Samsung’s Indian arm announced the flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 edge smartphones for Indian markets today. Samsung’s new flagships for 2016 come bearing a similar design scheme and slightly bumped up specs when compared to the Galaxy S6 range of devices from last year.
The S7 and S7 edge which have been priced at Rs 48,900 and Rs 56,900 in India are being positioned as devices for an audience that values premium features and services over increased cost. Samsung in a bid to increase its profit margins has over the past couple of years tried to position its Galaxy S series range as devices which are more than just phones but are in fact status symbols.
In a continuation of this strategy, Samsung India has decided to launch the Galaxy S7 range of devices with the “Samsung Concierge Service.” It is essentially a platform that provides the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners a set of exclusive and premium services which are deeply integrated into the My Galaxy app.
Samsung’s Concierge service which has been rolled out for the premium S7 and S7 edge owners is Samsung’s way of raising customer service to another level and brings with it four unique benefits.
My assistant
This feature of the Samsung Concierge service works as a personal assistant, helping you with daily tasks such as booking tickets for movies, web check-ins, and amongst other things arrange for pick up and drop services.
Fast track service
Samsung has revealed that under the Samsung Concierge service platform, owners of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge will get preference at thousands of Samsung service centers over other Samsung devices, thereby putting an end to waiting for your turn at service centers if you’ve spent money on Samsung’s flagship devices. Pick up and drop Service
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge owners can avail benefits of pick and drop service in case their phone needs servicing. The particular service, for now, is available across 19 cities in India, and the service also includes providing a replacement handset at your door in case one is needed.
Live chat
It is an intuitive chat based service where owners of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge can have access to Samsung representatives 24×7 for any queries they might have regarding their phones.
With Samsung and LG having unveiled their flagship devices at the MWC last month, we now turn our attention back to Apple and its much-rumoured iPhone 7. According to recent reports, Apple submitted a patent application published in January which tells us that the Cupertino giant is working on a dual-lens camera setup for the high-end version of the iPhone 7, possibly the iPhone 7 Plus.
iPhone 7 Dual-Lens Concept
According to the patent, the UI of the camera will show a split-screen view, in which one screen will show a wide-angle shot, and the other will be a zoomed in shot of the subject. The patent shows a dual-camera system that consists of one standard wide-angle lens and one telephoto lens to capture zoomed-in photos and videos.
The lenses can be used simultaneously to take separate photos and videos while Apple software merges the images together in unique ways. Using a lens with a large focal length would also mean that the zoomed in shots will not lose detail and will remain crisp and clear.
MacRumors videographer Matt Gonzalez created a video based on the information from the patent to show an animated concept of what the iPhone 7’s dual lens camera could look likeand how best Apple can utilize this feature.
This of course, is merely a speculation and there is no confirmation that the patent will ever see light of day. However, this rumour is among the most possible features that you can expect from the iPhone 7. With smartphone camera becoming one of the most important features today, and phone makers like Samsung introducing next-gen camera technology, Apple will need to up its game and bring something unique to its camera with the iPhone 7 or suffer the consequence.
We have just come off the recent Mobile World Congress where names like Samsung, LG, and Xiaomi unveiled their flagship devices. Those who followed the unveiling closely will have noticed that the one common trait between the three flagship devices – Galaxy S7, LG G5 and Mi 5 – are that they all featured new and improved camera technology.
Apple has been among the top when it comes to having an exceptional camera in its smartphone. The iPhone 6s that was launched in September, 2015, came with a 12MP f/2.2 rear sensor. But Samsung, with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, intorduced a new Dual Pixel Technology inside its flagship. Apple has more than enough means to make the above patent a reality. We’ll just have to wait and see how it pans out as we approach closer to September.
Amidst much fanfare, Samsung has launched its top of the line, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge devices in India today. The flagship phones on which Samsung is resting a lot of hope will hit Indian markets from 17th of March, 2016 for a price of Rs 48,900 for the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge will start retail for Rs 56,900. Pre-bookings for the phones begins from today. Samsung has also announced that it’s throwing in a free Gear VR headset on all pre-bookings. The phones will be available in three color options, Black Onyx, Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium.
Samsung’s latest S series phones come with a promise of great performance and best in market specs all draped in a beautiful metal frame covered by Gorilla Glass 4 at the front and back. Both these phones are an extension of a growing effort by Samsung to bring phones with more than just great internals to the market, as it wants the consumers to “rethink what phones can do”.
The Galaxy S7 comes equipped with a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display(1440 x 2560), while the more premium S7 edge brings to the users a beautiful 5.5-inch curved Quad HD display(1440 x 2560) which effortlessly melts into the phone’s metal frame to create an elegant looking device. Samsung has decided to bump up the battery on the phones, with the S7 getting a 3000mAh battery pack while the S7 edge getting an upgraded 3600mAh battery.
Both the phones share the rest of the specs including the on board Exynos 8890 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB internal storage. Both the S7 and S7 Edge feature ‘Dual Pixel’ cameras with 12MP f/1.7 aperture rear camera for better low-light photography and a 5MP front which might just see Samsung dominating the camera department this year.
Both the devices also come with an Always-On display which consumes less than 1% power per hour. The phones come with IP68 rating and are dust and water-proof. The phones also come with a liquid cooling setup to keep the S7 and S7 edge cool during those long gaming sessions. The S7 series also brings with it the Vulkan API and a dedicated “Game Launcher” for an unparalleled gaming experience on a mobile device.
Moving over to the design, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge follow the same design language as their S6 counterparts. The S6 devices of last year were beautifully crafted phones and Samsung made a smart move not to change that. Only the standard 5.1-inch S7 will have a curved edge at the back rather than a flat one seen on in the S6. Samsung hasn’t changed the exteriors too much but has simply refined it. It has added a MicroSD tray, and also reduced the camera bump at the back by 1.25mm in a bid to maintain a sleek profile.
Samsung and LG both unveiled their flagship Galaxy S7 and G5 devices at the MWC last month. Samsung today launched the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in India at a price of Rs 48,900 and Rs 56,900, respectively. Meanwhile, LG is reportedly going to launch the G5 by the end of July.
Samsung wanted to keep the design language of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge similar to its S6 counterparts from last year, only adding a MicrosSD card slot, a curved edge at the back on the Galaxy S7, and next-gen specifications. LG went with a radical new modular design with the G5 and packs some serious under the hood specifications.
Samsung’s Galaxy S7 arrived with pretty much the same design language as the S6 only adds a curved edge at the back and a MicroSD and slot. It’s an evolution on its predecessor, adding only what was missing in the S6 and nothing more. That being said, the S7 still doesn’t come with a USB Type-C port, which was highly expected this time around. The metal is made of a stronger alloy than the S6 and the rounded edges give a smoother feel. The S7 comes with slimmer bezels and narrower body.
The 5.1-inch S7 Super AMOLED display with Quad HD resolution. Two SoC configurations are offered – one being the new Exynos 8890 and the other being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820. The device comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage and a bigger 3000mAh battery as compared to its predecessor. A fingerprint sensor is housed in the home button and the phone also features an Always On display and is IP68 certified which means it is dust-proof and water resistant up to 1.5 meters. The S7 does not, however, offer a USB Type-C port but rather sticks with the traditional Micro USB port.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Plus had incredible cameras that won last year. Both the S7 and S7 Edge employs a ‘Dual Pixel’ image sensor with a 12MP and a large f/1.7 aperture rear camera and a 5MP front. Samsung has boasted of exceptional low-light captures with the Galaxy S7 devices, and it may just dominate the camera department once again this year.
The new sensor allows the device to capture images quickly while ensuring exceptional image quality, regardless of lighting conditions. Samsung has boasted of exceptional low-light captures with the Galaxy S7 devices, and it may just dominate the camera department once again this year. Other camera features include Motion Panorama and Selfie Flash.
The LG G5, on the other hand, comes packing a primary 5.3-inch QHD LCD display with 3D Arc Glass on top. It also comes with an Always On feature that lights up the display for access to important updates. The phone’s construction is full metal unibody and is powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable by up to 200GB with microSD cards. The device offers a USB Type-C port that allows for faster charging.
When it comes to photography, the phone is equipped with dual cameras at the back. A standard 16-megapixel 78-degree lens and another 8-megapixel 135-degree wide angle lens. The LG G5 features a front-facing 8-megapixel camera too for clicking selfies.
LG has worked hard on the modular design language of the phone. The G5 has a full metal body and comes with impressive specifications but the what sets the phone apart from its competition is the fact that it comes with modular attachments which can be utilised to enhance the camera and battery of the phone. Over to the back, you can see the dual camera module and a rounded fingerprint sensor below it.
Some early AnTuTu benchmark tests show the G5 shattering all records, scoring over the Galaxy S7 by quite a margin. The G5 scores above 130,000 whereas the Galaxy S7 hovers around 110,000 mark.
Check out the spec table for both the devices below to have a better look. Let us know which device is your winner in the comments below.
Specs
Galaxy S7
LG G5
Display
5.1-inch Super AMOLED Quad HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5
5.3-inch screen Quad HD IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4
Samsung is all set to launch its much-awaited Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge phones for markets in India at a press event in Delhi which will start at 12 in the afternoon on 8th of March,2016. Going into 2016, India remains an important market for the South Korean tech giant, and as such a lot is riding on the duo of flagship phones whose pricing for India will be announced tomorrow.
The Galaxy S series devices which are the best that Samsung has to offer brings to its fans this year the S7 and S7 edge smartphones that are high on specs and look beautiful when it comes to design. Both the phones share under-the-hood specs such as the on board Snapdragon 820/Exynos 8890 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB internal storage but differ when it comes to the display size which goes up from 5.1-inch QHD present on the S7 to 5.5-inch QHD found on the S7 edge. The latter also comes packing a 3600mAh battery, while the former is equipped with a 3000mAh pack.
Watch the live stream of the launch event for India here.
We’re only a day away from the launch of Samsung’s newest flagship Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones in India. The devices were unveiled at the MWC last month and will finally make its way to Indian markets tomorrow. As we gear up for the launch and keep our wallets ready, here are some things that you need to know about the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.
Galaxy S6 vs S7: What’s Changed?
2015 was a spectacular year for Samsung. The Korean giant launched the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones that redefined what a premium smartphone should look and feel like. The Galaxy S6 was praised for its brilliant design language that brought together glass and metal to form a beautiful piece of machinery. Add to this, the S6 came with top-of-the-line specifications including a brilliant camera sensor.
With so much that was done right with the Galaxy S6, it’s not surprising that Samsung decided to stick to the same design language with the successor, Galaxy S7. The new flagship retains the looks, adds a MicroSD card slot, and packs next-gen specifications. But what the S7 also adds is a curved edge at the back that exquisitely blends into the metal frame and gives a great looking shape as well as improves the grip.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S6 Edge took things to the next level with a curved dual edge display along with a 5.1-inch screen that brought a brand new aesthetics. The S7 Edge features the same dual edge design but on a bigger 5.5-inch form factor and comes with a QHD Super AMOLED display with a pixel density of 534 ppi compared to the 5.1-inch QHD 577 ppi screen that we saw on the S6 Edge.
The phone also comes with more rounded edges which combined with the rounded edges at the back provides for a far better grip to the user. Samsung claims it has made the camera nearly level in the S7 Edge which carries forward the premium glass and metal design scheme of the S6 Edge while incorporating IP68 waterproofing and dust resistance capabilities.
Seeing as how the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are the new flagship devices, it was expected to come with improved specifications. Samsung did well to listen to its fans, improving in areas where it failed with the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. One of the biggest concerns regarding last year’s flagships, especially the Galaxy S6 Edge, was the battery. The Galaxy S6 packed a 2550mAh battery while the S6 Edge had a measly 2600mAh battery pack.
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, on the other hand, come with larger batteries which are a sigh of relief for Samsung fans all over. The Galaxy S7 packs a 3000mAh battery while the ‘edge’ version features a huge 3600mAh battery which is a 1000mAh bump compared to the Galaxy S6 Edge.
Galaxy S6 – 2550mAh
Galaxy S7 – 3000mAh
Galaxy S6 Edge – 2600mAh
Galaxy S7 Edge – 3600mAh
Improved Camera with Dual Pixel Technology
Among the bumped up specs inside the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, one new technology that grabbed everyone’s attention at the MWC was the new Dual Pixel technology employed in the rear camera.
The Dual Pixel, essentially, is an improvement or a natural evolution from the Phase-Detection Auto-Focus technology used by many other smartphones. Firstly, Samsung downgraded from 16MP found in the S6 to 12MP in the S7. The decision to do this was to focus more on quality rather than quantity. The 12MP sensor brings 56% bigger individual pixels with1.4um pixels as compared to the S6.
The S7 comes with a wider f/1.7 aperture (the S6 had a f/1.9 aperture) that allows for a lot more light to come in, 25% more to be more accurate. This results in great low-light captures that are sharp and colourful. Much like the human eye, the Dual Pixel technology sends light from the lens to two image sensors separately to adjust the focus.
Price
Sources close to iGyaan have revealed the pricing details of the upcoming set of phones which will start retailing in the country at Rs 55,000 for the regular Galaxy S7, while the more premium Galaxy S7 Edge with a curved display and bigger battery will hit stores with a price tag of Rs 64,000 in Indian markets. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge were launched in April last year priced at Rs 49,900 and Rs 58,900, respectively. Availability of the devices will be known at the launch tomorrow.
Battery woes have slowly, but surely, become the Achilles heel of power hungry smartphones of today. For all the great powers that these mini computers possess, none of it is of any good if they run out of juice, and then take ages to charge again, crippling your productivity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOeaaRalAOo
iTron, a Kickstarter project, which proudly calls itself “the world’s fastest recharging portable battery” promises to save the day for all power hungry smartphones around the world, with the speed of the Flash. The hardware here is a geek’s delight that sees a portable charger/dock that employs proprietary technology to charge the 9000mAh iTron in 18 just minutes.
To put things in perspective, it can store enough power in its kitty to charge an iPhone 6(1800mAh) on the go in just about three odd minutes. The iTron comes with 3 USB ports to charge multiple devices at a time, and also comes with fast charging support for QC 2.0 compatible phones. Additionally, the iTron promises to be good for at least 1000 recharge cycles and is claimed to have been made with safety in mind as it comes with eight protection mechanisms.
The project is in its last stage of funding, and the product is expected to be up for sale starting May 2016 for a price of around $150( Approx Rs 10,000).
Sennheiser has always tried to remain at the very top of the game when it comes to providing perfect sound and style for music lovers out there. Its Momentum range has seen some of the best headphones ever produced by the company, being lauded for its sound quality and design. Now, Sennheiser wants to take it further with its next generation Momentum range that includes Momentum M2 On Ear, Momentum M2 Over Ear, Momentum Wireless On Ear and Momentum Wireless Over Ear.
The new range launched in India start from a price tag of Rs 15,990 and move upwards. The new range promises high-resolution sound supported by a lightweight, minimalistic design language.
Commenting on the launch Mr. Kapil Gulati, Director, Consumer Segment, Sennheiser, said, “Keeping the young generation in mind, Sennheiser wanted to offer a confluence of style and technology to the always moving and performance driven audience….Thus we are thrilled to announce the MOMENTUM range, which brings the same level of passion and innovation to headphones, delivering the ultimate music MOMENTUM experience on the go.“
Momentum Wireless Over Ear and On Ear
Sennheiser’s Momentum Wireless over ear and On ear combine performance with active noise cancellation for those who don’t want to be restricted by wires. Bluetooth wireless technology and NoiseGard Hybrid active noise cancellation both work together to provide you with the high-definition, ambient noise with the freedom of mobility. Both headphones also features VoiceMax microphone for crystal-clear conversations without the need of an external microphone. The Momentum Wireless Over Ear and On Ear are both available in 2 colour variants – Black and Ivory.
Momentum M2 Over Ear and On Ear
The M2 series come with more intricate detail than before. These headphones have a premium feel to it with stainless steel sliders, luxurious leather covering and newly designed ear cushions. The in-line remote lets you control phone calls, music and volume and the headphone is compatible with Apple and Android devices as well. The M2 Over Ear is available in Black and Ivory colour options.
Meanwhile, the M2 On Ear boasts of a powerful bass line, delivering clear, detailed sound. The slightly curved profile of the headband as well as high-class materials like Alcantara make for enhanced wearing comfort. The curved 3.5mm stereo jack is optimized for mobile devices.
Pricing and Availability
The Momentum Wireless Over Ear is priced at Rs. 34,990/-
The Momentum Wireless On Ear is priced at Rs. 27,990/-
The Momentum M2 Over Ear is priced at Rs. 24,990/-
The Momentum M2 On Ear is priced at Rs. 15,990/-
The Sennheiser e-store lets you check out and buy these headphones anytime and from anywhere.
One of the biggest names in drone manufacturing, DJI, has taken the veil off the Phantom 4, and it brings with it a host of cool features to make it a consumer favorite. The China-based company already controls 70% of the drone market, and with this new autonomous drone that will retail for $1399(Approx Rs 95,000) DJI only expects its market position to grow only stronger.
The Phantom 4 houses within its body 4 new sensors that allow it to detect objects up to 50 feet away, and makes it capable of being aware of its surroundings and avoid crashes by stopping before impact. The DJI Phantom 4 can also be programmed to stick to a particular path without input from the pilot.
New modes such as the “Tap Fly” provides the user with the functionality to send destination directions to the drone by tapping on the live view display. Another amazing feature added to the Phantom 4 is “Active Track.” Using this feature, the pilot can touch on a target upon which the drone will recognize the person or object and track it in flight using the camera automatically.
The Phantom 4 also comes with an improved design which helps it go faster without the rotors getting in the shot and a sport mode that allows the drone to move at faster speeds.
With the Phantom 4, DJI has tried to create a drone that learns from its predecessors and comes to the market as a product which with the use of its computerized vision software and onboard sensors tries to minimize the chance of human error from the equation. The Phantom 4 can essentially pilot itself, rather than being dependent on the user for every single action and hence makes for a brilliant choice if you’re looking to get yourself a new drone.
This year, we’ve already seen some brand new smartphone launches that are ready to take the crown for 2016. Most flagship devices that you will see this year will feature Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 chipset. Meanwhile, Apple launched the iPhone 6s late last year with the A9 chipset. Consumers are already spoilt for choice with the number of new, beautifully crafted smartphones but what they really want to know is which chipset takes the cake when it comes to performance.
AnTuTu updated its list of Top-10 performance smartphone chips and it appears that the Snapdragon 820 chip beats all, taking first spot in both performance and GPU tests. The Snapdragon 820 scores 136,383, which is close to 4000 higher than that of Apple A9, while Samsung’s Exynos 8890 chip comes in at third with 129,865. Note that these scores are based on averages and actual running results will be different.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820-powered smartphones include Samsung Galaxy S7, LeEco Max Pro, Xiaomi Mi5, LG G5, Sony Xperia X Performance, among others.
In GPU performance as well, the Snapdragon 820 chipset rules the lot, scoring an impressive 55098 which is miles ahead of Apple A9’s 39104. The Exynos 8890, again, comes in at third with a score of 37545. Over the past few years, smartphone makers have been paying a lot of importance to GPU performance. After all, mobile gaming is a huge market of its own and has slowly become an important aspect when consumers consider purchasing a smartphone.
The Snapdragon 820 chip currently has the highest-performing GPU (Adreno 530). While Apple’s A9 (PowerVR GT7600) and Samsung’s Exynos 8890 (Mali-T880 MP12) battle for the second place, HiSilicon Kirin 950 (Mali-T880 MP4) doesn’t fare too well and stays low alongside Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 (Adreno418) and Snapdragon 652 (Adreno510).
It’s also important to note that the GPU directly relates to screen resolution. Since most phones these days offer 1080p, and 2K resolution, it requires a powerful GPU to allow users to get the most experience out of their smartphone’s display. But GPU and CPU alone aren’t enough to tell you about how a smartphone will perform.
In hand use is the best way to judge what the phone offers the user. Apple may have scored low with the A9 chip, but it still gives a terrific performance. Similarly, the Exynos 8890 also performs impressively, which is probably why Samsung may launch both it and Snapdragon 820 variants in the Indian market when the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge launch tomorrow.
The HTC One M10 now belongs to the list of worst kept tech secrets. The phone has been leaked and rendered all over the internet. A press render of the next HTC One flagship has been leaked by Venture Beat’s Evan Blass aka @eveleaks
This all happened right after @onleaks started a leaking spree of the actual handset and Antutu benchmark scores that pin the device at 109,936 points on the famous benchmark app. This all leaked along with the following information : 5.15″ QHD / SD820 / Adreno 530 / 4GB RAM / 12MP / USB Type-C. Which means that HTC might finally be on the right track as far as specs are concerned, and we also see a home button fingerprint scanner like last year. Now let us hope that HTC gets the pricing right and makes 2016 a year for recovery and not its demise.
Just as the day unfolds, Samsung India has confirmed the launch of its two new flagships the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in the country on 8th of March. Rumors that pointed us to a launch prior to 10th of March were clearly on track.
The Korean giant rests its year-long launches on the powerful flagships it launches each year beginning. The Samsung Galaxy S6, the Galaxy S6 Edge, and Galaxy S6 Edge Plus paved the way for Samsung in 2015, and the company wants to start quickly with the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge.
Price wise it seems that the corporation may have to deal with many a grunt when the phones, which now offer expandable storage, may be launched close to the Rs. 60k price bracket. (let the kidney jokes begin).
It is also expected that Samsung India may launch both the Exynos and Snapdragon variants in India, in an attempt to woo customers that have in the past complained that the Korean Electronics manufacturer launches crippled handsets in the country.
In the meanwhile, you can watch our hands-on video.
Flash back five years and Bitcoin, the crypto-currency that so tantalized techies and excited investors were on the rise, but it is a completely different state of affairs today for this digital currency of the future. Its core community is at war with each other and ordinary consumers still don’t care about this supposedly revolutionary form of money.
Now making things more difficult for Bitcoin, the currency is facing a new issue which could spell doom for its existence. As of now, time taken for Bitcoin transactions to be processed has increased dramatically resulting in funds being stranded, and organizations are not accepting transactions in the cryptocurrency.
The current problem is not something that has hit the community out of the blue, as many within the community who use or work on the currency have been pointing out this looming issue for some time. The problem relates to how transactions are processed on the Bitcoin system, the decentralized, distributed ledger technology that manages transactions of the currency.
Bitcoin’s design which is capable of processing at best only seven transactions per second hit its capacity limit, leading to a backlog of stranded transactions being built up. Currently, there were about 20,000 Bitcoin transactions waiting to be processed.
The Bitcoin currency transaction design is as such that many of these transactions will go faster than other, depending on how much the transaction is deemed worth of in monetary terms. Transactions on Bitcoin can be put ahead in a que by adding a fee to the Bitcoin transaction, essentially meaning that those who didn’t pay such a fee or a sufficiently big fee may have to wait hours and in the current situation days for a transaction to complete.
Bitcoin’s overall capacity has hence become a major problem for its existence. Stopgap measures to increase the capacity have been suggested and implementation of it might hardly be months away, but will only delay the inevitable.If things have to be fixed, then the voices coming from the user community needs to be heard and a radical rethink of the currency’s design needs to be looked at.
A source close to iGyaan, who have been accurate in the past, state that LG’s newest modular flagship smartphone, the G5, will launch in India by the end of July. The G5 has been said to cost around Rs. 59,000 when it hits the Indian market. Meanwhile, the modules for the G5, called Friends, will also reach the Indian market. The LG Cam Plus camera grip will be priced at Rs 9,000 while the Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play module will cost Rs 14,999.
On the specifications front, the LG G5 comes packing a primary 5.3-inch QHD LCD display with 3D Arc Glass on top. It also has a cool Always-on feature that lights up the display for access to important updates. The phone’s construction is full metal unibody and is powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset, paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, expandable by upto 2TB with microSD cards.
When it comes to photography, the phone is equipped with dual cameras at the back. A standard 16-megapixel 78-degree lens and another 8-megapixel 135-degree wide angle lens. The LG G5 features a front-facing 8-megapixel camera too for clicking selfies.
LG G5 comes packing a 2,800mAh removable battery with Quick Charge 3.0, and when it comes to connectivity it gives users options such as Bluetooth 4.2, NFC and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. The smartphone also features USB Type-C 2.0 port. The G5 runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with LG’s custom UI on top. The G5 will be available in four different colors, silver, gold, pink and silver.
LG-G5 CAM-Plus
The company also announced modular accessories for the phone at the launch. Most interesting of the lot was the LG Cam Plus module which can be attached to the G5 through the battery slot giving the user “comfortable grip and convenient control of a DSLR” for better imaging and also adds to the battery of the phone taking the capacity up to 4000mAh.
Next is the Hi-Fi Plus with B&O Play module. This is a Hi-Fi DAC audio player which is perfect for audiophiles. It can also play high-definition audio files encoded in 32-bit at 384KHz.
Technology today is improving at a rapid pace. A quick look at our workplaces and homes would reveal that many things that we take for granted today were not possible 10 years ago even after the concerted efforts of the best tech minds.
As digital technology continues to grow deep into every into every aspect of our daily lives, It’s only a matter of time before it starts to replace our plain old visual experiences with something a little more engrossing, and here is where the Augmented Reality(AR) will find its opportunity.
The concept of Augmented Reality was coined In 1992 by researcher Tom Caudell .It’s an experience that supplements the real world with a virtual layer of extra information. It is the seamless blending of virtual reality and real life which when executed correctly creates content that blends in with the real world. With Augmented Reality, users are able to interact with virtual contents in the real world, while being able to distinguish between the two at all times.
Virtual Reality’s lesser loved cousin, Augmented reality, has been around for some time now and has in the past tried to find real world applications in Defence, Healthcare, and Education sectors. But unlike the former the tech industry has yet to come up with a concrete plan to unleash its full potential and increase its reach while keeping costs down, but all that is about to change very soon.
2016, as many analysts predict, might be the year for Virtual Reality, but AR is making solid strides towards walking hand in hand, if not over taking it. Microsoft HoloLens, Meta 2, Project Tango are but a few ideas that the tech industry has in mind to bring Augmented Reality to the mainstream.
Microsoft’s take on AR is the hologram-themed augmented reality glass which to quite an extent is the true augmented reality concept that will, ideally, have wearers interact with screens and full-color virtual objects wherever they are. This tech will blur the lines between real and virtual, merging them seamlessly into one to enrich the experience of our daily lives with extra content.
Though the HoloLens project is still at a nascent stage, demos reveal users fixing light switches with the help of virtual assistants through the Skype AR app. The HoloLens also allows you to take an augmented-reality trip to Mars, seeing what a rover might see, projected entirely on the floor in front of you.
Another AR project, Meta, in its second iteration will look to replace monitors from your life.This move if carried out correctly will be both economical and productive. It can also usher in a new era of privacy and security allowing a user secure viewing of content while still being around people. Meta has the capability to produce an infinite number of tabs and screens working at the same time all in front of you like images on a wall with the only bottleneck being your own field of view.
Most promising of the upcoming lot though is the Magic Leap project. The industry estimates this idea to be so big that they have already managed to secure $1.4 Billion in funding at a Kickstarter level, and is already valued at $4.5 Billion. The Magic Leap head mounted device will use a camera to show you the room or environment you’re already in but seamlessly layering in computer-generated objects which would suddenly see a dragon breaking through the wall, or the user fighting a Pokemon battle in the middle of the room against another friend in the room.
Several other uses of Augmented reality are also being explored in the form of Google’s Project Tango which can draw 3-D maps of a room the user is in and detail how a piece of custom furniture or a new wall running through it look in it.
Augmented reality is full of potential, and these are but a few of the applications of this budding technology. Industry big shots believe that AR has more of a potential that VR and could outgrow VR significantly in the coming years. With hardware finally mature enough to support the dream of Augmented Reality many suggest the future might be closer than we think. A future more exciting and fun than you and us could even dream of right now.
