VINCI 1.5: The World’s most ambitious wireless headphones

What do you get when you mix Amazon Alexa, Spotify, Soundcloud, Google Play Music, a heart rate monitor, GPS, 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth with a neon-colored headset fitted with a huge LCD display running a custom build of Android? You get VINCI: the most ambitious wireless headphones I’ve ever used.

To be clear, VINCI 1.5 – and its higher-end sibling, VINCI 1.5 Pro – aren’t quite ready for primetime so I wasn’t able to test all of their promised functionality. But if even half of VINCI’s features work as designed, this is definitely a “hearable” series worth keeping your eye on – especially at the Kickstarter price.

Join Mr Mobile as we check them out together!

Get social with MrMobile!

• YouTube
• Le web
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Snapchat
• Instagram

Google’s new PhotoScan app gets your printed photos up to the cloud

It’s getting even easier to build up a digital archive of your old photos.

Most of us use Google Photos to back up every shot we take, but now Google has a great tool that lets you capture and upload your old printed photos as well. It’s called PhotoScan, and it’s a simple tool that will help you get your old prints backed up to the cloud right alongside your new photos taken with your phone.

The process is pretty simple: you just open up the app, and it will have you put the picture down on a flat surface in front of you. You then take four pictures of it at various angles to correct for glare, and PhotoScan will stitch them together to make one nice digital scan of the picture. It’s similar to the way Google Camera currently handles panoramas and Photo Spheres. The picture scans can be saved or uploaded to Google Photos with the tag “scans” for you to find later, and it can also do facial recognition just like digital photos.

Please save your printed photos!

Once the picture is scanned, it’ll automatically be color corrected and cropped in to look as good as possible, though as you would expect these scans won’t be as high quality as if you sent them to a scanning service or used a flatbed scanner yourself. But the thing is, most people won’t do that, and instead will just let their printed photos fall apart and be lost forever. This new PhotoScan app is an excellent way to help people preserve those memories forever.

The PhotoScan app is rolling out in the Play Store now for everyone to use.

OnePlus 3T specs: Snapdragon 821, 3400 mAh battery and 128GB storage option

From the outside, things look dead identical to the original OnePlus 3 — so it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

For this mid-cycle refresh, OnePlus has focused on bumping the specs and adding a few extra hardware features to the OnePlus 3T. The core of the experience in terms of external hardware, display and main camera components remain unchanged. But internally we have some new additions with a better processor, new front camera, 128GB storage option and a larger battery.

Here’s the complete spec sheet for the OnePlus 3T.

OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T

• OnePlus 3 review: Finally, all grown up
• The OnePlus 3T is official
• OnePlus 3 specs
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3 in the forums

OnePlus

OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?

Here are the differences between the original OnePlus 3 and its mid-cycle replacement.

To lay it down from the start: not much has changed from the five-month-old OnePlus 3 to the new OnePlus 3T. Externally, things are identical between the two aside from a new color option. Internally is where you’ll find the subtle (yet important) changes, though most of the internal specs remain unchanged as well.

Rather than giving you a full spec sheet with mostly the same values, I’ve narrowed things down here to simply highlight the differing points internally. You’ll notice of course the processor, but also the new front-facing camera, optional 128GB of storage and the larger 3400 mAh battery. The rear camera also now has a sapphire covering, though the rest of the original components have remained. There’s also a new color option, gunmetal, that’s exclusive to the OnePlus 3T alongside the original soft gold color.

After that spec talk, it’s worth mentioning the software as well. OnePlus has worked in a few extra optimizations and feature refinements in the OnePlus 3T that, alongside the Snapdragon 821, purport to offer a solid bump in performance and fluidity of the phone. That’s all a bit moot in the end, however, as both the OnePlus 3T and original OnePlus 3 will be updated to Android 7.0 Nougat by the end of the year — they’ll also both be on the same update schedule thereafter.

The final difference between the two is price. Just six months removed from the launch of the original, the OnePlus 3T is launching at $439, or $40 more than what the OnePlus 3 sells for today. (A bump to 128GB of storage will set you back $479 in total.) The improved specs are definitely a welcomed addition, and they haven’t come at the cost of removing anything that made the original OnePlus 3 a great value.

OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T

• OnePlus 3 review: Finally, all grown up
• The OnePlus 3T is official
• OnePlus 3 specs
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3 in the forums

OnePlus

OnePlus 3T is official: Mid-cycle bump adds new processor, bigger battery and $40 to price

Less than 6 months after launch, the OnePlus 3 gets a refresh with new specs and a higher price.

OnePlus has really led the charge in the popularity of high-end phones being sold at a mid-range price, and it’s doing something interesting with the mid-cycle refresh of its latest flagship the OnePlus 3. The new model is simply called the OnePlus 3T, and it brings some new internal specs, a fresh color option and new software to what is already regarded as one of the best phones you can buy for just $400.

Same great phone, with some strategic spec improvements.

So let’s start by laying out the groundwork of what hasn’t changed. In terms of external design, physical dimensions and display, things are identical to the OnePlus 3. You get the same solid aluminum build, USB-C port with Dash Charge, fingerprint sensor and 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display at 1920×1080 resolution. The phone still has 6GB of RAM and a base storage of 64GB, plus dual SIM functionality.

Now, what’s new? Well there are two big spec changes: the phone now runs on the absolute latest Snapdragon 821 processor, and has bumped the battery capacity over 10% to 3400 mAh in total. Those two specs will propel the already-strong OnePlus 3 battery life even further. Then we come to the smaller things: the front camera is now 16MP, the rear camera is unchanged but has a new scratch-resistant sapphire covering, and you now have an option to buy the OnePlus 3T with 128GB of internal storage if you choose. The OnePlus 3T also introduces a new “gunmetal” color, and the previously released “soft gold” color is also available.

More: Complete OnePlus 3T specs

Here’s the one rub, really: the OnePlus 3T still ships with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, though that shouldn’t be too surprising considering the original OnePlus 3 doesn’t yet have its Nougat update. OnePlus says that the latest OxygenOS customizations have improved performance and refined a few new features as well — and if you’ve used a recent OnePlus phone you know its software is quick, light and unobtrusive while also being more customizable than most.

This is definitely worth $439, no matter how you feel about the mid-cycle refresh nature of it.

You shouldn’t put a ton of stock in the exact software you see here, though, as OnePlus has already committed to releasing Android 7.0 Nougat to both the OnePlus 3T and original OnePlus 3 by the end of the year. When that new software arrives it should take on many of the extra features we’ve come to expect from OxygenOS, as well as the new levels of performance OnePlus is touting on the OnePlus 3T, but things can change a bit when you make a big jump to a new platform version. Going forward, OnePlus says that both versions of the phone will be on the same software release schedule — nobody’s being left behind.

More: OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?

With all of these spec and feature bumps, the OnePlus 3T is also seeing a price jump — up to $439 in the U.S., which is $40 more than the OnePlus 3 debuted at. Similar price jumps set European pricing at €439 and UK pricing at £399. If you want to go for the 128GB storage option (as many will) you’ll pay just $40 more, bringing the total price to $479. The gunmetal OnePlus 3 will launch in the U.S. and Canada on November 22, with a worldwide launch to a dozens of countries on November 28. The soft gold color option will come shortly after launch.

OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T

• OnePlus 3 review: Finally, all grown up
• The OnePlus 3T is official
• OnePlus 3 specs
• OnePlus 3T vs. OnePlus 3: What’s the difference?
• Latest OnePlus 3 news
• Discuss OnePlus 3 in the forums

OnePlus

Press release:

Presenting the OnePlus 3T – A Day’s Power in Half an Hour

Upgraded Flagship Smartphone Offers Dash Charge, Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM 821 Processor and Longer Battery Life for a Refined Android Experience

LONDON – November 15, 2016 – OnePlus today announced an upgraded addition to its premium flagship lineup, the OnePlus 3T. Staying true to the company’s Never Settle mantra, the OnePlus 3T builds on the success of the OnePlus 3, offering key hardware and software updates inspired by feedback from the active OnePlus community.

“At OnePlus, we are constantly striving to provide a better product and user experience for our customers, who are some of the most discerning and tech-savvy users in the world,” said OnePlus Founder and CEO Pete Lau. “We developed the OnePlus 3T to bring significant improvements with new technology that is available today, so that our customers do not have to wait for the best possible user experience.”

Dash Charge – A Day’s Power in Half an Hour

One of the fastest charging technologies on the global market, Dash Charge provides a day’s power in half an hour of charging, even while performing activities such as video streaming, graphic-intensive gaming or using GPS to navigate with the Dash Car Charger (also available on OnePlus.net). The OnePlus 3T also sports an upgraded 3,400 mAh battery, a 13 percent increase from the OnePlus 3, providing enough power to get users through the day and beyond. Dash Charge stays cooler than other fast charge solutions by carrying more current and shifting the power management process from the phone to the Dash Charge adapter, so a vast majority of the heat generated while charging never reaches the device. Along with five custom safety measures in place to safeguard the adaptor, cable and phone itself, users can charge the OnePlus 3T as fast as possible without worry.

Powerful Performance – Snapdragon 821 and 6 GB of RAM

Using the most powerful version of the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 821 processor (2.35 GHz), the OnePlus 3T boosts performance over Snapdragon 820 with faster processing speeds and greater power efficiency. The OnePlus 3T’s upgraded file system algorithm also improves the launch speed of large apps and games.

“OnePlus has proven once again that it never settles for anything less than the best. Using the Snapdragon 821 chipset, the OnePlus 3T gives the OnePlus community superior speed and performance in a beautifully designed smartphone,” said Alex Katouzian, Senior Vice President, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Featuring 6 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, the most found in any smartphone available today, the OnePlus 3T can handle next-level multi-tasking, including resource-intensive apps and games, without delay or lag.

16 MP Front and Rear Camera with Smart Capture

The OnePlus 3T’s 16 MP rear camera paired with OnePlus’s exclusive software suite, Smart Capture, allows users to capture the ideal shot in any environment or lighting situation. Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) helps to produce sharper still images, while an updated Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) algorithm ensures smoother video capture. A protective layer of sapphire glass, which has a Mohs hardness rating of 9, covers the rear camera to better protect
it from scratches.

The updated 16 MP front camera intelligently combines pixels to gather more light and reduce noise in low light scenarios, resulting in clearer, more colorful photos in any condition.

Premium Design – Aluminum Unibody and New Gunmetal Color

The OnePlus 3T’s design brings together the most premium materials and acute attention to the smallest details to give users a sleek and bold flagship smartphone. Each OnePlus 3T phone is carved out of a single slab of premium space-grade aluminum alloy for a seamless and resilient build, with fine details such as chamfered edges around the USB type-C port and speaker grill.

At 7.35 mm, the metal unibody is light and comfortably thin. Our new Gunmetal color gives the OnePlus 3T a bold look, while the Soft Gold version offers a subtle elegance. The stunning 5.5-inch 1080p Optic AMOLED display produces colors that are more vivid than other AMOLED displays while offering excellent battery life. Users may also choose to customize the display calibration or switch to sRGB mode for highly accurate color reproduction.

Android Refined – OxygenOS

OnePlus’ custom operating system, OxygenOS, offers a refined Android experience that is faster, cleaner and more customizable than other Android smartphones. It builds on Android’s core functionalities with additional features and customizations that further improve the user experience. OxygenOS’ new platform enables a more streamlined software development process, resulting in faster, more consistent updates guided largely by user feedback.

Price and Availability

The OnePlus 3T in both the 64 GB and 128 GB (Gunmetal version only) storage options will be available on OnePlus.net in the United States on November 22 and in Europe on November 28, starting from USD 439 / EUR 439 / GBP 399. The 64 GB Soft Gold edition of the OnePlus 3T will be available shortly after launch.

Is the OnePlus 3T launch being streamed online and where can I watch it?

OnePlus is hotly tipped to unveil its latest flagship smartphone today, which has been called the OnePlus 3T by many.

Rumours suggest that the phone will be a faster, more capable version of the already excellent OnePlus 3 and according to the company itself, everything will be revealed soon. Indeed, it is livestreaming the launch as we write.

Here’s how to watch it.

How to watch the OnePlus 3T launch livestream online

OnePlus is hosting the launch of the OnePlus 3T on its own Facebook page here and we have the live video below too. It is using Facebook Live to bring you all the news as it happens.

It started at 6pm UK time, which is 1pm on the east coast of America, 10am on the west coast. We’ll also bring you all the announcements and details as they are revealed here on Pocket-lint, so make sure you check back often.

In the meantime, while you’re also watching above, check out everything we know about the OnePlus 3T so far in our in-depth rumour round-up here.

The OnePlus 3T is said to follow the same body design as the standard version, while reports say that it will have a better display in the form of a 5.5-inch Quad HD panel. One thing we know for absolute sure is that it will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor. Qualcomm itself said as much in a recent tweet.

Something new from @OnePlus is on the way…and it’s powered by our #Snapdragon 821 processor. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/3jOyZFRQ5t

— Qualcomm (@Qualcomm) November 7, 2016

All 4 takes on Netflix and Amazon with new design and exclusive shows

Channel 4 has announced changes to its All 4 on demand service, which is moving away from simple catch-up to provide more over-the-top online programming.

The key change is visual, with an all-new design being pushed out to all applications. Smart TVs, set-top-boxes and games consoles get a new interface, while apps for iOS and Android receive new look home screens. The All4.com website gets a similar refresh.

All changes will be enforced in the “coming weeks”.

In addition, Channel 4 is committed to increasing All 4’s original content budget by millions. This will pay for more homegrown and acquired shows to be exclusively hosted on All 4 throughout 2017.

The All 4 commissioning team will follow eight new thematic strands for exclusive content. Leading edge music and culture, gaming and the internet will all be featured in new programmes.

• Which is the best movie streaming box for under £100? Apple TV vs Fire TV vs Chromecast 2 and more

Channel 4 has revealed that 15 million Brits have now registered to use All 4, which includes over half of all 16-34 year-olds in the UK. Catch-up represents 50 per cent of All 4 views, and its box sets archive represents 30 per cent. Only 10 per cent of views on the platform are for live footage.

Sadly, although there are plenty of changes and a new focus for the service, there still don’t seem to be any plans to introduce HD content. BBC iPlayer is still the only on demand service from the UK’s major terrestrial broadcasters to offer high definition programming.

OnePlus 3T is official, complete with beefier battery and processor

OnePlus has just unveiled a revamped version of the OnePlus 3, dubbed the OnePlus 3T. While many of the design and feature elements are identical, there are some important changes. 

Pretty much all the big changes happen inside the curved aluminium case. Most important among those changes, undoubtedly, are the battery and processor improvements.

Rather than have the 3,000mAh battery and 2.15GHz Snapdragon 820 processor like the OnePlus 3, the OnePlus 3T has a beefier 3,400mAh battery and a new and improved 2.35GHz Snapdragon 821 processor. In real-life use, that should mean the phone lasts longer on a full charge and can tackle larger apps and games without much effort. 

OnePlus

For reference, this is the same processor that’s in both the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL, and has been designed to run Google’s Daydream VR system more smoothly than the Snapdragon 820 would. Confusingly however, the phone runs a version of OnePlus’ ColorOS based on Android 6.0 rather than Android Nougat. 

On the back, an updated 16-megapixel sensor built by Sony provides the base of the camera, complete with an f/2.0 aperture lens, 4K video recording and a new-and-improved EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation) system. Combined with the optical image stabilisation, this should mean that videos aren’t as shaky. 

• OnePlus 3 tips and tricks: Master your 2016 flagship killer
• OnePlus 3 Soft Gold in pictures: If bling is your thing

Like the OnePlus 3, the camera also has a number of software features like RAW image support, Dynamic De-noise and a HQ mode to ensure your photos and videos come out sharp and devoid of any excessive blur and noise. 

Vitally, the improved camera is protected by an improved glass. To ensure virtually nothing can scratch or damage the camera, OnePlus coated it in a sapphire glass.

OnePlus

One of the best features the 3T brings across from the OnePlus 3 is Dash Charge, the company’s fast-charging technology which can top of the phone really quickly without overheating, whether it’s sat doing nothing or if it’s being used to binge-watch Narcos on Netflix. With just 30 mins plugged in, it’s claimed the phone can last a full day. 

While it’s not running Android 7.0 Nougat (yet) it does bring the new mobile OS’ enhanced doze mode for improving standby battery life. That means it’ll consume very little power when in standby whether it’s lying flat on a desk or sliding around in a handbag, or in your pocket. 

Like its predecessor, the 3T features a 5.5-inch full HD Optic AMOLED screen coated in Corning Gorilla Glass 4 with slim bezels and a dual-polarising layer to make it easier to see in bright daylight. 

OnePlus 3T will be available to buy with either 64GB or 128GB storage, both of which come with a generous 6GB RAM in soft gold or gunmetal grey, the latter of which OnePlus says is different to the graphite colour currently available on the OnePlus 3. 

In the UK, you’ll be able to snag a OnePlus 3T for £399, which puts is around £70 more than the original OnePlus 3. In the US and mainland Europe it’ll cost $439 and €439 respectively.