When LG unveiled its new high-end smartphone, the V30, at the IFA last week, there was a bit of excitement about the new (or newish) things that this new device can bring to potential users’ digital life. From taking advantage of the AMOLED display to a whole bunch of photo and video features to audio and app tools, the video shows off what new user experience (UX) related things you will enjoy. And while the secondary screen is no more, there is a new feature that replaces part of it.
The always-on display works pretty well with the AMOLED display of the V30, and here you get 9 different types of screens to choose from, image widgets, and a seamless flow between the various home screens. The floating bar is the phone’s “always accessible custom tools” which includes capture and draw tools (with GIFs!), app shortcuts, a music player, contacts, as well as call handling. The quad DAC has software presets and filters, while Google Assistant helps you get answers to your questions and help in managing your digital life. You can also use voice recognition to unlock your phone with your own secret, magic words/phrase.
A lot of the UX features highlighted pertains to the camera. For video, you have the point zoom feature which lets you zoom into certain parts of the screen that you marked for dramatic effect. You also have Cine Effect or more popularly known as filters, with the HDR sensor giving it a better-looking quality. In case you need to edit your videos, no need for a 3rd party app as it has a built-in video editing feature. For photos, you have graphs or user made manual camera presets in case you have a hard time tinkering with all the tools available.
The LG V30 will be amiable in South Korea by September 21 and will expand to North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. There are no price details announced yet but we’ll probably hear about it soon.
HMD Global has confirmed that all of its Nokia-branded smartphones will be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo. Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global, took to Twitter to confirm the news. This means all the new Nokia-branded Android smartphones – Nokia 8, Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 will be upgraded to the latest Android 8.0 Oreo.
In a post on Twitter, HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas has mentioned that all of its smartphones will be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo, which is the latest version of Android mobile OS. This is a good news for those who’ve recently purchased a Nokia-branded smartphone. However, the company has not mentioned the exact timeline when it plans to update all of its smartphones to Android 8.0 Oreo. We expect the actual roll-out will happen before the year ends.
The next version of Android, which was previously known as Android O, will be called as the Android 8.0 Oreo. At the moment, only a handful of Google-branded smartphones support Android 8.0 Oreo. They are Pixel, Pixel XL, Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus Player and Pixel C. Android 8.0 Oreo brings faster performance, improved notifications, enhanced battery life, and number of incremental improvements.
Last month, HMD Global announced its first ever flagship smartphone – Nokia 8. The smartphone sports a 5.3-inch QHD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal memory, microSD card support, a dual-camera setup, and a 3090mAh battery.
While there’s no information when the company plans to bring the high-end Android phone to India, Nokia 8 is up for pre-order in the UK. According to a popular high-street retailer Carphone Warehouse, Nokia 8 will start shipping in the UK from September 13. The phone costs £499 (or approx Rs 41,499) in the UK.
Today Apple introduced the latest addition to its Beats lineup of premium headphones: the Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones.
The Studio3 headphones differ from the existing Solo3 option in two primary ways. First, they sit over your ears rather than on them – an important distinction for prospective buyers. Second, related to the over-ear design, they include Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling (Pure ANC), which works to shut out external noise while also optimizing audio for the precise fit of the wearer and calibrating music to top-quality.
These wireless headphones join the existing lineup of Beats options that adopted Apple’s W1 chip late last year. Also seen in Apple’s AirPods, the W1 chip provides improved connectivity and power efficiency. With Studio3, the W1 chip enables battery life of up to 22 hours with Pure ANC enabled, and up to 40 hours without it. The Studio3 headphones also charge quickly, with up to 3 hours of playtime after a 10-minute charge.
The last noteworthy design note is that on-ear controls allow you to control playback directly from the Solo3 hardware, enabling audio control and even Siri activation.
You can order the Studio3 headphones today in a variety of colors for $349.95, but they won’t ship until mid-October.
Android One phones have never been the type to get most of us around these parts very excited because we’re all about high specs, high-end finishes, and the unfortunate high price tags to match. But Android One wasn’t built for us either. Nope, Android One was built for the next billion, the user in areas of the world where a $100 phone is all that’s necessary and likely all that’s affordable.
Today, that changes a bit as Google partners with Xiaomi to offer a new Android One phone called the Mi A1. It’s by no means a low-end $100 phone and instead matches up quite nicely with phones like the Moto X4 (#notmymotox), only its price tag falls a couple of hundred dollars under. In fact, this phone sure looks like one you and I might enjoy in the US should our budget tighten up for a bit.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 comes in three colors (black, gold, and pink), features a full metal body, big 5.5-inch FHD display, 3080mAh battery, 3.5mm headphone jack, fingerprint sensor, and USB Type-C port. It also runs a Snapdragon 625 processor with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage while shooting photos with a dual 12MP camera setup.
Oh, it also runs stock Android, has the Google Assistant, and will see timely updates over two years. Google says that the Mi A1 will get Oreo before the end of 2017 and most definitely an update to Android P next year.
All of that costs about $233. That’s nuts. I kind of want one. Too bad Google and Xiaomi didn’t announce any US plans.
All of that drama aside, both the OnePlus 3 and 3T received a new beta update to OxygenOS yesterday. The update is a big one and does things like tweak the design of the lift up display UI, adjusts the default color screen calibration, speeds up loading of images in the Gallery app, adds a new alarm calendar feature to the clock, and more. I don’t know that there is anything major, but it should fix bugs and stabilize a whole bunch of stuff.
The full changelog can be found below.
Camera：
Added Shot on OnePlus watermark
You can toggle the Shot on OnePlus watermark and add your name to all pictures taken in the main camera settings
System：
Redesigned lift up display UI
Now supports displaying battery percentage
Now supports hiding of notification content from apps locked by App locker
There is now a toggle that allows you to block notifications from apps that are in the App lock list
Improved stability of Parallel apps
Adjusted color display of default screen calibration
It now tends more towards sRGB calibration
Added E-warranty card
You can now find a version of your warranty card in “About phone > E-Warranty card”
Updated Android security patch level to August
Phone：
Added quick index bar in contacts UI
The contacts page/app now have an alphabetical bar on the right side for easy moving to certain groups of names
Improved experience of switching incoming calls
Improvements to suggested merges functionality
Gallery：
Loading speed of images improved
Weather：
Improved location accuracy
Improved the experience of searching cities
Clock:
New feature “Alarm calendar”
Can be used to set an irregular alarm schedule, once you set the time, you can activate this feature by hitting the 3 dot menu button to the right of “repeat”
Known issues:
Immediately following the update, you might not be able to turn on the flashlight. Please reboot the device and normal functionality will be restored.
If interested in running the beta, you’ll want to head over to the OnePlus downloads site to get started.
At IFA 2017, Motorola unveiled the Moto X4 handset – the latest addition to its middle-range portfolio. Motorola already has a few mid-rangers on the market including the Moto G5, G5 Plus and G5S, G5S Plus models.
In what follows we’ll compare the newly launched Moto X4 with the Moto G5 Plus, a product that is already available for purchase in the US. So let’s see what the main differences between the two models are:
Design and Display
The new Moto X4 comes with an anodized aluminum frame with IP68 protection against dust and water. The body is made of 3D contoured glass, unlike that of the Moto G5 Plus which comes with a backplate made of aluminum, while its core frame is made out of plastic.
In both cases, below the display sits a physical home button which also acts as a fingerprint scanner. But the scanner can be used for more than the obvious. You can also swipe left on your fingerprint scanner to go back or swipe right to open recent apps or tap to go to home screen.
Form factor-wise the two smartphones are the same, as both come boasting a 5.2-inch fullHD IPS LCD display with 424ppi.
Power and Performance
Being a newer device, the Moto X4 takes advantage of a Snapdragon 630 processor – which is an octa-core affair made up of eight 2.2GHz Cortex-A53 cores. It also includes 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage (with microSD support for up to 2TB).
In contrast, the Moto G5 Plus takes advantage of an older Snapdragon 625 (octa-core SoC clocked at 2.2GHz) with either 2GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage (microSD available).
Cameras
Unlike the Moto G5 Plus, the Moto X4 follows this year’s trend and includes a dual-camera onboard. Working in concert with Motorola’s advanced camera software, the two 12-megapixel with f/2.0 and 8-megapixel with f/2.2 sensors are expected to be able to deliver professional portraits and blurred backgrounds (bokeh).
The phone takes advantage of additional features like Dual Autofocus Pixel technology which brings the faster focus in lower light conditions.
When it comes to selfies, the Moto X4 carries a 16-megapixel one with f/2.0, 1080p and LED flash.
Moving on to the Moto G5 Plus, its main camera consists of a singular 12-megapixel sensor with f/1.7, autofocus and dual-LED flash. The self-portrait shooter is far less impressive as it’s only a 5-megapixel one with f/2.2.
Other features
Motorola has included a few new features which it hopes will boost the appeal of the new Moto X4. For example, there’s Amazon Alexa support built-in.
On top of that, Motorola has added something called “Landmark Detection” which allows users to point the camera at items to find more about them. There’s also a new Face Filters for selfies.
The US company also worked with French start-up Tempow to improve the Bluetooth experience with the new phone. As a result of the partnership, Moto X4 owners will be able to pair up to four audio devices to the phone including speakers, headphones and more.
Software-wise, the older Moto G5 Plus ships out with Android 7.0 Nougat, while the new Moto X4 has the newer Android 7.1.1 Nougat version. Both look pretty stock, as it’s tradition with Motorola.
Battery
Both models rely on a non-removable 3,000 mAh battery. This is what we found in our Moto G5 Plus review and we expect results to be similar in the case of the Moto X4.
“Six hours of on screen time comes easy. Two days of regular use comes easy. I’ve had this phone for seven days and I’ve charged it three times.”
Value
The Moto X4 will retail for around $480 which is not exactly super cheap. The Moto G5 Plus on the other hand is a true budget affair and you can pick it up starting at $229 for the 2GB of RAM+32GB storage version.
But if you want a dual-camera, Alexa and the option of pairing up to four audio devices to your phone, you might want to save up and buy the Moto X4. It will become available in the States later this autumn.
A new public beta, which has the same features as the developer-only iOS 11 beta 10 release, is also out for members of the Apple Beta Software Program. The new software has arrived six days following iOS 11 beta 9 and 24 hours following a tenth beta of tvOS 11 for Apple TV.
To install the update on your iOS device with an appropriate configuration profile (available for download through Dev Center), use Apple’s Software Update mechanism in the Settings app.
Here’s Andrew’s hands-on walkthrough of the changes in the previous beta.
Originally released as a developer-only preview at WWDC in June, iOS 11 packs in a surprising number of new features, under-the-hood enhancements and user interface refinements.
Some of them include a customizable Control Center, a redesigned App Store, brand new multitasking features on iPad with the interactive Dock and drag and drop, a dedicated Files app, AirPlay 2 with multi-room audio, new Siri capabilities and more.
As we get closer and closer to Apple’s event next Tuesday, we’re most likely approaching a Gold Master build that should release before the next iPhone launches later in September.
LG’s Third V Smartphone Ups the Ante for Design and High-end Content Creation with Unmatched Package of Features and Options
LG Electronics (LG) today took the wraps off the eagerly anticipated LG V30, the latest iteration of the company’s V series flagship smartphones. The LG V30 improves on the strengths of the V series phones in providing a whole new mobile experience and offering optimal multimedia features. The V30 features many industry innovations – the first F1.6 aperture camera lens, the first glass Crystal Clear Lens, the first OLED FullVision display, Cine Video mode for producing movie-quality videos, premium sound with advanced Hi-Fi Quad DAC, sound tuning by B&O PLAY, and Voice Recognition. The V30 sets a new standard in the evolution of premium smartphones.
Videos Like a Pro with F1.6 Crystal Clear Lens and Cine Video
The LG V30 features powerful video capabilities that make it a leader in the era of smartphone videography. The main camera on the rear of the V30 features an F1.6 aperture that lets in more light for brighter, more dynamic shots. Paired with the glass Crystal Clear Lens which delivers more accurate colors and clearer images than a plastic lens, the V30 is the most capable image capturing device in a smartphone. The second lens in the V30 dual camera is an upgraded 13MP wide angle lens with two-thirds less edge distortion than in the V20.
LG’s new Cine Video mode allows anyone to produce movies like a pro, thanks to its powerful Cine Effect and Point Zoom features. Users can now take high-quality videos enhanced by the cinematic hues of various movie genres with only a smartphone. While typical cameras only allow one to zoom in on the center of the frame, Point Zoom allows users to zoom in on any subject smoothly using the zoom slider, regardless of its position in the frame, another industry first. And Cine Effect provides a palette of 15 presets to give videos a unique movie-like look, from romantic comedy, summer blockbuster, mystery, thriller and classic movie, among others.
LG V30 supports LG-Cine Log which allows for greater creative flexibility when capturing videos. With the ability to preserve a wide dynamic range and color gamut, LG-Cine Log videos files can save far more accurate image details. LG-Cine Log also allows for recording video using log gamma curve for maximum flexibility in producing the look the user wants during post-production.
Photo capturing is even more advanced with the new V30. The camera’s Manual Mode takes on a whole new level of capability with Graphy. With Graphy, any shutterbug can produce quality photos simply by choosing the image and pressing the shutter. Available in Manual Mode, users can select professional images from the Graphy website or mobile app and apply the same presets such as white balance, shutter speed, aperture and ISO to photos taken with the V30.
Slim, Lightweight Design and OLED FullVision Display in Compact Body
The LG V30 builds on the strengths of the OLED FullVision display in a body that is surprisingly compact, slim and light. Even with a large 6-inch 18:9 OLED FullVision display, the V30 is 8mm shorter and 3mm narrower than its predecessor, resulting in a firmer, more confident grip. With a thickness of only 7.3mm and tipping the scale at 158g, the V30 is the lightest among smartphones in the 6-inch and over category. The tempered glass that covers both the front and back is curved all the way around the edge, resulting in a sleek, integrated look and feel.
The advanced dual camera module featuring a 16MP standard angle camera and a 13MP wide angle camera is smaller than the module in the V20, resulting in the near flat rear profile of the V30. For the smoothest and sharpest images, the main standard angel camera is supported by Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) and Hybrid Auto Focus that combines both Laser Detection Auto Focus and Phase Detection Auto Focus.
The QHD+ (2880 x 1440) OLED FullVision display offers faster response time with minimal afterimages when viewing an action-packed movie or playing a game with quick movements. The V30 takes full advantage of this rapid response time and the exceptional graphics delivered by the robust Qualcomm®Snapdragon™ 835 Mobile Platform to support Daydream, Google’s platform for high quality, mobile VR. With Daydream, users can explore new worlds, enjoy personal VR cinema and play games that put them in the center of the action.
Personalized Superior Sound Backed by Hi-Fi Quad DAC
LG has equipped the V30 with a Hi-Fi Quad DAC with audio tuning by sound engineers from world renowned audio brand B&O PLAY – delivering an authentic and superior acoustic experience – as well as a set of earphones by B&O PLAY, also finely tuned for an optimal listening experience. Digital filters adjust the pre- and post-ringing of the impulse response of music with three filters which users can select. Four pre-programmed presets mix and match sound frequencies and decibel scales to produce the quality of audio found in professional earphones.
The V30 is the first global smartphone to support MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) technology that allows for the streaming of high-resolution audio. MQA captures the sound of the original studio master and folds it into a small file to make high-resolution audio easy to stream. The V30’s recording capability is upgraded as well, with a receiver that doubles as a microphone to capture a broader sound spectrum, from gentle chimes to thunderous drums.
Equipped with Google Assistant and Voice Recognition
The Google Assistant on the LG V30 will feature unique capabilities specific to the phone. Saying “Ok Google, take a romantic Cine Video” will activate Cine Video preset to Romantic. Say “Ok Google, take a wide angle selfie” to launch the camera app with the setting on the front-facing camera wide angel mode. The Google Assistant on the V30 takes advantage of advanced signal processing enabling users to use the voice command, “Ok Google” even when loud music is being played. In addition, select LG appliances including a washing machine, dryer, refrigerator, air purifier, oven, air conditioner and robot vacuum are compatible with the Google Assistant when using the V30 and Google Home. Users can say, “Ok Google, talk to LG to wash my clothes” to start a load of laundry.
The convenience of the Second Screen which was introduced in past V series smartphones has evolved into a new Always-on Display (AOD) feature and Floating Bar. When the display is off, the AOD replaces the Second Screen by providing shortcuts to Quick Tools and Music Player without having to turn on the display. The optional semi-transparent Floating Bar can be customized with up to five apps for easy access to the most used applications. When not needed, the Floating Bar can be dragged off to the side so it doesn’t take up any screen space.
Now with four different options, security on the LG V30 is more advanced than ever. With Face Recognition, the V30 can be unlocked instantaneously using the front facing camera and without pressing any buttons even when the phone’s display is off. Voice Recognition uses a combination of the user’s voice and user-defined keywords (optimally three to five syllables) to unlock the V30. The reliable Fingerprint Sensor resides on the rear of the phone for fast, accurate security and Knock Code allows tapping a pattern on the screen to unlock the V30.
Inheriting Legacy of LG Premium Phones, Solid Durability and Safety
The V30 combines solid durability with safety with a slim and light design. One of the design aspects in the V30 that enhances durability and makes for tensile strength is an H-Beam structure, a construction technique found in modern buildings that integrate the edge with a metal frame. The phone also features Gorilla® Glass 5, Corning’s most advanced tempered glass, on both the front and rear. The V30 meets U.S. Department of Defense requirements for durability, having passed 14 categories of the MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test making it compliant for military operations.
LG applied a heat pipe and a cooling pad in the V30 to dissipate heat quickly. The V30 can be used in any situation without worry thanks to its IP68 water and dust resistance. The phone is perfectly sealed from dust and can be immersed in up to 1.5 meters of water for as long as 30 minutes without impacting the function. With Quick Charge 3.0, the V30 charges from empty to 50 percent in around 30 minutes. The V30 also offers wireless charging for the ultimate in convenience.
“The V series has always been demonstrating new practical mobile technologies that contribute to high quality content creation and the V30 has not lost sight of its roots,” said Juno Cho, president of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. “With its F1.6 Crystal Clear Lens Camera and Cine Video mode, the LG V30 is designed to help create professional-looking content without professional-level complexity.”
Customers of LG V30 will receive USD 100 worth of in-game purchases when downloading and installing the popular game Beat Fever by WRKSHP. The games take full advantage of the phone’s immersive OLED FullVision display and high-quality audio capability.
The V30 will become available to consumers in South Korea starting on September 21 and will be followed by key markets in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The V30 with 64GB ROM will come in four beautiful elegant hues: Aurora Black, Cloud Silver, Moroccan Blue and Lavender Violet 2 while the LG V30+ with 128GB of storage will be available in limited markets.
Visitors to IFA 2017 are encouraged to stop by LG’s booth in Hall 18 of Messe Berlin to see the exciting LG V30 for themselves.
Key Specifications:
Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 835 Mobile Platform
3 Specification may vary depending on the particular market.
Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Quick Charge is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.
Qualcomm Snapdragon and Qualcomm Quick Charge are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
The Galaxy Note7 went out with a bang, but Samsung is back in the ballgame with its newest offering: the Note8. Samsung is differentiating itself in the fragmented Android market by doing some serious streamlining. Gone are the screen-destroying soft button cables we saw in the Note7 and the (by now, ancient) S7. Instead, the Note8 sports an S8-style display and back-panel fingerprint sensor. They’ve moved the furniture around, but now all of Samsung’s houses are using the same floor plan.
And what about that infamous battery? Samsung must be confident, because it’s still glued down—and this time it’s located right in the middle of the phone. This Samsung SDI-made Note8 battery dishes out 12.71 Wh (3300 mAh at 3.85 V). That’s 6% less than the Note7’s 13.48 Wh—but hey, better safe than engulfed in flames.
If we were impressed with the number of cameras last time, the new Note ups the ante with four cameras. (Do you think the other phones make fun of it at school?)
And speaking of cameras, our X-ray wizard friends at Creative Electron were able to confirm OIS. This magic image reveals a squad of dense, dark shapes—those’d be the magnets—surrounding both main cameras to keep them stable. Neat!
Like the previous model, the Note8 is no fun to open. The front screen and back glass are solidly adhered. Once inside, though, most of the components are fairly modular—earning the same 4 out of 10 on our repairability scale as the Note7 and the Note Fan Edition.
If you follow the news, you probably know that HTC U11’s standout feature is the Edge Sensepressure-sensitive frame which lets users squeeze the sides of the phone to get it to perform a certain action. Unfortunately, up until now the Edge Sense’s functionality was restricted to a few commands HTC had baked in.
But this won’t be the case for long. The Taiwanese company is in the process of rolling out a new beta update for Edge Sense which adds a bunch of new functionalities. It’s currently available for participants who have enrolled in the app’s beta program.
Most importantly, the new software update brings the ability to program short of long squeezes to prompt a specific function inside any app. You might remember that not so long ago HTC detailed some new Edge Sense squeeze actions including zoom in and out of Google Maps or Google Photos, browse around and exit the calendar, answer and end calls or turn off alarms. These default actions are now finally available to HTC U11 owners.
But the main draw here is that you can create your own shortcuts for any app of choice. For example, if you are an avid YouTube user, you can program a squeeze-to-play or pause action for this particular app.
The steps to do so are really simple. Open up the app to which you want to add the Edge Sense functionality and look for the little red icon sitting at the top of the screen. Hit it and then tap the exact area of the app you want the squeeze to activate.
However you won’t be able to activate more than one shortcut in one app, although enabling Edge Sense’s Advanced Mode will give you an additional action.
It worth mentioning here that an Edge Sense-like gimmick will be coming to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The feature will be dubbed “Active Edge”, but it remains to be seen whether it will be more useful than the Edge Sense.
