Category: Tablets

Contribute to WebXPRT’s AI capabilities with your NPU-equipped gear

on July 11, 2024

A few weeks ago, we announced that we’re developing a new auxiliary WebXPRT 4 workload focused on local, browser-based AI technology. This is an exciting project for us, and as we work to determine the best approach from the perspective of frameworks, APIs, inference models, and test scenarios, we’re also thinking ahead to the testing process. To best understand how the new workload will impact system performance, we’re going to need to test it on hardware equipped with the latest generation of neural processing units (NPUs).

NPUs are not new, but the technology is advancing rapidly, and a growing number of PC and laptop manufacturers are releasing NPU-equipped systems. Several vendors have announced plans to release systems equipped with all-new NPUs in the latter half of this year. As is often the case with bleeding-edge technology, however, official release dates do not always coincide with widespread availability.

We want to evaluate new AI-focused WebXPRT workloads on the widest possible range of new systems, but getting a wide selection of gear equipped with the latest NPUs may take quite a while through normal channels. For that reason, we’ve decided to ask our readers for help to expedite the process.

If you’re an OEM or vendor representative with access to the latest generation of NPU-equipped gear and want to contribute to WebXPRT’s evolution, consider sending us any PCs, white boxes, laptops, 2-in-1s, or tablets (on loan) that would be suitable for NPU-focused testing. We have decades of experience serving as trusted testers of confidential and pre-release gear, so we’re well-acquainted with concerns about confidentiality that may come into play, and we won’t publish any information about the systems or related test results without your permission.

We will, though, be happy to share with you our test results on your systems, and we’d love to hear any guidance or other feedback from you on this new workload.

We’re open to any suitable gear, but we’re especially interested in AMD Ryzen AI, Apple M4, Intel Lunar Lake and Arrow Lake, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite systems.

If you’re interested in sending us gear for WebXPRT development testing, please contact us. We’ll work out all the necessary details. Thanks in advance for your help!

Justin

Posted in AI, AMD, Apple, Arrow Lake, benchmark, Benchmarking, browser performance, Browser-based benchmarks, Collaborative benchmark development, Cross-platform benchmarks, Future of performance evaluation, Intel, Laptops, Lunar Lake, M4, Machine learning, Mobile devices, NPU, on-device AI, PCs, Performance benchmarking, Qualcomm, Ryzen AI, Snapdragon X Elite, Tablets, Web-based testing, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 4 | Tagged 2-in-1s, AI, AMD, Apple, Arrow Lake, artificial intelligence, browser performance, desktops, Intel, laptops, Lunar Lake, M4, NPU, PCs, Qualcomm, Ryzen, Ryzen AI, Snapdragon, Snapdragon X Elite, tablets, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 4, white box |

Let the XPRTs be your holiday shopping companion!

By Justin Greene

on November 9, 2023

The holiday shopping season is right around the corner, and choosing the right tech gift can be a daunting task. If you’re considering new phones, tablets, Chromebooks, laptops, or desktops as gifts this year, and are unsure where to get reliable device information, the XPRTs can help!

The XPRTs provide objective, reliable measures of a device’s performance that can help cut through competing marketing claims. For example, instead of guessing whether the performance of a new phone justifies its price, you can use its WebXPRT performance score to see how it stacks up against both older models and competitors while tackling everyday tasks.

A good place to start looking for device scores is our XPRT results browser, which lets you access our database of more than 3,500 test results from over 150 sources, including major tech review publications around the world, OEMs, and independent testers. You can find a wealth of current and historical performance data across all the XPRT benchmarks and hundreds of devices. Learn how to use the results browser here.

If you’re considering a popular device, chances are good that a recent tech review includes an XPRT score for it. Go to your favorite tech review site and search for “XPRT,” or enter the name of the device and the appropriate XPRT (e.g., “Pixel” and “WebXPRT”) in a search engine. Here are a few recent tech reviews that used the XPRTs to evaluate popular devices:

Notebookcheck used WebXPRT in reviews of the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16, the Apple iPhone 15 Pro, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023), the Google Pixel 8 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+.
Gadgets 360 used WebXPRT to test the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M2, 2023) and the Apple Mac Studio (M2 Max, 2023).
Gizmodo used WebXPRT in a review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
PCMag used CrXPRT to evaluate the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023).
TechRadar used HDXPRT in a review of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i 16.

The XPRTs can help consumers make better-informed and more confident tech purchases this holiday season, and we hope you’ll find the data you need on our site or in an XPRT-related tech review. If you have any questions about the XPRTs, XPRT scores, or the results database please feel free to ask!

Justin

Posted in Acer, Apple, ASUS, benchmark, Chromebooks, CrXPRT, Google, HDXPRT, Laptops, Phones, results, Samsung, Tablets, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 4 | Tagged Acer, Apple, ASUS, Black Friday, CrXPRT, Cyber Monday, desktops, Google Pixel, HDXPRT, Holidays, laptops, Lenovo, phones, Samsung, tablets, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 4, XPRTs |

An update on the issue with WebXPRT 4 in iOS 17

By Justin Greene

on September 28, 2023

Recently, we informed XPRT blog readers that after updating Apple iPhones and iPads to iOS and iPadOS 17, respectively, we began to see WebXPRT 4 failures on those devices. In the Safari and Google Chrome browsers, WebXPRT 4 test runs were freezing while running the Encrypt Notes and OCR Scan workload. We were able to replicate the issue on every iOS/iPadOS 17 device we tested, and we also confirmed that WebXPRT 4 continues to run without issues on other non-iOS platforms.

Our team has been investigating the situation, and we’ve made some progress. It’s clear that the failed test runs are getting stuck when the WASM-based Tesseract.js Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine attempts to scan a shopping receipt. During our research, we’ve discovered an issue when the current Tesseract.js engine runs on iOS 17. This issue is broader than WebXPRT 4, and the Tesseract team is aware of the problem. Future versions of iOS 17 or later versions of Tesseract.js may include fixes for the problem, but unfortunately, we don’t know whether or when a fix will be available.

We’re currently investigating possible workarounds for the problem, and hope to be able to start testing soon. Our goal is that any solution we implement will not significantly affect existing WebXPRT 4 scores on non-iOS 17 platforms.

We will continue to share any substantive progress updates with readers here in the blog. Once again, we apologize for any inconvenience this issue causes for WebXPRT 4 users, and we appreciate your patience while we work toward a solution. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us!

Justin

Posted in Apple, benchmark, BenchmarkXPRT, browser performance, Browser-based benchmarks, Cross-platform benchmarks, Google Chrome, iOS, Performance benchmarking, Phones, Safari, Tablets, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 4 | Tagged Apple, benchmark metrics, benchmarks, Chrome, iOS, iOS 17, OCR, optical character recognition, Safari, Tesseract, WASM, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 4 |

The XPRTs are a great back-to-school shopping resource

By Justin Greene

on August 10, 2023

Students of all ages will be starting a new school year over the next few weeks, and many learners will be shopping for tech devices that can help them excel in their studies. The tech marketplace can be confusing, and competing claims can be hard to navigate. The XPRTs are here to help! Whether you’re shopping for a new laptop, desktop, Chromebook, tablet, or phone, the XPRTs can provide reliable, industry-trusted performance scores that can cut through all the noise.

A good place to start looking for scores is the WebXPRT 4 results viewer. The viewer displays WebXPRT 4 scores from almost 500 devices—including many hot new releases—and we’re adding new scores all the time. To learn more about the viewer’s capabilities and how you can use it to compare devices, check out this blog post.

Another resource we offer is the XPRT results browser. The browser is the most efficient way to access the XPRT results database, which currently holds more than 3,400 test results from over 140 sources, including major tech review publications around the world, OEMs, and independent testers. It offers a wealth of current and historical performance data across all of the XPRT benchmarks and hundreds of devices. You can read more about how to use the results browser here.

Also, if you’re considering a popular device, chances are good that a recent tech review includes an XPRT score for that device. Two quick ways to find these reviews: (1) go to your favorite tech review site and search for “XPRT” and (2) go to a search engine and enter the device name and XPRT name (e.g. “Lenovo ThinkPad” and “WebXPRT”). Here are a few recent tech reviews that use one of the XPRTs to evaluate a popular device:

Notebookcheck used WebXPRT in reviews of the Acer Predator Helios 16, Samsung Galaxy A14 LTE, Apple MacBook Air 15 (M2, 2023), Google Pixel 7a, and in a recent article titled, “The Best Smartphones.”
Gadgets360 used WebXPRT in reviews of the Apple Mac Mini (M2 Pro, 2023) and Apple MacBook Air 15 (M2, 2023).
PCMag used CrXPRT 2 to review the Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook, Acer Chromebook 315, and Acer Chromebook Vero 514.
PCWorld used CrXPRT 2 in features called, “Best Chromebooks 2023: Best overall, best battery life, and more” and “The best laptops for kids: Best overall, best battery life, and more.”
Tom’s Guide used HDXPRT 4 in reviews of the Alienware Aurora R15 and Dell XPS 8960 desktops.

The XPRTs can help back-to-school shoppers make better-informed and more confident tech purchases. As this school year begins, we hope you’ll find the data you need on our site or in an XPRT-related tech review. If you have any questions about the XPRTs, XPRT scores, or the results database please feel free to ask!

Justin

Posted in ASUS, benchmark, Benchmarking, Chromebooks, Education, Laptops, PCs, Performance benchmarking, Phones, results, Tablets, tech press | Tagged Acer, Apple, Back-to-School, benchmark, BenchmarkXPRT, desktop, education, Gadgets360, Google, laptop, Lenovo, PCMag, PCWorld, phone, results, school, tablet, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 4 |

The XPRTs can help with your holiday shopping!

By Justin Greene

on November 3, 2022

The holiday shopping season is fast approaching, and choosing the right tech gift can often be a daunting task. If you’re considering phones, tablets, Chromebooks, or laptops as gifts, and are unsure where to get reliable device information, the XPRTs can help!

The XPRTs provide objective, reliable measures of a device’s performance that can help to cut through the marketing noise. For example, instead of guessing whether the performance of a new laptop lives up to its billing, you can use its WebXPRT performance score to see how it stacks up against the competition on everyday tasks.

A good place to start looking for device scores is our XPRT results browser, which lets you access our database of more than 3,200 test results from over 165 sources, including major tech review publications around the world, OEMs, and independent testers. You can find a wealth of current and historical performance data across all the XPRT benchmarks and hundreds of devices. Learn how to use the results browser here.

If you’re considering a popular device, chances are good that a recent tech review includes an XPRT score for it. You can find these reviews by going to your favorite tech review site and searching for “XPRT,” or entering the name of the device and the appropriate XPRT (e.g., “iPhone” and “WebXPRT”) in a search engine. Here are a few recent tech reviews that used the XPRTs to evaluate popular devices:

AnandTech used WebXPRT to evaluate the MSI Titan GT77 gaming laptop.
Notebookcheck used WebXPRT in reviews of the Apple iPhone 14 Plus, the ASUS ZenFone 9, Google Pixel 6a, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G.
Tom’s Guide used WebXPRT to test the Apple MacBook Pro (M1 2022).
PCMag used WebXPRT to evaluate the Apple MacBook Air (M2 20022) and Lenovo Legion 7 Gen 7 laptops.
PCWorld used WebXPRT in a review of the Microsoft Surface Pro 9.

Justin

Posted in AnandTech, Apple, benchmark, Benchmark metrics, BenchmarkXPRT, Chromebooks, Google, Laptops, PCs, Performance benchmarking, Phones, results, Tablets, WebXPRT | Tagged AnandTech, Apple, ASUS, BenchmarkXPRT, BenchmarkXPRT Development Community, Google, Lenovo, Microsoft, Notebookcheck, PCMag, PCWorld, results, Samsung, Tom's Hardware, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 4 |

The XPRTs can help with your back-to-school shopping

By Justin Greene

on August 4, 2022

The new school year is upon us, and learners of all ages are looking for tech devices that have the capabilities they will need in the coming year. The tech marketplace can be confusing, and competing claims can be hard to navigate. The XPRTs are here to help! Whether you’re shopping for a new phone, tablet, Chromebook, laptop, or desktop, the XPRTs can provide reliable, industry-trusted performance scores that can cut through all the noise.

A good place to start looking for scores is the WebXPRT 4 results viewer. The viewer displays WebXPRT 4 scores from over 175 devices—including many hot new releases—and we’re adding new scores all the time. To learn more about the viewer’s capabilities and how you can use it to compare devices, check out this blog post.

Another resource we offer is the XPRT results browser. The browser is the most efficient way to access the XPRT results database, which currently holds more than 3,000 test results from over 120 sources, including major tech review publications around the world, OEMs, and independent testers. It offers a wealth of current and historical performance data across all of the XPRT benchmarks and hundreds of devices. You can read more about how to use the results browser here.

Also, if you’re considering a popular device, chances are good that a recent tech review includes an XPRT score for that device. Two quick ways to find these reviews: (1) go to your favorite tech review site and search for “XPRT” and (2) go to a search engine and enter the device name and XPRT name (e.g., “Apple MacBook Air” and “WebXPRT”). Here are a few recent tech reviews that use one of the XPRTs to evaluate a popular device:

Notebookcheck used WebXPRT in reviews of the Acer Swift X 16, Apple MacBook Air, ASUS ROG Flow X16, Lenovo V17G2, Nothing Phone (1); and a recent article titled, “The Best Smartphones.”
PCMag used WebXPRT 3 to compare the M1 Max and M1 Ultra versions of the Apple Mac Studio, and to review the Apple Macbook Air (2022, M2).
PCWorld used CrXPRT 2 in a feature called, “The best Chromebooks: Best overall, best battery life, and more.”
ZDNet used CrXPRT 2 in a review titled, “The 5 best Chromebooks for students: Top back-to-school picks.”

The XPRTs can help consumers make better-informed and more confident tech purchases. As this school year begins, we hope you’ll find the data you need on our site or in an XPRT-related tech review. If you have any questions about the XPRTs, XPRT scores, or the results database please feel free to ask!

Justin

Posted in Apple, benchmark, Benchmark metrics, Browser-based benchmarks, Chromebooks, CrXPRT, Education, Laptops, Mobile devices, Performance benchmarking, Phones, results, Tablets, WebXPRT, WebXPRT 3, WebXPRT 4 | Tagged Acer, Apple, ASUS, Chromebooks, education, Lenovo, Notebookcheck, PCMag, PCWorld, results, school, WebXPRT, ZDNet |

Category: Tablets

Contribute to WebXPRT’s AI capabilities with your NPU-equipped gear

Let the XPRTs be your holiday shopping companion!

An update on the issue with WebXPRT 4 in iOS 17

The XPRTs are a great back-to-school shopping resource

The XPRTs can help with your holiday shopping!

The XPRTs can help with your back-to-school shopping

Check out the other XPRTs: