Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S III: Advanced fence-sitting
Introduction
Upgrader's dilemmas. We've had a few of those over the years but, every once in a while, deciding between the next generation and the last transcends the limits of a brand. By consistently delivering the goods, the Galaxy line has become synonymous with the best that Android has to offer. Now, it's a huge reputation to live up to and it's only getting harder for every new flagship.
With millions of Galaxy S4's being packaged as we speak and prepared for shipping, it's the time for hard choices. Very much so for Galaxy S III owners - about 50 million of them on latest account. Upgrade or stay put? Tough one.
Or is it? For smartphone geeks it borders on a no-brainer. It's the newer model that flaunts a full-HD five-incher and an immensely powerful chipset, with a 13MP camera and a host new software tricks to boot. Those should be enough of a nudge to get fence-sitters on the right side of the fence. Which, from Samsung's perspective, is the side of the Galaxy S4.
That's the thing, though. It's the manufacturer's job to always get people interested in the latest. You on the other hand, want to know if they're getting enough in return for their hard-earned cash. You may still end up buying a new model every year, but it should be a choice not a compulsion.
Samsung Galaxy S4 over Samsung Galaxy S III
5" 1920 x 1080 Super AMOLED display with ~441 ppi density, Gorilla Glass 3 (over 4.8" 720p ~306 ppi on the S III)
Quad-core Snapdragon 600 or Exynos 5 Octa chipset
2 GB of RAM on all models (only the US LTE-capable S III has 2 GB RAM)
13 MP camera (8 MP on the S III)
2 MP 1080p front-facer (1.9 MP 720p on the S III)
Temperature and humidity sensors
Wireless charging
Air gestures, smart gestures (some may eventually come to the S III)
Wi-Fi ac, faster HSDPA (42.2 Mbps over 21 Mbps on the S III)
LTE on all models
More compact, thinner and slightly lighter body (7.9 mm vs 8.6 mm, 130 g vs 133 g)
Higher-capacity battery (2600 vs 2100 mAh)
Samsung Galaxy S III over Samsung Galaxy S4
Cheaper
FM radio
Will eventually receive most of the TouchWiz novelties via update
Wider field of view in camera and camcorder
Samsung did its best - again - to make it easy for users to choose the Galaxy S4. No dramatic changes to the styling might be a concern, but then again it's obvious that a lot of effort went into the design. The Galaxy S4 packs a bigger battery, a slightly larger screen, a more powerful processor into a body that's more compact than that of its predecessor.
The screen is a significant step up from the previous model too - it's crisper, having more than double the amount of pixels, superior brightness and colors and, not least of all, does have that precious extra room for even better productivity and multimedia experience.
On the software front, there are air gestures, eye tracking, face tracking, Smart Pause. Features that elevate the TouchWiz experience above the rest in terms of both usability and novelty, but at least some of them will eventually land on the Galaxy S III too.
So, while it's clear that the Galaxy S4 is in many ways superior to the Galaxy S III, it's equally easy to turn that around and say that both phones share many similarities. Both will be running the latest Android software when the Galaxy S III gets its promised update and both have great Super AMOLED screens, capable processors, expandable storage, solid battery life and stellar cameras. Both phones at HQ
There a significant price gap between the two as well and that's another important part of the decision-making. So, while it's not impossible to put a price on improvements like to the screen, camera, processing power, audio quality and the like, the hard bit is for every user to do their own math and decide whether the premium charged is worth it. We'll try to cover every important aspect of the experience these two can provide and hopefully get most of your questions answered. We're back after the break with the design and build overview
Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM is powered by Intel Atom Z2520 mobile chipset and Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system.
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Asus is set to introduce yet another affordable tablet with voice calling support for the lucrative budget segment of India. The company has sent invites to media groups for an event on April 15 to launch the new tablet, called Asus Fonepad 7.
Asus already offers two variants of the same tablet in India but this one has two SIM slots. However, there is no word on the 4G LTE network supporting Asus Fonepad 7 tablet.
Asus Fonepad 7 Dual SIM model features a 7-inch LED Backlit IPS panel based display with 1280x800 pixel resolution. This display can support up to 10 fingers for multi-touch. This tablet is powered by a dual-core 1.2 GHz Intel Atom Z2520 processor paired with PowerVR SGX544 GPU graphics. It has 1 GB RAM and 8 GB on-board storage. There is a memory slot in the tablet as well which can accomodate a micro SD card of up to 64 GB capacity. By default, the tablet comes loaded with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update.
The tablet has a 5 megapixel camera at the back and a 1.2 megapixel front camera for video calling. The tablet is meant to be used in portrait mode. Faster mobile internet can be enjoyed with the WiFisupport and the 3G network support in one of the two SIM slots. Other than that the tablet has Bluetooth 3.0 and GPS. ASUS has packed 3950 mAh battery in it which claims to provide about 28 hours of talk time on 3G network.
So far, Indian markets already carry dual-SIM offering tablets that includeMicromax Funbook Mini 410i, iBall Slide 3G 7271-HD70, MTV Slash 4X and Lava E-Tab Ivory to name a few.
Closely priced devices to have a sword fight for style against overall performance.
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Once again, Samsung has come out with a 'Grand' series smartphone, named as Samsung Galaxy Grand Z. The phone is available now for Rs 17,990 (though Samsung has not formally announced its launch). We thus thought it apt to compare the newborn with the HTC Desire 500 which has been there in the market for quite a while and is currently selling for around the same price.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy Grand Z measures 143.5 x 76.9 x 9.6 mm (height, width, thickness) and weighs 162 grams while the Desire 500 measures 131.8 x 66.9 x 9.9 mm and weighs 123 grams. But before you jump to conclusion, note that the Grand Z has a 5 inch display while the Desire 500 has a smaller 4.3 inch touchscreen and hence the difference in their size and weight.
Displays of both the phones have the same 480x800 pixels resolution but since the Desire 500 has a smaller 4.3 inch display, its screen thus have higher pixel density and so may produce better picture quality than the Grand Z.
Design and look wise too, the Desire 500 may appeal to you bbetter than the Galaxy Grand Z. To start with, the HTC handset has a beautiful colour combination; for instance, the white variant has a red stripe around its edges, another white variant come with a blue strip etc. A speaker mesh above the display also improves its overall look.
The Grand Z looks no different from older Samsung devices which is infact major grudge of people against Samsung. Latest Samsung devices have the faux-leather panel but strangely, the Grand Z has a plain back panel. Battery and Memory
The HTC Desire 500 has a slightly smaller 1800 mAh Li-Po battery as compared to the 2100 mAh battery of Grand Z. But owing to its smaller display, the HTC Desire 500 offers better back up. To be specific, Desire 500 claims to offer 12.1 hours of 3G talktime and 435 hours of 3G standby while Samsung Galaxy Grand Z promises 10 hours of talktime and 440 hours of standby over 3G networks.
Both the phones come with an expandable storage slot that can handle a micro SD card of up to 64 GB capacity but Grand Z's 8 GB internal capacity gives it a bit of edge over the Desire 500 which has only 4 GB ROM.
Samsung Galaxy S5 review: Better, but not the great
Credit: Michael Homnick
It feels like only yesterday that I was unboxing the Galaxy S4. I was impressed with the device, but as the year wore on I was exhausted by Samsung's habit of churning out similar-looking phones stuffed with a few new, mostly underwhelming features.
And yet, here we are with the Galaxy S5. It's the same rounded flat plastic rectangle with a heaping of new-and-improved features, as well as more megapixels to help it compete against other companies vying for the title of "best camera phone."
But to be fair, Samsung pulled back on the reins this time around. It shifted its focus to refining the features that were already present in its predecessors rather than stuffing more into an increasingly wider polymer body. Of course, there was still some of that. Samsung still has a ways to go before it relieves itself of that reputation.
A design that works
It's barely distinguishable from its predecessor. I'm of the unpopular opinion that the plastic builds on Samsung's flagship devices don't actually detract from their premium look and feel. Samsung can fake it really well, even if the phone is physically more prone to cracks and scratches. Michael Homnick Not as thin as you thought. It's a phone that appeals to the masses, both young and old. Our pearly white review unit is particularly attractive with its perforated, subtly iridescent back side, its rounded edges, and its triple-layer trim. And yes, while the HTC One (M8) has more premium feeling, some people may not prefer to have a phone entirely made of metal. Michael Homnick The white looks nice, even if you're having a heated phone call. Then again, who makes phone calls anymore?
The Galaxy S5 is just a bit wider than its predecessor and the dimpled backing has a bit of grip to it so it won't slip out of your hand. There's also a handy one-handed mode that shrinks the interface down a bit, though it’s a bit tricky to bring up with the necessary one-thumb-across-the-screen swipe. Michael Homnick Last year's (right) and this year's (left) Galaxy flagship devices.
Annoyingly, a lone tinny speaker still resides on the backside, which won't bode well if you're watching a YouTube video with a friend or have the phone propped up against something. Or if you want to lay the phone on the table for a speakerphone call. Michael Homnick Don't bet on this phone doubling as your boom box. Samsung still utilizes a backwards button setup: menu button on the far left, and back button on the right. At least the menu button now lets you switch between applications instead of popping up settings, but I'd actually prefer to give up a bit of screen space for Android's conventional on-screen button placement. Also, the Galaxy S5's navigational buttons are way too sensitive to even the slightest brush of flesh; I kept accidentally hitting them while using the phone.
Like most of Samsung's mobile devices, you can remove the back cover to reveal the SIM and microSD slots, as well as the removable battery. There's also a thin rubber lining to help ward off against water and dust. Its Micro-USB 3.0 charging port also features a door to help keep water out, and it doesn't awkwardly stick out like the Xperia Z1S's protective flaps. Michael Homnick It's not that hard to make a flap that isn't awkward.
A slightly brighter Super AMOLED
Michael Homnick Scandal looks simply scandalous on the GS5's Super AMOLED display.
The Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch 1080p Full HD Super AMOLED display. Samsung touts the display's ability to better adapt to any type of ambient environment, and the screen can go really dim, thus making it easier on the eyes at night. At its highest brightness, however, it's still an exceedingly bright display with lots of contrast.
It also maintains color accuracy at extreme viewing angles, and its ever-so-slightly wider display makes for an enjoyable video viewing experience on the train ride home. Of course, when the sun shines brightly through the window on the train, you'll have some trouble seeing the screen.
Honestly fast
Initial benchmarks peg the Galaxy S5 as one extremely speedy device. It's the second phone out on the market to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 system-on-chip (SoC), and it narrowly beat out the HTC One (M8) in Anandtech's benchmark charts. You'll feel a big difference over last year's model even when just scrolling through the TouchWiz UI, which seems to have dialed down the bloat since its last iteration. Just a bit faster.
Last year, Samsung was under fire for tweaking its firmware so that it would score higher on benchmarks. Signs point to this no longer being the case, which is a slight breath of relief. If performance is your main concern, you'll be delighted to know that the Galaxy S5’s 2.5GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM were capable of quickly multitasking between games like Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, Google Play movie rentals, and open pages in the Chrome browser. A word of caution, however: the Galaxy S5 gets seriously caliente when you've got the screen brightness turned up on a video or game.
Battery life for days
If you need a phone to last you through the day and then some, the Galaxy S5 can certainly deliver. Its 2,800mAh battery pack lasted a whopping 10 hours and 45 minutes in our video playback tests with the brightness at 100 lumens and Airplane Mode turned on. It beat out the HTC One (M8) by 45 minutes—about 7.5% longer. If you're traveling on a long-haul flight, it'll be great to have this device on hand.
Its battery life is impressive on standby, too. It only burned through 6 percent of its battery life overnight, and the phone charges rapidly—about 10 percent every 20 minutes, even through a regular USB plug. There are also two power-saving modes: the first blocks background data and restricts performance after the device drops below 20 percent, while Ultra power saving mode saves battery power by reverting to a simplified grayscale interface that only lets you use the most essential phone functions.
Go ahead, leave the point-and-shoot at home
Michael Homnick Trust the GS5; it can take your photos for you just fine. The 16-megapixel rear-facing camera sensor is the best camera Samsung has ever packed with a flagship device. Rather than solely rely on software to fuse together photos, Samsung implemented its new sensor technology called ISOCELL to help improve sharpness and low-light accuracy. But, it’s still the same f/2.2 aperture lens as its older sibling, the only difference being that it now has a 4.8mm focal length and a slightly larger sensor.
Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 review: Major upgrade closes the gap with iOS and Android
From the bold vibrancy of its new Start screen, to its new digital assistant, Cortana, Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8.1 establishes itself as a top-tier smartphone platform.
And that’s critical—especially for an operating system currently holding a market share of less than 4 percent among U.S. smartphone buyers (though to be fair, it’s more popular elsewhere). That’s not to say it leaps ahead of Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android, but neither is it markedly deficient in any one area—although it could always use more, higher-quality apps.
What’s even better? You don’t need to twiddle your thumbs, waiting for your carrier to push Windows Phone 8.1 to your phone months down the road. You can sign up for Windows Phone Preview for Developers—yes, you, a mere consumer—and receive the same bits as the carriers receive, as well as any updates. (Note, however, that you may void your warranty, and you may not receive device-specific drivers right away.)
For those less adventurous, Windows Phone 8.1 will be available to all Windows Phone 8 devices, including the Nokia Lumia line. But you’ll likely have to wait a month or two for your carrier to vet the new, free update. Image: Michael HomnickYou can choose a photo to be the focal point of the Windows Phone 8.1 main screen. A random scattering of transparent and opaque Live Tiles overlays the photo, in a way that will seem personalized to some, maybe slightly manic to others.
Windows Phone 8.1 gets personal
Windows Phone 8.1 wants to be your personal operating system. Live Tiles will peek through a screen background of your choosing. The new Cortana digital assistant adjusts itself to your needs and priorities, even screening your calls. And when something of import crops up, a notifications pull-down screen summarizes what you need to know. That barely scratches the surface of the upgrade, but the sum of all the parts is this: a palpable warmth about Windows Phone 8.1 that truly sets it apart. The Windows Phone Start experience just keeps getting better and better. If there was any knock on the Windows Phone 8 Start screen, it might have been that it was too electric. Every Live Tile was brightly colored, many with embedded information scrolling through. There was no obvious focal point.
In all fairness, some of those problems still remain. But my god, the upgrade’s beautiful. And personalized.
On iOS 7, the home screen is a matrix of flat icons. Microsoft redesigned its Windows Phone 8.1 Live Tiles so that on the Start screen, some would be transparent windows overlaid on a background image of your choosing. You can place a People tile that rolls through photos of your contacts. You can set another tile to flash photos from your Camera Roll. You can pin music, specific people, and even websites to the Start screen, all of which can serve updates.
Some might say it gives the Start screen more of a manic look and feel, but the personal touches make the difference. The Start screen could be just a sterile assembly of code and silicon, but instead, it’s a vibrant, incredibly welcoming front door.
On my Nokia Lumia Icon test unit, supplied by Microsoft, Windows Phone 8.1 allows three columns of large Live Tiles. If there’s any criticism to be made here, it’s that the opacity of the tiles themselves is arbitrary—I couldn’t find a way to enable or customize them.
All of your hard work is totally paying off in 2014, Gemini! The rewards started trickling in throughout 2013, but the real windfall of success is still yet to come. This is the year of perseverance and pay-off. Plus, the super lucky money spree that began late last year continues in 2014. Take advantage of the first six months of the year to work the generous influence of Jupiter in your money zone. The bounty that started last July will continue all the way until summer, so stash some of this awesome surplus for potential rainy days down the road.
Perhaps, the best news of the year is the dramatic shift from work to play. Instead of focusing the majority of your time and energy on projects and the daily grind, you're now feeling desperately inclined to devote more of your waking hours to creativity and romantic pursuits. The North Node of Fate is finally leaving your work zone and backing up into your house of love, starting this February. This puts the emphasis on the people, places and things you adore most. The desires of your heart take priority this year. Think of 2014 as a chance to live out your second (or third) childhood, Gemini! Your creativity is sure to skyrocket in a way that you haven't experienced in close to 20 years. This isn't to say that you won't still be hard at work, but you will realize that it's just as important to make time for love and leisure.
Communication, travel and learning become major areas of interest and opportunities for expanding your income in 2014. Watch how your travel schedule is suddenly jam-packed from July onward. You thrive when you're exploring new places, so this should feel like a welcome gift from the universe. Plus, your legendary curiosity reaches new heights as you're suddenly struck with the strong desire to dabble in as many new areas of interest as possible. Just don't spread your busy little self so thin that you lose sight of your top priorities!
Romantic
Your love life takes a destined turn this year, Gemini. The North Node will move into your house of love and romance this February and spend the remainder of the year there. The desire for partnership could feel surprisingly overwhelming, turning your free-spirited ways upside down. If you're already committed, this could be a renaissance in your relationship where pleasure and romance become the essentials. If you're still a free agent, you may be shocked by your sudden need to go straight from dating to mating. In any case, this year promises to bring serious lessons in love and partnering. You're about to learn the whole art of compromise and putting the needs of your beloved before your own when necessary. The whole give-and-take balance can be a tricky issue, but if anyone can master and juggle the impossible, it's you Gemini.
Commitment is a theme in all areas of your life in 2014, and romance is no exception. Saturn is asking you to get serious about your sexuality and how you direct your life force in general. As much as you love to flit and flirt, you'll gain more if you go deeper with just one person. Even if this feels like it goes against your fickle essence, you'll be surprised at how satisfying and fulfilling it can be to just stick it out even when the going gets tough or the tough gets boring. The bigger rewards come from staying put and working through the rough patches rather than jumping ship and looking for something lighter and easier. Although that may prove to be an alluring quick fix, in your heart of hearts some part of you knows that it's just another escape hatch and will only leave you lonely in the end. Try not to give in to what's comfortable this year because the real magic happens when you go beyond what's familiar and safe.
Career
All work and no play was turning Gemini into one cranky camper last year. But not to worry, that level of burnout is so 2013. This doesn't mean you'll suddenly turn into a hedonistic slacker, but you will remember why you've been working so hard in the first place. Work is the means; love, money and security are the ends. You're learning the art of working smarter instead of harder by getting just the right people to help you out so that you can delegate some of your more time-consuming tasks and reclaim your lost social life. The beautiful news is that in 2014, you'll find just the right balance between ambition and leisure. You'll be approaching everything creatively in your professional world in 2014. Your goal is to bring more streamlined loveliness into all facets of production next year.
Be sure to take advantage of the ongoing lucky influence of Jupiter in your money house all the way through until July, Gemini. This is the best time to take risks in order to expand your earning potential. Think big -- and think bigger picture! If you've been limiting yourself to just plugging along and trying to make ends meet over the past few years, Jupiter has come to assist you in expanding your moneymaking horizons. Chances are, there are many opportunities you've been overlooking or just too busy to incorporate into your current career plans. But now is the time to really dream large-scale.
During the second half of 2014, Jupiter will leave your money house and move into your zone of learning and education. If there are new areas of interest that you know could increase your skill set and marketability, by all means jump on them. Any investment in furthering your knowledge proves to be extremely lucrative, so don't be afraid to take the time and resources necessary to make that happen. You'll also be learning a ton through your every day experiences, and luck can happen through chance encounters with strangers, neighbors and potentially even siblings.
General 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 4G Network LTE 700 MHz Class 17 / 2100 - N7105 Announced 2012, August Status Available. Released 2012, September Body Dimensions 151.1 x 80.5 x 9.4 mm Weight 183 g - Touch-sensitive controls - S Pen stylus Display Type Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors Size 720 x 1280 pixels, 5.5 inches (~267 ppi pixel density) Multitouch Yes Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 2 - TouchWiz UI Sound Alert types Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones Loudspeaker Yes 3.5mm jack Yes Memory Card slot microSD, up to 64 GB Internal 16/32/64 GB storage, 2 GB RAM Data GPRS Yes EDGE Yes Speed HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat3, 50 Mbps UL, 100 Mbps DL WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot Bluetooth Yes, v4.0 with A2DP, LE, EDR NFC Yes USB Yes, microUSB (MHL) v2.0, USB Host support Camera Primary 8 MP, 3264x2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash Features Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection, image stabilization Video Yes, 1080p@30fps Secondary Yes, 1.9 MP Features OS Android OS, v4.1.1 (Jelly Bean) Chipset Exynos 4412 Quad CPU Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A9 GPU Mali-400MP Sensors Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer Messaging SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM, RSS Browser HTML5 Radio Stereo FM radio with RDS GPS Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS Java Yes, via Java MIDP emulator Colors Titanium Gray, Marble White - SNS integration - Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic - Dropbox (50 GB storage) - TV-out (via MHL A/V link) - MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264/H.263 player - MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3/FLAC player - Organizer - Image/video editor - Document editor (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF) - Google Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa integration - Voice memo/dial/commands - Predictive text input (Swype) Battery Standard battery, Li-Ion 3100 mAh Stand-by Up to 980 h (2G) / Up to 890 h (3G) Talk time Up to 35 h (2G) / Up to 16 h (3G) SAR US 0.23 W/kg (head) 0.95 W/kg (body) SAR EU 0.17 W/kg (head)
Samsung Galaxy Star Pro - Shine like a star Here comes Samsung Galaxy Star Pro, An affordable smartphone by Tech giant Samsung. Samsung Galaxy Star Pro falls under 4" entry level android segment to fight against the local brands ruling this segment. Samsung Galaxy Star Pro is the successor to Galaxy star released few months back. Flaunting a 2 MP camera, Wifi, 4-GB built-in memory Samsung Galaxy Star Pro provides you with 15 hours of talktime and a stand-by time of 370 hours.
Dimension
121.2 x 62.7 x 10.6 mm
Weight
121 g
Battery
Talk time Up to 15 h, Stand-by Up to 370 h, Music play up to 26 h
OS
Android 4.1.2, Jelly Bean
Memory
4GB built-in, 512 MB RAM, microSD card(supports up to 32GB)
Is the laptop, desktop, or tablet you plan to buy stuck with a last-gen CPU? That may be a reason to wait -- or a way to get a great deal. Here's how to tell
presented by
CNET/Sarah Tew Editors' note: This article was originally published June 27, 2013, and was updated August 22, 2013, to reflect that many more systems are now available with Intel's latest processors, with still more to come later this year.
Before swiping your credit card on a new ultrabook, all-in-one, or convertible, you're going to want to dive a little deeper into the spec sheets. That's because the latest Intel CPU upgrade, introduced in June and code named Haswell (but officially known as "fourth-generation Core i series") offers significant battery life improvements in the laptops we've tested so far. So, unlike the more ho-hum Intel updates we've seen in years past, there's a real-world payoff in seeking out a Haswell-equipped laptop.
But, many popular laptops, such as the Lenovo Yoga 13 and Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display, still use third-generation Intel CPUs, with no official upgrade plans yet announced. If better battery life isn't a big concern, for example if you're going for a desktop PC, or if you have a "desktop replacement" laptop that you don't tend to disconnect from the power cord, this could work in your favor, and you could score a nice discount as more pre-Haswell PCs make their way to the discount bin.
How do you tell which is which? That's the tricky part.
The current laptop landscape
As we move into the Haswell era, the market is in flux. Many "new" laptops and hybrids, such as the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S or the Toshiba Kirabook, all still ship with processors from Intel's third-generation Core i series, the same parts that have been found in most PCs since spring 2012. On the bright side, some popular systems, including the Acer Aspire S7 , have added Haswell parts. Need a 14-hour laptop? Get the new 13-inch MacBook Air.Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, because any current laptop will have more than enough processing power for everyday tasks, such as Web surfing, HD video playback, social media networking, and working on basic office documents. For that reason, in years past, having the latest and greatest processors wasn't especially high on my priorities list. Frankly, the average consumer wouldn't feel much of a difference in surfing the Web on a laptop with a budget-minded Intel Core i3 versus one with a high-end Core i7.
But with a growing number of Haswell PCs (and Macs) tested, the battery life results from them so far has been very impressive . The Haswell-equipped PCs also offer Intel's better integrated graphics, either the HD 5000, HD 4600, or HD 4400, rather than the now-outdated Intel HD 4000 graphics found in third-gen Core i-series systems.
Case in point: the 2012 version of Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air ran for 7 hours and 27 minutes in our video playback battery drain test. The 2013 version of the 13-inch Air, with a Haswell CPU, blows that out of the water, with an astonishing 14 hours and 25 minutes on the same test. Sony's Haswell-powered Vaio Pro 13 ran for nearly 9 hours, and even the gaming-oriented Razer Blade , ran for more than 7 hours.
How to choose
The natural question this raises is: should you hold off on buying a particular PC if it still has a third-generation Intel Core i-series processor and wait for the Haswell version? Some popular systems, including the Lenovo Yoga line, the Microsoft Surface Pro, and Apple's MacBook Pro have not publicly announced street date for updated versions with the newest Intel CPUs. This new Acer Aspire S7 looks the same as the previous model, but its new Intel CPU ran for about 1 hour longer.I suggest approaching with caution, although I'm not ruling out buying a non-Haswell system altogether. Below are some guidelines that represent my current thinking on the subject; feel free to add your own suggestions and ideas in the comments section below. Desktops and larger laptops: Buy now Considering the modest gains in actual application performance (including the HD 5000 graphics), if you're holding off for performance reasons, don't. For a traditional desktop or all-in-one with no battery, the last-gen processor isn't a big deal. The same goes, to a lesser extent, for 15-inch and larger laptops, which by their nature spend most of their time tethered to a desk and power outlet. On the bright side, some gaming laptops, such as the Alienware 14 and Toshiba Qosmio X75 , have already moved to Haswell. Ultrabook-style systems: Seek out a Haswell version Some of the best ultrathin laptops, namely the Apple MacBook Air, Sony's new Vaio Pro (both of which are available in 11- and 13-inch models), and Acer's Aspire S7 now have the new Intel CPUs. Battery life on these is amazing, and I'd be hard-pressed to buy a premium ultrabook (or faux-trabook) with shorter non-Haswell battery life. It would certainly be painful to spend more than $1,600 on a Toshiba Kirabook or Lenovo Helix and not get the latest processors (and the resulting boost in battery life). Budget shoppers: Wait if you can, or seek out bargains if you can't Some of our favorite reasonably priced laptops, such as the Dell Inspiron 14z and Sony's Vaio Fit 14 , are not available with fourth-gen Intel Core i-series CPUs yet, nor is there an estimated date for them. The new Core i3 CPUs for budget and midprice systems are the last item on Intel's priority list (the highest-end quad-core Core i7 chips came out first, followed by Core i5 versions), and more-modest battery life expectations are built into buying a sub-$800 laptop. That said, we're already seeing some good deals on pre-Haswell PCs, as retailers and manufacturers begin blowing out inventory to make room for those new Haswell models. Keep an eye on those Sunday newspaper circulars and Internet deals. Dell's XPS 12 hybrid is now available with a new Haswell-generation CPU.Tablet/hybrids: Wait for Haswell Tablets are designed for all-day on-the-go use, but to date, many Windows models -- from the Lenovo Yoga to the Microsoft Surface Pro -- haven't yet hit that battery life sweet spot. Well, it's time to stop compromising. Every Windows 8 device that's either a slate-style tablet or laptop/tablet hybrid could benefit from the extended battery life offered by Haswell. (That also goes for Intel's next-gen Atom CPU, dubbed Bay Trail -- also due soon.) The 14-hour battery life on the new MacBook Air proves it: it's possible to get much better battery life on tablets than we're getting now, and we should demand it. In other words, if you like the look and feel of a current Windows tablet, hold out for the Haswell version. Fortunately, some hybrids, such as the Dell XPS 12, are now shipping with Haswell CPUs. Bonus advice: Don't worry about Windows 8.1 or Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks Savvy tech shoppers know that Microsoft and Apple are both updating their operating systems before the end of the year, to Windows 8.1 (due October 17) and Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks . The good news is that the Microsoft upgrade will be free (for existing Windows 8 users), and the Mac upgrade is likely to be very cheap (Apple hasn't announced dates or pricing, but the last few Mac versions have been only $20). Any computer running the current OSes should be easily upgradable to the forthcoming versions; there's no reason to wait for them to be released before buying.
Michael Homnick 
Michael Homnick 
Michael Homnick 
Michael Homnick 
Michael Homnick 
Michael Homnick 
Michael Homnick 
