Tag Archives: Handheld & Connected Devices

Android 15 is starting to roll out on Pixel devices

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It’s been a bit of a wait for those who snapped up a new Pixel phone immediately, but Google is now starting to roll out Android 15 across eligible devices. While Google released the source code for the open source variant last month, the retail iteration of the mobile operating system is starting to hit phones and tablets.

As ever, Pixel devices are the first to get access to Android 15. The Pixel 9 lineup debuted in August and although Google typically deploys a major OS update alongside its latest flagship phones, that wasn’t the case this time. Android 15 will be available on eligible devices from other manufacturers in the coming months, but some phone and tablet makers will be using forked versions of the source code.

Security and privacy are major focus points for Android 15. Google says Theft Detection Lock employs AI to help protect your data. Extra layers of authentication for the likes of SIM removal and switching off Find My Device should help secure your device too. You'll be able to set up a private space in Android 15 where sensitive apps (and any others you want to chuck in there) are all but invisible to others.

Other new features include an easy way to pin and unpin the taskbar on foldables and tablets for more customizable layouts and app access. An app pairing option is said to benefit multitasking. You'll be able to save combinations of apps as app icons on the home screen and open them with a tap, which should make moving files between, say, Google Drive and Gmail a cinch.

Google is opening up more camera options to third-party apps, such as more granular control over the flash. You'll be able to log into apps that use passkeys with a single tap. And, perhaps most significantly of all for some folks, carrier messaging apps will be able to support messaging via satellite when you're out of range of cell and Wi-Fi networks.

In addition, Google is releasing a Pixel drop today, which includes support for Theft Detection Lock on devices running Android 10 and later.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/android-15-is-starting-to-roll-out-on-pixel-devices-160039591.html?src=rss

The iPad mini 7 goes big on Apple Intelligence

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Meet Apple’s seventh-generation iPad mini. Arriving over three years after its predecessor, the new tablet adds a faster A17 Pro chip originally found in the iPhone 15 Pro series with support for Apple Intelligence, more entry-level storage and support for the Apple Pencil Pro.

The iPad mini 7 has the same 8.3-inch screen size as the previous model and an identical 2266 x 1488 resolution at 326 ppi. Unfortunately, the refresh rate remains a modest 60Hz; from what we can tell, the display is identical to the one in its predecessor. It’s dimensions remain unchanged as well. The front-facing camera is still in the portrait position, something that makes sense for a device of this size, and both the front- and back-facing cameras appear unchanged from the previous iPad mini.

Without any significant design upgrades, this update is more about what’s inside. The A17 Pro chip lets the new tablet use Apple Intelligence features like smarter Siri, Writing Tools, Image Playground and Genmoji. It also has more RAM and 128GB of storage in the base-level model, double that of the 2021 model. There's also a 512GB storage option for the first time.

The new iPad mini arrives on October 23 and starts at $499 for 128GB storage.

Update, October 15 2024, 9:40AM ET: This post originally said that the new iPad mini used the A18 chip; it has been updated to note that it uses the A17 Pro chip. We apologize for the error.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/the-ipad-mini-7-goes-big-on-apple-intelligence-130848482.html?src=rss

Steam Deck comes to Australia in November

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Australian gamers won't have to buy Steam Deck at exorbitant prices from a reseller anymore or to import them into the country with help from a friend overseas. At PAX Australia, Valve has announced that it will start selling the handheld PC gaming device in the country starting in November. Currently, the Steam Deck is still only available in the US, Canada, UK and EU, as well as in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong via Komodo's website. But Valve has updated the console's official page with an announcement that says "Your Games, down under November 2024."

Both LCD and OLED versions will be sold in Australia, with the 256GB LCD variant setting buyers back by $649 AUD. The 512GB OLED console will cost $899 AUD, while the 1TB OLED version will be sold for $1,049 AUD. Valve released the OLED Steam Deck last year as a mid-cycle refresh with a better screen, better battery life, better haptics and better components overall than the original. Its OLED screen has thinner bezels, come with native support for HDR and has faster frame rates.

Even though the LCD version isn't supposed to be good as its newer sibling, we still think that it's one of the best handheld PCs on the market. It's still powerful enough to run most Steam games, including AAA titles, and it is cheaper than the OLED console.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/steam-deck-comes-to-australia-in-november-130046070.html?src=rss

Apple Prime Day deals on AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads, MacBooks and more that are still available today

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Amazon’s fall Prime Day sale has brought a handful of decent discounts on Apple devices, from the AirPods Pro 2 to the Apple Watch SE to the latest MagSafe Charger. If you’ve been waiting to take the plunge and don’t want to hold out until Black Friday, here are the best Apple deals we could find from the Prime Big Deal Days event. We’ll update this post if we find anything new. As a refresher, the sale runs through the end of the day today, and you’ll need to subscribe to Prime to view some of the deals.

AirPods Pro (2022) review
The AirPods Pro 2.
Billy Steele/Engadget
MacBook Air 15-inch (2024)
The 15-inch Apple MacBook Air with an M3 chip.
Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

  • Apple iPad (9th gen) for $199 ($130 off): This model has technically been discontinued, and we've seen this discount for much of the last couple of months, but it bears repeating that $199 is a great price for an iPad that's still perfectly competent for casual media consumption. You'll have to put up with thicker bezels, the antiquated Home button and a meager 64GB of storage, but you get (almost) the same clean software and expansive app library as any other Apple tablet.

  • Apple iPad mini (6th gen) for $350 ($149 off): To be clear, this is a bad time to buy the iPad mini, as Apple is expected to launch a long-overdue refresh before the end of the year. But if you don’t care about owning the latest and just want a small iPad for (relatively) cheap, this is about $30 less than the 8.3-inch slate’s typical street price over the last few months.

  • Apple Pencil Pro for $96 ($33 off): This is the biggest drop to date for Apple's top-end stylus; just make sure you own (or plan on buying) one the latest iPad Airs or iPad Pros before taking the plunge.

  • Apple MagSafe Charger (25W) for $32 ($7 off): While not a huge discount, this is the lowest price we’ve seen for the company’s newest MagSafe charger, which now supports wireless charging speeds up to 25W with the iPhone 16 (and an appropriate power brick).

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-prime-day-deals-on-airpods-apple-watches-ipads-macbooks-and-more-that-are-still-available-today-072544277.html?src=rss

T-Mobile and Starlink enable their satellite texting service in Florida

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The Federal Communications Commission has given Starlink and T-Mobile permission to enable their satellite texting service for Florida residents ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall. In an announcement on X, SpaceX said that Starlink's Direct to Cell satellites will provide emergency alerts for all phones and carriers, not just T-Mobile's, for those in affected areas. The companies have also enabled basic texting for T-Mobile subscribers, so that they can send and receive texts, as well as text 911 for emergencies, even if they get cut off from the carrier's network in the midst of the storm. 

SpaceX said the companies have activated Direct to Cell for Florida while it's also in the middle of delivering over 10,000 Starlink kits in response to Hurricane Helene. A few days ago, the FCC allowed T-Mobile and Starlink to activate their Direct to Cell service for North Carolina, where more than half of cell towers temporarily went out of commission due to the hurricane. 

Starlink's and T-Mobile's Direct to Cell service hasn't been fully deployed yet. They'd only sent and received the first text messages using the technology back in January. And while they're aiming to start offering their messaging service this year, T-Mobile said they'd deployed an "early test version" of it in the hurricane-hit areas. 

Users will know if their phone connects to a Starlink satellite if they only have one-to-two bars of signal and their network name says "T-Mobile SpaceX." The private space company said they'd have to manually try re-sending messages if they didn't go through the first time and that the service works best outdoors. If users can't get to open spaces safely, they can also try sending messages indoors near a window. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/t-mobile-and-starlink-enable-their-satellite-texting-service-in-florida-100013275.html?src=rss

Microsoft’s ill-fated Surface Duo 2 recieves one final security patch

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Pour one out for the Surface Duo 2. As Windows Central points out, Microsoft has pushed out what will almost certainly go down as the device’s final software update, a security patch, ahead of its October 21 end-of-support date.

When Microsoft debuted the Surface Duo 2 in October 2021, the company pledged to provide three years of software updates for the dual-screen device. Since then, the company has released just one platform update for the Duo 2, upgrading it from Android 11 to Android 12L. By comparison, Surface Duo users were more fortunate. They got to see their devices make the jump from Android 10 to Android 11 and then later to Android 12L. I’ll note here that the latest version of Google’s mobile operating system is Android 15.

By modern standards, the Duo 2’s run is particularly bad. Some Android manufacturers, including Google and Samsung, now promise to provide up to seven generations of platform updates. Consider also that Microsoft priced the Surface Duo 2 at $1,500 on release. Most of all, it’s a shame since software was always the Achilles heel of the Duo line. As Engadget Deputy Editor Cherlynn Low noted in her review of the device back in 2021, the device offered more compelling hardware but was still plagued by an inconsistent user experience.

Of course, none of this is surprising if you’ve been following Microsoft in recent months. As the company has shifted its attention to AI, its Surface portfolio has seemingly fallen to the wayside. In fact, according to a report Business Insider published last year, part of the reason Panos Panay left Microsoft was because the company had canceled some of his unit’s more ambitious projects.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/microsofts-ill-fated-surface-duo-2-foldable-recieves-one-final-security-patch-192001469.html?src=rss

Apple’s 9th-gen iPad returns to an all-time low of $199 for October Prime Day

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Amazon's October Prime Day sale may have ended, but there remain a few Prime Day deals floating around right now — including some on Apple gear. One of the lowest prices you'll find is on the 9th-gen iPad, which remains on sale for $199. That's a 40-percent discount from its $329 normal price, and the cheapest we've seen this slab.

Let's be very clear: this iPad is quite old at this point. Apple released it in 2021 and the company has since rolled out a new base iPad, along with several mini, Pro and Air models. If you're looking for a more recent model that Apple will support for longer, you can check out our guide on how to pick the best iPad for you. This sale feels very much like a case of trying to clear out old stock, but there are plenty of valid reasons to opt for the 9th-gen iPad instead of a more powerful model.

We gave the 9th-gen iPad a score of 81 in our review, due to its solid camera, performance and base storage (64GB) upgrades and the solid battery life. It lasted for 14 hours on a single charge during our initial video-streaming tests. It even has a headphone jack, which is a definite plus point.

The tablet will certainly do the trick if all you really need is a tablet to catch up on reading, browse the web, handle some emails and watch videos — more so if you're already in the Apple ecosystem. You'll be able to doodle on this iPad with the original Apple Pencil, but this model is not best suited for professional-level design work or productivity.

Apple tends to support iPads for at least five years in terms of iPadOS updates, so it's likely (but not a sure thing) that you'll be able to install up to iPadOS 20 on this thing. As such, you should be able to stream video via the likes of Netflix to this tablet for several years to come.

If you're willing to spend a bit more on an iPad, you can still grab some Prime Day deals on other iPads too:

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-9th-gen-ipad-returns-to-an-all-time-low-of-199-for-october-prime-day-155016190.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day Kindle deals take up to 25 percent off the Scribe and Paperwhite models

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In these final hours of Amazon's October Prime Day sale, we're down to just two Kindle models on sale (or, really available at all) on Amazon's site. Why are there just two active listing for Kindles right now? It's almost certainly because Amazon is going to announce new models soon. We have no hard evidence to back that up. But consider that the newest option, the Scribe, is two years old. Consider that Amazon has no color ereaders in its lineup (while it's rivals do). Then add in the fact that models are missing from one of Amazon's biggest sales of the year. It's a good bet that new models are on the way.  

So why would you want to bother with the Kindle sales that are happening. Some won't. But others may prefer a tried-and-true model over the latest thing. The good news is that an ereader isn't meant to do everything a tablet can. They should display crisp, 300 dpi text, have weeks of battery live, be comfortable to hold and have a soft front light for low-light reading. Both of these models do just that (plus the Scribe adds in note-taking). Here are the best Prime Day Kindle deals (all two of them). 

Amazon's latest Kindle Paperwhite e-reader, which was released at the end of October 2021.
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Amazon Kindles dominate the ereader market, and right now there are just two models to choose from. Of course, a new Kindle is likely on the horizon — rumors suggest as much and the last entry in the lineup came over two years ago. But since ereaders aren't as tech-heavy as a tablet, the generational bump may not make as much difference. 

  • Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($25 off): The Paperwhite is an upgraded Kindle, adding a larger display, an adjustable warm light and a waterproof build. The flush-front screen makes page turns easier and a faster processor makes that action speedier, too.

  • Amazon Kindle Scribe for $255 ($85 off): You can write as well as read with this tablet. It has a large 10.2-inch display, auto-adjusting warm front light and an auto-rotating display. It comes with the Basic pen so you can use the notebook feature that even converts handwriting to text.

  • Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Case for $20 ($15 off): If you already have the latest (11th generation) Paperwhite, here's a deal on a case. It not only adds a little protection, opening or closing the cover also wakes or sleeps your device. 

  • Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle for $135 ($70 off): If you want a case and are picking up the Paperwhite ereader for the first time, go for this bundle that includes the device, the cover and a power adapter for just $10 more than the sale price of the Paperwhite on its own. 

October Prime Day 2024 Kindle Kids deals

Kindles geared towards kids are basically the same thing as their “adult” counterparts, but these come with a cover, extended warranty and a free trial of Amazon Kids+ that lets youngsters access kid-friendly audiobooks, stories and more. Plus they don’t have ads on the lock screen (Amazon makes you pay $20 for that concession on the standard devices).

  • Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $115 ($55 off): The kids edition of the upgraded Paperwhite ereader has a flush-front design, waterproof build and warm front lights for late-night reading. It comes with a cover, a two-year warranty and a year of the kids subscription.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-kindle-deals-take-up-to-25-percent-off-the-scribe-and-paperwhite-models-080333490.html?src=rss

Amazon’s Kindle Scribe is $85 off for Prime Day

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The Kindle that lets you take handwritten notes is on sale for Amazon Prime Day. The 16GB model of the Kindle Scribe is currently $85 off and down to $255 instead of the usual $340. That's not an all-time low — the ereader hit $240 as recently as July's Prime Day — but this is the lowest price we've tracked since then. And, while there's likely a new Kindle or two on the horizon, nothing is confirmed just yet. 

The Kindle Scribe is our pick for the best E Ink tablet that's also an ereader. The latency is next to nothing when it comes to drawing and handwriting notes, and we like that the basic stylus is included in the price (instead of coming as a separate purchase like with some E Ink slabs). You also get a number of brush types to choose from, like fountain pen, marker and pencil, and it's easy to create and manage notebooks in which you can put those stroke styles to work. 

We gave the device a score of 85 in our full review of the Kindle Scribe, again praising the writing experience as well as the premium build and ample screen size. One caveat is the lack of support for writing in the margins on most Kindle ebooks. While there's a small library of titles that allow you to scribble directly on the page, they're mostly crosswords and planner titles. For most ebooks, you'll make notes in a pop-up window linked to the text. 

As an ereader, the Scribe has a few abilities other ereaders don't, such as letting you read two pages side-by-side when the screen is in landscape orientation. It also has a flush-front display and auto-adjusting warm front lights. We also like how easy it is to read borrowed library books on a Kindle. Plus a recent update enabled handwriting-to-text conversions that you can email to your contacts.  

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-kindle-scribe-is-85-off-for-prime-day-120059393.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day Samsung Galaxy deals include up to 25 percent off the Galaxy S24 lineup

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Android phone fan? Not into Google's Pixel phones? Well, we have good news: Samsung has discounted the majority of its Galaxy S24 lineup as part of the final day of Amazon's October Prime Day sale — but these enticing prices are only expected to last a few more hours. The deals bring the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra down to $998, which is 23 percent off the jumbo-sized phone's list price and about $100 off its street price on Amazon in recent months. If the premium path isn't your style, the Galaxy S24+ is also on sale for $750, while the standard Galaxy S24 is on sale for $600. 

One important note: While the specs and screen sizes here often meet or exceed that of the newer Galaxy S24 FE, that model's $649 price is currently deferred by inclusion of your choice of a $100 Amazon gift card and the option to add the Galaxy Buds FE headphones for just $50 more. 

We'll quickly run through each offer below.

This is a particularly nice price cut for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which has a list price of $1,300. That means you can keep an extra $300 compared to buying from Samsung directly and walk away with one of our top Android phones of 2024. The Ultra impressed us with the upgraded titanium frame, improved display and camera options, and AI capabilities that offered function as well as flash. Its performance from a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC offered a 30 to 35 percent spike over the previous year's chip. One of the only downsides our review found was the price tag, so a sale like Prime Day is a great time to snap up something from the higher end of the Samsung line.

This Prime Day deal can save you $250 on the Galaxy S24+, which normally costs $1,000. The S24+ was expected to be a minor iteration on the Samsung product line, but this mid-range option provided a solid experience for customers who aren't interested in shelling out for the bleeding-edge features on top-flight, premium end of phone models. This models had respectable performance speeds in our tests, boasted a Quad HD+ screen and offered notably long battery life. The specs may not blow your mind, but it still showcased the possibilities of Samsung's Galaxy AI suite. 

Sometimes, you want to keep it simple. The introductory Galaxy S24 model is getting a $200 discount on its $800 baseline package for Prime Day. Like the S24+, this phone probably isn't going to be a conversation starter, but it's a solid choice for a workhorse device that gets daily use. And like its mid-range counterpart, the S24 packed solid battery performance into its 6.2-inch frame and it has a Full HD+ screen.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-samsung-galaxy-deals-include-up-to-25-percent-off-the-galaxy-s24-lineup-101558797.html?src=rss