Android Central

lundi 22 février 2016

ZTE announces Blade V7 and V7 Lite with beautiful metallic design

ZTE has introduced two new smartphones at Mobile World Congress, the Blade V7 and Blade V7 Lite. The difference in features and specs between the two phones is minimal. On the Blade V7 you'll find a 5.2-inch display, while the V7 Lite has a slightly smaller 5-inchs screen on it. Both smartphones will launch running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and come equipped with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.

The processors in both phones will be slightly different, with the Blade V7 running an MT6753 octa-core CPU at 1.3GHz, while the V7 Lite will have an MTK6735P quad-core processor. On the Lite you'll have an 8MP camera on both the front and back of the phone, while the Blade V7 gets a 13MP shooter on the rear and 5MP on the front.

ZTE has not yet revealed pricing or available information, but stay tuned for more information as it is made available.

Press release:

ZTE introduces Blade V7 and Blade V7 Lite, with flawless metallic design

New design features octa-core chip, PDAF camera, Smart Sense intelligent gesture control.

22 February 2016, Barcelona –ZTE, a leading global mobile device maker, today launched the latest iterations in its popular Blade series, the Blade V7 and Blade V7 Lite, at Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona. Designed to meet the needs of today's smartphone users, the two devices are on display at ZTE's conference booth in Hall 3, 3F30, along with the company's other pioneering technology for the smart lifestyle of the future.

"We're proud to unveil the Blade V7 and Blade V7 Lite to the world at one of our industry's most global gatherings," said Jacky Zhang, CEO of EMEA and APAC, ZTE Mobile Devices. "These devices are the latest milestone in how ZTE Mobile Devices develops high-quality and affordable products that users truly need. In our brand's transformation from business-to-business to business-to-consumer, we put users at the heart of everything we image and create."

ZTE Blade V7

The Blade V7 is slim and sleek: Its full-metal, ergonomic body is only 3.5mm thick at its thinnest edge, sporting a 5.2-inch screen perfect for single-hand use. Its 78.2-percent screen-to-body ratio and 2.5D curved edge glass offers a stunning handful of fun. Blade V7 packs a punch with strong core components and features: powerful octa-core chipsets, 4G LTE plus, 2GB of RAM for ultra-fast entertainment, powerful front and rear PDAF cameras, and expanded Smart Sense intelligent gesture control features. It will be available in Germany, Spain, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Mexico by summer of 2016.

ZTE Blade V7 Lite

Smaller than the Blade V7 with a 5-inch display, the Blade V7's features are anything but "lite."Designed in Germany, this model comes with a circular fingerprint scanner for security, app quick-launch, and navigation. Like the Blade V7, the V7 Lite also comes equipped with a powerful camera and Smart Sense gesture control. This version will first launch in Russia before becoming available in Mexico, Spain, Germany and Thailand by spring 2016. The Blade series is aimed at the young and the young at heart in order to meet the needs of the largest group of global consumers. By the end of 2015, more than 30 million Blade phones were shipped in over 50 countries worldwide. As overseas users have higher requirements for product quality, the success of Blade is highly significant.

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Sony announces the new Xperia X smartphone series

Sony took to their booth at MWC 2016 to expand their Xperia line with a new X-series of smartphones and a line of connected lifestyle gadgets. The Xperia X series includes the mid-range XA, the X, and the flagship Xperia X Performance.

Details are still trickling in on each phone, but the new line features a design that's a clear evolution of Sony's design language, with typically-premium materials like a a seamless metal body and curved display glass. Sony is focusing on two technological areas with the X phones: the camera and the battery.

As we've seen from other manufacturers, most cameras take good enough photos, so the goal now is to improve the photo-taking experience. On that front, Sony has developed a new predictive hybrid autofocus system that leverages Sony's Alpha DSLR camera technology to use motion-tracking to predict where the camera will track focus in activity-filled scenes.

On the battery front, the Xperia X series incorporates smart battery tech in the form of Qnovo's Adaptive Charging, which is designed to smartly manage heat and charging to extend the lifespan of the battery. On top of that, Sony's claiming a 2-day battery life for the X series phones.

When it comes to specs, there's a lot we don't yet know, apart from the screen size, which for the X and XA is a solid 5 inches. Sony's presentation was mum on display size, type, or resolution; camera resolution; weight; and much more. They did regveal that the Xperia X will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 processor, while the Xperia X Performance will pack the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset.

All three phones are due for a gloabl launch in the summer fo 2016 and will come in white, black, rose gold, and "lime gold". Pricing has not yet been revealed. Stay tuned for more info from MWC 2016.

Source: Sony

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Alcatel announces the POP 4, POP 4+ and POP 4S

Alcatel has unveiled the new POP 4 series of smartphones at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The company's new line-up of handsets focuses on strong customization, enabling you to really make your smartphone represent you as a person. The series is made up of the POP 4, POP 4+ and POP 4S.

There's a choice of fashionable covers to customize the smartphone, including Hairline-Brushed, Leather, Wood and Baby Skin. These options combined with the sleek-looking and slim chassis makes the POP 4 an attractive handset to use. Add 4G LTE (for the POP 4S) connectivity into the mix and you're rocking fast internet in style.

Both the POP 4 and POP 4+ sport 8MP rear shooters, while the POP 4S has a 13MP main camera. All three models come with a 5MP front-facing selfie machine. The former two are powered by quad-core CPUs and the POP 4S has an octa-core processor for improved gaming and multi-tasking. As the top-end of the POP 4 family, this particular option also includes fingerprint recognition tech and JBL headsets.

We'll look forward to more details surrounding both pricing and availability in due course.

Press Release

MWC, Barcelona, 22 February, 2016 – ALCATEL announces POP 4 series, a full line of customizable smartphones with design and performance in mind. The iconic POP 4 series includes variants of POP 4, POP 4+ and POP 4S. These smartphones offer customization – from style, color, design, size, performance to user experience.

"To consumers in their early 20's, the POP 4 smartphone is 'designed by you, inside and out,'" said CW Park, Chief Designer and General Manager of Global Design Center at ALCATEL. "The POP 4 series offers a huge collection of covers to fit every personality. It's the ultimate tailor-made smartphone because customization is always a top priority for us"

Fashionable, With Superior Design

The POP 4 series offers a choice of four fashionable cover collections to customize a look: Hairline-Brushed, Leather, Wood and Baby Skin. Top that off with a slim body, curved design and fully laminated display for a premium look that users will adore.

Great Camera Experience

POP 4 and POP 4+ carry 8 Mpxl rear cameras for clear shots and 5 Mpxl front cameras with wide viewing angle for better group selfies.

The POP 4S's 13 Mpxl rear camera and 5 Mpxl front camera offers ultra-fast focus (PDAF); large sensor size for clear, bright pictures; a dual-tone flash for accurate color rendering, bright night shots and selfies.

Premium Performance and User Experience POP 4 and POP 4+ runs quad-core CPU and the top-of-the-line POP 4S integrates an octa-core powerful CPU and 4G LTE category 6. This feature puts users in the fast lane for always more streaming and gaming connectivity. In addition, the POP 4S includes fingerprint recognition for maximized security. Its JBL headsets and Hi-Fi sound allow for a great multimedia experience right at your fingertips.

The big powerful battery makes sure users can party as long as they want. With a "quick charge" function, consumers can charge their battery to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

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Watch Sony's MWC 2016 press conference

This morning, live from MWC 2016: Sony! We aren't quite sure what they've got going on, but we're there on site to find out! It's standing room only in Sony's booth, but they're streaming their event live, so you can tune in and watch it below!

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Samsung confirms Snapdragon 820, Exynos 8 Octa processors in the Galaxy S7

For some reason this was a tightly held spec — but now we know which processors run the Galaxy S7.

After a year of relying on just its own processors on its top-end phones, Samsung is back to using two competing processors, depending on the region, in the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, and now we know for certain that those will be the Snapdragon 820 and the Samsung Exynos 8 Octa. The information was finally offered to the public officially in press releases from Samsung and Qualcomm.

As was the case in earlier Galaxy S releases, models released in the U.S. will be running Qualcomm's processor, while other areas around the world will be running Exynos.

The Exynos 8 Octa processor was announced late last year and is a relatively known quantity. It's the second processor from Samsung built on a 14nm FinFET process, is 64-bit and has the latest integrated LTE modem. Samsung says it's 30 percent more powerful and also 10 percent more power efficient than last year's Exynos 7 in the Galaxy S6.

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 is of course the latest top-end mobile chip for the company, and since it was unveiled late last year we've been waiting for this year's flagships to integrate it. It's powering the LG G5, and we'll be seeing it in many other phones throughout 2016. It's a quad-core processor also built on a 14nm FinFET process, and touts dramatic graphical performance increases as well as the latest LTE speeds.

If history has told us anything, we don't expect to see a notable difference in performance or battery life between the variants.

Source: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S7

Press release:

Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 Processor Powers Next Generation Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge Integrate Qualcomm TruSignal Technology for Improved Call Reliability, Network Coverage and Data Speeds

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) today announced that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., is powering Samsung's newest and most advanced flagship smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge for select regions. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge feature the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 820 processor with integrated Snapdragon X12 LTE modem for up to 33 percent faster 4G+ LTE download speeds and up to 200 percent faster LTE upload speeds compared to the previous generation. Additionally, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge integrate Qualcomm® TruSignal™ multi-antenna boost technology to intelligently compensate for signal impediments, improving call reliability, data speeds and call coverage while reducing radio power consumption.

"Qualcomm Technologies and Samsung have a long history of working closely together in redefining mobile experiences and we are pleased to be powering the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge," said Alex Katouzian, senior vice president, product management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "With integrated 4G+ LTE connectivity, TruSignal multi-antenna boost technology, as well as new immersive multimedia capabilities as supported by the Snapdragon 820 processor, Samsung customers can enjoy truly next-generation mobile experiences."

"Qualcomm Technologies' advanced, diverse technology portfolio provides us with the connectivity and processing solutions to power our latest flagship Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge," said Taemoon Roh, executive vice president and head of mobile hardware, R&D and product strategy team, Samsung. "Our Samsung Galaxy customers can now enjoy the latest in user experiences, including the fastest 4G LTE connections backed by Qualcomm Technologies' leading LTE solutions."

As Qualcomm Technologies' premium flagship mobile processor, the Snapdragon 820 processor has been completely custom designed to power the next generation of premium mobile devices. This is achieved by refining every major IP block to extract the utmost in processing and power efficiency, delivering unprecedented speed, battery life and the following features:

Immersive multimedia experiences are supported by the Qualcomm® Adreno™ 530 GPU for amazing graphics and the new 14-bit Qualcomm Spectra™ image signal processing (ISP) unit that supports DSLR-quality photography and enhanced computer vision for ultra-clear, vivid photos with accurate color. Coupled with the immersive audio capabilities that allow for surround sound from your mobile device, the Snapdragon 820 processor delivers unmatched multimedia experiences in the palm of your hand.

Fast and seamless connectivity virtually anytime, anywhere is enabled by the integrated X12 LTE modem, supporting up to 33 percent faster 4G+ LTE speeds compared to the previous generation so that users experience lightning-fast download speeds (up to 600 Mbps) and superior network coverage. For even faster sharing of photos and videos, the X12 LTE modem provides upload speeds up to 150 Mbps – up to three times as fast as typical LTE devices. The modem uses Qualcomm Technologies' comprehensive suite of TruSignal multi-antenna processing technologies to intelligently compensate for signal impediments such as a hand grip, improving call reliability, data speeds and indoor and outdoor call coverage and reliability without the need to increase transmit power consumption.

Leading overall system performance and power efficiency is delivered via the Snapdragon 820 processor, specifically featuring the Company's first quad-core custom 64-bit Qualcomm® Kryo™ CPU at up to 2.2 GHz per core in the most advanced 14nm FinFET LPP process, as well as a custom Adreno 530 GPU for up to 40% better graphics and compute performance compared to the previous generation and a new custom Qualcomm® Hexagon™ 680 DSP architecture with Hexagon Vector eXtensions and a low power island for always-on sensor processing. These key processing engines have been efficiently integrated to deliver superior processing performance.

The Snapdragon 820 processor is available now and is expected to be shipping in devices in the first half of 2016. More information can be found at www.qualcomm.com. For more information about the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, please visit: http://ift.tt/GHkDdM

About Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm's licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm's engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 30 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm's website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.

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dimanche 21 février 2016

Galaxy S7: Behind the scenes at Samsung Unpacked at MWC 2016

There's nothing quite like being at a product launch. There's a certain exhilaration to every good one. But sometimes events stand out more than others. Samsung's Unpacked event in Berlin last fall for the Gear S2 was one of them. In the round, elevated, in the special venue that is Berlin's Tempodrom. The pacing, the quality of the executives (and the diversity as well — something that was a little lacking this evening), and the product itself made that a fun event to cover.

I didn't think Samsung would be able to top that event so soon. But this evening in Barcelona, it did exactly that. And it needed to. This was the first Unpacked event with DJ Koh at the helm instead of JK Shin. (I thought Koh did great.) Tonight's event stands out for any number of reasons. First it was walking in and seeing a Gear VR headset sitting on every seat. (And also under the seat as a giveaway for all the attendees.) It was the cube in the middle of the room, making us think (at first) that the entire event might be done in Gear VR. But then the cube opened and Koh quickly established that Samsung's not going anywhere but up in the mobile business.

And it was the agape jaws as we removed the Gear VR later in the program only to find Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg on stage, ready to talk about his company's promise to the Oculus/Samsung partnership. (I had no idea he'd snuck up on us. That was brilliant.)

And maybe more important is that it was the announcement of a Samsung Galaxy S7 that built upon an already well-grounded platform of 2015 — marrying the best of the Galaxy S6 and the Note 5 with a few new features, and a few that we'd wished would return again.

And, dammit, it was just fun. You don't have to be a Samsung Knight to enjoy an Unpacked event.

This is a little of what it was like to be there. Thanks for coming along with us.