As each comes to a close pretty much each YouTube channel and Tech Blogger has presented his or her “Best of 2016” list. The consensus seems to be that it was a great year for smartphones, especially the midrange and upper-midrange category.

With the smartphone sector booming over the last 10 years’ innovation has slowed down significantly. Most phone features are being passed along from vendor to vendor, screen sizes have found It’s 5.2″ to 5.5″ median, we go through the regular update cycles between CES, ITB and Apples annual event and designs are being copied so that a lot of phones become indistinguishable at a casual glance.

With all that being said, I do believe the 2017 will be an exceptionally exciting year for smartphones and vendors will push the boundaries a bit further in comparison to the previous 3 years. Here’s my vendor-by-vendor view on things.

Apple

It’s the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone. Enough said!
Apple has kept the basic design in place over 3 generation of iPhones (6, 6S, 7) breaking its usual tic-toc cycle and will be having a larger toc-cycle
The iPhone 8 (or will it even be called the iPhone 10 for the occasion) is already being rumoured to push the boundaries of what Apple would usually change in a TOC cycle. AMOLED, no physical home button, all display front with zero bezels
Jony Ive seems to have taken a step back from the hand’s on design of Apple products. This will open up a completely new design thinking and may result in a significant larger change in design direction than what even the typical 2-year cycle previously produced

Blackberry

The DTEK70 could be the last phone to ever carry the Blackberry logo. And it’s the last phone to test if there actually still is a physical QWERTY keyboard market. Nobody knows if there is but even Samsung continues to release keyboard covers for the S and Note ranges so maybe there is more demand than most of us think.
Blackberry has gotten so many things wrong with all phone releases since the Passport and the DTEK70 finally seems to be the phone to put things right.

LG

It’s fair to say that LG G5 was pretty much a disaster. A modular concept that wasn’t well thought out, quality issues with rough seams and a plastic feeling coat of paint over what was a very bland design. The LG G5 has never been up to par with the other flagships of 2015
The V2, while well received, is far too niche a product to lift LG sales figures.
Ever since the G2 LG’s flagships have been lagging behind in consumer appeal. LG desperately needs a good flagship this season or else will risk being side-lined

HTC

The HTC 10 brought HTC back to where it was with the One M7 and it’s a worthy competitor to the S7, Pixel and iPhone 7. However the HTC 10 never managed to gain the same status of top flagship of 2016 as the other three devices.
The collaboration with Google has once again showed that HTC makes some of the best hardware that is 2^nd to none in comparison to Apple
After finally having caught back up with Samsung and the like it is to be expected that HTC will deliver a flagship that also delivers in consumer’s top-of-mind presence of being the best of 2017

Huawei

Huawei has been the most consistent performer amongst the major manufacturers by steadily and consistently improving the annual P-series and Mate flagships. With the P9 and Mate 9 Huawei has finally delivered 2 phones that managed to compete head on with the Galaxy S8 and iPhone
Emotion UI has been one of the main detractors for consumers to pick up a Huawei phone. Huawei has finally started to fix this by bringing back the app drawer in EMUI 5.0 which should result in a larger consumer demand
Huawei continues to push the “enthusiast” take on smartphone cameras with dual lens Leica setup. The Mate 9 improved on what many consider the most “interesting camera” of 2016 in the P9.
The P10/Mate 10 combo for 2017 should continue to make an evolutionary step in the right direction

Lenovo/Motorola

Lenovo seems to have finally integrated Motorola in its product development. The Moto Z has been one of the most interesting devices of 2016. The first modular concept done right and striking designs with solid specs. Software stays pretty much stock Android and the Z Play has one of the best battery life of any smartphone.
The Lenovo P2 is my personal “Smartphone of 2016” with the best battery life of any phone, solid specs and performance and a mid-range price tag.
If these 2 examples is anything to go by what Lenovo is capable of, then 2017 will shape up to be an exciting year for Lenovo

Microsoft

The dark horse for the 3^rd year in a row. Will we finally see the Surface Phone?
Microsoft has demonstrated that it can innovate on hardware and adapt on software to ever faster evolving consumer needs. If the Surface Studio and Surface Pro 4 is anything to go by, a Surface Phone could be epic.

Nokia

Welcome back!
While the rumoured specs of upcoming releases are somewhat underwhelming, any smartphone enthusiast must want to see the Nokia brand coming back and at least wish them good luck

Samsung

Samsung had a pretty volatile year. They arguably launched the best phone of 2017 with the Note 7. What then followed all of us know. Still, many consider the S7/S7 Edge to be the best phones of 2016. Samsung has to put out all the stops in 2017 to gain back consumer confidence and to not lose ground against the iPhone 10.
The S8 is likely to be a larger evolution from the S7 than what the S7 was to the S6. While the S7 mainly fixed what the S6 had gotten wrong (memory expansion, water proofing, battery life), Samsung will have to deliver with the S8 to pave the way for 2017 and stand the test of time even 6 months later when Apple releases the iPhone 10.
The Note 8 later in the year has to close the gap between the then 6 months old Galaxy S8 and the iPhone… without blowing up. The strategy would have worked for Samsung in 2016 but they definitely have to make it work in 2017.

Sony

Sorry, but no! Sony will once again disappoint in 2017.

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12/08/2016

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ASUS Zenfone 3 – Complete Comparison

The ASUS Zenfone 3 is finally starting to be available in some countries in Asia. Last year’s Zenfone 2 was a great success bringing very good specs to the mid-range and upper mid-range. And while the phones were a hit they had a few shortcomings, namely the plastic built, inconvenient power button placement and poor audio output. The Zenfone 3 promises to fix those issue with a dramatically improved build quality and materials and upgraded specs.

One thing that didn’t change is the confusion that Asus creates by bringing in a myriad of models. While all called Zenfone 3 there are actually:

5 different models (the standard Z3, Max, Laser, Deluxe, Ultra)
The standard comes in 2 different screen sizes (5.2″ and 5.5″)
Each model comes in various RAM/ROM configurations. Depending on country there might be multiple or just one configuration available

To clear up the mess I have put together an easy comparison table of the key differences of the 5 (or rather 6) models. See how confusing this is getting already?

	Zenfone 3 Max	Zenfone 3 Laser	Zenfone 3	Zenfone 3	Zenfone 3 Deluxe	Zenfone 3 Ultra
	ZC520TL	ZC551KL	ZE520KL	ZE552KL	ZS570KL	ZU680KL
Screen Size	5.2 LCD	5.5 LCD	5.2 LCD	5.5″ LCD	5.7″ AMOLED	6.8″ LCD
Resolution	720p	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p	1080p
Body Size (LxWxT)	149.5×73.7×8.6	149x76x7.9	146.9x74x7.7	152.6×77.4×7.7	156.4×77.4×7.5	186.4×93.9×6.8
Scrren to Body Ratio	67.70%	73.6%	68.6%	70.6%	74.0%	72.8%
Weight (g)	148	150	144	155	172	233
Processor	MT 6737	SD 430	SD 625	SD 625	SD 820 / SD 821	SD 652
RAM	2-Mar	4	3/4	3/4	6	3-Apr
ROM	16/32	32	32/64	32/64	64/128/256	32/64/128
Main Camera	13	13	16 with OIS	16 with OIS	23 with OIS	23 with OIS
Selfie Camera	5	8	8	8	8	8
Battery	4100	3000	2650	3000	3000	4600
Characteristics	Metal casing On-screen buttons (rather than capacitive buttons like the other Zenfones) Dual SIM	Metal casing Fingerprint sensor Dual SIM	Glass front and back with metal edges Fingerprint sensor Dual SIM	Glass front and back with metal edges Fingerprint sensor Dual SIM	Alloy unibody Fingerprint sensor Quick Charge 3.0 Dual SIM High-Res Audio	Alloy unibody Fingerprint sensor High-Res Audio Dual SIM
Asus Website Link	http://bit.ly/2b9H8K0	http://bit.ly/2aYcxTy	http://bit.ly/2aAHhEF	http://bit.ly/2aIeFKg	http://bit.ly/1U4MojO	http://bit.ly/2aYcxTy

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12/06/2016

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Ultimate Screen-to-Body Ratio Comparison (mid 2016)

Finally, the long awaited update of the Ultimate Screen-to-Body Ratio has been completed.

The top dog is still the Sharp Aquos Crystal. It is interesting to see that this mid-range device still hasn’t been surpassed by any other manufacturer yet.

There have been some notable entries into the top ranks though, namely:

Huawei Mate 8 clinches #2 almost eclipsing the Aquos Crystal. But bearing in mind that the Aquos Crystsal is a 5″ device this makes the ratio of the Sharp even more impressive
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Sony Xperia XA Ultra share #11
Xiaomi Mi5 is the highest new entry 5″ device

Samsung clearly seems to focus on small bezels and optimising surface area of a phone based on recent performance. The S7 and S7 Edge improve on the S6 and if renders will hold true, the Note 6 should surpass the Note 5 in the screen-to-body ratio.

And HTC, while by no means a good performer when it comes to building compact phones, improved significantly with the HTC 10 compared to the One M9 (71.06% vs 68.38%).

LG in comparison lost it’s design touch. Not only did the LG G5 get unfavourable reviews with regards to build quality and the not so metal feeling paint-job, but also the screen real estate reduced over time from 76.41% on the G3, to 73.59% on the G4 to just releasing the G5 with a middle of the road 70.41%. Let’s hope LGs designs will improve, not just with regards to screen-to-body ratio.

As always your feedback and comments are very welcome.

Rank	Model	Screen Size (inch)	Resolution (horizontal)	Resolution (vertical)	Body size (width)	Body size (height)	Ratio (screen to body)	PPI
1	Sharp Aquos Crystal	5	720	1280	67	131	78.52%	294
2	Huawei Mate 8	6	1080	1920	80.6	157.1	78.38%	367
3	Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro	6	1440	2560	81.3	156	78.25%	490
4	Huawei Ascend Mate 7	6	1080	1920	81	157	78.04%	367
5	Alcatel One Touch Hero	6	1080	1920	80.6	158.5	77.69%	367
6	Samsung Galaxy Note 5	5.7	1440	2560	76.1	153.2	76.83%	515
7	Oppo R7 Plus	6	1080	1920	82	158	76.60%	367
8	Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+	5.7	1440	2560	75.8	154.4	76.53%	515
9	LG G3	5.5	1440	2560	74.6	146.3	76.41%	534
10	Motorola Moto X Style/Pure	5.7	1440	2560	76.2	153.9	76.38%	515
11	Sony Xperia XA Ultra	6	1080	1920	79.4	164.2	76.12%	367
11	Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge	5.5	1440	2560	72.6	150.9	76.12%	534
13	Sony Xperia C5 Ultra	6	1080	1920	79.6	164.2	75.93%	367
14	LG G2	5.2	1080	1920	70.9	138.5	75.91%	424
15	Samsung Galaxy A9 / Pro	6	1080	1920	80.9	161.7	75.87%	367
16	LG G Flex	6	720	1280	81.6	160.5	75.78%	245
17	Alcatel One Touch Hero 2	6	1080	1920	81.6	160.5	75.78%	367
18	Sony Xperia ZL	5	1080	1920	69.3	131.6	75.57%	441
19	Motorola Moto X Play	5.5	1080	1920	74.7	148	75.43%	401
20	Oppo R9 Plus	6	1080	1920	80.8	163.1	75.31%	367
21	Huawei Ascend Mate 2	6.1	720	1280	84.7	161	75.22%	241
22	Microsoft Lumia 950 XL	5.7	1440	2560	78.4	151.9	75.21%	515
23	Motorola Droid Maxx 2	5.5	1080	1920	75	148	75.13%	401
24	Google Nexus 6	6	1440	2560	83	159.2	75.11%	490
25	Samsung Galaxy Note 3	5.7	1080	1920	79.2	151.2	74.80%	386
26	Lenovo Vibe X2 Pro	5.3	1080	1920	71	146.3	74.55%	416
27	Xiaomi Mi5	5.2	1080	1920	69.2	144.6	74.50%	424
28	Xiaomi Mi Note (Pro)	5.7	1440	2560	77.6	155.1	74.42%	515
29	Xiaomi Mi Note	5.7	1080	1920	77.6	155.1	74.42%	386
30	LeEco Le 2	5.5	1080	1920	74.2	151.1	74.38%	401
31	LG G Flex 2	5.5	1080	1920	75.3	149.1	74.28%	401
32	Samsung Galaxy Note 4	5.7	1440	2560	78.6	153.5	74.24%	515
33	Meizu MX4	5.4	1152	1920	75.2	144	74.23%	421
34	LG G Pro 2	5.9	1080	1920	81.9	157.9	74.21%	373
35	Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3	6.3	720	1280	88	167.6	74.19%	233
36	ZTE Nubia Z9	5.2	1080	1920	68.3	147.4	74.04%	424
37	Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe	5.7	1080	1920	77.4	156.4	73.99%	386
38	Oppo F1 Plus	5.5	1080	1920	74.3	151.8	73.94%	401
39	Oppo R9	5.5	1080	1920	74.3	151.8	73.94%	401
40	Huawei Honor 7i	5.2	1080	1920	71.2	141.6	73.94%	424
41	Huawei Mate S	5.5	1080	1920	75.3	149.8	73.93%	401
42	Xiaomi Mi Max	6.4	1080	1920	88.3	173.1	73.88%	344
43	Samsung Galaxy A8	5.7	1080	1920	76.8	158	73.81%	386
44	ZTE Grand X Max (+)	6	720	1280	83	162	73.81%	245
45	BLU Pure XL	6	1440	2560	82.2	164	73.62%	490
46	LeEco Le Max 2	5.7	1440	2560	77.6	156.8	73.61%	515
47	LG G4	5.5	1440	2560	76.1	148.9	73.59%	534
48	Lenovo Phab 2 Plus	6.4	1080	1920	88.3	173.9	73.54%	344
49	Gionee Elife E8	6	1440	2560	82.3	164	73.53%	490
50	Lenovo Vibe Z2	5.5	720	1280	76.4	148.5	73.50%	267
51	Meizu M2 Note	5.5	1080	1920	75.2	150.9	73.49%	401
52	HP Elite x3	6	1440	2560	83.5	161.8	73.46%	490
53	OnePlus 2	5.5	1080	1920	74.9	151.8	73.35%	401
54	Meizu Pro 5	5.7	1080	1920	78	156.7	73.28%	386
55	ZTE Axon 7	5.5	1440	2560	75	151.8	73.25%	534
56	Huawei Ascend Mate	6.1	720	1280	85.7	163.5	73.21%	241
57	Huawei Honor 6 Plus	5.5	1080	1920	75.7	150.5	73.20%	401
58	Xiaomi Redmi Note 3	5.5	1080	1920	76	150	73.15%	401
59	Motorola Moto X (2014)	5.2	1080	1920	72.4	140.8	73.12%	424
60	LG Optimus G Pro	5.5	1080	1920	76.1	150.2	72.96%	401
61	Oppo Find 7	5.5	1440	2560	75	152.6	72.86%	534
62	Oppo R7s	5.5	1080	1920	75.4	151.8	72.86%	401
63	Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra	6.8	1080	1920	93.9	186.4	72.83%	324
64	ZTE Nubia Z5S	5	1080	1920	68.8	137.7	72.75%	441
65	Alcatel One Touch Idol X	5	1080	1920	67.5	140.4	72.72%	441
66	ZUK Z2 Pro	5.2	1080	1920	70.5	145.4	72.72%	424
67	Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 5.5	5.5	1080	1920	75.1	152.7	72.72%	401
68	Huawei P9 Plus	5.5	1080	1920	75.3	152.3	72.72%	401
69	Lenovo Vibe Z	5.5	1080	1920	77	149	72.69%	401
70	Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo	5.5	720	1280	77.4	148.4	72.60%	267
71	LG Stylus 2	5.7	720	1280	79.6	155	72.59%	258
72	Huawei P9	5.2	1080	1920	70.9	145	72.51%	424
73	Samsung Galaxy A7	5.5	1080	1920	76.2	151	72.48%	401
74	Lenovo K5 Note	5.5	1080	1920	75.7	152	72.47%	401
75	Huawei Honor 7	5.2	1080	1920	71.9	143.2	72.40%	424
76	Samsung Galaxy S7	5.1	1440	2560	69.6	142.4	72.35%	576
77	Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)	5.5	1080	1920	76	151.7	72.33%	401
78	Google Nexus 5	5	1080	1920	69.17	137.84	72.28%	441
79	Samsung Galaxy S4	5	1080	1920	69.8	136.6	72.28%	441
80	Xiaomi Mi 4	5	1080	1920	68.5	139.2	72.28%	441
81	Google Nexus 6P	5.7	1440	2560	77.8	159.3	72.27%	515
82	Motorola Moto Z	5.5	1440	2560	75.3	153.3	72.24%	534
83	Huawei Honor 5X	5.5	1080	1920	76.3	151.3	72.24%	401
84	Huawei Honor 5X	5.5	1080	1920	76.3	151.3	72.24%	401
85	ZTE Axon Elite	5.5	1080	1920	75	154	72.20%	401
86	LG G Pro Lite	5.5	540	960	76.9	150.2	72.20%	200
87	Xiaomi Redmi Note 2	5.5	1080	1920	76	152	72.19%	401
88	ZTE Granx X Max 2	6	1080	1920	83.8	164.1	72.17%	367
89	Gionee S8	5.5	1080	1920	74.9	154.3	72.16%	401
90	Lenovo Vibe P1	5.5	1080	1920	75.6	152.9	72.14%	401
91	Motorola Moto X	4.7	720	1280	65.3	129.3	72.12%	312
92	Lenovo Phab 2	6.4	720	1280	89.5	175	72.09%	229
93	Huawei Honor 3X	5.5	720	1280	77.4	149.5	72.07%	267
94	Samsung Galaxy S6 edge	5.1	1440	2560	70.1	142.1	71.98%	576
95	LG G4 Beat	5.2	1080	1920	72.6	142.7	71.95%	424
96	Meizu M3 Note	5.5	1080	1920	75.5	153.6	71.91%	401
97	ZTE nubia Z7	5.5	1440	2560	75.7	153.2	71.91%	534
98	Alcatel Idol 4s	5.5	1440	2560	75.4	153.9	71.86%	534
99	OnePlus One	5.5	1080	1920	75.9	152.9	71.86%	401
100	Sony Xperia XA	5	720	1280	66.8	143.6	71.85%	294
101	Lenovo P90	5.5	1080	1920	77.4	150	71.83%	401
102	Xiaomi Mi 4C	5	1080	1920	69.6	138	71.75%	441
103	Alcatel Pop 4+	5.5	720	1280	77	151	71.72%	267
104	Huawei G8	5.5	1080	1920	76.5	152	71.72%	401
105	Lenovo A7000	5.5	720	1280	76.2	152.6	71.72%	267
106	Xiaomi Mi 4i	5	1080	1920	69.6	138.1	71.70%	441
107	Sony Xperia T2 Ultra	6	720	1280	83.8	165.2	71.69%	245
108	Sony Xperia C4	5.5	1080	1920	77.4	150.3	71.68%	401
109	Alcatel Flash Plus	5.5	720	1280	76.4	152.3	71.67%	267
110	Lenovo Vibe X2	5	1080	1920	68.6	140.2	71.66%	441
111	Huawei Ascend P7	5	1080	1920	68.8	139.8	71.65%	441
112	Meizu MX3	5.1	1080	1800	72	139	71.65%	418
113	Samsung ATIV SE	5	1080	1920	69.9	137.7	71.60%	441
114	ZTE Nubia X6	6.44	1080	1920	89	179.5	71.57%	342
115	Samsung Galaxy E7	5.5	720	1280	77.2	151	71.54%	267
116	Alcatel Flash Plus 2	5.5	1080	1920	76.4	152.6	71.53%	401
117	Alcatel Pop 4s	5.5	1080	1920	76.8	152	71.44%	401
118	Micromax Canvas XL	6	540	960	84.2	165	71.43%	184
119	Meizu M2	5	720	1280	68.9	140.1	71.40%	294
120	Nokia Lumia 1520	6	1080	1920	85.4	162.8	71.38%	367
121	Huawei P8	5.2	1080	1920	72.1	144.9	71.35%	424
122	OnePlus X	5	1080	1920	69	140	71.34%	441
123	LG Optimus L9 II	4.7	720	1280	66.5	128.4	71.32%	312
124	Meizu Pro 6	5.2	1080	1920	70.8	147.7	71.28%	424
125	ZTE Grand X3	5.5	720	1280	75.9	154.2	71.25%	267
126	ZTE Z MAX 2	5.5	720	1280	76	154	71.25%	267
127	LG G2 mini	4.7	540	960	66	129.6	71.19%	234
128	Motorola Moto G4 / Plus	5.5	1080	1920	76.6	153	71.15%	401
129	Acer Liquid Jade	5	720	1280	69	140.5	71.09%	294
130	Xiaomi Redmi 3 / 3 Pro	5	720	1280	69.6	139.3	71.09%	294
131	Sony Xperia Z5 Premium	5.5	2160	3840	76	154.4	71.07%	801
132	HTC 10	5.2	1440	2560	71.9	145.9	71.06%	565
133	Samsung Galaxy A5	5	720	1280	69.7	139.3	70.98%	294
134	Samsung Galaxy S6	5.1	1440	2560	70.5	143.4	70.93%	576
135	Lenovo K4 Note	5.5	1080	1920	76.5	153.7	70.92%	401
136	Sony Xperia Z3/Z3+	5.2	1080	1920	72	146	70.91%	424
137	Sony Xperia Z5	5.2	1080	1920	72	146	70.91%	424
138	Lenovo Phab 2 Pro	6.4	1440	2560	88.6	179.8	70.88%	459
139	Motorola Droid Turbo	5.2	1440	2560	73.3	143.5	70.87%	565
140	Nokia Lumia 930	5	1080	1920	71	137	70.85%	441
141	Blackberry Priv	5.4	1440	2560	77.2	147	70.84%	544
142	Asus Zenfone 2 / Laser	5.5	1080	1920	77.2	152.5	70.83%	401
143	Huawei Honor 6	5	1080	1920	69.7	139.6	70.83%	441
144	Sony Xperia Z3 Compact	4.6	720	1280	64.9	127	70.77%	319
145	LG V10	5.7	1440	2560	79.3	159.6	70.77%	515
146	Lenovo PHAB Plus	6.8	1080	1920	96.6	186.6	70.72%	324
147	Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)	5.2	720	1280	72.3	145.8	70.71%	282
148	HTC One max	5.9	1080	1920	82.5	164.5	70.71%	373
149	Sony Xperia Z5 Compact	4.6	720	1280	65	127	70.66%	319
150	Oppo Find 5	5	1080	1920	68.8	141.8	70.64%	441
151	LG K10	5.3	720	1280	74.8	146.6	70.62%	277
152	Asus Zenfone 3	5.5	1080	1920	77.4	152.6	70.60%	401
153	ZUK Z2	5	1080	1920	68.9	141.7	70.59%	441
154	Motorola Moto Z Force	5.5	1440	2560	75.8	155.9	70.57%	534
155	Asus Zenfone 6	6	720	1280	84.3	166.9	70.54%	245
156	ZTE Blace V7	5.2	1080	1920	72.5	146	70.42%	424
157	Motorola Droid Ultra	5	720	1280	71.2	137.5	70.40%	294
158	Nokia Lumia 1320	6	720	1280	85.9	164.2	70.36%	245
159	ZTE Nubia Z9 Max	5.5	1080	1920	76.6	154.8	70.33%	401
160	Vodafone Smart Ultra 6	5.5	1080	1920	77	154	70.33%	401
161	Huawei Ascend G7	5.5	720	1280	77.3	153.5	70.28%	267
162	Vivo V3 Max	5.5	1080	1920	77.1	153.9	70.28%	401
163	Microsoft Lumia 950	5.2	1440	2560	73.2	145	70.23%	565
164	Samsung Galaxy Alpha	4.7	720	1280	65.5	132.4	70.22%	312
165	LG G5	5.3	1440	2560	73.9	149.4	70.14%	554
166	Huawei Ascend P6	4.7	720	1280	65.5	132.65	70.09%	312
167	Meizu M3	5	720	1280	69.5	141.5	70.08%	294
168	Alcatel Idol 4	5.2	1080	1920	72.5	147	69.94%	424
169	Huawei P9 Lite	5.2	1080	1920	72.6	146.8	69.94%	424
170	Nokia Lumia 830	5	720	1280	70.7	139.4	69.93%	294
171	Oppo R1C	5	720	1280	70.1	140.6	69.93%	294
172	Xiaomi Mi4S	5	1080	1920	70.8	139.3	69.88%	441
173	Google Nexus 5X	5.2	1080	1920	72.6	147	69.85%	424
174	Sony Xperia Z	5	1080	1920	71	139	69.83%	441
175	ZTE Blade V6	5	720	1280	69.5	142	69.83%	294
176	Lenovo A6000	5	720	1280	70	141	69.83%	294
177	Samsung Galaxy S5	5.1	1080	1920	72.5	142	69.65%	432
178	Samsung Galaxy J7	5.5	720	1280	78.7	152.2	69.62%	267
179	Microsoft Lumia 640 XL	5.7	720	1280	81.5	157.9	69.60%	258
180	Samsung Z3	5	720	1280	70	141.6	69.53%	294
181	Acer Liquid S2	6	1080	1920	86	166	69.52%	367
182	Samsung Galaxy A3 (2016)	4.7	720	1280	65.2	134.5	69.44%	312
183	ZUK Z1	5.5	1080	1920	77.3	155.7	69.29%	401
184	Sony Xperia Z2	5.2	1080	1920	73.3	146.8	69.28%	424
185	Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8	5.8	540	960	82.4	162.6	69.22%	190
186	Samsung Galaxy S4 Active	5	1080	1920	71.3	139.7	69.19%	441
187	HTC Desire 825	5.5	720	1280	76.9	156.9	69.12%	267
188	Sony Xperia E5	5	720	1280	69.5	143.6	69.06%	294
189	Asus ZenFone Selfie	5.5	1080	1920	77.2	156.5	69.02%	401
190	Lenovo Vibe Shot	5	1080	1920	70	142.7	69.00%	441
191	Motorola Moto G (2014)	5	720	1280	70.7	141.5	68.89%	294
192	Xiaomi Redmi Note	5.5	720	1280	78.7	154	68.81%	267
193	Motorola DROID Turbo 2	5.4	1440	1520	78	149.8	68.80%	419
194	Motorola Droid Turbo 2	5.4	1440	2560	78	149.8	68.80%	544
195	Alcatel OneTouch Idol 3 4.7	4.7	720	1280	65.9	134.6	68.65%	312
196	Samsung Galaxy Note 2	5.5	720	1280	80.5	151	68.60%	267
197	Alcatel Pop 4	5	720	1280	71.4	140.7	68.60%	294
198	Oppo R1	5	720	1280	70.4	142.7	68.60%	294
199	Motorola Droid Mini	4.3	720	1280	61.3	121.25	68.58%	342
200	HTC One ME	5.2	1440	2560	72	151	68.56%	565
201	Microsoft Lumia 650	5	720	1280	70.9	142	68.46%	294
202	HTC One M9	5	1080	1920	69.7	144.6	68.38%	441
203	HTC One S9	5	1080	1920	69.7	144.6	68.38%	441
204	HTC Desire 516	5	540	960	72	140	68.37%	220
205	Sony Xperia X Performance	5	1080	1920	70	144	68.37%	441
206	ZTE Grand S Pro	5	720	1280	71	142	68.36%	294
207	Lenovo Vibe K5/K5 Plus	5	720	1280	71	142	68.36%	294
208	Motorola RAZR i	4.3	540	960	60.9	122.5	68.33%	256
209	Sony Xperia Z Ultra	6.4	1080	1920	92.2	179.4	68.27%	344
210	HTC Desire 826	5.5	1080	1920	77.5	158	68.10%	401
211	Lenovo K900	5.5	1080	1920	78	157	68.10%	401
212	Lenovo Vibe P1m	5	720	1280	71.8	141	68.08%	294
213	Blackberry Z30	5	720	1280	72	140.7	68.03%	294
214	Lenovo Vibe S1	5	1080	1920	70.8	143.3	67.93%	441
215	Apple iPhone 6 Plus/6S Plus	5.5	1080	1920	77.7	158	67.93%	401
216	Microsoft Lumia 535	5	540	960	72.4	140.2	67.90%	220
217	HTC Desire 728	5.5	720	1280	77.8	157.9	67.88%	267
218	Oppo R7 Lite	5	720	1280	71	143	67.88%	294
219	Oppo R7	5	1080	1920	71	143	67.88%	441
220	Samsung Galaxy J3 (2016)	5	720	1280	71.4	142.2	67.88%	294
221	Sony Xperia C3	5.5	720	1280	78.7	156.2	67.84%	267
222	LG Optimus F7	4.7	720	1280	68.2	131.7	67.80%	312
223	Xiaomi Redmi 2	4.7	720	1280	67.1	133.9	67.78%	312
224	ZTE Blade S6	5	720	1280	70.7	144	67.70%	294
225	HTC Butterfly S	5	1080	1920	70.5	144.5	67.65%	441
226	Oppo F1	5	720	1280	71	143.5	67.64%	294
227	Xiaomi Redmi 2 Prime	4.7	720	1280	67.2	134	67.63%	312
228	Blackberry Z3	5	540	960	72.8	140	67.62%	220
229	Lenovo P70	5	720	1280	71.8	142	67.60%	294
230	HTC Desire 816	5.5	720	1280	78.8	156.6	67.58%	267
231	Microsoft Lumia 640	5	720	1280	72.2	141.3	67.56%	294
232	Samsung Galaxy J5	5	720	1280	71.8	142.1	67.55%	294
233	Oppo Mirror 5S	5	720	1280	71.2	143.4	67.50%	294
234	Lenovo S930	6	720	1280	86.5	170	67.49%	245
235	Samsung Galaxy Grand 2	5.2	720	1280	75.3	146.8	67.44%	282
236	Sony Xperia E4	5	540	960	74.6	137	67.43%	220
237	LG Optimus 4X HD	4.7	720	1280	68	133	67.33%	312
238	Samsung Galaxy S5 Active	5.1	1080	1920	73.4	145.3	67.23%	432
239	Oppo R5/R5s	5.2	1080	1920	74.5	148.9	67.20%	424
240	HTC Desire 820	5.5	720	1280	78.7	157.7	67.19%	267
241	Oppo N3	5.5	1080	1920	77	161.2	67.18%	401
242	Alcatel Flash 2	5	720	1280	70.4	145.8	67.14%	294
243	Asus ZenFone 2 Laser	5	720	1280	71.5	143.7	67.08%	294
244	Motorola Moto G 2015	5	720	1280	72.4	142	67.04%	294
245	Huawei Ascend P2	4.7	720	1280	66.7	136.2	67.03%	312
246	LG Optimus G	4.7	768	1280	69	132	66.86%	323
247	HTC One A9	5	1080	1920	70.8	145.8	66.77%	441
248	Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini	4.3	540	960	61.3	124.6	66.74%	256
249	Sony Xperia T3	5.3	720	1280	77	150.7	66.73%	277
250	HTC One M8	5	1080	1920	70.6	146.4	66.68%	441
251	HTC One E8	5	1080	1920	70.7	146.4	66.59%	441
252	HTC One E8	5	1080	1920	70.7	146.4	66.59%	441
253	HTC Desire Eye	5.2	1080	1920	73.8	151.7	66.58%	424
254	Sony Xperia SP	4.6	720	1280	67.1	130.6	66.57%	319
255	Samsung Galaxy S6 Active	5.1	1440	2560	73.4	146.8	66.55%	576
256	Asus Zenfone Zoom	5.5	1080	1920	78.9	158.9	66.52%	401
257	Huawei Ascend G700	5	720	1280	72.8	142.5	66.43%	294
258	Motorola Moto G4 Play	5	720	1280	72	144.4	66.29%	294
259	Google nexus 4	4.7	768	1280	68.7	133.9	66.20%	323
260	HTC Desire 626	5	720	1280	70.9	146.9	66.17%	294
261	HTC Desire 530/630	5	720	1280	70.9	146.9	66.17%	294
262	Samsung Galaxy Nexus	4.7	720	1280	67.94	135.5	66.15%	312
263	Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra	4.7	720	1280	68.5	134.4	66.15%	312
264	Sony Xperia M5	5	1080	1920	72	145	66.01%	441
265	Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime	5	540	960	72.1	144.8	66.01%	220
266	Nokia Lumia 730/735	4.7	720	1280	68.5	134.7	66.00%	312
267	Microsoft Lumia 550	4.7	720	1280	67.8	136.1	65.99%	312
268	LG Vu 3	5.2	960	1280	85.6	132.1	65.92%	326
269	Amazon Fire Phone	4.7	720	1280	66	140	65.91%	312
270	Samsung Galaxy S3	4.8	720	1280	70.6	136.6	65.86%	306
271	HTC Desire 700	5	540	960	72	145.5	65.79%	220
272	Oppo N1	5.8	1080	1920	82.6	170.7	65.77%	380
273	Sony Xperia C	5	540	960	74.15	141.5	65.69%	220
274	Apple iPhone 6/6S	4.7	750	1334	67.1	138.2	65.67%	326
275	Samsung Ativ S	4.8	720	1280	70.5	137.2	65.67%	306
276	BLU Life Play S	4.7	720	1280	67.5	137.5	65.61%	312
277	Samsung Galaxy A3	4.5	540	960	65.5	130.1	65.51%	245
278	Xiaomi Mi 2	4.3	720	1280	62	126	65.25%	342
279	Samsung Galaxy K zoom	4.8	720	1280	70.8	137.5	65.24%	306
280	Sony Xperia M4 Aqua	5	720	1280	72.6	145.5	65.24%	294
281	Motorola Moto G	4.5	720	1280	65.9	129.9	65.21%	326
282	Huawei Ascend G6	4.5	540	960	65.3	131.2	65.16%	245
283	Huawei Ascend P7 mini	4.5	540	960	65.3	131.2	65.16%	245
284	Xiaomi Mi 3	5	1080	1920	73.6	144	65.03%	441
285	BLU Life Pro	5	720	1280	72.1	147	65.03%	294
286	HTC One	4.7	1080	1920	68.2	137.4	64.99%	469
287	HTC One X / X+	4.7	720	1280	69.9	134.36	64.84%	312
288	Samsung Galaxy Core Advance	4.7	180	800	70.5	133.3	64.80%	124
289	Lenovo Vibe X	5	1080	1920	74	144	64.68%	441
290	Nokia Lumia 630	4.5	480	854	66.7	129.5	64.63%	218
291	Sony Xperia Z1	5	1080	1920	73.9	144.4	64.58%	441
292	Sony Xperia E4g	4.7	540	960	71	133	64.49%	234
293	Motorola Moto E 2015	4.5	540	960	66.8	129.8	64.38%	245
294	Samsung Galaxy S7 Active	5.1	1440	2560	75	148.8	64.25%	576
295	Samsung Galaxy Express 2	4.5	540	960	65.8	132.4	64.08%	245
296	Sony Xperia M2	4.8	540	960	71.1	139.7	63.95%	229
297	Asus ZenFone 5	5	720	1280	72.8	148.2	63.88%	294
298	Samsung Galaxy Note	5.3	800	1280	83	147	63.47%	292
299	Nokia Lumia 625	4.7	480	800	72.2	133.2	63.32%	202
300	Sony Xperia ZR	4.5	720	1280	67.4	131	63.23%	326
301	HTC Desire 620	5	720	1280	72.7	150.1	63.16%	294
302	Motorola Moto E	4.3	540	960	64.8	124.8	63.03%	256
303	Sony Xperia M2 Aqua	4.8	540	960	72	140	63.01%	229
304	LG Optimus L7 II	4.3	480	800	66.6	121.5	62.99%	220
305	Nokia XL	5	480	800	77.7	141.4	62.73%	190
306	Jolla Smartphone	4.5	540	960	68	131	62.67%	245
307	Lenovo S820	4.7	720	1280	69.7	139.5	62.63%	312
308	HTC One mini 2	4.5	720	1280	65	137.4	62.51%	326
309	HTC Desire 320	4.5	480	854	67.8	132	62.38%	218
310	HTC Desire 510	4.7	480	854	69.8	139.9	62.36%	208
311	Sony Xperia SL	4.3	720	1280	64	128	62.22%	342
312	HTC Desire 310	4.5	480	654	68	132.4	62.01%	190
313	Sony Xperia Z1 Compact	4.3	720	1280	64.9	127	61.84%	342
314	HTC Desire 600	4.5	540	960	67	134.8	61.81%	245
315	Samsung Galaxy S2	4.3	480	800	66.1	125.3	61.54%	220
316	Nokia X2	4.3	480	800	68.3	121.7	61.32%	220
317	Nokia Lumia 925	4.5	768	1280	70.6	129	61.30%	337
318	HTC One Mini	4.3	720	1280	63.2	132	61.10%	342
319	Apple iPhone 5/5S/SE	4	640	1136	58.6	123.8	60.80%	326
320	Nokia X	4	480	800	63	115.5	60.62%	237
321	Nokia Lumia 920	4.5	768	1280	70.8	130.3	60.51%	337
322	Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016)	4.5	480	800	69.6	132.6	60.49%	211
323	HTC Desire 610	4.7	540	960	70.5	143.1	60.36%	234
324	LG Optimus L5 II	4	480	800	62.2	117.5	60.35%	237
325	Nokia Lumia 820	4.3	480	800	68.5	123.8	60.11%	220
326	Nokia Lumia 1020	4.5	768	1280	71.4	130.4	59.96%	337
327	Sony Xperia E1	4	480	800	62.4	118	59.90%	237
328	HTC Desire V	4	480	800	62.3	118.5	59.75%	237
329	HTC Desire X	4	480	800	62.3	118.5	59.75%	237
330	HTC Desire 501	4.3	480	800	66.7	128.5	59.47%	220
331	Nokia Lumia 530	4	480	854	62.3	119.7	59.15%	245
332	Nokia Lumia 720	4.3	480	800	67.5	127.9	59.04%	220
333	Sony Xperia E3	4.5	480	854	69.4	137.1	58.67%	218
334	HTC Windows Phone 8X	4.3	720	1280	66.2	132.3	58.20%	342
335	Samsung Galaxy Ace 3	4	480	800	62.7	121.2	58.04%	237
336	Samsung Z1	4	480	800	63.2	120.4	57.97%	237
337	Samsung Galaxy J1	4.3	480	800	68.2	129	57.94%	220
338	Microsoft Lumia 430	4	480	800	63.2	120.5	57.92%	237
339	Samsung Galaxy Ace 4	4	480	800	62.9	121.4	57.76%	237
340	Asus Zenfone 4	4	480	800	61.4	124.4	57.75%	237
341	Microsoft Lumia 435	4	480	800	64.7	118.1	57.73%	237
342	Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini	4	480	800	63	121.5	57.62%	237
343	Nokia Lumia 520	4	480	800	64	119.9	57.48%	237
344	Nokia Lumia 525	4	480	800	64	119.9	57.48%	237
345	Sony Xperia M	4	480	854	62	124	57.37%	245
346	Blackberry Z10	4.2	768	1280	65.6	130	57.02%	361
347	Huawei Ascend W2	4.3	480	800	67	134	56.78%	220
348	Microsoft Lumia 532	4	480	800	65.5	118.9	56.64%	237
349	Nokia Lumia 620	3.8	480	800	61.1	115.4	56.46%	249
350	Huawei Ascend W1	4	480	800	63.5	124.5	55.79%	237
351	Samsung Galaxy Young 2	3.5	320	480	59.9	109.8	51.35%	171
352	Iphone 4/4S	3.5	640	960	58.6	115.2	50.02%	343
353	Samsung Galaxy Fame	3.5	320	480	61.6	113.2	48.43%	171
354	Apple iPhone 3G/3GS	3.5	320	480	62.1	115.5	47.08%	171
355	Nokia Asha 503	3	240	320	60.6	102.6	39.90%	141
356	Blackberry Q5	3.1	720	720	66	120	33.45%	355
357	Blackberry Q10	3.1	720	720	66.8	119.6	33.16%	355

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08/03/2016

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Microsoft, Windows 10 and Lumia, or….

…how many things can you do wrong at the same time?

Whoever is in charge of product marketing and development for Microsoft phone devices really should have been fired a while ago. While I thought that sacking Steven Elop was the start to a better future for Microsoft’s device business, it really has been going downwards further ever since. And who thought that this was possible starting on a low with Elop.

Now let’s summarise what happened with the Windows 10 devices, Lumia 950, 950XL, 550 and 650.

Lumia 950 and 950 XL:

these phones should go in to the history books as the most uninspiringly designed phones. How can one wait for 1.5 years for a flagship release (Lumia 930/Icon) and then take such a step back
charging top-shelf flagship device prices for plastic phones while all other manufacturers have stepped up their game (even Samsung managed to) really makes no sense
As per Satia Nadella’s own description the Lumia flagships are for the enthusiast crowd. What happened is that plastic phones were launched on an unfinished OS with unfinished features but the full price is being charged. What this amounts to is a rip-off of the loyal MS following rather than rewarding those that have stayed loyal to Windows Phone, are prepared to be public beta testers with appropriate competitive pricing
MS must have known that the devices are bland like anything, hence the simultaneous launch of “fancy” back covers by Mozo. So they really dared to ask for another $50 or more just to make the phone look nice
Basic testing of the phones should have made it obvious that the Lumia 950 has massive battery life issues, rendering the device semi-useless for heavy work day usage
Granted, Continuum is cool. But then throw in the dock for free in the package to make the one stand-out feature a default that the early adopters can brag about and spread the word
There are so many features in the applications missing and they are so far behind the Android and iOS equivalents that it almost seems like even Microsoft is putting more effort in developing for other platforms than their own

Lumia 650:

The lower mid-tier phone costing a third of the price of the 950 has a much better premium design with more premium materials. How can that happen
The phone is targeted at the business crowd but it doesn’t support Continuum, the one stand-out feature that could convince that exact target audience
Why… or why would anyone put such a low-end chipset into this phone, combined with 1GB RAM only. Even if the OS runs fairly smoothly it obviously resulted in the absence of Continuum. And the device will inevitably not cope if 3rd party developers launch some more demanding business apps.
For the business crowd a 2000mAh battery is just a joke

Lumia 550:

Don’t even get me started….

I don’t know if Microsoft can still turn the ship around or if the current lineup of phones was the final nail in the coffin of Microsoft phones and Windows 10 for phones altogether. Even if there are some moves from 3rd party manufacturers like HP and Acer, market shares have declined even further from what was already a very low base.

I do have a few suggestions though:

Launch the rumoured Surface-Phone that needs to have the same quality, design and attention to detail as a Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book
Cut the prices for the Lumia 950 and 950 XL to $300 and $350 respectively. Bundle in the dock and a Mozo cover for free.
Offer the Mozo cover and dock to any current 950 and 950 XL user retrospectively for free.
Launch a decent mid-range phone (Lumia 850) with a proper mid-tier chipset (Snapdragon 617 or 652) and a 1080p screen.
Get moving on those Office Apps and Outlook on Windows 10 before the business crowd completely gives up on you

Cheers,

Pete

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05/03/2016

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The final countdown for Blackberry

WhatsApp announced that it will end support for WhatsApp for all Blackberry OS’es including OS10.

If there was ever any doubt that BB OS10 will die this is it. Without WhatsApp the phones are pretty much useless. Even though BB announced that they will launch more Android phones, without any signs of a decent pipeline of Android devices (Wake up: Where is the conversion kit for the Passport to move to Android?) there is no hope left. Even the hardest die-hard fans of BB must admit that this seems to be the end.

https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000617/WhatsApp-support-for-mobile-devices

08-08-08

A most auspicious web!

Samsung Galaxy S10e is a bargain…

Nokia 6 | Welcome back!

2017 – The Best Year for Smartphones!

Apple

Blackberry

LG

HTC

Huawei

Lenovo/Motorola

Microsoft

Nokia

Samsung

Sony

ASUS Zenfone 3 – Complete Comparison

Ultimate Screen-to-Body Ratio Comparison (mid 2016)

Microsoft, Windows 10 and Lumia, or….

…how many things can you do wrong at the same time?

The final countdown for Blackberry