We’ve entered the month of March, which means we’re just three weeks away from the first Apple event of 2016. This event will see the unveiling of a 4-inch iPhone, called iPhone SE, and a 9.7-inch iPad Pro variant. When it comes to the iPhone SE, there have been a lot of rumours regarding the specifications.
Going by the flagship models and seeing as how the iPhone SE is aimed at a mid-range market, it becomes a little easier to make a few guesses at what the specifications can be. However, the design of the iPhone SE is shrouded in mystery and there have been a lot of renders and concepts that have emerged ever since talk about the 4-inch iPhone began. While some feel that the iPhone SE will look like the iPhone 5 lineup (since initially the 4-inch handset was called the iPhone 5se), others feel it’ll quite simply be a miniaturised version of the iPhone 6 and 6s. Whatever may be the case, it is likely that the design of the iPhone SE will look like any one of these most likely contestants below.
These concepts are among the likeliest design language that the upcoming 4-inch iPhone could take after. The 9to5mac version shows a flat edged design, much like the iPhone 5 family while the other two show a curved edge design as the current generation of iPhones. A 4-inch iPhone that brings back the iPhone 5 design language would please Apple fans a lot and would bring back some favour as well. After all, The iPhone 5 series has been one of Apple’s most successful iPhones lineup, and the Cupertino giant could do well in reincarnating it with the iPhone SE.
Popular Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo expects the iPhone SE to feature a 12MP rear camera rather than an 8MP module as earlier expected. Kuo also added that the handset will fall between $400 to $500 and will be available in two variants – one with 16GB of internal storage and the other with 64GB. Lastly, the iPhone SE will pack a 1642mAh battery, and will be equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The iPhone SE along with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be unveiled at an event on March 22.
It was speculated that Huawei would be unveiling its new flagship P9 at the MWC last week but that didn’t happen. Perhaps Huawei wasn’t ready with its device yet or is saving it for a solo event later on. Last weel, some rumours emerged that the P9 would sport a metal frame and a dual camera setup. Now, we have some leaked images of said metal frame that reveal a few more details.
The alleged P9 metal frame confirms that the device will sport a dual camera setup at the back and also reveals a USB Type-C port as well. You can also notice a cutout for a fingerprint scanner on the back.
Meanwhile, some leaked renders from a few days ago showed us that the handset features a 2.5D curved screen on the front. The bezels look pretty thin on the front while the power button and volume controls fall to the right side. The renders also show possible color options for the P9 in gold, white, pink and gray.
On the specs front, the P9 is likely to come with a Kirin 950 SoC, 4GB of RAM and a 5.2-inch display, none of which have been confirmed yet, of course. Late last month, there were also rumours that the P9 will come in multiple variants. What is expected is that Huawei besides launching its top of the line P9, will also come out with a cheaper P9 Lite, and a phablet the P9 MAX.
The last variant which Huawei plans to bring to the market as a treat for all its fans will be a beefed up variant of the P9, and will come with premium features.
The fourth model is set to offer a display whose size would lie between the P9, and the P9 MAX, with QHD resolution output. It will also feature additional RAM and storage. The fourth variant on top of this will feature an improved camera: a dual lens, dual (12 MP) sensor configuration described as a second-generation technology.
Yesterday, we heard reports that the upcoming 4-inch iPhone that was being called the iPhone 5se so far, would, in fact, be known simply as the iPhone SE, dropping the ‘5’ in the title. The reason behind this being that Apple did not want the new iPhone to cause confusion for the customers, since we’re already in the sixth generation of iPhones. Today, first live shots of the iPhone SE have surfaced online.
Alleged iPhone SE next to iPhone 6s
The images give us our first look at what the front of the iPhone SE could look like. The differences from the iPhone 6 are very apparent. The 4-inch device clearly brings back the 5th-gen iPhone to mind with a squarish frame, which also confirms that the 3D Touch feature will not be present. You’ll notice the two-element integrated screen (for 3D Touch) is absent in the iPhone SE (marked in yellow cross).
The iPhone SE may not come with 3D Touch but it is likely to include the iPhone 6s’ Live Photos feature that creates a 3-second GIF-like video just before taking a picture. Furthermore, popular Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo expects the iPhone SE to feature a 12MP rear camera rather than an 8MP module as earlier expected.
Kuo added that the handset will fall between $400 to $500 and will be available in two variants – one with 16GB of internal storage and the other with 64GB. Lastly, the iPhone SE will pack a 1642mAh battery, and will be equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The iPhone SE along with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be unveiled at an event on March 22.
The future of HTC is currently in a very precarious state. Among all the well established mobile brands currently in existence, none of them have had a dry spell as bad as HTC of late. The company has had a series of disappointing launches ever since the launch of the One M9. Both that and the One A9 failed to please its fans.
Of late, we’ve heard a lot about HTC’s upcoming flagship device, the One M10. We’ve seen a lot of renders and heard a lot about its rumoured specifications that have been quite coldly received. One of the reason could be that the One M10’s design language (from what the leaked images tell us) is going to be a lot like the One A9, which was criticised for its apparent iPhone-like design. Secondly, the specifications aren’t too hot, especially coming off the MWC 2016 where the likes of Samsung, LG and Xiaomi blew the audience away with gorgeous phones, next-gen specs and at least one brand new technology, mostly in the camera department.
Vive VR
HTC was present at the MWC as well, but did not unveil its flagship as many had hoped. Instead, the company unveiled some mid-range Desire phones and presented its Vive virtual reality headset. HTC has lately been promoting the Vive VR a lot and everything seems to be about that. It’s understandable that HTC would look to its VR technology to help save a dying company which is why the company has recently stated that it is deeply involved in mobile VR solutions that might end up in future HTC flagship phone.
HTC demoed its Vive VR ecosystem at the MWC and also revealed the pricing which stands at $800 and will go on sale in April. The Vive VR may be a great new product from HTC that is entering a very nascent virtual reality market with only a handful of competitors (think Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift). But is its focus on VR potentially hurting its flagship smartphones?
HTC One M10 Render
Last month, HTC CEO, Chairwoman and co-founder Cher Wang said that VR is now more important to the company than smartphones are. But VR technology alone may not help save the company for long. If it needs to survive, it needs to bring out a flagship device that will once again captivate the audience as it once did with the One M7. HTC has stated recently that the One M10 will have a “very, very compelling camera”.
When HTC announced the UltraPixel technology with the One M8, fans were expecting a camera that would deliver some spectacular photographs. But the One M8 failed to deliver. The company went back to the traditional megapixel with the One M9 which again wasn’t well received, not when the market is incredibly tough with the likes of Samsung, LG and Apple.
It is now rumoured that HTC will once again use the UP technology in the One M10. But if the company has managed to learn from its mistakes, the UP technology could be exactly what HTC had intended. The rear camera is rumoured to sport a 12UP module with OIS and autofocus while the front still is unknown.
But “compelling camera” aside, how about a brand new design that at least brings back the BoomSound speakers? We’ll just have to wait and see what HTC plans on revealing in April. This year will indeed be the deciding factor for the future of the company.
We don’t think any phone has received as much hype and speculation regarding the name as much as the upcoming 4-inch iPhone has. in today’s news, it looks like the mini iPhone has undergone another name change. The upcoming 4-inch iPhone will now be called iPhone SE, dropping the number – a first for an iPhone since the first came out back in 2007.
Over the past few months, ever since talks about the 4-inch iPhone began, there have been a lot of names attached to the device. Initially, it was rumoured to be called the iPhone 6c, seeing as how this device comes following the iPhone 6 line and would borrow elements from the iPhone 5c. Soon fter, it got another name change and was called the iPhone 7c, seeing as how it would lead up to the iPhone 7 and might feature some next-gen specifications.
Lately, the name everyone stuck with and was thought to be the final name was the iPhone 5se, which stood for a ‘special edition’ of the iPhone 5s. However, it looks as though Apple may drop the ‘5’ in order to simplify things, since bringing back a ‘5’ variant after the iPhone ‘6’ lineup makes little sense and would only confuse the customers.
From what the rumours so far suggest, the iPhone SE will come equipped with an A9 chip found on the iPhone 6s. It will pack 1GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage, but the most interesting thing about the phone is its 4-inch display and its design which is said to mimick the iPhone 5s except for a few crucial changes like adding some curve around the edges.
Other features include an 8MP camera, always-on “Hey Siri” feature, Live Photos, all taken from the recent iPhone 6s. Pricing strategy of the phone should see us paying over Rs 30000 for the 16GB variant of the phone. The iPhone SE will launch along with a 9.7-inch iPad Pro variant at an event on March 22.
The Mobile World Congress is over, and the 4-day event saw some exciting innovation in the world of technology. There were new, next-gen smartphones unveiled, virtual reality and 360-degree cameras and more. While a lot of focus was given to flagship smartphones and VR technology, there were those that went quietly into the background. Here’s looking at some of the coolest technologies that may have gone unnoticed.
Project Tango
Last month, Google and Lenovo announced plans of a partnership to build and sell the first smartphone that can make use of the former’s take on 3-D Augmented Reality technology. Google likes to call this tech fondly as ‘Project Tango’. At the MWC, Google and Lenovo showcased Project Tango to an eager audience.
This tech will help support smart devices figure out space and motion just like humans do, allowing the devices to understand their surroundings in a 3-D view, and track their path as they move through them. Using ‘Project Tango’, a device can map the dimensions of the room, essentially projecting it on the screen in a 3-D form.
Project Tango Development Kits were earlier launched to help developers create apps to better use this technology. Future uses of Tango could be apps that use 3-D augmented reality technology to help you decide how a piece of furniture will look in your room. Several interactive games could also be made using ‘Project Tango’. Possibilities, in all honesty, are endless.
FlexEnable Flexible Bracelet
Secretly, we all wanted to see displays that are curved and rollable. Indeed, this is where technology is heading to next and FlexEnable has perhaps raced ahead to bring us a screen that you can wrap around your wrist. The company showcased a prototype device of its flexible bracelet.
The device uses plastic transistors to achieve the kind of bend that it does, creating what the company calls OLCD (organic liquid crystal display) screens. FlexEnable says that these displays can achieve the same resolution as normal LCDs only brings some flexibility to it. The display cannot flex and bend at will and will require OLED displays for that to happen, but this prototype is just a peek of what flexible displays in the future could look like.
Epson Moverio BT-300
Epson has quickly grabbed the empty space left by Google in the augmented reality glass department. At the MWC, Epson unveiled its Moverio BT-300 AG glasses. It comes equipped with an OLED display which projects an image in front of the eyes that feels around 80 inches in size. All of this is powered by a Intel Atom X5 processor and Android 5.1.
The glass comes with 6 hours of battery life after which the display will stop working and will simply act as any other pair of spectacles.
LG Rolling Bot
LG unveiled not only its modular flagship G5 smartphone but also its ‘friends’. The company revealed a bunch of accessories and modular features for the G5 among which is this Rolling Bot that acts as your rolling home surveillance.
The Rolling Bot has an 8MP camera, speaker and laser that can be controlled via the home’s Wi-Fi through an app on the G5. The company says that the Rolling Bot is designed to keep your pets busy while your out, keep a check on them using images and videos from the camera. The speakers on the bot let you communicate with you pet as well. Price and availability are yet to be announced.
Xperia Ear
Sony may not have wowed its audiences with its smartphones at the MWC, but it did bring some pretty cool smart accessories to the floor. Sony announced three big innovations in the form of peripherals: a projector, a life-blogging camera, and an in-ear personal assistant. The best amongst the three, the Xperia ear. It is a tiny Bluetooth-connected ear piece which acts like a voice-controlled personal assistant which can take calls, send messages, get traffic updates or check the weather and even help you finding your way around the city. Step ahead towards the future we say.
The earpiece is comfortable and discreet and is compatible with Sony’s own software while also being equipped with the power to use Google Now helping users take advantage of Android’s ever-expanding voice control functions.
Ever need that morning, afternoon or midnight caffeine fix but find that the coffee is all over? Or have you just grown tired of waiting in line at your favourite coffee shop? Coffee is an addiction that is embraced by the world and it was only expected that technology would make it easier to get your daily caffeine dose without having to face the above-mentioned problems. Enter Joule “caffeine bracelet”.
This new bracelet delivers caffeine straight into your bloodstream via a process called “transdermal administration”. All you need to do is strap on the bracelet, and the skin will absorb the caffeine. This may not leave coffee stains on your teeth but it may stain your skin.
There are a couple of reasons why the makers of Joule, backed by a well-funded Indiegogo campaign, decided to create a caffeine bracelet. Firstly, the skin is said to absorb caffeine a lot faster than by drinking it. Secondly, the bracelet will provide you with a regular dose of caffeine at regular intervals so as to prevent the body from crashing. Lastly, the video below will make you want to buy the bracelet even if you ignore everything we just said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNndA7uzcwc
Is this caffeine bracelet healthy or just borderline insane, we don’t know yet. But it sure does sound cool.
We’re less than a month away from the next Apple event that will see the launch of (at least) two new products – the iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3. Now, while we have a good amount of knowledge about the iPhone 5se, there’s very little that we know about the iPad Air 3 apart from rumours that it will sport the latest A9X chipset along with the iPhone 5se.
Latest rumours doing the rounds suggest that the new iPad is merely a 9.7-inch variant of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It will be powered by the Apple A9X SoC, carry quad-speakers, and contain 4GB of RAM, similar to that seen in the iPad Pro. In other words, the iPad Air 3 will, in fact, be an iPad Pro, only smaller.
iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will support the Apple Pencil and a smaller version of the Smart Keyboard using the magnet-based Smart Connector seen in the 12.9-inch version. The new, smaller iPad Pro will be available in the same color options as the larger model (Silver, Gold and Space Gray). It also will be available in Wi-Fi (32GB and 128GB) and Wi-Fi+ Cellular (128GB) just like the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
From what these new reports tell us, it seems that Apple is beginning to blur the lines between its various tablet models. We could be seeing a new iPad that borrows the USP from the Air, Mini and Pro, combining it into one light, small, and powerful tablet. If this is the case, then the upcoming 9.7-inch tablet may just see the end of the Mini and Air, eventually.
However, the iPad Mini is still Apple’s most affordable tablet among the three, so it may not kill that off just yet unless it manages to price the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro right. It is also unconfirmed whether the smaller iPad Pro will fall under 440 g in order to fall under the ‘Air’ category as well. It begs one to question whether the iPad Air ($499 – $799) will be appealing once a more powerful iPad Pro with the same size and weight enters the market and is priced closer to the former.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be available in Silver, Gold and Space Gray and will also be available in Wi-Fi (32GB and 128GB) and Wi-Fi+ Cellular (128GB) just like the 12.9-inch Pro. The new iPad Pro and iPhone 5se will be announced at a press event on March 22.
HTC has been busy finishing up and polishing its upcoming flagship device, the HTC One M10. So much so that it refused to unveil the device at the MWC along with other heavyweights like the Galaxy S7 and LG G5. This, however, may be an interesting play on HTC’s part in order to see what its competitors brought out first. We can all agree that the MWC saw Samsung, LG and Xiaomi unveiling flagships all with new camera technologies. And it looks like HTC plans on doing the same with the One M10.
According to HTC’s Chief Financial Officer Chialin Chang, the One M10 will offer a “very, very compelling camera experience.” This statement comes following the MWC 2016 that saw some groundbreaking new innovations in camera technology. Chang is confident about the One M10’s camera “after seeing what’s going on in the market.” He further agreed that he experienced other new handsets unveiled at the MWC 2016, including the Samsung Galaxy S7 and the LG G5.
When HTC announced the UltraPixel technology with the One M8, fans were expecting a camera that would deliver some spectacular photographs. But the One M8 failed to deliver. The company went back to the traditional megapixel with the One M9 which again wasn’t well received, not when the market is incredibly tough with the likes of Samsung, LG and Apple.
It is now rumoured that HTC will once again use the UP technology in the One M10. This may be a huge gamble on the part of HTC to back its camera technology. But if the company has managed to learn from its mistakes, the UP technology could be exactly what HTC had intended. The rear camera is rumoured to sport a 12UP module with OIS and autofocus while the front still is unknown. If HTC wants to be a contender in the camera department, knowing that Samsung has upped its camera specs in the Galaxy S7, then nothing short of 5UP for the front and some absolutely spectacular images that compliment a Quad HD AMOLED display will be accepted by fans.
In order to wow the mass, the One M10 will need to come with some truly redefined features and design language. HTC is well aware of the competition now post MWC and will no doubt be busy for the next few weeks until the April launch to tweak and perfect its flagship device.
The Mobile World Congress 2016 is at an end now and the 4-day event has seen some incredible new technology with groundbreaking advancements. On the smartphone front, some spectacular flagship devices and other phones were on display with next-gen specifications and technology. Here’s looking at the best new phones with new technology that were unveiled at the MWC this year.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
It was at MWC’s Unpacked event on the 21st of February that saw some of the biggest technological unveilings. The unpacked event saw Samsung unveil its flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. The next Galaxy devices come promising spectacular design language and next-gen performance and specifications.
The 5.1-inch S7 Super AMOLED display with quad HD resolution. Two SoC configurations are offered – one being the new Exynos 8890 and the other being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage as well as a MicroSD card slot this time around and the battery is 3000mAh. A fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button.
The S7 Edge comes with a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with quad HD resolution. A Snapdragon 820 processor powers the device along with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage and 3600mAh battery pack.
New Technology – The Galaxy S7 brought with it a brand new Dual Pixel technology for its rear camera. The Dual Pixel, essentially, is an improvement or a natural evolution from the Phase-Detection Auto-Focus technology used by many other smartphones. Firstly, Samsung downgraded from 16MP found in the S6 to 12MP in the S7. The decision to do this was to focus more on quality rather than quantity. The 12MP sensor brings 56% bigger individual pixels with1.4um pixels as compared to the S6.
To understand Dual Pixels one needs to first wrap their heads around PDAF. PDAF traditionally uses less than 10% the total number of pixels equipped with focusing photodiodes and uses it strategically in the sensor area to focus on a subject. This requires more time for focusing. Dual Pixel, on the other hand, uses a 100% of the pixels for extremely precise and fast focusing. Using the whole of the pixels also allows more light in.
LG G5
LG G5
Undoubtedly, the award for the most innovative new smartphone has to go to LG for its modular G5 handset. LG went ahead of Samsung at the Unpacked event and quite surely ‘dropped the mike’ on stage with its spectacular G5 flagship. The G5 has a full metal body and comes with impressive specifications but the what sets the phone apart from its competition is the fact that it comes with modular attachments which for now can be utilised to enhance the camera and battery of the phone.
On the specifications front, the LG G5 comes packing a primary 5.3-inch QHD LCD display with 3D Arc Glass on top. It also has a cool Always-on feature that lights up the display for access to important updates. The phone’s construction is full metal unibody and is powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable by upto 2TB with microSD cards.
New Technology – Next-gen specifications aside, the G5 is and will be about its modular design. The modular nature of the phone exists for what LG calls ‘G5 and Friends’, that are modular attachments to enhance the camera and battery of the phone.
Most interesting of the lot was the LG Cam Plus module which can be attached to the G5 through the battery slot giving the user “comfortable grip and convenient control of a DSLR” for better imaging and also adds to the battery of the phone taking the capacity up to 4000mAh.
Next is the Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play module. This is a Hi-Fi DAC audio player which is perfect for audiophiles. It can also play high-definition audio files encoded in 32-bit at 384KHz.
Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi yesterday unveiled its own flagship Mi 5 following Samsung and LG and still managed to impress all. The Mi 5 comes packed with top-of-the-line specifications and a pretty attractive design language with a 3D glass or ceramic back option, all at an impressively low price of RMB 1,999 (approx. Rs 21,000) for the base model.
The device sports a 5.15-inch Full HD IPS display, a 1080p resolution, ultra-bright 16-LED backlighting with 2.5D curved glass on the front and Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It is powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset and Adreno 530 GPU. No surprises there. It packs 3GB of RAM and up to 32GB of flash storage, while the Pro variant features a 4GB RAM and 128GB flash, however, there is no MicroSD card slot to be seen. Both variants feature a fast LPDDR4 RAM for a snappy user experience.
New Technology – The Mi 5 comes with a 16MP Sony IMX298 sensor with PDAF, DTI image enhancement and a new 4-axis OIS technology. It is in the 4-axis OIS that Xiaomi really delights itself. The rear camera promises to capture great images and videos with superior focus. This holds true thanks to its new OIS technology that uses 4-axis rather than the traditional 2-axis that most other smartphones currently use.
The 4-axis OIS basically gives you more stability under shaky conditions. While traditional 2-axis OIS can work around rotational movements, the 4-axis can handle transversal as well, because shakiness comes in all directions.
The 4-axis OIS technology corrects shake in close shots and can capture accurate movement in distant shots as well. All of this translates into smoother, sharper and blur-free images and videos even in low light. Check out some of these camera shots to know just how well the Mi 5 camera works under various settings.
Cat S60
As big name brands set themselves to launch their latest and greatest phones at the Mobile World Congress 2016, a brand which makes relatively niche products, Cat, stole the limelight with an offering that might not give any of the flagships a run for their money in terms of specs, but lacks behind none in terms of innovation.
The Cat S60 is a 4.7-inch 720p display device powered by Snapdragon 617 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage. The phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and offers 4G LTE connectivity. It also comes with a 13MP main camera, 5MP front camera. A massive 3,800mAh battery powers the device.
New Technology – The Cat S60 comes with two very unique features – a FLIR thermal imaging camera and the first waterproof rating to a depth of 5 meters for up to an hour on this rugged phone.
The handset features a military-grade thermal imaging C2 camera module from FLIR. This is the same technology used in the Intel-powered Daqri smart helmet, enabling the Cat S60 to show temperature changes.
The sensor is the smallest of its kind, and can measure surface temperatures from a distance of up to 100ft. It can see through obscurants such as smoke, and is aimed at building professionals, utility workers, and outdoor sport enthusiasts.
Gone are the days when one would simply express joy, pleasure, happiness, agreement with a simple like button on Facebook. After all, human beings have a lot more expressions than that. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has finally accepted the fact and has globally launched 5 new emotions, called ‘Reactions’, alongside the “Like” button.
Zuckerberg took to Facebook (obviously) to announce the launch of the new feature.
“Today is our worldwide launch of Reactions — the new Like button with more ways to express yourself.
Not every moment you want to share is happy. Sometimes you want to share something sad or frustrating. Our community has been asking for a dislike button for years, but not because people want to tell friends they don’t like their posts. People wanted to express empathy and make it comfortable to share a wider range of emotions.”
As seen above, the 5 new reactions include love, haha, wow, sad, and angry. Facebook still doesn’t feel the need for a dislike button to propagate more hate on social media than it already exists. To access the other emotions, all you have to do is move your cursor over the “Like” button and the new faces will appear. For iOS and Android users, you’ll need to press and hold the “Like” button until the “Reactions” pop up.
“Not every moment is a good moment, right? And if you are sharing something that’s sad, like whether it’s something in current events like the refugee crisis that touches you, or a family member passed away, then it may not be comfortable to ‘like’ that post,” Zuckerberg said in a public Q&A.
So far, users have taken well to the new emoji reactions, and, according to Zuckerberg, the “Love” reaction is the most popular of them. “Love is the most popular reaction so far, which feels about right to me!”
Now, while this new feature is a breath of fresh air for users all over, it is also a very interesting new feature that will benefit Facebook in monetary terms as well. As you must be well aware by now, Facebook always collects user data by seeing the user’s interests, likes and whatnot. It uses the data collected to bring you tailored advertisements and suggestions based on user’s interests. You can now, image how the algorithm will work once it starts collecting data from the ‘Reactions’ features.
The company gathers more and more data on how the user reacts to posts and is able to provide richer content on the user’s News Feed based on the user’s interest. So far, Facebook was abe to gather data from the “Like” button, but will now be able to get a more precise idea with the help of the new emoticon reactions. Now, “loving” a post could mean you’re more interested in something that you only “liked” before, and this, over time, will help Facebook prioritise and see on the top of your Feed what you’re more likely to ‘love’ rather than just ‘like’. The feature has already begun rolling out globally and will hit India soon enough.
It has always been clear that Apple’s main focus has been towards its iPhones. Yes, the Cupertino giant has a bunch of other products as well that sometimes tend to get pushed into the background, like its Macs. But that won’t be the case four months from now when Apple launches the OS X 10.12 that will introduce Siri for Mac.
Siri, the personal voice assistant for the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch will now come to the Mac as well. Apple has been busy testing versions of OS X with Siri for the past 3 years. After working out and polishing the interface, Apple will be ready to launch the feature publicly. Over the years, Apple has improved Siri’s functionality a lot, making it faster, smarter, more responsive and more personalised.
Back in September, news about Apple hiring Artificial Intelligence experts to improve Siri’s functionality made the rounds. Apple had hired at least 86 AI experts to work on machine learning alone, as well as employees with doctorates specializing in AI. It turned out that Apple’s effort did pay off as it launched a new and improved Siri during its September event. In terms of accuracy, Siri beats Google Now and Cortana, according to reports that came out in November.
Coming back to Siri for Mac, the voice assistant will have an icon placed in the OS X menu bar (next to the Spotlight magnifying glass icon) that will activate once clicked. Similar to the way it works on the iPhone, the Siri interface with the trippy colored sound waves will appear on the top right of the screen to indicate speech command.
Siri on the Mac will also have its own option in System Preferences. Siri will be able to respond to “Hey Siri” when the Mac is plugged to a power source, much like it is with the iPhone 6. The upcoming update to OS X is not likely to feature too many changes, but will rather come with some performance tweaks and minor software updates. It is also rumoured that Apple has begun development of iOS 10, and details on that may start pouring in, in the weeks to come.
The MWC 2016 might have come to an end with some great flagship launches from the likes of Samsung, LG and Xiaomi. However, HTC is yet to have its day in the sun and has instead saved itself for a solo event in April where it will debut its One M10 flagship device.
HTC posted a teaser of the One M10 on Twitter with the hashtag #Powerof10. The teaser itself doesn’t reveal much at all and is simply a silhouette of the device that shows off the metal edge. The teaser’s main purpose, in fact, is in the hashtag that tells us the One M10 will come with some powerful specifications and features.
Over the past few weeks we’ve seen leaked images and renders of what the One M10 will look like and it’s almost certain that the device draws inspiration from the One A9 with a home button and ditching the BoomSoud dual front speakers. We’ll still have to wait and see for the actual unveiling before making a hasty judgement, but the design so far is fairly underwhelming.
The rumoured specs of the One M10 suggest a 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED touchscreen, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset powering the device with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a microSD card slot. On the camera front lies a 12 MP UltraPixel rear camera with laser autofocus and optical image stabilization. The device will likely run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with HTC Sense 8 atop.
Xiaomi today finally unveiled its flagship Mi 5 smartphone at the Mobile World Congress. The handset comes with some really pleasing design language that includes curved edge at the back, and some powerful flagship killing specs that include Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 chipset. But apart from these, Xiaomi is really pleased with its new camera module in the Mi 5.
The Mi 5 sports a 16-megapixel rear sensor that uses Sony IMX298 with PDAF, DTI image enhancement and 4-axis OIS. The front features a 4-megapixel ultra pixel camera. Xiaomi has managed to fit a powerful camera module inside the device with no sign of a camera hump. The device can record 4k videos as well.
It is in the 4-axis OIS that Xiaomi really delights itself. The rear camera promises to capture great images and videos with superior focus. This holds true thanks to its new OIS technology that uses 4-axis rather than the traditional 2-axis that most other smartphones currently use. Xiaomi demonstrated the stability of its camera by comparing it to the iPhone 6s, which is considered to have the best OIS currently in the market.
The 4-axis OIS basically gives you more stability under shaky conditions. While traditional 2-axis OIS can work around rotational movements, the 4-axis can handle transversal as well, because shakiness comes in all directions.
The 4-axis OIS technology corrects shake in close shots and can capture accurate movement in distant shots as well. All of this translates into smoother, sharper and blur-free images and videos even in low light. Check out some of these camera shots to know just how well the Mi 5 camera works under various settings.
Xiaomi has finally unveiled its Mi 5 flagship smartphone at MWC 2016 today. This was Xiaomi’s debut event at the MWC where the company’s president Hugo Barra took the stage to unveil its flagship. The Mi 5 is priced at RMB 1,999 (approx. Rs 21,000), while the high-end Pro variant is priced at RMB 2,699 (approx. Rs 28,000).
Last year, Xiaomi sold around 70 million products. Barra spoke about last year’s Mi Note flagship that used 3D Glass, the Mi 4c with 3080mAh battery, and Redmi Note 3 being the first device to ship with Snapdragon 650. Xiaomi also has a 170 million MIUI users currently.
The Mi 5 draws its inspiration from the Mi Note in terms of design. The Mi 5 introduces a home button that houses the fingerprint scanner – a first for Xiaomi. The back features a curved edge with a 3D glass body. The Mi 5 will be offered in black, white and gold colour options. Meanwhile, the Pro variant comes with a 3D ceramic back. The front features an almost bezel just 6.95mm thick, seamless design and more curved than the Mi Note. The curved ceramic back seamlessly joins the glass on the front.
The front of the Mi 5 has a good screen to body ratio. Over at the back, the camera is placed at the top left corner with an LED flash. The Mi 5 with a 3D glass weighs in at 129g, which is around 14g lighter than the iPhone 4s.
The device sports a 5.15-inch Full HD IPS display, a 1080p resolution, ultra-bright 16-LED backlighting with 2.5D curved glass on the front and Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It is powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset and Adreno 530 GPU. No surprises there. It packs 3GB of RAM and up to 32GB of flash storage, while the Pro variant features a 4GB RAM and 128GB flash, however, there is no MicroSD card slot to be seen. Both variants feature a fast LPDDR4 RAM for a snappy user experience.
The Mi 5 sports a 16-megapixel rear sensor that uses Sony IMX298 with PDAF, DTI image enhancement and 4-axis OIS. The front features a 4-megapixel UltraPixel camera. Xiaomi has managed to fit a powerful camera module inside the device with no sign of a camera hump. The device can record 4k videos as well.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 features 802.11ad an industry-first Wi-Fi connection standard, 4G+, CAT 12 LTE modem (that allows speeds up to 600mbps), and VoLTE all of which promise super fast download speeds and call connection. A battery of 3000mAh will be present inside the Xiaomi Mi 5, similar to the Galaxy S7. The device is also compatible with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 and features a USB Type-C port. The Mi 5 also comes with Dual Sim support. Xiaomi also revealed the AnTuTu V6 score at 144,000, which currently tops the LG G5 and Galaxy S7.
All considered, the Mi 5 offers some truly great specs at a low price, which will surely challenge the flagship devices this year starting with the LG G5 and Samsung’s Galaxy S7. The Mi 5 will be available starting March 1. The device will first hit China followed by India and other international markets in the weeks to follow.
Check out the full specifications of the Mi 5 below.
Specs
Xiaomi Mi 5/ Mi 5 Pro
Display
5.15-inch Full HD Display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4
