1. SAMSUNG GALAXY TABPRO S
Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but it also can make good economic sense. As laptops and tablets continue their assault on desktop sales, the large tablet with a keyboard has now caught on with Apple and Microsoft’s “Pro” versions of this hybrid. The new Samsung Galaxy TabPro S more closely resembles the Surface Pro 4, and it runs on Windows 10 and has an Intel Core M3 processor running at 2.2 GHz. About the size of a standard sheet of paper, only 1/4" thick, the tablet features a 12" 2,160 × 1,440 Super AMOLED display and detachable keyboard that doesn’t cost extra. Memory includes 4GB of RAM and a 128GB internal solid-state drive. The rear 5MP auto-focus camera has digital zoom and 1,920 5 1,080 full HD video recording, and the front camera is also 5MP. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1, and LTE Cat. 6 for a SIM card to go online without a hotspot. The battery provides 10.5 hours on a full charge, and you can quick-charge for 30 minutes and get 2.4 hours of usage. The TabPro S weighs about 1.5 pounds and is available in black or white. www.samsung.com
2. IPAD PRO 9.7
At the most recent Apple event, a second iPad Pro was introduced. This one has a 9.7" screen compared to the original 12.9" model. Easier to handle, the Pro 9.7 has the processing power of a 64-bit A9X chip and M9 coprocessor to challenge your laptop along with another input dimension: handwriting with the Apple pencil. The smart keyboard is designed to serve as a cover, and battery life provides up to 10 hours. The display is a 9.7" LED-backlit multitouch screen with a resolution of 2,048 × 1,536 at 264 pixels per inch and an improved antireflective coating. There’s split-screen multitasking, Apple Pay, a 12MP camera, and fingerprint ID sensor on the home button, and it weighs less than one pound. www.apple.com
3. IPHONE 6S PLUS
If you’re working on the latest version of one of the most successful computing devices ever, you’d probably be wise to think about adding incremental improvements, not redesign. So you add 3D touch and offer four colors (silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold), iOS 9, and a great set of cameras. And increase the size of the Retina HD screen to 5.5" while keeping the overall weight under seven ounces. That’s this year’s iPhone 6s Plus. Among the other impressive specs, there’s an operating system that includes AirPrint, Control Center, Night Shift, Siri, Notification Center, iCloud, and multitasking. There’s the Apple Pay Touch ID pay system and a fingerprint sensor in the home button. The five-element 12MP iSight camera features Live Photos (still/GIF), autofocus, optical image stabilization, panorama, and more. www.apple.com
4. BRYDGEAIR KEYBOARD
The Brydge keyboard is also a case, constructed of aluminum to match your iPad Air, iPad Air 2, or the new iPad Pro 9.7" tablet. There are two clips that firmly hold the tablet and allow it to fold closed as the clips settle into recessed slots. The keyboard is backlit and provides several levels of illumination. The connection to the iPad is over Bluetooth 3.0. There are two stereo speakers on the keyboard that you can activate or turn off. The battery for the keyboard is rechargeable and will last up to three months on a charge. The BrydgeAir keyboard weighs about two ounces more than a pound. www.brydgekeyboards.com
May 2016
