News

LG unveils flagship V20 with Android Nougat and removable battery

Published

September 7, 2016

Marvin Velasco

You really have to hand it to LG for trying something different each time it releases a new flagship. Last year’s V10 delivered a rugged build with a pair of front-facing cameras and secondary LCD screen, while the more recent G5 introduced the world to partial modularity through its add-on Friends. Topping their innovations was going to be a challenge, but LG went ahead and added a second entry to the V-series with the V20.

There’s a lot to talk about with the V20, but going straight to the construction seems to be the obvious choice. The build is top-notch with a lightweight, shock-resistant aluminum body; however, a somewhat surprising omission is the partial modularity found in the G5. Rumors suggested compatibility with the same add-ons the G5 has. Instead, you can only press a button on the side to eject the back plate and swap the battery. You can barely call it innovative or modular, but considering the lack of user-replaceable batteries in flagship phones, this is something a lot of people will appreciate.

Another highlight is the inclusion of Android 7.0 Nougat as soon as you turn on the V20. Google’s Nexus devices had the privilege of being the first to have the latest Android version out of the box in recent years, so it’s a big deal for LG to earn the recognition. For consumers, this means you won’t have to wait in line to receive Android’s most complete OS to date, like on other handsets stuck on 6.0 Marshmallow or even 5.0 Lollipop. V20 users will probably also be ahead of the pack once the next Android flavor rolls out.

The rest of the signature features are carryovers from the two older flagships, including the same dual camera setup as the G5 (a 16-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization combined with a wide-angle 8-megapixel shooter) and the V10’s secondary LCD screen (now at 2.2 inches) found above the main display, which is a 5.7-inch Quad HD panel. What’s extra special about the V20 is the 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC capabilities, to the delight of audiophiles everywhere. LG claims it can reduce up to 50 percent of ambient noise levels, on top of producing cleaner and crisper sounds than ordinary smartphones. Plus, you’ll be able to fit in lots of music with the 64GB of internal storage that’s expandable using a microSD card.

It’s a no-brainer that the V20 is filled to the brim with the very best internals, but let’s list the rest of them down anyway. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset to effortlessly process every task, 4GB of RAM to hold all the active apps together, and a 3,200mAh battery that can be recharged swiftly through Quick Charge 3.0. The usual fingerprint scanner is once again found at the back, right on top of the power button and below the rear camera.

The LG V20 will be available in the colors titan, pink, and silver. We’ll update this page once we find out the price and availability.

[irp posts=”7555″ name=”LG V20 review”]

Related Topics:Android 7.0 Android Nougat LG V20

News

OnePlus Open and OPPO Find N3 are the exact same phone

OnePlus confirmed it

Published

October 3, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

If you’re shopping for a foldable phone in the future, you can cross one device off your list — when considering only specs, at least. OnePlus has confirmed that its upcoming foldable smartphone is the exact same device as OPPO’s upcoming foldable.

In an announcement emailed today, OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau stated that OnePlus and OPPO have co-developed a foldable device in tandem. Despite being only one device, it will be released as two smartphones, released under both OnePlus’s and OPPO’s banner. To differentiate between the two brands, each device will cater to two different markets.

Lau has not confirmed what these smartphones are. However, given the teases we’ve received from both brands so far, it’s fair to assume what they are. OnePlus, for example, teased a OnePlus Open back in July. OPPO, on the other hand, is set to launch the OPPO Find N3 soon. There is also no confirmation as to which markets will receive the phones. If anything, the Find N3 will likely be a China exclusive when it launches.

In previous rumors from months ago, the foldable device will likely carry a 7.82-inch screen. The secondary screen might extend to 6.31 inches. Inside, it will reportedly have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, complemented by 16GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It might also have a triple rear camera combination comprised of a 48-megapixel main shooter, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 64-megapixel telephoto lens.

News

The iPhone 15 is overheating, and Apple knows about it

A fix is coming soon

Published

October 3, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

If you couldn’t wait for Christmas and got yourself a new iPhone 15 already, you might have noticed a flaw with your new phone. While using it in certain ways, the smartphone reportedly heats up to uncomfortable levels. Apple has now confirmed that the problem is real. The company is now working on a solution for the issue.

Since the iPhone 15 series launched late last month, several users have reported that the devices in the series can get uncomfortably hot in certain situations. At the time, Apple didn’t know what was causing the issue.

Over the weekend, Apple figured it out. According to Forbes, the company has linked the heating issue with three things: increased background activity, an iOS 17 bug, and some third-party apps.

The first cause is not an issue. During device set-up, the smartphone usually loads up a lot of background processes at once. Naturally, it goes on overdrive, causing the increased temperature.

On the other hand, the next two reasons are noted issues. “We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update. Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system. We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out,” Apple said.

The iOS 17 update should be coming soon. However, the third-party fixes will be dependent on the developer. Asphalt 9, Instagram, and Uber are already confirmed for the flaw, but only Instagram has received a fix so far.

At the very least, Apple confirms that it’s not a hardware issue. If you’re worried about the potential for hardware failure, you can rest assured that it’s just a software issue.

Apps

UAAP Season 86 is FREE on Smart LiveStream App

Available on the App Store and Google Play

Published

October 2, 2023

GadgetMatch

Want to keep up with the UAAP Season 86 games? You can do so with the Smart LiveStream App.

Much like what SMART did with FIBA World Cup 2023, the telecommunication company is giving its subscribers free access to watch UAAP Season 86 games through the Smart LiveStream App. The games are available both live and on-demand.

Smart subscribers can stream all the UAAP Season 86 games on the Smart LiveStream App using their smartphones or tablets while connected to Smart mobile Internet or their PLDT Home WiFi. Smart subscribers are able to stream for free — no subscription needed.

The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Stream on TV?

Yes, you can do so. The Smart LiveStream TV App is available on Google-certified Android TV Android 8.0 version. It’s downloadable from the Android TV Google Play Store and linking their Android TV to the app. To do this, subscribers simply need to open the Smart LiveStream Mobile App, go to Menu, click Link Device, and enable the camera to scan the QR code displayed on the Android TV.

Alternatively, Android TV users may go to www.smart.com.ph/livestream to sign into their account, then go to Menu, click Device Management to add their Android TV by entering the code displayed on the TV and activate their Smart LiveStream TV App.