The public release of Apple's iOS 7.1 could just just a few weeks away, with reports claiming the company has no plans to release more beta versions of the software to developers.
BGR reports the company's beta testing of the first major update to the revamped OS is complete after five beta versions, with only a Gold Master version to arrive before it becomes available to consumers.
According to the site's source, Apple plans to drop iOS 7.1 in early March, which ties into previous speculation.
Months in the making
iOS 7.1 has been almost five months in the making and will offer some visual refinements and potentially introduce a few new features, such as iOS in the Car.
The company also hopes the update will fix the random reboots, app crashes, and general sluggishness experienced by some users since the iOS 7 update fell in September 2013.
It has not yet been suggested that the Apple plans to address the startling drop-off in battery life experienced by older iPhone owners since upgrading from iOS 6.
What would you like to see Apple introduce or fix with iOS 7.1? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Is this the future of wireless charging? (credit: AppleInsider)
Apple's entry into the wireless charging arena may see the company introduce a far more advanced solution than the current generation charging mats, according to a patent recently granted to the company.
The patent, filed with the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office, explains how different functions could be performed depending on how a phone, media player or camera is placed on the inductive charging pad.
For example, if an iPhone were to be placed face-down, the mat it would charge the device, while positioning it face-up would also see data synced with a nearby laptop or desktop computer.
Beyond that, the smart dock would also be able to recognise the precise positioning of the device to automatically commence the data transfer, according to the filing.
Not your average charger
According to the patent, the dock would also feature a dedicated processor, integrated power supply, other I/O ports and other hardware features.
Within the literature for "Device orientation based docking functions," Apple explained: "A user device such as a smart phone, digital camera, or personal media player may be docked to a docking device, which may allow for charging and data transmittal. Some docking devices may provide induction charging to charge a user device, when the user device is placed on a charging surface.
"The user device may include circuitry which may respond to a magnetic field provided by the charging surface. Data may be transmitted between a user device and a docking device, or a host device, when the user device is docked."
Of course, it goes without saying that just because Apple has filed this patent, doesn't mean the tech is definitely on the way.
Samsung's rumored Windows Phone does appear to resemble a Galaxy S4 (credit: evleaks)
Samsung's rumored Windows Phone handset just can't stay out of the spotlight - and now there's finally a picture to back up its confidence.
The photo above was tweeted by @evleaks, the same tipster who just yesterday outed the phone's supposed code name, "Huron," and said it will be carried by Verizon.
The leaker also said the Samsung SM-W750V, or Samsung Huron, resembles a Galaxy S phone, and if this picture is legit then that appears to be accurate.
There's one small difference, of course, and that's the Windows button near the bottom.
Galaxy W
Other than that, yes - it looks just like a Galaxy S4, with similar-looking volume and lock/power buttons on the sides, and a similar shape and layout overall.
The body also appears to be plastic, just like Samsung's Galaxy phones.
But with the Galaxy line so closely associated with Android, could Samsung get away with Slapping "Galaxy" on a Windows Phone handset?
The smartphone's final name is currently unknown, but "Galaxy W" does sort of have a ring to it.
See you at MWC (hopefully)
The gadget website T3 says the Samsung Huron will sport a quad-core Snapdragon CPU and an Adreno 305 GPU, information it attributes to evleaks.
Beyond that nothing else is known about the phone.
In time for Valentine’s Day, Google officially released a bright red LG Nexus 5. The previouslyleaked Android smartphone is now available to order in the Google Play Store in 16 and 32GB flavor, sporting the same price tag as its white and red sibling.
The red Nexus 5 will be available in a number of markets this month. They include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. Wider availability across Europe will be announced later this month.
You can find out all about the LG Nexus 5 in our detailed review.
If the Galaxy S5 Zoom is anything like the S4 Zoom it will be a monster of a phone
This should come as no shocker, but it's looking like Samsung will release at least three versions of the Galaxy S5 in 2014: the standard flagship, the Galaxy S5 Active, and the Galaxy S5 Zoom.
The Galaxy S4 also had Zoom and Active variants, the latter being a more rugged version and the former focusing more on camera specs.
Now one report claims to have confirmation from an unnamed source that a Galaxy S5 Active is in the works, while the evidence for the Galaxy S5 Zoom is even thinner.
But Samsung has proved its commitment to releasing anything it can think of and seeing what sticks, so why fight it?
Active time
The report of the Galaxy S5 Active comes from Korean site ET News, which said it has sources who confirmed the device.
Like its predecessor, the Galaxy S5 Active will supposedly be water- and dust-resistant.
Further, Samsung is reportedly counting on Galaxy S5 Active units making up 20 to 30% of all Galaxy S5 sales globally.
According to the same report, the Galaxy S4 Active made up only 4% of Galaxy S4 sales, so that would be a big jump.
Zoom zoom
The Galaxy S5 Zoom sighting is even more tenuous than the claims of an unnamed source.
The Indian site Zauba, which in the past has leaked devices like the still-unconfirmed Samsung "Huron" Windows Phone handset, has a new listing for an SM-C115 "Samsung mobile camera (for R&R purpose)."
The import note says these devices arrived on January 31 and lists them at about 32,600 Indian rupees, or about $520/£320/AU$584, each.
According to BGR, which put these clues together, that's enough to out the existence of the Galaxy S5 Zoom - just in case you had doubts that Samsung would try the same strategy again this year.
Now what about the Galaxy S5 Mini? What, are we getting ahead of ourselves?
TechRadar has everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S5 - including all the latest news and rumors, plus our wishes for the next Samsung flagship.
Sony has begun updating its support pages for the Xperia smartphones released in the year 2012. All of those pages list Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4.1 Jelly Bean as the smartphones "latest and final version".
There are only two droids from this lineup, which fate is still uncertain - the Xperia T and Xperia V. Sony says their KitKat update is "under investigation". So there is still hope for those two, but given the fate of their siblings chances aren't too great.
Sony Xperia T support page
The 2012 Xperia phones to be left stuck forever on Ice Cream Sandwich are: Xperia U, Xperia tipo (and tipo dual), Xperia sola, Xperia miro, and Xperia arc S. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will be the last for Xperia SL, Xperia ion, Xperia acro S, Xperia J, Xperia go, Xperia S, and Xperia P.
Sony Xperia S support page
We'll be keeping our fingers crossed for all Xperia T and V owners. We guess the rest should turn to some third-party developers for newer Android releases.
The HTC One is about to be succeeded by its superior M8
The Samsung Galaxy S5 might have a serious contender on its hands if the latest effort from HTC can live up to the hype.
The HTC One 2 is tipped for a March 2014 launch much like its Korean-based rival, and although we might not be seeing quite the same level of benchmark-setting specs as the S5, there are more than enough reasons to be geared up for HTC's next flagship.
A rumor from a few weeks ago suggested that Samsung will unveil a successor for the smartphone/camera hybrid, the Galaxy S4 Zoom. Things might be quite far along as the company imported a number of SM-C115 "mobile camera" devices into India for testing.
The significance here is that the Galaxy S4 Zoom carries the model numbers SM-C101 or SM-C105.
According to the initial rumor, the Galaxy S5 Zoom will have a 4.8" Super AMOLED screen with qHD resolution and will be launched in May. Unfortunately, unlike some other Zauba listings there's no mention of screen size here.
Anyway, the Galaxy S5 is expected to be unveiled at the Unpacked event at the MWC (that conspicuous "5" really stirred things up). The Galaxy S4 Zoom was announced about three months after the S4 phone, so the timeframe works out for a May unveiling if the S5 really arrives at the MWC.
Meet Satya Nadella - the new CEO of Microsoft. He's the third ever CEO of the company since it was founded in 1975, following Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates. His new position is effective immediately.
Formerly, Nadella has been in charge of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise division and has a rich technical background. He has a master's degree in computer science as well as a master's degree in business administration - both of which sound helpful for running a multi-billion dollar corporation.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Nadella has told the company board directors that he'll lean on Bill Gates while running Microsoft. As far as the company's board goes, Ballmer remains a director, while Nadella becomes one.
Analysts describe Nadella as a "safe pick" for the CEO seat at Microsoft, due to his great work for the company so far. However, it remains to be seen if he'll be able to improve Microsoft's position in the technology sphere and make the company more competitive .
Microsoft investors are taking the news with a moderate dose of optimism and the stock prices are up by around half a percent. Needless to stay, they're hoping Nadella will help make the company the most valuable in the tech sphere once again.
So it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S5 may make an appearance at MWC 2014 after all - but why? Samsung, do you have something to hide?
If Samsung was looking to get the maximum publicity for its marketing buck it would stick to the standalone launch event which served it so well for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4.
These events managed to generate almost Apple levels of hysteria and excitement - a buzz many manufacturers can only dream of, and one which should be carefully preserved, not thrown into a melee of announcements at MWC.
The Galaxy S5 looks set to arrive at MWC
I'm not saying people will ignore the Galaxy S5 if it does arrive in Barcelona, everyone (myself included) will still cover it with the same vigour as previous Galaxy S launches as it's going to be one of the big phones of the year, no matter what turns up - but I'll be doing it in the middle of covering announcements from a multitude of other manufacturers.
All part of the plan
Samsung is going to lose out on coverage compared to previous years - there's no two ways about it.
But perhaps that's exactly what it's trying to do. Maybe Samsung has finally run out of ideas on how to reinvent the wheel on an annual basis and is fearing a backlash as it unveils a handset which boasts only minor improvements over the Galaxy S4.
People were not overly excited by the Galaxy S4, which brought a slightly updated design and new eye, face and hand tracking tech - branded a gimmick by some.
Taking a look at the Galaxy S5 rumours there doesn't seem to be a great deal to get properly excited about.
A higher resolution display is hardly going to blow us away, a 16MP camera still pales in comparison to the 20.7MP Xperia Z1 and 41MP Lumia 1020 and Samsung will be late to the fingerprint scanning tech with the iPhone 5S and HTC One Max beating it to the punch.
With less of a focus put on the Galaxy S5, there will be less analysis of its flaws as media outlets attempt to churn through all the new products at MWC - leading to coverage of the sentient points, which realistically, is all the consumer needs anyway.
While this earlier-than-expected launch would see Samsung get its handset out the door before HTC - the Taiwanese firm may have the upper hand with its own event in March, allowing the HTC One Two to garner a lot more interest, especially if it can get the phone on shop shelves within a fortnight of announcement.
And what about the design? Is Samsung finally admitting it might not be that desirable? It's still thought that the South Korean brand will stick with the tried and tested plastic chassis for the Galaxy S5, but consumers now have a taste for the finer things in life.
The metal clad HTC One and One Mini join the iPhone 5S and Xperia Z1 in terms of premium look and feel - something that Samsung's handsets have always lacked, and it's falling further behind.
And the winner is...
This is great news for MWC. After a drab CES 2014 the relevance of trade shows was called into question, so having the Galaxy S5 showing up in Barcelona would be a massive coup for MWC - which may boast two major phone launches with the Sony Xperia Z2 also tipped for an appearance.
We've also got some decent tier two phones in the shape of the Nokia X Android phone and the LG G2 Pro - they might not be big hitters, but will certainly garner some decent coverage.
That potentially spells more trouble for Samsung as the Galaxy S5 will be going head to head with one of its biggest rivals almost immediately.
Get the Galaxy S5 wrong and it could be over before it's even hit stores, if critical acclaim is showered on Sony with Samsung's offering failing to impress - OK, that's a bit of a stretch as marketing also plays a huge part, but it's not a fight anyone should want to pick.
Sure, the Galaxy S5 will be powerful and brimming with the latest tech - but I fear it will also be underwhelming, and Samsung knows it.
Phones 4U is gearing up to open 15 new stores in the UK, all with the Samsung name on them, a move that could see the smartphone giant take on rival Apple Stores.
The new stores will be staffed by Phones 4U employees, but will pack Samsung-branded devices, according to Mobile News. Scott Hooton, chief marketing officer at Phones 4U, told the news website that the first 15 stores will feature Samsung phones, computing accessories and wearable technology.
It's not yet clear where in the UK the new stores will be located.
High street war
The deal is a significant expansion on an existing contract between the two companies for a Samsung-branded Phones 4U store in the Westfield Stratford shopping centre. Phones 4U also ran some temporary Samsung stores during the London 2012 Olympics.
Samsung appears to be wanting to expand big time to the high street. It inked a deal recently with Carphone Warehouse for 60 branded stores throughout Europe, between 10 and 15 of which will be in the UK. These open in April.
Perfect Tim-ing
In December it also nabbed Tim Gudgel, the designer who worked on the Apple Stores, in what could not be a more obvious attempt to steamroll in on its territory.
Apple has 98 stores in Europe, 37 of which are in the UK. Samsung's move will quickly give its long-standing rival a run for its money. With Apple Stores making more money per square foot than any other retail chain in the world, it is no surprise that Samsung wants a piece of the action.
Indonesian retailer Indokom has put up the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo on sale. The phone carries a price tag of approximately $555 (IDR 6,799,000). Indikom hasn't specified if this is the price for the hexa-core LTE+/3G version of the Note 3 Neo or for the quad-core dual SIM one (we've reached them for clarification).
Anyway, whatever the case, this price is marginally lower than the price in Europe. Less than 24 hours after going official, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo received its European price tag in Germany. The LTE+ version is priced at €529.90 (approx. $716), while the less powerful HSPA+ one stands at €499 (approx. $675), although we suspect those prices are inflated and will come down shortly.
The Indonesian price of the Note 3 Neo looks to be more realistic than the one the phone carries in Germany. Given that the Indikom sells the regular Note 3 for IDR8,880,000, the Neo is 23% cheaper than its premium sibling. If we apply the same logic to the European market, the new Samsung phablet should arrive at a price of about €385, which sound much more reasonable.
The Sony Xperia Z2 is being tipped for a MWC 2014 unveiling at the end of February, and it may be sporting a super slim design if the latest photo leak is to be believed.
In a typically blurry spy shot which appeared on Chinese forum Digi-woo, a handset which appears to be a Sony device - judging by the app icons and colour scheme - seems to show an incredibly slim bezel down the side of its display.
It's not clear how the forum poster managed to get hold of these snaps, and their poor quality throws the whole thing into doubt - but it's certainly not outside the realms of possibility that this is the Xperia Z2.
Salt shaker
As you may have already guessed, we're recommending a heavy dosage of salt with this particular leak - but the good news is we're hopefully just a few weeks away from the official Sony Xperia Z2 launch.
TechRadar will be reporting live from the Barcelona event, so stayed tuned for all the latest from the Japanese firm.
Microsoft is currently running two promotions that might be of interest to people looking to get a new device and get rid of an old one.
The first one is a trade-in deal that can net you up to $250 worth of store credit if you trade in an old smartphone or a tablet. There are serious restrictions though – first of, the deal is for US Microsoft stores (including Puerto Rico) and Canada.
Second, it must be a working device, with no cracks on the screen, no water damage and you must even provide the original charger and other accessories. The device must also not be password protected (to prevent trading in stolen or found devices). The exact amount you get will be determined by a Microsoft Store employee. The deal is valid until March 2.
Another deal (this one US-only) is a Nokia Lumia 520 or 521 with a 12-month subscription to Xbox Music for $99 total. The Xbox Music Subscription alone costs $99 usually, while the Lumia 520/521 is $60-$70 in the Microsoft Store.
Both deals have a limit of one per customer and cannot be combined with other deals, i.e. you can't pawn your old phone and grab a Lumia 520/521 with the money.
It's no secret that the LG G Pro 2 will be launched at MWC 2014 in Barcelona, and now the Korean firm has spilled the beans on the handset's camera.
Taking to its official social site, LG confirmed that the G Pro 2 would sport "OIS plus" technology on the rear facing 13MP snapper.
The enhanced OIS (optical image stabilisation) promises sharper images - even in darker situations - while a continuous shooting mode will see 20 pictures snapped in rapid succession.
4K video
The post notes that the camera gets a revamped interface, as well as slow motion and Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) video recording.
Round the front of the G Pro 2 you'll find a 2.1MP snapper - the same camera which is found in the flagship LG G2.
TechRadar will be out in force at MWC 2014 to bring you all the latest from the Korean firm, including a hands on LG G Pro 2 review.
