10 Best Smartphones, Wearables From IFA 2015
The IFA tradeshow in Berlin produced a wealth of new smartphones and smartwatches to keep us all connected. From Sony, to Samsung, to Motorola, here's the best of the best.
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BERLIN -- IFA has become a hotspot for smartphone and wearable announcements. The Berlin-based tradeshow may not carry the weight of the Consumer Electronics Show or Mobile World Congress, but it is important enough to attract mobile device makers from around the world.
Samsung has contributed heavily to IFA's upsurge in recent years. The South Korean company has used the German tech show to launch the Galaxy Note, Note 2, Note 3, and Note 4 smartphones, as well as the first Galaxy Gear smartwatch. Samsung moved the Note 5's release up by a few weeks this year to avoid colliding with Apple's iPhone 6s (expected Sept. 9).
The Note 5 played a large role in Samsung's presence in Berlin, but it was not the company's focus this week. Instead, Samsung was all about the Gear S2, its next-generation smartwatch. The wearable made a splashy debut in Berlin's iconic Tempodrom.
Other phone and smartwatch companies were on hand with their latest tech, too, much of which will reach stores in the weeks ahead.
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Chinese phone builders were most prevalent around the Messe in Berlin. For example, Acer and Asus kicked things off on Sept. 4 with a flood of new phones for Asian markets. Huawei followed later in the day with a flagship handset, and Lenovo capped day one with several large phablets of its own. ZTE was sure to show off its latest smartphone, which can identify people -- and unlock the phone -- through their eyes.
LG and Motorola were on hand, but didn't reveal any new smartphones.
Smartwatches made a huge impact at IFA, and were perhaps the talk of the show.
Huawei's Android Wear timepiece is a high-class and high-cost marvel. Samsung's Gear S2 could be hugely popular thanks to expanded compatibility with non-Samsung handsets. The Alcatel smartwatch targets cost-conscious buyers, but Motorola's Moto 360 aims for the fashion-focused.
IFA delivered plenty of exciting new products. Here are the five most-interesting smartphones and five most interesting smartwatches we saw at the trade show.
Samsung's Gear S2 could represent a turning point for smart wearables. The smartwatch has a clean, modern design, a good screen, and boasts of two days of battery life. More importantly, it highlights just how good a smartwatch user interface can be. With its rotating dial and circular UI, the Gear S2 is far simpler and more intuitive than Google's janky Android Wear platform. Moreover, the Gear S2 can make phone calls and, despite its proprietary Tizen operating system, is compatible with competing Android smartphones. Pricing starts at $299 and it ships in October.
Motorola is taking the shotgun approach with the Moto 360. Rather than offer a focused product, the Moto 360 is available in a surprising breadth of sizes and styles. Motorola is going so far as to let people design and order their own Moto 360 online. The mix of colors, finishes, straps, and screen widths should appeal to those who prefer bespoke products. The smartwatch basics (notifications, messaging, fitness tracking) are intact, and Motorola even claims to have resolved battery life problems.
Huawei's Watch competes with Apple's pricey wearable. With prices that range from $349 to $799, the Huawei Watch is one of the more expensive Android Wear smartwatches in the market. The device has a 1.4-inch screen with 400 by 400 pixels, giving it the highest pixel density among modern smart watches. It comes with the standard set of internals, but is unique thanks to quick-charging technology that can install an 80% charge in 45 minutes. Huawei claims the Watch will provide two days of battery life. It comes in black stainless steel, bare stainless steel, and rose gold. It is compatible with Android and iOS handsets and goes on sale Sept. 17.
Asus knows its place in the market. Rather than target high-falutin' iPhone owners, it tempts budget-minded buyers. The ZenWatch 2 is an affordable device based on Google's Android Wear platform. The ZenWatch 2 comes in two different sizes and three different stainless steel case colors. Asus is offering 18 different strap options so people can give the wearable a bit of personality. The battery delivers two days of uptime and charges via a magnetic connector on the back. It will cost about $170 when it goes on sale in October.
The Go Watch is somewhat recycled, but Alcatel's basic idea is admirable. The Go Watch carriers over almost all of the features from the Alcatel Watch Series from earlier this year, but it adds a few key functions that may convince younger users to jump onto the wearable bandwagon. The smartwatch has a new exterior design, but uses the same 1.22-inch screen. The exterior shell is easily removed and swapped to suit different personalities. The core feature is the Go Button, which can measure the owner's "emotion pulse." Alcatel says the emotion pulse is based on the heart rate, but takes into account other factors from sensors such as the barometer and gyroscope. The result is a little graphic that represents the wearer's emotional state. The graphic can be tweaked and shared via social networks. It feels like a feature made for teens. Otherwise, the Go Watch handles the basics, such as email, notifications, messages, and media playback. It will cost less than $150 and goes on sale later this year.
Sony's 2015 flagship is by far the most impressive handset revealed at IFA this year. The ultra-premium phone has a beautiful design and is, as the saying goes, armed to the teeth. The two standout features of the Xperia Z5 are the 5.5-inch 4K (Ultra HD) display and the 23-megapixel cameras. Sony went overboard with the screen, delivering the first 4K screen on the market. It looks stunning in person. Sony expanded its use of bleeding edge imaging technology, as well. The shooter has a wide aperture, fast lens, and can focus in 0.03 seconds -- making it the fastest autofocus smartphone on earth. Toss in the ultra slo-mo video recording mode and you have the foundation of an iPhone killer. Pricing and availability were not disclosed.
ZTE already sells the Axon Pro in the US, but the Axon Elite takes things a step further. It has the same basic footprint and features of the Axon Pro, but boosts biometrics for added security. A fingerprint sensor on the back is so quick and accurate that it can unlock the phone in an instant. The Axon Elite also has voice recognition. Once properly trained, the Axon Elite will only unlock when the owner utters a certain catchphrase. Then there's the eye-scanning. The Axon Elite's camera records the arrangement of blood vessels visible on the owner's eyeballs. The vessels are unique to each person, making it a secure method for unlocking the phone. (Bloodshot eyes in the morning? No worries, it will still be able to recognize the owner and unlock the phone.) The Axon Elite is shipping to Asian markets soon.
The Mate S is Huawei's latest flagship Android smartphone. Curiously, it beat Apple in delivering Force Touch technology. The Mate S is able to recognize gentle taps and more firm pushes on the glass and take action according to the amount of force used. (Apple is expected to add this to the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus at its event on Sept. 9.) The Mate S covers every other spec in spades. It has a 5.5-inch screen, 13-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization, 8-megapixel selfie camera, and an 8-core 64-bit processor. The handset is water resistant, supports worldwide LTE bands, and includes two SIM card slots. The Mate S goes on sale later this year for about $700.
Not to be overshadowed by the Motorola Moto X (which, technically, Lenovo owns), Lenovo's handset team trotted out its own smartphones in Berlin. The Phab and Phab Plus redefine the line between smartphones and tablets. The Phab Plus, for example, touts a 6.8-inch screen, Snapdragon 615 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, a 13-megapixel/5-megapixel camera configuration, and a 3,500mAh battery. The Lenovo Phab increases the screen size to 7 inches and stuffs a 4,500mAh battery inside. Prices are $299 and $179, respectively.
The Alcatel OneTouch Go Play is an interesting exercise. The phone targets the middle of the market with low-key specs. It has a 5-inch 720p HD screen, Snapdragon 410 processor, an 8/5-megapixel camera configuration, and a 2,500mAh battery. It is shockproof, waterproof, and costs less than $150. Alcatel plans to sell the Go Play (which pairs well with the Go Watch) directly to consumers via its website. That means you won't find the Go Play in carrier stores. It supports the LTE networks run by AT&T and T-Mobile, and is sold unlocked.
The Alcatel OneTouch Go Play is an interesting exercise. The phone targets the middle of the market with low-key specs. It has a 5-inch 720p HD screen, Snapdragon 410 processor, an 8/5-megapixel camera configuration, and a 2,500mAh battery. It is shockproof, waterproof, and costs less than $150. Alcatel plans to sell the Go Play (which pairs well with the Go Watch) directly to consumers via its website. That means you won't find the Go Play in carrier stores. It supports the LTE networks run by AT&T and T-Mobile, and is sold unlocked.
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