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.

Apple AirPods won’t ship before January 2017: Report

By tech2 News Staff /  02 Nov 2016 , 14:08

The new iPhones have said goodbye to the 3.5mm audio jack. We saw it coming and it didn’t hit us that hard, but that lightning to audio jack adaptor seems awful. Apple did see that coming, or may be not. But it did announce a new product that we weren’t anticipating, The AirPods.

These wireless in-ear headphones come with a simple pairing solution and are powered by Apple’s new W1 chip. According to the company, they use a Bluetooth-like technology for connectivity which has been developed by Apple itself. Claimed to deliver up to five hours of battery life it comes with a charging case (similar to the Samsung Gear IconX) that can hold additional charge that allows a user to charge them on the go. Apple claimed that one can go for up to 24 hours of usage without the need of a power outlet. The AirPods can also be used to trigger Siri.

Apple had announced the awkward looking wireless earphones along with the new iPhones and had said that they would start shipping in October. However there seems to be a delay. According to a new report the new accessory will not hit stores before January.

DigiTimes has reported that Inventec, the supplier for the AirPods, will begin the shipments from the month of January 2017. It is also being said that thanks to the AirPods, Inventec’s revenue will go up by 7 percent next year.

Another report from Apple Insider says that the AirPods will be ready to ship by the end of this year and will not delay for the next year.

When these earphone actually make it to the market, they will cost $159 or Rs 15,400 in India.

iPhone rumours: New report talks about curved OLED display on the 5.5-inch variant

By tech2 News Staff /  01 Nov 2016 , 13:03

It hasn’t even been a couple of months since the launch of the iPhone 7 / 7 Plus in India, but rumours of the upcoming iPhone 8 are coming in regularly. The latest report claims that the next iPhone may have a curved OLED display.

Nikkei Asian Review had already reported that the upcoming iPhone would be sporting an OLED display. President of display maker Sharp and another senior executive had hinted that iPhones would stop sporting the LTPS panel in favour of OLED screens.

Addressing students of the Tatung University, Sharp President Tai Jeng-wu said that he did not know if Apple OLED iPhones would be a hit, but if Apple does not transform itself on the hardware front, then there will be a sort of crisis. “We are now building a new [OLED] facility in Japan. We can make [OLED panels] in the US too. If our key customer demands us to manufacture in the US, is it possible for us not to do so?,” said Tai. Sharp makes the LTPS displays on iPhones.

Of the alleged three iPhone variants that are expected to come out next year, the 5.5-inch model will be the premium one. This model is not only expected to have an OLED display according to speculations, but rather a curved OLED display. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also hinted at a curved OLED display on the upcoming iPhone.

Samsung uses OLED displays on its flagships – the S7 / S7 edge. The OLED displays offer a notably higher contrast ratios than the LCD display on an iPhone. The Samsung S7 edge also demonstrated the ability of OLED displays to be bent.

Apart from an OLED display, the Nikkei report also stated that the upcoming iPhone’s chassis would be similar to that seen on the iPhone 4 with a slab of glass on the back as well. Apple also plans to add in wireless charging on the next iPhone.

50 percent Samsung Galaxy Note 7 owners may switch to iPhone 7: IDC

Image: Hui Renjie

By tech2 News Staff /  01 Nov 2016 , 10:42

Who will gain from Samsung’s loss? This has been on everyone’s mind ever since Samsung Note 7 fiasco hit headlines compelling the company to recall Note 7 completely (in a fireproof box) and offer refund to users. It has paved way to other Android premium device, but the most obvious answer has been the iPhone 7. There have been reports claiming 5-7 million users may switch to iPhone 7. Now, a new IDC report about those who owned the exploding Galaxy Note 7 states that half of these users may switch to the iPhone 7.

IDC has surveyed 1,082 US consumers via an online survey on 17 and 18 October, which was mere four days after Samsung pulled the plug on Note 7. It was conducted on  507 current Samsung users, 347 who have owned the device and 228 who have never owned Samsung device. It included 24 Note 7 users. However, out of these 24 users, half said they have or will choose an iPhone to replace the recalled Samsung device, while 17 percent said they would choose another Samsung device.

Apple iPhone sales during the quarter is 45.5 million units, but it is down from 48 million in the same quarter last year. However, in Q4 earnings call Apple had already reported a record number of Android switchers. The Note 7 fiasco might just help further increase the numbers for Apple.

It was just recently that prolific analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI (via 9To5Mac) said Apple will be eating into Samsung’s share with at least 5-7 million ex-Note 7 users will switch to the iPhone 7, and majorly to the larger iPhone 7 Plus.

The Galaxy Note 7 was Samsung’s big bet to take on the Google Pixel and iPhone 7. Unfortunately, it never really went on sale in India. Samsung is now trying to appease users with the older Galaxy S7 and S7 edge models. However, a Galaxy S8 is said to be in the making and the company is trying to push it out as soon as it can to make up for the losses. However, we hope Samsung takes the extra time for a thorough security check, this time.

Apple iPhone 7 hits South Korean stores in Note 7’s absence

  21 Oct 2016 , 14:24

The Apple iPhone 7 went on sale in South Korea, seeking to fill a void left by arch-rival Samsung on its home turf following a damaging recall fiasco over the Note 7 smartphone.

The South Korean electronics giant discontinued the Note 7 — one of its key iPhone challengers — on October 11 following reports that replacements for combustible models were also catching fire.

The decision is set to cost Samsung billions in lost profits, and there are already signs that Apple is reaping some of the benefits.

An official at mobile carrier Korea Telecom (KT) said the first batch of 50,000 iPhone 7s they put up for pre-order a week ago sold out in 15 minutes. “I would attribute part of that to the Note 7 effect,” said the official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to talk to the media.

Customer defection is one of Samsung’s biggest concerns, especially as the Note 7 was specifically aimed at taking on the iPhone in the premium handset market. In the hope of retaining customer loyalty, Samsung had offered Note 7 users a 70,000 won ($60) phone bill credit if they swapped their faulty phones with another Samsung handset.

The half-dozen customers buying the new iPhone at a KT store in central Seoul on Friday were all long-time Apple users who had pre-ordered their handsets. Office worker Lee Kyung-Hee, 34, said she had moved fast when the pre-order service opened, fearing a surge of interest from unhappy Note 7 owners.

“I set an alarm and was very quick,” Lee said. In South Korea, retail prices for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus start from 869,000 won and 1.02 million won respectively, for their basic 32GB models.

AFP

Get ready to buy your new iPhone 7 in India in few hours

  07 Oct 2016 , 17:38

The month-long wait to grab an iPhone 7 is set to come to an end on Friday as Apple enthusiasts who pre-ordered their devices began queuing up at Apple flagship and retail stores where the devices are now available. The much awaited iPhone 7 is making its India debut at 7 p.m. across the country. E-tailer Flipkart said it is ready to make deliveries right at customers’ doorsteps from 7 p.m.

“Thousands of customers across India have pre-ordered the iPhone from Flipkart. Ekart, Flipkart’s supply chain arm, has readied a full force of delivery executives to make sure its customers get hold of their phones right from 7 pm today,” the company said in a statement. Flipkart CEO Binny Bansal will be among the executives to deliver iPhone 7 in Bengaluru.

The iPhone 7 — launched at a grand US event on September 7 — was first made available in 28 countries on September 16. Coming in silver, gold, rose gold and the new black finish (jet black), iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are available in 32GB, 128GB and 256GB models, starting at Rs 60,000. iPhone 7 features breakthrough new camera systems, the best battery life ever in an iPhone and water and dust resistance. The device also has a dual core processor with GPU that is up to two times faster.

IANS

Apple iPhone 7 / 7 Plus to start selling at 7PM today: Here’s where you can buy it

By tech2 News Staff /  07 Oct 2016 , 09:53

Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are going to launch in India today at 7PM. It will be selling on online channels such as Flipkart, Amazon, Paytm, IndiaStore, Snapdeal, Infibeam,Tata CLiQ among others. A lot of the online retailers are offering some cashback offer or the other.

Some online retailers such as Paytm and Tata CLiQ have stated that they will start selling by 7PM. Pre-orders had already started on all of the online retailers

As far as the offline stores are concerned, you can buy the iPhone 7/7 Plus at retail outlets such as Croma, Reliance iStore, iZenica.

But unlike previous years, where you would see queues around midnight outside these stores, this time around all the retailers we spoke to confirmed that the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus sale will begin only at 7PM onwards. This is keeping in line with the number 7 – hence the launch date of 7 October as well.

The 32GB, 128GB and 256GB variants of the iPhone 7 are priced at Rs 60,000, Rs 70,000 and Rs 80,000, respectively. The bigger iPhone 7 Plus models are priced at Rs 72,000 for 32GB, Rs 82,000 for 128GB and Rs 92,000 for 256GB. The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will come in Rose Gold, Gold, Silver and Black colours as well as the special Jet Black colour.

Replacement Galaxy Note 7 catches fire on Southwest plane

By Jose Vilches on October 5, 2016, 5:32 PM



Samsung has been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons lately. The launch of its Galaxy Note 7 was marred by faulty (read: exploding) batteries, prompting the company to announce an unprecedented recall of about a million handsets that wiped a few billions from its market value — all this as Apple launched the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and now Google is going for a piece of the high end market with the new Pixel phones.

To its credit Samsung was quick to address the issue and set the replacement program in motion. However, new reports of an actual replacement unit catching fire while its owner was boarding an aircraft is not going to bode well for the company.

The incident occurred while boarding Southwest Airlines flight 944 from Louisville to Baltimore and resulted in all passengers being evacuated and the flight cancelled. Apparently the owner, Brian Green, had had picked up his replacement Galaxy Note 7 at an AT&T store on September 21st. The device was at about 80% of battery capacity and powered down at the moment it burst into flames, burning through the plane’s carpet and scorching the subfloor. All 75 people aboard the Boeing 737 were evacuated with no reported injuries.

As verified by The Verge, a photograph of the Note 7’s box shows the black square symbol that indicates a replacement Note 7 and Green said it had a green battery icon.

Samsung hasn’t issued an official comment about the incident yet. As for Green, he has already replaced it with an iPhone 7 according to The Verge. Ouch.

Why the Google Pixel phone won't steal the enterprise crown from the iPhone anytime soon

By Brandon Vigliarolo | October 5, 2016, 12:57 PM PST

Google's brand new flagship Pixel phone is trying to nudge Apple's iPhone 7 off its pedestal. Nevermind the consumer realm: Is Apple's mobile enterprise supremacy really at risk?

Yesterday's Pixel phone announcement by Google has people all over the tech industry talking. Is it an iPhone killer? Will it finally help Google earn a spot in the enterprise? For some it might seem like a competitor, but there are serious limitations that will prevent it from really making a dent in Apple's armor.

To understand why the Pixel isn't the new enterprise golden child we only need to consider what the businesses truly want in a mobile device. Unfortunately for Google it's not all great cameras, bright blues, and headphone jacks.
What the enterprise wants

To be fair, there are some features of the Google Pixel that will make it a good choice for businesses—but those perks aren't enough to take the spotlight off what it lacks. Enterprises need four things in a mobile device: security, ecosystem partners, integration capabilities, and support.
It's all about security

Mobile devices are ubiquitous, and that means they're being used for work. While an increase in mobile use in the workplacecreates a security risk it can be mitigated by making good hardware and security choices.

"Apple is favored by enterprises because of the tight ecosystem control that Apple exerts, over the

Apple edges out Google as the world's most valuable brand for the fourth consecutive year

By Rob Thubron on October 5, 2016, 12:45 PM




Its smartphone sales may be slipping, the iPhone 7 has been criticized for looking overly similar to last year’s model (and having no 3.5mm headphone jack), and analysts predict it will sell fewer smartwatches this year than in 2015. But despite all this, Apple has been named the most valuable brand in the world for the fourth year in a row.

Brand consultancy firm Interbrand placed Apple at number one with a brand valuation of $178.1 billion, a five percent increase from last year. Rival Google sits behind the Cupertino company with a brand valuation of $133.2 billion, eleven percent higher than in 2015.

Technology companies take up ten of the top twenty places on the list. Microsoft sits behind Coca-Cola in fourth place with a $72.7 billion brand value, up eight percent over the last 12 months. Further down the top ten is IBM; it may have dropped nineteen percent from last year, but the industry giant's $52.5 billion brand value places it at number six.

A fourteen percent increase in 2016 puts Samsung beneath IBM at number seven with a brand value of $51.8 billion, while Amazon, which saw its stock pass the $800 milestone for the first time last month, is at number eight. The online retailer's brand value increased a massive 33 percent this year to $50.3 billion.

The other tech firms in the top 20 are Intel at fourteen ($36 billion, +4 percent), Facebook at fifteen ($32.5 billion, +48 percent), Cisco at sixteen ($30.9 billion, +4 percent), and Oracle at seventeen ($26.5 billion, -3 percent).



Two companies have joined the list this year: Tesla at number 100 ($4 billion) and Dior at 89 ($4.9 billion).

Facebook and Amazon experienced the biggest growth in brand value across 2016 – 48 percent and 33 percent, respectively.

Writing about Apple’s success, Interbrand noted: “Apple shows how ecosystems drive value. Analysts have often pointed out that ‘Apple has superior products.’ While true, this opinion undersells the brilliance of Apple’s functionally- integrated model. Its software, hardware, and touchpoints are connected not just by beautiful design aesthetics, but by a level of interoperability that justifies the Apple premium and discourages defections to another platform. And the more data you share, the more personal it becomes— adding new devices is painless and the thought of switching increasingly unpromising. Apple is the Alpha of Cohesiveness in full effect.”

macOS 10.12 Sierra review

By the time you read this, the latest version of Mac OS X – sorry – macOS, will be available to download from the App Store. macOS 10.12 Sierra, to give it its full title, finally sees Apple move away from the OS X nomenclature given to every version of its desktop operating system since 2001.

You might be thinking, "Why macOS?" Well, the answer is simple: the new naming convention brings it in line with Apple's other operating systems: iOS,watchOS and tvOS. After previously naming versions of OS X after big cats of some description, the company turned to locations in California for recent releases.


This latest one name-checks Sierra County, which is home to the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain range depicted in the default wallpaper. And it looks awesome on a Retina display.

How to download macOS Sierra right now

Apple tends to release new versions of macOS with a "tick, tock" cadence. Back in 2009 it followed up OS X 10.5 Leopard, which introduced hundreds of new features and improvements, with Snow Leopard – a performance-focused update. It repeated the trick with Sierra's predecessor, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, which was basically a much faster version of Yosemite with a few new multi-tasking features baked in for good measure.





Instead of using the new name as an opportunity to overhaul OS X, Apple has made Sierra another iterative release in the vein of its recent predecessors.

However, it makes a clear attempt at swinging the focus back to

Apple partners with Flipkart to bring iPhone 7 and other Apple devices to India

By tech2 News Staff /  23 Sep 2016 , 12:50

Apple has partnered with Flipkart to bring the iPhone 7 to India. The partnership means that Flipkart will now get devices and marketing supported directly from Apple.

Earlier, Flipkart had to source Apple devices from third-

Customer smashes iPhones and Macs in Apple Store in France

#APPLE

Image Credit: REUTER

By tech2 News Staff /  30 Sep 2016 , 21:14

An angry Apple customer smashed at least 14 iPhones, 4 Macs and 1 MacBook Air inside an Apple Store in France. The agitated customer went on a clear rampage inside the Apple store in Dijon, France. According to the reports by The Verge and the video posted on YouTube, the customer was calmly going around the store and smashing the Apple devices using an iron ball.

The video showing the destruction of Apple devices is uploaded by user “kekess _______” on YouTube, presumably only to upload videos related to this incident.  This video is one of the three where the angry customer is talking about his rights to return the device and refund. Other videos show him casually exiting the store on encountering security guards and attempting to avoid them outside the store.

Two mall security guards seem to be trying to pacifying and bring him under control while he was trying to escape the guards in the final video.  According to reports by French media website “Le Bien Republic,” the customer is in police custody at the time of writing the story. The reason, identity or the number of devices destroyed could not be confirmed at the time of writing but it sure is troubling. This comes right after the report where it is predicted thatiPhone sales can go further down in India.