Apple had busy year with Apple music, launching it on iOS and then on Android. The Apple music service made available globally received raving reviews especially in countries like India where cost of subscription was very little.
“Apple Video” is the company’s next big project with many partners involved, such as ABC, CBS, and Fox. Apple already has a large library of movies and video on its iTunes Store, which can currently be only bought or rented.
Apple has already worked out details with Sony Pictures, Universal and disney and may be negotiation with some other studios. NBCUniversal is reportedly not on board due to a feud between Apple and NBC parent company Comcast.
Apple has been working on a video streaming service, according to the rumour mill, for the past six years. It seems 2016 will be the year of release. With the recent news of Netflix going global and launching in 190 countries worldwide, Apple may have to move fast if it wants to get on with the competition.
With most new Apple devices supporting 4k content, Apple may launch the service with UHD streaming keeping in mind the new line of Apple TV units which have hardware capable of streaming 4k video. It may be a simple matter or turning on the feature via a software update.
Jimmy Lovine, who joined Apple with as part of the Beats acquisition, said:
We all know one thing, we all have different television delivery systems, don’t we all wish that the delivery systems were better, as far as curation and service? They’re all technically good. And Netflix is starting to cross the code because they’re starting to make some original content. It is really good, but still I mean none of us make movies here right, so we’re all punters, or what do you call them in the music business, fans right? We want to watch movies. Sit down with your girlfriend or a bunch of friends and try to find a movie online. That box helps you none — it doesn’t help. You’re on your own. And eventually that will catch them unless somebody digs in and really helps the customer. And entertainment needs that, it needs to live and breathe.
Apple will start the pricing for the video streaming service for US $20 as the base package and It’s claimed that the service will offer around 25 different channels, with the likes of ABC, CBS and Fox being lined up as partners.
Only time will tell if Apple does launch this service which they have, reportedly, been working on since 2009. And if they do will it impact the already wrong hold that Netflix is set to gather in the next few years.
HTC is ready for its comeback and to help the Taiwanese company back on the tech map is their brand new One series phone the HTC One A9. This year has seen some major handsets from the company, but with all the backlash in their choice of chipsets in the HTC One M9 plus and pricing of their portfolio along with the sheer delay in launching phones, has left prospective HTC owners with a sour taste. We purposefully waited for HTC to reveal the price before concluding our Review. So that we could include it as a major factor for this review.
Overview
The HTC One A9 does what HTC has been trying to do for a while, make a fantastic all metal phone for a considerably affordable price without letting go of important specifications.
The HTC One A9 is a Snapdeal exclusive in India and has been launched for Rs. 29,999 . You can buy one here : SnapDeal
Build Quality and Hardware
The all metal back and the overall design of the phone is familiar. The HTC One A9 resembles the iPhone 6/6s or vice versa. Whatever be the case the handset looks good and is available in a wide gamut of colours and options for the market however in India it has only been launched in the Gray and silver colours.
The phone is built extremely well and feels excellent in the hand, The rounded edges of the phone mould into your palms and make the hard metal feel smooth and soft to hold. The design is striking and the HTC One A9 is made so most of its pressure areas stay protected.
The bezel is beautifully matched with a curved edge front glass curves, which in itself is a Gorilla Glass 3. It should be noted that, Hardware wise HTC does lose out to the competition. The biggest let down for a consumer is specs on paper, when compared to the high price of Rs. 29,990 the specs do not match up. A Snapdragon 615 chipset is today found in phones that cost under 10K, so is 2 GB of RAM and a 5 inch display.
No one is giving points to HTC for the 2150 mAh battery or a Full HD display. The AMOLED nature of it is well appreciated and so is the brilliant fingerprint scanner that HTC has basically done a fantastic job with. All of this hardware doesn’t matter when it comes to the experience of the HTC One A9 which we will detail below. For those who are specification NERDs your review stops here. Move Along!
In all entirety what HTC is trying to do is simple. HTC phones are designed beautifully and work really well. I recently met someone who was still using an HTC One {M7} and was very happy with the handset, still happy with it!, Its almost 2016 for christ’s sake!
The phone comes with Android 6.0 out of the box, one of the not so many in this range that have the ability to say that. HTC has worked really hard into giving an experience that does not leave you disappointed. The company is trying to pull a cheap “Apple”, they want to give you the best experience, they do not want you to worry about “specs” and they want to do it relatively cheaper than Apple.
The problem with that logic is, that most who are non Apple Sheep, prefer to know what horse power is under the hood of their Android powered sedan. In that context, problems and bugs are often blamed on the hardware.
However, this is where HTC scores an epic WIN! From picking up your phone in the morning to keeping it away at night, you literally have no issues, slow downs, or crashes. This is what you are paying for, more than you should, but that is it.
Games work really well, so do day to day tasks. Multitasking is liquid smooth, and so is the intense processing in some of the many camera features bundled with the handset. The HTC One A9 is what you need to be looking at, for basically not worrying about using a smartphone. The temperature is controlled beautifully and the phone does not heat up or become uncomfortable to use.
Camera, Multimedia and Display
The camera combination on the HTC One A9 is a 13 MP main camera and an UltraPixel front camera which is roughly 4 MP with their large 2µm pixel size. The front camera miss autofocus, which honestly is not expected in this price bracket.
The rear camera shines when clicking images, the colours pop the dynamic range is excellent and focus quick. The camera is exceptionally fast and has zero shutter lag, something that HTC has done well in the past. The contrast and colour on the HTC One A9 is their best yet and the images really speak for it. You will find yourself clicking a lot of pictures, and video too, although many in this price segment offer 4k video. With the HTC One A9, you are still stuck at 1920 x 1080p video although with OIS, which offers good stability and sharpness.
The display is a AMOLED display which is appreciated by a lot of people for great colours and deep blacks. The viewing angles may not be as much as an IPS display, but AMOLED displays make for great media consumption.
The HTC One A9 is missing Boomsound speakers and the quality of sound that we are used to from HTC devices. The audio experience from the headphones is excellent and will the throughly enjoyed. Even though HTC no longer embraces Beats audio , some of the tweaks are present in the device and improve the audio experience.
Software and UX
HTC has managed to pull a bunny out of the hat, the Android 6.0 out of the box means many owners will cherish being on the latest OS, which is traditionally not the case with HTC. Apart from the Nexus 9 , most HTC devices are late to the latest Android party, in this case however HTC made an exception.
The UI is HTC Sense and works extremely well between the grid style icons and new blinkfeed. The Camera application is highly improved and quick to open and click pictures with. Nifty UI improvements make navigation quick and easy getting used to. You will still get all HTC personalisation features and easy migrate which will move you from any other phone to the new HTC One A9.
Quick and intuitive the software has been beautifully synced to work with the hardware on the HTC One A9 and it shows in the usage of the handset.
Networks and Battery
The HTC One A9 supports all major LTE Bands in India and works flawlessly on Airtel throughout its covered regions. Network dropped wherever other devices would drop it too. It does do a better job of holding on to the call while in transit.
Battery life is the one major question, while in most cases battery realistically drain out by 8 hours of use, sometimes it was much longer as much as 12 hours of use. The phone tends to last longer when it is not hunting for networks, and whereas this is the case with most phones, the HTC One A9 manages to last considerably longer if you are on Wi-Fi.
Function
Time
Talk Time
4.5 Hours
Music
10 Hours
Internet on LTE
5 Hours
Internet on WiFi
8 Hours
Conclusion
HTC made on hell of a phone with the HTC One A9, to add to possibly the strongest lineup of handsets for any company. But, just like many devices in the past the price does not seem to do it justice. While HTC phones are built to last, and look and feel great, have impressive UIs and software experiences along with hardware that is top notch and engineered to work well with their software. All of which you see on the HTC One A9, but since there is no calculation for experience of using a handset, the price will be truly the biggest letdown of the handset, and the only issue worth considering.
The HTC One A9 offers a user experience which is easy to forget about, because it does not bother you. HTC has finally understood what people want, but do they want it from HTC ? That may be real question. The HTC One A9 paces through the day of a modern consumer who is on the go , a slim and lightweight package, built well and around a smooth user experience, from software to customer service. One of the best phones in this price bracket and truly one worth your hard earned money.
The HTC One A9 is a Snapdeal exclusive in India and has been launched for Rs. 29,999 . You can buy one here : SnapDeal
After making a super popular game, Kim Kardashian now wants to get into the emoji business. The new App for Kim Kardashian emojis aka “Kimoji” is live. The app that currently costs US $ 1.99 and in India Rs.120. Is not a big fan favourite, especially since people need to pay to even try the App.
When the App went live however, many of the reality star’s fans have taken to Twitter to complain they were unable to download it. According to Kim the App was so popular it caused problems for the App Store servers.
A photo posted by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on
One user said
Well first off it began with asking for full access and if you don’t give full access you can’t use it. (Possibly out of your $1.99 if your lazy enough to ask for refund) It reads it will not store any info you type but yet when you click full access it reads it will save all info. Including credit card information :|. The emoji design themselves are great, they couldn’t be more perfect for her. I do wish they were a bit smaller like the original emojis. The keyboard crashed or just didn’t appear the first time I tried using it. I had to delete and reinstall. Every so often it will appear blank, no emojis will pop up only the letters keyboard. I think over all it’s a great idea but room for improvements
Either way, there are still a lot of Kardashian fans that would love to get these “Kimojis” in play. Sigh!
Micromax spinoff , Yu televentures, launched the YUtopia today, this also marks Micromax/Yu’s first entry into the high end flagship scene for a price of Rs. 24999 .The handset ties in a lot of firsts for the company and also a good overall hardware package.
The Yutopia comes with an all metal construction from a single shell of alloy. Manufactured completely in India, the handset resembles and appears to be a premium version of the Yuphoria.
The phone is just 7.2 mm in thickness and around 155 grams in weight. It is well balanced and has a very lumia like camera protruding from the back.
The phone comes with good in-box accessories, including a screen protector, and house of Marley earphones The final box is expected to ship with an included back case.
YU Yutopia Box
The company has launched the phone on preorders on the website Amazon.in, and is expected to go on sale in late December.
While the Qualcomm snapdragon 810 chipset is surrounded by woes of heating, it seems adequate steps have been taken to ensure that heat is dissipated from the device and vents are seen around the back of the phone, disguised as microphone grills. The chipset runs on 2.0GHz octal core CPUs ensuring good in-hand feel especially when tied in with Cyanogen.
The 5.2 inch QHD display is also a first from the company and may be a first in the segment this year, with Oneplus leaving it out on the OnePlus 2. Leaving out the traditional Corning Gorilla Glass, the phone comes with CORNING CONCORE GLASS which is already fused with the display made by Sharp and considered the same as Gorilla Glass 3.
The 21 MP camera made by Sony seems promising, and is capable of capturing 4K video. The camera is fast and responsive and captures a lot of detail.
Check out our full Unboxing and hands on Video below.
To our surprise we got a OnePlus Sandstone Case for the iPhone 6 / 6s in the mail and we were excited to unbox it. Once we got the cover out into our hands we were surprised by how well the case is built and the texture of the back panel resembles or some may argue betters that on the OnePlus Two.
Looks like OnePlus hit everyone in the right place as far as marketing is concerned for the holidays.
Inside the Box
The box is nicely made and comes with a case fitted nicely inside the cutout. You use a red thread to open the box. Hidden inside is a OnePlus X invite under the top case.
Review
The car is built well and fits perfectly on the iPhone. The inside has the marking ” Get a Grip, Never Settle” perfectly taunting you. The cutouts for all the ports are generous, while still protecting the phone from crucial areas.
The OnePlus Sandstone Case for the iPhone 6 / 6s also has a OnePlus logo on the back which may not make the owners happy, but hey we don’t mind it.
The Sandstone case adds a reassuring grip to the iPhone 6 / 6s for obvious reasons and very little weight. Giving the iPhone a more reassuring feel in the hand.
The frontal portion / also known as a front lip raises far above the iPhone adding protection and a lay on the table design.
While OnePlus may not be competing with Apple in sales, it may have made iPhone 6 / 6s owners curious with this case for sure.
OnePlus gets 10/10 for making people buy this cover for US $ 19.99 or Rs. 1,199 when it goes on sale later this month. Basically making people pay for marketing their brand. Good Job OnePlus , Oh and its a fantastic cover too.
Motorola will launch the turbo edition of the Moto G in India this week. looking at their social streams it seam that they are ready to push it out sooner than expected.
The Moto G Turbo comes with a different chipset, Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615, with Adreno 405 and a quick charge capability that motorola calls a turbo charge. Everything else remains identical to the 16GB storage variant of the Moto G 3rd Gen which comes with 2GB RAM.
The Moto G turbo edition, prior to this was only available in Mexico for 4699 Pesos (roughly Rs. 18500) but was only slightly higher than the Moto G 3rd gen with 16GB storage at 4299 Pesos (roughly Rs. 17000). Even if we keep the same price difference intact, an increase from the current price of Rs 12999 by Rs. 1500 means that the phone can be expected under the 15k price mark.
We can expect the phone with some launch offers like previous launches of Motorola and possibly will sell as a Flipkart exclusive, again something Motorola has done frequently in the past.
Motorola Launched the new Moto 360 In India today. While the previous gen eventually dropped out of stock at a price of Rs. 13,999. The top of the line 46 mm Black with Steel Strap of the Gen 2 Variant has an MRP of 23,999 on the box.
The watch adds a bunch of features over the previous gen, also different case sizes and easily changeable straps.
Check out our unboxing Video Below.
Moto 360 Gen 2
Display?
Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
Backlit LCD
Mens 42mm and Womens: 1.37” (35mm), 263ppi (360 X 325)
Mens 46mm: 1.56” (40mm), 233ppi (360 X 330)
Watch case dimensions
Mens:
46mm diameter by 11.4mm high
42mm diameter by 11.4mm high
Womens:
42mm diameter by 11.4mm high
Processor
Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 with 1.2 GHz quad-core CPU (APQ 8026)
Adreno 305 with 450MHz GPU
Mens 42mm and Womens: 300mAh – Up to 1.5 days of mixed use with Ambient off. Up to a full day of mixed use with Ambient on.
Mens 46mm: 400mAh – Up to 2 days of mixed use with Ambient off. Up to a full day of mixed use with Ambient on.
Wireless charging with charging dock included
Apple is ready to launch itself in the country later this year, with news of Apple launching official stores and finally breaking free of the 5 year minimum entry tie up clause with its partners including Reliance. Apple will launch as an independent company with flagship stores all around the country.
Sources inside of Apple tell iGyaan that the Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus that launched with huge price disparities between the US and Indian markets , will see some price moderation and capping. Apple will follow global pricing standards and soon, try to match up to US prices to make consumers buy locally in India.
The Apple iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, that feature new 3D touch and 4k Video recording among many hardware improvements, launched in India with a starting price of Rs. 62,000 and Rs. 72,000, respectively for the 16 GB version.
Apple follows a global warranty policy with all it’s products. The iPhone which has been left out of the Global warranty, here in India, due to tie ups with Indian distributors, will also come within Apple’s warranty standards. Meaning, people buying iPhones anywhere else in the world will enjoy warranty in India.
It would only make sense for Apple to offer products at a nearly matched price to reduce imports of their products from global destinations, including Thailand and UAE.
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to drop in price by Rs. 10,000 making them slightly more pocket friendly. You may want to hold of your purchases for a month, incase this turns out to be true. Here are the current prices.
The Oneplus X is the company’s second phone this year, but in all likelihood will be their flagship of 2015. The OnePlus 2 did not achieve the goals the world had set for it and the OnePlus X revives expectations for the company once again. But does it live upto them ?
Specification
OnePlus X
Display
5-inch full HD AMOLED screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Nexus devices are traditionally examples of what Google wants from companies in the year to come. They are devices designed to run on the latest versions of Android keeping the performance at its best, being a design and performance benchmark of sorts that run pure Android. However this year google seems to have changed its philosophy and has launched two new Nexus devices. So is the cheaper Nexus 5X actually up to standards with what Google usually puts out, or is it Google’s shadow attempt at keeping the mid-tier market happy?
Build Quality and Design
The Nexus 5X made by LG for Google appears to have a little too much plastic, and is extremely light -so much so that it does not feel premium at all. Made entirely of plastic, barring the display, the device is rather flimsy looking. However, it does not feel like it will break easily, the plastic is rigid, but in no way feels anything close to the feel on the Nexus 6 or the Nexus 5 for that matter. No mention of IP ratings and you get an outdated Gorilla Glass 3 with a simple Oleophobic coating.
The design is not winning any points for now, the black Nexus 5X is fairly boring with a bump on the back for the camera. The back panel is extremely fingerprint and smudge-friendly and gets stained easily. Laying on a table the Nexus 5X is nothing out of the ordinary, and the complete use of plastic kills not only the aesthetic but a lot of the premium feel at the price bracket. Devices like the Moto X and Samsung A8 offer a lot more design and visual appeal. Push a little further in your budget and you get the Samsung Galaxy S6, one of the “prettiest” phones of 2015.
The great thing about the Nexus 5X is that, unlike the Nexus 6, it is very lightweight at only 136g grams and can easily used with one average sized hand.
Hardware
The hardware on the Nexus 5X seems to be a compromise, with Google sticking to Snapdragon 808 and 2 GB of RAM, the only major improvements are the cameras which now stand at 12.3 MP and 5 MP.
Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.2 / NFC / Type-C USB
Operating System
Android OS, v6.0 (Marshmallow)
Price
Rs. 31,990/ Rs. 35,990
Camera
The new Nexus 5X and 6P have similar cameras, and they have to be the best Nexus cameras yet. While low light performance is questionable, the cameras do exceedingly well in good lighting. Good accurate colours, ample amounts of contrast and dynamic range are some the highlights of the cameras.
The main camera captures images just under the full resolution of 12.3 MP at 12.2 MP and UHD video. The front camera comes up with 5 MP pictures and 1920 x 1080p video. While the images are crisp and great to look at, the camera app does slow down once in a while and does not give the experience that is expected from Nexus devices. The rear camera gets laser assisted (IR sensor) auto focus, mostly seen on LG flagship phones, and works pretty efficiently in capturing focus points.
Video quality is great at 4k, but due to the lack of IS, the video tends to be shaky when shot by shaky hands. Sample below.
Android Marshmallow and Experience
The new Nexus 5X, just as each Nexus before it, comes with the latest version of Android, which in this case is Android 6.0 Marshmallow. With this new update you get improved UI features like an App search bar, a new Clock and lock screen messages.
You also get performance upgrades, a brand new RAM manager, standard support for fingerprint scanners and USB type C ports, and hence the new Nexus phones have those both.
Software updates like ‘Now on Tap’ allow you to look at Google Now throughout the UI. Apart from the usual “Ok Google” command, a long-press on the Home button makes the Google Now assistant scan whatever’s on the screen to find extra info online that might be helpful.
Privacy is now been updated and apps can no longer bypass this. A new security feature asks for passwords during boot, and not after booting to prevent unintentional battery drain if a non-owner tries to start the phone.
The new Doze feature is incredible at recognising when the phone is idle to put it in a rested state. This considerably improves battery performance on the Nexus 5X.
Performance and Battery
The Google Nexus 5X is losing out on one big thing and that is performance. Each year Nexus phones stand out as leaders defining performance standards for companies, however, this year the case is different. The higher of the two Nexus devices launched this year, the Nexus 6P, is more of a performance benchmark. The 5X is mostly being sold to cater to those who basically don’t like the idea of an expensive Nexus phone, as was seen last year with the Nexus 6.
The Nexus 5X runs dated and weak Snapdragon 808 chipset because, most manufacturers have preferred the 808 over the 810 pertaining its heat issues. The 808 scores considerably less on benchmarks achieving 48020 on Antutu which falls roughly below last year’s Note 4 by Samsung. So the Nexus 5X is not a flagship benchmark.
Battery life is assisted by the Doze feature and gives you extended use, especially if you have a long screen-off time.
The Nexus 5X will easily last a day for the average user going into the second day before requiring a charge. With a talk time of around 6 hours, we are not complaining.
Usage
LG Nexus 5X
Talk Time
5.5 – 6 hours
Internet on LTE
4 hours
Internet on Wi-Fi
5 hours
Gaming and Video
5 hours
Standby
6- 7 days
Conclusion
The Nexus 5X is available in India for a price of Rs 29,990 (at the time of review) for the 16 GB variant which is about Rs. 4,000 more than the US$ 379 price. At this price it lacks the essence of a Nexus phone. Its built in plastic lacks a QHD display and comes with 2 GB of RAM, the best advantage of the Nexus remains the quick updates. For a better hardware experience the Moto X Style offer better value for money, at the same price and has a QHD display 3 GB of RAM and better cameras, fast turbo charging and dual sim capabilities. More over you get expandability up to 128 GB. The Moto X style offers a near-Nexus Android experience and will soon get marshmallow.
You should consider one of the many other options instead of the Nexus 5X this year. For LG and Google the intent is wonderful and the phone brings back the brilliance of the Nexus 5, however the Nexus 6P is more Nexus than the Nexus 5X.
Micromax Canvas is a name that popularised Micromax with the new market of India. The latest Canvas from the company is the Canvas 5 and comes at a time where Micromax needs it the most.
The device is a big improvement from the build quality standards of the company and has a lot to offer for a consumer at a price of Rs. 11999. The phone goes on sale today online and offline.
The handset has decent specifications, however only to be burrowed by the likes of its own YU Yureka Plus. The new Canvas has a fantastic 2.5 D curved glass that not only looks good and feels great to use, the aesthetic makes the device look a lot more premium.
The handset also features Gorilla Glass 3 on the front glass and a front facing flash. Running everything is a MT6753 chip with eight cores at 1.3 GHz. Owners will get 3 GB of RAM which comes in real handy especially if you do a lot of gaming. The phone has an fast and fluid UI and runs Android 5.1 with sober customizations from Micromax not affecting usability a lot.
The handset has a metal frame that adds rigidity and polish along with rounded edges and a matte finish that feels excellent. The back panel is plastic and has a faux leather finish that is soft to touch and easy to grip onto.
The camera app is appreciated with lots of modes and pro features like those found on flagship Samsung Galaxy phones. You also get apps to re touch images and mostly do makeup etc.
The phone scored over 32000 on benchmarks and has been found to be 95% better than devices in the range. Gaming experience on the handset is good and feels like the 3 GB of RAM helps in leveraging that. We managed to play his end games on the handset with graphs turned to max without issues.
Samsung has today launched two new handsets the On5 and the On7 in their ongoing efforts to take over the budget market. The handsets are not a lot different from their previous edition J series phones and appear to be identical in terms of design to last year’s design lineage for Samsung.
The Samsung Galaxy On5
The new Galaxy On5 is priced at Rs 7999 and is a younger sibling to the On7. While both handsets appear to be identical, there are a few major differences.
The On5 has a Exynos heart with 1.3 GHz on the clock, along with 1.5 GB of RAM. The display has a resolution of 1280x720px on the 5 inch glass. The main camera is 8 MP and the front camera is a 5 MP both with f2.2 lenses and 1920 x 1080p video capture.
The back has a soft touch plastic that mimics leather in look. The phone is capable of taking two 4G enabled sim cards along with expandability of upto 128 GB. The inbuilt storage on the phone is 8GB.
Samsung Galaxy On5
The UI is snappy and quick and not much more than you can expect from an Rs. 8000 phone. The camera app is also custom Samsung and offers many of the new app features, including PRO mode and quick launch.
The Samsung Galaxy On7
The On7 on the other hand has a larger 5.5 inch display albeit the same resolution at 1280 x 720p.
The chipset is completely different as the On 7 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 which is clocked at 1.2 GHz on 4 cores. 1.5 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage complete in internals. A 3000 mAh battery powers the On 7 vs the 2600 mAh on the On 5.
The camera on the back gets a bump up to 13 MP ( actually 12.8 MP) along with a slightly improved f2.1 lens. The front captures 5 MP stills and both cameras capture 1080p video.
The On 5 and On 7 are identical in design and looks and are completely made from plastic parts. The extensive use of plastic makes them lightweight, however, cheapish looking.
With Micromax set to launch the next canvas tomorrow, waiting might be a good decision.
Each year Apple’s revisions of their iPhone have propelled sales of their handsets. The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were the company’s best selling handsets since the launch of the original iPhone.
In 2014, Apple sold a whopping 191 Million (approx) iPhones between the two main models, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and one old model, the iPhone 5s. Making the iPhone the most selling phone in the world, when compared to Samsung’s total sales across hundreds of handset models, sold globally, coming to around 392 million.
Does the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus improve what Apple was already doing with the iPhone 6 and 6 plus? Is the “s” variant a worthy upgrade? Let’s find out as we review this year’s iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
Build Quality and Design
There are no points here, the design of the iPhone is not a lot different from what we saw last year, in fact, it’s a bit thicker and slightly heavier. You will also get a brand new Rose Gold colour which has attracted the fancy of many a folks. That being said, last year’s iPhone was the best selling iPhone for Apple, it was a refreshing design change from the iPhone 5s and rounded look felt more in harmony, as opposed to the square design which Apple followed for the 4-5s.
This year’s iPhone has an improved outer shell which offers resistance against the “bendgate” issue of last year’s iPhone. The new reinforced and strong series 7000 Aluminium adds strength to the outer structure. The iPhone 6s and 6s plus also come with some form of water resistance according to tests conducted by third parties. Apple downplayed the fact that the new iPhone was water resistant, in fact they don’t mention it anywhere. They coated the logic board with water resistant materials and added a rubber gasket to all parts that could potentially allow water to seep through like ports, display edge and buttons.
You could end up with your iPhone in the toilet, and still be using it a week later (hopefully after you have fully sanitized it ).
Hardware
The “s” variants of every iPhone till date have been the ones with hardware improvements. The iPhone 3Gs, 4s, 5s and now the 6s all add improved hardware and capability while keeping design changes to a minimum.
The new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus add an improved Apple A9 chip along with an M9 co-processor. Enhanced cameras both on the rear with a 12 MP shooter which now does 4k video. On the front with a 5 MP snapper, which however is still restricted to 720p.
Specifications
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
Display
4.7-inch Retina HD display with 3D Touch, LED-backlit widescreen
5.5-inch Retina HD display with 3D Touch, LED-backlit widescreen
Resolution
1334×750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
1920×1080-pixel resolution at 401 ppi
Processor
Embedded M9 motion coprocessor
Embedded M9 motion coprocessor
Chipset
A9 chip with 64-bit architecture
A9 chip with 64-bit architecture
RAM
2GB
2GB
CPU
Dual-core 1.84GHz
Dual-core 1.84GHz
GPU
PowerVR GT7600
PowerVR GT7600
OS
iOS 9
iOS 9
Internal Storage
16GB/64GB/128GB
16GB/64GB/128GB
Exapandibility
N/A
N/A
Rear camera
12-megapixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture
12-megapixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Optical image stabilization
Rear Camera Video
4K video recording (3840 x 2160) at 30 fps
Optical image stabilization for video, 4K video recording (3840 x 2160) at 30 fps
Front Camera
5-megapixel photos, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash
5-megapixel photos, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash
Front Camera Video
720p HD video recording
720p HD video recording
Weight
143 grams
192 grams
Special Features
Fingerprint sensor, 3D touch, live photo
Fingerprint sensor, 3D touch, live photo
Connectivity
23 LTE and faster Wi-Fi
23 LTE and faster Wi-Fi
Variants
Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold
Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold
Price
Rs. 62,000, Rs. 72,000 and Rs. 82,000 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively unlocked
Rs. 72,000, Rs. 82,000 and Rs. 92,000 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively unlocked
Compared to the iPhone 6s’ 1330 x 720p display , the Apple iPhone 6s Plus gets a larger display with a 1920 x 1080p resolution. It also gets a bigger battery and Optical Image Stabilisation in the rear camera. Everything else on both the devices is identical in terms of specifications.
Apple sticking to the old displays is one big let down. iPhones need higher resolution displays and this update may finally come in the iPhone 7. This time around however Apple has added 3D touch, which is a variant of their force touch trackpads for the iPhones.
3D Touch
This is something that Apple showed off at the launch, but it still feels under played. The technology is pretty impressive, and even though many companies have done this prior to the iPhone 6s’ launch. Apple’s iteration is impressive, accurate and easy to use.
Unlike many devices in the past, the iPhone’s display in itself is not clickable. The display senses the force on the screen which is paired with where your finger is on the screen, this then results in the outcome you receive.
iPhone 6s
The usability of this is a little strange at first but then it gets easier and easier. The peek and pop UI of iOS 9 makes this feature infinitely fun.
Things like messages and mail become easy to read or dismiss and the animations are really impressive. When you click down on an app the background blurs out and enhances the look of your touch and the experience of using the 3D touch. iOS9 lets you set live images as wallpapers that you can preview simply by pressing down on the screen. Its quite cool, and you can relive your fun moments of the perfect picture right from your lock screen.
And with apps like WhatsApp and Instagram taking advantage of this feature, soon iOS will be a mega 3D touch playground. However, this might happen later than sooner, because most developers will take a long time to implement this feature.
A New 12 MP camera
Cameras
The new Apple iPhone 6s and 6s plus come with enhanced cameras, keeping Apple’s image processing standards intact. the new 12 MP camera at the back offers a larger resolution keeping the pixel size at 1.22µ pixels and the aperture at f2.2.
The addition of 4k Video means that the iPhones have finally caught up to rest of the world. It also means that buying a 16 GB iPhone has become more or less pointless. The 4k video is turned off by default and there is good reason, 1 Minute of 4k video will take approximately 375 MB whereas 1080p video will take as low as 130 MB.
The image quality is fantastic and lowlight images are impressive. You get exception control of exposure and focus prior to capture, so you can compose shots with ease.
The HDR images have been best on the iPhone so far and that remains the case with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. The OIS on the larger version iPhone 6s Plus helps people with shaky hands to capture better images and video.
The Live images are also a fun feature only when you understand that you need to keep your hand stable for longer. Else you end up with Live video loops ending with shots of your feet, or even worse, shots of your nostrils when clicking selfies. This also consumes more storage and 16 GB owners should stay away from this feature. This can easily be disabled from the camera interface.
Previous iPhone users will be happy with better resolution cameras, especially the front camera, where an overhaul was long overdue. The selfies are improved and also support the live photos feature.
Live photos are nothing new, HTC did this with ZOE and many manufacturers and apps have had this feature. However, all of them worked on the principle of capturing video and then saving a still from that. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, unlike the others in the past, captures a burst of high res pictures in a .MOV format along with the main image. Therefore not affecting the quality of the image, technically this is multitasking for the camera and is an innovative way to execute live images. You can also set the live images as a lock screen wallpaper and execute the 3D touch to preview them whenever. They are like your own personal Vines.
Performance
This is major improvement on the overall usage of the iPhone. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are both faster and snappier when compared to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. iOS is already pretty fast and smooth. The operation on the iPhone 6s is a lot better.
iOS 9 was designed primarily on the new iPhones hence you get a phenomenal experience. The new peek and pop UI works really well. New animations and live photos as wallpapers is an appreciated add-on. The fact that there is more RAM on the new iPhones means that games work in a better environment, loading and caching works better too. Apps that utilise this additional RAM speed up as well. The camera has a more prompt response and images are clicked and processed quicker.
Networks and Battery
The network strength is much more improved. Tested on Airtel and Vodafone in Delhi and Mumbai. on LTE Speeds upto 50 Megabits are easily available, however that is more network provider dependent. Compared to iPhone 6 and Samsung Galaxy S6, network speeds are faster and network strength is better on the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. During the tests we also faced lesser network drops and overall sturdier network performance. Battery life is improved over the previous Gen iPhone 6 Plus and the network improvements could be a major contributor.
The new Apple A9 chipset is also better balanced to give you an improved battery performance. While “batterygate” has been said to be insignificant, the TSMC chipset is considered an advantage.
Overall with the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus get improved battery performance and seem to charge faster that the previous get iPhones. A 5-minute charge gets you from 5% to 30% and about an hour and 15 minutes gets you a full charge on an iPhone 6s Plus using an iPad 12W charger. Between 4-5 hours of talk time 3 hours of internet and 3 hours of music playback with the screen off, the iPhone 6s ends up with 20% battery at the end of the day and the iPhone 6s Plus with about 32%. If you are using the iPhone with the screen on, a lot of you will require a frequent charge.
Process
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
Talk Time
5 hours
6.5 Hours
Gaming / Video
4.5 Hours Non Stop
5 Hours Non Stop
Internet
8 hours
9.5 Hours
Music
12 Hours Non Stop
16 Hours Non Stop
Conclusion
The iPhone is an ever growing phenomenon, the more people use the ecosystem the more it makes sense. And while the battle between Android and Apple iPhones is one that will never see the light at the end of the tunnel. The iPhone is clearly the most popular single handset in the world and the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus improve on that with the right kind of things. The hardware running the handset sees a major bump, and the cameras are a lot better and everyone will appreciate that. Live photos work well, and for the moment seem to not be a gimmick.
Soon third party apps will allow sharing of live images and it will become a phenomenon. 4k video is better too, so is network reception and battery life. But, that’s the thing a regular user is not concerned with the use case scenario of all the above features. Sure a better battery and better cameras are good things to have. And 3D touch is great to use and a really productive and time saving feature. However, how big of an improvement is it over the iPhone 6? Not a big improvement, but logically a significant one. Most iPhone 6 owners can and should skip this version for the iPhone 7 which will bring all this features and more with a more significant design change.
But, to sum it up, the iPhone 6s and 6s plus are sturdier iPhones, with new water resistant capabilities, a stronger chassis, cameras that are superior, a new screen technology, seriously fast processing capabilities, better battery life and better network capabilities. You also have new features like live photos and peek and pop capabilities which are not only fun but functional and unique to the iPhone for the moment. You also have the [s] badge on the back of the iPhone to show off to your friend who owns an iPhone 6. Pricey sarcasm aside, the new iPhones are brand new phones and hopefully all apps will allow users to exploit the functionality of things like peek pop and 3D touch, at least before the iPhone 7 arrives. There is also the price factor, each variant of the iPhone in India is significantly pricier than last year’s iPhone.
However that has not stopped people from pre-ordering the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus before it goes on sale officially today.
Apple’s latest iPhone is all set to launch in India on the 16th of October. Pre orders have begun on major e-commerce websites, most of which promise to deliver the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus 2-4 days from launch. There is also a traditional launch which will happen in major cities, where people will cue up to buy the phone on the day of the launch.
Apple has not made major design changes, as a matter of fact the only design change is the fact that the new iPhone 6s is heavier and thicker than the iPhone 6 and so is the case of the iPhone 6s Plus when compared to predecessor iPhone 6 Plus.
The iPhone 6 plus with its added weight feels much better and sturdier to hold in the hands. The reinforced aluminium frame takes a lot more pressure and there is no more “Bendgate“.
The new 3D touch is something that could become a big deal when more apps start to leverage the tech. As you will see in the video, it takes a while to get used to it, but is a lot of fun to use.
The cameras are a big welcome change. The front camera gets 5 MP which means front portraits aka. SELFIES, are now much improved. However the front camera only shoots 720p video. Boo Apple!
The rear camera however, is now a 12 MP shooter with 4k Video capability, which was much needed. New Live photos and optical image stabalization. All of which will require a lot of space on your iPhone. Pro Tip : if you use the camera a lot, avoid the 16 GB variant of the iPhone 6s / 6s Plus.
Check out the hands on video above and stay tuned for more. Full Specs below:
Specifications
iPhone 6s
iPhone 6s Plus
Display
Retina HD display with 3D Touch, 4.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit widescreen
Retina HD display with 3D Touch, 5.5-inch LED-backlit widescreen
Resolution
1334 X 750-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
1920-by-1080-pixel resolution at 401 ppi
Processor
Embedded M9 motion coprocessor
Embedded M9 motion coprocessor
Chipset
A9 chip with 64-bit architecture
A9 chip with 64-bit architecture
OS
iOS 9
iOS 9
Internal Storage
16GB/64GB/128GB
16GB/64GB/128GB
Exapandibility
N/A
N/A
Rear camera
12-megapixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture
12-megapixel iSight camera with 1.22µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Optical image stabilization
Rear Camera Video
4K video recording (3840 by 2160) at 30 fps
Optical image stabilization for video, 4K video recording (3840 by 2160) at 30 fps
Front Camera
5-megapixel photos, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash
5-megapixel photos, ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash
Front Camera Video
720p HD video recording
720p HD video recording
Body Dimensions
143 grams
192 grams
Special Features
Fingerprint sensor, 3D force touch, live photo
Fingerprint sensor, 3D force touch, live photo
Connectivity
23 LTE and faster Wi-Fi
23 LTE and faster Wi-Fi
Variants
Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold
Silver, Gold, Space Gray, Rose Gold
Price
Rs. 62000, Rs. 72000 and Rs. 82000 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively unlocked
Rs. 72000, Rs. 82000 and Rs. 92000 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively unlocked
Samsung’s newest addition to the Note family comes not as much of a surprise. Especially after all the leaks and Samsung setting precedent with its S6 and S6 edge. Samsung has found the right mix of hardware, software, build and design for devices this year.
Does the Note 5 fit right in? Let’s find out.
Overview
Without changing much, Samsung has made major changes to the handset. The new Note 5 is a positive step ahead for the company, taking in major feedback from its consumers and acting upon it. The Note 5 is priced at Rs. 53,900 for the 32GB version and Rs 59,990 for the 64GB variant. Samsung has used the same design philosophy as seen in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge along with the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus for the new Note. Bringing in a totally new and young look to the otherwise bold and business handset.
Build Quality and Design
Samsung wins this year for good looks, as the company has finally reached a point where its handsets are the most impressive looking mainstream Android devices in the market. The Note 5 is no less, although, personally, we feel the Galaxy S6 edge and edge+ remain at pole position when it comes to looks. The new Galaxy Note 5 comes in a close second, thanks to its extensive use of glass and metal. Gorilla Glass 4 on the back and the front, the rear glass tapers in to the edges, putting the edge display design on the back of the Note 5.
The new S-pen also has a new design and mechanism, however is riddled with major issues. The build is sold and feel of the handset exceptional, and even though the phone looks fragile it can take a whole lot of beating. The metal alloy frame is solid and protects the Note 5 well and adds to a major premium look and feel, that the predecessors were lacking.
16 MP, 5312 x 2988 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus
Rear Camera Video
2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps,
Front Camera
5 MP
Front Camera Video
1080p at 30fps
Battery
Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery
Operating System
Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Connectivity
SIM: Nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, NFC
Type-C reversible connector
Miscellaneous
Fingerprint sensor, S- PEN stylus
Price
Rs.53,900 for the 32GB variant; Rs 59,900 for the 64GB variant
Operating System
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 runs on what is possibly the best version of Samsung’s skin called “TouchWiz”. This version turns out to be the best so far simply because it is the least invasive. We saw the same OS on the S6 edge and edge+. The one on the Note 5 however, is optimized for the new S-Pen.
Although most of the menus are familiar and seen before on Samsung devices, some S-Pen features are new. The ability to take a note while the screen is off is the best of the lot of new improvement. When the screen is off, simply pull out the S-Pen to enable this feature. The colours are inverted, the screen remains dark and the pen line is white.
Other features include the Slick UI elements, use power buttons to increase or decrease screen font size. The S-Pen will give previews, just like before, and now the pop ups are super smooth.
Display and Multimedia
The new display is identical to the previous devices in terms of the resolution however the 5.7 inch size is larger than before and hence reduces the PPI to 518. The screen is bright, all 600 nits, and easily visible outdoors.
The new set of speakers and microphones make the audio experience really good, the inbuilt speaker is loud and crisp with good amounts of mid tones and whatever bass levels you can achieve from a downward facing speaker on a smartphone. The earphone jack boosts audio well and you well get a lot of volume through earphones, whether included or otherwise.
Since the hardware is top notch, you can expect it to smoothly sail through any media you may throw at it, no lag whatsoever in playback.
Camera
The camera is magic, is what we felt about the S6 and. the Note 5 is no less. In fact the Note 5 is no more either – the exact same camera, the exact same lens setup, the exact camera software and the exact capability as well. The f1.9 aperture lenses are wide and capture a lot of information in the 16MP and 5MP images on the back and front respectively.
The camera app is impressive too and offers a lot of manual control, the pro mode rules in this department too. You can manually adjust any camera setting before you start to capture, or during your capture. Optical Image Stabalization (OIS) works well too and you will mostly get really good pictures or video. Unless you are trying really hard not to. The problem with the camera is, that it will get confused with colours in low light situations, over saturating the reds and browns.
Samsung finally has a camera that puts the iPhone down, however Samsung is missing out on Apple’s image processing and colour algorithms, which unfortunately work better. Compared to previous gen iPhones, the Note 5 will also do 4k video and do it well. Video is smooth, crisp and looks fantastic.
S Pen
“Pen Gate”, something that haunts everyone at Samsung today. The S Pen on the Note 5, when inserted the wrong way in, will not only get stuck inside the Note, but will also damage the sensing mechanism of the display. Basically rendering your phone into a regular non-Note Samsung device.
The only fix according to Samsung – “Don’t put it in backwards.” However, it’s not so simple. In a beautiful world people wouldn’t have cared, and 99.99% people won’t be stuffing their S-Pen backwards. But now that it’s a known phenomenon, chances of it happening are a lot more.
Samsung is not very friendly with repairs of such an accident and it might end up costing you several thousand to get the Note 5 fixed / replaced. Not a pretty sight.
The, new design of the pen however is sleek and much appreciated. The responsiveness of the new pen on the Note 5 is highly improved over the previous generation Style. The click out mechanism is slick and works well, the girth of the pen is still too low and will not replicate the experience of using a real pen. Even though from a software aspect the handset does do that.
Phone and Battery Life
The battery is large and you will easily get a full days worth of use. If you do not you can always charge it with a fast charger and get on with your life. Although 3000 mAh is enough, and lasts us a whole day it may vary for different usage case scenarios. Turning off things like “double click home to enable camera” will save your device from enabling the camera in the pocket and overheating to a toasty 60+ degrees. Pro Tip : Keep this feature off.
If you can manage to keep the phone from turning on in your pocket all the time, it works great and will last a long time. If you are using the camera, the phone will get hot but has no real adverse affects on the performance or the battery life of the handset.
India, initially gets the single sim variant, which works across the spectrum for 4G LTE and 3G as well as 2G, so you have all networks covered. Signal strength is decent although indoors it appears to be weak. Honestly, we can’t tell if it’s a network issue or a device issue.
Audio quality in the phone call is mighty impressive, although the earpiece speaker gets a bit too bassy at times. You also have excellent noise cancellation built in and a extra volume more for those hard to hear conversations. “You What”?
Additional Features and Roundup
The new Galaxy Note 5 has all the Samsung tricks up its sleeve. Fast charging, Wireless Fast charging and an impressive and large battery too. You will also get Samsung Pay which is fantastic and works across the world with basically any existing magnetic stripe card reader.
The Note 4 came with an edge variant, and we are happy that Samsung didn’t pursue that dream on the Note 5. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5, is a beautiful looking, robust handset that can outperform almost everything in the category. Samsung has figured out the balance between beauty and brawn and made it work exceptionally well for the new Galaxy devices.
Putting the edge on the back of this massive device, gives a more reassuring hold to this otherwise slippery looking handset. The colors and materials give it the richness it needs and the hardware gives it the punch. Just do not put the S Pen in backwards and you are golden.
It gets top marks, but for a top price, making the Galaxy Note 5 from Samsung the best business Android Phone in the market, and the only in its class.
The Google Nexus 5X is losing out on one big thing and that is performance. Each year Nexus phones stand out as leaders defining performance standards for companies, however, this year the case is different. The higher of the two Nexus devices launched this year, the Nexus 6P, is more of a performance benchmark. The 5X is mostly being sold to cater to those who basically don’t like the idea of an expensive Nexus phone, as was seen last year with the Nexus 6.
Battery life is assisted by the Doze feature and gives you extended use, especially if you have a long screen-off time.
