Tag: laptop

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Lenovo’s new Slim Pro laptop has a mini-LED display

Following up on last week’s Lenovo gaming laptop announcement, the company is back with several new Windows 11 laptops for work and creativity.

The new laptops include the Slim Pro 9i Gen 8, Slim Pro 7 Gen 8, Slim 7i Gen 8 and Yoga 7.

Lenovo’s Slim Pro 9i (pictured above) is the flagship offering, boasting 14.5- or 16-inch PureSight Pro displays, Lenovo X Power, and more. PureSight Pro is a new display technology available on several of Lenovo’s new laptops that uses mini0LED technology to offer up to 1200nits of brightness and colour accuracy by hitting 100 percent of both DCI-P3 and the Adobe RGB colour gamut.

Lenovo X Power, on the other hand, is a set of hardware and software features that work together to improve various experiences. An example offered by Lenovo is that X Power can “drastically” speed up software preview, rendering and exports when editing video.

Lenovo Slim Pro 7

Beyond X Power and PureSight Pro, the Slim Pro 9i offers up to 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs and an Nvidia RTX 4070 laptop GPU.

Finally, there’s the AI Engine+, which is available on the 9i and other Slim Pro laptops. It helps improve performance by anticipating power or battery needs based on what users are doing with the laptop.

Slim Pro 7, Slim 7i and Yoga 7 series

Lenovo Slim 7i

Moving on to the other laptops, Lenovo aims to pack performance into sleek designs.

The Slim Pro 7 sports a 14.5-inch PureSight Pro display with up to a 3K resolution, 400 nights of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. Lenovo didn’t note the CPU options for the Slim Pro 7, but did say it’ll use either the Nvidia RTX 3050 or 4050 laptop GPUs.

The Slim 7i, on the other hand, sports the latest generation 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs.

Lenovo Yoga 7

Finally, the Yoga 7 and 7i offer 360-degree hinges — as standard with the Yoga line — so that users can take advantage of a typical clamshell laptop experience or fold the device into a tablet. The Yoga series offers either the latest 13th Gen Intel or AMD Ryzen 7000 CPU with a 2.8K OLED 16:10 display.

Availability

Lenovo provided the following details about the laptops’ availability in North America, though only with U.S. pricing. I’ve included CAD conversions below, though actual Canadian pricing may vary.

  • Slim Pro 9i (16-inch) will start at $1,799.99 USD (about $2,456.81 CAD), with expected availability starting May 2023.
  • Slim Pro 9i (14.5-inch) will start at $1,699.99 USD (about $2,320.32 CAD), with expected availability starting May 2023.
  • Slim Pro 7 will start at $1,199.99 USD (about $1,637.87 CAD), with expected availability starting April 2023.
  • Slim 7i will start at $1,179.99 USD (about $1,610.57 CAD), with expected availability starting April 2023.
  • Yoga 7i (14-inch) will start at $849.99 USD (about $1,160.15 CAD), with expected availability starting April 2023.
  • Yoga 7i (16-inch) will start at $799.99 USD (about $1,091.91 CAD), with expected availability starting April 2023.
  • Yoga 7 will start at $799.99 USD (about $1,091.91 CAD), with expected availability starting May 2023.
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Samsung’s Galaxy Book 3 360 is now available in Canada

Samsung’s Galaxy Book 3 360 is now available in Canada.

The Book 3 360, part of the company’s Galaxy Book 3 series, is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop running Windows 11. Canadians can now pick one up from Samsung’s website, Samsung Experience Stores and from other retailers.

Sporting a 13.3-inch 2880×1800 pixel AMOLED display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, the Book 3 360 runs on an Intel Core i7-1360P. It supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1 and it comes in ‘Graphite.’ You can learn more about the Book 3 360, as well as Samsung’s other Galaxy Book 3 devices, here.

The Samsung Canada website offers the 16GB RAM, 512GB storage Book 3 360 configuration, which costs $1,899. There’s also an 8GB model with 256GB of storage that costs $1,499, but it doesn’t appear to be available to purchase on Samsung’s website. It’s listed on this page, but when you click through to purchase, only the 16GB/512GB config is listed. MobileSyrup reached out to Samsung about the issue and the company is looking into it.

Samsung’s Galaxy Book 3 360 promotions.

Samsung’s website also has some promotions for those looking to get a Galaxy Book 3 360. First off, Samsung’s offering up to $150 in savings if you trade in an eligible device. Second, Samsung’s offering $300 off the 512GB storage model, but warns customers will need to wait five to six weeks for delivery.

You can check out the Galaxy Book 3 360 on Samsung’s website.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.

Image credit: Samsung Canada

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Canadian research team discovers widespread manufacturing flaw in most device batteries

An assistant professor at Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia has come forward with a discovery that could change how batteries in personal devices are manufactured.

Micheal Metzger, part of a research team at the university, says that unexpected battery drainage is likely due to a widespread manufacturing flaw.

The group of Halifax-based researchers has determined that the problem stems from tiny pieces of tape that hold the components of the battery. These pieces are said to be made using the wrong type of plastic. According to Metzger, most batteries are experiencing a phenomenon known as “self-discharge.” This is caused by the battery’s electrons being unable to correctly flow through connected cables, powering a circuit, before returning to the battery. This causes the battery to be depleted internally and a device to lose its charge, even if it’s off.

“These days, batteries are very good,” Metzger said to the CBC. “But, like with any product, you want it perfected. And you want to eliminate even small rates of self-discharge.”

Dalhousie University’s battery lab is being used to test dozens of experimental battery cells. The research team is charging them and discharging them in hot environments, with temperatures upwards of 80 degrees Celsius. The team aims to learn why a battery fails over time in order to tweak its electrodes, whether positive or negative or change the electrolyte fluid.

Over the course of the team’s testing, the battery components were analyzed. As such, the team discovered that the inside casing of the battery was being held by metal, insulated coil, and tape. The sections of tape were comprised of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly found in water bottles and other items. As it turns out, the use of PET leads to self-discharge within the battery.

This discovery has been public since November 2022. The Halifax research team proposes the use of a slightly more expensive plastic compound in batteries to solve the issue. A durable, more stable option is polypropylene. This compound is commonly used in reusable water bottles and doesn’t decompose as quickly as PET.

Whether or not manufacturers pick up on this discovery and adopt new procedures is another story.

Source: CBC

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HP Spectre x360 14 Review: Stylish 2-in-1 marred by issues

It’s been a while since I last used an HP laptop, and particularly one of HP’s Spectre devices. Back in 2019, I reviewed the Spectre x360 and was generally impressed with it – the laptop offered a stylish design and decent specs and performance with a few issues.

Fast forward to 2023, and I’ve been using the latest Spectre x360 for a few weeks (I started testing it last year, actually, but thanks to a busy holiday season and some well-deserved time off, the review is only coming out now).Generally, the new Spectre keeps some of the main stylings of the 2019 variant but swaps out the edgy, chiselled chassis for one with rounded edges. Moreover, the new Spectre only comes in one boring ‘Natural Silver’ colour – I miss the lovely green/gold colours featured on the 2019 model.

But colours and design only mean so much on a laptop, and in the other areas that matter, the Spectre x360 disappointed more than it impressed. I’ll get into it more below, but an assortment of audio and performance issues dampened my experience with the laptop despite the Spectre x360 generally getting everything else right.

Specs

  • Display: 13.5-inch WUXGA+ IPS 1920×1280 pixel 3:2 multitouch display with 400 nits brightness
  • Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-1235U
  • Memory: 16GB
  • Storage: 1TB SSD
  • Dimensions: 29.8 x 22.04 x 1.69 cm
  • Weight: 1.36 kg
  • Camera: HP True Vision 5MP IR camera
  • Operating System: Windows 11
  • Battery: 66Wh lasts “up to 16 hours”
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
  • Sensors: Fingerprint, accelerometer, eCompass, colour temperature light sensor, gyroscope, IR thermal sensor
  • Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x ‘SuperSpeed’ USB Type-A, 1x headphone/mic combo
  • Graphics: Intel UHD

Note: The above specs are for the specific laptop I tested. You can view all configurations for the Spectre x360 14 here.

Feelin’ old school

Initially, I wasn’t a huge fan of the more rounded design of the Spectre x360. However, after using the laptop for a bit, I came to appreciate the rounded edges as they made the laptop more comfortable when in use. For example, the rounded edges didn’t rub my wrists when typing in the same way as squared-off edges do.

Moreover, the rounded edges made for a slightly more old-school feel, reminiscent of the days before every laptop was a samey metal slab.

Of course, not everyone will appreciate the style of the Spectre x360, but I found it unique enough to feel different without being a totally alien device.

I also appreciate that the cut corners returned, although they do feel incongruous with the rest of the laptop’s design. Like with the 2019 model I tested, the cut corners reside on the hinge side of the laptop, and only two of the four corners are cut this way, making the laptop asymmetrical in a way I don’t prefer. That said, the asymmetric design is less offensive on the 2022 Spectre since the non-cut corners match the rounded aesthetic present elsewhere.

One major difference from 2019 is that the new Spectre x360 sports the headphone/mic jack on the top-left corner instead of the power button, which now resides on the top-right corner of the keyboard. Practically, I prefer not having a power button on the side of the laptop, but I’d also prefer if it was set apart from the keyboard rather than disguised to look like any other key.

The top-right corner of the laptop once again sports a USB-C port (both USB-C ports on the Spectre x360 14 are Thunderbolt 4 as well). The angled port is great for charging since it keeps the cable out of the way of your mouse – it’s a great middle ground between the accessibility of side-mounted ports and the clean look of tucking your cables away with rear-mounted ports.

I do wish the left corner also had a USB-C port since my desk setup would prefer cables on the left side of my laptop, but that’s a niche complaint for me.

Hardware chops (and flops)

The Spectre x360’s display is decent. While not the best display I’ve ever seen, it definitely gets the job done and I have no complaints. The 3:2 aspect ratio is welcome as always, and the 1920×1280 pixel resolution – while not a super high resolution – was still plenty sharp. I’ve written it before, and this won’t be the last time I write it, but I often find 4K displays to be overkill on laptops.

The keyboard and touchpad are also both excellent this time around. I quite liked the keyboard on the 2019 Spectre but had some issues with debris getting underneath the keys. I haven’t had a similar issue with the new Spectre x360, and the keys have remained tactile throughout the review period. I’d place this keyboard on about the same level as what you’d get from Microsoft’s Surface laptops, which is to say, among the best available on Windows PCs.

The touchpad, on the other hand, is a marked improvement over 2019. It’s much bigger but still offers a wonderfully tactile click when pressed. It’s also a very smooth trackpad and I found it handled my inputs well enough that I didn’t hate using it.

On the other hand, the laptop’s speakers were less stellar. Despite sporting Bang & Olufsen branding, the Spectre x360 sounded hollow and tinny when watching videos or listening to music. If you need the speakers in a pinch, they work, but don’t expect the best sound experience.

Struggling with the basics

As someone who regularly tries new laptops as part of their job, I’ve tuned my workflow to be almost entirely browser-based so I can swap from device to device with minimal set-up time. Generally, this works out well for me, but I was surprised to find the Spectre x360 didn’t always play nice with web browsers.

I often had performance issues when using the laptop, ranging from minor issues where my web browser would slow down or feel less snappy than usual to more serious crashes or freezes. I usually use Firefox, but I bounced around to some Chromium-based browsers as well during testing and found they only fared slightly better.

It wasn’t just my browser impacted by the weird performance either – OneDrive, which I use to backup photos I take for work, was weirdly slow on the Spectre x360 and seemed to cause File Explorer to hang from time to time. At the same time, some apps – like, much to my surprise, Photoshop – seemed to work fine with just the occasional hiccup.

Looking at the benchmark results, it's not totally surprising to see where the Spectre x360 landed in both Geekbench and Cinebench tests. Sporting a 12th Gen i5, it lands behind all the laptops sporting 12th Gen i7 chips, which makes sense. It also barely beat out the Surface Pro 8 with an 11th Gen i7. Benchmarks obviously don't tell the whole story when it comes to performance, but it reinforces my surprise at the odd performance I experience in day-to-day use.

Meeting misery

Aside from pure performance issues, I also had several problems with connecting Bluetooth devices. It wasn’t that the Bluetooth didn’t work – I had no problems pairing Bluetooth earbuds, for example, and I often used my trusty Surface Earbuds, which have served me well for years.

However, with the Spectre x360, Bluetooth audio was anything but reliable. Connecting the earbuds sent the whole audio system into disarray. In the weeks I used the Spectre x360, I found myself in countless video meetings where I couldn’t hear what people were saying, or they couldn’t hear me (or both!). There was one bizarre meeting where the volume was locked at an uncomfortably high level and even though Windows showed the volume being turned down when I adjusted it, the actual volume never changed.

I’m still unsure what caused the problems, and whenever I thought I’d fixed them, connecting an audio device would introduce some new problem.

Beyond the audio issues, I was also disappointed by the amount of pre-installed bloat that shipped on the Spectre x360. While admittedly nearly every Windows laptop ships with some level of bloat, what was particularly frustrating about the Spectre x360 was that it felt like the added apps were gumming up the works. For example, things like the HP Omen Gaming Hub were constantly hogging resources even after disabling the app from running at startup.

I’d strongly recommend anyone buying an x360 take the time to purge the bloatware to help boost performance (typically, this is something I’d do with a laptop but with reviews, I’d rather leave the bloat alone to see what, if any, impact it has on the system).

A tougher sell

Despite the issues, I generally really like the Spectre x360. It’s got a big trackpad, which makes using it while on the go much easier. Plus, it’s got one of the better laptop keyboards available, which is a big win for people like me that type all day. But when you factor in the price, it becomes a tougher sell.

HP Canada’s website listed three configurations of the Spectre x360 with the following prices (and, at the time of writing, some discounts):

Core i5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD - $1,839.99
Core i7, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD - $2,049.99 (on sale for $1,699.99)
Core i7, 16GB RAM, 2TB SSD - $2,249.99 (on sale for $1,999.99)

Compared to some other recently reviewed laptops, like the Lenovo Yoga 9i, Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, and the LG Gram (2022), the base i5 Spectre x360 doesn’t seem like a great option. For example, the Yoga 9i I tested all sported a 12th Gen i7 (although not the same one as the x360), but cost around $1,880 when I reviewed it. The LG Gram is a little pricier, though it also boasts a larger display. The Surface Laptop 5 is definitely pricier, but for some, the reliability might be worth the cost.

However, the $1,699.99 sale price is more tempting while it sticks around, and it shouldn’t have the same performance struggles as I experienced with the i5 model. I can’t say whether it'll dodge the Bluetooth issues as well, but hopefully, those are a one-off problem my review unit had.

I also checked Best Buy to see what they had, but only the larger 16-inch variant was available.

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Lenovo Yoga 9i Review: Rounded edges are the play

It’s been a few years since I’ve tested a Lenovo Yoga laptop and the company’s latest Yoga 9i is surprisingly great. Sporting a new design with rounded edges and a stylish aluminum chassis, the 9i offers a solid 2-in-1 computing experience.

While the Yoga 9i isn’t exactly the most powerful PC around, it can handle most common computing needs, from browsing social media to word processing. It’s a great balance between high-end, powerful laptops and the lower-end laptops that trade premium materials for plastics.

The downside to this approach is that you don’t get as much performance for your dollar, but you get other benefits. The Yoga line’s signature soundbar hinge returns and the 360-degree hinge lets users get a tablet-like experience from their laptop without needing to buy a separate device.

Overall, I really like the Yoga 9i – my biggest complaint remains Lenovo’s odd pricing strategy and bloatware, but if you can nab the Yoga 9i on sale, it’s an excellent PC.

Specs

  • Display: 14.0″ WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, anti-glare, touchscreen with Dolby Vision, 400 nits, 16:10 aspect ratio
  • Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P
  • Memory: 8GB
  • Storage: 256GB SSD
  • Dimensions: 15.2mm x 318mm x 230mm / 0.6″ x 12.52″ x 9.06″
  • Weight: 1.4kg / 3.09lbs
  • Camera: 1080p FHD IR Camera with Privacy Shutter, face recognition
  • Operating System: Windows 11
  • Battery: Up to 23 hours of local 1080p playback
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1
  • Sensors: Fingerprint sensor
  • Ports: 2x USB-C Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, Headphone/mic combo
  • Graphics: Intel Iris Xe graphics

Note: the above specs apply to the model I tested. You can find a full spec sheet here.

12th Gen Intel gets it done

In my experience using the Yoga 9i, the performance was fairly solid. Intel’s 12th Gen i7-1260P did quite well both in real-world use and in benchmarks. My typical workflow, which involves running tons of Firefox tabs, Photoshop, Slack, and streaming music through Spotify, all ran relatively smoothly on the Yoga 9i.

The biggest issues I ran into were related to the low memory on my review unit. The 9i I tested only had 8GB of RAM, which limited my multitasking capabilities more than I expected. On more than one occasion, I encountered apps locking up or crashing outright just because there wasn’t enough memory to go around.

I’d strongly recommend getting a configuration with 16GB of RAM if you’re a heavy multitasker. Oddly, only the i7 variant of the 9i can come with 8GB of RAM, with the i5 version being locked to 16GB.

Despite the lower memory, I found the Yoga 9i benchmarked very well, beating out the Surface Laptop 5 despite having less memory and a similar processor. Given the similarity in CPUs, I’d attribute the difference at least partially thermals – the Yoga 9i is thicker than the Laptop 5 and the fans would kick on sooner and run louder to keep things cool.

Still, Intel's 12th Gen CPUs so far seem impressive, although they still suffer in the battery department.

Rounded edges are sick

I’m a big fan of the Yoga 9i’s design, especially the rounded edges. It makes for a very unique laptop, but there’s a practical benefit too. When using the Yoga 9i in tablet mode, it’s more comfortable to hold than other laptops with sharper angles.

More than that, I think the polished edges mixed with the matte surface look fantastic. The chassis is a tad thick for my liking, but I’m such a fan of the looks I’d happily give that a pass.

I’d like to see more laptop manufacturers take unique designs like Lenovo did with the Yoga 9i. Not every laptop needs rounded edges, but new and different approaches can make for unique styles.

On another note, the display is excellent as well. Sure, it’s not super high resolution, but 1080p remains a solid experience at the 14-inch size. I also appreciate the 16:10 aspect ratio – the extra height makes for a better experience working in long vertical documents.

It’d be nice if Lenovo shrunk the bezels a little on the Yoga 9i, but they’re certainly not egregious.

The Yoga 9i trackpad puts others to shame

It feels like someone finally heard my plea. Lenovo equipped the Yoga 9i with one of the biggest trackpads I’ve ever seen. This thing is massive. And I love it.

As someone who regularly uses multiple monitors, having this giant trackpad is a dream come true. I still prefer using a mouse when I can, but at least with this I still feel productive zipping from screen to screen, moving windows around, dragging files and more.

Frankly, the Yoga 9i sets the bar for trackpad size – anything less misses the mark.

As good as the trackpad is, I wish Lenovo put as much effort into the keyboard. The keyboard isn’t bad by any stretch, but it’s not my favourite to type on. It lacks crisp, tactile feedback, offering up an almost mushy experience instead. It’s not the worst I’ve used, but it could certainly be better.

Another frustration with the keyboard is the line of extra keys on the right side. On one hand, the four shortcut keys could be helpful, but I found I hit them by accident more often than not. The top key (and the one I accidentally pressed the most) cycles the Yoga 9i through three performance modes. The next button launches Lenovo’s ‘Smart Appearance’ software that can replace your video background, frame your face, apply eye contact correction, and more. The next button toggles different sound profiles, and the final button is a dedicated toggle to switch Windows between light and dark mode.

Finally, the hinge speaker remains a great addition. It’s not the best speaker out there, but it did the job well for watching videos on the laptop. I enjoyed it less for listening to music, and ultimately most people would be better off with a decent set of headphones over the hinge speaker, but it’s a nice addition nonetheless.

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Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 Review: Familiar territory

Alongside the Surface Pro 9, Microsoft released a new version of its Surface Laptop, the Surface Laptop 5. Also like the Surface Pro 9, the Laptop 5 is a minor, iterative update offering little more than a spec bump and new colour options.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course. The Surface Laptop series already offered some of the best designs and hardware of all Windows laptops – that hasn’t changed with the Laptop 5. At the same time, it’s growing more clear where Microsoft could make improvements to the Surface Laptop line to modernize the hardware (most of which could be done without significantly altering the hardware).

So with all that said, let’s dig into the Surface Laptop 5 and look at what’s new, what hasn’t changed, and what Microsoft should upgrade for the Laptop 6.

Specs

  • Display: 13.5-inch PixelSense display, 2256×1504 pixel resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio
  • Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1265U
  • Memory: 16GB
  • Storage: 512GB
  • Dimensions: 308 x 223 x 14.5mm
  • Weight: 1,297g
  • Camera: 720p HD front camera with Windows Hello
  • Operating System: Windows 11
  • Battery: Up to 18 hours of “typical device usage”
  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
  • Sensors: Ambient light sensor
  • Ports: 1x USB-C with USB 4.0/Thunderbolt 4, 1x USB-A 3.1, 1x Surface Connect, 1x 3.5mm headphone hack
  • Graphics: Intel Iris Xe

Note: The specs above are for the specific Surface Laptop 5 model I tested. You can find a full breakdown of specs for both the 13.5- and 15-inch models here.

You’ve seen this before

The Surface Laptop 5’s limited ports.

The Surface Laptop 5 looks like the Laptop 4, which looked like the Laptop 3. Not much has changed and, unless you pick up the excellent new ‘Sage’ colourway (which is what I tested for this review), there’s nothing visually different about the Laptop 5 from its predecessors. Along with ‘Sage,’ the other colours are ‘Platinum’ (which includes the Alcantara palm rest), ‘Matte Black’ and ‘Sandstone.’

Like previous models, the Surface Laptop 5 comes in two sizes, 13.5-inch and 15-inch. The 15-inch only comes in ‘Platinum’ (metal instead of Alcantara) and ‘Matte Black,’ however. Notably, the 15-inch Surface Laptop 5 doesn’t have an AMD Ryzen chip this year, instead only offering the 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1255U CPU and various RAM and storage configurations ranging from 8GB/256GB at the entry-level to 16GB/512GB at the high end.

The 13.5-inch Laptop 5 does offer some variants with the 12th Gen Core i5-1235U alongside more expensive versions with the same i7-1255U as the 15-inch. (An odd aside, my review Laptop 5 lists its CPU as the i7-1265U, not the i7-1255U it should have, according to Microsoft’s website. I’ve reached out to Microsoft to clarify these details, but the company did not respond ahead of publication.)

What would an AMD Laptop 5 be like?

Microsoft’s decision to go all-in on Intel chips with the Surface Laptop 5 this time around is particularly interesting, especially given that the 12th Gen Intel Core i7 in my review unit didn’t significantly outperform the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U from the Surface Laptop 4 I tested.

Unfortunately, I haven’t tested an Intel-powered Surface Laptop 4, so I can’t say how the Laptop 5 has improved, but I did test a Surface Pro 8 with the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7. That’s the same i7 chip available in the 13.5-inch Surface Laptop 4 and, theoretically, should have similar performance.

The good news is the 12th Gen i7 in my Surface Laptop 5 outperformed the 11th Gen i7 in the Surface Pro 8. That’s expected, but it’s good to see it confirmed in tests. That should mean anyone sporting an Intel-powered Laptop 4 would get some performance uplift moving to the Surface Laptop 5, although I’d argue it’s not enough to warrant the upgrade.

As for those with a Surface Laptop 4 sporting the Ryzen 7 4980U, it’d be more of a lateral move. In some tests, the 12th Gen i7 in the Laptop 5 outperformed the 4980U while in other tests, like Cinebench, the 4980U remained king.

Plus, even with the Intel Xe graphics, the Laptop 5 isn’t really intended for gaming and you shouldn’t expect it to fill that role.

Keep it plugged in for the best performance

Of course, benchmarks are just one part of the story. In real-world use, the Surface Laptop 5 handled just about everything I threw at it with ease. Similar to the Pro 9, I ran the Laptop 5 as my daily driver for several days of work, which involved running a ton of Firefox tabs, Photoshop, streaming music, and more. I noticed some stuttering when I connected the laptop to an external display over USB-C, but beyond that, performance was fairly reliable.

I also typically ran the Laptop 5 in the ‘Best Performance’ mode when plugged in to eke out extra power. On battery, I kept it on the ‘Recommended’ setting since, like past Surface Laptops, this one continues the trend of limiting performance to extend battery life. I had thought the AMD Surface Laptops were bad for throttling performance, but the Laptop 5 throttles just as much. In my tests, the Surface Laptop 5 performed almost half as well when running on battery.

The upside, however, is that the laptop didn’t feel significantly slower on battery, even with the reduced performance. That is one note in the Laptop 5’s favour, since the AMD-powered Laptop 4 felt noticeably worse when running on battery.

Speaking of battery, the Surface Laptop 5 plummeted about 40 percent over about 2.5 hours of regular use (which mostly included writing in a Google Doc with about 20 browser tabs open and editing a picture in Photoshop). You could likely extend the battery life with lighter usage, but battery remains one of the weaker points on this laptop.

Thicc bezels

I really appreciate finally getting to test a 13.5-inch Surface Laptop. The past few Surface Laptops I tested were the larger 15-inch versions, but I tend to prefer smaller laptops since they’re lighter and easier to carry around. However, I was surprised by how big the 13.5-inch Laptop 5 is, especially compared to other Windows laptops with similar screen sizes, but which have much smaller bodies.

There are two main reasons for the size discrepancy. First, the Surface Laptop line uses a 3:2 aspect ratio for the display, which means it’s taller than the 16:9 and 16:10 displays you typically find on Windows laptops. The extra height is a nice bonus, however, especially for people like me who spend most of their day working in text documents.

While I don’t mind having a larger laptop footprint for the benefits of a 3:2 display, it’s worth noting that Microsoft could trim the bezels on the Laptop 5 significantly. With the right approach, the Surface Laptop 5 could fit a larger display into the same footprint, or even shrink the size of its laptops without significantly reducing the display size just by trimming the bezels.

From left to right: Surface Pro 9, Surface Laptop 5, Lenovo ThinkPad Z13.

For example, this Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 offers a 13.3-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which means it’s not as tall as the Laptop 5’s 13.5-inch display. However, the smaller bezels help to significantly reduce the overall footprint of the laptop. Likewise, the Surface Pro 9 sports a 13-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. It’s a smaller screen, but the slimmer bezels again help to reduce the overall footprint of the device.

Ultimately, the size of the bezels on the Laptop 5 are a minor complaint. They don’t adversely affect the laptop beyond making it look slightly dated.

Moreover, the display still looks excellent. My only real complaint here is the lack of a high refresh rate. It’s a real bummer that Microsoft put a 120Hz refresh rate on the Surface Pro 9 but not the Surface Laptop 5.

Everything else

Don't talk to me or my son ever again.

Beyond that, there’s not much else to say about the Surface Laptop 5. The keyboard is still killer, and the trackpad remains good, although it could be a bit larger. The speakers sound good as well, although I prefer to use headphones whenever I need to listen to music or watch a video.

Like with previous Surface Laptops, the port situation is disappointing. There’s a Surface Connect port, which is Microsoft’s proprietary magnetic charger. On one hand, I like the Surface Connect port and it’s very satisfying to connect and disconnect the magnetic charger. On the other, just about everything has moved to USB-C now – I ended up not even taking the Laptop 5’s charger out of the box because I mainly used a USB-C cable for charging off the doc station I have at my desk, which conveniently lets me connect an external monitor too.

Microsoft does still include an old USB-A port, which is nice on the rare occasion I need one. Unfortunately, that’s it aside from the 3.5mm headphone jack. Three ports just doesn’t feel like enough, and I’d happily trade the Surface Connect port for another USB-C port.

Windows Hello remains a great option for unlocking the laptop, although as someone who still regularly wears a mask, it makes using the Laptop 5 a little more challenging when working on the go. It’d be nice to have a fingerprint unlock option as well for the times when I can’t use my face.

Surface Pro 9 (left) and Laptop 5 (right).

Finally, when it comes to price, the Surface Laptop 5 remains on the higher side compared to similarly specced Windows laptops. The 13.5-inch Laptop 5 starts at $1,299.99 for the i5 variant with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD and climbs all the way to $2,209.99 for the i7 variant with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD (the model I tested). The 15-inch starts at $1,689.99 and climbs to $3,119.99.

That puts the Surface Laptop 5 on the higher end – a quick search of laptops on Best Buy with similar specs to the Laptop 5 I reviewed revealed options ranging from about $900 to $2,000 or sometimes more. I bring this up mainly to point out that if the main thing you care about is the internal hardware, you can save a decent chunk of money going with other manufacturers like HP, Dell, Acer, and more. As an example, this HP laptop sports the same internal specs as the Surface Laptop 5, double the SSD storage and a 15.6-inch display for $1,149.99 (and it’s even on sale until November 24th for $999.99). Is the hardware as nice as what you’d get with the Surface Laptop 5? No. But for about $1,000 less, that might be a worthwhile trade-off for many.

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Asus’ ROG Flow Z13 is a Surface for gaming

I’ve tried a few gaming laptops over the years and generally arrive at the same core issue: you give up too much performance for not enough portability. However, Asus’ ROG Flow Z13 2-in-1 is a gaming laptop I wouldn’t mind carrying around.

While likely not everyone agrees, for me, I find it a tough tradeoff to make. Generally, I want my laptops to be as portable as possible — thin, light, small, etc. I expect lower performance accordingly, but that’s okay since I make up for it with a large, bulky desktop with tons of performance for when I need it. Gaming laptops tend to walk a fine line of being technically portable while also managing to be obnoxious to carry around. They’re big, heavy, loud, and the battery dies if you spend more than an hour away from an outlet. They tend to be covered in gaudy RGB, giant fan grilles and sport weird designs. None of these things are explicitly bad, but I don’t look for them on a laptop.

At the same time, these things are getting better thanks to improvements in Intel’s recent 12th and 13th Gen chips. Still, in most cases, getting a mobile chip will mean trading performance for improved thermals and energy use versus comparable desktop chips, both of which are important in laptops. The same generally holds true for GPUs.

This is where Asus ROG Flow Z13 comes in. I’ve had the opportunity to play around with one for a few weeks and generally was impressed by its portability. The Flow Z13 offers a similar form factor to Microsoft’s excellent Surface Pro 2-in-1, but significantly more power. Enough to actually play games, although maybe not at the highest visual settings.

The Flow Z13 does still suffer from a major affliction of ‘gamer aesthetic,’ but it manages to be less in-your-face than other gaming laptops. Plus, the rear window showing off some of the internal components plain looks cool.

A brief look at performance

On the inside, the Flow Z13 I played around with sported a 12th Gen Intel i9-12900H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU. It also features 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 13.4-inch UHD+ 3840×2400 pixel 60Hz display. The screen looks great, although admittedly having such a high resolution seems like a bit of a waste on such a small screen. Plus, in some games, hitting the coveted 60fps target was hard when running at the higher resolution. It’s also worth noting Asus offers other variants of the Flow Z13 with i7 or i5 CPUs, although the i5 variant only offers Intel Xe graphics, which I don’t recommend for anyone wanting to do serious gaming.

You can view the full spec page for the ROG Flow Z13 here, but I do want to highlight the weight at 1.18kg (2.6lbs). That's quite a bit lighter than the similarly specced MSI Raider GE76 I tested earlier this year, which weighed 2.9kg (6.39lbs). The Flow Z13 is still heavier than the almost 880g Surface Pro 9, but that gap is much narrower.

Speaking of the Raider GE76, it's currently the top dog in our archive of laptop benchmarks. It sports an i9-12900HK and 32GB of RAM, meaning it has slightly more power than the 12900H and 16GB of RAM in the Flow Z13. On the GPU side, it's a 3080 Ti Laptop GPU versus the Z13's 3050 Ti Laptop edition. In CPU benchmarks, the Flow Z13 was close to the GE76, but it fell further behind in GPU benchmarks thanks to the less capable 3050 Ti.

Still, in the games I played, the Flow Z13 did well enough that I'd be happy gaming on it, although I sometimes had to tone down graphics settings to keep a consistent 60fps. I had a blast playing my go-to game at the moment, Destiny 2, on the Flow Z13, while newer titles like Hitman 3 averaged about 55fps on high settings (with some tweaks, 60fps is well within reach). Of course, like any other gaming laptop, performance falls off a cliff when running on battery power, not that the battery will last long enough for a good gaming session anyway.

Will the Flow Z13 blow you away with incredible game performance? No. But it does well enough, and, for the size, I was content with the trade-offs I was making.

A note about accessories

Surface Pro (left) and ROG Flow Z13 (right).

One area where the Flow Z13 differs from 2-in-1s like the Surface Pro is that it comes with the keyboard. Given that keyboards are an integral part of PCs, it's good that Asus didn't make this an extra cost. However, one accessory that you may want isn't exactly readily available.

The Flow Z13 is compatible with the ROG XG Mobile eGPU, which acts almost like a dock for connecting the device to an external monitor. According to Asus' website, the XG Mobile can feature either a GTX GeForce RTX 3080 or 3070 Laptop GPU, further boosting performance. But, the XG Mobile eGPU doesn't appear to be available for purchase in Canada, except as a bundle with a different Asus gaming laptop.

To be fair, the XG Mobile isn't necessary for external monitor use -- I was able to get the Flow Z13 to output to my desktop monitor using a USB-C to HDMI adapter, but ultimately the XG Mobile would be a more elegant solution if it were available. It'd also make it easier to recommend the other Flow Z13 devices with less powerful GPUs since you could make up for that with the eGPU.

The i9-equipped ROG Flow Z13 clocks in at a pricey $2,499.99 in Canada and is available at Best Buy and Amazon. Given how unique the 2-in-1 is, though, if you're looking for a laptop to pull double duty between gaming and portable productivity, this is a great option.

MobileSyrup utilizes affiliate partnerships. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, though MobileSyrup may earn a commission on purchases made via these links.

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Samsung launches new Galaxy Book 2 in Canada

Samsung is launching its new Galaxy Book 2 in Canada today. The laptop joins the flagship PC lineup alongside the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360 and Galaxy Book 2 Pro.

Samsung confirms that the Galaxy Book 2 features a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display, providing high-definition whether it be streaming, or browsing the web. Powering the laptop is a 12th Gen Intel Core processor. The Galaxy Book 2 is available with either a Core i5 or a Core i7 supporting it. The laptop also features LPDDR4x memory

Moreso, the Galaxy Book 2 sports a 54Wh battery. While the company hasn’t specified a rough battery life, Samsung confirms that it takes 30 minutes to gain a 40 percent charge. Plus, Samsung is carrying over its universal charger from previous Galaxy devices.

In addition, the unit comes with Windows 11 support and Samsung’s Knox security system protecting the privacy of users. The device can be secured via a fingerprint scan used to unlock the laptop.

When looking at ports, users will find two USB-C ports, two USB 3.2, an HDMI port, micro SD, HP, and Kensington Lock support.

Connectivity within the Galaxy ecosystem seems to be a focus for Samsung as well. The company confirms that users can sync the laptop with a Galaxy smartphone through Link to Windows. Samsung is even updating Quick Share and merging it with Link Sharing. Galaxy Book Smart Switch can also help carry over old data, photos and more from older PCs to the Galaxy Book 2.

Finally, the laptop is another example of Samsung’s commitment to sustainability. Minimizing its environmental footprint, the laptop is made from repurposed materials like fishing nets to produce eco-conscious material used for the touchpad holder and inner bracket.

The Graphite-coloured Galaxy Book 2 is available now on Samsung’s website as well as all major retailer partners across Canada. It starts at $989.99 for the 256GB model supporting an i5. The i7 model is available for $1119.99.

Image credit: Samsung Canada

Source: Samsung Canada

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The MSI Modern 14 is the laptop I wish I’d had when I was in school

I’ve had the chance to work with a lot of laptops over the past few years. Because of this, I’ve come to appreciate a laptop that knows exactly what it’s meant to be.

More than any other laptop brand I’ve used, MSI designs its laptops with the end user in mind. Sure, the hardware is first-rate, but the true magic behind the brand’s devices is the way that it tailors everything from the chassis to the software to benefit the user.

The Modern 14 is a perfect example. It’s an attractive device that does away with the frivolous features of other laptops in its price range to deliver excellent build quality and performance. If you’re in the market for a laptop that can keep up with your everyday life, the Modern 14 is an excellent option. It’s the laptop I wish I’d had when I was going through school—and the one I’d recommend to users who need a commuting machine.

Designed for students and professionals

The Modern 14 isn’t meant to be your all-in-one workstation like the Creator Z series. This is a laptop that’s designed to increase your productivity, assist with your tasks, and enhance your media experience.

In recent years, MSI has delivered modern aesthetics across its lineup of business laptops that go toe-to-toe with the best-looking products on the market. The Modern 14 comes in a range of colours, from a steel blue to a soft beige and your classic carbon grey. The understated colours are appreciated. It easily blends into a professional environment. Despite being an entry-level product, the Modern 14 feels sturdy, has clean lines, and offers several unexpected features.

Looking at the sides of the chassis, you’ll notice that it has two USB-A ports, a USB-C port, an HDMI port, and a micro-SD card slot. Not only did I not expect an HDMI-out port on an ultralight laptop of this size, but an SD card slot is an excellent addition.

For students and content creators, these two features alone make it stand out. There’s nothing worse than trying to set up a presentation when you’re already nervous. Being able to upload content through the micro-SD card slot and easily present it via the built-in HDMI port will eliminate the need for an adapter or having to cast your screen.

And that’s not even mentioning the true hero of the piece: the quick charging. As someone who loses track of time when I work, I appreciate a fast-charging device. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had the battery warning flash on my screen just as I’m about to head into a meeting. Being able to quickly top up the battery is a life saver. You can charge the battery of the laptop up to 60% in under an hour, and you can charge your other devices quickly using the included USB-C port as well.

Which brings us to two features that your classmates and coworkers will love as much as you do.

It just clicks

The keyboard on the Modern 14 feels very similar to keyboards on MSI’s other business-oriented notebooks. I’ve spoken at length about its keyboards before, so just know that I’m a fan. They won’t replace your custom mechanical keyboard, but as far as laptop keyboards go, they’re best-in-class. They have a pleasant spring to them, don’t require too much weight, and the travel distance is just right. And best of all, they’re quiet. The people around you won’t need noise-cancelling headphones every time you put your fingers on the keys.

However, if you’re the one with a noisy neighbour, the Modern 14 has you covered. Taking a call with others around is a challenge at the best of times, so MSI has included AI noise cancellation that adapts to your situation. Not only does the AI eliminate background noise when it’s quiet, it lowers the noise while you’re speaking. This is the same tech that’s used in the brand’s high-end laptops. And it’s a feature that’s definitely welcome here. Whether you’re taking a personal call in a noisy dorm or delivering an important pitch to a client online, noise cancellation can make all the difference.

And that same smart application of artificial intelligence is applied to the Modern 14’s hardware as well. MSI has been steadily building out its onboard hardware management software. MSI Center Pro is the latest iteration and it delivers on the promise of intelligent software enhancing the performance of hardware to match your needs.

For example, the Modern 14 can detect the audible noise in your surroundings and adjust its fan speed and performance output to be quieter than your environment. So if you’re working in a common area, you can have the AI automatically increase your performance without disturbing anybody. And if you prefer to determine your performance needs yourself, you can choose one of several performance profiles in MSI Center Pro.

For those who are back in the office or on campus, this laptop is built with teams in mind. Sharing a screen can be awkward when several people have to squeeze around it. Instead, the Modern 14 allows you to tilt the screen a full 180 degrees so that it’s level. You can then flip the screen with the press of a button—F12 for those wondering—so that your team members on the other side of the table can view the display in the proper orientation. It might not seem like a major addition, but these features add up to make this a laptop that delivers well beyond its specs.

Performance where it counts

That’s not to say the Modern 14 doesn’t deliver though. On the contrary, the Modern 14 is a leader in the entry-level laptop space when it comes to performance.

The Modern 14 has the latest 12th Gen Intel Core and Intel XE graphics. With the adaptive hybrid architecture, this build is able to assign tasks to the different cores depending on your needs. The P-core handles your heavy tasks, while the E-core manages your multitasking, everyday tasks, and background services. And just like PE class, this P&E combination is ready to keep you running all day.

Despite being an ultralight device, the Modern 14 has handled my daily tasks with ease. I’m currently running YouTube, Discord, Google Suite, and WordPress without any hiccups. And not to encourage watching Netflix during the workday, but it’s a perfect size for those nights when you just want to climb in bed and put on a Kdrama.

Designed for you

MSI hasn’t built the Modern 14 for everyone. It isn’t a gaming device, nor is it the flashiest performer in the company’s portfolio. What it delivers is an attractive, intelligently designed laptop that performs where you need it most. It’s a perfect option for people who need a laptop for their everyday lives. Students and professionals alike should give the Modern 14 some serious consideration as the best entry-level laptop on the market.

You can buy the MSI Modern 14 at Best Buy Canada.

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Microsoft’s Surface Laptop SE is a ‘ChrEdgebook’ for students

Microsoft unveiled its newest Surface device back in November – the Surface Laptop SE. Designed for students, the new laptop runs Windows 11 SE, boasts compact, portable hardware, and a relatively repairable design.

The announcement made the Laptop SE sound quite appealing, at least from an education standpoint. Repairability is great on any device and should be much more common, while things like Windows 11 SE sound helpful for educators and not much else.

Microsoft sent MobileSyrup a Laptop SE to try out and after playing with it for a few weeks, I think the best way to describe the device is ‘ChrEdgebook.’

You see, the Laptop SE is, for all intents and purposes, a Chromebook. Except, it runs Windows and the browser is Edge, instead of Chrome OS and Google Chrome. Hence, the ‘ChrEdge’ – a somewhat popular term referring to Microsoft’s new Chromium-based Edge browser.

At the same time, the Laptop SE is very much not a Chromebook. Windows 11 SE toes a precarious line between offering the full flexibility of Windows while also blocking access to it for the people using the computer. I’ll dig into it more later, but the short version is you can run third-party apps like Zoom or even Google Chrome on Windows 11 SE (I have both installed on my review unit). The only way to get these apps – or any apps, for that matter – is through an IT admin. There is no way for users to install apps directly on the Laptop SE.

Considering Microsoft positions the Laptop SE as a device for schools to deploy to students, that makes a lot of sense. If the Laptop SE were generally available to anyone to buy, I’d consider this a massive limitation. In the intended use case, however, it might actually be a great feature.

Basic hardware gets the job done

Here’s the thing with the Surface Laptop SE: it offers barebones hardware. It’s not a problem though, since the plastic chassis will likely hold up to abuse from kids much better than other materials. It’ll also be cheaper to replace or repair should that come about.

In fact, repairability is a big part of the Laptop SE pitch. Microsoft says it designed the Laptop SE to be repairable on-site by IT admins at schools, with accessible screws. The company even shared a video with me detailing the disassembly process.

Beyond the repairability factor, there isn’t a whole lot to get excited about with the Laptop SE. The keyboard is great, as per usual with Surface devices (but it’s not as good as Microsoft’s premium Surface options). The trackpad is good, although I’d love if it were larger. The speakers are fine, not the best but not terrible for watching the odd YouTube video. The 11.6-inch LCD TFT display, with its 1366 x 768 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio, is serviceable, but it doesn’t look great. But then, for a $319.99 laptop aimed at students, these things are all forgivable issues.

On the inside, educational institutions will have their choice of Intel Celeron N4020 or Celeron N4120 CPUs, 4GB or 8GB of RAM, and 64GB or 128GB of eMMC storage. The unit I tested had the N4120, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, although about 13GB of that wasn’t available to me, leaving me with 115GB total storage, less the 36.3GB used by Windows and the pre-installed apps. Suffice to say that the 64GB option will likely be even tighter on storage.

Of course, Microsoft put a big emphasis on using its cloud storage system OneDrive with the Laptop SE. While that will help, I do think most students using the Laptop SE will need to be diligent about managing what’s stored on the device and what’s backed up to the cloud with so little onboard storage.

Performance was about what you’d expect from a Celeron, which is to say, not great. The Laptop SE is more than capable of handling web browsing and word processing, which honestly is all most students will need. Still, scrolling around websites can be janky and slow at times. Due to the restrictions on installing apps, I couldn’t run any of the benchmarking software I typically use to help evaluate performance.

My Laptop SE also came pre-loaded with Minecraft: Education Edition, which ran surprisingly well when I tried it out.

As for ports, the Laptop SE has one USB-C connector, one USB-A port, a proprietary barrel charging port (no Surface Connect here), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Again, barebones, but it covers the fundamentals.

You can check out a full breakdown of available specifications for the Laptop SE here.

A vessel for Microsoft services

Ultimately, I think the Laptop SE is well-intentioned, if not perfect. It’s exactly what it needs to be – cheap, repairable, and chock-full of helpful tools for IT admins for mass deployment in schools.

For my part, I was a little bummed when I booted up the Laptop SE for the first time and discovered I couldn’t install apps on it from anywhere (not even the Microsoft Store, which isn’t even on the device!). But, again, that’s a choice that makes much more sense for a device you’re handing out to students – I am very much not the target demographic for this.

At the same time, I think the Laptop SE one-ups Google’s Chrome OS simply because it enables IT admins to deploy Windows apps as needed. That opens up a much wider library of software.

Still, it’s important to keep in mind that, like Chromebooks and Google services, the Laptop SE is, at its core, a vessel for Microsoft services.

I also worry the Laptop SE might be too little, too late. Chromebooks have a strong foothold in schools – most students I know already have school-provided Chromebook they use. I’m sure the Laptop SE will find a place, but it may not unseat Google in the education battle.

The Surface SE starts at $319.99 in Canada – you can learn more about it here.