Author: Bharat Nagpal

Samsung India Denies Galaxy Note 7 Recall, Claims Stock Shortage

Update : Samsung India has issued a statement about the recall, which is attached at the bottom of post.

In a typical Samsung India move, the company is denying that there is a recall of the Galaxy Note 7 trying to not lose the goodwill gathered at the time of launch.

Samsung has cancelled or delayed all the pre orders indefinitely and sent apologies to consumers claiming stock shortages.

Samsung India does not believe that news of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall will reach its consumers, apparently people live under a rock according to Samsung.

The message below has been sent to people who pre-ordered

Thank you for pre-booking Galaxy Note7. We regret to inform that delivery of your Galaxy Note7 is being delayed. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. You can be assured that we are working hard to deliver your Galaxy Note7 to you as soon as possible. Thank You for your understanding.

Samsung India distributers have been strictly told to not speculate on the recall and tell the consumers that the shipments are delayed due to stock shortages

Samsung India tells the consumers that the shipments are delayed due to stock shortages Click to Share
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In countries like the US, the law requires companies to announce recalls and post information in the media. Since India is void of any such laws, people depend on getting the news online.

If you are buying a Galaxy Note 7 or interested in buying one, we recommend you do not until there is official word that the problem of the battery exploding has been solved.

Please also avoid buying a Galaxy Note 7 from the Black/Grey markets to avoid any injury via the problem.

Samsung Formal Statement :

Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note 7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue. To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have delayed sales of the Galaxy Note 7 in India. We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers.

September 2, 2016
Samsung Recalls the Galaxy Note 7 Due To Battery Explosions

Before the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 could hit India, the South Korean company has issued a global recall of the handset. Several reports of the Galaxy Note 7 batteries exploding have surfaced since the launch of the Galaxy Note 7 in several markets.

The Note series has been in trouble since last year. The Note 5 which was 2015’s Note phone suffered the Pen-gate where the S-Pen would get stuck upside down in the Note body and cause the Note 5 to stop working.

This year it seems safety is a bigger concern and Samsung has decided to pull its products from shelves before any other injury can happen.

Samsung said that 35 cases of the fault have been reported to date, and it estimates the problem affects only 24 in a million devices, which equates to roughly one for every 42,000 sold. Which by itself is a small number, but in a case like this you wouldn’t want to be the owner of that one device.

In comparison to recalls this will be the highest-profile consumer tech recall, companies like Fitbit and beats have done tech recalls in the past. Samsung will need to recall and replace batteries in over 2 Million Galaxy Note 7 handsets , along with a complete change of the manufacturing process, before the company can re-introduce the product to market.

Samsung has stopped sales effective immediately and has requested customers with exiting Note 7 devices to contact their customer care centres/ phone numbers to request a replacement.

The recall will be an expensive one for Samsung and may completely hurt the reputation and hype the company was trying to build, by launching the Note 7 over a month prior to any Apple announcement. Read the full report below:

Samsung is committed to producing the highest quality products and we take every incident report from our valued customers very seriously. In response to recently reported cases of the new Galaxy Note 7, we conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue.

To date (as of September 1) there have been 35 cases that have been reported globally and we are currently conducting a thorough inspection with our suppliers to identify possible affected batteries in the market. However, because our customers’ safety is an absolute priority at Samsung, we have stopped sales of the Galaxy Note 7.

For customers who already have Galaxy Note 7 devices, we will voluntarily replace their current device with a new one over the coming weeks.

We acknowledge the inconvenience this may cause in the market but this is to ensure that Samsung continues to deliver the highest quality products to our customers. We are working closely with our partners to ensure the replacement experience is as convenient and efficient as possible.

September 2, 2016
Turing Phone Cadenza Has 2 X Snapdragon 830, 60MP Camera, 12 GB RAM and 1 TB Storage

Turing’s latest smartphone may seem over the top, but, that is exactly what you need in today’s smartphone environment. Meet the company’s latest project the Turing Phone Cadenza. A phone that has doubles of everything and then a chassis to make every tech enthusiast stay up the night.

For starters you get a pretty run of the mill 5.8 inch QHD display with 2560 x 1440px of resolution, and that is exactly where the boring stops and the awesome begins.

The Turing Phone Cadenza is run on a dual Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 setup with 12 GB of RAM ( LPDDR4X 2x 6GB) along with a whopping 1 TB of storage with 2 x 256 GB flash memory modules installed and dual 256 GB memory card slots.

If you are starting to ache from all these specs, then what’s next will push you towards borderline insanity. The camera setup comprises of a total of 60 MP using a quad sensor array for the rear, and the front camera will have a dual 10MP sensor setup to deliver a 20 MP front camera experience.

The company wants to power this with a 2400 Graphene power cell battery mated with a 1600 mAh li-on battery and a Hydrogen Fuel Cell ( umm … Yeah!). The battery setup will deliver a total of 100 wh of juice.

All the above power and dual chipset setup will support 4 X SIM cards and audio is delivered by Marshall London Global Equaliser.

If all of this suits your needs, the Turing Phone Cadenza will be wrapped in a Graphene Oxide Composite frame with a Liquid metal structure.

Turing wants to sell this phone running Swordfish OS, which boasts a deep learning AI, and is based on the Sailfish OS.

The Turing Phone Cadenza will become a reality in early 2017 with no price in sight, expect to shed a fortune for this rocket-ship of a smartphone.

September 2, 2016
Everything We Know About The Apple iPhone 7

Apple has set an event for the 7th of September, in the date of the event lies the clue of the launch of the Apple iPhone 7. Each year like clockwork Apple releases a revision to their flagship smartphone, and till last year their only smartphone line. The iPhone 7 is the next incremental upgrade which usually comes after Apple has already launched a “s” version of the iPhone, in this case the iPhone 6s was launched last year.

Launch

Just as mentioned above, one thing we know for sure is that Apple will launch the iPhone 7 on 7th September 2016. The iPhone 7 will then possibly go up for sale a week later. Pre orders should begin with a few hours from launch.

Design

If rumours and leaks are to be believed. Apple will launch the iPhone 7 in a design which is quite similar to that of the iPhone 6 and 6s, however there are major differences in the way that the back looks and minor differences in some aesthetics. The overall shape will remain the same the antenna lines will be moved around, a design which supposedly will improve antenna performance. The antenna bands now also look slightly neater, tucking in to the top and bottom edges instead of lapping around the back of the phone. The camera bump will also be different, a larger lens for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus and a dual camera setup for the iPhone 7 Pro.

Apple is also said to be removing the 3.5 mm headphone jack in an attempt to make the iPhone more water resistant or maybe even waterproof.

Display

It is unlikely that Apple will bump up the resolution of the display or change the type of display, but the demand from consumers for an OLED display has been huge. Apple might switch up the technology but there are no confirmed reports of this. A higher resolution OLED display would also mean sacrificing performance and battery, which Apple cannot afford to do.

Reports say that Apple will switch to OLED panels in their all glass design expected in 2017.

Headphone Jack

The removal of the headphone jack has been the highlight of every leak and rumour since the iPhone 7 leaks started. Will Apple really ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack in the iPhone 7? The industry is already ready for the big change and leaks have also redied the consumers enough. Although we wouldn’t be surprised if the leaks turn out to be untrue. For now no can can say with certainty, but the headphone jack may retire in 2016 thanks to the iPhone 7.

Camera

Apple is making significant changes to the cameras on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (and possibly the Pro ), If Apple does launch three variants, expect the iPhone 7 to do large megapixel stills with 4k video and possibly Slo-mo 1080p at 240fps. The iPhone 7 may even shoot 4k UHD video at 60fps. The iPhone 7 pro is said to have a dual camera setup, this may be the same phone as the iPhone 7 plus, or may be an independent handset altogether. The dual camera could be used for any existing technology like; post focus, dedicated monochrome imaging and colour imaging. 3D imaging, or simply higher dynamic range.

Hardware

The Apple iPhone 7 is said to sport the Apple A10 chipset with the M10 motion co-processor. A huge bump in performance and graphics for this phone would be a result of this new chipset. The use of this chipset may also allow apple to bump up the display resolution if they do decide to do that.

Reports also suggest an increase in RAM, 2 GB for the iPhone 7 and 3 GB for the Plus and/or pro variant.

iPhone 7 Plus : L’existence d’un modèle de 256Go confirmée ? https://t.co/LQeQL31D3K #iPhone7 #iPhone7Plus pic.twitter.com/WuikIWNi94

— Steve Hemmerstoffer (@stagueve) August 31, 2016

Storage will also get a major boost, recently leaked images of a 256GB iPhone 7 box suggest that Apple will make the phone variants either 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB or simply start at 64GB and offer two increments as 128 GB and 256 GB. Wireless charging patents and technology may exist in the new iPhone 7 however, a metal case may not allow that successfully.

The Lightning port will now have a faster charging capability according to rumours along with an inbuilt DAC for Hi-Res digital audio out for those headphones that support it. Apple may include a simple lightning to 3.5mm dongle in the box or sell it as an accessory for as much as US $ 19.

The iPhone 7 Pro is a rumoured to have the smart connector similar to the one found on the iPad Pro, for allowing connections with accessories, and possibly battery packs.

iOS

We know that iOS 10 will be launched along side the iPhone 7, so the iPhone 7 will run the said OS. The operating system is already out in BETA and has a whole host of new features and applications some of which can be seen in our video below.

Price

Apple will probably launch the iPhone 7 starting US $ 699 for the base unlocked variant with US $ 100 increments between variants. In the US on a Carrier contract expect the iPhone 7 to start at US$ 199 for the base variant.

Final Word

We also know that none of the above stands verified as facts (expect the launch date), till the time Tim Cook gets on stage and announces the next iPhone.

Renders via in the source below.

September 1, 2016
The Moto Z Just Got a Thousand Times Sexier with This Hasselblad Attachment

The Moto Z is already a good looking phone (have you seen the black and rose gold variant?), However, the new Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod is one series piece of eye candy.

It gives you 10x optical zoom, using a 1/2.3-inch 12 MP sensor, with a 1.55 micron pixel size. It shoots in RAW, you get a real Xenon flash, along with full manual Focus, white balance, f-stop, ISO and exposure controls. The little downside is that it shoots only 1080p video, but it does add OIS to the mix. You will also get Dual Microphones and a 3.5 mm headphone jack for those who were missing it on the slim Moto Z.

The Hasselblad True Zoom, is pretty identical in form and design to the Sony Q series lenses, considering that Sony now has a partnership with Hasselblad, much like Panasonic has one with Leica (both uber premium range manufacturers), this strategy was ported over to the Moto Mod.

Moto Z and the Z force are modular just like the LG G5, however, the biggest difference remains that Moto Z’s Moto Mods do not require you to remove the battery and re-insert the module like they do on the LG G5. The Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod also works with the similar principle. It Attaches to the back of the Moto Z, Moto Z Play or Moto Z Force (Moto Z Droid, Moto Z Force Droid, Moto Z Play Droid in the US) and the phone automatically recognises it.

Early reviews have pointed to really sharp and quick images, with excellent low light capabilities. Which is what is expected from a large sensor. The Hasselblad True Zoom Moto Mod uses the phone’s battery so no recharging the Mod, it also saves images directly on to the phone storage or micro SD, which means no hassle of transferring.

September 1, 2016
Apple to Launch the iPhone 7 on September 7

Earlier today Apple sent out invites to for their September 7th event where the Cupertino based computer giant will launch the next Apple iPhone, namely the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and possibly the iPhone 7 Pro.

Apple has kept this launch an invite only like most launches.

The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium will host the launch this time around, altho Apple and Tim cook wanted to use their new campus for launches, however construction is far from over. The invite reads only, “See you on the 7th. Please join us for an invitation-only event.”

If the rumours for the upcoming iPhone 7 are correct, then the iPhone 7 will shed a 3.5 mm audio jack and replace that with a dongle that will connect your old headphones to the lightning port, or simply wireless EarPods. The iPhone 7 will also be thinner and possibly have an OLED display, Apple has been sourcing them since early 2016.

The iPhone 7 leaks have also shown off new cameras both for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Pro. the latter showing up with a dual camera setup and smart connectors for accessories.

Apple will also officially launch and announce new features of iOS 10 along with a few new apps for the iPhone.

As always you will get all the required info on launch day on iGyaan.

August 30, 2016
Is the Jio Launch Leading Up To An Inevitable Fiasco That We Have Seen In The Past ?
Today the country is abuzz with the a revolutionary new service, yet to launch. In fact, people have been talking about Reliance’s JIO for almost two years now. The JIO effect being dubbed by publications each time a service provide offers a discount or reduces prices on their 4G services.

1.5 million sim cards have been reportedly given out by the company to willing early consumers who sign up for the service without reading the fine print of the 90 day free service offer. Reliance has done this in the past, tired to revolutionise the mobile industry and sell handsets masquerading under the “Dhirubhai Ambani Offer.”

Reliance has done this in the past, tired to revolutionise the mobile industry and sell handsets masquerading under the Dhirubhai Ambani Offer. Click to Share

For those with fresh blood, the above offer would require you to pay Rs. 501, for a new connection which would include a free Samsung CDMA handset with the Reliance branding. The actual price of the phone was around Rs 25000, and millions got on to the offer and exploited the services till they started getting bills in 5 figures or more for usage charges. People refused to pay these bills, and Reliance goons, in some cases, till date haunt those affected by this to claim money for services provided.

in 2002 Mukesh Ambani said :

This is the largest infrastructure and services rolled out by any new entrant anywhere in the world. In terms of complexity, it spans voice, data, video, audio and value added services.With an ‘every time, every place, every device’ network ethos, a sweeping span of services and a new breed of entrepreneurs, Reliance Infocomm will prepare India to take on the mantle of leadership in the knowledge age

Sure. Sounds familiar right? These exact claims are being made today.

Reliance Infocomm the birth child of this offer has since then converted to Reliance Communications, the launch was considered a total failure and set precedent that no payment plans could work in a country like India. Hence, we pay outright for iPhones and Galaxy S flagships, instead of a payment plan seen in most countries, Thanks Reliance!

The Quint, recently enlightened the world on the 5 things that most users don’t know about the JIO preview offer, and it is a good place to start to understand the JIO effect.

However, there are several other things that need to be highlighted about Reliance and their communication business to understand if JIO is set to be the best ever mobile network or a big failure.

Reliance has always been big on promises but poor on deliveries. A company that lacks a general direction of customer service and rates extremely low on the customer satisfaction index. Reliance’s revolutionary CDMA services are nearly extinct and no major manufacturer released a CDMA phone in India this year. In countries like the US, CDMA services from SPRINT and Verizon in some cases seem to perform better than the GSM providers. Most CDMA network providers globally are shifting to 5G networks. In India on the other hand, they seem to be winding up operations.

Reliance is operating the JIO offer without an actual go ahead from the Government, this offer in which you the user, are using the services which allow Reliance Industries to do business without really paying the government spectrum charges and other fees that a commercially launched network has to pay. So each of the 1.5 million users are accomplices in a scam of a colossal scale. Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI), the network industry body, accused Reliance of falsely claiming that it is in testing mode.

However, the story is not so simple, and no the government probably won’t arrest you and parade you to a jail cell or sue you for the spectrum charges (hopefully). But, it seems that things are already sketchy before launch, fake promises of launch among an already poor infrastructure of voice services.

The JIO network also requires VOLTE to communicate effectively, however, no other provider at the moment offers VOLTE, so that will only work between JIO to JIO calls. Also, VOLTE as a technology is not available on every 4G enabled phone, which could restrict usage to either no voice calls, or buying a new phone with your new service.

Every one on JIO using the services is extremely impressed by the speeds of the 4G network, which will go down monumentally the minute millions of users jump on their network and start to use the services in busy cities.

Here are a few things that are already established,
1. JIO is not yet operating within the rules set by the Government.
2. There are already reports (acknowledged by JIO) of an extremely poor voice network.
3. Too much hype and too little product.
4. Poor customer service and Customer recall.
5. Lowest levels of customer satisfaction.
6. Past Failures in Mobile telephony.
That being said, we should not judge people for their past mistakes, especially if they have paid heavily (or incurred heavy losses). Reliance is once again trying to change the mobile industry in India exactly 14 years after its first failure. However, it seems that the approach is too similar to ignore. Cheaper than usual handsets (LYF smartphones), promise of high quality service, and free data offers. Reliance has always focused on making things cheap, for the masses, but has often disappointed.

While the other network providers are not great, Airtel and Vodafone suffer huge network outages, despite open network promises. Don’t bother discussing the State carriers. People are extremely happy with services of a provider that works for them. Some are loyal to Airtel and some to Vodafone, while Tata Docomo (Indicom ) users swear by the good network strength (where it works ).

It’s evident that no network is perfect, but the JIO launch is far from it, and as consumers Indians are much smarter than they were in 2002. But, as a community, our consumers are often temped by something that is cheap. Reliance JIO promises to be the cheapest Data and Voice carrier in the country and for now that sells, just like hot cakes.

People need to be careful before signing on to a postpaid contract, read the document carefully, you may be charged for services that you may not need. JIO’s end aim is to monetise the millions of customers it can retain from its free campaign, which at the end is a full blown marketing stunt, categorised under modern advertising.

Hopefully, JIO keeps up to its promises and does not turn out to be another “Dhirubhai Ambani Offer”, and turns out to be a healthy competition for network providers along with being capable of providing improved customer satisfaction. In that situation, there is only one winner, the consumer. Right now, however, this is not the case.
August 29, 2016
iGyaan 2.0

After completing 6 years of existence earlier this year, iGyaan was destined for a new direction. Today we roll out iGyaan 2.0, a newer user friendly and more upfront iGyaan.

The intention is to bring information to the user, you can now view specifications for products right on the page, in a beautiful and simplified layout. For reviews, you will now be able to not only see Ratings from our editors but also leave your own ratings for products.

Our new Video player can be found in the Videos tab on the Top, and it allows you to watch the latest videos, without ever needing to reload the page. We are also compressing the video for you on our server so that they load faster than usual and you use less data.

Specs Listing

User Ratings

iGyaan Video Player

We are also introducing comparisons across product categories, you can simply click the grid box comparison on any product or review and compare it with another product or review, go ahead and compare the OnePlus 3 review with the HTC 10 review for a quick understanding.

Comparison Example

While the website is new, and we have fully deployed it, it might take a few days for us to get up to speed, since there is a lot more for us to update, including specifications for a whole host of products and new launches. Stay tuned for announcements, of iGyaan on Youtube 2.0 along with new launches coming in the near future. We hope you like the new website.

If you do run in to issues or have any bugs to report, please do so with the contact button on top of the page.

Now back to technology.

August 24, 2016
OnePlus 3 Review

The OnePlus 3 is the third from the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus. A company with claims of making flagship killers and a tagline that says “Never Settle”. However, the fist two phones have been compromised in one way or another, even though the OnePlus One was an impact maker, the Oneplus Two failed to deliver on promises. The OnePlus 3 is being projected as a true flagship killer, and while there are many reasons why this statement may be true, Let’s Find out in our Review if this stands True!

[section label=”Initial Thoughts”]

Initial Thoughts

One Month in and the OnePlus 3 is still pretty important to people, that says a lot about the positioning of the brand and the value it delivers with the OnePlus 3. The Oneplus 3 is the first phone from OnePlus to be sold entirely without invites or flash sales of any kind. Which does away with one of the biggest issues with owning a OnePlus handset. The phone is available outright all over the world with a price of US $ 399, in India the company launched the phone for Rs. 27999.
In a pure spec to price comparison, the OnePlus 3 seems to be somewhat in the lead. Click to Share

[section label=”Build and Design”]

Build Quality and Design

The OnePlus 3 holds the best build quality of the Oneplus line of phones. An all metal shell that reflects a lot upon design and materials from the lineup of HTC phones and it is no way a bad thing. HTC has been one of our favorite manufacturers, and their build quality is a primary reason.

The front of the phone houses Gorilla Glass 4. However, you will only get a protection lip if you buy one of their covers. The included screen protector gets scratched easily and it is recommended that you replace your layer quickly.

We have no complaints with the OnePlus 3 design, in fact, we appreciate it a lot and it speaks a lot about what the company has learnt in the past three years. That being said we are still waiting for the gold color. The fact that the phone is metal, means that dents will be easy to get and so will be scratches.

[section label=”Hardware”]

Hardware

Hardware wise, OnePlus has left only one aspect behind, and pumped the rest of the OnePlus with the best meat on the market. The OnePlus 3 short of display resolution, features top of the line specifications and then some. Snapdragon 820 with a whopping 6 GB of RAM along with a standard 64 GB storage and 16 Mp and 8MP camera combinations.

[section label=”Performance”]

Performance and Gaming

With the latest update just about a month from the launch, OnePlus took care of a lot of the initial snags faced by the handset. Memory management is a whole lot improved, even though we didn’t really face any issues initially.

Scoring upwards of 140,000 in Antutu benchmark, the OnePlus 3 proves that you don’t need an expensive handset to get the power you desire. In fact, it scores the 1st place at the moment on Antutu with a score of 143532 without any mods.

6 GB of RAM is an overkill and OnePlus basically did it to draw attention towards the phone, with no real use of so much standby memory, it just makes the memory hungry apps last out longer. It does give a free buffer to multitask and allow for games to utilise this memory. At any time, however, there is usually awards of 3 GB of RAM free.

OnePlus may launch a 4 GB variant of the OnePlus 3 much like the LeMax 2, which would make more sense for an ordinary consumer and would also bring down the price by about Us $ 60.

Usual bits of daily use are good after one month of use, and especially good after the software update which tends to smooth things out. Switching between apps is easy and quick and the phone plays well when you push it to the limit.

[section label=”Camera and Multimedia”]

Multimedia and Camera

The AMOLED display is excellent and really puts vibrancy into the OnePlus 3. When compared to the dull display on the OnePlus 2 the OnePlus 3 really shines in this department. Media consumption is excellent on the handset which offers good viewing angles and bucket loads of brightness indoors and outdoors.

There is only one speaker on the phone and its sharp but sounds tinny. The audio levels are also average and not the best we have seen. You will find yourself looking for portable speakers or headphones to use this handset. Audio through the headphone jack is good and punchy. Also worth noting is the fact that this phone does, in fact, have a 3.5mm headphone jack. Something the Chinese siblings are missing in anticipation of Apple getting rid of it.

HDR and HD mode you will find yourself capturing some great outdoor shots. The usual OnePlus filters are also available and appreciated in the camera app. The camera is genrally faster, sharper and more detailed in capturing images and video.

A full manual mode allows you to customize and set up your shot if you are a photography nerd. The ability to store RAW lets you get a lot more from the images, and removing the processing engine from the smartphone and shifting it to you PC.

Colors and Contrast is on point and saturation is just right. Mostly outdoor images are excellent with the indoor images coming out good to average.

[section label=”Operating System”]

Oxygen OS

With Cyanogen completely out of the picture, a proprietary OS which has the same feel of Cyanogen developed in-house is a fantastic idea. A fast and smooth near- stock UI with basic customizations works well for the OnePlus 3.

You have the shelf which sits to the left of the home screen, which you can disable in case you don’t want it. you also get the ability to switch to a dark theme, or a light theme, among various other detailed customizations. A gesture setup allows you to launch the camera, enable the flashlight or control your music from a locked phone.

The operating system is now updated frequently to resolve bugs, and improve performance. Hopefully the transition to Android Nougat will not be as long as it was to Android Marshmallow , which happened earlier this year.

[section label=”Phone and Battery”]

Phone and Battery Life

The OnePlus 3 will take in two nano SIM cards and will work with essentially LTE and 4G networks in the region it is designed for. The Snapdragon 820 chip is quite versatile and a wide array of bands are well supported with the OnePlus 3.

The Network strength is good and so is phone call capability with little effect on the battery life. The earpiece is a tad bit low in volume, but not enough to be bothersome. The microphone is sensitive and noise cancellation good. Overall phone capability stands in the good to excellent region.

Battery life is average on the OnePlus 3, with just a 3000 mAh battery and a lot going on, the OnePlus 3 will require frequent recharges, and its recommended that you carry the Dash Charger. We find the charging living up to its name and claim. After a month the OnePlus 3 still charges quickly and crosses 60% in about 30 minutes.

Talk Time : 4.5 Hours

Browsing : 3-4 Hours

Music Playback : 14 Hours

Video : 5 Hours

The OnePlus 3 still deals with the heating issues, if you launch the camera in your pocket, you will find a blazing inferno in your pants, to avoid this keep the camera gesture disabled and the fingerprint sensor-enabled.

[section label=”Conclusion”]

Conclusion

The OnePlus 3 fixes all its earlier nags, it looks great and performs better. The OnePlus 3 does have NFC and a brilliant AMOLED display. The metal build is appreciated and so are the material covers that allow you to go back to sandstone or even the wood finish that everyone wanted on the original OnePlus One. The OnePlus 3 is probably the only phone in this price bracket that is worthy of a recommendation over handsets like the S7 Edge and HTC 10, however, there is a big catch.

HTC and more importantly Samsung now are vetrans in the smartphone business, not only are their phones more reliable they are more robust in day to day usage. The Galaxy S7 is considered the best phone from Samsung, and we personally love the HTC 10. The OnePlus 3 is an excellent replacement if you dont want to spend that much.

August 17, 2016
Samsung Launches Galaxy Note 7 in India Priced Rs 59,990 Coming September

Samsung has officially launched the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in India for a price of Rs 59,990/-. The availability of the phone has been pushed back to 2nd September which is almost 15 days from the 18th September Global release.

The Indian variant is powered by Samsung’s Exynos 8890 Octa ( 4 x 2.3GHz + 4 x 1.6GHz) SoC, 4GB of RAM, a 5.7-inch, Super AMOLED dual edge QuadHD display along with 256GB microSD card upgrade to the 64GB of built-in storage. Samsung is also including a USB Type-C finally.

The Note 7 has a 3,500mAh battery which is small, even smaller than the S7 Edge that the company already has in the market. The cameras consist of a 12-megapixel rear camera with Dual Pixel technology it has phase detection autofocus (PDAF), optical image stabilisation (OIS), an f/1.7 aperture, dual-LED flash, and Auto-HDR feature. The front camera on the other hand sports a 5-megapixel sensor with an f/1.7 aperture.

The Galaxy note 7 includes an Iris Scanner to secure down the Galaxy Note 7 along with individual folders and files.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is also iP68 Water Resistant just like the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

Stay tuned for our Hands on Video.

August 11, 2016
The 6GB Samsung Galaxy Note 7 with 128 GB Storage May Still Exist

When Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 7 last week, a lot of people were left disappointed that the handset only had 4 GB of RAM as opposed to the many leaks that talked about 6 GB of RAM.

Samsung may yet launch a 6GB variant of the Galaxy Note 7, According to regulatory documents filed with the Chinese Industry and Information Technology Ministry. The Samsung SM-N9300 with 128 GB of Storage and 6 GB of RAM may be launched in certain countries interested in an overload of specifications including China and possibly India.

Samsung did launch a 128 GB variant of the Note 5 in china last year and is expected to do the same this time around.

The 6GB variant will be more expensive to say the least and the Note 7 has already gotten a lot of people excited for the segment. However, there is little difference in the Note 7 and the Galaxy S7 Edge for those who do not use the S Pen and Samsung may want to give a boost to the specs game by upping the RAM and Storage.

We are also seeing CDMA capabilities in the below filing that means that the phone could work on both GSM and CDMA.

Hopefully the company will launch the same variant in India when it launches the phone later this week on August 11.

August 8, 2016

Samsung Note 7 Officially Launched

Not with much to reveal the new Note 7 from Samsung is finally official. It features a new design more in lines with the S7 Edge along with a more compact stylus with two new Air View features. The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 also works under water and so does the S Pen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0a6Y9JvPqo

The US version of the Note 7 packs a quad-core, Snapdragon 820 chipset, an Adreno 530 GPU and 4GB of RAM, a 5.7-inch, Super AMOLED dual edge QuadHD display along with 256GB microSD card upgrade to the 64GB of built-in storage. Samsung is also including a USB Type-C finally.

The Galaxy Note7 will be available starting on August 19, and will be offered in Blue Coral, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium and Black Onyx.

Samsung is upping the security features of Samsung Knox with biometric authentication including a new iris scanning feature. The Note 7 has a 3,500mAh battery which is small, even smaller than the S7 Edge that the company already has in the market.

Specs	Samsung Galaxy Note 7
Display	5.7” Quad HD Dual edge Super AMOLED
Resolution	2560 x 1440 pixels (518ppi)
Dimensions	153.5 x 73.9 x 7.9mm, 169g
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 in the US / Octa core (2.3GHz Quad + 1.6GHz Quad), 64 bit
GPU	Adreno 530
RAM	4GB RAM
Storage	64GB flash storage
Rear Camera	Dual Pixel 12MP MP, Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), f/1.7
Front Camera	5MP f/1.7
Expandability	256GB via microSD
Battery	Li-Po 3500 mAh
Connectivity	USB Type-C
OS	Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) / Samsung UI
ETC	Fingerprint Sensor,S- Pen, IP68, iris scanning feature
Price	TBA

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[toggle title=”Press Release”]The Galaxy Note7 combines advanced S Pen capabilities with ultimate security features to help users accomplish and do more

SEOUL, Korea – August 2, 2016 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. continues to drive the smartphone market with the Galaxy Note7 by building on the company’s category-defining leadership with innovative features that set a new standard for large-screen devices. With refined craftsmanship, premium materials and a unique, symmetrical edge design, the Galaxy Note7 features:

• A water resistant body and S Pen (IP68)*
• Top-of-the-line security that combines Samsung Knox with biometric authentication including a new iris scanning feature
• Immersive entertainment features with HDR video streaming capabilities.

The Galaxy Note7 strikes a balance between work and play, enabling people to achieve more than what they thought possible on a smartphone.

“The Galaxy Note7 combines productivity and entertainment, with strong security features. Powering a robust ecosystem, it is the ideal device for those who want to achieve more in life,” said DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. “Life moves faster than ever now so we created the Galaxy Note7 to help users get things done more easily wherever, whenever.”

Galaxy Note7 S Pen: Quickly and Easily Bring Ideas to Life The enhanced Galaxy Note7 S Pen is more than just a writing tool – it is the gateway to getting more done efficiently and accurately. Users can bring ideas to life the moment inspiration strikes without unlocking the screen by using Screen off memo and simply pinning the memo to the Always On Display. The S Pen also gives users the ability to easily create and share GIF animations with Smart Select. In addition, the new Air Command functions, including Magnify and Translate, enable users to zoom in on the screen or convert languages with a simple hover of the S Pen. It is even easier to access the best of the S Pen’s creative abilities with Samsung Notes, a new unified app allowing users to jot down handwritten notes, draw, or edit memos from one location.

The new S Pen writes with ease and precision. The smaller 0.7mm tip and improved pressure sensitivity provides a real pen-like experience. With the peace of mind that IP68 water resistant provides, the Galaxy Note7 S Pen lets users jot down their thoughts without interruption, even when the screen gets wet.

Advanced Security: Now in the Blink of an Eye Samsung understands the importance of keeping content on users’ phone protected. Coupled with Samsung Knox, an industry-leading security platform, the Galaxy Note7 provides heightened security and privacy, with highly advanced biometric authentication, including fingerprint scanner and iris scanning technology. The Galaxy Note7 offers more authentication options that can be used interchangeably depending on how people use their phones, wherever they are, or whatever they are doing.

The Galaxy Note7 instills a new level of user confidence with Secure Folder, a separated folder that adds an extra layer of authentication to keep private and personal information safe. The iris recognition technology will also be used to authenticate secure purchases that are made on Samsung Pay**. The Galaxy Note7 will also support Samsung Pass, bringing authentication such as iris scanning and fingerprint recognition to more apps and services.

Best-in-Class Entertainment The phone is one of the most important screens in a user’s life because it’s with them all of the time. The Galaxy Note7 features a gorgeous, curved 5.7-inch QHD Super AMOLED screen delivering a bold and immersive picture on a smartphone. It is ready to stream HDR video, enabling a cinema-like experience including brighter colors and a deeper black, which ensure users get the full experience that the filmmaker intended. The Galaxy Note7 also features Game Pack, available through Google Play, including top game titles, an easier redemption process and new user benefits.

By pairing the Galaxy Note7 with the new Gear VR powered by Oculus, users can experience premium virtual reality almost anywhere. Galaxy Note7’s incredible Super AMOLED screen and powerful processor delivers an ultra-immersive experience. The vast and ever growing library of apps, photos, games and more puts, users in the center of the action. Whether it’s next level gaming or journeying to places users have never been before, there’s always something new to discover.

For people who live to create, tell stories and transport people to entirely new worlds, the Galaxy Note7 can be used with the new high-resolution (3840×1920) Gear 360 camera, to capture, edit and share 360-degree images videos on the go. These memories can then be shared with friends via platforms including YouTube 360 and Facebook, and can be relived with the ultra-immersive Gear VR.

Galaxy Foundation with Refined Craftsmanship

With Galaxy Note7, Samsung continues to defy boundaries of engineering to perfect the user experience through innovative design. Every edge, surface and detail of the device’s design has been refined to provide a comfortable grip, easier one-handed operation, and durability with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5. Although the Galaxy Note7 features a large-screen, the unique front-to-back symmetrical dual-edge curve remains balanced and light with the sleek feel users have come to love from the Galaxy series. The curved screen lets the Galaxy Note7 add the powerful Edge Panel for one-tap user access to applications, news and functions.

The Galaxy Note7 is equipped with the advanced camera that was introduced on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge The dual-pixel sensor technology, wide aperture and fast auto focus, work together to create sharp and beautiful photos even in low-light environments.

In addition to 64GB of internal memory, the Galaxy Note7 offers expandable storage and microSD support up to 256GB. The Galaxy Note7 is equipped with a 3,500mAh battery, easy Power Management UX through Smart Manager, and charges quickly using the new USB-C port. Recharge the Galaxy Note7 wherever wireless charging is available.

A new line of accessories will be available to complement the Galaxy Note7, including the new S View Standing Cover, a light and portable cover that can be used to prop the device at a 60-degree angle for easy viewing of content, as well as an IP68 water resistant Backpack for on-the-go charging.

Creating a Phone+ Ecosystem of Connected Experiences

The Galaxy Note7 is more than just a smartphone; it’s a connection point to Samsung’s ecosystem of devices, software and services. Users can monitor their fitness activities on the Gear Fit2 or Gear IconX and track their data through S Health 5.0.** In addition to accurate and robust fitness tracking and measurement, the new S Health enables users to stay connected to family and friends by sharing fitness updates or competing in friendly challenges with one another.

With the Galaxy Note7, consumers can use the iris scanner to access value-added Samsung services like Samsung Pay** for quick and easy mobile payments.

The Smart Switch feature has been enhanced further with Samsung Cloud, which supports a seamless device experience by providing continuous backup and easy transfer of content including data, apps, settings and layouts between devices. Galaxy Note7 users will be able to use up to 15GB of free space to store and restore information on Samsung Cloud.**

The Galaxy Note7 will be available starting on August 19, and will be offered in Blue Coral, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium and Black Onyx.[/toggle]
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August 2, 2016

Blackberry Launches DTEK50 : Thinnest Blackberry Yet

You thought Blackberry was done with handsets? Well think again. The company has launched a brand new phone, with no name (Curve, Bold or Privé)and just a model number, dubbed the DTEK50, it is the thinnest Blackberry phone yet.

Yes the phone runs Android, and is 7.4mm thick, has built in full-data encryption, built-in malware protection,hardware support for tracking and provisioning. The included DTEK security app secures the Android OS more than usual ( the usual not being very secure)

This touch only phone is a rare handset from Blackberry which usually has a close connection with physical keyboards. BlackBerry Hub communications is in there too.

The Blackberry phone supports a 13MP rear camera with phase detection auto focus, an f/2.0 aperture and support for 1080p video recording at 30fps, as well as an 8MP front camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The Phone has a 2610mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 2.0. The heart of the DTEK50 is a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, and microSD expansion up to 2TB

The phone is on sale on Blackberry’s website for US $ 299, 12600mAh power bank is included for those who pre order.

Specs	Blackberry DTEK50 Full Specifications
Display	5.2 inch 24-bit color depth
Resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels 424 ppi
Dimensions	147 mm x 72.5 mm x 7.4 mm / 135 g
Chipset	Snapdragon 617 Octa-Core, 64 bit
CPU	Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 and Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU	Adreno 405, 550MHz GPU
RAM	3 GB RAM
Storage	16 GB
Rear Camera	13 MP . 1080p at 30fps, PDAF, 6-element f2.0 lens
Front Camera	8MP Fixed-Focus, f2.2, 1080p at 30fps
Expandability	2TB MicroSD support : Single nano-SIM slot
Battery	2610 mAh Quick Charge 2.0
Connectivity	4G LTE (Cat. 6), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth 4.2LE.EDR, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, NFC
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow With Blackberry Security
Misc/Sensors	Accelerometer, Magnetometer, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light, Hall Effect, Led Notification Light
Price	$299

July 26, 2016

Corning Releases Gorilla Glass 5 And You Should be Excited

Corning has just released Gorilla Glass 5, and with two of the biggest launches in the smartphone industry just around the corner you should get excited.

While not openly said, Gorilla Glass was first and originally developed for the first iPhone. Corning will be shipping Gorilla Glass 5 this quarter and the iPhone 7 which is slated for a September launch may get the latest Gorilla Glass 5, and so may the new Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

About 4.5 billion of the world’s phones use Gorilla Glass on their displays according to Corning. The technology behind Gorilla Glass was developed originally for Automotive industry, and this year, Ford announced that the 2016 GT model will have Gorilla Glass windshields. Some ATM also have an antimicrobial version of Gorilla Glass on their displays.

We recently did a survey, and it’s fairly obvious that everyone drops their phone. We find that the average height is over a meter high. Based on our internal data on drop events, our data shows that Gorilla Glass 5 outperforms 4 by 1.8-times. -SVP Jim Steiner

Corning Gorilla Glass 5 is designed not only to withstand the scratches that Gorilla Glass 4 could, but also take drops from selfie height. Failure of Gorilla Glass 5 entails any manner of cracking, dropped for a height of 1.6 meters . This was achieved thanks to new materials that make up the glass, as well as the chemical used to strengthen it.

July 21, 2016
Apple May Launch 3 Separate iPhone 7 Variants

This has been a terrible year of leaks for the iPhone 7, with information on Apple’s next iPhone availble as early as Feburary the next iPhone has been seen in images and in video.

The latest images put the three variants of the iPhone 7 together. Reportedly the iPhone 7, The iPhone 7 Plus and the iPhone 7 Pro, these phones are expected to match many of the leaks includian the ommision of the Headphone jack.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus seem to be getting a new design along with a bigger camera lens, however the iPhone 7 Pro will get the dual camera treatment and the smart connector dots.

Earlier reports cliamed Apple was testing two 5.5-inch iPhone 7 models. However, this is the first time an iPhone 7 plus with a single big camera lens has been spotted. Interestingly the back image also shows an [s] which is usually seen in the second edition of iPhones like the iPhone 6s. This might mean that someone is just messing with your head, or that these are really good mockups putting rumors together.

The video below however, shows an iPhone 7 running with the display on, interestingly the video maker does not touch the screen or use the phone. The quality of the video also suggests that its is an illuminated dummy being passed off as an iPhone. However at this point it is difficult to guess what Apple will put out this year in September. Till then, Enjoy the leaks!

July 19, 2016

Author: Bharat Nagpal

Launch

Design

Display

Headphone Jack

Camera

Hardware

iOS

Price

Final Word

Initial Thoughts

Build Quality and Design

Hardware

Performance and Gaming

Multimedia and Camera

Oxygen OS

Phone and Battery Life

Talk Time : 4.5 Hours

Browsing : 3-4 Hours

Music Playback : 14 Hours

Video : 5 Hours

Conclusion

Specs

Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Specs

Blackberry DTEK50 Full Specifications