Alcatel could’ve made a decent mid-tier phone, instead we got an LED back

Moto has their Moto Mods. Alcatel has the A5 and LEDs.

Have you ever wished you could see what notification just came into your phone, but it was face down on the table? First off, shame on you for putting your phone face down. But also, maybe, just maybe, the LED back option for the Alcatel A5 is for you. But probably not.

Let’s start with the phone itself. The A5 is Alcatel’s new mid-range phone, replacing the previous-generation Pop series of smartphones. It’s running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which isn’t much of a surprise, even if it’s still a disappointment. The 5.2-inch 1280×720 IPS screen is powered by an unnamed octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz backed up by 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. All-in-all, it’s a typical low-to-mid-range phone. There’s also a neat little theming feature in the Color Catcher 2.0 — simply take a photo and it will pick out a highlight color to build a new theme off of it with complementary colors, including a wallpaper and icon pack coloring.

What’s special about the Alcatel A5 is actually something it shares in common with the much more expensive Moto Z phones: swappable backs. Though in this case it’s the whole back cover that comes off, not just a “mod” that snaps onto the back. So unlike the Motorola phones, you won’t be wanting to use the A5 with the back off, even though technically if you really wanted to, you could.

The default back is a standard plastic cover with cutouts for the ports and camera through its faux brushed-metal finish. There’s also a battery expansion back that adds a few hours of use, which will come in handy to augment the built-in non-removable 2800 mAh cell. And you’ll have the option for a speaker back, which is expectedly bulky and comes with a pop-out metal kickstand. Frankly, it’s too thick and unattractive to permit its poor audio quality — you’ll get better sound out of almost any flagship smartphone, including Alcatel’s own Idol 4.

LED fire. Because why not?

The most interesting one is the LED back. This adds a small amount of bulk to the A5, but in the process makes for a unique take on notifications and, uh, lights. The back can light up when a notification comes in, and the grid of LEDs can even display basic blocky pixel characters, like a blue “F” for Facebook or a yellow “S” for Snapchat. Or it can pulse to the music that’s playing or display a “light show” of super basic twinkling stars or fire or fireworks. It’s a superfluous solution in search of a problem. The only real nice use for it would be as a soft light for the camera instead of the harsh light of a single-LED flash, but it’s nowhere near bright enough to be useful for that.

While Alcatel didn’t announce any additional backs or partners for making such backs (the speaker back was solely Alcatel-branded), the connector itself is potentially capable enough to support a wide-range of accessories. It sports 16 pins in a 4×4 arrangement, the same number as the Moto Mods connector (which is in an 8×2 arrangement), and Moto’s backs include a pico projector.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium specs: 4K display, Snapdragon 835 and 19MP camera

Sony continues to hit so many specs in a single phone.

As is the case with each Sony release window, there’s one phone that stands high above the rest. In early 2017, that’s the Xperia XZ Premium, and as the name would suggest it comes with a few top-end specs inside. The XZ Premium differentiates itself internally with a 4K display, a new 19MP camera, a Snapdragon 835 processor and all of the other bells and whistles you expect from a flagship phone.

Here’s the complete spec sheet for the Sony Xperia XZ Premium.

Sony Xperia XZs specs: 5.2-inch 1080p display, 19MP camera, 2900 mAh battery

Internally, not a whole lot has changed here.

Taking one step down the ladder from the Xperia XZ Premium, we have the Xperia XZs — a mid-cycle refresh of last year’s Xperia XZ with the same type of body and a few key changes to the specs. You’ll see a new camera on board here, as well as an extra gigabyte of RAM … the rest is pretty much unchanged.

Here’s the complete spec sheet for the Sony Xperia XZs.

Top 10 things to know about the Sony Xperia XZ Premium

A big, beautiful new phone, but it may not be worth the price.

Sony’s latest flagship is the Xperia XZ Premium, and it’s really nice. It’s one of those phones you don’t want to touch because it’s so nice to look at. You may also not want to touch it because the damn thing is incredibly shiny, exposing fingerprints as well as any mirror. And it may not be worth buying because, well, there are just better devices out there at a lower price.

Interested in this phone? Here are a few things you need to know about Sony’s best phone ever.

This is the second 4K phone, and the first with HDR

Sony debuted the 4K smartphone in 2015 with the Xperia Z5 Premium, and this year’s follow-up has a better, brighter 5.5-inch 4K panel with a trick up its sleeve: HDR support.

Content that supports HDR — High Dynamic Range — will look more vivid and colorful on the XZ Premium’s 4K display. Let’s just hope that Netflix updates its app to support the Premium’s setup because we need some of that streaming goodness on here.

It may be only the second phone to launch with the Snapdragon 835

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 is one of the most anticipated updates to phone chips in a long time. Faster, more efficient, with better support for VR, high-speed LTE, and smarter cameras, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium may be only the second device to launch with the chip after the Samsung Galaxy S8.

A phone with a 4K needs a powerful SoC inside. The Xperia Z5 Premium was powered by the troubled Snapdragon 810, and while it didn’t have performance problems, it also didn’t upscale a lot of content. Sony says that this year’s follow-up will take it upon itself to do just that, and that’s mainly because the Snapdragon 835 can take the hit without affecting the battery too harshly.

The new camera isn’t all new

People don’t buy phones; they buy cameras that connect to the internet. Sony understands this, and has designed its devices around the camera experience for years. But as much as it’s tried to outdo the likes of Samsung, LG and Apple, it continues to come up short.

Sony thinks the XZ Premium has what it takes to beat the competition in 2017 with a new “Motion Eye” camera setup that lowers the resolution from 23 megapixels to 19 while increasing the size of the individual pixels, ensuring improved low-light results. At the same time, a new connection between the camera sensor and the phone’s memory allows for caching of photos — predictive capture, as it’s called — five times faster than any previous Sony phone, so no frames are lost during quick-shutter action shots.

That same new setup also allows for the new 960fps slow motion mode, which looks to deliver outstanding results. I can’t wait to use this.

The glass backs are reflective af

Seriously, this is the most reflective phone I’ve ever seen. The Luminous Chrome variant is the worst offender, offering an easily-tarnished mirror finish that shows off every fingerprint.

As long as you’re not too particular, and walk around with a microfiber cloth in your bag or pocket, the Xperia XZ Premium could stay pristine, but it’s likely to pick up hairline scratches pretty quickly — a problem with all phones, but exacerbated by the reflectiveness of the Gorilla Glass 5.

There’s still no fingerprint sensor in the U.S.

Seriously Sony, this is getting ridiculous. While the company won’t divulge the reason for the feature’s continued omission in its most underserved market, we’re getting a little tired. This is an essential feature, both for security and convenience, and the longer we go without it, the less likely we are to recommend phones. Especially one that’s likely approaching $900.

It’s water resistant and dustproof

Like most Sony phones of the last few years, the Xperia XZ Premium is IP68 water resistant and dustproof. The ratings mean you can submerge the phone in up to one meter for an extended period without incurring damage. And, of course, there are no port covers to worry about.

It runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat

We may be beyond it by the time the phone is released in late spring — late May, early June — the Xperia XZ is currently certified for Android 7.1.1 Nougat, which means that it will support all the latest goodies from Google, including rounded icons, image keyboards, and more.

Sony’s skin continues to be very light and very fast, and there’s no question that the company has learned its lesson in deviating too far from Google’s recommendations. This isn’t Samsung; Sony doesn’t have the customer loyalty, nor the resources, to develop great custom skins, so the more it keeps to Google’s Android the better.

Indeed, the new launcher has Google Now to the left of the main home screen, a result of the deprecation of the Google Now Launcher and opening that feature up to manufacturers. Great to see Sony implementing it so quickly.

There’s no price or U.S. carrier information

Right now, the Xperia XZ Premium is coming to the U.S. in “late spring,” according to Sony, and it has no explicit price or U.S. carrier partners. Indeed, we’ve been told the phone won’t be sold at U.S. carriers, but will instead be offered unlocked on Amazon. That’s all well and good, but based on the smaller Xperia XZs’s price of $699.99, it’s easy to see this phone approaching $900. Whether people will be willing to spend that much on a large, shiny 4K phone remains to be seen.

You can capture slo-mo video at 960fps

Yup. Insane.

It may only be 720p, but think about the constrast between a regular 30fps capture and something as smooth as 960fps, slowed down to look great on this big, beautiful screen. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

You probably shouldn’t buy this phone in the U.S.

And then I consider buying one. Just think about the phone market right now. It’s chock full of unbelievably powerful, well-made phones delivering on promises of innovation year after year. Sony may be unveiling the Xperia XZ Premium before Samsung’s Galaxy S8, but it’s almost certainly going to be available well afterwards — well after Samsung has sucked up all the air in the proverbial room and convinced millions of customers to upgrade, including many Sony Xperia users.

Sony is in a tough position. It knows it makes good phones, but it also understands that its strategy of consistent iterative updates leaves some people cold; it’s more akin to an annual car refresh than a big-time reveal. The Xperia XZ Premium is likely a great phone — it’s certainly striking, and quite attractive — but there’s no way the camera will be as good as the Galaxy S8’s, nor its battery as long-lasting as the Huawei Mate 9.

With a price almost certainly approaching $900, and no fingerprint sensor in the U.S., you may want to give this one a pass.

Sony’s four new phones are beautifully made, terribly named

Sony unveils four more phones — can you keep track of its lineup anymore?

Sony has a phone problem. It keeps announcing replacements for phones that no one bought, or couldn’t buy, or refused to buy because they lack a fingerprint sensor.

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week, Sony has added four new phones to its ecosystem, all with names that are sure to confound its eventual owners and detractors alike. One only, the Xperia XZ Premium, is truly interesting — it has a 4K display that supports HDR — while the other three, the Xperia XZs, Xperia XA 1, and Xperia XA 1 Ultra, have a few notable features inside iterative spec sheets and limited availability, especially in the U.S.

We’ll start with the most interesting. The Xperia XZ Premium takes the shell of the XZ announced last September and increases the size. Its 5.5-inch display has a 4K resolution, and it’s one of the nicer displays we’ve ever seen on a phone. In fact, this one is compatible with the latest HDR specifications, meaning that it will output supported content in more vivid colors with better dynamic range. Built with a double-anodized metal frame, both the front and back are outfitted with Gorilla Glass 5, and each of the two colors — Deep Sea Black and Luminous Chrome — shimmer off the glass back in a parade of reflectiveness. This is possibly the most mirror-like phone ever created.

To reinforce its high-end target demographic, the phone comes with a brand new Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage standard. It’s IP68 water and dust resistant, and in all markets but the U.S. has a side fingerprint sensor. Basically, if you’ve used the Xperia Z5 Premium, this looks remarkably similar, but for the rounded top and bottom, and a nicer-looking camera array.

That camera, which Sony says is all new in the Xperia XZ Premium, is once again the art of iteration. This book could have been written two years ago. A Sony IMX300 sensor — the same one found inside that aforementioned Xperia X5 Premium — has been slightly altered for this device, lowering the megapixel count from 23 to 19, affecting the size of the pixels to offer better low-light performance.

This is possibly the most mirror-like phone ever created.

And while there’s no OIS in here, Sony claims that its new 5-axis stabilization system, known as SteadyShot, should do the trick.

The other trick is “Motion Eye”, a way of increasing bandwidth between the camera and the phone’s memory bus by five times, allowing for a surfeit of incoming data. That allows for predictive capture — the idea of caching frames while the viewfinder is open and only capturing the four frames around the shutter button — in addition to the absolutely insane 960fps slow-motion feature, though only at 720p.

These are great features, but nothing particularly noteworthy — and we’re always suspect of Sony’s camera claims until we have the phone in hand; we’re been burned too many times before — and Sony, because of the dearth of Snapdragon 835s in the market right now, isn’t shipping the Premium until late spring, likely late May or early June.

There’s no price right now, either, but based on the $699.99 price tag of the other flagship being launched this week, the Xperia XZs, we’re not holding out for anything below $850.

That Xperia XZs is still a great-looking phone, but it’s less interesting than then Premium model. That’s because it’s a minor refresh of the Xperia XZ announced just six months ago.

In his review of the Xperia XZ, Alex Dobie called it plainly:

The problem for Sony, like so many other Android manufacturers, is the fact that Samsung’s absolutely crushing it this year. Sony’s camera is great, but it’s not the best. Same deal with its screen, its build quality and its battery life. And U.S. buyers once again get the short end of the stick, as Sony cheaps out on fingerprint security.

Oh, that’s right, neither the Xperia XZ Premium nor the XZs have fingerprint sensors in then U.S. Phones sold in the rest of the world get the feature, but it’s still an inexplicably omission, one that Sony refuses to justify.

The Xperia XZs looks exactly the same as its predecessor — same design, 1080p display — but comes with a slightly more robust 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage to augment the Snapdragon 820 processor. The new 19MP “Motion Eye” camera is here, too. Both it and the Xperia XZ Premium will run Android 7.1.1 at launch, with Sony’s increasingly tolerable

The Xperia XZs will be available in the U.S. unlocked at Best Buy and Amazon for $699.99 starting on April 5.

Sony’s two other devices announced at Mobile World Congress are less interesting but could prove considerably more popular. The Xperia XA 1 is a follow-up to the popular 5-inch device released last year, and the borderless 720p display is now powered by a MediaTek Helio P20 processor, an improvement over the P10 of the original. There’s also 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, nice bumps from last year, too.

A new 23MP rear shooter has trickled down from more expensive Xperia X series devices as well, making the $299.99 Xperia XA 1 a nice upgrade when it goes on sale May 1 at Best Buy, Amazon, and B&H Photo.

Finally, a larger version of the XA 1, affixed with Ultra, will debut in late spring. The 6-inch 1080p display is the showpiece here, and there’s no question that the device is more compact for it, but this is still a big phone. The phone has the same specs as the XA 1 but for the optically stabilized 16MP front-facing camera, which also comes with an LED flash.

While it would be easy to dismiss these phones as simple evolutions on existing designs, Sony clearly understands where its strengths are these days and is heavily playing into them. The Xperia XZ Premium brings back the high-end flash of the Xperia Z5 Premium while pushing display technology forward to support HDR, while embracing the latest generation SoC from Qualcomm. The other three phones are nice upgrades, but will most likely get lost in the shuffle of a very competitive handset market.

See at Sony

ZTE’s Blade V8 Lite and V8 Mini are two new phones meant for the youths

Are you a young millennial? ZTE’s latest mid-range devices are equipped with the hardware you’ll need for living your very best life.

ZTE is launching two new Android-powered smartphone from its youth-oriented line at MWC 2017. The Blade V8 Mini and Blade V8 Lite boast plenty of “features for young people” in addition to stylish metallic chassis.

The Blade V8 Mini sports the same 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel dual-rear cameras featured on the original Blade V8 Pro. It’s equipped with a refocus mode that lets you select the focus area after you’ve shot the photo. The Blade V8 Mini also supports 3D shooting, a manual mode, auto HDR, and a multiple camera mode. You can view all the pictures you shot on its 5-inch HD display.

Inside, the Blade V8 Mini runs on a decidedly low-end Snapdragon 435 with 2GB of RAM. It also has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, as well as an unremovable 2,800mAh battery. There’s also an expansion slot if its 16GB of storage seems too meager for you. The Blade V8 Mini will run Android 7.0 out of the box.

The Blade V8 Lite is an even lower end product from ZTE. The camera on this one has been bumped down to one 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, though there’s still a 5-megapixel front-facing one. The VR Lite’s display is also 5-inches long, though it’s only 720p. It’s also packed with a MediaTek processor, 2GB of RAM, a 2,500mAh battery and 16GB of onboard storage, with the option to get more via expansion slot.

There are few launch details for the Blade V8 Mini and Blade V8 Lite. The V8 Mini’s launch will be in various markets across Asia Pacific and Europe, while the V8 Lite will be marketed towards European markets, namely Italy, Spain, and Germany.

Lenovo Tab 4 Series tablets, simple, cheap and cheerful fun for all the family

Lenovo has announced a series of tablets that are designed for the whole family and won’t break the bank.

The Lenovo Tab 4 Series consists of the Lenovo Tab 4 8, Tab 4 8 Plus, Tab 4 10 and Tab 4 10 Plus.

The Tab 4 8 and 10 are 8-inch and 10-inch entry-level devices respectively. They offer HD displays and quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. Both come with 2GB of RAM, so should be swift in operation, while stereo speakers on each come with Dolby Atmos moving audio support.

Every member of the family can set up and customise their own profile in order to tweak their own settings, wallpaper and social media accounts – such as Facebook and Instagram.

• Mobile World Congress 2017: Nokia, Sony, Huawei, smartphones and more

The Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus and 10 Plus tablets also have 8-inch and 10-inch screens respectively, except they utilise Full HD IPS displays on the more premium models. The Plus versions also come with improved 64-bit 2.0GHz octa-core processors and 4GB of RAM. Fingerprint sensors are added for additional security.

Lenovo

Lenovo also offers accessories to adapt the Tab 4 Series devices for different uses. There is a Kid’s Pack, with a shock resistant bumper, blue-light filter and stickers. A separate Kid’s Account offers curated kid-friendly content, while parental controls can restrict how long a child can use the tablet for.

A Productivity Pack comes with a Bluetooth keyboard to turn the Tab 4 10 and Tab 4 10 Plus models into a 2-in-1 device.

The Lenovo Tab 4 8 starts at €169 (around £142), while the Lenovo Tab 4 10 starts at €179.

The Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus retails for €259 and the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus comes in at €299.

All models are available in black or white and will be available from May 2017.

Alcatel A5 LED is a fun mobile light show

Alcatel has taken the wraps off its latest smartphone, and is attempting to offer something completely unique to the younger end of the consumer market. The Alcatel A5 LED is a refreshing change.

Starting with its most notable, and most unique feature, the entire back is covered in an LED light show. It lights up when you receive notifications, and not only that, it lights up a different pattern and colour depending on the application that’s sending the alert. For instance, if it’s Facebook, you can get a blue background with a white “F” scrolling across the back. For Snapchat, it could be yellow. But you can program it to do what you want.

Using a feature called Colour Catcher will enable you to create your own unique LED cover patterns and themes. Whether you want to design something eye-catching and wacky for when your best friends call, or just have something that matches your outfit, you have the freedom to make something fresh.

Pocket-lint

As you’d expect, the LED cover isn’t just for notifications. You can also use it as a mobile light show when you’re listening to music, or just have it as an ambient light when watching movies or videos. This, of course, emphasises the main aim here, which is to have a phone that’s both different, and fun.

Taking this customisation further, the Android Marshmallow based software has an app which allows you to choose colours using the camera, and then sets a wallpaper and theme to match. This changes the app icon colours as well as the rest of the phone’s user interface.

The launcher also allows you to change how many rows and columns of apps you want on your home screen, how big you want those icons to be as well as a host of the usual Android customisation options.

As for specifications, the screen on the front is a 5.2-inch HD 720p display which is powered by an octacore MediaTek processor and a 2,800mAh battery. This battery should be more than capable of lasting a full day, and for those worrying about the detrimental effects of the LED cover, we’re told in average use tests, it only used 3% extra battery over a full day.

Pocket-lint

The 8-megapixel camera on the back is adequate for snapping pictures to share on social media, and the 5-megapixel selfie cam, likewise, should be suitable for the odd self portrait.

Clearly, specifications aren’t going to set the world alight here, but the added LED Cover and its features might just be enough to make the targeted young demographic think it’s a cool smartphone. It will be available in May across Europe and is set to cost €199. 

Lenovo Miix 320 is an entry level, portable 2-in-1

Lenovo has come out all guns blazing at Mobile World Congress, unveiling a new Tab 4 series of tablets, two new Yoga laptops and now the Miix 320 detachable laptop/tablet.

In its most basic form, the Miix 320 is a tablet with an Intel Atom X5 processor, Intel HD graphics, memory that can be specified up to 4GB and internal storage up to 128GB. Your content is presented on a 10.1in 1920×1080 full HD display, with Dolby Advanced Audio taking care of sound duties.

On paper, the Miix 320 in tablet mode sounds like an ideal companion for watching movies and TV shows on a commute, a plane, or simply at home. If you need to shift into work mode, you can attach the included keyboard dock, which includes a trackpad and turns the Miix 320 into a fully functioning laptop substitute.

Windows 10 comes preinstalled and supports Windows Continuum for seamlessly switching between tablet and laptop modes.

Lenovo claims the Miix 320’s battery is good for up to 10 hours of use and Wi-Fi and 4G LTE support ensure you’ll always have an internet connection whenever you go.

Both the Wi-Fi only and LTE versions of Miix 320 will launch in April, with prices starting at €269 for the former, and €399 for the LTE variant; these will change depending on your memory and storage choices.

Lenovo will sell the Miix 320 with Active Pen support, especially useful if you’re a designer, and a 12 month Microsoft Office 365 subscription from July. Both models will be available in platinum silver and Snow White.

Lenovo Yoga 720 and Yoga 520 are portable powerhouses

Lenovo has used Mobile World Congress to launch two new Yoga convertible laptops: the Yoga 720 and 520. Both have been designed and developed in direct response to user feedback, so the company is pretty confident it’s got the specs and features across both models spot on and believes them to be the ideal computer companion for productivity, as well as consuming media.

• Mobile World Congress 2017: Nokia, Sony, Huawei, smartphones and more

Like other Yoga convertibles, the new 720 and 520 can be used in any of four modes: laptop, tablet, tent and stand and both are thinner and lighter than their respective 710 and 510 predecessors.

Lenovo

The 13in Yoga 720 for example is now 14.3mm at its thickest points and weighs 1.3kg, while the 520 is slightly tubbier, at 19.9mm at thickest point and coming in at 1.74kg on the scales. Despite their diminutive dimensions, Lenovo has managed to fit in a high capacity battery, claiming the 15in Yoga 720 can last up to 9 hours with a full HD screen, or 8 hours with a 4K Ultra HD screen.

Its 13in sibling meanwhile can last up to 8 hours with a full HD screen or 7 hours with a 4K screen. The 14in Yoga 520 is available with either a 1366 x 768 HD screen or 1920 x 1080 full HD, with the latter,it can last up to 10 hours on a single charge.

All new Yoga models can be specified with up 7th generation Intel Core i7 processors and come running Windows 10. Lenovo says the 15in Yoga 720 is the most powerful convertible laptop in its class, thanks to Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics and Thunderbolt 3 for high-speed data transfers.

You can put your drawing skills to the test with either model as they both offer active pen support, which lets you sketch in Windows Ink, take notes or assist with editing documents.

Lenovo

But if you’d rather use them for watching movies and TV shows, you’ll be pleased to know both should offer decent sound thanks to Harman speakers on the Yoga 520 and JBL speakers on the 720, and both support Dolby Audio Premium. Finally, both models support fingerprint scanning security – standard on the 720, an option on the 520 – to log in to the computer and store passwords.

The Lenovo Yoga 720 will be the first model to launch, in April, with prices starting at €999. It will be available platinum silver, iron grey or copper, but the latter is exclusive to the 13in model. The Yoga 520 meanwhile will launch in July with prices starting at €599 and mineral grey and onyx black colour finishes.