Nokia’s flagship phones for 2013: EOS, Catwalk, Phablet

By on April 19, 2013

In a period where we’ve seen all of the big Android vendors announce their new flagship phones – the Sony Xperia Z, the HTC One and the Galaxy S4 – Windows Phone maker Nokia has been quiet, introducing a few low and mid-range options but no replacement to last year’s Lumia 920.

While we haven’t heard anything from the Finnish company directly, over the past week we have seen a large amount of new information about their upcoming phones – and what’s been revealed is exciting. We now expect three new high-end phones from Nokia in 2013 – a highly capable PureView camera phone, an aluminium-clad mid-range unit and even a Galaxy Note sized phone / tablet hybrid. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Nokia ‘EOS’

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Our first rumoured device is codenamed EOS, and will reportedly be the first Lumia phone to include a 41 megapixel PureView camera sensor. This, when combined with the optical image stabilisation introduced with the Lumia 920 and a variable aperture lens, should make for an incredibly potent camera suite.

The EOS should enjoy high specifications elsewhere too. The phone will have a 1280 x 768 Super AMOLED display. A report by MyNokiaBlog suggests that the phone is currently being tested with both dual-core and quad-core processors, although the dual-core is favoured at the moment due to lower power consumption. That’s likely an issue due to the relatively small battery onboard – 2,000 mAh is nothing to sniff at but pales in comparison to the Galaxy S4′s 2,600 mAh battery. Connectivity looks good too, with initial reports stating FM radio, a micro SD card slot and a micro HDMI port will be present.

So the EOS looks to be a strong camera phone that should continue to cement the PureView brand as one of the finest in smartphone imaging. What about the other phones?

Nokia ‘Catwalk’

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Another place in which Nokia is looking to advance their brand is in their physical construction. Current Nokia phones are known for using a unibody polycarbonate design in bright colours, but it looks like Nokia may be returning to their heritage with the phone codenamed Catwalk.

According to rumour and a picture leaked onto Chinese site Baidu, the phone will include an aluminium frame and a plastic back, with the camera protruding from the rear of the phone in a noticeable hump. That hump looks awkward, but allows for a much thinner phone overall, something that Nokia has been looking to do since releasing the incredibly thick and heavy 920. It’s not at all certain that this is a genuine design, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Now that we’ve seen one potential direction for Nokia’s design, let’s take a look at our final rumoured device.

Nokia Phone / Tablet Hybrid

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The most recent rumour is perhaps the most intriguing. According to the Financial Times, Nokia is working on a large screen smartphone that’ll be about the size of Samsung’s Galaxy Note series (5.3 – 5.5″). The largest Windows Phone 8 resolution currently supported is 1280 x 768, which wouldn’t likely suit such a large display, but thankfully Microsoft is set to add support for 1920 x 1080 in a Windows Phone 8 update later this year. That could allow Nokia to challenge Android vendors, who’ve traditionally had the 5″ and above market to themselves.

Conclusion
 
So that’s what we’re expecting: three devices from Nokia, each with its own innovations. While Nokia reported a small loss in the first quarter of 2013, its other financial results were encouraging and it now seems that the company has a good chance to find continued success on the back of these new phones.

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Plantronics BackBeat 216 In-Ear Headphones review

By on January 30, 2013

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I picked up these smart earbuds for £40 in Leigh Delamere service station in my desperation to find something to provide some noise isolation. I walked out of the shop and promptly put them on in a bid to try and block out some of the 70 mph gale about my helmet. I know you’re supposed to run these things in, but people have places to be.

The headphones themselves have an attractive black body and bronze accents, with a rugged (and essential for my riding) rain resistant) braided cable and the chunkiest mic / remote I’ve ever had the pleasure of using – a real blessing compared to having to fish blind for the tiny remote with leather motorcycle gloves. The unit itself is cylindrical, a little over an inch long and matches the earphones’ colour scheme. It uses the common Vol+ play/pause/call Vol – layout for 3 buttons, although these buttons seem only to be fully recognised by iPhones and recent Mac computers.

So, what about sound quality and call quality? I can report that the sound produced is wonderfully deep and rich, without missing out on any of the high details. This is all provided that you are using the right size of in ear cup- it makes all the difference. Listening to any music on these is a pure delight, comparable to my Sennheiser HD 202′s. Obviously, both sets are for entirely different purposes, but I enjoy listening to these little beauties just as much- plus they fit in under a motorbike helmet. They provide a good deal of noise isolation, though one shouldn’t expect BOSE levels of quiet from the outer world while they are in. Adequate is what I’d call it.

Oddly, I think I can tell the difference in audio hardware between my Mac and the iPhone 3GS that has been by my side for so long.

Worth the £40, for sure!

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HTC M7 leaks continue, paint hopeful picture for HTC’s success in 2013

By on January 28, 2013

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HTC were the first of many to come out with a 5-inch 1080p smartphone, and now it looks like they’ll once again be the first to achieve an even more impressive milestone – to release a phone with a 4.7-inch 1080p smartphone. It’s called the HTC M7, and according to recent leaks it looks likely to launch at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.

Let’s have a look at what’s been discovered so far. First of all, we’ve got a pretty good idea of the overall look and feel of the device, thanks to a full image that leaked last week as well as a video of the front and rear chassis of the phone – sans any interesting internal components – courtesy of ETrade Supply.

The video makes it quite clear that HTC are abandoning the design language they introduced last year with the One Series, in favour of a more angular style that we saw in their 5-inch 1080p smartphone late last year, the Droid DNA aka Butterfly. It’s a surprising development, given how adored the One series’ styling was, but I suppose progression along a design front is key.

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So we’ve got a rather angular look and feel that’s similar to what we’ve seen most recently from HTC, but on a smaller device. That smaller screen should make it easier to hit the lock button at the top of the phone (which was a bit of a stretch on the Droid DNA). There’s also a new button – a dedicated camera button! That’s always a favourite with photographic enthusiasts, and hopefully indicates that we will see at least a 13 megapixel sensor here and performance to match.

We also know roughly what’ll be inside the phone. We’re expecting a faster 1.7 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage with micro SD support. Again, all good and proper. On the software side of things, we’re expecting a less colour Sense 5.0 skin, offering a complementary design to the phone’s monolithic look.

The M7 looks promising for HTC. The beleaguered Taiwanese company desperately needs a hero phone to sell well, and the M7 is their best attempt. With a well reviewed and best selling sim-free HTC phone, the rest of their business could also see an upturn thanks to the ‘halo effect’ that’s been so well employed by Apple. Will that happen? I guess we’ll have to wait until the release of the phone to really tell, but I am hopeful.

What do you think – will the M7 be HTC’s salvation? Let me know in the comments below.

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Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 announced

By on January 25, 2013

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Today Samsung officially unveiled their latest mobile phone: the rugged Galaxy Xcover 2. The phone is a direct successor to 2011′s Xcover, and again trades leading specifications for added elemental resistance.

According to their announcement via Engadget, we’re looking at a phone with water resistance of up to one meter for half an hour – not amazing, but certainly enough to allow careful underwater photography and the like. The phone should also be physically rugged enough to withstand scratches and drops too, thanks to its reinforced chassis.

As the original Xcover was reminiscent of the Galaxy S yet was released after the Galaxy S II, this Xcover seems to have similar specifications to the Galaxy S II yet comes after the Galaxy S III.

Specifically, we’re looking at a larger 4-inch phone with a WVGA display, a dual-core 1 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. Storage is also decent, at 4 GB upgradeable via  microSD. The cameras are also okay, at five megapixels on the rear but only VGA on the front. Still, there is a physical camera button. Finally, we’ve got a 1700 mAh battery powering everything.

While these aren’t terrible specs by any means, there are a few points of worry. That 1700 mAh battery is only 200 mAh larger than the original, which seems like too littlw when you consider the additional screen size and faster components. The phone is also much heavier – at 148 grams, this is one of the heaviest 4-inch phones I’ve ever seen.

The software has been monumentally improved in the last two years here, and it’s put to good use in the Xcover 2. We’ve got the phone shipping with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, rather the Android 2.3 Gingerbread of its predecessor.

The OS used will include the same Motion UI features (including turning over the phone to mute incoming calls) as other recent Samsung phones, which is a blessing or a curse depending on your appreciation of Samsung’s additions. There’s also due to be a Cardio Trainer Pro workout application, which could prove useful for the more presumably active buyers of the phone.

While we don’t have any pricing or availability information on the Samsung Xcover 2 at this time, we’re certainly due to receive some during the Mobile World Congress, which is now only about one month away. The Barcelona-based event is always home to some interesting announcements, and I’m sure that’ll also be the case here.

What do you think of the phone? I believe a lot will depend on its final price point. Given that its rugged properties could be duplicated with a good Samsung Galaxy S3 case and you’d be getting a much more powerful phone, I think it’ll have to be quite low in order to prove a success.

Thanks for reading the article. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them below. Regardless, have a good day and enjoy your weekend.

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Sony Xperia Tablet Z announced

By on January 21, 2013

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It looks like internet rumours have scored a rare hit today – Sony have officially unveiled the Xperia Tablet Z and it matches earlier leaks in pretty much every detail. The slate comes with a host of impresssive features, not least of which a magnificently thin 6.9 millimetre waistline.

The Tablet Z includes a 10.1″ Bravia 2 display at a resolution of 1920 x 1200, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor running at 1.5 GHz and 2 GB of RAM. Internal storage is good too, at 32 GB, and there’s an SD card slot for additional storage. Finally, the tablet should include some reasonably good optics for a tablet, at least comparable with Apple’s attempts. That’s courtesy of an 8 megapixel Exmor R sensor on the rear of the device and an “automatic low light mode” that should step in when conditions aren’t favourable. Connectivity is also strong, with options for NFC, Bluetooth 4 and Wi-Fi N. You should also be able to get the tablet with LTE in supported markets – although it’s not known if the UK will be represented among that list.

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Finally, all of this hardware together with a 6000 mAh battery is encapsulated in a chassis just 6.9 millimetres thin and with a weight of less than half a kilogram – 495 grams, to be precise. According to Sony, it’s the “thinnest tablet” they’re aware of – not even the tiny iPad Mini, at 7.2 millimetres, is thinner. The chassis of the Tablet Z is also water-proof and dust-proof, with a strong IP5X certification that should allow this tablet to stand a quick tumble into the drink none the worse for wear. The Tablet Z will be available in white and black versions, as was the case with the Sony Xperia Z smartphone.

In terms of software, we’re going to be looking at Android Jelly Bean. It’s only version 4.1 instead of 4.2, but Sony should have no problems updating to the latest version – hopefully before Android 5.0 is released. We haven’t heard too much about the software running on the tablet, but as it’s Sony we’re talking about expect the usual strong suite of media streaming and remote control options.

And when will see the Xperia Tablet Z? Well, the tablet will be released in the Japanese market sometime this spring, but we should hear worldwide pricing and availability information at Sony’s press event at the Mobile World Conference in just over a month’s time.

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Google Nexus 4 cases – top 5 for January 2013

By on January 16, 2013

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Good evening, folks! We’re going to be taking a hands-on look at five of the best cases for the Google Nexus 4 today – cases that provide style, protection and functionality in varying measures. Whether you’re looking for a thin and light case that’ll preserve the Nexus 4′s svelte waistline or a comprehensive package with all the bells and whistles, we’ll have a Nexus 4 case for you. Let’s get right into it, shall we?

5. PDair Leather Flip Case for Google Nexus 4 – Black

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We’ll kick of this top 5 with this genuine leather flip case made by PDair. The case is nice to look at and to hold in the hand, with that proper leather feel and finish that you’d expect. Putting in my Nexus 4, I was impressed by how tightly the phone was held in place with the two side arms and top hooks – there’s no way that this phone was going anywhere.

The phone in the case was quite a bit bigger, and didn’t fit in my pocket so well, but that’s kind of the price that you pay for full screen protection. A nice case if you’re a fan of leather and the vertical flip form factor.

4. FlexiShield Skin for Google Nexus 4 – Clear

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This next case is quite a simple one – a FlexiShield Skin, offering a good mix of flexibility and light protection in a rather thin package. The clear model I tested offered a kind of futuristic look, with the transparent plastic adding a nice effect to the bezel of the phone.

On the back, I was less of a fan – you cover up the holographic effect present on the phone and instead have a kind white shade that doesn’t fit the phone. Still, that covering of the back glass ensures that you’re covering up the phone’s biggest vulnerability. A good budget option with few frills – and the ‘Smoke’ colourway might look more nondescript.

3. PDair TPU Protective Case for Google Nexus 4 – Blue

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I rather liked the style of this case – a blue design with a wave running down the back. This covered up the blackness rather better than the previous case, and added a bit of its own fashion to the piece.

I like blue cases in general, and this one was no exception as I felt it complemented the phone’s excellent display well. The PDair TPU felt comfortable and easy to grip in the hand, with little added bulk. A good option if you’re looking for minimal protection and a cool look in many potential colours.

2. Leather Style Wallet / Stand Case for Google Nexus 4 – Black

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This case is the functionality king of our top 5, offering not only wallet-style pockets but also stand functionality. The plastic core of this case offers a good amount of security, but it was noticeably easier to install and remove the phone – not necessarily a good or bad thing, just a difference.

The stand works by connecting the snap enclosure backwards, allowing for a landscape mode that isn’t too adjustable but still works well for movies and games. This case only really falls down in its bulk, which is fairly considerably compared to the other cases on this list. Still, if you’ve got substantial pockets or you want to use the included belt clip, a good option.

1. ArmourDillo Hybrid Protective Case for Google Nexus 4 – Blue

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The ArmourDillo was my runaway favourite, this time around. The case is a marriage of a flexible TPU case with an impact-resistant exoskeleton. That combination provides a lot of grip, and gives me a lot of confidence that my phone would be undamaged even from a drop onto concrete from a good height. While this case is a bit thicker than normal TPU cases, I feel that the additional protection is quite worthwhile.

The ArmourDillo also has an impressive added feature – a rock-solid plastic stand embedded in the back that works in landscape orientation. This is perfect for watching YouTube videos on the train, without needing to pack your own stand. All in all, the ArmourDillo is a brilliant little case. From the silly name to the suitably organic look of the case, I really fell in love with this case and I’m sure you will too!

Conclusion

Thanks for checking out this top 5. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them below. You could also share your own recommendations – which cases have worked well for you?

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Vizio 11.6″ tablet impresses at CES

By on January 15, 2013

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While new PC manufacturer Vizio impressed with its nigh-weightless 10″ Tegra 4 tablet at CES, its as-of-yet unnamed 11.6″ Windows 8 tablet also drew plaudits.

The tablet’s standout feature is its beautiful 1080p display, which in turn informs the choice of an AMD processor over an Intel one. The tablet is one of the first to come to market with the AMD Z-60 processor, which is a dual-core CPU running at 1 GHz. That’s more than enough horsepower for the full Windows 8 experience, and also ensures that you’ll have access to all of your legacy applications from previous versions of Windows.

The CPU is also reportedly powerful enough to run some games, although Vizio wasn’t demonstrating this on the show floor. These games aren’t likely to run at the tablet’s full 1080p resolution, but 720p is only a settings change away. Notably, the version of Windows 8 installed is called a ‘Windows Signature’ installation, as it includes absolutely no bloatware or added-on programs – you just get the core Windows 8 apps.

The Vizio tablet is backed with 2 GB of RAM, 64 GB of solid state storage, a 2 megapixel front-facing camera and both micro HDMI and micro USB ports. These specifications put it behind pricier Windows 8 tablets using Intel Core i5 processors, which also typically enjoy 4 GB of RAM and at least 128 GB of storage. While you’re not getting as much raw strength, it does indicate that we’ll see this tablet appear at a lower price point.

The emphasis on hitting a lower price point comes across in the design, too. While the back of the tablet is covered in a nice-feeling soft touch material, the front of the tablet is a less nicely constructed. Specifically, there’s a kind of double bezel effect on the front, as the normal black screen bezel is constricted by a further silver metal one. That takes it away from the unibody look that’s been employed to great effect in the case of the iPad 4 and the Surface RT, but it’s by no means a deal-breaker.

Vizio are yet to announce pricing and availability information for this tablet. Count on an American and likely European launch later this year though, and probably at a fairly aggressive price point too.

What do you think of this 1080p AMD tablet from Vizio? Let us know in the comments below! Thanks for reading and be sure to stay posted for all of the latest tech news.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 Rumour Roundup

By on November 23, 2012

Hi folks. Today, we’re going to be looking at the potential hardware specifications of the next big Samsung handset, the Galaxy S4. Let’s get right into it.

CPU

There are three options here, ordered from least to most impressive: The Exynos 5250 (the dual-core A15 chipset with Mali 604, used already in the Nexus 10), the Exynos 5450 (a quad-core version with a Mali 658 GPU that should be incredibly beastly) and the unthinkably powerful big.LITTLE configuration (a four-core A15 with four-core A7).

I feel the first is too boring and the third more likely to be seen in a tablet first, but the second sounds good – four powerful cores seems doable in the next four months or so. We may yet see a Galaxy phone or tablet with a big.LITTLE configuration, as it does make a lot of sense from a power usage standpoint – like the Tegra 3, the less powerful cores can be used for simple tasks, ensuring the full power of the chipset is only used when needed.

Display

We’re likely going to see a 4.99″ 1080p display at 441 pixels per inch, equalling the count of the Droid DNA and several other forthcoming Android handsets. Samsung are reportedly finding production of the display difficult, and are shifting their lower and mid-range handsets to use LCD PLS instead of Super AMOLED. That option will remain for the higher end handsets, so we will likely see the Galaxy S4 use Super AMOLED once again.

Camera

Here, we’re hearing that we’ll see a 13 megapixel sensor. Samsung have used 8 megapixels for the last two generations of the Galaxy S, so a move to 13 megapixels would make sense and shouldn’t be too hard.

Wireless Charging

While it hasn’t been discussed in either direction yet, my own personal hope for the Galaxy S4 is that it includes wireless charging support in the box. This wasn’t the case for the Galaxy S3 – instead, Samsung promised a wireless charging accessory that never came. With the Lumia 920 and Nexus 4 shipping with the tech built in, it’s about time Samsung equalises.

Announcement date

The early indication is that we’ll see this phone announced in late Q1 or Q2, at a Samsung Unpacked event.

Conclusion

So there we have it – all we know (or think we know) about the Samsung Galaxy S4. Be sure to let me know what you think of the proposed handset in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

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LG Nexus 4 leaked for the final time

By on October 26, 2012

The well-leaked LG Nexus 4 has been leaked once more, and this time with some official trappings. The leak comes via UK retailer Carphone Warehouse, who are well known in this day and internet age not for selling carphones but instead for providing leaks of new products from their inventory system and posting pre-order pages ahead of schedule. This time, they’ve provided both ahead of Google’s Nexus event on the 29th of October.

The specifications match up with what’s been leaked before – we’ve got a 4.7″ screen at a resolution of 1280 x 768, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor running at 1.5 GHz, 2 GB of RAM, an 8 megapixel camera and support for NFC. Like many other Nexus devices, the Nexus 4 is short on storage with only 8 GB of memory on-board.

The phone runs Google’s next release of their Android operating system, 4.2, which is expected to be named Key Lime Pie or some other name that begins with a K in following their alphabetical dessert naming structure. One new feature of the OS which we haven’t heard before is ‘Gesture Typing’, which sounds awfully similar to Swpe. It is described as allowing you to type by “dragging your finger across the screen from letter to letter.”

The Nexus 4 will be available for free if you’re on a contract of at least £31 per month, while the ever-present inventory stealth shot shows that the phone will cost £389.95 sim-free, considerably less than what the previous Nexus phone, Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus, was sold for in November last year. We also learn that there will be two colours available, Black and White. The phone is listed as being delivered on October 30th, just one day after Google’s Nexus event.

While Carphone Warehouse have since taken down the pre-order page, I think we can be pretty confident that the LG Nexus 4 will arrive as leaked and predicted at Google’s event on the 29th. Be sure to tune into your favourite tech site (I’ll be on The Verge) for a live blog of the event, or on YouTube to watch Google’s stream.

This article is sponsored by MobileFun.co.uk, the UK’s leading online retailer of Google Nexus 7 cases.

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Bethesda launches Battlecry Studios, could be working on Fallout MMO?

By on October 4, 2012

It looks like Bethesda’s expansion continues! They have begun  a new studio in Austin, Texas, called Battlecry Studios. The dev lab will be working on a new, unannounced project, likely an MMO given the appointment of Rich Vogel as the studio’s head. Vogel has worked on Star Wars: The Old Republic, as well as Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies. With Bethesda’s recent re-capture of the rights to make a Fallout MMO, is that what we’re likely to see out of the new studio? I think so.

Full press release below:

October 4, 2012 (London, UK) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, is pleased to announce it has established a new studio in Austin, Texas, Battlecry Studios, to be headed by long-time industry veteran Rich Vogel. Most recently, Vogel worked at Bioware where he served as the executive producer on the development of Star Wars: The Old Republic. Rich has a long history in the industry having worked on Ultima Online and Star Wars Galaxies as well as other online and console titles during his 20+ years in game development. The new studio is currently hiring other experienced game developers to fill key roles for an unannounced project.

“I have always admired and respected Bethesda’s approach to making great, original games,” said Vogel. “It’s a belief and passion I share, and I’m looking forward to building a team of high quality developers who want to bring that same commitment and creative energy to the games we’ll be creating.”

“We are very pleased to have someone with Rich’s vast experience join us at Bethesda,” said Vlatko Andonov, President of Bethesda Softworks. “Rich has a history of building and managing talented development teams and bringing high quality games to market, and we look forward to working with him on a new exciting project.”

Battlecry Studios will be the second ZeniMax studio located in Austin, joining Arkane® Studios, whose highly-anticipated title, Dishonored™, ships this month. For more information about Bethesda Softworks and available jobs at Battlecry Studios, visit:http://jobs.zenimax.com/.

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