Monthly Archives: February 2025

xAI launches Grok 3 AI, claiming it is capable of ‘human reasoning’

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xAI has launched its Grok 3 models during a livestream with Elon Musk, who said they were “an order of magnitude more capable than Grok 2.” The Grok 3 mini model can answer questions quickly, but it’s not as accurate as the other models in the family. Meanwhile, the Grok 3 Reasoning and Grok 3 mini Reasoning models are capable of mimicking human-like reasoning when it comes to analyzing information the user needs. 

Other examples of AI models capable of reasoning tasks are DeepSeek’s R1 and OpenAI’s o3-mini. According to TechCrunch, xAI claimed during the event that Grok 3 Reasoning performed better than the best version of o3-mini on several benchmarks. Grok 3’s features will initially be available to subscribers paying for X’s Premium+ tier, which now costs $40 a month in the US. (X raised the Premium+ tier’s pricing from $16 to $22 in December — now, less than two months later, it’s almost twice as expensive.) They will also be available through an upcoming separate subscription option for the standalone Grok app and Grok on the web. Based on leaked information, the subscription option will be called SuperGrok and will cost $30 a month. 

With the Grok 3 models enabled, users will be able to ask the chatbot to “Think” if they want to tap its reasoning capabilities for mathematics, science and programming questions. For even more complex queries, they can use the “Big Brain” function that requires additional computing. The models’ reasoning capabilities power a new Grok feature called DeepSearch, which xAI describes as the “next generation search engine.” DeepSearch will scan the internet and X, formerly Twitter, to conjure a brief summary for research inquiries. 

In addition to launching the Grok 3 models, xAI also revealed during the event that the Grok app will get a “voice mode” within a week, giving it synthesized voices to converse with users. Grok 2, the company’s older models, will be open sourced in the coming months. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/xai-launches-grok-3-ai-claiming-it-is-capable-of-human-reasoning-140007172.html?src=rss

Grab the ThermoWorks Thermapen One while it’s on sale for $79

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We’ve long been fans of ThermoWorks’ instant-read thermometers for grilling and all kinds of cooking, and now you can get our favorite for one of the best prices we’ve seen. Engadget readers can pick up the Thermapen One for only $79 right now thanks to an exclusive deal that knocks $30 off the normal price.

The Thermopen One is calibrated to record temperatures accurately, with an error margin of 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (0.3 degrees Celsius). It also does this within a second. To help users check the temperature conveniently, the display rotates 360 degrees and has a smart backlight display that brightens when it’s covered or in a low-light environment.

The company claims that a single AAA battery in the thermometer will last for 2,000 hours, and it’s partly due to how it automatically turns on or off when you pick it up or put it down. An IP67 rating makes it safe to use in wet and dusty locations for a while. (You should still try to keep it clean and dry, though.) If that’s not reassuring enough, each Thermapen One comes with a five-year warranty.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/grab-the-thermoworks-thermapen-one-while-its-on-sale-for-79-100052639.html?src=rss

Spotify could offer its long-awaited HiFi audio tier as a $6 add-on later this year

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Spotify is rolling out a Music Pro tier later this year that will give users access to higher-quality audio and remixing tools, according to Bloomberg. The tier will reportedly cost users $6 per month on top of their $12 Premium subscription, but they’ll be priced differently across regions and will be cheaper in less-developed markets. Many long-time Spotify subscribers, however, will probably say that they’ll believe it when they see it. The service teased a high-fidelity streaming option way back in 2017 and had confirmed that it was working to provide users with access to lossless audio in 2021. 

Several reports about the feature’s availability had come out over the years after the company’s confirmation. In 2024, Bloomberg also reported that HiFi streaming is expected to arrive before the year ended as a $5 add-on. The publication’s latest report says the pricing and timeline for lossless streaming could still change, because the company hasn’t secured rights from all the major music companies yet. It’s worth noting that Spotify recently announced new multi-year agreements with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group. 

In addition to lossless streaming, Bloomberg says the Music Pro tier will give subscribers access to tools that will give them a way to mix songs by different artists. Some of those tools will be powered by generative AI tech. The tier will reportedly give users access to presales for concerts, as well, and could offer them the option to buy better seats than what they could get elsewhere. Spotify will be testing the tier’s features over the next few months and will apparently be rolling out the add-on’s tools and features in phases. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/spotify-could-offer-its-long-awaited-hifi-audio-tier-as-a-6-add-on-later-this-year-130043402.html?src=rss

DJI’s Osmo Mobile 7P gimbal can track you around on any Android or iOS camera app

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DJI has unveiled two new smartphone gimbals, the Osmo Mobile 7 and 7P, with the latter offering native app tracking on both Android and iOS thanks to its “Multifunctional Module.” That feature is clearly designed to rival Insta360’s Flow 2 Pro, which until yesterday only offered native app tracking on iPhones via Apple’s Dockkit. 

The primary differences between the Osmo Mobile 7 and 7P is that the latter comes with the Multifunctional Module, while the Osmo Mobile 7 doesn’t (though it can be purchased separately later if you change your mind). The Osmo Mobile 7P also has a built-in extension rod that’s missing on the Osmo Mobile 7. With that said, the products look very similar and have the same folding design carried over from the Osmo Mobile 6. A key addition to both is that the tripod is now built in to the gimbal (just like on the Flow 2 Pro) so you no longer need to screw on an accessory like before. 

DJI's Osmo Mobile 7P gimbal can track you around on any Android or iOS camera app
Steve Dent for Engadget

DJI sent me the Osmo Mobile 7P to test, so I’ll be referring to that product from now on. As with the Osmo Mobile 6, it’s primarily designed as a three-axis gimbal to smooth out smartphone video better than your mobile device’s built-in camera ever could, with the ability to shoot in both “Tilt Lock” and “FPV” modes for either steady or more dynamic footage. At the same time, you can control the gimbal’s direction using the built-in joystick.  

It also tracks subjects automatically, and that’s where the Multifunctional Module comes in. On the Osmo Mobile 6, automatic subject tracking only worked with DJI’s Mimo camera app. Now, with the new module connected to your smartphone, the Osmo Mobile 7P can track your subject automatically (with gesture control) in nearly any app on both Android devices and iPhones.

Here’s how it works. The Multifunctional Module can be mounted either forward for the main camera or backward for the selfie camera. It’s about the size of DJI’s Mic 2, and has a built-in tracking camera along with an LED light. It also works as a receiver for DJI’s Mic Mini wireless microphones. 

DJI's Osmo Mobile 7P gimbal can track you around on any Android or iOS camera app
Steve Dent for Engadget

With the module installed on the side of the gimbal and connected via a USB-C cable to your phone, just open your app of choice (I tried the native camera apps on an iPhone 16 and Pixel 7a, plus Zoom, Google Chat and Blackmagic Camera). Then, simply hold up your palm to the camera or have your subject do it and tracking will begin automatically, as indicated by a green light on the module — then hold up two fingers to start and stop recording. From there, you can move around while you vlog or conduct a video call, and the Mobile 7P will move to keep you in view. It works reliably with only minor lag provided you stay within the gimbal’s range of motion. 

Interestingly, Insta360 just released a similar module for its Flow 2 Pro gimbal called the AI Tracker that performs the same function. Up until now, native app tracking on the Flow 2 Pro only worked on iPhones via Apple’s Dockkit function, so Android users were out of luck. Insta360’s new module brings the same feature set to Android users, albeit at a cost of $40, or in a bundle with the Flow 2 Pro at $180. 

That does beg the question as to whether DJI will introduce Dockkit support for the Osmo Mobile 7/7P, as it would allow iPhone users to get the tracking benefit of the module without having to pay for it. However, DJI is staying mum on that matter for now. 

DJI's Osmo Mobile 7P gimbal can track you around on any Android or iOS camera app
Steve Dent for Engadget

Other features on both gimbals include 10-hour battery life, and when the gimbal isn’t in use, it works as a power bank to charge your phone. With the DJI Mimo app, tracking supports multiple people in a scene as well as pets, and you can easily switch subjects by tapping on the tracking box. The Mimo app also supports panoramic shooting, dynamic zoom and other intelligent functions, along with zoom/focus control via the side wheel, which also activates the fill light. 

And of course, the Osmo Mobile 7P’s Multifunctional Module works as a receiver for DJI’s $59 Mic Mini transmitter, so if you have one of those, you’ll get far better sound quality than you would from your phone alone — a big advantage over the Flow 2 Pro. 

Given the rivalry with Insta360, the Osmo Mobile 7/7P is an interesting addition to DJI’s lineup — particularly in light of the Flow 2 Pro’s very similar new AI Module. The Osmo Mobile 7 ($89) and Osmo Mobile 7P ($149) are now available to order with shipping starting today. There’s no word yet on pricing for OM 7 Series Tracking Kit when it’s purchased separately. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-osmo-mobile-7p-gimbal-can-track-you-around-on-any-android-or-ios-camera-app-130037243.html?src=rss

Six Psychological Tricks Companies Use to Keep You From Canceling Your Subscriptions

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Canceling memberships has become an everyday thing for a lot of people. We cycle through streaming services, we sign up for trial memberships, we find cheaper, better options for everything from television to gyms and jump whenever it makes financial, emotional, or psychological sense for us to do so. We’re pretty much at a point where the moment you sign up for a service or subscription, the countdown to your inevitable cancellation begins.

And everyone knows that canceling those subscriptions and services can be a challenge, even with new rules in place that are supposed to make it easier. If you’ve ever tried to cancel something and found it very difficult, or even outright failed to get it done, you were probably a victim of “dark patterns” and psychological tricks that companies use to stymie your efforts to dump them. In other words, you got sucked into their “cancellation funnel.”

How “cancellation funnels” work

When you tell a customer service rep (CSR) that you want to cancel (or you click “cancel” on a site), you trigger a retention script that’s sometimes called a “cancellation funnel” or a “churn funnel.” Companies want to hang onto your revenue, so they dedicate time and resources to changing your mind, and that often involves subtle tricks they employ to change the conversation and make cancellation difficult enough to deter people who aren’t thoroughly committed to it.

It’s important to understand that the difficulty is itself a psychological trick: Obstruction. Companies know that many people make these calls when they have limited time or energy, like during their lunch hour at work or at night when they’re tired. Making the cancellation process long and grueling means more people will simply give up halfway through.

But that’s not the only trick companies use to stop you from canceling their services. Here’s a rundown of some of the most common tricks you’ll encounter.

Common tricks companies use to keep you subscribed

Half the cancellation battle is being able to recognize the tricks being used against you:

  • The Ask. When you tell a CSR that you’re canceling a service, one of their first moves is to ask you for your reasons. That might not seem too tricky, but no matter what your answer is, the CSR has a section of their retention script designed to invalidate it. If you say the service is too expensive, they might offer you a free month, or a short-term discount. Boom! It’s now not so expensive anymore, so why are you canceling?

    If your goal was just to reduce costs or wring some other perk out of the company, maybe that’s fine! The trick, though, is that the fix is temporary, and they hope that by the time the higher rates kick back in you will have forgotten about canceling, and they can get a few more months of sweet fees out of you before you notice. The best way to handle this is to refuse to give them information to work with—just say “Because I want to” or “No reason” and wait. It short-circuits the retention script if you don’t give them anything to work with.

  • FOMO. The fear of missing out can be a powerful motivator, so a lot of retention scripts leverage it by warning you about what you’re throwing away. They usually use words like “benefits” to underscore all the goodness you have in your life right now as a result of their service. Even if you’re not really sure what those benefits are and you never used them, the idea of “losing” something sparks anxiety and makes you rethink your decision.

  • Cooling-off periods. Companies will often seek to delay the actual cancellation of your account to give you time to “cool off.” This can be done with an offer of a free month, or suggesting a temporary pause in your subscription instead of an outright cancellation. This might seem like a victory, but it’s just designed to give you time to forget the reasons you wanted to cancel in the first place without actually addressing those reasons.

  • Confusing language. Dark patterns come in many forms. One of the most subtle is vocabulary—this is why a lot of companies (like Amazon) use words like “continue” and “cancel” close together and in confusing ways. You might think that “continue” means continue to pay for this service, but clicking it often actually means continue cancellation process, and cancel actually means stop the cancellation process.

    Similarly, many sites will use words like “benefits” instead of “membership” or “account,” because it implies something really good that you’re throwing away instead of a simple cost-benefit decision.

  • Guilt Copy. Also known as “confirmshaming,” this is when a company uses language designed to make you feel guilty about canceling. An example would be a choice between “Keep my benefits” and “No thanks, I hate having benefits.” It seems playful, but it’s meant to make you feel like a dope for going through with the cancellation.

  • Comparison prevention. If you’ve ever experienced a CSR presenting you with a complex list of options that will supposedly solve your problem without canceling, you’ve experienced “comparison prevention.” This is when the company deliberately makes it difficult to figure out the true value of an offer with a lot of unnecessary complexity. This can be done by bundling features and costs in different ways across different packages or subscription levels, making it difficult to perform a one-to-one comparison, and by forcing you to click through to separate web pages to see details, or by simply hiding details in documentation you probably won’t read.

Ubuntu Linux LTS Releases May Offer Additional Intel Graphics Driver Updates

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Ubuntu developers at Canonical are looking at including more Intel graphics driver packages as part of the hardware enablement “HWE” stacks shipped as part of Ubuntu Long Term Support (LTS) point releases. This would provide more comprehensive coverage of newer Intel driver components with future Ubuntu LTS point releases to benefit both the integrated and discrete graphics…

The Morning After: What to expect from Apple’s new launch this week

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Last week, Apple’s Tim Cook teed up a new product for launch on February 19 — that’s tomorrow. Cook’s tweet also included an animated image of a shimmering Apple logo, which made a lot of us assume the reveal could be for a second-generation AirTag. It’s been rumored for a while that Apple would introduce a second-gen tracker sometime this year, and the original AirTag landed almost four years ago. So there are plenty of tech upgrades the tracker could benefit from.

Rumors suggest the next AirTag may feature a more tamper-proof speaker to reduce stalking and an improved Ultra-Wideband chip with up to 3x longer tracking range. However, would the CEO of Apple tweet (and hype up) a mere accessory? Probably not. Following a barrage of leaks and rumors, a next-gen iPhone SE seems more likely.

This upgraded entry-level basic iPhone may appear with a design closer to the iPhone 14. That means appearing with a notch, so no Dynamic Island, no home button. It’ll likely make the shift to USB-C and probably have enough power to run all those Apple Intelligence features too. (In the past, while SE iPhones have had humble screens and hardware, Apple typically packs them with chips on par with the latest iPhones.)

It could also be a wildcard: Apple’s rumored smart display is meant to arrive sometime this year too. Having said all that, there isn’t really an Apple device as shiny as an AirTag. We’ll find out tomorrow. Hopefully alongside some more tech news because it’s been a quiet few days.

— Mat Smith

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The biggest tech stories you missed

Arm is reportedly planning to reveal its own processor this year, with Meta as the main customer. The chip would be a CPU designed for data center servers and customizable for clients.

Last month, Arm’s parent company, Softbank, announced the Stargate project, a partnership with OpenAI to build up to $500 billion worth of AI infrastructure. Arm, along with Microsoft and NVIDIA, is a key technology partner for the project. Arm’s chip could now play a role in all of that.

Continue reading.

TMA
Engadget

It’s become a depressing trend from recent Samsung hardware: solid, capable devices that lack a strong enough reason to upgrade — or get excited, even. The Galaxy Watch 7 is a capable companion for Samsung phones, with great hooks into Samsung’s Health app, reliable activity tracking and zippy performance. The always-on display hits battery life hard, however, so we were tasked with recharging (or even topping up) the device more often than we’d like.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121854699.html?src=rss

Free Software Foundation Speaks Up Against Red Hat Source Code Announcement

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PAjamian writes: Two years ago Red Hat announced an end to its public source code availability. This caused a great deal of outcry from the Enterprise Linux community at large. Since then many have waited for a statement from the Free Software Foundation concerning their stance on the matter. Now, nearly two years later the FSF has finally responded to questions regarding their stance on the issue with the following statement: Generally, we don’t agree with what Red Hat is doing. Whether it constitutes a violation of the GPL would require legal analysis and the FSF does not give legal advice. However, as the stewards of the GNU GPL we can speak how it is intended to be applied and Red Hat’s approach is certainly contrary to the spirit of the GPL. This is unfortunate, because we would expect such flagship organizations to drive the movement forward. When asked if the FSF would be willing to intervene on behalf of the community they had this to say:As of today, we are not aware of any issue with Red Hat’s new policy that we could pursue on legal grounds. However, if you do find a violation, please follow these instructions and send a report to license-violation@gnu.org. Following is the full text of my original email to them and their response: Subject: Statement about recent changes in source code distribution for Red Hat Enterprise LinuxDate: 2023-07-16 00:39:51 > Hi,>> I’m a user of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Rocky Linux and other Linux> distributions in the RHEL ecosystem. I am also involved in the EL> (Enterprise Linux) community which is being affected by the statements> and changes in policy made by Red Hat at> https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/furthering-evolution-centos-stream and> https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/red-hats-commitment-open-source-> response-gitcentosorg-changes> (note there are many many more links and posts about this issue which> I> believe you are likely already aware of). While a few of these> questions are answered more directly by the license FAQ some of them> are> not and there are a not insignificant number of people who would very> much appreciate a public statement from the FSF that answers these> questions directly.>> Can you please comment or release a statement about the Free Software> Foundation’s position on this issue? Specifically:> Thank you for writing in with your questions. My apologies for the delay, but we are a small team with limited resources and can be challenging keeping up with all the emails we receive. Generally, we don’t agree with what Red Hat is doing. Whether it constitutes a violation of the GPL would require legal analysis and the FSF does not give legal advice. However, as the stewards of the GNU GPL we can speak how it is intended to be applied and Red Hat’s approach is certainly contrary to the spirit of the GPL. This is unfortunate, because we would expect such flagship organizations to drive the movement forward. > Is Red Hat’s removal of sources from git.centos.org a violation of the> GPL and various other Free Software licenses for the various programs> distributed under RHEL?>> Is Red Hat’s distribution of source RPMs to their customers under> their> subscriber agreement sufficient to satisfy the above mentioned> licenses?>> Is it a violation if Red Hat terminates a subscription early because> their customer exercised their rights under the GPL and other Free> Software licenses to redistribute the RHEL sources or create> derivative> works from them?>> Is it a violation if Red Hat refuses to renew a subscription that has> expired because a customer exercised their rights to redistribute or> create derivative works?>> A number of the programs distributed with RHEL are copyrighted by the> FSF, some examples being bash, emacs, GNU core utilities, gcc, gnupg> and> glibc. Given that the FSF has standing to act in this matter would> the> FSF be willing to intervene on behalf of the community in order to get> Red Hat to correct any of the above issues?> As of today, we are not aware of any issue with Red Hat’s new policy that we could pursue on legal grounds. However, if you do find a violation, please [follow these instructions][0] and send a report to <license-violation@gnu.org>. [0]: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.html If you are interested in something more specific on this, the Software Freedom Conservancy [published an article about the RHEL][1] situation and hosted a [panel at their conference in 2023][2]. These cover the situation fairly thoroughly. [1]: https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2023/jun/23/rhel-gpl-analysis/[2]: https://sfconservancy.org/blog/2023/jul/19/rhel-panel-fossy-2023/

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

‘Max Mustard’ Studio Lays Off Majority of Staff & Closes Office, Vows to Continue Work on XR Games

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Toast Interactive, VR veteran studio behind Richie’s Plank Experience (2017) and Max Mustard (2024), announced it’s closing office and laying off a majority of staff.

The Gold Coast, Australia-based studio revealed the news in an X post (seen below), noting that the “majority of our talented staff have suffered redundancies.”

This follows the studio’s first layoff round in November 2024, which affected 10 employees. At the time, the studio maintained that while Max Mustard was “one of the highest-rated games on both PSVR 2 and Meta Quest, it sadly can’t sustain a large indie team.”

It’s unclear the number of employees affected at the time of this writing. The studio says it isn’t closing entirely however, noting that remaining staff “will continue to improve Richie’s Plank Experience and Max Mustard with a lean approach.”

Founded in 2016 by wife and husband team Toni and Richard Eastes, Toast Interactive saw early success with the release of Richie’s Plank Experience, which let users sync a physical plank to its virtual counterpart to tiptoe above death-defying heights.

Originally developed for HTC Vive, Richie’s Plank Experience went on to support Rift, Quest and the original PSVR. Additionally, the studio says it’s still developing a version for PSVR 2.

Then, in 2024, the studio released the well-received VR platformer Max Mustard, which felt like the spiritual successor to Sony Japan Studio’s Astro Bot Rescue Mission (2018). Initially launched on Quest 2 and above, the plucky platformer eventually made its way to SteamVR headsets and PSVR 2.

This comes amid ongoing turbulence in the XR gaming industry, which largely began in early 2024, with significant closures including Meta’s Ready at Dawn (Lone Echo, Echo VR), Sony’s London Studio (PlayStation Worlds, Blood & Truth), and indie developer Archiact (DOOM 3 Quest port).

More recently, several XR studios have downsized through staff layoffs, including VRChat, Fast Travel Games (Action Hero, Mannequin), Soul Assembly (Drop Dead series), XR Games (Hitman 3 VR: Reloaded), and nDreams (Frenzies, Vendetta Forever).

Here’s Toast Interactive’s full post:

To everyone in the VR community: we are closing the Toast Interactive office. It’s a heartbreaking decision that we never wanted to make. The majority of our talented team have suffered redundancies, and we will assist where we can with their next journey.

We’re incredibly grateful and proud of everything the team has accomplished. So much talent and passion went into the creation of Max Mustard and every single accolade speaks volumes. We will continue to improve Richie’s Plank Experience and Max Mustard with a lean approach.

We want to thank and acknowledge everyone who has been part of our journey at Toast.

Sincerely,
Toni and Richard

The post ‘Max Mustard’ Studio Lays Off Majority of Staff & Closes Office, Vows to Continue Work on XR Games appeared first on Road to VR.

AMD Continues Preparing openSIL Concept For Phoenix & Turin Processors

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One of the AMD software projects we are very bullish on for the future is openSIL for opening up more of the CPU silicon initialization code for what will eventually replace AGESA across all client and server processors that is aiming for production readiness with Zen 6. In turn, AMD openSIL should allow easier/better Coreboot support. One of the development milestone release targets did slip but they remain working on preparing AMD openSIL releases for Phoenix client and Turin server hardware…

openSUSE Spin Achieves 100% Bit-Identical Packages For Reproducible Builds

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There is an openSUSE project called Reproducible-openSUSE “RBOS” working on a proof-of-concept for constructing openSUSE in a bit-identical manner as part of the broad Reproducible Builds effort to be able to reproduce builds bit-for-bit against what is being compiled by the distribution vendor or other software distribution. The openSUSE RBOS has achieved 100% bit-identical packages as a major milestone…

The best tablets for 2025

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Tablets have become the all-purpose gap-fillers of the gadgets world. If you’re on a plane and you want something portable but slightly bigger than your phone for reading comics or watching movies, there’s nothing better. Alternatively, if you want a shared device for the living room to control smart home stuff, do a bit of shopping or doomscrolling (it’s ok, we’re not judging), having a slim little slate that lives on your coffee table is super convenient. And if you want something sleek to carry around for work or school, tablets can totally replace laptops now, too.

That said, one change we’ve made to this guide for 2025 is adjusting some of the categories, because let’s be honest: If you’re an Android person, no amount of browbeating is going to convince you to switch ecosystems and buy an iPad. The same goes for all the Apple people or Windows die-hards out there. And that’s more than OK. So instead of crowning a best overall, we’re simply recommending the most powerful and best tablets for each OS, alongside some additional picks for other use cases.

Before you start looking at specific devices, the number one thing you should do is figure out what you plan to use your new tablet for. That’s because if all you need is something to keep a kid busy, buying a brand new iPad Pro doesn’t make a ton of sense. On the flip side, if you want to use a tablet for video editing or drawing, you’ll need to take things like performance and stylus support more seriously.

You’ll also want to think about stuff like how often you plan on traveling with the device and if it’s more for productivity, or for less demanding stuff like browsing the web or streaming shows. There’s also an important trade-off to consider when it comes to battery life as well. Larger devices tend to have longer runtimes, though an increase in size may make it less portable.

Figuring out the best screen size for you will also be related to the kind of work (or play) you intend to do. Larger displays make it much easier to view two apps side by side, and big screens also deliver a more immersive movie viewing experience. But at the same time, the larger the tablet, the less likely you’re going to want to move it around. That means you’re not only going to want to take stock of your workspace (i.e., if you have a desk or instead plan to work from a couch or even your bed), but you’re also going to want to think about how the device will fit into your everyday routine or commute (if you have one).

When evaluating different tablets, there are a few important things we look for above all else: solid performance, a good screen and long battery life. For performance, we run a handful of synthetic tests like Geekbench 6, while also performing a number of hands-on, real-world use cases such as editing photos and playing games. And with tablets often serving as hybrid devices, we also consider how easy it is to multitask and switch quickly between various apps. The more responsive a device feels, the better.

Because a tablet’s display is such a critical component, we also view a wide range of content to gauge things like brightness, color gamut and dynamic range. It’s important to take into account the difference between various panel types like OLED, which typically produce richer colors and excellent contrast but may not be as bright as a mini LED display. Recently, refresh rate has become an increasingly important spec as 90Hz and 120Hz screens can make scrolling smoother and graphics appear sharper in games.

We also consider a tablet’s design (including things like size, weight and water resistance), its connectivity (WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, 5G, et cetera) and special features like stylus support or the ability to serve as a secondary display. That’s because, while tablets were often viewed as content consumption devices in the past, higher-end devices like the Surface Pro and iPad Pro are more than capable of replacing a laptop for a lot of people.

Finally, we test battery life by running our standard local video rundown test, which involves playing a single video on a loop from 100 percent until it runs out of juice. Ideally, a tablet should be able to last an entire working day, but longer runtimes are always welcome.

Apple updated the iPad mini for 2024 with some under-the-hood changes including a new processor and additional RAM to help support Apple Intelligence features. While the iPad mini is one of the best iPads you can buy, its small size makes it a bit niche. Only if you prefer your tablet be the size of an ereader should you consider this one.

The Google Pixel Tablet excels as a smart display rather than a simple tablet. As the latter, it’s unexciting, but when paired with its speaker/charging dock, it becomes much more useful. It could be a good option for those that already live within the Google ecosystem and use the Google Assistant often, or those who like the idea of a tablet that can be docked and used as a smart display as well.

The solid OnePlus Pad is let down by Android because there aren’t many Android apps designed to be used on a large display like this model’s 11.6-inch panel. Otherwise, the hardware is well-designed, its companion stylus is comfortable to use and it has an excellent battery life.

The best brand for tablets is really the brand you feel most comfortable with. We recommend taking stock of the gadgets you already have — do you live in the Apple ecosystem already? An iPad might be best for you then. Do you have a Samsung phone? If so, a Galaxy Tab will likely be the most convenient choice. There is no one “best brand” for tablets; you’ll find good options made by companies including Apple, Google, Samsung, Microsoft and Amazon.

It’s possible for a tablet to replace a laptop, but you’ll need a few accessories to truly make the experience as close as possible to that of a traditional notebook. A keyboard is a must, be it a keyboard case or a Bluetooth accessory that you keep with you. Some keyboard cases, like apple’s Magic Keyboard for the iPad, have a built-in trackpad, which will be more ergonomic than tapping on your tablet’s screen for input. Additionally, you could go one step further and use a wireless mouse that connects via Bluetooth to your tablet. If you’re primarily looking for a tablet to replace your laptop, consider buying a 2-in-1 laptop since those systems typically consist of high-powered tablets that are designed to work well with (and without) keyboards.

Finally, you’ll want to consider any add-ons or accessories you’re planning to use, which can range from detachable keyboards to things like external mics or a stylus. The good news is that many of the best tablets nowadays offer some kind of keyboard accessory, which allows the device to function more like a 2-in-1 instead of simply being a content consumption device. Some tablets also feature things like microSD card slots that support expandable storage, or optional 4G or 5G connectivity, which can be a real boon to frequent travelers. And if you’re planning to use the tablet mainly for work, you might want to grab a USB hub for connecting all your favorite peripherals so your devices don’t have to fight for the charger.

February 2025: Updated to include clarification around our top picks and new buying advice.

October 2024: We updated this list to include information on the new iPad mini 7.

June 2024: We updated our top picks to include the Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+ edition.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-tablets-150026056.html?src=rss