BlackBerry is all set to launch three new smartphones in the coming days. According to a recent leak, these phones come with code name Athena, Luna, and Uni. After years of dominating the smartphone market along with Nokia, BlackBerry has gone off the rails. WIth another set of Android devices, the company would want to establish a strong foothold.
In the last couple of years, the company has launched smartphones like the BlackBerry Priv, BlackBerry KeyOne, and BlackBerry Passport. Now, the company is all set to refresh this lineup with these newer offerings. These devices are expected to be officially launched at the upcoming MWC 2018 in Barcelona.
WIPO has published a new patent from BlackBerry Limited for a smartphone with a sliding mechanism. In fact, the sketch resembles the BlackBerry Priv, which was launched in 2015. Back in the October 2017, a report claimed that the company is working on a new smartphone, is this one in the question?
The only difference between these models is the placement of the camera. The camera will be hidden until the slide is open. The back-case offers a camera lens, which might offer features like a wide-angle lens, fish-eye vision, a zoom lens or a macro lens.
Registered Patent for upcoming BlackBerry smartphone
Specifications of BlackBerry Uni, Luna, and, Athen:
As of now, we just have the specifications of the BlackBerry Uni. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core processor with 6 GB or 8 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. The screen resolution of Uni (1620 x 1080) hints that the phone might resemble the BlackBerry KeyOne. This confuses a bit, as it has a mechanism like Priv, but a screen resolution of KeyOne? Considering that these devices will be launched in 2018, BlackBerry might go for a bezel-less design, which might be the reason for this different screen resolution.
Presently, the specifications of the other two models are still unclear. As the MWC approaches, we will have a clear idea about all three devices.
Conclusion:
At least on paper, these smartphones look promising. BlackBerry should make sure that these devices run on latest Android OS with a competitive price tag at the time of launch.
BlackBerry has been the flag bearer of sorts when it comes to Android phones with a physical keyboard. In early 2017, BlackBerry launched the KEYone with a physical keyboard and mid-range specifications. It looks like a successor to the KEYone is on the cards for the Canadian company.
The name of the device in question is “QUALCOMM BBF100-1”. As a reference, the BlackBerry Motion model number is BBD-100-X while the BlackBerry KEYone has the model number BBB100-X where X is a number depending on the region. According to the listing, the alleged BlackBerry KEYone successor will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset. Another interesting aspect here is that the smartphone will have 6GB of RAM which is usually associated with flagship smartphones.
BlackBerry KEYone
The BlackBerry “KEYtwo” will have a QWERTY keyboard and it will be interesting how BlackBerry and TCL integrate the keyboard with a full-fledged touchscreen like the KEYone.
There were a lot of rumours of BlackBerry launching an all-touchscreen Android smartphone named “Krypton.” In early October, there were leaked images of a BlackBerry smartphone with no physical keyboard named ‘Motion’. Now, BlackBerry has made it official by announcing the new BlackBerry Motion at an electronics trade show in Dubai.
Alain Lejeune, Global General Manager for BlackBerry Mobile, had this to say about the new BlackBerry Motion:
While the initial launch of our newest BlackBerry smartphone will be limited, this is an exciting addition to our growing BlackBerry smartphone portfolio, setting a strong foundation for further portfolio and market growth in the years to come.
The BlackBerry Motion has a 5.5 inch 1920 x 1080 IPS LCD display with DragonTrail glass on top for protection. Powering the device is a massive 4000 mAh battery and it runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset, 2.0GHz octacore processor, 4GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage, which is expandable up to 2TB via microSD card. The convenience key found on the KEYone retains its place on the Motion as well. The convenience key is a physical button that can be remapped to launch any action or application. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button which is designed like the BlackBerry logo. Two touch capacitive button for navigation sit on the either side of the home button.
On the optics front, the BlackBerry Motion has a 12MP rear-facing camera with an f/2.0 aperture and 1.55-micron pixel size. The rear camera is capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture and an LED flash.
TCL and BlackBerry are releasing the Motion in a handful of markets at first, with other markets following in Q4 of 2017. It’ll retail in the UAE for Dh1699 and in Saudi Arabia for 1699 Riyal. That translates to around US$460 or Rs 30,000.
BlackBerry was one of the main competitors in the ‘smartphone’ market a few years ago, until iOS and Android devices took over. In the past couple of years, BlackBerry has released a few Android OS running devices with a few BlackBerry exclusive features pertaining to cyber security. A prolific leaker on Twitter has revealed what could be the new BlackBerry Motion.
Ever since the IFA 2017 in Berlin, there have been reports of BlackBerry working on a touchscreen-only Android device called the BlackBerry Krypton. According to Evan Blass, Krypton was the internal code name for the phone and that it will be launched as the BlackBerry Motion. In late September, there was in image leaked of the Motion which showed the back of the device, showing a brushed metal bar on top with a relatively small camera module on it. The BlackBerry KEYone was launched with a single camera at the back and it looks like the Canadian company is not yet ready to jump aboard the dual-camera setup train.
The BlackBerry Motion will be designed and manufactured by the Chinese company TCL as per their agreement from 2016. The smartphone will have IP67 rating which has become a norm in flagship devices nowadays along with 26 hours of battery life. Expect the standard features for cyber security that BlackBerry boasts about along with enterprise-friendly software found in BlackBerry devices.
Unlike the BlackBerry KEYone, the Motion won’t have a keyboard and instead feature a full touchscreen with a home button at the bottom. The home button is also in the shape of BlackBerry’s logo and the 3.5mm headphone jack retains its place at the bottom of the device along with a USB Type C port.
There are no details about the launch date or the pricing strategy for the BlackBerry Motion as of yet.
Blackberry launched its KEYone in February 2017 with its signature Qwerty keypad, which was rather well received in the market, as compared to company’s other devices. But it seems like Blackberry might be redesiging its upcoming smartphone in hopes of broadening its appeal to more than just keyboard devotees.
TCL, the current manufacturer for the BlackBerry brand, is reported to launch a full touchscreen device under the BlackBerry name at some time in October. While the details of the yet to be announced smartphone are scarce, it has been speculated that as the smartphone will be sans physical keyboard, the devices’ touchscreen will be similar to the the TCL’s previously launched smartphones, DTek50 & DTek60.
Upholding Blackberry’s reputation of building sturdy devices, TCL’s François Mahieu hinted that the main feature, apart from the full-touchscreen, will allegedly be IP67 water and dust-proofing. The smartphone’s battery is expected to last for more than 26 hours of usage.
Mahieu believes that durability and longevity will be the major USPs of the device. The company hopes to build a long-lasting phone which will allegedly outlive the Apple iPhone. The smartphone will probably run the latest Android and in terms of making the device stand out from the crowd, Mahieu seems quite confident that BlackBerry’s history of creating secure devices will enable TCL to deliver the “most secure Android phone in the world.” He further claims that a number of iPhone and Galaxy users will “make the switch” to BlackBerry this October.
After a rather bold statement, Mahieu explained, “We are there to play,” and “we’re just playing with different cards,” which includes strengths of battery life, security and durability.
According to statements made by Mahieu, the Chief Commercial Officer, TCL seems to be banking on water and dust-resistance to catch consumers attention. As for the pricing, the fully touch screen smartphone is expected to cost less than Blackberry’s flagships.
The smartphone is expected to see the light of the day in October, but it might be a while before the phone is available in Indian market, just like the Blackberry KEYone which was available in India in August, despite its initial February release.
BlackBerry has launched its 2017 flagship device the Limited Edition BlackBerry KEYone Black in India at a price of Rs. 39990.
The main feature of BlackBerry KEYone is the back-lit touch enabled physical keyboard which is reminiscent of the old BlackBerry but with new-age functions and capabilities. The KEYone runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset and 4GB RAM. The BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black has 64GB of internal storage, as opposed to the original Keyone which had only 32GB, the storage can be expanded up to 2TB (when supported) via a microSD card. As opposed to the Keyone manufactured by TCL this model has dual sim capabilities and has been made by by Optiemus Infracom.
The main camera is a 12 MP sensor with a 1.55 micron pixel size and an F/2.0 aperture,PDAF along with electronic image stabilisation and 4K video recording at 30fps. On the front is an 8MP front facing camera with 1080p video capture and an f/2.2 aperture. The KEYone Limited Edition Black also supports quick 3.0 charging through the USB Type-C port to its inbuilt 3505 mAh Battery.
The BlackBerry KEYone has a convenience key which can be programmed to launch a specific app that you use the most to make it easily accessible. The KEYone has an anodised black metal frame in the front and a soft textured back to make it a little grippy.
The BlackBerry KEYone focusses on making typing easy, but the physical keyboard has more functionalities than just typing. Every physical key can be programmed to launch a specific app/action. Since the keyboard is touch enabled, you can scroll through web pages by swiping on the keyboard itself instead reaching the screen which can be cumbersome because of the size of the phone. The fingerprint sensor is housed in the space bar. Some key specifications of the BlackBerry KEYone are-
What you will find inside the BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black’s box-
BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black
SIM ejector tool
Documentation
In-ear type earphones with additional ear tips
USB Type C cable
Power adapter with Quick Charge 3.0
The BlackBerry KEYone is priced at Rs 39,990 and will be available on Amazon exclusively. You can pre-order the BlackBerry KEYone Limited Edition Black from today and it will go on sale on 8th August.
You thought Blackberry was done with handsets? Well think again. The company has launched a brand new phone, with no name (Curve, Bold or Privé)and just a model number, dubbed the DTEK50, it is the thinnest Blackberry phone yet.
Yes the phone runs Android, and is 7.4mm thick, has built in full-data encryption, built-in malware protection,hardware support for tracking and provisioning. The included DTEK security app secures the Android OS more than usual ( the usual not being very secure)
This touch only phone is a rare handset from Blackberry which usually has a close connection with physical keyboards. BlackBerry Hub communications is in there too.
The Blackberry phone supports a 13MP rear camera with phase detection auto focus, an f/2.0 aperture and support for 1080p video recording at 30fps, as well as an 8MP front camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The Phone has a 2610mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 2.0. The heart of the DTEK50 is a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, and microSD expansion up to 2TB
The phone is on sale on Blackberry’s website for US $ 299, 12600mAh power bank is included for those who pre order.
Specs
Blackberry DTEK50 Full Specifications
Display
5.2 inch 24-bit color depth
Resolution
1920 x 1080 pixels 424 ppi
Dimensions
147 mm x 72.5 mm x 7.4 mm / 135 g
Chipset
Snapdragon 617 Octa-Core, 64 bit
CPU
Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 and Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53
Blackberry is not doing so well, proof of that is the fact that WhatsApp and Facebook are officially killing App support for the platform. Previously known as RIM, Blackberry has not seen a good record in the past few years. With almost all their devices not doing well, either due to price or specifications.
The news which is about a month old has left Blackberry in disappointment. The apps are supposed to end their support end of 2016 leaving any Blackberry users fending for themselves, as no more updates will be available post that. However, devices like the company’s Priv, that work on Android will not be a part of this end of service, and will continue to enjoy updates at the same time as any Android device.
In a blog post, Lou Gazzola, senior manager in charge of BlackBerry’s App Ecosystem and Developer Outreach team, said they are disappointed as they know so many users love these apps (Facebook and WhatsApp).
We fought back to work with WhatsApp and Facebook to change their minds, but at this time, their decision stands (but let them know how you feel on social media, using the hashtag #IloveBB10Apps) Our commitment to BlackBerry 10 and to developers has not changed – we know our developer community continues to be one of the strongest proponents of BlackBerry 10 and they are creating thousands of apps every month
In another blow to the already fledgling Blackberry OS, Facebook owned WhatsApp has revealed that by the end of 2016 it will withdraw all support for its software from the Blackberry platform.
The announcement came shortly after WhatsApp celebrated its seventh birthday and recently crossed over 1 billion users worldwide. The company in its official blog said, “As we look ahead to our next seven years, we want to focus our efforts on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use”
The company also revealed that WhatsApp will withdraw support for the once popular Symbian S40 and S60 platforms along with Android 2.1 and 2.2, as well as the Windows Phone 7.1 devices by the end of the year.
WhatsApp’s developers decision to take this step makes sense considering the push the company is making towards providing a streamlined service to its user base across the multiple platforms it offers its services on.
BlackBerry Priv launches in India today, after having been unveiled for the first time in October, at a price of Rs 62,999.
The Priv, which was first unveiled in October, is a make or break project for BlackBerry as it sees it leaving its own OS behind in search of greener pastures that Android provides. This shift by BlackBerry is being seen as a move aimed at helping the ailing company’s return to its previous highs. BlackBerry in its previous interactions with the media had also hinted the company may soon unveil another Android phone this year.
BlackBerry Priv
In terms of specs, this offering from the Candian company comes loaded with decent firepower. The Priv on the outside has a 5.4-inch dual-curved Plastic AMOLED screen with a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (540ppi). Under its beautiful display, the device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64-bit processor with an Adreno 418 GPU clocked at 600 MHz.
BlackBerry Priv further boasts of 3GB low powered RAM and internal storage of up to 32 GB, which is expandable up to an impressive 2 TB. The battery pack that makes this device run is rated at 3410 mAh. It is also equipped with an 18 MP dual-flash Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera to click amazing pictures.
BlackBerry, which has dubbed the Priv as the ”secure smartphone powered by Android”, is going to roll out the smartphone ‘pre-loaded with the brand new BlackBerry DTEK application, designed to help you manage and protect your privacy.’ BlackBerry claims that the DTEK app will tell you which apps access your personal data and shows the overall security assessment of your device.
BlackBerry today has sent out invites of a launch event for its first Android OS based device in India. The Canadian company has scheduled this event for 28th January, in Delhi, and at the event it has promised to launch to its patient Indian customers the BlackBerry Priv.
The Priv, which was first unveiled in October is a make or break project for BlackBerry as it sees it leaving its own OS behind in search of greener pastures that Android provides. This shift by BlackBerry is being seen as a move aimed at helping the ailing company’s return to its previous highs.
BlackBerry in its previous interactions with the media had also hinted the company may soon unveil another Android phone this year.
In terms of specs, this offering from the Candian company comes loaded with decent firepower. The Priv on the outside has a 5.4-inch dual-curved Plastic AMOLED screen with a maximum resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels (540ppi). Under its beautiful display, the device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Hexa-Core, 64-bit processor with an Adreno 418 GPU clocked at 600 MHz.
Blackberry Priv further boasts of 3GB low powered RAM and internal storage of up to 32 GB, which is expandable up to an impressive 2 TB. The battery pack that makes this device run is rated at 3410 mAh. It is also equipped with an 18 MP dual-flash Schneider-Kreuznach certified camera to click amazing pictures.
Blackberry which has dubbed the Priv as the ” secure smartphone powered by Android” is going to roll out the smartphone ‘pre-loaded with the brand new BlackBerry DTEK application, designed to help you manage and protect your privacy.’ Blackberry claims that the DTEK app will tell you which apps access your personal data and shows the overall security assessment of your device.
BlackBerry has seen a lot of ups and downs in the past couple of months. From being one of the most popular mobile brands at one time with its innovative BlackBerry Messenger to becoming a company struggling to keep itself on its feet -it has seen it all.
We recently heard rumours about how BlackBerry might be letting go of its operating system BB 10. However, these rumours have been proven false by a post on the official BlackBerry blog. John Chen, the company’s CEO revealed that the operating system is “far from” dead and that BlackBerry devices like Passport, Classic and other phones by the company running on BB 10 would receive updates for the operating system soon.
There will be security and privacy updates for BB 10 this year, along with an enhanced 10.3.4 version of the OS slated to arrive later this year with more security and privacy related features.
Additionally, BlackBerry which is all set to bring out more of its own Android devices in the future also confirmed that 2016 will see the launch of only one such device. Would you be willing to put your trust in BlackBerry’s Android devices?
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.”
They came, they saw and they conquered 2015 -we take a look at smartphones above the price range of 40K in this list which took the tech circuit by storm this year.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge and Edge Plus: Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge sports a 5.1 inch Super Amoled screen and QuadHD resolution with a total of 577 ppi. Powered by a 2,600 mAh battery, the handset is available only with fixed storage of either 32GB, 64GB or 128GB, which are all based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). With 16 MP primary camera, it is capable of shooting 4K video as well. Click here to check out the hands on of the gold variant of Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
When it comes to S6 Edge+ -everything from display and resolution to chipset and cameras are identical to the Galaxy S6 Edge. However thanks to the new large display of the S6 Edge+ the pixel density drops to 515 ppi vs the mammoth 577 ppi on the S6 Edge. The Edge+ variant also sports a larger 3,000 mAh battery to combat the drain from the larger QHD Super AMOLED display. An additional 1 GB of LPDD4 RAM, takes it upto 4 GB on the Edge+ however the phone is missing the 128GB storage option as only the 32 and 64 GB variants will go on sale. Find the complete review of Galaxy S6 Edge+ here.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5:
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
The Note 5 is a beautiful device thanks to its extensive use of glass and metal -Gorilla Glass 4 on the back and the front, and rear glass tapers in to the edges, putting the Edge display design on the back of the Note 5. It runs on what is possibly the best version of Samsung’s skin called “TouchWiz”. Other features include the Slick UI elements, use of power buttons to increase or decrease screen font size, the S-Pen, which is capable of giving previews, like before, and the super smooth pop ups. The 5.7 inch size of the screen is larger than before and hence reduces the PPI to 518. For more details of the Galaxy Note 5, click here.
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus:The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus add an improved Apple A9 chip and an M9 co-processor, along with enhanced cameras. There is a 12 MP rear camera that shoots 4K videos. On the front, there is a 5 MP snapper, which however is still restricted to 720p. 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 devices is identical in terms of specifications.
The introduction of the 3D Touch functionality is the highlight of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and the Peek and Pop UI of iOS 9 makes this feature infinitely fun. If you are in India and have been planning to buy iPhone 6s, now is the best time to do it. The smartphone has undergone a big price-cut of 11K -after being launched for Rs. 62,000 in India, it’s now available for 50K. There is a fall in the price of the iPhone 6s Plus as well but it’s not as drastic as the 6s. If you’re still unsure about the new iPhones, read our full review here.
Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium:
The Z5 Premium has a 5.5-inch 4K display. It is world’s first 4K display smartphone and comes with a 3,430 mAh battery, bigger than the Xperia Z5. The rest of the specs of the two phones are pretty much the same. The Sony Xpreria Z5 features a 5.2-inch full HD screen and 2900mAh battery. Both devices run on Android Lollipop 5.1, powered by a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 chipset with Adreno 430 GPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage (expandable to 200 GB).
The devices also come with a 23MP primary camera and a 5 MP camera in front. There is also a fingerprint scanner in the power button on the side of the device.
The Xperia Z5 has a matt finish that looks great. The Z5 Premium, on the other hand, has a glossy finish and will be available in Gold or Chrome. The front of the devices has BoomSound-styled dual speakers that are loud and give a crisp, well balanced sound. Click here for the complete hands on of Sony Xperia Z5 and Z5 Premium.
Lumia 950 and 950 XL:
Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
The Lumia 950 sports a 5.2-inch AMOLED display with 2560×1440 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 564 ppi for clear, sharp images. The 950 XL, on the other hand, comes with a larger 5.7-inch IPS display with 2560×1440 pixel resolution and a pixel density of 518 ppi. This is the first time Microsoft has used QHD display in its Lumia lineup.
The Lumia 950 is powered by a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with 3GB of RAM while the 950 XL packs in a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB of RAM. Both phones feature a liquid cooling technology, similar to the one found in the Surface tablet computer.
Lumia 950 and 950 XL have 32 GB of internal storage along with a MicroSD slot that allows up to 200 GB of expandable storage. The devices sport a 20MP primary camera with triple LED flash and fifth generation OIS, all of which promises detailed low light pictures.
The selfie snapper is marked at 5 MP and has a physical camera button. One of the biggest USPs of these Windows devices is the Continuum feature -you can read about it as well as all other specs of Lumia 950 and 950 XL on iGyaan.
The Turing Phone:
The Turing phone is an Android phone that is designed around the idea of being unhackable. It does not come with a USB port or headphone jack or any other extension that could be used to manipulate its data, leaving BlackBerry far behind in terms of security measures.
The specs of this phone include a 5.5-inch 1080p LCD, a Snapdragon 801, 3GB of RAM, a 13MP rear and an 8MP front camera, 3,000 mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner on the left side of the phone.The phone runs on a hardened version of Android 5.1 with built-in end-to-end encryption with Turing Aemaeth UI. The phone can be charged via a magnetically attached power connector, like Apple’s MagSafe.
When registrations had begun back in August this year, the 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB variants were priced at $610 (approximately Rs 39,000), $740 (approximately Rs 47,300) and $870 (approximately Rs 55,700) respectively. Additionally, the dark Wyvern special edition Turing phone was available for $999 (approx. Rs.66,023), and the Dark Wyvern “Glaedr” special edition was available for $1299 (approx. Rs. 85,850). The pre-order period for the Turing phone has ended for now but you can sign up for the next round here.
BlackBerry Priv: Though the phone is yet to arrive in the country, a list of smartphones from 2015 priced over 40K won’t be complete without the BlackBerry Priv. It’s Android-powered, but is very much a BlackBerry phone. Privacy and security is of major importance here and that’s what Priv stands for. The handset is a hybrid with both a full touchscreen as well as a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. This means the phone caters to both touchscreen fans as well as keyboard loyalists. And given that very few devices today offer a keyboard, this may just work in BlackBerry’s favour.
The Priv comes with a Snapdragon 808 processor and 3 GB of RAM with 32 GB extendable storage. It features a 5.5 -inch curved display with a 1440×2560 pixel resolution and 537ppi. Finally, the phone has an 18 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front camera. The Indian pricing of the device is expected to be close to Rs. 50,000.
Moto Droid Turbo 2/Moto X Force:The phone, famous because of its ‘crack-proof’ screen, has not hit the Indian markets yet but is expected to arrive soon. Launched as Droid Turbo 2 in the US, the smartphone is expected to be released with its current price tag of $624 (Rs. 40,000 approximately) and $720 (Rs. 47,000 approximately) for the 32 GB and 64 GB variants respectively.
On the specs front, Moto X Force packs a 5.4 inch Quad HD display with a resolution of 2560×1440 pixels. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset along with 3 GB of RAM. The two internal storage options of 32 GB and 64 GB are expandable up to 2 TB with the help of a microSD card.The highlight of the device is its super-hardy screen.
Needless to say, Motorola cannot stop talking about its first ever shatter-proof phone in the world. Let’s see if Moto X Force manages to live up to all the expectations. It seems like a pretty neat device which is why it’s included in this list.
It has been only a couple of months since BlackBerry launched it’s first Android-powered device, called the Priv. The company is showing no signs to take a breather, according to CEO John Chen who has hinted that the company could launch its next Android phone next year. He also suggested that the second device will fall under the high-end bracket.
The price range of the second device will depend upon how the Priv does in the market. It’s still early to know Priv’s fate as the vice is yet to enter a number of markets, including India. “Depends on the Priv. If the Priv is well received in the market and looks like it is. There’s a good chance […], we will still focus on the high-end probably closer to mid-range coming out in 2016,” Chen said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Chen has not specified a launch date as of yet. The Priv will be available in 31 more markets in the next three months, which means that the next device is likely to launch after March. It is also likely that BlackBerry will unveil the device at the MWC in late February.
Some early renders of the second device – codenamed Vienna – have been doing the rounds. The images show a more typical BlackBerry design than the recent Priv with no slide-out keyboard here. However, as is the case with all rumours and renders, you should take this with a dash of salt.
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus add an improved Apple A9 chip and an M9 co-processor, along with enhanced cameras. There is a 12 MP rear camera that shoots 4K videos. On the front, there is a 5 MP snapper, which however is still restricted to 720p. 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 devices is identical in terms of specifications.
The phone, famous because of its ‘crack-proof’ screen, has not hit the Indian markets yet but is expected to arrive soon. Launched as Droid Turbo 2 in the US, the smartphone is expected to be released with its current price tag of $624 (Rs. 40,000 approximately) and $720 (Rs. 47,000 approximately) for the 32 GB and 64 GB variants respectively.
