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22
Mar

Make people jealous of your lock screen with Windows Spotlight – CNET


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Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

Windows Spotlight is a new feature in Windows 10 that affects your lock screen — it’s basically Bing’s homepage images, but on your lock screen. The photos cycle periodically, so it’s sort of like a curated slideshow of beautiful, high-resolution images on your lock screen. Oh, and Windows also lets you provide feedback about each image for a more personalized experience.

Here’s how to turn on this cool feature so you can see new, awesome photos each time you unlock your device:

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Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

1. Open up the Settings menu and go to Personalization > Lock screen.

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Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

2. Under Background, click the drop down menu and choose Windows spotlight. Exit out of the Settings menu to confirm your changes.

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Sarah Jacobsson Purewal/CNET

3. The next time you unlock your device, your lock screen will have a brand-new, high-res image pulled from Bing. In the upper right corner, you should see a small box that says Like what you see? Roll over this box and choose I like it or Not a fan to give Windows some feedback on how you feel about the image. Windows will use your feedback to tailor lock screen images to your personal taste in the future.

22
Mar

How to update your iPhone or iPad to iOS 9.3 – CNET


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Sarah Tew/CNET

You can now download iOS 9.3 on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system will run on any iDevice from 2011 or later. That means if you have an iPhone 4S or later, an iPad 2 or later, or a fifth- or sixth-generation iPod Touch, you are good to go.

One new feature that comes with the update is called Night Shift mode. Studies have shown that exposure to the blue light on our smartphones is affecting how fast we fall asleep as well as the quality of that sleep. The Night Shift features aims to improve this by reducing the amount of blue light emitted by your device at night.

Want to check it out for yourself? Follow these steps to update your device to iOS 9.3:

  • Make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi and running the latest version of iOS (version 9.2.1)
  • Go to Settings
  • Select General
  • Click on Software Update
  • Tap the “Download and Install” button

Check out this article to learn more about the features in iOS 9.3.

22
Mar

How to update your Apple TV to tvOS 9.2 – CNET


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Sarah Tew/CNET

There’s a new software update available for fourth-generation Apple TV boxes.

Apple on Monday announced tvOS version 9.2. The latest software update adds a variety of new features to the Apple TV that help make it easier to use. You can now organize apps into folders, pair a Bluetooth keyboard, enter text using Siri, and view photos from your iCloud Photo library.

Apple hopes new iPad Pro means less is more…

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Want to check it out for yourself? Follow these steps to download and install tvOS 9.2:

  • Head to the Settings app
  • Click System
  • Select Software Update
  • Tap Update Software
  • Click the “Download and Install” button

To make things easier in the future, you may want to enable automatic updates. Here’s how:

  • Head to the Settings app
  • Select System
  • Click on Software Updates
  • Turn on Update Automaticlly
22
Mar

5 features you don’t get with the iPhone SE – CNET


Apple on Monday announced the 4-inch iPhone SE. Despite its smaller size (and price), the iPhone SE boasts nearly all of the features of Apple’s flagship iPhone 6S. It features the same A9 and M9 processors as the iPhone 6S, for example, along with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, Live Photos, Touch ID, NFC and Hey Siri.

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Screenshot by Josh Miller/CNET

But not all of its features are identical to the iPhone 6S’. Let’s have a look at how the new iPhone SE stacks up against Apple’s flagship iPhone 6S.

Screen size

We’ll begin with the obvious. With the iPhone SE, you give up some screen real estate. The iPhone SE features a 4-inch screen, while the iPhone 6S has a 4.7-inch screen and the iPhone 6S Plus has a 5.5-inch screen.

A smaller screen means fewer pixels, too. The iPhone SE features a 1,136×640-pixel screen resolution, compared with a 1,334×750 resolution of the iPhone 6S and the 1,920×1,080 pixels of the iPhone 6S Plus. The pixels-per-inch figure remains the same between the iPhone SE and 6S, however, at 326ppi. Meanwhile, the iPhone 6S Plus enjoys a slight pixel-density advantage at 401ppi.

Related links
  • iPhone SE: What we know about the ‘iPhone Mini’ expected on March 21
  • New iPad on March 21? Everything we know so far about the specs, pricing and release date of Apple’s next iPad
  • Join us Monday for Apple’s iPhone SE event (live blog)
  • All the March 21 Apple event coverage

3D Touch

Perhaps the biggest omission with the iPhone SE is 3D Touch. You won’t be able to use pressure-sensitive gestures to access Peek and Pop previews and shortcut menus as you can on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.

128GB capacity

The iPhone SE is available in two different storage capacities: 16GB and 64GB. With the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus models, you can opt for a larger 128GB capacity.

High-res front-facing camera

The iPhone SE features the same 12-megapixel rear-facing camera as the iPhone 6S, but your selfies won’t look as crisp. The iPhone 6S has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and the iPhone SE’s front-facing camera offers only 1.2 megapixels.

High contrast ratio

The iPhone SE’s smaller display also offers a lower contrast ratio to that of the iPhone 6S. Apple lists the contrast ratio of the iPhone 6S as 1,400:1 and only 800:1 for the iPhone SE. For its part, the iPhone 6S Plus has a listed contrast ratio of 1,300:1.

Scanning the specs page for the iPhone SE, there are two other absent features that are listed on the specs page for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus: Dual-domain pixels for wide viewing angles and Barometer. Display Zoom and Reachability are two other features missing from the iPhone SE’s list of specs, but these two features were introduced on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus to help you navigate their larger displays.

See all of the news from Apple’s March 21 event.

22
Mar

iOS 9.3: Here are the best features you can get right now – CNET


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Sarah Tew/CNET

A new iOS update is here for your iPhone, iPad and iPod. iOS 9.3 is now available for and includes welcome upgrades that’ll help you sleep better and stay organized. If you haven’t already downloaded it, here’s how.

iOS 9.3 is arriving on your iOS devices now, as free update. Let’s take a look at the best new features Apple has given us.

Night Shift makes your screens easier on the eyes

You may have heard that your phone’s screen is ruining your sleep quality and yet you still fall asleep with it every night. Apple’s trying to help you get a better night’s rest with Night Shift, a setting that changes the colors on the screen at night.

Researchers believe that blue light emitted by LED screens halts the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells our brains to sleep. Switching from bright white and blue undertones to warmer colors (like red, orange and yellow) is said to be easier on your eyes and allow your body to fall asleep naturally.

Apps like Flux and Twilight can already do this for your computer and Android phone. Before 9.3, you’d need to jailbreak your iOS device in order to alter the screen colors. Night Shift is built into iOS 9.3 and you can customize the feature by changing the color temperature (cooler or warmer) and schedule it to run until sunrise.

iOS 9.3 how-tos
  • Turn on and schedule Night Shift
  • Create a still photo from a Live Photo
  • Add a passcode to your Notes app

News you’ll (probably) want to read

Apple tried to give us a one-stop shop for news last year with the News app. It’s getting more personal with 9.3, showing stories that are more tailored to your interests. You’ll see more articles the app thinks you want to read, plus suggested trending topics of news. The app also got performance updates, so it’ll load faster and you can now watch videos from the feed.

Lock up your notes

The humble Notes app gets some love with 9.3. You can now password protect your notes to keep important info safe from prying eyes. You can also now finally sort notes by date or title. Hardly revolutionary stuff, but it does make this simple app much more useful.

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You can password-protect notes to keep them safe.


Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple really wants you to use the Health app

Still wondering how to use that Health app? Apple will now highlight third-party apps you can connect to this wellness dashboard to keep tabs on your workouts, weight and sleep quality. And if you have an Apple Watch, you’ll be able to see the movement data it collects from the Health app.

CarPlay gets better tunes

Apple’s in-car entertainment and navigation system CarPlay gets upgrades courtesy of Apple Music and Maps. You now get to browse suggested songs and artists in Apple Music before you head out. While you’re on the road, a new Nearby feature uses Maps to find food, fuel and other services.

Smart tools for teachers

iPads can be incredible teaching tools and now they get extra features to help them better fit into a classroom. The Classroom app helps teachers deliver lesson plans and track their student’s progress. Students can share a single iPad by logging in with different accounts to personalize what they see. Apple is also introducing Apple IDs for education that are created and managed by school administrators.

Everything else

iOS 9.3 adds many more smaller new features and improvements. On the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, there are new 3D Touch shortcuts for the Weather, Settings, Health, App Store, iTunes Store and Compass apps. You can also duplicate photos in the Photos app, if you want to edit one copy and keep the original. Siri now supports Hebrew, Finish and Malay.

32 iOS 9 tips you should know (pictures)

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22
Mar

When and where to buy the iPhone SE – CNET


Apple knows that some of us, 4 inches is the perfect phone size. The new iPhone SE is has many of the iPhone 6S’s features (but not all) and is the cheapest phone in Apple’s lineup.

It’s available in two storage capacities, four color choices and will launch with the usual carriers. You have your choice of silver, gold, space gray and rose gold. You also have your choice of four carriers in the US — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon — or SIM-free (unlocked).

When can I buy the iPhone SE?

Pre-orders begin on Thursday, March 24, and the phone will be available for in-store purchase a week later on March 31, the same time the first preorders are fulfilled.

Where will the iPhone SE be sold?

The iPhone SE will be first be sold in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, US Virgin Islands and the US. It will be available in more than 100 countries by May.

iPhone SE models and pricing

There are two iPhone SE models: 16GB and 64GB. Without a two-year contract, the 16GB model costs $399 and the 64GB model costs $499. The iPhone SE will be sold direct from Apple and carrier locations. Each carrier offers a plan where you pay no money up front but instead pay for the phone over time, such as AT&T Next.

Here’s what we know so far:

  • AT&T is the only carrier at the time of this writing with pricing information for its monthly payment plan for the iPhone SE. With AT&T Next, you pay a $15 activation fee and $13.30 per month for 30 months, $16.63 per month for 24 months or $19.95 per month for 20 months for the 16GB iPhone SE. You can upgrade to a new iPhone for free after 24 months with the 30-month plan, after 18 months with the 24-month plan, and 12 months with the 20-month plan.
  • Apple is not offering its iPhone Upgrade Program for the iPhone SE. iPhone Upgrade Program is only available for the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
  • Contract-free plans through Sprint Forever, T-Mobile Jump and Verizon Device Payment are not yet available. We’ll update this post when they are.

Fewer carriers offer two-year contracts

Sprint and Verizon will sell the iPhone SE for no money down with a two-year contract. AT&T and T-Mobile, however, have both done away with two-year contract plans — you’ll have to pay the full price upfront or opt for a payment plan.

22
Mar

Quick comparison: iPad Pro 9.7-inch versus Android’s best


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Apple today took the wraps off its 9.7-inch iPad Pro, beefing up the mid-sized version of its tablet. As expected, it’s got more power under the hood than the previous iPad Air 2, along with support for the Apple Pencil stylus — in essence, shrinking the features of the old iPad Pro down to a more manageable form factor.

The Android tablet space is in a bit of a weird place right now, as we wait for the arrival of Android N and the new multitasking features that’ll bring slates like the Pixel C into their own. Nevertheless, it’s worth seeing just how Apple’s latest iPad compares to Android’s best, so that’s exactly what we’ve prepared for you down below.

Operating System Android 6.0.1 Android 6.0.1 Android 5.1.1 iOS 9.3
Display 8.9-inch (2048×1536) 10.2-inch (2560×1800) 9.7-inch (2048×1536) 9.7-inch (2048×1536)
Processor NVIDIA Tegra K1 NVIDIA Tegra X1 Samsung Exynos 7 Octa Apple A9X
Storage 16/32GB 32/64GB 32/64GB + microSD 32/128/256 GB
RAM 2GB 3GB 3GB 4GB
Rear Camera 8MP 8MP 8MP 12MP
Front Camera 1.6MP 2MP 2.1MP 5MP
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11acBluetooth v4.1 LE, USB 2.0, NFC Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.2 LE, USB-C Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.2 LE, NFC Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth, Lightning port
Charging microUSB USB-CRapid charging microUSB Lightning port
Battery 6700 mAh 9243 mAh 5870 mAh 27.5‐watt‐hour
Security Lock screen code Lock screen code Fingerprint scanner TouchID
Dimensions 226 x 153.67 x 7.8 inches 242 x 179 x 7 mm 237.3 x 169 x 5.6 mm 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm
Weight 425g (Wifi) / 436g (LTE) 517g 389g (Wifi) / 392g (LTE) 437 grams (Wifi) / 444 grams (LTE)
Starting price $299 $349 $295 $599

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22
Mar

InFocus BINGO 10, the world’s cheapest Marshmallow phone, launches in India


U.S.-based InFocus is staking a claim to the new Android phone to run Marshmallow 6.0 out-of-the-box. InFocus ventured into smartphones a while ago in partnership with Foxconn, and the company entered the Indian market in middle of last year.

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Powered by a MediaTek quad-core 1.3 GHz processor with 1GB RAM, the InFocus BINGO 10 packs in 8GB of storage. There are also 5MP front and rear cameras, both of which come with LED flash and include features such as face recognition, beauty shot, and photo enhancer.

Highlighting Marshmallow as the device’s USP, Sachin Thapar, Country Head, InFocus India said:

“For most smartphone users, the wait to own a device with latest Android OS could be eternal. In fact as per Google’s report, till date, only 2.3% of the Android Smartphone is on Marshmallow. With InFocus Bingo 10, we want everyone to be able to get the taste of Marshmallow, which is still seen as a preserve of high-end smartphones. InFocus BINGO 10 is our endeavour to cater to the core needs of age group of 15-24 years and it perfectly complements their style quotient with attractive color frames and superior design quality.”

InFocus BINGO 10 Specifications

Operating System Android Marsmallow 6.0
Display 4.5-inch FWVGA
Processor 1.3 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6580M
RAM 1GB RAM
Storage 8GB; expandable up to 32GB with microSD card
Rear Camera 5MP with 4X Digital Zoom and LED Flash
Front Camera 5MP with LED Flash
Weight 140 grams
Battery 2000mAh

The InFocus Bingo 10 comes in two color variants with stylish accentuations — the white with a green band around the edges, while the black version has a bright blue accent. Priced at 4,299 ($65), the InFocus BINGO 10 will be available on Snapdeal starting from March 21, 2016.

Snapdeal is also running a couple of promotional offers for BINGO 10. Idea prepaid users will get 512MB worth of free Internet service for both of the first two months, while SBI credit card users can take advantage of a 5% cashback offer.

See at Snapdeal

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22
Mar

Sony Xperia Z5 U.S. review: A great camera can’t save a compromised phone


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It takes beautiful photos and has great hardware, but it doesn’t quite deliver a stellar experience.

Quick take

The Sony Xperia Z5 has a sleek look, designed with a metal frame and tempered fingerprint-resistant glass over the display. It delivers a decent display and a solid processor, with a battery that will definitely get you through the day. The real feature is the camera, and the ability to capture 4K video at a tap. But in the U.S. the Z5 is a lesser phone than overseas, and at its current price point is a hard sell.

The good

  • Awesome camera
  • Great battery life
  • Just updated to Marshmallow
  • Dedicated camera button

The bad

  • Feels fragile in your hand
  • Weird button placement
  • No stabilization for the camera
  • Fingerprint sensor removed

About this review

This is a review of the U.S. version of the Sony Xperia Z5 — we reviewed the European version in November 2015. I (Jen Karner) used the Sony Xperia Z5 on the T-Mobile network in Halethorpe, Md. It was used in the greater Baltimore area with good signal throughout. I was using the silver 32GB model running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, Build 32.0.A.6.209, for a week. During the review period it was paired with a 2015 Honda Fit, and with a Samsung Gear Circle Headset.

On March 14, 2016, an over-the-air update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow was received and installed.

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Lots of unrefined power

Sony Xperia Z5 Hardware

Category | Features — | — Display | 5.2-inch 1920×1080 IPS HD Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 octa-core 64 bit processor Storage | 32GB on device, 200GB expandable RAM | 3GB Rear Camera | 23MP with Exmor RS, Steadyshot with Intelligent Active Mode Front Camera | 5MP Speakers | S-Force Front surround Stereo speakers Waterproofing ] IP65 / IP68 dust-tight & waterproof Battery | 2900 mAh Size | 146 x 72 x 7.3 mm154 g

The first thing you noticed when picking up the Xperia Z5 for the first time was how light and fragile it feels. Even though it’s a metal frame with tempered glass, it doesn’t feel solid. It’s almost plastic-like. The desire to grab a case for it as soon as you pick it up is strong, more so than many other phones available right now. This 5.2-inch rectangular slab looks gorgeous when it’s on the table, it just doesn’t feel the same way when it’s in your hand.

It’s rocking a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS display that doesn’t quite take up the whole front of the phone. It does the job quite well though, being easy to see in bright light, although there were some occasional issues with reflection even with the brightness jacked up to 100 percent. Indoors you get bright and vibrant colors that weren’t oversaturated, which is a welcomed departure from current AMOLED experiences.

The display is surrounded by a white glass border on all sides; speaker cut outs are located at both the top and bottom of the front of the phone are small and discrete, but they definitely put out some serious sound. Some minor Sony branding sits directly over the display, flanked by the front facing camera and sensors. This is a Sony phone, instantly recognizable by the design language they’ve been relying on for years — even without the old round power button on the side.

There’s a volume rocker, and then a dedicated camera button, all on the lower right side of the phone. The power button is flush to the phone, followed by the rocker, with the camera button at the bottom, so it’s easy to navigate between your buttons by touch. However, if you’re trying to use the Xperia Z5 one-handed it can be a weird stretch to try and hit the camera button. Putting that awesome camera button so far down that you can barely reach continues to be a weird choice for Sony.

You’ll find a headphone jack on the top of the phone, and a micro-USB charging port at the bottom of the phone. On the upper right side is a pop-out panel for your SIM and microSD cards, along with some discrete Xperia branding near the bottom of the phone. On the back of you’ll again find some fairly minimal branding with “Sony” across the middle, Xperia across the bottom. All of the branding on the Xperia Z5 is a metallic silver, and isn’t actually too noticeable when you are out and about. The rear-facing camera is mounted flush to the phone on the top left.

It was strange to see that they didn’t include a fingerprint sensor.

The Snapdragon 810 processor is generally able to take everything you threw at it. There was some lag initially while using Google Now, but otherwise there aren’t any noticeable problems. Sony has clearly done some work to optimize this processor a little better than the early efforts with the UK release of the phone. The Xperia Z5 is also rated dust and waterproof which is a fantastic feature, especially if you’ve ever known the horror of dropping your phone in a pet’s water bowl. Which I have, repeatedly.

It was strange however to see that they didn’t include a fingerprint sensor in the U.S. model of Z5, especially since it was included in the European release. Fingerprint sensors are a nearly a must-have feature at this point, and to go out of their way to remove it from the U.S. release is just a really weird choice. Unless the fingerprint sensor wasn’t working correctly, it seems counter intuitive to remove a feature that’s available from their competition. The really unfortunate part is that a fingerprint sensor would have really helped to round the phone’s features out a bit more, and even more so now that it’s running Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

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Streamlined and simple

Sony Xperia Z5 Software

This review initially started while the Xperia Z5 was running Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. But the phone received an over-the-air update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow during the review process, which was awesome to see. While running Lollipop isn’t a deal-breaker for some, plenty of people want the most up-to-date software possible on their phones. Sony includes several of their own apps on the phone, most of which could be uninstalled.

Most of the software didn’t exactly knock me out of the water with must-have features, but everything worked quite smoothly and without any noticeable lag. Sony’s interface hasn’t had any dramatic changes recently, and for the most it part stays out of the way of Google’s design decisions. Since this is a Sony phone, there is an added benefit for any gamers enjoying their PlayStation 4. The Xperia Z5 comes preloaded with PlayStation Network apps, letting you access your system even when you aren’t at home.

You can connect to your PS4 with remote play, see your notifications, and purchase new games.

In addition to the main PSN app, the Xperia Z5 also packs PlayStation Video and PlayStation Music. You can connect to your PlayStation 4 with remote play, see your notifications, and purchase new games. You can also see your PSN wall and notifications, amongst other things. The integration makes it easier for us console gamers to have games downloaded, even if we aren’t at home or by a computer to give them a whirl. Just keep in mind that remote play is only available if you are using your phone on the same Wi-Fi network as your PlayStation 4.

While the Snapdragon 810 processor easily handled everything thrown at it performance-wise, we did notice that prolonged use made the entire phone heat up. This wasn’t until we had been playing games for upwards of 40 minutes, but it got bad enough that just about anyone would have to put the phone down to rest, which was unfortunate. That said, it never actually produced an overheating alert, so the casing was doing its job in dissipating that heat. If the phone wasn’t built so thin and light, it’s possible the heat would never get to bother the user.

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Beautiful shots day, or night

Sony Xperia Z5 camera

When it comes to the camera and its many options, it’s very easy to see that this where Sony spent a lot of their energy. The focus is quick so that you can grab photos in the moment, and despite the lack of optical image stabilization you aren’t likely to encounter issues getting a clear photo with the rear facing camera. Taking a steady selfie was a bigger problem, but still not unheard of considering the size of the Xperia Z5. The rear camera packs a 23MP sensor with incredibly fast autofocus, paired up with a 5MP front-facing camera for all your selfie needs.

Whether you’re a casual photographer, or you like to have control over every aspect of your photos, Sony has you covered. The default mode is Superior Auto, and for all of your daylight pictures it has you covered pretty well without always delivering the absolute best photo available. Manual mode gets you access to all the bells and whistles from white balance to color saturation.

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While the Xperia Z5 does have the capacity for 4K video, it isn’t your default. Instead the initial default is 30fps, although you can adjust that up to 60fps from the settings. To record 4K video, you’ll need to use one of the camera apps that Sony throws at you, and booting that up will warn you about overheating your phone.

4K video isn’t the only app available either. There are nearly a dozen camera apps on your phone by default, covering features like AR effects and panorama shots. Each app is built around one specific feature, so they’re not all really worth your time, but they can become a fun distraction. Some of them are pretty processor intensive, so they may give you heat warnings when you launch them.

Now Sony did a fair bit of boasting about this camera, and it isn’t at all unwarranted. When it came to taking low light photos, the camera pulls in a surprising amount of light. It doesn’t have the best low-light performance around, but it runs with the vast majority of smartphones in its capabilities there. And the photos you take won’t always be particularly high quality, but when choosing between grain and blurry or no photo at all, it’s easy to see which direction Sony went. The low light pictures in the gallery above were taken well after midnight on the East Coast, with next to no useful light. Obviously, these pictures weren’t as crystal clear as daylight photos, but that’s understandable considering the difference in available lighting. Even the front-facing camera managed to catch some decent shots in low light, which was surprising.

sony-xperia-z5-camera-apps.jpg?itok=vTf6 Just a few of the wacky one-off camera app options on the Sony Xperia Z5.

The photos taken in full daylight are absolutely gorgeous. They’re sharp and clear without any issues of oversaturation on the display. You also have access to specific options for each mode of shooting. These include the normal bits like whether you want to activate the flash, or the resolution that you shoot in. You can also play with color levels and brightness. If you know what you’re doing it’s easy to get lost playing with the camera for an hour or two as you find all of its quirks and features.

This may not be the best smartphone camera out there, but it’s a contender. Sony’s efforts in photography have always been exceptional, and it’s great to see this phone continue to reflect that.

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Powering the workday and beyond

Sony Xperia Z5 Battery life

You can have the best camera the world, or the fastest processor, or an incredible display, but it won’t make much of a difference if your battery can’t go the distance. While you won’t find a massive hulk of a battery inside the slim frame, it will get you where you need to go. The Xperia Z5 has a 2900 mAh battery that easily got me through the day without needing to top off or charge up. On average, this phone would get upwards of 16 hours with four or more hours of screen on time. On a day of relatively low use, that was stretched to 30 hours with no problems.

This phone also charges quickly, though not because the charger in the box supports Quick Charge. You’ll need a third-party charger to get those rapid charging times, but watching the phone go from 10 percent to 70 percent in under an hour is impressive all the same.

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Fun, but maybe not for you

Sony Xperia Z5: Bottom line

If you’ve been looking for a good phone rocking a fantastic camera, then you should definitely take a look at the Sony Xperia Z5. It’s got a beautiful display, a long-lasting battery, and a design that’s easy on the eyes — even if it doesn’t always feel solid in your hand. The processor should easily handle anything you throw at it, both today and into the future.

With a $599 price point it’s getting very close to competing with the new Galaxy S7, which starts at $649, and in that contest it falls behind. It has a smaller battery, arguably not as nice of external hardware, and lacks a fingerprint sensor in the U.S., but definitely has a leg up with its tamer software. The Sony Xperia Z5 has plenty of features from a crisp display that sweet, sweet, camera to expandable storage with an SD Card, and a battery that will get you through the day.

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Should you buy it? Do it for the camera

As usual, it comes down to the features that matter the most to you. The processor, display, and battery are all really solid, but it’s the camera that really makes the Sony Xperia Z5 worth the price. With 32GB of onboard storage, expandable storage and the fresh upgrade to Android 6.0 Marshmallow, this phone is a competitor. It’s really just a give and take, what you want out of a phone versus what you’re willing to sacrifice. With all of that in mind, we definitely suggest taking some time to decide what the most important features to you are.

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22
Mar

See Apple iPad Pro 9.7-inch and more in official videos from March event


Apple has just finished holding its now-annual spring event in California, where it announced a number of new products, including a budget iPhone, more portable iPad Pro, and a price drop for the Apple Watch.

You can watch the entire show unfold for yourself via Apple’s live-stream page, or you can check out the videos below, each of which premiered during the company’s keynote. They’ve just been published to Apple’s YouTube channel, but we’re waiting for a few more videos to go live this afternoon, such as the introduction video for the iPhone SE, among other things.

For now however you can watch Apple’s compilation video celebrating the last 40 years of its existence (Apple will celebrate its birthday on 1 April), as well as a video showing off Liam, a robot used to rip apart old iPhones. There’s even a video highlighting ResearchKit and how far it has come since debuting more than a year ago. The standout video of course is for the iPad Pro.

The new, 9.7-inch version of the tablet debuted during Apple’s event and is set to go on pre-order 24 March, which you can read all about from here. In fact, while you’re at it, tune into Pocket-lint’s Apple hub for more related news.

Apple – 40 Years in 40 Seconds

Liam – An Innovation Story

ResearchKit – Empowering doctors, researchers, and now you

The new iPad Pro