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.

Leaks suggest Moto M to launch soon with a metal body and 5100mAh battery

By tech2 News Staff /  28 Oct 2016 , 12:50

Lenovo took over Moto and managed to bring in an interesting product in the form of the Moto Z along with Moto Mods. Motorola also has some interesting offerings in the budget segment including the popular Moto G range and the Moto E range.

Now we are hearing that a new Moto series is arriving which will sit between the budget range and the higher-end Moto Z range. The new Moto M has leaked and there is quite a lot of info. Firstly it will feature a metal body design. Yup, we haven’t seen such a phone from Motorola ever since it jumped into the smartphone business.

Image: GSMArena

According to a set of leaked specs, the Moto M will be powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor with two variants, one for China with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage and a second international one, with a choice between 3GB or 4GB RAM and 32GB or 128GB of storage. There will be a microSD card slot as well to

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?

Moto Z and Moto Z Play along with Moto Mods go on sale at 11:59PM tonight

By tech2 News Staff /  17 Oct 2016 , 18:37

Lenovo will start selling the newly announced Moto Z range along with the new Moto Mods in India today. The smartphones and the Mods were announced just a couple of weeks back in the country. The Moto Z and Moto Z Play are priced at Rs 39,999 and Rs 24,999 respectively and will be available from Flipkart and Amazon tonight at 11:59PM.

The Moto Mods will also be available, which include the JBL Soundboost speaker (Rs 6,999), Incipio offGRID battery pack (Rs 5,999), Insta-share projector (Rs 19,999) and the good-looking Hasselblad True Zoom camera module (Rs 19,999).

When bundled with a smartphone purchase, the Moto Mods will be available at a reduced price as follows: JBL Soundboost speaker (Rs 5,999), Incipio offGRID battery pack (Rs 4,999), Insta-share projector (Rs 15,999) and Hasselblad True Zoom camera module (Rs 14,999).

Buyers can also go in for the Style Shells with the Wood and Ballistic nylon shell priced at Rs 1,099 (Rs 899 bundled) or the leather shell at Rs 1,599 (Rs 1,299 bundled)

As for the phones, the Moto Z features is slim design with a 5.1mm thickness and is made with aircraft-grade aluminium and stainless steel. It feels really sleek but very sturdy. There’s a 5.5-inch QHD AMOLED display on the front and on the inside there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset paired with 4GB RAM and

Moto Z modular smartphone to launch in India on 4 October

By tech2 News Staff /  25 Sep 2016 , 14:32

Motorola recently launched the budget friendly Moto E3 Power for Indian consumers and now it is all set to launch its flagship smartphone. The Moto Z will be officially making its way on 4 October in India as the company has sent out invites confirming the launch day.

The company’s first ever modular smartphone made its debut at the Lenovo Tech World conference in June earlier this year. The smartphone currently has three variants; the Moto Z, Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play, but there is no confirmation if Moto will launch all three of them.

The main attraction of the Moto Z lineup is the 16 magnetic connector pins at the back where one can simply snap on ‘Moto Mods’. These Moto Mods are modules which add or enhance the capability of the smartphone. Some of them include battery packs, a JBL speaker, a Pico projector and a high-end Hasselblad camera. The mods are also expected to launch with the smartphone.

As far as the smartphones are concerned, the Moto Z features a 5.5-inch QHD (2560×1440) AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB RAM, 64GB of internal memory which is further expandable via microSD card, 4G LTE connectivity, a fingerprint scanner. In the camera department you get a 13MP unit at the back with with an f/1.8 aperture, laser autofocus, OIS and dual LED flash while on the front there is 5MP camera. Running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow the battery is rated at 2,600 mAh battery. Oh, and you don’t get a 3.5mm audio jack, so audio is routed via the USB Type-C port.

The Moto Z Force is pretty much similar in looks and design, it is slightly bulky and offers the shatter-shield protection just like the Moto X Force. Other differences include a larger 3.500mAh battery and a better 23MP camera on the back.

On the other hand, the Moto Z Play is a more nimble version and features a 5.5-inch display with a full HD resolution (1920×1080 pixels), a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, a 16MP primary camera with dual-LED flash and a 3,510mAh battery.

Moto Z and Moto G4 series to get Android 7.0 Nougat in Q4

28 Sep 2016 , 11:37

Google’s new Android 7.0 Nougat update has started rolling out to the Nexus as well as some Android One smartphones. Even LG announced that its new smartphone, the V20, will come with the new update out of the box. The next smartphone(s) in line that might get the new update will be coming from Lenovo, err Moto.

According to Droid Life, a Lenovo spokesperson has given a tip that the Nougat update will start rolling for the Moto Z range as well as the Moto G4 series in the fourth quarter of this year. So basically the Moto Z, Moto Z Force, Moto Z Play, Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus and hopefully the Moto G4 Play.

There is no info around other Moto products however Lenovo has said that “upgrades are about getting it right and making sure the phone performance remains the best it can be and that the company will be sharing upgrade plans for other products and more specific timing later.”

Assumingly the Moto X range and the Moto G 3rd-gen will get the new update by early next year. And knowing Motorola, it shouldn’t on time in bringing the new update to its products as it has been one of the only few brands that rolls out updates on time.