Author: batteryforpc

It’s no secret that Android tablets are in an awkward position. While Apple’s iPad remains an important part of its product line-up, even Google has given up on making an equivalent. But Samsung hasn’t given up on Android tablets just yet. Today it announced the Galaxy Tab S6. It’s clear the tablet has taken some inspiration from the new iPad Pro, but it has a few tricks of its own too.

First, the specs:

10.5″ Super AMOLED Display

6GB + 128 GB or 8GB + 128GB RAM and storage configurations

Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9610

7,040 mAh battery (15 hours battery life claimed)

8MP front camera

13MP + 5MP rear cameras

Four AKG speakers with Dolby Atmos technology

Optical fingerprint sensor

New Bluetooth S-Pen

It’s the usual spec bump here – smartphone specs stuffed into a larger frame. That’s one advantage Apple has: it’s iPad Pros are always significantly more powerful than its iPhones, allowing you to manage significantly greater workloads on its tablet.

That’s not to say the Tab S6 is a slouch – are smartphones specs are plenty powerful as it is, and a tablet’s true power comes from the larger frame. Samsung is known for stuffing its devices with features, and the Tab S6 is no different.

Key among the improvements over the Tab S4 (there was no Tab S5, only a midrange Tab S5e) is the new remote control S-Pen Samsung first introduced with the Galaxy Note 9. This allows you to do things use the S-Pen as a remote shutter or skip songs. The S-Pen does need to be charged now, but it does so when attached to the body magnetically, and a 10-minute charge will get you through a full day of use.

Speaking of the body, the Tab S6 has an all-new design that takes a page out of the new iPad Pro’s book with sharper edges and a boxier look. but the more meaningful improvement is in the keyboard cover, which now has a – gasp – touchpad. When you use the Tab S6 in DeX mode – basically a desktop UI for Android – you’ll definitely see the benefits of having a proper mouse. The cover also now includes a kickstand, giving you Surface-like positioning flexibility.

More puzzling is the new S-Pen placement. It attached magnetically to the back of the tablet, which seems like awkward ergonomics and an easy way to lose the pen, so I hope Samsung has some strong magnets. The keyboard cover does include a flap that covers the pen more securely though.

It’s hard to say whether the Tab S6 is worth your hard-earned money until we spend some quality time with it, but I’ve got to give Samsung some kudos for keeping the Android tablet alive. The Tab S6 will be available to pre-order on August 23 and will be released on September 6. Prices are $650 for the 6GB/128GB version and $730 for the 8GB/256GB model. The S-Pen is thrown in the box, but you’ll have to pay $180 for the keyboard cover.

Apple is now selling a new generation of the 5K LG UltraFine display. For the first time, the 5K UltraFine is now compatible with the iPad Pro, finally offering a 5K display option for 2018 iPad Pro users.

Previously, the 5K UltraFine display would only work over Thunderbolt. Now, it can output 5K over USB-C DisplayPort, which means it can now work with any of Apple’s current Mac and iPad Pro lineup.

Up to now, it has been basically impossible to find a compatible display that the iPad Pro can drive at full 5K resolution. The USB-C port enables a wide range of connectivity, but the market of 5K USB-C DisplayPort monitors was very scarce. The new LG UltraFine display is effectively the only option.

Unfortunately, that’s where the fanfare appears to end. The new 5K UltraFine display appears otherwise identical to the previous generation model. It features the same 27-inch 5120×2880 resolution panel in the same ugly chassis.

The UltraFine has built-in speakers, webcam and mic, as well as three USB-C ports for connecting wired accessories. The UltraFine lets you connect a single cable to your MacBook Pro to enable display output, access to wired accessories, and full-speed charging up to 94W thanks to Thunderbolt 3 power pass-through.

The new 5K display is now available to order from the Apple Store, for $1299. High-end professional Mac users (with deeper pockets nonetheless) may want to consider waiting for the Apple Pro Display, coming later this year. LG updated the 4K version of its UltraFine display series earlier this year.

This week, Hulu announced that Android TV will soon be a supported platform for its Hulu + Live TV service.

Detailed by Hulu, “Starting in early August, Hulu + Live TV and our updated UI will be available across a variety of Android TV devices, including Sony’s Android TVs, NVIDIA SHIELD, Xiaomi Mi Box, and Hisense Android TVs.”

Hulu says that in order to get some Live TV action fired up on your Android TV, keep checking this Google Play listing for when it’s compatible with your Android TV device.

As Samsung expected, its Q2 profit is off from last year’s by about 56 percent. An operating profit of $5.6 billion (6.6 trillion Korean won) is no small figure, but obviously not up to par for the electronics giant, and follow a similar result in Q1 of this year. A big reason for the fall is a drop in prices for memory chips, which Samsung is a major supplier of for products like smartphones and servers. It’s also negatively affected by weak iPhone sales since it supplies Apple with parts, and is facing slower sales for its own high-end phone models.

Last year Samsung was looking toward foldable devices to help turn around the trend, and after a delay it’s still expecting the Galaxy Fold to join its Galaxy Note 10 as an “innovative” new product launch. According to the company’s report, it’s also pushing ahead on 5G.

Also, as “protective global trade practices” increase and customers are increasingly reluctant to buy new high-priced phones, Samsung will “introduce more competitive A series models in the second half” to take advantage of interest in the midrange models. It already announced plans to bring the Galaxy A50 and a few others to the US, and if that pace increases then we’d expect to see more models like its A70 (pictured above) that puts many of the Galaxy S10’s features in a cheaper package. In an accompanying slide it specifically called out the Galaxy A80, which combines a motorized slide mechanism and rotating camera.

Similarly, it’s not expecting to see the TV market change much in the near future, but it will try to increase profits by pushing its latest technology: 8K. According to Samsung, it’s time to take the lead by “positioning QLED 8K TVs as mainstream TVs.” We’ll see if mainstream consumers are ready to bring that monster 98-inch Q900 set home.

If you happen to own Nintendo’s new VR Kit, Captain Toad has an adventure for you. Nintendo Europe has announced that Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker has a free software update which uses the virtual reality goggles–and it’s available now.

Captain Toad’s new mini VR adventure lets you view courses in 360 degrees and explore four courses in virtual reality. One lets you pan around the stage to better gauge what’s around pillars and obstacles, while another puts you in a minecart to hunt for treasure. Check out the announcement trailer below.

Treasure Tracker isn’t the only game with VR support. Nintendo America announced back in April 2019 that two of the company’s most popular Switch games–The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey–would receive VR support for free as software updates.

The VR Kit is part of Nintendo Labo, a sort of toys-to-life concept using cardboard to introduce new ways of interacting with the Nintendo Switch. Released throughout 2018, there are currently four Labo Kits available: Robot, Variety, Vehicle, and VR.

Treasure Tracker landed on Nintendo 3DS and Switch in July 2018, almost four years after its initial December 2014 launch. In our Treasure Tracker Switch review, we said, “Despite a smattering of minor complaints, Captain Toad stands as a pint-sized version of Nintendo’s stellar first party pedigree. It’s among the best Mario spin-offs around and a delightful iteration on old ideas.”