Samsung has refreshed its Galaxy J series for 2017 by launching the 2017 editions of the Galaxy J7 and the Galaxy J5 in Europe, joining the previously announced Galaxy J3. Clad in metal, both pack a Super AMOLED display - a 5.5-inch 1080p Full HD screen for the Galaxy J7 and a 5.2-inch 720p HD screen for the Galaxy J5. The Galaxy J7, in particular, also features some splash resistance through its IP54 rating. Their Home key is also home to a fingerprint scanner. Both phones rely on a USB Type-C port for charging.
Image by Samsung
As for processing power, both the Galaxy J7 and the Galaxy J5 come with an octa-core Exynos 7870 chipset with 3GB RAM for the former and 2GB RAM for the latter. Both also have 16GB of expandable storage. They run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box with Samsung's custom UI on top. Battery capacity is rated at 3,600 mAh for the Galaxy J7 and 3,000 mAh for the Galaxy J5, which seems more than sufficient. When it comes to camera, both smartphones pack a 13-MP main camera with a bright f/1.9 aperture and LED flash. They also come with a 13-MP selfie camera. Connectivity-wise, LTE and dual-SIM support are available. The Galaxy J5 will retail for €280 while the Galaxy J7 will set you back €340. Both will become available in June/July 2017.
At this year's WWDC, Apple unveiled two new iPad Pros: the all-new iPad Pro 10.5-inch and the refreshed iPad Pro 12.9-inch. Physically, both still look like the original iPad Pro but there are a lot of changes under the hood and in terms of software. Starting with the display - both iPad Pros come with an LED-backlit Retina display which is fully laminated, anti-reflective, fingerprint-resistant, and goes as bright as 600 nits. The display also features a wide color gamut, which supports HDR content. The larger iPad Pro has a 12.9-inch screen of 2,732 x 2,048 resolution while the smaller one has a 10.5-inch screen of 2, 224 x 1,668 resolution. Both have a pixel density of 264 ppi.
Image by Apple
Ticking inside the new iPad Pros is Apple's own 64-bit, hexa-core A10X Fusion chip, which offers up to 30% better CPU performance and 40% better GPU performance than its predecessor. It also has an embedded M10 co-processor. Unlike in the previous iPad Pros, the new iPad Pro duo will have a base storage of 64GB and could go up to 256GB or 512GB. While these new iPad Pros will ship with iOS 10 by default, iOS 11 will be immediately available upon their release. Among the new features of iOS 11 are split-screen multi-tasking with drag-and-drop functionality between apps, a new Files app, a new Dock, a new customizable dock, augmented reality, expanded Siri functionality, AirPlay 2, and upgrades to the App Store, Apple Play, Camera, Live Photos, Apple Music, and more. Apple also promises a 10-hour battery life for the new iPad Pros.
Image by Apple
When it comes to photography, the new iPad Pros share a lot of features with the cameras found in the iPhone 7. They come with a 12-MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization (OIS), 6-element lens, Quad-LED True Tone flash, auto-focus with Focus Pixels, Live Photos with stabilization, and more. The main camera can also record 4K videos at 30 fps, supports OIS for video, time-lapse mode, slo-mo video, and more. For selfie lovers, there is a 7-MP front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash, 1080p Full HD video recording capabilities, and support for Live Photos. Connectivity-wise, the new iPad Pros come with dual-band Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, LTE-A, embedded Apple SIM, GPS, FaceTime audio, and FaceTime video. They still feature the TouchID fingerprint scanner for securing data and purchasing media. They also sport a four-speaker audio setup with dual microphones for calls, video recording, and audio recording. A 3.5 mm headset jack is still in tow. Thank God.
Image by Apple
The iPad Pro 10.5-inch will come in four colors: Space Gray, Rose Gold, Gold, Silver while the iPad Pro 12.9-inch have to make do with just three, minus the Rose Gold option. The smaller iPad Pro will retail starting at $649 while the larger iPad Pro will set you back starting at $799. Accessories for the iPad Pro are sold separately and include the Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard, Leather Sleeve, USB-C to Lightning cable, an SD card reader, and a USB camera adapter.
The Oppo R11 just got official in China. It is a phablet with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display of 1080p Full HD resolution. Under the hood is an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. It runs Android 7.1 Nougat with the latest Color OS on top. However, a rather small 2,900 mAh battery will keep its lights on.
Image by Oppo
Imaging-wise, the R11 packs a dual camera setup: one 20-MP sensor and another 16-MP sensor. The cameras can do up to 2x optical zoom and Portrait mode, which blurs the background behind the subject. It also has a 20-MP selfie camera in tow. Available in Rose Gold, Black, and Gold, the Oppo R11 will retail for about $485.
The Moto Z2 Play is here, and the announcement was without any fanfare. It has a super thin body at only 5.5 mm and weighs only 145 grams. Successor to the Moto Z Play, the Z2 Play comes with a 5.5-inch AMOLED display of 1080p Full HD resolution with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood is a super efficient octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC with 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB of expandable storage. It runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. All these will be powered by a rather modest 3,000 mAh battery with a 30-hour battery life. The phablet also supports fast charging via its USB Type-C port.
Image by Motorola
Camera-wise, the Moto Z2 Play sports a 12-MP primary sensor with dual pixel auto-focus, a bright f/1.7 aperture, and dual-LED flash. In front, a 5-MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture and dual-LED flash can be found. Other features of the Moto Z2 Play is a squarish shaped fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button and a water-repellent nano coating. It will come in three color options: Lunar Gray, Nimbus Blue, and Fine Gold. It will retail for about $500 for its top-end model.
Image by Motorola
But wait, what's the Moto Z2 Play for if it does not come with Moto Mods? This year, the phablet comes with four new Moto Mods, which magnetically snap to the phone and can be purchased separately: the JBL Soundboost, the TurboPower Pack, the Moto GamePad, and Moto Style Shells with wireless charging support. Pricing for the Mods start at $40.
Designed by Andy Rubin, the guy who created Android, the Essential Phone has just been unveiled. It is a true bezel-less smartphone, similar to the Xiaomi Mi Mix or the Sharp Aquos phone, and modular as well, similar to Motorola smartphones with Moto Mods. It sports a titanium body, which is sturdier than aluminum, and a scratch-resistant ceramic back. It packs a 5.71-inch LTPS LCD of Quad HD resolution with a 19:10 screen aspect ratio, and protected by Gorilla Glass 5. Under the hood is the high-end octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC with 4GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.0 non-expandable storage. It runs stock Android 7 Nougat out of the box with its own digital assistant and no bloatware. A relatively small 3,040 mAh battery will keep its lights on.
Image by Essential
Camera-wise, the Essential Phone comes with dual rear cameras: 13-MP RGB sensor with an f/1.9 aperture, phase detection auto-focus, laser auto-focus, and a secondary monochrome sensor with dual-LED flash. It has an 8-MP front-facing camera capable of 4K video recording. Connectivity-wise, the smartphone comes with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, LTE-A, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C port, fast charging, rear fingerprint scanner, dedicated wireless data transfer connector, 4 microphones with noise cancellation, and a magnetic dock at the back. However, like the iPhone 7/7 Plus, it forgoes the 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Image by Essential
The phone measures 141.5 mm x 71.1 mm x 7.8 mm and weighs a hefty 185 grams. The Essential Phone will be available in black, gray, white, and dual-tone colors. It can now be reserved for $700, which is cheaper than the iPhone 7 Plus or the Galaxy S8/S8+. Add $50 for the magnetically connecting 360-degree camera. Are you getting one?
