Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered computers didn’t exactly take off this year, but the smartphone processor maker hopes to turn things around with its new Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 processor designed specifically for Always Connected PCs.

Qualcomm tells us its new processor brings 30% improved performance alongside 20% improved battery life compared to the previous Snapdragon 835 chip that made its way into devices like the Asus NovaGo, Lenovo Miix 630 and HP Envy x2.

These performance increases come thanks to Qualcomm tuning its 2nd generation 10nm process, specifically for computing and making improvements to power delivery. As on smartphones, Qualcomm says its Snapdragon processor on PCs offloads many of the maintenance-based functions to low-energy cores to improve power efficiency.

Beyond core performance, the Snapdragon 850 also comes with a new Snapdragon x20 LTE modem, allowing PCs to tap into the 10MHz Licensed LTE band for greater international connectivity. Qualcomm also claims its next generation PCs will offer 20% or faster LTE modem speeds.

Ultra HD or 4K playback and capture are both now enabled thanks to the new Qualcomm Adreno 630 visual processing engine. Meanwhile we might soon see virtual surround sound as its now supported by Qualcomm’s Aqstic & aptX audio.

While no new devices were announced at Qualcomm’s press event, Samsung joined the stage to say we can expect a Snapdragon-powered PC from it later this year. 

http://www.techradar.com/news/qualcomm-announces-its-second-generation-snapdragon-processor-for-windows-10-devices

We’ve seen our fair share of dual-screen laptops in the past, but the 15-inch Asus ZenBook Pro UX580 is the most well-equipped and fully thought out implementations we’ve ever seen.

Although it’s not a true all-screen device on the top and bottom of the device, this 15-inch laptop features a 4K screen up top and a 5.5-inch screenpad just below the keyboard. Essentially users can extend their display to the second screen/touchpad hybrid, allowing them to move any open window they’re working on or watching and move it to the lower monitor. All the while users a can still move the cursor around and scroll along webpages just as if they were using traditional pointing device.

Watch our hands-on video with the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 and its ScreenPad below:

This second screen acts more like touchpad for most of the time we used it, so we would just swipe along to move the cursor over to areas we wanted to click and navigate applications. However, the second screen does include a drag down interface you can tap and certain compatible applications like PowerPoint will also allow you to navigate through a simple series of taps.

Powerhouse specs

The Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580 is also packed to the gills with the latest components including up to an Intel Core i9 processor and Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti graphics. Users can also outfit their configuration with up to 16GB RAM and an 1TB PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD.

The Asus ZenBook Pro 15 UX580 will be available mid-July 2018 for a starting price of $2,299 (about £1,730, AU$3,010).

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During Computex 2018, Asus has announced an all-new type of Ultrabook laptop known as the Asus ZenBook S, or UX391. The laptop looks like a Surface Pro at first glance, thanks to a unique hinge design, but isn’t like that Windows 10 tablet at all.

That interesting hinge is known as the ‘ErgoLift Hinge,’ and it raises the angle of the laptop base and therefore the keyboard when opening the laptop. This is because the hinge is positioned a bit above the edge of the laptop lid.

The ErgoLift Hinge gives the keyboard an angle of 5.5-degrees, which Asus claims to have found during research promotes comfortable typing for longer periods of time. This solution also allows heat that the 0.51-inch thin laptop generates to be dissipated through the bottom of the base while (theoretically) escaping before it warms up your legs.

Better yet, Asus promises that this angle also allows the bottom-firing speakers on the laptop to shine far better than competing, normal laptops. Plus, a smart amplifier adjusts the max volume, accounting for the acoustics created by the angle, to deliver the best battery life and quality.

Asus also announced the ZenBook Pro 2018 series which introduces the ScreenPad at Computex. Watch our hands-on to find out more:

Packed with power inside

Of course, being an Ultrabook, the ZenBook S is armed to the teeth with high-end parts. That includes a 13.3-inch touchscreen with ultra-thin, 5.9mm bezels and a resolution of either 1,920 x 1,080 or 3,840 x 2,160. Asus’s Tru2Life video technology enhances either screen’s contrast, sharpness and playback smoothness through pixel analysis.

Powering that display is an Intel 8th generation Core processor – your pick of the Core i5-8250U or Core i7-8550U – with Intel HD Graphics 620. Backing up that chip is up to 16GB of DDR3 memory at 2,133MHz and as much as 1TB of PCIe SSD storage.

Despite the thinness of the laptop, Asus managed to cram one USB-C 3.1 port, two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and an audio jack for plenty of expandability. A touchpad-embedded fingerprint sensor is also included, ensuring this laptop is packed with hardware.

Asus promises up to 13 and a half hours of battery life from the ZenBook S when it launches on June 11 for $1,199 (about £899, AU$1,569) on Amazon and at B&H Photo in the US. 

http://www.techradar.com/news/asus-zenbook-s-is-an-ultra-ergonomic-ultrabook