Samsung Electronics Co. and Internet giant Google Inc. are working together to offer improved messaging experiences to allow users to engage in group chats and video calls and transfer large files without the need for additional apps. The move comes at a time when many people are opting to use popular messaging apps, such as WhatsApp and WeChat instead of traditional SMS messaging.

As per the reports and Samsung mobile press release, in this collaboration, Android Messages and Samsung Messages will work together seamlessly, and it will boost coverage of Rich Communication Services (RCS), an upgrade to the SMS messaging system.

The South Korean tech giant said it would work to bring RCS features to existing mobile phones beginning with the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. It also said its new Galaxy smartphones will natively support RCS messaging, starting with those on a set of carriers that have or will soon launch RCS.

“By furthering our robust partnership with Google, we will bring a richer messaging experience to our customers, letting them seamlessly chat with their friends and family across messaging platforms,” Patrick Chomet, Executive Vice President at Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business, said in comments posted on the website of Samsung Mobile Press on Wednesday.

“This collaboration will help further the industry’s momentum toward advanced messaging and global RCS coverage.”

Anil Sabharwal, Vice President for Communications Products and Photos at Google, said, “Our partnership will further advance our shared vision of a substantially improved messaging experience on Android for users, brands and the broader Android ecosystem.”

What is Rich Communication Services (RCS)

Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging is the next evolution of SMS Text Messaging (sendmode[dot]com/what-is-rcs-messaging). With Google announcing the expansion of its RCS and the rolling out an Early Access Program for the service and Android Messages application will replace the current native messaging app for android – which will be powered by the Jibe RCS Cloud. Rich Communication Services is the communication between mobile carriers and between phone and carrier. It is aiming to replacing SMS messaging with a text-message system that is richer and more interactive to the user. Similar to Apples iMessage system, RCS will offer group chat, high-resolution photo sharing, read receipts etc.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions.

About Google LLC.

Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

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Global mobile leader, Samsung, opened the pre-booking for its flagship smartphone in India,  on Thursday Samsung launched it in New York-USA. The pre-booking of this handset can be done via Samsung’s official eShop.

It has launched the 2 variants of this handset as below-

1. Note 9 – 128GB & 6 GB RAM variant priced at INR 67,900
2. Note 9 – 512GB & 8 GB RAM variant priced at INR 84,900

The handsets are available in midnight black, ocean blue and metallic copper color variants.

Consumers pre-booking the Galaxy Note 9 will also get a chance to own a Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch for INR 4,999 which costs around INR 22,990 in India.

As per Samsung, “The Galaxy Note9 is the phone powerful enough to keep up with you. The all new S Pen now boasts powerful Bluetooth technology while our largest Infinity Display plus all day battery life makes this the ultimate productivity device.”

Samsung is also offering cash-back of INR 6000/- on purchasing through HDFC credit card and offering no cost EMI starting from INR 7543.80/month on leading Credit cards and Bajaj Finserv.

On exchange of an old device for the Galaxy Note 9 via the Samsung Upgrade Program, consumers can get a bonus of INR 6,000 over the exchange value of their phones.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Specifications

The smartphone comes with a 6.4-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED ‘Infinity Display’ with a resolution of 2960 x 1440. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor. The Note 9 is available in two RAM variants of 6GB and 8GB and two storage variants of 128GB and 512GB, which can be further expanded to 1TB of storage via a MicroSD card.

On the photography front, the Note 9 comes with 12MP+12MP dual-rear camera setup. Both rear cameras feature optical image stabilization. For clicking selfies, it has an 8MP front facing camera.

The phone runs Android Oreo 8.0 with Samsung’s own custom UI running on top. There’s no word on when the Note 9 will receive the Android Pie Update.

Other key features of the smartphone include wireless charging and IP68 certification for water and dust resistance. Connectivity options include USB Type-C, NFC, 3.5mm audio port, Bluetooth 5.0 ad 4G LTE and Wi-Fi.

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South Korean multinational conglomerate Samsung, has come up with the latest budget smartphone. The smartphone has been launched with a starting price of Rs 9,990 in India. The phone is part of Samsung’s Make for India initiative, and brings features like Adaptive Wi-Fi, Advanced Memory Management, App Pair, and Samsung Mall.

Samsung has launched the Galaxy J4 in two variants in India – 2GB RAM/ 16GB inbuilt storage, and 3GB RAM/ 32GB inbuilt storage.

The smartphone does not sport an Infinity Display with a 18.5:9 aspect ratio, unlike the recently launched Galaxy J6 and Galaxy A6 series in India. However, it comes with Android Oreo, a Super AMOLED display, and an LED selfie flash.

Samsung Galaxy J4 price

1. Rs. 9,990 for the 2GB RAM/ 16GB inbuilt storage variant
2. Rs. 11,990 for the 3GB RAM/ 32GB inbuilt storage variant.

Samsung Galaxy J4 Specifications

1. 5.5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) super AMOLED display technology to deliver a vivid and colorful viewing experience
2. Android Oreo 8.0 out-of-the-box
3. Colors: blue, black and gold
4. Dual-SIM (Micro)
5. Processor – Quad-core Exynos 7570 SoC, paired with 2GB or 3GB of RAM
6. 13-megapixel rear camera sensor with an LED flash and support for full-HD (1080p) video recording
7. 5-megapixel selfie sensor with LED selfie flash
8. 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB)
9. 3000mAh battery with a claimed battery life of up to 20 hours
10. Connectivity – 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Micro-USB port
11. Weighs 175 grams

On this launch, Sumit Walia, Director, Mobile Business, Samsung India said, “With 60 million plus devices sold and counting, Galaxy J series is India’s most popular smartphone series owing to the millennial focused meaningful innovation.”

He further added, “It comes packed with a host of new innovations like Advanced Memory Management, adjustable front LED Flash and Samsung Mall that makes it perfect for millennials.”

Also refer – A6+, A6, J8 And J6 With AI Camera, Infinity Display

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Samsung Mobile India launched four smartphones in its Galaxy A and Galaxy J series which all features Samsung’s flagship ‘Infinity Display’ offering an almost bezel-less-like feel with 18:5:9 aspect ratio.

The all four new smartphones also run on Android Oreo operating system. While the all-new Samsung Galaxy A6+ and A6 feature a metal unibody design, the Galaxy J8 and J6 come with a polycarbonate body.

Samsung Galaxy A6+ and A6 specifications

Samsung Galaxy A6 and A6+ feature a similar spec-sheet with differences in processor, display size, battery and rear camera. The Galaxy A6+ is powered by a Snapdragon 450 processor while the A6 is powered by an Exynos 7870 SoC.

The smaller Galaxy A6 comes with a 5.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display with 18:5:9 aspect ratio, the Galaxy A6+ has a 6-inch display with the same resolution.

The Galaxy A6 comes with a 16MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture while the bigger A6+ has a dual-lens setup with a 16MP primary sensor with f/1.7 aperture and a 5MP secondary sensor with f/1.9 aperture.

There is a 16MP front camera on the A6 while the Galaxy A6+ has a 24MP selfie camera.

The smaller Galaxy A6 is powered by a 3,000mAh battery while the Galaxy A6+ has a 3,500mAh battery.

Both the smartphones have 4GB of RAM. The Galaxy A6 comes in 32GB and 64GB internal storage options. There is support for microSD cards of up to 256GB.

The main feature on both the phones in their Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered camera module.

Samsung Galaxy J8 and J6 specifications

The Galaxy J8 is powered by a Snapdragon 450 processor while the smaller Galaxy J6 features an Exynos 7870 processor. While the smaller J6 comes with a 5.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED Infinity Display with 18:5:9 aspect ratio, the Galaxy J8 has a 6-inch display with the same resolution.

The Galaxy J6 comes with a 13MP rear camera with f/1.9 aperture while the bigger J8 has a dual-lens setup with a 16MP primary sensor with f/1.7 aperture and a 5MP secondary sensor with f/1.9 aperture.

There is an 8MP front camera on the J6 while the Galaxy J8 has a 16MP selfie camera.

The smaller Galaxy J6 is be powered by a 3,000mAh battery while the Galaxy J8 has a 3,500mAh battery.

The Galaxy J8 has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded to up to 256GB. On the other hand, the Galaxy J6 comes in two variants, Galaxy J6 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage and 4G RAM and 64GB storage version.

There is support for microSD card of up to 256GB on both.

Samsung Galaxy A6+, A6, J8, J6 prices and availability

1. Samsung Galaxy A6+ – priced at Rs 25,990
2. Smasung Galaxy A6 – comes in two storage variants (both with 4GB RAM) – 32GB storage at Rs 21,990 and 64GB storage costs Rs 22,990
3. Galaxy J8 – costs Rs 18,990
4. Samsung Galaxy J6 comes in two RAM and storage variant, Galaxy J6 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage costs Rs 13,990 while the 4G RAM and 64GB storage version is priced at Rs 16,490

The Samsung Galaxy J6, A6 and A6+ will be available across retail stores and Samsung eshop website from May 22. The Galaxy J6 will also be available on Flipkart while the Galaxy A6 and A6+ will also be available on Amazon starting May 22. The Galaxy J8 will be available from July 2018. The devices will also be available on PayTM Mall. All the four devices will be available in Blue, Black and Gold color options.

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Smartphones now a days equipped with all the features, software and applications which are in-built, pre-installed and if needed then there are thousands of applications for different purposes which can be downloaded as per the need of the users so calling Smartphones a mini-computer is not an exaggeration. Many of us do most of our work on this gadget. The smartphones’ growing processing power like 6GB RAM, 2TB storage (expandable though), hecta-core processors and more too are turning them into an actual powerhouses.

We’ve listed some of the best smartphones based on price, performance and top-notch specifications available in the Indian market and they are as below-

iPhone X Price and Specifications

INR 1,02,000/- is the price tag, this smartphone is the tenth-anniversary iPhone of Apple. Features include FaceID and a brand new design, sans the home screen. The smartphone comes with Super Retina edge-to-edge display. It has 458 ppi (resolution of 2,436 x 1,125 pixels), the highest pixel density in an iPhone ever. Larger than the all-new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X comes with a 5.8-inch OLED screen.

iPhone X is also the first time iPhone to sport an OLED display. The HDR display supports Dolby Vision and HDR10. iPhone X comes with an all-glass front and back. It features what Apple claims is “the most durable glass ever in a smartphone in silver or space gray, while a highly polished, surgical-grade stainless steel band seamlessly wraps around and reinforces iPhone X. A seven-layer color process allows for precise color hues and opacity on the glass finish, and a reflective optical layer enhances the rich colors, making the design as elegant as it is durable, while maintaining water and dust resistance.”

The smartphone is powered by the company’s A11 Bionic chip, also equipped with . It features a dual 12-megapixel rear camera system with dual optical image stabilization. The smartphone comes in two storage variants — 64GB and 256GB.

SAMSUNG S9 Price and Specifications

INR 65,900/- is the price tag, Samsung Galaxy S9 is a flagship product of Samsung for the year 2018, which sports a 5.8-inch Quad HD + Curved Super-AMOLED display. The smartphone sports the same Infinity Edge display, which the company introduced in the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ devices.

It has its own Exynos 9810 processor and runs Android 8.0 Oreo operating system topped with the TouchWiz UI of the company. The Samsung Galaxy S9 comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB, and 256GB of storage options. Samsung Galaxy S9 Super equipped with Speed Dual Pixel 12MP AF sensor with OIS (F1.5/F2.4) and an 8MP front camera for selfies. The Samsung Galaxy S9 is backed by a 3000mAh battery.

ONEPLUS 5T Price and Specifications

INR 32,999/- is the price tag, OnePlus 5T runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat could be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo, which sports a 6.01-inch full HD+ (1080×2160 pixels) Optic Amoled display with a pixel density of 401ppi and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

It is powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, the processor is coupled with Adreno 540 GPU.

OnePlus 5T boasts a 16MP Sony IMX398 sensor along with f/1.7 aperture. The secondary rear camera comes with a 20MP Sony IMX376K camera sensor with f/1.7 aperture and dual LED flash. At the front there is a 16MP Sony IMX 371 sensor with f/2.0 aperture. A 3300mAh battery along with the support for Dash charging tech gives the smartphone an extra edge. The smartphone also features Face unlock security tech, which is said to unlock the device in 0.4 seconds.

LG G6 Price and Specifications

INR 29,990/- is the price tag, LG G6 is equipped with a stunning DolbyVision-compliant display that has a unique 18:9 aspect ratio, LG G6 makes watching HDR video content a feast for the eyes. Delivering processing muscle to the smartphone is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC, augmented by 4GB of RAM. G6 has a dual rear camera setup with two 13MP sensors having f/1.8 and f/2.4 apertures, as well as a dual-LED flash. 3,300mAh non-removable battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support makes it a phenomenal smartphone. Major connectivity options offered by the LG G6 include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, DLNA, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, GLONASS and of course, USB Type-C.

XIAOMI REDMI 4 Price and Specifications

INR 10,999/- is the price tag, Xiaomi Redmi 4 is among the best budget smartphone. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 has a 5-inch HD display of 720×1280 pixel resolution. The 2.5D curved glass design helps improves the overall appearance of the smartphone. The smartphone is powered by 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor. There was no heating issue or lag during multitasking and playing games. Xiaomi Redmi 4 is backed by a 4,100mAh battery with the 13MP rear camera & LED flash and a 5MP front-facing shooter for selfies. The camera app itself is pretty simple to use and comes with various shooting modes such as Panorama, Manual, Tilt-shift and more. Xiaomi Redmi 4 smartphone comes with an IR blaster and offers all the major connectivity options.

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Samsung has launched its latest budget smartphone Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo in India at price of Rs 16,990.

From tomorrow onwards, it will be available across retail stores.

This budget smartphone comes with dual rear camera setup with 13 MP and 5 MP rear camera with f/1.9 aperture and LED flash. The smartphone will come with a Super AMOLED display and 8 MP front selfie shooter.

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo features a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED 2.5D curved glass display with 720×1280 pixel resolution and powered by 1.6GHz octa-core processor which runs on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system.

The smartphone comes with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB internal storage which can be expanded further by adding a microSD card.

The smartphone sports a removable back panel and a physical home button which also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. The smartphone will also come with a dedicated hardware button for company’s own Digital Assistant – Bixby.

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo is backed by a 3000mAh battery and offers 4G, VoLTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options.

Mohandeep Singh, senior vice president, Mobile Business, Samsung India, said, “With Galaxy J7 Duo, we are attempting to drive next level innovation in the J series that rules the hearts of Indian consumers. The introduction of dual camera in Galaxy J shows that we listen to our consumers and bring meaningful innovations that help enhance their lives. The superior specifications along with other innovative camera features in Galaxy J7 Duo will further consolidate our leadership position.”

Recently, the South Korean consumer electronics giant launched the limited-edition Burgundy Red colour variant of its last year’s flagship smartphone in India. The Burgundy Red edition of Samsung Galaxy S8 will be available for sale from April 13 onwards. The Burgundy Red edition of Galaxy S8 is priced at Rs 49,990.

Most recently, HMD Global launched its budget phones Nokia 6 and Nokia 7 Plus, and higher end phone Nokia 8 Sirocco.

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Digital payment is a buzzword now-a-days and appearing everywhere in India either small or medium-big market and most of the players have already filled the gap. Many more are coming in the battleground to fight in the zigzag row. In the same row, American Express has announced the launch of Amex Pay in India. Amex pay is a mobile payment service in the country which allows the American Express card users make payments based on QR codes and contact-less payments via the Amex mobile app.

The Amex Pay feature is available on Android devices with NFC and running Android 4.4 KitKat minimum or higher and iOS devices running iOS 11.2.6 can be used for the Amex Pay.

For now, the contact-less payments are not supported on iOS. Additionally, the device should be capable of reading QR codes using the camera app, in order to carry out QR code-based transactions.

How to do QR Code based Payments using Amex Pay?

1. Log in to your American Express account on either the Android or iOS app of the Amex Mobile app
2. Choose Register with Amex Pay
3. Grant the required permissions and enter the OTP you received in order to complete the verification process
4. For QR-based payments, you need to click on Pay with Bharat QR, scan the code, and enter the amount
5. Confirm the same and enter the card’s PIN to complete the process

How to do NFC based Payments using Amex Pay for Android devices only?

1. Follow first three above steps on Smartphone which supports NFC, make NFC on from the settings
2. Make sure Amex Pay contactless digital payment is the default tap and pay service
3. Hold your smartphone close to the payment terminal to do the contactless digital payment/transaction

Samsung Pay was introduced in India with support for the American Express credit cards and charge cards those are eligible for the payment.

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World’s most popular mobile payment service Samsung Pay by Samsung Electronics has been launched in Italy on March 22, 2018. With the addition of Italy, Samsung Pay now enables users in 21 countries to benefit from simple and secure payments almost anywhere including India.

In India, Samsung pay service was launched in March 22, 2017. The next country is France where Samsung Pay will be launched this year as per reports from Samsung .

Samsung’s commitment to transforming the mobile industry was recognized at the annual Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO Awards) during Mobile World Congress 2018, which awarded Samsung Pay ‘Best Mobile Innovation for Payment’. The service was praised not only for being innovative, but also for bringing consumers the world’s first integrated rewards program; each time users purchase with Samsung Pay, they can earn points to be exchanged for a variety of prizes.

Samsung Pay reward program is available in the U.S., Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brazil and Spain only.

“We strive to deliver the best experiences to our customers. The rapid growth of Samsung Pay has been made possible by Samsung’s commitment to an open model of collaboration around the world, resulting in over 1,700 partnerships, including payment providers Visa and Mastercard®,” said Yongje Kim, Executive Vice President of Service Business Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “Its continued support for both MST and NFC payments has also enhanced adoption, enabling market access in countries that support either payment option.” added.

What Is Mobile Payment Service Samsung Pay?

Samsung Pay is a simple and secure mobile payment service that is available almost anywhere you can swipe or tap your eligible payment card. By combining Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and its proprietary Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted mobile payment solution on the market.

Mobile Payment Service Samsung Pay Security

Samsung Pay operates with three levels of security: fingerprint or iris authentication (available for Galaxy S9 and S9+, Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 and S8+), card tokenization and Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform, Samsung Knox. Additionally, Samsung Pay makes mobile payments easy – to launch, a user needs to swipe up on an eligible Samsung Galaxy smartphone, select the card, authenticate using a fingerprint, iris scanning or PIN and bring the phone near the point-of-sale terminal.

Countries and Samsung Pay Launch Date

Recently in Feb, 2018 Samsung India and Reliance Jio has tied up for the nation wide cellular IoT network.

Most recently in March, 2018 Samsung has acquired Kngine – an Egyptian AI search engine startup.

(With the inputs from Samsung and Wikipedia)

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Samsung Galaxy J8 2018 is expected to be launched in March 2018 & to run on Android 8 OS, equipped with built in fingerprint sensor as the primary security feature. Samsung is a South Korean multinational conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul which was founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938 initially as a trading company.

The smartphone is tipped to be powered by Samsung’s Exynos 7870 SoC. A 3/4 GB of RAM will help phone run smoothly without showing any signs of lag. The internal storage is expected to be expandable via a microSD card.

The phone in all probability will have a 5.5 inch screen with an TFT display having a resolution of 720 x 1280. The screen is expected to be protected by a durable Scratch Resistant glass.

The smartphone is speculated to boast of a 12 megapixel rear and 8 megapixel front Camera.

Below are speculated Specification of Samsung Galaxy J8 2018, yet they need some official confirmation.

Samsung Galaxy J8 Specification

• Model: J8 (2018)
• Launch date (global): 27-03-2018
• Operating system: Android OS version 8
• Screen size (in inches): 5.5, TFT
• Screen resolution (in pixels): 720 x 1280
• Rear Camera Megapixel: 12
• Front Camera Megapixel: 8
• Multi touch, Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Finger print sensor: Yes
• 3G, 4G Capability, Wifi Capability, Wifi HotSpot, Bluetooth: Yes
• Dual SIM
• 4 GB RAM
• Storage: 32 GB

Image used for the illustration purpose only.

Refer more news on mobile and gadgets at Newskart.

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It’s been a few months since we added anything to the laptops section of our buyer’s guide, so we figured it was time for an update. Dell’s new XPS 13 was a standout at CES this year, offering a nearly bezel-less 13-inch display packed into an 11-inch machine. It weighs just 2.6 pounds, too, putting it on par with Lenovo’s equally svelte Yoga 3 Pro. If price is a factor, HP’s Stream 11 is a great deal at just $200. This so-called Chromebook killer may not be the fastest, but it’s able to run regular Windows applications and has a funky design, to boot.

>>> Protect Your Vehicle Assets with GPS Monitoring Devices

Here is a list of Top 14 Laptops you can choose from-

1. Dell XPS 13 (2015)

A bezel-less screen, Dell was able to pack a 13.3-inch display into the body of an 11-inch machine. The resulting 2.6-pound laptop is still over a third of a pound lighter than the MacBook Air and boasts a stylish carbon-fiber design, a comfy keyboard, speedy performance and decent audio with a cost approximately USD 800.

2. Acer Aspire S7-393

With a new Broadwell processor on board, it’s a better deal than ever. The S7-393 has a super-slim, 2.87-pound chassis with a 1080p (or even 2,560 x 1,440) touchscreen. The battery life is decent, considering the lack of space for a large cell, and it’s much quieter than others in price range around USD 1300.

3. Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro

This ultra-flexible laptop inherited the same stunning 3,200 x 1,800 screen as its predecessor, but it’s 17 percent thinner and 15 percent lighter, weighing just 2.6 pounds. The only tradeoffs here have to do with that amazingly svelte exterior: The paper-thin design makes for a flat keyboard, and with limited space for the battery, the runtime is short compared to the competition. Its price range is USD 1275.

4. Apple MacBook Air

Air comes in 11- and 13-inch sizes, with a sleek, lightweight wedge design, comfy keyboard and reliable trackpad. To top things off, it has phenomenal battery life, running somewhere between nine and 12 hours on a charge make it one of the best laptops. Its price range is USD 899.

5. Dell XPS 12

Its flippable screen of 1,920 x 1,080 display is easy on the eyes. This iteration has improved specs, including Intel’s latest Core i7 processors and battery life rated for nearly nine hours.  Factor in the durable build quality, and the XPS 12 maintains its spot as one of the more memorable ultraportables on the market. Its price range is USD 1100.

6. Apple MacBook Pro with Retina 13 inch

The battery life is almost as good as the Air, clocking in at around 11 hours and it’s only a touch heavier as well. The 13-inch version costs considerably less then the $1,999 15-inch Pro, albeit without a discrete GPU option. Price range is USD 1299.

7. Dell XPS 15

There’s an Intel Core i7 processor, a 2GB GPU and up to 1TB of internal storage with a 3,200 x 1,800 display available as an upgrade option. Its price range is USD 1600.

8. Samsung ATIV Book 9 Plus

A razor-thin body with the screen resolution up to 3,200 x 1,800. Battery Life is longer than ever offering about nine hours of video playback. The Book 9 Plus also pumps out respectable audio, especially for such a slim system. The good news here is that you can get a machine with one of Intel’s fifth-gen processors now and its price range is USD 1299.

9. MSI GT72 Dominator

The GT72 Dominator is a beast, especially when fully outfitted with NVIDIA’s latest GPU and up to 32GB of ram. It’s not just graphic performance either, the keyboard design, audio quality and even battery life (leveraging its GPU switching feature) are top notch. Price ranges upto USD 1700+.

10. Dell Alienware 17

Alienware has long been one of the top gaming laptop brands with 17 inch big screen and a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. Its price range is around USD 1500.

11. Razer Blade 2014

A speedy Core i7 processor and 14-inch, 3,200 x 1,800 resolution display packed into a 4.47-pound, 0.7-inch thick package in a price range of USD 2200.

12. Samsung Chromebook 2

Surprisingly premium quality, it has a unique faux-leather lid and is one of the only models to rock a full HD display (at least on the 13-inch model). The device packs a solid design and incorporates a spacious keyboard and a well-tuned trackpad in price of USD 400.

13. HP Stream 11

Small netbook-like laptops that actually run regular Windows programs. One of the first, and perhaps best, of the bunch is the HP Stream 11. The cute, lightweight design includes a comfy keyboard, a $25 Windows Store gift card and a full terabyte of OneDrive cloud storage in a very attractive price range of USD 200.

14. Acer C720 Chromebook

The Intel Celeron processor, 2GB of RAM and 1,366 x 768 display are on par with rival machines, but you really can’t beat the C720’s $199 price tag. There’s the option to upgrade to a touchscreen for $100 more and a Core i3 version is available for $350, but with a modest difference in performance, it may be worth saving your money.

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