Motorola has announced three new handsets in its wildly popular G series to replace the Moto G5S and Moto G5S Plus.

The new handsets are the Moto G6, the Moto G6 Plus and the Moto G6 Play.

You’ll find out all about them in great detail below, but we also have hands on reviews for each of the three phones.

We’re live in Sao Paulo, Brazil during the launch of the three new phones and while you can’t watch the Moto G6 launch live, we’ll be updating this article with the latest information as soon as we have it so you’ll be the first to know the latest details.

Below we have a video to talk you through everything you need to know about the Moto G6 family.

Moto G6 price and release date

You’ll be able to buy the Moto G6, Moto G6 Plus and Moto G6 Play in the coming weeks, but Motorola has yet to announce an official release date.

We know the US will only get the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play, missing out on the Moto G6 Plus, while the UK is set to get all three phones in the first week of May.

The Moto G6 price is $249 (£219, about AU$320) SIM-free, while the Moto G6 Play will cost $199 (£169, about AU$250). 

In the UK the Moto G6 Plus is set to cost £269 (about AU$360).

There’s also an Amazon exclusive version of the Moto G6 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which will set you back £239 in the UK. It’s unclear if it will come to either the US or Australia.

Moto G6 design

The design language of the Moto G6 series is relatively similar to the phones that have gone before it, so if you own a Moto G5 or Moto G5S you’ll recognize a lot of the look and feel of the handset.

Moto’s G6 Plus is the most premium of the three with the Moto G6 sitting in the middle and the G6 Play being an even more affordable handset that doesn’t feel quite as high-end as the other two phones in the series.

There’s 3D glass on both the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus, while the G6 Play has a polymer material on the back. 

Each phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C port at the bottom edge of the phone (except the G6 Play which sticks with microUSB). 

The edges on the rear of each are also curved to make it fit in your palm easily and still feel comfortable.

There’s no waterproofing technology here though, so don’t attempt to take your phone into the shower with you if you buy a Moto G6 handset.

Every Moto G6 device has a fingerprint sensor, but the normal handset and the Moto G6 Plus have them below the screen while the Moto G6 Play has it on the rear of the phone.

Exactly what colors will be available in each market are currently unclear, so we’ll be sure to update this article when we know more about the color choices for the entire Moto G6 series.

Moto G6 display

To keep up with current top-end trends, the Moto G6 family all sport an 18:9 ratio display much like the iPhone X or the Samsung Galaxy S9. The screen quality won’t be as good, but it looks similar with a longer design on each of the three handsets.

The Moto G6 comes with a 5.7-inch IPS LCD with Full HD resolution at 1080 x 2160. That’s 424 pixels per inch, and is a similar quality to what we saw on the Moto G5S albeit a different size.

Then there’s the Moto G6 Plus that sports a 5.93-inch IPS LCD display with the same resolution of 1080 x 2160 but a lower pixel per inch count of 407. It’s a touch larger though, so you may prefer it if you’re looking for a larger phone.

Lastly the Moto G6 Play is the same size as the Moto G6 with a 5.7-inch screen, but the resolution is lower at 720 x 1440, which equals 282 pixels per inch. Basically, don’t go for this one if you’re looking for gorgeous picture quality.

Moto G6 specs and performance 

Here’s another area where the three handsets are set to differ widely too. It’s important to remember the Moto G6 range is about getting as much spec in a phone for an affordable price, so this doesn’t feature any top notch processing power.

The most powerful is the Moto G6 Plus that comes with a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset inside and we’ve seen this chipset perform well in handsets like the Sony Xperia XA2. 

Some markets will have access to a 6GB of RAM version with 64GB of storage, but we don’t currently know where that’ll land.

It’s more likely you’ll be able to buy the 4GB RAM version with 64GB of storage or the 3GB RAM with 32GB of storage. We don’t expect you’ll need 6GB of RAM inside your Moto G6 Plus to get satisfactory power.

Next up is the Moto G6 with a Snapdragon 450 chipset inside, which is the same tech inside the newly announced Honor 7C. This won’t be as snappy as the Plus variant, but we hope it’ll still hold its ground.

That comes with the choice of 4GB RAM with 64GB of storage, or you can drop down to 3GB RAM with 32GB of storage for a slightly lower price.

Finally there’s the Moto G6 Play, which will be the weakest of the three handsets but we still expect to see some suitable performance from its Snapdragon 430 chipset. We liked how that performed on last year’s Nokia 6, so we’ve go high hopes for how it’ll work in the G6 Play.

You’re more limited in your choice of RAM and storage here though with the two options being 32GB internal with 3GB of RAM or a measly 16GB of storage with 2GB RAM.

All three phones have microSD support up to 256GB, so if you buy one that’s too small for your tastes you can always insert a card for a bit of extra storage.

Moto G6 camera

Both the Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus come brandishing dual rear cameras, while the G6 Play isn’t as powerful on the rear.

First up is the Moto G6 with a 12MP main sensor and a 5MP secondary camera on the rear. That has an aperture of f/1.8 and it’s also capable of filming HD video.

The Moto G6 Plus is remarkably similar with 12MP and 5MP cameras working together to get shots, but the aperture is slightly stronger at f/1.7 and there’s the ability to film video in 4K as well.

Lastly is the Moto G6 Play that just has a singular camera on the rear with a 13MP sensor and an aperture of f/2.0. All three phones come packing the same 8MP front-facing camera, plus there’s a portrait mode on the rear camera too.

There are also added software features for each of these phones that include Snapchat-like filters to stick over your face or even the ability to point your phone at famous landmarks and be told directly by your phone what you’re looking at.

Moto G6 battery and OS

We don’t currently know how well the three phones will perform in terms of battery life, but we have reason to believe the Moto G6 Play will be remarkably good.

The Moto G6 has a 3000mAh cell while the G6 Plus is a 3200mAh cell. Then there’s the Moto G6 Plus that has a huge 4000mAh battery, which is particularly good considering it has the least amount to power.

We think this may mean the Moto G6 Play will be trying to replicate the battery life we’ve seen on handsets like the Moto E4 Plus where it can last up to two whole days from a single charge. We’ll have to wait until we get these handsets in for full review to know for sure.

All three of the new handsets are running Android 8 Oreo software straight out of the box. That’s in a stock capacity, so it looks exactly how Google intended it too and you’ll get much the same look and feel as on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

Motorola is also one of the better Android manufacturers when it comes to updating its phones with the latest software so that should mean you’ll get timely updates to the OS on your Moto G6 series phone if you’re set to buy one. It sounds likely that Android P will eventually arrive.

Moto G6 other features

Standout features are not to be found on the Moto G6 series – this is more about bringing elements like design, display and other top-end features down to a more affordable handset. 

That means there’s no Moto Mod integration, like you’d get on the Moto Z2 range.

http://www.techradar.com/news/moto-g6-moto-g6-plus-moto-g6-play

Microsoft shook the globe when it unveiled its first-ever desktop PC in late 2016 with the Surface Studio, but, two years later we’re drooling yet again over the prospect of the sequel.

Just think about it – a Surface Studio with more powerful components, a sharper screen and the latest in wireless technology – the Surface Studio 2 could be the perfect opponent for Apple’s ever-evolving iMac lineup.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen little to no solid information, leaks or rumors regarding the Surface Studio 2, but we’ve at least heard that Microsoft is indeed working on it. So, with that faint sliver of information, let’s dive into the possibilities of a Surface Studio 2.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The would-be second Surface Studio desktop
• When is it out? Possibly between September and November 2018
• What will it cost? Likely as much as – if not more than – the current model

Surface Studio 2 release date

The original Surface Studio launched in late 2016, so Microsoft’s iMac competitor is due for a refresh given the firm’s general cadence for Surface products that aren’t the Surface Pro.

However, we haven’t really heard anything about when the Surface Studio sequel is coming. All we have to go off of is a Windows Central report citing sources that said ‘Surface Studio 2 is a-go.’ As such, the outlet expects to see the device ‘in the fall.’

That amounts to anytime between September and November for a possible Surface Studio 2 release. Until more concrete leaks and rumors arrive, this is the expectation we’ll have to hold onto.

Surface Studio 2 price

Sadly, there’s even less known regarding the Surface Studio 2’s possible pricing, i.e. absolutely nothing. So, all we can expect of the potential device’s price so far is for it to hold close to that of the previous model.

Currently, the Surface Studio goes for anywhere between $2,999 (£2,999, AU$4,699) and $4,199 (£4,249, AU$6,599). For Microsoft to go any further above that price might be a shot in the foot, especially considering the pricing of its primary competition, the Apple iMac line.

Conversely, it’s tough to expect Microsoft to drive the price much lower than it is now, either, as the original Surface Studio saw an impressive demand at its current price point during launch. Stay tuned to this space as more rumors and leaks come to light.

What we want to see in Surface Studio 2

For as impressed as we were – and still are – by the Surface Studio, plenty has progressed in the nearly two years since its release, and there’s always room for improvement. Here’s what we hope to see come to fruition in the Surface Studio 2:

More powerful components
This is low-hanging fruit, to be sure, but we could’ve made this wish list when the Surface Studio first released, for it already was a bit lacking in hardware. This time around, a desktop-grade processor is all but essential, as are up-to-date graphics – a Coffee Lake Intel CPU and Nvidia Turing series mobile graphics would certainly do the trick. Plus, a proper SSD would be seen as a boon to the creatives its targeted for.

An even sharper screen
The current Surface Studio screen is absolutely gorgeous, sporting a massive 4,500 x 3,000-pixel resolution across the sRGB, DCI-P3 and Vivid color spaces. But, there’s no reason that it can’t go further. Seeing a 5K Surface Studio to directly rival the priciest iMac would be awfully exciting for content creators.

Thunderbolt 3 connectivity
For as versatile as the Thunderbolt 2 DisplayPort is on the current Surface Studio, it’s time for Microsoft to collectively move onto Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C. Not only does the it offer more throughput for file transfers, it could also serve as a one plug hub for all displays and other peripherals you want to connect. If the Surface Studio 2 is to truly compete, it needs to respect this growing standard for its target audience’s sake.

All accessories included
For what it’s charging for the current – and will charge for the future – Surface Studio, Microsoft should be including all of the essential accessories in the box. Yes, that includes the awesome Surface Dial alongside the Surface Mouse and Keyboard. It’s only fair for a several-grand purchase.

http://www.techradar.com/news/surface-studio-2

With the reports suggesting that a new MacBook Air and a 13-inch Retina MacBook are on the way in 2018, both cheaper than their predecessors, it wouldn’t surprise us to see an iMac 2018 follow on their heels.

The iMac could use an upgrade, as well. After being refreshed with 7th-generation Intel Kaby Lake processors in mid 2017, Intel released its 8th-generation Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake processors. Now the iMac is one generation behind when it comes to processing power, not to mention its dated style.

It’s easy to speculate on what the iMac 2018 will look like. For one, there’s plenty of evidence that three of the Macs Apple will release in 2018 will off-load some functionality to Cupertino-manufactured co-processors, rather than trusting every feature to a third-party like Intel. This is likely an early stem in Apple’s Kalamata initiative – where it reportedly wants to replace all Intel CPUs with Cupertino silicone by 2020. This year will also mark the 20th anniversary of the iMac, and you know Apple will want to commemorate this benchmark with a new product.

As usual, Apple is keeping its cards pretty close to its chest, so we don’t have a huge amount of information to go on at the moment, but we’ve collected all the rumors we’ve heard so far to help us speculate on what an iMac 2018 may entail.

We’ll also set out what we want to see from the iMac 2018, based on our expert knowledge and current trends.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? A new version of Apple’s all-in-one iMac
• When is it out? Possibly June or August 2018
• What will it cost? Likely starts at $1,099 (£1,049, AU$1,599)

iMac 2018 release date

We haven’t heard any concrete rumors about the release date of the iMac 2018, so until we do, we’re going to have to do a bit of guesswork.

The iMac 2017 update was revealed on June 5, 2017 at Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) keynote, so there’s a chance that Apple may use WWDC 2018 to announce an update.

If Apple is planning to do something special to mark the 20th anniversary of the iMac, then a release date in August could be possible – as it will be exactly 20 years since the launch of the original.

iMac 2018 price

Again, there’s not much to go on right now concerning what the price of a 2018 iMac might be. Hopefully, the price won’t stray too much from last year’s models, unless there is going to be some seriously large upgrades when it comes to components.

The base price of last year’s iMac is $1,099 (£1,049, AU$1,599), so we’d like to see a similar price with the iMac 2018. Of course, the iMac comes in various configurations (and prices) to suit your needs.

With the high-end iMac Pro starting at $4,999 (£4,899, AU$7,299), we can envision an iMac 2018 costing between $1,000 (£1,000, AU$1,500) and $2,500 (£2,000, AU$3,000).

iMac 2018: what we want to see

While we don’t know too much about what the iMac 2018 will be like, we’ve got plenty of ideas about what we’d like to see in a new version of the all-in-one. Read on for our suggestions that would make the iMac 2018 the best iMac ever.

Celebrate the 20th anniversary in style

For any gadget, 20 years in the business is a big deal, so we’d love to see Apple do something special to mark the anniversary for this year’s iMac.

Apple have released special versions of its hardware to mark milestones before, such as the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh, which was released in 1997 to mark Apple’s 20th birthday.

With the iMac being so beloved, and its design so iconic, a special version of the iMac 2018 that paid tribute to its past could be a big hit with Apple fans and collectors.

A revamped design

While we love the look of the iMac, it’s sort of had the same design for the past 10 years, so 2018 could be a great year to tweak the look. That could mean a minor revision, such as slimming the body even further, or something more drastic.

Rumors of an iMac redesign have been swirling since a post on Reddit, apparently by a ‘Foxconn Insider’ who worked for the company that builds the devices for Apple, claimed there would be an update to the iMac and its peripherals.

Color-wise, the aluminum design of the iMac has been a staple since 2007, so we wouldn’t mind seeing another color option with the iMac 2018 – perhaps a Space Gray version, like the iMac Pro?

Take inspiration from the iMac Pro

The iMac Pro is a fantastic device, and while it is definitely a product aimed at a completely different audience than the iMac 2018 will be, there are a few things the standard iMac could incorporate from its more expensive sibling.

For example, removing the hard drive, and sticking to just solid state drives, would allow Apple to make the iMac 2018 even slimmer – while also giving the machine a decent speed boost. Even better for photographers and filmmakers is if Apple were to allow for UHS-II SD card support, thereby streamlining the post-production process.

The iMac Pro also features some clever cooling technology to help reduce the heat of the components, again allowing for a thinner design without noisy fans, and we’d love to see that in the iMac 2018 as well.

Oh, and did we mention we’d really like to see a Space Gray iMac?

Take inspiration from the MacBook and iPhone

Whilst we’re getting ideas from other Apple devices, there’s a few things we’d like to see from the iPhone and MacBook appear in the iMac 2018.

For example, how cool would it be if the Touch Bar from certain MacBooks turned up on a redesigned iMac keyboard? Those touch-sensitive buttons would be a fantastic addition.

Also, we’ve been very impressed by the Face ID technology of the iPhone X, so if Apple is thinking of upgrading the FaceTime camera on the iMac 2018, we’d love to see this included, so we could unlock our new iMac with just a glance.

Boosted specs

We’d love to see the iMac 2018 toting some of the very latest, and best, components when it’s revealed to the world. 

While we’d love to see the iMac 2018, at least the entry-level version, running one of Intel’s latest quad core processors, if the iMac uses Intel’s Coffee Lake CPUs, we may even see an iMac 2018 with a six-core processor, which would give the all-in-one a real boost when it comes to multitasking.

Graphics-wise, the iMac could stick with AMD’s Vega graphics cards, and if Apple goes for one of the latest AMD card, or even one that has yet to be released, then the iMac 2018 could have some serious graphical chops.

Fingers crossed we see some – or all – of these predictions come to fruition later this year.

• These are the best Macs that 2018 has to offer so far

Gabe Carey has also contributed to this report

http://www.techradar.com/news/imac-2018