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HTC's U12 Life has a slick half-and-half texture finish
Smartphones have become so commoditized, especially in the mid-range, that it can be hard to tell them apart. HTC is making sure that doesn't happen with U12 Life. It has an attractive dual-finish design with a matted, striped lower section and "metal-like" finish on top (it's actually acrylic glass). It should also please photographers on a budget, thanks to the dual rear cameras that let you create blur behind your subject and a front selfie camera with a flash and beautification features.
HTC will reveal its next flagship on May 23rd
In an interesting twist on the clichéd device tease, HTC has preempted an iFixit-style teardown by showing the back and guts of the phone it's about to release. It looks like the U12 (or U12+) smartphone will arrive on May 23rd, judging by the parts and shape. According to several leaks, it will sport dual rear 12- and 16-megapixel cameras, probably to allow for zooming with no detail loss, along with dual 8-megapixel front cameras.
Sony's dual camera Xperia XZ2 Premium takes ultra-low-light photos
Sony's regular Xperia XZ2 is, to put it mildly, underwhelming -- as capable as it is, there's little to recommend it over its rivals. You can't say that about the just-announced Xperia XZ2 Premium, though. The new handset preserves the 4K HDR visuals of its predecessor (this time on a 5.8-inch screen that's 30 percent brighter), but the real centerpiece is the photography. Sony is hopping on the dual rear camera bandwagon with a focus on low light performance: it melds the input from a monochrome sensor (for contrast; 12MP, 1/2.3-inch, 1.55um) and a regular color sensor (19MP, 1/2.3-inch, 1.22um) to capture video at ISO 12,800 sensitivity, and photos at a whopping ISO 51,200. (Huawei's P20 Pro is also claiming similarly crazy high-level ISO options in a forthcoming software update -- we yet haven't tested that either.) We'd be skeptical of Sony's claim that the performance rivals pro cameras, but this might help you shoot with confidence in truly dark environments.
Snap is working on a new set of Spectacles
Snap's first forays into hardware may not have been a rousing success -- a year after the launch of Spectacles there were reportedly hundreds of thousands of pairs still sitting in Chinese warehouses. However, it seems the company isn't willing to admit defeat just yet, as a new FCC filing has surfaced suggesting a new version of the tech is on its way.
HTC U11 Eyes' dual cameras bring bokeh to your selfies
Well, that was quick: HTC's promised return to a dual-camera smartphone is already here. Meet the U11 Eyes which, as the name implies, is a selfie-centric smartphone featuring a pair of cameras on the front. These deliver live bokeh effect which supports re-focus after capture -- just like the good old days with previous dual-camera HTC phones. And yes, the U11 Eyes reuses the same shiny "Liquid Design" as the flagship U11+, but swapping out a few flagship-level features for a more affordable price. You'll find an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 chipset (which is approaching two years old), a 2,160 x 1,080 LCD instead of QHD, just three microphones instead of four (so no acoustic focus when using zoom in video recording) and no BoomSound speakers (so no stereo nor "Hi-Fi" output).
ASUS' latest ZenFone and its big battery will hit the US next month
ASUS' ZenFone line is still pretty fresh in our minds, but that didn't stop the company from showing off yet another new smartphone here at CES 2018. The awkwardly named ZenFone Max Plus (M1) -- yes, ASUS is insisting on the parentheses -- is set to launch in the US next month for $329, and its claim to fame is its 4,130mAh battery. Sure, it might not be quite as capacious as ASUS' own ZenFone 3 Zoom from last year, but that battery is still bigger than any you'll find in a normal flagship phone. Not bad at all, considering the asking price.
Israeli company claims Apple copied its dual-camera tech
Whatever you think of your dual-camera iPhone, there's one company that's less than thrilled. Israeli startup Corephotonics is suing Apple for allegedly infringing on patented technology with the cameras in the iPhone 7 Plus and 8 Plus (it's likely none too pleased about the iPhone X, for that matter). Corephotonics says it pitched Apple about a potential alliance, only to be shot down and see Apple implement dual cameras on its own. The plaintiff company even claims that Apple boasted it could infringe on patents without fear. Apple's negotiator said it would take "years and millions of dollars" before the iPhone maker would have to pay if it did infringe, according to Corephotonics' version of events.
HTC will make a 'noteworthy' return to dual-camera phones in 2018
Shortly after showing off the squeezable U11+ in Taipei today, HTC President Chialin Chang confirmed that his company is re-entering the dual-camera smartphone space in 2018. "We'll definitely be releasing a dual-camera phone next year, but we'll need to figure out how to make this feature stand out," the exec told the media in an interview session. Folks who are familiar with HTC's history will no doubt be amused by this move. Its EVO 3D was one of the first smartphones equipped with a dual-camera system, but after the short-lived mobile 3D hype, the Taiwanese firm eventually started championing its pseudo-depth-sensing "Duo Camera" to offer bokeh photo effects on two generations of flagship devices. Ironically, just as HTC decided to ditch the dual camera for the 10, the likes of LG, Huawei, Xiaomi and even Apple started pushing this feature.
Samsung's second dual-camera phone is much more affordable
Samsung has revealed its second dual-camera phone, and while it's not exactly a budget device, it's definitely more affordable than its first one. The Korean conglomerate's Thai website has officially launched the Galaxy J7+, which has one 13-megapixel f/1.7 sensor and one 5-megapixel f/1.9 sensor on its rear. That dual rear camera is also complemented by an impressive front-facing 16-megapixel sensor for HD selfies, videos and some quality livestreaming.
ZTE’s latest big-screen phone packs dual cameras for $129
While the rest of the tech world gets ready for the return of Samsung's Galaxy Note line, ZTE continues its quiet takeover of the budget phablet market. Every year since 2014, the company has released a low-cost handset with a large screen, generous battery and surprisingly modern features (think: fingerprint sensors and USB-C ports). This time is no different. The 6-inch Blade ZMax is now available for pre-order via MetroPCS, and will be in stores on August 28th, starting at $129.
Samsung hints how the Galaxy Note 8's dual camera will work
It's no secret that the Galaxy Note 8 will likely include dual rear cameras given all the leaks, but you don't have to take the rumor mill's word for it -- Samsung appears to have dropped a not-so-subtle hint of its own. The company's electromechanical division has posted a feature list for a dual camera module that lines up eerily well what's expected from the Note 8's rear sensors. To begin with, the second camera allows for 3X optical zoom, or a notch better than the 2X you see in the iPhone 7 Plus and OnePlus 5. If you've ever wanted to get a close-up shot at a concert using only your phone, this might be your handset of choice. And importantly, it's not the only arrow in Samsung's quiver.
LG G6's dual cameras are good but far from perfect
Dual cameras are now the standard option when it comes to flagship phones, and LG has already put the setup to work in previous models. With the G6, the company opted for two 13-megapixel Sony cameras instead of one larger and one smaller like it did with the modular G5. The combination of the dual lenses, Qualcomm's Snapdragon zoom technology and LG's existing camera features help the G6 make a compelling case, especially in terms of imagery.
Oppo's clever, zooming dual camera was inspired by periscopes
The dual-camera craze is real at Mobile World Congress, but Oppo decided to break from the pack with its own, very clever implementation. Long story short: the company managed to build a 5x "lossless" zoom system for smartphones using two sensors and a zoom mechanism inspired by periscopes. The latter part is nothing new, of course: 'tis a feature which was once common on compact digital cameras, and ASUS even applied this to its ZenFone Zoom last year. Oppo's implementation, however, takes things up a notch.
ZTE's crowdsouced phone will pack dual cameras
ZTE has already confirmed that its crowdsourced Hawkeye phone will include showstopping features like eye tracking and a sticky case, but what about the nuts and bolts? Well, it's finally spilling the beans... and Hawkeye is a fairly powerful device for the money. The Snapdragon 625 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage and 5.5-inch 1080p screen are good, though not mind-blowing. However, you'll also get a dual rear camera system -- 12-megapixel and 13-megapixel sensors will deliver iPhone 7 Plus-style zooming at a price where that feature is relatively rare.
The ZTE Blade V8 Pro is yet another affordable dual-camera phone
First the Honor 6x, then the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom and now the ZTE Blade V8 Pro. The phones being unveiled here at CES 2017 all sport dual cameras that let you take photos with a shallow depth-of-field effect similar to what you can do with the iPhone 7 Plus. The difference is this week's new devices generally cost much less than the iPhone (although we don't know the ZenFone's price), with the cheapest being the just-announced Blade V8 Pro. For $230, the handset offers a respectable set of features, including two 13-megapixel rear cameras, a 5.5-inch full-HD display and an octa-core Snapdragon processor. From my brief experience with a preview unit, the V8 Pro feels sturdier than the Honor 6x ($250) and has a slightly better dual-camera implementation, to boot.
Xiaomi's Mi 5s hides a fingerprint reader under its glass
We were already big fans of Xiaomi's Mi 5 flagship smartphone, so it's only natural for the Chinese company to build on this model's success by bringing us the Mi 5s. It should be no surprise that this dual-SIM device -- which has ditched the glass body in favor of metal -- packs Qualcomm's latest and greatest Snapdragon 821 chipset (as featured on the ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe), meaning it offers not only improved computational performance but also super speedy tri-band 4G carrier aggregation. As a bonus, it features up to 128GB of fast UFS 2.0 storage plus up to 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and NFC is still there on the back. But what really got our attention this time is the new under-glass ultrasonic fingerprint reader on the front.
Qualcomm could make dual cameras standard on phones
Qualcomm's new offering called "Clear Sight" could put dual cameras in more Android phones. It's a single module that's already equipped with two rear cameras and low light imaging algorithms, after all, and phonemakers can simply slap it onto their devices instead of developing their own. It's more similar to Huawei P9's dual cams, co-engineered with Leica, than to the iPhone 7's in that Clear Sight is comprised of a black-and-white and a color image sensor. See, black-and-white sensors can take better images in low-lighting than color sensors can. So, the tech combines the B&W photo taken by one of the cameras with the colors captured by the other to get the best of both worlds.
It takes two: A visual history of dual-camera mobile phones
With the recent launches of the iPhone 7 Plus and the LG V20, the dual-lens smartphone camera is once again a hot topic. Of course, many other companies will want to remind you that they were there first, except some have long since given up on the technology. So what happened? And why isn't this yet a standard feature on all flagship smartphones? For those intrigued, it's worth taking a trip seven years back in time.
Xiaomi's Redmi Pro does OLED and dual camera on a budget
Just because Xiaomi is selling Segways, drones, bicycles and rice cookers these days doesn't mean that it's forgotten what it started off with years ago: mobile phones. Today, the Chinese company announced the Redmi Pro which is the latest smartphone in its entry-level portfolio. As suggested by the name, this Android 6.0 device packs some surprising features that make it stand out from its predecessors: This is the first time that Xiaomi's featuring an OLED display plus a dual-camera setup on a device, which is a surprising move given that these are headed to the affordable Redmi line instead of the flagship Mi line. The price? From 1,499 yuan which is about $225.
Huawei's dual-lens phone lets you get artsy, shoot in the dark
Judging by Huawei's latest smartphone unveiled in Beijing today, it looks like someone has taken a leaf out of HTC's playbook. The Honor 6 Plus -- a follow-up to the reasonably priced Honor 6 -- is all about its dual rear 8-megapixel cameras, which claim to boost the effective pixel size to 1.98 microns for improved sensitivity and thus cleaner images. By comparison, this almost matches HTC's 2-micron UltraPixels. And similar to HTC's Duo Camera feature, Huawei's dual-lens setup lets you refocus the captured photos, adjust their simulated aperture (you can go from f/0.95 all the way to f/16) and apply fun filters like tilt shift, sketch and comics. Even the front-facing camera has an 8-megapixel resolution to give you the "888" blessing (it implies "triple the fortune" in Chinese), along with the usual beautification feature for photos and videos -- both recording and live chat.
