Welcome to the PC PAL Newsletter - December 2016
Many thanks for the positive feedback about last month’s newsletter regarding "Top tech gifts for Christmas and Winter Sales".
It’s that time of year again and I’m sure we are all getting really excited about the festive period. I for one am certainly looking forward to having a drink or two with family and friends and making sure that those turkey leftovers don’t go to waste!
It’s been a busy year for technology news and it looks like it’s going to be even busier next year. So the team here at PC PAL thought it would be nice to highlight some of next year’s Tech News in this newsletter.
We hope you enjoy reading our last newsletter of 2016 and hope to see you again next year. We'd like to also wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
As always, we hope you enjoy this newsletter and find it informative. If you would like to satisfy your need for more tech news, please look no further than our blog for the latest tips, advice and news: www.pcpal.co.uk/blog
Merry Christmas & What's Happening in 2017
Windows Redstone 2
Microsoft is getting ready to release their next big update for Windows 10, which is rumoured for release around March 2017. Redstone 2 will have improved UI (User Interface) changes throughout the Operating System and big functionality improvement to those built-in apps like Mail, Edge, Action Centre and Windows Defender.
Also, some new functionality has been added into Redstone 2 for those more creative clients. For example Paint 3D: which allows you to create both 3D and 2D artwork. Another feature coming into Windows 10 is Groove Music Maker which is very similar to Apple’s Garage Band app, which allows you to create your own music using virtual instruments.
Windows Redstone 2 will also allow you to pin contacts to your taskbar. This will allow you to communicate and share information to those contacts more easily. This feature is called myPeople.
AMD Ryzen Processors
A couple of weeks ago, AMD showcased their latest processor called Ryzen. AMD Ryzen has been 4 years in the making and the processor they showcased was an 8 core 16 threaded CPU which AMD benchmarked against the USD$1,000 Intel i7-6900, which showed very similar performance between the two.
This is quite a big deal as AMD hasn’t competed against Intel’s higher end processors for the last 4+ years. Effectively this has previously left Intel with no competition and engineers like myself have felt that this has led not only to higher prices, but also a lack of innovation within the CPU market
AMD Ryzen has also claimed that they aren’t finished optimising the new processor, which could yield even more performance and the hope of cheaper processing power or a more innovative CPU market, is certainly very exciting.
Although the only benchmarks we have got on Ryzen are from AMD’s exclusive marketing events, we need to take all this hype with a pinch of salt. The AMD Ryzen processors are set to be released early next year and you should hopefully see them in new PC systems soon.
Xbox Scorpi
Next year, it is rumoured that Microsoft will release their next gaming console platform aimed at a high-end gaming market and will be priced very similar to the Sony made PS4 Pro. Xbox Scorpio will allow native 4K gaming and it is confirmed to be VR (Virtual Reality) capable. It is rumoured that the Xbox Scorpio will be twice as fast as the previous Xbox One gaming console, making it the most powerful gaming console on the market.
Xbox Scorpio will also wipe out the console upgrade cycle, with games working across platforms and with no plans for platform exclusives games.
This means that customers aren’t necessary forced into purchasing the newer console as the same games can be played on older hardware, although the graphics quality will be reduced. This is very much the same approach that has been used in the PC gaming industry for years and could mean that Microsoft could release newer and upgraded hardware at shorter intervals.
Samsung Galaxy S8
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge branded smartphones will be replaced by the new Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus and the expected release date to be in April 2017.
Samsung’s reputation has taken a devastating blow with all the bad publicity regarding the Galaxy Note 7’s tendency to blow up! Samsung are hoping to reverse their fortunes with their newest smartphone models: the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.
The key specifications rumoured to be on the smartphones are as follows:
- 5.5/5.7 in Quad HD SuperAMOLED with dual curbed edge; 6.2in display for S8 Plus
- Dual Camera on Plus model only
- Selfie Camera with auto focus
- 7.1 Nougat with TouchWiz and Viv Al assistant
- Harman Kardon stereo speakers
- Fingerprint scanner integrated to the screen (no home button needed)
- USB-C with support for digital audio so no 3.5mm headphone jack
We think it sounds very familiar to the new Apple iPhone 7, don’t you agree? The entry level Galaxy S8 will likely to cost £599 and the S8 Plus £669 when launched.
Apple iPhone
Only a few months ago, the new iPhone 7 was released but already rumours are circulating about the new iPhone 8. Many suggest that Apple will release this new model in September 2017.
Apple’s iPhone 8 maybe a long way off but we've already had some clues about the new model:
- Previous reports suggested the phone may feature a new ‘all-glass design’ but now many are stating that it may have an all plastic OLED screen that curves all over. This will help Apple to produce an edge to edge handset with practically no bezels.
- Apple may add wireless charging
- Components to include the A11 chip and OLED display
- New 5 to 5.8 inch models
- Intel 7360 LTE modem
- iOS 11 software
- No 'Home' button
- Dual-lens 3D camera
- Apple may also be introducing Augmented Reality (AR)
- Also the phone may have a folding element after Apple was granted two patents for folding technology
Going by previous figures, the entry level iPhone 8 will probably cost £599+. Although these are all rumours, Apple have always gone above and beyond expectation for each of its new models so expect some of this to be true.
