Chances are, if you watch a YouTuber by the name of MKBHD, you've probably heard of a company called RED. RED makes high-end cameras used to film tv shows, movies, and MKBHD's YouTube videos. Now, RED is venturing into a new market, smartphones. Today, RED announced that they will be releasing a smartphone, with an expected release early next year. The phone is called the RED Hydrogen One. It is currently available for pre-order, through RED's website. There are two models available, one is made of aluminum, the other of titanium. The aluminum model will cost you $1,195, and the titanium model will cost $1,595.
If you're wondering what you get for such a steep price tag, you're not the only one. The only information given by RED, is that the phone will feature a 5.7" display, that can switch between 2D and 3D content. Also, there will be modular components available, similar to the current Moto Z line of phones. Considering that RED has built their reputation by making high-end filming equipment, I think that the Hydrogen One will be similar to the LG V10, focusing primarily on the camera's photo and video capabilities. If interested, you can checkout the available information, or pre-order the RED Hydrogen One HERE.
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It looks like LG has stolen the show at this year's WMC event. Their latest flagship, the G5, seems to have even overshadowed the likes of Samsung and their latest Galaxy phones. This is with good reason. The LG G5 seems to have drastically changed LG's idea of a flagship smartphone. Reinventing The Wheel? Although LG did keep a few of their much favored features (the removable battery and expandable storage are here to stay) with the G5, they made even more changes. Design In the past, LG's flagship smartphones featured plastic builds that were, on occasion, somewhat disappointing. With this year's update, however, LG opted for an aluminum unibody for the G5; a drastic change from the previous models. Another, change LG made to exterior of the phone, is the placement of the volume buttons. The volume buttons on the G5 are located on the left side of the phone rather than the back. Display The G5 comes with a 5.3" IPS LCD display, with a resolution of 2560 X 1440. The display also features an Always-on function. According to LG, this feature is why they opted for the IPS display rather than an AMOLED display. They stated that showing information all the time on an AMOLED display would lead to a burn out. Camera(s) Like the building material of the phone, the cameras are one of the biggest changes to the G5. The LG G5 features an 8 megapixel from facing camera, and in the back is where it gets really interesting. On the rear of the phone there are two cameras; one is a standard operating 16 megapixel sensor, the other is a wide-angle 8 megapixel sensor. These two cameras offer a wide range of functions that you wouldn't be able to find on a standard smartphone setup. For example, you can record video and shoot stills at the same time. Power
The G5 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, onto-core processor and 4GB of RAM. For storage, there is 32GB built-in and a Micro SD card slot to expand. The 2800mAh battery isn't particularly impressive on its own, but when you take into consideration that the phone has a removable battery and Quick Charge 3.0 with USB Type-C. Modular Build The LG G5 also has another feature that radically operates it from any other smartphone currently on the market. The G5 features a modular design that allows you to add additional parts to your phone. LG currently has two models for the G5. The Cam Pro, which enhances your photography experience, as well as expand your battery to 4000 mAh. The other module is the LG Hi-Fi Pro, which offers a 32-bit DAC and amp meant to offer an audiophile experience through your handset. Thoughts Personally, I think that the LG G5 has a lot of great features that make it an amazing flagship. The metal build is a much needed enhancement. I felt that the G3 and G4 were too light, they almost felt like they were nothing more than mock-ups of a phone. The ability to add additional parts to the phone, and change the overall capabilities of your device. That is something truly unique at this time, and I hope that other phone manufacturers follow the lead. For me, the only downside to the G5 is the screen size. I know that a 5.3" display isn't the smallest screen currently on the market, and with its resolution offers a higher pixel density; but I would prefer at least a 5.5" display. What do you think about the LG G5? Did it hit the mark, or is it lacking anything else you would like to see? We already know when we are getting the new LG G5, we might even have an idea of what it it looks like. Now, thanks to the twitter page of LG South Korea, we have a hint at another feature that will be included in the companies latest flagship. As you probably already know, last years LG V10 featured a secondary "always on" display. This display is located at the top of 5.7-inch primary display. The "always on" is meant to give you constant access to notifications, frequently used apps/contacts, as well as certain controls (media controls, flashlight, wifi, bluetooth, etc.) without having to unlock your phone. Well, it appears that LG will be applying this "always on" function to their latest flagship, with a slight twist. It appears as though the LG G5 will feature an Always-On Primary Display. So, rather than having an additional thin display on the top of the phone, the G5 will give you those same controls throughout the entire display. As I said earlier, this feature was hinted by LG, in a tweet sent out earlier today. This tweet was also accompanied by a GIF that-in all honesty-didn't provide much additional information, but does seemsupport the conclusion of an Always-On primary display. If LG is planning on making an Always-On Primary display, it would be interesting to see how that affects other aspects of the phone, such as battery life. Will LG be sticking with a removable battery as rumored before. I guess we'll see on the 21st.
With an official release date set and a lot of speculation about what's inside the phone, the only thing missing is the design of the LG G5. Well, thanks to an early release on Amazon, we now have a look at a possible case (along with a render) of the latest flagship phone from LG. When/Where As stated earlier, the LG G5 now has an official release date. The LG G5 will be unveiled at this year's Mobile World Congress on, February 21st (same as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge). Design It is possible that this year's LG flagship will feature a premium all metal build. This would be a big change from the plastic or leather that was featured on previous LG smartphones. It is also being suggested that LG will keep the removable battery and expandable storage. The idea is that the LG G5 will feature a large battery tray, similar to the one that holds your SIM card. Display Rumors are suggesting that the G5 will have a 5.6-inch display, with a resolution of 2560X1440. Depending on the bezel size, the phone could potentially be the same size as last year's G4 (5.5-inches). Camera There is still some debate as to what camera the G5 will have. While some rumors are saying that it will have a 21MP sensor, others are suggesting that it will feature a 20MP camera with a custom 1/2-inch Sony sensor. Then there is the matter of the dual-lens camera, and what that could feature. Power According to reliable sources, the LG G5 is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 820 chip and 3GB of RAM. Currently, the LG G4 runs on a Snapdragon 808 chip. Based on the release date, the G5 is expected to ship with an LG skinned version of Android Marshmallow. Miscellaneous Some other features that the LG G5 may come equipped with include; a USB-C port on the bottom, a lone fingerprint sensor on the back (volume rocker is said to be moved to the side), and an "accessory slot" that allows for modular hardware expansion. As of right now, there is no word on what the pricing of the LG G5 will be. However, that detail will more than likely be unveiled during the G5's launch.
Nothing New?
Earlier today, Google wrapped up an event showcasing their newest flagship smartphones, as well as a few other "tasty treats". Thanks to many leaks online, there wasn't all that much to be surprised about, with Google's event. The Phones When it comes to the phones, the rumored specs were not that far off, although there were a few things that weren't let out. Here are the full specs of both of the phones that Google announced earlier today: Nexus 6P Operating System
Nexus 5X Display
In terms of pricing and availability, both phones are currently available for pre-order. You can find them HERE. The Nexus 5X is starting at $379 and the Nexus 6P is starting at $499. Both phones will begin shipping in 4-5 weeks. Currently with pre-orders, both phones include a 90-day trial for Google Play Music and a $50 Play Store gift card. The Tablet This was one of the later rumors to be released about today's event. The first Android tablet built 100% by Google. The Pixel C is 10.2-inch tablet that will run Android Marshmallow. The tablet is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra X1 processor and is equipped with 3GB of RAM. On the outside the Pixel C has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The resolution of the tablet is 2560 X 1800 (pixel density of 308 ppi). The "C" in Pixel C stands for "convertible". What makes the Pixel C convertible? The answer to that lies in the optional keyboard. This keyboard, unlike the Microsoft Surface or Apple's iPad Pro, the Pixel C does not require a dock to attach to the keyboard. Instead the tablet connects to it's keyboard through magnets. These--very strong--magnets keep the tablet attached to the adjustable hinge. The Chromecasts Along with the new phones and new tablet, Google also unveiled their new chromecasts. Yes, chromecasts, as in multiple. Two, to be exact. Google unveiled two new casting devices. One, simply called the New Chromecast and the other one called Chromecast Audio. The New Chromecast is a newly redesigned, and faster Chromecast. It now supports 5GHz WiFi (instead of just 2.4GHz), and it also has a new feature called Fast Play. Fast Play does exactly that, it is a faster way to stream your media from your phone to the Chromecast. For example, when you begin watching a show on Netflix, while the first episode is playing the Chromecast will begin loading the beginning portion of the next episode. This will allow you to go from the end of one episode to the beginning of the next episode, much faster. Chromecast Audio is essentially the same concept as the "regular" Chromecast, but for speaker systems. Plugging the CHromecast Audio into a non-WiFi speaker system will allow you to stream any and all Chromecast supported audio (YouTube, Pandora, Google Play Music, and soon Spotify), to said speakers. Both the New Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are currently available for pre-order. You can find them HERE. They are each priced the same as the original Chromecast, coming in at $35. According to rumor, Google is planning to launch a 10.2-inch tablet later this year. This tablet-rumored to be called the Pixel C-will supposedly feature a design similar to the Chromebook Pixel, down to the multi-colored light bar. Although it will be a Pixel device, it will not be running Chrome OS. Instead, the tablet will ship with Android Marshmallow. Since this tablet is Pixel device and not a Nexus, the hardware will be handled 100% by Google. The Pixel C will supposedly have support for a detachable keyboard, similarly to the Microsoft Surface and iPad Pro.
The 10.2-inch tablet will supposedly be powered by an NVIDIA X1 quad-core processor and Maxwell-made GPU, it will also have 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM. In terms of design, apparently the device will look just like a smaller version of the Chromebook Pixel-minus the keyboard. It will charge via a USB Type-C connector, and will have "two keyboard accessories to choose from". In terms of availability, it is being guessed (roughly) that the tablet will ship in November. With this estimated shipping date, it is possible that we will get more info on this tablet at Google's event tomorrow (September 29th). Over the past couple of days, a lot of what was rumored about the upcoming Google Event has been confirmed. Thanks to Android Police we now have leaked images that confirm some of the speculated details about these new phones. Names Thanks to leaked packaging for both of the phones, the names of both of these devices have now been confirmed. The smaller, LG made device will be the Nexus 5X and the larger Huawei made device will be the Nexus 6P. Phone Design Another (former) speculation that has been confirmed is the overall design of the phones. These leaked press images show both the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P in all of their color variations. As had been previously suggest, both phones seem to feature a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. Also, they both feature protruding cameras. The 5X features a more subtle bump, while the 6P has a bump that goes across the entire top section of the phone. Although the protruding cameras might be a turn off for some, I'm sure if the hardware inside is good enough, others won't mind it.
Final Thoughts Although the names of the phones are ideal, I don't think that should deter anyone from considering them. If the specs on these phones do turn out to be true-that seems to be the only thing that hasn't been confirmed-the name would be the only "down-side". Personally, I do prefer the look of Huawei made 6P; even with the large camera bump. The Date On Friday, Google sent out press invites for an event that they are holding on September 29th. In the invite Google teased some "tasty treats" for the event. According to rumors this is the date that the new Nexus Devices will be unveiled, possibly along with a next generation Chromecast. The Phones If the rumors are correct, Google will be unveiling two new phones. One of these phones will be made by LG and the other by Huawei. The LG made phone (Nexus 5X) will supposedly feature a 5.2" 1080p display, the Snapdragon 808 SoC, 2 GB of RAM, 12 MP rear-facing camera, and a fingerprint sensor. While the Huawei made phone (Nexus 6P) is said to feature a 5.7" QHD display, Snapdragon 810, and 3 GB of RAM. The names mentioned above-the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P-are the expected names of the new Nexus phones. These names, all though likely, have not been confirmed as the official names of the LG and Huawei made devices. As mentioned above, the second generation Chromecast is also rumored to make an appearance at Google's September event. More info will be shared on that later.
What do you think of the possibilities of the new Nexus phones? Are you excited? Were you expecting more? Personally, I think the specs seem promising. The design of the Nexus 6P looks decent, although I am curious to see what it's going to pack inside of the camera bulge that takes up the entire top section of the phone.
The Pokemon Company has made a big announcement; a new project, in collaboration with Niantic Inc. This project is an app called Pokemon GO. Pokemon GO will bring the awesome world of Pokemon into reality. Pokemon GO uses real world location tracking that will allow you to search for and catch Pokemon.
Pokemon GO uses your smartphone to create an augmented reality that allows you to explore the world of Pokemon with your friends. Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, Niantic Inc, and Game Freak will not only be working together to develop this app to be as amazing as possible, but they will also be working on ways to connect Pokemon GO to the Pokemon video game series. Pokemon GO Plus is a small device that connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth. It will notify you if there are pokemon nearby, or if there are any events around you. It does this using an LED light and vibration. Using Pokemon GO Plus, you will also be able to catch Pokemon. The Pokemon GO Plus is being developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Pokemon GO will be free to download for both iOS and Android, and will also offer in-app purchases. More information will be available closer to the App's release, in 2016. Samsung's Newest Smartwatch Goes Full Circle At IFA 2015, Samsung Unveiled their latest wearable. The Samsung Gear S2, the watch that was teased at Samsung's event a few weeks ago, was finally unveiled. With the Gear S2, Samsung completely changed what they normally did with their past smartwatches. The Gear S2 features a thinner and sleeker looking design, that looks more like a traditional watch. The past Samsung wearables didn't look bad, they just seemed too big and clunky. But with the New Gear S2 watches-yes there are two-they look as though you are wearing a standard watch. Both the standard model S2 and the S2 Classic feature similar designs, but they do each have their own unique aspects. The standard S2 features a sleek sporty design with a plastic band, while the S2 Classic looks like an old timepiece; with its textured bezel and leather band. Both S2 watches feature a completely circular display-no "flat tire" like the Moto 360. They also run the same operating system, Samsung's Tizen UX. To navigate the watch they both feature a Home and Back button, as well as the rotating bezel that had been rumored some time ago. In terms of functionality; both watches will allow you easy access to notifications, as well as send text messages. Samsung will also be releasing a 3G model of the S2 that will add an e-sim with voice capabilities.
Samsung has stated that they are openly collaborating with developers, to offer a wide assortment of watch faces and bands by launch, as well as multiple apps made specifically for the Gear S2 and its 1.2-inch circular screen. In terms of what's inside of the watches, both watches are almost completely identical. The only difference being the dimensions and weight of both watches. Specs- |
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