Galaxy Note 8’s secret camera features laid bare in big leak

The Galaxy Note 8 will be the first smartphone in the series to ship with a feature more interesting than what's available on the Galaxy S model that preceded it, or the usual S Pen novelties each new Galaxy Note has to deliver. The phone will have a dual lens camera on the back, and a new leak reveals more details about the phone's camera.

Dutch-language blog Galaxy Club obtained access to Samsung marketing materials, which seem to tell the entire story of the camera.

The following images suggest the dual lens camera will have 3x optical zoom, which is exactly what a recent rumor suggested.

Image Source: Samsung via GalaxyClub

The Galaxy Note 8 will also measure depth and will let users refocus photos after they're taken. It's likely the phone will also deliver the same bokeh effect in portrait pictures that can be obtained with the iPhone 7 Plus' dual camera.

Image Source: Samsung via GalaxyClub

The documentation indicates the Galaxy Note 8 will take better low-light pictures, it'll offer improved HDR, and the phone will come with extra camera tricks like the Perspective View that will let users rotate an image after it's taken and various background effects that can be applied to pictures.

Image Source: Samsung via GalaxyClub

These materials do not mention the Galaxy S8 explicitly. But given that they originate from Samsung Semiconductor, and the company just confirmed that it's going to have Isocell Dual cameras in future phones, it only makes sense to assume that all these features will be available on the Galaxy Note 8 this year.

Image Source: Samsung via GalaxyClub

Source: Galaxy Note 8's secret camera features laid bare in big leak

Vic Gundotra, former Google SVP, praises the iPhone camera

Everyone is entitled to their opinions and everyone has the right to change them at any time. But some opinions, when publicly expressed, can be so damning if they come from certain people. That seems to be the case when Vic Gundotra, who held the position of Senior Veep for Social at Google until 2014, posted on Facebook his new profound admiration for the DSLR-like output, not of a Google Pixel phone or even an Android phone, but of the iPhone 7.

Granted, being a company executive in the past doesn't mean you're forced to always sing high praises of your former employer til kingdom come. Even Apple co-founder Steve "Woz" Wozniak continues to be critical of the company when he thinks Apple deserves it. If credit should be given where it's due, so should criticism and blame be.

In this case, credit is being given to the iPhone 7's photography chops. Specifically, the iPhone 7 Plus and its fancy new Portrait Mode function. In a nutshell, this camera mode utilizes the iPhone 7 Plus' dual cameras to make the foreground subjects pop out by blurring the background. Sort of like Bokeh, but utilizing software and algorithms to achieve the effect rather than relying simply on lenses.

In a post on Facebook, Gundotra describes how he managed to take two stunning photos of his kids using just his iPhone, without using the flash even. The ex-Googler decided to leave the real camera at home and still managed to capture brilliant photos. The end of the DSLR has already arrived. His words.

While iPhones have traditionally held the places of honor as far as mobile photography goes, some might argue that hasn't been the case in a long while. DxOMark doesn't even place any iPhone in the top 4 scores, much less the top 10 phones. Google's own Pixel once held the top spot, to be surprisingly displaced by the HTC U11. This song of praise from Gundotra probably isn't going to sit well with the Android faithful at all.

What's your take on this new "endorsement" of the iPhone 7 Plus camera? Does it match your own experience? Has Apple reclaimed its throne or did it never leave it at all? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.

SOURCE: Vic Gundotra

Source: Vic Gundotra, former Google SVP, praises the iPhone camera

Essential Phone explains dual real camera technology, tuning phases

The Essential Phone is still not available but the device is still being anticipated perhaps just to know what Andy Rubin has been doing the past few years. It's arriving "in a few weeks' time" after missing a deadline. It was spotted in the wild after its official launch. Some sample photos and videos were shown off but they were disappointing coming from a premium phone.

We still have hope though because those were only early samples. Now, Essential is sharing how it has worked on the camera of the Essential Phone.

Early Essential Phone images tell us there is no obvious camera bump. The company said the cam performs well even in low light conditions so you can capture premium quality images all the time. The device comes with a dual camera system that is similar to other smartphones with such feature–there is a monochrome sensor and another RGB sensor.

As explained, the first rear camera is to apply RGB color filter (red, green, blue) at different pixel locations while the other one is for monochrome (black and white). The two cameras are activated at the same time and then images are combined to produce a final image that is very rich, crisp, and clear. Actually, we already know this process because it is common in phones with dual cameras.

What's more interesting are the two phases of tuning the phone undergoes when taking photos–objective and subjective. Objective tuning is checking and making sure that the camera modules are working in an acceptable manner. Meanwhile, subjective tuning is teaching the image signal processor to take the right images in all conditions.

Essential has been testing these processes for a long time to perfect the technology. We're not sure if that is the reason for the delay but we're very much curious now at how this smartphone will be different and how it will excel.

SOURCE: Essential

Source: Essential Phone explains dual real camera technology, tuning phases

Essential shows off what its camera can do, the phone is nowhere to be seen

Even the most optimistic people start worrying about the Essential Phone nowadays. The company promised to release the handset a month after its launch, however, it's still nowhere to be seen. It's been two months already since the company announced the PH-1 and pre-orders went live. The phone still didn't start shipping, though. Even more, Essential key employees started leaving the company.  It's not quite clear why they did it, but the fact that different directors left is not a good sign all. The latest one to leave for Google was  Liron Damir, the startup company's head of User experience. Well, there is no user experience at this point, so it makes sense that the head of this compartment has nothing more to do there.

A week ago, Andy Rubin stated that the PH-1 will arrive in a few weeks. We have heard this before, so we will only believe it when the smartphone actually lands in shops. Until then, the company thought it would be nice to show us all what the missing device can do. To be more specific, Essential shared a couple of photos taken with the new handset, showing the quality of the pictures. We must admit, it is a nice camera that can capture some great images. It does this thanks to the two sensors, an RGB and a monochrome one. The noise is considerably reduced, so the images are clear and sharp.

Unfortunately, the fact that the camera of the Essential Phone is a great one doesn't really make us any happier. It may be a good camera but what's the point if we can't get our hands on it? The smartphone that could have been one of the most popular handsets of this year is still missing. Its shipment was seriously delayed and this delay doesn't build confidence in the startup company. There are other great phones too, and in this market delivering the products on time is crucial. Especially when we think of devices have high- end prices.

Source: GSM Arena

Source: Essential shows off what its camera can do, the phone is nowhere to be seen

Motorola Unveils Moto Z2 Smartphone with Shatterproof Screen, Dual Camera

As expected, Motorola on Tuesday unveiled the Moto Z2 force edition Android smartphone during a "Hello Moto" event that the company held in New York City.

Featuring a shatterproof design and ultimate technologies, the Motorola Moto Z2 smartphone is a hefty upgrade to last year's Moto Z, and the company says that Moto Z2 is now their most advanced phone ever, allowing users to transform it the way they want with Moto Mods.

With Moto Mods, Motorola promises that customer can transform the Moto Z2 into something that no other smartphone can do. Users can add things like powerful stereo speakers, a projector, a 360 camera, and even an additional battery that will double the life of the device.

"Moto Mods add cool, new functions that aren't available on any other smartphones, so you can connect with the world around you in a whole new way," says Motorola. "Go beyond your phone. Add powerful stereo speakers, a 360 camera, a projector, and 100% more battery life—in a snap."

Available on August 10

Moto Z2 sports a gorgeous 5.5-inch Quad HD 1440p Super AMOLED display that's guaranteed not to crack or shatter when dropped, and features a modern design wrapped in a sleek 7000 series aluminum unibody. On the back, the device comes with dual 12 MP camera sensors with real-time controls and enhanced depth of field.

On the front, there's a 5 MP selfie camera with LED flash, and under the hood, the Moto Z2 is powered by Qualcomm's most powerful Snapdragon 835 Octa-Core 2.35 GHz processor and an Adreno 540 GPU for faster data speeds. A fingerprint sensor is implemented on home button so you can instantly unlock your phone.

By default, Moto Z2 is powered by Google's Android 7.1.1 Nougat mobile operating system and comes with a 2730 mAh battery that Motorola says it will last all day long. The Moto Z2 is also dust- and water-proof, and features Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with MIMO, as well as Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity.

Pre-orders start today and last until August 9, and the device will be available officially on August 10 at AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, Verizon, and Best Buy in Super Black, Fine Gold, and Lunar Grey (T-Mobile exclusive) flavors. Price starts from $33.33/mo with a or $799.99 unlocked.

Moto Z2's shatterproof design

Moto Z2 with Moto Mods

Source: Motorola Unveils Moto Z2 Smartphone with Shatterproof Screen, Dual Camera

Xiaomi Mi 5X Vs Mi 6: It is the season of dual camera phones

One of the major highlights of Xiaomi's 2017 flagship phone, the Mi 6 -- in addition to its glorious all glass and stainless steel design -- is its dual rear camera system. On Wednesday, Xiaomi launched a more affordable or mini version of the Mi 6 -- in China -- aka the Mi 5X that brings the former's dual rear cameras to the masses. The Mi 5X, just like the Mi 6, (also) comes with a dual camera setup on the rear -- 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel -- where one lens is wide-angle while the other is telephoto.

The Mi 6 is still Xiaomi's top-tier phone for 2017, but, with the Mi 5X buyers now have the option to try out the former's dual camera gimmickry in a more affordable package. Take a look.

Design

The Xiaomi Mi 6 boasts of a glass and stainless steel sandwich design. The Mi 6 apparently took seven years in the making and there's no denying that it's a gorgeous piece of tech just like its predecessor phone, the Mi 5. The Mi 6's stainless steel construction requires a 50-step manufacturing process and over 270 individual operations, according to Xiaomi. Moreover, the phone is available in slew of options ranging from white to blue. The Mi 6, just like the bezel-less Mi Mix, also has a limited edition ceramic version that's quite honestly a sight to behold. It is also supposedly stronger than the 'regular' glass Mi 6 versions. Although, Xiaomi doesn't specify whether or not the Mi 6 ships with a protective covering, it says the Mi 6 is splash resistant.

The Mi 6 has a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. Xiaomi has incorporated an under-glass -- ultrasonic -- fingerprint scanner in the Mi 6 which means you'll be touching a barren area of glass to unlock the phone. Having Qualcomm's Sense ID ultrasonic fingerprint technology embedded right into the home button means, the Mi 6 would be faster, more secure (as it employs 3D mapping rather than 2D mapping employed by incumbents like the OnePlus 5) and less susceptible to sweat and moisture damage in the longer run.

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 5X: Top specs, features, price and everything you must know

The Xiaomi Mi 5X, which may be considered as a Mi 6 Mini, meanwhile comes with a full metal unibody design -- a stark departure from the Mi 5 and Mi 6's glass and metal bodies -- and a rear mounted fingerprint scanner. The phone, with its all metal body and dual rear cameras looks remarkably like the iPhone 7 Plus from every nook and corner. Everything from the 2.5 D curved glass on the front to the antenna lines placement on the back, screams the iPhone. The only visible difference is seen in the fingerprint scanner placement. As opposed to the iPhone 7 Plus that comes with a front-mounted fingerprint scanner, the Xiaomi Mi 5X sports one on the back. It comes with physical capacitive -- soft keys -- keys on the front and will be available in three colours: black, gold and rose gold (pink). The Mi 5X lacks a splash-resistant screen.

Display

The Xiaomi Mi 6 comes with a 5.15-inch 1080p display "with reduced glare and 0.15-nit adjustments (total 4096 brightness levels)." The Mi 5X, on the other hand, comes with a larger 5.5-inch 1080p LTPS display with 450nit brightness.

Software

The Mi 5X will notably be the first Xiaomi phone to ship with (Android Nougat-based) MIUI 9 out-of-the-box. Announced in China on Wednesday, and slated to be rolled out (in beta) globally from August 11, the MIUI 9 update is said to offer explosively fast app launch times on the back of "optimised haptic feedback, intelligent CPU acceleration and optimised thread scheduling." The MIUI 9 update will bring key Android Nougat nuggets, chiefly multi-window support to Xiaomi phones.

The Mi 6, meanwhile, runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out-of-the-box with Xiaomi's custom skin MIUI 8.2 on top. It will be upgradable to MIUI 9 in the days to come.

Hardware

The Mi 5X is powered by a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clubbed with Adreno 506GPU. The Snapdragon 625 is notably the first 600-series chipset to be built on a power-efficient 14nm process: the focus therefore lies on improved thermal efficiency and power-saving. The Mi 5X further comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is further expandable by up to 128GB via a hybrid micro-SD card slot.

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 5X brings the flagship Mi 6's dual rear cameras to the masses

The Xiaomi Mi 6, on the other hand, comes with a top-of-the-line 2.45GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor clubbed with Adreno 540 GPU and 6GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB/128GB internal storage which is non-expandable. The Mi 6, in addition, also comes with a stereo speaker setup but doesn't ship with a 3.5mm audio jack. Xiaomi includes a USB Type-C to 3.5mm dongle in the box, but, remember you can't charge and listen to the music simultaneously.

Camera

The Mi 6 comes with a dual camera setup on the rear -- 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel -- where one lens is wide-angle while the other is telephoto. The Mi 6 offers 2X optic zoom and 10X digital zoom (just like the iPhone 7 Plus) and should technically result in clearer distant shots and professional bokeh effects in portraits. The dual camera system on-board the Mi 6 is assisted with 4-axis OIS which should technically entail in more stabilized videos. On the front the Mi 6 comes with an 8-megapixel camera.

The Mi 5X brings the flagship Mi 6's dual rear cameras to the masses. The Mi 5X, just like the Mi 6, (also) comes with a dual camera setup on the rear -- 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel -- where one lens is wide-angle while the other is telephoto. Although Xiaomi didn't mention the sensors on-board, it did say that the dual camera setup on the rear of the Mi 5X is the same as used in the Mi 6 leading us to believe that it is more or less the same deal. On the front, the Mi 5X comes with a 5-megapixel camera.

Battery

While the Mi 5X is backed by a 3,080mAh battery, the Mi 6 offers a bigger 3,350mAh battery.

Pricing and availability

The Mi 5X is exclusive to China for now and will cost RMB 1,499 which roughly translates to Rs 14,285.75. It will be available in three colours: Black, Gold and Rose Gold and will go on sale for the first time on August 1.

The Mi 6, on the other hand, has been priced at RMB 2,499 (roughly Rs 23,463) for the 6GB RAM/64GB memory version, RMB 2,899 (roughly Rs 27,219) for the 6GB RAM/128GB memory version and RMB 2,999 (roughly Rs 28,152) for the limited ceramic edition. Last we heard, Xiaomi will not be launching the Mi 6 in India.

Also Read: Xiaomi Mi 6: Full specs, price, features and everything else you need to know

For more news from India Today, follow us on Twitter @IndiaTodayTech and on Facebook at facebook.com/indiatodaytechFor news and videos in Hindi, go to AajTak.in.ताज़ातरीन ख़बरों और वीडियो के लिए आजतक.इन पर आएं.

Source: Xiaomi Mi 5X Vs Mi 6: It is the season of dual camera phones

Smartphone Explosion Caught Live on Camera – Might be Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Update)

In the last one year, we have reported about a few Xiaomi smartphones catching fire. There is also a video of the Mi 4i exploding in flames. Now, a new video of the Redmi Note 4 explosion is caught live on camera. It is one of the most popular budget smartphones launched in 2017. From the below video, we can see the device catches fire just when the shop keeper tries to insert the SIM. The exploded device is the 3GB RAM variant of Redmi Note 4 which also packs 32GB of internal storage. It was purchased on June 1st through one of the Poorvika stores in Bengaluru.

Earlier in March this year, Xiaomi announced Sangeetha, Poorvika, Lot Mobile, and BigC as its offline retail partners. However, the incident is said to have happened on July 17th and no casualties were reported from the store. While the malfunctioned device is taken to the Xiaomi's service center, till date, there is no response about the cause of the explosion. Recently, the company is betting big on the offline market and it can't afford this kind of incidents. Xiaomi also opened three Mi home stores in Bengaluru and has promised to launch new stores in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai in the coming weeks.

Talking about the Redmi Note 4 explosion, the customer has also filed a FIR at the Bellandur Police Station in Bengaluru and below is the copy of the same.

As of now, we don't know what exactly caused this explosion. We will update once there is an official information from Xiaomi India. Stay tuned on Phone Radar for more updates!

Source

Update 1:Official statement from Xiaomi India:

At Xiaomi, customer safety is of utmost importance to us. We have reached out to the customer to investigate this matter, and are awaiting further response.

Update 2:

According to the company, they have already got in touch with the customer from Bengaluru who had shared the FIR Copy regarding this incident and replaced the defective Redmi Note 4 with the new unit. However, the video showing the device in flames might not be related to this particular incident. Stay tuned on Phone Radar for more updates!

Update 2:

Another Official statement from Xiaomi India:At Xiaomi, customer safety is of utmost importance to us. We investigated the Redmi Note 4 in the images and concluded that it was a case of damage due to a faulty third-party charger used by the customer. Nonetheless, we worked with the Poorvika store where the unit was bought and replaced the customer's damaged unit with a brand new Redmi Note 4.

However, after a thorough investigation, we cannot validate the source of this video, as it has no relation to this case, and was not from the Poorvika store. In fact, it is unclear if this separate and unrelated incident depicted in the video involved a Xiaomi device.

Related

Source: Smartphone Explosion Caught Live on Camera – Might be Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 (Update)

The Bokeh Battle: Camera vs. Smartphone Dual Cameras

When a new technology or a feature is introduced in smartphones, OEMs leave no stone unturned to make it "the" feature, making tall claims. Suddenly, with this one new feature, your smartphone becomes an eligible replacement of gaming consoles, PCs, sound systems, your professional camera, and God alone knows what else. For some time now, cameras have been one of the focal points (pun intended) that can decide the fate of a smartphone in the market. Companies have been improving cameras on smartphones for quite a while, and the latest trend is spreading like wildfire in smartphone country is dual cameras.

When dual cameras were first introduced, they seem to be a feature only for high-end devices, but as they became more popular, the camera couple found its way to the mid-range segment of smartphones. And one of the super tall claims that almost all companies are making is, "DSLR-like" photography experience – and by that, they mean delivering bokeh (in simple English "blurred background"). Almost every phone with dual cameras is now being compared to a DSLR as if two sensors and a blurry background are all it takes to make a DSLR.

How true are these claims? Do these smartphones actually deliver DSLR-like bokeh? Or is this just so much marketing hype?

We decided to find out for ourselves. We took some pictures from two dual camera phones – the iPhone 7 Plus and OnePlus 5, both of which boast about their bokeh-laden 'Portrait Mode' and we took the same pictures from a mirrorless Sony A6000 (which some might insist is not a classical DSLR but comes very close) with a 50 mm lens (the one used by most photographers for bokeh). And well, depending on your inclination you will not – or will – believe what happened next.

Starting off with some chocolate iPhone 7 Plus

A bottle of chocolate milkshake was our first subject. We placed the bottle on a table. We switched to the Portrait Mode on both the OnePlus 5 and iPhone 7 Plus and took shots. The picture taken by the iPhone 7 Plus produced a very deep bokeh and highlighted the subject in the foreground. It also produced colors that were very realistic and were not tweaked as such. But the phone did not really do justice to the blurriness and also blurred out the "Chai Point" written on the bottle. Also, if you observe closely, the cap of the bottle is also partly blurred out. The rest of the bottle in focus has great detail, but the camera misses the mark in some places.

OnePlus 5

On the OnePlus 5, the results were a little different. The camera couple did a good job in outlining the product.There was no part of the bottle which was blurred out in the picture. That said, the bokeh on the OnePlus 5 was not as deep as that produced by the iPhone 7 Plus. And along with focusing on the bottle of milkshake, the camera also kept a lot of other elements in front of it in focus which made the picture a little cluttered. The OnePlus 5 also made the chocolate milkshake look pink, and all the other elements in the pictures were a tad oversaturated as well.

Sony A6000

Then came the representative of the camera segment – we used the Sony A6000 camera with a 50 mm lens to take the picture. And this time, the result was very different. The camera not only produced very deep bokeh but also highlighted the product really well. The subject pretty much jumps at you when you look at the picture which seemed missing in the first two cases. The chocolate milkshake bottle is defined way better, and the edges are sharp, unlike the first two pictures where the edges were dissolving with the bokeh-ed background. This picture was well detailed and did not have any color issues as well, and although the colors produced by the iPhone 7 Plus and the A6000 were pretty much the same, the bokeh result and the detailing was not.

Sorry phones, you got shown up. And yes, the chocolate shake was not too bad either.

Adding a human touch iPhone 7 Plus

For the second picture, we changed things a little and instead of having just any subject we chose our favorite human subject, i.e., our Editorial Mentor. On the iPhone 7 Plus, there were not as many random blurry bits as there were in the first picture and bokeh again was very deep. The camera lacked detailing, but the color reproduction was good and accurate.

OnePlus 5

The OnePlus 5 also delivered a bokeh-ed background, and we found the details produced by the OnePlus 5 to be better. But as we zoomed in, we realized that the bokeh was not clean and precise in this picture. The colors too were a little over saturated, even though the background was efficiently blurred out.

The Sony A6000 then came into in the picture. Literally. And once again gave us an image which pretty much had it all. The picture taken by the Sony A6000 had the right amount of bokeh – it made the subject stand out and differentiated it clearly from the background and at the same time. Most importantly, the picture did not look like it was generated through software (which often happens in the case of smartphone cameras). The edges were beautifully covered and clean. We just wanted our subject in focus, and that is what we got. Nothing else. The detail was on point, and the colors were also accurate. All in all, the Sony A6000 again smashed the competition. This was getting embarrassing.

Gimme the MacBook Pro iPhone 7 Plus

From human to objects. And being in tech, we chose the 2016 MacBook Pro to be our model. The iPhone 7 Plus did a great job in this round (of course it would – the Apple connection!). The Portrait mode worked beautifully for the MacBook Pro. The silver gray Apple device was placed on a brown coffee table, and while there was a lot going on in the background, the smartphone pretty much made everything else disappear. It was just about the MacBook Pro. Upon inspecting closely, however, we had the same issues where we thought the bokeh was not inch perfect and it missed out the edges of the device but that said, the picture did score in the detailing and color segments.

OnePlus 5

The OnePlus 5 also did a good job with bokeh and this time around we were not at all disappointed with how sharply it covered our subject. The bokeh was pretty well established around the MacBook Pro, and the camera scored well in the detail department as well, but if there is one thing we would like to change in the OnePlus 5 camera, it definitely will be the color reproduction which was time and again saturating the setting.

Then came the Sony A6000. Its competitors had done an outstanding job, to the extent of making us wonder if there was a scope of significant improvement. Well, the Sony A6000 had this one round in its bag yet again. Hands down. While we did like how the iPhone 7 Plus and OnePlus 5 pictures turned out, the one captured by the Sony A6000 hit a home run even on the third strike. The MacBook Pro was highlighted very well – we could easily differentiate the background and the foreground as it popped out and the camera also managed to get a great score in detail and color reproduction. The Sony A6000 again took the prize money home.

Lower the lights…and bring on the bokeh! iPhone 7 Plus

For the final round, we decided to change the setting a bit and decided to take pictures in a slightly darker light. This time around our model was a Starbucks paper coffee cup. The iPhone 7 Plus did highlight the product well to make it stand out from the background. One thing we really appreciate about the iPhone 7 Plus is the color reproduction of the pictures that we took – the camera was consistent, and we knew what we were going to get. But detailing was sacrificed in this shot and although the bokeh was extremely deep, the straw was blurred out, making it appear software rather than hardware induced.

OnePlus 5

The OnePlus 5 performed just a bit better than the iPhone 7 Plus. The detailing was better in this picture than it was in the iPhone 7 Plus' case and captured more light. That said, the bokeh was very shallow. While the iPhone just made the straw go blurry, but it did merge with the background, the OnePlus 5 blurred out everything except for the cup but the straw still stood out, and the bokeh in the picture seemed very inconsistent, making the picture look a little unreal.

Sony A6000

And this is going to sound predictable, but the Sony A6000 again managed to blow its competitors out of the water. The low light performance of the camera was amazing. The Starbucks coffee cup was jumping out of the background, and the bokeh surrounded the cup beautifully. In the phone pictures we had issues with the dual cameras blurring out the straws – in this case, the camera not only highlighted the cup but the straw was an integral part as well, and the detailing was amazingly precise.

Sorry for the achy Bokeh heart, Phones!

You do not have to be a wizard to figure out who came out on top in this bokeh battle. In each of the four examples, the Sony A6000 pretty much swept the floor with its phone competitors, showing the difference a device dedicated to photography can make. The camera showed why it is a device dedicated to take pictures and what difference can it make to your photos. Its bokeh seemed strongest by far, and what's more, it did not seem in the least artificial, as the subject in focus remained very much in focus and had no partially blurred out bits. Yes, the pictures taken by the iPhone 7 Plus and OnePlus 5 were remarkable for a pair of phones. But we think the two devices just could not compare with the A6000 in the bokeh business, no matter what they had.

So, the next time a smartphone company tries to tell you how its phone camera can create bokeh as good as a DSLR, think about it once (or may be twice) and then politely disagree.

Because it just does not.

Source: The Bokeh Battle: Camera vs. Smartphone Dual Cameras

ASUS Starts Teasing The New ZenFone 4 Smartphone, Hints At A Dual Camera Setup

ASUS is expected to launch the new ZenFone 4 smartphone very soon and we have already seen a couple of rumors for the same. The company has already launched the ZenFone 4 Max smartphone in Russia and it is now time that we see this smartphone as well. As we are getting closer to the expected launch date, the company has now started teasing the smartphone in its social media handle. The company has posted a couple of teaser images, which hints at a specific feature of the smartphone.

Taking a look at the teaser images, it is quite obvious that the company is hinting at a dual camera setup for the primary camera. All the teaser images that were posted in the company's official handle hints at a dual camera setup. However, nothing in specific was revealed by the company in terms of the specs of the same. But now we are certain that the company is mainly focusing on giving more importance to the camera with the ZenFone 4 smartphone.

In terms of the specs, it is expected that the smartphone will sport a 5.5-inch FHD display on the front. Internally, it is expected to be powered by an octa-core SoC, however, the exact model of the same is not known yet. It looks like this SoC will be coupled with 6GB of RAM along with an expandable internal storage. As mentioned earlier, the camera on this smartphone appears to be dual camera setup and we expect to learn more on this very soon.

As far as the other launches from the company are concerned, this year we will be getting a ton of ZenFone 4 series smartphones. Previously we had reported about the company planning on launching a bunch of them. So if you are in the market to buy an ASUS smartphone, then 2017 is certainly going to be a year to look out for. Also, the last years' ZenFone 3 is still most of the best smartphones you can buy for the price. You can read our full written review for the same to learn more about it. Having said that, we would like to know your thoughts on this. Would you be interested in buying the new ASUS ZenFone 4 smartphone? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on this.

Via – GSMArena

Related

Source: ASUS Starts Teasing The New ZenFone 4 Smartphone, Hints At A Dual Camera Setup

Nokia 7610 Gets Modernized, Adds Fingerprint Scanner and Rear Camera

Nokia originally manufactured the 7610 smartphone in mid-2004, and it featured a 1-megapixel camera (1152x864 pixels), as well as several applications, including: Nokia Lifeblog, the Opera Mobile web browser and Kodak Photo Sharing. This modernized version by industrial designer Mohamed Sasa now adds a fingerprint scanner and main camera with dual LED flash on the back. Continue reading for more pictures and information.

"This is obviously a wider and bigger phone than the 2004 original and you can actually see a comparison of them below. Interestingly the Nokia logo is now front and center, although the Nokia brand has been taking a bit of a beating over the past years," according to Concept Phones.

Source: Nokia 7610 Gets Modernized, Adds Fingerprint Scanner and Rear Camera

What is the best prepaid cell phone with camera and text/picture messeging? for low price.

I've had good results with Net10. While their customer service is a joke, at best (99% of their CS reps speak Spanish as their native language, and their command of English isn't great), their actual phone service is quite good. As it's name suggests, standard calls are $.10/minute, text messages are $.05 each and multimedia messages are $.25 each. They have two camera phones available: the LG CG225 and the Motorola W375 (which I have).

Source: What is the best prepaid cell phone with camera and text/picture messeging? for low price.

Top 5 camera phones you can buy under Rs. 15,000 (July 2017)

From dual-lenses to professional camera modes, you can now get everything you need to take some great pictures on your smartphone, and we've put together the best of the lot.

Photography is something that most of us have surely dabbled with at one point. Earlier, people would buy small point-and-shoot cameras when they wanted to showcase their photography skills. With the rise of smartphones, things are a lot different. These devices have taken over the role of the point-and-shoot. The smartphone camera has evolved over the years, and in some areas, it can be considered better than a standard point-and-shoot. Today, we'll be taking a look at smartphones that offer some of the best cameras at less than Rs 15,000 

Honor 6XPrice: Rs. 11,999Honor has been quite impressive with its whole dual-camera implementation on its premium phones, and now it brings that expertise to the budget smartphone market as well. The Honor 6X is currently one of the best camera phones to buy under Rs 15,000. It uses a 12MP camera at the back, which is aided by a 2MP secondary camera. While the primary 12MP camera captures most of the details of the image, the 2MP camera captures depth. All this combined makes the images taken by the camera really stand out. You can even take Bokeh images with the phone, thanks to the dual-camera setup.

Coolpad Cool 1Where to buy 10999 12499 12999Price : Rs. 12,990Trailing just behind the Honor 6XWhere to buy 11999 13999 is the Coolpad Cool 1, one of the most well rounded smartphones we reviewed this year. While the dual 13MP camera setup is impressive and takes good images, the performance of the device is one of the best in the category. The phone is available in both 3GB and 4GB RAM options, but storage is a bit limited to 32GB. You get a good display and a dependable battery life as well, which completes the package. 

Xiaomi Redmi 4Price: Rs. 6,999Surprised? Well, don't be. The Xiaomi Redmi 4 is one of the best camera phones in the sub Rs 15,000 segment. The 13MP rear camera on the phone takes better pictures not just at its own, sub Rs 10,000 price point, but is even better than some more expensive devices, including the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4Where to buy 499. There is a perceivable improvement over the Redmi 3S thanks to the faster focus and improved camera algorithms. While, the phone does struggle under low light, it is understandable considering it is one of the most affordable smartphones available today. Besides that, you also get dependable performance and a remarkable battery life  

Moto G4Price: Rs. 9,999Last year's Moto G4 is another good option if a good camera remains your priority and you cannot get your hands on any Xiaomi phone. The 13MP camera with f/2.0 aperture lens on the G4 will do the job well. Moto's camera app is extremely simple to use and if you want to experiment a bit, you can jump into the Pro Mode to bring the best out of the camera. Since, this is a Moto device, you'll get the latest Android OS and a near stock UI with it. The performance is little slower compared to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4Where to buy 499, but it is still workable.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4Where to buy 499Price: Rs. 9,999No budget list is complete without mentioning the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. As for the 13MP rear camera on the phone, it does the job, and it does it well, at least in normal lighting conditions. While it does struggle with low light, that is something that almost all budget smartphones struggle with. However, if you have a steady hand and won't mind fiddling with the manual mode, you might get your money's worth with this phone.

ExtraMoto G5 PlusPrice: Rs. 15,999If you can extend your budget a little bit, the Moto G5 Plus is the phone to have as it has one of the best cameras we have seen on a phone around the 15K price mark. Featuring a superb 12MP camera sensor with an f/1.7 aperture lens, the Moto G5 Plus can take good pictures in almost all lighting conditions. It uses the same dual-pixel technology, Samsung introduced last year flagship, the Galaxy S7. The phone manages ISO levels very well, keeping them low when needed, and under control when cranking them up. As a result, even photos shot indoors and in low light conditions look quite decent.

Hardik Singh  hardik.singh@digit.in

Light at the top, this odd looking creature lives under the heavy medication of video games.

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Source: Top 5 camera phones you can buy under Rs. 15,000 (July 2017)

How to Download YouTube Videos to Your iPhone’s Camera Roll [No Jailbreak Required]

Posted by Ali Hassan Mahdi on Jul 18, 2017 | No Comments

While YouTube is one of the best places to watch your favorite videos, one of the major drawbacks is the inability to download these videos to your iPhone or iPad. Sometimes, you may want to download a video to watch it later in offline mode or share it with your friends. Well, this is not possible as of yet.

Unfortunately, YouTube will never bring video downloading capability to its app, but there is actually a workaround for bypassing this restriction without even having to jailbreak. By using a file management app such as Document 6, and an online YouTube video downloader service, you can easily download and save your favorite videos from YouTube to your iPhone's Camera Roll.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how this can be done. The guide is split into two parts. In the first part, we'll show you how to copy the link of a YouTube video, and in the second part, you'll learn how to download it on your iPhone or iPad and save it to your Camera Roll.

How to Copy the Link of a YouTube Video

If the video is open in Safari or any other browser, then you can copy its link from the address bar at the top of the browser. However, if the video is open in the YouTube app, you have to copy its link via the Share button. Here's how:

Step 1: Launch the YouTube app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Open the video that you wish to download.

Step 3: Below the video, there is a Share button. Tap on it, then choose Copy link.

That's it. You're now ready for the next part of this tutorial.

How to Download and Save YouTube Videos to Your iPhone's Camera Roll

We will use an iOS app called Document 6 and a website named PickVideo.net to download and save YouTube videos to your iPhone's Camera Roll.

Step 1: Download and install the Document 6 app from the App Store.

Step 2: Once the app has been installed, open it.

Step 3: The app has a built-in web browser for surfing the internet. Open it by tapping on the browser icon in the bottom right corner of the app.

Step 4: Type pickvideo.net into the address bar at the top, then press the Go key.

Step 5: After the website has been loaded, tap on YouTube from the collection of supported sites.

Step 6: Now paste the video's link into the search box. To do so, tap once on the search box and a typing marker appears. Now tap and hold on the search box and choose Paste.

Step 7: Next, tap on the download button. The website collects all the available download links and displays it in a table. Additional information about the download links are also displayed such as the video resolutions, format, and their size.

Step 8: Tap and hold on an MP4 download link, then choose Download link from the menu that opens.

Step 9: The save dialogue box appears. Rename the file if you wish (don't remove the .mp4 extension), then tap on the Save button.

Step 10: The download will now begin. To view its progress, press the downwards arrow icon at the bottom of the browser. Once the video has been downloaded, it will be saved to the Downloads folder in the app.

How to Save the Downloaded YouTube Video to Your iPhone's Camera Roll

Step 1: Open the Downloads folder in the app.

Step 2: Find the video that you just downloaded, then tap on the ellipsis icon below it. Next, choose the Move option.

Step 3: Under the Recents section, tap on Camera Roll, then press Move to Camera Roll at the bottom of the app.

The downloaded YouTube video is moved to your iPhone's Camera Roll. Open the Photos app and you should see the video there.

This is how you can download and save YouTube videos to iPhone and iPad without jailbreaking or using a computer. PickVideo.net allows you to download videos from a number of other sources as well. It has Facebook video downloader, Instagram video downloader, Vimeo video downloader, and much more.

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Source: How to Download YouTube Videos to Your iPhone's Camera Roll [No Jailbreak Required]

Huawei Honor 9 vs Gionee S10: two amazing camera smartphones under $400 battle it out

It is going great for fans of camera smartphone with Huawei Honor 9 offering a great dual primary camera setup while Gionee S10 is equipped with four cameras (dual primary camera + dual selfie camera).

The Honor lineup is positioned as top-of-the-line, and Honor 9 is the latest in the long running series which have been around for a couple of years now. Just released last month in June 2017, here's why everyone is abuzz with it:

5.15-inch Full HD LTPS IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 1080 x 1920 pixels (~428 ppi pixel density)

Metal body

Fingerprint sensor

HiSilicon Kirin 960 chipset, Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) processor, Mali-G71 MP8 graphics and 4GB RAM

Dual 20MP+12MP primary camera with f/2.2 aperture, phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom and dual-LED (dual tone) flash

8MP secondary camera with f/2.0 aperture

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

Android Nougat 7.0 OS

Non-removable Li-Po 3200 mAh battery

Dual-sim and 4G LTE

June 2017 release date

~$399 USD price tag

Not everyone is keen on a large screen smartphone, that's why we have the likes of Honor 9 joining in the fray. It comes in a 5.15-inch Full HD LTPS IPS screen with a metal body and fingerprint sensor as well. Definitely great on the look and feel department.

Performance-wise, the Honor 9 is pretty much on the high-end side with the Kirin 960 chipset paired with a blazingly fast octa-core processor, great graphics and 4GB RAM. The amount of power it dishes on the relatively small screen, means that you have a pocket rocket in your hands.

The highlight of the show for Honor 9 is on its oh-so excellent dual 20MP+12MP primary camera packed with all the features and functions that you can dream of. Go on ahead to take great-looking pictures with it, and it will get you hooked on taking more and more pictures. Then there's the 8MP selfie camera which makes the package complete.

With 64GB internal storage available, it will be full in no time at all. With high-res photos amounting to more than 10MB per picture, thankfully you can easily add an additional 256GB space with the available microSD expansion slot.

Equipped with a 3200 mAh battery, there's no problem for Honor 9 to be able to last you for a full day. Finally, the latest Android Nougat 7.0 operating system is available for you to take full advantage of.

Now let's turn our attention to the S10. With more manufacturers joining in on the dual camera bandwagon, how's four cameras sounds like? Blessed with a dual primary camera and a dual selfie camera, it is nothing short of amazing over here.

Here's the full low-down on the S10:

5.5-inch Full HD LTPS IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 1080 x 1920 pixels or ~401 ppi pixel density

Fingerprint sensor

Mediatek MT6757T Helio P25 chipset, Octa-core (4x2.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x1.4 GHz Cortex-A53) processor, Mali-T880MP2 graphics and 4GB RAM

Dual 16MP+8MP primary camera with phase detection autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash

Dual 20MP+8MP secondary camera

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

Android Nougat 7.0

Non-removable Li-Ion 3450 mAh battery

Dual-sim and 4G LTE

June 2017 release date

$2,599 Chinese Yuan or ~$379 USD price tag

The S10 sports a larger 5.5-inch Full HD LTPS IPS screen that is big on real estate and viewing pleasure. The extra screen space is very much appreciated over here. Then there's also the fingerprint sensor which can be put to good use.

In terms of performance, it stands somewhere between the mid-range and high-end with the Helio P25 chipset, a balanced octa-core processor, great graphics and 4GB RAM. It might not be as fast, but still fast enough for your daily usage without a doubt.

With four cameras running the show for the S10, let's break it down further. First, there's the dual 16MP-8MP primary camera setup that lets you take great-looking photos with it. Go ahead to experiment with the bokeh effect, to get some excitement going on with it. Next comes along an even better dual 20MP+8MP selfie camera that lets you take some of the best selfies in the world with it. You will be excited at how great it looks, and everyone will be amazed once you share it on your favorite social media.

Similarly, it also has 64GB of internal storage which will be full in no time at all. There's also an expansion slot which can take it up to a maximum of 256GB as well.

Software-wise, the S10 is also running on the latest Android Nougat 7.0 operating system which is good news indeed.

And with a larger screen, it will definitely benefit from the larger 3450 mAh battery which is more than capable of powering the smartphone for a full day in between charging.

Conclusion:

Huawei Honor 9 packs a flagship performance in a small 5.15-inch Full HD LTPS IPS screen wrapped in a beautiful metal body a great dual 20MP-12MP primary camera. Definitely a hot smartphone to begin with.

Huawei Honor 9 is currently available for approximately ~$399 USD. It is available in Amber Gold, Seagull Grey and Charm Sea Blue colors.

Meanwhile for Gionee S10, it goes beyond the traditional with an amazing four cameras on it. Go for it if you are looking for a large screen device packed with an awesome dual primary camera and a dual selfie camera, great hardware, great battery and the latest operating system to boot. Plus, it is also slightly cheaper by $20 USD.

Gionee S10 is currently available for approximately $2,599 Chinese Yuan or $379 USD. You can choose either Cherry Gold, Dark Black, Indigo Blue or Primrose Green color.

Source: Huawei Honor 9 vs Gionee S10: two amazing camera smartphones under $400 battle it out

Leagoo T5 Dual Camera Smartphone with 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage

Leagoo has released details about its new high mid-range dual camera smartphone – the Leagoo T5. The device is based on the company's Leagoo OS 2.1 (based on the current Android 7.0 Nougat OS) and ‎is billed to go on sale this month (July) for a price tag of $199.99 (the pre-sale price was $149.99).

As earlier mentioned, the Leagoo T5 features two rear cameras – a main 13MP SONY shooter and a secondary 5MP OV sensor. The front camera is also a 13MP OV sensor as well. The device has a 5.5-inch SHARP display with 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD) screen resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection.

On the inside, it packs 4GB RAM, 64GB built-in storage space, 4G LTE support and relies on an octa-core Mediatek MT6750T processor clocked at 1.8GHz. The who shebang depends on a 3,000mAh LG battery with a 5V/2A quick charger to speed up charge time. The fingerprint sensor (0.1 sec unlock time) is embedded into the front home button.

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Source: Leagoo T5 Dual Camera Smartphone with 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage