Latest news with #LunarLake
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business Insider
'Summer Heat' Proves Raptor Lake Killer, Intel Stock (NASDAQ:INTC) Gains Regardless
While indeed, the heat this summer has been rough in some places—perhaps more so than in others—there is one place that summer heat probably should not be such an issue: chip stock Intel's (INTC) product line. But a Firefox engineer is sounding a wildly unexpected warning, one that Intel shareholders do not seem to be taking to heart. Intel shares were actually up nearly 2% in Friday afternoon's trading. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. Right now in Europe—where summer is in full swing—a heatwave is in progress. And that heatwave is bringing with it an unexpected failure in Raptor Lake chips. Gabriele Svelto, a senior staff engineer working on the Mozilla browser, brought up the issue out at Mastodon. Svelto noted 'If you have an Intel Raptor Lake system and you're in the northern hemisphere, chances are that your machine is crashing more often because of the summer heat.' While these are not full system crashes—rather, browser crashes—the news comes from a series of compiled crash reports that seem to be coming from places that are unusually hot. Svelto continued, noting 'Things are so bad at this time that we had to disable a bot that was filing crash reports automatically because it was almost only finding crashes from people with affected systems.' Other explanations, like system cooler issues, could be in play, but the crash reports correlating to heat maps is an unsettling development. Upgrade Canceled While Raptor Lake chips are turning downright crispy in this heat, there is another lake with a bit of a problem: Arrow Lake. A recent leak revealed that the Arrow Lake-S update, set to arrive in late 2025, may not provide the improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) capability that was initially hoped. Arrow Lake chips use the NPU 3 design, which originally came out back in 2023. Reports suggest that there were plans to bump Arrow Lake up to the NPU 4 that shows up in Lunar Lake chips, but apparently, that will not happen after all. NPU 3 can only offer 11.5 trillions of operations per second (TOPS), while NPU 4 offers 48 TOPS. Given that Copilot+ requires 40 TOPS, it seems that Arrow Lake will fall short of the hoped-for capability. Is Intel a Buy, Hold or Sell? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on INTC stock based on one Buy, 26 Holds and four Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 30.87% loss in its share price over the past year, the average INTC price target of $21.60 per share implies 6.76% downside risk.
Business Insider
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
‘Hold Your Horses Ahead of Earnings,' Says Christopher Rolland About Intel Stock
It's well known that Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) has had a tough few years, falling behind in chip manufacturing, losing market share in CPUs, and struggling to keep up in fast-growing areas like AI and data centers. Investors are pinning their hopes on recent leadership changes and efforts to streamline operations. However, the company still faces big challenges in delivering on its plans and staying competitive with strong rivals like Nvidia and AMD. Elevate Your Investing Strategy: Take advantage of TipRanks Premium at 50% off! Unlock powerful investing tools, advanced data, and expert analyst insights to help you invest with confidence. Make smarter investment decisions with TipRanks' Smart Investor Picks, delivered to your inbox every week. That's why all eyes will be on the fallen chip giant next Thursday (July 24), when it reports Q2 earnings, a key moment that could offer clues about whether Intel's turnaround efforts are starting to gain traction. But for those hoping to see early signs of real progress, disappointment may be in store. Assessing Intel's situation, Susquehanna's Christopher Rolland, an analyst ranked amongst the top 2% of Wall Street stock experts, thinks that 'tariff-related PC pull-ins' likely extended into early Q2, before tapering off later in the quarter. Still, there are some incremental positives. Average selling prices (ASPs) seem to be rising modestly quarter-over-quarter, helped by early gains in AI PC adoption. Lunar Lake laptops climbed 1.5% to around 2.2% share, Arrow Lake desktops also rose 1.5% to roughly 2.3%, and Meteor Lake laptops increased 1% to reach 12% share. Even so, demand remains skewed toward older process nodes – Intel 7 still accounts for about 55% of both laptop and desktop shipments. According to Rolland, this points to 'ongoing problem for capacity shortages at older nodes that may limit revenue upside.' Meanwhile, competitive pressures continue to mount, especially in the PC market. Intel is losing ground in the notebook space, where AMD is gaining momentum at OEMs like Dell. Rolland expects Intel's Client Computing Group (CCG) to post a 5% quarter-over-quarter decline, in line with consensus. However, he cautions that demand pull-forward and persistent market share erosion could dampen performance in the second half, potentially leading to a softer-than-usual seasonal outlook. Feedback from the server channel was somewhat more encouraging, but here, too, Intel is feeling the squeeze. AMD is taking share in critical segments, including China, enterprise customers like Dell, and U.S. hyperscalers. While Intel CPUs are still widely used in AI systems such as Nvidia's DGX, Rolland remains cautious about the shift toward Nvidia's Grace architecture and the upcoming GB200 platform. In Foundry, CEO Lip-Bu Tan might be redirecting efforts from the 18A node toward 14A, amid reports that 18A could be dropped for external customers. For Q2, the Foundry guide was lowered due to reduced wafer volume and ongoing 7nm capacity constraints. Rolland expects Q2 gross margins to be roughly in line with the lowered guide (down 270 basis points sequentially) as Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake ramp up, both relying on costly TSMC tiles. Looking ahead, the road to margin recovery remains bumpy. Server-side pressures, soft AI PC adoption, high production costs, and the fact that Panther Lake isn't expected to scale meaningfully until 2026 all pose ongoing challenges. Finally, Rolland continues to hear of layoffs at Intel, which could point to operating expense reductions beyond the $17 billion already targeted for the year – a 'favorable sign.' 'In short,' Rolland summed up, 'we expect Intel to post generally in-line results, but weaker guidance for 3Q/2H as tariff-related PC pull-ins in 1Q begin to fade, GB200/Grace ramps, and AMD continues to win PC/Server share.' Bottom line, ahead of the print, Rolland rates INTC shares a Neutral, while his $22 price target suggests the stock will stay range-bound for the foreseeable future. (To watch Rolland's track record, click here) According to TipRanks database, the INTC fence indeed appears the place to be right now; the stock claims a Hold (i.e., Neutral) consensus view, based on a mix of 26 Holds, 4 Sells and just a single Buy. Going by the $21.60 average price target, the shares will see a downside of ~5% over the coming months. (See INTC stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks' Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks' equity insights.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro review: The laptop that just works without the drama
has been making some great phones, and frankly, good laptops. That's been the equation for years, and if I'd be honest (again), nobody expected it to change. The Galaxy Book5 Pro breaks this pattern in ways that aren't immediately obvious, which might be exactly why it works. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This ultrabook from the house of Samsung doesn't chase trends or make bold promises. There's no revolutionary design language, no breakthrough performance claims, no features that haven't already existed in Samsung's Galaxy lineup earlier. Instead, Samsung has focused on execution: a razor-sharp AMOLED display, Intel 's efficient Lunar Lake processor, AI tools that actually serve a purpose, and build quality that inspires confidence rather than concern. The question isn't whether the Galaxy Book5 Pro is impressive, it's whether being very good at everything trumps being exceptional at one thing. At Rs 1,31,990, Samsung is betting that mature, balanced performance matters more than headline-grabbing specifications. Time to see if they're right. Simple done right Samsung kept things refreshingly simple here. The matte graphite aluminium body feels solid without being heavy, and the 11.6mm thickness makes it genuinely portable. I've been tossing this into bags without a second thought, something I can't say about chunkier laptops. The build quality impresses without showing off. No keyboard flex during typing marathons, no creaky hinges, and the one-handed opening works smoothly every time. These might seem like small details, but they add up to a laptop that feels reliable rather than precious. The keyboard deserves special mention. The keys have just enough travel to feel comfortable during long writing sessions, and the backlight is even without being harsh. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Having a full number pad on a 14-inch laptop is a nice touch for anyone dealing with spreadsheets regularly. The key spacing feels natural, and the layout avoids the cramped feeling that plagues some compact keyboards. That trackpad? It's smooth, responsive, and spacious enough for all those Windows gestures. The click feels satisfying rather than hollow, another small win that makes daily use more pleasant. Multi-finger gestures work reliably, and palm rejection keeps accidental inputs to a minimum. Port selection hits the sweet spot between modern and practical. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports handle charging and high-speed data, while USB-A and HDMI ports eliminate dongle dependency for most scenarios. The microSD slot is a win, I'd say, something quite rare to see on laptops, and also quite helpful for people like me who do daily dilly-dallying with pictures. AMOLED goodness This is where Samsung's display expertise really shines. The 14-inch AMOLED screen with its 2880 x 1800 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate is genuinely impressive. Colours pop without looking oversaturated, blacks are truly black, and text stays crisp even at smaller sizes. The 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling through documents and web pages noticeably smoother than traditional 60Hz panels. It's not just about gaming, everyday tasks feel more responsive and fluid. The difference becomes particularly apparent when switching between this and older laptops. Colour accuracy impressed consistently during photo editing sessions. The wide colour gamut handles professional work without requiring external monitors for colour-critical tasks. HDR content looks punchy without being overdone, making this equally suitable for work and entertainment. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you more vertical space for documents and web browsing, a small change that makes a real difference during actual work. It's a touchscreen, no surprises here, and while there's no stylus support (for Samsung hardware, it's a surprise), the finger-based touch interaction works well enough for most tasks. But I barely ever used this screen as a touchscreen. Although, if you do, the screen responds accurately whether you're scrolling through documents or pinch-zooming into detailed images. Working outdoors became surprisingly manageable thanks to the anti-reflective coating and Vision Booster tech that automatically adjusts brightness based on your surroundings. The quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos delivers full sound for such a thin laptop. The dedicated subwoofer helps with bass response while maintaining clarity. It's good enough for video calls, music, and casual movie watching without external speakers. All-day companion The Galaxy Book5 Pro comes with the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V inside, and the new Intel processor is the one built for sustained, real-world performance without drama. During my time with it, I did what I do with my everyday carry, I ran my usual mix of browser tabs, photo editing, video calls, and background apps. The laptop handled everything smoothly without performance drops or fan noise. The 16GB of RAM (unfortunately non-upgradeable) proved sufficient for multitasking. Multiple Chrome tabs, Photoshop, and video calls running simultaneously didn't cause memory pressure issues. The 512GB SSD keeps boot times quick and apps responsive, though power users might want more storage. Intel's Arc 130V graphics is competent, to say the least. While not meant for serious gaming, the integrated graphics unit handles design work, 4K video playback, and even some casual gaming without breaking a sweat. While this doesn't make the Galaxy Book5 Pro qualify as a graphics powerhouse, it does make it more versatile than previous generations. Thermal management stays impressive, even during intensive tasks, the laptop remains comfortable and quiet. Fan noise rarely becomes intrusive, and the bottom never gets uncomfortably warm during lap use. The Lunar Lake processors from Intel come with a dedicated neural processing unit, because why not? This is the system that handles all the AI chops on the hardware level itself, and Intel says it's capable of doing 40 TOPS of compute. In simpler words, the NPU is to power all the new AI shenanigans on Windows, and some more that Samsung has put from their end. Being a Copilot+ PC, the Galaxy Book5 Pro gains access to Microsoft 's AI-powered features, like Recall (yes, it's finally out), and the usual Studio Effects and Cocreator. Now, these features work just like they do in any Windows Copilot+ PC, but what I like is they work alongside Samsung's own AI tools without feeling redundant or overwhelming. The overlap is minimal, and each tool serves distinct purposes in daily workflows. Now, about Samsung's Galaxy AI suite, I'd say it's as practical as it could be. Instead of adding features just to tick boxes, they've focused on tools that might help users solve some of their real problems. AI Select is one such feature. So, Samsung's AI Select works much like how Circle to Search works on Android phones. It lets you circle anything on screen for instant contextual search. It sounds gimmicky but proves genuinely useful for research and fact-checking. Circle a restaurant name, get reviews and directions. Circle a product, get prices and specs. Simple but effective. Live Translate is also a nifty addition and works better than Windows' AI-powered translation. Real-time translation and captioning for video calls work entirely offline and are actually accurate. Then, there's Photo Remaster, brought in from the Galaxy phones. As the name implies, it applies subtle enhancements to images, it cleans up noise, improves quality, all using AI, saving up the time someone would spend on post-processing a picture. The results look natural most of the time, but some pictures do turn out to look artificially boosted or over-processed. Now, AI being useful is quite subjective, and most of them are simple party tricks, like Cocreator and Photo Remaster, but some are productive as well, like Recall and AI Select, they actually save you time during daily workflows. So, if you are someone who thinks you'd be using AI to assist in your work, the AI features here create a comprehensive experience that feels cohesive rather than fragmented. Oh, and the laptop has a "generous" 2MP webcam, which works like any other webcam, just fine for video calls. It too has some AI features like auto-framing, lighting adjustments, and face tracking, and these just work to make you look as good as possible. Let's talk ecosystem. Samsung has a big ecosystem of products, they have phones, tablets, watches, earbuds, and even a gazillion home appliances. Now, Samsung expects those having a Galaxy phone to eventually buy a Galaxy Book at some point in time, so they have built some cross-device features, much like Apple's. If you're already using Samsung phones, the ecosystem integration works seamlessly (just like any other ecosystem). File sharing happens without thinking about it (think AirDrop, but call it Quick Share ), phone calls can be answered directly from the laptop, messages sync instantly, and you can also control a Galaxy phone through the trackpad on the Galaxy Book. And Samsung also has the SmartThings app for Windows as well. Continuity features just work between devices without the usual Android-Windows friction. But only until you have a Galaxy phone. The experience is quite less polished if you were to use a non-Samsung Android phone. Thankfully, Quick Share works as usual, but then other continuity features are handled by Windows' proprietary app, which misses out on the cool features, like Samsung's Phone Link. The ecosystem features also require commitment, they work best when you're willing to use Samsung's apps and services over alternatives. If you prefer Google Drive over Samsung Cloud or Spotify over Samsung Music, some of the seamless integration magic disappears. Windows 11, as a whole, feels polished here, with Samsung's additions enhancing rather than cluttering the experience (which isn't the case usually). However, if you prefer a pure Windows 11, then pre-installed apps can be removed easily. Battery performance impressed consistently. Samsung's optimistic 21-hour video playback claim translates to about 13-15 hours of mixed real-world use. Power management adapts intelligently based on your workload. Light tasks preserve battery life, while demanding applications get the performance they need. It's the kind of smart behavior you want but rarely notice until you're using a laptop that doesn't have it. The efficiency gains from Intel's Lunar Lake architecture really show here. Unlike previous generations that required constant power management tweaking, this laptop just works through extended sessions without dramatic performance drops as battery levels decline. So, in short, full workdays without power anxiety. The 65W USB-C charger is compact and won't weigh down your bag, and the fast charging provides enough juice for several hours of work in just 30 minutes of plugging in. Tastefully minimal, effortlessly functional. Here's what Samsung got right with the Galaxy Book5 Pro: they made a laptop that doesn't try to be clever. No gimmicky features, just competent execution across every component that matters. It looks well-designed, visuals on it look gorgeous, and it handles real work without breaking a sweat. At Rs 1,31,990, you're paying for that consistency, not just the hardware specs. Sure, the non-upgradeable RAM might sting power users, and creative professionals will miss having a dedicated GPU, but for most workflows, these limitations rarely surface. What stands out most is how little stands out, if that makes sense. The laptop wakes up instantly from sleep, stays quiet most of the time, and doesn't suddenly become sluggish when the battery hits 30%. The AI features work when you need them without constantly interrupting your workflow. Even the ecosystem integration feels natural rather than forced, assuming you're already using Samsung devices. It's the kind of experience you expect from a laptop at this price point, and you get it with this one. Samsung has finally made a laptop that feels as polished as their phones, which took a little longer than it should have. Samsung's bet here is simple: being very good at everything trumps being exceptional at one thing. The Galaxy Book5 Pro delivers on that promise consistently. If you need a laptop that just works without drama, this is it.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Time of India
Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro review: Tastefully minimal, effortlessly functional
Samsung has been making some great phones, and frankly, good laptops. That's been the equation for years, and if I'd be honest (again), nobody expected it to change. The Galaxy Book5 Pro breaks this pattern in ways that aren't immediately obvious, which might be exactly why it works. This ultrabook from the house of Samsung doesn't chase trends or make bold promises. There's no revolutionary design language, no breakthrough performance claims, no features that haven't already existed in Samsung's Galaxy lineup earlier. Instead, Samsung has focused on execution: a razor-sharp AMOLED display, Intel 's efficient Lunar Lake processor, AI tools that actually serve a purpose, and build quality that inspires confidence rather than concern. The question isn't whether the Galaxy Book5 Pro is impressive, it's whether being very good at everything trumps being exceptional at one thing. At Rs 1,31,990, Samsung is betting that mature, balanced performance matters more than headline-grabbing specifications. Time to see if they're right. Simple done right by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Samsung kept things refreshingly simple here. The matte graphite aluminium body feels solid without being heavy, and the 11.6mm thickness makes it genuinely portable. I've been tossing this into bags without a second thought, something I can't say about chunkier laptops. The build quality impresses without showing off. No keyboard flex during typing marathons, no creaky hinges, and the one-handed opening works smoothly every time. These might seem like small details, but they add up to a laptop that feels reliable rather than precious. The keyboard deserves special mention. The keys have just enough travel to feel comfortable during long writing sessions, and the backlight is even without being harsh. Having a full number pad on a 14-inch laptop is a nice touch for anyone dealing with spreadsheets regularly. The key spacing feels natural, and the layout avoids the cramped feeling that plagues some compact keyboards. That trackpad? It's smooth, responsive, and spacious enough for all those Windows gestures. The click feels satisfying rather than hollow, another small win that makes daily use more pleasant. Multi-finger gestures work reliably, and palm rejection keeps accidental inputs to a minimum. Port selection hits the sweet spot between modern and practical. Two Thunderbolt 4 ports handle charging and high-speed data, while USB-A and HDMI ports eliminate dongle dependency for most scenarios. The microSD slot is a win, I'd say, something quite rare to see on laptops, and also quite helpful for people like me who do daily dilly-dallying with pictures. AMOLED goodness This is where Samsung's display expertise really shines. The 14-inch AMOLED screen with its 2880 x 1800 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate is genuinely impressive. Colours pop without looking oversaturated, blacks are truly black, and text stays crisp even at smaller sizes. The 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling through documents and web pages noticeably smoother than traditional 60Hz panels. It's not just about gaming, everyday tasks feel more responsive and fluid. The difference becomes particularly apparent when switching between this and older laptops. Colour accuracy impressed consistently during photo editing sessions. The wide colour gamut handles professional work without requiring external monitors for colour-critical tasks. HDR content looks punchy without being overdone, making this equally suitable for work and entertainment. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you more vertical space for documents and web browsing, a small change that makes a real difference during actual work. It's a touchscreen, no surprises here, and while there's no stylus support (for Samsung hardware, it's a surprise), the finger-based touch interaction works well enough for most tasks. But I barely ever used this screen as a touchscreen. Although, if you do, the screen responds accurately whether you're scrolling through documents or pinch-zooming into detailed images. Working outdoors became surprisingly manageable thanks to the anti-reflective coating and Vision Booster tech that automatically adjusts brightness based on your surroundings. The quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos delivers full sound for such a thin laptop. The dedicated subwoofer helps with bass response while maintaining clarity. It's good enough for video calls, music, and casual movie watching without external speakers. All-day companion The Galaxy Book5 Pro comes with the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V inside, and the new Intel processor is the one built for sustained, real-world performance without drama. During my time with it, I did what I do with my everyday carry, I ran my usual mix of browser tabs, photo editing, video calls, and background apps. The laptop handled everything smoothly without performance drops or fan noise. The 16GB of RAM (unfortunately non-upgradeable) proved sufficient for multitasking. Multiple Chrome tabs, Photoshop, and video calls running simultaneously didn't cause memory pressure issues. The 512GB SSD keeps boot times quick and apps responsive, though power users might want more storage. Intel's Arc 130V graphics is competent, to say the least. While not meant for serious gaming, the integrated graphics unit handles design work, 4K video playback, and even some casual gaming without breaking a sweat. While this doesn't make the Galaxy Book5 Pro qualify as a graphics powerhouse, it does make it more versatile than previous generations. Thermal management stays impressive, even during intensive tasks, the laptop remains comfortable and quiet. Fan noise rarely becomes intrusive, and the bottom never gets uncomfortably warm during lap use. The Lunar Lake processors from Intel come with a dedicated neural processing unit, because why not? This is the system that handles all the AI chops on the hardware level itself, and Intel says it's capable of doing 40 TOPS of compute. In simpler words, the NPU is to power all the new AI shenanigans on Windows, and some more that Samsung has put from their end. Being a Copilot+ PC, the Galaxy Book5 Pro gains access to Microsoft 's AI-powered features, like Recall (yes, it's finally out), and the usual Studio Effects and Cocreator. Now, these features work just like they do in any Windows Copilot+ PC, but what I like is they work alongside Samsung's own AI tools without feeling redundant or overwhelming. The overlap is minimal, and each tool serves distinct purposes in daily workflows. Now, about Samsung's Galaxy AI suite, I'd say it's as practical as it could be. Instead of adding features just to tick boxes, they've focused on tools that might help users solve some of their real problems. AI Select is one such feature. So, Samsung's AI Select works much like how Circle to Search works on Android phones. It lets you circle anything on screen for instant contextual search. It sounds gimmicky but proves genuinely useful for research and fact-checking. Circle a restaurant name, get reviews and directions. Circle a product, get prices and specs. Simple but effective. Live Translate is also a nifty addition and works better than Windows' AI-powered translation. Real-time translation and captioning for video calls work entirely offline and are actually accurate. Then, there's Photo Remaster, brought in from the Galaxy phones. As the name implies, it applies subtle enhancements to images, it cleans up noise, improves quality, all using AI, saving up the time someone would spend on post-processing a picture. The results look natural most of the time, but some pictures do turn out to look artificially boosted or over-processed. Now, AI being useful is quite subjective, and most of them are simple party tricks, like Cocreator and Photo Remaster, but some are productive as well, like Recall and AI Select, they actually save you time during daily workflows. So, if you are someone who thinks you'd be using AI to assist in your work, the AI features here create a comprehensive experience that feels cohesive rather than fragmented. Oh, and the laptop has a "generous" 2MP webcam, which works like any other webcam, just fine for video calls. It too has some AI features like auto-framing, lighting adjustments, and face tracking, and these just work to make you look as good as possible. Let's talk ecosystem. Samsung has a big ecosystem of products, they have phones, tablets, watches, earbuds, and even a gazillion home appliances. Now, Samsung expects those having a Galaxy phone to eventually buy a Galaxy Book at some point in time, so they have built some cross-device features, much like Apple's. If you're already using Samsung phones, the ecosystem integration works seamlessly (just like any other ecosystem). File sharing happens without thinking about it (think AirDrop, but call it Quick Share ), phone calls can be answered directly from the laptop, messages sync instantly, and you can also control a Galaxy phone through the trackpad on the Galaxy Book. And Samsung also has the SmartThings app for Windows as well. Continuity features just work between devices without the usual Android-Windows friction. But only until you have a Galaxy phone. The experience is quite less polished if you were to use a non-Samsung Android phone. Thankfully, Quick Share works as usual, but then other continuity features are handled by Windows' proprietary app, which misses out on the cool features, like Samsung's Phone Link. The ecosystem features also require commitment, they work best when you're willing to use Samsung's apps and services over alternatives. If you prefer Google Drive over Samsung Cloud or Spotify over Samsung Music, some of the seamless integration magic disappears. Windows 11, as a whole, feels polished here, with Samsung's additions enhancing rather than cluttering the experience (which isn't the case usually). However, if you prefer a pure Windows 11, then pre-installed apps can be removed easily. Battery performance impressed consistently. Samsung's optimistic 21-hour video playback claim translates to about 13-15 hours of mixed real-world use. Power management adapts intelligently based on your workload. Light tasks preserve battery life, while demanding applications get the performance they need. It's the kind of smart behavior you want but rarely notice until you're using a laptop that doesn't have it. The efficiency gains from Intel's Lunar Lake architecture really show here. Unlike previous generations that required constant power management tweaking, this laptop just works through extended sessions without dramatic performance drops as battery levels decline. So, in short, full workdays without power anxiety. The 65W USB-C charger is compact and won't weigh down your bag, and the fast charging provides enough juice for several hours of work in just 30 minutes of plugging in. The takeaway Here's what Samsung got right with the Galaxy Book5 Pro: they made a laptop that doesn't try to be clever. No gimmicky features, just competent execution across every component that matters. It looks well-designed, visuals on it look gorgeous, and it handles real work without breaking a sweat. At ₹1,31,990, you're paying for that consistency, not just the hardware specs. Sure, the non-upgradeable RAM might sting power users, and creative professionals will miss having a dedicated GPU, but for most workflows, these limitations rarely surface. What stands out most is how little stands out, if that makes sense. The laptop wakes up instantly from sleep, stays quiet most of the time, and doesn't suddenly become sluggish when the battery hits 30%. The AI features work when you need them without constantly interrupting your workflow. Even the ecosystem integration feels natural rather than forced, assuming you're already using Samsung devices. It's the kind of experience you expect from a laptop at this price point, and you get it with this one. Samsung has finally made a laptop that feels as polished as their phones, which honestly took longer than it should have. Samsung's bet here is simple: being very good at everything trumps being exceptional at one thing. The Galaxy Book5 Pro delivers on that promise consistently. If you need a laptop that just works without drama, this is it. Our rating: 4/5 AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
AMD is allegedly working on Arm-based "Sound Wave" APUs for Microsoft's Surface laptops next year
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. AMD is allegedly working on an Arm-based SoC, codenamed "Sound Wave", in a bid to power Microsoft's Surface laptops next year, claims Kepler via ITHome. Moving away from traditional x86 designs, Sound Wave is reported to feature the Arm ISA and will likely leverage off-the-shelf Cortex cores. Details on exact specifications, availability, and pricing remain under wraps, so it's wise to approach this leak with caution. Looking beyond its historical Wintel roots, Microsoft has made a clear push towards the WoA (Windows on Arm) platform. This was put into effect with the firm's partnership with Qualcomm, which yielded the Snapdragon X family. This was likely a significant catalyst that motivated Intel to engineer an efficiency-first alternative: Lunar Lake. In fact, even Nvidia is entering the WoA space with its rumored N1 family of SoCs, developed in partnership with MediaTek. The strong success of the Nintendo Switch, powered by Nvidia hardware, underlines a lucrative market for Arm-based handhelds. These Sound Wave SoCs, if true, could be a foundation for the Steam Deck 2, but I must emphasize this is highly speculative. Microsoft's current-generation Surface Pro 11 and Surface 7 laptops are powered by chips from Qualcomm and Intel. AMD's existing gap in efficiency compared to Snapdragon X, Lunar Lake, and likely soon-to-launch N1 offerings could be bridged with these Arm-based SoCs. It is suggested these APUs will slot into the FF5 socket, succeeding FF3, which is home to the Steam Deck's Aerith/Sephiroth APUs. Regarding the integrated graphics, AMD should continue to employ its established Radeon IP instead of adopting Arm's Mali graphics solutions. Lunar Lake sticks to x86 roots, and while it might be inferior in performance to Arm-based equivalents from Qualcomm and Apple, it comes extremely close in efficiency, even exceeding them in battery endurance tests. That being said, Lunar Lake wasn't exactly cheap for Intel, including expensive manufacturing with TSMC's N3B process, Foveros 3D packaging, on-package LPDDR5x-8533 RAM, and next-generation IP blocks like Xe2-LPG for graphics. This is why ex-CEO Pat Gelsinger characterized Lunar Lake as an expensive one-off design. So, AMD's decision could be driven by the high costs and complexities associated with building an ultra-efficient x86 design, especially for the sub-10W range, and Microsoft's growing push for Windows on Arm and AI-first PCs. Likewise, can Microsoft address the teething optimization and compatibility issues that still plague the WoA ecosystem by then? We should reserve our judgments until AMD actually reveals these products, assuming they're even in the pipeline. While AMD could reveal more at CES 2026, we'll probably have to wait a bit longer as Microsoft tends to announce new Surface products during the summer season. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
