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mercredi 14 décembre 2016

Lenovo Vibe K5 Note review

Lenovo has been on a hot streak in India, with a slew of great smartphones on offer that cover everything from entry-level to high-end. The company has found particular success with its K Note series, while both the K3 Note and the Vibe K4 Note proving to be quite popular.

Also read:

Lenovo K4 Note review

July 25, 2016

Lenovo is hoping to find the same success with the latest addition to the series, the Vibe K5 Note, that was launched in India in August. With upgraded hardware and a premium design, does the latest affordable smartphone from Lenovo prove to be a worthy successor? We find out, in this comprehensive Lenovo Vibe K5 Note review!

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Design

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The Lenovo Vibe K5 Note features a beautiful, all-metal unibody design

More and more manufacturers are starting to include all-metal designs in their mid-range and entry-level smartphones, so it's not surprising that the Lenovo Vibe K5 Note features a full metal unibody construction. Admittedly, it doesn't feel like the highest quality metal when compared to its more expensive and higher-end counterparts, but the construction is sturdy, and the device feels solid in the hand.

Taking a look around the device, the headphone jack sits on the top, while the microUSB port can be found on the bottom. The hybrid dual-SIM card and microSD card slot are on the left side, and on the right is the power button and volume buttons. The buttons are definitely an improvement when compared to its predecessor, with a good amount of travel and a nice click to them.

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Below the display are capacitive navigation keys, and unlike its predecessors, the keys do light up, which is a nice upgrade. It's not particularly bright though, and you won't really notice it unless you are in a dark environment, but that is when having back-lit navigation buttons is the most useful anyway.

The fingerprint scanner is on the back, below the camera unit and the dual LED flash, and at the bottom is the single speaker unit. During the launch event, Lenovo made a big deal about how the camera, the flash, the fingerprint sensor, and the Vibe logo were perfectly aligned and symmetrical. It's a nice design touch that you don't really appreciate day to day, but has led me to taking a lot more notice of what other phones look like.

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With a 5.5-inch display, the K5 Note is a large device, but Lenovo has done a good job with keeping the bezels along the sides of the display relatively thin. The subtle curves all around the back contribute positively to the handling experience as well. However, the metal body makes for a very slippery device, which can take some getting used to. If you have had issues with dropping your phone, you are definitely better off using a case that adds some grip.

Display

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The Vibe K5 Note's display is a huge improvement over its predecessor

The Vibe K5 Note comes with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a Full HD resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 401ppi. This display is a huge improvement over its predecessor, particularly when it comes to the brightness. Color reproduction and viewing angles are better as well. 1080p allows for plenty of sharpness, and reading text, watching videos, and playing games are all enjoyable on this large display.

The default settings are good enough, but you do have the option to change the color balance and temperature to better suit your needs. There is a manual mode that gives you granular control over these aspects, and a few preset options, like Comfort Mode, that helps protect your eyes when browsing the phone for long periods of time.

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One point to keep in mind here is that the glass panel protecting the display isn't of the Corning Gorilla Glass variety, which is definitely a step back, considering it was available with the K4 Note. It's difficult to judge how sturdy the panel is without actually scratching it or dropping the phone, but if that is a worry, a regular or tempered glass screen protector is certainly recommended. That said, I haven't had any issues with scratches on this screen yet.

Performance

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The Vibe K5 Note is powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor, clocked at 1.8GHz and backed by the Mali-T860MP2 GPU. This particular review unit comes with 4GB of RAM, but there is also a slightly cheaper version of the phone available with 3GB of RAM. The benchmark scores may not be very impressive, but the overall performance has actually been really good.

Opening, closing, and switching between apps has been a breeze, and the device handles everyday tasks very well. The gaming performance is excellent as well, and there have been no instances of lag or stutter when playing games like NBA Live Mobile, Stick Cricket 2, Modern Combat 5, and Riptide GP: Renegade. That is as heavy as my gaming requirements go, and the K5 Note did a wonderful job with all of them.

Hardware

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32GB is the only option as far as on-board storage is concerned, regardless of whether you pick the 3GB or 43GB of RAM version. Expandable storage via microSD card is available, up to an additional 256GB. However, the second SIM slot doubles as a microSD card slot, so users will have to make the choice between expandable storage and dual-SIM capabilities.

Users will have to make the choice between expandable storage and dual-SIM capabilities

While the K4 Note featured dual front-facing speakers, the single speaker unit of the K5 Note has been relegated to the back. Lenovo mentions that the curve along the bottom near the speaker directs the sound better, and it does help to some extent, but front-facing is definitely the better way to go. The sound quality itself is pretty good, and the speaker gets decently loud without sounding tinny.

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The Dolby ATMOS features do return however, where you can choose between preset options like Movie, Music, Game, or Voice, or set up custom settings depending on your liking. You also get additional features, including Surround Virtualizer, Dialogue Enhances, and Volume Leveler. As before, access to this feature in buried in the Settings menu, and can be found at the end of the "Ringtones and Volumes" section.

Speaking of ringtones and volumes, Lenovo's software has a few interesting additions here. You have the ability to set up different ringtones and message tones for the two SIM cards, which is a nice and easy way to distinguish between the two. There is also a feature called "Pocket Enhancer," that boosts the ringtone volume when the device is in your pocket. However, that only really works if your default volume setting is less than all the way up already.

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The fingerprint scanner on the back is really fast, but not as accurate as before, with the sensor often requiring a second try to unlock the device. The speed more than makes up for the slight lack of accuracy however, and you don't even have to lift your finger for the sensor to read it the second time and get it right. It's fast enough that the only reason I know it took another try is because of the vibration when it gets it wrong.

The fingerprint scanner on the back is really fast, but unfortunately not as accurate as before

The sensitivity and speed of the scanner did prove to be a problem in some instances though. For example, when pulling the phone out of a pocket, accidentally touching the scanner with the wrong finger would result in the device attempting to read it multiple times. This would result in the fingerprint scanner failing, which means the phone would then resort to requiring a PIN or pattern to unlock the phone. This would happen so fast that by the time I'd hold the phone up to actually unlock it, I would see an error message that reads "Too many attempts."

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As we've seen with the devices from other Chinese OEMs, this fingerprint scanner is capable of more than just unlocking the phone. There are a few different functions that it can be set up to perform. For example, a single tap can be set to work as a back button, or to take you back to the home screen. A long press can open the Recent Apps page, and finally, you can use the scanner as a shutter button, which is very useful when taking selfies.

The Vibe K5 Note comes with a large, non-removable 3,500mAh battery, and the battery life it provides has been excellent. With average to heavy usage, the device has consistently managed at least 4.5 to 5 hours of screen-on time, and there have been a few days where I've managed to push the screen-on time to close 6 hours. With fantastic standby times, the K5 Note will comfortably allow for a full day of use, and can easily be pushed to a day and a half to two days with lighter usage. There is no fast charging or wireless charging capabilities to be had though.

See also:

Screen-on time: Why is it important, and how can I extend it?

2 weeks ago

If you are looking to get even more juice out of the battery, there is the standard Battery Saver mode that automatically activates at the 15% mark. There is also an Ultimate Battery Saver feature that makes the UI much more minimal, and allows for only calls and texts. Another useful battery feature is "Scheduled Power On and Off," which lets you select a time period where the device automatically switches off and turns back on again.

Camera

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The Vibe K5 Note comes with the same rear camera as its predecessor – a 13MP shooter with a f/2.2 aperture and a dual LED flash. The front-facing camera has been updated however, now sporting an 8MP sensor.

Taking a look at the camera app, it is quite simplistic and easy to use. Everything you need can be found on the viewfinder, including the toggles for HDR and flash, as well as the button to switch between the front and rear cameras. The menu houses just the Panorama mode and a slew of color filters, and diving deeper into the Settings is where you can play around with features like aspect ratio, photo resolution, snap mode, white balance, ISO, triaxial leveling, and guidelines.

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There isn't a whole lot of improvement in terms of image quality with the K5 Note when compared to its predecessor. The camera is still capable of taking some really nice shots outdoors and in good lighting conditions. The color reproduction isn't very accurate though, and images lack saturation, making them appear quite dull. HDR mode just brightens the shot completely, which works well in certain situations, but is certainly not something you can use all the time.

Unsurprisingly, noise and grain starts to creep into the images when lighting conditions deteriorate. That said, the camera performs particularly poorly in low-light situations. The shutter speed is extremely slow, requiring a very steady hand to avoid blurry shots. Even then, highlights are blown out, and pictures lack detail.

The 8MP front-facing camera allows for more detail in the shot, but generally suffers from the same issues faced by the primary shooter. There is a nifty "Beauty" mode that you'll be able to use with the front camera too, as well as an option called "fill light" that adds pink or chrome bars at the top and bottom of the viewfinder to provide some light for your selfies in darker environments.

Software

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On the software side of things, the Vibe K5 Note is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. The default launcher is very clean, minimalistic, and features a lot of stock Android elements – especially when it comes to the Settings menu, notification shade and app drawer. However, for those who have used Lenovo smartphones in the past and prefer the company's different take on Android, you also have the option to easily switch to the company's Vibe UI.

See also:

Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates roundup

7 days ago

This offers a completely different look and feel, and elements like the app drawer are no longer available, leaving users dependent on folders to keep things organized. My personal choice is the former, but people who are already used to it from the experience they enjoyed with their previous smartphones may prefer the latter. Overall, it's great to see Lenovo leave the choice up to the user.

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There are still a few pre-installed apps, but certainly not as many as what you'd get with its predecessor. All third-party apps can also be uninstalled easily, and the only ones that cannot be removed are Lenovo staples like ShareIt, SyncIt, the Lenovo Companion, and a Themes store that isn't particularly robust. The Companion app is useful, and provides a quick and easy way to set up service requests, and a features a slew of guides and solutions to address common, everyday problems that you may come across.

A software feature that can be very useful for a lot of people is Secure Zone, which provides a simple way to create two virtual zones, which, as an example, can be used to keep your professional and personal lives separate. The feature can be toggled in the Quick Settings menu, and each zone can be set up to have their own accounts, passwords, and apps, with the setup of one not carrying over to the other.

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If you get a notification from an app in the other zone, you will know via a red dot that appears in the status bar. You'll then have to switch to the other zone to check it. App data and documents are also kept apart, but there is a way to share information between the two zones as well, via a common shared folder. However, call logs and messages can be accessed from either zone.

Finally, we come to a feature that is very unique to the Lenovo K series, and that is the VR Mode. This mode can be triggered by simply long pressing on the power button, and after the shutdown and restart options, there will be an option to launch VR Mode. On the phone, it looks like the screen has been duplicated, and once you put the phone into a VR headset, you can enjoy a virtual reality experience regardless of which app you are using.

Lenovo recommends the ANT VR headset that has been designed specifically for these phones. It can also be paired with a Umido Remote Controller for basic navigation around the user interface while in VR mode, or the Amkette Evo Gamepad Pro 2, which is what I used. It is a fun way to enjoy videos, movies, and games, so we'd definitely recommend trying one of these headsets out if you can.

However, a Quad HD display is definitely better to enjoy a VR experience, with the 1080p screen of the K5 Note not exactly up to the mark here. The headset isn't the most comfortable either, and watching a movie or playing a game for a long time can become quite stressful on the eyes. I wasn't able to use the VR mode for more than 20 minutes at a time, for instance. It definitely is a nice feature to have and proved to be quite the conversation starter, but is unfortunately nothing more than a novelty at this point.

Specifications

  Lenovo Vibe K5 Note
Display 5.5-inch IPS LCD display
Full HD resolution, 401ppi
Processor 1.8GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor
Mali-T860MP2 GPU
RAM 3/4GB
Storage 32GB
expandable via microSD up to 256GB
Camera 13MP rear camera, f/2.2 aperture, PDAF, dual LED flash
8MP front camera
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.1
A-GPS
FM Radio
microUSB 2.0
Battery 3,500mAh
Non-removable
Software Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Dimensions and weight 152 x 75.7 x 8.5mm
165g

Gallery

Pricing and final thoughts

The Lenovo Vibe K5 Note is priced at Rs 11,999 (~$180) for the model with 3GB of RAM, while the higher-end model with 4GB of RAM will set you back Rs 13,499 (~$202). The ANT VR headset can be picked up for Rs 1,299 (~$19), and the Umido ESoul DH2 Remote Controller and Amkette Evo Gamepad Pro 2 are priced at Rs 999 (~$15) and Rs 2,599 (~$39) respectively.

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So, there you have it for this in-depth review of the Lenovo Vibe K5 Note! This is yet another fantastic offering from Lenovo that provides an experience that goes far beyond what its price tag would suggest. Of course, this smartphone isn't as powerful or packed with features as as the more expensive flagships out there. That said, the Vibe K5 Note handles day to day tasks very well, features an impressive gaming experience, provides impressive battery life, and comes with a clean and smooth software package.

And that is all that some users really need from their smartphone. The camera is a bit of a let down, but can take some nice shots in ideal lighting conditions, and that is the only negative in what has been a very positive experience overall. At this price point, the Lenovo Vibe K5 Note is definitely a phone that I would recommend.

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What is a PMP and why do they pull down 90k a year?

The AAPicks team writes about things we think you'll like, and we may see a share of revenue from any purchases made through affiliate links.

You may have never heard of a PMP, but as engineers and lawyers are struggling to find jobs, these curious pros are nimbly navigating the tech industry in growing numbers. Curiously, whereas most jobs pulling in close to six figures generally require some sort of degree, PMPs only need a fairly straightforward certification. But what exactly is a PMP and how does one get into the PMPing business?

They're called Project Management Professionals, and they're becoming an increasingly important part of the tech market. The problem is that technology lends itself to a proliferation of complexity. Projects that were originally relatively simple grow to encompass hundreds of employees with thousands of minute tasks.

A Project Management Professional is the guy who keeps the entire operation from going off the rails.

Practically all of the tech companies you're familiar with employ PMPs to get smartphones and other gadgets from raw materials to completed products and then into the hands of consumers. They negotiate both interpersonal complexities as well as the technical challenges that arise throughout a project's development.

These high-level professionals don't have to know how to solve a particular problem. All they have to know is who is capable of solving it, and then put the problem in that person's hands.

PMPs require a specific kind of personality, as their work varies substantially from those who deal with "business as usual."

Whereas a typical professional may be accustomed to dealing with the same (or similar) issues day after day, PMPs have specific, temporary projects to see through to their completion. This may be as short as overseeing the installment of a new company system or as long as seeing a smartphone's design through from conception to production. PMPs are puzzle-lovers who tend not to fit into the typical office grind.

Becoming a PMP doesn't require any sort of degree (although one in business or the humanities wouldn't hurt). Rather, PMP must simply pass the CAPM exam, which demonstrates their ability to handle all aspects of project management. They also have to accrue 35 contact hours in order to be fully certified.

Courses exist to help train prospective PMPs for certification, but as you can imagine, they tend to run a bit pricey. When you're doling out the capability to swing a career that demands an average salary of $91,000 (according to Glass Door), you can afford to ratchet up the prices a bit.

Although it's a bit outside of our wheelhouse at Android Authority, we thought the occupation of PMP might appeal to the nature of some of our readers. As such, when we came across this deal for a Project Management Professional Certification Training course, it seemed remiss not to highlight it.

LearnSmart's PMP Certification Training normally runs for $1,495 and is currently sporting a 4.5-star rating. However, LearnSmart is currently having a sale today and tomorrow that lets you get the whole package for just $49.99.

What's more is that fulfilling the coursework counts for the 35-hour contact hour requirement for certification.

Here's what's included:

  • Get lifetime access to 76+ courses & 35+ hours of training
  • Become certified by one of the industry's most respected & in-demand certification organizations
  • Take lessons from a company that's approved by Project Management Institute® to meet the strict educational criteria necessary to earn the PMP® & CAPM® certifications
  • Access the material 24/7 so you can learn when you have time
  • Meet the 35 contact-hour requirement for the PMP® exam & certification
  • Maintain your certification by meeting the required Professional Development Units

This deal will last for today and tomorrow, so if the idea of becoming a PMP sounds appealing to you, it's probably worth checking out. A new career that evades the daily grind might just be $50 away! Click the button below to read more!

Check it out!

AAPicks operates independently of our ad team. If you have any questions or feedback, please email aapicks@androidauthority.com.



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Aren’t flagship phones just status symbols?

When you think about it, $700 or more is an awful lot to spend on a flagship phone. That amount is verging on a nice little vacation, or a deposit on a car. For this money, not only do consumers expect top of the line hardware, but also the best consumer experience and association with a superior brand. That Apple logo or Samsung curved display is a little nod to friends and strangers alike that not only do you have good taste in tech, but that you have the cash to stay on the cutting edge. But are these devices really deserving of this prestige, and should we be buying our smartphones based on this perceived value?

Also read:

The best Android phones

2 weeks ago

Closing the hardware gap

If you're prone to immediately adopting a skeptical approach to spending money (I am an avid tech penny pincher, myself), then you may have already come to the realization that flagship smartphones are overkill for most people's smartphone requirements. Wasting a few minutes on Facebook or Candy Crush, composing emails, and even taking phone calls perform identically on a $400 phone as they do on an $800 one. You can even find reasonably priced phones with a decent camera and a fingerprint scanner these days, or pick up a last generation flagship model at a big discount just 12 or 18 months after release. For example, I saw Sprint's Galaxy S6 for just $380 on Amazon the other day!

  Galaxy S7 edge LG V20 OnePlus 3T Axon 7 Moto Z Play
Display 5.5-inch QHD, curved 5/7-inch QHD + 2.1 ticker 5.5-inch 1080p 5.5-inch QHD 5.5-inch 1080p
SoC Snapdragon 820 / Exynos 8890 Snapdragon 820 Snapdragon 821 Snapdragon 820 Snapdragon 625
Memory 4GB RAM / 32GB ROM 4GB RAM / 32GB ROM 6GB RAM / 64GB ROM 4GB RAM / 64 ROM 3GB RAM/ 32GB ROM
Cameras 12MP rear with PDAF & OIS
5MP front
Dual 16MP+8MP rear with laser AF & OIS
5MP front
16MP rear with EIS & OIS
16MP front
20MP rear with PDAF & OIS,
8MP front
16MP rear with PD and laser AF
5MP front
Extras Fingerprint scanner, IP68, fast wireless charging Fingerprint, USB Type-C, HiFi DAC, Quick Charge 3.0 USB Type-C, Fingerprint scanner, Dash charge Fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C, HiFi DAC, Quick Charge 3.0 Fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C, Moto Mods
Launch Price $769 $799 $439 $399 $449

Raw performance hasn't been a major differentiator for flagships for a couple of generations now, although the benchmarking crowd might tell you otherwise. Instead, it's all about the extras and smaller features that keep these models out in front. LG and Motorola have tried to force a major differentiator with modular designs this year, while Apple, Google, and Samsung have refined their camera technology and software, and added in waterproofing. The Note 7 even went one step further with iris scanning technology, and Samsung is the only company to be sticking with wireless charging out of the box. If you want the absolute latest and greatest bits of tech, these are always going to appear in flagships first, with a premium price attached. The fact of the matter is, these features are far from essential.

Flagship phones are Ferraris for internet/social enthusiasts. They're not just about the hardware under the hood, but the build, style, and the branding too. Prioritizing form over function is a pretty good definition of a status symbol.

Consumer experience is also something to keep in mind, an area in which Apple particularly excels. iOS software fans never tire of saying "it just works". Then there's the look and build materials that have inspired a number of Android handsets to follow suit. Not to mention the purchasing experience too. Apple stores are full of electronics that you can play around with, rather than dummy models, and in-store support is the best in the industry.

Google's new Pixel line-up is targeting a very similar angle. The phone is built to look and feel expensive, and the handsets were lauded for the way that the software came together into a unified experience. Although the Pixel XL is equally derided by some for being far too overpriced based on the hardware it offers. Ironically enough, even OnePlus' low cost, high performance phones are often bought by those wishing to send out a status signal of their own, namely that of the no frills performance enthusiast or underdog supporter.

To make a questionable analogy, wealthy buyers stump up seemingly insane amounts of cash for a Porsche or Ferrari that's capped at the same 60mph road speed limit as a Ford Mondeo as a means of showing status. When you compare phones to other luxury items likes cars or clothing, $700 doesn't seem like such a bad deal to actual own the very best of something, especially if you use it every day. Although spending extra money on form over functionality is a pretty good description of a status symbol.

Will we ever fall out of love with flagships?

While there remain some very good reasons for buying a flagship smartphone, this year more than any other has revealed the industry's struggle for meaningful innovation. Bar the small improvements to hardware components or the more desperate attempts at forcing modularity, the core experience of the iPhone, Galaxy S series, the HTC 10, and others remains unchanged from last year.  While these phones might be worth the cost if you're coming from nothing or a really old model, $700+ for marginal upgrades really isn't worth it every year.

If we want to be really cynical, is Samsung's edge display much more than an exercise in building brand recognition?

If we want to be really cynical about innovation, how much of a real game changer is Samsung's edge display anyway? It's unique looking for sure, but it's probably more of a status identifier along the lines of the Apple logo than it is about introducing genuinely useful functionality. The same could be said for upcoming DayDream phones. Is virtual reality actually going to be a major force in the smartphone market, or just a gimmick to be trotted out occasionally just to prove that your expensive phone can do it? I guess we'll see.

If we trawl through some actual market data, we can see that market share for Apple and Samsung, by far the largest premium brands, has gradually been receding to lower cost manufacturers in the US. While we can't draw any definitive conclusions from this data, it's quite likely that customers are sticking with their older capable older flagships for longer these days. A 2 or 3 year update cycle is much friendlier on the wallet.

However, the data equally suggests that there's still a huge market for premium products, with Apple's line-up firmly holding the majority of the market share in the US. Furthermore, just look at the consumer disappointment created by the Galaxy Note 7 recall. I doubt people would have been as upset if it was the Galaxy A series that suffered the same problem.

Interestingly enough, the smartphone brands that have successfully cultivated a strong premium brand followings are the only companies managing to maintain flagship sales momentum in this competitive industry. It's not underperforming hardware that has knocked HTC and Sony from their previously high flying positions. I'd wager their downfall has a lot more to do with people simply recognizing other brands as signs of superior quality, which is all down to marketing. Something that Apple, Samsung, and now Google are rather good at.

See also:

Best cheap Android phones

3 weeks ago

Wrapping up

High-end, status symbol smartphones certainly don't look to be going anywhere. In fact, we're probably looking at a situation where high-end brands increasingly focus on the prestige factor as a product differentiator. With mid and "super-mid" range smartphones closing the gap on flagships in terms of performance and features faster and faster each year, thanks to the falling costs of technology, going above and beyond just hardware is going to be increasingly important to keep customers forking over cash at these high price points.

What do you think about flagship phones these days? Are they worth the money for their hardware alone, or are they just as much of a fashion statement?



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Instagram update adds the ability to bookmark posts for later viewing

What happens when you find an Instagram post that you'd like to save for later? Do you like the post, then try to track it down in your account settings? Do you take a screenshot of it? The latest Instagram update on Android and iOS will help solve that problem.

Starting today, you'll be able to save posts you'd like to revisit later. You should see a new bookmark icon underneath each and every post in your feed. When you find a photo or video that you'd like to save, tap the bookmark icon, and that's it. The post will be saved to a new, private tab on your profile, where you can see all the posts you've saved. The best part? Posts saved in your bookmarks tab are only visible to you.

This new feature is part of the new version 10.2 update, which is rolling out from today in the Google Play Store.

See also:

How to delete your Instagram account

3 weeks ago

Recent updates

Live video streaming

December 12: Instagram is the latest social networking giant to support live video streaming. Users can stream up to one hour of live video at a time, though video clips from the live streaming feature can't be saved at this time. It's only live in the US for now, but more regions will gain support for the feature soon.

Boomerang videos and Story mentions

November 10: Boomerang videos are now baked into the Instagram app. Just swipe right from the main feed page, select Boomerang, then you'll be able to create short GIF-like clips that you can share directly to your account. In addition, Instagram has added support for mentioning users in Stories.

Save posts as drafts

September 20: You can finally save Instagram posts as drafts. We're not sure why this feature wasn't available in previous versions, but we're happy it's here now.

Download Instagram from Google Play


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Unity 5 game engine will get its last update in March, making way for Unity 2017

Mobile, console and PC game developers who work with the Unity engine will see some changes in how it is labeled in the next year. The company revealed that the last major update for its Unity 5 engine cycle will be released in March 2017, and after that the next version will use a year-based date label, or Unity 2017.

See also:

How to create a 3D shooter for Android with Unity

August 25, 2016

In a blog post, Unity said that the switch to a date-based system for its next major engine release better reflects the company's recent switch to a subscription model. This was done so it can launch new, but smaller, updates on a faster basis, rather than dump a lot of new features in one big update every several months.

Before that happens, however, the Unity team is working to complete the final big update for the current version. Unity 5.6 is now available in a beta build, and and its biggest feature is that it adds support for the more powerful Vulkan graphics API. The final 5.6 version in March will also add support for apps that use Google Cardboard and the company's new Daydream VR platform.

The first beta of Unity 2017 will be released in April. The company stated it will have a number of new features, including more tools for developers to create better cinematics in their games, along with a "fully multi-threaded job system" that will be able to better use the features in multi-core processors.



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