Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge review

The Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is a phone I'd hate to have had to make. Its predecessor was a multi-award-winning phone, simply because it packed all the power of the 'normal' galaxy s6 and yet... that curved edge. I wasn't alone in loving it, whipping it out proudly whenever possible.

Well, unlike what it's done on the galaxy s7, which looks (initially) like last year's model, the changes on the S7 Edge are brilliant, adding a zest to a design that could have quickly become tired.

The screen is larger, yet somehow the phone doesn't feel too much bigger in the hand. The rear of the phone is now curved too, making it sit nicely in the hand. It's waterproof. There's a microSD card slot. There's so much power in there I'm pretty sure I could strap it on the back of a speedboat and make my way across the Atlantic.

And that's even more possible because the battery – such a disappointment on last year's S6 phones – is boosted massively too, giving us a handset that's able to last over 24 hours between charges.

All this comes at a cost obviously, and a pretty hefty one. In the UK that cost is £640, while in the US you're looking at a huge $299 on contract. In Australia, the Galaxy S7 Edge attracts the highest price for a Galaxy yet: AU$1,249 for the 32GB version.

Design

The Galaxy S7 Edge is a phone that lives and dies by its looks. If you're only interested in the power then just go for the standard Galaxy S7. The smaller, 'normal', model has got all the same smarts, but a slightly sharper screen thanks to packing the same amount of pixels into a smaller area.

this is a video that i did about samsung galaxy s7 edge , you can find it in my channel :

Screen

The display, while technically part of the Galaxy S7 Edge's design, is worthy of chatting about in its own right – simply because it looks so great.

It's the defining feature when you pull this phone out among friends, and while it doesn't elicit the same response that the S6 Edge's display did last year (like I said, curved displays are nothing new these days), it still gets a lot of approving looks, especially as it's combined with the rounded back.

The QHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 still looks as good as anything I've seen on a smartphone. Despite being stretched a little from last year, the 5.5-inch size still looks absolutely pin-sharp, and it's very hard to see any artefacts lying around on the screen.

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Xbox One S vs Xbox One

XBOX ONE S STARTS AT £249/$299 FOR 500GB, 1TB AND 2TB VERSIONS ALSO COMING

There are three different capacities. Prices start at $299 for the 500GB version, moving up to $349 for the 1TB and $399 for a massive 2TB. We have no news on pricing outside the US yet, but we'll add that info as soon as we have it.

We now have UK and European pricing, too. The 2TB launch edition Xbox One S will cost £349/399 Euros, while the 1TB will be £299/349 Euros and the 500GB £249/299 Euros. That's pretty sweet for a 4K Blu-ray player let alone one that also plays games.

XBOX ONE S IS 40% SMALLER, HAS BUILT-IN POWER SUPPLY

The Xbox One S is 40% smaller than the original. This much we pretty much knew already thanks to all the numerous leaks, but it's great news all the same.

Such a reduction in size should be welcomed by many, as the original Xbox One is nothing short of a beast. At 333mm x 276mm x 78mm, it dominates the comparatively slight PS4, and not in a good way.

4K ULTRA HD, 4K BLU-RAY AND HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE SUPPORT

This is huge. Not only does the Xbox One S support 4K video playback from streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, it also has a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray built-in.

This is especially good news for AV fans and the announced starting price $299 makes it good value compared to dedicated Ultra HD players currently on the market.

THERE'S NO PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCE

Much like the rumoured PS4.5, the Xbox One Slim will not mark the beginning of a new console generation, but an expansion of a platform we already know and love.

Unlike the rumoured PlayStation or Xbox Scorpio coming next year, however, the Xbox One Slim isn't more powerful than a standard Xbox One. So, while it adds support for 4K video and Blu-ray, games won't look or run any better on the Xbox One S as far as we know.

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Apple Watch 2 Review

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE APPLE WATCH 2

You might feel that the original apple watch was a bit of a disappointment, and we wouldn't disagree. But that didn't stop it from selling some 11.6 million units in less than a year. That makes it one of the few unqualified successes in a smartwatch market that has yet to really catch fire.

Of course, this was a first-generation Apple device, and everyone knows that it's from the second-generation that things get really interesting, so all eyes are on the Apple Watch 2.

IN BRIEF

When is the Apple Watch 2 coming out? September (rumoured), WWDC in June (long shot)

What’s new about the Apple Watch 2? New watchOS, Watchstrap light rumoured

How much will the Apple Watch 2 cost? Likely £450-550

APPLE WATCH 2 RELEASE DATE UK & US – WHEN DOES THE APPLE WATCH 2 COME OUT?

We’re still largely in the dark when it comes to a launch window for the Apple Watch 2, but there are a few clues.

Back in 2015, it was thought that the Apple Watch 2 release date would fall in April, following a special event launch event in March where Apple was also rumoured to be debuting the iPhone 6C.

That timing coincided with an actual Apple launch event, which took place on March 21 2016. However, there was no Apple Watch 2; just the 4-inch iphone se, a 9.7-inch iPad Pro, and new Apple Watch bands.

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Acer Predator XB271HU review

WHAT IS THE ACER PREDATOR XB271HU?

The Acer Predator XB271HU is one of a new breed of gaming monitors that not only features the high refresh rate you expect of a gaming display but has the great image quality you'd associate with an IPS panel too.

What’s more, it includes Nvidia’s G-Sync technology for eliminating image tear and stutter, sports a high-end design and a fully adjustable stand as well. Along with the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q, on paper it’s as good as you could possibly hope for from a gaming monitor right now. So does it justify it’s near-£600 asking price?

ACER PREDATOR XB271HU – DESIGN AND FEATURES

There’s no mistaking the XB271HU is a gaming-orientated unit. Featuring splashes of red on its feet, a Transformers-esque logo on the bezel and an angular stand design, it has all the hallmarks. Those red metal feet are a touch over the top for my liking, but otherwise, the finish is fairly muted with matte-black plastic used throughout.

ACER PREDATOR XB271HU – SETUP AND OSD

One of the worst aspects of this monitor is how awkward it is to attach the base to the stand. It uses a hex bolt to pull the two pieces together, and not only is that less convenient than the bolts that have a little flip-up handle with which to tighten them, it’s also tricky to locate the bolt in the threaded hole.

That aside, physical setup is easy thanks to the effortless ergonomic adjustments; the panel just clips into place on the stand.

KEY FEATURES

• Nvidia G-Sync
• 27in IPS panel with 2,560 x 1,440p resolution
• 165Hz refresh rate
• 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x HDMI
• 4 x USB 3.0 hub
• Fully adjustable stand with VESA mount
• Manufacturer: Acer
• Review Price: £599.99

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LG 360 CAM review

WHAT IS THE LG 360 CAM?

The 360 CAM is LG's VR-shooting camera, launched ostensibly as a "friend" to the G5 phone alongside its 360 VR headset. But owning a LG phone isn't a prerequisite, and you could even use the 360 CAM with an iPhone, or indeed on its own – although this isn't recommended for reasons I'll explain later.

It's clear that virtual reality is going to be a whole lot bigger than 3D was a few years ago, judging by the media attention and high-profile product releases. The market is already moving very fast, and as I predicted when I reviewed the Ricoh Theta S , although the latter is a great little product, its reign was likely to be short. The LG 360 CAM could already be its usurper.

LG 360 CAM – VIEWING, IMAGE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE

So, while the Theta S is also aimed at usage with the desktop software that can be downloaded from Ricoh's website, the 360 CAM is intended to be used entirely with your smartphone. However, while you can upload videos and photos directly to Facebook within the app, these won't be recognised as spherical, as they are with the Theta S – which is a bit of a drawback for share-a-holics.

SHOULD I BUY THE LG 360 CAM?

The 360 CAM is a promising offering from LG. In particular, it provides better video quality on YouTube than the Ricoh Theta S, which could be enough to convince those who haven't quite been bowled over by the Ricoh offering that this is the VR camera to buy.

On the other hand, the Theta S has a considerable following already – including from developers – and will be offering features such as live VR streaming via YouTube in the near future.

The clincher, however, is the price. Where the Theta S will set you back around £300, the LG 360 CAM is closer to £200. Considering that you can pick up 64GB of SDXC memory for less than £20 these days, the lack of on-board memory is more of a benefit than a downside. So while this still isn't the essential 360 camera that everyone must have, it's another step in that direction.

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Samsung Gear 360 Review

4 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE SAMSUNG GEAR 360

1) It’s cute, compact and oh-so-round


The Gear 360 is a ridiculously sweet-looking camera, with a bright white spherical design that looks almost like a tiny robot – think BB-8 from Star Wars – with an eye staring back at you. It’s light too, although completely the wrong shape for slinging into your pocket.

2) Plenty of tech inside

The Gear 360 is made up of two 16-megapixel fish-eye lenses, one on each end of the camera. Both have an f/2.0 aperture and are capable of capturing stills and videos. NFC is included for making an easy connection to your phone.

3) Works in conjunction with Gear VR

The only footage of the Gear 360 I was shown during the demo was inside a gear vr headset. The two products are designed to work together, so you can show off your recordings and 360-degree snaps right inside the VR headset.

4) Built for easy sharing

The Gear 360's coolest feature is just how easy it aims to makes sharing your captured footage. From the app, you can share straight to Facebook and YouTube – both of which support 360 videos – and even Google’s Street View.

SAMSUNG GEAR 360 IN PHOTOS:

A 360 video filmed by this camera :

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Titanfall 2 release date leaked

The leak comes as EA appears to have accidentally broadcast its pre-E3 press conference rehearsal on YouTube.

Titanfall 2 will launch on October 28 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

Related: Batman - The Telltale Series latest news

During the rehearsal EA also revealed the game will have a single player campaign, something fans were clamoring for in the first game.

The campaign trailer includes alien dinosaurs as a race in the game which can be fought against. Yup, alien dinosaurs.

With the EA press conference just a few hours away, the leak couldn’t have been more poorly timed, but hopefully fans still react the same way as they would had this been revealed as intended.

Are you excited for Titanfall 2? Let us know in the comments below.

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iPhone SE Review: Apple's Outdated Innovation

While Apple’s media event yesterday may have lacked the traditional level of fanfare that accompanies new product announcements, the recently unveiled iphone se is certainly a device worth getting excited about. Though early rumors painted the iPhone SE as being nothing more than a souped up iPhone 5s, the SE, as it turns out, packs the same power and advanced technologies as the iPhone 6s.

For iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s users who have been hesitant to upgrade to apple'slarger iPhone models, the iPhone SE is a godsend. From faster Wi-Fi and LTE components to a vastly superior camera system, the SE will more than likely spur a new wave of iPhone upgrades.


DON’T MISS: Apple just announced the first new iPhone you don’t care about at all



Following Apple’s event yesterday, the company allowed select media outlets some hands-on time with the new iPhone SE. While full reviews will likely be forthcoming sooner rather than later, we’ve compiled some of the more notable excerpts from some of the early hands-on reviews that have sprung up thus far. Overall, it seems that Apple, with the iPhone SE, has delivered a worthy addition to an already compelling smartphone lineup.

First up, we have Slashgear who came away impressed with the device.


This device feels by all means to be a clone of the iPhone 5s – even its weight feels similar. You’d be forgiven for seeing one and mistaking it as the other. That’s not the point here. The point is that you’re getting a classic design with a set of innards that’s prepared for the future.

It’s snappy. The iPhone SE feels significantly faster than the iPhone 5s, and not just from years of use. We’ve used a newly manufactured iPhone 5s just last week – it’s not quite ready to roll with this iPhone SE. They’re in different leagues.

BusinessInsider made a point of praising the more scratch-proof materials Apple used on the iPhone SE compared to the iPhone 5s.


The logo designs have been slightly tweaked from the iPhone 5S with new materials. Apple says it’s less likely to scratch now… The edges also have a matte finish instead of the shiny finish from the iPhone 5S. It’s a good look.

TechRadar writes:


The exterior is svelte and sleek — every inch an iPhone, as we’re surmising Apple would say. The same exemplary precision found on the high-end iPhones is also found on the iPhone SE. At last, you don’t have to feel as if you’re settling just to get a phone that’s easier to handle.

Handling the iPhone SE is a lovely affair, particularly if you’re coming from the iPhone 6s Plus. It’s dainty — cute, even — and though it obviously feels exactly as if you’re handling the iPhone 5s, there’s something extra novel about it now. It’s no longer the norm; the 4-inch form factor is now the exception.

Engadget was similarly impressed, though it did note that the Touch ID sensor that comes on the iPhone SE is the first-gen model, which is to say it’s a tad slower than what you’d find on the flagship iPhone 6s models.


If you loved the iPhone 5s — as I and apparently many others did — the iPhone SE will feel like a compelling blend of old and new. For once, we’re getting a small iPhone that doesn’t feel like a second-class device. (I’m looking at you, iPhone 5c.) In fact, the SE might in some cases run even better than the 6s and 6s Plus since the A9 has fewer pixels to move — the SE’s screen runs at 1,136 x 640.

here is some videos showing you what we were talking about!!

                                           

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Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge Review

Last year's Samsung Galaxy S6 launch was a huge departure for a company that had begun to take for granted that its name was synonymous with Android. After years of doing pretty much anything it liked and still staying at the top of global sales charts, Samsung was starting to see signs that plastic phones with bloated software and thoughtless design weren't going to cut it anymore, especially when the rest of the industry was beginning to ship phones that felt luxurious and slick.

Naturally, we all took notice when samsung ditched nearly all of its long-held traditions and launched the gorgeous metal-and-glass Galaxy S6 (Review | Pictures). Moreover, it made its debut with a sibling, the Galaxy S6 edge (Review | Pictures), a truly unique device that just oozed cutting-edge style, but of course at a premium. Not all was right, though - users complained that the Galaxy S6's makeover was a step too far, and lamented the loss a removable battery, microSD card slot, and water resistance.

It's been a year since then, and now even sub-Rs. 10,000 phones can boast of metal bodies and most of the features that used to set flagship phones apart. The android market, especially in India, is a lot more crowded than it used to be, and Samsung is not untouchable at the top anymore.

Samsung, therefore, has multiple challenges when it comes to its Galaxy S7 family: the phones have to outdo their predecessors, appeal to purists without taking any steps backwards, and most importantly, feel like they're worth spending a lot of money on when the next best options are good enough. We're going to see whether or not the samsung galaxy s7 and samsung galaxy s7 edge deliver on all these counts.

Look and feel
Samsung has differentiated the Galaxy S7 and its curved sibling a bit more than it did last year. Buyers of the recently launched Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ (Review | Pictures) might be a little miffed, since the S7 Edge effectively replaces it as well. The S7 Edge is certainly a handful, but it isn't totally unmanageable. The biggest problem with it is that the glass is so slick and the metal edges so narrow that we didn't always feel that we had a secure enough grip on it.

The more vanilla Galaxy S7, however, seems to fit perfectly in the hand. The curved back and flat sides gave us more than enough control. The glass front is still a bit extruded and has gently rounded edges, which meet the metal as if flowing into it.

When it comes to the choice between a flat and a curved display, each has its own appeal. Using the Galaxy S7 after having spent time with the S7 Edge feels almost constricting. You become very aware of the hard rectangular screen border, whereas the S7 Edge feels boundless. However, content does wrap around the edges, so it's sometimes hard to hit buttons on the curved screen, and you lose a little bit of the picture when playing games and watching movies. As we noted with galaxy s6 edge, the curved glass will pick up reflections no matter how you hold it, and that can become annoying when trying to focus on content.

The displays of the two phones are different in more ways than just shape and size. We found that at least for our review units, the Galaxy S7 looked a little darker and crisper, while the S7 Edge didn't have as much contrast and in fact had a slightly more yellow colour tone. None of this would be apparent if you didn't hold the two side by side; they're both very impressive screens, befitting their status as flagship device displays.

In most other respects, the two siblings are identical. Everything is in the same place on both: a physical home button with integrated fingerprint reader below the screen, capacitive Back and Recents buttons, a power button on the right, and volume buttons on the left. The physical ones on the S7 Edge are a little narrower, but no more or less easy to use.

For some reason, Samsung decided not to jump on the USB Type-C bandwagon, as nearly every other company already has. Both phones have standard Micro-USB ports on the bottom, with a 3.5mm audio socket to the left and a small speaker grille to the right. A tray on the top can hold either two Nano-SIMs or one Nano-SIM and one microSD card. While we're never happy to see hybrid slots which force users to choose, it is at least a step above the Galaxy S6 series which dispensed with storage expansion and didn't give users any choice in the matter at all.

Another interesting thing about the phones' SIM trays is that they have rubber flanges to protect against ingress. Both phones are rated IP68 for water and dust resistance, and they have achieved this without flaps covering the ports - one of the most polarising features of the Samsung Galaxy S5 (Review | Pictures)

Samsung has managed to shave down the camera bumps on the rear so that there's barely more than a protective ring around the lens on both phones. Each one has an identical module to the right, comprised of the flash and a heart rate sensor. There's a shiny silver Samsung logo lower down, and only if you look really hard will you see the incredibly light regulatory text near the bottom.

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