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TECHNOLOGY A23
Monday 22 February 2016
Camera boost, virtual reality in new Samsung, LG gadgets
ANICK JESDANUN A man holds the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge during the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016 event on iPhone has also gotten
JOSEPH WILSON the eve of this week’s Mobile World Congress wireless show, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21, better at low-light shots,
Associated Press 2016. even surpassing some
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — stand-alone, point-and-
To revive interest in smart- Associated Press shoot cameras.
phones, Samsung and LG Realizing that the mega-
are improving their cam- part of LG’s new modular To underscore Samsung’s ysis at IHS Technology, told pixel count alone doesn’t
eras and embracing the approach to design; you’ll emphasis on VR, Zucker- The Associated Press. “VR is necessarily translate to
nascent world of virtual re- be able to pop out the berg made an appear- essential. It is a smartphone quality images, Samsung is
ality. phone’s bottom and swap ance at the Samsung industry initiative to drive reducing resolution in the
And Samsung is being in new hardware features. event to announce a part- consumers to upgrade.” new phones to 12 mega-
backed by Facebook’s The announcements at nership between the two Phone makers used to pixels from 18. That allows
Mark Zuckerberg, who said the Mobile World Congress companies to push their VR guarantee upgrades by individual pixels on the
Sunday the companies are wireless show in Barcelo- products. making phones bigger sensors to be larger, thus
teaming up to push VR in na, Spain, come as world- “(VR) is now mainly used for and bigger — but phones capturing more light. The
mobile phones and social wide smartphone growth gaming, but that is quickly can’t get much bigger for new cameras also allow
networking. has slowed, particularly changing,” Zuckerberg one-handed use. In fact, the camera’s aperture to
“Together this is by far the for high-end devices such said. “That is why Facebook the new LG phone is shrink- open wider, letting in more
best mobile VR experience as Samsung’s S and LG’s is investing so much in VR, ing to 5.3 inches, from 5.5 light. Together, the shutter
you can offer,” Zuckerberg G series. Many consumers so we can deliver these so- inches last year. Samsung’s needs to stay open for a
said at Samsung’s unveil- have turned to lower-cost cial experiences. And that Edge is getting bigger, at shorter time, reducing the
ing of their new flagship Android devices that sport is why we are working with 5.5 inches, but because blurring that sometimes
phones in Barcelona. features considered top Samsung.” the sides curve, the phone mars indoor and night
Samsung’s new Galaxy S7 of the line just a few years Analysts said VR was criti- won’t be much wider. The shots. Samsung also says
and S7 Edge promise bet- ago. cal for the industry to get main S7 model is staying its new phones will have a
ter photos under low-light “Today we stand at that customers to part with old constant at 5.1 inches. faster focus, which it says
conditions, in part with beginning of new era,” phones that they are still With size out of the equa- will improve performance
sensors that capture more said Samsung president of happy with and buy new tion, phone makers have to at low light.And for the
light. The main camera on mobile communications ones. “All the smartphone innovate elsewhere. selfie camera, Samsung is
LG’s upcoming G5 smart- business, DJ Koh. “Here at makers are now compet- That’s been crucial for turning the screen into a
phone will have two lenses the beginning of 2016 who ing with themselves from Samsung, in particular, as flash, similar to what Apple
— one for standard shots doesn’t take smartphones two-to-three years ago, its chief rival, Apple, largely introduced last fall.
and another with a wider for granted? Having seen their problem is that phones matched Samsung on size, Samsung is restoring the
angle so you can capture everything the smartphone from two-to-three years while boosting the iPhone ability to add storage,
more of what’s in front of can deliver, at Samsung ago are still in use,” Ian camera’s resolution to 12 but the battery won’t be
you without having to step we have other ideas.” Fogg, head of mobile anal- megapixels from 8. The replaceable by users. In-
back. stead, Samsung is increas-
Both companies will also ing the battery capac-
release several camera- ity in both models, though
related accessories. Sam- the Edge’s larger screen
sung, which unveiled a and other new features in
virtual-reality device for both models, including an
consumers last fall, will always-on mode, will sip
now make a 360-degree away power.
camera for everyday folks The new phones will start
to capture and share VR shipping March 11, with
images. The company will advance orders to begin
also make smartphone this week. In some markets,
cases with a hole to screw including the U.S., Sam-
in special lenses, such as sung is including a Gear VR
wide angle and fisheye headset for free to those
views. who order ahead of time.
LG will have its own VR Prices will vary by car-
headset — a lighter ver- rier and region. In the U.S.,
sion of Samsung’s Gear VR AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile
— as well as a smartphone are offering the regular
attachment that func- version for $650 to $695
tions as a camera grip with and the Edge version for
physical buttons to take about $100 more. Verizon
shots and control video re- hasn’t announced prices
cording. The attachment is yet.q
