Latest Mobile Phones and Tablets – January 2016 Releases from the Best Brands
We were welcomed this January by the tech giants – Samsung, HTC, and Lenovo – with the launch of their latest mobile phones and tablets. Many of these phones have new features, faster processing speed, and higher battery capacity.
With the specs of these newly released phones, we can expect more stunning smartphones in the next few months. So now let’s take a look at these new releases from the best mobile phone brands.
1. Samsung Galaxy J1 (J120F) (2016)
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 4.5 inches (480 x 800 pixels)
Camera: 5MP (720p)
Hardware: Exynos 3475, Quad-core 1300 MHz, 1GB RAM
Battery: 2050 mAh
Price: US$ 139.99
Last February 2015, the Samsung Galaxy J1 was released. Compared to the previous version, the 2016 Galaxy J1 is almost twice as powerful in processor speed and RAM.
It runs on TouchWiz-flavored Android 5.1.1 and has an 8GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB through microSD.
The 2015 Galaxy J1 has TFT Type 4.3 inches display, 1.2 GHz Dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, and 4GB of internal storage.
The 2016 Galaxy J1 has a larger display with Super AMOLED technology that greatly improves the display quality. Other notable differences include the increase in battery capacity and the support for 4G LTE technology.
2. Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016)
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 6.0 inches (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Camera: 13MP (1080p)
Hardware: Snapdragon 652, Quad-core 1800 MHz + Quad-core 1200 MHz, 3GB RAM
Battery: 4000 mAh
Price: $490
The Galaxy A9 was announced in Hong Kong as an enhanced edition of the Galaxy A series.
It comes with the longest battery life of Samsung’s latest smartphones to be announced this February. The Galaxy S6 Edge+ is only at 3000 mAh so that’s a huge difference.
It has a 6 inches display that is larger than the Galaxy S6 Edge+ (5.7 inches) and has FHD Super AMOLED technology. It is 0.29 inches thin which is almost as slim as Galaxy S6 Edge+ (0.27 inches).
The body of the phone is made of glass and metal. It comes in pearl white, midnight black, champagne gold, and pink color variants. The hardware specs are very close to its current flagship phones. It also comes with a 32GB internal memory that can be expanded up to 128GB through microSD.
3. Samsung Galaxy J3
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 5.0 inches (720 x 1280 pixels)
Camera: 8MP (1080p)
Hardware: Quad-core 1200 MHz, 1.5GB RAM
Battery: 2600 mAh
Price: $199.99
The Galaxy J3 is the first Samsung phone that was released this year. It is now being sold in China and is also available in Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile. It comes in white, black, and gold colors.
The phone’s display also has Super AMOLED Display like its predecessor Galaxy J2 that was released last September 2015.
Notable differences with the Galaxy J2 is the larger display, higher display resolution, higher camera resolution, and the 50% increase in RAM. Galaxy J2 only has 4.0 inches display, 5MP camera, and 1GB RAM so there’s a pretty good bump in specs for the Galaxy J3.
4. Samsung Galaxy Tab E 8.0
Device Type: Tablet
Display: 8.0 inches (800 x 1280 pixels)
Camera: 5MP (720p)
Hardware: Snapdragon 410, Quad-core 1300 MHz, 1.5GB RAM
Battery: 5000 mAh
Price: $270
This tablet was released in Taiwan last month and is now available in Sprint (T377P version) and US Cellular (T377R).
Other versions include T375 (Wi-Fi only) and T377 (Wi-Fi/4G). The Galaxy Tabe E 8.0 comes with a 16GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB.
It weighs 360g which makes it heavier than the more expensive Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 (272 g) which has the same display size. It has a larger battery capacity than the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 and the internet use time and video playtime can last up to 13 hours.
Like the other latest Samsung devices, it has an Ultra Power Saving mode which can make the battery last longer. Compared to the Galaxy Tab E 9.6 that was released last July 2015, the display resolution and processing speed of galaxy Tab E 8.0 are still the same.
5. HTC One X9
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 5.5 inches (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Camera: 13MP (2160p)
Hardware: MT6795, Octa-core, 3GB RAM
Battery: 3000 mAh
Price: $430
The Taiwanese tech giant released the HTC One X9 which has fairly better specs than the HTC One E9s that was released last October 2015.
Both phablets have the same 5.5 inches display.
Notable differences include an increase in display resolution, video recording resolution, RAM, and battery capacity. The HTC One E9s only has 1080p resolution for video recording, 2GB RAM, and 2600 mAh battery capacity.
The camera of the HTC One X9 can capture images in RAW format which give better depth clarity. This kind of camera feature can be found only in the more expensive HTC phone models.
6. Lenovo K5 Note
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 5.5 inches (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Camera: 13MP (1080p)
Hardware: MT6755, Octa-core 1800 MHz, 2GB RAM
Battery: 3500 mAh
Price: $200
A week after releasing Lenovo Vibe K4 Note in India, the Lenovo K5 Note was released in China which may have frustrated those who have already bought the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note.
The phone has a large screen which puts it under the phablet class. The processor is slightly better than the K4 Note and can provide a good 3D gaming experience.
It has a Fingerprint Scanner like most of the latest phones. Another notable feature is the 8MP front camera that is perfect for capturing group selfies. It also comes in Gold and Silver color variants.
7. Lenovo Lemon 3
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 5.0 inches (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Camera: 13MP (1080p)
Hardware: Snapdragon 616, Quad-core 1500 MHz + Quad-core 1200 MHz, 2GB RAM
Battery: 2750 mAh
Price: $155
This phone was recently released in China and runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop.
It is powered by a processor that can compete with the latest phones of other brands. It also comes in gold and silver color variants.
The display has a 441 ppi pixel density. The front camera has a 5MP resolution. It has an internal memory of 16GB that can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card.
8. Lenovo Vibe K4 Note
Device Type: Smartphone
Display: 5.5 inches (1080 x 1920 pixels)
Camera: 13MP (1080p)
Hardware: MT6753, Octa-core 1300 MHz, 3GB RAM
Battery: 3300 mAh
Price: $175
The Vibe K4 Note has dual front firing speakers powered by Dolby Atmos, a Fingerprint Scanner, and TheaterMax VR Technology.
The TheaterMax Technology can be used with the Ant VR headset and will allow users to experience multimedia with a cinematic experience.
According to Lenovo, the K4 Note was built from scratch and is not an upgrade of its predecessor, the K3 Note. The Ant VR headset can be purchased separately or may come in bundle with the phone.