Apple iPhone 6s review

Introduction

The more it changes, the harder it becomes to see the difference. And you know, it's not about Apple and the iPhone at all. It's where the industry has been heading for a while now. In the race for screen size and processing power, the major makers' flagships are like pro athletes finishing within milliseconds of each other. To get an extra edge, manufacturers will go in lots of directions - such as water proofing, bigger and sharper selfies, wireless charging, curved or borderless screens, whatnot.

The new iPhone, being an S model, naturally comes with more power under the hood, but also brings the long awaited camera upgrade. The main camera now uses a 12MP sensor capable of 4K video recording as well as 1080p at 120fps, there is a brand new 5MP selfie camera too. And, it's the same screen size and resolution but we think it's exactly what Apple meant with "the only thing that's changed is everything".

Samsung reportedly working on two foldable smartphones; MWC 2017 unveiling tipped

We already knew that Samsung is working on a phone with foldable display (internally dubbed Project Valley) and will launch it sometime next year. Now, a new report from Bloomberg reveals that not one but two such devices are in the works at the South Korean company.

The report notes that one of the two devices "folds in half like a cosmetic compact," while the other sports a 5-inch screen in folded form, with the display size increasing to as large as 8-inch when the handset is unfolded.

The report also says that one or both devices could be unveiled at next year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
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Google released Android distribution stats for June, Marshmallow breaks 10%

Google’s dashboard has been updated with distribution numbers for this month. Marshmallow is at 10.1% which must be thanks to the large amount of new phones being sold and more phone and tablet makers rolling out Marshmallow updates for their smart devices.
Compared to last month, all of the numbers have dropped except for Froyo and Marshmallow. Froyo remained at 0.1% between last month and this month. We should see Froyo gone from the distribution chart soon enough. Remember, if any version is below 0.1%, it will no longer appear on this map.

 

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LeEco launches Le 2 and Le Max 2 in India

LeEco has launched the Le 2 and the Le Max 2 smartphones in India, which were unveiled earlier this year at an event in Beijing.

The Le 2 will replace the previous Le 1s. Like its predecessor it has a full metal body, encasing a 5.5-inch 1080p display. The MediaTek Helio X20 from the Chinese variant has been swapped in favor of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 on the Indian model, and is coupled with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The Le 2 also has audio-out only through the USB Type-C connector and uses LeEco's CDLA or Continual Digital Lossless Audio technology. The phone also has 16 megapixel camera on the back, 8 megapixel on the front, fingerprint sensor, 3000mAh battery, and fast charging.

Next is the Le Max 2, which has a 5.7-inch quad HD display, Snapdragon 820 processor, option of 4GB RAM with 32GB storage or 6GB RAM with 64GB storage (UFS 2.0), 21 megapixel rear camera, 8 megapixel front camera, world's first ultrasonic fingerprint sensor using Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sense ID, USB Type-C with CDLA, and 3100mAh battery with fast charging.

The Le 2 is priced at INR 11,999 ($179) and the Le Max 2 is priced at INR 22,999 ($345) for the 4GB/32GB model and INR 29,999 ($449) for the 6GB/64GB model. The CDLA Type-C earphones are optional (no earphones provided with the phone) and priced at INR 1990 ($29).

LG G5 review

Introduction :

Someone at LG must have thought: "Leather is so last-year, let’s do something nobody has done – or long quit trying." And here we have the LG G5. It has the looks of a brand new flagship, the heart of a dragon and an adventurous dual camera setup suited for every occasion. But there’s more than what meets the eye, the Magic Slot. The LG G5 is a modular smartphone, which lets you plug a handful of external add-ons: a semi-pro camera grip with shutter buttons and a bigger battery, or an external sound amplifier by B&O.

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review : The revolution

Introduction

Pushed way out of its comfort zone and into a high-stakes flagship redesign last season, Samsung's back to what it does best -- making itself comfortable at the top of the heap. OK, it sounds like a bold claim but by no means incredible if you've seen the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.
Yet, this isn't exactly a galaxy far, far away. The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge looks a lot like its predecessor, and we've heard a lot of people calling it the same device. Can't blame them really - Samsung indeed focused on refinement this time around and if you caught our regular Galaxy S7 review, you'd know we liked what they come up with.
Anyway, the real deal is on the inside. If only you look at the features it brings back, such as water protection and a microSD slot, you may conclude that the Galaxy S7 edge is what the S6 edge should've been.

But that's not where the hardware novelties end. We paid due attention to the camera in our MWC coverage and the review of the vanilla Galaxy S7 to conclude that the dual pixel autofocus, wider aperture and bigger pixel size more than make up for the lower sensor resolution.
The new flagship wouldn't have done without an engine upgrade - we guess Qualcomm's return as a chipset supplier is another sign of things getting back to normal after the Project Zero coup. The Galaxy S7 pair is powered by either Snapdragon 820, or the latest Exynos 8890, each with 4GB of RAM.
There is a bigger display with an always-on option, and a more robust battery too. The Samsung Galaxy S7 edge runs the latest Android of course, skinned with the latest TouchWiz.

Key features

• Curved 5.5" Super AMOLED display of 1440p resolution; 534ppi; Always On capabilities;
• Gorilla Glass 4 front and rear panels
• IP68 certified - dust proof and water resistant
• USA model: Snapdragon 820 chipset - quad-core Kryo processor (2x 2.15GHz and 2x 1.6GHz cores); Adreno 530 GPU; 4GB of RAM
• Global model: Exynos 8890 chipset - octa-core processor with four 2.6GHz Mongoose and four 1.6GHz Cortex-A53 cores; Mali-T880 MP12 GPU; 4GB of RAM
• 12MP f/1.7 main camera with phase detect autofocus, optical image stabilization, LED flash
• 2160p video at 30fps; 1080p@60fps; 720p@240fps; HDR
• 5MP f/1.7 front-facing camera, 1440p video recording at 30fps
• 32/64GB of built-in storage; microSD slot up to 200GB
• Cat.9 4G LTE (450Mbps); Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; Bluetooth 4.2, ANT+, NFC; GPS, GLONASS and Beidou
• Heart-rate monitor, barometer, SpO2 sensor
• Wireless charging (Qi/PMA)
• 3,600 mAh non-removable battery, fast charging

Main disadvantages

• Hefty price tag
• Sealed battery
• No FM radio or IR blaster 

Samsung did well to bring back two of the most valued features - the microSD slot and water protection but the new design precludes any way of accessing the battery outside an authorized service center. The FM radio and IR blaster are gone for some reason at least in our Exynos version of the handset.

After SD823-powered ZenFone 3 Deluxe rumors, new leak reveals SD821 variant

Review of the galaxy s7

Introduction

Close your eyes and picture the Samsung Galaxy S6, but the way you wanted it to be, not the way it came out. Now open them and look at the Galaxy S7. Better? Let's see.
The Galaxy S6 was Samsung's response to growing criticism that the design of its high-end models just didn't live up to their price tag and market position. Okay then, a dual-glass sandwich with aluminum all around is premium enough, but you had to live without the storage expansion, replaceable battery and protection against the elements that were all available in the Galaxy S5.

The Galaxy S7 marks the return of the microSD slot and water-proofing, and while the battery is still sealed (which doesn't seem likely to change going forward), Samsung has been a lot more generous with the capacity for this generation.

Galaxy flagships have always led the way when it comes to imaging, their cameras always being among the top performers in the market. This time around, Samsung went backwards to play a different game of numbers: fewer but larger pixels, all 12 million of them capable of phase detection. Lightning-fast autofocus is the promise, and we've already seen the S7 deliver on it.

AMOLED has long since shaken off the stigma of being all punch and no precision, to actually bring the best of both worlds. The Always On displays are all the rage this season, and being able to light up individual pixels has always made this specific technology inherently suited for the job. "Why so late?" is probably the question to be answered.

Samsung Galaxy S7 key features

• Premium dual-glass design, aluminum frame
• 5.1" Super AMOLED display, QHD (1,440 x 2,560) resolution, ~577ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 4
• Exynos 8890 chipset: quad-core 2.6 GHz Mongoose + quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A53, Mali-T880 MP12 GPU (our review unit)
• Snapdragon 820 chipset: dual-core 2.15 GHz Kryo & dual-core 1.6 GHz Kryo, Adreno 530 GPU
• 4GB of RAM; 32GB/64GB of built-in storage, microSD up to 200GB
• Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with TouchWiz and Samsung Pay
• 12MP camera, f/1.7 aperture, 1,4micron pixel size, phase-detection diodes at every pixel in the sensor, 4K video recording, LED flash, optical image stabilization
• 5MP front-facing camera, f/1.7 aperture, QHD video, HDR
• Active noise cancellation via dedicated mic
• Fingerprint scanner
• LTE Cat.9, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, NFC, IR port, Bluetooth 4.2, ANT+
• 3,000mAh battery, fast wired and wireless charging (Qi/PMA)

Main disadvantages

• No FM radio
• No IR blaster
• No stereo speakers

 The FM radio is perhaps gone for good, the assumption apparently being that the jury has ruled in favor of streaming over the internet. The IR blaster is another feature due for retirement - the S6 had it, then the Note5 didn't, and now with the S7 the trend is clear.

The design-conscious among potential buyers will likely be looking at the Galaxy S7 edge, but that in no way makes the vanilla S7 the ugly duckling. The S6's shapes have been refined, gentle curves have replaced whatever sharp edges the old model had, the camera module now only barely sticks out - in other words, the familiar design was improved and refined.