Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Review: The Only Small Phone That Matters

I remember not that long ago thinking that a 4.7-inch phone screen was pretty large. How could they get bigger than that and still be usable? Surely this is the end of the road... and here we are a few years later and the Xperia Z5 Compact is considered diminutive at 4.6-inches. When I say this phone is small (and it is) I mean it's small compared to every other Android flagship.

Consumers have voted with their dollars and told OEMs they want big phones, leaving the Xperia Compact series as your last bastion of tiny flagship phones. When a device basically owns a niche, it doesn't have to be amazing, it just needs to be. You want a small phone? This is it, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Z5 Compact is a nice phone.

Design

Like most of Sony's phones, the Z5 Compact is a flat rectangle with little in the way of ergonomic niceties. The rear panel is a smooth piece of aluminum, and the edges are slightly rounded matte plastic. It's still a pretty boxy little device, though. If someone scraped the logos off the Xperia Z5 Compact you'd probably still be able to tell it's a Sony device, and I don't mean that in a particularly good way. It comes in several colors, including black white, yellow and (like my review unit) pink... I mean, coral (sure, Sony). The overall aesthetics are competent, and that's it.

The Z5C is a little thicker than other flagship phones at 8.9mm, but that's because there's less surface area to lay everything out in. It needs to be a little thicker to accommodate the components. The bezel is pretty narrow at least. The device is small enough that I can get my fingers around the edges and reach almost the entire screen with my thumb. No uncomfortable stretching or repositioning required. I think this is probably the primary selling point of the phone—it's little.

Z5C with the GS6

The Z5 Compact is water-resistant like its predecessors, but there are a few refinements here. For example, Sony now has an exposed microUSB port on the bottom of the phone that's still water resistant. The Z3 Compact had the USB behind the sealed port cover. There's still a port cover on the Z5 Compact (left edge), but it's actually just housing the SIM card and microSD card slot. The flap itself is thick and not too rigid, so I don't feel like I'm going to snap it off when I open it, but you shouldn't have to get in there too much.

All the physical buttons on this phone are along the right edge, and they're a little strange. Around the midpoint is the power button with a built-in fingerprint sensor (I'll get to that later). Below that is the volume rocker, and below that is a camera shutter button. Keep in mind this phone only has a 4.6-inch screen, and the volume rocker is below the power button. It's about three-quarters of the way toward the bottom of the phone, which is not comfortable in the slightest. You have to reposition the phone to change the volume with your thumb. Even the power button in the middle is a little awkward for me with average size hands. The camera button makes sense as you'll probably be holding the phone in landscape when you use it, so that's the top corner where a shutter button ought to be.

Despite the small footprint, Sony managed to cram in some competent front-facing stereo speakers. They aren't as good as what you get on the Nexus 6P, but they kick the crap out of all those phones with bottom-firing mono speakers. There's very little bass (of course), but the volume goes pretty high and there's very little distortion. I'm impressed.

Display

The screen is the defining characteristic of the Z5 Compact. It's only 4.6-inches and has a resolution of 720p. In an age of 1440p (and even 4K on the Z5 Premium), a measly 1280x720 resolution doesn't look very impressive on a spec sheet. There are a lot of markets where this phone is a non-starter simply for that reason, but in practice, this is what some users are asking for—a small phone with a screen that won't destroy the battery.

Sony gets away with using a 720p resolution because it's a small panel. The pixel density is 319 ppi, which isn't bad. It doesn't look quite as good as a 1440p panel when you've got one to compare to, but it's not a huge deal in real world usage. The display is right up against the glass and has excellent viewing angles. You can get way off-axis without and color distortion or dimming. The display does get very bright, so it's fine outside. The minimum brightness is nice and low too. I do quite like that it uses the standard Android adaptive brightness mechanic.

Sony is fond of talking up its Triluminos display technology, which uses a blue LED backlight and quantum dots to produce cleaner colors. The result, according to Sony, is a 50% larger color gamut than conventional LCDs. For an LCD, the colors on this screen do look nice. It doesn't have the same pop as a nice AMOLED, but it looks better than most other LCDs I have around. Sony also has a software processing option called X-Reality for photos and videos. This is accessible in the settings, and bumps up contrast and saturation. The difference seems subtle in most instances.

Fingerprint Sensor

Everyone's hopping on the fingerprint reader hype train, Sony included. On this device, it's built into the power button, which again, is on the right edge of the phone at about the midpoint. I feel the need to point out again this is a little low for the power button on such a small phone, but having the sensor in the power button is smart. It's a bit like the LG V10 (or GS6, but that's a home button). You press the button and just leave your finger there for a moment longer to get the phone to unlock.

The speed of the sensor is good, but not supernaturally fast like it is on the new Nexus phones. Accuracy is questionable, though. It's not bad, but I've become accustomed to the quality of the recognition on the Nexus phones, which never seem to misread a print. Those phones have no trouble reading a fingerprint in any orientation, but if you touch the Z5C's sensor at an unusual angle, it's probably going to reject you at least once.

This phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop, so the fingerprint reader won't have access to the APIs that were introduced as part of Android 6.0. So, apps and Google services won't be able to plug into this sensor, and it won't count as a secure unlock method for Google services. Adding prints to the Z5C also takes a much longer time than it does on phones like the Nexus 6P. When the Z5 Compact gets an Android 6.0 update, this won't be an issue (I hope), but we have no way of knowing when that's going to happen.

Camera

Sony makes most of the high-end image sensors used in flagship smartphones these days, but camera performance in its own phones hasn't been a match for the likes of Samsung and LG. This is down to software processing for the most part. The results I'm getting from the new 23MP Exmor sensor seem better than the Z3 family, but there are still a few issues.

The first thing to know about Sony's camera is that while it's 23MP total, the default setting is to capture 8MP images with oversampling in the "superior auto" mode. For most people, this will be the right resolution to shoot in. The software is optimized to take the data for a 23MP 4:3 frame and render it at 8MP 16:9. This produces better results most of the time with improved dynamic range and colors, at least in my testing.

You can enable full resolution 23MP mode to get more detail, but the software seems to lag a bit when you do this. Maybe you could use full resolution mode if your subject is stationary and you really want to get as much detail as possible. The oversampled mode also allows you to zoom in without losing resolution in the final image, which is really cool. The first set of pics below are all 8 MP, and a few full resolution shots are below.

In outdoor light, the Z5 Compact takes some of the finest images I've ever seen a phone produce. The colors are accurate, detail is great, and image stabilization is good enough (this is electronic rather than optical). The software (in auto mode) keeps the ISO very low for clean images, and the capture speed is snappy. When the light starts to get low, the Z5C aggressively ramps up the ISO to keep things bright, and that causes noise as well. In low-light, we're talking about ISO values between 1500 and 2000. I'm just a little disappointed in this phone's low light photos after using phones like the Galaxy S6, Nexus 6P, and LG G4. They all seem to do better in low light situations.

I am slightly annoyed that there's not a simple way to turn on HDR mode. The phone is supposed to do this for you in auto mode, but if you know you want to force an HDR shot, you need to flip to manual mode, then change the scene setting. That's a few extra steps than other phones.

Sony says the Z5 Compact can focus on a subject in a quarter second (or 0.03s, depending on the page you're looking at), and there's no fancy laser sensor on the back. In my testing, it is actually surprisingly fast. As soon as you tap on an area of the screen or move the camera, it instantly recognizes the focal point and snaps to it. I'd say it's closer to a quarter second, but it's very reliable.

23MP shots to compare with above

The physical shutter button is less common these days, but Sony continues to do it. This is a two-stage button, so pressing halfway focuses and the next step snaps a photos. The button is soft enough that you won't jostle the phone too much when taking the pic. Lastly, the Z5C does support some settings in the camera2 API, so you can use a third-party app to get some good shots if you like.

Battery Life

We're used to seeing 3000mAh and higher capacity batteries in flagship phones these days, so what's the deal with Sony only putting a 2700mAh battery in this $500 phone? Well, it doesn't really seem to need a bigger one. Battery life is roughly the same as the Z3 Compact, which is good.

50% left and over 4 hours of usage. 8 hours on a charge is doable.

Sony claims two days of usage, which I think is fair if you use a device lightly. I'm seeing around 4 hours of screen-on time over the course of about two days. With heavier usage, the phone last a little over a day with around 8 hours of screen time. Compare that to a Galaxy S6, which gets around 4 hours in a day if you're lucky. That 720p screen might not look as good on the spec sheet, but it doesn't annihilate the battery like a 1440p one does.

Sony also has Stamina Mode, which is a little like Doze in Android 6.0. Apps will be suspended when the phone is asleep, but the system won't recover as elegantly and apps won't get a chance to sync until you wake the phone up. Then there's Ultra Stamina Mode, which disables almost all features other than messaging and phone. The Z5 Compact supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, so you can fill the battery up in a snap.

Software And Performance

Before we get into the software, I should point out that my little pink review unit is an international model. That means whenever the Z5 Compact does officially come to the US, its software might be slightly different. That said, very little has changed with regard to the Z5C's software compared to past Xperia flagship phones. This is Android 5.1 with a very light skin. The home screen doesn't do anything wacky or ill advised, like for example, adding a completely useless and laggy Flipboard panel to the left most page (looking at you, Samsung). I'm not over-the-moon for Sony's icons, but they're less annoying than I remember them being a year or so ago. The app drawer defaults to a custom/stupidly random layout, but that's a quick fix.

There are several UI decisions that I personally find grating. I'm nitpicky about this sort of thing, but the navigation buttons don't seem to have a consistent scale. Sony has a house icon in the middle for "home" instead of a circle, but it looks slightly too large. That makes the overview button to the right look tiny. Props for putting them in the right order, though (again, looking at you, Samsung). I will also never understand why Sony defaults to bright blue for the status bar color in apps that don't have Lollipop-themed bars. Every other phone uses black, which is much less likely to clash.

The notification drawer is mostly stock, but you have an easily accessible option to change what's shown in the quick settings. Likewise, you can control what shows up in the status bar. Don't want the alarm or Bluetooth icon there all the time? No problem. These are both things that Google added in Marshmallow, but Sony has had them in the last few revs of its software.

The blue status bar. Why, Sony?

So, there aren't a lot of problems with Sony's software, but I can't really think of anything that makes me want to use it over stock Android. The only really distinctive feature built into Sony's Android 5.1 build is the "small app" platform, which lets you open select apps in a floating window. It's interesting in theory, but this screen is so small that it's really pointless to do anything other than full-screen mode.

As mentioned above, the Z5 Compact is powered by a Snapdragon 810 and 2GB of RAM. I'm a little concerned about having only 2GB of RAM in a phone that costs upward of $500. The Nexus 5X only has 2GB, but it's a few hundred dollars cheaper. That said, it doesn't seem to be causing any noticeable performance issues. Apps are staying in memory well and I can play audio in the background while running navigation or browsing the web without anything getting killed. Still, depending on what Sony does with the software going forward, you might wish you had that extra gig of RAM.

The Snapdragon 810 has the potential to be too much for the little Z5C to handle. There were a few phones earlier in the year that didn't run very well with the 810. For example, the HTC One M9 would get hot and throttle aggressively. Sony's own Z3+/Z4 also had heat issues to the point that some Japanese carriers recommended against charging it while it was on. To check for this, I ran some 3D games and benchmarks on the Z5C to stress the Snapdragon chip.

Four benchmarks (left to right) showing thermal throttling of the Z5C. It could be worse.

It doesn't overheat as quickly or consistently as the M9 did, but it does start throttling eventually. It's about on par with the OnePlus 2. It will slow down, but not immediately and not to the point that it gets unusable. There is a proactive warning when you start a 4K capture the first time that tells you the camera may close unexpectedly if temperatures get too high. So there's that.

Conclusion

In a lot of ways, it doesn't matter whether this phone is perfect or if it stands up to larger flagship phones. It rules the small phone niche right now. All it really has to be is competent for people to buy it, because those people really want a small phone. The good news is that the Xperia Z5 Compact is better than competent. It's a very good phone thanks to the solid water-resistant design, excellent battery life, and above-average camera.

It has its flaws, but none of them are deal breakers—more RAM would be nice, and perhaps the Snapdragon 810 wasn't necessary for a phone that has a 720p display. Still, if you want a sub-5-inch phone, this is the best one out there. It could be substantially worse and still hold that title, though.

Note: Our Xperia Z5 review will be up in a day or two. 

Source: Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Review: The Only Small Phone That Matters

QiKU Q Terra first impressions: Snapdragon 808 sporting phone with a duoscopic camera feature

QiKU is the latest Chinese smartphone to have entered the Indian market. QiKU is a joint venture between Coolpad and QiKU 360 – which is a software company known for its security software in China. The company launched the QiKU Q Terra smartphone at an even in New Delhi today. The phone has been launched at two price points – for those planning to buy it directly online, the phone will cost Rs 21,999; but those willing to buy via the Q-Invite system, will get a discount of Rs 2000 making its sales price Rs 19,999. The phone will be selling exclusively on Gadgets360. Post the launch, we had some hands on time with the phone and here are our first impressions.

Design and BuildThe QiKU Q Terra belongs to the phablet category, thanks to the 6 inch display. But due to a good body to screen ratio, it manages to keep the size of the phone under check. It comes with a unibody metal build which comprises an alloy of Magnesium and aluminium. It measures 3.6mm on its thinnest edge but due to the curved back design measures 8.6mm thick. It weighs around 186 grams and we liked the weight distribution of the phone.

On the left hand side of the phone you have the dual SIM card slot as well as the microSD card slot. On the right hand side you have the volume rocker and power/standby button. The 3.5mm audio jack is present on the top whereas the base had the microUSB port beside the speaker grill section.

On the rear side you have the dual 13MP  cameras and just below them there is the finger print scanner. The QiKU branding is present at the base.

The QiKU Q Terra has an interesting design and the chrome finishes around the chamfered edges and the fingerprint scanner ads an elegant touch. The side bezels are just 1.4mm thin which is good from increasing the body to screen ratio perspective, but swiping the screen is tricky, if any part of your palm spills onto the edges. Build quality wise the phone is sturdy.

DisplayWe are seeing a lot of 2K display phones these days, but QiKU has decided to go with a 6-inch full HD IPS panel with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection atop it. While things looked sharp and colours appeared vibrant, we noticed that the glass has a propensity to collect smudges. We will have to check the displays legibility in sunlight to give a well rounded answer on its performance.

Chipset, RAM, Storage and ConnectivityThe Q Terra houses the hexa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset which has the Adreno 418 GPU. This is paired with 3GB of RAM and comes with 16GB storage. QiKU gives you the option to expand the storage to 128GB using the microSD card slot present on the left hand side. During our hands on time with the device we did not notice any slowdown. QiKU has employed cooling mechanisms within the body to dissipate heat away from the chipset faster. We will need to test the phone in real world conditions to see how it handles the heat.

The phone comes with a dual SIM (microSIM + nanoSIM) card slot and can take in a 4G LTE card. Apart from this you have WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS with AGPS. It does not have FM radio which may be a bummer for some buyers.

OS and SoftwareThe QiKU Q Terra runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS but comes with the 360 OS interface. QiKU claims that it offers a lot of the features present on Android Marshmallow through its proprietary OS has alternatives for Doze mode (Standby+), App Standby (Freezer), App Permission (Authority Manager) and so on.

Apart from these features, the 360 OS also let's you uninstall all the preloaded apps barring messages and the dialer, which is a welcome change from being forced to only disable preloaded apps. QiKU claims that the phone will get the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in March next year.

Another feature called 'Heat tracing' lets you determine which app is causing your phone to heat up, and you can then promptly kill it. This is another good inbuilt feature.

The fingerprint scanner on the rear side can also be programmed to function as a camera shutter button as well as to receive calls.

CameraOne of the most interesting features of the QiKU QTerra is the duoscopic camera. What it means is that the QTerra has dual 13MP rear cameras, one of which is the Sony IMX278 color sensor and the other is the Sony IMX214 mono sensor. Both the cameras are accompanied by a fast f/1.8 aperture. The Sony IMX214 captures only the contours and edges in the photograph you've shot and this data is then combined with the RGBW data obtained from the Sony IMX214. On the front you get an 8MP camera. The demo venue did not give us a chance to test out the camera, but we will be doing an in depth review of the camera of the Q Terra. There was no mention of image stabilization on the camera. It is capable of shooting 4K video.

BatteryThe QiKU Q Terra houses a 3700mAh T- shaped battery which is a significant capacity. QiKU claims that it can offer over a day's worth of usage but we will be able to confirm that only after real world testing. It also supports Fast Charging technology.

ConclusionQiKU Q Terra offers a good overall feature set and has smartly given consumers the option to purchase the phone either via a Q-Invite system or buy it directly at an extra Rs 2000 premium. The exact details of obtaining the Q-Invite will be revealed next week on Gadgets360 which is the exclusive sales partner.

The camera section is the most interesting feature that we found and we are waiting to test it out while reviewing the Q Terra. Also the fact that it offers you the option to uninstall unwanted preloaded apps will be welcome. It also claims to offer some Marshmallow features with the phone which we will need to test out.

At Rs 21,999 the Q Terra has a lot on offer. We will need to see how it all comes together and how the phone performs with everyday tasks. The 6-inch form factor may not be to everyone's liking and that may make it a non option for many buyers. But for those who don't mind a large display, we can only tell if this is an option worth considering after thoroughly testing the QiKU Q Terra.

Tags: Coolpad, Q-Invite, QiKU 360, QiKU Q Terra, qualcomm snapdragon 808

Source: QiKU Q Terra first impressions: Snapdragon 808 sporting phone with a duoscopic camera feature

QiKU Q Terra first impressions: Large screen phone with a unique camera feature

QiKU is the latest Chinese smartphone to have entered the Indian market. QiKU is a joint venture between Coolpad and QiKU 360 – which is a software company known for its security software in China. The company launched the QiKU Q Terra smartphone at an even in New Delhi today. The phone has been launched at two price points – for those planning to buy it directly online, the phone will cost Rs 21,999; but those willing to buy via the Q-Invite system, will get a discount of Rs 2000 making its sales price Rs 19,999. The phone will be selling exclusively on Gadgets360. Post the launch, we had some hands on time with the phone and here are our first impressions.

Design and BuildThe QiKU Q Terra belongs to the phablet category, thanks to the 6 inch display. But due to a good body to screen ratio, it manages to keep the size of the phone under check. It comes with a unibody metal build which comprises an alloy of Magnesium and aluminium. It measures 3.6mm on its thinnest edge but due to the curved back design measures 8.6mm thick. It weighs around 186 grams and we liked the weight distribution of the phone.

On the left hand side of the phone you have the dual SIM card slot as well as the microSD card slot. On the right hand side you have the volume rocker and power/standby button. The 3.5mm audio jack is present on the top whereas the base had the microUSB port beside the speaker grill section.

On the rear side you have the dual 13MP  cameras and just below them there is the finger print scanner. The QiKU branding is present at the base.

The QiKU Q Terra has an interesting design and the chrome finishes around the chamfered edges and the fingerprint scanner ads an elegant touch. The side bezels are just 1.4mm thin which is good from increasing the body to screen ratio perspective, but swiping the screen is tricky, if any part of your palm spills onto the edges. Build quality wise the phone is sturdy.

DisplayWe are seeing a lot of 2K display phones these days, but QiKU has decided to go with a 6-inch full HD IPS panel with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection atop it. While things looked sharp and colours appeared vibrant, we noticed that the glass has a propensity to collect smudges. We will have to check the displays legibility in sunlight to give a well rounded answer on its performance.

Chipset, RAM, Storage and ConnectivityThe Q Terra houses the hexa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset which has the Adreno 418 GPU. This is paired with 3GB of RAM and comes with 16GB storage. QiKU gives you the option to expand the storage to 128GB using the microSD card slot present on the left hand side. During our hands on time with the device we did not notice any slowdown. QiKU has employed cooling mechanisms within the body to dissipate heat away from the chipset faster. We will need to test the phone in real world conditions to see how it handles the heat.

The phone comes with a dual SIM (microSIM + nanoSIM) card slot and can take in a 4G LTE card. Apart from this you have WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS with AGPS. It does not have FM radio which may be a bummer for some buyers.

OS and SoftwareThe QiKU Q Terra runs on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS but comes with the 360 OS interface. QiKU claims that it offers a lot of the features present on Android Marshmallow through its proprietary OS has alternatives for Doze mode (Standby+), App Standby (Freezer), App Permission (Authority Manager) and so on.

Apart from these features, the 360 OS also let's you uninstall all the preloaded apps barring messages and the dialer, which is a welcome change from being forced to only disable preloaded apps. QiKU claims that the phone will get the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update in March next year.

Another feature called 'Heat tracing' lets you determine which app is causing your phone to heat up, and you can then promptly kill it. This is another good inbuilt feature.

The fingerprint scanner on the rear side can also be programmed to function as a camera shutter button as well as to receive calls.

CameraOne of the most interesting features of the QiKU QTerra is the duoscopic camera. What it means is that the QTerra has dual 13MP rear cameras, one of which is the Sony IMX278 color sensor and the other is the Sony IMX214 mono sensor. Both the cameras are accompanied by a fast f/1.8 aperture. The Sony IMX214 captures only the contours and edges in the photograph you've shot and this data is then combined with the RGBW data obtained from the Sony IMX214. On the front you get an 8MP camera. The demo venue did not give us a chance to test out the camera, but we will be doing an in depth review of the camera of the Q Terra. There was no mention of image stabilization on the camera. It is capable of shooting 4K video.

BatteryThe QiKU Q Terra houses a 3700mAh T- shaped battery which is a significant capacity. QiKU claims that it can offer over a day's worth of usage but we will be able to confirm that only after real world testing. It also supports Fast Charging technology.

ConclusionQiKU Q Terra offers a good overall feature set and has smartly given consumers the option to purchase the phone either via a Q-Invite system or buy it directly at an extra Rs 2000 premium. The exact details of obtaining the Q-Invite will be revealed next week on Gadgets360 which is the exclusive sales partner.

The camera section is the most interesting feature that we found and we are waiting to test it out while reviewing the Q Terra. Also the fact that it offers you the option to uninstall unwanted preloaded apps will be welcome. It also claims to offer some Marshmallow features with the phone which we will need to test out.

At Rs 21,999 the Q Terra has a lot on offer. We will need to see how it all comes together and how the phone performs with everyday tasks. The 6-inch form factor may not be to everyone's liking and that may make it a non option for many buyers. But for those who don't mind a large display, we can only tell if this is an option worth considering after thoroughly testing the QiKU Q Terra.

Tags: Coolpad, Q-Invite, QiKU 360, QiKU Q Terra, qualcomm snapdragon 808

Source: QiKU Q Terra first impressions: Large screen phone with a unique camera feature

Samsung Galaxy S7 Could Feature Britecell Camera Tech

The latest news about the Galaxy S7 is that the Samsung smartphone will include new camera technology. This is known as Britecell, and it is expected to be included in the Galaxy range going forward, beginning with the flagship Galaxy S7 handset. This innovative camera technology was unveiled at the Samsung Electronics 2015 Investors Forum. With information on the arrival date of this technology still thin on the ground, the rumor mill is already suggesting that it will be included in the Galaxy S7 smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S7 – Britecell unveiled

Speaking at the forum, Kyushik Hong, a key member of the Korean Corporation's LSI chip division, commented that the Britecell technology will improve sensitivity significantly in low-light shooting conditions. This ultimately results in significantly less distortion in images, and a significant reduction in the fuzziness of color. If true, these will both be major breakthroughs for smartphone photography, as the ability of mobile units to take pictures in dark conditions is notoriously shaky.

In addition to this breakthrough caused by Britecell, it is also suggested that the module to be included in the Galaxy S7 is around 70 percent lower in heights than previous smartphones. This might sound like a significant reduction, but to put this into perspective this would represent roughly 1mm. So don't expect to notice massive physical changes, but there could be a somewhat less pronounced hump around the camera lens in future Galaxy smartphones, beginning with the Galaxy S7.

Other features related to the single micron Britecell camera module reportedly include super-fast phase detection autofocus. This should make taking pictures easier for the less skilled photographers among us. Additionally, Smart WDR, an HDR-style photo feature already used in Samsung's cameras, will be included, bumping the capabilities of the Galaxy S7 range up considerably.

It certainly sounds from this initial information that the Samsung gloves are off in the battle between the corporation and Apple, with the market-leading consumer electronics giant also expected to significantly upgrade the camera in the iPhone in 2016. Apple has already been linked with numerous examples of revolutionary camera technology, not least the possibility that the iPhone range will feature a professional quality DSLR snapper.

What isn't clear at the time of writing is exactly how pictures taken using this new Britecell camera module technology will differ from the previous Isocell examples.

But it does seem possible that we will see this new technology debut in the Galaxy S7, with the next generation smartphone increasingly expected to be released in the early months of next year. Indeed, it now looks probable that February 21 is a possible date for the release of this smartphone, with the timing intended to coincide with the opening of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Launch date unclear

What should be noted is that Samsung has yet to provide an official launch date for this Britecell technology, so we cannot consider it to be an absolute certainty that it will appear in the Galaxy S7. Certainly the Korean electronics giant would love to include its fledgling technology in what is its flagship handset, but this cannot be guaranteed considering the timescales involved in preparing this. There are already some reports which have suggested that the camera technology may be held back until the latter half of 2016, in which case it would appear in a Samsung mobile phone for the first time in the Galaxy Note 6 in all probability.

If Samsung decides not to include the Britecell technology in the Galaxy S7 then it is possible that the corporation will instead concentrate on a megapixel jump. It has already been suggested in some quarters that the Galaxy Note 6 may feature a 30-megapixel unit, and this could be accompanied by a 20-megapixel camera in the Galaxy S7.

Camera technology will be increasingly important in smartphones in the future. The selfie generation is obsessed with taking pictures, and the cultural prominence of social media sites such as Instagram and Snapchat ensures that camera provisions in smartphones are increasingly important. It also ensures that it is not only the rear-facing snappers that are significant, with the rear units also being subjected to increasing demands from consumers.

With shooting in gloomy conditions a perpetual difficulty for smartphones, Samsung could gain a significant advantage with the new Britecell technology. Apple has also attempted to address this issue by developing a new dual-sensor and lens system, but Samsung would love to include this new system in the Galaxy S7, thus giving it a clear edge over its great rival.

Other Galaxy S7 specs

Elsewhere in the Galaxy S7, the big debate that continues to rumble on is with regard to the processors and chipsets that will be included in the smartphone. It still seems quite likely that the Korean manufacturer will release two separate editions of the Galaxy S7 smartphone, with one in East Asia featuring the Exynos 8890 chipset, and Western markets benefiting from a unit driven by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset.

Another interesting facet of this forthcoming smartphone will be whether the Korean corporation decides to take the plunge and release a 4K resolution smartphone. This is something that Sony has done already, and it seems increasingly likely that Samsung will follow suit sooner rather than later. Many analysts have speculated that the company will wait until later in the year before testing 4K technology with the more powerful Galaxy Note range. But it is possible in the face of lukewarm recent sales of the Galaxy S range that Samsung could take a gamble and included 4K screen resolution this time out.

It has been a difficult time for Samsung lately with sales and profits both diminishing over a sustained period. The company is well aware that it needs to improve its fortunes sooner rather than later, and consumers could benefit with an outstanding Galaxy S7 handset when it is released in what is likely to be February of next year.

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Source: Samsung Galaxy S7 Could Feature Britecell Camera Tech

Samsung's new camera tech means better low-light photos, and a smaller lens hump on its phones

Samsung has revealed a new camera technology called Britecell, which will be coming to a mobile device near you in the future. It was unveiled at the Samsung Electronics 2015 Investors Forum, and although we don't exactly know when it'll arrive, a few key details have been shared about what it'll offer. What makes it exciting is Samsung may incorporate Britecell into the rumored Galaxy S7 smartphone.

Speaking at the event, Kyushik Hong, who works for the company's LSI chip division, shared how Britecell has enhanced light sensitivity in low light conditions, resulting in less distortion and a reduction in color fuzziness. That's not all. The module is 17-percent lower in height — that's about a millimeter, so better than nothing — than existing Samsung Isocell camera modules, which could mean a less pronounced hump around the camera lens on future smartphones.

Related: Everything we think we know about the Galaxy S7

Other features of the single micron Britecell camera module include super-fast phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and Smart WDR, an HDR-style photo feature already used in Samsung's cameras. Exactly how pictures taken using a Britecell-branded camera modules will differ from those taken with an Isocell camera will only become clear when the technology makes its debut. Cameras are a major selling point on high-end smartphones, meaning there's a good chance Samsung will install a Britecell camera on one or more of its flagship phones next year.

The next big release that's expected from Samsung is the Galaxy S7, which is rumored for announcement sometime during the first months of next year. Britecell camera technology has already been linked with the phone, after a trademark application for the name was discovered recently. However, Samsung hasn't provided a launch date for Britecell yet, so it's entirely possible the tech won't be ready in time for the Galaxy S7, and may be held until the second half of the year, when we traditionally see a new Galaxy Note phone.

Source: Samsung's new camera tech means better low-light photos, and a smaller lens hump on its phones

Revolutionary 'flat' camera could make your next phone as thin as a credit card

Lens-less camera is built similarly to a microchip and thinner than a dime

Computer algorithms convert measurements into images and videos

Prototype produces 512-by-512 images, and resolution will soon increase

By Cheyenne Macdonald For Dailymail.com

Published: 14:02 EST, 23 November 2015 | Updated: 14:09 EST, 23 November 2015

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Researchers in Texas have developed a camera small enough to fit inside of a credit card which doesn't require a lens.

In doing away with the lens, the FlatCam prototype paves the way for a future of cameras that are more flexible than traditional ones, giving it the potential for use in security and disaster-relief.

The camera was invented by electrical and computer engineers Richard Baraniuk and Ashok Veeraraghavan, and is thinner than a dime.

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Researchers in Texas have developed a camera small enough to fit inside of a credit card, and doesn't require a lens. In doing away with the lens, the FlatCam prototype paves the way for a future of cameras that are more flexible than traditional ones, giving it the potential for use in security and disaster-relief

A MASK-WEARING MICRO CAMERA

The tiny camera, developed by Rice University researchers, could be thin enough to be used in a tablet, a credit card, and even wallpaper.

FlatCam uses computer algorithms to detect and process measurements, which are then converted to images and videos. 

In lieu of a lens, the camera features a coded, grid-like mask which allows different sets of light to reach the sensor.

Raw data is sent to a processor and can be focused to different depths. 

The prototype produces 512-by-512 images, but researchers are working to improve the resolution as development continues.

Developed out of the Rice University labs, the tiny camera consists of a sensor chip with a grid-like coded mask, which allows different channels of light to reach the sensor, according to Rice News.

FlatCam is similar to a microchip, and uses computer algorithms to process what is detected by the sensor, which then convert measurements into images and videos.

'As traditional cameras get smaller, their sensors also get smaller, and this means they collect very little light,' says Veeraraghavan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice.

'The low-light performance of a camera is tied to the surface area of the sensor. Unfortunately, since all camera designs are basically cubes, surface area is tied to thickness.'

'Our design decouples the two parameters, providing the abilit y to utilize the enhanced light-collision abilities of large sensors with a really thin device.'

The FlatCam could eventually be made into foldable, wearable and even disposable cameras, but the team says photographers are more likely to stay with lens-based systems.

Still, the developers say their camera will be a necessary step in other applications.

The tiny camera consists of a sensor chip with a grid-like coded mask, which allows different channels of light to reach the sensor. FlatCam is similar to a microchip, and uses computer algorithms to process what is detected by the sensor, which then convert measurements into images and videos

'Moving from a cube design to just a surface without sacrificing performance opens up so many possibilities,' says Baraniuk, the Victor E. Cameron Professor of Electrical and Computer engineering.

'We can make curved cameras, or wallpaper that's actually a camera. You can have a c amera on your credit card or a camera in an ultrathin tablet computer.'

The FlatCam could eventually be made into foldable, wearable and even disposable cameras, but the team says photographers are more likely to stay with lens-based systems. Still, the developers say their camera will be a necessary step in other applications

The sensor sends the raw data to a desktop computer, and the picture can be focused to different depths. 

The prototype produces 512-by-512 images, a resolution which the researchers are hoping to increase as development continues.

The prototypes do not have viewfinders, but if necessary, researchers say a cellphone screen could one day do the job.

'Smart phones already feature pretty powerful computers, so we can easily imagine computing at least a low-resolution preview in real time,' says co- author Aswin Sankaranarayanan, Rice alumnus and assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

The paper is led by Rice postdoctoral researcher Salman Asif, and co-authored by Sankaranarayanan and Rice graduate student Ali Ayremlou.  

 

Source: Revolutionary 'flat' camera could make your next phone as thin as a credit card

WATCH: You're so vain - 'Selfie Rat' uses sleeping man's camera phone to strike a pose

Sarah-Jane Murphy

Published 23/11/2015 | 13:56

Meet 'Selfie rat', the rodent who leaves 'Pizza rat' and 'Spaghetti' rat in the shade in terms of sophistication.

Visitors to NYC, tourist Don Richards and his friend were at President Street subway station in Brooklyn when they noticed a man fast asleep, lying on the subway platform.

They then observed Selfie Rat approaching the snoozing man and brazenly climbing onto his jumper, sniffing as he went.

Presumably. the slumbering man felt the weight of the rodent's body on his chest and woke up with a start.

As he registered what was going on his mobile phone dropped and inadvertently took a picture of the inquisitive rat and he sniffed the camera lens.

The flash seemed to startle the rat and he scarpered, possibly heading off to take another selfie a different location in the Big Apple.

The hilarious footage was filmed by Don Richardson and his friend and has gained worldwide notoriety.

Online Editors

Source: WATCH: You're so vain - 'Selfie Rat' uses sleeping man's camera phone to strike a pose

Samsung Galaxy S4 Camera Not Working Issue & Other Related Problems

A couple of years ago the smartphone camera could only take at best average quality photos. Fast forward to today, smartphone cameras are now advanced that they can now take high quality photos that can compete with point and shoot cameras. One of the smartphones available in the market that comes with a great camera is the #Samsung Galaxy #S4. Its 13 MP autofocus rear camera allows its user to take great photos and videos.

There are however instances when the phone camera does not work as expected. The photos taken may be blurred or the camera may not take a picture at all. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will tackle the Galaxy S4 camera not working issue & other related problems.

If you own a Samsung Galaxy S4  or any other Android device for that matter then feel free to contact us using this form. We will be more than happy to assist you with any concern that you may have with your device. This is a free service we are offering with no strings attached. We however ask that when you do contact us try to be as detailed as possible so that an accurate assessment can be made and the correct solution can be given.  

If you would like to browse the previous parts in this series then check out this link.  

You may also reach us at our Facebook and Google+ social media accounts.

S4 Camera Not Taking Pictures

Problem: camera will not take pictures and does not respond to anything. cannot access any settings and cannot close. get message camera not responding

Solution: The app may have some corrupt temporary data stored in it. Try clearing the cache and data of your camera app then check if the issue still persists. If it does then I suggest you wipe the cache partition of your phone from the recovery mode.

There are also instances when an app you installed may be causing this type of problem. To check if this is the case I suggest you start your phone in Safe Mode. While your phone is running in this mode only the pre-installed apps are allowed to run while apps you downloaded are disabled. Try taking a picture in this mode. If the issue does not occur then there's a chance that it may be caused by a third party app. Find out what app this is and uninstall it.

One other factor that can contribute to this problem is a faulty microSD card especially if the card is the default location to store photos and videos. Try to take out the microSD card then check if you still experience the issue.

Finally, if the above troubleshooting steps fail to resolve the problem then I suggest you backup your phone data and do a factory reset.

S4 Black Screen When Taking Photo

Problem: I aim to take a picture. The screen is black. The camera zooms but the shutter doesn't open. This has only been happening for about a month so I doubt it's a defect in the camera. Can you help? FYI: I hate this phone

Solution: Try to check if this is  software related issue first. Try to clear the cache and data of the camera app then check if you can now take photos. If this issue still occurs then proceed with wiping the cache partition of your phone from the recovery mode.

If you still experience the same issue then I suggest you backup your phone data then do a factory reset. This restores your phone back to its original factory condition. Do not install any apps or update your phone after the reset. Check the camera first and see if it works. If it doesn't then this may already be a hardware related problem. I suggest you bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it checked.

S4 Front Camera Not Working

Problem: So I am on a second Galaxy S4 since my first one had to get replaced. On both of the phones, the face cam/selfie cam does not work at all. On my first Galaxy S4, the face cam worked when I first got it but after a couple months it stopped working. I thought it was just an app that was the issue since it did say that an app may be using the camera. I found out that wasn't the issue when I had my phone replaced (cracked screen) and right off the bat the camera on that phone wasn't working either. I didn't pay much mind to it and continued downloading apps I lost with my first GS4 being replaced. Recently I accidently locked myself out of my phone and since there was no google sign in to unlock option I had to factory reset it. I thought it would be a plus since on many websites they say that the last resort is to factory reset and the camera would work again. I will say now that even after factory resetting it, it still does not work. My last thought is that it's th e fact that I am like 1 or 2 update behind so I tried to update but there is always and error installing the update and now I have no idea what to do.

Solution: The first thing you should do is to update your phone software. Since you are getting an error  when updating your phone ( I assume you are doing the update OTA) you should try updating your phone software using the Kies or Smart Switch software which you can download from the Samsung website. Connect your phone using a USB cord to a computer running Kies or Smart Switch then just follow the onscreen instructions to update your phone.

If the front camera still does not work after the update then try doing one more round of factory reset from the recovery mode. Make sure to backup your phone data before performing this procedure. If the problem still persists then this may already be a hardware related issue. I suggest you bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it checked.

S4 Black Screen When Using Viber Or Facebook

Problem: When i try to use video chat on VIBER  or Facebook.  When i turn camera on i see a black screen and the person i am talking to also sees a black screen as if my camera is showing black screen . But my camera works perfect when i am taking pictures and video outside of any app. thank you.

Related Problem: I cant used anymore my video call in messenger and viber. I was using that before but it's just stopped. Now today just happened that my video call in messenger is not working  too. Its just black screen whenever i turned it on on video.

Solution: Have you checked if your front camera works using the stock  camera app? if it does then the problem could be with the Viber and Facebook app. I suggest you clear the cache and data for both apps then uninstall them. Once both apps are uninstalled proceed with wiping the cache partition of your phone from the recovery mode. Restart your phone then go to the Google Play Store and download a fresh copy of Viber and Facebook.

S4 Front Camera Not Working

Problem: Right now, the camera switching option (SELFIE OPTION) doesn't work. Originally my phone was overheating, freezing up and shutting off an on on its own.  I cleared the cache partition and eventually did a factory reset for those things to stop and they did.  Now i can't use the selfie option, when i do I get the camera failed error.  I have also been unable to successfully download any apps. I just noticed an app i tried to install last week says it's still installing.

Solution: If a camera failed error occurs then the issue could be caused by some form of corrupt data. Try clearing the cache and data of the camera app then check if the issue still occurs. If it does then uninstall any updates that the stock camera has as well.

You should also check if your phone is running no the latest software version. If it isn't then update your phone software.

Another clue that could lead to the solution to this problem is the app that is still installing until now. I suggest you backup your phone data then do a factory reset. Once the factory reset is complete then do not install anything yet. Check your front camera and see if it works.

If it still doesn't work then this may already be a hardware related problem. I suggest you bring your phone to an authorized service center and have it checked.

S4 Camera Failed Error

Problem: I'm currently deployed and had been video chatting with my wife with no problems, then randomly my phone want open the camera, it says camera failed. It actually will work but after I take a photo or close the camera it stops working again.

Solution: This case is usually caused by some form of corrupt data in the camera app. Try clearing the cache and data of the app and see if this fixes the problem. If it doesn't then try wiping the cache partition of your phone.

There are also instances when an app you downloaded causes this type of problem. To check if this is the case then you should start your phone in Safe Mode. In this mode only the pre-installed apps are allowed to run while the apps you downloaded are disabled. Check if the camera works normally in this mode. If it does then the issue is most likely caused by an app you downloaded. Find out what app this is and uninstall it.

Engage with us

Feel free to send us your questions, suggestions and problems you've encountered while using your Android phone. We support every Android device that is available in the market today. And don't worry, we won't charge you a single penny for your questions. Contact us using this form. We read every message we receive can't guarantee a quick response. If we were able to help you, please help us spread the word by sharing our posts with your friends.

Source: Samsung Galaxy S4 Camera Not Working Issue & Other Related Problems

Cell Phone Holder with Camera Features Invented by InventHelp Client (KPD-256)

PITTSBURGH, PA (PRWEB) November 21, 2015

The increased popularity of cell phone cameras has likely resulted from the advances in the quality of photos and video they produce. An inventor from Wayne, Pa., has jumped on this band wagon and taken cell phone camera capabilities to a new level.

He developed the patent-pending CAM CASE to provide better control when holding and positioning the cell phone camera and zooming in and out. As such, it affords an easy and effective way to improve the quality of photos and video. Furthermore, it provides a comfortable steady grip for cell phone camera use and reduces the chances of dropping the camera. It, therefore, eliminates the expense of replacing or repairing the phone. It is also effective, user friendly and affordably priced. In addition, it is equipped to reduce the risk of blurred photographs.

The inventor's personal experience inspired the idea. "I enjoy taking photographs and recording video; however, I sometimes have trouble with my fingers getting in the way or with the camera slipping out of my hand," he said. "This idea solves those problems while insuring good quality photos."

The original design was submitted to the King of Prussia office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 14-KPD-256, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com - https://www.youtube.com/user/inventhelp

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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/InventHelp-Inventions/Cam-Case/prweb13071811.htm

Source: Cell Phone Holder with Camera Features Invented by InventHelp Client (KPD-256)

Owens Corning thermal phone app identifies heat loss

Published: Friday, 11/20/2015 - Updated: 10 minutes ago

BY TYREL LINKHORNBLADE BUSINESS WRITER

Owens Corning has developed mobile app that allows homeowners and contractors to identify and track heat loss in around windows, doors, and vents by using a reasonably affordable thermal camera that snaps onto smartphones and tables.

"This is an emerging technology and as we tend to see prices go downward one these things and capabilities go up, we think we're on the front end of something really huge here," said Trey McNamee, OC's retail marketing manager.

The mobile app is specifically designed to work with infrared cameras made by Flir Systems, an imaging company based near Portland, Ore. The app is free. The Flir One camera retails for about $250.

The camera is able to see temperatures in a way our eyes cannot. By using it with the OC app, homeowners can search out drafty doors or underinsulated walls that are allowing heat to escape — thus driving up energy bills.

Mr. McNamee said the application is essentially a point-and-shoot energy assessment, walking the user through the entire process.

The app uses live weather information to be able to tell the temperatures inside and outside the home. It then produces a report that tells the user how to fix any issues.

"We actually make a recommendation right there in the app as far as what products are recommended based on location in the country and what your building code recommends for insulation," Mr. McNamee said.

Using thermal cameras is not new within the construction industry, but officials with OC say the relative affordability of the Flir camera combined with their app is unique.

OC says it has a patent pending for the process.

"This kind of brings it to the masses," Mr. McNamee said. "It's being picked up both by homeowners who like toys like this, and we're helping to get this out into the contractor channel that they can use as a sales tool to get out and make homes more comfortable."

OC and Flir worked on the project more than a year ago. OC came up with the app concept and contracted with a developer to produce it.

The iOS version of the app for iPhones and iPads has been available since June, while the Android version just recently launched. A company spokesman said OC has only recently begun to aggressively market the product.

The camera is able to detect temperatures between minus 4 to 248 degrees Fahrenheit, and is sensitive to temperature differences as small as two-tenths of a degree.

Contact Tyrel Linkhorn at tlinkhorn@theblade.com or 419-724-6134 or on Twitter @BladeAutoWriter.

Source: Owens Corning thermal phone app identifies heat loss

Samsung Galaxy S7 Britecell camera should be thinner, faster and excel at low-light photography

The Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone could feature a new camera that loves low-light photography, called Britecell.

The Britecell camera was revealed as official at a Samsung investor conference in Korea. It has already been teased at a previous conference but with less detail and no official name.

Despite being thinner than ever this new camera sports more, smaller pixels than current cameras. On top of that it works in a new way to let in even more light for far better low-light photos than current smartphone cameras.

The key to this extra light reaching the sensor is the removal of the Bayer filter layer. This traditionally turns pixels green and in doing so stops white light. This has been replaced with a filter that allows white pixels through instead.

Samsung

The pixel size has also decreased from 1.12-micrometres to 1.0-micrometre. This allows the sensor itself to be shrunk, according to Samsung's slide, by up to a millimetre. If the Samsung Galaxy S7 gets this Britecell sensor the camera may no longer jut out of the back of the phone as it does on the Galaxy S6.

Samsung also announced a new Smart WDR dynamic range. This works similarly to HDR by taking multiple exposure shots and combining them to make a bright, colourful image.

The PDAF, phase detection autofocus, is also new for faster and more accurate focus on objects automatically – even if they're moving.

Since Samsung has publically announced the Britecell sensor at an investor conference it seems likely that it will appear next year in the Galaxy S7. Here's hoping the end result is better photos and a smaller camera form.

READ: Samsung Galaxy S7 release date, rumours and everything you need to know

Samsung
Source: Samsung Galaxy S7 Britecell camera should be thinner, faster and excel at low-light photography

Leaked images show Samsung is working on a smart FLIP PHONE as the retro design gains popularity among celebrities

Samsung is rumoured to be launching a flip phone dubbed SM-W2016

It may prove popular with customers wishing to copy the likes of Adele who recently used a retro design in her music video for Hello

Handset will run Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and appears to have two screens 

By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline

Published: 08:40 EST, 18 November 2015 | Updated: 09:28 EST, 18 November 2015

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Flip phones were all the rage in the 2000s thanks to the likes of the Motorola Razr and Sony's V800.

But these retro-style handsets could soon be making a comeback after reports suggest Samsung is working on a folding, flip-style model.

The device, which has been dubbed SM-W2016, has been spotted online and appears to boast two screens.

Samsung is rumoured to be releasing a new version of the once trendy flip phone. The handset, called the SM-W2016 (pictured) has been spotted online and appears to boast two screens

It may prove popular with fashion conscious customers wishing to copy the likes of Adele, who recently used a retro handset in her music video for Hello.

While it may have an outdated design, the phone has the internals of an Android smartphone, according to industry insiders at  SamMobile. 

The site reports it runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and has an octa-core 64-bit processor with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

Elsewhere, it is rumoured to have a 16MP camera on the rear and a 5MP front-facing camera for selfies.

Design-wise it looks a like the lovechild of a Samsung Galaxy S6 and older popular flip phone designs such as the Moto Razr.

While it may have an outdated design, the phone (left and right) has the internals of an Android smartphone, according to industry insiders at SamMobile. The site reports it runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and has an octa-core 64-bit processor with 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage

Design-wise, Samsung's phone looks like the lovechild of a Galaxy S6 and older popular flip phone designs such as the Moto Razr (pictured), which was popular in around 2003 and 2004

RETURN OF THE MEGA DRIVE 

More than 25 years since its release, Sega's Mega Drive is set to be a hit this Christmas.

Fans of the original console are flocking to buy the re-released machine, with sales having soared by more than 400% in recent weeks.

The £39.99 ($76) machines are flying off the shelves, according to retailer Argos.

The Sega Mega Drive was initially released in Japan in October 1988 and in America and Europe the following year.

Argos' console comes pre-loaded with 80 games include Sonic and Streets of Rage.

It is compatible with Sega Mega Drive cartridges and is sold with two wireless, battery-operated controllers. 

It could also prove popular with people who prefer physical keyboards to those that pop up on a screen. 

Samsung's rival LG recently revealed a flip phone called the LG Wine Smart.

The handset has a 3.2-inch colour touchscreen and runs Android Lollipop 5.1, as well as enabling 4G calls. 

The phone has launched in Korea and is set to come next to starting with France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Kazakhstan, Japan and the United Kingdom.

'Our goal with LG Wine Smart was to create a smartphone that fans of flip phones could embrace,' said Chris Yie, vice president and head of marketing communications for LG . 

'Consumers shouldn't have to miss out on the smartphone revolution because they prefer a particular phone design over another. With LG Wine Smart, they won't have to. ' 

Celebrities including Anna Wintour, Rihanna and Kate Beckinsale have all been spotted on vintage handsets in recent times.

The rumoured handset may prove popular with fashion conscious customers who may wish to copy the likes of Adele who recebtly used a retro design in her music video for Hello

Celebrities including Anna Wintour (pictured), Rihanna and Kate Beckinsale have all been spotted on vintage handsets in recent times

And in the last few years there has been a trend for other 'retro' technology such as Polaroid and Lomography cameras, perhaps driven by Apple's iCloud leak. 

In 2014, fuelled by celebrities such as Miley Cyrus using them, sales of Polaroid cameras rose by around three quarters. 

Kaley Cuoco, who stars in The Big Bang Theory declared at the time: 'Polaroi ds are the way to go. No one can get those.'

LG recently revealed a flip phone called the LG Wine Smart (pictured).  The handset has a 3.2-inch colour touchscreen and runs Android Lollipop 5.1, as well as enabling 4G calls

THE WORLD'S FIRST SMARTPHONE 

August 2014 saw the 20th anniversary of the world's first smartphone, called Simon. 

The phone was developed by firm IBM and the American cellular company BellSouth. 

IBM said it was called Simon because it was 'simple and could do almost anything you wanted'. 

The Simon, with its green LCD screen, had a stylus with touchscreen technology.

Software allowed users to write notes, draw, update their calendar and contacts, and send and receive faxes, as well as allowing calls. 

It even had a slot for cartridges that were primitive 'apps'.

But at around nine inches long (23cm) it was also about half the size of a house brick. It had an aerial and its battery lasted just an hour when making phone calls.

More recently, retro gaming has been making a comeback. 

Some 25 years since its release, Sega's Mega Drive is expected to be a surprise hit this Christmas.

Nostalgic fans of the original console are flocking to buy the re-released machine, with sales having soared by more than 400 per cent in recent weeks.

Despite it not being as advanced as the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, the £39.99 ($76) machines are flying off the shelves, according to retailer Argos.

The Sega Mega Drive introduced a ge neration to arcade-style games in their living room including the original Sonic the Hedgehog.

It was initially released in Japan in October 1988 and in America and Europe the following year.

The Sega console from Argos comes pre-loaded with 80 games include Sonic and Streets of Rage.

It is compatible with Sega Mega Drive cartridges and is sold with two wireless, battery-operated controllers. 

In the last few years there has been a trend for 'retro' technology such as Polaroid (pictured) and Lomography cameras, perhaps driven by Apple's recent iCloud leak and the desire to keep pictures private

More than 25 years since its release, Sega's Mega Drive is expected to be a surprise hit this Christmas. Nostalgic fans of the original console are flocking to buy the re-released machine, with sales having soared by more tha n 400 per cent in recent weeks

Source: Leaked images show Samsung is working on a smart FLIP PHONE as the retro design gains popularity among celebrities

Best Android Phones: Holiday 2015

As we hit the middle of November, the holiday shopping season is starting up. As we have for the past several years, this year we are putting together a series of holiday guides with recommendations for various product categories and some quick links to those products. These holiday guides also act as a way for us to look over all the devices that have been released in a given year to see which still hold up.

We'll be starting things off this year with smartphones. Smartphones are an enormous market, and the average phone lifetime still being only 18-24 months, many gifts given this holiday season are going to be smartphones. So let's take a look at what we believe to be the best Android phones that you can buy this holiday season.

Best Android Phablet: Samsung Galaxy Note5

The term phablet is a bit silly in my opinion, but it has become a fairly common term to describe smartphones with very large profiles. The definition of a phablet is not exactly concrete, and it mainly has to do with a device's chassis size. For example, the Nexus 6 and Galaxy Note5 are clearly phablets, and it's fairly safe to say that the iPhone 6s Plus is one too. However, I don't know if I would describe the LG G4 as a phablet. It has the same screen size as the iPhone 6S Plus, but the use of on-screen buttons and smaller overall chassis size mean that it ends up straddling the line between your standard smartphone and a phablet. When looking at which devices are available in many regions, I think it's pretty clear which phablet offers the best value at the absolute high end, and which offers the best value for someone who is looking to spend less than what they would on a typical flagship.

I don't think it would be wrong to say that Samsung really pioneered the phablet category. The original Galaxy Note was laughed at by many, but as time has gone on Samsung has improved on it, and now every vendor offers a similarly sized device. With that in mind, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Galaxy Note5 is my recommendation for a high end phablet. It comes with everything that makes the Galaxy S6 a great phone, but in a larger size and with some additional improvements. Just as an overview, you're getting a 5.7" 2560x1440 AMOLED display, Samsung's Exynos 7420 SoC, 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 32, 64, or 128GB of internal NAND. Some differences from the Galaxy S6 apart from simply being larger include improved camera image processing, making it a serious contender for the title of best smartphone camera, and the inclusion of Samsung's S-Pen for navigation and drawing.

The Galaxy Note 5 costs $699 for the 32GB version in the US. There are often deals that can help bring the price down a bit, such as a recent $50 off offer from T-Mobile. The 64GB model bumps the price to $779. It's worth noting the prices for the Galaxy S6 Edge+ as well, which is to the Galaxy Note5 what the Galaxy S6 Edge is to the standard Galaxy S6. It starts at $779 for 32GB, and $859 for 64GB. I personally think the edge design looks cool, but there's definitely a trade off in terms of ergonomics, and I don't think it's worth the additional cost unless you really want to own Samsung's absolute highest end phone.

For buyers who aren't fans of the Galaxy Note5, or who are looking for something that isn't quite as expensive, the Nexus 6P is definitely worth considering. Like the Galaxy Note5 it has a 5.7" 2560x1440 AMOLED display, but inside you get Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 paired with 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of NAND.

Some highlights of the Nexus 6P are the camera and the chassis. While we haven't published our Nexus 6P review yet, it uses the same sensor and lens arrangement as the Nexus 5X which I felt has one of the best cameras of any smartphone. The aluminum chassis of the 6P may also be more appealing than the metal/glass design of the Note5, although I didn't feel that the design and ergonomics were at the same level as devices like Huawei's own Mate S or the iPhone 6s Plus.

Of course, the biggest appeal of the Nexus 6P is its price. At $499 for 32GB, it undercuts most flagship phablets by $200 or so, while being competitive in many other respects. You definitely lose out on the performance of Samsung's Exynos 7420 SoC, but there are obviously tradeoffs that are made when targeting a lower price. The promise of software updates along with a great camera, an aluminum build, and a great fingerprint scanner make the Nexus 6P a very worthwhile choice for a phablet at a lower price than the latest and greatest flagships. European customers will notice that they get charged a significant premium for the Nexus 6P, with the 32GB model priced at around 700€. At that price I would probably consider other devices unless one is determined to stay with a Nexus phone for the support and updates.

Best High-End Android Smartphone: Samsung Galaxy S6

While phablets have grown immensely in popularity, the normal flagship devices from the players in the Android space tend to be smaller than the 5.7-6.0" displays that ship on phablets. Not having to push a large size also opens up more opportunities to offer a great device at a lower price than the competition. Taking that into consideration, I think there are two key flagship devices that are worth considering if looking for a flagship phone in a typical size, along with one clear winner for a smartphone that offers a lot for a lower price than flagship smartphones.

The Galaxy S6 really needs no introduction. Along with the Note5 it's really the only Android phone this year that was able to push the performance of Android devices forward, courtesy of its Exynos 7420 SoC. Along with still being the fastest Android phone around, the Galaxy S6 comes with a top notch 5.1" 2560x1440 AMOLED display, 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 32, 64, or 128GB of NAND, and the same 16MP camera that the Galaxy Note5 uses.

It is a bit disappointing that the Galaxy S6 is still the fastest Android phone out there many months after it was released. While some may feel it's actually best to wait for the next generation Galaxy phone from Samsung, such a launch is still one or two quarters away, and if someone is looking to get the most powerful Android smartphone for the holidays the Galaxy S6 is definitely it. As far as the price goes, the fact that the S6 is a bit older now means you can find some appealing discounts. Right now on T-Mobile USA you can get the 32GB model for $579, and at $659 you get 128GB which is a pretty great deal. Like the Note5, I wouldn't recommend paying the extra money for the Edge version of the phone unless you really want the more unique design, as the ergonomics are honestly a downgrade.

If you're looking for something a bit larger, or less expensive than the Galaxy S6, the LG G4 is definitely worth considering. Although it has a 5.5" display, it's much smaller than a phone like the iPhone 6s Plus due to its small bezels on all sides, and the use of on screen buttons. In my experience it's still a bit too big to be used comfortably in a single hand even with affordances like the back-mounted volume rocker, but it's not really a phablet either. As far as its specs go, you get Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 SoC, 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 32GB of NAND, and a 16MP Sony IMX234 rear-facing camera. It also has microSD expansion and a removable battery for the users who were upset with Samsung's removal of those features on this year's Galaxy flagships.

Price wise, the LG G4 sells for around $479, which is about $100 less than you'd pay for the Galaxy S6. The size of the phone is definitely worth considering in addition to the price, as the S6 is much easier to use with a single hand, but if you want a phone with a larger display without moving completely into phablet territory the G4 is definitely a phone to heavily consider.

Best Mid-Range Android Smartphone: Google Nexus 5X

Next we come to the lower cost high end, and here's there's only one real Android device worth mentioning, the Nexus 5X. This is actually my personal favorite Android device from this year, and I published my review of it last week. In many ways it's similar to the LG G4, which isn't surprising when you consider that it's made by LG. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 SoC, 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM, 16 or 32GB of NAND, and the same great 12MP camera that you get in the Nexus 6P.

To sum up my thoughts on the Nexus 5X from my review, I'll say that it's imperfect, but I think it's unbeatable at $379. Snapdragon 808 doesn't deliver the performance jump that you'd expect from two years of technological advancement since the Nexus 5, but you still get a great display, an amazing camera, good battery life, a quick and simple fingerprint scanner, and a plastic but very solid chassis. The fact that the 5X includes the same camera as the Nexus 6P at its $379 price is really what gives it an edge, and if you're looking to get something smaller than a phablet without paying the $600-700 commanded by flagship phones I don't think you can go wrong with the Nexus 5X. Like the 6P, the 5X is unfortunately more expensive in Europe, coming in at around 449€, and so in those markets it may be best to consider some other options.

Best Budget Android Phone: Motorola Moto G (2015)

The last category on the list is the budget phone, which to me includes anything from $250 down, although $250 is certainly pushing it. There are certainly a large number of Android devices that fit this category, and I'm sure some people will feel that it makes the most sense to look at importing phones from Xiaomi rather than buying a phone from a more global brand where you may not get as much for your money. I can only really speak from experience, and I think importing comes with its own issues regarding the warranty, customs fees, and carrier compatibility. There was only one budget device from the big Android players that I looked at this year and feel is really worth considering, and it's the 2GB version of the 2015 Moto G.

The 2015 Moto G comes in two versions. Both have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC, a Sony IMX214 13MP camera, and a 1280x720 IPS display. However, while $179 gets you a version with 8GB of NAND and 1GB of RAM, $219 doubles both of those to 16GB and 2GB respectively. With the amount of RAM overhead created by Java applications that use garbage collection I really don't think 1GB is a usable amount of memory on an Android device unless you're shopping in the sub $100 range where you're not likely to be using many apps at all. For that reason, I think the 2GB model is the best budget smartphone, as it includes a relatively good camera for its price, has enough RAM, and should be fast enough for the needs of anyone shopping for a smartphone at this price. It's also waterproof, and has an extremely long battery life.

While there are other budget Android phones, you end up having to pay significantly more than the Moto G to get any significant improvement, and dropping the price even lower ends up coming with a number of compromises that aren't worth the money you save.

Source: Best Android Phones: Holiday 2015

What parents need to know about the sneaky world of secret-camera apps

For kids, the joys of friendship are often expressed in the photos they share on social apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp. These types of photos — the group shot from a day at the beach, a selfie at the DMV or the prom — document kids' lives and strengthen relationships. But as we all know, cell phone cameras can be misused, and a new crop of photo apps are being used to hide photos instead of share them. Sometimes called "ghost apps," these secret-camera and hidden-photo-vault apps let you snap pictures or video without anyone knowing and stash them in secret folders. Use of these apps for sexting is increasing in schools, including a Denver-area school that involved hundreds of students.

Apps such as Stealth Cam, Private Ninja Cam, and Top Secret Camera can be used to spy on people. Here are some of the methods they use to deceive the unsuspecting:

—blanking the screen so no one knows you're taking a picture

—muting the phone so the shutter doesn't sound

—disguising the preview window so it looks like a Web browser

—activating the camera to record via motion sensor 

Hidden-photo vaults, such as Calculator percent, Keep Safe Private Photo Vault, and Best Secret Folder, are places to keep photos out of view from a prying parent or friend. They share key features, including: 

—requiring a password for access 

—hiding their true purpose (Fake calculator apps actually do function as a calculator but double as a way to input a secret code and stash secret pictures.)

—sounding an alarm or snapping a picture when accessed to catch anyone trying to break in 

Teens — naturally seeking privacy and independence from adults — could be tempted to experiment with these kinds of apps, such as the teen who was caught with an "upskirt" picture of his teacher. But they also might appeal to kids who don't have much to hide, so if you find a secret-camera app on your teen's phone, don't freak out immediately. 

These tips can help you navigate the world of secret-camera apps:

—Talk to your teens about using phones responsibly. Explain that you respect their privacy (if you don't, you could drive their activities underground). 

—Remind them that taking and/or sharing embarrassing or revealing pictures often comes back to haunt people, so resist the temptation.

—Consider that kids might not be trying to hide photos from you but from nosy friends. If that's the case, try to find out why.

—If you need to do a spot check, on iPhones go into Settings -> Privacy -> Camera to see which apps have used the camera. This will reveal any camera apps disguised as something else.

—Finally, consider that teens like to experiment with technology, and just because they have a secret-camera or hidden-photo-vault app, it doesn't mean they're up to no good.

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Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.

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©2015 Common Sense Media

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Source: What parents need to know about the sneaky world of secret-camera apps

Forget megapixels, this is what you really need to know about smartphone cameras

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What's the most important thing in a smartphone camera? If you answered megapixels, you've been paying too much attention to marketing. Sure, the more megapixels a camera has, the more detail it'll be able to offer when zooming in. But there are many other features of the mobile camera that matter to photo quality far more than megapixels count – which probably explains why Apple's iPhone has managed to outperform competitors for years. In the meantime, the best Android devices rivaling the iPhone have gotten much better when it comes to camera performance, improving in several key areas such as overall picture q uality and user experience. So what matters most about the smartphone camera?

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Respected YouTube gadget reviewer Marques Brownlee released a short video that explains the main features of a camera. The size of the pixels, the quality of the sensor and the aperture are some of the factors that impact overall camera performance. Electronic image stabilization (EIS) and optical image stabilization (OIS) are also important factors to consider.

Finally, there's the software side of the camera, which can make or break photos and videos as well as the overall user experience.

Ultimately, Brownlee points out that it's all about how you enjoy your smartphone camera, and whether you like the pictures and videos you take with it. Check out the full clip below.

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Cameras & Photography

Source: Forget megapixels, this is what you really need to know about smartphone cameras