Hasselblad True Zoom MotoMod Hands-On: Hello Optical Zoom

Posted on by Jaime Rivera

Now even though Lenovo claims that the first ever selfie was taken with a Hasselblad camera on the moon, that’s debatable. What isn’t a topic of questioning is the quality of the brand, its legacy in the photography industry, and how it has decided to reached mobile. Instead of launching a smartphone camera, or partnering with an OEM to add technology to an existing phone, Hasselblad has decided to parter with Moto and produce a new MotoMod that can do far more.Disclaimer, our own pro-fotographer/senior editor Adam Lein has already reviewed this device, and this video is to ...

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Moto Z Play Hands On: Hello headphone jack

Posted on by Jaime Rivera

Even though we have quite an extensive review of the new Moto Z and Moto Z Force, IFA 2016 received us with the surprise of the Moto Z Play. We actually already have a review unit as part of Adam Lein’s recent Hasselblad True Zoom MotoMod Review, so expect our full review of the Moto Z Play coming separately very soon.Still, when at IFA, you can’t help but give this new smartphone a little spotlight. It might just be the Moto Z that many have been looking for, and it is a very compelling package for some.Watch our hands-on video to learn more.Sponsored by

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Sony Xperia X Compact first look: The only small premium Android phone?

Posted on by Juan Carlos Bagnell

When Sony introduced the Xperia X line, maybe the gadget most missed was some form of compact phone. We’re happy to see that this oversight has been addressed with Sony’s announcement of the Xperia X Compact.In keeping with the theme of previous compacts, this phone represents a high quality option for folks who like smaller form factors, and I t represents almost zero compromise moving smaller from the Xperia X. Mind you not the X performance, but the regular X. Is this a successful homecoming? Here’s our first look!Sony Xperia X Compact first look: The only small premium ...

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Sony Xperia XZ first look: a better refined Xperia?

Posted on by Juan Carlos Bagnell

An end of the year refresh over the Xperia X Performance we just recently reviewed, Sony took the wraps off of the new Xperia XZ. A modest update, the Xperia base remains similar with a 5.2” 1080p LCD, front facing speakers, a Qualcomm 820 chipset with 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage for the single sim version of the phone.So what’s new? What’s different? What’s improved? Here’s our first look at the Xperia XZ!Sony Xperia XZ first look: a better refined Xperia?Our IFA 2016 coverage is brought to you by XCOM Global

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TomTom unveils body composition-tracking smartband, two new GPS fitness watches

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

TomTom is to Garmin essentially what Pepsi is to Coca-Cola, minus the evenly matched nature of the historic rivalry. The Dutch navigation and mapping specialist has always played second fiddle to the American GPS pioneer and industry leader, including on the smart wearable scene, where Forerunners, Fenixes and

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Alcatel Pop 4 tablets and XL smartphone in 6 to 10-inch sizes debut with minimal fanfare

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

Alcatel undoubtedly caught IFA 2016 attendees off guard with the announcement of a nearly unprecedented untethered VR headset yesterday, while the Shine Lite phone also made a few headlines courtesy of its premium build and ultra-low price point.The ambitious China-based TCL sub-brand isn’t stopping there with its Berlin showcases, although the 6, 7 and 10-inch new Pop 4 releases are arguably far ...

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Huawei Nova Plus first look: Premium pretty at a mid-pack price

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

Instead of employing just one generic design across its many high-end and mid-range Android smartphone families, with minor build quality differences and the most significant distinctions left to the internal department, Huawei seems to understand the meaning of the words “diversity” and “choice” at a much deeper level than other OEMs.The Nova and Nova Plus, for instance, might be sharing a name, but they actually go in opposite directions in terms of aesthetics. Well, not as much ...

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Nokia puts heart rate monitor, tiny digital screen on analog Withings Steel HR watch

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

While France-based connected health device specialist Withings has been producing classically handsome activity-tracking watches for several years now, it’s only a few months back that a high-profile Nokia acquisition truly put the 2008-founded company on the smart wearable map.But if you perhaps feared the slowly recovering sleeping Finnish giant would mess with its newest subsidiary’s winning ...

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Qualcomm introduces another piece of reference hardware, the Snapdragon VR820

Posted on by Jules Wang

If manufacturers want to take their work on the Snapdragon 820 SoC to things above smartphones and tablets, — say, an all-in-one VR headset — then Qualcomm has just laid out a “square one” for them.The Snapdragon VR820 gives developers reference hardware in designing software and content experiences for consumers who happen to be interested in Snapdragon 820-powered wireless headsets.The San Diego chip designer hitched with Shenzhen-based manufacturer Goertek ...

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The Jabra Elite Sport are the wireless earbuds you’ll want to swim with

Posted on by Jules Wang

Well, you wouldn’t actually want to swim with any earbuds as water and the ear canal don’t make for great partners in resonance, but the point is that fitness audioware company Jabra has some new wireless earbuds you can submerge in water.Like Samsung’s Gear IconX, the Jabra Elite Sport are tiny little buds that plop right into your ear for you to listen to music or take calls ...

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Alcatel Vision might be the powerful all-in-one VR headset we’ve all been waiting for

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

While Samsung is still reportedly working on an untethered Gear VR equivalent gloriously codenamed Odyssey, and Google probably put the kibosh on an in-house virtual reality headset to make the most of the Daydream software platform, a tier 2 ...

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Sony Xperia Ear personal assistant gets November ETA, no official price tag

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

The road from promising pre-release prototype to almost-ready-for-primetime commercial product was likely a long and bumpy one for the discreet, teeny-tiny but incredibly intuitive Xperia Ear wireless earpiece/voice and gesture-enabled personal assistant Sony first showcased at MWC in early 2016.Recommended for use alongside the newly unveiled Xperia XZ and

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Alcatel Shine Lite 5-incher brings shiny design, average specs to IFA Berlin

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

What’s in a name? In the case of the IFA 2016-unveiled mid-end Alcatel Shine Lite smartphone, everything.Shine, of course, stands for a “premium design experience”, at least considering the sub-$200 (i.e. $199, presumably) recommended retail price, while Lite gives away the non-flagship overall nature of the 5-inch Android off the bat, despite most of the key specifications remaining under wraps.Selfie addicts will be happy to hear their infatuation with themselves is supported by a front-facing flash attached to an otherwise average-sounding 5MP secondary camera, whereas the main ...

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ZTE Axon 7 mini packs quite a punch in not-so-tiny body

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

And so it has come to this. 5.2-inch smartphones marketed as diminutive flagships. Or, as ZTE puts it in its Axon 7 mini-announcing press release, proof “power, performance and premium experience does not have to lack in a smaller form factor.”Smaller by just 0.3 inches, mind you, in screen diagonal, 4mm as far as device height goes, another 4 in width, and a “massive” 22 grams less in weight. Not long ago, the ZTE Axon 7 mini would have probably been deemed a giant, but now all of a sudden it’s ...

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Sony Xperia XZ takes another stab at getting flagship Android specs right

Posted on by Adrian Diaconescu

Sony’s “new crown jewel” has arrived surprisingly soon after the ambitiously named but overpriced and underwhelming Xperia X Performance, barely increasing the screen size by 0.2 inches, and thus signaling it’s not meant to complement the 5-incher as the Galaxy Note 7 does for the S7.It wants to replace it, and ideally make you forget all about it, launching on October 23 stateside at an as-yet unannounced price point. The missing piece of the Xperia XZ puzzle is clearly the most important one, with ...

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