Motorola DROID Turbo goes official with jaw-dropping specs and heavy duty battery

Well, after all the hush-hush, press renders and many other rumors, the Motorola DROID Turbo is finally official and needless to say the device comes with some very promising and heavily loaded specs. This is the second premier smartphone from the Motorola camp within a month, after Google announced its flagship Motorola designed Nexus 6 a fortnight ago. Let us discuss every aspect of the premium handset in detail.

Design and Display

The Motorola DROID Turbo stays to the 5inch segment unlike the phablet segment which Google has recently ventured into! Design wise, the Motorola DROID Turbo has very similar design pattern to its earlier DROID handsets and seems to have a hair-line difference from the DROID MAXX.

The Motorola DROID Turbo offers a metalized rear cover with a Kevlar build, as found in most of the DROID line of handsets. Moreover, the device has also got an metal frame clad in the Metallized Glass Fiber which offers more sturdiness to the device simultaneously making it more durable and light-weight. The device also features an water-repelling nanocoating that protects the internal hardware of the device from liquid spillage or 20 minutes of protection at heavy rains. Coming to its front. You would get to see a Gorilla Glass 3.0 protection with a front-facing speaker on the device.

Note that the device would be available in two different versions one having a metalized back cover and the other with a Kevlar-reinforced one. The Kevlar version would be a bit heavier and thicker weighing 176grams and 8.3-11.2 mm curve, while the metalized version would weigh 169grams with 7.8-10.6mm thickness.

Coming to its display, the front offers a 5.2inch touch screen Quad HD AMOLED panel having a pixel resolution of 1440×2560 pixels and a measures pixel density of 565ppi. This makes the display of Motorola DROID Turbo to be the sharpest compared to any other existing smartphone in the industry.

Machine Power and Software

Just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the DROID Turbo too has the most powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 APQ8084 chipset to its heart clocked at a whopping 2.7GHz and supported by a Adreno 420 GPU clocked at 600MHz. The device also comprises of an NLP (Natural Luggage Processor) on board.

Along with the powerful chipset, the device also has a 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM support with 64-bit access, ensuring to unleash the most of 64-bit big.LITTLE architecture of Android 5.0 Lollipop with Material Design and at the same time promising us of a seamless multi-tasking. The storage options for the device include a 32GB version as basic and a 64GB version would be launched ahead in future.

The connectivity options include LTE Cat 4 support for 2,4,7 and 13. The device would also support Verizon’s own XLTE network.  The handset is likely to receive Advance Calling 1.0 feature in just 90 days after which the device would be eligible for high-def Voice Over LTE. The basic conventional connectivity options of Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC on-board are also offered  by the device.

The Motorola DROID Turbo comes with a big software suite. This includes the Motorola Smart app suite that includes Moto Voice, Moto Assist, Moto Actions, Highlight Reel, Moto Display and Best Shot.  There are also some exclusive apps like Zap with Voice, Zap Zone and Zap to TV. Motorola Migrate would make it very easy for users to easily transfer their contacts from old Android devices directly to the DROID Turbo. Currently, the Motorola DROID Turbo runs the Android 4.4.4 KitKat and would very soon get the latest Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade.

Powerful 21MP Camera Snapper

This is another department where the Motorola DROID Turbo makes you spread your eyes wide! The back of the device hosts a whopping 21MP camera sensor having f/2.0 aperture supported with a dual-LED flash. Of the two, each LED light is placed on the either side to the left and right . the primary camera to its back allows users to capture 4K videos at 24fps and the 1080p videos at 30fps. Yes, you also get many software tweaked features like slow motion video recording at 720p, digital zoom, auto HDR, burst mode, panorama and many more. The front-facing video chatting camera is 2MP allowing to capture 1080p videos.

Battery beyond bars

Falling just short of the 4000mAh battery capacity, the device hosts a whopping 3900mAh of battery capacity and Motorola claims it to be easily for two long days. This is certainly a part of achievement from Motorola to pump this huge a battery in 5.2 inch device. Just like Nexus 6, the handset is also equipped with quick charging feature that facilitates 8 hours of usage with just 15 minutes of charging. There is off-course the Turbo charger that would play a considerable role and can be found inside the box. The device also supports wireless charging however it is not shipped along with the package.

Pricing, Color options and release date

The Motorola DROID Turbo would be available from tomorrow i.e. October 30^th from Verizon and Motorola. The 32GB variant of the device would be available in different color options of Metallic Red, Black Ballistic Nylon and Metallic Black. This would have a $199 price-tag on 2 year contract with Verizon or another $25 per month with Verizon Edge. On the other hand, the 64GB version would be available for $249.99 on 2year contract or $27 per month with Verizon Edge.

Motorola DROID Turbo goes official with jaw-dropping specs and heavy duty battery

Samsung Galaxy A5 Price and Specs leaked by a Retailer ahead of launch

After the launch of Samsung Galaxy Alpha, there have been several rumors and leaks about the next three upcoming Samsung Galaxy ‘A’ series phones featuring a metallic frame– Galaxy A3, A5 and A7. Now a retailer from Kazakhstan ‘Technodom’ has listed the Samsung Galaxy A5 in its catalog before its official unveiling, revealing its price and specifications.

The listing was spotted by a Russian site hi-tech.mail. As per the catalog, the dual-SIM version will be dubbed as Samsung Galaxy A5 Duos LTE (SM-A500) and it appears to be a pricey handset costing KZT 99,990 in Kazakhstan, which translates to about $552 or €435. According to earlier reports the Galaxy A5 was supposed to cost between $400 and $450.

Specs include a 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display with 720p resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with a quad-core 1.2GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory with a microSD card slot for memory expansion. There will be a 13MP main camera with LED flash, a 5MP front-facing camera and a 2,330 mAh battery on board. The phone supports NFC and 4G LTE and will run Android 4.4.4 KitKat out of the box.

Of course, the handset has a metal frame and a great appearance and feel, so it may justify the high price. It measures 139.9 x 69.7 x 6.7mm and weighs 123 grams. Official-looking renders of the Galaxy A5 have appeared earlier and we have also spotted the Galaxy A3 and A5 duo on a video.

Samsung has not yet announced the date when it will be unveiling the trio of Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 smartphones. The catalog is valid up to November 11 so we can expect the company make an announcement before then.

Source hi-tech.mail.ru (translated)

Samsung Galaxy A5 Price and Specs leaked by a Retailer ahead of launch

Apple Wants To Take NFC Beyond Apple Pay

Google tried to implement NFC through Android but it seems that they were not particularly successful with its implementation. Now, rumor has it that Apple is preparing to use Apple Pay for more than just NFC payments. They are scouting for partnerships to increase the span of NFC payments via the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The payment API is not available to third-parties so Apple Pay can only be used through designated locations right now.

Apple is trying to implement the NFC chip for security, and even things like public transit tickets. They have been in talks with HID Global and Cubic who make secure building access systems that are activated using keycards.

The Apple representatives have talked to technology providers like HID Global and Cubic, which enable secure access to buildings and transit fare systems, respectively, said people briefed on the discussions. Spokespeople for the companies declined to comment about any discussions with Apple, but executives there discussed how they could integrate their systems with the iPhone.

A partnership with Starwood Hotels has already been announced as well. Hotel users can replace their keycards with the Apple Watch which uses bluetooth rather than NFC.

Cook said mobile payments had failed so far because they were built to serve the business models of their creators, rather than to provide a useful experience for customers. (source: Bloomberg)

There has been some backlash from merchants but Apple is going forward with Apple Pay. It is clear that they want this to be a big part of everyday life.

 

Apple Wants To Take NFC Beyond Apple Pay

Sony"s underwater Xperia Aquatech Store will be the first of its kind to sell smartphones and tablets

Sony has been the forerunner when it comes to water-resistant tech in the smartphone and tablet market. Sony was the first company to launch these products with the highest water-resistant ratings. The Xperia Z and the Xperia Tablet Z were released in 2013 with water resistance capabilities. Later released Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, and Xperia Z3 Tablet have offered even better water-proofing, up to IP 68. This is the best in the industry right now.

Since so many Xperia phones are water resistant, people know them for this feature. Now sony is getting ready to make the first underwater smartphone store.

Sony’s new store will be located off the cost of Dubai in the UAE. The Xperia Aquatech Store is expected to open on December 3. Only a few customers and members of the press will be escorted to the store which is four meters below sea level.

Not Much is known about this store except that trained divers will escort guests underwater. The store is at the sea bed where guests will be able to stand and breathe normally.

“We have taken the bold step of creating The World’s First Xperia Aquatech Store, which will offer a number of our customers and guests an exhilarating and unforgettable experience, once again highlighting Xperia’s passion for innovation in the smartphone market,” said Rüediger Odenbach, Vice President of Sony Mobile Middle East and Africa.

We will definitely find out more about this store in the near future.

Sony"s underwater Xperia Aquatech Store will be the first of its kind to sell smartphones and tablets

LG announces its Isai VL device with 3GB of RAM

Earlier this year, there were quite a bit amount of rumors regarding the LG Isai FL device. Yes, this is the very same design having its design very similar to the LG G3. The handset was exclusively made for one of the Japanese carriers KDDI and had very thin bezels of just 1.15mm thickness. The LG Isai Fl was the first handset to have a Quad-HD display with a 500ppi pixel density. The device was announced just few months back and now LG and KDDI have come out with a refreshed version of the device namely the LG Isai VL.

Looking to its specs, the device comes with a 5.5inch Quad HD display having an excellent pixel density of 534 pii. Well, there are even few areas wherein the VL Isai model surpasses the FL model such as the RAM and the call making capabilities. The Isai FL model offers 2GB of RAM whereas this VL model offers 3GB of RAM. The LG Iasi VL model is considered as the first VoLTE enabled devices in Japan and is even water and dust proof.

With the LG G3 being this hit in the market, everyone’s eyes would be now on its successor LG G4 which could possibly have some similar specs as that compared to the recently launched LG Isai VL. This device is said to be exclusively available in Japan only.

source: KDDI

LG announces its Isai VL device with 3GB of RAM

HTC Sense 7 screenshots with Material Design leaked

Back in June at the Google I/O Conference when Google declared its Android 5.0 with Material Design, Taiwan based handset maker HTC promised an update for its flagships HTC One M8 and One M7 within 90 days of Google offering them the source code. With the latest Android OS Lollipop that would be started rolling-out from next week, we can expect this update to hit HTC device at the start of next year. There is no doubt to it that this 64-bit Os architecture would arrive with HTC Sense. With all this, we have received the first screenshots from one of the test HTC One M8 running the Android Lollipop that is topped up the HTC Sense 7 interface.

The new Android Lollipop offers a very clean and flat look for its apps and menus which can be compared with Optimus UI from LG with minimal flatter looks and is very user-friendly. Well, there is quite a large amount of possibility of HTC making efforts to match up its Sense UI looks that are in accordance to the Material Design. Well, for the time being we have the below two screenshots for the same.

source: YouMobile

 

HTC Sense 7 screenshots with Material Design leaked

ASUS Releases Affordable 10 Inch Tablet MeMO Pad 10

ASUS launched its new tablet, the MeMO Pad 10. This tablet is targeted toward the market for affordable Android devices. At 10.1 inches, this tablet has nice specs, great price, and a long battery life to boot. Lets take a look at the specs of this new tablet that is priced at a modest $199/€199.

The 10.1 inch MeMO Pad 10 has been made official and its specs are here. It has a resolution of 1280x800px and sports an IPS display having a resolution of 149 ppi. It comes with a Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset with a quad-core 1.5GHz Krait processor. It has 1 GB of RAM and expandable storage via the MicroSD slot.

You also get 5GB ASUS Life Time webstorage to use as you see fit. Perhaps you could use this storage to store backups of your tablet. Another novelty that comes with this tablet are the SonicMaster tech stereo speakers.

MeMO Pad 10 comes with Android 4.4 KitKat onboard. Its 0.3 MegaPixel front facing camera is definitely for video calls only. It also has a 2MP back camera but some models are said to have a 5 MegaPixel back-mounted camera.

The biggest selling point of this tablet is probably its battery timing. The MeMO Pad 10 is said to have 9.5 hours of battery life. The tablet weighs at 525 grams. You have a choice between black or shile when choosing the colors.

ASUS Releases Affordable 10 Inch Tablet MeMO Pad 10