LG G6
Modular LGG5, presented last M.W.C., although it had an interesting concept, it was not particularly popular among the people. Therefore this year LG abandoned experiments, and the company's new flagship - G6 - much more traditional. Fortunately, perhaps.
The main feature is the incredibly narrow frames: the screen occupies 80% of the front surface of the smartphone. This solution allowed engineers to fit a huge 5.7-inch Quad-HD display into a relatively compact body. Korean smartphone is less tall than iPhone 7 Plus or Google Pixel XL- and this despite the fact that the aspect ratio of its screen is 18:9 (instead of the usual 16:9), that is, it is proportionally higher.
Screen edges G6 slightly curved - but not as much as EDGE models Samsung.This was done for beauty and for ergonomic reasons.
LG I experimented with materials in my smartphones for a long time - plastic, then leather and metal - and for G6 I chose a combination of aluminum (frame) and glass (back cover). The smartphone may not look revolutionary, but it is modern and recognizable. Thin bezels around the display are the main mobile trend of 2017, and LG has already made her move. In addition, the smartphone is waterproof.
U G6, like its predecessor, there are two cameras, one of them is wide-angle. The regular module has an f/1.8 aperture, which means good pictures at night. In general, for the camera in the new flagship LG There's hardly any need to worry - photography has always been one of the strongest points of Korean smartphones.
Works G6 on the processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, and not on the latest 835 version, so those who like to knock out numbers in benchmarks will be disappointed. According to engineers LG, this choice is due to the fact that they are better familiar with the architecture of the previous processor model, which made the smartphone more reliable. In any case, even the twenty-first "dragon" is still good - both in everyday life and in 3D games.
For now G6 looks like the most balanced smartphone LG throughout the history of the company, which, however, does not guarantee his success.
Huawei P10
Against the backdrop of “futuristic” LGG6 and recent leaks GalaxyS8 Chinese flagship HuaweiP10 looks a little old-fashioned - which, in general, is not that bad.
Externally P1 0 is an improved version of last year's model, which, let us remind you, was one of the most beautiful smartphones of its time. All the same rounded corners, symmetrical frames on top and bottom, two cameras with a logo Leica on the back side. But there are also differences: the scanner has “moved” into a touch button under the glass on the front panel, the back cover is still made of metal, but polished so much that it looks more like glass, and the side frames have become narrower. And the strip of antennas now spreads along the edge of the smartphone in the same way as in the latest iPhone or Meizu.
Joan Cros Garcia/Corbis via Getty Images
P10 available in two versions: regular, with a diagonal of 5.1 inches and Full HD resolution, and large - Plus at 5.5 with a WQHD panel. The Plus version also received more RAM - 6 GB versus 4 GB for the standard one - and internal memory (256 GB, not 128). But the main difference is in the cameras. The “plus” model has more advanced optics with an aperture of 1.8. In the younger version it is f/2.2. And so that you have no doubt about whose footsteps he is following Huawei- V P10 Plus Portrait mode is declared.
It works in much the same way: the smartphone focuses on an object and blurs the background behind it. Judging by the photographs available online, the smartphone copes well with its task, but is slightly inferior to the flagship Apple.
Generally P10— a logical continuation of what was laid down in last year’s P9 ideas. Plus, this is definitely the most beautiful Chinese smartphone today.
Nokia 3310
Your eyes don't deceive you: on M.W.C. revived Nokia really presented 3310 - a remake of the iconic push-button telephone, whose popularity can only be compared with iPhone. 126 million sold worldwide 3310 .
But, unfortunately, the return cannot be called triumphant. What caught the original 3310 ? Massiveness, brutality, a body that cannot be killed. If you believe the military tale, when an AK-47 overheats, you can simply throw it into a puddle, pick it up, and go back into battle. The same could be said about the phone Nokia: neither water nor dirt affected him, he survived after monstrous falls. There are jokes online that the phone's body is made of vibranium, a fictional metal that served as the basis for Captain America's shield.
Joan Cros Garcia/Corbis via Getty Images
The new phone is shaped like... a matryoshka doll. Especially in bright orange (yes, there is one). It looks similar to the original model, but unfortunately it doesn’t give the impression of a super-reliable phone that can be used to fend off criminals at night. On the other hand, there is now a color screen, a 2-megapixel camera, and without recharging it can work, according to the manufacturer, for a whole month. It’s not surprising - the communication functions of the device are limited only to calls and SMS - and this is not a minus in any case.
And there is also a snake. The same one.
But the cost of a new one 3310 - only $50.
Blackberry KeyOne
Maybe, Blackberry is going through hard times right now, but their latest smartphone is... KeyOne - Definitely deserves attention. It seems that the company has finally successfully added to a full-fledged Android-smartphone physical keyboard. As a result, you can use both without dancing with a tambourine.
Display diagonal KeyOne- 4.5 inches, resolution - 1620x1080, aspect ratio - 3:2. The screen is small, but this allowed us to make the smartphone compact. Don't forget - there is a full-fledged QWERTY keyboard under the display. Like good old times. With its help you can not only print, but also, for example, scroll pages, Google with one touch and even open applications. Let's say, "hung" on the number "1" Instagram, for a deuce - Facebook, and forgot about the existence of shortcuts on the desktop. In general, even though the screen here is touch-sensitive, if you wish, you don’t have to touch it with your fingers at all.
Works KeyOne on the processor QualcommSnapdragon 625- far from the most powerful, but very energy efficient. Considering that the battery here is 3505 mAh, the smartphone should hold a charge very well.
As a significant bonus - a new one is on sale Blackberry will come pre-installed Android 7.1 on board. This will happen in April, the cost is $549.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 and Samsung Galaxy Book
Breathe life into the fading tablet market this M.W.C. made up my mind Samsung. Galaxy Tab S3 is a direct competitor iPad Pro 9.7, a powerful tablet with stylus support.
There’s nothing special you can tell about the design - you saw the previous model, which means you saw the new one too S3.
The tablet has a Super AMOLED display (2048x1536) with support for HDR video. Processor - last year's QualcommSnapdragon 820, RAM - 4 gigabytes. A digital pen is included with the tablet. S Pen. With it, you can draw, write notes, edit images, create “gifs” from videos - in general, nothing extraordinary, but it’s nice that you don’t need to pay extra for a stylus.
Overall, Galaxy Tab 3 can now be called the best Android-tablet. True, largely due to the lack of worthy competitors.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 3
Pau Barrena/Bloomberg via Getty Images
If Tab 3- this is the answer Apple, then when creating Galaxy Book, hybrid tablet, Samsung clearly looked away MicrosoftSurface. These devices have a lot in common: nice design, metal casing, full-fledged Windows 10 on board, keyboard case, mobile processors Intel, stylus support.
Galaxy Book will be sold in two versions: 10.6 and 12 inches. The second is more interesting: it has a better screen (Super Amoled HDR, not LCD), a camera, and a more powerful processor. Both models received two USB-C ports for charging and connecting peripheral devices and will be able to work without recharging for 10 hours.
The best part is that the keyboard for Galaxy Book There is a backlight, as well as a large full-size touchpad.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium
The most technically impressive smartphone on M.W.C. brought Sony. Xperia XZ Premium is a festival of numbers. Here, for example, a 4K screen with HDR support is installed - and this is with a diagonal of 5.5 inches. You will hardly see the difference between the display XZ Premium and some kind of QHD panel. Sony I inserted it into my smartphone not for practical reasons, but simply because it can. However, the screen is good in any case.
But this is the world's first smartphone capable of shooting video at 960 frames per second. It must be incredibly interesting to shoot slow-mo with it. This was made possible thanks to technology that itself Sony calls Motion Eye. Engineers have added very fast memory to the camera system, where all images captured by the lens are instantly sent. Roughly speaking, when you turn on the camera, it starts shooting from the very first second, so there is no delay at all between pressing the shutter and the finished photo: the algorithm simply determines at what specific fraction of a second you pressed the button and transfers the photo to the main memory of the smartphone. Pretty smart!
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
To do this work, the camera must focus perfectly - and Sony promises that it will be so: there is a laser autofocus, a phase detection sensor, an infrared sensor, and even ExmorRS. And the matrix resolution is now 19 megapixels.
On camera paper Xperia XZ Premium They look fantastic, we just have to wait for the smartphone to go on sale and see everything with our own eyes. Numbers are not the most important thing in this matter.
Among other features - the very best processor QualcommSnapdragon835 on board, full water protection, fast charging, a fingerprint scanner in the side button and a new glass finish that collects fingerprints.
In general, a logical continuation of the line Xperia, but definitely not a revolution.
The Mobile World Congress MWC 2017, held at the beginning of this year in Barcelona, traditionally brought together many experts. Some of them agreed on an unexpected assessment - leading smartphone manufacturers are increasingly offering solutions used in military electronics. This is protection from moisture, dust and shock of IP68 and MIL-STD-810G standards. We will devote today’s review to the TOP 3 best smartphones at MWC 2017.
Smartphone LG G6
It is worth noting that the LG G6 became a kind of cherry on the cake at the exhibition. The manufacturer unexpectedly abandoned the previously used modular system in its top model. The second surprise was the unusual display aspect ratio of 18:9 instead of the usual 16:9 combination. There are more than 30 awards received at the exhibition.
- Design and equipment. It is worth noting that the back and front panels of the device have Gorilla Glass 5 protective glass, which has an oleophobic coating. At the same time, they note that in a device with a white body it copes with its functions in an exemplary manner, but on a device with a black body fingerprints appear quite quickly. An interesting feature is the combination of the device's power button with a fingerprint scanner. The dual camera eyes on the back of the LG G6, along with the flash LEDs, are somewhat reminiscent of an owl's face. And, perhaps, the most important thing is the unusual aspect ratio of the phone. However, here it seems that the developers have hit the nail on the head again - the device fits perfectly in the palm of your hand and is convenient to operate with the fingers of one hand. The size of the device is 148.9x71.9x7.9 mm, its weight is 163 grams.
- Display. As already noted, with a display diagonal of 5.7 inches, it turned out to be more elongated due to the device’s 18:9 aspect ratio. At first glance, this is more convenient for the user, however, it is not yet entirely clear how this will affect the functionality of applications. The remaining parameters are quite typical for top models: IPS matrix, resolution 2880x1440 pixels, protective glass with oleophobic coating, screen corners with rounded edges.
- Specifications. The use of Android 7.0 OS in flagship models is becoming a standard solution. In addition, the manufacturer added its own LG UI software shell to it. The smartphone supports 2 SIM cards in all types of networks - 2G/3G/LTE in the 800, 1800, 2600 MHz bands. It uses a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and an Adreno 530 video accelerator. The internal memory size is 32/64 GB, and the RAM is 4 GB. There is a slot for connecting an additional memory card. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapters support all modern data transfer standards. The presence of NFC has already become traditional.
- Performance. The available hardware resources running Android 7.0, as well as LG’s own proprietary shell, guarantee excellent device performance.
- Multimedia. The smartphone uses an interesting solution of using 2 rear and front cameras (regular and wide-angle). The rear has a resolution of 13 megapixels. When shooting, the last photo is displayed on the bottom of the screen, and the top part is used as a viewfinder. They note that pictures from the wide-angle camera look impressive. Information has emerged that a version of the G6 with a separate Quad Audio Hi-Fi DAC will go on sale in Asian countries.
- Autonomy. Judging by the parameters of the non-removable Li-Ion battery - 3300 mAh, its capacity should be enough for about a day of work. So the presence of QuickCharge 3.0 fast charging technology will be very useful for LG G6 owners.
Sony Xperia XZ Premium smartphone
This time Sony offered experts a fireworks display of innovations. In short, this is a new Motion Eye camera equipped with its own memory, which significantly relieves the smartphone processor, display that supports High Dynamic Range - HDR and much more.
- Design and construction. The smartphone is offered in two main colors: signature blue and modern chrome. At the same time, the device is completely protected by an oleophobic coating, which in theory should maintain its attractive appearance in any conditions. Another good news is that the device uses a USB-3 standard connector, providing data transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbps. However, for this you need to spend money on a special cable that is not included in the package. On the back of the smartphone there is a camera lens surrounded by a steel protective ring. There is also a laser autofocus sensor, an infrared RGB sensor and an LED flash. A special plug covers the memory card slot and nanoSIM SIM card slot. It must be taken into account that the future user will be faced with a choice - to use two SIM cards or only one + memory card.
- Specifications. Dimensions of the device are 156x77x7.9 mm, weight - 196 grams. It is waterproof IP65/68. On board 64 GB of ultra-fast memory (UFS) + 4 GB of RAM. The system uses a quad-core Snapdragon 835 chipset. All the latest data transfer protocols via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are supported, and there is an NFC system. The owner’s fingerprint scanner is located right on the device’s power button, which has become the norm in top-class devices.
- Display It measures 5.5 inches and supports 4K resolution and HDR. The application of these standards to smartphones is just beginning. If we briefly dwell on the advantages of this technology, then on such a screen the colors should sound much clearer and brighter. But this is provided that the content being played is recorded in these formats. Unfortunately, today such content is not yet available on video streaming services. Here, perhaps, you can only try Amazon. But YouTube does not yet offer 4K video content for mobile devices. The main feature of this format is that its ultra-high definition and increased color rendition are unlikely to look advantageous on a screen of this size. Although its support in the flagship model certainly emphasizes the high status of the smartphone.
- Performance. The use of an advanced chipset, fast memory and, most importantly, the transfer of photo and video image processing functions to the camera, ensures, according to the manufacturer, performance greater than that of competitors. And some technical solutions used in the device do not yet have analogues, and only over time will they be sold to competitors, including Apple.
- Multimedia. The smartphone uses unique Motion Eye cameras. The front has a resolution of 13 megapixels, and the rear has 19 megapixels. The optical system of the rear camera consists of 6 elements. But its main advantage is its own memory, which allows you to perform many tricks with the image being captured. To instantly capture an event, just point your smartphone, which, according to the developers, independently sets the sharpness, the necessary shooting parameters and immediately takes 3 pictures. A moving object in the frame is detected automatically. The pressed shooting button provides the fourth frame. The resulting frames are stored in the camera's Stacked memory and, after the necessary processing, are given to the user. Sounds fantastic! Movie mode also offers a number of unique options. In particular, Super slow motion (speed 960fps) in HD quality. There is one more feature - the ability to shoot dynamic scenes in Super Slo-mo mode. Its duration is 6 seconds, after which the camera returns to normal video recording mode. The sound playback mode pleases with unique characteristics. In addition to the traditionally high quality of the audio path, the smartphone automatically detects the characteristics of special headphones connected to it and automatically builds optimal sound reproduction characteristics for them. In addition, a special LDAC codec is supported, including for Bluetooth sports headsets.
- Autonomy. The capacity of the 3230 mAh battery used in the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is not amazing. Most likely, it will ensure its functioning within 24 hours. Therefore, support for fast charging technology and Qnovo Adapting Charging (allows you to extend battery life) are a vital measure. A device for fast charging, as well as a data cable for data transfer using the USB3 standard, are not included in the kit and must be purchased separately. The company professes a simple philosophy: “Why increase the cost of a smartphone if everything you need can be purchased separately?” Although at a cost of over 50 thousand rubles. an increase in price of several thousand is unlikely to shake the resolve of a potential buyer.
Huawei P10 smartphone
First impressions are always the most vivid. Huawei P10 presented at the exhibition attracted the attention of all experts. The unique characteristics of the best-in-class cameras developed by the famous Leica company were especially noted.
- Design and equipment. Despite the external similarity to models of previous generations, this is a completely different smartphone. Rounded corners and small dimensions allow you to comfortably hold the device and operate it with one hand. The assembly is very careful, it seems that the body is made of a monolithic aluminum block. The side frames are quite narrow, which is why the device is smaller in width.
- Display. This part of the smartphone cannot boast outstanding parameters - only 5.1" with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. However, this is quite enough for comfortable work. The display is protected by 2.5D glass with rounded corners, which, of course, has a positive effect on the ergonomic performance of the phone.
- Specifications. It is characteristic that Huawei for the first time used the Android 7.0 Nougat OS with the latest version of its own firmware EMUI 5.1. The general concept of the system has not changed, with the exception of updating the icons of standard widgets; in addition, the number of user interface settings has increased. The chipset uses an 8-core Kirin 960 processor (half of the cores operate at a frequency of 1.8 GHz, the rest - 2.5 GHz). Like most high-end devices, the Mali-G71 MP8 graphics accelerator is installed. The RAM capacity is 4 GB, the internal memory is 32 GB. Below the screen there is a fingerprint scanner with additional functions. It is built into a touch button, slightly recessed into the body of the device. To execute a specific command, you need to touch it in a certain way. For example, one touch returns to the menu, a long press takes you to the home screen, simultaneously minimizing all open applications. When you swipe right or left, the list of running applications expands. This solution made it possible to abandon on-screen buttons. The phone supports all modern data transfer protocols via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless interfaces, supports 2G, 3G, 4G LTE Cat networks. 12. Two SIM cards are supported, and the slot of one can be used to connect additional memory. For accelerated data transfer, the device is equipped with a USB Type-C connector. Device dimensions - 145.3x69.3x6.98 mm, weight - 145 g.
- Performance. The smartphone uses a processor independently developed by the company. Using it in combination with a graphics accelerator has shown excellent performance in previous Huawei products. Users noted the fast and accurate operation of smartphones. Applications running in the background did not require a restart when opened. The amount of RAM is quite sufficient for comfortable work. This is most likely due to the use of our own modified firmware.
- Multimedia. The attention of experts at the exhibition was undoubtedly attracted by a unique camera developed jointly with the German company Leica. The result of this work was the creation of the software and hardware parts of the camera. It uses lenses with a unique coating that prevents glare in all shooting conditions - from bright sun to night shots. Both cameras use 2 sensors: monochrome, which records light, and RGB (color information). The rear monochrome resolution is 20 megapixels, color - 12. The main camera has an optical stabilization system and 2x zoom. This solution allows you to take clear pictures with a blurred background without loss. The front camera is equipped with an 8 megapixel sensor. Selfies taken with the front camera now have a wider optical range and excellent brightness. The use of phase autofocus allows you to speed up focusing in the frame, and laser autofocus improves close-range shooting.
- Autonomy. The operating time of the device is quite significant: when watching HD quality videos - 15 hours, the same when browsing on a 4G network and as much as 84 hours of listening to music. The device has a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3.2 Ah. Huawei Super Charge 3.0 accelerated charging technology ensures it charges from zero to fifty-seven percent in half an hour.
As can be seen from our review, the TOP 3 best smartphones of 2017 presented at MWC 2017 certainly pleased the experts with their high performance characteristics and fresh design approaches. And potential users received further evidence of the gradual transformation of smartphones into real media machines with high performance. The flagships are closely matched to professional media equipment. All that remains is to wait for a breakthrough in technologies for producing batteries with a higher capacity.
The presentation from Samsung was not the most exciting, which, however, was expected, since, unlike previous years, the company did not show its flagship Galaxy line in Barcelona. This model will be shown on the morning of March 29 in New York, but until then we will discuss the Galaxy S8 in a separate article. There are samples of this device in Barcelona; partners could familiarize themselves with them in detail in a hotel near the exhibition, as well as see a number of new accessories. So far the impression is that this will be one of the key models of 2017, and having the opportunity to compare the S8 with the LG G6, created based on the first, I can say that LG turned out to be a pathetic imitation. But so far there is silence about what awaits us.
The Samsung presentation started late; the start was delayed by twenty minutes because they were trying to locate people from Greenpeace who wanted to make a statement during the presentation of the company's top executives. It turned out crumpled and not very incendiary; many did not even pay attention to it. During the presentation, it was repeatedly said that the company pays special attention to the safety of people, as well as the quality of products, these are echoes of the Note 7 history. But the highlight of the program was the announcement of the company’s new tablets - the Galaxy Book Windows tablet, as well as the Galaxy Tab S3. Let's talk about these devices and then move on to the details.
Sound from AKG and new S Pen for the company's tablets
The tablet market is going through far from the best times; the Tab S2 update has been a long time coming, but it has only appeared now. Why? The answer lies in the fact that S2 was enough for the eyes, and the update would have been cosmetic, which, in fact, is what happened. Samsung was clearly creating a competitor for the iPad Pro, the younger 9.7-inch model. Thus, the similarity is emphasized by a system of four speakers and the same screen geometry. After purchasing Harman, Samsung will use the AKG brand for almost all equipment, including smartphones. The Tab S3 is the first to feature speakers from this company, the device sounds good, the volume level is difficult to assess at the presentation, but it feels comparable to the same iPad Pro.
On the plus side, I would like to note that additional features for sound have appeared in the tablet settings; now you can regulate the load on the central processor, that is, remove even minimal delays, which in theory gives better sound, but leads to greater energy consumption. It is clear that something similar can be implemented on any device, but here we bypassed the built-in limitations of Android, which have always existed and distinguished tablets on this system from iOS devices. Now there is complete parity, plus software has been added for musicians and those who work magic on music.
For the mass consumer, working with sound is not at all critical; people simply won’t notice the difference. Listening to different compositions with different settings on headphones did not reveal any fundamental differences, subjectively at the level of perception something sounds, but it seems to me that this is just convincing yourself that a difference should be felt, so the brain produces “differences”.
The next important point is the updated S Pen. It has become noticeably larger and more convenient, but this is not a Note series product, so there is no room in the case to install a stylus and carry it with the tablet. This is a huge disadvantage, since you will have to carry the S Pen separately or buy a case with space for it. I don’t like this approach, as you remember, for this I scolded the MS Surface for what it’s worth, as well as the iPad Pro - and now history repeats itself. There is nothing good about this.
But the Staedtler digital “pencil” also appeared; I’m sure you remember these from everyday life. High drawing accuracy, it is suitable for those who do graphics. Compatible only with the new Tab S3, as well as the Galaxy Book, and the Pencil works in any application that supports such input. The set of applications is very similar to what we see on the iPad. As for me, this pencil is a very good thing, as it allows those who are used to drawing not to relearn.
The price of the pencil is unknown; at the presentation these were given to everyone present, along with the addition of two regular, classic pencils. It reminded me of the presentations of luxury cars, where they gave keychains from them - you took the first step towards your future car, and so it is here.
The S Pen experience is typical for the company, with Air Commands, notes, and a drawing and graphing app. All this is familiar from the Note line; nothing new or special has appeared.
The fact that the new Tab S3 is made in the concept of smartphones, that is, made of metal and glass, makes it more expensive in perception. I really hope that Gorilla Glass 4 will be reliable in such an area, since I broke my iPad Pro in a couple of months, and it was a shame when it fell on the carpet.
Samsung was somehow reluctant to talk about the cost of the tablet, but we managed to find out that it will go on sale in March, the price for Europe for the Wi-Fi version is 679 euros, for the LTE version - 769 euros. A very expensive product. Nice, but extremely expensive. So for many, the Tab S2 remains the first choice in the coming months, and the tablet's sales potential remains high.
The concept of a “two-in-one” tablet on Windows was picked up by Samsung much later than other companies, but the corporation wants to take a bite of this pie, it needs such products for the B2B segment, and they will be widely sold. The Galaxy Book is available in two sizes, has detachable keyboards, and the devices are built on regular processors from Intel. As for me, this is still a compromise; for comparable money it is better to buy thin laptops on Windows, it will definitely be more useful. On the other hand, they will have certain sales. Pleasantly assembled, a compromise keyboard - in a word, for very specific scenarios. Below you can see the characteristics of these tablets.
In my opinion, the Tab S3 is worth a look if you're looking for an expensive tablet with a great screen and top specs. There are no analogues on the Android market, and the choice can be between this tablet and the iPad Pro. They say that Apple will show a new generation of iPad Pro in May, so we'll have to wait and see what's in it. After all, today tablets are bought to last for several years; waiting a couple of months at this period is justified.
Gear VR and Oculus controller
Samsung presented a controller from Oculus for Gear VR, a small joystick for controlling games and applications.
The price of the accessory is still unknown, in any case, it was not possible to get a clear answer. Considering that the Gear VR doesn't track camera movements (it doesn't yet, future versions will have camera tracking), using a joystick isn't all that empowering. I was able to take one look at the VR helmet from the company; it was not shown to everyone and in private mode. The concept is very similar to the HTC Vive 2, and, apparently, it was taken as the basis as the most successful product in this class, although the design is different. It is unknown when this helmet will appear.
The bottom line is that, despite Samsung’s huge stand, this exhibition is boring for the company, no exciting announcements, but that was expected. We are waiting for the end of the month and the announcement of S8/S8+ in New York, it will be very interesting there.
The annual exhibition of mobile technologies has passed, leaving behind a noticeable aftertaste. Once again, the largest market players gathered under one roof to present their key products. Traditionally, a large number of new products were presented, but there were only a few worthwhile and truly interesting announcements. We will talk about just these in this final article.
The former Canadian smartphone manufacturer (now a security software developer) BlackBerry was one of the first to hold a presentation - it happened on February 25, even before the start of MWC 2017 (later they also took part there). TCL, the licensor of the BB brand, introduced a premium mid-class Android smartphone with a recognizable design and a physical keyboard - KEYone.
Despite the weak user interest in the old form factor, the BlackBerry KEYone impressed everyone. BlackBerry, as always, has outdone itself: the new product is confidently on the same level of uniqueness as the Priv slider. A metal body, protective glass with 2.5D coating, USB Type-C, a powerful camera from Google Pixel, as well as a proprietary physical QWERTY keyboard with a fingerprint scanner in the spacebar button and a touch layer are the main characteristic qualities of KEYone. Without a doubt, the new flagship stands out among everything that is currently on the market.
The technical characteristics of the BlackBerry KEYone are far from truly flagship - the Chinese have clearly saved money here. But this does not make the new blackberry keyboard worse.
The KEYone's screen diagonal and resolution are non-standard: 4.5 inches with a 3:2 format and Full HD resolution (1620x1080 pixels). The heart of the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with eight computing cores and 64-bit architecture. It is quite enough for all basic tasks, even for simple games without heavy graphics. After all, KEYone's main audience is wealthy businessmen who require confidentiality. The amount of RAM is sufficient for multitasking - 3 GB. There is also a good battery capacity for the form factor and hardware - 3,500 mAh. At the same time, Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging is supported.
The camera module in KEYone is also quite strong. There is a 12-megapixel Sony IMX378 sensor installed here, like the Google Pixel flagships. The smartphone operating system is the latest version of Android 7.1 Nougat without software interfaces, but with applications and an additional layer of security from BlackBerry.
The unveiled BlackBerry KEYone breaks the mold again. He is admired, but also feared. The main deterrent in this case is, of course, the price. It is at the level of $600 or approximately 35 thousand rubles. Moreover, it will be impossible to officially buy a BlackBerry KEYone in Russia, and not everyone will be able to order via the Internet or buy the gray model. However, none of this takes away from the fact that the KEYone is truly an amazing device.
Samsung changed traditions this year: the MWC (Mobile World Congress) exhibition did without the announcement of the flagship smartphone of the Korean company. Only the “announcement of the announcement” took place - journalists received invitations to the presentation of the Galaxy S8, which will be held on March 29 in New York. Instead, the company showed in Barcelona new tablets with Android and Windows, as well as a fresh version of the Gear VR smartphone VR headset - now with a wireless joystick controller.
Samsung Tab S3: design, specifications, features
Samsung Galaxy Tab S3
The Tab S3 tablet is an "improved and expanded" re-release. One of the improvements concerned the design - the back cover, which is attached to the metal frame of the device, is now not plastic, but glass (hello, fingerprints!). At the same time, the tablet remains light: the device with a 9.7-inch display weighs 429 grams.
The display resolution remains the same - 2048 x 1536 pixels are quite sufficient for such a diagonal. But now this Super AMOLED panel supports the correct display of HDR content. This is an increasingly popular video format with high dynamic range, in which the eye can distinguish more shades, especially in very dark or very bright scenes.
Other news from the main mobile exhibition of the year:
The tablet has four built-in speakers, their sound has the blessing of the AKG acoustics brand (which, like other Harman brands, is now owned by Samsung) and changes dynamically depending on how the user holds the device. Finally, the rear and front cameras have been updated - they now have 13 and 5 megapixel sensors, respectively.
But the biggest progress has concerned the filling: the tablet is built on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, has 4 GB of RAM and a 32 GB drive, which can be supplemented with microSD cards with a capacity of up to 256 GB. The device runs on Android 7.0. The Tab S3 comes with an S Pen stylus made of rubbery material with a thinner tip that recognizes not only 4096 pressure levels, but also tilt relative to the screen surface. The main thing is not to lose it: there is no compartment for storing the accessory in the tablet case.
Galaxy Book 10 and 12 tablets
Samsung Galaxy Book 12. Unfortunately, a more informative image of the new product was not found in the Samsung photo bank
For those who would like to use a tablet to run Windows 10, Samsung is offering two new devices in the Galaxy Book line: with 10-inch and 12-inch screens. The smaller tablet is built on an energy-efficient Intel Core m3 processor and has up to 4 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of built-in storage (there is also micro SD), the screen resolution is 1920 by 1080 pixels. Its “big brother” uses a Core i5 with the latest Kaby Lake architecture that does not require active cooling, up to 8 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage and an AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2160 x 1440 pixels.
To charge and connect Galaxy Book accessories, they use USB-C ports, of which the older model has two, and the younger one has one. The devices weigh 645 and 754 grams, respectively, and the 12-inch tablet is also very thin - 7.4 mm. However, these indicators do not take into account the included keyboard covers: now with full-fledged island-type keys with significant “travel”, backlighting and an enlarged touchpad. Unlike the Microsoft Surface, the tablet does not have a built-in folding support, so you won't be able to set it upright without the help of the keyboard cover.
Gear VR 2017 virtual reality headset
True, like Daydream View, the controller does not have sufficient accuracy and speed to fully use it in games. Rather, its task is to make it easier to navigate the menu and rid the VR helmet itself of controls that are not quite conveniently located on the side. Note that while Daydream View is compatible with smartphones from different manufacturers, Gear VR 2017 only supports devices from the Korean manufacturer: Galaxy S7, S7 edge, Note 5, S6, S6 edge, and S6 edge+.
