A touch more speed and just a tiny bit more convenience.
The folks over at MacRumors have stumbled onto leaked mentions of M4 MacBook Airs in the macOS Sequoia 15.2 update.
This may point to new MacBook Airs coming soon, which aligns with earlier rumors that new 13- and 15-inch models with M4 processors are expected in early 2025.
I’m still working on my GPD Win Max 2 review, and there’s now a more powerful model on sale. It’s pricier at $1,500 — but the 8840U version I’m using is now discounted to $1,000, so that’s great!
This is the best tiny Windows machine I’ve used, though I find I want a mouse. It’s also an OK handheld.
Apart from “subtle differences” like a slightly bigger heatsink and rearranged components, the newest MacBook’s internal layout is about the same as the M3 model’s. iFixit summarizes in a blog post supplementing its video:
Parts pairing and calibration issues remain a major obstacle. Batteries and ports are relatively repair-friendly, but swapping displays or logic boards is a minefield of software locks.
A new “improved” Windows search will allow you to search for documents, photos, and other files by just describing them — even when you’re not connected to the internet. The new AI search experience will roll out to Windows Insiders on Copilot Plus PCs early next year.
We have both M4 Pro and M4 Max 16-inch MacBook Pros, and after initial testing for my review of the 14-inch M4 version, we want to see how hard we can push them.
What kind of workloads or further benchmarks are you curious about? Let us know in the comments.
It’s been a very busy week for the Mac. Apple gave creators and select media a preview of its latest machines in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Here’s Vjeran’s video roundup on the new Mac Mini, iMac, and MacBook Pro. The more I see that nano-texture coating on the latter, the more I’m sold on it.
Stay tuned for our reviews.
6
Verge Score
The $1,300 ‘Aura Edition’ laptop doesn’t quite live up to its fancy new Lunar Lake processor.
A tiny $1200 laptop that doubles as a gaming handheld, with an incredible array of ports. Surprisingly easy to type on, plays games as well or better than a Legion Go, supports two kinds of eGPUs. Keyboard and touchpad make navigating Windows way easier than most handhelds.
But you might not enjoy holding its stiff metal frame, and it’s better paired with a mouse!
A Reddit user spotted a Microsoft Surface Laptop outfitted with Intel’s next-gen ARM competitor on a Chinese website called Goofish, Windows Central reports.
The outlet says its sources confirmed that Microsoft is testing the chip in a Surface, but that it’s not clear if it’s the Surface Laptop 7 or a future version of the machine.
Some deals are gone, but you still have time this week to save big on some of our favorite gadgets and goods.
After its official reveal last May and a full spec dump released in June, preorders for the GPD Duo laptop are now available through Indiegogo. Early backers can get one with an AMD Ryzen 7 8840U processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a pair of 13.3-inch OLED screens for $1,274 (down from $1,430) with delivery expected in late November.
If you’re a Framework laptop user with access to a 3D printer you’ve now got an important question to ask yourself. Do you prioritize being able to accessorize your machine with Lego using this 3D-printed adapter with studs and tubes that fits into the Framework’s expansion card port? Or is adding another USB-C or HDMI port a higher priority? Decisions, decisions...
GPD tells me Cary “The Phawx” Golomb is the only person with the absolutely feature packed dual-screen OLED laptop right now, and while he’s mostly evangelizing it to start, he’s been known to deliver excellent reviews.
GPD finally revealed full specs and pricing the other week: around $1,400 for AMD 8840U, around $1,800 for newer AMD HX 370.
The ThinkPad T14s Gen 6, which launched as a Snapdragon laptop, will get a $1,699 AMD Zen 5 variant in October with an undisclosed Ryzen AI Pro chip.
North America won’t get: €699 IdeaPad Slim 5 with AMD Ryzen 7000; €1699 Yoga Pro 7 with AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 and a 14.5-inch 600-nit OLED; €999 ThinkBook 16 Gen7+ with Ryzen AI 9 365.
It features Qualcomm’s new budget 8-core chip underneath a 16-inch 2K 60Hz, 300-nit IPS display — with “up to” 32GB RAM and 1TB storage. It does come standard with an big 84Wh battery.
Lenovo’s other new Qualcomm is the $850 IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1. It has a brighter 14-inch 400-nit OLED display, but a smaller 57Wh battery and only one USB-C.
Good news: Lenovo’s 14-inch ThinkPad X1 Carbon and 15-inch Yoga Slim 7i now have Intel Lunar Lake chips alongside 2.8K OLED screens and twin Thunderbolt 4 ports. Lenovo says the 2.16-pound Carbon is its lightest ever.
Weird news: They’re both now “Aura Edition” laptops, which apparently means software like focus modes, posture alerts, and “Smart Share” — tap an iPhone or Android to your laptop to share photos.
