Sony Xperia Z5 Premium vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5 quick look
Sony took the wraps off of their latest flagship offerings at an event in Berlin, ahead of IFA 2015, and introduced to the world the first smartphone to feature a display with a 4K resolution. Naturally, you may be wondering how Sony’s latest high-end device fares against its direct competition. Here is a quick look at the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5!
The Xperia Z5 Premium looks and feels just like any other Sony device, being a clean, rectangular slab with a metal frame, and glass panels on the front and back. If you’re used to Sony smartphones, you will love the design of the Xperia Z5 Premium. It does feel great in the hand, with a very solid, substantial feel to it. The simplistic design certainly looks great, but is quite familiar at this point.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Note 5 comes with Samsung’s new premium design language first seen with the Galaxy S6, and now also features a metal and glass construction, similar to the Xperia Z5 Premium. The Galaxy Note 5 has more of a curve to it however, and is also thinner than the Xperia Z5 Premium, resulting in a handling experience that is better in the case of the former.
Both devices are certainly premium but while the Galaxy Note 5 focuses on the luxurious, the Xperia Z5 Premium is definitely for the functional thanks to its water resistant abilities. A fingerprint sensor is certainly needed on a true high-end device and both devices tick this box. The Galaxy Note 5 houses it in the home button beneath the screen, while Sony have put it in the power button on the right. The scanner on the Galaxy Note 5 works as well as it should, but the placement of the sensor on the Sony device actually seems to make more sense. It also seems to be extremely accurate and fast, which is always good to see.
Speaking of the screen, the Xperia Z5 Premium aims to steal the show, thanks to its incredible 4K display that touts an insane 806 ppi pixel density. This happens to be the first smartphone with a 4K resolution screen, and while the Galaxy Note 5 does have a Quad HD panel, it doesn’t hold a candle to the Z5 Premium, at least on paper. Samsung offers one of the best displays on the market and while the Super AMOLED panel on the Note 5 is impressive, the incredible density of the Z5 Premium screen makes for some amazingly crisp text, images, and video. It has to be said that the display of the Galaxy Note 5 is definitely brighter, which makes it a lot easier to see outdoors. Both these displays are absolutely fantastic for pretty much everything you may want to do on a smartphone.
None of these devices are a slouch, and while Sony have packed the Xperia Z5 Premium with a 1.9 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM, Samsung have stuck their own Exynos 7420 inside the Galaxy Note 5, along with 4GB of RAM. Both devices are quick, snappy, and responsive and whichever you choose, you should have no performance worries.
Like other flagships, both devices come packed with a full set of components to keep the experience pristine. The Xperia Z5 Premium comes with 32 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot, while the Galaxy Note 5 comes with either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, but no microSD expansion, so Sony definitely wins out here if expandable storage is a must have for you. Both have all the usual connectivity standards and come with NFC, while the Note 5 is also compatible with the Samsung Pay mobile payment standard and comes with the S-Pen stylus, to take advantage of features like Air Command to create memos, crop images, create screen grabs, and also write on whatever may be on the screen.
A flagship isn’t a flagship without an impressive camera, and while we haven’t tested the Xperia Z5 Premium camera, we’re betting it’s impressive, considering Sony’s track record when it comes to cameras. The Note 5 packs a 16MP sensor with OIS and, as covered in our review, it is a great camera. The Xperia Z5 Premium comes with Sony’s new 23MP Exmor RS sensor with super fast phase detection auto focus, steady shot stabilization and a 23 mm wide angle f/2.0 G Lens. Up front, both devices have 5 MP front facing shooters which should be good enough for most of your needs.
With all those power-hungry specs and advanced functions, both smartphones need large enough batteries to handle whatever you throw at it. The Note 5 comes with a 3,000 mAh non-removable battery that is mostly impressive, while Sony has packed a large 3,430 mAh battery inside the Xperia Z5 Premium. Sony swears the Xperia Z5 Premium will provide 2 days of usage on a single charge, but we’ll certainly have to wait to see what kind of effect this high resolution display will have on the battery life. If that claim does end up being true, the Xperia Z5 Premium will have the edge over the Galaxy Note 5, which typically lasts just a little more than a day.
In terms of software, the Xperia Z5 Premium and the Galaxy Note 5 are running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, but their respective takes on the user interface result in experiences that are very different. The Sony device features a close to stock Android experience with its Xperia UI, which doesn’t really add too much to Lollipop. A lot of the Material Design elements can be seen here, but there some staple Sony software features that return here, such as Small Apps, and the PlayStation integration. The TouchWiz UI seen with the Galaxy Note 5 has been cleaned up quite a bit by Samsung this year, with a lot less bloatware and unnecessary features. The device does pack quite a bit into the software experience, mostly because of the S-Pen stylus and all that it is capable of.
So there you have it for this quick look at the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5! The Xperia Z5 Premium is Sony’s way of going all out, but the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, with its sleek new design, fantastic performance, and improved features, is certainly not making the competition easy for the Sony flagship.
LG G4 Note rumors gain momentum; Possible date leaked
Earlier this week we told you about LG claiming the “G4 Note” trademark and now we’re seeing a brand new LG phone pass through TENAA which is China’s certification arm. Now we may be getting a possible release date too. While officials have already confirmed we will see a new LG flagship in Q4 of 2015, during a briefing apparently a loose lipped employee let it be known that October 10th would be the date.
During the briefing no specific device was mentioned but we’ve seen a ton of rumors of a G4 Pro or G4 Note to feel confident that this will be device that will be announced or released in October. LG has been on a two flagship per year release cycle just like Sony and Samsung but this would be the third flagship phone this year for the Korean giants. So far this year we’ve already seen releases of the G4 and G Flex 2 but the G Flex 2 bombed pretty hard and LG may be looking to reclaim some of the sales they’re losing in the later part of the year to Samsung with the redesigned Note 5.
We don’t have locked down specs for the LG G4 Note yet but in the pictures from TENAA we can see that the newest flagship will maintain the laser autofocus from the G4. It’s too early for the Snapdragon 820 to be released, 2016 seems more likely, so we’ll probably see a Snapdragon 808 just like the in the G4.
If the G4 Note keeps the rest of the internals from the G4 then we’ll see a Snapdragon 808 with 3 gigs of ram, 32 gigs of storage with a removable battery and micro SD card. With rival Samsung dropping the battery and expandable storage options, this could be a huge win for LG with disgruntled Note owners looking for an upgrade. There doesn’t appear to be a curved back like the G4 with these pictures showing a much thinner device.
Reports from March out of Korea had mentioned a 5.5″ 3K display might be included. LG was the first to release a phone with a QHD screen with last year’s LG G3 and we’ve already seen a 4K screen on the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium so these rumors might not be as farfetched as they would have seemed to be 6 months ago.
Source: AndroidAuthority via GforGames
The post LG G4 Note rumors gain momentum; Possible date leaked appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Play ‘Evolve’ free this weekend on Xbox One and PC
Wondering what to do with your three day weekend? Turtle Rock Studios is hoping you’ll (re)visit its co-op shooter Evolve, courtesy of a few days of free access on Xbox One and PC. Even if you already own it, it may be time to knock the dust off because besides the flood of players, it’s unlocking all the DLC for you to try, and just permanently unlocked a new monster, the Meteor Goliath. Thanks to its 4-on-1, primarily multiplayer setup, having a strong base of online players is key, and this is one way to try and refresh the ranks. The free preview is already under way, wrapping up on the 7th, at 11:59PM PT on Xbox One, and at 10AM PT on PC.
Filed under:
Gaming, HD, Microsoft
Source:
Evolve Blog
Tags: 2K, Evolve, hdpostcross, microsoft, PC, TurtleRockStudios, XboxOne
Google has added system-wide device translation using Google Translate to Android Marshmallow
Google has made language translation a little easier in Android, but it’ll only be functional for devices running 6.0 and up. Android Marshmallow’s contextual selection menu allows apps to add functionality, and Google has updated their Translate app to join in on the fun. You’ll be able to directly translate text on your device without having to go into the actual Translate app, which is a huge time saver.
Apps being able to add contextual actions is a pretty big deal and one of the cooler new features of Android 6.0. Hopefully Google brings some new functionality into this with their other apps, and we’ll probably see tons of third-party apps take advantage of this once Marshmallow starts rolling out to devices later this year.
source: Zachary Kew-Denniss (Google+)
via: Android Police
Come comment on this article: Google has added system-wide device translation using Google Translate to Android Marshmallow
Google improving searches for health information and diseases
Last February Google launched a new feature in its search engine that showed relevant health information when people searched for certain conditions or diseases. The feature has been fairly popular up to this point, so Google is expanding it with tons of new health information, plus some extra features.
The updated results will include around 900 more conditions, which is double what the feature started with. Results will show symptoms, treatments, and more. The interface for results has been tweaked, too, so searching for a disease’s symptoms will take you directly to the symptoms tab. There’s also a button for downloading a PDF of information about what you’re looking at so you’ll have something to take to the doctor on your next visit.
Google is teaming up with doctors and professionals to make sure this information is updated and accurate, and they’re in the process of getting the results localized into different languages besides just English.
source: Inside Search
Come comment on this article: Google improving searches for health information and diseases
You can get Alcatel’s latest smartphone, the Alcatel Pop Star, with a denim back cover
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There are many materials that are good for a smartphone’s back cover, but denim isn’t one that immediately springs to mind. Nevertheless, the option is now available thanks to the Alcatel Pop Star, the latest smartphone from Alcatel OneTouch which is presumably trying to outdo Motorola in number of customization choices. There are also a whole number of other choices including leather, wood, and something called plastic. Weird. Naturally, we’d choose denim, because what else would help you achieve the dream of wearing triple denim?
On a more serious note, the Alcatel Pop Star is kind of an average device – more of a mid-range device, the Pop Star has a 5-inch 720p display, quad core processor, 1GB RAM, 8MP rear camera and runs Android Lollipop. It’s clear then that the Pop Star’s primary selling point is its customization, though that can go a long way with the fashion crowd who are looking for a device like this. We’re not sure how much the Pop Star will end up costing, or when it will be released, but I’m sure we’ll all end up sleeping better now that we know there’s a smartphone which has denim on its back.
What do you think about the Alcatel Pop Star? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Phandroid
The post You can get Alcatel’s latest smartphone, the Alcatel Pop Star, with a denim back cover appeared first on AndroidSPIN.
Google reportedly plans to re-enter mainland China through the Google Play Store
Google has been completely absent from China since the year 2010, but that might be changing sometime soon. According to a recent report from The Information, Google soon expects to return to mainland China to sell mobile services. More specifically, with approval from the Chinese government, the company hopes to distribute a special China version of the Google Play Store application for Android smartphones in the country, according to people familiar with the plan.
Google supposedly already has partnerships in place with Chinese companies to help architect and run the China version of the Play Store locally. Additionally, the company is also preparing to announce support for a new version of Android Wear for smartwatches in China. Google could plan to re-enter China as early as this fall, the report states.
Related: Does Google need to return to China? It’s complicated.
As part of this big push back in to China, Google is expected to offer new incentives to OEMs to upgrade their mobile devices to the latest version of Android. Simply put, if more Android smartphones are running the latest software and have a similar experience overall, this will make the platform much more attractive to both application developers and consumers alike.
According to one person familiar with the matter:
As more Chinese app developers look to extend their apps beyond China’s borders and more non-Chinese app makers try to tap the Chinese market, Google wants to ensure all the apps work well across Android devices globally. Thus, hardware partners that will distribute Android Wear or Google Play in China will need to adhere to certain global compatibility standards.
Google wants to make money through Android, and China is the place to do it
Seeing as how the vast majority of Android devices in China have no Google services installed whatsoever, bringing Google services along with the Play Store, albeit a stripped-down version, to Android devices in the country would be considered a huge win for Android as a whole. Google wants to make money through Android, and China is the place to do it.
If this comes into fruition, Google says that it will follow local laws and block applications that the Chinese government deems unacceptable. To many, this might look like a back-tracking on Google’s part, especially following the company’s bold stance on the subject back in 2010. The Chinese smartphone market is growing tremendously, and Android is a huge player in that space. There are tons of great Chinese phone makers that have gained popularity as of late, and Google needs to be on good terms in this region if it wants to make even bigger bucks.
Pebble Time for Android version 3.4 update brings actionable calendar events and more
If you happen to own a Pebble Time smartwatch, there should be a pretty substantial update rolling out to the companion Android app as we speak. The headline feature in this version 3.4 update brings users the ability to take action on incoming calendar events or on existing events in your timeline. From your watch, you’ll now be able to accept, decline, cancel and more.
The Pebble team has also brought a new look and feel to the app, with a more streamlined layout, simpler menus, easier access to watchfaces and more. If you’re interested, here’s the full changelog for the version 3.4 update:
- New look and feel: Enjoy a streamlined layout, simpler menus, and easier access to watchfaces, apps, and notifications settings.
- Do more with Calendar events: Act on incoming calendar invites (accept, decline, cancel, etc.) or on existing events in your timeline.
- Incoming calls not appearing on your watch in time? This update fixes it
- Better notification handling when a lot are left on a paired device’s lock screen.
- Bug fixes and stability improvements to version 3.3.0.
Don’t miss: Pebble Time review
Be sure to head to the Play Store link below to download the latest version.
Here’s our first look at Gameloft’s upcoming MMORPG, Order & Chaos 2: Redemption
Just last month, Gameloft announced its plans to bring a new MMORPG to mobile devices called Order & Chaos 2: Redemption. Back then we didn’t have much more than a teaser trailer and a simple game description, but now the video game developer has released a new video that details what we can expect from the new title. Specifically, two new features that will be present in the game are shown off in the video: solo dungeons and instant quests.
For starters, solo dungeons are meant for players who don’t have any other group members or are pressed on time. This will allow players to get the full dungeon experience and rewards when they only have a few minutes to play, or are lacking a full group. There will be four solo dungeons available at launch, and Gameloft says more will be added in the future. The rewards you’ll receive in solo dungeons will vary, but you can still expect to get crucial items for crafting gear, gold and more. To enter solo dungeons, you can use dream fragments, which will replenish every day.
There’s also a new feature coming to the game called instant quests, which will save you time by allowing you to skip through dialogue with NPCs to receive a quest. Instant quests will be automatically triggered when you enter a region associated with a particular quest. Rewards will be automatically awarded after completing an instant quest, so you won’t need to circle back to a quest giver when you’re done. Instant quests don’t particularly replace regular quests, but they do offer a different way for players to interact with the world.
The game is slated for release sometime later this year, but unfortunately we don’t have a specific date yet. We’ll be sure to update you as we learn more. If you’d like to pre-register for Order & Chaos 2: Redemption, follow the link below to get the details.
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium hands-on and first look
The race to next generation displays is certainly heating up and while most companies still offer either Full HD or Quad HD panels, Sony has sought to steal the IFA 2015 show with its new Xperia Z5 Premium.
Featuring many of the same specs as the rest of the Xperia Z5 family, the Z5 Premium stands out as it sports the world’s first Ultra HD smartphone panel but is the next-generation resolution enough to make the Xperia Z5 Premium, the phone you have to buy? Let’s find out in our hands on first look.
See also: Sony Xperia Z5 Premium officially announced: what you need to know
The Xperia Z5 Premium looks and feels like most other Sony devices and shares the same updated design language as the other members of the Xperia Z5 family. That means we’ve got a tweaked build including rounded corners and the redesigned larger power button, which sits on the right and incorporates a fingerprint sensor.
A key feature of Sony’s Xperia line-up over the past few iterations has been IP certification, with the Xperia range known for its dust and waterproofing. The Xperia Z5 Premium continues in the same mould with IP68 certification meaning it is dust proof and resistant to water for up to 30 minutes and up to 1.5 meters underwater.
The Xperia Z5 Premium is certainly a large device by Sony standards but it can be forgiven thanks to the incredible display. This is what sets the handset apart from the rest and the 5.5-inch Ultra HD 4K panel offers an eye-watering 806 pixels per inch density. As the first smartphone with a 4K display, Sony has certainly stolen a march on its rivals and the display itself is gorgeous, with amazingly crisp text, images and videos.
A problem many people identify with UHD (or even QHD) resolution is a lack of suitable content and Sony aims to fix this by working with partners to develop content. Until content is widely available (which hopefully won’t be too long), Sony has also incorporated the upscaling technology from its TV lineup and the Xperia Z5 Premium will be able to upscale your Full HD content to make full use of the 4K display.
What good is an awesome display if you don’t have the hardware to match it? Obviously, not a lot but Sony has given the Xperia Z5 Premium every chance of succeeding. Under the hood, the handset is powered by a 1.9GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor paired with 3GB RAM and an Adreno 430 GPU. Some of you may have concerns about the high resolution screen slowing the rest of the handset down but thankfully, we haven’t noticed any performance-related issues (although we’ll give you our final word in the review later in the year).
Aside from the powerful internals, the Xperia Z5 Premium also comes with a specs list that is certainly worthy of a flagship device. The components include 32GB internal storage that can be expanded by up to 200GB using a microSD, NFC, the usual array of connectivity options and the one-touch fingerprint sensor, which certainly performs well enough in our first tests.
You may be forgiven for thinking the display is the standout feature on the Xperia Z5 Premium and while you are certainly right, Sony also wants to let you produce amazing content of your own to watch on that display. On the back, the Xperia Z5 Premium features a next-generation 23MP Exmor RS sensor with super fast autofocus and Sony claim the camera can focus on a subject in just 0.3 seconds.
Related: Here’s what the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium camera can do
The camera itself has a 23mm wide angle f/2.0 G Lens, which should mean impressive camera shots and thanks to 4K video recording, you’ll be able to record native 4K content with the camera and then watch it back on that excellent display. On the front, the Xperia Z5 Premium has a 5MP camera, which is on par with most current smartphones.
Of course, it’s difficult to tell just how good the camera is in a first look but we’ll go into a lot more detail in the upcoming review. Sony has traditionally provided camera modules to several of its rivals and quite often, the Xperia range has produced less than stellar shots compared to other devices using the same sensor. With the new camera, Sony has finally delivered its first meaningful update to Xperia smartphone cameras since the Xperia Z1 and with the company’s Alpha camera range capturing excellent photos, maybe its smartphone cameras will finally live up to their promise.
On the software front, the Xperia Z5 Premium runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with Sony’s Xperia UI on top. If you’re familiar with past Sony devices, you’ll be right at home here. It doesn’t stray to far away from a vanilla build of Android, but does come with a few of Sony’s software enhancements like Small Apps and built-in Playstation integration.
A key problem and criticism of Ultra HD (and even Quad HD) displays is the supposed effect on battery life that comes from having to power all those pixels. Having only just had hands on with the Xperia Z5 Premium, it’s obviously too early to tell whether the large 3430 mAh battery will be big enough to deliver Sony’s claims of 2 days’ battery life from a single charge but we will definitely be testing this in the full review. Does it live up to Sony’s claims? We shall see!
There you have it; the display wars have heated up another notch and Sony is at the head of the pack with the world’s first 4K smartphone. The Xperia Z5 Premium is without a doubt one of the stars of IFA 2015 and while Sony is yet to reveal exact US pricing or availability, it has said the handset will start going on sale around the world in November. One thing is for sure; for the Xperia Z5 Premium, you can definitely expect to pay a premium price.
What do you think of the world’s first 4K smartphone and Sony’s new Xperia design language and feature set? Let us know your views in the comments below guys and don’t forget to check out all our IFA 2015 coverage!
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