Dust has not even settled on the recently launched LG G6, which was released in March 2016, yet LG has unveiled a new version of its flagship device. Meet the LG G6+, which is essentially the same as the original G6 but comes with more storage space at 128GB, B&O headphones inside the box, wireless charging (Qi), and new color options (Optical Marine Blue, Optical Terra Gold, and Optical Black. Shipping with the LG G6+ also is an updated software, which will bring a few new features out of the box like face recognition, Low Power Consumption mode for the battery, LG Pay (limited to South Korea for now), and volume control of the Hi-Fi Quad audio. The software is also expected to roll out on the original LG G6.
Image by LG
Apart from the new features above, the LG G6+ will retain the other features of the original G6. These include a 5.7-inch IPS LCD of Quad HD resolution, IP68 water and dust resistance, a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset with 4GB RAM, dual 13-MP primary camera, a 5-MP front camera, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and more. The pricing of the LG G6+ is yet to be unveiled. Are you eager to buy this one or do you regret buying the original LG G6?
Wonder Woman is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is the fourth installment in the DC Extended Universe. Directed by Patty Jenkins, the movie stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, and Elena Anaya. Released in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D, Wonder Woman garnered positive reviews from critics and movie-goers. It had the biggest opening for a female-led comic book film, and has grossed more than $500 million worldwide.
The story goes like this: Set in 1918, the film tells the story of Princess Diana, who grows up on the Amazon island of Themyscira. After American pilot Steve Trevor crashes offshore of the island and is rescued by Diana, he tells her about the ongoing World War. She then leaves her home in order to end the conflict, becoming Wonder Woman in the process.
Wonder Woman is of action, adventure, fantasy, and sci-fi genre, which runs for approximately 141 minutes. It's Rated PG-13 in most countries for sequences of violence and action, and some suggestive content. For me, it feels refreshing to see a woman star in a superhero movie. It also felt odd because normally you'd see men who are more powerful, and then suddenly they are weak. There's nothing extraordinary with the plot or even the characters considering this is a fantasy film but perhaps it was the acting of Gadot and some others who made the difference. Conversations seemed natural, nothing felt it was forced. While I commend the film's use of special effects, some action scenes and scoring felt like I've seen and heard it before. Overall, I liked the film, especially the back story. I recommend it.
Motorola is on a roll as it launched two new budget smartphones in the US: the Moto E4 and Moto E4 Plus. The Moto E4 is the smaller of the two, packing a 5-inch display of 720p HD resolution. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 427/425 processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. It runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box. Measuring 144.5 mm x 72 mm x 9.3 mm, the Moto E4 ships with a 2,8000 mAh battery. It also comes with an 8-MP primary camera with LED flash and a 5-MP selfie camera with its own LED flash.
Image by Motorola
Meanwhile, the larger Moto E4 Plus features a 5.5-inch display of the same 720p HD resolution. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 SoC with 2GB RAM and 16GB/32GB of expandable storage. Running Android 7.1 Nougat, a very large 5,000 mAh battery will keep its lights on. The Moto E4 Plus measures 155 mm x 77.5 mm x 9.5 mm. It will have a 13-MP rear camera with LED flash and the same 5-MP selfie camera also with LED flash. In addition, it will come with a fingerprint scanner.
Both smartphones are part-metal and come with a water-repellent coating. The Moto E4 will retail for $129.99 while the Moto E4 Plus will set you back $179.99. Any takers?
Huawei has unveiled a new smartphone with flagship specs but costs a fraction of the price in the form of the Honor 9. Wielding a metal and glass body, the Honor 9 looks premium but a bit gaudy. It packs a 5.15-inch LCD of 1080p Full HD resolution, with support for high color gamut (DCI-P3 standard). Under the hood is the high-end octa-core Kirin 960 SoC with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage. The chipset is the same as that of the Huawei P10. It runs a forked version of Android, which is the EMUI 5.1. A large 3,200 mAh non-removable battery will keep its lights on.
Image by Honor
The camera configuration of the Honor 9 is also similar to that of the Huawei P10. It comes with a 20-MP monochrome sensor and a regular 12-MP sensor. There's an f/2.2 aperture, hybrid zoom, HDR, panorama, beauty shot mode, and a dual-LED flash. There's also an 8-MP front camera with an f/2.0 aperture. Audio-wise, the Honor 9 is equipped with a Hi-Fi chip. The smartphone also supports fast charging technology, a front-mounted fingerprint scanner, and a 3.5 mm headset jack at the bottom. Currently only available in China, the Honor 9 will retail for $323 for the 4GB RAM/64GB model and will go up to $441 for the 6GB RAM/128GB variant.
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.
