Phone Camera News

Monday, January 9, 2017

ZTE Launches Blade V8 Smartphone with Dual Lens Camera & Fingerprint Sensor

A couple of days back, ZTE launched the Blade V8 Pro with dual rear cameras. The Blade V8 was leaked earlier to the CES 2017 along with the Blade V8 Pro. Now, the company also made the Blade V8 official at the ongoing CES 2017. This is the same device that got the TENAA certification with the model number ZTE BV0800. While the ZTE Blade V8 Pro comes with a plastic body, the Blade V8 sports a metal built body. The rear camera is interestingly placed horizontally on the top rear of the device. While the Blade V8 Pro came with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the Blade V8 runs on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box with MiFavor 4.2 UI laid on top.

Commenting on the launch, Jacky Zhang, Senior VP of ZTE Corporation, said,

The Blade series has always been aimed at the young generation, and today we're proud to showcase its newest member, the Blade V8, to the world. We hope that through this phone and its incredible camera features, today's youth can see the world in new ways. As a key extension of the human body, smartphones can't be more important to our daily lives, especially for capturing those significant moments. With that in mind, every piece of the Blade V8 is created to empower users with eyes to see the beauty of the world like never before.

The 5.2-inch display of the Blade V8 comes with Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution along with a 2.5D glass laid on top. Under the hood is the 1.4GHz Snapdragon 435 octa-core processor coupled with Adreno 505 GPU. It comes in two variants with 2GB RAM + 16GB storage and 3GB RAM + 32GB storage. There is also a MicroSD card slot for further expansion of storage on this device. The Blade V8 is backed by a 2,730mAh non-removable battery, and it measures just 7.7 mm thickness. It has a physical home button on the front that comes embedded with a fingerprint sensor. On the right edge of the device, we can find the volume rocker and power button.

The rear camera setup on the Blade V8 comes with a 13MP autofocus sensor and 2MP fixed focus sensor. On the other hand, the earlier launched Blade V8 Pro came with dual 13MP sensors. With the dual lens cameras, the device can capture Bokeh and 3D photos. For selfie, there is also a 13MP fixed focus front camera. Both the front and rear cameras are assisted by LED flash for capturing decent images in the low light conditions. Connectivity options include 4G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, 3.5mm Audio port, and USB Type-C port. The device will be available in Rose Gold, Silver, Dark Grey and Champagne Gold color options. It will be available in Russia and Japan by the end of February 2017 and in Germany, Spain, and China by March 2017.

Stay tuned on Phone Radar for more details!

Source: ZTE Launches Blade V8 Smartphone with Dual Lens Camera & Fingerprint Sensor

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Samsung Galaxy J1 4G with 4.5â€³ AMOLED Display & 5MP Camera Launched at Rs. 6,890

In November last year, we had exclusively covered about two new affordable Samsung smartphones named Galaxy J1 4G and Galaxy J2 Ace. Today, Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy J1 4G in the Indian market for Rs. 6,890. At that time, we mentioned the device to cost Rs. 6,800 which is almost similar to the official pricing. However, there is no information about the availability of the other device, Galaxy J2 Ace. With such a lower price tag, the device comes with a polycarbonate shell and packs basic entry-level specification. But, there are few other smartphones from Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi and Coolpad, which packs much better specifications at the similar price range.

Talking about the Galaxy J1 4G, it sports a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display with WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) resolution. Even though the device packs AMOLED panel, the lower resolution might not bring out much difference. Under the hood is the Spreadtrum SC7727SE quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz and coupled with Mali 400 GPU. The Galaxy J1 4G packs 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, which can be further expandable upto 128GB with the provided MicroSD card slot. The device comes with dual SIM dual standby support and offers 4G VoLTE out of the box. With the announcement of Jio 4G, almost all the manufacturers are offering VoLTE connectivity with their devices.

Talking about the cameras, there is a 5MP rear camera with LED flash and a f/2.2 aperture that can record videos at HD resolution. For selfies, it includes 2MP selfie camera with the same f/2.2 aperture. The Galaxy J1 4G is kept powered in by a 2,050mAh removable battery that is rated to give 12 hours of 3G talk time and 39 hours audio playback. It runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop and comes with customized TouchWiz UI on top. The device measures 132.6 x 69.3 x 8.9 mm and weighs 131 grams. Connectivity options include 4G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, GLONASS, 3.5mm Audio port, and MicroUSB 2.0 port. As seen with the other budget Samsung smartphones, the Galaxy J1 4G also includes Ultra data saving mode (UDS), S Bike mode, and S Power Planning feature.

It will be available in Gold, Black, and White color options. Since the Galaxy J1 4G is now launched, we also expect the Galaxy J2 Ace to be made available in the coming weeks. Compared to Galaxy J1 4G, the Galaxy J2 Ace sports slightly better specifications but comes with TFT display panel. It sports a 5-inch qHD display and includes 1.5GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. We expect both the devices to use the same Spreadtrum quad-core processor. It sports an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera, and both the cameras are assisted by LED flash. The Galaxy J2 Ace also features a larger 2,600mAh battery when compared with Galaxy J1 4G. The device runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and comes with the same connectivity options as on the Galaxy J1 4G.

Source: Samsung Galaxy J1 4G with 4.5″ AMOLED Display & 5MP Camera Launched at Rs. 6,890

Saturday, January 7, 2017

ZTE Launches Blade V8 Smartphone with Dual Lens Camera & Fingerprint Sensor

Commenting on the launch, Jacky Zhang, Senior VP of ZTE Corporation, said,

Stay tuned on Phone Radar for more details!

Source: ZTE Launches Blade V8 Smartphone with Dual Lens Camera & Fingerprint Sensor

Friday, January 6, 2017

HTC One X10 Smartphone Leaked with 5.5â€³ Full HD Display & 16.3MP Rear Camera

HTC last year introduced the all new X series by launching the One X9 smartphone. Now, the company is all set to launch its successor, HTC One X10. This new device comes with an all metal body and there is no glossy camera strip as seen on its predecessor. Even there is no HTC branding on the front of the device. Apart from the change in the design, most of the specifications are expected to be the same on both the devices. We can expect One X10 to run on the latest Android 7.0 Nougat based HTC Sense UI on top.

It sports a 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution display on the front, same as its predecessor. Under the hood is the MediaTek MT6755 octa-core processor clocked at 1.9GHz whereas the last years One X9 came with a slightly powerful MediaTek MT6795 octa-core processor clocked at 2.2GHz. The Mediatek MT6755 SoC is the same we have seen earlier on the Desire 10 Pro that launched in India in December. It packs the 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage that can be further expanded via MicroSD card slot.

The worthy upgrades can be found in the camera department, it sports a 16.3MP rear camera and a 7.9 MP front camera. In comparison, the One X9 came with a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. According to the teaser images, the company is expected to introduce a new U series of smartphones at the ongoing CES 2017. While the company might bring three new U series smartphones, one of them is the HTC One U Ultra. It is said to feature a huge 6-inch display and might skip using the 3.5mm audio port. The HTC Bolt (a.k.a HTC 10 Evo) is the first HTC smartphone to miss the 3.5mm audio port.

Since the device is rumored to come with an edge-to-edge display, the U Ultra might run on the leaked HTC Sense Touch UI based on Android. Compared to the regular Sense UI, the Sense Touch UI depends on the Gestures and Touch ti Navigate input modes. While the U Ultra is said to be codenamed Ocean Note, we still need to get information regarding the other devices – Ocean Master and Ocean Smart. The HTC U series smartphone will be unveiled on January 12th while the HTC One X10 might not be launched on that same stage.

In November last year, HTC launched the Desire 10 Pro and HTC 10 Evo smartphones in the India. While the HTC Desire 10 Pro is priced at Rs. 26,490, the company is yet to announce the price of HTC 10 Evo. Stay tuned on Phone Radar as more information can be leaked out in the coming days.

Source: HTC One X10 Smartphone Leaked with 5.5″ Full HD Display & 16.3MP Rear Camera

Thursday, January 5, 2017

Mother busy with phone while son was drowning in a pool

A mother didn't realise her son was drowning even though they were only 2m away from each other in a swimming pool in China.

Why? She was too transfixed on her mobile phone while her helpless four-year-old boy was struggling in the water.

The tragic incident on Tuesday (Jan 3) at a pool inside the Ocean Spring Resort in Xianyang city was captured by a CCTV camera.

When the mother was done with her phone, she realised her son had disappeared and sought the help of pool staff to look for him.

After more than an hour of searching, her son's body was finally found at the bottom of the deeper (1.1m) end of the pool, reported thepaper.cn, citing an article in the local Hua Shang Daily.

Posted on Twitter by People's Daily, the CCTV video reveals the boy's final agonising moments when he struggled for about three minutes before drowning.

Read also: Child killed by car while mother was distracted by phone

The mother, whose surname is Xiao, told Hua Shang Daily that she was only 2m away from her son when she was checking her phone.

"If I had known this would happen, I would never bring him here," said a distraught Madam Xiao.

Although local police have yet to issue a statement, state-owned travel agency HKCTS which manages the pool, shut it down to probe the matter.

Madam Xiao and her husband reportedly work in the nearby city of Xi'an.

chenj@sph.com.sg

Read also: Woman distracted on phone falls into river and drowns

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Source: Mother busy with phone while son was drowning in a pool

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Want an affordable dual camera phone? Check out the Honor 6X

Police investigating Facebook Live video showing tortured manThey also mock another commenter who said their torture was not amusing - by claiming it is amusing . In the footage, some in the group can be heard saying "F-- Donald Trump" and "F-- white people".

Morgan Stanley (MS) Position Decreased by Focused Investors LLCFinally, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley by 5.3% in the second quarter. The stock is now moving above its 20-Day Simple Moving Average of 9.68% with the 50-Day Simple Moving Average of 9.68 percent.

Army 'repels' Boko Haram attack in AdamawaChairman of the local government, Alhaji Yusuf Mohammed said the vigilantes sighted the bombers from afar while on patrol. The soldiers attached to Operation Lafiya Dole engaged the sect members in a gun battle on Friday December 30, 2016.

ZTE Blade V8 Pro Coming To The US, Priced At $229.98Chinese multinational telecommunications company ZTE has revealed not one but two devices to be showcased in CES this month. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor and it features 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built in storage.

Google 'refuses' to hand over pay data, gets sued by fedsAs a contractor, Google was asked in September 2015 about its equal opportunity program and to provide supporting documents. Google refused to provide some wage information requested by the agency, according to the lawsuit.

Giants' Eli Manning makes a 'funny' regarding receivers Miami photoIt was an off day for the Giants, and the four receivers chose to spend it in sunny Miami. "We will see them tomorrow morning". The Giants have had just one winning season since winning the Super Bowl in 2011 and haven't been in the postseason since.

Search finds no trace of missing Vermont manBrighton Police, Essex County Sheriff's deputies, and State troopers continued to try and locate O'Gorman, but were unsuccessful. He was last seen around 11 p.m. that night after police tried to stop his vehicle .

Disney 'set for big insurance payout' after Carrie Fisher's deathShe was telling me stuff about her stepfather, about her mom, about Eddie Fisher - it was just harrowing in its detail. The tributes to Carrie Fisher have not stopped for more than a week.

Liverpool's Lovren optimistic ahead of United, Chelsea clashesDespite their mini setback, Lovren remains optimistic over the club's title credentials: 'There is still half a season to go , ' the Croat said.

Huawei Honor 6X Offers iPhone Dual Cameras for $249The company says it is made out of aluminum that helps it manage the weight and maintain strength. The arrangement would help you keep both near and far focus in the photo and tweak it later.

President Obama Announces Plan to Give Farewell Speech in ChicagoAfter taking office eight years ago, Obama and his aides were effusive in their praise for how Obama's predecessor, George W. This is the time that I wish America were under a dictatorship and we had to live with the Obama family forever.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu 'questioned by police over receiving gifts'According to the New York Times , Netanyahu is being investigated in two separate cases, and he has denied any wrongdoing. Channel 10 reported on Friday that Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister's son, would be among those asked to give testimony.

Bernie Sanders Prints Up Giant Trump Tweet To Defend ObamacareOn Wednesday afternoon while debating the repeal of Obamacare, Bernie Sanders got a little creative with a huge print-out of a tweet from President-elect Donald Trump.

Apple Removes 'New York Times' App From App Store In ChinaNow, Apple is again facing problems in the country, this time due to third-party applications by The New York Times . Apple's spokesperson declined to provide further information on what local regulations the apps had violated.

The Packer & Co Ltd Maintains Position in General Electric Company (GE)The Next Year EPS growth is 11.4%, Long term annual growth estimate of 11.97%, Annual EPS growth past 5 years of -0.69 percent. According to Zacks Investment Research , "General Electric Company operates as a technology and financial services company".

Source: Want an affordable dual camera phone? Check out the Honor 6X

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Silenced by IS, displaced Iraqis relish return to phones

SEWDINAN CAMP, Iraq – Iraqis who escaped Islamic State rule during the battle for Mosul are indulging in a newfound freedom — the right to check their phones.

When the Iraqi offensive to retake the northern city began in mid-October, its Islamic State rulers warned residents that anyone caught with an active mobile phone would be killed for spying.

Many destroyed their SIM cards, and at least one terrified resident flushed his phone down the toilet. Others hid their devices where the militants were unlikely to look -- under women's clothes at the bottom of a wardrobe or in bird coops on the roofs of their homes.

For many, the phones came in handy later, when they were able to phone the military to coordinate their escape. After arriving in camps for the displaced, they were able to reach out to loved ones and return to social media after a virtual two-year blackout.

Sahm Yassin, a primary school teacher, was one of those who took the risk and hid his phone. Before he fled Mosul about a week ago, he used it sparingly, walking under cover of darkness to high ground where he could get a signal strong enough to call family in Baghdad.

"We were so isolated from the outside world, but I still needed to let them know that we, especially my elderly mother, are OK," said Yassin. "It's a great feeling, I missed being in touch with everyone," he said after retrieving his phone from one of the camp's "power vendors" — displaced Iraqis with small generators who recharge phones for 500 dinars (about 45 cents). The camp does not provide electricity.

IS seized Mosul, the country's second largest city, in the summer of 2014, when the extremists swept across western and northern Iraq. Ten weeks into the offensive, the militants still hold most of the city.

On taking the city, IS implemented a radical interpretation of Islamic teachings, including a ban on smoking. Men were required to grow beards and women in public had to cover themselves from head to toe.

The group initially allowed the use of mobile phones in Mosul under a set of intrusive restrictions. Militants at checkpoints and on foot patrols routinely checked people's phones, looking for suspicious numbers, music or photos, which were also banned. A few months later, the militants destroyed all the mobile towers, but residents said that on higher ground they could still pick up a weak signal from the nearby Kurdish region.

Diaa Ahmed, a Mosul native who now lives in the Sewdinan Camp for the displaced near Mosul, ran a business providing internet lines to homes and charging customers to log on in the shop. IS enforcers made him install a security camera at the shop so they could monitor his clients.

"They would come every week and demand to see the video recording and the names of those who came into the shop," he said.

Ahmed eventually decided it was too much trouble, closed the shop last February and started selling food instead.

"They still taxed me, but there were no questions and no visits," he said, as he carried two shopping bags filled with tomatoes and onions back to his tent.

Phone cards were available in Mosul for a short period after IS took the city. Later, users relied on relatives and friends for phone-to-phone credit transfers. One major Iraqi provider built new signal towers south of the city last fall, while another ran TV and radio advertisements showing toll-free numbers residents could call to report emergencies or provide information about the militants.

IS grew increasingly paranoid after the U.S.-backed Iraqi offensive to retake the city began in October, residents said. Anyone found with an active phone was presumed to be a spy and shot dead on the spot.

But those who held onto their devices were able to call the military on hotline numbers broadcast by local media in order to organize their escape. The military would advise them of the best route out and deploy drones or helicopter gunships to protect them.

Mahdi Saleh, 19, used phone credit sent to him by an uncle in the city of Kirkuk to ensure that he and dozens of families from Mosul's Somar neighborhood could safely escape. The uncle, after consulting with the military and other residents who had fled, provided directions, and they were safely out a week ago.

In the refugee camp, Saleh is enjoying a freedom he has not had in a long time.

"I can now speak on the phone as often as I want to and in front of everyone," he said, after chatting with an aunt in Kirkuk. "I can smoke, too."

Source: Silenced by IS, displaced Iraqis relish return to phones