Epson unveils lighter third-gen Moverio smart glasses for longer augmented reality sessions

Epson has unveiled the Moverio BT-300 smart glasses at Mobile World Congress. This is the third generation in the series of the company's see-through smart glasses, which allows the wearer to enjoy augmented reality experiences. The BT-300 is 20% lighter than the previous generation and are powered by an Intel Atom X5 processor running Android 5.1.

That's not all that has been upgraded by Epson. The company has also bumped up the front-facing camera to 5MP, as well as on board sensors, which should aid the glasses to more accurately determine the location of objects in the real world. The Epson Moverio BT-300 will be available later this year, but is readily available for pre-order should you wish to pick up a pair.

• Pre-order the Moverio BT-300

Press Release

MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS, Barcelona, Spain, (Feb. 22, 2016) – Epson today announced the third generation of its Moverio® smart glasses for augmented reality. On display at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain this week, the Moverio BT-300 features Epson's breakthrough silicon-based OLED (organic light emitting diode) digital display technology, enabling truly transparent mobile augmented reality (AR) experiences for business and consumers.

The Moverio BT-300 is the lightest binocular see-though smart glasses announced to date, and is more than 20% lighter than the Moverio BT-200, setting a new standard for augmented reality smart eyewear. The glasses are powered by a quad core Intel® Atom™ X5 processor and Android 5.1, enabling efficient rendering of complex 3D experiences. An upgraded 5 mega pixel front-facing camera and on-board sensors enable the Moverio BT-300 to more precisely determine the location of objects in the real world. The Si-OLED projection system can then seamlessly render and lock 3D content to these objects, with no display background or edges in the field of view.

The Epson Moverio BT-300 will be available in late 2016 and is available for pre-order at Epson.com/Moverio. Attendees of Mobile World Congress are invited to visit Epson at Hall Congress Square, Stand CS100 to preview the new smart glasses.

"The Epson Moverio BT-300 is a major leap forward in mobile AR smart eyewear, with its comfortable, lightweight form factor and amazing new display engine – and at a price comparable to smartphones," said Eric Mizufuka, product manager, New Ventures for Epson America. "The transition from LCD backlit projection to Si-OLED enables higher contrast levels, a wider color gamut and true display transparency – this is a game-changing technology that will accelerate the adoption of AR glasses."

"We've built our AR ecosystem of partners and solutions over the past five years and three commercially available products - it's been a long journey and we've learned a lot. We've incorporated these learnings into the design of the Moverio BT-300 and are confident that this device will be the standard in the AR glasses category," Mizufuka said. "In addition to pursuing new markets for our technology, we will rapidly scale in areas where we've had commercial success, including drone photography, remote support, AR training/maintenance, healthcare, retail, logistics and more."

"The Moverio BT-300 marks an impressive advance in performance for the platform, and will offer drone pilots crystal clear, transparent first person views (FPV) from the drone camera while simultaneously maintaining their line of sight with their aircraft," said Michael Perry, director of strategic partnerships, DJI. "The Moverio smart eyewear will make flying and filming safer and help users stay in compliance with local and federal regulations. We are excited to see the incredible applications that can be built with the BT-300 and the recently relaunched DJI SDK – the possibilities truly are endless."

"Moverio is distinct from other smart glasses on the market where form often supersedes function, to the detriment of the product's usability," said Atsunari Tsuda, general manager responsible for Moverio. "Every design decision we make is driven by consideration for the product's ultimate usage scenarios and our Si-OLED technology opens a new world for us in binocular see-though smart eyewear development. With OLED we can take advantage of reductions in power usage and weight, and improvements in response times, HD resolution, brightness and contrast. By choosing silicon rather than glass for our base wafer we achieve an even more precise pixel display."

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Marshmallow now available for the ZTE Axon Pro

ZTE has released Android 6.0 Marshmallow for the Axon Pro, one of those 2015 phones that should have received more attention than it did.

We liked the simple take on the software, the design was different and the audio hardware was top-notch. All it needed was some software love. Starting today, ZTE has pumped out that lovin' and you should see your update shortly.

The full details follow.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow Now Available for Axon Pro

When we launched the Axon Pro this past July we made a promise to our consumers that we will support and provide ongoing Android updates to our flagship device. Today, we are keeping this promise by providing the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow for you to enjoy!

The upgrade from Lollipop to Marshmallow is quite significant and there are several new features you should explore and use. You can find out about all the updates here, but to give you a glimpse of what's ahead, here are just a few of our personal favorites that have been added that we think makes Android just that much better.

• Doze – With Marshmallow, Android introduced its Doze mode that puts your phone into a deeper sleep when not in use for a long period of time. The result? Increased battery life throughout the day or night for your Axon Pro.
• Now on Tap –If you're like us, meeting up with friends at a new, local spot happens very often, but sometimes you don't know where the restaurant is or perhaps what type of food it serves. Now, Android can anticipate your needs by a simple long press on the home button that provides quick access to learn more about the hang out spot or how to get there. Use this feature while surfing the web, checking email or almost any other activity to get the information you need at a press of the button.
• New app drawer –Marshmallow's app drawer has been redesigned with new enhancements that make it quicker and easier to find the app you need most. Incorporating fast alphabetic scrolling and pinning your most used apps at the top, among a few other tweaks, searching and finding your favorite app just became a whole lot easier.

Before you're ready to take advantage of this upgrade, we strongly recommend installing this while using a WiFi connection. The upgrade is such a large download (roughly 835 MB) that it will take quite a bit of time and there's no reason to eat up your data plan. So, once connected to WiFi, and you're ready to experience the latest and greatest Android for your Axon Pro, select "Settings" -> "About phone" -> "System updates" -> "System updates" -> "Update Now".

This upgrade is currently just for the Axon Pro. If you own an Axon stay tuned for more information as we'll have more soon.

Once you have a chance to play around with Marshmallow come back and let us know what you think! Now, who's hungry for a s'more?

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Sony Xperia XA hands-on

Sony's new mid-ranger takes the design DNA and performance of the Xperia X and transforms it into a more affordable package.

So we've already seen the Xperia X and Xperia X Performance, Sony's two new hero phones that broke cover today at Mobile World Congress . The regular Xperia X looks like a great mainstream phone, while the "Performance" version brings the power of a Snapdragon 820 into the mix. But what about the traditional mid-range space? Well, Sony isn't ignoring the need for more affordable phones, as evidenced by the budget-conscious Xperia XA, also unveiled today in Barcelona.

The Xperia XA is pretty easy to identify as a Sony phone, with its symmetrical design and metallic trim. From a distance, it's easily confused with its more expensive sibling, the Xperia X. To spot the differences between the two, you'll need to examine it more closely.

Sony's new mid-ranger takes the Xperia X's looks and recreates them in a traditional polycarbonate shell. The phone's front sports the same slick glass front as the X, with a gentle slope towards the edges, while downscaling to a 720p resolution at 5 inches. That's a relatively low number even in the mid-range space, but what the Xperia XA lacks in resolution it makes up for with impressive brightness and colors that really pop.

It might feel like plastic, but in any of its four colors this is a good-looking phone.

The outer frame of the phone is a familiar sight, with Sony's traditional circular power button on the right edge — no fingerprint scanner this time — along with volume and camera shutter keys. The back panel, which flows gently into the trim — and while it looks vaguely metallic, it feels very much like a polycarbonate shell.

Like its big brothers, the Xperia XA's 5-inch size makes it easy on hands and pockets, and the razor-slim horizontal bezels also make for some striking visuals. It might feel like plastic, but in any of its four colors — white, graphite, lime and rose gold — this is a good-looking phone.

On the inside, the XA is powered by a MediaTek Helio P10 processor, an octa-core chip using ARM's low-power Cortex-A53 cores. It's also packing 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, along with microSD expandability. So it's firmly a mid-range handset, but performance leaves nothing wanting, with apps loading quickly and smoothly in our brief time with the phone. Once again, two-day battery life is promised from the phone, which packs a 2,300mAh internal cell.

As for imaging, the Xperia XA includes a 13-megapixel rear shooter along with the redesigned camera app from the Xperia X, giving you a wide array of shooting modes and manual options for ISO, exposure levels and other variables. It's not as fast to focus as the X, but once it's there, it's capable of firing off images in rapid succession. Around the front, there's a more standard 8-megapixel sensor reporting for selfie duty.

In an age when many mid-ranger still don't arrive with the latest version of Android, it's reassuring to see Sony shipping the Xperia XA with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow, in addition to the latest Sony UI. As we've discussed before, Sony has a pretty light touch when it comes to customizing Android, with major additions to Marshmallow including its own apps, a stylized lock screen with a large clock widget, and re-tooled Material Design dialer and messaging apps.

It's not always easy to get excited about a mid-range phone, these being more about which compromises a manufacturer has put in place than a singe stand-out feature. But the choices Sony has made in the Xperia XA all make sense, and as a result it's looking like a promising phone indeed.

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A quick look at the Galaxy S7 LED Flip Cover case

If there's one thing you can count on with any Galaxy phone launch, it's flip-style covers. One of the case staples is the LED Flip Cover, which we've seen a version of for prior Galaxy phones and is now available for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.

The leather-like flip case snaps snugly around the back of the phone and flips over onto the front, covering up the volume buttons but giving you guidance as to where you can click to work them. Unlike its S-View cases the LED Flip Cover doesn't have any sort of window for you to see the display — it simply has an LED array in the top portion of the cover that can light up to display information. You can see things like the time, a battery charge indicator, volume control and select notifications.

Around the back this looks just like any of Samsung's other flip-style cases. It's a little plush and gives you a bit extra to hold the phone by, but honestly doesn't add so much to the phone that you feel like you're compromising on size to have the protection and extra features.

As you'd expect Samsung isn't announcing pricing as it'll differ between regions, but we think $40 is a good place to set your expectations here.

Samsung Galaxy S7

• Galaxy S7 and S7 edge hands-on
• Galaxy S7 and S7 edge specs
• Where and when you can buy the Galaxy S7
• Details on the Galaxy S7's camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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'Moto' brand isn't going anywhere, execs say, and Moto E and Moto G are here to stay

Leveraging the Lenovo name is the only big change, Osterloh and Hayes say at Mobile World Congress.

Any reports of the death of the Moto brand have been greatly exaggerated, Motorola CEO Rick Osterloh and Senior VP of Marketing and Communications Adrienne Hayes reiterated at a group briefing Monday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Some confusing reports had emerged in recent weeks after Lenovo announced that "Motorola" would now be known as just "Moto" — which of course it'd been using in branding and products for years anyway.

"Motorola continues to exist — will continue to exist," Hayes said. "The product brand that we choose to use — and have been using — is Moto. So Moto continues to exist as the design and engineering unit."

Osterloh reiterated that we'll continue to see Moto's trademark bat-wing symbol on products, but we'll also see Lenovo's name involved as well.

So in 2016 we could well see something like the "Lenovo Moto X" or "Lenovo Moto G."

"We're working in a much more integrated fashion with our Lenovo colleagues," Hayes said.

Verizon's phones will continue to be branded as "Droid," Hayes said. But they're "very actively discussing" exactly how that name might evolve. "We're trying to embrace the parent company. ... There's a lot of opportunity there, so we're looking to leverage that."

Lenovo's Vibe phones will continue to be aimed at first-time smartphone buyers, Osterloh and Hayes said. But the Moto E and Moto G lines will live on, too. "There's a lot of micro-price segments in emerging markets, " Osterloh said. "Gap and Banana Republic have overlapping segments, too."

"Today, we have Motorola Moto X, Motorola Moto Droid," Osterloh said. "At the end of this year what we're talking about now will start to hit the market. And we think that over time it will be a lot less confusing than it is now. ... It's the same team of folks building these things. ... So there's no major change there."

While Moto's engineering team is who's leading all of Lenovo's smartphone design and engineering, Osterloh said they've taken advantage of some of their new parent company's expertise, too, particularly in cameras, and with image quality.

As far as software goes, Moto and Lenovo's lines will continue to look distinctly different. So expect Moto phones to look more "stock" than the Vibe line. But they'll share more under the hood, Osterloh said. "We're going to keep the Vibe thing going in the Vibe way, and the Moto thing going in the Moto way."

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Missed the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2016 event? Watch it in full right here

Yesterday was a busy day for us here at Android Central, but just in case you opted to take the Sunday off and have a break from the world of technology, Samsung has published the full recording of its Galaxy Unpacked event. You'll be able to re-watch the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge announcement.

Hint: the actual presentation kicks off at around 32 minutes into the video recording. If you'd rather not sit through the entire presentation, fear not as we have you covered with everything you need to know from the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event.

Source: YouTube

Samsung Galaxy S7

• Galaxy S7 and S7 edge hands-on
• Galaxy S7 and S7 edge specs
• Where and when you can buy the Galaxy S7
• Details on the Galaxy S7's camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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