Earlier today, Microsoft announced several new products. These products consist of Microsofts newest Lumia Smartphones, as well as their new Surface devices. Lumia 950 + 950 XL Microsofts latest flagship Windows Phones were announced at today's Microsoft event. The two phones announced were the Lumia 950, and the Lumia 950 XL. These phones new phones have been expected for some time. Both phones feature AMOLED QHD displays (2560X1440 resolution), with the 950 display measuring 5.2" and the 950 XL measuring 5.7". Both phones also feature the same camera. It is a 20 MP sensor (video recording in 4K), with a triple LED natural flash, and ZEISS optics. The Lumia 950 is powered by a Snapdragon 808 exa-core processor, and runs off of a 3,000 mAh battery with USB Type-C Fast Charging. The 950 XL, on the other hand, is powered by a Snapdragon 810 octal-core processor, and is running off of a 3340 mAh battery; also with USB Type-C Fast Charging. Display Dock I think my favorite part of the Lumia presentation was the demonstration of the Display Dock. This dock allows you to connect your Lumia 950/950 XL to an external monitor and peripherals, and use it as a full Windows 10 PC. All the apps on your Lumia Phone are converted into their full desktop version and run as they would on any Windows 10 laptop or desktop. The dock also allows you to do this while still using your Lumia phone, as a phone. So, you can be editing documents on the external monitor while responding to phone calls or text messages on your phone. I think this is such a great feature. Surface Pro 4 Microsoft also unveiled the latest Surface Pro. The Surface Pro 4 got an larger display--due to smaller bezels--coming in at 12.3-inches. The resolution of the display has also been improved, going from 1920X1080 to a 2763X1824 PixelSense Display. Even with these improvements the Surface Pro 4 is still thinner and lighter than the Surface Pro 3. The Surface Pro 4 starts at $899. This gets you an Intel Core m3 processor, 4GB of RAM, and s 128GB SSD. The Surface Pro 4 now includes the Surface Pen. The TypeCover however, is still sold separately. Surface Book The final product that Microsoft unveiled at their event was the Surface Book. The Surface Book is the first laptop made by Microsoft. It features a design similar to the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. The Surface Book has a 13.5-inch PixelSense display, with a resolution of 3000X2000. The Surface Book has a starting price of $1499. This gets you an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. All models of the Surface Book include the laptop (with removable keyboard) and Surface Pen. Final Thoughts
Overall, I was very excited about the entire event. The new Lumia phones seem extremely promising. Although, I currently wouldn't pick one up. The only thing that is holding me back--like most people, when it comes to Windows phones-- is the limited selection of apps. It seems like Windows 10 will begin to change that, with universal apps that work on all Windows 10 devices. I do look forward to testing out the Continuum features with the Lumia Display Dock. When the Surface Pro 4 presentation began, I was very excited. With the upgraded display and latest Intel processors, there is no denying that the Surface Pro 4 will continue its legacy of being the "tablet that can replace your laptop". As I said earlier, I was extremely excited about the Surface Pro 4. After seeing that presentation, I was convinced that the 4 would finally be the Surface for me. That was until, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Book. When this laptop first made its way onto the stage, I was ecstatic. The Surface Book looks great, with its simple "slab" design similar to the standard Surface. Originally, I thought the Surface Book was "just" a laptop, with a somewhat strange looking hinge. Although it was later revealed that the keyboard on the laptop is reversible, allowing to be used as a tablet. The upgraded models of the Surface Book have dedicated NVIDIA GPUs located in the Keyboard. This means that all graphic intensive tasks will require the Surface to be connected to its keyboard. The model of Surface Book I find most interesting is the $1900 model. This pricing gets you an Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and NVIDIA dedicated graphics. The top tier model is priced at $2700. This upgrades you to an Intel i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. What do you guys think of the latest devices, announced by Microsoft? Are you interested? Why? Why not?
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One of Microsoft's latest projects, code named "Project Juggernaut Alpha" has begun surfacing online. Let me apologize now for that terrible pun, it will become clear in a moment. The new device is rumored to be a Windows 10 smartphone. It is believed that once the device is released to the public, it will be called the Surface Mobile. The rumored specs on the phone are as follows: -64-bit Intel Atom chip -3 or 4GB RAM -64 and 128GB storage -MicroSD expansion -USB Type-C -Wireless charging -21 Megapixel rear camera -8 Megapixel wide-angle front camera -Surface Pen -Unibody metal design -5.5" Quad HD display This phone will come standard with Windows 10. Although the specs have been reported as 'subject to change', many are hoping that the specs stay close (if not exact) to the ones listed above. Final Thoughts
The Surface Mobile seems like an extremely promising phone. The suggested specs are beyond amazing. The design, in my opinion, is exceptional. Plus, being equipped with Windows 10, this phone will be the closest thing to having a full PC experience in your pocket. Windows 10 is arriving later this year, and with it there will be an array of new features. The one I want to talk about, and (in my opinion) the biggest feature of Windows 10, the universality of the operating system. It seems that Windows 10 is going to bridge the gap between the desktop and mobile OS.
I'll be honest, when I first heard this I was a little concerned. The first thought that popped into my head looked something like when a desktop version of a website loads onto a phone; constant scrolling, and zooming in and out to read text (the horror). Microsoft took this into consideration, it seems. Microsoft isn't trying to create "the one UI to rule them all". It looks like what is making Windows 10 universal between devices, is the apps. For example, if you own Office, it will now be unified between all your Windows 10 devices. Notifications will also be synced between your Windows 10 desktop tablet, and phone. Though the apps are going to be universal, the way you interact with them will be adapted to fit the device you are using. The best way I can think to describe the new version of Windows, is that it is similar to what Apple is doing with OS X 10.10 and iOS 8. The one BIG difference between Apple's "Continuity" in it's Desktop and Mobile OSs, and Windows 10? Windows 10 does it better. Personally, I can't wait to get my hands on a Windows PC, and test Windows 10 when it is made available. I want to be able to test all of the changes from Windows 8, which I actually kind of liked, but I never really used extensively. What do you think of Windows 10? |
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