Snapdragon Tech Summit 2021
The official news today begins with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Grab some popcorn as we have a lot of ground to cover. This isn't just a more simplified name, but an evolution in 4 key pillars: Camera, AI, Gaming and connectivity. The camera changes are so dramatic we now get a new brand with Snapdragon Sight, which is their first 18-bit ISP. We're talking 4000 times more data capture, meaning a crazy 240 12 megapixel shots a second in human terms. This enables other benefits like 4K Bokeh video, Mega night mode improvements and 8K HDR video capture, which is one of many world's first with this platform. Another one is that this would be the first ISP to remain Always-On for quicker reaction. As for AI, this being Qualcomm's 7th generation engine and 3rd Generation sensing hub which is twice as fast. Aside from photography benefits like enhanced face detection, it improves natural language processing, pushes gaming to super resolution, and enables a partnership with Leica for pro-quality photos. Speaking of Snapdragon Elite Gaming, the re-architectured Adreno GPU brings a 30% boost in graphics while being 25% more power efficient, all while supporting essentials like Unreal Engine 5, and true 10-bit HDR gaming. As for connectivity, this 4th Generation Snapdragon X65 model enables the world's first 10 Gigabit 5G model-RF solution, it also pushes Wi-Fi speeds further, and its Bluetooth experience enables CD-Quality lossless wireless audio through Snapdragon sound. I know, I need a separate dedicated video just to go into every detail, so make sure you follow the first link in the description for all the technical details, as this just scratches the surface for this Snapdragon 8.
Windows 11 adoption abysmal, paper reveals
Now how about if we switch gears to Microsoft and more importantly Windows 11. And no, sadly the Android apps aren't ready yet. And it looks like the company is off to a rocky start with their latest operating system. If you haven't been paying attention, they released the stable version of Windows 11 over a month ago, and even with all the headlines they made, it looks like adoption is very low. According to a new report from Tech Radar citing an IT management firm called Lansweeper, only 0.21% of all Windows users have updated their PCs to Windows 11. And that's even with this being a free update if you have Windows 10. Apparently this was made based on more than 10m Windows devices running on both business and home networks. And the most hilarious part of the report is that they're claiming there's a fewer number of devices running Windows 11 than there are on Windows XP right now! Like ouch. With that one being on 0.95% of devices. So yeah, this firm is recommending you upgrade to at least windows 10 because all of the other versions are no longer receiving security patches and this could pose a security threat. Let us know in the comments if you guys have upgraded your PC and if you haven't, tell us why.
Some users are reporting 16-inch MacBook Pro MagSafe charging issues
And sticking to official news, let's talk Apple and believe it or not, the newest MacBook Pros. If you haven't seen my review I highly recommend you do but, it looks like it's not rainbows and sunflowers for everyone. MacRumors has spotted quite a few Reddit users that are experiencing charging issues with their new 16-inch MacBook Pros and the problems seem to be related to the MagSafe connector. According to their complaints, the MagSafe wire won't charge their laptop if it's turned off or if the lid is closed. When the issue happens, the MagSafe cable flashes an amber-colored light. Now, a few users have talked to Apple Support about it and in some cases, they've even gotten the entire MacBook replaced but, not all of them have found success. There's some videos going around showing what the issue looks like but, it's still pretty unclear if it's the cable, the power brick or the computer causing this. So far, we haven't gotten any statements from Apple on the matter but if people are getting the entire computer replaced, I hope they say something soon. I haven’t really had the issue but let us know if you guys have in the comments below.
Apple’s new iPhone SE could be on track to arrive in Q1 2022
And finally, for the hottest news today, let's talk about Apple and a phone that's been in the rumors for quite some time now, the new iPhone SE. Last month we got some new developments claiming that we could expect it some time during the first half of next year, and it looks like that will be the case. A new report from TrendForce claims that Cupertino is planning to release the third generation of the iPhone SE in Q1 of 2022. Apparently this new iPhone would be a major instrument in helping Apple establish more of a presence in the mid-range 5G market, and we can expect it by the end of March, with its production forecast reaching 30 million units. There have been rumors here and there of a redesign, saying that we could be getting the iPhone XR's design but rocking Touch ID in the power button. The problem is when you got someone like Ming Chi Kuo saying that it'll feature a similar design to the iPhone 8, again! That includes a 4.7-inch LCD display, Touch ID in the home button, and 2014 bezels.. And if you're wondering what happened to the larger variant of the iPhone SE that was leaked last year, yeah that one is expected to come out until 2023 or later. So, by March next year, the current SE will be almost 2 years old, and that one launched with 64 gigs of storage and a price set at 399.