Check out everything you need to know about the highly anticipated Google flagship smartphones - the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro. Take a quick look at their specs, key features (the good and the bad), pricing and their competitors.
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1. This was created on Oct 20, 2021.
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Check out everything you need to know about the much anticipated Google Pixel 5a 5G. Take a quick look at its specs, key features (the good and the bad), pricing and its competitors.
Disclaimer:
1. This was created on Aug 18, 2021.
2. Prices quoted are for the base model/variant.
3. Actual price may vary depending on promos, price cuts and other offers.
4. This is not a sponsored video.
If
you like this video, please don't forget to click the thumbs-up button,
subscribe to my channel and hit the notification bell!
Google just announced its 2017 flagship lineup - meet the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Design-wise, both smartphones drew inspiration from their predecessors. They are made of aluminum with some glass accents. While Google has not yet joined the bezel-less display bandwagon, its Pixel 2 XL in particular is now sporting a screen aspect ratio of 18:9, same as that of the LG G6 and LG V30. The smaller Pixel 2 comes with a 5-inch OLED display of 1080p Full HD resolution. It is about 7.8 mm thin and weighs 143 grams. Meanwhile, the Pixel 2 XL packs a much larger 6-inch OLED display of Quad HD+ (1,440 x 2,880) resolution. Unlike last year's models, both devices are now IP67 certified for dust and water resistance. At the back of both smartphones, the dual-tone color scheme is still present. One can also find the lone main camera along with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Image by Google
Under the hood of both Pixel smartphones is an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB of non-expandable storage. Both Pixel smartphones also run pure Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box with a promise of timely software updates. They also come with the new Pixel Launcher with Active Edge technology. Active Edge is similar to HTC's Edge Sense, where you can squeeze the frame of the phone for quick actions. The Pixel duo is also the first two smartphones to have access to Google Lens, a new image recognition feature designed to display helpful information based on what you point the camera, similar to Samsung's Bixby Vision. The Pixel 2 is equipped with a rather small 2,700 mAh battery while the Pixel 2 XL comes with a bigger 3,520 mAh battery. Audio-wise, you'd be disappointed to know that Google decided to remove the 3.5 mm audio jack for both Pixel smartphones. Google has decided to go the wireless route and has produced its own wireless earbuds, the Pixel Buds, with a 5-hour battery life and costing $159. Thankfully, the Pixel 2 XL comes with front-facing stereo speakers with its earpiece doubling as a speaker.
Image by Google
When it comes to camera, both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL pack a single rear-facing camera with a 12-MP sensor, an f/1.8 aperture, dual-pixel auto-focus, optical image stabilization (OIS), 4K video recording capabilities, and dual-LED flash. Google has also promised better dynamic range and a more accurate color reproduction through HDR+. Google has also promised Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners free unlimited Google Photos storage for full-resolution photos and 4K videos. There's also a rather generic 8-MP camera in front.
Image by Google
Wondering how much Google's latest smartphones cost? The Google Pixel 2 starts at $650 and tops put at $750 while the Google Pixel 2 XL will retail starting at $850 going up to $950. Both smartphones are already on pre-order and will arrive as early as October 17, 2017. The Pixel 2 smartphones will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, India, and the UK. The Pixel 2 Plus, in particular, will also launch in Italy, Singapore, and Spain.
Days after the KEYone's announcement, BB Merah Putih in Indonesia unveiled the Aurora. BB Merah Putih holds the license for making, marketing, and selling BlackBerry-branded smartphones in Indonesia. A midrange handset, the BlackBerry Aurora comes with a 5.5-inch display of 720p HD resolution. Ticking inside is a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset with a whopping 4GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, complete with the DTEK app, BBM, and the BlackBerry Hub.
Image by BlackBerry
The Aurora is billed as the first BlackBerry device to support dual-SIM functionality, in addition to LTE. It has a 13-MP primary camera with electronic aperture control and an LED flash. It also has an 8-MP selfie shooter. Measuring 152 mm x 76.8 mm x 8.5 mm, the smartphone weighs 178 grams. A 3,000 mAh battery will power the device. It will come in black, silver, and gold color variants. Retailing for $260, which is limited to Indonesia, the BlackBerry Aurora will ship with a free JBL Go Speaker and a flip case.
After countless leaks, the long-rumored Pixel smartphone from Google has finally arrived. And it comes in two sizes: the regular-sized Pixel and the phablet Pixel XL. Manufactured by HTC for Google, both Pixel smartphones are identical and vary only in screen size, display resolution and battery capacity. The Google Pixel and Pixel XL are made of polished aluminum with glass accents in front and the top part of their backside. The regular Pixel packs a 5-inch AMOLED display of 1080p Full HD resolution while the Pixel XL comes with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display of Quad HD resolution. Both are protected by Gorilla Glass 4.
Image by Google
Under the hood, we find a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset with 4GB RAM and 32GB/128GB of non-expandable internal storage. They are among the first smartphones to rock this latest chipset from Qualcomm. Software-wise, the Pixel and Pixel XL will launch with Android 7.1 Nougat with all the goodies that Google has to offer, including Google Assistant and Daydream VR compatibility. Connectivity-wise, both Pixel smartphones use USB Type-C. A Type-C to Type A USB connector is also included in the package. The smartphones also support LTE-A along with the usual suspects. A touch-type fingerprint scanner is mounted at the back, which Google calls Pixel Imprint. Luckily, the 3.5 mm audio jack can still be found in both devices.
Image by Google
Google markets the Pixel duo as having the best smartphone camera in the market. Both sport a 12.3-MP primary camera with 1.55 micron pixels, an f/2.0 aperture, phase-detection auto-focus, digital stabilization, and a dual-LED flash. Unfortunately, there is no optical image stabilization on-board. Both smartphones are also able to capture 4K videos. An 8-MP secondary camera can be found in front. Available in black, blue and silver color options, the Google Pixel smartphones will be launched worldwide. Pricing starts at $650 for the Pixel and $770 for the Pixel XL. Excited?
Renowned Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer has officially launched its first luxury Android Wear-powered smartwatch, which it calls TAG Heuer Connected. It was developed in collaboration with Intel and Google. Sporting a circular display, the Connected resembles the company's Carrera line of traditional timepieces.
Image by TAG Heuer
The TAG Heuer Connected comes with 1.5-inch scratch-resistant display of 360 x 360 pixel resolution that is protected by sapphire crystal. Meanwhile, its body is made out of Titanium Grade 2. It is powered by a dual-core Intel processor with 1GB RAM and 4GB of internal storage. It supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even comes with an IP67 certification, meaning it is both dust and water resistant. A 410 mAh battery will keep its lights on, which is said to provide a minimum of 25 hours of battery life.
Through a dedicated app, the TAG Heuer Connected will be compatible with devices running Android 4.3 or later and iPhones running iOS 8.2 or later. Being a luxury brand, it is not surprising that it costs $1,500. This makes it the most expensive Android Wear device to date. The TAG Heuer Connected will also come with bracelets of different colors. Want to get one?
Google has unveiled two new Android 6.0 Marshmallow-running devices: the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P. The Nexus 5X is LG-made and the smaller of the two. It comes with a 5.2-inch IPS LCD of 1080p Full HD resolution. Under its hood is a 64-bit hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset with 2GB RAM and 16GB/32GB of non-expandable internal storage.
Imaging-wise, it has a 12.3-MP primary camera with 1.55 micron pixels, an f/2.0 aperture, and dual-tone dual-LED flash. 4K video recording is also possible. There is also a 5-MP selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture on board. Among its signature features are dual front-facing speakers, touch-enabled fingerprint scanner at the back (called the Nexus Imprint, which works with Android Pay), and a USB Type-C port for charging. Connectivity features include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and LTE. A 2,700 mAh battery will keep its lights on.
Image by Google
The Google Nexus 5X will retail for $379 for the 16GB model and $429 for the $32GB model.
Image by Google
Then we have the Google Nexus 6P, which is an Android 6.0 Marshmallow-running phablet made by Huawei. It is an all-metal smartphone, made with aircraft-grade aluminum. It is just 7.3 mm thin and will come in three colors: white, aluminium, and graphite. The Nexus 6P packs a 5.7-inch AMOLED display of Quad HD resolution with Gorilla Glass 4 protection. Ticking inside it is a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with 3GB RAM and 32GB/64GB/128GB of non-expandable internal storage.
Like the Nexus 5X, the Nexus 6P also comes with a 12.3-MP Sony-made primary camera with an f/2.0 aperture, 1.55 micron pixels, and dual-tone dual-LED flash. It even has laser-assisted auto-focus. Meanwhile, its front camera has an 8-MP sensor with 1.4 micron pixels and an f/2.4 aperture. Naturally, the Nexus 6P is able to shoot videos in 4K resolution at 30 fps.
Image by Google
Among the Nexus 6P's signature features are dual front-facing stereo speakers, touch-enabled fingerprint scanner at the back (called the Nexus Imprint, which works with Android Pay), and a USB Type-C port for charging. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS, and LTE are all on board. A 3,450 mAh battery will keep its lights on.
Image by Google
Its base 32GB model will retail for $499 and can go up to $649 for the 128GB model, which is still cheaper than last year's offering. With pre-orders of the Nexus 6P comes a 90-day free trial of Google Play Music and $50 worth of Play Store credit. Are you excited?
After unveiling this year's Nexus devices, Google surprised everyone with the Pixel C laptop-tablet hybrid. It is basically an Android 6.0 Marshmallow-running tablet with an optional detachable magnetic keyboard. The keyboard connects to the Pixel C via Bluetooth and it is inductively charged by the tablet as well.
Image by Google
The Google Pixel C packs a 10.2 inch display of 2,560 x 1,800 resolution. That translates to a pixel density of 308 ppi. The screen is also able to achieve up to 500 nits of brightness, which will make it readable under direct sunlight. Powering the tablet is a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra X1 CPU with a Maxwell GPU and 3GB RAM. It will also be available in 32GB and 64GB of non-expandable storage options. There are also stereo speakers perched on both sides of the tablet. It will come with a USB Type-C port for both charging and I/O.
Image by Google
The Pixel C will cost $499 for the 32GB model and $599 for the 64GB one. The keyboard can be purchased separately for $149. Any takers?
Google just launched its first Google phablet, the Nexus 6, a new powerful tablet, the Nexus 9, which has a 64-bit Tegra K1 chip under the hood, and a set-top box, gaming console hybrid, which is the Nexus Player. Google also confirmed that Android L is Android 5.0 Lollipop, making it the most recent version of the Android OS, replacing Android 4.4 KitKat.
Image by PhoneArena
Android 5.0 Lollipop is the latest iteration of the Android operating system. It aims to unify the experience across all Android devices and screen sizes. The most obvious change that it brings to the table is the introduction of "Material Design," which has flat looks, real-life looking shadows, and a cleaner interface. This is coupled with new speedy animations and refreshed icon designs. Under the hood, Google introduces a new ART runtime and the system is now 64-bit optimized, with all first-party Google apps being naturally updated for this change, while Java apps are getting the benefits of 64-bit without the need for developers to update them.
Image by PhoneArena
Along with the unveiling of Android Lollipop is the announcement of Google's first ever Android phablet, the Nexus 6. This Motorola-made phablet packs a 6-inch Quad HD display, a Snapdragon 805 SoC, 16GB/32GB of built-in storage, 3GB RAM, a 13-MP optically stabilized camera capable of recording 4K videos, and a 2-MP front-facing camera. However, the Nexus 6 will not fully benefit from Android Lollipop's 64-bit optimized system as its Snapdragon 805 chipset only supports 32-bit. The internal storage is not expandable either. With its large display and footprint, the Nexus 6 is larger than most of its peers like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the iPhone 6 Plus. The good news is that it has a bigger battery capacity, which can last for 24 hours with heavy usage. It will also support rapid charging technology, LTE, and NFC. But with all these monstrous specs come a hefty price of $649 off-contract. This is a lot more than what Google has charged for previous Nexus devices. The Nexus 6 will go on pre-order on October 29 and will hit the shelves sometime in November 2014.
Image by PhoneArena
The Nexus 9 is the other major device that Google has launched this year. Manufactured by HTC, the Nexus 9 has an 8.9-inch screen with a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels. It also has HTC's BoomSound dual-front speakers for superior audio output. Even at just 7.9 mm thickness, the Nexus 9 has a solid build, thanks to its metal frame. It also happens to be the first device powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra K1 in its 64-bit version with two large Denver CPU cores and Kepler graphics. Its battery life is said to last up to 9 hours, thanks to its 6,700 mAh built-in battery. It will come in Wi-Fi-only and LTE versions and in a variety of colors: Lunar White, Indigo Black, and Sand. Pricing starts at $399 for the 16GB Wi-Fi only version and could cost as high as $599 for the 32GB LTE version.
Image by PhoneArena
The last gizmo that Google unveiled is the Nexus Player. It is basically a set-top box with the Android OS installed and comes with a remote control. It supports up to 1080p Full HD video streaming when hooked up to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and YouTube. It also does screen mirroring of Android devices, and screen casting of Chrome browser tabs, just like what the Chromecast does. The Nexus Player costs just $99. And with an additional $30, you can get a gaming controller and play compatible games and do multi-player gaming via Google Play.
As technology advances, the limits of what we can do get pushed to new heights. While the idea of mind control may seem like something that came straight from science fiction, you will be surprised that you can actually do it (sort of) on the Google Glass. You will just need the MindRDR software and a Neurosky EEG biosensor headset.
Using the EEG biosensor headset, working in conjunction with MindRDR software, your brainwaves can be monitored by the Google Glass, and through it, take pictures then upload them automatically to Facebook or Twitter. This works by display a white line on your Google Glass screen and the more you concentrate on the white line, the further it moves up. When it reaches the top, it will automatically take a picture of whatever you are looking at. If you want to upload the photo, just rinse and repeat.
For now, it is the only thing that the MindRDR software and Neurosky EEG biosensor can do, together with the Google Glass. The goal of the manufacturers is to give disabled and paralyzed people the ability to navigate computer technology without the need for limbs. Do you think this is cool or scary?
Android has come a long way since its birth. We now have Android L, which is its latest
iteration. The Google Play Store is now larger than the Apple App Store with a
repository of more than 1,000,000 applications. And yes, many are
free albeit ads-sponsored.
Let me enumerate my favorite FREE Android Launchers of 2014:
1. Aviate
- Aviate automatically categorizes all of your apps, and intelligently rearranges your homescreen throughout the day to dynamically give you the apps and information you need most, at precisely the moment you need it.
Aviate is an intelligent homescreen that simplifies your phone and surfaces information at the moment it's useful. Aviate is still in invite-only beta to ensure a quality experience for its current users.
2. Themer - Through Themer, you can flip through an extensive library of free, premium themes, each complete with icons, wallpapers, widgets, and more. Your phone will instantly look amazing and feel brand new with minimal effort. There are themes that are minimal, colorful, exotic, and beautiful.
Themer also makes your phone smarter with Smart Categories that auto-categorize your apps, making them easier to find and launch. Other features include a completely customizable app drawer and full integration of Zooper Widget Pro allowing for the utmost in customizability.
3. Buzz Launcher -
Buzz Launcher is a highly customizable launcher that enables you to apply shared Homescreens to your own smartphone. Buzz Launcher is ad-free and has more than 400,000+ free themes (the largest number of free themes among launchers). It is available from Android 4.0.3 and above.
4. Wiser - It is a friendly way for people who wish to enjoy a smartphone without the hassle of finding their way in the complex smartphone environment. Wiser could fit the use of non-tech-savvy people, seniors and more. Wiser
is a redesign of the smartphone applications allowing you to better
communicate, friendlier picture experience and access to your favorite
content.
5. Cover - Cover is not actually a launcher but an Android lock screen. With Cover, you can get fast access to the right apps at the right time. Cover learns which
apps you use in different contexts and puts them right on your
lock screen for easy access. Automatically see different apps at home, in
the car, at work, and when you’re out.
So there you have it! These are my 5 Top Android Launchers that
can be downloaded from Google Play for FREE. I hope you like them and find them useful as well.
It's not every day that you see a dirt cheap smartphone beat a flagship device. Today is your lucky day as Moto E gets pitted against the Samsung Galaxy S5 for a real-life speed test. While synthetic benchmarks would show that the Samsung flagship is miles ahead of the humble Moto E, real-life speed of both devices tells a different story. Check out the video below:
As you can see from the video, the Moto E is snappier than the Galaxy S5 especially when it comes to opening applications. This is most likely because of the very heavy TouchWiz UI on top of Android KitKat on the Galaxy S5. Not even its Snapdragon 801 chip helped it beat the Moto E in this test. Of course, the video does not show whether or not a lot of applications are running on the S5's background. It's just unfortunate to know that the Galaxy S5, which costs as much as 6 Moto Es, gets owned in this test.
If you don't find the Moto G affordable enough, then you'll be glad that Motorola has released an even cheaper smartphone - the Moto E. It is an entry-level Android KitKat-powered smartphone that costs only £89/$117. It packs a 4.3-inch display protected by Gorilla Glass 3. It has a qHD resolution with a pixel density of 256ppi. It is also resistant to water splashes.
Inside the Moto E, ticks a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor and an Adreno 302 GPU. There is 1GB RAM and 4GB of internal storage. Thankfully, it is expandable up
to 32GB via microSD card slot. On the connectivity side, it has 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11n,
Bluetooth, GPS, and FM Radio. Yup, no LTE! There is also a dual-SIM variant of the said smartphone. At the back is 5-MP camera and an ample 1,980mAh battery. The Moto E measures 124.8mm x
64.8mm x 12.3mm and weighs 140g.
Image by GSMArena
The Moto E is now available in
India, UK, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and Canada. It is available in
Black, Turquoise, and Lemon color options. There are also Motorola Shells in different colors to personalize the look of your Moto E.
The Moto G is Motorola's most successful smartphone to date in terms of sales. It comes as no surprise considering the incredible bang for buck it offers. However, like almost all smartphones available, it is not without its shortcomings. For one, there is the glaring lack of a microSD card slot for storage expansion, considering the cheapest model only has 8GB of internal memory.
Image by GSMArena
Finally, Motorola heeded to the public clamor and has released a version of the Moto G with a microSD card slot. Not only that, it added LTE capabilities to the said smartphone, making it more capable and future-proof. The new Moto G with LTE still runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat and packs a Snapdragon 400
chipset with 1GB RAM. At the back is a 5-MP camera with LED
flash. Motorola will begin selling this Moto G variant by the end of May 2014 and will cost £149/$219 for the 8GB variant. Any takers?
Google has just made Google Camera available to all Android 4.4 KitKat users through the Play Store. With it, you can snap quick and easy photos and videos, and has creative picture modes like Photo Sphere, Lens Blur, and Panorama. It features:
- Photo Spheres for immersive 360º views
- Lens Blur mode for SLR-like photos with shallow depth of field
- Panorama mode with high resolution
- 100% viewfinder for getting the maximum resolution from the sensor (no dropped pixels)
- Updated UI that gets out of your way and is centered on an extra large capture button
- Works on phones and tablets running Android 4.4+ KitKat
Image by Google
Image by Google
Google Camera is available on all Android smartphones and tablets
with Android 4.4 KitKat and up.
Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop service is now available for Android
devices. Through it, you'll be able to securely access your computers from your Android device. All
you need to do is enable remote access on your Windows or Mac computer
via the said app in the Chrome Web Store. On your Android device, open the app and tap on any of your online computers to connect.
Image by Google
Google is also said to have plans to release Chrome Remote Desktop for iOS. The app will arrive later this year.
After Samsung, LG, Huawei, and many others, Google too has officially entered the smart wearables market. Introducing the Android Wear, which is a version of the Android
operating system designed specifically for wearable devices, specifically smartwatches. Like most smartwatches, fitness is a key feature of Android Wear. Google
says that you'll be able to get "real-time speed, distance and time
information on your wrist for your run, cycle or walk." Voice assistant Google Now will also be on board.
Google said that it is already
working with current Android OEMs such as Asus, HTC, LG, Motorola, and
Samsung to produce Android Wear-powered wearables. LG is said to be the first to ship an Android Wear smartwatch. Interestingly, Fossil will offer smartwatches running the operating system later this year.
Google acquired Bump in September 2013, and now the search engine giant has decided to put two of the company's apps to sleep, namely Bump and Flock. Bump’s CEO and
Founder, David Lieb, announced on his blog that Bump
and Flock will be terminated officially on January 31, 2014. Both apps will be removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Bump was introduced in 2009, allowing smartphone users (regardless of OS) to share
photos, files, and contacts by simply bumping their phones together. Bump then ventured out with their own mobile payment
application by releasing Flock, which was capable of aggregating
pictures from various devices into one photo album.
TrendBlog has come up with an infographic listing more than 60+ voice commands for Google Now. Its functionality has been improved since the Android 4.4 KitKat update. The infographic is broken down into categories: Notes & Reminders,
Time & Date, Communication, Weather, Web Browsing, Maps &
Navigation, and Easter Eggs. Take a look at the infographic below:
While the Nexus 5 is not really known for its imaging capabilities, Google has anyway released three new videos showing off the camera
functionality best-selling smartphone. The videos featured the Photo Sphere (for 360-degree panorama), HDR+, and Auto Awesome (generates animations from burst shots). Check them out below.
