Laptop Batteries, Chargers and AC Adapters

The 2019 15in MacBook Pro packs in powerful Intel processors – including an 8-core option – but still uses the butterfly keyboard

Apple’s updated the MacBook Pro for 2019 with what proved to be the last 15in MacBook Pro – at least for now.

Since then the 15in has been replaced by a larger 16in MacBook Pro model, but while Apple itself no longer sells the MacBook Pro 15, you can buy it from other retailers or refurbished. So is it still worth considering?

The big change to the 2019 15in was the move from Intel’s 8th generation Coffee Lake to 9th generation Coffee Lake Refresh chips. To the uninitiated that might sound like less of an impressive jump than the usual move from processors of one ‘lake’ to another, but these newer Coffee Lake chips represent a move from 6 to 8 cores.

These chips are primarily designed for creative professionals and gamers. However, they do have some benefits for those performing general office tasks and other more consumer-focused applications, in as much as they could save battery life because they can run in low-power mode. We’ll take a closer look at the processors and other updated components

>>>>>> Laptop Battery >>>>>>Hot Products

The MacBook Air 2019 was a reasonable laptop choice for a while, but in 2020 is no cheaper and has been eclipsed by a new 2020 model, complete with Magic Keyboard

There are updates, and then there are updates; and the new MacBook Air for 2019 is more iPhone XS than Mac Pro 2019. Not all that much has changed since the previous generation – which isn’t necessarily a problem, because (like the XS) it’s still an excellent device, but it’s unlikely to tempt many one-year upgraders.

Note that the MacBook Air 2020 is here and we’ve updated this review to reflect this. Read on to find out whether you should still buy this older model. Spoiler: Although it can sometimes be a bargain to buy an older generation, this is not one of those situations.

Design & Build
The MacBook Air is a true Goldilocks of form factors. The 13in screen and full-size keyboard feel big enough to work on pretty comfortably – the trackpad is enormous, too, as we’ll discuss in a moment – but it’s contained within a chassis that’s slim (4.1mm at the thinnest point) and portable (1.25kg). The MacBook Pro is comparatively bulky, and the (now discontinued) 12in MacBook can feel cramped, but this is just right.

The Air comes in silver, gold and Space Grey. The latter is particularly smart, but we’re also fond of the gold finish which we tested. As is standard on Apple products, we’re talking about a bronzey, reddish-gold that’s easy on the eye.

Now, this will be of interest only to those contemplating an upgrade from a recent MacBook model, but it’s worth noting that all of the above is the same as the 2018 model. In classic Air fashion, the lines are sleek and minimalist and the lid opens with exactly the right amount of pressure, but Apple hasn’t updated the design at all – except for the keyboard, which we’ll talk about next.

>>>>>> Laptop Battery >>>>>>Hot Products

Boasting Apple’s new M1 chipset, the MacBook Air is one of the most powerful ultralight laptops on the market right now.

While you could set your watch to Apple’s yearly iPhone release, Apple’s update schedule is a little bit more chaotic when it comes to its Mac range. When Apple released the Intel-based MacBook Air back in Spring 2020, everybody assumed that’d be it for another year – or possibly longer, if Apple’s track record is anything to go by.

So, when Apple announced another MacBook Air, people were confused. But rather than being another simple spec bump, the new MacBook Air has been truly transformed – on the inside, anyway.

Featuring Apple’s new M1 chipset, based on the architecture of its hugely powerful A-Series chipsets for iPhone and iPad, the MacBook Air with M1 should be a serious consideration for those on the market for a lightweight-yet-powerful laptop right now.

Design and build
The MacBook Air looks almost identical to its predecessor, measuring in at 212.4mm thick, and it’s almost identical dimensions to the new MacBook Pro, but Apple tapered the design of the MacBook Air to help shave off a bit of weight and give it the distinctive Air look that Apple has lent on for years. It’s immediately noticeable as a MacBook Air, that much is certainly true.

It’s the same story in the port department, much to the disappointment to those hoping Apple would expand on the, ahem, minimal approach to ports on the MacBook Air. There’s a headphone jack, two USB-C ports and… nope, that’s it. Considering one of those two USB-C ports is used to charge the laptop, that’ll leave you with a single USB-C port at your disposal when tethered to the wall.

>>>>>> Laptop Battery >>>>>>Hot Products

It’s not a big upgrade on the OnePlus Nord 2 but for £30 less the OnePlus Nord 2T is the best mid-range phone around

The OnePlus Nord 2T is very similar to 2021’s Nord 2 but that doesn’t stop the newer version from being one of the best mid-range phones you can buy.

The 2T adds faster 80W charging and a newer processor for a lower starting price than before. It shows how far smartphone technology has come that the Nord 2T is so good I’d recommend most people should buy it over the £799/$899/€899 OnePlus 10 Pro.

It costs half as much but does most things just as well. It’s not a sonic leap forward for OnePlus by any means but if you are looking to upgrade your phone and are on a budget, the Nord 2T should be close to the top of your list.

Design and build
Glass back
Unusual mint green colour option
Distinctive camera module
This is a svelte and thin 190g device despite the relatively large screen, which is flat unlike many premium devices that opt for curved edge displays. The back of the phone is glass with a large and unusual camera unit that houses two large black discs.

In the top circle is the main camera lens while in the bottom circle sits two other lenses positioned at 12 and 7 o’clock. It looks a little odd but at least it’s distinctive. A single front facing camera sits in the top left of the screen as a cut out and generally keeps out of the way.

>>>>>> Laptop Battery >>>>>>Hot Products

Acer’s Chromebook 15 offers a large display and a low price. We see if it lives up to its promise in our full review.

Chromebooks have often tended to adopt 11.6- and 13in display sizes, which makes them great for portability but can be a little small for some people. So, if you’ve yearned for a larger screen, the 2019 Acer Chromebook 15 could be a tempting proposition. We put through its paces to see if size really does matter.

For a full rundown of our favourite Google-powered laptops, take a look at the Best Chromebooks chart.

Price
Acer offers a few variations of the CB315, with the one we’re reviewing featuring an 1.6GHz AMD A4-9120C processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB of storage and a 1366×768 TN display, all for £279/$279. This is the model we’ve tested.

If you want more power then there’s the 1.8GHz AMD A6-9220C processor model which also sees the display quality bumped up to Full HD 1080p for £299/$399. There’s also a touchscreen variant (CB315-2HT) but at the time of writing we have no price or details of availability.

Acer doesn’t have a link for buying the CB315 on its UK site, but you can pick it up from Amazon, Argos, and Currys PC World.

>>>>>> Laptop Battery >>>>>>Hot Products