Vivo V5 with 20MP front camera launches in India

In a press event in Mumbai, Vivo unveiled their flagship device for India, the Vivo V5. Focused on the young, selfie-obsessed young audience, the Vivo V5 packs in an unprecedented 20MP front camera.

The V5 boasts of a 'Moonlight Glow' feature that induces a natural glow on the face without straining eyes that lights up the picture irrespective of the lighting conditions. The company claims that the feature allows users to capture perfect selfies without making them grainy, distorted or flooded with hard flash.

"With the launch of V5, Vivo adds a new dimension and sets its focus on emerging camera technology, thus offering an unprecedented camera experience. V5 comes with the first-ever 20 MP front camera that creates flawless pictures in naturally vivid colours. We are sure that our new offering is all set to create a new benchmark and will be widely accepted by customers and redefine the selfie experience."

– Kent Cheng, CEO, Vivo India

There's a fingerprint sensor that also allows you to activate your apps by swiping the screen down towards the fingerprint sensor. The 'Smart Screen-Split' feature allows users to multitask without having to switch back and forth each time a notification pops up that needs your attention. The company also flaunts their custom-made AK4376 dedicated Hi-Fi audio chip that provides an immersive audio experience.

Vivo V5 Specifications

• Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Funtouch OS 2.6
• Display: 13.97cm (5.5-inch) HD (1280 x 720) | 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass
• Processor: 1.8GHz octa-core 64-bit Snapdragon 652
• RAM: 4GB
• Internal Storage: 32GB; expandable up to 128GB with microSD card
• Camera: 20MP rear camera | 13MP front camera
• Dimensions: 153.8 x 75.5 x 7.55mm
• Weight: 154g
• Battery: 3000mAh

The Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Vivo, entered the Indian market in December 2014, and currently has its presence in more than 400 cities in 22 states with over 33,000 outlets across the country.

Priced at ₹17,980 ($265), the Vivo V5 will be available from November 26 across online and offline stores in the country, and the pre-orders will start from tomorrow.

At the launch, the company also dropped a teaser for the upcoming Vivo V5 Plus, world's first smartphone with a dual front camera setup, although no timeline for the launch or availability was shared.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2gckcPV
via IFTTT

The no Joe show! | Podcast 088

Joshua Vergara does his best to keep the team in line, while Jonathan Feist experiences internet issues and Lahn Nguyen and David Imel keep us entertained. Another informative episode of the Android Authority Podcast is in the bag, with no Joe. After checking in with our avoidance of the election topic and some laptop issues, we dive into high-priced phones. The Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9 reminds us of other expensive brands, leading us to think of products in a theoretical financed world, an exploration of consumerism.

Self exploration continues as we talk the upcoming OnePlus 3T, dreaming of what we want to see in the new device, remembering what the original OnePlus offered. Finally, we close out the show with a chat on Google Home, Google Assistant and Google Daydream VR.

The Android Authority Podcast – discussing topics in Android every single week.

Rough Timecodes:
David bought too many laptops and we're not talking elections, much, during our check-ins.
32:00 – Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9
55:00 – OnePlus 3T announcing soon
72:00 – Google Home
80:00 – Google Daydream

Links to Podcast

RSS Feed
iTunes
Stitcher
SoundCloud
Direct Download

Relevant Links

Android Authority Forums
Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9
OnePlus 3T announcement pending
Google Home and Assistant
Google Daydream

Follow our Hosts

Joshua Vergara Twitter | Google+	Joseph Hindy Twitter | Google+
Andrew Grush Twitter | Google+	Jonathan Feist Twitter | Google+
Nirave Gondhia Twitter | Google+	John Dye Twitter | Facebook
Lanh Nguyen Twitter | YouTube	David Imel Twitter | Instagram
November 2016 giveaways
SoundGuys – Jaybird X3 giveaway TabTimes – iPhone 7 giveaway	VRSource – Google Pixel and Daydream VR giveaway Charged – GoPro Karma drone giveaway

Recorded on November 10th, 2016 – Hosted and produced by Joshua Vergara.

"37"

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2fbGHAd
via IFTTT

Come take a look at how the Samsung Gear S3 is built

What makes this watch so enticing? Of course, you can learn all the details in our Samsung Gear S3 hands-on post, but Samsung believes their engineering is a big part of this success. The Korean manufacturer has put together an article in which they show us all the parts and pieces that "make the Samsung Gear S3 tick".

• Samsung Gear S3 officially announced: here's what you need to know
• Samsung Gear S3 hands on
• Samsung Gear S3 vs Gear S2 comparison

The Samsung Gear S2 was something completely unique, bringing forth innovation both in terms of design and software. But things can always get better, and Samsung definitely improved upon an already awesome experience with the announcement of the Gear S3 at IFA 2016.

The design is much more refined, and Sammy continues to invest into its Tizen-powered software, which hasn't offered a bad experience so far. In fact, the Samsung Gear S3 has made it to our 'Best smartwatches' feature, where it occupies the very first spot in the list.

Taking a look at the guts

According to Samsung, the Gear S3 is mainly composed of 6 parts: the bezel/front case, the display, the bracket, the mainboard, the rear case and the band. They go ahead and specify each part's function, components and purpose.

There's nothing odd or crazy that we can notice, but you can go ahead and check the source to see all the details. It's definitely interesting to read; especially once you start getting to the materials used and other engineering details. This is one hell of a smartwatch!

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2fbA94L
via IFTTT

Cut your Nexus camera lag to near-Pixel levels with this mod

Google's recently released Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones include some improvements for camera performances in both hardware and software, compared to its older  Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P devices. However, if you are willing to side-load apps on those older Nexus phones, you have a chance to get a mod to Google Camera that offers some performance improvements.

See also:

Best Android smartphone cameras

2 weeks ago

The mod itself was developed by Charles Chow and is called Camera NX V4 and it's main goal is to offer close to the same amount of shutter lag for the older Nexus phones that are available for the new Google Pixel phones. And by "same amount of shutter lag", we mean zero.

As you can see in the demo video above with the Camera NX V4 mod running, the amount of shutter lag on the Nexus is a lot faster compared to using the regular Google Camera app. Chow states:

My phone is running Android 7.1.1 beta, in the video, Camera is stock Google Camera, Camera NX is the mod version. You can notice the lag on stock camera, when using the modified version, no lag while I continuously tap the shoot button, but due to the hardware limitations, the camera slow down a bit at the end.

Again, this app is not available via the Google Play Store, so you are downloading and installing this app on your Nexus device at your own risk. If you own a Nexus 5X or 6P, will you be trying out this mod?

Download from Chromloop

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2fsviiA
via IFTTT

Telltale’s 2017 Marvel game could be based on Guardians of the Galaxy

A leaked document may have revealed the Marvel Comics-based game that developer Telltale has been working on for some time. The document hints strongly that the episodic adventure game creators are making a title based on Guardians of the Galaxy.

See also:

Best Android games of 2016

2 weeks ago

Telltale first announced plans for its Marvel Comics-based project way back in April 2015, but offered no details at that time. Today, ComicBookMovie.com leaked a document from the biggest acting union in the US, SAG-AFTRA, which are currently holding a strike against game publishers for better right for voice actors. In the leaked document, it showed a list of games that have not yet approved new deals for voice actors. One of them was for "Guardians of the Galaxy: The Video Game".

The company that was listed in charge of the voice acting work for the game, "O'Farrel Enterprises", is also listed for "The Walking Dead Season 3", the upcoming next chapter in Telltale's zombie adventure series. Another site, Eurogamer, claims it has also heard through its own sources that Telltale is working on a Guardians of the Galaxy game, for a possible official reveal in December.

It certainly makes sense for Telltale to be making such a game, as Marvel Studios, owned by Disney, will release Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 in movie theaters in May 2017. Whether the game will feature any of that film's actors as voices remains to be seen, thanks to the current voice actors strike.

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2fsnnBx
via IFTTT

Bing for Android adds augmented reality search features and more

Microsoft continues to update its Bing search app for Android, as it keeps trying to take some of Google's market share away.  The latest version of the Bing app includes a feature that puts an augmented reality twist on searching for nearby places to eat, drink and otherwise entertain users.

See also:

Microsoft apps coming soon to a Xiaomi phone near you

June 1, 2016

When you open the app and tap on the camera logo on the left side, it brings up the view from your rear camera. Then you tap on the new "360" option on the left bottom portion of the app and it will bring up a list of nearby places such as restaurants, coffee houses and more. There are even options to see more practical locations like gas stations, grocery stores and more. There's also a compass on the left top side so you can quickly see where your nearby picks are, or you can quickly switch to an overhead map view of those same places with the tap of the map icon on the lower right side.

The AR feature isn't the only thing that's new with Bing for Android. You also get a music page that is supposed to direct users to videos, lyrics and related songs from their favorite artists. The change log says the Bing app also says there's an Events page with upcoming local concerts and sports events, and a Lottery page for the latest on the jackpot amounts and winning numbers. However, we didn't see either one of those features with this update.

What do you think of Microsoft adding these new AR search features in the Bing app. Are they actually useful or is this just a gimmick?

Get it at Google Play

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2fTNdNy
via IFTTT

The official Android Instagram account finally goes live

If you have been wondering why Google does not have an official Instagram account for its Android business, wonder no more. The official Android Instagram channel went live today, signaling that the company finally realizes that the social network is becoming a huge communications and marketing tool, alongside Twitter and Instagram's parent company Facebook.

See also:

Instagram Live Video coming soon, confirms CEO

3 days ago

As you might expect, the first few posts on the new Android Instagram account were basically, "Hi, we are here". Indeed, the first six posts, if viewed from a PC browser, combine to form one image, showing off the familiar Android mascot, along with a Pixel phone, a Pixel C tablet, Android Wear devices and apps for Android Auto and Android Pay. There are also jelly beans, lollipops, marshmallows and nougat pieces that, of course, reference current and past Android codenames (no KitKat pieces, though). There does not appear to be any hidden messages or Easter eggs, but if you spot one that you think might be a secret message, be sure to share it in the comments.

It will be interesting to see how much Google uses the Android Instagram channel to promote both the OS in general and its various hardware products in the future.

Check out Android on Instagram

from Android Authority http://ift.tt/2eUzhAd
via IFTTT