The world's first thermal imaging smartphone is the CAT S60, a device first introduced back in February of 2016. This smartphone is part of a collection of Android-based devices made by the folks at CAT, aka Caterpillar. We've not traditionally reviewed a lot of Android devices this far from their original release date for several reasons, one of which is Android updates.
This morning we're taking a peek at two new phones from Xiaomi, the Mi A2 and the Mi A2 Lite. Much like some of the other two-tier smartphone releases of late from other companies, Xiaomi has two distinct phones here with the same name. The larger device has a rectangular display, and the "Lite" version has a notch. How weird!
Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5 has made durability tests one-thirds boring. Unless you have a Mohs level 6 pick in your pocket or an open glass cutter in you bag, phone screens are mostly safe from scratches. They might, however, not be that protected from drops, which could result in shattering. That is why for the Gorilla Glass 6, Corning has focused on making the material survive more drops from higher heights.
The Nokia 8 Sirocco isn't coming to the United States, but you may well wish it was. This device has an uncommon collection of specifications to it - one we're not used to rolling with here in the United States. It begins with a 5.5-inch edge-to-edge curved pOLED 2K resolution display "in a compact form that nestles perfectly in any hand."
Back at the beginning of the month, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that his company would set aside $1 billion for a new "Advanced Manufacturing Fund." At the time, Cook didn't say who would ultimately benefit from this fund, but today we're learning that Corning will be the first company to get an investment from it. Corning, as many of you already know, is the company behind Gorilla Glass, which adorns many phones on the market today.
This morning the OnePlus 3T has been detailed in full - albeit a bit early - thanks to a cached OnePlus webpage via Google. This device takes the features and abilities of the recently launched OnePlus 3 and turns up the volume just a tiny bit. This phone looks almost identical to its most recent predecessor - one could mistake one for the other quite easily.
Although it is definitely its most fatal flaw, the Galaxy Note 7’s first major criticism wasn’t actually about its literally smoking hot battery. Instead, it was about the display that was strengthened by Corning’s new and extra strong Gorilla Glass 5. Smartphone torture expert Zack from JerryRigEverything refuted the marketing, even causing Corning itself to put out a statement in its defense. Now, nearly three months later, JerryRigEverything admits an innocent error in his test and, in a complete U-turn, proves that the Galaxy Note 7 doesn’t scratch easily after all. Too bad it’s all moot now.
Today Google has revealed two smartphones, one the Pixel, the other the Pixel XL. These devices are made to be part of Google's bigger picture - a future in which the company is known for its hardware and software suite, not just a company that makes Android and releases Nexus devices mainly for developers. This larger machine has more pixels than its companion, coming in at 2K (2560 x 1440) at 5.5-inches instead of 1080p and 5-inches, not entirely unlike the Nexus 6P was to the Nexus 5X.
This morning Google's big Pixel event has revealed two devices, the smaller of the two being the Pixel phone. This device looks quite sleek, reminiscent of previous Google Nexus phones but making a visual name for itself with its metal edge and glass up front and behind. The top third of the backside of the Pixel is glass, while the rest is aluminum. Colors on the front match the back, and the back also has a fingerprint scanner, not unlike the Nexus 6P.
The past several weeks have been a bit of an incremental leak-fest for Google for their Pixel phone set. Today is the day in which the company reveals the whole shebang, but not before the primary smartphone in the set comes to light in all its glory. This device isn't meant to destroy the competition with specifications, it seems, but branding. This will be the first Google-branded device completely devoid of indication that it's made by HTC.
Corning Gorilla Glass SR+ has been revealed today by the company that makes massive amounts of display glass for many mobile devices. Corning makes its mark year after year on phones and tablets - smartphones, mostly - covering them all with their reinforced glass. Corning Gorilla Glass SR+, they suggest, will "significantly reduce visible scratches while delivering the toughness, optical clarity, and touch sensitivity that make Gorilla Glass famous."
More shatter resistant but not really more scratch resistant. That might be the summary of Corning’s point about the Gorilla Glass 5 when its newest product was put to a test on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, leaving doubts as to the practical benefits of the new glass material. In a semi-official response to the scratch test, Corning’s execs try to offer explanations for the seemingly disappointing, if not shocking, evidence while, at the same time, not exactly offering assurances to users who might encounter similar real-world cases.