Motorola unveiled another member of its Moto Z2 family - the Moto Z2 Force Edition. The new Moto smartphone comes with a 5.5-inch Quad HD POLED screen with ShatterShield display. The body of the phone itself is made from reinforced 7000 series aluminum and features a water repellent nano-coating. Under the hood is a flagship grade, octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC with 4GB RAM and 64GB of expandable storage (6GB RAM and 128GB storage in some markets). It runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. Sadly, battery capacity has been reduced to 2,730 mAh, which still supports fast charging (15W TurboPower).
Image by Motorola
When it comes to camera, the Moto Z2 Force Edition packs a new dual camera system, consisting of two 12-MP Sony IMX386 cameras, with an f/2.0 aperture. One of the cameras captures in full color while the other one in monochrome and acts as a depth sensor. There is phase-detection auto-focus and laser auto-focus on board plus 4K video recording capability as well as dual-LED flash. A 5-MP front-facing camera with dual-LED flash is also on board. Connectivity-wise, the smartphone has NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, LTE, and dual-SIM support. It does not have a 3.5 mm headphone jack and makes do with USB-C for data and audio. An adapter is provided in the box. Like other Moto Z2 smartphones, it has full support for Moto Mods.
Image by Motorola
Already up for pre-order in the US, the Moto Z2 Force Edition will also be available in Mexico, Brazil, and the EMEA market. It will set you back $720-$800 depending on where you get it. It will come in Super Black and Fine Gold color options but will also come in Lunar Grey, which is exclusive to T-Mobile.
Expanding its Q series range of smartphones, LG introduces the Q8. Announced in Italy, the LG Q8 runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and will retail for €599 unlocked. Design-wise, the metal-clad LG Q8 mimics the LG V20, almost passing as a compact version of the latter. This means that the Q8 has a secondary screen on top for notifications. The LG Q8 has a 5.2-inch Quantum IPS display of QHD resolution. It is also protected by Gorilla Glass 4. In addition, the smartphone is IP68-certified, making it water-resistant and dust resistant.
Image by LG
Unlike the Q6, the LG Q8 is powered by flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with 4GB RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. It also has a 3,000 mAh non-removable battery. Its other features include Hi-Fi DAC for superior audio quality and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Imaging-wise, the Q8 sports a dual camera setup: a 13-MP sensor with 1.12 micron pixels and an f/1.8 aperture plus an 8-MP wide-angle sensor with 1.12 micron pixels. OIS (optical image stabilization) and 4K video recording are also in tow. There is also a 5-MP wide-angle secondary shooter.
Image by LG
Measuring 149 mm x 71.9 mm x 8 mm and weighing 146 grams, the LG Q8 is light but not quite small. There is no word yet if it will be launched outside Europe. Any takers?
LG recently announced its new Q series mid-range line-up of smartphone. The first device from the range is the Q6, which comes in three variants, offering premium features at a competitive price. To start, the aluminum-clad LG Q6 packs a FullVision display featuring an 18:9 aspect ratio, similar to that of the G6, giving the smartphone a bezel-less design. The only difference is the screen size and resolution which are 5.5 inches and 1080p Full HD, respectively. Ticking inside the Q6 is an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset with Adreno 505 GPU. Here, the quantity of RAM, storage space, and color options depend on the variant. The regular Q6 comes with 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, and the following color options: black, platinum, white, and gold. Meanwhile, the Q6+ comes with 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, and the following color options: black, platinum, and blue. Lastly, the Q6a comes with 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, and the following color options: black, platinum, and gold.
Image by LG
Regardless of the variant, the LG Q6 sports a 16-MP primary camera with LED flash and a 5-MP front-facing camera with wide-angle 100-degree lens. The Q6 also features a facial recognition system for unlocking the device. A modest 3,000 mAh battery will keep its lights on and the phablet will run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box. The LG Q6 will go on sale in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America in August 2017.
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?
