Gigarefurb Refurbished Laptops News

School can get really expensive very quickly: books, tuition and accommodation – those things add up fast, and that’s without adding one of the best laptops for students to the mix. The silver lining, though, is that many of the best student laptops on the market could save you an impressive amount of cash. In fact, the best laptops for students are budget-friendly devices that exude style and tout power without breaking the bank.

That’s more than a good thing, especially because when you’re spending all your money on textbooks and instant ramen, saving up for a new laptop can be hard. The prime candidates for a student laptop will put value above having the top-of-the-line processors and graphics cards, yet still boast enough juice to get you through your demanding workload at school – and offer some post-schoolwork entertainment.

You need not limit yourself to Windows 10, either, as some of the best Chromebooks are capable of going head-to-head with some of the best laptops, which means you can get everything you’ll need in a laptop without shelling out some serious silver.

Going to school, after all, can be a stressful time, and you don’t need the added pressure of running around campus with a barely functional laptop to your plate. You deserve to have an excellent laptop, and that’s why we sought out the best laptops for students that you can afford with your budget. Because no one should be limited to an ancient relic just to get some work done, but you shouldn’t have to sell a kidney, either.

1. Huawei Matebook 13

CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620, Nvidia GeForce MX150 (optional) | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch 2K (2,560 x 1,440) with touch panel | Storage: 256GB – 512GB SSD

Extremely affordable

Powerful

  Limited to 8GB of RAM  

We’re massive fans of laptops that can skillfully combine price and performance with hardly any compromises, and the Huawei MateBook 13 comes closer to hitting that perfect balance than anything in 2019 so far. It’s thin and light, ideal for stuffing it in your backpack as you hurry from class to class; and it’s fast and affordable. This beautiful 13-inch Ultrabook will let you get all your work done in style, without burning a hole in your pocket. Just be sure to have that charger handy, as the battery life is underwhelming.

Read the full review: Huawei MateBook 13 

(Image credit: Microsoft)

2. Surface Laptop 2

CPU: 8th-gen Intel Core i5-i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.5-inch, 2256 x 1504 PixelSense touch display | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD

Huge performance boost

No Windows 10 S

Still no Thunderbolt 3

While the Surface Laptop was one of the best laptops for students, it was held back by below average performance, a lack of ports and Windows 10 in S Mode. The Surface Laptop 2 greatly improves on its predecessor, however – except for the port situation. It’s now packed with 8th-generation Intel Kaby Lake Refresh processors, full-fat Windows 10 Home and a black color option. We wish it had even a single USB-C port, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ll get all your tasks done in style with this laptop.

Read the full review: Surface Laptop 2

3. Apple MacBook Air (2018)

CPU: 8th-generation dual-core Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 617 | Screen: 13.3-inch, 2,560 x 1,600 Retina display (backlit LED, IPS) | Storage: 256GB-1.5TB SSD

Thinner and lighter

Most affordable Mac

Dual-core processing

Much to many MacBook Air users’ relief, Apple has finally ushered the MacBook Air into the modern age, with 8th-generation fanless processors, a thinner and lighter design, and perhaps most importantly – a Retina display. You won’t have to compromise on modern features if you want an “affordable Mac,” which makes the MacBook Air one of the best laptops for students, especially those in college.

Read the full review: MacBook Air 

4. Microsoft Surface Pro 6

CPU: 8th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 12.3-inch, 2,736 x 1,824 PixelSense display | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD

Quad-core processors

Long battery life

Still no USB-C

The Microsoft Surface lineup has made a name for itself for being among the best Windows devices out there, with gorgeous touch screens, impressive performance and long-lasting battery life. The Surface Pro 6 continues that tradition, even if it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. You’re getting a speedy Windows tablet that can effortlessly turn into a laptop through the Surface Type Cover, making it one of the best laptops for students. You can get your work done then effortlessly transition into break time.

Read the full review: Surface Pro 6

5. Dell XPS 13

CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080; non-touch) – UHD (3,840 x 2,160; touchscreen) | Storage: 128GB – 1TB SSD

Webcam in a reasonable location

Powerful

Small upgrade

Dell’s flagship laptop has always ranked among the best laptops for students and professionals alike, not to mention casual, everyday users. But, the Dell XPS 13 2019 brings back the entry-level model, making it inexpensive for college students again. Dell has also managed to fix our biggest issue with the XPS lineup – the webcam. The manufacturer has moved the webcam back up to the top of the display where it belongs, so your family and friends don’t have to stare up your nose when you’re video chatting.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 review

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Smart home security cameras are booming right now and the Arlo Pro 2 is one of the top options on the market in 2019. Find out why in our full review.

Whether you’re wanting to keep an eye on your pets while you’re away, or catch burglars red handed, a security camera is a solid choice. Arlo devices are a trustworthy choice

Price

There are various prices for the Arlo Pro 2, depending on how many cameras you want. This system can handle multiple cameras.

So you can buy the most basic kit, including one camera and a base station, for around £300 or $300 RRP. You’ll have everything you need to monitor one area such as your garden.

If you want more cameras you can buy bundles that include two, three or four cameras. They cost around £569/$479, £660/$679 and £799/$799 respectively. Pricing varies wildly between retailers but one of the best deals we’ve found is the two camera kit at Amazon for £459 or $323.

Pick your kit carefully because buying a single add-on camera will set you back over £200/$200 so it’s much better to buy more from the off. The other cost you might need to factor in is a subscription, although it’s optional depending on what features you need. We’ll talk about that later on.

Check out our chart of the best security cameras to see other options.

Design & Build

Like a lot of smart home kit, but not all, the Arlo Pro 2 system is pretty easy and straightforward to set up. You’ll start by plugging the base station, which looks like a router, into your actual router.

If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need one but that’s kept simple too and then adding a camera to the system is also a sitch.

The base station is predictably lightweight and plastiky and it’s not the smallest around but it doesn’t particularly matter if it does the job it’s designed to do, which it does.

The camera is far more premium and robust with thick, solid plastic making up the construction. The back opens up so you can insert the battery and there’s a MicroUSB port under a rubber stopper to keep water out alongside a mounting thread.

In our single camera kit, there is just a simple wall-mount which uses a strong magnet to attach the camera. It’s nice and easy, with a strong hold, but does mean the camera is easily detached so you’ll want to put it out of reach if mounting outside, or get the outdoor security mount which uses a thread.

You can use the camera indoors or outdoors without worry, since the Arlo Pro 2 has an IP65 rating.

Specs & Features

We have no quibbles with the quality on offer here. The Arlo Pro 2 is able to provide an excellent 1080p HD image and not just in good daylight. The firm also has the Arlo Ultra if you want 4K but this will be overkill for most people.

The camera can also work pretty well when there isn’t any light thanks to night vision. It has infrared LEDs that can illuminate up to 8.3m away.As well as a crisp image, the camera benefits from a wide 130 degree viewing angle and 8x digital zoom.

Like some other modern security cameras, Arlo Pro 2 comes with a bunch of additional features you can make use of. There’s 2-way audio if you want to talk to someone and also a siren that blasts at over 100dB if you need to ward off an intruder.

Although the camera can be used wirelessly thanks to a rechargeable battery, you’ll need to have it wired in if basic detection (passive infrared) isn’t enough. Once plugged in, the Pro 2 has three detection zones, a 3 second preview and sound detection too.

The three zones can be customised so you can select a particular part of the short, perhaps a doorway, so you only get notified about that. You can also set a time schedule so that you don’t get notifications while you’re normally at home.

While some camera system require you to sign up to a subscription to use even basic features, Arlo offers 7-day cloud storage and support for up to five cameras so this should be sufficient for most users.

You can pay £6.99 per month for Arlo Smart Premier which takes things to 30 days rolling storage and adds things like enhanced notifications and person detection. Arlo Smart Elite is £9.99 per month and doubles storage to 60 days and supports up to 20 cameras so this is more likely an option for business usage.

Anyone wanting round the clock cloud recording will have to pay £6.99 per camera for 14 days or £12.99 for 30 days. Again, this is probably a business requirement or perhaps something to consider if you’re on holiday and detection alerts aren’t enough to satisfy you.

Alternatively, you can pay £1.99 per month per camera for the enhanced notifications and person detection which works out cheaper if you just a couple of cameras and aren’t too fussed about longer storage periods.

All the above is all very well but if the software doesn’t work on systems like this then you have an amazing quality image that you can’t access.

Gladly this isn’t the case and Arlo has one of the most easy to use and polished apps in the security camera market. It looks nice and is very intuitive to use. Even connecting to the camera from Los Angeles didn’t take long.

Verdict

We have no doubt that the Arlo Pro 2 is one of the best smart security cameras on the market, but it is an expensive kit regardless of how many cameras you want. The value is better if you want multiple so if you just want one then you might want to look elsewhere if budget is an issue.

Luckily you don’t need to pay for any subscriptions if 7-day cloud storage is enough.

If the price is ok, then the Arlo Pro 2 system is slick, well-built and easy to use. It provides an excellent image and some neat features via an intuitive app.

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Are we about to see new telephoto lenses from Canon? Canon Rumors is reporting that an RF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM may join a previously mooted RF 500mm f/4L IS USM lens for the company’s latest EOS R system. 

The site claims its source disclosed that the lens would be equipped with a  “new and unique” feature for a lens of its kind, although there are no details on exactly what this feature might be. 

Canon currently has five optics available for its newest mirrorless line, including the RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM and the most recent RF 85mm f/1.2L USM, while five further lenses which are currently in development are expected to surface later this year.

Neither of these rumored lenses has been included in the most recent RF lens roadmap released by the company (below).

(Image credit: Canon)

While the company has been busy either releasing of confirming the development of wide-angle, standard zoom and mild telephoto prime lenses, the only suitable native RF telephoto lens it currently offers those looking to capture sports and action is the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM (pictured top).

Existing users of Canon’s DSLR lenses are, however, able to mount EF lenses on EOS R-series bodies through one of three adapters.

While such lenses would be welcome for the RF line, whether Canon plans on releasing them before a suitable EOS R-series body, one on the same level as the EOS-1D X Mark II, is unclear – incidentally, being over three years old means that camera is subject to its own rumors of a replacement. 

Rumors of a third EOS R-series body have been bubbling for some time, particularly since Canon confirmed that it was working on a high-end mirrorless camera. It hasn’t, however, specified whether such a model would prioritize resolution or speed as its main focus.

With the 2020 Olympic Games just over a year away, it seems certain that Canon will update either its EOS DSLR or mirrorless lines with fresh products to stave off competition from the likes of Sony, which has recently beefed up its A9 model with new firmware, and fresh FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS and FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lenses, in an effort to tempt DSLR users across.

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Facebook is testing a new feature that will let you share your WhatsApp status directly to Facebook and Instagram with a tap of a button.

The feature is being rolled out right now, so if you’re interested, you can join the beta program for Android or iOS and take it for a spin.

Testers must choose to share each status update individually – there’s no option to have all statuses sent to other apps automatically, which should hopefully help avoid embarrassing over-sharing.

In January, Facebook announced that it would be bringing all its apps closer together, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg ordering developers to rebuild Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp “at their most basic levels”.

To the relief of many, the announcement scotched rumors that the three services would be rolled into one monster social network – a place where selfie-strewn Instagram accounts would sit awkwardly alongside family messaging groups, and data entered in one app would be shared universally.

Instead, his comments suggested that the best features from each app (such as WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption) could be shared with the rest, improving them all while keeping them separate.

Spread the word

In a statement to The Verge, WhatsApp confirmed that this change – which means  all of Facebook’s apps now use the same data-sharing APIs – was what made the new sharing function possible.

Interestingly, it seems that you’ll also be able share your current mood over some non-Facebook channels, such as Gmail and Google Photos, though as these aren’t primarily social networking apps, we’re uncertain how popular these options will be.

Via The Verge

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If computer privacy is critical enough that many laptops now include a physical webcam shutter, why can’t you do the same for the microphone?

It’s a question that PC makers should be asking themselves. Some, like Dell, say they’re working on a solution. But for whatever reason, reassuring customers that their conversations aren’t being monitored doesn’t seem to be a high priority, especially with consumer laptops. Fortunately, one recent model from HP signals a way forward.

Amazon and Google

A future where everything listens to you

Part of the problem simply may be the inertia driving us toward an era of always-on, always-listening devices. At their respective developer conferences in May, both Microsoft and Google suggested a future where a user would trigger an assistant with a wake word, and then an interactive conversation would take place naturally. Currently, assistants like Cortana and Google Assistant end the conversation after a single query. In Microsoft’s Cortana demo, the conversation lasted for several minutes. But there was no “thanks” or “that’s all, Cortana” to signal the end of the exchange and tell Cortana to stop listening.

Consumer expectations may be another driver. At least a subset of users seems to think that a device that isn’t always listening to them is in some way defective. Consider the customer responses before the other major assistant, Amazon Alexa, responded to wake words within Windows 10. (Yes, there are now two digital assistants capable of listening to your every command, built right into your PC.) Alexa’s inability to listen in was viewed as a critical shortcoming.

Michael Brown

Here’s the thing: Even if they buy always-connected smart speakers, consumers do care about privacy. That’s evidenced by the fact that most smart speakers like the Echo Dot now include some form of physical button for disabling the microphone.

We don’t know much that button is actually used, but there’s an important reason to have it. We know that Amazon, Google, and Microsoft aggressively collect as much data as you’ll allow. As Geoff Fowler of The Washington Post has chronicled, Amazon’s Alexa squirrels away dozens or hundreds of interactions she’s sampled. If you were an early adopter of a device like the Echo Dot, those recordings go back years.

Another fundamental problem is that when Alexa isn’t sure whether you’ve summoned her, she errs on the side of Amazon, not you, Fowler found. Even if it turns out that you haven’t asked anything of Alexa, the recording still exists. Your PC simply gives assistants like Alexa another way to collect information.

PCs already protect you from spying webcams…

While few laptops control their microphones as easily as smart speakers do, controlling webcams is an established practice. Consider the official and unofficial “privacy shutters” that adorn notebook PCs today—everything from adhesive tape and Post-It Notes to more sophisticated solutions, like the ThinkShutter on some of Lenovo’s ThinkPad notebooks for businesses. 

Here’s an odd one: one of the best bits of new tech to come out of CES 2019 was a clock. A smart clock, admittedly, but still, let’s make no mistake: this is a clock.

The Lenovo Smart Clock is a tiny smart display running the Google Assistant, intended to be used as a smart bedside clock – essentially a third-party Google Assistant rival to Amazon’s Echo Show 5, or a mini version of the Lenovo Smart Display or Google’s own Nest Hub.

Price & availability

The Smart Clock costs £79.99/$79.99 at full price, and right now you can buy it from , or from AO or Currys in the UK, and from Walmart and Best Buy in the States.

By comparison, the Google Home Mini is £49/$49 when it’s not on sale (which, to be fair, it usually is) meaning it’s just a £30/$30 premium to get the display on top of (almost) every feature that’s in the Home Mini.

The closest equivalent Amazon Alexa device is the Echo Show 5 for £79.99/$89.99, which is a very similar looking piece of kit though does include video calling, which the Smart Clock does not, and obviously it’s part of the Alexa ecosystem, rather than Google Assistant. Meanwhile the larger Echo Spot and  are both £120/$130 – a pretty steep jump up.

Not your father’s clock

At first glance, the Smart Clock doesn’t look much like, well, a clock. A small angular block with a rectangular 4in display at the front and a grey fabric finish that’s immediately reminiscent of Google’s own Home devices, this is certainly different to the rounded clock-face design that Amazon opted for with the Echo Spot.

Still, simple works, and the heavy tapering on the main body keeps it compact and attractive, while the decision to use a rectangular display no doubt keeps things simpler on the software side, with consistency across the other Google smart displays.

It’s all finished in the same sort of soft grey mesh that Google has used on its core Nest/Home range, so this will fit right in with any Google products you already own, and is neutral enough to blend in just about anywhere in your home.

Controls are simple – volume buttons on the top and a physical microphone mute switch on the back. Then there’s just the power socket and a USB-A 2.0 port, which you can use to charge your phone – useful if this is taking up a wall socket you’d otherwise use for your phone charger, though it’s unlikely to match the charging speeds of your supplied charger, so you’ll only really want to use it overnight.

It’s also worth noting that unlike most smart displays, there’s no camera on this one. That might sound like a downside, as it locks you out of using the Smart Clock for video calls, but remember that this is really intended for your bedside table. Do you really want Google to have access to a camera in your bedroom? Thought not.

Tick-talk

In terms of functionality, it’s probably best to think of this mostly as a Google Home Mini with a screen.

Like that device, this is a compact, affordable smart home hub – perfect for talking to the Google Assistant or controlling your other smart home devices, but less well-suited to music playback. There is a 3 watt speaker packed inside here, but it’s quiet and tinny – enough for your alarm tone or talking to the Google Assistant, but it’ll get on your nerves if you ever try to listen to much music or radio off it.

If you do want to listen to music, you can link this to other Google Assistant speakers or any regular speakers with a Chromecast Audio attached. Unfortunately, although there is Bluetooth 5.0 built into the hardware here, you can’t connect the Smart Clock to other speakers over Bluetooth, so you can only take advantage of existing speakers in your bedroom if you connect them to a Chromecast. Still, the Google Home Mini didn’t include Bluetooth connectivity at launch, and added it down the line, so I’m hoping Lenovo makes the same move eventually.

The added benefits of the screen mostly relate to simplifying your routines first thing in the morning or last thing at night. For example, if you ask Google to set an alarm for the next morning you’ll get on-screen options to control if and when it repeats, what alarm tone to use, and whether to trigger a routine with the alarm. These are all the sort of granular details that you want control of, but which are just too fiddly to really try to set up by voice.

One of the other benefits of the screen is that it means you can also use the Smart Clock as a sort of basic light alarm. This optional setting turns up the brightness of the display slowly ahead of the alarm going off, in the hope that your body will fire off all the right hormones to let you wake up naturally and comfortably. This definitely doesn’t work as well as a dedicated light alarm – we’ve reviewed a few here – but as of yet none of the best feature smart home support.

That’s not the only smart use of screen brightness. There’s also an ambient light sensor, so that the Smart Clock can adjust brightness to current light levels – dimming the screen and even activating an optional grayscale mode so that the screen is comfortable to read in the dark, and the light doesn’t interfere with your sleep.

Just as importantly, and in one of the few nods to a classic alarm clock, you can whack the top of the device (gently…) to snooze, which is the only level of interaction I’m personally capable of in that moment. If you prefer, there are also on-screen stop and snooze buttons, and voice commands too of course.

Once awake, you can flip through the clock display, your calendar, the weather, commute info, or the news highlights. Of course, as with any Google Assistant device you can also set up set routines, so that the trigger ‘Good Morning’ could turn on the heating, start your smart kettle, and switch the radio on, all at once. You could also have that routine trigger automatically with the alarm, though this doesn’t play as nicely if you’re a natural snoozer like myself.

At the other end of the day, you can similarly set a bedtime routine to dim the lights or play certain music. Then you can set an alarm, though the device will also recommend alarm times based on your upcoming calendar events – useful if you don’t have a fixed schedule.

Verdict

The Lenovo Smart Clock is a fairly simple concept – a Home Mini with a screen – but slick design, a simple interface, and smart features around screen brightness make it a surprisingly compelling offering. The only real downside is the lack of Bluetooth support – the main Home Mini feature missing here – but everything else about this does exactly what you want it to.

Most importantly, at £80/$80 it’s not all that much more than the regular Home Mini, making it all too easy to justify the jump from smart speaker to smart clock.

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The battleground for big data SIM only deals is being very hard fought at the moment. From a cashback-rich 100GB data Vodafone SIMO, to EE’s great value 25GB tariff. But now Three has struck back with one of our favourite SIM only deals yet.

If you’ve been researching SIM only deals for a while, you may already have heard of it. The tariff is £22 per month for unlimited data, calls and texts. Plus the benefit of Three’s Go Roam, personal hotspot and Wuntu perks. So far, so good.

But if you’re happy to commit to a full two years with Three and sign up for this SIM now, it will half the price for the first six months. So your bills will only be £11 apiece, a saving of £66. Worked out over the two years, the average monthly price is only £19.25 – an absolute snip for all-you-can-eat data, minutes and texts. Almost as cheap as that you can walk away from any time.

You can see the full details of this deal in full below and compare it to the rest of the UK’s SIM only deals, allowing you to see just how much you’re saving.

Three’s superb SIM only deal in full:

Why go for a Three SIM only deal?

If you haven’t already been won over by this amazing offer then you’ll be excited to hear that Three doesn’t shy away from offering up some extra incentives as well. Whether that be free exclusive prizes or extra roaming. You can see all of best parts of a Three SIM only deal down below.

• Wuntu – Exclusive offers and freebies with Three’s rewards app
• Go Roam – Roaming abilities in 71 worldwide countries at no extra cost
• Travel Swagger – Get travel upgrades with Easyjet with bag drop and early boarding

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