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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today delayedHogwarts Legacy yet again, but the most demanding versions of the game are spared. Instead, the postponement pushes the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions back to April 4th, 2023, with the Nintendo Switch variant arriving on July 25th.

Previously, the last-gen versions were scheduled to launch on February 10th alongside the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC iterations. Although today’s delay will disappoint Harry Potter fans with older consoles, you need to look no further than Cyberpunk 2077 for an example of a game that just wasn’t ready for last-gen hardware. This latest reshuffling should give developer Avalanche Software time to polish the Harry Potter-themed game for older systems.

Warner Bros. initially slated the wizarding title for a 2021 launch but later pushed it back to this year and, finally, to 2023. Starting on February 7th, people who buy the Deluxe Edition for PS5, Xbox Series X/S or PC will have 72 hours of early access to start their adventure. However, the delayed versions won’t have an early-access period.

Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world action RPG set in the 1800s. You play as a custom-created Hogwarts student in the century before the events in the Harry Potter books and movies. You will craft potions, learn spells and make friends while embarking “on a dangerous journey to uncover a hidden truth of the wizarding world.”

Warner Bros. notes that the game isn’t a new story from author JK Rowling, but it collaborated with her team to ensure it remains true to her original vision. However, the RPG’s character creator may let you make transgender characters, a welcome departure from Rowling’s opinion on that topic.

Netflix has added two more titles to its (very good) stable of mobile games: Kentucky Route Zero and Twelve Minutes. They’re the first Annapurna Interactive titles to join the lineup. They’re available now for all subscribers, including those on the ad-supported plan, on iOS and Android.

It’s been a while since Netflix first said it would bring Kentucky Route Zero to its library and it’s a welcome addition. It’s a narrative-driven point-and-click adventure game that took the developers at Cardboard Computer almost a decade to see through. The first chapter debuted in 2013 and the fifth and final one arrived in 2020. It was a long journey, but the BAFTA award winner garnered strong reviews along the way.

Twelve Minutes, on the other hand, wasn’t received quite as warmly. It’s a time loop game with a trio of stars in the main roles: Daisy Ridley, James McAvoy and Willem Dafoe. However, we felt that some bad twists ruined a promising idea. You can try it out on your phone now.

Netflix also revealed a couple other games that are coming to the service in the first three months of 2023. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, which dropped on other platforms earlier this year, is an absolute joy. Tribute Games did a fantastic job of capturing everything great about the TMNT beat-’em-ups of the late ’80s and early ’90s and updating them for a modern audience. Shredder’s Revenge will only be available on mobile if you’re a Netflix subscriber.

Also on deck for early 2023 is Vikings: Valhalla from Tilting Point. This is a tie-in to Netflix’s sequel to Vikings, which debuted earlier this year. In this strategy game, you’ll lead Viking clans and build settlements. Eventually, you’ll battle against others as you try to extend your reach across the continent.

Meanwhile, Netflix recently announced Valiant Hearts: Coming Home, the first of three Ubisoft games that are coming to the service next year. It’s a sequel to Valiant Hearts: The Great War and will tell the story of the Harlem Hellfighters, who were the first African-American infantry unit to fight in World War I. Expect this one in early 2023 as well.

Apple is finishing 2022 by releasing major software updates for its devices. The upgrades are headlined by iOS 16.2, which should be particularly useful for the security-conscious. The new version adds an Advanced Data Protection option that brings end-to-end encryption to more of your iCloud data, including device backups, Messages content, notes and photos. And like it or not, Apple is limiting AirDrop sharing — you’ll now have 10 minutes to swap files with “everyone” before the feature reverts to contacts-only. The restriction first arrived in China, allegedly in a bid to appease officials trying to stymie protests, but may be useful if you’re worried someone might push unwanted content to your device.

This is also a particularly important update if you’re an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max owner. You can now hide your wallpaper and notifications when the 14 Pro’s always-on display kicks in. Yes, that makes it behave more like some Android phones, but it could also reduce distractions (some say it still looks like the phone is awake with the wallpaper on) and bolster privacy. Live Activities are now available for MLB, NBA and Premier League games on all iPhones courtesy of the TV app, although you’ll need one of the 14 Pro models to see them on your home screen through the Dynamic Island.

Other improvements largely focus on new apps and expected revisions. The long-promised Freeform digital whiteboard app is finally here, offering a visual collaboration tool for brainstorming sessions and meetings. Apple Music’s karaoke mode is now available and the Weather app now includes a news section. If you use your iPhone to control a smart household, you’ll be glad to know that Apple has given the Home app with a new architecture that promises to be faster and more reliable. This may be helpful now that Matter devices are ready (Apple added Matter support in iOS 16.1).

The company has simultaneously released iPadOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1. Not surprisingly, these bring cross-platform feature additions like Advanced Data Protection, Freeform and the revised Home app. WatchOS 9.2, meanwhile, adds the Home update as a workout for cyclists and runners wanting to improve their performance on a previously-completed route. These updates won’t offer as many conspicuous changes as on the iPhone, but they should still be worthwhile if you’re immersed in Apple’s ecosystem.

iPadOS 16 launched a little later this year than its predecessors, and a few key features weren’t quite ready. With iPadOS 16.2, which just arrived this afternoon, I think Apple has caught up with what it planned. There are two major new features on board here. First, Stage Manager multitasking now works across an external display, provided you’re using an iPad with an M1 or M2 chip inside. Second, the collaborative brainstorming and productivity app Freeform is now available on the iPad (and on the iPhone and Mac, as well). 

Freeform is one of the more flexible and customizable apps Apple has made in a long time. For me, the first thing it reminded me of is a more ambitious version of Apple’s own Notes app. Over the years, Notes has become capable at handling a lot more than text — you can scan documents, add images, draw with the Apple Pencil on the iPad and more. The same can be said about Freeform, though it’s much less of a text-first app.

When you start a new document, you’re met with a ever-expanding blank canvas. At the top of the screen are just a few interface elements, most significantly the five items that let you add content to your board. Those main categories are Apple Pencil; sticky notes; a library of about 700 shapes and icons; text boxes; and a general-purpose “import” button that lets you pull in things from the Files app, your photo library or URLs you can paste in.

These features all seem pretty straightforward, but there’s a lot of underlying complexity to them. A text box opens with simple black text on the white background, but you can adjust size, fonts, colors, format and drop in three different types of lists. The shapes you can add are numerous and varied; most of them are flat, 2D representations of things like geometric shapes, animals, people, food, and so forth. But you can break apart a shape into its component pieces and move them around individually, resize them, change the colors or just use the one part of it that you really want. And any time you interact with an element in Freeform, guide lines will appear to help you line it up with the content around it. You can also group individual elements (like a text box and a photo) so that they respond as a single object.

Freeform is also pretty great at accepting different files and attachments. Links to things like articles on a web site or a YouTube video show up with the page title and a preview (unfortunately, YouTube videos don’t play right in Freeform itself). Some things, like photos and audio files, do work right in Freeform though — you can tap a photo to see it full screen or an audio file to hear what’s in it.

While Freeform works fine when using it on your own, Apple has clearly pitched it as a collaborative tool. I haven’t been able to try that yet, but now that the software is out of beta I should get a chance soon. But like the other collaboration features Apple included in iPadOS 16 this year, it’s easy to bring other people into a Freeform board. There’s a share button in the top right corner of the app, and you can invite people via email, the Messages app or just by sharing a link. 

When adding people via Messages, everyone in the thread is automatically added to the board as an editor (though you can change that if you want it to be read-only). Then, as people add their own content to the board, you can see what has changed via an activity feed. And for real-time collaboration, you can kick off a FaceTime call with everyone working on the document.

The updates to Stage Manager are more straightforward, mostly because we’ve had a chance to test them already. If you’re using an iPad with an M1 or M2 chip, you can connect an external display and extend your iPad’s screen, rather than just mirror it. This means you can have different groups of apps running on both the iPad’s built-in screen as well as the external monitor, just as you can on a Mac (or most other computers). 

When you connect to a monitor, the external display is blank by default. But if you move your cursor on to that screen and launch an app from the Dock, it’ll pop up there. You can also click any open apps on the iPad screen and send it to the other display via the three dot menu at the top of the screen. 

Just as on the iPad display, the layout of apps on your external display isn’t fully customizable. Instead, there are a wide variety of sizes you can set them to, and as you add more apps to a space they dynamically rearrange themselves. You have some flexibility to move things where you want, but pixel-perfect manipulation like you’re used to on a Mac isn’t possible. 

Despite these caveats, there’s no doubt that using an iPad with an external display is a lot more useful than it was before. Previously, you could only mirror your iPad’s display — being able to extend your iPad to a much larger screen is another big step towards making the tablet better suited for “real work.” 

As for Freeform, its usefulness will probably depend on how many Apple users there are in your orbit. If your workplace depends heavily on devices like Macs or iPads, it could gain some traction. But breaking a new tool into a workflow that’s already been established can be difficult, so how popular Freeform will get remains a big question mark. Of course, it’s not restricted to workplace use — maybe families where two partners are already using iPads will enjoy organizing vacations or other, more mundane life events with Freeform. 

At this point it’s easier to list the features that Arturia’s Pigments doesn’t have than ones it does. The company has been rolling out regular updates for a few years now, and each new version adds something worth getting excited about. New synth engines, new effects, whole new utility sections – it’s both a place for Arturia to experiment with new ideas, and show off some of highlights from its lineup of vintage emulation.

At first blush Pigments 4 seems like a comparatively minor update. There’s some new effects, a handful of enhancements to the various oscillators, but there’s not much to reach out and demand your attention from a simple headline. This seemingly subtle upgrade hides a lot of quality of life enhancements, though.

For one, now you can simply drag and drop modulation sources to their target. Granted, clicking LFO one and then clicking on the filter cut off wasn’t particularly difficult. But now you can just drag the little tab over an LFO to whatever you want to modulate. It should make Pigments a little less intimidating to those just learning how to navigate the synth. There’s also now left and right arrows on multimode modules, like the filter, that lets you quickly change types, where previously you had to click and open a drop down menu to select a new option.

The most dramatic UI changes are thankfully optional. First is the new Play tab, which strips away most of the sound design options and focuses on a core set of tweakable parameters. You can’t change effects here, or set modulation preferences. It’s designed to just get you making noise without too many distractions. It’s fine for live performance or if you prefer to stick with the presets, but hides a lot of the depth that makes Pigments so compelling. 

The other major interface change is a bit of a head scratcher. See, while most companies are rushing to implement dark mode to save your eyes, Arturia has decided that Pigments is too dark and added a light mode. I’m sure there are those out there who will enjoy its bright gray panels, but I’m personally not a fan. Not only do I think the original theme is easier to stare at for prolonged periods of time, but it’s also just more consistent. There are many elements of the interface that remain dark even in light mode and it looks a bit cobbled together.

That’s a pretty minor nitpick though, considering that once you get past the UX, there’s a handful of new toys to play with in Pigments 4. There’s a new filter borrowed from the company’s MS-20 emulation, ring mod in the wavetable oscillator, super unison in the analog oscillator, a dedicated mod oscillator, an improved bit crusher and (wait for it) shimmer reverb!

The MS-20 filter might seem unnecessary considering Pigments already had 10 different filter options, many with multiple modes, but it does bring something special to the table. Rather than using it as you would any other lowpass filter, the MS-20 begs to be run at extremes. Crank the resonance and turn on keyboard tracking, and you can transform simple white noise into a delicate plucky key sound with a subtle crackle. Or just crank the volume on it and hit it with the hottest signal you can (though make sure to turn down the master volume or you’ll risk blowing out your ears) to get some crunchy saturation.

Ring Mod delivers some nice icy timbres. Though, this is not something that Pigments was exactly lacking before. It’s a welcome addition, but definitely not something that you’d miss too dearly if it quietly disappeared. The more exciting changes are to the Bit Crusher effect (as opposed to the one built into the sample engine). The addition of jitter, scale and new decimator options really let you fine tune the exact flavor of digital destruction you’re looking for.

Oh, then of course there’s the shimmer reverb. It does what it says on the tin. Personally I think it’s an essential effect, and I’m shocked Arturia hasn’t added one until now. There’s nothing about it that stands out particularly, but if you’re using Pigments to create granular soundscapes or ambient plucks, then you’ll be thankful it’s here.

Arturia also added 63 new wavetables, 67 new samples and 36 new noise types, plus a pile of new presets. And, if the new library of included patches isn’t enough for you, there’s also three new sound packs: Wavelengths Lo-fi, Wavelengths Neuro Bass and Wavelengths Cinematic to broaden your sonic palette.

Pigments 4 is available now as a free upgrade for existing owners. New customers have a chance to pick it up at an introductory price of $99 until January 4th, after which the price will go back up to $199.

Amazon will offer Prime Gaming members an extra batch of PC games later this month at no extra cost. Along with a few Metal Slug titles, SNK 40th Anniversary Collection and a few others, you can snap up Arcane Studios’ Dishonored 2 between December 27th and January 3rd.

A few years before it unleashed Deathloop, Arcane’s Lyon studio developed another sneaky action-adventure game in Dishonored 2. As with the first game in the series, it enables players to be creative in how they tackle missions, depending on their preferred playstyle. You can, for instance, take a non-lethal stealthy approach or battle enemies head on. This time around, you can play as two characters, each of which has their own supernatural abilities — Deathloop fans will certainly see some of that game’s DNA here.

It’s not yet clear whether Amazon will offer Dishonored 2 through Steam, the Epic Games Store or the Amazon Games app. However, it’s worth noting this game is unsupported on Steam Deck. That’s a bit odd, considering its decade-old predecessor should run on the handheld without any hitches. Still, a free(ish) game that’s as good as Dishonored 2 is nothing to sniff at, especially if you end up looking for something to play during the holidays.

Before Dishonored 2 and the other games hit the Prime Gaming lineup later this month, there are a few other notable titles that members can snag at no extra cost right now as part of the regular monthly drop. Classic first-person shooter Quake and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (from A Way Out and It Takes Two director Josef Fares) are up for grabs for another few weeks.

Avatar: The Way of Water is a triumph. As a sequel to the highest-grossing film ever, which was criticized for its formulaic story (and the surprisingly small ripple it had on pop culture), the new movie is a genuine surprise. It’s a sweeping epic that reflects on the nature of families, our relationship to the natural world and humanity’s endless thirst for violence and plunder. Fans of the original film often had to make excuses for writer and director James Cameron’s stilted script, but that’s no longer the case for The Way of Water, thanks to additional help from Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa (who both worked on the recent criminally under-loved Planet of the Apes trilogy).

Perhaps most impressive, though, is that James Cameron has managed to craft the best high frame rate (HFR) movie yet. Certain scenes play back at 48 frames per second, giving them a smoother and more realistic sheen compared to the standard 24fps. That leads to 3D action scenes that feel incredibly immersive — at times HFR can make you forget that the lush alien wildlife on Pandora isn’t real.

Unlike the handful of high frame rate movies we’ve already seen – The Hobbit trilogy, as well as Ang Lee’s Gemini Man and Billy Lynn’s Long Half-Time Walk – the Avatar sequel deploys the technology in a unique way. Rather than using HFR throughout the entire movie, Cameron relies on it for major action sequences, while slower dialog scenes appear as if they’re running at 24fps. To do that, the entire film actually runs at 48fps, while the calmer scenes use doubled frames to trick your brain into seeing them at the typical theatrical frame rate.

If this sounds a bit confusing, your brain may have a similar reaction while watching the film. The Way of Water often jumps from hyper-real HFR to pseudo-24 fps in the same scene — at one point, I counted around a dozen switches in a few minutes. This is a strategy Cameron has been discussing for years. In 2016, he noted that HFR is “a tool, not a format,” and later he rejected Ang Lee’s attempt at using HFR for Gemini Man’s entire runtime.

Cameron’s dual-pronged approach to HFR is bound to be controversial. Even for someone who appreciates what the technology has to offer — pristine 3D action scenes with no blurring or strobing — it took me a while to get used to flipping between high frame rate and 24 fps footage. With Gemini Man, my brain got used to the hyper-reality of HFR within 15 minutes. In The Way of Water, I was almost keeping an eye out for when the footage changed.

Despite the distracting format changes, The Way of Water’s high frame rate footage ultimately worked for me. At times, the film appears to be a window into the world of Pandora, with breathtaking shots of lush forests and lush oceans. It makes all of Cameron’s creations, from enormous flying fish-like creatures that you can ride, to alien whales with advanced language, appear as if they’re living and breathing creatures. HFR also works in tandem with the sequel’s more modern CG animation, making the Na’vi and their culture feel all the more real.

 Over the film’s three hour and twelve-minute runtime, I eventually managed to see what the director was aiming for, even if his ambition exceeded his grasp.  (Cameron, who has the world’s first [Avatar] and third-highest grossing films [Titanic] under his belt, and who dove into the Marianas Trench in a self-designed personal submarine, suggests you can use the bathroom anytime you want during The Way of Water. You’ll just catch up the next time you see it in theaters. Baller.)

The re-release of Avatar earlier this month also used a combination of HFR and traditional footage (in addition to brightening the picture and upscaling the film to 4K). But even though that revamp grossed over $70 million on its own, there hasn’t been much discussion about how it integrated high frame rate footage. (I saw it on a Regal RPX screen, which offered 3D but no extra frames, sadly.) There’s a better chance you’ll be able to catch Avatar: The Way of Water exactly how Cameron intended. It’ll be screening in 4K, HFR and 3D at all AMC Dolby Cinema locations and select IMAX theaters (single laser screens get everything, some dual-laser screens will only offer 2K 3D with HFR). While you could see it in 2D, why would you?

After suffering through the interminable Hobbit movies in HFR, I figured the technology was mostly a waste of time, yet another money-grab that Hollywood can use to pump up ticket prices. Director Peter Jackson struggled to recreate the magic of his Lord of the Rings trilogy, and amid production issues, he also failed to change the way he shot the Hobbit films to account for HFR. So that led to sets that looked like they were ripped from B-grade fantasy movies and costumes that seemingly came from a Spirit Halloween pop-up.

Ang Lee’s more studious attempts at using the technology, especially with the action scenes in Gemini Man, convinced me HFR still had some potential. But even he struggled along the way. Billy Lynn’s Long Half-Time Walk is a cinematic curiosity, where HFR makes slow dialog scenes appear too distractingly real. Gemini Man was cursed by a messy script and the need to be a big-budget Will Smith blockbuster.

Avatar: The Way of Water benefits from the creative failures of all of the earlier high frame rate films. For many, it’ll be their introduction to this technology, so it’ll be interesting to see how general audiences respond. Video games and hyper-real YouTube action footage have made 60fps footage far more common, so I could see younger audiences, those raised on hundreds of hours of Minecraft and Fortnite, vibing with Cameron’s vision. Everyone else will need more convincing. For me, though, I’m just glad there’s finally a high frame rate film that’s genuinely great, instead of just a technical exercise.

Instagram’s BeReal clone is now official. Meta introduced “Candid Stories,” a new feature with Instagram Stories that recreates BeReal’s signature once-a-day selfies.

BeReal, which originally launched in 2019, has gained a steady following over the last year, particularly among teens and Gen Z users. The app markets itself as a more authentic alternative to mainstream social media platforms, since it only allows once-daily posting and has limited ways for users to interact with one another.

Like BeReal, Instagram’s Candid will prompt users once a day to share a selfie, and users will only be able to see their friend’s Candids once they have uploaded their own. Candid selfies, like BeReal posts, will snap a photo with both a device’s front and rear-facing cameras simultaneously.

Meta has been working on a version of Candid since at least this summer, when a feature called “candid Challenges” was spotted in the app. The company said at the time it was an “internal prototype.” Snapchat and TikTok have also launched takes on BeReal in recent months.

But BeReal isn’t the only platform Instagram is taking on with its latest update. The app is also introducing a new “Notes” feature, which allows users to append a 60-character status update to their profile in Instagram’s inbox. As with Candid, Instagram has been testing Notes for months, but the feature may have taken on new significance following Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. The New York Times reported last week that some at Meta have suggested Notes could help the company compete with Twitter at a moment when many are searching for alternatives.

Instagram is also introducing a few other features geared toward getting users to interact in smaller groups. “Group Profiles” will allow groups of friends to create shared profiles with multiple contributors. Likewise, the app is testing “collaborative collections” so multiple people can share posts to the same space in the app.

This might be your best opportunity yet to get a modern Mac desktop below sticker price while still having enough storage for everyday use. Amazon is selling the Mac mini M1 with a 512GB SSD at a record low of $750. That’s well under the official $899, and enough of a savings that you’ll have plenty of money for peripherals. Just note that it might arrive after Christmas if you’re buying it as a gift.

This Mac mini is still a capable desktop. It’s speedy for daily use and media editing tasks, and it should remain quiet even under more demanding workloads. It’s also the most practical desktop Mac if you either want to use your own monitor or have USB-A devices you aren’t ready to give up. Apple first pitched the Mac mini as an ideal gateway computer for newcomers to the platform, and that’s arguably true even today — you can bring your own peripherals and get started with little trouble.

There’s no denying that the Mac mini M1’s two-year-old design has its limitations. It won’t be as fast as newer computers, including Apple’s own Mac Studio, and the 8GB of RAM in this configuration isn’t ideal for heavy-duty use. You may also want to consider the iMac M1 if you like the simplicity of an all-in-one. At this price, though, it’s easier to justify over more recent Mac desktops if you either have your own peripherals or want some flexibility in your setup.

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The perfect hybrid machine that’s just as good a tablet as it is a laptop still doesn’t exist. But throughout 2022, companies like Microsoft, Apple and Google continued to improve their operating systems for machines that do double duty. Windows 11 has features that make it friendlier for multi-screen devices, while Android has been better optimized for larger displays. Plus, with the rise of ARM-based chips for laptops, especially Apple’s impressive M series, prospects for a powerful 2-in-1 with a vast touch-friendly app ecosystem is at an all-time high.

These machines still have their limits, of course. Since they’re smaller than proper laptops, they tend to have less-powerful processors. Keyboards are often less sturdy, with condensed layouts and shallower travel. Plus, they’re almost always tablets first, leaving you to buy a keyboard case separately. (And those ain’t cheap!) So, you can’t always assume the advertised price is what you’ll actually spend on the 2-in-1 you want.

Sometimes, getting a third-party keyboard might be just as good, and they’re often cheaper than first-party offerings. If you’re looking to save some money, Logitech’s Slim Folio is an affordable option, and if you don’t need your keyboard to attach to your tablet, Logitech’s K780 Multi-Device wireless keyboard is also a good pick.

While we’ve typically made sure to include a budget 2-in-1 in previous years, this time there isn’t a great choice. We would usually pick a Surface Go, but the latest model is still too expensive. Other alternatives, like cheaper Android tablets, are underpowered and don’t offer a great multitasking interface. If you want something around $500 that’s thin, lightweight and long-lasting, you’re better off this year looking at a conventional laptop (like those on our best budget PCs list).

Chris Velazco / Engadget

When you’re shopping for a 2-in-1, there are some basic criteria to keep in mind. First, look at the spec sheet to see how heavy the tablet is (alone, and with the keyboard). Most modern hybrids weigh less than 2 pounds, with the 1.94-pound Surface Pro 9 being one of the heaviest around. The iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8+ are both slightly lighter. If the overall weight of the tablet and its keyboard come close to 3 pounds, you’ll be better off just getting an ultraportable laptop.

You’ll also want to opt for an 11-inch or 12-inch screen instead of a smaller 10-inch model. The bigger displays will make multitasking easier, plus their companion keyboards will be much better spaced. Also, try to get 6GB of RAM if you can for better performance — you’ll find this in the base model of the Galaxy Tab S7+, while this year’s iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 8 start with 8GB of RAM.

Finally, while some 2-in-1s offer built-in LTE or 5G connectivity, not everyone will want to pay the premium for it. An integrated cellular radio makes checking emails or replying to messages on the go far more convenient. But it also often costs more, and that’s not counting what you’ll pay for data. And, as for 5G — you can hold off on it unless you live within range of a mmWave beacon. Coverage is still spotty and existing nationwide networks use the slower sub-6 technology that’s barely faster than LTE.

Best overall: Surface Pro 9 (Intel)

There’s no beating the Surface series when it comes to 2-in-1s. They’re powerful, sleek tablets running an OS that’s actually designed for productivity. The Surface Pro 9 is Microsoft’s latest and great tablet, and it builds upon the already excellent Pro 8. It features speedy 12th-gen Intel CPUs and all of the major upgrades from last year, including a 120Hz display and a more modern design. It’s the best implementation of Microsoft’s tablet PC vision yet.

Don’t confuse this with the similarly named Surface Pro 9 with 5G, though, which has a slower ARM processor and inferior software compatibility. Built-in cellular is nice and all, but the Intel Pro 9 is a far better PC.

Like most of the other 2-in-1s on this list, the Pro 9 doesn’t come with a keyboard cover — you’ll have to pay extra for that. That’s a shame, considering it starts at $1,000. Microsoft offers a variety of Type Covers for its Surface Pros ranging from $100 to $180, depending on whether you want a slot for a stylus. But at least they’re comfortable and well-spaced. You can also get the Surface Slim Pen 2 ($130) for sketching out your diagrams or artwork, which features haptic feedback for a more responsive experience.

Best for Apple users: 12.9-inch iPad Pro

If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, the best option for you is obviously an iPad. The 12-inch Pro is our pick. Like older models, this iPad Pro has a stunning 12.9-inch screen with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate, as well as mini-LED backlighting. This year, it includes Apple’s incredibly fast M2 chip and more battery life than ever before.

Apple’s Magic Keyboard provides a satisfying typing experience, and its trackpad means you won’t have to reach for the screen to launch apps. But it’ll also cost you an extra $300, making it the most expensive case on this list by a lot. The iPad also lacks a headphone jack and its webcam is awkwardly positioned along the left bezel when you prop it up horizontally, so be aware that it’s still far from a perfect laptop replacement. Still, with its sleek design and respectable battery life, the iPad Pro 12.9 is a good 2-in-1 for Apple users.

Best for Android users: Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+

While Windows is better than iPadOS and Android for productivity, it lags the other two when it comes to apps specifically designed for touchscreens. If you want a tablet that has all the apps you want, and only need it to occasionally double as a laptop, the Galaxy Tab S8+ is a solid option. You’ll enjoy watching movies and playing games on its gorgeous 12.4-inch 120Hz AMOLED screen, and Samsung includes the S Pen, which is great for sketching and taking notes. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip and 8GB of RAM keep things running smoothly, too.

Last year, Samsung dramatically improved its keyboard case, making the Tab an even better laptop replacement. You could type for hours on this thing and not hate yourself (or Samsung). The battery life is also excellent, so you won’t need to worry about staying close to an outlet. The main caveat is that Android isn’t great as a desktop OS, even with the benefits of Android 12L. And while Samsung’s DeX mode offers a somewhat workable solution, it has plenty of quirks.

Cherlynn Low contributed to this report.