Moto X Pure Edition Beats Both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus In Respected Benchmark

Today sees the launch of the Moto X Pure Edition (known as the Moto X Style in the UK), the latest flagship smartphone from Motorola. Improving on last year’s Moto X, the new model features a “best in class” 21 megapixel rear-facing camera which, the company boasts, beats the iPhone 6 for quality.
Quick off the mark, testers over at DxO have already put an early review sample of the camera through their usual rigorous testing regime. With a DxOMark score of 83 points, the Moto X Pure Edition now ranks second place behind top scorer the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge in terms of overall quality, putting it just ahead of the Sony Xperia Z3 Plus and both of Apple ’s iPhone 6 (note that the LG G4 hasn’t been tested yet).

Performance breakdown

But the overall DxOMark score alone doesn’t tell the full story, first breaking the results down into photo and video categories with seven sub-tests within each category, the report reveals distinct strengths and weaknesses in a number of areas.

Photo performance

Here the Moto X Pure Edition loses out, if only by a single point, to Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus phablet. Here we an example of a 21 megapixel device being outgunned by an 8 megapixel rival, but this particular result has nothing at all to do with resolution. Instead it’s the flash performance in this case which lets the Moto X Pure Edition down. Compared to the Galaxy S6 Edge and iPhone 6 Plus, DxO noted overexposure, imaging noise (or grain) and some unwanted colour tints in the corners of the image. This is a prime example of why it’s important to look at the performance of any camera in a range of shooting situations- If you hardly use flash, the Moto X Pure Edition suddenly looks much better against the competition.

Video performance

The tables are turned, however, when it comes to video performance, with the Moto X Pure Edition coming out four points ahead of the iPhone 6 Plus and just a single point behind the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge at the top of the chart. Why? Not because of overall superior quality, but because the Moto X Pure Edition outshone the competition in the image stabilisation test where the Galaxy S6 Edge and iPhone 6 Plus proved weakest. It also excelled at exposure and contrast, where the iPhone 6 Plus fell behind both the Motorola and Samsung cameras. Weakest points for the Moto X Pure Editon proved to be autofocus where “some slow focus adjustments and occasional overshooting was observed in low light levels”. It also proved to be more susceptible to image noise, often the bugbear of high-megapixel sensors.

Moto X Pure Edition Camera key specs

In addition to the 1/2.4-inch 21 megapixel CMOS sensor, the camera features an f/2.0 lens and includes dual-LED flash. It’ll shoot video up to 4K UHD at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps with HDR video available too. The front camera, meanwhile, gets a 5 megapixel sensor and its own LED flash. Fans of Ultra-high definition video will appreciate the inclusion of a microSD card slot, allowing up to 128GB of additional storage

DxOMark test results are a good starting point when it comes to comparing camera performance, but many other factors will determine which is right for you in the field, including usability, screen quality and general responsiveness. You also need to take into account features such as 4K video which iPhones don’t currently support and any extra cropping capability the Moto X Pure Edition may gain from all those extra megapixels.

We’ll find out for sure when the phone launches later this year, but these results certainly suggest that a mid-range handset like the Moto X Pure Edition can take on the most expensive flagship smartphone cameras and come out on top. It’ll be interesting to see how well it performs against the newly announced OnePlus 2 which takes a radically different approach to the camera, but with equally promising results.

Read more ...

11:40 PM 0

The New OnePlus 2 – Ultimate First Impressions! with (VIDEO)

The new OnePlus 2 is out now for review and here are Top 5 first impressions of the new smartphone from technology blogger Marques Brownlee.
MKBHD already reviewed the camera earlier which you can view here.
OnePlus 2 First Impressions

1. Fingerprint reader
2. Battery life is “pretty good”
3. It has USB Type C
4. Thermals… No, it heats up “normally” on regular use
5. Software experience is clean

 

Rs. 24,999: I really don't need to write more, do I? Snapdragon 810: yes, I do. The OnePlus 2 is arguably the most talked-about smartphone over the past month, and dare I say, the company got the price concerns out of the way. With the 64GB version priced at Rs. 24,999 and a formidable 4GB of RAM, OnePlus wants you to multi-task as much as you want. There's also a 16GB variant with 3GB of RAM coming soon, to be priced at Rs. 22,999.
Let's get down to the brass tacks now. Is the Snapdragon 810 heating up? On first impressions, no it isn't. OnePlus has added a layer of thermal paste to keep the heating in check, and it seems to be working. The phone is recording a video at 1080p next to me for over two minutes now, and there is no abnormal heating, certainly not like the Sony Xperia Z3+. I wouldn't go as far as to say that the OnePlus 2 won't heat up, but it's a promising start. We'd like to see how our review unit performs, before giving out our final word.
- See more at: http://www.digit.in/mobile-phones/oneplus-2-first-impressions-26667.html#sthash.X3vvxjJy.dpuf

Rs. 24,999: I really don't need to write more, do I? Snapdragon 810: yes, I do. The OnePlus 2 is arguably the most talked-about smartphone over the past month, and dare I say, the company got the price concerns out of the way. With the 64GB version priced at Rs. 24,999 and a formidable 4GB of RAM, OnePlus wants you to multi-task as much as you want. There's also a 16GB variant with 3GB of RAM coming soon, to be priced at Rs. 22,999.

Let's get down to the brass tacks now. Is the Snapdragon 810 heating up? On first impressions, no it isn't. OnePlus has added a layer of thermal paste to keep the heating in check, and it seems to be working. The phone is recording a video at 1080p next to me for over two minutes now, and there is no abnormal heating, certainly not like the Sony Xperia Z3+. I wouldn't go as far as to say that the OnePlus 2 won't heat up, but it's a promising start. We'd like to see how our review unit performs, before giving out our final word.

With that done, let's get onto another crucial aspect, the camera. It's a 13MP rear snapper, which on paper is the same. This one's an Omnivision sensor though, compared to the Sony sensor in the One. While I can't, or rather won't, comment on the camera quality right now, the UI is disappointing. Why? Because it's too basic. It is much like the rest of the UI, but OnePlus says that the final build of the OS will be slightly different. I don't see a lot of change coming, though.

That said, stock is still not a bad way to go. OnePlus has added a 'Shelf' screen, which has a lot of potential. You swipe to the left-most screen to get to this and it comes up as smoothly as HTC's Blinkfeed. It's basically a part of the OS, unlike Samsung's Flipboard, which freezes the phone for a second everytime you swipe over to it. Shelf, at the moment, just shows favourite contacts and most-used apps, but there's potential for much more. With OnePlus' penchant for customisation, this, for me, is a nod from the company towards more customisation features to be brought into Oxygen OS in future.

What I would commend OnePlus for is the laser-assisted autofocus camera. It's not as fast as the LG G4, but it's still fast. You will know this if you try shooting a video with it. The camera focuses fast while you're moving around, and the video seems nice. The overall build is pretty much the same, but the phone feels just a tad more compact. It's not, in reality — OnePlus 2 has the same 5.5-inch 1080p display as the One, but the shape is just slightly different for it to fit into your hand cozily. And, like the One, it's not heavy either.

I'm not yet convinced that I want to recommend this to people, though. The Snapdragon 810 will have to do much more than shoot 1080p videos without heating, to get my approval. Moreover, the UI isn't the final build yet.

Rs. 24,999: I really don't need to write more, do I? Snapdragon 810: yes, I do. The OnePlus 2 is arguably the most talked-about smartphone over the past month, and dare I say, the company got the price concerns out of the way. With the 64GB version priced at Rs. 24,999 and a formidable 4GB of RAM, OnePlus wants you to multi-task as much as you want. There's also a 16GB variant with 3GB of RAM coming soon, to be priced at Rs. 22,999.
Let's get down to the brass tacks now. Is the Snapdragon 810 heating up? On first impressions, no it isn't. OnePlus has added a layer of thermal paste to keep the heating in check, and it seems to be working. The phone is recording a video at 1080p next to me for over two minutes now, and there is no abnormal heating, certainly not like the Sony Xperia Z3+. I wouldn't go as far as to say that the OnePlus 2 won't heat up, but it's a promising start. We'd like to see how our review unit performs, before giving out our final word.
- See more at: http://www.digit.in/mobile-phones/oneplus-2-first-impressions-26667.html#sthash.X3vvxjJy.dpuf

Rs. 24,999: I really don't need to write more, do I? Snapdragon 810: yes, I do. The OnePlus 2 is arguably the most talked-about smartphone over the past month, and dare I say, the company got the price concerns out of the way. With the 64GB version priced at Rs. 24,999 and a formidable 4GB of RAM, OnePlus wants you to multi-task as much as you want. There's also a 16GB variant with 3GB of RAM coming soon, to be priced at Rs. 22,999.
Let's get down to the brass tacks now. Is the Snapdragon 810 heating up? On first impressions, no it isn't. OnePlus has added a layer of thermal paste to keep the heating in check, and it seems to be working. The phone is recording a video at 1080p next to me for over two minutes now, and there is no abnormal heating, certainly not like the Sony Xperia Z3+. I wouldn't go as far as to say that the OnePlus 2 won't heat up, but it's a promising start. We'd like to see how our review unit performs, before giving out our final word.
- See more at: http://www.digit.in/mobile-phones/oneplus-2-first-impressions-26667.html#sthash.X3vvxjJy.dpuf

Rs. 24,999: I really don't need to write more, do I? Snapdragon 810: yes, I do. The OnePlus 2 is arguably the most talked-about smartphone over the past month, and dare I say, the company got the price concerns out of the way. With the 64GB version priced at Rs. 24,999 and a formidable 4GB of RAM, OnePlus wants you to multi-task as much as you want. There's also a 16GB variant with 3GB of RAM coming soon, to be priced at Rs. 22,999.
Let's get down to the brass tacks now. Is the Snapdragon 810 heating up? On first impressions, no it isn't. OnePlus has added a layer of thermal paste to keep the heating in check, and it seems to be working. The phone is recording a video at 1080p next to me for over two minutes now, and there is no abnormal heating, certainly not like the Sony Xperia Z3+. I wouldn't go as far as to say that the OnePlus 2 won't heat up, but it's a promising start. We'd like to see how our review unit performs, before giving out our final word.
- See more at: http://www.digit.in/mobile-phones/oneplus-2-first-impressions-26667.html#sthash.ytTUwSUC.dpuf

Read more ...

11:37 PM 0

Apple Watch to be sold at Best Buy stores from August

Best Buy is the first retailer to sell the watch outside of the Apple retail store

The Apple Watch will be available at stores of Best Buy Co Inc, the largest US consumer electronics chain, starting August 7.
Best Buy is the first retailer to sell the watch outside of the Apple retail store.

"Customers love Apple Watch, and we are thrilled to begin offering it at Best Buy," a spokeswoman for Apple Inc said in an email. The Apple Watch and Apple Watch Sport models will be sold at more than 300 Best Buy stores in time for the holiday shopping season, she said.

Best Buy said the product will also be available on its online store BestBuy.com.
"The Apple Watch is an important addition to an emerging product category, and we know our customers want it," Jason Bonfig, senior category officer, said on the website.

Apple CFO Luca Maestri told Reuters earlier this month that sales of the Apple Watch had beat the company's expectations. He said in the nine weeks since its launch in late April, the device had sold better than either iPhones or iPads over a similar period after their launch.

Read more ...

11:17 PM 1

Facebook eyes 4.5 bn users with Internet.org

Facebook's project to spread Internet access to the developing world isn't just getting older - it's also targeting new telecommunications partners in hopes of connecting more people to the Web.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/facebook-eyes-45-bn-usersinternetorg_2205741.html?utm_source=ref_article

A year after Facebook introduced Internet.org, the company is making it easier for any mobile operator to sign up to offer free Internet access to basic online services and hopes to add more 4.5 billion users.

Facebook's project to spread Internet access to the developing world isn't just getting older -it's also targeting new telecommunications partners in hopes of connecting more people to the Web.

Internet.org was first launched in Africa, but has since expanded and is now available in 17 countries - including countries with very large populations like India - spanning three continents, but only worked with select operators.

Facebook is now attempting to woo more mobile operators to join the programme, announcing a dedicated portal through which operators can sign up.

It's also courting them with statistics - like the fact that "Internet.org brings new users onto mobile networks on average over 50 per cent faster after launching free basic services, and more than half... are paying for data and accessing the Internet within the first 30 days" - suggesting that Internet.org can not only change people's lives, but improve operators' bottom lines.

To help woo those firms, Internet.org is arguing that it represents more than a tool to get the disconnected online: It's also good for the carriers' bottom lines.

In a recent blog Internet.org cites various figures designed to get network operators seeing dollar signs - or perhaps more accurately, pesos, francs and rupees - in a possible partnership with Mark Zuckerberg's initiative.

Internet.org brings new users onto mobile networks on average over 50 per cent faster after launching free basic services, and more than half of the people who come online through Internet.org are paying for data and accessing the Internet within the first 30 days.

These points show that Internet.org is not only a successful tool in helping bring people online, but it is successful in showing people the value of the Internet and helping to accelerate its adoption.
In the past month people using Internet.org accessed health services more than a million times.
For cellular carriers in developing countries, these numbers suggest the potential for rapid growth if they keep investing in their data networks and use?Internet.org as an onramp.
That could be a compelling message: No mobile Internet provider is going to sign on with Internet.org unless it thinks it'll get something out of it.

Facebook's project to spread Internet access to the developing world isn't just getting older - it's also targeting new telecommunications partners in hopes of connecting more people to the Web.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/facebook-eyes-45-bn-usersinternetorg_2205741.html?utm_source=ref_article

year after Facebook introduced Internet.org, the company is making it easier for any mobile operator to sign up to offer free Internet access to basic online services and hopes to add more 4.5 billion users. Facebook's project to spread Internet access to the developing world isn't just getting older - it's also targeting new telecommunications partners in hopes of connecting more people to the Web. Internet.org was first launched in Africa, but has since expanded and is now available in 17 countries - including countries with very large populations like India - spanning three continents, but only worked with select operators. Facebook is now attempting to woo more mobile operators to join the programme, announcing a dedicated portal through which operators can sign up.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/facebook-eyes-45-bn-usersinternetorg_2205741.html?utm_source=ref_article

Facebook's project to spread Internet access to the developing world isn't just getting older - it's also targeting new telecommunications partners in hopes of connecting more people to the Web.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/facebook-eyes-45-bn-usersinternetorg_2205741.html?utm_source=ref_article

Facebook's project to spread Internet access to the developing world isn't just getting older - it's also targeting new telecommunications partners in hopes of connecting more people to the Web.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/facebook-eyes-45-bn-usersinternetorg_2205741.html?utm_source=ref_article

Facebook's project to spread Internet access to the developing world isn't just getting older - it's also targeting new telecommunications partners in hopes of connecting more people to the Web.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/facebook-eyes-45-bn-usersinternetorg_2205741.html?utm_source=ref_article

Facebook's project to spread Internet access to the developing world isn't just getting older - it's also targeting new telecommunications partners in hopes of connecting more people to the Web.

Read more at: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/facebook-eyes-45-bn-usersinternetorg_2205741.html?utm_source=ref_article

Read more ...

11:12 PM 0

Motorola announces Moto X Style, Moto X Play

Motorola has taken the wraps off the next generation of Moto X after announcing the Moto G 3rd generation in India. The company has announced two new variants - Moto X Style and Moto X Play at a press conference in the US.

The Moto X Style features a 5.7inch QHD display with 2560×1440 pixels resolution. This will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor clocked at1.8GHz and paired with 3GB of RAM and will run on Android Lollipop 5.1.1.

This smartphone will be available in three storage capacities - 16GB/32GB/64GB  and will also support expandable memory. It will be equipped with a 21MP rear camera with dual-CCT flash and 4k video recording. It also has a 5MP wide angle front facing camera with front facing flash. It will have a 3000 mAh battery onboard and will support 4G LTE. Motorola has also added a nano coating which makes it wager repellent.

With no clear mention about the pricing of this smartphone, the company stated that the Moto X Style will be priced $200-$300 less than high-end flagships like the iPhone and Galaxy S6. It is also known as the Pure Edition in the US market.

On the other hand, the Moto X Play is a smaller version of the Moto X Style with a 5.5inch 1080p display. This one will be powered by a 1.7GHz Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor and will be paired with 2GB of RAM. This one will also run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system and will have a 3,630mAh battery onboard.

Even this one will pack a 21 MP rear camera with dual CCT flash and a 5MP front facing camera. It will be available in 16GB and 32GB internal storage capacity, which can be further expanded using a memory card slot.

Even this one comes with nano-coating. The only hint Motorola gave about the pricing of the Play is that it will be $300-$400 less than high-end flagships like the iPhone and Galaxy S6.
The company has not yet shared the details about the India launch of these two phones yet but will share news about the same sometime later this year.

Read more ...

11:09 PM 0

Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system debuts today: All you need to know

Microsoft's new Windows 10 operating system debuts today. The company is counting on tens or even hundreds of millions of people to download its latest release in the coming months.

Microsoft’s new Windows 10 operating system debuts Wednesday, as the longtime leader in PC software hopes that giving the upgrade away for free will help it carve out a new role in a world where people increasingly rely on smartphones, tablets and information stored online.

The company is counting on tens or even hundreds of millions of people to download its latest release in the coming months. Many people will also get Windows 10 as part of new PCs. The launch will be accompanied by a global marketing campaign for an event the company hopes will be pivotal — both for its own future and for a vast audience of computer users around the world.

Windows 10 is coming to PCs and tablets first, but it’s also designed to run phones, game consoles and even holographic headsets. It has new features, a streamlined Web browser called Edge and a desktop version of Cortana, the online assistant that is Microsoft’s answer to Google Now and Apple’s Siri.

Still, the company insists Windows 10 will seem familiar to users of Windows 7, the six-year-old operating system still running on most PCs. Microsoft and PC makers want to erase the memory of the last big update, 2012’s Windows 8, which alienated many with its jarring, unwieldy design.
Microsoft skipped the name Windows 9, as if to distance itself further from the last release. While many analysts believe Windows 8 made sagging PC sales even worse, it’s unclear if Windows 10 will spur the industry back to growth.

Here’s a look at the launch and why it matters:
What happens this week?
Microsoft plans promotional events in several cities Wednesday, tied to a global ad campaign and a series of charitable donations. About 5 million people who enrolled in an earlier test program will be able to download Windows 10 right away.
The company is also offering Windows 10 as a free download, any time over the next year, to anyone who has the Home or Pro versions of Windows 7 or 8 (but not the Enterprise versions used by big organizations). Some people might not get it the first day; Microsoft says it will deliver downloads in waves, to ensure things go smoothly, but it hasn’t said how long that will take. Details on how to upgrade are here: http://bit.ly/1eNCySl .

Retailers such as Best Buy, Staples and Wal-Mart will have some desktops and laptops with Windows 10 already installed. More models are coming.

Why is Microsoft giving Windows 10 for free?
The company wants to get the new software on as many devices as possible. Microsoft needs a large pool of users to convince independent programmers that it’s worth their time to build useful or entertaining apps for Windows 10 devices. Executives also believe that if people are exposed to the latest and best Windows, they’re more likely to try other Microsoft products on PCs and mobile devices.

CEO Satya Nadella says he wants to have 1 billion devices running Windows 10 in three years. Microsoft estimates there are 1.5 billion people who currently use some kind of Windows. Rather than charging them to upgrade, as Microsoft used to do, it’s embracing the free download model pioneered by Apple and Google.

How will Microsoft make money?

Microsoft will still collect licensing fees from PC makers that install Windows 10 on new machines. In recent years, most consumers have waited until they bought a new computer to get the latest Windows. Microsoft also makes money from selling Windows and other software to large businesses and organizations.

In addition, Microsoft is counting on Windows 10 to spur more use of other services. Microsoft makes money from selling advertising for its Bing search engine, and Windows 10 comes with many apps that steer people to Bing. The company also collects fees from people who use premium versions of its Office software, OneDrive cloud storage and Skype.

Why does this matter to consumers?

Microsoft says Windows 10 is designed for the way people use computers today — with a faster Web browser and features that make it easier to start tasks on a PC and then switch to a hand-held device. (Apple and Google tout similar features in their software.)
Windows 10 also lets users log in with their face, iris or thumbprint, instead of remembering passwords, though this works only with computers equipped with the right hardware.
Most PC users are still working with Windows 7, thanks to Windows 8’s unpopularity. But Microsoft plans to phase out maintenance and security support for Windows 7 over the next five years, and for Windows 8 by 2023, as it did with the older Windows XP. Still, there’s no need to panic about upgrading right away.

Why is it important to the tech industry?

The growth in mobile devices has caused PC sales to decline for more than three years, hurting manufacturers like Hewlett-Packard and companies like Microsoft and Intel, whose products are used with PCs.

Windows 10 won’t make people give up their hand-held gadgets, but it’s part of Nadella’s strategy to reposition Microsoft for a world where people use multiple devices. PC makers are hoping he succeeds.

Jeff Barney, who runs Toshiba’s consumer PC business, said the new software is easier to use than Windows 8 and will complement hardware advances in Toshiba’s newest machines. Although Barney isn’t expecting a big rush to stores Wednesday, “over time, I think we’re going to see a positive trend in sales.”

Read more ...

11:05 PM 0