Microsoft Unveils New Surface Models
On March 22, Microsoft announced two new products, Surface Laptop 6 Business Edition and Surface Pro 10 Business Edition. Microsoft said the Surface Laptop 6 Business Edition and Surface Pro 10 Business Edition are the first AI PCs from Microsoft to feature dedicated Copilot buttons on the keyboard. The Surface Pro 10 Business Edition is powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, available as Ultra 5 135U or Ultra 7 165U, which support the Intel AI Boost Neural Processing Unit. Up to 64GB of LPDDR5x memory and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 removable SSD are available as options. the Surface Pro 10 Business Edition screen is covered with an anti-glare coating and has a 33 percent increase in peak brightness, the camera resolution has been upgraded to 1440p with a 114-degree viewing angle, and an NFC reader has been added to the upper-left corner of the screen to support logging in to the device with an NFC-enabled security key. NFC reader on the left corner of the screen to support logging into the device with an NFC security key. An Intel-enabled Surface Pro with 5G data connectivity will also hit shelves later this year.
The Surface Laptop 6 Business Edition is available in 13.5- and 15-inch versions, both powered by Intel Core Ultra H processors, either the Ultra 5 135H or Ultra 7 165H, which support Intel’s AI Boost Neural Processing Unit. Up to 64GB of LPDDR5x memory and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 removable SSD are available as options.The Surface Laptop 6 Business Edition screen is covered with a new anti-glare coating, more ports have been added, and the 1080p camera supports Windows Studio Effects.In addition, the 15-inch version is available with an optional smart card reader.
Xiaomi Announces Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro Phone
Xiaomi officially launched the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro phone on March 21st. In terms of hardware, the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro is powered by the world’s first third-generation Snapdragon 8s platform, equipped with LPDDR5X memory and UFS 4.0 flash memory. Xiaomi said that in terms of AI computational photography, the new model parameter count has increased considerably over the previous generation, and the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro supports new models such as real-time subtitle + AI summary, AI input assistant, AI writing, AI expanding, AI elimination, and AI album search.
As for the screen, it adopts Huaxing Optoelectronics’ new generation of C8 light-emitting material, with a 6.55-inch 2750 × 1236 resolution, supporting 3000nit peak brightness, 120Hz refresh rate, 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, and 12bit color depth. In terms of imaging, the rear camera is a combination of 50MP main camera + 12MP ultra wide angle + 50MP portrait telephoto lens, supporting Leica Native Dual Quality, Leica filters, Master Lens Pack and other features. The front camera, on the other hand, is a 32MP main camera + 32MP ultra-wide angle combination. In other aspects, the machine is equipped with Xiaomi’s self-developed Surge T1 signal enhancement chip, built-in 4700mAh battery, support 67W fast charging, equipped with linear motors, support for under-screen fingerprint, NFC, infrared remote control. In terms of pricing, the Xiaomi Civi 4 Pro starts at 2999 yuan and will go on sale on March 26th.
PocketBook Launches Era Color E-Reader
PocketBook unveiled the Era Color, a next-generation e-reader, at the Leipzig Book Fair on March 20, featuring a 7-inch Genta Kaleido 3 color ink screen that supports 4096 colors with 1264 x 1680 (300 dpi) black and white resolution and 632 x 840 (150 dpi) color resolution. Built-in SMARTlight headlight technology allows users to adjust the light tones. In addition to the capacitive touchscreen, physical buttons have been added to the side for easy operation. Era Color supports 25 text/comic formats and 6 audio formats, Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, and the ability to read text aloud with natural speech in 26 languages. In terms of hardware, the Era Color is powered by a 4-core 1.8GHz processor and has a storage combination of 1GB+32GB, and is expected to be available in mid-April for a suggested retail price of €259.
Epic Announces Mobile App Store Launch in Europe
Epic Games has announced plans to launch the Epic Games Store for Android and iPhone users in European Union member states by the end of 2024. The terms of the mobile version of the Epic Games Store are the same as the PC version, with Epic receiving a 12% commission. Developers will be commission-free for the first six months and will receive full revenue during that time, and the Epic Games Store will also offer Epic’s own and select third-party apps, such as Fortnite, Epic said. Epic said it will also be required to pay Apple 0.50 euros per year for the first new install of apps distributed through the Epic Games Store that have more than 1 million downloads.
Apple Begins Building Vision Pro Sales Teams in Multiple Countries
Apple recently posted a job opening for a “Briefing Experience Specialist” in China, Japan, and Australia, a position that involves demonstrating Apple’s Vision Pro product features, reporting on marketing progress to executives, and designing and customizing demos. It usually takes about a month to recruit the right person for the job, so we’re optimistic that Apple will make the Vision Pro headset available in all three of those regions in April or May at the earliest, and Apple said at the time of the Vision Pro launch that it would bring the Vision Pro to more countries later in 2024, but it didn’t give a specific time frame for when that would happen.
Apple Releases a New “Documentation” Page
Apple updated its website on March 20 to include a new “Documentation” page that focuses on manuals, technical specifications, software downloads, and other information for each product, which Apple says “was previously scattered throughout the site, but is now consolidated in one place for quick and easy access. The new pages cover Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro, Apple Watch, Apple TV, AirPods, HomePod, displays (e.g. Studio Display, Pro Display XDR), accessories (e.g. Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard), and software. Keyboard), accessories (e.g. Apple Pencil, Magicboard), and software, among many other categories. The page includes a search function that allows users to enter keywords to quickly find links to related support documents and information.