New leaked Microsoft Surface Pro 8 details confirm memory configurations and LTE support

The Surface Pro 8 has already leaked plenty of times, but now Roland Quandt has revealed the memory configurations of Microsoft’s upcoming 2-in-1. So far, we know that the design of the Surface Pro 8 will remain unchanged from its predecessor, which featured an outdated design itself. The Redmond-based company will switch the Surface Pro to Intel’s Tiger Lake-U platform though, which should bring a healthy graphics boost for the Surface Pro 8 compared to the Surface Pro 7.

According to Quandt, LTE connectivity will return as of the Surface Pro 8, which is unsurprising. We suspect that Microsoft will restrict LTE connectivity to the Business version of the Surface Pro 8 though, as it does with many of its Surface products. Hence, there will be no 5G connectivity for the Surface Pro in 2021. The Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1165G7 should be available for business and regular customers, though.

Additionally, Quandt claims that the Surface Pro 8 will be configurable with up to 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD. We imagine that the Surface Pro 8 will be just as improbable to upgrade as the Surface Pro 7 though, if it follows the same design. It would be good if the Surface Pro 8 features a replaceable SSD like the Surface Laptop 3 and Surface Pro X do, but we doubt that will be the case.

The Surface Pro 8 should debut in early 2021 alongside the Surface Laptop 4. Microsoft will offer the Surface Pro 8 in the following configurations, according to Quandt:

Surface Pro 8 LTE i5 8 GB/128 GB

Surface Pro 8 LTE i5 8 GB/256 GB

Surface Pro 8 LTE i5 16 GB/256 GB

Surface Pro 8 i5 8 GB/128 GB

Surface Pro 8 i5 8 GB/256 GB

Surface Pro 8 i5 16 GB/256 GB

Surface Pro 8 i7 16 GB/256 GB

Surface Pro 8 i7 16 GB/512 GB

Surface Pro 8 i7 16 GB/1 TB

Surface Pro 8 i7 32 GB/1 TB

AMD Ryzen 5 5500U to star in upcoming Acer Swift laptop with gaming-capable iGPU boost of 1.80 GHz

Another Ryzen 5000-powered laptop has appeared online, this time in the form of an Acer Swift SF314-43 device. This will be good news for fans of the brand or of thin and light laptops that don’t scrimp on performance for design. The Acer Swift 3 SF314-42 laptop we reviewed earlier this year demonstrated how well the OEM combined necessary components with a Ryzen 7 4700 APU. The Renoir processor afforded the Acer device with high system performance, and its integrated AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 GPU (max. 1.60 GHz) allowed for some decent gaming benchmarks: 77.1 FPS in GTA V at medium settings.

Keeping that latter device in mind, it’s fair to start dreaming about what the Acer Swift SF314-43 with AMD Ryzen 5 5500U could deliver. The Lucienne APU is not even the direct successor to the Ryzen 7 4700U: The Ryzen 5 5500U is a 6-core, 12-thread part with a 2.10 GHz to 4.00 GHz clock range whereas the older Renoir chip has 8 cores and 8 threads (no simultaneous multithreading support) and processes at 2 GHz to 4.1 GHz. Comparing the Ryzen 5000 processor with a Ryzen 5 4500U highlights the iGPU difference too, as the latter part relied on a Radeon RX Vega 6 with six compute units and 1.50 GHz clock.

The Acer Swift SF314-43’s Geekbench result reveals the Ryzen 5 5500U’s iGPU as having seven compute units and a maximum clock rate of 1.80 GHz. That’s a handy 20% clock rate increase over the Ryzen 5 4500U’s graphics-processing component, and it should mean that future owners of this Acer Swift laptop should be able to enjoy some light gaming sessions when not utilizing the CPU part of the Zen 2 chip for work or study-related multitasking. AMD’s Ryzen 5000 mobile APUs are starting to look like they could be as big of a hit as the Renoir Ryzen 4000 series chips were.

Apple Watch Series 7 with under-display camera and Touch ID button could become a reality if related patents come to fruition

The Apple Watch Series 6 has only been available for a short time, but like any tech company wanting to stay ahead or at least abreast of its rivals, Apple has been busy looking forward to the next iteration. A couple of patents in regard to the Apple Watch have surfaced that could point to some big changes for the Apple Watch Series 7 range that would certainly please fans of the brand. The patents, reported by PatentlyApple and AppleInsider, respectively, concern a Touch ID button for the Apple Watch and a two-stage display that would allow for an under-display camera.

Touch ID has been around for some time, with the technology first being introduced to the Apple iPhone 5S (2013). Although Touch ID usage has now spread over Apple’s range of iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, it has not been implemented with the Apple Watch yet. But that could change according to a patent titled “electronic device having sealed button biometric sensing system”. Drawings in the patent are clearly of a smartwatch, so it is possible an Apple Watch Series 7 device could end up with an additional physical button underneath the present existing one specifically for this purpose. It would add an extra layer of security to the wearable and could be used for user authentication, approving purchases, and accessing or securing sensitive information.

But if Apple really wants to make an Apple Watch 7 spectacular, then a Touch ID button might not cut the mustard on its own. Also adding an under-display camera that utilized two-stage display technology would do the trick though. A separate patent, appropriately titled “electronic device with two-stage displays”, suggests that an under-display camera could be installed in an Apple Watch that only becomes visible when its usage is required. This kind of technology has already surfaced with concept smartphones such as the OnePlus Concept One. A transparent layer is enabled when the camera is used and disabled when not required. Of course, innovations in patents don’t always come to fruition, but at least Apple is not short of ideas for the successor to the Apple Watch Series 6.

Samsung tipped to release four foldable smartphones in 2021 including more affordable models

Samsung could have as many as four foldable devices in the pipeline for 2021 according to a report from Korea’s ETNews. If true, the report underscores rumors that Samsung is planning to phase out its iconic Galaxy Note series in favor of its folding smartphone line up. Indications are that Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra will offer S-Pen support and that at least one of the foldables will also pick up S-Pen support in the coming year too.

ETNews believes that there will be two Galaxy Z Fold3 models and two new Galaxy Z Flip models as well. With all expected to support 5G cellular connections, it appears that Samsung could be adopting a split strategy for its range with a high-end Fold3 and Flip joined by a more affordable, or ‘Lite’ alternative for each. The high-end Galaxy Z Fold3 is also expected to bring S-Pen support and will launch in a similar window to when the Galaxy Note would have otherwise launched. This will give traditional Note customers a truly powerful mobile computing alternative.

In terms of the differentiation between the high-end and Lite foldable models, lower specification processors and potentially displays are likely. This, however, could significantly increase the affordability of Samsung’s foldable range which have thus far been priced beyond the reach of most consumers. Samsung believes its foldable OLED technology is the future of smartphones and ETNews also reports that Samsung will launch a rollable smartphone to compete with LG’s forthcoming rollable. This model, however, may not reach the market until 2022.

Nvidia rumored to postpone the RTX 3080 Ti launch to February, pushing the RTX 3060 12 GB release to January 2021

Availability for the RTX 3000 cards is still up in the air, and AIB partners are jacking up prices whenever possible, yet Nvidia seems fine with releasing even more models that are designed to compete with AMD’s new RX 6000 cards. It is not like AMD is doing any better as far as availability is concerned, but Nvidia finally realized that the gap between RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 is a bit too wide, so an RTX 3080 Ti model sporting 20 GB VRAM is expected to launch early next year as a competitor for AMD’s RX 6900 XT. Previous rumors were suggesting that this model could be announced at CES 2021 in mid-January. According to new reports coming from Videocardz and Igor’s Lab, however, this does not seem to be the case anymore. Apparently, Nvidia is considering rescheduling the RTX 3080 Ti for a mid to late February launch, and instead rush the RTX 3060 (non-Ti) models for an early January launch.

These schedule changes are most likely caused by the production problems with the Samsung 8 nm nodes already acknowledged by Nvidia. The high-end SKUs seem to be more affected in this regard due to the die size, whereas the RTX 3070 and 3060 Ti models that integrate cut-down SKUs appear to get better yields as suggested by the slightly higher stocks.

When it comes to specs, the RTX 3080 Ti is rumored to feature the same number of CUDA cores as the RTX 3090 plus 20 GB of GDDRX6 memory for only $999 MSRP. It certainly looks like Nvidia could phase out the RTX 3090 with this move. Still, if the production problems still continue to be an issue well into 2021, those MSRPs could prove to be wishful thinking.

As for the non-TI versions of the RTX 3060 cards, Igor’s Labs and VIdeocardz are reporting that there will be 12 GB and 6 GB versions, each with different CUDA cores on top, to confuse the buyers even more. Nvidia did something similar a few years ago with the GTX 1060 cards that had 3 GB and 6 GB versions. We are not exactly sure why Nvidia is adding 12 GB of VRAM on the RTX 3060. Team green probably thinks that this could boost sales, but, of course, it all heavily relies on availability and pricing. The 12 GB version is supposed to launch first some time in mid-January, while the 6 GB version could possibly launch early February.

Igor’s Lab also reports that an RTX 3050 card based on an even more cut-down GA107 SKU with only 4 GB of RAM is to be expected at some point beyond February 2021. Additionally, word on the street is that Nvidia intended to launch an RTX 3050 Ti version, but rebranded it as the RTX 3060 6 GB meanwhile.

Intel Core i7-1160G7-powered OneGX1 Pro now available starting at US$1,360

At the end of September, a video showing the OneGX1 Pro in action surfaced online and the gaming performance revealed looked quite impressive considering the fact that we are talking about a 7-inch laptop with an integrated Intel Iris graphics processor that features 96 execution units and clock speeds of up to 1.1 GHz. However, we weren’t expecting the starting price to be much higher than the US$839 price tag of the OneGX1. Sadly, we were wrong.

For a whopping US$1,359 (this price seems to be available only on GeekBuying and for a limited time) or US$1,399, the OneGX1 Pro comes with the Intel Core i7-1160G7 processor, 16 GB of memory, and a 512 GB SSD. The hardware setup upgrade choices include the following:

16GB/512GB/WiFi + 4G LTE for US$1,439

16GB/1TB/WiFi for US$1,470

16GB/512GB/WiFi + 5G for US$1,729

In addition to the configurations above, the potential buyer should also consider a small budget bump for the controllers, which come for US$50. Quite a hefty sum for what is, after all, a mini laptop with integrated graphics that doesn’t have much to show when facing modern games. While the OneGX1 Pro can surely run Crysis, I wouldn’t throw Cyberpunk 2077 at it.

Samsung to bestow the Galaxy S21 series with the Exynos 2100 in Europe and South Korea; 16 GB of RAM headed to the Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung has already confirmed that the Galaxy S21 series is headed to market on January 14, with pre-orders set to follow later that month. There have also been plenty of renders and benchmark sightings of the three devices, along with a few videos of the Galaxy S21. Now, Twitter account @cozyplanes claims to have confirmed specifications of the Galaxy S21 devices, including regional variants.

According to the account, the Exynos 2100 chipset will be making its way into European and South Korean versions of the Galaxy S21 series – a change from the most-recent Galaxy S handset, the Galaxy S20 FE. However, Samsung will release the Galaxy S21 series with chipsets Snapdragon in the USA, a decision that has served US customers well recently.

This time it will be the Snapdragon 888 that graces Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones, although we doubt that this chipset will be exclusive to the USA. Instead, we imagine that Samsung will sell Snapdragon 888-powered Galaxy S21 devices in China, at the very least.

@cozyplanes states that the trio will be available in a variety of memory configurations at launch. Specifically, the Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ will both come with 8 GB of RAM, along with 128 GB or 256 GB of storage. Additionally, Samsung will apparently sell the Galaxy S21+ with 12 GB of RAM, which will be the entry-level RAM configuration for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. We already know from Roland Quandt that Samsung will offer the Galaxy S21 Ultra with up to 512 GB of storage, but @cozyplanes adds that there will also be 16 GB of RAM available to the premier Galaxy S series device next year. 

Moreover, the base Galaxy S21 will only have an FHD+ display, while the Galaxy S21+ will have a QHD panel. The latter will be capable of 120 Hz too, unlike the Galaxy S21, albeit only at FHD+. A glass back is also coming to the Galaxy S21+, but Samsung is thought to be using its ‘glasstic’ plastic back on the entry-level model. We imagine that Samsung will equip the Galaxy S21 Ultra with a glass back too. However, @cozyplanes did not elaborate on this.

The Google Pixel 5 Pro is purported to be in development

The Pixel 5 Pro posted on /LEAKS last week may well have been a fake of some sort, but apparently Google has such a device in development. We voiced our doubts about the supposed Pixel 5 Pro pictures here, not least because of the inconsistencies of its purported specifications. However, Ross Young of DSCC has weighed in on the likelihood of there being another flagship Pixel smartphone in the near future.

Replying to a tweet by Max Weinbach, Young asserts that suppliers have been developing such a device. Weinbach does not believe that a Pixel 5 Pro exists, but panel suppliers have apparently informed Young otherwise. Google has already admitted that it plans to release ‘exciting hardware’ next year, although companies do often make vague claims like this.

Sadly, Young insists that Google has put the Pixel 5 Pro on hold. Young has not explained any further, but the device is real. It is unclear at what stage of development said device is at too, although we would be surprised if Google used the Snapdragon 865 considering that Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon 888. 

Do not rule out the Pixel 5 because of its Snapdragon 765G chipset, though. As our review of the device has shown, the Pixel 5 is a powerful handset with great cameras and an excellent display. Google has improved battery life from the Pixel 4 series too, arguably making it an upgrade from the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL.

Redmi K40 live images show a smartphone that has considerably evolved from the Redmi K30

Supposed Redmi K40 live images have leaked online, likely originally via Chinese social media. The photos show how much the K40 has evolved in comparison with the Redmi K30, and it should excite fans of the series in general. There are rumors that the flagship-killing Redmi K40, which could end up with an SD 888 and AMOLED panel, could be released around the same time as the Xiaomi Mi 11 – towards the end of December.

The leaked live images show the alleged Redmi K40 from the front and back. The Redmi K30 had a dual-camera setup at the front that was situated in the top right-hand corner, but as can be seen in the real-world photos of the Redmi K40 (see below), these have been exchanged for a simple and subtle punch-hole cutout in the top center of the display. This should leave more screen real estate for owners to utilize.

The rear-facing main camera setup of the Redmi K40 has completely evolved from the K30. Whereas the predecessor had a line of four lenses in a central circular housing, the Redmi K40 sports a stadium-shaped housing on the top left-hand side that appears to feature five cameras and the flash. The words “ultra premium” can be seen in the camera bump, too. It certainly seems that Xiaomi has some surprises in store for the end of 2020.

Vivo officially sets a date for the X60 series’ launch; announces new Zeiss collaboration for its cameras

Vivo has finally confirmed that its upcoming X60 flagship series will launch on December 29, 2020. This event may represent some interesting changes for the OEM, not the least in that it is to adopt the Exynos 1080 SoC for these phones rather than Snapdragon silicon as usual.

The devices should also be the OEM’s first premium products to ship with its new Android skin, OriginOS, and may also integrate 120Hz displays across all variants this time. Then again, the Vivo X60s may be similar to their predecessors in that they will have a larger-than-average main shooter in their rear camera array.

Vivo has also let it be known that at least 1 of these phones’ cameras has been designed as a result of a new collaboration with the lens specialist Zeiss. A new official teaser shows this company’s branding on the X60s’ new camera hump, whereas other renders show that the same exhibits text indicating that it has “Vario-Tessar 1.48-3.4/16-125 ASPH” technology from the same firm.

Zeiss and Vivo might offer more details on these indications at their joint press conference on this new collaboration, which will take place ahead of the X60 launch on December 17, 2020. Meanwhile, the former has given no hints as to what this new business move could mean for its existing partnership with Nokia.