2017 February | AIVAnet

27

Feb

Sony Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra hands-on!

While Sony fans enjoy the recent announcement of the company’s brand new flagship phones, the Xperia XZ Premium and XZs, they also used Mobile World Congress 2017 to unveil its successors to the Xperia XA line that were introduced last year. For those who aren’t able to afford the pricey cost of Sony’s flagships, the Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra should prove to be more cost effective – without sacrificing the charm with Sony’s designs. Focusing on beefy cameras, superior audio and visual technology, and near bezel-less displays, they’re certainly going to offer some bang for the buck.

The XA1 Ultra is on the complete other end of the spectrum with its gargantuan stature.

Following in traditional Sony design, the XA1 and XA1 Ultra are two very similar phones with their “flat” looks, but there’s obviously a huge size disparity. When it comes to being pocketable, the XA1 is one of the few high caliber phones in the market that can be handled with a single hand – allowing your thumb to easily encompass all corners without too much stretching. However, the Xperia XA1 Ultra is on the complete other end of the spectrum with its gargantuan stature.

Sure, Sony loves to tout the borderless designs with their edge-to-edge screen, but the compromise is seen in the space above and below the displays – where the huge bezels become eyesores for the phones. Despite that, we can’t deny that they look lovely, especially on the XA1 Ultra and its ginormous 6.0-inch 1080p display. It’s roomy to say the least, but unfortunately for the XA1, it’s stepped down to a 5.0-inch 720p screen.

Sony managed to slap 23MP 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensors into both phones

Moving onto the good stuff, Sony managed to slap 23MP 1/2.3-inch Exmor RS sensors into both phones, which are being pegged for their low light performance. They’re so confident about the performance of its news cameras, they’re promising stellar quality at ISO 6400. It’ll be intriguing to say the least, but we’ll save our reservations until we can snap some shots on our own and meticulously comb over the results. For the selfie lovers out there, they’ll gravitate towards the 16MP front-facing snapper that’s on the Xperia XA1 Ultra – with built-in optical image stabilization and an LED flash.

Specs-wise, they’re very similar if you look down the sheet, but there’s just a slight advantage with the XA1 Ultra – like its screen resolution, larger 2,700mAh battery, and front-facing camera. Everything else, however, are pretty much identical between the two. Take for example the processor, a 64-bit based octa-core MediaTek helio P20 processor, which handles all the basic stuff nicely from what we’ve seen so far. They’re both also running Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, with Sony’s usual custom skin.

Android 7.0 Nougat review: an Android version for Android fans

October 21, 2016

Interestingly, none of Sony’s new phones sport fingerprint sensors

Sony has clearly bombarded us with a bunch of new devices, but are they any good? One striking item that’s missing in all of them, even with their “premium” nature, is that none of them have fingerprint sensors. Sure, we might see variants of them in other markets with fingerprint sensors, but it’s just a shame there are none whatsoever – it’s something we’ve come to expect today, including entry-level stuff. Overall, the strength of the new XA1 line seem to hinge mostly on their cameras, especially under low light conditions, which is an area where few phones excel in – so it’ll be intriguing to see how they fair.

In terms of release and pricing, Sony has announced that the XA1 will begin to go on sale on May 1, 2017 through retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, B&H, and much more, for the price of $299.99. That’s not too shabby when you think about it, but we’re curious to see where they place the XA1 Ultra later on in late spring. We’re hoping to see it under $500 at the very least, just because anything more than that, it’ll be competing against other giants in the premium space.

So, what are your thoughts on the Xperia XA1 and XA1 Ultra? Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments below.

Android Authority is on the show floor at MWC 2017, bringing you all the new news as it happens. Head here to check out all our MWC 2017 coverage!

27

Feb

Ricoh’s next camera can stream live broadcasts in 360

Ricoh makes one of the best, simple 360-degree cameras out there. It’s gradually added better picture quality, more video skills (and cheaper models) to its Theta series, but the company’s taking its tech in a different direction with a spherical video camera capable of live streaming 2K at 30fps. The stitching takes place in real-time and the product is unmistakably for creators and media types. This is the Ricoh R Developer kit, and you can preorder one now.

The camera outputs video through either HDMI or USB, and it’ll need constant AC power adapter to continuously livestream up to 24 hours of footage. The camera records onto a micro SD card to help reduce the size of the device, which is almost the same size as its Theta predecessors, although if you’re recording 2K spherical video, we’d advise a very high-capacity card.

Ricoh is launching the compact camera with a 24-hour broadcast from MWC in Barcelona, and says it’ll be offering a Hololens stream too, if you’re a rare Hololens owner. You can watch the 360-degree livestream here, while those tempted by the camera itself can preorder today: the camera is set to arrive this spring.

27

Feb

We took Lenovo’s 13-inch Yoga 720 for a whirl at Mobile World Congress — Here’s what we think

Lenovo announced a veritable trove of tablets and laptops at Mobile World Congress 2017. First up were the 13-inch and 15-inch Yoga 720, the newest laptops in the company’s convertible Yoga series. Next were the mid-range Flex 5 (Yoga 520) and the Miix 320 2-in-1 device, and lastly two tablets — the Tab 4 — designed for kids in mind.

We had a chance to check out a particularly promising machine, the 13-inch Yoga 720, at a preview event in Barcelona. We’ll have to spend more time with it to formulate a final opinion, but we came away generally impressed.

More: The best products of 2016: Computing

Lenovo’s 2-in-1 Yoga devices have historically featured a proprietary “watchband hinge,” and the 13-inch Yoga 720 is no different. Whether the screen’s oriented in a “V” shape, angled slightly upward, or tucked securely under the keyboard, it’s locked in place securely, but never so tightly that it’s difficult to adjust.

The 13-inch Yoga 720 is 13 percent light and 17 percent thinner than last year’s Yoga.

Lenovo says the 13-inch Yoga 720 is 13 percent light and 17 percent thinner than last year’s Yoga, and at 14.33mm and 2.9lbs, and it certainly feels like it. But perhaps the most striking thing about the Yoga 720 is its IPS screen, which boasts ultra-narrow bezels and a resolution of up to 4K Ultra HD (3,840 x 2,160). Its crisp and vibrant from most angles, if a little prone to glare. And the bezels nearly match the thinness of the Dell XPS 13’s Infinity Display, an impressive feat of engineering.

Despite its compactness, the Yoga 720 manages to pack plenty of ports and components into its petite frame. It has a Thunderbolt Type-C port, a USB 3.0 port, a microphone/headphone 3.5mm combo port, and supports Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi 802.11ac. There’s a 720p HD camera onboard, plus up to 512GB of SSD storage or a 1TB HHD. A fingerprint sensor sports Microsoft’s Windows Hello authentication in Windows 10, which lets you unlock your computer without having to enter a password. And stereo JBL speakers tuned with Dolby’s Audio Premium software supply the Yoga 720’s sound.

More: Lenovo Yoga 910 review

Lenovo didn’t skimp on any of the Yoga 720’s other hardware. The 2-in-1 is compatible with Lenovo’s PC stylus, the Active Pen, in Windows Ink and other programs that support capacitive drawing tools. But keyboard traditionalists needn’t be disappointed. The Yoga 720’s keys are responsive and spacious, and while they don’t have much travel, the keys’ rounded indentations make pecking out paragraphs more comfortable than might be expected.

yoga first take mwc inch lenovo for multitasking on the go irongrey

yoga first take mwc inch lenovo for multimedia irongrey

yoga first take mwc inch lenovo for mobile multitasking

yoga first take mwc ultra thin inch lenovo platinumsilver

The same can be said of the Yoga 720’s touchpad. It doesn’t measure as wide as, say, Apple’s new plus-sized MacBook Pro touchpad, but it’s a Precision Touchpad, meaning it means it can work with all of Windows 10’s touchpad features. It’s responsive to both single- and two-finger gestures and, like the touchpad on the Yoga 910, its tactile click buttons are satisfyingly springy to the touch.

The top-of-the-line Yoga 720 configuration boasts a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor, integrated Intel 620 graphics (a discrete GeForce GTX 1050 in the 15-inch model), and 8GB of DDR4 RAM (16GB in the 15-inch), which is more than enough processing power to plow through basic tasks. In our brief time with the Yoga 720, Microsoft Word launched without stutter or hesitation, and webpages loaded almost instantly. We’ll have to run the Yoga 720 through its paces to find out how it compares to the competition, but our initial impressions are quite good.

More: Dell Inspiron 13 7000 2-in-1 (2016) review

Despite the Yoga 720’s high-end hardware, it’s a power-sipping champ. Lenovo estimates that the Full HD model’s battery will last nine hours on a charge, while the Ultra HD manages about eight hours.

The Yoga 13-inch ships in platinum silver, iron grey, and copper, and starts at $860. It’s expected to launch in several territories as soon as April.

Lenovo’s Yoga series may be considered the definitive 2-in-1, but that’s not to imply it doesn’t have competition. The LG Gram series and Dell’s XPS 13 best the Yoga 720 it in thinness, and the XPS 13 lasts several hours longer on a charge. The HP Spectre x360 and Acer Spin 7, meanwhile, are measurably more compact.

But the Yoga 720’s high-resolution screen and affordable price point are tough to beat. A great keyboard, responsive touchpad, and speedy processor are icing on the cake.

Highs

Beautiful screen
Comfortable keyboard
Compact size
Competitive price

Lows

Modest battery life
Not the lightest overall

27

Feb

Alcatel’s A5 brings Moto Mod-like replaceable covers to budget smartphones

Why it matters to you

Alcatel’s latest phone brings some form of modularity to budget devices, and if the company introduces more

Alcatel’s retiring its Pop and Pixi lineup of smartphones for a new moniker — the A and U series. The company announced three new smartphones and a 2-in-1 Windows device at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and they’re all unsurprisingly aimed at the budget market.

Of the three smartphones, the A5 is the most unique because it comes with a myriad of accessories that enhance the user experience. The A3 and the U5 don’t really bring anything new to the table, and the Plus 12 Windows 2-in-1 is a larger variant of last year’s Plus 10.

More: BlackBerry KeyOne: Our first take

Alcatel A5

Alcatel’s 5.2-inch A5 essentially brings Motorola’s Moto Mods to budget devices, though perhaps in not the simplest fashion. The A5 offers sub-$50 replaceable backs, some of which are purely cosmetic, but others offer more uses. For example, there’s a speaker with a kickstand you can attach to the back of the A5, as well as a battery pack that doubles the phone’s battery life.

It’s almost exactly similar to Motorola’s Moto Mod launch, which offered a JBL speaker mod as well as a battery pack mod, and more. But Motorola’s mods were separate accessories that magnetically snapped to the phone.

The plastic backs for the A5 are literally the back of the smartphone — you can’t just take one off as you’ll have to replace it with something. Taking them off is like taking off the back of a phone with a removeable battery.

The highlight Alcatel is touting is the LED, an accessory that covers the back of the A5 with colorful LEDs. Using various apps, you can light up the back of the A5 with different patterns and colors to match your mood. Or you can even use the camera to automatically pick three colors of your outfit or whatever you point at to change the phone’s wallpaper and app icon colors to match.

More: Did you click ‘Always’ and wish you could take it back? Here’s how to reset default apps in Android

The LED back also lights up with the icon and matching color of select apps when you get a notification from them, like Facebook or Twitter. If you’re playing music, you can have the lights dance to your tunes.

The phone itself only has a 720-pixel resilution, and it’s powered by MediaTek’s 6753 with 2GB of RAM. It has a 2,800mAh battery that charges via the MicroUSB port, and you’ll only find 16GB of internal storage, though there’s support for a MicroSD card. The rear camera only has 8 megapixels with electronic image stabilization, and the front is packed with 5, though it uses a wide-angle lens.

Unfortunately, the A5 only runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It’s the only smartphone in this list that’s likely coming to the U.S. We don’t have any pricing or availability details yet.

27

Feb