Canon has been unveiling a bunch of new cameras in the recent few months. Earlier this month, the company unveiled the 4K-capable EOS-1D X Mark II and today it has unveiled the mid-range EOS 80D DSLR Camera with a versatile EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens, which come alongside the DM-E1 Directional Microphone and the unique PZ-E1 Power Zoom Adapter.
Canon also unveiled two point-and-shoot cameras for those who are looking for more pocket-friendly options. the svelte and powerful PowerShot G7 X Mark II Digital Camera and the compact long-zoom PowerShot SX720 HS Digital Camera. video -The new 80D comes with 24.2MP APS- C CMOS sensor and the DIGIC 6 image processor. Dual Pixel CMOS AF has received a boost for improved focusing accuracy and speed when recording video.
Image quality has been given a bump and the images captured promise exquisite detail and colur.The camera comes with Full HD 1080p at up to 60 fps in the MP4 format, headphone and microphone jacks, and a 3.0” vari-angle touchscreen Clear View II LCD monitor which offers flexible positioning. Additionally, the camera has Wi-Fi with NFC, HDR Movie, Time-Lapse Movie, and Creative Filter options.
Along with this, Canon is offering a EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens which is compatible with APS-C cameras like the 80D. The focal length range goes from 28.8-216mm and allows faster autofocusing than before. The lens also works with PZ-E1 Power Zoom Adapter, allowing users to perform more controlled zooms and making it ideal for video use. The lens comes with Optical Image Stabilizer and a Dynamic IS system.
Canon finally unveiled the DM-E1 Directional Microphone, the DM-E1 which comes with a windjammer to reduce noise and a shock mount to lessen handling noise. It has a frequency response of 50 Hz to 16 kHz and runs on a single button-type lithium cell battery.
Finally, Canon wrapped up the announcement with two new PowerShot cameras.The first one is the PowerShot G7 X Mark II that features the latest DIGIC 7 image processor which powers a high-speed continuous shooting rate of 8 fps with raw or JPEG. It comes with a 20.1MP 1” CMOS sensor and 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 lens combination.
PowerShot G7 X Mark II
It has a multi-angle 3.0” 1.04m-dot touchscreen LCD that can flip 180° for selfies. In addition to stills, the G7 X Mark II can record Full HD 1080p video and offers built-in Wi-Fi with NFC for connecting to a mobile device.
PowerShot SX 720HS
The second one is the PowerShot SX720 HS with a 40x optical zoom range and a relatively compact body. It features a 20.3MP CMOS sensor along with the DIGIC 6 image processor to create high-resolution, low-noise images and Full HD 1080p60 video. It also comes equipped with a large 3.0” 922k-dot LCD for easy viewing.
The FBI got hold of the iPhone of dead San Bernardino terrorism suspect, Syed Rizwan Farook back in December, but sophisticated encryption technology present on the Apple made phone has prevented the authorities from accessing its contents.
Hardly two weeks back, the Federal Bureau of Investigation accepting defeat called Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, asking the company to help them get into his iPhone. Apple politely refused.
Things quickly escalated on 16th February, when a federal judge in California on the request of the FBI ordered Apple to provide the investigative agency with the tools required to unlock Farooq’s phone which according to the FBI was used by the shooter in the San Bernardino attack.
And just last night, Apple CEO Tim Cook responded to this new development with a strong-worded open letter to its customers. Cook in his letter described the FBI’s actions as an “unprecedented step which threatens the security of all customers” hinting that the actions involved in this one case could have far-reaching repercussions beyond just this one isolated case. And, for once, Tim Cook has got things spot on.
The FBI’s request to violate the privacy rights of a dead suspected terrorist may not ring any alarm bells or the consequent order of the court asking Apple to cook up a custom version of its iOS specifically for this phone to help the authorities gain access to it does not sound malicious in isolation, but As Tim Cook points out this small step has the potential to undermine the security of each and every iPhone around the globe.
“The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone,” Cook wrote. “But that’s simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices.”
What essentially the FBI wants Apple to do is help it get around crucial privacy features meant for safeguarding the phone from criminals using brute force attack. If Apple complies, and puts its best minds to cook up a software to nullify the encryption chip on its phone, and bypass the AES 256 bit encryption system on it, this will not only set the precedent for further legal or illegal use of this new technique by the government for any iPhone in the world, but also leave the door wide open for criminals to get their hands on this tech, and compromise the privacy of everyone with an iPhone.
In today’s digital world, the “key” to an encrypted system is a piece of information that unlocks the data, and it is only as secure as the protections around it. Once the information is known, or a way to bypass the code is revealed, the encryption can be defeated by anyone with that knowledge.
In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks — from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable.
Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai has in a list of tweets backed Tim Cook’s open letter giving strength to the argument that giving the authorities such overreaching powers could have serious repercussions. The FBI’s request, however innocent, and noble in intention should be rejected at every chance possible because it holds in itself the possibility of malice that if unleashed could undermine our privacy going forward.
Giving the government access to user data occasionally is wholly different than giving them the power to hack into our phones, and invade our privacy. If the FBI succeeds in this then it could indeed be a troubling precedent going ahead for users not just in the United States, but also here in India.
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 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
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. In terms of design, Samsung is sticking to the S6 design language only upgrading the specs, which we’re not complaining about. The flagship devices are slated to be unveiled on February 21 at the MWC ‘Unpacked’ event.
HTC One M10
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 One M10 will look a lot more like the One A9 than the One M9. From what recent renders tell us, HTC is ditching the BoomSound front speakers as well as the much-hated logo on the front that was found on the One M10. 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 housed inside the home button, 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 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.
Recent rumours about the specs of the Mi 5 are contradictory with some claiming the Mi 5 will sport a 5.5-inch screen with quad HD (2560×1440) display and the others pointing to a 5.7-inch with Full HD display. What’s almost confirmed is a Snapdragon 820 chipset, 20MP primary camera and an 8MP front cameras. 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.
Some recent rumours have suggested a modular design for the LG G5 where the bottom is detachable so as to easily remove the battery pack. This, however, is still a long shot and nothing has been confirmed on that front.
A leaked image also suggests that the LG G5 will sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. LG will launch the G5 flagship smartphone at the MWC next week.
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 Render
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.
Countless leaks have already talked at length about how the upcoming flagship from LG, the G5 will come packing a Snapdragon 820 SoC upon its MWC 2016 launch, and today, Qualcomm, the company behind the Snapdragon chipsets has with a reader tweet all but confirmed that the phone will sport the best chipset that Qualcomm currently has to offer.
This will come as great news for Qualcomm which infamously saw the South Korean tech giant choose to ignore the previous top of the line chipset from Qualcomm for the better thermals of the 808.
Other specifications of the phone detail it to come equipped with 4GB RAM, a 5.6-inch QHD display, along with 8-Megapixel camera at the front, and a Dual 20-Megapixel, with laser autofocus and Optical Image Stabilization at the back. The device is also said to come in a modular design for easy access to the battery.
According to new reports, a small start-up company named Energous has partnered with Apple to bring its WattUp technology to the iPhone. Reportedly, Apple will have the exclusive rights to the technology, which allows devices to be charged wirelessly from as far as 15 feet. The Energous chip that is added to the phone is so small that it won’t affect the size of the phone.
The chip works with a transmitter that can be placed anywhere in a room. If the WattUp chip is placed inside the iPhone 7, and you put a transmitter inside your office, your phone will Be able to charge through the day. If you put a transmitter in your bedroom, it will charge wirelessly all night.
Neither Apple not Energous have confirmed these rumours and it may be unlikely that the iPhone 7 may not feature this technology, but it doesn’t rule it out for the iPhone 7s or so.
In what is the most clear indication of a launch date for the Playstation VR, GameSpot’s CEO has all but spilled the beans on what will be a September-October launch for the eagerly awaited VR headset from PlayStation.
GameStop CEO Paul Raines was talking about the industry early Tuesday morning on Fox Business when he was asked about the coming year for VR technology. In response, Raines revealed that GameStop as a retailer is preparing for the launches of the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive and PlayStation VR. The first two not being done deals as of now for GameStop, but for Sony revealed that “Gamespot will launch the Sony product this fall.”
This though does not go in line with what Sony had revealed last year when they announced that the PlayStation VR could hit the markets as early as first half of 2016. PlayStation has still to react on Paul Raines gaffe, and as such the confusion is expected to prevail just a bit longer.
This news about the PlayStation VR launch in fall if true would also mean that Sony’s VR offering will crucially give theOculus Rift and HTC Vive a headstart in the market as both these products are set for a public release this spring. But, having said that, this will also give Sony the benefit of fine tune its VR hardware for just a bit longer ensuring increased chances of it being approved by the end consumer.
The Mobile World Congress 2016 is just a day away. The technology fest will see some major unveiling and some next-gen tech on display. In the smartphone department, two names have been given a lot of hype for many weeks now, and rightly so. Samsung and LG are both ready to unveil their flagship devices. We’ve heard rumours and leaked renders of both and now it’s time to see which flagship does better based on what we know so far.
Design
Samsung achieved a beautifully crafted phone with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and there is no reason why the Korean-based giant would want to steer away from that. From what the renders have told us the upcoming Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge will follow the same design language as their S6 counterparts. Only the standard 5.1-inch S7 will have a curved edge at the back rather than a flat one seen on in the S6. The renders of the devices look great and Samsung may just have another great looking device on their hands.
The LG G5, on the other hand, is likely to go with a more squarish look as compared to the G4. The back may not be as curved as its predecessor. It is also rumoured that LG is incorporating a modular design with the G5. The G5’s modular design, according to rumors, involves a detachable bottom, which will reveal the battery and allow it to simply slide in and out. Not only does this design help in making a thinner looking device, but it also gives easy access to the removable battery. Furthermore, it is also rumoured that the G5 will feature a secondary display above the primary one that will display apps and notifications, similar to the LG V10.
Camera
When it comes to the camera, Samsung has done extremely well in decimating its competition with some superb camera modules in the S-series. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Plus had incredible cameras that won last year. This year, Samsung wants to take its camera up a notch which is why it’s using a new Britecell technology for the Galaxy S7. Rumours peg the rear camera at 12MP with f/1.7 aperture, which means that Samsung is focusing a lot more on quality while the front camera will be at 5MP.
The LG G5 is set to sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. Leaked images posted in December show a dual camera fitted under a back panel. There’s also a flash and what looks like a fingerprint sensor below which is also expected to double up as the power button. LG has also done extremely well in the camera department and the V10 is one such phone in LG’s lineup that stands as proof. The cameras on the G5 is said to be developed by Sony.
Hardware
Both the flagship devices are expected to feature top-of-the-line and next-gen specifications. The Samsung Galaxy S7 upon launch is expected to to feature a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with Quad HD resolution, a new 12 MP BRITECELL camera with f/1.7 aperture, and a 5 MP secondary camera. Two SoC configurations are expected – one being the new Exynos 8890 and the other being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage is expected as well as a MicroSD card slot this time around and the battery is expected to be upwards of 3500mAh. A fingerprint sensor will be housed in the home button.
The LG G5 is rumoured to come equipped with a 5.3-inch QHD display, sporting a Snapdragon 820 processor and 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage. It’s also suggested that LG G5 might include an eye scanner, USB-C connectivity and a fingerprint sensor.
Features
It has been rumoured that Samsung has been working on an Apple 3D Touch-like feature for the Galaxy S7 devices. The pressure sensitive feature, reportedly called ClearForce, is being developed by Synaptics. If this is true, we may just see apps for Android being updated to include pressure sensitive features as well, much like the apps for iOS. Meanwhile, another set of rumours suggest that the S7 will have Apple Live Photos-like feature which makes tiny GIF-like videos.
A recent teaser video posted by Samsung’s Indonesian page showed that the Galaxy S7 will be waterproof to some extent.
LG is planning to launch the G5 with market disrupting specs and features, according to rumours. Now while one unconfirmed feature involves a modular design with a removable bottom, LG has teased some other features as well such as an ‘Always On’ mode which displays notifications on the screen without having to turn the screen on. A dual rear camera setup and a secondary display will be the other highlights of the G5.
A Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge unit has appeared on the Dubai counterpart of Craigslist called Dubizzle. It’s being sold for 4500 AED or approximately $1100 (about Rs.75,000). The phone comes with all accessories inside the box.
There have been lots of leaks over the last couple of days, outing design details of the Galaxy S7 Edge and this latest development shows this S7 Edge unit to be in line with them. But nobody can really be sure of the authenticity of this device which has been “imported from USA”. It may very well turn out to be a dummy unit.
According to reports so far the Galaxy S7 Edge will come equipped with a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display when it finally released at the MWC this year. The device wiill be powered by a Samsung Exynos 8890/Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC and paired with 4 GB of RAM, and a 12 MP rear camera with f/1.7 aperture. A 8 MP selfie camera is expected at the front of the phone. The phone will come in two storage variants, 32GB and 64GB which will be further expandable via a MicroSD card.
In December, 2015, Calif, San Francisco, became victim of a cold-blooded shooting incident orchestrated by Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik. Fourteen civilians were shot dead before the couple was taken down by the police. It was later confirmed that Rizwan Farook’s phone, an iPhone 5c, was in custody with the authorities.
After two months of failed attempts of unlocking it, the court ordered Apple to provide an encryption code that would take down the security measures of the device. Judge Sheri Pym asked Apple to provide specialized software that would bring down the security, while also getting rid of the feature which erases all data from the phone after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to log in.
It was later confirmed that the auto-delete feature has been deactivated and that authorities are using brute force attack to unlock the code. According to Apple, a method of this kind would take decades to move past the security encryption of the phone. In fact, a supercomputer would take over five years to crack such a six-digit code.
He may look it, but he’s not pleased.
Apple has accepted that it is pretty much impossible to break into an Apple device which is running on iOS 9. In the wake of these events, Apple was requested by FBI to provide a unique encryption that would allow them to retrieve security key to Rizwan Farook’s iPhone. Apple refused to offer a solution that would allow FBI to bypass the code for it believes this would be detrimental for the security of iPhone users all over the world.
“We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good…The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control,” Tim Cook wrote on the Apple website.
Apple has been very conscious of its users’ privacy from the start. Only a few days ago the company had declared it would never reveal personal details of iPhone users to the police. And now comes this very clearly stated message from the company. Tim Cook is definitely not overly pleased by FBI’s demands and has made his stance clear. Has he opted for the right plan of action by protecting users’ privacy all over, or should he just go ahead and provide the authorities with the encryption?
Short battery backup has for long been considered the smartphone’s Achille’s heel. With so many apps and services eating away at your smartphone’s battery, keeping the phone away from the charger, and in your hand at the time of need has become a difficult task to achieve.
Today we bring to you a list of smartphones that come with the promise of great battery life, enough to carry the burden of your calls, work, play, browsing for at least a day. So without further ado, here are the phones.
Moto X Force
The most expensive phone in our list, this phone comes with hefty price tag of Rs.49,999 for the 32 GB variant and Rs 53,999 for the 64 GB variant. This is the same phone that was launched globally last year as Droid Turbo 2 and made its way to India earlier this month with its much talked about ‘shatter shield’ display that as visible in our 1000 Foot Mega Drop Test does indeed work.
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 Moto X Force packs a 21-megapixel snapper with f/2.0 aperture, dual-LED flash and Phase Detect Autofocus around the back, and a 5-megapixel selfie camera with flash and f/2.0 aperture
The phone is powered by a mammoth 3760mAh battery with Quick Charging support and the battery working in conjunction with the minimalistic Android skin approach gives the user a phone that lasts over a day on medium-heavy usage
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Asus Zenfone Max
Asus India’s latest entrant to the already crowded market is a phone that sets itself apart from the crowd. The new Zenfone handset promises what most phones can’t offer, a long battery life with decent performance at an extremely affordable price.
ZenFone Max features a 5.5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) IPS display which has 10 finger touch support and comes with anti-fingerprint coating. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor which is paired with 2GB RAM, Android 5.0 Lollipop operating system and Adreno 306 graphics processor.
The Zenfone Max comes with an enormous 5000mAh battery. It is not only a phone that won’t die on you mid way through the day but can also double up as a portable charger for other power hungry devices that might need some assistance. It’s only drawback is that does not come with any kind of fast charging tech.
Honor Holly 2 Plus
Honor Holly 2 Plus is a budget offering from the Chinese smartphone maker Huawei. It comes with decent under the hood specs. The phone sports a 5-inch HD display and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6735P processor and Mali 720 GPU, paired with 2GB of RAM.
It features a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP on the front. Connectivity options include dual-SIM and 4G LTE support The phone is offered in a 16GB variant and supports expandable storage via a microSD card.
One of the strong points of the phone is its massive 4,000 mAh battery which does good in daily usage. The phone easily lasts a day on medium-heavy usage. The Honor Holly 2 Plus also comes with Smart Power 3.0 which at the switch of a button can give over 10 hours of phone usage for a 10% charge. It also is equipped with and quick charge capability which considering the size of the battery was really needed.
Lenovo Vibe P1
The Vibe P1 features a 5.5-inch Full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It is powered by a Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with Adreno 405 GPU; 2GB of RAM and 32GB storage with expandable storage via microSD card. The device features a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front; dual-SIM with dual 4G LTE support.
The Lenovo Vibe P1 comes equipped with a huge 4900mAh battery that Lenovo promises is good enough for 45 hours of talktime, and 30 days of standby. It also supports Quick Charge 2.0 to get an impressive 60% charge in 30 minutes.
The phone also comes with a power-saver slider, which switches the phone quickly between normal battery consumption and an extreme power saving mode. The Lenovo P1 can also double as a power bank to charge other devices, and as such the device comes highly recommended.
Lenovo Vibe P1m
The Vibe P1m, on the other hand, sports a 5-inch HD (1280×720) display. It is powered by a 64-bit quad-core MediaTek MT6735 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. Like the Vibe P1, the P1m supports expandable storage as well.
The Vibe P1M is the battery life is one the best in the market. The phone comes with a 4,000mAh battery unit which manages to deliver on its promise. The phone’s lightweight specs, with the 4000mAh battery makes the Vibe P1m lasts for more than a day and a half and without even including power saving options.
In a news that will excite Apple and non-Apple fans alike, the upcoming iPhone 7 will have the most powerful front camera by the Cupertino-based giant yet. The front camera will be able to capture high resolutions stills and 4K video recording as well.
It looks like Apple’s focus on selfies remains high. The company has understood the trend of the hour and wants to deliver the best possible camera for that. With the iPhone 6s, Apple had introduced a whopping 5MP front camera ( a major bump from the 1.2MP of the iPhone 6) with Retina Flash as well as a GIF-like feature with Live Photos.
The Retina Flash feature intelligently lights the subject with a colored flash, calculated by first flashing a neutral white flash by amping up the display, then almost immediately re-flashing the screen with a selected color. The selected color is typically an amber hue as it delivers a more flattering flash than a pure white screen would.
With the iPhone 7, Apple will likely stick to a 5MP front and Retina Flash only the images will get a lot more color, sharpness, and detail with high-res capability, and with 4K recording, selfie videos are going to be the next big thing. We may just see the front camera being the new primary option for photography rather than the rear.
HTC is just a couple of months away from unveiling its next flagship smartphone, the HTC One M10. A lot is riding on the company to deliver a device that is truly groundbreaking. Indeed, HTC needs to have something great in the One M10 if it still wants to compete in the highly competitive smartphone world. We’ve seen a bunch of leaked images and rumoured specs that haven’t really excited the masses so far. But the final device could be a different case. In order to have a winner on its hands, here are some features that we expect to see in the One M10.
A New HTC Design Language
HTC One M7
For a moment let’s forget about the recent leaked images and renders of the One M10. Let’s forget that HTC has gone with a design language similar to the One A9, which was heavily criticised for being an iPhone 6 rip-off, though HTC would contend that Apple copied them first. Such is the way inspiration works in the tech world. There was a time when HTC had a great design language with its M-series, the One M7 being one of the company’s best in design. It was something that was truly HTC’s own.
Barring the fact that HTC messed up with the One M9, the M lineup (especially the M7 and M8) was praised for its metallic unibody build, BoomSound dual front speakers that were widely appreciated, and a premium feel attached to it. But the company has recently hit a block in terms of design. What the company needs is to rely less on what companies like Apple have achieved with the iPhone and more on coming up with a new design language while still having traces of the old.
Latest render of the One M10
Honestly, fans would still appreciate the BoomSound dual speakers on the front only a little more refined. A curved metallic back for a better hold, a minimalistic and sleek design, and an almost bezel-less screen could together have made for a great-looking phone. If LeEco can manage that with the Le 1s than HTC can too.
HTC’s UltraPixel Technology Needs to Shine this Time
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 recieved, 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.
At Least One Bumped Up Specification
Let’s be honest, life in today’s world is all about getting there first. This though applies even for technology. People are wowed with a device that manages to beat its competition in bringing out the a first in something. Either that or you try to make an existing technology even better. LeEco took everyone by surprise when it brought out the Le Max Pro – the first smartphone with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset – when everybody was looking towards Samsung’s Galaxy S7.
The rumoured specs of the HTC One M10 aren’t all that special. They’re pretty much what is expected from a flagship device in 2016. You have a Snapdragon 820 chipset in the One M10 which will also be seen in the Galaxy S7, LG G5, Xiaomi Mi5 and many more to come. If HTC wants its device to stand apart, it needs to offer one specification that other OEMs aren’t. Maybe bumping up the RAM to 4GB might do the trick, or maybe it’s just not enough. Even if HTC manages to fit in a battery big enough to handle a Quad HD AMOLED display and gaming without giving up completely by the end of the day, it would be appreciated.
Thinner, Sleeker BoomSound or a Multi-Purpose Fingerprint Sensor (or Both)
One M10 Early Render
It was the BoomSound speakers that gave HTC’s M lineup a new direction. HTC now needs to introduce a new unique feature that will give the M10 purpose. If you’re going to replace the speakers with a physical home button that might also house a fingerprint scanner, then the sensor could do a lot more than simply unlocking the phone. In fact, having the BoomSound front speakers and the fingerprint scanner at the back would have been perfect. Alas, that’s perhaps asking too much.
HTC could have indeed kept the BoomSound speakers, making the grill thinner and closer to the top and bottom edges so as to save space and deliver on sound at the same time. Some renders (like the one above) also showed the same imagination, but the new images that reveal the One A9-like design show no trace of a speaker at all. It could still be that HTC has moved the speakers to the bottom, and if it manages to get the same quality it just might do the trick. Furthermore, if that indeed is the case then the headphone jack would have to move to the top.
Now while these may still not be groundbreaking changes or additions, it is something that would get fans a lot more excited than they are right now. The One M10 will essentially decide the company’s future in the smartphone market, and perhaps the delay to launch the device is due to some last minute tweaks that could work in their favour. We’ll just have to wait and see if HTC has a winner with the One M10 or not.
Have any particular feature you want to see in the HTC One M10? Let us know in the comments below.
From wearables to 3D printed shoes and dresses at this year’s CES, technology and fashion are two forces whose paths have been crossing pretty frequently lately. It is only natural that this fusion gets a formal acknowledgement as Met Gala 2016 gears itself to bring technology and fashion together aptly naming its fashion event this year -“Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology”.
When we say technology one of the first few names to pop up in our heads includes Apple. Consequently, it’s no big surprise the Cupertino based tech giant is partners with the Costume Institute for the this year’s Met Gala fashion event.
Andrew Bolton, who is the curator for the Institute describes the event as “unraveling the hand-machine conundrum”, which refers to the chasm between hand-made and machine-made fashion.
Issey Miyake’s “Flying Saucer” ,dress unveiled in 1994, was made entirely using machine sewing -indicating a clear presence of technology in fashion.
Therefore the event aims to bridge the gap between technology and fashion -no more seen as opposing forces. The two are brought together in a celebration of the successes of both fashion as well as the technology.
Pieces from Chanel and Christian Dior would be part of the collection.The line-up would draw inspiration from Fritz Lang’s sci-fi masterpiece Metropolis, and automobiles and electronics in its design and essence.
Sony today announced a new Exmor R sensor for mobile devices.The sensor will be called the IMX318 and it is the first stacked CMOS sensor with integrated hybrid autofocus and 3-axis electronic image stabilization. The IMX318 is a 1/2.6 type sensor with an effective resolution of 22.5 megapixels. It has a pixel pitch of 1.0 micrometre.
A statement from Sony talking about this launch read,
“The IMX318 boasts a stacked structure and the industry’s smallest unit pixels, which measure 1.0 micrometre in size. With this, the image sensor achieves a compact, type 1/2.6 size suitable for inclusion into smartphones, while still realizing a high resolution of 22.5 effective megapixels, among the top in the industry.”
The sensor is expected to be used in the upcoming Sony Z6, and what’s so exciting about this that it has built in hybrid AF. Sony IMX318 is the first to incorporate this within the sensor’s internal signal processor. The company claims this will result in a focusing time of 0.03 seconds for stills and as fast as 0.017 seconds during 60fps video.
The other major talking point about this sensor is the inclusion of the integrated 3-axis image stabilization. The sensor can correct for pitch, roll, and yaw by taking the input from an external gyro sensor and processing it within its own internal signal processor. This will be more energy efficient as compared to software processing.
A new iPhone bug has emerged which is capable of rendering your device absolutely useless. Yes, you read it right -absolutely useless. The only way to fix it would be to take it to an Apple Store where in all likelihood they would have to replace it.
This bug supposedly emerged at 4Chan on Thursday and has also been spotted on Facebook and Reddit since. There is one simple way to protect yourself from the bug -to never set your iPhone date to 1st January 1970.
It is unclear at this point why the specific date is causing Apple devices to behave this way but one speculated reason involves time zones and the device’s internal clock. Additionally, this wouldn’t be the first time when Apple users have faced issues related to the clock. In the past, clocks on Apple gadgets have acted up to tell the wrong time and delay alarms.
Find below the troll which appeared online urging people to change the date on their device to the aforementioned January date. It promises an “easter egg” that would put a retro Apple logo on the display of your phone. But let us break it to you -there are no easter eggs in the evil world of the Internet.
Once the date has been entered, and the phone is rebooted, it would refuse to respond. Even connecting it to a computer or using iTunes would not help you reduce it to its non-brick state.
Making this troll even more interesting is the fact that Apple did not start as late as 1976. It should be noted, however, that only those Apple devices which are powered by the A7 processor and later -iPhone 5s and above, iPad Air, iPad Mini 2 and above are susceptible to it.
