IPHONE 7 RUMORS AND NEWS LEAKS

New design with key changes

If Apple follows its own trends, the iPhone 7 should come with an entirely new design. So far, rumors indicate that the next iPhone will be water-resistant, feature liquid metal, and eliminate antenna lines. There are also rumors that it could sport a smart connector, and do away with the headphone port. Now it seems the mute switch could also disappear, though it’s debatable.

A video leaked on Chinese social media appears to confirm many, if not all, of those design rumors. It’s a hands-on of two reported iPhone 7 models, one in “space gray” the other in silver, that takes an exhaustive look at the handsets’ exteriors. Judging from the footage, neither appears to have a 3.5mm headphone port, and the signature white antenna band of the iPhone 6s has been truncated on both. The camera module appears larger on the two models than sensors in previous iPhones, too, and there’s what looks to be a second speaker near the bottom of the devices.

The iPhone 7 may be available in the same four colors as the iPhone 6s: silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold. That’s according to a leaked image from MacityNet, which shows four reported “dummy” iPhones in the aforementioned hues side by side. According to the source, those are, in fact, the only color configurations in which the new iPhone 7 will be available — refuting rumors of a new “deep blue” option. The snap also appears to show a bulging metal enclosure around the handset’s rear-facing sensor — 9to5Mac estimates it’s about 25-percent bigger in diameter than the previous iPhone’s camera cut-out — and adds a new antenna design. The iPhone 7’s radios seem to run along the top and bottom of the device, rather than, as on the iPhone 6s, around back.

Leaked images on Chinese social media from July appear to show an unfamiliar iPhone model — the iPhone 7 Pro, presumably — that shares curvature in common with the iPhone 6S. Notably, however, the pictured handset sports Apple’s three-pin Smart Connector near its lower rear cover, a potential indication that at least one model of upcoming iPhone will be compatible with newer third-party keyboards and charging docs. And the iPhone appears to lack a hardware mute switch. Otherwise, though, the pictures would seem to largely confirm a number of longstanding features including dual rear-facing cameras and retooled antennas.

Another image from Nowhere Else shows what the back of the device may look like. It looks like the iPhone still has the rounded design, but you’ll notice the missing antenna lines on the back. Instead, it looks like the antennas are placed on the bottom and top of the device, and are made to look a little like bumpers. The camera also looks different, as it now is larger and looks like it protrudes a little more than before. The bigger camera could be for a wider lens like on the LG G5.

This could also very well be the iPhone version with the dual-lens camera — which is rumored to be exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus.

There’s new evidence to support this claim — a presentation slide out of Foxconn shows that the iPhone 7, or at least one of them, will feature a water-resistant body, according to MyDrivers.

Previously, a report from inside China sugested that five iPhones were being tested, each with one particular feature of interest. Those features include wireless charging, fingerprint recognition on the display, multi Force Touch, dual-cameras, and a USB Type-C connector. Previous patents have suggested Apple is working on wireless charging and fingerprint recognition technology on the display, though the patent for wireless charging was filed three years ago.

The same Foxconn slide also mentions that wireless charging will be available in one of the models. Take this information with a grain of salt, but if the new iPhone comes with any of those technologies, it’ll be sure to be popular.

Now it seems that at least the lack of a headphone jack may be true. The Wall Street Journal said in mid-June that although the iPhone 7 won’t bring huge changes, it will do away with the headphone jack to slim the phone down and increase water resistance.

Leaked schematics from Techtastic slightly contradict that report. They reveal an iPhone 7 prototype with thicker casing than that of the iPhone 6S — 7.15mm compared to 7.1mm. They also appear to show a rear-facing camera that’s both larger and nearer the iPhone’s top edge than the shooters on previous models.

Another image leaked by French tech blog Nowhereelse.fr would seem to substantiate the Wall Street Journal’s claims about the lack of audio jack, though. It shows iPhone casing that distinctly lacks a 3.5mm port. In addition, the pictured iPhone seems to pack a second speaker grill for stereo audio. It shows a dual camera lens, too, and reconfigured antenna lines that run along the phone’s edge rather than across the back panel.

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Pokemon Go Review

Pokemon Go, described in simple terms, is a clever concept: Walk to real-life locations called PokeStops marked on a map on your phone to get items and collect the Pokemon that pop up along the way to gain XP. Use those Pokemon to take over real-world objectives called Gyms from other players. It has all the basics covered to make it a functional mobile treasure-hunting app, though technically its performance (and that of its servers) is often very poor on iOS and Android. But the main appeal of the free-to-play Pokemon Go is how being out in the real world, finding tons of other people who see the same augmented reality you do, brings the sort of intangible dream of Pokemon to life.

It has to be experienced to really make sense; without that social aspect it's really just an extremely light RPG level-grinder. Pokemon Go’s success or failure hinges on that experience, and right now it’s stuck somewhere in between, simultaneously fun and unique but also inconsistent and incomplete. (It is, after all, listed as version 0.29 despite being released onto the App Store and Google Play without caveats.) It’s not mechanically interesting, but it is socially very interesting thanks to a few smart design decisions. You wouldn’t jump off a bridge because everybody’s doing it, but that is a great reason to play Pokemon Go.

Welcome to the World of Pokemon

At least in the short term, Pokemon Go is a proven phenomenon with millions of players. I was at a party in the San Francisco Bay Area over the weekend where at least two dozen adults were out on the front lawn, calling out the names of Pokemon as they appeared on our phones. We ran inside when someone claimed a Bulbasaur was in the fridge; we ran back outside for Ponyta. We walked a block or two to challenge a nearby Gym only to have it taken over right from under us by someone we didn't know and couldn't see, and we all had the app crash on us a few too many times during our hour out and about. It was silly and frustrating and fun all at once.

Battles for control of Gym locations are nothing more than simple, real-time tapping-based combat, and it’s virtually unaffected by anything other than combat point value. Even Pokemon’s rock-paper-scissors type matchups hardly matter, either — if you have the higher-powered monster, you’re all but guaranteed to win. It’s boring by itself and, like the combat points system, isn’t explained well. (There’s dodging, but it doesn’t seem to do much to turn the tide of a fight.) It’s not that the only acceptable form of combat is turn-based and tactical, but the system in its place here is simply a dull chore after just a few fights.

On top of that, the app itself is stuttery, crashy, and performs inconsistently. There are updates that help with this, and it’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s often frustrating. I’ve lost semi-rare Pokemon to random crashes that struck during crucial moments (though sometimes those seemingly escaped Pokemon show up as caught once I reload after the crash).

Right now, Pokemon Go is an incredible, can’t-miss social experience — like Pokemon is actually real and everyone is on board — but its RPG mechanics and combat don’t have nearly enough depth to support itself in the long term. If people start to lose interest due to its lack of depth once the novelty of seeing Pokemon pop up around their everyday lives expires, the community will fall apart and the spell will be broken. What Pokemon Go needs is more features to support that real-world interaction. Things like Pokemon trading and leader boards, which developer Niantic says are incoming, could keep that momentum up. Even if it will be short-lived, though, there’s no doubt it’s exciting to be a part of while it lasts.

BY KALLIE PLAGGE

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Xiaomi Mi5 review

What if I told you that you could get a phone that's as stylish and powerful as the Samsung Galaxy S7, but for a fraction of the price? You'd probably think I was the guy who creates those web ads that say 'This stay-at-home mum earns £3 billion every week using Google' or something similar.

But here's the thing: the Xiaomi Mi5 is exactly that Android phone – a powerful, beautifully designed handset that costs around £300 (US$450, AU$515).

Price and availability are something of a moveable feast, however, because while the Xiaomi Mi5 is available in the UK through some retailers, it's never going to be sold on a carrier.

This is one of those phones that you have to track down yourself, buy upfront and plug your own SIM card into, although for experienced users this is hardly a challenge. The question is, is the Mi5 is worth seeking out?

Spoiler alert: yes it is. At least that's my opinion, although there are some caveats with this phone too, and we'll get to those as we take a closer look at this interesting little device.

This is one of those phones that you have to track down yourself, buy upfront and plug your own SIM card into, although for experienced users this is hardly a challenge. The question is, is the Mi5 is worth seeking out?

Design

There are two variants of the Mi5. I've been testing the basic version, which has what Xiaomi calls a '3D Glass' back, and comes in 32GB or 64GB storage options coupled with 3GB of RAM. There's also a Pro model that has a ceramic back, and comes with 128GB of storage and 4GB of RAM.

"Glass?" I hear you say. Don't panic though, because this glass is tough. How do I know? Because the Mi5 has slid off my desk twice since I received it. This is because the glass rear offers very little friction, and on both occasions I'd placed it either on top of another phone or on another low-friction surface. But those mishaps did at least demonstrate that this phone is far from fragile.

At its reasonably modest price – depending on which model you buy – the Xiaomi Mi5 is nothing short of staggering value for money. This is a phone that offers the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 3GB (or 4GB in the high-end model) of RAM and 32GB, 64GB or 128GB of storage.

Add in a decent camera, solid battery life and stunning design, and far from being a phone of compromises, this is a phone of winning and awesomeness.

Quite how Xiaomi has achieved all this for a bargain price I don't know. It's also made this phone incredibly light, courtesy of a super-light aluminium frame and thin but strong Gorilla Glass 4.

All in all, there's a lot to like with this phone, and not much to grumble about – and for a grumpy phone reviewer to say that is really quite something.

Spoiler alert: yes it is. At least that's my opinion, although there are some caveats with this phone too, and we'll get to those as we take a closer look at this interesting little device.

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Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge Review

KEY FEATURES

• 5.1-inch, quad-HD display
• 3,000mAh battery
• 12MP camera
• Fast and wireless charging
• MicroSD
• Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
• 4GB RAM
• 5MP selfie camera
• Exynos 8890 processor
• Manufacturer: Samsung

WHAT IS THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S7?

If you’re on the hunt for an Android phone right now, the Samsung Galaxy S7 should be very close to the top of your list. Even though the competition from the HTC 10, LG G5 and the upcoming Note 6 (or Note 7) is strong, the S7 is the Korean company’s best phone yet.

The biggest threat comes from the OnePlus 3, which offers similar specs to the Galaxy S7 but for a much lower price. Still, the extra quality is here to see and it really shows.

If you want the best screen, best camera and one of the comfiest phones I have ever held then Samsung’s latest flagship is the perfect choice.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 – DESIGN

After the massive, and much needed, change in design direction Samsung took with the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge in 2015, all rumors pointed to things staying pretty much the same for the Galaxy S7.

Well, it’s not like Apple, HTC or Sony make drastic changes to their industrial design every year.

And that’s exactly the case here. Place the Galaxy S7 next to the S6 and you’d be hard pushed to instantly pick which one is which. Frankly, this doesn’t bother me in the slightest. The S6 was already one of the best-looking phones around, and the Galaxy S7 follows suit.

It had been suggested that Samsung would make a big switch to the new, reversible USB-C connector that’s already being used on the Nexus 6P, OnePlus 2 and LG G5, but it hasn’t.

To be honest, USB–C is more of a hindrance than a help at the minute. You can’t use any of the cables you’ve picked up over the years and it doesn’t necessarily mean faster charging. It does mean the S7 isn’t quite so future proof, though.

The front again has a clean look about it. The elongated home button still sits under the display, and it still juts out ever so slightly, rather than being concave like the iPhone’s. For me, this is a plus – it feels better pressing the Galaxy S7’s home button than the iPhone 6S’s – but a couple of the TrustedReviews team think otherwise. They’re wrong, of course, but it’s interesting how such a small design choice can split people.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S7 – DISPLAY

Close to perfection. That’s the best way to describe the display on Samsung’s Galaxy S7.

Not much has really changed from the outgoing S6, but this still holds up as the best screen on a smartphone.

It’s still a 5.1-inch QHD panel with a 2560 x 1440 resolution, and just like every Galaxy flagship so far, it uses Samsung’s Super AMOLED tech, rather than the more common LCD.

AMOLED displays are a lot better at showing off blacks than LCDs. Instead of looking slightly grey and washed out, the blacks here are inky deep. Some say AMOLED screens produce colours that are too oversaturated, so reds will look way brighter than they should, but that isn’t much of an issue here. And if you really prefer things toned down, there’s a picture setting for that.

Having so many pixels jammed into a relatively small space means you can’t really spot one pixel from another, and that sharpness makes everything from gaming to watching YouTube an absolute pleasure. Play a round of Alto’s Adventure or Monument Valley on this display and you’ll instantly be drawn in by the crisp details and vivid colour reproduction.

I wouldn’t normally watch a film on a screen this size, but the panel here is so gorgeous that I can’t help getting lost in it.

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