Last night Google threw the curtain off its new smartphones – the LG Nexus 5X ad the Huawei Nexus 6P.
Although we had all the information, thanks to previous leaks, the company officially confirmed that the Nexus 6P features a 5.7-inch QHD touchscreen, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 chipset, with 3 GB RAM, and a USB Type-C port. The camera sports a 12.3MP sensor at the rear and a rather impressive 8MP on the front.
The Nexus 5X on the other hand, comes with a 5.2-inch FHD display, USB Type-C and is available in three colours – Carbon Black, Sports White and Ice Blue. Pre-orders for the smartphones began last night in US, UK, Ireland, Canada, and Japan.
We now have information that the smartphone will go up for preorder in India in the 3rd week of October.
The 16GB Variant of the LG Nexus 5X will be priced at Rs. 31,900, and the 32GB variant will be priced at Rs. 35,900. Meanwhile the Huawei Nexus 6P (32GB) will cost Rs. 39,999, the 64GB variant will cost Rs. 42,999 and the 128GB will cost Rs. 47,999.
We also have information that the company will be bringing in a range of covers to India, along with the handsets, priced at Rs. 2,800.
We did an article earlier giving detailed specs of the new Google smartphones. Check it out here. Stay tuned; we’ll be bring you the hands on review of the two devices, shortly.
Google has announced a bunch of new devices at it’s event tonight, from the Nexus 6P to the Android Marshmallow. Among these, they have also announced a new Chromecast and another Chromecast Audio along with a Chromecast App.
So let’s have a look at all of them one by one.
The Chromecast: has been one of Google’s most successful ventures and it has decided to bring in a second option, an upgrade. The new Chromecast comes in a circular shape instead of a dongle shape. It also comes with an HDMI cable and various colours such as – lemonade, coral and black.
The new device comes with a new adaptive antenna system which allows it to stream higher resolution videos and can also support up to 5GHz Wi-Fi now. As mentioned earlier, there were speculations that it might come with a ‘fast play’ feature – well it does. This feature gives it the ability to establish a connection with the TV set much faster than the original version.
Google has also announced that you will now be able to use Spotify on your TV and Google Photos too. The Chromecast will go on sale starting today in 17 countries on Google Store, Best Buy or Wal-Mart. Obviously, you’ll get the best deal on Google Store.
The Chromecast Audio : is an extension that Google has created, for a higher audio experience. It looks almost like the new Chromecast except with a 3.5mm audio port instead of an HDMI. This audio port will conveniently plug directly into the back of your speaker, allowing you to stream audio over Wi-Fi from all your existing apps.
The Chromecast Audio will also support and cast music from Spotify, Play Music or Pandora and is expected to come with a multi-room audio streaming soon.
The Chromecast App: This app is pronounced as being “completely redesigned”. How? Well firstly, it shows you the popular activities on their ‘partner’ apps like – Twitch, ESPN, YouTube, Hulu, Netflix. Then, it also shows you content from apps you have installed on your smartphone. The company also announced that most of the apps would be cast-enabled, along with this, they’ve also added some playback controls on the app which should make accessing it much easier. You can also use voice search to access things within the Chromecast app and is universal across all services. The ‘Fast Play’ feature will allow you to pre-fetch video streams on the Chromecast app.
As if this wasn’t enough, the new app can also guess what you might want to watch as soon as you open an app, and will start caching the stream in the background. How cool is that? Oh, and did we mention that the app also supports Netflix (for those of you who have access to it). However, they have mentioned that some of the content prediction features will roll out next year. The new app will be rolling out on the Android and iOS devices soon.
HTC unveiled the Butterfly 3 and the HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera (Aurora Edition) smartphones on Tuesday. While the HTC Butterfly 3 is essentially the same as the J Butterfly that was launched in May, the HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera is almost identical to the One M9+ but with an upgraded rear camera.
The HTC Butterfly 3 comes with a 5.2-inch QHD LCD display, Snapdragon 810 chipset, and 3GB of RAM. It runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop and come with a 32 GB built in storage which can be expandable via microSD card up to 2 TB, theoretically speaking of course.
The Butterfly 3 also sports a massive 20.2 megapixel rear camera with dual-LED. The front is a 13-megapixel camera which has a fast f/2.0 aperture and can shoot 1080p videos.
HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera
The HTC One M9+ Supreme Camera edition now has a new laser autofocus system and better rear camera at 21-megapixels and an f/2.2 aperture. The rest of the specs are similar to the M9+ with 5.2-inch Quad-HD (1440×2560 pixels) display and powered by 2.2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor with 3 GB of RAM. It is available in 32 GB inbuilt storage with up to 128 GB expandability via microSD card.
Here’s a detailed look at the specs for both the Butterfly 3 and the One M9+ Supreme Camera. Global availability and price details are yet to be disclosed.
The Huawei Nexus 6P is finally out in the open and everything we have learnt so far from the leaks have been confirmed. The Nexus 6P phablet is in the high-end range priced at $499 (Rs. 33,000 approximately) for the 32 GB model. Another report that suggested that the 6P will be available in 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage options has also been confirmed.
The design of the Nexus 6P is what you have come to expect after seeing the leaked images. The phone indeed has a black bar on the rear that houses the camera. This does give the smartphone an odd look and we’re not sure how many will take to that. The phablets sports a new design with a rectangular frame with curved edges and a full metal body, with dual front-facing speakers for crisp, clear sound and a finger print scanner on the back. The phone will come in four colour variants of silver, black, white and gold.
The Nexus 6P features a 5.7-inch QHD touchscreen, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 chipset, with 3 GB RAM, and a USB Type-C port. The camera sports a 12.3MP sensor at the rear and a rather impressive 8MP on the front. Pre-orders will be available starting Tuesday in US, UK, Ireland, Canada, and Japan. We do not yet know when the device will come to India.
The main highlights of the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P is the Nexus Imprint, the fingerprint sensor which boasts of fast, fluid fingerprint accessibility, and the rear camera which features a 1.55 micron pixels which is greater than the iPhone 6s Plus.
Here’s a detailed look at the official specs of the Huawei Nexus 6P (GPU yet to be announced). Tell us what you think about Google’s latest offering in the comments below.
Specs
Nexus 6P
Display
5.7-inch QHD Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Resolution
2560 x 1440 pixels, 518 ppi
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core 810 v2.1
GPU
Adreno 430
RAM
3 GB
Storage
32 GB/ 64 GB/ 128 GB
Rear Camera
12.3 MP, laser autofocus, dual-LED flash
Front Camera
8 MP, 720p@30fps
Expandability
N/A
Battery
3450mAh battery
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac; Wi-Fi MIMO support; Bluetooth 4.0 LE; GSM bands 850/1900; 3G bands; GPS with AGPS; NFC, USB Type-C
What had initially begun as an Ultra Clean Holdings (UCH) office in Singapore in late 2008 materialised into the first 3D printing factory of South East Asia on Monday. This office also has a second function of operating as the Asia Pacific head-quarters of the company.
The printing factory had been made semi-functional by November of last year. Now it is fully prepared for commercial, and consumer and business related 3D printing. Printing would be possible in 17 different kinds of materials including precious and semi-precious ones like gold, ceramic and brass.
UCT decided to work on its 3D printing technology in Singapore in order to meet with the demands of its growing business with manufacturers in Asia. Other than printing, services like assembly, machining and welding are also provided by the company. With headquarters in California, UCT has five offices in the US, two in Shanghai and one in the Philippines.
Blackberry CEO, John Chen, had an awkward time showcasing the new Blackberry Priv in an interview. The Priv is an Android-powered slider smartphone that combines the best of Google’s mobile OS with Blackberry’s security and productivity.
At a hands-on interview with the Priv, John Chen found himself fumbling through the device. Presumably, the CEO was not prepared for an impromptu demo such as this. Throughout the demo Chen repeatedly stated that the Priv “runs on Google,” and found it quite a task to open Chrome tipping that the handset is a demo unit.
Now, we understand that the Android operating system is a new area for the company, and it is also understandable that hands-on demos do tend to make you stumble a little (remember Satya Nadella’s faux with Cortana). Chen’s failure to name Google’s operating system is perhaps symbolic of the company’s current difficulties.
We had mentioned in an earlier post that the Blackberry Priv is expected to feature a 5.4-inch QHD (1440×2560 pixels) display, a 1.8GHz hexa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 808 SoC, 3GB of RAM, and an 18-megapixel rear camera.
While the company is confident of the success of Priv once it is out in the open, it is still hard to tell whether consumers are ready for a hybrid smartphone such as this. The phone is expected to hit the stores later this year.
If you’ve been looking for a GoPro camera that doesn’t pinch your pocket and yet has some important features such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, then the company has just the thing for you. GoPro has announced an entry-level action camera, the GoPro Hero+ that comes with (you guessed it) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and will be priced at $199.99 (Rs. 13,200 approx). The camera is placed between the base GoPro Hero ($129.99) and the more expensive Hero+ LCD ($299.99).
Earlier, you would have had to pay a lot more if you wanted a GoPro camera that allowed you to transfer videos to your phone. However, with the GoPro Hero+ expected to release worldwide on October 4th, you won’t have to pay that extra $100. The Hero+ Wi-Fi has the best of both worlds. On the outside it pretty much looks exactly like the Hero, while the internal camera equipment borrows from the Hero+ LCD. The Hero+ will allow you to record 1080p videos at 60 fps (up from the Hero’s 30 fps) minus the LCD touchscreen. It also sees a bump in still shooting from 5 to 8 megapixels.
The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity allows you to frame shots, change camera settings, and share the videos you capture, all from your smartphone. The company is also looking to cut the price of the Hero 4 Session action camera from $399 to $299. Before this, the Hero 4 Session had trouble finding takers since it lacked a display which could be found in the Hero 4 Silver for the same price. The price cut is likely to change that.
Click here to watch some amazing videos shot on GoPro.
As part of the Digital India campaign, Google is all set to bring high-speed wi-fi to 100 of India’s most crowded railway stations by the end of 2016. A country which has about 13 million people spread across 7000 stations would definitely do well with better internet connections serving about 10 million people every day.
Woes of bad internet while travelling is something all Indians are familiar with. This move to high-speed internet even on railway stations would be a big relief if materialised. These plans would be executed by Indian Railways and RailTel working together in collaboration. The announcement was made yesterday at Google’s Mountain View campus in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Google promises to ensure a speed decent enough to stream HD videos. Additionally, the company plans to extend its services to 400 stations over time. Who knows if the reality of high speed internet for the entire country is just around the corner?
We all love to see a good old fashioned cat fight between Apple and Samsung. The mud-slinging between the two smartphone giants has been going on for a while now, and recent news has seen Samsung doing most of the slinging. Samsung recently trolled the Apple launch by having Galaxy S6 Edge+ show up in the Google Search engine top advertisements when people were searching for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Samsung also took to Twitter, posting images that clearly mocked the event while the event was taking place.
In a latest attempt by Samsung to get customers to shift from the iPhone to its Galaxy phones, the company is offering to pay the monthly installments for your Galaxy phone for the rest of 2015. This offer, however, is restricted only to the US. The discount applies if you buy a Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy Note 5, or Galaxy S6 Edge+ on an installment plan from T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, or US Cellular. This means you’ll get up to $120 off on the price of any of these phones if you buy one under a carrier installment plan from now until October 9th. AT&T users, however, will not be able to take part in this promotion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgmhi0Vi9oo
Moreover, Samsung is throwing in an additional $100 Google Play gift card for those users who switch from iPhone. The announcement comes just after the new iPhone 6s launched in stores. Clearly, Samsung is trying to curb the sales of the latest iPhones that is expected to create a new sales record for Apple. Samsung also released a TV spot recently that highlighted all the things the latest Galaxy phones can do that the iPhone can’t. The name of the ad is cleverly similar to the iPhone tagline: “If it’s not an iPhone, it’s not an iPhone”. All we can say is grab your popcorn and brace yourself for an entertaining fight.
With only a day to go before the reveal of Google’s Nexus smartphones, the leaks continue. We just did a roundup of everything we know of the Google event so far with some rumored specs for each of the flagship phones. Now we have more to tell. Imgur recently leaked images of a Nexus 6P presentation which basically confirms everything we know and a little bit more.
The slides discuss everything from design to specs, and one of the specs that caught our eyes in particular is the massive battery that’s fit into the Nexus 6P. The smartphone will come with a 3450mAh battery that should last you a pretty long time. Clearly, Google has been focusing on battery life this time around. For a little perspective we would also like to point out that the other recent phablets such as the Samsung Note 5 and the iPhone 6s Plus come with a battery of 3,000mAh and 2,750mAh, respectively. Other slides focus on camera, features of Android Marshmallow, and fingerprint sensor.
Other features that are revealed show that the phone will feature a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, a 2560 x 1440 display, a Snapdragon 810 processor, and USB-C. The phone has an all metal body and a large 5.7-inch screen. As earlier reported, the phone will come in four colours – black, white, silver, and gold.
The launch of the Nexus smartphones will take place on the 29th of September in San Francisco.
PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Silicon Valley, against the backdrop of campaigns like Digital India and Make in India, has the whole country aflutter with hopes of potential developments in the Indian tech scene. Aimed at promoting the spread of tech-literacy all over the country, the visit includes Modi meeting the CEOs of tech giants. Needless to say, the development of events led to some important announcements.
Google: Modi met Google CEO Sundar Pichai yesterday and discussed plans on introducing Wi-Fi connectivity across 500 railway stations in India, with speeds good enough to stream HD videos. Modi said that Google plans on covering 100 stations by the end of 2016. “We are expanding our public Wi-Fi hotspots. For example, we want to ensure that free Wi-Fi is not only there in airport lounges, but also on our railway platforms. Teaming up with Google, we will cover 500 railway stations in a short time,” he said. Pichai also announced that Google will roll out 11 Indian languages for Android users to type in next month.
Microsoft: Satya Nadella announced that Microsoft would use its cloud services in India. “We believe low cost broadband connectivity coupled with the scale of cloud computing and the intelligence that can be harnessed from data can help drive creativity, efficiency and productivity across governments and businesses of all size. This is turn will create global opportunities for India,” Mr Nadella said.
Qualcomm: Qualcomm announced a 10 billion rupee venture capital fund for startups. The company also announced the set up of a lab in Bangalore for product innovation. “We share Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy,” Qualcomm executive chairman Paul E Jacobs said.
Paul E. Jacobs talks about Digital India
Tesla:
A significant part of the first day of the PM’s visit to Silicon Valley was spent with two CEOs, Tesla’s Elon Musk, and Apple’s Tim Cook. The meeting with Musk was structured with the aim of securing company’s “Powerwall” invention for the Indian tech world. Powerwall is a long term storage device for solar energy capable of bringing “energy to hitherto unserviced areas of India”. This innovation is expected to include more than just solar energy, and hopes to explore alternative energy sources as well.
PM Modi with Elon Musk
Apple:
Tim Cook, the CTO of the company, spoke about India and said, “India has a special place in the heart of every Apple employee for the simple reason that Steve Jobs, when he was young man, went to India for inspiration and it was what he saw in India that infused in him the desire to create Apple.”
Apple sees immense potential for app development in the country, especially for young entrepreneurs in the field. Following the example of China, where the company has managed to give rise to about 15 lakh jobs, Apple’s involvement in India seems a huge leap for the Digital India campaign.
Facebook:
After a one-on-one meeting with Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, Prime Minister Modi shared the stage with him for a 50-minute discussion on technology, social media and Digital India. Zuckerberg mentioned how India has shaped Facebook’s history by providing a market of millions of netizens all connected through the social media platform. The PM made a comment good humouredly and said, “We used to have elections every five years. Now we have them every five minutes.”
Zuckerberg showed his support for the Digital India campaign by updating the picture on his Facebook page with a tri-coloured display picture.
The PM returns from Silicon Valley on 30th September with immense promise for the country in the realm of internet and technology. A sense of anticipation would perhaps be natural at this juncture as we await the execution of these plans. If seen till the end, a larger proportion of the country’s population would have access to internet services and those already using the internet would have smoother, faster services. Hopefully the UN is listening next time it decides to conduct a poll of internet services in the country.
Here’s some exciting news for today – Google has an event on the 29th of September 2015 where they will be releasing the new Nexus phones along with revealing more details about Android Marshmallow. Google will reportedly reveal the new Chromecast and a partnership with Spotify.
Here are a few details about what we know about the upcoming products so far via public reports and rumours.
Nexus 5X
Firstly, the LG Nexus 5X is expected to come with a bigger 5.2 inch display and a 1080p resolution. The second feature that has been suggested by leaked images, is a support for fingerprint scanners. On the camera front, the Nexus 5X seems to provide a protruding camera, however it is one that will have an increased 13MP sensor. Apart from that, there could also be a 5MP front camera. This handset is rumoured to be powered by the Snapdragon 808 processor with a 2 or 3 GB RAM along with storage options that are expected to be 16GB and 32GB. The smartphone might also come with a USB Type-C.
Nexus 6P
The next device which is the Huawei Nexus 6P will come with a new design, if reports are to be believed. The leaked images show a rectangular frame with curved edges and a flat metal pack, and is expected to come in four colour variants of silver, black, white and gold. The phone will also come with a new fingerprint scanner but a smaller display of an estimate 5.7 inches. The Nexus 6P could be powered by Snapdragon 810 and can come with a 3GB RAM. The storage of this device is expected to start at 32GB and go all the way up to 128GB. However, the camera seems to be lower in quality with an 11MP sensor at the rear but a rather impressive 7MP on the front.
Android Marshmallow
The other exciting thing that is going to be announced at the event is the launching of Android Marshmallow. Google is expected to give us a date for the release of this version. Let’s see whether Google has anything else to add apart from what we know.
Chromecast Second Gen & Audio
Google is also expected to release two new chromecast devices – the second gen chromecast and the chromecast audio. The new Chromecast second gen is expected to come with a new rounder looking design, thereby doing away with the whole ‘dongle’ look. Other upgrades include faster WiFi and something called Fast Play. The Chromecast Audio, on the other hand, supports every feature that a music lover might need, like podcasts, radio, and a multi-room audio. This device is also rumoured to partner with Spotify and thereby enhancing its features.
That is all that we know till now. So stay tuned and we’ll bring you all the latest updates from the Google evnt on the 29th of September 2015.
A collaboration between Stratasys’ Education, R&D departments and MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab has led to a breakthrough in the realm of printing. Because 3D printers were simply not fancy enough, developers decided to create a 4D printer which allows the printed objects to change their physical state with the right temperature as stimuli.
A self-folding object created with 4D technology.
Creating self-assembly technology for large scale structures is the underlying goal for this research and its results. The project is led by Skylar Tibbits, Self-Assembly Lab Director and trained Architect, Computer Scientist and Artist, and has showcased to the world Tibbits’ first 4D printer. It comes equipped with Stratasys’ Connex multi-material 3D printing technology.
The 4-D technology, developed by Georgia Institute of Technology and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) enables 3D structures to fold themselves from components that were previously flat or folded for various reasons. Though this technology is not commercially available yet, it seems to hold tremendous promise in manufacturing with least energy consumption. It’s okay for you to go ahead and get excited about the possibility of a sci-fi-inspired-world of self-automated and shape-shifting objects now.
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.
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.
