LG G5 will feature dual displays and camera lenses, hardware expansion

LG's next flagship smartphone, the 2016 LG G5, will be its most premium handset to date, according to a person briefed on the company's plans.

The all-metal handset will borrow elements from past G-series devices as well as LG's most recent flagship, the V10, while also bringing several new features to the table, the source said (who asked not to be named because the information is not yet public).

Besides the metal enclosure, perhaps the most distinctive feature of the 5.3-inch G5 — slightly smaller than the 5.5-inch G4, but with the same 1440 x 2560 QHD resolution — is the alleged secondary "ticker" display, first seen on the larger, 5.7-inch V10. VentureBeat understands that this smaller, 160 x 1040-pixel screen will be one of the company's headline features across its 2016 lineup, appearing on multiple devices.

Wide-angle camera

Dual displays aren't the only unique feature tipped for the Android Marshmallow-flavored G5. The device is said to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 system-on-a-chip, along with the same 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage found in the G4. Whereas the V10 is equipped with two camera lenses in service of its front-facing selfie camera, the G5 is said to utilize a dual-lens configuration on the rear, giving the main 16-megapixel camera a 135-degree wide-angle capability, the source said.

In between the two lenses is a circle with a quartet of elements in a square configuration, according to the briefed individual, who was also shown images of the upcoming flagship. Two of those are LED flash bulbs, while another one is a laser for assisting with autofocus, first deployed on 2014's LG G3. The fourth element is also found on G4: a so-called RGB sensor to further assist with autofocus and other scene-recognition functions.

The G5 selfie cam will maintain the same eight-megapixel resolution as the G4, the source said, although no aperture was mentioned (G4 has an f/2.0).

Battery and biometrics

Underneath the trio of camera components sits a fingerprint sensor similar to the one found on this year's Nexus 5X, also from LG. While rumors have swirled regarding an iris scanner — as retina scanner rumors have around the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge — nothing of that nature was revealed to VentureBeat.

As far as battery capacity is concerned, LG, it seems, is taking a page out of Apple's book. Just as the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are equipped with slightly smaller batteries than the prior model year, so too is the G5 alleged to shrink its removable pack down to 2800mAh, from the G4's 3000mAh. Bear in mind, though, that the G5's battery will supposedly power a smaller display and a more efficient processor.

Curiously, there was no mention of a microSD slot, although we would not assume that the omission correlates to its lack of inclusion — especially since LG made the G4's slot a significant marketing differentiator with respect to the Galaxy S6's conspicuous lack of expandable storage.

Hardware expansion

Finally, in what's being described as a greater push into the high-margin accessories market, LG is said to have endowed the G5 with what's being branded as the "Magic Slot." While its physical incarnation isn't very clear, it is said to enable some functional expansion by way of hardware modules. The examples we were given range from an array of specified cameras — action, 360 VR, "party" — to an audio amplifier to a physical keyboard.

It brings to mind the Springboard expansion slot in Palm-acquired Handspring's Visor line of PDAs, one of whose modules enabled it to function as one of the very first smartphones.

Neither price nor release details were shared with VentureBeat, beyond the generic "first quarter 2016 launch." For reference, the LG G4 was both unveiled and released this past April.

Source: LG G5 will feature dual displays and camera lenses, hardware expansion

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Source: HP to launch its first Windows 10 smartphone in 2016

Galaxy S7 will reportedly be available in two sizes, set to go into production in February

Samsung's next iteration of its flagship Galaxy S series of smartphones – the Galaxy S7 – will launch sooner than expected and be released with two different screen sizes, according to a report from South Korea's ET News.

The standard version of the S7 will reportedly have a 5.2-inch flat display, while the 'Edge' version will boast a curved, 5.5-inch screen. This year's Galaxy S6 was launched with flat and curved versions, but featured the same 5.1-inch screen. There was also the larger S6 Edge+, but that came out months after the original two S6 smartphones.

The site's anonymous sources also claim that Samsung will finish development of the S7 by January and start mass-production a month later. The company is reportedly preparing an initial production run of around 5 million units – 3.3 million of the flat-screen device and about 1.6 million of the Edge version.

Traditionally, Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones are announced just before the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) event in Barcelona, before going on sale in April. This year, the MWC is being held from February 22nd to the 25th, so an S7 announcement may come on the 19th.

The precise release date of the S7 is still not known, although The Wall Street Journal has suggested that it will go on sale in mid-March. There are reports that the phone will feature a pressure-sensitive screen similar to Apple's 3D Touch display found in the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Samsung's upcoming smartphone is also said to look similar to the S6, but include a faster processor, better camera, longer battery life and a high-speed charging port.

Releasing the S7 during Q1 2016 means that sales of the device will be included in the company's first-quarter figures, which were predicted to be significantly weaker than last year's. If the S7 stuck to a traditional April release, Samsung's Q1 figures would then rely on the Galaxy S6 range which, despite being critically acclaimed and winning TechSpot's best smartphone of 2015, hasn't sold in the quantities that Samsung hoped it would.

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Source: Galaxy S7 will reportedly be available in two sizes, set to go into production in February

Samsung Elec plans initial production of 5 mln Galaxy S7 phones - report

The logo of Samsung Electronics is seen at the company's headquarters in Seoul July 6, 2012. Reuters/Lee Jae-Won/Files

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the world's top smartphone maker, plans an initial production run of about 5 million of its upcoming Galaxy S7 smartphones, South Korea's Electronic Times reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

The paper said Samsung is planning to launch two different versions of its new flagship smartphone: a 5.2-inch flat-screen version, and a 5.5-inch, curved-screen version that will be called the 'Galaxy S7 edge'.

Samsung plans to initially make 3.3 million of the flat-screen devices and around 1.6 million of the curved-screen version, the report said, with plans to launch the handset in February.

A Samsung Electronics spokeswoman declined to comment on the report.

(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)

Source: Samsung Elec plans initial production of 5 mln Galaxy S7 phones - report

Samsung Galaxy S7 Specs, Features And Pricing: Everything We Know So Far About Samsung’s Next Flagship

According to rumors, the Samsung Galaxy S7 will roll out sometime in 2016. Here are the alleged specs, features, release date, price and whatnot of the much-anticipated smartphone.(Photo : Computer Bild TV | YouTube)

The Samsung Galaxy S6 made quite a stir in the market with its eye-catching hardware specifications and sleek design. It almost feels like the smartphone just rolled out a while back.

Now, the presumably named Samsung Galaxy S7 is already about to see the light of day soon, and according to rumors, grounded guesswork and whatnot, it's going to be a completely different beast altogether.

Hardware Specifications

Processor

To start things off, it's believed that the Galaxy S7 is going to have Samsung's in-house octa-core processor Exynos 8890, which is the successor of the Exynos 7420 that powers the Galaxy S6, along with a 14-core variant of Mali T880.

Meanwhile, a variant of the upcoming smartphone is expected to sport Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 that the South Korean tech company allegedly acquired exclusive rights to until April 2016.

Between the two, Samsung's processor performs considerably better, according to freshly leaked Geekbench reports. Snapdragon 820 reached 2,456 on the single-core test and a remarkable 5,423 on multi-core test. On the other hand, Exynos 8890 got a 2,294 on single-core performance and a whopping 6,908 on multi-core, blowing Qualcomm's processor out of the water.

Display

There has been a buzz that the Galaxy S7 will have a 5.1-inch variant like the S6 and a 5.5-inch model like the S6 Plus, although some reports suggest that it'll have a 5.7-inch screen with a 1,440 x 2,560 QHD.

More to the point, there's a pretty good chance a premium edition that supports 4K is going to roll out, but it's only going to do so in the company's home country of South Korea.

One last thing: based on one of Samsung's trademark filings, the smartphone maker could be ditching the Gorilla Glass with the new Turtle Glass, but it might just be an alternative to the perennially used tempered glass.

Storage

When Samsung scrapped the microSD expansion slot along with the removable battery on the current Galaxy flagships, thousands of customers criticized the company. Fortunately, it seems that the smartphone maker listened to the people, as a report suggests that the company could be bringing back microSD support of up to 128 GB to the S7.

However, that could mean that the S7 will come in 32 GB and 64 GB models only. At any rate, the expandable option is what the people want.

Camera

According to a Weibo tipster, the Galaxy S7 will have a 12 MP camera, which is lower than the 16 MP snapper crammed in the S6. It's reportedly packing fewer megapixels to incorporate a slightly larger sensor that can capture more light using dual-photodiode technology.

Also, a couple of weeks ago, Samsung unveiled the BRITECELL camera, a technology designed to take better low-light photos, but more compact compared with the shooter fitted in the S6.

On the other hand, some AnTuTu benchmark scores attributed to the Galaxy S7 say that the smartphone will sport the same 16 MP rear camera and 5 MP front shooter as the S6.

Considering the conflicting rumors, it's hard to say what the Galaxy S7 will really have when it goes official.

Audio

Rumors suggest that the smartphone will have ESS Technology's SABRE 9018 DAC, just like the chip found on the LG V10. It has dynamic range that goes up to 127 dB plus THD+N of 120 dB, supporting audio formats such as FLAC, ALAC, AIFF and WAV.

Battery

Regarding battery power, no word has surfaced yet. Unlike the return of microSD support, the removable battery design won't be making a comeback in the S7 – if the rumors hold true, that is.

Other Features

First off, the Galaxy S7 is said to be equipped with a USB Type-C interface. If it will, then it's safe to assume that it's going to support fast charging, not to mention that users will be able to plug the cable either way.

Second, the smartphone could have a keyboard cover, which is perfect for those who want a more tactile feedback when pressing keys.

Third, it could have a heat pipe to prevent any overheating issue, which could be because of the heating problems the Snapdragon 810 introduced.

Last but not least, it could have a retina scanner, which has been becoming increasingly common by today's flagship standards.

Software

Operating System

As expected, the Galaxy S7 will be running Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. On top of that, purported internal Samsung reports were posted on Weibo, serving as further evidence of the expected OS.

Knowing Samsung, the upcoming handset could also feature an improved TouchWiz UI.

3D Touch

Back in 2014, Samsung filed a patent, suggesting that the company is developing a 3D Touch technology of its own. Based on the description, a hard press will generate a capital letter and a softer one will register a lowercase letter.

What's more, the smartphone maker is going to partner up with Synaptics to integrate the U.S. company's ClearForce technology with the Galaxy S7 screen, according to another Weibo leak.

In a nutshell, the two are pretty much like the Force Touch technology on the Huawei Mate S 128 GB model or Apple's 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Currently, there's not enough evidence to see which direction Samsung will go, whether it's going to feature its own technology or Synaptics' technology.

Design

Just like the S6 Edge, the Galaxy S7 Edge is expected to have curves, but this time around, the successor will have the curved design applied to top, bottom, left and right. Generally speaking, it will sport a similar design as the S6. However, instead of aluminum, the S7 will be made using magnesium alloy with glass for an overall sturdier built.

Release Date

A lot of rumors about the release date of the Galaxy S7 have been making rounds on the Internet, including a January, February, March and April 2016 rollout. Aside from a launch at the Mobile World Congress, the most believable one out of the bunch is a March 2016 release date, but even so, it's better to take it with a grain of salt until official word comes out.

Price

Earlier this month, Chinese analyst Pan Jiutang claims that the S7 will be 10 percent cheaper than the S6 at launch. Other speculations suggest that the smartphone will have a price tag that ranges from $460 to $650.

A Closer Look

While virtually every detail surrounding the Galaxy S7 remains as speculations, Martin Hajek of Computerbild.de created a concept video that shows what the smartphone would look like if the rumors were all true.

Check out the video shown.

© 2015 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: Samsung Galaxy S7 Specs, Features And Pricing: Everything We Know So Far About Samsung's Next Flagship

Samsung Galaxy S7 to Come Out in March 2016 Cheaper than the Galaxy S6? Let’s See

Several internet tech and news sites have revealed that China's leading telecom carrier China Mobile has inadvertently confirmed the launching of Samsung Galaxy S7 when it recently made a presentation of its business roadmap in the coming months.

The company confirmed previous reports that the Korean tech giant shall launch the Samsung Galaxy S7 late in February during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 event to be held in Barcelona, Spain and the latest flagship smartphone will subsequently come out of the global retail markets in March, notes GSM Arena.

The more interesting facet of the report is that accordingly, the Samsung Galaxy S7 will come out with a base price of $465, which is significantly cheaper than the base model of its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S6.

It is not clear whether this pricing is only in China since it is a big issue in the country notwithstanding the numerous competitions which mostly offer high-end specifications at very affordable prices.

The same report from China Mobile revealed plans of Samsung to launch two other mid-range smartphones in the Galaxy A5 and the Galaxy A7, which seem to pattern with what the Korean tech giant did this year when it simultaneously launched in June the Galaxy J5 and the Galaxy J7.

According to Techno Buffalo, Samsung could also be planning multiple versions of the Galaxy S7 in different sizes with curved and flat screens. However, it seems rather ironic if Samsung would push such strategy if reports are true that the Galaxy S7 will come out cheaper than the Galaxy S6.

So everything is still speculation at this time until Samsung makes the official announcement on its latest flagship smartphone come the MWC 2016.

One-upmanship continues

The continuing one-upmanship between Apple and Samsung is expected to go on for a long while which will only be good for the users of their devices.

In addition to bringing good competition on a whole new level, it also means that the two tech giants are bringing quality devices to the market. This means that if any of the two giant companies come up with anything less than great in their upcoming product offerings would not only draw flak from the market and the consumers, it shall also be gobbled alive by the competition.

One clear case of that is the Samsung Galaxy S5, which the Korean tech giant launched to the market in March 2014. Because it came out with less-than-satisfactory improvements from its great predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S4, Apple's iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus ate it alive. As a result, Samsung experienced three consecutive quarters of falling revenues for the first time in its history in the smartphone market.

But Samsung has apparently learned its lesson from that great debacle and more than made up for it with the launching in March this year of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, which redeemed the Korean tech company's negative sales showing last year.

Putting one better over Apple

While the Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge are several notches better than the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, the American tech giant refuse to buckle down and simply roll over and die.

Instead, it has resorted to adopting a new and first-of-its-kind technology with its latest smartphone offerings – the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus – launched in September. The technology is called the pressure-sensitive display tech, which the American tech giant previously used early this year with its Apple Watch and the new Apple MacBook.

The company further refined the technology and brand it as 3D Touch when it applied it to the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus.

The pressure-sensitive screen discerns between the various kinds of pressure when touching the screen and takes a unique command for a different level of pressure.

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Source: Samsung Galaxy S7 to Come Out in March 2016 Cheaper than the Galaxy S6? Let's See

Yu Yutopia is a $375 smartphone with flagship-level specs

Holly Goodman | December 25, 2015, 10:50

Yu Yutopia is a $375 smartphone with flagship-level specs

The hardware specifications of the Yutopia are quite impressive. The display also comes with a layer of OGS and full lamination which will ultimately aid in better sun light readability. That means it offers an octa-core 2GHz CPU, and contains the Adreno 430 GPU. On the front, you get an 8 megapixel shooter with the same 5P lens. The rear camera has features like 4K video shooting and slow motion HD videos at 120 fps. Also considering it sports a QuadHD display we will need to see how the battery life holds up on the Yutopia.

State Bank Credit Cardholders will get Rs 1,000 cash-back on purchase of YUTOPIA mobile phone at Amazon. There's 4GB of DDR4 RAM, 32GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD), and a 3000 mAh battery featuring Quick Charge 2.0. We anticipate a huge demand for this device but the order quantity is limited to one unit per customer.

The other highlight of this phone is its Fingerprint scanner, which has round form factor and is placed below the rear camera.

Expectedly, Yu Yutopia is Yu's most expensive and most feature rich phone till date (and for that matter most expensive phone coming from Micromax stable as well).

Check out this space for more posts related to the world of technology! Also, it comes bundled with Little Bird earphones by House of Marley.

The smartphone will run the latest Cyanogen OS 12.1 built on Android 5.1.1, with Marshmallow dropping anytime soon.

Yu has partnered with Airtel to offer data benefits to users.

"Around YU" has a suite of services including travel, food and entertainment rolled into one discovery window for the users.

The 5.2 inch phone is sold in India by Cloudtail, which is linked to Infosys founder Narayana Murthy. The options that appear when a person taps on, for example, cabs, include the nearest Ola and Taxi For Sure cabs and offline taxi services around the vicinity.

"Cyanogen is excited to continue our partnership with YU with the launch of YUTOPIA", said Kirt McMaster, CEO of Cyanogen Inc.

The other interesting announcement made by YU is its Assured upgrade programme. Along with the phone the company launched a suite of services.

The only two things still going for the LG device was the brand name of the Korean company and Google's promise of the phone having the most up-to-date software all the time.

Source: Yu Yutopia is a $375 smartphone with flagship-level specs

Galaxy S7 Rumors: What Is Samsung Planning?

Most probably you will not, because the patent was filed long before everything was finalized for the company's flagship smartphone.

As stated by the website, the release date of the Samsung Galaxy S7 could potentially cut out the high end offers of their competitors and potentially bring back their high end phones on top of the market.

Finally, Samsung will keep the Galaxy S7 close to its predecessor, although there will be a change in the camera unit. Unlike the regular S7, the S7 Edge won't have a microSD card slot.

Although not quite surprising, Samsung Galaxy phones are about to copy another Apple iPhone feature.

Insider sources said the electronics maker is expected to officially announce the new feature for its Galaxy smartphones during the Mobile World Congress expo in February with plans for a March rollout, according the Wall Street Journal.

Another important potential new feature of the forthcoming device is a rumored retina scanner. The company has been in the news lately as they had to pay a fine of close to $550 million Dollars to Apple over a settlement, however this time they're in the news for different reasons - the Samsung Galaxy S7, their next flagship device, is expected to release with a "pressure sensitive display".

Samsung and its new mobile chief, D.J. Koh, have a lot riding on the success of the S7.

Unlocked versions of the 32 GB Samsung Galaxy S6 and 128 GB Samsung Galaxy S6 edge are available on eBay at $399 and $599 respectively. In fact, it was only a couple of days ago when Samsung announced that if you purchase their latest tablet, the Galaxy Tab S2 in December, you can also get a year's worth of Netflix for free.

Other features include a 13-megapixel auto-focus rear camera with OIS (optical image stabilization) and LED flash, an 8-megapixel front facing camera for selfies, and a 4,000mAh battery.

In its outlook for the fourth quarter, Samsung predicted the continued quarter-on-quarter growth of smartphone sales, although competition was expected to "intensify under strong seasonality".

The mid-range premium Samsung Galaxy A9 will be launched in January next year in China, at the price of 3,000 yuan, equivalent to 420 euro. Obviously, many said that the look of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge units look very similar to the iPhone.

Source: Galaxy S7 Rumors: What Is Samsung Planning?

Best high-end flagship smartphones released in India in 2015: iPhone 6s, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and more

Best high-end flagship smartphones released in India in 2015: iPhone 6s, Galaxy S6 Edge and moreApple Inc.

The premium smartphone race was taken to a whole new level in 2015. Major advancements in terms of specs were made to lure consumers. While companies like Apple, Samsung, Sony, Google and others launched their respective flagship devices with premium price tags, others like OnePlus and YU launched their affordable premium smartphones this year.

Here's a list of top flagship releases throughout 2015 and their impact on the market:

Apple iPhone 6s series

Apple launched the new iPhone 6s series in India this year, succeeding the highly-successful iPhone 6 series. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus were launched with surprisingly high price tags, which resulted in lower-than-expected sales in India. The company later realized and slashed the prices of its 2015 flagship devices by up to 16 percent in order to take advantage of the holiday season. As per the new pricing, iPhone 6s 16GB variant sells for between Rs. 52,000 and Rs. 55,000 and the price cut was exercised across all variants.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung advanced on several levels to make its 2015 flagships worthy and attractive. Everything from a new and most advanced processor to a lavish new design helped set a new standard in the flagship race. Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge was well-received for its dual-curved display, first in the industry to feature a curved screen. The glass back and metal body design was a long departure from the usual plastic build Samsung favoured over the years. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge received their share of popularity but did not perform exceptionally well in terms of sales due to iPhone 6's popularity.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+

Samsung's Galaxy Note series is a successful lineup and the company launched its Galaxy Note 5 along with Galaxy S6 Edge+ with same dual curved screen as the Galaxy S6 Edge but with a bigger screen. The Galaxy Note 5's S Pen feature, its fine camera, incredible display really made a lasting impression on consumers and critics alike.

Sony Xperia Z5 Premium

Touted as the world's first smartphone with a 4K display, Sony Xperia Z5 Premium was a great improvement from its predecessors. With a great camera, good fingerprint sensor and an improved battery, Xperia Z5 Premium appealed to a wide range of audience. But the buyers were not taken by the extremely high price tag, which might have affected the sales of the handset. It is still one of the best premium devices out there.

Google Nexus 6P

If you love stock Android with high-end smartphone experience, Nexus 6P is the go to device. It offers great camera, good quality build, stock Android and not-to-mention timely software updates. The handset's Indian debut was a bit delayed compared to U.S. launch but managed to arrive just in time for holidays. Nexus 6P is available in 32GB and 64GB variants with a recent price drop on both models costing Rs. 37,999 and Rs. 40,999, respectively.

YU Yutopia

If you are skeptical about spending your savings on a high-end phone, YU offers a similar experience at a much affordable price point. YU Yutopia packs industry's leading specs with a great camera and design, reliable battery, Cyanogen OS and lot more for Rs. 24,999. Yutopia was launched just this month but has the potential to make up for the lost time with the combination of finest specs offered in a smartphone in this price range.

OnePlus 2

OnePlus established a trustworthy brand for itself in India. The company's latest flagship, OnePlus 2, made some waves in the market. Complete with premium features such as good design, great camera and battery, fingerprint scanner and lot more, OnePlus 2 helped the company grow fonder in the hearts of its fans in the country. Started off with invite-only sales, OnePlus 2 is available freely without invites through Amazon India. The 64GB variant is priced at Rs. 24,999 and challenges some of the industry's biggest rivals.

Source: Best high-end flagship smartphones released in India in 2015: iPhone 6s, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and more

Google Nexus 6P review: You'll need big pockets for this killer smartphone

DAILY STAR ONLINE

REVIEW: Google's new smartphone

WE LIKE • Stunning design • Well built • Eye-popping Quad HD Display • Android Marshmallow • Decent camera

WE DON'T LIKE • 5.7inch display makes this phone a pocket-buster •  Rear-mounted fingerprint scanner can be annoying

Google is back with its next generation smartphone and it's a belter.

The Nexus 6P has just gone on sale and it features a number of updates over its predecessor – including a stunning new all-metal design.

Built by Chinese smartphone giant Huawei and running the latest version of Android, there is no doubt that the 6P is the best Nexus smartphone to date.

But can it beat Samsung and Apple in the race to be the best smartphone of 2015?

Daily Star Online has squeezed the giant call maker in our pocket and here's our full review.

DAILY STAR ONLINE

GOOD LOOKING: The Nexus 6P features a stunning new design

Out of the box, the first thing that will grab your attention is the 6P's ludicrously good 5.7inch display.

Brimming with an eye-watering 518 pixels-per-inch, the Quad-HD AMOLED screen is thing of absolute beauty.

Colours are crisp, content looks sharp and the whole visual experience is as good as all of the 6P's competition.

The bouncy material design animations baked into Android Marshmallow also shine on this display and it's a total joy to use.

However, users do need to be warned that this phablet is big and the staggering 16:9 display comes at a hefty cost to your pocket real estate.

Measuring 159mm by 77.8mm, the Nexus 6P is frustratingly tall and can be difficult to use one-handed.

As a result, unless you have extendable fingers you'll struggle to swipe down the notifications shade, or select any menu items at the top of the display without some serious hand gymnastics.

This is of course the price you pay for going large but watch the latest Star Wars trailer on Huawei's immersive 5.7inch QHD display and you soon realise it's well worth the inconvenience.

DAILY STAR ONLINE

ON SCREEN: The 5.7inch display is a stunner

Aside from the eye-popping QHD display, there's plenty of other extras to get smartphone fans excited.

Huawei has included a frighteningly-fast, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor which unlocks the device the minute you get it in your hand.

It works well, although unfortunately Huawei has removed the small swipe gestures it introduced for its own fingerprint scanner on the recently unveiled Mate S smartphone.

It's a shame swipe option doesn't feature on the Nexus 6P as it's genuinely a nifty way of interacting with your phone.

Powering the Google Nexus 6P is a 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM.

That's more than enough to keep Android 6.0 Marshmallow running smoothly – and even the most intensive power users will struggle to notice any lag or stutter while using the Nexus 6P.

DAILY STAR ONLINE

SCAN: Unlock the device with Google's new fingerprint scanner

DAILY STAR ONLINE

NEW: The Nexus 6P has been built by Huawei

The 6P also includes a large 3,450mAh battery which should keep your smartphone powered throughout the day and well into the evening, too.

Google reckons its device will keep going with 10 hours of web browsing over a 4G data connection, and we found that to be fairly close to the money.

To fill the phone with juice Google has opted for the new USB Type-C connection.

There is no longer any doubt this nifty new reversible connector is on the verge of becoming the new standard for flagship smartphones, but for now, you'll still find spare cables all too rare in a world filled with microUSB cables.

Fortunately the Nexus 6P supports fast charging – and you can quickly top-up the device with seven hours of battery life in just ten minutes.

Huawei has also made a lot of noise about its new rear camera. And it's easy to see why.

Compared to the dull shooter bundled with the Nexus 6, the new 12.3MP rear camera is a staggering upgrade.

The Nexus 6P takes a great photograph in the vast majority of situations and manages to capture crisp and vibrant images with a huge amount of detail.

DAILY STAR ONLINE

The IR laser-assisted autofocus is also impressively fast at zeroing in on your subject.

However, like most smartphones, the 6P does struggle when the lights get low and in gloomier conditions your snaps won't be winning any awards.

Ultra HD 4K video at 30-frames-per-second is also supported, which means your home movies will be future-proofed, ready for your next TV.

The front-facing camera is good enough for your selfies, Skype and Hangout calls, but it's not headline worthy.

OUR VERDICT

Huawei has built a truly stunning smartphone with flagship specs and a distinct personality.

Coupled with the impressive functionality of Google's new Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the Nexus 6P is a formidable flagship.

Whilst it will make a large dent in your pockets, the 5.7inch display is thing of beauty and geniunely one of the best screens on the market.

The fingerprint sensor is a nice addition although there will be times when you'll wish it had been placed neatly on the front of the smartphone.

But this is a small quibble on an otherwise faultless phone.

In fact, this is the best Google Nexus smartphone ever released. And it's the best Android smartphone, too.

For our money, the curvaceous Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge still trumps the Nexus 6P in terms of design. And the staggering camera on the LG G4 beats the Nexus 6P shooter, too. But that's OK.

Fast updates direct from Google, solid hardware design and quality from Huawei and a reasonable £449 price tag for the SIM-free handset, make this the no-compromise Android smartphone of the year.

Source: Google Nexus 6P review: You'll need big pockets for this killer smartphone

Motorola Moto X Force smartphone tested to destruction – video

Find out what happened to Motorola's latest flagship Android smartphone (also known as the Droid Turbo 2 in the US) when it was dropped two-storeys, stamped on, thrown downstairs, hurled at the wall and given an intense beating with a hammer. Spoiler: the screen didn't shatter, even if the phone wouldn't turn on, got very very hot and started to smell

Source: Motorola Moto X Force smartphone tested to destruction – video

Xiaomi Mi 5 news: New leak hints at flagship's slightly bigger price tag

Xiaomi website

As weeks go by and spoilers continue to drop in, the tech world grows closer to the Xiaomi Mi 5, the long-awaited flagship from the China-based tech firm. Almost everything about the smartphone has been leaked but it is only this time that a new morsel of detail hinted that the handset could be the tech company's most expensive mobile offering yet.

A new report claims that the much-awaited device will be priced from CNY 2499 ($385) to 2999 ($462), which are both far higher than what media outlets and users expected. It was assumed that the smartphone will come with a price tag as big as predecessors, which is only CNY 1999.

According to GSM Arena, Xiaomi is aiming to give users the impression that it is a premium and first-class manufacturer, which is why it puffed up the price. It won't feel like a bad deal for those who decide to take a unit home. From what the rumor mills have been chomping out about the specs sheet of the Xiaomi Mi 5, users won't certainly feel cheated by the price increase.

The flagship is rumored to be powered by the all-new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor. However, if Xiaomi will be using the new-gen chipset for its latest mobile outing, fans might not see the smartphone in the flesh until April.

Just recently, there came a report about the newly unveiled processor being exclusive for Samsung to use until April. The Xiaomi Mi 5 was originally expected to be released by February but if this report is anything to go by, fans of the Chinese company will have to wait a little longer.

As for the rest of the specs, the flagship is reportedly getting a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, 3 GB to 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, USB Type-C port and a fingerprint scanner. Xiaomi is mum about the device's makings and release date at the moment.

Source: Xiaomi Mi 5 news: New leak hints at flagship's slightly bigger price tag

Top 10 smartphones you can buy under Rs 20,000

The mid-range smartphone market has evolved quite a bit in the last one year. Today, there are plenty of interesting options for customers to choose from in the price bracket of Rs 10,000 to 20,000. Within this price range, some of the phones are touted as flagship killers and then there are phones that have great camera, performance, battery or a combination of all these features. Here is our pick of the top 10 phones launched in this category.

-Samsung Galaxy J7J7

OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1280 x 720p | Processor: 1.5 GHz Quad-Core |Memory: 1.5GB |Storage: 16GB| Battery: 3000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 5MP720p | Processor: 1.5 GHz Quad-Core |Memory: 1.5GB |Storage: 16GB| Battery: 3000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 5MP

Samsung launched Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J5 to fill the gap in the mid-range Android smartphone category. Samsung Galaxy J7, which takes design cues from the Samsung's E-series smartphones feature a 5.5-inch AMOLED display that is not the sharpest in its category but looks vibrant and offers good colours.

The smartphone has a sturdy design and is backed by an octa-core CPU along with 1.5GB of RAM, which rather seems a bit odd but is able to do justice to most multimedia jobs. Galaxy J7carries the traditional Samsung tag of a removable battery and microSD card support (up to 128GB). Moreover, it offers dual-SIM connectivity with 4G LTE support on both the SIM cards.

Taking selfies in night is also possible with the Galaxy J7 as it boasts of a 5MP front camera with 85-degree wide-angle lens and f/2.2 aperture along with LED flash light. The rear has a 13MP shooter along with an LED flashlight and a number of modes.

-Gionee Marathon M5

OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1280 x 720p | Processor: 1.3 GHz Quad-Core |Memory: 3GB |Storage: 32GB| Battery: 6000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 5MP

Most power users in India s eek a phone that offers great battery backup. Smartphone makers have been dealing with this need in a number of ways. Some offer fast chargers that give you decent juice in 10 to 15 minutes of times and then we have phones that offer integrated software based modes, which extend the battery life.

Gionee is trying to solve the problem in its own way through its recently launched - Marathon M5 that packs in a mammoth 6000mAh battery. The company claims that the Marathon M5 delivers standby time of up to 62 hours even with 5 per cent battery remaining and is also capable of reverse charging.

We have used the Gionee Marathon M5 for a while now and can that this is definitely worth recommending to power users. Apart from the big battery, the smartphone has a large 5.5-inch AMOLED display and is backed by a 1.3 GHz Quad-core CPU. There is 32GB internal storage that can be expanded by up to 128GB via microSD card.

-Lenovo Vibe S1

OS: Android 5.0 Lollipop | Screen si ze: 5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920p | Processor: 1.7 GHz Ouad-Core |Memory: 3GB |Storage: 32GB| Battery: 2420mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 8MP + 2MP

Lenovo recently came out with Vibe S1, which is mid-range offering from the company. It comes with a premium design and it is a selfie-focused phone with twin front cameras. It features an 8MP front camera with f2.2 aperture and a secondary 2MP front camera to analyse and capture the depth of field in the images. The 13MP rear camera also delivers some real good results.

The smartphone boasts of a 5-inch 1080p IPS display, which is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and is backed by a 1.7GHz octa-core 64-bit MediaTek MT6752 SoC, paired with 3GB RAM. And we must mention that this device runs all applications and games without breaking a sweat.

-Xiaomi Mi 4

OS: Android 4.4 Kitkat with MIUI 7| Screen size: 5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920p | Processor: 2.5 GHz Quad-Core |Memory: 3GB |Storage: 16/32GB| Battery: 3080mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 8MP

Xiaomi as a brand is popular among the price-conscious phone buyers' in India. The company came out with its 2015 flagship smartphone - Xiaomi Mi 4 in the first quarter of the year and it continues to be popular still. It offers users an elegant design, powerful hardware, good battery life, a sharp 1080p display and amazing snappers.

However, it missed some noted features that Indian consumers love to have on their smartphones such as 4G connectivity and expandable storage. If you can compromise on these two things, then Xiaomi Mi 4 is a great buy in the under Rs 20,000 price segment. Moreover, with the recent price cuts, the smartphone is selling at Rs 14,999 for 16GB variant.

-Moto G (3rd gen)

OS: Android 5.1.1 | Screen size: 5-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1280 | Processor: 1.4 GHz Quad-Core |Memory: 2GB |Storage: 16GB| Battery: 2470mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 5MP

Moto G is the smartphone that c hanged everything for Motorola in the sub-Rs 13,000 category. The smartphone become an instant hit in the affordable category and forced other manufacturers to launch handsets that do not compromise on performance even at a pocket friendly price-point.

That said, the 3rd instalment of the popular smartphone brings some noticeable changes to the series such as a new and attractive design, improved camera, IP67 rating and a faster Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor. The smartphone easily sails through day-to-day tasks without any performance issues. You can get a number of smartphones in the same price range, but what differentiates this phone is the quality stock Android experience and the Motorola brand promise.

-Moto X Play

OS: Android 5.1.1 | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920 | Processor : 1.7 GHz Octa-Core |Memory: 2GB |Storage: 16GB/32GB| Battery: 3630mAh | Rear camera: 21MP | Front camera: 5MP

Motorola's freshly-announced lineup of 2015 Mot o devices included two variants of the Moto X: the aesthetics-focussed Moto X Style, and the more entertainment-orientated Moto X Play.

One of the biggest selling points of the Moto X Play is the battery 3,630mAh, which Motorola promises will last two days on a single charge, even when using 4G LTE and other battery-intensive features.

It also includes Motorola's Turbo Charge technology, which the company claims is the fastest quick-charging tech on the market, giving the Moto X eight hours of battery life in just 15 minutes of charging.

It is a great performance-oriented smartphone that you can take home for Rs 18,499 (for 16GB model)

-OnePlus One

OS: Android 4.4.2 (upgradable to 5.1) | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920 | Processor : 2.5 GHz Quad Core |Memory: 3GB |Storage: 16GB/64GB| Battery: 3100mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 5MP

This was the first smartphone by OnePlus and they called it a flagship killer. Almost a year later, we could not agree with them more.

When we had reviewed the phone, we had concluded that OnePlus One offers Samsung Galaxy S5 performance for less than half the price. If that doesn't make it attractive, then consider this: it also has a customisable OS and a 1080p display. There are few downsides of the device, but overall OnePlus One offers amazing value for money.

Even though the company has launched a successor in the form of OnePlus 2, but we still think that at Rs 19,999 OnePlus One still is still an attractive buy.

-OnePlus X

OS: Android 5.1 | Screen size: 5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920 | Processor : 2.3 GHz Quad Core |Memory: 3GB |Storage: 16GB| Battery: 2525mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 8MP

OnePlus has enjoyed tremendous success since it has come up and this is the third phone from the company. The OnePlus X looks and feels more premium than both the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2, and given that it is 5-incher, I think it has a w ider consumer appeal.

In fact, considering the price, the OnePlus X offers a fantastic built. At 6.9mm thick, it's the thinnest OnePlus handset and the 5-inch display keeps the dimensions to palm-friendly. It's much easier to hold in one hand than the other phones from the company.

At Rs 16,999 OnePlus X is a value for money offering with its Snapdragon 801 processor, 3GB of RAM, 5-inch full HD display, 13MP rear camera and 8MP front snapper.

-Asus Zenfone 2

OS: Android 5 | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920 | Processor : 2.3 GHz Quad Core |Memory: 4GB |Storage: 32GB/64GB/128GB | Battery: 3000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 5MP

The most confusing part about any Asus phone is figuring the right Zenfone. There are just so many variants available for varying price points. This one is priced at Rs 19,999 (for the 32GB variant) and is power packed phone with a 2.3GHz quad-core processor and 4GB of RAM. The camera might be a slight bummer for some, but overall this is one great smartphone to have.

-Micromax Canvas 5

OS: Android 5.1 | Screen size: 5.2-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 1920 | Processor : 1.3GHz octa-core |Memory: 3GB |Storage: 16GB | Battery: 2900mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 5MP

Micromax Canvas 5 is the company's new flagship smartphone, which is the successor of Canvas Sliver 5 that was launched in June for Rs 17,999. The Micromax Canvas 5 has a 5.2-inch full HD IPS display which supports pixel density of 423ppi and even has Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Just like other phones from Micromax, the Canvas 5 also runs on a near-stock version of Android 5.1 Lollipop in which few changes have been made to the interface.

On the performance front, the phone has an octa-core Mediatek MT6753 processor clocked at 1.3GHz combined with 3GB of DDR3 RAM. There is also 16GB of on-board storage that can be expanded via microSD to up to 64GB. Out of 16GB internal storage only 9.5GB is av ailable to the user.

The phone is available for Rs 11,999 and offers decent value for money.

Source: Top 10 smartphones you can buy under Rs 20,000

Around Yu Aims to Offer Your Favourite Apps and Services in a Single Place

Yu Televentures, alongside the launch of its Yu Yutopia flagship smartphone on Thursday, also introduced a new service aggregator platform called Around Yu. It debuts with the smartphone and will eventually be expanded to other smartphones from the company.

The app is aimed at providing a single location for users to access important utility services, such as flight, bus, hotel, and taxi bookings, food ordering, and shopping. So rather than have users download and install various apps to access such services, they can now visit the app with a swipe right from the home screen (just like Google Now and Shelf). The company calls it a "single discovery window" for a "suite of services", apart from a "personal assistant".

Yu has partnered with ixigo for booking flights and hotels, and with Ola for cab booking. Other partners include Flipkart, Zomato, Cricbuzz, and Oyo Rooms. Around Yu shows a total of eight sections - All, Food, Shopping, Cab, Flight, Hotel, Bus, and Train. Where multiple service providers are accessible, Around Yu shows prices across providers, as well as coupon deals. Below these sections there is a search bar asking users what they want to search for. There is also an option to share searched items with others via various communication apps.

For now, under the Train section, users will have to give the train PNR number to get details. The section is likely to receive an upgrade with more features in future.

Early adopters get discounts with certain service providers. The first cab booked via Around Yu will offer Rs. 100 off to users, while the fourth cab ride is said to be free. The first meal ordered through Around Yu will get a 15 percent discount. 40 users every week will get flights at Rs. 1 with their first booking.

The number of services on offer for now are limited, and can be expected to gradually grow as Yu Televentures joins hands with more partners in future. Yu Yutopia is the first in the lot to carry this feature. We tried Around Yu and it works exactly as expected.

Download the Gadgets 360 app for Android and iOS to stay up to date with the latest tech news, product reviews, and exclusive deals on the popular mobiles.

Source: Around Yu Aims to Offer Your Favourite Apps and Services in a Single Place

Google Nexus 6P: Samsung Galaxy S6 A Better Shooter

News By Staff Reporter | December 17, 2015

Compared to the previous Nexus flagship smartphone, the new Google Nexus 6P camera is a huge upgrade from the previous version and while that it a plus for the Nexus device, the Nexus 6P is still far from beating the Samsung Galaxy S6 to become the best android smartphone camera device.

More than a few images of taken from the Nexus 6P has been uploaded online and while we got to admit that it is a lot better now, the quality images are still not where other premium smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S6 is at.

Thanks to features like optical stabilization, the Samsung Galaxy S6 is capable of taking images that is sharper and video that looks a lot less shaky. It also comes with an f1.9 aperture which means it can perform better in low light condition.

It might not be where Samsung is at right now, but they are definitely on the right track.

Source: Google Nexus 6P: Samsung Galaxy S6 A Better Shooter

Xiaomi Mi 5 hardware specifications and expected price get detailed online

Xiaomi's Mi 5 flagship smartphone has been in the rumour mill for a really long time. From a leaked image to a number of speculations, the smartphone somehow never became official even though its predecessor has now aged in every possible way (it does not even support 4G bands). But now there is fresh news from a pretty credible source, that confirms plenty of hardware details about this much-rumoured smartphone that the Xiaomi CEO claimed was worth waiting for.

Online mobile retailer Oppomart had put up a listing (that has now been taken down) which detailed the specs of this beast of a smartphone. While some of the details are in line with past rumours and leaks, there are other fresh bits that have surfaced thanks to this leak.

According to the listing the Xiaomi Mi 5 will sport a 5.5 Quad HD display (2560 x 1440 pixels) sporting a pixel density of 515 ppi. As expected from the very beginning, the smartphone will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset clocked at 2.5 GHz, coupled with 4 GB of RAM. The smartphone is expected to go on sale in three variants, 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB; and none of them sport an SD card slot.

You can expect a 20 MP camera on the back and an 8 MP unit up front for selfies. The device unlike its predecessor will support 4G bands and will be powered by a 3,800 mAh battery.

Since this was a product listing on a retailer website, there was an expected price tag as well. The Xiaomi Mi 5 was priced at $599, which converts to approximately Rs 40,000. For now, there is no clue as to which of variant carried that price tag, so for now we cannot say whether this the is base price or the price of the most expensive model.

Xiaomi recently introduced the Redmi Note Prime smartphone a few days ago. The smartphone packs in the entry level Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset and indeed bought nothing fancy to the Indian market. So far Xiaomi's list of unreleased smartphones for India seems to be building up with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 2 Pro, Xiaomi Redmi Note 2, Xiaomi Mi Note and the Xiaomi Mi Note Pro. The Xiaomi Mi 5 will simply add to this list, if it launches only in China.

Tags: Mi 5, Mi 5 Features, Mi 5 hardware specifications, Mi 5 specifications, oppomart, Snapdragon 820, Xiaomi, Xiaomi Mi 5

Source: Xiaomi Mi 5 hardware specifications and expected price get detailed online

HTC gives Taiwan first look at virtual reality headset

TAIPEI: Smartphone maker HTC unveiled on Tuesday to Taiwanese gamers its virtual reality headset for the first time, as the company pins its hopes on the new product to help revive struggling sales.

HTC has been suffering losses as it grapples with intense competition in the crowded smartphone sector from Samsung, Apple and rising Chinese brands.

The HTC Vive will vie for consumers with Facebook's Oculus Rift and Sony's PlayStation VR, all set to be released next year as tech firms seek to make their mark in the virtual reality field.

Gamers in the capital Taipei queued at a tech mall for 10-minute trials of the headset, during which they played games including shooting zombies and exploring a sunken ship.

"It's exciting to feel like you're in the scene," Judy Chen, 30, told AFP.

"It feels quite real and gives you that sense of distance," she said, adding she would consider buying one if it was priced around Tw$30,000 ($917).

The company has yet to ann ounce pricing for HTC Vive, created with US game developer Valve.

"The sensory aspect of it is quite different. You're not just looking but interacting," said Shawn Chen, 24, but he worried a lack of space would prevent him playing at home.

The Taiwanese company has showcased HTC Vive in the US and Europe after announcing the device earlier this year. The lightweight head gear will also be shown at a developer conference in Beijing on Friday and at the Sundance Film Festival in January. HTC will start taking pre-orders in February, with the official sales launch in April. In a bid to boost its flagging fortunes, HTC also launched a new flagship smartphone -- the One A9 -- in October to take on Apple's latest iPhones.

HTC reported a second straight quarterly loss in the three months to September, just weeks after announcing job cuts.

Source: HTC gives Taiwan first look at virtual reality headset

Huawei may bring its Honor smartphones to the U.S. at CES 2016

Huawei's spin-off Honor brand, which has been used in a variety of countries around the world on some interesting devices, may be introduced to the U.S. at next year's CES mega-show. Press invitations from Honor to an event held during CES have already been sent out, and at a gathering in China recently, the president of Honor Global George Zhao is quoted as saying we should "expect to hear more about our U.S. plan at that time."

Zhao said Honor had been planning things for the U.S. for a long time, calling it a high end market for Huawei, according to a report by 9to5Google. Earlier this year, the president of Huawei's U.S. division said something similar. He called 2015 critical for the company in its mission to succeed in the U.S., and stated intentions to get its flagship smartphones sold by networks.

Related: Hands-on with the Huawei Mate S

For Honor, it's slightly different. The phones can't compare, spec-wise, with Huawei models such as the Mate S; but the design and fun features make them standout, particularly when it comes to price. They're also sold primarily online. If Huawei is bringing the Honor brand and some of its phones to the U.S., what can we expect to see?

According to the rumor, The Honor 5X will be announced. It's a good-looking metal smartphone with a large 5.5-inch 1080p screen, a 13-megapixel rear camera, and a Snapdragon 616 processor inside. There's also a fingerprint sensor on the rear. It costs just $160 for the basic 2GB of RAM model, or around $220 for the model with 3GB of RAM, but is so far only available in China.

While the Honor 5X looks like a great deal, there are some other Honor phones which are more interesting, such as the unusual Honor 7i with its flip-round camera lens, or the higher spec Honor 7 with its 20 megapixel Honor 7, currently sold in the U.K.. There are rumors of a larger Honor 7 Plus coming in the future.

We'll be at the Honor event during the CES tech show in January next year, and will bring you all the Honor brand news on the day.

Source: Huawei may bring its Honor smartphones to the U.S. at CES 2016

This is the Android smartphone with the best camera

We took our list of smartphone contenders from the prestigious DxOMark rankings and put your keen eyes to the test to see if you see the same things that DxOMark's extensive testing does. We randomly assigned letters of the alphabet to the phones and then took sample shots of a variety of subjects with each one. We then shared the galleries and asked you to vote for the one you thought was best. 

Smartphone C was our clear winner. / © ANDROIDPIT

With an overwhelming majority of 40 percent, camera C was our clear winner. But the big question is, which phone does camera C belong to? Did you guess right? It was none other than the Xperia Z5.

Our clear first place winner was also the same camera phone that DxOMark named the best smartphone camera so congratulations guys, your eyes did not deceive you. But what about the runners-up?

We had a tie for second and third place as well as fourth and fifth place. / © ANDROIDPIT

Oddly enough we had two two-way ties for the remaining four spots. Cameras D and E came in equal second with 22 percent of the vote, and cameras A and B tied for third place with eight percent each. We knew you guys wouldn't be happy with a vague tie, though, so we dug into the numbers behind the percentages to get a definite list, but boy, was it close.

Enough with the suspense: here are the smartphones with their corresponding letters and the votes each received.

1st place: Sony Xperia Z5 (smartphone C) 40 percent (575 votes)

2nd place: Moto X Pure Edition (smartphone E) 22 percent (321 votes)

3rd place: LG G4 (smartphone D) 22 percent (316 votes)

4th place: Nexus 6P (smartphone B) 8 percent (111 votes)

5th place: Samsung Galaxy S6 (smartphone A) 8 percent (109 votes)

Motorola deserves credit for having massively stepped up its photography game. / © ANDROIDPIT

As you can tell, with a split as close as two votes, the results could have flipped between the second and third place holders and the fourth and fifth place holders if I had pulled the results even just a minute later. But the Xperia Z5 definitely took first place, both according to your judgment and DxOMark's extensive testing.

The Moto X Pure Edition just nudged out the aging LG G4 for second spot and, the Galaxy S6 came in last, getting beaten by a nose by the Nexus 6P. Considering the Galaxy S6 is the oldest of these phones, perhaps this isn't too surprising, but it's definitely time we reassessed what we think is the best camera phone on Android.

Did you pick the winner? Would you have guessed the order correctly? Tell us what you think below.

Source: This is the Android smartphone with the best camera

Xiaomi Mi 5 front panel leak reveals a smaller 5-inch display: Specifications and features

By Ritesh Bendre on Dec 12, 2015 at 12:30 PM Email @GadgetFreak4U comments News

Earlier this month, we learned that Xiaomi is all set to take wraps off its next flagship, the Mi 5 on January 21. Ever since then, we've seen the leaked press images showing off the front-facing fingerprint sensor and a glimpse at its thin bezels. Now a couple of leaked photos of the front-panel confirm the physical home button and the display size.

The front-facing home button is also said to come embedded with a fingerprint scanner. The leaked front-panel photos also reveals that the Mi 5 is set to come with rounded corners, which is in line with earlier leaks.

The photo also shows the panel's back with all of its connectors. But the photo also raises questions about the display of the flagship smartphone. Some of the previous leaks suggested that the Mi 5 could come with a 5.2-inch QHD display, but the leaker now claims that the smartphone could come with 5-inch full HD (1080p) display.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun promises the Mi 5 is 'worth the wait' amid fears of stalling growth

Xiaomi Mi 5 specifications and features: So with the latest leak, the Mi 5 could feature either a 5-inch full HD display or a 5.2-inch QHD display. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

On the camera front, a combination of 16-megapixel rear snapper with LED flash and an 8-megapixel selfie unit could be in tow. In terms of software, it could run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow based MIUI 7.

As of now, it's not sure what has in store with the Mi 5, but we expect more details to pour in as the launch gets closer.

For the latest technology news, gadgets and reviews download the BGR India Android app. Also follow BGR India on Facebook and Twitter to stay tuned with the latest technology news.

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Tags: Xiaomi, Xiaomi Mi 5 Via: TechnoBuffalo Previous Next

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Source: Xiaomi Mi 5 front panel leak reveals a smaller 5-inch display: Specifications and features

Samsung Galaxy S7 to Come in 2 Variants; Device to Bring Back MicroSD Slot and More Speculations!

As Samsung's smartphone trend goes, the anticipated Galaxy S7 will reportedly come in two variants. The latest leak of the phone as per GSM Arena shows that the upcoming flagship phone of the Korean tech giant resembles its predecessor, the Galaxy S6.

The website also claims that the Samsung is now distributing ITSKINS cases of the future model.

It reveals that two models of the phone are soon to be released, but what's surprising is that the phones are both getting an upsize.

Based on the leaked images, the Galaxy S7 measures 143.37 x 70.8 x 6.94mm, a very slight increase over the Galaxy S6's 143.4 x 70.5 x 6.8mm dimensions. However, it goes against the smartphone trend as the diagram shows a much thicker and wider Galaxy S7.

A second edition of the Galaxy S7, most probably the S7 Edge, can be seen measuring 163.32 x 82.01 x 7.82mm, which is bigger than the 5.7-inch Galaxy S6 Edge+ which only measures 154.4 x 75.8 x 6.9mm.

This means that the S7 Edge will be a massive device for a smartphone as it already comes close to the size of the Galaxy Mega 2.

If reports are indeed true, then no one knows where Samsung is headed with their latest flagship phone, but some websites suggest that this gives the South Korean manufacturer the opportunity to release a Plus variant of the S7 as a six-inch device.

A 6.0-inch Galaxy S7 Plus dwarfs the Note series which has been consistent with its 5.7-inch measurement for three models in a row.

As the trend goes nowadays, people opt for thinner and smaller phones for compatibility and portability purposes hence what the rumored iPhone 7 will be, but Samsung is probably trying to break boundaries and bring back larger smartphones.

C/Net also observed that the diagrams show the home button to be more angular than previous models.

The SIM card slot has also moved to the side of the phone. Rumors are circulating that it is because Samsung is bringing back the MicroSD slot for expandable memory.

The Galaxy S6 draw flak for losing its standard microSD storage along with the removable battery when the Korean tech giant switched from a plastic body to metal.

However, some analysts believe that Samsung is following the lead of Nexus by dropping the microSD slot and widely adopting the fast and reversible USB Type-C port.

These are just a few of the many speculations that the latest addition to the Galaxy series will look like. Earlier rumors state that Samsung will shock their users and release the latest flagship smartphone models by January 2016.

Reports say that the flagship phones will be rolled out at next month's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) expo in Las Vegas.

This means that the latest gadgets will be available for shipping by February, just a month shy of Samsung's traditional launching pad at the Mobile World Congress (MWC).

However, there seems to be no truth to this rumor as the strategy will hurt the sales of its current flagship offering, the GalaxyS6 Edge+, which was just released in August.

Another rumor that arguably all smartphone users would love to come true is that the Galaxy S7 will debut with a lower price than that of its predecessor.

An analyst based in China suggests that the company could lower Galaxy S7's retail price by 10% in order to stay more competitive in the market.

This prediction could be true as Samsung's recent decline in market share and profit involves huge figures and they just appointed a new mobile leader which means the company is undergoing a revamp in its system.

As part of the overhaul, the company recently used an investor conference in Korea to announce a brand new camera technology, including a sensor called Britecell.

Britecell is designed to make low-light camera shots look even better and as obvious as it is, Samsung will most likely incorporate Britecell into the Galaxy S7.

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Source: Samsung Galaxy S7 to Come in 2 Variants; Device to Bring Back MicroSD Slot and More Speculations!