With CES now well behind us, we've started to see more and more gadgets being announced or leaked, and it's been a brilliant few days for tech lovers. From augmented reality gaming and Microsoft’s brand new Windows 10, to leaked high-end smartphones like the HTC One M9, there's plenty to catch up on as we head into the weekend. It’s all here for you in your Gadget Digest.
High-end smartphones leaked
Out of all the latest gadgets, high-end smartphones always leave us drooling in anticipation, and it looks like HTC and Samsung could be the next to unleash a couple of blinders. The Samsung Galaxy S6 popped up on our radar yesterday, and although there weren't any pics on offer, the thought of a 5.1-inch QHD smartphone packing a 64-bit octa-core processor and a 20-megapixel snapper into an aluminium chassis certainly left us wanting more.
Samsung will have a tough fight on its hands if it's going to beat HTC's next flagship though, with the HTC One M9 also hitting the headlines. The high-end blower may look near identical to the older HTC One (M8), including a slick metal body and BoomSound speakers, but this time it's claimed to cram in a bleeding-edge Snapdragon 810 chip and an even sharper screen.
Fans of the OnePlus One also got the chance to get their hands on one of last year's best handsets without needing an invite, at least for a couple of hours. Sadly it's back to invite only again now (plus £229 of your money), so you may well end up playing the waiting game if you want one.
Wonderful wearables
Not content to let LG and Motorola enjoy the limelight when it comes to round smartwatches, Samsung has also been working on its own round Apple Watch beater, and it may also be one of Samsung’s first smartwatches to use wireless charging tech as well.
Speaking of Apple's upcoming wearable, the Apple Watch also hit the news today, with a claimed battery life of just 2.5 hours under heavy use, and not a lot longer simply having the watch face turned on constantly. That's desperately disappointing for one of the year's most anticipated gadgets, but evidently the price to pay for power-packed components and a small battery. Fingers crossed it holds up better under mixed use.
Microsoft unleashes some awesome concepts
It was Microsoft's jaw-dropping HoloLens that really caught our eye this week though, with the augmented reality wearable promising to shake up gaming and other industries. We particularly loved the demo showing off Minecraft, and instead of playing the game in your own little world, HoloLens makes it possible to drop blocks on your living room furniture and interact with the world around you. It looks brilliant, and we really can't wait for Microsoft to bring its vision closer to reality.
No doubt the HoloLens will be pricey when it finally does land though, and if you're looking for a cheaper wearable to help keep you warm, the Smart Scarf looks ideal. It's another concept from Microsoft, and biometric sensors help to make it warmer (or indeed cooler) to help keep you at the perfect temperature. Throw in vibrations to alert you of notifications, and it won't matter when your Apple Watch's battery dies a death after a couple of hours either!
In other Microsoft news, the Redmond giant also unleashed a closer look at Windows 10, and it promises to make it a lot easier to switch between Windows phones, PCs, the Xbox One and tablets. It also ushers in a new era for cross-platform gaming, which sounds good to us!
And in other news...
With so many exciting announcements this week, narrowing down our gadget digest to just a few different stories has been incredibly difficult! With that in mind, it's also well worth checking out the 12-inch MacBook Air, the Mission Impossible book that can destroy itself, and HP's HTC-alike Android tablet. Throw in the drone-hunting drone (that's right, a drone that hunts its own!) and an entire PC crammed into a mouse and it really has been a fab week for gadget lovers. Which one’s your favourite though?
No comments:
Post a Comment