Samsung Galaxy S series shipments surpass 100 million

It's no secret that Samsung's Galaxy S series of smartphones has been a game changer, for the company as well as for Android smartphones in general. Now the series has reached a new landmark, with the total worldwide shipments exceeding 100 million units since the first Galaxy S device shipped two and a half years ago.

The Galaxy S III has been the biggest and fastest contributor so far, with 40 million shipments coming in the first seven months after launch and currently shipping close to 190,000 units every day. The venerable Galaxy S II, which has been around for almost two years now, has managed to ship 40 million units in 20 months.

With people now eagerly looking forward to the next flagship in the series, we don't see the popularity of the Galaxy S brand waning any time soon.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s_series_sales_surpass_100_million-news-5340.php

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There’s nothing grand about the ZTE Grand S

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ZTE hopes the Grand S will be its big ticket into the U.S. market – we’re not so sure. We go hands on with one of the biggest, yet most disappointing, flagship handsets at CES.

New phones are fun. It’s exciting to hold them and try them out – to see what strange new innovations they’ve been packed with. I used a lot of cool new phones at CES this year. Sadly, the Grand S, while a competent phone on paper, wasn’t one of them. The official tagline for the ZTE Grand S is – and I kid you not – “There are so many S’s, but this one is different.” How it’s different, we may never know. ZTE doesn’t say and I don’t have a clue.

The Grand S is ZTE’s latest attempt to launch a competitive flagship smartphone in the United States and put some recognition behind its brand. It has the same specs as every other new flagship phone lately: quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a 13-megapixel camera, and a 5-inch 1080p screen. Compared to ZTE’s previous flagship designs, it’s a huge step up. But sit it next to top phones by HTC, Samsung, LG, Sony, or even Huawei’s Ascend D2, and its clear that despite being the fourth largest phone manufacturer in the world, ZTE doesn’t yet have what it takes to compete in the big leagues.

The build quality still feels somewhat cheap, a problem that caused me to name ZTE’s Era the “least durable phone” at last year’s Mobile World Congress. Unlike the Era, at least the Grand S was working on the show floor. Unfortunately, the units we tested were laggy – unable to keep up with our modest swipes and app launches. This is likely because HTC’s Android skin is hogging too many resources, or there’s some underlying hardware issue. Regardless, it made an otherwise decent phone seem quite cheap. 

Part of the problem, as with all of these new 1080p phones, is that ZTE is trying to run Android on an insanely high-resolution screen. HTC figured out how to do it with the Droid DNA, as has Huawei with its Ascend D2, and Sony on its Xperia Z. Why, with almost identical specs, does the ZTE Grand S lag behind? It’s certainly doesn’t have anything to do with any innovative software features. So far as I can tell, there are none. It might have been smarter for ZTE to just run a vanilla, completely clean version of Android – it likely would have operated faster – but so far, ZTE is trying to play the same game every other Android phone maker is playing, but it’s not doing a great job.

In all fairness, the Grand S is a much better phone than I expected after seeing ZTE’s press conference earlier this week. It was one of of the most laughable press conferences I’ve ever been to; the company attempted to mimic recent Samsung press conferences by having a magician – except, unlike those press conferences, he appeared to have a budget of about $10, was in a 50-by-50-foot gray room with about 150 people crammed into it, and the only decoration on the wall was a CES poster and a home projector. The magician’s tricks were fine (and the dude gets around – I saw him at an HTC party a day or so later), but the whole press conference reminded me a lot of where ZTE is at right now. It wants to be a major player and ascend the ranks, but it’s still stuck. It doesn’t yet know how to create a great premium phone, nor does it know how to present one.

To sum up: Someone should be fired over ZTE’s CES press conference. Nobody should be fired over the Grand S. But if ZTE wants to break into the U.S. premium smartphone market, it’s going to need more than this. And please, dump the “S.” Samsung’s been there. It’s done that. Get a new letter, ZTE.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/zte-grand-s-hands-on/

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Asus skips CES, announces $150 MeMo Pad tablet

ASUS is launching a 150-dollar tablet for emerging markets and frugal customers everywhere, but is it worth the investment compared to other low-cost tablets?

CES may be done, but Asus isn’t. Two days after the annual trade show ended, it has announced the MeMo Pad, an Android tablet that will cost a mere $150.

The MeMo Pad, as stated in a Asus press release, has been released as an answer to “Changing market conditions”, which we think is a code word for lower prices. So far, several low-cost tablets are entering or already on the market in 2013, such as Acer’s own Iconia tablet.

At a modest $150, you could probably guess this tablet is not coming to a store near you with the latest and greatest hardware. Despite this, Asus has worked hard to cram a ton of features and fairly decent hardware into this device. With a 1GHz processor, the CPU of the MeMo Pad is certainly not turning heads, but Asus is throwing in a standard 7-inch display, 1GB of RAM, and your choice of 8 or 16 GB of internal storage, plus a microSD card to maximize your investment. The real treat is that this tablet will come with Android Jelly Bean, rather than the now-dated taste of Ice Cream Sandwich, not to mention three different casing colors for your own personal flair. With an advertised 7-hour battery life, Asus isn’t going overboard in the battery department, but still giving decent performance. This tablet may not catch glances anywhere beyond its price and color options, but certainly no complaints either.

Compared to other tablets on the market, the MeMo Pad certainly isn’t the cheapest you can get, but it certainly is (along with Acer and a few others) one of the cheapest tablets you can get with a real brand name. The MeMo Pad is probably a good choice against Acer’s Iconia or any other brand-name 150 dollar tablet – not that there are many others out there to begin with. You certainly can’t do much better with a price like that. Asus has plans to launch it sometime in January to emerging markets, but you can grab in America some time in April – even if it will be grossly outdated by then.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/asus-steps-up-to-the-plate-in-emerging-markets-announces-memo-pad/

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The Winners and losers of CES 2013: Mobile edition

It’s impossible to leave a show like CES 2013 behind and not feel like you may have missed something. The same goes for reading through the news coming out of the event. We’ve compiled all the best stories from CES 2013 and give you a look at who left the show a winner and who’s going to be preparing for next year already.

There’s only one thing less effective than trying to make some news during CES while not at CES – Trying to make news by backtracking on news released during CES while not at CES (cough, Apple, cough). Whether or not there’s a cheaper version of the iPhone on the way is the least of anyone’s interest after the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. While we were surprised at how quiet mobile companies were during the event, that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to talk about. Press conferences, press releases, devices on the show floor – a slow year for mobile still meant there was far too much to process over teh course of the week. This week, we’ll take a look at the winners and losers in mobile during CES while recapping the news from January 6-12, 2013.

T-Mobile: Winner

It’s no secret that in the contest between mobile providers, T-Mobile is playing with a chip on its shoulder. On stage at CES, the company did it’s best Kevin Garnett impression and trash talked even though it’s trailing on the scoreboard. CEO John Legere came out throwing haymakers in every direction. But then something crazy happened: He landed his punches. Sure, he was off the wall, but he was hilarious and offered customers something. T-Mobile is now offering unlimited monthly plans with no contract attached, is rolling out HD Voice for compatible handsets, expanding 4G coverage across the country, creating a partnership with Major League Baseball, and calling itself the “Uncarrier.” While I’m personally opposed to giving yourself a nickname, I was oddly ok with this. Maybe it was the cheap shot at Verizon’s “[covering] the dust bowl with LTE” made it all ok. Regardless, this guy needs to hold weekly fireside chats purely for our enjoyment. What a fascinating new CEO.

 Carriers Not Named T-Mobile: Losers

Way to phone it in, guys – pun intended. We know next month will hold a little more importance for some of the big mobile players as Mobile World Congress will take place in Barcelona, but they could have at least broke us off with a little something. Sprint made the bold decision of finally committing the third biggest mobile OS in the world by announcing Windows 8 phones. AT&T brought out a bunch of its high profile partners and talked about how great all of its current relationships were going, but basically said nothing. Verizon said enough to fill a single page press release: the Ativ Odyssey and Galaxy Note 10.1 are coming to Verizon.

Big Screens: Winner

Bigger might not always be better, but it was sure viewed as a selling point during CES 2013. Smartphones are getting a step closer to being tablets and tablets are getting a step closer to being actual tables. Chinese phone maker Huawei showed off the Ascend Mate and it’s 6.1 inch screen now completely bridges the world of 5-inch phones and 7-inch tablets (Nexus 7). Vizio decided to make the standard screen size for tablets expand a bit, announcing a Windows 8 tablet with an 11.6 inch display. To push the boundaries for the definition of what’s considered a tablet, Panasonic pulled out all the stops and unveiled a 20-inch tablet running Windows 8. To complete the one-up contest, Lenovo rolled out a 27-inch tablet that really is just daring someone to top it. I’m not sure if every mobile developer is inviting Shaquille O’Neal into the design lab, but some of us have tiny hands, guys. Stop it.

The United States: Loser

CES 2013 was held in Las Vegas. Last time I checked, that was still in the United States. So why do you have to come and show off stuff that we can’t have? I’m looking at you Huawei. The company rolled out two great looking handsets with the Ascend D2 and Ascend Mate, its first Windows 8 phone, and the world’s smallest USB card but only announced their availability in China. Fellow Chinese phone maker ZTE brought over its Grand S and also never spoke of a release date outside of its home country. ZTE did make one notable overseas offering by promising to bring a phone running Firefox OS to – wait for it – Europe in 2013. Did no one inform these companies that we need phones in the U.S. too? 

New Operating Systems: Winner

While only two of the operating systems that intend to challenge the current champs were on hand at CES 2013, they both certainly made good impressions. Though it comes from a long line of mobile OSes, Blackberry 10 looks like it may actually be the thing that puts Research in Motion back in contention. With a promising showing and popular demo that impressed most who got their hands on it and a thorough launch with plenty of options available in 2013, Blackberry 10 may make those belt clip phone holders socially acceptable again. The total newcomer, Firefox, is breaking away from the standards of mobile operating systems and seems to be doing a pretty good job at it. Plans to have the OS installed on phones and available to the public this year are in place, so we won’t have to wait too long to see if it catches on.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/weekly-mobile-wrap-winners-and-losers-of-ces-2013/

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Microsoft applies for patent outlining “inconspicuous mode”

Microsoft recently applied for a patent that has the potential to eradicate the annoying part of smartphones at the movies by turning down the brightness and minimizing the user interface.

Just because a company applies for or even receives a patent, it doesn’t necessarily mean the feature will end up in a future product. As Microsoft does from time to time, the company applied for a new patent recently. This one is called “inconspicuous mode” and if it ever makes it to Windows Phone, the world will be a slightly happier place.

“Inconspicuous mode” works by not only turning down the brightness but also minimizing the user interface on screen. It’s best to describe this patent with an example. Smartphone brightness in general is at an optimal level, offering enough light to make our screens visible in direct sunlight. However, in certain environments that brightness can cause some bothersome issues.

Take the theater for instance. Like illustrated in the photo, most users take out their smartphone during a movie to check the time or perform a similar, quick action. But in a darkened room, even the lockscreen can be an annoying distraction to fellow audience members. Microsoft proposes then that the interface be stripped to the bare minimum and show only the current time, removing the notifications and bright background image. The patent is a really neat idea and the software’s ability to detect certain conditions automatically, like a darkened room, make it even more promising. Since it has such an obvious real-world use and doesn’t seem too difficult to implement, we could definitely see “inconspicuous mode” making its way to a future iteration of Windows Phone.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has no official plans to roll out the feature. A spokesperson for the company responded to an inquiry from Engadget with the type of canned response expected in this situation, stating Microsoft “regularly applies for and receives patents” and “not all” of them show up in shipped products. Fortunately for Windows Phone fans, a typical response like that proves nothing. Microsoft could very well be working on the feature but unwilling to talk about it at this time.

With any luck, Windows Phone could usher in a new era of smartphones that know when it’s polite to be discreet. It could also help minimize the shock of an incredibly bright screen assaulting your vision in the morning. Like the concept Surface Phone, we’d like to officially add this to our wish list.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/microsoft-applies-for-patent-outlining-inconspicuous-mode/

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Vivitar’s $130 Camelio brings My Little Pony, Hello Kitty, and more to Android tablets

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The Camelio tablet for kids will feature their favorite characters from Nickelodeon, the Hub, and Sanrio and come at a budget price, but will it be worth the money?

Vivitar and Sakar aren’t company names most people know even though plenty of consumers own their products. That’s because the company specializes in licensing deals, creating electronics and accessories, then selling them under brands like Hello Kitty, Nickelodeon, Barbie, and more. Sakar is all about the low-cost electronics, and the quality is about what you’d expect. Still, many kids’ first gadgets are made by the company with cameras and camcorders sometimes selling under the Vivitar house brand. At this year’s CES Sakar stepped into a new market: low cost tablet maker. The Vivitar Camelio 7-inch slates are due to come out around back to school time and entice kids with the same brand power as the company’s other devices.

The Camelio tablets aren’t all that exciting at first glance. The prototypes on display at CES weren’t running very well since they’re still early in the production phase, so we weren’t able to determine if performance is sufficient. The weight is light and the design balanced and comfortable, at least. Running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the Camelio is powered by a single-core processor and has 8GB of internal storage. Ports include mini USB and a microSD card slot. Reps at the booth didn’t know the resolution on the display – to our eye it looked to be 800 x 480. Viewing angles and brightness aren’t the best. We can only assume no Gorilla Glass was involved, either.

None of this is surprising given the source. Plus, specs aren’t really the point here. After all, when consumers buy a Transformers camera for their kid in Toys R Us they don’t look for a Car Ziess lens. It will be the same here. Kids and parents will key in on more important factors like price and branding. Right now the Camelio is slated to cost $130.

Instead of creating a bunch of different tablets for each brand, Sakar will instead release it under the Camelio name and sell branded theme packs separately. The theme packs will include a protective rubber case and access to wallpaper and icons that match the brand kids want. Choices run the gamut from My Little Pony, Hello Kitty, and Barbie to Hot Wheels and Thomas the Tank Engine. The nice thing about this strategy is, if your child stops liking Barbie or Hot Wheels, you can just buy a new theme instead chucking the entire tablet. Or they can change it up themselves whenever they want.

On screen, the themes are essentially a skin over Android, but kids can also choose to ditch them and run stock Ice Cream Sandwich. No word on whether the Camelio is Google Certified, thus giving access to the Google Play store and other core Goolgle apps. The tablets aren’t coming out until the fall, so there’s still time.

Right now it’s hard to tell if the Camelio Android tablet is worth your time and money. We like the concept; it’s the execution that will matter. There’s no point in buying a tablet, no matter how cheap, if it’s slow or will break after three months. We’ll try to get this one in for review when it’s ready to test it’s performance and durability.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/vivitars-camelio-tablet-my-little-pony-hello-kitty/

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Nike+ Running app now available for all Android users in UK

Nike+ will battle apps like Endomondo on Android

Android-toting fitness fanatics on all networks can now download the popular Nike+ Running app from the Google Play store.

The app, which tracks distance, calories and time and integrates with your phone's music player, had been exclusive to the O2 network in the UK.

Nike+ Running also uses the Android smartphone's GPS signal to monitor your meanderings and map your route.

It had only launched for Android phones at the back end of 2012 after garnering 7 million downloads for iOS devices.

Vital stats

Beyond the vital stats, there's also a 'race against yourself feature' that allows users to run down personal bests over pre-set distances.

Naturally, there's social media integration, with friends able you to send 'Cheers' over Facebook while you're in mid-run.

The app is free to download and all data can be synced back to the Nike+ online portal for further analysis.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/nike-running-app-now-available-for-all-android-users-in-uk-1124767

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No rest for Huawei, as it’s planning more smartphone releases for Mobile World Congress

Despite a strong showing at CES 2013, Huawei is planning to introduce two additional smartphones at Mobile World Congress, and they could be even more impressive than the Ascend D2 and Ascend Mate.

After announcing three new smartphones at CES 2013, one could have expected Huawei to be done with new releases for a while, however according to Richard Yu, head of the company’s consumer business group, it’s planning a similarly strong showing at Mobile World Congress next month.

Yu couldn’t wait to tell those gathered at the Las Vegas show there was more to come, as he’s quoted as saying, “Huawei will be launching two new products at MWC that are more innovative than these two phones,” soon after the launch of the Ascend D2 and Ascend Mate, the devices to which he was referring.

It’s a bold statement too, as the Ascend D2 has a 5-inch, 1080p screen and the Ascend Mate is equipped with gigantic 6.1-inch display. Perhaps not innovative, but certainly two of the standout smartphones revealed at CES. It also backs up what we all expected, that even those companies who revealed new smartphones at the show are saving their best for MWC.

So what innovative products does Huawei have waiting in the wings? According to Engadget, one of them will be the successor to the Ascend P1 S, and it’ll be even slimmer than the original 6.68mm thick Android phone. This puts the current World’s Slimmest Smartphone record holder, the 6.45mm Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra announced at CES, firmly in its sights. As for the other phone, it has so far stayed out of the limelight.

Exciting huh? Yes, but with a few reservations. Seeing as the Ascend P1 S, which Huawei debuted at CES 2012, has only just gone on sale in the U.S., and P1 S’s LTE variant became part of EE’s 4G line-up in the UK this October; prompt release dates following announcement isn’t one of Huawei’s strong points. There’s also no guarantee it’ll be coming to anywhere except China either, as the Ascend D2 and Ascend Mate have so far only been given release dates there.

We’ll know all about Huawei’s continued plans for 2013 at Mobile World Congress, which begins on February 25.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/huawei-to-introduce-two-new-smartphones-at-mobile-world-congress-2013/

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Nokia Lumia 505 launched in Mexico, gets a hands-on

Nokia has been making some carrier specific versions of their Lumia smartphones in the past few months. We have already seen the Lumia 810 for T-Mobile and the Lumia 822 for Verizon, both of which are variants of the international Lumia 820.

Nokia has now launched the Lumia 505 in Mexico, exclusively for the carrier Telcel. The device has a slightly modified design that appears to be similar to the older Lumia 800 but on the inside is seemingly based on the current Lumia 510, although the display is a 3.7-inch AMOLED compared to the 4.0-inch LCD on the 510. The 505 also runs on Windows Phone 7.8.

In the video below (don't bother adjusting volume, there is no sound), you get a good look at the 'new' phone, along with all the accessories that come within the package. The Lumia 505 is priced at 3,499 Mexican pesos, which is approximately $277.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_505_launched_in_mexico_gets_a_handson-news-5339.php

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Full-res Sony Xperia Z camera samples surface from CES

Lucky fellow journalists got the chance to smuggle out an Xperia Z outside the CES grounds for a short photo shoot and they've published the results.

Sony made a real splash with their Xperia Z and ZL announcement at CES this year. Besides the 5-inch 1080p screen, the Xperia Z features a 13MP camera, which is supposedly improved over last year's lineup. There is also a built-in real-time HDR mode for shooting video, which sounds intriguing, to say the least.

According to the guys over at BestBoys.de, who got to shoot with the Xperia Z, the auto focus is incredibly responsive both in continuous and in touch mode.

From what we see, image sharpness is not ideal at 100% magnification but other than that, we definitely see improvement over last year's Xperia T. The noise levels are lower and the exposure metering seems correct.

Sony Xperia Z camera samples

We even got a video with the new HDR video mode. The effect is visible when shooting backlit or dark subjects. The "HDR" algorithm opens up the shadows to create a more evenly illuminated scene without blowing up the highlights.

Video quality (sharpness, especially) is really good though the continuous auto focus is on the slow side (which can be an advantage in certain situations). So we are definitely witnessing an improvement over the Xperia T. Reportedly, however, the camcorder strangely lacks the option for video stabilization, unlike the Xperia T.

Here's the camera sample and don't forget to open the video fullscreen and turn on the 1080p mode. Oh, and don't mind the Asian dude that's doing standing pushups.

Check out even more camera samples at the source link below.

Thanks for the tip, kurtdean! Source
Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/fullres_sony_xperia_z_camera_samples_surface_from_ces-news-5338.php

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First BlackBerry 10 phone could be out on February 28 wearing a $799 price tag

A possible release date for the first BlackBerry 10 handsets has been leaked, and it’s in keeping with RIM’s own promise the phones would go on sale less than 30 days after the January 30 launch event.

Research in Motion will unveil BlackBerry 10 in just over two weeks time on January 30, but you won’t be able to buy the phones running the new operating system until sometime after the global launch event. The exact date should be revealed on the day, however in November last year, RIM’s chief operating officer let slip in an interview that BB10 phones would be on sale within 30 days of the event.

Now, an image has circulated on the Internet purportedly showing a screenshot taken from Best Buy Canada’s stock control system, where a BlackBerry 10 device headed for the Bell network is listed for release on February 28. Coincidentally – or not – that’s 29 days after the official debut.

What’s more, the screenshot also provides the retail price of the phone, a rather high $799. Although which model of BlackBerry 10 this refers to isn’t stated, we’d be surprised if the QWERTY N Series device was so extravagantly priced, and expect this to be for the touchscreen Z10. Even so, a presumably SIM-free cost of $800 puts it just $50 shy of an unlocked 64GB iPhone 5 from Apple, and at least $250 more than the average cost of a 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3.

Of course, there’s nothing to say the price – or the release date, for that matter – seen in the image is genuine, and both could be placeholders waiting for RIM to provide solid, official information at the end of the month.

We had the chance to spend some quality time with BlackBerry 10 during CES 2013, and found it had improved considerably since out first meeting with RIM’s potential savior some six months ago. However, here’s hoping that steep price tag isn’t right, as the last thing RIM wants to do is price itself out of the market.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/possible-february-28-release-date-for-blackberry-10-leaked/

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Instagram on iOS: the complete guide

Once you've installed Instagram, this will help you find your way around

The phrase 'don't knock it till you've tried it' is usually wheeled out when trying to convince someone to try an unusual foodstuff or, in what is usually a completely different set of circumstances, an exotic sexual practice.

It applies just as well, however, to Instagram, the photo-editor-cum-social-network recently bought by Facebook for about a billion dollars.

Often, it's dismissed and vilified, either because people wonder why anyone would use a photo-sharing service that in practical terms only exists on smartphones, or, more commonly, because they dislike the retro, cutesy filters that users can apply to images. Why make photos look like they were taken in the seventies, they ask, when they were taken with the more accurate camera systems in today's smartphones?

To which attitude we blow a big raspberry and say don't knock it till you've tried it. Yes, it attracts a certain type of user whose hipster photos of lattes and cupcakes may start to grate a little, but you don't have to follow them. And you don't even have to apply the (quite charming, to our eyes) filters to your shots if you don't want to; the only creative decision Instagram foists on you is that your photos have to be square.

The real joy of Instagram is the community. Whether you choose to follow just a couple of close friends, some big, popular accounts - some of which, like the excellent @NASAGoddard, might surprise you - or an eclectic mix of both with a few randoms thrown in for good measure, if you're anything like us you'll soon be happily browsing through your stream first thing in the morning, and often throughout the day to see what else people have been sharing, and what they've been saying about your shots.

And those filters? Sorry, curmudgeons, but they add a lovely quality to lots of photos, turning snaps into little artefacts; that's just the way our brains are wired. So explore Instagram with us, and start shooting and sharing photos yourself - we think you'll love it.

Meet Instagram!

Instagram's a simple application once you get to know it, but it's not always obvious what each of the controls does, or even how to get everything set up the way you like it. So here we're going to show you around the place so you can get a basic idea of what's where; later on, we'll go into more detail about some of the buttons and options, but for now, this quick overview will get you up to speed in no time.

1. Your photo stream

This is where you'll see all the photos you've uploaded, plus the photos of anyone you're following. (People can set their photos to private, so you have to be approved before you can follow them.) Scroll through the list - which is chronological - to see more photos. Tap the refresh button at the top right to load more, newer photos; older pictures are automatically loaded when you get to the bottom of the list.

2. Explore

Tap this button to explore the photos in the Instagram community. Initially, you're presented with a grid of photos that are popular right now - tap the refresh button at the top right to see more - but you can also search for users and hashtags here too; it's great for seeing pictures from an event, for example.

3. Take a photo

Right in the middle of the toolbar, coloured blue so you can't miss it, is the button you tap when you want to take a photo. Once you've tapped it, you'll be prompted to take a photo using your device's camera, but you can also choose to upload a photo that's already stored in your Photos app. Then you'll see a screen like the one to the right.

4. Comments and more

Tap here to see activity about you and your photos; when people follow you, or comment on or like your photos, tapping this button will tell you who's done what. Instagram supports Push notifications too for this kind of information, and you can define in the app's settings what you get notified about. You'll also see some information about the people you follow here too, such as when they add their photos to the new maps feature.

5. Your profile

Tap this button to see all the photos you've uploaded as a grid, list or, if you allow it, pinned to a map, stats about how many people are following you and more, plus the option for editing your profile. There's also a cog at the top right of the profile page; tap this to configure more settings.

6. A photo in your stream

Photos in your stream, whether they're ones you took or from those you're following, are shown nice and big on your screen. Below each one you see comments and buttons to comment or like the shot, and above it is the name of the account that posted it, plus, if the poster added a specific geotag, the name of where it was taken. (Tip: tap this to see more photos taken there!)

7. Filters

Once you've taken a photo or chosen one from your library, you can apply one of Instagram's filters to it before uploading. Scroll horizontally through this list and tap one to see it applied instantly to your shot. Also experiment with tapping the Lux button at the bottom left - though in our experience this only works well on landscapes.

8. Image options

From left to right, this top bar offers you the option to add a border; rotate your photo 90° anti-clockwise (tap more than once if you need to); toggle between your device's front and back camera if appropriate; add focus blur or remove it if you don't like it; and cancel editing and uploading this photo.

Never used Instagram before

Right, let's get you started with Instagram. Since you've never used it before, we'd recommend that you just focus on this section, work your way through it then go off and do some Instagramming; don't worry about trying to take everything in from our more advanced tutorials, or having to buy extra kit and apps.

If all you do is install the app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, and then sign up, that's fine for today; you'll gradually get an idea of how the community works, and even if you don't feel confident in taking and sharing photos now, you soon will!

Get the app

The first step, then, is to download the app from the App Store. It's designed for iPhone and iPod touch, but it will work on an iPad as well - you can always tap the 2× icon in the bottom-right corner to make it bigger on the iPad's screen.

Of course, while it's best to have a device with a camera so that you can snap and upload wherever you are, you can still install the app on camera-less devices, either just so you can interact with the community of Instagrammers, or so that you can upload photos that are already stored in your Photos app.

Sign up

Once you've installed the app, tap the icon to launch it, and you'll be presented with a screen inviting you to login or sign up. Assuming you've never used it before, tap Sign up and fill in your details. The Instagram app will then present you with some suggested users that you might like to follow just to get you started.

Be selective, though; popular accounts are all well and good, but for our money nothing beats following real-life friends, and you don't want their posts to be drowned out.

Follow your friends

The setup process should ask you to find Instagram-using friends from Facebook, Twitter, or even just from your Contacts list, but if you skip this, or want to do it later, just tap the right-most button in the toolbar along the bottom of the screen, tap the cog that appears at the top right, and then tap Find & Invite Friends. (Alternatively, of course, tweet or post a status inviting your friends to tell you if they're using Instagram, and what their username is; you can search for specific usernames from the explore tab - tap the second button in the toolbar.)

Like and comment

Let's imagine that you've followed a couple of friends and suggested users, and you've found a photo you like. You can give it the electronic thumbs up either by tapping the Like button beneath it, or by double-tapping the photo. You can also leave a comment - tap the Comment button - or tweet the photo by tapping the button with three dots to the right, and then tapping Tweet. In iOS 5 or later, a standard tweet sheet opens up so you can write your message and choose which account to send it from.

Post a photo

Okay, let's get you posting a photo; we'll just cover the basics here. Tap the blue icon in the middle of the toolbar at the bottom of the screen. If you want to upload a photo you took earlier, tap the overlapping rectangles icon at the bottom left. Otherwise, frame the shot with your camera and tap the shutter icon. Experiment with filters, and once you're happy, tap the big green checkmark, enter a caption if you like, and share your photo with the world!

Take Instagram further

If you've already mastered the basics of following friends on Instagram, liking and commenting on their photos, and uploading a photo yourself, you're ready to move on to the next level. Here, we'll share some more advanced tips and techniques not only to make your photos look impressive, but also to help you get the most from the Instagram community.

Using Instagram's selective blur

Once you've snapped or selected a photo from your library, you're taken to the editing screen where you can apply filters and borders, and rotate photos that are at the wrong angle. But there's a terrific creative option here too; tap the little water droplet icon in the top toolbar and you'll get two options for blurring parts of your image, plus an 'x' icon to clear the effect if you decide you don't like it.

Whether you tap the circle (which creates a circular focal point) or line (which leaves a strip of the photo in focus and blurs everything either side of it), both work in the same way. By default, Instagram keeps whatever's in the centre of the photo in focus, and blurs everything else.

You can tap anywhere you like on the picture to move the focus point, but the real creative control comes when you hold two fingers on the image. Now, not only can you reposition the focal point, you can also resize it live too, by pinching and unpinching your fingers. Once you release your fingers, the blur is applied, but you can still tweak it by putting your fingers back on the screen.

Used well, this feature can really help draw the eye to a part of your photo, or help simulate bokeh, a more exaggerated depth of field effect than your iOS device's camera is capable of, but there's one other trick worth exploring with it.

Because we're used to seeing photos of model sets in which the limitations of the camera blur the foreground and background, if we force this effect onto a photo of real life using a technique called tilt-shift, it looks like it was taken of a model. The effect works best with photos taken from above, as would be the case with models. Apply Instagram's linear blur horizontally, and enhance the effect by adding the Lo-fi filter.

Sharing to other networks

One of the great thing about Instagram is that you can easily share the photos you take and edit to other social networks.

You can link your Instagram account with other networks from your profile page (tap the cog, then Share Settings) or just link them as you go; when you get to the sharing screen in Instagram, tap on a network that you want the photo to be shared with, and you'll be prompted to authorise access to your account there.

You only have to do this once for each network; afterwards, you can just tap on each account in the sharing screen for each photo you want to send to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and so on. You can choose to share to all other networks, no other networks, or anything in between, for each picture individually.

Setting and exploring hashtags

It's a great idea to add one or two hashtags to your photos - it helps other people find your shots as they explore the community. Don't overdo it, and be specific - hashtags such as #photo, #instagram or #iphone are likely to get lost, and don't really help anyone discover great photos. Instagram itself has more tips at tapm.ag/ighashtips.

Don't forget to explore hashtags too, either by tapping one you see on someone's photo, or by tapping the second tab of Instagram's main toolbar and searching for one.

Managing comments

It's not obvious, but it's easy to reply to comments people leave on your photos, and even to delete the ones you don't want to appear. Tap Comment on the relevant photo, then swipe left to right on the comment you want to action. You can tap the arrow to reply to that comment, or tap the bin icon to delete it.

Tips and tricks for addicts!

Just can't stop posting photos to Instagram? Sure there must be things you can do to get even more out of it? You're right! Here's what real Instagram addicts need to know to take their passion for pictures to the next level!

The joy of stats

There are a few services out there that can help you find out more about how popular your photos are, who's following you and more, but statigr.am is the daddy. Sure, it shows you basic stuff like what your most popular photo is, and what followers you've won and lost, but it also gets into really detailed information about your posting habits and more to help get your photos even more attention - if that's what you want.

For example, a graph can show you when you usually post photos, and when you get comments and likes, meaning you can, if you wish, start sharing photos more when your followers are active.

Use the map view

In the latest version of Instagram, geotagged photos can be pinned to a map for browsing. So long as he or she has given their permission, you can tap Photo Map when viewing anyone's profile (or your own, of course) to see where the shots were taken. Pinch and pan to move around the map, or tap on stacks of images.

You get the option of adding each photo you upload to your Photo Map as you go, but if you later decide you don't want a shot to appear on a map - one taken at home, say, or perhaps at a school - go to your profile and tap Photo Map. You can tap Edit here and tap on stacks of photos to take them all off the map, or tap the grid icon at the bottom then tap Edit for precise control over which shots are pinned to the map.

Get involved with Instameets

There are lots of groups of people all over the world who meet up and either just chat about Instagram or to set themselves photographic challenges. Visit here for details of how to find a group near you, or set one up yourself!

Get your photos off your phone!

Sure, your Instagram pictures look great on a screen, but they don't have to be trapped under glass. Of course you can print them yourself, or do anything with them that you would with any other photo, but there are plenty of companies around which offer services specifically tailored to Instagram shots.

Printstagram is one of the best-known, and it offers a range of options to print and present your pictures. We especially like the MemoryBox (available from printstagr.am/memorybox), which packages up all your shots as a keepsake, and its mini stickers (printstagr.am/stickers). If you want stickers that are a bit less mini, ARTFLAKES' giant stickers are probably for you. Order yours at artflakes.com/en/instagram-stickers.

For something a little more lasting, consider printing your photos onto a ceramic tile, which you can then either use as a rest, flat on the table, or affix to a wall and grout as you would any other; ImageSnap will sort you out at imagesnap.com/products.

Finally, in an act of supremest meta, you could make a case for your iPhone customised with an Instagram photo - go to casetagram.com to get started!

Export all your pictures

Optionally, you can have Instagram save your edited and/or original shots to your Camera Roll when you upload them, but if you just want to export all of your photos quickly and easily from the service, use instaport.me to download them as a single zip file.

Get the effects in Photoshop

This is absolutely cheating, but if you want to apply Instagram-like effects to your images in Photoshop, Lightroom or Aperture, there are ways!

Casey Mac Vintage Photo Presets (tapm.ag/SU65dM) work in all the above apps, or you can just monkey with tone curves in Photoshop using PetaPixel's presets at tapm.ag/RnhH4G if you prefer.

Kit and apps

Lifeproof iPhone case
Price: £53
Manufacturer: Lifeproof
Website: lifeproof.com

If you're heading to the beach, or just want to take some fresh, original shots in new environments, get the Lifeproof case. It protects your device from dust and sand, and is waterproof down to 2m. You can still use the touchscreen when the phone's in the case too.

A tripod

This particular tripod is a heavy professional one, but you don't need to go that far. You could argue that you don't need a tripod at all for Instagramming, but for group shots, or shots in low light, it can be a boon. A cheap one is fine - you can always upgrade later.

The Glif
Price: $20 (around £15 shipped)
Manufacturer: Studio Neat
Website: studioneat.com

This pocketable rubber widget lets you easily mount an iPhone 4 or 4S on a standard tripod screw. It's surprisingly secure, though if you need your phone to be held even more tightly, consider the Glif+. There are other tripod systems too, even for iPad; look at the range at joby.com.

Headphones with a volume clicker

We're just using the white earbuds that come in the box here, but you could use any wired headphones that have in-line volume controls; plug them in, especially when using the iPhone on a tripod, and you can trigger the shutter by pressing the volume-up button. (In theory this works with Bluetooth headsets too, but only ones that adjust the volume on the device, not themselves; none of the ones we've tried work.)

Camera+
Price: 69p

It seems crazy to recommend another photo editing and sharing app, but even if you don't use its more flexible shooting modes and wider range of filters, buy it for the wonderful Clarity filter. You can open edited shots in Instagram.

PicFrame
Price: 69p

Apps such as PicFrame, PhotoShake! and Diptic let you slice up the square Instagram format into a number of smaller areas into which you can insert multiple images, so you can share more than one photograph at once.

Iris App
Price: £1.49

Although the real Instagram app will work on an iPad - albeit in windowed form - if all you want to do is browse the community rather than post, get an app such as Iris App or Instapad. Browse, search, like, comment and more.

Do & Don't

Take photos of whatever you damn well please

Lots of Instagram etiquette guides tell you not to take photos of your coffee/breakfast/pet. To hell with that! It's your service; do with it what you like. People will soon tell you if they don't like what you shoot, and you can choose to listen to them or not.

Explore hashtags

As you potter around Instagram, tap on hashtags attached to photos, or type in a hashtag to search for in the second tab of the toolbar. It's a great way to discover great photographs and interesting accounts to follow.

Check out the Popular page

Seen everything in your stream? Check the Popular page (the second button in the toolbar) for some beautiful shots that are catching the community's eye. See what your friends are up to Most of the time, you'll have the split controller at the top of the screen you see when you tap the fourth button in Instagram's toolbar set to News. If you switch it to Following, you see what the people you follow have been up to, including photos they've liked and accounts they themselves have followed. It's a great way to discover new stuff!

Post photos not taken with your iOS device

It's easy to load photos taken with fancy digital cameras onto your iOS device, but try to resist posting photos not taken with your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Instagram's all about mobile photography, after all.

Try to game the system

Spend enough time on Instagram, and you'll see people doing the 'Follow me and I'll follow you back!' thing, or using it to spam. Don't be that person. Instagram's a nice place.

Share photos that aren't yours

Not only does posting photos from the web or from other people's Instagram accounts violate copyright and Instagram's community guidelines, it's also just not cricket.

Jargon Buster

Bokeh

Derived from a Japanese word meaning 'blur' or 'haze', this photographic term refers to the blurred background you get when shooting with a wideaperture (or 'fast') lens, which makes the subject stand out.

Filter

One or more processes by which the look of a photo is changed. This could be as simple as inverting all the colours, or recreating characteristics associated with chemical photography, such as cross-processing or a seventies patina.

Geotag

Information embedded invisibly in a photograph that records where it was taken. This is usually simply a set of coordinates, but apps such as Instagram can use databases of locations (from foursquare, in this case) to tie photos to named locations. Your iOS device determines its locations with a combination of GPS (Global Positioning System) and information about nearby Wi-Fi hotspots.

Hashtag

Hashtags are a simple way to flag up the fact that a particular snippet of information - a tweet on Twitter, for example, or an Instagram photo - is related to a certain subject. A hashtag can be whatever you want it to be; just type a hash symbol (#) and then add your subject; #tapmagazine, for example.

Lux

This is a special kind of filter that you can apply to photos in Instagram independently of the main filters. It brightens and boosts dark areas of a photo with a single tap, but is best used sparingly. It works particularly well on landscape shots.

Push notification

Apps can send little messages to your device even when they're not open, telling you, in Instagram's case for example, that someone has just 'liked' one of your shots.

Tilt-shift

Real tilt-shift photography involves expensive cameras and lenses, but you can simulate it with Instagram's selective blur feature. One great use for tilt-shift is to make real life scenes look like models; it works best if you shoot your subject from above.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/instagram-on-ios-the-complete-guide-1124425

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