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China’s Apple is all set to launch its latest flagship, Xiaomi Mi 5 to eager audiences this week on the 24th at a media event during the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2016. This is the first time that the Chinese smartphone company will be rubbing shoulders with the big boys at MWC, so as such Wednesday’s launch event holds great importance for the company.
In the run-up to the launch, the company has already posted multiple teasers to wet the appetite of fans around the globe calling the upcoming handset ” all you ever imagined, and more.” The company has been nice enough to reveal the phone’s SoC, but other than there has been a lot that has leaked onto forums on the Internet. Today, we bring to you an assortment of the most credible of those leaks and rumours.
Design
This flagship killer from Xiaomi is to come with impressive design scheme. The phone will see a metallic frame with glass panels at the front and back of the phone. It will be available in colors like gold, pink, silver and black.
On the design front, the MI 5 seems to show thin bezels. It looks like the phone will not have a 2.5D curved glass. The screen to body ratio looks great and you also see a thinner home button at the bottom. A fingerprint scanner which will be able to receive 3D commands on the front right under the hardware home button is also expected.
Processor
The Xiaomi Mi 5 will be powered by the highly anticipated Snapdragon 820 SoC. This chipset is the next big thing by Qualcomm, and it will be seen in many of the major flagship devices set to come out this yeat, Xiaomi will be one of the first devices to join the party.
The 820 SoC with X12 LTE supports the ultimate in connectivity, graphics, photography, power and battery efficiency. The SoC comes with the Adreno 530 GPU which offers 40% improvement to graphics performance, compute capabilities, and power usage when compared to last year’s Adreno 430, and at the same time this SoC will be almost 50% more energy efficient than last year’s chip. Big gains indeed.
Camera
Xiaomi’s co-founder and President, Lin Bin, along with other from the top brass of the company such as Hugo Barra have been sharing camera samples of the Mi 5 handset for some time now, hinting at how great the camera on their new phone is.
Latest reports reveal the phone to come with a beefy 26-megapixel camera with f/1.6 lens. The is front camera is expected to be an 8-megapixel shooter. The main camera is also expected to come with tech like laser autofocus and Optical Image Stabilization.
Display
There has been conflicting news about the display on the phone. Earlier reports indicated a 5.7 inch Full HD display on the phone while others pegged the phone to come with a 5.2-inch QHD display with 2.5D curved glass on the front.
But, latest reports deem these to be fanciful tales from the land of rumours, and claim that the phone will indeed come with a 5.2 inch Full HD display only. The company is also expected to give a miss to the 2.5D curved glass.
One thing that is surprisingly being tipped to make the cut is the phone using a pressure sensitive display panel, much like Apple’s Force Touch or 3D Touch display that’s used on the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus.
Other Specs
The Xiaomi Mi 5 will feature 3 GB of RAM on 32 GB storage model and 4 GB of RAM on 64 GB storage edition. It will also come with support for microSD card slot. The Xiaomi Mi 5 is expected to feature 802.11ad an industry-first Wi-Fi connection standard. A battery of 3600 mAh will be present inside the Xiaomi Mi 5. The device should also be compatible with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0.
While the world is busy thinking about the One M10, HTC’s upcoming flagship smartphone that is scheduled for an April launch, a new HTC device has just been leaked by popular tipster @evleaks. The device is called A16 and is likely to be one of the mid-range smartphones from the company and could be HTC’s MWC product.
The image posted on Twitter shows the device in six great colour options. The different options combine two to three colours for a very funky looking phone. Apart from that, you get a nice look at the front and back of the device and there’s plenty to see here. What’s more, looking at the A16, there is plenty that isn’t seen in the One M10. The A16 shows a very HTC Desire-like design.
The front shows off some large bezels and the HTC logo on the front. The top and bottom house the BoomSound speakers and the grills look a tad different which isn’t such a bad thing. The right side has the volume rocker and power button. Over on the back, one notices something interesting on the bottom. There are two holes which may just be a third speaker or strap holes though it’s hard to tell at the moment. Meanwhile, the camera is placed at the top left corner with the LED flash just below it.
Now, from what the images reveal, the A16 does look pretty funky and looks to aim a younger demographic with its look. The design of the A16 on first glimpse looks a lot more appealing than what the alleged One M10 renders and live images have revealed. We’re not sure when the A16 will come out yet and we have no detail on its specs. The A16 could be unveiled at the MWC seeing as how the One M10 has been pushed to April.
Earlier this month, Samsung unveiled the new Galaxy A5 and A7 devices at the Samsung Forum. The mid-range devices come with updated specifications and features including OIS and a fingerprint sensor. The 5.2-inch A5 is priced at Rs 29,400 while the 5.5-inch A7 come with a price tag of Rs 33, 400.
The updated A-series take the S6 glass and metal design language forward this year and introduces them in the Galaxy A7 and A5. The A7 sports a 5.5-inch AMOLED FHD screen with 1920 x 1080p resolution and a 1.6 GHz octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage and 3,300mAh Fast Charging battery.
Galaxy A7 (2016)
On the camera front, the A7 features a 13MP primary camera with f/1.9 aperture and OIS. The front camera also features a f/1.9 aperture.
The A5 upgrades to 5.2-inch AMOLED FHD screen with 1080p resolution. 2GB RAM and 16GB storage, octa-core processor and bumps the battery to 2,900mAh as well. A5 packs a 13MP primary camera with OIS and a 5MP front camera.
Galaxy A5 (2016)
The highlight of the devices is its new design language that borrows the glass and metal combination seen in last year’s Galaxy S6 flagship. The devices look and feel premium and great in the hand. Both the devices also come with fast charging capabilities, and you’ll get around 3-4 hours in 15 minutes if charge.
The UI of the devices is quick and snappy with little bloatware. All stock Samsung features are available including Flipboard and there’s isn’t anything new to be found here. The only downside here is the pricing of the devices which is now close to the Galaxy S6 flagship, especially the A7. This may lose a lot of potential buyers as those willing to shell out the amount would rather go with the S6 rather than the A7 given a faster processor, fantastic camera and other flagship specs in the former.
Specification
Galaxy A7
Galaxy A5
Display
5.5? FHD Super AMOLED
5.2? FHD Super AMOLED
Processor
1.6GHz Octa-Core Processor
1.6GHz Octa-Core Processor
RAM
3GB
2GB
Front Camera
5.0MP(f1.9)
5.0MP(f1.9)
Rear Camera
13MP(f1.9) AF with LED Flash
13MP (f1.9) AF with LED Flash
Storage
16GB
16GB
Expandability
128GB
128GB
Battery
3,300 mAh, Fast Charging
2,900 mAh, Fast charging
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth® v 4.1, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC (UICC, eSE)
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth® v 4.1, ANT+, USB 2.0, NFC (UICC, eSE)
Ahead of the Xiaomi Mi 5 launch on 24th February, leaks about the phone coming in thick and fast. The latest leaked images reveal the phone in all its glory with a 5.2-inch 1080p display, and a fingerprint sensor.
A screenshot has also leaked which shows the phone’s information and takes the lid off on this badly kept secret’s internal hardware specification.
The screenshot reveals most of what was already known. The screenshot shows the phone to come with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 clocked at 2.1 Ghz paired with 3GB of RAM for smooth performance. Internal memory is revealed to be 64GB storage (of which 52GB is available), and it shows the phone to come running Android 6.0 with MIUI 7.6.2.1.
The specifications look impressive, so does the phone’s aesthetics in the leaked image, what’s left now is to see just how well the phone does in the comparison to the other flagships in the market.
As the Android operating system has grown, Samsung has not just grown with it, but completely dominated it. From the platform’s early days it has complemented the software with aggressive hardware and pleasing aesthetics. The South Korean manufacturer has sold more mobile phones than any other Android device manufacturer, and this success has been entirely built on Samsung’s Galaxy brand which to date has churned out over 100 separate devices.
Samsung’s Galaxy S range of flagship smartphones has been one of the major reasons behind Samsung achieving such success at the market. In all honesty, the Galaxy S series devices have done as much to help the Android operating system grow, as the platform has done to help it grow. Today we take a trip down memory lane, and take a look at the Galaxy S series flagships from the year’s gone by.
Samsung Galaxy S
The original Samsung Galaxy S was released in June 2010 and by the time it was taken off shelves, the handset sold over 24 million units worldwide. This Android device was pitted against the iPhone as a high-end, premium smartphone alternative. The Galaxy S set the tone for the rest of the Galaxy series and as such sealed its legacy forever.
The phone came with 1 GHz processor, a 4.0-inch AMOLED screen and had a 5MP rear facing camera without a flash, and a front facing VGA camera. The Galaxy S came with impressive specs for the time and was generally accepted to be one of the better devices to come with Android on-board but the sales still were a little disappointing. The device was originally launched running Android 2.1 Eclair, and was later updated to 2.2 FroYo, and finally then finally updated to 2.3 Gingerbread before being ignored by Samsung for further updates.
Samsung Galaxy S II
The Summer of 2011 saw what probably was the game changer for Samsung. The South Korean company which had been making phones long before its competitors, HTC and Apple had even stepped into the industry was finally going to have its moment of glory.
The Galaxy S2 turned out to be the device which secured Samsung’s place at the top of the Android tree. The S2 launched in more than 120 countries in the summer of 2011, and was met with great reception with over 50 million S II being sold by Samsung Worldwide.
The phone was big on internals, and featured a dual-core Cortex A9 processor paired with 1 GB of RAM and a newer generation, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display. The display was also covered with the first generation Corning Gorilla Glass coating.
There was an 8MP rear camera and this time it came with a flash. The front camera was also bumped to a 2MP camera. The design pattern evolved from the first S series handset and saw the impressive hardware being nicely tucked into a squared design that was very thin. Importantly, the phone’s design incorporated space for a Removable Li-Ion 1650 mAh battery which was one of the biggest draws for the phone.
Galaxy S III
If S II was good, then S III was going to be even better for the South Korean tech giant. Riding on the back of the S II, Samsung came into 2012 firmly as the market leader. The S series phones by now had evolved from being just high-end Android offerings, to being positioned as the “Anti-iPhone” smartphones.
S III was at that time Samsung’s best-selling smartphone to date. It’s helped the South Korea-based company dethrone Apple’s global market share, and it made the Galaxy S series name synonymous with Android.
S III saw a design change for the Samsung Galaxy S series. The S3 perfected on the chinks of the phone before and came to the market as a beautiful offering curved design and brilliant specs.
The smartphone was powered by a quad-core 1.4GHz Cortex-A9 CPU, while the Mali-400MP GPU also showed up alongside 1GB of RAM. The phone retained the 8MP rear camera but produced better pictures owing to ertain software improvents. The display on the phone was a 720p HD resolution SuperAMOLED screen. S III came with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich which paired with the internals produced great results.
Samsung also started to significantly improve things at the software end starting with the S III. It included many additional features such as Smart Stay, which wallowed the screen to stay on when the user was looking at it. The S III also introduced the Nature UX, whichbrought in new notification whistle and watery sounds when unlocking the device. All of these addtions very popular with its growing customer base.
Galaxy S IV
Samsung introduced in 2013 the Galaxy S IV. Samsung sold over 40 million of these in just the first 6 months, and by the end of the year ended up with 65% market share of all Android devices but according to reports from that time, the company apparently was’nt too happy with its showing. Nonetheless, the phone again managed to cement its supremacy in the market.
The handset was built around a 5.0-inch, 1080p SuperAMOLED screen. Samsung fitted it with a higher clocked a 32-bit, quad-core version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor clocked at 1.9 GHz. The phone used 2 GB of RAM for smooth performance. It came with a minimum of 16 GB of internal storage and a beefy 13MP rear camera. The S4 also came with a heart rate sensor which was a first for the market.
Galaxy S5
Galaxy S5 used as illustration
2014 saw Samsung bring to its fan base the S5. The galaxy S5 was not a huge departure from the S4. Key differences lay in an upgraded processor, camera and nifty features like water/dust resistant body. The phonesaw great sales at the market, and was widely appreciated for its design which saw a polycarbonate rear panel that provided access to a removable battery.
The S5 came rocking two Quad Core processors, one clocked at 1.9 GHz and the other at 1.3 GHz. Samsung claims that unlike its predecessor, the Galaxy S5 had both the quad cores running simultaneously thereby giving you the experience of a true octa processor. The phone used the 1.3 GHz Quad core to handle the lighter applications, whereas the more power intensive apps (HD games, HD video playback) were taken care of by the 1.9 GHz Quad Core processor. 2 GB RAM is what supports the processors in the Galaxy S5.
Galaxy S6
The last iteration of the Galaxy S series phones came in multiple variants in 2015. The S6 was avaialble in three variants, the standard S6, the more fancy looking S6 edge, and the S6 edge+.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 featured many radical changes. The company moved a more premium metal and glass build. The use of these new build materials not only makes for a device that is still one of the best looking in the market, and frankly was a far better designed smartphone than the previous years had seen. It did though result in the doing away with the microSD card slot and removable battery.
Talking about the two most well recieved variants of the S6, both carried almost identical specs, and only diffrered slightly when it came to the processor and battery power. Both of them sport a 5.1-inch QuadHD Super AMOLED (577ppi) and feature 3GB LPDDR4. The former handset is powered by 2.1GHz Exynos octa-core, while the latter embeds a bit powerful 2.5 GHz Exynos octa-core processor. Running on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with 16MP rear and 5MP front snapper, the standard Galaxy S6 gets its juice from the 2550mAh battery. On the other hand, its curvy counterpart boasts a slightly robust 2600mAh battery.
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The rumours and leaks are coming in hot and fast for LG, Samsung and Xiaomi. These three are the big names that are set to unveil their flagship devices in a couple of days from now at the MWC 2016 in Barcelona. A lot of rumours and leaked images have been surfacing about the Galaxy S7 and the Lg G5 flagships. Today, some new leaked images of the Xiaomi Mi 5 flagship have emerged that reveal design details and some specifications.
The image of the alleged Mi 5 shows it running Xiaomi’s MIUI build 7.6.2.1. interface on top of Android 6 Marshmallow, and the processor is clocked at 2.1 GHz. It also shows that the device feautures 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage confirming earlier rumours.
Apart from this, the Mi 5 is expected to boast of a 5.2-inch Quad HD display and will be powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset like many other flagships will be this year. It also suggested the phone will have a 6-element 16MP camera on the back with f/2.2 aperture and 4K video recording.
On the design front, the MI 5 seems to show thinner bezels as opposed to recent renders. It also looks like the phone will not have a 2.5D curved glass. The screen to body ration looks great and you also see a thinner home button at the bottom.
In just a couple of days we’ll know exactly how the Mi 5 as well as the Galaxy S7 and the G5 look and how close the rumours were in terms of specifications. Follow this space for everything on the MWC 2016.
According to latest reports, the iPhone 5se will come equipped with an A9 processor, and the iPad Air 3 will be equipped with the A9X chip. These are the same chips found currently on the iPhone 6s, the iPad Pro.
Early iPhone 5se rumours pointed towards information on the processor regarding the processor. Multiple reports suggested it to come with the A9 while others pointing towards the previous-generation A8. But latest reports from reliable sources confirms what already was expected.
Latest reports also corroborates earlier reports about Apple planning to introduce the iPhone 5se and iPad Air 3 during an event in March. Previous rumors all point to this event taking place on Tuesday, March 15.
The still to be announced iPhone 5se is Apple’s 4-inch iPhone, which will be sold alongside its larger-screened flagship devices. iPhone 5se rumors suggest it will look like a cross between an iPhone 5s and an iPhone 6s, and will use the iPhone 5s body with the curved display glass of the newer device.
The iPad Air 3, will feature several design similarities with the iPad Pro. It is expected to include four speakers, two at the top and two at the bottom, along with a possible Smart Connector for accessories and a rear LED flash, the first to be implemented in an iPad.
As we get closer and closer to the Unpacked event on 21st February at MWC where Samsung is all set to launch its Galaxy S7 devices, updates about it just keep pouring in. And now, according to the latest announcement from Samsung, this launch event can be watched all over the world via a 360-degree live stream on PCs, Android and iOS devices, as well as on Samsung’s own Gear VR head set.
Watching the event on an iOS or Android device requires the download of Samsung’s official Unpacked 360 View app. For Gear VR users, the Unpacked 360 View app can be downloaded through the Oculus store.
Watching the event in the 360-mode would allow users to choose from four different positions. These include centre stage, stage left, stage right or the auditorium. The event can also be watched on the official website where once again viewers would be allowed to choose from four different camera positions.
So far there have been lots of ‘leaked’ images and renders of the devices, along with specifications. With only three days to go for the official launch, watch this space for more updates.
Back in September, we brought you news that Nextbit Robin – the first smartphone to offer cloud storage, which was started as a Kickstarter campaign, had begun pre-orders in India along with a bunch of other regions. The price of the phone is Rs. 26,000 ($399), which excludes shipping charges of Rs. 4,600 ($70). After initially selling the Robin to the first 1000 people who backed the project on February 16, the device is now availble for purchase and is listed on the company’s website.
Nextbit Robin Midnight
Nextbit Robin comes equipped with features sure to woo customers, the highlight of which is the cloud-based storage option. The phone promises no more storage woes by automatically backing up your data to the cloud, and therefore emptying the phone’s inherent storage.
The specifications of Nexbit Robin include a 5.2 inch HD screen along with 1080×1920 p resolution. The plastic body of the phone has Qualcomm hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor on the inside. 3 GB RAM and 32 GB of in-built non-expandable storage are some of its other specs. The phone also boasts of a fingerprint sensor.
In terms of the two cameras, the phone packs a 13 MP for the main camera and a 5 MP for the front camera. The battery is marked at a 2,689 mAh, and it has a USB Type-C port. The operating system is Android 6.0 Marshmallow. There are two colour variants for the handset: Mint and Midnight.
It’s hardly been a week that the rumours of HP readying a new weapon to take on the smartphone market reached the Internet, and now latest leaks are here to reveal the might of the smartphone, HP Elite x3 in all its glory.
HP is expected to announce the Elite x3 at MWC next week, and as such, it’s not too big of a surprise images and specs of the device have leaked today. The Elite x3 which will be a Windows phone will pit itself against the Microsoft’s Lumia 950 XL in the Windows 10 mobile ecosystem, as it packs some very high-end innards.
The phone will come with a 5.96-inch QHD touchscreen, a 16-megapixel camera at the back, an 8-megapixel camera at the front for clicking selfies. It will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. It will also come with support for USB Type-C and will also support USB 3.0, Qi wireless charging.
The Elite x3 will also house a fingerprint scanner, a fancy iris sensor, a special docking connection, IP67 certification for water and dust resistance, as well as MIL-STD-810G rating for withstanding drops from 1 meter or less. It will also support Microsoft’s Continuum feature. Pretty impressive we say.
A couple of weeks ago, popular leaskster Evan Blass leaked a live image, albiet poorly lit live image, of an alleged HTC One M10 in black. Today, Blass posted another image of the device in its white option. The image is a lot clearer and shows off the front really well, although we still do not know what the sides or the back look like apart from some renders.
Right off the bat then, the live image of the HTC One M10 is similar to the previous one and supports rumours that the device is based on the HTC One A9. It’s safe to say that HTC has created an uninspiring new flagship, at least on the design front. The One M10 clearly ditches the BoomSound dual front speakers for a cleaner, bezel-less look, and you also see a physical home button there.
However, it is necessary for HTC to come out with an absolutely special phone if it wants to make a dent in the market, seeing how the One M9 and the One A9 did not fare well. What was expected from the company is an absolutely original design, something unique more along the lines of the One M7. We’re not sure if HTC has played it safe, going with an A9-like design and standard 2016 specifications. We’ll have to wait until April for the company’s standalone event to see just how the One M10 (otherwise called Perfume) will turn out.
The rumoured specs of the One M10 suggest a 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED touchscreen, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset powering the device with 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a microSD card slot. On the camera front lies a 12 MP UltraPixel rear camera with laser autofocus and optical image stabilization. The device will likely run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with HTC Sense 8 atop.
LG stated a while ago that its upcoming G5 flagship smartphone will come with market distruptive features. For LG to stay true to that promise, it looks like it won’t just rely on the G5 alone but on what the G5 can do with a little help from its friends. The LG G5 is said to launch with a mini-ecosystem of hardware add-ons and accessories collectively known as “G5 and Friends.” Reports claim that these could be a VR camera, a smartphone-controlled robot and, at least, two modular add-ons – for photography and audio – that will fit into the previously rumoured modular design of the G5 that has a removable bottom.
According to popular leakster Evan Blass, one of LG G5’s photography add-ons will include an 1100mAh battery and physical buttons for various camera functions — zoom, flash, shutter release, etc. A recent image of the module shows a large bump on the bottom back of the G5. It could also be that the modules will fit inside the G5 to its modular nature, if rumours are true. LG also recently revealed that the G5 will have an ‘Always On’ mode.
The audio add-on is being made in partnership with Bang & Olufsen, and adds a DAC (digital to analog converter) to the G5 to improve its sounds quality. Blass claims that the audio module is called LG Hi-Fi Plus, while the camera add-on is called LG Cam Plus. Additionally, it is also reported that LG will be launching a spherical camera for capturing 360-degree video and stills, called the LG 360 VR. There’s also a smartphone-controlled robot named the Rolling Bot (along the same lines as Sphero’s BB-8 toy).
We’re just a few days away from the MWC 2016 in Barcelona, where LG wlll unveil the G5. The tag line LG is going for is “Play Begins”, which is what LG plans on giving with the G5, a lot to play with.
As big name brands set themselves to launch their latest and greatest phones at the Mobile World Congress 2016, a brand which makes relatively niche products, Cat, will look to steal the limelight with an offering that might not give any of the flagships a run for their money in terms of specs, but lacks behind none in terms of innovation.
Cat’s new S60 is the latest in the line of rugged smartphones from the United Kingdom based brand, and it comes with two very unique features. Cat has added a FLIR thermal imaging camera and the first waterproof rating to a depth of 5 meters for up to an hour on this rugged phone.
The Cat S60 features a military-grade thermal imaging C2 camera module from FLIR. This is the same technology used in the Intel-powered Daqri smart helmet, enabling the Cat S60 to show temperature changes.
The sensor is the smallest of its kind, and can measure surface temperatures from a distance of up to 100ft. It can see through obscurants such as smoke, and is aimed at building professionals, utility workers, and outdoor sport enthusiasts.
The Cat S60 comes with added protection for its display too which even after being covered by a 1mm ( normal phones get 0.4mm) thick sheet of Gorilla Glass 4 works pretty well, and has a brightness rating of 540nits.
Other specs of the phone include a 4.7-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 617 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage. The phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and offers 4G LTE connectivity. It also comes with a 13MP main camera, 5MP front camera. A massive 3,800mAh battery powers the device.
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.
