The iPhone 7 vs. the competition: Win some, lose some
The new 4.7-inch iPhone is here and, just like the rumors predicted, the headphone jack is no more. If you’re not thrilled with having to shop for a new pair of earbuds, it might be worth looking to see how the new water-resistant handset stacks up against its Android competition. We’ve taken a few recent flagships and laid out their specs for your perusal, including Sony’s new Xperia XZ. With most top-tier Android devices running Snapdragon 820, these phones end up having a lot in common. However, there’s a few key differences to keep things interesting.
iPhone 7
Galaxy S7
LG G5
HTC 10
Sony Xperia XZ
Pricing
$649, $749, $849 (off-contract)
$200 (on-contract)
varies by carrier on contract; $650 off-contract
$699 (off-contract)
Not available
Known dimensions
138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm (5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 inches)
142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9mm (5.61 x 2.74 x 0.31 inches)
149.4 x 73.9 x 7.3mm (5.88 x 2.91 x 0.29 inches)
145.9 x 71.9 x 3.0-9.0mm (5.74 x 2.83 x 0.12-0.35 inches)
146 x 72 x 8.1 mm (5.75 x 2.83 x 0.32 inches)
Weight
138g (4.87 ounces)
152g (5.36 ounces)
159g (5.61 ounces)
161g (5.68 ounces)
161g (5.68 ounces)
Screen size
4.7 inches (119.38mm)
5.1 inches (129.2mm)
5.3 inches (134.62mm)
5.2 inches (132.08mm)
5.2 inches (132.08mm)
Screen resolution
1,334 x 750 (326 ppi)
2,560 x 1,440 (577 ppi)
2,560 x 1,440 (554 ppi)
2,560 x 1,440 (564 ppi)
1,920 x 1,080 (424 ppi)
Screen type
Retina HD
Quad HD Super AMOLED
Quad HD IPS LCD Quantum
Quad HD Super LCD 5
Full HD TRILUMINOS LCD
Battery
Size not available, but up to 14 hours usage on WiFi
3,000mAh
2,800mAh
3,000mAh
2,900mAh
Internal storage
32/128/256GB
32GB
32GB
32GB
32GB
External storage
None
microSD
microSD
microSD
microSD
Rear camera
12MP, f/1.8
12MP, f/1.7, 1.4µm pixel size
16MP, f/1.8, 1.12µm pixel size
12MP, f/1.8, 1.55µm pixel size
23MP
Front-facing cam
7MP, f/2.2
5MP
8MP
5MP, f/1.8, 1.34µm pixel size
13MP, f/2.0
Video capture
4K at 30fps
4K at 30fps
4K
4K
4K
NFC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Bluetooth
v4.2
v4.2
v4.2
v4.2
v4.2
SoC
Apple A10 Fusion
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
CPU
Not available
2.15GHz quad-core
2.15GHz quad-core
2.2GHz quad-core
2.15 or 2.2GHz quad-core
GPU
Not available
Adreno 530
Adreno 530
Adreno 530
Adreno 530
RAM
Not available
4GB
4GB
4GB
3GB
WiFi
Dual band, 802.11ac
Dual band, 802.11ac
Dual band, 802.11ac
Dual band, 802.11ac
Dual band, 802.11ac
Operating system
iOS 10
Android 6.0
Android 6.0
Android 6.0
Android 6.0
Standout features
Touch ID, IP67 certified, Lightning connector
Fingerprint sensor, IP68 certified
Fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C
Fingerprint sensor, USB Type-C
Fingerprint sensor, IP68 certified, USB Type-C
Accessories
Not applicable
Not applicable
LG Friends: Cam, Cam Plus, Hi-Fi Plus (not available in US), VR
Not applicable
Not applicable
* Specs in italics are unconfirmed, but we will update as more details become available.
Keep an eye out today for hands-on impressions of the new iPhones, and stay tuned to Engadget for our full review later this fall!
Click here to catch all the latest news from Apple’s “See You” event.
After Math: Call me, maybe
It’s been a banner week for mobile devices not made by Apple (you’ll have to wait until the 7th for those). Samsung, quite literally, blew its chance to gain ground on Apple, given the new iPhone’s reputed lackluster feature set. Google likely killed off Project Ara, its modular smartphone. Verizon and T-Mobile both rolled out new service plans aimed at stretching subscribers’ data plans. Hasselblad actually made a photography device that won’t require the life of your first born to obtain. And Nubia unveiled its newest flagship phone — but where’s the bezel. Numbers, because how else would we determine market share?
HTC One A9s dons a familiar metallic design and cheaper tag
Last year we were left impressed with HTC’s premium mid-range One A9 smartphone: It was a good-looking phone with great build quality and great battery life, plus it was one of the first to ship with Android Marshmallow. It was apparently so “well received” that HTC decided to release a follow-up model. The new and supposedly more affordable One A9s features a near-identical metallic design plus the same fingerprint sensor on the front, with the main aesthetic changes being the earpiece is now shorter, the proximity sensor is in the middle and the front HTC logo is gone. Eagle-eyed folks will notice that the old 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display is now just a 720p Super LCD, so it better be a noticeable price drop.
The cost-cutting doesn’t stop there. The 13-megapixel main camera here has gone from f/2.0 to a slower f/2.2 (it’s likely no longer using the same nice Sony sensor) but still comes with RAW support, whereas the old UltraPixel front camera is now just an ordinary 5-megapixel imager. The old Snapdragon 617 has been replaced with MediaTek’s octa-core Helio P10 (8x Cortex-A53), but it’s hard to tell whether this is an upgrade or a downgrade just yet. At least we know that we’ll still be getting Cat 6 LTE and NFC here, just no 802.11ac WiFi.
Depending on where you’re buying the A9s, you may get either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage plus 2GB or 3GB of RAM, and you can expand storage space via microSD (up to 2TB). The built-in battery has been gently bumped up to 2,300mAh but there’s no fast charging feature this time, so here’s hoping the A9s has at least inherited the same impressive battery life optimization from its predecessor. What we do wish HTC had changed was the USB port: We’re already entering the last quarter of 2016 and HTC is still using micro-USB instead of USB-C; but then again, we’re not exactly short in micro-USB accessories, and it’s probably the least of HTC’s target audience’s worries in this price segment.
Speaking of, we’re still left in the dark in terms of actual price points: We’re only told that the A9s “will be very competitively priced at the mid-tier,” which doesn’t mean much given HTC’s track record. If priced right, the A9s’ fancy metallic design may still be compelling enough to help drive sales before the year ends.
We’re live all week from Berlin, Germany, for IFA 2016. Click here to catch up on all the news from the show.
Monster’s lawsuit against Beats gets thrown out
Many would tell you that Monster’s lawsuit against Beats and HTC faced long odds from the get-go… and sure enough, it’s falling flat. A Los Angeles court has summarily dismissed the case, which accused Beats of making sketchy deals in order to both end its alliance with Monster (in the wake of HTC’s investment in Beats) and stiff Monster founder Noel Lee on share value ahead of Apple’s Beats acquisition. The judge doesn’t beat around the bush in explaining why. He says that the agreement between Monster and Beats explicitly allowed Beats to sever ties without requiring Monster’s permission or ideal conditions.
The court is rubbing salt in the wound, too. The previously scheduled trial will still go ahead in early September, but it’s now limited to Beats’ bid to recoup legal costs. In a sense, Monster’s sue-happy nature is coming back to haunt the company. It’s learning the hard way that it has to live with the consequences of its business decisions, no matter how unfortunate they may be.
Via: Business Insider
Source: Associated Press
HTC breaks its promise to update the One A9 ‘within 15 days’
When HTC launched the One A9, it promised to roll out new versions of Android “within 15 days” of their release. Pretty sweet, right? Well, it would be — but that’s not happening with Android 7.0. In a tweet, HTC said the new software will be hitting the HTC 10 in the fourth quarter of 2016, followed by the unlocked One M9, the unlocked One A9 and their carrier counterparts. The timeline suggests that the company will be breaking its promise with the One A9 — Google released Nougat on August 22nd, meaning the phone would need to receive it by September 6th.
We reached out to HTC, and a spokesperson told us: “With the excitement around Android Nougat, we’re aligning engineering resources around our most popular flagship products where the most customers will benefit.” It’s a shame, because the One A9 is a decent little phone. Admittedly, it’s not a top-tier powerhouse like the HTC 10, but it’s still capable. Throw in a five-inch display (an increasingly rare smartphone spec) and a light, reserved take on Android, and you’ve got a solid if unadventurous device.
The move is a head-scratcher, because HTC is struggling to sell phones as it is. The least it can do is support the people who are still buying them.
Via: XDA Developers
Source: HTC (Twitter)
Viveport Development Awards offers cash prizes for VR apps
How do you attract developers to a fledgling virtual reality content delivery service for a VR headset that already has a shopping platform? With half a million dollars in cash and prizes, of course! Today, HTC announced the Viveport Development Awards: a contest with a $500,000 prize pool designed to attract developers the HTC’s global VR app store.
Viveport’s Development Awards is open to any developer that submits an app to the platform from today, and five finalists each will be selected for each category: the Viveport “pillars” of Discover, Create, Connect, Watch and Shop. From there, a panel of judges will pick the grand prize winners — though HTC says all of the final nominees will be awarded prizes.
The contest also kicks off Viveport’s Developer Beta and community pages — which contestants will need to use to submit their projects. With any luck, the awards program will help Viveport build a strong library for the consumer launch later this year. If not? Well, at least we’ll always have Steam.
Source: HTC Viveport
VR game developers prefer the HTC Vive, grapple with nausea
The decision to get a high-end virtual reality headset is as much about the software selection as the technology itself. So which platform is getting the most attention from developers? Apparently, it’s HTC’s Vive. A UBM Game Network industry report shows that 49 percent of VR developers are targeting the Vive, while 43 percent are writing software for the Oculus Rift. And the gap gets wider when it comes to the next game from these studios — nearly 35 percent are building for the Vive, while a little over 23 percent are aiming at the Rift.
The study doesn’t explain why the Vive is getting more support, although its technology may play an important role. While Oculus is largely focused on sit-down VR with conventional controls (its motion controller won’t arrive until later this year), the Vive shipped from the start with support for room-scale VR and motion input. There’s just more you can do. We’d add that the Vive already has unique experiences, like the Star Wars VR experiment, and that HTC has managed to get the Vive into the hands of influential YouTube stars like PewDiePie. If many of your potential players were most excited for the Vive, which one would you support? Still, it comes as a mild surprise when Oculus has the luxuries of both years of publicity and Facebook’s financial backing.
There are plenty of challenges for developers, regardless of the hardware. The steep price of high-end VR (you need a fast PC on top of the headset) and a lack of must-have titles play a part, but one of the most common problems is nausea. As we found out first hand, sickness can sour an otherwise great experience — people might not try VR again if their first experience makes them queasy. Also, just under half of all VR creators are funding their projects with personal funds, rather than leaning on outside help.
Thankfully, there’s a lot of optimism. Nearly 96 percent of surveyed developers believe there’s a sustainable audience for VR and augmented reality. While that’s not completely shocking for a group that’s already committed (you wouldn’t make a VR game if you didn’t think people would buy it), the data shows that creators believe there’s a real, long-term audience.
Source: Gamasutra
Thin gaming laptops will run VR with NVIDIA’s new chip
Nvidia has just taken the wraps off a trio of laptop GPUs based on its new “Pascal” chip architecture, the GeForce GTX 1060M, the 1070M and the 1080M. While the 1080M is by far the most impressive, it’s the humble 1060M that could make the biggest impact on the market. Why? Because it facilitates using a virtual reality headset like the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift on a reasonably small laptop.
The 1060M essentially replaces the 970M, insomuch as it’ll fit into the same sort of products as the older chip. All of the technologies launched for the Pascal architecture, including VRWorks and Ansel, are supported on the 1060M, which has 1,280 CUDA cores, 6GB of 192-bit, 8Gbps memory and a base clock speed of 1,404MHz. The end result of these specs is a “VR-ready” chip that’ll fit in laptops as svelte as 18mm, like the Razer Blade.
What exactly “VR ready” means nowadays is a bit of a mystery. Oculus and HTC released their headsets targeting the desktop GTX 980, but both AMD and NVIDIA have since released cheaper cards (the RX 480 and the GTX 1060, respectively) that both claim to play nice with VR.
At a launch event in the UK, NVIDIA showed off the 1060M, 1070M and 1080M paired with various VR games. But while the more powerful chips were demoed with graphically intense games, NVIDIA chose The Thrill of the Fight. It’s a very fun, but relatively undemanding title, requiring only a desktop GTX 970 card. The MSI GS43 (an updated GS40 with a 1060M GPU inside) handled it perfectly. For regular gaming, NVIDIA claims it’ll do just fine. The same MSI GS43 hit 96.4FPS in Doom (1080p, ultra settings), 51.4FPS in The Witcher 3 (1080p, maxed settings, HairWorks disabled), and 71.5FPS in Tomb Raider (1080p, very high). Older games can play nice with higher resolutions, with <em>BioShock Infinite</em> hitting 72.4FPS at 1440p, and <em>Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor</em> hitting 62.1FPS, both with “ultra” settings.
| CUDA cores | 1,280 | 1,280 | 2,048 |
| Base clock | 1,404MHz | 1,506MHz | 1,126MHz |
| Boost clock | 1,670MHz | 1,708MHz | 1,216MHz |
| Memory | 6GB GDDR5* | 6GB GDDR5 | 4GB GDDR5 |
| Memory speed | 8Gbps | 8Gbps | 7Gbps |
| Memory Bandwidth | 192GB/sec | 192GB/sec | 224GB/sec |
*Up to
When pressed, representatives at the event said the 1060M is VR-ready, and agreed that a stable “90 frames-per-second is a must for VR,” but “you might need to play around with the settings, as you would on any PC game, in order to reach that.” That suggests that while, yes, the 1060M has the power to run the current crop of VR games, don’t expect to be playing with Ultra graphics settings. NVIDIA also cautions that the “VR-ready” status is only when you’re plugged into an outlet — when running from the battery it won’t reach the clock speeds necessary. Digging into NVIDIA’s official benchmark sheet (which doesn’t compare the two directly), it seems that the 1060M is basically on par with the GTX 980, which makes the decision to restrict demos to such a forgiving game a strange one.
Putting minutiae to one side, NVIDIA’s new laptop GPUs look like winners. The 1080M almost kills the need for laptops with desktop chips in them (although I’m sure the market will continue). It’ll support SLI, and even on its own, can maintain 60fps in 4K for all but the most-demanding of titles, and 120Hz gaming in 1080p as well. The 1070M will be the go-to option for gamers without $1000s to spare, sliding into any laptop that currently houses a 980M — think something like the Asus ROG G752, the Acer Predator 15, or the Origin EON 15-X. But it’s the 1060M that offers the most exiting proposition, to me at least. Laptops like the Razer Blade, the MSI GS40 Phantom and the Gigabyte Aorus X3 Plus are already combining portability with legitimate gaming chops. Now, newer versions will also be able to support VR.
HTC’s Nexus phone efforts show up at the FCC
If there was any doubt that HTC is working on at least one Nexus phone this year, the FCC (and a handful of leaks) just erased it. The regulator has received an HTC filing for smartphones that will be explicitly branded as a Nexus — a letter says you’ll find the user manual on Google’s Nexus page. The entries don’t really show the devices or say exactly what they can do, but the hardware should have full network support for all major North American carriers and beyond. Not that there’s much mystery as to what one of those devices looks like, as you’ll soon see.
Leaks from both Android Police and @Usbfl on Twitter show photos of what’s believed to be the 5-inch Marlin, the smaller of two Nexus devices that HTC is reportedly making this year (the other is the 5.5-inch Sailfish). They line up with a previous render AP made based on a source’s description, and support earlier rumors that both HTC Nexus devices would have a metal-and-glass design, not just the larger one like last year.
Assuming the images are accurate, they also suggest that earlier spec leaks are on the mark. Whether you choose Marlin or Sailfish may depend entirely on your preferred screen size. Both would have a higher-end Snapdragon processor (most likely the 820 or 821), 4GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel rear camera, an 8-megapixel front shooter and at least 32GB of built-in storage. Logically, 2015-era perks like a rear fingerprint reader and USB-C would carry over. There’s still no definitive release window for either Nexus, but they won’t necessarily launch at the same time as the Android Nougat upgrade arrives. Most likely, you’ll have to wait until sometime after LG unveils the first Nougat phone on September 6th.
The 2016 HTC Nexus looks like a cross between the Nexus 4 & iPhone with glass and fingerprint scanner on the back. pic.twitter.com/7pm9fhszki
— nexus (@usbfl) August 14, 2016
Via: The Next Web
Source: FCCID.io, Android Police, Usbfl (Twitter)
HTC’s new Desire phones reportedly releasing later this quarter
HTC is hard at work on a new pair of new Desire smartphones that are reportedly releasing later this quarter.
The new phones will be branded as the Desire 10 Pro and Desire 10 Lifestyle. This new info comes care of an insider with information on what the company is planning, shared with VentureBeat.
The Desire 10 Lifestyle will be a 5.5-inch smartphone with a variety of different colors, each with a special metallic trim on the edges and around the camera lens, flash and antenna cutouts. Matte and solid colors are the name of the game when it comes to design.
When it comes to specs the phones should be running Android 6.0 Marshmallow skinned with HTC Sense. The Lifestyle phone is supposedly the lower-tier version of the line, with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and 720p resolution. The rear main camera is said to be 13-megapixel with single LED flash, while the front camera offers 5-megapixel resolution. Both are capable of 1080p video recording.
Supposedly the phones will be launching at the end of September, but there are no definitive dates or prices for either model just yet, nor specs for the Desire 10 Pro. Either way, they both seem like pretty svelte models that would serve any smartphone user well.
Via: VentureBeat
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