Huawei P9 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy On7 (2016): 13MP camera phones

Huawei P9 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy On7: the battle between two 3GB RAM devices of Huawei and Samsung. Which one of these two 13MP camera phones is the winner? Let's find out!

Huawei P9 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy On7: 13MP camera phones

Before starting the battle, we will choose the 3GB RAM version of Huawei P9 Lite. This phone comes in two variants: 2GB and 3GB RAM. Let's come to the processors of P9 Lite and Galaxy On7 first. The P9 Lite is powered by an octa-core (4×2.0 GHz + 4×1.7 GHz) Kirin 650 processor with 3781 Geekbench multi-core scores. On the other hand, Galaxy On7 2016 version is stronger with a 2.0Ghz octa-core SND 625 processor with 4751 multi-core scores, also on Geekbench. Both phones pack 3GB of RAM.

About cameras, the lite version of Huawei P9 is equipped with a f/2.0 8MP selfie snapper and a 13MP main camera with autofocus, LED flash, and f/2.0. 2016 Samsung Galaxy On7 cameras also come with the same resolutions – 8MP and 13MP. However, these cams have smaller apertures – f/1.9. This means that On7 2016 will give you better and brighter photos in low light condition. These shooters also have autofocus and LED features.

The new Samsung device continues to beat its competitor with better Android 6.0.1 OS, a bigger 3300mAh battery life, and larger 32GB of expandable storage (+maximum 256GB)  . These features on the phone from Huawei are Android 6.0 Marshmallow, 3000mAh capacity, and 16GB of ROM which can be expanded by up to 256GB via a microSD card. Samsung new handset has a 5.5-inch FHD display while P9 Lite has a 5.2-inch Full HD one.

Huawei P9 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy On7: price battle

On the specs Huawei P9 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy On7 battle, On7 surpasses Huawei device in almost every round. 2016 Samsung Galaxy On7 specs are better than Huawei P9 Lite specs with a stronger chipset, larger ROM, bigger battery capacity. Can it keep being the winner in the price battle? Huawei P9 Lite price is about $314 . Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy On7 price is lower with $240. So, the champion of this battle is Samsung Galaxy On7 2016.

Source: Huawei P9 Lite vs Samsung Galaxy On7 (2016): 13MP camera phones

Blac Chyna Tweets Out Rob Kardashian’s Phone Number As an Apparent Warning to His Fangirls

Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian. Photo: Gabriel Olsen/WireImage/Getty

A brief moment of panic ensued on Thursday evening among fans of Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna. Without any warning, Chyna sent out a simple tweet with the words, "Robert Kardashian Number," followed by his California valley area number. The number is now disconnected, but E! News confirms that it was, indeed, his number.

Speculation, of course, immediately followed about whether this meant that the two were officially done. Rumors, after all, floated this week that they've actually been separated for some time but have kept appearances up for their series Rob & Chyna, which still has a few episodes to go. As it turns out, though, Chyna was actually right next to Kardashian while it happened. In a video shared on her Snapchat, Chyna says to the camera, " To ensure your man is not texting no bitches, just tweet his number out." With a smile, she adds, "How's that feel, Rob?" She then tilts the camera toward him and he smiles awkwardly and adds, "Feels good." (What else is the man supposed to say?) As the phone apparently keeps ringing in his hands, Chyna adds triumphantly, "Get your number changed, thank you."

Chyna must have gotten the idea from her (current? former?) beau earlier this week when he tweeted out Kylie Jenner's phone number. If the two are still on rocky ground, then maybe they can at least bond over the annoyance that comes with having to change a cell phone number.

Source: Blac Chyna Tweets Out Rob Kardashian's Phone Number As an Apparent Warning to His Fangirls

The LG V20 officially becomes the first phone to launch with Nougat this week... in South Korea

Oh, LG. You and your marketing gimmicks. The LG V20 was announced as the first phone that would launch with Android 7.0 Nougat, and indeed, that's about to happen. However, the launch this week is only happening in South Korea. The rest of the world has to wait. It's still first, though. LG was technically correct—the best kind of correct.

The V20 is LG's best hope of having a hit smartphone after several years of disappointing sales. The LG G5 in particular was a bloodbath. The company even had to admit several months after release that it wasn't selling as it culled the executive herd. The modular system the debuted on the LG G5 also seems to have been abandoned; the V20 isn't modular and no new modules for the G5 have been launched.

The V20 will have a Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, and a 5.7-inch 1440p LCD. Like last year's V10, this device will also sport a secondary display on the front of the phone and a high-quality DAC. It inherits the dual rear camera from the G5 as well. Launch details for the V20 in additional markets will be announced in the coming weeks.

SEOUL, Sep. 28, 2016 ― LG Electronics' newest smartphone that sets a new baseline for multimedia capabilities in smartphones, will become available to eagerly-awaiting customers starting this week. The LG V20 will make its public debut in LG's home market of South Korea followed by other key countries in North America, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East over the course of the next several weeks.

Since its public unveiling earlier this month, the V20 has collected a strong portfolio of positive reactions from industry insiders who appreciated the smartphone's design and feature-rich specifications. The V20 is designed for users who want to create professional-looking content and differentiates itself from competing devices with its professional-grade visual and audio features.

When it comes to video recording, this smartphone's Steady Record 2.0 neutralizes shaky images using both electronics image stabilization (EIS) built into Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 820 processor in addition to digital image stabilization (DIS) in post-processing. And because high quality video wouldn't be high quality without audio to match, the V20 captures audio using 24-bit/48 kHz Linear Pulse Code Modulation (LPCM), the same format used in professional video equipment.

And the V20 not only records Hi-Fi audio but also supports optimal playback with Hi-Fi Quad DAC to minimize distortion and noise by up to 50 percent, a first for a smartphone. Its HD Audio Recorder gives users the power to create studio-quality recordings using three high Acoustic Overload Point (AOP) microphones capture sound with a wider dynamic frequency range. In designing the V20's audio features, LG collaborated once again with renowned European audio brand B&O PLAY, the company within Bang & Olufsen that develops innovative portable audio products

Still images aren't neglected by the LG V20. Armed with front-and rear cameras, the V20 can take wide-angle photographs with rear-facing135-degree and front-facing 120-degree lens. What's more, Hybrid Auto Focus delivers optimal picture sharpness while Auto Shot simplifies selfies with a face detection feature that triggers the shutter.

The V20 is the world's first smartphone to offer Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and it is also the first to include Google's In Apps search feature. The V20 blends chic style with high durability through the generous use of lightweight and strong AL6013 aluminum alloy while the top and bottom contact points are reinforced with Silicone Polycarbonate (Si-PC) for compliance with the United States military's MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test for durability.

And to make the V20 a more personal device, the smartphone also offers a unique feature called Signature Wallpaper. Signature Wallpaper recognizes the first character of the text entered on the V20's Second Screen and offers a collection of wallpaper designs that display the initial letter, number or symbol as the phone's lock screen wallpaper.

Source: The LG V20 officially becomes the first phone to launch with Nougat this week... in South Korea

Samsung Galaxy S8 To Be The Most Powerful Game-Friendly Phone Yet

#GalaxyS8 #Samsung – Samsung Galaxy S8 To Be The Most Powerful Game-Friendly Phone Yet : Next year's flagship phones seem to be more exciting than what the market has today. Now that most flagship phones for 2016 have already been released, heads are now turning towards what's next. One of these upcoming phones is the Samsung Galaxy S8. Samsung is known for its very competitive flagship phone specs, and it looks like the Galaxy S8 won't be a disappointment in this regard.

Latest News About Samsung Galaxy S8, Graphics

Latest Samsung Galaxy S8 news suggest that Samsung might be using the Mali G71 GPU. This could lead to a big improvement over the S7's performance. It also means that the Samsung Galaxy S8 could be the most premium smartphone for gaming and VR next year. It is unusual for smartphones to have its graphic processor as its key selling feature, but Samsung might change that with the release of the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Latest News About Samsung Galaxy S8, Processor And Cameras

According to a source, the Galaxy S8 will come with the highly anticipated Snapdragon 830 processor and get a very big boost in the camera department. It was said that the S8 will have a 9 MP front camera and a very surprising 30 MP rear camera. Samsung never takes their phones' cameras for granted, and this sure is proven by the possibility of a 30 MP rear camera for the Galaxy S8.

Latest News About Samsung Galaxy S8, More Specs

Furthermore, according to the same source, the Samsung Galaxy S8 2017 will have 6 GB RAM, 2160 x 4096 resolution, 4200 mAh battery, and a built-in projector. Overall, the Galaxy S8 would probably be the best smartphone for next year, granted that other brands don't cope up with the said specs and if the Note 7 controversy won't happen to the Samsung Galaxy S8. Source: itechpost

Source: Samsung Galaxy S8 To Be The Most Powerful Game-Friendly Phone Yet

Oppo F1s camera review: Hail the new selfie king

A few years ago, buying a smartphone purely on the basis of how well they captured self-portrait was a far-fetched concept. But not anymore, as Facebook and Instagram-worthy selfies are fast becoming the norm of the day. And there are many of us for whom having a good selfie camera is rather important.

Chinese manufacturer Oppo is trying to cater our narcissistic love for selfies, with back to back selfie focused smartphone releases. The company has now launched the Oppo F1s, a phone the company touts as the 'selfie expert.' The highlight of the device is its massive 16MP front-facing shooter.

So what's the deal here? Is it all just a marketing gimmick, or is does it really deliver where it matters. Lets' see if the smartphone's camera lives up to the hype.

Selfie Cam Quality

Well, unlike other smartphones where the primary camera unit gets a higher megapixel count, the Oppo F1s goes the other way. It gets a 13MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture, and a 16MP, f/2.0 sensor on the front. I usually avoid taking photos of myself and put a silly face on Instagram or Facebook, but this particular smartphone kind of made me do that.

As selfies captured with the Oppo F1s were sharp, full of details and vibrant compared to on any other mid-range phone I've come across. The colors look well-balanced and natural without being oversaturated.

Besides, the Beauty 4.0 features allow you to tinker with selfies with seven levels of "beautification" and two skin tone modes to 'improve' your selfies even more. Though, pushing towards higher beauty levels does make you look weird with unnatural skin tones.

That said, the phone is deprived of a front facing flash which is rather surprising, given the fact at times we need to take selfies in challenging light conditions. It simply uses a makeshift screen flash to make up for lack of one, which eventually results in loss of details and poor image quality. As long as you do not put in challenging light, selfies captured look fantastic with a lot of details. Though it clearly struggles on low light conditions, as shots look grainy, and noise levels start popping up.

In addition, it gets support for the new selfie panorama mode, which is designed for group shots and capturing landscapes in the background.

Rear camera image quality

As far as the 13-megapixel rear camera is concerned, it does a fairly decent job, though at times shows signs of consistency. As some shots appear to be either under or overexposed, while some shots look great with remarkable contrast and minimal distortions. Overall, you get pretty good shots with the 13MP rear shooter in good lighting conditions. But it tends to struggle as soon as the sun goes down. In practice, shots were taken indoors or in low-light look grainy, image details start dropping, and noise levels start popping up.

Besides, the rear camera is also capable of 1080p video recording. The video quality is pretty satisfactory for a mid-range offering, though it lacks a slow-motion mode.

Usability and Features

The camera app is pretty easy to use, shoots fast, without any shutter lag. You get a simple camera interface by default, though you can play with different shooting modes such as time lapse, video, beauty, and panorama. Besides, tapping on the icon reveals functions like Ultra HD, filters, GIF animation, double exposure, and expert mode. The expert mode also lets you control the ISO, shutter speed, and white balance. In addition, it also lets you configure the camera to save in RAW format.

Pros:

Great selfie cam

Feature-rich camera app

Ability to save images in RAW format

Easy to use

Cons:

Both cameras struggle in low-light

No slow-motion video recording

Wrap-Up

Overall, I was impressed by the phone's camera performance, especially the 16MP front-facing shooter. Being touted as the selfie expert, the Oppo F1s delivers. It belts out super crisp and eye-popping selfies packed with details. I also used it for macros, panoramas, and normal point and shot snaps, and the camera really belts out more than satisfactory results. Of course, it tends to struggle in challenging light conditions, but then again, you have to take into account the fact that it's  a mid-range offering.

Besides, low-light photography is a perennial issue with any smartphone owing to their skinny frames. And no matter the quality of sensor, smartphones camera lenses aren't big enough to soak in more light in low-light conditions compared to a DSLR.

Source: Oppo F1s camera review: Hail the new selfie king

Black Rhodes Scholar attacks white student holding camera, blames white ‘colonial entitlement’

Former Oxford student and Rhodes Scholar Ntokozo Qwabe, a leader in the "Rhodes Must Fall" movement who gained a bit of notoriety earlier this year when he caused a (white) waitress to cry after leaving her a note that said "WE WILL GIVE TIP WHE N YOU RETURN THE LAND," now has been caught on camera bashing a cell phone camera out of a student's hands.

(Quite ironically, Qwabe accepted a Rhodes Scholarship despite loathing the man for whom it's named.)

When Qwabe and some fellow activists disrupted a lecture at the University of Cape Town (where he now attends), a (white) student began filming the shenanigans.

This did not sit well with Qwabe:

The Spectator reports that in a Facebook post afterward, the activist claimed he "he did not touch the student […] only his phone."

But that wasn't all:

'It is NOT true that I 'assaulted' and 'whipped with a stick' a white student during our shutdown of the arrogant UCT Law Faculty yesterday!

Although I wish I'd actually not been a good law abiding citizen & whipped the white apartheid settler colonial entitlement out of the bastard – who continued to video record us without our consent – this is not what happened as the media is reporting.'

'Otherwise, people must please stop annoying us about this petty non-issue invented by the media. While word has it that the instruction to video record us came from the Dean of Law (a whole womxn of colour!), we are klear that we will not be subjected to such white violence. The violent anthropologising of articulations of black pain without black people's consent is as old as settler colonial domination itself. We refuse to continue operating under the white gaze!'

Breitbart notes that a local paper "speculated that [Qwabe's] move from Oxford to UCT may be the reason why Oxford recently rose to the top of the international university league tables" … while U. Cape Town has plummeted 28 places.

Read the full Spectator and Breitbart pieces.

MORE: Oxford removes Cecil Rhodes plaque; students also want his statue taken down

MORE: Oxford vows to keep Rhodes statue after alumni threaten to yank $144 million

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IMAGE: rudall30/Shutterstock

Source: Black Rhodes Scholar attacks white student holding camera, blames white 'colonial entitlement'

HP Elite x3 Smartphone US Sales Halted, Camera Issue To Blame

#Microsoft #HPElitex3 – HP Elite x3 Smartphone US Sales Halted, Camera Issue To Blame : HP introduced its Elite x3 smartphone at the MWC 2016 in February and the Microsoft Store in the U.S. opened up preorders for the handset earlier in September.

However, shipments of the phablet have encountered an unforeseen hiccup as Microsoft has suddenly halted the sales of the HP Elite x3 in the U.S, and this is apparently due to an issue with the phablet's camera and overall performance. So if you preordered the $799 Elite x3 in the U.S., you will have to exercise some patience as it will be a few more weeks — mid-October, to be precise — before the Windows 10 Mobile-powered handset is shipped out.

DON'T MISS : Microsoft Surface phone update: Coolest feature on mobile device arrives, Redmond tech giant patent leaks

Reportedly, HP Elite x3 units in the U.S. will not be sold before Oct. 11. While Microsoft is yet to officially announce that it has halted the sales and the reason behind the decision, consumers who preordered the smartphone are confirming that they have received intimation from the company.

"Just received confirmation at a Virginia Microsoft store that the Elite x3 cannot be sold until October 11th. They are waiting for updates to fix camera issues, etc. They have them in stock but cannot sell them, unfortunately," revealed a tipster to Windows Central.

The development corroborates rumors that both HP and Microsoft are working together on releasing a new firmware update for the Elite x3. The software update will allegedly enhance the device's overall performance. The two companies are apparently working on new drivers to enhance the device's performance as well as camera capabilities before the handset is made available for purchase to consumers.

The HP flagship phone sports a 5.96-inch AMOLED QHD screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Under the hood, the handset houses a quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor and 4 GB of RAM. It touts 64 GB onboard memory that is expandable to 2 TB, an iris scanner, a fingerprint scanner and Qi wireless charging support.

The smartphone has a 16-megapixel primary camera and an 8-megapixel selfie snapper. In yet another interesting development, HP also confirmed that the Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update, Redstone 1, would be pushed out in the "coming weeks" despite the fact that it was initially slated for a mid-September roll out.

This is not the first time the release of the HP flagship has been delayed in the U.S. The phablet was initially poised to release on Sept. 12, but earlier this month, the Microsoft Store confirmed that the date has been postponed to Sept. 26. While the Microsoft Store lists the unlocked Elite x3 as available for preorder, the HP webstore shows the smartphone as "out of stock." Hopefully, HP and Microsoft will make a formal announcement and address the delay soon. Source: techtimes

Source: HP Elite x3 Smartphone US Sales Halted, Camera Issue To Blame

Snapchat Spectacles, glasses with a camera, coming this fall

Video screenshot by Leslie Katz/CNET

Like to view the world through Snapchat-colored glasses? You'll soon be able to do that for real.

Following a leaked ad Friday hinting at a pair of Snapchat smart glasses that shoot first-person video, CEO Evan Spiegel confirmed the upcoming product, called Spectales, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

The glasses can record up to 10 seconds of video from the wearer's perspective using a 115-degree-angle lens that resembles the human eye's natural field of view. Each tap of a button mounted on the upper edge of the left lens records another clip.

The glasses will come in one size and be available on a limited basis in the fall. They will come in three colors -- black, teal or coral -- and will cost $129.99 (roughly £100, AU$170).

"We're going to take a slow approach to rolling them out," Spiegel told the Wall Street Journal. "It's about us figuring out if it fits into people's lives and seeing how they like it."

The video captures the view from the wearer's eyes.

Video screenshot by Leslie Katz/CNET

A leaked commercial, obtained by Business Insider from a YouTube tipster and posted Friday, starts out showing a pair of glasses with a light that seems to indicate the camera is recording. The video goes on to show images of kids playing in a sunny backyard and ends with a couple, presumably grandparents, cheerfully watching the footage on a phone.

Snapchat took the video down after Business Insider reached out to the company, Business Insider reported Friday. The end of the video features the tagline "Spectacles by Snap Inc." Spiegel confirmed in his Wall Street Journal interview that Snapchat will be newly named Snap Inc. as the social-media company expands its purview.

Snapchat did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

That Snapchat is making glasses a la Google Glass isn't surprising.

In 2014, Snapchat bought Vergence Labs, a startup that ma kes Google Glass-like eyewear that records video of what the wearer sees. In 2015, Snapchat began building Snapchat Research, a team composed of scientists and software engineers specializing in computer vision and machine learning.

Then in March, my CNET colleague Sean Hollister reported that Snapchat was recruiting hardware experts for a stealthy new project. The social-media firm has never produced physical gear, unless you count merchandise like beach towels and backpacks. It does, however, already count nearly a dozen wearable-technology vets among its ranks.

In addition, Spiegel has been spotted in public wearing prototypes specs.

On any given day, Snapchat reaches 41 percent of all 18- to 34-year-olds in the United States, according to the company. That's a lot of eyes that could be sporting new specs.

This story originally published at 5:45 p.m. PT. Update 8:15 p.m: Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel has confirmed Spectacles.

Source: Snapchat Spectacles, glasses with a camera, coming this fall

iPhone 7 review: Its speed and camera are crazy-good, but it still drives me crazy

On the front, the FaceTime camera went from 5 megapixels in the iPhone 6s to 7 megapixels here, although it keeps the same f2.2 aperture. It can now record video in 1080p, and its low-light performance is improved too. All in all, it just works more like the rear camera, so your selfies always look their best.

Water resistance

I've dropped two iPhones into toilets—I'm not proud, but it happens. Luckily, both of them came back to life, but that required a whole day of keeping the phone powered down and sitting in a Ziploc bag of uncooked rice, then a vigorous cleaning with antibacterial wipes that Apple advises against using anyhow. (But come on, I just had to!)

So the iPhone 7's IP67 rating will save a lot of people a lot time and heartbreak, even if the convenience store near my office sells fewer bags of rice to panicked iPhone owners. Apple recommends you don't get the iPhone wet on purpose, and if you do, disconnect all cables and be sure dry it out completely (they even suggest aiming a fan at the Lightning port) before you try to charge it again.

Apple

No, I have not yet tried this at home. 

These warnings got me just paranoid enough to not want to test the water resistance of my brand-new phone, but I do appreciate how achieving this rating didn't necessitate any awkward design choices. I reviewed a water-resistant Sony Xperia Z a couple years back, for example, that had little rubber plugs shoved into the charging and headphone ports, which worked but wasn't the best experience. Today, Apple and Samsung are able to make their phones water resistant by protecting components inside the case, so there's no inconvenience to the end user. Water resistance probably isn't reason enough on its own to upgrade, but it's a great bonus.

The new Home button

Unfortunately, not everything about the iPhone 7 is better. The new Home button is easier for me to get behind, assuming it helped Apple waterproof the phone. Still, so far I'm not really a fan.

In past iPhones, the Home button was a real separate button that provided a physical click when pressed. Of course, that meant it was subject to physical failure, although I never had an issue with any of mine. The iPhone 7's new Home button is completely fused with the rest of the iPhone's chin, although you can still find it easily with your thumb thanks to the button's slight indentation, surrounded by the Touch ID's slightly raised metal ring.

Adam Patrick Murray

The Home button isn't a traditional button, and I suspect it'll go away completely at some point. 

So while the new Home button doesn't physically click, it does kind of buzz when you press it, thanks to a taptic engine that Apple added to provide haptic feedback. The effect is similar to the MacBook's Force Touch trackpad and the Magic Trackpad, which also don't physically click but provide a subtle vibration when you press down to simulate the feeling of a click.

Developers can already use those vibrations in their Mac apps, so for example, if you're editing a photo, you could "feel" on the Force Touch trackpad when a selection box snaps to the exact center. Now on the iPhone 7, Apple and third-party iOS developers can use the taptic engine to provide feedback in their apps too. To test it out, open the Clock app, and spin the dials in the Timer app to feel a little buzz with every click of the dial. If you hate the effect, you can turn it off in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > System Haptics.

Adam Patrick Murray

My two biggest problems with the iPhone 7 are below the screen. 

While the system haptics don't bother me, the new Home button just feels odd. You get three "click feels" to choose from in Settings > General > Home Button, so you can customize the amount of feedback somewhat. And I'm sure I'll get fully used to it at some point. But after five days, it still feels weird. If the iPhone is ever powered off (I know, it's rare, but stick with me), the Home button doesn't provide any feedback, so you feel like you're pressing a solid wall expecting to find a hidden button. Open sesame?

And the Home button is now capacitive, meaning you can't press it through cloth or though sports armbands that physically cover the button. Based on reports, some touchscreen-friendly gloves work on the Home button, while others work on the iPhone 7's touchscreen but not the Home button. (A workaround to exit an app in that case is to 3D Touch the very left edge of the phone's screen to bring up the app switcher, then swipe left-to-right to get back to the home screen. Or just buy new gloves.)

I didn't have touchscreen gloves on hand to test—hey, it's California—but we'll follow up with a separate article later. If you live somewhere cold and rely on touchscreen gloves in the winter, you might want to bring your favorite pair to the Apple Store, if possible, to test them out on the iPhone 7 in person.

No more headphone jack

The lack of a headphone jack is more annoying than anything else. But it sucks when you just spent $649-plus on a piece of technology and then have to deal with new annoyances that previous editions didn't have. Quality Bluetooth headphones are still expensive, all Bluetooth headphones need to be charged, and they require a trip to the Settings app to pair them—and sometimes to re-pair them when they drop the connection with no warning.

Adam Patrick Murray

Now you see it, now you don't. The iPhone 6s has a headphone jack. The iPhone 7 does not. 

Apple claims it's solved these problems with the AirPods, but those aren't available yet. Thanks to a W1 chip, Apple's AirPods, and Beats' Solo3, Powerbeats3, and BeatsX should pair more seamlessly and use less power, but only the Solo3 were available at launch. (AirPods are expected in late October, and the Beats just in "fall.") If you already have Bluetooth headphones you like, this isn't a problem. But if you don't, you'll find yourself in limbo with me, having to choose between what's out now from Jaybird or Bose, settling for last year's Beats, or waiting for Apple's AirPods or the new Beats to show up in stores.

Apple

I wouldn't call this Lightning to 3.5mm adapter an elegant solution. But it works and it's relatively cheap. 

Until then, Apple does provide two wired solutions in the box. I've been mostly using the Lightning EarPods, which fit and sound exactly like the old EarPods, but have a Lightning plug on the end instead of a 3.5mm plug. As Jason Snell pointed out, if most people use whatever headphones came in the box, having these in the box just might be good enough. I don't love the EarPods, but it turns out I don't hate them as much as I remembered.

As a bonus, you also get a Lightning-to–3.5mm adapter, to plug in whatever analog headphones you already have. (Spare adapters are $9 at the Apple Store.) The adapter is fine, although it's a little awkward if your headphones have a 90-degree plug instead of a straight one. We'll perform some tests a little later to see if there's much difference in sound quality between using the adapter (which must have a DAC built in) with the iPhone 7, versus plugging the same headphones directly into an iPhone 6s.

My hands-on time with the AirPods at their unveiling was promising enough that I'd like to hold out for those, and so I don't currently have a set of Bluetooth headphones that I like. So my biggest problem with the iPhone 7 is that I can't listen to wired headphones and charge the phone at the same time, since both of those require the Lightning port. Depending on your daily routine, you might not find yourself ever needing to do that. But I find myself needing to charge while wanting to listen fairly often, typically a few times a week.

Apple

The Lightning EarPods can tide me over until the AirPods ship, but I'm salty I can't charge my phone while I'm using them.

Just yesterday I found myself on a commuter bus stuck in traffic, watching my iPhone 7, which was already in Low Power Mode, slip down below 10 percent. If I wanted to connect it to one of the USB battery packs I keep in my bag, I'd have to stop listening to podcats while it charged. Instead, I popped it into Airplane Mode to squeeze as much battery life as I could. I got home with 2 percent charge left, but I missed a text message from my husband in the process—pretty annoying. I also tend to workout in the evenings, so sometimes I'll top up my iPhone with a USB battery pack while I'm also using it to stream music over Spotify while I ride my exercise bike—wearing headphones. With the iPhone 7, I have to choose: charge the phone while blasting music over the speakers, or wait to exercise with my headphones until the phone has a chance to top off? (Or get yet another adapter, like this big ol' Lightning splitter from Belkin.)

The moral of this story is that I really need some Bluetooth headphones, I realize. But I can't help feeling a little resentful when a piece of technology, in this case the iPhone 7, introduces a new problem that requires me to buy more technology to solve it.

Bottom line

The things that are great about the iPhone 7—primarily its speed and the camera—are likely to be even better in the next generation. On the other hand, the things that aggravate me about this iPhone—namely, the weird Home button and the aggravation of switching to wireless headphones—are likely to be improved.

If you're excited enough about the camera to upgrade, or your current iPhone is old enough that you want to upgrade, this is the best iPhone for you. But if the drawbacks make you want to sit out a year, I think that's really smart.

Source: iPhone 7 review: Its speed and camera are crazy-good, but it still drives me crazy

The iPhone 7 Plus’s magical cameras have a few hidden catches

#iPhone7Plus #Camera – The iPhone 7 Plus's magical cameras have a few hidden catches : The iPhone 7 Plus has an amazing camera, as many pro photographers have already proven. But Apple may have kept some secrets about the way it works, secrets that can affect your photo-taking abilities.

So far, we've learned that both the wide-angle and telephoto lens of the iPhone 7 Plus take a picture each time you press the shutter. The telephoto lens isn't relegated just to optical zoom jobs and bokeh: after taking a photo, Apple's software combines the shots for the best possible outcome.

But YouTube channel Mac4Ever points out that when it comes to zooming, the telephoto lens may not always work as intended. Sometimes, that 2x optically zoomed in photo you thought you took with the help of the telephoto lens is actually a regular wide-angle lens job, which makes that zoom a 2x digital zoom.That's something Apple never explained.

Testing the iPhone 7 Plus, Mac4Ever discovered that a 2x picture of a burger wasn't taken with the telephoto lens. Or better said, it did not have optical zoom enabled, as some photographers pointed out.

Mac4Ever explains that optical zoom won't work if you're too close to the subject. So, you'd better distance yourself from things if you want to use that lens. Furthermore, it would appear that the telephoto lens won't be used if you do not have enough battery juice left, which may be a way to conserve battery life.

One other issue might concern lighting. In low-light conditions, the software might automatically favor optical zoom over digital, as the wide-angle lens lets more light in and can take a better shot.

Finally, optical image stabilization (OIS) may also play a part in deciding what kind of zoom will be used. If you're zooming while moving, the software may use the digital zoom, as the wide-angle lens has OIS. The telephoto lens does not come with OIS powers.

Source: The iPhone 7 Plus's magical cameras have a few hidden catches

The Nokia 216 is Microsoft’s new feature phone

Microsoft today launched its first feature phone for 2016, the Nokia 216, at Rs. 2,495 in India. Targeted at non-tech-savvy users, the Nokia 216 lasts for 24 days on a single full charge, and can act as a great secondary phone for many.

The Nokia 216 sports a 2.4-inch TFT display that has a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. The phone has 1GMB of RAM (yes, that's right) and comes with negligible internal memory, which can be expanded up to 32 GB via microSD card. The device runs on Series 30+ OS out of the box.

Talking about the camera, the Nokia 216 rocks a VGA rear primary camera with LED flash. On the front, there is the same VGA camera for selfies and video calling. It supports Dual SIM with 2G voice calling, comes with a 3.5 mm audio jack and FM Radio receiver. The phonebook on the phone can take up to 2,000 contacts at a time.

The Nokia 216 includes 2G (with voice calling) in the 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrums, Bluetooth 3.0 and Micro-USB 1.1 as connectivity features. There is no WiFi support. The feature phone packs in a decent 1,020 mAh battery under the hood. The Nokia 216 is built of polycarbonate. The dimensions of the smartphone are 118.0×50.02×13.5mm. It weighs 83 gms.

The Nokia 216 brings with itself some exclusive offers, available only for buyers. The users will get one free Gameloft game every month for an entire year.

The Nokia 216 is available in White, Black, and Mint color variants and pricing and availability are unknown as of yet. It might also be the last feature phone from Microsoft or Nokia.

Source: The Nokia 216 is Microsoft's new feature phone

Everything you need to know: GoPro’s New Hero5 Cameras & Karma Drone

Today GoPro announced three new action cameras, a drone, and a rather interesting flotilla of accessories.  These include a handheld gimbal, external microphone/remote combos, and even a nifty $19 adapter to quickly sync your videos to your phone sans-battery.

Now, I'll be putting together a more hands-on piece over the next 24-48 hours, but until then, consider this a bit of an appetizer and landing place to discuss the new units.  Obviously there's quite a bit of interest given it's been two years since a major GoPro camera lineup launch (or, over a year if you count the Session).

Let's dive straight into things!

The New Hero5 cameras:

Now technically, there are two new Hero5 branded cameras and one new non-Hero5 branded, but that'd have made for too long of a section header.  So what has GoPro done?  Well, they've simplified.  Over the past two years they had amassed a wide number of camera price points that confused the market.  Back in April they reduced that count a bit, but now they've cut everything down to these three new models:

1) GoPro Hero5 Black: $399 – Their top-end camera, complete with GPS and 4K, voice control and image stabilization2) GoPro Hero5 Session: $299 – The square Session body with high-end 4K specs, voice control, and image stabilization3) GoPro Hero Session: $199 – Same square Session from before, but with a minor microphone update

This means that the entire lineup has received a refresh, and it's also down to just three camera models (from six).  Note that down below I have a comparison table comparing the features of the higher-end Hero5 Black to that of Garmin's VIRB Ultra 30 offering, but for this section I'll highlight the key new features.

GoPro Hero5 Black:

The Hero5 Black is in many ways the features and specs of a Hero4 Silver & Black merging together.  It's got the resolution/quality specs of a Hero4 Black (4K video @ 30FPS), but it's got the touchscreen like a Hero4 Silver did.  However, that touch screen menu system has been greatly simplified, making it easier for folks to figure out what they're doing:

As you probably noticed above, the touchscreen is on the exterior of the camera case – and that's because the cameras are now fully waterproofed – no external case required.  The entire GoPro lineup of cameras is now waterproof to various levels, with the Hero5 Black being waterproof to 10 meters (33ft).

The Hero5 Black does see improvements in video and audio though.  For example, on the audio front they've introduced three microphones, including noise cancelling.  This puts it more inline with the VIRB Ultra 30 in terms of minimizing wind noise.  On the Hero5 Black, these mics are located on the sides and top of the camera, and the unit will automatically choose the best sounding microphone during recording.

Next, both the Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session include voice control, fairly similar to what Garmin introduced with their VIRB Ultra 30 cameras a few weeks ago.  However, GoPro both allows you to customize these commands and has more commands than the VIRB Ultra 30.

Next, GoPro added the ability to record GPS data.  Some of this is a bit unclear as to how exactly the GPS data will be used (for example, can you overlay speed during a recording?).  Right now it just says it records position. But I'm sure those answers will become clear soon.  This feature puts it back in the camp of the vast majority of action cams these days that have GPS within them.

However, GoPro has set itself apart by introducing the ability to record RAW images (photos) – which is pretty cool. They also introduced a new HDR mode (which they call WDR).  It allows you to get more dynamic shots for photos.

Finally, the Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session both got image stabilization.  It's electronic image stabilization, which like the new Garmin action cam means it's done within software rather than through hardware.  So basically it takes the 4K image and uses a portion of that to give you a smooth 1080p image. Thus, the highest EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) mode is 1080p.

Ok, so how does this new top-dog camera compare to the just released Garmin VIRB Ultra 30? Well, this handy-dandy chart I've put together should help you a bit:

GoPro Hero5 Black vs Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 Feature Listing GoPro Hero5 Black Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 Feature Winner General: Price $399 $399 - General: Touchscreen control Yes Yes - General: Waterproof Internally to 10m With case to 30m GoPro (but depends on preference) General: Battery life Undeclared @ 1080p30 2hr 15min @ 1080p30 TBD General: WiFi & Bluetooth Yes Yes - Data: GPS Enabled Yes Yes - Data: Accelerometer/Gyro/Altimeter/Compass No Yes Garmin Data: Can connect to sport/automotive/boat sesnors No Yes Garmin General: USB Connector Type Type-C Mini-USB Depends on preference General: Voice Control Yes Yes GoPro (can customize) Video: Highest resolution 4K @ 30fps 4K @ 30fps - Video: Highest frame rate 720p @ 240fps 720p @ 240fps - Video: Electronic Image Stabilization Yes up to 1080p Yes up to 1440p Garmin Video: Remove distoration mode Yes Yes - Video: Wind cancellation Yes Yes - Photo: Highest resolution 12MP 12MP - Photo: Highest burst mode 30 frames/sec 60 frames/sec Garmin Photo: Ability to have pro settings mode Yes Yes - Photo: Ability to shoot RAW files Yes No GoPro Photo: HDR photo option Yes Yes - Accessories: Uses GoPro mount Yes Yes - Accessories: Gimbal option Yes Not really GoPro Accessories: Drone connection option Yes Sorta but not ideal GoPro Accessories: External auto-sync mic/remote Yes No GoPro Software: Mobile app Yes Yes GoPro faster, Garmin more options Software: Desktop Apps Yes Yes Garmin for more powerful editing Software: Can automatically create highlight movies Yes Yes GoPro's mobile better, Garmin's Desktop

I'll work to add in the Hero5 Black to the larger product comparison database, as well as the Hero5 Session.

GoPro Hero5 Session:

Next they introduced an updated version of the Hero4 Session, called the Hero5 Session.  You'll remember this is the cube-like camera that was introduced last year.  This time they've spun out two variants:

Hero5 Session: Many of the specs of a Hero5 Black, but in a tiny form factor – $299Hero Session: Basically the old session, but with improved mics – $199

CEO Nick Woodman noted that the Session is "meant to be dropped" and that it's "incredibly difficult to kill a Session".  Which is true, they're a beastly little waterproof cube.  I can attest to my attempts to kill one.

So what do you miss by going with a  Hero5 Session over the Hero5 Black?  Here's what's missing from a major feature standpoint:

– No Touchscreen (have to use phone for preview/etc…)– 1080p @ 90FPS instead of 120FPS– 10MP instead of 12MP photos– No RAW photo support– No GPS

So for many people, the Hero5 Session will be perfect.  Yet for others (like me), I like the touchscreen on the back of the camera for quick validation of framing and playback. It's something I've come to love on the GoPro Hero4 Silver and the Garmin VIRB Ultra 30.

GoPro Plus Cloud Platform:

GoPro announced their new cloud platform called GoPro Plus.  This platform will allow you to sync your content to their cloud platform as soon as it starts charging (via WiFi) with a Hero5 Black or Hero5 Session.  Which in turn enables you to edit it from the cloud.  For the Hero4 and older cameras, you'd link to your computer first to upload to GoPro Plus.

The GoPro Plus account will set you back $4.99/month, though you can use a free trial version initially.  Now what's interesting here is that the subscription also gets you 20% off any mounts or accessories.  That's pretty solid, considering GoPro's mounts are often pretty pricey.

Within the platform is the ability to automatically create videos from snippets and have them at preset lengths (i.e. for Instagram) and then have music auto-synced to the video.  I'll likely do a bit of a deeper dive into this in the near future.

Of note is that GoPro has tweaked the pricing on their 'GoPro Care' warranty option, which covers you in case you kill your camera. They've also extended it to cover the Karma drone. The new pricing is:

$59 for Hero5 Session$79 for Hero5 Black$159 for Karma drone (w/o camera)$179 for Karma drone (with camera)

To me these prices are fair, and a nice dip from the previous $99 for the Hero4 Black price as well. I've got no doubt I'll pickup the GoPro Care package on the drone, though will probably skip it for the camera (given it'll be far more difficult to kill than the drone will).

Karma Drone:

Finally, just finally.  The long-touted Karma drone has arrived.  But, as hinted at lately it was more than just a drone – but rather a platform for components including a handheld gimbal.

The Karma Drone shares many design elements previously seen in the Airdog drone, which is aimed at sports action.  For example, Karma folds up into a backpack (like how I've showed for Airdog in this video), even with the props on – which is pretty handy.

In fact, GoPro is including the backpack in their kit price, along with the gimbal.  The backpack will hold the Karma drone, the controller, and the gimbal, as seen above.

Having skied, cycled, and hiked quite a bit with drones – this backpack definitely looks a bit cleaner than what I use today.

The unit is compatible with the majority of their recent higher-end cameras:

Hero4 SessionHero4 SilverHero4 BlackGoPro SessionHero5 SessionHero5 Black

The Karma drone is controlled by this fold-up remote.  The remote has a 720p live preview screen on it, as well as simplified modes for control – similar to what we've seen from 3DR, Hexo and DJI (among others).

An interesting differentiation point is the ability to pair a phone to the controller and have a friend both view the cameras footage, but also control the camera.  This is similar to what DJI does with their secondary operator remote concept.  But GoPro is now offering it at the base units, and without any additional hardware.  The idea here being to have one person focus on flying the aircraft, while another nails the shot.  This also complies with some regulations around camera drone use in commercial work.

One area that's missing though is automatic control/follow of a subject – which is quite a bit of a gap compared to DJI, 3DR, Yuneec, and Airdog.  Nor does it have any object avoidance.  In GoPro's investor call they noted that they didn't see other companies at the level of accuracy that they wanted.

Like others though, it includes common features such as automatic return to home (and a button for it), as well as one-button take-off and landing.  And upon setup completion, the controller will also walk you through a flight simulator mode  to practice your aerial prowess.

Next, the unit has a 3-axis stabilizing gimbal, on-par in spec to what we've seen by other companies in the space.  However, what'll be most important to watch for is the exact stability of it.  There are varying degrees of quality when it comes to gimbals, and those quality differences are exaggerated in drones.  So folks will have to wait a bit to see what footage looks like when it's not first edited by GoPro's team of editors.

Note that the company shifted the camera up-front, to ensure it's out of view of the props in the majority of situations.  It also makes it easier to fit in a backpack.

When it comes to battery life, the Karma drone is getting 20 minutes (the controller is 4 hours), which is on the low-end for consumer drones these days.  DJI's latest units can get closer to 30 minutes, though the Airdog is down around 15 minutes.  On the bright side, the charging time for the battery is only an hour, and you could carry extra batteries.  Each battery is 19.3oz in weight.  The drone in total is 35.5oz.

From a specs standpoint, here's some notable ones:

Maximum Speed: 35 mph (15 m/s)Maximum Distance: 3,280ft (1000m)Maximum Flight Altitude: 14,500ft (4,500m)Maximum Wind Resistance: 22mph (10m/s)

The pricing is incredibly appealing.  Here's what it'll set you back once it ships on October 23rd:

$799: Drone, gimbal, and backpack (no camera)$999: Base kit plus the Hero5 Session camera (saves $100)$1099: Base kit plus the Hero5 Black camera (saves $100)

At these prices, it'll definitely take a bite out of DJI's market, especially in the mid to upper range models (i.e. DJI Phantom 4).  The GoPro brand will sell far better to the average consumer than the relatively unknown DJI brand (again, to the average person walking into a Best Buy).  Of course, to the higher end consumer and those who are more aware of the drone landscape, DJI will likely dominate with its continued expansion of features.  But this holiday season will definitely be interesting for sure.

The New Accessories:

Now there are a boatload of new accessories here for the new cameras.  Some of them are simply rehashes of existing accessories to adapt to the new camera bodies (things like frame cases, floaties, and so on).  While others are GoPro versions of what have previously been 3rd party accessories (such as the gimbal), and finally, some are totally new and innovative to the space.

I'm going to skip the rehash ones (i.e. frame case, floaty, etc…), and instead focus on the uniquely new GoPro things.  First up, the gimbal.

Karma Grip Gimbal:

GoPro has launched a new handheld gimbal.  That gimbal will ship with GoPro Karma drone, but it's also available separately for $299 (which is a bit high in price compared to the market, but not bad for the additional control features).  The Karma Grip includes features like shutter buttons, angle, and modes.  Very similar in many ways to the DJI OSMO controller.

What's unique here though is the mounting systems, allowing you to mount it to a variety of platforms, including their GoPro backpack (one that I've actually been using lately).  Alongside the Karma Mounting Ring, which allows you to mount it to existing GoPro mounts and thus put it on things like bars, bikes, and stripper poles.  Really, anything roundish.  For 2017, they're planning a Karma Grip extension, which is basically like a giant selfie-stick.

Remo Combo Mic & Remote:

Next, GoPro is rolling out a new combo remote and microphone.  GoPro has long had various remotes to trigger your GoPro, but this one is unique in that it can also handle voice commands.  Even further though, it'll record audio and then allow you to sync it later to your video recorded elsewhere.  It's a brilliant use of a remote.

The only minor downside is that the remote doesn't have any port for plugging in a mic, nor does it pair to Bluetooth audio devices (headsets/mics like this noise/wind-cancelling one).  That's an area that the VIRB Ultra 30 can do straight to the camera.  On the flip-side, you still have to be within BT range for that to work on the Garmin, whereas in this case your camera can be far away and it'll record the audio on your person.  Super cool, and pretty reasonable for the $79USD.

iOS/Android Quik Key Adapter:

This little accessory, called Quik Key, is honestly the coolest thing I've seen in the accessory lineup – and also one of the cheapest at $19.  It allows you to pop-out the micro-SD card and then plug it into your phone (Lightning for iOS, micro-USB for Android) and have the GoPro app be able to pull in the footage/data/photos.

The use case here is a common one for me: After shooting I may jump in a car/plane/train, or even just a café and not have enough battery power on the camera to fully offload all the footage via WiFi to my phone (which often takes forever).  This allows me to do that without the battery hit on the camera, and is a heck of a lot faster.  It's brilliant.

Now some of you might note that you could have done this with 3rd party accessories in the past.  And that's sorta true, but not really.  See, those 3rd party accessories didn't work with the GoPro app (a really important thing actually), and even then, they certainly weren't very slim and key-chain friendly as this one is.  Super cool.

Again, GoPro has rolled out a bunch of other accessories, including things like lens filters and deeper dive cases.  But since those are mostly just rehashed existing products, I'll save your reading for those topics within the future in-depth review.

Initial Thoughts:

Overall, this is an impressive lineup from GoPro.  But more than that – it's cohesive.  Everything has a place, and everything has clear integration to the next piece.  There are no random cameras that don't seem to fit the lineup, nor are there odd gaps in compatibility.  Further, GoPro did a solid by allowing older GoPro cameras to attach to the Karma drone.  And the drone itself certainly looks promising.  Whether or not it is will remain to be seen.

On the flip-side, some video-focused folks may be disappointed the company didn't push the bounds of video resolution or frame rates more.  When the Hero4 Black came out two years ago, it was industry leading in specs.  With the Hero5 Black, that's not the case.  It's basically run of the mill.  In fact, Sony's most recent camera two weeks ago ups it with better stabilization (though, it falls short in just about every other way).  Still, I'd like to have seen GoPro push the boundaries a bit on quality levels and thus in turn push the boundaries of the industry.

Of course, these days it's not higher frame rates at 4K that sells cameras.  Rather, it's simplicity and integration.  It's the ability to sync videos and have quick and easy edits that you can share to Instagram, Facebook and other platforms with a single touch.  And for those video edits (movies) to look acceptable and be engaging.  And on that element, GoPro seems to be going the right direction.  Further, their three camera price points will help pull people in at all levels, with the Karma Drone sealing the deal for those wanting to get their geek on.

With that – thanks for reading – and stay tuned for more details and hands-on time this week!

(Note: All photos in this post at this time from GoPro.com and/or their launch event)

Source: Everything you need to know: GoPro's New Hero5 Cameras & Karma Drone

Galaxy S7 Camera vs iPhone 7 Camera: Which Smartphone Shooter is Better? Specs and Unique Features

By Neal A. Lasta , CP Contributor

September 18, 2016|9:55 am

REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach

Apple's latest offering: the iPhone 7.

Apple claims that the iPhone 7 has the best, smartest cameras in the market today. But it is 2016, and there are lots of high-end smartphones out there who can make the same claim. This article compares two of the best in the market, Samsung's Galaxy S7 and the iPhone 7, to see what experts think about the images they produce.

iPhone 7 Camera

Apple iPhone 7 has a much better camera than the previous iPhone for many reasons. One, it now supports optical image stabilization. Two, it now has a larger f/1.8 aperture. Among smartphones, the iPhone 7 camera may be the best out there, aside from the iPhone 7 Plus which has the same features and an added dual lens system.

Even Apple's A10 fusion chip contributes to the quality of the pictures produced by the iPhone 7. It helps the camera have better white balance, faster focus, and uses machine learning so that the images you get actually get better over time.

Some other features include the bokeh effect and telephoto lens which brings about a photographic ability that isn't found in other smartphones.

Galaxy S7 Camera

The aperture of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Camera is close to the iPhone 7 at f/1.7 aperture. Just like the iPhone 7, its rear camera has 12 megapixels. The f/1.7 aperture with 1.4 µm pixels allow for excellent low-level lighting. The front camera (usually used for selfies and video chats) sports 5 megapixels.

Samsung Galaxy S7 also has Dual Pixel sensor technology which makes for very fast focusing.Compared to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7 has a larger sensor size which allows it to produce better images as the ISO is increased.

Comparison

Many tech analysts argue that Samsung Galaxy S7 has a better camera than Apple iPhone 7.

Both devices produce high-quality images in perfect sunlight. The Galaxy 7 camera has more saturated and contrasted photos than the iPhone 7. It also seems to produce sharper photos, but the difference isn't that large.

The iPhone 7, though, has sharper zoom in images due to the telephoto lens. The telephoto lens also allows users to take photos that are closer to how the human eye perceives images.

Users may find Apple iPhone 7 camera's tendency to make active adjustments on focus and exposure a bit undesirable. Samsung Galaxy 7 photos are much more consistent. This "smart" feature may lead to mistakes, or as Alphr puts it, "it seems as though the camera of the iPhone 7 suffers from weird, post-processing artefacts."

The Galaxy S7 has a closer focus than the iPhone 7, and a much faster and more precise autofocus. It is also better in terms of night time shooting, capturing more detail in lowlight.

Source: Galaxy S7 Camera vs iPhone 7 Camera: Which Smartphone Shooter is Better? Specs and Unique Features

Microsoft Surface Phone could have a fingerprint scanner baked into the display

#SurfacePhone #Mobiles – Microsoft Surface Phone could have a fingerprint scanner baked into the display : Microsoft's rumored Surface Phone looks to be teetering on the bring of extinction. In fact, Redmond's smartphone endeavors in general look to be dying a painful public death.

Any hope of a revival to diversify the Android-iOS duopoly could rest almost squarely on the enigmatic Surface Phone, which probably won't make it out until next year, if at all. Still, there's always hope, and according a recently published patent, Microsoft seems to be looking into smartphone displays with in-built fingerprint scanners.

Most current smartphone fingerprint sensors are baked into either the home button below the display, or to the rear of the device just beneath the camera sensor. Microsoft's idea would bring fingerprint-sensing to both LCD and OLED displays, and would both save space and allow for thinner smartphone designs.

According to the patent filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the system would entail a wave guide and filter placed beneath the display glass. When a fingerprint is pressed on the display, a sensor to the side of the glass would detect the various ridges of the print.

A patented idea, although somewhat promising, is not quite the same as a final product. Big companies like to collect patents just in case – often with little or no intention or ever utilizing them.

We've heard about multiple different Surface Phone versions with high-end, unannounced Snapdragon chips and copious amounts of RAM. As the years roll on, it could well be that Surface Phone is never going to see the light of day. If it is more than just vaporware, though, we certainly would not balk at a display with a built-in fingerprint sensor.

You can check out the patent in more detail at the source. As we await more news on the elusive Surface Phone, take a look at the concepts in the gallery and let us know in the comments what you'd like to see from a flagship-level Redmond handset. Source: phonearena

Source: Microsoft Surface Phone could have a fingerprint scanner baked into the display

Samsung to launch new J series phone on Sept 19, could be J7 Prime

Samsung is holding an invite in the NCR region on September 19 wherein it is likely to make the announcement.

Samsung might be struggling worldwide owing to its issues with Note 7 but that has not stopped it from focusing on smartphones in other segments. The South Korean smartphone maker, which just today launched the Galaxy A9 Pro in India at Rs 32,490, is holding an event on this September 19 in Gurgoan where it would launch a J series handset.

Though the invite says nothing about the handset, we believe it to launch the recently spotted Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime. The handset was recently spotted on Onlymobiles.com at Rs 18,790. If not the same, we believe Samsung to launch the phone around Rs 20,000. Since the handset was earlier launched in Vietnamese market, most of its specs are all known.

To start with, the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime has a metal body and a 5.5-inch 2.5D glass display that comes with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and Gorilla Glass 4. It is powered by a 1.6 GHz octa-core processor, which is paired with 3GB RAM and 16GB internal storage. An expandable storage slot is there for a micro SD card of up-to 256 GB capacity. The smartphone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and also offers a fingerprint scanner, which is integrated on the home button.

The Galaxy J7 Prime has a 3300 mAh battery and comes with S Bike mode. To activate S Bike mode, all you have to do is attach an NFC tag, which comes bundled with the phone, with your bike (like on the petrol tank). Just before getting on your bike, the user just needs to tap the phone with the NFC tag that will turn on the S Bike mode. Once activated, callers will hear a message that the person is riding and they can leave messages.

The smartphone offers a 13-megapixel rear camera. There is an LED flash in the back panel as well. The rear camera has f/1.9 aperture. For selfies and video calls, the phone offers an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with aperture f/1.9 and wide angle lens. Further, the smartphone offers Dual SIM, 4G, WiFi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/Glonass, and a micro USB port.

Source: Samsung to launch new J series phone on Sept 19, could be J7 Prime

Are Smartphones Threatening the Camera Industry?

As smartphones are getting better at capturing images year after year, one might be wondering when, if at all, we will see smartphones directly competing with larger cameras. Are we at the point, or perhaps might be soon approaching one, where it won't make any sense to buy a high-end DSLR or a mirrorless camera to capture professional-looking images? Now that smartphones like the iPhone 7 Plus are shipping with dual lenses (one standard wide-angle lens and one telephoto lens to capture portraits) and some manufacturers are even pushing larger sensors to specifically appeal the photography market, it is no wonder why some photographers might think that a smartphone is all they need to get professional results. During the past few years, I have been using a variety of different cameras with sensors ranging from tiny 1/3″ all the way to medium format, so I thought it would be a good idea to write an article about this particular topic, with some images to represent different cam eras and sensor sizes.

Captured with my iPhone 6 Plus, ISO 32, 1/950, f/2.2

Let's take a look at what is and what isn't possible with small vs large sensor cameras.

1) Do Smartphones Threaten Dedicated Cameras?

As you may already know, pretty much all major manufacturers, including Nikon and Canon have been reporting decreased camera sales during the past few years. We have written about these trends a few times, with Michael Heath writing his analysis in 2015, then Thomas Stirr writing a rebuttal in response to the article, followed by yet another article on the same topic earlier this year. In addition to the above, other team members have also written their thoughts on the camera industry and its future when considering new mirrorless technologies and other factors. So overall, we have written quite a bit on this subject at Photography Life. My intention is not to continue the debates, but rather to present my thoughts, accompanied by some pictures on the current potential of the smartphone industry.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 80, 1/15, f/2.2

First of all, I strongly believe that smartphones are indeed impacting the overall camera industry and sales. The evidence of this change is found in the point-and-shoot market, which has been rapidly declining during the past few years. And for a good reason – why would anyone want to buy a point-and-shoot camera with a tiny sensor, when smartphones already have pretty decent image quality that is good enough for most people? Having been traveling extensively during the past couple of years, I see more people taking pictures with their phones and less with point-and-shoot cameras. With a smartphone, one has the option to take a picture and instantly share it with the world, so the question of image quality becomes somewhat secondary in nature.

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/250, f/1.8

And with a plethora of options for achieving a fairly good image using various apps and filters, there is a sense of instant gratification, which also becomes a key part of the process. If an image looks good enough to be shown on Facebook or Instagram, why bother with other options? That's where simplicity, ease of use and time savings kick in as well. Knowing this, smartphone manufacturers are also heavily pushing more and more features to make people want to buy their products, instead of spending money on dedicated cameras. From dumb point-and-shoot devices, smartphones are transitioning into highly capable image and video recording devices, with sophisticated and fairly accurate autofocus systems, improved image quality and lots of options to capture complex scenes using HDR and other technologies.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 40, 1/15, f/2.2

And the latest smartphone models are now even offering options for RAW image capture, which opens up post-processing opportunities to yield even higher image quality. Without a doubt, smartphones are playing a key role in eradicating the low-end point-and-shoot markets, where big camera manufacturers used to dominate in the past. And let's not forget that those are also the markets that would yield high profit margins…

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/60, f/1.8

However, all this does not mean that the smartphone industry is capable of competing against large sensor cameras (and by "large sensor", I mean relative to smartphones, with 1″ diagonal sensor and larger), at least at the moment. We have seen a few attempts at creating large sensor smartphones, but those attempts pretty much failed overall – an average consumer does not know or care about sensor size and various camera specifications. Megapixels still sell, and as long as the number is larger than 8 MP, the size of the sensor is not something most consumers would even look at. An average smartphone user does not know how the size of the physical sensor would correlate to things like pixel pitch, resolution, dynamic range and high ISO performance, or how the physical size and optical construction of a camera lens could influence the look of their images.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 50, 1/120, f/2.2

We as photographers, on the other hand, are much more well-versed in this area and we understand what differentiates a high-quality image from a dedicated large sensor camera, compared to results obtained from a smartphone. Most of us understand the limitations of smaller vs larger camera systems and we found our ways to work around those limitations. This means that when it comes to choosing camera gear, we are certainly going to factor in all those features and specifications. An average consumer would not be able to understand our considerations without proper education first, which is not something that is going to happen.

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/120, f/1.8

Even if camera manufacturers attempted to educate the general population, their marketing efforts would fail against the marketing budgets of much larger smartphone manufacturers. If Apple shows that the iPhone is good enough to capture beautiful images through those massive billboard-size "Shot on iPhone" campaigns, why wouldn't people believe? Such powerful marketing works and we know it does, because the world has already purchased a billion of those iPhones and the iPhone constantly dominates top photography charts in terms of the most used camera capture tool.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 80, 1/4, f/2.2

So camera manufacturers now have a tough dilemma – unless the world is educated about things like sensor size and optics, they will continue to lose out in selling their lower-end offerings to that same crowd. However, I personally do not anticipate any significant changes in large sensor camera sales to the photography community, which is educated enough to understand the above-mentioned terminologies.

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/40, f/1.8

During the presentation of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple specifically pointed out that the iPhone would not be able to match the quality of a DSLR, even with all the fancy technology the company integrated into the new model, including a telephoto lens for portraiture.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 32, 1/1800, f/2.2

2) Sensor Size Matters

The question of sensor size comes up all the time, but at the end of the day, how important is it? We have all seen our share of photographers "down-scaling" their equipment to go for smaller and more compact camera systems, claiming that those cameras are "good enough" for their needs. Indeed, even 1″ camera sensors are capable of yielding superb results when compared to what we have had a few years back. If one determines what their target resolution and acceptable high ISO working range for their particular work is, along with the relevant lenses and accessories, perhaps moving down to a smaller system would make sense for them.

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/320, f/1.8

However, it is important to keep in mind that the technology does not necessarily move slower with larger sensors and camera systems. For those who need better overall image quality, larger camera systems have a lot more to offer. And the best part of it – larger camera systems are not out of reach in terms of affordability anymore. A full-frame camera can be bought for around $1,500 and even lower in the used market, and we are now starting to see medium format cameras under $8K. A medium format digital camera system used to be reserved only for those with deep pockets and it looks like medium format will soon start hitting the mainstream market, just like full-frame did a while ago.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 32, 1/2000, f/2.2

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, f/1.8

Sensor size does matter, because a larger surface area allows for larger pixels, which yield better high ISO performance. At the same time, more pixels can be crammed into a larger sensor, yielding more total resolution, which can translate to more details, especially with solid lens offerings that are capable of resolving that much detail. Larger sensors generally tend to have more dynamic range, better colors and better subject isolation capabilities due to differences in depth of field (read more about this in an excellent article on sensor size, perspective and depth of field by Francois Malan). So bigger will always be better when it comes to overall image quality.

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 150, 1/30, f/1.8

However, how much image quality does one truly need? Now that's an important question, because it all depends on the intention of the photographer and the end result / output. If I were to only shoot images for this website, I would certainly downsize my gear – probably to a camera with a sensor as small as 1″. I have been quite happy with the results I get from the Sony RX100 IV, for example, which is a pretty impressive camera:

DSC-RX100M4 + 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 @ 10.15mm, ISO 200, 1/13, f/11.0

DSC-RX100M4 + 24-70mm F1.8-2.8 @ 16.17mm, ISO 125, 1/160, f/5.6

You have already seen Thomas Stirr do some incredible work with his Nikon 1 cameras and Sharif has numerously demonstrated that the Micro Four Thirds system can yield superb results, even when capturing fast action.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 32, 1/15, f/2.2

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/15, f/1.8

Having shot with both systems, I would not hesitate to use either one – they are both very capable in their own ways. And if I wanted to go a bit larger, I would stop with a solid APS-C camera system like the Fuji X, which shines in many areas for me, especially when it comes to lenses. But I still choose to shoot with a full-frame system. Why? Because I want to have options. I spend countless hours visiting and scouting various locations. I put a lot of energy, time and money for traveling the world. If I came back with a winning shot, I would like to be able to showcase the image in its full glory, and not just in a web-sized version that I share with our readers.

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/690, f/1.8

With the equipment I use today, I can make large prints of my work without hesitation, giving the best visual experience I can deliver to my potential customer. In fact, I often push my full-frame Nikon system to its limits, making even larger panoramic images with exceptional detail, something I cannot achieve with a single shot. So if a larger sensor system was made available to me at the cost I can justify and afford, I would want to move up in image quality, not the other way around.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 50, 1/15, f/2.2

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/40, f/1.8

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/15, f/1.8

The amount of potential detail and resolution of a large sensor system is pretty evident, especially when looking at images at 100% view. Take a look at the below image from the Pentax 645Z medium format camera:

PENTAX 645Z + smc PENTAX-FA645 45-85mm F4.5 @ 45mm, ISO 200, 2/1, f/11.0

And take a look at the incredible detail and resolution offered by this camera, when viewed at 100% zoom:

100% Zoom from a cropped area

With a bit of sharpening added to the image, I know I can make a very large print that will look incredible even when viewed at close distances. Thanks to modern technologies, such as in-body 5-axis image stabilization and super high-resolution modes offered by cameras like the Pentax K-1 by moving the sensor and creating composite images, even more detail can be achieved at pixel level, reducing the gap in performance between full-frame and medium format even further.

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 200, 1/25, f/1.8

Would I have similar thoughts and considerations if I were to shoot portraits? Probably not, as I would find my full-frame system to be more than adequate for those particular needs.

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 250, 1/25, f/1.8

Therefore, it is up to each person to decide what their goals and priorities are with their camera system. I do not mind providing images from my iPhone 6 Plus or my LG G4 on this website at 960 pixel-long resolution as I have done in this article, but if I had to provide much larger resolution images, I would not be comfortable with that choice. Images this small look great, but the moment you start looking at them at 100% zoom, they start looking like mud in comparison to what I can get with my Nikon D810. It does not matter that smartphones have 10+ MP sensors – the actual pixel-level detail they are capable of producing is limited 2-3 MP, maybe a little more.

At such a close distance, even my LG G4 can do a pretty decent job at isolating subjectsLG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/270, f/1.8

And it is not just about resolution, ISO performance or details either – the tiny pixels on smartphones severely limit their dynamic range, which is quite evident when capturing high contrast scenes. While you can use certain features like HDR in order to get around some situations, there is only so much that a small sensor system can recover. In addition, you will never be able to get the same amount of data from a smaller sensor. The iPhone 7 might be able to shoot images in RAW format, but we know those won't be the same 14-bit images we can get from large sensor cameras. There won't be nearly enough headroom to be able to recover all the colors, let alone extreme highlights and shadows.

iPhone 6 Plus + iPhone 6 Plus back camera 4.15mm f/2.2 @ 4.15mm, ISO 40, 1/120, f/2.2

Lastly, the creative opportunities on smartphones are very limited, even with the iPhone 7 Plus that has a secondary telephoto lens. Even though it is a 56mm equivalent, it will never be able to compete with a 50mm f/1.4 prime on a full-frame camera. With its limited aperture of f/2.8, everything from 6.4 feet and further will be in focus. That's why Apple is blurring out the background via software, as it is impossible to create enough subject isolation through the built-in lens and sensor (speaking of which, the secondary sensor on the telephoto lens is actually smaller).

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 100, 1/40, f/1.8

LG-H810 @ 4.42mm, ISO 50, 1/160, f/1.8

3) Summary

When I posted the article about the iPhone 7 Announcement, talking about all the great camera features of the phone, I was a bit surprised to see a few comments and emails from our readers, who said things like "It's another nail in the coffin for paid photography in all areas", or "iPhone will soon replace DSLRs". While overall image quality and features are certainly getting better on smartphones, they will never be able to compete with dedicated interchangeable-lens camera systems. It is one thing to take a decent picture in broad daylight and totally different when photographing people in a dim wedding reception.

I don't see how my smartphone is going to be able to take a picture like the one above in the future. But who knows, perhaps some day smartphone engineers will prove me wrong…

Hope you've enjoyed the article and the images. Would love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments section below!

Source: Are Smartphones Threatening the Camera Industry?