extras — the 10.2-inch iPad is still a very capable device for gaming, reading, video viewing and many other everyday tasks.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 has arrived in the US market today as a 2-in-1 version of the Chromebook 2, with a price and features tailored for students. The key feature is a flip-around 2,560 x 1,600 WQXGA 12.4-inch touch display that can output 340 nits of brightness, making it decently viewable in bright sunlight. Depending on the position, that lets you use it in laptop, tent or flat tablet modes.
It’s designed to be durable and shock resistant and is relatively lightweight at 1.28 kg (about 2.8 pounds), with a relatively slim 16.9mm profile and smallish bezels. Connection-wise, you get a pair of USB Type-C, one USB 3.2 type A, a microSD slot and a headphone/mic port. For any remote learning activities, it offers a decent 720P front-facing webcam.
Samsung
The WiFi 6 feature should deliver fast connection speeds at school or in the dorm. If you want even better connectivity and have a mobile plan that allows for extra devices, you can add LTE connectivity. Samsung also offers some Galaxy-related features like Nearby Share and Phone Hub that lets you control your smartphone, even if it’s buried in a backpack.
Aside from that, the Chromebook 2 360 isn’t exactly a spec monster. It comes with 4GB of LPDDR4x RAM (8GB optional), up to 128GB of storage, an Intel Celeron N4500 CPU (with Intel UHD graphics) and a 45.5 Wh battery. Those specs are absolutely fine for Chrome OS and its ecosystem of Chrome and Android apps, however. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 360 goes on sale today starting at $430 for the 4GB/64GB WiFi 6 model. We don’t have pricing on the LTE model yet, but it’s an £80 (about $100) upgrade in the UK.
