On March 19, Oppo is going to unveil its next flagship, dubbed the Find 7. The company has given us hints in the recent past and the most recent talks about not one, but two phones, and the main differentiator seems to be the screen resolution: Full HD vs 2K (QHD/quad-HD). We’ve also heard some exciting rumors of a 50MP camera, but before
While we can’t spot that 50MP shooter (instead, a 13MP camera is being hinted in the description), we can’t just wave it off, since we know that there will be two versions of the phone. One theory is that the 1080p version will have a “regular” camera, while the higher-resolution device will sport the rumored 50MP sensor.
A Snapdragon 800/801 processor, 13MP/50MP (?) imaging system, and powerhouse internals in addition to therefore mentioned.
Panasonic promised it would deliver a GH mirrorless camera capable of recording 4K video for under $2,000, and now we know just how far under that is. The Lumix GH4 camera body and its 16MP CMOS Micro Four Thirds sensor will cost $1,700, while the optional YAGH pro audio/video interface unit is available for an extra $2,000. The pre-order listings on Panasonic's website currently show an estimated ship date of late April.
Nokia today launched its first Android based smartphone in India. Nokia X will be available from today across online stores and physical retail stores. Nokia X is priced at Rs. 8, 599. At the launch event, Nokia touted Nokia X’s build quality, lifetime MixRadio and HERE navigation services and more. Find the key specs below.
Dimensions:
Height: 115.5 mm, Width: 63 mm, Thickness: 10.4 mm, Weight: 128.7 g
Display:
Display size: 10.16 cm, Display features: Brightness control, Tactile feedback, Orientation sensor, Nokia Glance screen, Wide viewing angle, Screen double tap
Photography:
Main camera sensor: 3 MP Camera resolution: 2048 x 1536 pixels, Main camera focus type: Fixed focus
Power management:
Maximum standby time with dual SIM: 17 days
Maximum standby time: 28 days, Maximum talk time (2G): 13.3 h, Maximum music playback time: 26 h
Processor name: Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4
Storage: 512MB RAM, 4GB Internal Storage and MicroSD card support
Even though the pricing of Nokia X looks better when compared to Nokia Lumia 525 launch price which went on sale for Rs.11, 500. Currently, Lumia 525 is on sale for Rs.10,000 and Lumia 520 is on sale for Rs.7,500. When you compare Nokia X with them, I think Nokia X is over-priced. There is definitely a market hype around Nokia selling an Android device, it should sell devices initially. But to sustain in the market where local OEMs are dominating, Nokia has to reduce the price of the device well below Rs.7,500.
Microsoft posted up a teaser site that announced the company will be unveiling the next version of DirectX at Game Developer Conference on March 20.
Today, the company added the Xbox One logo to the site and tweeted a second tease, saying that the new version of DirectX will also work on its flagship console.
The Xbox One shares a kernel with Windows, which means it’s likely much easier for the company to port such innovations across to the console quickly. It’s not yet clear what changes DirectX 12 will bring, but if Microsoft is making a fuss like this it probably has something big to show off.
It’s no easy feat to get from zero to hero in an environment as challenging and competitive as the Indian mobile market and do it all in just four years. But don’t you think for a second Micromax is resting on its laurels just because it’s now the country’s second biggest smartphone vendor, slightly behind Samsung.
Micromax Canvas Tab Micromax launches Canvas Tab P650, an 8 inch Android with voice call support and $260 price tag
Quite on the contrary, as the OEM has unveiled several new smartphones over the last month or so, all with the landmark solid quality-pricing ratio, plus a very enticing Android tablet just a few hours ago.
This is called the Canvas Tab P650 and it’s actually the first Micromax slate to be part of the proud Canvas line, as previous portable computers have been branded with the Funbook moniker.
But as visually striking the Canvas Tab might be from a mile away, it has quite a fair share of technical downsides when you put it under the microscope. For one thing, its spacious but not overly large 8-inch display boasts a 1,024 x 768 pixels resolution, which I’m afraid is a sad reminder of past technology rather than something to build a bright future on.
Micromax Canvas Tab 2 Micromax launches Canvas Tab P650, an 8 inch Android with voice call support and $260 price tag
The 1.2 GHz quad-core MediaTek MT8389 processor is itself extremely modest for a late 2013 tablet, whereas the 4,800 mAh battery might not sound so scanty at first, but is only rated at five hours of continuous use. Which probably means in real life it’ll barely hold its own for four hours. That’s… no, words can’t even begin to describe how bad that sounds.
On a much more cheerful note (if there’s still anyone willing to give this thing a go), Android 4.2 Jelly Bean runs the software show, there’s 1 gig of RAM beneath the hood, 16 GB of on-board memory and microSD support.
Decent dual 5 MP/2 MP cameras, too, plus Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and presumably also 3G connectivity (standard, not optional), including voice call support. Available already via select Indian retail stores, the Canvas Tab goes for roughly $260 (Rs. 16,500), which, all in all, is probably not that bad. Again, if and only if you’re willing to live with the display, processing power and battery pitfalls.
Low-light imaging is becoming the most important part of the smartphone cameras. From Apple to HTC, everyone in the smartphone industry is now focusing on improving the low-light imaging in their smartphones. Nokia has so far emerged as the leader in low-light smartphone photography, thanks to their superior Optical Image Stabilization and the imaging algorithms. Samsung is now ready to take on Nokia with their new technology called ISOCELL. This new technology substantially increases light sensitivity and effectively controls the absorption of electrons, resulting in higher color fidelity even in poor lighting conditions. ISOCELL improves the image quality and enhances the user experience of premium smartphones and tablets that integrate sensors with this exciting new technology.
SEOUL, South Korea, Sept 23, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced its new advanced pixel technology for CMOS image sensors, ISOCELL. This new technology substantially increases light sensitivity and effectively controls the absorption of electrons, resulting in higher color fidelity even in poor lighting conditions. ISOCELL improves the image quality and enhances the user experience of premium smartphones and tablets that integrate sensors with this exciting new technology.
“Through advances in pixel and process technology, smartphone and tablet cameras have made it easier than ever for consumers to capture and share beautiful, clear images with the world,” said Taehoon Kim, vice president of System LSI marketing, Samsung Electronics. “ISOCELL technology is yet another innovation that significantly raises the bar in image quality, and demonstrates Samsung’s technology leadership in image sensors for mobile devices.”
The quality of an image sensor is determined by the amount of light that is accurately captured by the individual pixels within the sensor array. With the market pressure to increase camera resolution and image quality, without growing the camera size, the pixels have had to shrink, while improving their performance at the same time – a challenging task.
To meet this challenge, previous sensor technology developments focused on improving the light absorption of each pixel, and have progressed pixel technology from FSI (Front Side Illumination) to BSI (Back Side Illumination) which places photodiode at the top to maximize photoelectric efficiency. While being very effective at the time, this BSI technology also faced limitations in improving image quality as pixel sizes continued to decrease.
Building on these past advances and continuing the push toward higher quality image sensors for mobile devices, Samsung has developed ISOCELL the next generation of pixel technology, which is patent pending. ISOCELL technology forms a physical barrier between neighboring pixels – isolating the pixel. This isolation enables more photons to be collected from the micro-lens and absorbed into the correct pixel’s photodiode minimizing undesired electrical crosstalk between pixels and allowing expanded full well capacity (FWC).
Compared to conventional BSI pixels, the ISOCELL pixels decrease the crosstalk by approximately 30 percent which results in higher color fidelity to reproduce the original color with sharpness and richness, and increase the full well capacity (FWC) by 30 percent which leads to greater dynamic range.
Additionally, an imager designed with ISOCELL can feature a 20 percent wider chief ray angle (CRA), reducing the height of the camera module. This makes it suitable for slim and small form factor mobile devices with challenging low z-height requirements.
As the first Samsung image sensor to adopt this new technology, the S5K4H5YB 8 Megapixel imager utilizes a 1.12um ISOCELL pixel and has a 1/4inch optical format. The S5K4H5YB is currently sampling to customers with mass production scheduled for Q4 2013.
According to market research firm Techno System Research, in 2014, approximately 66 percent of smartphones will feature image sensors with 8Mp or higher resolution.
