Nexus 6 leaks

Nexus 6 leaks: 5.9-inch Moto monster with 2560×1400 display, 3200 mAh battery

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It now seems likely that Google’s next Nexus smartphone will be the Motorola-made Nexus 6. Yes, as the numeral indicates, this will be a 6-inch device (or 5.9 inches to be exact, according to some sources). A recent photo of the Nexus 6 (code named Shamu) suggests the phone will essentially be a scaled-up version of the new Moto X (and indeed, it might be called the Nexus X instead of the Nexus 6). The Nexus 6 will have some impressive hardware specs, too, including a 2560×1440 (QHD) display and a large 3,200+ mAh battery. It should be released in October. Pricing isn’t known yet.

If you were hoping that the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus was merely an outlier, and that smartphones would remain sensibly sized for at least a little longer, it would seem you were sadly mistaken. By the year’s end, your 5-inch HTC One M8 or 5.1-inch Galaxy S5 will be on the smaller end of the spectrum. There had been a long-running rumor that there would be a smaller Shamu smartphone — something around the 5.2-inch range — but all of the latest leaks strongly point towards the Nexus 6 being a 5.9-inch device.

A leaked photo that reportedly shows the Nexus 6 (left) vs. the LG G3 (right). The LG G3, with a 5.5-inch 2560×1440 screen, is already a very large device.

Read: iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sell 4M units in 24 hours: Android was right about large screens

Android Police has received enough leaked information recently that it’s now reporting with “9 out of 10 confidence” on the Nexus 6′s hardware specs. The device will closely resemble the new Moto X — it will have the same aluminium frame around the edge, a similar 13-megapixel rear shooter with dual ring flash — but the body will be significantly engorged to cater for a new, 2560×1440 5.9-inch display (496 PPI). The larger body means there’ll also be a huge battery — 3,200 mAh or greater.

Apparently the Nexus 6/Shamu/Nexus X will also have dual front-facing speakers (the Moto X only has one), and the power button and volume rocker will move farther down the right hand side of the phone. There’s no word on whether the Nexus 6 will be customizable like the Moto X, but I doubt it. The “turbo charging” feature present on the Moto X, which can imbue the phone with 8 hours of use from use 15 minutes of charging, will also be coming to the Nexus 6.

A stylized version of the 64-bit (Denver) Tegra K1 SoC that will power the Nexus 9 tablet

Curiously, though, we don’t know much about the internals of the Nexus 6. Previous leaks suggested the Nexus 6 would be helmed by the Snapdragon 805 — which makes sense, as it’s still the best chip on the market. This is slightly at odds, however, with Google’s work to support 64-bit processors with Android L and rumors that the Nexus 9 tablet will be powered by the 64-bit Denver Tegra K1 chip. This isn’t to say that Android L will run badly on 32-bit processors, but I would’ve thought that Google would be keen to get developers and power users testing the 64-bit version of Android as soon as possible.

In any case, we’ll find out everything about the Nexus 6 (and Nexus 9) soon enough: Both devices should be released in October, alongside Android L (which looks like it’ll be called Lollipop, incidentally). Pricing is unknown, but it would be very interesting if the Nexus 6 keeps the same low price as the Nexus 5 (~$400 off-contract).

Android L

At the risk of sounding like a Luddite, a 5.9-inch smartphone really is too big for everyday use — unless we evolve larger thumbs (or use thumb extenders), and clothes designers start adding larger pockets. But hey, who knows? A lot of people said the same thing about 5-inch smartphones, and more recently the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. The only real way of finding out how big is too big is to keep going until something snaps — or bends, as the case may be.

Now read: Android L, even as a developer preview, is magnificent (hands-on video)

His 101st Birthday Present? Another 

Day at Work

Herman "Hy" Goldman turned 101 this weekend and won't quit after 73 years working at the same New Jersey job.

Goldman still shows up four days a week at light fixtures company Capitol Lighting in East Hanover. His co-workers celebrated his birthday with him on Monday.

Aside from a brief absence to serve in the U.S. Army in World War II, Goldman has worked at Capitol Lighting since 1941. The store says he was first hired to sell items and stock and 

Lighting repair specialist Herman "Hy" Goldman, 101, refurbishes a light fixture in his workshop at Capitol Lighting where he has worked for 73 year, in East Hanover, N.J. Now that he has turned 101.

Samsung goes virtual, stays big in Apple fight

Samsung is hoping to regain momentum in its battle with Apple, announcing global product launches of a virtual reality headset, another big screen phablet, and updates to the Galaxy smartphone and Gear line-ups. Conway G. Gittens reports.

Dell unveils 5K desktop monitor with almost 2x the pixels of your puny 4K display

Dell unveils 5K desktop monitor with almost 2x the pixels of your puny 4K display

 

What’s 27 inches across and has almost twice the pixel count of your puny 4K monitor? Dell’s new UltraSharp 5K monitor, that’s what. With a resolution of 5120×2880, the 27-inch monster has seven times as many pixels as your 1080p monitor, or four times as many as your 2560×1440 (1440p) monitor. It has a PPI of 218, which puts it on about par with the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (2880×1800). When it goes on sale around Christmas time — for $2500 — it will finally replace IBM’s mythical 13-year-old T220/T221 as the highest-res desktop monitor.

The Dell UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K monitor, to give its full name, is, unsurprisingly, a workstation-grade piece of hardware. It has all the usual trappings of a professional monitor, such as Dell PremierColor calibration, and an anti-smudge/anti-reflective coating. There’s six (!) USB ports and a media card reader, too. Curiously there’s also two integrated 16W Harmon Kardon speakers for some reason — presumably because Dell thought you should get a little extra if you spend $2500 on a monitor.

Read our featured story: No, TV makers, 4K and UHD are not the same thing

At 5120×2880, Dell’s new monitor has a total pixel count of 14.7 million (14,745,600 to be exact). A 4K monitor or TV, by comparison, clocks in at just 3840×2160 – 8.3 million pixels. Your puny 1080p monitor or smartphone has just 2 million pixels. 5120×2890 at 27 inches works out at 218 PPI — comparable to high-res laptops such as the Asus Zenbook or Apple Retina MBP, but lower than the 300+ PPI of modern tablets and smartphones. Most importantly, though, 218 PPI is more than double your current 22- or 24-inch desktop monitor, which is probably sitting at around 100 PPI.

Dell UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K monitor, side, portrait mode

As for how Dell got to 5K when everyone else is just starting to hit 4K, we have to do a little guesswork. As far as we’re aware, no one is actually making 5120×2880 panels, especially not at 27 inches diagonal– so what we’re probably looking at is two 2560×2880 panels squished together as a “tiled display.” This is the same approach that we’ve seen with some 4K monitors, which use two 1920×2160 panels rather than a single 3840×2160 unit. In the case of Dell’s 5K monitor, it is probably driven via two DisplayPort 1.2 connectors with Multi-Stream Transport (MST).

Read: Nvidia quadruples display resolution by stacking two cheap LCD panels on top of each other

If Dell’s UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K monitor really is a tiled display, then that just reaffirms that is for professional users who need as much resolution as possible — and not for gamers. With 2880 vertical pixels, the Dell 5K screen will be amazing for looking at entire websites or page layouts without having to zoom or scroll. 5120×2880 is close to the resolution of top-end DSLRs, too. I’m sure some gamers will be tempted to pick one up, but considering the poor state of 4K gaming — both in terms of raw GPU grunt and software support — and the fact that the Dell 5K monitor has almost twice the number of pixels, you better have one hell of a rig. Two Radeon R9 295X2s ought to do it.

The Dell UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K monitor should be out in time for Christmas, priced at $2500. Yes, it seems those high-res desktop monitors, which have been surprisingly absent for so many years, are finally coming. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and start writing a letter to Santa.

Space Plane Tech Could Power Hypersonic Aircraft for US Military

Engine technology being developed for a British space plane could also find its way into hypersonic aircraft built by the U.S. military.

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is studying hypersonic vehicles that would use the Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine (SABRE), which the English company Reaction Engines Ltd. is working on to power the Skylon space plane, AFRL officials said.

"AFRL is formulating plans to look at advanced vehicle concepts based on Reaction Engine's heat-exchanger technology and SABRE engine concept," officials with AFRL, which is based in Ohio, told Space.com via email last month. [The Skylon Space Plane (Images)]

A bold British space plane concept

SABRE and Skylon were invented by Alan Bond and his team of engineers at the Abingdon, England-based Reaction Engines.

SABRE burns hydrogen and oxygen. It acts like a jet engine in Earth's thick lower atmosphere, taking in oxygen to combust with onboard liquid hydrogen. When SABRE reaches an altitude of 16 miles (26 kilometers) and five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), however, it switches over to Skylon's onboard liquid oxygen tank to reach orbit. (Hypersonic flight is generally defined as anything that reaches at least Mach 5.)

Two SABREs will power the Skylon space plane — a privately funded, single-stage-to-orbit concept vehicle t-hat is 276 feet (84 meters) long. At takeoff, the plane will weigh about 303 tons (275,000 kilograms).

The SABRE heat exchanger is also known as a pre-cooler. It will cool the air entering Skylon's engines from more than 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit (1,000 degrees Celsius) down to minus 238 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 150 degrees C) in one one-hundredth of a second. The oxygen in the chilled air will become liquid in the process. [Skylon's Many Possible Missions (Video)]

"The [pre-cooler] performance has always been pretty much what we predicted," Bond explained in an interview with Space.com at the Farnborough International Airshow in England on July 16. "We've now done over 700 actual tests. It's now done as much service as a pre-cooler would in a real engine."

Bond's team has also successfully tested the pre-cooler for a problem aviation jet engines have to deal with: foreign objects being sucked in.

"We know it [the pre-cooler] can take debris, insects, leaves," Bond said.

Working with the U.S. military

Bond estimates that the pre-cooler is now at a technology readiness level (TRL) of about 5. NASA and AFRL use a 1-to-9 TRL scale to describe a technology's stage of development. According to NASA's TRL descriptions, 5 represents "thorough testing" of a prototype in a "representative environment."

The AFRL work is being carried out under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Reaction Engines that was announced in January. AFRL officials told Space.com that they are using computers to model SABRE.

"The Air Force research laboratories in the States have carried out some modeling to verify that the SABRE does actually work, that it is a real engine, and so I am hoping they are going to confirm that very soon," Bond said.

"This is obviously opening doors in the United States, and again, I can't say a great deal about that, but we have very good dialogue going across the Atlantic," he added. "In the next couple of years, it's going to be quite exciting."

Bond declined to confirm rumors of organized support within the U.S. aerospace community that involves former senior program managers of the U.S. military's most high-profile defense projects.

Bond sees Skylon as an international project that would include the U.S. and Europe.

"We're in dialogue with people across Europe in regard to supplying [rocket engine components]. We don't want to reinvent the wheel; we'd like to be the engine integrator and put it on our test facilities and run it," he explained.

Milestones approaching

Two SABRE engines are expected to be tested in 2019. "Hopefully, the earlier part of 2019," Bond said. "I'd like to feel we can test them on Westcott. That is where the rocket propulsion establishment used to be." (In the 1950s and 1960s, the United Kingdom had its own space program; the nation launched a satellite called Prospero with its last rocket, Black Arrow, in 1971. Westcott is about a one-hour drive from Reaction Engines' headquarters).

The SABRE development program is expected to cost 360 million British pounds ($600 million at current exchange rates). "We've got 80 million [British pounds] of the 360 million lined up. We're well on our way to that," Bond said.

Of the 80 million pounds, 60 million is from the U.K. government. As with the commercial ventures NASA supports, Reaction Engines has to meet milestones to acquire those government funds.

"We have to meet milestones, but those are programmatic issues," Bond said. "There is nothing contentious about that; it is just a matter of getting the work done to get there. I think of it as an R&D program, and we've done the 'R' bit, and this part forward is the 'D' bit. We've spent years making sure the technology actually works."

In January, this R&D program reached its third phase, which is split into four sections, known as 3A, 3B, 3C and 3D. Sections 3A and 3B are being carried out in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA).

Section 3A began in January and will last until April 2015. It involves the engine's system design, revising the engine's layout and studying the impact on Skylon's performance. This work will cost 8 million euros ($10.7 million, or 6.4 million British pounds), half of which will come from the U.K. government and ESA and the other half from Reaction Engines' private investment.

"This is it for real now; this isn't studies anymore," Bond said. Section 3A will continue until spring 2015, and section 3B is due to start in January 2015, he added. "That is the preliminary design phase,." Bond said.”

Section 3B will last until the end of 2015. During this section, the characteristics of the engine components will be defined and technical specifications produced.

Section 3C, which starts from mid-2015, will see 10 million euros ($13.37 million, or 8 million British pounds) from the U.K. government spent. The section 3C work with suppliers overlaps section 3B. This is because some of the components will get specifications during 3B before other parts of the engine are fully defined. Those detailed components with specifications can then be given to prospective suppliers during the first few months of section 3C.

"In 3C, we start to do detailed design — what the bearings will look like, who is the supplier going to be, that sort of stuff. This is really exciting stuff. We're starting to pull the real engine together during the course of next year," Bond said.

He explained that for section 3C, his company will spend "some of the U.K. government money alongside some of our own private investment." The government money has "enabled us to raise quite a few millions of private investment to go alongside that, and we're continuing that [fund-raising] activity," Bond said.

Home News by technology 10 best mobile phones in the world today 10 best mobile phones in the world today

10 best mobile phones in the world today

10: HTC one mini 2

Before you get confused, no, that's not the HTC One M8, despite how it looks. It's a bit smaller. But no, it's not the HTC One M8 mini either, despite the way it looks.

This is the HTC One Mini 2 that, for all intents and purposes, is the HTC One M8 Mini. But as it doesn't have the Duo Camera, HTC has decided that it should be seen as the direct successor to the HTC One Mini instead. Caught up? Good.

The main wins here are design and price. It's obviously lower cost than its bigger brother, but the curved metal chassis of the One Mini 2 looks and feels wonderfully premium and the clever engineering of the plastic frame makes it easy to miss.

The inclusion of a microSD slot is another big plus point over last year's offering, making the One Mini 2 a far stronger media machine.

9: iPhone 5s

Never has a company polarised opinion in the smartphone world like Apple - and with the iPhone 5S, so many are quick to decry it while others know it to be the smartphone they've been waiting for.

And let's make no bones about it: this is a stunning phone, with a gorgeous two-tone finish, a high-res screen with good colour reproduction, a 64-bit chip and that all-powerful TouchID sensor that lets you unlock your phone with a simple fingerprint.

The iOS 7 update is one that we sorely, sorely needed and does bring a lot more power and control - as shown by the impressive and pervasive Control Center.

We really like TouchID, the 64-bit processor might be a little useless now but definitely brings a touch more zip to things, and the M7 chip gives developers something to play with in terms of fitness, with the likes of FitBit taking advantage already.

You'd have to be desperate to buy one right now though, as the iPhone 6is so nearly here that it would be a much better idea to wait and see if you want the new one, or if not, hang on until the cost of the iPhone 5S drops

8. Sony Xperia Z1 Compact

Hey Sony...what's this? A phone without a 1080p screen? A smaller battery? Are you MAD?

Wait, we get it. This is the mildly-nonplussing Xperia Z1 shoved into a smaller frame, with almost nothing compromised (the above two points aside).

With a 4.3-inch screen it's one of the most easy to use devices in the hand, coming in next to the iPhone 5S, but it does it with a much lower cost and a great battery life to boot.

On top of that it's waterproof and has expandable memory, plus a superb screen. It's been usurped in some ways by the Xperia Z2 insofar that if you want that Bravia-powered IPS screen, the G Lens camera or just general access to Sony's tight band of media apps, this is no longer the best Sony phone on the market and has dropped a few places as a result.

However, if you're more about size then this is still the best of the mid-range players... check it out if you want to save a bit of cash over the bigger brother flagship too.

7. Nokia Lumia 930

Hey Nokia, good to see you back in the top 10. Although we won't see you for much longer (thanks to the Microsoft buyout) it's great that the Lumia line is still pushing the power of Windows Phone.

The Lumia 930 does lack compared to the competition, but only in a couple of areas. Windows Phone is still a sub-par operating system for most people, thanks to the poorer apps and lower amount of control. But then again, for a lot of people the improved Office functionality and simple interface is a boon.

The Lumia 930 is a strong phone in both design and power, although a little last-gen on the latter element, and coupled with a very capable camera, is a phone that's easy to recommend to those looking for something different.

6. Google Nexus 5

So we've updated our review with the new phone software, and thankfully things are a lot better now. The battery is improved, the camera a little more stable, and the low cost is still in place.

You already know we like Android 4.4, the clever implementation and the £299 price tag. We love the high power CPU, the quality screen; even the rubberised outer shell.

You can get the LG G2 for around the same price now though, and that offers a far superior camera, better battery life and a huge slew of extra features - it really depends if you're a fan of the stripped-down experience

5. Samsung Galaxy S5

2014 is turning out to be a stellar year for the prospective smartphone user, as the HTC One (M8) was joined by the Samsung Galaxy S5 in our 'best smartphone' list, and with the Xperia Z2, LG G3 and more entering the fray things just keep getting better.

There was a lot of hype around the new Galaxy, and rightly so: it's by far the best phone Samsung has ever produced, with a blazing fast core, a strong result in the benchmarks and a larger 5.1-inch screen.

Then there's the fact that with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU theGalaxy S5 is one of the best phones on the market when it comes to battery life, besting the already impressive One M8 in the power stakes.

Samsung has also dropped the 'innovation' of the air gestures from last year (well, they are in there but not the main focus) and improved the hardware with a better camera, fingerprint scanner and heart rate monitor too.

The last addition is pretty pointless... but hey, it's fun for down the pub.

4. OnePlus One

You've probably never heard of OnePlus... but if you have, you'll know why this unknown brand is suddenly sitting at number four of our list of best smartphones in the world.

The reason is simple: it's a phone that has all the power, specs and functionality of the top dogs, adds in super-customisable software and does it at nearly half the price. We're talking big savings on cost (£229 for the 16GB version and £269 for the 64GB variant) without much in the way of compromise.

In fact, the only things it's really missing are a microSD slot and removable battery, and those are elements more for the purists that absolutely necessary.

If we're being super picky, it's not got the greatest camera set up and the design is a bit... efficient, but at this price point it really doesn't matter. And given the target audience is those that care about raw power over style, it makes sense that this is where the costs could be saved.

3. Sony Xperia Z2

Sony has something of a slump last year, following up the impressiveXperia Z with the lacklustre Xperia Z1 just a few months later.

The camera, which was supposed to be the headline feature, didn't impress as much as we'd hoped, and the screen was still lacking the IPS clout that the Xperia Z Ultra managed - meaning muted colours and poor viewing angles.

Anyway, enough about last year - Sony's back in 2014 and comes with an excellent phone in the shape of the Xperia Z2. Tipped to be the third of the stellar smartphone triumverate, alongside the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One (M8) we were intrigued to see how it shaped up.

And the good news is it's impressive. Really impressive. The industrial design is a little chunky but oozes premium quality in a way that Samsung's plastic shell doesn't, and it's a little more robust than its Galactical rival thanks to being IP58 rated.

Great battery life, strong power and a good camera all are present and correct with most phones in this list, but Sony stays in the top three simply by being a great all-rounder.

It doesn't have the polish of the HTC One M8, nor the more functional UI, but it does what's asked with top-end specs. That's what we like.

2. LG G3

The LG G3 needed to be good, as it was based on the hard work of the G2, which was a strong, well-made phone that didn't cost a huge amount of money.

So what does LG do with the G3? Goes and sticks the world's sharpest display on there. It's a QHD screen, which means it's got four times the pixels of some phones on this list, and it also comes with a number of other enhancements too.

Laser-based auto-focus? Check. Improved design? Check. Overhauled and simplified UI? Double check. It's going to be a little bit too big for some hands, as it's packing in a 5.5-inch screen, so we're verging on phablet territory.

But don't let that take away from a terrific phone, one that has a sleek, refined air about it and adds in fan favourite features like a removable battery and memory card slot, where both were missing on the predecessor.

1. HTC One M8

What to say about the HTC One M8? They often say the second album is the hardest, but the follow up to the all-conquering HTC One takes the best of that phone and yet still re-invents things enough to make it a massive recommendation over the old model.

We love the speed of the camera, the Duo Camera is smart as a tack, the Boomsound upgrade is impressive and the design... well, you have to hold it.

The Snapdragon 801 processor has boosted battery dramatically compared to the 600 of last year, and that means that photos also process much more quickly as well - even the front-facing camera is much better.

Gaming, movies, photography, browsing all work really well, and in a phone that that's easily going to destroy whatever anyone else can design. LG ran it close with the G3, and unless Apple has got some dark sorcery up its sleeves when the iPhone 6 appears later in the year, HTC has got 2014 sewn up.

Flipkart Digiflip Pro XT 712: Quick-read review

The Digiflip Pro XT 712 is the best tablet currently under Rs 10,000.

It has been over four years since the first iPad made its appearance. We are past the “I must have a tablet!” phase and into the “Do I really need a tablet?” phase. If you have limited uses for a slate, then you should spend as little as possible for a good enough experience. And that’s what Flipkart is offering with the Digiflip Pro XT 712.

Specs: 7-inch IPS screen (1280×800 pixels, 216 ppi) | 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex A7 CPU | 1GB RAM | 16GB internal memory, microSD slot (up to 32GB) | 5MP rear camera, 2MP front camera | 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB | 3000mAh battery | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Price: Rs. 9,999

Specifications only tell one part of the story though, and tablets are extensively used only in a few scenarios. So with that in mind, let’s see how the XT 712 does in common tablet uses:

Reading Articles, Books and Comics

The XT 712 is heavier than other 7-inch tablets I have used. Although it’s still not uncomfortable to hold for a long period, you’ll be happier if you rest it somewhere. The screen is dull, so reading comics or colourful articles lacks the punch you would want. Still, it’s good enough for e-books.

Watching Movies and Photos

Like comics, videos and photos also suffer from the dull screen. Add to this, the speaker volume is too low to drown out noises around you. You’ll need to wear a good pair of earphones. The bigger problem is 1080p MKV videos. If you are skipping forward or rewinding, or if there is a fast-paced high-action scene, the XT 712 can’t handle it. This is not how we wanted to watch The Avengers. Still, it’s not a 1080p screen, so if you are running 720p videos (like you should be), then it’s perfectly fine.

Browsing Internet

Most websites work fine in portrait mode, and the XT 712 is a solid experience. You can also add two SIM cards to browse the Internet on-the-go, although this guzzles the battery too.

Writing Emails and Documents

A 7-inch tablet almost forces you to use it in portrait mode rather than landscape, because in landscape mode, the keyboard takes up most of the screen. So it’s essentially a slightly larger version of the keyboard you find on your phone. I don’t know about you, but that has never been a big enough difference for me to recommend writing 500 words or more

 Future Vehicle Technologies

The average new car is packed with features we take for granted, yet things like self-parking and sat-nav were just radical theories or movie effects a generation ago. And even when electric cars like the T.27, billed as the "most efficient in the world," are introduced, you have to wonder what will be available when our kids shop for their rides. Concealed machine guns and oil slicks will probably never reach options lists, but vertical lift-off and teleportation would be handy and less lethal. Who knows?  

To get a better idea of future vehicle tech in development -- at least the ideas being openly and officially discussed by manufacturers -- we’re looking at innovations making the rounds on the auto show circuit today and forecasting when they might be available in the near- and not-too-distant future. Bear in mind that innovations are always subject to change, and the cars housing them may never reach production as shown, if at all. Still, showing off future vehicle technologies in stylish automotive packages is far more appealing than a display of scattered components and circuit boards.

Road Test and Review: Hyundai Elite i20

The dictionary defines the word elite as ‘someone who is superior in terms of ability or qualities to the rest of the society.’ Well, in that sense, Hyundai’s premium hatchback i20 has been an elite car since its inception in 2008. With its impressive fluidic design, interior quality and avant-garde features, the i20 redefined the benchmark in the segment. Now, in its second generation, the i20 has been justifiably christened the Elite i20 and let’s find out what makes an already good car even better. 

Design

The Elite i20’s exterior represents the latest iteration of what Hyundai calls Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language. However, Hyundai has ditched the rounded fluidic edges for a bold design with sharper character lines. Dominating the front is the signature hexagonal grille, but this time with honeycomb mesh surrounded by chrome accents. The lower bumper is adorned by a plastic mesh strip that neatly connects the fog lamps. The striking design of the swept-back headlamps yields an elegant as well as wider stance at the first glance.

If you thought the LED daytime running lights on the outgoing i20 is a premium feature, you might not be impressed by the fact that the Elite i20 doesn’t offer DRLs. 

Side view is more exciting with a rising waistline and sloping roof converging at a matt-finish black c-pillar. The Elite i20’s dynamic appearance is further exaggerated at the rear, thanks to the elongated, wraparound taillights that remind us of some German luxury brands. The dual-tone rear bumper with black insert adds to the sporty appeal and the car will certainly bowl you over with the rear three-quarters view.

Interior

Sharp lines and symmetric cut-outs create a sophisticated European look inside, too. The dual-tone dashboard oozes great quality and elegance with clear and stylish instruments. The multi-info display has been shifted from the top of the dashboard to the centre console. AC vents too have been redesigned to accord with the rest of the design. The instrument cluster now gets white backlight and its brightness can be adjusted using a knob. The rest of the displays are bright blue and could be distracting at night. Minor but interesting touches such as the piano black finish around the ORVM controls and chrome gearshift surround show how much attention to detail Hyundai has paid to enhance the premiumness of the car.  

Space, Comfort and Convenience

The Elite i20 comes with keyless entry and once you approach the car, it unfolds the mirrors and it’s a feel good factor. The wheelbase has been stretched by 45mm and it is felt once you are inside the cabin. Interior space was adequate in the earlier i20s and things have only got better with the latest edition. While a low transmission tunnel ensures there’s enough space for the third occupant, rear AC vents enhance comfort in the second row. Front seats are supportive and driver seat height adjustable, moreover, tilt and telescopic steering column ensures a healthy driving posture.

The centre console also houses a multi-information display showing service intervals, digital speedometer, temperature, odo etc, however, it’s a surprise that there’s no average fuel consumption or distance to empty figures available on the screen. The 2-Din audio system with Bluetooth and1GB internal memory offers 8 speakers but the sound quality is not exceptional. 

Two power sockets on the centre console help you charge multiple devices at the same time. There are many cup/bottle holders and storage options including an armrest with storage box. The non-sliding armrest is not always useful and rear seat doesn’t have armrest at all. 

The only grouse with the Elite i20’s interior is the lack of a larger infotainment system. The small blue display on the centre console is totally out of place in a premium car, especially when cheaper models these days offer hi-tech infotainment systems with touch screen. 

Performance

Not much has changed under the hood, however, both the 1.2 L VTVT petrol and 1.4L CRDI appear more refined now. Although the petrol engine has improved low and mid-range response and remains more refined than the diesel, the 89bhp U2 CRDI is going to be the buyer’s favourite as before. 220Nm of peak torque makes the diesel variant more fun to drive on highways and minimal turbolag along with linear power delivery makes it easy around town as well.  The 1.2L petrol, too, provides an adequate, if not scintillating, performance both in city and highway but you need to wind it up to make swift progress.

The transmissions have been carried over from the outgoing model – 6-speed for diesel and 5-speed for petrol. Soft clutch coupled with butter-smooth gear shifting makes both variants effortless to drive in traffic and long distances alike. Automatic transmission is not available yet. Diesel boasts of an ARAI-certified mileage of 22.54kmpl as against petrol’s 18.6 kmpl.

Ride and Handling

Hyundai has burnt the midnight oil working on the suspension and it is seen in the way the Elite i20 handles. Although not up with the best in class, it now offers a comfortable ride with good body control and plenty of grip around corners. The suspension also absorbs the worst of surfaces with serenity. Noise insulation is certainly praiseworthy, as the car keeps wind and road noise at bay, and the suspension stays quiet over bumps. The brakes feel positive, with good pedal feel and the steering has weight to it at high speed. 

Bottom-line

Hyundai i20 has always been a tad pricier than its direct competitors. However, that didn’t stop anyone from falling in love with the styling, cabin quality, ride comfort and the features it offered. As the Elite i20 kicks up all these qualities a notch further without much difference in price, it will be greeted with long lines outside dealerships.

iPhone 6 Leaked in New Images; Tipped to Feature 828x1472 Resolution Display

As the expected release of the next-generation iPhone nears, we are seeing more and more leaks each day. On Tuesday, new images of the alleged front and rear panels of the iPhone 6 (which is widely expected to come in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions) appeared online, while a report pointed to lines of SDK code that indicated a new 828x1472 pixel resolution.

Click here for New Images of iPhone 6.

The alleged front and rear panel iPhone 6 images were posted by Feld & Volk, which makes customised luxury variants of the iPhone and iPad devices.

First spotted by MacRumors, the alleged front and rear panel iPhone 6 images of the anticipated 4.7-inch variant are in-line with what has been widely expected based on earlier leaks, with rounded corners and buttons indicating the iPhone 6 will take design cues from Apple's current generation iPod touch.

Further, the alleged iPhone 6 images again show the power button positioned on the right panel of the device, instead of on the top panel seen on existing iPhone models. Also seen are the new speaker holes at the bottom of the phone, alongside the Lightning port and 3.5mm audio jack. MacRumors also refers to an unlisted Feld & Volk image of the rear shell depicting the a 'round True Tone flash', and 'embedded Apple logo'.

A new screen resolution of 828x1472 pixels for the next-generation iPhone 6 has been tipped via iOS 8 files inside both the Xcode 6 beta 5 and the latest Xcode 6 beta 6 SDKs.

9to5mac notes the mention of a screen resolution of 414x736 pixels (16:9) was found inside the iOS 8's Springboard app, which refers to the iPhone home screen.

This particular file outlines for the system where icons, by default, will be placed on an iPhone's Home screen. This particular file, which was added in Xcode 6 beta 5 earlier this month and still exists in yesterday's Xcode 6 beta 6, is optimized for an iPhone with a resolution of 414 (width) x 736 (height). The iPhone SDK parses hardware resolutions via "point values," so the actual "Retina" resolution is in fact double (or potentially triple) whatever numbers the SDK presents.

Considering that iOS devices currently renders texts, images and other elements at '2X' the resolution in the SDK, the report speculates that Apple might debut the new iPhone 6 with 828x1472 pixels screen resolution.

If true, this resolution on the expected 4.7-inch display would give a pixel density of 359ppi, and on the expected 5.5-inch display a pixel density of 307ppi. As 9to5Mac notes, this fits in with Apple's 300ppi Retina threshold, first mentioned by Steve Jobs at the iPhone 4 launch. It would also mean more real estate, which as the report notes, translates to roughly two additional rows and 1 additional column at current iOS icon sizes.

A '3X' 'pixel-tripling' resolution, while previously considered possible, is now being considered unlikely to be implemented on the iPhone 6 - as it would indicate what's being called an unfeasible 1242x2208 pixel resolution in terms of battery life and developer adoption.

Further, the report notes the 2X Retina 'pixel-doubling' resolution implementation by Apple in previous generation iPhone devices, and the corresponding SDK values. The iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s - all sport 4-inch (640x1136 pixel) displays, however, the SDK files only presented the half value - 320x568 pixels.

Previously, it was said that the Cupertino-based company was testing a higher screen resolution of 960x1704 pixels on at least one of the two iPhone models. This may still be implemented in the larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 variant, and is in line with the current 16:9 aspect ratio (as is the newly-rumoured 828x1472 pixel resolution).

Of course, all such leaks must be taken with a pinch of salt, from alleged iPhone 6 component images to extrapolations from lines of SDK code, and much will become clear once Apple officially unveils its next iPhone. The Cupertino giant is expected to do so at a September 9 event.

Intex Set to Launch Firefox OS Smartphone Under Rs. 2,000 on August 25

Intex, as promised a couple of months ago, seems all set to finally launch its first Firefox OS-based smartphone, the Cloud FX this month.

The company has started sending media invites for an event scheduled on August 25. Intex is touting that the event will see the launch of "India's lowest priced smartphone."

Intex has already revealed that the company's first Firefox OS smartphone will be called Cloud FX and will be priced under Rs. 2,000.

There's no doubt that the launch of Firefox-OS based smartphones will offer Indian consumers more options in the entry-level segment than just the dominating Android OS platform.

(Also see: Android KitKat Now Running on Over 20 Percent of Android Devices: Google)

The Indian smartphone market has lately seen some major Android handset makers, such as Micromax, Motorola, and Samsung, pushing their smartphones into the sub-Rs. 10,000 category. The launch of a new Firefox OS smartphone will definitely increase competition in the budget smartphone segment for domestic as well as global handset manufacturers.

The company had also announced some of specifications of the Intex Cloud FX smartphone, which will include a 3.5-inch display (resolution unspecified), and will be powered by a 1GHz processor (number of cores unspecified).

Other features detailed by Intex for its Cloud FX smartphone running Firefox OS include a 2-megapixel rear camera, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Notably, the specifications detailed by Intex were noticeably similar to the reference $25 Firefox OS smartphone platform unveiled by Mozilla and Spreadtrum at MWC.

The reference $25 (roughly Rs. 1,500) Firefox OS smartphone is based on the Spreadtrum SC6821 chipset, which supports 3.5-inch HVGA (320x480 pixels) touchscreens, integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, FM radio and camera functions, and access to HTML 5 apps. We can expect the Intex Cloud FX to sport the same display resolution and connectivity features mentioned by Spreadtrum.

Apart from Intex, Mozilla had named Spice as another Firefox OS smartphone partner for the Indian market.

Unfortunately, we are yet to hear any official word from Spice on the launch of its first Firefox OS smartphone. An earlier report had claimed a July timeframe for the launch of Spice's first Firefox OS smartphone; however, that never happened.