These are the best HP laptops under $500

HP is one of the leading global laptop manufacturers catering to a wide range of audiences, including enterprise users, gamers, mainstream consumers, as well as creative professionals. At the same time, the company has a good range of laptops that can keep up with your daily needs without costing thousands of dollars. To help you find the right one, we’ve rounded up the best HP laptops you can buy for under $500. If you’re not only interested in HP and you have a slightly higher budget, you may want to check out our list of the best cheap laptops, too.

From entry-level Windows laptops to fully-loaded Chromebooks, there are quite a few options in HP’s lineup. Mind you, these won’t be on par with the most expensive laptops the company makes, but they can certainly get you by. Before we start, we do have to point out that these laptops are all under $500 at writing time, but many f them are discounted. Prices may fluctuate over time, but we recommend taking advantage of deals whenever you can. Let’s get into the list.

Navigate this guide:

• Best overall laptop: HP Laptop 15z
  • Intel alternative: HP Laptop 15t
• Best convertible laptop: HP Pavilion x360 11
• Best 14-inch laptop: HP laptop 14t
• Best 17-inch laptop: HP Laptop 17z
• Best Chromebook: HP Chromebook x360 14
• Best convertible Chromebook: HP Chromebook x360 14
• Best for schools: HP Chromebook 11 G8 Education Edition

Best overall laptop: HP Laptop 15z

Beyond the well-known Spectre, Envy, and Pavilion series, HP makes a ton of laptops that are simply called “HP Laptop”. If you’re looking to buy one of these, the HP Laptop 15t is likely your best option, as it offers great value for the under $500.

Starting with performance, the HP Laptop 15z is powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors, starting with a Ryzen 5 5500U at the base level. That’s a very powerful processor with six cores and 12 threads, and it can boost up to 4GHz, which is very impressive. In addition to that, you get 8GB of RAM as the standard configuration, and the base storage is a 128GB SSD. That’s frankly fantastic for a laptop at this price, and it makes this a great choice for just about any task. There are upgrade options, but you’ll have to watch your budget when choosing them.

Compared to the more expensive laptops, the display is one area where you’ll often see corners being cut with cheap laptops like this. The HP Laptop 15z comes with a 15.6-inch display and it has HD resolution (1366 x 768). That’s the standard when it comes to laptops in this price range, and you’ll see it a lot throughout this list. You do get the option to upgrade to a Full HD panel, and if it fits your budget, that’s the first update we’d recommend. You can also add touch support if you’d like. The display reaches up to 250 nits of brightness, so it should be fine for indoor use, but it will struggle under sunlight.

Another trend we’re going to be seeing a lot in this list is 720p webcams. A lot of premium laptops still use cameras with this resolution, too, so it’s not surprising at all to see it here. It’s good enough for basic video calls and classes, and that’s all you should expect. You can always buy an external webcam later down the line.

Of course, the design is also not particularly interesting, but it’s about what you’d expect, too. This is a plastic laptop, and while that means it’s not super premium, at least you get a few color options to choose from. A particularly nice one is pale rose gold, simply because it has a dual-tone look with the inside still being silver-colored. You can also get it in fully silver or black options. Laptops have thankfully been getting thinner and lighter, and this one measures just over 18mm in thickness and weighs 3.75lbs. That’s not too bad for a 15-inch laptop, especially an affordable one like this.

As for ports, the HP Laptop 15z does a great job of covering the basics. You get one USB Type-C port, two USB Tye-A ports, HDMI 1.4b, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader. This should allow you to connect almost anything you might want to the laptop, though it’s not the most modern setup. For many users, though, it’s probably better than many premium laptops that only have Thunderbolt ports. The laptop charges with a proprietary barrel port, not USB Type-C.

Overall, this is a fantastic laptop if you want something affordable and capable. It has a large screen with space for multi-tasking and the internal specs can keep up with it. There are some updates we’d recommend making if you can afford it, but either way, this is one of HP’s best laptops for under $500. At least, as long as it’s on sale. It’s currently discounted to $419.99, and that’s a very good price for what you get here.

HP Laptop 15z

The HP Laptop 15z is a very capable laptop with AMD's latest Ryzen processors and solid specs all around.

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Great Intel alternative: HP Laptop 15t

If you like the idea of the HP Laptop 15z but you don’t like AMD processors, HP also gives you a solid Intel-based alternative. This is essentially a very similar laptop, but it does have some notable differences in the configuration.

For starters, it comes with Intel’s 11th-generation Tiger Lake processors, and the base configuration includes an Intel Core i5-1135G7. That’s already a powerful CPU featuring four cores, eight threads, and boost speeds up to 4.2GHz. This processor can easily handle all kinds of day-to-day tasks, and it’s made even better by the integrated Iris Xe graphics. There are upgrade options here, though, including an optional NVIDIA GeForce MX350 GPU. However, this will blow past the $500 budget. Aside from that, you get 8GB of RAM as the standard configuration and a 256GB SSD, too. That’s a fantastic combination at this price.

Similar to the AMD variant, the HP Laptop 15t comes with an HD (1366 x 768) display by default, which isn’t amazing. However, you do get the option to upgrade to a Full HD panel, which we’d recommend if your budget can accommodate it as it is much sharper. Aside from that, the display hits up to 250 nits of brightness just like the AMD version, too. There’s one configuration missing in this model, which is the option for a Full HD display with touch support, which the AMD version offers.

The webcam is also very much the same as the one on the AMD version of this laptop. It’s a 720p camera like all the other ones on this list. There’s no Windows Hello support of any kind, either, and again, that’s something every laptop on this list will fall victim to.

Design-wise, the HP Laptop 15 is similar, but different in a few ways compared to its AMD sibling. It’s slightly thicker and heavier, measuring 19.82mm in thickness and starting at 3.86lbs, though it’s not exactly a huge difference. It also comes in a few different colors, including a dark grey version and a warm gold variant that has a dual-tone look, similar to the pale rose gold of the AMD variant.

As for ports, this is one area where the Intel version comes out on top. It has all the same ports – one USB Type-C, two USB Type-A, HDMI 1.4b, headphone jack, and a sull-size SD card reader. However, it also adds support for Gigabit Ethernet, giving you a faster way to connect to the internet if your Wi-Fi is unreliable or slow. With the AMD version, you’d need an adapter for a wired internet connection.

While its processors are arguably not as fast and it’s missing some options, the Intel version of the HP Laptop 15 is still one of the best laptops for under $500. It comes with benefits like an Ethernet port and optional NVIDIA Graphics if you can stretch your budget.

HP Laptop 15t

This Intel version of the HP Laptop 15 has the latest Tiger lake processors and includes Gigabit Ethernet.

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Best convertible laptop: HP Pavilion x360 11

Finding a convertible in this price range is a bit difficult, especially outside of discounts and sales. If you want a convertible that costs under $500 right now, your best option is the HP Pavilion x360 11, which is a tiny laptop that’s still fairly capable.

In terms of performance, it comes with an Intel Pentium Silver N5030 processor, which has four cores and four threads, with boost speeds up to 3.1GHz. This is admittedly a low-power processor, but it can still handle day-to-day tasks like browsing the web, watching videos, or writing up documents. You also get 4GB of RAM – just enough to run Windows 11 – and a 128GB SSD for storage. Again, this isn’t a mind-blowing setup, but it’s good enough for basic use, and the inclusion of an SSD instead of eMMC is great.

As the name suggests, this pavilion x360 comes with an 11.6-inch display, which is much smaller than your typical laptop. However, this does have some benefits. For example, the standard HD resolution (1366 x 768) is much more suited for a small screen like this, so it’s not as big of a problem that it’s not Full HD. This small size is also great for a convertible as it makes the laptop much easier to handle and flip around when needed. It’s also easier to hold with one hand to use as a tablet.

For the webcam, as usual, we’re looking at a 720p camera, which does the job for video calls and classes, but it won’t make you look your best. There’s also no Windows Hello support, whether that’s with a fingerprint reader or a facial recognition.

Being that it’s such a small laptop, the Pavilion x360 11 is also one of the most portable devices on this list. It’s 17.78mm thin, and it weighs just 2.6lbs, making it very easy to carry around anywhere. This laptop only comes in a silver color, so you don’t get customization options as you do with some others.

Finally, we have ports, and there’s a decent supply overall for a laptop of this size. You get one USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack. There’s also a proprietary barrel charger port since the Type-C port can’t charge the laptop. That port setup is in line with some larger laptops, so it’s not bad at all for this price.

While it’s far from the most powerful laptop, the HP Pavilion x360 11 is a great little machine if you value portability and versatility. It can handle day-to-day tasks without much of an issue, and it’s modern enough to support Windows 11.

HP Pavilion x360 11

The HP Pavilion x360 11 is an ultrraportable laptop with the versatility of a tablet and an affordable price.

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Best 14-inch laptop: HP Laptop 14

If you want something a bit more portable than a 15-inch laptop but not overly small, HP also makes a great 14-inch laptop. Unsurprisingly called the HP Laptop 14, this is a more portable but still capable version of the laptops at the top of this list, and it’s still one of the best options for under $500.

Starting with performance, the HP Laptop 14 comes with Intel’s 11th-generation Core processors, this time starting with the lower-end Core i3-1115G4. This model has two cores and four threads, and it can boost up to 4.1GHz to handle day-to-day tasks. There are upgrade options available with a Core i5, but you’ll have to watch your budget. Regardless, this is still a solid entry-level processor. On a brighter note, you still get 8GB of RAM by default, as well as a 256GB SSD, making this a solid laptop overall.

The display is very much in line with what we’ve seen from other laptops on this list. It’s a 14-inch panel this time, but the base configuration is the same 1366 x 768 resolution as most other laptops on this list. Again, the upgrade to Full HD is recommended, and at the current price, it’s still within the budget. What you can’t do get is get a Full HD touch screen, as the touch option is only available with the standard HD display.

Once again, the webcam is a 720p webcam, which means it’s usable for video calls, but not ideal. It’s also not a Windows Hello camera, and there’s no fingerprint sensor onboard either. This is all standard for laptops in this price range (HP or not), and it’s the best you’ll get for under $500.

Moving on to the design, the HP Laptop 14 is once again a very standard-looking laptop. It’s a plastic laptop, and it’s fairly thin and light, measuring 18.03mm and weighing 3.24lbs. That makes it a bit easier to carry than some of the larger laptops. It seems that most of HP’s laptops have at least one unique color option available, and in this case, it’s “indigo blue”. You can also get it in black or silver, but I’m a big supporter of more unique colors, personally.

Aside from aesthetics, the HP Laptop 14 comes with a solid supply of ports, although they’re distributed in a very uneven way. On the right side, there’s one USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, HDM, a headphone jack, and the barrel charging port. Meanwhile, the left side only has the full-size SD card reader, which is certainly an odd decision. Depending on the peripherals you try to connect, you may have trouble using all the available ports since they’re all packed together.

Despite that, this is a solid 14-inch laptop, and it gives you a more portable, but still solid experience.

HP Laptop 14

This 14-inch HP laptop is a solid choice if you want solid performance in a portable package for less than $500.

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Best 17-inch laptop: HP Laptop 17z

If you’re on the opposite side of the spectrum and you want as large of a screen as possible for under $500, then the HP Laptop 17t is the best option for you. This is an AMD-powered laptop, and it’s available in a wide range of configurations so you can adjust it to your budget.

Starting with performance, the HP Laptop 17z starts with an AMD Athlon 3150U, which is a fairly basic processor. It has two cores and four threads, and it can boost up to 3.3GHz. However, because the laptop is very cheap right now, you can upgrade to a Ryzen 5 5300U, with double the cores and threads, plus faster clock speeds, and still be within the budget. There are also further upgrades if you can afford it. On top of that, by default you get a 128GB SSD for storage and 8GB of RAM, which ensure you’ll be able to run your daily apps without any issues.

Because of the significantly bigger display, the base configuration here actually has a slightly higher resolution than other laptops on the list. HP calls it HD+, which equates to 1600 x 900 resolution. This helps the display look a bit better considering it’s significantly bigger, but if you can afford it, we still recommend the upgrade to Full HD (1920 x 1080). One thing to note is that if you want touch support, you can’t go for the Full HD resolution.

To no one’s surprise, the HP Laptop 17 still includes a 720p webcam, which is the minimum allowed for a Windows laptop these days. There’s no Windows Hello support of any kind, either, whether that’s with facial recognition or a fingerprint sensor.

As for the design, this is naturally one of the least portable laptops on this list, as you’d expect from a device with a 17-inch screen. It weighs 4.58lbs, so it’s certainly not a very light laptop, but 19.82mm is still fairly thin for an affordable laptop of this size. Like most other laptops on this list, the HP Laptop 17 comes in black or silver, as well as two other colors. One is evening blue and the other is “snowflake white”, and they’re both a bit more unique if you want something that looks different.

As for ports, the HP Laptop 17z is packed with a decent supply of them, though it could also be better. It has a similar basic port setup as most of the laptops on this list, including one USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, and a headphone jack. However, it’s missing an SD card reader of any kind, and there’s no Ethernet either, even though there should be more than enough space for it. Also, most of these ports are on the same side of the laptop, barring one USB Type-A port and the proprietary barrel charger port.

Despite those odd decisions with the ports, this is still your best option if you want a 17-inch HP laptop for under $500. You get solid performance and a large screen that can be a big help for multitasking and productivity in general.

HP Laptop 17z

The HP Laptop 17z gives you solid performance and a large screen that's great for multitasking.

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Best Chromebook: HP Chromebook x360 14

Chromebooks have become increasingly popular devices in recent years, and they’re especially prominent in an affordable price range like this. Chrome OS is a very lightweight operating system, so it runs well even on low-end hardware, and it’s also cheaper to license than Windows. That means many Chromebooks can sometimes have features you wouldn’t find on an equivalent Windows laptop. One of the best Chrome OS laptops HP makes is definitely the Chromebook x360 14, and right now, it’s available for under $500.

In terms of performance, the HP Chromebook x360 14 comes packing an Intel Core i3-1125G4, and that’s a quad-core, eight-thread CPU that can boost up to 3.7GHz. This is a big step up from the more common Core i3-1115G4, featuring double the cores and threads, so it’s a much better processor than you may initially think. On top of that, you get 8GB of RAM and a minimum of 128GB of SSD storage. Paired with a lightweight system like Chrome OS, this should make for a very snappy experience across the board.

The display is one area where the HP Chromebook x360 really stands out from the pack. Not only is it a convertible, meaning you get touch support and a glass screen, it’s also Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080). Almost all the laptops on this list give you the option to get a Full HD display, but you have to pay extra for it, and it rarely includes touch support. Here, you get everything, and it’s all standard. It still maxes out at 250 nits in brightness, so it won’t be the best outdoors, but this is still a fantastic display.

However, the camera is still in line with  what other laptops on this list offer It’s a 720p camera, so it’s good enough for basic use, but not fantastic. Chrome OS doesn’t support advanced facial recognition as Windows does, so that’s not included either, but this is the only laptop so far that includes a fingerprint reader. This makes it much easier to unlock the laptop without having to type in a PIN every time.

As for the rest of the design, this is also one of the most modern-looking laptops on this list. It measures 16.51mm in thickness, and it weighs 3.35lbs, which isn’t bad at all for a 14-inch convertible. On the other hand, unlike most other laptops on this list, there aren’t any color options for this one. It’s a somewhat dark silver tone, and that’s the only option you get.

Finally, we come to the ports, and this is another area where this laptop is more modern than others on this list. It has two USB Type-C ports, but these ones actually support power delivery and display output, and it’s actually the default method for charging. You also get one USB Type-A port, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. The absence of HDMI is a bit of a bummer as you’ll need a USB-C, but that’s not uncommon with many thin laptops nowadays.

Overall, this is one of the best laptops on this list in many ways. It has a sharp display, solid performance all around, and even some niceties like a fingerprint reader. For under $500, this is one of the best laptops HP makes.

HP Chromebook x360 14

The HP Chromebook x360 14 has a Full HD touchscreen and solid performance for all kinds of day-to-day tasks.

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Best Chromebook clamshell: HP Chromebook 14b

If you don’t want a convertible and you’d rather have a simple clamshell Chromebook, then the HP Chromebook 14b is another great choice. It’s not as capable as the convertible we mentioned above, but it also has a lower base price, and it still has some advantages over many of the Windows laptops on this list.

Powering the HP Chromebook 14b is an AMD Athlon Silver 3050C, which is a relatively low-end processor with two cores and two threads and boost speeds up to 3.7GHz. This isn’t a very powerful processor by any means, but it should do the job fine if you’re running Chrome OS. You also get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage, and once again, that should be fine for use with a Chrome OS laptop. It is a bit disappointing to not see an SSD being used instead, but this should still offer a solid experience.

The display is a highlight for this laptop, too. Just like the convertible above, this Chromebook comes with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) panel by default, and that means images and text will look crisp and clear. It also supports touch, even though you can’t rotate the screen around. Like every other screen we’ve looked at so far, though, it maxes out at 250 nits of brightness, so that’s something to keep in mind if you want to use it outdoors.

We’re getting a bit repetitive with this, but once again, the webcam is 720p, and it should be decent for video calls, though not ideal. There’s no infrared-based facial recognition since Chrome OS doesn’t support it, but you do have a fingerprint sensor making it easy to sign into the laptop whenever you need to use it. It’s significantly more convenient than typing in a password or PIN every time.

Design-wise, the HP Chromebook 14b is very close to the convertible above. It’s just as thick, measuring 16.51mm, and it weighs roughly the same 3.35lbs, too. In fact, HP says the dimensions are the exact same across the two models. It also comes in a plain dark silver color, and you can’t choose anything else, which is common with many of HP’s Chromebooks.

As for ports, the HP Chromebook 14b is packing. You get two USB Type-C ports – both with power delivery and DisplayPort – two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, and a headphone jack. USB Type-C is the main charging method here, and as a bonus, the ports are evenly distributed on both sides of the laptop, so you should be able to plug in easily anywhere and use any peripherals you want.

While it’s not up there in terms of performance, the HP Chromebook 14b has some strong points that make it one of the best choices if you want an HP laptop for under $500.

HP Chromebook 14b

The HP Chromebook 14b is a clamshell laptop with a Full HD touchscreen and solid connectivity options.

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Best for young students: HP Chromebook 11 G8 Education Edition

Chromebooks are especially popular among students, particularly younger children, so of course, HP has a few devices for that crowd, too. Among them, the HP Chromebook 11 G8 Education Edition is one of the best, offering solid performance and a durable design.

Starting with the internal specs, we have an Intel Celeron N4020 processor powering the experience on the Chromebook 11 G8. This is a fairly low-end processor with two cores, two threads, and boost speeds up to 2.8GHz, but it should be good enough for a young child to do basic tasks on it, especially running Chrome OS. You also get an impressive 8GB of RAM, making the multi-tasking experience that much better. There’s 32GB of eMMC storage, which isn’t impressive, but with Chrome OS being an operating system that heavily relies on the internet, it should be fine.

The display is a small 11.6-inch panel, and it comes in HD resolution (1366 x 768). That’s not as sharp as some of the more expensive Chromebooks on this list, but considering the size of this screen, that shouldn’t be much of a problem. It’s also worth noting that it’s not as bright, hitting a slightly lower 220 nits compared to the 250 nits of other laptops on this list.

Similar to other laptops on this list, the webcam is 720p, and just like every other laptop here, there’s no IR-based facial recognition. And unlike the bigger laptops, there isn’t a fingerprint sensor, either, so you’ll have to type in your password to unlock the laptop.

Coming around to the design, it becomes obvious that the HP Chromebook 11 is designed for younger children. It has a rugged design with bumpers all around the edges and corners reinforced with metal so it survives drops and bumps. On top of that, the keyboard is designed to resist liquid spills and any attempts to remove the keys, so even the most curious children can’t break it easily. At 18.8mm in thickness and 2.91lbs, it’s still very portable, albeit a bit chunky compared to some other 11-inch laptops. That’s a tradeoff for this durable design.

As for ports, there’s a fairly solid selection here, especially considering the size of this laptop. You get two USB Type-C ports with power delivery and DisplayPort, two USB Type-A ports, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack. That covers quite a few needs, and while the lack of HDMI may be an issue to some, it’s not a likely use case for the audience for this laptop. It also makes sense considering the laptop itself is small.

It may not make sense for everyone, but the HP Chromebook 11 G8 is a solid laptop for younger children to use at school and for entertainment.

HP Chromebook 11 G8 Education Edition

The HP Chromebook 11 G8 is a durable laptop with decent performance for young students.

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These are some of the best HP laptops that are available for under $500. Out of the above, we chose the HP Laptop 15 to be the best overall pick because of the fantastic performance you get even in the base models as well as the solid selection of ports on offer. As usual, all the Windows laptops we recommend are either shipping with Windows 11 or can be upgraded after the fact. The Windows 11 upgrade is free, so you can do it without a problem.

If you want to expand your options, we have a separate list of the best cheap HP laptops with a more flexible budget, which has a bit more variety. And if budget isn’t a problem for you, check out our list of the very best laptops you can buy right now, or even the best laptops with 5G if you want to be on the bleeding edge of tech.

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What’s the difference between the HP Spectre x360 13, Spectre x360 14, and Spectre x360 15?

The HP Spectre x360 is one of the most well-known families of devices in the Windows space. These convertible laptops have stunning premium designs, great displays, and of course, the versatility of being convertible. All this makes them an easy recommendation, which is why you’ll find Spectre laptops not only among HP’s best laptops, but the best laptops in general. However, HP makes a few different versions of the Spectre x360, including the 13, 14, 15, and 16-inch models.

If you’re looking to buy one of these laptops, it’s good to know the differences between each size. Of course, the screen size is the most obvious difference, but there’s a bit more to it. First off, if you want a quick comparison of each model, you can check out all the specs for each laptop in the table below. Keep in mind that the HP Spectre x360 16 isn’t available to buy yet, so information is somewhat limited. However, there are plenty of comparison points already.

Specs

HP Spectre x360 Specs

	HP Spectre x360 13	HP Spectre x360 14	HP Spectre x360 15	HP Spectre x360 16
Processor	Intel Core i5-1135G7 (up to 4.2GHz, 4-core) Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to 4.6GHz, 4-core)	Intel Core i5-1135G7 (up to 4.2GHz, 4-core) Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to 4.6GHz, 4-core) Intel Core i7-1195G7 (up to 5GHz, 4-core)	Intel Core i7-1165G7 (up to 4.6GHz, 4-core)	Up to Intel Core i7-11390H (up to 5GHz, 4-core)
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
RAM	8GB 16GB	8GB 16GB	16GB	TBD
Storage	256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB	256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB	256GB 512GB 1TB 2TB	TBD
Display	13.3 inch IPS, Full HD (1920 x 1080), HP Sure View, touch 13.3 inch OLED, 4K (3840 x 2160), 400 nits	13.5 inch IPS, Full HD+ (1920 x 1280), touch, 400 nits 13.5 inch IPS, Full HD+ (1920 x 1280), HP Sure View, touch, 1000 nits 13.5 inch OLED, 3K2K (3000 x 2000), touch, 400 nits	15.6 inch AMOLED, 4K (3840 x 2160), touch, 400 nits	16 inch IPS, 3072 x 1920, touch 16 inch AMOLED, 4K, touch
Audio	Dual stereo speakers Audio by Bang & Olufsen	Quad stereo speakers Audio by Bang & Olufsen	Quad stereo speakers Audio by Bang & Olufsen	TBD
Webcam	720p webcam	720p webcam	720p webcam	5MP/1080p GlamCam webcam Auto Frame, Lighting correction, beauty mode
Biometric security	Windows Hello IR camera Fingerprint reader	Windows Hello IR camera Fingerprint reader	Windows Hello IR camera Fingerprint reader	Windows Hello IR camera Fingerprint reader
Battery	60Wh battery	66Wh battery	72.9Wh battery	TBD
Ports	2 Thunderbolt 4 ports 1 USB Type-A port 3.5mm headphone jack microSD card reader	2 Thunderbolt 4 ports 1 USB Type-A port 3.5mm headphone jack microSD card reader	2 Thunderbolt 4 ports 1 USB Type-A port HDMI 2.0b 3.5mm headphone jack microSD card reader	2 Thunderbolt 4 ports 1 USB Type-A port HDMI 2.0b 3.5mm headphone jack microSD card reader
Connectivity	Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 (2×2), Bluetooth 5	Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 (2×2), Bluetooth 5	Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX210 (2×2), Bluetooth 5	TBD
Colors	Nightfall Black Poseidon Blue Natural Silver	Nightfall Black Poseidon Blue Natural Silver	Nightfall Black Poseidon Blue	Nightfall Black Nocturne Blue
Size (WxDxH)	12.08 x 7.66 x 0.67 in (306.8 x 194.6 x 17 mm)	11.75 x 8.67 x 0.67 in (298.5 x 220.2 x 17mm)	14.17 x 8.91 x 0.79 in (359.9 x 226.3 x 20mm)	TBD
Weight	Starting at 2.8lbs	Starting at 2.95lbs	Starting at 4.23lbs	TBD
Starting price	$900.99	$999.99	$1,399.99	$1,639

With the basic specs out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the biggest differences between these four models.

HP Spectre x360 display and sound

Let’s start with the most obvious difference between these models, which are indicated in the name. Each model of the Spectre x360 comes with different display size, but there’s more to it than that. The lineup initially consisted of the Spectre x360 13 and Spectre x360 15, with 13.3-inch and 15.6-inch display sizes, respectively. Both of these models have the same 16:9 aspect ratio, which is still the most common display format. Both can also be configured with up to an AMOLED 4K (3840 x 2160) display.

The Spectre x360 14, however, comes with a 13.5-inch display and a 3:2 aspect ratio. This is a taller screen compared to the other two, and that means you have more surface area on the screen. Screen sizes are measured diagonally, but with a four-sided shape, the closer you get to a square, the bigger the surface area is relative to that diagonal size. Because of that, even though the Spectre x360 14 is only slightly larger than the Spectre x360 13, it’s going to feel significantly bigger when you’re using it.

HP Spectre x360 13, 14, and 15

Because of its uncommon aspect ratio, instead of aiming for 4K resolution, the top configuration of the Spectre x360 14 has a 3K2K (3000 x 2000) display. That’s technically worse, but in a display of this size, it’s already sharper than you need.

Finally, there’s the most recent Spectre x360 16, which takes some lessons from the x360 14. This one comes with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is somewhere between 16:9 and 3:2 in terms of shape. It’s still taller than your average screen, and that means more surface area, on top f already being a large display in the first place. In terms of resolution, HP initially announced a model with 3072 x 1920 resolution, and the company’s website also mentions a 4K OLED display without a specific resolution. Until the laptop is fully available, it’s unclear what that resolution will be.

As for sound, the Spectre x360 13 comes with dual stereo speakers, while both the Spectre x360 14 and 15 have four speakers for stereo sound. With more power behind them these speakers are likely going to get you a more immersive sound experience compared to the smallest model. We don’t know what speaker setup the Spectre x360 16 will use, but it’s likely going to be on par with the two smaller models.

CPU and GPU

Another big difference between these models, specifically for the new Spectre x360 16, has to do with the processors inside. The Spectre x360 13, 14, and 15 all have 15W Intel processors inside and they use the integrated Iris Xe graphics. These processors are ideal for thin and light laptops and mobile users, so it makes sense to see them in smaller laptops. However, that does mean performance isn’t going to be as good, especially sustained performance.

There are some minor differences between these models, such as the Spectre x360 14 featuring an Intel Core i7-1195G7 in a specific model at Best Buy, which the other sizes don’t have. Also, there’s no Intel Core i5 version available for the Spectre x360 15 at writing time. However, these are all still in the same ballpark. The HP Spectre x360 used to come with optional 45W processors, but those models were never updated with 11th-generation processors and have been discontinued.

With the Spectre x360 16, HP is introducing a model with Intel’s H35-series processors, which have a base power rating of 35W. These processors are still quad-core, but they can boost higher and keep those speeds up for longer thanks to the higher power rating. They also still keep Intel Iris Xe graphics. However, the HP Spectre x360 16 will also include optional discrete NVIDIA graphics, specifically a GeForce RTX 3050. If you want to play some games on the side or do creative work, that makes the 16-inch model easily the best of the bunch.

HP Spectre x360 webcam

Another aspect that’s worth highlighting is the webcam. With the Spectre x360 13, 14, and 15, HP decided to shrink the bezels as much as possible and to do that, it uses a tiny webcam above the screen. That camera has 720p resolution, but most importantly, it’s very small, so it doesn’t take in a lot of light and images can look grainy, even with good lighting.

But for the new Spectre x360 16, the webcam is a big focus, and it’s actually very promising. HP is using a 5MP camera, which is a much higher resolution than the other ones. Not only that, but this one is packing some smart features like lighting correction, auto framing, and a beauty mode. If you want to look your best during meetings, this is definitely the better option, unless you plan on buying an external webcam.

Video call on the HP Spectre x360 16

One thing that all these webcams have is Windows Hello support, so you’re good to go with any of them.

Design and connectivity

The last big aspect to go over is the overall design and appearance of these laptops, as well as their ports. Obviously, the size of each model also depends on the screen size, so the models with bigger screens are bigger and heavier. But there’s a bit more beyond the obvious.

The three smallest sizes of the Spectre x360 all come in striking dual-tone designs. One is Nightfall Black, which combines black surfaces with copper accents around the edges, and the other is Poseidon Blue, combining dark blue surfaces with gold accents. The Spectre x360 13 and 14 also come in a single-tone Natural Silver option.

The Spectre x360 16, on the other hand, only comes in single color versions. The Nightfall Black variant is black all around, and there’s a Nocturne Blue version that’s also completely blue with no accents. Aside from the color, the Spectre x360 also seems to use more rounded edges and corners compared to the sharp angular designs of the smaller models.

As for ports, the Spectre x360 lineup is split halfway. The Spectre x360 13 and 14 both have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader, while the Spectre x360 15 and 16 have all of those ports plus an HDMI 2.0b port for display output. Some differences exist in the placement of the ports, specifically with the 15-inch model being the only one to have the USB Type-A port on the right side.

On the matter of connectivity, it’s also worth pointing out that the HP Spectre x360 13 is the only model that comes with cellular network support. HP officially announced the laptop with 5G support; However, there doesn’t seem to be a configuration option that actually includes 5G as of yet. You may want to check out our list of the best 5G laptops if that’s a feature you need.

Something else that’s worth mentioning is that the position of the fingerprint reader, which is also available on all models. In the Spectre x360 13 and 15, the fingerprint reader is below the keyboard on the base of the laptop. With the newer Spectre x360 14 and 16, the fingerprint reader is on the keyboard, next to the right Ctrl key.

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And those are all the main differences between the HP Spectre x360 13, 14, 15 and 16. These are all great laptops in their own right, but there may be things you appreciate in a specific size more than others. For performance, the newly-announced Spectre x360 16 is easily the best of the bunch thanks to 35W CPUs and dedicated graphics. Design-wise, though, you might prefer the dual-tone aesthetic of the smaller models. There are good arguments either way, and a lot of it comes down to personal taste.

If you’ve made your decision, you can buy your favorite model using the links below.

HP Spectre x360 13

The HP Spectre x360 13 is the smallest and the most compact notebook from the series offering a premium design and the latest 11th-gen Intel processor options.

See at HP

The post What’s the difference between the HP Spectre x360 13, Spectre x360 14, and Spectre x360 15? appeared first on xda-developers.

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Microsoft Teams gets improved meeting captions and camera content in November

We’re nearing the end of yet another month, and that means it’s time for Microsoft to highlight what’s new in its Teams communication service for the month of November. This month, the biggest improvements have to do with real-time captions in meetings and a new to share content from the camera. As per usual, though, there are a lot of little things to go over.

For real-time captions during meetings, Microsoft is now rolling out the ability for captions to be displayed in the same window as the meeting is on. This way, instead of having to adjust two windows to see the meeting and locations at the same time, it’s much easier to keep with what’s being said while still seeing the people on the meeting.

The “content from camera” feature is far more interesting, though. This allows you to use any camera connected to your PC and select a specific portion of the image to share with others. For example, you can capture a whiteboard or document that’s in the camera’s view. Teams also applies image enhancements to this content so it’s more readable to other participants.

Rounding out the features for meetings, there’s a new word cloud feature for Teams polls. When you ask a question in Teams, you can easily see what the most popular words were in the replies.

Moving on to chat and collaboration features, Microsoft is now rolling out the first examples of Loop components in Teams chats. With Loop (formerly Fluid) components, you can share things like tables, lists, and so on, and everyone in the chat can collaborate on that item in real-time directly within Teams. Loop components will also be available in more places, so you can access and edit this information more easily from anywhere.

Microsoft has also improved the search feature in Teams in November. There’s a new section in the search suggestions dropdown box called “Top Hits”, which surfaces the most relevant results for your search terms – whether that’s people, groups, files, and so on. There’s also an update search results page that offers more context for each result. For example, you can search for “design” and see messages from people or documents including that word.

There are some new features for calling, specifically related to PSTN calls. IT admins can now set custom music to play for PSTN callers that are on hold. It’s also possible for IT admins to set custom rules for call parking, such as how long a call needs to be on hold before ringing again. It’s also now possible to route PSTN calls to unassigned numbers to other users or channels so callers can get some kind of response.

There’s also some news for Teams devices. There’s a new AudioCodes IP phone from AudioCodes featuring a 5-inch touchscreen and HD call quality. Meanwhile, Yealink has launched the UVC86, a 4K dual-eye camera with tracking support for medium and large meeting rooms, and it’s also launched a bundle including this new camera, a mini-PC, a touch panel, and a speakerphone, providing a complete setup for medium-sized meeting rooms.

For education users, Microsoft is making it possible to include content from third-party apps in assignments. There’s also integration with Microsoft Whiteboard so educators can include content from a whiteboard in the description or as reference material in an assignment. Microsoft has a separate blog post detailing new features for Teams education in November, including support for video recordings in assigments.

For frontline workers, tag management settings will be set to “Team owners and members” instead of just “Team owners”, though this can be changed. It’s also now possible to edit published tasks instead of having to recall an entire list of tasks to make edits to it.

On the management side of things, Microsoft has added the Surface Hub as a new type of device that can be managed from the Teams Admin Center, and there are also new filtering options to make it easier for admins to find the devices they want to take action on. Microsoft has also made it possible to remotely sign out of a Teams Android device from the Admin Center, so admins can provision a device and then log out from it more easily. For meetings, it’s now possible to set rules for certain users to be able to join meetings anonymously using a new policy.

There are new features for Power Platform apps and custom development, such as being able to share specific parts of an app to the meeting stage (where the video feeds appear). Microsoft Teams Connect is improving support for apps to be designed for channels shared with other organizations. Finally, tab actions for these apps are moving to a separate menu to help declutter the interface.

Finally, for government organizations, Teams is adding new features including the aforementioned caption improvements and anonymous user join policy for meetings. There are also features that were already available to other users before, including Presenter mode for sharing a presentation alongside your own video feed, a new assignment experience for users in breakout rooms, the ability to download attendance reports, and isolated audio feed capabilities. Additionally, teams of up to 25,000 members are now supported in GCC-High.

The post Microsoft Teams gets improved meeting captions and camera content in November appeared first on xda-developers.

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Google Search now shows Effiel Tower, Tokyo Tower, Big Ben, and other monuments in 3D

Last year, Google brought a new augmented reality (AR) experience to Search that allowed users to view an interactive 3D avatar of Baby Yoda on their smartphones. At the time, this was the only 3D object that Google Search had to offer. However, over time, Google has vastly expanded its 3D and AR model library with interactive models of animals, iconic anime characters, birds, and more. And now 3D monuments are joining the list.

When you search for a famous monument — the Eiffel tower, for example — Google Search on mobile now shows an interactive 3D model of the monument in search results (via 9to5Google). You’ll see a 3D model card with a View in 3D button. Tapping on the button loads up the 3D model which you can rotate and zoom into. Google Search has added 3D models for 98 monuments including the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Tower of London, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty National Monument, Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and more.

The new 3D monuments are available on all devices running Android 7.0 Nougat and above and iOS 11 or later. When you search for an animal, place, or object, lookout for a “3D Model” card in search results.

You can find the full list of available 3D monuments below (courtesy 9to5Google).

Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel	Conservatory of Flowers	Neuschwanstein Castle	St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Alcatraz Island	Eiffel Tower	Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum	St. Paul’s Cathedral
Alhambra	Empire State Building	One World Trade Center	St. Peter’s Basilica
Amazon Theatre	Ferry Building	Palace of Versailles	Statue of Liberty National Monument
Arasaka Imperia Residence	Flatiron Building	Palace of Westminster	Stonehenge
Arc de Triomphe	Giotto’s Bell Tower	Palais Garnier	The Angel of Independence
Aztec Stadium	Golden Gate Bridge	Palazzo Vecchio	The British Museum
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe	Japan National Stadium	Pantheon	The Centre Pompidou
Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence	Kaminarimon Gate	Panthéon	The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Basilica of Santa Maria Novella	Kensington Palace	Parthenon	The Painted Ladies
Big Ben	La Sagrada Familia	Piazza della Signoria	The Palace of Fine Arts
Brooklyn Bridge	Leaning Tower of Pisa	Piazza Navona	Tokyo National Museum
Buckingham Palace	Les Invalides	PIER 39	Tokyo Skytree
Campidoglio square	London Eye	Pitti Palace	Tokyo Tower
Capela Curial de São Francisco de Assis	Louvre Museum	Placa de Catalunya	Tower of London
Castel Sant’Angelo	Magic Fountain of Montjuic	Ponte Vecchio	Trafalgar Square
Castle of Good Hope	Meiji Jingu	Rhodes Memorial	Trevi Fountain
Cathedral of Barcelona	Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral	Rockefeller Center	Union Buildings
Cathedral of Brasilia	Monument of the Ninos Heroes	Roman Forum	Ushiku Building
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore	Monument to the Revolution	Sacré-Cœur	Voortrekker Monument
Cathedrale Norte-Dame de Paris	Moses Mabhida Stadium	San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge	Westminster Abbey
Chapultepec Castle	Mount Rushmore National Memorial	São Paulo Cathedral	Yoyogi National Stadium
Christ the Redeemer	Musée d’Orsay	Sensō-Ji	Zojoji
Coit Tower	National Museum of Nature and Science	Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Columbus Monument	National Palace	Sri Sri Radha Radhanath Temple

The post Google Search now shows Effiel Tower, Tokyo Tower, Big Ben, and other monuments in 3D appeared first on xda-developers.

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Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro: The best of Android vs the best of iOS

The Google Pixel has always been designed to be the “iPhone of Android,” and the Pixel 6 Pro comes the closest to living up to that goal yet. In addition to sporting its own silicon for the first time, the Pixel 6 Pro also sees further software tweaks on top of Android 12 that make it feel different from typical Android devices — and dare we say it, more like an iOS. The iPhone 13 Pro, meanwhile, is a somewhat iterative update over last year’s iPhone 12 Pro, with most of the big upgrades coming in hardware components that Android phones have offered for years, like larger camera sensors and a high refresh display.

The iPhone vs Pixel debate is a fun one to have for tech geeks every year, but this is probably the first year where this debate matters (just slightly, but still) to the average consumer.

My colleague Adam Conway has already reviewed the Pixel 6 Pro thoroughly, while I also reviewed the iPhone 13 Pro last month. I also tested the two cameras against each other in a Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro camera shootout. This piece will focus on comparing the two flagships with a broader overview.

Pixel 6 Pro (left); iPhone 13 Pro (right).

Google Pixel 6 Pro

The Pixel 6 Pro is the larger sibling that comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and an extra telephoto camera.

Order from Amazon

Order from AT&T

The iPhone 13 Pro has Apple's most capable camera system ever, with a larger image sensor and an improved 3x telephoto zoom.

View at Best Buy

View at AT&T

Click to expand: Google Pixel 6 Pro and Apple iPhone 13 Pro: Specifications

Google Pixel 6 Pro and Apple iPhone 13 Pro: Specifications

Specifications	Google Pixel 6 Pro	Apple iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
Build	Aluminum mid-frame Gorilla Glass Victus back Gorilla Glass Victus front	Stainless steel mid-frame Glass front and back “Ceramic Shield” for front glass
Dimensions & Weight	163.9 x 75.9 x 8.9 mm 210 grams	iPhone 13 Pro: 146.7mm x 71.5mm x 7.65mm 204g
Display	6.71″ AMOLED 3120 x 1440 pixels variable 120Hz variable refresh rate	Super Retina XDR OLED: iPhone 13 Pro: 6.1″ iPhone 13 Pro Max: 6.7″ ProMotion 120Hz variable refresh rate
SoC	Google Tensor	Apple A15 Bionic
RAM & Storage	12GB RAM 128/256GB	RAM not disclosed 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB
Battery & Charging	5,000mAh Wired fast charging up to 30W Wireless charging up to 23W	Battery size not disclosed; Approximate size from regulatory filings: iPhone 13 Pro: 3,125 mAh Wired charging up to 20W Wireless charging up to 7.5W MagSafe charging up to 15W
Security	Optical in-display fingerprint reader	Face ID
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 50MP wide, Samsung GN1, f/1.57, 1/1.31″ Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 Tertiary: 48MP Periscope, f/3.5	Primary: 12MP wide, f/1.5 aperture, 1.9μm Secondary: 12MP ultra-wide, f/1.8 aperture Tertiary: 12MP telephoto, 3x optical zoom, f/2.8 LiDAR camera
Front Camera(s)	11MP	12MP TrueDepth camera system
Port(s)	USB-C	Lightning
Audio	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers
Connectivity	5G (mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 NFC	5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO and LAA Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 NFC
Software	Android 12	iOS 15
Other Features	Dual physical SIM	Dual physical SIM or Dual eSIM support

About this review: This comparison was written after testing a Google Pixel 6 Pro that XDA purchased and an iPhone 13 Pro provided by Apple, for several weeks. Google Ireland did provide my colleague Adam Conway with a Pixel 6 Pro review unit, but it was not used in this piece. Neither company had any input in this article.

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Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro: Hardware

Design, looks, in-hand feel

While the Pixel is beginning to increasingly feel like an iPhone software-wise, on the hardware front, it is as opposite as it gets. While the iPhone 13 Pro is mostly hard corners and flat sides, with a professional, yet cold and mechanical vibe — it would resemble the rectangular monolith in 2001: Space Odyssey if it came in an all-black colorway — the Pixel 6 Pro is curvy, colorful, playful (unless you got the very dull deep grey color which I got).

Despite the Pixel 6 Pro bringing a bigger 6.7-inches screen to the iPhone 13 Pro’s 6.1-inches, the Pixel 6 Pro is easier to hold for me, because of the aforementioned curves, and also because the Pixel 6 Pro, like almost all Android phones, use a more elongated aspect ratio than the iPhone. So while the Pixel 6 Pro is taller, it’s less wide horizontally at 75.9mm to the iPhone 13 Pro’s 78.1mm.

Both phones offer OLED screens with a refresh rate up to 120Hz, but the Pixel’s display is more pixel-dense, the iPhone 13 Pro’s screen gets noticeably brighter — and it’s the latter that will matter in real world use. However, the iPhone’s screen is also interrupted by a giant notch, while the Pixel has a small hole-punch, so you’re getting a lot more screen on the Pixel 6 Pro than iPhone 13 Pro.

Cameras

The Pixel 6 Pro is better at capturing still wide and zoom images, while the iPhone is better at ultra-wide photos and overall video performance

After years of using pedestrian camera hardware (at least relative to what Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi offer), both Apple and Google finally stepped up this year with newer, better hardware. The Pixel 6 Pro sees the bigger jump, upgrading its sensors to a 50MP GN1 sensor with a large 1/1.31-inch sensor, along with a 48MP Periscope zoom lens and 12MP ultra-wide. The iPhone 13 Pro, meanwhile, brings back a familiar feeling triple 12MP main system, but every lens gets a larger sensor, including a relatively big bump up for the main camera (still smaller than the Pixel’s 1/1.31-inch though), and an improved 3x telephoto zoom (which, also, is inferior to the Pixel’s 4x Periscope zoom). Selfie camera hardware remains mostly unchanged for both phones: 11MP for the Pixel 6 Pro, 12MP for the iPhone 13 Pro.

I’ve covered the camera systems of both phones in an in-depth camera shootout, so please check that out if you want to know more. But the long story short is that I find the Pixel is a bit better at capturing still images with the main and zoom cameras, while the iPhone is better at ultra-wide photos and video performance.

As for which phone looks better? Judging the back of the phone is a subjective exercise, and I like both backs equally. I love the unique visor and two-tone finish in the “Sorta Sunny” colorway of the Pixel 6 Pro, but the iPhone 13 Pro, with its stainless steel flat railings and hard corners, looks like a professional, polished machine.

You can argue either way — for the backside. If we’re talking about the front, I think the Pixel objectively wins because the hole-punch takes up so much less space than the notch.

Either way, these are still ultimately glass phones, so you’re going to want to get a case and/or screen protector for either of these phones for added protection. Check out our roundup of best Pixel 6 Pro cases and best iPhone 13 Pro cases, as well as best screen protectors for the Pixel 6 Pro.

Internals

Generally speaking, iPhones have historically been more powerful and with better battery efficiency than Android counterparts even if the latter phones pack more RAM or a larger battery. The main reason for that is because Apple designs its own SoC and software, giving it total control over hardware and software, creating better synergy between the two. No Android phone has achieved this total level of control until the Pixel 6 series, because this is the first device to run on Google’s own SoC, the Tensor.

The iPhone 13 Pro’s 4498 multi-core score trumps the Pixel 6 Pro’s 2749.

While Tensor isn’t as powerful as the iPhone 13 Pro’s A15 Bionic, it does allow the Pixel 6 Pro to do a lot of on-device computing in terms of image and language processing the way other Android phones cannot.

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Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro: Software

Both the iPhone 13 Pro and Google Pixel 6 Pro were released with the newest version of their respective software: iOS 15 and Android 12. We’ll start with the latter since Android 12 is the biggest visual overhaul to Android in years.

Android 12

Google coined this big overhaul  “Material You,” an evolution of the “Material Design” first introduced way back in Android 5. Material You, as the name implies, is a more customizable aesthetic that aims to provide a different aesthetic that suits each individual user. To do so, the Pixel 6 Pro utilizes a theme engine codenamed “monet” that identifies the colors being used in the wallpaper, and then builds a pastel-colored theme around which your Pixel 6 Pro’s UI revolves.

For my Pixel 6 Pro, the monet engine came up with a light pink tone that can be seen throughout the phone’s interface, and I really like it. Particularly, in the camera app, such a playful color really makes the interface pop, because I’ve spent a decade-plus seeing smartphone camera apps that almost always come in a black-and-white color scheme. In terms of looks, I love almost everything about the Pixel version of Android 12, except for one nitpick which I’ll come back to later because it ties into a bigger rant.

Moving beyond just looks, Android 12 also brings new privacy features, such as Privacy Dashboard, an all-in-one page that shows you exactly what data each app has accessed in the past 24 hours. The information is presented in a linear timeline, so you get a clear idea of, for example, just how many times Instagram accessed your locations in one afternoon.

There are also new indicators, in the form of a green oval icon or dot, that will let you know anytime an app is using the Pixel 6 Pro’s camera or microphone. This feature is great, but it’s also lifted wholesale from iOS. In fact, Android 12 borrows quite a lot from iOS, including a new one-hand mode that behaves exactly like iOS’s take, which is distinctly different from every other one-hand mode on other Android phones. Basically, brands like Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Vivo have long offered a one-hand mode that shrinks the display both in height and width. The Pixel’s take, only brings down the top of the screen (meaning the screen is just as wide as before), just like how iPhone has been doing it for over five years.

The Pixel 6 Pro’s one-hand mode (left) and iPhone 13 Pro’s “reachability” (right).

I don’t like this move at all, not just because it’s such a blatant copy of what Apple has been doing (even the action to trigger it is exactly the same), but other Android brands’ one-hand mode is just better because it shrinks the screen’s width as well. Many people with smaller hands have trouble one-hand typing on modern smartphones because their thumb can’t reach all the way across horizontally.

Now, before Android fans grab their pitchforks, I am well aware iOS has also lifted features from Android, like widgets on homescreen. I am not against brands copying, and I think every phone brand at this point has lifted ideas. My gripe is that Google is lifting elements of iOS that make Android less customizable than before. For example, the bar at the bottom of the screen (to show users where to swipe) can be hidden in almost every other Android skin for a cleaner look, but the Pixel launcher must show that bar at all times — just like iOS.

Another example: there are two widgets on a Pixel launcher’s homescreen — the Google search bar and Date/Weather widget — that cannot be removed. This drives me crazy because one of the biggest appeals of Android to me is I can (or used to) customize the homescreen entirely as I saw fit. If I want, I could have just one app on the entire homescreen. You can’t do that with the Pixel launcher anymore, because the Google search bar must sit at the bottom, and the Date/Weather widget must sit at the top. This sounds a bit draconian, like iOS.

As my colleague Adam Conway wrote in his in-depth review of Android 12: “the Pixel launcher is very much the iOS launcher of the Android world.”

iOS 15

Aesthetically speaking, iOS 15 doesn’t change much from iOS 14 — the biggest visual overhaul comes in Safari, where the address bar has been moved to the bottom of the screen — but Apple introduces features that improve usability, like the ability to share FaceTime links with Android phone users, and SharePlay, which allows iPhone users to watch videos or listen to music together during FaceTime calls. These are likely big upgrades for many who live in North America, and perhaps the UK, where FaceTime is apparently quite popular among Apple users. But I live in Hong Kong, where like the rest of the world excluding the aforementioned North America and UK, we mostly rely on third-party chat apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, Line, etc.

iOS 15 also brings slightly improved notifications (which still sucks, by the way — it just sucks a bit less), and the ability for Siri to handle some tasks offline (this, to be fair, has been available on Google Assistant for years). For the most part, iOS 15 is a minor upgrade, because last year’s iOS 14 was the one that brought big changes, like the addition of widgets. Still, if you use other Apple products, iOS’s integration with those devices works great. A lot of existing features, like AirDrop, or Private Relay, still work very well.

As for which OS I prefer? I have always preferred Android over iOS and this remains true. I like Android’s more conventional file system, notification management, and completely free home-screen grid that lets me place apps almost anywhere on the screen. However, the Pixel launcher slowly “locking things” on the homescreen has taken away from that a bit.

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Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro: Performance

We’ve already established that Apple’s A15 Bionic has more raw power than the Google Tensor, but this doesn’t show itself in the real world much — both phones will zip around and launch apps fine. The only time I notice the A15 Bionic’s superiority is when I’m exporting videos, whether they’re 360 videos via Insta360’s app, or just rendering short clips I’ve shot for Instagram Stories, the A15 Bionic renders videos at lightning speed, while the Tensor (or any Snapdragon 888 device) take noticeably longer. I’m not talking about twice as long, but like three to four times as long.

With that said, the Tensor can do some amazing things, because Google designed it to prioritize the things Google is very skilled at, such as machine learning. To that end, the Tensor has allowed the Pixel 6 series to achieve the best-in-class real-time text-to-speech transcription and real-time language translation I’ve ever seen on any computing device. The voice-to-text transcription, in particular, works so well that it has changed the way I use WhatsApp: I now prefer to use my voice to dictate responses instead of typing out the words with my hands.

Apple, of course, also made a major push towards machine learning with the A15 Bionic, and it, too, is capable of some groundbreaking computational tasks, like creating somewhat realistic-looking artificial bokeh in videos (better known as “Cinematic Mode”).

Either way, neither phone will leave you disappointed whether you’re using it for work or play — for the latter, however, I prefer the Pixel 6 Pro’s less interrupted screen, but then the iPhone 13 Pro has louder, fuller stereo speakers.

Battery life

The Pixel 6 Pro has a much larger 5,000 mAh battery than the iPhone 13 Pro’s 3,125 mAh, but I find the iPhone 13 Pro’s battery life to be a bit better. I have been using both phones heavily over the past few weeks, and the iPhone 13 Pro has almost always lasted me a full day easily — even a heavy use 15-hour day out and about. The Pixel 6 Pro, however, has ran dangerously close to 0% a few times. If I have to give a rough estimate, I’d say the iPhone 13 Pro can go an extra two to three hours on a single charge for my usage. I attribute this to a couple of reasons: the Pixel 6 Pro is probably using high refresh more often, and since this is the first time Google is using its own bespoke SoC (which isn’t entirely 100% designed by Google anyway, as it has roots in Samsung’s Exynos 2100), Google hasn’t mastered the hardware/software synergy as efficiently as Apple.

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Google Pixel 6 Pro vs iPhone 13 Pro: Conclusion

Usually, when I do these iPhone vs Android comparisons, I always conclude that the Android phone may have better cameras or more immersive screens, but it can’t match the iPhone’s uniqueness, because Apple is the only one making iOS products, while there are several brand making Android phones. For example, as much as I really like the OnePlus 9 Pro, does it really feel that much different from the OPPO Find X3 Pro?

And so I think what Google has done with the Pixel 6 Pro — giving it several exclusive features and a distinctive UI that’s different from vanilla Android — is the right move. It gives the Pixel personality and individuality. Google has clearly been trying to make the Pixel the iPhone of the Android world, and with the Pixel 6 Pro, Google has come the closest yet.

Google has clearly been trying to make the Pixel the iPhone of the Android world, and with the Pixel 6 Pro, Google has come the closest yet

For me personally, I have chosen to carry the Pixel 6 Pro over the iPhone 13 Pro (and anything else I have) right now as my daily driver, because the Pixel 6 Pro’s voice dictation is a game changer,  I love the whimsical aesthetics of Pixel UI (dare I say … MIUI-like?) and I think the Pixel 6 Pro has the second best camera system on the market right now (behind the Vivo X70 Pro Plus).

But let’s face it, the iPhone 13 Pro is still going to outsell the Pixel 6 Pro several hundred times over because it’s so much more widely available, and it has a wide ecosystem of companion products like earbuds, headphones, tablets, computers. This here, is the endgame for Google. Making the Pixel 6 Pro close to the iPhone in personality and exclusivity is just the first step. Google needs to work on having a wider retail presence and eco-system of products.

As it is right now, the Pixel 6 Pro remains a niche device for techies and Android fans. The majority of average consumers across the world are still choosing Apple or Samsung.

Google Pixel 6 Pro

The Pixel 6 Pro is the larger sibling that comes with Google's new Tensor chip, a modern design, and an extra telephoto camera.

Order from Amazon

Order from AT&T

The iPhone 13 Pro has Apple's most capable camera system ever, with a larger image sensor and an improved 3x telephoto zoom.

View at Best Buy

View at AT&T

The post Google Pixel 6 Pro vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro: The best of Android vs the best of iOS appeared first on xda-developers.

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YouTube for Android TV receives a new playlist UI

The YouTube app on Android TV is getting a small UI tweak that changes how it handles playlists. Previously, when you clicked on a YouTube playlist, the app would automatically start playing the entire playlist. But that behavior is finally going away with the new playlist UI.

As spotted by 9to5Google, the YouTube app on Android TV/Google TV and other smart TV platforms has gained a new playlist UI. The new interface displays the name of the playlist along with “Play all,” “Loop,” and “Save to Library” buttons on the left side, with the videos appearing on the left side. You can hit the “Play All” button to start playing the playlist in sequence or click on any video from the list that you want to play.

New YouTube playlist UI (Image credit: 9to5Google)

The new playlist UI is rolling out to Android TV and Google TV devices with the latest YouTube app update, version 2.15.498 to be precise. The new behavior is also rolling out on other TV platforms such as Samsung TV.  If you own an Android TV or Google TV-powered device and want to check out the revamped playlist interface, update the YouTube app to the latest version. However, as 9to5Google notes, it’s likely a server-side rollout and thus may not be directly tied to the app version.

Last month Google announced a slew of new features for Google TV, the new interface that runs on top of Android TV. The latest update finally brings proper multi-user profile support, new glanceable cards in ambient mode, and more. Google also recently added a new virtual remote to the Google Home app for controlling Android TV and Google TV devices.

Have you received the new YouTube playlist UI on your Android TV or Google TV device? Let us know in the comments below.

The post YouTube for Android TV receives a new playlist UI appeared first on xda-developers.

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