We’re not sure how many of you will be lucky enough to receive a spanking new notebook for the holidays, but just in case you’ve got one on your list (or are shopping for someone else), we’ve got a newly updated laptop buyer’s guide full of suggestions. Whether it’s a convertible Ultrabook you’re looking for, or a regular Ultrabook, or maybe a gaming machine, we’re here to be of service.
Filed under: Laptops, Apple, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, ASUS, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
Welcome to Engadget’s back to school hub for 2013! Whether you’re a middle schooler, a college senior or just a tech-head looking for an excuse to refresh your gadget lineup, we’re here to help. Throughout the month of August, we’ll be posting in-depth guides to accommodate every budget, from cheap picks to high-end options. These guides will help you do your research, but 15 lucky readers will have the shopping done for them; our giveaway includes a flagship smartphone, an Ultrabook, an e-reader and many other toys to see you through work and play. We’ll be drawing the names of winners in early September, but in the meantime our guides should keep you plenty busy. Click on the available category pages to start your comparison-shopping, and stay tuned for upcoming guides.
Note: You can enter our back to school contest by leaving a comment on the giveaway page, or at any of the category pages listed above. Comments left on this page will not be considered.
At last: the laptop buyer’s guide we wanted to write three months ago. You see, when it came time to publish our spring edition, Intel was on the cusp of releasing its fourth-generation Core processors, which meant almost everything we were recommending was destined for a refresh. So we basically said, “Wait for Haswell,” and called it a day. By now, though, most of said companies have upgraded their notebooks, if not released brand-new ones, so we can finally recommend stuff without any caveats about obsolescence.
Of note: we’ve eliminated the “touch” and “non-touch” sections since most Windows notebooks (save for gaming machines) now come with touch, or at least offer it as an option. We’ve tried to make it obvious which of our picks have that feature and which ones don’t. Oh, and if we’ve left something off the list, it might be because we don’t yet have enough details about pricing or availability (the new Acer Aspire S3 comes to mind). Enjoy, and as always, if you have a favorite laptop yourself, feel free to tell us about it in the comments.
Filed under: Laptops, Apple, Samsung, Sony, ASUS, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Tablets are virtually tailor-made for our summer vacations, whether we’re checking email at the hotel or watching movies during an airport layover. The manufacturers must know this, as there’s a surge of new slates set to arrive while the weather’s still scorching. Our 2013 summer tablet buyer’s guide will help you decide which of these models is worth space in your travel bag. There are also several veteran tablets we recommend, although some of them could be obsolete soon — we’ll let you know when newer devices loom ahead. Whether or not you want the latest hardware, though, our guide should have the tablet you need.
Filed under: Tablets, Apple, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, ASUS, Google, Amazon, Lenovo
Summertime is now in full swing, and it’s also a period of transition within the mobile world. With the exception of a brand-new smartphone that wields a 41-megapixel shooter, our buyer’s guide hasn’t changed much since the last installment, but that’s not to suggest the market is stagnant. On the contrary, high-profile smartphones such as the next iPhone, the Moto X and the successor to the Galaxy Note II are in the pipeline, and there are even rumors swirling of a larger BlackBerry. Likewise, two of the world’s premiere smartphones — the HTC One and the Galaxy S 4 — are now available with stock Android directly from Google, which brings the added promise of timely software updates.
Mobile carriers are changing the game too, thanks in large part to the T-Mobile Jump program, which allows customers to upgrade their smartphone every six months. AT&T Next and Verizon Edge will soon provide similar (albeit more expensive) offerings, with upgrade eligibility that comes once per year. Even Sprint is doing its part with Unlimited, My Way, which promises unlimited data for life. Whether you’re looking to purchase a new handset right away, or you’re simply evaluating your options, Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide is the definitive resource for finding the very best smartphones on the market today. We’ll be here when you’re ready.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, HTC, Google, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, Blackberry, T-Mobile
You asked; you got it. When we ran our first-ever laptop buyer’s guide earlier this year, many of you wrote in, requesting that we include more affordable picks (not just, you know, twelve-hundred-dollar Ultrabooks). So with this latest seasonal guide, we’ve added budget and mid-range options, some with touchscreens, some without. The only unfortunate thing? We’re expecting Intel to drop its new Haswell chips sometime this summer, so it should go without saying that it might be worth waiting for the various PC giants to refresh their lineups before committing to anything. If you absolutely can’t wait, though, we’ve picked our favorites, with a particular emphasis on models we don’t think will be going anywhere anytime soon.
Filed under: Laptops, Samsung, Sony, ASUS, HP, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
Stepping into a carrier’s store can be like a visit to the candy shop for the gadget junkie, but once playtime is over and it’s time to choose just one, the decision can get a bit overwhelming. You’ll find Android phones that range in size from tiny to massive, Windows Phone handsets that cover the rainbow in colors and, of course, the ubiquitous iPhone, which has a price point to suit every need. There’s also the latest BlackBerry, which melds a familiar name with a brand-new operating system.
Naturally, it’s no easy task to sort through the wide number of options on the market today, and it’s even more difficult to find the best of the best. That’s where Engadget’s smartphone buyer’s guide comes in handy. Here, you’ll find a very exclusive list of the smartphones that we confidently use and achingly desire. Regardless of your financial situation or platform preference, you’re bound to find a stellar choice that’s a great fit for your needs. So read on as we round up the very best smartphones of the season.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Apple, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Google, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile
Much like bears, tablet designers are coming out of hibernation: there have been a handful of noteworthy models reaching the wild after a few months of silence. Most of these are the Windows 8- and RT-based tablets that didn’t quite make the cut for the holidays, and we’re launching our 2013 spring tablet buyer’s guide with a dedicated Windows section to accommodate a distinct and rapidly filling category. Just be careful before you commit to a purchase, wherever your allegiances lie: Mobile World Congress brought us tablets that haven’t quite shipped yet, like the FonePad and Galaxy Note 8.0. (We’ve included a heads-up in those situations where waiting a few weeks, or months, may be wisest.) As chaotic as spring can be, our guide might just provide some kind of stability if you’re shopping for your next slate.
Filed under: Tablets, Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, ASUS, Amazon, Verizon, AT&T, Lenovo
Here’s a fun fact: in the three months since Windows 8 went on sale, Engadget has reviewed 16 laptops, including a few hybrid form factors. Yep, that’s right: more than one a week for the past 12 weeks, and that’s not even counting a couple tablets running Windows RT. So, now that we’ve given over our collective social lives to writing about Win 8, we finally feel qualified to make a few recommendations. Here, in our first-ever laptop buyer’s guide, we’ll walk you through the most promising of the bunch — everything from convertibles to laptop / tablet mashups. Indeed, we’ve got lots of touch-enabled systems ahead (including nods to models that didn’t make the cut), but if you’re simply in the market for a good, old-fashioned notebook, we have a few of those to recommend, too. So without further ado, join us.
Note: With regard to the Windows PCs we highlight here, we’ll be focusing on machines that run full Windows 8, specifically. For recommendations of ARM-based tablets running Windows RT you can look to our tablet buyer’s guide.
Filed under: Laptops, Apple, Samsung, Sony, Microsoft, ASUS, Dell, Acer, Lenovo
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