More isn't always better, but sometimes being maximalist just makes sense.

If more is your thing, then Plugable — an accessory maker based in Washington that's become known for its over-the-top accessories — is your company. Its new docking station, which was announced at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, supports an unprecedented 5 monitors, which brings your potential for screen overload to new heights.

So, if you're looking to submerge yourself in a sea of 4K, we've got some very good news.

A first-of-its-kind docking station

Plugable is already known for its robust accessories, and its recently announced UD-7400PD docking station is continuing that ethos.

According to Plugable, its new docking station is the first to support five whole external monitors. The UD-7400PD is powered by DisplayLink’s DL-7400 chipset, and impressively, it can handle up to four 4K, 120Hz monitors and one 8K monitor simultaneously.

It also offers 140W of power so it can keep you can keep your myriad laptops charged at the same time.

As an added perk, the dock comes with a screen that activates when powered on but not connected to a device which gives real-time status information.

Altogether the docking station has two HDMI ports and three DisplayLink-enabled USB-C ports. If that's not enough, the dock also has a front-facing 10Gpbs USB-C port that enables 30W charging and 2 front-facing 10Gbps USB-A ports and Ethernet and audio jacks for good measure.

If a docking station capable of running an army of 4K monitors isn't really a high priority for you, Plugable also announced a quad-HDMI adapter that funnels into one USB-C port.

The adapter is small but mighty according to Plugable and is capable of driving four 4K 60Hz HDMI outputs into a single USB-C port. And with and up to 100W USB-C PD passthrough, you can also do all of that while keeping your laptop powered at the same time.

How much kill is overkill?

Listen, not everyone is going to need a docking station that does all of that, but then again, if you're a serious creative professional who likes to run a suite of editing software or a financial analyst who relies on being surrounded by screens, it's easy to see how the UD-7400PD could be very appealing.

And even if you aren't trying to predict a major company's financial future, sometimes it's just nice to know that if you really needed the most out of a docking station that you could get it.

Both Plugable's new docking station and its four-HDMI to USB-C adapter will be available later in Q1 2025 and will retail for $264.95 and $124.95 respectively.

• CES 2025 Coverage
• Acer's enormous CES 2025 gaming handheld looks absolutely ridiculous
• Acer unveils upgraded Windows gaming handheld at CES 2025, but does it resolve our concerns?

There are lots of ways to charge your glut of devices simultaneously, but very few can do so with efficiency in mind.

Plugable, an accessory company based out of Washington, however, introduced what it's calling the "world's first" 10-port charger with smart power allocation, meaning you can charge a lot of gadgets without using a ton of juice.

Charge smarter

If you're wondering what "smart power allocation" even means, let me explain.

According to Plugable, its robust 10-port charger can smartly identify devices that are plugged into the accessory and then doll out juice accordingly, depending on demand. In their words:

"The PS-10CC dynamically distributes power, prioritizing high-wattage devices such as laptops to ensure optimal performance. An efficient charging solution in environments with multiple devices like classrooms and offices, for families setting up a charging station, or tech enthusiasts managing a smart workspace."

Plugable says its smart charger delivers up to 100W of total power and is designed specifically to meet the increasingly high power demands of modern devices. On top of that, the charging hub is fairly compact, so it won't totally clutter your likely already crowded desk.

In short: Plugable's ambitious USB-C hub should give you all the ports you need to safely and efficiently charge all kinds of devices at once, including laptops, phones, watches, and more.

Is Plugable's charger really that rare?

There are always lots of "world's first" claims out there and not all of them are to be trusted, so I decided to take a gander around and see what other options for comparable chargers lie in the accessory universe.

Turns out, at least based on my research, there really aren't any other accessories that offer quite as much as Plugable's PS-10CC.

While dynamically distributing power isn't novel in the charger world — like this one, for example — there aren't any devices that I turned that have as many ports as the PS-10CC.

I also can't verify that the other companies I identified make products as reliable as Plugable. I've been using Plugables 40W fast charger with dual USB-C ports and really admire the slim design and speed at which it charges my smaller devices.

Likewise, Laptop Mag has reviewed Plugable's portable display and one of the company's docking stations, both of which scored 4.5 out of 5 stars. Multi-port USB-C charging docks might not be the sexiest products in the world, but it's hard to deny something that just works, and if you're already in the market for a way to manage all your power needs, why not do it in the most efficient way possible?

Plugable's USB-C charging hub will be available later in Q1 2025 and will retail for $99.95.

In the world of tech, the event that kickstarts the year is often the one that defines it, and that honor annually falls to CES (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show) — an exhibition hailed as everything from the world's largest gadget show to the most powerful tech event in the world.

The Laptop Mag team is reporting directly from Las Vegas, Nevada for the duration of the show's January 7 to January 10 span. It's from here that we'll be covering the latest computing reveals and uncovering the finest consumer tech on show, seeking to crown our latest batch of Laptop Laurels winners from across the showroom floor.

CES is an opportunity for brands to dazzle and amaze, with everything from this year's biggest chipset reveals to futuristic concepts to expand the possibilities of what we can expect from tech in the years to come.

Welcome to Laptop Mag's CES 2025 special issue, your one-stop for all things consumer tech from this year's expo. Bookmark and return to this page for news and updates directly out of CES 2025, or follow us on X, Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Bluesky, Flipboard, and LinkedIn for the latest word as it arrives, direct to your socials.

CES 2025: Latest news

CES 2025: Laptop Laurels

Throughout this year's showcase, we'll be awarding products that truly stand out from the crowd with our Laptop Laurels — Laptop Mag's very own seal of approval for the best tech on show at CES 2025.

With boots on the ground in Las Vegas, Nevada, Laptop Mag's combined know-how covers a wide range of tech expertise, from laptops to mobile, processors, artificial intelligence, and more. Their reporting will bring you all of the latest news, hands-on reviews, and consumer tech highlights from CES 2025.

This year's outbound team includes Laptop Mag Editor-in-Chief Nick Lucchesi, Managing Editor Sean Riley, Senior News Editor James Pero, Staff Writer Madeline Ricchiuto, and Contributing Writer Joanna Nelius.

We always expect some bizarre tech to come out of CES, and Acer has made it clear that 2025 is no exception, unveiling its enormous 11-inch Windows gaming handheld, the Acer Nitro Blaze 11.

The Nitro Blaze 11 is one of the company's two new gaming handheld announcements of CES 2025, with the other being the Acer Nitro Blaze 8, which offers a far more reasonably sized 8.8-inch display.

This comes a few months after Acer unveiled the Acer Nitro Blaze 7, the company's first Windows gaming handheld, showcased at IFA Berlin 2024. These devices share an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics, 16GB of LPDDR5X-7500 RAM, and up to 2TB of SSD storage. However, the Nitro Blaze 11 takes things up a notch with its screen size. Way up.

The Acer Nitro Blaze 11 boasts a massive 10.95-inch display, making it the largest major Windows gaming handheld we've seen since these devices have begun to catch on in popularity since the Asus ROG Ally's launch in 2023. Even excluding specifically Windows devices, it's enormous compared to any other handhelds most are accustomed to.

For context, The Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck LCD both boast 7-inch displays. The Steam Deck OLED is a bit larger at 7.4 inches, while the Asus ROG Ally also has a 7-inch display. The MSI Claw initially launched with a 7-inch panel but upgraded to 8 inches with the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus.

Initially, the Lenovo Legion Go was the largest of its competitors, coming in at 8.8 inches. It was also the heaviest at 1.9 pounds, but at the very least, all of these devices existed within a somewhat reasonable 7-inch to 9-inch range.

It seems Acer has no interest in maintaining the status quo with the announcement of the Acer Nitro Blaze 11, as its 10.95-inch screen size is above and beyond the biggest of the competition, also coming in at 2.3 pounds, which is more than two pounds. For context, the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is 1.3 pounds, meaning the Nitro Blaze 11 is a whole pound heavier than the original Asus ROG Ally.

Of course, weight isn't everything necessarily. Ergonomics are also important to consider, as the device's 2.3-pound weight may feel comfortable if the device is designed well. However, seeing images of people holding the device, it's hard not to note how enormous and unwieldy it appears.

We're also somewhat worried about what its massive 10.95-inch display and 2,560 x 1,600-pixel resolution could do to the battery life, especially considering it still only has a 55Wh battery. For context, smaller machines like the 8-inch MSI Claw 8 AI Plus and 7-inch Asus ROG Ally X both feature an 80Wh battery.

While we cannot wait to test the device ourselves, especially considering its ridiculous size and weight, we cannot help but be worried about the comfort of using it over a long period of time, alongside whether or not its large 2K display will result it in having a weak battery. If you'd like more of the latest news in the world of technology, check out our CES 2025 page.

More from Laptop Mag

• CES 2025 coverage
• Latest Switch 2 photo leak reveals RAM and Nvidia chip — here's what to expect inside Nintendo's next-gen console
• Acer unveils upgraded Windows gaming handheld at CES 2025, but does it resolve our concerns?

On Monday, Acer announced at CES 2025 that the company is expanding its handheld gaming options with the Acer Nitro Blaze 8, delivering a larger size for those who prefer a more immersive display.

The company also unveiled the Nitro Blaze 11, but that's another story considering its ridiculous size makes it seem more like a small gaming laptop than a handheld device.

At the very least, the new Nitro Blaze 8 appears to be within the realm of reason, as it's built with an 8.8-inch display, which mirrors the successful Lenovo Legion Go, making it the moderately larger successor to the original 7-inch Acer Nitro Blaze 7.

An upgrade in size isn't the only change with this new model, as the display will be at 2,560 x 1,600-pixel resolution rather than the 1,920 x 1,080p panel on the 7-inch model. The Nitro Blaze 8 will also feature a new USB Type-A port alongside a 55Wh battery, making it a little better than the original's 50Wh battery.

Beyond that, the two models are similar, featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics, 16GB of 7500MT/s RAM, and up to 2TB of M.2 SSD storage.

The Acer Nitro Blaze 8's price and launch date is still in the air in North America, but it will be released in March in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at a starting price of €999.

Back when the original Acer Nitro Blaze 7 was unveiled, we worried that it was diving into shark-infested waters due to its small 50Wh battery that is currently being outdone by competition like the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus and Asus ROG Ally X with their 80Wh batteries.

It seems like the Acer Nitro Blaze 8 isn't quite solving that problem, as it's only upgrading to a 55Wh battery, even though it now has a 2K display, which will surely drain battery life faster.

For context, we saw amazing battery life on both the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus and Asus ROG Ally X in our longevity tests. On the Laptop Mag battery life test, which involves continuous web surfing over WiFi at 150 nits, the Asus ROG Ally X lasted 8 hours and 19 minutes.

However, the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus absolutely crushed it at 13 hours and 31 minutes. On the PCMark 10 Gaming battery life test, which emulates how long the device will last while playing, both devices lasted a little over 3 hours.

This is in no small part thanks to the 80Wh battery, and we could see Acer's gaming handheld fall behind if the company isn't careful in how it manages the device's limited battery size.

Regardless, we're looking forward to getting our hands on the Acer Nitro Blaze 8 and getting a sense of what exactly the device can offer to the world of Windows gaming handhelds. If you'd like more of the latest news in the world of technology, check out our CES 2025 page.

More from Laptop Mag

• CES 2025 coverage
• Latest Switch 2 photo leak reveals RAM and Nvidia chip — here's what to expect inside Nintendo's next-gen console
• Valve's SteamOS could be 2025's biggest winner, powering new VR and handheld gaming hardware

CES is always full of fun surprises, and Dell’s CES 2025 is no different — well, at least the surprise part. Announced today, Dell is completely rebranding its suite of laptops, doing away with its XPS, Inspiron, Latitude, or Precision lines and replacing them with the new Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max monikers, each offering three models: Base, Plus, and Premium.

Dell’s attempt to simplify its branding is reminiscent of Apple's MacBook in its naming convention. However, Kevin Terwilliger, Vice President of PC Product Management at Dell, tells Laptop Mag that any similarities between the two are simply drawn from their use of "descriptive industry words." In practice, Dell's new catalog differs significantly from Apple's approach to tiering.

I can’t say whether the rebranding will actually simplify your understanding of the Dell catalog, but I can say that breaking down what each system provides for you almost broke me.

Here it goes: Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max explained.

Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max: Specs

Dell, Dell, Dell

For those familiar with the Dell branding, the best way to view this rebranding is as follows: Inspiron is replaced by "Dell," Inspiron Plus is replaced by "Dell Plus," and XPS is replaced by "Dell Premium."

Meanwhile, Latitude is replaced by Dell Pro (base, Plus, and Premium) and Precision is replaced by Dell Pro Max (base, Plus, and Premium). So while you may be tempted to compare Apples to Dells, don’t.

Unlike MacBooks, the tiers aren’t necessarily determined by performance. Well, jumping from Dell to Dell Pro Max certainly is. However, Dell Pro is the outlier here. Latitudes (Dell Pro) aren’t necessarily stronger than XPS (Dell), or the rest of them. The big difference is its security and durability features. So the average consumer might assume that a Dell Pro is better than a Dell, but they’d be wrong.

If you take a step back, Dell is for the average consumer, Dell Pro is for business users (Pro is used literally in this case), and Dell Pro Max is for the power user (workstation-level performance).

When pointing out similarities to the MacBook branding, Dell's Kevin Terwilliger tells Laptop Mag, "Pro was an industry term long before Apple started using it. Pro has been used by Microsoft with Windows, AMD with Ryzen, Intel with vPro"

"When we use Pro, it will consistently mean professional-grade productivity." Well, considering how intense Apple's marketing is, I'm not sure consumers will get that, especially because the cited examples aren't something most people will consider.

Terwilliger admits "consistency isn’t always there from our competitors," and goes on to say, "We will make this clear throughout the customer purchasing/researching experience.” I'm sure Dell will make it clear on its site, but what about other online retailers? And especially in-store? I guess we'll find out.

Meanwhile, its Base, Plus, and Premium options scale in performance and mobility. You'll occasionally see better performance from Plus and more mobility from Premium models. That’s where your budget will come into play.

As far as pricing and availability go, you’d think there’d be nine products from what I described. Well, there are actually several per variation. For example, there are four Dell Plus models, which will launch on February 18, starting at $999. Two Dell Pro models will launch sometime between March and April at a TBD price, three Dell Pro Plus models will launch across January to April at a TBD price, and two Dell Pro Premium models will launch today (January 6) at a TBD price.

Dell, Dell Premium, and all Dell Pro Max models are still TBD.

Without a full look at all of the Dell models, we cannot concretely tell you all of the differences. But the cheat sheet above should be enough to give you an idea. Still, we’re excited to get our hands on the new Dell, Dell Pro, and Dell Pro Max products when they launch throughout the year.

More from Laptop Mag

• In a stunning debut, Intel claims 3x better AI performance for its new Lunar Lake chips
• Intel's Lunar Lake raced AMD Strix Point and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite in an F1 24 gaming demo — here's what happened
• MSI Claw 8 AI+ review

HP's ZBook line often appears on our list of Best Workstation laptops, and for good reason. The ZBook line offers impressive performance, quality displays, and high levels of portability that meet professional needs at admittedly premium pricing.

At CES in Las Vegas, HP unveiled the ultra-light ZBook Ultra 14 G1a laptop, a professional workstation that's just 0.7 inches thick and weighs a mere 3.3 pounds. It also features AMD's new Ryzen AI Pro Max "Strix Halo" APU, giving it a powerful integrated graphics chip and 128GB of memory on the package.

Initial reports of the Strix Halo chipset indicated its integrated graphics chip could compete with an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, and if those reports are true, that could make the ZBook Ultra 14 a powerhouse combination of raw performance and extreme portability.

HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a: Specs

HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a: Features and design

The ZBook Ultra 14 G1a doesn't change up the standard ZBook design language much, with the same sleek, minimalist aesthetic that's characterized HP's workstation laptops for the last few generations.

What separates the ZBook Ultra 14 G1a from other Windows workstations is its high degree of portability. The ZBook Ultra fits in the portability sweet spot at 14 inches and under 4 pounds. And at just 0.7 inches thick, it's a solid rival for the 3.4-pound Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024).

The ZBook Ultra also features a highly accurate display, with options up to 2.8K, which is great for photo and video editing. Plus, as an AMD Ryzen AI platform, it also has access to the Microsoft Copilot+ suite of AI applications.

HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a: What's next?

We have high hopes for the power of the new AMD Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo" chipsets, both the professional workstation class Pro variants and the gaming versions. Early benchmarks indicate the upcoming AMD APU is a pretty powerful chip, though we'll have to wait and see how Strix Halo performs in our labs before making any claims of how it might revolutionize workstations.

However, based on what we do know so far, the ZBook Ultra 14 could be a solid MacBook Pro 14 rival, especially if HP keeps the price below $2,500.

The HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a is expected to release in the first quarter of 2025, though the exact date and pricing has yet to be revealed.

More from Laptop Mag

• CES 2025
• AMD Strix Halo APU makes a splash with 5.36GHz clock speed in benchmark leak: Does it beat the MacBook?
• Picking the AMD Ryzen 7 over the Ryzen 9 could save you money on your next gaming laptop

On Monday, HP kicked off CES 2025 with a trio of updated business laptops in its EliteBook line-up, all featuring Intel's new Lunar Lake chips.

The EliteBook Ultra G1i, EliteBook X G1i, and EliteBook X Flip G1i sport a familiar design with updated specs inside for the performance and portability professionals and commuters need. The EliteBook X Flip G1i has the added bonus of a 2-in-1 design for those who want to use their laptop in tablet mode.

All three are Copilot+ PCs, meaning they have Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant baked in, down to a dedicated button on the keyboard. They follow the 2024 HP EliteBook Ultra, which was also a Copilot+ PC but featured a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite CPU. While Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite has been a game changer for Windows on Arm, business users, in particular, may be concerned with potential software compatibility issues versus a more traditional x86 Intel CPU.

The 2024 HP EliteBook Ultra wasn't perfect, but it earned 4 out of 5 stars due to its excellent battery life at over 16 hours, strong performance surpassing the MacBook Air M3, and its bright, vibrant display. These are all crucial features for a business laptop. So, hopefully, Intel's Lunar Lake processor can deliver everything we liked in the previous generation while improving the graphics performance and, of course, avoiding any compatibility headaches.

Those answers will have to wait until we can put the new EliteBooks through the paces in our lab tests, but here's a look at the spec breakdown, which is similar across all three models, with the exception of the 2-in-1 design on the EliteBook X Flip G1i:

We'll be covering all of the latest updates and announcements from CES 2025 all week, so stay tuned for more!

More from Laptop Mag

• Look out MacBook Pro! HP's ZBook Ultra may be the most portable powerhouse workstation ever
• Best laptops in 2025: My top 10 recommendations in January
• Acer unveils upgraded Windows gaming handheld at CES 2025, but does it resolve our concerns?

On Monday, Acer announced a refresh to its entire Swift Go line-up, which includes Laptop Mag's top budget laptop.

Acer kicked off CES 2025 this week by unveiling new and improved versions of the Swift Go 14, Swift Go 16, Swift Go 14 AI, and Swift Go 16 AI. All four models feature updated specs, including new Intel and AMD processors and OLED displays. We've praised the Swift Go's display in previous reviews, so it's nice to see Acer keeping a top-notch display on these budget-friendly laptops.

In fact, the 2024 version of the Acer Swift Go 14 is currently Laptop Mag's budget best laptop pick, thanks to its great performance and value. Could one of this year's Swift Go laptops steal that spot? We'll have to wait until our testing lab and reviewers can put them through their paces to find out, but here's a look at everything we know so far.

Acer announces updated Swift Go and Swift Go AI laptops at CES 2025

The Acer Swift Go 14 has consistently been one of Laptop Mag's top budget laptops thanks to a good balance of price and performance. It might not be the cheapest laptop you can buy, but it does deliver great value for your money. All four new models start under $1,000.

So, I'm glad to see Acer giving this line-up a refresh. The standard Swift Go 14 and 16 feature Intel Core Ultra 200H series CPUs, while the Swift Go 14 and 16 AI feature AMD Ryzen AI 300 series CPUs. Both versions have the same starting prices, though, and the same spec options. So, if you want an Intel processor, go with the standard Swift Go. If you prefer AMD, go with the Swift Go AI.

Thanks to the neural processing unit (NPU) in Intel and AMD's latest chips, the new Swift Go laptops feature improved on-device AI performance. They come with a few AI apps and tools pre-installed, including Microsoft Copilot, Acer LiveArt 2.0, Acer PurifiedVoice 2.0, and Acer Purified View 2.0. PurifiedVoice and PurifiedView are apps that use AI to enhance voice and video calls, while LiveArt is an AI art app.

The design for the new Swift Go laptops is very similar to last year's but features an updated hinge that allows you to open the laptop a full 180 degrees.

The specs and prices for all four models are fairly similar, although there are a few differences:

The Acer Swift Go 16 and Swift Go 16 AI will be available in North America in April and the Swift Go 14 and Swift Go 14 AI will arrive close behind in May.

The previous models from the Swift Go line-up certainly set the bar high, but if these new versions are anything like last year's, they'll be top contenders for our best budget laptop spot. Stay tuned for our full review to see how this year's Acer Swift Go performs and how it compares to the competition.

More from Laptop Mag

• Look out MacBook Pro! HP's ZBook Ultra may be the most portable powerhouse workstation ever
• Best laptops in 2025: My top 10 recommendations in January
• Acer unveils upgraded Windows gaming handheld at CES 2025, but does it resolve our concerns?

CES is not usually a huge tradeshow for computing news, but 2025 is a banner year for chipset announcements from all the major chipmakers. AMD is leading the chip barrage with massive updates to its processor fleet for mobile and desktop.

AMD has launched new processors for AI PCs, gaming PCs, gaming handhelds, and workstations at CES 2025 in Vegas. While AMD also has desktop chips, because of the sheer number of announcements, we're going to focus on the laptop and gaming handheld variants.

So without further ado, here's the full list of AMD mobile processors unveiled at CES today.

AMD Ryzen "Fire Range" HX

AMD's Ryzen HX "Fire Range" mobile processors are designed for gamers and content creators, with RDNA 4 architecture which offers optimized compute units, enhanced AI computing, improved ray tracing, and better media encoding quality.

These chips will be found in gaming laptops from all the major gaming brands, plus content creator laptops designed for powerful video editing and computer design. These chips will be available in the first half of 2025.

The chips in the "Fire Range" series include:

AMD Ryzen AI 7 300 and Ryzen AI 5 300

AMD is also expanding the Ryzen AI 300 series to the Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 lines, opening the AMD Copilot+ chipset to more wallet-friendly price points with the same industry-leading 50 TOPS XDNA 2 NPU.

These chips will be available on general consumer laptops as well as enterprise business machines. The consumer variant of Ryzen AI 7 and 5 chips will be available in the first quarter of 2025, while the PRO line will be available starting the second quarter.

The chips in the expanded Ryzen AI 300 series include:

AMD Ryzen AI Max "Strix Halo"

AMD's flagship APU "Strix Halo" platform has also arrived. Called the Ryzen AI Max and Ryzen AI Max PRO chip, this flagship will be available for gaming, content creation, and professional workstation machines.

The Ryzen AI Max chipsets offer 16 Zen 5 performance cores, 40 RDNA 3.5 compute units for graphics, and 50 TOPS XDNA 2 NPU.

These mobile powerhouse chips will be available in the first and second quarters of the year.

The chips in the "Strix Halo" Ryzen AI Max and Max PRO lines include:

AMD Ryzen Z2

AMD has also updated the Ryzen Z series of handheld gaming PC chips with a second generation. The Ryzen Z2, Z2 Extreme, and Z2 Go.

The AMD Ryzen Z1 and Z1 Extreme are the most popular handheld gaming PC chips, and with the second generation, AMD is also expanding its chip offerings to with a more budget-friendly version, the Z2 Go. AMD expects to continue holding a leadership position in gaming handhelds with the new Z2 generation, offering better battery life, software optimization, and performance.

The Z2 generation will be available in the first quarter of 2025.

The handheld chips in the Z2 series include:

AMD Ryzen AI 200 series

AMD has also refreshed the Ryzen AI series of laptop chips with the Ryzen AI 200 series. These chips will offer even further options for consumer and professional AI PCs.

Eagle-eyed tech enthusiasts may notice the Ryzen AI 200 series is actually the Ryzen 8000 "Hawk Point" series, just rebranded to match the new Ryzen AI naming scheme. The refreshed "Hawk Point" chips will be available in the second quarter of this year.

More from Laptop Mag

• CES 2025
• Intel's Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200H and HX processors claim up to 20% performance increases over last-gen
• Look out MacBook Pro! HP's ZBook Ultra may be the most portable powerhouse workstation ever

The Asus ZenBook Duo (2024) targets creatives, road warriors, and others who appreciate dual screens in a compact rig. And right now you can score $200 off the usual price of this unusual laptop.

Get the Asus ZenBook Duo 14-inch for $1,499 at Amazon. That's a 12% savings on this laptop over its usual $1,699 price.

The Asus ZenBook Duo distinguishes itself from the crowd with its clam-shell, dual display design. A clicky keyboard sits atop the lower display so you can use this like a traditional laptop. Or, you can pull the keyboard aside and have two bright, 500-nit OLED touchscreen surfaces with 100% DCI-P3 color accuracy to boost your everyday productivity or creative output. The unit has a durable design tested to the US MIL-STD 810H military spec, and it weighs just 3.6 pounds even with the dual-display config.

Inside sits an Intel Core Ultra 9-185H processor with Intel Iris graphics, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. That should be enough to power most creative tasks, although some power users and gamers will miss having discrete graphics.

In our Asus ZenBook Duo (2024) review, we appreciated its outstanding performance and design, including its long battery life. We gave this model 4 out of 5 stars.

If you've eyed a dual-screen laptop before, now is your chance to get one and save while doing so. For other options, check out our best laptops of 2025. And if you want to know what's coming soon, see our ongoing coverage from CES 2025. 

Today's best Asus ZenBook Duo laptop deal

As the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra's release date nears, Samsung's enhanced trade-in deals slash up to 50% off excellent Galaxy S24 Ultra — one our favorite phones.

Although Galaxy S25 Ultra preorder deals are expected pre-launch, now is a great time to score huge savings on Samsung's previous-gen top tier phone.

Right now, you can get yourself an unlocked Galaxy S24 Ultra for as low as $449 via Samsung's trade-in program. The Galaxy S24 Ultra typically costs $1,300, so on top of the $100 instant discount, take up to an extra $750 off when you trade-in an eligible device. You'll get the maximum trade-in value when you trade in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

Launched last year in January, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is still one of the best phones to you can buy in 2025. Intuitive AI-driven functions like Google Circle to Search, Live Translate, Chat Assist, and Photo Assist make everyday tasks easier.

Content creators will benefit from the phone's fantastic 200MP camera. It's a fool-proof means of capturing vibrant photos and vividly detailed video recordings, even in low light.

Now up to 50% off with trade-in, the Galaxy S24 is a wise choice if you want to skip the incremental upgrade and save big on a top-shelf Android phone.

Today's best Galaxy S24 Ultra deal

More from Laptop

• Best phone deals in January 2025
• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Will it be worth the upgrade?

Today, Qualcomm has announced the Snapdragon X chipset at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, finally entering the budget-friendly laptop space with Snapdragon X systems. Qualcomm's latest chipset is expected to make Copilot+ computing more accessible than ever as it targets the $600 bracket.

The Snapdragon X processor is the entry-level chip of the Snapdragon laptop line which kicked off with the Snapdragon X Elite in June 2024. The Snapdragon X will join the Snapdragon X Plus 8-core, Snapdragon X Plus 10-core, and Snapdragon X Elite to round out Qualcomm's line of AI PC chipsets.

Snapdragon X: Features

The Snapdragon X is the fourth laptop processor from Qualcomm, bringing Copilot+ PCs to the $600 range, making AI PCs more affordable and accessible than ever.

The Snapdragon X will feature the same Qualcomm Hexagon NPU with 45 TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second) as the Snapdragon X Elite. The Snapdragon X chipset will feature 8 CPU cores alongside the Hexagon NPU and a Qualcomm Adreno GPU.

Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon X can offer 63% better performance at ISO power compared to the Intel Core 5 120U. Qualcomm also claims the Intel Core 5 120U would require 168% more power at ISO performance than the Snapdragon X.

However, Qualcomm is basing these claims on a custom Snapdragon X laptop compared to the consumer-level Dell Inspiron 14 (7440 2-in-1), so real-world results may vary.

Snapdragon X: Platforms

Snapdragon X systems will be designed mostly for creating presentations, web browsing, and streaming content, making them ideal choices for students, freelance workers, and budget-conscious consumers alike.

Not only will the Snapdragon X chipset launch on budget-friendly laptops, but it will also appear on mini desktops PCs in the $600 range.

Qualcomm expects the Snapdragon X Series to appear on computers from manufacturers like Asus, Acer, Dell, and Lenovo in laptop and mini-PC desktop formats.

The mini PCs expected to feature the Snapdragon X chipset will be the first desktops powered by Snapdragon processors after Qualcomm canceled the Snapdragon X Elite dev kit mini-PC last year.

What's next?

In a statement provided to the press ahead of the official announcement, Qualcomm's Alex Katouzian, Group General Manager, Mobile, Compute, and XR said, "The Snapdragon X Series portfolio offers the most powerful, intelligent, and power-efficient processors for Windows in their class, making Copilot+ PCs powered by Snapdragon the ultimate choice for users who want a laptop that can do it all.

"Our ecosystem of partners continues to build on Snapdragon to deliver innovative form factors and premium AI experiences that enable everyday PC users who want a laptop that can keep up with their busy lives.”

Obviously, we will have to wait until we can get our hands on a Snapdragon X processor to confirm Qualcomm's performance claims, but the Snapdragon X may be the chip that finally makes AI PCs affordable to most consumers.

Of course, Qualcomm's claims are based on a custom-built platform that will not be available to consumers, which makes it hard to take the company's performance claims at face value. We'll have to reserve judgment on the Snapdragon X until we get to test it ourselves later in 2025.

More from Laptop Mag

• Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite 2 rumors: Everything we know so far
• Qualcomm transformed the AI PC market in 2024 with Snapdragon X Elite. Can it do it again?
• Why Arm and Qualcomm's big legal battle could be far from over

Intel's "Arrow Lake" architecture has returned for a redemption tour on laptops with the debut of Intel Core Ultra 200H and Intel Core Ultra 200HX chipsets.

Intel began CES 2025 with a series of laptop and Edge chip launches. On the mobile computing front, Intel launched the Intel Core Ultra 200H and HX "Arrow Lake" processors alongside the vPro commercial line of Intel Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" chips.

So, what makes these chips worth caring about?

Intel Core Ultra 200H

The Intel Core Ultra 200H series is designed for thin and light laptops with a need for increased performance, so you'll likely see these processors in pro-consumer and professional computers.

The Core Ultra 200H series features upgraded Intel Arc integrated GPUs with XMX, much like the Lunar Lake Core Ultra 200V series. Intel reports that this updated iGPU offers more than 15% better graphics than the Meteor Lake-H series processors.

The Core Ultra 200H series also features the same Lion Cove and Skymont CPU cores we saw in Lunar Lake which, per Intel, offer more than 15% better single-thread and multi-thread CPU performance over the Meteor Lake generation.

Intel's VP of AI and Technical Marketing, Robert Hallock confirmed that Arrow Lake 200H offers on average, a 22% increase in iGPU gaming compared to the Meteor Lake Core Ultra 100H chipsets. Arrow Lake-H is also about 55% better than the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (XIE-84-100) chip when it comes to iGPU gaming.

The Intel Core Ultra 200H series features up to 99 TOPS of AI performance across the whole chipset, though much of that AI performance will come from the GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 200H "Arrow Lake" series has a smaller NPU than the "Lunar Lake" variant, with just 13 TOPS of NPU performance.

The chips in the H series are as follows:

Intel Core Ultra 200HX

The Intel Core Ultra 200HX "Arrow Lake" chips are built with gamers and PC enthusiasts in mind. These more powerful processors are likely to be seen in gaming and professional workstation laptops.

The Core Ultra 200HX processors feature up to 8 Lion Cove P-cores and up to 16 Skymont E-cores. Intel claims that the 200HX processors should offer more than 5% single thread and 20% multithread performance gains over the 14th-generation "Raptor Lake Refresh" HX processors.

Intel's VP of AI and Technical Marketing, Robert Hallock confirmed that the Arrow Lake HX processors will outperform the other HX processors on the market, including the latest AMD "Strix Point" and "Dragon Range" chips based on Intel's internal testing. "You basically get a desktop in a laptop," Hallock enthused to the audience.

The Arrow Lake HX processors will have additional overclocking features and more data lanes, much like the desktop Core Ultra 200S and 200K variants.

The chips in the Core Ultra 200HX series are as follows:

Intel Core Ultra 200V vPro

Intel is also releasing a vPro professional variant of the Intel Core Ultra 200V "Lunar Lake" series of AI PC chips.

The vPro line of Intel Core Ultra 200V processors features increased security with up to 7x improved memory scanning performance, better threat detection, a powerful NPU for local AI and AI-based fleet insights, and an all-day battery life for increased productivity potential.

This is to say that the vPro line has all the benefits of the consumer version of Intel's Lunar Lake processors, with enhanced security for commercial and business users.

Intel "Panther Lake"

Intel's leading 18A chip, Panther Lake, is already in testing. "2025 is and will be a pivotal year for Intel," Co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus said while confirming the chip's future availability.

Panther Lake chips can be expected to be released in the second half of 2025.

This confirms rumors that the chips would be inbound later this year, and with systems already in testing, it seems unlikely the launch will be pushed back but, anything is possible. That said, this confirmation from Johnston Holthaus is a good sign.

Intel "Arrow Lake" needs a good redemption story

To say that the "Arrow Lake" Core Ultra 200S and K desktop launch was scuffed is, perhaps, putting it lightly. Initial reviews of the chipsets criticized the chips for offering similar or lower performance to the 14th generation "Raptor Lake" Intel processors thanks to Intel's decision to remove hyperthreading from the Core Ultra 200 series and lower the turbo boost clock, which limits overclocking potential.

The "Arrow Lake" laptop chips are aimed at performance users, including gaming enthusiasts. Intel appears confident that Arrow Lake will perform well on laptops, but we'll need to wait on our own hands-on experiences and testing to know for sure if Arrow Lake will get the redemption it needs.

That said, Intel has done quite a bit to turn around the Arrow Lake desktop experience with microcode patches so there is some hope for a solid laptop launch for the Core Ultra 200H and HX chipsets.

"To build a great AI PC, first you have to know how to build a great PC", Intel Co-CEO Michelle Johnston Holthaus stated at the Intel Keynote, "and Intel knows how to do just that."

Systems featuring the new Intel chipsets will be available starting Q1 2025 with the Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200H and Lunar Lake Core Ultra 200V vPro. Enthusiast and gaming platforms with the Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200HX processor and discrete GPUs are expected later in the first quarter.

More from Laptop Mag

• In a stunning debut, Intel claims 3x better AI performance for its new Lunar Lake chips
• Intel's Lunar Lake raced AMD Strix Point and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite in an F1 24 gaming demo — here's what happened
• MSI Claw 8 AI+ review

Smart glasses had an impressive run in 2024, but it seems like 2025 will take these wearables to the next step, with a host of manufacturers looking to add a visual element to their products.

Samsung is one of the companies expected to showcase next-gen glasses like these, potentially at the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, rumored to be taking place on January 22.

However, the South Korean tech giants have been beaten to the punch, with the new AI-powered Halliday smart glasses debuting during CES 2025's Unveiled event.

Halliday's frames haven't only beaten Samsung's to the punch, they also offer a unique display tech I've not come across before, a handy wearable accessory for control of the glasses, and make impressive use of AI for seamless integration in everyday situations.

Halliday Glasses: Next-gen smart glasses arrive to CES 2025

The Halliday Glasses are unlike many other smart glasses I've come across to date that offer a visual display. Unlike AR glasses, these frames don't make use of birdbath optics, and, unlike high-level concepts like the Snap Spectacles 5, doesn't use waveguide lenses.

Instead, the Halliday glasses use a DigiWindow, the world's smallest near-eye display module positioned on the inside of the frames to beam images (perceived as a 3.5-inch screen) directly into the eye of the wearer, positioned in the upper-right of their vision.

Not only does this allow for improved privacy, with the display not being visible to anybody but the wearer, but the image remains clear even in bright environments, offering the kind of visual stability most of your smart devices can only dream of.

This design is also fairly discrete (not to mention lightweight at only 35 grams) and can be tuned to match different prescriptions by turning a dial. It also means that your physical lenses offer no obstructions, and easily be swapped out for new lenses by your local opticians without any fuss or extra cost.

Halliday Glasses: Proactively powered by AI

The Halliday Glasses' DigiWindow also unlocks a new realm of interactivity, especially when paired with the frames' control ring, which allows you to interact with menus and modes of the glasses without needing to touch them through swiping and tapping gestures.

Many of these modes are powered by the glasses' proactive AI agent, which offers real-time AI assistance based on audio context. Halliday's AI agent anticipates the needs of the wearer, making notes and suggestions during conversations, and even fact-checking responses on the fly so you have all the information you need to hand, without even needing to ask.

The glasses can also capture audio memos, display notifications and offer quick replies, act as a teleprompter or display a cheat sheet to work from, display navigational prompts, show lyrics to music, transcribe conversations and memos, and even offer real-time translation of up to 40 languages.

Can Halliday top the popular Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses?

I'll be honest, the more I learn about the Halliday Glasses the more I become swayed to make a change from my Ray-Ban Meta daily drivers. While they lack the 12-megapixel camera of my daily frames, it's probably (for me) one of the least used features of Meta's glasses, with audio playback and conversing with Meta AI making up most of my interactions.

Halliday's Proactive AI and invisible display are compelling options for someone like me, and its control ring is a great way to interact with some of the glasses' features without needing to pull out my phone.

However, while Halliday's glasses appear like the much more attractive wearable compared to the current generation of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, we expect Meta to release a new third-generation of its glasses later this year, also with a display option built into the frames.

While Meta's third-generation smart glasses won't offer the full AR glasses vision of its Orion glasses, they are expected to offer similar functionality, with the added visual context of the frame's camera for interacting with Meta AI.

That said, the real kicker for me is the Halladay Glasses' impressive battery life claims. The company states that its smart glasses offer an all-day charge of 12 hours of use (and 100 hours of standby time), which you can top back up to full in only one hour of charge time.

As much as I love my Ray-Ban Metas, their battery life is lacking. Whether Meta can offer a similar level of battery life from its next-gen frames remains to be seen, and Halliday's claims are something I'd love to put to the test myself when the final product launches.

What's next?

The Halliday Glasses are currently available for pre-order at the Halliday homepage. Those who pre-order (at $9.90) will be eligible for a limited launch day exclusive of up to $120 on the frames, and gain a free pair of prescription lenses.

The glasses are expected to become available for $399 to $499, with shipping expected to begin by late March.

More from Laptop Mag

• This major Meta Ray-Ban rumor has me amped for the future of smart glasses
• Samsung Smart Glasses in January 2025? Here's everything we know so far
• My favorite ChatGPT-powered smart glasses just got a massive upgrade

While you never get a second chance at a first impression, a second impression can be more potent than a first one. So it often is in tech, where the first release of a device’s software often has functional gaps and shortcomings that are often addressed and sometimes promised in subsequent releases. Even in the world’s largest tech companies, the early reception of a product can have an outsized weight on its future in the constant battle for development resources.

The past few years, for example, have seen the demise of such product lines as Meta’s Portal video calling devices, Amazon’s Halo health devices, Google’s Jamboard smart whiteboard, and (unofficially) a slew of Microsoft’s Surface family devices, including the Studio desktop, Duo smartphone, headphones and earbuds.

Apple's vision for the future of computing

With Apple’s alleged decade-long flirtation with entering the automotive market ending in retreat and its home robot aspirations mere output of the rumor mill for now, the Apple Vision Pro remains the company’s most ambitious product in terms of envisioning the future of computing (or at least stationary computing). Indeed, it is the boldest product with the broadest platform potential that Apple has launched since at least the iPad. While that device, initially marketed as a “tweener” product between the iPhone and MacBook, has matured into something more of a Mac competitor than a complement for many tasks, Apple’s other platform launches have gravitated toward entertainment (tvOS) and health (watchOS).

If spatial computing is to go mainstream, it won’t be in the back of today’s Apple Vision Pro, with its lofty price tag, cumbersome weight, and external battery. But it’s no coincidence that the product’s initial setup includes a rendering of a script “hello,” a signature image from the launch of the original Macintosh. If limitations such as weight, size, and power consumption can be overcome, why couldn’t spatial computing — with its larger “screens” and richer interactions — replace today’s desktop and notebook experiences? The advantages are as clear as comparing a desktop wallpaper to one of the visionOS immersive environments such as Bora Bora or Yosemite (no disrespect, macOS 10.10).

Such a transition, if it ever happens, will take many years. However, Apple’s foundational work in enabling it shined through in visionOS 2. They included new gestures that select items and access the Control Center in a literal pinch, as well as access time and volume controls as familiarly as the back of your hand and recognizing and displaying a physical Apple keyboard in immersive settings to ease typing. Speaking of input, Messages gained the ability to transform speech to text after a glance at the input field. The update also introduced new spatial features, such as support for TabletopKit, which facilitates the development of experiences, such as spatial “board” games, on a nearby surface.

That said, as broad as the potential is for spatial computing generally, it helps to have a hook. And for visionOS, it’s spatial photos and videos. Beginning with the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, and then the iPhone 16 models, Apple enabled all iPhones to capture spatial photos and videos. However, the payoff is in the Apple Vision Pro, where you can view what is essentially a deeply compelling spin on personal media because it allows you to relive moments of your important people, pets, and places almost as if you are there in person. These images and videos, which will proliferate at an explosive rate because of how easy they are to capture on an iPhone, offer higher-quality representations than the holographic videos we've often seen in movies, like Tom Cruise’s character viewing his son in Minority Report. These videos can, of course, be edited in Final Cut Pro.

And those are just two examples of how tightly integrated the Apple Vision Pro is with other Apple software and services. Unlike the iPhone, which came to market at a time when the hot-selling iPod obscured the limited reach of Apple’s Mac platform, visionOS became the latest neighbor in the now bustling neighborhood of the company’s technologies, including Safari, FaceTime, AirPlay, and SharePlay. And Apple hasn’t even hinted at how Apple Intelligence may factor into its future yet.

Competing for the spatial computing crown

After the release of the Apple Vision Pro, Mark Zuckerberg released a video where he called the Meta Quest 3 a better product — not just, as the Quest’s far lower price would support a better value — than the Vision Pro. The Meta CEO pointed out several product attributes that favor the Quest. But to me, the video echoes one in which former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer infamously laughed at the iPhone, pointing out advantages that Windows phones had at the debut of that game-changing device.

Meta’s prolonged efforts in extended reality have yielded a leading library of VR games and some pioneering lifestyle apps. However, they haven’t come close to creating what it will take to build the next-generation computing platform Apple is clearly focusing on. The next wave of competitors will come from Android XR. While Google hasn't had much success building Android-powered device categories beyond smartphones, the platform has the potential to spawn a range of headsets that could compete with Meta on price and Apple on features.

As internet usage started to reach critical mass in the early 2000s, long before smartphones effortlessly connected us to fast wireless networks, several companies sought to create or augment devices that would allow web browsing without a PC, so-called “internet appliances.” In the consumer market, the most successful of these was WebTV, which survived as MSN TV until 2013. But there were plenty of swings and misses from startups and giants alike, including the Virgin Webplayer, 3Com’s Audrey, Sony’s eVilla, and Microsoft’s Web Companions. In the commercial market, Oracle spinout Network Computer, Inc. attracted the most attention, but its product was slow and came to market as PC prices were in freefall.

The rise and fall of cheap and easy internet connected devices

In 2008, TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington floated the idea for a cheap, open-source web tablet that would come to be known as the CrunchPad. But a few weeks before it was set to launch, his design partner claimed it as their own, ultimately releasing it as the disappointing JooJoo. Meanwhile, a small Boston startup called Litl shipped a more polished netbook-class device, the thoughtfully designed Webbook. Priced at $700, it made little headway. But it set the stage for the first broadly successful web-centric device class: the Chromebook. Leveraging Google’s market-leading browser (now targeted for divestment by the U.S. Department of Justice), Chromebooks were cheap yet familiar, highly compatible with websites, fast, and secure. They quickly became a hit in education and earned a place in the product lines of major PC companies that had seen little success with Android. (In fact, Google itself is one of the few companies that has left the Chromebook market.) Connectivity was viewed as so important that the first Chromebook, Google’s own Cr48 aimed at developers, came with a few gigabytes of free Verizon wireless internet access if a hotspot wasn’t available.

Over the years, though, Chrome OS has lost much of its less-is-more differentiation. The big move came in 2019 when Chrome OS began supporting Android apps. Chromebooks can also now run Linux distributions (albeit mostly for developers). And, while its implementation is still far from perfect, Google has improved its tablet interface to the point where it is now best-in-class at accommodating both desktop and touchscreen interfaces. Regardless of whether rumors that Google is looking to fold Chrome OS into Android hold true, Chrome OS as an expression of “browser as operating system” is long dead.

Can Microsoft pick up where Google left off?

Curiously, as Google has been pushing Chrome OS away from cloud-centricity, Microsoft has become more aggressive on the opposite path, at least in education and enterprises. At the launch of the Surface Laptop, the company positioned inexpensive third-party Windows notebooks, aka “Cloudbooks,” as answers to Chromebooks. In November 2021, it waded into the low-cost laptop waters with an education-exclusive Surface Laptop SE featuring a stripped-down version of Windows 11 that didn’t allow downloading of any apps, even from the Microsoft store. That was also the year it launched Windows 365 for enterprises.

Now, Microsoft has unveiled Windows 365 Link, a thin client that can connect only to Windows 365. Microsoft says that Link is the first Windows 365 client that it intends to develop both in-house and with third parties. The paradox in the consumer market is that while Microsoft and others have pushed the performance limits of broadband with cloud gaming platforms, there’s never been much momentum behind a cloud PC service aimed at consumers. That’s in large part because most other traditional consumer PC applications, e.g., word processing, email, and even file managers like OneDrive and Google Drive, are already available there as web apps. Meanwhile, with the 2024 debut of CoPilot+ PCs on a rejuvenated Qualcomm platform and their push across x86 processor architectures in 2025, local PCs aren’t going anywhere.

What's next for cloud computing?

Still, those early internet appliance advocates have been partially vindicated. While the Chromebook as a pure web play is dead, it may soon play host to an enhanced version of Android, one of the two smartphone/tablet OSes that offer a simpler interface than desktop OSes. And AI-imbued smart glasses are progressing toward a world where “computing” involves little more than statements or stares.

Nothing helps streamline your desk or nightstand like a great charging station. I love being able to charge my phone, earbuds, and Apple Watch in the same place, and it significantly cuts down the clutter of having three or four charging cables sitting around.

Right now, you can clean up (or upgrade!) your charging setup with a sweet new Anker charging station — without paying full price.

Amazon is slashing up to 40% off five top Anker charging stations right now, like this 9-in-1 charging station that's down to just $35! It has built-in surge protection and supports 100W fast charging, so you can charge everything from your MacBook to your phone from one spot.

If you're looking for something more portable, check out the Anker Nano charging station, which is 39% off on Amazon right now. This thin-and-light charging station supports up to 67W charging, has a convenient flat cable, and charging space for up to 6 devices at once.

Top 5 Anker charging station deals this weekend

If Black Friday and Cyber Monday listings were anything to go by, Meta sold a massive number of Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets last year. Meaning, by the power of deduction, that was likely your Christmas present, either from someone else or yourself.

As a grizzled veteran of the VR space (having weathered the storms of motion sickness adjustment and testing the limits of my home insurance through various damaged furniture claims), I'd like to catch you up to speed on a few tips to help you as you kickstart your journey to finding your virtual self in the Metaverse. It's not all fun and flailing around like an octopus having a tantrum, after all. (Well, actually, it is. But that's sort of the problem.)

So, as you come to grips with your new headset, consider this your official guide to surviving and thriving in your virtual domain — and causing as little damage as possible to yourself, your home, and your reputation along the way.

12 rules for life (now that you own a Meta Quest headset)

Rule #1: Shut off the outside world

You don't know it because you can't see it, but I assure you: you don't look anywhere near as cool as you might feel while gliding between Gotham City's rooftops in Batman: Arkham Shadow.

From your perspective, you are the living embodiment of vengeance, skimming your way from point A to B on a quest to dish out justice to a coterie of supervillains via knuckle sandwiches and bat-shaped boomerangs.

To passersby who glance through your window, you're engaging in some form of avant-garde interpretive dance designed to plunge your social credit score into negative figures.

Just remember, it's not only the initial shame of hearing somebody call you out during your vulnerable VR moments; it's the fact that this person is likely equipped with a smartphone and a data plan.

Unless you want your sweaty, awkward, rhythmless visage to become 2025's most cringe-tastic TikTok video, close the blinds. For God's sake, close your blinds.

Rule #2: Always be prepared

Donning a headset can feel quite isolating, so it's no wonder that VR can make you feel like you're in your own little world at times. However, if you want to be in a world of your own, make sure you're actually alone.

While avoiding ridicule from passersby in the street is as easy as closing the blinds, avoiding the silent judgment of people you live with is a whole other story.

As such, it's probably best that you master the emergency pause and casual pose combination as fast as you can. The first of which is done by simply double-tapping the temple of your Quest 3 or Quest 3S to enable passthrough mode, granting you an immediate look at your real-world surroundings while still wearing the headset.

This gives you the opportunity to make sure nobody is readying their smartphone or sneering in your general direction. It also lets you become more aware of your surroundings, freeing you up to switch to a more casual pose that doesn't involve you squatting like Spider-Man on the edge of your sofa, making the entire VR experience seem a lot less strange to those unaware of what's going on within your headset.

Just act casual, and when you're sure they're gone, a quick double tap will return you to the action, free to be your Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube-self once more.

Rule #3: Create a safe space

More important than your social standing, for the sake of your sanity and the health of your heart, make sure that you're truly alone before indulging in some of VR's spookier and scarier titles.

The last thing anybody wants is a roommate or partner sneaking up on their sensory-deprived selves and whispering "Boo" into their ear unexpectedly. It's the kind of thing that will destroy all forms of interpersonal trust and have you trading virtual reality for cartoon reality as you leap so high into the air you leave a comical outline of yourself in the ceiling above.

Spare yourself the cardiac event on this one, lock the doors, and make sure you're alone, lest you spend the entirety of your play session completely on edge and unable to enjoy anything about the actual game at hand.

Rule #4: Clean your room

Americans suffered 36.1 million preventable home injuries in 2022. I'm not saying that a good portion of this figure had anything to do with the release of the Meta Quest 2 in late 2020, but I'm also not, not saying that either.

VR headsets offer the most incredibly immersive way to play games to date. However, it's easy to forget that, in actuality, you're being blinded from reality by two LCD screens — though it's incredibly easy to remember this as you tumble over your coffee table and directly onto your face.

Want to avoid VR-related injuries as much as possible? I recommend performing a quick sweep of your play area before donning your Quest headset. Avoid stray cables, poorly placed drinks, or general clutter at all costs.

The only thing worse than catching a stray hospital bill for a late-night ER visit is the embarrassment of having to explain to medical professionals that the reason your forearm has developed a new point of articulation is that you stepped on a rogue Lego while getting too invested in a game called Superhot.

Rule #5: Respect boundaries

Stressing the previous point, always make sure to set up an appropriate Guardian Boundary while gaming. Use your Quest headset to draw up a safe space in which you can play your game of choice, and then absolutely respect these guardrails at all times.

What might seem like an overprotective child-proofing measure forced upon you by the Meta nanny state will pay off in the long run, trust me.

With so much of the VR experience requiring the swinging and throwing of your hands, the last thing you need is to have your mindless flailing intercepted by your expensive TV or the sensation of your hand passing directly through drywall.

If you're a fan of using Roomscale while you game, then respecting the Guardian Boundary is even more vital. Darting, diving, and dashing about your living room can lead to disaster or deviated septum if you get a little too carried away with things and end up faceplanting into a door.

Rule #6: Do no harm

Thankfully, unless you're donning some sort of specialized haptic vest accessory, being attacked in VR can't actually hurt you. That said, those you accidentally attack in the real world while windmilling your fists like you've become a human propeller absolutely can be.

Thankfully, there are two solutions to this: you can either clear the room of beloved pets and smaller humans too mentally underdeveloped to understand the dangers of wandering carelessly into the realms of your one-man mosh pit (or "children," as they might be colloquially referred to as).

Or you can respec your life's attribute points into psychopathy and become immune to the guilt of giving Kibble the cat PTSD and your child or younger sibling a knockout haymaker.

I'm assuming that the former of those options is the most appealing to you. If not, you probably need 12 further rules for life written by somebody whose name is followed by medically approved post-nominal letters.

As such, while engaging in a pre-gaming clean-up of your play area for stray Legos and wires, be sure to shepherd out any particularly skittish pets or danger-oblivious children from the room. Or get used to being the worst human you know. Your choice.

Rule #7: Know when to let go (and when not to)

There's a reason that Meta's Touch Plus controllers come with those little wrist straps, and unless you want to recreate some of 2006's most awkward moments of plasma screen destruction by way of a kamikaze Wiimote, I'd recommend you make full use of them.

If you're new to VR then you're especially at risk of the signals between your brain and hand becoming confused when handling these controllers, resulting in anything from an accidental drop to launching it like a javelin into the face of your unsuspecting roommate.

While potentially hilarious in outcome, such mistakes can be costly, especially as replacing said controllers can set you back up to $75 a pop. Oh, and I suppose friendship is also a valuable thing to risk.

Use the straps. It's not uncool to do so, and it will save you (or someone else) a headache in the long run. Plus, these straps just make things a lot easier, allowing you to drop the controllers and let them dangle from your wrists like a set of high-tech mittens if you need to take a break, without needing to scramble around blindly in search of a safe place to put them down.

Rule #8: Trust wisely

Immersion is a vital component when it comes to allowing your mind to fully invest in the gaming worlds you inhabit. VR is probably the pinnacle of gaming immersion, tricking your eyes and mind into fully believing yourself to be within these spaces. It's the reason you'll be far more animated during gaming sessions, more impacted by the action you become a part of, and scream like a baby when a spiderbug crawls across your visor in Metro Awakening.

However, that immersion does have its downsides. Trick your brain enough, and you'll catch yourself doing absent-minded things like taking a sip of a drink and then trying to place it on a table that doesn't actually exist—leaving you to mop up Coca-Cola from your carpets from the next hour—or attempting to lean against a piece of virtual furniture, only to stiffly topple onto the floor like a felled Redwood of shame.

Yes, as much as you'll need to be aware of your physical surroundings in VR, you'll also need to stay mentally acute enough to be able to avoid careless mishaps like this.

While half the fun in VR is becoming a willing participant in its digital illusions, there's nothing more immersion-breaking than a bruised coccyx and soggy socks.

Rule #9: Adjust to new environments

To those new to VR and encountering a case of stomach churn after even the briefest gaming session, I've some bad news for you: VR motion sickness isn't a once-and-done affair, and it'll take exposure and perseverance to make it through to the other side.

While VR might have you initially feeling green in the gills, the motion sickness you feel while playing games is eventually something your body can adjust to and overcome. In the meantime, to help you on your way, make full use of games that offer tweakable comfort settings such as snap rotation, teleport-style movement, and screen vignetting.

Think of these options as training wheels for the VR experience, allowing your body to slowly adapt in the least taxing way available.

You can change these settings over time, and you'll eventually find yourself completely at ease with smooth movements and turning. At this stage, you'll be able to play games long enough to encounter VR's secondary impact on your body: the strange unreality hangover you'll feel after taking off the headset following extended play sessions.

Rule #10: Nourishment is flourishment

Just because the symptoms of VR motion sickness are inevitable for some doesn't mean you have to take it lying down. There are several steps you can take to combat this feeling, but the most effective steps will often require drinking and eating the right things before, during, and after your play sessions.

First of all, stay hydrated. You're likely being much more active in VR than you would be in front of a flatscreen. Add to this the pressure of an elastic strap around your head and the heat from the headset itself, and it's no wonder you can feel a bit sluggish, your eyes may feel fatigued, and your head a little tender. Thankfully, remembering to top up on H20 can solve most of those symptoms entirely.

As for the motion sickness, I recommend giving yourself an excuse to down a few ginger cookies. Ginger has been proven to help stabilize digestion, maintain blood pressure, and improve gastrointestinal motility. All of which is boring medical speak for "reduces nausea," allowing you to game for longer and feel less of the effects for it.

Rule #11: Know when to step back

If there's one other way to help you adjust to your new VR headset, it's ensuring that you're giving your body enough rest and recuperation so you can enjoy things for longer.

Time moves strangely in the Metaverse. One minute you're enjoying an afternoon by popping your headset on to check out the latest release, the next it's 4 a.m. and you're left completely confused about where the rest of the day went.

You're also more likely to suffer from that VR hangover sensation after such a long spell in your headset. It's essential to set alarms or timers to give yourself occasional breaks to prevent overstimulating your senses, grab a drink or a bite to eat, and take note of how long you've spent under VR's influence.

Rule #12: Laugh at yourself. Everyone else is.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly: Enjoy your VR experience, and laugh at the fact that you probably look ridiculous and unhinged while doing so. VR isn't the most flattering of platforms when it comes to maintaining an aura of cool, but that shouldn't detract from the amount of fun it offers.

If you're a new Quest owner, enjoy the fantastic library of games available to you (several of which can be played cooperatively in mixed reality with a friend who also owns a Quest headset), give spatial computing a try using some of Horizon OS' latest Remote Desktop features, or enjoy all of the headset's 3D entertainment features.

However, I wouldn't recommend wandering the streets in your new headset. Not only does it make you ripe for the picking when it comes to candidates likely to get robbed, but nobody likes a "glasshole."

More from Laptop Mag

• VR headsets are mainstream, and I'm tired of pretending they're not
• 'Batman: Arkham Shadow' is a must-play game, making the Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S a must-buy console.
• Metro Awakening's scariest moments are a VR feature and not just a bug

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra is one of the best phones you can buy right now, especially if you're looking for an incredibly strong camera setup. Our Galaxy S24 Ultra review also praised the flagship for its bright display, impressive battery life, strong performance, and enhanced AI capabilities.

All in all, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a stellar phone. But with the imminent release of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, how does it stack up? Will the Galaxy S25 Ultra bring even better battery life, performance, and AI features that justify a higher price?

Until Samsung's semi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event plays out, we won't have concrete details to compare these two phones. However, we can use the massive amount of Galaxy S25 rumors and leaks to help give you an idea of whether it's worth saving up for a Galaxy S25 Ultra upgrade.

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Price

The retail price for the Galaxy S24 Ultra is $1,299 for an unlocked model with 256GB of storage. However, because it's been out for roughly a year, you can often find it on sale for less than $1,000.

For the Galaxy S25 Ultra, there's no official starting price from Samsung yet. The phone will likely be available to pre-order at or shortly after the company's semi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event in January, but until then, we can only go based on rumors.

WinFuture reported that "northern European retailers are quoting the same launch prices for the Samsung Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 Ultra as for the previous models" (translated from German). However, others think the Galaxy S25 Ultra could see a $50 or $100 increase, boosting its starting price to $1,349 or $1,399.

Whether the starting price of the Galaxy S25 Ultra goes up or not, the Galaxy S24 Ultra will still be the better choice when it comes to price because it's much easier to find a great deal on a last-gen model.

Winner: Galaxy S24 Ultra

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Specs

Many of the specs between Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra models are likely remaining the same. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is suspected to offer the same starting storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, same starting RAM of 12GB, same 5,000mAh battery, and same 12-megapixel front camera.

It's possible the Galaxy S25 Ultra may offer 16GB of RAM with higher priced storage options, but without official confirmation from Samsung, we're just guessing right now based on leaks.

In a since-deleted tweet from @Tech_Reve (via Tom's Guide), the leaker revealed the Galaxy S25 Ultra would feature an upgraded main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (up from the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 12-megapixel ultrawide camera), and a new telephoto camera with "variable capabilities." Paired with Galaxy AI features, this new camera setup might be beautiful.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also rumored to sport a slightly larger display, measuring 6.9 inches diagonally compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 6.8-inch display. Leaker Ice Universe shared all three Galaxy S25-series phones side by side to show the size difference, and all three look like they have incredibly thin bezels.

As always, the Galaxy S25 Ultra will get a performance boost over the Galaxy S24 Ultra by way of a new Qualcomm processor. It's rumored that the Galaxy S25 Ultra will be equipped with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which is essentially the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip renamed to "represent the highest level of performance [Qualcomm has] ever delivered in a mobile processor."

The performance difference between the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Galaxy S24 Ultra will likely be greater than the difference between the S24 Ultra and the S23 Ultra. After all, the S25 Ultra needs to be powerful enough to potentially handle more complex Galaxy AI tasks on-device.

Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Design

The Galaxy S24 Ultra may be the last boxy phone Samsung releases for a while. After a three year stretch of the design below with sharp corners, Samsung is moving in a different direction with the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature softer, more rounded corners, though not nearly as rounded as the Galaxy S21 Ultra's corners. Honestly, the new shape of the Galaxy S25 Ultra closely resembles the new iPhone.

Despite its new shape, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is still expected to come with the fan-favorite S Pen stylus.

Both the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the S24 Ultra are equipped with a titanium frame that's more resilient than the lower-end Galaxy S-series' aluminum frame. Though both phones feature a titanium frame, the color options will vary slightly.

Determining which phone design is more attractive really comes down to personal preference, so declaring a winner here is a tough decision. However, with a slightly larger display and more people-pleasing color choices, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a slight edge.

Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Galaxy AI

Samsung came out swinging with Galaxy AI features with last year's Galaxy S24 Ultra, and we're expecting the company to impress even more with AI-powered tools in the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

In Samsung's quarterly earnings report for Q3 2024 (via Tom's Guide), the company speaks on "plans to enhance the Galaxy AI experience to drive innovation in everyday life," but doesn't elaborate on what features and tools may drive that experience.

Then, an APK teardown by Android Authority suggests the Galaxy S25 Ultra could come with a year-long free trial for Google's Gemini Advanced, roughly a $240 value.

Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra

Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Overall winner

The Galaxy S25 Ultra appears set to comfortably beat the Galaxy S24 Ultra in many ways. It'll come with a much speedier processor (and hopefully, a more efficient processor), a better rear camera array, a slightly larger screen, and potentially more max RAM.

The one category the S25 Ultra probably won't beat the S24 Ultra in is price, even if it ends up starting at the same price. If you're looking for lots of performance power and a stellar camera array, but don't want to spend the full amount for Samsung's latest flagship, it's likely worth sticking with the S24 Ultra. For all other people, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is definitely the phone worth upgrading to.

After we get more concrete details via Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event, we'll be sure to update all the currently leaked and rumored info in this face-off.

We've officially kicked off 2025, and with the start of the new year, we're expecting multiple huge tech announcements from big brands. I'd say 2024 was the first solidly great year for Windows on Arm laptops and AI laptops (and AI in general), and I expect 2025 to be even better.

All the tech we've rounded up here will likely be released in early 2025, but there are no official release dates yet for any of the products. That said, let's jump right into it.

Nvidia 50-series GPUs

Next-gen gaming for laptops has arrived. Well, not yet, but soon! Nvidia's 50-series GPUs (the RTX 5070, 5080, 5090, etc.) have recently been popping up in leaks across the internet.

The earliest we could see a 50-series GPU in action is via Asus at CES 2025. Screenshots of online retailer listings were captured by VideoCardz, and they revealed new Asus laptops with AMD Strix CPUs and Nvidia 50-series GPUs were on the way for spring 2025.

Asus all but verified this leak with an X post that reads, "New STRIX, January 6, 8PM PST," with a teaser video of an upcoming ROG Strix laptop.

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite 2

Qualcomm had a pretty successful 2024 in the laptop world, all thanks to its first-gen Snapdragon X Elite chipset finally gracing Windows laptops with strong performance and long-lasting battery life. In early 2025, we're hoping to see the even more impressive second-gen Snapdragon X Elite make an entrance.

We're still missing some info on the Qualcomm's upcoming successor to its successful Windows on Arm chip, but we can fill in some of the blanks thanks to the Snapdragon X Elite 2 rumors we've gathered so far.

New AMD CPUs/GPUs

Like clockwork, we should see new CPUs and GPUs from AMD in 2025, potentially as early as CES 2025. AMD will speak at CES 2025 on Monday, January 6 at 11 a.m. Pacific (2 p.m. Eastern), and there's a good chance we'll hear about the company's new chips and plans for 2025.

In the meantime, check out everything we know about AMD's new Strix Halo flagship silicon.

Nintendo Switch 2

The Nintendo Switch launched almost 8 years ago. Although that's a pretty standard gap between Nintendo console generations, I'm more than ready to trade in my old Switch for a new one in early 2025.

Nintendo's President has confirmed that the Switch's successor, which everyone calls the Switch 2, will be announced before the end of its fiscal year (March 31, 2025). A ship date hasn't been confirmed or teased yet, but an announcement could come as early as this month. March 3, 2025, would mark exactly 8 years since the original Switch shipped, so early March is a reasonable area to circle on the calendar.

Samsung headset and glasses

2025 may be the year Samsung breaks into the smart glasses market, with the help of Qualcomm and Google. The Samsung Glasses could be revealed at the company's semi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event, which takes place in January, and prove to be fierce competition for Meta's successful Ray-Ban smart glasses.

In addition to Samsung's first pair of smart glasses, there's also an XR headset collaboration between Samsung and Google to look forward to. Called Project Moohan, the headset resembles Apple's Vision Pro, can switch between full VR modes and mixed reality, and supposedly offers advanced comfortability.

MacBook Air M4

Apple first launched its M4 base chip in the iPad Pro, and has since equipped the latest MacBook Pro models with M4-series chips, including the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max silicon. Next up, the M4-powered MacBook Air.

The best guess for an M4 MacBook Air launch date is sometime between January and March, according to an X post by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Considering the M3 MacBook Air currently tops our best laptops list, we're definitely excited to get our hands on the next-gen MacBook Air and see how it stacks up.

Samsung Galaxy S25

2025 is shaping up to be a big year for Samsung, with the potential launch of smart glasses, an XR headset, and of course, the yearly flagship phone upgrade with amazing cameras: the Galaxy S25.

Based on the Samsung Galaxy S25 rumors we've heard so far, it's possible we could see the phone launch in late January or early February. Since the company has its semi-annual Galaxy Unpacked event in January, that'd be the perfect time to debut a first look at the Galaxy S25 (fingers crossed).

If you're looking for a Pixel 9 wireless charging stand at a reasonable price, fret not. Given that Google is no longer selling its $79 Pixel Stand 2, cheaper alternatives are getting are selling like hot cakes.

Let's face it, who wants spend that much on a single device wireless charging stand?

That said, the iOttie iON Wireless Duo Charging Stand and Pad for $49 from the Google Store is the better value. By comparison, it's $4 cheaper than Amazon's current price for the same 2-in-1 charging stand.

Browse: Google Pixel 9 accessories

The iON Wireless Duo is 15W capable and lets you wirelessly fast-charge your Pixel 9 and Pixel Buds simulataneously. What's more, you can view your phone in portrait or landscape mode while it charges at a 65-degree tilt. That's a nifty feature to have for those times when you're on a video call, streaming music, or following step-by-step recipes on YouTube.

This luxurious-looking Qi wireless charging stand's fabric wrapped design serves as a non-slip resting pad and stylish accent to any room. The iON Wireless Duo works the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and just about any other Qi-wireless endabled device.

Looking for a single device fast-charging stand for your Pixel 9? I recommend the Belkin 15W Wireless Charging Stand for $26 ($19 off) at Amazon. Apply the on-page coupon secure this deal price at checkout.

Belkin is known to manurfacturer some of the industry's best mobile charging accessories. Its 15W Wireless Charging Stand for the Pixel 9 ships with a 24W quick-charge power supply and is 15W fast charging capable.

Besides Pixel phones, the Belkin Wireless Charging Stand works with Qi-enabled iPhones, and Galaxy phones.

Save your money and check out my recommended Pixel 9 wireless charging stands below.

Today's best Pixel 9 charging stand deals

On a regular basis, the gaming world sees some pretty wild innovations. Some are surprisingly great, like Razer's haptic cushion that lets you feel games and ultimately immerse yourself further in your favorite games. Others make you question why they exist in the first place.

One product I think fits into the second category is Koorui's soon-to-be-unveiled 750Hz gaming monitor. It's going to be the world's first 750Hz gaming monitor, which is undoubtedly an impressive feat, but for the average person, is it even going to be worth it? Pricewise or even in terms of actually being able to see the benefits? Probably not.

A closer look at Koorui's 750Hz gaming monitor

In addition to a super duper smooth 750Hz refresh rate, Koorui's upcoming 24.5-inch monitor will feature a Twisted Nematic (TN) panel, or a type of LCD panel, along with Quantum Dot (QD) film that enables a color gamut of up to DCI-P3 95%, HDR 400, FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution, and a 0.5ms response time.

There's currently no mention of price, but considering how much 480Hz monitors cost right now, I can only imagine it'll be incredibly pricey. Koorui will be showing off its new monitor at CES 2025, and will surely reveal a price (or at least a price range) at the event.

It looks like Koorui is specifically marketing this 750Hz gaming monitor as a product for the "esports landscape, where every frame can be a game-changer in fast-paced FPS and MOBA games." But even in that competitive scenario, it would take an insanely skilled eye to see the difference between 750Hz and 480Hz.

Furthermore, how many gaming laptops or desktops would be able to output games at 750Hz? Even if you're a competitive gamer, would this actually be a worthwhile investment if the games you're playing couldn't even match the monitor's 750Hz refresh rate?

This feels like advancement for advancement's sake, similar to Sony marketing the PS5's 8K support at launch when most people don't own an 8K TV and most games can't run at native 8K. It's still impressive to be the first to have done something, so congrats to Koorui for its achievement, but for most people, splurging on a 240Hz, 360Hz, or even 480Hz monitor is plenty.

"Hey Siri, are you listening to me?" If you have an Apple device, you may have heard about this class action lawsuit brought against Apple by multiple device owners claiming Siri is listening, recording, and sharing private information when it isn't supposed to.

According to Reuters, two plaintiffs received ads for Air Jordan sneakers and Olive Garden restaurants after briefly mentioning them. More frighteningly, one plaintiff said he started seeing ads for "a brand name surgical treatment after discussing it, he thought privately, with his doctor."

And it's not just claims from individuals that caused this legal battle to escalate. Apple whistleblower Thomas le Bonniec spoke to The Guardian in 2020 and revealed that he "listened to hundreds of recordings every day, from various Apple devices (eg. iPhones, Apple Watches, or iPads). These recordings were often taken outside of any activation of Siri, eg in the context of an actual intention from the user to activate it for a request."

Ultimately, Apple denied wrongdoing but agreed to a proposed settlement totaling $95 million. The settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge, but it could pay out for every Siri device you own. But is applying for the payout worth your time?

You could get up to $20 per Siri device, or possibly much less

The settlement agreement reads, "Settlement Class Members who submit valid claims shall receive a pro rata portion of the Net Settlement Amount for a Class Payment up to a cap of $20 per Siri Device." If you have a MacBook, an iPad, and an iPhone, that sounds great. A $60 payout, sign me up.

But most likely, the payout won't end up being $20 per Siri device. The amount received will go up or down "depending on the total number of valid claims submitted, and Siri Devices claimed."

When thinking about the sheer number of Apple device users who will be trying to claim this money, along with how much of the initial $95 million settlement will be going towards fees, the chances that you'll be able to snag $20 per device are slim.

Of course, there's no way to know how much you may be paid out before filling out the claim form. It could be a reasonable $10 to $15 per device, or it could be $1 to $3 per device. Unless you have a lot of Apple devices to file a claim for, it may not be worth your time to fill out the form.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 wireless headphones are still among the best noise cancelling headphones you can buy. And right now you can snag a pair of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 over-ear headphones starting at $234 at Amazon.

That price marks 38% off the usual $379 price, and it is just $10 shy of the rock-bottom low price we saw back at the beginning of December. The deepest discount is only available on the white Pride colorway with a subtle rainbow stripe adornment. Most other colorways are currently $249, which is still a good price for these outstanding headphones.

Sennheiser is well-known for its distinctive audiophile-grade headphones. The Momentum 4 have 42mm drivers and excellent active noise cancellation with adaptive and transparency modes. These headphones can also deftly handle Hi-Res Audio playback. We gave the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones a 4.5 out of 5 stars for their outstanding soundstage, high-performing noise cancellation (in our tests, they successfully suppressed wind and airplanes flying over the house), clear call quality, and long battery life (up to 60 hours between charges based on our testing and Sennheiser's own estimates).

If you value Hi-Res Audio, ANC, and long battery life, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 are a great choice. And right now, you can save at Amazon for a limited time.

Today's best Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones deal

It's the first week of January and new year deals on tablets are rolling in ahead of CES 2025. Now is an opportune time for savings, as retailers rush to clear their inventory to make room for the next generation of tech.

If you want to buy a tablet to enhance or complete your ecosystem of gadgets, here's a deal you might like.

Currently, the base model 64GB Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 Plus is on sale for just $149 at Amazon. It typically starts at $220, so that's $70 off and just $10 shy of its all-time low holiday pricing. This is the second lowest price I've seen for the Galaxy Tab A9 since it released back in January 2024.

If you need more storage for your apps and files, the 64GB Samung Evo Select Micro SD is down to $9.99 ($5 off). Alternatviely, you can get the 128GB model Galaxy Tab A9 Plus for $199 ($70 off). It's worth noting that besides the extra wiggle room, it bumps up your RAM from 4GB to 8GB.

At just $149, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 is a no-brainer if you're looking for a cheaper iPad alternative.

Today's best Galaxy Tab A9 Plus deal

More from laptop mag

• Best tablet deals in January 2025
• Samsung gets ahead of CES 2025 with the world's first 500Hz OLED gaming monitor

Maybe I've been influenced by a little too much Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, but with a new year ahead I'm awakening my inner archeologist to dust off one of the most interesting MacBook rumors of the last few years to ask: Where's my MacBook SE?

The knee-jerk reaction to this concept is outright dismissal. After all, we're mentally programmed to understand that MacBooks and "budget-friendly" go together about as well as a back massage from an elephant—with starting prices often a mirage that masks the increased costs of required upgrades that better suit modern computing.

However, Apple does offer some of its most popular devices at affordable prices through its SE (Special Edition) lines, even if its inconsistent releases feel like a begrudging act at times.

Apple's standard iPad feels like an unbranded iPad SE when compared to the iPad Air and iPad Pro, but the company also provides some excellent value with devices like the third-generation Apple Watch SE and the upcoming iPhone SE 4 (or iPhone 16E, if rumors prove accurate).

This begs the question: Where's the ultra-affordable MacBook SE equivalent rumored to appear in 2024, and can we expect it to arrive in 2025?

M1 more time around the block?

Many would say that Apple already provides low-cost MacBooks through the continued availability of older models—refurbished, discounted, or otherwise—and that's not something I particularly disagree with. However, even when buying older hardware, consumers can end up paying extra for a device they won't make full use of.

Apple's MacBooks are often marketed as excellent options for creatives, with the latest powerful M-series processor capable of some staggering levels of performance, but how many of us know MacBook owners who barely scratch the surface of that power, while still paying a premium to have access to it.

I understand that having that performance to hand is a very welcome thing, but it's a bit like buying your gran a specced-out gaming laptop on the off-chance that she wants to join FaZe clan. It's also the reason I struggle to recommend a MacBook to many everyday users when a cheaper, entry-level Windows laptop would cost less and suit their needs better.

That said, the rumor regarding a potential "MacBook SE" in 2024 surprisingly saw Apple not taking on premium Windows laptops, but entry-level notebooks and Chromebooks instead.

To that end, Apple could dust off its plans for even the original M1 chip, pairing it with less premium materials and components, to offer ample performance and an Apple Intelligence-ready MacBook at a price that could potentially stay competitive with some of the best Chromebooks.

Perhaps even the M1 is a little too dated by Apple's standards. However, the door is still open to using the M2 chip, a feature of the recent sixth-generation iPad Air. Either way, Apple has the means to cut down costs, but does it have the motivation?

SE'ing is believing

Not only would a low-cost MacBook open up the doors of macOS to more casual users, but it could also give the company a key foothold in the education space and, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggested, "help build the company's brand in the developing world."

Improving the MacBook's accessibility in this way could also introduce more users to macOS at earlier ages, potentially eliminating a familiarity barrier to further buying into Apple's ecosystem. Not to mention helping to shift the needle regarding macOS' estimated 15.4% share of the desktop OS market (compared to Windows' ~72% dominance).

Still, 2024 came and went, and we didn't see or hear much else about a potential MacBook SE. That said, while the original rumor suggested that the device could make a 2H24 appearance, devices like the iPad mini 7 took longer than expected to materialize, and there's the outside possibility that (if this rumor has any weight to it) we could see Apple showcase an ultra-affordable MacBook at some point this year.

Is it likely? It's not an impossibility. However, we'd probably have heard more about such a device by now if it was in the advanced stages of planning or heading toward production. That said, even if the MacBook SE has found a home on the cutting-room floor of Apple Park, I'm still saving a spot for it on my wider tech wish list.

More from Laptop Mag

Clearance sales are underway ahead of Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2025) which kicks off in Las Vegas on January 7. That said, the HP Red Tag Sale is now live with weeklong savings on its top-rated laptop, monitors, printers, and PC accessories.

So if you didn't get want you wanted over the holidays, it's a great opportunity to refresh your gear for less. HP's Red Tag Sale is pricing just about everything to move to make way for the brand's 2025 product rollout.

Shop: HP's entire sale

Shop HP's sale now and ring in the new year with huge discounts of up to 58% off HP laptops , up to 54% off HP gaming PCs and accessories, up to 65% off HP EliteBook, ProBook, and ZBook business laptops.

HP's Red Tag Sale also offers stellar markdowns on HP All-in-One printers (up to $200 off), and up to $357 off HP monitors and monitor bundles multi-screen setups. What's more, you can takes an extra 10% off when you apply coupon, "HHMONITOR" at checkout.

I could go on and on about the fantastic deals from HP's Red Tag Sale but I can show you better that I can tell you. Browse HP's entire Red Tag Sale and my recommended deals below.

HP Red Tag Sale — Quick links

• HP Pavilion 16: was $1,019 now $459 at HP
• HP Envy Laptop 17t: was $1,299 now $799 at HP
• HP Spectre x360 14: was $1,465 now $1,065 at HP
• HP Omen 16 Gaming Laptop: was $1449 now $999 at HP
• HP EliteBook 845 14 G10: was $3,472 now $1,199 at HP

HP Red Tag Sale deals

The new year is here, and it's time to get serious about sticking to those health and fitness resolutions. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is the perfect companion for Android users looking for support with their wellness goals. And right now the watch is on sale at Amazon, with up to $215 in savings depending upon your color choice.

You can buy the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra starting at $434, a sizable 33% off and $215 savings over its usual $649 price. To get this price, you need to choose the model with a Titanium Gray casing and an orange band, or the Titanium White with a white band. If you prefer the look of a dark band, the Titanium Silver model is just $15 more.

The Galaxy Watch Ultra uses Galaxy AI, as seen in the Galaxy 24 phone series and the Galaxy Watch 7 smartwatch, to amp up its ability to provide insights and tailored results. This rugged smartwatch supports to 10ATM water depth, has IP68 dust and water resistance, and was tested to the MIL-STD-810H military grade spec for durability.

It is Samsung's largest and most feature-packed WearOS smartwatch, and it's designed for outdoor and fitness enthusiasts who want something extra. The Watch Ultra has a 47mm titanium casing and breathable silicone band, and it has both GPS and LTE (separate wireless plan required).

Act now to grab the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra at its lowest price ever.

Today's best Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra deal

New year, new laptop... that's the saying, right? Well, if you are looking to upgrade your tech for 2025, you should check out these Dell laptop deals in the Dell New Year sale.

When it comes to the best laptops for everyday use, Dell's XPS lineup is hard to beat. They're for productive tasks like browsing the web, typing up essays for school, or creating presentations for work, but they can also serve as wonderful entertainment centers for watching movies and playing games.

While there are loads of desktop and laptop SKUs on sale right now, we've highlighted three of our favorites below, giving you an option for a 13-inch, 14-inch, or 16-inch laptop, depending on your needs.

And if none of these float your boat, be sure to check out the rest of the Dell New Year sale.

On Thursday, Samsung unveiled several new monitors ahead of CES 2025, including what could be one of the most impressive gaming monitors of the year.

With CES just days away, one might expect Samsung to save its biggest announcements for next week. It looks like we're getting an early look at some upcoming Samsung tech, though.

Today Samsung unveiled new Odyssey, Smart, and ViewFinity monitors, all with a slew of exciting upgrades and new features.

For instance, the Smart Monitor M9 (M90SF), a 32-inch 4K OLED productivity monitor, is the first monitor to include on-device AI through Samsung's AI Picture Optimizer. This feature automatically analyzes the content your display and adjusts picture settings for the best viewing experience. The M9 also features 4K AI Upscaling Pro, which uses AI to boost low-resolution content to 4K.

The new 37-inch ViewFinity S8 (S80UD) is Samsung's largest 4K monitor with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Like this Smart Monitor M9, this is also aimed mainly at productivity users and creatives. While it doesn't have on-device AI, it does offer a larger screen size so you'll have plenty of space for multi-tasking.

While Samsung's productivity monitors are impressive, by far the most exciting announcement today was Samsung's new gaming monitors.

Samsung launches the world's first OLED 500Hz gaming monitor

If there's one crucial thing to have in a great gaming monitor, it's a high refresh rate. Good pixel density and color accuracy are important, too, but refresh rate is critical for keeping up with fast gameplay. If you want the fastest refresh rate money can buy, Samsung has you covered.

The new Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 (G60SF) is the first-ever OLED display with a 500Hz refresh rate. Yes, that's right — 500Hz. It features a QHD (2560 x 1440p) resolution, rather than 4K, but that's a fair trade off considering you're getting a blazing-fast refresh rate on an OLED panel.

If image quality is your top priority, you're not out of luck. Samsung also announced the new Odyssey OLED G8 (G81SF), which is the world's first 27-inch 4K OLED gaming monitor. Its refresh rate maxes out at 240Hz, but that should be plenty high enough for most gamers, particularly those looking for a 4K panel.

While the Odyssey OLED G6 is ideal for fast-paced esports games, the Odyssey OLED G8 is ideal for gamers who like to play RPGs and other games that prioritize top-tier graphics.

Speaking of top-tier graphics, Samsung also announced that it will show off a 3D gaming monitor at CES, the 27-inch Odyssey 3D (G90XF). This unique gaming monitor uses a lenticular lens and stereo camera to create 3D visuals without 3D glasses, much like the 3D visuals on Nintendo's 3DS consoles.

These new monitors are just the start of Samsung's CES 2025 announcements, so stay tuned for more updates on new laptops, monitors, and more.

More from Laptop Mag

• I use these unique monitors to boost my productivity at home and on the go
• Intel aimed for the Moon with its Lunar Lake chips this year, but was it enough to best Qualcomm and AMD?
• One Windows “evolution” excites me about laptops in 2025

Samsung kicks off the New Year with generous offers on unlocked phones. Beginning January 9, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G will be available in the U.S. alongside Sammy's 3rd generation fitness tracker (valued at $60).

Starting January 9, you'll save 50% on the new Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 (valued at $60) when you buy the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G from $199.99 at Samsung.com. That's $30 off the cost of buying each item separately and one of the best phone deals of 2025 so far.

Browse: Samsung's entire sale

The new Galaxy A16 5G follows the Galaxy A15 5G and brings a larger display and additional memory options to the Galaxy A series phone lineup.

Its spec sheet lists a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED 800-nit 90Hz display, Samsung Exynos 1330 8-core processor, 4GB RAM, and 128GB of storage. If you don't mind spending a little more out of pocket, the Galaxy A16 5G offers an 8GB RAM and 256GB storage option.

For just under $200, you're getting a capable phone with flagship-worthy features including a 25W super-fast charging all-day battery, Samsung Knox Vault security, and up to 6 years of Samsung One UI and Android OS updates.

Pair the Galaxy A15 5G with the Galaxy Fit 3 and you'll have a reliable companion to help you reach your health and fitness goals. It tracks over 100 different workouts and gives you comprehensive data on your progress. You can also stay on top of your daily wellness by monitoring your heart rate, stress, and sleeping habits.

Over the Galaxy Fit 2, the Galaxy Fit 3 boasts a 1.6-inch display which is 45% wider and provides up to 13 days of battery life (rated).

So if you're on the hunt for a decent unlocked phone with flagship features and a wearable that doesn't cost a whole lot, snap up this Galaxy A16 deal while you still can.

Today's best Samsung Galaxy A16 deal

Since Tim Cook announced a Siri overhaul at WWDC 2024 on June 10, 2024, Apple fans have patiently awaited the arrival of those Siri updates on their iPhones. It's been a long wait, but a few of the most significant new Siri features could roll out soon.

It's no secret that Siri has been in desperate need of upgrades. Apple Intelligence, Apple's new on-device AI platform, is finally giving Siri the glow-up it needs, but Apple has been slow to roll out those features so far.

A few minor upgrades already arrived on compatible iPhones, like Siri's colorful new design and the ChatGPT integration in Apple Intelligence. However, the upcoming iOS updates expected to roll out this spring could finally deliver a few of the most compelling updates that will make Siri much more helpful.

Here's a look at the new Siri features coming in early 2025 and when Apple might release them.

The Siri you've been waiting for

Compared to rapidly-advancing competitors like ChatGPT, Siri is starting to look and feel pretty outdated, but that might not last much longer. Last month, Apple rolled out the first wave of Apple Intelligence features with iOS 18.2, including a ChatGPT integration, Genmoji, Image Playground, Writing Tools, and more. Early in 2025, we could finally see a few of the most significant Siri features in another upcoming software update.

First up is personal context, a feature allowing you to reference things on your phone when interacting with Siri. For example, you could ask Siri about plans you made in a text thread a few days ago. This feature is a big step toward making Siri a legitimately useful "assistant."

Similarly, Siri is also getting onscreen awareness early this year. This feature lets Siri understand visual content on your iPhone, Mac, or iPad screen. For example, if you're looking at your plane tickets on your iPhone, you could ask Siri to save them to the wallet app, and it would understand and act on that. (With personal context, you could also ask Siri about those plane tickets later, and it would know what you were referring to!)

Finally, Siri is also getting new app actions in both Apple and third-party apps. This feature will enable Siri to interact with apps the way users would. You can already do this on a basic level, such as asking Siri to play a specific song on Spotify. However, with these Apple Intelligence updates, you have more actions to choose from, and Siri can complete more complex tasks. App Intents will allow developers to add the same functionality to third-party apps.

When is the rest of Apple Intelligence coming out?

If you're wondering when you'll get to use these new Siri features, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is Apple has been releasing its new AI features in a slow trickle, so unfortunately, we're all in for at least a bit of a wait. The good news is we should be over halfway to the finish line on these three major Siri updates.

Back in September, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman posted on X that the personal context feature wouldn't be "available for 6 months after the iPhone 16 goes on sale." The iPhone 16 went on sale on September 20, so six months from that, the personal context update would be in March or April.

That aligns with the release dates for iOS 17.4 and iOS 16.4, which both came out in March (with additional version updates in April).

In a July 7 newsletter, Gurman also stated that "Apple's big Siri upgrade should arrive next spring," which implies personal context will be just one of several major features in a spring software update.

Apple also released a new API for developers in November, enabling Siri to access onscreen content in their apps, which appears to be for the upcoming onscreen awareness feature, but it could also be part of the new app actions coming to Siri. This could hint that Apple is nearly ready to release these new features and is now giving developers time to make them compatible with their apps ahead of an official release.

So, assuming Apple's update release schedule is similar to previous years, we can expect the iOS 18.4 update in March or April to include the "big Siri upgrade" Gurman was talking about. This will likely include personal context, onscreen awareness, and new app actions. Other features could also be part of that spring update, but we'll have to wait and see.

More from Laptop Mag

• It debuted this year, but Apple Intelligence has 2 giant advantages to triumph in 2025
• M4 Mac week: Apple M4, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and Apple Intelligence all get their time in the spotlight
• Intel aimed for the Moon with its Lunar Lake chips this year, but was it enough to best Qualcomm and AMD?

Apple may be gearing up to perform some Spring cleaning on its iPhone catalog. A recent rumor suggests that the upcoming iPhone SE 4 may receive a rebrand that ties it more closely to the company's core iPhone offerings.

The iPhone SE has been somewhat of an outlier since its initial 2016 launch, receiving infrequent refreshes and inconsistent design with modern handsets.

However, a rebranding could signal big changes for the future of the iPhone SE lineup, starting with the iPhone SE 4—or, as one leaker has claimed it will actually be named, the iPhone 16E.

iPhone 16E: What's in a name?

On the surface, Apple changing the name of the iPhone SE 4 to the iPhone 16E changes very little about what we've already learned of the device from various leaks and rumors.

Apple's upcoming budget phone, regardless of its branding, is expected to feature a more modern iPhone 14-esque design with an aluminum frame, featuring the new Action Button and a notched OLED display with Face ID support.

Also claimed to be part of the new iPhone SE's redesign will be a single iPhone XR-like 48-megapixel camera in a horizontal layout, and an Apple Intelligence-ready processor (likely an A17 Pro or A18 Bionic chip) paired with at least 8GB of RAM.

However, the name of this new iPhone may be more important than any of the new features listed above.

If the new iPhone 16E moniker, revealed by tipster 'MajinBu' on X, is accurate, it could signal Apple's willingness to bring consistency to its budget iPhone line—expanding its core iPhone offerings similar to Google's Pixel A-Series and Samsung's FE-Series of smartphones.

By linking the upcoming iPhone SE 4 to the iPhone 16 family, the new iPhone 16E may serve as the first entry to a new annual model of affordable iPhones to join the iPhone, iPhone Pro, iPhone Pro Max, and the rumored iPhone Air (or Slim) said to be replacing the iPhone Plus as part of this year's iPhone 17 lineup.

This shift may be in response to a decline in iPhone sales last year, with the company potentially looking to capture more of the budget and mid-range smartphone market to offset a reduction in demand for its flagship devices.

What's next?

The internet is no stranger to iPhone SE 4 rumors. They've been plentiful throughout 2024, and we'd expect more to come before Apple officially officially announces the device later this year. The real question is when Apple will decide to do so.

Looking at Apple's previous release windows, the original iPhone SE became available in March 2016, the iPhone SE 2 in April 2020, and the iPhone SE 3 in March 2022.

While these dates don't point to a reliable month to expect Apple to announce and release the iPhone SE 4 (or iPhone 16E), each release does fall within an early Spring window. Meaning we could very well see Apple's new budget iPhone follow suit—capping off the iPhone 16 Series in March or April ahead of a September reveal for the new iPhone 17 lineup.

More from Laptop Mag

• Apple Intelligence's big moment is here — and its greatest challenge
• How to use the iPhone's ChatGPT-powered image creator with Apple Intelligence
• This new iOS 18 feature could end iPhone users' battery anxiety for good

Leaks are heating up for the Nintendo Switch 2 ahead of its likely launch in spring 2025. With everything we know right now, it'll be surprising if Nintendo reveals any new details with the Switch 2's official launch announcement.

The most recent leak on Reddit includes close-up photos of the next-gen Switch's motherboard. The Redditor who posted the photos (@MHN1994) commented, "I happened to come across those photos in one of the Facebook groups saying Nintendo Switch 2 Motherboard," and clarified that they weren't the original leaker.

Regardless, most commenters seem to believe the leak is legit. One commenter referenced a photo from a prior leak that matches up with this one, and another noted a clear identifier for the upcoming console: a censored code of GMLX30-R-A1 on an Nvidia chip.

Without further ado, let's look at the alleged leaked Switch 2 motherboard photos.

A look at the Switch 2's motherboard, thanks to a leaker on Reddit

The CPU is often referred to as the brain of a device. In a similar vein, the motherboard can be thought of as the device's backbone, or even nervous system. It's what connects all the components together and allows them to communicate.

While a leak like this might not be as exciting as some gameplay for a Switch 2 launch game for many, it gives us a lot of important info and signals that the launch is imminent.

In the leaked photos, you can tell that the chip is made by Nvidia, but it's not officially named as a Tegra 239 SoC, though that's what rumors suggest it is. According to a rumor via Eurogamer, the T239 processor expected for the Switch 2 is based on an "[octa-core] ARM A78C CPU cluster, paired with a custom graphics unit based on Nvidia’s RTX 30-series Ampere architecture."

It's also expected that the Switch 2 will launch with 12GB of RAM, possibly 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, a larger 8-inch display, and double USB-C ports for easier, more convenient charging while playing.

Regardless of what we already know about the Switch 2, I'm still excited for Nintendo to announce it officially. Nintendo's official announcement should include a couple of launch titles and some actual demos or performance promises.

President of Nintendo, Shuntaro Furukawa, said in a post on X that the company "will make an announcement about the successor to Nintendo Switch within this fiscal year," which ends March 31, 2025. Until then, read up on all the Nintendo Switch 2 rumors we've gathered to learn everything you can about the upcoming console.

If you're still looking for a new gaming laptop, start the new year right with one of these gaming laptop deals at B&H Photo. With discounts ranging from $300 to $470, these three gaming laptops can deliver powerful experiences for any budget.

The least expensive of the bunch is the MSI Cyborg 15 at $799. That's a $300 savings over the usual price and an excellent deal on a capable gaming system that costs under $1,000. This model includes a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. All with a 15.6-inch 1080p display with a fast 144Hz refresh rate.

The next two models actually both hit a more mid-range — and more accessible — price after their discounts.

For example, the 16-inch Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9 is now $1,379, a massive $470 cut from its regular $1,849 price (B&H notes it has a "limited supply" at this price). That's an excellent saving that takes this pricey system from a stratospheric level to a more affordable price without sacrificing its excellent complement of components. This system includes a 14th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The 2.5K display is a treat, with a super-fast 240Hz refresh fast and 100% of the sRGB color gamut, plus Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. In our review of the Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 9, we gave this system 4.5 out of 5 stars for its terrific performance, multitude of ports, appealing keyboard, and excellent display.

Finally, there's the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 at $1,249, down from $1,649. That's a strong $400 discount that makes the 18-inch Predator Helios Neo more of a stretch consideration for anyone looking to spend $1,000 vs. its usual premium pricing. This model also has a similar set of components, with a 14th Gen Intel Core i9 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD. The real distinction here is this model's large 18-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) display, with 165Hz refresh rate and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. In our review of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 18, we gave it 4 out 5 stars, citing its value as an 18-inch model and its strong performance.

These three gaming laptops deliver options depending on your budget and display goals. While B&H Photo doesn't specify when these instant savings discounts end, at least one has a limited supply, so act fast if you see something you like.

Today's best gaming laptop deals

When it comes to computers, the name "Valve" should almost certainly have you picturing the Steam digital storefront—which starts 2025 with a peak concurrent player count of 38.8 million, up some five million from roughly the same time last year.

However, Valve is responsible for so much more, and I'm not only referring to the incredibly popular gaming franchises the company is responsible for, including Half-Life, Team Fortress, Counter-Strike, Portal, DotA, and Left 4 Dead.

The Bellevue, Washington-based Valve is also responsible for several pieces of impressive (and sometimes overlooked) hardware, like the Nvidia Shield-like Steam Link, the console-esque Steam Machine, the Valve Index VR headset, and the device that launched handheld gaming PCs into the mainstream, the Steam Deck.

It's the software that has powered this selection of hardware that I expect to come into full force this year, with leaks pointing to the Linux-based SteamOS powering third-party hardware for the first time—not to mention the persistent rumors of Valve's reentry into the VR headset space with "Deckard," a new headset claimed to run SteamOS for a standalone SteamVR experience.

If Valve gets things right, SteamOS could propel the Steam Deck from a singular product into a hardware category, and open similar doors for VR headset manufacturers to adopt its operating system in a similar manner.

Decked out: SteamOS to impress on third-party hardware in 2025

The success of the Steam Deck is evident in more than the "multiple millions" of units it has shipped to date. In its wake, we've seen some of the best handheld gaming devices follow in its footsteps and create a booming handheld gaming PC market.

Devices like the ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and later the MSI Claw have all offered Windows-based handheld gaming experiences in the wake of Valve's Steam Deck, with popular refreshes in both the ROG Ally X and MSI Claw 8 AI+.

However, we may have some time to wait before we get an official Steam Deck refresh, with Valve hardware engineer Lawrence Yang claiming that the company won't be releasing new Steam Decks at a "yearly cadence." In fact, Valve isn't looking to release a Steam Deck until there's a "generational leap in compute" available.

That said, we appear set to receive a new Steam Deck of sorts in 2025—just not one from Valve.

As early as this year's CES 2025, starting January 7, we may be introduced to the Lenovo Legion Go S, a refresh of the original Legion Go that drops its Windows 11 backing in favor of SteamOS.

While it won't be an official Steam Deck, the rumored handheld will be a spiritual successor of sorts, offering improved hardware and graphical capabilities.

Better still, it may just be the first of many Steam Deck-like handhelds, with Valve updating its brand guidelines to include new "Powered by SteamOS" logos, suggesting that the Steam Deck could morph from product to hardware category in 2025 and beyond.

Portable PCVR? Valve's "Deckard" VR headset may use SteamOS for standalone gaming

Like it or lump it, VR is mainstream now. At least that's how I now see things as we head into 2025 expecting to see virtual and mixed reality hardware offerings from several major manufacturers like Asus, Lenovo, and Samsung's Project Moohan.

And as Meta's Horizon OS prepares to face off against Google's new Android XR platform to power this new wave of hardware, Valve may be preparing SteamOS to act as a viable alternative, debuting a standalone SteamVR experience in a new VR headset dubbed "Deckard."

Long-standing rumors surrounding Valve's Deckard headset suggest that Valve may be seeking to mobilize the PCVR experience, ditching the need to use a PC for compute and running PCVR games directly on the hardware—similar to the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S.

If successful, not only will we potentially gain one of the best VR headsets in 2025, but Valve could once again position SteamOS as a potential candidate for third-party manufacturers to adopt, and invite a host of Deckard-like options to help further popularize VR gaming over the coming years.

More from Laptop Mag

• VR headsets are mainstream, and I'm tired of pretending they're not
• Why Nintendo's Switch 2 already has me bracing for disappointment
• There may be a Steam Deck 2 on its way, just not Valve's

2024 has been a banger year for Qualcomm in the laptop realm, with the Snapdragon X Elite chip helping propel Windows on Arm into actual competition with Apple's macOS.

One of the first laptops powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, dubbed Copilot+ PCs, was Microsoft's Surface Laptop 7. In our official review of the Surface Laptop 7, we praised the device for its strong performance and MacBook-rivaling battery life — both of which can be attributed to the Snapdragon X Elite chip.

However, impressive battery life and smooth performance don't mean as much when you run into the multiple compatibility issues that accompany Snapdragon X-powered laptops. Even a long-time Windows on Arm user notes the difficulty of trying to use unoptimized apps, saying "It can feel like the Wild West once you leave that bubble" of optimized Windows on Arm apps.

Windows laptops are finally in a competing space with MacBooks — despite Apple launching more powerful, efficient models this year — but they still have a lot of room for improvement. I think 2025 could be the year Snapdragon X-powered machines and other Copilot+ PCs truly get their chance to shine.

What I'd like to see with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite Gen 2 chips

The Snapdragon X Elite chips bring a lot to the table, but unfortunately, Qualcomm doesn't have much control over my first request. I'd like to see Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops, with their strong performance and lengthy battery life promises, graced by even more compatible Windows on Arm apps.

Ultimately, that'll come down to changes from Microsoft within Windows itself and individual native updates or versions for existing apps.

There are definitely a lot of compatible apps right now that make it easy for the average user to upgrade to a Copilot+ PC, including Chrome, Firefox, Zoom, Spotify, and Adobe Photoshop. But there are still a lot of software that don't work natively with Windows on Arm. Take a look at this helpfully compiled list of non-native Windows on Arm apps on Reddit for a full picture.

My first desire leads into my second, in that I'd like to see native support for Steam, and subsequently stronger support for gaming. When we saw an in-person gaming demo on a Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptop, we were impressed by the "buttery smooth visuals," but that's not always the case when gaming on a Copilot+ PC.

One of Laptop Mag's editors tried gaming on the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, and it made him want to cry. The Xbox app won't allow you to run any of its games natively on an Arm processor, popular multiplayer game Helldivers 2 has an anti-cheat engine that's not compatible with an Arm processor, and the default Automatic Super Resolution setting made games run real funky.

If a Copilot+ PC could have great overall performance, long battery life, and decent gaming performance, that'd be a dream.

My last wish is what we all want in next-gen chips: even better performance and efficiency. I'd like to see Qualcomm come out swinging with a chip that competes well with Apple's newest M4-series chips, and graces Windows users with long-lasting, multitasking-made-easy laptops.

We're still in the early stages of hearing leaks and rumors on Qualcomm's next-gen chip series, but here's what we know so far about the Snapdragon X Elite 2.

End-of-year iPad sales abound, with almost every model at or near its all-time low price. If you want to upgrade or pick up your first iPad, this is a great time to buy.

For instance, if you want a nearly-pocketable tablet, you can get the iPad Mini 7 for just $459 at Amazon right now. On a tight budget after the holidays? The standard iPad 10 is just $279 at Amazon and is an outstanding choice for browsing, basic apps, and content consumption. Looking for something more like a laptop replacement? The iPad Pro M4 is $899 at Amazon, which is $100 under retail.

Featuring Apple's blazing-fast 9-core M4 chip, the 2024 iPad Pro is up to 50% faster than the older model M2 and uses just half the power. GPU performance-wise, it’s 4X times faster, so expect games and other graphics-intensive tasks to run smoother than ever.

If you've considered upgrading your iPad or making an iPad part of your device ecosystem for the first time in 2025, you won't want to miss these end-of-year sales.

Best end-of-year iPad deals

Best end-of-year iPad deals — Quick links

• Apple iPad 10: was $349 now $279 at Amazon
• Apple iPad mini 7: was $499 now $459 at Amazon
• Apple iPad Air 6: was $599 now $499 at Amazon
• Apple iPad Pro M4: was $999 now $899 at Amazon
• iPad Cables & Chargers: from $15 @ Amazon

iPad 10

iPad Air

iPad Pro

iPad Mini

On Monday, LG announced a trio of new gaming monitors that will debut at CES 2025, but it's not done with the early announcements as on Tuesday, it unveiled the 2025 LG Gram lineup.

I've reviewed a few LG Gram models for Laptop Mag in recent years, and while LG isn't the most prolific laptop manufacturer, its hit rate is outstanding. The LG Gram Pro 2-in-1 (2024) was among my favorites and earned a spot on several of our buying guides, including the best 2-in-1 laptops. LG consistently delivers thin-and-light laptops with solid performance and displays, and this year's lineup looks to continue that trend while also introducing one brand new model for 2025, the LG Gram Book.

LG is using a blend of Intel Core Ultra H-Series (Arrow Lake) and Intel Core Ultra V-Series (Lunar Lake) chips to power these laptops. As LG points out, the former leans into more traditional productivity performance, while the latter is more optimized for AI with slightly scaled-back productivity performance.

We'll be able to spend some time with these laptops at CES 2025, which runs from January 7-10, 2025, but here's what we know about LG's 2025 Gram laptops so far.

LG Gram Book

Let's lead things off with the one truly new model for this year, the LG Gram Book. While the company has delivered a number of excellent laptops in recent years, they decidedly fall into premium laptop pricing, the LG Gram Book is the company's attempt to bring a more affordable option to the U.S. market.

It features a 15.6-inch FHD (1,920 x 1080) LCD 60Hz display with a claimed 300 nits of brightness. At 3.74 pounds and 14.2 x 9.36 x 0.76 inches, it is also by far the thickest and heaviest member of the Gram series.

You have an Intel Core i5 CPU paired with Intel Xe graphics, and either 8 or 16GB of DDR4 RAM with a 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB NVMe SSD.

The port selection is reasonable with a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2, one USB 3.2 Gen 1, a single USB 2.0, and finally an HDMI 2.1 port.

For audio you have a pair of 1.5W speakers, and you get an HD (720p) webcam with a privacy shutter for your video meeting needs. The 51Wh battery is a bit disappointing to see, given the size of this laptop, so we'll have to see how that fares in testing.

The massive piece of the puzzle that we're missing here is the price of the LG Gram Book. Given the specs it needs to start well below $1,000 to be competitive in the market, but we'll have to wait and see.

LG Gram Pro 16 2-in-1

One of my favorite 2-in-1 laptops from last year gets a few upgrades for 2025, but doesn't reinvent the wheel.

For its 16-inch display you either have the option of a WQXGA+ (2,880 x 1,800) OLED or a WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) LCD panel. The former delivers a variable refresh rate of 48-120Hz, while the latter goes from 31-144Hz. Both feature a claimed 400 nits of brightness.

I lavished considerable praise on the OLED panel in last year's Gram Pro 2-in-1, calling it "one of the best displays I've ever seen on a laptop..." so I'd certainly lean that way and hope LG just managed to maintain that high level of quality.

The LG Gram Pro 16 2-in-1 weighs a mere 3.08 pounds and measures 14.1 x 10 x 0.51 inches. It's remarkably thin-and-light for a 2-in-1 with a 16-inch display.

Inside, you get either an Intel Arrow Lake Core Ultra 5 or 7, Intel Arc Graphics, up to 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM with a 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of Gen4 NVMe SSD.

Ports include: two USB 4 Gen 3 Type C, two USB 3.2 Gen 2, and HDMI 2.1.

The audio looks impressive on paper, as shown by a pair of 3W stereo speakers and a pair of 5W Smart AMPs. We'll have to see how that holds up in person, as last year's similar setup sounded good but not great due in part to the bottom-firing design. The 77Wh battery is impressive given the size and weight of this laptop, once we get it in our lab we'll see what that yields with the new Arrow Lake CPU.

Finally, the Gram Pro 2-in-1 features an FHD (1080p) webcam with an IR camera for Windows Hello support and a dual mic array.

LG Gram Pro (17-inch)

If you liked what you saw in the Gram Pro 2-in-1 but don't care about the flexible form factor, look no further than the LG Gram Pro (17-inch).

Unfortunately, it does drop the OLED display option of the Pro 2-in-1, but otherwise, it matches its specs almost exactly. I'll spare you running down the full list again and just note a couple of critical differences.

The first is naturally the size with its 17-inch display. It weighs in at 3.26 pounds (0.18 pounds heavier than the 16-inch 2-in-1), and it measures 14.9 x 10.4 x 0.62 inches.

That extra thickness may be partly due to its RTX 4050 GPU with 6GB of GDDR6 RAM. It also allows the Gram Pro (17-inch) to pack in a larger 90Wh battery; again, we'll see what that yields once we can get it in for testing.

Those are the only differences separating these models, again we don't have pricing yet, which may sway your decision as well.

LG Gram Pro (16-inch)

I saved the littlest Gram Pro for last, but the 16-inch Gram isn't to be forgotten. It shares several features with its other Pro siblings, so I'll highlight the differences.

The biggest shift is the Lunar Lake CPU options, making the LG Gram Pro (16-inch) the first Copilot+ PC in the Gram family. While LG's new Gram AI will work across the entire lineup, the Gram Pro (16-inch) should have the advantage given its more powerful NPU. The base model features an Intel Core Ultra 5, but you can upgrade to an Ultra 7 or 9. All configurations come with Intel Arc graphics.

With the exception of dropping to 16 inches, the Gram Pro models feature identical displays with WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) LCDs with a variable refresh rate from 31-144Hz.

Your big reward for the move to a 16-inch panel is a massive drop in size and weight. It is a mere 2.73 pounds and 14.1 x 9.9 x 0.5 inches, while still offering a 77Wh battery. Again, we'll find out what that yields in real-world battery life once we get it in our lab.

What's next?

While the specs tell part of the story of a new laptop, there's no replacement for spending some time with them in person or for getting them into our labs for testing.

We're also missing some crucial information as we don't yet know when the laptops will ship or how much they will cost. Assuming LG sticks to similar pricing, expect the Pro lineup to range from around $1,399 to $2,499. The Gram Book is the wildcard, but competition is stiff in the affordable market, so we'd hope to see $799 or less for the starting price there.

LG is also heavily touting Gram AI as part of this launch, which includes Gram chat on-device if you want the power of AI without reaching out to a cloud service. However, you can also leverage GPT-4o with Gram chat cloud, which is free for the first year.

LG's "Time Travel" feature sounds a bit like its take on Microsoft Recall, with the company indicating that it allows you "to quickly and easily revisit web pages, documents, videos, and audio files." Gram chat cloud is also "integrated with personal calendar and email services" and "leverages vast web-based datasets for detailed and comprehensive responses to user inquiries."

AI is sure to be a central focus once again at CES 2025. While we've spent the last month running down the 24 biggest AI moments of 2024, and there are clearly some intriguing use cases for AI, it's hard to point to a definitive breakthrough feature for the average user. As this second generation of AI-focused laptops, like the new LG Gram models, hits this year, that will be as much of the story as the new hardware.

More from Laptop Mag

• Sign up for the Laptop Mag newsletter
• Best AI PCs in 2024: 6 laptops optimized for the latest AI features
• Best laptops in 2024: Top 10 laptop recommendations

If my daily driver laptop were to kick the bucket, my next laptop would definitely be a MacBook. I go back and forth between a MacBook Air and a MacBook Pro because both offer fantastic battery life and great performance, but the MacBook Air often leads the race for me because of its lightweight form factor.

For anyone who wants a MacBook Air for similar reasons, you'll be happy to know there's a pretty awesome deal on the new 13-inch M3 MacBook Air. Right now, you can pick up a 13-inch M3 MacBook Air for just $899 at Amazon in any colorway you fancy. (The sleek Midnight colorway is hard to beat, though, in my professional opinion.)

Our M3 MacBook Air 13 review shines a light on the laptop's bright display, satisfying keyboard, quiet and lightweight design, and strong overall performance. My personal favorite feature of this laptop is its impressive battery life. In the Laptop Mag battery test (which involves continuous web surfing over WiFi with the display set at 150 nits), the M3 MacBook Air 13 lasted over 15 hours.

With its lengthy battery life, the M3 MacBook Air 13 is especially great for students and remote workers. That said, at just $899, it's a great daily driver laptop I'd recommend to anyone looking for a reliable device that'll last years under normal use.

This particular configuration comes with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but if you don't tend to multitask often, you can spend even less by opting for this M3 MacBook Air 13 configuration with 8GB of RAM for only $799.

Or, to see more options, be sure to check out the best MacBook deals we've rounded up so far this month.

Today's best 13-inch MacBook Air M3 deal

On June 10, 2024, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced one of the most significant software updates in his company's history, which would vault Apple into the AI showdown with the likes of Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.

Rumors about the announcement reached a boiling point in the days leading up to Apple's annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), so by the time Cook reached the highlight of the keynote presentation, many knew what lie ahead.

Cook stood on a trail at Apple's headquarters on a sunny California day as he finally unveiled the star of the show. "Recent developments in generative intelligence and large language models offer powerful capabilities that provide the opportunity to take the experience of using Apple products to new heights."

Cook highlighted five core principles for Apple's version of AI: powerful, intuitive, integrated, personal, and private. That last one is significant as privacy and security have become staples of the Apple brand but pose challenges with AI, which relies on consuming vast amounts of data. Cook seemed confident in Apple's solution, though.

"All of this goes beyond artificial intelligence. It's personal intelligence, and it's the next big step for Apple."

That "next big step" was Apple Intelligence, Apple's rebranding of "AI." This new AI platform designed exclusively for Apple tech features text and image generation, notification summaries, AI image editing, and a long-awaited Siri upgrade.

It arrived mid-way with a heated AI arms race, but Apple had two huge advantages over its rivals. One is a "secret weapon," and the second is evident if you're an iPhone user.

Tim Cook's better-late-than-never AI strategy

In an interview with Marques Brownlee at WWDC 2024, Cook doubled down on Apple's AI strategy, insisting, "Generative AI was never off the table. It was always about pursuing it in a thoughtful kind of way. So, that’s what we’ve done, and we’ve implemented it in ways that are less likely to create issues."

Cook was responding to a question about Apple's previously unclear stance on generative AI, which has increasingly become a major feature on Android phones over the past few years through Google Gemini. Until May of this year, Apple appeared, outwardly, anyway, uninterested in entering the generative AI competition. Despite that, I wasn't surprised by the announcement of Apple Intelligence.

This is far from the first time Apple played the "better late than never" game. Apple has consistently allowed its rivals to do the risky business of testing new product categories before diving in itself. (The Apple Vision Pro was definitely not the first consumer mixed reality headset, but Apple did design it to be the best.)

Advantage 1: The "secret weapon"

Apple Intelligence includes most of the now-standard features of generative AI, such as generating text and images, summarizing content, and answering audio, text, and visual queries. Apple added some extra features, like AI-generated emojis, but nothing groundbreaking.

That might seem like a losing strategy, considering Google already offers all of that and more on its Gemini platform. Apple has something Google doesn't, though: Private Cloud Compute, a secret weapon which could set up Apple Intelligence for success in 2025 and beyond.

Private Cloud Compute ensures everything users do on Apple Intelligence is completely private. When the AI needs to process a request through the cloud, it goes through secure servers running Apple's own M3 Ultra chips. Even then, all of the data is anonymized, so user privacy is protected. That's a far cry from the privacy strategies of Apple's competitors, who were accused of scraping massive amounts of data earlier this year.

Privacy isn't even the only significant advantage Apple has up its sleeve. The second one is perhaps even more important and might even make Apple the new leader in consumer AI.

Advantage 2: If you're an iPhone user, you're already part it

Prioritizing privacy and security was a major win for Apple Intelligence, but it may not be Apple's biggest advantage over Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.

If you're holding an iPhone, it might already be evident to you: Apple's potentially game-winning advantage is its massive, loyal user base.

As of 2024, 87% of teenagers in the U.S. have an iPhone, and 30% say they plan to upgrade their Apple tech within the next six months, specifically because of Apple Intelligence. That makes sense, considering young people are currently the most likely demographic to use generative AI.

Young people also represent the future of the phone market, so this data indicates that young people overwhelmingly prefer Apple devices and are more likely to use AI tools and apps. That means Apple Intelligence could help solidify the iPhone's dominance in the phone market for the foreseeable future. As a result, Apple Intelligence could become the country's most widely used AI platform simply by becoming the default AI on the iPhone.

Apple Intelligence: What's next for 2025?

If Apple can also nail the basics and ensure Apple Intelligence is consistent, fast, and reliable, it could quickly leapfrog Google's Gemini AI regarding users. The promise of privacy and data security gives Apple an especially strong advantage over Google, particularly when you factor in the ChatGPT integration on Apple Intelligence. This feature lets you privately use OpenAI's ChatGPT algorithm if Apple Intelligence can't complete a request for you.

Apple might win the AI race by choosing not to run at all. While its rivals, like Microsoft and Google, have been rushing to roll out as many new AI features as possible over the past year, Apple has been watching, learning, and taking its time.

Only time will tell, but Apple could become the king of AI by betting on the one thing you can't develop overnight: the trust it takes to build one of the biggest userbases in the world.

If you're anything from an AI enthusiast to the average AI tinkerer (or simply seeking out some of the additional features offered through Windows Copilot+ PCs or Apple Intelligence on Macs), then you'll need a powerful and performative laptop to keep up to speed with your needs.

At Laptop Mag, we review laptops year-round to ensure we're giving you expert-backed and up-to-date recommendations on which notebook is right for you. When it comes to the best AI PC category, our top picks are the excellent Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) for Windows users and the impressive Apple Macbook Air M3 for those running macOS.

So, if you're shopping for a new laptop and looking to invest in an AI PC (or just a great laptop in general), check out our current top-tier picks below.

As the new year begins, so do the resolutions about health and wellness. And what better way to support your goals than with an Apple Watch? Even better: Right now, at Amazon, you can score the latest Apple Watch Series 10 for just $329.

This is a terrific $70 savings on Apple's flagship 42mm smartwatch, which normally costs $399. It marks the lowest price at Amazon in 30 days, and it is a return to the Series 10's all-time low price we saw during Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. The price is valid on most color and watch band combinations.

If you have a larger wrist and need the 46mm casing size with its larger display, the 46mm Apple Watch Series 10 is now $359 (that's also $70 off and a return to this model's all-time low price).

The Apple Watch Series 10 is the best Apple Watch you can buy today. We tested the previous-gen Apple Watch Series 9 and gave it 4 out of 5 stars and our coveted Editor's Choice award. We were impressed by that model's speedy performance, nifty double-tap gesture, and bright display. The Apple Watch Series 10 only improves on that model. Tom's Guide gave the Apple Watch Series 10 4.5 out of 5 stars and called it Apple's best smartwatch yet.

The Apple Watch Series 10 has a bright OLED display, a lighter design, and faster charging than before. Plus, it has new health and fitness abilities, including sleep apnea detection.

If you're ready to add the Apple Watch Series 10 to your gear arsenal, now is the time to do so while it's at its lowest price ever.

Today's best Apple Watch Series 10 deal 

The new year dawns, and with it come new opportunities to level up your MacBook with one of these shiny new Apple computers. Amazon continues the MacBook deal love with savings across the entire line.

Some of these deals are just shy of what we saw during the height of the holiday discounts, while others match those discounts. Four of these models have at a $200 discount over their regular price, and all have 16GB of RAM. The outlier of the bunch: The Apple MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and 24GB of RAM is now $250 off its usual $2,499 price.

If you want a MacBook for under $1,000, you currently have two options: the Apple MacBook Air 13 M3 at $899 and the previous-gen Apple MacBook Air 13 M2 at $799.

For a larger screen, look at the Apple MacBook Air 15 M3, now $1,099. And for the best performance, there's the Apple MacBook Pro 14 M4 at $1,399 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 M4 Pro at $2,249.

B&H Photo also has many of these same deals on MacBooks as part of its end-of-year-savings that finish at 11:59 p.m. December 31. Amazon doesn't give any indication on how long its deals will last, but we'd recommend acting fast to snag your new laptop before these discounts vanish.

Today's best Apple MacBook deals

Nintendo isn't one for following the herd, while its console competition already offers mid-cycle refreshes with the ninth-generation PlayStation 5 Pro, gamers worldwide are waiting for the company's own next-gen offering by way of the Nintendo Switch 2.

While rumors regarding the Switch 2's launch date have been plentiful, a recent leak may have given us our best idea yet of when we can expect to see the handheld console in full, if not when it will hit store shelves.

The tip comes from the Italian website UAGNA, which claims that a "very reliable source in the sector" has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2's launch could take place on March 28, 2025, with several console accessories for the new device looking to launch on that day also.

Nintendo Switch 2 launch narrowed down: Is it legit?

According to UAGNA's source, that's the date that Nintendo hopes to see first and third-party accessories made available for purchase, and it is a likely indicator that the Nintendo Switch 2 itself will also be released at that time.

While the website claims that its source chose to remain anonymous, the fact that the claimed release date is linked to the launch of third-party peripherals, in particular, could be somewhat telling as our best look at the upcoming console so far was also the result of an early Switch 2 case reveal by accessory manufacturer Dbrand.

According to Dbrand's CEO Adam Ijaz when speaking with The Verge, the 3D render of the Switch 2 (shown below) used in the company's promotional material, while semi-hidden behind the frosted effect of its protective transparent case, is based on "actual dimensions" of the console sources by a "3D scan of the real hardware."

It would seem that third-party accessory makers are fully clued up on what to expect from Nintendo's next-gen offering, at least in terms of how it will look, and they'd also be well aware of any upcoming release dates as they prepare to bring their own products to market.

While there's no confirmation of this rumor's authenticity or source, there's definitely a level of credibility owed to this potential link.

What's next?

It's all something of a waiting game for now when it comes to official word on the Switch 2, as Nintendo seems dead-set on remaining tight-lipped about its impending release.

What we do know is that Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa has claimed the company's next console will be released "within this fiscal year," placing a definitive deadline for release as March 31, 2025, at the latest.

The information revealed by UAGNA's source falls within this deadline, though it cuts it incredibly close.

A potential reveal of the Switch 2 by Nintendo has been hotly anticipated, and often a source of hype for the company's various Nintendo Direct presentations, especially towards the tail-end of 2024.

However, should the date mentioned in this latest rumor prove accurate, we'd expect Nintendo to not wait too long into 2025 to get the marketing ball rolling and officially reveal its Switch successor.

According to one Chinese Weibo leaker with a track record of accurate Nintendo leaks, it's strongly hinted that Nintendo could be planning to officially reveal the Switch 2 during a Nintendo Direct presentation on January 8, 2025.

More from Laptop Mag

• Best handheld gaming devices 2024
• Why Nintendo's Switch 2 already has me bracing for disappointment
• The biggest Nintendo Switch 2 leak so far points to a few key upgrades

LG just couldn't wait until CES 2025 to show off its latest and greatest hardware, so on Monday, it took the wraps off a pair of enticing new gaming monitors.

At first glance, you may be unable to tell the difference between the two monitors. Both are 45-inch 21:9 ultra-wide OLED gaming monitors with a 5K resolution (5,120 x 2,160) and support for LG's Dual-Mode that allows you to switch instantly between eight screen-resolution and refresh rate combinations.

The big difference is the literal flexibility of the higher-end model, the LG 45GX990A, which can transform from a curved display to a flat panel.

Here's a closer look at both options, which we expect to get our hands on at CES 2025 in Las Vegas from January 7-10.

Bend but don't break

Typically, bending your monitor is a tragedy; I still lament the loss of my Dell UltraSharp 27 that was bent by a falling cabinet. However, in the case of the LG 45GX990A, bending it is one of the main selling points.

The monitor can go from a 900R curvature to a completely flat panel in moments. If you aren't familiar, 900R is an aggressive curve; the typical range for curved monitors is between 1800R and 4000R, so this isn't just a minor difference when transitioning from flat to curved.

If you're wondering why you might want to switch between flat and curved, there are a couple of potential reasons. One would be if you rely on your monitor to watch content with multiple people; a curved display is geared for a solo user. Some people also find specific games and apps are better suited to a flat monitor, but this can be due to visual glitches caused by software that isn't optimized for a curved panel.

Gamers will be happy with its fantastic 0.03ms response time, and its ports cover DisplayPort 2.1, HDMI 2.1, and USB-C with 90W power delivery. Finally, it is certified for Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.

A powerful curve

If you're fine sticking with a curved display 100% of the time, the LG 45HX950A gives you everything found in the 990A above, but it's locked at an even more aggressive 800R curvature.

The OLED panel also features a 4-side "Virtually Borderless" design, allowing the monitor to essentially disappear and serve as a window to your content.

Game smarter, not harder

If a 45-inch panel is excessive for your setup, you may want to turn to the LG UltraGear 39GX90SA, which is powered by webOS. That gives you built-in gaming and streaming services without plugging anything into it.

The panel is a 39-inch 21:9 OLED with an 800R curvature, matching the 45HX950A. LG also boasts about its "space-saving L-shaped stand" for this monitor but, regrettably, hasn't offered any photos just yet.

The display also features multiple USB Type-C ports, so you may be able to skip the USB Type-C hub with this monitor on your desk.

What's next?

If you're wondering how much these monitors will cost and when you will be able to buy them, so are we. Unfortunately, those details aren't available at this time.

Laptop Mag staff are descending in force on CES 2025 in Las Vegas next month, so we expect to have photos and hands-on impressions to share with you before CES wraps up on January 10.

LG's gaming monitor lineup is certainly intriguing, but we'll have to see if its enough to claim any Laptop Laurels for Best of CES 2025.

MORE FROM LAPTOP MAG

• Best monitor deals in January 2025: Cheap, 4K, gaming, and more
• Best gaming laptops in 2025: Our 6 top picks
• Best gaming laptop deals in January 2025: From $475

What a wild ride 2024 had us on, especially in the world of computing. We've seen incredibly innovative inventions like LG's stretchable screen and amazing new products like Samsung's highly-rated Galaxy Ring and Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses.

There was a plethora of brow-raising computing stories to choose from this year, but the below 9 events stick out as noteworthy. Here are the most outlandish computing stories we experienced in 2024.

9. The U.S. government's supercomputer Cheyenne sold for $480,000 at auction

In May, Tom's Hardware reported that the U.S. government's massive, multi-million dollar supercomputer, Cheyenne, had been sold at auction for just $480,085. Of course, I say "just," but that's almost half a million dollars. However, compared to all the funding that went into the supercomputer, it's pennies.

Update: An un-named buyer won the auction for the Cheyenne supercomputer, so there's no way to know what has been done with the computer parts. But if you check eBay, you'll see several Intel Xeon E5-2697 v4 processors. I can only assume one of these sellers is the lucky auction winner.

8. Bethesda took microtransactions to the next level with this hilarious misprice

Quite frankly, microtransactions for games are annoying. However, one microtransaction in 2024 was worth paying attention to, and that's solely because someone messed up when publishing the bundle's price.

Windows Central screenshotted the mispriced General's Personal Bundle for Fallout 76 at $1,999 — and only $1,799 for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. I sincerely hope no one purchased this bundle, as that would only incentivize Bethesda to raise microtransaction prices.

Update: Alas, the General's Persona bundle for Fallout 76 is no longer available for purchase, even at a lower, more reasonable price.

7. A massive Verizon outage that affected over 1.6 million people

A major Verizon outage started on September 30 at around 10 a.m. Eastern, according to Tom's Guide, and by around 4 p.m. Eastern, over 1.6 million outage instances were reported and collected by Downdetector. That's 1.6 million people who reported having issues, but the number of people affected was likely much higher.

Update: Following the outage, the FCC tweeted about "working to determine the cause and extent of these service disruptions," but it doesn't appear the agency ever followed up.

6. OpenAI steered clear of bankruptcy thanks to investment from Microsoft and others

As reported by Windows Central, OpenAI had some major financial struggles around July, but luckily, the company was bailed out by its biggest investor, Microsoft. There were also talks of Apple and Nvidia potentially investing in OpenAI, which would keep the most popular AI chatbot going strong for years to come.

Update: According to Barron's, Apple ended up pulling out of OpenAI's investing round, potentially because OpenAI requested investors not to put money into its biggest private competitors. Nvidia did invest, along with Thrive Capital and Japan's SoftBank Group.

5. A disgruntled ex-employee deleted 180 test servers, costing his former employer almost $700,000

Via Tom's Hardware, NCS (National Computer Systems) in Singapore fired 39-year-old Indian national Kandula Nagaraju, allegedly due to poor performance, but failed to invalidate his credentials to the system.

This allowed Nagaraju to access the system multiple times over the weeks following his termination, create scripts to delete all 180 of the company's test servers and execute those scripts without detection. The move cost the company around $678,000, resulting in a two-year-eight-month prison sentence for Nagaraju.

One has to wonder if he was treated poorly by the company. Or was it purely just an "I can do this, so I will" type of moment?

Update: It appears Nagaraju is still serving his sentence and hasn't been released early.

4. Potential undersea fiber-optical cable sabotage

Fiber-optic internet cables can stretch massive distances underwater. Wild, right? But that's not the crazy part of this story.

As reported by Tom's Hardware, an undersea fiber-optic internet cable connecting Finland to Germany and another between Lithuania and Sweden was cut — and according to EU leaders, it's likely sabotage.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, "Nobody believes these cables were accidentally severed. We have to know that, without knowing specifically who it came from, that it is a hybrid action, and we also have to assume that, without knowing by whom yet, that this is sabotage."

Update: Just last week, Reuters reported that Finnish authorities boarded a Russian oil tanker suspected of cutting the undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. Multiple organizations, including the U.S. National Security Council and NATO, supported the investigation.

3. The viral debate over Kamala Harris' earrings

Ah, the debate heard around the world, and I'm not talking about the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. I'm talking about the debate that followed the debate: was Kamala Harris wearing Nova H1 Audio Earrings in the debate and getting lines fed to her?

Update: No, she wasn't. Harris was wearing 18K gold South Sea Pearl Earrings made by Tiffany and Co., and everything she said in the debate was in her own words. This may be the least techy story on this list, but going viral almost immediately, which makes it deserve a top spot.

2. A crypto-mining Airbnb guest racked up a $1,500 electricity bill

Have you ever seen a sign or a rule that makes you pause and wonder who was responsible for that sign or rule being made? If you've ever seen "no crypto-mining" when searching for an Airbnb, that rule was implemented following an Airbnb guest racking up a $1,500 electricity bill (via Tom's Hardware).

According to property owner Ashley on TikTok, she filed on Airbnb to have the guests pay the $1,500 bill. Considering the guests reportedly made over $100,000 from crypto-mining at her abode, that's a small fee.

Update: Commenters on Ashley's TikTok video reported similar experiences; one said someone told them they mine crypto in Airbnb properties and that he was "astonished he gets away with it." Since then, many people have added "no crypto-mining" to their house rules.

1. A huge global IT outage caused by a CrowdStrike update

July was an insane month in the tech world, all thanks to a massive global IT outage caused by "a single content update for Windows hosts," according to CEO of Crowdstrike CEO George Kurtz on X (via TechRadar).

This update caused 'blue screen of death' errors across the world and mass chaos across multiple industries, including banking, air travel, payment services at supermarkets, and many more. I remember not being able to pick up a prescription at its normal price because the coupon system was completely down due to the Crowdstrike update.

Update: Many people regard this blunder as the largest IT outage in history, and hopefully, that means something was learned from it to prevent it from happening again. In September, CrowdStrike testified in a U.S. Representatives hearing and explained how its content update procedures have been changed to prevent outages like this in the future (via TechTarget).

Whether you got a new gaming laptop or Xbox console over the holidays or you are just looking for more games to play in 2025, you can benefit from this epic Xbox Game Pass Ultimate deal that'll save you $84 a year.

My son and I bounce back and forth between consoles, gaming laptops, and handheld gaming PCs, so Game Pass Ultimate is a crucial part of our games library. It gives you access to hundreds of games on Xbox Series X, PC, and cloud; get access to new games like Avowed on day one; play all those EA and Activision-Blizzard games you meant to get to.

Right now, you can get 3 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $30 ($21 off) at CDKeys (You can stack up to 5, so I just bought 15 months' worth of this deal — it saved me $105 in total).

Best Xbox Game Pass Ultimate New Year's deal

If you're new to PC gaming or have just upgraded your hardware after years of use on an Nvidia GTX 1060 machine, you need to know some new tips and tricks to get the best performance from your new gaming laptop or handheld gaming PC.

Over the last few years, Laptop manufacturers have made it easier to get better performance by adjusting your settings with power modes and user scenarios. Plus, there are some general tweaks you can use to get a bit more power in your Windows settings.

So, here are three things to check after you unbox that new laptop or handheld PC.

OEM performance settings

A few years ago, the major manufacturers didn't all have proprietary performance optimization software pre-installed on laptops. And you may not have gotten too granular about your Windows power settings either.

Some basics still apply, such as ensuring the proper drivers are installed for your CPU and GPU.

Computer manufacturers have been creating proprietary settings-management applications to supplement the Windows setting controls over the years. These applications all have different names depending on the manufacturer.

Depending on who makes your laptop or gaming handheld, you'll want to find and open one of these applications:

• Acer: NitroSense or PredatorSense
• Alienware: Alienware Command Center
• Asus TUF and ROG: Armoury Crate
• Dell: Dell SupportAssist
• Gigabyte and Aorus: Gigabyte Control Center
• Lenovo Legion: Lenovo Vantage for Gaming or Legion Space (Legion Go only)
• MSI: MSI Center
• Razer: Razer Synapse

All of these applications will allow you to change your performance mode. Most laptops ship in a "balanced" or "AI" mode by default, though some manufacturers will ship their laptops in the "performance" mode.

These settings applications come with optimized "performance" modes for your laptop, including thermal controls, but some will also allow you to overclock your hardware.

Performance mode allows you to boost your CPU and GPU clocks without needing to go into the system BIOS or run MSI AfterBurner and go through the lengthy GPU Overclocking process.

Windows power settings

Many of the OEM settings applications will also make changes to your Windows settings, but not all do. So it's worth taking a look at your Windows 11 power settings.

To make sure you've got the best power settings in Windows 11, follow these steps:

1. Open "Settings"
2. Select "System"
3. Click on "Power and battery"
4. Open the "Power Mode" menu
5. Select "Best Performance" from the dropdown for "Plugged in" settings
6. (Optional)
7. Select "Best Performance" from the dropdown for "On battery" settings

While the process above won't necessarily net considerable gains in your framerate, it is worth double-checking to make sure your operating system isn't throttling your CPU and GPU performance by operating in the "Balanced" or "Best Power Efficiency" modes.

If you're using a gaming handheld PC, you'll want to adjust your power settings while plugged in and on battery.

Most gaming laptop owners won't get much game time with the laptop operating running solely on battery power. This makes adjusting the "On battery" setting optional for laptop users.

Drivers and GPU settings

This tweak has always resulted in reliable gaming performance upgrades, but of course, you want to ensure your hardware is running the latest, most optimized drivers.

While many computers ship with drivers pre-installed, those drivers can be outdated depending on when your laptop or handheld was manufactured compared to when you take it out of the box.

If you don't know who makes the CPU and GPU running your laptop, you can check those specs by checking your Windows settings or by opening Device Manager and noting the name of your processor and display adaptor.

Drivers and automatic driver update software, such as Nvidia GeForce Experience or Intel Support Assistant, can be downloaded from the manufacturers' websites.

Sometimes, drivers can negatively impact the performance of your hardware due to poor software optimization. However, installing your CPU and GPU's latest drivers is the best practice for getting the most out of your computer.

If that's not enough power

For most gamers, checking your settings applications and ensuring you've got the best drivers will free up enough power and performance to keep a steady, playable framerate.

If you've already followed these steps, and you're still unhappy with your laptop or handheld's performance, you can try adjusting your game's settings to make sure you're running at a more optimized combination of resolution and graphics presets.

Some CPU and GPU combinations aren't built to game at 60+ fps on your hardware's max resolution, so you may need to drop down to "Medium" settings and 1440p or 1080p resolution.

There is also the option of overclocking your system, but overclocking a laptop comes with several caveats because you've got fewer thermal management controls on a laptop compared to a desktop PC. Y

That said, if you decide to go the overclock route on your laptop, we have a handy guide for how to overclock your GPU. To overclock your CPU, you'll need to enter your machine's BIOS and manually adjust the CPU clock speed. You'll want to work slowly and carefully while manually overclocking.

However, most gaming laptop and handheld manufacturers include overclocking settings in the performance settings application. And we'd recommend opting for those overclock settings rather than doing it manually.

More from Laptop Mag

• Trust me, you don't want an Nvidia RTX 50-series gaming laptop: Here's why
• Your next laptop will be more powerful than you ever need it to be
• Can the ROG Ally X's AMD Fluid Motion Frames 2 update actually double your framerate? We tested it to see!

If you use an Android phone, there's a good chance it's running on a Snapdragon processor. That's not the only place you'll find one, though. This year, Qualcomm, the San Diego-based Snapdragon chipmaker, brought its CPUs to a whole new stage: AI-powered laptops.

On May 20, 2024, Microsoft unveiled the first laptops in its new Copilot+ PC line, all powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series chips. This was Qualcomm's first significant entry into the laptop market, so the success of the Copilot+ PCs was crucial.

Qualcomm had big plans for its laptop processors, particularly the flagship Snapdragon X Elite chip.

As a Qualcomm spokesperson tells Laptop Mag, "The launch marked a pivotal moment for Qualcomm as we unveiled a new era of AI-enabled PCs. The Copilot+ PC devices powered by Snapdragon X Elite exceeded expectations in providing high performance-per-watt and long battery life — the top requirements for consumers."

How the Snapdragon X chips supercharged AI PCs this year

At first glance, you might wonder why Microsoft would risk the launch of a whole new series of laptops by working with a chipmaker that's relatively new to the laptop market. Qualcomm was up to the challenge, though. In fact, Snapdragon-powered laptops had some clear advantages right from launch.

For one thing, Microsoft's Copilot+ PC line-up was the largest collection of AI PCs ever launched when it debuted in June. The Snapdragon X chips at the heart of these laptops were designed specifically with AI in mind, resulting in stronger overall AI performance compared to older Windows 11 laptops.

"One of the most transformative user experiences enabled by Snapdragon X Elite processors is their ability to handle generative AI workloads on-device," a Qualcomm rep tells Laptop Mag. "For example, when devices are unplugged, our competitors’ performance falls between 30 to 45%, and there's no drop on Snapdragon."

That balance of processing power and battery efficiency also resulted in some seriously impressive battery life scores for Snapdragon-powered laptops. While there are a few outliers, most of the Copilot+ PCs Laptop Mag tested this year lasted 13 hours or more in our battery life test.

For instance, the Dell XPS 13 lasted a staggering 19 hours! Even more impressive, the Qualcomm-powered Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6 broke our battery life record, outlasting any other laptop we've reviewed to date with a battery life of 21 hours and 3 minutes.

Those battery life results handily prove that Qualcomm's claims about power efficiency on its Snapdragon chips are the real deal. Even if you're not so interested in the AI features on Snapdragon-powered laptops, this level of battery life alone could seal the deal for prospective laptop buyers. It's enough to potentially win over people who might not have otherwise decided to try an AI PC.

And if you are an AI enthusiast or want to run AI apps on your laptop, Snapdragon may be the best platform for that, too. "Unlike other processors, Snapdragon X Elite features an integrated AI Engine capable of over 45 trillion operations a second (TOPS), allowing them to handle demanding AI tasks seamlessly," a Qualcomm spokesperson tells Laptop Mag,

With top-notch performance for running virtually any consumer AI app you want and battery life bordering on 24 hours, this first generation of Snapdragon-powered laptops set a high bar. Can the next generation take things even further?

Can Qualcomm stay ahead of its rivals in 2025?

Given the overall success of the Copilot+ PC line-up this year, many are intrigued to see what Qualcomm delivers next. On one hand, it will probably aim to continue the innovation achieved in 2024. However, Qualcomm will also need to connect with a larger pool of users, many of whom are still unclear about what exactly an "AI PC" is or why they need one.

A Qualcomm spokesperson tried to clear this u, telling told Laptop Mag, "'AI PC' refers to the integration of generative AI tools that function as real-time assistants to enhance productivity, creativity, and efficiency. Devices with Copilot+ capabilities go beyond traditional computing, enabling smarter and more personalized experiences that can keep up with AI."

They also added that "No matter how each user embraces and uses AI for their day-to-day, we believe AI PCs mark the future of computing, where AI becomes an intuitive and essential part of everyday workflows."

The message is clear: AI PCs aren't just for AI enthusiasts and developers. Regardless of what you use your laptop for, there's potential for AI to help and soon every new Windows 11 laptop will be an AI PC.

Qualcomm is aiming high as the AI PC market grows, a necessary outlook if it wants to stay ahead of Intel and AMD. That competition is good for users, too, because it will help move the needle on innovation.

A Qualcomm spokesperson gave us some hints about what they have coming up in 2025 and beyond, telling Laptop Mag, "You can expect high performance, deeper integration with edge computing, and continued innovations in battery efficiency and connectivity. Upcoming AI tools will elevate productivity with advanced search functions, enhanced photo resolution, smarter conference call features, and cutting-edge graphic design capabilities."

Those new features and tools sound great, but Intel and AMD are working on AI innovations of their own. We'll just have to wait and see if Qualcomm has what it takes to rule the AI PC market or if it was just the rookie of the year.

If you're anything from an AI enthusiast to the average AI tinkerer (or simply seeking out some of the additional features offered through Windows Copilot+ PCs or Apple Intelligence on Macs), then you'll need a powerful and performative laptop to keep up to speed with your needs.

At Laptop Mag, we review laptops year-round to ensure we're giving you expert-backed and up-to-date recommendations on which notebook is right for you. When it comes to the best AI PC category, our top picks are the excellent Asus Zenbook S 14 (UX5406) for Windows users and the impressive Apple Macbook Air M3 for those running macOS.

So, if you're shopping for a new laptop and looking to invest in an AI PC (or just a great laptop in general), check out our current top-tier picks below.