Joining the no-bezel bandwagon is the Bluboo S1. But unlike the Galaxy S8, LG G6, or the Xiaomi Mi Mix, it doesn't cost a fortune - $150 to be exact. The Bluboo S1 packs a 5.5-inch Sharp display of 1080p Full HD resolution. The display runs off the edge on three sides, placing the 8-MP front-facing camera at the bottom right. It is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P25 processor with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB of expandable storage. Measuring 148.6 mm x 74.3 mm x 7.9 mm, it is a pretty svelte smartphone. Despite that, the S1 comes with a large 3,500 mAh battery. It also happens to run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.
Image by Bluboo
Despite its very affordable price tag, Bluboo managed to fit a dual-camera setup at the back of the S1. It has a 16-MP Sony main camera and another 3-MP sensor for depth perception. The smartphone is LTE-enabled and sports a fingerprint scanner under the Home button. It will hit the shelves in July 2017 and is now globally available for reservation. Any takers?
Now that the OnePlus 5 is official, let's get this out of the way. Yes, it looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 7 Plus, from the dual camera setup, to the antenna lines, to the color options. Other than these, it is a full-fledged, high-end Android smartphone, which costs a fraction of the price of the iPhone 7 Plus or the Samsung Galaxy S8. It is also interesting to note that OnePlus skipped number 4 with the OnePlus 5, like how Samsung jumped from Galaxy Note5 to Galaxy Note7.
Image by OnePlus
The OnePlus 5 is clad in anodized aluminum with 2.5G Gorilla Glass display. Speaking of display, it packs a 5.5-inch AMOLED screen of 1080p Full HD resolution with sRGB/DCI-P3 color space support. Under the hood is the latest octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with a record-breaking 8GB RAM (also available in 6GB RAM) and 64GB/128GB UFS 2.1 non-expandable storage. It runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with the Oxygen OS on top. It now features a reading mode, expanded screenshots, auto-night mode, off-screen gestures, do not disturb gaming mode, and more. A 3,300 mAh battery will keep its lights on, which comes with Dash Charge proprietary fast charging via USB Type-C.
Image by OnePlus
With regard to camera, the OnePlus 5 features a dual-camera setup. The main camera is a 16-MP Sony IMX398 wide-angle sensor with 1.12 micron pixels, an f/1.7 aperture, dual-pixel phase detection auto-focus, EIS, and 4K video recording capabilities. The telephoto camera has a 20-MP Sony IMX350 sensor with 1 micron pixel and an f/2.6 aperture. OnePlus claims that this is the highest resolution dual-camera system on a smartphone today. The OnePlus 5 also features a new Portrait Mode, similar to that of the iPhone 7 Plus. The front-camera, meanwhile, is a 16-MP Sony IMX371 sensor with 1 micron pixel and an f/2.0 aperture.
Image by OnePlus
Connectivity-wise, the OnePlus 5 supports LTE-A, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC, and dual-SIM connectivity. It also has a fingerprint scanner under the Home button, a 3.5 mm audio jack, and a tri-position alert slider.
Image by OnePlus
With regard to pricing, the OnePlus 5 is the most expensive smartphone from the company to date. It costs $480 for the 6GB RAM/64GB model, which is $80 more expensive than the OnePlus 3 and $40 more expensive than the OnePlus 3T. The 8GB RAM/128GB model will set you back $540. Its price is even pricier in Europe. It will become officially available on June 27, 2017 in North America and Europe. Are you excited?
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?
