Acer announces two smartphones coming to U.S. market
Acer has announced two of their smartphones will be coming to the U.S. market. The devices include the Acer Liquid Jade Z and the Acer Liquid Z410. Both smartphones will support 4G data speeds and come in thin, light form factors that Acer hopes will attract buyers.
The Acer Liquid Jade Z is equipped with a 1.5GHz MediaTek processor and a 2300mAh battery powering a 5-inch IPS display. Acer used Gorilla Glass 3 for the device and used Zero Air Gap technology to reduce screen glare. The Liquid Jade Z gets a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. The Liquid Jade Z will be offered with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory for $229 or it can be upgraded to 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage for $249.
The other device Acer is bringing to the U.S., the Liquid Z410, comes with a 4.5-inch IPS display, a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. Acer has equipped the Liquid Z410 with their QuickTouch technology so the device can be controlled with one finger using a variety of letter shaped swipes. The Liquid Z410 will retail for $129 for a 1GB RAM/8GB memory version or $149 for an upgrade to 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
Both devices will come equipped with Android 4.4. The Liquid Jade Z will be available in charcoal grey and Acer says the device is now available at “leading retailers.” The Liquid Z410 will go on sale in September and will be available in dark brown.
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Camera360 gets updated to version 7.0, gets new Inspiration and Discovery modes
Camera360 has been updated to version 7.0, making it a great option for someone looking to replace the default camera app on their device. The new update fine tunes the photo shooting experience, but the biggest new features are the Inspiration and Discovery modes in the app.
The Inspiration section of the interface does exactly what it sounds like; shows things that are meant to inspire photography. This can be different images or objects, and is meant to give some insight into what goes into some photos. On the other side of that, the Discovery section is where users can discover other photos, including things like movie photos or posters.
If you don’t care about the superfluous sharing and discovering, the good news is that Camera360 has had its interface tweaked and refined, so anyone that’s only using it to shoot photos should still be pretty happy with this update.
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ZTE plans to showcase new Axon flagship smartphone, other devices at IFA 2015
ZTE has announced they plan to showcase products from four product lines at IFA 2015. ZTE’s CEO Adam Zeng says the company hopes to show “our global commitment to product longevity and will see us rollout more products from our four core product lines across markets worldwide.” Headlining the charge will be the ZTE Axon smartphone which will be the company’s new flagship device intended for global markets.
Along with the new Axon smartphone, ZTE will also have their Blade V6 smartphone, which the company says is their thinnest device in the Blade series, on display along with with several devices from their nubia line. Although it has been on the market for a while, ZTE also plans to bring their Spro 2 Smart Projector to the event to help increase interest in the device.
ZTE is bringing along professional photographer Ed Kashi to IFA 2015 for an invite-only press breakfast where he will discuss the future of mobile photography. Representative from ZTE will be on hand to explain how the company’s strategy will be rolling out for their new product portfolio. ZTE is also planning a “ZTE Fun Day” on September 6th. Along with games and social media activities, ZTE has lined up Culcha Candela and Albert N’Sanda to provide entertainment for guests.
source: ZTE
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Moto 360 update with interactive watch faces is now rolling out
A couple of weeks ago, Google announced a new update to Android Wear that allows for interactive watch faces, Google Translate integration, and more. For those with a Moto 360, the wait is over as Motorola is rolling the update out to you currently.
If you want the update make sure your watch is at least at 80% battery, then you can go to Settings>About>System Updates. It should take about 15-20 minutes to update. If you don’t receive the update today, Motorola says you should get it in the next few days. For a list of interactive watch faces after you receive the update, head here.
The new features are outlined by Motorola:
“Interactive Watch Faces
Interactive watch faces make it easier to stay connected. With just a tap on your watch face, you can change its design, reveal more information, or even launch a specific app.
You can download interactive watch faces from Play Store. To set up, touch and hold on the current watch face, then scroll left/right to select the one you just downloaded. You can also select it from the Android Wear phone app.
Together Watch Face
Two Android Wear users can stay close throughout the day by turning their entire watch face into a space for sharing. Once you’ve paired your watch face with a partner’s, you’ll be able to share things like photos and emojis, and more.
To set up, touch and hold on the current watch face, then scroll left/right to find the Together watch face. You can also select it from the Android Wear phone app.
Google Translate for Wear
Translate a conversation into any of the 44 available languages, then flip your wrist to show the translation to someone else. When they respond in their own language, flip your wrist back, and you’ll see in a translation of what they’ve just said.
The watch must be connected to a phone with internet access via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Weather Microapp
Shows current weather conditions and four-day forecast for your current location. To open the weather microapp, swipe left on the watch face, then scroll down and tap Weather.
Privacy improvement for notifications
Your notifications won’t show in full screen until the watch is oriented in a way that only you can see it. This feature prevents others from reading an incoming notification when your watch screen is pointed away from you.
Bug Fixes
A variety of system optimizations to improve performance and stability.”
Source: Motorola Global Customer Help
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Huawei Honor 7 review
Huawei, like quite a few other Chinese OEMs, is well known for bringing to market smartphones with impressive specifications and features, while keeping it budget-friendly, which is a key aspect of Huawei’s relatively new Honor series of smartphones. Honor 7, the latest addition to the Honor line retains everything that was great about its predecessors, but in a more refined package. Does this device manage to stand out in this highly-competitive segment? We find out, in this in-depth review of the Huawei Honor 7!
Design
While the Huawei Honor 7, with its angular look, features a very similar design language to its predecessors, there is a departure as far as build material is concerned, from a mostly glass construction to a unibody metallic design. The metal backing comes with a ceramic-coated finish, which not only allows for a great feel in the hand, but also slightly helps counter the slipperiness of the metal. With a thickness of 8.5 mm and weighing just below 160 grams, the device also feels very solid and substantial in the hand, and the use of metal certainly makes it feel more durable than its predecessors. With its 5.2-inch display and thin bezels along the sides, the Honor 7 allows for easy one-handed use and makes for a very comfortable handling experience.
Looking around the device, the volume rocker and the power button are found on the right side of the device, while there is a SmartKey button to the right (more about it below), and all buttons are very responsive, easy to press, and offer a good amount of tactile feedback. The power button is placed within comfortable reach, and comes with a slightly textured surface that makes it easy to distinguish between the power button and the volume rocker. The device also comes with a double tap to wake feature, so you won’t have to reach for the power button too often though. Above the SmartKey button is the dual-SIM card tray, with one of the SIM slots also doubling as a microSD card slot.
Up top is the headphone jack and the IR blaster, and at the bottom is the microUSB port, flanked by two grills, giving the appearance of a dual speaker setup, even though it is actually only a single speaker on the left side. Above the display is a speaker grill which also houses a notification LED, and there is also an 8 MP front-facing camera with a flash. On the back is the 20 MP camera sensor, coupled with a dual tone LED flash, with the setup looking quite similar to what is seen with the HTC One M9, and there is also a fingerprint sensor below the camera.
Display
The Huawei Honor 7 comes with a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, resulting in a pixel density of 424 ppi. Huawei claims that this display features a 1500:1 high contrast ratio and an 85% color saturation rate, making for crisp and clear text and vibrant colors. Viewing angles are good, and it also gets very bright, allowing for comfortable outdoor visibility. While Quad HD is all the rage, the Full HD resolution with this size is more than enough, and no one will have any complaints with regards to the viewing experience.
Performance
Under the hood, the Huawei Honor 7 packs an octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 935 processor, clocked at 2.2 GHz, and backed by the Mali-T628 GPU and 3 GB of RAM. Performance is as smooth as expected from this Huawei-made processing package, and very rarely will there be any signs of stutter or lag. Moving through the various elements of the UI is smooth, and opening, closing, and switching between applications is also fast and snappy. The device also handles gaming pretty well, save for the most graphically-intensive games, where you will notice dropped frames and slow load times. While the device gets the job done for the most part, if you’re looking for a fantastic gaming experience, this may not be the phone for you.
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Hardware
The Honor 7 comes with 16 GB or 64 GB of internal storage, and this can be expanded by another 128 GB via microSD card. Keep in mind though that the second SIM slot also functions as the microSD card slot, so you’ll have to make a choice between expandable storage or dual-SIM capabilities. The device comes with a standard suite of connectivity options, as well as NFC, and while it does feature 4G LTE support, it will be a good idea to check for compatibility with your local network carrier first.
As mentioned, there is a fingerprint scanner on the back, placed within easy reach of your index finger. This touch-type finger scanner is definitely one of the fastest I’ve used, and found it to be faster than the Samsung Galaxy S6 scanner. The scanner is also very accurate and rarely failed to read the fingerprint. Its placement on the back means that you won’t be able to easily unlock the phone while it’s kept on a table however, and users will have to depend on a PIN unlock in this case.
This sensor is not just a fingerprint scanner either, but also supports swipe gestures. A swipe down pulls down the notification panel, a swipe up opens up the recent apps screen, and a tap makes it function like a back button. These gestures are very handy to use, and I found myself relying on them when using the phone. Granted, since it lies within reach of the index finger, the opportunity for an accidental tap or swipe does arise, but the gestures were useful enough to make it worth learning to rest your index finger at a slightly different position. Of course, you can disable these gestures if accidental touches become a significant issue.
Another great addition with the Honor 7 is the SmartKey button found on the left side, with functionality similar to what is available with the Active button of the Galaxy S6 Active. You can set up this button to launch up to three different applications or commands, requiring either a single click, a double click, or a long press of the button. This proved to be incredibly useful, and as we expressed during the full review of the Galaxy S6 Active, we hope that this feature makes its way over to more and more upcoming smartphones.
While the microUSB port at the bottom is flanked by two speaker grills, this is only for aesthetic purposes, as the left side is the one that houses a single speaker unit. While this placement is better than if the speaker was on the back, the quality of the speaker itself is unfortunately below average. It doesn’t get loud enough to be heard even in slightly noisy environments, the audio sounds a bit muffled, and it is also very easy to cover up the speaker when holding the device in the landscape orientation.
As far as the battery is concerned, the Honor 7 packs a non-removable 3,100 mAh unit, that allows for excellent battery life, with up to five and a half hours of screen on-time during a typical day that involved watching videos, lots of internet browsing, responding to messages, and taking pictures. If you do run out of battery, you can take advantage of the device’s fast charging capabilities, with the device being charged to 50% in just 30 minutes.
Camera
The Huawei Honor 7 comes with a 20 MP rear camera with a dual LED flash and an f/2.0 aperture, along with a front-facing 8 MP unit, with an f/2.4 aperture. As far as the camera application is concerned, there are some nice features available to enhance the shots you can take like super night mode, panorama, slow motion, a food mode to make pictures of food look more appetizing, and more. The camera is also capable of light painting, so you can leave the camera on a tripod for a few seconds to let it capture all the light, resulting in some creative shots. It is also very easy to take a picture, with a long press of the volume down button enough to quickly launch the camera and take a shot.
As far as image quality is concerned, the camera is capable of taking some really good shots with a good amount of detail and saturated colors. That is mostly in well-lit environments however, and as the lighting conditions deteriorate, some amount of grain starts to show up, detail is lost, and colors begin to lack vibrancy. This is true for most smartphone cameras however, and low-light shots with this device are actually quite good. Video quality is unfortunately disappointing, with poor dynamic range and the tendency to overexpose, resulting in you having to continuously tap on the viewfinder to adjust the exposure and focus.
When it comes to the 8 MP front-facing camera with a wide angle lens, it is coupled with a flash, which is more of a dimly lit flashlight, but can be good to let a little bit of light into the shot. The quality of shots possible with the front camera is also impressive, with nice colors and lots of detail, but as expected, some graininess is seen in poorly-lit environments. With features like beauty mode to take advantage of, the selfie lover will not be disappointed by the quality of the this front-facing camera.
Software
The Honor 7 is running Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with the latest version of Huawei’s Emotion UI on top, but you will be hard-pressed to find any Material Design elements in this user interface. In fact, the influence of iOS in this UI is obvious, starting from the lack of an app drawer, leaving users dependent on folders to keep things organized, to the blurred background effect when opening a folder, as well as the ability to pull up a control center of sorts with a swipe up from the bottom, which houses shortcuts to apps like the flashlight and camera.
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There are some useful shortcuts and features available that make navigating around the UI much quicker, including the swipe gestures using the fingerprint scanner, the ability to take a screenshot with a double tap of your knuckles on the screen, and the ability to draw out areas to crop. You can also play around with the on-screen navigation keys, by switching the back and recent apps keys or by adding a fourth button for bringing down the notification panel.
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The notification panel is chopped up into sections – Shortcuts and Notifications. Although it would have been nice to have these two sections combined, the notifications section is quite nice with a little timeline on the left side keeping your notifications very organized. There is also a theme engine available to change the look and feel of the UI to better suit your liking. While Huawei’s take on Android is certainly different from the traditional software experience and can take some getting used to, it is very sleek and is designed very well.
Specifications
| Display | 5.2-inch IPS LCD Full HD, 424 ppi |
| Processor | 2.2 GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 935 processor Mali-T628 GPU |
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Storage | 16/64 GB expandable up to 128GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Bluetooth 4.0 GPS+GLONASS NFC IR blaster USB 2.0 |
| Camera | 20 MP rear camera with dual LED flash 8 MP front camera with flash |
| Software | Emotion UI 3.1, Android 5.0 Lollipop |
| Battery | 3,100mAh, non-removable |
| Dimensions | 143.2 x 71.9 x 8.5 mm 157 grams |
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Pricing and final thoughts
The Huawei Honor 7 is priced at $400 in markets where it is officially available for the 64 GB iteration, and can be found on Amazon with a price point of close to $500, with color options including silver and black.
So there you have it for this in-depth look at the Huawei Honor 7! Overall, the Honor 7 is a really good phone, with its beautiful display, impressive battery life, a fantastic fingerprint scanner, and good camera. Performance is smooth and snappy for the most part, save for the most graphically-intensive of games, and while the Huawei’s take on Android can take some getting used to, the slew of shortcuts and gestures available enable a good experience. There are some really good options available out there in this price range though, such as the top version of the ASUS Zenfone 2, the Axon Phone by ZTE, and the Moto X Play, which you might want to consider instead.
Square Enix’s Lara Croft GO finally makes its way to the Google Play Store
Square Enix has finally released its much-anticipated Lara Croft GO puzzle adventure game to the Google Play Store. The game is sort of a followup to the popular Hitman GO, and features similar gameplay style and mechanics. You play as Lara Croft navigating through the ruins of an ancient civilization, and it’s your job to collect items and solve puzzles on your quest to uncover the myth of the Queen of Venom.
The game’s mechanics are what really make it addicting. It’s like a mashup of Hitman GO and Monument Valley, where you navigate around a fixed path using swipe-to-move controls. There are no limits on the number of moves you can make, though there are many more puzzles to solve than what you’d find in Hitman GO. Specifically, there are a total of 75 puzzles split into 5 chapters, so you’ll definitely be getting your money’s worth with this game.
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As for the game’s aesthetics, again, we’re looking at a mashup between Hitman and Monument Valley. Overall the graphics are somewhat flat, smooth and blocky, and that makes for a great experience. Animations are pretty smooth, too.
Lara Croft GO is available now in the Google Play Store for $4.99. You’ll also find a handful of in-app purchases in the game, but they’re all easily avoidable. I’ve been playing this game nonstop since this morning, and I can tell you that it’s really great so far. I haven’t personally experienced any release day bugs or lagginess, which is always nice to see.
If you’re interested, follow the link below to start playing!
OnePlus 2 review
The sophomore release by OnePlus tried to capture the viral momentum enjoyed by the first, and apart from the now expected drawn-out teaser campaign, the company made a splash right off the bat by announcing the device through a full VR presentation. The follow up brings with it some forward thinking features while boasting a respectable price point, but does match up to the hype? We find out, in this comprehensive review of the OnePlus 2!
Design
A metal frame with a number of new features further enhances the previous OnePlus formula, and to good effect. For starters, the presence of metallic material this time around automatically makes for a more premium looking and feeling device when compared to its predecessor. Despite retaining the same display size as before, the OnePlus 2 has a slightly smaller overall footprint that results in a handling experience that is a touch better than before.
The button layout has been altered as well, with the volume rocker moving to the right side above the power button, to make way for the new Alert Slider on the left, which is essentially a notification toggle, to easily switch between the three notification priority modes available with Lollipop, which are to allow all notifications, set it to allow only priority notifications, or to completely silence the phone.
Up front is still a 5.5-inch display, which now has a divot below it that houses the capacitive home button and integrated fingerprint scanner. This is flanked by the back and recent apps capacitive keys, designated with lines, which is a nice touch. Another change in terms of design and hardware comes in the form of the new USB Type-C connector at the bottom, flanked by speaker grills.
The backing of the OnePlus 2 comes with the same sandstone black material seen with its predecessor, and continues to be a design choice that is very unique to OnePlus. The sandpaper feel, while allowing for good grip, may not be for everybody and that is why it is great to see that OnePlus has made the back cover much easier to remove, without the need for any additional tools, allowing you to comfortably switch between any of the available StyleSwap covers.
There were no issues with the handling of this phone, which is always a big plus when it comes to devices with large displays, and the solid build quality of the phone will certainly be appreciated by any user. Overall, the OnePlus 2 is a really premium feeling device, especially when compared to its predecessor. When considered against the rest of the competition, OnePlus has done a great job of keeping their design language and elements distinct and unique.
Display
The OnePlus 2 comes with 5.5-inch LTPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 401 ppi. While the size falls within the realm of current Android smartphone standards, the resolution doesn’t live up to the Quad HD performers that dominate the current flagship scene. That’s not to say that the OnePlus 2 does not allow for a fantastic display experience, though.
With a bump in brightness and color saturation, elements on the screen look great in any situation, with really good outdoor visibility as well. The brightness may have been bumped up just a little too much though, as colors start to get a little blown out at the highest brightness setting, but thankfully that’s not a point where most users will have it set to. That said, the OnePlus 2 display does manage to be as good as we hoped it would be, and is every bit as good, if not better, than the rest of the Full HD displays out there, though a Quad HD resolution would have been more fitting for this “flagship killer.”
Performance
Under the hood the OnePlus 2 comes with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, clocked at 1.8 GHz, backed by the Adreno 430 GPU and 3 GB or 4 GB of RAM, depending on whether you opt for the 16 GB or 64 GB version of the device. This is still one of the best processing packages currently available and 4 GB of RAM should make the spartan Oxygen OS fly, which was the case for the most part. The power of the processor is not in question however, as the Oxygen OS is more to blame for a number of bugs and a few crashes that have occurred in our usage.
Everything from browsing to gaming has been a treat, with minimal slow down even while playing the most graphically-intensive of games. It has to be mentioned here that the Snapdragon 810 did get a bit warm under heavy load, but only slightly beyond what was expected, and certainly not as much as some claims might suggest.
Again, the only big problems we had in usage seem to be the fault of the Oxygen OS more than anything. TweetCaster, for example, just doesn’t seem compatible, and crashes occurred when performing tasks just before the fingerprint security wall, such as when accessing the camera from the lockscreen without unlocking the phone first. Overall speed through daily tasks is a non-issue though, and with the Oxygen OS getting the updates it needs, we’re sure that it will eventually be every bit as stable as it is fast.
Hardware
In hardware, there are quite a few new additions in the OnePlus 2 when compared to its predecessor, starting with fingerprint scanner. Setting up the scanner is a familiar procedure, and once done, it is possible to just rest a finger on the reader even when the screen is off and the device will unlock in no time, which is great way to use a fingerprint reader.. when it works. The issue I faced was with getting the placement of the finger correct. I had trouble triggering the fingerprint scanner consistently, as well as some difficulty when using it as a home button. I found having to cover the whole area with the finger the best way to make it work, even when using it as a home button, and that can take some getting used to.
Moving to the sides, the new Alert Slider is an easy way of basically silencing the phone. The textured feel of the slider makes it easy to find when the device is on a table or in your pocket, and just sliding the button all the way to the top silences the device.
Removing the back cover reveals dual SIM card slots, which is a somewhat foreign concept for western users. While the best use of this feature is when it comes to travel, you do have the ability to cater your texts, calls, and data from either SIM card. I used both AT&T and T-Mobile SIM cards with the device, and the only real issue was with regards to the time it takes to change which card is used for data. It does take some time to finally switch over, but if you are impatient, restarting the phone helps.
Rounding out the new hardware additions is the new USB charging port, which means the need for a completely different cord. A new standard will always take a little time to get used to, but thankfully, OnePlus is making this flat red cable available at a very low price, so if nothing else, the company is helping to make USB Type-C a reality. This implementation does come with some sacrifices though, mainly when it comes to fast charging capabilities.
The OnePlus 2 packs a large 3,300 mAh non-removable battery, and with the right brightness settings and other due diligence, I was able to get as much as an impressive 4.5 hours of screen-on time with the device. Where OnePlus did miss the mark, however, was with regards to the charging time. Charging the device from 0 to 100 required around 2 hours, which isn’t terribly slow, but simply pales in comparison to any fast charging solutions out there. Despite the Snapdragon 810 coming with fast charging capabilities, they simply aren’t taken advantage of with the OnePlus 2, and without any wireless charging option either, plugging in the device to charge feels like a bit of a chore.
One of the most talked about omissions on the hardware side of things is, of course, NFC. It isn’t just about missing out on the future of NFC-based payment services, but for me, NFC was missed any time I wanted to connect the OnePlus 2 to my speakers or headphones. The lack of NFC may or may not be a deal breaker for you, depending on your usage, and while it wasn’t a huge problem for me, its absence was noticeable.
As far as audio is concerned, the device packs a speaker setup that is now bottom-firing and certainly gets the job done, and even attempts to go the extra mile with MAXXAudio enhancements. When using the speakers, any changes in the application basically makes the audio louder, with not a lot of body being added in. The enhancements are better felt when using headphones, as the different modes for Movie, Game, and Music, can be used appropriately. The Game mode makes the audio much louder, Movie mode goes for a lower volume while trying to emphasize the higher ends for dialogue, and the Music mode will be somewhere in the middle, depending on your settings.
As you may have noticed, the section with the most to talk about was in hardware, and while all the new additions and changes are welcome and forward thinking, the actual execution is somewhat uneven.
Camera
The 13 MP rear shooter from its predecessor returns here, along with a 5 MP front-facing unit, but the rear camera now comes with the additional benefit of optical image stabilization and a laser-guided auto focus system.
The camera application is very simple for now, but future updates will introduce more manual controls and further control over the settings. Modes that are currently baked in include panorama, 4K video recording, slow motion video capture at 120 fps in a 720p resolution, and even a Time Lapse function. It isn’t a slow app by any means, but the main gripe with it was when it came to changing modes. Swiping up and down on the viewfinder worked fine, until getting to panorama, when it would always go to the portrait orientation, and the need to change positions was something I never got used to. The speed of the app itself is pretty average, and while taking a shot can be quick, the device takes a bit of time to finally create the JPEG.
The picture quality is mostly decent and is mainly bogged down by an uneven execution in the new features. The laser auto focus needs to be triggered better by the app, which doesn’t get proper focus upon launch. Spot focusing and metering are always required right off the bat, instead of the expected automatic focusing on a subject that is clearly in the middle. OIS is a welcome addition, but with the camera app opting for very slow shutter speeds in low light conditions, all the image stabilization in the world won’t be able to deal with the movement. As was also the case with the OnePlus One, really steady hands are required just about all the time.
When all the pieces come together, however, pictures have a good level of saturation without looking doctored, and details are captured really well, with HDR also doing an excellent job of making photos pop. You just have to be diligent with the spot focusing and metering to ensure you actually have the right levels in both, and this is definitely an area that OnePlus needs to improve on with future updates.
The OnePlus 2 camera isn’t a bad companion to have as a primary shooter, but it does fail to match the current flagship standards due to an app that doesn’t fully leverage all of the tools available.
Software
Finally, on the software side of things. The OnePlus 2 runs Oxygen OS, which is a very spartan version of Android. Much of what you see on the surface will be very familiar, with the user interface basically feeling like the Google Now launcher with some customization built-in, and more to play with when you dig deeper.
Aside from the notification dropdown and quick settings that can be moved around, the new software features are found in the settings. There is a Dark Mode, that makes all the usually bright portions of the user interface dark, which is a great tweak to use when in lower light environments, and is actually really nice and helpful. App Permissions come to the Oxygen OS before the new Android M release, and though a majority of users may not dive into this page, the ability to see what applications have access to what, and possibly turn them off, will please anyone that wants that extra peace of mind. Aside from that, there are the features that we’ve already seen before, like the ability to switch between capacitive keys and on-screen navigation keys, and gestures on a turned off screen can still be used to quickly access the camera, the flashlight, or the phone itself.
The most obvious addition to this otherwise very stock Android version is Shelf, which essentially replaces Google Now on the left of the homescreens. Though, at first glance, it looks like a HTC Sense Home widget with frequent apps, favorite contacts, and a user defined cover up top, this page can actually house any and all other widgets as well, allowing you to free up space on the homescreens. All of the widgets will be put in cards however, so there might be a lot of free space around any widgets that aren’t 4 cells wide and at least a few cells high.
There isn’t much else with Oxygen OS 2.0, and while there will some updates for bug fixes and other new features, the way the OS operates right now is pretty snappy, smooth, and minimalistic. Perhaps future versions of the OS will look like more than just a new take on stock Android, but until then, it is a somewhat customizable OS that feels more familiar than anything else.
Specifications
| Display | 5.5-inch LCD, Full HD |
| Processor | 1.8GHz Snapdragon 810 |
| RAM | 3 or 4 GB (depending on storage option) |
| Storage | 16 or 64GB storage |
| Networks | US GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/4/5/8 FDD-LTE: Bands: 1/2/4/5/7/8/12/17EU/India GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900MHz WCDMA: Bands: 1/2/5/8 FDD-LTE: Bands: 1/3/5/7/8/20 |
| Software | OxygenOS based on Android 5.1 |
| MicroSD | No |
| Dual-SIM | Yes |
| Wireless Charging | No |
| Fingerprint Scan | Yes |
| Camera | 13MP rear 5MP front |
| Battery | 3,300mAh |
| Dimensions | 151.8 x 74.9 x 9.85 mm, 175g |
Gallery
Pricing and final thoughts
The OnePlus 2 does once again require an invite to purchase, which will be a disappoint to many people, but at least the company has been taking measures to ensure their stock will meet the demand. That said, the demand is even higher for this phone compared to the original, largely owed to the fact that the pricing is extremely aggressive here with the 16GB model at $329 and the 64GB at $389. While a bit more expensive than the OPO, this is a great price considering all the new features introduced here.
So, there you have it for this in-depth look at the OnePlus 2! With all that we’ve experienced with the OnePlus 2, it is easy to see that this is a flagship device, through and through, but it won’t be killing any other really high end devices any time soon. We can’t fault OnePlus for keeping the features in line with the price point, but calling the OnePlus 2 a “flagship killer” feels like a stretch this year.
The OnePlus One was born of a different era, when Quad HD and overachieving cameras were yet to become reality. In the current high-end market, OnePlus has simply met the standard, not exceeded it. Whether or not OnePlus truly succeeds depends on your needs, but it has to be said that the OnePlus 2 is an incredibly solid device that is marred by inconsistent execution. In the areas that it really needed to succeed, it just missed the mark, mainly, in camera and bugs in the operating system, but these can all be fixed with future updated.
Nonetheless, we do think the OnePlus 2 deserves to be among best – even if its impact is not quite as huge as it was last year.
Honor 7 International Giveaway! [3 Phones]
This week, we’re giving away three Honor 7’s! We’re teaming up with Huawei this time, to giveaway their latest smartphone!
Honor 7 is a very robust smartphone that boasts some very impressive internals, all encased in a high quality metal body that feels quite luxurious in the hand. It features a very bright, full HD display, and packs a 2.2 GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 935 processor
with a Mali-T628 GPU. In other words, it’s quite powerful, and comes in at very competitive price point to boot.
Great content on the Honor 7
- Honor 7 Review
- Exclusive: Honor 7 to launch for under £200
- Honor 7 attracts record interest in China, European launch this year
- Huawei Honor 7 sold out in China in just 2 minutes
- Honor 7 & Meizu MX5 vs the competition
Giveaway!
It’s super easy to enter. Follow the directions down below! Good luck, everyone!
Honor 7 Giveaway
https://js.gleam.io/e.js
- The giveaway is an international giveaway (Except when we can not ship to your Country.)
- If we can not ship to your country, you will be compensated with an online gift card of equal MSRP value to the prize.
- We are not responsible for lost shipments.
- You must be age of majority in your Country of residence.
- We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
- Only 1 entry per person, do not enter multiple email addresses. We will verify all winners and if we detect multiple email addresses by the same person you will not be eligible to win.
- We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
- The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.
Full terms & conditions and FAQ | Past giveaway winners [Gallery]
https://js.gleam.io/e.js
HTC Desire 626 now available from Verizon for just $192
HTC’s latest mid-range smartphone offering, the Desire 626, is now available for purchase from Verizon for just $192 off-contract. The phone is also available from Big Red for just $8 per month for 24 months, if you’d rather go the financing route.
We’ve already posted our full review of this new mid-ranger, and overall, it’s a pretty decent phone. Although it suffers from occasional lagginess and below average battery life, the camera is pretty good, and HTC’s software experience is hard to beat.
As for the specifics, it comes with a 5.0-inch LCD display, a 1.1 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and microSD expansion. It also has an 8MP rear-facing camera, a 5MP front facer, a 2000mAh battery and runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box.
If you’re interested in learning more, follow the Verizon link below for more information.
‘Astropad Graphics Tablet’ App for iPad Expands to iPhone With New ‘Astropad Mini’ App
Earlier this year, a team of ex-Apple engineers released Astropad, an app designed to turn the iPad into a graphics tablet for the Mac. Following rave reviews, the team behind Astropad decided to expand to the iPhone, and is today debuting a new Astropad Mini app.
Like the iPad version of the app, Astropad Mini transforms the iPhone into a miniaturized professional graphics tablet that can be used with the Mac after installing the accompanying Astropad Mac app. With the Astropad Mac app installed, the Mac’s display is mirrored to the iPhone, allowing the iPhone’s touch controls to be used for editing photos and creating art.
Mirroring the Mac’s display to the iPhone produces little to no lag with speeds up to 60 FPS, and edits made within apps like Photoshop or Pixelmator are displayed in realtime on the Mac’s display, for a seamless editing experience. Astropad Mini works with a finger or with a range of different Bluetooth-enabled styluses, supporting pressure sensitivity with certain models like the Adonit Jot Touch.
Since it’s just mirroring the Mac’s display, it also works with any Mac app, from photo editing apps to graphics apps. In our testing with Photoshop CC, Astropad Mini worked lag free over WiFi, but there’s also the option to plug it in via USB for an even faster connection.
Pinch and zoom gestures are supported for navigation, and there’s also a set of customizable keyboard shortcuts. An optional Apple Watch app included with Astropad Mini also includes quick-access customizable shortcuts that can be selected with just a tap.
Astropad Mini works with all iPhones that have iOS 8 installed and all Macs running OS X Mavericks 10.9 or later.
Astropad Mini is available from the App Store for an introductory price of $4.99, a 50-percent discount from the eventual regular price of $9.99. [Direct Link]
The original Astropad Graphics Tablet app for the iPad is temporarily available for $19.99, down from its usual price of $29.99. [Direct Link]
AIVAnet 