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Sunday, June 21, 2015




How thin is too thin? Well, the Chinese smartphone makers are always pushing their limits on this end. Following Gionee's 5.1mm Elife S5.1 and Oppo's 4.85mm R5, today Vivo has set a new record with its X5Max, a 4.75mm-thick Android phone that still manages to pack a number of notable features. The slim aluminum mid-frame houses a vibrant 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen, a 1.7mm-thick logic board and a 5-megapixel f/2.4 front camera. Flip to the back and you'll find a 13-megapixel f/2.0 main camera -- the inevitable bulge that goes beyond the phone's official thickness by almost 2mm -- and a loudspeaker towards the bottom. On the whole, the phone feels surprisingly light (Vivo has yet to list the official weight) but also solid and well-made.



How thin is too thin? Well, the Chinese smartphone makers are always pushing their limits on this end. Following Gionee's 5.1mm Elife S5.1 and Oppo's 4.85mm R5, today Vivo has set a new record with its X5Max, a 4.75mm-thick Android phone that still manages to pack a number of notable features. The slim aluminum mid-frame houses a vibrant 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen, a 1.7mm-thick logic board and a 5-megapixel f/2.4 front camera. Flip to the back and you'll find a 13-megapixel f/2.0 main camera -- the inevitable bulge that goes beyond the phone's official thickness by almost 2mm -- and a loudspeaker towards the bottom. On the whole, the phone feels surprisingly light (Vivo has yet to list the official weight) but also solid and well-made.



It's worth pointing out that unlike the Oppo R5, the X5Max has managed to keep its 3.5mm headphone jack instead of forcing a micro-USB adapter upon us. Another equally impressive feature is the dual-SIM tray (fits one Micro SIM and one Nano SIM) that also lets you use a microSD card (up to 128GB) in place of Nano SIM, but you might have already seen this on the likes of the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro or the Huawei Ascend Mate 7.

The X5Max is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chip that's both octa-core (quad 1.7GHz Cortex-A53 and quad 1GHz Cortex-A53) and 64-bit ready, though the latter part won't be usable until the phone is updated from Android 4.4.4 to Lollipop. You also get 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage to boot, while the fixed 2,000mAh battery should be sufficient for a full-day usage; though you'll miss out on the Oppo R5's awesome rapid charging technology.




Like its sibling devices, the X5Max places heavy emphasis on its audio performance, which is why it packs some dedicated audio chips -- Yamaha YSS-205X signal processor, Sabre ES9018K2M DAC, exclusive Sabre ES9601 headphone amplifier and OPA1612 amplifier -- as part of its "Hi-Fi 2.0" package. Together, these apparently outperform the Xplay3S' offering in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, dynamic range and restoration. More importantly (for this author, at least), the Yamaha chip is actually for implementing a karaoke mode, in which you can sing along with songs and music videos while also hearing yourself -- with added echo or reverb if desired -- through headphones. It may be gimmicky for some, but apparently it's also what the cool kids like to use these days.




Alas, the X5Max is only launching in China to begin with: The China Mobile version will be available for CN¥2,998 or about US$490 as of December 12th. As for those outside China who need a phone to quench their karaoke thirst, stay tuned for an FDD-LTE version later.

The slimmest smartphone 4.75mm thick




How thin is too thin? Well, the Chinese smartphone makers are always pushing their limits on this end. Following Gionee's 5.1mm Elife S5.1 and Oppo's 4.85mm R5, today Vivo has set a new record with its X5Max, a 4.75mm-thick Android phone that still manages to pack a number of notable features. The slim aluminum mid-frame houses a vibrant 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen, a 1.7mm-thick logic board and a 5-megapixel f/2.4 front camera. Flip to the back and you'll find a 13-megapixel f/2.0 main camera -- the inevitable bulge that goes beyond the phone's official thickness by almost 2mm -- and a loudspeaker towards the bottom. On the whole, the phone feels surprisingly light (Vivo has yet to list the official weight) but also solid and well-made.



How thin is too thin? Well, the Chinese smartphone makers are always pushing their limits on this end. Following Gionee's 5.1mm Elife S5.1 and Oppo's 4.85mm R5, today Vivo has set a new record with its X5Max, a 4.75mm-thick Android phone that still manages to pack a number of notable features. The slim aluminum mid-frame houses a vibrant 5.5-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen, a 1.7mm-thick logic board and a 5-megapixel f/2.4 front camera. Flip to the back and you'll find a 13-megapixel f/2.0 main camera -- the inevitable bulge that goes beyond the phone's official thickness by almost 2mm -- and a loudspeaker towards the bottom. On the whole, the phone feels surprisingly light (Vivo has yet to list the official weight) but also solid and well-made.



It's worth pointing out that unlike the Oppo R5, the X5Max has managed to keep its 3.5mm headphone jack instead of forcing a micro-USB adapter upon us. Another equally impressive feature is the dual-SIM tray (fits one Micro SIM and one Nano SIM) that also lets you use a microSD card (up to 128GB) in place of Nano SIM, but you might have already seen this on the likes of the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro or the Huawei Ascend Mate 7.

The X5Max is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chip that's both octa-core (quad 1.7GHz Cortex-A53 and quad 1GHz Cortex-A53) and 64-bit ready, though the latter part won't be usable until the phone is updated from Android 4.4.4 to Lollipop. You also get 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage to boot, while the fixed 2,000mAh battery should be sufficient for a full-day usage; though you'll miss out on the Oppo R5's awesome rapid charging technology.




Like its sibling devices, the X5Max places heavy emphasis on its audio performance, which is why it packs some dedicated audio chips -- Yamaha YSS-205X signal processor, Sabre ES9018K2M DAC, exclusive Sabre ES9601 headphone amplifier and OPA1612 amplifier -- as part of its "Hi-Fi 2.0" package. Together, these apparently outperform the Xplay3S' offering in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, dynamic range and restoration. More importantly (for this author, at least), the Yamaha chip is actually for implementing a karaoke mode, in which you can sing along with songs and music videos while also hearing yourself -- with added echo or reverb if desired -- through headphones. It may be gimmicky for some, but apparently it's also what the cool kids like to use these days.




Alas, the X5Max is only launching in China to begin with: The China Mobile version will be available for CN¥2,998 or about US$490 as of December 12th. As for those outside China who need a phone to quench their karaoke thirst, stay tuned for an FDD-LTE version later.

No comments
Posted at 7:49 PM |  by Unknown

Thursday, May 21, 2015




Apple’s long-awaited announcement of its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last fall came with an unexpected twist: Contrary to rumors, the company opted not to use an ultra-strong glass called sapphire for the devices’ screens. That was startling because Apple was involved in a major deal with sapphire company GT Advanced, ostensibly to provide the material for Apple’s newest phones.

After Apple announced its sans-sapphire iPhones, it was revealedthat GT Advanced couldn’t deliver the amount of the material Apple required on time because of production issues. In a column I wrote last fall, I said Apple never planned to put sapphire screens in the iPhone 6 regardless of GT Advanced’s problems. However, it turns out that Apple did in fact enter into the GT Advanced deal wanting to use sapphire screens in its new iPhones, but by late 2013, the company realized that issues at GT Advanced meant that just wasn’t going to happen. Apple changed direction at the beginning of 2014, when it began working with Corning to deliver its newest version of Gorilla Glass for use on the iPhone 6.

But there are other reasons sapphire won’t see the light of day in smartphones. First, it’s incredibly difficult to make sapphire screens in serious quantities at a cost that would make them feasible for even top-of-the-line smartphones. Also, the smartphone market’s trend toward bigger screens is making sapphire even more expensive to produce and buy.Not long after the iPhone 6 was announced, the relationship between Apple and GT Advanced imploded, with the latter filing for bankruptcy. As of today, there’s no indication Apple is still seeking sapphire screens for any new iPhones — but its patent filings mean it’s impossible to rule out this possibility.

Why Sapphire Isn’t the Future of Smartphones




Apple’s long-awaited announcement of its new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus last fall came with an unexpected twist: Contrary to rumors, the company opted not to use an ultra-strong glass called sapphire for the devices’ screens. That was startling because Apple was involved in a major deal with sapphire company GT Advanced, ostensibly to provide the material for Apple’s newest phones.

After Apple announced its sans-sapphire iPhones, it was revealedthat GT Advanced couldn’t deliver the amount of the material Apple required on time because of production issues. In a column I wrote last fall, I said Apple never planned to put sapphire screens in the iPhone 6 regardless of GT Advanced’s problems. However, it turns out that Apple did in fact enter into the GT Advanced deal wanting to use sapphire screens in its new iPhones, but by late 2013, the company realized that issues at GT Advanced meant that just wasn’t going to happen. Apple changed direction at the beginning of 2014, when it began working with Corning to deliver its newest version of Gorilla Glass for use on the iPhone 6.

But there are other reasons sapphire won’t see the light of day in smartphones. First, it’s incredibly difficult to make sapphire screens in serious quantities at a cost that would make them feasible for even top-of-the-line smartphones. Also, the smartphone market’s trend toward bigger screens is making sapphire even more expensive to produce and buy.Not long after the iPhone 6 was announced, the relationship between Apple and GT Advanced imploded, with the latter filing for bankruptcy. As of today, there’s no indication Apple is still seeking sapphire screens for any new iPhones — but its patent filings mean it’s impossible to rule out this possibility.

No comments
Posted at 2:39 AM |  by Unknown

Tuesday, May 19, 2015




My first reaction when I heard the term Light Phone was of something really cool, like a smartphone with a built-in lightsaber. Unfortunately, there is no lightsaber, and the phone really isn’t that smart, which is the point. It’s really meant to be a “light” version of your current smartphone.Call it the anti-phone. The Light Phone seeks to remove text messages, email, and constant alerts from your everyday world when you need a little more quiet and privacy. It offers minimal features, such as receiving and making calls, and a digital clock on the tiny dot-matrix display screen. The Light Phone aims to extend your current smartphone in situations where you don’t need, or want, a computer in your pocket.

The Light Phone is about the size of a credit card. It measures 3.4 inches x 2.0 inches and weighs just over an ounce. It contains a white-on-white touch screen that displays only a keypad and the clock. Ten numbers can be held in memory for speed dialing. You’ll need to set those up if you plan on making many outgoing calls with the device. It doesn’t appear to have any type of contacts app, or even a menu of any type. A micro USB port is available for charging, and the phone can live for 20 days in standby mode on a single charge. A MediaTek 6250 CPU powers the unit.



The Light Phone is the brainchild of Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang, who have formed the Light company, to promote the product. The developers are seeking funding of $200,000 to begin production of the Light Phone on a large scale. Currently, they have reached nearly half that amount. If they can meet their funding goals, the phone is expected to be available mid-2016. You can preorder one now for a rather expensive $100 from the Light website. It is unclear if that will be the final price.

The device is essentially a prepaid phone, and comes with 500 free minutes. It uses GSM, which means you will be limited to either T-Mobile or AT&T as your service provider for the Light Phone.

Admittedly, there are situations where a device like this would be practical. It would be an ideal first phone for a school-age child. The parents could provide the child with a phone, and not have to worry about him or her playing games or texting in class. It would also make a good extension phone if you wanted to leave a phone in a specific location, for example, the garage. Hiking, camping, or working out are other practical uses for the Light Phone. Basically, any activity when you want to have a phone handy for emergencies or important calls, but don’t want to risk damaging or losing your expensive smart phone.

The biggest hurdle for the company is the competition. It’s not like other companies haven’t thought of this concept before. The Light Phone competes with a multitude of $20 prepaid phones from major retailers and service providers. The phone is rather sleek looking, offering an all-white case and display. So, the cool factor could come into play. It resembles something Apple might have designed. However, I still think appeal could be limited. If only they included an actual lightsaber, I’d be first in line.

Is a Light Phone in your future?




My first reaction when I heard the term Light Phone was of something really cool, like a smartphone with a built-in lightsaber. Unfortunately, there is no lightsaber, and the phone really isn’t that smart, which is the point. It’s really meant to be a “light” version of your current smartphone.Call it the anti-phone. The Light Phone seeks to remove text messages, email, and constant alerts from your everyday world when you need a little more quiet and privacy. It offers minimal features, such as receiving and making calls, and a digital clock on the tiny dot-matrix display screen. The Light Phone aims to extend your current smartphone in situations where you don’t need, or want, a computer in your pocket.

The Light Phone is about the size of a credit card. It measures 3.4 inches x 2.0 inches and weighs just over an ounce. It contains a white-on-white touch screen that displays only a keypad and the clock. Ten numbers can be held in memory for speed dialing. You’ll need to set those up if you plan on making many outgoing calls with the device. It doesn’t appear to have any type of contacts app, or even a menu of any type. A micro USB port is available for charging, and the phone can live for 20 days in standby mode on a single charge. A MediaTek 6250 CPU powers the unit.



The Light Phone is the brainchild of Joe Hollier and Kaiwei Tang, who have formed the Light company, to promote the product. The developers are seeking funding of $200,000 to begin production of the Light Phone on a large scale. Currently, they have reached nearly half that amount. If they can meet their funding goals, the phone is expected to be available mid-2016. You can preorder one now for a rather expensive $100 from the Light website. It is unclear if that will be the final price.

The device is essentially a prepaid phone, and comes with 500 free minutes. It uses GSM, which means you will be limited to either T-Mobile or AT&T as your service provider for the Light Phone.

Admittedly, there are situations where a device like this would be practical. It would be an ideal first phone for a school-age child. The parents could provide the child with a phone, and not have to worry about him or her playing games or texting in class. It would also make a good extension phone if you wanted to leave a phone in a specific location, for example, the garage. Hiking, camping, or working out are other practical uses for the Light Phone. Basically, any activity when you want to have a phone handy for emergencies or important calls, but don’t want to risk damaging or losing your expensive smart phone.

The biggest hurdle for the company is the competition. It’s not like other companies haven’t thought of this concept before. The Light Phone competes with a multitude of $20 prepaid phones from major retailers and service providers. The phone is rather sleek looking, offering an all-white case and display. So, the cool factor could come into play. It resembles something Apple might have designed. However, I still think appeal could be limited. If only they included an actual lightsaber, I’d be first in line.

No comments
Posted at 6:35 PM |  by Unknown




In August, 2012 a jury found Samsung guilty of infringing multiple Apple design patents as well as claims the manufacturer had filed on “trade dress.” Trade dress refers to the specific appearance or visual art of a product that a consumer would find recognizable. The case has been tied up in appeals ever since, and now the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has found that while the awards for design and utility patent infringements were appropriate, the awards for infringement of trade dresses were not. That’s a massive amount of money altogether — the amount of money Samsung owes Apple just fell nearly 40%.

Note that while the Apple-Samsung case was primarily discussed in terms of patents, the case covered issues of trademark infringement and trade dresses as well. Much of the damages awarded to Apple were based on the argument that Samsung had misappropriated distinct elements of Apple design.

At present, Samsung owes Apple an estimated $548 million, down sharply from the $1.049B that Apple was initially awarded back in 2012. The Appeals Court’s findings were based on balancing the protected nature of trade dresses against the protected right to imitate. It might surprise you that this last is legally allowed, but it is. This balancing act is necessary because there’s a risk that a company might seek trademarks on the functional features of an object.

Imagine, for example, that a blade manufacturer could get a trademark on the design of a blade with a sharp cutting edge on one side and a dull edge on the opposite, affixed to a wooden handle with a full tang. That’s the basic description of a well-made knife and the law recognizes that the functional design of a knife cannot be protected by a trademark. This is critically important, because one difference between a patent and a trademark is that a trademark can be held in perpetuity, whereas a patent eventually expires. The usability test is important because it implies that a product ought to be designed in certain ways in order to be useful. Imagine if any single auto company had been allowed to claim that the number of wheels on a vehicle were a form of trade dress.
Down with rounded corners

One of the claims Apple made in its initial court case was that the rounded corners on the iPhone represented such a significant design element that Samsung had infringed upon the Cupertino manufacturer’s trade dress in building a similarly shaped product. The Appeals Court ruled against this claim, specifically because it finds that the much-derided “rounded corners” of the iPhone confers superior practical qualities.


Samsung was able to convince the court that rounded corners weren’t matters of trade dress, in other words, because putting round corners on a device confers a utilitarianadvantage in much the same way as putting a handle on a knife blade. Technically, a knife doesn’t need a wooden handle — but it’s much easier to use a knife if the dull section of the blade meant for gripping is reinforced and made larger to better fit the hand.

Apple then further lost on additional claims because, “Apple, while asserting that there were ‘numerous’ alternative designs, fails to show that any of these alternatives offered exactly the same features as the asserted trade dress… Apple simply catalogs the mere existence of other design possibilities embodied in rejected iPhone prototypes and other manufacturers’ smartphones.”

The court used similar reasoning to dissect Apple’s other claims of protected trade dress and found against the company in all of them. These findings — that most aspects of the Apple iPhone are functional rather than decorative — collectively represent a major win for Samsung. The company still owes Apple hundreds of millions of dollars for infringing on other claims, but slashing the value of the case will still be seen as a major win.

Appeals court slashes payout in Apple-Samsung trial





In August, 2012 a jury found Samsung guilty of infringing multiple Apple design patents as well as claims the manufacturer had filed on “trade dress.” Trade dress refers to the specific appearance or visual art of a product that a consumer would find recognizable. The case has been tied up in appeals ever since, and now the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has found that while the awards for design and utility patent infringements were appropriate, the awards for infringement of trade dresses were not. That’s a massive amount of money altogether — the amount of money Samsung owes Apple just fell nearly 40%.

Note that while the Apple-Samsung case was primarily discussed in terms of patents, the case covered issues of trademark infringement and trade dresses as well. Much of the damages awarded to Apple were based on the argument that Samsung had misappropriated distinct elements of Apple design.

At present, Samsung owes Apple an estimated $548 million, down sharply from the $1.049B that Apple was initially awarded back in 2012. The Appeals Court’s findings were based on balancing the protected nature of trade dresses against the protected right to imitate. It might surprise you that this last is legally allowed, but it is. This balancing act is necessary because there’s a risk that a company might seek trademarks on the functional features of an object.

Imagine, for example, that a blade manufacturer could get a trademark on the design of a blade with a sharp cutting edge on one side and a dull edge on the opposite, affixed to a wooden handle with a full tang. That’s the basic description of a well-made knife and the law recognizes that the functional design of a knife cannot be protected by a trademark. This is critically important, because one difference between a patent and a trademark is that a trademark can be held in perpetuity, whereas a patent eventually expires. The usability test is important because it implies that a product ought to be designed in certain ways in order to be useful. Imagine if any single auto company had been allowed to claim that the number of wheels on a vehicle were a form of trade dress.
Down with rounded corners

One of the claims Apple made in its initial court case was that the rounded corners on the iPhone represented such a significant design element that Samsung had infringed upon the Cupertino manufacturer’s trade dress in building a similarly shaped product. The Appeals Court ruled against this claim, specifically because it finds that the much-derided “rounded corners” of the iPhone confers superior practical qualities.


Samsung was able to convince the court that rounded corners weren’t matters of trade dress, in other words, because putting round corners on a device confers a utilitarianadvantage in much the same way as putting a handle on a knife blade. Technically, a knife doesn’t need a wooden handle — but it’s much easier to use a knife if the dull section of the blade meant for gripping is reinforced and made larger to better fit the hand.

Apple then further lost on additional claims because, “Apple, while asserting that there were ‘numerous’ alternative designs, fails to show that any of these alternatives offered exactly the same features as the asserted trade dress… Apple simply catalogs the mere existence of other design possibilities embodied in rejected iPhone prototypes and other manufacturers’ smartphones.”

The court used similar reasoning to dissect Apple’s other claims of protected trade dress and found against the company in all of them. These findings — that most aspects of the Apple iPhone are functional rather than decorative — collectively represent a major win for Samsung. The company still owes Apple hundreds of millions of dollars for infringing on other claims, but slashing the value of the case will still be seen as a major win.

No comments
Posted at 6:33 PM |  by Unknown





If you’ve ever woken up in a cold sweat with the gnawing certainty that your blood is infected by rare tropical parasites — and which of us hasn’t — then it will come as welcome news that a cure may be on the horizon. No, this doesn’t herald new developments in deep Freudian psychoanalysis, but rather a groundbreaking type of microscope that connects to a smartphone and provides real-time diagnosis of blood parasites.

The research team behind the device, called CellScope Loa, was comprised of engineers from the University of California, Berkeley, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the University of Montpellier in France, and research centers in Yaoundé, Cameroon. At its core, the CellScope Loa is a 3D-printed box that can be mounted to a smartphone, taking five-second videos of blood samples inserted therein. The companion app then examines the video for signs of movement, which would indicate the presence of parasites.

If you’re like many of us who have followed the advent of smartphone wellness gadgets, about now you’re probably sighing, “well it’s about time they invented something like this!” Sadly the reality of improved wellness has rarely lived up to hype in the field of smartphone gadgetry. Despite better Bluetooth standards and miniaturization, real-time diagnostic devices that would make medical grade tests available to consumers have been few and far between.

The CellScope Loa may be the first of a new round of inventions that depart from the pathetic standard set by their predecessors (think of the $250 dollar wrist worn pedometer that accomplishes the same thing as its $10 dollar antique ancestor did). Daniel Fletcher, associate chair and professor of bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley and one of the CellScope’s developers, sums it up as follows: “We previously showed that mobile phones can be used for microscopy, but this is the first device that combines the imaging technology with hardware and software automation to create a complete diagnostic solution.” That combination of hardware and software automation for a seamless diagnostic experience will likely be to be the lynchpin that enables a new round of improved consumer medical devices.

The CellScope Loa isn’t likely to affect health outcomes for those of us living in developed countries. It is designed to detect a type of blood-born worm that, while not terribly malignant itself, causes severe complications for those afflicted with Elephantitus. Having seen firsthand the grotesque suffering wrought by Elephantitus in Southeast Asia, anything that can help this cause would be nothing short of a godsend.

Of greater significance will be what CellScope heralds: consumer medical devices that make expensive hospital diagnosis a thing of the past. The Qualcomm Tricorder challengewill come of age this year and promises an affordable device that can diagnose 16 common diseases. All of which suggests that the era of do-it-yourself healthcare is nigh upon us. And given the exploding cost of health care in the USA and other countries, it can’t come soon enough.

Smartphone microscope detects blood-born parasites






If you’ve ever woken up in a cold sweat with the gnawing certainty that your blood is infected by rare tropical parasites — and which of us hasn’t — then it will come as welcome news that a cure may be on the horizon. No, this doesn’t herald new developments in deep Freudian psychoanalysis, but rather a groundbreaking type of microscope that connects to a smartphone and provides real-time diagnosis of blood parasites.

The research team behind the device, called CellScope Loa, was comprised of engineers from the University of California, Berkeley, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the University of Montpellier in France, and research centers in Yaoundé, Cameroon. At its core, the CellScope Loa is a 3D-printed box that can be mounted to a smartphone, taking five-second videos of blood samples inserted therein. The companion app then examines the video for signs of movement, which would indicate the presence of parasites.

If you’re like many of us who have followed the advent of smartphone wellness gadgets, about now you’re probably sighing, “well it’s about time they invented something like this!” Sadly the reality of improved wellness has rarely lived up to hype in the field of smartphone gadgetry. Despite better Bluetooth standards and miniaturization, real-time diagnostic devices that would make medical grade tests available to consumers have been few and far between.

The CellScope Loa may be the first of a new round of inventions that depart from the pathetic standard set by their predecessors (think of the $250 dollar wrist worn pedometer that accomplishes the same thing as its $10 dollar antique ancestor did). Daniel Fletcher, associate chair and professor of bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley and one of the CellScope’s developers, sums it up as follows: “We previously showed that mobile phones can be used for microscopy, but this is the first device that combines the imaging technology with hardware and software automation to create a complete diagnostic solution.” That combination of hardware and software automation for a seamless diagnostic experience will likely be to be the lynchpin that enables a new round of improved consumer medical devices.

The CellScope Loa isn’t likely to affect health outcomes for those of us living in developed countries. It is designed to detect a type of blood-born worm that, while not terribly malignant itself, causes severe complications for those afflicted with Elephantitus. Having seen firsthand the grotesque suffering wrought by Elephantitus in Southeast Asia, anything that can help this cause would be nothing short of a godsend.

Of greater significance will be what CellScope heralds: consumer medical devices that make expensive hospital diagnosis a thing of the past. The Qualcomm Tricorder challengewill come of age this year and promises an affordable device that can diagnose 16 common diseases. All of which suggests that the era of do-it-yourself healthcare is nigh upon us. And given the exploding cost of health care in the USA and other countries, it can’t come soon enough.

No comments
Posted at 6:30 PM |  by Unknown

Tuesday, May 5, 2015


The stock Android calendar isn't the prettiest or most practical of things. While it'll 'do the job', there are plenty of calendar apps out there that go much further, presenting your life's events in a way that looks great, and which helps you keep better control of everything you have planned. Here areAndroidPIT’s picks for the best calendar apps for Android.

aCalendar

This one has been around for a long time, and has evolved beautifully over the years. It has plenty of customization and organization options, allows you to set recurrent events, and uses the tech behind Android's native calendar to sync across different apps and email addresses. It has a fine selection of widgets too - letting you view calendar events by day, week or month directly on your Android homescreen. The app is free (and ad-free), though you can get the paid version for 2.99 USD for extra features like 'Busy' notifications and extra information such as public holidays. There are, however, plenty of calendars (like Google Calendar) which offer these features for free, so we recommend sticking with the free version.

Google Calendar

Unlike many of Google's productivity apps, Calendar doesn't come pre-installed on many Android devices, so you'd be forgiven for confusing your device's default calendar app for it. Once you start using Google Calendar though, the differences become apparent as it's the most beautifully designed app out there. It's not only easy to use (Google recently brought back the classic 'whole month' overview), but has neat little touches. For example, if you're going for drinks, then a little doodle of a drink will appear in that entry, or if you have an email for a flight in the Inbox app, then you can set it to automatically appear in Calendar.
Cal

The aptly named Cal pairs with sister app Any.Do to manage tasks. Like most calendar apps, it syncs with Google Calendar and Exchange.

The widget feature allows you to glance at your calendar quickly, without opening the app. Interestingly, it offers integration with Waze, Uber and Google Maps to help you navigate to your many appointments. Cal runs on Android 4.0 and up.



Jorte

Jorte Calendar and Organizer is trending right now, perhaps as more Android users catch on to its usefulness. Compared to its competitors, Jorte is easy to navigate and has an intuitive set-up. The app also offers themes to customize the look of your calendar.

The Jorte team seems on top of customer service and often replies to complaints on Google Play. Jorte's countdown feature is a nice bonus; allowing you to efficiently count the days to a big event. Jorte runs on Android 2.1 and up.


Calendar

Sunrise makes countless “must have” apps lists and it’s not hard to see why. Sunrise has been updated for Material Design and looks pretty snazzy. Like the other apps mentioned, Sunrise syncs with Google Calendar and Exchange. The fact that Sunrise was acquired in early 2015 by Microsoft speaks for the app's success, and the purchase means that there are likely big changes coming to the app in the near future.



DigiCal Calendar and Widgets


DigiCal Calendar and Widgets is perhaps the simplest calendar app on this list. Like Sunrise, it often makes top lists for Android calendars. It has six different lock-screen widgets, letting you see important events without even unlocking your phone. It's also received integration with Google Now, and has plenty of customization options, such as the one picture below which is a night mode that's both easy on your eyes and your battery. Like its competitors, DigiCal syncs with Google Calendar, Outlook and Exchange.


Coletto


Now, for something totally different. If you frequently exclaim “kawaii!” or dress like a Harajuku girl, Coletto may be for you.This Japanese app works as a dayplanner and diary. It’s obviously aimed at the girliest of girls (though boys are welcome to try it), and is very simply to use, with dragging motions letting you move events between different days on your calendar. The style is an acquired taste, but well over a million people on the Play Store can't be wrong... can they?What Android calendar apps do you use? What features do you look for in a calendar app?

Best calendar apps for Android: 7 to keep you organized


The stock Android calendar isn't the prettiest or most practical of things. While it'll 'do the job', there are plenty of calendar apps out there that go much further, presenting your life's events in a way that looks great, and which helps you keep better control of everything you have planned. Here areAndroidPIT’s picks for the best calendar apps for Android.

aCalendar

This one has been around for a long time, and has evolved beautifully over the years. It has plenty of customization and organization options, allows you to set recurrent events, and uses the tech behind Android's native calendar to sync across different apps and email addresses. It has a fine selection of widgets too - letting you view calendar events by day, week or month directly on your Android homescreen. The app is free (and ad-free), though you can get the paid version for 2.99 USD for extra features like 'Busy' notifications and extra information such as public holidays. There are, however, plenty of calendars (like Google Calendar) which offer these features for free, so we recommend sticking with the free version.

Google Calendar

Unlike many of Google's productivity apps, Calendar doesn't come pre-installed on many Android devices, so you'd be forgiven for confusing your device's default calendar app for it. Once you start using Google Calendar though, the differences become apparent as it's the most beautifully designed app out there. It's not only easy to use (Google recently brought back the classic 'whole month' overview), but has neat little touches. For example, if you're going for drinks, then a little doodle of a drink will appear in that entry, or if you have an email for a flight in the Inbox app, then you can set it to automatically appear in Calendar.
Cal

The aptly named Cal pairs with sister app Any.Do to manage tasks. Like most calendar apps, it syncs with Google Calendar and Exchange.

The widget feature allows you to glance at your calendar quickly, without opening the app. Interestingly, it offers integration with Waze, Uber and Google Maps to help you navigate to your many appointments. Cal runs on Android 4.0 and up.



Jorte

Jorte Calendar and Organizer is trending right now, perhaps as more Android users catch on to its usefulness. Compared to its competitors, Jorte is easy to navigate and has an intuitive set-up. The app also offers themes to customize the look of your calendar.

The Jorte team seems on top of customer service and often replies to complaints on Google Play. Jorte's countdown feature is a nice bonus; allowing you to efficiently count the days to a big event. Jorte runs on Android 2.1 and up.


Calendar

Sunrise makes countless “must have” apps lists and it’s not hard to see why. Sunrise has been updated for Material Design and looks pretty snazzy. Like the other apps mentioned, Sunrise syncs with Google Calendar and Exchange. The fact that Sunrise was acquired in early 2015 by Microsoft speaks for the app's success, and the purchase means that there are likely big changes coming to the app in the near future.



DigiCal Calendar and Widgets


DigiCal Calendar and Widgets is perhaps the simplest calendar app on this list. Like Sunrise, it often makes top lists for Android calendars. It has six different lock-screen widgets, letting you see important events without even unlocking your phone. It's also received integration with Google Now, and has plenty of customization options, such as the one picture below which is a night mode that's both easy on your eyes and your battery. Like its competitors, DigiCal syncs with Google Calendar, Outlook and Exchange.


Coletto


Now, for something totally different. If you frequently exclaim “kawaii!” or dress like a Harajuku girl, Coletto may be for you.This Japanese app works as a dayplanner and diary. It’s obviously aimed at the girliest of girls (though boys are welcome to try it), and is very simply to use, with dragging motions letting you move events between different days on your calendar. The style is an acquired taste, but well over a million people on the Play Store can't be wrong... can they?What Android calendar apps do you use? What features do you look for in a calendar app?

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Posted at 12:47 AM |  by Unknown
We've already seen some great smartphone releases in 2015, with the Samsung Galaxy S6, LG G4, HTC One M9 and Huawei P8 already gracing many people's palms. But the year is far from over and there's plenty more to come from the big manufacturers, as well as some possible surprises from up-and-comers. Read on for a list of the phones that AndroidPIT's most excited about seeing in 2015.




The next Nexus - Nexus 5 2015 ?

Google’s silly naming convention means we have no idea what the next Nexus will be called – the successor to the Nexus 6 can’t be the Nexus 7 – because Google used that two years ago for its 7-inch tablet, and some pundits believe Google will dump the brand completely in 2015. Who knows though, it could very well be the Nexus 6 2015.

Recent speculation suggests that Huawei will be at the helm of Google's next 2015 flagship, which would make sense for Google’s reach in China, and the company is already well-versed in producing quality hardware at attractive prices. Intriguingly, a Google video touting Project Fi revealed a mystery phone that many thought could be the next Nexus. The phone looks virtually bezel-less, and seems to have a similar design to the Nexus 5. Could this be the Nexus 5 2015? We hope so.





Xiaomi Mi5


Though it’s not sure that western markets are going to be able to get their hands on this one, we do know that Xiaomi is keen to enter the US market in the near future. This would suit us fine, because the Xiaomi Mi5 could be one of the best devices to ever be released on Android.

Rumors suggest the Mi5 will feature a bezel-less design, a 5.2-inch QHD display, and an octa-core Snapdragon 810 chipset with either 3GB or 4GB RAM. These fine specs could be rounded off by a 16MP camera and 3000mAh battery. It's early days yet, but we're excited already.

Project Ara


Project Ara won't produce a flagship. More intriguingly, it'll let you create your own phone, with your design, your preferred hardware and software features, and built to your own specifications. It will be unique to you, and this is why your phone might be the Android phone to get excited about in 2015.

We already got a glimpse at some of the capabilities of Project Ara - with unique components like a night-vision camera module - and the range of design opportunities that Project Ara presents are extremely exciting. Consider this: typical smartphone manufacturers can't include components to appeal to "niche" user interests because they are built to attract as wide a demographic as possible. It's not built for you, it's built for everyone. Project Ara is going to change this. What are you into? What do you want to see from a smartphone? Project Ara will let you create your own answers to these questions.
Project Ara: everything you need to know

Oppo Find 9


Chinese manufacturer Oppo brought a fantastic phablet to the Android table last year with the Find 7. It's no easy task to compete with the other names that dominate Android, but Oppo is doing just that, and we fully expect a Find 9 to appear later this year to take Oppo's intrepid journey into smartphone manufacturing to the next level.

Details on the Find 9 are a little thin at the moment, but early signs indicate Oppo could be pursuing a bezel-less design like the Sharp Aquos Crystal for the Find 9, on a square device bearing little semblance to the Find 7. Rumors suggest it could also feature a 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset, and 4GB RAM, so it should be powerful as well as pretty.

Sony Xperia Z4 / Z4 Ultra


The Xperia Z4 had a surprisingly muted release in Japan in mid-April. It looked like a decent handset, following a similar design philosophy to its predecessor while kitting out the internals with a Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset and shaving a few decimals of a millimetre off in thickness. It's still waterproof too, though this time there is no unwieldy flap covering the microUSB port.

In truth, the model that's being released in Japan didn't excite us too much either, but we're intrigued by rumors of an Xperia Z4 Ultra being in the works, which could pack a 5.5-inch QHD display, along with a metallic slate design.

There is a lot of speculation right now about what form the Xperia Z4 will take when it appears in the west - (Ultra version, compact, improved specs?) - so we're excited what it offers when it hopefully makes an appearance at IFA 2015 in September
Sony Xperia Z4 release date, news, specs and rumors

Samsung Galaxy Note 5


Thanks to the iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung no longer has the premium phablet market to itself - even though it created that market when everybody else was still mocking the idea of big-screened phones. That means the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 needs to be something special - a true Android phone to get excited about.

Rumors suggest an Ultra HD 4K display and a camera with up to 55 megapixels, although that resolution is possible rather than definite so far - if Sony’s sticking to 21 MP the presence of a higher resolution sensor in the Note 5 might be a gimmick rather than a great leap forward. In light of the success of Samsung's in-house Exynos chipset in the Galaxy S6, there are big question marks over whether Samsung would go back to a Qulacomm Snapdragon for the Note 5.If Samsung chooses to go with an Exynos - which we think is more likely - then that could spell the end of Samsung's relationship with Qualcomm for flagship phones.

We’d like to see wireless charging and two-day battery life too. The latest word on the grapevine suggests that the Note 5 could come with a dual-edge design, which we wouldn't mind one bit - if it's not too expensive.
Galaxy Note 5 news and rumors

OnePlus Two


Some firms could teach Google a thing or two about sensible names - the next OnePlus handset is almost certainly going to be called the OnePlus Two. After a split with Cyanogen Inc, OnePlus is going it alone and has already developed a new OS, Oxygen OS, for its second device. Here are the differences you should know about between Cyanogen OS and Oyxgen OS.

The now-familiar blend of great hardware and provocative marketing is likely to continue, and the device, currently codenamed Lettuce, should pack a 64-bit Snapdragon and Lollipop for a very good price. Count on OnePlus's invite-only purchase system to return also.
OnePlus Two release date, specs, news and rumors

Motorola Moto X 2015


The Moto X (2014) is a great phone at a great price, and we’re hoping the 2015 version addresses some of its weaknesses: the rubbish battery, the mediocre camera, the just-OK screen and the lack of stereo speakers and microSD slot. But will that be enough to keep Moto at the top of the table?

Which Android phone are you most looking forward to in 2015?

New Android phones to get excited about in 2015

We've already seen some great smartphone releases in 2015, with the Samsung Galaxy S6, LG G4, HTC One M9 and Huawei P8 already gracing many people's palms. But the year is far from over and there's plenty more to come from the big manufacturers, as well as some possible surprises from up-and-comers. Read on for a list of the phones that AndroidPIT's most excited about seeing in 2015.




The next Nexus - Nexus 5 2015 ?

Google’s silly naming convention means we have no idea what the next Nexus will be called – the successor to the Nexus 6 can’t be the Nexus 7 – because Google used that two years ago for its 7-inch tablet, and some pundits believe Google will dump the brand completely in 2015. Who knows though, it could very well be the Nexus 6 2015.

Recent speculation suggests that Huawei will be at the helm of Google's next 2015 flagship, which would make sense for Google’s reach in China, and the company is already well-versed in producing quality hardware at attractive prices. Intriguingly, a Google video touting Project Fi revealed a mystery phone that many thought could be the next Nexus. The phone looks virtually bezel-less, and seems to have a similar design to the Nexus 5. Could this be the Nexus 5 2015? We hope so.





Xiaomi Mi5


Though it’s not sure that western markets are going to be able to get their hands on this one, we do know that Xiaomi is keen to enter the US market in the near future. This would suit us fine, because the Xiaomi Mi5 could be one of the best devices to ever be released on Android.

Rumors suggest the Mi5 will feature a bezel-less design, a 5.2-inch QHD display, and an octa-core Snapdragon 810 chipset with either 3GB or 4GB RAM. These fine specs could be rounded off by a 16MP camera and 3000mAh battery. It's early days yet, but we're excited already.

Project Ara


Project Ara won't produce a flagship. More intriguingly, it'll let you create your own phone, with your design, your preferred hardware and software features, and built to your own specifications. It will be unique to you, and this is why your phone might be the Android phone to get excited about in 2015.

We already got a glimpse at some of the capabilities of Project Ara - with unique components like a night-vision camera module - and the range of design opportunities that Project Ara presents are extremely exciting. Consider this: typical smartphone manufacturers can't include components to appeal to "niche" user interests because they are built to attract as wide a demographic as possible. It's not built for you, it's built for everyone. Project Ara is going to change this. What are you into? What do you want to see from a smartphone? Project Ara will let you create your own answers to these questions.
Project Ara: everything you need to know

Oppo Find 9


Chinese manufacturer Oppo brought a fantastic phablet to the Android table last year with the Find 7. It's no easy task to compete with the other names that dominate Android, but Oppo is doing just that, and we fully expect a Find 9 to appear later this year to take Oppo's intrepid journey into smartphone manufacturing to the next level.

Details on the Find 9 are a little thin at the moment, but early signs indicate Oppo could be pursuing a bezel-less design like the Sharp Aquos Crystal for the Find 9, on a square device bearing little semblance to the Find 7. Rumors suggest it could also feature a 5.5-inch QHD display, Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset, and 4GB RAM, so it should be powerful as well as pretty.

Sony Xperia Z4 / Z4 Ultra


The Xperia Z4 had a surprisingly muted release in Japan in mid-April. It looked like a decent handset, following a similar design philosophy to its predecessor while kitting out the internals with a Snapdragon 810 octa-core chipset and shaving a few decimals of a millimetre off in thickness. It's still waterproof too, though this time there is no unwieldy flap covering the microUSB port.

In truth, the model that's being released in Japan didn't excite us too much either, but we're intrigued by rumors of an Xperia Z4 Ultra being in the works, which could pack a 5.5-inch QHD display, along with a metallic slate design.

There is a lot of speculation right now about what form the Xperia Z4 will take when it appears in the west - (Ultra version, compact, improved specs?) - so we're excited what it offers when it hopefully makes an appearance at IFA 2015 in September
Sony Xperia Z4 release date, news, specs and rumors

Samsung Galaxy Note 5


Thanks to the iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung no longer has the premium phablet market to itself - even though it created that market when everybody else was still mocking the idea of big-screened phones. That means the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 needs to be something special - a true Android phone to get excited about.

Rumors suggest an Ultra HD 4K display and a camera with up to 55 megapixels, although that resolution is possible rather than definite so far - if Sony’s sticking to 21 MP the presence of a higher resolution sensor in the Note 5 might be a gimmick rather than a great leap forward. In light of the success of Samsung's in-house Exynos chipset in the Galaxy S6, there are big question marks over whether Samsung would go back to a Qulacomm Snapdragon for the Note 5.If Samsung chooses to go with an Exynos - which we think is more likely - then that could spell the end of Samsung's relationship with Qualcomm for flagship phones.

We’d like to see wireless charging and two-day battery life too. The latest word on the grapevine suggests that the Note 5 could come with a dual-edge design, which we wouldn't mind one bit - if it's not too expensive.
Galaxy Note 5 news and rumors

OnePlus Two


Some firms could teach Google a thing or two about sensible names - the next OnePlus handset is almost certainly going to be called the OnePlus Two. After a split with Cyanogen Inc, OnePlus is going it alone and has already developed a new OS, Oxygen OS, for its second device. Here are the differences you should know about between Cyanogen OS and Oyxgen OS.

The now-familiar blend of great hardware and provocative marketing is likely to continue, and the device, currently codenamed Lettuce, should pack a 64-bit Snapdragon and Lollipop for a very good price. Count on OnePlus's invite-only purchase system to return also.
OnePlus Two release date, specs, news and rumors

Motorola Moto X 2015


The Moto X (2014) is a great phone at a great price, and we’re hoping the 2015 version addresses some of its weaknesses: the rubbish battery, the mediocre camera, the just-OK screen and the lack of stereo speakers and microSD slot. But will that be enough to keep Moto at the top of the table?

Which Android phone are you most looking forward to in 2015?

No comments
Posted at 12:40 AM |  by Unknown

Monday, April 27, 2015




The iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 basically have two things in common: They're the smartphone measuring sticks for the rest of the industry, and they represent a fairly big departure from their predecessors. The iPhone 6 finally gives Apple fans a bigger 4.7-inch display, as well as new capabilities, such as Apple Pay. For Samsung, the Galaxy S6 represents a fresh start for the brand, with an all-new, glass-and-metal design (no more plastic!).


But Apple's and Samsung's flagships are totally different in most other ways, from processing power and screen quality to cameras, interface and battery life. I put the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 through nine rounds of handset-to-handset combat to name a winner.
Design


Credit: Jeremy Lips / Tom's GuideDesign has always been a hallmark of the iPhone, and the iPhone 6 maintains that tradition. Made of anodized aluminum, stainless steel and glass, the latest iPhone has rounded edges and a smooth but sturdy body. It's almost too smooth, though, making it feel somewhat slippery. But I do like the way the glass display curves to meet the rest of the chassis, which gives the design a unified aesthetic.





The Galaxy S6 is iPhone-like in some ways, especially the aluminum bottom edge, but I prefer the overall look and feel of Samsung's phone. On the black model, for instance, the Gorilla Glass 4 back appears to change from black to blue depending on how you hold it. There's also a white-and-gold model of the S6, whereas the iPhone 6 comes in either gold, silver or space gray.



Measuring 0.27 inches thick and weighing 4.9 ounces, the Galaxy S6 is about the same thickness but slightly heavier than the 4.6-ounce iPhone 6, but the S6 is remarkably light and thin, given that it has a bigger 5.1-inch screen. However, the S6 has a bigger bump for its camera on the back.
Winner: Galaxy S6.


Sure, Samsung takes some visual cues from Apple, but the combination of glass and metal on the S6 is simply more exciting than the iPhone's design.


Display



This round is not close. Yes, the iPhone 6 has a bright display that's bigger than before (4.7 inches versus 4 inches), but the Galaxy S6's larger, 5.1-inch Super AMOLED panel runs circles around Apple's screen. For starters, you get much higher resolution from Samsung, at 2560 x 1440 pixels, compared to the iPhone 6's 1334 x 750 pixels.


Just as important, photos and videos just look better on the S6, as evidenced by our side-by-side comparison of The Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer. The S6 shows more contrast and detail, especially in Robert Downey Jr.'s face. The iPhone 6 delivers more natural-looking color, but I prefer the more saturated hues from the S6, as well as the superior black levels.
Winner: Galaxy S6.

Audio



For the Galaxy S6, Samsung moved the speaker to the bottom of the device (the S5's speaker was on the back of the device), and the result is louder, but not necessarily cleaner, audio. The S6 sounded more boisterous when I blasted Caesars' "Jerk It Out." However, the iPhone sounded balanced, with more of a bottom end; the same track on the S6 was harsh.
Winner: iPhone 6


The iPhone 6's audio just sounds better.


Interface



Apple's iOS 8 is supereasy to use and even more flexible. For instance, you can finally swap out the default keyboard for a downloaded one, and there are photo extension apps to help you get more out of the camera. Double tapping the home button provides instant access to your favorite contacts, and swiping down on the display while on the home screen launches the excellent Spotlight search feature for finding apps. But now, Spotlight is smart enough to also include relevant results from Wikipedia, Maps and various news sites.


However, the iPhone's Today screen, which includes Notifications in a separate tab, wastes a lot of space compared to the Galaxy S6's notification drawer. In fact, you can access quick settings and notifications all in one place. On the iPhone, you need to swipe up from the bottom of the display to access settings shortcuts, and there are fewer shortcuts.


in other ways, Samsung has streamlined its TouchWiz interface (which runs on top of Android 5.0) and made it more user-friendly. From the home screen to the settings menu, there's less clutter than before. Samsung also provides a better built-in keyboard, complete with a number row, and you can run two apps side by side. Plus, you can download custom themes that let you customize the look and feel of the phone.
Winner: Tie.


The iPhone's ease of use is matched by the Galaxy S6's easier-to-access settings and flexibility.

Features


Samsung promises to launch its own mobile payment solution this summer, but in the meantime, Apple is off to a huge head start with Apple Pay. With NFC technology and the Touch ID sensor, you can use the iPhone 6 as a wallet in more than 700,000 locations. Samsung Pay has the potential to work in more places because it supports both NFC and magnetic secure transmissions, but we'll have to wait and see how well it works.


Another unique benefit of the iPhone 6 is Family Sharing, which allows you to share purchases from iTunes, iBooks and the App Store with up to six accounts. Have a Mac or iPad? Thanks to Continuity, you can accept iPhone calls from those devices, as well as send and receive texts. Then there's Siri, which continues to be the smartest voice-enabled assistant (although Google Now is faster).


The Galaxy S6 has several special features of its own, starting with wireless charging. The S6 supports both the Qi and PMA standards, so you can juice it using a wireless charging pad or at businesses that support the tech. (Note that the above image shows the Galaxy S6 Edge but the S6 works with the same accessory). Want to go the wired route? Fast charging allows you to get to 50 percent battery capacity in just 30 minutes.


In addition, Samsung has improved the accuracy of its fingerprint scanner; you place your finger on the home button instead of swiping it, just like on the iPhone. Other notable Galaxy S6 features include a built-in remote control (powered by Peel) and a heart-rate monitor on the back that doubles as a shutter button for the selfie camera.
Winner: Galaxy S6.


Apple Pay and Family Sharing are compelling, but Samsung offers more features for your money.


Performance


Powered by an octa-core Exynos processor and 3GB of RAM, the Galaxy S6 is the first Samsung phone I've tested that exhibited little to no lag. In fact, the S6 closed apps a hair faster, and opened its camera quicker, than the A8-powered iPhone 6. It took both phones about the same amount of time to open the Stormblades game (8.91 seconds for the S6 versus 9.1 seconds for the iPhone 6).

On the benchmark front, the S6 smoked the iPhone 6. When running Geekbench 3, which tests multicore performance, the S6 scored 5,120, while the iPhone 6 notched just 2,931.

It was a similar story on 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited, which measures graphics performance; the S6 hit 21,193, compared to the iPhone's 16,558.


I ran another demanding graphics benchmark, GFXBench GL (version 3.1), and the S6 once again came out on top. On the T-Rex 1080p off-screen test, the Samsung delivered 57 frames per second, compared to 42.4 fps for the iPhone 6.
Winner: Galaxy S6.

Samsung's phone is simply more powerful.



Camera


Both Apple and Samsung upped their camera game for the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6. The iPhone 6 has an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, while the S6 has a 16-MP sensor with an f/1.9 aperture, which should give the Samsung an advantage in low light. It does.



Take a look at this indoor shot I took of a colorful painting. The S6's image looks brighter and crisper, while the iPhone 6 image has a yellow cast.



Outdoors, the iPhone 6 delivered more faded, but more natural, hues in a shot of a porcelain clown. (It's OK to be afraid.) However, the S6 picked up details completely missing from the iPhone 6 shot, such as the specks on his head, and it offered better contrast.



The iPhone 6 fared better in a photo of my two dogs sitting on the stairs with a decent amount of ambient light. It offered better white balance and slightly better contrast.



The iPhone 6 also delivered more accurate color in a shot of a bouquet of decorative flowers. It turned out pink, which is what it's supposed to be, versus more violet/purple for the Galaxy S6. But with the S6, you can zoom in more and make out more detail in the vase and (fake) petals.



My final test for the back cameras was a tree in front of a building. The S6 offered way more detail, especially in the trunk and surrounding stone wall. See the stone wall: The Samsung shot has a "whiter" (bluer) white and more vibrant-looking grass.



If you're a selfie fan, you'll probably like the S6 more than the iPhone 6. It has a sharper 5-MP front shooter that sports a wide-angle lens. This allowed me to easily capture a photo of my two co-workers and me, with plenty of room to see the environment. The iPhone 6's 2-MP front cam captured warmer tones, but its shot looked a little fuzzy compared to the S6's image.
Winner: Galaxy S6.

Although Samsung's camera sometimes oversaturates colors, its photos are sharper and offer more contrast.

Apps





Even though Android now has more than 80 percent of the worldwide smartphone market share, the platform still plays second fiddle to the iPhone when it comes to getting the hottest apps first. Meerkat, Periscope, Clear, Dark Sky, Instagram's Layout and Hyperlapse apps — the list goes on and on. Android offers a lot of great apps, but iOS and the iPhone rule.


As for preloaded apps, both the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 offer health apps, but Samsung's S Health measures your heart rate, and can track your runs and your diet. Apple's Health app is more like a dashboard for other apps. Samsung's Milk Music app deserves a mention (powered by Slacker) because it's slicker than iTunes Radio.


What I don't like about the Galaxy S6 is that you have to deal with carrier-installed software, which isn't an issue for the (mostly) bloatware-free iPhone.
Winner: iPhone 6. 

Developers continue to favor Apple, which means iPhone owners get the best new apps first.

Battery Life

A part of me doesn't want to declare a winner in this category, because neither the Galaxy S6 nor iPhone 6 offer great endurance. On our battery test, which involves continuous Web surfing over 4G LTE at 150 nits of screen brightness, the Galaxy S6 (on T-Mobile) lasted 8 hours and 32 minutes.

That's more than a full hour longer than the iPhone 6 (7:27 on Verizon), but it's only a couple of minutes longer than the category average of 8:22. The older Galaxy S5 lasted more than 10 hours on T-Mobile's network, which makes me wonder how much power the quad-HD display drains.
Winner: Galaxy S6.


I'll take an extra hour of juice.

Overall Winner


If you're in the market for a smartphone, the choice is clear. The Galaxy S6 wins this contest by a fairly wide margin, at 7 rounds to 3. With the Samsung phone, you get a bigger and better display, faster performance and a sharper camera that performs better in low light, all wrapped up in a design that's even sexier than the iPhone 6.


The iPhone 6 is easier to use and offers better audio quality, but the biggest advantage Apple has over Samsung is the app gap that persists between Android and iOS (not in terms of number, but quality). Overall, though, the Galaxy S6 is the superior smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy S6 vs Apple iPhone 6: Smartphone Face-off




The iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 basically have two things in common: They're the smartphone measuring sticks for the rest of the industry, and they represent a fairly big departure from their predecessors. The iPhone 6 finally gives Apple fans a bigger 4.7-inch display, as well as new capabilities, such as Apple Pay. For Samsung, the Galaxy S6 represents a fresh start for the brand, with an all-new, glass-and-metal design (no more plastic!).


But Apple's and Samsung's flagships are totally different in most other ways, from processing power and screen quality to cameras, interface and battery life. I put the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 through nine rounds of handset-to-handset combat to name a winner.
Design


Credit: Jeremy Lips / Tom's GuideDesign has always been a hallmark of the iPhone, and the iPhone 6 maintains that tradition. Made of anodized aluminum, stainless steel and glass, the latest iPhone has rounded edges and a smooth but sturdy body. It's almost too smooth, though, making it feel somewhat slippery. But I do like the way the glass display curves to meet the rest of the chassis, which gives the design a unified aesthetic.





The Galaxy S6 is iPhone-like in some ways, especially the aluminum bottom edge, but I prefer the overall look and feel of Samsung's phone. On the black model, for instance, the Gorilla Glass 4 back appears to change from black to blue depending on how you hold it. There's also a white-and-gold model of the S6, whereas the iPhone 6 comes in either gold, silver or space gray.



Measuring 0.27 inches thick and weighing 4.9 ounces, the Galaxy S6 is about the same thickness but slightly heavier than the 4.6-ounce iPhone 6, but the S6 is remarkably light and thin, given that it has a bigger 5.1-inch screen. However, the S6 has a bigger bump for its camera on the back.
Winner: Galaxy S6.


Sure, Samsung takes some visual cues from Apple, but the combination of glass and metal on the S6 is simply more exciting than the iPhone's design.


Display



This round is not close. Yes, the iPhone 6 has a bright display that's bigger than before (4.7 inches versus 4 inches), but the Galaxy S6's larger, 5.1-inch Super AMOLED panel runs circles around Apple's screen. For starters, you get much higher resolution from Samsung, at 2560 x 1440 pixels, compared to the iPhone 6's 1334 x 750 pixels.


Just as important, photos and videos just look better on the S6, as evidenced by our side-by-side comparison of The Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer. The S6 shows more contrast and detail, especially in Robert Downey Jr.'s face. The iPhone 6 delivers more natural-looking color, but I prefer the more saturated hues from the S6, as well as the superior black levels.
Winner: Galaxy S6.

Audio



For the Galaxy S6, Samsung moved the speaker to the bottom of the device (the S5's speaker was on the back of the device), and the result is louder, but not necessarily cleaner, audio. The S6 sounded more boisterous when I blasted Caesars' "Jerk It Out." However, the iPhone sounded balanced, with more of a bottom end; the same track on the S6 was harsh.
Winner: iPhone 6


The iPhone 6's audio just sounds better.


Interface



Apple's iOS 8 is supereasy to use and even more flexible. For instance, you can finally swap out the default keyboard for a downloaded one, and there are photo extension apps to help you get more out of the camera. Double tapping the home button provides instant access to your favorite contacts, and swiping down on the display while on the home screen launches the excellent Spotlight search feature for finding apps. But now, Spotlight is smart enough to also include relevant results from Wikipedia, Maps and various news sites.


However, the iPhone's Today screen, which includes Notifications in a separate tab, wastes a lot of space compared to the Galaxy S6's notification drawer. In fact, you can access quick settings and notifications all in one place. On the iPhone, you need to swipe up from the bottom of the display to access settings shortcuts, and there are fewer shortcuts.


in other ways, Samsung has streamlined its TouchWiz interface (which runs on top of Android 5.0) and made it more user-friendly. From the home screen to the settings menu, there's less clutter than before. Samsung also provides a better built-in keyboard, complete with a number row, and you can run two apps side by side. Plus, you can download custom themes that let you customize the look and feel of the phone.
Winner: Tie.


The iPhone's ease of use is matched by the Galaxy S6's easier-to-access settings and flexibility.

Features


Samsung promises to launch its own mobile payment solution this summer, but in the meantime, Apple is off to a huge head start with Apple Pay. With NFC technology and the Touch ID sensor, you can use the iPhone 6 as a wallet in more than 700,000 locations. Samsung Pay has the potential to work in more places because it supports both NFC and magnetic secure transmissions, but we'll have to wait and see how well it works.


Another unique benefit of the iPhone 6 is Family Sharing, which allows you to share purchases from iTunes, iBooks and the App Store with up to six accounts. Have a Mac or iPad? Thanks to Continuity, you can accept iPhone calls from those devices, as well as send and receive texts. Then there's Siri, which continues to be the smartest voice-enabled assistant (although Google Now is faster).


The Galaxy S6 has several special features of its own, starting with wireless charging. The S6 supports both the Qi and PMA standards, so you can juice it using a wireless charging pad or at businesses that support the tech. (Note that the above image shows the Galaxy S6 Edge but the S6 works with the same accessory). Want to go the wired route? Fast charging allows you to get to 50 percent battery capacity in just 30 minutes.


In addition, Samsung has improved the accuracy of its fingerprint scanner; you place your finger on the home button instead of swiping it, just like on the iPhone. Other notable Galaxy S6 features include a built-in remote control (powered by Peel) and a heart-rate monitor on the back that doubles as a shutter button for the selfie camera.
Winner: Galaxy S6.


Apple Pay and Family Sharing are compelling, but Samsung offers more features for your money.


Performance


Powered by an octa-core Exynos processor and 3GB of RAM, the Galaxy S6 is the first Samsung phone I've tested that exhibited little to no lag. In fact, the S6 closed apps a hair faster, and opened its camera quicker, than the A8-powered iPhone 6. It took both phones about the same amount of time to open the Stormblades game (8.91 seconds for the S6 versus 9.1 seconds for the iPhone 6).

On the benchmark front, the S6 smoked the iPhone 6. When running Geekbench 3, which tests multicore performance, the S6 scored 5,120, while the iPhone 6 notched just 2,931.

It was a similar story on 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited, which measures graphics performance; the S6 hit 21,193, compared to the iPhone's 16,558.


I ran another demanding graphics benchmark, GFXBench GL (version 3.1), and the S6 once again came out on top. On the T-Rex 1080p off-screen test, the Samsung delivered 57 frames per second, compared to 42.4 fps for the iPhone 6.
Winner: Galaxy S6.

Samsung's phone is simply more powerful.



Camera


Both Apple and Samsung upped their camera game for the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6. The iPhone 6 has an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, while the S6 has a 16-MP sensor with an f/1.9 aperture, which should give the Samsung an advantage in low light. It does.



Take a look at this indoor shot I took of a colorful painting. The S6's image looks brighter and crisper, while the iPhone 6 image has a yellow cast.



Outdoors, the iPhone 6 delivered more faded, but more natural, hues in a shot of a porcelain clown. (It's OK to be afraid.) However, the S6 picked up details completely missing from the iPhone 6 shot, such as the specks on his head, and it offered better contrast.



The iPhone 6 fared better in a photo of my two dogs sitting on the stairs with a decent amount of ambient light. It offered better white balance and slightly better contrast.



The iPhone 6 also delivered more accurate color in a shot of a bouquet of decorative flowers. It turned out pink, which is what it's supposed to be, versus more violet/purple for the Galaxy S6. But with the S6, you can zoom in more and make out more detail in the vase and (fake) petals.



My final test for the back cameras was a tree in front of a building. The S6 offered way more detail, especially in the trunk and surrounding stone wall. See the stone wall: The Samsung shot has a "whiter" (bluer) white and more vibrant-looking grass.



If you're a selfie fan, you'll probably like the S6 more than the iPhone 6. It has a sharper 5-MP front shooter that sports a wide-angle lens. This allowed me to easily capture a photo of my two co-workers and me, with plenty of room to see the environment. The iPhone 6's 2-MP front cam captured warmer tones, but its shot looked a little fuzzy compared to the S6's image.
Winner: Galaxy S6.

Although Samsung's camera sometimes oversaturates colors, its photos are sharper and offer more contrast.

Apps





Even though Android now has more than 80 percent of the worldwide smartphone market share, the platform still plays second fiddle to the iPhone when it comes to getting the hottest apps first. Meerkat, Periscope, Clear, Dark Sky, Instagram's Layout and Hyperlapse apps — the list goes on and on. Android offers a lot of great apps, but iOS and the iPhone rule.


As for preloaded apps, both the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 offer health apps, but Samsung's S Health measures your heart rate, and can track your runs and your diet. Apple's Health app is more like a dashboard for other apps. Samsung's Milk Music app deserves a mention (powered by Slacker) because it's slicker than iTunes Radio.


What I don't like about the Galaxy S6 is that you have to deal with carrier-installed software, which isn't an issue for the (mostly) bloatware-free iPhone.
Winner: iPhone 6. 

Developers continue to favor Apple, which means iPhone owners get the best new apps first.

Battery Life

A part of me doesn't want to declare a winner in this category, because neither the Galaxy S6 nor iPhone 6 offer great endurance. On our battery test, which involves continuous Web surfing over 4G LTE at 150 nits of screen brightness, the Galaxy S6 (on T-Mobile) lasted 8 hours and 32 minutes.

That's more than a full hour longer than the iPhone 6 (7:27 on Verizon), but it's only a couple of minutes longer than the category average of 8:22. The older Galaxy S5 lasted more than 10 hours on T-Mobile's network, which makes me wonder how much power the quad-HD display drains.
Winner: Galaxy S6.


I'll take an extra hour of juice.

Overall Winner


If you're in the market for a smartphone, the choice is clear. The Galaxy S6 wins this contest by a fairly wide margin, at 7 rounds to 3. With the Samsung phone, you get a bigger and better display, faster performance and a sharper camera that performs better in low light, all wrapped up in a design that's even sexier than the iPhone 6.


The iPhone 6 is easier to use and offers better audio quality, but the biggest advantage Apple has over Samsung is the app gap that persists between Android and iOS (not in terms of number, but quality). Overall, though, the Galaxy S6 is the superior smartphone.

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Posted at 12:07 AM |  by Unknown




The next iPhone's camera could rival your DSLR, thanks to a new acquisition made by Apple. The Cupertino, Calif., hardware giant has acquired LinX, a company that specializes in making powerful, small camera modules, for an estimated $20 million.

LinX creates smartphone and tablet cameras that are designed to offer rich color fidelity, strong low light performance and low shutter lag. The company's camera can also track depth, allowing for features such as post-shot refocusing and 3D modeling.

It's not surprising that Apple is looking to stay on top of the smartphone camera game. According to data from Flickr, the iPhone is the most used-camera on the image-sharing site, beating out dedicated cameras from companies such as Canon and Nikon. The new Samsung Galaxy S6'sexcellent 16-megapixel camera is one of the best we've seen on any smartphone, giving Apple all the more reason to beef up its camera offerings for future devices.

An improved camera is one of several new features expected to come to the next iPhone, which could arrive in iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and 6 mini variations. Apple's next generation of handsets is rumored to tout the haptic Force Touch technology found in the new MacBook, as well as more RAM for faster performance. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to run on new Apple A9 processors, while the more affordable 6 mini may feature the current A8 chip.

While we likely won't be seeing new iPhones until September, it shouldn't be long before we see what software the new phones are going to run. Apple is expected to showcase iOS 9 at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June, so stay tuned for the news out of Cupertino, Calif., as it unfolds.

Apple Acquisition May Give Next iPhone DSLR-Like Camera





The next iPhone's camera could rival your DSLR, thanks to a new acquisition made by Apple. The Cupertino, Calif., hardware giant has acquired LinX, a company that specializes in making powerful, small camera modules, for an estimated $20 million.

LinX creates smartphone and tablet cameras that are designed to offer rich color fidelity, strong low light performance and low shutter lag. The company's camera can also track depth, allowing for features such as post-shot refocusing and 3D modeling.

It's not surprising that Apple is looking to stay on top of the smartphone camera game. According to data from Flickr, the iPhone is the most used-camera on the image-sharing site, beating out dedicated cameras from companies such as Canon and Nikon. The new Samsung Galaxy S6'sexcellent 16-megapixel camera is one of the best we've seen on any smartphone, giving Apple all the more reason to beef up its camera offerings for future devices.

An improved camera is one of several new features expected to come to the next iPhone, which could arrive in iPhone 6s, 6s Plus and 6 mini variations. Apple's next generation of handsets is rumored to tout the haptic Force Touch technology found in the new MacBook, as well as more RAM for faster performance. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are expected to run on new Apple A9 processors, while the more affordable 6 mini may feature the current A8 chip.

While we likely won't be seeing new iPhones until September, it shouldn't be long before we see what software the new phones are going to run. Apple is expected to showcase iOS 9 at its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference in June, so stay tuned for the news out of Cupertino, Calif., as it unfolds.

No comments
Posted at 12:02 AM |  by Unknown


It feels like I'm holding a piece of the future – as if someone sliced me off a piece of a Daft Punk helmet and put it in my hands. And that's exactly the vibe Samsung is going for with the Galaxy S6 Edge, which makes a clean break from the brand’s plasticky past.

With its glass-and-aluminum body and curved, dual-edge display (a first for smartphones), the S6 Edge is easily the sexiest smartphone yet. But given that the regular S6 has all of the same features - including a powerful octa-core processor, quicker and brighter camera and sharp quad HD screen - are those curves enough to justify the $100 premium over the regular S6 and other flagship phones?
THE GOOD
iPhone-Beating Design

Most people don't believe me when I tell them that the Galaxy S6 Edge looks better than the iPhone. And this is coming from a long-time, card-carrying iPhone snob.

Samsung has delivered a complete redesign, starting with strong Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back. The frame of the phone uses aluminum, complete with a bottom that resembles the iPhone 6. The result is a handset that's as sturdy as it is alluring.


The S6 Edge comes in Black Sapphire, White Pearl and Gold Platinum. I love the way the black model plays with light so that it looks blue depending on how it's being held. The white version did a much better job resisting fingerprints, but it also looks boring. Having a curved display on both sides makes the S6 Edge sleeker, but there's not a ton you can do with it (see below).

Measuring just 0.26 inches thick and weighing 4.7 ounces, the S6 Edge is thinner and lighter than the regular S6 (0.28 inches, 4.9 ounces) and slightly thinner and a bit heavier than the iPhone 6 (0.27 inches, 4.6 ounces), which has a smaller screen. HTC’s One M9 weighs a hefty 5.5 ounces.

I do have some complaints about the design. At first it felt almost too narrow in my hand while typing; it could be easier to grip. And you need to be careful not to accidentally activate something on screen when you pick up the phone or when you're passing it to someone else to show off a photo or video. That's the cost of having almost all screen up front.
Finally, A Camera That Cures Apple Envy

You don't even have to think about it. A double tap of the Home button is all it takes to launch the S6 Edge’s beefed-up camera. It didn't save me a ton of time versus swiping up on the iPhone 6's home screen (1.5 versus 2 seconds) but I appreciated the convenience.

Although the S6 Edge's back camera has the same 16-megapixel resolution as the S5, Samsung has made some major upgrades. The f/1.9 aperture lets in considerably more light than its predecessor, as well as the iPhone 6 (f/2.2).



In side-by-side shots versus the iPhone 6 Plus, the S6 Edge delivered better sharpness, color saturation and contrast in some shots. Take this photo of a bunch of flowers. The S6 Edge manages to bring out fine shading in the petals, while the iPhone's shot has a hazier look.

Indoors without much light, a portrait of my co-worker Valentina offers more detail - especially in her scarf - as well as better color.



One of the highlight features of the S6 Edge's camera is the tracking autofocus, which lets you keep a moving subject in focus. I just tapped on a moving van and a yellow square appeared on the live view, following it as I continued to hold down the shutter. Surprisingly, all but one of the 11 shots had the writing on the van door in focus.



Samsung has streamlined the number of camera modes available, giving you eight out of the box.

These include selective focus, slow motion, fast motion and panorama. If you want other options - like Sports Shot and Sound & Shot - you'll have to download them.
Sharper, More Group-Friendly Selfies

Samsung deserves kudos for the 5-MP front camera on this S6 Edge (up from 2 MP). Its 120-degree, wide-angle lens let me capture three people at once much easier than with the iPhone 6's front shooter. I could have fit a couple more folks in the frame. I noticed some noise in the photo when I viewed it on my desktop, but overall, the S6 Edge delivered warm colors and a good amount of detail.



If you want to freak out your friends - in a good way - try the Virtual Shot mode. It stitches together a short 360-degree tour of you and your surroundings that you can then share with friends as a video.

On your device, or another Galaxy S6, you can swipe left or right on the screen to spin the image around. Virtual Shot mode also works with the back camera if you want to give a 3D tour of an object.
Best Quad HD Display, Louder Audio

No, there's not much content that takes advantage of 2560 x 1440 pixels on a phone, but there’s no denying that the 5.1-inch quad HD Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy S6 is the most luscious yet. Text in websites and notifications look as sharp as what I'm used to seeing on the printed page.


Credit: Cherlynn LowWhen watching The Age of Ultron trailer at 1440p, I could make out nearly every vein in the Hulk's green neck, as well the patches of soot and dirt all over his battle-worn torso. This panel is certainly colorful and bright, delivering 150 percent of the sRGB color gamut and an impressive 536 nits of brightness. That's above the category average but below the iPhone 6­.

During the trailer I had to turn the thumping soundtrack down so as not to disturb my colleagues. According to Samsung, the bottom-mounted speaker gets 1.5 times louder than the S5, and I believe it. Repositioning the speaker from the back was a smart move, because it doesn't get muffled when placed on a table. When I played Muse's "Starlight" on Spotify, the S6 got louder but sounded harsh at max volume; the iPhone 6 sounded a little fuller.
Fastest Phone Yet

Samsung dumped Qualcomm's Snapdragon CPU in favor of its own octa-core, 14 nanometer Exynos processor for the Galaxy S6 Edge. That chip gets paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of UFS 2.0 flash storage. In everyday use, I noticed little to no lag with this phone, although I could do without the animated transitions.

The S6 Edge took only 2 minutes and 25 seconds to transcode an HD video to 480p in the Vidtrim app. That's about 2 minutes faster than the Snapdragon 805-powered Galaxy Note 4. By comparison, the Snapdragon 810-powered HTC One M9 took a leisurely 4:44.

On Geekbench, which measures overall performance, the S6 Edge notched 5,335. That smokes the iPhone 6's mark of 2,931 and the Galaxy Note 4 (3,124). The HTC One M9 also trailed the Samsung with a score of 3,818. For those scoring at home, the Dell XPS 13 -- a Core i5 laptop -- hit 5,530.

The S6 Edge also excelled on 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited, which measures graphics performance. It scored 21,193, compared with 16,558 for the iPhone 6 and 20,126 for the Galaxy Note 4. However, the HTC One M9 finished with a stronger 22,804.

We then tried the demanding GFXBench 3.1 OpenGL graphics test. On the T-Rex portion (1080 offscreen) of this benchmark, which renders a 3D scene with highly detailed textures, the S6 Edge scored 50 frames per second versus 48 fps for the HTC One M9 and 42.4 fps for the iPhone 6.
A Softer, Cuddlier TouchWiz

Like a hoarder that promises to clean up its act, Samsung has been reducing the clutter with each iteration of its TouchWiz software. With the S6 Edge, the company says that TouchWiz has 40 percent less built-in features and steps for doing things than previous models, such as making menu selections. The settings menu is definitely more intuitive and less onerous than before, thanks to some Quick Settings shortcuts up top for things like Sounds and Notifications and the Display and Edge Screen.


Credit: Cherlynn LowOverall, TouchWiz looks and feels friendlier than on the S5. For example, the Calendar icon is no longer just a flat white box with a number on it; now you can see a little fold in the middle (like a real desk calendar). And all the icons have rounded, not sharp, edges.

Of course, Samsung can’t help but add new features here and there; for instance, swiping down with two fingers on an email message lets you reply all, set a reminder or delete.
Improved Fingerprint Scanner

No more swiping! Samsung ditched the finicky fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S5 in favor of one you just tap on the S6 Edge. Not only is this implementation as easy to use as the iPhone 6, I encountered fewer false negatives.

Eventually, the fingerprint sensor may also be used for mobile payments, but for now the only other uses are signing into websites and into your Samsung account.
THE BAD
Edge Screen Doesn't Do Enough

As slick as the dual curved-edge display looks on the Edge 6, there's not much you can do with it. Swiping in from the right side of the screen launches People Edge, which lets you quickly access your favorite contacts - each marked with a distinctive color. Note that you can move the edge screen to the left or right side.



If you happen to have the phone turned face down on a table, the edge display will glow that hue when that person calls. Neat. There's even a quick-reply option, which enabled me to send a canned message to an incoming caller by placing my hand on the heart rate sensor.

Unfortunately, Samsung limited access to People Edge to the lock screen and home screens. I’d like to access the feature from within apps as well.

With the display turned off, you can glance at various tickers for notifications, news, stocks and sports, but there's really no reason to versus enjoying the full phone experience. The only thing I'd use with the display off is the clock mode, which was dim enough not to wake me.


The Galaxy Note Edge does more with its edge display, including offering instant access to your favorite apps and a dedicated app store. I wish the S6 Edge did at least the former.
Shorter Battery Life Than Predecessor

First, the good news. The Galaxy S6 Edge comes with a charger that juices the phone up to 50 percent in 30 minutes. Hate wires? The phone supports both the Qi and PMA standard, which means you can use any number of wireless charging pads. Plus, businesses such as Starbucks and McDonalds are starting to offer wireless charging stations. Even IKEA is getting into the act, with Qi-enabled furniture. However, there's no denying the S6 Edge suffers from shorter battery life than the S5.

On our battery test, which involves continuous 4G LTE Web surfing on 150 nits of screen brightness, the S6 Edge lasted 8 hours and 57 minutes. That runtime is better than the smartphone average of 8:22 and trounces is the HTC One M9 (7:14) but a full 2 hours behind the S5.

At least the 2,600 mAh battery gives you more capacity and endurance than the 2,550 mAh battery on the regular S6, which lasted 8:32.
Lacks Removable Battery, microSD

I’m not that bothered by these omissions, but a lot of people are. Up until now, the Galaxy S line has sported a removable back, allowing you to replace the battery or add a higher capacity pack. You've also been able to add a microSD card to expand the storage. To create a slimmer package, Samsung opted for a sealed design that eschews these features.

Given that the S6 Edge starts with 32GB of memory now, the lack of expandable memory is less of an issue, but HTC includes a microSD card slot on its One M9. The Galaxy Note 4 offers both a removable battery and a microSD.
Some Bloatware on Board (But Some Good Stuff)

Samsung may have caught up Apple in the design and camera departments, but you still have to deal with carrier bloatware and other apps that may have zero value. There's a whole T-Mobile folder of stuff you don't really need, including Name ID, TV and Visual Voicemail. However, I would probably use My Account and Mobile Hotspot.


Other bundled third-party fare includes a suite of Microsoft apps (OneDrive, OneNote and Skype), Amazon (did you know there was one?!) and Lookout for security.

Samsung includes some of its own wares, such as S Health for keeping tabs on your fitness and heart rate, Smart Manager (which monitors battery, storage, RAM and security), the cool Milk music app (powered by Slacker).
Samsung Pay Not Ready

The Galaxy S6 Edge will let you make mobile payments via the Samsung Pay service, promising a wider array of retailer options when it goes live this summer. That's because it will leverage both magnetic secure transmission technology and NFC. However, it remains to be seen how easy this service will be to use.
BOTTOM LINE

The Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 are practically identical. They share the same speedy octa-core Samsung Exynos processor, sharp 5.1-inch quad HD screen, faster and brighter camera and built-in wireless charging -- all wrapped up in premium glass-and-metal bodies. They're also both missing the same features versus the S5, including a microSD Card slot and a removable battery. However, the curved screen makes a more stunning impression. It's just too bad that Samsung couldn't find more to do with it, like the Galaxy Note Edge.


Credit: Jeremy Lips / Tom's GuideStill, the Edge lasts longer on a charge, and to me the regular S6 reminds me too much of the iPhone 6. Priced $100 higher, the S6 Edge isn't the better value. But it's the one I’d buy. If you prefer a phablet, the Note 4 gives you a bigger screen, longer battery life and a built-in pen. The HTC One M9 is another fairly strong competitor, but it's heavier than the S6 Edge, has a lower-res display, and its camera has received a lukewarm reception.

It's a tougher call between the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. For the same $299, you could get an iPhone 6 with 64GB of memory (versus 32GB for the Samsung), a great camera and access to the hottest apps first. But if you're an Android fan, the S6 Edge is the sexiest and fastest smartphone available.

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Review: Killer Curves



It feels like I'm holding a piece of the future – as if someone sliced me off a piece of a Daft Punk helmet and put it in my hands. And that's exactly the vibe Samsung is going for with the Galaxy S6 Edge, which makes a clean break from the brand’s plasticky past.

With its glass-and-aluminum body and curved, dual-edge display (a first for smartphones), the S6 Edge is easily the sexiest smartphone yet. But given that the regular S6 has all of the same features - including a powerful octa-core processor, quicker and brighter camera and sharp quad HD screen - are those curves enough to justify the $100 premium over the regular S6 and other flagship phones?
THE GOOD
iPhone-Beating Design

Most people don't believe me when I tell them that the Galaxy S6 Edge looks better than the iPhone. And this is coming from a long-time, card-carrying iPhone snob.

Samsung has delivered a complete redesign, starting with strong Gorilla Glass 4 on the front and back. The frame of the phone uses aluminum, complete with a bottom that resembles the iPhone 6. The result is a handset that's as sturdy as it is alluring.


The S6 Edge comes in Black Sapphire, White Pearl and Gold Platinum. I love the way the black model plays with light so that it looks blue depending on how it's being held. The white version did a much better job resisting fingerprints, but it also looks boring. Having a curved display on both sides makes the S6 Edge sleeker, but there's not a ton you can do with it (see below).

Measuring just 0.26 inches thick and weighing 4.7 ounces, the S6 Edge is thinner and lighter than the regular S6 (0.28 inches, 4.9 ounces) and slightly thinner and a bit heavier than the iPhone 6 (0.27 inches, 4.6 ounces), which has a smaller screen. HTC’s One M9 weighs a hefty 5.5 ounces.

I do have some complaints about the design. At first it felt almost too narrow in my hand while typing; it could be easier to grip. And you need to be careful not to accidentally activate something on screen when you pick up the phone or when you're passing it to someone else to show off a photo or video. That's the cost of having almost all screen up front.
Finally, A Camera That Cures Apple Envy

You don't even have to think about it. A double tap of the Home button is all it takes to launch the S6 Edge’s beefed-up camera. It didn't save me a ton of time versus swiping up on the iPhone 6's home screen (1.5 versus 2 seconds) but I appreciated the convenience.

Although the S6 Edge's back camera has the same 16-megapixel resolution as the S5, Samsung has made some major upgrades. The f/1.9 aperture lets in considerably more light than its predecessor, as well as the iPhone 6 (f/2.2).



In side-by-side shots versus the iPhone 6 Plus, the S6 Edge delivered better sharpness, color saturation and contrast in some shots. Take this photo of a bunch of flowers. The S6 Edge manages to bring out fine shading in the petals, while the iPhone's shot has a hazier look.

Indoors without much light, a portrait of my co-worker Valentina offers more detail - especially in her scarf - as well as better color.



One of the highlight features of the S6 Edge's camera is the tracking autofocus, which lets you keep a moving subject in focus. I just tapped on a moving van and a yellow square appeared on the live view, following it as I continued to hold down the shutter. Surprisingly, all but one of the 11 shots had the writing on the van door in focus.



Samsung has streamlined the number of camera modes available, giving you eight out of the box.

These include selective focus, slow motion, fast motion and panorama. If you want other options - like Sports Shot and Sound & Shot - you'll have to download them.
Sharper, More Group-Friendly Selfies

Samsung deserves kudos for the 5-MP front camera on this S6 Edge (up from 2 MP). Its 120-degree, wide-angle lens let me capture three people at once much easier than with the iPhone 6's front shooter. I could have fit a couple more folks in the frame. I noticed some noise in the photo when I viewed it on my desktop, but overall, the S6 Edge delivered warm colors and a good amount of detail.



If you want to freak out your friends - in a good way - try the Virtual Shot mode. It stitches together a short 360-degree tour of you and your surroundings that you can then share with friends as a video.

On your device, or another Galaxy S6, you can swipe left or right on the screen to spin the image around. Virtual Shot mode also works with the back camera if you want to give a 3D tour of an object.
Best Quad HD Display, Louder Audio

No, there's not much content that takes advantage of 2560 x 1440 pixels on a phone, but there’s no denying that the 5.1-inch quad HD Super AMOLED display on the Galaxy S6 is the most luscious yet. Text in websites and notifications look as sharp as what I'm used to seeing on the printed page.


Credit: Cherlynn LowWhen watching The Age of Ultron trailer at 1440p, I could make out nearly every vein in the Hulk's green neck, as well the patches of soot and dirt all over his battle-worn torso. This panel is certainly colorful and bright, delivering 150 percent of the sRGB color gamut and an impressive 536 nits of brightness. That's above the category average but below the iPhone 6­.

During the trailer I had to turn the thumping soundtrack down so as not to disturb my colleagues. According to Samsung, the bottom-mounted speaker gets 1.5 times louder than the S5, and I believe it. Repositioning the speaker from the back was a smart move, because it doesn't get muffled when placed on a table. When I played Muse's "Starlight" on Spotify, the S6 got louder but sounded harsh at max volume; the iPhone 6 sounded a little fuller.
Fastest Phone Yet

Samsung dumped Qualcomm's Snapdragon CPU in favor of its own octa-core, 14 nanometer Exynos processor for the Galaxy S6 Edge. That chip gets paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of UFS 2.0 flash storage. In everyday use, I noticed little to no lag with this phone, although I could do without the animated transitions.

The S6 Edge took only 2 minutes and 25 seconds to transcode an HD video to 480p in the Vidtrim app. That's about 2 minutes faster than the Snapdragon 805-powered Galaxy Note 4. By comparison, the Snapdragon 810-powered HTC One M9 took a leisurely 4:44.

On Geekbench, which measures overall performance, the S6 Edge notched 5,335. That smokes the iPhone 6's mark of 2,931 and the Galaxy Note 4 (3,124). The HTC One M9 also trailed the Samsung with a score of 3,818. For those scoring at home, the Dell XPS 13 -- a Core i5 laptop -- hit 5,530.

The S6 Edge also excelled on 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited, which measures graphics performance. It scored 21,193, compared with 16,558 for the iPhone 6 and 20,126 for the Galaxy Note 4. However, the HTC One M9 finished with a stronger 22,804.

We then tried the demanding GFXBench 3.1 OpenGL graphics test. On the T-Rex portion (1080 offscreen) of this benchmark, which renders a 3D scene with highly detailed textures, the S6 Edge scored 50 frames per second versus 48 fps for the HTC One M9 and 42.4 fps for the iPhone 6.
A Softer, Cuddlier TouchWiz

Like a hoarder that promises to clean up its act, Samsung has been reducing the clutter with each iteration of its TouchWiz software. With the S6 Edge, the company says that TouchWiz has 40 percent less built-in features and steps for doing things than previous models, such as making menu selections. The settings menu is definitely more intuitive and less onerous than before, thanks to some Quick Settings shortcuts up top for things like Sounds and Notifications and the Display and Edge Screen.


Credit: Cherlynn LowOverall, TouchWiz looks and feels friendlier than on the S5. For example, the Calendar icon is no longer just a flat white box with a number on it; now you can see a little fold in the middle (like a real desk calendar). And all the icons have rounded, not sharp, edges.

Of course, Samsung can’t help but add new features here and there; for instance, swiping down with two fingers on an email message lets you reply all, set a reminder or delete.
Improved Fingerprint Scanner

No more swiping! Samsung ditched the finicky fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S5 in favor of one you just tap on the S6 Edge. Not only is this implementation as easy to use as the iPhone 6, I encountered fewer false negatives.

Eventually, the fingerprint sensor may also be used for mobile payments, but for now the only other uses are signing into websites and into your Samsung account.
THE BAD
Edge Screen Doesn't Do Enough

As slick as the dual curved-edge display looks on the Edge 6, there's not much you can do with it. Swiping in from the right side of the screen launches People Edge, which lets you quickly access your favorite contacts - each marked with a distinctive color. Note that you can move the edge screen to the left or right side.



If you happen to have the phone turned face down on a table, the edge display will glow that hue when that person calls. Neat. There's even a quick-reply option, which enabled me to send a canned message to an incoming caller by placing my hand on the heart rate sensor.

Unfortunately, Samsung limited access to People Edge to the lock screen and home screens. I’d like to access the feature from within apps as well.

With the display turned off, you can glance at various tickers for notifications, news, stocks and sports, but there's really no reason to versus enjoying the full phone experience. The only thing I'd use with the display off is the clock mode, which was dim enough not to wake me.


The Galaxy Note Edge does more with its edge display, including offering instant access to your favorite apps and a dedicated app store. I wish the S6 Edge did at least the former.
Shorter Battery Life Than Predecessor

First, the good news. The Galaxy S6 Edge comes with a charger that juices the phone up to 50 percent in 30 minutes. Hate wires? The phone supports both the Qi and PMA standard, which means you can use any number of wireless charging pads. Plus, businesses such as Starbucks and McDonalds are starting to offer wireless charging stations. Even IKEA is getting into the act, with Qi-enabled furniture. However, there's no denying the S6 Edge suffers from shorter battery life than the S5.

On our battery test, which involves continuous 4G LTE Web surfing on 150 nits of screen brightness, the S6 Edge lasted 8 hours and 57 minutes. That runtime is better than the smartphone average of 8:22 and trounces is the HTC One M9 (7:14) but a full 2 hours behind the S5.

At least the 2,600 mAh battery gives you more capacity and endurance than the 2,550 mAh battery on the regular S6, which lasted 8:32.
Lacks Removable Battery, microSD

I’m not that bothered by these omissions, but a lot of people are. Up until now, the Galaxy S line has sported a removable back, allowing you to replace the battery or add a higher capacity pack. You've also been able to add a microSD card to expand the storage. To create a slimmer package, Samsung opted for a sealed design that eschews these features.

Given that the S6 Edge starts with 32GB of memory now, the lack of expandable memory is less of an issue, but HTC includes a microSD card slot on its One M9. The Galaxy Note 4 offers both a removable battery and a microSD.
Some Bloatware on Board (But Some Good Stuff)

Samsung may have caught up Apple in the design and camera departments, but you still have to deal with carrier bloatware and other apps that may have zero value. There's a whole T-Mobile folder of stuff you don't really need, including Name ID, TV and Visual Voicemail. However, I would probably use My Account and Mobile Hotspot.


Other bundled third-party fare includes a suite of Microsoft apps (OneDrive, OneNote and Skype), Amazon (did you know there was one?!) and Lookout for security.

Samsung includes some of its own wares, such as S Health for keeping tabs on your fitness and heart rate, Smart Manager (which monitors battery, storage, RAM and security), the cool Milk music app (powered by Slacker).
Samsung Pay Not Ready

The Galaxy S6 Edge will let you make mobile payments via the Samsung Pay service, promising a wider array of retailer options when it goes live this summer. That's because it will leverage both magnetic secure transmission technology and NFC. However, it remains to be seen how easy this service will be to use.
BOTTOM LINE

The Galaxy S6 Edge and S6 are practically identical. They share the same speedy octa-core Samsung Exynos processor, sharp 5.1-inch quad HD screen, faster and brighter camera and built-in wireless charging -- all wrapped up in premium glass-and-metal bodies. They're also both missing the same features versus the S5, including a microSD Card slot and a removable battery. However, the curved screen makes a more stunning impression. It's just too bad that Samsung couldn't find more to do with it, like the Galaxy Note Edge.


Credit: Jeremy Lips / Tom's GuideStill, the Edge lasts longer on a charge, and to me the regular S6 reminds me too much of the iPhone 6. Priced $100 higher, the S6 Edge isn't the better value. But it's the one I’d buy. If you prefer a phablet, the Note 4 gives you a bigger screen, longer battery life and a built-in pen. The HTC One M9 is another fairly strong competitor, but it's heavier than the S6 Edge, has a lower-res display, and its camera has received a lukewarm reception.

It's a tougher call between the iPhone 6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. For the same $299, you could get an iPhone 6 with 64GB of memory (versus 32GB for the Samsung), a great camera and access to the hottest apps first. But if you're an Android fan, the S6 Edge is the sexiest and fastest smartphone available.

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