Android Circuit: New Galaxy S9 Leaks, Nokia 9's Powerful Surprise, Latest Pixel 2 Details Confirmed
and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
The Galaxy S9 Awaits
While the world looks on at the new iPhone range this week, Samsung is likely busy locking down the final design of next year’s flagship. Details of the Galaxy S9 are starting to come out now on the strengths of the handset and the ambitions of the South Korean company. One area where the handset may score a mobile first is in slow motion video, with 1000 frames per second a possible goal. Paul Monckton has more:
Samsung’s sensor consists of a three-layer design with logic processing and fast memory built into the chip. The addition of on-chip memory enables the new sensor to store the video data locally at high speed before it is eventually saved by the camera app. However, this also means that the maximum duration of the slow-motion video is limited by the amount of memory built into the sensor and is therefore likely to span no more than a few seconds.
Samsung is also expected to carry on with the development of a fingerprint sensor that can sit under the main display. Unlike Apple, who can switch completely to facial recognition, Samsung is bound by Android;s requirements for a fingerprint sensor to gain certification, so it has to go somewhere!
Both the S8 family and the Note 8 handsets have placed the sensor in the rear of the device, allowing the maximum amount of screen to be used on the front of the device. That location remains problematic and it's one of the pain points highlighted by many reviewers of the premium handsets. Returning the sensor to the front of the device would address this issue. Being able to place it under the glass in 2018 would allow the shrunken bezels to remain and make a strong statement about Samsung’s technical prowess.
More on the biometric challenge here on Forbes.
DJ Koh, Samsung President/Mobile Communications Business, speaks about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 as it was unveiled at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2017 event (Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)
Galaxy Note 8 Faces Down The iPhone X
As expected, Apple’s new ‘Pro’ smartphone is going to be drawn into battle against Samsung’s Note 8 phablet. The South Korean machine will reach retails shelves long before the X in November, but is the gee-whiz of facial recognition enough of a counter for Cupertino’s handset? Martyn Casserly lines up the two handsets to find out:
Much depends on the Face ID technology though, so it’s too early to judge how the new layout and design will work day-to-day. The cameras look impressive, as does the OLED display, but the ‘bump’ might take some getting used to. Still, if you want the best iPhone around, and have £1000 to spare, then the new X is the one
After the disaster of the Note 7, Samsung shows real courage to return with another offering so soon. The Note 8 continues the excellent aesthetics that adorned the previous model, but now adds performance and stability, not to mention non-explosiveness, to the mix. It’s a thoroughly modern implementation of the Note series and as such will be a mouth-watering prospect for any fan of the series.
A Closer Look At The Leaked Pixel 2 And 2 XL
The last of the ‘big hitting’ smartphones confirmed for this year is Google’s Pixel 2. Launching on October 4th, Mountain View’s ‘pure’ Android handset is expected to be packed with new design features. As the date approaches, more details are leaking out to confirm this view. Forbes’ Gordon Kelly reports:
These show Google has stuck with its characteristic two tone glass and aluminium finishes but shrank the glass down considerably. Then again it is the front of the Pixel 2 XL where real interest lies.
One final detail Droid Life uncovered: the new Pixels will have slightly different colour options at launch. The Pixel 2 will come in Kinda Blue, Just Black and Clearly White (no more Really Blue) while the Pixel 2 XL will have Just Black and Black & White which also has a funky orange power button for love it/hate it appeal.
Ewan SpenceHMD Global's Nokia 8 (image: Ewan Spence)
Nokia 9 Specifications And Images Leak
Following on from the critically acclaimed Nokia (read my review here), the next Nokia handset from Finnish start-up HMD Global has leaked online. The source is a mix of the old faithful GFXbench and a classic leaked image. The details point to a thoroughly modern Nokia that has finally caught up with the current design trends. I reported on the details earlier this week.
">The handset is listed as using the SnapDragon 835 system on chip backed up with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The reported screen is a QHD resolution screen measuring 5.3 inches on the diagonal. The dual lens camera technology of the Nokia 8 is also listed.
But the headline spec is not the hardware, but the software. The Nokia 9 is listed as running Android 8.0 Oreo. The Nokia 8 comes with Android 7.1.1 out of the box, but HMD Global has put a lot of effort into signalling its intentions to keep Android up to date in terms of security patches and software updates. Launching with Android Oreo out of the box would not only magnify that statement to the public but act as an almost unique calling card to the geekerati on the strengths of the new Nokia package.
Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes the latest news on the Galaxy S9, how the Note 8 is challenging the iPhone X, the latest Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL leaks, new details on the Nokia 9, Google’s smartphone deal with HTC, Huawei’s Mate 10 design goes large, OnePlus 5 finds a French fashion designer, and Microsoft gains more acclaim for Outlook on Android.
Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here).
The Galaxy S9 Awaits
While the world looks on at the new iPhone range this week, Samsung is likely busy locking down the final design of next year’s flagship. Details of the Galaxy S9 are starting to come out now on the strengths of the handset and the ambitions of the South Korean company. One area where the handset may score a mobile first is in slow motion video, with 1000 frames per second a possible goal. Paul Monckton has more:
Samsung’s sensor consists of a three-layer design with logic processing and fast memory built into the chip. The addition of on-chip memory enables the new sensor to store the video data locally at high speed before it is eventually saved by the camera app. However, this also means that the maximum duration of the slow-motion video is limited by the amount of memory built into the sensor and is therefore likely to span no more than a few seconds.
Samsung is also expected to carry on with the development of a fingerprint sensor that can sit under the main display. Unlike Apple, who can switch completely to facial recognition, Samsung is bound by Android;s requirements for a fingerprint sensor to gain certification, so it has to go somewhere!
Both the S8 family and the Note 8 handsets have placed the sensor in the rear of the device, allowing the maximum amount of screen to be used on the front of the device. That location remains problematic and it's one of the pain points highlighted by many reviewers of the premium handsets. Returning the sensor to the front of the device would address this issue. Being able to place it under the glass in 2018 would allow the shrunken bezels to remain and make a strong statement about Samsung’s technical prowess.
More on the biometric challenge here on Forbes.
DJ Koh, Samsung President/Mobile Communications Business, speaks about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 as it was unveiled at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2017 event (Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)
Galaxy Note 8 Faces Down The iPhone X
As expected, Apple’s new ‘Pro’ smartphone is going to be drawn into battle against Samsung’s Note 8 phablet. The South Korean machine will reach retails shelves long before the X in November, but is the gee-whiz of facial recognition enough of a counter for Cupertino’s handset? Martyn Casserly lines up the two handsets to find out:
Much depends on the Face ID technology though, so it’s too early to judge how the new layout and design will work day-to-day. The cameras look impressive, as does the OLED display, but the ‘bump’ might take some getting used to. Still, if you want the best iPhone around, and have £1000 to spare, then the new X is the one
After the disaster of the Note 7, Samsung shows real courage to return with another offering so soon. The Note 8 continues the excellent aesthetics that adorned the previous model, but now adds performance and stability, not to mention non-explosiveness, to the mix. It’s a thoroughly modern implementation of the Note series and as such will be a mouth-watering prospect for any fan of the series.
A Closer Look At The Leaked Pixel 2 And 2 XL
The last of the ‘big hitting’ smartphones confirmed for this year is Google’s Pixel 2. Launching on October 4th, Mountain View’s ‘pure’ Android handset is expected to be packed with new design features. As the date approaches, more details are leaking out to confirm this view. Forbes’ Gordon Kelly reports:
These show Google has stuck with its characteristic two tone glass and aluminium finishes but shrank the glass down considerably. Then again it is the front of the Pixel 2 XL where real interest lies.
One final detail Droid Life uncovered: the new Pixels will have slightly different colour options at launch. The Pixel 2 will come in Kinda Blue, Just Black and Clearly White (no more Really Blue) while the Pixel 2 XL will have Just Black and Black & White which also has a funky orange power button for love it/hate it appeal.
Ewan SpenceHMD Global's Nokia 8 (image: Ewan Spence)
Nokia 9 Specifications And Images Leak
Following on from the critically acclaimed Nokia (read my review here), the next Nokia handset from Finnish start-up HMD Global has leaked online. The source is a mix of the old faithful GFXbench and a classic leaked image. The details point to a thoroughly modern Nokia that has finally caught up with the current design trends. I reported on the details earlier this week.
The handset is listed as using the SnapDragon 835 system on chip backed up with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The reported screen is a QHD resolution screen measuring 5.3 inches on the diagonal. The dual lens camera technology of the Nokia 8 is also listed.
But the headline spec is not the hardware, but the software. The Nokia 9 is listed as running Android 8.0 Oreo. The Nokia 8 comes with Android 7.1.1 out of the box, but HMD Global has put a lot of effort into signalling its intentions to keep Android up to date in terms of security patches and software updates. Launching with Android Oreo out of the box would not only magnify that statement to the public but act as an almost unique calling card to the geekerati on the strengths of the new Nokia package.
Post a Comment