As much as possible, with a stock of a fancy smartphone running Android - this is the Galaxy S series. Korean flagships compete with the iPhone, but come out in "antiphase" with it - six months after the last "Apple phone" and, accordingly, six months before the new one. Therefore, the bells and whistles in each new S-model should be with a margin.
Over the six years of Galaxy S existence, Samsung has had both failed generations, and sensationally, unprecedentedly cool. "Es-eighth" is closer to the second category, because it differs noticeably not only from itself in the last generation, but also from any other smartphone. There are almost no sensational innovations, but there is something to look at:
- Extremely large screen in a small package... In really small body as large as a 5.1-inch or 5.2-inch model. Xiaomi Mi Mix is \u200b\u200ba much more radical mobile phone, but, firstly, it is at least no less than 5.5-inch devices, and secondly, it sacrificed a lot in usability in order to become completely frameless. Samsung, with a similar design, did without experimenting with the speaker and the location of the webcam, and the 5.8-inch high-quality and economical AMOLED display has not yet been packaged in such body dimensions.
- Home key hidden in the screen... Even Apple abandoned the physical "Home" key and replaced it with a cunning motor with tactile feedback, while the Koreans have completely rid the smartphone of an archaic attribute. Many Galaxy lovers will find the innovation inconvenient, but in the frameless model, the ability to "click analog" any of the three system keys - luxury.
- Work in desktop mode... The smartphone is inserted into the dock, connected to a monitor, keyboard, mouse and other things - and replaces the computer, displaying something like "Android with windows" on the big screen. Well, he's trying to replace. The dock is called "DeX" and will cost about 10 thousand rubles. Once Microsoft tried to do the same with the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL smartphone on Windows, but then the idea "did not work."
- Iris scanner. Unlock your smartphone with a glance - just by looking at it. Samsung has already installed such a sensor in the Note 7, but the Note 7 was recalled almost immediately after the start of sales due to battery fires. Such a scanner was even in cheap Chinese phones, like the ZTE Axon, only a fake one.
- Savvy voice / text assistant... For those who like to talk to the phone instead of asking search query or set the alarm manually. How many there were, but in general - why not, one wonders?
Why Galaxy S8: the world's fastest and bezel-less smartphone; the coolest display in a mobile phone of its class, plus a "fun program" for geeks.
LG G6. Bezel-less flagship without kinks. In all senses
If an outwardly inexperienced buyer can confuse the flagships of Samsung and LG, then in everyday use these two models differ markedly. And, if you forget for a moment about the "something expensive" argument (and remember how smartly LG models are dumped in price over time), the "highlights" of the G6 are as follows:
- Camera: regular, square, wide... Photos with the same width and height. The display in shooting mode is divided into two squares: one displays the finished photos, the other - the viewfinder. The widescreen sensor is an improved legacy of the LG G5. An irreplaceable thing when you need to photograph something "unplugged" into a standard frame. This is the opposite of LG's way: others use a dual camera for background blur and / or "hybrid zoom".
- Convenient... Any seasoned “surveyor” or owner of the Galaxy S6 edge knows how to hold the smartphone so as not to provoke accidental presses on the screen with a hand. That is, adjusting is not a problem, but, as they say, it is better to let it bend under us. The LG G6 did not drastically "pull" the screen onto the front panel, but the frames are really vanishingly small, and the body is comfortable to hold. The difference with the S8 screen is limited to 0.1 diagonal, but the LG body is noticeably more practical.
- The only "thoroughbred flagship" with an audiophile DAC. The G6 carries the ESS SABER ES9218 chip, the same as in the LG V20. And the difference in the sound quality in the headphones is noticeable.
Why LG G6: to get the perfect flagship for an audience that doesn't know much about smartphones, but wants everything to be of high quality. I bought it - and you don't bother, because you know that the cameras are good, the sound is also good, the screen is stretched over latest fashion, and you won't have to get used to something new, “breaking yourself”.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium. Chrome-plated "Japanese" with 4K display and record-fast camera
Sony is one of the last strongholds of cool mobile phones that don't look like Chinese consumer goods. Because the Xperia do not look like aluminum "pans" with a fingerprint scanner on the back, or "iPhone on Android", as is the case with Meizu or Xiaomi. Alcatel and ASUS lag behind in hardware, HTC and Lenovo in prestige and everything else. And yet there are no other truly modern Japanese smartphones left in the world that can be bought outside the Land of the Rising Sun.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium
And here's the coolest Xperia ever made:
- 4K display (3840x2160 pixels) 5.5 '' diagonal with HDR support. Sony is trying to introduce a new resolution into smartphones, while other manufacturers are churning out Quad HD matrices for the third consecutive year.
- Newest camera Sony (and so far exclusive to Sony itself) Motion Eye with the ability to shoot super slow motion video with a frequency of 960 frames per second: during video recording, you can press a special button on the screen, and the next fifth of a second will stretch for six seconds in the video "on exit". Plus a photo feature: predictive shooting - the ability to stamp a photo even before the shutter is released.
- "Chrome" mirrored metal case... Much more beautiful than traditional painted metal and not as fragile as any kind of glass.
- Stereo speakers and waterproof.
- Most powerful processor 2017 year - Snapdragon 835.
Why Xperia XZ Premium: the flagship of the "old style" brought to perfection, which is both beautiful and sophisticated so that even the Galaxy S8 lags behind in numbers, which should "avenge two": for itself and for that guy Note 7.
We are used to discussing the flagships of A-brands, comparing the best representatives of the Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Htc one, LG G, Sony Xperia. We are perfectly familiar with the top solutions of many chinese companies - Lenovo, Xiaomi, Meizu, OPPO, OnePlus, BBK Vivo ... But today I'm going to talk about a dozen cool smartphones that most (almost) forgot or even never knew about. Go!
The Lumigon T2 HD is a Danish smartphone with a premium claim. So strong that Lumigon even released a 24-karat gold version of the smartphone and sells it for $ 1225. The regular stainless steel version is priced at $ 578. The T2 HD specs don't boggle our minds (Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 4.3 "HD screen, 2GB of RAM and 32GB permanent memory, 13-megapixel and 2.4-megapixel cameras with flashes, Android 4.4.2 KitKat). However, the main strength of the Lumigon T2 HD lies in the software and hardware chips: the docking station can include different modes operation of the smartphone at different times in different places, the LED above the screen tells about notifications, the screen supports touching with gloves, the ActionKey button located above the screen gives access to the desired (pre-configured) function in one click, QuickTouch allows you to display five selected icons in any the moment you click under the screen, Sunlight mode repaints the interface in black and white for better readability in direct sunlight, and Vault allows you to hide and password protect applications and files. Lumigon T2 HD is protected from water and dust and is equipped with an infrared port for equipment control.
Infobar A03 is a product of the Japanese company iida, produced by the Japanese company Kyocera, and drawn by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa. I mentioned the designer for a reason - the Infobar A03 is primarily a design product. That is why there are three hardware buttons under the screen. different colors - for twelve years, tricolor has been distinctive feature all Infobar. The iida UI on a smartphone is designed by Yugo Nakamura and is somewhat reminiscent of Windows Phone - the same "live dice" with useful informationto scroll up and down. True, here they can also be grouped. In the Land of the Rising Sun they do not like "shovels", and the Japanese team made their creation very compact - 131x68x8.9 mm. Iida Infobar A03 specifications include Android 4.4 KitKat, 2020 mAh battery, qualcomm chipset Snapdragon 801 MSM8974AB with a frequency of 2.3 GHz, 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras, dust and moisture protection IP55 / 58, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of permanent memory and a 4.5 "TFT screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Infobar A03 price - about 32.5 thousand rubles, it is locked under the operator au by KDDI and cannot be unlocked.
Tonino Lamborghini 88 Tauri is one of the few luxury smartphones with top specs. The steel-leather device is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor (4 cores at 2.3 GHz), 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of permanent memory, a microSD slot (reads cards up to 128 GB), a 5 "Full HD screen, 20 MP and 8MP cameras, Wolfson amplifier and operating system Android 4.4.4 KitKat. The capacious 3400 mAh battery is a pleasant surprise. There are only 88 Tauri in the world in 1947, in honor of 1947, when Antonio Lamborghini, the son of the founder of the brand, was born. The price, depending on the modification, varies from $ 6000 to $ 6300.
Samsung SM-W2015 is the next generation of Samsung super clamshells sold exclusively through China Telecom. It was the latter that brought the device into this article - if it entered other markets, it would have made a lot of noise. The smartphone looks unusual for a Korean company, but in the characteristics you can see many nuances typical for it. So, both screens (main and external) are made using SuperAMOLED technology, and a heart rate scanner is found next to the camera. Both displays have a diagonal of 3.9 "and a resolution of 1280x768 pixels (383 ppi). The smartphone is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset (4 cores 2.5 GHz), 16 GB of memory, a microSD slot, 16-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras , two SIM-trays and a 2020 mAh battery.When folded, the wonderful clamshell has dimensions of 121.3x62.9x15.9 mm.
The only Chinese device here is the Manta 7X. This is a unique device without any buttons. No buttons under the screen, no volume buttons, no lock keys. But with touch ends, with swipes on which you can perform various actions, including changing the volume. Having come up with a chip, the Chinese did not forget about the characteristics: inside the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 with a frequency of 2.5 GHz, 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of ROM, a 4200 mAh battery, a 5.5 "Full HD screen and two completely identical 13-megapixels cameras with Sony IMX214 sensors, viewing angle 88 degrees and optical stabilization Due to the impressive battery, the device is quite heavy - as much as 200 g. There is some dust and moisture protection (IP55).
The top five is opened by the Finnish corporate smartphone Aava mobile Inari 5. Seeing it for the first time specifications, I thought it was some kind of joke. So, read carefully: the device is equipped with a 4.7 "HD screen, 2/4 GB random access memory, 32/64/128-GB storage, 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras (for scanning QR codes and video chats, respectively, according to Aava mobile), NFC support, optional LTE support, quad-core intel processor Atom Z3745 and operating system Microsoft Windows 8.1. No, I did not miss the word Phone - this smartphone really has a full corporate Windows... What for? Aava mobile gives some kind of vague explanation, they say, enterprises can use software that exists only under Windows, and it will be very convenient to be able to run it on a smartphone. The device is not afraid of falls from 1.5 meters, water and dust (IP67).
Bkav Bphone is a creation of the Vietnamese IT industry. The company Bkav Corporation, which deals mainly with antiviruses, decided to try its hand at the smartphone market, and it did very well. The smartphone is equipped with a Sharp 5 "Full HD screen, operating android system 5.1 Lollipop with BOS shell, 13-megapixel and 5-megapixel cameras, quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with a frequency of 2.5 GHz, 3 GB of RAM and 16/64/128 GB of permanent memory. All this is enclosed in a 7.5 mm case, covered on both sides by Gorilla Glass 3. The smartphone was one of the first to support TransferJet technology - this is wireless connection between devices at a distance of several centimeters at a speed 427 times faster than NFC, and 8 times higher than Bluetooth 4.0.
Pantech Vega Secret Note 2, unfortunately, will never be released. Pantech, having completed the development of the flagship back in August, did not find the funds to start mass production. If the situation were different, the Koreans could purchase a phablet with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor (4 cores 2.5 GHz), 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of permanent memory, a 6 "Quad HD screen, 1 W external speakers, 3400 mAh battery, fast charging, fingerprint scanner, stylus with magnetic slot and improved Secret Plus software chips.
And this device, on the contrary, was not supposed to be sold widely, but is available for ordering to everyone. Here is the Qualcomm MDP 810 Smartphone - a device for developers showing all the capabilities of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset. It received a 6.17 "screen with a resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of permanent memory, 13-megapixel and 4-megapixel cameras, 8 microphones, a fingerprint scanner, a 3020 mAh battery This smartphone lacks just a few functions for the title of flagship - for some reason you cannot make calls and access the Internet from it cellular network... The device can be purchased for $ 799.
Fujitsu is experiencing financial difficulties, which the company decided to solve in the same way as Samsung - with the release of a luxury flagship. For the Japanese company, the Arrows NX F-04G for the NTT DoCoMo operator has become such a "savior smartphone". The main feature of the novelty is the Iris Passport - an infrared iris scanner that provides identification of the owner in any light. The device also received support for the TransferJet technology, which I wrote about above, talking about the Bkav Bphone. The F-04G also has such a forgotten thing as an FM transmitter, which allows you to "distribute" music via FM radio to any receivers. Not the best option for speakerphone, but you can listen to the songs stored on the phone from the car radio. The device is almost completely plastic (only the strip on top is made of aluminum), but it is difficult to scratch the lid due to the finest diamond dusting, called a "hard hyperal diamond coat". Fujitsu Arrows NX has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, Android 5.0, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of permanent memory, a 3120 mAh battery, a 5.2 "Quad HD screen without an air gap, a 21.5 MP CMOS camera with a sensor. Sony and Xevic photo processor and 2.4-megapixel front camera.
Of course, most of the "trends of 2018" are just speculations of analysts and ordinary users, which are formed against the background of already available information and experience of the outgoing year.
Let's try to figure out all the possible changes in stages, without mixing everything into a single whole - the smartphone developers will do it for us!
Switching to a single USB port
The main innovation and at the same time the user's headache in 2017 was the transition of some devices to a new one uSB system Type C. Yes, this port is distinguished by the increased speed of transmission and processes, however, more than one tens of thousands of ordinary customers are tired of "walking with an adapter".
Apple has outlined a transition to a modern port, and we naturally mention it not in last time, since in the past year it has only strengthened its position in the field of the technology flagship.
There is one indisputable plus in the transition to Type C - this is the unity of all gadgets, which will allow you, for example, to calmly take with hands iPhonewithout buying a charger for it, etc.
And knowing how the "lagging" brands pick up the trends of the leading manufacturers, you can safely expect this very unity by the middle of 2018.
Charging upgrade
As you know, in 2017, most manufacturers abandoned the outdated 28 nm standards, and this is just a ringing bell in favor of positive changes in terms of the autonomy of modern smartphones.
The function has successfully established itself in the trend fast charging, which greatly simplified the use of gadgets and, in turn, gives a wake-up call to manufacturers of additional batteries of the type Power bank... Although, in theory, they have nothing to worry about - no matter how fast the charging is, the carelessness of people will constantly lead them to a discharged battery right in the middle of a busy day - this is a classic that cannot be changed by any, even the most advanced technologies.
Are smartphones getting fat?
An unexpected and even strange turn in the industry was the increase in the thickness of devices in 2017. As you know, in the past year, leading brands increasingly tried to make their devices as thin as possible - it even turned into a kind of race.
However, the latest models from Apple and Samsung have become a bit "thicker" than their predecessors, which suggests an end to the minimization of modern gadgets.
Will it continue next year, or was it just a lull before the mass “weight loss” - we'll find out very soon!
Flexible smartphone
According to some information, the Korean radio research agency is already testing a new flexible smartphone from Samsung. Therefore, most likely, one of the following brand models will acquire flexibility - either Galaxy Note 9 or X version.
However, no official information about such new products has yet been reported - perhaps these are just rumors, but in case of successful production, such a concept will instantly be picked up by all more or less decent manufacturers, which will make all the new products of the second half of 2018 flexible.
5x zoom
Apple's 2x zoom trend was quickly noticed by many manufacturers, after which there was a real explosion of devices with this technology, and such that dual cameras nervously sat on the sidelines.
Oppo was going to present a device with a revolutionary 5x zoom before the end of this year, but apparently something did not work out. But don't despair - that means we'll see him next year!
And judging by the good prospects of this technology, everyone else will immediately pick it up - think about it, you are more willing to buy an average budget smartphone if it is equipped with a 5x zoom camera, right?
True, to assert 100% that this technology it is too early to take root - for a start, it is worth assessing the response from users, because the fivefold zoom may be simply useless or it will not be worth the set overpayment bar.
Photo quality stays in place
Multiple zooms are, of course, good, but it is embarrassing that the "megapixels" stopped moving up in 2016. And judging by the mournful silence of the producers, growth is not expected in 2018 either.
It's a pity that this particular branch of technology would be nice to upgrade a little - although, it seems, it is not quite urgent, you can wait a bit.
Opt out of the fingerprint scanner
The latest novelty from Apple brought the world a kind of funeral message - the top ten did not have a fingerprint scanner, which was replaced by a face recognition system.
That's it, you can forget about this fleeting, but very nice bonus to safety? Not at all, because Face ID is a rather expensive system that, when introduced into a smartphone, significantly increases its cost.
Therefore, this particular trend from Apple, most likely, will not find wide distribution due to its high cost.
But the fingerprint scanner built right into the screen is a great concept for development in the coming year. As the developers of the “dozen” admitted, they thought about using this technology, but it is still “completely raw”.
We think that a year will be enough for the development of the idea - we are waiting for frameless frames with a built-in print by the end of next year! This idea will be greeted as something revolutionary, so the development of a working version is already in full swing in Apple laboratories, rest assured!
Well, let's hope that global brands will not disappoint us and fulfill all the wishes for the upgrade and innovations that we made in this article on New Year's Eve.
Every year brings something new to the industry, but you always want something more perfect and striking. There is no limit to perfection - we will always miss something, and this is quite normal.
On September 12, Apple presented the futuristic iPhone X. The audience has already expressed its "fi", rightly noting that the main innovation, namely the frameless screen, we have already seen at Samsung. However, there are many other innovations in the iPhone X that have been introduced to the smartphone market for the first time.
1. Face ID
The idea of \u200b\u200bfacial recognition to unlock a device is not new, but no technology was perfect. Famous for doing everything smartly, Apple introduced the TrueDepth ultra-precise 3D scanning system to iPhone X, which together with machine learning guarantees 100% recognition, even if you don't shave or wear glasses with a hat. At least that's what Apple said.
2. True Tone
This technology first appeared in iPad Proand it does a very simple thing - it adjusts the colors and white balance on the screen according to the ambient lighting conditions. As a result, the image on the device always looks the way it should. True Tone is now on iPhone X.
3. 4K @ 60fps
Apple first introduced 4K video recording in the iPhone 6s. By that time, there were already many smartphones with the same function, but only the iPhone could make videos of unlimited length, and even with cool image stabilization. But the iPhone X was the first smartphone to learn how to record smooth 4K video at 60fps - just what you need for dynamic scenes.
4. Slo-mo in Full HD at 240fps
Yes, there is one smartphone that can shoot slower video - the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, which can handle 720 / 960p. However, with regard to full resolution HD, then here the iPhone X is ahead with 240 frames per second. This is not just slo-mo, but ultra-quality slo-mo.
5. Animoji
Funny animated emoji in Apple Messages. The TrueDepth camera, also responsible for Face ID, creates a mask of your face based on the movements of 50 muscles. The iPhone X then applies this mask to the virtual animated character, and it follows your facial expressions exactly. This way you can even record audio messages.
6. Portrait lighting
For portraits, the iPhone X brightens or darkens areas in the frame in real time. This is how the smartphone simulates different types lighting: stage, back and others.
7. TrueDepth camera
There have never been such front cameras! Yes, the resolution is only 7 megapixels, but the camera can blur the background, so selfies look like they were taken with a DSLR.
8. True Tone Quad-LED Slow Sync Flash
True Tone Quad-LED flash was already in the iPhone 7, but in the iPhone X it got a slow sync mode Slow Sync, which is necessary for night and evening photography to accurately illuminate the subject and at the same time work out the background. It works like this: the shutter of the camera works out a long exposure, and the flash sends out a short pulse of light.
9. Chipset with a neuroprocessor
Apple has incorporated a dual-core neuroprocessor into the A11 Bionic chipset capable of up to 600 billion operations per second. It is thanks to him that such innovative iPhone chips X like Face ID, Portrait Lighting and Animoji.
10. Really solid screen
Apple was not the first to create a completely bezel-less smartphone with a solid screen. However, it was she who managed to occupy the maximum possible area of \u200b\u200bthe front panel with the display, getting rid of areas both above and below it.
Today the vast majority of people have a smartphone. It is for this reason that you need to know as many tricks as possible that will allow you to maximize the potential of your device by all 200 percent. Watching and remembering, these tips will definitely come in handy!
1. DIY waterproof case
To protect your smartphone from water and moisture, a special waterproof case will help, which you can buy, or you can do yourself. To do this, you will need a small bag with a Zip-lock or a cellophane bag, the edges of which should be sealed with fire. You can safely take a phone in such a "case" with you on a hike or to the beach, without worrying that it will fail due to moisture.
2. Memorable pictures
The smartphone camera can be used not only to create beautiful selfies or memorable cards with friends, but also to record important everyday events. For example, before going to the store, you can take a picture of the contents of your refrigerator to know exactly what products are not in it, or click your car in a crowded parking lot to quickly find it at the end of the day.
3. Important information
Instead of a meaningless background image on the lock screen, you can set your own name, contact number, as well as the emergency number of someone close to you in case of an emergency.
4. Charge your smartphone
Going on a business trip, and at the hotel you find that they forgot the power supply unit or plug adapter? Do not despair, you can charge your smartphone using the USB connector, which can be found on the side or back of any modern TV.
5. Alarm volume
Before bed, put your smartphone with the alarm on in an empty cup or glass. This trick will significantly increase the volume of the smartphone signal and will be useful to those people who often do not hear the call and are constantly late because of this.
6. Identification marks on the headphones
Label your headphones to always quickly and accurately determine where is right and where is left. You can tie a knot, draw stripes on one of the wires, or use elastic bands of different colors as identification marks.
7. Smartphone stand
Any glasses can be used as a smartphone stand. Such a holder will allow you to conveniently and securely fix your smartphone in a vertical position for watching a video or movie.
8. Protecting the charging wire
"Strengthen" the base of the cord charger a small spring to protect it from kinks and damage.
9. Macro lens
Want to take extraordinary macro shots with your smartphone but don't have the option to purchase a special lens? Don't worry, you can replace a dedicated lens with a single drop of water, which must be carefully applied to the camera before taking a picture.
10. Homemade stylus
People who often play or draw on a smartphone simply need a stylus, which can be bought at any specialty store or made on their own using a regular pencil wrapped in foil. However, using a homemade option, take care of the smartphone screen, which is better protected with special glass or film.
11. Taking pictures
It turns out that not all Iphone owners know that they can take a picture not only by touching the "Capture" button, but also using the volume keys. By the way, using these keys is much more convenient, especially if you are wearing gloves.
Video bonus:
12. Car key
Lost or forgotten somewhere keys or alarm remotes are the most common problem among motorists. If such a nuisance happened to you, and you urgently need to get into your vehicle, try opening the car using your smartphone. To do this, you need to call someone who has access to a spare key fob, turn on the phone to speakerphone, bring it to the driver's door window, as close to the dashboard as possible, and ask to press the key fob. In most cases, this trick works.
13. Projector
From a cardboard box, a magnifying glass and a smartphone, you can make a good projector that will allow you to arrange a cinema wherever you are.
14. Night light
A smartphone with the flashlight on and any transparent container of water installed on top can replace a night light or desk lamp. Knowing this trick will come in handy in the event of an electrical problem.
