Friday, June 10, 2016

Here's the Lenovo phone you can wear on your wrist


       Samsung may have patented a folding phone, but Lenovo is ready to show off one that not only bends, but also folds around your wrist like a wearable.
Unearthed at the company's Tech World conference Thursday, the Cplus is a phone that literally folds around your wrist. Call it a phone cuff, if you will.
The Cplus features a 4.26-inch display that contours around your arm. There's a cracking effect (and sound) as the Android phone's screen bends, though no damage is incurred on the device. Unfolded, the Cplus is a very skinny phone that looks like a digital slap bracelet.
    
    The Cplus was first revealed during the Tech World conference's keynote. While bulkier than pretty much every wearable currently on the market, the Cplus does let you enjoy the convenience of a display on your wrist without needing a phone to accompany it. Because, of course, it is the phone.
Cplus phone

Bendy tab

We also saw Lenovo's Folio tablet concept, a slate that folds in half to the size of a book.

It, too, had the cracking effect of the Cplus - it's a little unsettling to witness the tablet fold in two, but no less impressive.

While definitely still in the concept stage, these devices show where Lenovo is headed: the company wants the hinge to disappear, according to Lenovo CTO Peter Hortensius.
Hortensius said much goes into making a bendable device besides a flexible display. Other parts, such the battery and motherboard, need to fold, too. The device also has to return to its original shape when it's unfolded, another challenge met by the Cplus and Folio.

Both the Cplus and Folio are firmly in the concept stage right now, but look for Lenovo's foldable tech to show up at some point down the line.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

OnePlus 3 release date, price and specs: The flagship killer is almost here


OnePlus 3 release date, price and specs: The flagship killer is almost here
Everything you could possibly  want to know about the OnePlus 3, including the latest news ,specs and rumours

The key to OnePlus' success is gloriously simple: it delivers premium smartphones for half the price of its rivals. Now it’s set to do it all again with its fourth phone, the OnePlus 3, in 2016.

OnePlus 3: Rumours and design

While quite a few of the fake design renders for the OnePlus 3 look pretty lovely (scroll down if you don't believe me), the actual thing has now been snapped in the wild. 
Following an earlier sneak peek on his Twitter account, The Malignant has posted a second run of photos. And this time they show both the front and the rear of the OnePlus 3 – allegedly. Take a good look at the pics below if you want a closer look at OnePlus's next flagship.
This isn't The Malignant's first scoop, however: several weeks back, he also claimed to have pictures of an early prototype model. However, the rear of the phone wasn't pictured as it wasn't a final design. Still, you could see the rumoured USB Type-C port as well as the all-new fingerprint scanner. 




View image on TwitterView image on Twitter

The Malignant @the_malignant

However, another leak on Twitter suggests that the OnePlus 3 may a touch prettier than these amateur shots make out. Evan Blass has a track record of picking up some pretty tasty leaks, and this time he's snagged what looks like a press shot for the OnePlus 3. At first glance this looks nothing like The Malignant's first shots, but closer inspection reveals an identical design along the bottom edge, with a series of milled holes, a USB Type-C port and a headphone port flanked by two further holes, one of which we presume is a microphone. 
It also looks MUCH slimmer, but the angles of the press shot have been carefully tailored to not give away the phone's width. I suspect that, much like the HTC 10, the OnePlus 3 will be a touch more chunky than some of its rivals. That said, it looks much, much nicer with the silver metal edges. Figners crossed that this is what we're going to get.



View image on Twitter
OnePlus 3

Evan Blass @evleaks


The first alleged design renders of the OnePlus 3 appeared online in late 2015, and the same source confirmed the – admittedly unsurprising – detail that the phone would be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 chipset.
It turned out, however, that the renders weren’t official hardware at all. In fact, they were created by the rather talented Mladen over at designedbyhege.wordpress.com – a site that mocks up imaginary forthcoming smartphones purely for the fun of it. They are rather pretty, though.
OnePlus 3
Similarly, a video trailer for the OnePlus 3 surfaced in December 2015, but although some sites also tried to pass this off as a leaked trailer, it was nothing of the sort. Again, this was the work of one clever individual, entirely unaffiliated with OnePlus, called Jermaine Smit. Check out his impressive handiwork below.

OnePlus 3: Release date & invites :

Your name's not down you're not coming in. Oh, wait! Come back! Everyone's on the guest list! Unlike OnePlus' previous launches, this time around you won't be left fighting for an invite or dashing to a flash sale: the OnePlus 3 sees the company abandon its invite-only model for good. Of course, there's every chance the OnePlus 3 will sell out within a few hours of its release, but this time you shouldn't be kept waiting months before you can get your hands on one. 
Thanks to a post on OnePlus's Weibo account, we now know the official date for certain: it's 15th June. Or at least it is if you're in Shenzhen or the UK: the launch is at 10am on the 15th June in Shenzhen, or 3am if you're in the UK on BST. If you're running on EDT or PDT, however, the OnePlus 3 will launch at 10pm and 7pm respectively. 
Can't wait? No problem. OnePlus has launched The Lab, a new crowd-sourced testing program, with which it's hoping to get early feedback on the OnePlus 3. OnePlus is "enlisting the help of the community to provide fair, honest, crowd-sourced feedback on the OnePlus 3. You will put our new flagship to the test in a momentous effort to create a comprehensive community review." Which is pretty darn awesome, basically.
The only downside is that there are only 30 spaces going, and so far 7,708 people have already signed up. Are you feeling lucky? Then click here to head on over and grab your place.

“The OnePlus 3 will launch on the 15th June – in OnePlus' virtual reality space station, The Loop.”
OnePlus is quite clearly trying to make this its biggest launch yet. It took everyone by surprise by announcing that it was giving away 30,000 free VR headsets (which, sadly, have since sold out.) It turns out however that the newly-announced OnePlus VR headset, the Loop VR, is an integral part of the OnePlus 3's launch: the OnePlus 3 will follow in the OnePlus 2's giant footsteps by conducting its launch event in a virtual reality space station, The Loop.
OnePlus 3

OnePlus 3: Price

"The OnePlus 3 will be selling in the US for $310 (£215)."
GizmoChina reports that the OnePlus 3 – or at least the lower-specced of the two forthcoming models, equipped with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage – will be selling in the US for $310, which is £215 in real money. The model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is reported to come in at $385 or £267.
Whichever way you cut it, that's dramatically cheaper than any other flagship phone on the market. Unless OnePlus makes any serious missteps with the hardware or software, the OnePlus 3 is set to cause some serious upsets in the high-end smartphone space.

OnePlus 3: Specifications

OnePlus 2 review: The rear camera produces 13-megapixel images, -LED flash
Details of the OnePlus 3 have been surfacing online, thanks to a couple of benchmarking reports that hint at two variants of the handset – one of which looks to have 6GB of RAM.
Previously, a version of the OnePlus 3 was seen on both AnTuTu and GFXBench. This model listed a Snapdragon 820 processor, a 5.5-inch display, 64GB storage and 4GB RAM.
There now looks to be at least two variants of the OnePlus 3 – The A3000 and the A3003. According to Geekbench, the A3000 model comes with 6GB RAM. The AnTuTu and GFXBench listings alternatively claim the phone has 4GB RAM, suggesting the Geekbench testing occurred on a different variant of the OnePlus 3.
In terms of raw performance, the Snapdragon 820 is a big, big step forward. You can click here to read our full review of the hardware, but it’s safe to say that it offers a dramatic improvement across the board.

“There’s much more to Snapdragon 820 than just performance, however.”
There’s much more to Snapdragon 820 than just raw performance improvements, however. It promises to be 30% more efficient than the previous generations, and image and video processing capabilities are dramatically improved, too.
Chinese site, MyDrivers.com, has also reported that its sources are claiming that the OnePlus 3 is going to have a chunky 3,500mAh battery pack, which bodes well for battery life.
Add in a new modem component that supports the latest high-speed mobile networks, and support for the as-yet unratified 802.11ad Wi-Fi standard, and there’s plenty to get excited about.
Elsewhere, you can expect OnePlus to deliver a balance of features that keep pace with the premium smartphone pack. A 16 megapixel rear camera buddies up with an 8 megapixel front snapper, and it's pretty much certain that the OnePlus 3 will be equipped with a Full HD Super AMOLED screen – an entirely sensible choice, both for overall performance and battery life.
And given Samsung’s decision to reinstate microSD in its forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S7 phones, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see OnePlus go one step further and throw in a removable battery and microSD slot. We can but hope.

We’ll be adding more info, specs and rumours (and debunking them) as and when we hear them. Got something you really want to see in the OnePlus 3? Let us know in the comments.


Best TV 2016: Best 32, 40, 55 and 65-inch+ TVs


There are hundreds of TVs to choose from so to make your life easier we've put together a list of all the best TVs you can buy right now.
Arranged by screen size, you can view all the top TVs from under 30-inch to huge 75-inch beasts – if you've got the space and budget for such a grand TV.
We review all the best TVs every year but only the very pinnacle from every brand makes it to this list. All the big players have been covered: Samsung, Panasonic, LG, Sony and Philips.
Related: Best TV deals

The cheapest television in our round-up is the £300 Linsar X24-DVD, which is a rare case where a TV with a built in DVD player is good. There are also some of the best 32-inch TVs and a few big TVs that cost less than £500.
If you are feeling particularly flush then the most expensive TV costs more than £8,000, but there are great TVs for every budget.
Hit the dropdown menu above to head to short reviews based on in-depth reviews conducted by the best experts in the field. Alternatively click the links below to go straight to the category of your choice. For our jargon buster and extra TV buying advice, keep scrolling.

TV JARGON BUSTER

Before you buy a new TV, it's worth spending a little time getting to know some of the jargon you'll encounter in stores. Here's a quick guide to get you started.
Full HD vs 4K/UHD – Most TVs are Full HD. This refers to the number of pixels and resolution of the screen, but 4K TV or Ultra HD and UHD TVs are increasingly common.
These new TVs have four times as many pixels as Full HD TVs, which means they're sharper and more detailed. However, you need the content you view to be broadcast in 4K to see this difference.
There are few easily available sources of 4K content at the moment, so if you buy a 4K now you'll have to wait for more to become available. Read our What is 4K TV and Ultra HD? guide for more information. If you're interested in 4K content, read our review of Netflix's 4K content.
Curved and Flatscreen TVs – Curved TVs are a new and not totally convincing trend. Advocates claim curved screens are more immersive, but there are several drawbacks as well.
If you're unsure whether you want one or not then it's worth looking at one in a shop, and we recommend you read our guide to Curved TV: The Pros and Cons for more in-depth advice.
HDR TVs – HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and is an acronym you might have seen on your smartphone. There it takes multiple exposures of a photo and knits them together for a more balanced image.
HDR on TVs is more sophisticated and can offer a better extremes of whites and blacks, but also more colours thanks to a wider palette.
There's not much content that has been shot in HDR yet, but this is likely a feature that will only become more prevalent in the future. If you want to find out more read our HDR TV feature.
LCD/LED vs OLED – Plasma TVs are no more, so most TVs are either LCD – often referred to as LED – or OLED.
LCD is the most common, though there's a big difference between the cheapest and most expensive LCD TVs due to the types of backlight, panel and processing technologies used.
OLED is a relatively new technology and it's expensive, but it delivers an entirely new level of picture quality. OLED TVs are known to produce very rich colours, smooth motion and perfect contrast that means you'll see every detail in your films. Read our OLED vs LED LCD guide for an in-depth comparison.
If you need more help deciding what to buy, head over to our comprehensive TV Buying Guide

Sony a6300 vs a6000: A worthy upgrade to a classic camera?


Two years on from the unveiling of the superb Sony a6000, Sony 
has announced a follow-up in the Sony a6300. But is it a worthy one?
   The new mirrorless interchangeable lens camera looks a lot like its predecessor,
with a signature design that dates back to the influential NEX series.
   Does that similarity extend beyond the exterior? How has Sony improved
 on one of the best cameras in its class?
Let's take a closer look at how the Sony a6300 and the Sony a6000 compare.
 Best cameras to buy

Sony A6300

SONY A6300 VS A6000: FASTER AUTOFOCUS

The headline feature of the Sony a6300 is its speed. More specifically, the speed of its
autofocus system.
Its 425 phase detection autofocus points (the highest available on any interchangeable
lens camera) enable the a6300 to achieve lock-on in just 0.05 seconds. Sony calls it
the world's fastest autofocus system (for an APS-C camera at least), and early reports
suggest that we'd be foolish to disagree.
Of course, Sony made similar claims with the Sony a6000 when it launched in early 2014,
but that attained the title with 179 phase detection points in a fractionally
slower 0.06 seconds.
Both cameras can shoot at 11fps in their respective burst modes.

Sony A6300

SONY A6300 VS A6000: BETTER BUILD

We've mentioned that these two cameras look alike, and really, the similarity is undeniable.
But the Sony a6300 is made of significantly sterner stuff.
While the Sony a6000 featured magnesium alloy in its front section, the Sony a6300's
body is entirely composed of the material. Sony has also improved on the a6000's water
and dust resistance, and reinforced the lens mount structure.
The result is a more rigid, rugged, yet still relatively lightweight camera. Put simply,
 the Sony a6300 is better made.

Sony A6300

SONY A6300 VS A6000: NEWLY DEVELOPED IMAGE

 SENSOR

Like the appearance of these two cameras, their image sensors appear to be
the same on paper. However, Sony claims that the a6300's 24.2-megapixel
APS-C sensor is "newly developed."
Apparently, the new sensor incorporates copper wiring into its structure, which improves
 light collection efficiency and significantly accelerates readout speed.
In conjunction with a BIONZ X processor enhanced by a new image processing
algorithm, the a6300 can manage ISO sensitivity of up to 51,200. The a6000
 went up to ISO 25,600.

Sony A6300

SONY A6300 VS A6000: MUCH BETTER VIEWFINDER

Sony has packed the a6300 with a significantly improved viewfinder - or, to use Sony's
 terminology, a Tru-Finder.
Apparently, this is the same XGA OLED 2.4 million dot viewfinder as can be found on
Sony's top-end A7 range, but with a little less magnification.
It's also possible to bump the refresh rate up to 120Hz, so the camera's super-fast subject
tracking capabilities are accurately relayed to the eyepiece.

Sony A6300

SONY A6300 VS A6000: SUPERIOR VIDEO 

RECORDING

Sony has made the a6300 a much better video-recording machine than before.
The a6000 wasn't exactly a slouch on this front, but it missed a few features.
Chief among those is 4K recording, which the a6300 can now manage, and in
the popular Super 35mm format. Additionally, it can step down to 1080p
for a smooth 120fps frame rate. Silky slo-mo ahoy.
There's an external mic input this time around, while S-Log gamma recording
enables wider dynamic range in your video. As Sony explains, this will allow for
greater creative potential in post-production.

Sony A6300

SONY A6300 VS A6000: SAME E-MOUNT LENS 

SYSTEM, BETTER A-MOUNT SUPPORT

Sony is sticking with its ever-improving E-mount lens system for the a6300, so all the
lenses that work with the a6000 (or your old NEX) will work flawlessly here.
You can also use Sony's A-mount lenses with both through the appropriate adaptor,
but the a6300 adds a significant layer of functionality in this regard.
For the first time in Sony's E-mount range, the a6300's tracking and autofocus systems
will work with those aforementioned A-mount lenses, expanding your creative options
considerably.