Samsung and LG to unveil smartphones with foldable displays in Q3 and Q4 2017: Report

Image: Samsung

By tech2 News Staff /  12 Jan 2017 , 12:36

Fast on the heels of a Weibo leak which claimed that Samsung’s foldable Galaxy X1 will arrive in H2 2017 comes another that suggests that “foldable phones” will be released in Q3 2017.

Unnamed sources have reportedly told The Korea Herald that “Samsung is expected to roll out more than 100,000 units of fold-out devices in the third quarter.”

There’s no name for the device just yet, but it’s said to be a “fold-out” device, meaning that the display stays on the outside when folded. When unfolded, it will expand to a 7-inch tablet sized device.

Samsung has apparently had the folding screen technology in place for years now, but has been wary of market response. Samsung’s decision to release the device this year might have been hastened by reports that LG is expected to release 100,000 foldable devices of its own in Q4 2017.

The Korea Herald claims that its sources suggest that LG’s folding display technology is far more advanced than Samsung’s, but they also add that LG might be more keen on selling the technology to its clients rather than integrate it into its own devices.

Samsung and LG have both been demoing folding display technology for many years now, most notably at various CES (Consumer Electronics Show) events.

Will 2017 finally be the year that foldable display technology goes mainstream?

Apple, Google and Microsoft invest in LG’s foldable display technology

Representative Image

By tech2 News Staff /  21 Dec 2016 , 17:05

The three biggies of the tech world — Apple, Google and Microsoft — have reportedlypartnered with LG for the development of fold-out display technology.

These foldable displays will not even enter production till 2018, so you can forget about those dreams of playing with a flexiblePHONE any time soon. It’s likely that these companies are simply investing in the technology to maintain a toehold in innovative display technology.

Korean news agency ETNews reports that LG is developing these display panels for smartphones. LG has already made a prototype, reportedly, and it’s apparently of very high quality.

The report goes on to explain that it was Samsung that came out with the original flexible OLED panel, but production issues have prevented the display from seeing mass-market acceptance. LG appears to be facing the same issues.

Apple is widely rumoured to be preparing an iPhone 8 with a flexible display in 2017. If true, theSUPPLIER is likely to be Samsung.

A representative of the display industry in South Korea told ETNews that the Korean industry was focussed on the performance and quality of their panels. He added that China was expected to be the first to cheaply mass-produce the display, however.

Here is a list of the Smartphones that left a mark in 2016

By Rehan Hooda /  22 Dec 2016 , 17:31

Smartphones are one of the most important gadgets in our life and each year smartphone makers from all over the world compete to make the most impressive, sleek and fastest smartphone in the market. Apart from the usual bits of improved processor, a little bit of change in the design or the increased RAM or the battery life, there is nothing different or radical that most of these companies want to attempt.

Even though there aren’t a lot of companies that go beyond the industry standards to make and attempt something radical. But still, some companies try and attempt something different, and those are the ones that tend to stand apart in the huge sea of smartphones. We have made a round up of the smartphones that left a mark in the year 2016. Here are some smartphones that were crucial and changed the tech world in their own way.

Google Pixel XL

Google Pixel XL, the first smartphone from Google, is the most important smartphone of the year quite simply because it is the first time the software giant has dived into hardware. It was significant because the Pixel series was the reason why the beloved Nexus line was killed. The Pixel also marked a significant hike in the price to (almost) match the price of Apple iPhone.

The Pixel XL provides the ultimate Android experience with the latest Android Nougat 7.1.1 with Google Assistant baked inside. Pixel was not only the first foray into hardware for the company, but in addition, it was a smartphone with many firsts. Google revamped the ROM update mechanism with revamped system architecture and it was also the first smartphone to come with Daydream support. We reviewed the Android powerhouse and you can check out if you should buy the smartphone. One important thing to note is that in extended testing we concluded that Pixel has the best smartphone camera till date, even beating Apple iPhone 7 Plus by a mile.

Samsung Note 7

The year 2016 will be incomplete without discussing Samsung and Samsung Note 7 because of everything that happened. On one hand, when most of the smartphones left a mark in 2016, the only thing(s) Samsung Galaxy Note 7 left was smoke, fire, unused fire-proof boxes, tumbling profits, destroyed trust and annihilated environment after the explosive year by Samsung. The most ironic part is that Samsung rushed Note 7 out in the market to compete with Apple iPhone 7 and this move backfired big time for the company as back to back recalls of the smartphones left the company without any flagship to compete with the competition.

Image: Hui Renjie

Samsung delayed working on S8 to investigate the cause of battery fires and explosions in Note 7. The company recently concluded the investigation and had submitted the detailed reports to regulatory bodies across the globe. We can expect a public release of the report soon as the company promised that it would publish the cause of explosions to everyone.

OnePlus 3/3T

OnePlus 3

OnePlus 3 was one of the important smartphones for 2016 as it reaffirmed that OnePlus is here to stay. After the failure that OnePlus 2 was, everyone thought that the company is a one-hit wonder in the sea of unknown Chinese companies. But with the launch of OnePlus 3, the company turned off the noise by proving everyone that it indeed can make ‘flagship-killer’ smartphones without much buzz.

OnePlus 3T

The company took the world by surprise with the launch of OnePlus One in 2014. This year the OnePlus 3 became an instant hit and the company raised the stakes by releasing OnePlus 3T. OnePlus 3T is an upgraded version of OnePlus 3 with a new processor, slightly bigger battery and a 16MP front camera. We reviewed both the smartphones and reached a conclusion that this is the best smartphone regarding performance only second to Apple iPhone 7 Plus. OnePlus 3T may lack Daydream or the new update mechanism and Android Nougat 7.1 but these features are coming soon.

iPhone 7

The iPhone 7 Plus.

Apple iPhone 7 was being considered to be one of the most lacklustre iPhones ever with no buzz in the usual markets according to analysts. But the lack of competition from Samsung or LG pulled people to iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Another significant change that Apple made was dropping 3.5-mm headphone jack along with the introduction of 256GB internal storage options for users in need for more internal storage.

The iPhone 7 was the first flagship by Apple to sport waterproof capabilities. The company also added a dual-lens camera setup with different focal lengths for shooting in standard as well as zoomed modes on the iPhone 7 Plus. The company also added a portrait mode to add natural Bokeh using data from both the lenses to give a natural depth-of-field. iPhone 7 and 7 Plus launch was aligned with the launch of iOS10, one of the most significant updates by the company to iOS.

Moto Z and Moto Mods

The Moto Z was one smartphone that we were looking out for as it had the potential to change how we look at handsets. It was also the only smartphone that allowed one to add and enhance capabilities through modules made by third party vendors. The smartphone pulled in more interest after Google axed Project Ara making Moto Z and the Moto Mods, the only hope for truly modular smartphones. The company promised that it would release 12 mods each year and all mods will be backwards as well as forward compatible with upcoming smartphones.

We reviewed the Moto Z and were stunned by the build quality and performance of the smartphone along with the entire idea of mods. But the company should drastically improve the experience before even assuming that the offering will be taken seriously by the consumers.

LG G5

Representative image of smartphone

LG G5 was the first real smartphone to sport dual camera and the ultra wide perspective was one of the core points of attraction os the smartphone. The company announced the smartphone, and everyone was excited about the latest smartphone in the G series by LG. After a detailed review of the smartphone, we were disappointed in the build quality of the smartphone along with the lacklustre camera and the extremely limited ‘Modular’-functionality that the company was touting when the smartphone was announced.

The company had announced different modular accessories for the smartphone that ranged from removable batteries, camera and battery mod, Bang & Olufsen-designed DAC mod for improved audio quality along with other mods in the pipeline. But the surprisingly expensive pricing of the smartphone effectively killed it before it even took off in the market.

Xiaomi Mi MIX

Xiaomi Mi MIX, a concept smartphone by Xiaomi was the talking bout of many during the year. Nobody was expecting a nearly bezel-less design this year, but Xiaomi sneaked in with the quite announcement of this almost perfect looking smartphone. It wasn’t released worldwide and only served as a limited launch smartphone. It also came with a unique “Cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic technology” to replace the traditional earpiece for audio. The smartphone looked something straight out of some Sci-Fi movie from early 2000’s.

It did not win any laurels for its performance by the design and execution itself ensured that Xiaomi had the bragging rights to an innovative design.

LG announces new 2017 K-Series and Stylus 3 smartphone ahead of CES

By tech2 News Staff /  22 Dec 2016 , 13:36

LG has announced a bunch of new budget smartphones under the refreshed K series for 2017 which includes the K3, K4, K8, K10 as well as the new Stylus 3. All the new smartphones are expected to be showcased at the upcoming CES 2017 show in Las Vegas.

The K3 and K4 are entry-level smartphones sporting a Snapdragon 210 chipset, 1GB of RAM and 8GB storage configuration. The K4 has a 5-inch display while the K3 has a 4.5-inch both offering a dissapointing FWVGA display resolution. Both the smartphones offer 5MP primary camera with the K4 having a 5MP front and the K3 offering a 2MP front. In the battery department, the K4 gets a 2,500mAh unit and a 2,100mAh unit for the K3.

The K8 is powered by a Snapdragon 425 chipset with a 5-inch HD display, 1.5GB RAM with 16GB of storage. The camera offering includes 13MP rear and a 5MP front. Running on Android 7.0 it packs a 2,500mAh battery.

The final handset in the range is the K10 which features a Mediatek’s MT6750 SoC, a 5.3-inch HD display 2GB of RAM and internal memory of 32GB. This one also packs a 13MP rear unit and a 5MP front shooter. A 2,800mAh battery, Android 7.0 Nougat and a fingerprint sensor round up the device.

In the end we have the LG Stylus 3 which is powered by Mediatek’s MT6750 SoC octa-core CPU, a 5.7-inch HD display, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Other features include 13MP and 8MP camera combo, Android 7.0, a 3,200mAh battery, a built-in stylus pen and a fingerprint scanner.

Pricing has not be revealed so we’ll have to wait till CES 2017.

Apple iPhone 8 likely to support 3D photography because of tech developed with LG Innotek

Apple iPhone 8 concept, Marek Weidlich, Behance

By tech2 News Staff /  25 Nov 2016 , 17:15

Apple products next year are likely to support 3D photography from their dual cameras, according to media reports. The stereoscopic imaging capabilities are the result of a joint effort between Apple and LG Innotek. LG has already put a 3D photography capable smartphone in the market, called the LG Optimus 3D P920.

The Korea Economic Daily cites a source who is aware of the developments as saying “Apple is now studying how to apply its 3D camera technology into LG Innotek’s smartphone camera.” LG Innotek is the exclusive supplier to the dual cameras in the current iPhone 7 Plus. 3D photographs can be viewed in a variety of ways, including head mounted displays or stereoscopic googles. A photo for each eye is needed to create 3D photos.

Last year, Apple acquired  an Israeli camera company known as LinX Computational Imaging Limited. The company was developing technologies for dual camera modules in smartphones, that were capable of taking both 2D and 3D photos. Additional capabilities of the cameras included measuring the dimensions of objects and refocusing of photos after the image has been clicked. Refocusing of images after a shot is possible on some dual camera smartphones, such as the Huawei Honour 8.

LG launches battery-focused X Power smartphone at Rs 15,990

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 15:35

LG has launched a new smartphone in the Indian market called the X Power. Priced at Rs 15,990 it will be available across India in couple of days.

The LG X Power sports a 5.3-inch HD (1280×720 pixels) in-cell display. On the inside there is a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6735M processor paired with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage which is expandable via microSD card.

At the back there is a 13MP camera with an LED flash, and a 5MP front-facing camera. The USP of the smartphone is its large 4,100mAh battery. The phone is 4G VoLTE compatible and offers dual-SIM card slots. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth 4.1. The smartphone will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

“Keeping in view of consumer’s needs, LG XPower brings huge 4100mAh battery that runs longer under heavy multimedia use,” said marketing head, LG Mobiles, Amit Gujral.

According to LG the smartphone features PE+technology, which helps the smartphone to charge at a faster rate. It is said to make it almost twice as fast to charge compared to other batteries. The smartphone will be coming in Black and Gold colour variants.

There are a lot of better smartphones in the same price range. For that matter, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 comes with almost the same battery size and better hardware on paper. It won’t be easy for LG to sell this product in India considering competition.

Apple, LG team up to announce the Ultrafine 5K display

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 14:33

During the event last night, we saw a brief mention of the new 4K and 5K displays, designed specifically for the MacBook Pros, together by Apple and LG.

What is known as the LG Ultrafine 5K display is a 27-inch monitor with 5120 x 2880 pixels of resolution along with a P3 wide colour gamut. The other model is 21.5-inch UltraFine 4K display with 4096 x 2304 pixels of resolution.

It will replace the discontinue Thunderbolt display, however, the highlight remains the ability to charge the new Magsafe-less laptop over the same Thunderbolt 3 connection, which delivers video, audio and data. In addition, you will find three USB-C ports on the back. Both models – 27-inch UltraFine 5K and 21.5-inch UltraFine 4K display – will come equipped with camera and speakers for FaceTime. It will let users change the settings like screen brightness, speaker volume sans a separate cable or buttons on the monitor, owing to Thunderbolt 3.

The LG Ultrafine 4K Display is available for order now at $699.95 that translates to approximately Rs 46,800, but will begin shipping only in the next 5 to 6 weeks. The Ultrafine 5K Display is expected to be available for purchase on December for $1,299.95 (approx Rs 86,900).

LG Electronics registers drop in profits as smartphone business bleeds money

  27 Oct 2016 , 18:40

LG Electronics Inc said on Thursday its third-quarter operating profit fell 3.7 percent from a year earlier, hit by sluggish sales in its money-losing smartphone business. LG said in a regulatory filing that the operating profit for the July-September quarter stood at 283.2 billion won ($250.9 million), compared with a profit of 293.9 billion won for the same quarter last year, Yonhap news agency reported.

Compared to the previous quarter, LG’s operating profit sank 51.6 percent. Revenue for the third quarter fell 5.7 percent on year to 13.2 trillion won, according to the filing. LG’s mobile division posted an operating loss of 463.4 billion won for the third quarter, marking its sixth consecutive quarterly loss for its smartphone business. In a statement, LG attributed “lower sales of premium devices and expenses related to business structure improvement activities” to the third-quarter loss in its smartphone business.

“Priorities for the final quarter of the year will include increasing sales of the new LG V20 smartphone and mass-tier K and X series and finalizing business structural improvements in the mobile division to be better prepared for the challenges ahead,” LG said. LG’s home appliance division reported an operating profit of 342.8 billion won and its TV division posted an operating profit of 381.5 billion won.

Reuters

LG G6 will not be modular smartphone

Representational image for smartphones.

By tech2 News Staff /  22 Oct 2016 , 14:54

LG launched its flagship smartphone, the G5, this year with a unique modular design. It was one of the first Android running smartphones that had the ability to swap a panel and replace it to add a new feature to the device.

The bottom part of the smartphone would pop out and you could attach a DAC or a camera control module. It did had a major issue though, one had to remove the battery along with the modules or what LG called ‘friends’. The swapping was not seamless. The smartphone was definitely a unique offering, but it didn’t do well. LG had big plans for the smartphone including a fuller ecosystem, but by the month of June it was clear that the smartphone was a failure. In fact the sales were so bad, the company fired a chunk of its smartphone designers.

Now according to a report, LG will not continue to use a modular design for the upcoming G6 flagship handset. Google had recently announced the end of Project Ara, which was a disappointment for many. LG taking the similar path is not surprising at all.

Motorola and Lenovo on the other had have a more promising modular smartphone strategy. Their new Moto Z smartphone along with the magnetically attachable Moto Mods seems to be more reliable and seamless. It has already opened up the Moto Mods design open for developers, which is good thing. But the real question here is, will the company manage to keep the modular smartphone dream running?

Flexible display smartphones have a long way to go; flexible batteries is a start in the right direction

By Nimish Sawant /  18 Oct 2016 , 16:03

Earlier this week, a video leaked online showing a Xiaomi flexible display prototype. The concept display leaked on Youku is a 30-second clip showing a display running MIUI skinned Android OS. The lower half of the phone is bent. The user is swiping smoothly through various apps.

Sense of deja vu?

This is not the first time that we have heard of bendable or flexible displays. LG and Samsung have released phones with curved displays. We have seen the LG G Flex and G Flex 2 phones, Samsung had also released the Galaxy Round some years ago. But we have seen with both these devices, the limit to which the flex could be applied. Barring the flexible displays, everything else in these phones was pretty much standard fare. With non-bendable internals and battery, there is only so much a flexible display can do.

From the prototypes seen this year, it looks like 2017 will see a fair share of flexible display smartphones as well. Lenovo had showcased its prototype which you can wrap around your wrist and Samsung’s concept is looking at a 2017 release, most likely at MWC 2017. We had seen this Samsung flexible display prototype ad three years ago, but have yet to