It's worth noting that a premium Google device would not only compete against the iPhone, but also against high -
end handsets made by Google's partners.
Not exact matches
Concerns were fanned by suppliers reporting weak demand for high -
end handsets, another sign the smartphone boom that
made Apple the most - valuable company is ebbing.
The
handset made its first public appearance in Beijing, carrying some of the top - tier hardware components seen in most high
end smartphone available today.
The Chinese
handset maker, OnePlus has been
making flagship killers for a while now and has been offering high
end features in half the price through its
handsets.
With all the high -
end dual core and 3D smartphones
making an appearance, the Sony Ericsson Xperia pro is not the most innovative
handset out there, but sometimes conservative is better.
Make sure you are applying the next steps only for updating the Samsung Galaxy S, model number I9000 and not for any other similar device as you can
end up in bricking your Android based
handset.
Windows Phone 7 arrived on
handsets at the
end of last week, although the newest OS on the block hasn't really
made a big splash in the headlines this week.
Xiaomi started life
making low - cost, low - spec Android
handsets for the Chinese market, but has gradually upped its game to higher -
end phones.
As expected, both
handsets will feature the exact same specs, including the brand new Snapdragon 821 processor from Qualcomm that should
make them even faster than most of the high -
end Android phones currently in stores.
This is likely to be the last major Android update that Google officially
makes available to the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, as the period for guaranteed OS updates for both
handsets ends next month - but it's possible that they'll receive a further interim update (e.g. Android 8.1) after that.
Now, Motorola is back with the Moto E, an entry - level smartphone that aims to supersede the higher -
end feature phones and bevy of slow, cheaply
made Android
handsets.
As the entire phone
ends up one shade, there's a certain plain simplicity to the
handset that
makes it less striking than the S7 family.
The OnePlus X came to life towards the
end of last year and it has been
making waves in the
handset industry thanks to its extremely thin body of 6.9 mm and lightweight nature that sees it weigh a mere 138g.
Its cold metal edges and cool glass back
make it feel every inch the premium bit of kit, whereas the Galaxy S5 feels just the same as any low -
end or medium - range
handset.
Almost five months have passed since Google released Android 7.1.1 Nougat, but today, that update is finally
making its way to two of Sony's high -
end handsets.
OnePlus will soon unveil the OnePlus 5, a
handset that should generally offer features on par with the Galaxy S8, as it'll
make use of some of the same high -
end components found in Samsung's >>
It was
made official in November that OnePlus would be updating its current - gen flagship
handsets to Android Nougat by the
end of 2016.
The first batch of the «
Made in India»
handsets are said to be commercially available by the
end of 2015.
While Microsoft's latest Windows Phone 8 update is slowly rolling out to existing
handsets, the company is prepping new changes that will be
made available by the
end of the year.
If you can resist picking up your phone until the
end of dinner or the movie you're watching then this is a good a method as any for
making your
handset less of a distraction.
There are a number of features that can
make or break a high -
end smartphone nowadays, from battery life to biometric security and software, but the camera experience and display performance may well be the most important factors contributing to a
handset's success.
Even though the Samsung Galaxy Ace is not a high
end smartphone there are many Android users who own this
handset, the affordable price tag and its decent specs,
making the Ace one of the most popular Samsung phone.
All signs are pointing to Sony unveiling a new flagship that could rival Samsung's Galaxy S9 — another high -
end handset that will
make its debut at MWC.Credit: Tom's Guide
It's a top
end handset with impressive specs that
make us jealous it'll be Latin America only at launch.
Unfortunately, it's hard to gauge the accuracy of its PCMark benchmark results, as the Oppo R9s turned in a score that would
make even the most high -
end flagship
handsets on the market kneel before it.
There are too many issues with this
handset for me to recommend it over high -
end Android competitors, and the exorbitant price tag
makes it poor value for consumers.
Despite its dominance in Asia and other markets, Huawei hasn't
made its mark in the U.S.. However, the company's products have been slowly
making their way to the country, be it budget
handsets such as the Honor 6X or even high -
end handsets such as the Huawei Honor 8.
It might be the most expensive Samsung phone ever
made, but the Galaxy Note 8 is probably the phone to buy if you're looking for a high -
end Android
handset made by Samsung.
Given the idea that Nokia really will
end up having their
handset business owned by Microsoft in full in the near future, it
makes a lot of sense that Microsoft would support the wireless standard they'd already have in place.
This
handset made an appearance on China's TENAA last month and apparently, some publications believe that this is the phone that could
end up using this most powerful processor in the world.
The aluminium isn't just for structural integrity though: it
makes the
handset feel like a nicer, higher -
end product in your hands, while also improving the aesthetics through a pleasant shimmery silver that complements the white body.
It's a potent combination that
makes other high -
end handsets look hopelessly underpowered.
Apparently, a final decision on how this technology will be adopted in the
handset will be
made by the
end of this month.
HMD is trying to
make high -
end Nokia
handsets stand out by equipping them with Zeiss optics.
Interestingly, the budget Zmax Pro was launched immediately after the manufacturer's foray into the high -
end market with its Axon 7
handset that was
made available directly to its customers.
Samsung's flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone might feel much cheaper than high -
end handsets from Samsung's rivals, but that doesn't mean the phone is actually
made from cheap materials.
The headphone element is important though, as HTC has taken the bold step of not only
making the HTC 10 Hi - Res Audio Certified, but has also bundled in some high -
end headphones with the
handset, so everyone has access to the improved tones.
The company
made a name for itself in the US in much the same way Chinese phone vendors exploded in popularity in China, by
making smartphones that rival high -
end flagship
handsets but for hundreds less.
The smartphone will reportedly ditch Samsung's plastic rear case for a brushed metal design to
make the
handset feel high -
end.
The camera is what often
makes or breaks a high -
end handset and the Galaxy S9 + is no exception.
The Huawei -
made Google Nexus 6P was one of the best - selling phones in 2015/2016 thanks to the fact that the Chinese OEM managed to cram high -
end specs in a phone that was eventually priced as a mid-range
handset.
This
handset is just as good as more expensive rivals,
making it a fantastic choice for nearly all consumers after a high -
end smartphone.
However, HMD has been rumored to be planning up to seven smartphones this year,
making some wonder whether high -
end handsets are in the works.
Offering discounts on smartphones now might be Verizon's way of clearing some of its inventory of last year's high -
end handsets to
make room for the new phones on the way.
This meant that the low -
end buyers could never get their hands on the Nexus 6, but 2015 saw the search engine giant
make up for the mistake by coming in with two
handsets — Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X.
The fact that it can be used in more places than the likes of Android Pay and Apple Pay has
made it an even better option for mobile payments, however, being limited to Samsung devices leaves it on the losing
end when compared to Android Pay, which is available on all Android devices, including Samsung
handsets.
Pricing for Apple's upcoming device is set to start at $ 1,319 CAD for the 64 GB model of the device and $ 1,529 for the 256 GB variant,
making Apple's ultra high -
end smartphone one of the most expensive
handsets ever released in Canada.
With the R11s, Oppo has once again produced a surprisingly premium
handset that's capable of standing up to the big boys,
making it an affordable alternative to high -
end competitors like the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S8.
Paired with a low price, the EE Hawk isn't
made for everyone but if you're looking for a phone that looks good for not much money and you're not too worried about playing high
end games, this could be the
handset for you.
NFC is also
making its way onto the lower -
end phones, so it is nice to see that the Samsung Galaxy Fame is another
handset that includes it even at the low
end cost.