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Intel Evo 3 now requires laptops to have better webcams

Jacob Roach
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Intel is building on its Evo 3 specification, announced at CES 2022, with what it calls an intelligent collaboration experience. Devices that meet the new spec not only require what Intel announced in January, but also a suite of tools and experiences built specifically for remote workers.

The key parts of this collaboration experience are responsiveness, battery life, charging, and image quality. Intel tested 25 of the most common tasks that remote workers use — things like videoconferencing, working simultaneously on online documents, and presenting. These tasks had to respond immediately, and they had to still offer at least nine hours of battery life.

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Intel Evo 3 spec list.

Nine hours of battery life doesn’t seem impressive; in fact, it’s the same number Intel reached for with the previous Evo spec. Intel says that the battery life has stayed the same, but the workload has changed. Essentially, Evo 3 laptops are getting the same battery life as Evo 2 laptops under more demanding conditions.

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AMD is boasting up to 24 hours of battery life on its upcoming Ryzen 6000 processors, though we’re not sure where that number is coming from. Intel said its battery life estimates came out of typical use cases, with things like screen brightness and background apps accounted for. Intel said that Evo 3 designs could easily reach 24 hours of battery life under ideal conditions.

Outside of battery life, the updated spec includes fast charge that needs to supply four hours of battery life in 30 minutes, as well as instant (less than a second) wake from sleep. The new spec also calls for platform features like Wi-Fi 6E, as well as network features like a traffic analyzer.

The most important addition is a vide conferencing spec. Intel already beefed up webcams with Evo 3, but machines need to have software to support those webcams. A.I.-based noise suppression, better tone mapping, and image noise reduction are among the necessary features.

Intel hopes to expand the Evo 3 spec in the future. Additions down the line include a visual sensing controller that can wake when it detects you, as well as 5G. Intel says that more than 15 laptops with 5G will arrive this year.

Perhaps most exciting, Intel is looking into a multidevice experience. The idea is to share calls, messages, photos, and almost everything else between your phone, laptop, and desktop. Apple has offered something similar for years, as have brands like Samsung. Intel hopes to unify those previous efforts with a brand -agnostic tool.

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