The cell phone community has been in love with the Android OS since 2007. Since its debut the Android system has gone through many updates and upgrades. Now the Android operating system software is competing quite well against the other OS softwares that are out there. The iPhone and the Blackberry are not the only smart phones on the market anymore. With the Android phones and operating system getting more popular by the minute, we thought we would check out the history of the system and see what we could learn. Here are some factoids we learned about the Android operating system and the phones that use them.
Have you heard that iPhone users are far more likely to pay for applications than people who use Android OS mobile phones? A study done recently has shown that about half of the people who use iPhones will pay for the applications they can’t access for free. This study also shows that only one in five people who use the Android phones will buy applications. This could change as the Android market’s paid app section grows but, for now, Android users are more thrifty than iPhone users. It might seem overly competitive to brag about this, but Android users don’t mind.
Enthuisiasts for the brand make up a large part of the iPhone population. They purchased the iPhone not because of features or functions but because it was created by Apple. The Apple community and fan base is quite large. Consumers of Android OS are not yet as committed to their product. They likely choose phones with low prices and a wide range of technological features they may or may not need or use.
Without a doubt, iPhone users are so loyal to the product brand they will recommend it to others. Some Android users might recommend their phones to others but many are reluctant still.
The Android OS was created to enhance the Open Handset Alliance. The operating system is constantly being updated and advanced by multiple companies. Google may be the largest company in the news right now but that does not mean they are the only one. These companies are spread all over the globe and work with hundreds of different mobile providers. The Android OS is recognized universally as a cellular operating system as a result of these global organizations. Knowledgable users will choose the Android over other OS because of it’s open source abilities.
The Android phones are globally used. If you have a cellular phone already that is not an iPhone or a Blackberry you are probably using the Android OS without even realizing it. The Android OS is more widely used than might think, the only acceptions are the iPhone and Blackberry smartphones.
That is because many providers began implementing the open source Android OS in 2007 after it’s premier. How many times have you changed phones since 2007?
SamsungGalaxyS4attracted the attention ofgadgetloverssince its launchonMarch 14, 2013.Although theofficialdistributionyetrunning,leakedSamsung'sflagshipAndroidphone priceshad beenspread.
According to reports circulatingfrom themobile operatorsin Europe,the GalaxyS4 ispriced at599euros. Meanwhileon theGermanAmazon site,S4Galaxy16 GBversionsofferlittle cheaper, 540euros, orabout USD6.8 million.
In Italy,the GalaxyS4appreciatedmoreexpensive,at699euros.However,quoted from the siteInsiderGSMtechnology, the price ofthe SamsungGalaxyfamily ofphonesinItaly isalways more expensive.
SamsungGalaxyS4promisingdistributionwillbegin in lateApril 2013.In the UK,it was releasedon 26April. Samsungprivilegingthe U.S. market,by sellingthe GalaxyS4that usesquad-coreprocessorQualcommSnapdragonS4Pro1.9 GHzspeed.This modelapplies only tothe UnitedStatessinceSamsungsawthe marketis very largeand important.
In therest of the world,which is marketedS4Galaxyistakingocta-coreprocessor(8core)Exynos5Octaspeed of 1.6GHz.
There are three choicesof internalmemory,16 GB,32 GB,and 64GB,whichcan be expanded witha MicroSD memorycard.Rear camerahas a13MPsensorwith autofocusandLEDflash,anda 2 MPfront camera.
GalaxyS4supports3G wireless network,4GLTE,WiFi,Bluetooth,NFC,infrared,andGPS.Its vitalityis sustained bythe battery capacity of2600mAh.It is available inwhite and blackcolor options.
ZTE Corporation today announced it was with NVidia to prepare for his first super phone that will use the NVidia Tegra processor 4.
Chinese firm without hesitation said it will market the first model of the latest NVidia processor smartphone this summer.
NVidia Tegra 4 processor introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, and two days ago the company has launched the latest version again Tegra 4i.
"This is a clear demonstration of ZTE's ability to make fast, and presents to the market, the market-leader in the industry with the latest technology," said EVP and Head of the Terminal Division of ZTE, He Shiyou, the company's official statement on its website on Thursday.
According to ZTE, the Tegra processor 4 will make ZTE device capable of ultra-fast web browsing, faster application loading, and more realistic gaming experience, as well as more efficient battery consumption.
Tegra 4 also has support voice and data communications faster 4G LTE in many countries thanks to the optional NVidia GeForce chipset and quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU.
ZTE with NVidia is also planning a new LTE phones using LTE i500 chipset to support network that enabled fast.
So far ZTE has been manufacturing and marketing mobile processor NVidia, including ZTE ZTE Grand X and Grand Era that uses Tegra 3. Quad-core Smartphone Era Grand ZTE marketed at a price of around 160 U.S. dollars.
"Smartphone Tegra 4 we will provide a full HD multimedia and entertainment that will be loved by consumers," He added.
Microsoft is seeking a software engineer to help unify theWindows Phone and Windows 8 developer platforms, allowing apps to seamlessly work on both.
The company posted a job opportunity on Friday in search of an individual who could work alongside the team in charge of making Windows Phone apps work on Windows 8/RT and vice versa.
In the past, Microsoft has been clear in its desire to create a unified Windows platform, where Metro-style apps in the Windows Store 'just work' on both platforms.
Those plans, which don't include traditional desktop-style apps, now seem to be in motion.
Bringing platforms together
The job posting reads: "Are you excited about Windows Phone? Are you passionate about delivering the best possible experience to the developer community? Do you wish the code you write for Windows Store apps would just work on the Windows Phone and vice versa? If so, then this is the role for you!
"We are looking for a highly motivated and technically strong SDET (software development engineer in test) to help our team bring together the Windows Store and Phone development platforms.
"You will work closely with your developer and PM (program manager) counterparts to solve the technical challenges of bringing a platform built for desktops and tablets to the phone form factor."
SPONSORED A great chance for you to win the hottest phone from CES 2013
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Find all five of the hidden objects and you can then put yourself into the hat for a chance to win the coveted Sony Xperia Z or one of the nine great Sony speakers.
You'll need to be quick though, as this great competition closes on February 17.
IN DEPTH A complete guide to patent laws and effects
The world of men is broken. They file and get patents for unimaginably trivial things in the name of driving innovation. The time of the Elves is ending. Or so we imagine Lord Elrond might react to the way things are now.
The recent billion-dollar Apple vs Samsung suit was a to and fro farce. It's not easy to understand the absurdity of some of the patents that have been granted to tech companies in recent times, not when we're constantly being told that the point of patents is to drive innovation.
To most mere mortals, patents may seem as strange as Elvish spells, and they are mostly written as such, but this guide will help you to decipher the complexities of patent law. We'll also discuss how the patent laws in the EU differ from those in the US.
We won't go fully into the history of patents and trace their origins in 15th-century Italy and England, for that's not what we're here to discuss. Instead, let's focus on how patents were introduced to the European Union.
While this may seem irrelevant, it's important to understand how the different EU nations, and indeed the rest of the world, treat patents.
It all started in Europe
Our story starts in 1973, when Belgium, West Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK agreed to a multilateral treaty called the European Patent Convention (EPC), to form a unified patent system in Europe. The EPC eventually led to the formation of the European Patents Office (EPO).
Patents in Europe can be obtained on a national level, or via the EPO. EPC and the EU, however, are not synonymous, as some EPC states, such as Croatia, Iceland, Turkey, etc, are not part of the EU. So, a patentee can file an application for a patent under the prevalent patent laws of the country, or under the EPO, if the country is one of the EPC states. As a result, the European Patent granted under the EPC, despite the name, is still only enforceable nationally, or under the specified member states of the EPC as specified in the application, and not the entire EU.
So, if a patent is granted under the EPC it is enforceable only in the EPC states as specified by the applicant in his or her patent application. There is no provision as yet for an EU-wide patent.
Understanding patents
The Galaxy Nexus is one of the phones Apple alleged Samsung copied directly from the iPhone
Patents involve the granting of exclusive rights by a state to the inventor for a specific period of time. In return for these exclusive rights, the patentee agrees to a public disclosure of the invention. The exclusive right refers to the right to exclude all others from using, making, selling or distributing the patented invention without prior permission.
The exact process of filing or granting of a patent, the term for which it's granted and the extent of the exclusive rights depends on the patent and other national laws, and can thus vary from country to country.
Before a patent is granted, each application is subjected to the test of patentability. That is, the invention must satisfy a number of criteria before it is deemed patentable. At the very least, the invention must be new and original and non-obvious, and the subject matter must be patentable.
The patent laws of various countries explicitly provide subject matters which cannot be patented. For example, the EPC considers discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods not to be inventions, and so these can't be patented.
'Non-obvious' is a term often used in US patent law. The equivalent term in European patent law is 'inventive step'. The idea is to ensure that patents are not granted for obvious and natural use of the design. So, a saw will not be granted a patent for use in cutting wood. But if someone were to use a saw, with some modifications, to create swimwear for deep sea exploration, that is a non-obvious invention, or an invention involving 'inventive step', and so it will be afforded protection under patent law.
'Novelty' is another requirement for patentability. This is where the often-heard term 'prior art' comes in. If an invention has been disclosed to the public, prior to the filing of the patent application, this is proof that the invention is not new or original. Such inventions are not granted protection. All publications amount to disclosure, so prior art search involves only proof of publication of the invention prior to the filing of the patent.
A patent can be enforced against anyone who uses the patented technology, regardless of whether or not there is any wilful infringement or copying of the patented technology. Independent development of an infringing device is not a recognised defence.
The length of a patent
A patent in the UK is granted for 20 years, so long as one pays the renewal fees each year. A period of 18-20 years is standard for almost all countries, depending on when the time period starts - date of filing for the patent, or date of grant of the patent.
Patentability requirements are nearly uniform across Europe, so if something is unpatentable in the UK because of the subject matter, it most likely will be unpatentable in other European countries.
Let's quickly discuss utility and design patents, which are at the heart of Apple's suit against Samsung. All patents that cover inventions that produce some useful result are known as utility patents. When you hear the term patent, what is usually being referred to is a utility patent, as utility patents cover the most common categories of innovation.
To qualify for a utility patent, the invention must be covered by one of the following categories of subject matters: machines, comprising moving parts manufactured objects composition of matter, such as chemical compounds and pharmaceutical drugs processes which describe a stepwise method (this covers software).
Just about everything that is invented by an application of the mind can be granted protection as a utility patent, the only criteria being that it must produce some useful result. The patent application for a utility patent must include a detailed description of how the invention was created, along with drawings.
What do patents actually cover?
Design patents cover strictly unique ornamental design of an article or object. The uniqueness of the shape or design must be purely for aesthetic reasons. If the shape is for aesthetic and also functional purpose, then it's considered a utility patent. If the novel feature is incorporated solely for the purpose of ornamentation and its removal doesn't impair the functioning of the device, it's a design patent.
Design patents refer to shape or design that enhances the aesthetic appeal of an object. At the core of the Apple suit against Samsung are the design patents it holds in regards to the iPhone and iPad.
Under UK laws, you won't find any mention of the term design patents. The equivalent term in the UK is 'registered design'. While there isn't any symbol to denote a registered patent, as there is for copyright and trademark, the term 'registered design' is used if the shape or design of an object is registered in the UK.
The purpose of 'trade dress' is to help one create a unique identity that helps the object stand apart from other similar objects. You should be able, by looking at an object, to immediately identify it, without necessarily reading the label. Thus, any combination of colour, font, packaging and labelling that helps one immediately recognise the source of the object qualifies as trade dress.
In most jurisdictions, trade dress is considered part of the trademark laws, as the purpose of both is to create recognition and help customers easily identify the source of the product.
US and EU patents
Patents are territorial in nature, effected under the national laws of the country, but there is a growing focus towards conformity of the patent laws across different countries.
The TRIPs Agreement, administered by the World Trade Organisation, describes the minimum standard for many different forms of intellectual properties. It requires that member nations of the WTO enact uniform laws for copyrights, trademarks, patents, etc, and provides for remedies, enforcement and dispute resolution procedures.
Membership of the WTO now requires a strict implementation of the intellectual property laws, as per the TRIPS agreement. Despite this, there are a few fundamental differences between the patent laws of some countries, eg, the US and EU states.
The biggest difference is 'first-to-file' versus 'first-to-invent'. In the EU, the filing date is most important, as the person who files for the patent first is awarded the patent, even if the second applicant was the first to invent. On the other hand, the first party to invent is awarded the patent in the US, irrespective of the filing date.
In this, the US stands in contrast to almost all other countries. The patent, in case of several applications for the same invention, is awarded to the party that can prove decisively it invented it first.
Another difference between the EU and US is in regard to the publication of the invention. In the UK, if the invention is publicly available in any form before the filing of the patent application, the patent is not granted. The publication in this case includes articles in a magazine or newspaper, a lecture about the invention, sharing the invention with an investor without first signing a non-disclosure agreement, etc. To constitute publication, it is irrelevant who makes the invention publicly available: the inventor, one of the inventors or an independent third party.
In contrast, inventors in the US have a grace period of one year from the date of publication to file for a patent. The US also provides for the granting of provisional patents. An inventor can file for a patent before the invention is production-ready, just to be able to prove a prior filing date.
The provisional patent doesn't automatically mature into a regular patent. For that, the inventor has a period of one year, within which to file for a proper non-provisional patent.
Finally, software patents are not granted in the EU, unless a technical problem is solved. In the US, however, patent protection is granted to all software.
A registered patent grants the inventor the right to exclude all others from making, selling, using and distributing the subject matter covered by the patent. The exact nature of what is covered by the patent is described as 'claims'. Each patent application thus includes claims which define the exact scope of the patent, and a single patent can have many claims.
Excluding others from selling products
A patent claim shows that the owner has the right to exclude others from using, selling or making the things that are described by the claims. Claims are a relatively new addition to patent laws, especially in European countries, where there was no mention of claims in patent applications until the mid 20th Century.
In contrast, the enactment of the Patents Act of 1836 made claims a strict requirement for all patent applications in the US. A typical US patent application lists all the claims at the end of the application. For example, Apple's 7,469,381 utility patent has 20 claims, and Samsung was found to infringe claim 19, which states: "A device comprising; a touch screen display; one or more processors; memory; and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors..."
We've included only a brief portion of claim 19. While claims comprise a single sentence, it's not uncommon to find claims that are spread over half a page, or more. To make reading them easier, such lengthy claims are often written in outline form.
Design patents have only a single claim. As the design is described by way of drawings in the patent application, the claim for a design patent usually reads "we claim the design as shown," or some variation thereof. The claim for Apple's '889 design patent, which describes an electronic device, states: "We claim the ornamental design for an electronic device, substantially as shown and described."
The patents are referred to by the last three digits, so patent '889 is, in fact, the USD504889 patent.
The root of Apple Vs Samsung
Steve Jobs once said he was going thermonuclear against Android for patent infringement. Seems he wasn't joking around
Since 2011, Apple has filed dozens of suits against Samsung and other device manufacturers, such as HTC, alleging infringements of its patents and trademarks, among other things. Samsung, in turn, countersued Apple, and both have since won decisions in their favour in different countries.
In its first complaint in the US, Apple alleged that Samsung had infringed on a number of its utility and design patents and various trademarks:
"Samsung's Galaxy family of mobile products, introduced in 2010, is exemplary. The copying is so pervasive, that the Samsung Galaxy products appear to be actual Apple products - with the same rectangular shape with rounded corners, silver edging, a flat surface face with substantial top and bottom black borders, gently curving edges on the back, and a display of colourful square icons with rounded corners. When a Samsung Galaxy phone is used in public, there can be little doubt that it would be viewed as an Apple product based upon the design alone."
The infringement in the above quoted paragraph refers to various 'trade dress' elements that Apple had registered in regards to the iPhone: "U.S. Registration No. 3,470,983 is for the overall design of the product, including the rectangular shape, the rounded corners, the silver edges, the black face, and the display of sixteen colourful icons.
"U.S. Registration No. 3,457,218 is for the configuration of a rectangular handheld mobile digital electronic device with rounded corners.
"U.S. Registration No. 3,475,327 is for a rectangular handheld mobile digital electronic device with a gray rectangular portion in the center, a black band above and below the gray rectangle and on the curved corners, and a silver outer border and side. "
The original complaint, despite alleging that Samsung had infringed seven utility and three design patents, didn't include the complete list of infringed patents. Patent '889, for instance, which describes the design of the iPad, was included in the final verdict form. The jury returned with a verdict in favour of Apple, awarding it more than $2 billion in damages, declaring Samsung had wilfully infringed on a number of Apple's patents, and registered trade dress.
The fact that the jury delivered the verdict after just three days of deliberation seems monumental when you consider the verdict form spanned 20 pages and covered many different areas of law - patent, trademark, trade dress, etc. The 20 pages of the verdict form included several tables for each of the infringing devices, with more than 500 YES/NO questions in all.
What's more, District Judge Lucy Koh provided the jury with more than 100 pages of instructions, detailing what was expected of the jurors, what constituted evidence, what was proof, the patents in question and many other things - which highlights the magnitude of care and responsibility that was expected from the jury.
The jury was required to decide uniformly on all the questions, and many lawyers and other legal experts have since declared the near impossibility of reaching a uniform decision on the 500 questions in a matter of a few days, while legitimately discussing the entirety of the case - the evidence, the arguments and defences.
Fearing that the jury might make mistakes on the verdict form, Samsung had filed a motion for time to study the verdict as turned in by the jury to ensure there weren't any glaring mistakes in it. The Judge saw sense in this request and granted it.
As it turned out, the jury did indeed goof up, awarding $2 million to Apple for inducement by a device it concluded didn't infringe on Apple's patents. The jury was asked to redo the maths and deliberate again on these issues.
The jury members, including the foreman, have since given several interviews, at times contradicting each other, and constantly providing evidence that might help Samsung get the decision overturned. For instance, instruction number 35 in the mammoth 109-page instruction set reads:
"The amount of those damages must be adequate to compensate the patent holder for the infringement. A damages award should put the patent holder in approximately the financial position it would have been in had the infringement not occurred, but in no event may the damages award be less than a reasonable royalty. You should keep in mind that the damages you award are meant to compensate the patent holder and not to punish an infringer."
Despite this, the foreman has since been quoted as saying: "We wanted to make sure the message we sent was not just a slap on the wrist," and: "We wanted to make sure it was sufficiently high to be painful, but not unreasonable."
This blatant deviation from the judge's instruction is just one of the reasons why Samsung is seeking a fresh trial.
The proxy war against Google
Apple's tactic of going after manufacturers that create and sell devices powered by Android, the Google product Apple contends violates many of its patent, has been termed as a proxy war against Google. In fact, Steve Jobs believed firmly that Android was a stolen product, which copied blatantly the innovations made by Apple.
So why is Apple suing Samsung repeatedly instead of going after Google? Here are a few facts to set the record straight:
Google freely licenses Android to device manufacturers and generates revenue through its advertising model. The device manufacturers, such as Samsung, make money by selling Android-powered devices. In its suits against the device manufacturers, Apple has claimed loss of revenues due to their competing devices. However, in this case, contrary to Apple's original claim of more than $2 billion, the jury awarded only $1 billion in damages.
Another aspect of the case is that Apple had sought injunctions against various Samsung products which it contends infringe upon Apple's registered patents. This leads us to the second reason for the proxy war. Once a verdict is announced in favour of Apple, it can get the International Trade Commission to halt permanently the sales of infringing products in the US.
Since the infringing products run on Android, Apple can effectively bar the sale of Android products in the US! Or so Apple hopes. With Samsung seeking a fresh trial, we're far from such an outcome. And it probably won't ever happen.
It's thought that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is being developed under the codename Project J, but apparently the project doesn't just cover the firm's next flagship smartphone.
According to the folks over at SamMobile, Project J actually consists of three devices, with the flagship Galaxy S4 (also referred to as GT-I9500 or Altius) being joined by Project J Mini and Project J Active.
The Project J Mini, or Serrano as Samsung is calling it, looks set to the be the Galaxy S4 Mini following in the footsteps of the Galaxy S3 Mini.
Tick tock
Things get a little more interesting when we look at the Project J Active (or Fortius, if you prefer) which appears to be a slightly different device with accessories such as an arm band, bike mount and pouch listed.
This has lead people to speculate that Samsung may be working on a wearable piece of tech, possibly to rival the rumoured Apple iWatch.
Of course it could just be another tough phone to follow on from the Galaxy XCover 2, and apparently Project J Active is yet to be finalised unlike the others which have already been given the green light.
S4 spotted again
The Korean version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 has supposedly popped up in a benchmark test over at GLBenchmarks.
According to the results for a handset going by the model ID SHV-E300S, it out performs the Galaxy S3, Nexus 4 and HTC Butterfly during off screen tests, while only the Nexus 4 comes out better from the on screen benchmarks.
We're not getting too carried away with any of these reports as it's not clear where the Project J information came from and benchmarks can be easily forged.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 release date is currently thought to be scheduled for May, so we're going to have to wait a couple more months before we start getting anything official from the Korean firm.
Apple's iPhone 4S is getting an exclusive new update to fix the cellular performance and reliability issues the 2011 phone has been experiencing.
The 6.1.1 fix was released on Monday for iPhone 4S models, and no other versions of the iPhone (or cellular iPads) will receive the update.
Apple's 6.1 update, released at the end of January, added some features to the mobile OS. Unfortunately, it also added some problematic issues for iPhone 4S users.
Thankfully, Apple was relatively quick with a comeback fix, and Monday's 6.1.1 update is hopefully just what the iDoctor ordered.
Think before updating
The iOS 6.1 update expanded LTE offerings for international users of theiPhone 5 and newer iPads.
It also gave Siri the ability to purchase movie tickets direct from Fandango, plus iTunes Match to let users download individual songs from iCloud.
But iOS 6.1 wasn't all gravy - iPhone 4S users began experiencing issues with cellular data connections, especially on U.K. carrier Vodafone, whichurged customers not to update at all until Apple came out with a fix.
Apple's official statement on the update reads that iOS 6.1.1 "fixes an issue that could impact cellular performance and reliability for iPhone 4S."
Hopefully, Vodafone users' iPhone 4S problems will be cleared up by the fix.
According to CNET, some iOS 6.1 users also experienced a bug that caused issues between the iOS Mail app and Microsoft Exchange, but it's unclear if iOS 6.1.1 swept that mess up as well.
TechRadar asked to Apple to find out, but the Cupertino company has not yet responded.
The iPhone 5 was evolution rather than revolution, so what's in store for iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S, if Apple's next iPhone is so named.
Some rumours suggest that there will be a new cheaper iPhone, which may or may not be the iPhone 6 (it may well be the iPhone 5S, perhaps?). Digitimes says the cheap iPhone will have a plastic chassis rather like the iPhone 3GS - or at the least some kind of hybrid plastic-metal design. TechRadar's Gareth Beavis believes the lower cost market is something Apple can't afford not to be involved in.
So when will the IPhone 6 release date be? Some analysts and observers are predicting that it could be as early as summer 2013. We think it's more likely we'll see a new iPhone release in September
Blogger Ed Valdez cites six reasons why we can expect an iPhone 6 announcement by June 2013 - a mere nine months after the iPhone 5. But it's still quite likely there will be an iPhone 5S instead of iPhone 6.
iPhone 6 design
Many potential buyers d on the iPhone 5's design. For some of you the taller screen was odd - it "looks strange at best," said nebulaoperator - and for others it simply wasn't big enough.
Lions87a reckons even 4.5 inches would be too little: "popular phones like the Galaxy S2 and S3 have shown that people are pretty happy nowadays to accept bigger than what the iPhone 5 is currently offering."
Writing in the Chicago Sun-Times, influential tech journalist Andy Ihnatko suggests that taller isn't necessarily better. "The benefit of bigger screens is almost entirely in their increased width, not their length," he writes.
"A wider keyboard is easier to type on. Books, web pages, and emails will have wider margins and they'll be more comfortable to read."
John Gruber of Daring Fireball agrees that bigger isn't always better, but he's not a fan of wider, either: while he says that "navigating the full screen while holding the iPhone in one hand is worse," rivals' wider screens mean it "really is far more difficult to do anything on them one-handed, including typing."
A new set of patents filed by Apple, that we outlined on 15 October 2012, suggest that the iPhone 6 design might hide external-facing components such as the camera and flash from view using a polymer-dispersed liquid crystal window which can change opacity on demand.
The question at the moment is whether Apple's next-generation iPhone will be beaten to the punch by the new Samsung Galaxy S4 which could even debut at Mobile World Congress in February.
iPhone 6 processor
No surprises here: we had plenty of people telling us that rival firms' processors have more cores. However, as Lions87a pointed out, "If the iPhone 5 or Nokia 920 can run their OS without any lag or delay, and delivers a flawless experience, and the Galaxy S3 does the same with a quad-core, then the number of cores, and the speed of the cores is irrelevant. The argument turns into 'which operating system is best?'"
Did someone say operating system?
iPhone 6 operating system
iOS has been around for a while, and for many it's getting stale. "I don't think anyone can deny that the
UI needs a refresh when you see widgets and live tiles on competitors' phones," says Vincennes, while Tubemonkey2000 says that "the current [UI] is so tired and old it makes it seem really basic, sort of like a kids' toy."
Our own Gareth Beavis agrees, arguing that "there are so many tweaks Apple could make to its OS to turn it into more of a powerhouse – icons that update with information, or extending the widgets in the notification bar beyond weather and stocks... Apple is taking things very slowly on this front."
iPhone 6 price
iPhones have never been cheap, but in a world of credible - and cheaper - competition they look pricier than ever. Or maybe it's because the iPhone's price has gone up. Saltire is "surprised no-one has mentioned the price increase for the 16GB model", while Gareth Beavis says that "we simply cannot see how a 16GB model can cost £529 / $199, but to double the memory will cost an extra £70/ $100 with no other changes to the design."
There's no doubt that you pay more for the materials, fit and finish of an iPhone than you do for, say, a plasticky Android handset, and not everyone thinks that's worth it.
"£529 for a phone that is no better than my six month old Android shows the arrogance of Apple," Alastairmack says, while Beavis points out that when you consider contracts, "it's far and away the most expensive in the shop, and most of the time you don't even get unlimited data."
iPhone 6 features
iPhone 6 will include a Super HD screen display and camera according to new reports in December 2012.
NFC has, possibly unfairly, been dubbed "Not For Commerce" (or more saltily, "No Effing Customers"), but for many it's the most obvious omission from the iPhone 5 - "not because of the technology itself," says Fmartins, "but to really give the critical mass contactless payments need. Plus, I would love to use the phone as my Oyster card."
For Fmartins, that would be good for everyone: while s/he isn't an iPhone fan, "it would have been nice seeing Apple push the envelope again so that I could benefit on [a] Lumia down the line." Gareth Beavis agrees. "It's not quite there yet in terms of market penetration for payments, but the world's largest network of accessories could definitely have made use of it for making ever cooler docks and cases," he says.
Other suggestions included more LTE bands, which we're sure we'll get next year when other UK 4G networks launch; expandable storage - not something we imagine Apple doing when it can flog you iTunes Match and/or get you to pay a small fortune for the 32GB model over the 16GB - and brighter, more saturated screens, although given the improvements to the iPhone 5's screen that one's largely a personal preference. Oh, and of course you'd like Apple to fix Maps too.
Maps has the potential to be a superb and very useful app, but it needs some work
iPhone 6 reception
No, not antennas - they seem fine this time - but the critical reception. As Lusky79 says, even without cock-ups such as Maps, any new iPhone is going to be disappointing: "Even if Apple had all the suggestions [here], it would still seem mediocre because the revolution was the original iPhone and the other, similar, smartphones that followed." As Nenslo put it: "What the iPhone really needs is Steve Jobs."
iPhone 6 wireless charging
According to CP Tech, Apple filed a patent application last month for Wireless Power Utilization, a wireless charging system with near-field magnetic resonance (NFMR). That means we'll get wireless charging at last.
Remember as soon as Apple assumed with the aim of there’s an app meant for everything? Despite perceptions, they aren’t kidding. If your eyes already glaze completed hundreds of articles with the aim of play a part thousands of skillful and functional apps, remain plow you read one more chance of leisure activity: Weird smartphone apps.
Yes, alongside beneficial programs like how to achieve the bordering chat station or restaurant, how to tell point in time across special point in time zones, and apps with the aim of help you navigate through the winding streets downtown, near are still apps with the aim of progress to you wonder come again? Sort of one-dimensional rogue formed them.
Here’s our collection of the 10 weirdest apps your smartphone can host if you feel like waging war with your sanity:
Obsessed with the piece of the Grim Reaper? This insanely absurd app lets you track the the majority up to date car accidents and criminal activities contained by the vicinity like murders, theft, and so on. It basically makes you duck the unsafe hotspots. Or if you’re a daredevil, you know somewhere to learn a joy.
Office toil is such a disappointment. Why not take a small break? This app creates a chain of random company noises like fingers typing on keyboards, mouse clicking, and paper rustling. This is to mimic the occupied activities in the company even whilst you’re floppy by the side of your desk, regenerating destroyed cells, taking a power get some shuteye.
This app lacks every axiological consequence: You a minute ago need to wait down the button designed for as long as you can. It redefines what did you say? “pointless” measures.
During 2008, a ill-advised app was released next to the cost of an exceedingly very high $999.99. And come again? Does it look after? Well, basically nothing. You can fair the app license to your links and pride physically on the luxury to facilitate it cost you.
Do you imagine the melody of flatulence? Don’t be deceived by the word: It’s a area of high pressure peak duration on behalf of fart. A honestly crazy app, iFart the stage 20 assorted fart sounds in assorted farting modes (We didn’t know such sophisticated taxonomy practical to the biological process down south.)
After the therapeutic effects of iFart, here comes another app that will certainly spare you extreme terminal boredom while spending time on the john. The PoopLog comes in handy when the call of nature is at its loudest. If you’ve heard of the theory that says the size and shape of your stool is an indicator of one’s general health, you can now turn the principle into practice with this app, of course!
Compare your waste to the illustrations on your Android phone. Although possessing some medical use, the weirdness lies in the “share” feature, where you can tweet or post your excremental revelations mimosa-like for the world.
If you’re continually bothered not far off from your kissing abilities, after that iFrench Kiss is the nearly everyone well-situated app to prove- or disprove- your instinct. Euphemistically called a “proprietary kissing analysis engine,” the app measures your pucker powers. Just don’t give permission everybody find out you having a smooching session with your iPhone, lest the citizens pull ugly conclusions not far off from you.
These are the winners of the weirdest smartphone apps. Download them and give permission your weird piece contract the superlative of you!
HTC Sensation XL runs on Android OS v2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense 3.5 and powered by 1.5 GHz single Scorpion CPUs, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 chipset. Quad-band GSM and dual-band 3G support, HTC Sensation XL can give out Highest sppen of internet up to 14.4 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA, Xl comes with 4.7 inches portly capacitive S-LCD touchscreen of WVGA 480 x 800 pixels firmness screen which will give out you most excellent experience of watching HD videos and chains 16M insignia. Moreover read HTC Sensation Android 3G Phone Features cost
HTC Sensation XL 768 MB RAM which runs it quicker even if you honest multiple effort or functions and 16 GB storeroom rejection recollection increase free. Beats audio enhancement and premium Monster iBeats headset this is the special quality free in HTC Sensation XL.
HTC Sensation XL is sual camera phone the primart/front camera is 8 MP autofocus camera with dual-LED twinkling, countenance detection, geotagging, HDR mode, image autoupload and can moreover LP 720p tape @ 30fps, slo-mo videos. Secondary/Rear camera is of 1.3 in lieu of tape calling.
XL moreover skin, Wi-Fi, GPS, FM broadcasting, Accelerometer, proximity and ambient light sensor, Front facing camera with tape calls, 3.5 mm audio jack, microUSB, Bluetooth v3.0, Office article editor, HTC Locations app, HTC Portable Hotspot, Ultra-fast walking boot period. HTC Sensation XL Price not yet announced.
HTC Sensation XL Features Price Specifications
OS Android OS, v2.3 Gingerbread CPU 1.5 GHz Scorpion processor, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8255 chipset 2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 Display 4.7 inches S-LCD capacitive touchscreen of 480 x 800 pixels screen resolution, 16M colors *HTC Sense UI 3.5 *Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate *Proximity sensor for auto turn-off *Multi-touch input method *Gyroscope sensor *Touch-sensitive controls Internal memory of 16 GB, 768 MB RAM GPRS Class 12 (4+1/3+2/2+3/1+4 slots), 32 - 48 kbps EDGE Class 12 3G HSDPA, 14.4 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot Bluetooth, v3.0 with A2DP USB microUSB v2.0 Camera Primary 8 MP which can give super image quality of 3264x2448 pixels and the camera also features autofocus, dual-LED flash, check quality, Geo-tagging, face detection, touch focus, HDR, auto-upload and the Secondary is of 1.3 MP for video calling. Sound Alert types Vibration, MP3, WAV ringtones Loudspeaker 3.5mm jack Messaging SMS, MMS, Email, Push Email Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML Radio Colors White GPS Java Dimensions 132.5 x 70.7 x 9.9 mm and it weights 162.5 grams Standard battery, Li-Ion 1600 mAh Stand-by Up to 360 hours on 2G / Up to 460 hours on 3G Talk time Up to 12 hours on 2G and Up to 7 hours on 3G
