The most interesting with Mobile World Congress 2015
As you know, this week in Barcelona was one of the main events of the year in the mobile and wearable consumer electronics industry - Mobile World Congress. In no case, we could not miss such an event, so the landing party went to the MWC in the person of the project team Hi-Tech.Mail.Ru. We want to tell about the most interesting updates we have seen.
Samsung
The new top-end smartphone from Samsung, the Galaxy S6 edge, continued the tradition of the “paired” release that was launched last year. However, unlike its predecessor, the S6 edge bends the screen on both sides, not on one.
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The quality of the finish of the smartphone has improved markedly compared to the S5: instead of perforated plastic, here is glass and metal. Moreover, both Galaxy S6 were the first on the market to receive the protective glass Gorilla Glass 4. The side faces are very narrow, due to the bends of the display. The range of colors will be presented in dark blue, white, gold and green.
The S6 edge camera lens also slightly protrudes above the surface. Whether this is an incomprehensible fashion, or for many manufacturers, it is not possible to completely fit the camera module into the volume of devices. The resolution of the main camera is 16 Mp, the aperture is as much as F 1.9, which should have a very good effect on the quality of images in low light. The front camera with a matrix of 5 MP has the same luminosity. The display with a diagonal of 5.1 inches has a resolution of 2560x1140, so that the smoothness and clarity of the image are at a very high level. The SuperAMOLED matrix, traditional for Samsung, provides excellent color reproduction and wide viewing angles.
For the first time, the S-series lost its memory card slot. The basic version is equipped with 32 GB of internal memory, and models with 62 and 128 GB will be available. RAM 3 GB, eight-core Exynos processor, with half of the cores running at 2.1 GHz, and the rest - at 1.5. Due to the higher energy efficiency of the processor, the smartphone runs longer, even despite the decreased battery capacity: the S6 has 2550 mAh and the S6 edge has 2600 mAh. Batteries for both smartphones are not replaceable. There are modes of wireless and fast charge.
Samsung also improved the fingerprint unlocking function, now the device responds instantly, just by pressing a button.
Huawei
One of the highlights of the first day of the exhibition was the presentation of Huawei. But instead of wearable computers, which were presented as the main characters of the presentation, smart watches aroused the greatest interest. In addition to the quite good characteristics, each of the new products boasts an interesting and beautiful design. And they are made exactly in the spirit of the most real "classic" stylish watches, and not electronic gadgets on the strap, which sin almost all modern smart watches.
Over 40 different dials have been designed for new products, and the cases themselves are offered in three different colors. The straps are available both metal and leather, and most importantly - the watches are equipped with sapphire glasses.
The diameter of the watch is 42 mm, the case is completely steel, and there is no “blind” segment at the bottom of the screen, like the Moto 360. Huawei managed to create a very beautiful shell for Android Wear, the impression of using the watch is much more positive. But it’s still Android Wear, you can’t get away from it. Qualcomm processor (most likely Snapdragon 400), 512 MB RAM, 4 GB internal memory.
Also of the interesting gadgets can be noted a new version of the smart bracelet, TalkBand B2 , presented at the last exhibition. The “intelligent” module itself is removable and is a Bluetooth headset. When it is fixed in the nest, the bracelet is a fitness tracker with event notification function. If they call you, it is enough to unfasten the headset and answer the call, and you don’t need to get a smartphone.
B2 works with both Android and iOS. Built-in battery, works up to 12 weeks in standby mode and 5 hours in talk mode. The device complies with IP57 standard. PMOLED-touchscreen display, there is support for gestures.
HTC
The Taiwanese company has introduced a new flagship of its smartphone fleet - HTC One M9 .
From the predecessor, M8, the new smartphone looks almost the same. The metal coating has changed: different parts of the smartphone have undergone different processing, so the case turned out to be two-shaded and with different surface textures. According to the manufacturer, the processing of one case takes about three hours. The line includes 4 body colors: silver with gold, gold, pink and gray.
Unlike the M8, the frame of the camera lens is square and slightly protrudes above the surface of the cap. The cameras themselves have also been updated: the main one has a resolution of 20 megapixels, but the front one has become ... ultra-pixel. Holiday on the street named Selfie. The smartphone now has much more opportunities for simultaneous shooting on both cameras. As in the previous model, the screen has a diagonal of 5 inches and a resolution of Full HD. Matrix IPS (SuperLCD). The device has received one of the most powerful mobile processors - 64-bit eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810.
HTC claims that the sound quality from both the speakers and the audio output is noticeably improved. Moreover, the M9 received certification from Dolby Laboratories. Although it is hard to imagine why we need emulation of 5.1 sound for a device with a 5-inch screen. The OS uses Android 5.0 with the new Sense 7 graphical shell.
Sony
This year, the Japanese introduced the fourth generation of their 10-inch tablet, the Xperia Z4 Tablet . As before, it is declared the thinnest and lightest in the world.
The tablet weighs 389 grams, in the Wi-Fi version and 393 grams in the LTE version. Thickness is 6.1 mm. The frames around the display have already become, but not drastically. The developers claim that this was done intentionally - too narrow a frame would be the cause of random touches of the display when the user simply holds the tablet in his hands.
As before, the tablet has dust and moisture protection, it meets the IP65 / 68 standard. At the same time, the microUSB connector is no longer equipped with a rubber stopper. Finally, now you can not be afraid that over time it becomes loose and the moisture protection will be violated.
The developers paid much attention to the sound of the tablet, it supports Hi-Res Audio, DSEE HX, Digital Noice Cancellation, the LDAC codec, and even AHC. Hi-Res means support for lossless formats, for example, Flac. DSEE HX is designed for intelligent recovery of truncated frequencies when listening to an mp3 or CD with a low bit rate. Technology AHC (Automatic Headset Compensation) analyzes the parameters of the user's headphones and features of his ear, adjusting the sound for the best quality. It is difficult to say how effective this is.
As a processor, there is still the same 64-bit eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810. This is quite enough for a smooth and fast interface. The color gamut is expanded, so for some people the colors may seem oversaturated. However, in this case, a color correction tool is provided. The density of points is 330 ppi.
The resolution of the camera is 8 MP, it is capable of shooting video in 4K format. The front camera has been updated, it received a wide-angle lens and a 5 megapixel matrix.
Battery capacity remains the same as that of the Z3 - 6000 mAh. According to the manufacturer, thanks to the STAMINA power saving mode, the tablet can work up to 12-13 hours. Powerful charger allows you to charge the tablet at 50-70% in just 1 hour.
The operating system is Android 5.0 with a proprietary graphical shell. However, changes compared to the standard are traditionally minimal.
In addition to the tablet, our attention at the Sony booth attracted a new smartphone Xperia M4 Aqua . It completely repeats the design of the flagship Xperia Z3, but it should cost almost two times cheaper.
How is it different from the flagship? The back panel is made of plastic, not glass. The side frame is also plastic, but it looks exactly like the metal one on the Z3. Like the new tablet, the M4 Aqua meets the IP65 / 68 standard for dust and moisture protection, that is, it can safely lie at a depth of 1.5 meters for half an hour.
The screen has a resolution of HD, the processor is simpler - Qualcomm Snapdragon 615, although it is also eight-core. RAM 2 GB instead of 3, the camera with a matrix of 13 megapixels instead of 20. The remaining simplifications are not noticeable at first glance.
But in some ways the new smartphone has surpassed the flagship. For example, a front camera with a 5 megapixel matrix received a viewing angle of 88 degrees and all the functions inherent in the main camera: augmented reality mode, effects, stabilization when shooting a Steady Shot and so on.
Sony plans to release a smartphone in two versions: with one SIM and two. In this case, both slots will support work in LTE mode. In addition, dvuhsimochnaya model will have more internal memory, 16 GB.
Yota devices
Ours (as “ours” sounds like!) Presented the white model Yota Phone 2 at the exhibition. It is completely identical to the black model, with the exception of the body color.
Lenovo
The Chinese surprised us with the revival of such a forgotten class of devices like camera phones. Lenovo Vibe Shot "from the front" looks like a regular smartphone, but on the reverse side appears as a camera with a concise design.
The thickness of the metal case is only 7.33 mm. The camera is equipped with a 16 megapixel back-illuminated matrix and optical stabilization. The lens is covered with sapphire glass, which is not often found among devices of the average price category. Even more rare is the presence of infrared autofocus.
As befits a decent camera phone, the shooting function can be enabled using a separate mechanical button. At the same time, it is the role of the shutter release. The switch next to it allows you to select a shooting mode: Smart - automatic, for amateurs, and Pro - for those who need additional control over shooting parameters. In the role of the flash are three LEDs.
Microsoft
The Americans did not make us happy with the display of the new flagship, its announcement was postponed until the launch of Windows 10. But the exhibition showed two smartphones from the middle price category: Lumia 640 and 640 XL .
Just the 640th is equipped with a screen with a diagonal of 5 inches and a resolution of 1280x720. Matrix Clear Black IPS LCD, protective glass Gorilla Glass 3. The smartphone is running Windows 8.1, but with the release of Windows 10 can be updated. The smartphone will be offered in several versions: with one and two SIM-cards, with and without LTE support. The main camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels, front - 0.9. Quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor running at 1.2 GHz. RAM has a volume of only one gigabyte. 2500 mAh battery.
Lumia 640 XL acts as a budget phablet. The camera is equipped with a 13 megapixel matrix, a display with a diagonal of 5.7 inches, but the resolution is also HD. The processor, its frequency, the amount of RAM and the operating system are the same as in the Lumia 640. The memory capacity is 8 GB, there is a slot for memory cards up to 128 GB. 3000 mAh battery.
Kaspersky Lab
The world famous developer of security software introduced its new product Safe Kids . This is a mobile application designed to provide information protection for children when using the Internet. With it, parents can monitor all the network activity of the child, track the location of his smartphone and receive automatic notification if he leaves the pre-specified boundaries.
Other interesting devices
First of all, we want to share with you a video and images of one of the most interesting prototypes, the modular smartphone Project Ara. This is a Google project, and the technical performer is Yezz. The idea is that there is a certain basic platform, the capabilities of which can be changed and expanded independently using plug-in modules. That is, ideally, users will configure the smartphone to fit their needs, a sort of dream phone. For example, you can connect a second flip screen on electronic ink, increase the RAM, put a more powerful or, on the contrary, simple camera, add a fitness tracker to the device or remove it. In fact, the smartphone will be a designer from which it will be possible to assemble the device to your liking. Of course, the success of the product will be primarily determined by the range of modules available. Additional optimism suggests that the system is supposed to be made open in order to interest other manufacturers.
Round wooden smartphone Runcible
This is a concept device, which is a cross between a smartphone and a PDA. Developers plan to integrate the camera and develop a round interface.