Author: Sanket Vijay

Most Anticipated Smartphones in 2016

Last year saw some incredible smartphones that pushed the boundaries of design and specification, making it difficult to pick out just one favourite. This year promises to do the same. We take a look at some of the most anticipated smartphone launches expected in 2016 and what we know about them so far.

iPhone 7

Apple’s iPhone 7 and Samsung’ Galaxy S7 are perhaps the most talked about flagship devices today. There’s just a lot of anticipation attached to the upcoming handsets and along with it comes a lot of rumours as well. The first round of rumours a few months ago suggested that the iPhone 7 will lose the home button and will sport an OLED display thereby giving up on LCD display that it has relied on so far. Apple followers will know that the Apple Watch is the only Apple device to sport an OLED display currently. Furthermore, the OLED display will either be supplied by LG or Samsung, or both.

Next up, the iPhone 7 is rumoured to be waterproof and will feature 3 GB of RAM. More recently, there have been talks related to Apple’s decision to ditch the headphone jack. This is part of Apple’s plan to improve the quality of music streaming. Furthermore, the loss of a headphone jack means more space for Apple to add a larger battery to the iPhone 7, as well as make the device thinner. We’ll just have to wait and see how this strategy plays out.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge

Samsung S7 Render

There have been a lot of rumours and a lot of questions regarding the launch and specs of Samsung’s upcoming flagship Galaxy S7 devices. What everyone is expecting is Samsung to pull out another stunning flagship that pushes the boundaries of design and power, like it did with the Galaxy S6 series.

It’s almost confirmed that the Galaxy S7 will arrive in two variants – one powered by the new Snapdragon 820 chipset and the other by Exynos 8890.

Among the many rumours that have been making the rounds, some that have caught our attention is that the S7 devices will feature Apple’s 3D Touch-like pressure sensitive display called ClearForce that’s being developed by Synaptics. Additionally, the Galaxy S7 will have a Type C USB Port which means the device will charge significantly faster.

The flat Galaxy S7 will likely sport a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display while the ‘Edge’ variant will come with a 5.5-inch display of the same kind. As for the S7 Edge, very little is known as to how the curved screen device is going to look. Whether Samsung is going for a different curved design or rather just tweak the previous S6 design is still a mystery. The flagship devices are slated for a February launch at the MWC.

HTC One M10

HTC One M10 Render

Being a successor to the One M9, the HTC One M10 will look to improve on specs wherever it can. The new iteration is said to come with a 5.5-inch QHD display. You can expect some bright, crisp colours under a Gorilla Glass 4 protection.

On the design front, the device will have the all-metal, unibody form associated with HTC flagships, along with curved edges and bezels to give it an attractive look. The HTC One M10 will sport a Snapdragon 820 chipset under the hood along with a powerful graphics card.

Other features include a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, 4 GB of RAM with 16 GB and 32 GB internal storage variants, and a battery capacity of 3,500 mAh. The device is expected to come out sometime in March.

Xiaomi Mi 5

Xiaomi Mi 4

Xiaomi fans have been eagerly awaiting the Mi 5 flagship smartphone, which has been delayed due to the launch of the Snapdragon 820 chipset. Since Samsung has claimed exclusivity of the new chipset for the first quarter, the Mi 5 along with any other device sporting the new, powerful processor will all likely see a post-March release.

On the specs front, the Mi 5 will sport a 5.5-inch screen with quad HD (2560×1440) display, Snapdragon 820 chipset, 20MP primary camera and an 8MP front camers. The device will also come with 3,800mAh battery and 4G LTE support. RAM is set at 4GB and the phone will offer 16GB/64GB/128GB storage options.

OnePlus 3

OnePlus 3 Render

OnePlus has done so much in so little time. The company, still in its infancy, has already released 3 spectacular devices -OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X in the span of two years. This year, OnePlus will look to reclaim the title of the ‘flagship killer’ with the upcoming OnePlus 3 smartphone. Not much is known about the third flagship device, and only a couple of leaked renders have appeared giving rise to possible hardware specs.

The image above shows a brushed metal back instead of the usual sandstone panels. The new OnePlus might also feature a front speaker. The render shows that the handset could possibly come in two different colours.

From what we’ve heard so far, the new OnePlus device will sport a 5.5-inch UHD display with 5GB RAM. Sources also reveal a little about the hardware and display citing that the handset could arrive with the Snapdragon 820 chipset and a 1080p display resolution.

LG G5

LG G4

A Redditor recently leaked some specs and images of the LG G5. The device will sport a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, powered by the new Snapdragon 820 SoC with 3 GB of RAM and an 8 MP front camera. Other specs include a full metal body, SIM and MicroSD slot, heart rate sensor that’s under the camera module, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, a USB Type-C port, bottom firing speaker and an IR blaster on top.

A leaked image also suggests that the LG G5 will sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. No word yet on when LG plans to launch the device.

Sony Xperia Z6

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

It looks like Sony is planning to launch a slew of devices under the Z6 line. It is rumoured that a total of six Z6 devices will be launched this year: a 4-inch Xperia Z6 Mini, a 4.6-inch Xperia Z6 Compact, a 5.2-inch Xperia Z6, a 5.8-inch Xperia Z6 Plus, a 6.4-inch Xperia Z6 Ultra, and a 5-inch Z6 Lite. Now, Sony is yet to confirm the rumours, but you can expect some, if not all, to be true.

What you can expect from the Xperia Z6 is a build that’ll reflect the Z5 with a squarer, flatter design rather than the traditional rounded edges that Sony had previously stuck to with the older models. The Z6 will also come with a fingerprint scanner added to the power side button.

The burning question is whether Sony will go for a 2K display with the 5.2-inch Xperia Z6 or will it continue with a Full HD display as it has with the Z5. Doing the former would mean having to sacrifice battery life, which Sony isn’t all too fond of doing at the moment.

Nokia C1

Nokia C1

Nokia is all set to make a comeback with a new smartphone. This new device, allegedly called the C1, will be the first flagship device to bear the Nokia logo since the Finnish company was sold to Microsoft a few years ago.

There have been a number of leaked renders that claim the design of the C1, though each source has leaked different designs. One of the more recent renders show a very minimalist and sleek design, which actually looks pretty good, if confirmed as legit. The C1 is also depicted running both Android and well as Windows 10 OS.

Rumours suggest that the Nokia C1 will come in two variants. The first one will sport a 5.5-inch Full HD display and a 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. The device will also come with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory expandable via microSD card slot.

The second variant will have a 5-inch Full HD display and will sport an 8 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory.

January 4, 2016
Huawei P9 with 6 GB RAM to Launch at Pre-CES Event on January 5

There have been rumours in the past that Huawei was planning to launch the P9 flagship smartphone was set for a March release. However, it looks like Huawei is not planning on waiting that long to unveil the device. Fresh rumours out of China suggest that the Huawei P9 will be made official at the company’s pre-CES event, scheduled to be held tomorrow, January 5.

The specs that’s really grabbing everyone’s attention is the whopping 6 GB RAM inside the device, and a dual rear camera setup. Other rumored specs of the device include 5.2-inch display, Kirin 950 SoC, and a fingerprint sensor.

This along with the Huawei Mate 8 are the two devices Huawei plans on unveiling at CES as of now. Follow this space as we cover CES 2016 starting January 6 – 9.

January 4, 2016
New 46mm Cognac Leather Variant Launched for Moto 360 (2nd Gen)

Motorola is kicking off 2016 with some exciting new offers for its newly launched Moto 360 (2nd Gen) smartwatch. Consumers can avail the Moto 360 (2nd Gen) men’s collection on Amazon.in from today. The collection includes cognac leather, black leather and black metal variants of the smartwatch. The collection also introduces, for the very first time in India, a 46mm Cognac Leather variant.

Other than the size and range, there have been very subtle changes to the new design from the previous Moto 360, such as – a re-positioning of the button to the 2 o’clock position and one can even customize the finish of the small bezel that surrounds the display. With respect to the processor, Motorola has upgraded its device with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor.

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They have also further improved the battery life and say that the 46 mm watch will last up to two days between charges, while the 42 mm watch will be able to last about a day and a half.

The Live Dials of Moto 360 Gen 2 give access to summarised information in one glance. Depending on what matters to the user most, the watch will give weather updates from among footsteps count, rate of heart activity and calorie count etc. The Moto Body is a feature that will keep an account of not just footsteps and heart rate, but also sleep patterns and nutrition of the user.

Additionally, the watch is rated at IP67 which means it can be soaked in 1 m (3.3 ft) of water for half an hour. The watch further boasts of voice controls. You can check out our unboxing of the Moto 360 (2nd Gen) to know more.

The product will be available at the given below prices.

?      Cognac leather (46mm) – INR 20,999

?      Cognac leather – INR 19,999

?      Black leather – INR 19,999

?      Black metal – INR 23,999

January 4, 2016
BoomStick Boosts the Sound Quality of Any Wired Headphones

Everyone loves listening to music at the highest quality possible. For a long time now, not much has been done to improve the sound quality of music or audio in general. This year could prove otherwise. A company called BoomCloud 360 has created a device that uses algorithms to enhance the sound of anything it’s plugged into.

The BoomStick dongle is one among a suit of products BoomCloud 360 is planning to unveil at CES 2016. At $99, the BoomStick makes for a great purchase . It’s a small and light device that has a battery life of up to 14 hours. Using the dongle is fairly simple. You plug in your headphones to the dongle, and the dongle to the smartphone.

The company promises an improved audio experience likening it to the evolution from black and white to 4K TVs. The device os promising in that it hints at a future where the technology could be fitted within a phone. However, for now, a separate dongle might be a little too cumbersome for people to carry around everywhere.

You can try the BoomStick’s sound quality on the company’s website. There people can choose a handful of pre-selected songs, and a virtual BoomStick will let you toggle on and off to hear the difference. We’ll just have to wait and see all the devices BoomCloud has up its sleeve at CES.

January 4, 2016
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Plus Revealed in Leaked Photo

Over the next few weeks, you can expect a lot of leaked images and specs of Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S7 flagship devices. Since we’re getting closer and closer to the launch, there’s a lot of hype and expectations surrounding the devices. Recent rumours suggest that Samsung might unveil 4 Galaxy S7 variants – two flat screen, and two with dual-curved displays.

Today, we have a leaked photo that reveals a 5.7-inch Galaxy S7. A Redditor posted an image showing a 5.7-inch screen (with 1440 x 2560 pixels) that’s curved, which suggests it might be the Galaxy S7 Edge Plus.

The photo also reveals some important specs. The 5.7-inch Galaxy S7 features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset and Adreno 530 GPU, 4 GB of RAM, 12 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front. It has been speculated for a while that Samsung is looking to improve its camera quality rather than upgrade its pixels. So a 12 MP camera for the S7 series wouldn’t be all that surprising.

Needless to say, you should take this with a pinch of salt. Samsung is likely to unveil its flagship devices at the MWC in February. Follow this space for more.

January 4, 2016
HTC One M10: Everything We Know So Far

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the launch of HTC’s next flagship device. The HTC One M10 has been floating between CES and MWC for a while. HTC is still enjoying the launch of the One A9, but fans have already been asking about the One M10, and HTC is likely to reveal the device within the first quarter. Here’s everything we know about the flagship device so far.

Display

Being a successor to the One M9, the HTC One M10 will look to improve on specs wherever it can. The new iteration is said to come with a 5.5-inch QHD display. You can expect some bright, crisp colours under a Gorilla Glass 4 protection.

HTC One M9+

Design

The design of the One M10 is expected to be slimmer and sharper than its predecessor. To help with that, the device will carry the all-metal, unibody form factor associated with HTC flagships, along with curved edges and bezels to give it an attractive look.

Camera

The One M9 had 20 MP primary camera that proved a little underwhelming, especially in comparison to the sharper, brighter images seen in Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and LG’s G4. HTC is going to have to make some serious improvements in the camera department if it wants to be a killer device. Rumours suggest that the One M10 will sport a bigger 27 MP camera with face detection autofocus technology.

The front camera also boasts of high megapixels for selfie lovers. However, these rumours should be taken with a pinch of salt. It is also possible that HTC will continue with a 20 MP camera and will rather focus on improving the quality of images.

HTC One M10 Concept

Processor

HTC is perhaps waiting till the end of March to release the One M10 so that it can release its device with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset under the hood. You may remember that Samsung has claimed exclusivity of the new chipset for the first three months.

If HTC wants to come out with a powerful new flagship, then it will need to sport a powerful new chip to compete with the likes of the upcoming Galaxy S7 and Xiaomi Mi 5 devices, to name a few. Apart from the Snapdragon 820 chip, the One M10 will also use a graphics card that will improve graphic quality of images for visually appealing gaming experience,

Other Features

One of the highlights of the upcoming flagship is that it will feature a Touch ID fingerprint scanner for maximum security for the device. Other than that, the One M10 will likely sport 4 GB of RAM with 16 GB and 32 GB internal storage variants. The device is also rumoured to feature a battery capacity of 3,500mAh. The device will come pre-installed with Android 6.1, which is another good piece if information.

The above mentioned specs are merely a roundup of all the rumours that have been floating around. Over the next few weeks, you can expect more details to emerge as well as some confirmation for the existing rumours and some images of the device as well. Follow this space for more on HTC’s upcoming flagship smartphone.

January 2, 2016
Apple Watch Uses the Force to Fly a Drone

It’s a beautiful thing when science meets Star Wars. A group of Taiwanese tech researchers at PVD+ have created an app for the Apple Watch that allows you to control a drone using your arm movements. Yes, the Force is strong with this Apple Watch.

Reuters caught the motion-controlled drone in action. You can check it out in the video below. “Previously we’ve needed complicated controls to fly drones, but now we can use a wearable device, and through human behavior and gestures directly interact with them – using a hand to control and fly drones directly,” PVD+ founder Mark Ven told Reuters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX8ZkgFk_Rw

But that’s not all. The researchers also channeled their inner Jedi to create an app that controls light levels and colors via hand movements, and a spherical robot resembling the adorably rolly BB-8 droid seen in Star Wars: The Force Awaken. “We can also control a ball, like that in Star Wars’ BB-8 droid, using a wearable device as well,” Ven said.

PVD+ is calling the software Dong, and is working on securing a patent for it. Looks like it won’t be long before the line between science fiction and reality disappears completely.

January 2, 2016
Oculus Touch Controllers for Oculus Rift Delayed Till Second Half of 2016

2016 is going to be the year of the virtual reality. People around the world have been eagerly waiting to get their hands on some VR headgears that were demoed last year. One of them is the popular Oculus Rift VR headset. The headgear will start shipping in the first half of 2016. However, there is some bad news as well.

Turns out, you will have to wait a while longer to be able to wave your arms around in the air to control whatever you’re looking at in your giant VR headset. We’re talking about the Oculus Touch – the hand controllers that would allow you to do just that with the Oculus Rift have been delayed and won’t be shipped until the second half of the year.

Oculus VR has stated that pre-order for the Oculus Touch will begin a few months before its official launch (which is still unconfirmed).

“On Touch hardware, we’ve made significant advances in ergonomics, and we’re implementing many changes that make Touch even more comfortable, reliable, and natural. We’re also implementing changes that improve hand pose recognition,” reads Oculus’ blog post.

“The feedback on Touch has been incredibly positive, and we know this new timeline will produce an even better product, one that will set the bar for VR input. We appreciate your patience and promise Touch will be worth the wait.”

Founder and CEO of Oculus Rift, Palmer Luckey recently announced that preorders for the headset would start “soon after new year”. We still don’t now the official pricing of the virtual reality headgear, but Luckey has stated that the price would be low considering all that’s in the device. “Rift will be sold insanely cheap considering complexity – multiple high end OLED monitors+motion tracking+fancy mechanicals in one device,” he tweeted.

So, while you’ll have to wait for the second half of 2016 to fully experience the virtual reality world with the Oculus Touch, you can still embrace the future a little early with the Oculus Rift headset. Follow this space on the official launch and pricing of the Oculus Rift VR.

January 2, 2016
Asus Zenfone Max Will Launch on January 4

Asus is set to launch the Zenfone Max on the 4th of January, with a massive battery of 5000mAh. The company posted a tweet today reminding fans to mark their calendars. The new device in the Zenfone line sports a 5.5-inch HD IPS display with 267 ppi pixel density and Corning Gorilla Glass on top.

#BeUnstoppable in 2016.Mark your calendar for the 4th of January 12PM, Get Notified here https://t.co/NltJce82kA pic.twitter.com/b1xncgmPCs

— ASUS India (@ASUSIndia) January 1, 2016

Under the hood you get Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 chipset with a 1.2GHz Cortex-A53 quad-core processor. The device will be offered in 8GB and 16GB storage variant (expandable up to 128GB), with 2GB of RAM. on the camera front, the Zenfone Max packs a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP selfie shooter with laser autofocus, dual-LED, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection and panorama.

The handset will run on Android 5.1 Lollipop (upgradable to Marshmallow) with Asus ZenUI on top. The massive battery on the Zenfone Max also lets you use the device as a power bank to charge other smartphones and tablets.

Lastly, the device will be available in black and white colour options and can be purchased exclusively from Flipkart starting January 4. You’ll have to wait till the 4th for the official price of the device.

January 1, 2016
What to Expect at CES 2016

CES, short of Consumer Electronics Show, is the place where new and shiny gadgets are revealed that sets the tone for the technology that year. CES 2016 will be no different. The event will take place at in Las Vegas from Wednesday, January 6 to Saturday, January 9, 2016. Here are some of the many technologies that will be unveiled at the four-day conference.

Samsung

Samsung is likely to draw a lot of attention at CES 2016. Or perhaps that may have been the case when it was expected that the company would launch its next flagship Galaxy S7 devices at the event. However, this rumour has been almost completely denied. Samsung’s invitation puts highlight TVs and home appliances as their main showcases.

But this doesn’t rule out a phone launch by the company. It may not be the Galaxy S7, but Samsung has many other handsets in its pockets that are just waiting to come out. It is likely that the Korean-based company will reveal some mid-range devices – possibly the Galaxy A4 and A7 smartphones, or perhaps the new Galaxy Tab Pro and Note Pro tablets. On the TV front, you can expect some 4K and 8K products in the offing.

Camera Tech – BRITECELL

BRITECELL is Samsung’s new camera technology that IS expected in the upcoming Galaxy S7. The technology will be showcased at CES and viewers will get a sneak peek into what they can expect from the flagship handset, at least on the camera front.

Huawei Mate 8

Huawei has been eager to launch the Mate 8 in the U.S and has received the green light for it. The device has already passed FCC and will be unveiled at CES 2016.

For those of you unaware about the Mate 8, the device sports a 6-inch 1080p touchscreen display and will be powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 950 chipset and an ARM Mali-T880 GPU. Furthermore, the handset will be available in 3GB and 4GB of RAM with 32GB and 64GB and 128GB storage variants. The Mate 8 has a large 4,000 mAh battery and will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

HTC One M10

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the launch of HTC’s next flagship device. The HTC One M10 has been floating between CES and MWC for a while. HTC is still enjoying the launch of the One A9, but fans have already been asking about the One M10, and HTC is likely to reveal the device soon enough.

HTC One M10 Concept

What we know so far about the One M10 is that the handset will likely sport a 5.5-inch screen with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB storage. The device will come pre-installed with Android 6.1, which is a good piece if information. More details will be known as we get closer to the unveiling.

VR

Smartphones and other technology aside, it in VR and autonomous cars that the CES 2016 will revolve around. The two technologies are set to be the highlights at the press conference. We’re slowly moving towards an age of wearable technology and virtual reality is the next big leap. 2015 has already seen the the Oculus Rift and in action, but 2016 will see the official launch of the headgear in the first quarter.

The Oculus Rift will not be the only VR headgear at the CES. Sony’s Project Morpheus, now known as Playstation VR, will also be at the event. Furthermore, Samsung may also reveal a second version of the Gear VR, though nothing has been confirmed on that front. Lastly, HTC is also likely to present a developer version of the Vive VR at CES 2016.

While these were the major names in the department let it be known that there are more than 40 companies presenting VR gear at CES. If that doesn’t tell you how the future of technology looks, nothing will.

Autonomous Cars

Finally, the other major focus at CES 2016 will be on smart cars. A number of players in the automobile industry are set to unveil autonomous or self-driving vehicles. Some of the speculated names include BMW’s i8 Spyder and the Apple Car. Volkswagen is also keen on shifting people’s attention from the the dieselgate scam, which is why the company is also ready to unveil its first all-electric autonomous vehicle. A teaser revealed earlier this month showing a boxy shape front has raised suspicion that VW is ready with its much-talked about microbus revival.

January 1, 2016
Netflix May Finally Launch in India

Popular video-streaming service Netflix is finally going to come to India, according to reports by Hindu Business Line. The announcement of Netflix in India will likely be made at the upcoming Consumer Electronic Show 2016 that will take place in the coming weeks. Netflix has been eying India for a while now, but did not make any headway due to piracy and slow internet speeds in the country.

Now, it looks like the company is ready to launch its service in the country and will tie up with an Indian telecom company for its 4G network. Presumably, this company will be Airtel as currently it is the only operator in the country that has made its mark in the 4G domain, though Reliance is joining in too, having launched its 4G service for its employees just last week.

Netflix is a subscription-based service where one can stream television programmes and movies legally. The service is well established in over 50 countries with around 62 million subscribers. The company has also expressed interest in entering Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea markets by early 2016. We’ll have to wait and see if fans in India will finally be able to enjoy binging on their favourites shows on Netflix soon.

January 1, 2016
BlackBerry Will Continue to Operate in Pakistan

Last month, we heard that BlackBerry was planning to leave Pakistan due to privacy concerns. BlackBerry refused to accept the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s plea for “unfettered access” to use users’ information that included emails and BBM conversations.

The request made by the PTA would directly infringe on users’ privacy. And BlackBerry is not one to jeopardise the privacy of its customers. Earlier in July, the PTA sent out notifications to the country’s mobile phone operators stating that BlackBerry’s BES servers won’t be allowed to operate in the country starting December due to “security reasons”. It was then that the Canadian phone company decided to leave Pakistan for good.

However, after some “productive discussions”, the government is willing to let go of its order.This means that BlackBerry is staying put in Pakistan and will not be risking its privacy. Marty Beard, chief operating officer of BlackBerry, wrote on the company’s blog: “We are grateful to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the Pakistani government for accepting BlackBerry’s position that we cannot provide the content of our customers’ BES traffic, nor will we provide access to our BES servers.”

January 1, 2016
Asus Pegasus X005 Images and Specs Leaked

Looks like Asus is all set to launch a new smartphone under its budget Pegasus lineup of devices. The X005 has passed China’s TENAA certification, which means the device is ready to be sold in the Chinese market soon.

The certification also revealed some details about the device. The Asus Pegasus X005 will sport a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP front, a 1.3 GHz octa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 4G, and dual-SIM functionality. The handset runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with Zen UI on top.

The specs of the X005 are similar to the Pegasus X002, but the design of the new model is something new in the lineup. The X005 sports a metal frame and a unibody design, according to the image. The handset will come in three colour variants – Blue, White and Gold. You can expect an official announcement of the Asus Pegasus X005 soon.

January 1, 2016
Camera Test: Galaxy S6 Edge+ vs Moto X Style vs HTC One A9 vs Qiku Q Terra vs Yu Yutopia

2015 has seen some top-of-the-line smartphones that have excelled in the camera department. We look at the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, Moto X Style, HTC One A9, and Qiku Q Terra and how they perform with the snapper. The images taken are all in auto mode for better comparison.

Galaxy S6 Edge+

The one thing you can blindly trust about Samsung is their camera. The past few years, Samsung’s flagship devices have come with spectacular cameras that have become a kind of benchmark for other flagship devices. The primary camera of S6 Edge+ rocks 16 MP, 2988 x 5312 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus and LED flash, while the front camera has a 5 MP along with dual video call and Auto HDR.

Having one of the best sensors in the market is bound to get you some amazing captures. Pictures taken by the device appear incredibly crisp and clear, and the colours are close to what your eyes see. There is no added saturation here and the bench looks the right kind of orange. The wide angle shot also captures the sun, where other devices in this list have failed to do so.
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HTC One A9

HTC’s new One A9 features a 13-megapixel primary BSI sensor behind an f/2.0 lens with OIS and a 4-Ultrapixel front camera. HTC launched the One A9 proudly ripping off the aesthetics of the recent iPhones. While the hardware may be still a way off, the HTC One A9 does well in the camera department.

The outdoor photos came out with a good amount of detail, accurate colors and spot-on white balance. The new One A9 delivers loads of sharpness and clarity. The device comes with a great deal of modes to improve the way things can be shot for the more professionally inclined. For example, there is a RAW mode that takes a little while to process the image, but it does this to give you the best shot possible.

Thanks to the AMOLED display, the images look bright and crisp. However, the shutter speed isn’t the fastest in this list, but that can be ignored for a phone that isn’t quite a flagship device. The colour of the bench and the flower look saturated, but it also gives the picture a certain attractive gloss. Indoor images look good too but it’s still a bit darker when compared to the others.

Yu Yutopia

The Yu Yutopia is one of those devices that have been launched under the moniker of ‘flagship killers’. Sitting comfortably between the Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000 range, the Yutopia made tall claims which it failed to deliver. The camera, however, doesn’t fail at all.

The Yutopia sports a 21 MP Sony Exmor RS IMX230 camera, which is considered one of the most powerful modules in the market today. The rear camera is also capable of capturing 4K video. The camera is fast and responsive and captures a lot of detail. The Yutopia’s shutter speed is indeed fast, as the company claims, at least on auto mode.
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Moto X Style

The Moto X Style sports a 21 MP primary camera with f/2.0 aperture on the rear, and a 5MP wide-angle lens on the front (both with flash). The rear camera does not come with OIS, but the camera is an improvement over the others in the Moto X lineup.

In normal to low lighting, the rear camera does quite well. The images are sharp and detailed with just the right amount of vibrancy and saturation. Like the HTC One A9, the Moto X Style also adds a bit of saturation and warmth to the colours, but without making the photos look unnatural. The images are also sharp when zooming into a picture. Furthermore, the X Style is the only other device after the Galaxy S6 Edge+ that was able to capture the sun in the wide angle shot.

One down side to the Moto X Style would be the lack of a full suit of manual controls, which other devices in the list offer. That being said, the camera interface is very simple to use. You can tap anywhere on the screen to take a picture, and swipe right for your basic adjustment setting or swipe left to view your previous snaps.

Qiku Terra

For a debut phone, the Q Terra is massive in all aspects . The 6-inch device not only has a big build and sturdy design, but comes with some impressive specs as well. The Q Terra features a 13 MP rear sensor and an 8 MP front.

On the camera front the Q terra uses a DuoScopic Camera System that integrates two 13MP Sony back cameras – a IMX278 color sensor along with a B/W IMX214 sensor. The phone combines the two instantly for better results. Adding to this, the phone also offers an 8MP front camera with f/2.4 aperture. The images are not only rich in detail but also have great colours.

Outdoor pictures look quite decent with very little saturation. The colours look just like you would see them and the images stay sharp and clear even after zooming in. We found that the phone struggles on occasion to focus on a point. A few shots appeared blurry, but often the pictures were detailed and well balanced.

Conclusion

After taking several pictures with the above mentioned devices, we found that while the S6 Edge+ dominates the pack with its spectacular camera, other devices like the HTC One A9 and Yutopia feature some great sensors as well. The images are colourful and clear and the AMOLED display on the One A9 really adds more flavour to the pictures.

Qiku’s Q Terra doesn’t have much to brag about, but the device works well under outdoor conditions. Moto X Style is for the absolute basic photographers who want some quick, auto captures with no fuss. Though basic it may be, the X Style does come with a pretty solid camera.

December 29, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini Listed on Online Retailer’s Website

Apple isn’t the only one working on a mini device for 2016. Turns out Samsung has one in the pipe as well. The Galaxy S6 Mini is likely to hit the markets soon, as one online retailer has already listed the device on their website.

The Galaxy S6 Mini will sport a 4.6-inch Super AMOLED screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The handset is powered by the Snapdragon 808 chipset, with a hexa-core 1.8GHz CPU and the Adreno 418 GPU. 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage is to be found as well.

On the camera front, the S6 Mini will feature a 15MP rear and 5MP front. Other details include a non-removable battery, wireless charging, a fingerprint sensor, and Android 5.1 pre-installed.

The phone, listed on United Arab Emirates-based website LetsTango, is not yet available for purchase. However, pre-registrations for the device have already begun. It is also unknown whether the device will in fact see light of day, as Samsung has yet to confirm anything about the Galaxy S6 Mini.

Source

December 28, 2015