It’s all leaks and galore for Motorola. The Moto G 2016 aka the Moto G4 has already been leaked and now it seems that Motorola Moto X 2016 has been spotted on benchmarks.
The new revision of the popular handset will get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset according to the leak. The phone is codenamed “Moto XT1650” and runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, an internal codename “Sheridan” also exists.
Motorola is following up on the specs game and is loading the Moto X 2016 with 4 Gigs of RAM. Expectations that Motorola may launch the G4 and G4 plus around the same time as the Moto X 2016 which is expected to launch sometime in June after Google IO, also hinting to a possible Android N out of the box for Motorola’s high-end handset.
Mobile World Congress, 2016 is just round the corner and big name brands have already started gearing up to showcase the best they have to eager customers around the globe. Surprisingly, first out of the blocks is South Korean tech giant, LG.
The G5 which has been rumoured to get an earlier than usual launch date is being tipped to be unveiled next month in Barcelona. LG for its part has today only added fuel to fire by sending out invites to the media for an event on February, 21. The invite does not reveal much, but only states, “Play Begins” with a mysterious jack-in-the-box music player in the background. What this could possibly point to is a music focused flagship for this year.
LG on its part has usually unveiled its G series flagship phones later than its competitors Samsung, and HTC, and has lost out in sales numbers because of it. This switch in strategy could well see it substantially increase sales in important markets.
The G5 is rumoured to come equipped with a 5.3-inch QHD display, sporting a Snapdragon 820 processor and 3GB of RAM with 32GB of internal storage. It’s also suggested that LG G5 might include an eye scanner, USB-C connectivity and a fingerprint sensor. Speculation also points to a 21-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing sensor.
There are also whispers suggesting that the device might come with some sort of modular attachment. Well, what that attachment could be is anybody’s guess right now. The stylish addition of leather to the back of the handset could also be seen in the new flagship.
While the entire world is gripped by the Star Wars craziness, Haier has not lagged behind. The manufacturer of consumer electronics and appliances has jumped on the bandwagon with its remote controlled refrigerator inspired by everyone’s favourite droid -R2-D2.
Haier will unveil its life-size refrigerator modelled after the Star Wars character at CES. The refrigerator mimics the droid in sound and movement. It will keep your drinks chilled and deliver them to you with its cooling and movement capabilities.
The appliance also has an in-built projector which is fully functional, making this little refrigerator useful for more than just taking care of your drinks. It is developed and produced by Haier Subsidiary Haier Asia in Japan, is made to order and comes with a serial number, and therefore is a collectible item. Take note all serious Star Wars fans.
Last year saw some incredible smartphones that pushed the boundaries of design and specification, making it difficult to pick out just one favourite. This year promises to do the same. We take a look at some of the most anticipated smartphone launches expected in 2016 and what we know about them so far.
iPhone 7
Apple’s iPhone 7 and Samsung’ Galaxy S7 are perhaps the most talked about flagship devices today. There’s just a lot of anticipation attached to the upcoming handsets and along with it comes a lot of rumours as well. The first round of rumours a few months ago suggested that the iPhone 7 will lose the home button and will sport an OLED display thereby giving up on LCD display that it has relied on so far. Apple followers will know that the Apple Watch is the only Apple device to sport an OLED display currently. Furthermore, the OLED display will either be supplied by LG or Samsung, or both.
Next up, the iPhone 7 is rumoured to be waterproof and will feature 3 GB of RAM. More recently, there have been talks related to Apple’s decision to ditch the headphone jack. This is part of Apple’s plan to improve the quality of music streaming. Furthermore, the loss of a headphone jack means more space for Apple to add a larger battery to the iPhone 7, as well as make the device thinner. We’ll just have to wait and see how this strategy plays out.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge
Samsung S7 Render
There have been a lot of rumours and a lot of questions regarding the launch and specs of Samsung’s upcoming flagship Galaxy S7 devices. What everyone is expecting is Samsung to pull out another stunning flagship that pushes the boundaries of design and power, like it did with the Galaxy S6 series.
It’s almost confirmed that the Galaxy S7 will arrive in two variants – one powered by the new Snapdragon 820 chipset and the other by Exynos 8890.
Among the many rumours that have been making the rounds, some that have caught our attention is that the S7 devices will feature Apple’s 3D Touch-like pressure sensitive display called ClearForce that’s being developed by Synaptics. Additionally, the Galaxy S7 will have a Type C USB Port which means the device will charge significantly faster.
The flat Galaxy S7 will likely sport a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED display while the ‘Edge’ variant will come with a 5.5-inch display of the same kind. As for the S7 Edge, very little is known as to how the curved screen device is going to look. Whether Samsung is going for a different curved design or rather just tweak the previous S6 design is still a mystery. The flagship devices are slated for a February launch at the MWC.
HTC One M10
HTC One M10 Render
Being a successor to the One M9, the HTC One M10 will look to improve on specs wherever it can. The new iteration is said to come with a 5.5-inch QHD display. You can expect some bright, crisp colours under a Gorilla Glass 4 protection.
On the design front, the device will have the all-metal, unibody form associated with HTC flagships, along with curved edges and bezels to give it an attractive look. The HTC One M10 will sport a Snapdragon 820 chipset under the hood along with a powerful graphics card.
Other features include a Touch ID fingerprint scanner, 4 GB of RAM with 16 GB and 32 GB internal storage variants, and a battery capacity of 3,500 mAh. The device is expected to come out sometime in March.
Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi Mi 4
Xiaomi fans have been eagerly awaiting the Mi 5 flagship smartphone, which has been delayed due to the launch of the Snapdragon 820 chipset. Since Samsung has claimed exclusivity of the new chipset for the first quarter, the Mi 5 along with any other device sporting the new, powerful processor will all likely see a post-March release.
On the specs front, the Mi 5 will sport a 5.5-inch screen with quad HD (2560×1440) display, Snapdragon 820 chipset, 20MP primary camera and an 8MP front camers. The device will also come with 3,800mAh battery and 4G LTE support. RAM is set at 4GB and the phone will offer 16GB/64GB/128GB storage options.
OnePlus 3
OnePlus 3 Render
OnePlus has done so much in so little time. The company, still in its infancy, has already released 3 spectacular devices -OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus X in the span of two years. This year, OnePlus will look to reclaim the title of the ‘flagship killer’ with the upcoming OnePlus 3 smartphone. Not much is known about the third flagship device, and only a couple of leaked renders have appeared giving rise to possible hardware specs.
The image above shows a brushed metal back instead of the usual sandstone panels. The new OnePlus might also feature a front speaker. The render shows that the handset could possibly come in two different colours.
From what we’ve heard so far, the new OnePlus device will sport a 5.5-inch UHD display with 5GB RAM. Sources also reveal a little about the hardware and display citing that the handset could arrive with the Snapdragon 820 chipset and a 1080p display resolution.
LG G5
LG G4
A Redditor recently leaked some specs and images of the LG G5. The device will sport a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, powered by the new Snapdragon 820 SoC with 3 GB of RAM and an 8 MP front camera. Other specs include a full metal body, SIM and MicroSD slot, heart rate sensor that’s under the camera module, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, a USB Type-C port, bottom firing speaker and an IR blaster on top.
A leaked image also suggests that the LG G5 will sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. No word yet on when LG plans to launch the device.
Sony Xperia Z6
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
It looks like Sony is planning to launch a slew of devices under the Z6 line. It is rumoured that a total of six Z6 devices will be launched this year: a 4-inch Xperia Z6 Mini, a 4.6-inch Xperia Z6 Compact, a 5.2-inch Xperia Z6, a 5.8-inch Xperia Z6 Plus, a 6.4-inch Xperia Z6 Ultra, and a 5-inch Z6 Lite. Now, Sony is yet to confirm the rumours, but you can expect some, if not all, to be true.
What you can expect from the Xperia Z6 is a build that’ll reflect the Z5 with a squarer, flatter design rather than the traditional rounded edges that Sony had previously stuck to with the older models. The Z6 will also come with a fingerprint scanner added to the power side button.
The burning question is whether Sony will go for a 2K display with the 5.2-inch Xperia Z6 or will it continue with a Full HD display as it has with the Z5. Doing the former would mean having to sacrifice battery life, which Sony isn’t all too fond of doing at the moment.
Nokia C1
Nokia C1
Nokia is all set to make a comeback with a new smartphone. This new device, allegedly called the C1, will be the first flagship device to bear the Nokia logo since the Finnish company was sold to Microsoft a few years ago.
There have been a number of leaked renders that claim the design of the C1, though each source has leaked different designs. One of the more recent renders show a very minimalist and sleek design, which actually looks pretty good, if confirmed as legit. The C1 is also depicted running both Android and well as Windows 10 OS.
Rumours suggest that the Nokia C1 will come in two variants. The first one will sport a 5.5-inch Full HD display and a 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera. The device will also come with 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory expandable via microSD card slot.
The second variant will have a 5-inch Full HD display and will sport an 8 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of memory.
Samsung Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 have been already launched in China, and are expected to arrive in markets in rest of the world in January, 2016. To keep the phones fresh in the memory of the consumers, Samsung has now launched its first official Galaxy A TV commercial. However, it does not showcase any specific phone but the entire Galaxy A series.
https://youtu.be/Hy409bgKcgE
In terms of specs, this is what we can expect from the three Galaxy A phones when they arrive in India -the A7, which is the biggest of the three, will sport a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen with 1920 x 1080p resolution and a 1.6 GHz octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB internal storage and 3,300 mAh Fast Charging battery. On the camera front, the A7 features a 13 MP primary camera with f/1.9 aperture and OIS. The front camera also features an f/1.9 aperture.
The A5 has a 5.2-inch AMOLED screen with 1080p resolution, 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage, quad-core processor and a battery marked at 2,900 mAh. It has a 13 MP primary camera with OIS, and a 5 MP front camera.
Finally, the smallest of the lot, the Galaxy A3, comes with a 4.7-inch AMOLED screen and 720p resolution. The device also features 1.5GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. The A3 is the only device among the three that won’t feature a fingerprint scanner. The device has a rear camera of 13 MP and a front camera of 5 MP, with both having f/1.9 apertures (no OIS here, though).
Which of the three phones is your favourite? Let us know in the comments below. Follow this space for more on Samsung’s A-series launch.
Lenovo has officially announced that the K4 Note will arrive in India on the 5th of January. Just last week the company had posted a teaser image on its Twitter handle, hinting at a K3 successor. The launch has now been confirmed. However we are still just as unsure of the specs as before.
The device seems to have metal on the sides, very reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S6. Even the back of the phone suggests a design inspired by Samsung, but we are not judging, not yet. Other than the metal frame, the teaser image further confirms the presence of a USB Type-C port.
Not much is known at this time about the specs other than rumours of a MediaTek Helio X10 chipset and a fingerprint sensor. None of it has been confirmed by the company so far. We’ll update you as soon as we have more dope on the Lenovo K4 Note.
A report has emerged clearing the cloud of rumours around a Microsoft Surface Phone -by stating it will be launched in the second half of 2016. Surface head Panos Panay and his team of engineers, the same team which worked on Surfce Pro tablet line, will be responsible for the design of the phone.
The phone will run on Windows 10, and is expected to arrive in May. If previous speculations are to be believed, the Microsoft Surface Phone is expected to be more productivity-oriented instead of specs.
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
The device will be a Microsoft flagship, and according to some sources, could be powered by a Snapdragon 820 chipset. Others suggest it would be something much more powerful than the current Qualcomm Snapdragons. The advanced cooling technique of Lumia 950 XL will also be made part of the Surface Phone.
Many believe that the reason Microsoft is not putting in too much effort in a widespread US release of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL is because of Microsoft’s plans to bring out a Surface Phone soon. This could be a reason why the company isn’t investing too much in marketing its new flagships. Watch this space for updates.
Source: Windows Central
Bluetooth SIG has made some important announcements today regarding an upgrade in the upcoming year. The company is set on increasing the ‘Internet Of Things’ by including updates such as longer range, higher speeds and mesh networking. They also aim at taking a stride towards industries that deal with smart homes, industrial automation, locations-based services and smart infrastructure.
“There is significant demand from our members and the industry at large to enhance Bluetooth with the new capabilities we’re announcing today,” said Toby Nixon, chairman of the Bluetooth SIG Board of Directors
Bluetooth has also further announced that apart from the above mentioned updates, users will also experience a 100% speed boost along with a 4X better range than the usual. Their mesh networking updates are targeted to allow a collection of individual devices to work together to blanket an entire building. With all these developments, 2016 does seem like an interesting year to look forward to, at least in the tech department.
