Many SoCs are being prepared for upcoming 2025 devices, and a recent benchmark suggests that a MediaTek chipset could make Chromebooks as fast as they have ever been this year.
Referencing the GeekBench benchmark, ChromeUnboxed discovered the latest scores of the MediaTek MT8196 chip, which has been reported on for some time now. With the chip being housed on the motherboard codenamed ‘Navi,’ the benchmark shows the chip excelling in single-core and multi-core benchmarks, as well as in GPU, NPU, and some other tests run.
The publication notes that MediaTek MT8196 is an ARM-based SoC, that is likely a Dimensity 9400 chip reconfigured to work on Chromebooks. Typically, the chip is a flagship SoC run on smartphones and tablets, and it’s known for its speed. Its biggest competition are chips from the Qualcomm Snapdragon line.
In terms of other Chromebooks, the MediaTek MT8196 ‘Navi’ device has beat out all of the current fastest Chromebooks, all which run the Intel Core Ultra 7. ChromeUnboxed noted the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714, codenamed ‘Karis’ as an example.
The publication added that one hinderance to the MediaTek MT8196 chip providing the fastest Chromebooks of 2025 could be if devices featuring Intel’s Panther Lake release first. There have been no benchmarks of the SoC yet, so there is no way to know how its power will fare in the industry.
Evenso, Google is likely to begin introducing new Chromebooks in the spring. It will be interesting to confirm models and specs at that time. If the company keeps a launch cycle similar to what it did last year, it may host a Chromebook launch in the fall as well.
There is also word of a device codenamed ‘Hylia,’ that ChromeUnboxed has been tracking that may table a tablet form factor. However, the publication cannot confirm whether the Chromebook might run the MediaTek MT8196 chip.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.