A "mid tier hero", if such a phone can exist, HTC's Desire 820 is an intriguing device. Despite being directed at the less-expensive mid-range end of the market, it's the world's first to sport Qualcomm's powerful new 64-bit, 1.5GHz quad core Snapdragon 615 processor.
HTC has a new phone for the midrange, the HTC Desire 820, paving the way to Android L with another 64-bit handset. Following in the footsteps of the Desire 816, the new 5.5-inch 720p HD smartphone packs Qualcomm’s 1.5GHz Snapdragon 615 octacore with 2GB of memory and 16GB of storage.
The 13-megapixel main camera gets an LED flash and an f/2.2, 28mm lens with 1080p video recording. On the front, meanwhile, there’s an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p; HTC preloads apps to make virtual photo booth composites, along with a digital makeup tool to smooth out wrinkles, and “Face Fusion” to blend elements of two faces into one.
There’s also compatibility with the HTC Zoe app to create, share, and remix Zoe Highlight videos.
Inside, there’s 4G LTE and HSPA+, along with Bluetooth 4.0 with aptX, WiFi a/b/g/n (2.4/5GHz), and GPS/GLONASS. The usual ambient light, proximity, and accelerometer sensors are present, plus a digital compass, and there’s a microSD slot good for up to 128GB cards.
HTC BoomSound speakers flank the 5.5-inch LCD display, while the embedded 2,600 mAh battery is good for up to 22.4hrs of 3G talk time, or up to 424hrs of 3G standby. Certain markets will get a dual-SIM version, too.
Nine finishes will be on offer - Marble White (glossy), Tuxedo Grey (matte), Santorini White (glossy), Milky-way Grey (glossy), Tangerine White (glossy), Saffron Grey (glossy), Flamingo Grey (glossy), Blue Mist (glossy), and Monarch Orange (glossy) - each using double-shot twin color plastic shells that have bright highlights around the buttons and camera.
HTC says the Desire 820 will hit shelves from the end of September, though isn’t confirming pricing or specific carriers at this stage.
Aside from producing smartphones, Japanese OEM Sony once upon a time also were pretty famous for their digital cameras. Now they’re merging the two once again as they announced the “rebirth” of their lens camera by introducing two new models: the QX30 and the E-mount QX1. The two can work on their own as high-powered cameras or they can be attached to your smartphone or tablet to give it a much needed megapixel boost.
The QX30 has a 1/2.3" (7.82mm) Exmor R CMOS 21.1 megapixel sensor which on its own is already pretty great. It has a focal length of 4.3-129mm and 30x optical zoom as well as a F3.5 (W) - 6.3 (T). The Sony G 11-element lens works with a BIONZ X image processor and you can store your photos on a micro-SD (slot has up to 64gb capability). You’ll be able to enjoy this lens camera’s high-powered abilities by shooting continuous photos up to 10 frames per second or full 1080p HD video at 60 fps.
Meanwhile the QX1, whose photos were leaked the day before the actual announcement, is a 20.1MP with APS-C size Exmor CMOS sensor and also works with the BIONZ x image processor. The difference between this and the QX30 is that you can replace the lens with a-mount system lenses (needing a Mount Adapter of course) and Sony’s own E-mount lenses as well. This means you can play around with your zoom, wide-angle and portrait options depending on what lens you use, as you would in an SLR and DSLR camera.
The two lens cameras can work with your device with the Sony PlayMemories mobile app version 5.0, using NFC or Bluetooth connectivity. The QX30 retails for around $350 and will be available through Sony and authorized dealers by this month while the QX1 will cost you around $400 and will be in stores by November this year.
VIA: SlashGear
The smartwatches have started their grand entrance even before IFA 2014 has officially started. ASUS announced the arrival of the ZenWatch, the Taiwanese OEM’s first smartwatch and it is in partnership with Google. It is now officially the fifth wearable on the Android Wear platform, after the Samsung Gear Live, the LG G Watch and G Watch R, and the soon to be launched Moto 360.
Aside from being a smartwatch that you can pair with your Android device that runs on 4.3 and higher, the ZenWatch is also being positioned as a "wellness manager” as it can track several of your health-related statistics. This includes number of steps taken, calories burned, heart rate, activity intensity and even relaxation level, all through your smartwatch’s 9-axis sensor and bio sensor, as well as the ASUS Wellness app.
But of course if you’re not into all that wellness statistics, the ZenWatch also has its main function, which is to make access to your smartphone’s functions more convenient. You can use the wearable to unlock your smartphone, a functionality that not all smartwatches have built in. You can also easily mute an incoming call on your phone just by covering the ZenWatch with your hand. If you are making a presentation to business colleagues or in a class, you can use your smartwatch as a remote control and also as your very own timer. If ever you’ve misplaced your phone, you can use the Tap Tap or Find My Phone feature of the ZenWatch.
ASUS’ first wearable runs on Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 400 processor with 1.2GHz CPU and uses a 2.5D curved glass with AMOLED1.63", 320x320, 278ppi touch display and a genuine leather-stitched armband. It has 512RAM and 4GB internal storage, with Bluetooth connectivity and a micro USB for the charging port. ASUS hasn't revealed US pricing yet, but it announced at IFA 2014 that the smartwatch will launch with a 199€ price tag, though that may very well translate to $199 here.
As we’ve written about before, it seems like smartwatches might be taking centre stage at the IFA 2014 tech expo in Berlin. There will be a lot of eyeballs on Android Wear, as more wearables will be added to the platform to join LG G Watch, Samsung Gear Live and the upcoming Moto 360, especially since rival Apple is also rumoured to be announcing their own wearable device. CNet sat down with Google executives to talk about their future plans for the smartwatch platform.
Without going into more specific details, David Singleton, Director of Engineering for Android Wear, and Hiroshi Lockheimer, Vice President of Engineering for Android, confirmed that they will be releasing more updates to the platform before the year ends. One of these features is the rumoured custom watch face API which will allow developers to customize “every pixel” of the display which will give them more freedom to customize and create activity-specific layouts.
Another thing that they revealed is that Android Wear devices will soon have support for Bluetooth headsets so you can stream your music from your smartwatches. That means you don’t have to carry your smartphone while you’re running or doing your fitness routines. All you need is a smartwatch and a Bluetooth headset and you’re good to go. Pretty soon, you’ll also be able to use your smartwatch as a GPS tracker independent of your smartphone, if the device has the hardware needed for it.
The two executives of course did not give the full plan for Android Wear, except to say that it has been “liberating” for Google to not be dependent on several things (including carrier approval) just to be able to push out new features and updates, compared to when they do it for phones and tablets. And with the existence (and emergence) of other platforms and non-Android smartwatch gadgets like Tizen, Pebble, and soon maybe Apple, Android Wear has to not just add more devices to its roster, but also differentiate itself from the competition.
SOURCE: CNet
VIA: SlashGear