We have an exciting week ahead of us. In the next few days we’re officially going to see the arrival of OnePlus 2, Moto G (Gen 3) and an ultra budget smartphone by Micromax. Kicking off the week, however, is the new Android One phone, on the block.
We now have information that at noon today, Lava will unveil the Pixel V1. The smartphone is said to arrive with a 5.5-inch 720p display and powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm processor.
To take care of the camera needs, will be a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP secondary camera. The device will come with 32GB of storage space and is expected to be priced between Rs. 10-12K.
Other than that, reports online also mention the presence of a 2,650mAh battery, and the use of Android 5.1.1 – which is expected as it is an Android One device.
The Android One initiative, which was announced at Google I/O last year, is Google’s direct link to the lower-end consumers. The biggest issue with the Android platform is high levels of fragmentation, devices running older versions of the OS are still available for sale in the market. With the lessons learnt by this initiative, the Android team may be able to provide a better integration of its OS across devices.
In the past we haven’t seen worthy devices by this initiative, however it looks like the Lava Pixel V1 may arrive to change that perception.
‘Tech Wear’ is a relatively new concept that perhaps began with the introduction and launch of the Google Glass on April 4, 2012. There was a huge frenzy about the Google Glass and the things it promised its wearer – such as direct visual access to friends, schedules and Internet. But Google Glass did not work. Why? What makes products like Google Glass, the Neptune Pine, the Pebble, fitness trackers and other technological wearables not popular enough to cater to the taste of the general public?
Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz
Firstly, these are luxury products. They cater to the needs of the general public but make themselves available to only a certain strata of society. For example, the Apple Watch is created in order to make interaction simpler and intimate. One doesn’t have to constantly be on their phones in order to check the time, reply to emails, take calls, respond to text messages etc, instead all these activities can be completed by a few glances and voice notes. Here is the catch, you have to have an iPhone (or any product by Apple) too so that all the information from your device can get synced to this new iWatch.
To get an idea of the approximate amount of money we might have to spend to buy an iWatch and support it, let us look at its INR value. The Apple Watch Sport Edition: Expected price tag in India for 38mm case model is Rs. 25000 and for the 42mm case model is Rs. 30000, plus the other Apple product to support it, for example an iPhone 6 (Silver 16GB) which is Rs.42,920 (on Ebay). The total amount would be Rs. 67,920. The prices differ in different countries and the accessibility of the product also differs, but to the average Indian, an iPhone update makes no serious change to his lifestyle.
Secondly, even with a large portion of the world being able to afford tech wear, they are still looked at sceptically or cautiously by investors. Why? What makes a product stable in the market? The necessity of a product. Although, further research shows a changing trend in the demands of the consumers. Fashion experts say that most of these products look ugly, in fact, the New York Times even tagged them as ‘ugly tech’ instead of ‘wearable tech’.
The consumer’s taste is now much more sophisticated than it used to be, he/she is not going to wear anything on his wrist that looks like a mini Kindle. And this is where Apple comes in with its slick and fashionably created Apple Watch. The ‘iWatch’ comes in various belts, both leather and metal, and is styled in a way that is appealing to all. Perhaps following suit are smaller fashion-focused tech companies, with a handful of partnerships between tech companies and big-name fashion brands.
So far, the investors and critics were skeptic of these wearable products, but now with the coming of the fashionable and efficient iWatch, their predictions have changed. Gene Munster, managing director and senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, predicted a 3 million dollars’ worth Apple Watch sale on 9to5mac.com, and thinks that 2017 will be the device’s ‘breakout’ year. What changed?
The reviews for the Apple Watch have been somewhat stable; most of the critics encourage the use of this wearable technology that is more compact, fashionable, efficient, modern, and advanced in its settings and features. For example, the product description states that the custom-designed chip at the heart of the Apple Watch is encapsulated in the resin to protect the electronics from the elements, impact and wear. Configuring an entire computer system on a single chip is an industry first; settings like these and many others make the Apple Watch user friendly. Although despite this commendable attempt by Apple, critics still suggest that there is room for improvement as far as speed, efficiency and battery life are concerned but that these are problems that can be rectified by perhaps an iWatch 2.
Similarly, The New York Times states that earlier this year Fitbit announced a partnership with the designer Tory Burch to make fitness trackers stuffed inside a hinged bracelet and pendant necklace. Google Glass has partnered with DVF and Luxoticca to make the geeky specs, stylish. Rebecca Minkoff and Case-Mate announced a new line of techie jewellery, including a gold bracelet that pairs with a smartphone. Intel has also partnered with Barney’s New York and Open Ceremony to create a bracelet with a curved sapphire screen and built-in wireless radios called the MICA (My Intelligent Communication Accessory.)
Image source: New York Times
As far as reviews are to be trusted, they give us a realistic take on the new influx of wearable technology and its appeal. What has changed therefore, is the taste of the consumer and now that modern technology is being able to steadily cater to it, wearable technology might actually carve a stable niche for itself in the years to come.
Yu Televentures has launched the Yu Yureka Plus, the successor to Yu Yureka, priced at Rs. 9,999. The phone comes with a 5.5 inch FHD display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 615. Check our review of the new phone and find out whether it is worth your money.
According to a report, Amazon will launch its Prime service in India later this year. It is the membership program that offers unlimited free shipping on most deliveries with no minimum order size, unlimited backup for photos, access to streaming movies and music, free books from the Kindle Lending Library and more, for an annual fee.
In a bid to connect with their audience and to up their usage, Google has finally decided that it will be shutting down Google+ photos and making way for Google Photos by August 1st.
After announcing it in CES, Las Vegas, earlier this year, Sony has finally rolled out the Android TV in the Indian market at a starting price of Rs. 69,900.
Details about Micromax’s next ultra budget phone has been leaked. It will apparently be the next big thing since Canvas. The phone is expected to be below the 10k price bracket and will use a Snapdragon 615 processor.
Apple has posted its third quarterly results for 2015 and the company has performed better than the previous quarter, but apparently it wasn’t enough for the investors. Apple’s performance is based on the rise in iPhone sales and its increasing popularity in China.
Samsung has announced the launch of Galaxy Tab S2, which the company says is “the most immersive Samsung tablet to-date” . The Galaxy Tab S2 is available in two sizes – 9.7-inch and 8.0-inch.
Here is a list of trailers you should watch this week and of course, look out for the worldwide release dates:
1. Spectre from the Bond Series directed by Sam Mendes, sees Daniel Craig reprise the role of MI6 spy James Bond once again. This trailer gives us a peek into the storyline which deals with Bond’s past and inflitrating a secret organization called Spectre. Release Date: 6th November 2015 (USA)
2. Vacation, directed by, John Dalay and Johnathan Goldstein is about a man named Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) remembering fond, childhood memories of his trip to Walley World and surprises his wife (Christina Applegate) and two sons with a cross-country excursion to America’s favorite fun park. Release date: July 29, 2015 (USA)
3. Missisippi Grind, directed by, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
Convinced that his newfound friend (Ryan Reynolds) is a good-luck charm, a gambling addict (Ben Mendelsohn) takes the man on a road trip to a high-stakes poker game in New Orleans. Release Date: September 25, 2015 (USA)
4. Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, directed by Francis Lawrence. The film is the last of the Hunger games series, adapted from the novels written by Suzzane Collins. It sees Katniss Everdeen (the heroin) in her final attempt to destroy Snow (villain). The film releases in the UK and US on the 20th of November, but the India release dates are yet to be announced.
5. Black Mass directed by Scott Mass.
The unholy alliance between the FBI and Whitey Bulger, one of the most notorious gangsters in U.S. history. Initial Release Date: September 18, 2015 (USA).
6. Pan, from the makers of Harry Potter, directed by Joe Wright.
An orphan is spirited away to the realm of Neverland, where he fulfills his destiny as Peter Pan (Levi Miller). Initial release date: October 8, 2015 (Azerbaijan)
7. The Man From U.N.C.L.E, directed by Guy Ritchie.
At the height of the Cold War, a mysterious criminal organization plans to use nuclear weapons and technology to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and Soviet Union. Release date: August 14, 2015 (USA)
8. Suffragette, directed by, Sarah Gavron.
In late 19th and early 20th century, the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal state in the quest for equal rights. Release date: October 23, 2015 (USA)
9. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J Abrams.
The further adventures of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). Release date: December 16, 2015 (Italy)
10. Train wreck, directed by, Judd Apatow.
Ever since her father drilled into her head that monogamy isn’t realistic, watch magazine writer Amy (Amy Schumer) make promiscuity her credo. India release: 7th August 2015.
With the OnePlus 2 launch yesterday, we decided to tackle the company’s dreaded invite system. Although OnePlus claims that they have a new and improved plan charted out for the upcoming smartphone, we have our doubts. Trying to get an invite for anything is serious business, especially when you’re talking about one of the most anticipated devices of 2015.
Today we discuss how to make sure you get your hands on the coveted red card, without too much hassle.
Reserve Your Phone
Starting off with the easiest. The company recently announced that they’re going to start a separate list for interested buyers. All you need to do is – log in, enter your email ID and hopefully you’ll receive an invite soon after.
Same as with their previous flagship, anyone who manages to get a OnePlus 2 will also receive an invite that can be shared with friends or family. These invites are valid typically up to 1-2 weeks from purchase.
So, make sure you pair up with a friend. Chances are one of you is bound to score an invite. OnePlus promises that unlike last time, the sharable invite will arrive sooner (than later).
Get Your Social Media Guns Out
The company is sure to run contests on their social media pages. To follow OnePlus on Twitter click here, here for Facebook and here for Instagram. Make it a habit to frequent their accounts and take part in any giveaways that come your way.
Use The Forum Advantage
On a recent blog post by OnePlus, the company admitted that they would be favouring forum members when sending out invites. Users who join the OnePlus One forum can either win an invite via an engagement, event or contest, or through the official registration list. Consider signing up now.
Giveaways Etc
Since the Chinese company is now exclusively launching the OnePlus with Amazon India, you should track the e-commerce website for ongoing contests. Also, you can expect a giveaway here on iGyaan as well.
Living in a day and age where there is a new phone being launched every other day, this was one of the rare products we’re genuinely excited about.
Watch the hands on video with the OnePlus 2 right here:
[tw-toggle title=”Here’s Why OnePlus Insists on Using the Invite System”]
Ever wonder why OnePlus follows the annoying invite system? It’s actually one of the smartest business moves by the company. It is there to ensure that their company takes strong and steady steps forward. Thanks to the system, they only manufacture enough inventory as the demand. While at times the demand may be higher than the supply, their supply will never overpower the demand. They said it was their solution to managing risks. And for such a young company, that is one of the most important things they need to think about.
[/tw-toggle]
Gmail had recently announced a new feature called the Undo save button, which allowed you to retrack your email within 30 seconds of the it having been sent. Now Gmail has an extention feature called Dmail created by Delicious (an online social bookmarking company) with a tagline that reads ‘Finally sent email has a delete button’.
Dmail is well aware that the concept of re-tracking one’s email isn’t new and has therefore introduced its self-destruct feature, which needs to be installed by the user from the Google Web Browser Extension and for the first time allows you to destroy a sent email whenever you want to. The Dmail button can also be controlled by you with the help of a toggle switch.
How this works is, that, once loaded, you will have a new option on Gmail, within the ‘compose’ interface which allows you to turn on the Dmail service. Ahead of sending the email, you can specify as to when you want the email to destroy itself. The options given are ‘an hour’ to a day, week or never. And even if you choose the never option you can go back and click on the revoke email button which removes access to that email from all recipients.
What is different about Dmail is that the recipent doesn’t need to be a user of the service in order to access the email. In case one is not a Dmail user and receives a Dmail encrypted mail, you will receive a message that says “This secure message was sent using Dmail. To view this message, simply click the button below.” This will direct the viewer to a web view where they can read the email.
The product has been in development for a long time and was built by a seven member subset of Delicious’s team. Currently, the feature is available online for all Gmail users, but not for smartphone users. Hence, the company is looking to expand their business by making this feature accessible to iOS devices in August followed by Android devices. They also plan on making Dmail a fremium service, this means that though some aspects of the service will remain free for individuals; power users and businesses will have to pay for other specific security features.
Meanwhile, a document control feature is already in development, and Jones expects this feature to launch before this winter. Click here to download Dmail. Meanwhile, tell us what you think about this feature?
Microsoft is busy gearing up for the launch of Windows 10. However, latest reports by Windows Central suggest that the company is working towards a total make-over of its range of smartphones with Windows 10.
The rumoured devices, codenamed as Cityman and Talkman, will possibly be launched at IFA Berlin in September this year. As far as the specs are concerned, the Talkman is touted to have a 5.2-inch display with 2560x1440p resolution. Under the hood, one can expect a hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor coupled with 3GB RAM, 20-megapixel rear snapper, 5-megapixel front-facing camera, 32GB storage and a 3,000mAh battery.
The big brother, Cityman, will come with a 5.7-inch display, and almost a similar set of specs. Apart from the larger screen, some other differentiating specs may be an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and a 3,300mAh battery.
Although, there is no official word from Microsoft yet, Windows Central suggests that the devices will come with support for Qi wireless charging and an infrared scanner that will unlock the device in seconds. Iris scanner is a not-so-common feature and may turn the tides towards Microsoft’s favour, considering the fact that the Indian market is dominated widely by Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi and many other competitive companies. Microsoft is also reportedly bringing its Surface Pen technology to both of the expected Lumia handsets.
Both the devices are assumed to make their debut at IFA in September, followed by a release in October or November. Both will be offered in a choice of black and white polycarbonate, but there’s no word on their pricing yet.
The curiosity that human beings have had towards the supernatural has always been very apparent. And with pop culture encouraging our intrigue with superhero, sci-fi and fantasy movies, this curiosity turns into obsession to actually create these devices. For example, in a speech by President Barack Obama, on the development of a classified project he famously remarked “We’re building Iron Man”. Even the American military can’t get enough of the superhuman world.
Why though? Is it because human beings inherently have a characteristic to never be satisfied with what they have? Suddenly, a pair of hands and feet don’t seem good enough. Therefore, the need to build something that is bigger and better than us crops up. Things that can do everything we cannot, so that they can protect us.
The newest announcement, stemming out of this thought process perhaps, is the need to build and create invisibility cloaks (just like the one in Harry Potter) and invisible military vehicles. The American Chemical Society has released an episode of a series called Reactions in collaboration with ACS Photonics, that speaks about how we can actually create such a device or wearable. They speak about how the idea of invisibility or camouflaging actually exists all around us, with the aircraft that can disappear from radar imaging systems, and animals like cephalopods and chameleons that can camouflage themselves by mimicking light.
The video is said to have been revealed to celebrate the International Year of Light by exploring the science behind light, sight and invisibility. The technology behind this is being referred to as, cloaking technology and the video shows how many scientists and researchers have actually made discoveries towards this possibility. At Duke University, methods of making light avoid an object by using meta-materials and engineered materials to craft things such as powerful antennas and invisibility cloaks have been undertaken.
Harry Potter trying out the invisibility cloak for the first time.
In fact, researchers from Europe have already created a three-dimensional cloak that can hide objects by bending light waves. And as reported, researchers from the German Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Imperial College of London used the cloak that was made using photonic crystals, with a structure resembling piles of wood, to conceal a small bump on a gold surface.
These are merely advances towards cloak technology, but companies such as BAE Systems are working on projects to give military vehicles the option of invisibility. Researchers in various institutions have already began experimenting the uses of meta-materials to make small objects disappear.
So, is this the future? Has the human race become so paranoid so as to take a cue from Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak? Are we now incapable of facing the damage that we ourselves have created? Either way, mischief managed!
Source:[tw-button size=”medium” background=”#07ABE2″ color=”” target=”_blank” link=”http://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2015/july/are-invisibility-cloaks-possible-video.html”] American Chemical Society[/tw-button]
The coming week will be handful as we will witness the launch of three highly anticipated smartphones, plus a new phone that might be the next best thing to have come out of Micromax in a while.
Check out the top four phones coming out next week:
One Plus 2
OnePlus 2 is the most anticipated phone on this list for obvious reasons – success of the OnePlus One phone, Virtual Reality launch event and embracing quality features for a minimal price – the phone will be a bonafide hit.
The OnePlus 2 will sport a display ranging between 5.5 and 5.7 inches and a Type-C USB port, making it the first flagship phone from a mainstream company to use this USB port. The phone will come with Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor with 4GB of RAM. The phone’s launch can be seen through a VR event on July 28th at 7:30 a.m. IST. In case you’re missing cardboard, here’s how you can watch the event live.
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot
Bluetooth v4.1, A2DPGPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
NFC, Radio FM,microUSB v2.0, Type-C reversible connector
Miscellaneous
Fingerprint sensor
Price
Not more than Rs, 28000
Moto G (Gen 3)
A leaked store dummy of Moto G (Gen 3). Source: Mobilesyrup
The Moto G (Gen 3) will boast a 5-inch HD display and a quad core processor. The phone has been certified IPx7, so it will be water resistant. It will have a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera. The device will run on Android Lollipop 5.1 and will offer expandable storage via a MicroSD card upto 32 GB. The Moto G (Gen 3) can be customised using Motorola shells, like in the first Moto G. The dual SIM phone will support both 3G and 4G. The phone will be announced on July 28th.
Specification
Moto G (Gen 3)
Display
5 “(12.7 cm) TFT, Gorilla Glass
Resolution
1280 x 720 HD
Chipset
NA
Processor
MSM8916 1.4 Ghz Quadcore
GPU
NA
RAM
1 GB/2 GB
Storage
8 GB/16GB
Expandability
32 GB
Rear Camera
13 MP
Rear Camera Video
1080p
Front Camera
5MP
Front Camera Video
NA
Battery
Non-removable Li-ion 2470 mAh battery
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE,
GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100, LTE band 1 (2100),
3 (1800), 7 (2600), 20 (800)
Miscellaneous
Fingerprint sensor
Price
Not more than Rs. 13,700
Moto X (Gen 3)
Source: Peru Android
Moto X (3rd Gen)
The new Moto X will supposedly have a 5.64-inch QHD display and will run on Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset with 3GB of RAM. The phone will have USB Type C port, 21GB of storage with a 16MP main camera with an f2.0 lens, a 5MP front camera and 3,280 mAh non removable battery. Like Moto G, it will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. According to some reports, the new Moto X will also feature a font facing flash and fingerprint scanner located at the lower front speaker.
Micromax Ultra
Rumoured to be launched this week, Micromax Ultra is touted to be the next big thing since the company’s Canvas series. Although much hasn’t been revealed about the phone, it is said to be priced under Rs. 10K. The device will sport a 13MP rear camera and a Snapdragon 615 chipset and may possibly run Cyanogen OS. We will be on the lookout for more details about the phone.
At U2’s recent eight-show run at Madison Square Garden, Bono pulled up a woman onstage, handed her a smartphone and announced that they were live streaming the performance onto the internet. The stream was then displayed off a huge feed from U2’s Meerkut account.
At this particular concert, famous talk show host, Jimmy Fallon made a surprise appearance for a duet of “Desire”. This tour also includes messages condemning the 1974 car bombings of Ireland, a call to fight AIDS, Stephen Hawking’s voice, high-tech gimmicks and more than two hours of music that included songs from U2’s 2014 album, “Songs of Innocence”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VWsGG2Z-dI
U2 packs technology into its Innocence and Experience tour by incorporating the smartphone spectacle each night for at least one song. Yet, this isn’t the first of U2’s tech savvy performances. One can recall a stage they had built in the shape of a four-legged spaceship, and now, they have designed a two-sided display that hangs over the arena, providing a good view to each and every person.
The band also used a new form of musical storytelling, they climb up to perform within the display while Bono walks along the base, with displays showing visuals and animation to help create an analogy of him akin to that of walking the street on which he grew up.
But, it is said that the most creative way U2 used technology for this tour is one that cannot be seen. Most touring production companies store visuals directly on the systems they use for running the video screens. The problem with that is, if something needs to be changed, the entire thing would need to be copied to the show system with a pen drive, which might even delay the show.
Image: Rich Fury/Associated Press
U2, is now, using a modern technique for its tour with the help of a cloud storage company called EMC. Therefore, if they need to switch setlists or songs, the team is able to update visuals and deliver them on time. But, because cloud relies on the internet, which may not be available at major venues for security reasons, U2 uses an on-premise tech unit so that they have access to the data even without a web connection. EMC is said to be archiving the HD video streams with their cameras used during the show.
While previously, tours were held to promote music so that an album was successful, nowadays monetizing concerts and merchandise have become more important, as we have seen in Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour, which has an entire line of clothes created with the album’s theme kept in mind. This is said to be done, so that later on, the band can use the footage and decide how to monetize those archives.
The Innocence And Experience tour is definitely said to be a high-tech futuristic event that has been created, not just for fans but anybody who wants to be entertained.
Xiaomi‘s one year anniversary announcements just keep getting better and better. After announcing the 32GB version for Mi4i, the company has permanently slashed the price for Mi4 64GB version by Rs. 2,000. The company had temporarily slashed the price of the Mi4 64GB variant yesterday at Flipkart, but now it is permanent. The phone is now available at a price of Rs. 17,999.
In the past, Xiaomi Mi4 has faced two price cuts, from Rs.23,999 to Rs.21,999 in April this year, and then to Rs. 19,999 in June. Xiaomi Mi4 has proved to be popular for providing hi-end specs at a lower price.
The Mi4 comes with a 5-inch 1080p display and runs on a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC processor with 3GB of RAM. The phone is available with 16/64 GB internal storage options. The camera on the phone is a 13 megapixel shooter with a wide f/1.8 aperture and an 8MP front camera. The phone is juiced up with a 3080 mAh battery.
Flipkart is also offering the Mi4 in exchange for your old phone, so you might get an extra discount of Rs. 5,000.
The news about Apple‘s electric car project is gaining traction day by day and according to a latest report, the company is negotiating with BMW to use i3 electric cars as a base for the project. Similar reports surfaced in March this year, but BMW denied such claims.
BMW i3
BMW’s i3 is an all-electric car which can run for 80 and 90 miles on a full charge. At a recharge rate of 20 miles per hour, it takes four hours to charge the car from a public charger. The body is made from carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer, which reportedly attracted Apple in the first place. The carbon fiber polymer can be of great use in the manufacturing process of iPhones and iPads. BMW used carbon fiber polymer to reduce energy consumption, so it can also be used to extend the battery life of Apple’s devices.
If Apple enters the car market with its electric car project, it would not only face Tesla (currently one of the major players in electric cars), but also Google, BMW and every other car manufacturer trying to break into electric cars.
As we earlier reported, Apple is hiring new staff from automobile companies to start its electric car project, called Project Titan. The recently hired include Doug Betts, a former VP for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and Steve Zadesky, a veteran product designer and former Ford Motor Co. engineer.
Just a few days back we reported that the upcoming Moto G will be waterproof. A new promotional video for the Moto G has been leaked and confirms most of what we knew about the phone so far.
The Moto G (Gen 3) will boast of a 5-inch display and since it is referred to as HD, our guess is that the resolution will probably be 720p. The processor used will be a quad-core, but we don’t know which one since it hasn’t been mentioned. The phone will be water resistant for 30 minutes, as it has been certified IPx7. The battery will be large enough to power it around the clock.
The phone sports a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front camera. The device will run on Android Lollipop 5.1 and will offer expandable storage via MicroSD card upto 32 GB. The Moto G (Gen 3) can be customised using Motorola shells, like in the first Moto G. The dual SIM phone will support both 3G and 4G. There is no mention of the fingerprint sensor though, which is supposed to be an important feature.
At this point the video pretty much confirms many of the specs that the new Moto G was rumored to have. The video seems authentic since it uses the same design element that was used in the media invite sent for the July 28th event hosted by Motorola.
Just four days away, Motorola should be expected to give more teasers about the latest Moto G and Moto X.
Check out the spec table to see what we know about the phone so far.
Specification
Moto G (Gen 3)
Display
5 “(12.7 cm) TFT, Gorilla Glass
Resolution
1280 x 720 HD
Chipset
NA
Processor
MSM8916 1.4 Ghz Quadcore
GPU
NA
RAM
1 GB/2 GB
Storage
8 GB/16GB
Expandability
32 GB
Rear Camera
13 MP
Rear Camera Video
1080p
Front Camera
5MP
Front Camera Video
NA
Battery
Non-removable Li-ion 2470 mAh battery
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot, Bluetooth v4.0, A2DP, LE,
GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100, LTE band 1 (2100),
3 (1800), 7 (2600), 20 (800)
Despite an initial dip in sales, Samsung emerged as the top smartphone seller in the second quarter, while Apple and other Chinese companies also saw an increase. A quarterly survey by IDC shows the rise in demand and usage of the smartphone from 11.6 percent a year back to to 337.2 million units, recently.
“The overall growth of the smartphone market was not only driven by the success of premium flagship devices from Samsung, Apple, and others, but more importantly by the abundance of affordable handsets that continue to drive shipments in many key markets,” said Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC.
Samsung ranks first, with a 21.7 percent market share, followed by Apple with 14.1 percent. In the third place we have China’s Huawei with an 8.9 percent market share, followed by Xiaomi (5.3 percent) and Lenovo + Motorola.(4.8 percent). The rest of the 42.5 percent market being captured by other vendors.
Vendor
2Q15 Shipment Volumes
2Q15 Market Share
2Q14 Shipment Volumes
2Q14 Market Share
Year-Over-Year Change
Samsung
73.2
21.7%
74.9
24.8%
-2.3%
Apple
47.5
14.1%
35.2
11.7%
34.9%
Huawei
29.9
8.9%
20.2
6.7%
48.1%
Xiaomi
17.9
5.3%
13.8
4.6%
29.4%
*Lenovo
16.2
4.8%
15.8
5.2%
2.4%
Others
152.5
45.2%
142.2
47.1%
7.3%
Total
337.2
100.0%
302.1
100.0%
11.6%
Lenovo + Motorola
16.2
4.8%
24.3
8.0%
-33.3%
With smartphone sales beating PC sales this year, the competition among smartphone brands are constantly rising. Will Samsung be able to keep up? Time will tell.
Samsung has finally achieved the skill of being stealthy. The company has quietly released the new Galaxy Tab A Plus on its Samsung Belgium-France website without an official press release. The new tab boasts of a 9.7” display and an S Pen stylus.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A sports a 9.7″ LCD display with 1024x768p resolution. It is powered by a Ziilabs ZMS-08 chipset with 1.2GHz quad-core CPU with 2GB of RAM. It runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop based TouchWiz UI and offers 16GB of storage, which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card.
The Galaxy Tab A Plus boasts of a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera. The tab has video recording capability of up to 720p. The device runs on a 6,000 mAh battery and is available at a price of €339 (around Rs.23,750). It is available in two colours: Sandy White and Sandy Black. There is no mention of the tab on Samsung India’s website.
