The iQOO Z1x sporting model code V2012A was spotted on TENAA yesterday with a 6.57" screen and a 4,880 mAh battery. The listing didn't include any other specs of the smartphone but a separate listing on the Chinese certifying authority's website has revealed the full specs and design of the iQOO Z1x. The iQOO Z1x has a design similar to the Z1, but at 9.06mm it's 0.16mm thicker than the Z1. The 6.57" TFT screen, rumored to have a 120Hz refresh rate, has a resolution of 2408x1080 pixels and in the top-right corner is a punch hole for the 16MP selfie camera. The back of the Z1x is home to...
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G is on TENAA, reveals no major changes in design
Samsung is preparing to launch a new version of the Galaxy Z Flip with 5G on August 5, when the Galaxy Note20 is also expected to arrive. The new phone is rumored to have a Snapdragon 865+ chipset and a different set of cameras, but today’s new photos on TENAA reveal practically no changes in the overall design. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G While the camera one on the inside will retain the 12MP sensor, on the outside the setup will be 12 MP + 10 MP, compared to 12 MP + 12 MP combo in the first Galaxy Z Flip. The big foldable display is 6.7” AMOLED with 1080p resolution, while...
Honor 30 Lite color options revealed, confirmed to have 90Hz display, 180Hz touch sample rate
Honor’s official Weibo handle confirmed that the Honor 30 Lite, expected to be announced on Thursday, will support a 90Hz display along with a 180Hz touch sample rate digitizer. Equipped with these two features, the Honor 30 Lite should be a great option for gaming on a budget, and it will support 5G out of the box. Another Weibo user posted images of the Honor 30 Lite in four different colors. We anticipate the “summer rainbow” color will be the most popular. The reflective effect begins at the lower left corner of the phone’s back cover and blooms towards the other corner. As per...
Google's Nearby Sharing goes into Beta testing
Apple has had one of the easiest methods of sharing large media files or documents over the air called AirDrop. Android used to have an NFC-based handshake method called Android Beam, but it was completely depreciated with Android 10. It used NFC to initiate a connection for file transfers, but it used Bluetooth, which was painfully slow. Android Police have reported that the new Nearby Sharing feature is now in Beta testing. Those who are Beta testers of the Google Play Services app. The Beta is now rolling out to these users, who will now see an option to share something “Nearby” in the...
Google Pixel 4a gets two more certifications on its way to becoming official
The Pixel 4a saga continues. This affordable smartphone was initially rumored to make an appearance at the Google I/O conference in May, but then that got canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So we heard the launch was pushed to July, but apparently that's not happening anymore, with the handset inexplicably now being expected to see the light of day in October. That's weird, considering how much it's already leaked, but it's far from the weirdest thing Google's ever done. Regardless of when the Pixel 4a will actually become available, it's continuing its certification march. It was...
Qualcomm announces Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform for smartwatches
Today Qualcomm took the wraps off its next wearable chipset family, the Snapdragon Wear 4100 and 4100+. Based on the model numbers of the contained chips, these seem to be based off of the Snapdragon 429 mobile SoC. The Snapdragon Wear 4100+ includes the main SoC, the Always-On (AON) co-processor for low power states, along with companion chips including PMIC, RF for modem/GPS and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and RFFE. The Snapdragon Wear 4100 (sans "+") does not have the AON co-processor. Otherwise, the two are identical. The Wear 4100+ is built on a 12nm process and has a 1.7 GHz quad-core...
ZTE Blade A3v appears on Google Play Console, likely an affordable Android 10 phone for Verizon
A ZTE Blade A3v has appeared on the Google Play Console, model name Z5157V. It's a simple device, quite similar to the Blade A3 Prime that launched on Yahoo Mobile and Visible earlier this month at just $99. Both of these are Verizon-based MVNO networks by the way and that "v" in the model name suggests that that the new handset is likely on end up on that carrier as well. The phone runs Android 10 on a MediaTek Helio A22 chipset - quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU at 2.0 GHz and a PowerVR GE8300 GPU (660 MHz). It's connected to 2 GB of RAM, no word on the storage. The screen has 720 x 1,440...
Apple patents a way to make buttons thinner while providing programmable feedback
Apple has a grudge against physical buttons, especially the ones that take up too much space. The company has filed a patent that describes the design of a "compact pivoting input device", which will significantly reduce the internal volume that a button takes. It's not just space saving, though, this mechanism can offer programmable feedback. Such buttons can be provide different haptic feedback, configured by software, and will also be force-sensitive. The patent gives the iPhone power button as an example, so that's likely the first use case, but it these devices can find other uses...
Spotify launches synchronized lyrics in 26 new markets
Spotify used to show lyrics in its app, sourcing them from MusixMatch, but that relationship ended in 2016. Now it's back again - starting today, 26 markets will have a Lyrics button in the Now Playing screen. And those lyrics will be synced with the song, kind of like karaoke. As of a couple of hours ago this feature is available in the following countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, El Salvador, Uruguay, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand,...
Samsung pulls out of IFA 2020
According to news circulating in South Korean media, Samsung will pull out of the upcoming IFA 2020 trade show scheduled to take place in early September. Samsung hasn't released an official statement but reports claim the Korean tech giant has re-evaluated its plans for mass gatherings in the wake of the ongoing pandemic. Samsung has been a regular attendee at IFA since 1991 with some notable announcements in the past including the launch of the original Galaxy Note back in 2011. Last year we got the Galaxy A90 5G which was the first non-flagship phone in the manufacturer's lineup to...
OnePlus Nord will cost under $500, prototypes shown in new video
The OnePlus Nord will go on a limited pre-sale tomorrow even though there's no confirmation on its actual launch date. Now, the company posted the first part of its short documentary which details the process behind the creation of the Nord smartphone and it brings several noteworthy bits of information. First off, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed that the upcoming phone will come with a sub $500 price tag. View this post on Instagram A post shared by OnePlusLiteZThing (@onepluslitezthing) on Jun 30, 2020 at 5:01am PDT In addition, we also see two prototypes of the...
The vivo X50 trio is coming to India soon
vivo's X50 trio is scheduled to launch in several countries next month after making its debut in China. Actually, the vivo X50 Pro+ is still waiting in the wings, so its global launch may coincide with its launch in China. Retailers in India published a short teaser video, which promises that the X-series is "coming soon", without going into specifics. Here it is: The three phones - the vanilla vivo X50, the X50 Pro and the X50 Pro+ will also be available in Malysia, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia in addition to India, but we don't have a launch date that's more specific than...
vivo iQOO Z1x pops up in TENAA database
iQOO Z1x has already featured in multiple leaks, and now it makes its first appearance on an official website. It's not vivo's unfortunately, but the V2012A is now on TENAA for preliminary certification. It will support 5G connectivity and we have some basic specs like dimensions and battery capacity. vivo iQOO Z1x on TENAA The iQOO Z1x will have a 6.57" screen and dual SIM slots. The battery capacity is 4,880 mAh, which is likely the minimum capacity, the typical being 5,000 mAh. Size-wise, we're looking at a 164.2 x 76.5 x 9.06 mm handset, which is slightly bigger than the vivo...
Infographic teaches you everything you wanted to know about emojis but were afraid to ask
There are 2,000 year old rocks out there with the letters of the Latin alphabet carved into them. We still use those letters - like on this page - but modern communication has seen the rise of a different type of symbol, the emoji. Where did they come from? The AppInstitute has a beautifully illustrated infographic on the history of emoji (it's even animated!). The concept is older than you may think, the first "emoticons" appeared in the 19th century. Those were constructed out of regular punctuation marks and look like this :-). Of course, we no longer use punctuation marks, we...
OnePlus will open Nord pre-orders tomorrow
OnePlus managed to build a reasonable amount of hype around its upcoming budget Nord smartphone. We've been getting glimpses and teasers aplenty with OnePlus confirming the phone is coming in July and now the company has added a twist to the whole thing. The official @onepluslitezthing Instagram account reveals 100 units of the Nord will be available for pre-order tomorrow. Chances are however that the smartphone itself won't be officially announced and it will be a blind order. OnePlus Nord pre-order teasers There's still no word on which regions will be eligible for the...
MediaTek unveils Helio G35 and G25 chipsets for gaming phones under $100
MediaTek unveiled the Helio G35 and G25 chipsets, which are aimed at gaming smartphones though more specifically gaming phones that cost $100 or less. With that budget in mind, here's what the two chips offer. Actually, it's more like different bins of the same chip. The Helio G35 is a 12nm chip with an octa-core processor - but it's all Cortex-A53 cores (not even the faster A55, let alone A7x cores). They run at 2.3GHz and can be connected to up to 6GB of RAM of the 1,600MHz LPDDR4x variety (the cheaper LPDDR3 is also supported up to 4GB). For storage, eMMC 5.1 is the only option. The...
Samsung Galaxy Watch3 45mm shown from all angles, more features confirmed
We've already got some glances of Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Watch3, but this new leak shows it from every possible angle. @evleaks gave us a 360-degree video of 45mm black version of the watch. Meanwhile another leakster - Max Weinbach - got a hold of the firmware which revealed some of the new feature of the smartwatch. For starters, Samsung has a bunch of new watch faces in store for us and some of them are more informative as well. There's also a new Informative Digital Edge that can be customized to show stats of your choice and you can also change color....
Huawei Mate 40 won't have an under-display front camera
There was a rumor going around that Huawei's upcoming Mate 40-series will feature the first under-display front-facing camera on the market developed by Visionox but that has now been refuted by popular tipster Digital Chat Station. He claims that he has seen in person and has held an engineering sample of the Mate 40. And unfortunately, there's no under-display selfie camera as we hoped. He didn't give any specifics on whether the phone will use a regular notch or a punch-hole camera design instead. It was always a slim chance seeing how Visionox' solution came a bit too late in...
Upcoming Moto G 5G appears in first renders
Motorola is about to add another member to its Moto G line and it's going to be the first one with 5G connectivity. The latest leak from Evan Blass gives us our first look at the Moto G 5G. The phone features a tall and narrow display with dual punch-hole cutouts with actual space between the two selfie cams, which will likely be masked through software to display a black bar. We can also spot a side-mounted fingerprint scanner below the volume rocker on the right side while the back features a quad camera setup with a 48MP primary camera. The cameras are housed in a rectangular cutout...
Realme C11 goes official: Helio G35 SoC, dual rear cameras, and 5,000 mAh battery
Realme today announced a new budget smartphone, dubbed Realme C11. It is powered by the Helio G35 SoC, just like the Redmi 9C, which also debuted today. The C11 boots Android 10 with Realme UI on top and has 2GB RAM and 32GB of storage onboard. The smartphone also has a dedicated slot for a microSD card, which allows storage expansion by up to 256GB. The C11 sports a 6.5" HD+ display with a waterdrop notch up top for the 5MP selfie camera. The back of the smartphone has a Geometric Art Design which is new for Realme smartphones and the panel also appears to have a texture that...
Honor X10 Max full specs sheet and pricing leaked by China Telecom
The Honor X10 Max is an upcoming smartphone with huge screen, and is scheduled to go official on July 2. The phone was already teased and some specs leaked here and there, but now the full sheet appeared on China Telecom's website, along with memory options, prices, and proper renders. Honor X10 Max As previously revealed by TENAA the X10 Max has a 7.09" LCD on the front, dual cameras on the back, and a big 5,000 mAh battery on the inside. The chipset will be Mediatek Dimensity 800, coupled with 6/8 GB RAM and 64/128 GB storage in three combinations - 6 GB + 64 GB, 6 GB +...
Monday, June 29, 2020
Google Photos is temporarily turning off backups from messaging apps to save bandwidth
A Google employee has just confirmed that the Google Photos app will disable automatic backup & syncing of media from messaging apps. As many people are sharing much more over messaging apps during much of the world's time-off of work and school amidst COVID-19, Google wishes to save its bandwidth resources that are strained, likely backing up memes, videos, and photos that are shared over messaging apps. It will begin notifying users of the change on the Google Photos app the next time they open the app. Due to COVID-19, people are sharing more photos and videos. To save internet...
India bans TikTok, WeChat and Xiaomi apps amidst rising tensions with China
The Indian Government has announced that it has banned 59 mobile applications, including TikTok, WeChat, and Mi Community. The reason is, as stated in a press release, the Ministry of Information Technology "has received many complaints from various sources including several reports about the misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users' data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India". There were multiple reports from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, the Ministry of...
Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C announced with notched displays, big batteries and 13MP cameras
Xiaomi offshoot Redmi unveiled the Redmi 9 earlier this month and today the company added two more members to the lineup - Redmi 9A and Redmi 9C. The company hasn't shared the detailed specs sheet of either of these phones at the time of writing this, but it did reveal their key specs through a post on Facebook. The Redmi 9A has a Helio G25 SoC at the helm with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. It sports a 6.53" waterdrop drop notch display of 720p resolution and packs a 5,000 mAh battery. The Redmi 9A comes with a single 13MP camera on the back and a 5MP selfie shooter on the...
Google Smart Home Summit on July 8 is perfect for announcing the new Android TV Chromecast
Another upcoming Google product that isn't the Pixel 4a has been leaking a lot lately, and that is the upcoming Android TV-powered new Chromecast dongle, codenamed Sabrina. Unlike past Chromecasts, this will run Android TV and thus have that OS' full interface. Not only that, but it will have a smart remote with Google Assistant - which brings us to the fact that the search giant is holding a Smart Home Summit online on July 8. The company hasn't explicitly mentioned that it wants to unveil new hardware on that occassion, but it would be weird if this was just a coincidence. The new...
Redmi 8 is now getting Android 10 update
Xiaomi is very busy with updates to the new MIUI 12 at this point, but the company is also still working on bringing some of its older phones up to Android 10. The latest model to receive an update with this version of the OS is the Redmi 8, launched last October with Android 9 Pie. The update to Android 10 doesn't take the Redmi 8 up to MIUI 12, there's probably going to be a subsequent release for that. So it's still on MIUI 11, version 11.0.1.0 QCNCNXM to be precise. Aside from the Android version bump, this update brings with it the June 2020 security patches, as well as the...
Apple Design Award 2020 winners announced
Just as Apple's World Wide Developers Conference concluded its 14th edition last week, the yearly Apple Design Award winners got revealed. These awards celebrate the most innovative and impressive apps and games on Apple's platforms. This year sees a total of 8 winners divided equally between the apps and games groups. Apps category winners: Darkroom (iPhone and iPad) Loom (iPad) Sharp 3D CAD modeling (iPad) StaffPad (iPad) Games category winners: Sayonara Wild Hearts (iPhone, iPad, Mac, and AppleTV) Sky: Children of the Light (iPhone...
OnePlus Buds to come in black with familiar in-ear design
OnePlus' first truly wireless headphones have been rumored to arrive for some time now but information about them has been scarce. Other than the rough design, we don't know anything else. Now tipster Max J gives us something more substantial. The latest image he shared depicts the so-called OnePlus Buds in black with in-ear design. The shape is reminiscent of the current OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 with the concentric brushed aluminum back. The in-ear design should provide decent passive noise cancellation due to the tight seal, but we are yet to see if the Buds will also offer active...
Facebook is finally rolling out Dark mode for its app, starting on iOS
We saw an early glimpse into Dark mode for the Facebook app earlier this month on an Android device, but now some users are reporting getting an update with dark mode on iOS. Facebook has revealed that "a small percentage of users globally" are getting a taste of Dark mode in the Facebook app. It's likely that Facebook will enable the feature for more and more users, both on iOS and Android, this week. Dark mode in Facebook iOS app, source: @NotFridayCraig So far Facebook's Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp received Dark mode and even Facebook Lite, but not the official...
Motorola discounts a bunch of smartphones for July 4
Motorola is heavily discounting a slew of Moto smartphones as a way of celebrating July 4 in the US. The bad news is that most of the new handsets are not on the list but there are a few midrangers worth considering. The Motorola One Action is the first on the list selling for $249 down from $349 while last year's Moto G7 Play is even less expensive at $129. Continuing with the Motorola One family, the company is asking just $299 for the One Hyper and $349 for the One Zoom - both are $100 off. The popular Moto Z4 is also heavily discounted at $399 and this is actually the most...
The new OnePlus TVs will launch in India in three days, here's what we know so far
Three days from now OnePlus will launch its second generation smart TVs in India, a followup to the OnePlus Q1 models. There will be three versions: 32", 43" and 55". The top model will have a 4K panel while the middle one is expected to have 1080p resolution. That's still better than the smallest offering, which is rumored to have a 720p panel. The goal here is to offer competitive pricing. The current Q1 starts at INR 70,000, the Q1 Pro goes up to INR 100,000. The new TVs will be much more affordable with the 55" model starting at under INR 50,000, the entry level 32" TV will be...
Samsung Galaxy A42 to be the company's cheapest 5G phone
Samsung has already started launching 5G variants of its midrangers - the Galaxy A71 5G and the Galaxy A51 5G are selling across many markets. However, according to SamMobile, the Korean giant is planning to bring an even cheaper 5G handset with the Galaxy A42 5G in early 2021. However, SamMobile claims there will be a 4G variant of the Galaxy A42 with 128GB internal storage - double what the Galaxy A41 is offering right now. Source
The Snapdragon 875 will reportedly support 100W fast charging, cost dearly
A key selling point of the Snapdragon 875 will be its support for 100W fast charging, says leakster Digital Chat Station. This will be marketed as a perk for gaming phones with large batteries as it will reduce the downtime between gaming sessions. Qualcomm is expected to introduce the 875 in December and to have it ready for phones in Q1 next year. The chip is reportedly already being mass produced by TSMC on a 5nm node. It may use the new Cortex-X1 as its prime core, plus three Cortex-A77 for the big cores. In the meantime, the company is expected to release a Snapdragon 865+ next...
iPhone 12 series will record 4K videos at up to 240 FPS
According to a new source code found inside iOS 14 Beta 1, the iPhone 12 series will have an option to record 4K videos at 240FPS. The new format will be joined by a 4K at 120FPS option. The report comes courtesy of PineLeaks and EverythingApplePro and details that that the 4K at 240FPS option will likely be limited to slow-motion while the 4K at 120FPS could be available for regular video recordings. As stated in the report, together with @EveryApplePro, we were able to discover evidence of 4k 120 and 4k 240 FPS video modes inside the latest iOS 14 Beta 1 filesystem.In accordance to that,...
Samsung is preparing a Galaxy Fold Lite for a launch in 2021
Samsung is already selling the Galaxy Fold and its 5G sibling, but the company could launch a Lite variant in early 2021. Sources from South Korea report the phone is going to have less impressive specs but a far more manageable price - the new phone will go for around KRW1.32 million, which is about $1,100 or 975. Samsung Galaxy Fold Lite render A recently leaked render showcased the device will keep its ratio but will have a single punch-hole camera on the front/inside, while there will be two shooters on the outside. Leaksters also say the bezels of the new Fold phone will be...
Kuo: Apple will ship iPhone 12 without chargers, earphones
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is considering removing the included earbuds from the iPhone 12 retail package back in May. Analysts at Barclays said the same a few days ago and hinted that even the power brick may be dropped, Kuo agrees in his latest research note. Apple will introduce a 20W charger with USB Power Delivery, says Kuo, which will be sold separately. He didn't forecast a price but the current 18W charger goes for $30. The company will stop production of the current 5W and 18W models. Apple will likely position this as an eco-friendly move that would result in...
Samsung Galaxy Note20 has S20 focusing issues resoloved, will use SD865+
Samsung has reportedly fixed the focusing problems that ailed the Galaxy S20 Ultra's 108MP main camera. Many users and reviewers found the 108MP camera's focus to be slower than the 12MP main camera on the Galaxy S20/S20+ (especially in lower light) and to occasionally miss altogether. The issues and reduced performance of the AF could be due to the 108MP sensor's lack of dual-pixel phase detect autofocus. Whether Samsung has added dual-pixel PDAF or has fixed the issue another way, typically reliable leakster IceUniverse reports the 108MP camera will focus just fine on the Galaxy Note20...
Xiaomi will launch 120Hz OLED Master TV in China on July 2
Xiaomi has announced on its official Weibo TV account that it will unveil a new Master TV series in China on July 2. The announcement is accompanied by a poster, which teases a TV with an OLED panel of 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Atmos audio. Xiaomi is keeping the size and resolution secret for now and we don't know how many products we're in for. The company does promise that no expense has been spared in making a product that can challenge the "high-end" brands in the TV business, here's looking at you Samsung, LG, Sony. Source | Via
LG Harmony 4 with Android 10, dual camera and unveiled for Cricket Wireless
LG released a new affordable Android 10 for Cricket Wireless users - the Harmony 4. The phone is essentially identical to the LG K40S though with a slight redesign and a newer version of the OS (the K40S came out with Android 9). The phone can be yours for $140 regardless of whether you're a new or an existing customer. For your money you will get a 6.1" 720p+ display. The phone has a metal frame and measures 156.2 x 74.2 x 8.6 mm (6.15 x 2.92 x 0.34 in), weighing 173 g (6.1 oz). LG Harmony 4 for Cricket Wireless Android 10 runs on top of on octa-core processor of unknown...
Crosscall interview: Rugged smartphones, designed in Europe
Crosscall is a brand name that many smartphone users, especially those living outside Europe, won’t be too familiar with. The French manufacturer specializes in rugged devices and mainly caters to outdoor sports and business users. We caught up with Crosscall product manager Christophe Martin to find out more about the company, Crosscall users, and the technologies used in rugged devices. [Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.]
What is your role at Crosscall?
I am a product manager and in charge of smartphone development and conception. I am also involved in camera research and development, including technology sourcing, and closely follow the technological developments in the camera area.
Can you tell us little bit more about Crosscall?
Crosscall is a French company, with all our capital in France. It is just over 10 years old and was founded by Cyril Vidal. Cyril comes from the construction industry but also has a passion for water sports, especially jet skis. So he had specific requirements in both his professional and personal life for a waterproof and robust device with good battery life that could also perform well in daily life — for example, when taking and sharing pictures.
We currently have 140 employees in France and our focus is on building waterproof, durable, and autonomous products. The company is growing quickly, with a turnover of 71.6 million Euros last year and an estimated 89 million Euros this year. We have more than 20,000 points of sale and are also growing in the B2B sector. We have contracts with major companies and organizations in France — for example, SNCF (the French national railway), public entities, and the army.
We also have a team in Hong Kong who maintains our relationship with the factories in China. The Hong Kong team takes over once the product has been conceived and the budgets have been approved.
France is currently our key market. Here our devices are available through a number of channels and carriers but also through some specialty shops — for example, construction and sports, so we have really broad coverage. We are also planning to expand further globally. So far we are in 17 countries, mainly in Europe, but also as far away as South Africa.
Who are typical Crosscall target users?
We know our users well because we have built the company using a user-centric approach and we want to stick to this approach in the future. Crosscall has two kinds of users, professionals and sports enthusiasts, and sometimes those two groups overlap. For example, you can work in a vineyard and also be a trail runner. The environmental conditions can be very similar in terms of rain, dust, and shock.
The only way to make sure our products make sense is by being close to our users, and being in France helps with that. Several times per year we meet with groups of our sports enthusiast users from different types of sports, such as mountain biking, snowboarding, or surfing. We also meet customer groups from professional sectors.
We gather information about user requirements, which feeds into the development of new products. As soon as we have prototypes, we send them out to user groups and ask them for feedback to check if the proposition is in line with their expectations. If it is possible to do so, we implement the feedback and we repeat this process until launch of the product.
After launch, the user group members receive a production unit and again provide feedback which we will take into account for improvements to current and future products.
The Crosscall Trekker-X4 is used by employees of the French railway SNCF. Can you tell us more about this project?
From the beginning we developed strong relationships with professional users from different sectors such as transport, public safety, construction, and healthcare. All these user groups’ requirements feed into the development of any new product. In the specific case of SNCF, the company required robustness, durability, autonomy, and network stability. The latter two are especially important, as the device users are typically always moving on a train.
SNCF put this project out to tender and after in-depth testing of 5 different devices, the Trekker X-4 was selected. SNCF put a lot of emphasis on durability over a three or four year period. In the cases of some rival phones, they found that between 10 and 20 percent of the devices were returned broken, which would lead to planning insecurity and additional cost.
How the SNCF employees use the device depends on their specific role in the company. For some of them it is a mobile office — for example, for emailing. Others use them to check tickets or to enter information into reports, such as alerts or specific issues.
Do the camera and audio requirements of Crosscall users differ from those of users of more conventional smartphones?
Our Core range, for example, is targeted at professional users. The user profiles for this product include construction managers or army squad leaders. These kinds of users have very specific needs in terms of reliability of the device. They want to be able to capture images in any environment, under water, in dusty conditions, or when it’s cold and snowing. Therefore the entire product has to be designed to work in such adverse conditions, because if it isn’t, you won’t be able to take a picture at all.
As far as specific camera requirements go, responsiveness is a key priority, as well as the ability to capture bright images in all light conditions. To address responsiveness, we have implemented a physical shutter button, which is easy to trigger in all conditions, even when wearing gloves. We are also making sure the autofocus is fast and accurate, allowing for image capture without delay.
For other users — for example, a police officer on an observation mission — the camera has to be discreet and needs to be capable of capturing good image quality without using the flash. So the sensor needs to be sensitive. In this kind of situation it is also very important to capture the image very quickly, as you cannot miss a decisive moment.
In other cases the camera might not be used for image capture at all, but for barcode scanning or similar applications, so again, autofocus speed and accuracy as well as the ability to record a bright image are important.
Most professional users rely more on photo capture than video, but the need for video is increasing, especially in the area of public safety. In the Crosscall lineup, the Trekker series, which is targeted at athletes and outdoor use, comes with more video features — for example, an action cam and video editing app.
Our users also have some specific audio-related requirements. In some use cases, the Core-X4 is used as a walkie-talkie replacement. Loudness of the speakers is therefore important and the device also comes with a dedicated push-to-talk button.
How do Crosscall devices differ from more conventional models in terms of ruggedness and durability?
For us, the product should last a long time and work reliably during that time. This means we put a lot effort into developing a small number of new products each year and making sure we maintain and update them over time. The new Core series products we launched in 2020 are a good example. They come with a three-year warranty to emphasize reliability and durability.
In terms of hardware, we use a mechanical approach to development in order to make the device waterproof and resistant to environmental impacts. We use specific materials and a shock-absorbent shell, so the device can pass a drop test. A lot of smartphone accidents involve broken displays. Therefore the display glass of our devices is 60 percent thicker than standard Gorilla glass, and the battery is embedded in a protective case. This ensures that no perforation occurs in case of an impact, as this could result in ignition.
Crosscall devices are designed to withstand a drop from 2 meters, which is quite a challenge. All internal components have to be designed and assembled in a specific way so they do not break when the device is dropped. The outer shell has to use materials that can absorb shock and resist flex at the same time.
The devices can also operate in a temperate range from minus 40 to plus 60 degrees Celsius (-40°F to 140°F). Our devices are used by mountain rescue in the French Alps who can face temperatures of minus 20 Celsius (-4°F). These users need to be able to make a call and maybe also take pictures in these situations. A conventional device would just freeze.
What does the rugged design mean for the design of the camera and audio components?
When selecting components for our devices, we pay a lot of attention to the temperature range they can operate in and to the overall quality, so they match our criteria for durability and longevity. The processor of the device is a key component in this respect and we are working with Qualcomm within their Extended Life program, selecting processors that allow us to maintain the software over time and make the product last longer than 3 years.
In terms of the camera, we need to make sure the lens passes internal standards related to vibration and drops, because when things break in a lens you might not be able to focus anymore. From the outside the lens is protected with a resistant type of glass.
In terms of audio, the challenge lies in making sure the device is waterproof and lets sound pass at the same time. We use a particular membrane to make sure the audio components of the device — microphone, earphones, speakers — are water- and dust-proof, but that air and sounds still can pass.
Does the rugged design create any particular challenges during manufacturing?
We have specific manufacturing requirements and our quality control process is quite rigorous. We use components that other manufacturers would not typically use. For example, in the middle of the smartphone body we insert a magnesium sheet. For this kind of component we need to find specific suppliers that are not necessarily known in the mobile industry.
During assembly and production our Hong Kong team ensures quality assessment and control, making sure that all production batches meet our internal standards and the quality we aim to deliver. These steps add to production cost and time compared to the manufacturing of more conventional devices.
Does the rugged design have an impact on the repairability of the devices?
We use the same durability and longevity approach for repairability as we do for design and manufacturing. For example, our mechanical engineers try and avoid the use of glue whenever possible to make it easier to disassemble a device to replace broken components. The Core X-4, for example, has screws on the back which when removed, allow for full access to the internal components of the device.
Easy repairability is a requirement from our professional “fleet” users, but also means our after-sales team has the option to repair in the case of warranty claims rather than send out a new device.
Where do you see areas for growth?
From the launch of the company we have specialized in the outdoor market, and we claim we created that segment. In the consumer market, we work a lot with action sports athletes, but we also see some leisure athletes who like our products. So there is an area for growth.
On the professional side of things, there are opportunities to grow by expanding from traditional sectors like construction to sectors that operate in less “hostile” conditions but still require reliability and robustness. SNCF is an example of that.
So it is important to be pretty open-minded and not limit ourselves to the market for rugged devices. We are looking at what users are doing and what kinds of devices they need and will react accordingly.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us!
The post Crosscall interview: Rugged smartphones, designed in Europe appeared first on DXOMARK.
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Crosscall Core-X4 Camera review
Crosscall is a French maker of ruggedized phones, and the Core-X4 is the company’s latest handset aimed at professional users who have to abuse their phone in the line of duty. To that end, the Core-X4 is IP68-rated and can be submerged in up to 2 meters of salt water for up to half an hour without damage. It is also MIL-STD 810G-specified for 13 tests, including drop testing on all six sides from heights of 2 meters. The phone can work in extreme temperatures, from -25°C to 50°C (-13°F to 122°F). The screen is designed to be usable when wet and with gloves, and the case features an X-Link magnetic connector that securely attaches the phone to various accessories and mounts compatible across the Core line.
On the silicon side, the Core-X4 is less cutting-edge. That wet-usable screen is a 5.45-inch IPS HD+ panel, and Qualcomm’s entry-level SnapDragon 450 processor is backed by 3GB of RAM and 32GB of system storage (expandable with microSD up to 512GB).
Crosscall also hopes the Core-X4 will have after-hours appeal and has equipped it with a decently-specified main camera. The single rear camera module features a 48MP sensor that bins output down to 12MP. On-sensor phase-detect pixels get things in focus, but there’s no optical image stabilization. Without a dedicated telephoto or wide camera module, the Core-X4 doesn’t have the photographic flexibility we’re coming to expect in even mid-range phones.
How does this tough phone measure up to the finer points of our camera tests? Find out in this DXOMARK Camera review.
Key camera specifications:
- Single camera
- 48MP 1/2-inch sensor (12MP output)
- 26mm-equivalent f/1.8-aperture lens
- PDAF autofocus
- LED flash
- 1080p video at 30fps
About DXOMARK Camera tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphone camera reviews, DXOMARK engineers capture and evaluate over 1600 test images and more than 2 hours of video both in controlled lab environments and in natural indoor and outdoor scenes, using the camera’s default settings. This article is designed to highlight the most important results of our testing. For more information about the DXOMARK Camera test protocol, click here. More details on how we score smartphone cameras are available here.
Test results
With a DXOMARK Camera score of 79, the Crosscall Core-X4 ranks towards the bottom of our database, with performance comparable to a mid-range phone released a year or two ago (or a high-end phone from further back, such as the 2015 Samsung S6 Edge). It’s not an impressive score in 2020, but comparing the Core-X4 to mainstream handset designs isn’t really fair, as most of those can’t be tossed over one’s shoulder without bringing their effective score to 0.
The Core-X4 camera can produce nice-looking photos, though it has a tendency to underexpose.
The camera’s dynamic range is restricted, so high-contrast scenes will often show highlight and shadow clipping.
The Core-X4 manages fairly accurate white balance, though sometimes a blue or yellow cast is visible. Colors are often oversaturated, a tendency that’s quite visible when it renders green foliage.
Most phones balance the contrary poles of noise and detail with more grace than the Core-X4, which produces photos that are both quite noisy and lacking in finely-textured detail. Luminance and chroma noise are both visible in shadows, and detail is quite low under all tested conditions. The tendency to underexpose doesn’t help the shadow noise, since the sensor has that much less signal to work with.
The X4-Core’s autofocus is accurate but not particularly fast. In the chart below, we see acutance scores of over 100% for all but one trial, with speeds of just under a half-second in the long-delay test (when the phone is allowed to settle on the target for two seconds before taking a photo), and a bit less in the short-delay test. This is in line with the Nokia 7.2’s results, but many more capable phones capture a photo instantaneously, or even “before” the shutter is pressed, by going back to a buffered image that helps offset human reaction lag.
The Crosscall Core-X4 earned a respectable Artifacts sub-score of 76, not far off scores we’ve recorded in some of the better phone cameras we’ve tested. It loses the most points for moiré (false patterns that show up around repeating details like closely-spaced stripes). Cyan shift (in which oversaturated skies look unnatural), color fringing, maze artifacts, geometric distortion, false-colored clipped highlights, and ringing artifacts from oversharpening also bring down the score.
The Core-X4 doesn’t have a dedicated ultra-wide camera module, which of course drags down the overall score. Neither does it have a tele-camera, but that doesn’t stop us from testing zoom functionality. The Crosscall earns a score of 23, which is on par with other phones that make do with a digital zoom, but is far below what even a very basic dedicated tele-module would achieve. The primary camera is not great at retaining detail at its native output resolution, and cropping and upsampling to zoom predictably makes things worse. The level of detail at all zoom levels is low, and luminance noise gets more visible as the zoom range is extended.
The Core-X4 struggles in low light. In our night portrait test with the flash set to automatic, it did not fire every time. When it didn’t, the subject was essentially black. When it did, the background was black, and detail on the subject was low.
In our nighttime cityscape test shot, the Core-X4 uses a correct exposure, but image quality is otherwise low. Details are lacking and strong luminance and chroma noise are visible throughout the photo.
There is no simulated bokeh mode in the Core-X4’s camera app, and the device relies on the camera’s depth of field to blur the background in a portrait shot. We assigned the phone a Bokeh subscore of 25, the lowest possible.
In video mode, the Core-X4 shoots clips with accurate exposure and pleasant colors at Full-HD resolution. There’s no 4K or slow motion recording.
Some of the weaknesses noted in stills photography unfortunately carry over to videos. Noise is generally visible, especially in low-light conditions. In the charts below, we see that texture acutance (essentially, detail) is lower than that of the reference phones in good light; and while its noise level starts out lower than the Nokia 7.2 in bright light, it then becomes worse than for the other phones as light levels decrease.
Dynamic range is limited, so expect clipped highlights in high-contrast scenes. The cyan shift artifact seen in stills is also present in videos. Autofocus is not accurate when tracking subjects.
Perhaps most annoying is the apparent lack of any stabilization: most phones that don’t have optical image stabilization still use some form of gyro-based electronic stabilization to even out videos, but our walking test video faithfully records every bump and jerk of unwanted movement.
Conclusion
It’s apparent that while Crosscall put some effort into the Core-X4’s camera, it was not a design priority. This is a phone that’s made to be used hard in difficult environments. The camera is more than capable of basic visual note-taking, but its performance is not comparable to mainstream phones in its price segment.
Output from the camera is fairly consistent, with repeatable exposure, white balance, and autofocus. However, exposures tend to be dark, which contributes to high noise and low detail. Colors tend toward oversaturation, and color casts sometime affect accuracy. Zoom performance is poor, and there’s no ultra-wide camera module. When shooting video, colors are nice, but the lack of stabilization, along with limited dynamic range and high noise, make for mediocre output.
Overall, if you really need strong imaging performance in a tough phone, it may be worth exploring the competition before committing to the Core-X4.
Photo
Pros
- Consistent exposure, white balance, and autofocus
- Generally accurate autofocus
Cons
- Target exposure often low, limited dynamic range in most lighting conditions
- Slight blue cast frequently visible, colors sometimes oversaturated
- Chroma and luminance noise in dark areas of high-contrast scenes
- Loss of detail when zooming
- Maze artifacts, moiré, false-colored clipped highlights, color fringing, and hue shift near saturation
- No ultra-wide camera or bokeh mode
Video
Pros
- Vivid and pleasant colors
- Accurate exposure, especially in low light
Cons
- No stabilization, strong motion visible when walking
- Noise, especially in low light
- Very limited dynamic range
- Cyan shift in skies
- Inaccurate autofocus when tracking
The post Crosscall Core-X4 Camera review appeared first on DXOMARK.