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