Essential 360 Camera Can Be Attached to the Modular Phone

After months of teasing, Android creator Andy Rubin has finally unveiled the Essential Phone that features a near bezel-less display that tries to outdo Samsung's Galaxy S8. The other major highlight of the Essential Phone is its modular design that allows for additional accessories similar to the Moto Z. The first one unveiled being by the company is a 360-degree camera that for now is just being called the '360 camera', and can be hooked up to the back of the smartphone.

The rear of the Essential Phone is where most of the modular magic takes place. Next to the dual camera setup, you see accessory power pins that will power the camera once its clipped. The '360 camera' is an interesting accessory given how videos today are incorporating 360-degree cameras as seen on social media sites like Facebook. Essential's head of optics and imaging, Xiaoyu Miao, also believes that 360 "changes everything"

"If you look at a 360 camera, it's completely different from a conventional one, in that it captures the entire world around the user. It is an immersive experience that puts the viewer in the center of the action and fundamentally changes how we take a picture. You no longer aim your camera, because you get everything in every shot," Miao says in a blog post.

Essential's 360 camera, which weighs around 35 grams and is being called the world's smallest 360-degree personal camera by the company, includes a dual 12-megapixel fisheye sensors that can capture 4K 360 video at 30fps. The camera also features 4 microphones to capture sound in 3D.

The 360 camera can be bought along with the Essential Phone for an additional $50, or can be bought separately which will cost you $199. The company is only shipping the smartphone and accessory in the US with no word on when they will be made available outside. They can be ordered through the company's online store.

The 360 camera is just one of the magnetic accessories that has been revealed by the company as of now. Essential is likely to bring a few more Moto Mods-like modular accessories, including a possible audio accessories seeing as how the Essential Phone has dropped the 3.5mm headphone jack for a near port-less smartphone.

The Essential Phone features an edge-to-edge display with bezels mainly seen at the bottom of the phone. The smartphone features a titanium body with a ceramic back and a Gorilla Glass 5 on top. It sports a 5.71-inch QHD (1312×2560) display with an aspect ration of 19:10. The smartphone comes with top-of-the-line specs including Snapdragon 835 SoC, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of inbuilt storage.

Source: Essential 360 Camera Can Be Attached to the Modular Phone

Essential Phone goes official, OnePlus 5 camera teaser & more – Pocketnow Daily

Watch today's Pocketnow Daily as we talk about the recent deals you can find for the LeEco LePro 3. Then we talk LG and Qualcomm as both companies collaborate for the future G flagship. Then we discuss the recent teaser we found with a OnePlus 5 photo comparison. The TSA Laptop and Tablet ban continues as things might get worse than they are. We end today's show talking about Andy Rubin's Essential Phone, and what it means for the market.

All this and more after the break.

Stories:– The company is struggling, but the LeEco Le Pro 3 phone is a steal at $250 from Best Buy– LG and Qualcomm working to get Snapdragon 845 on G7– Which image was taken by the DxOMark-enhanced OnePlus 5?– Carry-on tablet ban could extend to all US international flights– Essential Phone combines modularity with a simple but striking design and top-shelf specs

T-shirts provided by RIPT. Get your own here, and get 10% off using coupon code: POCKETNOWDAILY

Source: Essential Phone goes official, OnePlus 5 camera teaser & more – Pocketnow Daily

Why OPPO F3 is the most affordable camera phone right now

Let's start with a fact, consumers take a lot of care of the photography capability of the smartphone now. The question is always "Which one has a better camera?" and then "How much is it?".

We have tried several phones previously and today we are going to have a real life review of a newly launched camera phone—OPPO F3.  With the price point sealing the deal, here's why we think this latest Selfie Expert should your suitable camera phone in the market right now.

The unique thing about the OPPO F3 is the Dual Selfie Cameras. Yes, there are two. One has a big wide lens, which you could use it for group selfie and a wider background  The other one is a 16MP selfie camera.

By using the wide-angle group selfie camera, it's extremely easy to get more from the frame than just you, so your friends and the place you in become part of the scene. This offers amazing new selfies, which your friends might envy because it is unlike any other smartphone out there. 

The 16MP selfie camera, which is equally, if not more brilliant in detail than even some of the rear facing cameras of other smartphones.

It not only offer detail selfie photos but also takes the natural beauty selfies thanks to the Beautify feature.

There are seven levels of beautification available, where you can adjust and get your best selfies out of the OPPO F3, truly the Selfie Expert.

The F3 is equipped with a 13MP rear camera which strikes a balance between quality and affordability, with an excellent mix of hardware and software features.

The images have a great dynamic range because you can push the camera to the extremes with the HDR mode, which captures multiple exposures in a jiffy. Or if you want DSLR-like quality, with printable photos, the Ultra HD mode makes it possible. You'd be shocked to see how good it is when it comes to capturing the detail of the scene.

In case if you have a good understanding of photography, the OPPO F3 allows you to click images in Expert Mode, where you can a manually adjust all the parameters including Focus, Shutter speed, ISO and much more. Moreover, this feature lets you get down to the finest of details so that you can customize the picture you capture. You just got access to all the features a professional photographer would need. What else can you ask for?  If you are in pursuit of capturing an image in all its beauty, you can switch to Ultra-HD mode that shoots out several photos and combines the best part of each picture.

The best thing about most of these features is that they are available for the front facing cameras as well! You can take selfie panoramas, how about that? Great full HD videos from the rear camera and the 16 MP front facing cameras. Yes, you can make GIFs and Time-lapse too, on the dual selfie cameras, which makes the OPPO F3, most versatile in terms of hardware and software.

Now imagine this, you have all these great features that not only work with the main camera but the selfie cameras as well. And then, you have amazing quality as a result of the combination of great hardware and software. All this, you get at a price point which manages to offer you more than what you'd expect. The OPPO F3 is available all over India for Rs. 19, 990. And we're sure you know why, by now, we think the OPPO F3 Selfie Expert is the most affordable Camera Phone out there right now.

"Why OPPO F3 is the most affordable camera phone right now", 5 out of 5 based on 1 ratings.
Source: Why OPPO F3 is the most affordable camera phone right now

10 Best Dual Camera Smartphone for photography

Today, smartphones are real multi-purpose "miracle", and one of the favorite additions is definitely a camera. Here we will introduce you to some of the best with dual camera smartphones currently on the market for this summer. Let's check them together.

1. Huawei Honor 8 Pro

Since Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG) announced the start of a strategic partnership with Leica Camera AG, appeared tremendously powerful phones in optical terms. So, in this list we gona mentioned several phones that coming from Huawei, and first we'll go with Huawei Honor 8 Pro.  The phone is mounted with a Dual 12MP, f/2.2, phase-detection and laser autofocus, dual-LED, capable of taking 2160p@30fps video. The front camera is 8MP, f/2.0, (1080p).

Other Honor 8 Pro specs include a 5.7-inch 2K display, a octa-core (4×2.4 GHz & 4×1.8 GHz) Kirin 960, along with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB ROM, expandable up to 256GB via SIM 2 slot. The phone is fueled by a non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAH battery and runs on Android 7.0 (Nougat). The Honor 8 Pro comes with the price of $550.

2. Huawei Honor Magic

The second place for best dual camera smartphone belongs to Huawei Honor Magic. The Honor Magic sports a dual 12MP camera setup on the rear side with an f/2.2 aperture along with an 8MP front-facing camera. The phone features a 5.09-inch QHD display, with a octa-core Kirin 950 and Mali-T880 MP4 under the hood. Other phone specs include 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage, (non-expandable). It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS with Honor Magic Live OS UI atop it  and is powered by a 2900 mAH battery. The device comes with the price of $600.

3. Huawei P10

Next is another model from Huawei, it is Huawei P10. The phone packs a Dual 20MP+12MP  f/2.2 (Leica optics) primary camera on the rear and a 8MP front shooter for selfies. The phone takes a photo using both sensors, then combines the two images, the idea being that the black and white sensor will enhance detail and contrast in the color image. In terms of P10 specs, the phone comes with a 5.1-inch full-HD IPS-NEO LCD display. It is powered by an octa-core Kirin 960 (4×2.4 GHz & 4×1.8 GHz), 4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB ROM (expandable up to 256GB). The P10 runs Android OS, v7.0 (Nougat) on top which is Emotion UI 5.1 and is powered by a 3100 mAH battery. All together, a great phone for playing with a camera and comes with a price tag of around $600.

4. LG V20

Number 4 on the best dual camera smartphone list is LG V20. The main feature of the V series is an extra screen, and is located above the main, 5.7-inch QHD IPS display. The LG V20 is powered by a Snapdragon 820 in combination with 4GB of RAM. Internal memory contains 32GB/64 GB of storage space, and there is a slot for memory cards. The battery has a capacity of 3200 mAH, and can be used with the USB-C slot. On the back of the device is located two camera system. One comes with a 16MP sensor and f/1.8 aperture, while the other has an 8MP sensor with f/2.4 aperture and wide-angle lens that covers an angle of 135 degrees. There is a laser and phase-detection autofocus and optical image stabilization. The front camera has a 5MP sensor and f/1.9 aperture, and covers an angle of 120 degrees. For the end LG V20 costs about $560.

5. Apple iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone 7 Plus comes with a 12MP camera and a large f/1.8 aperture. But unlike the smaller model, the larger has an additional 12MP camera with f/2.8 aperture and 56 mm lens. Finally, iPhone 7 Plus added portrait mode which will use a special digital algorithm to blur the background. This provides a so-called Bokeh effect. The phone also offers excellent full-HD 5.5-inch display. This smartphone has an aluminum case, quad core A10 processor, with a very powerful GPU, and the latest Apple operating system IOS 10. When it comes to memory, and this time there is no extension options, so users will have at their disposal device of 3GB of RAM with space for storage of 32/128/256GB and 2900 mAH power supply. At all, iPhone 7 Plus is powerful phone that will deliver great performance when you need it. Price for iPhone7 Plus is about $900

6. Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom (ZE553KL)

Next one we have Asus Zenfone 3 Zoom. The screen is AMOLED full-HD 5.5-inches, with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels gives a density of (401 ppi). Under the hood we have a Qualcomm (MSM8953) Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor at 2.0 GHz and Adreno 506 GPU with 4GB of RAM. It comes with internal memory of (32/64/128GB) which can be expanded with microSD cards up to 256GB. The Zenfone 3 Zoom runs Android OS, v6.0.1 (Marshmallow) with Asus ZenUI 3.0 on top. There is Dual 12MP primary camera and a 13MP on the front. The battery is Li-Ion 5000 mAH. Price is around $550.

7. LG G6

No. 7 on the list is another LG, and it is LG G6 (IP68 certified). The phone comes with IPS 5.7-inch QHD screen with a resolution of 1440 x 2880 pixels and excellent density of (564 ppi). The LG G6 is powered by 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm (MSM8996) Snapdragon 821 processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM and Adreno 530 GPU. G6 comes with 32GB/64GB of internal memory which is expandable up to 256GB. The primary camera is Dual 13MP (f/1.8, OIS, 3-axis, phase-detection AF) + 13MP (f/2.4, no AF), dual-LED flash, while the front is 5MP (f/2.2, 1080p). The LG G6 runs Android OS, v7.0 (Nougat) and is powered by a 3300 mAH non removable battery. Price for LG G6 is somewhere around $750.

8. Micromax Dual 5

The next we have Micromax Dual 5. The Micromax Dual 5 gets its name from its defining feature – dual 13MP cameras at the back. For photography, you can use either its Dual 13MP primary (with phase-detection autofocus, dual-LED flash) or 13MP selfie cam to take pictures and Is certainly capable of making good footage. The company claims that the Dual 5 sports the best camera in its segment. As regards the other specs, it offers a 5.5-inch full-HD AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 652 octa-core processor, 128GB of internal memory (non expandable) paired with 4GB of RAM. Additionally, it runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and gets energy from a Li-Ion 3200 mAH battery supported by (Quick Charge 3.0). Finally, the Micromax Dual 5 comes with a price tag of $360.

9. Xiaomi Mi 6

Next, it's Xiaomi Mi 6. It is a phone which primarily represents excellent value and quality. One of the biggest highlights of the Mi 6 is its dual rear 12MP cameras (27mm, f/1.8, OIS 4-axis & 52mm, f/2.6), while the front camera has 8MP, (1080p). Mi 6 also featuring a full-HD IPS 5.15-inch display with (428 ppi). As you would expect from a flagship smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi 6 packs the latest octa-core Snapdragon 835 processor clocked at 2.4GHz, coupled with 6GB of RAM and Adreno 540 GPU. The battery capacity is 3350 mAH, and supports quick charging (Quick Charge 3). This great machine comes with a solid price in relation to the specs of the phone, and the price is somewhere around $400.

10. ZTE Blade V8 Pro

Finally, we would like you to meet ZTE Blade V8 Pro. The phone has a full-HD IPS LCD 5.5-inch display with pixel density of (401 ppi). At the front side is the selfie camera full-HD video capable of 8MP. Back, Dual cam is set on 13MP which contributes to a deeper field at the pictures and the creation of "bokeh" effect. According to the specifications ZTE Blade V8 Pro features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory, a hybrid phone has a dual-SIM support with the Marshmallow Android 6.0 platform. The battery has a capacity of 3140 mAH, and there's Quick Charge 2.0 system. Price for ZTE Blade V8 Pro is about $260.

Those are the best dual cam phones on the market. Do not hesitate to make a good shot or good selfie because that's what these devices can and know how. So, which one is your favorite?

Source: 10 Best Dual Camera Smartphone for photography

Nokia phone with dual camera, 8GB RAM was just spotted

Nokia's newest smartphones haven't even fully hit shelves, but they're already gearing up for a full-fledged comeback in the world it once reigned supreme.

The Finnish company along with its licenced developer HMD Global unveiled the remake of the iconic - and now being sold - Nokia 3310 and its first Android-powered devices, the Nokia 3, 5 and 6, in February. The last three will start selling next month.

If you can't wait or at least are curious about them, then let this rumour add to some spice: word has it that three more - yes, three more - Nokia handsets are on there way, and it's sooner than later.

Talk of the Nokia 7, 8 and 9 have been swirling around, and they're no pushovers, if the leaks are to be believed.

Tapscape detailed some of the specs we could expect from these new beasts:

Nokia 7: Metal casing, an FHD display with a resolution of 1080×1920 pixels, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset, Android Nougat, ultra-fast charging, fingerprint sensor and a Carl Zeiss optics main camera.

Nokia 8: 5.7-inch QHD display with a screen aspect ratio of 16:9, a 22MP main camera and 12MP front snapper both using Carl Zeiss lenses, 6GB RAM, up to 128GB of storage plus 256GB of microSD. While rumours say it will also come with a Snapdragon 660, there's word that Nokia might be using the latest 835, just like those found on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium.

Nokia 9: Rumoured to be the 'most high-end' smartphone from Nokia ever. 5.5-inch quad-HD display with a resolution of 1440×2560 pixels and a screen aspect ratio of 18:9 (just like the LG G6), a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, Android Nougat and, just like the Nokia 8, 6GB RAM with up to 128GB of internal storage and 256GB of microSD. It's also said that the Nokia 9 will have very thin bezels and will be metallic, and will also include features such as include water-, dust- and scratch-resistance, fingerprint and iris sensor, voice assistance and a 3800mAh battery with ultra-quick charging. Its main camera is said to be 22MP with OIS and a front 12MP shooter with an aperture of f/2.0, good for low-light scenes. It's also rumoured to have a rather steep price tag of 750 euros ($840, almost Dh3,100) - putting it firmly alongside the cream of the crop.

For good measure, GSM Arena uncovered that the Nokia 9 has been spotted with a ridiculous 8GB of RAM. Which could be the reason why a GeekBench test showed that the Nokia 9 outclasses other Snapdragon 835-armed devices, including the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+, Sony Xperia XZ Premium and the Huawei Mate 9.

The folks at FrAndroid, meanwhile, got a prototype of the Nokia 9, and it seems to show a dual camera (uhm, you need to brush up on your French to understand it, though).

It's a little bit muddled right now, but one thing's for sure: with seven phones in just a few months, Nokia is dead serious to become relevant again.

- alvin@khaleejtimes.com

Source: Nokia phone with dual camera, 8GB RAM was just spotted

Andy Rubin's Essential phone could have a 360-degree camera

Just a few days back, the co-creator of Android, Andy Rubin created a hype all over the internet. By entering the smartphone segment with an upcoming Essential phone, he surprised everyone. We don't have to wait for longer time, since the phone is supposed to get launched on May 30.

Now, an interesting feature of the phone has been leaked out ahead of its launch. A teaser has been rolled out in official twitter account which gave us a hint on how the camera will look like. This teaser consists of the image where we can see a large circular camera placed on the top of the phone. This revealed about the 360-degree camera which will be the highlight of the device if it turns out to be true.

Apart from the camera part, we can also see a volume and power button placed on the left portion of the device. No other information on the design part has been revealed for now. To recall the specs known so far, the device will have a large screen-to-body ratio and high-end specs.

Also Read: Andy Rubin's Essential smartphone to be unveiled on May 30

It is said to sport an HD display of 5.5-inch with a resolution of 1312 x 2560 pixels and will have thin bezels around the screen. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset and coupled with 4GB of RAM. It may feature a 12MP camera on the rear with 8MP front-facing selfie shooter and runs on Android Operating System.

For now, only these many pieces of information are available. Let us wait for some more days to grab this handset and test the features by ourself.

Source

Source: Andy Rubin's Essential phone could have a 360-degree camera

Smartphone camera shootout: iPhone 7 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S8

Apple proudly says that the the iPhone is the most popular camera in the world. But is it the best? We put the iPhone 7 Plus to the test against the newest flagship from Samsung, the Galaxy S8. Watch the video above to see the photos side-by-side and to find out how each smartphone did in delivering the best color, clarity, and range.

We tested the cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus and the Galaxy S8 in the way most people use them: in auto mode. That means straight out of the pocket, using the native camera app, and with HDR on auto. The only setting that was changed was the megapixel count, amping up the full resolution of each camera. The photos were taken at Las Vegas during the National Association of Broadcasters convention last month.

Before comparing photos, let's first compare the specs of each camera. The rear camera on the iPhone 7 Plus has a 12 megapixel sensor, a fast f/1.8 lens, and a DCI-P3 color gamut. The Galaxy S8 also has a 12 megapixel sensor, but has an even faster f/1.7 lens, and large 1.4µm pixels. Based on these specs, the cameras look evenly matched. Here's how they did in real-world testing.

Round 1: Color 

To decide which smartphone camera delivered the best color, we looked at the photo results in terms of accuracy, vividness, and how the camera balances color temperature. To start off, both cameras handled themselves well in full light and produced vivid colors, but the Samsung Galaxy S8 pumped up the contrast and produced photos that were a bit cooler than the iPhone 7 Plus. Meanwhile, the 7 Plus handled the white balance a bit better on an indoor shot at the Apple store you can see below. The Galaxy S8 warms this shot up as well, resulting in the purple turning a bit more magenta.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

The iPhone 7 Plus handled the white balance a bit better on this indoor shot at the Apple store.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

The Galaxy S8 warms this shot up as well, resulting in the purple turning a bit more magenta.

Inside the convention center, the 7 Plus warmed the scenes so much, to the point that it actually discolored the models. The S8 was accurate on color balance, but is a bit washed out. The fact that the 7 Plus leaned on the warmer side not only failed to give us an accurate white balance, but it took skin colors to horrible, horrible places.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

The iPhone 7 Plus warms the scene enough to discolor the models.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

The Galaxy S8 is accurate on color balance, but is a bit washed out. 

Winner: Galaxy S8

Both cameras really struggle with accurate white balance, so it's really down to saturation and color depth. And even though the iPhone 7 Plus technically has a wider color gamut, the Galaxy S8 just has a more pleasing variance in colors. I'm going to give the color category to the Samsung Galaxy S8, but only by a hair.

Round 2: Clarity

The next test is clarity, and here we were looking not only at the sharpness of each image, but how the camera chooses to stay sharp, even in low light. The shot of The Strip below is clear enough from a distance, but when you zoom in on Treasure Island, we see that you can make out much more detail on the shutters with the S8. Samsung applies a healthy amount of sharpening to get there, but it's still a clearer image.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDGAdam Patrick Murray/IDG

Moving inside it's the same story, we can just see more information even when zoomed in. This darker scene reveals the same thing: Even in low light, the S8 takes clearer photos than the 7 Plus. In this very dark scene below, we were super impressed with how the photo taken with the S8 looks. By comparison, the photo taken with the 7 Plus really disappoints. Just compare the color wheel on the bottom left to see for yourself which camera obviously won this round.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

Even in low light, the S8 takes clearer photos than the 7 Plus.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

The S8 took crisper photos. Just compare the color wheels on the bottom left. 

Winner: Galaxy S8

The only place where the 7 Plus had an edge is in macro shots, but it was still not enough to pull ahead, so we're giving the clarity category to the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Round 3: Range

The last category is range. We're looking for how much light information the camera is able to capture and how it chooses to expose for the scene. We used a histogram in this category, and you can watch our video shootout above to see how it was implemented in helping us pick a winner in this category. This first shot outside of Harrah's is exposed pretty similar on both cameras, but the S8 was able to retain a lot more information in the shadows.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

This first shot outside of Harrah's is exposed pretty similar on both cameras...

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

... but the S8 was able to retain a lot more information in the shadows.

Check out the photo of the statue below. We see that the 7 Plus holds the highlights better, but at the cost of the rest of the scene underexposing. Moving indoors, the 7 Plus does the opposite, blowing out the highlights on the subjects.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

The 7 Plus holds the highlights better.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDG

But the S8 better exposes the rest of the scene.

This wider shot of the show floor is the same, with the S8 holding the highlights way better, albeit at the expense of some loss of information in the shadows.

Adam Patrick Murray/IDGAdam Patrick Murray/IDG

Winner: Galaxy S8

Overall, we were disappointed with how the 7 Plus performed in high-contrast scenarios, never really exposing the shot how we wanted. This category easily goes to the Samsung Galaxy S8. 

Final thoughts

It's a clean sweep for the Samsung Galaxy S8, winning in all three camera categories. This further proves that Apple has some catching-up to do this year with the successor to the iPhone 7 Plus. Not to mention that the S8 is not even the best camera phone in the Android world. So, the challenge falls on Apple to not only improve on its standard camera quality, while still adding groundbreaking features like the Portrait Mode.

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Source: Smartphone camera shootout: iPhone 7 Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy S8

Photographers share how smartphones compete with cameras

Students find taking photos easier and more convenient with smartphones versus a professional camera. (Photo Illustration, Maddi Dayton)

As new smartphone technology advances, many students and professors turn to smartphones instead of expensive DSLR cameras to capture life's moments.

"I use a smartphone camera all the time," said BYU photography professor Robert Machoian. "I use it more to document events, experiences or to remind myself of something, like a book I want to buy or an art piece I want to research. I think DSLRs are for capturing photographs you want to print."

Quint Randle, associate professor in the BYU School of Communications, said for many things, a smartphone is actually a better choice.

"Other than the ability to zoom better with more expensive lenses, a lot of times a smartphone will do better than a regular camera, and so when you're just kind of in snapshot mode, people are gonna prefer to use their iPhones," Randle said. "Plus the best camera, they've always said, is the one you have in your hand."

Randle did his college dissertation on media technology and how old technology must adapt to survive as new technology arises. He said this was part of technological "cannibalism" or the disruption theory, in which new technology is introduced and starts to replace the one before it.

When smartphone cameras first came out, they took photos a little bigger than a postage stamp and pixelized quickly. Camera companies didn't take them seriously. Smartphone cameras have been improving little by little, sneaking up on the higher-end technology, Randle said.

"All the variables start building up, and it starts taking on the original industry," Randle said.

Alice Cannon, a professional Utah photographer and blogger, said she still relies on the control of a DSLR for professional shoots, but also trusts smartphone cameras to take great photos for documenting her life.

"I honestly think that if you just want a photo for a memory, then it's totally okay to use a phone," Cannon said. "The iPhone cameras are awesome. I have a panoramic photo hanging on my wall that is five feet long, and I took it and edited it on my iPhone 6. I also filmed an entire video on my iPhone 5 in high school, and it won a huge contest. I have a lot of faith in these phone cameras."

BYU student and photographer Daniel Jones said with online images, there is hardly a difference in quality between those taken with smartphones and those taken with DSLRs, often making phones a more convenient choice.

"The images that smartphones can produce are good enough for the Facebook and Twitter posts that most people use them for, so there really isn't a need for an extra camera anymore, hence the decline in compact camera sales," Jones said.

Jones said the importance of social media and instant access makes smartphones more appealing to photographers.

"The ability to have constant social media presence is also important, even for professional photographers," Jones said. "Being able to take snap shots right in the moment is something that you can't get with a DSLR these days."  

Videographer and cinematographer Preston Olsen said for digital content, smartphone and DSLR video results are about the same.

"In good light, the iPhone is capable of creating 4K clips, comparable to my DSLR," Olsen said. "Considering most of my content is streamed from YouTube or Vimeo, you can't tell the difference."

Olsen said he still prefers a DSLR in low light because it provides better control and more freedom for photographers and videographers to adjust their settings to the scene, but said when he travels, his smartphone helps him not stand out.

"When I am abroad in poor countries, I don't want to draw attention to my $3,000 camera," Olsen said. "Situations like this make me choose my iPhone over my camera."

The rise in smartphone camera users challenges professionals to create more compelling images, Olsen said.

"As we become more visually-oriented and interested in photography, it challenges photographers to create more exciting new images," Olsen said. "It is a lot harder to impress my clients now than it was five years ago. As a society, we expect our photographs to maintain a high level of quality, especially when it comes to resolution and color processing."

The competitive nature of photography is a positive, as it opens doors for new enthusiasts looking to get a start and provides greater resources to clients looking for pictures, Cannon said.

"Some people would say that is giving the photo industry a bad name, but I love that people are interested in this and want to start out. We all start out somewhere," Cannon said. "The nice thing about this though is that anyone can find a photographer in their price range."

DSLRs are still the standard in professional photography, but smartphones make it convenient to document life's moments, Jones said.

"With a DSLR, you have full control over most aspects the image. It comes at the cost of price and convenience, though," Jones said. "Smartphones will always be better when you need to pack light and when you want instant social media access with your images."

Tags: Alice Cannon, Camera Technology, DSLRs, photography, photography tips, Preston Olsen, quint randle, Robert Machoian, Smartphone cameras
Source: Photographers share how smartphones compete with cameras

Kodak EKTRA 'camera first' smartphone now available in US

The Kodak EKTRA, the company's 'camera first' smartphone, is now available to purchase in the United States. The Android smartphone, which was first announced in October 2016, features a 21MP camera and a design reminiscent of point-and-shoot cameras. The handset has been available to purchase in Europe for a handful of months, and now US consumers can buy the model unlocked with support for GSM mobile networks for $399.99 USD.

Coinciding with the launch is software update version 2.009.00/_A for the smartphone,  which Kodak says it is zeroing in on requests from its 'photo-enthusiast' customers. The update brings improved autofocus performance, better color saturation and white balance, and the addition of raw image support, among other things.

The full software changelog:

Enhanced single handed camera functionality; when the camera app is enabled the Android touch buttons are now disabled to avoid an accidental press when using the camera with one hand

Added RAW file support in manual mode; shooting in RAW records all the data from the sensor enabling more sophisticated image processing options

Improved auto focus making in quicker and more accurate

Improved Face Detection performance for better portrait photos

Optimisations to the Auto White Balance and colour saturation

Improvements to shutter speed performance

New option to disable Auto Scene Detection in smart auto mode

New shutter effect to provide visual indication of when a picture is taken

Enhanced low light performance

Optimisations to the noise reduction algorithm from ISO 100-6400

Introduces a new 'How To' camera tutorial on the new functionality

Via: BusinessWire

Source: Kodak EKTRA 'camera first' smartphone now available in US

These are OPPO’s next smartphones and they are big on cameras

It's more than a year since OPPO introduced its original OPPO R9 series and they are about to release a new successor with the R11. Like the current series, it will come in two sizes with the OPPO R11 and OPPO R11 Plus. After playing around with larger sensors and quicker dual PDAF focusing technology, OPPO is finally jumping on the dual-camera bandwagon.

The OPPO R11 follows the same successful recipe as its current photography-centric smartphones. They offer a typical 5.5″ display for the R11 while the R11 Plus sports a larger 6.0″ display. Both are getting premium metal unibody designs with mid-range processors under the hood. The similarities to Apple's iPhone 7 continues with its familiar antenna band design.

Both the R11 and R11 Plus are listed on China's TENAA certification database and both will be powered by Qualcomm's latest 14nm Snapdragon 660 processor. For the R11, it gets 4GB RAM and 64GB storage while the R11 Plus gets a beefier 6GB RAM and 64GB of storage. If you need more storage, both models are expandable via microSD.

In terms of camera, the rear will come with a 20MP main shooter while the secondary lens is a 16MP unit that does 2X Optical Zoom. Meanwhile, the front gets a higher resolution 20MP selfie shooter. As a comparison, OPPO's current OPPO R9s comes with a single 16MP f/1.7 main camera with dual PDAF while the front comes with a 16MP f/2.0 selfie shooter. Battery wise, the R11 is listed with a 2,900mAh battery while the R11 Plus comes with a 3,880mAh capacity unit.

Back in MWC 2017, OPPO had showcased a 5X Zoom camera technology which was pretty impressive. However, looking at the top image above, the R11 appears to be using two fixed cameras without incorporating OPPO's telescopic design from its 5X camera concept. The R11 and R11 Plus should be launching pretty soon and we expect both models to run on the latest Android 7.1.1 OS with its custom ColorOS skin on top.

[ SOURCE, VIA 2 ]

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Android, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, Oppo camera, dual camera, Oppo, Oppo Camera, OPPO R11, OPPO R11 Photos, OPPO R11 Plus, OPPO R11 Plus Photos, OPPO Smartphones, selfie expert, smartphone
Source: These are OPPO's next smartphones and they are big on cameras

Nokia 9 Dual Camera phone

Nokia 9 Dual Camera phoneThe Nokia 9 phone that was obtained by the French website FrAndroid was covered in a 'black box', this cover is meant to show as little of the device as possible, but all the terminals, camera and LED flash can be seen.

Like the other new Nokia smartphone models, the flagship device will also feature the fast USB Type-C port, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Nokia 9 specsThe new Nokia 9 incorporates a 2.4Ghz Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal memory. In addition, the Nokia 9 runs on the Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system, provided with the latest security updates.

The Nokia 9 comes with an extremely bright 5.27-inch QHD display with Always On functionality. Furthermore, the Nokia gets supplied with a set of earbuds and a QuickCharge 3.0 quick charger. The new Nokia smartphone is likely to carry a recommended retail price of approx. €750 / $700.

Nokia 9 display
Source: Nokia 9 Dual Camera phone

Samsung Galaxy C10 To Be The First Samsung Dual Camera Smartphone

Samsung, over the years, has been quite innovative and has introduced many trends in the markets. However, the one thing they are yet to come at terms with is the trend of dual camera devices. They are one of the few major players to still have zero phones with dual cameras. Things are however, going to change with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy C10, which is expected to be the first Samsung dual camera smartphone.

It was heavily speculated that the Samsung Galaxy S8 might come with dual cameras, but that didn't happen. All eyes are now on the Samsung Galaxy C10, as speculations now indicate this will be the phone we had been waiting for! The C-series of phones were also home to another 'first' for Samsung last year when the Samsung Galaxy C9 pro came out as the first Samsung phone to release with 6GB of RAM.

Leaked images have appeared showcasing a pink Samsung Galaxy C10 smartphone with a vertical dual camera setup. If the leaks are to be believed, this is indeed going to be the first Samsung dual camera smartphone. Last year's Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro did get good reactions in the market, thanks to its large display, as well as 6GB of RAM – making it a power packed phablet.

With an increasing number of phones now supporting dual cameras, Samsung too, is eyeing at this concept. HTC has had it for a long while, LG introduced it a while ago as well, Apple introduced in last year, OnePlus is expected to release the OnePlus 5 with dual cameras too. Huawei and Honor have had a few dual camera releases, and Xiaomi's Mi 6 has been very impressive lately. With Samsung Galaxy C10 bringing Samsung into the picture, the markets are all set to get heated up! Stay tuned with us for more updates.

Source: Samsung Galaxy C10 To Be The First Samsung Dual Camera Smartphone

The Phone Camera Standoff: How The New Galaxy S8+ Measures Against iPhone 7 Plus And Google Pixel

When Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ flagship smartphones back in March, all the talk centered around their gorgeous screens. The same level of enthusiasm however was not extended to the phones' other components, and any changes in their design and functioning were essentially viewed as incremental updates to a long-running series.

However, the Korean phonemaker took a very intriguing decision of not following the trend of placing a dual camera on the rear side of the phone. In fact, it stuck with the 12 MP sensors in the new phones, just as their predecessor, the Galaxy S7.

The rear camera has an aperture of f/1.7 and boasts dual pixel technology for better low-light photos. The dual pixel uses a bigger than average pixel size to capture the image. Moreover, every single photo-diode in the image processing sensor is used for phase detection autofocus, providing a clear picture in a short amount of time.

The new rear camera also has Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and a faster and richer user interface as compared to the Galaxy S7.

The Galaxy S8+ camera is surely going to be among the best phone cameras launched this year. However, whether it is going to be 'the best camera' is debatable. There seems to be a certain degree of dramatisation added to the photos.

AOL

The colours captured are vibrant and make people notice the photos. The camera tends to saturate the colours a tad bit but that being said, the phone has a fantastic and dynamic colour range.

AOL

Samsung cameras have traditionally taken this path, which also happens to be closer to what Google Pixel captures. The iPhone, on the other hand, shoots true to nature and brings out photos with warm colours.

One of the best things about the Pixel camera was their low-light performance. Google used a simple sensor but it showed its prowess in the post-processing software. There was some brilliant behind-the-camera work. Samsung's new phone is not lagging far behind. Some of the pictures I took in the pitch dark environment gave me amazing results.

However, the white balance — or, the accuracy of the colour of the objects in the photo — can be a bit off sometimes. Still, the end result was a very legible and shareable photo. Samsung seems to have mastered the dual pixel technology, combining it with a f/1.7 aperture. The latter helps the phone perform a notch better than the Pixel and iPhone cameras in low light.

One prominent feature of the iPhone 7 Plus camera was the optical zoom, made possible by the dual camera setup. While the Galaxy S8+ camera does not have optical zoom, the results are satisfying nonetheless.

AOL

The front 8 MP camera takes good selfies without applying any beautifying effects, though the phonemaker has also included Snapchat like filters embedded in the camera software. The camera's clean yet feature filled user interface is really fast. If you have used a Pixel, you will know that it took photos very fast. The Galaxy S8+ matches that speed. And, the video mode is just a button away on the left.

If you swipe right there are tons of modes such as 'food,' 'selective focus,' 'virtual shot,' 'slow motion,' a manual mode called 'Pro,' and more.

AOL

There are other downloadable modes such as 'dual camera,' 'rear camera selfie,' 'GIFs' and more. Switching to different modes, switching the basic functions such as HDR and flash on or off is pretty easy and intuitive. I also like the fact that you can switch between the front and the rear camera with just a swipe on the interface.

Samsung has mounted a sizable challenge upon its rivals in the camera department. It is to be seen if the iPhone's hardware and Google's AI can beat it.

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Source: The Phone Camera Standoff: How The New Galaxy S8+ Measures Against iPhone 7 Plus And Google Pixel

Google Lens Will Turn Your Phone Into An Intelligent Camera And A Slick Search Engine

Google held their annual I/O developer event yesterday and announced some neat features that will be coming to the Android platform. One of them was the improvement of integrated artificial intelligence on the Google Lens app. =

© Google

CEO Sundar Pichai introduced a video with an innocent image of a girl playing with a baseball. The image was taken from behind a chain-link fence. However, the metal frame of the chain-link fencewas interfering with the image and it made the picture look less impressive. Sundar then continued to launch the Lens app and erased the metal frame seamlessly without degrading the overall image quality. 

The app will also have AR functionalities i.e. the camera will be able to scan a street with shops and will display all the relevant information about that very store after you are done with scanning it. 

© Google

Other than scanning streets, the Lens app can also scan Wi-Fi settings from your router. Setting up a new router can be a tedious task and sometimes even more annoying when you need to connect to a friend's Wi-Fi network. Lens can scan the network name and WAP password and instantly connect the phone to the network (considering one hasn't changed the default settings). 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With Google Lens, your smartphone camera won't just see what you see, but will also understand what you see to help you take action. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/io17?src=hash">#io17</a> <a href="https://t.co/viOmWFjqk1">pic.twitter.com/viOmWFjqk1</a></p>&mdash; Google (@Google) <a href="https://twitter.com/Google/status/864891667723300864">May 17, 2017</a></blockquote>

Lens will also work in tandem with Assistant and allow images to set up new events in your calendar or scan business cards. It will also help in identifying famous landmarks, paintings and make phone calls directly to a business after photos of the place have been scanned. 

Other key highlights of I/O 2017 included a "smart reply" feature on Gmail that generates automated replies based on the content of the received email. This feature existed previously on Google's "Inbox" app, however, they have expanded the functionality even further. Other updates include a new "suggested sharing" feature that will recognise people from your photos and prompt you to send the picture directly to them. 

Source: Mashable 

Source: Google Lens Will Turn Your Phone Into An Intelligent Camera And A Slick Search Engine

Can You Get Google Pixel's Camera Tech in Your iPhone?

Google's Pixel has been hailed as one of the best on the market, some even calling it the best. I'm not saying the iPhone's camera is lackluster, but is there something missing?

Cortex, available in the App Store, is being touted as the iPhone's answer to Google's Pixel. Apparently, you'll be able to get better low light shots, less noise, and more dynamic range. I'm not so sure the last promise holds true, but there's something to be said for what it's capable of. It's been out for a couple years now but there's something extremely similar to how Cortex works, and how the Pixel's "best smartphone camera" gets it's image.

The Google Pixel takes 10 underexposed images, and layers them on top of one another. The resulting image is bright, clear, and has a lot less noise going on in the shadows. This is exactly what Cortex is doing. Although, to their credit, you have more manual control over what's going on underneath the hood. In fact, you can go from 10, all the way up to 99 exposures.

Testing it out against a Google Pixel, and the iPhone's stock app, showed that it held up well. Below is a low light scene that I set up after a shoot, using an iPhone 6S. As you can see there's certainly a difference between Cortex and the built in camera on the iPhone. Honestly though, I'm not seeing the major differences here. Sure, there's slightly less noise in the Cortex version, but all three are pretty much on par.

You can see plenty of great examples of where Cortex works on the App Store. However, there are plenty of places that it doesn't work. By trying to shoot so many frames at once, the meshed-together version is exposed for too long. You could essentially achieve the same thing by slowing down your shutter speed. Now, I used the app in it's automatic mode, since both the iPhone and Pixel were shot in their automatic modes. Perhaps with some tinkering I could have achieved a better result.

Here I some shots I took on the Hudson River. Again, with the iPhone as normal, then using the Cortex App, and finally the Google Pixel. Unfortunately Cortex falls apart here. The regular iPhone and Pixel images are far sharper than Cortex. Even if the former is noisier, the stock apps are garnering a much better image. The boats and the water they're resting in are a blurred mess!

[Pixel on the left, Cortex on the right]

It can't hurt to check out anyway, at only $2.99. It would obviously be nice to see this sort of tech come in the iPhone's stock camera app, when that could include some better automatic control of the shutter speed. If you're willing to keep your phone still, it's a sweet app for nighttime shooting. However, for your regular smartphone use, the automatic mode just can't keep up.

[via Cortex]

Source: Can You Get Google Pixel's Camera Tech in Your iPhone?

Alleged CAD Renderings of the iPhone 8 Reveal Wireless Charging Support and Repositioned Cameras

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The iPhone 8 is expected to arrive later this Fall. Given that it's the 10th year iPhone, a lot of new features are expected to be on board. We have already heard about the all-new fingerprint scanner which will be embedded right under the display. A new leak is now giving us a good idea of some other aspects of the device. Believed to have come out of a reliable source, these CAD renders tell us about the presence of a new glass plate on the back to accommodate wireless charging.

The dual-cameras on the back have been repositioned by the company and is protruding from the surface. So it seems like the camera bump will be very prominent with the iPhone 8. As for wireless charging, it is said that the device will have a carved out surface on the back for this particular feature. These renders also suggest that the screen sizes of the new iPhones will be bumped to 5.0 and 5.8-inches respectively. This discards the notion that there will be three new iPhones coming out this year.

There are two camera sensors on the front here. This could be Apple's way of finally foraying into AR with its consumer products. This could also pave the way for a 3D mapping system to make its way to the iPhones. The Touch ID sensor shown in this render is flush against the glass, although it still pretty much looks like a button. Given that the reports have suggested the use of a virtual Touch ID sensor, we're taking this with a pinch of salt for the time being.

Read Also:  New 3D Touch Module for iPhone 8 Substantially More Expensive To Manufacture

There won't be an edge-to-edge display on the iPhone 8 as per this new CAD render. Taking all these factors into account, it's still too early to tell if this is legit.

#IPHONE 8 #ALLEGED CAD RENDERINGS OF THE IPHONE 8 REVEAL WIRELESS CHARGING SUPPORT AND REPOSITIONED CAMERAS

 
Source: Alleged CAD Renderings of the iPhone 8 Reveal Wireless Charging Support and Repositioned Cameras

Hidden camera video shows the black market of stolen smartphones

NEW ORLEANS -- You can dress down, forgo the fancy jewelry and carry no money, but even then you are probably carrying something valuable that criminals can turn into quick cash: Your smartphone.

Consumer Reports estimates that 2 to 3 million phones are stolen each year. And the New Orleans area is no exception to this national explosion of cell phone theft.

The New Orleans Police Department's major offense logs for April show just how popular these devices are with criminals. Looking at robberies alone, phones were taken at gunpoint 18 times during the month.

"Mainly the people who are doing this are street hustlers," said one former street-level hustler. "Committing the robberies or breaking in houses, they know one thing: This (phone) here is valuable. This is money."

Factoring in crimes like theft, burglary and purse snatching, there are dozens of phones taken each month in New Orleans, police say.

"Yes, it's a big market," said Lt. Chris Hart, commander of the NOPD's elite anti-robbery squad, the TIGER Unit. "We get a lot of them taken in simple robberies and armed robberies, auto burglaries, home burglaries."

To make the crime pay off, the bad guys must have buyers, and those buyers are not hard to find.

In recent years, the New Orleans area has seen a dramatic proliferation of cell phone repair shops. Most are legitimate, but there are also many independent shops that will buy phones with no questions asked, some of them operating out of gas stations, convenience stores, even clothing retailers.

WWL-TV outfitted a street source with a hidden camera and sent him into several stores with a handful of older phones to sell. The phones were quickly snapped up.

The first location, a gas station convenience store, offered $10 for one old iPhone, saying it was only good for parts. We declined.

Our source got a much better offer from the second operator, working out of a clothing store.

"The two ones together, thirty-five," said the man behind the counter, offering $35 for an iPhone plus an Android. We accepted. The man even had a request.

"Can you bring some iPhone Sevens? Sixes as well. Some newer phones," he asked.

At a neighborhood convenience store, even our oldest and most outdated models were purchased.

"Is this old? Am I lying or not?" the man behind the counter said, offering $13 for two phones. "Ten and three. You got $13."

"As long as you have the right contacts, they can move 10, 20, 30 phones for you. There's nobody to stop them," said Nick Wakileh, co-owner of iSupply, a phone repair shop with locations in Metairie and Slidell.

Wakileh said his stores used to be approached more than a dozen times a day by would-be sellers off the street, until he and his employees started asking them to fill out a form and provide identification.

"The minute we ask for a driver's license, they would jump and say, 'Why?' Then they just walk back out. They just grab their phone and walk out," Wakileh said. "It used to be a minimum of 10 to 20 a day. Now it's down to about two or three a day."

Mike Melito owns two branches of the national repair shop UBreak-IFix. He continues to get solicitations, and he doesn't even buy phones off the street. Nevertheless, Melito says he gets several inquiries a week from people looking to unload phones.

How often does it appear the phones might be stolen?

"Ninety-nine percent of the time," Melito said. "It's happening more than you think. And has been for years. And growing, unfortunately."

Melito won't touch a suspicious phone, but as one of the local pioneers in the business, he sees where the phones are flowing.

"There are a lot of little mom-and-pop shops all over the city and all over the country that will buy and sell devices. They're not asking these folks where they came from. Where'd you find the device? No questions asked," Melito said.

Some of the off-brand stores practically advertise how far they are willing to go, putting up signs that they will "unlock" and "jailbreak" a phone.

To jailbreak a phone basically means to unlock it, getting around any passwords or fingerprints that lock the phone. Some people may ask to unlock a phone legitimately, to get out of a phone contract or change carriers. But name brand shops ask for an ID or proof of ownership and turn away people who bring in more than one phone.

"If you find the right store that buys these blacklisted phones, you just made the best contact ever." Wakileh said.

Are crimes being committed here?

The criminal statute that would apply is illegal possession of stolen things, but legal experts say it's something of a gray area. To prove the crime, authorities must show "intent," meaning that the "offender knew or had good reason to believe that the thing" was stolen.

Specific guidelines – including requiring a seller to provide identification – have been adopted for other businesses that became hotbeds for stolen property, such as pawn shops and scrap metal yards.

No such laws exist for phone stores. 

Melito has no doubt that if a phone shop is willing to buy multiple phones without checking to see if they're stolen, they are in on the scheme.

"It's a crime," Melito said. "When you advertise that we jailbreak phones, it's an invitation to walk in with a device that was stolen. No questions asked. It's the wild, wild west."

© 2017 WWL-TV

Source: Hidden camera video shows the black market of stolen smartphones

Huawei Nova 2: 5-inch beautiful smartphone that doesn’t compromise on camera or battery

Details WhaTech Channel: Mobile Reviews Published: 15 May 2017 Submitted by Eza Ezamie News from Eza Ezamie Viewed: 4 times

Here comes Huawei Nova 2 which is set to further improve on the camera and battery specs. of its predecessor, and with a May 26th is the launch date.

It all begin in October 2016 with the release of the new Nova series. For those of you who may have forgotten, let's do a quick recap at what Nova was back then:

5-inch Full HD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 1080 x 1920 pixels or ~441 ppi pixel density

Slim at just 141.2 x 69.1 x 7.1 mm (5.56 x 2.72 x 0.28 in) and lightweight at 146 g (5.15 oz)

Metal body

2.5D curved glass

Fingerprint sensor

Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625 chipset, Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 processor, Adreno 506 and 3GB RAM

12MP primary camera with phase detection autofocus and LED flash

8MP secondary camera

32GB internal storage + microSD expansion slot up to 256GB maximum

Emotion UI 4.1 based on Android Marshmallow 6.0.1

Non-removable Li-Po 3020 mAh battery

Dual-sim and 4G LTE

October 2016

$439 USD price tag

Huawei Nova has two primary focus, which is to provide a great camera experience and great battery life – and it does it ever so well. A bonus for you is that it also looks great and has a great hardware underneath that great body. The only issue it had was that it is on the slightly expensive side.

What then can we expect of the Nova 2 on its launch date on May 26th?

5.2-inch Full HD IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 1080 x 1920 pixels or ~424 ppi pixel density

Metal body

2.5D curved glass

Fingerprint sensor

Octa-core processor with 3GB/4GB RAM

Dual 13MP primary camera with phase detection autofocus and LED flash

8MP secondary camera

32GB/64GB internal storage + microSD expansion slot up to 256GB maximum

Emotion UI 5.0 based on Android Nougat 7.1.1 operating system

Dual-sim and 4G LTE

May 26th, 2017 launch date

With seven months on after Nova's release date, it seems that Nova 2 is set to take on the mantle and further tighten its grip in the mid-range segment. It will now be sporting a slightly larger 5.2-inch Full HD IPS screen which is a nice size. The metal body, 2.5D curved glass and fingerprint sensor is set to make a return.

Moving on to the performance side of things, not many changes are foreseen – other than it now has a 4GB RAM model for the show.

Camera-wise, this is where Nova 2 will be at its strongest. It is expected to be equipped with a dual 13MP primary camera that will take it to a whole new level. With the dual camera setup becoming more mainstream, it is about time it got upgraded in this aspect.

There will also now be an option to have twice the amount of storage at 64GB of internal storage which is nice. Since you will be capturing lots of high-res photos, the file size will be huge. Thankfully it will also have a microSD expansion slot which can take in up to 256GB extra space.

Last but not least, the latest Android Nougat 7.1.1 operating system will be available right out of the box. This means you get all the performance enhancements and all the great new features that come with the latest OS.

Conclusion:

Huawei Nova 2 is a great upgrade in all aspects: better hardware, more RAM, amazing dual primary camera, more storage and the latest Android Nougat operating system. All this makes for a complete makeover, and all eyes will be on its launch date now.

Huawei Nova 2 is expected to be launched on May 26th, and more details will be revealed by then. It is expected to be available in a variety of colors for you to choose from.

Source: Huawei Nova 2: 5-inch beautiful smartphone that doesn't compromise on camera or battery

Cell phone camera captures fist fight aboard Southwest flight

Two men are seen fighting aboard a Southwest Airlines plane in an image from a Twitter video

Then late Monday, irate passengers swarmed ticket counters at the Fort Lauderdale airport after Spirit Airlines cancelled nine flights, blaming the decision on pilots' failure to show up. The other man is now being described as a victim and has suffered several injuries to his face including a chipped tooth and contusion to his left eye.

The attacker has been named as 37-year-old Chaze Cable, a resident of Lancaster, California.

It was not clear what started the fight or if the men knew each other.

A fight ensued between the two men as the plane taxied to the gate to deplane passengers who were not continuing on to Oakland, police said.

A brawl started out as the plane is unloading in Burbank. Airport police responded and arrested Cable, then turned him over to the Burbank Police Department.

As if airlines in the US don't have enough trouble on their hands, a Southwest Airlines jet coming into the gate at a California airport was the scene of a full-blown fistfight, another on-plane incident that was caught on cellphone video. He also described the scene as one of "total chaos", and praised the flight attendant as a "hero" for getting between the two men.

It wasn't the plane that was flying, but a pair of fists Sunday, and it was caught on video, reports CBS Los Angeles.

The fight ensued as a flight attendant tried to break it up. The cell phone video shows one man leaning over the other, who had fallen, before punching him.

Back in California, Krause's thoughts were with the flight attendant. She did a wonderful job. Southwest described the passenger's injuries as "minor" but said he was able to travel onward.

Source: Cell phone camera captures fist fight aboard Southwest flight

iPhone 8 will get 3D face-recognition front camera courtesy LG

The upcoming Apple iPhone 8 will reportedly feature a facial recognition 3D front camera as a report suggests that LG Innotek, the parts unit of LG Group, will supply these camera modules.

According to Korea Economic Daily, the company has invested in a new facility worth 269.7 billion Won ($238.50 million) dedicated for Apple's orders which had an initial deal size of an estimated 200 billion Won.

Apple and LG Innotek partnered last year when the iPhone 7 and and iPhone 7 Plus were launched. Currently LG Innotek supplies the dual-lens camera module for the iPhone 7 Plus as well as the LG G6. The upcoming facial recognition camera module is expected to be smaller than the current generation which is one of the reasons why they will be made at a dedicated facility .

Almost all Android smartphones come with facial recognition but those are mostly 2D based making them less secure. A 3D based facial recognition camera would definitely have better accuracy and be more reliable and suitable for security purposes.

The deal with Apple could be a win-win situation for LG Innotek in the long-term. According to analysts the company's camera module sales could go up to 1.5 trillion Won in the fourth quarter this year which would be a jump from 400 billion Won in the first quarter.

Publish date: May 12, 2017 6:38 pm| Modified date: May 12, 2017 6:38 pm

Tags: 3D camera, 3D facial recognition, Apple, face recognition, Facial recognition, iPhone, iPhone 8, LG, LG Group, LG Innotek

Source: iPhone 8 will get 3D face-recognition front camera courtesy LG

Huawei Nova 2 with Dual Camera Setup Confirmed to Launch on May 26th in China

Huawei announced the new Nova series by launching the Nova and Nova Plus smartphones at the IFA 2016 event back in September last year. Both the devices came with metal built unibody design along with a 2.5D curved glass on the front. The devices pack decent mid-range specifications and are made available in the European markets along with China and selected Middle east countries. Though they lack the dual camera setup, the company marketed them as the camera-centric devices. Now in 2017, the company is getting ready to unveil the second generation device under the Nova series.

Unlike earlier, the company will be launching these new devices first in china, and the launch event is scheduled for May 26th. While the company has mentioned only about the Nova 2, we also expect to see the Nova 2 Plus. As of now, there is no other official information about these new devices, but the Huawei Nova 2 is spotted on the Chinese certification website, TENAA. The design of this new device looks similar to its predecessor but features a dual camera setup. From the below images, we can see the curved Antenna bands placed across the bottom and top edges.

While the recently launched Huawei and Honor smartphones with dual cameras lack any camera bump, the camera setup on this new Nova 2 slightly protrudes out. However, there is no large camera strip as seen on the Nova. We can see the Huawei logo on the front and back of the devices. The power button and the volume rocker are placed on the right edge of the device. As seen on the first-gen Nova smartphones, the upcoming Nova 2 also comes with a 2.5D curved glass laid on top. There is also a circular fingerprint placed on the rear of the device. We expect the device to run on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box with the EMUI 5.0 on top.

The Nova and Nova Plus came with power efficient Snapdragon 625 SoC, and the new Nova 2 might come with the recently launched Qualcomm's Snapdragon 660 SoC that uses custom Kryo cores. Since the company makes its own Kirin SoC, there is also a chance to see the in-house processor inside the upcoming Nova devices. Since the official launch event is just two weeks, we can expect more leaks to follow soon.

Source: Huawei Nova 2 with Dual Camera Setup Confirmed to Launch on May 26th in China

Next Vacation, Bring a Real Camera and Leave Your Phone the Hell Behind

Vacations are better when you leave your phone behind. There! I said it. But fellow millennials, hear me out, because I'm not a complete dinosaur. I'm certainly not suggesting flying to a different state or country without your phone entirely; I'm simply advocating for locking it in the hotel room safe and going down to dinner or the pool for a few unplugged hours, or at least turning it off and shoving it down into the depths of your purse. When I bring my phone along on vacation outings, I'm less likely to use it for those purposes and more likely to think, "Well, just one peek won't hurt!" and then get lost in hundreds of work emails, which is why I stopped bringing mine along and embraced phone-free travel.

I've discussed this same problem with several friends, all of whom admit that they've missed out on valuable relaxation (or exploration) time by getting sucked into their phones on vacation. And I'm not pretending that I'm somehow "above" social media or tech reliance; I still like to document my vacations, post occasional beach selfies on Instagram, and capture sweet moments with my family and friends. I just don't like doing it in the moment from my phone, which is why I am a huge fan of bringing real cameras on vacation.

I'm not as distracted by trying to frame the perfect Instagram of my poolside setup and am more intent on getting into the pool.

I used to lug my full DSLR camera, which takes stunning shots but proved to be a burden. Then, I went old school with an Instax Mini film camera but often found myself taking photos of the cute printed snaps because I wished they were shareable on social media. Since then, my hunt has ended after the Polaroid SnapTouch ($180) landed on my desk, because it gives me the sharability, simple editing tools, and pocket size of my cell phone's camera along with the instant printing abilities of my Instax. For now, at least, I'm done testing out cameras and ready to hit the road for Summer trips without a phone in hand.

But whatever camera works for you — or even no camera at all — I would highly recommend ditching that phone whenever you can. Sure, you might feel naked for a short while, but it forces you to fully experience your time away from home. When you're not glancing down at your iPhone for Yelp reviews or Facebook notifications, you're more likely to witness the small quirks of a new city or spot a dolphin out on the horizon.

In my experience, the feeling quickly fades from nakedness to liberation; putting away the phone takes my vacations that extra mile and connects me more deeply to the place I'm visiting. I'm not as distracted by trying to frame the perfect Instagram of my poolside setup and am more intent on getting into the pool. It's good practice in moderation for a modern world; and what better time to test your own technological reliance than while on a much-deserved break?

Source: Next Vacation, Bring a Real Camera and Leave Your Phone the Hell Behind

New iPhone 8 Renders Show Different Camera Layout

Vertically oriented dual rear cameras?

Apple's next iPhone has been the subject of multiple renders now, but this set, in particular, comes from famed industry leakster @Onleaks in collaboration with GearIndia.

According to the report, the renders are based on factory computer-aided design images. It's important to note, though, that Apple has a lot of prototype renders to play around with during the developing cycle, and this recently posted render might just be one of the many options on the table.

As for the iPhone 8's specifications, gossip points to a 5.8-inch OLED display with a sleek frame and very thin bezels. No physical home button this time as well, and supposedly, the next iPhone will be packing a vertically-oriented dual rear camera setup, as per these recent renders.

The rumor grapevine is expecting a September showcasing for the iPhone 8, as Apple traditionally announces their heavy-hitting devices during that month.

Source: PhoneArena
Source: New iPhone 8 Renders Show Different Camera Layout

Flagship cameras are coming to mid-range smartphones

Anyone who's used a mid-range or lower phone in the last couple of years will know that you no longer need a top tier handset to get a smooth experience, and that's soon set to be even more true as Qualcomm has just announced its newest mid-range chipsets, the Snapdragon 660 and Snapdragon 630.

They should offer improvements across the board compared to their predecessors, but there's a particular focus on their photographic skills, with both offering smooth optical zoom, superior low-light photography, higher throughput for dual-lens cameras and support for 4K video capture.

That's as well as overall improvements to image quality, more natural skin tones, better power efficiency, improved video stabilization and support for bokeh effects.

It's a pretty high-end assortment of features, and could mean that we start seeing dual-lens cameras on more mid-range handsets. The improvements to low-light photography are worth highlighting, since that's typically an area where smartphones really struggle. 

Beefy battery life and better gaming

Of course, these chips also offer CPU and GPU performance boosts, with up to 30% faster graphics rendering, which should be especially useful when gaming.

Despite all that extra power though they should be lighter on your phone's battery, offering up to 2 hours of extra life each day, plus support for Quick Charge 4.0, which can charge your phone by up to 50% in just 15 minutes.

Even some flagships like the Sony Xperia XZ Premium only sport Quick Charge 3.0, yet these chips should make their way to lower-end phones.

Neither the Snapdragon 660 or 630 is actually used by any phone yet, but we'd expect to start seeing them in mid-rangers before the end of the year.

Source: Flagship cameras are coming to mid-range smartphones