New cell phones, top android phones: грудня 2014

The combination of phone and tablet has taken off in a big way with the likes of the Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus, so why not a phone and e-reader combo?

The original YotaPhone was an awkward mix of the two. Oddly shaped, expensive, unbalanced and just plain wrong, Russian maker Yota Devices went back to the drawing board. It’s returned with a much better phone that still doubles as an eBook reader thanks to a second screen on its back.

It’s frighteningly expensive at £550 – that’s more than at 16GB iPhone 6 – but the Android-toting YotaPhone 2 might just find its niche with book-lovers or those who value battery life.

SEE ALSO: Best Phones Round-up

YotaPhone 2 – Design

You won’t find any metal on show in the YotaPhone 2′s design. It’s unapologetically plastic, though it’s plastic reinforced by glass fibre. It’s sturdy and solid, though, with an internal metal frame to enhance rigidity. In all other respects it’s austere as opposed to fashionable – more Moto G than HTC One M8.

With good heft and balance it feels like a quality phone in your hand. The back curves and measures 9mm at its thickest point, much thinner than Motorola’s value handset but thicker than the Samsung Galaxy S5. It feels nicer than Samsung’s flagship, though. The soft swoops and arcs mean the YotaPhone 2 conforms to your hand so it isn’t hard to use one-handed – for a 5-inch phone, that is. It’s an accomplished design – miles better than the square, tapered first Yotaphone released earlier in the year.

Gorilla Glass 3 covers both the front and back, but the rear isn’t as slick as you’d expect. In fact we expected the YotaPhone 2 to be a slippery customer, but it’s easy to grip and keep hold of. One minor concern is a slight scratch we got on the rear after just one day of being in a pocket with another phone. This may have been a freak accident, though. We’ve not marked the phone in the days we’ve been using it since.

Unfortunately the buttons don’t quite live up to the rest of the phone. Located on the right edge, the plastic power button sits almost flush and doesn’t provide quite as much action as we’d like. The volume rocker doubles as the nano-SIM tray, but this makes it lift out further than the power button and also means it’s a little rattly. We’re being a bit picky – there’s nothing all that wrong with the buttons; we just hold high standards when reviewing phones that cost this much.

The curved back is where the YotaPhone becomes interesting. It houses a 4.7-inch touch-sensitive e-ink display that can work just like the front AMOLED screen.

YotaPhone 2 – Screens

The Full HD front display is very good indeed. The 442ppi pixel density means it’s pin-sharp, so it’s excellent for reading small text on websites or eBooks. AMOLED screen tech has come a long way since it was first introduced, and even since Samsung introduced it to its Galaxy range of phones. At first colours looked unnatural, and brightness not on par with the best LED screens out there. That’s all changed.

Brightness levels and colours are great on the YotaPhone 2, as is the infinite contrast ratio that’s the big advantage of an AMOLED display. Unlike LED phones, the YotaPhone 2 copes brilliantly with dark scenes in movies and TV shows. You’ll enjoy using the front display for catching up on last night’s telly on the way to work.

And that’s where the next feature of the YotaPhone 2 comes in handy. Having an e-ink display on a phone might feel like a luxury, and it is, but it’s one that you start to value after a few days of use. Once you get to grips with everything it can do, at least.

And it can do a lot. If you wanted to, you could use the rear screen to do everything the front screen can. You can even play games or watch videos. Fun though this adaptability is on the 4.7-inch 960 x 540 electronic paper display (EPD), the main benefits come from using it for reading, checking the odd message and conserving battery life.

Unlike LCD or AMOLED screens, EPDs are very energy efficient, because they don’t need any power to stay on. This is why eBook readers such as the Kindle Paperwhite can last as long as eight weeks without needing a charge.

So the rear screen on the YotaPhone 2 is always on and you can make it display whatever takes your fancy. We found a homescreen comprising a clock, the weather and basic phone, message, email and alerts to be one of the handiest. It provides key information at a glance. Turning an AMOLED screen on often to check the time or the odd message uses up a lot of juice, so having the e-ink display always on is a real battery saver.

It’s unfortunate, then, that the YotaPhone 2’s EPD doesn’t match the quality of the front screen. Text looks a little washed out. It’s quite legible, but you’d rather have your favourite dog-eared paperback around. Still, there’s no problems reading texts or emails in good light.

It’s when the skies darken a little that the EPD becomes unusable. The YotaPhone 2’s rear screen isn’t backlit, which means you won’t be able to make out a thing in lower light. The problem is exacerbated by the grainy text and grey background. You’ll be reaching for your Paperwhite or Nook Glowlight when the lights go dim on long-haul flights.

On the plus side, the rear screen is responsive. You can tap out messages using the touch-sensitive rear screen just like you can on the front. It’s not as slick, but does the job in a pinch.

The screens are a classic case of Jekyll and Hyde. The main screen is superb; at least as good as it’s flagship competitors. But the EPD disappoints. Dull, grainy and dark, it’s not awful, but is a big step back from the white, backlit and sharp screens on the best eBook readers on the market.

Yotaphone 2 – Speakers

Two small speaker grilles flank the micro-USB port at the bottom of the YotaPhone 2. The speakers are both loud and clear enough to make them useful for watching the odd movie without the need of using the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the phone. There’s little distortion when whacked up to 11 and, while it doesn’t match the front-facing BoomSound speakers on the HTC One M8, it is better than the Galaxy S5.

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What is the YotaPhone 2?

The combination of phone and tablet has taken off in a big way with the likes of the Galaxy Note 4 and iPhone 6 Plus, so why not a phone and e-reader combo?

It’s frighteningly expensive at £550 – that’s more than at 16GB iPhone 6 – but the Android-toting YotaPhone 2 might just find its niche with book-lovers or those who value battery life.

SEE ALSO: Best Phones Round-up

YotaPhone 2 – Design

The curved back is where the YotaPhone becomes interesting. It houses a 4.7-inch touch-sensitive e-ink display that can work just like the front AMOLED screen.

YotaPhone 2 – Screens

On the plus side, the rear screen is responsive. You can tap out messages using the touch-sensitive rear screen just like you can on the front. It’s not as slick, but does the job in a pinch.

Yotaphone 2 – Speakers

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Dyson DC59 Vacuum Cleaners Review

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Review Update 03/12/14: We first reviewed the Dyson DC59 last year. Since then we’ve seen several new cordless vacuum cleaners come to the market, so we thought now was a good time to revisit the DC59 and see how it compares to some of the new models. Originally reviewed by Luke Johnson, updates by Andy Vandervell.

What is the Dyson DC59?

There’s a revolution going on and it’s powered by batteries. Some of the best and most interesting vacuum cleaners in 2013 and 2014 have been cordless vacs. From the Gtech AirRam to the Bosch Athlet, lots of brands now have cordless vacuum cleaners that aim to give you greater freedom without compromise and the Dyson DC59 is one.

A follow-up to the Dyson DC34, the Dyson DC59 aims to provide the same cleaning performance of Dyson’s larger vacuum cleaners but in a small, portable and cordless body. It claims a 20-minute battery life and is light enough for most people to use single-handed. Moreover, unlike Dyson’s handheld models, its long arm attachment means hard to reach areas are easy to get to. It’s now cheaper than when we first reviewed it (down to £280 from £350 at launch), making it better value than before.

Dyson DC59: Design & Features

The Dyson DC59 makes a great first impression. This isn’t the sort of ugly vacuum you want out of sight in a cupboard, it’s a good-looking modern gadget. It’s also packed full of thoughtful design tweaks that show Dyson has thought hard about how people will use the DC59.

One of the biggest is the power button. Rather

than a simple on/off switch button, the DC59 has a power trigger you must hold

down that helps extend the functional battery life

That’s because the trigger system means you never leave it running unnecessarily, which makes the difference

between the DC59’s battery life and the 40-minute cleaning time of the Gtech Air Ram less pronounced. It also matches up reasonably well to the Bosch Athlet when used on its ‘normal’ setting, though the Bosch claims up to 60-minutes when used on its lowest power setting for hard floors.

In

practice, we found the DC59′s battery life was more than ample for a couple of full sweeps of a

moderately sized two-bedroom house.

READ MORE: Vacuum Cleaner Reviews

With

all this said, it does reinforce the fact the Dyson DC59 is really a

vacuum cleaner for smaller households, or a secondary cleaner for quick ‘top-up’ cleans. Its size and nimble design make

it ideal for small houses and flats, but it’s a tight limit to clean a

large family house in 20 minutes.

That argument is supported by the limited 0.4-litre dust capacity, a decent amount less than the 0.9 litres of the Bosch Athlet. As with the battery life, 0.4-litres is enough for small homes and flats, but it’s not enough for larger homes if used as your primary cleaner.

But what the DC59 lacks in capacity, it more than makes up for with lightness and ease of use. The Dyson DC59

isn’t too hard on your wrist or back as it weighs just two kilos

(about the same most laptops). It’s easy to tilt it to the

ceiling or reach tight corners with minimal strain, which is down to how evenly its 2kg weight is distributed. It’s an incredibly well balanced machine.

Our only other small complaint is the number of scuff marks and

blemishes the motorised cleaning head acquired after just a couple of weeks

of use. It’s not a critical problem, but we expect a little more

hardiness at this price.

SEE ALSO: Best Washing Machines 2014

Dyson DC59: Accessories

The Dyson DC59 comes with plenty of accessories to tackle a variety of jobs.

The main one is a motorised cleaning head for normal carpets, but it

uses more power so there’s a standard non-motorised one as well in

addition to the crevice tool and bristled extension for those more

delicate areas.

All of these attachments fit either directly to the body, or at the end

of the one-metre rigid extension, which means the Dyson DC59 comfortably

doubles as a handheld vacuum (for car interiors, table tops etc.) and a

standard vacuum for normal housework. It’s an incredibly versatile machine.

But, while we love DC59’s versatility and dexterity, its most practical

feature is the neat wall mounted docking station. The dock, which screws

into the wall, is a brilliant addition that stores and charges the

vacuum, and holds two cleaning attachments. It’s useful so that you

don’t forget to charge the DC59 between cleans – an important point

considering the 20-minute battery life.

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What is the Dyson DC59?

Dyson DC59: Design & Features

One of the biggest is the power button. Rather

than a simple on/off switch button, the DC59 has a power trigger you must hold

down that helps extend the functional battery life

In

practice, we found the DC59′s battery life was more than ample for a couple of full sweeps of a

moderately sized two-bedroom house.

SEE ALSO: Best Washing Machines 2014

Dyson DC59: Accessories

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Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium Headphone Review

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What are the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium?

The Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium are high-end in-ear headphones that cost a cool £249.

They’re in the sort of territory normally occupied by multiple balanced armature earphones. However, these use an interesting hybrid design, with a 9mm dynamic driver and a balanced armature working together to provide, in theory, perfect sound.

However, Atomic Floyd’s obsession with loading the responsibility of detail onto very high treble frequencies leaves them with a bit of a sibilance issue and not the most natural sound. They’re great earphones, but they’re not for everyone.

Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium – Design and ComfortThe new Titanium SuperDarts model look just like the non-Titanium SuperDarts pair we reviewed two years ago, but with the red trim bits traded for moodier-looking black. We like the lower-key look, but there are other changes that aren’t so visible on the surface.

We found the original SuperDarts’ heavyweight design reduced comfort significantly, but in the Titanium model the earpiece weight has been cut down to 2.8g. The last version had comfort issues, this pair – for the most part – doesn’t.

As ever, the Atomic Floyd cable design is a bit weird, though. Rather than pointing downwards, the cable tries to give the finger to gravity by sticking straight out. It just means the cable pokes out a little farther than it might otherwise, but is rather unusual.

The fit ensures it’s not a looks issue, as the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium are happy to burrow pretty far into your ear canal. There’s a degree of flexibility to this, but in order to get the best noise-isolation performance from the pair, you’ll need to jam them in fairly deep.

Build quality is excellent, but it needs to be because the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium cable is non-removable. The outer shells of the earphones are, as you’d hope, titanium, marking an upgrade from the steel of the last pair we looked at. Titanium is less dense and a lot less heavy, while roughly just as hard.

All the benefits and none of the drawbacks? Well, apart from the price. The use of titanium may have a lot to do with the £50-more-expensive price compared to the regular SuperDarts. And while the cable splitter and remote housing are metal, too – we’re not 100 per cent sure if it’s titanium – there’s just none of the weight issue found with the other SuperDarts pair.

Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium – Remote and Accessories

The in-line remote is a standard three-button affair made for use with iOS devices – iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Android and Windows users will usually be able to play or pause with the central button, but that’s it.

You also get a generous selection of accessories in the box. As well as the standard three pairs of Silicone tips, Atomic Floyd includes one pair of foam Comply tips. Most people find these offer better comfort and greater noise isolation. Could we do with more Silicone tips? Yes, but we found this less of an issue than last time thanks to the easier fit and lighter weight.

Aside from the tips, the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium come with a 6.3mm jack adapter, an airplane adapter and a rubbery pouch designed to be bunged in your pocket.

It’s not a feature as such, but Atomic Floyd also promises tw-way noise isolation. This seems to mean you get the isolation from the rubber tips plus as the back isn’t ported the earpiece itself doesn’t let too much noise in. Isolation performance is decent, but you do need to embrace having the earpieces resting a fair way down your ear canal.

Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium – Sound Quality

The Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium seem to use much the same driver style as the non-titanium model. They feature a balanced armature alongside a 9mm dynamic driver, offering a ‘best of both worlds’ hybrid approach to driver design.

However, in reality we find the tone more a case of various hits and misses, leading to a sound signature that, while offering plenty of high-end characteristics, is polarising.

First, the good stuff: the dynamic driver succeeds in providing very impressive bass that has plenty of weight right down to the 20Hz sub-bass level. The low-end registers offer plenty of impact with zero of the flab or excess weight that often comes with trying to produce this sort of power.

These aren’t all-out bassy earphones as such, though, a descriptor that often refers to a mid-bass thickness that the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium just don’t have, but they provide exactly the sort of bass response we like. All fun, no fat.

It’s at the other end of the scale where things get more contentious. The Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium offer extremely, self-consciously detailed treble, but the main of focus in the treble area is much higher than it is in most other bright sets. There’s a bump in the real upper frequencies that can trick your ear into thinking you’re hearing more ‘micro-detail’, but we’re not sure it does the sound many favours in the long run.

This treble bump doesn’t feel particularly well integrated, often leads to sibilance, and is generally a little fatiguing. The Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium are not easy-going.

Far too much sound texture comes from the this treble excess too. Mid-range detail in vocals is hugely upstaged by more granular treble texture, and it can lead to women’s vocals in particular sounding a little fizzy, with a clear dual presence in the mid-range and treble that appear quite separate, and in competition with each other.

Being obsessed with detail is good, but in this case it leaves the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium with a slightly unnatural tone, in some localised spots. These earphones really need to give the mid-range more focus rather than leaving the treble and bass to do all the work, leading to a significantly ‘scooped’ sound.

This probably all sounds quite negative, and for many it is. They won’t be warm-enough for some, and the treble will be a bit much for many. If you don’t like bright-sounding earphones, run away now. However, the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium sound doesn’t actually feel out of place among high-end earphones.

They offer refinement, bags of detail and the sort of low-end refinement we’re after. But the intense, overly-tweaked approach to tuning will seem objectionable to some.

Should I buy the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium?

The Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium are a big upgrade over the original SuperDarts, but primarily from a hardware design perspective. The switch from a steel construction to a titanium one is a big practical improvement, reducing weight and in turn improving comfort without reducing strength.

However, it seems the issues we had with the original SuperDarts are still present. Over-£200 earphones are quite niche to start with, and the rather intense top/bottom frequency tuning of the pair will only further limit their appeal.

If you like your treble with more zing than a bath full of limes, you may love the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium. But there are plenty of easier-going and ultimately more natural-sounding alternatives out there, including the excellent Shure SE425. Unfortunately, most of our other high-end recommendations, such as the Phonak PFE232 and Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10, have been discontinued without suitable replacements, but rest assured we’re on the lookout for the ultimate £200-plus pair.

Verdict

Like the original SuperDarts, the SuperDarts Titanium are audiophile-grade, but make some questionable decisions with their tuning that mean they won’t be too everyone’s .

Next, check out the best headphones around

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What are the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium?

The Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium are high-end in-ear headphones that cost a cool £249.

Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium – Remote and Accessories

Aside from the tips, the Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium come with a 6.3mm jack adapter, an airplane adapter and a rubbery pouch designed to be bunged in your pocket.

Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium – Sound Quality

However, in reality we find the tone more a case of various hits and misses, leading to a sound signature that, while offering plenty of high-end characteristics, is polarising.

This treble bump doesn’t feel particularly well integrated, often leads to sibilance, and is generally a little fatiguing. The Atomic Floyd SuperDarts Titanium are not easy-going.

They offer refinement, bags of detail and the sort of low-end refinement we’re after. But the intense, overly-tweaked approach to tuning will seem objectionable to some.

Verdict

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Amazon Fire HD 6 Review

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Introduction

If the 7-inch Amazon Fire HD 7 is still too big for your liking, then the smaller 6-inch Amazon Fire HD 6 might seem like the perfect size. By now, we’re all familiar how certain “phablets” push the boundary with their immense size, but if you’re out for a ~6” tablet instead of a smartphone, Amazon’s smallest Fire tablet is going to be one of the few options for you. Cheap tablets are everywhere, naturally, so it’ll be intriguing to see how much value the Amazon Fire HD 6 is able to deliver to the consumer.

The package contains:

microUSB cable

Wall charger

Getting to know guide

Design

It’s one of the most compact sized tablets we’ve come across, but it’s not accompanied with any stylish design cues.

Unquestionably, this tablet isn’t out to win style points with its cookie cutter, conventional design. Amazon’s intention, of course, is to naturally design a compact size thing with minimal impact to the cost in producing it. Hitting it right on the spot, the Amazon Fire HD 6 fits the bill with its all-plastic construction – one that comes off cheapish in nature. Despite that, it’s nice that there are various color options to choose from.

For a tablet, it’s undeniably miniscule in size, but in comparison to some other 6-inch screen packing smartphones, it’s bigger, thicker, and heavier. Even though the arrangement of its buttons and ports are identical to the Fire HD 7, it’s only been outfitted with a single speaker.

Display

Far from being the most attractive thing, its 6-inch screen is effective for most basic things.

Reading into the specs, it’s not all that different from the screen in the Amazon Fire HD 7 – so the only difference here is its size. In particular, it’s sporting a 6-inch 800 x 1280 IPS LCD display, one that delivers good enough details for reading and whatnot. Even outdoors, it’s still viewable thanks to its 415 nit brightness, despite the slight distortion at wide angles. It’s certainly far from the most attractive looking display, but considering the price point, the screen manages to be effective for a lot of things.

Display measurements and quality

View all

The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display’s color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The ‘x: CIE31′ and ‘y: CIE31′ values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. ‘Y’ shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while ‘Target Y’ is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, ‘ΔE 2000′ is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

This measurements are made using SpectraCal’s CalMAN calibration software.

The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display’s measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.

This measurements are made using SpectraCal’s CalMAN calibration software.

The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.

This measurements are made using SpectraCal’s CalMAN calibration software.

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Introduction

The package contains:

microUSB cable

Wall charger

Getting to know guide

Design

It’s one of the most compact sized tablets we’ve come across, but it’s not accompanied with any stylish design cues.

Display

Far from being the most attractive thing, its 6-inch screen is effective for most basic things.

Display measurements and quality

View all

The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display’s color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The ‘x: CIE31′ and ‘y: CIE31′ values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. ‘Y’ shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while ‘Target Y’ is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, ‘ΔE 2000′ is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.

This measurements are made using SpectraCal’s CalMAN calibration software.

The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display’s measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.

This measurements are made using SpectraCal’s CalMAN calibration software.

The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.

This measurements are made using SpectraCal’s CalMAN calibration software.

View all

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Google releases Device Assist app for Nexus devices, provides basic tech support for newbies

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Now that we’re in the thick of the holiday season, you can expect a plethora of new users will soon be added to the Android fold. Not everyone is a power user right off the bat. Google knows this. And it’s the reason they’ve launched the new Device Assist app for Nexus, Google Play edition, and Android One devices. The app looks to provide users with some basic tech support, tips, and diagnostics, with the option to even get live support from Google. Now that’s customer service.

But there are some restrictions. Device Assist is only available on Android 5.0 Lollipop and only for those living in the US (sorry, rest of the world). If you’re curious to check it out, you can download it for free right now in the Google Play Store. Link below.

Continue reading:

More Inbox invites available

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Moto G gets Lollipop soon

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TAGS: Device Assist

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Hurry: Google giving away guaranteed Inbox invites until 3PM Eastern

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Quick heads-up to anyone who hasn’t yet gotten an Inbox invite: now’s your chance! Google has announced that anyone who sends an email to inbox@google.com requesting an invite before 3PM Eastern time will most certainly receive an invitation.

Inbox is the next evolution of email as envisioned by the Gmail team, though one could accurately describe it as “Gmail labels on steroids.” Its worth comes from an easy, yet powerful and effective way to filter emails into whichever category makes sense. Ask anyone with hundreds of those promotional offer emails rolling through how good it feels to be able to dismiss all of it with a tough of one button and without having to fumble through a confusing user interface to do it.

We’re not sure where the sudden burst of generosity came from, but don’t delay in hitting Google up for your invite. Once you’ve gotten it you can find the app in Google Play right here.

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First wave of Inbox by Gmail invites are being sent out

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We’re not sure where the sudden burst of generosity came from, but don’t delay in hitting Google up for your invite. Once you’ve gotten it you can find the app in Google Play right here.

Continue reading:

First wave of Inbox by Gmail invites are being sent out

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Best Android tablets, ranked

Moto G gets Lollipop soon

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Wire is a new messaging contender backed by the co-creator of Skype

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It seems everyone needs to make a messaging app these days, and yet another one has turned up this morning. Its name is Wire, a messaging app made by one of the creators of now-Microsoft-owned Skype. Those credentials seem pretty legit no matter how you feel about Skype, so does a beefy resume translate into an app worthy of great attention?

Well, no, not really. It’s a very simple client that doesn’t try to do too much, and perhaps that’s where the value lies for many. But aside from pretty aesthetics and a no-nonsense messaging system there isn’t much here to go wild about. Emphasis is placed on high quality voice calls, in-line display of photos, YouTube videos and SoundCloud clips and a synchronization system that lets you pick the convo up where you left off. They’re also pretty proud about end-to-end encryption for calls and texts.

But beyond any of that, there’s little more it offers. Perhaps that’ll change in the future — in fact, Wire says it definitely will — but for now it’s just another messaging app to go alongside the dozens of other viable options out there. The app is currently available for Android, iOS and Mac OS X, though a web browser version is also expected to arrive soon.

Continue reading:

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TAGS: Wire

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Huawei releases a new octa-core Kirin 620 chipset

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Today Huawei has introduced a new addition to its own processor family. The Huawei Kirin 620 system-on-a-chip is definitely not a top of the line chipset, but is nonetheless a solid performer, designed for mid-ranged devices. The CPU has a 64-bit architecture and comes with 8 cores, clocked at 1.2GHz.

It is a 28nm chip, based on the Cortex-A53 with LPDDR3 RAM support. As far as connectivity goes, it will offer GSM / TD-SCDMA / WCDMA / TD-LTE /LTE FDD support, as well as Cat. 4 LTE for speeds up to 150Mbps. The GPU used is a Mali450 MP4, which is a little dated. Camera support is limited to a 13MP sensor, while video encoding and decoding capabilities can handle up to 1080p resolutions at 30Hz.

All in all, Huawei’s new Kirin 620 is set to be a fairly mid-level SoC, with performance comparable to that of Qualcomms Snapdragon 410. Both are 64-bit chips with a clock speed of 1.2GHz, but the Kirin 620 has the advantage of having 8 cores. Not that this necessarily translates to better real world performance, especially in an Android handset, but one would assume so.

The Mali 450 GPU could potentially be a drawback in the long run, but for the time being, Huawei seems to have a solid market share contender.