Intel-powered Always-on PCs Announced by Acer, HP and Dell

If yous didn't know it already, 'Always-on' PCs are already a thing. While Snapdragon-powered e'er-on devices have already started hitting the market place, it is now the turn of Intel to throw its hat in the band, with a number of OEMs announcing their own Intel-powered, LTE-capable laptops at CES 2018 in Las Vegas.

The under-fire chipmaker recently unveiled its 8th-gen Core processors with AMD's Radeon Vega graphics chips, but that'south not for the always-on segment.

The iii devices that Intel is highlighting are the Acer Swift 7 (SF714-51T), the HP Envy X2 and the Dell Inspiron 5280, all of which come up with Intel'southward XMM modem for cellular connectivity.

Acer Swift 7 (2018)

Acer yesterday announced what its claiming to be the 'world'due south thinnest laptop'. The new Swift 7 is a Windows ten PC that is powered by a seventh-Gen Intel Core i7 processor, and comes with 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM, aslope 256GB of PCIe SSD storage. The device features a 14-inch FHD IPS touchscreen display that's protected by Corning Gorilla Glass NBT. It too has a backlit keyboard, while a fingerprint scanner allows secure, password-gratuitous sign-in through Windows Hi.

The Acer Swift 7 will hit the North American market in March with prices starting at $one,699, while the EMEA region will get the device in April with prices starting at €ane,699.

HP Envy X2

Post-obit the announcement of its Snapdragon-powered cousin last month, HP announced the Intel-powered Envy X2 at CES 2018. The device features a 12.3-inch WUXGA+ touch-screen display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection and is powered by a 7th-generation Core Y-series processor. It comes with upwards to 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM and up to 256GB of PCIe SSD storage. The device will transport with Windows x and will be offered with optional LTE connectivity.

The Envy X2 will be available for purchase this Leap. The pricing and carriers volition only exist announced "closer to production availability".

Dell Inspiron 5280

In a globe where smartphones have get the de facto primary device to connect to the net, traditional PC makers are finally getting on-board with the always-on concept that is one of the main reasons for the growing popularity of smartphones over the past decade.

So it should surprise no i that more and more PC-makers are backing ever-on laptops. It'south one way of keeping PCs relevant, essentially by letting them be switched on and off like a smartphone. In fact, we should expect to see more of these devices and such features in mainstream laptops likewise going frontwards.