This Pocketable Camera Gear Will Change the Way You Take Travel Photos

Updated June 30, 2016 2:37 p.m. ET

Passport? Check. Swim shorts? Check. Massive honkin' DSLR? Check.

For years, the Big Important Camera™ was always on my packing list for any vacation, be it to the ocean, city or country. Sure, it would have been more relaxing to hike to that secret beach on Vieques without a five-pound camera strapped to my neck, but I'm a romantic. I've always believed vacations need to be documented with the best equipment possible. How else am I going to get picturesque laptop wallpaper?

But what I've realized lately is that, as technology allows us to relive our time off in entirely new dimensions, the best way to document your vacation in the 21st century isn't to carry one amazing camera. It's to carry three.

Cue record scratch.

Did I just say that you should carry three cameras on your next vacation? Yes. But hear me out.

One of those cameras is the smartphone that's practically a part of your hand, outfitted with special lenses. Also, the setup I'm proposing isn't about improving the quality of your images; it's about creating more surprising and immersive pictures and videos, which you can't do with one device, no matter how many megapixels it flaunts.

To find the ideal vacation-photography arsenal, I toured New York City for a week with three devices: the LG 360 CAM, a 360-degree camera; the Narrative Clip 2, a wearable cam that automatically snaps photos every 30 seconds; and the Moment smartphone lenses and case, which equip your phone to shoot like a full-fledged camera. All three items combined were lighter, smaller and less expensive than the kind of DSLR "serious" photographers lug around. Plus, I didn't have to wear a fanny pack.

Entering a New (Virtual) Reality

The LG 360 CAM looks like an asthma inhaler, but it's among the most futuristic pocketable cameras. Its dual wide-angle lenses capture a 360-degree view of its surroundings, which it renders as a globular image that you can explore using your smartphone, computer or a virtual-reality headset. You can look all around a scene—to the left and the right and even above and below. (The experience is similar to using Google Street view.) As of a few weeks ago, you're now able to share these images on Facebook FB 0.05 % as easily as snapshots of your cat.

I took it to Grand Central Terminal—whose vastness is hard to capture in ordinary photos, especially for an amateur photographer. At the center of the Concourse, I launched the camera's companion app on my phone, then held the device above my head and tapped a button in the app to take my first shot and video. Even viewed on a 5-inch screen, the results were more eerily immersive than anything snapped with my iPhone. Watching the video later with my phone docked in a virtual-reality headset like Google Cardboard only amplified the effect.

Using the 360 CAM feels a bit awkward. People will stare quizzically as you pose like the Statue of Liberty in the middle of crowded pedestrian intersection, but as 360 cameras become more ubiquitous, this gesture will seem as normal as, if no less narcissistic than, stretching out your arm to take a selfie.

It's a Wide World Out There

Smartphone cameras have gotten really good, but the y're still limited by their lenses. Tall monuments get cut off unless you're shooting from a significant distance, and it's hard to fit much into the frame when shooting in tight quarters. But with the Moment Wide Lens, I was able to capture the entirety of the iconic Flatiron Building while standing across the street. (With the standard iPhone lens, I had to move about half a block farther back.) Down at the Union Square Greenmarket, the lens helped me photograph the bounty of vegetables splayed across tables while standing directly in front of them—no worries about folks walking into the shot.

While you can find other wide-angle lens attachments on the market, what sets the Moment lens apart is that its heft and build quality makes it feel and perform like a miniature DSLR lens. It made me feel better about leaving the big ol' DSLR at home.

Life Unfiltered

Designed to be attached to your shirt or bag, the Narrative Clip 2 automatically and discreetly takes pictures every 30 seconds—or more often, if you prefer. It has no screen and few controls (to turn it off, slip it in your pocket). Only when you connect the camera to a power supply do the hundreds of photos it's snapped get uploaded to the cloud. You view the cache of images using the Narrative app, which uses algorithms to highlight the ones worth keeping.

Wearing the Clip did make me feel self-conscious at first, but I didn't sense people were staring at me incredulously, as I did when sporting Google Glass years ago. I mostly forgot I was wearing the Clip at all, which is the whole point of the device.

At the end of the week, I looked at the photos the wearable had taken: fly-on-the-wall shots—graffiti on a Lower East Side door, the purple and orange sky as I emerged from a bar. There were a few artful shots—one froze my daughter's reflection in a storefront window. I imagine that years from now, even the duds will gain significance.

In a way, that's the beauty of these new forms of photography. One evening, I showed my wife the 360-degree photos and videos that I'd taken. It was mostly a greatest hits of crowded tourist attractions throughout the city: Times Square, Madison Square Park, Grand Central Terminal, Central Park. They were photos of nothing and everything at the same time—the video equivalent of people-watching in a cafe. "This is so cool," she said. "It's almost like I'm there."

And isn't that the entire point of travel photography?

SHOOTING STARS

After testing our favorite cameras in Manhattan, we asked Liz Kuball, a West coast photographer, to try them in the wilds of Santa Monica. Her verdict: They made taking impressive shots like these a snap

For Going Wide (and Close): Moment Lenses and Case

What it is: A line of high-quality lenses—wide-angle, telephoto and macro—that you screw onto your smartphone (newer iPhones and a handful of Android models). An optional case gives your iPhone an ergonomic grip and a feel closer to a traditional camera. Attach a wrist strap to feel confident you won't drop your phone into a scenic gorge.

What it's great for: Making the camera you always carry with you more versatile. The lenses let you snap a greater variety of shots and can be used with many cases, not just those made by Moment.

Pro tip: While you'll probably get more out of the wide lens on the road, the telephoto lens is worth the extra investment for taking portraits with artfully out-of-focus backgrounds and getting closer to faraway subjects without using the camera's low-quality digital zoom. Lenses, $100 each; case, $70; wrist strap, $30; momentlens.co

For Automatic Snapping: Narrative Clip 2

What it is: A tiny 8-megapixel camera that clips to your shirt or a backpack. The Clip automatically snaps a photo every 30 seconds, then uploads them to the cloud when you plug it into a power source. The Narrative app saves you from sifting through hundreds of photos by analyzing each pic and highlighting those with, say, in-focus faces, ignoring any blurry ones. Photos are stored in the cloud so they won't clog up your phone's memory.

What it's great for: Atmospheric shots and serendipitous snaps you wouldn't take otherwise. Collectively, the photos create a visual diary of the day, letting you capture the feel of a vacation without even trying.

Pro tips:You don't have to be the only one to wear it. Attach it to the handle bars of a bike or hand it over to your traveling companions to get a different point of view. If you're watching a sunset, attach it to a fixed surface and set it on time-lapse mode to create a memorable video. $199, getnarrative.com

for virtually being there: lg 360 cam

What it is: The power of virtual reality in your pocket. This simple-to-use device with two fisheye lenses takes 360-degree photos or videos.

What it's great for: Capturing the sights and sounds of bustling attractions or expansive landscapes. (It even records video in surround sound.)

Pro tips: While the 360-degree images are fun, the videos are even more compelling. Shoot longer than you normally would so you have enough time to explore different angles of a scene. While a tripod isn't necessary, something like the Joby GorillaPod, whose flexible legs can wrap around a railing or street sign, will come in handy. Share the photos on Google Maps, videos on YouTube—or both on Facebook. $200, lg.com

Source: This Pocketable Camera Gear Will Change the Way You Take Travel Photos

Apps, Caught in China's New Firewall

It's nice to see that China's censors are keeping up with what's hip and happening among the world's largest Internet population.

When search engines and bulletin boards were all the rage, the government made sure it kept abreast of the sector by cracking down on web links to any naughty or offensive content -- such as talk of the Tiananmen Square "incident" on June 4, 1989.

Then came social networking, which of course led to Facebook and Twitter being blocked in the People's Republic because they're foreign, uncensored -- or at least not censored to China's standards -- and therefore evil.

Now it's time for apps.

The Cyberspace Administration of China this week asked developers and distributors of mobile apps to do their part in maintaining the Great Firewall to "promote healthy and orderly development, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, corporations and other organizations."

Apps can be used by unscrupulous elements to spread violence and terror, disseminate pornography and otherwise share illegal information and rumors, the administration explained. Controlling terrorism and pornography are classic excuses used by regimes the world over to justify the need to control information, or at least ensure authorities know who's sharing it.

The advent of mobile apps has made both of these tasks far more challenging, not just in China. The vast volume of information now being created, and the disparate ways it's shared, has made monitoring and controlling the flow ever harder. One solution is to outsource that censorship.

Mobile Web

More and more Chinese internet users are connecting via a mobile device

Source: Bloomberg Intelligence

Under the rules outlined this week, app-store managers -- the administration doesn't name any, but examples include Apple's as well as Android stores run by China Mobile, Tencent, Baidu and Xiaomi -- must verify users' identity. They then must ensure that apps aren't used nefariously.

See what they've done there? Just as Chinese censors told search engines to filter their results over a decade ago, authorities have now handed the burden to app developers and store owners to make certain their playgrounds are clean. Censors needn't monitor every byte of data -- though they'll still attempt to -- when the app providers can do it for them.

Logging On

The average amount of hours per week spent online by Chinese internet users has doubled in a decade

Source: Bloomberg Intelligence

It's interesting to note, too, that the new rules attempt to preserve privacy for smartphone users by requiring that permission be sought to access a phone's contacts, camera, or location. That minor win for consumers is offset by a requirement for app providers to record and keep user logs for 60 days.

User logs must be kept for:

60 days

From a censorship point of view, such record-keeping provisions make sense.

For one, it means the burden of storage is placed on app makers and sellers. Second, information shared via mobile apps -- including but not limited to instant messaging -- is by its nature personal, transient and point-to-point. That makes it harder to monitor and shut down compared with the more open and public internet of a decade ago. Keeping records makes investigating transgressions much easier.

Now that China's censors have joined the mobile era, and everybody knows the rules, we can all join hands to "protect the legitimate rights and interests of citizens." lol ;)

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.

To contact the author of this story: Tim Culpan in Taipei at tculpan1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Matthew Brooker at mbrooker1@bloomberg.net

Source: Apps, Caught in China's New Firewall

Pinterest camera feature links snaps to pins

Outside the Pinterest headquarters in San Francisco, California.(Photo: Alex Mosher/USA TODAY)

SAN FRANCISCO—Pinterest unveiled a new feature Tuesday that allows users of the visual scrapbooking service to take a photo of an object and find the object, or similar objects, within the app — for what Pinterest President Tim Kendall calls those "magical moments of inspiration."

Kendall said these are moments like seeing someone wearing a shirt you like at a bar or, personally for him, when he saw a stroller he loved for his two children this past weekend.

The San Francisco-based company will launch the camera feature, which should ultimately help users buy products linked to the service, in the coming months.

Pinterest has also made its visual search tool automatic. Since November, users have been able to use the tool to highlight different objects in a picture to find similar objects on Pinterest, such as a specific lamp or pillow in a picture of a living room. Now, iOS users will see dots on different objects in a picture, showing the user she can click on that dot to find objects like it on Pinterest.

Pinterest has changed its visual search tool into an automatic visual search tool with the inclusion of dots that show the user what else she or he can search for within the app. (Photo: Pinterest)

Capitalizing on Pinterest's shopping aspect, users will be able to access the Pinterest shop on the desktop version, a feature that was only available on Android and iOS. Pinterest said 80% of users shop on the mobile application but 84% of those users said that they switch between their phone and their laptop.

Mary Meeker's 2016 Internet Trends Report stated that 55% of users use Pinterest to shop as opposed to around 12% of users for social networks.

Pinterest also announced that beginning Tuesday, Pinterest is ridding itself of the "Buy It" button and created "Add to Bag" so users can buy more than one item at one time and will have a shopping bag across all their platforms. The shopping bag tells users the shipping deals that are available to them from that retailer. The feature is available on Android and desktop and will be coming out on iOS in the coming weeks.

Pinterest's new shopping bag feature that has replaced the, "Buy It" button. Users can now buy multiple items through Pinterest at one time. (Photo: Pinterest)

Kendall saidadvertisers are able to target their exact audience through using Pinterest's databases, choosing which of the 2 billion search queries they want to show up in.

The result: Pinterest users are five times more likely to buy products in stores after seeing a promoted pin than with other online advertising.

Advertising is the only way that Pinterest generates revenue. The privately held company, with an estimated $11 billion valuation, did not comment on potential plans to go public.

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/28Z5MKM

Source: Pinterest camera feature links snaps to pins

Pinterest gives preview of new camera feature

Outside the Pinterest headquarters in San Francisco, California.(Photo: Alex Mosher/USA TODAY)

SAN FRANCISCO—Pinterest unveiled a new feature Tuesday that allows users of the visual scrapbooking service to take a photo of an object and find the object, or similar objects, within the app — for what Pinterest President Tim Kendall calls those "magical moments of inspiration."

Kendall said these are moments like seeing someone wearing a shirt you like at a bar or, personally for him, when he saw a stroller he loved for his two children this past weekend.

The San Francisco-based company will launch the camera feature, which should ultimately help users buy products linked to the service, in the coming months.

Pinterest has also made its visual search tool automatic. Since November, users have been able to use the tool to highlight different objects in a picture to find similar objects on Pinterest, such as a specific lamp or pillow in a picture of a living room. Now, iOS users will see dots on different objects in a picture, showing the user she can click on that dot to find objects like it on Pinterest.

Pinterest has changed its visual search tool into an automatic visual search tool with the inclusion of dots that show the user what else she or he can search for within the app. (Photo: Pinterest)

Capitalizing on Pinterest's shopping aspect, users will be able to access the Pinterest shop on the desktop version, a feature that was only available on Android and iOS. Pinterest said 80% of users shop on the mobile application but 84% of those users said that they switch between their phone and their laptop.

Mary Meeker's 2016 Internet Trends Report stated that 55% of users use Pinterest to shop as opposed to around 12% of users for social networks.

Pinterest also announced that beginning Tuesday, Pinterest is ridding itself of the "Buy It" button and created "Add to Bag" so users can buy more than one item at one time and will have a shopping bag across all their platforms. The shopping bag tells users the shipping deals that are available to them from that retailer. The feature is available on Android and desktop and will be coming out on iOS in the coming weeks.

Pinterest's new shopping bag feature that has replaced the, "Buy It" button. Users can now buy multiple items through Pinterest at one time. (Photo: Pinterest)

Kendall saidadvertisers are able to target their exact audience through using Pinterest's databases, choosing which of the 2 billion search queries they want to show up in.

The result: Pinterest users are five times more likely to buy products in stores after seeing a promoted pin than with other online advertising.

Advertising is the only way that Pinterest generates revenue. The privately held company, with an estimated $11 billion valuation, did not comment on potential plans to go public.

Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/28Z5MKM

Source: Pinterest gives preview of new camera feature

YI Home Camera 2

The YI Home Camera 2 ($129.99) joins the growing list of smartphone-enabled home security cameras that will record activity when it detects motion and send a push alert to your phone. It's a cinch to set up, provides crisp 1080p video, and its motion detection works like a charm. That said, it's lacking some of the useful features you get with our Editors' Choice, the pricier Icontrol Networks Piper nv. Or you can save some money and pick up the Ezviz Mini HD, which delivers solid 720p video for nearly half the price.

Design and Features The Home Camera 2 uses a hockey puck design similar to the Nest Dropcam Pro, except the stand is white instead of black. The black camera head is round and measures 2 inches in diameter. It contains a 1/2.8-inch CMOS sensor and 11 infrared LED beads for night vision. The camera delivers 720p and 1080p video, has a 130-degree field of view, and houses a motion sensor as well as a microphone and speaker for two-way audio communications.

The stand contains a power jack and a hinge that lets you tilt the camera 180 degrees. Behind the removable back panel of the camera are a microSD card slot and a Reset button. You get a 32GB microSD card and a USB power adapter in the box.

The camera is controlled using a mobile app (available for Android and iOS) but does not have a Web app. The app opens to an advertisement that touts a Crying Baby Detection feature. The ad only runs for three seconds, but it happens every time you open the app and becomes annoying after a while. The Home page shows all installed cameras with a still image of the last captured activity. There's a Plus button in the upper right corner that is used to add cameras, and four buttons along the bottom of the screen. The Camera button lets you view live video, and the Alerts button shows a list of all activities by date with a video thumbnail. The Album button takes you to a list of all the photos you've taken with the camera, and the Profile button brings you to a page where you can edit account information, change your password and user na me, and add a profile picture.

Tapping a camera takes you to a live feed of that camera with buttons that let you mute the speaker, record video, initiate two-way audio, take a still photo, and view video in full-screen landscape mode. Below the live video screen is a list of motion-triggered video clips by date. At only six seconds long, the clips are much shorter than the 35-second recordings that you get with the Piper nv.

Tapping the gear icon in the upper right corner opens a Settings page where you can rename the camera and turn it on and off, enable activity alerts, check SD card storage, enable video recording when motion is detected, and enable PIN protection for camera access. Here you can also access the camera's multiple Detection Settings that allow you to set a detection region and enable the Human Detection option, which sends an alert when the camera detects human movement instead of movement from pets or outdoor activity (such as passing cars or wind-blown curtains). There are three Sensitivity levels and three Frequency levels (Low, Medium, High), and a Schedule option that lets you select certain times of day when motion alerts will be sent (the default is 24/7). The Home Camera 2 lacks support for email alerts like you get with the Netgear Arlo and Arlo Q cameras, and doesn't work with other connected home devices like the Piper nv and the Canary do. It also lacks support for If Thi s Then That (IFTTT) recipes.

Camera settings include Image Rotation, a Lens Distortion Correction option that reduces pincushioning, a Speaker on/off option, and three HD settings (1080p@25fps, 1080p@20 fps, 720p@20fps). The camera offers a Gesture Detection feature that lets you initiate a 10-second video recording you can send to friends or family. To begin recording, simply extend your hand out at shoulder height with your palm facing the camera. The camera will recognize the gesture with a voice prompt, at which point you close your fist to trigger the 10-second recording session. There's also the aforementioned Baby Crying Detection feature that recognizes the sound of a crying child and sends a push alert to your mobile device.

Installation and Performance To install the camera, start by downloading the Android or iOS app on your mobile device. Once you get through several pages of self-promoting ads you will be asked to sign up using an email address and password. When you log in you'll be instructed to plug the camera in somewhere close to your router. At this point a female voice will tell you that the camera is waiting to connect; when you hear it, press the button on the app. Next, select your Wi-Fi router and enter your password. When a QR code appears on your mobile device, hold it facing the camera and wait a few seconds for it to connect and for the voice to confirm that pairing was successful.

The Home Camera 2 delivered a highly detailed live 1080p video feed with rich colors in my testing, and recorded video appeared just as sharp and colorful. There was no significant lag, and two-way audio quality was loud and clear. Black-and-white night vision video was sharp up to around 25 feet. But the clips really need to be longer than six seconds in order to give you a better idea of what you're seeing.

The motion detection feature worked beautifully. I enabled the Human Detection option and set the Sensitivity level to Medium and did not receive any false alerts, even when my dog ran in and out of the room. The Alert Frequency and Schedule features also worked as advertised, and having the ability to turn off alerts during certain times of the day reduces unnecessary push notifications while family members are going through their usual routines.

I tested the Gesture Detection feature and at first, I was unable to make it work despite multiple attempts from various angles and distances. The same thing happened with the Baby Crying Detection; I didn't have a baby handy to use for testing, so I downloaded several audio clips of babies crying. The sounds were realistic enough to whip my dog into a frenzy, but the camera did not react at all. As it turns out, the camera needed a firmware update. I tried updating it using the firmware update setting in the app, but it failed every time. I was finally able to manually update the camera by downloading the new firmware and copying it to the microSD card. Once the camera was updated both features worked perfectly.

Conclusions With the YI Home Camera 2 you can keep a digital eye on your home from afar using your Android or iOS device and receive push notifications when motion is detected. It offers a few handy motion detector settings that help reduce or eliminate false triggers, and it delivers sharp, colorful 1080p video and stores recorded clips on a local microSD card. However, triggered recordings are only six seconds long, and there's no support for email alerts or integration with third-party connected devices. As a standalone security device, the Home Camera 2 will get the job done, but if you're looking for a camera that records longer clips and doubles as a home automation hub, check out our Editors' Choice for home surveillance cameras, the Icontrol Networks Piper nv. At $280, it's more expensive than the YI Home Camera 2, but it offers a wider field of view and is loaded with features including temperature, humidity, light, and sound sensors. If you're looking to save some money, the Ezviz Mini HD offers motion detection, push alerts, and multiple storage options for just $80.
Source: YI Home Camera 2

Snap and edit pictures like a pro with these great Android photo apps

When cell phone manufacturers began installing digital cameras into their devices some 15 years ago, a quantum leap occurred regarding the device's functionality. Before this revolution, a cell phone's role in anyone's daily life consisted of merely making phone calls, sending text messages, and drafting emails. Today, everyone has a supremely high-powered digital camera in their pocket or purse, capable of taking stunning panoramas at the swift touch of a finger.

Related: 22 photo apps to supercharge your iPhone camera

Though what good is a smartphone camera without the proper applications to get the most out of your photos? While the stock camera application on any Android-based smartphone provides an extremely easy way to snap and save pictures, it doesn't offer much in the way of sprucing up those ordinary photos with filters and effects. A simple trip to the Google Play Store reveals an abundance of available photo and editing apps, but it isn't always easy to find the best of the bunch. To help, we sifted through the sea of available programs and curated the following list of our favorite Android photo-capture and -editing apps worthy of a download.

The best apps for taking photos The Best Instagram

Instagram Gall Android

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One of the world's most popular photo applications – and the world's most popular photo-sharing social network – remains one of Android's greatest resources for capturing all of life's picturesque sunsets, peculiar landscapes, and delicious dinners. With access to a host of creative tools and filters, Instagram gives users supreme control over the taking and editing of photos. Once the photo receives its fair share of filters and fades, it can then be uploaded to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr to amass even more likes and Internet karma. Aside from snapping and sending snazzy pics, Instagram users can follow their friends' accounts – or celebrities and hilarious grandmas – to have a constant rotisserie of new pictures streaming through the home fee d.

Download now from:

Google

The Rest Google Camera

Google Camera Gall Android

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Seems fitting to include a Google-developed application here, but Google Camera is actually a strong photo app for Android smartphones. With an easy-to-use interface and intuitive controls, even amateur photogs have the ability to take stunning pictures without much of a learning curve. Google Camera's impressive list of features include a High Dynamic Range function, the ability to create gorgeous panoramas with its photo-stitching technology, and the option of manipulating your camera's depth using Lens Blur. Google Camera also touts Android Wear compatibility, allowing you to control the smartphone camera remotely through a wearable.

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Google

VSCO Cam

VSCO Cam Android Gall

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A social media-themed camera application without the fuss of likes and comments, VSCO Cam provides photography lovers a great outlet to share and inspire. With a wide range of presets and photo-altering tools, anybody has the ability to turn everyday landscape shots into a stunning finished product. The app also boasts its own unique processing technology that promises dazzling results not previously seen on Android-based devices. When editing photos, a simple click of the phone's screen changes the viewer's perspective between the original shot and the edited final product, allowing for easy before and after comparisons. After editing, users then have the option to share photos across a number of popular social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Download now from:

Google

Little Photo

Little Photo Gall Android

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Developer Moment's Little Photo remains one of the highest rated photo apps on the Google Play Store, featuring an extensive list of effects and filters not typically seen within a free application. Little Photo currently touts more than 70 effects and tools, and promises to continue to add to its enormous list with each subsequent update. Users have the ability to stack multiple filters while editing, allowing for a near infinite amount of possibilities and finished products. For added control Little Photo lets users choose between applying a full filter, or just half-applying the intended effect to achieve vastly different results. Little Photo's easy to use interface and bevy of available effects and tools doesn't disappoint; this app is a winner.

Download now from:

Google

Snapseed

Snapseed Gall Android 2

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For a powerful camera application with professional-quality editing tools, look no further than Google's Snapseed. With a massive amount of editing options, users won't have a hard time making even the most mundane of photos jump to life. Snapseed gives users ultimate control over their images by including a host of sliders capable of altering a photo's vignette, blur, temperature, and many others. The app also satisfies fans of the vintage look by providing the option of applying grainy overlays, '60s-style film reel effects, or its unique Retrolux filter. Snapseed also allows lets you stack effects on any photo, similar to Layers in Photoshop, making it easy to produce a brand-new result each time you edit a photo.

Download now from:

Google

The best apps for editing photos

Taking photos is the easy part, it's the editing that typically causes headaches and frustrations. Luckily there exists a wide range of available photo editors — and yet again, these cost nary a dime — on the Google Play Store, designed to help photographers of any skill level achieve professional results. What follows are our picks of the best photo-editing applications for Android-based smartphones, capable of making even the dullest of photos pop with vivid color and life.

The Best Autodesk Pixlr

Autodesk Pixlr Gall Android

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While most applications on the Google Play Store – photo-specific or not – typically feature a bevy of annoying ads and click-bait, Autodesk's Pixlr photo editor keeps its interface clean and clear of any of these annoyances. What this allows for is a seamless editing experience, helping users focus solely on what matters most, the photos. Pixlr touts hundreds of effects, powerful editing tools, and handfuls of collage options that support absolute creative freedom. The app even provides a "favorites" button to create presets and save them easily in the app's settings. You don't typically find a photo editor this powerful available in the palm of your hand.

Download now from:

Google

The Rest Cupslice Photo Editor

Cupslice Photo Editor Gall Android

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Incredibly easy and simple to use, Cupslice Photo Editor is perfect for novices. With a long list of available effects, tools, and photo configurations, this app makes it an absolute breeze to turn ordinary photos into stunningly beautiful images. Cupslice allows users to upload any completed photo to a host of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as chat applications like WhatsApp and Line. Photo editing apps don't get much easier to use than Cupslice's impressive offering.

Download now from:

Google

Photo Editor by Aviary

Photo Editor by Aviary Gall Android

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Adobe acquired Aviary and its namesake app in 2014, giving Aviary access to some of Adobe's proprietary file types — i.e., Photoshop PSD files — along with connectivity to BeHance online portfolios and and the ability to link to your Creative Cloud account in exchange for Aviary's in-app purchasing infrastructure. Still, Aviary's photo editor continues to give photography fanatics a quick and easy method for any editing job, big or small. With one-touch controls, applicable stickers, and a slew of filters and effects, this editing application turns a smartphone into a premier photography studio. Perhaps its lone downside is the fact that, while free to download and use, Aviary does make users shell out some dough for a few of its effect packages. That said, the ordinary applicat ion — sans updates — carries enough editing power to remain incredibly useful on its own.

Download now from:

Google

Adobe Lightroom

Adobe Lightroom Gall Android

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Adobe's software have long been considered by many as the preeminent solution for editing pictures and photos, and its Lightroom application for Android is no different. Though it requires users possess the desktop version of Adobe Lightroom 5 – as well as an Adobe Creative Cloud account – it packs a serious photo-editing punch capable of putting others in its class to shame. Users have the ability to not only edit photos taken with an Android smartphone, but also any DNG RAW camera images and any photos saved to the Lightroom 5 desktop program. As always, Adobe provides an incredible amount of effects, filters, and tools, making this a worthy companion for any expert photographer.

Download now from:

Google

Adobe Photoshop Express

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An Adobe photo-editing app that doesn't require a mandatory subscription? Yes, please. With Adobe Photoshop Express, users gain access to Adobe's library of impressive editing features including blemish Removal, one-touch filters, and Adobe's new image rendering engine. The most recent app updates also include the ability to shoot and process RAW images directly from your Android device, allowing you to take full advantage of your phone's advanced optics. The app offers a selection of in-app purchases, too, which provide access to saved albums, advanced editing features, and additional image filters and effects. When budget holds you back, Adobe's Photoshop Express remains one of the best options for gaining access to blue-ribbon editing software.

Download now from:

Google

Source: Snap and edit pictures like a pro with these great Android photo apps

HTC 10 review: Impressive, but shy of being brilliant

By Ritesh Bendre on Jun 27, 2016 at 8:01 PM Email @GadgetFreak4U comments Tags: HTC HTC 10 reviews Samsung Galaxy S7 Review Ritesh Bendre 4 5 BGR Rating : 4/5

I've been a big fan of HTC smartphones since the company's early days, starting from the Touch Diamond running on Windows Mobile 6.1 to the Wildfire, Desire HD and the One M8, which I still use as my primary smartphone. Needless to say, I was quite excited to try out the HTC 10. Somewhere in between all these smartphones, HTC lost its way. The One M8 took way to long to come to the market and cost CEO Peter Chou his job, while the One M9 ran on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 chipset and had to bear the brunt of heating issues. The HTC 10 is the company's ray of hope to revive its fortunes. Priced at Rs 52,990, can the HTC 10 survive fierce competition from the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge? I find out.

Design and buildHTC is known for making smartphones with impressive designs. We've seen some brilliant designs from the company – be it the HTC Hero with a raised chin at the bottom, the Desire HD with anodized aluminum body or the One series with metal unibody design to name a few. The HTC 10 is a part of the One series despite the company dropping the 'One' from the name. It boasts a metal unibody design, and its premium look and feel speaks for itself. It's not a completely new design, but HTC has borrowed some elements from the One A9.

On the front, you have the selfie camera module and the earpiece above the screen. The HTC 10 does not have the trademark BoomSound front-facing dual speakers but the company says it has incorporated a tweeter with the earpiece and a sub-woofer at the bottom edge. The new arrangement might have been required in order to accommodate the fingerprint sensor below the display.

Below the screen, you have the home button which also doubles as a fingerprint scanner, and the capacitive buttons for back and recent apps. Unlike other smartphones where you have to press the home button to wake the screen and scan the fingerprint, on the HTC 10, you simply need to place your finger on the scanner to unlock it. And it's pretty quick and accurate too.

Coming to ports placement, the right edge has a nano-SIM card slot, followed by the volume rocker and a power/sleep button. Here, the power button is slightly textured to differentiate it from the volume rocker. On the left edge, you have the tray for a microSD card, the 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and the USB Type-C port is placed at the bottom, just besides the speaker grille.

Turn to the back, and you have a slightly curved design and thick chamfers that run all around the device. It not only adds a dash of premium look and feel to it, but also a good grip to hold the smartphone. The antenna bands can be found along the top and bottom, with the HTC logo in between. You also have the slightly protruding camera module with gold/black/steel ring (depending on the color you choose), the dual-tone LED flash and the laser auto-focus module.

DisplayBack in 2014, the LG G3 came equipped with a QHD display whereas the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8 featured a full HD display. The following year, along with the LG G4, the Samsung Galaxy S6 also offered a QHD display, but HTC continued with full HD display on the One M9. It did however release the One M9+ with QHD display, but the poor camera, MediaTek processor and hefty price tag didn't work in its favor.

Now the HTC 10 comes with a 5.2-inch QHD Super LCD5 display covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 4. The display is very crisp and color reproduction is quite punchy. However, it can't match Sony's Triluminous or Samsung's Super AMOLED display. Also, my review device had a pink tint to the display – colors appeared good when looking straight at the screen, but on slightly tilting, the viewing angles were bad. Maybe it's the screen polarizer that caused the pink tint, but it is there and it looks ugly.

HardwareAt the heart of HTC 10 is Qualcomm's 64-bit Snapdragon 820 quad-core chipset with custom Kryo cores – two clocked at 2.15GHz and the other two clocked at 1.6GHz. It is paired with 4GB of RAM and Adreno 530 GPU. It's currently the best hardware that you can get on high-end smartphones.

On the storage front, you get 32GB of onboard emmc 5.1 storage and a microSD card slot with support up to 256GB. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and NFC. For charging and data transfer, the HTC 10 comes with the USB Type-C port. It's a reversible connector, meaning you don't need to worry about which side is upside down.

SoftwareOn the software front, you have Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow wrapped under Sense UI 8. Unlike the earlier iterations of Sense UI, this time around, HTC has gone with minimal add-ons to bring it closer to Stock Android UI, similar to what it did with the One A9 with Sense 7g UI. One of the major benefits of this move is the fact that it will help HTC to quickly release Android OS updates as and when Google releases it. The interface is really smooth and I never encountered any lag during my daily usage, which included internet surfing, social networking, listening to music, watching videos or while multitasking between apps.

HTC has also gotten rid of the duplicate bloatware apps – HTC Mail is replaced by Gmail, Calendar is replaced by Google Calendar, HTC Music is replaced by Play Music, internet browser is replaced by Google Chrome and so on.  However, those who loved the HTC specific apps can download them from the Play Store. Also, apps such as Camera, Sense Home and more have been moved to Play Store, allowing HTC to update them individually, and now as a part of the Sense UI.

Still, as a part of the package you get the HTC's BlinkFeed, which can be accessed by swiping to right from the home screen to access. BlinkFeed is home to news feed from across the globe and from your social networks. You also get HTC's themes in classic and freestyle layout. While classic layout changes the icons, wallpapers and color scheme, the freestyle layout gives added level of customization by assigning apps shortcuts to different stickers. You can have five stickers on each screen and there are a maximum of three screens. It is not very convenient to use though youngsters might like it to differentiate their home screens. You can even hide app labels to create a sleek theme without any shortcuts in sight. Check out some screenshots of what these stickers look like.

One of the most common problems with Android smartphones is the cache that they generate, which not only eats up the space, but also slows down the smartphone. HTC knows this, and to address the issue, it has developed an app called Boost+, which does the needful when required. It a 'Smart Boost' feature that kills unwanted background apps, 'Game Battery Booster' that optimizes battery life while paying graphics intense games and a 'Clear Junk' feature that lets you clear the cache. There is also a feature called 'Lock Apps' that lets you keep your photos, contacts and apps locked from prying eyes. You can either use a pattern or your fingerprint to unlock these apps, and it works pretty well.

MultimediaHTC has always focused on the audio chops of its smartphones. It introduced Dolby Digital Audio with HTC Desire HD, Beats Audio with the HTC Sensation, BoomSound with One M8 and now, with the HTC 10, you get the new BoomSound Hi-Fi edition with Dolby Audio. HTC has also added audio profile to fine-tune your listening experience. You may have come across times where the audio on left channel or right channel is louder / lower than the other, and this is exactly where audio profile comes handy. You have to go through the basic setup – listen to audio frequencies (low, middle, high) on each ear and select the audio balance. If done right, you should be able to hear same level output on both the ears, it worked in my case.

Listening to music or watching movies on the HTC 10 is a pleasing experience. On a good pair of headphones, the audio sounds the best, something that I've rarely heard in smartphones. The quality is excellent, with a good mix between bass, treble and clarity. Even at 60 percent volume, the output is very loud, crisp and detailed. Ramping up the volume to 80 percent was way too much to what my ears could accept, but I never really felt the need of increasing the volume past 50-60 percent.

However, the same cannot be said about the output on speaker. No doubt, it's detailed, but not as loud as the front-firing BoomSound speakers on the One M8. In fact, I played the same set of songs on Galaxy S7 and One M8, both of which were louder than the HTC 10. While that shouldn't be a concern for many, but I'm disappointed with the fact that 'BoomSound' doesn't have the same 'boom' this time around.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S7 Review: The perfect smartphone money can buy

I transferred a few full HD and 4K videos, which the HTC 10 was able to play effortlessly. The audio output on the speaker was detailed too. You do get two modes to choose from – music and theatre mode. While music mode enhances vocals, theatre mode adds surround sound effect.

That's not all; HTC 10 also features 'stereo 24-bit Hi-Res audio recording capabilities.' I recorded a song playing on laptop speaker on HTC 10, Galaxy S7 and LG G5. The difference in the audio quality was clearly visible, with audio sounding crystal clear on the HTC 10 compared to others.

GamingIdeally, with Snapdragon 820 SoC, 4GB of RAM and Adreno 530 GPU, gaming shouldn't be an issue at all, but I was left a little disappointed. Casual games such as Subway Surfers, Temple Run 2 and Benji Bananas ran smoothly without any hiccups. However, when I ran graphics intense games such as Modern Combat 5, Asphalt 8: Airborne, and N.O.V.A 3, I did notice slight framing. First I thought battery saving mode in Boost+ could be the culprit, but even disabling that didn't work.

Not that the framing affects your gameplay in any way, but I clearly don't expect it from a Rs 53,000 flagship smartphone, where the same games run smooth as butter on the LG G5 and Galaxy S7. But one good part that I like it, the HTC 10 doesn't get too warm as the One M8 or even some mid-range smartphones. It seems like Qualcomm has really worked hard to keep thermal levels of Snapdragon 820 low, something that was a major issue in Snapdragon 810.

CameraIt's not just the audio, HTC has always been working on the camera bit too. The One X had a camera module with ZSL (zero shutter lag) feature. Also, the camera app allowed to simultaneously record video and capture photos. For the One M7 and One M8, HTC built an UltraPixel (4-megapixel) camera sensor with focus on better low light photography, but it was a disaster. With the One M9, the company went for a 21-megapixel Toshiba sensor, but the camera image quality was nowhere close to the competitor cameras.

Now, HTC is giving UltraPixel another chance with the new 12-megapixel (UltraPixel 2) sensor. With a aperture of f/1.8, pixel size of 1.55µm, laser auto-focus and OIS (optical image stabilization), HTC has finally got a good flagship worthy camera. It also supports 4K video recording (30fps) and slow-motion video recording (120fps).

The camera app is very slick and completely redesigned. You get features like Auto HDR, HTC Zoe, hyperlapse and slow motion mode. There is also a Pro mode that lets you adjust the auto-white balance, exposure compensation, ISO, shutter speed and manual focus. That's now all, photography enthusiasts will be glad to hear that the HTC 10 camera app also supports capturing RAW photos in DNG, but do note, each image file will be close to 28MB. (Click on the image below for camera samples)

The camera app is easy to use and focusing is pretty quick too. However, I found the focusing inconsistent at times, especially in low light conditions. I clicked a good number of photos in all types of lighting conditions and was left impressed with the camera performance. Undoubtedly, it's the best camera I've seen in an HTC smartphone so far. In bright lighting conditions, the camera captures really good photos with accurate colors and details. Photos captured in indoor lighting conditions also look pretty good. Close-ups look great with good depth of field.

Up front, you have a 5-megpaixel selfie camera of aperture f/1.8 and support for optical image stabilization. I clicked a few selfies in different lighting conditions, and was impressed with the performance. Thanks to the OIS, I didn't come across blurry ones, something that snapchatters and selfie addicts will really love.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S7 vs HTC 10 vs LG G5: Specifications, benchmarks compared

Battery lifeHTC has packed a 3,000mAh battery along with support for Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0. It takes the HTC 10 from 0-100 percent in about one hour and 20 minutes. For those expecting a good battery performance may be slightly disappointed – of course the powerful Snapdragon 820 chipset and the QHD display draws good amount of power. During my usage, I found the battery life to be quite inconsistent.

I had three email accounts in real-time sync, switching between 4G and Wi-Fi, GPS on high-accuracy mode, as well as Slack, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter accounts. I also had Bluetooth connected all the time to a smartwatch. With an hour worth phone calls, music listening for an hour,  web browsing / social networking for an hour and some 30 minutes of gaming – I could fetch maximum screen on time of three and a half hours. I also ran PC Mark battery life test where it ran for 9 hours 27 minutes, a drop from 100 percent to 20 percent. In real world usage, I was barely able to get past the day.

VerdictNo doubt, the HTC 10 is the best flagship smartphone from HTC till date, but it's not perfect. The gorgeous design, the impressive build quality, superb audio quality and a capable camera are a few things that work in the favor of the HTC 10. If you're an HTC fan boy looking for the best from HTC, buying the HTC 10 is a no brainer, otherwise, I would recommend the Samsung Galaxy S7 any day.

Somehow, I don't feel HTC 10 could justify its Rs 52,990 price tag, especially compared to its competitors. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is relatively cheaper by over Rs 4,000 and is clearly a better performer be it in terms of the display, camera or the battery. It also features water and dust resistant capabilities, and a heart rate sensor. Or if you pay Rs 2,000 extra, you could go for the Galaxy S7 edge, which comes with the same features as the Galaxy S7, along with a dual edge curved display.

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Source: HTC 10 review: Impressive, but shy of being brilliant

iPhone 7 rumours: goodbye 16GB, hello 256GB and ‘Pro’ line

News

Now that WWDC is over, the iPhone 7 rumours are getting even louder, since its expected unveiling in September is probably the next time we'll see Tim Cook on stage. Yes, that's still a good while from now. To help keep track of all the scuttlebutt, we're collecting every rumour we've heard so far – and every new one that crops up between now and the day Tim pulls the new iPhone out of his pocket. Then we'll assess whether each rumour seems legit or absurd, and we'd love to hear your thoughts too. Sound off in the comments.

What's the latest?

The rumour: Pricing specs for the upcoming iPhone 7 have allegedly leaked on Weibo, according to 9to5Mac. If believed, the specs show that Apple is looking to release a 256GB model of the iPhone 7 that will be the same price as the 128GB model of the current generation iPhone 6s. Furthermore, Apple would drop the meager 16GB models, offering instead 32GB, 64GB and 256GB for the iPhone 7, and 32GB, 128GB and 256GB for iPhone 7 Plus. And that's not all, the rumour on Weibo has it that Apple is gearing up an iPhone 7 Pro line. This Pro model would be the only one to offer the dual-camera system that's been rumoured before and a Smart Connector for accessories similar to the iPad Pro.

Plausible: Generation after generation, Apple has mostly retained the same pricing for iPhone models, so the fact that the 256GB iPhone 7 would cost the same as the current 128GB wouldn't be unheard of. However, we're a little sceptical that Apple would get rid of the 16GB base models, especially since iOS 10 seems to have been designed to optimise storage. And the Pro line would be an interesting addition, and would certainly make up for the fact that the iPhone 7 is rumoured to be almost identical to the 6s models. Apple is also making some strides in enterprise software, so an iPhone Pro would be a logical next-step.

Headphone jack after all?

The rumour: Via Engadget comes some component photos from Rock Fix, a smartphone repair shop in China. They allegedly show a dual-SIM tray, another shows a dual-lens camera for the larger Plus model, and curiously, there's even a Lightning assembly that still has the headphone jack attached. People who need a lot of storage will be pleased to hear another photo shows SanDisk memory ships up to 256GB, which would be the most storage Apple's ever offered in an iPhone.

Plausible? It's hard to give much weight to photos of components, and as reported in the same Engadget article, conflicting rumours about the dual-lens camera surfaced within days. But it is plausible that these components could be for the iPhone 7 – and we know plenty of people who would be thrilled if the new phone had a headphone jack after all.

New colours?

The rumour: It's not easy being green, and iPhone owners may be starting to get envious of how many colours you can get an Android phone in. iPhones used to be pretty monochromatic, until Apple added gold and then an even brighter splash of colour with last year's rose gold hue (OK, OK, it's pink). Japanese blog Macotara is reporting that Apple is switching it up this year, swapping the space grey colour for navy blue instead.

Plausible? This is absolutely plausible. Apple's iPhones have never been colourful, but the iPod touch comes in beautiful coloured aluminum, and Apple has also set a tradition recently of switching up its Apple Watch bands to fit the season. One of the latest additions is a handsome navy Sport Band, and the Classic Buckle, Leather Loop, Modern Buckle and two of the Hermès bands come in navy too. Navy looks great on both men and women, but we can't help being a bit surprised it's the 'basic black' space grey colour that's rumoured to be replaced.

A flat Home button?

The rumour:  Blurry, possibly fake spy photos from mobipicker (via 9to5Mac) seem to show a very flat-looking Home button. As in, maybe it's not a button, maybe it's just a touch-sensitive place you touch (and/or 3D Touch) instead of physically clicking it.

Plausible? The Touch ID button got a lot faster between the iPhone 6 and 6s, but any button that physically clicks is another opportunity for hardware failure. With the rise of installment plans and the iPhone Upgrade program, we expect Apple to keep making little tweaks that make its phones more durable, so they're turned in good enough shape to be possibly refurbished and resold. So yes, this is very plausible, and we think Apple could pull it off where the experience is the same, perhaps even using a little haptic feedback to make it feel like the button is clicking but it's not – just like the Force Touch trackpad.

What about storage size?

The rumour: Apple is ditching the 16GB base model iPhone at long last, at least according to an IHS Technology analyst. The analyst posted on Chinese social media that the base model iPhone 7 will start at 32GB of storage space and 2GB of RAM, based on supply chain research.

Plausible? We sure hope so. Long-time Apple watchers have criticised the company for years over refusing to drop the 16GB model and forcing buyers to choose between the paltry base model and a 64GB option, with no 32GB in between. This is a tale as old as iPhones. In fact, when iOS 8 was released two years ago, many 16GB iPhone owners had to choose between offloading some of their apps, photos, and other files to upgrade to the space-hogging new version or hold off. Apple made iOS 9 a smaller, smarter upgrade, with temporary app deletion making the process easier. But apps easily eat up storage space, and Apple has improved its camera with Live Photos and 4K video-recording, both of which create large files. Sure, you can accept reality and choose the 64GB model, but it's a lot more expensive. A 32GB base would hit the sweet spot and show Apple can change with the times.

Leaked photos show conflicting design tweaks?

The rumour: Forbes reported on leaked photos that allegedly depict the iPhone 7 chassis. First posted on French tech site NowhereElse.fr, the photos suggest that Apple's forthcoming iPhone will have double speakers on the top and the bottom, created quad array audio experience similar to the iPad Pro. The photos also seem to confirm, yet again, that the iPhone 7 will not have a headphone jack. Lastly, this iPhone 7 chassis has the flash repositioned underneath the camera, instead of right next to it.

But hold on… according to another recent iPhone 7 photo leak picked up by 9to5Mac, the flash will remain where it is on the 6s. So now we have conflicting rumours. Both sets of photos, however, do show that Apple has redesigned the antenna lines. Instead of horizontal lines, the antenna lines on the iPhone 7 will allegedly be traced along the top and bottom edge of the device.

Plausible? These conflicting Apple rumours could mean a few things. Either both leaked photos are fake, one of them is fake or both of them are real. According to Forbes, Apple is known for creating several different prototypes of its upcoming products to test, so these photos could both be depicting early but different iterations of the iPhone 7. That both of them would leak, however, seems unlikely.

Smart connector?

The rumour: New images and renderings have surfaced allegedly depicting the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models. Quoting the Japanese site Mac Otakara, MacRumors reported that these images could be the 'real thing'. The leaked image of the iPhone 7 Plus shows a Smart Connector, hinting at the possibility of a Smart Keyboard. While the Mac Otakara report seems to confirm previous rumours the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will have a similar design to the current generation 6s and 6s Plus, the website also contests previous reports. Most notably, Mac Otakara now refutes the rumour that these new iPhones will have a second speaker to create stereo sound.

Plausible? Apple has been releasing a lot of accessories in the last few months, especially for the iPad Pros. It's possible the company wants to continue this trend and adding Smart accessories to the 7 Plus. However, a Smart Keyboard suggests that the larger iPhone could have some Pro-style features, and we're not sure if Apple would want to have it compete with the just-released 9.7in iPad Pro.

No headphone jack, really?

The rumour: Here it is: a leaked iPhone 7 case… allegedly! 9to5Mac reported the leaked images as first posted on the @OnLeaks Twitter account. The leaks seem to corroborate a few other rumours about the iPhone 7. For example, the case has no slot for a 3.5mm audio jack, signalling that Apple may be pushing for only Bluetooth and Lightning-connected headphones. The case also has two equally sized speaker grills on each side of the Lightning port slot, confirming that the iPhone 7 will be the first to sport two speakers for stereo sound. Other than that, the purported case points to an iPhone 7 hardware design that's nearly identical to the iPhone 6s.

The no-headphone-jack rumour has been around for a while, previously reported by Fast Company and others. Apple is said to be developing wireless EarPods to be sold separately, alongside the iPhone 7. The premium EarPods will reportedly support Siri and wireless phone calls and ship with a carrying case that doubles as a charger.

Plausible? The larger design of the iPhone 6 and 6s lines have proven very successful for Apple, so we can see why the company would want to play it safe design-wise with the iPhone 7. But this similar design may not offer enough reasons to upgrade as we've seen with previous numbered upgrades – and if the major innovation requires a lot of people to ditch their 3.5mm headphones or use an adapter, get ready to hear some major griping.

This is the most controversial iPhone rumour in years, even more than the change of sizes with the iPhone 6. Some people love the idea. Others hate it. There's even a petition to convince Apple that people still love the headphone jack. That petition has just over 300,000 signatures.

How does the dual-lens camera work?

The rumour: We previously reported on the rumour that Apple is looking to bring a dual-lens camera to forthcoming iOS devices. Based on LinX camera technology that Apple acquired last year, the dual-lens incorporates a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens. According to MacRumours, a recent Apple patent shows for a split-screen viewfinder where users can see the full image in the wide-angle lens and zoom in with the telephoto lens. The camera will be able to take two separate pics, or use one of the lenses to shoot video and the other to take stills. More impressively, the camera could also implement LinX's technology to stitch it all together into one really crisp image.

Plausible? The race for bringing DSLR-quality cameras into smartphones is on. Samsung's recently unveiled Galaxy S7 garnered rave reviews for its use of Duo Pixel Technology to take photos. Apple may be feeling the heat to create an equally stunning photo experience to the iPhone 7. If the dual-lens technology as outlined in this patent comes to fruition, it would help the iPhone regain its reputation as the best camera phone on the market.

How thin will the iPhone 7 be?

The rumour: Macotakara reported this week that the iPhone 7 will be 6.1mm thick. That's one whole millimetre thinner than the current iPhone 6s, which measures 7.1mm. This new thinner model will be accompanied by a flush rear camera (so not protruding) for a design that's sleeker overall.

Plausible? If this rumour is true, Apple seems to be under the impression that thinner is better. Apple has already made a device that measures just 6.1mm: the iPod touch. So it makes sense that the company would want to try to make the newest iPhone be just as thin. Hopefully, the iPhone 7 won't be affected by any 'Bendgate' issues because of this thinner design.

Will the thinner Lightning port mean I have to get new cables?

The rumour: In addition to getting rid of the 3.5mm headphone jack to achieve this new thinness, the iPhone 7 is rumoured to integrate a thinner Lightning port. This will not affect the actual Lighting cables, however, so you won't have to get all new connectors for the iPhone 7. What Apple is doing is simply making the cutout around the port smaller, so it should only affect case-makers, according to 9to5Mac.

Plausible? If Apple is already going so far as to remove the headphone jack, which has already sparked plenty of controversy, then a slight redesign of the Lightning port doesn't seem like a big deal. Especially if our current Lightning connectors will still be able to hook up to it.

Camera differences between the 7 and 7 Plus?

The rumour: The iPhone 7 Plus will have a better camera, to the chagrin of small-handed amateur photographers around the world. According to MacRumors, the 7 Plus may have a dual-lens camera with optical zoom, which means this phone will take better photos than many traditional cameras. Instead of pinching to zoom in digitally, which usually results in a terrible grainy photo, the 7 Plus camera will have an optical zoom. That's where the second camera lens comes in: it's essentially a zoom lens.

Plausible? Yes. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have most of the same features, but the larger phone has a small but key difference: optical image stabilisation. That feature uses the Plus's gyroscope and camera array to steady your photos even if your hand shakes. The 6 and 6s rely on camera software to achieve the same effect, though the resulting images aren't quite as clear. If the 7 Plus has a dual-lens camera with optical zoom, it would be a huge differentiator – the Plus could become the phone to beat for serious photographers.

Is that unsightly camera lens bulge going away?

The rumour: Apple redesigned the 6 and 6s models to be thinner and lighter than ever before, but there's one big problem: the rear-facing camera lens juts out of the body, so the phones won't sit flat on a surface. For a company that's all about the details, this seemed like a strange design decision. The iPhone 7 is reportedly getting a camera that sits flush against the phone, according to MacRumors, so your eyes won't be offended any longer.

Plausible? We sure hope so. That camera protrusion had to happen for a reason, but even Apple design chief Jony Ive is not a fan.

Will the iPhone 7 be waterproof?

The rumour: Making the iPhone thinner than ever and adding a DLSR-quality camera aren't game-changing enough for Apple, apparently, so the company is reportedly working on ways to waterproof the iPhone 7. Ambitious? Yes. Possible? Definitely. Without a headphone jack to trap water, Apple could coat the iPhone with a waterproof coating and make those third-party rugged, waterproof cases obsolete.

Plausible? Actually, yes. Apple took several steps to waterproof the iPhone 6s without actually calling it waterproof, as detailed here, and word on the street from people who have accidentally submerged a 6s indicates that those techniques worked. All Apple needs is some waterproof buttons (which it's reportedly working on) and it's set.

Next year's iPhone

Yes, you read that right. In this craziest of iPhone rumour cycles, we're been reading rumours for the 2017 iPhone mixed in with rumours of the iPhone that should come out in September of 2016. Just to keep them all straight, here are the things we may have to look forward to next year.

An OLED screen and glass on both sides

The rumour: Remember the iPhone 4, encased in glass on both sides, so you'd have twice as many surfaces that could shatter every time it slipped out of your hand? Apple may bring back an all-glass design in 2017. Hopefully it's a bit more durable this time.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks that Apple is planning a major iPhone redesign for 2017 – not this spring. In a note to investors, he predicted an iPhone with a 5.8in OLED screen that's encased in glass on both sides, yet smaller than the current iPhone 6s Plus, meaning Apple would be looking to eliminate as much bezel and 'chin' as possible. DisplayMate president Ray Soneira echoed Kuo's OLED predictions in a recent report, citing the 'rapid improvements' in OLED performance over the last six years.

"Apple simply has no choice in switching," Soneira said, because OLEDs are thinner, lighter, more responsive and can be curved or bent in ways that LCD displays just can't.

Kuo also predicted the all-glass 2017 iPhone would have wireless charging, and some kind of biometrics, like face recognition or iris scanning. The Home button takes up a lot of space on the current iPhones, and replacing it with other biometrics for login and Apple Pay (along with deep-touch gestures for exiting apps) could let Apple expand the screen.

Plausible? In Apple's usual 'tick-tock' cycle, the 2016 iPhone would get a redesign, since the current iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are upgrades to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus designs that launched in 2014. But if Apple really is switching to OLED, that's a major shift that may need more time to perfect. It'll be interesting to see what innovations Apple can add in 2016 to make the iPhone seem exciting even if the overall design stays the same – a better camera and a Smart Connector are a start.

More evidence of OLED

The rumour:  According to a recent Bloomberg report, Applied Materials, an Apple supplier, has received almost four times the amount of orders for its display-making machines. This jump is linked to Apple retooling the iPhone manufacturing process to include OLED screens in the spring of 2017.

Plausible? We've already bought into the general rumour that Apple would switch to OLED, and this report supports the 2017 timeline – according to Applied Materials, it takes about three quarters for their machines to be build, delivered and installed.

Source: iPhone 7 rumours: goodbye 16GB, hello 256GB and 'Pro' line