tech2touch

Category: Smartphones

  • Top 5 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7

    Samsung has launched its new flagship smartphones Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge in India. It has many new features and some are improved features over its predecessor. Here is the quick 5 advantages of Galaxy S7 over its predecessor according to us.

    Samsung Galaxy S7

    Top 5 reasons to buy Samsung Galaxy S7

    1. MicroSD card support/ Dual sim support: Last year Samsung has omitted microSD card in its Galaxy S6. However, Samsung has added back the microSD card in its new flagship. Users can now add upto 200GB of microSD card. It is worth mentioning that, Galaxy S7 supports hybrid sim card slot. So, users can add a sim card instead of microSD card. This is a welcome move which enables the user to use dual sim if they don’t want to use memory expansion through microSD card.
    2. Water and Dust Resistant Body

    Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. This means, Galaxy S7 is water resistant to a maximum depth of 1.5 meter for upto 30 minutes.

    3. Always on screen

    Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with a new features called Always on screen. This means that, the screen stays on for all the time and displays basic information like the clock and calendar.

    4. Better camera:

    Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with improved camera. According to the company statement, it can capture better low light photography compared to its predecessor. Also in the camera settings, there is a new option called “Motion Panorama” which allows you to take a panoramic shot that will animate when you scroll over it. This features is very similar to Apple’s Live photos.

    5. Longer battery life:

    Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with larger battery than its predecessor Galaxy S6. As per the company, even with always on screen feature, device is capable of providing complete day of usage with normal usage.

  • Asus Zenfone Android 6.0 Marshmallow Update coming soon

    Asus Zenfone 2 smartphones became very popular because of its value for money offering and user friendly ZenUI. Zenfone Zoom with 3x optical zoom proved technical capability of Asus team. However, sadly, this phone didn’t release with latest Android version Marshmallow. Now, Asus has finally revealed the list of smartphone which are going to get Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

    Which are the Asus Zenfone Variants going to get Android 6.0 Marshmallow?

    Asus has announced the roll out of Android 6.0 Marshmallow update for the users in India for the following Zenfone Variant. For these variants, updates will start rolling out from this month.

    • ZenFone 2 (ZE550ML, ZE551ML)
    • ZenFone 2 Deluxe (ZE551ML)
    • ZenFone 2 Laser ( ZE500KL, ZE550KL, ZE601KL)
    • ZenFone Selfie (ZD551KL)
    • ZenFone Max (ZC550KL)
    • ZenFone Zoom (ZX551ML)

    The new Android 6.0 update will replace three ZenUI apps-ASUS Messenger, ASUS Mail and ASUS Calendar with Google Messenger, Calendar, and Gmail apps as the default apps in Android 6.0 version of ZenUI. Do note that, it will happen if and only if you do factory reset after the update. If you do the factory reset after update and if you want to have ASUS Messenger, ASUS Mail and ASUS Calendar, then you need to download it from Play store.

    The older Zenfones which are not mentioned here also will get Android 6.0 starting from April. However, Asus has not revealed on which are they.

    Google Android 6.0 is largely provides improved performance rather than changes in the design language. The Now on Tap, Doze, ability to use microSD card as internal storage are some key features of this new Android version.

    Android 6.0 introduced with Nexus 5X and Nexus 6p. Then we saw Motorola devices to get the update. Recently  Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge,  Sony Xperia Z5 as well started getting Android 6.0 update. So far, Android Marshmallow adoption rate is 1%. It is a welcome move from Asus to provide latest and greatest Android experience to Zenfone users.

  • Xiaomi Mi 4S Features Price and Specification

    Xiaomi has unveiled a new midrange android smartphone called Mi4S. The device will go on sale from 1st March. The price of Xiaomi Mi4S is CNY1699(Approximately Rs.18,000). It will be available in Black, Gold, Purple, and White colour variants.

    Xiaomi Mi4S comes with front and rear glass panels with metal frame for premium look and feel. The device is powered by 2.5GHz  hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 paired with Adreno 418 GPU and 3GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB of internal storage and support for microSD card upto 128GB. Mi4s is a dual sim phone and runs on MIUI 7 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

    Mi4S dual sim

    Xiaomi Mi4S sports 5 inch full HD IPS display screen which offers approximately 441ppi pixel density. The connectivity features of the device are 4G LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, GPS, and packs USB Type-C. One of the most teased feature of this device is its fingerprint scanner. This is the first phone from Xiaomi to features fingerprint scanner. It also has Infrared sensor.

    Xiaomi Mi4S houses 13-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone LED flash and PDAF.  For selfie lovers, there is a 5 Mega pixel front facing camera. This handset has 3260mAh non-removable battery and supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology. It also supports VoLTE supports.

    Advantages of Xiaomi Mi4S over Mi 4

    • 64 bit Faster processor: (64 bit hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 vs 32 bit quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor in Mi4)
    • Fingerprint scanner.
    • Bigger battery with Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 2.0 technology. (3260mAh vs 3080 mAh).
    • MicroSD card support.
    • Android 6.0 based MIUI 7 out of the box.

    At the time of writing this, there is no update on the release date of Mi4S in India. This device will be of the tough competitor for the other midrange smartphones in this price segment.

  • Samsung Galaxy S7 Features and FAQ

    Samsung has unveiled much anticipated Galaxy S7, its flagship device for 2016. Like last year, this year too we have 2 different variants Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. The preorders will begin from Tuesday and the device will be available to consumers starting March 11th in selected regions. Samsung also announced offer to provide free Gear VR headset bundled along with six games for those who preorder in some region.

    Galaxy S7
    Based on the information we have as of now, here is the few FAQ on the new Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone. We will be updating this post in coming days as and when we get more information. If you want to ask any specific questions, feel free to use the comment section below.

     Samsung Galaxy S7 Features and FAQ

    What are different variants of Galaxy S7 available?
    Primarily there are 2 variants. One is Galaxy S7 and another one is Galaxy S7 Edge. There is also variant based on the Soc, single and hybrid dual sim variants. The different colour variants available are black onyx, gold platinum.

    What is the SoC is used on Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge?

    As mentioned above, there 2 different  SoC variants are available. One is based on  Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor and another one is  Exynos 8890 SoC. Based on the region, availability of these variant changes.

    How about Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge display?

    Samsung Galaxy S7 comes with 5.1-inch QHD Super Amoled display and Galaxy S7 Edge comes with 5.5-inch QHD Super Amoled display panel. Both smartphones feature Always-On display which allows you to check important notifications, time and date without having to wake up the device.

    Is there any changes interms of camera unit used in Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge?

    Yes. Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge comes with 12MP primary camera with f1.7 and 5MP front facing camera. Like we have seen in iPhone 6s, this also use display flash while taking selfies. There are plenty of camera tweaks such as Motion photo, Motion panorama  to name few.

    What are the storage option available?

    The device will be available in 32GB or 64GB variants depending on the region. There is also provision for additional storage through microSD card upto 200GB. All the variants of Galaxy S7 will come with 4GB of RAM.

    What about battery capacity of Galaxy S7?

    Galaxy S7 comes with 3000mAh battery and Galaxy S7 Edge has 3600mAh battery.  Both variants supports fast charging both on wired and wireless.

    What is the design and build quality change? 

    Aesthetically, both devices looks very similar to its predecessor. However, now both devices has IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

  • How to update Moto E 2nd Gen to Android 6.0 Marshmallow

    Motorola Moto E 2nd gen finally started to recieve Android 6.0  Marshmallow update in India. The size of the OTA update is around 450MB. So you need to have around double that space. The new Android 6.0  Marshmallow update for Moto E 2nd gen will bring new features like Now on Tap, Doze functionality which improves battery life, using microSD card as extension of internal storage etc.

    Useful links:

    How to take screenshot on Moto E

    How to use Moto E as modem

    Moto E 2nd gen pros and Cons

    How to update  Moto E 2nd Gen to Android 6.0  Marshmallow

    Before starting the update, it is better to fulfill some of the prerequisites. They are

    • Battery is charged at aleast 50%.
    • Have atleast 1GB free space.

    Now here is the update procedure.

    There are 2 scenarios.

    1. If you have received a notification message for this update:
      • Select “Yes, I’m in”.
      • After the software is downloaded, select “Install now”.
      • After the software is installed, your phone will re-start automatically.
      • Your phone is now updated to Android 6.0.
    2. If you have not received a notification message for this update:
      • Select the Settings icon in the apps menu.
      • Select “About phone”.
      • Select “System updates”.
      • Select “Yes, I’m in”. After the software is downloaded, select “Install now”.
      • After the software is installed, your phone will re-start automatically.
      • Your phone is now updated to Android 6.0.

    Motorola has released Android 6.0 update for its Moto G series(Starting Moto G 2nd Gen) and Moto X series. Now it is the turn for Moto E. Android 6.0  Marshmallow update as of now available through OTA in India only. But it expected to roll other parts of the world as well very soon.

    If you haven’t got the update, don’t be panic. The update will come in phases. With this update, Moto E 2nd Gen will be most affordable smartphone to run on Android 6.0  Marshmallow.  If you already recieved updated, don’t forget to share your experience with new OS in the comment section below.