Smartphones may be featuring larger displays lately, but this year has also seen a renewed race to produce the thinnest handset on the market. The new 4.85 millimeter thick Oppo R5 was quickly surpassed by the 4.75 millimeter Vivo X5 Max, and this teardown gives us a look at just how such a thin smartphone is constructed.
As you would expect, no room goes to waste inside the Vivo X5 Max.
It has been a good year for apps. We didn’t see as many game changing releases as we have in prior years. However, we have seen plenty of app genres expand and grow to give people more options than ever before. We also saw a lot of apps that takes new concepts and makes them easier for other people. It’s been a lot of fun for app devs this year so let’s take a look at the best Android apps released in 2016.
Dyson Pure Hot + Cool TP04
If you're eyeing the Dyson Hot + Cool, you're clearly seeking an air purifier that stands out in terms of aesthetics. There are many more affordable models to be found if cleaning the air is all you care about. The Dyson doesn't focus on value; instead, it purifies the air with value-adds such as a fan, heating element, and a stand-out design, which make it an easy recommendation — if you've got the cash.
Google Translate just got even more impressive. In the latest update, the app gains the ability to easily translate text in any app, offline access for iOS, and support for Chinese in Word Lens.
The big new feature is Tap to Translate. When enabled, every time you copy a string of text a small button will appear on top of the current app, much like Facebook’s Messenger bubble. Tap on the bubble and voila, the text you copied, be it Hindi, Swahili or Romanian, is instantly translated in a popover window.
In 2018, Huawei launched the first 40-megapixel camera smartphone in a very long time — the Huawei P20 Pro. We pitted it against one of the most beloved camera phones of all time, the 41MP Nokia Lumia 1020, to see which was better. Opinions were mixed, but the gist of our testing showed Huawei’s camera sensor was better but the company leaned far too heavily on oversharpening post-processing, which ruined a number of pictures.
Picking the best smartphone is no longer a case of just glossing over the specs sheet and sticker price. That little pocket companion of yours is a tool that’s only made effective through a solid combination of hardware and software. But all too often companies seem to neglect the latter.
It seems that some firms are finally acknowledging this. More manufacturers are now committing to software, with Samsung recently announcing its extension of Android update support to its flagships, and Microsoft promising three years of Android updates with its Surface Duo.
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
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Google has given its take on how the Pixel 6 series charging works. It says the phones can reach 80% in an hour before power is reduced due to battery health concerns. Google also said that the Pixel 6 and Pro variant offer wired speeds of 21W and 23W respectively. Our own testing of the Google Pixel 6 series revealed that the phone doesn’t actually charge at anywhere close to 30W, despite the company tacitly suggesting that this was the case.
When it comes to picking the right data storage, there are two mainstream options available: SSD (Solid State Drives) and HDD (Hard Disk Drives). Then there is the amalgamation of both that is a Hybrid drive, also referred to as an SSHD (Solid State Hybrid Drive). HDDs have been the go-to storage choice for years, providing a solid balance of storage capacity and price — a balance that has only gotten stronger in recent years.
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Citizen has unveiled its first Wear OS smartwatch, the CZ Smart. It boasts a sporty design and includes modern features, but it uses the older Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip. It’s available to order now for $395. Add another name to the list of well-established watch brands making Google-powered wristwear. Citizen has unveiled the CZ Smart, its first Wear OS watch as well as its first smartwatch with an all-digital display.
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Google has outlined the full schedule for its virtual I/O 2021 event. The calendar hints at news for Android, Chrome OS, Google Assistant, and smart homes. Wear OS doesn’t have much of a presence, however. Google has posted the full schedule for I/O 2021, and it’s clear the all-virtual event will be chock full of news — for certain users and developers, at least.
I/O 2021 will start with a lengthy two-hour keynote on May 18 at 1 PM Eastern (10 AM Pacific), followed by a developer-focused 45-minute keynote at 3:15 PM.