Technology and gadget reviews
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Android Nougat experiences: Time with Google Pixel XL reveals LG V20 may be greater than you think
While some phones are starting to see software updates to Android 7.0 Nougat, two phones recently launched with Nougat out of the box and I've been using both of them.
The LG V20 claim to fame was that it was the first to launch with Nougat, while the Google Pixel XL also launched with Nougat and then was quickly updated to Android 7.1 with the latest monthly Android security updates.
It took me a couple of months to finally purchase my own Google Pixel XL so I could try out the newest Google phone with the latest Android software. It is a fantastic device and I am very pleased with everything, except for the high price and limited internal storage of the 32GB model I purchased.
The LG V20 has been with me for a couple of months and in typical LG fashion it is a phone that gets better the more that you use it. Spending the last week with the Google Pixel XL and LG V20 side-by-side has convinced me the LG V20 may be the most underrated phone of 2016.
As you consider the Google Pixel XL or the LG V20, here are some of my experiences with both devices, which may help you focus in on one of these two Android Nougat-powered smartphones.
WHY CHOOSE THE GOOGLE PIXEL XL?
The Google Pixel XL continues to be rather difficult to purchase with limited availability on the Google Store. I purchased a used one from Swappa and am satisfied with the purchase. Here are a few reasons that readers may want to choose the Google Pixel XL over the LG V20:
Software: The primary reason to purchase a Pixel phone is to make sure your phone receives the latest and greatest version of Android before anyone else. You also get the monthly Android security updates, and that means a lot for those looking for the most secure Android phone.
Google Assistant: One function in Nougat that may stay exclusive to the Pixel is Google Assistant. You can experience this service in the Google Allo app on other devices, but it is integrated on the Pixel. Hands-free assistants can be very helpful and Google's may just be the best..
Performance and latest Snapdragon processor: I'm not sure how much speed you gain with the Snapdragon 821 over the 820, but the Google Pixel XL flies. The LG V20 is fast, but the Pixel just seems to move a bit faster with everything. Having the latest processor also helps future-proof your device for at least the next couple of years.
Google Daydream View: Virtual reality powered by phones is still developing, but Google's implementation with the Daydream View, check out the ZDNet review, is the best so far. It is easier to use than the Samsung Gear VR and is more comfortable. Unfortunately, LG doesn't currently support Daydream on the V20 and with its own solution is unlikely to provide this support.
Larger capacity battery: While the LG V20 has a removable battery, which is very important to some people, the Google Pixel XL battery is 250 mAh larger. Like my Apple iPhone 7 Plus, I can easily go a full standard day with the Pixel XL and never worry about my battery life. This is rare for me on an Android phone and so far I couldn't be happier with the battery life.
WHY CHOOSE THE LG V20 OVER THE GOOGLE PIXEL XL?
The LG V20 is now available from all carriers and reportedly has sold twice as many units as the V10 so far. There are no issues with availability, so you can go and pick up a LG V20 today. Here's a few reasons you may want to do that:
Larger display: The LG V20 has a 5.7-inch display while the Google Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch screen. It's not a massive difference, but the screen-to-body ratio is greater and it's nice to have a big screen for work.
Second display: The improved secondary display above the main display makes use of the dead space normally appearing in the top bezel of a phone. While the utility of such a display is a personal preference, I use it every day and find it to be quite useful for quickly contacting family, launching apps, and responding to calls.
Full-featured camera software: Google's camera software is very basic and for the majority of people it gets the job done. LG has advanced software, including manual photo and video modes, to give you complete control over the camera experience. There are some other modes in addition to fine controls, that photographers will love.
Inexpensive expandable storage: There is an ample 64GB of internal storage provided on the LG V20, but the device also has microSD expansion card support for a very inexpensive way to quickly and easily expand your storage capacity.
Unparalleled video capture experience: If you plan to use your smartphone to capture video content, then you won't find a better video recorder than the LG V20. It has multiple microphones and manual, directional control of those mics with the advanced camera software.
Advanced audio experience: The LG V20 comes with an integrated quad-DAC so the headphone experience, through a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, is awesome. Even without having high quality audio files, music sounds better on the LG V20 with a good set of earphones and the DAC enabled.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
Samsung S7 Edge Vs iPhone 7 Plus: Which Will Have The Major Edge?
Earlier this year, Samsung lifted the lid on what many agree with is already the smartphone of the year: the Galaxy S7. The handset is the result of years of refinement via Samsung and is probably the pleasant platform on which to show off Android in all of its Marshmallow glory But facing off towards the Galaxy S7 is the iPhone 7, Apple's new flagship for 2016 - which is an equally ambitious handset. In proper Apple style, the iPhone 7 offers an elagance and powerful performance.
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge: Specs, Features, And Performance
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge smartphone was announced in February 2016. The phone comes with a 5.50-inch touchscreen show with a decision of 1440 pixels by using 2560 pixels at a PPI of 534 pixels per inch. Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge rate in India begins from Rs. 40000.
The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is powered via 1.6GHz octa-core it comes with 4GB of RAM. The smartphone packs 32GB of inside storage that can be increased up to 200GB with the aid of a microSD card. As ways as the cameras are concerned, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge packs a 12-megapixel principal digicam on the rear and a 5-megapixel the front shooter for selfies.The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge runs Android 6.0 and is powered with the aid of a 3600mAh nonremovable battery. It measures 150.90 x 72.60 x 7.70 (height x width x thickness) and weighs 157.00 grams.
Apple's iPhone 7: Specs, Features, And Performance
Apple iPhone 7 Apple iPhone 7 Plus smartphone was announced in September 2016. The phone has a 5.50-inch touchscreen display and has a resolution of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels at a PPI of 401 pixels per inch. The Apple iPhone 7 Plus is equipped by quad-core Apple A10 Fusion processor and comes along with 3GB of RAM. The phone matched with 32GB of internal storage which unexpandable. As far for the cameras are concerned, the Apple iPhone 7 Plus packs a 12-megapixel primary camera and a 7-megapixel front shooter for selfies for the front. The Apple iPhone 7 Plus runs iOS 10 under the hood is a 2900mAh nonremovable battery. The measurement of the phone is158.20 x 77.90 x 7.30 (height x width x thickness) and weighs 188.00 grams.
We believe there's a clear winner for design, then, and in our eyes, it's the Samsung Galaxy S7. Its greater screen-to-body ratio seems to get you extra show for the size, and its sleek glass layout is virtually gorgeous. The iPhone 7 is attractive, however, the graph doesn't provide enough of a refresh over previous models.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Friday, November 25, 2016
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Mi Notebook Air
Xiaomi's Mi Notebook Air isn't quite as novel as the company's hoverboard or latest drone, but it does have one thing most other ultraportable laptops lack -- a discrete Nvidia GeForce 940MXa graphics card. Other specs include a 256GB solid-state drive and 8GB of RAM, and if you need more space there's an additional SATA slot available to boost storage by up to 256GB.
Given its graphics prowess, the 13.3-inch Mi Notebook Air has few rivals -- at least on paper. Similar ultraportables, such as the Razer Blade Stealth, rely on Intel's integrated graphics to do the legwork, which means their gaming potential is limited. Xiaomi says you can play games like Dota 2 at 85 frames per second at full-HD resolution on its Notebook Air.
Of course, it won't be long until Apple rolls out its new generation of Mac laptops. According to Bloomberg, the company is working on new versions of the iMac desktop, MacBook Air laptop, and a thinner MacBook Pro laptop. Though there's no official word, rumors suggest that the new Macs could appear sometime later this year -- perhaps even as soon as October.
Xiaomi's Mi Notebook Air is one of the slimmest and lightest ultraportables on the market with a discrete graphics card. I tried out the notebook at the press event and came away impressed with the build quality. There are some things that could still be better, though, such as the flex of the notebook at the keyboard area. It just doesn't feel as solid as the Apple MacBook Air that it imitates.
I do, however, like the keyboard. It feels great to type on and the keys have just the right amount of clickiness. It's definitely a lot better than the Asus Zenbook 3, which I also tried out when it launched in June this year. While the audio doesn't feel hollow compared with other laptops, the sound is blasted through the bottom of the notebook, which makes the palm area vibrate. That can be a distracting sensation, so it's best to use a headset if you plan to game with the Mi Notebook Air.
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Tesla Model 3 will not arrive until ‘very end’ of 2018, says once TSLA-cheerleader Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas
Tesla Model 3 will not arrive until 'very end' of 2018, says once TSLA-cheerleader Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas
Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley analyst assigned to cover Tesla, has once been described by the New York Times as a 'Tesla Cheerleader' for his favorable coverage of the company and always higher than average price target on Tesla's stock.
But he has been a lot more cautious with his coverage of the electric automaker over the past few months and he now has an 'Equal-weight' rating on the stock with the most dreaded prediction for Tesla investors and Model 3 reservation holders: Jonas forecasts that the Model 3 will be late by over a year.
Tesla says that the Model 3 will enter production in mid-2017 with volume production toward the end of the year.
In a note sent to clients today in which he slightly reduced his price target on Tesla from $245 to $242 following the company's third-quarter results and SolarCity acquisition, the analyst reiterated a prediction that we apparently missed before:
"We continue to forecast a Model 3 launch at the very end of 2018 (more than 1 year later than company target) with 60k units in 2019 and 130k units in 2020."
He is not only forecasting the vehicle being late to market by over a year, but he is also predicting volumes to be significantly lower than what Tesla is forecasting. CEO Elon Musk has been talking about as many as 400,000 Model 3 sedans being produced in 2018 – compared to Jonas' 60,000 in 2019.
It would be a major disappointment for the over 400,000 reservation holders.
Jonas has a good track record on Tesla and he was one of the rare analysts to have called the stock a 'Buy' before the massive stock price surge in 2013:
Google Pixel, Pixel XL Get Double-Tap and Lift to Check Phone Gestures With Latest Update
Google Pixel, Pixel XL Get Double-Tap and Lift to Check Phone Gestures With Latest Update
Earlier this month, Google rolled out its monthly security patch to all Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL users. Now, users on Canadian networks are reporting a new update has come their way. This update apparently fixes network problems - mainly the LTE issue, and brings two new 'Moves' on board.
The new update bears a build number NPF26J, and is rolling out to Canadian network users like Telus. The update is 261MB in size and is labelled as a 'Security Update + Bug Fixes'. Users on Reddit report that signal and SMS issues experience on different networks are now fixed with this update. Furthermore, there are two new 'Moves' that have been added to the kitty - namely 'Double-tap to check phone' and 'Lift to check phone'.
The first move lights up the lock screen to show the notifications, and tapping the power button will actually turn on the phone. Just lifting the phone up from its resting position will also now wake the phone up with the new 'lift to check phone' move. Some users have also noticed a change in haptic feedback and a softer colour for the Night Light mode with this update.
Alongside the Bluetooth pairing issues, Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL phone users were also complaining of connectivity issues, particularly on the LTE band 4 frequency. Redditors are reporting that this update fixes the LTE connectivity issue as well. However, some users claim that the Bluetooth pairing issues with the car still remain a problem.
The Google Pixel and Pixel XL were unveiled in October with inbuilt Google Assistant, and a 12.3-megapixel rear camera. The two smartphones are available in India for price starting at Rs. 57,000 and Rs. 67,000 respectively. Flipkart is also offering an exchange discount of up to Rs. 26,000 on the phones on purchase.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Google Pixel vs OnePlus 3T
After just four months, the OnePlus 3 – our pick for the top smartphone in the world today – is no longer on the market. But that's just because the OnePlus 3T is here.
The OnePlus 3T muddles the incredible value equation of the first version a bit with its higher price, but bumps the specs and feature equation a bit to match: you get a speedier processor, a larger battery, a couple of camera enhancements, and a new Gunmetal colour as well.
And it takes the mantle of "newest exciting phone" away from the Pixel, Google's first-ever in-house device. The Pixel is an interesting phone, certainly: a clear attempt to bring iPhone-like style and simplicity to the Android range, albeit one that's not fully on par with Android's top flagship options.
In any case, if you're in the market for a new phone and you want an Android that isn't exactly like the top-tier offerings from Samsung, LG, and HTC, you might be considering both handsets. We've reviewed both now, so here's our take on which is the better bet between them.
As is typical for flagships, both the OnePlus 3T and Google Pixel feature aluminum unibody designs and glass fronts, with the Pixel coming in at 8.5mm thick while the OnePlus 3T arrives thinner at just 7.35mm.
Overall, the Pixel can't help but look like a faux iPhone from a couple angles, albeit with a twist: a neat two-tone backing that swaps glass in for metal on the top one-third or so. That's kind of neat, but for the most part it's a generic design – the kind of uneven aesthetic that comes from trying to copy an icon but not too closely.
For its part, the OnePlus 3T – which is 100% identical to the OnePlus 3 aside from the new Gunmetal colour option – isn't the most distinctive flagship we've ever seen or held, but it feels pleasingly refined. And that's at a much lower price, too. We'll wield the OnePlus, thanks.
The OnePlus 3T keeps the same display panel as the original: a 5.5in AMOLED screen running at 1080p, which is about as good as we've seen at that resolution.
Meanwhile, the Google Pixel also has a 1080p AMOLED, albeit at just 5in. The slightly smaller size means you get a larger pixel-per-inch count for added crispness, but at that size, you won't be able to tell a real difference.
In any case, 1080p is lower than we often see in top Android flagships these days, which have opted for sharper Quad HD panels of late. With the OnePlus 3T, the company opted for a 1080p panel because it's cheaper, and that helps them sell the phone for less. But the Pixel is pricey at £599, so we can't really explain why Google went lower-end with the screen here.
Anyway, as far as this comparison goes, it's even – they're both great displays, and some people might prefer the slightly larger or smaller one. The Pixel XL is the better comparison to the OnePlus 3T in size, as they both have 5.5in screens, but the XL opts for Quad HD. Also, it's a staggering £719.
Performance: Close enough
The Pixel and OnePlus 3T are two of the first big phone releases to use the new Snapdragon 821 system-on-a-chip, which delivers about 10% faster performance than the Snapdragon 820 from earlier this year (as seen in the first OnePlus 3).
Both are definitely among the fastest phones we've used, but put side by side with a recent phone running the 820, the difference really isn't noticeable. Any flagship these days has more than enough power to handle most of your everyday tasks, and both of these are absolutely capable. On the plus side, you might be a little more future-proofed for resource-intensive apps and games or OS updates coming down the line.
The OnePlus 3T has a stunning 6GB of RAM compared to 4GB on the Pixel, but again, the phones are very comparable on performance. You'll get stock Android 7.0 Nougat on the Pixel while the OnePlus 3T opts for Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with the Oxygen OS skin, but it looks pretty close to stock. All told, this category doesn't sway strongly enough towards either phone. Both are at the top of their class.
iPhone 'prank' video crashes Apple smartphones
A link to a video, which when watched slows down any iPhone until it crashes, is being used as the latest iPhone crash prank.
On an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus users will need to hold down the power and down volume buttons until they see the Apple logo. On the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus or older Apple smartphones, users need to hold down the power and home buttons until they see the Apple logo.
Harman Audio could come to Samsung Galaxy S devices in the future
Windows 10 Mobile might be able to emulate x86 apps
Google will now tell you whether a bar or shop is busy in real-time
Monday, November 21, 2016
ONEPLUS 3T REVIEW
But now you can’t buy the OnePlus 3. Instead, OnePlus has decided to replace it with an even better version: the OnePlus 3T. The 3T shares many of the same qualities as the 3, including the same materials and design; same size and resolution display; same 6GB of RAM; and same rear camera. But it has an even faster processor, a bigger battery, a better front camera, an option for more internal storage, and a new, darker gray color option. It still doesn’t work on Verizon or Sprint and still doesn’t have water resistance, but in other important metrics, it’s a slightly better phone than before. Even at its higher starting price of $439 for a 64GB model ($479 will get you 128GB of storage), the OnePlus 3T is even less of a compromise than its already-excellent predecessor.
I’ve been using a OnePlus 3T for nearly two weeks, comparing and contrasting my experience with it to the OnePlus 3 and other similarly specced phones, including Google’s new Pixel. In terms of speed, the 3T is as fast as anything else and might even be faster, but the differences in real-world use are negligible at best. The rear camera, though now covered in a more durable sapphire glass, is the same as the 3’s, which means it’s good, but doesn’t quite keep pace with the Pixel, iPhone 7, or a Samsung Galaxy S7. The differences are largely felt when the 3T’s camera hunts for autofocus more than the others, though the output also isn’t as impressive.
While the processor and camera improvements were hard to see in practice, I certainly noticed the extra stamina afforded by the 3T’s larger battery. It is a 3,400mAh cell compared to the 3,000mAh battery in the 3, yet the thickness and weight of the phone remain unchanged. (OnePlus assures me this will not result in a Note 7-like explosion.) That’s only a 13 percent increase in capacity, but I’ve been able to get extraordinary battery life from the 3T, even when I’ve used it while traveling. Most days I’ve been able to eke out more than five hours of screen time on it before it dies, with location, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LTE all enabled and the screen brightness set to automatic. Most phones, even the better ones, will struggle to meet 4 hours of screen time with my average use before calling it quits.
Crowd-designed convertible PC Eve V i7 costs $1,399 on Indiegogo
include four speakers, various I/O including two full-sized USB ports and two USB-C ones (one with Thunderbolt 3) and a 48Wh battery that bests its competition and is claimed to provide up to 12 hours of “real” usage.
Processor 7th Gen Intel Core m3-7Y30 7th Gen Intel Core i5-7Y54 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7Y75
RAM 8GB LPDDR3 8GB LPDDR3 16GB LPDDR3
Storage 128GB 256GB 512GB
Price $699 $959 $1399
Google Play Store update brings design change to ‘Top Charts
Google has rolled out a minor new design update for its Play Store that brings changes to ‘Top Charts’ apps list. Google Play Store now numbers apps based on the ranking. The new design also removes space between cards. Plus, there’s a new ‘Show installed apps’ switch at the top of the list that can be enabled to stop seeing apps that you already have. Android Police put out screenshots of the new look and said the feature isn’t live for everyone. However, wider rollout of this feature may be indicative of a public release very soon, the report added.
Google had earlier announced it is looking to sharpen Play Store recommendations with artificial intelligence and expand support for various payment platforms, among other initiatives. The service recently rolled out Netbanking as a payment method in India. According to reports, Google has tied-up with close to 30 banks for Netbanking payment facility in India. The addition of Netbanking will make it easier for users to buy apps, books, movies and songs from Google Play Store.
Samsung, Google Give Apple No Choice For 2017 OLED iPhone
One plus 4 News and rumours
One plus 4 News and rumours
Google readying tap-to-pay for Android Wear smartwatches
Google readying tap-to-pay for Android Wear smartwatches
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Friday, November 18, 2016
Pixel's ₹3,400 case shows live images from Google Earth
Google has launched a ₹3,400 ($50) phone case for its Pixel handset, which shows live images from Google Earth on the handset. From the ice formations of Antarctica to the beaches of the South Pacific, the case sets select images as wallpapers. A button on the wallpaper lets users explore the location in more detail on the Google Maps app