Anyway, the big players in the mobile industry, including Samsung, HTC and LG have come to Barcelona to showcase what they’ve been working on for the past year. And it looks like it’s going to be a bittersweet 2016.
The models are great, unique in their own right, and offering some nice features. It’s going to be tough choosing a new phone this year. and below you’ll find the specs and new features of three big companies – Samsung, LG and HTC. Let’s start with Samsung.
A whole new Galaxy
As expected, Samsung came with two devices, the Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge.The Galaxy S7 and the S7 Edge share a few features, but have a couple of distinct ones, as well. Both devices will come with an Always On display mode, allowing for lightweight widgets such as a clock or notifications to be displayed without the need to turn the entire screen on.
Both will come with Android 6.0 preinstalled, and will have microSD slots, which were missing in the S6 and S6 Edge models.
Both S7 devices will also be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processors (or Exyonos, depending on the market). The rest of the specs include 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.
New cameras have less MP (12MP in the S7, down from 16MP in the S6), but the f/1.7 lenses allow better images, especially in darker environments. Both devices are also water resistant, the company claims, but I’m not falling for that one again until someone jumps in a pool with a $700+ phone (the price for an unlocked device hasn’t been announced yet but I’m guessing it won’t be cheap).
The two devices are different in a couple of aspects. The S7 comes with a flat 5.1-inch super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1440, 577ppi. The S7 Edge comes with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED screen with curved edges on both sides, and a 2560 x 1440 534ppi screen. Batteries are also different – S7 has a 3,000 mAh one, while the S7 Edge has a 3,600 mAh one.
Sales are expected to start on March 11.
The future is Modular
As it turned out, the LG G5 rumors turned out to be true – the company presented its first mainstream modular smartphone. The lower part of the phone can be detached, allowing the user to access the battery, as well as SIM and memory card slots. Once the phone is detached the bottom can be used to connect a few extra devices, like the LG Cam Plus camera holder, or the Bang & Olufsen DAC.LG is also planning a standard for G5 add-ons, allowing other companies to build some of their own, to add extra features.
But that’s not everything the G5 has to offer – besides the modular design and a casing called ‘fluid metal’, there’s a 5.3-inch LCD screen with an Always On mode. There are also two cameras on the backside of the phone (a 16MP + an 8MP one), allowing 3D visual effects on the imagery.
Other specs include a Snapdragon 820 chipset, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal memory, 2,800 mAh battery, a selfie cam and a fingerprint scanner.
The device will start shipping in April.
The Desires
HTC showed us three new Desire models – Desire 825, Desire 630 and the Desire 530. All three come in a polycarbonate casing, but each has a unique pattern.The Desire 825 is the strongest of the three. It comes with a 5.5-inch Super LCD 720p screen, a 32-bit Snapdragon 400 chipset, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. BoomSound stereo speakers are making an appearance on the phone, together with a 13MP back and 5MP selfie cam. The device is rounded off with a 2,700 mAh battery.
The HTC Desire 630 is similar to the 825. The main differences are in the 720p 5-inch screen and a 2,200 mAh battery. The third device also comes with a 720p 5-inch screen, but is powered by a Snapdragon 210, 1.5GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The three devices will go on sale next month. Prices are yet to be announced.
That’s it for now. The Mobile World Congress will surely have a lot more to offer, so make sure you check out the official website, and check in again here soon for updates!
photo credits: Pierre Metivier via cc.
