Zuckerberg foundation aims to help with SF’s housing crisis
The influx of engineers, employees and entrepreneurs into Silicon Valley has caused area housing prices to skyrocket, pushing out locals and earning the industry some deserved ill-will. Now the nascent Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has turned its attention to the problem, spending the last few weeks meeting with experts. But the endeavor is still heavily in the research phase, so don’t expect it to find a solution to the complex housing crisis soon.
Representatives from the philanthropic group met with housing experts affiliated with local governments, real estate groups and academia, according to The Information. For now, that’s all we know about the initiative’s plans, but at least meeting with multiple groups suggests that this process could serve up a more comprehensive solution than throwing money at the problem. Case in point: as part of its proposal submitted last Friday to buy land for office space adjacent to its Menlo Park complex, Facebook offered to spend $7.8 million on affordable housing in the area. Of course, if the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative wanted to just buy housing, it could buy quite a lot with the approximately $50 million in Facebook shares that make up its funding.
Source: The Information
Netflix’s growth slows as its delayed price hike sets in
Our first real peek at the reaction to Netflix’s “ungrandfathered” pricing is here, as it releases numbers for the second quarter. What they show is much slower subscriber growth compared to the last couple of years, failing to meet the company’s own projections both in the US and around the world. Netflix predicted it would grow by 2.5 million customers in the quarter (500,000 in the US, 2 million internationally) and ended up adding a net 1.68 million customers, up only 160,000 in the US. In a letter to shareholders (PDF), execs noted media coverage of the delayed price hikes was “coincident” with customers leaving, but said the new prices “will provide us with more revenue to invest in our content to satisfy members.”
In case you’ve forgotten how it worked, Netflix actually raised prices twice, in 2014 and 2015, but delayed their impact for existing subscribers until this summer. Now, those delays are wearing off and customers are slowly being notified that their subscription is going up from $8 or $9 per month (for an HD subscription) to $10 per month for the standard package ($8 for SD, $12 for 4K / four simultaneous stream).
Developing…
Source: Netflix Q2 2016 Earnings (PDF)
iPhone 7 Mockups Revive Rumors of ‘Plus’ and ‘Pro’ 5.5-Inch Models
Two months before the prospective launch date of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus, there are dozens of images of the two devices floating around on the internet. Some of those images are likely showcasing real parts, while others are dummy models used by case makers to get a head start on designing accessories for the new devices.
Dummy units are often accurate representations of what we can expect to see in new iPhones, but because they’re constructed based on rumors, early leaks, and other third-party information, they can’t always be trusted. That’s the case with a new set of images shared by French site Nowhereelse.Fr, depicting front and back of an “iPhone 7 Pro” dummy model alongside iPhone 7 Plus and an iPhone 7 dummies.
The iPhone 7 Pro features a dual-lens camera and a Smart Connector, while the iPhone 7 Plus and the iPhone 7 feature single-lens cameras and no Smart Connector. Early rumors did indeed suggest Apple was working on two versions of the 5.5-inch iPhone for release in 2016, but those rumors were later retracted and information has solidified around a single 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus with a dual-lens camera.
It is not clear why those rumors were circulating in the first place, but Apple may have been working on two separate prototypes with a single-lens version of the iPhone 7 Plus on the sidelines in case of production or supply issues with the dual-lens camera.
In any case, it seems the iPhone dummies in the images above are based on outdated specifications and we do not believe them to be entirely representative of what Apple will release in the fall. This assumption is based both on the inclusion of two 5.5-inch iPhone models and the curious “S” designation on the back of each dummy.
We do not expect to see a 5.5-inch iPhone with a single-lens camera, but a 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus with a dual-lens camera and a 4.7-inch iPhone 7 with a larger single-lens camera are in the works, so the dummies are not entirely inaccurate. When it comes to design, the three dummies do match up with rumors pointing towards relocated antenna bands, prominent camera bumps, and a look that’s similar to the iPhone 6s, but one design element – the Smart Connector – is still in question.
We’ve seen several iPhone 7 Plus dummy models with a Smart Connector, but it continues to be unclear as to whether this is a feature we’ll see in the finished device. Details surrounding the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus will become clearer as we start seeing actual shell leaks – iPhone 7 shells have been spotted, but we still have yet to come across an actual iPhone 7 Plus shell.
Apple plans to release the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus this fall. Aside from the aforementioned design changes, the two devices are also expected to feature no headphone jack, an A10 processor, and improved water resistance.
Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Seeds Third Beta of macOS Sierra to Developers
Apple today seeded the third beta of macOS Sierra, the newest operating system designed for the Mac, to developers. macOS Sierra beta 3 comes two weeks after the release of the second beta and more than a month after the software was first unveiled at Apple’s 2016 Worldwide Developers Conference.
The update can be downloaded through the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Apple Developer Center.
macOS Sierra is a major update that brings Siri to the Mac for the first time, allowing users to conduct voice searches to quickly find files, look up information, and more. New Continuity features offer an “Auto Unlock” option for unlocking a Mac with an Apple Watch, which became available in beta 2, and a Universal Clipboard for copying something on one Apple device and pasting it on another.
Deeper iCloud integration makes files stored on the desktop or the Documents folder of a Mac available on all of a user’s devices, and Photos features new deep learning algorithms for facial, object, and scene recognition. There’s a new Memories feature for displaying photo collections, and Messages has features like rich links, bigger emoji, and “Tapback” response options.
Apple Pay is coming to the web in macOS Sierra, with payments authenticated through an iPhone or Apple Watch, and new features like multiple tabs, Picture in Picture multitasking, and optimized storage are available.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
During the beta testing period, Apple will tweak and refine the features introduced in macOS Sierra. Any changes found in the third beta release will be listed below.
macOS Sierra is currently available to developers and public beta testers, and it will see a wider public release this fall. For full details on all of the new features included in macOS Sierra, make sure to check out our macOS Sierra roundup.
Related Roundup: macOS Sierra
Discuss this article in our forums
Slither.io: Brings back memories of early mobile games (Review)
I remember my first phone. It was 1999, I was 17 and it was the Nokia 3210. It was pretty sweet at the time. It had a heck of a battery life, an excellent signal, and the original phone game…Snake. My friends and I competed constantly to see who could get the highest score. It was really the Pong of mobile gaming; the game that got it all started.
Fast forward to 2016, and we have Slither.io. If these were Terminator models, Snake would be the T600 while Slither.io would be the T3000. All movie references aside, it may not be from the same makers, but the inspiration is there and it’s a hit.
Developer: Lowtech Studios
Cost: Free (Remove ads for $3.99)
Gameplay
Slither.io has the same feel as Agar.io in respect to the end goal. Playing against others from around the world to grow the biggest snake on the board. Well, Agar.io uses circles, but you get the gist. You accomplish this by collecting dots from the play area.
Now this is where Slither.io and Agar.io part ways. In Slither.io, the size of your snake doesn’t matter when killing your opponents. Just trap your opponent by making them run into you and they die. Then you can enjoy feeding on their shiny carcass, which is the other way you can grow your snake. But if you hit them, then you will turn into shiny dots on which the rest of the Slither.io world will feed.
The dots you consume are all worth various points and grow your snake to those appropriate amount of points. The bigger the dots, the higher the points. The higher the points, the longer your snake will become. The longer your snake, the higher on the leader board you are.
You have three different control modes to choose from that include Joystick, Arrow, and Classic. Joystick mode gives you a virtual joystick to control your snake in the bottom left corner of the screen. The Arrow mode lets you control your snake by sliding your finger in the direction you want to go in and having it follow you like an eager puppy looking to play.
Both Joystick and Arrow modes have a boost button that allows you to use up the points you have gained to temporarily go faster. The length of the boost depends on how many points you have. The longer you use it, the more points you lose. The end result being your snake also gets shorter. If you use all your points, you will be at zero and your snake will be back to starting size, so use the boost wisely.
In classic mode, you must double tap boost and you control your snake by tapping the screen in the direction you want your snake to go in. That’s it for classic, short and sweet.
Slither.io gives you two types of gameplay, online and versus the A.I. Both are self-explanatory so no real need to dive into that too much. However, there is one thing I noticed on the play online tab. There is a “WiFi recommended” label on it, which leads me to believe it uses a lot of data in that mode. So be aware of that when not on WiFi.
Review
When first playing this game, it did give me the warm fuzzies. I have a special place in my heart for Snake if you couldn’t tell from the intro. I have seen a few copy cats of the original, and you would think that would be good enough. Not so much. This felt like someone cared enough to take a classic and bring it back to life in a new way.
Now I have no way of knowing if that was the inspiration, but in my head, I’m going to think it was. In any case, this is a fun little game that can keep you occupied for a while. The graphics are done well, and the animations are smooth.
I’m a little torn when it comes to the financial portion of this game. On the one hand, they give you tons of skins to change the look of your snake, and that’s a good thing. It would be easy to charge $.99 for skin packs and people would pay, but as far as I can tell they don’t.
On the other hand, the ads that pop up after gameplay are extremely annoying as it takes a bit to go away. I know they have to make money, but the ads could be integrated better. If you find the adds a bit too annoying, you can just pay to have them removed, but that’s going to cost you $3.99, which I think is a bit pricey.
Summary
At the end of the day, people love to play games and a little bit of nostalgia helps. If you’re young enough, then Snake probably has no real meaning to you, but you can still appreciate this game. If you are old enough to remember the classic Snake, then you will enjoy this even more. It should also be noted that this game can also be played on your computer as well at Slither.io.
Download Slither.io in the Play Store
First impressions: Android apps on the Acer Chromebook R11
Keeping everything in perspective, this is a great glimpse into the future.
After watching Phil and Jerry have fun getting acquainted with Android apps on their ASUS Chromebook Flips, I finally had my opportunity to give the new and exciting setup a try on the Acer Chromebook R11. After previously relying on my demo experiences from Google I/O this year, I was excited to get started with it.
What I found was generally a mixed bag when it comes to usability, built on a base of great potential for the future. Here’s how it all works in the real world.
Smooth, simple and integrated — the Chrome OS way
I absolutely have to applaud Google for how simple it all is. When I flipped my Chromebook R11 over to the Dev Channel and rebooted I had the Play Store loaded up and ready to go in seconds. The Play Store is completely familiar to anyone who’s used an Android phone before, but also feels at home here to an entirely new user. You can click around just fine, find apps and download the ones you like.
Google has built a fantastic base for Android apps.
Apps are perfectly integrated into the system as well, which is the next big part of the experience. Android apps are just regular icons in the Chrome OS app list. Notifications land in the notification area alongside Chrome OS notifications, and apps that need access to parts of your Google account can do so seamlessly. It’s clear to me that Google has done this the right way. The framework and system are properly implemented. This is the perfect structure of a seamless integration of Android apps into Chrome OS as just general “apps” going forward.
Right now, the issues are entirely with the actual user experience surrounding the apps. Let’s talk about the rough edges.
The experience isn’t all there yet
Android apps, as they currently exist in the Play Store, are in no way designed to be used on a laptop form factor with a keyboard and mouse. That’s just plain and simple, and no fault of the developers — they haven’t had a reason to make their apps for this style of device.
Android apps run and display just fine, but a vast majority can’t be resized — they’re stuck in a fixed-size landscape or portrait window, or in a full-screen mode. The apps often aren’t ready for keyboard input, so arrow keys don’t navigate text fields and you can’t use the enter key to submit a form. Apps of course rely on the “hamburger” and “overflow” buttons, which aren’t intuitive or easy to use on a non-touch device. That’s for the apps that are actually “compatible” with Chromebooks, which at this point feels like more of a simple majority of the Play Store than anything else. Even fewer should be marked as “compatible” it seems — there are lots of crashes here, too.
Android apps are neat, but the web still works really well.
Beyond that, it’s already clear that you don’t need to install an Android app for every kind of task on a Chromebook. As it turns out, the web running in a full-blown browser like Chrome is still a really great way to get things done, even with fully functional apps available. Gmail, Facebook, Slack, Google Docs/Sheets/Slides, Hangouts, Google Maps, Twitter … they all work pretty darn well on the web, and right now the apps don’t offer a better experience. Sure there are apps like Skype, Microsoft Word and casual games that perform well as Android apps in ways that web apps can’t; but others that you’d think would be great — like Google Calendar — are hamstrung by the Chromebook’s security paradigm that only lets you use it with a single Google Account.
Flipping the Chromebook R11 around into a “tablet” mode makes things quite a bit better, of course, as now you’re just dealing with the same kind of full-screen touch-only app experience as you’d expect on an Android tablet and the interface paradigm doesn’t create any problems. But then, of course, you’re wielding a 2-pound tablet that’s not really that comfortable to hold or use for a long period of time. Of course this opens up tons of possibilities for future convertible 2-in-1 devices that resemble a traditional tablet and can be “docked” into a keyboard … and indications are that those types of devices could be coming as soon as Android apps on Chrome OS roll out to the mainstream.
So for all of the potential I can see in Android apps on Chromebooks, and the proper groundwork that has been installed, I acknowledge we’re still quite a ways away from Android apps being the new go-to standard for getting things done on this platform. There’s so much left to do — and that’s why we’re here in Dev Channel watching it all be built before our eyes.
More thoughts to come
We’re just hitting the tip of the iceberg when it comes to using Android apps on Chromebooks, as you can see. With things still in the Dev Channel and just a few Chromebooks being supported at this point, we have a long runway to figure this all out and see how it comes together.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Chromebook R11 itself, sans Android apps and the Dev Channel, we’ll be bringing you a proper review of it soon!
Sony’s next flagship may sport a dual-LED flash, USB-C port
New photos of what appear to be Sony’s next smartphone have leaked out. The phone, under the model number F8331 or F8332, appears to sport a dual-LED flash for its rear camera, along with a USB-C port for charging and wired data transfer.
The photos first popped up on GSMArena (via XperiaBlog):
The F833X line will reportedly launch later this year. The phone is said to feature a 1080p display, along with 4K video recording for both its front and rear cameras.
Charging your Nexus on the go with the Monoprice 10,000 mAh USB-C battery
Nexus fans deserve a battery pack made just for them, too.
External battery packs that support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 or 3.0 standards are quite easy to find, but when you’re looking for one that can do 5V/3A output for the latest Nexus phones’ “Rapid Charging” your options are … limited. Monoprice is well known for its accessories of all kinds, and amongst its stable of Select Series external batteries it offers a USB-C version perfectly targeted at the Nexus 6P and 5X users out there.
It’s a very standard 10,000 mAh battery pack that will give you all the capacity you need, but it has the added bonus of being charged by a USB-C port that also pulls double duty as an output at Nexus Rapid Charging speeds. How does it work in the real world? I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks, and here’s what I’ve found.
Design and build
Monoprice has gone with a long-and-skinny style of design that tapers off to the sides like a pillow, which is pretty standard for batteries of this capacity and makes it easy to slip in a bag (or a pocket, if you really want to). It’s covered primarily in hard and slightly textured black plastic, with a streak of fingerprint-attracting glossy plastic highlighting the Monoprice logo, power button and capacity indicating LEDs.
It’s a very standard design, with little flair — but there’s nothing wrong with that.
On the business end you’ll find a single USB-C port for both input and output, as well as a standard USB-A port as a secondary output. The USB-C port can output 5V/3A of power, while the USB-A is limited to 5V/2.4A. You get a small and simple USB-A to -C cable in the box for charging, but it charges up just fine with any other USB-C cable you have. This would normally be a bit of a downside for many people who would prefer to charge it with the more ubiquitous (at this point) Micro-USB port, but as this battery perfectly targets new Nexus owners, you’re going to have USB-C cables on you already.
I’m slightly disappointed by the plastic-on-plastic build after being spoiled by some batteries that sport sturdier metal enclosures, but it gets the job done and this thing is very clearly assembled well. And considering the very affordable price — about $30 — it’s hard to get too upset about the build. This is just an external battery, after all. It’s a tool, not a fashion statement.
Charging speeds and value
As anyone who’s used an external battery pack before knows, these batteries aren’t going to perfectly match the charging speeds of a wall charger, despite what it says on the box. Not only can voltages fluctuate when pulling from a battery to charge another battery, but in the case of a portable battery you’re often using the phone at the same time which makes it seem less effective as well.
There’s no Qualcomm Quick Charge, but Nexus users don’t care about that.
That truism extends to the Select Series 10,000 mAh USB-C battery, where it purports to offer 5V/3A charging — just like the charger in the Nexus 6P’s box. While it indeed triggers the “Rapid Charging” message on my Nexus 6P and 5X, the charging speeds are just a bit slower than what I can get from their included USB-C wall chargers. At full power the Monoprice Select Series battery charged my Nexus 6P at the nominal rate of about 1% per minute in testing, but over the course of a longer charge cycle, like adding 50% to the battery, power fluctuated enough to take longer than 50 minutes.
Even with that being the case, this battery offers faster charging speeds for the latest Nexus phones than the other external batteries out there that top out at 5V/2.4A (or more likely 5V/2.1A). The trade-off is not having Quick Charge 3.0 support for other devices — though you can always fall back to the 5V/2.4A port for a slower, steady charge of non-USB-C devices. (And yes, you can use both ports at once.)
If you’re using a Nexus 6P or Nexus 5X as your daily phone, and you need a big battery specifically for it, this is one to check out. Very few batteries out there will offer these Rapid Charging speeds, and the rest of the battery hits the usual requirements for this type of accessory. And at $30, it won’t set you back much either.
See at Amazon
See at Monoprice
Nexus 6P
- Nexus 6P review
- 5 things to know about the Nexus 6P
- Read the latest Nexus 6P news
- Learn about Project Fi
- Join our Nexus 6P forums
- Nexus 6P specs
Google Store
Huawei
Best Buy
Bell Media to broadcast new Star Trek series in Canada
While the new Star Trek series from CBS will stream on the company’s All Access service in the U.S. and Netflix in most of the rest of the world, Bell Media will be the official exclusive distributor of the series in Canada. Bell will have the right to show the series both online and on television.
Bell says that the show will launch on CTV in Canada on the same night as the U.S. premiere, with subsequent episodes broadcasting initially on the Bell-owned Space network in English, and Z in French. The episodes will then be available exclusively on Bell’s CraveTV streaming service.
In addition to the new Star Trek series, Bell has also acquired the rights to the past episodes of every other Star Trek series.
Press release:
New CBS STAR TREK Television Series to Live Long and Prosper in Canada with Bell Media
– Bell Media lands exclusive rights in Canada –
– Each episode of the new STAR TREK to be available in Canada day and date with the U.S. –
– Bell Media also licenses all 727 episodes of the STAR TREK television library –
LOS ANGELES and TORONTO, July 18, 2016 /CNW/ – CBS Studios International and Bell Media today announced a licensing agreement for the new STAR TREK television series in Canada. With Bell Media’s acquisition of the exclusive linear television and subscription video on demand (SVOD) rights in English and French in Canada, each episode of the new STAR TREK series will be available simultaneously with its release in the U.S.
Bell Media has also licensed all 727 existing episodes of the STAR TREK television library – which includes STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, STAR TREK: VOYAGER, and STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE.
The rollout for the new STAR TREK series in Canada will mirror the launch in the U.S. The first episode will premiere on Canada’s most watched broadcast network, CTV, on the same night as CBS. All remaining episodes will initially be televised on Bell Media’s cable networks, Space (in English) and Z (in French), and then later exclusively on CraveTV™, Bell Media’s streaming video-on-demand service.
The STAR TREK television library will return to Space (in English) and debut on Cinépop (in French), and will also be found among CraveTV’s leading lineup of premium television series.
The all-new STAR TREK will begin production in Toronto this September for its January 2017 premiere. The iconic and influential global franchise will return to television for the first time since 2005 with a new ship, new characters and new missions, while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation.
“We are extremely pleased to significantly expand our partnership with Bell,” said Armando Nuñez, President and CEO, CBS Studios International. “Canadian fans will now be able to ‘beam up’ CBS’s highly anticipated new series, as well as all past episodes of the show’s vast library. Bell Media’s premium linear and digital platforms will be a great home for our new series, as STAR TREK celebrates its 50th anniversary.”
“Our acquisition of the new STAR TREK series delivers a unique and exclusive opportunity for Canadian advertisers to engage with this blockbuster new drama in a meaningful way,” said Mary Ann Turcke, President, Bell Media. “We are delighted to welcome STAR TREK back to Bell Media and amplify this iconic franchise through our multiple leading brands. With a high-profile premiere on CTV, a permanent base on Space – the long-time home of the series in Canada – and premium positioning on CraveTV – it’s ‘mission accomplished’ for Canadian STAR TREK fans.”
In the U.S., the new STAR TREK will launch with a special premiere episode on the CBS Television Network in January 2017. The premiere episode and all subsequent episodes will then be available in the United States exclusively on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.
As previously announced, the new STAR TREK marks the first original series developed for U.S. distribution on CBS All Access, which provides American viewers thousands of episodes of CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus the ability to stream their local CBS Television station live for $5.99 per month.
Alex Kurtzman and Bryan Fuller are co-creators and executive producers for the new STAR TREK, based on Gene Roddenberry’s original series. Fuller launched his career writing for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager. Kurtzman is co-writer and producer of the blockbuster films Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness.
The series is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout, Fuller’s Living Dead Guy Productions, and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Bryan Fuller, Heather Kadin, Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts, Rod Roddenberry, and Trevor Roth will serve as executive producers.
About CBS Studios International:
CBS Studios International is the leading supplier of programming to the international television marketplace, licensing to more than 200 markets in more than 30 languages across multiple media platforms. The Studio participates in international channel ventures, currently comprised of 18 channels in 24 languages across more than 100 territories, reaching more than 70 million households worldwide. CBS Studios International also exports a diverse lineup of formats for local production around the world. The division distributes content from CBS Television Studios, CBS Television Distribution, Showtime, CBS News, CBS Films and a library of more than 70,000 hours of programming. CBS Studios International is a division of CBS Corporation.
About Bell Media:
With passion and an unrelenting commitment to excellence, Bell Media creates content and builds brands that entertain, inform, engage, and inspire audiences through the platforms of their choice. Bell Media is Canada’s premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada’s #1 television network; 34 specialty channels, including TSN and RDS, Canada’s most-watched specialty channels in English and French; and four pay TV services, including The Movie Network and Super Écran. Bell Media is also Canada’s largest radio broadcaster, with 106 licensed radio stations in 54 markets across Canada. Bell Media owns Astral Out of Home, one of Canada’s most dynamic and innovative out-of-home advertising companies with a network of more than 30,000 advertising faces in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Québec, and Nova Scotia. Bell Media also operates more than 200 websites; delivers TV Everywhere with premium subscription on-demand streaming service CraveTV, as well as its innovative GO video streaming services including CTV GO, Discovery GO, TMN GO, and TSN GO; operates multi-channel network Much Digital Studios; holds an equity stake in digital startup Hubub; is partners in Cirque du Soleil Media, a joint venture with Cirque du Soleil; and owns Dome Productions Inc., a multi-platform production company. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada’s largest communications company. For more on Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca.
Where next for mid-range Android phones?
Tomorrow’s mid-range looks a lot like yesterday’s high-end, as phones around the $300-400 mark are set to become really good.
It wasn’t long ago that in order to get an Android phone worth bothering with, you had to pay top dollar. But in the past 12 months, with phones like the Moto X Pure and OnePlus 3 proving that a relatively affordable handset can be really good.
It’s a trend that’s sure to continue towards the end of 2016, as evidenced by the arrival of new “premium” mid-rangers like the Huawei-built Honor 8 abd Alcatel Idol 4s.
So where next for Android phones that don’t cost an arm and a leg? Here are a few things to watch out for in the year ahead.
1. Glass and metal
In years past, the mid-range Android space has been awash with generic plastic slabs. However the focus on build quality witnessed at the high end has started to trickle down to the mid-range. And the result is more mid-level phones that looks and feel great.
The OnePlus 3, a $400 phone, boasts a metal unibody as impressive as anything made by HTC. Meanwhile Alcatel has itself a decent approximation of a Galaxy S6 in the Idol 4. The same goes for Huawei with devices like the Honor 7 and Honor 8 — and even less expensive offerings like the Honor 5X.
A combination of increased competition in the middle of the market and manufacturers getting a better handle on working with premium materials is the cause. It’s easier (and more cost-effective) to make metal phones than it was two or three years ago — and it’s an increasingly easy way to differentiate.
2. Fingerprint security as standard
Since Android got native fingerprint support in Marshmallow, just about every mainstream phone worth bothering with has included the feature, whether it’s on the front, side or back of the device. (And expect to see them built into your screen soon.)
Honor has arguably led the way when it comes to fingerprint scanners in affordable handsets, with the Honor 5X bringing decent biometric security for under $200. The same goes for Lenovo’s Moto G4 Plus — very much a budget handset, but proof that paying less for a phone doesn’t have to compromise your security. Expect to see this feature included as standard in mid-level phones in 2017, with fingerprintless handsets being mainly confined to the budget space.
3. Flagship-class performance and Quad HD
It’s been a long time since phone hardware was a bottleneck for performance in an Android phone. When a phone stutters or slows down, poorly-optimized software is usually to blame. Nevertheless, having more horsepower to throw at the OS certainly helps, and mid-range phones have benefitted this past year from the arrival of new chips from Qualcomm — Snapdragon 625, 650 and 652.
The octa-core 625 is basically a much, much more efficient version of the older (slower, power-hungry) Snapdragon 615, backed up by a more capable GPU. Expect this to power mass-market phones with Full HD screens that actually have the power to run at 1080p without performance stutters.
Meanwhile Snapdragon 650 and 652 bring ARM’s new Cortex-A72 cores into the mix, delivering beefier performance for “premium” mid-rangers like the Sony Xperia X and Alcatel Idol 4s. Thanks to these chips, we’re going to finally start seeing 2K phones priced around the $400 level, bringing improved visual fidelity to more people.
Having used Snapdragon 650 phones in recent months, performance in day-to-day apps is virtually indistinguishable from more expensive handsets, with only heavy-duty multitasking and gaming showing any real difference. And that gap is only going to narrow in 2017.
4. No Daydream VR — for now
While 2K screens in mid-range phones might seem like a good thing for Google’s Daydream VR endeavor — set to launch with Nougat — in reality it’s a bit more complicated.
Daydream comes with a set of standards that phone hardware must meet, and that has to do with not just pixel density but performance and thermals — i.e. how much heat the phone puts out under heavy computational load. And with their less efficient 28nm manufacturing process, we’d question whether Snapdragon 650 or 652 are up to the task.
That said, Qualcomm is undoubtedly working on mid-level chips that are Daydream-ready for launch in the coming year.
5. USB-C and quick charging
As batteries become bigger — a trend across the entire industry, not just flagship phones — you need to come up with ways to charge them in a reasonable amount of time. Qualcomm QuickCharge is one option, but it’s not free.
Another possibility that’s less encumbered by licensing fees and proprietary charger requirements is 3A or 4A charging over USB Type-C. This is the way the Nexus 5X and 6P handle quick charging, and the OnePlus 3’s Dash Charge works similarly.
That’s mainly thanks to the USB Type-C connector that’s becoming increasingly common in high-end phones. Expect to see it — and with it faster charging — in mid-level phones in the coming year.
6. A new baseline for photo quality
There’s always going to be room for improvement in smartphone cameras. And as high-end phones built out more advanced low-light performance and ever faster autofocus capabilities, mid-rangers are starting to reach the level of some of 2015’s flagships. Case in point: The OnePlus 3, with its 16-megapixel, optically-stabilized camera that manages Galaxy S6-level performance.
OnePlus doesn’t have the massive resources of Samsung, LG or Apple; that means it can’t license the expensive image processing software that make the Galaxy S7 or LG G5 take some of the best photos possible on a phone today. Nevertheless, the fact that decent, impressive camera performance is within the reach of a less expensive phone bodes well for the year ahead.
What are you hoping to see from mid-range phones over the next year? Hit the comments and let us know!
AIVAnet 