The Alcatel One Touch Idol is one of a trio of new smartphones from the French firm which are pushing towards the top end of the mobile market.
A less powerful understudy to the One Touch Idol Ultra, the Idol slides in with a 4.7-inch IPS LCD display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, 8MP camera and Android Jelly Bean.
This is all squeezed into a slender 7.9mm chassis and Alcatel is claiming the One Touch Idol is the lightest smartphone in the world in its category tipping the scales at 110g.
We're not too sure what category Alcatel is referring to, but we can confirm that the handset does feel very light – shocker.
It also feels pretty cheap thanks to the low quality plastic which has been used to keep the weight down, and that detracts from the experience as it's like having a toy in your hand.
On the right side there's a volume rocker switch and a microSIM port, while on the flip side there's a slot for a microSD card to build on the lack lustre 4GB inside the One Touch Idol.
Up top you'll find a headphone jack and the power/lock key which required quite a bit of pressure to register our prod, meaning we had to tightly grip the One Touch Idol to stop it popping out of our hand.
Android 4.1.1 looks good on the 4.7-inch, 540x900 display and while it's not HD it is bright and colourful – although Alcatel has tweaked the icons to its own design which we're not big fans of.
The Alcatel One Touch Idol couldn't make up its mind if it wanted to offer a fluid or laggy user experience with Android running smoothly most of the time, but broken up by short periods of unexplained slow down - making it all a bit jarring.
Thankfully Alcatel hasn't stuck its own keyboard on the One Touch Idol opting to stick with the default Android offering which is a decent input method, especially with the responsive touch screen on the phone.
Round the back of the Idol you'll find the raised 8MP camera with single LED flash which will allow you to record full HD video.
The One Touch Idol sports the stock Android Jelly Bean camera app complete with panorama and photo sphere modes allowing you to have some fun.
Shutter speed is good and we were able to snap photos in quick succession without issue. Image quality is acceptable, but the results won't blow you away.
There's a non-removable 1,820mAh battery inside the One Touch Idol which should offer a reasonable amount of life, but we reckon heavy users will still be reaching for the charger before the day is out – we'll find out in our full review.
Alcatel was not forthcoming on the One Touch Idol release date or price, but we were told that it would be available worldwide when it does finally launch sometime this year.
Early Verdict
It's difficult to tell how much exposure the Alcatel One Touch Idol will get in various regions and it could well fall under many people's radar.
The One Touch Idol doesn't blow us away, nor does it completely disappoint – it's a middle of the road smartphone which will struggle to stand out in the crowded mobile market, even with its array of nine colour options.
Panasonic has added 10.1-inch Windows 8 Pro and 7-inch Android devices to its Toughpad range of rugged business tablets.
The Windows 8 Pro version, named Toughpad FZ-G1, is the company's first rugged device made for the new operating system and is designed for mobile workers who spend much of their time on the road.
It weighs 1.1kg and has two-way touch input with a capacitative 10 finger touchscreen and digitiser pen.
It is the company's first fully rugged device to use IPSα Panel technology, and includes strengthened glass, extra wide viewing angles, a high contrast ratio and 800cd/m2 high brightness paired with an anti-reflection layer. Its full HD screen is built to perform in any light conditions.
The device G1 will have a MIL-STD-810G rating for 120cm drops and an IP65 ingress protection rating for resistance to dust and water. It will also be rated for use in extreme temperatures.
Other features include a front web camera and optional rear camera, customisable application keys, flexible configuration ports and an optional dual external antenna connector. It is powered by third generation Intel Core i5-3437U vProTM 3MB cache, 1.9GHz, up to 2.9GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology and comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB SSD as standard and a 256GB SSD option.
Android for one hand
The JT-B1 Android model is designed for one handed use, weighing just 544g and offering four finger touch, a high visibility and low reflection display and an ambient light sensor.
It has a dimpled, concave surface to aid one-handed grip and a back-fitted hand strap. There are three customisable one-click keys, allowing users to jump straight to the apps they need with a short or long click.
The device is also equipped with a 1.3MP front web camera and a 13MP back camera with autofocus and LED light for detailed documentation and image capture. It has a MIL-STD-810G rating for 150cm drops and an IP65 ingress protection rating for resistance to dust and water.
Other features include connections for Bluetooth, 3G, wireless LAD and near field communications, a Texas Instruments Ti OMAP 4460 1.5GHz Dual Core ARM processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB Flash storage, and an open interface for developers to design specialist accessories. These could include barcode readers, payment devices or smartcard readers.
The long awaited debut of handsets running BlackBerry 10 OS is just three weeks away, and Research in Motion claims they'll be leaving no stone unturned when it comes to pricing.
PhoneArena reported Tuesday that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion plans to cover the entire spectrum of consumers' wallets with its latest wave of devices - including low, middle and high price tags.
RIM Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben was on hand at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week talking up the company's new BlackBerry 10 devices, which RIM will introduce on January 30.
BlackBerry lovers may have to be patient, however: Out of the gate, RIM is expected to only debut two new models, with others to come in the months ahead.
No exclusives
The new models are rumored to be the previously leaked BlackBerry Z10, a full touchscreen handset, and BlackBerry X10, which features RIM's popular - and more traditional - QWERTY keyboard.
"We intend over time as we transition the portfolio to have a full range of devices," the RIM CMO told PhoneArena at CES 2013.
Boulben claims RIM will introduce at least six BlackBerry 10 models in 2013 which are currently being tested around the world by 150 carriers, none of whom will have an exclusive on the handsets in any region.
ZTE is another Chinese manufacturer looking to tackle the high-end smartphone market with its latest flagship device, the ZTE Grand S.
Due to launch in China at the end of the first quarter the Grand S is set for a global release but an exact date and regions are yet to be revealed.
The Grand S joins the Grand Era and Grand X in ZTE's premium handset range, with the latest handset being the stand out offering.
On paper the Grand S is an intriguing proposition packing a full HD 5-inch display, 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 13MP camera, 4G connectivity and Android Jelly Bean into a chassis which is just 6.9mm thick.
This pits it squarely against the Sony Xperia Z and Huawei Ascend D2, both of which were also revealed at CES 2013, as well as stalwarts such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and HTC One X+.
Design wise ZTE has stepped things up with the Grand S wrapping it in a classy polycarbonate unibody which makes the phone feel premium in the hand and thanks to that 6.9mm depth it's pretty easy to hold, however we'd have liked a slightly more curved rear to make it sit in the palm a little better.
On the front ZTE had opted to stick the Android menu buttons below the screen instead of having them on the display like the Xperia Z and Ascend D2, which adds a bit of extra length to the Grand S, but it's nothing to worry about and we were able to hit the keys easily.
One the right hand side there's a metallic volume switch and a port for a microSIM covered by an easy to remove, yet sturdy flap.
The port set up is mirrored on the left side, this time servicing you with a microSD card slot allowing you to expand on the 16GB of internal storage, while on the top there's a power/lock key and headphone jack.
With all that power we were expecting to be blown away by the user experience – instead we ended up being rather disappointed.
The whole Jelly Bean OS seemed slow and unresponsive compared to the Sony and Huawei devices we played with, leading us to question what on earth the quad-core chip and sizeable chunk of RAM was up to in the Grand S.
Transitions between home screens, of which you can have up to nine, lacked the zip we expect from high-end smartphones and apps took a second or two to load up, which is acceptable for a lower end device, but not a flagship handset.
ZTE's Android overlay is pretty subtle allowing you to enjoy the full flexibility of the Jelly Bean platform, and everything appears crisp and clear on the full HD display.
The Grand S sports a slightly tweaked Android keyboard powered by TouchPal providing you with a mediocre typing experience.
It's not a bad effort as far as Android keyboards go, but we still prefer downloading SwiftKey from Google Play as it's far more accurate and efficient.
The 13MP camera is housed in its own glass bubble on the rear of the Grand S along with the single LED flash and speaker grill.
It's capable of recording video in full HD, which you can the enjoy on the 5-inch display and the camera app comes with the standard array of Android features.
The shutter speed isn't overly quick so taking photos in rapid succession is out of the question, but at least the app to simple to use and you can easily switch to the 2MP front facing camera if you desire a self portrait.
Video playback on the 1080p display on the Grand S should have been top notch, but we found it to be pretty lack-lustre with faded colours and a lack of detail which puts it well below the other two full HD handsets we've seen.
This is a real shame as it looks like ZTE has failed to capitalise on the key feature of the Grand S which leaves you wondering why someone would plump for this over the Xperia Z or Ascend D2.
Possibly the only thing which could salvage the Grand S is a super-cheap price tag, but that's probably going to be unlikely given the tech stuffed inside.
ZTE is promising excellent battery life with the Grand S thanks to the power efficient Snapdragon S4 Pro chip running the show – although you'll have to wait for our full ZTE Grand S review to see if it can deliver.
Early Verdict
Taking a look at the specs the ZTE Grand S looks to be a blockbuster of a phone and one which could easily trump the big boys of the mobile market.
The reality however is not so great, with a sluggish interface and disappointing screen quality seriously wounding the Grand S, which is then pushed further down the pecking order by the superior Sony Xperia Z and Huawei Ascend D2.
Perhaps ZTE will be able to iron out the kinks before the handset hit shelves, but we're not holding out breaths and the Grand S will need a pretty special price tag if it's going to succeed.
CES has been an absolute whirlwind, giving us a thorough and at times mind boggling look at all the hottest tech on the market and coming soon.
We got to tinker with a new Sony phone, a 20-inch 4K tablet that was only overshadowed (size wise) by a 27-inch "table PC," and a host of other products we can't wait to see on the market.
As part of our presence at the show, TechRadar is honoring certain attendees with a Best of CES Awards 2013 presented by DTS.
We were floored by the innovation at the show and though it was hard, we were able to narrow down our selections to a group of winners that demonstrated the most innovative gadgets and electronics that showed groundbreaking design, technology and user experience.
You'll find the complete list of honorees below.
Best in Show:Sony Bravia 4K 65-inch Television
Peoples' Choice Award:Steam Box - Valve
Best Cell Phone:Sony Xperia Z
Best Tablet:Razer Edge
Best Laptop:Lenovo ThinkPad Helix
Best GPS Device: Bad Elf GPS Pro
Best Digital Camera:Fuji X20
Best Audio Accessory: MUNITIO PRO40 High Performance Headphones
Best All-in-One Computer: Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC
Most Unique Product:Panasonic 20-inch 4K Windows 8 Tablet
Best Car Tech: Lexus Self-Driving Car
Best Home Theater Product: Sony Bravia 4K Television 65-inch
We congratulate all the entrants and winners for their excellent work and look forward to seeing what innovation CES 2014 has in store!
The long awaited debut of handsets running BlackBerry 10 OS is just three weeks away, and Research in Motion claims they'll be leaving no stone unturned when it comes to pricing.
PhoneArena reported Tuesday that BlackBerry maker Research in Motion plans to cover the entire spectrum of consumers' wallets with its latest wave of devices - including low, middle and high price tags.
RIM Chief Marketing Officer Frank Boulben was on hand at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week talking up the company's new BlackBerry 10 devices, which RIM will introduce on January 30.
BlackBerry lovers may have to be patient, however: Out of the gate, RIM is expected to only debut two new models, with others to come in the months ahead.
No exclusives
The new models are rumored to be the previously leaked BlackBerry Z10, a full touchscreen handset, and BlackBerry X10, which features RIM's popular - and more traditional - QWERTY keyboard.
"We intend over time as we transition the portfolio to have a full range of devices," the RIM CMO told PhoneArena at CES 2013.
Boulben claims RIM will introduce at least six BlackBerry 10 models in 2013 which are currently being tested around the world by 150 carriers, none of whom will have an exclusive on the handsets in any region.
Amazon has released a new software update for the Kindle Touch, giving it a new lease of life after it was usurped by hot young upstart, the Kindle Paperwhite.
New features include a revamped user interface in which your archived books and mags will be stored under the heading Cloud, some enhanced parental controls, book cover view in your library and store, recommendations and better ability to handle graphic novels and comics by letting you read panel-by-panel.
The update also brings Whispersync for Voice to the Touch, which allows you to swap between reading a Kindle book and an Audible audio book without losing your place.
Book it in
There are other little Paperwhite-esque additions to look forward to, like Amazon's Time To Read feature which tells you how long it will take you to finish a chapter and the book as a whole based on how quickly you read.
Endurance readers might like that, others will want to disable it pronto. Still, the faster you get through one e-book, the sooner you'll buy another from the Kindle Store…
A more universally useful addition is the sample-to-book upgrade, which will set you off reading from where you left off in the sample when you upgrade to the full book.
Whatever you make of the new features, Kindle Touch owners will be relieved to hear that Amazon isn't leaving them out in the cold. You can download the new software from Amazon now, or sit tight for the over-the-air update to hit in due course.
February is always the most exciting month of the year for mobile phone fans, as it's when the entire phone industry has a big, boozy party somewhere in Europe and shows off the new phones and tablets it'll be launching over the spring and summer.
The show has been dominated in recent years by the vast number of new Android models that continuously swamp the market, with the big players like HTC, Samsung and Sony using the event to thrill punters with their newest ranges.
Last year saw HTC unleash its impressive One series, LG debuted the Optimus 4X HD and even Nokia decided to go large at the tech event for once, showing off its bonkers 808 PureView model complete with 41MP camera.
In short, if you care about the mobile arms race, MWC is the most exciting time of the year.
Previously held in Barcelona's palatial Fira Montjuic halls, this year's MWC is switching venue to a less glamorous (but more convenient for stressed journalists and marketing managers) spot a little nearer the city's airport. And in a building twice the size. Imagine how many cheap Android tablets it'll be able to contain this year.
MWC 2013 kicks off on 25 February. We'll be there, sobbing into a laptop in an unlit corner somewhere. Here's what we're expecting to see from the big names of mobile.
LG
Back at MWC 2012, LG wowed attendees with the Optimus 4X HD, a powerful 4.7-inch phone that helped signal the start of the race to stick quad-core processors in mobiles.
It also showed off the Optimus 3D Max and the oddball Optimus Vu, but the less said about those the better, as with 2011's reveal of the original Optimus 3D.
As for 2013, LG's already carried out a bit of teasing, with an updated Optimus G expected to be shown at some point, and the maker using the recent CES event to announce plans to show off a "tier one" smartphone at MWC 2012.
Given that the original Optimus G was a quad-core monster that LG soon rebranded as the Nexus 4, any sequel arriving so soon is unlikely to be much of a leap above the first phone, as even in 2013 we'd still be impressed by a quad-core phone with a 4.7-inch display.
But has the Nexus 4 done enough to make LG a respected brand name and a major player?
Yet more generic black slabs on the way from LG.
Sony
Sony's just announced a new flagship model at this year's CES tech show, so it's unlikely to have anything hugely new and exciting at MWC. But it will give the media a chance to play with its new Xperia Z, the exciting, quad-core, 5-inch monster the hardware maker is set to launch this March.
Sony Xperia Z release date: when can I get it and where?
In fact, it looks like Sony's following the same hardware launch plan as last year. In 2012, the Xperia S was announced at January's CES event prior to MWC, with Sony using MWC to launch the Xperia P and U, a couple of smaller models based on the same design.
So pick a couple of letters of the alphabet Sony hasn't used yet (F and R are free), take an inch off the Xperia Z's screen size, and that's a good bet as to what Sony will have at MWC 2013.
HTC
HTC unleashed the One series of phones at last year's MWC, showing off the One V, One S and the glorious One X as it tried to reinvigorate its line up.
But in 2011 it disappointed us a little, showing minor upgrades of its old HTC Desire range, the awful Wildfire S and the niche Salsa and ChaCha models to a very, very quiet fanfare. In fact, it wasn't even a fanfare, just a mouse playing Three Blind Mice on the recorder.
2013, however, looks like being another good year for HTC, as we've already seen fairly concrete details of one of its new models leak.
We expect HTC to bring along its HTC M7 mobile, which, as we've previously seen, is believed to be a quad-core device with a 5-inch 1080p display and 13MP camera.
Loads of companies will be showing phones of a similar size and power level, but we'll always have a soft spot for HTC's lovely old Sense interface.
The star of MWC 2012 for most, HTC's stonking One X.
Samsung
Samsung disappointed the nerds of the world last year, when it opted to announce its flagship Galaxy S3 model a couple of months later at its own private event. But even if it repeats that trick this year and doesn't show off the Galaxy S4, it's guaranteed to be bringing along plenty of other Android phones.
Last year Samsung underwhelmed us all by using MWC to announce the Samsung Galaxy S Wi-Fi, a Galaxy S2-styled media player, plus the rather odd and niche Galaxy Beam, complete with integrated media projector.
So either we see the Galaxy S4 and Samsung has a stormer, or it brings along song cheaper models and we write it off.
However, there's a small chance we may see something really exciting. Samsung's working on hardware powered by the new Tizen OS, a supposed Android rival that Samsung claims it'll be bringing to market some time in 2013. Good luck with that.
One of the low key oddities from Samsung's 2012 MWC showing, the Galaxy Beam
Nokia
Nokia's had a wide selection of phones at last year's MWC, showing off the bonkers Nokia 808 PureView and its 41MP sensor, alongside the rather less exciting budget Windows Phone powered Lumia 610 and the high-end Lumia 900.
One Nokia-based rumour claims it's working on a slimmer update of the Lumia 920, which would use an aluminium body to reduce the weight of its hefty flagship phone. Nokia's traditionally preferred to show phones off at its own events, so it's hard to guesstimate whether it'll have new stuff at MWC or not. It's a maverick. It makes its own rules.
Huawei
Huawei's really made a name for itself in the UK over the last year, thanks to its winning budget Ascend G300 and the recent Ascend G330 update, plus the powerful Ascend P1.
At last year's MWC it announced the impressive looking Ascend D Quad, a 4.5-inch model in a slim 8.9mm case, alongside a 10.1-inch version of its MediaPad tablet. Neither of which made it to the UK officially, so we were left a bit disappointed by its commitment levels.
Huawei's also just announced a tasty pair of smartphones at CES in the form of the Ascend D2 and Ascend Mate, so it's likely to elaborate more on these at MWC 2013 rather than announce many new phones.
Huawei's Ascend D2. Already announced, bound to be popular in February
RIM
MWC 2013 is going to be absolutely critical for RIM. The troubled BlackBerry maker is revealing its BB10 hardware and software at a standalone event at the end of January, so MWC will be a chance for the masses to properly fiddle with the new OS and the two phones it'll initially be running on.
Last year's MWC was a bit of a disaster for RIM. All it managed to show was the BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 OS update for the super-flop tablet. This year it ought to have significantly more buzz surrounding its presence, although it should have already announced the phones that will be running BB10 by the time we stumble off the plane onto Spanish tarmac.
ZTE
MWC 2013 should be another good year for the budget makers, as we're expecting to see bigger screens and more powerful processors hitting the cheaper end of the market.
Last year ZTE announced the ZTE PF112, a 4.5-inch device said to be running on the dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset, but that pretty much sunk without trace and is yet to go on sale.
And the ZTE Era, a promising 4.3-inch quad-core model, is also missing presumed never to hit the UK.
One MWC 2012 phone that did arrive was the Mimosa X, which ZTE renamed the Grand X for the UK. It was a bit of a disappointing mid-range model that undid much of the maker's hype.
So don't get too excited by what the ZTE man is waving around, it might just be a balsa wood model that'll never see the light of day.
In fact, ZTE's started making its pledges for 2013 already, with the promising ZTE Grand S just announced at CES. It's another member of the 5-inch / 1080p / quad-core club, which ought to be a big winner... if it ever appears on the shelves.
Acer
Niche smartphone maker Acer always has a packed show stand, with the company using MWC 2012 to announce its Liquid Glow models, which were a vast improvement on the Liquid E and Liquid MT it took to MWC 2011.
Since then, Acer's launched a few decent mid-range Android models, like the CloudMobile and Liquid Gallant, although we'd expect to see it make more of a deal about its tablet ranges at MWC this year, seeing as that's where the Android hot money is going these days.
Asus
Last year's MWC was a big winner for Asus, which updated its winning Transformer tablet range with a couple of impressive quad-core models.
10 best tablets in the world today
But now, in 2013, flush from its success making the Nexus 7 for Google, we expect Asus to reveal something a little cheaper. Plenty of rumours have suggested it's planning a "$99" Android tablet, which may or may not end up on sale in Europe.
Asus also made a big deal of its PadFone hybrid at MWC 2012, which teamed a 4.3-inch phone with a bizarre 10-inch docking tablet display. Given the lukewarm reception that oddity received, we'll eat this crusty Dell keyboard if any more phone/tablet hybrids appear this year.
Google has dropped two patent claims it was pursuing against Microsoft after the Redmond company refused to pay royalties.
The claims relate to H.264 video compression patents held by Motorola Mobility, which Microsoft refused to cough up for because it said Motorola/Google was asking for far more than the patents were worth.
Under the freshly inked FTC agreement announced last week, Google has to abide by the friendly-sounding FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) terms, meaning its royalty payments have to be fair.
You've got a FRAND in me
If Google has withdrawn these patent claims because of the new FTC deal, which seems likely, there could be more patent disputes leaving the courtroom in the near future.
Microsoft's corporate vice president and deputy general counsel said that the company hopes that Google "will now withdraw similar claims pending in other jurisdictions" and leave them the hell alone.
Could this signal the beginning of the end of the tech patent wars? Until someone can rein Apple and Samsung in, we suspect not.
It may only be shipping to China for now...actually three months from now...but Lenovo's new K900 smartphone is worth taking a look at.
Announced during CES 2013, the company's new flagship phone sports a 5.5-inch IPS display and a 6.9-millimeter side view. 6.9 millimeters? Seems there was another phone announced today with just that profile.
What sets the Android-running K900 apart from its preceding smartphone is its processor: it will be packed Intel's new Z2580 dual-core chip aimed at forthcoming handsets.
The screen stands a solid 1080p and 440-plus pixels, allowing Lenovo to stake the claim that has the first IPS display of its size with the Full HD res.
Good, K9
The phones a mesh of stainless steel alloy and polycarbonate material, creating a Unibody bod that's as strong and sharp as appears.
For the pocket conscious, Lenovo said the rear 13MP camera and sensor stay within the shell of the phone - no protruding bump here.
The camera also comes with a F1.8 focal length lens, meaning users can take clear, flash-less photos. On the front side of things, Lenovo's stretched out that camera to an 88 degree angle, the "widest available" for a phone's front camera.
And to keep Intel's new chip (of which full specs aren't yet public) it's coated the screen in Gorilla Glass 2 for protection.
Lenovo didn't announce pricing, but we hope we see some iteration of this phone make it out of China before long. It sounds like it could really hold its own.
Microsoft isn't ready to talk about the exact launch date for the Surface Windows 8 Pro, as the Windows 8 version of Surface is going to be called, but we have had a chance to use the Surface Pro and to try out the new pen.
Microsoft also wouldn't let us take any images of the new device during our preview here at CES 2013 and it isn't giving any additional details about price, battery life or the internal components beyond what we already know: $899 for the 64GB model and $999 for the 128GB model, both with 4GB of RAM and neither with a keyboard included.
Unlike the already-released Surface RT, the Surface Windows 8 Pro is a full-power PC that you use like a notebook, or a tablet, or both. It runs Windows 8 Pro and all the desktop Windows applications you want, but it's still a touch-friendly tablet that you can rip the keyboard off of when you don't need it.
Surface Pro has the same styling as Surface RT, with the same premium feel and the same 22-degree angle on the edges to put it at a good viewing angle with a keyboard.
Yes, it's a little heavier than Surface RT, at two pounds rather than 1.5, but it's balanced which means it doesn't feel significantly heavier in your hands. Lighter devices use plastic cases rather than the magnesium alloy that makes Surface so robust; like Surface RT, Surface Pro feels solid and sturdy.
And when we say balanced, we had the Surface Pro on the side of one hand and it didn't tip sideways or slide off, so it's certainly not going to tip backwards while you're holding it single-handedly. It's also just as stable propped up on the kickstand. As promised, the existing Type and Touch covers from Surface RT are compatible with Surface Pro and they click in and out in exactly the same way.
Performance to go
With an Intel Core i5 processor inside, the Surface Pro has more heat to deal with than the Surface RT. Microsoft still isn't being more precise than saying it's a "third generation" chip with Intel HD graphics 4000, so essentially they're not saying whether it's the updated low-power 7W processors Intel announced here at CES.
In action, what Microsoft calls the peripheral venting - a ventilation strip that runs all around the beveled edge of the Surface Pro - works well to dissipate heat without hotspots building up. Even with demanding desktop programs running we didn't feel any parts of Surface Pro getting hot and it doesn't feel like a warm air blower the way many laptop fans do.
Surface Windows 8 Pro could feature one of Intel's new 7W chips
We couldn't hear any fan noise either. Surface Pro certainly doesn't feel like a laptop crammed into the body of a tablet - although it gives you the power of one.
Even with the vent, Microsoft has found room to move the microSD slot from underneath the kickstand (where it's hard to find) to the right side of the case next to the video connector where you can easily swap it in and out.
With Windows 8, it's more likely that you'll swap cards - and unlike Windows RT, you can make a microSD card part of a library so any media files show up in the Music and Videos apps properly. This is a VGA rather than HDMI port, because there are still so many VGA screens and projectors in businesses, and the angle of the case edges means you'll still need Microsoft's own cable to connect with to make sure it plugs in correctly.
Also different from Surface RT is the USB port, which is USB 3.0. Transferring large files, like the 30-megabyte files a DSLR camera produces, takes just a few seconds. USB 3 isn't as sexy as Apple's Thunderbolt connector, but you're getting similar speeds - and there are plenty of fast USB 3 drives out now.
The screen is the same 10.6-inch size and it still looks beautiful, with true deep blacks and vivid, saturated colours, but the resolution is higher; 1,920 by 1,080 makes this a true HD display. It's still a touch screen, but it can detect ten fingers at once rather than just five (so you get even more control with music apps, for example).
The new pen
But Surface Pro also has its own active pen so you can tap as precisely as with a mouse, or draw and write smoothly on screen. Surface Pro doesn't come with Office but we tested the pen in OneNote 2013 as well as in FreshPaint and you can write quickly without the pen tip skidding over the surface of the screen.
When the pen is near the screen, finger touch is blocked so your hand doesn't interfere with what you're writing or drawing. It's a pressure-sensitive pen (although it's not the Wacom pen we've seen on most PC tablets), so the harder you press the thicker the line you draw.
The pen itself is a good size; not the tiny stylus Asus is including with its pen systems or the over-large pen that comes with the HP EliteBook Revolve.
It's light, comfortable and very well balanced in your hand. Turn it round to use the end as an eraser; this is a large eraser button with quite a lot of travel which makes rubbing out ink feel very smooth and natural.
There's a large button on the side with a very positive click for when you need the right-mouse button. This is also a magnet that fits into the power charging port on the side so you can clip the pen in place.
The magnet holds the pen on very securely; we couldn't quite dangle the Surface Pro by the pen the way you can hold the Surface RT by the keyboard, but when we picked up the pen, it didn't pull off at once and it isn't going to twist off in your bag or fall off at the first knock.
Full Windows 8
Like the keyboard, the magnets hold the pen in sideways as well, so it takes a firm and deliberate pull to get it off. Yes, we'd prefer to have the pen dock inside the body of the tablet, but we wouldn't want to make Surface Pro larger or thicker to make room so this is an elegant alternative.
Using the pen button as the holder means that the usual pocket clip on the pen is offset by 90 degrees so it doesn't get in the way when it's connected (and it doesn't stick out further to be knocked off more easily). That's also more comfortable in your hand, because the clip isn't catching against your hand.
That's the same kind of attention to detail that makes the Surface RT stand out, but this time you're getting a full Windows 8 PC that can run all your software.
We didn't have enough time to test battery life but Windows Store apps feels just as responsive as on Surface RT, and desktop programs feel as responsive as you'd expect from a Core i5. Microsoft' s first real PC is shaping up to be what looks like a really great and really portable PC.
