There were plenty of new smartphones announced at Mobile World Congress, but if like Nick you found the LG G5 the most intriguing, circle March 18th on your calendar and have your pre-order fingers ready.
Best Buy has announced that March 18th will be the day that they flip the switch on pre-orders. There’s no word at the moment on whether there will be any extras tossed in with LG G5 pre-orders, but given that the Galaxy S7 includes a free Gear VR, it would be surprising if LG didn’t try to do something for loyal fans.
Are any of you planning on pre-ordering the LG G5? Did the modular design win you over as it did for Nick?
CES used to be king when it came to device launches. While the annual show in Las Vegas still attracts a huge audience, most of the flagship device launches have departed from the show. Instead, we’re seeing many major flagships being launched at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
2016 is no different, with Samsung, Sony and LG all coming out to announce their latest flagships at the show. While all of them are interesting in their own ways, all of us inevitably come to choose our own personal favorite.
The LG G5 is the most intriguing device from Mobile World Congress.
LG has spent years trying to carve its own niche into the smartphone market. The company has tried numerous different approaches, with some striking gold and others failing to impress. Nonetheless, LG hasn’t given up and this year’s flagship, the LG G5, shows that the company isn’t afraid to separate itself from the pack and try something entirely different.
LG has designed the G5 as a study in conceptual technologies. The G5 differentiates itself primarily in regards to its modular design, making it one of the first phones of its kind. At this early point in the device’s life, LG has already shown three uses for the G5′s modular body. Users can swap the battery, add advanced camera controls and a dedicated grip, or give the device a Hi-Fi audio chip.
The bottom of the G5′s metal body functions much like a gun clip, simply sliding out when you press the release mechanism. Users can then slide in a new piece, changing the functionality of the device.
While fully modular phones such as Project Ara are currently being prototyped, the LG G5 brings the concept of modular design into the mainstream market. Modular designs are a relatively new technology, which means that most manufacturers are playing things safe and holding off until they can be assured that modular designs will bring in a profit.
LG, however, isn’t afraid of ushering in the new tech. The company is drawing a distinct line of separation between itself and its competitors. It’s taking the initiative and trying something new. There’s no guarantee that the implementation will be flawless, but the fact that LG is willing to branch out speaks volumes about the company and its forward-thinking approach.
Perhaps the most important feature of the modular design is that LG is essentially taking a new step into future-proofing its devices. It’s unclear how many uses are possible for the G5′s modular design, but LG could have more than a few tricks up its sleeve for expanding the phone’s future capabilities.
Perhaps most interesting of all is that the modular design is only one part of the G5′s new features. LG is also toying with other concepts such as an always-on display, dual-camera setup and a slew of accessories designed to enhance and improve the capabilities of the LG G5.
In essence, LG is throwing a hodge-podge of new technologies into the LG G5 and its accompanying accessories, testing and experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t.
In doing so, LG has created the most intriguing device of Mobile World Congress. The G5 is a compilation of hardware and software that knows no bounds and isn’t afraid to step outside of the comfort zone that manufacturers have created. It doesn’t aim to appeal to everyone, but instead aims to move the market forward, prompting others to take risks and bring concepts to reality.
In truth, the LG G5 is just what the market needed, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.
Samsung’s latest flagship has debuted, and the camera is a point of interest. The rear-facing camera is a mere 12-megapixel sensor, but it features a big aperture, large pixels, and optical image stabilization. This should make for great low-light photos, and Samsung’s own test at Mobile World Conference confirms this.
The above photos were taken together at one time in a very dim room, and the shot from the Galaxy S7 is far brighter than either the iPhone 6s or the Galaxy S6. It’s really impressive! However, there are a few variables that might be influencing this test.
First of all, the phone was mounted to a table, so this doesn’t show how good the optical image stabilization is, nor does it show how well the phone accounts for blur. The exposure might have also been set higher, but we don’t know that. Either way, the camera shows some real potential, but we’ll have to test it for ourselves to see how well it really performs.
What do you guys think? Is this amazing camera going to be the defining factor of the Galaxy S7? Would this aspect influence your smartphone buying decision? As a happy owner of a Moto X, I can honestly say I’m being swayed.
Google has partnered with Sprint, Orange, Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom (owner of T-Mobile US), and more alongside the GSMA to push for an improved messaging system to replace the aging and limited SMS/MMS service we currently use. The RCS (Rich Communications Services) standard will be used to achieve this.
With the use of RCS, a standard messaging app will be able to send high quality photos, do video calling, and do proper group chats. It would be much like Apple’s iMessage, which admittedly is quite great. T-Mobile is already using RCS for video chatting, and AT&T uses RCS for larger MMS attachments and rear receipts, so it’s not that tough. All it requires is a standardized way of implementing it.
Sadly, this might not happen as idealistically as necessary. AT&T and Verizon have not joined Google in this push, so a universal system for all Android phones isn’t too likely at the moment. However, it would greatly improve the user experience of Android devices. Yes, there are apps that already do this, but they requires that everyone have the same app, and a lot of people prefer different apps. A native solution would be best.
One of the features NVIDIA is emphasizing is the addition of Vulkan drivers. These multiplatform drivers, also available for Windows and Linux, allow for “highly efficient, low-level access to modern graphics hardware.” Vulkan will be a core API in future versions of Android, so the SHIELD Android TV is getting a headstart.
Other improvements include:
Upgradable storage and home screen customization
Quick access to the power menu on the homescreen by long pressing the “Back” button
Seamless switching between surround sound and headset audio in Netflix app
Wireless support for SHIELD controller when charging via USB, including headset audio and voice search
Improved color support for YUV 4:2:0 video playback
Option to set 1080p 60Hz resolution on Ultra HD TVs
Option to set RGB Full Range via Settings > HDMI > Dynamic Range
Improved support for Denon receivers and CEC volume control for more audio receivers
The update seems to be a big one, so go ahead and update your device (and pray there are no bugs this time around). NVIDIA is also touting some new games available for the device, so check out the store.
Amazon’s enhanced Fire TV has seen a few deals since it launched last fall, and today’s pricing matches some of the lowest prices we have seen.
The Fire TV itself is marked down to $84.99 from $99.99, which is as cheap as it has been outside of Black Friday. This deal includes the Fire TV and updated remote with support for Amazon’s voice assistant Alexa. As a reminder, this new version of the Fire TV is 75% more powerful than the original and capable of streaming 4K Ultra HD content.
Even deeper discounts can be had if you are looking for a bundle. The Amazon Fire TV + HD Antenna Bundle is $109.99, which is roughly $40 off its normal price and almost $63 cheaper than buying each piece separately. As the name suggests, this bundle adds a 50-mile AmazonBasics Ultra Thin Indoor HDTV Antenna as well as a 6-foot HDMI cable to the basic Amazon Fire TV package.
Last up is the Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition at $124.99. This is within $10 of its lowest price ever and includes the official Amazon Game Controller, a 32GB microSD card and two games. (Shovel Knight and Disney DuckTales: Remastered)
I’d imagine we’ll see another big sale out of Amazon again this July that could drop these prices by another $10, but if you are looking to pick up a Fire TV anytime in the next few months, these are likely the best offers you’ll come across.
The age of expandable storage in Android devices is back. The dark ages of Samsung foregoing microSD slots is over, and both the LG and Samsung have included expandable storage in their flagships. What better time to announce a new microSD card?
SanDisk has announced the new Extreme PRO UHS-II microSD card, which more than triples the transfer speeds of the previous Extreme UHS-I card, boasting a 275MB/s speed compared to the old 90MB/s. That’s pretty incredible, but the price reflects the speed.
With such crazy speeds, storage begins at 64GB. The 64GB card will cost $179.99, while the 128GB card will cost $299.99. We doubt many will pay that much on day one, but the prices will come down quickly and become far more affordable with time, as is always the case with expandable storage.
If microSD cards aren’t your thing (Nexus users, this if for you), SanDisk also announced USB Type-C flash drives with read speeds up to 150MB/s. These are available in sizes from 16GB to 128GB and are far more affordable ($19.99 to $79.99).
Every week we cover new Android apps with Fresh Meat on Wednesday, followed by Android Gaming on Thursday and Top 10 App Updates on Friday. When Monday rolls around, we look back to see which apps were the most appealing to our audience. Read on for the five most popular Android apps from last week. These apps are ones that are most likely new and haven’t appeared in the top five list more than three times.
1. SecretFlix codes for NETFLIX
App info:To match the right content to a specific user Netflix has tons of secret hidden categories that go far beyond the usual ones like Thriller, Comedy, Horror etc.
App info:Everalbum protects your life’s photos so you never have to worry about losing them. Across devices and photo sources, Everalbum automatically backs up your photos and videos so you can access them at any time.
App info:Shuffle features app for making todos. Mark high priority items as Important. Switch the list to important using Switch button on top. Block unwanted people from sending via whatsapp. Edit the tasks anytime.
App info:In order to use this watch face you will need to install the Watchmaker Premium v3.6 or higher, application can be downloaded from here: http://goo.gl/FMxUfY
When the Samsung Galaxy S6 launched without a removable battery or microSD slot, a lot of people were angry. Samsung was one of the few popular manufacturers to still offer those features on the S5, and both were now gone. But with the announcement of the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, it seems Samsung is appealing to fans once again, at least with the addition of a microSD slot.
Unfortunately, this also means that storage options will be taken away for many markets, including the US. We’ll only get the 32GB option when it comes to buy the devices, so heavy storage users won’t be able to opt for a 64GB model.
You’d think this isn’t a big deal with Android 6.0 Marshmallow’s adoptable storage, but the latest crop of Samsung devices may not have this feature (much like the LG G5 doesn’t). Rumor has it that Samsung dropped the feature to prevent people pulling the microSD when adoptable storage is in use, which is a valid concern because you know people will do it. But it really should be available to the user nonetheless.
Without adoptable storage, we won’t be able to use the extra memory for apps. And with games growing to over a gigabyte or more in size as well as the bloated hunk of software known as TouchWiz, you can only fit so much content on the 32GB of built-in storage.
How many of you are disappointed about the lack of adoptable storage? Does it affect your purchasing decisions? Leave a comment!
While the mobile photo world has long been focused on firing off quick shots and slapping a filter on them, largely to help to mask the questionable image quality often associated with smartphones, the reality is that in the last couple years, smartphone camera quality has improved exponentially.
Last year, Adobe introduced Lightroom for Android with the goal to allow photographers on Android to manipulate their Lightroom library on the go. That functionality remains and, naturally, has seen a number of enhancements in this 2.0 update. But as you can see from the full list of what’s new for Lightroom 2.0, the main focus is the addition of an in-app camera.
An in-app camera, supporting the capture of images in DNG raw format
Shoot-through presets, also available within the in-app camera, enabling previewing and capturing images with a series of built-in presets providing non-destructive editing
Dehaze tool to adjust haze and fog in an image
Split Toning enhancement, enabling the addition of a color cast to the highlights and shadows of an image, creating a uniquely stylized color image or replicating the look and feel of a traditional toned black and white image
Target Adjustment Tool functionality in the Color/B&W editing tool, providing direct, on-image editing controls
Point mode in Curve tool providing complete control over the tonality and contrast of an image
Enhanced sharing with one-tap access to Adobe Premiere Clip for crafting video stories.
It’s an important shift in thinking for Lightroom. While photographers aren’t going to be giving up their DSLRs or mirrorless cameras anytime soon, the reality is that quality photography can be achieved entirely on a smartphone, and the old adage that “the best camera is the one that’s with you” is as true as ever.
Take a look at the before and after images below for an idea of the results possible with the new Lightroom app. These images were captured by photographer Colby Brown on a Nexus 6P. The app is free, so if you like what you see, hit the Via link below to download.
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