The phone I got in my hand is the Xiaomi Civi 2. Civi series is a new series specially designed by Xiaomi for female users. Theoretically, the second generation should be better than the first, but it seems that this is not the case.

Design

Let’s start with the appearance, still light and thin body, although heavier than the previous generation, but you can hardly feel the difference between them. Of the four colors, I recommend this white the most, because the blue is too cheap, black is too ordinary, pink and last year’s one is similar, only the white is the most special.

Not only does it look wave-like, it is also bumpy to the touch. They say the inspiration comes from Hello Kitty, whatever, it’s quite comfortable to touch. The camera module design seems to have been seen somewhere, but it’s quite nice. Compared to the first gen, the biggest step back in the design of Civi 2 is the frame, from metal to plastic, which makes it look and feel cheaper than Civi 1.

Front Camera

Since it is a phone designed for females, it is certainly important to see how good it is at taking selfies. This time, Civi 2 not only keeps the 32MP autofocus front main camera of the first gen, but also has a 32MP ultra-wide angle front camera, this one without autofocus. They are also flanked by two Dual-tone LED flashes.

When you just need to take a selfie alone, then the front main camera performs just as well as its previous model, with autofocus allowing every detail of your face to show up perfectly in the photo. Civi 2 still retains two beauty effects, one that retains a certain amount of skin texture, and another that makes your skin extra smooth and white. The ultra-wide camera has not changed much except for the wide field of view, so we won’t repeat it again. The flash this time is a cold and warm flash, so you can choose to take a cold or warm selfie depending on your mood at that time.

Selfie

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The ultra-wide camera means you can shoot vlogs more easily with the front camera, and with this teleprompter feature, you can make great vlogs with the Civi 2 in most cases. this footage is what I recorded with the Civi 2, and I think it’s pretty good for recording life. You guys can check it out in the video.

But unfortunately, the front camera still does not support 4K resolution recording, nor does it support switching lenses during recording. The background bokeh algorithm is not particularly good, and the keying problem is particularly obvious. In the outdoors, when there is enough light always ensure that the face exposure is normal, which is great. But after all, the sensor size of the front camera is too small, once the light is not enough the image will be very noisy. So try to choose a bright place when recording video with the front camera.

Rear camera

The rear camera has been upgraded a lot, with the IMX 766 and the new 20MP ultra-wide camera already beating many phones in its price range. The main camera is our old friend, performing basically the same as the Xiaomi 12 and getting an excellent photos most of the time. With no OIS, your hand needs to be steady on the phone at night, or you’ll get a blurry photo.

Main cam

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The ultra-wide camera has not only gotten more pixels, but the new algorithm has made it very high contrast. I really like the sense of atmosphere, especially in the night scenes. It doesn’t look very bright like other phones. It makes night scenes look more like they were taken at night. There is no doubt that the Civi 2 is better than most other budget phones with ultra-wide cameras.

Ultra wide cam

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Benchmark & Gaming

So, if you are only concerned about the design and photo users, as you can see, it is worth buying. But if you also care about other parts, then it may have to let you down. Let’s talk about performance first. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, which uses Samsung’s 4nm process, has weak performance.

As with the previous generation, don’t expect much from its gaming performance, running PUBG smoothly is its limit. Genshin Impact’s test we only ran on the grass in Mondstadt, and even with just medium graphics, the processor couldn’t hold out anymore. The temperature is not too high, and the frame rate is not too high. Simply put, for the same price you can buy a phone with much better performance than it, think about whether you can accept its gaming performance before you buy it.

Display

The screen is also an average one, with a 120Hz FHD+ screen, which is about the same level for everyone at this price point. The most noteworthy is the Android version of the “Dynamic Island”. Although it is the first dual-punch-hole screen since the launch of the iPhone 14 series, I don’t think the Civi 2 is a copy of the iPhone 14 Pro. Because it was a very long process from design to production, Xiaomi didn’t design any interaction design or animation for this area. The flash on both sides also didn’t allow it to put the punch-hole on the side, so it’s probably just a coincidence.

Battery & Charging

The battery is 4500mAh like Civi 1, and the battery life is as shown in the picture, which is average. Charging power is increased to 67w, 10 minutes to charge 32%, half an hour to charge 83%, and 42 minutes to fully charge, this speed is still very satisfactory. However, one thing that is less satisfying that the speakers have changed from stereo dual speakers to single speaker. This is a huge step backward I think. (For speaker testing, please watch the video)

I have made a table where you can clearly see where the Civi 2 has improved and regressed. So whether it’s worth recommending this phone depends on whether you can accept its shortcomings. According to our colleague Carries comments, she loves this phone. Because it can make her selfies more pleasing to the eye. So what do you think, would you buy it?

The post Xiaomi Civi 2 Full Review: Designed only for users who love take selfies appeared first on Gizmochina.

Google is turning off the selfie retouching on its new Pixel smartphones that are enabled by default. This includes deactivating the feature on the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5, along with the camera app now also providing more information to those using this feature.

The second part will arrive in a later update and will arrive with icons and labels to provide information to users and explain what the retouching features want to apply and why. The update will describe the selfie features it wishes to tweak for various facial regions like “skin texture, under-eye tone, and eye brightness.” Users will also be given the option to accept these touch ups.

Editor’s Pick: Entry-level Apple iPhone 12 models pack 64GB storage while Pro models start at 128GB storage

This update is aimed at providing better transparency to the user with an unchanged view of themselves, according to Google. The AndroidAuthority report also stated that the new changes also seek to promote better mental health and body positivity. The search engine giant further added that “these default filters can quietly set a beauty standard that some people compare themselves against.”

This small change within the Camera app isn’t being introduced to have users lean off from using the filters, but to give people more control over the process of people using the feature for selfies. At the moment, it is unknown if the update will also include other Pixel smartphone models. Although, since it is just software related, we might soon see it brought over to the Camera app on other devices as well.

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Huawei’s recently announced Nova 6 has been placed at the top of the selfie rating by DxOMark. The new 5G smartphone that arrives today features dual selfie cameras on the front which has helped it achieve the highest score of 100. Previously, the DxOMark ratings used to primarily focus on dedicated cameras like DSLR’s and digital cameras but have since started benchmarking smartphones as well.

The rating company announced today that Huawei’s Nova 6 5G, which features a 32MP selfie camera alongside an ultra-wide-angle lens, has scored a 100 points. This arrives just before the launch of the smartphone and has officially given it the top spot for selfies amongst its competitors. Notably, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 5G arrives a close second with a score of 99 points.

Huawei Nova 6 5G Key Camera Specs:

• Dual front camera
• 1/2.8-inch 32MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture lens, 26mm equivalent
• Secondary wide-angle and depth camera
• PDAF (Phase Detection Auto Focus)
• 2160p at 30 frames per second (4K)

Editor’s Pick: Huawei nova 6 5G (RUMORED)

To achieve the score, DxOMark analyzed the smartphone’s front cameras with over 1,500 test images and more than 2 hours worth of video footage. This was done in controlled lab environments, and in natural indoor and outdoor settings, using the camera’s default settings.

Huawei’s Nova 6 5G was stated to show good exposure in every condition, owing to its HDR processing technique. It was also capable of a wide dynamic range (helps in high contrast shots), accurate white balancing and also offers beautification filters. DxOMark has recommended the smartphone for any ‘ambitious selfie shooter’ that is in need of a smartphone with a great front camera setup.

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(Source)

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Who would’ve thought that Xiaomi would be the ones pushing for innovation in this day and age? Well, they’ve been doing it ever since the first MI Mix, and today they’ve got something special. Xiaomi co-founder and president Lin Bin shares a very interesting video showing a working under display selfie camera!

This comes just moments after Oppo’s video of the exact same tech, and the timing is impeccable. This reminds of back in the day when companies would rush to show off the latest changes as soon as they could. Both companies sharing under display selfie cameras on the same day, that’s pretty awesome.

Xiaomi’s video is a lot clearer and straightforward than Oppo’s however. While Oppo’s was very much a test from behind the scenes with a weird angle, Xiaomi’s is a straight up comparison. We can clearly see the Xiaomi Mi9, next to what appears to be a notchless Xiaomi Mi9. The video shows the lack of a notch, and then continues to showcase that the invisible selfie camera works just fine.

Now these are some exciting times! Between foldable phones, hidden selfie camera tech, companies racing to be first and the Huawei debacle, there’s been something interesting going on almost every day! It’s a great feeling to be able to talk about something new, instead of just the latest flagship release. We hope this trend towards new, innovative tech continues, it’s been great to write about.

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(Source)

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Whilst Apple are launching OS X El Capitan today, other companies are also holding launch events, one such company is Rollei.

Rollei have today launched their another cool accessory the ePano Selfie, a panoramic head that can be attached to the Rollei Selfie Stick, or placed on a table using the fold out legs to capture sunning 360 degree panoramic shots.

I have used something similar before using a Bubblepod (this is basically a posh wind-up egg timer with a rubber jaw to hold a phone), to be honest the results were not amazing, the wind up motor and manual triggering created more problems than solutions.

Hopefully with the onboard battery powered motor (rated for 3 hours of continual use or 5 hours in standby), will give the ePano Selfie a distinct advantage, due to smooth rotation and the ability to trigger the ePano Selfie from 5 meters with the included IR remote, thus avoiding added vibration and camera blur at the start of the panoramic image.

It is my hope that the ePano Selfie will provide better results than the Bubblepod, I was provided with a Bubblepod by Rightmove (A property portal), to provide 360 panoramic images for houses that were coming to market.

Unfortunately due to the poor build quality of the Bubblepod and also the high failure to properly stitch the panorama via the Bubblepod App, I gave up and went back to standard photos, this was a real shame as the market needs to move forward and interactivity to me is something that people are looking for, my fingers are crossed that the ePano Selfie might be a tool that can get it right.

The ePano Selfie would also make a great addition to your selfie stick, or on the table at a celebration, capturing everyone in an image that can be shared and remembered forever.

Hopefully Rollei will provide a sample for me to try out.

Check out the full press release is below and be sure to leave comments and questions.

Regards Shane

Originally posted at gadgetz.tv

Rollei puts a new spin on the selfie

London, 30th September: Iconic German camera brand Rollei has put its unique twist on the selfie with the launch of its latest accessory, the ePano Selfie, which provides 360 degree panoramic shots.

Compatible with both smartphones and Actioncams, the Rollei ePano Selfie is an attachable panorama head that can either be fixed to a selfie stick or, using its fold out legs, be used as a rotating table stand. The accessory has adjustable speeds ranging from 2 to 5 rotations per minute. It also comes with an infrared remote control with a range of up to 5m to ensure users can perfectly capture every moment from all angles.

Due to its lightweight and compact design the Rollei ePano Selfie is perfect for travelling or taking to concerts to record your favourite bands. It has a long battery life, lasting up to 3 hours when continuously working or up to 5 hours on standby.

Jeremy Rother, UK Sales Manager at Rollei says: “The Rollei Selfie Stick is one of our best performing products so we wanted to build on this range by providing users new and unique ways to create movies and still images. At Rollei we are dedicated to producing high quality products to suit all photography needs, and we believe the ePano Selfie will appeal to both amateur and professional photographers.”

The Rollei ePano Selfie can be used with smartphones operating on iOS 5 or higher, Android 2.3.6 or higher as well as being equipped with Bluetooth 3.0 and 4.0.

The Rollei ePano Selfie will be available from mid-October and cost 54,99 €

Product Specifications
Weight 100g
Max load 500g
Rotation speed 2-5 r/min
Battery 3 hours continuous working
Battery 5 hours standby

For more information visit Rollei.com

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It’s that time of year that all students both anticipate and dread – back to school season! All across the US, students are preparing to return to their studies; and of course this requires some new toys and accessories in addition to text books and tech gadgets for class. To encourage you to shake-up your back to school routine and continue taking great pictures all through out the year, we are offering you the chance to win a great new selfie monopod and Android Bluetooth remote!

There are some things that are unique with the adjustable monopod shutter. It does not only come with a mini Bluetooth Remote but several other great features. It allows one to take several portraits at long distances freely. It also has a compact size that eases its carriage. It is one gadget that is compatible with cell phones, GoPRO 1/2/3, Canon, Sony, Nikon and Smartphones. It is made of ABS+ aluminum with a weight of 5.47 oz (about 155g).

As you can see, this is how easy it is to take a selfie or even a group picture using the monopod. You can mount in your favorite camera or even your smartphone for high quality pictures.

The resulting picture as you can see looks good and natural which makes this device a must for all selfie and group portraits.

We are looking for new ways to promote the convenience of taking those awesome selfies and sharing them with your friends, or even the whole world! This bundle of accessories is valued at around $65 normally; and is a fantastic value at even that price; but free is always even better, right? The deadline for all submissions to this give a way is September 17th; 11:59PM ET – we’re looking forward to your submissions!

HOW TO ENTER:
1) Follow us on FaceBook, Twitter and Google+

2) Share this giveaway on your FB, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Reddit and other social networking sites; spread the word!

3) Submit your posts/pins URL to us here by leaving us a comment on this article. Please remember to use your real, current and valid email address in order to ensure that we can contact you in the event that you are one of our winners!

4) The Tabletland contest judge panel will be reviewing all submissions that are before 11:59PM ET on September 7th during the following week. Winners will be notified accordingly; so get posting and good luck to everyone!

Meanwhile, TabletLand had listed this Selfie Monopod with Bluetooth Remote for just $9.99 if you use the coupon code:coupon code: V2K8S.

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