MWC 2016: All smartphones that you may expect

The annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 goes underway on February 22, 2016. A pre-MWC 2016 day is scheduled on February 21, where the likes of LG and Samsung are expected to make major announcements. While some of the smartphones here have been confirmed to be present at MWC 2016, some others have only been speculated. We put together an exhaustive list of the best mobile devices expected to be launched, or at least turn up as an exhibit,  at MWC 2016.

Project ARA (Finally?)

Yet another year gone by, and Project ARA is still due to make a public appearance. A recently-sighted benchmark hints at a Project ARA device bearing a 13.8-inch 1080p display, powered by a Snapdragon 810 chipset, 3GB of RAM, and (obviously) running on Android v6.0 Marshmallow. Of course, the configurations might change, but is Google finally ready to showcase ARA? Is the Mountain View giant at the final stages of the modular, customisable mobile device that is “built exclusively for 6 billion people”? It almost definitely will not launch at MWC 2016, but some sort of announcement or initial showing cannot be left out of the equation.

Huawei P9

Huawei has seen a recent resurgence for itself in the smartphones segment, making a Nexus device (the Nexus 6P) for the very first time, and following up the decent work with the Huawei Mate 8 and the Honor 7i, featuring a rotating camera on it. It is, hence, not surprising that Huawei has made it to this list. While a number of recent rumours suggest that Huawei might actually not launch the device at MWC 2016, we cannot deny that the addition of a well-priced stellar flagship handset would do Huawei a world of good, now that it finally has user interest up surrounding its mobile business.

Rumours have suggested that the Huawei P9 will feature a metal chassis with slots for a dual-camera setup at the top of the rear panel. It is also expected to house a 5.2-inch QHD display with a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels that will also be pressure-sensitive, dual-13MP camera setup on the rear, fingerprint scanner, Kirin 950 chipset, and a whopping 6GB of RAM! Most rumours have suggested that the device will have 4GB of RAM, but words of the phone housing 6GB of RAM refuse to die out.

If this is indeed launched, the Huawei P9 might just be one of the best smartphones of 2016 to watch out for, and actually set the bar higher for phones to feature higher amount of memory than your average everyday laptop!

Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge

The next iteration of Samsung’s flagship Galaxy devices have been rumoured, leaked and shot innumerable number of times. Samsung itself showed a teaser of an image with a box opening to cool blue lighting inside (the edges of which looks suspiciously like the number ‘7’), and has sent out invites for a major launch on February 21.

According to information available online, the Samsung Galaxy S7 will almost certainly come in two variants, with varying screen sizes and flat/curved edge displays. It is also expected to be built on a Magnesium alloy chassis, feature dust and water resistance, and house a USB Type-C port. The displays of the phones are expected to be 5.2 inches and 5.5 inches in size, and have a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels. The Galaxy S7/S7 Edge are expected to be powered by Snapdragon 820 and the Exynos 8890, depending upon geographical distribution of the phones. They are expected to house 4GB of RAM, along with 64GB of inbuilt storage. Other expectations also include a Sabre 9018AQ2M audio chip that delivers nearly analogue audio quality, alongside supporting audio formats like DSD. Battery sizes are expected to be larger, at 3000mAh and 3600mAh respectively, and the cameras on the rear might house 20-megapixel BRITECELL Duo Pixel sensors.

Overall, with the excellent reviews that the Samsung Galaxy S6 lineup garnered, we expect the Galaxy S7 to be stellar devices.

Xiaomi Mi 5

The Xiaomi Mi 5 has been rumoured for almost a year-and-half now, and finally, Vice-President of Xiaomi Global, Hugo Barra, has confirmed that the device will be present at MWC 2016, on February 24, 2016. Xiaomi has taken its own sweet time with the device, and very high hopes have been put on it. The device will be powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor, along with a probable configuration of 3GB RAM and 16GB/64GB/128GB of internal storage. A slimmer, faster fingerprint sensor is also expected on it, and so are dual-SIM and NFC support. Rumours suggest a 5.2-inch or 5.5-inch screen size, with confirmed 1080p resolution. A 16MP rear camera is expected on the rear, and some sources have suggested that the camera will have flip-out mechanism, meaning that the camera will be hidden unless you need to take photos with it. The front camera is expected to have a 6-megapixel sensor. The battery is expected to be a decently-large 3800mAh. The Xiaomi hierarchy has previously stated that the wait for the Mi 5 will be “worth it”. We certainly hope so.

HTC One M10

Over time, the HTC One M10 has been expected to be confirmed for launch at MWC 2016, and subsequently expected to be delayed for launch. Nevertheless, we cannot leave out the slim chances of the device being launched at MWC 2016. The primary confusion surrounding HTC’s next device is its naming. While it was widely expected to be called the HTC One M10, recent reports suggest that the phone might be finally called HTC One Perfume. Apart from that, the One M10 (we’re calling it that for now) is expected to be yet another Snapdragon 820-powered device, with 4GB of RAM and 32GB internal storage. It is also expected to feature a better DAC (Digital Audio Converter), and leave out BoomSound. The HTC One M10 is expected to mimic the One A9’s looks, and house a 5.1-inch QHD AMOLED display. Recent rumours have suggested a 12MP rear camera powered by the Sony IMX377 sensor, and a 5MP Ultrapixel front camera.

Even if the HTC One M10/Perfume does not launch at MWC 2016, we expect it to launch quite soon.

Alcatel Idol 4/4S

Information leaked via Alcatel’s website suggests that the company may launch two smartphones at MWC 2016. The Alcatel Idol 4S is expected to run on Snapdragon 652 SoC, and house a 5.5-inch QHD S-AMOLED display. The rear camera is expected to house a 16MP sensor, and the phone may be powered by a 3000mAh battery pack. The Idol 4, meanwhile, may run on Snapdragon 617 SoC and house a 1080p LCD display. The two devices are almost certainly expected at MWC 2016.

Microsoft Lumia 650

The Microsoft Lumia 650 is not the strongest rumour, but it would still give hope to the Lumia faithful. The Lumia 650 is expected to be a budget Windows 10 device, powered by a 1.3GHz processor, with 1GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, and a 5-inch HD display. It will also reportedly feature a metal build, and have the glance screen technology. The Lumia 650 may sound paltry by the standard slew of high-octane flagship smartphones, but Microsoft will probably bank upon its enhanced user experience and work on adding more app support to the platform, than go for higher firepower inside the device.

LG G5

The LG G5 is expected to be a premium device with a metal unibody design with a fingerprint scanner on the rear and volume controls at the side. A secondary always-on display has been officially touted by LG, and the primary display is expected to be a 5.6-in QHD display. Another crucial factor about the LG G5 is that it is expected to have a modular chassis that will have a removable battery. The secondary Always On display is expected to have a resolution of 160x1040 pixels. 16MP rear camera with dual-lens, 135-degree wide angle setup and 8MP front camera is expected to complete the imaging front. A Snapdragon 820 processor is expected to power it, along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The battery is expected to be a more efficient, 2800mAh pack.

Meizu launching an Ubuntu-powered phone at MWC 2016?

Meizu may launch an Ubuntu-powered smartphone at the World Mobile Congress event in Barcelona. The company posted a teaser image on its Twitter account which it said ‘Love Ubuntu’ along with the text, “More Love is awaiting you at MWC 2016.” The company did not reveal any other information about the smartphone. However, reports suggest that the company may launch PRO 5 powered by Ubuntu during the event. Images purported to be of the same were leaked by gizchina.it earlier this month.

If Meizu does launch an Ubuntu-powered variant of the PRO 5, then it would be very good news for fans of the operating system. The device is one of the company's most powerful phones. It is the only non-Samsung phone to be powered by the Exynos 7420 chipset and is also equipped with a 5.7-inch Full HD display. The phone is available in two variants, one with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage and the other with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. At the back is a 21MP primary camera with a 5MP front facing camera. This isn’t the first time Meizu launched an Ubuntu-powered device. Last year, the company launched a variant of the MX4 that was powered by the OS. 

Facebook plans to combat terrorist propaganda with counter speech

Facebook plans to combat terrorist propaganda with its own form of ‘counter speech’. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the social media network will attempt to discredit extremist content with posts, videos and images from its users, which counter the original propaganda. Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg also appeared to endorse the idea and pointed to a case wherein a page for a neo-Nazi group was bombarded with ‘likes’ and nice comments. She said that a similar ‘like’ attack could hurt groups like the Islamic State.

According to the publication, a team lead by Monika Bickert, Facebook’s head of global policy management met in December to plan ways to encourage counter speech through competitions. The company has already provided ad credits of up to $1,000 to counter speakers and has teamed up with the US State Department and Edventure Partners to encourage college students to create messages to counter terrorism. In a test last year, former members of right-wing and Islamist extremist groups to create fake accounts, and private messages would be sent to current members of those groups via those fake accounts. The messages prompted more and longer-lasting conversations than the researchers had expected.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

After retail store bid, Apple to open tech development centre in India

Commenting on the development, Apple said, "We’ve been investing to expand our operations in India and are thrilled to have passionate customers and a vibrant developer community across the country.  We are looking forward to opening a new development office in Hyderabad that will be home to over 150 Apple employees supporting maps development. The office will also have space for many contractors who will support our ambitious efforts locally."

According to a report from ZDNet, Cupertino based tech giant, Apple Inc, will soon be opening a technology development centre in Hyderabad, India. As per the report, Apple's new tech development centre will occupy 250,000 square feet of land in real estate firm Tishman Speyer's WaveRock facility at the Hyderabad's IT corridor. By doing so, Apple will be joining the likes of Microsoft & Google in opening an India development facility.

Word is that Apple will initially open doors to an innovation centre in June, followed by a full fledged facility by the end of 2016. The report goes on to suggest that Apple is looking to develop Maps for iPhone & Mac in india. 
It should be noted that Hyderabad is being veiwed as an emerging development detination for international technology brands. During his India visit last year, Google CEO, Sundar Pichai had also revealed plans of opening one of South-Asia's biggest Google Facility in Hyderabad. 

With Apple finally extablishing a strong base in India, there is lots to expect from the company. For one, we feel this will also open doors for the company to manufacture its devices in India, although Apple has repeatedly denied any such plans. We also expect a boost to certain Apple services like maps, music & Apple pay.

Recently, Apple had also made its first move to open Apple India retail stores. According to reports the company is well on its way to get the Indian Government's approval for the same

Lenovo expected to launch Lemon 3 Plus at MWC 2016

MWC 2016 kicks off in one week and smartphone makers have started teasing the products that they will showcase at the event. Lenovo has taken to Twitter and teased an image of a smartphone. The tweet reads, “A gorgeous new device has been engineered from scratch to deliver the #Knockout punch. Brace yourselves.” The caption of the tweeted image reads, “#KnockOut Coming Soon MWC 2016”. If information circulating the Internet is to be believed, then Lenovo is teasing the Lemon 3 Plus.

Coming to the specifications of the Lenovo Lemon 3 Plus, the device is expected to have a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display. Under the hood, the device will be powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM. It is expected to have 16GB built-in storage expandable up to 128GB via a microSD card. It will have a 13MP camera at the back and a 5MP front facing camera. 

MWC kicks off on 22 February 2016.

LG announces new X cam and X screen smartphones

LG will be unveiling its new ‘X’ series of smartphones at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona with two new phones, the X cam and the X screen. According to the company, these devices are aimed for those people who do not require all the specifications that come with expensive phones, but may like one feature to be available on affordable phones. 

The LG X cam comes with a 1.2GHz octa-core processor with 2GB of RAM and a 5.2-inch Full HD display. It is equipped with 16GB of internal storage with a 2,520mAh battery. The X cam has a focus on the camera and as such, has a dual camera configuration with a 13MP and 5MP camera at the back as well as an 8MP front facing camera. The phone runs Android Marshmallow v6.0 out-of-the-box.

As the name would suggest, the LG X screen places a special focus on the display of the device. It has a 4.93-inch HD display with a 1.76-inch LCD secondary display with a resolution of 520 x 80 pixels that is 'Always-on'. The phone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. The phone comes with 16GB of storage and runs Android Marshmallow v6.0. At the back is a 13MP camera, while at the front is an 8MP camera. The two devices will be available in Asia, Europe, and Latin America from next month.

Ringing Bells Freedom 251 is a 'smartphone' priced below Rs. 500

Ringing Bells will be launching a smartphone that is priced at less than Rs. 500. The device, called, Freedom 251, will be unveiled on February 17 and the manufacturer will reveal the exact price and its specifications at the launch event. The company says that the phone is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to connect every Indian and adds that the device is built to meet the goals of ‘Make in India’. The launch event will be attended by government officials like Manohar Parrikar, the Union Minister of Defence, and Murali Manohar Joshi, Member of Parliament.

Earlier this month, the company launched India’s cheapest smartphone, the Smart 101. Prices at Rs. 2,999, the device comes with a 5-inch qHD display and is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It comes equipped with 8GB of onboard storage that can be expanded by up to 32GB via a microSD card. At the back is an 8MP primary camera with a 3.2MP front camera. The device has a 2800mAh battery and runs Android Lollipop v5.1.

Leaked Samsung Galaxy S7's teaser video confirms waterproofing

Samsung Indonesia has an unlisted teaser web page that showcases some of the qualities of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, including a teaser video. The video somewhat confirms that both the devices are water resistant, as seen in the video. One of the teasers show the device with bubbles and the caption, ‘worry-less discovery’ that also hinted at it’s water resistant capability. The video also shows the device being wirelessly charged.

The teaser web page also has an image with a lock screen with the caption “experience privacy at its finest,” which may be highlighting the device’s security features. Another teaser has the text “bring light to the night” with the image of a camera lens that might be pointing at better low-light photography. Last month, it was reported that the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge might be dust and water proof. The two devices are tipped to come in two variants, one may be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, while the other might have an Exynos 8890 SoC. Samsung is also expected to use a 12MP rear camera on the device with a f/1.7 aperture, which would improve its low-light capabilities.

 

Shrey Pacheco  shrey.pacheco@9dot9.in

Writer, gamer, and hater of public transport.

Wikipedia building its own open-source search engine

Wikipedia’s parent company, Wikimedia Foundation, has revealed details of its Knowledge Engine grant and confirmed that it is working on an open-source search engine. It was given a grant of $250,000 by the Knight Foundation and is apparently the first stage of a project costed at $2.5 million. The first stage of the Knowledge Engine, which is described as “a system for discovering reliable and trustworthy information on the internet.” 

As per the Knowledge Engine grant agreement, the search engine will have four stages, namely discovery, advisory, community, and extension with each stage lasting approximately 18 months. The discovery stage will include an exploration of prototypes of future versions of Wikipedia.org that are “open channels” rather than an encyclopaedia and will take about 12 months. As per the agreement, the biggest risk is that other companies like Google or Yahoo! “could suddenly devote resources to a similar project.” The grant agreement also says that the Knowledge Engine would “democratise the discovery of media, news and information.” It adds that it will create an open data engine that is free from any commercial interests.

Nissan has uber-cool self-parking chairs in its office!

Nissan has released a video of its latest in-house toy — self-parking chairs! The video shows the usual office chairs fit with a round console housing cameras and parking mechanism at its base. The chairs respond to claps, and obediently travels back to their resting positions by tables. The technology has been borrowed from Nissan’s expertise in self-driving cars, and employs four cameras placed at the corners of a room to record a bird’s eye view of the plot and feed it to the chair, to guide it on its route back home.

It is being called “Intelligent Parking Chair”, and on the released video, looks like a fun workplace with polite, sober chairs that knows how to handle the tirades of your conference room. There is one catch, however, that strikes you. Imagine the day when you give the best presentation of your lifetime, and your colleagues start applauding your work. What happens then? Does the room go crazy, with the chairs carrying around the ladies and the gentlemen in sudden directions and initiating chaos? If such an incident does indeed happen, chances are high that the polite chairs may simply ruin your successful day, with the applause being the cue.

On a serious note, this looks like an interesting foray into the future of automation. Take a look for yourself!

Apple iPhone 7 concept renders show phone without headphone jack

Apple iPhone 7 is more than six months away from launch, but rumours and leaks about the phone have been flowing in steadily. Earlier today, concept renders of the phone suggested a build minus the 3.5mm audio jack. It should not come as a surprise, since it has been widely rumoured that Apple will be replacing the headphone jack with the Lightning port that it already uses. This means that the Lightning port will work as a charging port and audio input/output. We expect Apple to launch the iPhone 7 in September 2016.

These concept images come from Arthur Reis, and do not represent the actual product. These images merely showcase what the upcoming iPhone might look like. The iPhone 7 will have a new SoC, likely to be termed the A10. A recent report suggests that TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing company) will be making these SoCs for Apple. Previously, both Samsung and TSMC were responsible for the SoCs that go into Apple devices.

Rumours also suggest that the iPhone 7 is likely to get a 3GB RAM upgrade. With the iPhone 6s, Apple finally stepped up from having 1GB of RAM, and the upcoming iPhone 7 is expected to get an upgrade over the 2GB of RAM on the iPhone 6s. As for the display, the most prominent rumour is Apple being granted a new patent for ‘flexible electronic devices’. This has led to suggestions that the upcoming iPhone 7 may have a curved edge display.

Apart from that, a different report suggested that Apple might be looking to make the iPhone 7 waterproof and remove the antennae lines as well. However, the biggest change to the exterior might still be the removal of a 3.5mm headphone jack. If it does turn out that way, many Apple-only accessories that work via the 3.5mm headphone jack will become obsolete.

DoT to impose compulsory local language support for phones in India

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to release a new set of regulations, which may make it compulsory for mobile phones in India to support local languages. According to reports, mobile phones in India will soon have to compulsorily support Hindi and at least one vernacular language to facilitate wider scope for communication across within non-English-speaking areas, as well as access government services in local languages.

In a PTI report, a senior DoT official has been quoted as confirming this upcoming regulation. He stated that broadband access cannot be limited to English-speaking middle and upper class Indians, and needs to go down to rural areas, to see fruition of Digital India. This new regulation, that will make it compulsory for smartphones in India to support English, Hindi and at least one local language, will add to support for Digital India initiatives, and bring mobile phones to the wider section of people in India.

The push to grow India’s technological prowess has seen multiple companies open up assembly plants for their products, and make devices for India. Alongside Make in India and Digital India ventures, the likes of Google and Microsoft are setting up data centers and bringing an increasing number of services to India.

Asus Zenfone Zoom

Rs. 37,999, that’s the price Asus chose for the Zenfone Zoom smartphone. One of the few smartphones to offer an optical zoom, the Zoom was announced last year and it took Asus a full year to bring it to India, perhaps to tackle strong sales of its myriad Zenfone 2 smartphones in the market. Seriously, it’s almost like Asus had one Zenfone 2 model for each smartphone its competitors produced. But harp about the nomenclature as much as you want, there’s no denying that the world’s first smartphone to boast 4GB of RAM was a killer product when it was launched in India.

The Zenfone 2’s success, though, was thanks, in no small part, to its pricing. At just around Rs. 20,000, the phone brought its competitors down to their knees without breaking a sweat. However, the Zenfone Zoom lies in a more expensive price bracket, prompting the question, is it really worth it? Well, in my humble opinion, it isn’t, but let me explain why, in the Asus Zenfone Zoom review.

Camera

Beginning with what this phone is all about, the 13MP camera on the back, with OIS and 3x optical zoom. If you’re one of the many camera enthusiasts out there, those specs have you intrigued. For others, optical zoom is a 'true' zoom, which is done using a zoom lens. Most phones today offer digital zoom, which basically takes the central point of your frame and enlarges the image area.

However, the Zenfone Zoom has the thinnest optical zoom ever on a smartphone. It basically means that unlike the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom, the camera module won’t stick out when you’re shooting. That poses a very basic problem in photography though, and one that has cost Asus dearly here. The distance between the lens and the sensor is a matter of physics, which means that to keep the system thin, Asus has had to compromise on the sensor size. As a result, the image quality takes a hit.

The Panasonic SmartFSI sensor used in the Zenfone Zoom has a 4.7x3.5mm sensor size, while the Sony IMX377 sensor on the similarly priced Nexus 6P has a 6.25x4.65mm sensor size. This makes for a massive difference in image quality

The bottomline is that while 3x optical zoom on the Zenfone Zoom is better than 3x digital zoom on other phones, the overall image quality is bad, especially for this price range. In bright sunlight, the Zoom can take satisfactory images, but compared to its competition, like the Huawei Nexus 6P, Samsung Galaxy S6 and others, the zoom doesn’t stand a chance. The sample images below should determine the Zenfone Zoom's weaknesses easily.

(L-R) Studio White Lights, Outdoor Normal Light, Indoor Fluorescent Light, Low Light (Click images to enlarge)

To sum it up, the camera on the Zenfone Zoom would have been acceptable in the sub-20k range, but not in the flagship range. When you are not using the optical zoom (which, incidentally, is most of the time), images taken by the Zoom lack sharpness and details and appear quite washed out as well. Under low light, the Owl mode does help, but the Nexus 6P and others are far better.

Build and Design

I’ve always been flummoxed by Asus’ design philosophy with the Zenfone 2 series. While I wouldn’t go as far as to call them badly-designed phones, from an ergonomics point of view, they’re anything but useful. The Zenfone Zoom though, departs from the regular Zenfone 2 design, keeping only the essential elements. Like its predecessors, this phone has a 5.5 inch display, but in a 6+ inch frame. 

The Zenfone Zoom, though, has rounded sides, which makes it easier to hold than the Zenfone 2. Also, the faux leather back adds to the grip and isn’t the easily scratchable leather that you find on the LG G4. To clarify, it’s a plastic back, with a leather finish. If you’re thinking of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, you’re on the right track.

From its looks and the design point of view, I like this phone more than any in the Zenfone 2 series. The metal frame feels premium and despite the 12mm thickness, I can see many liking the Zenfone Zoom’s looks. However, we said it for the Note 4 and we’ll say it for the Zoom, the design doesn’t belong in this price range.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Zenfone Zoom takes a second to lock focus after you’ve zoomed in. This means that if you zoom in while shooting a video, your video will show a definite flicker at the point where the Zoom locks focus onto its subjects.

Display

I would simply point you to the Asus Zenfone 2 review in order to explain the display on this one, and again, it’s worth mentioning that there are much better displays in the 35k+ price range.

Performance

From a performance point of view, the Intel Atom Z3590 SoC on the Zenfone Zoom is a minor upgrade from the Z3580 on the original Zenfone 2. The new version comes with a higher turbo frequency of 2.5 GHz, over the Z3580’s 2.33 GHz. This allows slightly better single core performance, which you’ll hardly feel anywhere, except in benchmarks. In terms of real word performance though, this doesn’t make for a very big difference. The Zoom is a good performer, just like its predecessor was, and with 4GB of RAM, offers ample space for multitaskers.

Battery

The similarity between the two processors continues on the battery front as well. The Zenfone Zoom isn’t the best when it comes to battery life, especially in the flagship range. On regular usage, the 3000mAh battery can last you for about 8-10 hours without using the power saver modes, and with the screen at full brightness. There’s not much difference between this and the Zenfone 2, in terms of battery life, but compared to phones like the Nexus 6P, Moto X Style or even the much cheaper HTC One A9, the Zoom lags behind once again.

Bottomline

Ever since the Zenfone 2, I’ve been a fan of Asus and its smartphones. Its partnership with Intel has paid off and we’ve got some really good phones from Asus. The Zenfone Zoom, however, is not one of them. The performance is similar to the Zenfone 2, which costs about half of what the Zoom does, the UI is as bloated as ever, and more importantly, the camera turns out to be weaker than any of us though it would be. Optical zoom is of no use, if the basic image quality isn’t good, and at Rs. 37,999, there are much better phones out there.

Apple iPad Air 3 leak suggests quad speakers and Smart Connector

An image purported to a dimensional drawing of the Apple iPad Air 3 has been leaked by Engadget. As per the leak, the upcoming tablet may come with a quad speaker setup, similar to the one found on the Apple iPad Pro. The image also suggests that the device may come with a Smart Connector that may allow the use of its own range of ‘Smart’ accessories, like the Smart Keyboard for the iPad Pro. There is a small hole located below the camera, which may hint at an LED flash. In addition, the leaked image suggests that the tablet may be 0.05mm thicker and 0.1mm wider than its predecessor. However, these differences should not be too noticeable during everyday use. 

As per Engadget’s report, the Apple iPad Air 3 may be launched at an event in March, during which the company may also announce a 4-inch iPhone now expected to be called the iPhone 5se. The new phone is tipped to be powered by an A8 chipset with M8 motion coprocessor. It may come with an 8MP rear camera along with a 1.2MP front-facing camera. The device might come with NFC for Apple Pay, but not with 3D Touch, as the display will reportedly be the same as the one used on the iPhone 5s. The upcoming phone may support Live Photos, larger panoramas, and autofocus for videos.

Earlier reports suggested that Apple was planning to launch the next generation of the Apple Watch during the event in March. However, newer reports say that this might not be the case. A report by TechCrunch suggested that the company might launch an upgraded version of the Apple Watch, instead of a whole new variant. This version may only come with a FaceTime camera, and not much else. Last month, it was reported that the company was granted a patent for a magnetic wristband, which would not only secure the watch when worn, but also turn into a protective case. Additionally, the magnets may be used to attach the watch to a MacBook or iMac.

Google to take over complete authority on Nexus smartphones?

Google may be planning to take over all-encompassing control over its lineup of Nexus smartphones, according to recent reports. Although there is no confirmed declaration by the company regarding this, the rumours suggest that CEO Sundar Pichai and his league of Google’s hierarchy has given out a signal of intent to facilitate Google taking over complete control over Nexus smartphones, including hardware. As of now, Nexus smartphones have been co-branded with phone manufacturers.

If such a decision is indeed being passed along Google’s latest strategies, the Nexus lineup will become similar to Google’s Pixel lineup of laptops and hybrid tablets. The Pixel lineup of devices are entirely designed and engineered by Google — from hardware to software optimisation — and no co-branding is presented to the manufacturer of the devices. Google does not have its own manufacturing facility, and as a result, the Nexus smartphones will be continued to be made by a third party source, even if Google enforces a change in strategy.

Such a move will also allow Google to exert its influence on Nexus in the nature of Apple’s influence on iPhones. Apple synchronises and coordinates the hardware, camera, software and signal processors in tune with the entire experience of the device, thus allowing the smartphone to present a seamless user experience along with enhanced utilisation of hardware resources. By going on a similar route, Google will look to end its dependence on Apple for its high-end revenue generating services, of which Nexus forms a major part.

The first-ever Nexus smartphone in 2010, Nexus One (codenamed HTC Passion), spawned a line of Android devices the way Google originally envisioned Android as. The successors of the Nexus One included two Nexus smartphones by Samsung, two by LG (of which the Nexus 5 in 2013 garnered widespread popular success), one by Motorola, and two Nexus devices in 2015 — the LG-made Nexus 5X, and the Huawei-made Nexus 6P. While HTC has reportedly been keen on making 2016’s Nexus smartphone (for the first time since the very first Nexus device), such a change in strategy may result in the first all-Google Nexus smartphone, without the collaborative effort that Nexus smartphone have been till date.

Nevertheless, the reports have not been confirmed till now, although they do seem to fall in line with Google’s recent philosophy of evolving Android into a more cohesive end-user experience.

Jet Airways to start on-board Wi-Fi content streaming service in India

Jet Airways, the popular Indian airline, will soon start wireless content streaming services on-board its aircrafts. The airline will offer passengers a wide range of movies, television series and music through a wireless stream on-board the aircraft and users will be able to watch the same on their personal devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops. Jet's wireless streaming services are set to begin in the second quarter of 2016. This system is being developed in partnership with Global Eagle Entertainment Inc, a worldwide provider of inflight entertainment, media content, technology and connectivity solutions to the airline industry. Jet says that the services will initially be offered on the Boeing 737 aircrafts.
 
The company also has plans to upgrade to full satellite connectivity, offering in-flight email and internet access to passengers. Such services are an attempt by the airline industry to create new revenue streams. Many international airlines already offer in-flight Wi-Fi services on seat-back entertainment consoles or the personal devices of passengers.

Another in-flight entertainment provider Gogo, offers passengers the ability to stream from popular sources such as Netflix, Spotify and YouTube inside an aircraft. With Netflix now in India, we could expect more such future collaborations with Indian airline carriers.