Camera boost, virtual reality in new Samsung and LG gadgets
A woman uses LG 360 VR glasses during the LG unpacked 2016 event on the eve of this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
To rekindle interest in smartphones, Samsung and LG are improving their cameras and embracing the burgeoning world of virtual reality.
Samsung's new flagship phones, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, promise better photos in low light, in part with sensors that capture more light. The main camera of LG's upcoming G5 smartphone will feature two lenses: one for standard shots and another with a wider angle so you can capture more of what's in front of you without having to step back.
Both companies will also launch several camera-related accessories. Samsung, which unveiled a VR device for consumers last fall, will now make a 360-degree camera for everyday people to capture and share VR footage. The company will also make smartphone cases with a hole to screw in special lenses, such as wide-angle and fisheye views.
LG will have its own VR headset, a lighter version of Samsung's Gear VR, as well as a smartphone accessory that functions as a camera grip with physical buttons for taking photos and controlling video recording. (By the way, the attachment is part of LG's new modular approach to design; you'll be able to pop out the bottom of the phone and swap out new hardware features.)
Frank Lee, brand marketing manager for LG Electronic MobileComm USA, shows off the LG 360 VR glasses at the LG unpacked 2016 event on the eve of this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday February 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) p>
Sunday's announcements at the Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, come as global smartphone growth has slowed, especially for high-end devices such as Samsung's S series and LG's G series. Just a few years ago, many consumers shifted to cheaper Android devices with features that were considered high-end.
Frank Lee, spokesman for LG's US mobile business, said phone launches are no longer getting the excitement they used to, so "it's our responsibility to bring Energy."
Phone makers guaranteed upgrades by making phones bigger and bigger, but phones can't get much bigger for one-handed use. In fact, the new LG phone shrinks down to 5.3 inches, down from 5.5 inches last year. Samsung's Edge gets bigger, to 5.5 inches, but because the sides curve like a waterfall, the phone won't be much wider. The main S7 model remains constant at 5.1 inches.
Frank Lee, Brand Marketing Manager for LG Electronic MobileComm USA, wears the LG 360 VR glasses at the LG unpacked 2016 event on Mobile Eve this week. World Congress Wireless Show, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
With size out of the equation, phone makers must innovate elsewhere.
This has been crucial for Samsung, in particular, as its main rival, Apple, has largely matched Samsung's size, while increasing the resolution of the iPhone's camera to 12 megapixels instead of 8. The iPhone s is also improved in low-light shots, even surpassing some live-action standalone cameras in performance.
Realizing that megapixel count alone doesn't necessarily translate to quality images, Samsung is reducing the resolution of new phones to 12 megapixels from 18. This allows the individual pixels on the sensors to be larger, thereby capturing more from light. The new cameras also allow the camera aperture to open wider, letting in more light. Together, the shutter has to stay open for less time, reducing the blur that sometimes ruins indoor and night shots.
A man uses the LG 360 VR glasses at the LG Unboxed 2016 event on the eve of this. the Mobile World Congress wireless show of the week, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Samsung also says its new phones will have faster focusing, which it says will improve low-light performance.
And for the selfie camera, Samsung turns the screen into a flash, similar to what Apple introduced last fall.
Samsung is restoring the ability to add storage, but the battery won't be user-replaceable, something Samsung allowed before last year. Instead, Samsung is increasing battery capacity in both models, though the Edge's larger screen and other new features in both models, including an always-on mode, will eat up battery power. energy.
Juno Cho President and CEO of LG Corp. showcases LG's new G5 smartphone at the LG unpacked 2016 event on the eve of this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
The new phones will start shipping on March 11, with advance orders starting this week. In some markets, including the United States, Samsung is offering a free Gear VR headset to those who order in advance. Prices will vary by carrier, but should be consistent with last year's models: around $600 for the standard version and $700 for the Edge.
In a few months, Samsung will start selling its Gear 360 camera, a device with front and rear lenses to stitch 360-degree videos for VR devices and apps. Samsung phones will come with apps to view these videos on the GearVR and share them with friends.
Virtual reality is still in its infancy, and much of the interest is coming from hardcore gamers and tech pioneers. Samsung wants to make it easier for ordinary people to create VR videos, so their friends buy VR headsets to watch them.
Juno Cho, Chairman and CEO of LG Corp. showcases LG's new G5 smartphone during the LG Unboxed 2016 event on the eve of this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
LG, meanwhile, designed the LG 360 VR Headset to work with an LG smartphone tethered by cable. With Samsung's VR device, the smartphone is inserted at eye level and becomes the screen of the helmet, increasing the weight on the head. LG's version still uses the smartphone to process the images, but instead of displaying them on the phone screen, the images are sent to separate, brighter screens in the headset eyepieces. LG also makes a 360-degree camera similar to Samsung's, as well as a spherical robotic camera that resembles the BB-8 droid in the new "Star Wars" movie.
Pricing and release dates for the LG phone and accessories from the two companies have yet to be announced, although the LG phone is expected in the US in April.
No VR system will be as powerful as the full-fledged VR devices coming this year. This includes the Oculus Rift, Sony's PlayStation VR, and HTC's Vive. HTC announced on Sunday that a consumer version of the Vive will start selling in early April for $799, with orders starting Feb. 29. A personal computer is required and sold separately.
Virtual reality is not limited to a high level. -end appliances, however. On Saturday, Alcatel announced a midrange Idol 4S, with packaging that can be folded into a VR headset. It's similar to what Google is doing with a cheap cardboard virtual reality headset.
Juno Cho, Chairman and CEO of LG Corp. shows LG's new G5 smartphone during the LG unpacked 2016 event on the eve of this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show, in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Juno Cho, Chairman and CEO of LG Corp. showcases LG's new G5 smartphone at the LG unpacked 2016 event on the eve of this week's Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
On this February 11. , 2016 photo, LG G5 smartphone rear camera and front screen display in New York. The G5's main camera will have two lenses, one for standard shots and one with a wider angle so you can capture more of what's in front of you without having to step back. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
In this photo from February 11, 2016, the LG G5 smartphone is displayed in New York. As smartphones reach their size limit for one-handed use, the G5 shrinks to 5.3 inches from 5.5 inches last year. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
In this photo from February 11, 2016, the LG G5 smartphone is used to take a photo during the demonstration of the device in New York. The G5's main camera will have two lenses, one for standard shots and one with a wider angle so you can capture more of what's in front of you without having to step back. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
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