Barely one and a half years old, and OnePlus is already catching up in the department of suave marketing, which was once the exclusive domain of Apple. In 12 days, OnePlus will launch the OnePlus Two through a VR launch event, which might be the most unique launch since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007.
Over the past few weeks, we have heard rumours, seen reports and official confirmations from the company about the OnePlus Two. Here’s what we know so far:
1. OnePlus Two Confirms its Screen Size
The phone will sport a display ranging between 5.5 and 5.7 inches and will have a black matte border, as leaked on Weibo.
2. OnePlus Reveals the Launch Date
OnePlus Two will launch on 27th July through a virtual reality event. Their live streaming of the event will take place in Virtual Reality, starting at 7 pm PDT. For this occasion, OnePlus has engineered their own ‘cardboard’ VR headgears that allow you to slip in your mobile handset inside the little box.
3. OnePlus Two Will Use USB Type-C
The company announced in a tweet that OnePlus Two will use a Type-C USB port and will become the first flagship phone from a mainstream company to use this USB port.
4. OnePlus Two will Run Second Gen Snapdragon 810
Pete Lau (CEO, OnePlus) has confirmed that the OnePlus 2 will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor. Key reasons that this particular chipset was selected include the capability of streaming 4K Ultra HD video, impressive image processing and more.
5. OnePlus Two Pricing Will Not Cross More Than Rs 28,500
OnePlus posted on Twitter confirming that the device won’t cost higher than $450 (Rs 28,586).
6. OnePlus Two Is Confirmed To Arrive With a 4GB RAM
OnePlus has announced the upcoming smartphone will sport a 4GB RAM. It will sport the next-generation LPDDR4 memory chips, which are also packed with Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge only, for now. No other smartphone, apart from the Asus Zenfone, in the Indian market, comes with 4GB of RAM.
7. OnePlus Two Will Feature Fingerprint Scanning Technology
The company has revealed that the new handset will have a fingerprint sensor, and it is slated to be better than the Touch ID.
8. OnePlus Two May Sport a New Metal Body
According to a tease by OnePlus’ CEO on Weibo, OnePlus Two will supposedly don a metal frame, instead of a polycarbonate body, the current one sports. By ditching the polycarbonate, OnePlus Two may go for a premium look, like an iPhone. Moreover, given that the Two will cost more than the One, it may be possible that the phone will arrive with a metal body or may be a mix of both polycarbonate and metal.
9. OnePlus Two will sport a bigger battery
A few days back, OnePlus executives revealed in a Reddit AMA session that the OnePlus Two will sport a bigger battery. The 3,100 mAh battery has been upgraded to a 3,300 mAh battery.
The Xiaomi Mi 5 and Mi 5 plus have already been the talk of the town, in recent times. While everyone anticipates its release into the market, the China based firm has let out yet another secret that will come as an exciting new upgrade to its devices.
Apart from the phones releasing tomorrow, which is good news enough, the Mi 5 and Mi 5 plus are likely to have wireless charging as the company revealed an image on social media sites, asking its fans to ‘take guesses’ on what is going to be unveiled tomorrow.
While it is clear that the Mi 5 and Mi 5 plus will be reasonably priced (not more than 30,000 thousand rupees), this new speculated feature will surely add a competitive edge to the devices as we saw Samsung playing its wireless charging card earlier, this year.
The Mi 5 and Mi 5 plus are touted as the most anticipated phones of the year as there have been many rumours and leaks regarding their specs as well as the release date. Xiaomi released the Mi 4i, this May and sold a staggering 40,000 units within 15 seconds due to its raging popularity.
Hence, we are presumably excited about the launch of the Mi 5 and Mi 5 plus. Let’s see how Xiaomi fares with the coming of these devices.
From today, The Terminator will not be the only property revived from the 80s this year. Commodore, a North American company that holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling single computer model of all time, has unveiled its new project – a smartphone named PET. So why should you care? The company became bankrupt almost 20 years ago, which is why no one was expecting it to make a comeback. In fact most of us (including the author) haven’t even heard of Commodore.
Source: Wired
Nostalgically named after the company’s 1977 PET computer, the smartphone runs on a 1.7 GHz Mediatek 64-bit octa-core processor with ARM Mali T760 GPU for graphics. PET is powered by a 3000mAh battery. According to Wired, the phone’s main camera uses a 13-megapixel Sony sensor with a bright f/2.0 aperture and can capture full HD, 1080p videos. The front camera is an 8MP camera, with an 80 degree wide angle lens.
Commodore PET is a dual-SIM phone and supports 4G connectivity. The phone runs on a customised Android Lollipop 5.0. The phone is available in two variants – 16GB storage/2GB RAM and 32GB/3GB RAM. The former costs around $300 while the latter will cost $65 more.The phone will be available in a variety of colours, such as white, black and classic biscuit-beige.
Commodore will release PET in Italy, France, Germany, and Poland later this week. The company is planning on expanding to international markets soon.
HTC has had a tough year, tough decisions and a lot of devices. The company has had the slowest quarter yet and the stock prices have dropped to an all time low. The company also reported a net loss of $258 Million, which points to the fact that the company is not doing well.
However that has not stopped HTC from making new handsets, and in countries like India, the HTC market share is growing considerably.
The HTC One ME, adds fuel to the HTC fire in India, a handset that brings the best of the flagship world at a relatively lower cost.
Overview
The HTC One ME is a good mix of things from HTC. Priced at Rs. 40000 or US $ 630 (outright) the phone makes a lot of sense to people. However the use of mediate is slightly bothersome to the tech crowd, especially at such high prices.
Hardware
The HTC One ME has almost everything from the HTC One M9+ including most of the hardware. What differs is the chipset. The One ME uses the new MediaTek Helio X10 and is also the first phone with the said chipset. This enables devices to utilise full octal-cores at 2.2 GHz in 64 bit and also shoots high quality videos at upto 480 frames/sec. It allows a 120 Hz video display rate too.
Apart from that you will get 3 GB of RAM, a brilliant 2k display with 5.2 inch size, a 2560×1440 px resolution and 565 ppi.
The same camera as the One M9, a 20 MP f2.2 lens equipped sensor, and an HTC ultra pixel sensor for the front.
Specifications
HTC One ME
Display
5.2-inch Super LCD3
Resolution
WQHD 1440×2560 pixels : 565 ppi pixel density
Chipset
MediaTek Helio X10
Processor
Octa-Cora 2.2 GHz
GPU
PowerVR G6200
RAM
3 GB
Storage
32 GB
MicroSD Support
Yes, Upto 2TB
Rear Camera
20MP, f2.2, BSI Sensor, 4K Video Recording
Front Camera
HTC Ultrapixel, f2.0
Battery
2,840mAh
Operating System
Android Lollipop 5.0.2 with HTC Sense 7.0
Misc
Boom Sound Speakers / Fingerprint Scanner
Price
Rs. 40,500
Display, Multimedia and Camera
The display on the new ME is the same as the M9+, excellent colours, deep blacks and great outdoor visibility. The touch is highly sensitive and even works when there is water on the display or if your fingers are wet. You will also get features like double tap to turn on. The display is great for all sorts of usage like watching movies, playing games or even browsing the internet. The high resolution makes content optimized for this look, great and the strain on the eyes is reduced considerably.
Boomsound speakers have always had this ability to be better than the remaining devices in the price segment and that continues with the new One ME. Sound is excellent in the headphones, out speakers or via bluetooth. Volumes are kept high and bass levels deep, almost as if the profile is the same as the old ones when HTC handsets would ship with “Beats Audio,” however, only better.
The camera lens and sensor are relatively large, hence a lot of light passes through to get a really high detail image. The images have excellent contrast and sharpness, shallow depth of field on close ups and a large zoom ratio thanks to the large 20.1 MP size of the rear camera.
4k video can be captured in 5 minute bursts, which gets annoying for those looking for a seamless solution. There are alternatives, devices which do not have said limits including the one we chose for our project here. Video is jitter free and captured at 30fps and it looks good, as the colour is deep and light is aptly adjusted.
Camera App
The Camera App is in-depth and features a lot of the capabilities of HTC devices seen in the past, galleries and Zoe are now independent apps with independent cloud storages. This complicates things for first time users, but in the longer run, makes sense. You also get the usual filters and effects along with post capture edits, which were all a part of HTC’s Sense.
Rear Camera Bokeh Effect
Rear Camera Indoor
Wide Front Camera
Front Ultrapixel Camera
Performance and Gaming
The handset scores roughly 46-48k on Antutu 64 Bit benchmark, which is impressive taking into consideration, the price. However, most of the performance which may not appear on benchmarks can been seen in real time usage.
The handset will almost never lag. In the 2 weeks of usage, the handset has not slowed down and transitions remain smooth, despite consuming large parts of the storage and or RAM.
Gaming remains impressive, the 120 Hz refresh rate of the display helps tremendously. Boom sound adds to the experience and so does the impressive touch screen. The good thing is that the device does not heat up despite increased usage, or high periods of gaming.
Phone Networks and Battery
The HTC One ME accepts dual LTE sim cards, both of which need to be nano sim cards. Network strength is great and so is the audio on both sides. Both sim cards can run LTE data packs and can be switched, depending on your convenience or usage scenarios.
Battery life was impressive due to high levels of optimizations and range point locks. Despite several rumours of poor battery life, we did not face any such issues with the handset. On our handset, the battery life was rather impressive. We got an average of One day plus use. Another thing to brag about is the quick charge capability of the handset. The One ME reaches a full charge in just over an hour, 50% recharge can be achieved in about 15 minutes of time.
Type of Usage
Battery Life Expectancy
Phone Calls
5 Hours
Standby
3 Days
Gaming
3.5 Hours
Music Playback
11 Hours
Internet
7.5 Hours
Fingerprint, Blinkfeed and New Sense 7
The new style fingerprint scanner utilised by HTC is better by leaps and bounds. Versus the previous ten scanners, which required you to slide your finger across, the new “Apple Touch ID” style scanners are efficient and very usable. This makes your phone private and safe. You can easily unlock your device in the presence of others, without revealing your passwords or unlock patterns.
Fingerprint Sensor
The new Blinkfeed is far more seamless and smooth. The UI is easy and very pleasing to the eye, HTC has improved the layout of the content and things like fonts and colours have been tweaked to appear easy to the eye. You can now simplify content and chose what feeds you want, within your Blinkfeed. You can also set up custom channels for the same, to allow you to reach directly to your favourite feeds.
Sense 7 is a mega improvement over previous Sense UIs, more because of the way pure android is available to the consumer. The UI is far more simplified and streamlined, less invasive and does not come loaded with bloatware. Essentials like the “Zoe” feature and the “One Gallery” are cloud-only apps that serve a simple purpose.
Customisation has been HTC’s forté and it remains so, in the new Sense 7 on the new HTC One ME. The UI is extensively modifiable, and if you don’t like the BlinkFeed on the left you can simply use a third party launcher and replace it all.
Conclusion
HTC may not have gotten a lot of things right this year, but their devices in the Indian market show that the company has chosen the right things at the right time.
The HTC One ME is one such example. With Snapdragon not performing well on their current lineup of chipsets, HTC went with MediaTek and their latest “premium” chipsets. This has made the devices a lot more stable. However, this has also made one handset considerably vary from another. Some report of lag and battery drain while others, like us, appreciate the long battery life on our handset.
MediaTek aside, the HTC One ME is the plastic equivalent of the all round phone. The impressive display, great camera, excellent battery and seamless performance on our handset, makes us want to like it a lot. Just like any other scenario alternates do exist and with the S6 becoming cheap, a fixed storage and single sim is something that may make you pick the HTC One ME with its Dual Sim and 2TB expandability. However the S6 performs better and looks damn good.
This week was loaded with new product releases and announcements from around the world. We have compiled a list of news that made the rounds.
Here are the top highlights of the week:
LG hints at Google Nexus Handset
According to rumors, Google has teamed up with LG to produce the next Google Nexus handset. The device will reportedly sport a 5.2-inch screen display, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor by Qualcomm, and 2700mAh battery pack. It seems Google wants to recreate the success of Nexus 5, which was manufactured by LG.
Instagram Now Allows 1080x1080p Squares
What’s the point of clicking photographs in HD if you can’t view it in Instagram? Instagram users can now rejoice as they can store images in HD resolution. The app has upgraded the resolution from 640 x 640 pixels to 1080×1080 pixels.
Truecaller Launches Messaging App to Keep Your Inbox Spam Free
Truecaller has launched its messaging app, Truemessenger, which basically serves the same function as its parent app – filter out spam and messages from unknown numbers.
OnePlus Two Details
With just two weeks left for the OnePlus 2 launch, here are some of the key details that have been revealed about the upcoming phone –
The phone will not be priced more than Rs. 28,500, OnePlus confirmed on Twitter.
OnePlus 2 will arrive with a 4GB RAM and may sport a metal body.
LG G4 Review
Check out our review of the LG G4 and find out if it is worth a hole in your pocket.
LG launches two new G4 variants
LG has released two new variants in its G4 lineup, the LG G4 Stylus and the G4 Beat.
Xolo Launches Black
Xolo has launched “Black” through Flipkart priced at Rs. 12,999. The company hopes the phone will be able beat to rivals Motorola and Xiaomi.
iOS 9 beta released for public
Apple has released the beta version of iOS 9 for the public. The company has introduced some new features such as separate folder for selfies and screenshots and Apple News.
GoPro Is Back With the New Tinier GoPro Hero4 Session
GoPro, the company well known for making incredible cameras for adventure and sports terrain, has unleashed their newest and the smallest beast yet, the GoPro Hero4 Session. The new camera is the first significant redesign of the company’s omnipresent camera in nine years.
Back in April, Xiaomi unveiled its new smartphone, the Mi 4i, at a grand event in New Delhi. One lakh registrations went up, and 40,000 units were sold out within 15 seconds. Rumours had that the company would be launching two more devices in the lineup later between June and July. The two anticipated devices were the Mi5 and Mi5 Plus.
Today, it is unveiled that the Chinese tech giant Xiaomi on Saturday teased an event that is scheduled to be held on 16 July, a social networking site Weibo said. The device that may come in the market is speculated to Xiaomi Mi 5.
As we can see in the picture revealed online, it could be Mi 5 with a metal body that is looking thin with curved corners.
The claimed specs of the devices were leaked on the Chinese social media site, Weibo. The Mi 5 is lauded to have a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels. It is held it will be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with either 3GB or 4GB RAM and will be juiced by a 3,000mAh battery. Its camera specification includes a 16MP primary camera.The device will also be infused with fingerprint technology.
The leaks also suggested that the Mi5 will be priced at CNY 2,399 (approximately Rs. 24,500).
News and reports of its larger cousin, the Mi5 Plus is yet to be announced. Going by the specs, the Mi 5 Plus will feature a 6-inch screen with 4GB RAM, 32GB internal memory and a 16MP primary camera.
Meanwhile, another of Xiaomi’s smartphones expected to be launched in 2015 is the Redmi Note 2, the successor to the popular Redmi Note of 2014. Acknowledging the fact that the Redmi Note was launched in July 2014, there is a good chance that its successor could be unveiled during the 16 July event. But, let us wait till Thursday to find out.
A few days ago, we did a story on how HTC ultimately become one of the biggest mobile phone manufacturers known for its design, OEM branded devices and its trademarked user interface in the world, all thanks to Cher Mi Wang, H T Cho and Peter Chou, who collectively established the company.
HTC, which stands for High Tech Computer, has been making smartphones longer than almost anyone. Years ago, it HTC was known for creating Windows Mobile devices that were rebranded by AT&T, O2 and other companies. But thanks to its early embrace of Android with the T-Mobile G1 and Google Nexus One, HTC has risen to stardom, becoming a brand of its own and holding its own against mobile industry veterans like Motorola and Samsung.
It seems 2015 has not really been a good year for HTC. HTC says their financial figures for its second quarter of 2015 lost 24 cents (or pence) for every dollar (or pound) of revenue it took. After four quarters of thin profits, the business just fell rolling off a cliff. In March, the company had a market cap of $4.06 billion, and today—only a few months later—it is worth less than half of that. The trend is downwards — year over year, HTC’s monthly revenue was down 38% in April, 48% in May, and 60% in June.
We can see in the graph that the HTC One M8 was the last peak of the HTC growth rate before starting to dwindle. The HTC One inspired an emotional connection, unusual in a generic market. The mobile won lots of phone-of-the-year awards. It joined a striking design to the smartest and most polished of all the leading user-interface skins. Surely, you would think this would turn into sales? It did, but only up to a point.
In the past few years, HTC chose to concentrate on the high-margin end of a cut-throat market, and outsourced manufacture of cheaper models to cut costs. Without an active portfolio, it couldn’t capitalize on any “halo effect” from all the rave reviews of the M8.
Also, the trademark design of the flagship didn’t change to the plastic E8 while the One Mini 2 married the One’s high-quality body and design to an underpowered engine. Neither screamed “buy me.”
The last three years of HTC flagships: The One M7, M8, and M9.
Samsung “recovered” in 2015 because it had used years spending a vast amount of debt on marketing and advertising. HTC had underinvested in marketing and hardly made a few good advertisements. HTC never published sales numbers for the M9, but our guess is they were never good. Reports from the supply chain suggest that HTC could cut component orders for the M9 by 30 percent. One major US carrier even left out the M9 from its lineup due to “lackluster sales.” The M9 flagship is not the reason of all of HTC’s woes, but it’s a good indicator of the company’s problems. In its Q2 guidance revision, HTC accused its economic problems on “slower demand for high-end Android devices and weaker than forecast sales in China.” The only other high-profile device the company makes is the Nexus 9, which ended up being an overpriced tablet with inferior build quality.
So will HTC survive or manage a comeback? We will never know for sure, not up until something changes. However, things are not looking great for the Taiwanese brand at the moment.
The smartphone train keeps on moving forward as time passes by. With almost half of the year gone by, we’ve seen many new devices like Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge and HTC One M9. But the year is far from ending, and many companies have given out hints of their new unnamed devices. Let us check them out below
Apple iPhone 6s
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were released in September, and in the months leading up to that, the gossip mill went mental. Be ready for more of the same with the iPhone 6S, which will launch in September 2015 running iOS 9. As always, we’re presuming a faster processor and some upgraded specs, but little change to the design. According to rumours, the new devices will have a faster A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel camera, an additional microphone to enhance voice quality, and a new interior mechanical design to address some bending issues users experienced with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
OnePlus Two
OnePlus One was one of the most successful Chinese electronic startup stories of 2014. This handset captured an enormous chunk of the mid-segment smartphone market. OnePlus announced a new device on June, which is expected to be the next OnePlus handset. According to OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei, the OnePlus 2 will surprise us, and is likely to focus on flagship-rivalling design rather than specs. The OnePlus 2 launches on 27 July, and will be the first product ever to do so in virtual reality. We already know it will feature OxygenOS, an upgraded Snapdragon 810 processor, USB Type-C and a fingerprint scanner; also expect 4GB of RAM, a 3300mAh battery and a 5.5in 2K screen.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Everyone always brags on about Samsung’s Galaxy S lineup, but it’s the Note series that really impresses. The Note 4 was unveiled at a Samsung Unpacked event prior to September’s IFA trade show (3 September 2014), and right now sits at the top of our fastest smartphone and best phablet charts. Traditionally Samsung’s Note launches are held at IFA in September, but rumours suggest we might see the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 as early as July to give it a headstart on the new iPhones.
Mi5 and Mi5 Plus
Reports from Gizmochina claim two more devices will be joining Xiaomi’s line-up later in June 2015. These devices are larger copies of the Mi 4, expected to be named Mi 5 and Mi 5 Plus. The claimed specs of the devices were leaked on the Chinese social media site, Weibo. The Mi 5 is touted to have a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels. It is believed to be powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with either 3GB or 4GB RAM and will be juiced by a 3,000mAh battery. Its camera specification includes a 16MP primary camera.The device will also be infused with fingerprint technology. Its larger cousin, named as Mi 5 Plus, will feature a 6-inch screen with 4GB RAM, 32GB internal memory and a 16MP primary camera. While nothing has been mentioned about the price, some rumors claim that Mi5 is slated to be priced around Rs. 23,900. Should the rumor turn out to be true, Mi5 will become one of the strongest performing phones in the market. We hope Xiaomi announces Mi5 as early as possible.
LG G5
Rumours say that LG is now working on the successor of the G4, and will be bringing iris recognition system into play. Reports from Korean publications state that LG has teamed up with local biometrics specialist Irience to implement this feature in its next smartphone. Reports also indicate that the phone will be released in the last quarter of 2015. For now, this is the only information we have found out.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini and Galaxy S6 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S6 Mini
It seems like Samsung is on the move to expand its range of Galaxy lineups. The Korean company is reportedly working on a smaller version and a larger version of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, namely, Galaxy S6 Mini and Galaxy S6 Plus respectively. Both the rumours emerged this week.
According to GSMArena, the smaller version, Galaxy S6 Mini, or ‘SM-G9198′, the device will be an iPhone 6 competitor. It will have a 4.6-inch HD display and run on Snapdragon 808 chip with 2GB of RAM. It will be equipped with a 15MP primary camera and a 4.7MP front camera.
Galaxy S6 Plus
Meanwhile, Italy’s HDBlog revealed that the company is working on a bigger version, possibly a phablet, on the Galaxy S6 line. For now, the device has been codenamed as ‘Project Zero 2?. Interestingly, the S6 and S6 Edge were codenamed ‘Project Zero’. According to the rumours, the device will just be like the Galaxy S6, only bigger and with a more powerful battery.
Microsoft Lumia 940XL
Microsoft had launched the Lumia 930 almost a year ago, and now, the company is back with its newest smartphone, the Microsoft Lumia 940XL. According to NokiaPowerUser, the device is a larger version of the Lumia 940. The device is expected to have a bigger 5.7-inch display with a slim design and a metal frame. The processor will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot for expandable storage, a 5MP front-facing camera, a 20MP main PureView camera for photos and videos, and will feature native pen support as well.Further, it will also support USB C-Type and an Iris Scanner too. The specs sound very exciting, but the company has not officially confirmed the existence of such a device.
Motorola Moto X (third-gen)
Motorola may launch the third generation of its flagship Moto X smartphones in the coming few months. According to STJS Gadgets, the third-generation Moto X is leaked by a Motorola insider, who claims to have a hold of details about the next Moto X. The upcoming smartphone on the Moto X series will sport a 5.2-inch QHD AMOLED display, used on the Droid Turbo. Under the hood will be a Snapdragon 808 chipset bundled with a massive 4GB RAM. The device will come pre-installed with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.The front camera will be 5MP while the back will house a 16MP snapper with Clear Pixel Technology. The battery powering the device will also be mammoth at 3280mAh. The device will come in two storage variants – 32GB and 64GB.
Bonus
Nexus 5 2015
New reports have emerged that after months of speculation about with whom will Google team up with for its next Nexus device, it seems that LG could be the one to build the next, temporarily named, Nexus 5 2015. According to Android Pit, rather than basing the Nexus 5 2015 on the LG G4, LG will be creating the new handset from the scratch. The device would sport a 5.2-inch screen display, six-core Snapdragon 808 processor by Qualcomm, and 2,700 mAh battery pack, according to the rumours. It may also come in 64 GB and 128 GB variants and have a 16-megapixel rear camera and a five-megapixel wide-angle camera in front.
However, for now, neither Google nor LG has confirmed the news. Also, Google’s next mobile OS, Android M is set for an August release date. Hence, details regarding how many Nexus devices are going to be released and who would be building them will be out really soon.
Keep on checking iGyaan for more updates regarding these future devices!
Since its launch in 2012, XOLO has tried but never been able to achieve the level of popularity like its rivals Motorola and Xiaomi have. XOLO hopes to change that through its upcoming phone “Black”, which will be exclusively sold on Flipkart from today.
The Xolo Black is equipped with a 5.5-inch screen carrying 1080 x 1920 resolution. That works out to a 401ppi pixel density. Gorilla Glass 3 protects the display from scratches and is also found on the phone’s glass back. The Snapdragon 615 SoC powers the handset, featuring an octa core CPU and the Adreno 405 GPU. 2GB of RAM is inside along with 16GB of expandable storage. On the back, you will find a dual camera set up with 13MP and 2MP cameras on board. The latter is used to change the focal point of an image, Lytro-style. On the front, a 5MP snapper is ready to snap your selfies. Keeping the phone running is the job given to the 3200mAh battery inside, and Android 5.0 is pre-installed with HIVE UI 1.5 running on top.
The phone supports 4G LTE connectivity and measures a slim 7.3mm thick. The Black is treated with an oleophobic coating to prevent fingerprints from marring the device’s finish. And the power button lights up in different colors to alert the user of certain notifications.
Xolo is adopting the online business model considering how it has expanded fanbase for companies like Xiaomi, OnePlus, Yu and even Motorola, which was struggling until it launched Moto X, in India. The device is priced at Rs 12,999.
Facebook acquired Whatsapp last year for a whooping price of $19 billion. After the acquisition, Zuckerberg has been slowly been remodelling Whatsapp to the likes of Facebook. Both have been exchanging features with each other like Facebook is slowly turning its independent Messenger app into Whatsapp, integration of the ‘Seen’ blue tick on Whatsapp, and many more. Now, there are rumours about Whatsapp’s adoption of Facebook’s unique features, the ‘Like’ and ‘Mark as Read’ options.
According to reports from WhatsApp beta tester Ilhan Pektas, WhatsApp could get characteristics such as “Like” and “Mark as unread” in a forthcoming update. The Like feature is exciting though we are not sure at this point how it will operate. Perhaps it will act in a similar manner as the thumbs up button on Facebook Messenger or like the photos being exchanged.
The Thumbs up feature will allow users to send a fast and concise reply to simple questions without having to type it out. It could also be executed in group chats where photos and videos are shared and group chat members can “Like” it, which once again does away with the need to type out a comment if it isn’t required.
The “Mark as unread” feature is impressive since this allows users to avoid the dreaded blue ticks to indicate a message has been read. However given that the blue ticks feature can be disabled, we are not sure if this feature is indeed necessary, but given that this is a rumored feature for now, do consider it for now.
If this comes out to be true, the Facebook’s ‘Like’ button, which is a highlight trait of the social platform, will be an unique attachment to the most popularly used instant messaging service worldwide while the ‘mark as unread’ feature would also come handy similarly as seen in mail services.
LG in the past years has emerged as a true Android champion. A South Korean counter brand to the kingship of Samsung, especially in the Android smartphone market.
LG came into light after their partnership with Google on building the Nexus 4 and then the Nexus 5 along with LG’s own iterations of the handsets for the global consumer markets. All four of the devices by LG led them into a high stake position in the Android rat race.
Last year however, LG fell off the map with the LG G3, it also had a fall out with Google, who then decided to go with Motorola to manufacture the Nexus 6.
This year LG is back and they want vengeance, pitting up points in almost all areas, LG tried to reach the top of the ladder with their new flagship, the LG G4. But, just as the relevance of Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, on the stage at the time of launch, LG didn’t seem to think this through.
Hardware
The LG G4 is an iconic design from LG, while many companies have attempted to make leather looking handsets (Note 3 and Galaxy S5), LG actually made a smartphone with a genuine leather back panel.
LG also one upped Samsung with their interesting fast aperture camera and lens, with 16 MP and a f1.8 lens setup vs the f1.9 on the Galaxy S6 and Edge.
The LG G4 also has dual sim (certain regions) and a removable and replaceable battery along with micro-SD expansion all of which is lacking in the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge.
Hardware Specs
LG G4
Display
5.5-inch Quad HD LCD
Resolution
2560 x 1440 PX
Chipset
Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 with X10 LTE
Processor
1.8GHz Hexa-core
GPU
Adreno 418
RAM
3GB
Primary Camera
16MP f/1.8 aperture
Front Camera
8MP f/1.8 aperture
Storage
32GB
Expandable Up to
2 TB
Battery
3,000 mAh
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop with LG UX 4.0
Bluetooth
4.1 LE (APT-x)
Design, Build and Aesthetics
The LG G4 is designed in a new way, the introduction of a genuine leather back panel may have mixed reactions in certain religious countries. For example in India, LG has refrained from mentioning that the leather back panel is made from cow hide, which may prevent some people from buying the handset. The use of leather however is done in a brilliant way. The back panel takes 12 weeks to manufacture and uses a new technology for a process which normally takes a few days.
Leather Back Panel
Made from only the top layer (epidermis) of high quality cow leather, the back features tiny 0.001 micrometer pores for breathability. The end result is a smooth, soft touch back that should feel unlike any other smartphone on the market, while still allowing heat to dissipate.
Although some have mixed opinions about the design and use of leather, LG has done it rather tastefully and not only does is look impressive, but also feels great in the hand. There is also a Ceramic white which might become the preferred option, also because it is about 100$ cheaper (Rs. 6000 approx)
The front houses a LG G3-esque minimal bezel design from LG which is highly applauded on their previous smartphones, and the LG G4 is expected to have the same outlook.
The construction, however seems a lot less sturdy compared to previous generation G phones from LG. Gorilla Glass 3 has been used in place of Gorilla Glass 4 found on the Galaxy S6 and Edge.
The back panel is removable and replaceable, which means that it can be swapped out if damaged. Also reports of the leather weathering faster than ever, however we faced no such nuisance.
The buttons remain on the back, volume rockers and the main power button, which can also be used as a selfie mirror, sort of.
The phone also lacks premium materials, made mostly from plastics. In an age where Samsung’s flagship is a premium metal and glass device the LG G4 is sub-standard, and less premium.
Performance, Gaming and Display
Here is where the leather laden phone from LG, faces the first from the competition. The underpowered Hexa Core Snapdragon 808 is far inferior than expected. LG’s optimizations to improve battery have further reduced the performance output of this chipset.
In our Benchmark test the G4 stood last with the poorest score. when compared to HTC’s devices and Samsung devices.
The GPU works overtime to deliver high resolution to the 2K display, therefore reducing the graphics quality displayed during gaming.
Although the affect is minimum, but if have been playing on other devices like the HTC M9+ and the S6 you will notice the considerable amount of difference.
The UI is fast and snappy, transitions are quicker and lag is virtually non existent. We still find LG’s UI a little cluttered, and non easy to navigate.
Phone and Battery
The LG G4 in India comes with Dual Sim LTE, which means that both cards can run LTE networks. Networks speeds are weak, due to network strength issues, but we got 14 Mbps downloads in health network areas.
The dual sim setup is handy for a lot of people and on the LG G4 works well. However battery life is adversely affected by the G4 SIM usage, mostly from network searches.
LG is offering a spare battery with an external charger in many countries, this is justified thanks to the poor battery performance. The battery will barely last you a day, and the drain is massive due to the display and the network searches.
Talk Time : 3 Hours
Standby : 24 Hours
Internet : 3.5 Hours
Music : 9 Hours
Gaming : 2 Hours.
Honestly, the battery is a big let down for us. You cannot have a flagship, running lower spec hardware, with a poorly performing battery.
16MP f/1.8 aperture
Camera
The highlight of LG’s new-gen smartphones, and especially the G series smartphones has been the camera and optics. With the new G4, LG continues to use laser autofocus, but improves the camera considerably. Low light performance is excellent, thanks to a f1.8 lens, whereas the Galaxy S6 only manages a f1.9. The front camera however is not as wide on the G4 as on the S6/edge, but seems to have great capture capability.
Dynamic range is much improved, however we feel that indoor image quality needs to be better. The way the software is processing the images, they feel a lot more digital. Outdoor images are high in detail and contrast.
Images will almost always be in focus and sharp, thanks to the laser sensor, which is accurate and super fast.
Video is captured at 4k but to limits of 5 minutes to prevent the chipset from overheating. Finding the 4k option is slightly difficult for the first time around, as the phone records 1080p out the box.
4k Video Option
The front camera has a brilliant image quality and works well for “selfies” in low light conditions. The gesture shot allows you to click a picture by making a fist in front of the camera. This allows for a better image, which is less shaky.
Android and UI
With a lot of things built in as smart features, the usability of the LG G4 as a daily driver is easy. Android 5.1 comes out of the box and the UI is highly customizable.
Lg also allows you to customize individual icons, using inbuilt set of icons or your own images can be converted into an icon for any App.
Smart features also allow you to auto-magically enable or disable features as per your usage requirements. For eg. “When at Home turn on Wi-Fi” will automatically enable Wi-Fi on the G4 when you arrive at your’s home’s geolocation. While these features can be really handy, they are an added drain on the battery.
There is still a lot of clutter on the UI as LG is trying to do a lot. Qslide Apps sit in the notification panel, along with quick toggles. There is just so much happening on the G4, that you really want to simplify the usage.
LG’s included apps are also handy, like LG Health for fitness enthusiasts and LG Backup for security of data. Qremote lets you use the inbuilt IR blaster on the top of the phone to control your electronics and appliances, like a TV, Dish box, Air-Con etc. The Qremote turns out to be more useful than mentioned.
Conclusion
Just like each year before this, LG has maintained high quality and managed to make the phone good looking. However, the leather back restricts buyers and the phone may be too any for the female audience.There is a pink leather back cover as well as a red one, which also are more easily handled by men than women. The ceramic white drops the leather for a more LG plastic (they call it polycarbonate) approach.
It is distinctively a man phone, with features which are slightly lower than the competition. A price tag which is higher than the competition and a not so impressive performance and battery life. It does excel in the camera department, only if you are an outdoorsy kind of person. The UI is much more refined than seen in the past and the array of customizations is extensive. But, our money is well spent elsewhere.
Samsung has formed a niche in the smartphone segment with the unique, Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The firm recaptured its name and market share because of the latest series and Samsung fans are now anticipating for the next high-end product to hit the market.
Here is everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 till now:
As the rounds of reports suggest, the Note 5 will come with a model number SM-N920F. It is likely to feature 5.4-inch or 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with curves on both the edges. Let us recall you that the Note 4 was the first smartphone with which the curved edge display was included. Other talks speak of a 5.9-inch screen with 4K resolution. The company has been preparing to venture into the 4K technology and the forthcoming Galaxy Note 5 may be the first to implant it.
Needless to say, the bar of prospects has been raised higher for the next phablet. Users may see a dominant processor fitted for computing tasks and sufficient in-built memory to store content. An upgraded version of Samsung’s Exynos 7422 is speculated to govern the computing operations. If we go by reports, the Note 5 will feature 3GB LPDDR3 DRAM, 32GB of eMMC (embedded multimedia card) along with a controller. Other buzz hints of a 16MP rear camera and a 8MP secondary shooter.
A latest report also suggests that the Note 4 heir might sport a USB Type-C, which we recently saw incorporated on the Apple MacBook. The Note 5 might even be powered by an enormous battery of 4,100mAh, which is important for a phablet with these specifications.
Sources close to iGyaan have verified that the device will be launching in India in the 3rd week of September. The source also disclosed the pricing of the new device saying that it will cost Rs 64,999 for the 32GB variant. For now, it is anticipated the device will arrive in 64GB and 128GB variants as well. The same pattern Samsung followed with the Galaxy S6 series. Samsung will also bring out an ‘Edge’ variant, which will cost Rs. 9,000 above the regular edged one.
But, as per Whowired, the next flagship model by Samsung will be unveiled at the end of July, much before the expected time in September. Galaxy Note 5’s early launch seems to be a strategic plan to eclipse the market of iPhone, who’s sales exceed 50 million per quarter. However, the source claims that it is due to the early development of the handset.
Summing up all the considerations and rumours, the Galaxy Note 5 appears to be a major update from the Note 4. It will have advanced features, higher specs and an upgraded S-pen for better user experience. With the iPhone 6s launch scheduled for the same month, we’re now impatiently waiting for September to arrive.
IBM has just made a breakthrough in chip manufacturing technology. The company, working with GlobalFoundries, Samsung, SUNY, and various equipment suppliers, has created the world’s first 7nm chip with working semiconductors. This would be the first time a chip maker has succeeded to achieve such a feat. Normally, the smaller the transistor gate, the better the performance of the chip. As a result, reducing it to just 7nm will drastically increase the power to performance proportion of the chipset.
While it should be emphasized that commercial 7nm chips remain at least two years away, this experimental chip from IBM and its partners is remarkably significant for three purposes: it is a functional sub-10nm chip; it is the first commercially viable sub-10nm FinFET logic chip that uses silicon-germanium as the channel material and feasible design produced with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.
IBM’s 7nm chips use a FinFET transistor configuration that differs from existing FinFETs in that the transistor’s channel is made from silicon-germanium alloy, rather than plain silicon. This is because silicon by itself has problems with electron mobility below 10nm, which restricts current flow and hampers smooth performance. Adding germanium to the mix has been found to resolve these issues.
IBM has managed to pack transistors incredibly tightly on their 7nm chips, achieving a conductor pitch of just 30nm. This leads to the surface area reduction of around 50% matched to bleeding-edge 10nm chips, which IBM believes can result in performance and power improvements of “at least” 50%.
Enabling the first 7nm node transistors is a notable breakthrough for the entire semiconductor industry as we continue to push beyond the limitations of our current capabilities,” said Michael Liehr, the university’s vice president of innovation and research.
Although the company has succeeded in creating a working transistor using 7nm, although, it is still in the prototype stage, and may take at least a few years for such chips to end up in the market. So, this tech will probably make it to final products only after the 10nm chips have been widely used.
It is said ‘Behind a successful man is a successful woman.’ Well, in this case, the saying is changed a little bit to ‘Behind a successful company is a successful woman.’ The story of High Tech Computer Corporation revolves around a damsel as well. Her name is Cher Mi Wang, daughter of one of the richest family in Taiwan. In 1997, she entered into a partnership with H T Cho and Peter Chou, who collectively established the company that would eventually become one of the biggest mobile phone manufacturers known for its design, OEM branded equipment and its trademarked user interface in the world. Yes, HTC.
History
The project was not successful at first which led to the consumption of large amount of capital. Disaster was almost inevitable. But, the family riches came to rescue for Cher Wang. Cher Mi Wang had to pour in a lot of her own wealth into the company to develop a solid engineering and designing team. Also, a new course was set, and HTC agreed to develop products for other brands. This bet paid off and today, the company boasts of an innovative and productive team that comes up with mobile devices that are refined, sophisticated, contemporary and practical. HTC has always been different from other mobile device manufacturing companies.
Cher Wang
Rather than resorting to flashy promotion campaigns, HTC quietly edged out its competition by adopting a new slogan. The masterstroke came with the motto – Quietly Brilliant – which bestowed the image of a simple yet excellent company. This transit gave birth to the new and more successful HTC!
Later on through the years, the company is attributed with creating the first Android smartphone, the first Microsoft-powered smartphone (2002), and the first Microsoft 3G phone (2005). Their first major product, one of the world’s first touch-screen smartphones, arrived in 2000.
First of the First
HTC is credited with releasing some of the first techs that are now being used by a majority of the world population now. Some of which are
Introduces first Microsoft Smart Music Phone (2004): Pocketable phone, business tool, PDA, WiFi hotspot surfing buddy and MP3 player, camera phone, streaming video player and GSM world phone. Yes, the phone fitted all of this into a device of reasonably modest proportions, and it weighs only 3.74 ounces. Like most PDA phones and Smartphones that ran Windows Mobile 5.0, the SDA came from ODM HTC in Taiwan and codenamed to the HTC Tornado. The first of its kind!
First Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone made by HTC (2005): It was the first 3G/UMTS-enabled Pocket PC phone, and also the first to come with Windows Mobile 5.0 pre-installed. The most eye-catching feature of this device was the 180-degree swivel screen, allowing a swift interchange between portrait mode and landscape mode. The GUI automatically adjusts screen orientation accordingly.
Releases world’s first Android phone, the HTC Dream (2008): First released in October 2008, the Dream was the first commercially released device to used the Linux-based Android operating system, which was purchased and further improved by Google.
The operating system offered a customizable graphical user interface, integration with Google services such as Gmail, a notification system that showed a list of recent messages pushed from apps, and Android Market for downloading additional apps. While the Dream was commended for its solid and robust hardware design, the introduction of the Android operating system was met with objection for its lack of specific functionality and third-party software in comparison to more established platforms. But, in spite of its shortcomings, Android OS was still considered to be innovative due to its open nature, notifications system and massive integration with Google’s services.
Launches the HTC Evo 4G- the first 4G phone in the US (2010): The HTC Evo 4G was a smartphone developed by HTC Corporation and was marketed as Sprint’s flagship Android smartphone, which ran on its WiMAX network. The smartphone was released on June 4, 2010 and was the first 4G enabled smartphone released in the United States.
Controversies and Legal Affairs
In March 2010, Apple filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission claiming infringement of 20 of its patents including features of the iPhone user interface and hardware by HTC. HTC objected with Apple’s actions and restated its commitment to creating innovative smartphones. HTC also filed a charge against Apple for infringing on 5 of its patents and tried to ban the import of Apple products into the US from manufacturing plants in Asia. Apple extended its original complaint by adding two more patents.
On November 10, 2012, Apple and HTC arrived at a 10-year license agreement covering current and future patents held by the two companies. The terms of the agreement remain classified.
In February 2013, HTC decided with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission concerning lax security on more than 18 million smartphones and tablets it had shipped to customers and agreed to security patches.
Products
HTC, which stands for High Tech Company, has been making smartphones longer than almost anyone. Years ago, it made a business out of creating Windows Mobile devices that were rebranded by AT&T and other companies, but thanks to its early support of Android with the T-Mobile G1 and Google Nexus One, HTC has risen to stardom, becoming a brand of its own and rivaling mobile industry veterans like Motorola and Samsung.
This year, HTC came out with a variety of products like HTC One M9+, HTC One ME, Desire 826, and much more. Each phone has different features and appeals to its masses effectively.
HTC unveiled its first high-performance, smart fitness tracker, the GPS-enabled HTC Grip™ in March.
Powered by UA Record, the new health and fitness network from Under Armour designed for athletes and fitness enthusiasts, Grip fuses HTC’s renowned design with powerful, accurate tracking across a range of sports and activities, allowing athletes to set personal goals, then smash them. Indeed, a different innovation by HTC!
Now
HTC’s brilliance and excellence are further strengthened by its long-standing partnership with Microsoft. HTC has been slowly but surely helping Microsoft capture the mobile telecommunication industry by advancing to unique and efficient operating systems. Today, HTC is seamlessly poised to overhaul other Chinese mobile telecom device manufacturing companies, including Lenovo and Haier. HTC concentrates on value-addition and modification. The company has demonstrated time and again that self-confidence, ambition and drive are what make it different and unique. These have been the stepping stones to international repute.
John Abraham Becomes HTC’s Brand Evangelist
HTC shines by the power of innovation. It built HTC’s Magic Labs, a Center for developing innovative breakthrough outcomes guaranteed to improve the world of technology in the years to come. HTC understands that success starts where it ends – with the customer. Even today, every device is worked to suit customer’s multiple needs. This is truly inspirational for companies that want to make customer service an art form. The first successful step in this endeavor was becoming the leader in the production of the more and more popular Windows Mobile smartphones.
It is impossible to overlook the fact that mobile cameras have changed a lot in the last few years. Far before the now memorialized words of “Let me take a Selfie,” having a camera in your back pocket or purse was something most of us took for granted. But just how far have mobile cameras actually come, and where are they headed in the future?
The first instant camera was made back in 1923. But, it wasn’t until 1948 that these devices gained popularity when the Polaroid camera came out, enabling the user to print instantly a photo in less than a minute.
But that was just it. Enter Willard Boyle and George Smith, who invented the CCD Chip (Charge-Coupled Device Chip), which paved the way for digital cameras in 1969.
CCD Chip
However, it wasn’t until 1981 that a commercially available version would hit the market in the form of the Sony Mavica. This monster of a camera let users save up to 50 images on a video floppy disk and view them on a television screen. It paved the way for digital cameras to go mainstream, and it changed how photography would be perceived both literally and metaphorically.
The First Camera Phone
Just as digital cameras began to rise in popularity, cell phone manufacturers could not help but notice the rising trend. In 2000, Sharp produced the J-SH04, the very first phone with an inbuilt camera. It was a 0.1MP camera and was priced at $500.
Sharp J-SH04
This device became so popular that within two years, Sharp’s device served 40% of J-Phone users around the world. American phone businesses took note of the phone’s success and brought the technology to the U.S. in 2002, in the form Sanyo 5300 flip phones. The camera phone wars had officially begun.
The Second Camera Phone
It was November 2002 before the U.S. embraced the crazy Japanese trend with the Sanyo SCP-5300 handset. It costed $400, and it highlighted a chunky clamshell design.
Sanyo SCP-5300
With a 0.3MP capability, it could capture shots at 640 x 480 pixels.The Sanyo SCP-5300 also had a basic flash, white balance control, self-timer, digital zoom, and several filter effects like sepia, black and white, and negative colors.
By the end of 2004 the camera phone was riding high. Over half of the phones sold worldwide had cameras in them in the first nine months of 2004, and two-thirds of all the phones shipped in the third quarter were camera phones. Leading the way was the Finnish manufacturer, Nokia.
Nokia Battles Its Way To The Top
Nokia released the N90 in 2005, thus landing the camera phones to new heights. It featured a 2MP camera, along with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, and an LED flash. It instantly became famous because the rotating screen gave a feel of a camcorder.
But, Nokia was not the only one who was reaching new heights of mobile cameras. Sony Ericsson’s K800i that was released in 2006 had a 3.2MP camera with auto-focus, image stabilization, and a Xenon flash. Naturally, Nokia countered with models like the 3.2MP N73, but in 2007 the feature phone reached its zenith.
Sony Ericsson’s K800i that was released in 2006 had a 3.2MP camera. Later, Nokia countered with models like the 3.2MP N73.
Nokia 95 was the first phone to feature a 5MP camera with the Carl Zeiss lens. It took excellent photos, and it could record video at 30 frames-per-second. In fact, 5MP remained as a high-end standard for several years. Sadly for Nokia, the smartphone debacle was just around the corner, and a good camera would not be adequate to keep Nokia on the rise.
Next In Line, Samsung and LG
In 2008, the Samsung i8510, also known as the INNOV8, held the first 8MP camera to hit the market, but in design terms, it looked like part of Nokia’s N range, which were getting steadily less popular.
Sample Photo using a Samsung i8510
Nokia followed suit with the N86, but it was LG that released the first touchscreen camera phone with an 8MP camera. It was called the LG Renoir.
The competition for megapixels proceeded, and Samsung hit 12MP first with the M8910 Pixon12 in 2009. It was soon surpassed by Nokia’s N8 in 2010 and the 16MP Sony Ericsson S006 at the end of the year.
The Rise Of Software Features For Cameras
Google gave Photosphere; Apple came out with Panorama mode, even BlackBerry came out with TimeShift. We have seen a lot of filters and effects mixed into various mobile platforms and are proving great for people who click photos in a not-so-normal perspective.
Shot by David K. in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as a part of Shot on iPhone 6 campaign
Camera Phones are not just developing the sensors and resolutions. They are also improving on the lenses, flashes, focussing capabilities and zooming capabilities too.
Apple’s Autofocus feature
We are observing today the acceptance of xenon flash, Dual-LED flash, Carl-Zeiss lens on camera phones. Camera phone hardware is bettering the hardware specs of stand-alone digital cameras. With the improved availability of raw processing power, location-awareness and the brilliant touchscreen displays, today’s camera phone’s are equipped to manipulate blink-detection, face-detection, smile-detection, touch-focus (sheer ability to focus on a particular spot on the frame by just tapping the touch-screen), Geo-tagging (thanks to GPS capabilities), Image stabilizer, Video Stabilizer, HD image resolutions, 4K Video Recording and much more.
We should talk about the full-HD Video recording capabilities that are made possible now. Optical Zoom and stand-alone camera capability (using a camera while the phone is switched off) are getting upgraded as well. In a new experiment, we mounted the Moto Turbo on a drone and got phenomenal results.
As smartphones become universal, they are quickly replacing traditional point-and-shoot cameras as the go-to devices for capturing quick photos. But not all smartphone cameras are designed equally. The iPhone 6 Plus, for example, has extremely fast autofocus and a dual-LED flash, and the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active can withstand dunks underwater and drops to the ground. In a high-tech world driven by steady consumer demand for bigger and better, it will be exciting to see where our tech will take us next!
Let us look at some of the brilliant iPhone photography that may give professional photographers a run for their money.
Shot by Brendan Ó. in Copenhagen, Denmark
Shot by Renee M. in Union City, CaliforniaShot by Satoshi H. in Tokyo, JapanShot by Dudley W. in Glen Etive, ScotlandShot by Robyn W. in Corvallis, Oregon
You can check out more of these amazing photographs here.