Shazam, the music app that allows you identify music, is extending its scope by including visual identification. Shazam set up in 1999 and gained its wildly popular reputation because of its ability to identify any string of music at a click of a button. Now, the app can sell songs the user has identified, thanks to fortified deals with all major music streaming services like Spotify and Deezer. It is also one of the top 25 most downloaded app for years.
At the Mobile World Congress 2015, Chief Executive of Shazam, Rich Riley told Reuters,
Shazam is already a verb. We want to expand the universe of what you can Shazam. The famous blue button that our users love will remain on the home screen but will be able to do much more.
This new feature looks like an advanced version of Google Goggles. This update will soon let users identify or learn more about anything they point out at. For example, you could point your phone at a cereal box to get in-depth nutritional information, or at a DVD case to buy the soundtrack from your device.
Shazam has raised $30 million for recruiting new members to its team and sign partnerships with publishers and content companies. Riley also said that the funds would give Shazam some flexibility to choose whether the next money-raising exercise are on the public markets or the private markets.
This year’s MWC in Barcelona was no different, we saw a slew of innovative devices – from curved to waterproof smartphones to super-thin tablets and trendy smartwatches. With the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona coming to a close, we have handpicked some of the best moments from this year’s edition.
Here’s our pick of some the best products showcased at this year’s MWC.
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
As expected, Samsung announced two versions of the flagship – one with the standard screen while the other one is a curved display. Samsung has certainly improved upon certain aspects of its current flagship. Despite having a non removable battery, the design is certainly a notch up compared to its boring bland predecessor. And how can we miss out on the S6’s curved sibling, the S6 Edge is one weird looking thing you might actually want. Do check out our exclusive hands on with the S6 and S6 Edge here.
HTC One M9
The latest flagship from the Taiwanese manufacturer gets an all new classy outer shell. A slightly beefier 64 Bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 runs this handset along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. Some would argue HTC has brought the same design aesthetics with its latest flagship, we quite like the device. Everything runs on a highly optimized 2800 mAh battery, bundled with Android Lollipop 5.0.2 out of the box and HTC’s new Sense 7 promises a major improvement in the battery life, and out of experience there is a big difference. The quick charge also improves the charge times and you will be on the go in just a few.
Check out our exclusive hands on with HTC’s latest flagship here.
Sony Xperia Z4 and M4 Aqua
Sony pretty much surprised all of us by not launching a successor to the Xperia Z3. Though they did announce a super sleek Xperia Z4 tablet along with a IP68 certified Xperia M4 Aqua smartphone.
The Xperia Z4 tablet is about as slim a tablet can get, with thickness at a mere 6.1 mm and weighing a meager 393g. The device will work with PlayStation 4 Remote Play, allowing users to stream the games straight on the console. The tablet will launch in two variants – LTE and Wi-Fi-only.
Meanwhile, the M4 Aqua, as the name signifies is a IP68 certified water proof device, which prevents it from any damage until 1.5m underwater for up to 30 minutes. It’s got everything you would ask of a mid range smartphone. We were left quite impressed with device during our initial hands-on.
HTC Vive
It seems we finally have a headset that really matters. HTC and gaming giant Valve tag team to bring out their own Occulus competitor – the HTC Vive. Everyone’s going bonkers over its dual 1200x1080p resolution display experience, which according to iGyaan’s Editor-in-Chief isn’t easy to describe.
HTC has collaborated with many game developers such as Vertigo Games, Wemo Labs, Google, Owlchemy and others to generate content for the HTC Vive. The headset is slated for a launch this year, it seems the VR war gets more intense by the day.
Do check out our exclusive heads on with the HTC Vive.
Microsoft’s Folding Keyboard
Microsoft has been coming up with some great accessories recently, and the Redmond giant yet again showcased a nifty little folding keyboard for iOS and Android. A great alternative for those constantly on the move, it certainly redefines the whole concept of a portable keyboard.
Huawei Talkband B2
Huawei announced its Talkband B2, an enigma of sorts as it acts as a fitness band, an earpiece, all merged into one. It can make calls when paired with an Android device or an iPhone, act as a fitness tracker, but what is really amazing is the fact that it can transform into an earpiece.
Sandisk’s 200GB Memory Card
Sandisk announced a massive 200GB microSD Card at MWC 2015, claimed to be the largest commercially available microSD card. The card will sell for about $400 when it arrives in Q2 of this year, and your phone should be compatible with SDXC standard to make the card work. It is claimed to have transfer speeds of about 90MB per second, or approx. 1,200 photos per minute.
It seems 128GB wasn’t enough, as flash memory specialists SanDisk has announced a 200GB microSD card (the Ultra microSDXC UHS-I card Premium Edition). It is claimed to be the largest commercially available microSD card.
The 200GB microSDXC card will sell for about $400 when it arrives in Q2 of this year, and your phone should be compatible with SDXC standard to make the card work. It is claimed to have transfer speeds of about 90MB per second, or approx. 1,200 photos per minute.
Meanwhile, SanDisk’s Memory Zone app for Android can automatically transfer data to the microSD card at times when storage is limited on a smartphone or a tablet.
In addition, the company also announced 32GB and 64GB high endurance microSD cards, specially created for dash-cams and home security systems. These high endurance memory cards can withstand extreme temperatures such as heat and extreme chills. These high-endurance cards are also designed keeping in mind heavy duty video recording. They come with a two year warranty and will be available in the U.S, Europe and South Korea.
Sony has announced its latest Xperia M4 smartphone at MWC 2015 in Barcelona. In addition, Sony also announced its Xperia Z4 tablet, making them the only two devices Sony has announced so far at MWC 2015. The Xperia M4 gets a launch price of €299 (Rs. 23,000 approx.), making it a mid range smartphone, which is a bit surprising as Sony hasn’t spruced up its flagship and not launched a successor to the Xperia Z3.
The newly launched Xperia M4 is the first IP68 certified waterproof phone which does not feature rubberised caps for its microUSB port. It gets a 5.2 inch 720p IPS display, while powering the smartphone would be a Snapdragon 615 octa-core 64-bit processor, Adreno 405 GPU and 2GB of RAM.
Optics on the phone include a 13MP primary camera and a 5 MP selfie cam, while storage options include 8GB and 16GB internal memory and microSD card support. The Xperia M4 runs on Android 5.0 Lollipop, gets 4G LTE connectivity, while juicing up the smartphone is a 2400 mAh battery.
The Xperia Z4 Aqua design is quite similar to the Xperia Z3, featuring a tempered glass to protect the display and the frame. It also gets a dedicated camera shutter.
The smartphone will be available globally this spring in white, black, coral and silver colour options. As of now there’s no word yet on an Indian launch date or price but we expect Sony won’t be taking too long to launch the Xperia M4 here.
At the Mobile World Congress today, Samsung unveiled two flagship handsets, Galaxy S6 and its the curvy and stylish sibling, the Galaxy S6 Edge. The new S iterations are a complete overhaul and triumph over the bugs and lags of the previous releases. Both the premium gadgets proved to be the showstoppers of the event. At the same event, Samsung also announced the arrival of its new payment system.
Coming back to the stars of the show, both the smartphones sport a new design language with an all glass front and back highlighted with stainless steel. The Galaxy S6 is standard in appearance, while the edgy Galaxy S6 is the one that gathers the extra points for its one-of-a-kind design. Galaxy S6 Edge has appealing displays on either edge.
Talking about the internal specifications of the handsets, then the two bad boys pack a punch. The devices are almost identical and differ only in terms of their processor and battery power. The S6 is equipped with the latest 2.1 GHz Exynos octa-core processor, while a peppier 2.5 GHz Exynos octa-core chipset is embedded on to the edgy Galaxy S6.
The RAM capacity of both the devices stands equal at 3 GB. The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge resemble the iPhone in their storage capacity options. Just like Apple’s flagship, the two phones come in three variants – 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB, all based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage).
Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
Both the phones run on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with TouchWiz UI on top. A 2550mAh battery is fixed to power Galaxy S6 and a slightly higher 2600mAh battery supports the S6 Edge. The handsets sport a new 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QuadHD display that delivers eye burning sharpness.
Considering the camera, then 16MP rear shooter with Optical Image Stabilization sits on the phone, along with a 5MP snapper that grabs a spot at the top the screen. With the new flagships, Samsung introduced quick charging and wireless charging capabilities along with Fingerprint scanner. The connectivity options comprise of LTE Cat 6, Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi.
Huawei has made an unexpected, huge entry in the ongoing Mobile World Congress with a slew of gadgets. The latest one to get our attention is a dual SIM phablet titled Huawei MediaPad X2. The device is the successor of MediaPad X1, and is the first ever device to hold a 64-bit ultra octa-core chipset with 4G-enabled LTE. The MediaPad X2 is launched in two variants – one with 2GB RAM + 16GB storage and the other with 3G RAM and 32GBstorage.
Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group made a statement –
Following the success of the Huawei MediaPad X1, and having inherited the signature feature of our large screen design, the Huawei MediaPad X2 represents our faith and commitment in creating better quality products with our technology and innovation.
At a thickness of 7.28 mm, the MediaPad X2 is the world’s slimmest 7-inch phablet. The HD IPS display is laminated and has a resolution of 1200 x 1920p, with pixel density of 323ppi. The 2.0GHz Kirin 930 ultra-octa chipset bundled with 64-bit GPU Mali-T628 is powerful and consumes less power. The phablet is juiced up through a 5,000 mAh Li-ion battery.
On the camera expect as well, the phablet stands at a good spot. It is equipped with a 13MP rear shooter and a 5MP front shooter which is ideal for selfie lovers. Connectivity options include LTE Cat6 and Wi-Fi; surprisingly Bluetooth is not an option in the Huawei phablet. The devices are available two colour option – amber gold and moonlight silver.
The phablet is undoubtedly one of the best and packs some incredible features that makes it stand out. Meanwhile, the price tag is missing, but the Chinese equipment producer is likely to disclose it soon.
The much anticipated forthcoming flagship from Samsung has finally been officially unwrapped. Our earlier leak might have ruined surprises, if there were any. As expected, there are indeed two versions of the flagship – one with the standard screen while the other one is a curved display.
Watch our Hands On with the new Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge here:
The normal Galaxy S6 boasts a slightly larger screen size than its predecessor with a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED QuadHD display with a pixel density of 577PPI. Powering the new Galaxy S6 will be an Exynos Octa-Core chipset clocked at 2.1 Ghz which is bundled with a 3GB LPDDR4.
Meanwhile, in terms of optics, it retains the same 16MP count just like its predecessor, though it gets OIS which was missing in its previous iteration. In addition, it also gets a 5MP front facing camera.
On the memory front, the Galaxy S6 will be available in three variant, 32, 64 and 128 GB variants. All based on UFS 2.0 (Universal Flash Storage). And yes, just like the iPhone – the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the S6 Edge will not have micro SD expandability.
Connectivity on the new flagship has been given a slight upgrade, it gets LTE Cat 6 compatibility, while other connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, while globally unlocked variants will work on TDD and FDD LTE bands so networks should not be a problem for Samsung this time around. It also gets a fingerprint scanner while juicing up the smartphone would be 2550mAh battery.
Coming to its curved counterpart, all specs and features are the same except it gets a slightly beefier battery unit at 2600mAh along with an Exynos Octa core chipset clocked at 2.5Ghz. Meanwhile, the edge is mostly for aesthetic appeal. At the event the company announced that it took upto 800 Degree to bend the Gorilla Glass 4 display.
Samsung has included quick charging and wireless charging capabilities in the new S6 and the S6 Edge. The company claims that a 10 minute charge will result in 4 hours of usage.
Charging the Galaxy from 0-100 takes the half the time as the iPhone 6
The pricing remains a question (which should be answered shortly), however it is rumored that the Galaxy S6 Edge will cost more than the Note Edge did at launch.
We have pitted them against each other for a closer look at their specifications:
A new promotional image of the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge has popped up on the Internet, this time courtesy of a Reddit user. The promotional image does lineup fairly well with the recently leaked images and specifications.
While the images appear rather authentic, there are a few things that do seem a bit out of place. Firstly, the Galaxy Edge is written in both lower and upper case. In the text description, the ‘Edge’ appears in uppercase, while the logo towards the bottom of the ad shows it in lower case. Moreover, the use of ‘GS6’ seems rather odd.
Though one thing the promotional image does confirm is that there are indeed two versions of the flagship – one with the standard screen while the other one is a curved display.
The Mobile World Congress is just around the corner, we’ll have to wait just a little longer before Samsung makes its official announcement.
We saw amazing camera performances with the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy Note 4, both came with 16 megapixel cameras. The one major feature the Galaxy S5’s camera lacked was Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), a significant step that seriously impressed users of the iPhone 6 Plus and Galaxy Note 4. Even without OIS, Galaxy S5’s 16-megapixel camera is one of the best smartphone cameras around. Now it seems the Korean manufacturer has outdone itself yet again when it comes to camera capabilities.
According to sources close to iGyaan, Samsung has apparently spruced up its camera unit with a 21 megapixel count for its forthcoming flagship, and gets the same sensor as the Sony Xperia Z3. In addition, it gets a 5MP front facing shooter and is likely to get OIS with excellent low light capabilities.
Samsung’s first teaser suggested that the forthcoming flagship’s camera experience would be an integral element of the Galaxy S6’s overall appeal. Meanwhile, Samsung’s senior VP in a blog post recently stressed upon the fact how they have been constantly working on improving the cameras used in the Galaxy Series.
As is often the case with prominent flagship smartphones prior to their official unveiling, virtually all details of HTC’s next flagship are out in the open. With the One M9 all set to be officially announced at the Mobile World Congress 2015, three new promotional videos were published on YouTube by user Upleaks which were immediately removed. Interestingly, the source of the clips is also no where to be seen on YouTube. Though we managed to find a source that currently works. Readers be reminded that videos are in line with leaks in the past, and barely leave room for imagination.
The promotional videos showcased the design of the upcoming flagship, along with its hardware capabilities. Key attributes of the HTC One M9 include a dual-tone metal body, Ultra-pixel front facing camera which can apparently offer better low light selfies, a 20 MP primary camera, and the BoomSound feature has been upgraded with Dolby Audio surround sound.
The video also shows a new home screen focused on the Sense-d Android 5.0 and its new camera unit. HTC has added a slew of improvements to its latest custom UI like better BlinkFeed and a plethora of customisation options.
Meanwhile, earlier this week a German listing for a smartphone was spotted that looked uncannily familiar to the HTC One M9. The leaked images did look authentic and shows that HTC has moved some buttons around, we may see the power button right below the volume rockers on the right, unlike the M8 where it was located on top, making it quite a task to reach at times given the size of the M8.
HTC One (M9) debuts this Sunday, on March 1 in Barcelona. Make sure you tune in to find out everything about HTC’s new flagship, if there’s anything left to show. Also check out the leaked intro video below:
