HTC’s latest flagship has arrived and it might just live up to expectations. HTC has made a more mature incremental upgrade to an already promising product. The new HTC One M9 highlights everything that was good about the M8 and M7 and fixes what was horribly bad about them.
Big major fixes include a bumped up camera, a 20 MP shooter with a sapphire lens cover. The camera now not only looks good, but also shoots 4k video. However we are majorly missing the OIS found in the Korean rival’s handset.
Last year’s main camera the Ultrapixel snapped, is now the front facing camera, improving low light selfies and it looks really good. The camera adds a lot of details and pictures are actually very visible in low light. HTC claims that the camera sees more light than the human eye, our tests confirm that.
The M9 is powered by an all new Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, a 64 bit SOC, with an Octa core 2.0 GHz CPU and Adreno 430 GPU. 3GB of RAM and 32 GB storage makes the memory part complete, but, you do get a 128 GB card support and 115 GB of Google Drive.
The two tone color of the Silver One M9 looks fantastic and will be an instant hit, with anyone who appreciates quality handsets. However the new Samsung Galaxy S6 looks too fancy to ignore. HTC has found inspiration from luxury watches, and the minute we look at the M9 we see Hublot.
Everything runs on a highly optimized 2800 mAh battery, bundled with Android Lollipop 5.0.2 out of the box and HTC’s new Sense 7 promises a major improvement in the battery life, and out of experience there is a big difference. The quick charge also improves the charge times and you will be on the go in just a few.
HTC has included a new flurry of covers, none of which come with the device. The new rugged cover will make the device IP 67 and it honestly feels great on the phone and does not add much bulk. The DOT case has been improved quite a lot, adding more functionality. Including Dot-breaker (a cool game) and custom wallpapers that you can sketch, see below.
While the world puts its eyes onto MWC 2015, HTC has basically stepped on board with an excellent start. HTC has launched and announced a bunch of new products, also showcasing their connected concepts which include Connected Home, Connected Life, Connected Entertainment and Connected Self.
The new HTC One M9 falls right into their connected formula and is not a whole lot different from the HTC One M8; it follows in HTC’s design lineage and adds a whole lot of new elements. HTC claims that the new design is inspired by luxury and mostly luxury watches.
The new HTC One M9 has a newer notched design and a two tone finish, the gold bezels on silver is their hero product and will be available globally, a new graphite and an all gold will be available in select markets. The HTC One M9 still has a IR blaster and the native TV app has been replaced by the Peel remote app. The phone supports TDD and FDD LTE across the globe so is essentially a 4G world phone, and should work worldwide if you buy it unlocked.
The Golden Edge Looks Better
Spec wise you don’t see a major bump up either. However a more powerful 64 Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 runs this handset along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. It sports a 5-inch screen with a 1920×1080 display. You do get micro-SD support upto 64 GB as well. Optics is where you see a major increase the new 20 MP shooter at the rear along with a 4 ultrapixel front camera make for a fashionable lot. The HTC One M9 also shoots 4k video natively and can parse it onto a class 10 card.
The battery on the inside is a 2840 mAh, bundled with Android 5.0.2 out of the box and the all new HTC Sense 7. HTC is touting excellent battery life on this iteration of the One.
HTC has also improved upon the camera app, allowing for better edits, filters and fun effects on the phone, along with a prismatic mode that indulges a trippy audience.
New Dot Case
Along with the HTC One M9, the company also introduced a flurry of cases, including a number of dot view cases. The new design has a transparent back and allows for more customization of what is visible from the dot matrix. You also have a fun game called dot-breaker included as a freebie.
New HTC M9 Cases
HTC has also made a rugged case with iP67 certification and 2 Meter drop resistance, giving you the rugged you have missed on the HTC One series in the past.
Samsung’s latest flagship and its edgier brother have made it into our hands and that too before the main global launch event.
Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6 Back
The Samsung Galaxy S6, just like the rumors, holds a new design language. Which unmistakably is inspired and looks almost identical to the Apple iPhone lineage, all glass front and back, infused onto a stainless steel bezel. Samsung may have finally grown up.
S6 Edge
The new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is also a step in the right direction, while the device has dual edges the display’s continuity is not broken, as in the case of the Galaxy Note Edge, and the edge is mostly for aesthetic appeal.
Samsung has included quick charging and wireless charging capabilities in the new S6 and the S6 Edge, details of which should be available shortly.
Galaxy S6 Edge and Wireless Chargers
Spec wise Samsung has these bad boys fully loaded up with this years hardware, an all new Exynos Octa Core 2.1 GHz chipset along with 3 GB LPDDR4 RAM, the phone just like iPhone will be available in fixed storage sizes, however starting from 32 GB, a 64 GB variant and a 128 GB all based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). And yes, just like iPhones the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge will not have micro SD expandability.
New Bumper Case
Connectivity is pretty top notch LTE Cat 6, Bluetooth 4.1 and WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and globally unlocked variants will work on TDD and FDD LTE bands so networks should not be a problem for Samsung this time around.
5.1 inch QuadHD Display
The Display is a all new 5.1 inch Super Amoled screen with a QuadHD resolution giving it a total 577 ppi of eye burning sharpness. The Galaxy S6 Edge on the other hand has a much more snappier Exynos Octa Core with 2.5 GHz and a slightly better 2600 mAh battery vs the 2550 mAh on the Galaxy S6 (non-edge.)
The pricing remains a question (which will be answered shortly), however it is rumored that the Galaxy S6 Edge will cost more than the Note Edge did at launch.
HTC launched its big gun, the HTC One M9, at the MWC 2015. The phone is a upgraded version of its predessecor, the HTC One M8. It will be interesting to see how this phone fares against competitors like the Nexus 6, Galaxy S6 or the Apple iPhone 6. But before that, we would like to see the improvements and upgrades of the M9, against its older sibling, the M8.
We compare the spec table of both the handsets, below.
SPECS
HTC M8
HTC M9
Display
5 inch Full HD
5 inch Full HD
Chipset
2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
(4 x 2GHz + 4 x 1.5GHz)
RAM
2 GB
3 GB
Storage
16/32 GB
32 GB
Expandable Up to
128 GB
128 GB
Primary Camera
HTC Dual 4 MP Ultrapixel Camera
20 MP
Front Camera
5 MP
HTC UltraPixel
Battery
2600 mAH
2840 mAH
Operating System
Android 4.4.2
Android 5.0.2
HTC One M8
HTC One M8
Watch our exclusive Hands on with the HTC One M9:
Now, you can compare and check out our review of the HTC One M8:
Uploading videos on YouTube have always been super easy. Just make a selection, and the video-sharing service will do the rest. However, now you can even choose which part of the video you wish to crop and how much your subscribers can see. YouTube recently added a new feature for Android phones that allows you to trim videos before uploading them.
From now on, before you upload a new video to your channel, a timeline will appear at the bottom of the video. It will come with two control points that can be moved to fix the starting point and end point of any clip. Not only this, but also YouTube has given users the freedom of precision. One can crop the clip frame by frame and can exhibit exactly what they want.
Once the video is trimmed, the YouTube app offers a preview option where you can see the content before making it live. This is a pretty appreciable and long awaited feature, which has now landed on the Android platform. The company has started rolling out the same, but it may take some time for the feature to reach all the users across the globe. As earlier said, it has arrived for Android ecosystem only; iOS users can expect to receive it soon after.
The company recently launched YouTube Kids app where children can watch the entertainment as well as educational content for free. Along with that, Offline viewing service was also initiated a few weeks back that permits viewers to watch their favourite chips within 48 hours timeframe once they have downloaded it.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that YouTube has further plans to introduce Instagram-styled filters and licensed music to replace audio. The company is working on embedding it onto the app.
Google has been known to be a revolutionary company. It can be credited with establishing the information age by giving people access to the power of the internet. The Silicon Valley giant invests a massive amount of its resources in research that can change the way we live. Google is in the process of re-imagining the office space for its new office in Mountain View, California. It wants to create a building that meets the needs of tomorrow and is also close to nature.
Google has enlisted the help of two architecture firms Heatherwick Studio and Denmark-based Bjarke Ingels Group. This is no small time project as it covers an area of 3.4 million square feet across the four sites. Google’s arch rival Apple has already showcased a spaceship-like design that is already in the construction phase.
The major focus on the building is to give an experience of living as close to nature as possible. The building design makes use of natural light to light up the office spaces and cut down on the use of energy. It has green spaces inside the building who get natural light from the vast open, transparent fabric that engulfs the sites. The building uses flexible manipulable elements that give the ability to shape the offices as per the requirement.
In its feature video, Google is vague about the specifics but the buildings are expected to be constructed by 2020. When completed, they will be an urban space in themselves. There is a definite need for rethinking construction in terms of residential, official and urban spaces. With an increase in population, there is an absolute need to make the buildings energy efficient and eco-friendly. We hope Google succeeds in its efforts to re-create building spaces and brings a revolutionary change in terms of construction with this massive project.
Just when we thought that we knew everything important about Apple’s much-awaited Watch, there was another significant disclosure by the company. The CEO of the organization, Tim Cook, took to the stage to enlighten the audience about the magnitude of the Apple Watch and informed that it has the power to replace your car keys.
Cook further stated in an interview given to The Telegraph that the Watch is designed in a way to replace car keys, so as to get rid of the clumsy, large fobs used for vehicles. Commenting on the battery of the wrist gadget, Tim elaborated its battery will go on for a full day and the charging time will be lesser than that of the iPhone.
Bearing another primary feature of the iPhone, the Watch will embed the company’s digital wallet service Apple Pay, which hoped to replace credit cards. This is not the first time Apple has dived into the automobile segment. Last March, it showcased CarPlay that lets drivers perform essential features like browse contacts, make calls and more without leaving the steering wheel.
Well, hearing all this, we are much more excited about the official launch than ever. The company has scheduled a special event for 9th March where the Watch will be finally unveiled.
Apple’s latest flagship costs some serious money to own. You can buy a Bajaj Pulsar at the price of a 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus. The devices are of course well made and have added some amazing features like seamless transfer of files and the best camera in the business. Now these great devices will be accessible to more new consumers as Flipkart and Amazon have gone on a price slashing spree on all the iPhone 6 variants.
Flipkart and Amazon and a few other third party sellers have unveiled the new pricing. The price cuts range from anywhere between Rs.1,500 to Rs. 6500. Below are the rates as available on the various sites.
iPhone Variant
Launch Price
New Prices
16 GB iPhone 6
Rs 53,500
Rs 48,595 (Flipkart)
64GB iPhone 6
Rs 62,500
Rs 57,448 (Flipkart)
128GB iPhone 6
Rs 71,500
Rs 70,045 (Flipkart
16GB iPhone 6 Plus
Rs 62,500
Rs 55,999 (Flipkart)
64GB iPhone 6 Plus
Rs 71,500
Rs 65,999 (Amazon)
128GB iPhone 6 Plus
Rs 80,500
Rs 73,999 (Amazon)
Apart from the cuts in prices the company are also offering schemes to make it easier to buy the device. Amazon is offering cash back of Rs 8,400 on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to HDFC credit card users. On the other hand, Flipkart is offering 10% cash back to Citibank credit card users.
If you were one of those folks who were saving up to get the new gen iPhone, your target just got closer.
Samsung’s newest addition ATIV Book 9, showcased at the CES platform this year, was a breakthrough in the ultrabook series. It was one strong contender by the South Korean giant that could be pitted against Apple’s MacBook Air. The same ATIV Book 9 is now rolling out for customers.
Samsung announced that it will release its lightest notebook tomorrow (i.e. March 1). The laptop has an all-aluminium body and measures just 0.46-inches thick. Compressed to a mere 2.09 pound, the new ATIV Book 9 can be carried anywhere hassle-free. The 2015 ATIV Book 9 will come at two price points – $1,199.99 for 4 GB RAM and 128 GB of SSD, and $1,399.99 for 8 GB RAM and a larger 256GB SSD.
However the 12.2-inch laptop might be sleek, it’s pretty solid from inside. It is powered by Intel’s Broadwell Core M processor and runs on Windows 8.1 for now. It can work for 12.5 hours on a single charge. The USP of the notebook is that it’s fanless, a feature Apple cannot claim about any of its laptops.
It’s not certain if it would be released globally or to some markets, but we’ll know more details tomorrow.
We barely have a day before Samsung officially unveils its flagship smartphone to the world in Barcelona. A lot is at stake here for the Korean manufacturer. The device is supposed to redefine Samsung’s approach to design and features. The Korean electronics giant has really come to struggle in the market in the past couple of years and it is imperative the company comes out with an exceptional device.
The rumors of the upcoming S6 have been encouraging with a continuous onslaught of leaks and teasers, and we’ve gathered it all here in one place.
What can we expect from the new Galaxy S6, here’s a compilation of our calculated prediction as to what can we expect from the next big thing from Samsung.
Rumor mill suggests the upcoming Galaxy S6 will get a Super AMOLED Quad HD display anywhere between 5-5.5 inches with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The Galaxy S5 sports a 5.1 inch display, and as we’ve seen in the past, large screen sizes are reserved for the Galaxy Note phablet range. Hence we can expect a smaller screen size, something in line with the Galaxy S5.
What about curves, will the Galaxy Edge get a curved edge? Well, going by the most recent leak from T-Mobile, it’s a YES. The picture titled “SIX APPEAL” clearly shows a Note Edge like device. Samsung had hinted before that the S6 will have a curved screen, and the image gives a clear view of the curved display. Some even suggest that Samsung will be extending it to both sides of the device.
The Galaxy Note Edge made quite a stir with its unusual and distinct design, so its a reason good enough for Samsung to bank upon this idea.
NEW DESIGN AND BODY
Plastic or metal, this could be anyone’s guess. Samsung has been flaunting new metal bodied phones, such as the all-metal Samsung Galaxy A5, Galaxy A3 along with the Galaxy A7.
The latest teaser by T-Mobile clearly shows grey metal body visible around the display, hence we can expect the Korean manufacturer to bolster its image with a premium metal clad smartphone.
CAMERA
We saw some awesome camera performance with the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 4, both of which came with 16 megapixel cameras, though the Galaxy S5 lacked OIS; a significant feature appreciated in the iPhone 6 Plus. So it’s a reason good enough that Samsung would bring this feature in their latest flagships’s camera.
Galaxy S5’s 16-megapixel camera is one of the best smartphone cameras around.
As we’ve seen in the past, Samsung usually increases the megapixel count with their new models. Samsung’s senior VP in a blog post recently stressed upon the fact how they have been constantly working on improving the cameras used in the Galaxy Series. In addition, Jang also stressed on the importance of the selfie cam, and duly noted that it forms an essential part of the whole ecosystem.
A recent report suggested a 20 MP camera sensor along with OIS and a 5 MP front facing shooter on the Galaxy S6 prototype. Both cameras are likely to include sensors from Samsung.
PROCESSOR, MEMORY AND STORAGE
Rumours suggest Samsung may be opting for its in-house Exynos 7420 for the first batch, and probably even make different variants of the phone. The Exynos 7420 is a 64-bit chip with four Cortex-A53 and four Cortex-A57 cores.
The Korean manufacturer plans to ditch Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips with the Galaxy S6 as it reportedly faces overheating issues. As we’ve seen with its earlier flagships, Samsung will make different variants of the Galaxy S6 with different chipsets for different markets.
On the memory front, the phone is rumoured to come in 32, 64 and 128 GB variants. Samsung is likely to equip the Galaxy S6 with 3GB of RAM, along with a microSD slot that is expandable upto 128 GB.
OS and TouchWiz
TouchWiz sitting atop Android 5.0 Lollipop should be the standard norm of the day. A recent report says Samsung will chuck many of its own programs in its forthcoming TouchWiz user interface. Instead Samsung will bundle Microsoft apps including OneNote, OneDrive, Office Mobile, and Skype.
Samsung’s TouchWiz is getting final touches before its anticipated announcement in Barcelona. And Samsung is apparently being sensible as it’s doing away with its own bloatware which included apps like S Health and S Note.
It’s likely be a toned down version of TouchWiz on the new device, in an attempt to improve the overall performance and responsiveness of the device.
FEATURES
The Galaxy S6 will reportedly get a host of new features. It may feature dual front speakers like the HTC Boomsound. Meanwhile, Samsung itself has dropped a lot of hints about its next-gen flagship. For instance, we can expect the Galaxy S6 to get wireless charging and fast charging capabilities. Rumour also has it that it’ll get a fingerprint sensor.
While, recent reports also suggest that the Galaxy S6 will have support for Gear VR, currently compatible only with the Galaxy Note 4.
MULTIPLE VARIANTS
The Korean giant is expected to launch the Samsung Galaxy S6 flagship along with the anticipated curved-display variant, rumoured to be called Galaxy S6 Edge at the Galaxy Unpacked 2015 event.
Hence we can expect multiple variants of its new flagship, with and without curved displays. Which makes sense as the Galaxy S6 might be akin to a more traditional flagship, while curved could be the model that brings a different flavour to the flagship.
Launch, availability and Price
Samsung has already sent out teasers and invitations for its forthcoming Galaxy Unpacked event on 1st March in Barcelona at MWC. Samsung’s earlier flagship model, the Galaxy S5 was unveiled at MWC 2014. The phone went on sale just a few weeks later, hence we can expect the Korean manufacturer to do the same with its upcoming flagship – the Galaxy S6.
Tentative release date for the Galaxy S6 is rumored to be somewhere between March 22 too April 19. A recent report claims that similar to last year, Samsung will release its flagship champion(s) in the Indian market in early-to-mid April. Indian customers can place pre-orders for the Galaxy S6 starting mid-March.
As far as pricing goes, Samsung tends to stick to the same pricing for its Galaxy Range. Initially, it is expected to be priced exorbitantly, easily above Rs. 60,000, which will likely come down to Rs. 50,000 within months (knowing Samsung). In short, it’s going to cost a lot of money, and we hope it’s worth it for prospective buyers.
A new promotional image of the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge has popped up on the Internet, this time courtesy of a Reddit user. The promotional image does lineup fairly well with the recently leaked images and specifications.
While the images appear rather authentic, there are a few things that do seem a bit out of place. Firstly, the Galaxy Edge is written in both lower and upper case. In the text description, the ‘Edge’ appears in uppercase, while the logo towards the bottom of the ad shows it in lower case. Moreover, the use of ‘GS6’ seems rather odd.
Though one thing the promotional image does confirm is that there are indeed two versions of the flagship – one with the standard screen while the other one is a curved display.
The Mobile World Congress is just around the corner, we’ll have to wait just a little longer before Samsung makes its official announcement.
If we want a safe planet for the future, Solar energy is the way to go. Solar power has the potential to completely replace all of the contemporary fossil fuel based energy sources. There are many initiatives underway to make access to solar panels more affordable and accessible. Google has been known for its affection for renewable energy research and now the company is partnering with SolarCity to make it easier for people to install solar panels in their homes.
SolarCity is a company founded by Tesla chief Elon Musk. The company assists people in installing solar power in their residence or place of business. It designs, finances and installs solar energy systems, performs energy efficiency audits and retrofits and even builds charging stations for electric vehicles. SolarCity at present has over 1,90,000 customers and the facilities created by them have generated about one gigawatt of power.
Google will collaborate with SolarCity to make it easier for folks to install Solar panels.
Google will be setting up a fund worth $300 million for the residential side of SolarCity’s business. This coupled with SolarCity’s new financing structure will raise the company’s funds to $750 million. This fund will boost efforts to assist homeowners to install rooftop solar panels.
Homeowners can get in touch with SolarCity, who will create a customized design for the house. SolarCity then looks at the electricity bills paid by the owner and offers them a rate much lower than the power company. The user just has to pay a monthly solar rental along with the electricity charge as agreed. The maintenance costs of the solar panels will also be taken care by Google and SolarCity. The companies earn an income from the excess electricity sold to the grid by the house.
The arrangement between the consumer and the companies will be rent based. The rental term is usually set for 20 years after which the consumer would have the option to buy the system or give it back to the company. Presently the initial price tag for installation is $10,000, so it is still out of reach of an average consumer. But as more players come to the market, the rates are bound to drop down.
Google and Elon have shared a rather friendly camaraderie. Google has recently placed a massive bet on Elon’s plan of setting up space internet. In fact, Google’s founder Larry Page has said that he’d rather give his billions to Elon than give it to charity. SolarCity is a unique initiative that will not just be beneficial to the buyers and companies but will also set-up a profitable business model that others can emulate and help create the solar revolution.
The fourth instalment in the G series lineup, the G4, is the company’s flagship for 2015. It is expected to trump the present G3, which came quite close to being called flawless. Rumour mills are regularly pushing updates about the upcoming G4; they’re discussing an improved display, camera and other features. Now one more coveted feature has added been added to that list. We have learnt from reliable sources close to iGyaan that the forthcoming G4 may carry an all metal design.
Coming back to the design of the handset, the G4 is expected to come in a bold metallic casing. The overall appeal of the phone will get a boost, making it stand out from the G3 which has a metal-painted plastic body. The new metal design will protect the device from accidental drops, keeping the smartphone intact and at the same time, giving it a premium look and feel.
However, the phone will not make an appearance at the mega event in Barcelona. The flagship will be launched post the Mobile World Congress 2015. Seems like LG plans to disclose the cards after seeing what other big contenders have to offer.
The G4 is speculated to have a slightly smaller 5.3-inch screen, with display quality reaching up to 3K. You will find the screen much wider in the G4 as the phone is anticipated to have reduced bezel size. Powered by 64-bit Snapdragon 810, the G4 will sport 3 GB of RAM and will run on Android Lollipop.
All these facts point out to the direction that LG’s forthcoming phone will be one beast of a device, blending elegance and power. We’re looking forward to the day LG decides to take the curtains off the G4.
The Moto E was the first device in the Indian market that followed the high-specs-low-pricing business approach. It was the cause of a lot of hullabaloos in the affordable segment of the market that was ruled by Indian smartphone brands. The second generation of this popular device is about to see the light of the day and Motorola has unveiled the pricing of the new handset.
Motorola has already announced that the Moto E(2nd Gen) will offer 8 GB internal storage. There will also be an option to buy a 16 GB device. The company will be offering the device is 3G and 4G LTE variants.
The 3G variant will be priced at Rs. 6999. It will be powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 along with 1 GB RAM. The LTE variant, on the other hand, will get a 64 Bit, 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 processor. Both the new devices will run on Android Lollipop.
On the camera fronts, Motorola atoned for its sin of not adding a front camera in the first Moto E during the selfie age. This device includes a VGA camera, and the main camera too gets autofocus capabilities.
The price of the LTE variant hasn’t been specified yet, but it is expected to be somewhere near the Rs.8000 mark. Moto E now has several new challengers in the game that it began. Xiaomi Redmi 1S, the most prominent of all, has gathered massive recognition, and the Chinese company will also be launching the second generation of the device this year. With the amount of options available in the affordable segment, it will be interesting to see how the market reacts to this slightly updated version of the Moto E.
We saw amazing camera performances with the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 4, both came with 16 megapixel cameras. The one major feature the Galaxy S5’s camera lacked was Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), a significant step that seriously impressed users of the iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 4. Even without OIS, Galaxy S5’s 16-megapixel camera is one of the best smartphone cameras around. Now it seems the Korean manufacturer has outdone itself yet again when it comes to camera capabilities.
According to sources close to iGyaan, Samsung has apparently spruced up its camera unit with a 21 megapixel count for its forthcoming flagship, and gets the same sensor as the Sony Xperia Z3. In addition, it gets a 5MP front facing shooter and is likely to get OIS with excellent low light capabilities.
Samsung’s first teaser suggested that the forthcoming flagship’s camera experience would be an integral element of the Galaxy S6’s overall appeal. Meanwhile, Samsung’s senior VP in a blog post recently stressed upon the fact how they have been constantly working on improving the cameras used in the Galaxy Series.
