Tech Highlights of the Week : E3, LG G4, Apple Watch 2 and More

This week was loaded with new product releases and announcements from the most-awaited annual gaming show, E3. We have compiled a list of news that made the rounds.

Here are the top 10 highlights of the week:

1. LG Launches the G4 Flagship in India

Finally, LG brought its latest flagship, the G4, to India. The premium leather-clad handset is priced at Rs. 51,000. Sporting a 5.5-inch Quad HD IPS LCD display, the phone comes with a 1.8GHz Hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor with Adreno 418 GPU, 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage space. The phone runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop. A 16MP shooter is fitted at it back, while the front is an 8MP camera. A 3,000mAh powers the smartphone.

2. Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7

The Korean firm launched two mid-range phones – Galaxy J7 and Galaxy J5. The smartphones are priced at CNY 1,798 (Rs. 18,400 approx.) and CNY 1,398 (Rs. 14,300 approx.) respectively. The Galaxy J5 features a 5-inch HD TFT display (1280x720p resolution). It is backed by 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 SoC coupled with 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, which is expandable. With a battery capacity of 2600mAh battery, it sports a camera of 13MP at the back and a 5MP camera at the front.

The Galaxy J7, on the other hand, boasts the same 5.5-inch TFT HD display with an octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor with four cores clocked at 1.4GHz and the four cores running at 1GHz. The Galaxy J7 fits a 3000mAh battery.

3. Nokia Confirmed to Re-Enter Smartphone Market by 2016

Finnish electronics firm Nokia, once a leader in smartphone manufacturing, has made an official declaration saying that it will again start designing and licensing smartphones. Once again, users will come across Nokia-branded smartphones in retail shops as well as online. The firm will restart with the same old strategy of just designing the handsets, and not manufacturing them. Nokia is looking for suitable partners to fulfil the task.

4. Apple Watch 2 is Already Under Development

Apple is planning on developing the next-generation watch, Apple Watch 2. Sources close to Apple disclosed its plans of launching an improved iWatch version, which is said to reduce the dependence of the wearable on the iPhone. The next Apple Watch will sport a camera on top of the watch bezel, to provide users with the facility of video calling. Watch owners can make or receive FaceTime calls while on the go, and there is no need to slip an extra gadget in your pocket.

Replacing the currently embedded Wi-Fi, a chip with the potential to locate a user’s location will be installed. Things like ordinary conversation can take place with the integration of a dynamic wireless chipset, but substantial actions such as software updates, media files synchronization, and few more will indeed require iPhone support.

5. iPhone 6s will be Stronger, Wider and Larger

The inclusion of Force Touch technology was reported to find space on the next iPhone. It is speculated to increase the dimensions of the phone by 0.15 millimetres crosswise as well as in length, and 0.2mm in thickness. Apple will also employ Series 7000 Aluminium, introduced with Apple Watch, on the next-generation iPhones. The custom metal is 60 percent stronger than the regular aluminium and has just one-third the density of stainless steel.

6. OnePlus Two Will Come with Snapdragon 810

OnePlus CEO, Pete Lau, revealed a crucial detail about the next OnePlus flagship. As stated by Lau, Snapdragon 810 v2.1 will administer the processing demands of the phone. The processor is capable of streaming 4K Ultra HD videos, high-resolution 3D games and has an enhanced battery life. The forum also read that the overheating issue of the processor has also been resolved with the new version of the SoC. This will increase the price of the smartphone by around Rs. 3,000. Pete Lau stated since Snapdragon 810 v2.1 costs 60% more than the Snapdragon used in the OnePlus One, the handset may cost roughly around Rs. 25,000.

7. Epic E3 Titles Released at E3

Sony, Microsoft, Disney, Activision, and more stepped onto the podium of E3 to showcase what they have to offer this year. The Last Guardian, Holographic version of Minecraft, Call of Duty: Back Ops 3, Hitman and a few more wooed the game fanatics, compelling them to give developers a standing ovation. The titles will release either later this year or in 2016.

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8. Xbox Elite Controller

This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) saw the release of a new Xbox controller, and it is definitely a beast in its own terms. Described as the ‘Elite Controller for Elite gamers’, the new Xbox One Elite Wireless Controller has been added with many new features. The analog sticks and directional pad can be swapped out with different grips — concave, convex, textured, or whichever accessory creators come up with. Every button can be remapped and reset using a companion smartphone app that will be released for Xbox One and Windows 10. You can even control the sensitivity level of the triggers on the back and analog sticks. The Elite Wireless Controller comes out in October and is priced at $150 (Rs 9,623 approx.)

9. Micromax Canvas Sliver 5

A couple of days back, Micromax unveiled a slim smartphone, Canvas Sliver 5, holding a thickness of 5.1mm. Weighing a mere 97 grams, the handset accommodates Aircraft grade aluminium and integrated touch sensitivity. The 4G/LTE enabled phone is powered by a 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB DDR3 RAM. The display size stands at 4.8-inch HD AMOLED with 720p resolution. The device, running on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop, comes with 16GB internal storage space with no expandability option. Priced at Rs. 17,999, the phone boasts an 8MP shooter at the back and a 5MP camera in the front.