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Over the past few months, Microsoft has been leaking images of its two new flagship phones – the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL. The handsets will be launched on the 6th of October in New York City, along with the Surface Pro 2 and Microsoft Band 2
Now apart from these devices, Microsoft also plans on bringing out a new budget device called the Lumia 550. The Lumia 550 is rumored to have a 5-inch display, 1GHz processor, and 5-megapixel camera. The lumia 550 will look to replace other 5xx models such as the 540.
Some slides of what appears to be a Microsoft presentation in Spanish were posted in Forever Nokia Latin America’s Facebook page. The slides reveal a whole bunch of specs and features for the three new Lumia phones. The slides also show that the phones (except the 550) will feature a version of Windows Hello, which is Windows 10’s facial recognition technology.
According to the slides, here are the specs for the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL. These specs also match the earlier leaks that have been floating around.
Lumia 950
Display: 5.2 inches, QuadHD
Processor: Qualcomm 6-core Snapdragon 808
Camera: 20MP PureView rear camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) and dual flash; 5MP HD front camera
Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage
Battery: 3,000 mAh, with rapid charging via USB-C
Lumia 950 XL
Display: 5.7 inches, QuadHD
Processor: Qualcomm 8-core Snapdragon 810
Camera: 20MP PureViw rear camera with OIS and triple LED flash; 5 MP front camera
Storage: 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage
Battery: 3,300 mAh, with rapid charging via USB-C
The Lumia 550, on the other hand, reveal specs that suggest the handset will aim at the low-end market. According to the slide, the Lumia 550 is set to have the following features:
Lumia 550
Display: 5 inches, HD resolution
Processor: Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 1GHz
Camera: 5MP rear autofocus camera with flash; 2MP front camera optimized for Skype
Microsoft will also look to incorporate other Windows 10 features such as Cortana, OneDrive cloud storage, and others. No details on the price or release dates of the phones have been revealed yet.
Epic Games, the developer behind Unreal and Gears of War has come out with a Matrix-like virtual reality shooter game called Bullet Train, designed for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. The game was demonstrated at the Oculus Connect 2 conference held in Hollywood.
Bullet Train succeeds in not making one feel queasy as is the case with fast paced virtual reality action games. The game is developed using Unreal Engine 4 and uses Oculus Rift’s Touch controller for the gameplay. The Touch controllers give you “Hands” with which you can grab any nearby weapons (and there are many to choose from) and start shooting away.
By Matrix-like we mean that players can slow down time to avoid getting hit by bullets or to catch bullets and missiles in mid-air and fling it back at the enemy. In other words, you pretty much get to play as Neo, which is what Nick Whiting, lead programmer at Epic Games was going for with Bullet Train. Indeed slow-motion is a big part of the game. The game is set at a train station and players get to frantically teleport around the station (in slo-mo), shooting wave after wave of enemies.
Teleportation is used to travel around rather than walking as it seemed like the best way to move without motion sickness. Whiting described the game as everything one could want from a simple shooter game. “You’re badass,” says Whiting of Bullet Train’s appeal. “You’re shooting people, you’re teleporting, you’re slowing down time. It’s a little bit insane. But it’s fun. And that’s what we wanted to make, because we’re a game company.”
One of the biggest selling point of this game is the ability to interact with the environment. The game provides a very life-like experience especially when you cock a gun and feel it click into place with the Touch’s haptic feedback. “We built this very physical world and then you can’t ask people not to play with it,” says Whiting’s partner Nick Donaldson.
It’s always better to see something to get an actual idea of what is being talked about. Here’s a little peek at what Bullet Train looks like.
Android fans have spoken. The Move to iOS Android app that was launched by Apple recently was received like a cold slap by Android users. Now an Android developer has come out with a hilarious reply by creating a ‘Stick with Android’ app.
A developer named Jonatthias released the app on Google Play Store and this is the app’s description:
“Everything about Android is designed to be easy. That includes sticking with it. With just one step, you can keep your content automatically and securely on your Android device with the Stay on Android app. No need to save your stuff elsewhere before staying on Android. The Stay on Android app securely keeps you away from switching to another (worse) platform.”
Clearly, the description wages an all out war to take down the apparently insulting Move to iOS app. The Stick with Android app doesn’t do much except show a single button on screen that says “Click here to stick with Android” which, when pressed, lets the user stick with Android. And it’s as simple as that.
However, the hilarity does not end there. The app has an almost perfect 5 star rating in the Google Play Store whereas the Move to iOS app currently has a 1.8 rating, which is perhaps more to do with the existence of the app rather than the functionality of it. This practically useless app is one of the best rated Android apps at the Store.
As usual, the best part about an app like this is the user reviews. Click here if you want to download the app for a quick giggle.
Samsung’s newest addition to the Note family comes not as much of a surprise. Especially after all the leaks and Samsung setting precedent with its S6 and S6 edge. Samsung has found the right mix of hardware, software, build and design for devices this year.
Does the Note 5 fit right in? Let’s find out.
Overview
Without changing much, Samsung has made major changes to the handset. The new Note 5 is a positive step ahead for the company, taking in major feedback from its consumers and acting upon it. The Note 5 is priced at Rs. 53,900 for the 32GB version and Rs 59,990 for the 64GB variant. Samsung has used the same design philosophy as seen in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge along with the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus for the new Note. Bringing in a totally new and young look to the otherwise bold and business handset.
Build Quality and Design
Samsung wins this year for good looks, as the company has finally reached a point where its handsets are the most impressive looking mainstream Android devices in the market. The Note 5 is no less, although, personally, we feel the Galaxy S6 edge and edge+ remain at pole position when it comes to looks. The new Galaxy Note 5 comes in a close second, thanks to its extensive use of glass and metal. Gorilla Glass 4 on the back and the front, the rear glass tapers in to the edges, putting the edge display design on the back of the Note 5.
The new S-pen also has a new design and mechanism, however is riddled with major issues. The build is sold and feel of the handset exceptional, and even though the phone looks fragile it can take a whole lot of beating. The metal alloy frame is solid and protects the Note 5 well and adds to a major premium look and feel, that the predecessors were lacking.
16 MP, 5312 x 2988 pixels, optical image stabilization, autofocus
Rear Camera Video
2160p@30fps, 1080p@60fps,
Front Camera
5 MP
Front Camera Video
1080p at 30fps
Battery
Non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery
Operating System
Android OS, v5.1.1 (Lollipop)
Connectivity
SIM: Nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.2, A2DP, EDR, LE, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, NFC
Type-C reversible connector
Miscellaneous
Fingerprint sensor, S- PEN stylus
Price
Rs.53,900 for the 32GB variant; Rs 59,900 for the 64GB variant
Operating System
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 runs on what is possibly the best version of Samsung’s skin called “TouchWiz”. This version turns out to be the best so far simply because it is the least invasive. We saw the same OS on the S6 edge and edge+. The one on the Note 5 however, is optimized for the new S-Pen.
Although most of the menus are familiar and seen before on Samsung devices, some S-Pen features are new. The ability to take a note while the screen is off is the best of the lot of new improvement. When the screen is off, simply pull out the S-Pen to enable this feature. The colours are inverted, the screen remains dark and the pen line is white.
Other features include the Slick UI elements, use power buttons to increase or decrease screen font size. The S-Pen will give previews, just like before, and now the pop ups are super smooth.
Display and Multimedia
The new display is identical to the previous devices in terms of the resolution however the 5.7 inch size is larger than before and hence reduces the PPI to 518. The screen is bright, all 600 nits, and easily visible outdoors.
The new set of speakers and microphones make the audio experience really good, the inbuilt speaker is loud and crisp with good amounts of mid tones and whatever bass levels you can achieve from a downward facing speaker on a smartphone. The earphone jack boosts audio well and you well get a lot of volume through earphones, whether included or otherwise.
Since the hardware is top notch, you can expect it to smoothly sail through any media you may throw at it, no lag whatsoever in playback.
Camera
The camera is magic, is what we felt about the S6 and. the Note 5 is no less. In fact the Note 5 is no more either – the exact same camera, the exact same lens setup, the exact camera software and the exact capability as well. The f1.9 aperture lenses are wide and capture a lot of information in the 16MP and 5MP images on the back and front respectively.
The camera app is impressive too and offers a lot of manual control, the pro mode rules in this department too. You can manually adjust any camera setting before you start to capture, or during your capture. Optical Image Stabalization (OIS) works well too and you will mostly get really good pictures or video. Unless you are trying really hard not to. The problem with the camera is, that it will get confused with colours in low light situations, over saturating the reds and browns.
Samsung finally has a camera that puts the iPhone down, however Samsung is missing out on Apple’s image processing and colour algorithms, which unfortunately work better. Compared to previous gen iPhones, the Note 5 will also do 4k video and do it well. Video is smooth, crisp and looks fantastic.
S Pen
“Pen Gate”, something that haunts everyone at Samsung today. The S Pen on the Note 5, when inserted the wrong way in, will not only get stuck inside the Note, but will also damage the sensing mechanism of the display. Basically rendering your phone into a regular non-Note Samsung device.
The only fix according to Samsung – “Don’t put it in backwards.” However, it’s not so simple. In a beautiful world people wouldn’t have cared, and 99.99% people won’t be stuffing their S-Pen backwards. But now that it’s a known phenomenon, chances of it happening are a lot more.
Samsung is not very friendly with repairs of such an accident and it might end up costing you several thousand to get the Note 5 fixed / replaced. Not a pretty sight.
The, new design of the pen however is sleek and much appreciated. The responsiveness of the new pen on the Note 5 is highly improved over the previous generation Style. The click out mechanism is slick and works well, the girth of the pen is still too low and will not replicate the experience of using a real pen. Even though from a software aspect the handset does do that.
Phone and Battery Life
The battery is large and you will easily get a full days worth of use. If you do not you can always charge it with a fast charger and get on with your life. Although 3000 mAh is enough, and lasts us a whole day it may vary for different usage case scenarios. Turning off things like “double click home to enable camera” will save your device from enabling the camera in the pocket and overheating to a toasty 60+ degrees. Pro Tip : Keep this feature off.
If you can manage to keep the phone from turning on in your pocket all the time, it works great and will last a long time. If you are using the camera, the phone will get hot but has no real adverse affects on the performance or the battery life of the handset.
India, initially gets the single sim variant, which works across the spectrum for 4G LTE and 3G as well as 2G, so you have all networks covered. Signal strength is decent although indoors it appears to be weak. Honestly, we can’t tell if it’s a network issue or a device issue.
Audio quality in the phone call is mighty impressive, although the earpiece speaker gets a bit too bassy at times. You also have excellent noise cancellation built in and a extra volume more for those hard to hear conversations. “You What”?
Additional Features and Roundup
The new Galaxy Note 5 has all the Samsung tricks up its sleeve. Fast charging, Wireless Fast charging and an impressive and large battery too. You will also get Samsung Pay which is fantastic and works across the world with basically any existing magnetic stripe card reader.
The Note 4 came with an edge variant, and we are happy that Samsung didn’t pursue that dream on the Note 5. The Samsung Galaxy Note 5, is a beautiful looking, robust handset that can outperform almost everything in the category. Samsung has figured out the balance between beauty and brawn and made it work exceptionally well for the new Galaxy devices.
Putting the edge on the back of this massive device, gives a more reassuring hold to this otherwise slippery looking handset. The colors and materials give it the richness it needs and the hardware gives it the punch. Just do not put the S Pen in backwards and you are golden.
It gets top marks, but for a top price, making the Galaxy Note 5 from Samsung the best business Android Phone in the market, and the only in its class.
Mobile payment seems to be the next big thing getting users excited in the tech world. It refers to transactions, under specific financial regulations to ensure safety, using a mobile device. The latest company to be in news related to this tech development is Samsung, creating headlines with Samsung Pay.
The newest service of the company has been launched in its home country of South Korea less than a month ago, and the company claims it has already witnessed transactions amounting to $30 million. This amount is spread across 1.5 million transactions. They were made by people who were active throughout the course of last month, many using the service every day. The device mainly used for it was Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
Earlier, Google Wallet has been a noticeable name in the realm of mobile payment. Apple is yet to introduce the service and there is little official news available about its launch. It would be interesting to see Samsung Pay pitted against other tech giants and the way in which market responds to it outside Korea.
Blackberry revealed that the hardware revenue for 800,000 smartphones consisted of an average selling price of just $240. Apple will make more money than that in just one day. Needless to say, things seem beyond bleak for Blackberry.
In a fresh attempt to pull itself together, Blackberry earlier announced its plans to launch an Android phone, the first of its kind for the company. Previously codenamed as Venice, Blackberry Priv (short for ‘privacy’) was confirmed yesterday as the official name of the smartphone. Priv is expected to bring the best of both worlds by coupling the latest Android technology with exclusive Blackberry features.
The phone is expected to feature a 5.4-inch quad HD display. The camera is will possibly be a 18 MP, with a Snapdragon 808 processor, a 1.8GHz core and 3GB of RAM.
So far, we only had leaked images to go on with. But just yesterday, Blackberry CEO John Chen made an appearance along with Priv in a BNN Canada video. Now we know for a fact that the newest Blackberry smartphone will have a big display which is curved at the edges, reminiscent of Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and S6 edge+.
A little over five years ago, Blackberry had blown the world of instant messaging off its feet with its Blackberry Messenger. It’s time the company made a similar breakthrough again. It will be the launch of Blackberry Priv which would determine whether or not Blackberry is able to reaffirm its position in the tech world.
Apple is all set to create another record with the launch of the iPhone 6s that began on Friday. The sale of the latest device is estimated to fall between 11 to 13 million this weekend. Foursquare and Swarm are working together to find out the foot traffic at Apple retail stores across the world based on the information from their apps.
“Based off of early indicators, we predict that launch day traffic will be about 360 percent higher than preceding weeks. This likely means that iPhone sales will surpass previous records, in the 11 to 13 million range.” A report cited.
Sometimes it takes only one new feature to get Apple loyalists around the world excited about a launch. And the Force Touch feature in the latest iPhone devices is the clear winner. This feature, among others, is set to take the sales of the iPhone to an unprecedented new high. Other features also include iOS 9, hugely improved camera (both front and back), faster processors and better connectivity.
Other than a robot in Sydney, the general crowd lining up are pretty much all human. Meanwhile, Apple stores around the world are readying their shops for the potential crowd lining up outside. Here’s a video of store employees setting up iPhone displays in Japan on Thursday night.
If Apple does manage to sell between 11 to 13 million units this weekend, they would top last year’s iPhone 6 that managed 10 million units in its opening weekend. Furthermore, a 13 million sales weekend would represent a 30% increase in sales.
The pre-orders for the iPhone 6s has already seen a major increase since the last year, with the Rose Gold colour being the most popular choice, accounting for 30 to 40 percent of total units pre-ordered.
Source : [tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.computerworld.com/article/2986321/apple-ios/apple-s-iphone-6s-is-setting-new-sales-records.html”]Computer World [/tw-button]
With all the news of smartphones getting bigger, costlier, and more tech-savy, we tend to forget about the good old feature phones that remind us of a simpler time. Though companies like Samsung are working on the next flagship smartphones, they still make time out to focus on ultra low budget phones so that everyone’s happy.
Here’s a list of some popular feature phones under Rs. 4000 for those in the market looking for something cheap and good. We’ve steered clear of Chinese companies offering substandard products and brought you a list of the best:
Nokia 105
We start the list with a brand we know and (used) to love before it went extinct. The Microsoft-owned Nokia 105 was launched in 2013 and got an upgrade in 2015, with a little more internal storage, a rounder shape, and better audio. You also get 15 hours of talk-time, which is an improvement over its 2013 model that gave 12.5 hours. The phone is priced at Rs. 1495 on Snapdeal and Rs. 1249 on Amazon. It is available in Red and Cyan colours. The Nokia 105 is one of the best feature phones in this range and is a favorite amongst many.
Specs
1.45-inch LCD screen, 16-bit, 64k colors
Dimensions: 108.5 x 45.5 x 14.1mm
800mAh removable battery
Micro-USB charger
Dual SIM card
Karbonn K22 Plus
When it comes to low budget phones, both feature and smartphones, Karbonn leads the pack. The Karbonn K22 Plus is an ultra low budget feature phone that looks sleek and stylish, and packs in a lot for less. It comes with FM Radio, USB connectivity and up to 8 GB expandable memory slot. It features a 1.3-megapixel camera. With a 1050mAh lithium-ion battery, the phone provides only 5 hours of talk time on a full charge.
With a 2.4-inch scree, the phone provides great colours and and a clean display. It is available in Black, Grey and White and you can find it on Amazon (Rs. 1290), Snapdeal (Rs. 1099) and Flipkart (Rs. 1190).
Specs
2.4-inch TFT display
Dimensions: 15.5 x 8.1 x 4.8 cm
1050mAh lithium-ion battery
1.3 MP Camera
8GB Expandable Memory
Samsung Guru Music 2
The Samsung Guru Music 2 emphases music for a reason. The phone gives a loud and clear sound quality and comes with an FM and MP3 player. Other features also include dual-sim, 800mAh lithium-ion battery providing talk-time of 11 hours, and an expandable memory up to 16 GB. Go for this if you want a phone that can store all your favorite music and still gives you enough space for everything else.
The Samsung Music 2 is available in Amazon and Flipkart for Rs. 1698 and Rs. 1599, respectively.
Specs
2 inch TFT Display
FM radio
800mAH lithium-ion battery
Up to 16 GB expandability
Samsung Metro Duos 360
This phone falls in the 3k range and with that you get some neat features that include a 2.4-inch screen with 3.1-megapixel camera. The 312 MHz Single Core processor lets your phone run smoothly without lags. and a 1000mAH lithium-ion battery providing a talk-time of about 12 hours.
2.4-inch (6.12 centimeters) TFT display with 240 x 320 pixels resolution
1000 mAh battery
312 MHz Single Core processor
USB version 2.0 and Bluetooth version 3.0
Panasonic GD22
The Panasonic GD22 falls just below the 2k mark and perhaps the best feature about this phone is a 1800mAh lithium-ion battery that gives a talk-time of 15 hour. Other features are standard for a phone in this range. The 2.4-inch TFT display offers a comfortable viewing with a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels and a pixel density of 167 ppi,
The phone is available in Amazon and Snapdeal and is offered in Black, Grey, Red and White.
Specs
1.3MP primary camera
2.4-inch (6.0 centimeters) QVGA TFT display
Memory expandable up to 16GB
1800mAh lithium-ion battery
Nokia 225
Another great Nokia device under the 4k range is the Nokia 225. The handset boasts of great features that make it worth buying if you have a budget between Rs. 3000 – Rs. 4000. The phone’s main attraction is its sharp 2.8-inch LCD display that brightens everything up. It also comes with a powerful 1200 mAh battery that will give you a whopping 21 hours of talk-time which is the highest in this list.
Nokia 225 can be found on Amazon and Snapdeal for Rs. 3055 and is available in Black, White, Yellow, and Red.
Specs
2MP primary camera
2.8-inch QVGA LCD display with 320 x 240 pixels resolution
YU had very recently launched the Yunique on the 8th of September 2014. This was it’s first affordable LTE-capable smartphone. Just today, founder Rahul Sharma tweeted hinting that another smartphone may already be on its way.
Micromax spinoff YU Televentures was formed with the aim to bring exciting products through innovating and reinventing technology. Their motto #YUPlayGod suggested that we, the consumers were in charge of developing the kind of products we wanted. YU Yureka was the first smartphone from the Indian-bred smartphone manufacturing firm to gain recognition in the international market; it offered good specs at an affordable price. It was the first Indian-origin smartphone that could stand in the marketplace flooded with Chinese and Taiwanese electronics.
Today, Rahul Sharma tweeted:
After the minion monster #YUNIQUE can't wait to present the #Real Beast. Let the countdown begin
Well, the only thing we are able to decipher from this tweet is that the next smartphone could possibly be a flagship. As of now their latest smartphone Yunique is priced at Rs. 4,999 but since the upcoming smartphone is expected to be a flagship, the price could also possibly be higher than the Yu Yunique.
Currently, however, the Yureka Plus comes at Rs. 8,999 which is the most expensive smartphone in the Yu line. So, if they’re planning to stick to their own style of producing affordable mobiles with high specs then the upcoming handset also should not be priced too far from what they already have. Till then let’s keep our fingers crossed for a blockbuster.
The Xbox One turned one this month and Microsoft India is celebrating its anniversary by announcing three new exciting Xbox One console bundles launching on October 2nd, 2015.
Xbox One Forza Motorsport 6 Limited Edition Console
The Forza Motorsport Edition is the first ever racing-inspired console from Xbox with iconic sports car styling and custom automotive sound effects. The bundle includes a 1TB hard drive, matching wireless controller with rubberized diamond grips, and a digital copy of Forza Motorsport 6 plus the Tenth Anniversary Car Pack which features spectacular cars, all for Rs. 39,990.
Forza Motorsport 6 has been praised for its visual design and graphical details.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBbXxfZYTAA
Xbox One 1TB EA Sports FIFA 16 Bundle,
In this bundle, you’ll get a full-game download of FIFA 16, three FIFA Ultimate Team Loan Legends, and one year of EA access. FIFA 16 boasts of spectacular gameplay with terrific graphics and also includes for the first time an all women’s team. “The bundle provides an improved experience gameplay across the pitch in FIFA 16, with more ways than ever to create moments of magic.”
Xbox One Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Bundle
This bundle comes with a 500 GB console, a wireless controller, a full digital game download of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. The Xbox One Gears of War console is priced at Rs. 34,999. Some other features include a 60 FPS competitive multiplayer experience with 19 maps and six game modes. Players who purchase the Ultimate Edition can participate in the multiplayer beta of Gears of War 4, which is set to be released in 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwbYhvlrQbc
Apart from these bundles, Amazon India is offering a minimum of 50 percent discount on select Xbox One games such as Halo, Forza 5, Call of Duty: Ghosts, WWE 2K15 valid till the 30th of September. So make the most of this anniversary and shop away.
“Games and gamers are at the center of everything we do and we’re always looking to offer the best ways to play on Xbox. With the launch of these bundles, we have taken into account the feedback that we received from our fans in India and added more storage to their consoles. This year, we’re delivering the greatest games lineup in Xbox history and we’re committed to delivering gamers the experiences and value they can’t find on any other platform.” said Anshu Mor, Director Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft India.
The Netflix experience is about to get a whole lot better. Samsung announced the newest edition to Gear VR in collaboration with Oculus , along with a slew of new features and apps. The headset will have a redesigned trackpad, a new Xbox-style Gamepad with dual analogue design, and a new, lower price that’ll be available this November in the United States.
The Gear VR is also getting a major media boost with Netflix, Hulu and Twitch among the few new services that will be available for the headset. The Netflix app, for example, creates a virtual living room for the viewer to watch in. The virtual television in front of you will have the Netflix UI on the screen. You simply look to move the cursor and tap the touchpad on the side of the Gear VR to make your selection. Currently the app allows almost no choice for the user in terms of the environmental changes or the distance of the screen.
The Oculus -made Samsung Gear VR will work with the whole 2015 line of Samsung Smartphones including the Note 5, S6, S6 Edge, and S6 Edge+, and will be priced at $99, a $100 less than the previous Gear VR.
“Virtual reality that’s accessible to consumers is still very young and so it was all about developing the ecosystem,” said Jim Willson, director of immersive products and VR at Samsung. “We had to make sure there was enough content, both in terms of video content … and on the gaming side.”
Wilson hinted at a captive audience that an app like Netflix can provide with more number of hours being spent with these media apps. Apart from Netflix, Oculus also announced 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate, as well as Hulu, Twitch, TiVo and Vimeo for VR apps.
Samsung is looking to expand its consumer base and is looking to make the Gear VR not just a device for niche audience. It may take a while before people take to the virtual reality experience, but with PlayStation also working on its VR gaming technology, the future of media technology looks pretty clear. So, for those who want to experience the next season of Daredevil in virtual reality can get their hands on the Gear VR from November.
According to emerging reports, Samsung could announce the release of the Galaxy S7 as early as January 2016. The reason behind this unprecedented announcement is not known but presumably the company wants to jump ahead of its competition, especially Apple, that will allow customers to purchase the S7 right away.
Generally, Samsung has followed an April release for its flagship smartphones. The upcoming flagship is being developed either under the codename Project Lucky (it’s the number 7 after all) or Hero and Hero2. It will come in two models with one to feature Qualcomm’s new quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor and the other having the octa-core Exynos. While one is said to have a flat display, the other will sport a dual-edge curved display.
Further reports also suggest that Samsung might have found a way to make microSD card slots work in conjunction with UFS 2.0 storage but this is mere speculation at the moment.
Only time will tell whether or not these rumors are true but for now it looks like Samsung is working on a clock.
Xiaomi is moving onto bigger things. The Chinese company is now working on its first laptop, according to reports. Since the company’s inception in 2010, Xiaomi has grown rapidly to become the fourth biggest smartphone maker in the world. The company is looking to create the same magic in the laptop game. The notebook is being manufactured by Inventec.
Xiaomi has made an impact in the smartphone market by selling near-premium phones at budget prices. But whether the company will use the same formula for its first laptop is a different story. “I am not sure if the smartphone approach will be applicable to notebooks, but I expect Xiaomi’s entry into the notebook industry to bring something new to the market,” said Inventec chairman, Richard Lee.
The leaked pictures of this laptop uncannily resemble the Macbook Air.
Lee also stated that Xiaomi’s first laptops will start shipping in the first two quarters of 2016. “I am upbeat about the business outlook for Xiaomi’s notebook computers, as the firm has more than 200 million registered smartphone users,” Lee said.
The company recently launched the China-only Mi 4c smartphone and introduced the Mi Mobile service in China with which the company is looking to compete against other Chinese-based carriers.
Though the news of Xiaomi’s new notebook was made official on Wednesday, rumors of it have been circulating much before. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that Xiaomi’s first laptop is likely to be in the range of Apple’s Macbook Air, thereby stating who the Chinese company is planning to compete with. We will have to wait till next year to confirm the authenticity of those images.
Yesterday, LG released its first teaser for a new smartphone. The first thing we notice about this phone is its unusual screen. Basically it has added an additional smaller screen on top of the regular one.
Take a look at the teaser:
This feature had however, been leaked earlier in September, but this teaser confirms its existence. The leak showed the additional ticker next to the front dual cameras, and above the regular screen. This feature however, give the phone an asymmetrical look when turned off.
Nothing more has been revealed in the teaser about the new LG smartphone’s specs. However, @evleaks had previously leaked that the handset could possible arrive with a 5.7 inch QHD screen, powered by the Snapdragon 808, with an internal storage of 64GB with a micro SD card and a 3GB of RAM. It’s primary camera is expected to be a 16MP one along with a 5MP front camera.
This unnamed LG device is scheduled to be unveiled on the 1st of October, 2015.
According to latest leaks, Google’s most recent Nexus smartphones – Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 – will get an Android 6.0 Marshmallow upgrade on the 5th of October. Which means those of you who own either of the devices will be updated to the new software on that date. The information was spotted by MobileSyrup in a release schedule posted by Canadian wireless carrier, Telus.
This may also suggest that Android 6.0 Marshmallow will soon be available for other Android devices as well, however, the latest Nexus smartphones will be the first to get the upgrade since they run pure Android and don’t have any carrier bloatware that needs updating along with the basic software.
Android 6.0 promises improved performances and new features such as ‘Now on Tap’ that provides more information by pressing and holding the Home button on whichever screen you’re on, native fingerprint support, and individual app permissions, to name a few.
We know that Google is planning to launch two new Nexus devices on September 29 – the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P – and will also run on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow in addition to the last two Nexus phones. Nothing is known yet as to when the latest Android software will start rolling out for other Android devices.
