2020 Tech Summary September
Apple event announced, Microsoft attacks the console space, and Nvidia strengthens their hold on the GPU market.
Microsoft’s New Xbox Lineup
Microsoft officially announced the release of two “next-gen” Xbox models, the Xbox Series S and Series X aggressively priced at $299 and $499 respectively, dropping November 10th. The price point for these consoles is key because building a comparable PC would cost significantly more. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are taking a loss on the sale of these consoles, with the end goal being to supercharge their “gaming as a service” model with the Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft missed the mark slightly with their lower-end model, leaks stating that it targets running at 120 fps at a resolution of 1440p, but most people purchasing the lower end console are going to be playing on a TV, not a monitor. TVs (as of 9/20) have a resolution of 1080p with higher-end models 4k and only supporting 60 Hz. I think they could have reduced the spec sheet slightly to continue targeting 1080p at 60 fps and brought the price point even lower to bring even more people onto their service. Financials aside I think Sony offers better exclusive game titles and most Xbox games will also be released on PC around the same time.
Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X Launch November 10, Starting at $24.99 a Month with Xbox Game Pass…
Apple Event Announced
Apple announced their next event is happening on September 15th. I’m suspecting this will just be an announcement for the next phone lineup which if you have been following the leaks have been pretty extensive.
Apple Events Watch the latest Apple keynote stream…
4k Nintendo Switch
Rumors are swirling of a new Nintendo Switch coming in 2021! I’ve been waiting for a Switch Pro since its initial release, but I was hoping to hear things like “smaller bezels”, “portable 1080p”, or even “faster load times”. I don’t see a huge push for a Switch capable of 4k output.
New Nintendo Switch 2 capable of 4K visuals is reportedly planned for 2021
Motorola Razr 2
Motorola announces the second iteration of their folding screen phone with the flip form factor established back in 2004. The concept of the phone is great, but the specs are far too low for the price tag. At $1,400 consumers should expect a flagship-level processor, camera, etc. but unfortunately you would still be paying for Motorola’s research and development with this iteration.
Motorola’s Razr 2 hopes to right the wrongs of the original Razr reboot
Microsoft Surface Duo
The Microsoft Duo is officially on sale. Similar to the Razr 2, the hardware is incredible and innovative, but the price tag starting at $1,399 makes the specs leave something to be desired. Unlike the other foldable phones, this is the first of its kind to have two separate screens, but the overall shape is awkwardly wide and apps that look/work well are limited to the Microsoft suite. Even if I were the target “business” audience, I would still pass on this generation.
New Surface Duo - Dual-Screen Mobile Productivity, Do One Better - Microsoft Surface
Nvidia 30-Series Cards
Nvidia announced three new graphics cards the RTX 3070, 3080, and 3090, priced at $499, $699, $1499 respectively, promising huge performance gains over the previous 20 series cards. While we don’t have definitive benchmarks available yet, Nvidia has high claims and the influencers that received the card early seem to be pretty excited. I would expect to see a slightly more affordable 3060 released later on, but they most likely are holding off on that card as to not snuff out the remaining 20 series market. If you are still running an older card (maybe a 9 series or earlier) and are looking for an affordable upgrade keep your eyes on the used market as I would expect to see a ton of 20 series cards that are still very viable options for 2020–2021.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs Powered by Ampere Architecture
In addition to there cards, Nvidia also announced the Nvidia Broadcast App. This app claims to give streamers and content creators three AI-powered tools being noise removal, virtual background without a green screen, and auto frame which follows your face. Normally I would dodge things that include the AI buzzword because it is typically overhyped, but having tried their RTX Voice app for noise removal which worked very well, I’m excited to see what their broadcast app offers.
Introducing the NVIDIA Broadcast App