iPhone 7: Here are 7 reasons why you should buy Apple’s latest flagship smartphone

The Apple iPhone 7 was launched amid much fanfare yesterday. The iPhones this year, aren’t as exciting as non-S year devices are, but there is no denying that the coverage did make us believe they are. Or it was probably Tim Cook and Phil Schiller emphasise on, “It’s the best iPhone ever” as every year. After the several leaks out there, there were no surprises left at the launch event. However, the latest announcement does give us reasons why we could consider the iPhone 7. Here’s a quick look at 7 of our favourite.

Completely re-designed cameras
Apple has put in place an entirely new dual camera system for the iPhone 7 Plus with dual 12MP sensors. The iPhone 7 comes with a 12MP camera, and both feature optical image stabilisation, larger f/1.8 aperture and 6-element lens for brighter and more detailed photos as well as videos.

The iPhone 7 Plus’ 12MP telephoto camera enables optical zoom that is almost 10x times digital optical zoom. There’s a Quad LED, which means 4 LEDs, 50 percent brighter than the iPhone 6s. Adding to all of this, is the highlight – RAW photography.

Double the storage for similar pricing

Apple has dropped 16GB and 64GB units, and will offer 32GB, 128GB and 256GB variants. This means the storage has been doubled. The company claims that the prices will be same (at least in the US, looks like). If the prices are same, then users may eventually get double the storage at similar prices as the iPhone 6s. However, the company has left us only with a starting price of Rs 60,000, and the incremental prices are yet to be disclosed.

Finally, your iPhone will be water and dust resistant. This is definitely one of the most awaited features, and the best borrowed from Android counterparts. Now, haven’t we been waiting for this. The device can be submerged under 1m water for about 30 minutes.

Bigger battery
Apple has said that the iPhone 7 comes with the ”best battery life’ ever seen in an iPhone. The company claims that the iPhone 7 will last two hours longer than the iPhone 6s.

Processor performance
The iPhone 7 comes armed with a new A10 Fusion processor, which is about 40 percent faster than A9. It is also paired with a new graphics processing chip, which is 50 percent faster than what we’ve seen in the A9. “The A10 Fusion’s CPU now has four cores, seamlessly integrating two high-performance cores that run up to two times faster than iPhone 6, and two high-efficiency cores that are capable of running at just one-fifth the power of the high-performance cores. Graphics performance is also more powerful, running up to three times faster than iPhone 6 at as little as half the power, enabling a new level of gaming and professional apps,” Apple explains.

Design
While the device is identical to last year’s iPhone 6s. However, it now has a glossy, mirror design, rather than the matte metal it is known for. The Jet Back colour is cool and seems richer. besides, rose gold, gold and silver options will be available. The home button has been redesigned, adding Force sensitive just like we’ve seen in the Force Touch trackpads. There’s the Tactic Engine haptic feedback system just like Apple Watch. The big as expected is the missing 3.5mm headphone jack. However, Apple offers EarPods with a lightning connector along with a free adaptor in the box. Apple has also unveiled its new AirPod wireless earphones that come with a 5 hour battery life and their own charging case.

More than anything, iOS 10 and the optimisation it brings in to exploit the features offered by the hardware is by itself a good enough reason to consider the iPhone 7 as well as iPhone 7 Plus. Apple is known for having a very closely knit hardware-software combination. And considering 3D Touch and the dual camera set up available in the newest flagship is different compared to previous versions, the iOS 10 operating system is expected to very closely integrate with the hardware and be a reason to let you do more. If you’re on the iPhone 6, then there’s definitely reason for you to upgrade considering how important 3D Touch will get.

Audio
There’s also an all-new stereo speaker system providing twice the sound. Compared to 6s, one can expect an increased dynamic range of sound and a higher quality speakerphone. The new iPhone comes with EarPods with Lightning connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack adapter so that you can use it with your old headphones. The all-new Airpods get the Apple W1 chip, and promise efficient wireless communication. AirPods will come with the support for Siri for quicker and easier access.

Sony Unveils New Action Camera With Full 4K Recording

When it hits stores at the end of the September, the Sony FDR-X3000 will do so with an innovative image stabilization system and full 4K resolution recording.

Built based largely on feedback form owners of its previous generation action cams, the new flagship model will start at $400 for the body only.

But for that sum, it will be able to shoot clever time-lapse 4K animations at a host of pre-set speeds as well as film smoothly at 30fps at the same resolution. Drop it down from UHD to HD and it can film at 120fps — a necessity for anyone that wants to capture slow-motion footage or ensure that they miss absolutely no detail.

The camera has integrated GPS, stereo microphones with noise reduction smarts, plus the same Balanced Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization found in Sony’s larger hand-held camcorders. So it not only smoothes out shaky footage, it also massages pixels so that images are always as clear as possible.

Spend a further $150 and the camera comes as a kit complete with a remote control unit that doubles as a monitor for viewing live footage as it’s captured.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017), A7 (2017) Specifications Spotted in Benchmarks

After weeks of leaks and rumours, Samsung launched the second-generation Galaxy A smartphones on Wednesday. Dubbed the Galaxy A3 (2016), Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2016), the trio will be available in China in mid-December 2015 and other markets in the future. There’s no word yet on the price of the three metal-clad Galaxy A (2016) smartphones. All three handsets run Android 5.1 Lollipop and come in dual-SIM options as well.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2016) (seen above) features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) resolution Super Amoled display and packs an octa-core SoC (unspecified) clocked at 1.6GHz, clubbed with 3GB of RAM. It features a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and optical image stabilisation (OIS) and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Both sport f/1.9 aperture lenses.

The smartphone houses 16GB of inbuilt storage, which can be further expanded via microSD card (up to 128GB). The Galaxy A7 (2016) supports LTE Cat. 6 connectivity besides Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, ANT+, USB 2.0 and NFC connectivity options. Measuring 151.5×74.1×7.3mm, the handset weighs 172 grams and is backed by a 3300mAh battery, which also supports fast charging. Accelerometer, proximity, geomagnetic sensors and a fingerprint scanner are also included.

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2016) shares most specifications with the Galaxy A7 (2016), but with some minor changes. It sports a smaller 5.2-inch full-HD Super Amoled display, 2GB of RAM, and 2900mAh battery with fast charging. It measures 144.8×71.0x7.3mm and weighs 155 grams.

As for the Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016), (seen above) the smartphone bears a 4.7-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) resolution Super Amoled display, quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and a 2300mAh battery. It is more compact than the Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2016) at 134.5×65.2×7.3mm and weighs 132 grams. It does not support LTE Cat 6 connectivity and is maxed out at LTE Cat. 4 networks. Rest of the specifications remain the same as Galaxy A7 (2016) other than the fact it has no fingerprint scanner or OIS.

“At Samsung, we are committed to continued innovation, inspired by the feedback and needs of our wide range of consumers,” said JK Shin, CEO and Head of Samsung’s IT & Mobile Business. “With the introduction of the Galaxy A (2016), we took the consumer feedback on our original Galaxy A models and made thoughtful and impactful improvements offering consumers a seamless convergence of style and performance for their everyday lifestyles.”

Microsoft to Discontinue Lumia Phones This December

Microsoft expected to discontinue its Lumia brand by end of 2016
The company expected to continue selling Lumia devices till stock lasts
Microsoft announced permanent rate cuts for Lumia phones earlier
There was a time when Microsoft couldn’t stop talking about the innovation it was trying to bring to the smartphone market with its Lumia devices. The company believed that the line-up, tagged with its mobile platform, could compete with the likes of Apple and Google. However, things seem to have not gone according to the company’s plans. Latest reports now suggest that the company might discontinue its “Lumia” brand by the end of this year.

According to a report by WinBeta, which quotes a company insider, Microsoft might bring an end to its Lumia brand of devices in December this year. Anyone who has been keeping the track of the company will not find this piece of news to be very shocking, as Microsoft has been struggling in the smartphone space, and even gave a permanent price cut to its Lumia smartphones Lumia 650 and Lumia 950 last month.

Currently there are four smartphones in Microsoft’s Lumia line-up – Lumia 550, Lumia 650, Lumia 950, and Lumia 950 XL. As per the report, the company might discontinue the brand but will keep selling the devices till the existing stock lasts.
The declining sales and the constant rumours about a Surface phone have indicated in past that the company might be considering ending the Lumia line-up soon. Back in February, when the company unveiled its Lumia 650, the smartphone was being rumoured as the last Lumia device to be launched by the company, and we have not seen a Lumia phone since.

As per the rumours, the Surface Phone is expected to pack Snapdragon 830 and come with 8GB of RAM. The smartphone is expected to be launched in 2017.

Xiaomi Mi 5s With Snapdragon 821, 6GB of RAM Spotted

Mi 5s is said to pack massive 6GB of RAMIt is also rumoured to include 3490mAh batteryThe original Mi 5 features Snapdragon 820 SoC

Xiaomi seems to be gearing to launch a beefed-up version of the Mi 5 flagship smartphone. Dubbed Mi 5s, the handset has been leaked tipping the complete innards. The biggest improvement touted in the new alleged Xiaomi Mi 5s is that it packs a Snapdragon 821 processor clocked at 2.4GHz. To recall, the Mi 5 was powered by the Snapdragon 820 processor.

Other improvements claimed by an alleged image of Xiaomi Mi 5s listing include 6GB of RAM and 3490mAh battery. The handset is also said to pack massive 256GB of inbuilt storage. Other specifications include 144.5×69.2×7.2mm and weighs 147 grams. The alleged Mi 5s is seen packing a USB Type-C. On the camera front, the handset is seen packing a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 4-megapixel front camera. The Xiaomi Mi 5s is also expected to support 4K video recording. Xiaomi Mi 5s to sport a 5.15-inch full-HD display and comes with a 3D Touch feature. The dual-SIM device will support GPRS/ EDGE, 3G, 4G, and VoLTE apart from NFC connectivity option. The handset is said to measure 144.5×69.2×7.2mm and weigh 147 grams which means it will be heavier than the original Mi 5 that weighed just 129 grams.

Of course, as with all rumours and leaks, we advise readers to take the above information about the alleged Xiaomi Mi 5s with a pinch of salt, as Xiaomi has yet to make any announcements about its new flagship smartphone and the credibility of the sources cannot be independently verified.
Earlier on Monday, a third-party online retailer was reported to be selling a new “Extreme” version of the Mi 5 in China. Priced at CNY 1,999 (approximately Rs. 20,000), the new Mi 5 “Extreme” version came with overclocked processor, GPU, and RAM.